Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Marco grunted as he fell on his back, dropping the sword he held in his hand. He got up, rubbed his head, and heard a voice call out to him. “Nice work, Dum Dum! You wanna get up so you can lose again?”

He looked back at his opponent, who looked at him with a cocky smirk on her face. A beautiful and spunky goddess by the name of Hekapoo. Marco grabbed his sword, and stood back up. “Cut me some slack! In the three years I’ve been chasing you I’ve never had to use a sword!”

Indeed, it had been three years since he took on her quest. Three years since he’s seen his family. His friends. Star. Or even Jackie. God, how he misses them. There hasn’t been a day since he hasn’t thought of them. And as much as Marco wants to see them, Marco wasn’t a quitter. He said he would take back those scissors, and by The All Mighty, he will!

“Yeah yeah, you just can’t admit that you suck at this!” Hekapoo enjoyed teasing Marco. His reactions were either cute or funny. She looked at him and saw how tired he was. He was panting and could barely stand up straight. “Alright, big guy, let’s take a break.”

Marco immediately collapsed from exhaustion. Taking in a few deep breaths, he managed to heave himself off the ground and moved to a nearby log. He leaned against it, as Hekapoo moved closer and sat down on it.
She looked at him up and down. He’s grown rather nicely these past couple of years. He’s a bit taller now, and he has developed some nice muscles. Damn fine muscles. She had to fight the urge to jump on him, as she licked her lips. As much as she wanted to, she has an important job to do, and she knew now was the time to do it.

“You know, you’re not doing so bad. I’ve trained many would-be heroes and adventures, most of whom fail on their first day of training. Heck, Queen Solaria could barely pick up a sword when I first started to teach her.” She said, hoping he would take the bait.

Marco looked up at her with a questioning look. “Who’s Queen Solaria?”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“What? You claim to be friends with the royal family, but you don’t know of their history?” She asked him.

“Well, sorry, I didn’t think a goddess would be quizzing me on my best friend's family history.” He sounded a bit miffed, but it was probably because he was tired. “Though, I will admit, I am a bit curious. I always wondered how Star’s family got the wand, how Mewni came to be, and that sort of thing. I never asked her, since I thought it would be rude or awkward.” He paused for a moment. “And, to be honest, I’m not sure if she herself knew.”

Hekapoo had to silently agree on that. She hadn’t interacted much with the princess, but she could tell that she wasn’t exactly focused or all there. She still remembers the footage of her first week with the wand.

“Well, since we’ve got nothing better to do, I might as well give you a bit of a history lesson. Who knows, you might actually be quizzed on it someday.” She said, a bit of a teasing smile on her face.

She didn’t really wait for the human boy to give an answer as she continued. “Queen Solaria Butterly. AKA, Solaria The Monster Carver.” Marco winced internally at the name. “How brutal do you have to be to get that name?”

“Excessively. Now, don’t interrupt me.” She smacked her hand against the back of his head. She cleared her throat and continued. “Anyways, Solaria was the 28th Queen of Mewni. And as you might have guessed, she led a rather bloody campaign against the monsters in Mewni. While it did bring the kingdom a time of peace, it also left many Mewmans dead. And even more monsters the same.”

She took a moment to look over and made sure he was listening. Fortunately, he was, so she continued. “Her reign didn’t last too long, though. She was killed in a night ambush, leaving the throne to her young daughter, Eclipsa.”

Marco had an immediate reaction to hearing that name, and sat straight up. “Eclipsa? As in, the Queen of Darkness? With the forbidden chapter in the Magic Book of Spells?”

Hekapoo was a bit startled by his reaction, but that subsided quickly. “Uh, yeah, that’s her. I’m guessing you heard of her, at least?” Marco regained his composure and layed back down.

“Yeah, you can say. I once helped Star read her forbidden chapter. I ended up getting possessed by a dark spell.”

Thinking back, Hekapoo does remember seeing Star Butterfly reading the Magic Book of Spells with some boy… wearing a red hoodie… Huh.

Before Hekapoo could have said anything, Marco asked, “What was her deal, any ways? Did she enjoy subjecting her subjects or something?”

"No, not really. She was a pretty decent queen to her people. But, she was very much drawn to dark magic, disregarding the taboo around it. Not only that, but she started making peace with the monster way too fast. Peace is good and all, but the people still had the war on their minds. But that wasn't even her worst crime. She abandoned her kingdom to elope with a monster.”

Marco was surprised by this to say the least. “Wait, you mean she just left everything behind?” He asked.

“Yep. Everything. The MHC, Her kingdom, Her daughter Festivia, her husband Shastacan (not that I blame her), everything. All for her new hubby, The Monster King, taking the Royal Magic Wand with her. As you could guess, we couldn’t just let these crimes slide. So, we chased her down, and had her imprisoned.” Hekapoo told him.

Marco took a moment to process this information. Marco could understand chasing after true love, but still, to just leave behind her kingdom and family like that. That brought up another question. “What ever happened to her family after she was arrested?”

“Hmm. Well, after we crystalised her, King Shastacan started parading around like he was some sort of big hero, spreading the news of Eclipsa’s arrest. That sort of procession was bound to get some attention.” She looked down. She could tell that he was soaking up the information. Good. He’ll need it. “Whose attention do you think he got?” She asked.

That’s a no brainer. “I’m guessing The Monster King?”

“Bingo. Shastacan, the narcissistic fool, painted a huge target on his back. As soon he declared himself the highest ruler in Mewni, the Monster King fell down and ate him… I wish I could see it again. Gosh, that man was a prick. Anyways, after he went on a rampage in the Spiderbite Kingdom, we chased him down until we finally Crystalised him.”

“And her Daughter? Festivia, was it?”

Hekapoo smiled a bit. “Well, she was only a baby at the time. So, the MHC raised her… Mostly me.”

“She actually made party drinks based off of us, if you can believe it.

“I said I’d support her, no matter what, and I did, even if it met war.” Hekapoo sighed. “I still wonder if that was the right thing to do…”

“I can see why.” Marco said solemnly. “You may have not wanted war but it was ultimately her decision to make.”

“Omnitraxis said she should’ve made peace with the monsters but she said no. We really should’ve pushed it more on her…”

“You can lead a horse to water.”

“Actually, the worst part was she just couldn’t see why the monsters were burning down villages..”

“Though, what was really hard was the lie we told her all her life.”

“What was that?”

“We told her that her parents had been eaten by monsters. Well, that was partly true, in regards to Shastacan but we never told her what really happened to Eclipsa.”

“Why?”

“We were afraid how she’d take it. Her mom abandoning her for a monster, the one that ate her father? It was a can of worms we didn’t want to open.

“After the war, she married Prince Musty Mountains of the mole rat people and had two daughters, Dirhhennia and Crescenta. Those two are stories all to themselves but I think I’ve told you enough.”

“Yeah, I’ve got enough info here to bore the next deity to ask me about Star’s family.” Marco lied back down, hoping to get as much rest as he can. But, that wasn’t happening, as Hekapoo grabbed his leg and started dragging him with her.

“Alright, that's enough resting. Time to continue our other lessons.

Though Marco groaned in complaint, he would later thank her for all the training. And over the course of the next 16 years, Marco would beat her thousands of clones, and gain his own pair of Dimensional Scissors. And not long after receiving them, the Mewman Princess would burst into her home and take him back.

“I’ve done my part.” Hekapoo said, as she watched her old friend leave. “It’s all in the hands of fate now.” She left the forge and entered another room, lit only by the flame over her head. This was rectified by a snap of her fingers, lighting up the many candles in the room.

On the walls were many paintings, all of previous royal families. She walked passed them, and reached one that was covered by a tarp. Grabbing on to it, she pulled away the tarp, revealing a painting of Eclipsa, with her daughter Festivia, and her husband, a now adult Marco Diaz Butterfly.

“It’s been fun muscles, but now I gotta let you go… Maybe after one more slap.” As she says this, she opens a portal to Marco’s room.

---

“So, what’s his name?” Eclipsa asked.

“Huh? What? No, no, no, no, no, no, it’s not like that.” Star said. “Well, well not anymore. It’s just Marco.”

Eclipsa felt her heart stop. Her eyes widened and her face grew paler than normal.

“Ah, Marco. So that’s it.” She said, managing to keep her voice steady.

As Star continued to rant, Eclipsa fought to keep her composure.

‘Get a hold of yourself, woman.’ She thought. ‘There’s no possible way it could be him. It’s a coincidence, plain and simple.’

---

“Eclipsa?” Marco gasped. “Isn’t she that ancient evil queen everyone’s talking about? We don’t trust you one bit!”

Eclipsa tried her hardest to keep her legs from collapsing. ‘By the eyes of Soupina, how can this be?’ She thought in near panic. ‘He looks just like...no. No, no, no! He couldn’t be! It’s just a colossal coincidence, that’s all! Do not go opening that wound again!’

She had to get her mind clear. “O-oh? A-are you afraid I’ll get my evil cooties on you?”

Before her eyes, the boy took the same stance he did all those years ago. “Stay back, woman!”

Almost on instinct, she mimicked. She screamed at herself internally. She needs to resolve this tension she’s feeling. “Wh-what’s this? S-some s-sort of sword hand dance? Th-this looks fun!” She couldn’t have felt more awkward even if she tried.

“Don’t come any closer!” He barked at her. Eclipsa was certain Star said something, but she didn’t hear what it was, too focused on the boy.

“A-aren’t you adorable?”

“Who are you calling adorable?!”

Before this could escalate any further, Star had pushed Marco out of the room. She has her gratitude for that. It was starting to get scary for her.

---

“You’re ruining everything I’m trying to accomplish!” Star shouted at the buffed up Mina.

“Well, you just helped the most dangerous monster in the history of Mewni escape!” She retorted back at the princess.

At that moment, the doors of the temple busted open, beams of light shooting in, crystallizing anyone they hit. When the beams stopped, a number of the royal nights started charging in, followed by Rhombulus. “Everybody freeze!” Shouted the commission member, pointing his snake arms threateningly.

“Oh no.” Was all Star could say.

“The doughnut patrol? I gotta make track!” Saying this, Mina made her way to the nearest window, ready to jump out. However, she was spotted by Star, and she was not ready to let her escape.

“You’re not going anywhere, Mina!” With that, she raised her wand and chanted a spell. “Bring Back Blast!”

Unfortunately for Star, the blast missed Mina, allowing her to make her escape. However, even worse, the blast had stopped mid air, and started sucking in everything around as it turned into a vortex.

All around, the party goers and knights ran to find something to hold on to, some managing to barely escape the room. But at that moment, completely unaware of the danger, Marco came running into the room. “Star, are you alright?! Did you get MinaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”

Before Marco could grasp what was going on, he found himself being pulled through the air, towards a swirling vortex.

Star panicked as she saw her best friend being pulled in. “Marco, no!” She lifted the wand up with one hand, and chanted another spell, hoping to save her friend. “Raspberry Ribbon Lasso!”

Marco heard the spell being cast, and looked to see the magical rope coming towards him.

As he reached for it, both had hopes that he would grab it. However, fate was not on their side. As soon as it was just out of his grasp, Marco was sucked into the vortex, with it closing as soon as he went through.

Star could not believe what she had just seen. Her best friend… was gone. She fell to her knees, feeling as if this moment would go on forever.

For Marco, he wished this moment would end already. He tumbled through the air in some sort of swirling tunnel, with no end in sight. Once he managed to get her bearings, and hold back his puke, he managed to right himself and look at his surroundings.

All around him was nothing but a swirling darkness, quickly shooting him through the air. He looked for some sort of exit, but there weren't any around him.

“Oh god, what is this place?” He asked himself, trying to remain calm. Taking a moment, he tried to get a better look at his surroundings.
Now that he did, it seemed… somewhat familiar. He could have sworn he saw something similar before. But where? Thinking back, he remembered his time chasing Hekapoo and her clones. He had many encounters with portals and swirling vortexes. So, what kind was this one?

Before he could continue that train of thought, a light started to illuminate the tunnel. Looking around, he found he was being pushed right towards it. Marco braced himself for the worst, as he reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

Feeling himself get shot out, He took a downward plunge and hit the ground. Groaning, he pulled himself up and dusted himself off and stretched his muscles. Once done, he looked to see where he was.

…

He was standing right in the middle of a heated battle. Because of course. Not only that, but it was day time. Could Star have used… a time travel spell? That’s not good. Those can be very unpredictable. Not to mention time travel is Illegal.

But enough of that, he needs to get out of this battlefield as fast as he can.

He looked around quickly, trying to find an exit. But instead, he found a sword being swung at him.

-End of Prologue

Chapter Text

It was chaos all around him. Mewman knights and Monster soldiers were battling it out. Slicing each other with swords and battle axe’s, or bashing away with maces and warhammers. The battle raged on around Marco, as he looked around for a way out. But all he saw was the blade of a monster’s sword coming down on him.

Almost out of instinct, Marco managed to dodge the sword, and side step his assailant. Both quickly got back into a fighting stance, Marco ready for just about anything.

The monster soldier didn’t think much of the boy in front of him. He was rather ill equipped for a battle, dressed in a suit and with no weapon. Not to mention the goofy pose he was currently standing in. But that just meant easy pickings. “Die, Mewman scum!!” He shouted, raising his sword to attack.

Marco was not going to be caught off guard this time. He should have been more careful, being that he is standing in the middle of a battlefield. He won’t make that mistake again.This time, He was prepared for the attack coming at him.

As the sword's edge came close to him, he quickly ducked under it, coming up right next to his attacker. He grabbed the hand that was holding the sword by the wrist, and with a quick jab with his other hand to the elbow, he dislocated it. Just to make sure he doesn’t get back up, he made a swift kick to his knee, also dislocating it.

As the soldier fell to the ground, screaming in pain, Marco made a quick get away from him. He may be down and in pain, but he knows well enough that he could get up at any moment and attack.

Marco kept on running through the battling soldiers, making sure to avoid getting into anymore fights, as well as dodging and weapons that may come towards him.

Not long after, he found himself nearing the edge of the battle field. He could tell, as there were less soldiers fighting around him. But still, he shouldn't let his guard down. He kept on looking around once more, trying to find the best escape route.

He spotted a near straight path out and away from the fight, and made a dash for it. But as he neared it, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar scene. It was of a Mewman soldier, most likely the commander based on their gold armor and extravagant helmet obscuring their face, being surrounded and overrun by many grunt soldiers.

As he saw it, many similar scenes started to flash through his mind. Each a bit different. How many times has he seen it? How many times was he the one there? How many times has it been someone he knew in that situation? How many times was it a friend? A brother in arms? A beloved commanding officer? A lover? Far to many.

Marco was snapped out of his daze, as the Mewman Commander fell to the ground, dropping their sword. The surrounding monsters came closer, ready to end the gold clad Commander.

Marco wasn’t sure what came over him, but his body seemed to move on it’s own, running to the aid of the fallen Mewman. It was only when he reached his destination did he realise what he had done. Well, no turning back now.

Acting quickly, Marco incapacitated one of the monsters, grabbing the attention of the others. Forgetting about the Commander on the ground, they now set their sights on Marco. There were about five of them, not counting the one he already took down.

All five of them attacked the human boy at the same time. Marco knocked them out so fast, it might as well have happened at the same time.

Once Marco confirmed they were all down for the count did he remember the Mewman he helped. He turned around to find they were still on the ground. He really didn’t want things to feel awkward in the middle of a battle. He walked over, and reached a hand out to them. “Let me help you-”

It was when he got closer did he realize that their helmet fell off, and he can now see their face. How he wishes he just took off now. Now he knows that the Commander is a woman. That itself wasn’t the problem. No no, the problem was that he recognized her.

Once more, he mind flashed to his days chasing after Hekapoo and her clones. First, his mind went to when he first saw a picture of her. The painting showed the woman wielding a magic sword, dismembering monsters in the middle of battle. Next, his mind to when Hekapoo told him about her, giving him a name he can place on her. Her name. Solaria Butterfly, the Monster Carver. Also, the Queen of Mewni.

Marco was pulled out of his flashback, when said Queen took his hand. “Thank ye, Lad! That's some good fighting ye’ve got there!” To Marco, her voice had a bit of a Scottish Accent. Marco quickly pulled her back to her feet. She stood over him at her full height of 6’3”.

“Uh, um, t-thank you.”

Before either could say anymore, Marco noticed a shadow loomed over him from behind, as well as Solaria reaching down to grab her sword. Marco turned around quickly, readying himself to block any attack.

He saw a rather large monster behind him, swinging a sword down onto him. As the blade was a handful of inches away, he raised both his arms over his head, blocking the attack at the attackers wrist. Once it was stopped, he latched on to his attackers arms, and quickly jumped up and behind the monster, bringing his legs up to his head and held him in a reverse flying triangle choke hold.

He brought the monster down onto his back, and continued to choke him. The monster in trun tried to get Marco off of him, but as the oxygen in him depleted, his mind slowly slipped away. Soon enough, he was out cold.

Once that was done, Marco let go and got back. Breathing heavily, he didn’t expect the Mewman Queen to smack him full force on the back. “That's some good fight ye've got their lad! Tell me, what is your name?"

The pat knocked the wind out of him, so it took him a moment to regain his composure. “Um, It’s Marco. Marco Diaz.” After saying that, he was sure it was a mistake. He should have kept his identity secret.

It didn’t take long for them to be surrounded once more by angry monster soldiers. They both got into a fighting stance, standing back to back. There were about 15 monsters around them, holding their weapons, ready to strike at any moment.

“Alright, lad. Enough chit chat. Pick up that blade and get ready.” The queen said, her voice more serious now.

Marco, just cracked his neck and smirked. “Trust me, I’m not gonna need it.”

His cockiness was a bit infectious, as she felt a smirk tug at her own face. “I like that.” She said.

Not a moment later, both sprang into action.

---

Marco panted heavily where he stood. He was covered in sweat, dirt, and a bit of blood. Not all of it his. The battle was over, and all around layed those that died in the fight, both Mewman and Monster alike. After roughly three hours of fighting, the remaining monsters retreated after their numbers had dwindled.

Marco took a moment to regain his strength. His body felt sore. He hasn’t been in a battle like this in a long time. While he still remembers how to fight, with or without weapons, he still had his adult body back then. Gosh, how he missed his muscles. He remembers how Hekapoo liked them.

…

Hekapoo! That's it! She can help him! She can use her powers to make Solaria forget about him, and send him back to his own time! She…. doesn’t know him. She doesn’t know who Marco is. She won’t meet him for another 300 years. She may be a deity, but she’s still bound by physical limitations, so she’s not omniscient. Well… that idea’s out the window.

He’s really trapped 300 years in the past, isn’t he? There’s nobody that can help him. Nobody he knows. Even the people he does know can’t help. He has no friends. No family. Nobody.

Marco felt… alone. This is the first time he had nobody. Even during his solitude days chasing Hekapoo clones, he still had Hekapoo keeping him occupied. Made friends with some of them, which led to him growing close to Hekapoo in the long run. She helped him out, even if they were frenemies.

The feeling slowly sank into him, as he started to think of his friends and family. His parents. Janna. She may have been annoying, but she’s still his friend. Tom. The two had some rough patches, but they did start to get along. Kelly. He hadn’t known her for long, but he feels they’ve become good friends. Hekapoo. How he’s sorry for what he did to her. Star. She’s his best friend. He can’t imagine the pain she must be going through now. Jackie… How he wishes things had worked out with them. Yep. That's all the friends he might never see again, and no two more.

As Marco stood there, slowly being consumed by sorrow, he was quickly dragged back out when he heard a familiar Scottish voice call out to him.

“There ye are, Lad! I were wondering if ye survived!” He heard a voice booming from behind him. He turned around to see Solaria coming over to him, a smile on her face. Damn. He should have run when he could.

Deciding to scold himself later, he replied to the queen. “Yeah, I’m alive. This wasn’t my first battle, not by a long shot. It’ll take a lot more to kill me.” He felt a slight smile creep on his face, proudly remembering his past battles.

Her smile faded as she looked him up and down. “Yer life must have rough on ye. Far too young for this kind of life.” The idea of someone like this child before her growing up in a life of battle made her stomach turn a bit.

"Speakin' of, what in the world were ye doing out here in the middle of a battle, lad?! You could have been killed!” Of course, now she sees that was a non-issue. This boy has great skill.

‘Oh Crud, now comes the interrogation.’ Marco knew he was already knee deep in trouble, since he gave her his name. He can’t tell her about coming through a time vortex, that would be far too suspicious. He had to lie his way through this.

“I’m sorry your majesty, but I’m not really sure how I got here. I think I was at a party, and next thing I know is that I’m fighting monsters. Sorry, it’s all a little fuzzy.” The best lies are the ones that have a little bit of truth to them. He was at a party, and he was confused about getting here. And the portal did kinda mess with his head.

Solaria seemed to accept his explanation. “Hmm. That gash on yer head must be getting to ye.” She said, slight concern in her eyes as she looked at him.

“Wait, what?” Marco placed his hand on his head. When he looked at it, he saw it was completely covered in blood. Huh. He didn’t even notice. He thought back to his Scissors Quest day. The battles he fought and the scars he gained. To his surprise, and to those around him, a small smile appeared on his face, as he remembered his past fondly. “Heh. I’m not used to seeing this much of my own blood any more. I must be getting rusty.”

‘By the stump. After hours of battle, he can just take such a wound in stride?’ The Queen thought to herself. She’s seen grown men fall fall to their knees for even the tiniest toe stump, and this child is just going strong. ‘Maybe… he’s just what I need.’

A smile returned to her face as she placed a hand, rather harshly, onto his shoulder. “Well, Marco Diaz, I dennae care where it is ye came from. But I do care about getting that head of yers looked at. Let me take you back to the castle, and see what we can do for ye!” She waved over to a soldier to bring her horse.

“Oh! Um, no, I don’t thi-.” Actually. This could be a good opportunity for him. The castle should have plenty of spell books he can search for a way back. Not to mention being under the care of the Queen should keep him safe. This situation may not be ideal, but it’s his best chance at getting back home. “You know, maybe you’re right. I’ll take up your offer.”

“Well that's grand!” Solaria grabbed Marco by the collar of his suit, jumped into the air, both of the landing on the horse. Marco’s head really did feel light headed this time.

Solaria grabbed onto the horse’s reins once she landed. “To the castle!!” She shouted, as if a battle cry. The horse reared on its hind legs, ready to gallop at full speed, causing Marco to wrap his arms around Solaria’s waist. As they began to dash away, Marco could only think to himself that this was worse than being sucked into a time vortex.

Chapter Text

“Woah, boy! We’ve made it back to the castle! And in record time too!” Boasted the Mewman Queen, as she horse came to halt before the entrance to Butterfly Castle. As she got off the horse, she looked up to the castle with a proud smile. As for Marco, he limply fell off the horse, his blood spilling around him.

“I think I’m bleeding even more now.” He said, exhausted on the ground. This woman’s horse riding skills were even more deadly than even the battle was.

“Aye, indeed ye are.” She said, barely looking at him. She waved over at three guards, who immediately came to her call. “Take this lad to the medical ward, and make sure he’s treated properly.”

They quickly gave the queen a salut, and two of them picked Marco up by his legs and shoulders. As they were walking into the castle, Solaria stopped the third guard by grabbing his shoulder and bringing him closer. “When he’s healed, bring him over to the training ground.” She told him.

The Mewman guard looked at her a bit perplexed. “Ma’am?”

“I have some… special plans for him.” She explained.

The guard’s face changed a bit in expression, but his face was still a bit questioning. “Is, uh… Is he not a bit young for you, your majesty?”

With that question, Solaria rammed her fist into the guards stomach, leaving a massive dent in his armor. “That is not what I meant, Bawbag! Just do as I order!” She shouted and stomped away.

The guard was barely able to salute before falling to the ground.

---

Marco was a bit dizzy from the lack of blood. He would have been fine if it was just the wound on his head, but the ride to Butterfly Castle was so hazardous, that he was sure there’s more of his blood on the road here than there is in his body.

He was laying down on the table the two guards placed him down on not too long ago. Once he was laid down, the doctor gave him a quick look, and mended his head. Now they were looking around for something. Marco wasn’t sure what, but he’s not too confident in medieval medicine, especially from 300 years in the past.

“Ah, here it is.” The doctor said, grabbing a small box. He took something small out of it, and placed the box back down. “Normally, I would save this for more important people. But if the Queen herself brought you here, you must be something special.” They said, as they came over to Marco, handing something over to him, as well as placing a bucket next to him.

“One bite should heal you up nicely. Just, uh, try to hold it in.”

Marco looked at what was placed in his hands, and his dizziness immediately subsided. It was a root. One he was familiar with. The root of a Sky Fruit Tree. Very rare, very valuable, and can heal most wounds instantly… if you can survive the taste. As delicious as the Sky Fruits are, it’s roots are a different matter. And you can’t water it down, that would negate the effects. It will also make you worse if you throw up. That probably explains the bucket.

“Oh God help me.” Marco said to himself. He took a deep breath, and braced himself. As soon as he placed it into his mouth, the urge to hurl made itself known. But, he fought through it, and chewed it down.

Once that was done, he slumped over feeling gross from what he had just ate. But it didn’t take long for it’s effects to take place, and his injuries quickly healed up, and his blood replenished.

The doctor brought up an hourglass, and turned over, letting the sands of time fall. “Alright. We need to wait three minutes before you can drink anything to get that taste out. In the meantime, let’s check you over once more, shall we?”

And that's what they did. The doctor checked where Marco’s injuries were, making sure they were all healed. Marco himself felt great. His soreness was gone, and his lightheadedness was gone. He felt more energized and well rested. He felt like he could go into another battle! The only problem was the awful taste in his mouth.

Once the three minutes were up, the doctor gave him a mug of water. He used the first mouthful to rinse his mouth, and spat it into the bucket. He then downed the rest in one go. Once that was gone, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks for that, Doc.” Marco thanked the Doctor.

“No problem, sonny. Now that you’re all healed up, why don’t you head on over to the bath and clean yourself up?”

Marco looked down at himself and did realise he was still filthy. He was covered in dirt and dried blood. And the suit he was wearing for the monster bash was ruined. “A nice bath does sound great. Um, what about my clothes though?”

“Hm. Yes, your suit is all thatered. We’ll send you something new to wear. Is there anything in particular that you would like?”

Marco thought about it for a moment, and came to an answer quickly. “A red hood would be nice.”

“We’ll see what we can muster up, and someone will bring them to you. Now, the baths are down the hall to the left. It’s a big double door, you can’t miss it.” The doctor informed him. Marco already knew this. ‘I guess the castle hasn’t changed all that much over the years.’

Marco left the medical ward, and headed straight for the bath. Once there, he quickly discarded dirty clothes. The bathroom was rather large with around eight large baths to choose from. On the wall, there were shelves with folded towels one them. This room was the only piece of indoor plumbing in the castle. Until Marco and River introduced toilets, that is. But that won’t be for another 300 years, so looks like he’ll be using the garderobes from now on.

Marco got into one of the baths and submerged his whole body in the water, and continued his previous thought, once he reemerged and sat down on the underwater seats. He really is stuck 300 years in the past, and he’s all on his own. It’s not his first time, but he still doesn’t like it. He needs to find his way back to his own time as fast as he can before he messes up the timeline. Lord knows if he already did.

Speaking of his own timeline, there’s something that’s been on his mind for a while now. Back at the Monster Bash, Mina said that Heinous was Eclipsa’s daughter, Meteora. But Hekapoo never mentioned her. Only of her daughter with Shastacan, Festivia. Perhaps, after abandoning them, she had Meteora with The Monster King? That explains that, but not why Hekapoo didn’t mention her. Something he would have to ask when he gets back.

Speaking of getting back, he needs to get to work on that soon. If the castle layout really is the same, then the library should be in the same place as he remembers. Hopefully there are some useful books there. With time travel being illegal, very little is written about it.

But right now, he needs to survive. He needs to stay in Solaria good grace. That should give him protection from any interference. Not to mention the war. He has fought in many of them in the past, and led many armies. Killed many men. Marco knows this war is an unjust one, but he can’t really do anything about it. If he has to fight he will do his best to keep mortality down. Not that it would matter, as Solaria would execute survivors. But he still can’t bring himself to do it, knowing Star wants to bring equality to Monsters and Mewmans, and he still intends on helping her with that.

As Marco was scrubbing himself clean, still in thought, he heard and knocking on the door. When he looked over, the doors came open and two knights walked in, one was holding some folded clothing and a pair of boots. The one with empty hands stepped closer. “Mister Diaz?”

“Yes, that’s me.” Marco replied.

“We have brought you the clothes you have requested. Please put them on and come with us.” The Knight said, grabbing one of the towels from the shelves and presenting it to Marco.

“Oh, okay. Where are we going?” Marco asked, as he was getting out of the bath.

“Her Majesty has requested that you- Woah.” The Knight lost his words, as he got a good look at Marc now that he was out of the bath. Both Knights were staring wide eyed at him in one specific location.

Marco took the towel from the knight and wrapped around his body. “Uh, is there something wrong?” He asked, confused by the pair’s sudden strange behavior.

“Oh, uh, nothing. We’ll just… leave the clothes here, and, uh, wait for you outside.” The knight replied. The other placed Marco’s new clothes on the ground, and the two shuffled away whispering to each other.

“Did you see the size of…?”

“How old is he again?”

“It’s no wonder Solaria brought him to the castle.”

Marco was still confused by their antics as they left, but brushed it off. He quickly dried himself off and went to collect his new clothing. Picking it up, he saw that it consisted of a pair of plain undergarments, a pair of black pants, a grayish shirt, and a red hooded surcoat. Not exactly the hoodie he was used to, but still good. The boots he was given were brown and made with leather.

Once dressed, he left the baths and found the two knights just outside. “Alright. You said we needed to go somewhere?”

The two knights regained their composure, but still tried to avoid eye contact. “Urm, yes. Her Majesty has requested that you come to the training grounds once you are dressed.

"Alright. Lead the way, then." And so, the three left for the training grounds.

---

The training grounds were just outside of the castle. It was a large flat field with all the amenities to train a medieval army, a black smith for sword, shield, and armor repair, as well as an area to host festivals and tournaments. At the moment, there were many soldiers training. Some were practicing archery, others their swordsmanship, and some were training their horse riding skills.

Just to the side was a large open tent, housing inside many high ranking Mewman Officers and Generals. On the large table were many maps, showing battle plans and tactics. But none of them are relevant. At this moment, they were having a discussion with Queen Solaria over a rather peculiar matter.

“Your Majesty, I find this hard to believe. A mere boy with no weapons or armor, taking on an army? Such stories are only good fantasties we read to our children.” Said one of the older generals. Indeed, at this moment, they were discussing the boy Solaria has brought with her, Marco.

“It’s mere fantasy, I tell ye! I saw it with me own eyes. He bloody well saved my life.” She retorted. She was frustrated that none of them believed what she had told them. “Without any weapons on his person, he danced around those monsters like it were nothing! His attacks were so swift, it was almost as if his own hands were swords!” Some of the officers chuckled at her, much to her frustration.

“You say this boy took a bash to his crown and didn’t even flinch at it?” One of them asked.

“Aye. Though he did seem a wee bit peely wally when we reached the castle.” This they could believe. The Queen’s riding skills were amazing. But safe, it was not.

“And you say the boy claims to have fought in other wars?” Another asked.

“Indeed, though I can not confirm this.” She was interested to know more if it was true.

Before their discussions could continue, Solaria spotted Marco walking up to the tent, being led by the two knights she sent to fetch him. “Ah, Marco! Glad to yer up and about! How are ye feeling?” She had more enthusiasm in her voice now.

Marco walked up to the Queen, and did a slight bow. “I’m feeling much better now, thank you. You seemed to have brushed off the battle already. Is there something you needed me for?”

The Queen smiled down at him. “Indeed, lad. I brought you here for an evaluation. Or should I say, a demonstration.”

Marco cocked his head, not really sure where the Queen was going with this. “A demonstration?”

“Indeed. I’ve been telling my generals here about yer efforts in the battlefield, but none of them believe me. Ye’ve already proved to me yer worth, and I’d like for you to prove it to them.” She replied.

Marco looked over to the generals Solaria mentioned. None of them seemed to be impressed with Marco. He couldn’t blame them. The idea that a simple teenager could fight a battle while unarmed was ridiculous. But Marco is not a simple teenager. And he did not like being underestimated. Especially when he hasn’t even been given a chance.

“Alright, I’m up for it.” Marco replied with confidence in his voice.

Solaria smiled at this, and turned to her generals. “Well? Go and get yer men ready!”

Her generals all got out of the tent, some of them muttering how this is a waste of their time.

As the soldiers were all lined, they were told by their generals they had a challenge to face. Once done, and they were all lined up by the sword fighting pen, Solaria came before them and addressed them. “Gentlemen, today we have an extra special challenge for ye. Today, you’ll be testing yer skills against this lad.” Solaria gestured to Marco, who was standing next to her.

Upon seeing Marco, some of the soldiers chuckled, thinking it was a joke. One made the mistake of letting out a hearty laugh. Solaria squinted her eyes at the one man, and dressed him directly. “Well, since ye find this humorous, how about ye go first? Into the pen.”

The smile never left his face as he strutted into the pen. Marco entered from the other side.

“Don’t let me down, lad!” Solaria called out to him.

Marco looked over the knight for a moment, examining him and his gear. His armour was plain chainmail all over. In his left hand was a buckler, and the sword on his hip was a one handed one.

The knight himself looked Marco over, and noticed that he didn’t have any armour or weapons with him! “Boy, grab your already!” He called out.

“Don’t worry. I won’t need it.” Marco replied. Some of the soldiers laughed at the prospect. One of the older generals also let out a chuckle. “Cocky, eh? Heh. I like that.”

“Alright, that's enough talking. Both of you get ready.” Solaria called out to them. Hearing this, the knight got into fighting position, but Marco just remained standing there, a small smile on his face.

Pretty much everyone but Solaria thought the boy was going to die. After a moment to build up tension, she gave them the go ahead. “Fight!”

The knight made a quick dash for Marco, holding his sword over his head, ready for a quick swing and easy kill. As he reached his younger opponent, he brought his sword down on him, Marco still not moving from his spot. At this moment, they thought it was over. Untill…

Marco's smile turned into a smirk as he sidestepped the knight, dodging the sword. He reached up and grabbed the knights wrist, and twisted his arm back painfully, making him drop his sword. Marco brought his left hand up, and with a jab to the side of the knights head, knocked him out.

Stunned silence was all around, as Marco stood there victorious, having ended the battle in less than two seconds. One General was so stunned, his armour fell off, leaving him in his underwear and helmet. Solaria, on the other hand, had a giddy and cheeky smile on her face.

“Well. That was unexpected, wasn’t it?” The cheekiness in her sarcasm was evident. But not as much as Marco’s, who looked over to the other soldiers and simply said. “Next.”

This went on for nearly an hour. Knight after knight, soldier after soldiers, they all came to fight Marco in the pen, all of them failing to beat him. One knight he sent flying out of the pen, and another he knocked out with a single punch, denting his helmet. One soldier jumped over, and kicked him out of the castle walls.

By the end, there were barely any left standing or conscious. Those that were were tending to their hurt comrades, mainly as a way to avoid fighting Marco.

Solaria stood there, watching his fights, as her generals stood around her in their underwear.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Ma’am.” One of them said.

“Indeed, Ma’am. This boy has proven to be just as capable as you described.” Another said. “But I must ask. What are your plans for him?”

Solaria put a hand on her chin ash she thought about it for a moment. “I think… He’s exactly what I need.”

This only confused the general a bit. “Ma’am?”

The Queen stayed in thought a bit longer, before turning to her generals. “Bring my daughter here at once.”

---

Away from the training grounds of the castle, was a beautiful and immaculately kept garden. All around wear beautiful bushes and flowers, some being rare and exotic. A beautiful ornate fountain sat in the middle. All around where many birds fluttering around as happy as can be.

And in this garden, sat it’s lone occupant. The Princess of Mewni, Heir to the thrones, and Wielder of the Royal Magic Wand, Eclipsa Butterfly. At this moment, she was trying to get as much peace and quiet. Her mother had gone into battle earlier today, much to her annoyance.

She doesn’t not believe in this. When she was younger, she had wanted nothing more than to be like her mother and join her on the battlefield. But over time she had grown to realise that it was wrong. That Monsters were not the great evil they have been painted as. Ever since she met the one monster that became a close friend of hers. The Monster King, Globgor. At the time, he was merely a prince.

As Eclipsa sat on the bench, watching the birds, the sound of rattling metal grabbed her attention. She looked over to see two guards coming her way. She sighed internally as they approached her. “Let me guess. My mother has returned and wants to see me in her office?”

The Guards stood at attention and spoke. “Almost. Your mother has returned, and requests to meet you at the training grounds.”

‘Hm. Strange. She doesn’t often call me there. Perhaps she wants us to watch knights bash each other on the head again. Some entertainment would be good for us.” The Princess thought to herself. She stood up from the bench and started to walk away. “Alright. Let’s not keep her waiting.

The walk to the training grounds was quiet and uneventful. But the sight she saw when she got there was different. All around were knights and soldiers laying on the ground in different states being injured. And for some reason, the generals were in their undergarments, picking up bits of their armor.

The two knights led her to the tent on the side, where her mother was waiting along with another boy. Upon seeing her daughter, Solaria threw her arms around her in a tight hug. “Sweetie, there ye are! About time ye got here!”

One thing Eclipsa can appreciate about her mother is how much she loves her. “Sweetie, there’s someone here I’d like for ye to meet.” Solaria said, gesturing towards the boy next to her.

“Marco, this here is me bonnie las, Eclipsa. Eclipsa, this is Marco.” The two looked at each other for a moment. Eclipsa wondering why her mother is introducing her to this boy.

And Marco is trying to hide his internal panic. ‘Oh lord, I’ve already messed up.’ He thought to himself. ‘I wonder if she remembers me in the future.’

“Good afternoon, Princess.” Marco said, giving a bow.

“And to you as well, Mister Diaz.” She replies, with a curtsy.

“Now that we have formalities out of the way, I am pleased to to tell you that Marco here will be your new teacher.” Solaria gleefully exclaimed.

Marco and Eclipsa spoke their thoughts at the same time. “Wait, what?”

~End

Chapter Text

Eclipsa stirred awake as a beam of sunlight landed on her face. She rose groggily from her bed, groaning as she didn’t want to get up for the day. But she did. It was easier to get on with this than it was to put it off and got scolded by her mom.

She still has no idea why they are doing this. She can defend herself just fine. The conversation from yesterday was still fresh in her mind.

---FLASHBACK---

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘TEACHER’?” Both Marco and Eclipsa asked, baffled by the announcement.

Solaria sorta expected this reaction. “What I mean is that Marco here will be teaching ye how to fight.”

Both teens were dumbfounded by this.

“Your majesty, no offense, but I thought you would ask me to be a soldier in your army! I didn’t agree to teaching your daughter!” Marco exclaimed. This is not going how he expected.

“Ye agreed when ye got on me horse. And don’t worry, I still plan on taking you into battle.” She said, an ‘encouraging’ smile on her face.

Eclipsa interjected here. “Mother, why do I need someone to teach me how to fight? I have the wand, don’t I?”

“Ye can’t rely on that wand forever. If I relied entirely on it, we would have lost this war.”

Marco has to agree with this logic. “I hate to say it, but I have to agree with her on this. Being too reliant on magic is not good. Especially if you lose it.”

Eclipsa groaned. “I suppose that’s true, but-” She was cut off by her mother.

“Wonderful! Glad ye two see it my way!” Her voice was filled with hearty cheer.

Both Marco and Eclipsa spoke again. “But we didn’t-” and was cut off by Solaria.

“Now, I have some work to be doing. You two enjoy yerselves.” And with that she left them.

“I am so sorry.” Marco told the princess.

“So am I.” She replied.

---END OF FLASHBACK---

She walked over to her dresser and sat down, looking at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair was a giant ball of chaos. She really didn’t want to deal with the hassle of fixing herself up.

She reached over and grabbed a parasol that was leaning against the dresser. To any regular person, this would have seemed like a regular fancy umbrella. But to those more magically inclined, they would have recognized it as the Royal Magic Wand, the most powerful magical artifact in the multiverse.

With a quick swirl over her head and a bright flash of light, Eclipsa was now all cleaned, and her makeup was perfect. She looked at herself one more time, and satisfactorily smiled at herself. At that, she got up and went to her closet, and put on one of her many dark dresses.

Once she was all dressed up, she left her room and went to get breakfast.

Entering the dining room, she saw her mother was already there, scarfing down enough food for an army. She loves her mom, but she can be such a barbarian. She sat down in a seat next to her mother, and greeted her. “Good Morning, Mother.”

Solaria, with a mouth full of food, greeted her back. “Guid Mornin, darling!”

Eclipsa was a bit annoyed by the bits of food flying her way. “Mother, not with your mouth full!” She complained. Solaria responded by happily hugging her daughter with one hand, and giving her something akin to a noogie.

“Agh, don’t be such a stick in the mud.” Eclipsa had an annoyed look on her face when her mother let go, leaving her hair a mess… again. With another wave of her wand, her hair was fixed again.

As she ate her breakfast, she looked around and noticed someone was pleasantly absent. “And where is this new teacher of mine? Did you kill him last night in bed?” Part of her was hoping she would say yes, but would also be disgusted.

Solaria let out a hearty laugh at this. “HA!! No, I didn’t kill him, nor took him to bed. He was here earlier, but went to set things up at the training grounds. Now eat up. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”

Eclipsa groaned inwardly. “I just don’t see why that boy has to be my new teacher. He doesn’t seem all that special. And what’s wrong with Glossaryck?”

“Glossaryck hasn’t taught you anything in months! Besides. He’s not here to teach ye how to use magic, he’s here to show ye to to take care of yerself. Now finish up, and we’ll head on over to the training grounds.”

Eclipsa wasn’t happy about it, but didn’t want to fight her mom over it. She just finished her breakfast, and the two went on their way.

They remained silent as they reached the training grounds. There didn't seem to be anyone training today, so it was mostly empty.

The two spotted Marco leaving the blacksmith with a new sword in his hands. He headed straight for the tent from yesterday. The two regal ladies headed there themselves and went inside.

Marco was differently than he was yesterday. Instead of his red hooded surcoat, he was dressed in an all white outfit, with a black belt around his waist. He turned to them, and greeted them with a bow. “Good morning, Miladies.”

“Mornin', Marco. Please don’t call us that. I see ye got a new sword.” Solaria motioned to the sword he was holding.

The weapon in question was a two handed Swiss saber. The grip was made of oak, and wrapped in a reddish brown leather. The hilt was nothing fancy, with it wrapping around the grip for one hand, but leaving it open for the other. And the pommel was a scent stopper.

“Yep! I took my time checking them out, and decided on this one.” He said, as he pulled the sword out of its scabbard.

Solaria nodded in approval at the blade. “Tis a fine weapon. However… Mine’s bigger.” At that, she pulled out her own sword. And indeed, it was far larger.

Her sword was a large greatsword or Zweihander. It was taller than both Marco and Eclipsa, and almost as tall as Solaria. The pommel was a large diamond shape with a ruby in its center. The grip was a black leather, with some decorative brass strings going down in a spiral. The guard was pretty hefty, and hooked inwards on both ends. On the blade, there was a pair of parrying hooks, leaving an area for a second grip. At the point of the blade, it widens out and comes back into a diamond shape, with a diamond shaped hole in the middle.

“That is a very nice sword.” Marco said with admiration, as he put his own sword away.

“Indeed. Maybe the two of us can spar some time, eh?” The queen placed her sword back in it’s sheath.

“By spar, do you mean beat eachother half to death?”

“Is… Is that not what sparring means?” Solaria was genuinely confused.

Marco ignored this, and turned his attention to Eclipsa. “So, Princess. Are you ready for your first day of training?” He asked, hoping not to get into a fight with the Queen.

“I suppose so. Not that either of us have a choice.” She said.

“Great. Now, before we begin, can you please put this on?” Marco handed her a pair of clothing just like the one he was wearing. “The Gi is the traditional uniform of martial arts where I’m from. I set up a small changing room over there.” He pointed to the corner of the tent, where there was an extra curtain and bench behind it.

Eclipsa took the clothes and went to change. She came back soon after, dressed in the white gi. “It’s a bit tight in some areas.” She complained.

Marco scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. “Yeah, sorry. I had to throw this all together last night. It would have been better if it wasn’t on such short notice.”

“Oh, that’s alright. Not sure why we need to wear this ridiculous outfit.” The outfit felt strange to her. Much different than her usual dress.

“Oh, there’s a good reason for it.” Marco walked over to the table, and picked up two pieces of wood board. He walked back over to Solaria. “Please hold these. And don’t move.”

Marco moved Solaria’s hands so one board was flat in front of her, and the other was sideways over her head. He took a step back, standing in front of the queen, and got into his fighting stance.

Eclipsa raised an eyebrow, not all that impressed with him. “What’s this? Some sort of sword hand dance? It looks dumb.”

Marco ignored the comment, and just focused. Solaria sorta figured what he might be doing, and braced herself.

In quick succession, Marco punched the board in the front, and did a spinning jump kick at the one over head, breaking them both almost instantly. Eclipsa just stared dumbstruck and in awe (at both the trick and that he had the gall to do it with her mother).

Marco turned back to her, a slightly cocky smile on his face. “The outfit is to give up more room to move.”

Solaria looked at the two pieces of broken wood in her hands for a moment, and started laughing out loud. “HA! Yer just full of surprises, ain’t ye, lad? Haha… Don’t ever do that again.”

“Fair enough.” He turned back to Eclipsa. “Anything else, before we begin?”

Eclipsa blinked a few times, and answered. “Um, No, I’m good.”

Solaria tossed the two pieces of wood to the ground. “Well, I’ll leave ye to it, then. I have work to be done.” Solarai walked away, Marco and Eclipsa saying their goodbyes.

Eclipsa turned to Marco. “Alright, Mister Diaz. You have managed to capture my attention and interest. What shall be our first lesson?”

Marco smiled, happy to hear this. Maybe teaching her won't be too bad. And it’ll keep him at the castle, as opposed to the battlefield. “Well, first, none of the ‘Mister Diaz’ business. When we’re training, address me as Sensei. It means Teacher. Any other time, Marco is just fine.”

Eclipsa smiled and stifled a giggle. “Alright, Sensei. If that’s the case, please address me as Eclipsa.”

“Now, before we begin, let me give you a bit of background information about what I shall be teaching you.” Marco moved to stand in front of the table.

“Where I am from, there are many different types of martial arts. Often, they are placed under the umbrella term ‘Karate’. What I shall be teaching you is Korean Karate!” Marco did a couple of punches and kicks, ending in a pose. “Also known as ‘Tang Soo Do’.”

Eclipsa giggled at his antics, and nodded. While she has no real interest fighting, perhaps being taught by Mister Di- Marco can be fun. All knowledge is good knowledge, after all.

Marco picked up a piece of paper from the table, and showed Eclipsa the diagram that is painted on it. “Most martial arts systems have a belt system. Karate is no different. We’ll be using the same belt system I learned under. Each belt represents what level you are in your skill set. First is the White Belt. This means that you are a novice. Next is Orange. This means that your skills are beginning to show. Next is Green. It represents growth and development. After that, we have Brown. It represents Power, Stability, Wisdom. How much you have stabilized Physically and Mentality. Not to brag, but I actually skipped this one.” He said, with a proud bragging voice.

Eclipsa smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Because you're not mentally or physically there?”

“Har. Har. No. It’s because I’m just that awesome.” Marco should have seen that coming. “The next belt is the Red Belt. It represents control and the ripening of the blood. Second to last, we have the Cho Dan Bo, a dark blue belt. It means maturity, respect, and honor. I, uh, I also skipped this one.” Once more, he did not hide the pride in his voice.

“And the last belt, the belt I am, is the Black Belt. It represents Mastery, Calmness, Dignity, and Sincerity. Any questions so far?”

Eclipsa looked at the diagram for a moment. She noticed there were a couple of belts Marco didn’t mention. “What about those ones after the Black Belt?”

Marco looked at the paper and saw which ones she meant. “Oh, those are the master and grandmaster belts. I never reached that level, so I can’t really give those out. Anything else?”

Eclipsa thought about it for another moment. She pretty much got everything down. “No, I think I’ve got it all down.”

Marco smiled, and put away the diagram, and picked up something else. “If that's the case, my young pupil, I present to you your first belt.” He holds out a white belt with both his hands, presenting it to the princess.

Eclipsa took the belt from his hands. It was a simple white cloth band. There didn’t seem to be anything special about it, but Eclipsa could swear she felt something when she touched it. Something akin to pride and strength, as if a door has been opened to her.

She tried putting it on, but was finding it difficult and kept fidgeting with it. Marco had to show her how to do it right.

Marco looked at his new student with pride. He knows he can’t stay forever, and that he has to leave for his own time as soon as he can. But he just couldn’t help it. He gets to spread his love of karate, and now he has his own student.

“Well, Eclipsa. Now that we are done with the introduction, let us begin our first lesson, shall we?”

“Yes, Sensei!” Eclipsa exclaimed. When she woke up this, she had no real interest in any of this whatsoever. But now, she had to admit she was feeling a bit excited. She wasn’t sure if it was because of that amazing trick he pulled with his mother (and somehow survived), or if there was just something about Marco himself. Either way, she decided to give this Karate and Marco a chance.

The two left the tent, and went to the middle of the training grounds. Laying around were several cushioned items. Eclipsa wasn’t sure what they were for, but she’s sure he’ll explain them in a bit.

The two stood facing each other, student and teacher, ready to learn and teach.

“Alright, Eclipsa. Our first lesson will be more of a test than anything. I want to see what you can do. Can you please put away your wand?” Marco asked.

Eclipsa looked at the wand for a moment, and thought about where she could safely put it. With a quick wave, she created a small box to hold it on. Once she placed it inside, the box closed, and a magic chain wrapped around it. She placed the box aside, out of the way, but still in sight.

Marco was pleased by this, and decided to begin. “Alright. I want you to show me how you kick. Give me your best kick.”

At this point, Eclipsa wasn’t really sure what she was supposed to do. She remembered back to that trick he pulled, and tried to mimic the stance he had. She tried to do a simple kick, but her stance and balance were off, and she ended up falling on the ground.

Marco quickly went to her aid. “Eclipsa, are you alright?” He was worried about her. He wasn’t expecting her to fall like that. Is she really this bad at fighting? He’s really got his work cut out for him.

Eclipsa got up with the help of Marco, and dusted herself off. “Y-yes, I’m fine. Sorry. I didn’t realize how bad I am at this fighting thing.”

“That’s alright. That’s why we’re having these lessons, right? Now, show me one of your punches. Let’s see how that is.” Marco raised a hand, and braced himself.

Once again, Eclipsa readied herself, and gave her best punch. However, she missed Marco’s hand entirely, and like before, she ended up falling down. This time, she landed on top of Marco.

The two stumbled on the ground, rubbing themselves where they hit the ground. Marco opened his eyes, and saw Eclipsa laying in his chest. She seemed to be fine, but he wanted to make sure. “Eclipsa, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Eclipsa opened her eyes, looked up, and saw how close Marco’s face was. ‘Oh wow, he has beautiful eyes.’ She thought to herself. In fact, Marco had a very beautiful face period. His face was a mix of masculine and feminine traits. The mole under his eye seems to amplify it. And his eyes were very deep, showing a large array of emotions. Kindness. Calmess. Sincerity. But there was something else there. Something dark, hidden away like a painful memory.

Eclipsa stared for a little while longer, before Marco’s calls finally reached her ears. “Eclipsa? Can you hear?”

Eclipsa shook her head, coming out of the trance Marco unwittingly put her under. “Y-yes, sorry. I’m fine. Nothing hurt. Except for my pride, maybe.” She bashfully chuckled at her last words.

The two got up and dusted themselves off. Eclipsa was a bit embarrassed. Not only did she fail twice, and fall down, once on top of Marco, but she also gained a momentary crush on him. Eclipsa pushed those thoughts aside. Besides, she’s already promised to someone else. Even if she hates his guts.

Marco had figured where she went wrong with her attacks. They were novice mistakes, but Eclipsa had taken them to an extreme. “Well, you’re a bit of a klutz, aren’t you, Eclipsa? Marco teased his student.

Eclipsa huffed, crossed her arms, and pouted as a response. Marco thought how she looked similar to Star when she pouted. It was kinda cute.

Marco chuckled and walked up besides her, and stood at her right. “Well, don’t worry. I know where you went wrong. You tried to copy my stance from earlier, right?”

Eclipsa only nodded as a response, still pouting slightly. Yep. Marco thought so. “Well, if that’s the case, your stance was off and pretty sloppy. Here, let me show you how it’s done.”

Marco spread his legs slightly apart, standing with his back straight, and held his fist in front of him at his belt line. “Stand like this. This is the ready stance.”

Eclipsa looked at how he stood, and tried her best to mimic him.

“Spread your feet just a bit wider.” Marco informed. She did as he said.

“We use this stance to mentaly and physically prepare ourselves for anything.” He explained. Eclipsa listened intently at what he was saying, trying to soak up as much of it.

Marco changed his stance, placing his left foot forward and keeping his right foot back, with his foreleg bent, and his back leg going at an angle. He moved his hands into a defensive position in front of his chest. “Now try this. This is the front stance. A power stance for both defensive and offensive motion. This is what you were trying to copy earlier.”

Eclipsa studied his stance, and, once again, did her best to copy her sensei. Like earlier, she didn’t get it quite right, and was a bit sloppy.

“Your back leg needs to be straight, and both feet need to face forward.” He informed her, once again.

She did as instructed, but felt it cause some tension on her muscles. “It causes a bit of strain on my muscle.”

“Don’t worry about it. In a few weeks, you’ll be standing like a pro.” His voice was slightly teasing.

“How dignifying.” She was only slightly amused.

“Now, let me show you how to punch properly. Use your inner arm to punch. As you’re doing this, twist your upper torso to face forward. Tuck your other arm away beside your hip. Make sure that that hand faces upwards.” Marco gave a demonstration. First slowly, then quickly. “You think you can do that?”

Eclipsa nodded confidently, and had a look of concentration on her face. She performed her first punch very slowly. More like a practice or warm up. Her second was a bit faster, but still weak. And finally, she did her first full powered punch… and overdid the twisting of her torso, causing her to fall back, right on top of Marco.

Marco groaned as he laid there. “Maybe we should do some stretches first.”

---

After a few hours of non stop practice and training, Marco and Eclipsa were laying on the ground next to each other, sweaty, dirty, and panting. Both of them were very tired, and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right there. But that might cause a scandal, so best not.

Marco took a deep breath, and spoke up. “Well, Eclipsa. We have a long way to go. But… I see great potential in you.”

Eclipsa smiled, and chuckled through the drowsiness. “Thanks, Marco. This was actually a lot more fun than I thought. But… I think I’d like to rest for… a few years.”

Marco smiled a bit at the joke. “You’re not quitting on me, are you?” Marco looked over to her.

Eclipsa looked back at him, a confident smirk on her face. “Marco, if there is one thing I am not, it’s being a quitter. I’m not stopping until I am up to your level.”

Marco’s smile widened. He remembered his first time doing martial arts. He was so excited. He was also sore for several days. He could barely move. When his parents asked if he wanted to quit, he said no. He fought through the pain, and accomplished his goal of becoming a black belt.

“Well. I guess you and I have something in common.”

The two laid there for a few moments of serenity. Both were happy with how this day turned out. At first, they both thought this day would be unbearable. Being forced to do something they didn’t want to. Then, they tried to make the best of it. And in the end, both were happy. Not just because the day turned out better than they hoped.

But because they both made a new friend.

~End

Chapter Text

Solaria sat in the war room, going over the war tactics for their next attacks. And honestly, she’s quite bored with it. These meetings have become dull, ever since the war came to a stalemate. None of their plans for pushing back the monster hoard seems to have worked out, yet everyone he pats themselves on the back for every plan they come up with.

As frustrating as it is, there isn’t much they can do. The monsters seem to always be ready for them, no matter what they throw at them. It’s almost as if they have a spy amongst them. But that would be impossible! The castle so heavily guarded, a simple monster could never sneak in. Not to mention, everyone in this room is loyal to the Queen. And, even though Eclipsa is against the war, she is not a traitor to her country or people.

As she tuned out the sounds of her comrades spouting out unwarranted cheers, she heard something else. Unnoticed by the others, she got out of her chair, and walked to the window, where the noise is coming from.

She smiled, as she saw the source. That being, her daughter Eclipsa, training with her new teacher, Marco. She’s happy to see Eclipsa is actually enjoying herself. Even more so that she’s taking these lessons seriously. She was afraid she would just run the boy ragged.

The boy himself has really grown on her as well. He’s a very interesting person. Strong, kind, intelligent, and somewhat mysterious. But he has shown himself to be nothing but dependable. Not to mention, he’s been a good friend to her daughter.

“Um, your majesty, what do you think of the plan?”

The voice of one of her generals caught her attention and snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked back, to see them all looking at her, waiting for a response. “Ah, um. Yes, very good. I think we can end the meeting for today. I have matters to attend to.”

She left the room, not giving any of her general time to say anything else. While it was mainly an excuse to get away from that stuffy room. But, in truth, she did have other important work to be done. And right now, she needs to speak with her daughter.

She made a b line for the training grounds, making sure she avoids speaking to anyone. Soon enough, she reached her destination, and made her way to Marco and Eclipsa. The two of them were still training, having not yet noticed the Queen.

The two kept on training, with Marco holding a large cushion of sorts, and Eclipsa kicking it lightly. While it was clear she had improved, it was also clear she had a long way to go. Especially since she just tripped over her feet, and fell to the ground. It was when she looked up from the ground did she notice her mother standing there.

“Oh! Mother!... You… didn’t see that, did you?” She asked, a bit sheepish.

Her mother smirked. “See what? You going arse over tits, or when ye landed on yer bahookey?”

Eclipsa gave an embarrassed and sheepish smile, as her mother helped her up. Marco put down the cushion and greeted the Queen. "Hello, Your Majesty. Here to watch Eclipsa’s training?”

“No, as much as I would love to, I have more work to be done for tonight.” She replied.

“Oh? Is there something important happening tonight?” Marco asked.

Eclipsa reacted first. “Oh, that’s right. The banquet is tonight, isn’t it?”

“Banquet?” Marco asked.

“Ah, I must have forgotten to tell ye about it. Well, ye see, we’ll be having a banquet to celebrate all we have accomplished, and to strengthen the bond we have with our allies!” Solaria said, with some excitement in her voice.

Eclipsa leaned over to Marco. “She just wants an excuse to get drunk.”

Solaria took slight offense to this. “And what’s wrong with having a bevy?”

Eclipsa looked at her mother with a raised eyebrow. “Mother, do you remember what happened last year? You caused such a grand shortage of drink, brewers had to to brew paper, just to keep people from rioting.”

Solaria just looked away and coughed, pretending to not have heard her daughter. “Well, as it were, I want ye to be on yer best behavior, Eclipsa.”

“No need to concern yourself, Mother. Of course I will!”

“Yes, that’s what concerns me.”

She turned her attention back to Marco. “Anyways. I’d like for ye to join us, Marco. From what ye’ve told me of ye’re last party, you must be a real kicker at ‘em!”

Marco smiled a bit sheepishly at this. “No, not really. Back on Earth, I wasn't really a popular kid, so I wasn’t invited to parties all that often. My last party was just an exception.”

Silence befell them when he finished. The Queen and Princess staring at him, the expression on their faces an unreadable mixture of shock and confusion.

“Um… Did I say something wrong?”

Eclipsa was the one to reply. “You’re from Earth?... You’re human?”

At the sound of glass breaking at the realization of what he’s done, Marco’s only that was, ‘Oh shit.’

“Uh… Is that a problem?” He can only pray that it isn’t and that they can just carry on.

“Nay, tis nae problem. But it does beg the question, how did a human from Earth, where there is no magic, get here to Mewni.” The Queen asked. Her voice made it obvious she was a little suspicious.

Marco mentally kicked himself. He got too careless with his words, and now he’s in a jam. He needs to disperse that suspicion. And he knows she’s going to want a satisfactory answer.

“Well, I can tell you, if you want. But it’s… not my best memory.” The two kept silent. Eclipsa was looking at him anxiously, while Solaria looked at him intently. Marco sighed, and hoped that this would put an end to this situation.

“The Yalgu Syndicate. They popped in on Earth, and took a large number of kids from all over the planet and selling them into slavery. I was one of those unfortunate kids. Their operation was scattered, so nobody thought that the disappearances were connected. I spent a few years of my childhood being sold and passed around. Until I earned my freedom in a violent revolt.”

Marco looked at them again. Both had shocked expressions. Eclipsa’s was full of concern, while Solaria’s had a hint of regret. Marco took a deep breath and started picking up the training equipment.

“Eclipsa, I think we’re done for today. I’ll just put these away. You go on and get ready for the party.” He walked away quickly, heading back to the tent, not noticing Eclipsa reaching her hand out for him.

As Marco walked off, the two Royal Mewmans also decided to leave. Eclipsa smacked her mother in her shoulder harshly. “Must you be so hostile to every non Mewman being we meet?!” She said in a low voice, so that Marco doesn’t hear.

“I wasn’t trying to be hostile, I was just curious!” The Queen defended.

The two walked away, Marco hearing them argue as they left. Once they were gone, he leaned against the table, placing his hand to his forehead. Marco’s glad he was able to lie his way out, but as always, the best lies… contain truth.

The memories of another time swept through his mid. Memories of the syndicate, the chains, the harsh punishment, the pain and suffering he witnessed. His times as a slave were grueling times. It was the memory he hated the most during his quest, and the one that hurt him the most.

Marco sniffled as he wiped away the few tears that came out. He needed to put those memories away and pull himself together. He took a few deep breaths, and calmed himself down. He has a few things he needs to do, and it’s best not to have tears when he does.

Marco opened his eyes, and looked around. ‘Nobody here. Good.’ He left the tent and made his way to the smithery. The forge there is a rather large one. On most days, there are at least 20 people working at a time, building weapons, armor, and shields. There were over a dozen anvils and tools lined the walls, pillars and work tables. Today is to be a day off for most, so there’s probably still some people in there.

Inside the smithery, he saw a few apprentices were working away. Off to the side, the head smith was off to the side, taking inventory.

“Mr. Kay? Are you busy?” He called out to the older, bearded man.

The smith, Mr Kay, turned to see Marco. “Ah, Mr. Diaz. Here for your request, I suppose?”

“Yep. Is it ready?”

“Indeed. I have it in that box right there.” He said, gesturing to the box on the table next the door.

Marco walked over and opened the box, looking at its contents. They were just what he ordered.

“They were tricky to make, but they should be to your liking. But, I’m not certain what you could do with them. They look like clubs, but built backwards.” Mr. Kay inquired.

Marco picked one up one of the box’s contents, and examined it. He got a feel for it in his hands. It was perfect. “This is just perfect, Mr. Kay. I’m sure this should cover the expenses, and leave some more on the side.” He reached into his pocket, and tossed a coin to the older man.

Mr. Kay it, his eyes going wide at the coin. It was a 30 piece gold coin. “The Queen pays you well.”

“Well, yes, but I had some money on me when I first arrived. Thank you for this, Mr kay.”

The older man chuckled, as he put the coin away. “Just call me Wilson, Marco.”

Marco smiled at the friendliness. “Alright, Wilson. Now, I’ll have to go now. I’ve a party to attend.” He picked up the box, and left, waving goodbye to Wilson.

---

Many hours have passed and the day turned into night time. As the common citizens of Mewni went to bed, the Royal Castle was a hustle and bustle with life, as nobles and royals from all around Mewni had flooded in. And this made Eclipsa very anxious.

The Mewman Princess looked around, nervously at all the people in the courtyard. Being surrounded by this many people isn’t what made her nervous. Part of being a princess meant she is often exposed to such crowds, so she had to get used to them quickly. No, she was nervous for another reason.

“Eclipsa, are you alright?” She heard a voice call out to her.

She turned around to look over her shoulder to find Marco standing behind her. He was dressed once more in a red surcoat, but this one had a golden butterfly on the front, and seemed to be made of a higher quality material. He had his new sword on his left hip.

“Oh, good evening, Marco. Yes, I’m alright.” She replied, letting out a short sigh.

Marco walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure? You seem… stressed.” His voice had some concern.

Eclipsa sighed, as there was no real reason to try and hide anything. “I’m not… the most comfortable at formal parties.”

“You don’t like parties?” Marco asked.

“Oh, no, I love parties. It’s just… I never really fit in with these people. Look at them.” She gestured towards all the party goers.

“They view themselves as the Universe’s greatest gift. They’re all here to celebrate the slaughtering of innocent monsters. Here to reap the rewards of sending peasants to die in war. A war I’m completely against.” Her voice had a tinge of anger in it as she spoke, and her expression showed it.

After a moment of scowling at the crowd, her face morphed into one of sadness. “I… never fit in with any of them. Or anyone, for that matter. I was always alone in the crowd. A Princess that doesn’t hate monsters? Ridiculous. A Queen that doesn’t want war with them? A person with an affinity to Dark Magic? She must be wicked.”

Eclipsa sighed, and her face became more downcast. “I’m just the black sheep of the royal family. Even mother thinks so, even though she never said it out loud.”

After a moment of silence, Eclipsa felt Marco place a hand on her shoulder. She looked to her right, and Marco was looking at her with a comforting smile. “Well, you’re not going to be alone tonight. Forget what those stuck up nobles think. You fit in with me.”

The kindness in Marco’s voice cheered Eclipsa up almost instantly. She smiled back at him and reached up to the hand he has on her shoulder. “Thank you Marco. Perhaps this night might not be so bad after all.”

“Oh, Eclipsa! There you are!”

As soon as that voice called out, Eclipsa’s face morphed into what can only be described as a mix of disgust, annoyance, and the sound of glass breaking. “Oh sweet Stump, why?”

The two teens turned to see where the voice was coming from. Eclipsa had a face of pained disgust while Marco had one of confusion. What could possibly make the future Queen of Darkness so uncomfortable?

They looked over and saw four noble boys walking their ways. Each of them has an air of arrogance and snootiness about them. But the worst of them was the one that was clearly the leader of the group. A rather short and porky boy. He has a mole on the left side of his mouth, though it does look fake. His hair is a powdered white, and pretty huge. His clothing is a baby blue color, consisting of a jacket, puffy shorts, white boots, and covered in jewels. His face was also powdered, covering his cheekmarks and what appears to be a fake mole.

When the group reached the duo, the smaller one walked up to Eclipsa and pushed Marco aside. While this annoyed Marco, he was even more annoyed by the amused looks the other boys had one their faces.

“Hello, Eclipsa darling! It’s so wonderful to see you again!” He said with an annoying, high pitched, overly posh voice.

Eclipsa took a small step away from him, not that she noticed. “Hello… you. Your presence tonight is very… admissible.”

“Why thank you my sweet!”

From this short interaction, Marco can tell that Eclipsa really did not like this guy (and he is inclined to agree). And the frilly midget either doesn’t notice or cares.

The short porkish boy continued to speak. “I couldn’t help but notice that you were all alone again, so I thought that I’d come to keep you company! Wasn’t that nice of me?”

By this point Eclipsa has had enough of the boy. She wants nothing more than to leave him and possibly go throw up somewhere. But something about what he said made a light bulb go off in her head. An idea formed in her head as a small smile formed on her face, and Marco was certain he saw her eyes glow for a brief moment.

“Alone? Why, whatever do you mean? I’m here with a friend!” Eclipsa’s voice did almost a 180. Her voice was almost sing-song, and far cheerier than it was before, and if not a bit patronizing.

The boy's face became one of surprise, with that of his posse following suit.

“O-oh? You have a friend with you? How… lovely.” His annoying voice sounded strained now, as if he was forcing himself from exploding. “And where is this f-friend of yours?”

Eclipsa stepped to the side and stood beside Marco, placing a hand on his shoulder as she continued to smile.

“Why, He’s right here! Meet my friend and teacher, Marco Diaz! Marco, meet my, urk… fiancé… Prince Sharastacan Spiderbite.”

And at that name, things started to make sense. Marco remembers Hekapoo mentioning him when she told him the story of Eclipsa, and how she enjoyed his death. And he’s starting to see why.

The group of noble boys stared at Marco, their faces showing no real expressions. They seem to just be looking him up and down judging him. But after a moment, the four young nobles bursted out laughing, the small one falling over.

“Eclipsa, I know you have odd tastes, but you can’t be friends with a commoner! They are actually beneath you!” The sounds of their snooty laughter, really digging into Marco’s skin, and making his ear bleed.

Marco has had enough of this pompous prick. “It’s better than being engaged to snobby midget in frilly, overcompensating pants.”

A round of gasps came from the boys, their faces showing shock and disgust.

“Pants?! Such FOUL language! And in the presence of a lady! Fear not, my dear! I shall defend your weak woman constitution!” Shastacan got to his feet, and stood in a poor excuse of a fighting stance. To Eclipsa, this was pathetic on many levels, especially since she herself started to learn how to fight.

She needed to stop the poor fool now, and hopefully get away from him.

“Shastacan, please stop, there’s not need-”

“Eclipsa, let me handle this.” Marco interrupted her. Marco stood before the diminutive prince and cleared his throat.

“Penis.”

And with that, Shastacan fell over backwards and fainted. The other three boys went over to help their fallen leader.Eclipsa had giggled, both at Shastacan’s misfortune and Marco’s choice of words.

This did not sit well with the snobby boys, who glared at the princess as they picked up Shastacan.

“Evil Princess laughing at others' pain. Her heart is as black as her magic!”

“A dirty peasant for an evil princess. How fitting.”

“More fitting than someone like her is to be Queen.”

Now this Marco would not take lying down. It was one thing to insult him, but another to insult his friends. He stomped his foot towards them, and placed his hand on his sword's handle. This was enough to scare the boys away, carrying the comatose prince.

Marco stared them down as they ran off, but took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He is more concerned about Eclipsa right now, and what those boys had said about her. “Eclipsa, are you-”

He turned to look at her, and was cut off by Eclipsa bursting into laughter. Marco was taken aback a bit by this reaction, but was glad that she is generally alright.

Eclipsa is unable to hold back her laughter, causing her to lean against Marco for support. Marco held her, making sure she didn’t fall, but soon succumbed to her infectious laughter.

The two laughed for a minute longer, eventually stopping to catch their breath. Eclipsa stood back up on her feet, and stopped her fit of laughter, but the smile on her face never left.

“That has been the most fun I have ever had at any of these parties. You should stick by me the next time that sad excuse of a royal comes to visit.”

“Oh don’t worry. So long as I’m here, I won’t let that rascal do anything to you. Whether he is your betrothed or not, I’ll make sure he’ll regret it.”

Eclipsa was extremely thankful she had Marco right now. She interlocked her arm around his and started walking with him. “Come, Marco. Let us enjoy the feast before mother eats it all… again.”

Marco smiled, and spoke with an unflattering imitation of the Fool Prince from earlier. “Well ofCOURSE darling, I would enjoy nothing more!”

The two threw their heads back laughing, enjoying the company of a good friend.

---

The hours have passed by quickly for the two, as they enjoyed each other's company. They had spent the night talking and playing games, as well as making fun of the snobby nobles behind their back. Queen Solaria was overjoyed to see her daughter have fun and smiling.

And like all good things, the banquet has to come to an end. A bit sooner than anyone had anticipated, but that’s only because Solaria had eaten most of the food in her good spirit. As the guests leave the castle grounds, our duo make their way into the castle. Mainly carrying the drunk sleeping Queen to her room, but also because they themselves needed sleep.

Marco had left Eclipsa at her room, and the two wished each other good night. Marco walked into the direction of his room, but he had no intentions of heading there. He walked silently down the halls, making sure he didn’t catch the attention of any of the guards patrolling.

After a few minutes, he had found his destination. The Royal Library. A treasure trove of books and knowledge only few are privileged to see. But more importantly for Marco, it is also an archive for magic books, both legal and illegal. And hopefully, his ticket back home.

Marco quietly went through the doors. He found himself surrounded by dozens of rows of bookshelves, brimming with, well, books.

“Now, where should I start?”He asked nobody in particular.

“If I were you, I’d start by aisle 15. There’s some books on clockwork there.” Replied the nobody.

Marco froze where he is. He wasn’t expecting for there to be anyone here. What’s worse, he recognised that voice. He turned around to see the small blue figure floating behind him.

“Hello, boy. It’s good to see you again.” Glossaryck said, a knowing smile on his face. “Or Perhaps I should say, It’s going to be nice to see you again.”

“Hello, Glossaryck. I was actually wondering if I’d run into you.” Marco said, now a bit calmer but still on his guard.

“I think everyone was wondering that. And to be honest, I wasn’t expecting to bump into you so soon. I was expecting this to be the timeline with Celena or Moon.”

“Wait, what?” Marco was confused by this statement.

“Oh nothing. So, what are you doing this late at night? Our for a midnight stroll?” His voice had slight taunting in it.

Marco sighed, not really wanting to play his games. “You know why I’m here. I need to get back to my own time.”

“Oh? Right after you had just promised to always protect Eclipsa from her idiot husband-to-be?”

Marco was silent for a moment. “I wasn’t lying, if that’s what you’re implying. I said I’d protect so long as I’m here. But I shouldn’t be here.”

“I see. So why not stay?” He said in his annoying mysterious voice.

Marco let out a groan. “Maybe it’s because time travel is illegal? Maybe it’s because I want to be with my friends and family? Or maybe it’s because I have probably caused irreparable damage to the timestream already?” It was clear in his voice

“All good reasons to stay!” The blue man said, with a somewhat cheery voice.

Once more the human boy groaned and threw his arms up in the air in frustration. “Can you just leave me alone? I have a lot of work to do.”

“Alright, alright. No need to get angry.” Glossaryck said with his arms raised in defense. “I’m just trying to give you some helpful advice.”

And with that, he flew out of the room, leaving Marco alone.

Marco sighed, and got back to what he was doing before. But the words Glossaryck bounced in his head as he went through the books.

He wasn’t trying to hurt Eclipsa. It’s just that he can’t be here. He’ll apologize when he gets back and everything will be back to normal, right?

~End