Hoshi no Kirifuda
Episode 01 - Chapter 03
Disclaimer:
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this written work are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. These written works are not-for-profit, and are protected under Fair Use laws. I do not own these characters, all credit and rights belongs to Disney, Daron Nefcy, and Toei.
Content is only suitable for mature adults. May contain explicit language and adult themes.
Author's Notes:
Last chapter for this episode, I guess? I'll put up the next batch of chapters soon.
000000
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The school clock was always so slow. Ms. Skullnick's class was always so slow thought a fourteen years old boy. He was studious and took all the notes, he doted every 'I' and crossed every 'T.' However, it didn't make listening to the troll of a teacher any easier.
"Marco Diaz, if you could please come up to the board and solve this problem," announced the teacher.
The boy got out of his desk and walked up towards the chalkboard. His red sweater catching on his desk, draggin the desk slightly.
"Mr. Diaz, now."
Marco shook off his embarrassment and continued towards the board. He solved the question easily, and walked back to his desk to sit back down.
Upon taking his seat, Marco whispered to himself, "I wish things weren't so boring."
000
The school bell rung signifying the end of the school day. Marco ran through the hallways to make it to his locker. Barely out of breath, he looked at his phone to see the time.
"Just made it."
He looked up to see wavy platinum blonde hair with an aqua streak.
"Hey Jacki-," his voice cracked.
"Hey Diaz, you alright?"
Marco was getting lost in her mint green eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm totally fine. I'm cool." He leaned against his locker.
"Alright, don't go dying on me now. Got to go, I've got work to get to, catch you later."
"Oh, yeah, sure, laters." He watched as Jackie Lynn Thomas the coolest girl in the school got on top of her skateboard and left Marco in the dust. He couldn't help but see that she was wearing her usual green and white raglan shirt that held itself close to her curvy body. Marco's eyes traced her cyan shorts just hugging against her rump as she skated away.
However, Marco's thoughts were cut off. "Dude, if you stare any harder, you'd burn your eyes into her ass."
He looked over to see a Filipino girl wearing an olive green shirt, turquoise jacket, yellow skirt, brown combat boots, and an olive green beanie.
"I wasn't staring at anything Janna."
"Diaz, just own up to your ass staring. I mean, I'd stare at that ass too."
"Wait, what?"
"What? I can't appreciate nice tail too?"
"Y'know what, nevermind."
Marco's head was spinning, his adolescent mind trying to process what Janna just said.
"I'm going home Janna. Give me my keys."
"What? I haven't done anything yet." She pouted at Marco.
The girl had a penchant for thievery, mostly just Marco's things, and honestly it was just routine at this point, he didn't really mind. He didn't approve of it, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to stop her.
"Come on Janna, we do this every day. You take my keys, I get them back."
"Honestly, I haven't taken them this time."
Marco searched his pocket, only to find out that she was right, she hadn't taken his keys. However, he noticed a very empty back pocket.
"This time Diaz, I took your wallet."
"Seriously Janna?! Give it back!"
"Aw… Safe Kid Diaz wants it back?"
"I'm not a Safe Kid! And yes, I want my wallet back."
"Then show me that you're not a Safe Kid." Janna wagged Marco's wallet in front of him.
Out of frustration, he pushed Janna up against the lockers. His right leg in between hers, his right hand slammed against the side of her head.
"Please Janna, give me back my wallet."
Janna's face a bit flushed and she smirked, "Fine, but-"
Marco snatched his wallet from her hand before she could finish and walked away.
000
Four peach colored walls.
He took a deep breath in.
One wooden door.
He released his breath.
The floor beneath his feet creaked as the wooden floorboards shifted with his weight.
He positioned himself into a neutral stance.
A poster hung on the wall where his bed laid, it held an image of two opposing hands with the words 'The hand of KARATE' exclaimed on it.
He continued his breathing exercise.
He wore a white karate gi, a green belt wrapped around his hip.
He bent his knees, settling his center of gravity, he took a proper offensive stance that was ingrained into him through years of karate lessons.
The blinds to his room were shut, he focused on the lack of light.
Slowly, he began his repetition of karate katas.
The globe in the corner of his room sat there collecting dust.
He breathed a single word, "One."
A picture of a cowboy hung above his bed backboard, the cowboy held out an outstretched hand as the horse it rode on stood on its hind legs.
"Two."
A few comics laid on top of his table where his television sat, furthest from the door.
"Three."
The skinny slits between each shudder on his closet door restrained and kept hidden his few secrets from the world.
"Four."
He shut his eyelids, blocking out unnecessary sensory. The world sank into darkness. In his mind's eye he saw himself in the center of a field of red roses that made up the design of a heart. Surrounding the roses were golden lilies and daffodils, outlining and accentuating the roses. The scents itched at his nose, a sweet and alluring smell from the pedals of the abundant flowers intoxicated him. He took in a deep breath, savoring the taste of temptation. This was the inner world of Marco Diaz. Where he came to just forget the problems of the world. It was here that he knew peace; peace from the everyday bustling of life, peace from the classroom, and peace away from the love life of being a fourteen year old boy. It was then that he heard a familiar noise. It was a knock.
"Mijo? Dinner is ready."
"Thanks dad, I'll be right down after I change out of my gi."
000
Marco was taking the trash out and he looked up to the light polluted night sky.
"Too bad I can't see the stars."
Opening the trash can and tossing the tightly bound trash bag, he noticed that the sky lit up more so than usual. He squinted at the foreign source of light.
"-ime Glossaryck! I know you like your riddles and games but I don't ha-"
Marco stared at the mysterious blonde girl that appeared out of nowhere. She stood in the middle of the street, looking lost as she fervently shook her head trying to grasp at her current situation. Marco noticed that she was dressed elegantly, like some sort of celebrity.
"Hey you, peasant!"
Marco looked around and then questionably pointed at himself.
"Yes you! Where am I?" the blond girl demanded.
"Uh… You know what? It's been a long week, so I'm just going home." Marco turned on his heel and slinked back home.
"Hey! You don't turn your back from a princess! Come back here peasant!"
Marco reached for the door, intent on opening it, as he heard loud running footsteps from behind. He instinctively ducked and rolled out of the way. The blond girl performed a roundhouse kick that he barely dodged.
"What the fu- Are you stupid? Just leave me alone, I don't want to hurt you."
The blonde girl huffed, catching her own breath, "I'm not stupid, you're stupid. And trust me, I'm going to be the one hurting you."
Marco got into a defensive stance. He may have been apprehensive against hurting people, but this was self-defense.
The girl began with a quick one-two punch combination. Marco brushed aside the first fist, but met with the second one, blocking it as it was aimed at his face. Then a left knee charged itself at his chest. Again, he blocked the attack, this time however he fell backwards on his back.
He thought to himself, 'She's pretty strong. I can't just stay on the defensive, or I'll be eating dirt soon.' Marco quickly performed a kick up, jumping with his back and landing on his feet. He prepared himself in a fighting stance, remembering his sensei's teachings.
The blonde girl inquisitively stared at Marco, 'That's.. actually impressive.' She got back into her fighting stance, she stood square with an even center of gravity. Both of her hands in front of her preparing for a boy's counter attack.
Marco slowly approached the blonde and examined her openings, 'Not sure where she learned to fight, but I can't tell where to attack from. She's just not strong, she's good.'
Both of them eyed each other down, waiting for the other to throw the next blow. When another voice interrupted.
"Star, you're not here to fight the natives, you've got a tournament remember?"
Marco and the girl named Star turned their heads in the same direction, looking at a diminutive blue man who was hovering mid-air.
"But peasants have to be put in their place Glossaryck," whined Star.
"He's not a peasant Star. He's not from Mewni. We're not even on Mewni anymore."
Simultaneously, both the boy and girl exclaimed in confusion at the same time, "What?!"
Glossaryck faced Marco, "I'm sorry kid. She's a bit of a hot head. Plus, we're new to the neighborhood. So, how about this one time we chalk this up to… cultural differences?"
'Cultural differences? Where were these two from? How is that little guy floating? What is Mewni? And did he say tournament, what tournament?' Marco shook his head a bit trying to process everything. "Uh… sure? As long as I get some answers?"
The diamond pupils of the floating blue man stared down the young man. "We're not from this world, we come from Mewni. It is a world far from here, and not on any map that you know of. Let's keep it simple and just say that I'm magic. About the tournament, just ignore that, it isn't your concern. And before you ask, yes I read your mind, kind of. That answers the few question you had in your head, correct?"
"Uh… yeah? And did you just- of course you did," lamented Marco.
"Glossaryck, we can't just tell him everything!" chimed in Star.
"You shut your mouth Star. You attacked the boy first, we owe him this much, and this is hardly everything."
Star crossed her arms and pouted a bit at the little blue man's response.
"Now if you'll excuse us Mister Marco Ubaldo Diaz, we have to be on our way."
Marco stood there dumbfounded as he watched both Glossaryck and Star walked down the street away from him.
"And this is how the weekend starts…" sighed Marco.