This is based off an idea generated from this post by @hidden-perceptions. Technically I already posted this last night, but I figured I’d give it its own post.

Anyway, this is a story about how, fourteen years in the future, one Marco Ubaldo Diaz, Junior, comes across a mysterious girl named Meteora. Hope you folks enjoy! And if you feel like reading anything else I’ve written, you can always check out the list here.

Echo Creek, California.

God, how he’d missed it.

As the interdimensional portal behind him closed, Marco Ubaldo Diaz paused to feel the warm Southern California air breeze past him. It wasn’t often these days that he got a chance to visit his hometown, and he was nearly overcome by a wave of nostalgia as he looked up and down the narrow street of his old neighborhood. For better or worse, some things had changed-many older houses had been bulldozed, replaced with new construction, and unfamiliar skyscrapers towered in the distance. But, he considered as he looked at the old house in front of him, the most important things were still the same.

He’d barely made it two steps forward before the door burst open to reveal Angie Diaz, wearing a faded green dress and a massive, beaming smile. Rushing out of the house, she ran straight into Marco and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing her son tight.

“Marco, it’s so good to see you!” She said, stepping back and looking up into his face. “How was your trip?”

“Aw mom, it was two steps! It’s not like I had to go through interdimensional customs or anything.” Marco said, chuckling.

“And I want to hear all about those steps!” Angie said, and sighed. “It’s just a shame your father isn’t here to see you, but he’s out at the grocery store right now picking up buns.”

“Geeze, you should’ve told me, I could’ve picked up some corn buns!” Marco said as the two began walking back towards the house. “There’s actually a monster I know who-“

“Oh Marco, it’s no big deal!” Angie said, stepping through the door. “You’re a big boy with a big job! We can handle a little grocery shopping.”

Marco shrugged and laughed. “Okay mom, if you say so.”

“And I do!” She said proudly. “Now take your shoes off and sit down, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Nodding, Marco kicked off his boots and flopped down onto the couch, spreading out his arms and sighing with content. “Gotta say, I love what you’ve done with the place.”

Angie glanced at him. “Uh, Marco, we haven’t done anything.”

Marco snapped his fingers, pointed at Angie, and grinned. “Exactly.”

Angie rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t get too excited, your father is dead set on redoing the kitchen this year.”

Marco laughed. “Pretty sure he says that every year, Mom, I wouldn’t get too worried.”

“Tell that to the four hours we spent looking at countertops last week,” she said. “I just hope you like granite.”

Marco chuckled again. “So, where’s Marco Junior, anyway? He still hanging around?”

“Oh sure, he’s probably up in his room,” Angie replied. Turning around, she walked over to the stairs, leaned on the banister, and shouted: “Marco Junior, come down and say hello to your older brother!”

A few seconds later Marco heard a door open and close, and within seconds he saw the tall, lanky figure of his younger brother shuffling down the stairs.

“Bro!” Marco exclaimed, leaping up from the couch. Hurrying over, Marco grabbed his younger brother and embraced him, marveling at how the fourteen year-old was already nearly as tall as he was. “Geeze, Mom, what are you feeding this kid?”

“It ain’t corn, that’s for sure.” Marco Junior said as his older brother released him from his embrace. “So, what are you doing in the neighborhood? Finally get tired of magic and monsters?”

“Never,” Marco grinned. “But I figured it’d be nice to stop in and see how my little bro’s doing.”

He laughed. “Not that you’re so little any more! Man, keep it up and you’re gonna be taller than me pretty soon.”

“Well hey, I’ve got to be able to beat you in something.” Marco Junior replied. “Unless you want to try me on the court again.”

Marco shook his head. “No, I think I learned my lesson last Thanksgiving.”

Marco Junior nodded. “Well hey, I’m just going to head to the bathroom real quick, and then you’re gonna have to tell me what you’ve been up to, okay bro?”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Marco said. Nodding again, Marco Junior stuffed his hands in his pockets and hustled back up the stairs, leaving Marco and Angie alone in the foyer.

“So, how’s he doing?” Marco asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“Not… great.” Angie said, gritting her teeth. “He got sent home again yesterday, and Principle Skeeves says he might be facing another suspension.”

Marco leaned back against the wall and sighed. “Ah, man. I’m sorry Mom. I-“

“Oh Marco, it’s not your fault.” Angie said reassuringly. “He just has some… issues he needs to work out.”

Marco shrugged. “I guess.”

“It’s funny, you know.” Angie said. “When he was born, your father and I thought that after raising you, Marco Junior would be a piece of cake.”

She chuckled. “Well, he sure showed us. Compared to him, you practically raised yourself!”

Marco smiled. “Ah, well…”

The smile slowly transitioned into a frown. “I just wish there was more I could do with him. I’d love to be around more often, but my job at the castle just keeps me so busy all the time. Heck, I was barely able to make it out tonight.”

Angie put her hand on Marco’s shoulder. “It’s alright son, I understand. And hey, you’re here tonight, right?”

Marco grinned. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Where’s Star, by the way?” Angie asked. “You said she was going to try and come out with you last time.”

“Ah, something came up at the last minute,” Marco said apologetically. “She wanted to let you know though that she would definitely be here next time, even if she had to drag the Magical High Commission along with her.”

Angie laughed. “Well, just let us know so we can set up enough chairs!”

Marco snorted, then looked up the stairs. “Huh, wonder what’s taking Junior so long.”

Angie shrugged, and Marco absentmindedly patted his back pocket.

He froze for a second, reached into it, and found nothing.

Standing up off the wall, he walked over to the couch in a mild panic. “Hey Mom, did you see my…”

He stopped and looked back towards the stairs as his brain made a sudden connection. “THAT LITTLE-“

———-

Marco “Dirt” Ubaldo Diaz Junior flipped his brother’s pair of dimensional scissors into the air, caught them as them as they came down, and laughed as he marveled at the incredible vista before him. Seconds ago, he’d been standing in the bathroom of his parent’s house in the suburbs of LA-and now, he was sitting on a rock near the peak of a mountain in another dimension, watching the sun slowly begin dip behind the adjacent peaks.

Stuffing the heavy steel scissors into his pocket, he slid off the rock and began making his way down the slope. A small part of him couldn’t believe what he’d just done-he’d stolen his brother’s most prized possession and used it to skip off to another dimension just so he wouldn’t have to sit through an awkward family dinner. It was stupid, it was brash, and it was incredibly short-sighted.

And he was loving it.

Sporting a manic grin, Dirt leaned back and slid down the steep mountainside, feeling the gravel slide beneath his feet. Then, his foot slipped-and before he could stop himself, Dirt began tumbling down the mountain, howling in pain as his body was battered by the ground.

Flailing wildly, Dirt reached out and miraculously latched on to the trunk of a dead sapling, his hand tightly clenching the dry bark as the rest of his body swung off the edge of the mountain. Looking back, Dirt’s heart skipped a beat as he saw his feet dangling over a hundred feet of open air, and then stopped completely as he saw the glint of Marco’s dimensional scissors disappearing into the abyss.

“Well Dirt,” he said to no one in particular, “This could be going better.”

“You think?”

Shocked, Dirt looked up and saw a girl staring down at him with a look of concern and bemusement.

“I mean…” Dirt said, grunting as he tried and failed to pull himself up, “It could be going worse.”

“You’ve been in this dimension for about fifty seconds and you’ve already managed to nearly kill yourself,” the girl said. “I mean, it’s impressive, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think you’re exactly in a place to equivocate.”

“Yeah, well…” Dirt said, “Could you, uh?”

She grinned. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Reaching out, she grabbed Dirt’s arm and effortlessly pulled him up off the edge, laying him down on the ground next to the dead sapling. For a moment, Dirt could only stare into the distance and take deep breaths, marveling at his own continued existence.

Looking back at his savior, he was momentarily taken aback by what he saw. She was unlike any girl he had ever seen, and it wasn’t just the purple dress or the shock of curly grey hair atop her head. No, he thought, it was probably the pointed ears, the sharpened teeth, and, of course, the long tail that poked out from underneath her worn dress.

In that moment, however, she could have been a floating disembodied horse head and Dirt couldn’t have cared less.

Standing up on his shaking legs, he stumbled forward and extended his hand towards the girl who’d just saved his life. “Uh… thanks. I’m Dirt.”

She looked down at his hand, back up at his face, and raised an eyebrow. “That’s not your name.”

“It… it sort of is!” Dirt said defensively.

She looked at him skeptically. “Uh huh.”

He sighed, and dropped his hand. “Well, anyway, thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, shrugging.

“So, uh… what are you doing up here?” Dirt asked, desperately trying to change the subject. “Didn’t exactly expect to see anyone around here.”

She laughed. “Trying to get away from my parents, mainly. And hey, can’t get much further away than here.”

Dirt nodded knowingly. “I feel you there.”

“So what about you?” she asked, looking the bruised and battered Dirt up and down. “What made you pick this particular mountain to barely not die on?”

“Okay, that wasn’t my intention.”

She flashed a wry grin. “So dying was your intention, then? Heh, sorry to interrupt.”

“Okay listen you-“ Dirt said, barely suppressing a laugh. “I’ll have you know I’m very good at not dying most days.”

“Well, I suppose the evidence would support that hypothesis, in spite of recent events.” She said. “Alright now, but seriously, what are you doing up here?”

“Same as you, trying to get away from my parents.” He said. “And my brother, I guess. Wasn’t trying to pick this mountain in particular,” he said as he shrugged sheepishly, “But I am kinda glad I did.”

“Mmm, I would be too.” She nodded. “So, what are your plans now, Mister… Dirt,” she said, rolling his name across her tongue, “Planning on hopping over to any other dimensions to commit attempted self-homicide in?”

“So, uh, funny story…”

She stared at him, looked over at the cliff edge, and buried her face in her hand. “Oh, no.”

“Yeeeaaahhhh” he said through clenched teeth.

She sighed, rolled her eyes, and looked Dirt straight in the face. “You are a complete catastrophe, you know that?”

“I’ve been referred to as such, yes.” Dirt said flatly.

She threw up her hands, shook her head, and turned around. “Well come on, let’s go. We don’t have much daylight left.”

Dirt stared at her, shocked. “You’re helping me? Again?”

She turned back and looked at him, confused. “Uh, yeah. People help each other, right? I mean, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“No, I mean, they do, I just…” he sighed. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

She nodded, and began moving forward. Together, the two began the long and slow descent down the mountain, cautiously clambering down the weathered slopes and worn rock faces. All the while, Dirt couldn’t keep his eyes off the girl-there was a certain intensity about her, in the way she spoke and in the way she moved, and he couldn’t help but wonder who she really was.

“So,” he said as he slid down a narrow slope, “You never did tell me your name.”

“To be fair, you didn’t either,” she said, ducking under a withered branch along the path.

“Hey, my friends call me Dirt,” he replied. “Does it really matter what my parents call me?”

She paused to look back at Dirt for a second, and shrugged. “Ehhhh?”

“Still though, I see what you’re saying,” she continued. “But… why Dirt? That’s not exactly the most exciting name.”

“It’s from my initials.” Dirt said, turning to his side as he passed through a narrow crevasse. “MUD, like mud, right? Well, back in elementary school, some people started calling me Dirt, so I stuck with it.”

“That’s… huh.” She said. “I mean, I suppose I can see the logic in it, but…”

“Hey, if they were gonna do it anyway, why not own it?” He said. “At least it’s better than my real name.”

“Your real name must be pretty bad, then.” She said, grinning. “Is it… Maurice?”

“No.”

“Mortimer?”

“No.”

“Milhouse?”

“I wish,” Dirt said. “Nah, it’s-well I’m not gonna say what it is, but it’s my brother’s name.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Your parents named you after your brother?”

“Long story,” he said. “But yeah, he’s like a lot older than me, so they decided to name me after him once he left the house.”

“That’s… a little messed up.”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Yeah.”

He shrugged. “Still, what can you do? Doesn’t help either that my brother is, like, really smart, and that he’s got this really important job. I just… I just can’t measure up to that, you know?”

He sighed. “I mean, what can you do?”

The two continued their gradual descent down the dark mountain trail, with the girl leading the way and Dirt doing his best to follow her. It wasn’t easy-the sun’s light had long been replaced by a rapidly darkening twilight, and the path was littered with obstacles. The darkness didn’t seem to hinder the girl at all, however, and by mirroring her movements Dirt was able to make a respectable go of it.

“Alright, we’re almost there.” The girl said. “What do the scissors look like?”

“Steel coating, with a little flame on them.” Dirt reported. “Really sharp, really shiny.”

“Well, that’s good, should make them easier to find.” She said. “Now we just…”

As she rounded the corner around a rock, her eyes widened, and she practically leaped straight backwards.

“You’re kidding me!” she hissed. “You have to be kidding me!”

“What’s up?” Dirt whispered.

She looked back at Dirt, furious. “Do you realize what you did?”

Dirt stared at her. “Uh, no, that’s why I’m asking.”

She groaned. “You dropped those scissors straight into a den of Verusian Mountain Lions. Verusian!”

Dirt bit his lip. “I’m guessing that’s bad.”

She nodded rapidly. “A little!”

Cautiously, Dirt snuck up to the rock, and peered around. Approximately fifty feet away, he saw his brother’s dimensional scissors standing straight up in the dirt atop a small hill-and surrounding it was a half-dozen slumbering lion-like creatures, their hides painted in pastel colors and their tails ending in barbed stingers.

“Well that’s not ideal,” he said as he slinked back behind the rock. “So, what’s the play?”

She glanced at him. “The play?”

“The game plan. The playcall. What we’re gonna do to get those scissors back.”

She nodded. “Right. The play.”

Nervously, she crept back around the rock and examined the field before her. “Right. I didn’t want to do this, but I do have one idea…”

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a long, spindly wand, pointed it towards the scissors, and whispered “Levitato”.

Before Dirt’s eyes, a blue beam of magical energy reached out from the wand and enveloped the scissors, lifting them gently from the ground. As they rose into the air, the girl jerked back on her wand, and the scissors began to slowly fly through the air towards the pair.

And then, out of the corner of his eye, Dirt saw something move.

Instinctively Dirt threw himself onto the girl and knocked them both to the ground. As they fell, the connection between the wand and the scissors broke, sending the object soaring into the dirt a dozen yards away-And then, a heartbeat later, Dirt felt a rush of wind as a Verusian Lion soared overhead, sailing right into the rock face and crashing to the ground.

Dirt and the girl rolled over and stared for a moment at the creature as it slowly clambered to its feet, growling menacingly. Turning to face the two, it stepped forward, opened its mouth, and roared.

Dirt had never seen so many teeth in his entire life.

Then, a brilliant burst of energy shot out from next to him and exploded against the creature, sending it crashing back into the rock. Twisting his head left, Dirt saw the girl’s wand hum momentarily with magical energy, before she lowered it and began to breathe again.

She turned to look at him. “That-“

She was interrupted by another roar. Scrambling to their feet, Dirt and the girl watched as the Lion charged again, baring its massive fangs in a symbol of pure rage. The girl shot another blast from her wand-but this time the creature was ready, and leaped over the magical beam.

What it couldn’t dodge, however, was Dirt’s fist. Throwing the punch with all of his might, Dirt caught the creature in the throat and sent it crashing to the ground, its razor-sharp claws missing the girl by mere inches. The girl raised her wand again, and this time she couldn’t possibly miss-and with one more blast, the creature was knocked into unconsciousness.

Dirt took a deep breath, shaking his head. “Man, that was some nice work right there.”

“Yeah,” she said, “You didn’t do too bad yourself.”

She took her own deep breath. “Alright, now let’s get the scissors and-“

She trailed off, and instead began to stare in horror as a dozen Verusian Lions emerged from the darkness around them, their brightly-colored bodies glowing softly in the rising moonlight.

“Well Dirt,” the girl said, “I think we may have made a mistake.”

“Hey, don’t be taking the credit for my mess,” Dirt chuckled nervously. “I want this to be made out as 100% my fault on my tombstone, you hear?”

“Well…” the girl tried to reply, and stopped. “Sorry, I’m a bit too terrified right now to come up with a witty response.”

Dirt bit his lip. “I, uh, can’t blame you.”

Together, the two backed up towards the rock wall behind them as the Verusian Lions slowly closed in, fangs barred. The girl raised her wand in response, and Dirt could see it physically shaking in her hands.

“Hey, Dirt?”

“Yeah?”

“My name’s Meteora.”

Dirt looked at the girl briefly. “Meteora,” he said. “Man, what a cool name.”

He sighed. “My name is Marco Junior.”

She laughed. “Ha, that is a dumb name!”

Dirt gave out a brief, terrified laugh, and then screamed as the first Verusian Lion began to pounce.

And, in that instant, there was a flash of light.

Dirt and Meteora stared as a sword flew out of nowhere and caught the creature in the side, sending it crashing to the ground in a bloody heap. As the rest of the pack turned in unison to face the unexpected threat, a golden portal opened up from above, and a white-skinned woman in an orange dress dropped down from the sky. Shouting, she dove on the Lions in a furious charge, tearing at them with a pair of split scissors.

“Come on!” Dirt shouted, and grabbed Meteora’s hand. Together, they dashed towards Marco’s fallen scissors, and Dirt snatched them triumphantly from the ground.

“Dirt, I need to get out of here,” Meteora said, grabbing his hand. “I know who those people are, and if they find me-“

Dirt looked at her and nodded, planting the scissors in her hands. “Get out of here. I’ll try to stall for you.”

Meteora looked down at the scissors, back up at Dirt, and hugged him. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Hey, you saved my life twice today, it’s the least I can do. Now go!”

As Meteora opened up a dimensional portal behind him, Dirt ran back towards the fray. Rounding the corner, he could see that the fight was practically over already-most of the Lions laid dead or dying on the ground, and the few that remained alive were beating a hasty retreat towards the distant treeline.

Through the darkness, a tall, armored figure began to approach Dirt. Sighing, Dirt walked towards the figure and looked up as it removed its heavy helmet, revealing his brother’s weary face.

“Marco Ubaldo Diaz Junior,” he said, “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Hey Bro,” Dirt said nonchalantly. “Hey Heckapoo.”

“You know, if you wanted your own pair of scissors, all you had to do was ask,” she said, and grinned. “Only took your brother sixteen years, think you can beat his record?”

Dirt gulped. “I’d… rather not.”

“Let’s stay focused here, people,” Marco said. “First things first: Marco Junior?”

Dirt sighed. “Yes?”

“My. Scissors.”

Dirt winced. “I don’t…”

Heckapoo pointed out past Dirt. “Hey, Muscles, isn’t that them?”

Dirt turned, and to his immense relief saw the scissors lying on the ground, the handle sticking up out of the dirt. Looking up, he saw a slight blue shimmer in the sky high above, which quickly winked out of existence.

As Marco glared at Dirt, Heckapoo walked over to the scissors, pulling them out of the dirt and wiping them off. “Well, they’re a little battered, but they should be alright.”

Dirt opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “Marco… I…”

Marco stared silently at Dirt.

“I’m sorry,” Dirt said. “I just wanted…”

He trailed off, leaving nothing but silence and the gentle crackle of Heckapoo’s flame.

At long last, Marco sighed, and took his scissors from Heckapoo. “Alright, let’s head back.”

“Back home?” Dirt asked.

Marco shook his head. “Not quite.”

———-

Dirt hadn’t been sure what to expect.

This wasn’t his first visit to Butterfly Castle. He and his parents had visited the palace many times over the years, enjoying the feasts and reveling in old King River’s stories of battle and glory.

This, however, was different. This was Marco’s office-a small, cramped space near the throne room that was filled with paperwork, office supplies, and weapons.

Lots of weapons.

“Look, I’m not going to lie.” Marco said, sitting behind his desk as Dirt took a seat in front of it. “When I found out you stole my scissors, I was… mad. And I’m still not thrilled about it.”

Dirt shook his head. “I told you, I’m sorry. It was dumb of me, and it won’t happen again.”

Marco looked at him. “Maybe. Tell me though, Dirt, how are your classes going?”

“Uh…” Dirt said, “Not… great?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Marco said. “Have any plans for the summer?”

“Well, me and my friend Jimmy were going to start a band…”

“Mmm-hmm.” Marco said again. “Tell you what, I’ve got a different idea.”

He stood up, and leaned against his desk. “As luck would have it, there’s an opening around here for a new squire-mine. And from where I’m sitting, I just to happen to think that you’re my number-one candidate.”

Dirt stared at him. “You can’t be serious.”

Marco smiled. “But I am. See, I already talked to mom, talked to dad, talked to Star, even had a quick phone call with Skeeves. And, look, Junior, I’m not asking you to throw everything away to become a knight. You don’t even have to be a squire if you really don’t want to. But-for the next couple months at least-I think it might be good for you to stay here with me on Mewni, put some time in with a good job, and get yourself back on track.”

Dirt sighed. “I don’t really have a choice here, do I?”

Marco took a deep breath. “I’m not going to make you do this. If you’re dead set against it, you can go home, and I’m honestly willing to forget this happened. But I am asking you to really think about it-this could be a good opportunity for you, one you’re not going to have back in Echo Creek.”

Dirt looked around the office, taking in the stacks of wrinkled paperwork and the polished swords lining the walls. He thought about his friends back home, and his disused Stratocaster.

And, he thought of Meteora.

“Alright,” he said, “I’ll do it.”

Marco walked up and hugged his brother tightly. “Thank you, Junior. I swear, you’re not going to regret this.”

“Kinda already am.” Dirt wheezed from deep within Marco’s grasp.

Marco laughed, releasing his brother. “Alright, alright. I’ve still got some stuff to take care of, but Star already had them set you up with a room. It’s just down the hall, five doors to the left, can’t miss it. And don’t stay up too late, since we’ve got an early day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Dirt reluctantly nodded, and exited the office. Shaking his head, he walked down the hallway and stopped at a nearby window to gaze at the mountains in the distance.

If nothing else, he considered, this summer was going to be a lot more interesting than he’d thought it would be.