Hello everyone! Chapter 10 coming at ya! In this chapter, I introduce a character who hates Marco almost immediately.

No, it's not Tom. Sorry.

Enjoy! And I do not own 'Star vs the Forces of Evil'.

(Chapter 10)

"I still don't trust him."

"Bleh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh."

"Yes, I know he saved the Princess from an assassin!" Rhombulus bellowed as he followed Lekmet through the crystal halls of their home. "But for all we know, that could have been staged just so the Queen would trust him more!"

"I think you're just being paranoid now." Left snake hand said.

"Yeah, me too, man." Right snake hand agreed. "And this is coming from your own hands."

"Hey! Whose side are you guys on?!" Rhombulus shouted at his hands.

"Bleh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh." said Lekmet.

"Of course Hekapoo trusts him." The jailor replied with a diamond eye-roll. "She's trusted him ever since she saw what he looked like in the Neverzone. That's probably the only reason she hired him as her personal muscle. She wants that muscle all to herself."

"Bleh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh." Lekmet replied gently.

"I am really the only one who still thinks he's hiding something?!" Rhombulus shouted in disbelief. "There's something bigger at play here, and that Mango guy is at the center of it!"

"Bleh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh."

"Fine. Marco. Whatever. Look, even Omnitraxus said that his arrival wasn't a coincidence!"

"Bleh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh."

"Yeah, but it could also mean that he's bad news for Mewni." Rhombulus countered. "The attack on St. Olga's, Eclipsa's escape, the attempted assassination on the Princess, it's all connected and Marco, or whatever his name is, is the connection! He was there at St. Olga's and he was there when the assassin came. He's probably the one who set Eclipsa free!"

Lekmet halted his walking and sighed, then he turned to Rhombulus and bleated a question.

"Well, no. No, I do not have any proof." Rhombulus admitted. "But I'll get that proof if it's the last thing I do!"

Lekmet just walked away.

"You'll see! You'll all see!" Rhombulus shouted after the old goat. "I'll show everyone what's really under that red hood!"

A blue portal opened up in Marco's castle room and he stepped through it, wearing his Neverzone attire that hung a bit loosely on his now fifteen-year-old body. "Phew," Marco said as he stretched. "That was intense."

Hekapoo stuck her head out of the portal. "It's always intense, you know that," she said with a smirk.

"This one felt especially intense," Marco replied.

"It was worth it though," said Hekapoo. "One of the biggest interdimensional weapons dealers and his posse are now either behind bars or six feet under."

"For a guy who sold forbidden weaponry, he sure liked to advertise," Marco commented. "He even had a mascot, what kind of crime lord does that?"

"After a while, they all start to think they're untouchable. Makes my job a lot easier," said Hekapoo. "Hey, listen. If you're still up for some fun, I know this great bar that serves the best drinks from across the dimensions. Good music, bumper pool, they even clean the bathrooms. You in? It's on me."

"I would love to, but I gotta start on the Princess's next tutor session," said Marco. "The Queen wants me to teach her daughter how to do basic algebra. Or, whatever passes as basic algebra in this kingdom."

It passed too quickly for Marco to tell, but he thought he saw a look on Hekapoo's face that some might have identified as disappointment. "Oh...well, whatever." The scissor-forger replied with a casual shrug. "I got stuff to do too anyway. So, yeah. Hitting the bars is probably a stupid idea. I'll call you when I need you… Later."

Hekapoo pulled her head out of the portal and the portal vanished. Once she was gone, Marco tilted his head curiously. 'Weird,'' he thought. 'Wonder what was bothering her.'

Marco, being Marco, shrugged it off and went to take a shower. Once he was clean, he dressed in his regular red hoodie and black pants combo attire. He then sat at the desk and began writing down some notes on what he knew about basic algebra and could teach to Star. Marco knew he would have to avoid overwhelming the Princess with any overly complicated math problems, but the trick was knowing what an 'overly complicated math problem' meant to Star. Marco doubted she cared much for mathematics, much like how Janna never cared for the topic. Star and Janna actually had a lot in common, when Marco thought about it. The two of them would probably hit it off pretty well if they ever met.

The thought made Marco shiver with fear.

It wasn't just the thought of having to deal with 'the terrible two' when they were already separate tests of his psyche. Marco wanted to ensure that his work on Mewni and his life on Earth stayed entirely separate from one another. He would never forgive himself if the fallout of his consequences found its way to his home and family. Eclipsa had lost her baby daughter, who's to say that Marco wouldn't make the wrong enemy and lose his baby sister?

Marco's compact mirror rang. He shook the bad thoughts out of his head before taking his mirror out and answering it. "Marco Diaz speaking."

"Jackie Lynn Thomas speaking as well."

"Oh! Jackie, hey!" Marco said, his cheeks flushing a bit. "What's up?"

"Just checking to see how you're doing," Jackie replied. "I don't wanna sound like that kind of girlfriend, but, you never call."

Marco rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry. My schedule is pretty tight, now that I'm working that part-time job."

"Oh, so you took that side job you were telling me about after all?"

"Also, an assassin tried to kill the Princess the other day, so there's that going on."

"Woah, what?!" Jackie asked. "Was anybody hurt?"

"Just the assassin. He got his limbs chopped off before he was blasted out of the castle."

"Holy shit."

"Ah, don't worry. He was a giant lizard. His limbs will grow back… probably."

"Um, okay. So, how's the tutoring going?" Jackie asked.

"I'm getting ready to teach the princess algebra," said Marco. "Which will probably only be slightly less difficult than teaching Janna algebra."

Jackie chuckled. "Sounds like the two of them would get along. So, when do we get to meet her?"

Marco blinked. "What?"

"When do we get to meet the Princess?" Jackie asked. "She's our age, right? Why don't we all get together and hang out?"

"...Jackie, if all goes well, that'll never happen," Marco said after a long pause. 'What did I just have an interior monologue about?'

"What do you mean? Is she the awful kind of Princess?" Jackie asked. "'Cause she can't be any worse than Brittany."

"No, she's cool, that's not the issue. Look, the farther I keep my work life from my personal life, the better off everyone on Earth is. You're just gonna have to trust me on that."

"Of course I trust you, Marco," said Jackie. "But, come on. How unsafe could it be? It's not like you're aiding criminals or uncovering conspiracies or practicing forbidden rituals over there."

"...Uh-huh."

"I'm just saying, instead of trying to separate your work life and personal life, maybe you should try to find a way for them to coexist."

Marco took a deep breath.

"Not gonna happen."

"Never say never." was Jackie's response. "By the way, you free tonight? There's this horror movie Janna recommended we should go see playing at the theater."

Marco shuddered. "If Janna recommended it, you know it's nothing cheesy."

"My thoughts exactly. You in?"

"Sure, I'll be free tonight," said Marco.

"Awesome. See ya tonight, boo."

Marco blushed. "See ya," he said before hanging up. Marco looked down at the compact mirror in his hand.

"Horror movie… My life is starting to feel like a horror movie."

There was a knock on the door.

'Must be Star, here early for our tutoring session.' Marco thought. 'Didn't think she'd be all that eager to start.' Marco walked over to the door and answered it. When he opened the door though, it wasn't Star on the other side.

The girl who had knocked on the door had green eyes and freckled cheeks; a classic addition to red hair. Her dark, pumpkin-colored hair was cut short, barely going below her ears. You always expect red-heads to have pale skin, but her fair skin, although not tan, showed evident signs of spending time out in the sun. She wore a blue tunic with circular shoulder pads that sported a single spike in their centers. Her white pants barely showed underneath the tunic and her long, magenta boots. Her forearms were wrapped heavily with cloth bandages, like make-shift bracers. The girl was about Marco's height, suggesting her age. She stood with her back straight and her hands folded behind her.

Marco blinked at the girl. "Uh… Can I help you?" he asked.

The girl smiled, although the smile was more professional than anything. Her judgmental, green eyes studied Marco for a bit before she spoke. "Mango Days?"

"I am getting so sick and tired of-" Marco cleared his throat before he could finish and addressed the girl more politely. "It's pronounced Marco Diaz, but yeah, you've got the right guy. How can I help you?"

"My name is Higgs. I'm the squire of Sir Stabby." she introduced herself. "He's one of the Greater Knights of the Mewnian Royal Guard. Perhaps you know of him?"

The name brought back the memory of Marco's first night in Mewni, when he came across two knights who had arrested and hogtied a pair of innocent Monster kids for no good reason. One of the knights had addressed the other knight as 'Sir Stabby'.

"Only by reputation," Marco replied.

"Well, Sir Stabby and some of the other knights have heard about you. The barracks echo with tales of how you saved the princesses of St. Olga's, and how you survived fifteen years in the Neverzone, and the more recent tale of how you saved Princess Star from a Septarian assassin." There was no amount of praise nor disapproval in her voice, Higgs simply stated what she knew, keeping her voice neutral. "Simply put, the Knights of Mewni are greatly impressed by your exploits."

"Oh," replied Marco. "Well, tell them I said thanks."

"You can tell them yourself," said Higgs. "On behalf of the great Sir Stabby, I have been sent here to invite you to join them on a hunt."

Marco blinked. "A hunt?" he asked. "The Knights of Mewni want me to join them on a hunt?"

"Yes," replied Higgs, her smiling face a blank mask. "As I just said about ten seconds ago."

"Well, when is the hunt and how long will it take? I have a Princess I need to tutor and...somewhere I need to be tonight."

"Sir Stabby and the other Knights are aware of your responsibilities, and want me to assure you that you will be back in time to educate the Princess," answered Higgs.

"Wait, the Knights want me to join them right now?" Marco asked.

"Yes," said Higgs. "The Knights wish to leave now, so they may catch the Monsters before they retreat back into the forests."

This time when Marco blinked, It was a slow blink. "...Monsters," he said. "The Knights are hunting Monsters."

"Uh-huh," replied Higgs with a nod.

Marco thought about the two Monster teens who had been hogtied and ready to be imprisoned or killed. He thought about Buff Frog and his kids.

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah," Marco began. "I'm...gonna have to pass."

This time, Higgs' smile melted into a frown. "Excuse me?"

"Uh, well," Marco scratched the back of his head nervously. "I...have a lot to do today, and I need to keep my schedule. Soooo… Sorry."

Higgs' green eyes glowered at Marco like that of a venomous snake ready to bite. "You are being invited to join the Knights of Mewni on one of their Monster hunts," her voice was a little too calm, "And you're turning them down?"

Marco gulped. "Yes, that is pretty much what is happening right now, yeah. Send my apologies to Sir Stabby and tell him maybe some other time." Marco reached out and swung the door to close it,

but Higgs put her foot in the way before the door could close and she swung it back open.

"You're being offered the honor of accompanying the Knights of Mewni on a hunt, an honor that many would fight tooth and nail for, and you dare spit on their offer?!" The red-headed squire hissed. "Who do you think you are?!"

Marco was getting sick of Higgs' attitude. "Sorry I can't go on the hunting trip, I'm gonna be busy."

"With what?"

"I'll find something, don't worry."

Higgs literally shook with anger. "I swear to corn, you will regret-"

Marco managed to close the door on her before she could finish.

Marco waited until the sound of angry footsteps faded away before he walked away from the door and sat back down at the desk, smiling victoriously.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Marco jumped in his seat. Glossaryck had suddenly appeared on the desk, sitting on the far side and staring at Marco.

"Would you please stop doing that?!" Marco shouted. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Glossaryck asked. "Kid, the last thing you should be doing right now is making enemies."

"I'm not about to go Monster hunting with those people," said Marco. "It's wrong and you know it."

"That's not what they think," Glossaryck said. "And what do you think that squire girl is gonna tell the knights?"

"I don't care what she tells them," Marco replied. "If they actually do start to bother me, I'll just go to the Queen. Tattletale, tattletale."

"That's not the point." said the genie. "You're living in the home of the people who despise and distrust the dark magic you've been practicing. You don't want to give them a reason to body search you. You need them to trust you. You need them to see you as one of their own."

"Glossaryck," Marco nearly growled. "I am not one of them."

Glossaryck stared at Marco for a second, then floated up and poked his forehead. Marco's Blood Moon cheek-marks lit up on his face.

"Then what are you?"

Marco swatted Glossaryck away from him and forced his cheek marks to vanish. "I am a goddamn human being!" Marco declared. "And I don't care what your magic has done to me, that will never change."

"All things change," said Glossaryck.

"What exactly am I supposed to do then, huh?" Marco asked. "Go with the Knights and help them round up and lock up those two Monsters I saved in the woods? Maybe go find Buff Frog and take away his kids-"

Marco gasped and his eyes went wide.

"They're gonna do exactly that now," he whispered.

In a single second, Marco pulled out his scissors and cut open a portal. In another second Marco went through the portal and it vanished once he was gone.

The portal sent Marco to the river bed where he had met Buff Frog and his kids. Marco looked around frantically for the big Monster. The river flowed gently and the sound of birds and bugs sounded all around him. There was no sign of the big frog Monster though.

"Buff Frog?" Marco called out. "Buff Frog?!"

Receiving no response, Marco grunted in frustration and headed into the forest, remembering Buff Frog telling him that his home was deeper in the woods, somewhere in the swamp. Marco ran through the woods without halt, desperate to deliver his warning as quickly as he could. Marco only stopped running when he found his legs submerged in muddy water halfway to his knees. The splash sprayed all over the rest of his clothes.

"Aw, come on!" Marco complained. "I'm trying to do a good deed here, and this happens?!" Marco shuddered as he raised one foot out of the swamp water. "Wet socks… I hate wet socks."

Marco then realized that he was in a swamp, and must be getting closer to Buff Frog's home. Cursing under his breath, he trudged through the swamp, wishing with all of his heart that he had brought some boots.

"I hate being a good person sometimes," Marco grumbled. "It would be so much easier to just be a constant dick."

Marco didn't stop grumbling angrily to himself until he came upon a hemispherical hut made from sticks and mud. The cottage was about the size of a garage and wasn't really all that bad to look at. Sporting a chimney and a couple of windows, the place could have been made by a pair of expert beavers who had used mud as plaster.

Marco made his way to the door and knocked on it frantically. "Buff Frog?! You in there?! It's me Ma-"

The door opened and a crossbow was aimed at Marco's face.

Marco stared wide-eyed at the point of the bolt. "...Well, I can always count on you for a warm welcome." # Gravity Falls ;)

The Monster aiming the crossbow lowered his weapon. "Marco?" Buff Frog asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's me," said Marco. "Thanks for not calling me 'Mango' by the way. I've been getting a lot of that."

"Hey! Human boy!" Buff Frog greeted with a big, sharp-toothed smile. "Is good to see you! But, vhat are you doing here? You could get into lot of trouble. That is, unless you beat me up and take me back in chains."

"I'm here to do the opposite, actually," Marco said. "There's a bunch of Knights, I don't know how many, coming to nab a bunch of Monsters, I don't know where."

Buff Frog frowned in worry. "A Monster hunt?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"They tried to bring me along, but I said no." Marco replied. "I came to you because I figured you'd be the only Monster that would listen to me, and, well… You have kids."

Buff Frog gave Marco a nod of respect. "We need to hurry."

"I don't know where-"

"I do." said the frog. "You have scissors?"

Marco pulled out his dimensional scissors and handed them to Buff Frog.

"Hmm. Nice pair of scissors," he commented before cutting open a portal. "Babies!" Buff Frog shouted into the home. "Stay put! Katrina is in charge!"

"You're gonna leave them home alone?" Marco asked.

"Babies need to learn independence someday. Now seem like good time."

Buff Frog grabbed Marco's arm and pulled him through the portal with him.

The portal led Marco and Buff Frog into a small community of huts, cottages, and small houses. A river snaked through the community; a prosperous water source. Marco noticed that all of the homes were either on wheels or looked like they were able to be easily broken apart and put back together. Others were just tents of various sizes. Marco then realized that they had to be. The Monsters were hated and regularly hunted, it made sense they had to always be on the move.

Said Monsters were walking about the community when Buff Frog and company had arrived. Marco was momentarily at a loss for words. A lot of the Monsters looked utterly bizarre. It was easy to understand how someone could be scared by their appearance, and Marco knew that fear could turn into hatred without applying much pressure.

The Monsters came and gathered around Buff Frog, evidently happy to see him.

"Heyyyyy, Buff Frog!" One of the Monsters, a tall, praying mantis with a human mouth, greeted excitedly. "Good to see you again, man! How ya been-"

The Monsters all gasped in fear when they finally noticed Marco.

"Buff Frog! Why did you bring a Mewman here, man!" the mantis guy cried. "Those guys, like, hate us Monsters, man!"

"Kill the evil Mewman!" Shouted a dog-man Monster. "Before it tries to kill one of us!"

Marco gulped as the angry Monsters closed in on him and Buff Frog.

"Stop!" Buff Frog shouted. "This is no Mewman!" he placed his hand on Marco's back and pushed him forward. "This is Boy in Red!"

The Monsters stopped advancing and gasped once more, then began murmuring amongst themselves.

"Boy in Red?"

"Boy in Red?"

"Is he really the Boy in Red?"

"He's a boy."

"He's wearing red."

"He's the Boy in Red!"

Marco looked at Buff Frog in confusion. "Boy in Red?"

"No time." Buff Frog told him. "Listen, everyone! The Knights are coming! Ve must hide! Ready camouflage!"

Without question or hesitation, the Monsters all obeyed and scattered. Marco guessed Buff Frog carried a lot of weight with the Monsters, and not just the weight his belt strained against. What happened next could only be described as a master feat of street magic. Have you ever seen skilled magicians mess with people using illusions? The Monsters covered their homes with several tarps and props until instead of a home, there was a big rock or a tree or something else, and it was impossible to tell otherwise.

"Woah." was all Marco could say.

"Da. Very impressive, I know," said Buff Frog. "Now come."

Buff Frog led Marco into the last hut to be camouflaged. The Monsters finished it up and hid inside with Marco and Buff Frog. The camouflage made the inside of the hut dark, and it was filled with Monsters. Marco began to sweat from the fear and anxiety. The Monster standing right behind him had long and sharp teeth. It went without saying to be quiet. Nobody so much as made a peep.

The Monsters had apparently finished just in time.

They didn't have to wait long before the sound of heavy hooves and whinnies could be heard from the inside of the hut. A squadron of riders, by the sound of it. The sound of hoofbeats ceased as the riders halted their progress.

Marco felt something grab his leg. He looked down and saw that a little Monster girl with blue fur and a pair of tiny horns, who couldn't have been older than five, was clinging to his leg, staring at the door with eyes wide with fear.

Marco looked over and saw Buff Frog staring at the door intensely, but his eyes betrayed worry. He had a family he needed to get back to.

Marco looked back at the door. His cheek marks didn't appear, but he felt his magic charge up. Marco vowed to not let a single innocent be harmed, and he didn't care about the consequences.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Marco heard an irritated voice ask from outside the hut. He recognized the voice as Lady Whosits, the other Knight he had seen in the woods on his first night in Mewni. "Where are all the Monsters?!"

There was a sigh. "Let me check the map." This time Marco recognized Sir Stabby's voice. There was the sound of movement, probably the sound of getting the map.

"Well?" asked Lady Whosits voice.

"Hold on! Hold on!" There was silence for a little while. "Yeah, this is the location."

"But there's nothing here!" cried a different voice.

"Oh? Oh really? Nothing here?" Sir Stabby asked sarcastically. "Gee, how could I have missed that?"

"Dangit, Stabby, I thought you said your information was good!" Lady Whosits complained.

"It was good!" Sir Stabby argued. "The Monsters must've just left, is all."

"Well, where are they?" asked Whosits.

"Maybe they'll come back?" suggested another voice. "Why don't we hide and ambush them when they return?"

"But that'll take forever," said Whosits. "I wanna fight some Monsters now."

"And besides, we don't have the time to set up an ambush," said Sir Stabby. "In case you've all forgotten, the Queen wants us back before long. Her Majesty doesn't want us away from the castle for too long."

"Oh, right, because of the assassination attempt on the Princess." Another voice recalled. "The one that Mango guy thwarted."

"That guy." Sir Stabby growled angrily. "Can you believe the nerve of him?! Turning us down like that?!"

"Disrespectful is what it is!" shouted Whosits. "Who does he think he is, turning down us Knights?"

"Did your squire at least punch him in the face or something?" One of the knights asked.

"No, she just came straight to me and reported his irreverence." Replied Stabby. "I oughta stab that punk until he is nothing but holes!"

"We can't lay a finger on him." Lady Whosits reluctantly reminded Stabby. "He's under the Queen's full protection and the King and the Princess both seem to like him."

Marco heard Sir Stabby let out a long sigh. "This has been a very disappointing day," he said. "Alright. Let us return to the castle. We can cross this location off our list and just spar in the training yard or something."

The Knights all groaned unhappily before Marco heard them turn their steeds around. The thundering sound of hooves began and then slowly faded away. No one dared move even when the sound was completely gone until Buff Frog slowly made his way to the door. He opened the door and peeked outside. Once he had gotten a good look outside, he looked back at Marco and the Monsters.

"It is safe to come out," he told them.

Marco and the Monsters followed Buff Frog out of the hut. Buff Frog then whistled a bird call and the rest of the Monsters came out of hiding as well, all of them looking relieved beyond measure.

"Oh, thank corn, man." said the praying mantis guy. "This was like, so, so scary, man."

Buff Frog let out the breath he was holding in. "Ve vere most fortunate," he said.

Buff Frog then turned to Marco. "Most fortunate you come to varn us." he added. "Thank you, Marco. You save many lives today."

"Ah, don't mention it." said Marco.

"Hooray for the Boy in Red!" one of the Monsters shouted.

"HOORAY!" They all cheered.

Marco laughed nervously, the way he normally did when he was at the center of attention.

"Hey, Boy in Red!"

Marco looked over and saw a pair of Monster teens approaching him. He recognized them as the elephant guy and squirrel girl he had rescued in the woods.

"Hey, it's you two." Marco greeted.

"See? I told you he'd remember us." said the squirrel girl.

"We just wanted to tell how totally grateful we are for you saving our skins from those Knights." the elephant guy said. "And how we're totally grateful for you doing it again."

"We were going to hang out with some of our friends down by the creek. You wanna join us?" asked the squirrel girl. "It would literally be an honor."

Marco blinked. Actually being invited to stuff was one thing, but these two were talking to him like he was some kind of celebrity. It really threw Marco off balance for a minute. "I… I'd love to, but I have a tutor session that I need to-"

Marco's compact mirror dinged.

"Up. Hold on." Marco pulled out his phone and saw that he had gotten a text from Star. there were so many emojis and abbreviations it was hard to actually read it, but it translated to something like this:

[Hey Marco! Gonna have to postpone that tutor session. I found a way to escape my prison/bedroom. I will let you know when I have escaped or been caught. Later!]

Marco pocketed his mirror. "Never mind, I can hang out for a bit."

"Yes yes yes yes yes!" cheered the elephant guy. "We're hanging out with the Boy in Red!"

"Call me Marco."

The elephant guy's eyes sparkled. "Oh my corn," he said. "This is the best day of my life."

Marco chuckled. 'Okay… I don't hate this.'

"So I'm some kind of folk hero to you guys?" Marco asked. "The Boy in Red?"

"Dude. You're a freakin' legend!" said the elephant guy, who had identified himself as Ron. "Everyone loves to tell stories about how you're this master of butt-kicking, who defends the innocent with his sword-hand dance of death."

Ron and Marco were sitting by a creek in the woods with a bunch of other Monster teens, including the squirrel girl, who had called herself Maggie. All of the Monster teens were focusing their attention on Marco, as if expecting he would do something cool at a moment's notice. Marco was now clean of all the mud and grime he had picked up during his trek through the swamp. The Monsters of the community had been kind and grateful enough to clean his clothes for him before he had left with the Monster teens.

"It's called karate," Marco said, struggling to keep the irritation out of his voice. "A martial art which I have honed and mastered through fifteen years in the Neverzone."

"No freaking way." Maggie marveled. "You've been to the Neverzone?"

"Oh yeah," Marco replied. "It's how I got my dimensional scissors. I go there regularly now on side jobs."

There was a collective 'Woooooooooooooooah' among the teens.

"Is it true you made out with all of the Princesses you saved from St. Olga's?" A bulky Monster teen with a moose head asked. "I heard they were all begging you to marry them."

Marco's face flushed. "Uh, no. No, I did not. They all tried to make out with me though. They nearly ripped me to pieces."

"Nice."

"Is it true you're not actually a Mewman?" another one of the Monsters asked. His thin body was made of forest-green slime. His legs were stuffed into jeans and boots while his long, blobby arms extended past his feet. He wore a stocking cap on his head and his green, goo hair hung down and covered his left eye. His other eye was mint-green. "I heard you're actually from a dimension of endless war, and you fled your dimension seeking peace and redemption after all of the horrors you were forced to participate in."

"There's an idea Hollywood would like to get their hands on." Marco muttered. "Slime, right?"

Slime nodded.

"I'm not a Mewman, no. I'm called a human. Short for human being. Scientifically, we're called Homo sapiens."

"Where are Ho-mo Sap-ions from?" Slime asked, sounding out the new word.

"I'm from a planet, or dimension or whatever, called Earth," Marco said. "It's not a place of one hundred percent peace, but it's not some giant wasteland of war. It's a nice place overall. The only thing that really makes it special though, compared to the rest of the multiverse is that there's no magic there."

"No magic?!" Maggie asked incredulously.

"None whatsoever," Marco replied. "Except in movies and games and stuff."

"So, like, what's the difference between Mewmans and Humans?" Ron asked.

"Concerning physiology; there are no differences that I'm aware of," said Marco. "From what I can tell, Humans and Mewmans are pretty much just interdimensional subspecies."

"Well, what are Humans like?" Slime asked. "Does everyone there wear red hooded tunics?"

"They're called hoodies and no." Marco said. "I'm pretty much the only guy I know who wears this outfit."

"Can you breathe fire?" another Monster asked.

Marco blinked. "...No."

The Monster who asked the question dug into his pocket and handed over a few copper coins to his friend.

"Can I ask you guys something now?" asked Marco. "How often do you have to deal with Monster hunts and stuff like that?"

"All the time, man." Ron replied glumly. "It's ridiculous how much Mewmans hate us."

"That's why we think you're so cool," Maggie added. "You're the first person to ever cut us any slack since Queen Comet."

"The way you told those Knights off and came to save us from them? That was so cool of you, man." said Ron.

"He's even cooler than Princess Star." one of the other Monsters added. "But just barely."

"Wait, Monsters think the Princess is cool?" Marco asked.

"Well, just the younger generation," Ron admitted. "Our parents don't like her much."

"She's a rule-breaker who rejects society," said Maggie. "I'd totally roll with her."

Marco chuckled. "Yeah, she is kinda cool."

"Wait, are you and the Princess dating?" Ron asked excitedly. "Aw, you guys would make a killer power couple."

Marco waved his hands in front of him frantically. "Woah! Woah, woah woah! We're not dating!" he exclaimed, face beginning to redden. "I have a girlfriend back home! Her name's Jackie!"

Several of the Monster girls looked bummed out by that.

"Well, do you think you might hook up with her someday?" Slime asked. "Man, I can only imagine dating a princess."

"Uh...Uh…" Marco stammered. "Well-"

Marco's mirror buzzed.

"Hold on. Gotta take this. It might be work." Marco pulled his mirror out and saw that Star had sent him another text from Star.

[Marco. Just been caught trying to escape. I am in Mom's office being chewed out and lectured. She doesn't know I have my mirror with me. Listening to her is like nails on chalkboard. Need you to use your scissors and portal me out of here while my mom is distracted with her scolding. She loves to hear herself talk. I wonder how my dad or anyone else puts up with that annoying voice of h-"

The text ended abruptly. No sooner than Marco finished reading the text, he received another one.

[Marco. This is Queen Moon. You are free for the rest of the day. I will be overseeing Star's tutoring session on mathematics myself. Do enjoy your evening off.]

Marco then received a call from Star's mirror. He answered it, but kept it on audio only, traditional phone style.

"Marco! Help! I don't want my mom to tutor me! She's an awful teacher. Please get over here and tell her you'll do it instead!"

"Star! Hang up and hand over that mirror!"

"Never! I hate it when you tutor me! You're boring and old and-"

The connection ended.

Marco slowly put the mirror back in his pocket. "I should probably get going," he said as he sat up off the ground. "I'm the only one who can talk the Princess down when she gets worked up."

"Aw, man. Can't you hang out a little longer?" Ron asked. "I mean, how often do you get to hang with the Boy in Red?"

"Guys, come on," said Marco. "I'm just a guy. Nothing special about me."

"You saved our lives, man," said Ron. "There is definitely something special about you."

Marco smiled at Ron before using his scissors to cut open a portal to his castle room. "See ya, guys. Stay safe." He said before walking through the portal, which blinked out of existence once Marco was gone.

"I know he said he doesn't, but I'm still pretty sure he breathes fire." the Monster from earlier said.

Once Marco was in his room, he took a deep, content breath of air. "Well that was-"

He then noticed that his room was trashed.

Marco looked around in horror. The bed had been turned over, the desk had been flipped, his clothes and belongings were all over the place, it looked like a tornado had come through.

What the hell?!" said Marco. "What happened?!"

Marco then heard a noise coming from the bathroom.

Marco found his sword, Rebanador, laying on the floor and picked it up, unsheathing it and tossing the scabbard aside. He closed in on the bathroom door silently and cautiously, poised for combat.

Marco kicked open the door and spotted the culprit.

Rhombulus's crystal eye widened in panic at being caught. It looked like he had been inspecting the toilet, searching for something.

"What the," said Marco. "Why are you searching my toilet?"

Rhombulus's eye darted back and forth between Marco and the toilet. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-"

He shot a beam from his eye at Marco.

Marco deflected the beam off of his sword and the beam struck Rhombulus's snake hand. The snake was frozen in a state of surprise as the mini fridge-sized crystal now encasing it dropped to the floor with its immense weight. Before Rhombulus could attempt to lift it, Marco came up and around the jailor, aiming his sword at his back and threatening to run his heart through. Marco kept behind Rhombulus to avoid any more beams and pressed the tip of the blade gently against his back to let him know it was there.

"You trashed my room?!" Marco shouted. "I am potentially OCD, do you have any idea how much that irritates me!"

"H-H-Hey now, take it easy," Rhombulus stammered. "You do any harm to a member of the Magic High Commission and you'll be pressed with serious charges."

Marco narrowed his eyes. "Why did you trash my room like that?"

"I was looking for evidence," Rhombulus said.

"Evidence?" Marco asked in confusion. "What evidence?"

"Don't play dumb with me," said Rhombulus. Marco let him unfreeze his snake hand and stand up to face him. "Evidence that you're evil!"

The now unfrozen snake hand shuddered. "So that's what being trapped in a crystal is like," he said. "...Damn."

"This again?" Marco asked. "Dude, I am not evil!"

"Yeah you are!" Rhombulus shouted back. "You're up to no good, and I'm gonna prove it!"

Marco pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am not up to no good," Marco explained slowly. "I am here to tutor the Princess, and that's it."

"You're really gonna stand there and tell me you've got nothing to hide?" Rhombulus crossed his arms. "Nah, I don't buy that."

Marco panicked for a millisecond. He hated it, but Rhombulus was right. Marco was practicing dark magic and he had just foiled the Knights' Monster hunt. Reason enough to put Marco in one of Rhombulus's crystals for all of eternity.

"I'm telling Queen Moon."

"NO!" Rhombulus shouted in panic. "Uh, I mean, oh, so it seems you don't want me to do a little digging? That's pretty suspicious."

I don't want you messing up my room." said Marco. "You wanna waste your time and try to prove me guilty, fine, but don't mess up my things. Why the hell were you checking out my toilet anyway?"

"I just wanted to be thorough."

Marco groaned in frustration, then he heard someone knocking on his door.

Rhombulus stared at Marco. "...You gonna get that, or…"

"Don't touch my stuff," said Marco before he left the bathroom.

Rhombulus went over to the shower and picked up one of the containers on the shelf. "Two-in-one shampoo and conditioner? What a cheapskate."

"Using shampoo and conditioner separately is actually proven to be better for your scalp too." said the left snake hand.

Rhombulus sighed. "Must be nice having hair."

"Please don't be one of the Knights, please don't be one of the Knights," Marco said to himself as he approached and opened the door.

Marco was met by Higgs glaring at him.

"At least it wasn't one of the Knights," Marco muttered under his breath.

"Marco Diaz!" Higgs shouted angrily. She pointed her finger at Marco's face. "On behalf of my charge, Sir Stabby the Sharp,"

"Ha."

"Shut up. I challenge you to a duel in the name of his honor which you have insulted! We shall duel on the training grounds this evening-"

"I'm gonna stop you there," Marco interrupted. "I'm not fighting you."

Higgs blinked in confusion. "Wha…? But, you have to. I've challenged you."

"I don't care. It's not my problem if Sir Stabby's feelings were hurt and I've got bigger problems right now. Besides, shouldn't he be one to challenge me? Seems kinda lame to send his intern after me."

"I'm a squire!" Higgs nearly screamed. "And my knight has more important things to do than beat up some nerd like you."

"Like figuring out his name is actually ironic? 'The Sharp', he calls himself."

Higgs' face reddened a little bit from fury. "You think you're so much better than us, don't you, outsider?"

"Well, I mean. I wouldn't say 'better', but-"

"First, you insult the Knights of Mewni by turning them down when they ask you to accompany them on a hunt. Then, after they return from an unsuccessful hunt, and I am sent by my irate charge to defend his honor and best you in battle-"

"Which you can't, trust me."

"-you deny my challenge like the coward you really are and continue to mock us!" Higgs said that last part through teeth gritted so tightly, you'd think they would break. "What…?! What's wrong with you?!"

Marco shrugged. "I guess I just suck." he said before slamming the door shut. Marco turned around only to be met by Rhombulus standing in front of him, his snake arms crossed and his crystal head-eye staring accusingly at Marco.

"So you refused the Knight's offer to go on a Monster hunt," Rhombulus said. "Some might call you a Monster lover." his eye narrowed. "Just like Eclipsa."

"Will you leave me alone?!" Marco demanded. "Why are you so bent on proving I'm a bad guy?"

There was a knock on the door.

Marco opened it up and shouted "Go away!" and slammed it shut before Higgs could say anything.

"Because you are a bad guy!" said Rhombulus when Marco turned to face him again. "And once I prove it, the rest of the Magic High Commission will finally take me seriously!"

"What? So, this isn't about bringing me to justice or whatever? You just wanna look cool in front of your bosses?"

"They're my colleagues!" Rhombulus roared. "No one is the boss of me!"

"Well, you get sent to the timeout corner so often, it's easy to understand otherwise." Left snake hand said.

"Yeah, and Queen Moon is basically the boss of you." Right snake hand said. "So is Glossaryck, really."

"Not helping guys!"

Marco let out a loud groan of frustration. He opened the door, which Higgs was still standing behind, then walked up behind Rhombulus and started pushing him towards the door.

"Out, out, out!" said Marco.

Right before he could be pushed through, Rhombulus planted his feet firmly on the ground and refused to be moved any further. "Now look here, Human. No one pushes around a member of the Magic-"

"OUT!"

Marco roundhouse-kicked Rhombulus straight through the open door. The big jailor ended up falling on top of Higgs, who shouted in surprise and dismay as she was pinned under a mass of muscle, crystal and snakes.

Marco slammed the door shut as Rhombulus and Higgs picked themselves back up and glared at the door.

"I hate that guy," said Higgs.

Rhombulus nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Now alone in his room, Marco leaned against the door and let himself sink to the floor. He took deep, calming breaths as he sat in silence.

Marco then looked around at his trashed room. Rhombulus hadn't missed a single spot, searching every single nook and cranny in the room. Marco decided he should get to work on cleaning up the room and putting everything back where it was.

Then an idea struck him, an idea that was inspired by reading a certain passage from the Book of Queens.

Marco let his Blood Moon cheek-marks glow. He stood up off of the floor and extended his arms in front of him.

"Tick tock, the clock talks, but secret are its power. The only one to break its spell is Skywynne, Queen of Hours." Marco quoted aloud the limerick.

"If I am truly a friend of the magic which resides within my soul, then I beg you for your aid, O' great Queen of old."

Marco traced a three-foot diameter circle in the air in front of him, a trail of red light following his fingertip. The circle Marco had drawn became a clock face, with more ruby-red lines forming the hands of the Roman numerical numbers. The clock showed the current time.

Marco's eyes became sky-blue.

Marco placed a fingertip on the end of the minute hand and, at a steady speed, spun the clock backward. The room reacted to the magic, and everything in the room became encased in a red glow. Items began to move. Books and clothes floated off of the floor and settled back to their initial locations at the speed of someone tossing them on the floor. Time itself was reversing in the room, undoing all the damage that Rhombulus had done. The bed was put back in place and made, the desk was put back where it belonged by an invisible force. Rhombulus must have been in a hurry searching for evidence because although Marco kept the speed of the time-reversal on normal, the damage was being undone at a quick pace. Pretty soon, the room was returned to its former glory, looking just as neat and tidy as it did when Marco left to warn the Monsters.

Once the room was clean again, the clock face disappeared and Marco sank to his knees in exhaustion. He blinked his sky-blue eyes and they went back to the color of warm chocolate. Marco then scooted back up to the door and rested his back upon it, taking gentle breaths in and out.

"Not bad, kid."

Marco looked over and saw Glossaryck sitting next to him in an identical pose, leaning back against the door. The genie looked up at Marco with a grin on his face.

"I'm especially impressed by how well you've mastered wandless magic." Glossaryck continued. "Even some of the most powerful Queens of Mewni never got the hang of it as quickly as you have."

Marco looked away and didn't reply.

Glossaryck's grin turned into a frown. "What's wrong with you now?"

"...Why am I here, Gloosaryck?" Marco asked. "Why do I have dark magic? Why did it all happen to me? And...what's going to happen to me?"

Glossaryck was silent for so long, Marco was about to guess he had left before the genie finally spoke up.

"Do you believe in fate, Marco?" Glossaryck asked. "Do you believe in the destined path?"

"I think shit just happens," said Marco. "And a lot of it has happened to me."

"Pretty much, yeah." Glossaryck replied. "But, still. Shit happens for a reason. This is your destiny, Marco. Mewni is your future."

"I say what my future is," Marco answered.

"I never said Mewni wouldn't be your choice," said Glossaryck.

Marco closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. "I just feel like when all of this finally comes up to bite me in the ass… it's gonna hurt. And the worst part of it is none of it is really my fault. This whole time, I've done what I believed was the right thing to do. But if I'm just gonna be labeled the bad guy for doing it, then what am I still doing here? Star is the only Mewman I've met so far that I'm sure wouldn't call for the executioner while knowing the truth about me."

Glossaryck chuckled. "You know, that time spell you performed was quite impressive."

"I was just trying something new. I'm honestly surprised that worked." Marco admitted. "I thought dark magic was only good for destroying things."

"Not true at all," said Glossaryck. "Queen Febe the Red One, the former Blood Moon chosen, had a renowned hobby as an artist."

"No kidding?" Marco asked.

"No kidding. Her favorite thing was glass smithing. She would make these gorgeous glass statuettes. And she used her dark magic to do it."

"Wow, that's pretty cool." said Marco.

Glossaryck tilted his head. "Tell me, Marco, when you performed that time spell, did you… feel a presence?"

Marco blinked his eyes before they widened in realization. "So… so that was really her? That was actually Queen Skywynne whispering in my ear?!"

"It seems the old Queens of Mewni like you, Marco." Glossaryck said. "They are eager to welcome you into the family."

"What do you mean?" Marco asked, clearly confused.

Glossaryck frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're supposed to be the smart one."

Marco just blinked.

"The Queens of old are also quite fond of Star," Glossaryck added. "They brag about their descendant beyond the grave."

It took Marco a little while, but he managed to piece it together. "Y-you mean…" Marco's face turned the color of a tomato. "They want me to marry Star?!"

"Give the boy a prize," said Glossaryck. "In this case, a bride."

"Woahhh, nononononononono!" Maro exclaimed as he shot up on his feet. "I've already been over this. That's not happening!"

"...Because?"

"What do you mean 'becau-because she's the Princess of this dimension!" Marco shouted. "She is out of my league on a dimensional scale!"

Glossaryck laughed.

"What?!" Marco demanded.

"You didn't say it was because you don't like Star."

Marco froze and blushed. "I have a girlfriend."

"Do you like Star?"

"That hardly matters. She's the Princess of a world that isn't mine-"

"Do you like her, Marco?"

Marco didn't respond.

Glossaryck sighed. "Love is happiness, Marco," he said. "Don't miss out on yours."

And with that, the genie ghosted through the floor, leaving Marco alone.

(Later that evening)

The people who were exiting the theater all had looks of terror and horror plastered on their faces. Some of them were too scared to even leave the theater. They just stood near the door and sobbed quietly.

"Next time Janna recommends a movie, let's go see something else," Marco suggested as he and Jackie left the theater. His eyes were wide with terror, but he faired better than most of the viewers.

Jackie was clinging so tightly to Marco's arm he was beginning to lose circulation. "Agreed," she said. Her face was a little paler than normal. "I'll say this: Janna knows her horror movies."

"Mmm-hmm."

Jackie tried and failed to meet Marco's gaze. "Are you okay, Marco?"

Marco finally looked at Jackie, startled by the question. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just watched the most terrifying movie I've ever seen."

"Yeah, but horror movie aside, I feel like something's bothering you." Jackie offered Marco a smile. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Marco just sighed. "It's just… work stuff."

"Oh." said Jackie. "Magic and mayhem?"

"Mostly mayhem, now," Marco replied. He told Jackie about how the Knights had asked him to join them on a hunt, and how he had spoiled that hunt.

"Dude, that is messed up," said Jackie. "And there were like, little Monsters kids and stuff?"

"Yup." Marco agreed. "I don't think they were gonna kill any of them. I think they were just gonna arrest and harass them."

"Yeah, still messed up." Jackie said. "So you came in and saved the day." Jackie kissed Marco's cheek, earning a blush from him. "Sounds like that makes you a hero. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I just," Marco rubbed his neck. "I'm just seriously questioning whether or not I should keep up this tutoring thing. I don't think Mewni is good for me anymore. Maybe it's time to call it quits and come back home before I get hurt."

'Also there's the fact that you're a dark magician now who will be killed or imprisoned if caught.' Marco silently added. 'And of course... Star.'

Jackie stared at Marco in thought for a bit before replying. "So Mewni kinda sucks big time. The Monsters are being punished for doing nothing wrong, and sticking up for them is looked upon as treason."

"Also Mewni's time period is sort of stuck on medieval, added with magic stuff and just generally weird stuff."

"Right. So instead of saying 'this place blows, I'm out', maybe you could try to make it better."

Marco blinked. "Make it better?"

"Yeah, you know. Save Monsters, show Mewmans technology, introduce them to crops other than corn and try to wean them off of it."

"That last one would probably be the hardest thing to do."

"The Princess is cool and you're friends with her. Maybe you could ask her for help." Jackie continued. "Do the opposite of what everybody on Earth does: Instead of complaining about it, do something to make it better."

Marco looked to the ground in thought. "I know I'm gonna sound selfish, but, why should I? It's not my kingdom, they're not my people, it's not even my dimension."

"Why should you?" Jackie asked. "Well… who else will?"

Marco didn't have a response.

Jackie smiled warmly at her boyfriend. "Hey, but enough about work. How about we walk down to the beach and go for a swim? I know a place no one usually goes to."

"It's midnight," said Marco.

"I'm wearing my best bikini under these clothes."

In a stunned stupor, Marco let Jackie pull him towards the beach.

"Oh, by the way, Janna wanted me to ask you if you found any demons yet," said Jackie.

"Uhhhhhhh," said Marco, breaking out of his stupor. "I work for a demon."

"You mean on your side jobs?"

Marco nodded. "Yeah, her name's Hekapoo."

"Her?" Jackie asked, raising a teasing eyebrow. "Should I be jealous?"

"What? No!" said Marco. "Of course not!"

"How old is she?"

"...Hard to tell, really," Marco confessed. "She's immortal, but she looks… young? Again, hard to tell. Early twenties is the most I'd guess. B-but I'm not into her!"

"Is she hot?" Jackie asked with a smirk.

"...Uh...uh…" Marco pulled on his collar. "Well…I mean…"

Jackie pressed herself against Marco. "Am I hotter?"

Jackie messed with him like this the entire walk to the beach.

Don't worry, I'll introduce Tom in the next chapter.