[Interlude-Blooming Villain]

Mint

"11:04 Marco's alarm is ringin'. Just out our window, the pretty birds are singin'. On these types of mornings, there's nothing more I like to do! Then hop on his back and preeh-ss snooze." A child's singing voice reverberated off the walls. The tiny puppy bounced onto her owner's back silencing his phone alarm that was sliding off the edge of his bedside desk. Mint turned off the many backup alarms littered around the floor of the nightstand, she could stand to listen to their blearing only a few more rings before she too became infected by their infectious beat. Not only that but hearing it too many times would dampen her peppy spirit.

"Marco..." She pressed her wet nose on his cheek. He writhed a bit, tucking his covers and flipping over on the bed making Mint hit the floor with an audible plop. The ice elemental harrumphed, shaking the dust from her white fur and getting back onto her feet. "I'm gonna go see if your parents are still around, ok?" Marco made a few more noises, taking that as acknowledgment Mint nudged the door open and froze her paws.

She climbed to the ceiling and made a bee-line for the master bedroom, then to the kitchen downstairs. With one quick exploration of both locations, she deduced that there was no one in the house but her and Marco, next was the shed outside, and that was devoid of people but not of taste. Rafael's portraits had a particular flair to them that Mint could only describe as eccentric. Most of them were of scenes and places that Mint had seen while browsing on Marco's laptop. There was a picture of rivers flowing through a desert, a palace collapsing, and strange cat with a yellow bandana and utility belt.

All these pictures on their own were amazing but of them all, a picture near the back was her favorite to look at. It was a bit amateurish but the portrait held an aura of care and love to it that no other possessed. It depicted Angie, tears in her eyes as she held a newborn Marco. Rafael had his arms wrapped around his family as he too cried with his wife while the child with his stubby fingers pulled on the hairs on his father's forearm. Seeing the painting made her feel a bit melancholic.

The sorrow and loneliness was something she knew too well back from her days in the realm of ice, wandering wherever she wanted to go but without anyone by her side. The few brethren she had all went to sleep with the snow and ice, so she had walked the frozen planes alone. Mint would have gone mad had she not hear his voice calling out to her, and as gratitude for his companionship Mint would do everything to help Marco out.

She trotted back into Marco's room and saw that he was still clutching his stuffed bunny tightly. Mint sighed, an aurora of colors surrounded her, and her form shifted to a humanoid. Her feet pitter-pattered against the floorboard as she walked to the bed, she pulled the sleeves of her dress before wiggling her fingers in front Marco's face: "Marco..." she whispered a final time, and he did not respond other than a twitch of his eyebrows, she huffed and her hand glowed.

The temperature in the room dropped, icicles formed on the door's frame, the windows cracked. "Wake up I'm hungry!" Spikes shot through the mattress a moment after Marco jerked away from her cold fingers and clung to the ceiling and wide eyes like a cat that had been chased by a pack of rabid wild dogs. "Yay! You're awake!"

"G-g-good morning Mint." Marco sniffled. He unhinged himself from the ceiling observing the decrepit state his room was now in. "I'm assuming since you're in your human form and did all...this, my parents are out of the house."

"Yep!" She patted her chest. "I checked everywhere and they are one hundred percent gone!"

"Cool then do you mind turning off the ice?" Mint nodded to herself sucking the ice back into her being. The bed, however, was still destroyed and the windows were still cracked. Marco sighed to himself as the girl climbed and started bouncing on his shoulders while pointing to the exit: "What do you want to eat Mint?"

"Can we have ice cream?" She asked with a pleading tone.

"No. Not until you've had proper food. Dessert without anything else isn't good for a growing child." He said sternly.

"Humph!" She pouted before another delicacy came to her mind: "Can you make your nachos then?"

"Okay, I think I can do that. Doubt they'll be as good as Dad's but I'll try my best." He nodded to himself and made for the kitchen, Mint climbed on top of his head to be even taller and was amused by how good Marco balanced her as he started making them their breakfast. It was always fun to watch Marco cook, the way he moved so quickly and gracefully in the kitchen and measured and cut things in perfect slices was really eye-catching.

Then the meal was done and Marco placed her onto the couch before carrying the rest of the breakfast menu to the table and turned on the TV for her and zapping until finding a karate flick and settling down with her to munch on food and enjoy watching a simple movie. Just the two of them together, cuddling and eating junk food and watching movies without anyone intruding. She loved him more and more with each day they spent was really precious to her, much more than he could ever fathom.

-Later-

"Analysis of subject is underway." Janna turned her camera to the pair in the park. Jackie skid to a halt with her skateboard. She raised an eyebrow at her slow-moving partner. Marco scooted along behind her, fighting to keep his balance. "The body snatcher displays a lot of qualities similar to the real Marco, so much that his parents have only taken minor notice, but this is the day I shall reveal the truth."

"Janna? What are you doing in that bush?" Jackie pulled away from the leaves.

"It appears I have been found out. What crimes shall they commit now that my cover is blown? What monstrous acts will they inflict upon my defenseless self?" She muttered in a dark foreboding voice.

"Why do you like Janna again?" Marco questioned aloud, cocking his head to the side, pondering the great mystery before him.

Janna emerged from the brush with a clear flask in her hand that was marked with a cross: "Be purified body snatcher!" She shouted, pushing Jackie away and splashing Sol with the uncorked bottle's contents: "With this may the evil spirit within your body be cleansed Marco!"

Jackie blinked twice at the scene: "Janna, why did you splash Marco in the face with...Hobo Jib's holy water supreme?"

"Right. Why did you do that?" Marco asked, his eyebrow twitching.

"The malicious aura," Janna whispered. "It still surrounds his body even now. Hobo Jib's holy water wasn't enough it seems."

"Is she talking to herself?" Marco whispered to Jackie.

"Kind of like you, huh?" Jackie whispered back with a teasing smile.

"Hey! I monologue. There's a clear difference Jackie, and as for you Janna, how could you be so idiotic? You think a little water's going to bump me out of my body." His face was showing his annoyance but a tiny twinkle in his eye showed that he was also amused.

"Are you guys playing a game?" Jackie asked, reasoning that if Marco was enjoying then this must be a game of some sort.

A light turned on inside Janna's mind: "Jackie doesn't know that Marco is acting out of the ordinary. He wants to lead as normal a life as possible while he is Marco so he can prance around and be the Dark Emperor dork that he actually is in secret, and he won't attack me for some reason... He wants me to play my 'role', so why not get Jackie to play hers too since they're such good friends." A Cheshire grin blossomed on her face as she stared at Marco's big brown eyes, though his face stayed passive his eyes reacted to her musings well enough to give her an idea on how to derail his nefarious plans!

She turned to her dear friend, keeping Marco at the corner of her sight to take delight at his reactions: "We totally are Jackie." She said throwing her arm over the other girl's shoulder and pulling her close to her and allowing her to look at the amusing expression on Marco's face: "It's a game called Exorcism, Marco's got an evil spirit inside of him and if we don't get it out it might corrupt him forever and ever."

"Whoa," Jackie's eyes glittered as she too took in the amusing look of panic on Marco's face: "That sounds like fun. How do we play?"

Marco, for his part, looked between the two pleasantly smiling girls: "Jackie you can't be serious."

Janna chuckled: "Since the holy water didn't work we need to move onto stage two. We will use garlic to weaken him to our wiles since the path to a man's heart is through their stomach, then when he is suitably cowed we shall take his heart with this blessed wooden stake! Follow my lead girl!" With that she rushed forwards, aiming to stuff a large clove of garlic down his throat.

He dodged her charge and then grabbed a tanned pair of hands, holding another clove of garlic: "Jackie! You can't be serious! Please tell me you aren't listening to her." Jackie just smiled at him, warming his heart before his senses picked up Janna, jumping at his unprotected back, he sidestepped, letting go of Jackie and then blinking.

Janna's charge could not stop midair, thus when he dodged she slammed into Jackie and both of them fell to the ground in a... Compromising position, namely Jackie was down on her back breathing hard and blushing, Janna on top of her, covering Jackie's shorts under her skirt and holding her hands above Jackie's head, face inches apart and both wide-eyed. "Wow."

And that single comment was enough to snap their attention back to him, Janna jumped up, pulling Jackie with her and glared at him: "You fiend! I, Janna the exorcist shall punish you for the humiliation you put me through!" Jackie did not say anything, though the deep blush and the intense look she was shooting his direction told him whose she was.

"Hey it wasn't my fault! You were the one trying to jump me!" He yelled as he backed off, not noticing the deepening of their blushes as they advanced upon him.

"Get back here Notco! You faker!" She yelled as she ran at him, he did not stay to find out about her intentions and started running away.

"Wait up Janna!" He heard Jackie yell as she got onto her skateboard and turned to look and found both girls were using the skateboard to make the chase easier.

Higgs

Wood splintered on the ground while a chorus of whistles and cheers signaled the conclusion of the exhibition match. Her opponent conceded. "Winner! Squire, Higgs Lapkus!" The Butterfly kingdom's staple crop and confetti streamed through the air to congratulate the winner.

Nobles from other kingdoms, multiple knights, and even the Butterflies had taken time out of their schedule to see this prestigious day to celebrate Mewni's next generation of knights. She had trained day and knight for the past year just for this day, and she was acknowledged by the kingdom's greatest knight.

"Not to ruin the mood but as you both know recently there has been an increase in Monster activity, as well as a ruffian who has assailed many noble houses. However, we do not know what either group aims yet we cannot sit here and wait for their next move! These forces of evil are great and not to be trifled with, it is our duty to deal with these scoundrels!" Knight Lavabo exclaimed grandly and with conviction.

His voice then softened as he looked upon the two before him: "I am proud to see you graduate from your training and become a fully fledged squire but your safety is not a guarantee. If you wish, you may decline and return to the ordinary lives you had beforehand and no one shall think less of you."

"No, sir!" The girl replied without hesitation: "We, Mewmen, shall suffer no evil!"

Lavabo nodded: "Your resolve is indeed admirable." He took their hands: "And your true training is done so far. Now..." He took a breath, and his gaze intensified, making the girls try to straighten ever more under his watch to show their respect: "Will you risk your life and limb to keep the Butterfly Kingdom and all of Mewni safe?"

"I Will!" She yelled.

He laughed: "Then I hope you flourish into a great knight, and may the one you are assigned to foster your talents to carry on the mantle of Mewman Knights ever proudly."

"I will do you proud, Sir!" Higgs shouted again and Sir Lavabo patted their shoulders before letting them go, the ceremony was over.

The orange haired girl stared into the dispersing crowd and saw her father, who had mostly dried tear marks on his cheeks, his proud filled her chest with warmth and she rushed to hug him.

Star

"And Daddy comes into my room and he's like 'Why haven't you cleaned your room? Why haven't you done this? Why haven't you done that?" Pony Head neighed. "Gurl what's his deal why's he all so parental on me out of nowhere!"

"He's probably just stressed out, Mom's been really strict on me too. It's like she doesn't even want to give me the wand." Star muttered.

Pony Head rolled her eyes: "Yeah but that's your mom Star, Daddy's never like this. It's like he's an entirely different person all of a sudden. I took a peek into his room and he's got brochures for Saint O's."

"Saint O's?" She whispered, dread filling her being: "Anything but that." Star mumbled pulling her hair, the terrible fate of any royal going there... She started shivering.

"Oh dang girl my bad, my bad! Hey! You know what, let's go to the Bounce Lounge tonight, on me!" The princess hastily comforted her friend, she should know better than to mention... that place's name around Star, she knew how bad her phobia was!

"Really? Thanks Pony Head!" Star beamed, though her lower lip trembled still.

"Now enough about royal junk, I got some news you might want to hear~" She sang, grinning widely.

"Oh tell me tell me tell me tell me!" Star begged, Pony Head always had the best and most interesting gossip, and she was saying it might interest Star then Star wanted to know it!

"Ok, but you gotta promise not to tell anyone. I found this on someone's feed the other day." A picture displayed on the right side of the screen from a poster named MonsterKid401. The picture had an elephant monster with someone dressed in rags with a gun pointed at the photographer's head. For a moment she frowned, not getting how that might interest her before reading the caption on the side: "Hanging with Sol! #Hashtag Living on the edge?" Star gasped: "You don't mean…"

"Yeah, girl! Look what the dorkzilla's been up to. He's got a fan page but all of his followers are monsters and it's way smaller than ours." Star prodded the picture, enlarging it.

She glared at the boy dressed in rags in the picture, hoping that in some way or fashion her anger would reach the real boy, not noticing her cheeks softly glowing white, she huffed: "Well if he wants to hang out with Monsters he can do that all he wants! Stupid Sol." She muttered.

Marco

My parents were on the couch in the living room. They liked to giggle and read ghost stories around midnight or the witching hour to heighten their experience. They aren't in the house too often during the day and I'm going to be insanely busy when school starts tomorrow. When I first got here I hadn't planned on doing this but the nagging feeling in my heart just compelled me to act: "Mom, Dad, are you decent?"

They popped out from beneath the sheets, with large smiles on their faces: "Marco! Did you want to come and read with us?" Rafael asked handing me one of their books.

"No thanks Dad, I just wanted to talk a little bit..." I gulped as read the name of the book he handed me 'How to tame your teenage child's hormonal mind?'
I shook my head and focused on what I wanted to say: "Look, High school is a transitionary period filled with hormones and stuff and you guys clearly noticed how I've been a bit different recently... I just want to tell you both that no matter how much I change, that I'm always going to love you, an-and look after you."
'Even if I'm not your real son.' I added the last bit in the confines of my mind. "I wanted to give you guys something." Reaching into my inventory I pulled out two fanny packs.

"Oh! Fanny packs..." Angie tried to feign enthusiasm, she was too honest to successfully lie like that: "Thank you, dear, you didn't need to give us anything but-"

I grinned and cut her off: "That's not all. Look inside them." They did, within the bag, there was a painting for my mother and a small handmade bust for my dad. In their image: "Like 'em?" He asked as they goggled at their gifts.

"Marco" Rafael breathed and Angie grabbed in a tight hug, which Rafael joined not a moment later. I hate to admit it but I still stiffen up a bit from the sudden physical contact, but I suppress that reaction and hug them back just as tightly: "We'd like anything you gave us. You're our son-wah!"

He was cut off by Mint wriggling out from the insides of my jacket and licking his face, making him scramble back for a moment at her cold tongue: "Wha?" He blinked at the little puppy poking her head from my jacket.

I coughed, a light blush rising on my cheeks, not exactly how I planned to do it but this is fine too: "Those weren't the end of my presents. I went down to the local shelter and got a dog, I felt like we could use a little more energy around the house." I answered pulling her out of my jacket. "Her name is Mint."

"Awww," They said together as Mint yapped for their attention.

"Isn't she just the cutest thing?" Angie muttered as he snuggled with Mint, who preened under the attention before happily bouncing around the living room, my parents following her.

Now she won't have to hide around the house, my parents might be a bit gullible and oblivious (guess that's where I got it from), but that's part of the reason I love them. No matter what my actions are, they won't be coming back home to hurt them.

Is that so...?

Is that so...? Mind if we have a chat? I fell back.

~Link Event: Start~

An infinitely spanning darkness in a chasm only illuminated by the stained glass flooring of a boy, standing alone a red hoodie masking all the expressions on his face. On that incompleted floor, the empty armor of a knight patiently sat on the floor. "Ah crap it's you again. Can I leave?" Marco grumbled.

"You want to leave so soon? I actually had a few words of praise for you."

"Excuse me for being skeptical all I can remember is you calling me stupid."

"You are still quite foolish but," The knight rose to his feet putting his hand on Marco's chest, a light emanated from his chest at the slightest touch. "I think you are beginning to formulate an answer in the sea of your soul."

"Ok..." The boy moved away from the elemental's hand, giving him a skeptical look. "You have a reason for calling me in...wherever we are?"

"This is your soul's station. If you de-summon that ice elemental you're so fond of she would be here too."

"Mint's a special case. If she only has you as her company I'd never recall her."

"Is that your promise to her? I've been in here for quite some time and you seem quite insistent on keeping your word." The knight backed away folding his arms. "Marco Diaz why is it that you want to conquer the multiverse? Is it simple greed? Ambition?"

"What are you going to do if I tell you? Lecture me about my life choices?"

"No. I am only curious."

Marco rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "I want to rule the universe because there are too many idiots in charge of the way things go. Racism, poverty, in both of my lives I've seen it too many times. I want to fix things and if someone doesn't like it...I'll get rid of them."

"Even if it means fighting alongside monsters? I'd say you were more of a hero honestly."

"Don't mistake my actions. I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart and I'm definitely not going to be anyone's hero. I don't care about the collateral damage I cause on my way to the top as long as my family and friends are safe."

"Interesting. I find your answer sufficient for now. Marco Diaz," The knight rumbled. "We will speak again in the future continue to hone your skills and master that blade, when the time comes I very well might tell you my name."

"Tsk! I won't be holding my breath." He muttered fading from the room.

The surroundings transformed into a proper mural. A figure in a black tailcoat and a mask on, with a sinister smirk on his face. In one hand was a key-shaped blade, pointed to the clouds looking like it was about to cleave the very skies in two. In the other were the tiny figures of his parents, and similarly sized but more transparent figures of his friends, and the outlines of the allies he'd meet along the way. Deeper the connection, more solid they were.

~Link Event: End~

"Marco, stop standing there like a possessed scarecrow about to go on a killing spree." His mom called with a laugh while cutting some salami to give to Mint, said puppy yipped along to all the attention she was getting and wagging her tail like crazy: "Here you go cutie!" She cooed and Mint ignored the salami for a moment to lick Angie's face.

"Welcome to our familia Mint!" Dad said gently, petting our newest addition with his trademark large grin.

He looked upon his family and felt a surge of love fill his being.

No matter what I'm going to look after them. As Marco Diaz, this is my promise.

(Quest Completed!)
Welcome to the Family
Received: +500 EXP, +1,500 REP with Angie and Rafael. Honored Status has been reclaimed!
Intimacy with Angie and Rafael massively increased! Your family's bond has become unshakeable.
Bonus Rewards: Access to the Main Game! Next Saga: Star Comes To Earth!
System Updating, be back with you soon, Gamer.