Marco at a Crossroads

By: DJ Rodriguez

(Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I hope that all of you are doing well. I know it has been awhile since I updated, but just glad to see that some are patient with this story.

Before I say or do anything else, I want to give praise and glory to the Lord! God, thank you so much for being there for me! Thank you for guarding me, guiding me and striking me with inspiration & influence that surprise even me! Thank you Jesus for my family and friends, including those that review my stories and like them very much in the process! Thank you Lord for giving me this incredible gift of imagination that I do not want to ever waste! I want to put this gift you have given to me to good use in your name, Jesus Christ!

I am also thanking the Lord for two very important events that have occurred. The first is that I officially finished my 2nd Annual Disney/Toho Kaiju Music Video Awards special some time ago. It was challenging to put together another Disney/Toho music video special, but it got done & in a way that even surprised me. So thank you God for helping me to finish the crossover special on a very good note.

The second thing I want to give thanks to God is this; an Author here by the name of Drjeesh had told informed me that he wishes to make my story here into a comic series! Yes, I have talked with him & he has confirmed it! Marco at a Crossroads here will be a certified comic series that will be featured in his profile at Deviantart! His profile is the same name as the one he uses here, so it will be easy to find. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big round of applause for the Author here who has stated that he is willing to make the series with no kind of payment commission! He is doing this out of his own free time and effort, so please give him a lot of cheering and clapping!

Thank you God for this kind of thing that really just warms my heart and gives me hope! Hope that one day, I can find someone willing to make my Monsters and Magic series or any of my Disney/Toho works into an art series!

But I want to thank the other Authors who have helped me out immensely with this Star Vs. story! So I say thank you to Authors Darkness Rissing, Isom, Parent12D, Data Seeker, laze jovanov, Mark Juan, Starco4everr, Karlos1234ify and more! Thank you to all who have stuck by this story and given your reviews/ideas/inputs/suggestions that have really made this story grow! Slow but sure, just how I like for it to be!

I am sad that some Authors have stopped leaving reviews, but I hope that they are okay and well.

I really want to take my time with this story, give it a solid and strong foundation. This applies not just to the plot, but for the characters as well. I want not just for the main characters like Marco and such to grow, but also for the minor ones as well! I want to make sure that certain characters featured in my story here is shown to be an impact to this story here, be it little or big.

And to also let you all this; I will be a marathon runner for this story I am writing, to pace myself & to let character development and growth progress and show on my terms. So I ask for your trust & patience here, for I believe I know what I am doing here. In addition, I did some corrections on chapters eight and four, thanks to Drjeesh pointing them out for me. So thank you once again, my friend!

On another note, my friend Data Seeker still needs some help with some ideas he has. So if you wish to aid him, please do and contact him via PM.

In this chapter, Queen Moon has her hands full yet again. This time with visitors from the Forest Territory, which is King Khan & his family from the Tiger tribe that inhabit the northeastern area of Mewni. And also with the arrival of Queen Seres Arm & her daughter Princess Patty Arm. The blue-haired beauty will have to prove herself to the royal Tiger & Arm family that standing with the Butterfly royal family is still the best choice to make, despite how much trouble Star has caused. And speaking of the princess, she will be in more hot water! All that she has done in the past to Marco with her two cohorts, her beau Prince Tom & BFF Princess Lilacia Pony Head, is coming back to a full head!

In addition, Marco will speak something quite profound to his family & friends. We will also gain some insight on Eclipsa & her why she resolves to try and gain Marco's body and heart. Like I said, character development with each character will occur but on my timetable. Not anyone else's.

I really hope that this story gains more attention & becomes popular like my Monsters and Magic series!

On a final note, it is this. I really am tired of seeing parodies and such that make fun of the classic Disney Princesses. Nowadays people/series/networks/shows like to make fun of the Disney ladies such as Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, and more just because they are not as 'action-packed' as today's modern Disney ladies. I have to say, I want to bring honor and dignity back to said classic women. To show the world that certain abilities and traits that made said ladies famous in the first place are actually a strength that should be held in high regard! To be looked upon with favor, not looked down in a mockery.

So again, just to be sure I am clear… trust in what I do. I may not be a total expert with the Star Vs. series, but I will do my best with what I know and pick up along the way. In addition, I have been seeing a lot of old cartoon series that I have on DVD, still working in fine condition. They consist of both Disney & non-Disney series, and thus I have enjoyed & learned much from them to put in here. So this story will also have educational purposes, similar to shows that combined education with entertainment in the 1980s and 1990s.

The action will also take place mostly on Earth, with some taking place in Mewni. The dimension where time is greatly accelerated, Hekapoo's home, will only be shown a minor number of times. After seeing the Diaz's losing their two kids once more to rapid growing up to them not being part of their lives… I will not have anything like that here. I believe that parents should see their kids grow, help them grow and become good adults in the process. So Mariposa nor Marco will return to Hekapoo's home realm.

So just to make it clear here. There will be NO kind of reference to slash or femme-slash of any kind. So while this is a Marco/Multiple Girls story, there will be NO kind of slash or femme-slash actions or references here at all. I believe that I can bring forth the true and real potential of Jackie and the other ladies here, more so than was done/shown to them in the series.

And that is my stance on this story, and all others I have made and will make in the future. Look to my bio to understand me and more on where I stand firmly. And again, this story will feature Christian elements and faith! And that I am not sorry at all for!

Also, will be giving my OC names from the website 20000-NAMES, as I have done in my previous stories. Each name is linked to a different nation, and has a different meaning. To see what they mean, go to website to look it up.

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 11:50 a.m. in the realm of Mewni. In the Castle Garden, King River and Queen Moon were talking with their old friends King Justus and Queen Isadora. Nearby, Princess Penelope Acacius was under a tree that provided sufficient shade for her to keep cool even though the weather was actually balmy for the moment. Said young lady that had blossomed into quite the beauty was sitting down on the soft grass, petting two rabbit that were in her lap with a small freshwater turtle on her left side.

Earlier, the three wild animals had sensed the distress that was radiating from the royal woman of the Acacius kingdom, coming to her to see if they could help out. Penelope smiled softly and had allowed the small animals to be with her, the mammals slowly climbing into her lap & trusting her to not do anything to them. Same with the turtle, the reptile also trusting his safety to the Mewnian.

Sitting on a bench nearby far from the others was Star Butterfly, the blonde princess looking depressed and frowning at seeing her former friend acting like the princesses that had attended St. Olga's reform school.

While it looked peaceful to those who saw the group in the garden, it took one who was accustomed to battle or danger to feel the tenseness now permeating the outdoor area. It had been a little over two hours since the arrival of the Acacius family and now they were waiting for the arrival of two other royal families that were due to arrive in ten minutes.


~Flashback~

After hearing Star's confession on how she used a spell to copy Marco's report on the former Spiderbite kingdom, transferring the words on other parchment & letting Prince Tom use his flames to destroy the notebook that the Diaz lad used to write down said reports in the first place, the atmosphere was very tense to say the least. Queen Moon was very furious with her daughter on how she could do something so dishonorable, especially to a good man like Marco whom she considered like a son. King River was disappointed and confused on why his own flesh and blood would cave in so easily to her friend's suggestion when she was taught that dishonesty like that was unbecoming of both a princess and a Mewnian being.

King Justus was like King River, but more towards the emotion of upset on how the Butterfly princess could do that to someone that had done so much good. Not just for them, but for many areas around the Mewni realm. Queen Isadora was in the same boat as Moon, livid and angry at Star for hurting Marco whom she believed was a very good choice for her daughter. The Earthling man had a quality, a charm and substance that very few others in the entire realm had. And was convinced that the lad was a very suitable one to both earn the Acacius throne… and also to look after their precious treasure in the future.

Princess Penelope however… she was like a thunderstorm, just barely restraining the fury that was now swirling inside of her like a powerful force of nature!

She gave Star such a look of fury and anger that it made her flinch and take a couple of steps back, the Butterfly adults also taking a step back from seeing such rage on the face of the beautiful princess. King River and Queen Moon were worried that Penelope would do something that she might regret to their daughter, a very small part in their minds though telling them that Star deserved but they ignored it.

The brunette beauty looked like she was going to punch Star hard in the face… but she took several deep breaths and forced herself to calm down. Her self-control & self-discipline kicked in, though it took some supreme effort and willpower to do so.

Penelope glared coldly at her former friend and stated in an equally frosty tone, "I believe you did not answer my question from earlier. Where. Is. Sir. Marco. Diaz?". The last question was punctuated to show that she was no longer in the mood for foolish questions or ramblings, each word she spoke in her question hard & firm like that of a war hammer.

Princess Butterfly was very fearful at this point from hearing such cold words from Penelope, not seeing such fury in her since… well, ever.

Queen Moon knew that she had to intervene or else things would get ugly quickly, and most likely put any kind of alliance/friendship they had with the Acacius family in jeopardy. She got between the two ladies, though sending a very stern glare to her daughter who shrank from underneath said look, and stated, "I will tell you everything regarding Sir Marco, but not until everyone arrives. You see, King Khan & his family from the Tiger tribe will be here this afternoon. And arriving with them is Queen Seres Arm is coming with her daughter Princess Patty.".

King Justus and his wife moved to be with their daughter, King River doing the same to be with his family. The patriarch of the Acacius family inquired, "If I may ask, why are they coming here? Is this linked with Sir Marco?".

The blue-haired mature beauty answered, "In a way, yes. They wish to know about him & well as see where our alliances stand.". While her mother talked, Star took another glance at Penelope… flinching again when she saw the rage burning in her green eyes, swearing she almost saw a literal storm raging inside them.

Queen Isadora replied, "I see… I believe it would be best to wait here than. I want to know what happened to Sir Marco & also see how this meeting goes with you and the other royal ones.". After hearing now on what their daughter did to the young Earth man, the wife of Justus was now considering their own alliance with the Butterflies. While they had been friends/comrades for a good long while, they would put their kingdom's well-being first… and right now, it was in question due to Star's foolish actions and the frightful possibilities that would happen should the time come for her to inherit the throne.

Her husband added in, "I agree with my wife here. We will wait until the others come, than we can have our questions answered.".

Penelope let out a deep breath, looking to her parents and asked if she could be alone for the time being. Her folks nodded and parted a little so that she could leave. Star called out to her, but Penelope stopped in her tracks and kept her back to her. She spoke in a very cool tone, "Star, I believe its best if you do NOT approach me for the time being. I am very upset and angry with you still, and I don't know if I can restrain myself to keep from doing something I will probably regret later on.". True, what she could do to the blonde princess would bring her relief & satisfaction in the short-term. However, she saw fit to not do it as the long-term effects would most likely not be in her favor.

The group watched as the green-clad beauty walked away to cool down, Star realizing that she had really lost a friend in the former Spiderbite princess.

Queen Moon turned her attention to her daughter and whispered, "And do not think this is over, Star Butterfly. Oh no, you are in so much hot water right now, even the lava springs from the Underworld would be mild compared to the one you are in now with us!".

~End flashback~


So it was so that the Acacius family had relaxed and let the peaceful outdoors calm their tempers, although the tenseness was still there. The royal adults passed the time by catching up with one another, learning what had occurred during the last time they met which was one year ago. Princess Penelope had made sure to steer clear from Star, who really wanted to try and explain herself more. But the more she persisted, the more aggravated the Acacius princess became. It was now only due to the two rabbits and turtle that had her calm down much so that she felt a little bit of peace.

Back to the present, Star was frowning as she saw the interaction between Penelope and the three animals. This reminded her of the classes that was part of the curriculum back at St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses, where the royal girls were forced to act in a way that was against their personalities. When two small blue birds came in and landed on the brown-haired woman's shoulder, chirping and singing to cheer her up, Star felt that she had to do something about this.

Penelope smiled in appreciation for the wildlife that was trying to help her be more at peace. During her training with her parents, whenever she felt frustrated or in despair, the local wildlife of the forest actually came to her aid. She learned that animals had a stronger connection with nature & a special empathetic power that helped them to discern a good being from a bad one. And also if said being was safe to be around or not.

The Acacius young lady gradually, but surely started to see why the princesses at the school were being trained to be kind, patient and also good with certain talents that involved animals to be around them. Being a royal leader was a taxing responsibility for sure, but it was for the good of the people… and also for herself as well. Her parents taught her that real strength flowed from the inside, from certain traits that was from the heart and soul. Not merely from the outside such as physical abilities or powers. And also that if nature could trust her, than the people could also do the same.

Penelope saw that being able to communicate with wild animals like so was a blessing, not a curse or anything negative like certain people saw. The animals were like a balm to her body and soul whenever she needed cheering up or someone to talk to when things got very hectic and rough.

The beautiful woman enjoyed the company of the birds, rabbits and turtle until they felt something hostile approach them. The bluebirds took off quickly while the rabbits bounded off the lap of Penelope to dash away back into the hedges of the garden. The turtle moved as quickly as his little shell-infused body allowed him, reaching a small pond that was nearby that fed fresh water to the area. The little guy dived in headfirst, a small splash occurring before he disappeared into the cool liquid.

Penelope let out a sigh, turning around and looking up to see the deep frown on Star's face. She rose up slowly from her position, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress before delivering a neutral gaze to her former friend. Nature had managed to calm her down, but only moderately.

The blonde woman said, "I see that some of that brainwashing from that school is still with you. Hmph!". She folded her arms across her chest and pouted, making Penelope raise an eyebrow at the childish ways of the eighteen year-old woman. It seemed that Star was still hung up on the negative view of the school. While the headmistress did utilize certified brainwashing methods on the students, the school itself was good but it was ran the wrong way by a very misguided woman. The teachers there were also pleasant, but sadly also under the influence of the headmistress.

But thanks to the school closing down & the headmistress vanishing from sight, the students were set free thanks to Star and Marco. Yet now, pure individualism was set in for the princesses thanks to Star & Marco's alter-ego Turdina, and that was showing to become just as bad as the forced brainwashing methods from the school. Perhaps even worse.

Princess Acacius kept her neutral look on her face as she remarked, "And I see you have quickly forgotten what occurred some time ago. You seem to recover fast after just confessing what you did to Marco. Have you no shame?".

Hearing those words made Star's blood boil, as anything retaining or referring to the young Earth man set her already frayed nerves on edge. She looked ready to explode, and was about to until Penelope stopped her with a raised hand. She continued before the Butterfly princess could get in a word edgewise, "You are lucky that I learned and accepted so much from my parents in my training to be the next ruler of my realm and people. And one of the things I learned is that nature, especially the wildlife, can help you find a peace that you simply cannot experience with anything else. The school had excellent lessons and example on how to be a good princess and ruler… but sadly it was under the control of a fool that thankfully is gone.".

Star was stunned silly to hear Penelope of all people actually DEFENDING the reform school that tried to herself & her friends into mindless royal zombies. At least according to her view.

The blonde daughter of River & Moon exclaimed, "Penelope, will you listen to yourself?! You actually defend that school and also now accepting what it was taught?! I still say your parents have you under some kind of spell, and I won't stop until you're freed from it!".

Penelope's patience and tolerance for Star's behavior was wearing extremely thin, the storm within her heart and soul rising up once more. Star was about to say something when she saw the anger/rage coming back into the orbs of her former friend. She gulped, realizing that perhaps she went too far… again.


The future ruler of the Acacius realm glared at the Butterfly princess and spoke in a firm tone, "I have done more than listened to myself, Star Butterfly. Over the years, I took a good long look in the mirror. And I didn't like what I saw. I saw a little girl who was lost. Lost at the reform school until I was freed by you and Marco. And I refer to him by his TRUE name, not that idiotic persona that you put him in. I thought I could find myself; free from the constraints and obligations of others. Free without any kind of responsibilities. Myself and others emulated you in wanting to be ourselves… but that was a mistake.".

She kept on going, "I soon saw something worse than a lost girl. I became a lost woman that was too enraptured in herself, too concerned about myself rather than the fate of my people or the responsibility that is due to the land. I was so too deep into myself that I didn't see how I was hurting my parents, hurting my own people… hurting myself when I thought I was free, when in reality I was being bound up in the foolishness I allowed to consume me. And then Marco came back…".

Her voice turned tender and sweet, the memory of the young knight who had saved her in more ways than one coming into her brain. She stated, "Marco… Sir Marco the Mighty… he came back and started to show that being responsible is not a burden. He took the brunt of your failures when you buckled under pressure during diplomatic meetings between certain Monster tribes and Mewni citizens. He managed to smooth things over between the parties AFTER you had him endure some hits on your behalf. And your boyfriend and BFF tried to make sure that YOU got the credit, not Marco. He had to endure some humiliation in order to keep the peace between certain other Monster tribes and Mewni colonies. He endured all those things, yet still stood strong despite what occurred to him.".

Penelope looked straight into the eyes of Star Butterfly, who winced when she too remembered the many times she had to go forth & become a peacemaker between the Monsters and Mewnians. Her beau Tom and BFF Lilacia did not help much on the diplomatic missions, and each one quickly escalated into a fight or stand-off. It was Marco that came in to smooth over ruffled feathers, so to speak, and also had to take in blows. Both physically, mentally and emotionally.

She finished, "Thanks to Marco, I was let free from the foolishness of pure individualism & the traps that come along with it. I found in my training the necessary balance needed to be both my personal self & princess self, fusing together to become the real me. The me that makes my parents proud of me, the people proud & glad to have me become their queen in the future… and also hopefully to win the approval of the one who helped me become real and true.". Her mind drifted once again to the Diaz lad, really much hoping that her transformation pleased him… and perhaps win his attention that could lead to something much more in the future.

The Acacius princess looked to the stunned Star, seeing the wind taken out of her sails big time. She said, "So just to be perfectly sure. I am not under any kind of spell or influence from my parents, Princess Butterfly. Though I wonder… if the same could be said about you, especially if you continue to hang around the foolish duo of Lucitor and Pony Head.".

Star's face burned red at the implications that she was being held under by some kind of spell from her boyfriend and best female friend, although her conscience had long considered that even though she was ignored nowadays. She was about to lay into Penelope when a powerful roar cut through the air! It was a loud one, akin to that of a big cat.


Nearby, King River and the others also heard the roar, gazing upward from their meeting to hear the incredible sound. A few moments later, a servant of the Butterflies rushed over to them and spoke, "Your Highnesses, King Khan and his family are here! They are approaching the front gate! And also the Arm family has come as well! They are right behind them!".

The short but muscular king smiled, giving his thanks to the servant and looking to his wife and guests. He declared, "It seems that our remaining guests have arrived, and on time no less!". Indeed, the time was precisely 12:00 p.m., on the dot.

The royal adults left their seats, getting up so they could meet the Tiger clan & Arms clan. Penelope walked with grace and dignity past Star, the former staring at her ex-friend in shock at just being brushed off like that. She pouted and did a loud HMPH sound before following her parents to the front gate entrance.

When the six arrived at the front gate area, where the drawbridge was down and coming in were two carriages.

One of them was pulled by a team of strong wild cats, mountain lions to be more precise. Each of the cats was large, almost the size of a horse! The carriage they were pulling was a makeshift wooden one that looked more like a mobile tent than the carriages the Mewnians were used to seeing.

The other carriage were carried by a team of horses that looked to be crafted from solid stone! All of them were well-carved with excellent detail and precision, the etchings on the stone body glowing blue & flowing like veins all over the horses. It was an animation spell, but done in a way that was more refined & spectacular to watch as the magic flowed through the carvings like blood veins.

Emerging from the carriage that held the mountain lions was King Khan himself. The years had been very kind to the ruler of the Neko tribe, still robust and muscular as ever. Like most Monsters, King Khan had longevity that allowed him to age slowly. But it wasn't just that ability, but it was his dedication to training & work ethics that made it possible for him to retain his youthful like appearance and to still to be quite a formidable sight.

Joining him by his side was his wife Aikaterina, the queen of her people looking as lovely & buxom as ever. In fact, it seemed that she had grown in all areas but in a very good way. She was deadly as she was beautiful though, that anyone other than her husband tried to make a move on her & flirt with her… they were sent flying far or scared so much they ran for the hills in the opposite direction.

Joining them were their two children; the son Loukianos who had blue fur with orange stripes with a rock-stripe mark on his forehead & the daughter Lysimache who had white fur with lavender stripes with an ice-stripe mark on her forehead. All were wearing light armor that covered some parts of their body & allowed for complete freedom of movement. A simple but elegant crown of amazonite, a green mineral substance found only in their realm, was on the head of King Khan. Queen Aikaterina had a crown of quartz on her head to signify her royal position.

Prince Loukianos had a crown of tiger's eye on his head, his sister Princess Lysimache having a crown of turquoise on her head.


Coming from the other carriage was Queen Seres Arm, mother to Patty Arms & wife to King Alarico the Hecatoncheire Giant that resided in the southeastern area of Mewni in the Topaz Mountain Range. The giants stuck to their own lands since they had a distrust of outsiders like the Mewnians. However, that started to change their rulers fell in love with the Mewnian woman Seres. And when they married, she became ambassador for the giants on her husband's behalf. Now they started to become more sociable, though they were still a bit wary.

Said Mewnian woman who had managed to coax a society of strong & formidable giants from their isolation looked quite beautiful as she emerged. Dressed in very fine clothes with jewelry that consisted of purple topaz stone adorning her body. But these were not mere decorations. King Alarico had made his blacksmiths infuse powerful protective magical enchantments into the jewels, giving his wife a multitude of options on how to protect herself.

However, Seres was far from helpless as she was top-notch when it came to projectile weapons. And showed a surprising amount of strength in her beautiful form, showing it only when it came to protecting her daughter and husband. So underneath her calm and royal demeanor… she was ready to explode with such energy and force that it surprised anyone who witnessed it.

Following her was Princess Patty Arms, the four-armed young woman having changed very much from her previous self three years ago!

She no longer had buck-teeth, having drank a potion that shrunk said teeth and corrected the problem years ago. However, she would not recommend having teeth fixed like that since the substance she drank tasted very nasty & also the process hurt her mouth that left her unable to eat or drink anything for the next few hours. Her hair was no longer a dull-blonde color but a luxurious deep golden one that sparkled and shimmered like real gold! It was still puffy and voluminous, yet had a quality that made her look more desirable.

Her body had also changed as well. No longer scrawny, she had started to really fill up in certain areas. She had started to grow breasts that were generous and bountiful, almost equal to Penelope's and certainly more abundant than Star's own chest. Her arms and legs showed corded muscles and a healthy light-tan skin, displaying to all that she had been doing some serious training. Her backside was also round and tight, causing many a man to stare at said area with lecherous smiles.

Of course, Seres would discourage these looks with a glare that promised eternal pain & misery which caused said males to quickly avert their eyes least they feel her wrath. The dress she wore was a deep purple color that also had enchantment stones embroidered in the fabric. Like with his wife, her father wanted to make sure his precious little girl was safe.

When Patty saw Star, she smiled brightly and waved to her. Star grinned back, in her mind glad to see that someone did not adhere completely to stuffy decorum. However, the blonde beauty was confused when she saw Penelope and her family. Without the spider bite mark, she didn't recognize them.

The royals went to the arriving guests, King Khan looking with firm eyes at King River & Queen Moon. He saw the Acacius family, looking at them & not recognizing them due to not having their mark. He looked back to the blue-haired beauty of the Butterfly family and asked, "It is good to see you again, Sister Moon & Brother River.". To those that were close to him as friends, he referred to them as Brother or Sister. A badge of honor within the Tiger clan. The two royals offered smiles to the ruler of the Neko tribe, which he returned with a small but true smile of his own.

When his eyes fell on Star, who offered a nervous smile and wave, his face took on a completely neutral look that made her gulp nervously. It was all due to her that they were even at the castle in the first place.

Queen Aikaterina inquired, "And I didn't know you were having guests over. Tell us please, who are they? They look a bit familiar…".

Queen Seres put forth, "Indeed, they look familiar but cannot quite put my finger on it…". Her daughter was in the same boat as she didn't recognize any of them.

Moon Butterfly answered, "My friends, allow me to present King Justus & Queen Isadora along with their daughter Princess Penelope. They are of the Acacius family… formerly the Spiderbite family.". Seeing the surprised/stunned looks on their faces made her day, smiling and giggling softly at seeing such expressions. It almost made up for the anger she felt upon learning what Star did to Marco… almost.

Prince Loukianos exclaimed, "No way! They are the Spiderbite family?! But… how?! Where are the bites?!". Even his sister Princess Lysimache was stunned very much to see that the people before them were the Spiderbites & that Penelope had changed very much last time she or anyone else had seen her.

King Justus spoke, "My friends, I believe there is much we need to tell you. And it all revolves a certain young knight that I believe Queen Moon needs to inform us about.".

When all eyes were on her, said ruler of Mewni sighed as she felt that the rest of the day would be quite long and tasking for her. She didn't know how right she was! The mature royal beauty looked to the company and said, "Come, I think I can better explain everything in the Castle Garden area.". She turned and started to walk away towards said area, her husband and daughter following her.

The others followed suit, the royal company that just arrived wondering on what just was going on.


~On Earth~

While all of this was going on in the other dimension, Marco was in deep thought still in his bed at the hospital. He was getting himself ready to tell his family and friends on what he wanted to say to them when the clock struck 12:15 p.m. He heard the door open, turning to the side to see his parents and Mariposa come in. A small but warm & welcoming smile was on his lips as he was embraced first by his energetic little sister. Of course, said little bundle of energy was told by her mother to be careful when hugging Marco. Mariposa got on a stool that was near her brother's bed, wrapping her small arms around his bandaged frame and exclaiming, "Brother! I miss you!". She started to kiss his face, making him chuckle at his affectionate sibling.

Rafael and Angie grinned at seeing the precious sight, the mother taking out her cell phone and taking a couple of pictures.

Soon after them came was Jackie and Jenna, both ladies smiling & giggling softly at seeing their intended target being assaulted by his little sister's affections. Jackie was on her lunch break now, which lasted from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Janna's volunteer work at the daycare had ended, but she had a good time with the little ones & also made some good money in the process.

The blonde surfer/skater went to the duo and asked, "Hey there Marco. How are you feeling?".

Marco chuckled as he answered, "Hahahaha! I'll let you know the moment the Kissing Monster here lets me go!".

Janna chuckled as she went to Mariposa, gently prying her arms off of her brother and said, "Okay now, I think your brother's got the message that you missed him. Let him breathe for a moment, kiddo.". The little lady pouted a bit before a smile overcame her face, being put back down on the ground by her favorite babysitter before she rushed back to her parent's side.

Coming in after the Earth girls were the Mewni women. First was Kelly, than Hekapoo, followed by Eclipsa & finishing it with Higgs. The women were glad to see Marco & he was glad to see them all as well. The group said their greetings to the healing lad, all of them now surrounding him.

Jackie asked again on how he was feeling, Marco answering, "I'm feeling a bit better now, all things considering. They did a number of tests on me earlier, and they reassured me that I am healing fine. Although… I don't know why, but I think they might be surprised on what they might find when they're done examining my blood.".

Janna had a quizzical look on her face as she asked, "Examining your blood? Why would they be surprised at that?".

The Diaz man answered, "Well, think about it. I have been around a lot of magic for quite a while, and also now I have this ki energy within me even though I don't know how to consciously use it. I think all of that may have done something to me everywhere, including my blood. So they might find or discover something that will surprise them.".

The occupants in the room, minus Mariposa, saw that he did have a point. Marco had been exposed to a number of magical mishaps and such when Star was around. And him being in Mewni for three years, including the various worlds he has been to via Dimensional Scissors, it would stand to reason that his physiology & biology had been altered a bit. And also living for sixteen years in Hekapoo's home realm before coming back to regular time and changing back to his teenage self, that would also have to alter something on any kind of level.

Now add in the ki element which was new territory for all of them, it would now be understandable if they found something unusual at all with Marco's blood.

Marco looked to the group and said, "Everyone, I have something really important to tell you all. But before I get to that, I want to know how your day has been going so far.". The group was a little puzzled on what it was that the young man wanted to tell them, wondering if it was anything like the informative bombshell they received some time ago concerning his finances and his plan to see what Earth held for him.

He looked to Kelly and asked, "So Kels, what have you been up to today?".

The green-haired beauty of Amazonia exclaimed, "Oh, I had the most fantastic day at the zoo! Marco, that place is amazing! I learned a lot from seeing some animals I didn't think were possible to exist at all!". She started to tell the others on how her experience was at the establishment prior to her coming back to the others at the Diaz household via scissor travel.


~Flashback~

After seeing much of the various animal life in the Awesome Amphibians area, Kelly left the building and went more northward. She went past a building that had the plaque Educational Center which was a place where those new to animals or who thirsted for knowledge about them could go & learn about the kinds of animals that inhabited the wild. She made a mental note to check it out later.

She also passed a large spot that read Steve Irwin's CRIKEY Center for Young Ones. Kelly paused a little to see a playground area that had slides, swings and various other play equipment in the shape of animals such as kangaroos, koalas, and even crocodiles. They were animals native to the continent of Australia, in honor of legendary animal conservationist & rescuer Steve Irwin. There were benches too for adults to sit upon so they could watch the children play with supervision. There was also an area that had a small amphitheater that had a stage that was used for zoo keepers and experts to show an audience on how certain animals were & how they are in the wild. Even a sand box area with a lot of toy equipment inside of it!

The entranced young lady was amazed to see a play/educational area like this since there was nothing like it in Mewni or in her own home world. She looked over the sign that held the name of the place, gazing downward to see a picture of Steve Irwin & a quote that was underneath it. It read: I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message.

The Amazonian was impressed with the message and with this Steve Irwin person, hoping to see if she could meet him one day.

She continued onward, passing by more animals that fascinated her & caused her to write more in her notebook and to take pictures. She passed by decent-sized habitant that held the Aldabra Tortoise, stunned to see something that looked similar yet different from the turtles that was back in Mewni & in her own home realm. She was amazed on the info that was set before her: that the species was found only in the Aldabra Atoll in the Republic of Seychelles off the eastern coast of Africa, an archipelago of islands. That males grew up to four feet in length, while females grew to three feet. And also that the tortoise could weigh in at 792 lbs. Also that they had the Vulnerable status according to the IUNC List.

And also that it could live for a very long time, max life span an estimated 255 years! It was impressive to her, especially since certain non-magical animals back in Mewni and in Amazonia only had a life span of about 60 or so years, depending on said animal & living conditions. She also made a mental note to see what the difference was between a tortoise and a turtle.

As took pictures, she didn't notice that the male & female turtle in the habitat were looking directly at her and slowly moving from their positions over to her. When she left to go see more of the area, their heads followed her. The crowd that saw this were perplexed on what said reptiles were showing off such behavior.

Kelly soon arrived at the Exotic Aviary, going into the large enclosure to see some birds that took her breath away. She many exotic & colorful looking birds whose natural homelands were far away in places like South America, Asia, Central America and certain islands from all over the world. She took as much info as she can about the feathery fliers of the sky & pictures as well, knowing full well her parents & warrior people back home were going to be blown away on the info and pictures she held. And this was just at a zoo!

Among the amazing fowl she saw, two caught her eyes. One was the Kakapo, a giant parrot that was native to a place called New Zealand. That it was so heavy that it couldn't fly, despite having wings. According to the info that was being shown about it, the Kakapo lacked large breastbones that other birds had to support wing muscles. And even if it did, the wings were soft & downy rather than stiff which was needed for flight. Also, this one seemed to be like the tortoise since its max life span was 120 years!

To her, the giant parrot looked cute and screamed to be protected. Which she saw that they needed it badly because it was on the Critically Endangered level and had NC status which stood for Nationally Critical! Kelly was very worried about the species and wondered if there was anything her people knew that could help the Earthlings safeguard such an unusual animal.

The other bird that caught her attention was the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise, a very unusual animal that was native to the mountain rainforests in New Guinea. The green-haired beauty made sure to get clear pictures of the small bird on account it was very unusual… and it was due to the two long head feathers on the male's heads with flaglike plates running across the length that made it look like a mini-saw!

Kelly drew a picture of one, which was amazing to say the least since said male was still instead of flighty like normal. In fact, the male and female birds stopped flying around & flew near the area that Kelly was in. After reading the info concerning said birds, and writing down said info in her notebook, she soon left the aviary. The patrons were confused on how the birds seemed to be focused on the young woman, and when she was a fair distance away, the birds resumed normal energetic behavior.

The young woman from another dimension soon arrived at a place called Petting Zoo Area, seeing various young ones with their parents in a natural-like enclosed area that were interacting with animals such as sheep, lambs, goats and bunnies. There was even a place that showed llamas & a small baby Asian elephant! Animal experts & zoo employees were around to make sure that the little ones handled & petted the animals in a certain way that was safe & okay for them. And also they educated the young ones & adults on the animals they petted. And nearby was a food dispenser that held brown eatable animal pellets that the people could purchase for 50 cents to feed the wildlife.

Kelly entered the area, wanting to interact with the Asian elephant and llamas since she had never seen them before. Little did she realize as she was walking past the others, the animals turned to look at her before following her. The children and other patrons were again stunned to see such behavior, the various sheep, lambs, goats and bunnies all hopping/walking away from the area to follow Kelly.

When said young lady got to the enclosure that held the small Asian elephant, she asked the male attendant on what it was and why it was so small. The attendant going by the name of Mark Andrade answered that the animal was an Asian elephant, a smaller version of the African Elephant. He told her that the one in the enclosure was a baby, having lost its mother due to sickness some weeks ago. So they had been taking care of the little one as best they could, and so far he was healthy & content.

Kelly saw the baby lumbering towards her, the very look of the animal making her heart melt as the little one's trunk extended to her. Mark also explained to her on the parts of an elephant, such as its trunk & how they worked. He did comment that he was surprised that Weisheng, the elephant's name, was being so friendly since he was normally very skittish around other people besides the staff and himself.

He turned around… and saw a sight that would be burned into his mind forever. Coming to them were the other animals, followed by the patrons as they followed said beasts!

Kelly heard the ruckus behind her, turned to see what was going on & she too was surprised like Mark. The lambs and sheep nuzzled up against her sides, baaing gently as though they had found a family relative. The bunnies situated themselves by her feet while the goats went to her & licked her hand with the occasional gentle nibble. This started to freak the young lady out a bit since wildlife around her in Mewni or in her forest home world tended to give her a bit of wide berth. Since she wrestled with large animals such as her old friend Jorby, the large Monster animal beast, this gave her an aura similar to an alpha animal. That all would do well to respect her and keep their distance.

But it seemed that it was different here, as she gave off the same aura but the Earth animals found it calming and agreeable.

Seeing the animals nuzzling up against her, even Weisheng though a fence separated them, many of the humans were surprised to see such an action.

A little girl that looked to be around six years of age, wearing a shirt that showed the classic Disney Princesses of Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora. Said women were in a circle that had the shape of Mickey Mouse's ears… but behind said insignia were large beasts of such unusual shape and size. They were the Toho giant monsters of legend! Behind Snow White was Showa-era Mothra, behind Cinderella was Heisei-era Godzilla & behind Aurora was Heisei-era Rodan! The shirt featured the characters from the hit movie Monsters and Magic!

She went to her and asked, "Are you a Disney Princess?".

Kelly gave the girl a puzzled look and asked, "A Disney Princess? Who are they?". Now it was time for the little lady to give her a puzzled look, wondering on how was it possible she didn't know who the said beings were.

She answered, "A Disney Princess is a beautiful lady that have animal friends. They are very kind, pretty and also good with nature. Are you related to Snow White, Aurora or Cinderella?". The Amazonian was very much perplexed on the little girl's description of a Disney Princess, and she saw the small one point to her shirt that displayed said princesses on them.

Kelly thought, 'They look alright, but… the dress that Snow White one is wearing looks very familiar for some reason… And what are those animals behind them?'.

The young lady from another world answered that she was not a Disney Princess, or a regular princess for that matter. When she was about to explain to them on who she was, she heard her watch beep. It was now 12:00 p.m. on the dot, and she had a panicked look on her face. It was now close to the time she and the others would go see Marco at the hospital! And that she hadn't had anything to eat for lunch now!

She quickly broke away from the animals and group, saying that she would love to explain everything but that would have to be later since she had an important engagement.

The little girl called out to her, telling her to wait. Kelly stopped and turned to her, the young one getting something from her backpack that also had Disney & Toho characters on it. She took out a golden plastic tiara that had the pictures of the classic animated Disney ladies on it, running and giving it to her. She told her that she considered her a Disney Princess & that she was giving it to her.

Kelly wanted to say no and give it back, but the little darling used the technique that spelled the downfall of anyone that caught a glimpse of it… the dreaded Puppy Dog Eyes With Tears technique! Seeing this, even the fighter-born Kelly crumbled under the stare. She said okay and thanked her for the gift, the little lady having a smile soon blossom on her face as she asked Kelly to kneel down.

She did so, and it was there that all saw her get crowned by the little girl. The humans clapped, buying into the event with amusement and mirth dancing in their eyes. Even the animals got into it, sounding off including Weisheng who trumpeted loudly from his confines.

Kelly thanked the little girl, who said that her name was Helen, and rushed out of the area. Once she was a distance away, she spotted a restroom facility nearby and went into it. Finding a stall that didn't have anyone in it, she took out her dimensional tool and cut open a hole in time & space before leaping in to get back to the Diaz residence. Once there, she managed to make herself a quick sandwich that would hold her over until she had a real lunch meal.

~End flashback~


After hearing her explanation, the others were stunned… before they all laughed loudly! It was all in good humor though, not making fun of her or anything like that. Regardless, Kelly was burning red from embarrassment. Jackie asked through her giggling, "Hehehehehe… w-where is your crown, your Highness? Hahahahahaha!".

The green-haired beauty fumed and answered, "Its back at Marco's home on the kitchen table. I didn't want to wear it while coming over here.".

Said young man chuckled softly as he stated, "I wish you had worn it so we could see it, Kels. I bet you would look cute wearing a crown like that.". This made her face burn more red, and also her heart beating a bit faster as he told her that she would have cute with the toy tiara on her head.

Though some did find it strange that Kelly would have that effect on animals, wondering if it was a power/ability she had… or something else. In any other case, they filed the information away for later. Kelly did tell them that she would return back to the zoo after coming here, seeing that she still had the band on plus she didn't leave via normal means.

Once everyone had settled down, they started to tell Marco on how their day went so far. Jackie said that business had been booming now since Marco's return, selling many skateboards and surfboards to a lot of customers. Jenna put in that she had a good day at the Echo Creek Daycare Center, enjoying her time with the little ones that were rather rambunctious today. She had to break up a fight or two between some of the kids, but thankfully none of them was seriously hurt.

The childhood friend of Marco remembered something, smirking wide as she pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled through the apps on said phone and stated, "Oh, by the way. I bet you all will get a kick out of this, especially you Eclipsa! It seems that someone took a video clip on what happened at the mall… and also what occurred when a certain mature gothic woman from Mewni discovered the California Chocolate Factory. Hehehehe…".

This caused Eclipsa's eyes to go wide, her pale face becoming red fast as the memory came back to her quick. Before she could do anything, Janna had opened up the YouTube app and showed to all what was now considered a very popular clip judging by the number of viewers it had & the many likes it had gained too.


The clip showed the former high school cheerleaders Andrea, Chantel & Megan showing Kelly, Higgs and Eclipsa the establishment that simply took the Queen of Darkness's breath away. The camera was a bit a ways from the store, so no one could properly here what they were saying. Eclipsa went to the clerk and asked something, and said employee seemed to be amused before gesturing to the products that were before them. It would seem that Eclipsa had asked if the products were anything like the Snooker Bars she tasted, which prompted the worker to declare that said bar was inferior compared to the ones that were on display.

The clerk took out what appeared to be dark chocolate, square-shaped and bite-sized. He told Eclipsa to have a sample of their ware, which the mature beauty took said piece of chocolate. She inspected it for a bit before popping it into her mouth… and the camera managed to get a glimpse of ecstasy that just shined forth from her face! She looked to be in nirvana of some kind, which caused the clerk to laugh & the ladies to giggle at seeing such a sight on her face.

Once she swallowed it, Eclipsa actually begged Chantel to get her some more. The young brown-haired beauty chuckled as she pulled out some money to buy a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar for Eclipsa, the woman unwrapping the covering quickly and biting into the sweet treat. Her face looked again like she entered Heaven, at least her tongue did the moment the dark chocolate touched it.

Once she had finished the bar, she actually leapt towards the clerk to demand more! It was a comical sight, to see the normally composed and elegant Eclipsa Butterfly now shaking the vendor as she demanded more chocolate. Once said poor young man went limp after a bit much rough shaking, Eclipsa dropped him and prepared to make a flying leap over the counter to get the sweet ambrosia that was chocolate that made the Snooker bar look tame by comparison!

The ladies were so stunned by the sudden character flip by the Mewnian, and also by her quick actions. They snapped out of it and rushed in to get her by the waist or legs, depending on their position. Eclipsa fell smack down to the ground, and was now scrambling to get more of the sweetness that just took total hold of her senses.

The human girls and the Mewnians pleaded with her to get a hold of herself, to have some self-control. Eclipsa looked to have regained her facilities, smoothing out her dress and looking to be once again in control. They started to walk away from the store… when Eclipsa quickly turned around and tried for another rush! Kelly and Higgs managed to get to her, and with aid from their Earthling friends started to drag a kicking and screaming Eclipsa away from the dessert establishment.

The clip showed many patrons and onlookers laughing heartedly at the scene, the one filming the entire thing included as he declared that it was the funniest thing he had ever seen.


When the clip ended, the group looked to said Queen of Darkness who was burning from embarrassment, the same way Kelly did earlier after she was mistakenly declared a Disney Princess. She said to herself in her head, 'Thank goddesses that Moon is not here to see that blasted clip thing! She would never let me live this kind of thing down!'. Not to mention that it could be used as ammo against her which for the time being she didn't want her to have.

While the two did reconcile and start the road to recovery, it was still a long way to go for the two of them. But at least it was a start.

All looked to be restraining themselves from just laughing out loud from seeing such a clip, Marco included. Said young man managed to compose himself, if just barely, as he smiled at the mature woman and said, "It's okay that you… got excited about the chocolates there, Eclipsa. I remember when I got a bit crazy when I was little when I tried something new that really tickled my taste buds. So I understand.".

The purple-haired beauty smiled as Marco tried to cheer her up and replied, "Thank you Sir Marco.".

After leaving the embarrassing clip behind, the distant relation of the current Butterfly rulers told Marco on her day so far which was seeing the movie Casablanca with Higgs. Rafael and Angie were mildly surprised that she chose such a classic movie, the matriarch asking on how did she & Higgs liked the movie. The female knight of the Butterfly family put in that it was good & that the fight scenes were decent enough, Eclipsa putting it that the storyline and drama were just excellent to her.

The couple smiled at this, wondering on how they would react to the other classic movie films that they had such as 1959 film Ben Hur or the monster cult-classic 1933 King Kong.

Higgs put forth that she got in some good training time after seeing the movie with Eclipsa, doing some of the katas that Marco had taught her earlier. The young man was surprised but in a good way as he heard this, very much pleased and touched that the ginger-haired beauty still practiced a bit of his martial arts routine.

She and Eclipsa thought it would be best to not mention the soap opera they saw as well, feeling to let that be a secret for the time being.


Rafael came forward and said, "Well son, for me I have been working on a statue for Mayor Reinaldo. He wants me to depict how Echo Creek survived the… ahem… the hurricane that was Star Butterfly and Mewni.". He was quite careful with his choice of words since the mayor's real description on Star, the magic she used and the Monsters that had come to the town thanks to Ludo were far more colorful & not appropriate for young ones like Mariposa to hear. Plus, with present company coming from said realm, also not to hurt their feelings.

Marco winced a bit at that though, remembering all of the crazy antics and magic that his former friend performed with reckless abandon. He was a bit curious though on what his father's creation would look like when completed.

Mariposa ran up to her brother, taking a folded piece of paper from her left pocket and giving it to him. She said with a bright smile, "Made for you!". Angie giggled and went to her children, unfolding the paper for her son to see & explaining that Mariposa went with Rafael to the Art House and drew some pictures over there.

Marco saw that the picture show stick figures, one that looked a bit like his sisters & the other that looked like him. They were together with a large heart around it. The drawing was of him and Mariposa together! He smiled widely and looked to his sister who wore the same expression and said, "This is very beautiful, Mariposa! Thank you so much for this. Mom, put it in a place where all can see it.". The little lady made a soft squeal of delight at hearing her brother's words and hugged him again, Marco doing his best to hide the pain the squeeze was giving him but he endured it. For his sister, he would endure any kind of pain to see her smile like so.

Angie and the others also smiled at the scene, the women who were vying for Marco's heart seeing that he would be a good father one day if what he was doing now was any indication of that. They all had light, subtle blushes on their faces at the thought of being the one that had Marco's kids. They shook the blushes and daydreams away for the time being. Perhaps later on, would go back to that.

Mrs. Diaz managed to pry her daughter off of her son, the little one seemingly to remember something and going to Eclipsa. She reached into her other pocket and pulling out another folded piece of paper. She said, "For you!". Eclipsa smiled at the young one as she unfolded the paper to see her artistic creation.

On said paper was another drawing of two stick figures, but this one showed a likeness to her… and the other Queen Moon Butterfly with the blue dress on said figure. Mariposa was still grinning as she said, "You and her good! Have good face!". While only three years old, Mariposa had a unique gift in seeing if a person was bad or good. And apparently, she liked both Eclipsa and Moon due to having 'good faces' which meant they had good hearts.

The Queen of Darkness chuckled at seeing this, wondering if she should show Moon the picture and see her reaction on it. The mature woman looked down at the child, patted her head and said, "Thank you dear. It looks very wonderful.". The youngest member of the Diaz family clan seemed to brighten up more at this before going back to her mother, Angie showing that she liked the former ruler of Mewni's response.


The beautiful mother of Marco looked to her son and said, "I did do some work at the college before coming here. Oh! Also, we got a new cell phone for you the other day. We hope you like it when you see it.". He smiled and replied that he would indeed like the device that they had picked out for him at his request some time ago.

Hekapoo put in, "I went back to my home realm to tell my construct on what I learned so far in your hometown. Needless to say, we talked for quite a bit. After that, went to that public library of yours to see how business is done here on Earth.".

Jackie looked a bit puzzled and asked, "On how business is done here on Earth? Why?".

The buxom fire-gifted beauty looked to her and answered, "You all don't really realize the potential this place has? I mean, despite not being magical, this planet of yours holds enormous potential and possibilities for those in Mewni & in other realms to do business with! Mrs. Diaz, you, Janna and your husband showed me that grocery store that have produce and other items in it that are considered extremely rare or extinct in Mewni & in other worlds! Remember what I told you two about some of the produce we saw?".

Mr. & Mrs. Diaz, along with Janna, quickly remembered how Hekapoo reacted when she saw the plums and peaches. The former beanie-wearing young woman than realized what Hekapoo was going for, her eyes widening as Hekapoo saw them & realized that she was catching on too. Angie and Rafael took a bit more longer to realize where the curvy beauty was going at.

The others looked on confused, Marco included as it showed in his facial expression. He asked, "H-Poo, what exactly are you getting at here?".

Hekapoo looked at Marco and explained with excitement in her voice, "I'm saying that Earth here has the potential to be a major trading world here for not just Mewni but for the other realms due to having items that are highly coveted in many areas like medicine and such! And that is why I am looking more into how your world does business here, because this world is a literal gold mine!".

The group's eyes widened now at hearing that, and also understanding the implications. Earth was considered a backwater area to many due to not having any kind of magic to it like Mewni or the other dimensional realms had, so thus many left it alone. But now that Hekapoo discovered that it had resources that were considered rare & extremely hard to come by, Earth could be part of a major market in the multiple realms!

Marco thought, 'It would make sense for H-Poo to be a business woman here. She does run a store of her own that caters to many beings across the dimensions and worlds, so she does have a business savvy that most could only dream about.'.

He also knew that the curvy cutie was NO fool when it came to business. She made calculated risks and chances yes, but not anything reckless or stupid. So she would take the discovery that she made last night one step at a time, to make sure that she got all the angles and such figured out before attempting to try and put Earth on the trading map.

Janna stated, "Now that everyone has had their turn, let's go to you now Marco. What is it that you wanted to tell us?".


Marco remembered what he wanted to tell them, a serious look on his face as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He exhaled as he was gathering his thoughts & his words to make sure that he spoke clearly on this first go. The others looked at the bandaged-wrapped young man as he opened his eyes, looking now at the yellow-garbed magical woman who was a bit stunned to see such a look on the Earthling's face.

He said, "I want to tell you all something that I just came to a conclusion a little a while ago, shortly after Sensei came in to deliver the news that his superiors have allowed to disclose the location of the Ki Masters to me. But I will get to that in a minute. Also, can anyone record this conversation? I want to be able for Queen Moon to hear this too.".

The group was a little surprised to hear the request. Angie took out her cell phone, opened the Camera app and put it on Video Recorder. She than propped it up on a vantage point nearby so that it could film everything, hitting the Record feature as it was now getting everything before going back to the others. Marco thanked her for doing that.

The young man started out, "I remembered all that I went through when I was in Hekapoo's dimensional world, trying to complete her test which took me about sixteen years to finish. The physical endurance I went through in various parts of her world… the mental challenges that were presented to me not just from her constructs but from other duties that came up while I was a mercenary at the time… and also the emotional pain I went through on certain missions and such.".

Marco had lived an adult's life once in Hekapoo's realm, and some of it still ran deep into his mind and heart to this day. The others looked worried now at the young man, especially Hekapoo as she was concerned that this would affect their relationship.

He looked to her and said, "Hekapoo… thank you.".

This caught all of them off-guard, especially the redheaded beauty. Seeing all of their confused faces, he explained, "I believe that all I have endured has helped me to endure what I went through when I came back to real-time & in Mewni after being under… Star's watch. Not only that, but to really reflect on what occurred in that realm & what occurred in the Butterfly Kingdom. I have been doing that for some time while under the Butterfly's banner, and now realized something after healing here.".

Marco gazed at the occupants within his room and inquired, "Think about it everyone? I lived an adult life as mercenary without no one & came back to my own world a teenager again. I was granted a second chance at another kind of life after completing Hekapoo's challenge to have my own Dimensional Scissors. And I think that all of it was to prepare me for what I had to endure back in Mewni.".

The young martial artist pushed forward, "Being on my own was a lonely life, made me start to appreciate the family and friends I had here back home when I came back to Earth. But I forgot all about it after Star went back her home & after her… confession.". This made those that were there when the princess had gone back home due to an emergency look down in thought, but the Mewnian women were confused on the issue. Especially wondering on what Marco meant by confession.

He moved on, "So I want to say sorry to all of you, especially you Jackie. For getting lost again after that.".

The surfer/skating beauty smiled softly, going over to him and putting a hand on his. She whispered, "It's okay Marco. I mean… all of us were surprised on what Star just blurted out like that before leaving. And… in a certain way, I understood and accepted what was going through mind at the time.".

Marco returned the smile and replied, "Thanks… but it still doesn't excuse what I did when I was your boyfriend back then. And also… the whole ordeal made me realize and see what Star had in mind the whole time. I can't fully confirm it without hearing it straight from her, but I have a good enough idea on what she thought of me than… perhaps even now.".

This got the blonde young woman a bit perplexed, the others more confused on what he was saying.


The Diaz lad looked to the rest of the group and said, "During my time in Mewni, I realized what I had to do in order to break free. I can only endure so much, and after three years… well, I did what I could to prepare myself before taking that big leap into freedom. And now healing here, reading the book that Dad got for me... made me see everything now in a different light and angle. And I remembered some of the stories from the Bible when I was little that while others saw things in their own way, the Lord saw things in a different light which is what I just did now. That everything I have endured when I was in Hekapoo's world helped me up to this very point when I freed myself from the Blood Moon… and to realize that I have another chance to start another chapter in my life. And this time, not going to waste it.".

Now this kind of words coming from Marco surprised everyone. And amazingly, it was his parents that caught on first before the ladies. The adults realized now what he was trying to say to them.

Thanks to sticking it out in Hekapoo's realm, he developed the physical & mental conditioning needed to become a knight of Mewni. He also had the emotional capacity to endure what he had gone through when being Star's squire, than knight. And also it explained on how he was able to survive taking in all of the physical/mental/emotional pain that was given physical form & 20 feet in height! And also why he wanted to go see the world, to see what his own planet had to offer before making the very big decision to either stay on Earth with his family or go back to Mewni.

The ladies also came to the same conclusion, their minds racing and absorbing the info before it clicked.

Marco saw the realization hit them, looking once again to Hekapoo and finishing, "So that is why I am saying thank you H-Poo. Thank you for allowing me to take your test back then.".

Said curvy cutie blushed a little, then smiled as she spoke, "Hey, most of the credit is given to you Diaz. You stuck it out in a way that no one else has done, either for an Earthling or for any other that has come before you to obtain my tools of the trade. So… give yourself some props, Marco.". The young man's smile grew just a little, replying that he would try.


Janna believed that Marco was now done in this part he wanted to tell them & asked, "So Marco… what is it about the Ki Masters?".

Angie and Rafael's son told them on what Sensei informed him some time ago; on how he was now going to have two escorts/trainers from the association who were Ki Experts that would be on the worldwide journey with them in exchange for the location of the Ki Masters. The entire company was a little uneasy about the beings Gaia Stroya & Armor Iousks that would be tagging along with them, as they were unknowns. However, they did see that Marco would need some training on the road when it came to martial arts & ki techniques when the time came for him to manifest and utilizing it properly.

Now that they had destinations to go to! Their headings!

Said Diaz lad put in, "So now we come to another part of the plan. First, we need to make a map and make out our travel route. I know we won't see the ENTIRE world, since that would most likely take more than a year or two, so we need to make travel plans. Mom, Dad. I want you two to finalize the plans. The others can help you both on where the road takes us, but that we get to our destination which is where the Masters are at. You two have the final say in the matter. Do you want to do it?".

Rafael and Angie grinned with the muscled father replying, "You can count on us son! We'll make sure that all of you get some of the best views of what our planet has to offer while making sure to take the direct route to the destinations.". The ladies and Marco thanked them, Higgs and Janna giggling slightly at the passion showed by the patriarch of the Diaz household.

Marco looked to Jackie and said, "When it comes to vehicles, your judgement never fails. Can you find for us a mode of transportation that will fit all of us comfortably? Any kind of car, truck, trailer… you make the call. Also, a good hitch wagon since Nachos will be coming with us on the trip.".

The water-loving beauty smiled and remarked, "I'll do my best Marco! You can count on me!". He smiled and said that he always have, always will. That made her heart beat a little faster while her rivals frowned a little.

The still-healing man looked to Janna and asked, "Janna, do you think you can pick out some camping gear as well like tents and such? I know that we'll be on the road for a good long while & motels are a bit expensive, so I would like to save a bit of money. Also… well, I like to rough it a bit and see the stars before I go to sleep.". Let it be known that Marco was not cheap, but frugal with his money despite that he was a near billionaire. If the girls wanted to sleep at a fancy hotel or something, he would indulge them but also make sure to not go overboard.

The childhood friend of the Diaz lad beamed brightly and replied, "Of course! Just leave it to me! I'll pick out some good tents, sleeping bags, the works! This is going to be fun!". Mariposa became excited and went to her favorite babysitter, asking if she could help too in picking out what Marco asked of her. Janna looked to Marco, who wore a patient smile on and nodded his head. The dark-skin beauty told Mariposa that she could help, making the little treasure squeal in delight and hug her legs.

Angie commented, "I haven't seen this kind of excitement since three years ago when we threw that end of the year party at our house. Of course, it got really quiet after Star confessed that she loved Marco just before she left to go home. But after that…".

Before she could continue, she was interrupted by Eclipsa. She called out, "Hold it, hold it please!".

Mrs. Diaz stopped her words and looked at the mature Mewnian woman… and was surprised to see a stunned look on her face. Jackie, Janna, Mariposa, Rafael and Marco were also curious to see that it wasn't just Eclipsa that looked shocked, but also the other Mewnian women as well.

Angie asked on what was wrong and it was Higgs that asked, "Mrs. Diaz, you're… you're saying that Star confessed that she was in love with Marco? Is that what you heard?".

The vivacious mature beauty was perplexed by the question and answered, "Yes, I'm more than sure of it. Myself and a lot of people were there when she confessed to Marco that she loved him just before leaving the party and going back to Mewni. Why?".

Kelly stated, "Oh man… if that's true, then Star is in more trouble.". The Mewnian woman all nodded, making the others more confused on the now developing situation. Hekapoo put in that it would also explain more on why the sphere that Marco immersed himself in earlier was big as it was.

Janna inquired, "Umm… what are you all talking about?".

Eclipsa answered in a very serious tone, "If this indeed happened, then it's no wonder why Marco's emotional backlash pain was so intense & it would explain why the sphere that Luna made was so large. And… it would put Star in a very dire spot, along with the entire Butterfly family.".

This also confirmed several things that had been in her head for some time, but couldn't really complete it. But now after hearing this, it looked like the final small but critical piece needed to complete the mental puzzle! It was the same for the Mewnian ladies as they came to the same conclusion.

She soon started to explain the seriousness on what Star did… and the repercussions that would follow after it IF it got leaked out to the public in the other dimensional kingdom. What they didn't know was that Angie's phone was still recording the entire thing, and it would be upon them leaving that she would turn off the Record function.


~Back in Mewni~

It was now 12:30 p.m. While Eclipsa and the other residents of Mewni were explaining a dire situation to Marco and his Earth family & friends, Queen Moon Butterfly was with her family in the Castle Garden with their royal guests. She had just finished explaining to them on what occurred last night; telling them on how Marco was no longer a knight under Star's command but now under her own, was on a special mission with Lady Knight Higgs & that she would not disclose his whereabouts.

She also informed them that Star and her friends were being punished for past transgressions that involved her actions on Earth, the Blood Moon, the royal families of the Underworld & Cloud Kingdom that were linked to said event, the Minotaur's of the far northern area... and that said punishments would be added on after finding out certain actions that discredited Sir Marco after he had cured the Acacius family of their spider bite affliction curse.

King Khan and his lovely wife Queen Aikaterina were looking quite pensive, as was Queen Seres & the adult Acacius royals.

The young adults were a different matter. Princess Patty looked to have a large smile on her face, like she had just the juiciest bit of gossip that she was dying to share with her other fellow princesses that were scattered around the realm. Princess Penelope just glared at Star, the flames and passion for the well-being of Marco burning that made her eyes look like fiery emeralds. Prince Loukianos & Princess Lysimache also looked harshly at Star, for taking lightly of legends and love was a very serious offense in their eyes. Not to mention causing their hero Sir Marco pain of any kind was also a big no-no to them.

Star was feeling very small at the moment, wanting no more than to go somewhere else for the time being. However, all of the exits/entrances were being blocked by several knights to make sure that she did not escape.

The patriarch of the Tiger clan opened his eyes, a serious look on his face as she stated firmly, "Now, let me see if I have this all correct in order. First off, Sir Marco the Mighty is no longer here in Mewni. He is under YOUR direct care now, and is on a special mission that involves Lady Knight Higgs. One you will not reveal the whereabouts on where they are. Is this correct so far?".

Queen Moon rose up from her chair and answered, "Yes, that is correct so far.".

King Khan and the adults were not idiots, not by a long shot. They saw the look in Moon's eyes when she told them on how she would not disclose the whereabouts of Marco… at least not in present company of Star herself. And also they knew there was more to the story than what was officially told to them, figuring it out after seeing the subtle body language on the ruler of Mewni & the tone in her voice.

The royal Khan, Arms and Acacius family have been allied with King River and Queen Moon for many years, so they could tell something was off just by their subtle tones or body movement.

Queen Aikaterina picked up, "And also that Star has caused some serious problems in the past that involves Marco and his friends from Earth, one that also involves a legend about the Blood Moon that she and Thomas did not fully understand the consequences of doing said action. Is this right?". The blue-haired mature beauty nodded her head in confirmation.

Queen Seres put in, "And now Star and her friend's punishment is training them seriously NOW while said punishments will be added thanks to just hearing on what your daughter did to Sir Marco after he had undertaken the duty you gave to her. And how he managed to cure the afflictions that had plagued the Acacius family for generations. Is that correct?".

King River nodded as well, the shame apparent on his & his wife's face on what their daughter had done. Star was really wanting to be in the Underworld right now with Tom by her side, feeling that at least he would support and protect her from the glares that were sent her way by the other royals.

Princess Patty, however, was vibrating with excitement. She wanted to spread the news around like juicy gossip while also wanting to hear more, but from Star's point of view rather than the adults.

King Khan stood up and said, "Well… I believe that this puts our alliance in jeopardy. I fear the safety of my clan & realm if we are to ally with someone who… takes her responsibilities rather lacklusterdily. And that she takes certain legends too lightly, especially ones that involve soul-binding.". Queen Seres & the Acacius royal adults also agreed to that, making Queen Moon and King River sweat a bit. Not to mention making Star look very worried as well that she screwed up big time yet again.

The muscular king sighed and stated, "However… we have been allies for a good long while, and I trust you Moon and River. To settle the matter… in an hour… we will have a battle.".

He continued, "Only me against Queen Moon Butterfly. No magic, no weapons. Skill against skill alone. If she makes me concede the match, we will remain allies. But if I make her concede… the alliance will crumble. Are these terms acceptable, your Highness?".

All eyes were upon Queen Moon, who realized that this was better than any kind of scenario that she had been going over in her head. Truth be told, this was a favorable scenario as this gave her at least a chance to hold the alliance between the kingdoms together. She nodded and replied, "I accept the challenge and terms, King Khan. They are more than acceptable. Since you chose the form of combat, I believe it should be in the very back outside the castle walls and grounds. Away from prying eyes. Do you agree?".

The immense Tiger monster being nodded, saying that it was acceptable.

While this was all going on, they were being spied upon…


In the distance, Lilacia's sisters were in the forest… the very same area that Marco had been in a couple of nights ago where he had called Luna down to completely break free from the Blood Moon Curse! Angel was using a spyglass to see what was going on in the castle, spotting the carriages and the royal families in the Gardens. Luckily for the royals, she could not read lips but she did see through the spyglass the serious looks on the faces of the adults & the varied looks on the young adults. She was surprised to see Penelope, looking like a real royal princess and that her spider bite affliction was no more.

She wished she could hear them, but it was too risky. If they got closer, it would increase the chance of them being spotted. And if they used magic spells to either increase their hearing or eavesdrop on the group, most likely it would have been detected and traced back to them. So for now, they had to make do with what they got.

The blonde-maned, purple unicorn head looked to her fellow sisters and whispered, "Okay, we are now in Butterfly grounds and we need to start searching for any clues that might lead us to Sir Marco and find out what exactly is going on here.".

Jan-Jan Pony Head inquired, "What do you want us to do, sis?".

Angel answered, "Spread out and search for anything significant or unusual. And if we find something, we communicate with flashes from our horn.". She figured that flashes of magic from their horns would not be enough to signal any kind of magical detection the grounds had… she hoped and assumed.

Whistine put in, "Me and Khrysthalle will check out that area by the lake. The rest of you, take a sibling and move out!". Said sisters scattered while going with another, the hunt for clues and answers underway!

Angel was with Shinda, a thought going her head as the duo went off in another direction. She said to herself, 'That looked like Princess Penelope and her parents… but if they are, what happened to their spider bite marks? And why does Star looks so scared and tense? What is going on here?'.

She felt as if she was being drawn into something that would change the course of the entire history of Mewni! One that surpassed the time when Toffee had taken over the kingdom. She didn't know how right she was…


(Author's Notes: And… cut! That is it for this chapter! I don't want to give EVERYTHING away, so I leave it here on a cliffhanger and intense spot here in the story! I hope you liked this one.

Before I say or do anything else, I want to give praise and honor to the Lord once more. Jesus, thank you for helping me with this story! I am planning on making it as large as my Disney/Toho works, and I can rely on you to help me see it through just like you did for me for my Monsters and Magic series. Thank you God for the wonderful gift you have given me, and also bless the various reviewers who have helped me through their suggestions and advice which have come mighty hand here! Thank you Lord for everything, especially for the insight you gave me concerning Marco and the events following the time he went into Hekapoo's time-accelerated realm!

I know I did a little shameless self-advertising for my Disney/Toho story in here, but I couldn't help it! I really do want others to take a look at my various Disney/Toho works! In addition, I put my own cousin Mark in here as the zoo employee. He truly enjoys working with animals in real life & has a strong attachment/connection with them. Its really amazing!

And I am serious here on thanking the Lord for the insight he gave to me concerning Marco's journey to and back from his time in Hekapoo's home realm. After much thought into it, I realized that Marco was indeed given a great gift and opportunity. To live his life again as a teenager after enduring some pretty intense challenges and events he faced as an adult! And now he sees that part of his life was actually preparing him for the next part that came when he became a knight in Mewni under Star's watch… and look how that turned out! And also it gave him the mental and emotional toughness he needed in order to do what he had to do in order to break free from the Blood Moon.

And you can thank Pastor Rick Godwin, my pastor from my church Summit Christian Center at San Antonio and the book that I put into this story for giving me the lessons needed to show that what God does and sees is far beyond even our own when it comes to challenges and such we face in life. Marco has met his challenges and faced them, coming out stronger and also free now from Star, Tom and Lilacia's grasp.

I will not reveal EVERYTHING in this chapter, but in future ones. Like I stated before, I am going to pace and spread this story out like I did with my Monsters and Magic trilogy, so please be patient. Everything will fall into place, including character development.

And now for the questions! Ahem…

What would you be thinking after seeing the arrival of the Tiger & Arms family? What would you say or do to each of the royal members?

What would you be thinking at seeing the adorable sight between Mariposa and Marco? And what do you think about the explanation Marco told them regarding his blood that the doctors took to examine?

If you were at the zoo with Kelly, what would you tell her about Steve Irwin? And what would you reaction be at seeing the animals giving her such affection & being called a Disney Princess?

What would your reaction and words be at seeing Eclipsa's actions on the YouTube clip? What do you think of Mariposa's drawings of her brother, Eclipsa and Moon?

What would you say after Marco explained why he was actually grateful for enduring the sixteen years he spent in Hekapoo's world? And what do you think Moon's reaction will be when she sees the entire recorded meeting?

What kind of vehicle would you help Jackie pick out for the trip? And what kind of camping equipment do you recommend for Janna to buy for the trip?

And finally this: What would you say about King Khan's challenge to Moon? And also what do you think the reaction would be when the Pony Head sisters find some evidence from when Marco freed himself from the Blood Moon?

And here is an optional bonus question: What do you think Eclipsa and the others discovered after hearing that Star confessed to Marco those three years ago? And what is your assumption/idea on what is now fallen into place according to their view?

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