Review Corner

InfiniteClockWise- While I see where you're coming from, I feel it's justifiable for all these girls to have or develop a crush on Marco, based on their emotional states. Jackie seems to have grown very attached to Marco, and is shown to value their relationship very much, Janna's behavior is indicative of a girl who's seeking attention and trying to get it the only way they know how, Star is not as over Marco as she keeps telling herself she is, and Kelly, well, her reasoning will be explained here. As for Marco's pitfalls as a squire, this chapter will show it has its bright spots and dive more into Star's reasoning on that as well.

Useful76- Thank you! That was a scene I had planned for for a very long time, glad I was able to convey the necessary emotion. And yes, Janna is a very strong character. The way I like to explain it is she's like a dam, but when the pressure gets to be too much, it breaks. I'm glad you're enjoying the changes, as I said before, the turning point rapidly approaches. And yes, Star is certainly going to relapse a bit ;) haha! And glad you enjoyed the Celena episode, it will be very important down the line.

allen Vth- Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed that scene, and her character was definitely the highlight of the episode. And of course, Star is showing signs, making her more confused than ever. They may have failed to get the statement, but it's nice to know you still felt fulfilled by the chapter. As for this chapter, you didn't really think I'd leave Higgs as a one off character, did you? ;) There will definitely be a clash of epic proportions amongst the squires. Kelco will be addressed this episode ,but time will tell whether Kelly ends up in the same boat as Janna. Celena definitely lives up to her title, glad I was able to pull that off. Haha, thanks for pointing out the mistakes, somehow missed them in editing. And yes! Glad you caught that! Fun fact, I actually listened to the scene where the Whispering Spell was recited to hear the exact words eight times.

OMAC001- Thank you! I won't disappoint!

Jack Coffison- Thank you. Glad you're enjoying it thus far. I intended for this story to be more character driven, with an overarching plot. I feel like these type of stories allow for character studies, introspection, and character development, all of which is really helped by the "shipping" element of things. I'm glad you mention Marco's arc, as I felt it was something to show was leading up to in Season 3A, after 'Lava Lake Beach', but scrapped it to focus more on plot in 3B. I'm attempting to balance both, and glad you think I have done so thus far.

As for Star, her journey has been a joy to write. If in Seasons 1 and 2 Star ran away from her problems, now she faces them head on, but too quickly, without really thinking about the long term consequences of her actions, and this will come up several times. The quick fix isn't always the best fix. As for Starco, both characters need to sort out their individual issues and accept them before they can sort out this barrier of awkwardness between them. But the gears are certainly turning, we'll see who cracks first. This was so fun to write! Thank you, you have a good day as well!

Star's Keyblade4114- Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it! And yes, I can see how this can be a bit a bit hard to follow, with all the crushes. However, this chapter will shed some light on that, and things will be less complicated by the end. Process of elimination.

TheSnowflake18- Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it haha! And yes, they'll be a couple more specials for other queens, most of the time, there's something important hidden in them as vague clues for future events. Solaria is definitely too interesting to pass up.

Ello all! This is a chapter I've been itching to write, especially after a recent trip to Medieval Times. Sorry this chapter is so late, combination of school, being sick for a while and a hurricane knocking my power out. We're getting close to the major turning point, and many of you can probably guess what event that is. Now, without further ado, Episode 17B!


Marco Diaz winced slightly as he pushed his breastplate into place. Putting on armor was still a new experience for the squire. He'd never worn it, not even in his sixteen years of fighting Hekapoo, preferring to be more free and open, as opposed to the sometimes restricting and clunky armor. Nevertheless, he looked to his friend for approval. Kelly was the expert in this sort of stuff, after all. "How do I look?"

The blue haired girl looked him up and down, rubbing her chin with a hand, as if she was thinking. The armor itself was the standard steel, a colorless grey, but it was effective as what is was designed for, protection. Kelly had insisted on taking Marco "armor shopping" because apparently, that was a thing in Mewni. As was custom, squires wore the symbols of their knights into battle. So, she and Marco painted the symbol of the Royal Family, crest, the Butterfly on the center of the breastplate, in their official color of royal blue, to signify his allegiance to them, namely to Star.

Kelly smirked playfully, hiding something behind her back. "Hmmm, I dunno. I feel like it's something's missing." She quickly slipped the helmet onto his head. The visor slowly came down to cover his eyes. "Like a true knight."

Marco suddenly began thrashing about, like a mad man. "I can't see! Everything suddenly went dark!"

"Lift the visor up, silly. " She pushed it up and his vision returned.

"Oh." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, before turning to look at her once again.

Kelly too, was wearing armor, which wasn't surprising considering the occasion. Her's was a darker black though, with a red scarf, hanging around her neck on the outside. Her hair was in a ponytail, which hung out of an opening in her helmet. She wore combat boots as well, dressed for war.

Marco gave a thumbs up in approval. "You look great too."

The armor hid her light pink, rosy blush. "Thanks."

"Hey, I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to be my partner, I mean, it was kind of short notice, and I only got to practice for a week and…" He'd asked Star to give him a week off to train for the Squire Games, and surprisingly, she agreed without much hesitation. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to be his partner, as it was a tournament of duos. Ever since the incident with Demeek, Star had been more focused than ever on preparing for the trial, shutting herself in her room for hours on end, mysteriously disappearing at times. Truth be told, it hurt she couldn't be here, but he understood. The trial was her number one priority right now, and rightfully so.

Kelly shrugged, dismissing his concerns with a wave of her hand. "It's fine, Marco. I wasn't gonna pass this up. I mean when's the last time we hung out? You've just been so busy with Star lately." She likely didn't mean for that to come out like it did. "Besides, you're Marco Diaz, Champion of the Trials of Hekapoo, I think you can handle this."

As if on queue, royal fanfare began to blare, the booming but elegant sounds of the trumpets echoed from the arena outside. This signaled the start of the competition.

"Thanks, Kelly." Marco grinned as the iron door began to slowly lift up. He held out his fist. "Dream Team?"

Kelly grinned in response before bumping his fist, the sound of metal on metal echoing throughout the small, narrow corridor. "Dream Team."

High above the battlegrounds and even the elevated stands, King River stood in the royal box. The two chairs to his right were empty, as neither Star nor Moon were able to attend, both far too busy gathering evidence for their respective sides for the upcoming trial. Poor Moonpie, she was working herself into the ground. Nevertheless, there was still an event to be managed. "Welcome one and all…" He spoke in his best "regal" voice, trying to sound as kingly as possible. "To the 667th annual, Squire Games!"

The crowd roared with a mixture of approval and anticipation as the squires came charging out of their respective corners, like football players preparing for the Homecoming Game. There was such a buzz, that River abandoned his kingly facade, letting his Johansen side fully hang out. "What better way to prove they're ready for knighthood than on the glorious field of battle!?"

The crowd was at a fever pitch, roaring again in satisfaction. Among them, sat both Tom and Pony Head. Pony had a battle axe for a horn, to commemorate the violence of the spectacle.

"Start the killing already! I didn't take off partying at St. Olga's to see a greeting card party!

Slightly creeped out, Tom continued eating his popcorn. "You do know anyone hardly ever dies in these things..."

"All the more reason why this the year!" She rolled her eyes. "Maan, B-Fly's really missing out, I mean battle is totally her thing."

The demon fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. "Uh yeah, right." Truth be told, he had mixed feelings about Star not being there. It wasn't like he didn't like his girlfriend's company, in fact, he craved it more than ever. Star had been really busy the last couple months. Canceling dates, not being able to make dinner with his parents, heck, they'd only been on one date since the Library of Secrets, and that was like three months ago! But at the same time, if she'd came, she'd be competing alongside Marco. Marco. Tom tried not to have any ill will towards his friend, but Star just seemed to spend all of her time with him. He was just always there. They lived together, he was the one who she involved in whatever was going on. It may have been because he was her squire, but they had been "just friends" on Earth, yet Star developed a crush on him. So, it relieved him a bit to know that at least she wasn't with Marco.

Pony Head paid no mind to Tom's strange behavior, caught up in the excitement. "Go Kelly and Earth Turd!"

Back up in the royal box, River tapped his staff again the wood loudly to get the attention of the audience. "Now, without further ado, let the first challenge, the joust, begin!"


Star stared down at her tea, stirring it gently with her spoon. The girl stared absentmindedly at her reflection in the beige liquid.

"Globgore, Globgore!" Glossaryk was going to town on the biscuits that had been left uneaten on the tray.

Eclipsa sat opposite Star, legs crossed. She sat down her own tea on the table, looking over at Star. "I can't believe my little Meteora is still out there. All alone." She frowned, looking over at the tower window.

Star suddenly snapped out of her momentary daze. "Uhhh, yeah! I tried talking to her at the Monster Temple, but she just wouldn't hear me out." Seeing Eclipsa's expression, she quickly backtracked. "But that's why we have to win this trial, she'll definitely listen to you."

The former nodded in agreement, before tearing her gaze from the window and back to Star. "How did you manage to escape? She sounded very powerful from what you said."

"Oh, I Dipped Down."

"You what?"

"Dipped Down? You know, dipped down into the chunks?" When she saw it wasn't ringing a bell, she moved in from that old analogy. "I used wandless magic, when I do that, I can use this yellow Butterfly Form."

Eclipsa finally seemed to understand. "Oh, magic without a wand? I never learned that. Glossy kept trying to teach me, but I was far too busy experimenting with dark magic to have time to learn. And then there was- Are you alright dear?"

The princess had spaced out again, going right back to staring at the murky reflection in her cup of tea. "Oh, um….yeah! Totally, totally, totally!"

"You seem a bit distracted dear, what's the trouble?"

Star sighed, turning her gaze back to Eclipsa. "It's just, the Squire Games are today and I'm a little worried about Marco."

"Ah, that's what this is about. From what you've told me, he seems quite capable, I'm sure he'll be able to handle himself fine."

The blonde still looked a bit uncertain. She couldn't shake this strange feeling of uneasiness that seemed to bubble in the pit of her stomach. It was true, Marco could handle himself just fine, through all the countless battles against Ludo and his goons and managing to hunt down Hekapoo in that 16 year trial. Kelly was a capable fighter as well, her skills with a sword were amazing, besting Star who had been trained since childbirth each and every time they sparred. They were probably the frontrunners to win, matter of fact. But Star's uneasiness was...different. She was definitely worried about something, she just couldn't put her finger on what.

She shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts. "Yeah you're right, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." She couldn't afford to get so distracted anyway. The trial was a week away now, and she still wasn't quite satisfied with the evidence that she'd managed to gather. Nirobus was still an enigma, Demeek hadn't revealed anything she didn't already know, besides Eclipsa abandoning her husband and daughter, which really wasn't the best look. Her mom and the Commission had centuries worth of evidence to draw from. All Star had was one secret she was never supposed to learn. But that wasn't enough, she'd need something to combat the allegations that would surely come Eclipsa's way. "Eclipsa, I need to ask you an important question."

"Ask away dearie."

Star paused, knowing that if her mom was here, she'd have a fit that she was asking Eclipsa of all people this question. But it was important, Star had read and even used dark magic before and it hadn't really affected her in any way. If the Commission wanted to claim it was evil, what better way to prove them wrong than to know where it comes from? "Where does dark magic come from?"

Eclipsa grinned and bounced up and down excitedly. "I'm so glad you asked! Not many people take an interest in the dark arts. Though, it is a bit of a loaded question."


Kelly made sure to tighten the reins on Marco's warnicorn, ignoring the steed's cries of protest. "Alright, that should be good,"She said as she turned back to her partner, who was still eying his lance nervously. "Uhhh Marco?" He looked up when she called his name, trying to play off his anxiety. "Are you sure you don't want me to do this one? Me and Jorby do stuff like this all the time."

Before he could even respond, Marco was greeted by a voice he hoped he'd never hear again. "Didn't expect to see you here, nerd. Thought you'd be too busy feeding your princess grapes or something."

The human turned around slowly, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Sure enough, he spotted the familiar crop of red hair and the sea green eyes, since she had her visor up. "Higgs."

The squire in question smirked. "Your knight couldn't even be bothered to show up, that's gotta sting. Though, you aren't even a real squire, you don't belong here anyway."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Kelly stepped forward at Marco's side, fists clenched at her sides. "Maybe you didn't get the memo, but Marco helped save Mewni, fought valiantly against Ludo's rats, and faced Toffee head on. Where were you?"

Higgs's smirk became a scowl in Kelly's direction, before she regained her cocky composure. "And who are you? Wow nerd, the princess dumps you and you replace her that quickly? Shameful."

This time it was Marco who spoke up, stepping forward, right into Higgs's face. "She couldn't have dumped me if we were never a thing! And we…" He gestured to himself and Kelly. "Aren't either!" He crossed his arms, smirking. "And who'd you bring as a partner? Baby-Man? Old Guy? They aren't really knight material."

"Actually…" Another armored figure came forward. It was a boy, tall and muscular, messy black hair in plain sight, due the fact he wasn't wearing a helmet. "I'm Sir Skarsguard's squire. Name's Xavier. May the best squire win out there." He walked away, tossing on his helmet.

Higgs walked away as well, giving the pair a smug look ad she turned to prepare for the joust.

Kelly looked up at Marco who was practically seething with rage. "Uhhh, Marco? Are you going out there for the-"

"Oh, I'm going out there! I'll show her!" The Latino grabbed his lance, hopping on his warnicorn.

The sound of the trumpet blaring signified another announcement from the king.

"Ladies and-" River was cut off by the sound if Manfred continuing to play the horn. "Ladies and-" Once again, Manfred continued playing his regal solo. River frowned and waited a moment, and an awkward, long silence ensued. Feeling confident it was over, the king cleared his throat to continue. "L-" The horn began blaring again, on queue. "Manfred!"

"Sorry sire." He set down the horn.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The first challenge is about to be underway! The matchmakers will set to work, setting up matches between the squires, that is, unless there are any personal challenges-"

"I have a challenge!" Marco stepped forward, pushing past the other squires to be acknowledged. He looked confident and sure of himself, which was odd for the usually insecure human.

There was a collective gasp and murmuring among both the squires and the crowd, surprised that the Earth boy was willing to call someone out by name. Pony Head and Tom shared a concerned glance, a cocky Marco led to bad things, that was for sure.

Even River, who knew of Marco's more brave and heroic moments, was mildly surprised. "Alright, Marco, who do you challenge?"

The boy grinned, kneeling in respect for the king but getting to his feet in an instant. "Well, my liege, I challenge, Higgs, squire to Sir Stabby." He didn't falter at all in his sentence, intent of proving himself to everyone here.

The excited murmurs became full on pandemonium. Challenging another knight's squire usually signified a spat between, that knight and that of the squire who issued the challenge. Knights rarely ever fought directly. Sir Stabby, who had been living up to his namesake, sharpening a sort, rose to his feet in the knight's box, outraged. "You what!? What problem does your knight have with me?"

That really set Marco off. Everything he said, everything he did, got tied back to Star somehow. Like he didn't have his own life without her or something. Things had already been weird enough between them, as he felt like nothing more than a servant at times, and not necessarily a friend. Not everything he did had to revolve around her, despite the fact he'd be willing to do anything for her, if the situation called for it. "Why, nothing Sir Stabby. This is a personal issue. You see, ever since I became a squire, I've been getting nothing but disrespect, from the knights and squires alike. Higgs had been leading the charge, and quite frankly, I'm tired of it." His tone was firm and unwavering.

Kelly elbowed him in the ribs sharply. "What are you doing?" She whispered through a false smile.

Marco glared at the red haired squire through his visor. "Setting things right."

Higgs returned the glare, her cold green eyes narrowing and conveying a sense of malice. "I accept your challenge."

Sir Stabby was still quite riled up. "Victory is a must Higgs! This disrespect must not go unanswered! Not while you're wearing my symbol!"

She nodded. "Yes Sir Stabby." Her voice was hoarse and quiet, as she put her visor down.

The crowd roared with anticipation, stomping their feet as both squires went back to their respective sides. An added layer to the fight, a personal issue. That would certainly make this more interesting.

Marco mounted his warnicorn, putting his visor down as Manfred began to play his regal solo, more furiously this time. The Johansens in attendance view their warhorns, the low sound fitting the intensity and thick tension of the coming battle. This was much more than an annual formality now, this was a fight for respect, for honor.

Higgs mounted her warnicorn, and Xavier handed her a shield, with the symbol of Sir Stabby, the crossed swords, with a red and black crest, painted on. In her other hand, her metal lance glistened in the Mewman Sun. She put her visor down, tuning out the ruckus crowd and focusing on the task in front of her.

Kelly handed Marco his rectangular shield hesitantly. "Be careful, kay?" She fidgeted with the straps on her armor nervously, as the warnicorn went trotting towards the jousting area.

River's kingly demeanor had been completely lost in the excitement and buzz, as he ripped off his shirt and grabbed his spear. "This joust will be between Marco Diaz, squire to Princess Star Butterfly and Higgs Carlisle, squire to Sir Stabby! LET THE JOUST BEGIN!" The horns sounded.

Marco kicked the warnicorn in the side lightly as it began its gallop across the grounds. "Tally- WOAH!" He bounced up and down, as the reins weren't as secure as they could have been. The boy held the cold metal of the shield against his chest with one hand, and readied his lance with the other, as he saw his opponent speeding towards him. Forty yards. Thirty. Twenty. His heart nearly beat out of his chest with anticipation. He'd have one shot at this, his best chance would be to try and drive as much force into her shield as possible, possibly crack it and knock her off. Though it would be hard to garner enough strength to do that on horseback, he'd have to lean forward a bit, momentum was everything. Marco would have to wait though, doing so too early would give away his plan. Fifteen years, ten years…...Now! He let go of the reins a little, leaning forward and drawing hack his arm preparing to strike with the heavy lance. However, he was not prepared for what happened next.

Higgs seemed to be anticipating this ,as she slammed her shield into his arm, hard, the sound of metal hitting bone causing a sickening sound. With her free hand, she slammed her lance into his shield cracking it. More importantly, these two devastating blows caused Marco's already out of-whack balance to falter completely, and the human was sent flying off his warnicorn before he could register what had just occurred. He landed on his back with a heavy thud, hitting his head against the hard ground.

The crowd went silent for a moment, upon seeing the human squire hit the ground. Pony and Tom both grimaced at the sight, holding in a breath in concern for their friend.

"Marco!" Kelly immediately ran to his side, as the stray warnicorn continued to run around the arena aimlessly. "Marco! Oh my god, that was a horrible fall! Are you okay?" She shook him by the arm, gently.

Luckily, the armor had absorbed most of the impact, but the sheer force of the fall was enough to knock the wind out of him. Marco set up his visor slowly, shakily glancing at Kelly, still shaken from his swift and rather decisive defeat. "I...think so."

Higgs came riding by, taking a victory lap. She'd removed her helmet, riding around the arena with one arm raised in victory. Her green gaze landed on the defeated Marco on the ground and her lips pressed together in a cruel smirk. "It's like I said, you don't belong here." She rode off, back on her victory lap, managing to stir the crowd which snapped out of its momentary silence, cheering for the victor. Marco glared daggers into her back. He may have dropped the ball on this one, but there would be other opportunities.

Kelly helped him to his feet, patting him on the shoulder as she did. "We'll get em, still plenty of challenges left." She held out her fist, smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Dream Team?"

The boy didn't hesitate, pounding it. "Dream Team."

Higgs easily ran the table with the rest of the competition, defeating her opponents quite handily. She beat Baby-Man so bad in fact, that she slammed him against the arena wall and he was carted away after proclaiming he could taste the stars. She and Xavier were promptly named the winners of the challenge, as partners shared credit for the other partner's victory. Sir Stabby looked in approval with a curt nod.

The next challenge was something Marco had limited experience with, archery. The servants trotted onto the battlefield to prepare the targets. Classic bullseye. It wasn't like he'd never used a bow before, he'd done some of everything during Hekapoo's Trials. But it wasn't something he did a lot, and this he didn't remember how to do it very well. They couldn't afford to tank another challenge if they still hoped to win this thing.

Kelly must have seen the anxiety written on his face. "Why don't I take this one?"

He looked to his companion, uncertain. "Are you sure?"

She gave him a thumbs up and stepped in line with the other squires who were competing in the challenge. Surprisingly, Old Guy had done the best so far, landing two rings below the center. No other squire managed to match this feat, either just sneaking it along the bottom, or not getting it on target at all. When it came to Xavier's turn, the tall squire took a deep breath, taking the bow and arrow from the servant. He stepped back a bit and drew the string back, lining up the shot. He just stood there for a moment, not releasing until he seemed to be absolutely sure. Suddenly, he drew back in a flash and the arrow entered the wood right above the bullseye, missing by one ring.

The crowd went absolutely crazy, save for Pony and Tom who didn't see how Kelly would have any chance of beating that shot.

Even the knights were impressed, sitting on the edge of their seats, as the contest began to grab their full attention.

"What a shot!"

"That young lad's got promise."

"He'd make a great knight some day…"

Sir Skarsguard simply gave an approving grunt, putting up a thumbs to express what he thought of the shot. Higgs have Xavier a pat on the back but not before turning towards Marco, wearing a smug expression. "Wonder how your girlfriend's gonna beat that, nerd."

He felt his eye twitch, holding his fists against his sides tightly. "Do you just assume every girl you see me with is my girlfriend? I told you we aren't a thing!"

"You got rejected? Sad."

"No!" He needed a way to fire back, and he knew just what to go. Glancing between she and Xavier, who was out of earshot, a devious smirk formed on his lips. "I'm not the one with a crush on my partner."

Her smirk disappeared as she frantically put her helmet back on to hide the rosemary blush that began creeping its way up. "What!? S-shut up! I have no idea what you're talking about." Her voice was unsteady and shaky, as if she was trying to convince herself.

He crossed his arms, putting his back foot against the nearby wall for support. "Riiiight, that's why you've been ogling him the whole contest?"

Higgs went from flustered to furious on a matter of moments, slamming her armored hand against the wall, near Marco's head and jabbing a finger into his chest with the other. "Drop it nerd, now. Or else."

He didn't falter, a steely determination etched onto his face. Raising an eyebrow curiously, he decided to poke the bear. "Or what?"

"Or else the next time I knock you on your butt, you'll need a stretcher to cart you off."

"Too bad that won't be happening anymore. I'm tired of taking this from you, when I win, I'll be the closest to becoming a knight. I'll prove I belong here, just as much-scratch that. More than you."

The rivals are unconsciously began getting getting closer to each other as the spat intensified, so much so they were almost nose to nose. Suddenly, Higgs smirked, as her glare softened a bit.

"How about a wager? To make things more interesting."

"Alright, what are the stakes?"

"You wanna prove yourself, I want to prove you don't belong. Well, if you two win, I'll leave you alone and concede that you belong as a squire. But if we win-" She paused momentarily for emphasis. ""You, have to give up your squirehood."

Under normal circumstances, Marco would have never entertained the thought of such a challenge. But this was no such occasion. Adrenaline, determination and rage where pumping through him, feeding him energy. This was the ultimate opportunity he'd been waiting for. To prove he belonged. And if he couldn't do that, maybe he didn't. Star was going down a rabbit hole of danger, with Meteora and trying to end a centuries old conflict, and she'd need someone capable at her side to help her through it. And if he couldn't win some tournament, what use would he be? They weren't fighting Ludo and his band of misfits anymore, this was Meteora, who could have been even more powerful than Toffee was, and Marco was useless in that endeavor as well. This was it. All or nothing.

"I accept." He didn't hesitate, meeting her gaze with a determined glare.

"This is gonna take more than that. Swear on your honor as squire, and on your knight's honor.

Marco's eye contact didn't waver. He brought his right hand over his heart, as if he was preparing to recite the pledge. "I, Marco Diaz, solemnly swear on my honor as a squire of the Butterfly Kingdom, and on the distinguished honor of my knight, Princess Star Butterfly." He rose to his feet and stuck out his hand, as a way to informally confirm the wager.

Higgs chuckled as she gripped his hand, slowly shaking it, before dropping it. "So you did your homework. May the best squire win, nerd. Though we all know who will."

"Yeah, we do."

The two squires suddenly became aware of the sudden silence that enveloped the arena. Confused, they glanced around only to find a wide eyed, stunned crowd. A minute prior, they'd be deafening over Xavier's shot, but now, one could hear a pin drop. The Latino glanced at the line of competitors, which had devolved into a disorganized mob. They looked shell-shocked, mouths agape.

Old-Guy was the one to break the silence, raising a shaking finger and pointing at the target ahead. "I-Impossible!" The other squires began murmuring under their breath, clearly caught off guard.

Even Xavier, who had been the most level-headed of the bunch throughout the competition thus far, lost his cool composure. "No way…"

"Never thought I'd see the day…."

"I might just drop out at this point…."

There stood Kelly, bow in hand, drawstring back, arrow in the direct center of the target. Bullseye. A perfect shot. There was no way anyone would be able to one-up that. That pretty much wrapped that one up. She seemed rather unaffected by her success, simply handing her bow over to a royal servant casually.

Her partner, however, was anything but casual. "Kelly, that was amazing! I thought you were a swordsman!"

She lifted her hands and shoulders in a small shrug. "I am. But my family is into hunting. A sword really isn't the most practical thing when hunting boar."

"We're on the board,that's a win!"

River's Johansen side was on full display. He shirt had been long discarded, leaving him in nothing but his crown and loincloth. The king leapt onto the edge of the stands, clearly enjoying his newfound freedom, now that Moon wasn't there. He raised his spear in the air, playing to the crowd, especially his Johansen kin amongst the. "What a shot! That will go down as a win for the Squires of Princess Butterfly! This contest is certainly shaping up to be a classic of a battle! Squire, tally the point!"

"Yes, my lord." Bennington, the official royal squire trotted over to the literal massive board, all the way down the spiraling stadium stairs. He was panting by the time he reached the bottom, the exertion seemingly too much, for the not-so physically fit squire. "I'm almost-" Everyone simply watched and waited as he slowly stumbled his way over towards the board.

Marco checked his imaginary watch. It had been like five minutes already. How had this guy ever managed to become a royal squire? There was no way he met the physical requirements. If this guy could be a squire, so could he.

Kelly had begun fidgeting in her boredom, twirling one of her many daggers between her fingers and catching it, playing a sort of game of chance. "Is he still not there yet?"

Up in the audience, Pony Head had buried her head into the pink and blue cotton candy she ordered, absentmindedly swinging the battle axe attached to her horn against her seat. "Can we just get on with it!? I came to be entertained!"

She swung the axe dangerously close to Tom, who shifted all his weight to his left to avoid getting decapitated. "Could….you be more careful with that thing?" Though, even he had to admit that this extended pause in the action had sort of killed the excitement that had been built up. He was anxious to see what would happen next, completely captivated by the competition. More than anything, he wanted Kelly and Marco to win. He knew how seriously the latter took his squire duties. Star once told him Marco spent almost 8 hours searching stores on Mewni for a brand of breakfast cereal. Talk about dedication. Though, thinking of the gesture made the cornshake in his stomach twirl a bit. The fact that he would spend so long, busting his butt for something so small, worried Tom. It was things like that, that made him question the depth of Marco's feeling towards his "knight." Nah, Marco wouldn't do that to him. He just had a tendency to take everything seriously, and work tirelessly until he accomplished it. He'd planned, managed, invited the guests and baked the cake for Star's party a couple months back. Even imported a mariachi band from Earth, somehow. He was just a good friend. Friend. Just a friend.

Eventually, Bennington reached the board, sweat pouring off him and looking ghostly pale. He jumped, trying to reach the top of the board, to no avail. "Hut, hut, hut…." His jumps barely got him off the ground, as he had no leg strength left to speak of. Two knights, on either side of the board lifted him up by his legs. Finally, he marked a tally next to the Butterfly symbol, giving Marco and Kelly the point.

River cleared his throat to regain the crowd's attention. "Thank you, Bennington. He needs the medic, someone get him to the medical wing right away. Anyways, two challenges in and it looks like we already have a real barnburner taking shape. But this.., is where we separate the real squires, from the paper ones." Marco and Higgs glared daggers at each other when those words were spoken. "The third challenge promises to be the most difficult yet. As knights, you will sometimes be called upon to defend the kingdom from both man and beast. This beast proved to be elusive to even the mighty hunters of the Johansen Kingdom. The feared Black Spotted Bog Wyvern!"

The knights quickly turned the lever to open the large armored cage, a still blackness visible on the other side of it. For a moment, nothing happened, as there was no sign of the beast. The calm was eerie, unsettling even. Marco felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, as he stood there, heart racing on a mixture of anticipation and fear. Kelly was in a similar boat, nervously pulling on a strand of her hair with one hand, sword clutched tightly in the other. Xavier held his axe firmly, determined gaze locked on the darkness ahead, though his hands held a small, but noticeable tremble. Even the usually confident Higgs was visibly terrified, looking nervous and extremely on edge.

A knight looked at the pitch black nothingness, and decided to investigate the cause of the holdup. "Nothings happening." He left his post, peering into the dwelling. "I'm gonna stand unnecessarily close to the-AHHHH!" He was cut off as he was smacked against the wall, by a long, reptilian tail. The Wyvern emerged from the cave, it's eyes beady and a deep yellow, almost gold in color. It was scaly, a thick hide coating it like some kind of primal armor. It was a strange deep green color, easy to blend in with the water and greenery of the bog. It let out what sounded like the combination of a snarl and a mighty roar, glaring at the squires in its midst. It's leathery wings unfolded from its back, but it made no move to take flight.

Marco swallowed a lump in his throat as the beast continued to stare them down, gazing discreetly at his partner who wore a similar awestruck expression. "You brought a bigger sword, right?"


"Dark magic is a difficult concept to explain," Eclipsa began, pacing around the room a bit. "It isn't as cut and dry as being an evil counterpart to "regular magic". There's nothing really evil about it at all. After all, if someone were to use a spell to harm someone, just say, a normal spell, does that make them evil?"

Star shook her head without hesitation. As many times as she'd used her wand on Monsters, it would be hypocritical to say anything else. "No."

"It's all about intent dear. There are two ways of attaining dark magic. For the first and most conventional way,one must bend the laws of natural magic. This requires a lot of practice, tinkering and experimentation, and knowing how to use emotion to change the nature of spells. The next way, is a sort of short cut. All magic comes from somewhere, that includes dark magic, or magic that disobeys the laws of conventional magic. It's difficult to find, but not if you know where to look. Between you and me…" Eclipsa began speaking playfully in a hushed tone. "That's what I did."

The princess looked at her grandmother curiously, cocking her head to the side. "Isn't that wrong? I mean, the High Commission must enforce the rules of Magic for a reason…"

"All knowledge is good knowledge. If it's out there, use it. We both know, the High Commission can be unreasonable. You saw how I was treated when I was first uncrystallized. If it wasn't for you, I'd be right back in there right now."

"That's….true." From what she'd seen so far, their fears were pretty unwarranted. It was becoming more and more apparent that Eclipsa was the black she applied of the family because of her relationship with monsters, more than anything. "But my Mom, she said that the spell felt evil." Star could remember the story Moon had relayed to her when they were on the run together. About how she had turned to Eclipsa for guidance in her last ditch attempt to kill Toffee, and how sinister and dark the magic had felt before it left her wand. It traumatized her, as she had once viewed Eclipsa the same way Star did.

Eclipsa shrugged. "Her intent was to kill something immortal, I just honored her request. She paid the price, my freedom. Though dark magic comes with another small price, but I won't bore you with that. Dear?"

Star was staring off into space again, not catching the tail end of that comment. "What!? Oh yeah, right." She giggled uneasily, the false grin she forced on her lips fading as soon as it formed.

Eclipsa shook her head, batting her eyelashes at her granddaughter playfully. "You're really worried for him aren't you?"

"No….yes? No? I dunno! I just feel really uneasy for some reason, like something's….wrong. It's weird."

"Well you could also check for yourself. You did read my chapter, right?"

"Yes, but I don't think Mom would approve of me-"

"Your mother doesn't even want you to be here." The former queen met the future one's eye, mischief twinkling within them. "If it were up to her, I'd be in a crystal now, spending the rest of my days in that prison. Plus, you've used it before right? Did anything bad come of it?"

Star looked down at the wand in her hand, mulling over the words. She had a point, the spying spell itself never actually caused any direct harm, it's just what she was seeing didn't do much to help those situations. The….incident at the graveyard with Marco and Jackie led to Ludo stealing the spellbook, trying and eventually locating Glossaryk in the cave bummed her out for quite a while. Then there were all the other times, over the summer when Marco's nacho cheese scent just couldn't seem to leave her mind. When she checked up on him, just a couple times. Seeing how he was doing. Everytime she picked him up, he didn't seem to be feeling the sting from their separation as much as she was, he hung out with Janna Alfonso and Ferguson, went on dates with Jackie, and went about life as normal. As if nothing happened. As if she'd never been there. So, needless to say, that wasn't the happiest of times either. Still, she couldn't let whatever this all-consuming feeling was go on, and it wouldn't stop until she was reassured.

"You're….right. No harm in checking in."

Eclipsa grinned approvingly, folding her hands as she waited for Star to cast the spell.

The princess in question closed her eyes, standing up from her comfortable seat. Glossaryk almost seemed to sense what was about to happen, scampering off the tray of biscuits. She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself. The words of power were engraved into her memory by now, so that wouldn't be an issue. Star raised the wand the required amount, as a chill draft began to sweep through the room. "I summon the All-Seeing Eye. To tear a hole into the sky. Reveal to me that which is hidden. Unveil to me what is forbidden."

The telltale swirling purple and gold mist streamed from the wand as soon as the last verse was complete, contorting until a portal formed. For a moment, it showed nothing in particular, until Star focused on what she wished to see, the Squire Games. Almost immediately, the darkness was replaced by a crystal clear image. Marco and Kelly, on their heels, running from what looked like a dragon. But instead of being terrified, they were grinning? Kelly stopped running and turned around, pulling several daggers from her belt and hurling them at the creature. It was more of an annoyance than anything, for they clattered harmlessly against its thick hide. The beast narrowed its eyes at the blue haired girl, opening his mouth and unleashing a column of green flame, that would have engulfed her. However, a flash a color entered the fray, rolling in front of Kelly, and covering the pair of them with a metal shield. Marco. Though he promptly dropped the shield, after filling how hot it had become. His partner flashed him a grateful smile, before they dived out of the way of another incoming stream of flame.

There was something about that movement that made Star feel a sense of nostalgia that tickled her heart. It was so, seamless. The two of them seemed to be moving on the same wavelength without even trying, and having fun all the while. For some reason, this was bittersweet to the blonde, her blue eyes wanting to both shine with jubilation, and to well up with tears. That used to be her and Marco. Before everything. Warding off Ludo without a care in the world. The trip down memory lane didn't last however, as the Earth boy quickly jumped onto the dragon's back, trying to stab it, sword in hand. Unfortunately, the hide was too thick for the blade to find an entry point.

"This won't do it, it's too tough!" Star heard his panicked voice clearly from the portal. Then, in an instant, it threw him from its back. She held in a breath as her squire was sent toppling across ground, in a manner, that without the armor, would have caused significant injury.

The beast turned to the other squires, volleys of arrows bouncing off of it uselessly. It barreled towards one, clamping it's massive jaws down on his leg,before tossing him aside like a rag doll. It's reptilian tail swing around from its legs.

"Oh sweet corn," Baby-Man exclaimed as he got he shield up just in time, as the spiked tail slammed into the posse, not that it mattered. The sheer force sent the mob of seven squires flying into the arena a wall in a way that made even Star flinch.

In the distance, Pony Head's excited bellowing could be heard. "Now, that's what I came to see! Bravo!"

She watched as a red haired squire, who she recognized as the girl from the Blowout Sale, Higgs, chucked an axe at it, to seemingly gain its attention. Sure enough, it focused it's piercing gaze on her, unleashing a torrent of green flame, that she barely managed to avoid, as she led it on a chase across the arena. Then, a tall, black haired boy Star had never seen before, but she assumed was Higgs's partner, swooped in from the sidelines, a rope it hand. He ran laps around the beast's great feet, wrapping the rope around on each pass. That is until, Marco tackled him.

"Kelly, they're trying to catch it off balance!"

The rope came undone and the dragon turned back around. The dark haired squire scrambled to his feet and rolled out of the way. Marco tried to do the same, but found himself limited by his heavy, clunky armor. The beast's massive foot was right over him, in a few seconds Marco would be a red hoodied pancake. Star felt like her heart was in her ears, panic taking over. No. He couldn't….

Suddenly, Kelly streaked by, on the back of a warnicorn, pulling a startled Marco on and out of harm's way. The brunette immediately wrapped his arms around her waist for security sake, flashing her a grateful and heartfelt smile.

"Thanks Kelly, you saved my six."

She met his gaze in the corner of her eye, smile soon forming. "Don't mention it. Now, how are we gonna bring this thing down?"

Star felt her stomach churn after watching the display between the two friends. They were holding their own, Marco hadn't been heart and neither had Kelly. So why did she still feel so uneasy? She hadn't seen Marco that happy in months. He'd sort of followed her down the path of preparing for the trial, without any complaining or anything, but he'd never looked truly happy all the while, not how he used to on their adventures. He seemed content more than anything, tending to her left and right. But now, he looked like he was having real, genuine fun, something he more than deserved? So why did it make her feel so strange to see him having it, with Kelly? Her heart sank, and her stomach filled with her namesake. Star had only felt like this once before, but that was when…

For a brief moment, Star recalled that all too familiar feeling. The castle walls broke down again, as the invasion of red began once more. Snapping out of it, she jumped backwards, as the portal disappeared suddenly, due to her lack of focus. She turned to Eclipsa, wide eyed, thousand yard stare written all over her face.

The queen of darkness had been munching on popcorn, silently watching the festivities, just as Star had. She clapped with glee. "Brilliant! Quite a show, wasn't it? I always enjoyed the Squire Games. See, everything's alright."

Star shook her head and returned to a more natural state, silently insulting herself for that moment of childish vulnerability. "Yeah, peachy. Peachy." Her sapphire gaze latched onto the window, much more solemn, than it had just been a moment ago. As if she wished she were somewhere else.


Marco looked back at the Wyvern, which was gaining, its size not slowing it in the slightest. "We're not getting through that hide, we need to knock it out." He glanced at the open metal door, back near the cave. "And I think I know just how."

Kelly seemed to catch his drift, because she smirked. "I'll distract it, you get the lever."

The boy nodded and jumped off the warnicorn, rolling over until stopping to get to his feet. He immediately ran over towards the lever system of ropes near the iron door, having an unblocked path, thanks to the distracted Wyvern, and almost all the other squires being out of commission.

Kelly continued to toss her seemingly endless array of knives and daggers at the beast to try and agitate it. Eventually, one of her shots drew luck, hitting the beast square in the left eye. It let out a roar of both pain and anger, swinging its tail at her, and dismounting her from the warnicorn, as she hit the ground with a thud. Rolling up, she bolted towards the door, her predator in tow. Being partially blind didn't slow it down very much either, apparently.

Suddenly, Kelly felt a leg grab her ankle and she was wrestled to the ground. Sure enough, it was Higgs, bruised and battered, but not out.

"What are you crazy!?" The long haired girl exclaimed, trying to get to her feet, before the beast came roaring back.

"I heard all about your little plan. If you think I'm gonna let you two win this, you've got another thing coming."

"I know what is coming! Look out!" The two girls jumped to the side, just in time to avoid the Wyvern's outstretched claws.

It payed them no mind, continuing to barrel forwards. Kelly once again, struggled to get up, instead decided to bellow to her partner. "It's coming Marco! Almost time!"

The boy in question, could see the large green lizard making its way quickly across the arena. This would take precision timing though, any slip up would throw everything off. Once satisfied with the distance, he pulled the lever down on one side, successful lowering it on the left side. Sprinting over to the right, he pushed downward, only to be met with resistance. "Not now! The stupid thing is stuck!"

He needed to think quickly. He had, 15 seconds? And that was at the most. And object glistening in the sun caught his attention. One of Kelly's daggers! He scooped it up quickly and was about to cut the rope, until suddenly he was lying in the dirt.

Xavier layed next to him, trying to wrestle the knife from his grip. The Wyvern was right on top of them now, it's pungent stench able to be smelt. Both boys got to their feet, refusing to let go of the knife's handle. Xavier slammed Marco into the side of the lever, just as the beast made it's approach, it swung it's tail, hitting Xavier square in the chest, sending the poor boy, flying. Marco, managed to duck, as the door finally game down on top of the Wyvern's head, almost comically knocking it unconscious.

As soon as Xavier hit the ground, Higgs was flying over to him, tears streaming down her face. "Xavier! No! No!" She cradled her partner, who showed no signs of moving, either knocked out or worse. Medics immediately rushed in, to get Xavier and all the other injured squires to the infirmary, though they literally had to pry the boy away from Higgs. That left, Kelly, Marco and Higgs as the three remaining competitors.

The crowd was in a combination of excitement, suspense for the harrowing battle they had just witnessed, and remorse for all the dreadful injuries that had just occurred. They stayed rather quiet out of respect, whispering amongst themselves for quite awhile. Even River seemed solemn when he tapped his staff on the ground, signaling his next announcement.

"It appears we have an unprecedented event in today's games. Technically, both Marco, Squire to Princess Star Butterfly, and Xavier, Squire to Sir Skarsguard, had a part to play in the circumstances that led to the defeat of the Wyvern, meaning we have a tie."

A collective gasp surrounded the crowd, as that had ,indeed, never happened before.

River cleared his throat, signaling for them to quiet down, so he could continue. "And since both teams have one win each, a tiebreaker is in order. A 1 on 1 duel! One weapon and shielded allowed for each contestant! If you yield, or unable to defend yourself, you lose!"

The crowd roared with renewed vigor after this announcement, anticipation already building at the prospect of a duel. The contest had already been thrilling so far, what a satisfying conclusion this would be.

Marco knew what he had to do from the moment the words left King River's mouth. Turning to his blue haired friend, he smirked a little. "Help me outta of this armor."

"What!? Marco have you lost it?"

"Just trust me. If I'm going out there, I'd rather do it my way. Take it off."

Hesitantly, she obeyed, undoing the straps enough where he could shake it off comfortably, watching as his only source of protection clamped against the hard ground. He tossed his helmet off as well, and when that was gone, the girl could see that he wasn't nearly as confident as he'd sounded a moment ago.

Kelly sighed, putting a hand on the human's shoulders. "Okay, spill. What's goin on?"

Marco turned to face her fully, uncertainty and fear swirling in his chocolate colored eyes. He let out a soft sigh, tuning out the noise and buzz of the arena. "So, during the contest, I made a wager with Higgs. If I win, she'll finally treat me as an equal, but if she wins, I have to give up being a squire."

Her eyes widened. "What!? Why would you do something like that?"

"I just want to be treated fairly! Like a real squire, not like Star handed me this job out of pity."

"Marco, Star's your...best friend, she gave you the job to have an excuse to hang out. She likes spending time with you ."

"That may be what it started as, but she's in deep now! All this stuff with Meteora is really dangerous! She needs someone strong enough to fight alongside her, and if I can't win a stupid tournament, that certainly isn't me, not anymore. I need to win this for-"

"Shut up. Stop it right now, Diaz," Kelly stated in a firm tone, full of venom.

Surprised by this, Marco did as he was told, not saying another word.

She grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. "Look at me." Marco hadn't even realized he'd been staring at his shoes for most of the conversation and hesitantly brought his gaze to her's, brown and ebony. "I don't know where you got this notion that Star is the sole purpose of your life, but get rid of it, because it's not true. You don't need her, Marco."

He did a bit of a double take at what she said, and the force she said it with, though it probably wasn't meant the way it came out. "I-"

"Last time I checked, you got a red belt, lit a fire under those princesses at Saint Olga's, fought off almost a thousand rats, and hunted down friggin Hekapoo on your own! Was Star there? No. You did it. You did it for you. You know what's got you all messed up? You're trying to do everything for her. What about you Marco? Why can't you get a win for yourself? You're a war hero, a legend, and my best friend. You're the great Marco Diaz. And that's why you're going to win this, for Marco Diaz, not Star Butterfly."

He let the full force of her words hit him head on. She was right. He'd drive himself crazy trying to do everything for Star's benefit. He'd been doing that so much lately, he'd neglected himself, just as Eclipsa had warned. Well, that was it. He wasn't going to win for Star, he was going to win because Marco Diaz wanted to. "Thanks, I needed that." He rose to his feet, taking off his hoodie and fashioning it into the same type of cloak he wore when he was in Hekapoo's dimension, leaving him in his white t-shirt. He put the hood up, grabbing his trusty sword as well. Man, it really felt like he was 30 again.

"No problem. What are friends for? Dream Team?" She held out her fist, grin etched onto her features.

"Dream Team." He pounded her fist without hesitation, grin tugging at his own lips. The horn began blaring once more, signaling the start of the final challenge. Marco turned, walking away, more confident than he had been in a long time, though not before turning around and giving her one last smile. "I'm gonna bring it home for us, don't worry."

Kelly stared after after him for quite some time, with a dreamy, almost lovestruck look on her face. Her eyes were half lidded and she had the biggest grin on her lips. "I know you will."

As the squire made his seemingly endless walk to his opponent, things seemed to slow down. He could hear every individual conversation in the crowd. For once, he wasn't nervous. He felt twenty pounds lighter, as if he had been entrusted with the weight of the world, and was just relieved from that burden.

"Yo, Earth Turd!" Pony Head's bellowing distracted him from his mental psych up. He caught her eye in the crowd, as a devious smirk formed on her face. "Give her the horn." That expression went way back, and he couldn't help but chuckle as he continued forward.

Tom was next to offer his support. "Go make Mackie Hand proud Marco!" He even did a mock version if the actor's signature move, chuckling as Marco did the same.

After receiving his support, Marco finally reached the area where the battle would take place. Higgs stood across from him, still in full armor, murderous glare in her emerald green eyes. She looked like she wanted his head on a pike. Not even that was enough to shake his confidence, as he met her glare tenfold. They began circling each other, like animals of prey, waiting for their opening to pounce .

Like him, she had a metal shield in hand, though had the end of a mace in her other. "This is it, nerd. There is where I prove you don't belong once and for all."

"Bring it! I'm done taking this from you, I'm earning my rightful place!"

She did a spit take in mockery, chuckling heartily. "Rightful? Please, we both know you were handed the position because you're all buddy buddy with your princess. Without her, what are you? A boring, forgettable nerd from Earth, and even now, that's still all you are."

Rather than let her get under his skin, or lose his composure like before, Marco absorbed the venom from the words, deciding not to bite back. He let her taunts fuel him, as she voiced the very same self-doubt that had been building up inside him for months. This was it. This was where he'd prove her, and himself wrong for the very last time. "This one's for me," He spoke gallantly, a cocky smirk spreading across his lips. This one's for Marco, just Marco.

It was Higgs who made the first attack, swinging her mace with ferocity. Marco barely had time to block the blow with his shield, though the force still sent him staggering. He silently thanked his decision on going with the metal shield. If that would have been a wooden one, there was no doubt it would have cracked, and Marco would have been decapitated. She's not messing around, he thought to himself, as he readied himself for another assault.

She sprinted towards him, relentless, swinging again. He dug his heels into the dirt to try and stand his ground with the shield. The sound of metal on metal seemed to echo around the deathly silent arena, the crowd on the literal edge of their seats. Higgs wasted no time, drawing back and swinging yet again, twisting her hips to put more force into it. The resulting impact was enough to knock Marco onto his back, and send his shield sliding across the ground.

"Crap…" He rolled left as she brought the spiked ball down again ,where his chest would have been if he would have hesitated, even momentarily. Shaking off that close call, he was forced to move again, narrowly avoiding getting his head smashed in. Kelly flinched as she watched her partner repeatedly come close to getting his lights put out.

"You know…" Marco began as he continued to run, or more accurately, roll for his life. "Real knights don't tend to miss this much."

Higgs grunted as he managed to avoid her yet again. "They don't tend to run instead of fighting, either!" She brought it down, full-force.

Marco skillfully dodged, hopping up to his feet. He sidestepped to avoid the next attack, still biding his time. She had the advantage, range wise with the mace, and he'd have to find a way to make this a close quarters fight. Thinking quickly, he brought his foot under her's during the middle of her next swing, classic sweep kick. She lost balance, nearly toppling over right then and there, yet she managed to steady herself swinging again. Marco was ready this time though, his his foot to the inside of her's so that the spiked ball would hit the ground, just behind him. He took this opportunity to cut the steel chain that linked the rod to the ball ,with one clean strike from his blade. Higgs looked at her now useless weapon in shock.

Marco brought his sword right in front of her, gaze unwavering even in the face of what looked like victory. "Yield."

Higgs kept her eyes locked onto his. Though they didn't seem to hold any malice, no, there was some foreign emotion present in them. Something he didn't ever think he'd see from her. Defeat. She dropped the rod to the mace onto the ground, not moving as the sound of metal clanging against the ground seemed to echo around the arena.

He loosened his grip on his blade and relaxed his shoulders a bit, taking this as a sign of surrender. Which is where he made his first mistake.

In a flash, Higgs brought up her foot and struck his right hand, jarring the blade out. She followed up by slamming her shield into his chest. Then a kick to the head, knocking him on his back. He tried in vain to gather his bearings, dazed from the sudden assault.

She smirked as she stood over him. "You really are a naive idiot. Never lower your guard, first rule of combat." She kicked him again, sending him rolling across the dirt. "Now yield, I have….things to do."

Marco struggled to his feet, retrieving the shield at his feet. "Fat chance." Even if he had no weapon, he wasn't giving in. He was winning this thing, no matter what. Though he'd have to be careful, she had his sword now.

"Gotta hand it to you, nerd, you may suck, but you don't know when to give up." She charged towards him, blade out in front of her.

Marco got into his defensive karate stance, dragging his foot across the ground as he watched her approach. She may have had him beat in terms of savvy with armed combat, but he definitely had the advantage here, being red belt. He dropped the shield, completely unarming himself as she was a mere fifteen feet away.

Unsurprisingly, she tried to thrust her shield into him, yet this time, he was prepared, leaning to the right and sticking his leg out, sliding it under her's as he went forward. He struck her arm as well, knocking the sword upwards into the air, as she lost balance. He caught it by the hilt, just as she turned around, the point at her neck, inches away from would be a decisive blow.

Those was no mercy in his eyes this time,as his grip on the blade only tightened. Higgs could only stare at him, and then the ground, as a breathless gasp escaped her throat. Several seconds passed before she could manage to look back up at him, emerald eyes swirling with what looked like shame, before morphing into something else, acknowledgement. She simply nodded, not unlike Jackie used to, finally seeing him as a peer, as an equal. "I yield."

Marco removed the sword from her neck and gave a nod in response. All the tension and hostility between them was squashed for the moment, and they could finally move forward. It didn't necessarily mean they were going to be best friends, or even friends at all, but she wasn't an enemy, and Marco was glad of that.

The once silent audience erupted in cheers, their desire for an entertaining fight having been satisfied by the two combatants.

"Heck of a fight!"

"Solaria would be proud!"

"Eh, could have been more killing. Six outta ten."

Pony and Tom were among the loudest of the cheers, as they'd been rooting for their friend the whole way through.

"You did it Earth Turd! You actually don't stink at something for once! Still think you should have given her the horn at the end though! No mercy!"

"Hand to Hand!? You the man Marco!"

Marco barely had the chance to crack a smile before he was almost tackled into a hug by Kelly.

"You did it! You did it! You did it! You did it! You did it!"

Marco gently hugged her back, before taking off the hood of his hoodie. "We did it," He corrected. "No way I would have hit that target or beat the Wyvern without you." A smirk slowly formed on his face as he held out a fist. "Dream Team?"

A similar expression enveloped her face. "Do you even have to ask?" She pounded it without hesitation, giggling lightly.

A royal fanfare suddenly interrupted the conversation. King River and the knights had come down from the royal box. Even the king seemed amped up on Marco's victory.

"Marco my boy, what a great battle that was! You remind me of a younger me!" Marco grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, due to the sudden attention. Kelly on the other hand, cleared her throat. "Oh! And Kelly as well what a great shot! Anyway, you both have proven yourselves worthy and deserving of the highest honor available to squires. Manfred, the medals!"

Manfred handed the king two glistening golden medals, encrusted with the Butterfly family crest. River put them around the duos neck, clearing his throat. "You are both now, Squires of the Body, meaning you have the right to bear arms and to go into battle with the Knights of Mewni! Ladies and gentlemen, Marco Diaz and Kelly Naoki, champions of this year's Squire Games!"

As the crowd roared with applause and whistles, Marco felt like it was too good to be true. This is what he'd imagined when River had proposed knighthood all those months ago, before he'd had his hopes dashed by that stupid meat blanket. This is what he'd expected when he became Star's squire. This was the acknowledgement he'd sought after since returning to Mewni. For the first time in months, Marco felt like he'd truly won. Stopping his train of thought suddenly, he scanned the area for Higgs, to congratulate her on her performance and offer his best wishes to Xavier, but she'd already slipped out, no doubt to go see him.

River once again cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "As is tradition, the Knights and friends of the combatants will have a feast to celebrate their victory. To the castle, men! This concludes the 667th annual Squire Games!"


Marco sat on the hill, overlooking the beautiful twin full moons of Mewni. He wasn't too far from Castle Butterfly, still able to hear the distant music from the royal band in the distance. The party was great and all, he just needed a moment to relish in his victory alone. Today had been about more than that though. It had reaffirmed his belief that he was strong enough to be here, strong enough to fight through what was ahead, whatever that may be. The medal was still around his neck,and he fidgeted with it, smiling, giddy.

"Feeling good about ourselves, are we?"

Marco turned around upon hearing the familiar voice of his blue haired friend, laughing softly,

She sat down next to him, on her knees, joining him at loo,in at the moons. "You should, you were amazing back there."

"We were amazing back there. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

She giggled. "Okay fiiiine."

"Glad we're on the same page. So how'd you find me?"

"Eh, little birdie told me you might me out here."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did that little birdie happen to be named Star?"

"Mayyybe. I think King River drank too much ale though, the party somehow devolved into rave. He's currently the DJ."

Marco groaned. "Againnn….?"

She giggled again. "Yeahhhh…."

"Thanks again, Kelly. For everything, agreeing to be my partner, saving me today, and helping me realize who I was. Without you, I probably would have- no I definitely would have quit." He spoke the words earnestly, his brown eyes conveying deep honestly and appreciation.

Kelly met his gaze, her eyes seeming to shine. She couldn't fight the small blush that rose up,dusting her cheeks. "A-Anytime."

There was a comfortable silence between the two friends, well, comfortable for Marco at least. Kelly seemed to be very nervous, fidgeted with her fingers and twirling a loose strand of her long hair. Though, her strange behavior went unnoticed by the boy, who's eyes were glued to the twinkling night sky. She debated fiercely with herself on the subject, as even a passing glance at Marco sent her stomach into knots, and her heart into overdrive. Now or never. There's no better time than now, she figured.

"Marco, I need to tell you something…"

The boy in question tore his gaze away from the sky, gazing at his friend in curiosity. "What's up?"

Kelly took a deep breath, feeling like she was going to hyperventilate. Managing to control herself, she faced him semi confidently. "You've done so much for me too, these last couple months. When Tad and I broke up, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know who I was, but you were there for me, when no one else was, and you helped me find who I was too. Hanging out with you has been really fun and I guess-" She paused to take another deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I-I like you, a lot and maybe we can give "us" a shot?" She looked up, trying to gauge his reaction.

Marco's eyes were wide, an almost thousand yard stare etched on his face. Flashbacks to a couple days ago with Janna ensued, as the familiar feeling of shock, helplessness and guilt overcame him. Why did this keep happening? Kelly felt that way about him too? Was he just cursed not to notice these things? Sorrow overtook him as he realized what he had to do, not trying to lead her on in any way, while trying his best to preserve their friendship. Though, that would prove to be difficult to do, seeing as she'd just blindsided him with such a big truth.

Kelly sat, anxiously waiting for his response. With all the fidgeting she was doing, it seemed like she'd pull every inch of her long, blue hair out.

Marco took a deep breath to steady himself and his nerves, before preparing to reluctantly break his dear friend's heart. "K-Kelly…" His voice was shaky and uneven. "You're an amazing friend, you've done so much for me over these past few months, you're super fun to be around, but…."

Kelly seemed to be seeing where he was going with this, because tears began welling up in her eyes. "Marco, please! We bring out the best in each other! Don't you-Don't you see that!?"

The boy's own eyes began filling with tears as he shook his head solemnly. "We can't. I-I can't. You're amazing but…..I've already hurt someone by running from the truth once, I can't bring myself to do that again. Kelly, I'm sorry."

The dryad wasn't ready to give up, gripping his hand tightly. "N-no, don't do this. You mean to tell me you feel nothing!? No, we have something Marco, I know you feel it too!"

The boy just shook his head again, feeling more small in that moment than he ever had. She was making this very difficult, for the both of them. "I'm sorry, I just don't. I can't lie to you, or lie to m-myself. I can't string you along on something that isn't real. I think we both know why-"

"How many more times does she have to hurt you before it's enough!?" Kelly felt herself growing frustrated as the tears began falling like rain . "How many more times does she need to play with your heart, blow up your life, or shatter it into a million pieces before you have enough!? It isn't healthy Marco! Chasing after her, it's ruining you, she's holding you in place!" She was growing more and more desperate. "You don't need her Marco, just like I don't need Tad!"

While the way she talked about Star was jarring, a small part of him couldn't help but agree with her. He'd lost so much for Star, over the last few months alone. His family and friends back on Earth, Jackie, his fame as Princess Turdina, his time, having to cater to her every whim and need. He'd be lying if deep down, a part of him didn't want to be free, for Star to be free from his heart. If a part of him didn't want to take Kelly up on this, just to get Star off his mind. But what would be wrong. That would be Jackie all over again, but worse because he would be conscious of what he was doing this time. He couldn't do that to her, or to himself. "I know, I'm letting myself get hurt, but I'm willing to. I can't Kelly, I just can't. You deserve better than that. You deserve someone who could put all their heart into a relationship, and that's not me. But, I'd give anything to stay your friend."

Kelly didn't respond, having seemed to have given up. The tears never stopped as she let go of his hand and turned away from him, hiding her face, not being able to meet his gaze. She honestly didn't know what she expected, but needles to say her reality was crushed. Crushed. How ironic.

"Kelly, please. I don't want this to come between us, I still think of you as my friend. You've helped me so much, let me return the favor…." His voice had its own desperate edge now, as he was true frantically to hold on to one of his most important friendships. "We can get through this, we can do anything. Remember? Dream Team?" He grinned and held out his fist hopefully, trying to shake the lost look out of his eyes.

She turned to face him, looking conflicted for a brief moment. Like she wanted to be by his side more than anything, no matter what way that meant. Nevertheless, she looked down at the ground, not being able to stand looking into those earnest brown eyes for long. "I'm s-sorry, I just can't handle that right now." She stood up and began to walk away, towards the bottom of the hill.

Marco reached for her desperately. "Kelly-"

She turned back to him, still teary eyed. "Take care of yourself, Marco Diaz. Pull away, pull away before it's too late. I hope-everything works out." With that, she started down the hill, the opposite way from the castle, disappearing into the dim glow of the night.

Marco watched her until he disappeared from view, the tears falling at a slow steady, pace. For the second time, he'd watched someone important to his life, leave it. The shoulder he'd leaned on the last couple months, his sparring partner, adventure buddy. One of the few people who'd felt like a true friend consistently since he'd returned to Mewni, gone. Of course. Just when he felt like he'd won, life had to knock him down a peg and remind him who he was. Even when did win, he lost too. There was no such things as entirely good luck for him anymore. Something else added to the list of things he'd given up to his heart. Yet another balloon, lost to the Red String of Fate.

"Yo, Marco, you out here man?" Tom's familiar voice snapped him out of his inner pity party,

He quickly wiped his tears, trying his best to put on a positive facade, something he'd become an expert at these last couple months. "Uhhh, yeah, just need some air."

Tom nodded in understanding, stopping just behind him. "Starship's looking for you, she just got here, wants to congratulate you. Wait, where's Kelly?"

"Tired, went home. I'll, be right there."

Tom turned on his heel and walked back towards the castle, Marco soon in tow after taking a deep breath and fixing his expression, preparing himself to dine amongst his friends.


Next Episode

Episode 18A: Lord Ludo- After "finding himself" in the void, Ludo returns with plans for Star and Marco.