The Boy in the Black Hoodie

Chapter 2

Marco awoke to the sound of his alarm clock ringing in his ears. Groaning, he slapped the alarm off and turned over, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep. To his dismay, he was blinded by the sun's rays streaming in through his curtains. Defeated, Marco forced himself to sit up. In response, his back and chest muscles ached in pain. His crazy boxing instructor had been pushing him hard since his fight was just a couple of months away. While Marco was accustomed to regular training, his next opponent was in a higher-weight class, and Marco needed to gain some muscle to compete effectively. He wasn't entirely opposed to it; he enjoyed learning new fighting techniques. His instructor had recommended a more bruiser-style approach, as opposed to Marco's usual speed-focused style. This approach emphasized taking hits and delivering more powerful blows, rather than dodging and searching for openings which was what Marco was used to.

Despite the soreness, Marco still enjoyed the new training, helped keep his mind of things. He got down from his bed and trudged to the bathroom. Yawning he looked at himself in the mirror, his hair was a mess. Marco splashed some water on his face and made a half-hearted attempt to tame his unruly hair with his hands. After a couple of futile attempts, he gave up, deciding it looked decent enough. With his bathroom duties completed, Marco headed to his drawer, grabbing a pair of grey sweatpants and a black hoodie. He threw them on and slung his backpack off the floor. His room was left in disarray as he opened the door and heard his mother bustling away in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

"Morning, Mom," Marco yawned sleepily as he descended the stairs. His mother was stationed by the stove, busy cooking up some eggs. She turned her head toward him with a warm smile. "Good morning, Marco. Breakfast is almost ready, honey. Go ahead and sit down with your dad."

His dad was sitting at the dining table with a newspaper in his hands, the table already had an assortment of food prepared, sausages, tea, biscuits, bacon, and orange juice.

His dad looked up from his newspaper and greeted him with a smile. "Good morning, Marco. How did you sleep last night?" He pulled a chair out and gestured for Marco to sit. Marco gladly obliged, grabbing his tea.

"I know you came home late from the gym. I hope this isn't a daily thing. You know, sleep is crucial for growing a body," his dad remarked with a hint of concern.

Marco returned the smile. "No worries, pops. The gym was oddly crowded yesterday; I had to wait just to get a machine. Coach said he's going to reserve some machines for me next time, so I'll be home a lot sooner today." He took a sip of his tea, the warmth of the liquid helping to gradually wake him up.

"Oh, that's good. Can't have you messing up your perfect attendance," his dad teased with a grin.

"Uh, yeah," Marco mumbled, taking another sip of his tea. His father noticed the hesitation and looked a bit concerned. "I'm just joking, Marco. If you're not feeling well today, you don't have to go," he reassured.

"Nah, nah, it's fine, Dad. It's a pretty chill day today. I'll be fine," Marco replied, forcing a smile.

His father smiled back, though Marco could still sense the underlying concern. "Well, that's good to hear. If you need anything or start feeling sick, just give me a call, and I'll pick you up ASAP," he said, his fatherly concern evident in his words.

Marco didn't blame his dad for his concern. He didn't look too good, and his trip to the skatepark yesterday had wiped him out. He genuinely appreciated his dad's care and concern; it was comforting to have someone looking out for him. That's why it stung to lie to him. The truth was, the gym wasn't busy at all yesterday. In fact, he had finished his workout pretty early, which had left Marco with some free time to head over to the skatepark.

The skatepark was a somewhat rundown place, with stained ramps and broken railings scattered around. Normally during the day, it was bustling with skater kids like his friend Jackie Lynn Thomas. Marco had hung out with her there a few times, even though he knew next to nothing about skateboarding. It was just nice to chat with Jackie. But Marco had a different reason for going to the skatepark at night. He had heard about it from Jackie. After night the skatepark was overrun with a bunch of thugs and gang members, they would hold fights in the pit, it was pretty dangerous and Jackie warned him to not go. She was pretty adamant on telling Marco just how dangerous the place was, and forced Marco to promise not to go. Jackie knew Marco had some issues when it came to fighting, he had a habit of picking fights with people who were a lot stronger than him.

Marco had agreed, saying he wouldn't go to the park, Jackie was the last person he wanted to make angry. Despite her petite frame, Jackie Lynn Thomas was trained in martial arts and extremely strong, unnaturally so. The only reason she had stopped practicing was when she had sent a kid to the hospital during a match. Still Marco had seen Jackie when she was angry, it was not a pretty sight. She was the only strong person Marco didn't want to fight.

That's why he had made it a priority to keep the knowledge of his involvement in the skatepark to a minimum. He had asked his friend from the cheerleading team Sabrina to help apply makeup to cover up any bruises and scratches he got from the fights.

At first she was fine with it, and seemed happy to hang out. But over time she became more and more concerned with the injuries Marco kept getting. Until one day when Marco came to her to help cover up a bunch of knife nicks on his arms. He wasn't very good with medical stuff, and Sabrina, who was accustomed to getting hurt due to her own clumsiness, always carried a first aid kit. She helped cover up Marco wounds, and keep them hidden from his parents and his friends. But this time Sabrina freaked out, and Marco had to work hard to calm her down and convince her not to call an ambulance, assuring her that he was okay. She had yelled at him, telling him that it was only a matter of time before he gets himself killed, and that she wasn't going to help him hide anymore. Panicking, Marco calmed her down and promised to never get into stupid fights again. After a long discussion, Sabrina reluctantly agreed to assist him with his wounds one last time.

Marco could still remember that night.

2 WEEKS AGO

"How did this even happen?" Sabrina sighed, gently holding his cut-up arm in her delicate fingers. "And why didn't you at least bind it with something? Don't tell me you walked all the way here bleeding?"

"Uh, it wasn't bleeding too much, so I thought I would be fine," Marco replied, but Sabrina's grip on his arm tightened as she glared at him.

"You just left the wound out in the open? What if it gets infected?" Sabrina pulled out some disinfectant. "There's no way you're this stupid," she scolded as she began pouring it over Marco's arm.

Marco winced at the pain. "Hey, hey, give a warning next time. That stuff hurts."

"That stuff is going to make sure you don't get any infections," Sabrina replied, maintaining her grip as she finished pouring the liquid over all the cuts. She then retrieved some bandages and began to carefully wrap up Marco's arm.

Marco sighed and relaxed in the chair, leaning back as the post-fight clarity washed over him. It was an addictive feeling, one that calmed him down and silenced his thoughts and doubts, making him feel normal. As Marco closed his eyes, he suddenly felt a drop of water land on his hand. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see Sabrina quietly sobbing while tending to his arm. Her usually steady hands were now trembling, and her tears fell onto Marco's arm.

"Sabrina you ok, what's wrong?" Marco reached over with his good hands. Sabrina swatted his hand away and glared at him.

"What's wrong?" She exclaimed, "Every time you come here the injuries get worse and worse every time, I don't know what you're doing but you need to stop. How do you think I feel watching my friend slowly kill themselves?!"

"Come on Sabrina you know I wouldn't that" Marco tried.

"Really, Marco?" Sabrina retorted; her frustration evident. "Because at this point, I can't tell what's the truth and what's a lie. You said the injuries before were just gym accidents, but this?" She pointed at Marco's now bandaged arms. "Knife cuts, Marco? Thinking about it, the injuries before weren't from the gym either, were they?"

Marco remained silent, unable to meet Sabrina's gaze as he stared at the floor.

"You've been picking fights again, haven't you?" Sabrina's voice was a mixture of anger and concern. "And you've been using me to hide it from everyone else."

Marco flinched. He wanted to defend himself, but deep down, he knew that everything she had said was true.

Sabrina continued to glare at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm scared, Marco. Scared that one day when you come here, I won't be able to save you." She sobbed, her voice trembling. "I'm scared that you're going to show up here all banged up from some stupid fight, and I can't... I won't be able to..."

Sabrina stopped herself, unable to bring herself to say the words out loud, as if voicing the fear might make it come true.

"I'm sorry, please, just listen to me," Marco pleaded. He reached over, extending his hand. Sabrina didn't grab it, but she didn't push it away either, so Marco continued. He considered telling her the real reason why he kept getting into fights, but he ultimately decided against it. Revealing the truth might lead to unwanted consequences, possibly even a mental hospital.

"These guys from the boxer I beat came out of nowhere looking for trouble," Marco lied, attempting to spin a more innocent version of events. "They were angry after the fight, and I just defended myself. I didn't know they had a knife; if I did, I would have run away. I'm not like that anymore, Sabrina. I promised you guys, remember?"

As he reached for her hand, she let him grip it. Her eyes remained fixed on the ground as she fought to hold back her sobs.

"You know there's no way I'm going to break that promise; Jackie would massacre me if I ever did," Marco chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

She looked up at him, her eyes slightly red from crying. "You swear that's what happened?" she whispered, her voice filled with doubt.

Marco smiled at her, trying to reassure her. "Fingers crossed," he replied

Sabrina sighed, her hands tightening their grip on his. "Alright, you better be telling the truth," she said, her voice filled with a mix of relief and concern. She lifted his injured arm, examining it closely. "It should be fine; the cuts aren't that deep. But still, it could have hit a vein. You need to be more careful next time."

She continued, her tone serious. "But, Marco, I'm serious. The next time you come back with a serious injury, I'm going to call an ambulance. I'm not a professional, Marco. This is my first time dealing with knife cuts. If you come back with something worse, I won't know if a cut is just a normal cut or a fatal one. I won't be able to help you, and I'm not risking your life to keep some stupid secret."

Marco had anticipated this conversation, knowing it was only a matter of time before Sabrina insisted on calling for professional help. He had hoped it wouldn't come so soon, as he was still figuring out how to properly dress his wounds by himself.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll avoid any fight that isn't in a ring," Marco assured her. "The next time you patch me up, it's going to be from the boxing fight in a few months, or if I get run over by a car. You never know," he added with a joking tone.

Sabrina smiled, wiping away the last of her tears. "Yeah, you'll walk all the way to me after a car crash, broken bones and all," she teased.

Marco chuckled. "I know you're joking, but yeah, I probably would," he admitted with a grin.

They spent the rest of the night talking and making jokes, afterward Marco packed up and started his walk home. He waved goodbye to Sabrina trying his best to force a smile.

PRESENT

His mom placed a plate of eggs onto the table before sitting down to eat herself. "Thanks, Mom," Marco said as he served some eggs onto his plate.

"No problem, dear. But you should hurry up; you're going to be late for school," she warned,

Marco quickly finished his meal, washing it down with some orange juice, and grabbed his backpack.

"Alright guys I'll see you later" Marco gave his parents a hug before departing on his run to school. As Marco began his jog he kept thinking back to how he would explain himself to his friends. They would find out eventually, hell knowing Janna she probably already knew. But no matter how he formatted it he felt they wouldn't understand. They would end up locking him up in some mental hospital where Marco would be pumped full of drugs. He knew he had a problem, but it's not like he hated how he was. He enjoyed fighting and the rush he experienced from winning was a sensation he couldn't imagine living without. The only downside was that Marco had become dependent on it.

Marcos thoughts were hard to control, he often found himself not being in control of his own mind, anxiety, fear, and self-doubt would relentlessly plague him. But whenever he fought, whenever he would feel the adrenaline pumping into his veins, the electric thrill of his fists connecting with an opponent's body, the deafening sound of his own heartbeat in his ears, the sensation of watching his opponent slump over from a powerful blow, the feeling of being in complete control, it was a kind of heaven he couldn't easily let go of. The feeling was addicting, and it calmed Marco down. It cleared his head, allowing him to think clearly. It allowed him to enjoy hanging out with his friends, laugh, pay attention in school, and even focus on his studies. All Marco needed was one good fight per week, but it couldn't just be any fight. If a fight ended too quickly, Marco would be left unsatisfied. He needed to find an opponent who would typically overpower him, someone who would make victory seem impossible. It was only when faced with such insurmountable odds that Marco could experience that intoxicating sensation.

Which was starting to become a problem, the only way for Marco to find a challenge now was to fight people with weapons, he rarely found anyone he couldn't beat bear-handed. So far, everything had been fine, but he couldn't shake Sabrina's words. Even now, the thought of fighting the five guys with knives he had encountered that day didn't excite him anymore. He already knew how to fight them – how they swung the knives, how they moved, and how they hid behind their weapons. They didn't truly know how to fight; they only knew how to stab people. All Marco had to do was land a single hit, and they would fall instantly. He needed something more, someone who would pose a better challenge. That's why Marco went into boxing, in hopes of fighting people who knew how to fight. The only downside was it took months for a single fight to start, and there were countless hours in those months when Marco had to be left alone with his thoughts. He shuddered at the thought of it.

He shrugged it off, it was fine once Marco got into boxing a bit more he would be able to maintain himself. He just needed to find a good sparring partner who understood the world of fighting like he did, someone unafraid to give it their all. Eventually, he believed he would find one, hopefully before he ran out of opponents to face. After about 10 minutes Marco reached Echo Creek High. He grabbed the water from his back and took a drink. Everyone was showing up and the front door was crowded with students coming into school.

Marco looked around and smiled when he spotted his friends, Jackie and Janna, waiting outside. They had first period together, so they usually walked to class together. Marco began walking towards them, waving to get their attention. Janna noticed him first and nudged Jackie, who turned around and smiled. Both of them waved back at Marco.

"You ever gonna come on time?" Janna teased as they started walking inside the school.

"I couldn't get any sleep last night, cut me some slack, Janna," Marco replied.

"You really need to take more breaks, Marco," Jackie said, expressing her concern. "You look like you haven't had a good sleep in weeks."

"Eh, I'm fine, Jackie, just getting used to waking up early for school. Give me like 2 weeks, I'll be fine," Marco reassured them.

"Uh huh," Janna said with a hint of boredom. "Anyway, let's talk about something actually interesting. I hear we're getting a new transfer student today. I've heard some rumors; I heard she's some sort of princess."

"A princess?" Marco said confused.

"Yeah, why would a princess come to Echo Creek High?" Jackie wondered aloud. "I mean, it's not a bad school, but it's not exactly the kind of place you'd expect to find a princess."

Janna shrugged. "No clue. She showed up yesterday after school and went to the principal's office."

Curious, Marco asked, "How does she look?"

"I have no idea," Janna replied. "I've just heard some talk from other people who saw her."

They arrived at their classroom, it was already full of students due to Marco being a couple of minutes late. Thankfully they still had a few minutes before the class started or Miss Skullnick would have nagged him again.

As they sat down to prepare for class Marco wondered who the transfer student was, and why his parents hadn't said anything. Usually, if there was a transfer student they would end up staying with Marco's family. He had dealt with a bunch of other transfer students and they were fun to hang out with, although he had to adjust some minor stuff to help them accommodate themselves. But Marco had never dealt with royalty before, he wasn't used to dealing with the higher class, minus Britney Whang but Marco chose to avoid her.

While Marco was rubbing his callouses in thought wondering how he was going to accommodate a princess, Jackie and Janna were whispering to each other.

JANNA POV

"You don't think she's here do you?" Jackie whispered.

"What other princess has star marks on their cheeks?" Janna whispered back.

"Maybe they saw it wrong, there's no way she should be here. Not this soon, we're not ready yet" Jackie said.

"You think I don't know that?" Janna hissed, "I already contacted everyone else to keep a low profile, we don't know what she wants, so let's just act normal for now."

Jackie nodded, still concerned.

"What's up?" Marco asked turning around to face his friends.

"Nothing Marco," Janna replied, "Girl talk, no boys allowed" she teased.

Marco raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright, my bad" Marco said as he turned back around.

"Actually Marco," Jackie asked, "Have your parents said anything about a new transfer student?"

"Uh, nah I don't think so" Marco replied in thought

"You think or you know?" Janna asked seriously.

Marco looked at her confused, "Why would it matter?"

"I don't want a princess's first experience of the middle class to be Marco Diaz, will not end well for us" Janna joked.

"Ha ha," Marco said sarcastically, "How thoughtful of you".

Marco turned back to his desk and reached into his backpack to grab his textbooks.

Janna was confident in her strength, and even more so in Jackie's. If worse came to worst, Janna knew the fight would probably be a solid 75/25 in their favor, and that was just with both her and Jackie. But if she had her wand, Janna shook her head. There was no way she would be trained this fast; it didn't make sense. Which raised the question, why the hell was she here this early? She expected the princess to show up eventually, but this soon was unexpected. None of them were ready. Janna racked her brain, trying to find a reason why she would show up this fast. It seemed like a perfect chance to attack while the princess was still new to her powers. They could use the opportunity to overpower her. But why would the queen send her unprepared daughter along with the kingdom's strongest weapon? The queen might be a bloodthirsty villain, but she wasn't stupid; all of her attacks had been calculated and well-thought-out. So, was this some kind of bait? Or was it something else?

She sighed burying her face in her arms. They were just getting used to their new home too, now this princely prick had to come over and ruin it for her. What else did that godforsaken kingdom want from them? Hadn't they caused enough damage already? Worst of all, if the transfer student was indeed who she thought it was, having her stay with Marco just made things a lot more complicated. She might use Marco as a hostage to force them to reveal themselves. Then again, how would she even know if any of the refugees were friends with him?

More than likely, the queen was looking for soldiers. Despite the kingdom's military power, the last few battles had resulted in a lot of casualties on both sides. She was probably attempting to recruit more soldiers, and it seemed she was turning to Earth to find them. Perhaps she somehow got wind of Marco's annoying knack for fighting. Janna had been against the idea of Marco continuing to practice fighting ever since the incident in the alleyway back in middle school, but Jackie had convinced her it was fine as long as Marco wasn't hurting anyone. She doubted even Jackie believed her own words; more than likely, she felt guilty about what had happened that night and had ended up giving Marco too much leeway, in Janna's opinion.

Marco was a nice kid, one of the first people she ended up befriending when she came to Earth. Despite knowing nothing about her, Marco had made the effort to talk to her, Jackie, and Sabrina when they sat alone at school. Even with the weird rumors going on about them, Janna was extremely grateful for that. He taught her a lot about Earth and helped the transition go much smoother. She, in turn, helped the rest of the group, and before long, they had integrated almost perfectly—all thanks to the boy in the black hoodie.

Despite all that Marco had some personal issues, especially when it came to fighting, he was pretty good at hiding it though which made it frustrating to make sure he was fine. She couldn't blame him though, he wasn't the only one keeping secrets. There was another issue with Marco—he was way too trusting. He would make friends with anyone he found interesting. If that princess got to him first and told Marco everything before Janna could explain, she knew he would end up believing her. But Janna couldn't tell Marco about everything. While Marco might be strong for a human, knowing about their world would only put him in more danger. Janna knew Marco would trust his friends over someone he just met, but she didn't know what kind of magic that princess was capable of. She might be able to extract information from him. It was best if Marco just didn't know. However, if the princess was staying with Marco, Janna had to somehow convince him not to trust her while avoiding the princess's suspicion. The worst possible outcome would be having to cut ties with Marco and run. As much as she cared for him, she would rather protect her family and her people. It hurt to think about leaving Marco with that sadist, but she didn't have many options.

There was nothing they could do now, all they could do now was hope that the rumors were just lies.

MARCO POV

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. The class went quiet as they prepared various school supplies for class. Marco opened his textbook in preparation to take notes, he fiddled with his pencil while waiting, spinning it around in his hands.

He just hoped the class wouldn't be too complicated, he was still waking up and didn't feel like paying attention too much. Hopefully, he could get away spending the class half awake. Marco's grades were pretty good, all As. He found school relatively easy, he just needed some time to study and he would be fine. None of the subjects really interested him though, so he didn't remember much from his past classes, he would practice enough to pass the test and then immediately forget the information. It's not like he's going to need it anyway, his plan was to become a boxer, you didn't need math to punch people after all.

He did wonder who the transfer student was, hopefully, she wasn't stuck up, the last thing Marco needed was dealing with another Brittney. The few interactions he had with her had not been pleasant, she tended to avoid people who weren't popular, and besides Jackie and Janna Marco didn't have many other friends.

Miss Skullnick walked up to her desk signaling the start of class.

"Morning class," She muttered, "we have a transfer student coming here from another…" She squinted at her clipboard, "Uh another dimension called Mewni?"

Suddenly, Marco felt a kick to the back of his desk. He turned to Janna in confusion, who wore a strange expression, a mixture of fear and anger. Jackie also seemed concerned.

"You guys good?" he whispered.

"Yeah uh we're fine Marco," Jackie said, "Just uh didn't expect the student to come from a different dimension " she joked.

"Maybe it's like in the UK or something" Marco suggested.

"Shut up and turn around Marco" Janna said seriously.

Marco raised his eyebrows in surprise and relented, "Alright, my fault," he said, turning around while still feeling confused. Janna's unusual seriousness had caught him off guard. He was accustomed to Janna chatting with him during class, even when lessons were going on. Maybe, Marco thought smiling, Janna was upset with him for not knowing more about the UK.

"Her name is Star Butterfly, give her a warm welcome," Miss Skullnick announced, gesturing for the new student to enter. Through the door walked a blonde-haired girl dressed in light blue attire with heels. She sported a small tiara headband and had bright blue eyes. Most notably, she bore red heart marks on her cheeks.

Star confidently stepped in front of the class and offered a warm smile. She then proceeded to bow gracefully. "Greetings, my name is Star Butterfly, and I hail from a kingdom called Mewni. I have come here to learn about Earth and its customs." She straightened up and smiled at the class. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

The class responded with their greetings in unison, but Marco was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. There was something about Star that felt off, although he couldn't quite put his finger on it. An eerie feeling hung in the air as Marco continued to stare at her.

Suddenly, Star caught Marco's gaze and offered a smile that felt strangely cold. Her icy eyes seemed to bore into him, making Marco feel uncomfortable and on edge.

"You must be Marco?" she inquired.

"Uh, yeah. How do you know my name?" Marco asked, clearly confused.

"The principal of this school recommended that I stay with you during my visit," she explained. "I was told you would show me around when I come to class. I would prefer to have my tour now if it's not too much trouble," she requested.

Ah, Marco thought, that's what it was. There was nothing behind her eyes, despite all the smiles and formal talk Marco could see no emotion is Stars eyes, it was so unnatural that he couldn't point it out at first. If he had to describe it, it was like the look of a reptile, cold and unfeeling.

Despite how formally she asked, Marco felt like it was more of a demand than a request, his instincts told him to just say yes.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Marco agreed, his gaze shifting to Miss Skullnick. "If that's fine with you, teach?" he inquired.

Miss Skullnick responded dismissively, clearly uninterested in the situation. "Go ahead, I don't care," she said.

Marco brought his backpack to get up only to be surprised as Janna kicked his desk he turned to her confused. Both Janna and Jackie were acting strangely, avoiding eye contact and behaving as if they were preoccupied with something, Marco raised his eyebrows in confusion and was about to ask what Janna wanted until he saw a note on her desk. The writing was hastily scribbled on and Marco could barley make it out, It read: "Check your phone once your outside, don't tell her".

Ok, Marco thought, that was weird he didn't know what kind of game they were playing and was about to make a joke until he saw how Jackie looked at him. Maybe one of the scariest moments of his life, Jackie Lynn Thomas, the person Marco had always respected for her remarkable skill and seemingly unwavering confidence, now appeared genuinely scared. She silently begged him with her eyes, her always steady light blue eyes now wavering as they looked at Marco. Marco, still surprised, decided to just trust his friends. He closed his mouth and turned around, not saying a word he walked up to Star, making sure to keep some distance, he smiled at her.

"Alright, let's go" Marco said, leading the way out the classroom.
Star followed closely behind him, her footsteps nearly inaudible despite the fact that she was wearing heels, yet another strange thing about her.

As they silently walked through the hallway, Marco attempted to break the silence when they passed by the lunchroom. He gestured towards the room and explained, "Uh, this is the lunchroom. It gets pretty packed during lunchtime, but I usually eat outside and bring my own lunch, so I don't know much about this place," he admitted.

"Mhm," Star replied disinterestedly, her gaze still fixed on Marco. He had sensed her staring at the back of his head throughout the walk to the cafeteria, and it remained extremely unsettling, but Marco didn't want to be rude. Maybe it was just customary or something.

"Marco?" Star asked, her eyes still locked on his.

"What's up, Princess?" Marco asked hesitantly. She seemed like the kind of person who preferred to be addressed with her title.

Star looked surprised by his response, "Is this some sort of quiz?" she asked looking around the roof, "Is it the roof?" Star answered.

Marco snorted, "Nah it's just another way of saying what do you need" Marco laughed.

Star smiled clearly somewhat embarrassed, "Oh, sorry Marco," She said apologetically, " I am not used to the Earth slang".

"No worries Princess," Marco reassured her, feeling semi-relieved, "I'll try and talk a bit more normally to help you ease into it".

"Thank you, Marco," Star said with a smile. "I appreciate it. I wanted to ask you, though..." She trailed off, her gaze now focused on Marco's hands. "Why are your knuckles so hurt, and why are you covering it with paint?"

Marco's expression shifted to one of shock as he followed her gaze down to his knuckles. While his makeup might not have been perfect, it had done a decent job of concealing the damage. It was clear that Star had scrutinized his hands quite closely.

"Uh, yeah," Marco stammered, his mind racing for an explanation. "I practice something called boxing, and sometimes it leaves calluses on my knuckles, so I use makeup to try and cover them up."

Star looked at him quizzingly, "Why would you cover your hard-earned marks?" She asked, "Do humans find scars unattractive"

Marco was once again taken aback by her question. He hadn't expected someone of nobility like her to be interested in scars; he had assumed she wouldn't be interested in such things.

"My parents and friends get worried I'm working too hard sometimes," Marco explained, "So I end up covering them, they don't really bother me though"

"I didn't expect you to like scars and stuff like that," Marco said pleasantly surprised, "Does your kingdom have a lot of fighters?"

"Oh, of course," Star replied with a smile. "Mewni has many soldiers, although most train with weapons. Their calluses tend to form inside their hands, as not many fight barehanded. Besides my father, you are the first person I have seen with calloused knuckles."

Once again, she stared at his knuckles. "That's why I was confused about why you hide them. In Mewni, they are considered a sign of strength."

"Mewni sounds like my kind of place" Marco smiled, "Earth's a bit different though, we don't really have a need to fight so all that these scars do is worry people," Marco said sadly.

Star grinned, "Well, I believe your scars have a certain charm, Marco. You should consider visiting Mewni sometime. My father would appreciate conversing with another hand-to-hand fighter."

Marco blushed slightly at the compliment, "Thanks Star, and yeah that sounds like fun. Id love to spar with some of the knights"

As they walked through the rest of school Marco found himself asking Star about Mewni instead of showing her around.

"So your knights are trained in almost every weapon?" Marco asked impressed, "How long does it take to learn all of em?"

"It requires a considerable amount of time and dedication, that's why many knights start off as young squires usually around the age of 10 to 12" Star answered.

"That's insane," Marco said, "So they spend there entire time just training how to fight?"

Star nodded, "Most of them are proficient in one or two weapons which they primarily use, but others who have an affinity with magic are trained elsewhere".

Marco looked at Star quizzingly, "Magic?" Marco said smiling at Star.

"Oh, I almost forgot that humans lack the capability for magic," Star said sadly, "It's rather regrettable.".

Marco chuckled at Star, "Alright Princess, what kind of magic tricks do you guys use".

Star stared coldly at Marco, "Certainly," Star said pulling out a strange star-shaped wand, "Something akin to this" Star pointed the wand at Marco's callouses.

A sudden burst of radiant light emanated from the wand, momentarily dazzling Marco. Startled, he looked at his hands, and to his astonishment, the makeup concealing his knuckles had completely vanished.

"Holy fuck" Marco said staring at his hands.

"Please mind your language" Star reminded him.

"Right, sorry?" Marco replied, still flustered, "Where did you say Mewni was again?"

Star responded, "Mewni exists in a different dimension." She smirked at Marco, "Were you not paying attention during my introduction, or were you too busy gazing into my eyes?"

Marco blushed slightly. "I, uh... sorry, I didn't mean to. I just haven't seen eyes like yours before."

Star smiled warmly, putting Marco at ease. "I'm jesting, Marco. There's no need to be embarrassed. I've been told that my demeanor can seem cold at times. But I assure you, it's purely a result of genetics. I am not some unfeeling monster. I'm simply not accustomed to spending much time outside of my castle. My parents kept me rather confined for a long time."

Star waved her wand gracefully, "In all honesty, my wand is capable of almost anything, but I only inherited it from my mother a few days ago, and I still can't properly control it."

"I would love to show you more extravagant spells, but I do not want to cause harm to anyone," Star said.

"The makeup thing was cool enough," Marco reassured her, "Speaking of which, can you cover them up again? I don't want anyone to see."

"Of course, Marco," Star replied, smiling as she focused on his hands, "It is quite a shame though; they look much better this way."

Marco found himself blushing again, he was not used to being flustered this bad. Although this was the first time anyone had ever complimented his scars or his hobby of fighting, usually he had to hide it from people, Star was the first person who appreciated them as much as Marco did.

"I mean," Marco said, "You don't need to cover them up right away, no ones in the halls right now and we still gotta explore more of the school".

Star smiled at him, "That sounds nice, although the school is very similar to the magic and knight academy we have in Mewni. I would have preferred to explore more of Earth during my first visit."

"We could always just leave the school and explore the town" Marco suggested, "I mean if your not against skipping school that is. It is your first day after all."

Star shook her head, "I came here to learn more about Earth and to control my powers, school is not my number one priority".

"Alright, let's get out of here then," Marco said excitedly as he led Star to the back exit of the school, where the cameras monitoring the area were broken.

As Marco opened the door, he was greeted by the warm rays of the sun and the cheerful sounds of birds flying around. They found themselves at the back of the school, and Marco decided to head away from the football stadium, just in case the PE teacher was conducting a class there.

"So, what would you like to see first?" Marco asked, walking with Star by his side.

She closed her eyes in thought, then opened them and fixed her gaze on him.

"Hmm, you mentioned something called boxing?" Star inquired, her eyes still focused on Marco.

Marco couldn't help but feel the intensity of her stare as if her eyes were staring right through him. He shook off his thoughts, reminding himself that Star had explained she wasn't accustomed to interacting with other people, and her eyes were simply a genetic trait. He cursed himself for being so insensitive; she had been nothing but kind to him, and the least he could do was treat her like a regular person.

"Yeah, it's basically a sport of sorts where two fighters get into a ring and punch each other" Marco explained.

Star furrowed her eyebrows, "Only punch?" She asked.

"Yeah, you're not allowed to kick the other person, there's a bunch of other rules too," Marco said.

"I see," Star replied thoughtfully. "So, it's more of a structured sport for one-on-one competition rather than practical self-defense in everyday situations."

Marco nodded. "Exactly. It's great for discipline, fitness, and honing your fighting skills, but the real world can be a lot messier."

The walk sign turned on, and Marco led Star across the street as they continued their exploration of Echo Creek.

"You say this as if you have experience with these real-world fights," Star said, stopping next to Marco.

"Uh yeah, I've had a couple of fights with random thugs," Marco said, rubbing the back of his head. "Not much of a challenge usually though; they aren't used to dealing with people who know how to dodge punches."

The walk sign turned on, and Marco beckoned Star to follow him as they walked past the street.

"But every once in a while," Marco said, grinning, "there's some big guy or a guy who's practiced some martial arts. Those guys are a lot more fun to fight."

Star looked up at him, noticing that for a split second, his eyes glinted with excitement before returning to normal.

"I can understand the thrill of a challenge," Star acknowledged with a nod. "It's that sense of overcoming adversity that makes victory all the sweeter, isn't it?"

Marco grinned, appreciating that Star seemed to understand his perspective. "Exactly! When you face someone who's genuinely skilled, it's like a test of your strength. And even if you lose, you learn something new each time," Marco started smiling again, and Star noticed the glint in his eyes returning. "It's like a cheat code to getting stronger—only when faced with an impossible obstacle can a person really grow stronger."

They continued their walk through the town, Marco feeling more at ease with Star's company as they discussed various topics.

"But those guys who are good at fighting aren't usually thugs; they don't really look for trouble," Marco said, looking disappointed.

"So do you ask them to spar?" Star asked.

"Well," Marco said, "There are matches held with no rules that I-" Marco caught himself.

"That you what?" Star asked, her ice-cold eyes staring at him.

"That I, uh, watch. There are some fights like that around town. I haven't ever participated in any of them, though. But usually, some people there are agitated, so it's really easy to get into fights," Marco said, trying to maintain the lie.

He hoped the lie would cover him for now. He wasn't technically lying too much. He turned to Star, who was staring ahead, her body language giving nothing away.

"I would like to visit one of these fights," Star said.

Marco's eyes widened in surprise, and he hesitated for a moment. The idea of taking Star to such a brutal and chaotic place worried him. The people at the skatepark would likely recognize him and try to get him involved in a fight or at the very least talk about his past battles. The skatepark fights had few rules, with broken bones and blood being common occurrences in the ring. Marco had inflicted his fair share of pain on others, and he didn't want Star to hear about his violent tendencies. He feared that it might change her perception of him, and he didn't want to lose the one person who seemed to understand him, at least a little.

"Yeah I don't know Princess, I don't think it's a good idea," Marco said cautiously. "Those fights can get really dangerous. I mean, there are barely any rules, and the people there... they're not the kind you want to be around."

He looked at her with a mix of concern and uncertainty, hoping that his explanation would discourage her from wanting to go to such a place.

For a split second, Marco could swear he saw something in Star's always emotionless eyes, a small glint of…excitement?

"I see if you say so, Marco." Star turned to him grinning, "But if you're there with me what's the problem? I want to see how these humans of yours fight".

"I enjoy fighting too, Marco, although most of my combat experience is in controlled environments and involves spellcasting. My father taught me some hand-to-hand combat, but my mother made him stop once I inherited the wand," Star said with a touch of dejection. "Don't get me wrong; I do enjoy magic, but I miss physical combat and wanted to see how Earth's is."

She grabbed Marco's hand with both of hers, cradling his calloused hands in her hands.

"Please, Marco? I assure you I will be by your side at all times" She said.

Marco was surprised by the sudden touch, but he noticed that Star's hands were kind of rough. He could feel callouses of some sort touch the skin of his hand. He looked down at her hands and noticed a bunch of small scratches covered by makeup.

Star followed Marco's eyes and suddenly took her hands back, her face a small shade of red.

"I apologize you had to see that Marco," she said trying to stay composed, "My hands are very unbecoming of a princess".

She rushed ahead of him, and Marco still confused followed behind her.

As Marco and Star continued their walk, he couldn't shake off what she said.

"So uh Princess," Marco began, his tone gentle, "You mentioned that you like scars, but you don't like em on your hands. Can you tell me why?"

Star paused for a moment, her eyes downcast.

"It's just that," Star started slowly, "Back when my father taught me how to fight, I had gotten many scars from training. My mother was mad and demanded I cover them up when presenting myself to other people." She instinctively hid her hands behind her back, her voice tinged with sadness. "I hope you don't think any less of me because of this, I know it is unbecoming of a princess"

Marco looked at Star, feeling a sense of understanding wash over him.

"Princess, I don't think any less of you because of your scars. In fact, I think they look nice on you".

Star's eyes widened in surprise as she met Marco's reassuring gaze. This was the first time Marco had seen her surprised,

"You really think so?" she asked.

Marco smiled warmly at her. "Yeah, I do. It's like you told me Star, your scars tell a story of your strength and determination, and they make you who you are. I get why you wanna cover them, I got my reasons too." He gestured at his own hands, "But I uh, I think they look really cool"

Star paused for a moment, a small smile played on her lips. "Thank you, Marco. That means a lot to me."

Again, Marco could see something in her cold eyes. Before he could identify what it was, they returned to their emotionless state. However, her smile still remained as they continued their walk around town.

Marco ended up showing Star various parts of town. They visited Britta's Tacos to grab some food, then headed to the park and sat down to eat. Star appeared to really enjoy Earth food, mentioning that Mewni's main cuisine was basically just corn, so it was nice to try something different. After their meal, they both sat on a bench and Marco took a moment to appreciate the scenery. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange tint across the sky. Due to that, the park was practically empty except for him and Star. It was a peaceful moment, Marco thought, as he turned to look at Star, who was also gazing at the setting sun. She seemed lost in thought, furrowing her eyebrows as she contemplated the sky. Marco hadn't taken much time to really observe her. Her eyes had made him uncomfortable, so he avoided staring. At first glance, Star appeared to be your typical princess. She had clear skin, her blonde hair neatly combed into a ponytail held together by a crimson bow. She wore a light blue dress with a matching ribbon cinched at her waist, and her skirt fell just below her knees.

However, Marco also noticed something else. Her forearms and biceps were surprisingly muscular, likely from sword training. Faded scars marred her otherwise clear skin, concealed with makeup, but Marco could discern a slight color difference from the rest of her face. Even in the way she carried herself, Marco found no openings for attack; she always seemed acutely aware of her surroundings. Despite Star's best efforts to downplay her abilities, Marco could tell she was a warrior. Those sword cuts shouldn't have stayed visible for so long, indicating they were relatively recent. It meant that Star was secretly continuing her training.

Maybe, Marco thought, she was just like him. For the longest time, Marco believed he was alone in his obsession, cursed with this unrelenting urge to fight. But as he sat on the bench with Star beside him, he couldn't help but feel that he had finally found someone who might truly understand him.

Marco turned his head, gazing back at the sun slowly setting. After a while, he began to stand up. "Alright, we should probably get home," Marco said. "My parents probably have some sort of welcome surprise prepared for you."

Star looked surprised. "There's really no need for that," she said as she got up.

"Trust me, Princess, there's no convincing them otherwise," Marco chuckled. "We should get going, though. They're going to worry if we're late."

His house wasn't too far from the park, so they made it just before the sunset. Marco knocked on the front door, which was immediately opened by his mother, wearing a giant smile and a party hat on her head.

"Welcome to Earth, Star!" Marco's mom exclaimed, popping a small party popper over both Star and Marco. Star jumped in surprise as the glitter fell on her, but after the initial shock, she smiled, realizing it was harmless confetti.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Diaz," Star said, bowing. "Thank you for the warm welcome."

"Oh dear, you don't have to be so formal," Marco's mom replied with a smile. "Now, come in. The food's almost ready." She moved out of the way and gestured inside.

Marco's dad appeared in the background, holding a party popper. When he saw Marco and Star already covered in confetti, he frowned. "Aw man, you did it without me?" he asked dejectedly.

Marco's mom shrugged. "You took too long to get ready."

"The hat wouldn't fit," Marco's dad said, pointing at his party hat. "It's not my fault my head is big."

"Oh well, maybe next time. Now, come help me with the table," she said, walking into the kitchen. She turned to Marco. "Be a dear and show Star to the guest room, please, Marco."

"Alright, Mom," Marco said. "Sorry about the late arrival, Pops."

"Oh, no worries, Marco. I know you were showing her around town," his dad said with a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Star," he added, facing Star.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Diaz," Star replied, bowing once again. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear," he said with a grin. "I'll chat with you more during dinner. I need to go help Angie."

"Of course," Star said, returning the smile. Marco's dad then headed to the kitchen.

Marco led Star up the stairs, and she followed behind. "Your parents are quite lively," she remarked, glancing back at the kitchen.

"Yeah, sorry about that. They can be a bit in your face," Marco admitted.

"Oh, no, don't worry, Marco. I don't mind at all," Star reassured him.

Marco led Star down the hallway and stopped in front of a door. He turned the knob, revealing a cozy room with a bed, a dresser, and a mirror. Marco flicked on the lights. "Sorry, I know it might be a bit small," he explained.

"It's perfect, Marco. Don't worry," Star said as she walked into the room.

"I'll let you get acquainted," Marco said, grabbing the doorknob to close the door.

"Thank you, Marco," Star replied with a smile.

"No worries, Princess," Marco said, returning the smile, before gently closing the door.

STARS POV

As the door closed in front of her, Star let out a sigh. Well, that was easy. Her mother was correct about Marco; he was an obsessed fighter, and it didn't take more than a day to earn his trust. She smiled at how simple-minded he was. She had worried that her eyes might put him off. Star had been trained to present herself properly, and she had learned from her mother the proper way to manipulate and deceive others. Although, to her mother's disappointment, Star's eyes always appeared emotionless. It made it hard to earn anyone's trust when they were all scared of her.

Thankfully, the genetic excuse had worked on Marco, and he didn't seem to suspect a thing. He really was quite naive, Star thought as she sat down on the bed and lay down. She wondered about the students who were with Marco earlier. They had whispered something to him before he had gone out to show her around. Perhaps they were concerned for him, considering how Star appeared, or there could be another reason. Star smiled at the thought; they might be worried because they knew who she was. She couldn't rush to conclusions now, but if they did know her identity, she might have found two potential runners. Again, Star didn't want to confront them just yet. Her powers and handling of the wand were unstable at best, and she didn't want to cause too much chaos on Earth. Although she was relatively confident in her physical capabilities, she didn't know what kind of monsters or demons they were; they might be able to overpower her without her powers. Star frowned at the thought. If only her mother had allowed her to continue training with her father, she wouldn't have had this problem.

Star lay down on her bed, raising her hands up in the air and staring at them. The makeup had begun to fade, revealing small nicks from sword practice she used to have with her father. It was the only thing that hadn't gone according to plan. She didn't want Marco to notice her scars; it might have made him suspicious. Why would a graceful princess have battle scars? The last thing she expected was for him to like them.

She looked longingly at her scars; she liked them too. But her mother had convinced her that they were disgusting to her, and despite her dad trying to help her out, her mother's word was final. Marco might be naive, but, Star thought, rubbing at her scars with her thumbs, he wasn't all bad. She didn't mind spending her visit with someone who enjoyed fighting as much as she did, regardless of his intelligence.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Hey, Star, just wanted to let you know food's ready for you downstairs whenever you're ready," Marco said through the door. "No rush, though. Take your time."

"Thank you, Marco. I'll be out in a minute," Star called out as she got up to prepare herself.

He would make a good soldier, though, in the end, he might succumb to his own incompetence. Unfortunate, but that's just how war was, Star thought, her blue eyes glistening in the moonlight. The weak perish, and the strong survive.

She entertained the thought of preparing a nice grave for him, perhaps overlooking Butterfly Castle. She would ask him once she had him in her army.

For now, everything was going according to plan. Star figured she could relax and get some rest today, resuming her mission tomorrow. She pulled out her wand and whispered a small spell to change her clothes into a more comfortable gown. Deciding to make some adjustments to the room, she used her magic to place some of her clothes from home into the drawers and changed the sheets on the bed to a richer, more comfortable fabric.

Star approached the mirror to ensure her appearance looked presentable. After making some minor adjustments with the wand, she was satisfied. She opened the door and began walking downstairs. With each step, she felt one step closer to helping her kingdom come into rule. Once this mission was complete, Star thought as she descended the stairs, her mother would finally allow her to participate in the war. Then, she thought, her eyes gleaming with excitement, she could finally taste the thrill of battle once again.

Thank you once again for reading!

As I promised this chapter is a lot longer than the first one, I didn't have time to develop Mewni much unfortunately but we'll have time for that next time.

Thank you so much for the reviews and favorites, I am glad you guys are enjoying this. This story is very fun to write about and I can't wait to continue.

I'm glad to see you guys are excited as well!

Once again, please let me know if you have any feedback or any parts that you particularly enjoyed.

The next chapter should be in about 2 weeks, same schedule as before.

With that being said I hope you enjoyed this chapter!