Authors Notes: Thank you for all the people that are continuing to read this fanfic. I know how frustrating it is to wait long periods of time just for fanfic to cease existing. I will try my hardest to update at least once a week from now on. Maybe even more.

Most people don't realize that Butterfly castle was one of the largest castles in all of Mewnie, with its winding corridors and its many extravagant hallways with filled portraits of many people long dead. A hallway by itself can span many yards by itself. And it didn't help to know that there were plenty of stairs that you need to ascend just to get from one end of the castle to the other. This was all going through Marco's mind when he was sprinting through each and every hallway of the castle, not even knowing where he was going, to hopefully get to the squire grounds.

Marco had made it halfway through the castle in about 2 and a half minutes and had already gotten himself lost. His lungs were protesting his actions and his legs were asking for a break from the godspeed pace he was going at. Marco looked around in a panic as he kept running trying to find any markers that he could recognize from the times he did stay in the castle. He did seem to recognize many things, but none that would point him in the direction of the squire grounds.

"Crap, I've never even been to the squire grounds before, how does anyone expect me to make it there in 5 minutes?!" He thought to himself as he leaned against a wall for a few seconds to catch his breath.

Marco looked around the hallway that he was in. There were mirrors all around him, reflecting himself and his surroundings throughout the room. Marco looked into one and started to feel queasy because of the infinite amount of Marco's staring back at him, so he decided to not focus on that.

"Why does this family even need this many mirrors? You would think that one would be enough." He sputtered between heavy breaths. "Maybe River likes to pretend he's in another world or something."

Almost as if father time was looking down upon him, he heard a noise down the hallway. Marco slowly tiptoed his way around the corner and he mentally sighed. Rivers was there, looking into a mirror and mumbling to himself. Something about a 'mirror world' and how he wanted to know its secrets. Marco was about to leave him to his own devices when he remembered that he was still doing a time trial. Rivers was basically the only human being around that knew his way around the castle, so Marco hesitantly decided to ask him where the squire grounds were.

Marco slowly walked towards him and listened more intently to what the king was saying to himself.

"Darn fangled mirrors and their infinitely spanning hallways. I swear if they don't show me their secrets... " The king suddenly pulled out a rock. "They know what will come to them." He said in a low tone.

Marco started running towards him hoping he could stop the king before he did something stupid. He grabbed the kings and pushed it down.

"River, I don't think breaking inanimate mirrors will help you gain their secrets." Marco said.

River was startled at the hand that suddenly grabbed him, but then calmed down when he realized it was just Marco. River coughed a bit and dropped the hand that held the rock to his side. He spoke back at Marco.

"Ah yes, I wasn't actually gonna break any of these mirrors here Marco my boy," his eyes suddenly darted to the side and narrowed at the mirror "unless they multiply me again with their illusion magic."

Marco was getting tired of this real quick.

"Okay, River, I just wanted to ask you where the squire grounds were. Nothing else."

"Oh that's not that difficult, just keep following this hallway and you will find the exit." River said it as if it was a fact. "Every single one of these hallways actually ends up near the squire grounds. Were you not following the signs?"

"What signs?" Marco said with confusion laced in his voice.

"Those signs right over there."

River pointed at the end of the hall where the wall met a corner. At the top of the wall was a sign that said "Squire Grounds" in bright neon colors. This sign coincidently pointed at another sign that pointed out where the grounds were. There was even a map that pointed where a person was in relation to where the squire grounds were.

Marco quietly died on the inside.

Even though he felt stupid now, Marco decided to just let it go and keep on going to his destination. He turned back to River.

"Thanks, River, I will be sure to see you around." Marco said before turning around.

River stopped him before he could, however. He grabbed Marco's arm before Marco could leave in a hurry.

"Now hold on just a second, I am sure whatever you are doing can wait, Marco. Have a nice old chat with me." River said in a friendly way.

"Ah sorry, sir I actually-" River cut him off.

"Oh don't be silly, cmon then!" River was now pulling Marco away towards wherever the maybe not so sane in the head king usually had one of his 'talks'. Marco really wanted to humor him, cause Marco and River had a nice friendly relationship, I mean, however far a relationship could be with your best friends older dad can go. And he knew that he would have tons of fun doing whatever the king had in mind.

But Marco was a squire now. And he didn't really know what being a squire entailed but.

He really really didn't want to clean those toilets.

So Marco decided to let him down easy.

"I'm sorry River, but I really can't have fun right now," Marco pulled away from the king. "I have to get back to the squire grounds. Now."

Marco saw the surprise and sadness the king had on his face when he pulled away. He tried not to think about it as he slowly rounded the corner and went into a sprint. He could've sworn River whispered something as he left, something about himself being a squire, but it was too late. The king's statement was gone into the wind of the empty hallway of mirrors. Marco felt some guilt but ultimately decided that if the king really wanted to hang out, he could bring him somewhere when he actually had some free time.

If he ever got any free time.

Marco rounded the last corner and saw the doors to the exit in his grasp. There was only a handful of time left before he would be on toilet duty. So he started running as if his life depended on it. He skidded to a stop in front of the doors in a huff and forced them open. His breathing was similar to a dog panting now and he really needed water. He started running again and finally saw the squire grounds and Sir Stabby was pointing at a lone line in the dirt while looking at the exhausted Marco. Marco guessed that was where he was supposed to cross, so he promptly sprinted one last time, crossed the line, and fell to the ground in a sweating heap. Everyone was looking at him, mostly in pity, as Sir Stabby grabbed the back of his tunic and tried to pull him up.

"You see everyone? This is why you don't neglect your training." Sir Stabby said trying to make a point. "At least he made it on time. I could do it in half though. And at least half the people here could do it in 3 and a half. Remember that squire, Diaz."

Marcos's lungs were calming down now as he stood up. Sir Stabby looked at him and just let him rest for a few seconds before walking to a nearby table and grabbing something. He walked back and gave Marco a skin full of water, which Marco took in a hurry and drank deeply.

"You have 30 seconds to get ready and join your fellow squires in the line, more than that, and you have to do more laps. We had to start the exercise 5 minutes ago."

Marcos's eyes widened as he drank in a haste. He gave back the skin and thanked the knight. He turned to the line and now that he was looking at it, he had no idea where to go. Does he go in the middle or the end? I mean, it's not like every squire had a bad opinion on him. Right?

"I guess ill just go to the end."

As he was passing by each squire, he would get looks of pity, envy, anger. Some of them were neutral though, so at least that was going for him.

"Newbie." Someone said in a cough.

"Prince."

"Princess lover."

Yeah, it's not like he heard those ones before.

Before he got to the end of the line, he tripped harshly on the ground when his ankle hit something. Before he hit the grounds he twisted around to his side so it would take most of the damage but it still hurt like an ear of corn on the cob. Pebbles and dirt stuck to him as he tried to locate the perpetrator. Could you guess who it was at this point?

A boot connected to a leg stuck out of the line, and with it, Higgs. On her face was an expression of pure mischievousness as she put her leg back into line. Marco got right up and started yelling at her.

"What's your problem huh!?" Marco yelled straight at her face.

"My prob-." She never got to finish.

"If you two don't stop fighting and get into line right now, you are both going to be put on chore duty and get more laps!" Sir Stabby yelled at them from the other end.

Higgs and Marco both stood up straight and gave a quick apology to the knight. Marco just pushed himself into the line right next to Higgs so he wouldn't be in the knight's line of sight more than he already was.

"I hate you and I hope you get kicked out of the exercise, nerd."

"Likewise." Marco retorted.

"You couldn't even run for the life of you. Weakling."

"At least I made it on time. So go soak your head."

She elbowed him in the ribs and he sputtered out a cough while she laughed. He stood up after recovering and elbowed her right back and she started wheezing as well. They both got in a elbow fight for a minute until Sir Stabby scolded them again.

This was going to be a long exercise.