Unlimited Eldritch Blade Works

By: Bubbajack

Beta: IcySnowSage

Disclaimer: I don't own Star vs. Type Moon or anything else in this fic.

Ch.2: Princess in Distress.

Marco stepped through the portal and immediately scanned the area. He found himself in a courtyard surrounded by stone architecture innately british in design. He blinked in confusion. For there was grass beneath his feet and the fading twilight of the sun was shining on his face. "I thought the Mage's Association was supposed to be underground? How the hell is the sun shining on my face right now?"

"It is a very elaborate Illusion," Francesca replied, "Humans suffer from severe depression with a lack of sunlight and it also messes with their internal clocks, so early in the conception of the Clocktower this illusion was created to put those who choose to live here at ease."

"Wow," Marco replied impressed. He looked at the faux-sun and now that he did, yes he could see the mirage-like blurriness that indicated it was an illusion, "Still impressive."

Francesca nodded, "It is. Come Mar-kun, we should go and introduce ourselves to the Vice Director and get this unpleasant business resolved."

Marco's eyes hardened, "Agreed. Let's move people! Francesca take point, lead the way to the Vice Director's office please," Marco requested, his tone polite but firm.

Francesca nodded, "Of course Mar-kun, it should be this way."

As the group made their way deeper into the Clocktower's interior, they received stares and sometimes outright hostile glares from passersby. Marco ignored them for a time but eventually he got tired of it. Especially when he noticed most of the looks were directed at Oei, Chiyo, and occasionally Hekapoo.

He finally sighed and stopped when a group too large to get around just stopped in front of them and glared while blocking their path, "Move please, we're in a hurry."

The man at the head of the group, who was sporting long blonde hair and wearing an all red suit with a tophat and cane, smirked at him with haughty superiority, "My, my you must be new if that's how you treat your betters."

"Listen man, I don't have time for political shit and kowtowing right now. I'm only gonna ask one more time… move," Marco's last word came out in a dark and menacing growl.

The growl that came from Marco's mouth more than unnerved the man in front of him. Moon and River looked uneasy as well. Hekapoo took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her and she saw rage burning like hot coals in his chocolate brown eyes.

"I know your worried about Star, Diaz, but killing this idiot isn't going to get us any info on what's going on with her. Just ignore him. "

The man scowled, "You should teach your contracted demon to show others some respect boy."

The man doubled over when Marco's fist embedded itself in his stomach faster than anyone could see, "First of all, she's not my contracted anything. Second of all, her name is Hekapoo. Thirdly she's a demigoddess you asshole. Now, would you kindly fuck off or show proper respect to YOUR BETTERS?!"

"Lord Alba!" One of the women who was with him rushed to his side, glaring at Marco, "You'll pay for this! You assaulted a first-rate magus you hack."

Suddenly a tendril wrapped around the woman's throat and lifted her into the air. Chiyo pulled the woman close and smiled at her showing that the tendril was her own hair. Yet her grin stretched a mite too far on her face to be considered human, as numerous eyes popped up along her collarbone like a twisted necklace, "My, my… I do hope you aren't insulting Marco-san in front of me… that could… upset me."

The woman rapidly shook her head, terror etched upon her face, "N-No! Never!"

Chiyo nodded as her smile returned to normal human proportions and her extra eyes winked out of existence. She dropped the woman and nodded while clapping her hands, "Good good! Now, we really are in a hurry, so if you'll excuse us?"

The group walked away with no further comment. Once they'd rounded the corner Marco sighed and said, "Thanks Chiyo… but you didn't need to do that."

Chiyo looked at Marco quizzically, "Isn't that what friends do for each other Marco-san? Look out for each other?,

Marco laughed a little at the relative simple concept that Chiyo of all people was reminding him of, "Yeah I guess they do. Fresca, we heading the right way?" He asked their guide.

The Eldritch Witch nodded, "Yes if the layout is still the same in this universe then the Vice Director's office should be this way… Then again it has been awhile since Francesca has walked the halls of the Clocktower so some remodeling could've been done since then."

"I say," River commented catching everyone's attention, "Why don't we just ask our captive?" The short royal nodded towards the woman Chiyo was leading around like a dog on a leash.

Marco blinked, "Oh yeah, kinda forgot about her," He walked up to her, "Umm Miss… what's your name anyways? I'm sorry I forgot to ask."

"Bazette," the woman curtly replied even if she was slightly irritated at her current situation.

Marco nodded, "Right, Miss Bazette, I'm sorry for my rough treatment of you earlier but in my defense… well your people kidnapped my friend and your… teammates harmed another of them. Sorry for you know killing them."

"I didn't know them all that well," Bazette admitted.

Marco sighed at small mercies, "Right well, they might've been about to burn down my house with my parents in it, right?"

Bazette at least had the decency to look uncomfortable, "Nothing personal kid, it's just my job. We're supposed to get rid of any and all traces of magic and anyone who's had any contact with it. In my defense, I was trying to talk the other two into letting me erase their memories of the girl with a rune I knew. That way we wouldn't have to kill them."

"I… appreciate that Miss Bazette," Marco said after a moment's pause, "The fact you showed restraint shows that despite your vocation shows you still value life. It's admirable."

Bazette smirked at him, "Flattery will get you nowhere with me kid. You're a bit too young for my taste."

Marco quirked an eyebrow, "Young? You look younger than me lady."

Bazette blinked then laughed a little at the absurdity, "Wow, your a first generation magi aren't you? You'd have to be to be so green. Having Magic Circuits increases one's natural lifespan kid. Most magi can easily live to be two-hundred due to all the extra Od in their bodies."

"Oh… wow, good to know," That little tidbit surprised Marco.

"Just for the record, how old do you think I am?" Even though she was bound up she was teasing him now.

"Early to mid twenties at best." Marco guessed.

Bazette laughed, "Haha, that's sweet of you to say, but no. I'm pushing forty-five actually."

Marco blinked, he was momentarily stunned, "No way, you don't look a day over twenty-one or twenty-three tops."

Bazette smirked at him, "You trying to get into my pants lad? Keep flattering me like this and I might just change my mind on younger men."

Marco flushed, and Francesca giggled. Marco cleared his throat to get back on topic, "Um, yeah anyway, are we going the right way to the Vice Director's office?"

Bazette looked around for a moment to get her bearings before nodding, "Yes, I've only met her a handful of times but this is the right way."

"Thank you Miss Bazette," Marco replied, "Keep going Fresca, we're on the right track."

Francesa smiled, "Of course Mar-kun." The Eldritch led them down several more corridors which were all of solid stone interspersed with doors of solid wood here and there. "Jesus, it's no wonder people get lost in this place. It's a labyrinth that looks all the same."

"Quite, it could do with some signs or even a map," Moon agreed. Her tone tense due to worry for her daughter.

Marco glanced back at her as he walked, "Don't worry Moon we'll get Star back. Even if I have to tear this place apart stone by stone," Marco promised her while worrying Bazette a little on how easy that might be for Marco.

After what seemed like a small eternity, the group arrived in front of, of all things, a reception desk. It was manned by a woman who had a pair of square glasses perched on her nose, with her hair tied back in a stiff bun. She was wearing a simple black dress. She looked up from the documents she was reading and placed it in a drawer before addressing the group in a crisp no nonsense tone completely ignoring any strangeness the group had. "I am Lord Barthomeloi's secretary. How might I help you?"

Moon placed her hand on Marco's shoulder before she stepped forward, "We need to speak to the Vice Director as soon as possible please. The matter is quite urgent."

The woman looked Moon up and down before nodded, "Yes I see, and what is this urgent matter regarding?"

"The kidnapping of my daughter by persons unknown. This woman," Moon motioned to the tied up Bazett, "Was apart of the… clean up crew sent to dispose of any evidence of her existence here in this dimension."

Upon hearing 'this dimension' the woman perked up considerably. She sighed and pinched her nose at the connotations this may have for her boss, "I see. I shall inform Lord Barthomeloi that you request an audience, but that is all I can do."

Moon nodded graciously, "Thank you."

The woman got up from her desk and rapped on the door three times before letting herself into the office which she guarded. Marco spoke up after the woman left, "That was… oddly cordial of you Moon."

"Marco, I'm well aware you are worried about Star, as am I, but a little civility before you go punching everything might do you some good."

Marco took a breath before letting it out, "I could catch more flies with honey than vinegar in other words?"

"Hmm?" Moon cocked her head to the side, not understanding the earth idiom.

"It wouldn't kill me to be nice," Marco explained, "Rather than trying to intimidate everyone I come across."

Moon nodded, "Yes, that exactly. I'm worried about her too Marco. She's my daughter after all, but flying into a rage here, when we don't know where she is, won't help her."

Marco nodded, "Ok, okay, I get it. I'll leave things to you for now. This is your area of expertise."

Moon smiled at him, "Thank you dear."

Just then, the door opened, and the secretary came back out, "Lord Barthomeloi has decided she will see you now." Marco was thrown slightly off guard when Lord Baethomeloi was called a she. He presumed that being a 'Lord' automatically meant male as the proper royal term was Lady if he recalled correctly. But he paid it no mind, as he made his way forward only for the Secretary to say, "The King, Queen, and young man may go, the Familiars must wait outside."

Hekapoo blinked at being mistaken for a familiar twice now, "Umm I'm not anyone's Familiar."

The secretary looked at Hekapoo from over her glasses. Her eyes seemed to glow for a moment and she blinked in surprise at the aura of divinity coming off Hekapoo, "Oh, I see, my mistake. I assumed by your appearance that you were a contracted demon of some sort."

"Your the second person today to think that so it's no problem," Hekapoo waved away her apology. "Demons must look like me though if people keep thinking that."

"Some do," The secretary acknowledged. "It's the horns and fire if I'm being honest. But anyway you should be going. Lord Bartholmeloi doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Right, Chiyo, Hokusai-jiji, Oei-san, Fresca wait here please." Marco requested as he followed the King and Queen of Mewni into the office.

The office was spartan but what it did have was nothing less than flawless. A persain rug greeted them as they stepped into the place which led up to a gigantic oak desk that looked like it had been carved out of an entire tree it was so big. Sitting behind said desk was a young brunette who looked no older than twenty. Her skin was pale, and her eyes matched her hair she wore a simple yet elegant attire of a white shirt, and he could see brown riding boots and black trousers poking out from under her desk. She had a mithril gauntlet on her right hand, and a riding crop of all things sat within hands reach of her left hand.

Marco honestly would've thought her pretty if her face wasn't so severe. Her features seemed to be set in a perpetual scowl, her thin eyebrows were furrowed and she all but glared at them as they walked across her office that gave off a tone of both superiority and haughty menace. Marco felt like he was about to be scolded and he didn't even do anything other than ask for a moment of her time.

Once they were standing in front of her desk she spoke, her voice was like iron, "So, what's all this about royalty being from another dimension then? I warn you if this is some kind of joke I will not be pleased."

Moon spoke for the group, "This is not a joke Lord Barthomeloi. I am Queen Moon, thirty-seventh Queen of Mewni, I suppose you would like some veracty to my claims?"

"Please," Lord Bartheomeloi requested.

In response, Moon took on her Mewberty Form. Her skin turned blue, a pair of butterfly translucent blue spotted butterfly wings burst from her back, and her hair flared upwards. The magical power flowing off of her was palpable to everyone in the room.

The door to her office opened and the Secretary poked her head in only for the Vice Director to shoo her away with a handwave. She focused her attention back on Moon who asked her, "I trust this is sufficient Vice Director?"

Lord Batheomeloi steepled her fingers, "It certainly proves you are… different. But you could be a mixed blood, a part human part demon, it doesn't prove your from another dimension entirely."

Moon raised an eyebrow, "I see." She pointed her hand at the woman's desk and fired a beam of magic causing an ear of corn of all things to appear there. "Does this help sway you at all?"

The woman blinked then examined the piece of produce. She muttered incantations under her breath, and after a couple of minutes of examination she came to a startling conclusion, "It's real, you created something out of nothing but magical energy… you did the first magic."

Moon was perplexed, "I'm sorry… First Magic? What I did was simple conjuration magic, nothing more."

"I'll take it from here Moon," Marco said stepping up to the plate. He knew that now, it was his turn to take over. "Yeah as you can see, how they classify magic and how we do it is very different, isn't it? To them, it's just a parlor trick, to people like you… well it's everything and so much more."

The Lord stared at him for a moment taking in his appearance, stance and even tone of voice, "Who are you? You have an… unusual air of confidence about you."

Marco smiled at her, "I'm Marco nice to meet you Director. I don't envy you for having to run this zoo of crackpots and heathens."

Marco noticed a sudden movement in the upper corner of her office and found his gaze shifting towards it. What Marco found surprised him. For lurking there in the corner was a thing. It had no discernable face, it was featureless in that regard but it had two twisting horns coming out of its head, its body was emaciated, thin and gangly with very long arms and short legs that were twisted around at the knees like a bull or horse, it had a gigantic pair of bat wings that made it look on the whole, like some kind of demon… but Marco knew that wasn't.

"Boy, what is so interesting about that corner of my office?" The Vice Director asked him a little irritated.

"Tell me Director, have you had trouble sleeping lately?" Marco asked out of the blue to her as he stared at the creature who was looking at him skittishly.

The woman blinked then narrowed her eyes at the sudden change of topic, "My sleep has been fitful as of late, why do you ask?"

"I think I just found the reason why," Marco pointed at the creature no one else could see and said to it, "Get down here you." The creature pointed at itself with a black talon superseded someone could see it, "Yeah you."

The thing, something in his mind, possibly Emiya's innate Tracing combined with Prelati's inhumane knowledge told him this thing was a Nightguant. A demon from the Dreamlands that fed upon the good dreams of others. It leapt from the ceiling and landed on the desk, which groaned slightly from the impact.

"What, what was that?!" the Director demanded.

"You can't see it can you?" Marco asked, "Well, it's nice to know I'm not going crazy, thank you… or maybe it means I am going crazy because I can see it and others can't?"

"See what?" The Director demanded angrily at seemingly being left out of the loop.

In response, Marco grabbed the thin almost imperceptible veil around the Nightgaunt and pulled. He pulled off whatever made it unseeable to the others, and revealed it in all its unusual glory. Lorelei was on her feet in an instant her riding crop in her hand ready to torture information out of the demon's magi master who dared move against her.

Only for Marco to force her hand down, "Wait."

She fixed him with a glare, "Boy you have my thanks for bringing this plot to my attention however, do not overstep your bounds."

"Let me try talking to it first before you try to torture it," Marco requested, "I don't even think it wants to be here. Much less around you."

Lord Barthomeloi's eyebrow quirked at the slight but she didn't hex him or the demon into oblivion. Instead she said, "You have one minute."

Marco didn't waste any time, "Who summoned you?"

Instead of words images flowed into Marco's mind. That of a person, a tall well built man with a beard and then with it a name.

"Does the name McDonell Trambellio Elrond ring any bells?"

"Ah, I should've known. The fool," Bartholemoi hissed.

"Politics?" Marco asked knowingly.

"Quite. He is the leader of the democratic faction here in the Clocktower."

Marco sighed, "Let me hazard a guess. You lead the blue bloods that run this insane asylum is that about right?"

That earned him a curt nod, "Indeed. The fool and his family have been pushing for democracy for centuries now. This… thing," Lord Barthomeloi motioned to the demon on her desk, "Was likely another ploy of his to dispose of me."

"Well, how on the mark is she?" Marco asked the nightgaunt. The image of a bullseye popped up in Marco's head, "Your dead on Vice Director."

The head of the Barthomeloi clan nodded, "Naturally, McDonnel always was petty."

"Umm, I'd like to point out that you had no idea the demon was even here before I pointed it out. Your welcome by the way."

That earned Marco a reproach filled glare from the woman who sighed when she saw the man didn't flinch and grovel before her like most would at her stare, "You have my gratitude, and make no mistake, that is not something easily attained. You will be compensated appropriately for your actions here today. For failure to do so on my part would tarnish my family's image of perfection."

Marco snorted at the concept, "Perfection? How overrated."

The woman stared at him for a moment before speaking in a low and dangerous tone, "Watch yourself boy. Helping uncover a plot or not. I shall allow none to besmirch my family name, and all that comes with it."

"You don't get what I meant, obviously," Marco replied not at all phased by her threat. "Perfection is… well it's impossible. Rather, it is pointless to try to attain in the first place. Say you do in fact become 'perfect' then what would be the point in having a child? To pass perfection on? If your perfect and you have a child do you expect it to be perfect too or once one of your family achieves perfection is that it for you? Is that the sole goal of your family progression towards a final goal of stagnation?"

Lorelei absorbed the young man's words. His question pierced the armor of superiority she'd built up both in her mind and around her heart. His words made sense to her. If she Barthomeloi Loereli was perfect then what was the point of striving for more, and the passing of her genes on to the next generation, something she was still being expected to do by her family. Yet… she was perfect… wasn't she?

She didn't show the turmoil of her thoughts outwardly for that would be unseemly. Yet she did blink twice. That was all. She then sighed, "Could you please do something about the demon boy?"

"Do something about it? Like kill it or..?" Marco let the question hang.

"Just get it off my desk," She demanded. She then locked eyes with him, "Lorelei Barthomeloi."

"Hmm?"

"My full name and title is Lord Vice Director Lorelei Barthomeloi."

"Well, pleasure is all mine Lord Vice Director… do you mind if I just call you Lorelei? That's kinda a mouthful?"

Lorelei was about to tell him she put more pride on her last name how Lorelei just felt like an attachment to her Barthomeloi name… but she didn't. Instead she sighed, "Do as you wish."

"Well in that case. I'm Marco Ubaldo Diaz, Adventurer, mage, and a bunch of other things really. But you can just call me Marco."

Lorelei briefly considered that this may be a trap before dismissing it. Treacherous the Trambellio Faction may be, but even they wouldn't sink so low as to hire a Spaniard. There had been bad blood between the Spanish and English Magi for centuries ever since the Age of Exploration, and none would stoop so low as to hire the other to do the dirty work or work for the other due to that.

"Marco," She said as if testing out his first name.

"Yes Lorelei?"

"Your friend, if it is whom I think it is, is wanted for breaking the statue of secrecy," Lorelei said stiffly.

"But?" Marco said almost grinning.

Lorelei ignored the man's grinning, "But, seeing as she seems to indeed be a magi from another dimension, once she arrives, she'll be allowed to leave with her one and only warning not to practice her magic in public. We have to accept that while mistakes happen from foreign dignitaries we can't bend the rules completely."

Everyone sighed in relief. "Thank you Lorelei," Marco said sincerely.

"Don't thank me Diaz. For if she's caught practising her magic publically again, she will be granted a Sealing Designation," Lorelei's voice was firm and resolute.

Marco nodded with a thought coming to mind, "I understand… I have some questions if you don't mind?"

Lorelei waved her hand, motioning for him to go ahead, "Where do I even start? To be entirely honest I'm new at the whole magic thing. For a while I was in an alternate time dilated dimension. I'm technically thirty even though I was only there eight minutes."

"You aged two years for every minute you spent there?" Lorelei took in his muscular physique interested in the results and possibilities of using said dimension, "For spending so much time there, one cannot argue with the results."

"Thanks. I practiced magic there for over a decade. I know a couple of tricks. One of which his how I'm going to get rid of this guy here," Marco motioned to the Nightgaunt who was still crouched on the Vice Director's desk.

Reaching into the net bag on his side, Marco drew out the R'lyeh Text. It floated an inch above his open palm, and Marco flicked his hand over the closed tome, causing it to flip to just the right page he was looking for. He looked to the Nightgaunt. "I'm sending you home little guy," Much to his surprise, the nightgaunt shook its head. "No?"

A word echoed through his mind in strangely soothing ye feminie tone, "Serve. Wish to serve the Waking One."

Marco pointed at himself in a little confusion with the others staring in slight fascination, "Me? Am I this, Waking One?"

The Nightgaunt nodded furiously, "Strong dreamer. So strong. To dream while awake. Dream King! A Dream King thou art!"

Marco had no clue what this dream demon was talking about but it was making something perfectly clear. It wanted to stay with him, "Ok, so… what is your name?"

"Marco," Lorelei said in an exasperated tone, "Demons guard their True Names jealousy. They won't just hand it out simply because you ask."

"Fryte." The demon told him lowering its head submissively, "Fryte will serve you oh Waking Dreamer King. Provided you can free her from her current contract."

"Sever a contract huh?" Marco muttered to himself before he smiled. "I've got just the thing!" He cocked the hammer to the revolver in his mind and fired it by saying, "Trace on!"

Seconds later, a jagged purple blood stained dagger radianting divinity and magical energy appeared in Marco's hand catching everyone's attention but especially Lorelei's attention. He held it in a reverse grip, "This shouldn't hurt one bit, ok?"

Seeing Fryte nod, Marco stabbed down with the dagger, while calling out its true name. "Rule Breaker!"

There was a flash of pink light, and when it cleared Fryte flexed her wings unharmed, "Now, would you please get off the Vice Director's desk?"

The Nightgaunt easily hopped off the desk, not that anyone was paying it any mind anymore. Everyone had their eyes locked on Marco. More specifically the dagger he had in his hand. Feeling everyone's gaze on him Marco asked, "What, is there something on my face?"

"A Noble Phantasm? You possess a Noble Phantasm that can break the bindings of a demon?" Lorelei asked clearly impressed.

"Not exactly," Marco tossed her the dagger which she easily caught, she muttered spells and incantations over it. Her eyebrow quirked almost imperceptibly, "A… forgery? Using advanced Gradation Air?" Lorelei smirked, "To think one would take such a useless art and refine it to such a degree."

Placing the dagger down on her desk, the Vice Director actually applauded him. it was three short claps but it was high praise coming from a Barthomeloi. Marco gave a borderline mocking over the top bow and deciding to add a cherry on top to stay in her good graces, "Thank you thank you! Now, for my next trick,"

He put his hand over Lorelei's uncovered arm and said his catchphrase incantation. When the sparks cleared she was wearing a duplicate of her Mithril gauntlet on her left forearm. A mystic code that had been past down in her family since the founding of the Clocktower two thousand years ago, it granted the Barthomeloi titanlike physical strength and only reinforced their claim as the Almighty Lords. She marveled at the flawless craftsmanship for a moment.

Then her gaze flicked back to Marco, "Your up to something," It was a statement not a question.

"What makes you say that?" Marco asked her though his smile gave it away ever so slightly.

"Helping me with the demon I could understand. I would be in your debt then. But why give me a second mithril gauntlet even if it is a forgery unless you wished to foster my goodwill even further?"

Marco shrugged almost uncaringly, "I guess you'll just have to wait and see won't you Lorelei?"

The Vice Director narrowed her eyes at him, "I do not like being a pawn in another's games Spaniard."

Marco just smiled and leaned in close and whispered so just she could hear, "Yes you certainly seem like the type who likes to… dominate. Would you prefer I call you Mistress Lorelei instead of Vice Director?"

It took her a moment to realize just what he was implying and once she did, her cheeks took on a rosy hue. Whether from anger or embarrassment none would know, only the fact that Marco Ublado Diaz who would become known as 'the Spaniard', made the usually harsh and stoic Vice Director blush in the first place if this got out that is.

"Get out of my office before I put welts on your backside Diaz."

"No need to threaten me with a good time Lorelei. Besides I think our business here is concluded anyway. Seeya around," Marco gave a power of respect to the vice director and then made his way to the door and gave a sharp whistle when he didn't hear any pairs of feet following him, "C'mon everyone we're done here."

River, Moon, and Hekapoo shook themselves out of their collective dazes and quickly rushed out the office thanking the Vice Director for her time before they left. Once they were gone, Lorelei plucked the dagger from her desk where Marco had left it. 'He likely left it here on purpose as well. Just what game are you playing at Marco… and why do I find myself 'wanting' to be apart of it?'

His words about perfection rung around in her head again and she found herself pondering could this Spaniard spellcaster be correct?

"What was all that back there Marco?" Hekapoo asked sounding put out at how easily he flirted with the Vice Director of the Clocktower.

"What was what?" Francesaca asked as the group met her outside the office and started walking down one of the many hallways, "And Francesaca would like to know where this Nightgaunt came from."

"Some dumbass had the bright idea of sicking the poor girl on the vice director while she was sleeping and leading her to an eventual suicide," Marco replied easily.

Francesca rolled her eyes at the supposed "plot", "There are so much faster ways to kill someone though. Why you could kill almost everyone in this building with just a few words."

"True. Lorelei was nice though. Part one of The Plan is in effect. Thanks for helping by the way Moon, I appreciate it," Marco replied.

"Plan, what plan?" Moon blinked.

"Why my plan to turn Earth into a multiversal trading hub of course," Marco replied with an almost demonically innocent smile on his face making Moon a little nervous at what Marco maybe planning, "Oh a cafeteria."

Marco took a sudden sharp right and everyone followed him into a crowded cafeteria. "It's been forever since I've had a meal that wasn't cooked over a campfire. No offence Fresca."

"None taken Mar-kun. Though English cuisine leaves much to be desired. Or at least it did, last time Francesa was around. Maybe they've improved?" She said hopefully.

"Well, let's find out, shall we?" Marco said as he and the others got in line.

"Oh, I do hope they have those Nachos I rather enjoyed them that one time I came over," River said his mouth watering at the thought.

Marco laughed, "Thanks River glad you liked my cooking man, but I doubt they have nachos here."

The food… not the best Marco had ever had if he was being honest. And he got the Fish and Chips something England was supposed to be famous for.

"What's wrong champ?" Hekapoo asked him, "You seem disappointed. Is the food not up to snuff?"

"Well I'd heard the legend of England's Fish and Chips being amazing and this is kinda… not as good as I was expecting?"

"Yeah it kind is disappointing, isn't it?" A very familiar voice said.

Marco's head snapped up like a whip and could only stare at who had spoken to him.

Emiya fucking Shirou was standing in front of him alongside Tohsaka Rin and…

'What the fuck is Saber doing here?' Marco asked himself while trying to calm some of the sadness and anger rising up in his chest at seeing the Wrought Iron Magus. He decide to structurally analyse all three to see if anything about them were different. He was able to find two honestly surprising results but he will keep that to himself for now.

"Do you think he knows?" Shirou asked in Japanese.

"I doubt it," Altria replied, "He seems to be teasing us for good fun. Something Kay did to me often. In fact he reminds me of Archer."

"He looks nothing like Gilgamesh though," Shirou retorted in confusion.

"That's not who she was referring to Shirou," Rin told him butting into the conversation and giving the man talking to Shirou a good look over noticing his spanish features. She also noticed he did have a lot of similarities to her former servant.

"Then who… oh, him. Yeah I can see the resemblance though even he wasn't that tall."

"You know it's rude to talk in a language that other people can't understand." Marco reprimanded them gently in english.

The three blushed at being caught red handed, "Our personal life isn't any of your business sir!" Rin tore into him while trying to stay polite.

Marco switched to flawless japanese. "No need to be derogatory Tohsaka."

The trio blushed even deeper upon realizing he could in fact understand what they'd been saying the entire time. Marco continued deciding to throw them a bone, "As for me looking like a certain Servant of the Bow… " he chuckled. "Well, there's a very good reason for that too."

The two Masters and Servant blinked in confusion, "Umm, what might that be?" Shirou asked hesitantly.

Marco smirked. He was hoping shirou would be the one to ask that. Marco then spoke familiar words, "Trace on."

In an instant a dozen blades were floating in the air behind Marco. All the swords turned and they all aimed at Shirou, Rin and Altria. The goldfish impression the three did was just so damn perfect. Marco wish he could've taken a picture actually.

He glanced over at his Servant a hopeful expression on his face, "Oei, by chance are you?"

"We're painting as fast as we can Master!" Oei affirmed. As she filled out a canvas as quickly as she and her 'octopops' could. "Aa~nd done!"

Oei's declaration snapped the trio out of their daze. Shiro jumped to his feet and yelled at Marco, "It can't be! I-I beat you Archer!"

"I dunno what the fuck your talking about kid," Marco told him honestly. "But I do know one thing," His gaze flicked to Altria knowingly.

"What's that?" Shirou was gripping his palms so hard his fingers were digging into his flesh causing them to bleed at what this stranger was going to do and say.

"Congratulations are in order." Marco clapped sarcastically before he locked eyes with the Living Servant that was King Arthur. He leaned in and whispered what he found out earlier, "It's a girl, congrats."

Altria paled considerably as heat rose to her cheeks at the insiuation, "It's a… a girl you mean to say that I'm?"

"Pregnant? Yeah," Marco said with a firm nod while crossing his arms while waiting for Altria to calm down from the news.

"Oh… oh my…" If Saber wasn't already sitting down she likely would've fallen down.

Rin looked between the mysterious Spaniard and her Servant. "Saber is pregnant? Is that even possible she's a Servant."

"Yes, but as you k-know Rin, my condition is… special," Saber reminded her.

'Oh...OH yeah that's right!" Rin said remembering Altria's body wasn't a copy but her actual body. She put her hand on her chin in thought at the news, "This complicates things a bit doesn't it?"

"Not really." Marco replied leaning back comfortably, "You just have a choice to make now, don't you boy?" Marco said mockingly as he looked dead on at Shirou.

"A choice?" Shirou echoed confused and a little angry at Marco's question.

"Yeah you can continue to follow those ideals of yours… of wanting to protect everyone, causing yourself to run from battlefield to battlefield to fulfill an unfulfillable dream of creating a world where no one cries… eventually leaving your children fatherless. Or you can change the direction of those ideals."

"Change the direction of my ideals?"

"Children?" Rin echoed. "Saber's carrying twins?!"

Marco shook his head then like right at her revealing his second observation, "Nope. Congrats its a boy Tohsaka."

"Wait you mean I'm… a boy?!"

"Yep."'

"Your enjoying this way too much," Hekapoo told him as she smirked next to him.

"Sue me." Marco casually replied before he fixed his gaze on Shirou once again. "Change the direction yes. Instead of trying to save everyone which is impossible… why not just settle for just trying to save the people you love? To be the personal hero of the people who love you? That doesn't sound too bad does it?"

"That… you… I…" The fact that Shirou was even trying to process what Marco was saying right now was promising. "Think about it kid your life doesn't just belong to you anymore does it? I mean first of all, are you going to ask two pregnant women to accompany you into battlefields?"

"No of course not… but?" Shirou tried to rebuttal his ideals firmly trying to take hold over reason.

"And furthermore," Marco cut him off. "Say you do die out there. That would mean… that you Emiya Shirou would be no better than Kiritsugu who did the exact same thing to you!" Marco let the final nail in his argument fly like the bullet in a sniper's gun.

Shirou froze solid. He didn't move. He didn't dare breathe.

"You know what that loneliness felt like Shirou… better than anyone. So, I ask of you… could you bring yourself to do that knowingly to another person? To your own children?"

"I… no, no I can't." Shirou replied after a long pause as his worldview and ideals cracked and shattered. His knees gave out from under him and he collapsed onto the floor only to be helped up into a chair by Saber.

Rin looked at Marco in shock and awe. "How? How the hell did you do that? No one, not even Archer could get Shirou to do what you just did! To even budge on this hero thing!"

Marco smiled like the devil himself, "Tohsaka… Rin. Archer was many things, but one thing he didn't have was an A+ in a college level psychology course. That's where I come in."

Tears were collecting in Rin's eyes at what Marco helped avert, "I don't know if these are the hormones kicking in early or what, but part of me wants to hug you, and another part wants to slap you right now."

Marco just smiled wider this time seeming more kind, "Your welcome, but if you really want to repay me I need to know a couple of things?"

Rin dabbed at her eyes with a napkin, "Of course, what is it?"

"The current status of Illyasviel von Einzbern and Matou Sakura." Marco replied easily.

Rin, Shirou, and Saber blinked. "Why them?"

"Just… just tell me." Marco replied with a feeling of dread beginning to pool in his stomache.

Rin sighed but replied, "Illya is dead. She was killed by Glgamesh near the climax of the Grail War… Her heart was torn out and put inside Shinji Matou."

Marco scowled at the name Shinji Matou and his mountain of sins, "I presume he is dead, yes? Shinji I mean?"

The three blinked in shock, "Umm no?"

Marco sighed, "I see." Marco stood to his full 6'9 height and took out his dimensional scissors. "I'll have to fix that. What of Sakura?"

"Fix… wait your going to kill Shinji?!" Shirou got up ready to try and stop him only for a sword to impale itself into the table stopping. This also confirmed Marco's worst fears for now. Sakura was not saved. She was still there in her personal hell. Shirou never noticed and left her to suffer. Burning anger started to ignite and Marco had to resist throttling Shirou right now.

"Yep, and rescuing Sakura while I'm at it. While I'm doing that, get a clue and realize Sakura has a thing for you while I'm gone will ya you moron?" Marco told him before he cut a portal to Japan and stepped through it. Marco was proud of himself holding back as much vitriol in his tone as he felt for Shirou as of right now.

The last thing he heard before it closed was Shirou shrilly yelling.

"Sakura what?!"

Marco soon found himself out in front of all places, the Emiya Residence. He chuckled. "Of all the places for me to end up, it had to be here?"

Seconds later a flaming vortex opened up and Hekapoo, Chiyo, Oei, and Francesca popped out of the portal. Marco saw them and sighed, "You girls shouldn't be here for this."

"Hey, don't forget who gave you those scissors Diaz," Hekapoo said, smirking with her hand on her hip.

Francesca looked antzy looking everywhere as if an enemy was waiting to pounce upon her. "Fresca you ok?" Marco asked concerned as he put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Francesca is… afraid of Matou Zouken," She admitted startling Marco since he knew she feared very little. "Should he use his magecraft on her he would have a perfect reincarnating body."

Marco clapped his hands together before rubbing them, "Well then, all the more reason for me to kill the bastard huh?"

Francesca nodded and sighed in relief, "Yeah it would make Francesca feel much more at ease if he was dealt with."

"Well then, I'd better get to work."

"Your actually gonna kill this Zouken guy?" Hekapoo asked, only mildly surprised. "I thought you would've wanted to leave all the fighting and bloodshed behind you once you left my place Marco?"

Marco let out a little laugh, "Oh my dear goddess. Zouken isn't human. He's the furthest thing from it. You are by far more human than he could ever hope to be at this point. You have so many emotions that Zouken has long lost."

Hekapoo flushed as she called her his goddess. She felt she could get used to that. 'Slow it down Hekapoo, your just friends right now…' she told herself. "What makes him so immoral?"

Once Marco explained just how Zouken Matou formerly known as Zolgen Makiri had been keeping himself alive for the past five-hundred plus years. The book of false attendant held many secrets that should have died. Hekapoo felt like vomiting. "He… he diffused his soul amongst his worm familiars?"

"Yes, he is in essence, a hivemind for them now. The difference between them and him is so thin I don't think there is a difference anymore," Marco replied as he walked through Fuyuki City towards the Western side of town where both the Tohsaka and Matou mansions were located.

"So how do you intend to handle this creep?" Hekapoo asked. Just thinking of a human doing that to themselves made her skin crawl. The implications of what he may be doing to his "heir" was not lost to her either.

"Get Sakura out of the house, then torch the house, his worms, everything. All of it in one go," Marco replied easily enough but his face stayed firm.

"You have a weapon that can do that?" Hekapoo asked dubiously.

"Yes," Marco casually replied. "All we have to do first is get Sakura out of there." He glanced at Hekapoo. "That's where I'm hoping you'll come in…"

"You want me to get the girl outta there?" Hekapoo stated more than asked.

"Your the fastest person I know," Marco complimented.

Hekapoo became unusually serious. "I'll do it… that girl, Sakura… doesn't deserve to suffer anymore."

"Thanks H-poo."

The creation goddess smiled at him, "Don't call me that."

The group stood in front of the Matou estate. It was gloomy and imposing as ever at least it looked the same from EMIYA's memories at least. Marco looked to his group. "Everyone ready?" He received a round of nods. "Everyone know what they need to do?"

"I need to rescue Sakura," Hekapoo said. "And give you a signal to light the place up."

"I need to squish any nasty bugs that Marco-san might miss," Chiyo replied, chipperly as her hair began to write in anticipation for the coming feast.

Francesca added helpfully, "Francesca is to stay back and assess Sakura's condition once Hekapoo get's her out."

"Right," Marco faced the gate. "Let's do this people."

Hekapoo cut her way into the Matou Estate. It was simple. All she had to do was imagine herself on the other side of their front door. The air was filled with the sickly sweet stench of mold, causing Hekapoo to crinkle her nose in disgust. "Yeah, we definitely need to get her outta here."

With that thought in mind, Hekapoo blitzed upstairs and began rapidly checking rooms.

"Nope, no, god this bathroom is gross!" Heakpoo said as she held back a gag. Shuddering she kicked in another door. She found herself in a sparsely decorated girls room. It had a bed which was topped by a white frilly cover, a nightstand, and a single drawer. This was most certainly Matou Sakura's room.

Yet she wasn't here either.

Hekapoo dashed downstairs and then, she... went into the basement.

Down, down, down into the depths of the earth Hekapoo raced. There was a damp chill in the air, one that just got colder the further she descended. She turned a final corner she came to a door of wrought iron. She slashed it with his scissor blades creating a portal which she simply waltzed through. Beyond the confines of the Fiery portal, was the pit.

It was a pit full of writhing worms and they were disgusting wretched creatures. They slithered in, out, and over one another. And they did the same to Sakura Matou whose eyes were glassy like a dolls as they wriggled in and out of her, through her very being. Sakura herself was used to this treatment, but Hekapoo, who was no stranger to the horrors of war herself, wretched. Especially when some worms were shown going places that should never be tarnished.

Wiping the bile from her mouth, Hekapoo's head flame blazed like an inferno reacting to her righteous anger. Her wrath found direction when she heard someone chuckling behind her. She turned her scissor blades consumed by flames as she whipped them around, destroying the makeshift body of Matou Zouken in the process. Burning all the worms that made up his "body" to ash. She yelled out in anger, "Is this funny to you, you miserable wretch?!"

"Very, for no matter what you do here spirit. You won't save her." A giant head of Zouken replied forming from the pit full of Crest Worms, which were consumed by a blast of flames moments before Hekapoo opened a portal directly beneath Sakura. And she fell into the flame goddess' waiting arms.

"Just hang in there sweetie, we're gonna get you help." Hekapoo told her encouragingly as she tried to warm the girl the deathly cold girl with her own flame and warmth.

"Sem...pai?" Sakura asked deliriously staring up a someone she had never seen. Had a devil come to take her away?

"Yes, you'll see him soon," Hekpoo promised as she opened up another portal this one to directly outside the Matou Estate, and walked through it with Sakura in her arms in a princess carry as more worms began to writhe in the pit and attack her just as the portal closed.

The moment she laid eyes on Marco Hekapoo told him, "Marco, kill that son of a bitch!"

"On it." Marco leaped into the air tracing a large black bow as he did so. The next thing he traced was a drill shaped sword that he condensed down into the shape of an arrow He then reinforced it to the point it was equal to its original then he filled it with prana to the point that it became something fragile… dangerous… broken. The lingering will of the hero who once wielded it supporting marco. Women were everything to Fergus after all.

"Thy core is twisted in madness, so twist all the way in Caladbolg II!" Marco launched the Broken Phantasm turned arrow directly down into the roof of the house, centuries of built-up magical defenses were shredded like paper as Caladbolg II twisted space around it, tearing through wood, and concrete before finally slamming home in the heart of the worm pit itself. There a great conflagration started, welling up and consuming the Matou Estate from the very depths of its black heart. The fire seemed to burn brighter and hotter than what Marco expected.

Marco was pushed back ever so slightly by the ensuing fireball that engulfed the estate, but that was fine. It let him land in the street, next to his friends. "Chiyo-san your up."

"I'm already on it Marco-san." Chiyo replied, her hair conveniently oozing down and into a manhole cover, "My my some of these nasty bugs think they can escape fufufu, how quaint." The primordial ooze that was Shub-Niggurath washed over them like the Demiurge, wiping them out and leaving none of them left alive. There were no whispers, no cries for mercy, just a sudden and all consuming silence. What should have taken days to clear up Chiyo was able to do in minutes with how far her reach beneath the city reached. Once the deed was done Chiyo said, "All the nasty insects have been taken care of Marco-san… well except for the ones in Sakura-san's body of course."

"Can you remove them without hurting her Chiyo?" Marco asked worriedly.

"Yes of course," The dark fertility goddess replied before allowing hundreds of hair thin tendrils to invade Sakura's body from all over but with a tenderness Zouken would have never shown, "My, my some of them have embedded themselves in her nerves the poor little lamb… this might… tickle a little."

Sakura started giggling profusely as the Crest Worms were removed from her nervous system. Marco had to comment, "Why, why does this tickle so much?"

"Well, Chiyo-san could've killed your nerves entirely while she did this, but she thought you might've wanted to feel some sort of sensation other than pain," she replied to Marco as Sakura was to busy giggling.

"So you made it tickle instead of hurt?" Marco asked.

"Yes, as laughter is the best medicine no?" the alien earth mother goddess replied making Marco chuckle a little her at completely missing what the idiom meant.

"I'm going to piss myself if this keeps up!" Sakura was finally able to speak up.

"Too much of a good thing Chiyo," Marco reminded her.

"Oh, right," With but a thought, Sakura stopped feeling anything at all. "Is that better Sakura-chan?"

"I...yes thank you," The usually meek girl replied wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes finally getting a blurry look from everyone. She someone who looked kinda like Shirou but she still busy cleaning out her eyes.

"I'm almost done and then… oh my oh my," Chiyo said as she came upon the worms connected to Sakura's major internal organs. One was trying to do something to Sakura's heart. Chiyo put a stop to that immediately.

"What is it Chiyo?" Marco asked. He knew better than to expect this to go smoothly.

"Chiyo…. Has found the worm containing the soul of Zouken Matou. It is clamped around Sakura-chan's heart."

Marco's face became like a thunderstorm, "Bring. Him. To. Me!"

"Yes, yes, Chiyo is on it Marco-san," The Eldritch Goddess replied matter of factly. She decided to leave out what else was hidden away in the crest worms.. Moments later a tendril rose from the center of Sakura's chest like a fishing line. It had a fat wriggling worm on the end of it. "Chiyo would like something in return for this favor Marco-san."

"Can we discuss this later?" Marco said, his eyes fixed on the wriggling worm that was trying its damndest to escape to no avail.

"Of course." Chiyo replied. Marco never seeing the devious almost hungry smile that developed on her face due to his laser-like focus on the crest worm.

Marco took a knee and gave Sakura a little shake to get her focus concentrated on him, "Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan can you look at me please."

"Sem… Sempai?" Sakura asked as her now cleared up eyes open fully and locked onto Marco's own.

Marco smiled at her and shook his head, "No, I'm not. But he did send me to rescue you on his behalf. Can you sit up Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nodded, and Marco offered her a hand to get her into a sitting position. He then pointed at the dangling Crest Worm, "See that Sakura?"

The girl swallowed and nodded, "Yes."

"That is the last Crest Worm. The very last Crest Worm of Matou Zouken. But more than that. That is the Crest Worm that contains his soul," Marco helped Sakura to her feet before guiding her about twenty yards away. He then conjured up a basic yumi and a dozen arrows. "I hear your a pretty good shot. How about you try hitting the target over there?"

The biggest most evil adorable smile twisted itself across Sakura's face and she quickly took up the bow and arrow but she did fumble a little, 'It's funny,' Sakura thought to herself. 'The one thing I enjoyed doing at school that let me get closer to sempai… is the thing that kills you Zouken.' With that thought in mind, Sakura released the arrow.

She didn't miss for her aim even while her hands shook was true.

While Sakura cathartically destroyed Matou Zouken's physical body, Chiyo took the liberty of consuming his wretched soul and all the magic tied to his soul. As reincarnation was just too good for some people especially this scum of a living being. Chiyo could only smile angelically as she felt her being become more stable as power flowed into her body stabilizing her connection to earth and Marc.

Marco looked at the smoldering inferno that was the Matou Estate, "One down, one to go."

Shiji had just gotten out of class for the day and was on his way home when he was almost hit by a trio of firetrucks. "Oi, watch where you're going, damn it!" He shouted after the emergency responders. "Some people… wonder whose house burned down? Maybe it's Emiya's? Nah, he wouldn't leave his electric running. Tohsaka? She… she might. I'd better go check."

With that thought in mind, Shinji raced down the road after the fire trucks all the while saying, "Please don't be Tohsaka's place, please don't be Tohsaka's place, please don't be Tohsaka's place! I don't wanna have to call that crazy bitch and tell her that her house burned down. She'd blame me… somehow."

Shinji never did find out it was his house that got burned down. He got dragged into an alleyway by a slime covered giant tongue. He tried to scream as he was drawn, slowly into Francesca's second mouth inch by excruciating inch but when someone has a bounded field that blocks all forms of soundwaves from carrying…

No one can hear you scream.

Once Shinji died from mass blood loss, Francesca asked. "Can Francesca finish eating him now? She doesn't like to play with her food, even if it is junk food."

"Not yet there's something he has that doesn't belong to him," Marco replied before he rammed his fist into Shinji's chest and fished around for a moment before he came out holding his heart… or rather Illyasviel von Einzbern's heart.

"Damn Diaz what the hell man?" Even Hekapoo was slightly weirded out by this act of unusual brutality.

"This heart belongs to the Lesser Grail. The Last Lesser Grail Illyasviel von Einzbern. It may have just enough power in it to say… incarnate a Servant?" Marco wondered aloud as he offered the heart to Oei.

"Could Marco-sama at least cook it first?" Oei asked as she finished yet another portrait this one of him ripping said heart out of Shinji's dead chest, his left leg being consumed by Francesca.

"Fine miss picky eater," Marco replied jokingly before he traced a metal spit, gored the heart on it, and held it over Hekapoo's head flame.

"Dude, gross! Keep the once human heart away from me!" Hekapoo complained as she tried to avoid it.

"Stop moving around or its not going to cook evenly," Marco counter-argued while trying to make sure the heart was cooked.

"Keep it away from my head, and we won't have this problem!" Hekapoo retorted as she tried to dodge Marco's attempts to use her as a cannibalistic cooking apparatus.

In the end though Marco was now just a bit faster than the scissor crafter he ended up sitting on her and cooking the heart over her head flame. All the while she promised revenge neither noticing parts of the heart glowing from the infusion of magic and divinity waking up the dormant grail. "I swear if I don't get crystalized for your quest I will get you back for this Diaz!"

"Ok, well just so you know, I'm free on the seventh at seven."

"It's a date!" Hekapoo seethed.

Marco smiled down at her sweetly, "Looking forward to it H-poo."

"Don't call me that!" She growled as she thrashed around uselessly beneath his weight.

Marco pulled the heart close and examined it as the glowing marks had already died down. "I think it's cooked."

"Thanks Marco-sama! Itadakimasu!" Oei said before swallowing the heart whole. As it mixed with her being power started to grow but it would not act. Something was first needed.

After a moment Marco asked, "Did it work?"

"Oei doesn't feel any different," The painter said after a moment. "Maybe I need to make a wish?"

"Go for it," Marco prompted her.

Oei clapped her hands together in prayer for her current desire, "Oei wishes to stay with Marco-sama forever!"

Marco blinked in surprise and a little panic, "Eh, what now?!"

There was a sudden flash of white light. The wish was granted while a fallen god was absorbed by the unknown. When it cleared, everyone was fine, no one was dead, which was a nice surprise, and the apocalypse hadn't spontaneously happened which shocked Marco. Usually suddenly flashes of light equaled bad as far as he was concerned. Especially with what was in the grail.

"Oei, you ok?" He asked.

The mad artist smiled at him. "I'm fine Marco-sama. Everything is going to be just fine now."

"Ok… why are you raising death flags all of the sudden?"

"Death flag?" Oei cocked her head to the side. "Oei is unfamiliar with the term. Is it like the time you played Flags with Star Butterfly?"

"Yes… and also... no," Marco replied. "Anyway, what just happened? Any clue?"

The artist clapped her hands, "Oei's wish must've come true! She gets to be with Marco-sama forever now!"

Marco was happy his eccentric artist was happy, "That's good Oei. Everyone else ready to get the hell outta this place?"

Receiving a round of nods. Marco gave a single nod himself, "Right let's go collect Sakura and Chiyo from that coffee shop and get the heck outta dodge."

Marco popped into the coffee shop where he'd left Chiyo and Sakura. They were sipping at their coffees and exchanging quaint conversation about their lives, "Okay ladies we're just about done here. We just need to make one more stop and then we can pop on over to England, you can see Shirou, your sister, etc, etc."

Sakura beamed at him, "Thank you Marco-san… for everything." Sakura bowed low, far lower than was necessary.

"Um yeah don't mention it," Marco said as he rubbed his head. Anyway, we're going to the one place demons fear to tread."

"Rome?"

"The Vatican?"

"Heaven?"

"Well I meant church but those are all better answers." Marco admitted. "Anyway, to the Church!"

Sakura blinked, "Why Marco-san?"

Marco smirked. "Well, I need to go check the church basement for the living corpses of any children."

With his piece said that left everyone else in his party confused, Marco made his way towards the church, the others following in his wake.

Marco was the first to behold the church as he crested the hilltop. 'Yep, still comes off as creepy.' He thought in the dimming light of twilight the church had a forbidden air about it. Instead of coming off as open and inviting, the place came off like a giant tomb, practically pushing people away with the gloom it exerted.

Ignoring the feeling the place gave him, Marco soldiered on, making his way past the gate, he pushed the solid wood door in and looked around. Nobody seemed to be home. The pews were empty and the pulpit was vacant. Even the self-playing organ was silent. The place felt even more like a tomb than before. Yet despite all of that, Marco called out, "Hello, is anybody home?"

"Just a moment please, I'll be right out to hear your multitude of sins." A feminine voice called back.

'No, it couldn't be.' Marco thought to himself. Crossing his arms as he waited for the nun to appear. He didn't have to wait long. She appeared out the back of the church, her long white hair curling slightly as it flowed down her cussock. Her skin was pale and contrasted sharply with her amber colored eyes. She smiled at him almost angelically as she approached yet that smile hid an almost misanthropic sarcastic personality.

"Hello what terrible horrendous sins can I absolve you of today?" She asked meeting his gaze.

Macro quickly and discreetly scanned and read the history of her cassock revealing that her name was Caren Hortensia and she was in fact the daughter of Kirei Kotomine. This was a welcome surprise, and it gave him an… idea to punish someone. "I haven't come for absolution Sister Hortensia. I've come to speak to you personally."

"Oh?" Her near golden eyes seem to gleam in interest as she drank in Marco's form. "What would a mercenary and magi such as yourself, one who has killed and turned his back on the Lord, want with one of his flock, hmm?" She made note of the cloth on his left arm and around his waist. She stated plainly but with a bit of snark, "You also defile the shroud of a saint though I know not which one. My, my, aren't you the wicked one?"

Marco just rolled his eyes not letting her cutting words get to him, "Sister Hortensia, if you're quite finished trying to provoke me I have some news that might be of interest to you."

Caren pouted a little annoyed she couldn't get a rise out of Marco, "Very well then lost little lamb, oh ye who has left the flock. Let us see what news you bring."

"My name is Marco, and I know of a man who had a large hand in the death of your father, Kirei Kotomine. Does the name and location of this person interest you at all, Caren Hortensia?"

Caren's eyes seemed to glow like a harvest moon, "Ooh, and what might the name of this… intriguing person be I wonder?"

"His name is Emiya Shirou and he is currently residing at the Clocktower in England."

Caren pouted, "Then he is outside the reach of this nun. I would never be able to meet him there. The Church isn't allowed to step foot in their domain."

"You let me handle that, ok?" Marco promised her before cutting open a portal with his dimensional scissors. "Ladies first."

Caren locked eyes with Marco. "Marco-san is either crazy or he has a plan. I am unsure which." The nun commented before she shrugged and stepped through the portal.

Sakura stepped up to the portal next. She smiled warmly at Marco. "Thank you again for… everything Marco-san," She glanced down refusing to meet his gaze and mumbled, "You are… a kind person."

Marco gently ruffled Sakura's hair, causing her to jump slightly and look up into his face. He smiled at her, "No problem I'm sure Shirou would've done it himself if he wasn't already… preoccupied. Speaking of, he's waiting for you. So shouldn't you be going?" Marco nodded towards the portal.

Sakura looked at the portal. "Right… Sempai," Sakura muttered to herself. She gave Marco a smile but to Marco it felt… disingenuous for some reason. "Here we go."

Sakura stepped through the portal.

"Let's get the fuck outta here, we've done what we came to do," Marco told the others before ushering them through the portal. He was the last to pass through but not before going to the church's basement and making sure it didn't have any living corpses lingering down there.

Marco stepped out of the portal into absolute chaos. People were yelling and screaming at each other, Shirou was trying and failing to keep the peace, Rin was bickering with a blonde with her hair in two big ringlets, some magi were trying to surround Caren menacingly only for Chiyo to grab and then juggle them with her tentacles, Sakura was looking back and forth between her sister and Saber like she'd seen a ghost and River had somehow gotten into an arm wrestling match with Saber… the fact he didn't lose immediately was impressive. And Oei was getting all of this down on canvas naturally.

Marco put two fingers in his mouth and released a shrill whistle. Everyone stopped what they were doing… several magi fell out of the air as a result of this. "What the flying fuck is going on here?! I step out for five minutes and all hell breaks loose?!"

"Well, I did tell you I wouldn't be welcome here," Caren spoke up nonchalantly.

Marco pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah well, I didn't think any of them would be that stupid to attack from a portal they saw me open."

"They are magi," Caren retorted as if that was the only rebuttal she needed.

"Point." Marco conceded. He pointed at the random mooks Chiyo had dropped. "Morons one through five. Leave the nun alone capice? She's with me."

"And if we don't Spaniard?" One uppity little magi asked.

"Then you shall answer to me," A haughty female voice replied. Causing almost everyone in the room to freeze. "As to why you attacked an asset of the Barthomeloi Family? That is the better question."

Lorelei marched onto the scene both of her hands clad in mithril gauntlets, in one hand she held her riding crop in her other hand she held Rule Breaker. The Queen of the Clocktower glared hawkishly at the assembled magi and waspishly tore into them, "You are all magi. You should be above such petty childish squabbling! I am a Vice Director of an institution, not a babysitter! Conduct yourselves with some dignity!"

"B-But Vice Director!" One magi complained, "The Spaniard brought a member of the church here!"

Lorelei's eyes briefly rolled over Caren and Marco before settling on the magi who spoke. "Does she have any magic circuits at all? Is she an executor? Is she in any way a threat to our endeavors here? If no, then who cares you fools?!"

Everyone winced once The Queen of the Clocktower finished berating them. She locked her eyes on Marco, "That said, Spaniard what is the meaning of bringing a nun here?"

"It's… apart of one of my little pet projects you could say. Do not worry I swear house Barthomeloi will only profit from this endeavour," Marco replied cryptically.

Lorelei quirked an eyebrow before nodding at the ground right in front of her motioning for Marco to approach. Once he was close enough she whispered lowly. "Just what game are you playing now boy?"

"An important yet personal one your majesty." Marco replied in equally low tones but full of proper respect.

Lorelei nodded minutely. "This has nothing to do with your little game in my office?"

"Different game, different pieces, different players Lorelei but again I swear your house will profit from it," Marco glanced ever so briefly at Shirou.

"How is the Oriental important?" The Queen of the Clocktower asked.

"Like I said, it's a personal matter… more like making sure he doesn't stupidly get himself killed is one for me. Another is making sure you have an asset."

The Vice Director nodded, "I see… and the nun is required for that?"

"I think if anyone could pound a semblance of common sense into his head, it would be her. One sharp cruel barb at a time," Marco replied honestly.

"Can either of them benefit me in someway as you have said?" the Queen of the Clocktower inquired.

Marco rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm not the only one who can recreate Noble Phantasms… mine are permanent though. And the nun is a demon detector… could be useful if someone were to go hunting vampires, no?"

A slightly scary smile stretched across Lorelei's face it was not a kind one, "I see, very beneficial indeed." She raised her voice ever so slightly, "Step back." Marco did so and she gave her edict. "The nun may stay, I have determined she can be… of use while here to my family's business."

Caren curtezied, "Thank you Vice Director."

Lorelei waved her thanks away, it was just a matter of course after all. She locked eyes on Shirou, "You boy… I have plans for you as well. Consider yourself official property of the Canticle Brigade effective immediately."

Shirou pointed at himself and paled, "Me? Marco-san what did you tell her?"

Marco walked up to him and clapped him on the shoulder, "Nothing much, just that you can make copies of Noble Phantasms. Good luck buddy."

"You… bastard!" Shirou growled in rage.

Marco ignored him and continued. "Better than a sealing designation. Also I'd like to introduce you to Caren Hortensia. Caren, Emiya Shirou. Rin, say hi to your adopted sister."

"My… my what?!" Rin blustered.

"She's Kirei's daughter. Technically that makes her your step sister or adopted sister doesn't it?" Marco wondered aloud. "I mean since Kirei kinda raised you and all."

"No it does not!" Rin vehemently denied.

"My, my how cruel. She knew my father better than I ever could yet denies me so fiercely. He must've been a terrible person, my father. May God find it in him to forgive him for his sins," Caren prayed.

"You have no idea Caren, you really don't," Marco commented offhandedly.

"I... hey now, he was… yeah he was pretty much terrible," Rin admitted to Caren.

"Ohoho! I am surprised that an Eastern barbarian like yourself would even have any associates in the church. Need to get all the help you can get I see?" The blonde girl commented overly loudly.

Rin grit her teeth, "Edelfelt, might I suggest you keep quiet about things you know nothing about?"

"Know nothing about?" The girl, Edelfelt commented, "It seems quite cut and dry to me Tohsaka. You whose family is nothing but a cheap copy of upstarts just so happens to be connected to the Church, one might wonder how deeply hmm?"

Rin's eyes flashed dangerously, "I do hope your not implying I'm a spy for the church Edelfelt."

"Implying? Did it come off like I was only implying? I should've been more upfront then. Yes that's exactly what I meant," The blonde commented.

"Shirou do something," Marco said sounding bored while watching what amounted to a cat fight.

"Me, what could I possibly do?" He asked pointing at himself.

Marco chuckled as Shirou's innocence with the fairer sex, "You don't get why they're really arguing do you?"

Shirou blinked in utter confusion, "Huh, what do you mean? They just don't like each other right?"

Marco and much to his surprise Sakura facepalmed, "No you idiot! They…" Marco sighed. Before marching up to Shirou and whispered into his ear. "They are fighting over you, you idiot!"

"Me?" Shirou pointed at himself again. It seemed to be a habit he'd developed.

"Yes you stupid, now go do something about it," Marco grumbled. "Their bickering is getting on my nerves."

Shirou shook his head, "Again like what?"

'I hope I was never this dumb when it came to women,' Marco thought causing women nearby and faraway to sneeze, before he whispered something into Shirou's ear.

"I can't do that!" The inept magi retorted.

"Go!" Marco said pointing at the bickering duo.

"But…" Shirou complained.

"Either you do it," Marco traced a small swarm of swords above his head. Luvia and Rin were so busy bickering, they didn't notice. "Or I do it. Which would you prefer?"

Heroic instincts kicking in, Shirou marched forward like a poorly armed knight about to fight a dragon or a bard to lay a dragon in this case.

"And furthermore," Rin continued only to stop when she felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. Seeing her boyfriend looking all nervous she asked, "Shirou, what's wrong are you mmph?!"

Rin stopped talking when Shirou locked lips with her. The kiss lasted about thirty seconds then he broke it and before Rin or Luvia could comment he did the same to the blonde Finnish woman.

Marco who just stood there sighing then glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye who was just watching the scene passively, "What, not gonna get in on all the free Shirou loving going around?"

Much to his surprise, Sakura shook her head. "No," Then she surprised him by slowly intertwining her hand with his before smiling up at him. "I… am happy for sempai. But… for awhile now I've… hated him and Nee-chan. They left me behind and came here to the Clocktower without me. They left me behind with Zouken and the Worm Pit… I… know you tried to mend bridges by saying sempai sent you to save me but Marco-san… I know when I'm being lied to," She smiled at him. "So thank you for saving me, when no one else did. Not Uncle Kariya, not Tou-san, or Kaa-san, or Nee-san… not even Sem... not even Shirou-san did. You did. Thank you," She hugged herself to his chest and tears fell from her eyes onto his shirt. "Thank you so much!"

"Your welcome Sakura," Marco gently wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, "Your welcome."

'Well, I didn't see this coming.' Marco thought to himself. 'I thought she'd be carrying an eternal torch for Shirou. That she'd jump at the chance to be with him. I suppose it's possible she's just projecting her feelings for Shirou onto me… but considering she talked about hating him and Rin for abandoning her for the Clocktower, that seems unlikely.'

Marco absentmindedly ran his hand through Sakura's hair as he thought all of this. It wasn't intentional, his hands just moved as he thought. Sakura wasn't going to complain however. His hand running through her hair was comforting and put her body at ease.

"Shirou-san isn't the only casanova here Francesca thinks," Francesca said as she eyed the two while smirking evilly.

"Hmm?" Marco looked down and realized he was running a hand through Sakura's purple locks, "Oh, sorry Sakura-san."

Sakura shook her head. "It's fine Marco-san I… didn't mind at all," She replied looking away and blushing a little.

'Oh boy, I'm… I'm screwed aren't I?' Marco thought to himself.

"Fufufu! Yes, yes you are Mar-kun," Francesca told him seemingly reading his face while she watched the entertainment before her.

"Um Marco, could I have a moment of your time?" Moon asked calling him over to where she was sitting.

"Sure thing Moon, I'll be right over!" Marco called. "I'll be right back. Go talk to your sister. She has some good news for you that will make you happy I promise."

Sakura gave him a curious look but Marco didn't say anything and made his way over to the table where Moon was sitting and River and Saber were in the middle of an arm wrestling match. "What did you need me for Moon?"

"I have a couple of questions? Firstly just what are your plans for bringing multiversal trade to Earth? I thought you realized it was almost impossible, furthermore how did my meeting with the Vice Director factor into that?"

"I… don't feel like sharing," Marco said after a dramatic pause.

"Ex-excuse me?" Moon asked.

"If I told you my plan, you'd just get in my way, since it's obvious you're against it. So, I'm not telling you. But since pieces are already in motion, I can tell you a little, since that won't affect the plan overall. You revealing the existence of Mewni on top of your Mewberty form will intrigue the magi here. They won't stop with just knowing you exist. They'll want to know more. They're the kind that won't stop until they have answers to their questions."

The pieces fell into place for Moon. She hadn't held onto her crown for as long as she had for no reason, "Your angry outbursts earlier. They were all an act. You wanted me to take charge of the meeting, to reveal my magic to the Vice Director. To… get the ball rolling so to speak."

Marco smirked like a demon, "Correct to a degree," Seeing Moon scowling at him he said, "Don't feel too bad Moon, I've had eight years to put this plan together in Hekapoo's dimension, and if it's any consolation, you played your part perfectly. I was still actually angry thought can't fake that."

"Was my daughter getting kidnapped just a coincidence or was it also just apart of the plan Marco?" Moon asked her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"That was something I could not and did not account for," Marco admitted. "Originally I intended to make contact with you, bring up the fact that you owe me a hell of a lot for all the times I've saved Stars life, and cash in on that debt to open trade with Mewni and many other dimensions with Earth. Star was never supposed to be brought in harms way."

"Ah," Moon nodded, "Life debts are serious business… we wouldn't be able to deny your request… The MHC might overturn it due to Earth's Blacklist status but with magic shown to be present here that is unlikely," Seeing Marco smiling she told him, "You are playing a dangerous game young man."

"How so?" Marco questioned.

"How do you think my daughter would treat you treating her friendship like a bargaining chip?" Moon questioned, "Make no mistake it is a masterful political move and from a purely political standpoint, I applaud you for it. But you must also think about how it might affect those you care about."

Marco scowled, his brow furrowing in anger, "Make no mistake Moon. I love your daughter. I love Star unconditionally with all my heart. You truly have no idea."

"Oh, you'll forgive me if I seem… hesitant to believe that Marco. You have quite a collection of pretty young ladies at your beck and call, more than willing to do whatever you ask," Moon gave a slight shrug, " You wouldn't be the first scissor holder to end up as such honestly, power attracts power and all that." Her blue eyes hardened as her tone grew hard, "But I will not have my daughter, my only child be considered a mere plaything for one of Hekapoo's champions."

"Plaything?... A plaything?" Marco's voice was low so low Moon almost couldn't hear him. His head was lowered preventing her from seeing his eyes, "Is that what you think my affections towards Star amounts to?"

Marco looked up and locked eyes with Moon then and the Queen of Mewni flinched. For absolute fury was shining in Marco's eyes. A snarl was etched onto his usually kind and smiling face and a deathly glare was being directed her way. "She is no plaything to me! She is Star is… she is the one thing that kept me sane the entire sixteen years I was gone… through all the death, all the bloodshed, the Archfiends,the madness, the sacrifices all of it. All I wanted was to see her again, to make her proud, and to tell her! Tell her that I…" Marco took a deep shuddering breath and let it out. He then spoke again in a calmer tone. "Sorry, I… I lost myself for a moment."

Moon was mentally kicking herself. She had forgotten that Marco's quest was anything but ordinary 'He's really supposed to be fourteen,' Moon reminded herself. "Marco," she said gently. "Do you have any idea why you haven't reverted back to your true age?" asking a very important question.

Marco sighed, "Probably due to the fact I haven't uninstalled the Class Card yet. It's probably messing with the time dilation. Once I take it out, I'll probably lose my awesome bod."

"Well that's a shame, those are some nice abs," stated all too familiar voice to everyone nearby

"Thanks Star…" Marco realized what he just said and his head snapped left. "Star?!"

Star was standing there right in front of Marco and her mother smiling shyly with a kind of lost look in her eyes. "Hey Mom, hey Marco… nice mustache Marco."

"I… thanks?" Marco asked as if in a daze.

Moon wasn't so dazed, she got up and immediately started checking her daughter for wounds, "Star are you alright?"

Star gently pushed her mother away not taking her eyes off of Marco. She assured her mom but it felt hollow somewhat, "I'm fine mom, I'm good. Marco… was there something you… wanted to tell me?"

Marco snapped himself out of his daze, "I… uh yeah. Let's… let's go over here ok?"

Star nodded and the two walked over to a far corner where there was no one nearby. The Princess of Mewni turned around and got a full view of her now very grown-up crush, "Man you got tall! I feel short."

Marco rubbed the back of his neck, "I yeah, I got bigger, I guess. So, how much of your mom and I's discussion did you hear?"

Star leaned against the stone with her arms crossed trying to put up a strong front but something felt off, "Pretty much the whole thing. At first I didn't even recognize you ,totally look like a badass warrior now, kudos by the way. Then mom name dropped you and I couldn't help but just stand there and stare… and listen."

"You mad at me?" Marco asked, "For the who life debt plan thing?"

Star smirked at him, "Nah, it's really smart actually. You know how I feel about rules and titles."

Marco smiled "Yeah." He suddenly swooped in and scooped her up in a hug. "I'm so glad your ok. I was scared to death I got back just in time to lose you," Marco's voice was thick with emotion as he tried to convey how scared and worried he was for her in that one hug.

Star wrapped her arms around his neck, "Shh, shh, I'm fine Marco I'm ok." He pulled back holding Star in his arms prompting her to ask, "Now, wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?"

Marco had slain Archfiends, fought a black dragon, innumerable numbers of bandits, and all manner of other things. Yet he'd never felt more nervous than he did in this moment. "Star Butterfly...I… I… Love… you?"

Star fluttered her eyelashes at him playfully, "Is that a statement or a question Mr. Diaz?"

"A… A statement." Marco said.

Star giggled, "You sound so unsure. Your supposed to be a badass warrior now but talking to me makes you so nervous? Do I really have that much of an effect on you?"

Marco braced her against his body just so he could tug at his collar, "I… ugh… yes."

Star giggled a little. "Well, I'm a magical princess from another dimension but I've never felt more powerful than I do right now," Star teased with a smile.

Marco scowled a little at that, "Shut up."

Star frowned a little with hints of envy and distrust filling her tone, "Is what my mom said true though? Do you really have a group of girls following your around?"

"I… it's complicated," Marco admitted.

Star shot him a disbelieving look, "Is it now? Why don't you try explaining it to me Marco?

"Star, are you jealous?" Marco asked her pointblank.

"Jealous, me? No, no… seriously I'm not!" She denied when Marco shot her his own disbelieving look, "I'm just confused. You claim to love me and that's great more than great even though I've been wanting to hear that from you ever since…" Star stopped herself from talking, and looked away with a blush covering her cheeks and cheek marks.

"Ever since?" Marco needled.

Star sighed, "Toffee. Ever since Toffee kidnapped you, after I knew then and there I couldn't lose you, that you were more than just a friend to me. But you liked Jackie so…" the Princess trailed off.

"You didn't say anything," Marco commented nodding, "I get it… and I'm sorry for not speaking up sooner."

"Sooner, you mean you?" Star asked her blue eyes shining brightly.

"Since around the time of the Blood Moon Ball," Marco admitted.

Star sent him a sly smile, "I knew it was just more than you being worried… why didn't you say anything then?"

Marco put Star back on the ground and took a knee so he was eye level with her, "You said you didn't need a hero? I know you likely didn't mean it like that, but it hurt. It was like you were telling me you didn't need me watching your back anymore when I'd all but had it from the jump."

Star covered her mouth in shock and shook her head, "Nononono! That's not what I meant at all Marco! I meant I wanted you to trust me to handle myself. I didn't mean that!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged again him as tightly as she could, "I'm so sorry that's what you thought I was saying!" she pulled back and punched him on the arm, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Well it took me a couple of days to figure out that wasn't what you meant," Marco replied with a rueful smile, "By then I just decided to let it go."

Star pointed a finger directly into his face, "From now on, you tell me if I upset you, understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness, as Milady demands," Marco let his inner snark out a little bit.

Star snorted as she laughed, "What was that? Something you picked up in Hekapoo's dimension?"

Marco gave an awkward little laugh, "Yeah among other things."

"Like other girls?" Star asked again giving Marco a half-lidded glance as she crossed her arms.

Marco hung his head,"Yeah like that," He raised his head. "You want proof of my devotion to you?" Seeing his princess's rapid nod Marco smiled a little. "Tell me Star do you know what a Noble Phantasm is?"

Star wracked her brain as she put her hands on her hips, "No, what is it? Some Earth thing I don't know about?"

"Sort of, it's kinda a new concept to me too, so don't feel bad. How best to explain? In Mewni you have myths and legends right? Of heroes wielding legendary weapons and whatnot?" When Star nodded. Marco continued, "That is a Noble Phantasm. The weapon or other object that symbolizes a hero and his or her legend."

Star slowly nodded, "Oka~ay, but what does that have to do with you liking me?"

Marco smiled at her warmly, lovingly even, then he spoke tenderly,"Well because Star," Marco held out a hand and materialized a green standard that had a gold and blue spotted butterfly on it, "This is my Noble Phantasm and it symbolizes my devotion to you."

Marco offered her the flag with both hands for her inspection. Star slowly, reverently, ran her hand down the thick cloth. Star could feel the magic radiating from the flag. Heat ran up her arm and lodged itself in her heart that seemed to swell with every beat. 'What is this feeling?' Star asked herself. 'Is this… is this Marco's love?' The heat seemed to flare and swell in response, as if in answer. Tears slowly collected in Star's eyes. For she knew without a doubt that Marco Ubaldo Diaz loved her. Completely, deeply, and utterly. It was a love bordering on madness. Star now knew the meaning of the phrase, to be madly in love with someone. 'And it's all mine.'

"What's it called?" Star asked softly. "This Noble Phantasm of yours?"

Marco leaned forward and whispered into her ear so as not to accidently active it, "Monarch Butterfly Order."

Star felt a pleasant shiver go down her spine when he spoke. Whether it was the act of him whispering in her ear, or learning the name of the object that was basically the symbol of their love, she was unsure, but she quivered all the same. When he pulled back Star had a million watt smile on her face, that was matched only by her crimson blush. Quick as a snake she darted in and pressed her lips to Marco's. Star felt fireworks go off behind her eyelids and she felt like she was floating. She was half-tempted to open her eyes and look behind her to see if her butterfly wings had manifested on accident.

Then she pulled away, feeling breathless, "That felt…"

"Right?" Marco finished for her."

Star nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah," Star rested her head into the crook of his neck and looked out into the sea of other people who were there, "So, who are the other girls?"

"Really? You wanna ruin the moment by asking that?" Marco asked.

"Not ruining the moment, just wanting to know my other friends since we'll all be really close sooner or later," Star told him honestly.

Marco sighed a little, "Well there's Oei," He pointed to the japanese artist. "She really likes to paint. Her dad is the small octopus because reasons."

Star giggled, "She and your dad would totally get along."

"Then there's Francesca," He pointed out the Eldritch Witch who was in the middle of a spirited debate about something with another magi that Marco could not place.

"Ohh, I like her outfit… I'ma steal that." Star said.

Marco briefly envisioned Star dressed up like Francesca… he had to pinch his nose to stop the imminent nose bleed.

"Did you just get a nose bleed from imagining me dressed up in her clothes?" Star all but purred into his ear like the cat who got the canary.

"Would you think less of me if I said yes?" Marco asked hesitantly.

"I'm definitely gonna steal her look now."

"Star if you keep that up, it's not going to be a monster or anything like that which kills me, but you, causing me nosebleeds that does it."

"But what a fun way to go right?" She teased back.

"Where is this side of you coming from?" Marco whispered into her ear.

"Before, I was afraid of being too… forward with you. I didn't know how you'd react. Now that I know you like me, well," Star's hand snaked down and she gave his bum a squeeze.

"Star!" Marco hissed, blushing but still he felt she was leaving something out. Something that she is keeping close to her heart for now.

"Yep, nice and firm, just like those abs," She giggled playfully. "Just tell me you don't like it and I'll stop." She pulled her head up off his shoulder and looked at him with her curiosity filled eyes, "I'd never do anything to make you uncomfortable you know that right?"

Marco nodded. "Yeah I know… are you having fun?" Marco asked smiling as Star toyed with his mustache, twirling it around her finger again and again.

"I am actually. I like your mustache. It makes you look cool. Well, cooler. Like Paul Sr. on American Chopper."

"When did you start watching American Chopper?"

"Before it started being all about the family melodrama, and not about making the actual bikes. I want a motorcycle by the way. I want a hog!"

The image of Star in biker chick leathers passed through his mind… once again, Marco had to pinch his nose shut. The image of her in a leather bra, jacket, pants and boots was just too… too hot.

"Someone's having naughty thoughts," Star singsonged before she placed her head back on his shoulder again, "So anyone else I need to mingle with?"

"Well there's Chiyo." He motioned to the Woman with a Thousand Young who was talking animatedly with a silver maid golem? "I don't wanna know… do I?" Marco reinforced his hearing and listened in on the two's conversation.

"I must find and kill John Conner," The maid said.

"Nope, nope, nope. I did not just hear that," Marco said to himself.

"Any others," Star asked. When Marco didn't answer she poked him in the ribs. "Marco?"

"I can only speculate," Marco said after a moment, "See the girl with purple hair over there? Her name is Sakura Matou. She might like me, or it might be simple hero worship."

"Are those boobs or an airbag on her chest?" Star muttered to herself.

"Star, don't be petty," Marco replied, defending the poor girl.

The princess huffed, "I know, I know, I'm just saying like damn."

"Then there's Hekapoo."

Star lifted her head off his neck and looked at him in confusion, "Hekapoo? The goddess who put you through sixteen years of hell? That Hekapoo? How did that happen?"

Marco stroked Star's hair, and rested her head back on his shoulder so he could explain in softer tones, "She is… very lonely Star. In fact, she's in hot water for even giving me a Quest. It shouldn't have been done. Like, at all. So she might get crystalized for this."

"But your friends so you obviously asked for leniency right?" Feeling Marco's gaze on her she laughed a little. "Marco, gimme some credit. I'd like to think I know you well enough by now to know you wouldn't leave someone in danger if you can help it. You helped Ponyhead and you didn't even know her for a day and she tried to kill you, and then abandoned you in a different dimension, but you still came to her rescue. It's part of what made me fall for you. That big kind heart of yours."

"For the record, I still don't like her all that much."

Star sighed, "I figured, but I appreciate you putting up with her for my sake."

Marco quickly changed the subject, "Lastly, there might be Miss Lorelei Barthomeloi. She lets me call her by her first name, which no one else seems to be able to get away with. She is the one I am the least confident on."

Star looked over at said woman who was surveying the scene like a true queen, "If I could, I'd give the throne of Mewni to her. She looks like she'd do a better job than I'd ever would."

"I dunno I think you have potential," Marco replied honestly.

Star lifted her head off Marco's shoulder and asked him in a voice filled with hope, "You really think so?"

Marco nodded and explained,"You've shown it various times on Earth. During the football game you showed tactical planning to defeat what you thought was a much larger more powerful force. When I was kidnapped by Toffee, you showed courage by rushing to my rescue by yourself. You've made mistakes sure, but you've owned up to them and learned from them. You've grown so much since you've been here Star. I know that when the time comes, you'll make one helluva queen."

Star, with tears in her eyes, wrapped her arms around Marco's neck and pulled him in for another kiss. She pulled away just far enough so their noses were touching and whispered to him, "I can't even begin to describe how much I love you Marco. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to prove it if I have to."

"You don't have to prove anything to me," Marco told her gently before sighing.

"What is it?"

"Jackie," Marco said, "I'm gonna have to… tell her about all of this."

"Oh… oh… Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to come with you to… break the news to her?" Star asked gently.

Marco shook his head, "No, this is something I need to do on my own. I owe her that much."

Star nodded, respecting his decision, "Ok." After a momentary pause she said, "Would you like to go mingle a bit? Maybe introduce me to your other friends?"

"We could do that," Marco nodded. "Or we could stay over here and keep making out?"

"Hmm, decisions, decisions…" Star said to herself, chuckling a bit.

Marco took to his feet, "C'mon let's go mingle a little before your mom comes over here and gives us a royal stern talking to."

Star covered her mouth with her big blue eyes widening in mock fear, "Oh, the horror!"

The two made the rounds around the room, Stars arm firmly clasped around his forearm. They stopped by Francesca's table first, where she was arguing with a redhead in a rather nice green dress and a pair of fishnets about something.

"Francesca keeps telling you, she has no idea who you are. Francesca has never met you before Aozaki-san."

"I still think your lying," The woman replied easily as she lit a cigarette. "There's no way you forgot me killing you over thirty times."

Francesca just shrugged, "Maybe you have the wrong Francesa? Francesa was trapped in her own Mystic Code by Zelretch for who knows how many centuries."

"Hmm," The woman, a brunette who was wearing glasses replied before taking a drag off her smoke. "It's an improbable story, but not an impossible one. Since when it concerns the Wizard Marshall anything is possible."

"Francesca is telling the truth though!" The woman cast her gaze around and upon landing on Marco, she beckoned him forward, "Mar-kun, Mar-kun save poor Francesca! She has been threatening Francesca with death!"

"Okay, what seems to be the problem here Miss?"

"Aozaki Touko. You must be the Spaniard everyone is talking about," The woman replied giving him a once over, "I can certainly see why they'd be talking."

Marco sighed, "Seriously? I've only been here like maybe a few hours tops."

"Yes, but not everyone can make the Queen of the Clocktower blush according to rumor. That makes you interesting," Touko blew out some smoke. "Very interesting."

"Ah, now I get it," Star said more to herself than anyone else, "Marco is just a chick magnet."

Toukou just laughed, "He certainly looks the part of the dashing rogue."

Marco blushed a bit, "Thank you Miss Aozaki now why exactly are you making death threats against my friend?"

"Well, according to her she doesn't recall calling me by a nickname I despise. I killed her over thirty times for that, she had to get my little sister to get me to stop and she conveniently doesn't remember? I call bullshit."

"What nickname could be so bad you'd kill someone over thirty times?" Star asked before she turned to Francesca and inquired, "How can you even survive dying once let alone over thirty times?"

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Both women said at the same time.

Francesca looked at Marco with damp puppy dog eyes, "Mar-kun, help Francesca please!"

"Miss Aozaki, she's telling the truth," Marco pulled the R'lyeh Text from its netting and placed it on the table in front of her, "She came out of this book here."

"Is that a Noble Phantasm boy?"

"Maybe, do those legs go all the way up?" Marco shot back, only to receive two slaps to the head, one from Star, the other from Francesca.

"Marco/Mar-kun!" The two women said at the same time before looking at each other and nodding.

"Francesca Prelati, "You must be Star Butterfly-chan. Charmed," Francesca said as she offered Star her hand, which she shook.

"Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you, thanks for looking after Marco while he was in Hekapoo's dimension."

"Francesca was more than happy to do it," She turned back to Touko who was silently watching their exchange, "Do you believe Francesca now?"

"Hahahaha!" Touko laughed out loud exhaling smoke like a dragon as she did so. "Your an interesting one kid. I might have to keep an eye on you," Touko sent him a playful wink, "And for the record, yes, these legs do go all the way up."

"Good to know, try and get along you two."

As they walked away Star shook her head, "You'll just flirt with anything that moves nowadays won't you?"

Marco sighed, "It's complicated. Let's just say that due to certain circumstances I have the snark of the worlds greatest blacksmith, the tactical expertise and madness of two frencemen, and I may or may not be certifably insane."

"So you flirting isn't something you do consciously it's what, automatic?"

"More or less."

Star sighed,"I'm going to have my hands full with you aren't I?"

Marco bowed his head in supplication, "I apologize in advance."

Next they stopped by Chiyo who was still talking with the Terminator Maid, "Chiyo, this is Star. Star, this is Chiyo."

Chiyo turned and smiled at Star showing her unusual pink irises and square goat-like pupils, "Hello Star-chan I've been wanting to meet you for a very long time. Marco-san has spoken very highly of you, and so much so it feels like I know you already."

"He only said good things I hope?" Star replied as she had one of her hands taken by both of Chiyo's own.

"Yes, yes! Marco-san missed you very, very much. Why I could even feel his love for you on occasion. It made me sad you were unable to be there with him," Chiyo pouted a little at the end.

"You could feel his love for me?" Star asked a little confused, "You can sense emotions?"

"Hmhm," Chiyo replied, "Marco-san's love for you… it burns hot like the sun. Much like your namesake, like a star. The rest of us are like forest fires by comparison. Hot? Yes. Intense? Most certainly. But in comparison to the sun? We may as well be candle flames compared to a campfire."

Star flushed as she looked up at Marco and smiled who was looking anywhere but at her at the moment. He cleared his throat, "Anyway Chiyo, we should be going. We'll leave you to your discussion."

"Bye bye Marco-san," Chiyo said letting him go with a wave.

Once they were on there way Star prodded, "So, your love for me is like a star huh?"

"Can we please not talk about this?" Marco asked blushing.

Star playfully elbowed him in the arm, "I think it's sweet actually, knowing that your love for me burns with the intensity of the sun in the sky." She then tugged on his arm to get his attention and told him honestly, "Love you too Marco."

Marco smiled a little upon hearing that. "Yeah I… I know."

The two stopped by Oei next. The mad painter was filling out canvas after canvas as was her want when Marco and Star approached, "Hey Oei-san, got a sec?"

"For you, anytime Marco-sama," Oei replied setting aside her paintbrush and wiping some sweat from her brow causing her to mark her forehead with paint.

Star giggled at the accident and Marco just shook his head before grabbing a nearby napkin from a dispenser and wiping at Oei's forehead. "You've got paint on your head Oei, hold still."

Oei blushed at how close Marco was getting to her, "Marco-sama truly is too kind to Oei." The artist caught Star shooting her a knowing smile at her behind Marco's back. "Is that not Star Butterfly-chan behind Marco-sama?"

Star stepped forward when Marco finished cleaning Oei up, "Yeah that's me, nice to meet you, Oei was it?"

Oei smiled as she took in Star's form. She gave a long formal bow, "Katsushika Oei. It is this artists pleasure to finally meet you in person Star-hime."

Star rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Umm no need to act like that, any friend of Marco's is a friend of mine after all." She turned to Marco and asked, "What's hime mean?"

"It's japanese a language here on earth honorifics are a big thing in Oei's culture and hime means princess. They much like your own dimension were raised in a feudal caste system and she is being respectful of your rank in society," Marco gently informed Star.

Star was naturally immediately made uncomfortable of being reminded of her station as a princess. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably and looked anywhere but at Oei, "Oh, I… I see…"

Oei looked at Marco curiously, "Have I somehow offended Star-hime in someway? If so, know I meant no offence."

Marco shook his head, "It wasn't you Oei, Star… doesn't like being reminded of that fact that she's a Queen-to-be. It's a big responsibility and well as you can imagine not one a teenager likes to dwell on. While here on earth, she just likes to be treated like a normal person."

Oei slowly nodded, "Oei cannot say she understands the weight a crown carries but she shall abide by your request Marco-sama." She turned to Star and bowed again. "This one asks for your forgiveness Star-san and hopes we can start over as friends?"

Star beamed, "Sure thing Oei. I mean, I know you were just trying to be respectful and all, but seriously just call me Star, kay?"

Oei rose from her bow and nodded, "Of course Star-san, Oei has long gotten used to being overly formal and calling Marco-sama by his first name so she can do the same for you as well." The Mad Artist chewed on the end of her paintbrush for a moment before nodding, "Yes, that would work."

"What would Oei?" Marco asked warily. He knew that gleam in her eyes when he saw it, and it meant she was up to something.

"Oei has decided to do Star-san a kindness for her unintentional slight," the okei-e painter replied before she swiped her paintbrush out in front of her, before anyone could protest.

Green ink swirled around Star for a moment before settling around her form in the shape of a vibrant beautiful kimono. It had a bamboo motif running throughout its length with twigs that had leaves on them in stunning detail. The ensemble was held shut by a deep red obi wrapped around Star's waist, and her hair was done up in an elaborate bun that was held in place by two criss crossing chopsticks.

Star Marveled at her sudden wardrobe change, "Woah, Oei this is awesome! You can paint things to life?!"

Oei smiled, "Indeed, Star-san that is Oei and To-to's specialty."

"Toto?" Star questioned, "Isn't that the name of the dog from the movie with the girl who gets the ruby slippers?"

Marco listed off one by one, "That's Todo, the movie is Wizard of Oz, and To-to is a Japanese term for Dad. Though I think it's considered archaic these days."

"Ohh, right… Todo… I loved that dog," Star said with a little giggle.

"To-to, come here, and introduce yourself to Star-san, hurry, hurry!" Oei called out to her father.

A tiny black octopus floated its way over to the small group. "My, my, so this is Star-chan?" The octopus spoke while taking in Star's appearance with the voice of an old man. "She is quite the pretty little thing isn't she? He gave Marco a thumbs up with one of his tentacles, "You sure know how to pick em boy! Good on ya!"

"He's…" Star said before she suddenly pulled the small black octopus to her chest and squeezed him for all she was worth, "So cute!"

"To-to!" Oei said in surprise and alarm.

Hokusai called out to his daughter, his voice muffled due to his face being squished into Star's kimono, "Oei… get this moment on canvas! For posterity!"

"Yes, yes, to-to right away," Oei replied as she applied paint to a fresh canvas. A few seconds later right as star finished her hug she said, "Done!"

She flipped the painting around showing Star surrounded by a heart of vines and blooming roses hugging a black octopus plushie to her chest.

"Oei," Hokusai spoke in a flat tone, "Why am I a children's toy?"

"Because to-to it would be creepy if she were hugging you as you are. This way, it's cute," Oei defended her artistic design choices.

"Fool, daughter! By painting me as a simple child's toy you have lost the essence of the scene!"

"Idiot To-to! You should consider yourself lucky, no honored Star-san bothered to hug you in the first place! Much less that I painted you at all! Idiot!"

Marco just sighed, more than once the father and daughter duo would dissolve into a bickering fit if one would dare criticize the other's artistic approach. Marco being their Master, was forced to be a mediator. He did so now pushing the two apart Hokusai having pushed his head directly up against Oei's as the two continued to glare at one another.

"Ok, okay, that's enough you two," Marco looked to Oei first. "Oei I don't think your dad was trying to insult you. He was just pointing out the fact you turned him into a stuffed animal." He then fixed a glare on Hokusai, "Hokusai-jiji I would like to remind you that Star is by no means a Fishermans' Wife."

"Also, I like Oei's painting," Star piped up, poking her head out from behind Marco's bulk, "And she's kinda right, painting you as a tentacle monster would be kinda… eww."

Oei let out a cough that sounded distinctly like, "Told you!"

"Fine, fine, this old man knows when he's beat," Hokusai huffed.

"But, you really are adorable, in real life or in the painting," Star consoled Hokusai patting his head.

"Thank you Star-chan. You make this old man feel wanted," He winked at her. "Now go, go," Hokusai shooed them off, "Leave us mad painters to our work!"

Marco knew the old man was giving him an out lest he and Star be there all day and he took it. Guiding Star by the shoulder, he guided her back toward the table she started at, "Hey mom, check out my new threads!" Star said by way of greeting to her mother.

"You look lovely dear," Moon complimented, "Wherever did you get them?"

"One of Marco's friends totally hooked me up," Star replied as she took a seat on a chair, "Hey Papa."

"Hello dear," River said not taking his eyes off of Saber who seemed to be amusedly arm wrestling with the man, "I'd have given you a hug when you showed up but I was already engaged as you can see."

"I can… how long has that been going on?" Star asked.

"Too long," Moon replied dryly.

"Saber, I brought you some more food," Shirou said in the background.

Saber promptly slammed River's hand on the table and smiled at Shirou as she accepted the meal, "Thank you Shirou. It's not your cooking, but it'll do."

River stared at his hand as if it had betrayed him, "This feels like the first time I challenged your mother to arm wrestling… I stood no chance! Arm, you betray me!"

Moon just put her hand on her temples and sighed.

Rin sitting next to a shell-shocked Luvia just turned to Moon and asked point blank. "How exactly is Star your only child again?"

"Well according to an old legend a curse was cast by Cresenta Butterfly on herself to only have one child after she usurped the magic wand from her older sister as heir. After all if she could do it, who is to say another generation of Butterflies could have the same problem?"

Marco who was paying attention to this small history lesson hummed in thought, "A curse huh?" He traced a second copy of a certain dagger, "I might just be able to get rid of it, if you want me to?"

Moon looked at the jagged purple dagger Marco was casually fiddling with, "Are you serious? My family line has been trying to remove the curse for generations!"

"Eeek!" Star hugged Marco as tightly as she could, "Can you really make me a big sister Marco?!"

Marco flipped Rule Breaker up in the air and caught it, "Yep, should be able to take care of it no problem."

"Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!" Star chanted.

Moon was conflicted. On the one hand. She would love to have more children. She dreaded the thought of what could've happened to Mewni had her mother died before giving birth to her. On the other hand however, Moon knew Marco was now quite conniving and should she let him do this, she would most certainly be indebted to him for his actions. She had already unwittingly played a part in his schemes to bring interdimensional trade to Earth despite it being blacklisted. If she accepted his help here, who's to say what it could mean for Mewni down the line?

But in the end, the desire to have the curse lifted, to be a proper mother again, was far stronger than her own reservations. "Will it hurt? She asked.

"Not at all," Marco replied, "It should be painless."

"It doesn't hurt," Saber affirmed, "But there will be a slight… shift in your mana flow that is slightly uncomfortable."

Moon nodded. She could handle that, "Proceed please Marco."

"Rule Breaker!" Marco called out the name of the Noble Phantasm as it's blunt tip landed on Moon's covered forearm.

There was a flash of pale pink light and when it cleared Moon felt some of her magic returning to her. Flowing back into her while at the same time, something else, a pain, an ache that had long since settled into her arms began to slowly fade away into soothing nonexistence. Moon blinked as she looked at her arms then she pulled off one of her long gloves. She let out a gasp as she found her forearm unblemished by the black veins she had long associated with Eclipsa's spell.

"Marco… how, exactly does that dagger work?" Moon asked not taking her eyes off her pale flesh.

"It returns all magic, be they spells, creatures, or contracts to the previous state they were in before the spell was cast. Kinda like a magical rewind effect. Why?"

Moon became unusually pale, "I...I see. Excuse me Marco but might I borrow your scissors for a moment?"

"Yeah sure, here." He slid his Scissors across the table and the Queen of Mewni promptly cut a portal to parts unknown.

Moon came out standing just in front of Rhombulus' crystal fortress. The crystalline door descenced as she drew close allowing her immediate entrance and out of the chilling wind.

"Bah?" Lekmet said in surprise upon seeing the Queen entering the fortress prison.

"No time to explain Lekmet I need to check on something," Moon said by way of explanation. She raced down the halls heading for a very specific chamber that held the worst queen in Mewni's long history…

Moon skidded to a halt when she noticed the crystal spire containing Eclipsa Queen of Darkness was empty. She had escaped.

Moon was about to shout for Lekmet to lock the building down only to hear a dull thunk behind her. She turned around to find Eclipsa raiding the candy machine of all its snooker bars.

"Hello Moon dear!" Eclipsa waved bent over with one hand in the bottom slot of the candy machine, "The fact that I'm free must mean Toffee is dealt with I take it?"

"I… not exactly Eclipsa."

"Oh," Eclipsa tore the wrapper off a Snookers and chomped into it. "Then wots goin' on?"

"Please don't talk with your mouth full, it's unseemly," Moon said with a frown.

Eclipsa frowned, "Sorry, sorry but it's been awhile love. I kinda thought you'd take care of the Lizard right quick you know?"

"I… missed," Moon admitted. "When I fired your spell at him. I missed and ended up severing his middle finger."

"Oh dear, no wonder it took so long… then again you said something was up so what it is hmm?" Eclipsa asked like a concerned parent.

'Don't let her get into your head Moon,' The current queen told herself, "I found a way to remove Cresenta's Fertility Curse."

Eclipsa dropped the armload of snookers she was holding. "No, way… what's that?"

"It's a curse used by one of my forebears after your time limiting us to each having only one child each."

"Oh my how dreadful," Eclipsa said covering her mouth with her hand for a moment before bending over to pick up her Snookers bars, "So how does the lifting of such a curse lead to my freedom? Not that I'm complaining one wit of course."

"The method that was used on me reverted all contracts back to their base components before the contract was made. Hence…"

"Hence I was busted out, how glorious… I don't suppose you'd be willing to let me stay out would you?"

Moon almost said no right off the bat but something stopped her. That something was the elderly gentleman who stepped out of the rainbow hued portal that popped up in front of her.

"Who are you?" Moon inquired.

"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, your majesty," The old man replied with a bow, though it took him a moment to straighten up due to his age. "I do believe you should leave the fate of this woman in the hands of my second apprentice. Seeing as it was his magecraft that led to her impromptu freedom, he should have to deal with the consequences."

"Your talking about Marco, mister Schweinorg?" Moon asked hesitantly.

Zelretch nodded, "Also I would like to clarify that he didn't know this would happen. He isn't some terrible villain trying to play fourth dimensional chess with your life Queen Moon. He is just a man who sincerely loves your daughter, and would go to extreme lengths to see her happy."

Hearing that put Moon's heart at ease, but only somewhat. It didn't change the fact that she owed Marco a debt now, "I see."

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Eclipsa began. "Your apprentice," She pointed at Zelretch, "Somehow broke an ancient fertility curse on Moon," She pointed at Moon. "Which reversed our contract which in turn led to my own freedom," She pointed back to Zelretch, "Now you want said apprentice to decide my fate. Is that about right?"

"Correct Miss Eclipsa," Zelretch replied with a nod, "For if one doesn't even know they made a mistake, how can they possibly begin to learn from them?"

"True, true…" Eclipsa mused, "How does your magic even work if you don't mind my asking?"

"It's basically works via manipulating variables based on the string theory phenomena combined with infinite refraction phenomena."

"Oh, so it's basically Hekapoo's scissors then?" Eclipsa asked curiously.

Zelretch snorted, "I can do more, much more than that woman's toys."

"Oh, someone's touchy," Eclipsa noted as she chomped into another snookers bar.

Zelretch sighed, "I admit to see my Magic reduced to a mere child's plaything is… irksome. But that is neither here nor there madam," Zelretch reached into his cloak and pulled out his Jewel Sword before slashing the air with it, creating another portal. "Shall we head back to Earth ladies?"

"That is quite a sword," Eclipsa said leaning in to get a better look. "Is it made of gemstones?"

"And other things, yes. Royalty first please." Zelretch said as he motioned the two towards the portal.

The two Queen's both past and present stepped into the rainbow vortex and were followed closely behind by the Dead Apostle Ancestor.

They came back out directly in front of Star, Marco, and River who were only slightly surprised to see them emerge in such a fashion. River was shocked to see Eclipsa Butterfly of all people trailing behind his wife, much less the elegantly dressed aristocrat who brought up the rear right before the portal collapsed behind them.

"Hey Zelretch," Marco greeted with a pleasant wave. While just about everyone else paled at the mention of his name. Lorelei rubbed her temples to ward off the oncoming headache he would no doubt bring her, "Whose that?"

"Eclipsa Butterfly. Pleasure dear." Eclipsa said smiling at Marco.

"Huh… did you know your pages in the book of spells could possess people?" Marco told her conversationally.

"Oh dear really? Fascinating. The person wasn't hurt were they?" Eclipsa asked worriedly.

"No I was fine. The potion Star made me drink though smelled like dirty socks," Marco wrinkled his nose at the memory.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I don't know why my chapter did that though. It certainly didn't do that when I was writing it, I can tell you that much."

"I'm sorry I made you drink a potion that smelled like dirty socks Macro… if it smelled that bad, what did it taste like?" Star asked curiously.

"Funnily enough like Peppermint and… peanut butter? It was weird."

"Huh, that does sound weird," commented Star in wonder.

"Says the girl who coats her burritos in sugar."

Star playfully slapped him in the arm, "Quiet you!"

"Ahem," Moon cleared her throat to get the two's attention, "It seems Marco, that when you broke Cresenta's fertility curse you also freed Eclipsa from the crystallization we had her in for the past oh… three-hundred years or so."

"Yeah um, why not just refreeze her?" Hekapoo asked speaking up while wondering aloud, "Like why's she even here?"

"Hello Hekapoo dear, how've you been?" Eclipsa asked kindly.

Hekapoo shrugged, "Been better. Might be joining you in the freezer soon enough actually."

"Oh dear, you don't say." Eclipsa seemed surprised to hear that, "Might I ask why?"

"She gave me an unsanctioned quest," Marco answered for her, "When I was fourteen at the time with no prep time, no rules, she didn't even tell me about the time dilation. I had nothing really but a goal to keep me going for about sixteen years."

Eclipsa looked between Marco and Hekapoo, and gave a knowing smile, "So it seems I won't be the only one frozen for love hmm?"

Hekapoo slipped and fell off her chair. Marco chose to ignore that, "What do you mean by that?"

"I was frozen for the sole reason of falling in love with a monster dear," Eclipsa explained, "Globgor was very sweet he even became a vegan for me and I was frozen for my decision of choosing love over duty."

Marco frowned if that was true, it was quite messed up. If it was true. 'Well I have several ways of finding out. Let's go with the easiest.' Marco held out his hand. "Give me your hand for a moment please."

Eclipsa cocked her head to the side but did as he asked. The moment her gloved hand touched his, Marco said. "Trace on."

A series of images flashed through his mind.

Eclipsa being raised in a wartorn environment. By a bloodcrazed, monster hating and controlling mother. Solaria The Monster Carver. She hated monsters! Despised them, genuinely thought they were better off dead than alive. Eclipsa watched as warriors were turned into hulking brutes via her mother's magic all for the sake of annihilating monsters off the face of Mewni. At the tender young age of six, she saw her mother cut down captive monsters and watched in horror was they exploded! And she thought, 'There has to be a better way.'

Come age fourteen as was tradition, she was given the Royal Magic Wand and she was thankful when it didn't take the form of some brutal killing weapon, but instead became a simple black parasol. Her mother was less pleased.

She taught herself magic. Why learn the spells of others when she could make her own? Glossaryck didn't seem all that interested in teaching her anything anyway. She would often use her magic to spy on her mother's war councils and from there she would listen to their "supposed" negotiations of peace with the monsters. She was thankful for those negotiations since she was able to meet her husband Globgor there. Marco had to admit if any monster fit the bill for an entrancing specimen it was Globgor. He could grow taller than Marco's own house or shrink down to the size of a small child. He watched how Eclipsa and Globgor bonded in secret. The near tragedy of her mother Solaria assuming Globgor kidnapped her daughter and almost killed him. If it wasn't for Eclipsa holding her mother and crying then maybe that day the prince of darkness would have perished.

He watched how the two bonded even more in secret leaving letters and messages in all kinds of places and tried to stay in contact as long as they could. Then tragedy struck Eclipsa two fold. First was the death of her mother in a monster ambush making her queen at the young age of eighteen. The other was when her mother's will was read. It broke Eclipsa's heart hearing how she was arranged to be married to Shastacan of the Spiderbites by her own mother's last will and testament. She stayed quiet and didn't fight it. She wanted to honor her duty as queen and to her mother for the love she had for her. Oh the regrets that would come from her indecision.

Shastacan was anything but a good husband. He mocked her dreams of peace and laughed at her belief that monster's were anything but abomination's that needed to be eradicated as foolish. She grew even deeper in love with her lover Globgor and decided to run away with him. The guilt and burden she felt for fleeing her kingdom weighed heavy on her conscious. She wanted to make things right, she wanted peace, but if no one in Mewni would listen then she would go to her lover soon to be husband Globgor and try peace on his side.

Only she hit a roadblock…. A very dangerous roadblock in the way of Septarians. For all of their attractiveness and better qualities the Septarian race could never let go of their hatred of mewmans. Globgor feared that any chance of peace would fail as long as Septarians traveled Mewni. So with her mind made up, Eclipsa decided to delve deep into the possibilities and the abyss that is magic to find a spell that could do the impossible... and smite an immortal being. She succeeded but at what cost? She saw how her spell ate away at everything. Nothing was left but dust and ash in its wake. She couldn't allow the spell to be written in the book of spells. It was her greatest accomplishment and her greatest shame.

Before she and Globgor could get the threat of septarians taken care of their home was attacked by the Magic High Commision and the Mewman army. Eclipsa ran to the most secure room in the temple and rushed towards the crib at the back of the room as the door behind her locked. She then walked quietly and looked at the slumbering babe inside it. If her spell was her greatest regret then this was her greatest joy for inside the crib layed her one and only daughter Meteora. Eclipsa made sure to cast a spell to make sure her daughter slept as the door behind her shook. She turned to face the door and stood with her head held high and aimed her wand at the door as more and more cracks formed on it. Finally the door collapsed and out shot a beam of energy hitting Eclipsa slowly freezing her in place, as she began to be frozen all she could hope was that her daughter was okay and that her husband got away. Thus the queen of darkness was sealed with a smile on her face.

Marco blinked as he snapped out of his daze with a few tears falling from his eyes, "Wow, that was… sad."

"What did you just do dear?" Eclipsa asked.

"I can read the history of an object by touch with my magic. I usually use it on weapons to copy the skill of previous owners but it has other uses," He looked to Moon. "She didn't do anything wrong as far as I'm concerned. I don't know why you care about my opinion though."

"Well that's because lad, it's up to you to decide what happens to her now," Zelretch told him.

"Me, why me?" Marco asked wiping at his face with his sleeve.

"You broke her outta magic jail, you made the mess, you get to clean it up," Zelretch replied simply.

"Is this your roundabout way of teaching me to be more careful with my magecraft because it might have unintended consequences?" Marco asked.

"That depends, is it working?" Zelretch inquired.

"Yes, if I tell you I get the lesson do I still have to decide what to do with Eclipsa?" Marco deadpanned.

"Yes," Zelretch replied casually, "Mostly because I'm curious as to what you'll choose to do with her."

Marco stroked his mustache something of a habit he picked up when deep in personal thought, "Well, I could always ask she be given a nice quiet out of the way house in Mewni I suppose… but all it takes is one person bumping into her and recognizing her for a shitstorm to start so that's not happening," Marco continued talking aloud. "I could always have her frozen again, but I'm not that much of a dick so that's out."

"Oh, but roasting a guy's stolen heart over my head is perfectly ok then?" Hekapoo asked having regained her seat and composure.

"Marco?!" Star asked looking at him in shock and a tad green at the prospect.

"Extenuating circumstances, and if this particular person was ever within twenty feet of you Star, I'd kill him on sight."

"He that bad?"

"Serial rapist, and at least several dozen counts of attempted murder," Marco affirmed.

Star shuddered. For a woman no crime was worse than rape, "Ok, carry on."

"I guess I have no choice… your just going to have to come home with me," Marco said to Eclipsa with an air of begrudging finality in his tone.

Eclipsa blinked, "Your taking me home with you?"

"Yep. Someone has to keep an eye on you, and help you adjust to the here and now, might as well be me… Plus if I can domesticate Star, I can do it for anybody."

Star nodded, "Yeah he's… Hey!" She playfully rained down slaps on the smirking Marco's head, "I'll make you pay for that one Diaz!"

"Ouch, oh the pain… the agony," Marco said flatly a grin on his face.

Star growled in annoyance before she buried her head into the crook of his neck, "Stupid Marco!"

"Why are you here Vampire?" Lorelei asked with a tone of great exasperation in her voice.

"Well, well, well," Zelretch said in a grandfatherly tone. "If it isn't little Loerelei all grown up now. I haven't seen you since your mother ran the place. How's she getting on?"

"She's dead. A Vampire killed her," Lorelei stated stiffly, "He was the first of my many hunts."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," The Dead Apostle Ancestor said with genuine sorrow in his voice, "Bellona was an interesting woman, to say the least, and a remarkable chess player."

"Hmm, and the reason your here?" Lorelei asked again.

"Teaching my second apprentice the first in many valuable lessons," Zelretch replied before slapping Marco on the shoulder, "Don't use your magecraft without thinking about all the consequences first."

"Second apprentice?" Rin asked sounding offended, "Since when?"

"Since you got knocked up and won't be learning shit for nine months congrats by the way," Zelretch replied.

"Am I being replaced? Why do I feel like I'm being replaced?!" Rin asked frantically.

Zelretch rolled his eyes, "Relax Tohsaka, stress isn't good for the baby, don't you know that? But to answer your question Marco is my more… hands on apprentice. When there's a problem that needs fixing Marco is the man I intend to send in. Some places just aren't fit for a lady you know?" The Wizard Marshall's gaze swept the table till it landed on Hekapoo, "Hekapoo," He said coolly.

"Zelretch," She replied in an almost frigid tone, "Cause any people to go crazy lately?"

"Give PTSD to any teens lately? Answer? Yes," Zelretch pointed at Marco.

Marco moved to defend Hekapoo, "Enough Zelretch. You want me to be your cleaner fine, but what's in it for me?"

"You mean besides learning how to use the second magic?" Rin asked all but glaring at him.

"Funny I don't recall ever asking or even wanting to learn it in the first place," Marco got up and gently placed Star on his now vacant seat. "So, I'll ask again, what's in it for me?"

"What if I told you, that you had potential?" Zelretch replied.

Marco narrowed his eyes, "What kind of potential?"

"The potential to gain a new Magic a Sixth Magic. Someone with only your unique set of skills could possess?"

A series of gasps were heard all across the cafeteria even Luvia who'd been in a daze up to this point gasped.

Marco shook his head, "I'd say I don't give a rat's ass about the Root. Mainly because searching for something that makes anything possible completely goes against the very foundation of magecraft. Which is the scientific recreation of a miracle. If you go to a place where everything is possible then there is no more point of scientific discovery, hypothesis, or new avenues of research. I'll pass, thanks."

"It sounds even better the second time around to Francesa!" The Eldritch Witch cried out in glee from across the cafeteria.

Even Zelretch let out a peal of laughter, "Yes, yes lad, you're exactly right! If everything is true, then nothing is. But sometimes, it's the dream of reaching for a goal, the journey, not the destination itself, which is important."

Marco nodded. He couldn't argue with that he supposed, "True, but that doesn't answer my question. What can you offer me?"

"A lifetime of adventure, a harem of super powered women, the chance to save who knows how many lives?" Zelretch offered.

"I'm pretty sure Marco doesn't have a choice with that one," Star stated for him. "Mr. Casanova."

"Firstly, how do you even know who Casanova is? All you do is color all day in class? Secondly, who says I don't have a choice?" Marco asked.

Star fixed him with a deadpan stare, "Really? You really think you have a choice in the matter Diaz?"

"Yes?" Marco said uncertainty.

On cue, Oei, Hekapoo, Star, and Francesa all started laughing at the same time only to stop, look around at each other, then burst out laughing even louder.

Sakura patted him on the back comfortingly, "There, there Marco-san."

"Thanks Sakura," Marco sighed, "I'm screwed aren't I?"

"Only by Francesa at the moment," The Eldritch witch catcalled.

"Kill me now," Marco asked no deity in particular not knowing some were listening.

"Oh my," Eclipsa blushed while she munched on a Snookers bar.

"But Chiyo likes Marco-san, she doesn't want to kill him," Chiyo said worriedly.

"Sorry dude, I don't do human sacrifices. The occasional virgin, but that's not a problem for you now is it?" Hekapoo asked a grin on her face.

Marco looked down at Star who was looking up into his face. She wasn't angry or upset, rather she looked slightly put out, "Star?" Marco called.

"It's… fine Marco," Star said after a moment, "I mean you were in Hekapoo's dimension for sixteen years. I guess it's a little too much to hope that you'd come back…"

"A virgin?" Marco finished for her as she trailed off.

"Yeah… I was kinda hoping our first time together would be our first time… together. You know what I mean?" Star said a little downtrodden from her seat making Marco give her a hug in comfort.

"I do. I would also like to point out that you are talking about having sex with me, in front of your parents, and a bunch of other people," Marco pointed out while he held her close.

Stars cerulean blue eyes widened in abject horror, "Oh Corn no!" Star awkwardly, robotically turned around to see her mother just smiling at her while pinning her father to the floor, with one foot.

"Why is Papa frothing at the mouth?" Star asked worriedly.

"Well, he always did have a hard time reconciling the fact that his little girl was growing up," Moon replied with a sigh. "I'm… not exactly thrilled hearing this myself but… it's also blatantly obvious you two love each other. Star, you didn't even bat an eye at the age difference between yourself and Marco."

"Between the cheese grater abs and cool mustache who cares how old he is?!" Star rebutted.

"Agreed," Eclipsa chimed in still snacking on some snookers.

"Oh, I see you only want me for my body, now it all makes sense," Marco joked. As he tactfully ignored Eclipsa's comment.

"Diaz if you were me, would you want to do you on looks alone?" Star retorted.

Marco blinked, "How should I know? I'm not you and nor have I ever been a girl."

"Sure, whatever you say… Princess Turdina," Star snickered.

"It's your fault that's a thing in the first place!" Marco pointed out.

Star held out her hand, "Ok, if its my fault then you can just give me your royalty checks then."

"Let's not get crazy now," Marco retorted. "Also if you want our ages to be the same, just go to Hekapoo's dimension for eight minutes."

Star looked to Hekapoo who was grinning like a genuine demoness, "You wouldn't last thirty seconds let alone eight minutes there."

"I could make it a bit more… interesting," Zelretch piped up, "Or Marco could just uninstall his Class Card, whichever is fine by me."

"He can uninstall his whatnow?" Star asked.

The Wizard Marshall explained, "The Class Card I gave him. It's likely interfering with the time fluctuations and is preventing his body from reverting back to his normal age."

"So he can swap between fourteen and thirty at will is what your saying?" Star asked for clarification.

"Probably, to be entirely honest, he's an unprecedented case. There's not telling what'll happen to him if he uninstall's the Class Card outside of Hekapoo's dimension. He might be fine. He might revert in age… he might blow up from all the excess Od in his body!" Zelretch shrugged, "Who knows?"

Star frowned and bit her lower lip in worry, "I think you should just leave it in Marco. I don't want you to risk blowing yourself up. Besides, like I said, your age doesn't bother me."

"Nah," Marco replied. "I'm not the type to live my life safely these days. Besides it would always linger in the back of my mind. I'd always wonder. So I might as well find out now."

"Marco wait!" Star tried but she was too slow.

"Exclude."

There was a brief bright flash of light… and when it cleared Marco, now the teenager Star remembered was standing there in a black leather jacket that was a bit too big for him. His hair still had white streaks in it, and he still looked fit, but he was not the chiseled titan he was moments ago.

"Huh, well now we know… Star?"

Stars eyes were covered by her bangs, "Marco… you idiot!" She punched him in the jaw. Normally something like that would've sent him sprawling, but now, he just stumbled back letting blood drip from his split lip, "You could've died just now!"

"But I didn't," Marco replied calmly.

Star glared at him, tears collected in her eyes, which raged like tempests, "But you could have. I… I lost you for sixteen years. It was only minutes for me, but sixteen years for you nonetheless… so you… you'd better be more careful from now on because I don't intend to lose you again anytime soon got it?" Star raised the fist she hit him with, that had a bit of his blood on her knuckles an edge of fear entering her tone too hinting at Star was afraid of something else too.

He sighed and smiled, "Yes, dear."

Star responded by launching herself into him and bawling her eyes out, 'Funny, I don't remember her crying this much before I left.' Marco thought to himself. 'Is it my fault she's like this now? Am I causing her pain? Or is something else entirely?'

"I'm sorry Star don't cry," Marco gently ran his hand through Star's golden mane of hair.

"I'm not crying cause I'm angry I'm cry cause I'm happy! Do you have any idea how long I've wanted you to give me a cute pet name like that?" Star said as she pulled back smiling at him.

"I see… I could probably do better than dear all things considered." Marco said more to himself than her.

"You can call me whatever you like my little mulberry. I'm fine with anything really."

"Mulberry?" Marco asked.

In response Star poked his mole, "It reminds me of the fruit from a mulberry tree, so mulberry."

"This is going to be my pet name isn't it?" Marco asked drly. Star smiled and nodded, causing him to sigh in defeat. "I just can't say no to you can I, my Estrella Guía?"

"Ooh, that sounds exotic… what's it mean?" Star asked as she sent Marco a sly smile.

"It means guiding star. Since during my Quest, that's what you were to me. I constantly had to ask myself, what would Star do in this situation? Or Star would be upset with me if I didn't do anything about this things like that. So I often ended up sticking my nose in other people's business because of that. But also, I really, really wanted to see you again."

"Oh Marco!" Star hugged him again, "I'm glad your ok… but if you were using me of all people as a measuring stick for morality, it's no wonder it took you so long to get home! You probably got into all kinds of trouble!"

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you admit you get into trouble on a regular basis," Moon said aloud, "I'm not sure if I should be proud or just sigh."

"Hey, it's only because I've lived with Marco for so long that I can even admit this mom, so how about cutting me a bit of slack?" Star fired back at her mother, something she never would've dreamed of doing months ago. Yet spending so much time around Angie and Rafael had showed her that her relationship with her mother was far from ideal. That if she didn't try to change it, it would never change.

Moon blinked at her daughters sharp retort, "I suppose you have a point Star, I apologize if I came off as rude."

Star smiled it was a small victory but a step in the right direction as far as she was concerned, "Apology accepted mom, don't worry about it."

"Spaniard," Lorelei cut in, "What exactly do you plan to do now?" If the Queen of the Clocktower was fazed at all by his transformation into a man half his age, she didn't show it.

"Well let's see I completed a sixteen year quest, rescued my princess who was in another castle, and found out my dimension does indeed have magic… I'm going to go home kick back and maybe pop open a couple of beers. Your welcome to join if you like?"

"Another time perhaps." Lorelei replied.

"Suit yourself but the offer stands."

"Now hold on a second," Zelretch demanded. "I have to be able to offer you something in return for your help. It just won't feel right otherwise."

"Seriously Zelretch, you don't need to. I'd do it simply because something needs to be done." Marco replied.

The Wizard Marshall shook his head, "You don't understand lad. Magecraft and magi as a whole work on equivalent exchange. In order to get something, you have to give something. I can't expect you to do this and get nothing in return."

"You gave me a Class Card? Isn't that good enough?"

Zelretch shook his head, "I wanted to get under Hekapoo's skin with that and you did a fine job of it."

Hekapoo whistled getting the Vampire's attention before she flipped him the bird, "Right here Zelretch, right here."

"I see you, you walking nightlight." Zelretch replied, "Anyway, what if I showed you how to… make Class Cards?"

"That's a thing?" Marco asked, "Like I kinda assumed you were pulling them from another universe or something?"

"Oh I am," Zelretch admitted, "But that doesn't mean I can't show you how it's done."

Marco thought about it for a moment, 'If I can give class cards to my friends and family they would be safe from most threats at least.' He quickly came to a decision, "Okay deal."

Zelretch held up a single finger before mentioning one cavete. "I should warn you however not to just hand these out to just anyone. If given to those weak in spirit they could be taken over by the ego of Heroic Spirit and be driven insane."

Marco frowned at that. 'Maybe I should hold off on giving my parents class cards?' The idea of his mama or papi running amok with superpowers was not a pleasant thought. Star already drew enough attention as it was. 'Yeah should probably hold off on that.' He told Zelretch, "Duly noted."

Zelretch rubbed his hands together eagerly, "Excellent."

"Okay Mr. Burns you're creeping me out now. What are you gonna do next, release the hounds?"

"No Smithers, even better, we're going to overload the powerplant… and fire all the workers."

"D'oh!"

"I can't even follow this conversation anymore," Star said looking between the two.

"Remind me to show you the first eight or so seasons of the Simpsons sometime Star," Marco said offhandedly.

"I know what we're doing for Friendship Thursday," Star singsonged.

"So we're agreed then? I teach you how to make Class Cards, and you go into worlds I can't and fix things?"

"I'll be your cleaner," Marco affirmed, "But for the record, I'd have done it for free."

"Excellent, excellent. We have an agreement then." Zelretch clapped his hands together. "And just to sweeten the deal, I'll give you two extra class cards for free."

Two more Class Cards appeared above Zelretch's outstretched hand. Marco quickly plucked them from his grasp and shoved one in his pocket before offering the other to Star. The Mewman Princess blinked as she stared at the gold embossed card her boyfriend? 'What was the official courtly title again?' Star thought to herself. 'Princess consort I think?' Had just given her, "Are you sure about this Marco?"

"I don't want you getting kidnapped again. Though I think we have that all cleared up, right?" Marco posed this question to Lorelei.

"As long as Miss Butterfly practices her magic in secret from now on, we will not have to intervene." The Clocktower's Queen said while fixing her stern gaze on Star. "I trust I have made myself clear?"

"Y-Yes ma'am," Star nodded quickly. She did not want to piss this woman off. Star turned back to her boyfriend, "How do I use this thing?"

"Just put it to your chest and say Install? That's all I had to do." Marco replied.

"Right, here's to hoping I get someone cool like you Marco." Star closed her eyes and pressed the Class Card to her chest, her cheek marks glowing ever so slightly as she called out. "Install."

There was a flash of light and when it cleared, Star was wearing a crimson dress that looked like it was painted on, and it was so low cut it showed off her navel, she was wearing a laced up pair of sandals on her feet that went all the way up her legs and she'd had a growth spurt in her chest area… a rather large one.

What really caught Marco's eye and nose for that matter was the sight and scent of the divinity coming off of his girlfriend now. It was as if she was bathed in an aura of moonlight to his eyes and she smelt of the forest, the underbrush and wild animals. In her right hand was her wand having taken the form of a massive winged golden bow, with the star faceplate having turned into a sort of scope.

Also, on her shoulder was a small teddy bear wearing a tiger skin toga and wielding a club.

"Yo," He greeted upon seeing Marco.

It talked apparently.

"Hi? Who are you?" Marco asked.

"I'm Orion," The plush bear replied before poking Star in the cheek with his club. "This is unusual." He nodded. "Very unusual, This your girl?" He asked Marco.

Marco nodded, "She is."

Orion nodded, "I see, I see, you too must love each other a lot for Artemis to hijack her body like this."

"Tiny bear say what now?" Marco asked sharply.

Orion nodded, "My dear usually doesn't show up like this but… she had a certain bit of curiosity you see? The love between the two of you was so pure, so similar to our own that she… wanted to meet you for herself. The fact that you were about to summon me sometime in the future, a famous monster hunter, just gave her the means to do it you see."

"So what your saying is, Artemis, the Virgin Goddess of the Hunt, is possessing my girlfriend right now?"

Orion nodded sagely both his legs and arms criss crossed from his spot on Star's shoulder, "Yeah, yeah that about sums it up sonny."

"Ha… Hahahahaha!" Zelretch laughed. "This is fantastic! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this!"

"Well I'm so glad your enjoying yourself," Marco deadpanned. He asked Orion, "Is Star ok in there?"

"Yeah, yeah she's fine… I think?" Orion replied casually.

"That's not reassuring you stuffed nuisance!" Marco snapped at him.

"Oi, oi," Orion said holding his hands out placating. "What do you want me to say eh? That everything's gonna be A-okay? I can't promise that you know?"

"Star?" Marco called out to her, "Can you hear me?"

Star's eyes fluttered open. They were the same shade of blue but there was a weight to them now. As if she had seen horrible, terrible things. "Marco?"

"Star, are you okay?" Marco asked worriedly.

In response Star hugged him, her newly acquired 'assets' squishing themselves against Marco's chest, "Thank goodness you're alright!"

Marco ran his hand through Star's golden blonde hair in reassurance. "Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be? Star, is everything ok?"

Star pulled back and gave Marco a once over, 'He's not hurt, he's not stuck in the Magic, he's fine, he's fine.' Star told herself. She then looked down at herself. "What am I wearing… And when did I get boobs? Not that I'm complaining, but still."

"That would be due to my Artemis missie," A voice called from her shoulder.

Star looked to her right to see a tiny bear in a toga with a club in hand, "Hi, I'm Orion."

Star leveled her gaze at him, "Right, Artemis told me to keep an eye on you and stop you from chasing skirts."

"Why, I'd never!" Orion comically denied but neither Star or Marco really believed him.

"Star," Marco asked worriedly, "Are you sure your ok? You seemed out of it when you saw me."

Star didn't know what to say. How could she tell him her mother secretly teamed up with an insane Mina Loveberry to overthrow Eclipsa who was just trying to bring Mewmans and Monsters together? How a version of herself had, in the end, chosen to destroy the Magic Dimension in its entirety using the Whispering Spell, and how she had almost lost him forever because of it? Things had worked out alright in the end but not without coming at a cost. Mewni had been ravaged by two wars, she had gotten back together with Tom, the sheer thought of that made her shudder but it was heartening to see him at least try to become a better person, making her think there was in fact hope for her former boyfriend while her relationship with Marco clearly suffered as a result.

The Star and Marco in her memories had even gone so far as to travel to the depths of the Underworld have their love for each other removed thinking it was caused by the Blood Moon Curse. Yet even with the memory removed, their feelings remained. Proving that her and Marco were meant to be together. She also noted that Class Card or no Class Card Marco seemed to be a natural chick magnet. Janna, that world's Hekapoo, even Kelly of all people seemed to be drawn to him like moths to flame. 'Oh corn! I killed Hekapoo!' Star realized. 'And the rest of the High Commission, and basically cut off dimensional travel and tanked Reflectacorp and a ton of other things! So much stuff runs on magic in my life it isn't even funny.'

Star, Star? What's wrong?" Marco urged seeing her beginning to freak out and starting to have a panic attack. "Breathe ok, just breathe. In through your nose and out through your mouth nice and slow."

"Ok, it's ok, I'm ok," Star promised him as she did the breathing exercises he prompted her.

"What did you see? Marco asked softly as he pulled her close.

"A future that hasn't happened yet, and won't if I have anything to say about it," Star said firmly before hugging Marco to her again. "We're going to be ok, I promise."

"It'll be okay, Star, whatever you saw, we'll get through it together," Marco promised her in turn.

Star nodded. If anyone could and would go to the ends of the earth to keep their word to her, it would be her Marco. Of that, she had no doubt. She had so many thoughts running through her head right now, of what she could do to change things, of what she could've done better, all that combined with the mental fatigue of her being kidnapped and hypnotized made her just want one thing… to go home and collapse in her bed, preferably with Marco holding her in his arms.

"Marco?" Star asked tiredly looking into his eyes.

"Yeah Star?"

"Can we please go home?" Star asked pleadingly.

Marco nodded. "Of course," Marco turned and gave a shrill whistle, "Everyone we're leaving in five!"

"Okay, okay!" Chiyo called out.

"Coming Mar-kun! Don't leave Francesca behind!" Francesca pleaded.

Oei called out, "Can Oei finish her painting first?"

"Can you do it in five minutes?" Marco asked.

"Yes?" Oei called out uncertainly.

"Then get a move on Oei."

"Hai, hai, Marco-sama."

Star gave Marco a strong hug. "I'll be right back," Star walked over to Hekapoo who had for the most part been silently watching everything play out. "Hekapoo."

"Princess," Hekapoo greeted with a nod, "Sup?"

Star felt uncertain how to feel about Hekapoo. On the one hand she put Marco through sixteen years of hell. On the other… a version of her kinda killed her but she seemed to be okay with that? Star gave her head a shake. "I'm… I've been better. You?"

"I'm probably gonna get crystalized for Marco's quest… Man, this is gonna suck!" Hekapoo sighed.

Star rubbed her chin as she hummed in thought. She turned to her mother and did her best not to grimace as she looked at her, "Mom, I have a suggestion if Imay about Hekapoo's punishment?"

Moon blinked. She didn't expect this from her daughter. She usually stayed as far away from politics as possible. Still who was she to turn down something positive, "Go ahead Star?"

Star sighed and hoped her idea took, "It occurs to me that it doesn't exactly seem fair that should Hekapoo be frozen, she won't be aware of however much time has passed. Marco had to live, survive, and endure those sixteen years. Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?"

Moon slowly nodded. She saw her daughter's point, "What exactly are you suggesting dear?"

Star smiled mischievously and loose her idea, "Well since Marco spent sixteen years chasing her, don't you think it's only fair she spend the next sixteen years paying him back? Instead of being chased don't you think it's only fair she serve instead?"

Moon blinked and so did Hekapoo, "Are you suggesting Hekpoo become Marco's… maid?"

"Yeah, I mean I could totally rock one of those outfits but… why should I do that?"

"Why not?" Star counteragued, "It beats being frozen like a fish stick doesn't it?" She leaned over the table and whispered to Hekapoo, "I'm throwing you a bone here you dope, you can at least try and act grateful."

"Grateful what are you…" Hekapoo stopped talking and looked over at Marco. Then back to Star who shot her a knowing wink, causing her to blush.

"Am I missing something here?" Moon questioned.

"No mother, just that some punishments can hurt all the more because they are… pleasurable. Right Hekapoo?" Star asked playfully.

"Damn you Butterfly," The Creation Goddess growled.

Moon looked between her daughter, Hekapoo, then to Marco. Despite what her daughter may think, Moon wasn't an oblivious idiot despite how she was often busy running the kingdom. In fact, it was because of that very reason that she was a shrewd politician, which in turn led her to pick up on the smallest of things. She'd seen Hekapoo kiss Diaz, it was obvious there were some feelings there which surprised the Queen. What surprised her even more was why her daughter wanted her anywhere near her boyfriend. 'Still, I must admit the punishment 'does' fit the crime. In an ironic kind of way.' Moon mused. She told her daughter. "I'll bring it up with the rest of the High Commision when we meet to discuss Hekapoo's punishment. Thank you for suggesting something so... out of the ordinary Star."

"Sure, well… thanks for coming to save me mom," Star gave her mother a hug in thanks while trying to remember she hasn't committed any crimes yet.

Moon returned the hug and gave her daughter a peck on the cheek, "Of course dear, stay safe and do try not to be so public with your magic from now on. While I don't mind visiting Earth on occasion, I'd prefer not to do it when your in mortal peril."

"Right, I promise to visit soon. Or at the very least, I'll be home for Stump Day," Star promised.

"Well I should hope," Moon chuckled. "Since it's also your birthday."

Star nodded and turned to Eclipsa, "Ready to go my who knows how many times Great Grandma?"

"Certainly dear," Eclipsa stood up gracefully dusting Snookers bar crumbs off her antiquated dress. Star was secretly envious at how regal Eclipsa was, how she could so easily move with poise and grace befitting a Queen of Mewni. 'Maybe I should ask her for pointers?' Star thought to herself. She then glanced over to Marco where he and the rest of his little entourage had gathered. 'Not that my little mulberry cares one way or the other,' Star told herself.

Star bent down and kissed her father on the head from where he was frothing at the mouth and wriggling beneath her mother's bootheels. "Bye Papa, good luck with the catapult."

Star skipped back to Marco leading Eclipsa by the hand. He hugged her as she got closer. "Ready to go?"

"Born ready," Star sighed. "Let's go home, your folks must be worried sick by now."

"One portal coming up. Seeya round Zelretch, Lorelei."

"We'll be in touch kid," Zelretch promised.

"Spaniard, expect me to be in contact," Lorelei informed him coolly.

"Sure, sure," He turned to Emiya's group. "Ladies I wish you all the best of luck with Shirou your going to need it."

"Hey!" Shirou protested, half getting up out of his chair only to be forced back down by both Rin and Saber.

"We'll manage," Rin assured him. "And just so we're clear, I'm your sempai understood?"

"You know I'm an American and don't follow Japanese sempai-kohai values right?" Marco replied, before smiling a bit at Rin's sour face, "Just kidding Tohsaka sempai. Take good care of me ok?"

"Yeah yeah, just get outta here ya brat, and take good care of my little sister or else," Rin half threatened.

"Huh?" Marco did a quick headcount and sure enough Sakura was standing amongst his group waiting to depart, "You coming with Sakura?"

"Um, only if you don't mind having me Marco-san?" Sakura asked unsurely.

"It's fine, it's not like Star can't just make more room." Marco replied easily before looking at his princess turned goddess. "Right Star?"

"No problemo," Star assured Sakura.

"Well, then," Sakura bowed respectfully, "I'll be in your care from now on Marco-san."

"Don't worry about it," Marco replied. "My parents are either going to freak out or be thrilled to have a house full of people to look after… I'm honestly not sure which."

"Twenty bucks on them being thrilled." Star wagered.

Marco shook his head, "I don't take suckers bets." Marco replied before cutting open a portal back to house. "Okay everyone fall in. Let's go home."

After giving his parents the biggest hug he could and swearing up and down that he and Star were okay before introducing them to his friends while asking (insisting) if they could stay. His parents of course, were all for it. Star easily poofed up some extra towers and everyone got settled into their new rooms. Marco was about to turn in for the night himself, in a room he hadn't seen for sixteen years when he heard a hesitant knock at his door.

"Come in Star," Marco called without even bothering to turn around.

Star gently pushed the door in and walked into his room, "Does it feel strange being back here after so long?"

"Yes and no. I was gone so long I had honestly started to forget what my parents looked like. Their voices were becoming… indistinct. Hazy, like childhood memories you can't quite recall you know?"

Star hugged Marco from behind. To not even be able to clearly recall one's parents. How cruel was that? And Marco went through this quest because of her. For her. All because she never bothered to question where Ponyhead could've gotten her hands on a pair of dimensional scissors. Just assuming they were cheap knockoffs. "I'm sorry Marco."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"You did that Quest for my sake, so everything you went through good and bad, due to it, can be laid at my feet."

"Star…" Marco began only to be silenced by the princess covering his mouth with a hand.

"I know your going to say it's not my fault that you chose to do it, that you were too stubborn to give up… but that won't stop me from blaming myself Marco, even if you say all that. Or rather, even if you do say all that, it'll take some time for it to sink in. So your just going to have to let me feel bad about myself for awhile ok?"

Marco nodded before slowly removing her hand, "Have I become that predictable?"

"Not exactly predictable, it's just… you have a penchant for making people feel better about themselves," Star told him, while still latched onto his back.

"I see... "

"Marco…" Star broke the comfortable silence that had fallen between the two. "Could I ask for a-a favor?"

"You want to sleep here tonight?" Marco guessed, smiling when he felt Star stiffen behind him. "Estrella Guía, your not the only one whose a bit predictable you know?" Marco paused before asking hesitantly,"We will just be sleeping, right?"

"Yes," Star admitted. "Now isn't the time or place for… that. Besides, we'd be disrespecting your parents house if we did it under their roof."

"Okay then," Marco replied with a nod. "Go ahead and get comfortable."

Star crawled into his blankets. Marco couldn't help himself from muttering "Beautiful," As Star laid there half cover in his blankets wearing a green nightie of all things and propping herself up on one elbow.

The princess heard his utterance and blushed, "Stop it you, without that Class Card, I'm almost flat as a board."

"I think you look like a Goddess, Class Card or no Class Card." Marco replied honestly.

Star flush so deeply, her cheek marks became invisible, "Really? You really think I'm pretty?"

Marco quirked an eyebrow, "You don't?"

"I… how do I put this? I know I can be cheerful and outgoing… but even I know I don't have a figure like Jackie, or Janna, or Francesca. Heck Hekapoo has curves for days and then… then there's me... " Star looked down at herself and frowned.

"Yeah you, Star Butterfly the girl who fights monsters and uses bona fide magic on a daily basis. The girl who sacrificed her magic wand, her family heirloom to save my life," Marco crawled across the bed and drew her into a hug, before continuing, "Your the girl whose so amazing she let me ask my crush to the dance even though she already had feelings for me, right?"

Meekly, Star nodded, "Yeah, about that, I need to tell you something."

"Hmm?"

"I… spied on you during your and Jackies' date," Star admitted in a rush refusing to meet his eyes.

"Really?" Marco asked, "With magic I'm assuming?"

Star nodded meekly. "Yeah, it was actually one of Eclipsa's spells. Then I saw you two on a skateboard, and I got jealous and… somehow, I'm not exactly sure how, I think I made you both wipeout."

"Well, seems to me like your wand… maybe even your magic itself was reacting to your emotions." Marco mused. "In fact, if I recall correctly, your blackhole spell turned green and reversed its suction right about the time Jackie and I showed up didn't it?"

"We all almost got sucked into space because I couldn't handle my jealousy. I'm so sorry Marco."

"It's fine Star, magic is… complicated, and so are relationships," Marco slid into the sheets next to her and put an arm around her. "Just promise to talk to me from now on if something is bothering you, ok?"

Star nodded as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Okay… Goodnight my little Mulberry, I love you."

Marco placed a loving kiss on top of her head, "Love you too Estrella Guía. Goodnight."

When Marco awoke the next morning his bed felt unusually soft, warm and lumpy. He grabbed one said lumps and heard a breathy moan in response.

"Mar-kun is so bold early in the morning! Not that Francesca minds of course."

Marco's eyes snapped open when he heard Francesca's voice, "Fresca?!"

Sure enough Francesca was laying in his bed topless of all things and wearing her garterbelt and panties and his hand was squeezing one of her breasts.

"Good morning je t'aime," Francesca purred.

"Oh, Marco-sama moved," Oei pouted from behind him.

"Oei you too?" Marco sighed before looking around and noting the absence of his flaxen-haired goddess, "Where is Star?"

"Making breakfast," Francesca replied. "She asked that we… keep you comfortable till she returned… well Mar-kun, are Francesca and Oei-chan doing a good job?"

"You let Star into the kitchen by herself?" Marco deadpanned as his eyes widened in horror, "Are you mad?"

Francesca scoffed, "No, of course not. We've heard plenty of your horror stories of her cooking. Sakura-chan has taken her under her wing as a matter of fact. Though she hinted at wanting to learn from you, should you have time."

Marco sighed in relief, "Thank God, if anyone can teach her, it's me, you, or Sakura."

Suddenly his door was kicked in and Star came barreling in carrying a breakfast tray, "Marco, I made breakfast!"

"I see that Star."

Star stopped and blinked as she surveyed the scene her boyfriend was in. One hand on an almost naked Francesca's bosom and Oei right behind him wearing little more than a lacy bra and panties, a canvas floating in front of her.

Star looked to the girls, "When I said keep him comfortable, this isn't exactly what I meant girls."

"Does Francesca hear jealousy in Star-chan's tone? She thinks she might want to be in Francesca's place right about now hmm?" Francecsa spoke while smugly wrinkling her eyebrows.

Star just grinned as she walked into the room and asked an important question, "Where's Chiyo?"

"I'm under here Star-chan," Chiyo's voice piped up from beneath the blankets.

"Chiyo!?" Marco pulled the covers up and found the woman lying across his legs. He thought that was Francesca's legs, "What are you doing down there?"

"Keeping little Marco company of course," Chiyo replied, "He looked so lonely."

"Please… don't do that, Chiyo," Marco asked his face flushing.

"Why not?" Chiyo asked with the innocence of a child in the body of an adult goddess.

"Star feel free to chime in anytime now," Marco pleaded to Star.

Star just giggled, "This is what you get for flirting with anything that moves buster," Star put the food tray down in front of him. It contained two eggs over easy, some bacon and toast, all in the shape of a smiley face because Star, of course, "Now eat your breakfast while it's still warm."

"I'll have you know I didn't flirt with either Shirou or Zelretch thank you very much," Marco responded to her teasing.

"If Shirou-san and Zelretch were women would that have changed the situation Francesca wonders?" the Eldritch Witch pondered aloud.

Marco thought about it for a second then spoke up, "Maybe… but then again with Shirou's idiot charisma he'd end up attracting a reverse harem even as a woman so… meh. You did a great job on breakfast Star," Marco complimented as he tried a bite of everything.

Star beamed, "Thanks Marco. I had to try three times to get everything just right," She turned to the other girls, "Also your breakfast is ready and is on the table."

"Ehh~!, It's probably cold by now Star-chan. Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Francesca groaned.

"That's what you get for coping a feel from my Marco while he's asleep, now scram!" Star thumbed towards the door, a wicked little grin on her face, as the trio of girls slunk out of Marco's room to their now cold breakfast.

"This is my life now isn't it? Some wacky harem comedy routine?" Marco asked himself.

Took up her wand and said, "Bed fit for a king Transform!" A beam of blue light hit the bed and when it cleared Marco's bed was now a gigantic solid oak four poster bed complete with canopy. It was big enough for five people at least and the sheets looked to be the same color as his hoodie and the mattress was just as soft as before.

Satisfied with her work, Star launched herself into the bed, causing herself to bounce a little. Before she flipped over and asked, "Well, whaddaya think?"

"Not that I mind the change but… why?" Marco inquired, "It's almost like your… ok with this kinda sorta not really a harem situation."

Snuggling close to him, Star said, "Marco, you've treated me even better than a princess since I've been here. You've looked out for me, taken care of me, and cleaned up all of my messes. I think it's about time I started returning the favor. Treating you like the prince you deserve to be treated like. So yeah I'm ok with this kinda sorta harem situation… so long as everyone knows just whose in charge around here," Star had a stubborn look on her face and a steely look in her eyes that shone with underestimated power.

"Does that include me too?" Marco asked, a little bit scared of Star at the moment.

Star hugged Marco's stomach resting her head on his belly, "Nonono! I know you love me unconditionally silly mulberry! I felt it the moment I touched Monarch Butterfly Order… It's just… how do I put this? Without some semblance of structure, everything will fall into chaos. Now I know that's hilarious coming from me and all but even I don't believe in total anarchy. Like, I'd like my house to be standing at the end of the day you know?"

"And in order to do that you want me to let you be in charge of this… harem thing?"

"Kinda? I mean, in chess the queen is the strongest piece right?" Star asked.

Marco blinked since when did Star know anything about chess? "Next to the king yes."

"Yeah and that's what you and me are," Star pointed at the two of them. "Your my King, I'm your Queen, and everyone else? Their our own personal little court."

"Why do you sound giddy by that fact?" Marco asked aloud… then he decided to just ask, "Star?"

"Hmm? Yes my adorable little Mulberry?" Star asked perking up.

"You wouldn't by chance be into girls and guys would you… I mean I noticed the first time you saw Jackie you kinda went all googly eyed and then all these other girls showed up… It's fine if you are, I'll love you regardless I'd just like you to be honest with me, like we talked about last night remember?"

Star opened her mouth… then closed it. Then opened it again before looking at the bedsheets. "I… maybe?" She said in a small voice. Her head snapped up to Marco's and she looked panicked, "Please don't tell my mom!"

"Woah woah! Star calm down, calm down… why would I tell your mom and why is your sexual orientation a big deal?"

Star took a breath, "Marco, I'm a princess. Future ruler of a kingdom. I'm… expected to produce an heir. I can't like girls. Hell, one queen of mewni was flung into a volcano via catapult for being… this way. I think. It might've been her sister or something. Point is, this type of behavior is not taken lightly on Mewni."

Marco pulled Star into a hug. Not for the first time, he found himself cursing Mewni for their backwards way of thinking, and was glad he could help undo some of it in Star. "Well it's a good thing your not on Mewni right now then huh? On top of being in one of the most… accepting states in the USA."

Star leaned into his embrace, "Yeah, that's a plus… It doesn't bother you that I might like girls too?"

Marco shook his head. "No… now if I catch you with another guy, I'll be heartbroken… and he'll be dead," Marco said semi-seriously.

Star pulled back and slapped him in the arm. "Perish the thought! It's you Marco. You and only you as far as men go. Now, forever, and always."

Marco laid back on his bed hands cupped behind his head, "So this is my life now? The Black Mulberry King and the Red Queen Estrella Gucia ruling the Harem Court?"

Star laid her head against his chest, "It sounds kinda sexy when you put it like that. And this is our life. Both of us, together."

Marco leaned in close and kissed Star, "I kinda like the sound of that,"

"Only kinda?" Star asked as she pulled away.

"Well we still need to talk to my parents about everything, get Sakura's transcripts and register her for school over here since she left in the middle of the school year and a dozen other little things but yeah, I kinda do."

Star propped herself up on one arm, "And that's why your the King, you're the planner, plotter, and thinker. I'm the one who puts those plans into action. Together, nothing can stop us."

"Nothing huh? Sounds like fun."

"Marco, sweetie, we know it was late last night but we would very much like an explanation as to who these people are and why they are here please," Angie's voice called up from the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, looks like it's time to put the first part of the plan "Keep the harem together" into action." Marco said before he threw off his blankets and reached for his Class Card before looking to Star, "You ready for this, Red Queen?"

Star reached into her starfish shaped bag and pulled out her own class card, "Always Mulberry King."

"Install!" Both said at the same time. Before talking on their more mature forms.

"Huh, I didn't notice before but your a bit taller," Marco noted.

"Really? Were you just too distracted by the boobs yesterday to notice?" Star asked him slyly.

"Marco, Star?!" Angie called again.

"Coming Mama," Marco called down. "Ready?"

"Willing and able," Star retorted. "Now, let's go save our subjects."

'My life, just got a whole lot more interesting,' Marco thought as he descended the stairs behind Star.

Word Count: 30,000 Number of Pages: 96 Date Completed: 12/12/2019

AN: Hello readers one and all and welcome to chapter two of Unlimited Eldritch Blade Works. I do hope it was worth the wait. Thanks go out to my readers, my reviewers, and my patrons in that order. I love you all, I just love some of you more than others. I'm like that step-dad who plays favorites. Anyway he's IcySnowSage on his knees to apologize for his lateness.

Snowy?

It's done by the gods above its done. I struggled so much to just finished this I almost died several times. I hope you all like it 'cause now I have to go back into the bush and edit more chapters. May God have mercy on my soul.

Your begging for forgiveness needs more begging… and more cowbell snowy. Anyway, Thank you all for reading, thank you doubly for reviewing and triply if you're a patron. Till nextime everyone, this has been a Bubbajack and IcySnowSage Production! Peace!