Marco at a Crossroads

By: DJ Rodriguez

(Author's Notes: Hey everyone! How are you all doing? I hope all of you are doing well. Been a bit up & down health-wise, but back on my feet for the moment!

Before I do or say anything else, I want to give praise and honor to God. Jesus, thank you once again for the gift of the special imagination you have given me. I want to use this great gift in your name as best I can. Thank you Lord for my family, my friends and the wonderful reviewers who took the time to read and review my work. Thank you for everything Jesus Christ! Thank you!

I take a bit of pride in knowing and striving for this story to NOT follow the cannon series. I do like what I have written so far, and will strive to see it all through to the end.

I am taking a step back, as it were, to the days of Walt Disney himself. I remember when he & the blossoming company used to show films/specials that featured nature, such as a television documentary series that was released in December 1948 called True-Life Adventures that featured nature at her best. Combine that with the various other films and shorts that displayed nature, I thought it best to do just that here. Marco and his female group will start to explore the planet Earth, seeing & taking in both natural and man-made stuff along the way to various locations! More will be explained here in the story as it progresses.

So there will be no magical or mystical beings from Mewni being shown here. Only things that are here on Earth, either from nature itself or from the various cultures that have settled in the various places all over the world. I want this story to be educational as well as entertaining, as it was back in the classic days of Disney. Also, even though I read up a bit on Kelly and saw some info about her, I'm going to have her be an Amazonian instead of a Woolett. I apologize to all who have seen the entire series and know the characters WAY better than I do, but this is my decision and choice. I ask for your forgiveness and patience with all of this, please.

The Echo Creek Library will be based on the library I have worked at for about fifteen or so years, the John Peace Library at the University of Texas at San Antonio 1604. It's actually there that I got the idea for Marco to do what he is about to do. You see, there are a LOT of fascinating books there & I am constantly surprised on the info I find there. In the regular, curriculum & Juvenile Literature section. I know we have the Internet and all, but looking up the stuff in books the old-fashioned way always seems more… well, rewarding to me and also gets my imagination going strong like it's doing now!

On a final note, I have been watching an old 1996 TV series called Jumanji that is based on the 1995 movie of the same name. I used to watch it a lot as a kid, and managed to find the DVD series for the entire thing. I love the first movie and the TV series, the movie sequel… left a LOT to be desired, but that is just me. Not a big fan nowadays of live-action remakes and such, and also still trying to get my own Monsters and Magic series recognized seriously.

In any case, after watching the episodes… got me thinking and I want to ask this question for all of you here. Normally I would leave it at the Author's Notes at the end of the chapter, but I wish to get this out of the way now. Here is the question: What would happen if Marco, and three girls of your choice, found and played the game like Robin Williams did in the original movie?

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!)

Many were surprised to see the newcomers from Mewni enter the Echo Creek Library with Jackie & Janna, especially those that remembered the previous Mewni citizen that had various impacts on their lives three to four years ago. A majority had assumed that most beings from another dimension, such as Star, would be repulsed by an institute that housed & encouraged knowledge instead of action. However, they were proven wrong as the group looked around in surprise at seeing the inside of the establishment. Kelly whispered as she looked around, "Wow… this place looks amazing! What are those in the distance?". She pointed to an area that was had multiple tables and plenty of computers on it.

Jackie chuckled and answered, "This is the first floor of the library. The one you are pointing to over there is called the Computer Area, where students, facility, staff and guests can go there to use the computers.". She also pointed out the Quiet Areas, where patrons could go in a certain spot and either study/read/work in peace.

Janna put in, "If you want to find books and other stuff, you can look over to your right where we came in to the Popular Reading section where materials that are considered popular for the time being are kept there. And to the left of the Front Desk is the Multimedia Center where one can find electronic media. You know like DVD's, VHS tapes, even old-fashioned cassette, CD and Vinyl records! Yeah, this place still has stuff for those that are REALLY old-school.". Eclipsa and the others were amazed indeed that the library they were in also catered to electronic media. While they have seen films in other realms and such, they had not seen movies that were made on Earth and also did not know what cassettes or CD's were. Especially the Vinyal records, which Eclipsa for some reason found intriguing.

Hekapoo smirked and said, "Well, not as big or impressive as some of the libraries I have seen in my inter-dimensional travels. But this does have a quaint atmosphere to it.". It was true, as the buxom fiery beauty had indeed been to some libraries in her treks across the multiple realms. Some were massive and large, and held a great deal of books on various knowledges.

The blonde surfer/skate board woman frowned lightly at Hekapoo and remarked, "Perhaps so. But I believe that unlike the ones you have been to Hekapoo, at least libraries here contain information on many things that are on this PLANET. I'm sure the places you have been have something like that.". This made the magical being frown at that remark. While the places she had been to certainly had information on some cultures, animals, places, etc… most likely she had been to places that were on a single location on a planet that she did not take the time to explore in its entirety.

The former beanie-wearing little lady said, "Come on, we'll take the elevator to the 2nd floor. That's where the books are at, and I think you'll be surprised on what you find there.". She and Jackie guided the girls to one of the four elevators, pressing the button and having the 3rd one on the right open up. Luckily for them, it was large enough to hold them all comfortably. Once they were at their destination, that is when things really got interesting for the inter-dimensional beauties!

The two Earth women first showed them a map of the 3rd floor that was on display in front of the elevators, telling them on where certain sections, lockers and rooms were at. Once they got the basic floor map down, Jackie showed Kelly and the others a blue chart with white words on it. In bold orange words were Library of Congress Classification System, which the surfer explained listed where certain books were classified under a specific subject based on their call number. This intrigued Eclipsa and Hekapoo since they did not have a specific classification system at the libraries they had attended at.

Kelly walked over to the Juvenile Literature (Juv. Lit) section, where she found some interesting books concerning animals. Three books that caught her interest were these: Smithsonian Super Nature Encyclopedia: The 100 Most Incredible Creatures on the Planet, Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead and Pocket Babies and Other Amazing Marsupials. The Amazonian did have a talking wolf-monster partner named Jorby, who had recently gone to find himself a better girlfriend after things fell through with his goose girl some years ago. He was an amazing being and friend, no doubts there, but Kelly was enamored with the pictures of the animals that were on Earth. She had seen plenty of ferocious & magical beasts in her home of Amazonia and at Mewni, but they did not have precise details and descriptions like the ones shown in the encyclopedia-like book.

The sword-wielding, bush-haired girl had a connection with nature, like her fellow warrior companions & family back home. And seeing & reading about the animals of Earth that had some amazing capabilities really had her wanting know more about nature on the planet Marco was born in.

She was also equally amazed on how certain types of parasites existed that could gain control of certain insects to turn them into zombies. And also fascinated when she read the book on marsupials that seemed to be in a class all of their own, hoping to see any one of the living beings in real life.

While Kelly was checking out the zoology subjects in the Juv. Lit area, Higgs decided to go to the section that showed fighting subjects. As a squire still, she wanted to know if Earth had warriors like Mewni did. And also if there was some things on martial arts, the karate that Marco had demonstrated to be proficient in. The cute red-haired girl soon found two books that had the titles Judo for Mixed Martial Arts and Aikido Weapons Techniques. While some called out to her like Competitive Taekwondo and Self Defense: Steps to Survival, she took those two books to read through them. At first, she expected the writings inside to be lame and not worth her time.

However, she changed her tune upon reading the books. Very slowly, but surely she started to see why Marco preferred to fight bare-handed rather than taking up weapons. While she still held firm in utilizing a weapon, like a sword and axe in battle, she read that for certain humans… martial arts was about using one's own body as a weapon. Finding a table nearby, she sat down and started to read more on the two books, starting with the Aikido one. It would be the start where Higgs would try to learn more of martial arts, and be surprised to learn on how many kinds of martial arts disciplines there were!

Hekapoo was more interested to learn if the Earthlings had a hierarchy system like the H.M.C. (High Magic Council) utilized, but believed that it was not as efficient as the one she was a part of. She went to the Business/Economics section of the library, finding two books that had the titles Managing People: Across Cultures and Leadership and Management for HR Professionals. As she started to read them, the interdimensional busty being gradually started to see that Earthlings knew more about management than she gave them credit for. Her arrogance was very slowly, but surely draining from her as she read how men and women handled certain business resources in various ways. Hekapoo had often had to deal with various magical beings, and also mercenaries in her realm, so management was part of her trade skills.

And the two books she was reading seemed to catch her interest very much at this particular point.

Eclipsa went over to the Textbook-Curriculum section which was near the Juv. Lit area, this particular subject meant for those who wanted to go into the profession of teaching a classroom. The Queen of Darkness looked over some of the books & material that they covered, but two books caught her eye. They were World History: The Human Odyssey and World Geography. The green-haired beauty pulled the books off of the shelf, going to a cubicle desk that was nearby & started to read the contents. Even though Marco had often told him a bit of history on his world, that was only a very tiny drop compared to what she was finding about now.

Janna was with Kelly in the Juv. Lit section, looking at a book that showed the planets. Ever since Marco had gone to be in Mewni, she had diverted from the path of cultism & started to look towards the planets & stars in the evening sky. She gradually but surely got into the art of astronomy, using Marco's old telescope that she 'borrowed' from his room to look at the stars in the vastness of space. She did want to visit other places like Mewni, but started to wonder if there was life in their dimension… in their universe. So she started to drift from the occult… and started to see more of the celestial objects that floated in the darkness of space.

Jackie was in a section that feature the subject of oceanography. Ever since she could surf when she was of suitable age, the blonde beauty had fallen in love with the sea. The vast, salty sea kingdom held many wonders that fascinated her… and also hid mysteries the likes she could only dream about. Even though she had seen some amazing things thanks to Star Butterfly, she felt that inter-dimensional adventuring was not for her. She wanted to see what mysteries her own planet had, and also she knew her limits very well. Right now, she was indulging one of her favorite things, which was looking up various creatures that lived in the sea.

She was now reading on a strange creature called Turritopsis dohrnii, or in layman's terms the Immortal Jellyfish. It was a small jellyfish that inhabited the Mediterranean Sea and in the waters of Japan. According to the book she read, this specific biological species could revert from adult form back to its infant stage. Than repeat the cycle, and theoretically live forever but the jellyfish could still be killed either by being eaten or from disease during the early stages.

The group was immersed in their readings, that Jackie almost failed to notice the call to her cell phone. Since they were in a library, she put it on Silent Vibrating mode. Once she felt the object in her pocket vibrating, she picked it up and answered it. As it turned out, it was Mrs. Diaz who said, "Jackie, are you all ready to go? It's almost 11:00 o'clock, and we're on our way to the library to pick you girls up. Mariposa is with us, and we managed to pick up some additional people who want to see Marco as well.".

Jackie replied, "Oh? I'll get the others and we'll meet you outside at the parking lot. By the way, who else is coming to see Marco at the hospital?". Angie answered that Sensei was going to see his student, along with some of the former Echo Creek Academy cheerleaders; Andrea, Chantal and Megan Gandlym. The trio of cheerleaders had managed to separate themselves from their former leader Brittney Wong shortly before graduating from high school, all three receiving scholarships at University of California, Los Angeles and good part-time jobs that helped to pay for the campus dorm rooms. This surprised the surfing/skating woman, but she would have to put WHY the cheerleaders were going to see Marco on the shelf for now. She thanked Mrs. Diaz for the heads up before ending the call, and going around the library 2nd floor to get the others.

Outside now waiting in the parking lot, the Mewni women were sad that they could not check out any of the books that they had been reading. Jackie and Janna would have gotten the books for them, but sadly they had not yet returned some books that they themselves had checked out some months ago. And until returned, and the late fines paid for each book, they were prohibited from checking any material. So thus, they had to put their interesting reading materials back on the shelves where they found them.

In a few minutes, the mini-van of the Diaz family came into view & following it were two more vehicles. The first one was a red Honda Accord that was driven by Marco's teacher in the art of karate, Sensei Brantley. The second was a green Toyota Corolla that was driven by Megan, Andrea riding shotgun with Chantal in the backseat. The humans waved to the Mewnians, surprised to see them after it had been awhile since Star came to their realm. Jenna looked to the visitors and said, "We'll do introductions later, more likely at the hospital. Until then, let's get going!". She really wanted to see Marco again, Eclipsa seeing a slight distress in her eyes before it vanished. The green-haired Mewni woman felt that something more serious was stirring beneath the human female's actions, but let it be for now.

The crew loaded up into the Diaz min-van, and the trio of vehicles headed straight for the hospital.

~Inside Room #367~

At a certain room on the 3rd floor of the hospital, Marco Diaz had a single visitor which was a nurse. Said caretaker was a lovely woman of Hispanic descent, having long wavy brown hair and eyes a deep emerald color. Her skin tone was a dark dusty brown like fresh earth, her lips a slight pink color & having a build that had some serious curves on it. She looked to be twenty-one years of age, a couple of years older than Marco. Her name tag showed the words REYNA, and she was checking up on her patient that at the moment, looked more like a mummy with all the bandages wrapped around him. She was checking his vitals when a small groan caught her attention, looking down at her charge as she saw his brown eyes open slowly.

Marco's voice was weak and soft, showing that his internal injuries were far from being at 100 percent capacity. He weakly spoke, "Uhhh… wh… where am…?".

Before he could finish his words, Reyna softly interrupted him, "Shhhh… save your strength, young man. You're in the Echo Creek Hospital and you're on the road to recovery.".

The young man's eyes widened just a tiny bit, his hearing good but was amazed to see that he was in the hospital. His own hometown's hospital at that! He groaned more and asked, "H-How… How did I… get here?". While Marco was a very resilient fighter & human being, he had gone beyond his limit for pain tolerance. So it was very hard for him at the moment to form the words since it was so painful for his throat.

Reyna answered gently and clearly, "Your parents and friends brought you here. We were told that your mother and one of the others managed to bandage you up last night, did a good job of it before bringing you here. According to the report, you were in an accident of some kind in the dimension known as Mewni. We managed to patch you up completely, though truth be told… the reports stated in technical terms that you looked to have been through both a blender & shredder. Very lucky to be alive.".

Marco was perplexed on many issues since he was told on how he got to the hospital, and also who brought him there. He thought, 'The last thing I remember is thanking Luna before I succumbed to the injuries I got from going into that pain bubble. So… did she bring me to my home after I blacked out? Why? And who else was at my home? The only friends I know are Jackie and Janna, but… it's been some time since I have last seen them.'. Though his body had a long ways to go to heal, his mind was still sharp. He had to keep his mental muscle in shape in various levels during his stay in Star's home realm, especially when going with Star on her 'adventures'.

The lovely nurse continued on, "You'll be here for a while thanks to the extensive damage your body took, but fortunately it seems your stay here will be for a month. But your current physician, Dr. Sky Exten has stated for you to take it easy for another month or so. He wants to be sure your body is completely healed in that aspect.". Also, the doctor wanted to see the extent of Mr. Diaz's healing factor. Something as serious as Marco's condition was earlier, it would have been more than just a month in the hospital… most likely it would be close to a year! But to see his body healing at a rate that was not quite superhuman like with Star, thanks to her magic, but still beyond human parameters was still a chance that no self-respecting doctor would miss out on.

The young martial artist/warrior tried to rise up, but sharp pain shot through every millimeter of his body! He hissed, and that is when Reyna put a gently but firm hand on his chest. She spoke firmly, "Don't try to move about too much, Mr. Diaz. It's still very early for you to do anything strenuous without help.". He heeded her words, relaxing and letting the pain ebb away. She took a remote near his person, pushing a button that raised his upper body up slowly to a more feasible position. Marco gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp jolts that spread through his body but it wasn't for long when the elevating bed stopped at a certain level.

Reyna inquired, "How is that Mr. Diaz?". He simply nodded his head a little to indicate that he was fine with his current elevation. Smiling, the nurse stated that she was going to get the doctor to come see him. She went over to the door and pulled it open… only to see a group of people already in front of the door. It seemed that Rafael was about to open the door when Reyna beat him to it.

Said nurse looked surprised, then turned to Marco and said, "Oh! It seems you have visitors, Mr. Diaz.". Just after saying that, the entourage moved past her with the parents at the head to see their son first with Mariposa being led by the hand of Angie.

Marco's eyes widened yet again to see not only his family but Janna, Jackie, Sensei, the cheerleaders… but the most surprising in his view was seeing Hekapoo, Eclipsa, Kelly and Higgs!

Angie was very teary-eyed at seeing her son awake, and also bandaged up like a mummy but now with a more professional touch. She wanted to grab his head and hold him, but the nurse called out to her & simply shook her head. It was her way of saying that for the time being… NO touching or man-handling of the patient. When it came to the injured and sick that was under her care, she did NOT mess around. Mrs. Diaz understood, as did the rest of them… though Higgs was still quite adamant to deliver her own greeting to the injured martial artist.

Rafael looked to his son and asked, "Mijo, how do you feel? Oh… stupid question! I'm sorry.".

Marco managed to give a weak smile and answered, "It's okay… just feeling… like I got into… a fight with the entire… Mewni Knights…". It hurt for him to speak for that long, and it showed after he finished his words.

Higgs stated, "Yeah, we can all see that, nerd.". And indeed, she and Eclipsa had seen Marco sometimes spar with the entire ranks of the Mewni knights. Fresh recruits of course, but Marco was able to defeat scores of them with his martial arts prowess. Though he could only take on two fully-trained and seasoned Knights, and even then his body would be a wreck & take almost a week to fully heal.

The young man's eyes looked to her at the foot of his bed and said, "Heh… always wanting… to have the last… word… Gingersnap.". That was a nickname he gave to Higgs due to the color of her hair, which always made her angry at such a cute nickname. She fumed and raised her fist to let Marco have it in the shoulder, as it was her way of greeting/retaliating to him… but her left wrist was caught by Reyna! It was so quick that none of them caught the movement! Said nurse looked into the eyes of the Mewni squire, a fierce frown on her face and shaking her head slowly. It was her way of saying to NOT go through with the action, and to be more aware of any future actions.

Higgs was a tough little lady, always ready to scrap & not letting anyone try to intimidate her. But seeing the protective scowl on the nurse's face made her gulp and heed the silent proclamation of said being. Seeing that her non-verbal words were made clear, she released the wrist & Higgs rubbed said area of her body to get some feeling back in it.

Marco looked to his friends and family and asked, "How… How did I… get back here?". Hearing his weak voice and how much pain he was in just by speaking caused the hearts of the ladies who really liked him to clench. They were more used to seeing a more energetic, healthy Marco… and the one lying in a bed was a testament that the new Marco would require healing. Both physically and emotionally.

Kelly was about to say something, but was stopped by Eclipsa. The former ruler of Mewni looked to Reyna and inquired, "I'm sorry if this seems a bit rude, young lady. But can you please give us a moment with Marco alone? What we need to tell him is just between us and his family.".

Reyna raised an eyebrow and inquired, "And what of the others?". She gestured to Sensei and the former cheerleaders, who were now wondering if they would be asked to leave.

Eclipsa answered, "They can stay, since from what I was told, they can understand what is about to be told here. They have seen many strange things thanks to being with my great-granddaughter Star Butterfly.". Hearing the name of the princess caused the nurse to frown, as she was no fan of the hyper-active Mewnian. And seeing the four beings with the others, she deduced that they were also of Mewni descent. She was about to tell them to leave on account she was not going to have a patient be alone with inter-dimensional beings that were, in her view, very reckless.

However, it was Marco that ended the debate. He spoke softly but with little strength he had, "it's okay, Nurse Reyna… I trust them… please… I'll be… alright.".

The lovely lady was not convinced, but she relented to Marco and Eclipsa's request. She said, "Okay… I'll go. But Dr. Exten will be here soon to examine Marco. But let me make one thing clear… if he is injured more or put into any kind of stress that harms him, I will not hesitate to kick you all out. Mewni or no.". She then opened the door and left, Hekapoo and Higgs having some respect for the human that had dared to say something like that to them since they were quite formidable compared to her.

Once she had vacated the area, Kelly was about to resume her answering of Marco's question… but another interruption came, but in a way that surprised them all!

A hole was cut out of thin air, the tell-tale sign of something using a tool that was multi-dimensional & could cut the boundaries that separated realms. Emerging from the hole, which soon sealed up quickly after the user stepped forth was… Queen Moon Butterfly!

The blue-haired beauty was surprised to see the group, shock registering on her face. The others mirrored the same expression, but Eclipsa and the other Mewni beings quickly replaced it with a serious tenseness that showed. Queen Moon stated, "Well… this is unexpected…".

~Flashback~

At the same time Kelly and the others were at the library, Queen Moon was in a magical laboratory that was underneath the castle. Her daughter was still gallivanting with her two best friends, while her husband was now about with the other royal kings from various realms. The moment she made it back to her abode, she went to the place where most magical experiments were being held at. The establishment focused on the effects of certain magical spells, potions and other concoctions that varied in different fields. Once there, she called out to one of her most trusted lab employee who went by the name of B. Trooper.

The young man walked over quickly, bowing to his ruler and inquiring, "Ah, your Highness! What can I do for you on this fine day? Are you here to look up the new batch of potions I have been working on?".

The mature beauty shook her head and replied, "No, Sir Trooper. Though I would like to see your potions later on. However… I have a serious assignment for you.". Upon hearing the tone and the message, he rose up and asked on what was needed of him. Usually full of energy at trying out new concoctions or spells that he made himself, if a serious situation arose he would be focused and ready.

Queen Moon pulled out the vial and pouch, handing the items to the worker and stated, "The pouch contains a moderate amount of flesh and skin. I found both and the blood in the forest a bit of a distance from the castle in the forest. I need you to run scans on them, to see whom they belong to. Also… I need your input on something else before you do tasks.".

B. Trooper took the vial and pouch carefully so they could not drop, looking to his ruler and asked, "Yes, what is it your Highness?".

The lovely ruler of Mewni for the time being asked, "Its… well… when I was in the area, I felt something strong. It was faint, but very potent. It was not magic I detected but… something else entirely. Do you have an idea on it?".

The magical scientist thought for a moment, than answered, "Well… this may sound a bit far-fetched, even to someone as I who has seen even the most potent of magic. But… I believe, just believe mind you… that what you felt must have been something of… divine origin. As you said yourself, it was not magical you felt but something completely different than it. So it could be someone of divine origin.".

This caused the current ruler of Mewni to be surprised. While there were many stories and myths of various divine beings through the multiple dimensions, there was only a handful of actual encounters with beings of divine nature. And usually, this only brought trouble soon after that. Queen Moon nodded slowly and replied, "Thank you for the answer, Sir Trooper. I hope that you inform me the moment you find out who the blood and flesh belong to. I shall be in my private quarters if you need me.".

The male Mewnian bowed in response before going to his workbench to take a better look at the samples given to him, while the mature Butterfly beauty exited from the premises to go upward to her quarters.

It was for two hours that had passed since the meeting, and Moon was going over certain historical Mewni legend books. She had an small bit of fear that if what B. Trooper said was true that the presence she felt earlier at the lake was of divine origin, than most likely it meant that the realm could face either terrible danger… or a change that was going to be so great, it would affect Mewni as a whole. She had looked up various legends on gods and goddesses that were recorded in Mewni, but for some reason none seemed to match what was in her head. She was about to give up until she came to the part that featured the beginnings of the Blood Moon… and something seemed to click within her concerning it.

However, before she could really discern into it, she got a call from the magic mirror that was in her room. She bookmarked the page, answered it and coming up on the screen was B. Trooper. She inquired, "Yes Sir Trooper, what is it? Is it about the assignment I gave you?".

The young man answered, "It is indeed. I made sure to check, and double-check the blood & flesh to make sure that the results were the same on them.". Now it was clear why this particular magical scientist was Moon's most trusted employee, as he made absolutely sure answers and results were lined up precisely. While most would do a rush job, or a half-done work, not B. Trooper. He would take his time, made sure to get everything done right before making a final conclusion.

The queen asked, "Well, what did you find?".

B. Trooper answered, "Milady… both the blood and flesh… are positive identification for… one Marco Diaz.".

This caused the mature beauty's eyes to widen considerably, and also a terrible feeling to well within her heart. She whispered, "No… it can't be…". Sir Trooper stated that he made sure the results were positive twice over, so indeed the blood and flesh were all from the Earthling.

Queen Moon composed herself and ordered, "Sir Trooper, keep this under wraps until I say otherwise! I don't want anyone to know of this, not even Star! There is something I must do first. When I return, I'll let you know. Thank you for doing this!". He bowed, saying it was nothing & that her decree would be carried to the letter.

The blue-haired woman switched her mirror from receiving magical signals to become a scrying one, a mode that she used only in emergencies when she wanted to locate someone or something. Unlike the All-Seeing Eye spell, the mirror's capabilities were limited to locating only one person & also would not work if there was a spell that would block scyring ones. She spoke to her reflective item, "Find me the Earthling known as Marco Diaz!".

The reflective surface shimmered and shinned until it formed a picture… and it was a heavily bandaged Marco lying in a hospital bed. Moon gasped, wondering on what could have happened to someone she considered to be a family member. She demanded on where he was located at, and the mirror provided the picture of said hospital establishment, Queen Butterfly quickly discovering that her favorite person was back in his home dimension. But… how did he get there with those amount of injuries on his form? She would have to ask him the moment she met him.

The royal one quickly got dressed in a more casual wear since she was going to be going to Earth, than brought out her Dimensional Scissors. Moon looked at the image of a disable Marco in her mirror one more time, really hoping that he was alright before cutting a hole in time/space & disappearing from Mewni towards Earth.

~End flashback~

And thus the current scene playing now for all, Queen Moon Butterfly showing surprise at seeing those in the hospital room & the others stunned to see the royal ruler as well. Marco managed to peer upward enough to see her, and his body also tensed up which brought another sharp jolt of pain all through his systems. But he gritted his teeth and endured it, but those that had a crush on the lad saw this and got a bit closer to the Diaz lad to protect him just in case. Marco whispered, "Your… Highness… is… is Star with…?".

Moon shook her head and answered, "No, she is not with me. She doesn't even know where I am, or where you are for the moment.". This caused Marco to relax than, trusting the queen more than her daughter but he was still cautious nevertheless.

Hekapoo stated, "Forgive us your Majesty that we're a bit on edge, but after the stunt Marco pulled and its connection with your daughter… we're more than a bit wary that a Butterfly is here.".

This got a look of confusion from the royal ruler of Mewni kingdom as she asked, "Connection with Marco? What happened to him and what does it have to do with Star?".

Kelly sighed before looking to her crush and asked softly, "Marco, can we trust her?". She was like the others, wary for the moment towards Queen Moon due to her connection with her daughter. She didn't want to spill anything to someone that Marco did not trust, and also on the chance said person would say anything about this to the princess.

Marco nodded very slightly and replied, "I trust her. She… is not like… Star. That's… good thing…". Indeed, the young lad trusted the queen more, given how she took the time to listen to him & to help him to adjust to Mewni culture.

The Amazonian looked to the royal one, who looked very much concerned for the human man that had captured her heart. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly to center herself. The bushy-haired beauty looked to Mrs. Butterfly and spoke, "Okay than… since you vouch for her Marco, I'll tell her along with everyone here. Folks, have we got a bit of a story for you.

The ones who did not know the entire story on what happened to the Diaz karate user were all ears as Kelly started to re-tell the tale on how Marco got busted up in the first place, with the others filling in at certain spots.

~In Mewni~

While all of this was happening on Earth, back in the home world of Mewni… a sinister affair was taking place. In a place that was far from the Butterfly Castle, a certain hybrid was training in her natural abilities. It was Meteora Butterfly, formerly known as the Miss Heinous who was the former headmistress for St. Olga's Reform School For Wayward Princesses! She was in different at the moment, younger and also more potent than before.

Four years ago, she had been humiliated by Marco in his princess disguise that had cost her the school which she had been working in for some time. A year after that, her humiliated her again by turning the tables against her when she tried to re-take the school and its former students. However… that is when she started to discover her true memories and heritage… that she was really a royal Butterfly, the hybrid daughter of Eclipsa & the monster Globgor! When she started to remember her past, she started to look more into her parents. She discovered that Eclipsa had been crystalized & imprisoned… while her father had been executed in trying to free her. He had raised an army of monsters to try and free her centuries ago, but he was defeated and soon executed by the royals. And that she was given to St. Olga as a baby, a robot who disguised herself as a woman and raised her. However, said mechanical woman was deactivated and had long since been junked when she took over her school.

When she discovered this, she was filled with hate & anger at the Mewnians who had destroyed her childhood… and also filled the UTMOST loathing for Marco Diaz who was at the very top spot in her list for destroying!

She had gone to spy on the Mewni royals, and had been incensed at seeing her mother, who was free, getting along with the Diaz lad. In a fit of rage like no other, she had changed from an elderly woman… to a teenager, which surprised her very much. When she saw this, she had retreated from the castle grounds fast. She knew that she could drain the souls of princesses, but this was the first time that this had ever happened to her.

Meteora was soon discovered by a monster Septarian by the name of Rasticore, an interdimensional bounty hunter of infamous lore as he was quite proficient in his abilities & getting the job done no matter what. He had learned of her as well, and had been searching for her on his own free will. When the two met, Rasticore learned of her hatred towards the Mewnians… and also of Marco, the one who had stood against his hero Toffee. So the tall, muscular being offered to be both a bodyguard & mentor to Meteora, to harness her formidable abilities so that she could get complete revenge against the Mewnian royals… and against Marco.

She could not have agreed to that proposal quick enough.

So now, three years since they had formed the partnership, Meteora had trained very much in her abilities. She found out that by consuming souls, not just stealing them… she could increase her magical and physical powers greatly! But by consuming souls instead of stealing them, she would render the bodies to be no more than mere husks. In an essence, they were just like walking dead zombies. And that her magic could tap into the very forces of nature, to control and manipulate the primal forces of fire, water, wind, earth and even metal! While not as flashy as the spells used by the Butterfly family, it was certainly quite potent.

She also discovered that she inherited the Butterfly and royal Butterfly gift of longevity, but that the mixture of monster and Mewnian blood made it possible for her to change into various ages though it took some power from her to do so. So unless something could outright kill her on the spot, she was more or less immortal. Not like Toffee, but it was close enough.

Also, in that time she had grown QUITE attached to Rasticore. And vice versa, as the humanoid reptile found both her body & vengeance-saturated mind quite lovely.

Now back to the present, Meteora was training her magical use of wind while Rasticore looked on. Their place of occupancy for the moment was a large cave that located near a waterfall, and also in a strategic place where there were four villages nearby. Meteora was using the villagers as food for her soul-consuming, but making sure to always cover her tracks as to not be discovered.

Rasticore looked on as the hybrid being used the wind to increase her speed, and also to add more pressure to her physical attacks, turning a large boulder into rubble with two kicks! He clapped his hands and stated, "Enough training for today, Meteora. Rest for now. I believe that some lunch is needed at this moment. Come, let's go inside and eat.". While they did live in a cave, it was far from being unlivable. The bounty hunter has used his savings to turn the inside of the rocky fixture into something quite more livable, both for his and Meteora's sake. He also made sure to install some security features so that if someone wandered into their territory, they would be notified quickly.

The hybrid woman nodded, wiping some sweat from her face as she had been training since morning. As she walked with her beau towards their home, she looked at him and inquired, "Rasticore… when will I be strong enough to take over the kingdom?". She had wanted to go and take over the throne long ago, but the Septarian informed her that even with her powers and abilities… she would be taken down without proper training.

Said muscular bounty hunter answered, "Soon Meteora, soon… you have almost finished your wind training. All that is needed is to complete your magical manipulation training with metal, and we should be good to go. I also have managed to gain more allies from the various other dimensions, but it will still take some time to form an army of considerable size to take on the accursed Star Butterfly and her own allies.".

Meteora gave her crush a sinister smile and inquired, "And of Marco Diaz? Can I take him out now?".

Rasticore frowned before answering, "To be honest, I do not know about him. Our reports states that he has been seen less and less with Star on her outings, and now just more or less resides inside the castle walls. And it is rumored that the boy has gotten… well, more or less mechanical. He just sticks to his martial arts training, doing odd jobs for the royals… frankly, the reports on him are currently almost non-existent.".

This caused the hybrid being to frown deeply, as she wanted to take out Marco more than anything else. In fact, he was #1 on her list to be exterminated! But now that there was fewer reports going on about him, this made her paranoid mind fear that he was getting special training… perhaps training to be the ultimate bodyguard so that Star would not be harmed in any way!

She looked to her beau and stated, "See if you can find some REALLY good stealth beings from your little circle of bounty hunters. I want to know exactly what is going on with Marco… I want to squeeze the very life out of him with my own hands! I want to humiliate him like he did to me… before ending his life for good.".

Rasticore smirked evilly, really much enjoying seeing this ruthless side of the Butterfly being. He replied that he knew a being that could fit her qualifications, and would meet with him after lunch.

(Author's Notes: And… cut! That is it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this.

Thank you God again for being with me, and for giving me the courage and conviction to see this story through all the way to the end! Thank you Jesus for everything, and I hope to do my best in all areas in your name! Thank you Lord!

So Moon Butterfly is going to be let in on what happened to Marco, along with the others. And it seems that Meteora is forming plans of her own as well. I really hope you liked how I made her and Rasticore, after finding some info about both of them. I did my best here, and have no regrets!

I will not do MAJOR spoilers here for my story, but here is a little tidbit. Marco will need help in training his ki when he discovers that he can utilize it. Ki can be used for multiple purposes, if one is trained in the art of it. A subtle, small but powerful difference is what will be shown here. He will train with six Masters, one on each continent. Here is the list:

North America- Healing Ki- to heal wounds or plant-life

South America- Amplifying Ki- to increase one's physical abilities

Africa- Offensive Ki- to use ki energy in battle, similar to how it is used in Street Fighter and DragonBall Z

Europe- Defensive Ki- to utilize ki energy in defensive ways such as shields and barriers

Asia- Elemental Ki- to transmute pure ki energy to become an element of nature instead, like how Master Roshi used the Lighting Flash Surprise against Goku

Australia- Communication Ki- to use ki energy to communicate with beings, be it of the natural world or supernatural

This actually fits in with my original plan for I wanted Marco to do. What it is… heh, you'll have to keep reading to find out! It will be revealed in the next chapter, that I promise you! I already have something worked out for the Master in North America, the rest… will if you have any suggestions, all game for it!

Now for the questions! Ahem…

If you introduce the Mewni girls to your own library, what section/area would you show them first?

If you were the caretaker of Marco in the hospital, what ground rules would you lay out for the others to follow?

What would your reaction be if you saw Queen Moon step out from the dimensional rip and into the hospital room?

If you were Meteora's teacher, which aspect of nature would you train her in? And why?

And finally this… if it was up to you, how you would train Marco once he discovers he can utilize ki?

R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave LONG reviews!)