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Chapter 1

Ancient History

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The Butterfly Castle stood above all of Mewni, sheltering the peasants under it's protective shade. It also provided some relief to the knights, warriors and squires training in the many battlegrounds, since King River's reign as leader they were all pushed into a strict routine by Queen Moon to get them in fighting form. They could have pushed back Ludo when he arrived, but because of the lax hand River had on them, they easily fell prey due to sloth, exhaustion, disorganize structure and many things else.

The warriors were clad in full chain mail and plate armor, using swords, lances, axes, halberds, morning stars, shields and whatnot to do their drills. It was quickly apparent how serious it was when the waft of sweaty breath and body order linger on the air and into anyone's unfortunate nostrils.

A lone squire sat amongst the shade of a tree, doing his best not to gag at the sudden invasion of nasty. He fought to keep his mouth closed, lest allow the smell to fall upon his tongue and taste the rank stench of a hundred odd troops so early in the morning. He wanted to train with them all, but after his first run in with them, how they taunted him and purposely tried to hinder and even hurt him, he merely sat in the shade out of view.

Watching them usually led to him later training with the utmost vigor, but lately he could hardly muster the enthusiasm to get out off bed and drag himself across the castle. While he was his liege, the castle staff and attendants were curt and impassive, however the moment he was alone he could feel the change in atmosphere, it as if they were looking at a stray dog.

He shook his head bitterly, even a stray dog wouldn't be treated so poorly…

He sighed and looked towards the sky, it was definitely different from what he was used to, shades of blue he had never seen before or the tinge of pink and orange. He looked on for a minute before standing and walking off, however his departure did not go unnoticed,

"Looks like the royal squire is playing hookie! What too good to be sweating out here like the rest of us?! Speak when spoken to MARCO!"

Marco Diaz didn't bother answering as he left the training grounds and walked out of the expansive castle, his thoughts muddled with thoughts of throwing Higgs into a moat full of hungry monsters.

The farmers, peasants and unwashed didn't pay Marco much mind, occasionally trying to swindle him or play games involving mud. He wandered through the place until he stopped at the magical barrier Queen Moon had recast to protect them all. Marco looked at it for a moment before walking around it's circumference, it covered quite the area, even the Mewni corn crop was protected.

He stopped in front of the forest beyond it, his thoughts going back to when Star brought his parent here for a little excursion. He survived the forest before and calmly walked in, keeping an observant eye for all sorts of dangers that lurked inside. If King River could traverse the place every time he was fed up with the castle, Marco could handle it.

"It's a lot quieter than last time…" Marco said aloud, he glanced around, seeing less fauna than usual. He avoided some very spiny plants and vines, he took a turn down a trail as the flora started to be less thorny and much more tame and managed. Marco continued to walk, enjoying the more welcoming scenery, "Ah, much better…?"

He stopped and looked around, seeing a sudden change in the flora, he glanced back and felt his gut twist: he could see the magical barrier, he was outside of it. He quickly walked back only to misstep and Marco found himself suddenly sliding downwards, he clawed his hands as he slowed before reaching the bottom.

"Darn it!" Marco huffed, seeing himself a tad dirty from the slide, he looked around unsure where he could climb the slope with the least amount of dirt and mud getting on him. He paused as he looked around more closely, something seemed off about the the vegetation, while it wasn't completely landscaped it didn't looked as if it was wild and overgrown like the parts he had seen from the forest.

"This is like a grove…" Marco said to himself, walking between the trees, he smiled when it led to a clearing, he could find himself a path back to civilization! He ran forward, temporarily leaving his Safe Kid persona for the first time since he stepped foot on Mewni.

"WATCH WHERE YOU STEP YOU ARSE!"

Marco nearly jumped out of skin at the sudden yell, adrenaline hammering in his veins and his heart in his throat. The earthling took a combative stance, unsure where the yell had come from and ready to apologize.

.

.

.

Marco frowned and looked around: no one was around. Just more trees, bushes and the breeze, Marco felt as if someone had pulled a fast one on him and he shook his head, "Geez, I have to go back."

"Quite rude to just leave, I guess I don't deserve an apology."

Marco whipped head around again, this time sweat dampened his hoodie, his eyes darting all over the place, "S-sorry?"

"…alright lad, I forgive you. Scared ya, didn't I?"

Marco could hear the voice clearly, he silently hoped he wasn't going insane, just more problems to pile on top of the others…

"Er, I'll be going now."

No response.

Marco took tentative steps away, he looked around carefully for anyone hiding amongst the growth, just before he left the clearing he spotted a slight weathered stone, just barely jutting out of the grass, it looked like the remains of a tombstone.

.

Marco found himself back inside the castle again, taking detours that let him bypass most of the staff and allowed him back in the haven of his room. He threw himself on his bed, looking at the ceiling and thinking to himself, thinking about his family, his friends and even his school, he actually missed it.

Sighing, Marco sat up and thought aloud, "What am I even doing here…?"

Tad's words came blaring in his ears and he wanted rebuke it immediately, but the more he thought of it, the more he thought of reasons why he was here. Why he needed to be here.

Are you here for Star?

Or yourself?

"God, I hope that wasn't…it." Marco rubbed his right arm for a moment before he quietly reflected on what he had accomplished since he got here. He didn't want to admit it, but it was abysmal to what he had done before on Mewni. He was here in support for Star…but he played such a small role, if any actually.

It made him feel as if he was waiting for something to happen, to be thrust into the limelight once again, am I…am I just waiting to be needed again? Waiting for disaster?

Marco shook his head angrily, kicking himself for thinking that, but a small voice agreed, he wanted to be needed. To be a hero. To not be the Safe Kid. He wanted to reinvent himself and being in Mewni gave him that chance, no one here knew him, his history or reputation, he could make himself anything he wanted.

He slumped on his desk, despite his service to Mewni, it seemed no matter how momentous it was, he came back and seemingly no one cared he risk life and limb for the foreign kingdom.

Heck, even King River was sure he wasn't coming back and gave him a mucky cape.

The memory seared his pride and trust for the King, he hands turned into fists and he felt the sudden desire to split his desk with a vicious karate chop. He ruefully smiled at the thought, breaking his arm in a similar fashion before, he reined in his anger and walked over to his bed and laid there until dinner was being prepared.

The meal was uneventful, Star had her little party to prepare so she ate and excused herself rather quickly, Moon ate in a dignified pace and River ate with the speed and finesse of a hungry wolf. Marco ate his meal of butter corn and corn bread with a side of mutton in silence before thanking the two hosts and cook before wandering out of the castle again.

It was night, the stars glimmered and sparkled above him as he walked through the town again, he was unsure where he was going, just letting himself steer at a whim.

And he found himself back to the place where he first heard the voice, strange enough he had a feeling that monsters avoided the place, he didn't know what led him back but he felt compelled to return.

"Ah, back so soon lad?"

"Who are you?" Marco asked to no one in particular.

There was a silence in the grove before the voice chuckled and spoke again, this time it was tired, "I don't suppose my name endured the ages…well lad I am but a lowly warrior, fought and died establishing the Mewman Kingdom, later renamed to the Butterfly Kingdom."

Marco blinked at the information, "You're a ghost?"

"I am, I suppose, 'tis been many a years since I drew breath. However, I could never move on…unfinished business I have left on this world."

Marco tugged on his hoodie before he gathered some twigs and tinder, rubbing stick he made himself a tiny flame to weather the cold of the evening.

"Would you like to hear my story, boy?"

"…sure, I would like to hear what Mewni was like before you made monsters out to be evil." Marco said the last part without an edge, saying it just for the sake of it.

There was silence for a moment before the voice asked, "I dunno where you heard that but we were at each other's throats constantly eons before my birth, I was orphaned from one of their raids."

"But from what I read you fought monsters here, most of them weren't as powerful as the Mewmans, they were massacred."

"The monsters here are nothing like the ones we were drove from our previous lands, but make no mistake it was a war that only got worse because monsters from afar came here and stirred trouble."

Marco frowned, listening to the story of the warrior of old,

"We've gone off topic long enough let's see…I was born in a faraway land from here, when I was a wee child my town was raided and I was the few lucky but miserable survivors. I scavenged, begged and sometimes stole to keep myself alive until I found myself standing before the militia, after I had exhausted myself with all I had done. The months I spent cold, alone and vengeful finally forced me to join the banding warriors and survivors, as a small child who knew little about letters, numbers and workings of the world I was put through manual labor and chores until I was a page. My education was spotty so I had to spend time with gruff instructors to learn to read, write and speak befitting my meager station.

"Time came when I would become a squire, by then the band I had joined begun to take shape, government and nobility became more concrete, structure for society and technology and most importantly magic was found. A select few could wield it, but so few made it so easy for our enemies to assassinate them, they needed troops and mighty knights to supplement their low numbers. We fought bitterly with the monsters, pushing from the lands to new ones until we came here, by then I was a knight, baptized on the battlefield."

"Wait so that's when you came here right? So that means the magic wielding group was the Butterflys!"

"Yes, few in numbers but plenty in power; they moved up in society and became nobles and royalty, their prowess on the battlefield could not be denied as they easily turned the tide of battle in our favor always. By then the scribes, storytellers and bards began to chronicle their stories, sitting them in history as royalty however by then most of the monsters that had followed us had eventually died off or went into hiding. The monsters here were not as vicious as the one we had fought before, however our blood was thick with war and we easily slew them, hence the misunderstanding you have of the Mewmans of that time.

"Towards the end of the war and the establishing of Mewni, I was slain and fell in battle, however I was not remembered by Mewnman historians like the countless heroes and warriors of my time…like my friends. I was but an poor orphan, clawing my way up in the brutal world. Ironically, the monsters I fought bitterly and viciously were the ones who preserved my history and memory, even my final resting place was made by them even if my gravestone has crumbled away. However, I am forever grateful to them."

"That's very kind of them." Marco replied.

"Well, boy, he was very kind to me."

Marco leapt to his feet as a well dressed lizard stood before him, Marco fell into a fighting stance, he had a sinking feeling he just got himself into a trap, stupid, stupid Marco! Great.

The lizard looked at him with mild surprise, "I'm not here to fight, I'm actually surprised someone here likes to talking to a dear old friend of mine."

"Ah, lad this is the monster I saved in my living days."

"I have a few names, but you may refer to me as Buttercup."

"…you got any more intimidating names?" Marco asked sarcastically.

The lizard chuckled, he looked like a gecko, he had pale gray skin and tawny eyes, coupled with a formal white shirt and black trousers and bowtie.

"How about…Marrow Eater?"

"…Yeah, Buttercup is fine."

The lizard laughed before walking away, "Be sure to put out that flame, I would not like my grove to burnt to a crisp. Come back again if you wish to talk to my friend, he is quite the chatter box."

Marco looked at the retreating lizard before kicking some dirt over the fire, delving himself back into the shadows of the night. He took cautious steps back before turning and sprinting for the magical barrier, with the pale starlight he could retrace his steps and he leapt full body through the protective dome as if Buttercup would suddenly slam into it.

Marco looked outside the dome, waiting for glaring eyes and claws raking the dome but when nothing came, he sighed in relief and walked back to the castle. He decided to see if the ghost had told the truth and visited the library, taking history books and scrolls and read them.

True to the ghost's words, the Mewman historians only begun to document their humble beginnings after they landed on the new land, all he read that they came from afar and were already geared for war, just as the ghost had spoken of. There were many battles before the kingdom was established, the treaties made, alliances and other important events but nothing that Marco didn't need to know.

He read the battles, hoping to find the ghost's identity but Marco could not identify whether he died in a recorded battle, ambush or unnamed skirmish.

Tired at the reading and story telling, Marco stuffed the books and scrolls back and walked back to his room, his laser puppies having returned and all asleep in a basket draped with a thick blanket.

Marco petted them before resigning himself to his bed, he yawned and turned over,

"I'm never going back there again."

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Another fanfic added to the collection, I didn't want to make another fanfic when I have so many unfinished ones, but it really crept up on me. The plot came from such a righteous conversation I had with someone on iFunny and it heckled me until I wrote it, now I know I'm going to be juggling far more than I can handle.

Pray for my sanity and timely updates.

Ciao,

I AM NRG

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