TruthfulMask: Awesome you're still around even with my inconsistent updates. Sorry to disappoint, but there won't be any gods or any confirmed. I just feel like it would take too much power away from MHC and leads to a weird world hierarchy. That being said glad you enjoyed it.

Alonzo, Ferguson, and Janna sat in a library studying for the coming exam. Alonzo and Ferguson were studying. Janna had only lasted two hours before she threw in the towel and now just sat on her phone.

She would occasionally give out a copy of some papers to students a year above them. They didn't exactly know what she was doing as she got a pretty handout for them and they knew better than to pry into her affairs.

Alonzo had also reached his limit when they were three hours in. "Dude, how do you think Marco has it?" Alonzo eventually asked out of boredom.

Ferguson simply shrugged his shoulder, "Properly fine out there being on adventures. I'm sure we'll hear all about it once he's back."

"Right," Janna commented practically with the satire dripping from her word, "He's not ever coming back. Not for long if at all."

The young men looked at each other and then at Janna that screamed "Why is that?"

"He's an addict."

"HAhaha- you can't be serious. Marco doing drugs? Joke of the century," the guys had stopped their studies and had doubled over their books in laughter.

She pulled out another copy of the exam Marco had sold her to a student that handed her 100 bucks. It was like a scene in a crappy movie that had a drug dealer in it. She had purposefully just told them to be discrete and man did they not disappoint.

Janna simply shook her head in disappointment at their sense of humor. It's not like she couldn't see the humor of Marco the safe kid lining cocaine and sniffing it. She even imagine the effect it would have on that dorky idiot. The new possible ways she could mess with him...

"Nah, he's an adrenalin addict and in the deep fucking kind. He's gonna adventure himself to death."

Alonzo and Ferguson stopped laughing and looked at Janna with skepticism and a dose of worry, "How would you know?"

Janna simply pulled a book from her backpack that was blank on the cover. She slid it onto the table toward them. "This book is Marco's diary," they confirmed when they saw the handwriting, "Now skip all the way to page 53."

They complied but not without a little hesitation, "why do you have his diary?"

"Stole it once and copied all 87 pages in the library, so technically not his diary," she nonchalantly answers.

They looked at each other, "I don't know isn't it a breach of privacy, still?"

"Your loss, guess you'll never know."

"Wait," Alonzo took the book and opened it, "I wanna find out."

Ferguson tried to resist the best he could, but when Alonzo found the page he broke and read along.

Exactly as Janna had said it clearly showed the boredom he had when he was on earth. They knew he wasn't the same when Star had left after leaving them all shocked by confessing. Even after clearing it all up and coming back to earth with his new cape.

They had just assumed that he had a little trouble re-adapting to his normal life, however, it was now clear that the normal life he had consisted of exciting and dangerous adventures with Star.

With Star gone then what? Then it was a life without adventures and it was a life he couldn't re-adapt to. It explained why he was so clingy to his past adventures and that damned cape.

Getting to page 63 he had reached the decision to finish high school early and move to Mewni.

A frame opened and out came Marco with a snooker-bar in hand. In the old and dusty room, there sat Eclipsa on her bed. The only two things in this room that weren't completely neglected.

"I would say good afternoon, but you look terrible. Too much paperwork?" The concern non-exiting in her voice.

"Shut it. Somehow you managed to convince Star to be your lawyer. Do you have any idea of how much work you've gotten me?"

"No need to thank me, but you can relax. I'm not going to need a lawyer."

He had to take a double-take just to make sure she wasn't messing with him.

"You're kidding me!? And I can't even tell Star about it..." rubbing his tired eyes in annoyance. He would have to work for nothing and he couldn't even fake it as he'll have to show Star the progress.

"At least it's not cornball you'll have to read up on. The amount of exemption rules is only rivaled by the sheer number of rules themself." She said with disdain.

He couldn't comment on it since he didn't know what cornball was, but he just opted to throw the snooker bar at her.

"It can't be a complete waste. Who knows maybe it could be useful for you to know the laws?"

"Your attempt to cheer me up is as sad as I feel."

She didn't really care as her attention was on the snooker bar in her hands. She greedily took a bite of the goodness void of any dignity a noble butterfly should have.

"I can't believe I spend this evening with a snooker addict," he shook his head in disappointment and took a seat on the bed she sat on with a decent amount of space between them.

Shifting her attention she had that teasing smile with no shame even as her white teeth are spatially stained with chocolate. "You really are naughty having a secret relationship behind her back. What will become of you?"

"Don't make it sound like that, and only you would think of it like that."

"Of course, you're just sneaking into the tower of a confined lonely woman late in the day, repeatedly I might add."

He knew when he had lost, and this would be one of them. He pretty much raised the white flag when he changed the subject, "anyway, what's with the gloves?"

He had expected to see her gleam in her small victory, but he saw her tense up. Her half-eaten snooker was crushed in her grip. "Nothing for you to pry about..."

"Of course," silence followed. She wasn't threatening or angry. She was vulnerable and it only lasted for a moment, but he definitely saw fear and uncertainty in her eyes. He had never seen her like this and he didn't know what to do.

Feeling the gloomy atmosphere, he asked a question he have had on his mind for a while. It's not like he can step on another landmine two times in a row, could he?."how old are you?"

"Asking a lady her age?" Thankfully she was back to her unique self. Somewhat annoying but much better than most in this castle.

Shrugging he listed what he had noticed, "your fashion sense is the same as Moon's just somehow older, but you look to be quite young compared to her. Also, Star calls you her great, great whatever the number is, grandmother. Gets pretty confusing."

She threw the crushed snooker bar in a bucket full of wraps. She leaned back and fell on her back. "Such a great lawyer I have. Doesn't even know the details of my situation, much less about the laws of a trial. Aren't I just in capable hands?"

He could practically taste the sarcasm in her words. "Good that you don't need a lawyer then." Joining her in laying, there was a bit of silence. He knew she was contemplating, and he gave her silence to do so.

He hadn't meant to push any boundaries. But the questions had been bugging him for some time. The gloves had caught him off guard then again perhaps he should have known not-

"Better I tell you than you reaching a ridiculous idea," she wasn't looking in his direction as she told. "She's not wrong with what I am to her yet I'm younger than Moon."

He hummed in affirmation. She could be using some forbidden magic to be young like that headmistress from Saint Olga's institution. But he had a hard time imagining Eclipsa sucking the life force out of people. But she was right as he caught himself already spiraling onto a "ridiculous idea".

"I was crystalized and I was put into a stasis for about 300 years give or take a few years."

That was rather tame compared to his imagination. But speaking of imagination he had a burning question in mind, "were you awake in that stasis?"

"No, "there was no need to explain further as to why he was curious. Imagine being aware and awake while waiting for 300 years. "It was like a dreamless sleep," she softly said as they just lay there watching the roof.

"I can imagine what that would be like," he eventually said.

"Bullocks," she said with a hint of anger in her voice. "How could you possibly imagine what it's like to wake up knowing an incredible amount of time has passed? Knowing everything has changed and moved on while I'm still the same. So no, you can't imagine what it's like."

"I'm technically 33 years old but my body is 17." He could feel the sudden shift in the bed as Eclipsa took a look at him. " I was 16 years in Hechapoo's dimension to earn my scissors, but only 8 minutes had passed in my home dimension."

"Not exactly the same..." He had to agree, but there were some similar things between her and his even as opposites. "But how was it? Going back in time if you will."

"Lots of small stuff I forgot and things I used to enjoy, but just didn't anymore. I somewhat re-adapted by acting like my body's age and just going with the flow. However, one thing I always enjoyed and didn't need to act on was going with Star on whatever impulse she had."

"Is that why you moved to Mewni?"

He nodded in confirmation, "I wasn't used to my normal life before her. It just felt awful as the days went by so slowly. I tried to just go dimension hopping, but without a clear goal, I just ended up walking trying to find something interesting. Turns out that finding adventures aren't as easy as she makes it out to be."

"It also didn't help that I felt somewhat conflicted with my at the time girlfriend."

"I can imagine that, but it's then a bit weird how you react so... Let's say innocent. I clearly remember someone having a hard time looking me in the eye after barging in when I was in the middle of dressing."

"Technically I am and you know damn well it's my teenage hormones." She smiled a little enjoying teasing him, but also hiding the fact that he had just given her a new angle to mess with him.

But the major feeling was the unfamiliarity or wariness she feels. She couldn't pinpoint or identify it, but the way he just made himself vulnerable made her uncomfortable.

"Anyway," he said clearly just sweeping the event under the rug. " Do you have an interesting place for me to check out?"

"I do, but isn't it taking advantage of me by only compensating me with a snooker bar?"

He shrugged, "Beggars can't be choosers besides I get you one regardless of whether I want something or not."

As he said she couldn't be a chooser. But she didn't really mind as this was much more trustworthy than if he just gave and gave without asking for something in return. "Well sorry to disappoint but you've been given all I know of mewni."

"Sucks, but I'll keep my promise. And assist your addiction."

"It's not an addiction just slight a problem."

"Yeah for your figure I would say. Maybe I should gift corn instead of a snooker?"

"You!" And just like that his queue to leave came. A minor jab was well deserved.

The normal day in the castle felt small and lonely which by all accounts shouldn't be. The castle was a big place with lots of servants maintaining the place. However, Marco was ignored and tolerated at best and hindered at worst.

Currently, he was getting a big lunch for Star. The reason for the unusually large meal was that it was also for him. If he was to get his own meal he would find it downright poisonous. The silent walk back to Star's administrating room was only enforcing the alienating treatment he was getting.

Taking a moment to collect himself he opened the door to see Star studying hard. "I come with food and water so stop glaring at the book and make some space," he said light-heartedly.

Star put the book down and grumped, "I wasn't glaring, I was reading."

"Did the reading offend you? Or do you think you can intimidate the contents into your head?"

"You're being an ass, aren't you?" He shrugged as he placed the food down, "How much do they think I eat?... Should I take it as an insult?"

"Then I'm sorry for being an even bigger ass, but I like the extra food for myself."

"I guess that's fine, Marco the ass." She teased but then seriously added, "you are getting a bit thin so eat all you want."

"Thanks, Star." He picked two pieces of buttered cornbread with cheese and some meat. As he was eating he looked at the material she was studying, "The spiders of the forest of unlikely spider bites?"

"Gotta learn about the other kingdoms and they are the ones we're going to visit next."

"Just great," he shook his head, "guess I'll get some bug spray and a mosquito net."

"Sure you do that. Also, you'll be writing and delivering the letter about our delegation."

"Isn't that like an insult? Letting me write the letter?"

"No no, you're my royal squire and best friend you're like an extension of me."

"Guess that extension taste pretty good," he then took a big bite of his sandwich. "Maybe you should also get more desserts? I'll let them know."

Star giggled, "Don't go overboard and make people think I got a warnicorn appetite. It's already bad that Mom was worried that I had a snooker addiction."

"To be fair you do have a sugar addiction." he teased and in response, she hit him in the shoulder.

"Hey! I most definitely do not. I can stop eating sugar."

"You know, stop eating sugar doesn't just mean stop eating pure sugar, it means no sweet cornbread, donuts, cupcakes, and honey."

Star looked terrified with wide eyes and immediately shouted, "I take it back!"

Amused he ate until he couldn't eat anymore. After all, it wouldn't do for her to worry about his health.