Marco at a Crossroad
By: DJ Rodriguez
(Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Sorry if it has been awhile, but like I said before in my previous chapters, my real passion is with my Disney/Toho works. I recently completed a chapter to my 2nd Annual Disney/Toho Kaiju Music Video Awards special, and a poll that is at the very top of my Profile Bio page that is linked to it. It features the songs I used in the special, so go and vote if you please on which song you like the most. Sorry if the poll itself looks… wonky, weird. But it's how it came out, which surprises even me because I thought I followed the instructions right.
Before I say or do anything else, I want to give praise and thanks to God. Lord, thank you for helping me in continuing with this story! Thank you Jesus for all the people who have supported me here, and also for their wonderful suggestions/ideas that have really aided me in making this story move forward. Thank you God for giving me the courage and conviction to continue on; on just with this story, but through life as well! I hope to do my best for you and stand by with what I believe in very much! To stand by you always no matter what, Jesus Christ!
In this chapter, you will see Meteora meeting with the Iron Spider Clan at Metal Valley. Also, we will see something that I am surprised was not in the series from the beginning. The thought came to me a couple of days ago, and I believe it will cement the idea that Earth and Mewmon- the planet that Mewni is on- would benefit better on an economical scale IF one can find a way to make it a reality. What is it… you'll just have to wait and see!
Plus, you will see what happened when the family and Mewni ladies first saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990s movie. I looked up Higgs's info, and saw that she has no mentioned past. So… going to create one for her here! I hope you all don't mind.
And again, I wish to inform you that my friend Author Data Seeker is still looking for anyone to aid him in his own writing. PM him in order to find out what he needs help with.
On a final note, it is this. One of the Author reviewers going by the name of Eccentricra really gave me some encouragement, saying that my story here will be ranked as number one according to her or him. While I do not want to get a big head in any way, I do appreciate the compliments she put into her review. I really do hope that this story surpasses the cannon series in every way! I do wonder if anyone would do a comic series about this story here.
In any case, I just hope to do good by the Lord more than pleasing everyone. I know I cannot satisfy everyone, and I won't even try.
So again, just to be sure I am clear… trust in what I do. I may not be a total expert with the Star Vs. series, but I will do my best with what I know and pick up along the way. In addition, I have been seeing a lot of old cartoon series that I have on DVD, still working in fine condition. They consist of both Disney & non-Disney series, and thus I have enjoyed & learned much from them to put in here. So this story will also have educational purposes, similar to shows that combined education with entertainment in the 1980s and 1990s.
So just to make it clear here. There will be NO kind of reference to slash or femme-slash of any kind. So while this is a Marco/Multiple Girls story, there will be NO kind of slash or femme-slash actions or references here at all. I believe that I can bring forth the true and real potential of Jackie and the other ladies here, more so than was done/shown to them in the series.
And that is my stance on this story, and all others I have made and will make in the future. Look to my bio to understand me and more on where I stand firmly. And again, this story will feature Christian elements and faith! And that I am not sorry at all for!
Also, will be giving my OC names from the website 20000-NAMES, as I have done in my previous stories. Each name is linked to a different nation, and has a different meaning. To see what they mean, go to website to look it up.
I do not own Star vs. the Forces of Evil, it is created by Daron Nefcy & executive producers Daron Nefcy, Dave Wasson and Jordana Arkin. Production is the Disney Television Animation, and aired on network Disney XD and Disney Channel.
Now, on with the story!)
While things were moving along on the planet Earth & the kingdom of Mewni… the gears of treachery and war were being turned in another part of the kingdom. At the moment, Meteora Butterfly was in a meeting with Silka who was the matriarch/leader of the Iron Spider Clan that resided in Metal Valley. Said area was located far west of Mewni Castle, a valley rich with metal minerals of various grades. Under normal circumstances, the valley would have been converted into a mining town where Mewni miners would have set up shops where the metal ore would be dug out and processed. Then refined until the ore was turned into useable working metal.
However… the valley had long since been inhabited by the Spider clan. The clan had once lived in the forests of Mewni many millennia ago, until they were forced out by the royal Mewnians who wielded magic & weaponry. Chief among the Mewnians that forced the spider monsters out was the Acacius family. The clan did retaliate back of course, seeing their breeding/nesting grounds turn into towns & castle enraging them to no end. Silka's ancestors were the ones to lead the attacks, and also were the ones that gave a unique curse to the Acacius family.
One of her ancestors going by the name of Venom Fang delivered a strong bite to the chest of patriarch of the Acacius clan… and said bite had potent venom but strong magical residue from the very air itself due to Butterfly's coming to the aid of their Mewnian allies had seeped into the wound. From there, the mixture of venom and wild magic created a kind of unique curse that passed from generation to generation. Any descendent of the Acacius family would be born with a spider bite wound on any part of their body, and no amount of Mewnian medicine would be able to heal it completely.
It was from that very curse that the Acacius family had to change their name to Spiderbite, which is still around today.
Centuries later, they allied with the Monster King Globgor who had rallied them & other Monsters from around the land in an effort to defeat the royal family & save his own. However, the assault had failed when Globgor was captured and executed by the royal family. The Spider clan had then retreated further away to avoid the wrath of the powerful magical Mewnians, soon arriving at Metal Valley.
They started to make a life there, and gradually over the years their biology changed due to the environment they were in. Their bodies started to develop organic metal in various areas, which was ten times stronger than regular steel. It was due to this very factor that the Spider clan had re-named themselves the Iron Spider Clan. Their webbing also changed, having bits of metal ore in them that made cutting through the sticky webbing more difficult.
Now back to the present, Silka was talking with Meteora in the Prime Web which was a large cave that housed the Elders and leader of the Iron Spider Clan. It was within the cave that had a massive web in it that could contain the other giant spiders like herself, that the matriarch was discussing plans with the 'rightful' ruler of Mewni.
She clicked with her mandibles, "So… how goes your training with Rasticore? And how many allies are with us now?". The immense Black Widow-like spider was normally patient with anyone and anything, but when it came to anything that could bring down the downfall of the Mewnians and the royal family… she became quite eager.
Meteora spoke, "It is going well. According to him, all I need to do is complete my manipulation of metal and my entire training will be finished. And that is why I am here, to start and end my training in controlling metal substances.". Silka nodded her head, as did the five Spider elders that were nearby. When they first met the half-Mewnian/half-Monster being, they were very unsure of her. However, once it was confirmed truly that she was the daughter of Globgor & that she demonstrated her soul-devouring power & elemental manipulation to them… they welcomed her into the fold and pledged allegiance to her and Rasticore.
Silka respected those that had power, and the one before her now certain possessed both it & enormous raw potential.
One of the Elder spiders spoke, "And what of the number of allies that we have? Is it sufficient for us to finally emerge and take back what is ours?". Like Silka, the Elders were quite eager to decimate the Mewnians. However, they did not have the power, strength or patience like their leader did. Thus they had to wait for her final approval in anything. The Elders were more or less councilors to her, but it was Silka that made the final decision.
Meteora shook her head and answered, "No, it is not. We have the allegiances of the Toxic Toad clan, the Copper Ant clan, the Voracious Vultures clan and of course the Septarian community clans. But sadly, we do not have the numbers yet to launch a full-scale assault on the kingdom.".
This disappointed the Elders and Silka very much. They had been hoping and waiting for the day when they could move forth and bring devastation and vengeance on the various Mewni kingdoms & their families. But now it seemed hopeless, especially after Toffee the Immortal was completely obliterated by Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz.
The daughter of Eclipsa continued, "However, Rasticore is in the process of securing more alliances. He has gone over to Goldmine Hills to secure the services of Ratatusk the Third.". The large arachnids clicked their mandibles rapidly, showing that they knew about the black market dealer Mole Man. While his skills in finding magical objects, portals, rare items and jewels were top notch indeed, his most surprising ability was gathering information from even the most secure of sources.
A female Elder spider inquired, "And why would Sir Rasticore want to have the services of such a scoundrel?". They did deal with Ratatusk a few times in the past where he did deliver some goods to them… but always changed his prices to almost double the agreed amount every single time before an exchange was made.
The half-being answered, "Rasticore believes that Ratatusk can get some information on the one I believe is the bane of all of our existence… and I do NOT mean that accursed Star Butterfly! I believe you all know who I am talking about.".
This statement made Silka and all of the Spider clans click their mandibles quickly with hate and loathing, as they all started to remember the one being that seemed to be even high on their hit list above the Butterfly family… and that was Marco Diaz, the young man from Earth!
Since his three-year stay in Mewni, the young Diaz lad had been gaining the support of fellow Monsters around the realm. Minor clan and family affiliates yet, but still it was a blow to the ones that still despised the Mewnians. In addition, the lad had been gaining popularity among both Mewnians & minor Monsters that he helped due to cleaning up the messes that Star made with her friends.
Silka also remembered when last year, the boy from the non-magical dimension had actually found a CURE for the spider bite cure that her ancestor Venom Fang put on the Spiderbite family!
~Flashback~
Star Butterfly was in the Throne Room, talking to her mother Queen Moon. She had asked Star to go to the Spiderbite kingdom, to make a report on how the realm was doing & also to learn from the royal family there on how they took care of their land and people. The blonde princess asked if Tom and Pony Head could come with her, saying it would be cool for her friends to travel with her. She didn't mention Marco, who was outside in the Main Courtyard training in his martial arts.
The blue-haired beauty thought a little on this, and concluded that it would not hurt for her daughter's friends to come. However, she was a bit perplexed on why she did not mention Marco. Come to think of it, she started to see that the Diaz lad had been spending more time with himself than going with Star unless it was under orders. Again, Moon's brain was trying to find out why this was so. However, time would not allow her to dwell upon it for the moment, and stated that she also take Marco along with her since he was her Knight.
Star had a frown on her face, biting her tongue as if thinking… than she remembered that Marco was indeed her personal Knight! It seemed that now she was having trouble even remembering that Marco was even there at her home, and seeing Star just realize this also brought up warning bells in Queen Moon's brain.
Once Star contacted her friends and inviting them to come with her to the Spiderbite Kingdom to check on the royal family there, they quickly came to her side and declared for them to go to the realm. She took out her Dimensional Scissors, cutting a hole into the air with their destination in mind. They soon leapt into it, heading directly into the Spiderbite Kingdom territory.
However, in their haste they did forget one member of their group… Marco. Said lad had just came in at the moment the dimensional tear had closed up, knowing that he was once again left behind… again.
He had just finished practicing his katas, had built up a sweat from practicing his martial arts moves. He had trained for two hours straight, making sure to keep himself in shape. The Main Courtyard had been deserted, so he trained in peace which was rare since many other knights often teased and belittled him for practicing an Earth fighting style that required just the body to fight instead of a weapon like a 'true knight' would do.
The lad thought he was practicing all alone, but he was wrong. He did a little audience that was watching from a distance in various spots all over the rectangular Courtyard. It was Higgs who was concealed behind an archway, Kelly from behind some thick hedge bushes as she used her camouflage hair to conceal most of her body, Hekapoo from the above on a rampart & finally Eclipsa as she was watching from a balcony near her quarters.
The ladies had been watching the young man the entire time he started his katas, blushes on their faces as he was shirtless for his daily practices. Also that he wore only his pants and no shoes. The imaginations of the ladies ran rampant & also into the adult section, grins on the faces of Hekapoo and Eclipsa as their thoughts strayed towards more… ahem, risqué area of imagination.
Once he was done with his exercises, he took a towel from nearby and wiped himself clean of the layer of sweat he had developed. It was then that he was approached by a messenger of the royal family, who said that Queen Moon was ordering him to accompany Star to the Spiderbite Kingdom. He was also giving a summary on why said princess was going there, which made sense to the young man from Earth.
Sighing, he thanked the messenger and left the area to go bathe first so he could get cleaned up. Once he was fresh and clean from his bath, he put on his knight clothing which he had modified himself.
Marco believed in mobility rather than just mere defense, so he had to change the armor & clothing himself since the blacksmiths of the realm did not have the skills to really put in his modifications. It took some time, many trials and mistakes… but he soon found the perfect modifications that allowed for him to move freely without being hindered by the weight. Again, many knights laughed at seeing the Earth boy's sense of fashion and design. Higgs was included in this, but her teasing stopped when she saw Marco in action for the first time with his modified knight outfit on. It had performed well, being able to protect the lad while also making sure it did not hinder his movements too much.
Once his outfit was on, he went to Star's room to inform her that he was ready… only to just see the dimensional tear close up. He sighed and stated, "Sometimes I even wonder bother even going with her if she just completely forgets to call for me. Oh well… I made a promise to her and her folks to be there for her, and so I will follow through.".
The young lad used his Dimensional Scissors to cut a hole into space & time, sighing before going into it.
Marco soon found himself in front of Spiderbite Castle, which not immense or majestic like the Butterfly family's castle, was still impressive to see. He was about to go inside and see if Star was there… but he got his answer when she heard a whoop of joy on his right. He looked in said direction to see Star with Tom and Lilacia, the trio running around the town as they looked for anything to have fun. The citizens were glad to see the potent princess powerhouse in their neighborhood, but also a bit wary since they had heard of the devastation she & her two friends made whenever they were together.
The young Diaz lad sighed and said to himself, "Well, can't say I'm surprised that Star is shrinking on her duties and ignoring Queen Moon's orders… again. Sigh… well, might as well go into the castle and look in on the royal family. Maybe even see Penelope again.". He and the princess had become friends some time ago after the Princess Turdina fiasco. While Penelope was very grateful for his sacrifice and bravery to make sure that all princesses were to be individuals, she also was more grateful that Marco really dropped the princess alter-ego for good. Penelope liked him more as himself than as a cross-dressing princess.
When he passed over the drawbridge that laid down over the moat, he waved hello to the guards as he walked into the castle. Passing through some corridors, he made it to the Throne Room where King Justus & his lovely wife Queen Isadora was sitting at. The king had a swelling spider bite mark on the right side of his temple, his wife having a similar one on her left temple though it was smaller than her husband's.
The duo recognized him with King Justus saying, "Ah, Sir Marco Diaz of the Butterfly Knights! Welcome to our kingdom! I hope your travel here was safe.".
The lad bowed to one knee to the royals, having been taught some etiquette by both Moon & Eclipsa. He answered, "Hello there your Majesties, King Justus and Queen Isadora. It is good to see you, and yes the travel here was good.". He learned that even though dimension hopping cut down on travel time drastically, something could always occur in the space between dimensions, so it was always a risk. Hekapoo had told him that some time ago, and not to take dimension-hopping lightly or for granted.
That is why most of the times he prefers to walk or travel to other places the old-fashioned way, using only the scissors when it was absolutely in an emergency or there was little choice in the matter.
He rose up from his kneeling position, Queen Isadora looking this way and that. She inquired, "Sir Marco, is Princess Star Butterfly with you? Queen Moon called and said that she would come along with you. Where is she?".
Marco had a resigned look as he answered her, "I am sorry, your Highness. Star… saw fit to travel ahead while I was getting myself ready. She left with Tom and Princess Pony Head, and when I arrived they were running about the town looking for some fun to do.". He opted for truthfulness here, long ago seeing that any kind of excuse or cover-up for Star only led to disaster later on down the road.
The king and queen winced, knowing full well the reputation the trio had at the moment. They had heard reports on how the trio of troublemakers & adventure-addicts would go to great lengths just to get in a thrill or to go off on 'adventures' that were no more than mere excursions that quickly blew up to great proportions.
King Justus palmed his face and stated, "Oh dear… it seems that I need to check to make sure that the royal treasury has enough to pay for any damages they have brought so far. And also to send some guards to keep an eye on them.". He looked to a couple of guards that were by the doorway, telling them to go and follow his instructions. The two armored men nodded before leaving the Throne Room quickly.
Queen Isadora sighed herself and said, "So much for the lessons…".
Marco put in, "Your Highness, this day may not be a total loss. I still have much to learn about Mewni here so… how about I take the lessons in Star's place?". Now this surprised the royal couple very much, and it was evident on their faces.
King Justus inquired, "Are you sure about this Sir Marco? I mean, we could reschedule the lessons for Star and…".
The man from Earth held up his hand to stop the king's words and remarked, "With all due respect sir… I doubt that Star would sit still for any lessons. She… She feels that her time should be more spent on physical endeavors rather than mental ones.". It was his polite way of saying that Princess Butterfly would rather go on adventures that were exciting rather than stay to learn how to run a kingdom.
Marco put in, "Also, Queen Moon did want a report to be taken. But she failed to mention from whom so… it seems I am up for the challenge. Also, it would be good to see how you handle your kingdom. From what I can see, it's handled in a different way than how things are done in Butterfly territory.".
The king was still skeptical, but he was impressed on how the Earth man was willing to take the burden of the responsibility that was supposed to be given to Star. He asked one more time, "Are you sure, Sir Marco?".
The young man nodded his head with resolve, again getting the respect of the royal family. Queen Isadora smiled warmly, rising up and saying, "Than come, Sir Marco. I believe we have a lot to teach and show you.".
The rest of the day passed on with Marco now learning what Star herself was sent there to do. He was shown around the kingdom and the village that the castle was connected to, going to spots around the town while managing to just miss Star and her two companions going around to get into some kind of mischievous action with the Spiderbite guards tailing them. One would say this was out of a classic cartoon; where the royals and Marco passed the crazy trio without even knowing it.
There was also another thing that Marco was aware of, yet perplexed at the same time. He was being greeted warmly by almost every citizen that passed by him; children went up to him and said hello with wide smiles on, young and mature adults waved to him with warm looks on their faces… and the ladies, they all blushed brightly and giggled at him before running away as he waved to them.
He was confused on why they were giving him the warm welcome, the young man not truly knowing how much of an impact he had made not just in the Spiderbite kingdom but over most of the land. The king and queen looked at the young knight, expecting to see a smiling young man who was enjoying the praise. But they were confused when they saw Marco looking perplexed. The duo were wondering on why the knight was looking lost rather than soaking in the warm welcome. They would make a mental note to ask Queen Moon in the future about it.
The young knight saw that while the kingdom was certainly different than the one in Butterfly such as size and structure, but he saw that it was more efficiently run. In addition, the citizens were also taught in some form of self-defense such as using daggers & other objects that could be considered weapons when used properly.
After receiving a tour of the town, they took Marco to the fields to show him the crops they raised. While corn was still a major produce commodity in Mewni, it seemed that the Spiderbite realm grew tomatoes and squash along with it. In Marco's view, it was good to see variety like this. In fact, the Spiderbite family seemed to be a bit more well-rounded off than the Butterflies in terms of crops and business.
Once he wrote down a very positive report on the farming and business areas of the realm, he was escorted back to the castle. When he made it to the small but well-maintained courtyard, he was soon greeted by a very energetic Penelope Spiderbite. She had come down to the ground floor of the castle to see if she could get a snack, heard her parents talking with someone… and turned to see that it was Sir Marco himself!
The princess had a wide smile on her face as she ran towards him, shouting his name and getting the attention of her parents and the knight. Marco offered a small but true smile as he saw her running, the brunette beauty launching herself a little to hug her hero. He braced himself and took the living missile that was Penelope, the father and mother glad to see a smile on Marco's face even if it was a small one.
Penelope giggled as she hugged Marco a little tighter before releasing him and asking, "Sir Marco! It's so good to see you again! But wait, if you're here… where is Star? Isn't she with you?". They all saw the knight's face smile vanishing almost instantly as he took a neutral expression.
He answered, "Sorry Princess Penelope, but Star… sadly she had some other engagements that is taking her time. I am here as her substitute to learn more about your home with your father and mother being my escorts. I have been seeing your kingdom almost all morning and most of the afternoon.".
The princess turned to her folks and exclaimed, "Mom! Dad! You could have told me that Marco would be coming here! I would have loved to shown him the kingdom!".
King Justus chuckled nervously and replied, "Sorry pumpkin, but it just came up at last minute to be honest. Also, we were told that you were busy trying to deal with them… ahem… problem of ours.". He pointed to his spider bite wound, gesturing to the curse that sadly stuck with the family for many generations.
Penelope's face fell as well as she put in, "Sigh… it's okay, Dad. And also sadly… no such luck. I have tried every kind of medicine and healing spell there is, but this darn bite wound just won't go!".
Marco looked to Queen Isadora, asking for confirmation on what was going on. The mature beauty explained to the young man from Earth about the curse that had been passed down from generation to generation, and the sharpness of the Diaz mind kicked into place. He looked to her and asked, "And… you sure that the curse is clear that the wound cannot be fixed by any kind of medicine made IN Mewni, right?".
Queen Isadora answered, "Yes, that is clear. But Marco, what is…?".
He interrupted her by saying, "I think I may know how to help you folks out with your spider bite problem. Hold on! I'll be right back.". He used his scissors once more to open a portal, this time towards his home realm of Earth. The Spiderbite family looked at the now empty space where Marco had just been at, looking at each other in puzzlement on what the young man had in mind.
They went back to the Throne Room and waited for half an hour, and that is when Marco returned back to the family. In his hands was a large ceramic bowl with the top wrapped tightly in plastic. He said to them, "Sorry if it took a bit long, but I had to make sure I made enough for everyone.".
Penelope and her folks were a bit startled to see the knight return, the trio looking down to see a white substance of sort through the clear plastic wrapping. The princess asked, "Sir Marco, what is that… white goo you hold? And what is it covering it?".
The knight of the Butterfly family answered, "To your first question, it's a homemade remedy that my mother and grandparents taught me when I was little. It's a medicine that is supposed to heal spider bites. And to the second, its clear plastic wrapping that is used for many things.".
King Justus spoke, "A homemade remedy? I didn't know that you knew medicine, Sir Marco.". The young Diaz lad explained that during his childhood, he learned all kinds of medicines and herbal remedies from his mother and her parents. This was during his phase as a 'Safe Kid', some time after the incident with Jenna and the slaver traders whom he protected her from.
Queen Isadora stated, "That is kind of you Marco, but no medicine or magic spell in Mewni can…".
Marco released the wrapping and interrupted her yet again but with respect as always. He replied, "You said the curse of the spider bite makes it so that no medicine made IN Mewni can cure it, right? Well, this was made on Earth with Earth ingredients. I believe that this will be more effective. I hope it does at least.". The royal family was stunned/surprised that the young man had figured out a way through the curse using an ingenious loophole!
He gestured for Princess Penelope to come down, the young lady slowly going off her throne between her parents and walking down the steps to Sir Marco. Said knight asked for her trust, which she nodded and he applied a necessary amount of the white substance on her affliction. Penelope shivered a bit as the substance felt cool on her bite.
And then… something happened!
The bite actually started to get smaller, slow and steady for sure! The king and queen, plus the princess and knight, were all stunned to see this. Marco believed that the remedy would work, but not to such a quick degree. The welt on the right side face of the princess shrunk until… it was gone! It was gone completely! The white substance was also gone too, having been absorbed by the skin which did its duty against the affliction!
Penelope was very much stunned silly as she felt the spot on her face where the bite was, not feeling anything on it at all. She looked to her secret crush in awe, than back to her parents who got off their own thrones & walking down to their precious treasure. They both inspected the area, and truly the welt was all gone! Not even a tiny bump was left!
The royals looked at each other in shock, than to Marco who had a warm smile on his face. He held out the bowl and said, "Just take a small, necessary amount and apply it to the bite. To be honest, the remedy isn't supposed to work that fast. But I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.".
The king was first, dipping his hand in the white creation which felt cool on his fingers. He applied the remedy on his wife first, just the right amount on the welt… and just like with their daughter, the bite was slowly shrinking and fading! The queen soon did the same to her husband, applying the remedy which again got the same results. Soon… the curse of the spider bite was gone from them!
The moment that the bites were gone, they heard the sound of breaking glass and a loud hiss following it. The humans in the rooms were perplexed by the odd combination of sound, but what they didn't know was that it was a sign that the curse was now broken completely! No longer would the Spiderbite family be cursed to endure an affliction like so anymore!
Marco was glad to be of service to the royals, especially one who was a true friend. May not be close to him like best friend, but at least Penelope was a true friend. Said princess went to Marco and hugged him tight, tears down her eyes as she whispered, "Thank you… just… thank you so much Sir Marco…".
Said lad smile stayed on, a soft one as he patted her head. Said gesture made the young lady squeeze him a bit tighter. Marco gave the bowl to the king, who took it as if it were a priceless treasure. Which in the case of their family, it really was. The knight soon properly hugged Penelope and instructed to King Justus, "Make sure to apply the medicine to any kin you have that has the curse. I believe the remaining contents should be enough for everyone in your family. If not, I can make some more later on.".
The ruler of the land nodded his head, calling for an aide. A young woman wearing the insignia of the royal family came to their side quickly, King Justus handing the bowl to her and saying, "Put this in the Royal Master Bedroom. Do not let it drop in any way!". Said aide nodded, looking a bit stunned to see her ruler without the welt mark now. She regained her wits and bowed before leaving to go to Justus & Isadora's personal bedchamber to put the bowl in.
Queen Isadora looked to Marco with tears of happiness in her eyes and stated, "Sir Marco… you have done the impossible! You have broken a curse that has inflicted the family for many generations! You have relieved us from having to endure the cursed mark of the spider. And for that, we are eternally grateful to you.". The king and queen than did a little bow to him, which honestly made Marco a bit nervous and humbled at the same time. Penelope hugged him a bit tighter before releasing him, looking at his face with tears of gratitude and relief present in them. She also bowed, or in the case as both she and the queen were women, curtsied to him.
He replied, "It was no problem, your Majesties.".
King Justus put in, "It is a very big deal to us, my boy! You solved and cured a problem that not even Butterfly magic could undo, and with a simple solution from your world! Sir Marco, please! Anything you ask now will be given to you as a token of our thanks for what you have done.". Now this was serious, at least for Marco. In his past two years of being with Star, cleaning up her messes and 'adventures' he had gotten minor rewards and such from others for his deeds. But nothing quite big like this, a personal reward from royalty! While Queen Moon Butterfly and King River had been kind to Marco, he hadn't gotten a token like this from them.
The young man looked to the royals, seeing the kind faces of the Spiderbite family… and also seeing a hopeful look on the face of Penelope, which confused him. He was still dense as ever when it did come to the fair & opposite sex, but sadly also left numb & hurt thanks to Star's actions. Penelope had been one of the many minor princesses scattered throughout the land that had a crush on Marco. The various females of the royal kind thought Marco as quite a catch; coming from the non-magical realm of Earth, utilizing a fighting style that was quite unheard of even among warriors of their species/kind & also a true negotiator when it came to fixing Star's escapades.
For Penelope, this was her chance to gain what was considered untouchable. It had been a clear rule by royals among the realm that knights belonging to other princesses were off-limits, but should the knight himself choose to be released from service or said service is transferred to another woman who is already married to another man… than it was fair game and all bets were off concerning the knight!
Marco thought on it, wondering what he could ask for from the royal family. He knew that kings and queens in Mewni would not simply let go of a favor or debt until it was paid in full. He was about to say something when he heard a sound coming from outside, going to the window to the side… and saw Star hugging Tom close to her as Lilacia was using her magic to push a cart they were in rapidly. The three were now zooming rapidly through the streets of the town, narrowly missing stands and people as the citizens leapt out of the way of the trio.
As Marco saw this, he felt his heart clench once more. It was the Blood Moon Curse that was activating once more, the backlash of the magic Star used to banish the pain… and having it enter the Diaz lad once again.
The Spiderbite family looked concerned at the knight, who stood up straight and sighed. He spoke without looking to them, "I believe I know what I would like, your Highnesses.". His voice was firm and sure, making the royals wonder what it was that the Earth would ask of them.
He turned and faced the king, queen and princess and said, "My request is this… help your daughter be the ruler that her kingdom needs.". Now this stunned the royals, especially Penelope as she was confused & perplexed very much like her folks were.
Queen Isadora inquired, "Marco… that is a most unusual request. Tell us please… why make it?".
He answered, "While I am Star's knight and do support her… I also see that she is sliding down. She never takes any lessons other than magic lessons seriously, she likes to go off to seek thrills and adventure rather than look into her own kingdom's affairs… and also she likes to put her own needs in front of her rather than for her people and land.".
Penelope and her parents were stunned to hear this coming from the lips of the dedicated knight… yet they could not refute his words. Even the princess could see that her blonde friend loved to make mischief, seek thrills and practice magic rather than take the time to look into her own kingdom. There were two factions of royal ladies now in the land of Mewni; one half loves to put their individuality before others & use them as an excuse to do what they do which is to have fun. The other half are princesses who love their personalities and unique qualities, but also know when to buckle down and serve the people & take care of their land.
Thankfully, Penelope was in the second group. While she loved having a bit more freedom and herself as an individual to a certain degree, even her parents were teaching her on what was expected of a true royal.
Marco looked to the princess, walking towards her that made the young lady blush immensely. In her mind, she could drown herself in Marco's eyes and never mind it at all. He took her hands in his and said, "Penelope, you are one of the few true good friends I have here in Mewni. And… I would hate to see you slide down and be less on who you were meant to be.".
The princess asked, "And who do you think I am meant to be, Sir Marco?".
The young Diaz man answered with utmost conviction, "I believe you were meant to be an exceptional leader for your people, to be a ruler who is just, compassionate and firm. One who knows that a real princess… a real royal one serves the needs of the people. To be a ruler who is as beautiful and strong inside as well as outside.".
This caused the young woman to blush greatly, her heart rate increasing. Marco found the look on her cute, but that was it. The backlash of pain from earlier remained. In addition… he felt that another lady other than Star was still out there, one that could truly complete his soul & mend his heart.
Marco than asked, "Besides… do you want up to wind up like Star?". At the very precise moment he said that, said princess along with prince of Underworld & princess of the Cloud Kingdom flew by one of the windows as they yelled in delight of the ride they were still taking before gravity got a hold of them and brought them back down hard… on a cart that was full of tomatoes.
The group looked down, seeing the royal ones laughing in a carefree manner as the owner of the cart & vegetables was throwing a tantrum at his produce being destroyed. Star laughed with Tom while Ponyhead tried to just wave the vendor off, saying it was nothing to get worked up about. Little did she know that the vendor had been counting on his harvest to bring in some gold to help his family with repairs to their home's roof.
Marco sighed and checked his pants pocket, finding some leftover gold coins that were still in there after his latest task with Star three days ago. He said to himself, "Well, hopefully these will cover parts of the damage and payment to the vendor…".
Penelope, Justus and Isadora now realized that Marco was correct in making the request. And the princess winced at the thought of becoming someone like Star Butterfly. The king went to Marco and said, "We will honor your request, Sir Marco. And here…". He went to him and gave to him a small bag from his pocket, the young man opening it up to see that it had a small quantity of well-cut emeralds and rubies! Justus stated that it could be used to aid the vendor more. Marco thanked him, then turned to see Star using her scissors once more to open a rift. She rushed inside it with Tom and Ponyhead following, apparently going off to find more 'adventures' to do.
The Diaz lad sighed and stated, "It seems my trip here is over. I need to follow her and make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble.". He turned to the royals and thanked them for the tour and experience, saying that he had what he needed to give a full report to Queen Moon.
Queen Isadora went over and hugged the young man, who was surprised but accepted the motherly embrace. She than looked into his eyes and said, "Thank you once again for all that you've done, Sir Marco. There are not many left in this world like you, and I hope the best for you.". The young man from Earth smiled warmly and said his thanks, giving her another hug before she broke from the embrace.
The king went over to him and the two shook hands firmly. Justus stated, "If there is anything else you need son, just let us know please.". Marco answered that he would keep it in mind, but also to not take his gratitude in any kind of negative advantage. Again, the royals were surprised by the maturity coming from the young man but in a pleasant way.
Once King Justus released his grip on the knight, he turned to Princess Penelope. Said young lady had a watery smile on her face, just so glad to be rid of her cursed affliction but also that Marco saw much potential within her & wanted her to reach said potential. To not waste it or lower her standards, for herself or for others. He bowed to her… but she surprised him by embracing him and nuzzling her head into his chest area. This again stunned the young man, but he smiled softly and returned the embrace and by rubbing her soft brunette hair.
She whispered, "Thank you Marco… just thank you for what you have done.". She truly wanted to say more to him… much more! But she felt that now was not the time, and also sadly there was still the fact that he was still Star's knight.
Said knight smiled and broke the embrace a little to look at her in the eyes and spoke, "You're welcome, Princess Penelope. I just hope that do become the leader the kingdom needs, that your people need. And also, I believe you will find Mr. Right soon that will help you become even better.". She promised that she would do her best… but said to herself internally that she did find Mr. Right who was right in front of her.
Marco said that he would keep in touch with letters and such, making the princess smile more along with her royal parents. They never really approved of other princes that came to court their daughter, but it seemed that Marco was an exceptional young man. And now after this, were hoping that he would be free from the Butterflies and that he would come to them… or more specifically, to their daughter.
The young man from Earth also requested that they do not tell the Butterfly family about Star ditching the lessons & that he had taken her place to learn them. Seeing their confused faces, he explained to them that as a knight, he was expected to be there for Star and keep her out of trouble. In addition, he also told them that her floating female friend & boyfriend would give him a hard time if he did get her in any kind of trouble that would cause her to not go out with them.
What Marco did not know was that Star herself had twisted the words her mother had told him. Queen Moon had instructed the Diaz lad that as a knight, his responsibility was to make sure that Star was kept safe. No more and no less. However, Star had managed to twist the words of her mother around in a way that she basically told the young man to make sure she never got in trouble with her parents.
So again, it seemed that Marco was between a rock and a hard place in more ways than one. He was bound by honor as a knight to uphold the orders spoken by the royal Butterfly family, and also forced to endure protecting Star from ANY form of punishment that would lead her friends to enact humiliating/painful retribution on him.
King Justus was like the meaning of his name, he did not like to hear of such an injustice being done in such a manner. But he did honor Marco's wishes, on the grounds though that if the time came for them to tell the Butterflies on what really occurred, they would do so. Marco accepted it, knowing that it was the best he was going to get.
Marco than looked to the king and queen and stated, "Well, I guess I better be off. I'll give the vendor the necessary money and go after Star. I'll see you all later, I hope.". He then started to walk out of the Throne Room, going through the doors before disappearing down the hallway.
King Justus looked to his wife and said, "I will write a letter telling King River and Queen Moon that we will be busy for a while in training our daughter to be the next ruler. I believe that in a year or so, we'll visit him and show him what Marco did for us. Hopefully that will help the lad in any possible way.". Queen Isadora agreed with this decision, as did Penelope.
Marco the Mighty believed in her & she was going to train hard to make sure that his faith in her ability was not misguided.
~End flashback~
Silka had learned of everything thanks to some spy spiders that she had planted in various areas of the kingdom. Her spies were Iron Spiders that looked like common household spiders, unless one would check their underbellies to see the organic metal on them. They gathered information they saw from the town and castle, giving it to her on a monthly basis. And when she was given the report on what occurred… she was livid! And when the Elders was given the report, they too shared the emotion.
The elderly spiders had wanted to take the entire clan and invade the kingdom of Spiderbite, to overrun it and decimate it! However, Silka was the one who stalled said plans. The entire Iron Spider clan members were agitated to a great degree that their own leader would not want to go forth and get revenge for the accidental curse put on the royal Mewnians that was now broken.
Silka had explained to them all in a very cold, edged voice that was like the steel that covered her, "I will NOT repeat the mistakes of those who defied the Mewnian scum by rushing recklessly into a fight when the family can simply call in for aid, and those allied with the Spiderbite family will make sure that our numbers dwindle! So I will NOT rush in like a fool, but wait patiently for the right moment to strike. Am. I. Clear?". Her voice cut through their anger like a very sharp sword, causing the Elders and the rest of the clan to settle.
At least that their desire for revenge would be simmering now instead of exploding. And the simmering had only grown stronger as the months passed.
Back to the present, Silka looked Meteora and hissed, "Why does Rasticore want Ratatusk to get information concerning that pest of Earth meat!?". For the leader of the clan, she would like nothing more than to devour Marco entirely and use his head as a new decor for her web.
The daughter of Eclipsa and Globgor answered, "He believes that the current information is old, and that is not good. We need as much fresh Intel on him and the royals before any kind of big moves are made. Once new Intel on our enemies comes in and is accurate, we will also wait for something interesting that has come up that even has Rasticore very nervous.".
One of the male Elders spoke, "What is it now that has arisen that makes even the great bounty hunter all nervous?!". They were getting tired of waiting and wanted to strike at their enemies, and the only thing holding them back was Silka who now looked intrigued at what Meteora stated.
Said royal half-one answered, "It appears that something called the Destroian Empire has come into our dimension, and he is going to try and get an audience with their leader Lord Destryuk.".
After those words were spoken, the entire leaders and Silka in the Prime Web were deathly silent. Meteora was stunned to see the normally chattery arachnids now very still and quiet, their eyes widened to the point like they were going to pop out of their heads. A female Elder spoke softly but in a combination of serious/bewildered tone, "Destroian Empire… are you sure it is truly… the Destroian Empire?".
Meteora was smirking now, as it seemed that the Iron Spider clan leaders knew of them as well. She replied, "Rasticore told me on how he met them long ago, and that they gave him a special band that had just activated recently that informed him of the empire now back in their dimension.".
Silka spoke in the same tone, "This… this changes everything. Even our kind knows of the Destroians and their Empire, though information on them is sketchy at best. But even so, the ancient writings of our clan and those in the Monster realm have made it clear that their powers make the High Magic Council and the magic the Butterflies possess look like an extreme joke. If Rasticore can secure an alliance with them…".
The half-one remarked, "He will try, but even he is going to tread carefully when it comes to them. He doesn't want to get on their bad side at all.". The entire group nodded their heads, clicking their mandibles once more. Reckless, they were. But to risk the wrath of such an empire? Even they were not THAT stupid. Meteora also stated that most likely Rasticore would want her to be more prepared to show Lord Destryuk that she was capable & had the power to gain their attention.
The leader of the entire clan spoke, "I believe that you need to rest up here in our home. For tomorrow, your training in manipulating metal will commence… and now that we have learned that the Destroian Empire is back in our dimension, we will intensify your training greatly! We have one shot… ONE shot in gaining the favor of their leader, and we shall not waste it.".
Meteora nodded, knowing that now things were going to get intense for her. And she actually liked that, for nothing gave her so much of a thrill as a real challenge that tested her mind & body! Of course, another thrill for her was dreaming about the day she would reclaim her mother… and send the royal Mewnians & Marco Diaz to their deaths.
~On Earth~
While Meteora had been conversing with the Iron Spider clan, things were getting more interesting at the Diaz household. It was now 6:15 p.m., Rafael and Angie were in the kitchen with Hekapoo and Janna putting some groceries away while Jackie was watching more TaleSpin cartoon episodes with Mariposa in the living room. The group were now waiting for Kelly, Higgs and Eclipsa to come. Angie had been called by Chantel a couple hours ago, saying she and her friends would be giving the Mewni trio a tour of sort at Echo Creek Mall. The mother of Marco replied that it was fine, just so that her son's friends were brought back before 6:30 p.m.
The family had come back home to rest and relax for a while, waking up around 5:30 p.m. refreshed and re-energized. Rafael suggested to his wife to go grocery shopping, to stock up since they would be hosting most of the Mewni women for some time. Hekapoo had emerged back from her dimension in usual style & flair, telling the parents of her crush that everything was settled now in her home and with the High Magic Council. Just as she showed up, so did Janna and Jackie.
The surfing/skating beauty stated that she was all set up as well to go with Marco when the time came, Janna saying the same thing. Miss Thomas also put forth that she did feed Nachos up at the Rissing Hacienda, saying that it was cool to see the hybrid dragon-motorcycle who sniffed her a little before accepting her as a friend. To top it off, she did meet the spirit Rissing family!
Jackie had explained to them, "When the family saw me, they didn't attack or look anything menacing. They kinda… I don't know how to describe it, but they stared hard at me. As if looking into my very soul. After a moment or two, they allowed me to be at their estate before the husband and wife told me to NOT break anything in their home.". This has surprised the Diaz's, but not Hekapoo or Janna since they had seen their fair share of the supernatural.
After settling down, Angie asked the girls if they could babysit Mariposa while she and Rafael went to Creek Grocery Corner to get some groceries. Jackie offered to stay and watch the little blessing while Janna wanted to come with the parents. Surprisingly, Hekapoo wanted to come with the adults as well, wanting to see how the Earthlings did shopping.
So when the adult Diaz members left with Janna and Hekapoo, the Earthlings were about to learn something interesting from the dimensional beauty.
At the store, Hekapoo was a bit disappointed that it was not large as Quest Buy. And it seemed to be more peaceful rather than active like she was used to. In addition, she had gained some glances from the patrons within the store. Some of them puzzled and perplexed on seeing someone like her… others, specifically the males, very much liking to seeing a woman that had some very delicious curves on her!
However… she changed her tune quick when the family went to the areas that sold vegetables and fruit. She was wide-eyed at seeing the plums and peaches, taking one of them and examining it before looking to the family & asking how was it that they had so much of a rare item.
This confused Angie, Rafael and Janna very much since peaches and plums were not exactly rare to them. The plump & curvy beauty told them, "Oh, right. You don't know. Well, in Mewni fruits like these are considered EXTREMELY rare! They grow only in very specific places around the area, and that number of areas is short. They are valued not just for their taste but also for medicinal purposes! And also for powerful spells and potions! Even in my jaunts all around the multiple dimensions, fruits like these are very rare! In Mewni, one would pay very handsomely for just a small bag of them!".
Now this surprised the trio greatly, more so when Hekapoo got more excited at seeing certain vegetables like spinach, avocado and even cauliflower!
As they continued to shop around more, the parents and Janna discovered that certain spices & herbs such as ginger, nutmeg, saffron, mint and more were also considered very valuable in Mewni & some other dimensional worlds. In fact, Hekapoo commented that some were worth a king's ransom! So it would seem that while Earth had certain fruits/vegetables/spices/herbs that were considered very common, in Mewni said objects were very rare and worth much. Janna & Hekapoo's brains were working fast, wondering if it was possible to form some kind of trade partnership of some sort with Mewni! Of course, they kept it to themselves for now.
They knew that going full tilt on this without learning more would only result in disaster & possibly interfere with Marco's training trip. So they kept the crucial tidbit to themselves and would work on it later on when they could.
Once the parents had gathered all they needed in their grocery cart, they went over to the cashier to pay for their purchases. They also managed to get for Hekapoo some fruits and herbs for her to both examine and devour. The dimensional beauty also saw how money was used on Earth and exchanged, curious about the monetary system. She made a mental note to look up the currency that was used on the planet… and was she ever going to be surprised when she found out more about the various banking system used all over the world!
Now that they were back home and putting up the various items, Angie showing Hekapoo where each item went such as the refrigerator/freezer or the pantry. Jackie was with a very excited Mariposa as they watched the episode For Whom The Bell Klangs- Part 2 on the TV, the little sister of Marco very much enamored with the classic cartoon series.
The surfer/skater looked to Hekapoo and asked, "Say Hekapoo, have you been to any places that revolve around sound?".
The curvy cutie thought on it for a moment, recalling all of the places that she had been in the multiple dimensions that were all liked to the one universe they were in, than answered, "I have been to many different places Jackie, but I don't believe I have been to a place that revolves around sound. Why do you ask?".
Mariposa pointed to the screen excitedly where it showed the villain it known as Thadeos E. Klang, or simply known as Klang, using three bells to uncover the lost city of Tinabula. Jackie ruffled the hair of the little one playfully, looking back to her friend/rival and answering, "It's mostly due to that. In the episode here, the city is called Tinabula and according to the heroine Katie Dodd, the place was built upon sound, harmonics, music notes & stuff like that. Look.". She pointed to the TV, where the foxy beauty known as Katie took a spear from one of the minions of Klang and struck one of the metal spike pillars that barred the entrance to the city hidden in the desert. Said spike had engravings/etchings of a lost language, and lowered when it was struck.
Hekapoo's eyes widened slightly as she finished putting some strawberry jam in the refrigerator, going into the living room for a closer look. She said to Jackie, "Wow! Now that is impressive. A whole civilization built on sound entirely… now that is new, even for me!". She had to admit that the Earthlings also had impressive imaginations if they could come up with something like this. The three ladies also laughed when one of the minions tried to open up a chamber that was the Weapon's Center with a B-note pitch… only to get flattened by a falling rock which was a trigger if you got the note wrong.
B-flat, if one would get the meaning.
Once everything was put up, Rafael asked as he picked up his cell phone, "So, what should we order for Double Movie Night? I'm thinking of Pizza Hut! How about you, honey?".
Angie thought a little bit as she put up the milk, the very last item that was purchased and answered, "Its good, but what about Dominos or Little Caesars? They have some good deals this time around.". Janna saw the puzzled look on Hekapoo's face, explaining to her that those were the names of food places that made & served pizzas.
The two adults were wondering on which place to order delivery from… when the door burst open and coming in was Eclipsa, Higgs and Kelly all carrying bags that had labels of various stores on them! The three looked very much ecstatic… and following them were exhausted Andrea, Chantel and Megan. The three looked like they had gone through a mini-marathon of sort, the group surprised by the outburst and also perplexed on how the three Mewnian women were acting at the moment. Especially Higgs.
Janna went to the group, seeing Eclipsa and the others putting their bags on the couch before going to the former cheerleaders. She smirked slightly and asked, "Let me guess… a mall crawl for the ages, right?".
Andrea answered, "You have… no… idea… oh boy…". She and her friend had done their fair share and time in the mall, but this seemed to top them all with the Mewni ladies.
Chantel put in as she slumped in one of the chairs, "We took them to the mall so they could get some clothing for here & for the trip. When they saw it, they were amazed on how small it was & also that there was no giant pets or battles taking place. Apparently, the one they have been to called Quest Buy… really dangerous place to shop at if you're totally new to it.".
Megan added, "They also never seen so many shops in one place. I mean, according to Higgs, this Quest Buy has everything in one place but no shops. So they were impressed to see so many different shops like Hot Topic, Spencers, Foot Locker and Victoria's Secret there.". She had blushed immensely at the last store she just mentioned.
Janna saw this, than looked back to see that one of the bags that Eclipsa had put at the label of the store on it. She turned her attention back to Megan, both she and Chantel blushing as she inquired, "Let me guess… Eclipsa was curious about that place and wanted to know what the 'secret' was, right?". They both nodded, and it was Megan that put in that apparently the Queen of Darkness enjoyed the secret of Victoria on how to catch a man's eye. And surprisingly to Janna, Higgs and Kelly also went there as well!
They had gone to various stores all over the place, though Kelly was a bit sad that they did not have a weapons area. Andrea had to explain to her that weapons were not permitted in a mall, that only security & police could enter a mall with one as long as they were extensively trained to use one.
They also had to pull away Eclipsa from a California Chocolate Factory store that was in the mall as well, the purple-wearing mature beauty almost going into a state of shock at seeing a store whose sole purpose was making chocolatey sweets of various kinds. Chantel had paid for a small chocolate bar there and when Eclipsa put it into her mouth… she felt like she entered Heaven itself. She was about to throw herself into the various baked goodies to try them out, but the former cheerleaders & their Mewnian friends had to drag her out of the store by force! And let it be known that Eclipsa was QUITE strong physically despite how she looked.
It would soon be revealed on YouTube thanks to some passbyers that took camera shots with their phones on how the Queen of Darkness lost almost all composure at the store.
Each of the ladies credit cards were used there, a large total amount spent shown but not completely overboard. The ladies would have to work in a bit of overtime at their jobs to make up for what was spent.
Andrea looked to Mr. & Mrs. Diaz and inquired, "Can you handle things here? We are exhausted and want to get back to our dorms.". Angie said that they would be okay, and also thanked them for showing Marco's friends around at the mall. She and Rafael appreciated it, and Marco too if he was here. The trio of California beauties smiled and said it was no problem, wishing them luck before going outside and back to the car.
As they left, Angie just remembered that they forgot to visit Marco in the hospital! Rafael calmed her a little and said, "Angie honey, calm down. I'm sure Marco understands. And he could use the extra peace and quiet to recover more. Now, just call the hospital and tell Dr. Exten the situation to relay back to Marco. And also to tell the doctor to give our son our best.".
The mature beauty smiled at her husband's words and care, giving him a peck on the lips before bringing out her cell phone to call the hospital & to request for the doctor who was the caretaker of her son.
As the girls were going over the purchases that Eclipsa, Higgs and Kelly purchased at the mall, with Mariposa trying to see though she was led away from the more risqué items purchased by said ladies, Rafael continued to debate which pizza store to order from while his wife was now talking on the phone with the hospital.
The time soon turned to 6:45 p.m., and a dimensional hole had opened up! All actions ceased as the tear in time and space came into view, many tensing on who or what would emerge. A familiar face stepped out of the portal, revealing it to be Queen Moon Butterfly! All the tenseness evaporated as they saw the regal woman enter the abode with the portal closing behind her.
Mariposa grinned and rushed to her as a three year-old would exclaiming, "Auntie Moonie! You here!". The ladies and only male in the house laughed at the nickname that Marco's sister just gave to the royal Butterfly matriarch, who just giggled and kneeled down to hug the little bundle of joy.
Hekapoo grinned and exclaimed, "Auntie Moonie?! Ha! I haven't heard anyone call you Moonie, not even Star when she was little!". Queen Moon remembered the better days when her daughter was indeed tiny, like Mariposa was now. Star did call her mother cute nicknames and such, but never Moonie.
Rafael declared, "Well, now that we are all here, there is an important decision that needs to be made.".
Jackie inquired, "And what is that, Mr. Diaz?". The strongman grinned and answered on what toppings they wanted on their pizza. He said that he would order from Pizza Hut, but first he needed to know what the ladies wanted on them. And after the orders were made, they would wait until said order arrived & than pop in the movies. First would be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of course, followed by the sequel to it Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.
Mariposa went from Queen Moon to Higgs and asked, "Want me to hug you again?". This caused the knight woman warrior to blush and said that she would be okay now.
Mrs. Butterfly inquired, "Hug you again? Higgs, what happened?". She was concerned for a knight of Mewni, and also curious on what was going on.
The ginger-haired beauty cleared her throat and answered, "Well… the first movie… there was a part that… made me… break down a bit…". Seeing the surprise in her ruler's eyes, the female fighter explained on what happened:
~Flashback~
The first time the group had all watched a movie together, they soon came to the part where Leonardo had told his brothers to close their eyes and concentrate hard around the fire. The Mewni girls had been quite fascinated and excited about the movie so far, and now it seemed their interest increased big time on what was occurring now.
The fire started to flash, going from orange-red to blue… and soon erupted in a large spout of blue flames! Soon erupting from the flames was the astral form of Splinter, teacher and father to the mutated turtles who had studied the ancient art of ninjutsu!
The apparition spoke, "I am proud of you, my sons. Tonight you have learned the final, and greatest truth of the ninja. That ultimate mastery comes not of the body, but of the mind. Together, there is nothing your four minds cannot accomplish. Help each other, draw upon one another… and always remember the true force that binds you. The same has that which has brought me here tonight… that which I gladly return with my final words. I love you all, my sons.".
The scene soon changed with the fire going back to normal color, the spirit of Splinter fading and leaving. The teenage turtles all coming back to, each one different but all seeing that their father was still alive.
The group heard some sniffling, and turned to see that Higgs was crying! The rough and tough female knight who could handle anything… was shedding tears! Rafael paused the movie, all looking now in concern at the ginger-colored woman. Mariposa wiggled out of the grip of her mother, going to Higgs and touching her leg. The adult woman looked down to see the small child who soon asked, "You okay?".
She soon realized on what she was doing, trying to compose herself but failing. Hekapoo asked, "Higgs, what is wrong? Why the…?".
Higgs sighed and answered through the strong emotions coursing through her. She replied, "My parents… my father and mother… they were killed when monsters attacked the village I lived in when I was very young. About Mariposa's age. The… they very last thing I remember was… my father told me was that… he loved me. My mother too… who protected me… just long enough for the Mewni knights to arrive… before she… was taken by her injuries…".
The group gasped as they had no idea about Higgs's past. For the knight, she remembered the words well from her father before he charged at one of the monsters that was attacking the village. A lizard beast with a glowing eye and mechanical arm… attacking to give his family the time needed to escape. She was soon taken in by the knights, raised in the castle by the armored warriors to become one like them. They took care of her; fed her, clothed her and trained her. But sadly those kinds of words were now lost, Higgs often seeing children with their parents with said adults saying that they loved them.
Sometimes Higgs wondered what her parents would say to her now after becoming a knight herself of the realm… and if they were proud of her.
Mariposa climbed onto Higgs's lap and hugged her tight, surprising the young Mewni resident and saying, "Your daddy love you always. Mama too.". It was like she knew what the thoughts were swirling inside the head of Higgs, causing the young woman to hold her tight and cry a bit more. The group was very touched by the scene, seeing that the movie and Mariposa had an impact on the young lady from Mewni.
Rafael asked, "Higgs, we can watch the movie another time if…". She shook her head, saying that she was okay now… and also thanking little Mariposa for her actions and words, the small kid smiling and snuggling on her new lap. She nodded her head, Rafael understanding and unpausing the movie so it could continue.
~End flashback~
Queen Moon was very much surprised to hear this. She didn't know much about Higgs past, and this kind of news stunned her. Though when she saw the young woman now holding onto Mariposa who smiled and giggled at her, the royal monarch knew that she would be alright. That again, the Diaz family was truly a unique one even on Earth.
Mr. Diaz spoke, "Okay everyone, tell me what you want and I'll get to ordering!". The Double Movie Night was now on officially!
~At Butterfly Castle~
While all of this was now going on at the Diaz residence on Earth, Star Butterfly was in her room talking with her friends via the Communications Mirror. When her training had ended, she had started for her room immediately to try and stem off the immense headache that came from studying too much. However, she did catch a glimpse of her mother leaving the area with her won Dimensional Scissors, leaving her husband in charge. Star inquired, "Dad, where is Mom going?".
King River answered, "Your mother has left to take care of some sensitive business, Star. That is all I can say.". The king still was aware of the situation surrounding Marco, so he did his best not to reveal anything to his daughter.
However, Star now realized that her father was alone… so now she could try to work the 'daughter' charm on him. She gave him the large, pleading watery eyes move and asked, "Daddy, can I please call and talk to my friends? I know you and Mom told me only on Saturdays I can talk with them, but… but I really miss them! And I just want to talk to them for a little while!".
Let be known that while King River was firm with his family… he was still a father, and thus vulnerable to the Puppy Dog Look that Star was giving to him now.
He thought on it and replied, "Well… even though your mother is not here… and you are done with training… I guess it couldn't hurt if you did talk to…". Before he could say anything else, Star proclaimed her thanks before zooming off to her room! He looked at the spot where his daughter was, wondering how in the world he could have been played like that. He did yell out that he would only allow her half an hour to talk with her boyfriend and floating female friend.
So now here she was, talking to Tom and Lilacia. Each were now complaining on how their day went, both demon and floating unicorn head venting on how vexing it was to being forced to study and train to be the future rulers. Ponyhead exclaimed, "The nerve of my sisters, rubbing their freedoms in my face while poor little ol' me is having her head crammed up with nonsense!". It was an exaggeration; her sisters had kept out of the way of her, and only smiled smugly at her when passing by. It was hardly what Ponyhead was describing now.
Tom exclaimed, "Same here with me! Learning lessons, tales, 'proper' demon etiquette and laws… my head feels like it's going to explode!". His anger and rage was showing, his body going through partial transformation to his real form.
The floating unicorn head on the right side of the mirror screen exclaimed, "We got to find that Earth turd and make him pay for getting us into this mess! B-Fly, can't you use that killer form of yours that can use magic without a wand? We can use your form to open a dimensional portal, spring us from our rooms and go after that fool!".
Star shook her head and answered, "Even if I could, I can't! My Mom made sure that the runes here prevent anyone from going out via portals, even my Butterfly-form. Also, even if I could leave through a portal, you know how drained I get after using magic without a wand. And if I run out of magic, that is it! I would have to wait and rest until I can use my form again.".
Tom put in, "Yeah, same with my folks. I can't use any of the Underworld tunnels and exits like I could now. Plus they made sure I cannot flash-fire myself from the realm, so I'm stuck just as you Star.".
The princess of Mewni looked pensive for a moment and said, "Guys… maybe we should just leave Marco alone. You know what my mom said about him. He's off-limits now. Also… it's not his fault that we are in this mess in the first place.".
Tom and Ponyhead looked at their friend like she had grown three heads, Lilacia exclaiming, "Are you serious?! This is all that Earth turd's fault! Think about it! He probably squealed on us for leaving him out, and this is his revenge!". The prince of the Underworld agreed with her, adding in that Marco was most likely getting back at him & Star for being a couple.
The more Star heard their reasons, the more the struggle within her mind increased. Her conscience, the tiny little voice that was always trying to guide Star on the straight and narrow path was being attacked by Star's own prideful ego. The one who was selfish, wanted her own way & sought to seek thrills and chills rather than giving in to 'traditional' ways.
The blonde princess looked ready to explode from the internal struggle she was having, but she was saved by a voice calling from beyond her door. It was her father! King River called out, "Star? Star, it's past half an hour. Are you on the mirror phone with your friends?".
Said daughter panicked and quickly turned off the mirror, zipping to her bed where she laid down with a book with speed that was almost superhuman. The door opened and in stepped the short but strong monarch. He looked to his daughter who smiled innocently and said, "Hi Dad. I'm just reading a book, hung up on my friends some time ago. You know, chilling out from everything.".
King River smiled, apparently buying into Star's lie. He said, "It's good that you are finally obeying me, Star. It really does me proud to see you finally coming together. Now, you do what you want to do for the rest of the evening. I'll be outside in the Main Garden enjoying the night air.". He said good-bye and closed the door, Star keeping her smile on until she heard the door click… and she let out a sigh before slumping on the bed.
She asked herself, "Is Marco responsible for all of this? Is this revenge from him or… something else? Ugh! Why is all of this happening?!".
It seemed that her pride also prevented her from seeing the truth; that everything that the trio had done in the past three years was all coming to a head now, and that they had no one to blame for their present circumstance was themselves.
(Author's Notes: And… cut! That is it for this chapter! Whew… this was a long one! I hope you all like it!
Before I do or say anything else, I want to give praise and glory to God. Lord, thank you again for coming to my aid. Not just with this story, but with my life as well. Thank you Jesus for giving me the strength and resolve to push on forward with this story, and I hope to make you proud as I continue to write this. Thank you God for my family, friends and those who support me in this endeavor in their own way!
I would also like to take this time to dedicate this chapter to my little dog, Jemma Rodriguez. You see… I received some bad news on December 18th of this year. She… passed away. My little Jemma passed away, 70 or so years old in dog terms. She was with me and the family for ten years… and she was such a brave and good dog despite her size. Thank you Lord for the time you let Jemma spend with us and me. I believe that she is in Heaven now, playing with Danielle and my dad's parents as well. Thank you Jesus for giving us Jemma and the time she spent with us.
So now you see a bit of history with Marco during his time in Mewni. Remember, three years have passed since the episode Lava Beach so Marco and the others are physically and mentally different from the cannon selves. I will do my best to flesh out the characters, both minor and major here.
I looked up if Higgs had mentioned any parents or her past, but nothing came up. So… I gave her parents and a past that I hope you all approve of. If not… too bad, the history will stick. I did the same with Penelope and her family, so I hope you liked the background I gave them.
And also, here is another twist I hope you caught on here. Earth has many items that while common on the planet, not so in Mewni. So this could lead to some interesting business ventures, but that is far down the line in the future.
Now for the questions! Ahem…
What do you think of Marco's actions in the Spiderbite Kingdom? And what kind of homemade remedy would you make to cure the spider bite curse on the family?
If you could, what shopping center that sold groceries would you take Hekapoo on go grocery shopping? And what food/spice/herb item that is common in your area but rare in Mewni would you like to be with what properties?
If you took Eclipsa, Higgs and Kelly to stores in your mall, which would you show them? And also what do you think the ladies bought at Victoria's Secret?
During the flashback to when the ladies all saw the movie and seeing Higgs reaction, what would you do? And what would you think after seeing Mariposa comforting Higgs in her own way?
If you were in Star's head & saw her conscience battling it out with her prideful ego, which side would you help? And what would you say to Tom and Ponyhead during their conversation with Star?
And here is an optional bonus question: What do you think the other princesses will say when they see Penelope without her spider bite mark and she explains to them on why its gone? And also what do you think will happen when they find out that Marco is no longer Star's knight?
R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave LONG reviews!)