(Jacob)
That's right everyone, I'm back with what I think is the fourth most loved one shot series in this fandom? Not including ones that have been discontinued of course. It feels great to be back!
Before we get to reviews, I want to clear up the confusion for last chapter. I felt a little poetic at the time so I tried something a little different, though it could've been better. It took place in an AU were Marco and Star met differently and got together, only for them to later fall apart. Star was new to earth still and she was low on confidence because of which. Marco helped her out and they eventually found something special between them. However, as Star's confidence grew, she took on more dangerous things and decided it's be best to leave Marco out of it, despite all they had been through.
Now that that's cleared up, let's get to reviews, shall we?
Finnjr63: Thanks! Your support is much appreciated!
Exotos135: Yup, OC's for daaaaaaaayz. And thanks for the tip bro!
CLM88: Dude, I can't even tell you how grateful I am for your reviews, it takes a lot for a man/woman to read through my crappy fiction and for that, I give you the MEGA BROFIST! Stay awesome man, I hope you stick around. Who knows, you might even replace Lupus Boulevard, but probably not.
EVAunit42: Your wait is over good sir!
Deadshoot12345: Glad to have you back man! I hope you can catch up soon!
Project00X: Course you can use the idea, it's not like I own it. Just don't plagiarize, that's not how I roll.
Exotos135 (Last chapter): Look upwards of your wish to seek the truth...
LeleB123: Really puts it in perspective, doesn't it? And yeah, it was Marco's POV.
Finnjr63 (Last chapter): All will be revealed... At the top of the page.
GuestSorta: Yup. And I do find you're idea cool, but I'm or really a cross-over kind of guy. I'm fine with cameos, just not full-fledged cross-over. Dammit Starco Academy...
Author Smiph: You're VanossGaming references are used well, I applaud that sir Smit. And hopefully I don't have another hiatus anytime soon, I love writing these oneshots!
Nightmareking: T'was Marcos POV... And thank you, much appreciated.
Dylan: Ah, I see. Well if you didn't like that joke, I suppose I'll go out of my way to remove five words that were in brackets, meaning you didn't have to read it. Sarcasm aside, the line was supposed to give you ideas. That was the point of putting it there.
EVAunit42: Thanks man, I honestly didn't think I'd get away with such a short chapter, but hey, I'll take what I can get! Oh, and in case you missed it, the explanation for last chapter is at the top of the page.
Okay! Now I digress into the chapter! It was not a request, more of a thought I've had during the hiatus. Here's a synopsis so you're not confused again!
Synopsis: Marco and Star have grown up and are now in their late teens (about 18). There still best friends, but are dealing with the hardship of Star's training to be Queen. Because Star has to leave, Marco decides to train as a Knight in secret, that way he can stay by Stars side as her friend.
Thanks to Altruisticdorito for being my beta-reader, and for the last time, I DON'T OWN SVTFOE! You guys should know this by now! Jeez.
Two figures were sitting on a couch, watching television in peace in the quiet household they were abridged inside. The two were grown figures, one male and the other, a female. The two were snuggled up against each other, the lady resting her head against the others shoulder with the hair covering her ear working as some sort of pillow.
The man yawned rather loudly, thrusting his arms outwards so he could stretch his tense muscles. As he did so, he oh-so casually slipped his arm around the woman's shoulder, placing a gentle hand against her collar. The woman giggled cutely, bringing a hand to her lips to emphasize how adorable it was to see him try to pull such a classic move.
The man turned to face his partner, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. "Is there something you find funny?" he asked jokingly, using his finger to smugly rub his nose. She just giggled again; the high pitched laughter was like music to the man's ears.
*BANG*
The two snapped their attention away from each other and towards the source of the sudden loud noise (though, it appeared that the gent had jumped a little out of fear, releasing an adorable yelp). The front door on the other side of the room has fallen off of its hinges, revealing two shadowed figures behind a large cloud of dust.
The man and woman huddled closer together, fear inducing their bodies and coasting throughout their body. The lady wrapped her arms around her partner's neck, never taking her eyes off of the mysterious people.
One of the figures stepped through the door frame, a threatening vibe emanating from its form. Once it had completely stepped through, it revealed a young Latino, thick brown hair atop his head and a mole underneath his right eye. He adorned a bright red hoodie that looked tattered and ripped, dirt and dust staining it in an unbelievable manner.
At the sight of him, the woman from the couch immediately went from fearful to relieved. It was just Marco...
"H-*cough, cough* Hi Mom." Marco forced out, trying his hardest not to choke on all of the dust in the air. The figure behind him followed suit, entering the household to reveal their identity to the Diaz parents. The other one being a blonde girl with bright, sky blue eyes and heart imprints on her cheeks.
Mrs. Diaz rolled her eyes and stood up from the couch heading over to the three young adults. Mr. Diaz however, was still trying to wrap his head round the situation, a dumb-struck look on his face.
Marco pounded his fist against his chest a couple of times, letting out shallow coughs before standing up straight and turning to his mother with a smile. "How are you guys?" he asked, finishing his sentence from earlier. Mrs. Diaz crossed her arms and gave an unamused look to Marco, looking down at the carpet where there was a massive area of dust covering it, not to mention the door.
The blonde caught on to Mrs. Diaz's gaze and her eyes widened in realization. "Oh boy..." she started, sheepishly grinning and tapping a purple object against her face." I guess we 'Starred' this up a bit, huh?"
Marco nervously smiled at his mother, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment while he kept shifting his eyes from left to right. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."
Mrs. Diaz didn't hesitate, immediately pushing a vacuum cleaner into her son's hands. "I want this entire living room spotless before sun-down." Her tone was enough to give Marco an unpleasant chill in his spine.
"And once you've finished that..." she continued, "You can call King Butterfly. He called earlier today and he wanted to see you, but you weren't around."
Marco raised a finger next to his face, "In all fairness, I think stopping Ludo and his gang of monsters from taking the most powerful item in our universe is enough of an excuse to miss a call." He stated matter-of-factly. Mrs. Diaz chuckled a little at his comment before patting him in the back and heading back to the couch, where she took her seat next to her husband (who was still completely dumb-founded by what had just occurred).
"Ummmmmm..."
Time skip quote: "This... May be my entire fault..."
Marco waltzed up his stairs tiredly, with Ludo growing stronger with his attacks and being a part-time psychologist in Echo Creek, it was a little exhausting... But he managed. There can be a few bumps in the road, but you need to realize that's what suspensions are for: the people that give you the courage to keep on keeping on.
At the thought of how many people who had helped Marco over the years, a one-sided smirk curved on his face. He'll pay them back someday, but right now he had to focus on getting to Star's room.
When his mother mentioned that King Butterfly had called, he knew exactly what it was for. He'd been receiving a lot of calls from him recently, and it was all leading to something big, both for him and his best friend.
Star was informed by her mother a few months ago that by the time she had turned twenty, she would have to be married (be it arranged or free choice) and she'll need to return to her home dimension. It was a little saddening that she had to leave, but Marco understood, telling Star that she'll be a great queen and that the husband will be a lucky guy.
He was disappointed that he'd never get to see his friend again (or at least close to never) though...
Marco opened the door to Star's room wearily, taking a quick look around to see if anyone was there. After seeing that the coast was clear, he walked over to the mirror and pressed the gem against the outer rim.
The robotic voice of the mirror picked up, "Who would you like to call?"
"River Butterfly"
The mirror buzzed, "Contact unknown"
Marco groaned and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Call... Call Daddy..."
A dial tone beeped as the mirror waited for someone to pick up. "Calling Daddy"
'Of all the contact names you could've picked, Star...' Marco thought to himself. After a moment, River appeared on the face of the mirror, standing in a fine, 'royal like' posture. His eyes met Marco's and they stared solidly at each other for a moment. Neither of them dared to step off...
That is until River burst into a laughing fit, hunching over forwards and wrapping his arms around his gut. "Haha, I'm sorry my boy bu-Haha-but, Perhaps we should stop with the staring during these conversations. It just cracks me up every time!"
Marco snickered at his statement. He and River had been doing this thing where at the start of every call, they'd stare at each other like their lives depended on it. It was more of a running joke than anything essential.
After River recovered from his laughing fit, he held his hands behind his arms and looked at Marco with a grin. "How have you been my boy? I hope you're training is going well."
"It's going very well sir-"
River cut him off, "Marco, we've discussed this. Just call me River."
"Of course, sorry about that. So as I was saying, my training is going well, my previous experience in martial arts seems to be very useful in the works of becoming one of your knights."
River nodded firmly, "Excellent! At this rate I might have to put you as head of the royal guard! And you know what happens then..." he stated with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Marco flushed at River's comment, looking to move off the subject. "So... Is that all you wanted to ask?" River placed a hand over his beard and began to stroke it in thought. "Well... Now that you've brought it up... I have something for you my boy."
Marco quirked his eyebrow upward. "Is it necessary towards my training?"
"Not very much... Could I ask you a question Marco?" Marco nodded. "Why do you wish to join the royal guard?"
Marco was taken aback by this question, confusion claiming his expression. "What do you mean si-River?"
"Well... When you came to me about becoming one of our kingdom's knights months ago, you never really explained why you wished to do so." There was a brief moment of silence between the two and Marco looked downward in thought. In all honesty, not even he knew.
"Well... I guess it's because... I don't want to lose my best friend."
River gave a small nod, "I am aware of your friendship with Star, she speaks very fondly of you whenever we check up on her. Perhaps you would be worthy of her hand..." the last part was mumbled, but not unheard from Marco. However, he decided not to question the comment.
"Well, I see that you are doing this for a good reason. You wish to keep your friend safe, and this may be a very daring way to go about it, but I cannot stop you from following your heart."
"River, we've gone over this so many times. I'm not following my heart, I'm doing what I feel is right." Marco replied but River just scoffed, "Keep telling yourself that. It's cute."
"Now, there shall be a parcel arriving any second. Take it as a token of gratitude for protecting my daughter all these years. Goodbye Marco."
Marco smiled, "Until next time River." And then the mirror faded back to its standby mode. Marco stood there for a moment, letting River's words sink in.
'He has a point you know...'
The sound of paper ripping broke Marco from his thoughts. He turned towards the window and saw a small blade had pierced the fabric of space-time and had opened a portal. From that portal a formally dressed man (most likely a servant or a butler) stepped through with a small wooden box in his hands.
"Good afternoon Cheswick, how are you?"
The Butler proceeded to place the box onto the floor and place his hands against his back. "I'm doing very well young Marco, thank you for asking. I don't have time to chat, I must be off." Cheswick then learn back a bit, a loud popping noise coming from his lower back. "Goodbye lad."
Marco nodded in approval and waved goodbye to the Butler as he stepped back through the portal and closed it behind him. "That guy works too hard..."
And with that, Marco picked up the box and placed it under one arm. He headed out of Star's room and started to move towards his own, but he was stopped when he unexpectedly bumped into Star. They both stumbled back a bit, but quickly recovered. "Oh, sorry Marco, I must not have been looking where I was going."
Marco just looked at her and waved it off. "It's fine Star, happens to everyone."
She smiled at him and then looked at the box under his arm. "What's in the box? Got some kind of trophy or something?"
"Nah, your dad sent it to me. I don't even know what's in it."
"Huh, can I watch you open it? I'm always excited when stuff arrives unexpectedly! Like that dragon in your room!"
"What was that?"
Star's eyes widened a bit and she started to sweat. "Uhh, nothing..." she put on a fake smile and Marco narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Star shifted her eyes left and right, "So can I watch you open it?" she asked, trying to change the subject. Marco backed off a bit and pointed to Star's room.
"Sure, but let's do it in your room. I have a feeling something might kill me in my room."
Star nodded quickly and clasped her hands over her chest and she dashed to her room and kicked the door open.
"Hurry up Marco! We don't have all day!"
Marco just rolled his eyes and walked back into the room, not bothering to notice the smoke seeping through his bedroom door. Once he was inside he maneuvered his leg to shut the door behind him and placed the box on the floor next to Star's bed. Star sat down on her knees next to him and brought her hands to her face in excitement.
"Openitopenitopenitopenitopenit! I can't take the anticipation!"
Marco gestured for her to calm down and looked at the lid of the box. It looked like it could slide right off. Marco wiggled his fingers above the top and placed his thumbs against the edge of the lid, pushing it forward slightly. He then grabbed the other end of the lid and slid it off, revealing the contents inside the package.
"That's weird... Why would my dad send you this? It doesn't make sense..."
Inside the crate was a finely crafted piece of armor, built to cover one arm and the shoulder, a thick leather strap attached to it. Next to it sat a gauntlet that covered the palm, but there was nothing to protect the fingers. Fine patterns were engraved into the metal, flowing across the arm piece beautifully.
Marco gazed at the armor in amazement. The sheer crafted beauty of it was astounding, and the metal looked like it was made fresh out of the factory, a gorgeous shine gleaming across it. It looked marvelous...
"Do you know why my dad sent you this Marco?"
Marco shook his head back to reality and turned to Star with a look of confusion for a second, he then looked back at the armor. "Hush, I have no idea... Maybe he just felt generous."
Star brought a finger to her chin and thought about it for a moment. "That is a possibility..."
Suddenly, the sound of Star's mirror echoed from across the room. Marco quickly put the lid back on the box, "Is it your Mom Star?"
She looked over at the contact name and cringed slightly, "Yeah. Quick! Get under the bed so she doesn't see you!"
Star's mother was never the friendliest of people, focusing more on etiquette and formality and implying those with a cold heart. Though she could be very loving, she was more of a demon than you'd expect. She also seemed a bit over-protective at times, going so far as to throw Tom in a dungeon while he was dating Star. So Marco usually took the precaution of staying out of Star's room whenever she called.
Once he was under the bed, Star ran over to her mirror and answered her mother's call.
Time skip quote: "These stories don't add up Marco."
Marco was sitting in his charred bedroom, everything inside burnt to a crisp. A large lizard-shaped hole was in the wall, as if something had decided to just fly out of there. But Marco couldn't care less about that. He just kept his eyes fixed upon the armor he'd unpacked. At the bottom of the box laid a note, tied shut with a ribbon.
He sat on his blackened bed, with the note in hand. He had decided to try on the armor over his grey under-shirt, and it all fit perfectly. The metal was light but felt extremely robust, and his gauntlet made him feel like he could break stone with it.
He untied the ribbon and unfolded the paper. The handwriting inside was neat and fluid, clearly that of royalty. Marco scanned over the note and read its content in his head.
"Marco, you have proven to me over many years that you are a fine warrior, agile and strong. But that is not what I seek from a knight, what I seek is determination.
You have shown me that you are willing to put yourself on the line for the life of my daughter, and for that I cannot thank you enough. The armor is a sign of my gratitude towards your service. I wanted to send you a sword, but I didn't think you'd be very fond of that idea.
This was crafted by the best blacksmith we could reach. His work has helped many across the multiverse. You have been given the privilege of protecting the Butterfly family from any means of harm or danger, should you choose to accept, you will be escorted to Mewni alongside my daughter when she is crowned, and you will stay with her until the end.
And in celebration of your knighting, you shall be given a name to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, making their defeat all the more joyous. You will choose the name, so please, make it sound cool... Nothing stupid like sir Gawain.
I hope to hear from you again soon my boy. This offer will only come to you once. But remember...
Don't you dare take my daughter's hand unless you mean it...
-River James Butterfly."
Marco stood up from his bed and walked out of the room and into the hall. He stopped at Star's door and knocked. The door opened and Star smiled at her best friend. "Ooooooh! Look at you! I gotta admit Marco, I didn't think you could get anymore badass than doing karate."
Marco gave a one-sided smile and walked inside, closing the door behind him. "Star, do you mind if I use your mirror for a second?"
Star nodded and stepped to the side to let him past. Once he was in front of the mirror he dialed for River and waited for him to pick up.
"Marco my boy! I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Ah, I see that you received my little gift. I suppose you've read the note as well?"
Marco nodded firmly, "Yes, and if it's not too much trouble..." he took a quick look back at Star, who just watched in confusion as the conversation happened. "I'd like to take the Knighting position."
Star brought her hands to her face in shock, her eyes wide at the secret she'd just discovered.
Marco laughed lightly at her reaction and the turned back towards River, who gave him a knowing look.
"Very well, but before you can be officially knighted, I will need you to tell me the name you shall go by."
Marco looked at his armored arm and studied the design engraved into it, the thin lines giving him the perfect idea for a name.
"How about... Sir Marco Diaz..."
There was a pause, making the room fall silent in anticipation.
"Knight of the wind."