First Day
From the safety of his book, as Heartstopper was napping right underneath him, Glossaryck spoke. "We'll be on Earth in about half an hour of their time. Make sure you're in uniform by then."
"Uniform?" You puzzle.
"While in the human world, you'll be going to the same institution as the host family's kid, Echo Creek Academy," the Book then spat out a brochure for said 'Academy.' "Don't worry, nothing like St. Olga's, but they do have a strict uniform policy. Wouldn't want to make a bad first impression..."
Well, half an hour is plenty of time before you go to this 'academy' thing. You pull out Kagami's gift and open the letter.
Dear Sirius,
I hope you are doing better. After we left, we had heard there was a kidnapping attempt, but you got out on your own power. I am glad you are okay.
Our conversation had me thinking about my culture's close-minded traditions. Thus, I came to an idea; since you showed me how Mewmans act with guests, I thought you would benefit from being in the head of my people as well.
This Scroll holds the lessons I partook in order to unlock my Dragon Gift. I do not know if it will work for you, but I suspect you won't concern yourself with what is possible or not.
May we meet again soon,
Tsurugi Kagami
You can't help smiling in excitement as you change into your uniform. You have got to see if you can do any of those lessons as soon as tonight! After changing into a blazer, dress shirt with a black tie, and slacks, you settle back down for the last few minutes of the trip.
As you come out of the wormhole, the carriage comes out on a road made of rock and completely smooth!
"Whoa, where are the cobblestones?" You gape at the area around you. "What is this place!? There's no dirt or anything!"
"You'll find that Earth is a bit more advanced in many areas outside of Mewni," Glossaryck partially peeked out, only for Heartstopper's growl to scare him back into the book. "And that building is your school."
"Dang, it's huge! And no holes in the walls! Are these like all Earth schools!?" You lean out of the window, only for the whole door to open and you to go tumbling out. You look back as Glossaryck's hand, which presumably opened the door, closes it.
"The guards will drop your stuff off at the house you'll be staying at! Make sure you talk to Safety Kid! He'll show you around!" called out the djinn, as the carriage tore off down the street, causing a few of those horseless carts to swerve or halt in its wake.
"Safety Kid?" you wonder. "Who's that? Does Safety Kid know where I live? How do I find him?" In your musings, you wander closer to the academy-!
FWEEEEET!
Crap! A Snuffle! Only Snuffles make that noise! You sprint for the school building, crashing through the doors and running down the hallway. Judging by the sound of the door opening behind you, the Snuffle was following! Since when could they open doors!
In front of you are a set of stairs, and a hallway on your right side...
You choose stairs, of course! Snuffles can't climb stairs, not having feet...
So, why do you hear a second set of running feet? Dad always said never look a Snuffle in the eye, but maybe a peek wouldn't kill you...
As you look over your shoulder, you note how... un-Snuffle-like your pursuer is. Why he almost seems like a person! Tan skin, brown hair, honey-colored eyes, mole thing on his face, and wearing the same uniform as you. Very un-Snuffle-like... Only one way to know for sure!
You take the steps two at a time, the tan boy chasing you as he cursed in some foreign tongue. You crouch then spring backward, coming down feet-first on the person!
"Ahhh!" You both roll down the stairs, him in your headlock! As you crash at the foot of the stairs, it's time for answers!
"Alright, buddy!" you growl. "Who are you, and why were you chasing me with a Snuffle call? If you're some kind of assassin, speak up now! You do not want to hear what I did with the last one!"
"Oh, good heavens! Marco!" You and your prisoner look around... to see you have an audience of kids and adults just looking at you. One adult, a portly man with a fading hairline rushed forward. "You! Child! Let go of him right now!"
"I'm defending myself!" you declare, as the kids around you hold up tiny boxes for some reason. "He came out of nowhere! He chased me! I thought I was being attacked again!"
The man frowned. "Again? Oh, mercy me!" he cried, realization etched on his face! "You must be Sirius Butterfly! I was wondering where you'd show up! I'm Principal Skeeves and..." He looked at all the people gathered. "Eh-ahm! Don't you all have class to get to!"
Getting the hint, the students rushed off to their respective classes. The stairwell was empty in seconds. "Now," Skeeves wiped his brow, "could you let up our safety patrol officer? I can explain what's going on in my office."
You frown at the large man, then look at the panting, sweaty peer in your grip. With a sigh, you relent, letting the guy scramble away from you, a look of fear etched on his face. Yeah, not a great first impression...
As you settle into a chair at the principal's office, the man himself sits down behind his desk. The tan kid, Marco was what this principal said, was against the wall... looking kind of sulky. "When your parents told me what happened," Skeeves began, "my heart bled for you! You must have been so scared!"
You wave it off. "Scared? Ha! I was more pissed off the bitch tricked me and almost sold my ass into slavery!"
Marco's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates... as did the rotund man sitting across from you. Whoops, Mom and Dad might have not told everything...
"Young man," Skeeves adjusted his glasses. "I will have you know Echo Creek Academy has a severe profanity ban at all times! I can forgive it this time, as you are new, but keep it clean from now on, in these halls."
No cussing? It's like Mom wrote these rules... You look over at Marco. "And, uh, hey! Marco, right?" The boy blinks but nods slowly. "Sorry about what happened earlier. Thought you were a Snuffle, those beasts are crazy rabid, like will-rip-a-grown-soldier-to-pieces-in-less-than-30-seconds rabid."
You laugh like that broke up the tension, but Marco seems even more disturbed. Huh, wonder why – I mean, you explained the issue...
Skeeves clears his throat for your attention. "Marco Diaz is our top safety patrol officer. For being a 7th grader, and beating out our 8th graders, that is very impressive!" Marco seemed to swell with all the praise on him.
"What's that?" Marco, clearly expecting you to be impressed, just looks at you like you insulted his swordsmanship.
"Safety patrol maintains the school's guidelines among the students," Skeeves explained. "It's a full-time assignment! In class, during transitions, especially during lunch – our school's calm atmosphere is maintained at all times..."
"Oh! He's a squire!" Judging by their confused looks, now you get to explain something! "You know, a knight-in-training! Keeping things in order, always trying to live up to high expectations – oh! Have you ever seconded a duel yet!? Raided bandits!? Fought off assassins!?"
"Mr. Butterfly!" Skeeves interjected as Marco looked more and more terrified. "That is not what safety patrol does!"
"Bummer..." you huff to yourself.
Skeeves tries, once more, to steer the conversation on track. "Marco was stationed outside to welcome you to the school. Give you the tour before you head into class." The man then looked at the clock, clicking his tongue.
"And you had better start the tour now, or you'll miss more of class. Off with you both! Shoo!" The principal pushes you both out of the office, and back into the hallway.
As Marco dusted off his blazer, you try to be polite. "So, we kinda got off on the wrong foot! I'm Sirius Butterfly! And you?"
Marco looks at your extended hand, then at you, before turning around. "Follow me." He walks to the front of the building where he stops near a huge picture of a stern man with slicked-back hair.
"Huh. Who's this?" you wonder as you inspect the portrait.
Marco gestured at the painting lifelessly. "This is the founder and main benefactor of our fine institution: Raphael Tilian. Years ago, he established this academy for the betterment of all youth. What a swell guy."
As he begins to walk, you follow. "So, what kinda things do you learn here?"
"Oh, the unusual," Marco listed on his fingers. "Math, Language Arts, Sciences, Spanish – the only difference is that at Echo Creek, all students can learn in a distraction-free environment." He paused, then added, "Isn't that just awesome."
Distraction-free?" you tilted your head, confused at that statement.
Marco shrugs. "Oh, you know. No skateboards on campus. Or video games, toys, comics, and only approved reading, so that's, like, no fantasy, sci-fi, joke books – not even historical fiction. So, yeah. Nada divertido." he mutters.
"Yeah," you nod. "Also, sounds like all the fun got banned too. Hey, what do you do for fun?" you smile, trying to bring some good vibes to the discussion.
Marco started at that. "Well, I-!" he clamped his mouth shut and looked over to a corner of the hallway.
"Oh, what is it? A girl?" You look where he's looking... to see some dome thingy sitting on the wall.
Marco looks at you and shakes his head. "It's... it's nothing. Come on, I need to show you the rest of the school."
After that, Marco showed you the cafeteria/concert area outside, the 6th-grade floor (1st floor), and the 7th-grade floor (2nd floor). There were also various clubs: Young Senators, Young Biologists, Young Professors, etc.
"Wow, those sure are... words... that mean something..." you try to laugh off your awkwardness. "Er, any recommendations for what clubs to choose?"
Marco rolled his eyes. "If you can backflip like that, you join my-!" He clamps his mouth shut and looks away, coughing. "Um, f-forget it." The bell rings, and Marco checks his watch. "Alright, finished in time for lunch. Come on."
As he leads you to the lunchroom, you hum happily. "Boy, this place is nothing like Mewni! Education there is more... physical than here." You fondly remember your first wrestling lesson...
"Mewni, huh?" Marco casually commented, seeming more relaxed with the tour over. "I don't think I've heard of that place. What's it like?"
"Oh, it's the best!" You cheer. "Imagine a wide area, surrounded by a lush forest of green, the skies tinted pink as a castle, tall enough to reach the sky, can be seen from miles away!"
"Wow," Marco smiled a bit.
You continue. "The people are hardy, and the farms are plentiful! I mean, it's not as advanced as this place, but... it's still as pretty as a picture, every day of the week."
As you exit the school to enter the outdoor dining area, Marco leads you to the lunch line. "Sounds pretty great. So... low level of technology, fearful of assassins... are you like a..." He looks around to make sure no one is listening. "A prince of some third-world country?" he whispers.
"Yep - yes! I'm a Prince from a third-world country (whatever that is)! I even have the Royal Magic Wand as proof I was meant to rule!" You pull it out to show him. "Some kingdoms have a dumb hat made of gold, but I have..."
Marco's eyes immediately bugged out of his head! "Shoot! What are you doing!?"
"Hm? You hum. "What? I'm just showing you..."
"Oh ho ho~ what have we here?" You both look over to see a black-haired girl flanked by two troll-like teens. "Some no-name parading around with contraband? In my school? Who do you think you are, punk!?"
The girl glares at you. Marco looks panickily at her and back to you. You raise an unimpressed eyebrow, channeling your inner Mom. "First of all, little rude, jumping into someone else's conversation. Secondly, hi. Name's Sirius Butterfly, Prince of Mewni. As you seem to be challenging me, I advise you back off before I react in self-defense."
You shoot her two trolls a feral grin, now channeling Dad. "But please, by all means - don't back down." The 'trolls' glance at each other, as the lunch area breaks out in murmurs.
"Uh, Sirius?" Marco whispers to you. "Brittney is the head of 7th-grade safety patrol. You really don't want to test her..."
Finally, Brittney spoke, sporting an unfazed face. "Well, excuse me, Samson Butterfield, but in the halls of Echo Creek Academy, there is only one person who rules over all... and that's me!" She flips her hair, which somehow has an audible snap. "You must be new, but Marco," she glares at the boy, "should have told you what was allowed on school grounds or not!"
You shrug casually, which only serves to tick off the girl more. "I think he was about to mention it, before you interrupted, Brattney!" Britney's glare intensifies to the point you think she was trying to light you on fire. Maybe she has Dragon Gift.
"Plus, even if this," you wave the Wand, "isn't allowed on school grounds, you know-it-all jerkface..." You then fix her with a caustic glare. "How are you gonna stop me? Because I can guarantee that if you try and take this, you'll be eating through a straw the rest of your life!"
Brittney seemed ready to tell you what you'd be eating out of for the rest of your life, but Marco intervened. "B-Brittney! He's new and a first offender! Even if we confiscated his... wand, we'd have to give it back by the end-of-day.
"So," Marco looked around like the idea just came to him, "why don't I hold onto it, since he's supposed to shadow me?"
Brittney looked unmoved, but she wasn't shutting it down outright...
"I'll go for that!" You say as you sling an arm over Marco's shoulder, shoving the Wand into Marco's hands. "While no one's allowed to touch the Royal Wand but a Butterfly, I trust Marco Diaz over this beaver."
As the lunch area lit up with laughter, Brittney's face went blood red. "Oh, look, Salsbury Steak, let's grab it and go, Sirius!" Marco quickly stuffed the Wand into an inner pocket of the blazer, grabbed a lunch tray, shoved it into your hands, before grabbing his with one hand, and using his other one to get you out of line quickly.
Far away from Brittney, Marco sighs in relief, before reeling on you. "What is wrong with you!? Do you not understand that ticking off Brittney is a bad idea!? Are you trying to get detention on your first day!?" he hisses.
You wave off his worry. "Marco, quit worrying. I know her type. She thinks she can flaunt her status and put down others to feel better about herself. Funny thing is, bullies never expect you to stand up, they just pick on you 'cause you're easy for them. So, when they try and push you down, you stand your ground and say 'No, you move.'
"Besides," you continue, "I am, literally, a wealthy prince and heir to an actual kingdom. I grew up in a royal court filled with far worse than her. If I actually put in the effort, I could knock her down off her social throne easily." You pat the shoulder of your gob-smacked companion. "So don't worry about it! If she actually tries anything, I can just snap her like a twig socially or physically."
Marco just stares at you blankly. "This is not happening," he muttered to himself. "You just knocked me out, I'm in the back of an ambulance, tripping balls on painkillers."
You helpfully pinch on his hand. He yelps, drawing attention from the students. "Nope!" you say with a smile. "Not knocked out. Although, why are you worried about tripping? This floor seems remarkably smooth."
Marco's response was to plop down at the nearest table and drop his head onto it. He did not move for the rest of lunch, so you ate his 'steak' for him.
After lunch, you moved on to the last classes of the day: Chemistry and PE. The teacher made it sound boring, but it just looked like really plain potion-making. As for PE, you did want to join, but Marco made it clear you couldn't do PE without gym clothes ("...and you can't do it naked!" he yelled as you already had your shirt off, and were halfway out of your pants.).
Finally, it was the end of the day, and with Marco being released from duty, due to giving you the tour, he left the school with you. "I can't believe this day," Marco groaned.
You shoulder bump the sagging boy. "Thanks for showing me around, Marco! I'm sorry I could understand half of this world's customs, but man! What an amazing place! I mean these streets, these lights, the food, the lack of dangerous predators ready to eat you alive... It's all so incredible!"
Marco blinks at you. "Your country... sounds really dangerous. Oh, yeah – here." He takes out the Wand and hands it back. "Here's your 'wand' back."
"Hey, thanks!" you smile. "Now, let me help you!"
"Help me with –GAH! Sirius!" the Latino cried as you picked him bridal style. "Put! Me! Down! How are you this strong!?"
You frown at his reaction. "I thought you look tired..."
"I don't care!" he screamed. "Just..." He stopped talking again, except this time, his mouth hung open rather than closed.
"Hm? Again? What is it this time?" You look at where Marco is staring at... to see a girl with pale blonde hair walking down the sidewalk.
You put him down, but it doesn't look like he notices, as he watches her leave. He gives a deep sigh.
"So, who's that?" your question rattles Marco, but he looks down for a moment.
"...Screw it, you're not from around here, so better tell you now before someone tells you later. That was Jackie Lynn Thomas... and this," he points to himself, "is the stooge who ruined her life."
"What? You? Ruined? How?" You question as you both begin walking down the sidewalk. "Marco, I've barely known you for a day, but you seem way to nice to hurt someone..."
Marco laughed bitterly. "You should have been here last year. You'd be singing the same tune as everyone else..." He stuffs his hands in his pockets, never taking his eyes off his feet.
"One year ago, when I was in 6th grade, Echo Creek used to have a little more leeway in the rules. Students were able to ride bikes, scooters... skateboards – to get to school grounds. Comic books were discouraged, but there was certainly no banned book list.
"The wickedest skater in town was Jackie. She was like an angel on wheels... I'd had a crush on her for most of the 6th grade, but I was too scared to tell her. I was a bit of a... safe kid, not really taking chances. All I could do was just watching from afar..."
"Hm," you look up in thought, "Did you... get hurt by half that stuff on the list, and because you mentioned the injuries, it all got banned?"
Marco shakes his head. "No, that would have been less painful. One day, I saw Jackie hanging with some exchange student from New York. This guy... was good. I mean, the tricks on a board he could do – the guy looked like he was flying! Everyone was pretty impressed. Jackie was impressed.
"I... don't know what came over me, but I tried to pull off a skate trick... No amount of reasonable explanation could begin to describe how wrong that went! See, Echo Creek was getting a visitor that day, checking to see how his investment was going... Mr. Tillian himself."
Your eyes widen as you put the pieces together. "Oh. My. God! That was her dad!"
Marco finally looks up, completely confused. "What? No! Why would you – what possibly lead you – never mind! No! Just... no! I tried to do a trick on Jackie's board, it flew out from under me, and smashed one of Mr. Tillian's car windows!"
After Marco calmed down, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again. "That was when the bans got started. First, it was anything with wheels, then toys and handheld games, books were next, and by the time I was in 7th, Tillian saw to it Echo Creek Academy was... well..."
"Some stuffy para-military school?" Marco looks at you for a while. "What? We have those in Mewni. So, did Jackie say she blames you for any of that at all?" you wonder.
"She doesn't have to! The whole school has a nickname for me, she hasn't exactly made it a habit to even look at me since then, and I had to join safety patrol just so people would stop calling me Danger Boy!" Marco was left panting after his emotional unpacking.
"You know," you begin as the two of you turn a corner, "I think you just need some new perspective! School's not forever, so she must go somewhere afterward! You could follow and apologize – simple as that!"
"No, not simple as that," the boy retorts. "My safety patrol duties make it impossible to find time to talk to her, and her friends won't give 'Danger Boy' any information at all – how she is, what's she doing, nada!"
A look of conviction crosses your face. "Then, don't worry Marco!"
"Huh?" the 13-year-old intelligently stated.
"Because my first duty as your new friend, ("When was that established?" Marco muttered) is to help you and Jackie make up! So, you two can make out~" you add in what you believe was a suave voice.
"All I have to do is talk to her, get her attention you want to apologize. I set 'em up, you knock 'em down!" you mime swinging a club to knock over goblins, though to Marco, it looks like you're hitting a home run, so the message is still received.
"...Part of me wants to say don't help," Marco sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose with eyes squeezed shut, "but anyone who's willing to go up against Brittney isn't gonna listen to me... just remember, you go overboard, Principal Skeeves can kick you out of school. And that means you'll have to live elsewhere or go back home, because – Oh! Here's home."
The two of you come up to a quaint little house, half the size of the guards' barracks. "Well, come on," Marco motion to you as he walked up the path.
"Huh, this looks cozy. But, where are we, actually?" You look around at the house while Marco looks at you strangely.
"Wait, did you not know – of course not. My family's the host family you're staying with," Marco pointed out. "Did no one tell you anything before you got here?"
"You mean, I get to live in your house!" you cheer. "This is so cool! This makes my plan so much easier!"
"You are really hyper for a prince of a third-world country," Marco noted.
"And you're pretty safe for someone so 'dangerous,'" you tease right back. This actually does make Marco smile a bit. "I'm sorry I don't know much. This was all... very last minute. I had no clue I even needed a uniform until 30 minutes before I got here!"
Marco looked a little sympathetic at that. "Right. Sorry, I... since you're a prince, you probably have a good reason to be sent here and all..."
"Yeah..." you trail off. "So, if I'm living here... you might have something things you need to know..."
"No, no, hold on," Marco cut you off. "Before we go inside, I should warn you... my parents are great, but they can be... spontaneous. And really affectionate." Marco began to open the door. "If they make you uncomfortable, just say sOH MY GOD!"
Marco had opened the door... to what looked like a battlefield! Pictures cracked, sofa overturned, coffee table in half. On the stairwell, a man and a woman were panting like they'd been running all day!
In the center of the mess, was a pile of unconscious Mewni soldiers... and on top of them, a very irritated Heartstopper.
"Oh! M-Marco! How was school, mijo?" the man asked, his shirt sporting a large gash, waved at the boys.
The woman added, "Hello and welcome to our home! You must be Sirius! We... ah, had some snacks ready for you, but..."
A sinking feeling sets in your stomach. "What... exactly did you prepare?"
At this, the lady – Mrs. Diaz – perked up. "Well, your mother said to make sure you had plenty of fruit, so I decided that's how I'd welcome you to Echo Creek! They were lovely treats – pear tarts, cherry bon-bons, and a beautiful apple Bundt cake -!"
ROOOOAAAAAAR! The noise the came from the 'dog's' mouth should not have been possible, and yet it had. All because of that last thing Mrs. Diaz made for your welcome to Earth. You facepalm. "Of course. Give me a minute!"
You whistle a very specific tune to get Heartstopper's attention. "Heartstopper, stop that! You should know better than that! These people would have given you some if you'd waited! Either you calm down, or you won't see an apple for three days, got it!?"
The disguised superhorse had the wherewithal to understand he was being scolded, and wilted under the torrent. Head hanging low, he jumped off of his fallen enemies to drag himself to you.
With a firm nod of understanding, you turn back to the Diazes, as they came down the stairs. "I'm sorry, about all this!" You bow immediately, Heartstopper following suit. "This isn't how I wanted my first impression to go!"
Mr. Diaz, who was walking with a limp, waved it off. "It is fine, Sirius! We should have waited until you got home. If we'd known your dog-!" The man was cut off by Heartstopper's growl.
"Oh, hush, you." You bop Heartstopper on the nose, startling him into silence. You return your attention to the Diazes. "I should explain. Heartstopper's not exactly a dog, per se..."
"Well, he's clearly got something else in his familia," Mrs. Diaz laughed lightly, before coughing a bit. "Some wolf perhaps?"
"Or some mountain lion," the patriarch muttered earning a snort from your steed that made the man step back a bit.
"I can fix this! I just need Glossaryck!" you stated. "Um, where's all my stuff?"
"Oh, go up the stairs, and your room's on the left," Mrs. Diaz answered. You head up the stairs, Heartstopper following, to see if Glossaryck could teach you a healing spell... and a repair spell too, at that.
Following Mrs. Diaz's instructions, you find your room easy! Your luggage is everywhere, your Magic Mirror sits against the wall, waiting to get set up... huh, if the guards are here, where's the carriage? Your eyes finally settle on the Spell Book, sitting quietly on the desk.
"Yo, Glos,'" you call out, knocking on the cover. "I need your help!"
The book flips open, showing Glossaryck, posing like he was expecting to be drawn like a French girl. "Already asking for a magic lesson? Don't you have homework to do?"
"Heartstopper wrecked the house!" you gesture to the growling Warnicorn. The moment Glossaryck sees him, he closes the book.
"Ah, yes," the djinn said through the pages, "I thought I heard screaming and glass shattering. They have something for calming pets like that, you know. Neutering." You catch Heartstopper before he could tear apart the book, holding him in your arms.
"Haha, so not funny," you deadpan, your steed snarling at the tome. "I need you to teach me a repair spell."
"Oh, sure," the book hummed in a way that sounded like an eye roll. "So, you know how to fix it the next you're at school and the place is wrecked? Might I suggest you find a way to make sure Heartstopper doesn't destroy your host home when you're out first, hm?"
"I can handle that!" you wave off the comment. "He just needs to adapt. I mean, he didn't like me, but now we're an amazing pair!" You hug Heartstopper to your chest, causing him to huff a bit, but he calmed down a little. "Heck, he used to not like you, and it's cool now."
Glossaryck gave you a flat look, eyes sticking out from under the cover. Heartstopper began growling at the sight of the mage. "Yes. So glad he's gotten over that."
You make to protest farther, as you see Marco, now changed into a red hoodie and black pants, coming out of his room.
'I'd better check on and apologize to him...' With that thought, you give your magic teacher's eyeballs a pleading look. "I'll be right back. Please think about that repair spell before Heartstopper wrecks more of the place?"
You leave the room, putting down Heartstopper, who follows at your heels but not before giving an annoyed snort in the tome's direction. You quickly catch up with the Hispanic boy at the top of the stairs. "Hey, Marco. Crazy day, amirite?"
Marco gives you an irritated look. "Gee. I wonder why..."
You feel a surge of irritation shoot through you, as you follow Marco downstairs, with that accusation. "Hey, I'm really sorry about all this, but it's not like I mean to cause trouble..."
"You don't?" Marco asked sarcastically. "You made me chase you down, put me in a chokehold, and your dog tears up my home! There's trouble, Sirius, and then there's chaos!"
As the two of you reach the bottom of the stairs, the guards getting some first aid from Mrs. Diaz, as Mr. Diaz sweeps up some of the debris, you openly frown at Marco's attitude. "And I'm trying to fix it! I just need my mentor to teach me a repair spell, and we're golden!"
Marco fixes you with a look, and even the Diazes and Mewmans looked over, curiosity and slight panic respectively. "Hold up, spell?" Marco asked, raising his hands as if to push back the bombshell. "What, you think you're magical!?"
You nod. Good, he gets it! "Yep! I showed you the Wand today, and this little," Heartstopper growled at that, "er, I mean, decently-sized guy is actually a glamoured Warnicorn!"
Marco blinked. "Warnicorn?"
"Oh yeah, they're like six hooves and 500 pounds of badass!" Marco's, and his parents', eyes wandered to the 2 ½-foot terrier scratching at his fleas.
"...yeah, I'm just gonna go out for a bit..." Marco said, backing away to the door. "Mom, I'll be back in an hour..." He opened the door, not really taking his eyes off you, and walked through it.
...Weird reaction to learning magic is real, but okay.
"Your majesty," one of the knights' squires came up to talk. "We... have a slight issue."
"Hm? What's up?" you ask the nervous squire.
The young man fidgeted before answering. "Well... when Heartstopper... you know, I was startled, and I let go of the horses' reins... they took off with the carriage, and I have no clue where! I'm sorry!"
"Hey, don't worry squire guy!" you console. "I can get that carriage back! Let's see... the Diazes must know who are the local authorities are, maybe I could ask them. I'm sure people around here lose carriages all the time! I haven't seen a single one since getting here, so they must be missing!"
The squire laughed, seeming unsure about that. "Er, yes. I suppose..."
You whip out your Wand. "And if that doesn't work, I could just cast a spell..."
"Oh, no you don't," Glossaryck said, floating about the squire's head. "Unless you're about to perish, I'd prefer if you did not cast any spells."
You pout at that. Don't use magic? You just got magic! "Fine, but what would you suggest?"
"Well, for starters," Glossaryck began, "don't go to the authorities with this; the less the ruling powers of this world know about magic, the better. You could track it yourself – how hard could finding one measly royal buggy in a large suburban area really be? Or maybe that huffy kid could help." he adds with a shrug.
"How would I even find Marco?" you point out.
The magus stroked his beard. "Well, if he had touched the Wand, there's a simple spell that would lead you to the last person to have touched it... but that's silly. Why would he have touched the Wand?"
"What about finding the carriage?" you inquire.
"Oh, that's easy! Heartstopper's could find them, Warnicorns consider most things smaller than them prey, so it'd be like hunting for him." Glossaryck's comment made the squire a little uncomfortable, but he either did not or chose not to notice...
Making a decision, you say, "I can take care of the carriage now, but what's the spell to find Marco?"
Glossaryck smiled. "Just ask the Wand to find him. Like I said, simple."
You wonder what his definition of simple could mean, but in any case, you change back into your Plaid Shirt, let loose Heartstopper, and follow after the mad stallion It takes a few blocks, but you finally find the carriage... surrounded by people holding up those same boxes the kids at school were holding up before. The horses are nowhere to be found.
"Alright, boy," you kneel to give Heartstopper some head rubs, which he proudly accepts. "Where are those horses?" With that prompt, he takes off down the sidewalk. After a few twists and turns, you find the horses in a hilly off-the-path knoll.
They seem to shuffle uncomfortably, but some platinum blonde girl seems to be trying to keep them calm. "Whoa, hey... easy there. I'll help you guys out..." As she says this, she pulls out a pocket knife!
Taking out the Wand, you walk cautiously into the girl's blind spot, watching what she was doing. Heartstopper even got the message, staying close to the ground, like a wolf prowling a lamb.
As you get closer, you watch as the girl takes the knife... and begins cutting at their reins, which were tied together and nailed to the ground with a weird sword.
"So," you speak plainly, but the girl still jumps, "some creep with a freaky blade tried to steal my parents' horses? Considering your pocket knife, I'm guessing it's not yours."
She turns around slowly, notably not putting the knife down, but not threateningly. "You're a pretty quiet guy... for wearing boots."
You smile at the compliment. "Thanks. You're probably the most prepared person I've met since getting here. I'm Sirius Butterfly."
The girl pauses, then breathes out. "Oh, yeah. The new kid that pinned Diaz." She flips the knife closed, then pockets it. "Name's Jackie. So, these are your horses?"
"Well, Mom's anyway." A peaceful air settling between you two, you walk forward and grab the stuck weapon's hilt. "Let's just move this... and we won't need... to... ergh, what the heck!?" Try as you might, the weapon would not budge! This stupid thing weighed a ton!
"Hey, uh, Jackie? Could I... get a hand?" Jackie came over and grabbed the dagger with both hands – but to no avail! Up close the weapon resembled a short sword, but had the weight of a bastard!
"You know," Jackie panted as she gave it her all, "I don't think swords are supposed to be this heavy!"
"I - hurg – know what you mean!" you throw in, face red with exertion. "It's like something back home, but a blade this heavy should have a two-handed hilt."
"Actually, a dagger is supposed to be one-handed," a new voice pointed out.
"Oh, I see!" you respond cheerily. "Thanks for explaining – wait, who said that?"
Words were not your answer. Heartstopper's growling was your answer. Jackie's gasp of terror was your answer. A croak so deep it was a baritone was your answer. You follow their gazes to the trees a little over you... and see a monster so big, the branches it was standing on really should not be supporting it...
The six-foot shadow leaped from the branches and landed in front of the dagger. The shockwave from landing knocked you and Jackie on your butts, as Heartstopper growled at it. In a single yank, the dagger was freed from the ground, the horses sprinting away unbound.
"Hello, Sirius Butterfly," the green-skinned behemoth intoned in a rich accent. "Master Ludo has been looking for you."
"W-w-wha..." You glance at Jackie, who's pale and frightened, as she looks at the monster. "It's a - what is – I don't..."
Still on the ground, you scrunch up your face in thought. Ludo? Not a familiar name. "Yeah, uh, who is Ludo, and why should I care that he's been looking for me?" you ask your attacker.
"Who is Master Ludo?" the large amphibian croaked deeply. "Master Ludo is a prince among monsters. From Castle Avarius, Ludo commands all on his land!"
Subtly reaching for your Wand, you ask the spy, "And what does that have to do with me? You realize attacking me is just declaring war on Mewni, right?"
The monster just laughed, while not lowering his guard at all. "Ludo is not afraid of war! Not when he will have the Wand! Not when the monsters are fighting on an even field of battle!"
"Come on, do we have to fight?" you ask, a stone sitting in your gut; he's a monster, they're not known for mercy...
"For the sake of monsterkind, and the glory of Master Ludo," he spins the knife-sword, getting into a fighting stance, "I will do anything to avenge my kind, and bring us back to our full strength!"
"Well, in that case – AH-HA!" You whip out the wand, and charge up a blast!
…
…
A blast that never came...
You stare at the Wand. The frogman stares at the Wand. Jackie stares at the Wand. Even Heartstopper just stared at the Wand.
"...dude, could you, maybe, put away the toy?" Jackie says with a flat look.
"It is like toy in hands of Mewman child," the frog monster commented with an almost pitying tone.
Even Heartstopper looks at you sadly, head tilted...
"That... should have worked..." You smack the side of the magical totem, as the monster closes in... Darn it! Mom had no trouble with this! How do you work this!?
"Life is full of disappointments," the assassin stated before jumping-!
"Heartstopper!" you call, then whistle, and your steed comes up just in time to tackle the monster. As the pair wrestled, Jackie ran over.
"Okay, I have no idea what's going on, but we need to go! Come on!" She grabs your arm to drag you away.
"Not without my Warnicorn, I'm not!" You declare. "You go! I'll hold him off!"
"I-!" Jackie tried to talk, but after several false starts, she just says, "Be careful, man," before taking off.
Ok, let's think. You can do magic, but you haven't had one lesson. Are there any spells you know already?
Heartstopper went flying past, as the assassin got up, hardly winded. "Any more tricks, child, or shall I take what is only the beginning of reparations!"
As the monster attacked again, you roll to the side, you go with your instinct, and kick out...
That sends the big guy flying into a tree! As he lay there recovering, you look at your leg and the smoke that comes off it. "Whoa..."
You don't have time to think more on it as Big Green leaps over, dagger gleaming!
For the next moments, you just kept on fighting and dodging; Comet Kick to his weapon hand, Cosmic Punch to his stomach, at least 5 Aegis Shields when he slipped through your defense. It wasn't like any magic you'd read about, but hey! It was working! The big guy was getting winded...
...Actually, you were getting pretty winded, too. Heartstopper was growling from the sidelines, ready to pounce, as you and Big Guy stared each other down, sizing up the other.
"So," you stall as you try to steady your breathing, "Nice moves! What's your regime anyway?"
Your winning smile falls flat against a thin, but begrudging, glare. "The time is not now to be being casual, Mewman prince. You are stronger than I thought... but that won't do you any good-!"
His threat is interrupted by a ringing at his hip. He grunts. "Give me one moment." He pulls out a mirror. "Buff Frog, reporting. What is it, Potato Baby?"
"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" a really dopey voice came over the connection. "We got 'im! We got 'im!"
Buff Frog looked puzzled. "Got who, comrade?"
"Who else, Buff Frog! The Mewman prince, of course!" Buff Frog looked up at you, reflecting your confusion.
"That's impossible! I have Mewman prince in sight! I fight Mewman prince on sight!" Buff Frog growled.
The other voice just laughed. "We caught him! He even had a birthmark like he was a royal! Oh, Ludo will be so proud!" There was a click as the annoyed assassin was hung up on; he gnashed his sharp teeth, before glaring at you.
"I... will be back for the Wand. Remember that!" With that declaration, he pulled out some dimensional scissors, carved a portal out of thin air, and jumped through it before you could even blink.
"Huh," you say, looking at Heartstopper, "guess that solves that..."
As you step out of the grove, you see Jackie nearby... holding onto the broken reins of your lost horses.
'...Nuts,' you think, kinda hoping you didn't have to run into her again. Oh well, time to be polite, at least. "Hey, thanks. For, you know, saving those horses... and all that."
Jackie looks over at you, looking a little relieved. "Thank God. I... when you said go, I thought I'd have to come back with some police... or a doctor. Or a gravedigger." She went back to stroking the closest horse, fingers combing through its mane. "I would have, but these guys only just calmed down."
"Speaking of calm," you approach the topic tentatively, "how are... you doing? After... after all of that?"
The platinum blonde froze in thought. "Honestly... I'm a little freaked. What... was that?"
You take the other horse's reins and motion for her to follow; at this point, the carriage is still surrounded, but by guys in blue wearing little shields. They remind you of Mewni's constables... which reminds you how often you hid from them. So, at least the carriage is safe until later.
"That guy... was a monster," you began, as you head toward the Diazes' house, Heartstopper dozing on the back of one of the stallions. "And he was after me. Not just because I'm a prince, but because of this." You pull out the Wand with your free hand.
"The toy?" Jackie comments. "Why would – and I can't believe I'm saying this – some monster want your... I wanna say, royal rattle?" She laughs a bit, but it dies quickly when you're able to make a little orb of light with your hand briefly. "W-whoa..."
"Yeah," you smile, still thrilled at the idea you have magic. "This is the Royal Magic Wand. I'm training to use it, but I can't even begin to think what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands..."
You pout as you turn a corner to come onto Marco's street. "I was sent here to avoid this situation... so much for that. Sorry if this freaks you all out."
Jackie, who's being nuzzled by the horse she was holding onto, looks at you like you have words written on your face. "It's... weird, yeah, but... look. I get you came here for some quiet or whatever. Just try to be careful. Echo Creek's pretty low on standards of weirdness. Try not to make, like, chocolate rivers or living puppets, ok?"
"I'll try," you say, relieved she's taking this so well. As you get closer to the Diazes, you say blinking blue and red lights. A carnival? Fireworks? What's going on? Whatever it is, it makes Jackie's face pale a bit.
The girl speeds up her pace, forcing you to rush the stallion in your care. When arriving at the house, there were horseless buggies, red and blue lights on top of them. "Oh no," Jackie gasped. Going by her expression, this was not a carnival...