Star's Strife
Chapter 10: Marco's Guilt
Vengeance was silent as cold stone as he stood in front of his master Toffee, his axe in hand and ready to spill any form of blood, Vengeance's will was like the iron metal was nailed and bolted to, unrelenting and unbending to the magical high comission,
"Vengeance...Deal with the Magical High Commission, I'm going to deal with some personal matters..." Toffee said with a subdued cackle as he started to channel a strange surge of fel green energy, Vengeance roared in defiance but nevertheless agreed to his Master's command, He bellowed a massive ear-wrenching roar, saliva and mouth blood bursting out of the false Knight's razor-ridden maw.
He sounded like some sort of Leviathan, a brutal dragon that only seemed to be always in a state of madness, only yearning one thing in its own life...Destruction.
"Hahahaha...The spilling of your blood will be the first of my many glories!" Vengeance taunted ferociously as he stood in front of his master, serving as the first defense for the Magical High Commission.
"For I am Vengeance! The Executioner of remorse! The Liberator of Evisceration! And the Reaver of anticipation!" The Knight known as Vengeance daunted with a sharp-tooth ridden smile within his dark chasm of a face.
"Everyone ready?" Queen Moon asked her comrades, the Magical High Commission nodded in agreement as they all began to charge towards the Knight of Vengeance, the Knight laughed as the earth around him began to shake rather impressively, pieces of rubble began to drop down from the ceiling as the Knight of Vengeance was ready to purge his enemies for his Wand Bearer.
Marco sighed deeply as he was completely alone at his household...He was lying on the bed of the guest bedroom, it wasn't magical, it wasn't Star's room anymore, it was just a bland and grey bedroom with nothing more than a simple crooked dresser a blandly-colored bed.
Marco couldn't get the thought of his best friend out of his head...Star's smile, Star's blonde hair, star's perfect blue eyes...Marco couldn't forget her no matter how hard he tried and no matter how much time he spends with Jackie-Lynn Thomas, he can't forget about Star...
He can't forget about the girl that saved his life from a life of mediocrity and dullness.
"...What?" Marco said to himself when that thought came up to his head, he shook his cranium as an attempt to control his deep thoughts, he wasn't in love with Star, he never was and never will be, he's with the girl he truly loved, Jackie-lynn Thomas, he spent a lot more time with Jackie than he did Star.
In fact, he knew more about Jackie than Star! Like her favorite food...Favorite color...She likes skateboarding...And she got her necklace from a pawn shop...Marco shook his head, the Boy didn't want to reflect his choices on where his heart fluttered for.
Its been about two weeks since Star left Earth to return back to her home...There was no sign that she had to leave, there was no forewarning for the Human Boy so he could at least brace for impact when he heard that his best friend was gone from his left, one day he had his best friend...Then the next day? She was gone, and there was no trace of her after she left, her guest room turning back into the bland and basic guest room that it was formerly once was before Star arrived to Earth.
Marco could hear his own heart beat, slow and unmotivated as it used to beat with another heart, the heart of Star Butterfly rather than the heart of Jackie-Lynn Thomas.
Marco yelled in frustration, why are these thoughts popping up now? Why is Marco's mind is constantly flashing with great memories with his Best friend? Why doesn't he just call Jackie-Lynn Thomas and spend time with her? He has a phone...He has her phone number, he can do it right now...And yet, he doesn't even bother to take his phone out of his hoodie pocket.
Adding more to his withdrawal with his girlfriend, she hasn't been visiting him as often, while before it was every single day but after Star left to go back home? Only twice this week she ever visited and even then, they were only quick stops and nothing more.
There was one emotion that was coursing through Marco more than anything else however, it was simply an emotion deemed as regret...Did he took his time with Star for granted? Was he to mean to her? Did he spend to little time with her ever since Jackie became his girlfriend? Marco wasn't sure, a little part of him thinks that he deserved this, deserved this abandonment by the girl that could make him smile.
"Observant...Oh...Whats this?" Marco heard, the voice was deep...Yet...Calming...Instantly gathering his attention as he quickly stood up from lying on the bed, quickly scanning around the room to see who it was the one who spoke.
"Show yourself whoever you are!" Marco said aloud as he looked prepared to take out whoever was spying on him.
"Reassuring...Oh...Don't worry child...I know that you're...Defensive...But I mean no harm..." The Voice said slowly, Marco wasn't all that convinced by the voice's words, still in a martial arts combat pose.
"Welcoming...I am simply an friend...You may have met one of my apprentices" The voiced paused softly before he resumed his bizarre speech pattern.
"Informative...His name is Strife...Questioning...Do you know him?" Marco raised an eyebrow at the voice's speech pattern.
"I know that he's with Star...Sort of like a Guardian to her..." Marco answered, this time being a bit less defensive as he was previously.
"Impressed, Good...I am the Knightmaster of the Queens and Princess's of Mewni...I am..." suddenly, sunlight from the window of the guest room began to shift and turn, almost as if the sun light rays were moving like ash and dust within the wind, the Sun light began to bend and a body came from a flashing bang of light...What appeared in front of the Mundane human Marco was the Knightmaster, he did not wear armor, in fact, his attire was a white angelic robe, coupled with a shadowing hood, covering the Masters face with the exclusion of his white glowing eyes.
The Knightmaster was not strong and titantic unlike his Apprenctices of Knights, not bulging with muscle and metal, he was tall for sure, over eight feet tall, taller than any of the Apprenctices that the Knightmaster made, but his posture was slanted and slouching, being only simply six feet tall due to the Knightmaster's back problems.
The Knightmaster had a sword like his apprentices, the difference is that it will forever be sheathed and simply kept it in case, the reason? So for the Knightmaster can use his sword as a walking stick.
"Introductory...I am...Storge...The Knightmaster of the Knights, I am the one who teaches lessons...I am the one who lends the pained their healing salve...I am the one who made emotions...I am...Storge..." The Knightmaster introduced, his voice being akin to that of a grandfather, kind, quiet but wise and stern, it was enough for Marco to let go of his more defensive and untrusting emotions.
"Happiness...Thank you for trusting my words child..." He said with a calming tone, being like a soft meadow breeze.
"Why are you here? In mundane earth? Shouldn't you be in somewhere more magical?" Marco asked without a second thought, not wanting to deal with the supernatural anymore ever since Star left.
"Deploring...Well...It seems like you are connected to the current Princess..." Marco looked down to the ground for a moment, specifically remembering about the Blood Moon Ball and how he and Star are bonded to each other by the superstitious blood moon, the Knightmaster instantly saw the sudden swing of emotions from Marco.
"Sympathy...Do not cry child...Your redemption is near..." Marco wasn't crying, he was simply rubbing off some sweat from his face.
"What do you mean by Redemption?" Marco questioned the Knightmaster, Storge only smiled lightly, with a little thump on the floor with his sheathed sword, a portal open in front of Marco Diaz, it was yellow and bright like the sun, blazing glorious as it waited for someone to enter.
"Bolstering...Your love is in danger child...Do not hide your emotions from me...I am the Master of Emotions..." Marco looked hurt from such words from the Master, he was about to defend himself only to be stared down by Storge.
"Accusing...You kiss another maiden's lips...But you yearn for the right pair..." The Knightmaster accused Marco who was piddly silent.
"...I know..." Was all Marco said, looking down to the floor and not daring to make eye contact with the Knightmaster.
"I should have...Asked Star out..." Marco said to himself, he noticed that his eyesight was getting watery and blurred.
"My first kiss should have been with her..." Marco continued as he felt tears streaming down his cheeks, guilt started to sink Marco, causing the boy to drop down to his knees, he felt weak, he felt embarrassed as he was sulking down right in front of the Knightmaster.
"I'm sorry...Star..." Was all Marco said, he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to See the Knightmaster, his white eyes welling up with tears of Sympathy.
"Commending...Your strength that's within you is amazing...To keep going forward despite the doubts...Despite the Insecurities that dwell within you..."
"Beckoning...This is why I need you for this...Child...Your love...Has been captured...And I require someone to save her...This is your time boy..."