Marco at a Crossroads

By: DJ Rodriguez

(Author's Notes: Hey everyone! How are you all doing? I hope each and every one of you is doing well in what you do, and also preparing for the summer.

Before I do or say anything else, I want give praise and glory to God. Jesus, thank you so much for being with me! Thank you for the incredible gift of imagination you have blessed me with, and I want to put it to full, good use in your name. Lord, thank you for the wonderful reviewers to this story of mine. And also, thank you for helping me out in my ways than one, not just with this story but with life as well. Praise and glory to you forever more, Jesus Christ!

I really appreciate all of the reviews that have been given to me. Thank you to all who have reviewed my AU story here. Like stated before, not an entire expert on the Star Vs. series but doing the best I can with the knowledge I do have.

To be honest, I am a bit sad that I haven't received much reviews as I would have hoped for this story. Oh well… will not complain and continue forward!

In this episode, some things are cleared up & also Marco's little ability is made known as it surprises even him! Also, Queen Moon is going to try her best to make it up to the Diaz lad for all that he has been through thanks to her daughter.

Expect to see some changes in the Mewni women; subtle & small, yet potent in a way that will last for the long run. And also between the Diaz family and the Butterfly family… or more specifically, between Queen Moon Butterfly and the Diaz members. I just hope that you like what you read and see in your minds.

On a final note, it is this. There WILL be Christian elements in here, and for this I am not sorry for at all. Just to give you a heads up. Also, if you wish your own OC's to be featured in her, I will make it so! They will be limited though to these roles; the Martial Art Ki Masters in each of the continents listed in the previous chapter, friends linked to the Royal Butterfly family that will aid Queen Moon… or also criminal associates linked to Meteora. Just send me their info either by review or PM, and I will make sure they will be shown here! But more importantly, I will showcase to everyone whom they belong to. I want to be an honorable Author, and I will make sure people know the OC's in each of my Author's Notes for every chapter in the future.

I do not own Star vs. the Forces of Evil, it is created by Daron Nefcy & executive producers Daron Nefcy, Dave Wasson and Jordana Arkin. Production is the Disney Television Animation, and aired on network Disney XD and Disney Channel.

Now, on with the story!)


It was a tense situation at the Echo Creek Hospital, in a certain room to be precise that housed patient Marco Diaz. Amazonian and honored Mewnian citizen Kelly had just finished her story on how the patient was in his current condition, with magical being Hekapoo, former queen Eclipsa Butterfly & royal Mewnian squire Higgs filling in at certain points. Needless to say, some of the residents in the room that had the wrapped-up Diaz boy were stunned/shocked to hear it all. Sensei Brantley, Andrea, Chantal, Megan, little Mariposa and Queen Moon Butterfly were very much surprised on hearing how Luna the Roman-inspired moon goddess had appeared to Marco…

And also how she set him free from Star Butterfly, and why she did it.

Sensei broke the silence after the story was told as he stated, "Wow… just… wow! I know I have seen many strange things when Star was here, but even this takes the cake.".

Megan added, "I agree with you on that, Sensei. I mean, getting to meet the Roman moon goddess herself… just incredible! And hearing on how Marco managed to free himself from the Blood Moon and Star… wow!".

Andrea put in, "I hear that! I mean, from what Kelly and the others told us, not even the most hardcore of men here in this world could withstand all of that pain.". The karate instructor and the former cheerleaders looked towards the young man in admiration and respect, making him blush slightly in embarrassment from the praise. However, little Mariposa gripped his left hand tightly as she was very sad that her brother had to go through a lot of pain.

The parents were not pleased at all at once more hearing how their son had to go through some serious physical pain to be set free from a soul-bond that had drifted for too long… and that said pain was emotional due to Star using her magic to block any negative feelings, thus transferring it to Marco in the process.

The royal ruler of Mewni soon had a mixture of shock and shame on her face; shock that indeed an actual deity had come to the lower plane of reality to visit a mortal, and also shame that it was her daughter that had caused such turmoil to said mortal. She started to believe that this was all her fault as well that Marco was in this condition. Also, the women had told them that magic would not be used to speed up Marco's healing, as it was ordained by Luna herself.

Queen Moon spoke, "Well… this is… I… Marco, I am very sorry that this had to happen to you. I honestly didn't know what was going on, what you had to go through…". She was being sincere about this, as the royal Mewnian didn't want the guest to her realm to experience such pain like he endured.

The martial artist of Echo Creek managed to look up at her in the eyes, a weak smile on as he replied, "It's alright… you didn't know… I didn't even… realize it… until a few weeks ago…". It was true. The Earthling had stumbled upon seeing Star in her room, a dark-red aura of sort surrounding her being. It was faint, but it was visible enough that he saw it. She used her magic to banish away the aura… but he saw it flush out from her system, and swiftly went towards him & struck his being! He felt immense emotional turmoil and pain in his heart, making him gasp and actually struggle through the nasty experience until it had run its course.

In his view, that would explain why he had been having frequent heart attacks shortly after he had arrived in Mewni. He believed that his heart was out of shape and tried to exercise to get it stronger, eating better to get it more resilient to attacks. But now he realized that the pain was not just physical but emotional due to Star's use of magic.

Higgs spoke up, "I'm surprised that Star didn't tell you about this earlier, your Majesty. Marco once told me that he had to go down to Tom's home in order to stop her from being tricked into dancing with the idiot underneath the blood moon. I mean, your daughter does know the legend about it… right?". Seeing the stunned look on her face, the others realized that she did not know about that particular event. And put in that Star was told the legend as a child, but apparently forgot all about it.

Angie went over to the royal ruler, her green eyes showing a fierce expression of anger like those shown in protective mothers. Be they animal or human. It was a look that described, 'You mess with my child, you're in for a WORLD of hurt!'.

The mother of Marco and Mariposa looked to their children and said, "Dear, me and Rafael… we're going to have a little chat with Queen Moon here. We'll be right back. Hekapoo, do you mind if you and the others watch Mariposa while we're gone? It'll only be a few minutes.". The maker of the dimensional scissors answered in an affirmative, stating that her daughter would be in good hands.

She nodded in thanks, than Angie took Moon's hand to take her out through the door, Rafael soon following. When they left, the Earthlings started to talk to Marco as they had some catching up to do with him. But they also made sure that he didn't strain himself in order to respond back, as he was still in recovery.


Once they were outside, Angie and Rafael went down a hallway with Moon as they looked to find some empty rooms. Once they neared a corner, they found a suitable empty one that was on the right, about five doors down from Marco's room. Mrs. Diaz took the mother of Star into the room, not too gently pushing her in while her husband followed and closed the door. He pushed a switch nearby, lighting up part of area they were in. Angie's glare burned right into Moon's own orbs as she folded her arms & stated, "You know… we were glad to have your daughter come stay with us. Granted it was in an unexpected way, but we welcomed her into our home and lives. We were patient and understanding on her… magical talents and exuberant energy. We were glad that she managed to coax Marco out of his safety shell, and started to get more into life while he still maintained his sense of awareness and safety.".

Rafael stood next to his wife and put in, "But somewhere along the way… things started to go slowly but surely south. I believe that it started when Marco and Star got bonded through this blood moon.". He explained that the blood moon on Earth was different from the ones shown in the other realms, that it occurred only briefly during a total lunar eclipse. While not exactly book-smarts, Rafael did retain some knowledge during his college days.

Mrs. Diaz looked directly into the queen's eyes and asked in a soft but steel-edged voice, "Did you know that the two were bonded, or is it that you hoped for the best?".

Moon Butterfly sighed, sitting down on one of the empty beds in the room. She looked tired and weary, as if all of the things her daughter did to the Diaz family was finally catching up to her in full. The blue-haired mature beauty looked to the couple in front of her and answered, "No… she didn't tell me about that little detail. She told me that she went on a date with Tom, but got interrupted by Marco who was in disguise. Now that I know this information… sigh… my daughter… and that foolish prince Tom… did he not know the consequences of a forced bonding?".

Mr. Diaz raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What would the consequences be if someone were to be held against their will underneath the Blood Moon? Or deceived, in this particular case?".

The royal queen raised her head to look up to the duo and answered, "Legend goes that while the Blood Moon does often bind souls & lives together for all time, it is written that a price is reaped when it is done by force action or deception. If Tom would have gotten away with it, the penalty would be on him. The Blood Moon would have bound them yes… but not in a way he would have expected. If Star did not have any true positive feelings or love for him, this would have happened. He would spend the rest of his life loving her… while she would spend the rest of her life hating him.".

Angie and Rafael were a bit surprised to learn that, the mother of Marco and Mariposa stating, "It's exactly like it was in Love Potion #9…". Seeing her quizzical look, Angie explained that it was a classic movie that she and her husband saw some years ago. And what would happen to Tom was exactly as described in the film. Moon made a mental note to ask on what a movie was, and if she could see said movie later on.

Moon continued, "It would appear that at first, Marco and Star were getting together slowly thanks to their own actions and the Blood Moon. But when I made her come back to Mewni due to an emergency… I believe that is when things really started to go downhill for the two of them.".

A familiar voice sounded from the darkness that was next to them, in the next bed that was separated by a curtain. It was a feminine voice that retorted, "I believe that is where you are wrong, dear Moon. The troubles started the moment Star learned of my own unique spell.".

The trio were surprised to hear the voice, and more so when the curtain departed to reveal… Eclipsa! The queen exclaimed, "Eclipsa?! But how did you…?!".

The alluring green-haired woman smirked as she answered, "It's quite easy, Great Granddaughter. I am known as the Queen of Darkness, and I found out I can utilize the natural magic in me in a way that doesn't require a wand. I can slip through any shadow and travel to any destination I want with swift ease and silence. It comes in handy now and then. And don't worry, I told everyone I would be back before I used my ability.". This was news to Moon, as she didn't realize that the darkness was truly part of her former imprisoned family member. She would have to talk to her about that later.

Eclipsa looked seriously towards her relation and stated, "There is another thing I learned over the time I was released from my… imprisonment. As it turns out, any spell I created and crafted before putting it down in that book of magic… I can see who used it, when they did… and why. I saw the first time when Star used my All-Seeing Eye spell, and she used it to spy on Marco when he was on his date with Jackie. And…".

Angie looked worried but encouraged her, "And… what? What happened?".


The mature magical beauty chuckled mirthlessly as she answered, "It appears that not only does Star forget certain legends and lore, she also forgot about the very basics of magic. She grew very jealous while still holding her wand, and as it is dubbed in Magic Instructions 101, magic follows the emotions of the user. Magic, accidental or intentional, follows the emotional source that controls it. Star was so jealous, that she unintentionally used a spark of magic to make the skateboard that Marco and Jackie were on blow off. They fell to the ground, but lucky for them they were not seriously hurt. Though… the results could have been worse if they had fallen in another area were gravity would be less kind to them.".

Now THIS caught Angie, Rafael and Queen Moon off-guard completely. Marco had told them what happened on his first date with Jackie at the dance, and what happened at the graveyard. He did tell them that he still had no idea how Jackie and him fell to the ground after the skateboard incident. And Eclipsa was right on one thing; if Jackie and Marco had been another area of the park they were in, even with their protective gear, had they fallen close to a ramp or anything with an incline that led downward… the injuries could have been more severe.

Queen Moon was also surprised at this, as Star never told her about the incident at all. And also she was further disappointed with her child, as she just forgot the very basics of magic-using. And knowing her offspring, she would have tried to deny it instead of coming clean.

Eclipsa looked to her relative and stated, "Dear, I know what I told you about having less faith in Star's abilities, and that you should trust her more. But… honestly, after seeing what happened to Marco and learning more on Star's actions thanks to her using my own spell… I think Star needs to be helped. Otherwise in the long run… not looking good for her.".

Moon let out a soft sob, very much showing that she was very much upset and disappointed. Not with Star though… with herself. She whispered, "I should have done something more… I should have checked up on her more… I… I…".

Seeing how the mature ruler of Mewni was in turmoil, Angie took a breath and released a sigh as she was going to do something to comfort her. He went to her and said, "Shhh… it's not entirely your fault, your Highness. Look at me. Look at me and listen, please.". Moon looked up now, at the woman that was Marco's mother.

She continued, "Look… I know that it's not easy when you're child gets hurt, or that you feel you could have done more if they do something wrong. You did your best for Star, and while some motives and actions are a bit questionable… at least you did put faith in your daughter to do what was right. That counts for something. And Star… well… she has to answer and owe up to her mistakes. That is the one of the lessons that me, Rafael… that all good parents try to instill into their children. It's that when they do something wrong, they have to take responsibility and learn from it. And make it so that they don't let it repeat so often.".

The queen, both current and former, looked to the Earthling with respect and favor. Angie did spoke the truth; Moon did the best that she could, and while some of her actions in the past had been a bit questionable, she did her best with Star. Now it was up to her daughter to owe up to her mistakes, to be responsible and learn from her actions. So while some blame could be pointed to Moon, ultimately it was Star's actions & inactions that was the cause of it all.

Queen Moon looked towards Angie and Rafael, centering herself and said, "Thank you… thank you, Mrs. Diaz. And thank you, Mr. Diaz. And… thank you, Eclipsa for telling me this.". The two native of Earth nodded, saying that it was no problem while Eclipsa was a bit stunned to hear the words coming from the normally proud Butterfly queen.

The royal blue-haired beauty was not done as she looked to Eclipsa and continued, "I have a lot to owe up to, myself. Our family… myself, have not been the people we should be. I owe both you and Marco a lot… and I hope you do my best to make amends.".

Eclipsa's eyes narrowed, searching for any kind of deception from her relation. To her surprise, she found none. Seeing the regal royal one now looking subdued and quite vulnerable, her own eyes softened and went to her relation. The Diaz watched on, hoping to see a good thing happen now.

The Queen of Darkness looked to Moon… than hugged her, which caught her off-guard and caused her eyes to widen from the action and contact. She whispered to her, "Thank you very much… you have no idea how much that means to me, hearing that from you.". The ruler of Mewni soon had tears coming from her eyes, softly letting out a sob as she returned the gesture. The two family members were hugging, one giving forgiveness while the other accepted it. It seemed that the rift between Eclipsa and Moon were now the very first stages of healing.

What came after that was up to the both of them.


The two family members remained in the embrace for a little while before separating, Moon sniffing a little before trying to compose herself. It seemed a weight had been lifted from her, body and soul. She looked to the Diaz members and said, "I shall do what I can to help Marco. And also Eclipsa… shall do my best to right the wrongs my family and Mewni has done to you in the past. It may not be much, but it's the most and best I can offer.".

Eclipsa nodded her head and replied, "That is all I ask. Thank you.".

Rafael put in, "And thank you for putting your help into our son, your Highness. I believe that he will need all the support he can get at this point in time.".

A powerful, feminine voice spoke up, "You are most correct that your son Marco will need help in the future, Rafael Diaz.". This caught the mortals, except for Eclipsa who knew the voice, off-guard as they looked around the room. Said area was soon bathed in white light that was blinding for a moment… than it faded, and all saw that standing in the middle of the group was Luna, the moon goddess herself from Roman lore!

The Diaz and Butterfly members were stunned to see the deity, standing in regal Roman wear that made her look intimidating as well as lovely. Moon and Eclipsa bowed to her, but the Diaz family continued to stand where they were. The goddess smiled at the four, and gestured for the Butterflies to rise up. She looked to the mortals and said, "I have come to tell you all that indeed, Marco will be needing help in the near future. He is at a crossroads now, and it seems that his destiny lies in the choices that he will soon make. And also… the fate of both Earth and the planet where Mewni resides on rests on him & the ones that will follow him.".

Angie went to the goddess and asked, "W-What do you mean? Are you saying that Marco is destined to save… two worlds?".

Luna chuckled softly as she answered, "I do not know all the details. But I do know this; Marco is critical in many ways, for both the citizens of Earth and the ones that reside in the Mewni kingdom on planet Mewmon.". This stunned the four, especially Eclipsa and Moon since they did not know the name of the very planet they resided on. Luna looked to them, and explained that the planet's name was something of her own creation, saying that it was a mixture of the Mewni and Monster name. She did state that if the residents of the planet had a better name for it, than it was up to them in the future.

Moon spoke softly and with respect, "Your Grace Luna, tell us please… is the kingdom of Mewni on the brink of destruction, and only Marco can save it?".

She replied, "Yes. The magical realm of Mewni is on the verge of self-destruction, aided more by Star Butterfly's actions & certain inactions. In less than fifty years… all will implode on itself, and a rebellion the likes no Mewni or Monster resident has ever seen will take place. The ground will be soaked with the blood of both Mewnian and Monster citizen, and the land will take generations to even heal itself from the conflict. Should Marco Diaz return to Mewni, and see fit to fix the problems that are plaguing it, the land will be spared from such devastation.".

Eclipsa and Moon were now very much in awe that such a fate awaited their kingdom… and Marco was the only one who could keep the realm from falling into itself! Luna added in that the planet Earth was also in danger, but it was due to forces that came from her. And that Marco would be a critical part in making sure the citizens of the planet would be spared from something that would be almost as big as World War II!

Rafael asked, "Excuse me, um… Lady Luna. But I have to ask… were you permitted to come and tell us this? I imagine that your father Jupiter would not have allowed you to come and tell something like this directly.". He had studied some mythology back in his school days, high school and a sprinkle in college.

Luna gave the mortal a patient smile and stated, "Yes… normally, my father Jupiter would have prevented me from telling you something of this magnitude directly. However… someone even greater than he has allowed me to do what I am doing now.".

The Diaz and Butterflies were stunned and perplexed, wondering on who was it that actually reigned over the King of the Roman gods, the wielder of lighting & thunder. Angie suddenly had a feeling, a strong inkling on who it was that Luna was speaking about. She looked to her and inquired, "Luna… the one who is above your father… is he possibly… the King of Kings?".

This caused the goddess's smile to widen just marginally, nodding her head which made Rafael & Angie's eyes widen considerably, and getting their hearts pumping fast. Eclipsa and Moon looked at them quizzically, wondering on what exactly who the person was that Angie asked about.

Luna put in, "The Father has an interesting design for Marco, and thus he sent me to inform you of this. Heh… frankly speaking, Jupiter is upset about this but even he would not go against the will of someone greater than himself.".

She soon turned transparent, fading from view until she disappeared like mist did in the morning sunlight. Her disembodied voice spoke up, "I will say this as well. The ladies who brought Marco here… they will be crucial at this very point in time. And also should the time come for him to choose the one that will complete him, it is she that will guide him to the crossroad he will travel on. One that will let him stay on Earth and let Mewni fall. Or one that will convince him to come back to the magical realm, to save it while Earth endures yet another large war before he returns to end it.".

This was a lot for the magical & mundane mortals to take in, especially the parents of Marco. After some moments of shocked silence, it was Moon who broke it as she suggested, "I believe that we should go back to the room where young Marco is at. But… considering the little meeting we had with Lady Luna… I suggest we keep that bit of information to ourselves. I don't think the others would be ready to hear such news…". This had everyone nodding their heads, not even beginning to contemplate what would happen if Marco and the others heard what the Roman moon goddess had just told them.


As they made their way out of the room and heading back towards the one the young Diaz lad was in, Moon looked to the parents and whispered, "Like I said, I promise to do what I can to aid Marco. I already failed one child… I do not wish to fail a second time with one I hold dearly.". Mr. & Mrs. Diaz merely smiled and nodded, accepting the words of the royal Mewnian.

When they got back to the room and opened the door, they saw that the others were laughing and talking to the bandaged young man who simply smiled at the action. Apparently, he had just been told what Sensei and the girls had been doing last time he saw them. Marco was pleased that the three former cheerleaders were taking the studies seriously at a prestigious university, while Sensei was still teaching young ones all about the martial art of karate. And now, Higgs and the others were telling their stories on what Marco did in Mewni & when he hung out with them when he could. Hearing the door open, they saw the adults coming back in. Mariposa squealed in delight and ran to her mother, who lifted her up and hugged her tightly & lovingly.

Kelly looked up at the returning adults, a bit surprised when she saw Eclipsa coming with them, thinking she had been with them the whole time. She asked, "Hey there. Did you all get something out of your systems? And… Eclipsa? How did you…?".

The mature beauty smiled and said, "A story for another time, dear. So, is everything alright in here?". Hekapoo answered that everything was okay, just letting Marco catch up with his friends. The young lad looked to his parents and the Butterflies, feeling that something occurred between the four. But he would look into it at another time, when he was decently healed enough.

Moon was about tell Marco something when… something caused her senses to go off. She walked over to Marco and looked at him curiously, making the young have a perplexed look on his face. He wasn't the only one as the visitors in the room were also curious on what the royal one was doing, but Eclipsa's face soon changed into curiosity as well as she joined her relation. Both put a hand over Marco's bandaged body, hovering over him as each hand started to glow in a faint blue glow. This caused the native Earthlings and other-worldly beings confusion to be more apparent. Mariposa asked cutely, "You making brother better?".

This got the ladies worried as a goddess herself at told them not to use magic to heal the lad. Eclipsa answered as a frown formed on her face, "No dear, we're not healing him. We're scanning him, and… what is this?".

Andrea asked, "What? What is it? Is it something wrong? Is there another Monster Arm in Marco?". This caused the young man to panic a little, as he did NOT want another malicious entity in his being.

Queen Moon replied, "No, it is nothing like that, thank heavens. But… it seems that there is an energy… flowing through him. It is not magic at all, yet… it's an internal energy source, and from what I can feel…". Eclipsa finished it, saying that the energy was increasing the healing process.

Sensei's eyes widened as he heard that and inquired, "Wait! Did you say… internal energy source? And not magic at all?". Moon and Eclipsa confirmed it, both saying that they were versed in magic & didn't feel any of it from Marco. Hekapoo soon joined in, saying that she was feeling a slight buzz from Marco's being yet couldn't fully identify it. But even she could feel that it was not magic at all.

The karate instructor said softly, "Is it… is it really possible? Can Marco actually now utilize it? If so… this is big. REALLY big!".

Chantal put in, "What? Sensei, what are you talking about? What is it? What is it that you think Marco can utilize?".

The martial arts user looked to her, than to the rest of the crew & finally to Marco who looked as confused as the rest of them. He stated, "I know I may be jumping the gun a bit with this. But… if what you're saying is all true, and that this energy is indeed speeding up Marco's natural healing… than… that energy could only be… its ki! Marco is unconsciously using ki energy!".

This got a lot of confused looks from the group, with Mariposa putting on a cute-confused look on her face as she asked, "Key? Did he swallow a key?".

Sensei looked at the little treasure with a nervous smile as he answered, "No, not that kind of key, little one. The one I am talking about is spelled K-I, and it's an energy source from within. Like one's own life force. But to be honest… I thought that only the Masters could utilize ki like what Marco is doing…".

Kelly spoke, "Masters? What are you talking about?".

A familiar voice spoke up, "That is what I would like to know myself.". The others turned to see that just coming through the door was Dr. Sky Exten, followed by nurses Reyna and Delma. The male healer looked to be very intrigued on what he just heard, as were the nurses who saw that the room was a little bit crowded now. Fortunately for them, Marco was the only occupant so there was no worry at all of disturbing any other patients.

The good doctor looked to Sensei and asked, "Hello there, my name is Sky Exten. I am doctor to Mr. Marco Diaz for the time being he is here in the hospital, and these will be his caretakers as well, Nurse Delma and Nurse Reyna. Now tell us all please… what is it you know about Marco's unusual healing, and these Masters you spoke of?".

It seems that Sensei would have a lot of explaining to do, to both his former pupil & the various people around him in the room.


~Meanwhile at Quest Buy~

While all of the drama and suspense was happening in the realm of Earth, in the dimension that had an unknown planet that hosted a rather large complex store that was visited by multiple beings from various dimensions, three specific beings were going down a certain aisle as they started to look at the merchandise before them. Princess Pony Head exclaimed, "Wow! Look at this! Magical 3-D Projections- Fool your parents and friends by placing a copy of a 3-D image of you while you sneak off! Now this is the kind of thing I need to help me get out from daddy's eyes now and then!". She used her horn's magic to levitate the item in question, and it put it in the shopping cart that Tom was pushing. Said object was already holding plenty of objects that her, Tom and Star were getting to purchase soon.

Said demon and prince of his unholy realm looked to the left as they exited the aisle and exclaimed, "Wow! Look at that! They have new weapons on sale! And… yes! They still have it in stock! The latest ones called Soul Extractor are in! I need to possess one!". The weapon he was eyeing was a double-headed meteor hammer, a kind of chain weapon in that was used in China & often referred to as dragon's fist. The object was black in color, with two large spherical weights tied to a strong-looking chain. One weight sphere was black, the other red. According to Tom, the Soul Extractor was a weapon that could extract life energy from a being. The black weight would be used to wrap around the target, and the energy would be transferred to the red weight where it would be absorbed into the user.

The energy stolen could be used to heal wounds, regain one's own stamina & vitality, or to be stored for later use. The soul could also be stolen if the black weight connected with the target in battle, but it would be piece by piece instead. Tom was eager to get his hands on such a weapon that according to most, were extremely limited and hard to get by most standards. So he went over to get his hands on one before they were gone.

Star chuckled at the antics of her boyfriend, then looked to her right to see something that caught her eye. She left the cart with Pony Head to see the object that got her attention, going to it to see that it was. From the look of it, the item was a complete set of the castle that featured the outside of it and the courtyard. It was very detailed, showing that the ones who made the set were very dedicated to their craft in making sure they got every detail down exactly right. By the castle set were figurines that featured the various knights and squires that apparently famous enough to warrant being made. Star looked to see figurines of Lady Whosits, Sir Dashing of Muscleton, Sir Stabby, Old Guy, Baby-Man and more!

However, she soon spotted an action figure that stood out from the rest. And it was… Marco Diaz! This surprised the blonde princess very much, seeing a toy that featured the Earth boy instead of his cross-dressing alter-ego. She inspected the action figure to see that it was quite detailed, showing Marco in a squire outfit and having no weapons at all. She looked the small object over, and found a button. She pushed it, and the figurine did a karate chop while doing Marco's signature karate yell when he did his martial arts moves. When she pushed it again, the action figure yelled out this time, 'For Mewni and the Royal Family!'.

The blonde young woman had a pensive look on her face, showing that she was thinking on when was the last time she saw Marco… or when was the last time they hung out together. Her face soon changed to show a sadness, soon realizing that she could barely remember the last time when Marco was with them. It had been so long ago that she barely even knew when he was even around the castle. She was about to contemplate more on it when a shout from her best friend, who was a floating head, called out to her.

Pony Head exclaimed, "Hey, B-Fly! Come on now! We got to go, check out some of the other stuff they got here before checking out!". The princess was brought out of her musings, giving the action figure one last look before putting it back & going to where her friends were at.


~Back in Echo Creek~

While Star had been hanging out with her BFF and boyfriend at the mega mall, Sensei had just finished explaining what he knew about the Masters and of ki. Needless to say, the whole group was stunned on what they heard. Dr. Sky Exten spoke, "So, let's go over certain things again so we are clear. Ahem… this ki energy is what is increasing the efficiency of Marco's natural healing, correct?". Sensei nodded his head in an affirmative.

Hekapoo added, "And this… ki is different than magic, it's an internal source. Like one's own life force, right?". The teacher of the martial arts once again nodded his head.

Kelly stated, "And even though this… ki is in every living thing, only a certain number of people can actually use it & it only awakens if said person has been through much training and experience.". Again, Sensei confirmed it with a nod.

Higgs put in, "And Marco has been using it, though in very little amounts & unconsciously since he didn't know he even awakened it to begin with.". Sensei nodded, saying that his student had been through some serious tough times when he was hanging with Star. He surmised that he started to access his ki, but it was in very minute amounts and it was without his actual knowledge.

Jackie finished it, "And these Masters are people who have actually mastered the art of bringing out their ki, but in specific areas & are now living in seclusion in various spots on the planet?".

Sensei replied, "Yes. When I managed to reach a certain level in my training, I was told of this by my own masters of the martial art. They informed me that this kind of thing was sensitive stuff; not the top-level classified like they do in governments, but enough to tell me to not go spilling about it needlessly.".

Marco was very much surprised by this. Even though he remained silent throughout the conversation, his facial expression showed it all. And also, his mind was working very hard and fast to process the info. And when he started to remember certain events in his life that involved Star's adventures, things started to click. On how started to become stronger, faster and more resilient than normal. It was just due to his dedicated training, it was partially that… but also now it was due to him accessing his ki, though he didn't know it at that time! And even now, his ki was increasing the efficiency of his healing. Because he was told that normally, he was very lucky to be even alive. But now that he would be released in a month spoke volumes on the subject.

Rafael spoke, "I have to say, this is very interesting to know. And also good that this ki is helping my son to heal better.".

Nurse Delma replied, "I'm with you on that. This ki… it's truly something else. It's different than magic, and seems to be more versatile that it. Not saying better, that is debatable. But it certainly seems to be more interesting.". The Mewni women also found the concept of ki to be quite interesting as well, a totally new subject to dive into that they believed would be beneficiary in the future.

Nurse Reyna checked her watch and saw that it was now nearing 1:00 p.m. She looked to the visitors and spoke, "I'm sorry, but we need to be checking and examining patient Marco now. You can all come back here later on, visiting hours are from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.". This made some of the members frown, especially Mariposa and the women who had a crush on the Diaz lad.

The cute three-year old sister spoke, "No! Me wanna stay with big brother!". Angie smiled patiently, kneeling to be at her daughter's level and saying that her brother needed to rest and heal up more. And also they would be back later on, most likely after dinner to check up on him. The little lady was reluctant to be removed from her brother, since it had been awhile since she had last seen him. But a small smile and nod from her sibling reassured her, but she pouted and said that she wanted to see him again soon. This caused a round of chuckles from the entire group.


Each said their goodbyes to the injured lad, Sensei and the three beautiful women who had joined him bid Marco farewell and would come in later to check on him as well. Jackie and Janna also said goodbye, but not before giving the lad a kiss on the cheek! The blonde surfer/skating beauty planted a light one on his left cheek, Janna on the right. This caused the blessed/lucky man to blush deeply, the girls doing the same but with smiles on their faces before leaving.

Hekapoo, Higgs, Kelly and Eclipsa frowned a bit at that, feeling that the Earth girls had moved a bit forward in this secret competition they were in. Kelly went over and pat Marco's head, telling him to get better soon so they could spar & learn more about ki. Higgs stepped up next, looking down at the bandaged-clothed man but instead of her usual goodbye of playful hitting… she actually caressed his right cheek, feeling him softly and saying to get better… with the nerd part put in at the end of it. She was blushing up a storm as she went out the room, Marco also sporting more red in his face and a look of confusion that looked adorable to his mother, Queen Moon and to the nurses.

Hekapoo gave her farewell with a wink, and a bit of sway in her hips that had the lad blushing more as he managed to see the swinging, lovely hips and derriere of the magical being. Eclipsa finished it by giving Marco a kiss on the forehead, telling him to get better soon and that they had much to discuss. She gave the young man a bit of view of her cleavage, not indecent but enough that he got a bit of a peek into what many men considered paradise. She soon followed the others out the door, again Marco so red one would mistake him for a siren on an emergency vehicle going off.

Rafael just grinned, very proud that his son was getting the attention of some fine females. But that said females were of good character, not just of good body. He said his goodbye to his son, giving him a wink to show he was proud & glad that he got some good attention from the ladies. Angie just rolled her eyes at the antics of her husband, then went to Marco to give him a motherly kiss on the forehead but in a different spot than where Eclipsa had kissed him. She said they would be back soon, and then lifted Mariposa up so that she could give her brother a kiss on the cheek as well. She ordered him to get better so they could play, making Marco smile weakly and chuckle softly, saying he would do his best to get better.

When they left, all that was remaining was Queen Moon. She went to Marco, giving him a tenderly kiss on the left cheek and stated, "You stay and regain your strength and health, Sir Marco. I will do what I can to make sure that no one knows you're here, or the condition you are in. I will inform Sir Lavabo that you will be… on leave until further notice. If anyone asks on your whereabouts, I will tell them that you are on a special mission for me that is top secret. That should help you to remain here on Earth undisturbed… well, at least for now. Also… I will buckle down and deal with my daughter… the way I should have done years ago.".

Marco frowned at hearing the part of Star, but he simply nodded and thanked her for doing all of this for him. She smiled and replied, "It's the very least I can do for you. I really want to help you, so I will do what I can on my end. And… I will finally be firm and put my foot down concerning Star's lack of discipline. I will do what I can to make sure she doesn't go to Earth, or try to actively find you.". He understood, saying that he wished her good luck… and that he still trusted her.

Smiling as if another weight was off her shoulders, she nodded and went out of the room. Seeing the visitors gone, the doctors and nurses than started to look over their patient.

Outside, once Queen Moon had joined up with the others, Janna inquired, "So… what do we do now?".

Queen Moon looked to the Diaz family members and said, "I need to go back to Mewni and make sure to do my part so that Marco is not disturbed by any other visitors from my kingdom. Once that is done, I'm going to schedule a new training session with Star. It's high time I really acted like the mother & queen I needed to be for her. After that… well, most likely will come back here. And I would like to see this movie you mentioned earlier.".

Jackie than had an idea go off in her head. She looked to the others and suggested, "You know, seeing a movie is not a bad idea. How about this? We all do our own thing for now, but we come back to the Diaz house once Queen Moon is back. And from there, we can watch some movies until it's time to see Marco again.".

Kelly replied, "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I would like to go back to the library and look up more stuff on the animals that live in this world, and also perhaps find some books that show some martial arts stuff that Marco says about.".

Eclipsa put in, "I would like to go back to the library as well, perhaps check out those objects that in the Media Section. They do sound interesting.". Higgs and Hekapoo also put in that they wanted to go back to the library as well, apparently finding some interesting subjects that had caught their attention.

Sensei stated he would go back to his dojo to prepare for the next class that would start in an hour or so. Megan, Andrea and Chantal said they would be at the mall to check out the shops and maybe catch up with some friends there… IF they were there. Mr. & Mrs. Diaz stated that they would drop the Mewni ladies off at the library before going back home to rest, and also give Mariposa some light lunch that would hold her over until her nap time. Jackie stated that since it was her day off, most likely go to the skate park and do some skating in until she was called. Janna finished it off by saying she would be at a movie theater to check out the latest film that had come in.

With everything settled, the group soon left the hospital with Queen Moon leaving first via dimensional rip back to Mewni. It would seem that the wheels of Fate and Destiny were now moving… and it all revolved around Marco Diaz and the ones who truly cared for him.


(Author's Notes: And… cut! That is it for this chapter! Whew! Not a bad chapter, if I do say so myself.

Again, I want to give praise and honor to the Lord here! Thank you God for helping me with this chapter, and also for giving me the inspiration I needed to make it a reality. Thank you Jesus for being with me, and also guiding me in many ways! Thank you! I really want to put the gifts you have given me to full, good use in any way possible! Thank you very much Lord for everything!

So the reason on why Marco is in the hospital in the first place is revealed, some situations between Queen Moon & the Diaz parents plus with her own family relation Eclipsa have been settled, Star seems to have an inkling now on what she has been doing to Marco, said boy learns that he can utilize ki but only unconsciously for the time being, and now there are Masters he can go to in order to further his training & be able to use ki. Not bad all around, I hope.

Also know this; ki is very much different than magic on many levels. When the two mix, the results vary from light to… chaotic, to say the least. Marco and the others will learn the hard way on what happens when certain magical spells/abilities/beings interact with ki.

Here are the subjects that each of the Mewni girls will dive into when they are at the library, during their stay on Earth until Marco gets better enough to leave the hospital. Here they are:

Kelly- Zoology concerning animals, martial arts from various branches & environmental science

Higgs- Military history, naval history & building construction engineering

Hekapoo- Business/commerce, general works on law & music

Eclipsa- World History/Geography, folklore from various cultures & fine art

In addition, Marco will soon be training in both ki AND the proficient martial arts that is very much utilized on the continent the Master is on. I already have someone in mind for when Marco does decide to go see the world, as well as find the Masters of the Ki art in North America. Here are the martial arts that he will get a grasp on, not master mind you but train in so that he can use them proficiently until he decides to take his training further with it. Here they are:

South America- Capoeira

Africa- Senegalese wrestling

Europe- Various sword styles such as fencing, plus chivalry code of honor

Asia- Jujutsu & bushido

Australia- Mixed martial arts

And that is it. Now than… ahem! Time for the questions:

If you were with Mr. & Mrs. Diaz & Eclipsa talking with Queen Moon, what would your words be to her?

After hearing from Luna on Marco's destiny, and also his effect if he either stays on Earth or goes back to Mewni, what would your thoughts be?

After hearing from Sensei all about ki and the Masters, what would you say to them about that?

If you saw the Mewni playset that had all the knights & squires including Marco, would you buy it or no?

What kind of movie should the group see later on? And also why?

And finally this… after hearing about Eclipsa's ability with dark places & her own spells, what natural abilities should the Mewni girls have that can versatile in situations?

And here is an optional bonus question: What would you name the planet that Mewni resides on? And why?

R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave LONG reviews!)