Chapter 1: The legend of the red hooded man.
12 years ago…
It was a quiet night on Mewni as the wild animals from the Forest of certain death emerged from the tiny crevices in an attempt to find a late night meal. A sly and cunning fox like creature crept silently through the forest in an attempt to catch a possum or two for his family. It had been 2 days since he had last caught a meal and was becoming desperate to find a meal to sustain his children when his eyes locked onto a bush the appeared to move. He crept through the shadows, cautious not to make a sound until he got close enough to the bush and prepared to attack what lurked behind the bush. Once it leaped over the bush, it revealed to be a family of rats that dashed for a hole in an attempt to hide from the ravenous fox. This proved barely successful for the rats with one losing its tail after being bit by the fox. It had become hopeless for the fox until another sound could be recognised off in the distance.
The cries of what he believed to be a mewman could be heard off in the distance which peaked the fox's curiosity and continued his voyage to find a suitable meal. It took some time to pinpoint the sound of the crying but was revealed to be a young baby that was supposedly left in the forest abandoned.
The child was around 1 month old with very little hair on his head and dark brown eyes the colour of chocolate. He looked very tired and had bags under his eyes and his eyes also bloodshot from the excess crying. He was very small and had a mole under his right eye.
The fox took advantage of this situation and started dragging him which startled the baby into crying even louder irritating the fox. He was half way back to the hole that he resided in when the sound of shouts came in his direction which startled the fox into running away in a desperate attempt to escape but he was not pursued but came home with no food to provide for his children.
The shouting slowly died down as a man emerged from behind the thick vegetation holding a sturdy blade in hand. He looked to be in his late 60s and looked to be a very strong man who towered high and had a masculine body with long brown hair tied neatly and soft green eyes. He had a gentle touch and a kind heart filled with generosity and honour. He found the young boy laying on the ground covered in moist dirt and no clothes. He was severely malnourished and on the brink of collapsing.
The man wasted no time and grabbed the child into his hand and returned back to his humble abode near the forest. It was nothing very special being the size of any regular home that could house 3 people which were plenty for him. He cleansed the boy and retrieved a blanket to make the boy feel at home. It had only taken minutes for the boy to fall asleep in the hands of Borin the bold, retired royal knight of Mewni and one of the most iconic knights to roam the lands.
The next day Borin had prepared a meal consisting of pottage stew with stale bread. Borin was a fairly wealthy man but didn't enjoy the lavish lifestyle but rather appreciate the more basic things in life like hunting for your own food and wrestling giant carnivorous plants out of pure entertainment.
He began to feed the child small amounts of stew, and he instantly fell in love with it, although he was too weak to feed himself. Boris had become fond of the kid and saw his fighting spirit inside of him that would be perfect to train.
After he had finished his meal, He had begun preparing to go on a trip to meet with some old friends of his in need of assistance and brought the boy along with him. The trip was fairly long and consisted of the occasional bear of warnicorn but nothing that old Boris couldn't handle. After the half-hour hike to a quiet village consisting of various farms and multiple wooden huts which were occupied by some friends of Boris who would help on his mission to raise this child.
They had all become fond of the boy and would begin training once he was ready but before any of this could happen he needed a name. They had discussed the matter and agreed upon a name for the child. He would be Marco, the red hooded man.
Present time…
It had been 12 years since Marco had been rescued by Borin and his friends and he had a strong relationship with all of them, knowing all of them as his parents. It was the morning in Mewni as the sun rose with the birds chirping their songs in harmony. Today Marco would be training with one of Boris' friend, Gregory.
Gregory was a very wise man but unlike the others, he was very frail and in no condition to fight. He used to be a sorcerer who taught him how to channel his magic into strong abilities. Most mewmens don't use magic since they are too weak to use it and usually need some sort of artifact to help channel the energy like a want or staff but with enough practice, you can use basic magic and eventually build a strong flow of magic that is enough to use large amounts.
Gregory was known to be one of the strongest spell casters and was known to be the only person who was capable of channeling magic to a high extent.
Marco had been practicing magic every since he could walk and was building a strong bond to it, being able to castle simple spells at the age of 12 when it takes the average person centuries to be at his level. Marco was always a fast learner and was showing lots of potential but with his power comes danger.
Ever since Marco was born, he has been hidden from others in fear that people would use him for evil. At his pace he will be without a doubt Mewni's strongest warrior and would eventually be able to level kingdoms with very little effort. The only people that know him are his caretakers.
Marco had gotten out of bed and was greeted by Boris and Grunt, an incredibly strong man who was also rather small but could lift 20 warnicorns. He was without a doubt the strongest of the lot and was a very energetic man. They had prepared the usual meal consisting of pottage stew, stale bread and an apple.
"Good morning ma boy!" Grunt exclaimed while smacking Marco in the back causing him to spit out of stew.
"Careful there the stews hot," he added after seeing him spit the stew.
"Good morning Grunt and Boris. Can't wait to practice my spell casting with Greg. I've learnt to bend water!" Marco replied with a grin plastered on his face.
This made both Grunt and Boris smile seeing how much he has grown. Marco was now well toned and had developing abs at a very young age and will slightly taller than Grunt. He has become very strong when fighting and has taken an interest in karate. Besides fighting, he is also very intelligent and has a good understanding of alchemy and swords crafting along with many other subjects.
"Good to hear your learning fast. You'll become a warrior in no time!" Borin assured as he pours a cup of coffee into his large mug labeled '#1 dad'. It's always cringey to see him with it since he always makes dad jokes.
"Greg said that today we'll learn to make a magical sword!" Marco exclaimed, downing the rest of the soup in a matter of seconds.
He wiped his mouth and collected a large stack of books off the counter which he lifted with ease as he made his way to the door before waving goodbye to the two men as he left to meet with Gregory.
He tended to train high up on the mountain next to the village since it was very peaceful and to warm him up. He would always fly to the top which always annoyed him since he knew he wouldn't learn to fly for a while.
It took a painstaking hour to climb up to their training point leaving Marco sweating profusely. He was greeted by Gregory meditating on a rock nearby, unbeknownst of his presence.
Gregory had blonde hair that would turn grey with a long bear reaching his chest and bright blue eyes the colour of the ocean. On his cheeks he had two pairs of yin-yangs and was slightly taller than Marco.
"Much can be told by the symbols on a person's face but only magic wielders get this trait. The yin and yang, a symbol meaning balance to the universe. Much can be told by the symbols on a person's face and have the ability but their actions can change their shape." Marco had never seen his marks since they had never developed them. He had known that a magic user receives their marks once they use a very powerful spell that emits large amounts of magic, lighting their cheeks.
Gregory opens his eyes and claps his hands together. "Well, time to get started on our training. I believe today we will be learning how to bend water," Gregory added while pointing a finger to a river nearby, lifting some of the water into the shape of a warnicorn until it dissipated back into the currents.
Marco had continued his training on the mountain for several hours learning about the history of Mewni on the way and what lays far beyond their borders. He had learnt that there were other dimensions which he found hard to believe since he had never really left his village unless he went hunting will Grunt or Boris.
It had been hours since Marco had started his training with Gregory and was beginning to get exhausting. It was nearing mid-day, so they had decided to take a break to study and fill their stomachs with food.
This trip down was silent, Gegory deciding to stay next to Marco as they slowly marched down the slope in silence. The silence was broken when Marco spoke.
"When will I be finished with my magic training?" He questioned. Gregory looked like he hadn't acknowledged the question until seconds later where he replied, "Patiente boy. Magic is not as simple as holding a sword or cooking a bowl of soup. Magic is very broad with infinite amounts of spells to cast, most of which you are too ready for but I can assure you that we will be done by the end of the year."
This got Marco excited. He had always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his caretakers after hearing the thousands of stories from each of them on their adventures around the dimension and how they became some of Mewni's most respected and beloved people. Marco wanted to explore the world, he wanted to make friends, he wanted to save people's lives and he wanted to be respected by everyone.
Marco was snapped out of his daze once he tripped on a rock, causing him to fall forward. He closed his eyes but the impact never came. He opened his eyes to see himself floating slightly above the ground with a blue mesmerizing aura around surrounding his body.
"Careful boy. You've got to always be on alert for danger, even if it's just rough terrain," gregory commented as he continued walking forward.
"Thank you," Marco grumbled under his breath, being disappointed. One day he wanted to prove that he wasn't some kid that needed constant surveillance but a strong man that could survive on his own.
Once at the bottom, they had eaten at Gregory's house which was a much larger house compared to the others and he tended to cook the best out of them all. Marco always was a good cook but never tended to make his own food and left that job to the adults. He continued to study later on with the multiple books that he had and noticed that a lot of them referenced a kingdom called Mewni. At first he found it strange that a kingdom on Mewni was called Mewni but soon became very interested in their history. They held one of the strongest heirlooms of any kingdom and was a royal magical wand. He learnt of the fight of Toffee, to the tragedy of the Queen of Darkness to the great monster massacre that was known as mewnipendence day. Marco had never seen a monster since his village was very well protected and no one would bother trying to defeat any of Mewni's strongest men.
Marco had finished studying and was getting ready to study with Joseph, the alchemist of the group. He wasn't as wise as Gregory but he was very smart and knew a lot about spells. He was known to have made some of the most revolutionary healing spells and occasionally some very powerful potions that can be a replacement for basic magic.
While Marco was on his way to his study lesson, he had a strange feeling that he was being watched by someone. He began to increase his walking speed until he made it to Josef's house. Little did he know a pair of yellow beady eyes were glaring at Marco off in the distance.
Meanwhile…
In the forest, there was a very observant monster spying on Marco, a mere scout. He had been observing this boy for years under the command of his boss. They had recognised Marco as a very strong boy with potential beyond imaginable. They knew that they would need to take control and use him before he became too strong and would destroy them all.
The monster made his way back into the forest recounting the plan in his head. Tonight was going to be the night of attack under the order of their boss. They would capture Marco and train him to become their warrior and potential to take over the lands of Mewni for monster king so they could be free of the constant state of fear. They chose this time so that he couldn't get too strong that they couldn't handle him not to consider that his caretaker were some of Mewni's most iconic men. It was also 2 years until the the Queen of Mewni will bestow the royal wand to her daughter making it easier for them to attack.
He had finally arrived at the lair of his boss and pressed a few buttons until the door finally opened into a long hallway. After a slow walk he made it to what was an office with a man clicking his pen while reading what looked like the Royal Mewnian News, one of Mewni's most popular news sources.
"You know, this newspaper is very biased and unreliable for the news. Most of the stuff on here is random stories of monster encounters and the destruction of the Princess of Mewni." The boss observed as he continued reading the article.
"Greetings master. I have come back with a report. It seems that the boy today has trained with magic man and is currently training with witch. I suggest that we attack once everyone is asleep".
The boss placed the newspaper back on his desk to reveal what looked like a combination of a lizard and bigfoot which shouldn't be a thing. His body was filled head to toe with scars from the Mewmans and had red eyes with sharp retractable claws and a long tail. He had sharp teeth and a glare that could peel the skin off anyone unfortunate to be on the receiving end. He stared at the monster for a second making him uncomfortable.
"Although that would work, that would leave the rest of the men to deal with. We have to put them all down but leave that to me." The boss replied with a large grin plastered on his face. His plan would come together and he would rule over Mewni.
"Alright boss. I will return to observing the boy," The monster saluted and started to walk out before being cut off by his boss.
"You can stop it with the formalities. Just call me Des." He replied before ushering him out.
Back to Marco…
Marco had finished his study lesson with Josef. He hadn't learned too much but learnt about some of the flora and fauna of Mewni to get a better understanding on potion brewing while also showing him some of his potions for him to keep. He had been collecting potions for Marco so he was prepared for any situation to come. He was left with another stack of books to read on and made his way back home to prepare for dinner. It was beginning to become dark and now was his time to relax and take some time to study. Today was board game night and as long as we don't play Mecropoly we should be fine. Gregory always manages to trick Grunt into making an offer with him for corn but always falls for the trick and loses first time every time causing him to go on a rampage.
As he arrived home he was greeted by Boris, and Gregory sitting at the table while Grunt was cooking an entire bear that he had caught in the woods. He had sat down and prepared for dinner and was served a special of bear and some green leaves that didn't taste good but were apparently 'good for nutrients'.
They had all sat down with Josef arriving later and chatted about their days and many other topics until Marco started asking questions.
"So what is the Mewni kingdom like? I've been reading about it in the books and it sounds like a cool place. Can we go there sometime?" This left everyone stiff and felt guilty since Marco had never been able to explore beyond their home and the forest. It was silent until Boris responded.
"Mewni is quite a nice place. It is the largest kingdom of Mewni and home to the royal wand, one of the most powerful weapons but you can't go because you have to remain a secret."
Being kept a secret was always a sensitive topic to Marco. He hated how he could never do anything besides train non stop for days on end and have one day of free time. He never understood why he had to do this and it annoyed him a lot.
"I don't understand. Why do I have to be kept a secret? I just want to be a kid and do kid things like place outside or stay inside playing video games. Is that too much to ask?" Marco replied raising his voice until he was at an almost shouting level.
Marco decided to leave and go to bed early leaving everyone to sink in what had just happened. They all knew that he didn't love training non stop but could never tell him why he had to do this. They knew that there was someone coming to try and destroy Mewni and knew that Marco would be one of their only hope.
They all decided to leave Marco alone for the night and they had all prepared to sleep. Marco was in his room contemplating what he would do. He didn't want to leave but he wanted to go on an adventure or do something fun. Maybe he could convince them to let him go on a trip somewhere fun even if he didn't get to make friends. He was reading a section in one of his magic books that went into some of the history of Mewni and also read about some of the other kingdoms like the Spiderbites which confused him. Why would you build a kingdom on a place infested with spiders? There was also the underworld, a hot mess full of devils, the Johansens filled with strong warriors, The Cloud Kingdom full of flying pony heads out of all things and the Water Folk who live in the water. There was so much variety on Mewni and he wanted to explore it all but it was getting late and he knew that he would have to go to sleep eventually.
After an hour or so later of reading he was getting tired and fell asleep peacefully, hoping to go on an adventure someday.
The middle of the night…
Now was the time for the monsters to attack. Their team wasn't the biggest consisting of 10 or so monsters of different shapes and sizes. At the front walked Des as they marched closer to the village.
This plan had been in action for years and they could not afford to fail. It was pitch black outside with the subtle lights of the men's torches as they caught a glimpse of the village, looking unprotected.
"Now is the time that we strike. I want the attackers to push forward with me and the archers to lay fire on my command. I trust that the rest of you can secure the boy before it's too late." Des had begun as they stopped in front of the village, consisting of roughly a dozen or so buildings. What no one noticed was Josef on night guard and was quick to react to the monster spotted, running swiftly to the residence of Marco and Boris.
Marco's perspective…
Marco was fast asleep in his bed covered by a cotton blanket and and a red hoodie with his regular clothes. It was a chilly night and he had forgotten to change clothes after leaving everyone else to go to his room. He had felt quite guilty for leaving them on a bad note and was prepared to apologise.
He woke up abruptly to the sound of screaming and his door slamming open, making him jump out of bed into a fighting position that he had been taught by Grunt. He looked forward to seeing a distressed Boris and Gregory rush to Marco holding what looked like a pair of scissors and yanked Marco into his hands which put him on high alert. He had never seen them this distressed and was scaring him.
"What's going on Boris?" Marco grunted under the shear force of Boris' grip.
"We have to get you out of here immediately." Gregory replied but he thought that his answer was rather vague. They ran fast out of the village and before he was out of sight he had noticed a bright light that looked like fire emitting from his house. The only place he had ever known was under attack and there was nothing he could do.
Marco was deep in thought and was severely stressed about what would happen to the others. He hadn't noticed that he had been shedding tears the whole time. Boris had been running at a constant fast pace with Gregory flying right behind them on high alert of any followers until they had decided that they had gotten far enough from the damage to recover.
"Marco, I know this will be hard for you to hear but you have got to leave. I will open you a portal to another location and I need you to stay silent from any monsters." Boris hastilly commanded Marco, making him more stressed of what was going on.
"What happened?" Marco pleaded, his voice full of fear as he stood eye to eye with Boris. His soft green eyes slightly helped the situation but not enough for the paranoid boy.
"I need you to understand that there are dangerous monsters in search of your power," he reached into his bag and pillaged for what he was looking for only to reveal a necklace that had the shape of a extravagant sun made of the finest metal and beads of gems of every colour. It was a mesmerizing object and once he handed it to Marco, he felt a strong surge of strength emitting from his body. For the first time he felt like a man, someone who could topple buildings with the flick of his wrist. "I want you to hold onto this tight. This monster who attacked is not an ordinary monster. He is in search of power and if he got a hold of you, he could destroy everything and everyone so I need you to stay hidden. I know it's hard but we might be able to see each other again." At this point Boris had been lifting Marco's chin so they made eye contact. He was crying profusely and it was a hard scene for Boris to watch.
He moved aside to reveal Gregory standing behind him with something else in his hand. It was a well crafted sword that stood tall made of the strongest metals of Mewni and glamoured with precious gems that could be worth a fortune to anything. This was no normal sword. It was fit for a king, no, it was made for a god. "Take this Marco and I want you to hold it with your life. This is a sword stronger than any other you will ever see. I crafted it years ago putting all of my magic into it leaving me powerless for a century. Inside of this sword is power beyond your belief and if you channel it right, you can summon your inner spirit animal to aid you in battle." He passed it to Marco and felt the weight of the sword. It was much heavier than a normal sword and would take him time to get used to. He didn't understand the extent of the situation but knew that everyone would be relying on him to save the kingdom. He looked at both of them with tears in his eyes and a look of determination. This was no easy feat for him but he knew he had to be strong.
"Thank you." He croaked as Boris and Gregory smiled as they prepared to open the portal until a sharp sword came flying in their direction, hitting Boris straight in the hard. He dropped and Marco screamed as he shook Boris but made little effort to move, only opening his arms to reveal the scissors muttering "run" as loud as he could before he passed away. Marco grabbed the scissors and made a swiping motion, not knowing where he was going to go but looked behind to see Gregory struggling to keep him time.
"Goodbye," Marco wailed as he stepped through the portal and ended up in the middle of a grassland.
He gazed into the sky and realised that he was still in Mewni. He let one lonely tear flow down his eyes filled with rage and anger.
"I will avenge you father."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed that first chapter which totalled to around 4500 words. I plan to make my next chapters longer than this one and also plan starting the story in the next chapter but I just wanted to give some context to what Marco had gone through so you can understand his emotions.
Also if you see any different spelling it's either I suck at spelling or that since I'm from Australia it's spelt different like it's spelt mum not mom for me.
Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter :D