I DO NOT OWN SVTFOE, GRAVITY FALLS OR THE OWL HOUSE. ALL RIGHTS AND OWNERSHIP BELONG TO DISNEY.

(Marco's POV)

I stand next to Star and watch as the rest of our group disperse. Vee leads Zach off into the forest, Gus takes Dipper upstairs and Willow flies off on her palisman with Mabel. Before long it's just me and Star standing in the clearing with Luz and Amity. They look at each other than back at us. Luz suddenly claps her hands together. "Ok. The main hall isn't in use today so we thought it would be good place to get started." She beckons for us to follow her and Amity as they head around the large trunk of the tree. Star and I follow them both, joining them behind the tree where a ladder that leads up towards a large wooden platform suspended from a selection of massive branches is placed. They both climb up the ladder and once again Star and I follow them. The platform is surprisingly steady considering the only thing preventing it from falling to the floor are a selection of ropes. Across the hall are strewn cushions, pillows and carpets of various shapes and sizes, and a selection of blackboards are attached to the edges of the platform. The platform is strung so high into the tree that the canopy creates a natural roof and set of walls for the hall, protecting those inside from the elements outside. While Star and I climb into the main hall, Luz and Amity have already taken seats on some of the comfortable objects that are all over the floor. Amity waves us over and invites us both to sit down as we approach.

"So, what do you think of the space?" Amity gestures around her to the main hall. "We have this whole room at our disposal for you two to get to grips with glyphs."

Luz chimes in. "We thought it would be easiest on everyone if we tackle this one on one. I'll be the one to teach Star. Marco, you'll be learning from Amity."

Star squeals like a teenager and wraps Luz in a hug. "I'm so excited to learn magic from you Luz."

Luz giggles and hugs Star back before turning to me. "You ok with this Marco?"

I nod. "Sure. I'm more than happy to learn from Amity." I gesture over to Star who is still hugging Luz. "Plus is seems Star has already made the decision for me."

Luz nods in agreement. Star finally lets her go and the two of them head over towards one of the blackboards, chatting the whole way. I watch them walk off then turn back to Amity, who is laying out some sheets of paper on the floor between us. I grin as she looks back up. "So professor, what's first?" Though I tended not to show it as easily, my excitement at this situation genuinely rivals Star's.

"Well I should first give you a small history of what Glyphs are, otherwise," a boom is heard from the other side of the room as me and Amity turn to see Star's face covered in soot and Luz trying very hard to hold in her laughter, "that will probably happen."

I nod. "Ok, glyph history, seems simple enough."

"So, glyphs are in essence the language of the titans." Amity pulls some sort of writing device out of a pocket on her outfit and begins to draw on the four pieces of paper. "They use this language to talk to the essence of reality and use their immense magic power to manipulate it. That's why glyphs have magical power, they draw from the power of the original titan that used them to perform spells." She finishes drawing on the final piece of paper and taps each of them in turn. The first one curls up into a ball of light, the second spouting fire and burning to ashes. The third one sprouts a beautiful pink flower and the forth one freezes then quickly shatters. "These are the four basic glyphs that draw power from King, the current titan." Amity pulls out four more pieces of paper, these ones already having had glyphs drawn on them. However these glyphs are different, a different combination of shapes within the circles. "Each titan uses their own glyph language. These are the glyphs that the titan before King used, and as you can see they don't work any more." She taps them and, as she said, nothing happens. "This is because there is no power for them to draw from. Are you with me so far?"

I give a slow nod, still attempting to process the information Amity just laid out. "I think so. Titan language, fabric of reality, powerful magic. That about cover it?"

Amity chuckles. "I'd about say so." Amity gets up and walks over to a set of draws next to one of the blackboards. She opens it up and pulls out some pieces of paper and another writing implement. She walks back over and sits in front of me again, handing me what she pulled from the draw. "Now, you ready to learn to draw glyphs?"

"More than ever."

Amity and I spend a few hours going over how to draw and utilise each of the four active glyphs. It is slow going initially, with me having to go over the first glyph a few times before I got it. However eventually the light glyph is committed to memory. I look over to Star and see that she is also making progress, however Luz's teaching methods are a bit different to Amity's. They have moved from their seated position and are moving around the room, discussing the practical applications of glyph magic and each one getting the other more and more excited over the thought of it, clearly two very similar people. After the light glyph Amity and I move onto the fire glyph. This one goes by a little quicker, having already managed to get the basics of glyph drawing down with the first one. As this glyph is a bit more aggressive in nature, after I proved to Amity that my technique and control over the fire was adequate, she agreed to set up some targets using her abomination magic for me to practice on. Amity places the targets at a few distance intervals and gives me a quick run down on how to launch the fire from the glyph, which seems akin to basically throwing the paper while it activates. None the less, I attempt to launch the fireballs at the targets and hit each one, Star and Luz watching on in awe. They clap as the last fireball hits the furthest away target and then split off once again back to their own teaching. The third glyph, the one that creates plant life, is the easiest by far. Amity describes the glyph as the one with the most varied utility of the four, being able to be used to create structures, grapple things and people, attack and defend. The grappling power of this particular type of spell is not lost on me as I remember what happened the first time our group arrived. Finally, we reach the ice glyph. At this point Amity was just providing a foundation as I rushed ahead with learning the glyphs and committing them to memory, instinctively thinking of ways to best utilise each one's particular strengths in a variety of ways.

"So there you have it," Amity says, once again standing from her seated position. "You now know how to use the four basic glyphs, and pretty quickly I might add."

I stand up as well. "Well, I had an pretty good teacher." I turn to look at Star. "How are you getting on?"

Star looks at me and smiles. "I think I'm getting the hang of it." She taps a glyph that is sitting between her and Luz. Suddenly, a jagged shard of ice shoots out from the paper and pierces deep into the canopy above, barely missing both of them by a hair. Star giggles nervously. "I may need a few more minutes."

"I'm sure you'll get it eventually. You were always way better are magic than I was."

Star smiles at me before turning back to Luz. They go back to looking over the sheets of paper between them. I watch for a second, then am interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Amity holding out a small book. "Here, this is for you."

I take the book and flip through it. The pages are full of glyphs. "Thanks. But why have you given this to me?"

"It's a reward, for finishing your glyph training. There is one waiting for Star too. Drawing glyphs in the moment often takes too long, so Luz used to prepare them in a book like that one so they were ready when they were needed."

I place my hands behind my head and smile. "Thanks. I really appreciate this."

Amity turns for the trapdoor that leads to the ladder. "Now come on," she says, beckoning for me to follow her as she walks towards it. "You grasped the basics so quickly, I think its time we move on to some advanced concepts."

I follow Amity as she opens the trapdoor and descends down the ladder, leading me back around around the tree into the main courtyard. "Not to ask too many questions, but why couldn't we learn these concepts in the main hall?"

"Star is still trying to grasp the basics. I didn't want her to overhear these more advanced concepts and get confused. It's fine though, she will be joining us soon I'm sure."

"Ok, that makes sense I guess. So what are these techniques you are going to teach me."

Amity doesn't turn to face me. Suddenly, she disappears. Where she once stood now is empty space, any evidence that she was ever there unable to be found. I look around in shock, trying to locate her, and I hear the faint sound of foot steps as I do. I hear a deep breath and spin around just in time to see Amity appear behind me. She is holding a sheet of paper in her hands much like the ones earlier, however this one has multiple glyphs on it connected by various circles. "I'm going to teach you about glyph combinations."

Amity hands the piece of paper to me and walks back to where she was standing before. I turn it over in my hands, attempting to study it. "I guess you use these circles to combine the core glyphs?"

"Basically, though it is a little more complicated than that. Remember how I mentioned that glyphs are the language of the titans?"

I nod.

"Well they don't just talk to the fabric of reality, the glyphs are able to talk to each other in a way. Look at the circles, its the way the glyphs communicate, how they know their limits. For example, the invisibility glyph only works as long as you aren't breathing, as soon as you take a breath the spell breaks. Glyphs aren't all powerful, they have weaknesses, its up to you to find a way to navigate them."

I trace my finger along the circle. The concept seems simple enough, but the execution seems quite complex and the potential infinite.

"From the look on your face I can tell you are already thinking about hundreds of potential combinations, so I won't bore you with all the hundreds that Luz and I have found. I'll just teach you a few practical ones and then you can use the empty pages Luz left at the end of the book I just gave you to try out your own."

I chuckle. "That easy to read huh?" I take out the book she handed me earlier and flip to the back. Just as she said, about twenty of the pages at the back of the book were blank. I close the book then reattach it to my belt.

Amity smiles. "I just recognise the look on your face. Luz had the same one when she first discovered glyph combos. Now, lets teach you some essentials so you can explore all you want."

"Sounds good to me."

Amity and I take an hour or so going over some of the more essential glyph combos. She started with the invisibility glyph she just used, and used it as a basis to explain how to properly align glyphs and how to sequence them. She then moved on to one that slows a decent, which would seem niche but with the number of people who I know who can fly, its pretty likely to be necessary in the future. With these two glyphs as the base, we continue to discuss the intricate ways that glyphs interact to form the various combos. Suddenly a white bird flies into the courtyard and lands on Amity's shoulder. It leans towards her ear and squawks a few times before flying off. 

The entire time this occurs I am just standing there confused. As the bird flies off I look across to Amity who has pulled out a small Tamagotchi like device and is tapping away at it. "What was all that about?"

Amity looks up from the device. "That was Lilith's palisman, she has another mission for me to go on down at the Ankle Caves. Just asking Luz if she wants to go on this one."

"If you are going off in that airship, how about taking Star and I with you? It would be a great way to see more of the Boiling Isles. Plus I'm not sure what Star and I would do if you and Luz just jetted off suddenly."

Amity thinks for a moment. "These missions can be really dangerous, and the Ankle Caves aren't to be taken lightly."

"Star and I have handled worse I'm sure."

"I'm sure you have too, but you have no magic here. Sure your ability to grasp glyphs quickly is impressive but there is no way you are proficient enough with them in one day to keep up."

I cross my arms. "I kept up with Star for years without magic, and Star is no pushover even without her wand. I guarantee we can take whatever is in the caves."

Amity tucks the device she was typing on into one of her pockets. "Ok, I will ask Luz what she thinks, but only on one condition."

"And what is that?"

Amity backs up until a decent amount of space is between us. "You take me on right here, right now, in a witches duel."

I look at Amity, shocked. "What? You want me to fight you? Are you sure?"

"Luz was able to beat me with just glyphs. Clashing with you will give me a chance to judge whether you are ready to join us on the mission."

I sigh. "Ok, if that's what you want." I assume a defensive stance, spreading my feet apart and lowering my centre of gravity. My arms raise to defend my body and face as I calm my breathing to slow deep breaths. I smirk. "Bring it Blight."

A purple sludge appears from behind Amity's back, flying to her hands and wrapping around them, forming large fists with spikes on the knuckles. "It's on Diaz."

Amity launches herself towards me, her speed taking me by surprise for a split second before I could recover. That small chance was all she needed, closing the distance between us and launching a punch. As she gets closer I quickly flip open the book on my belt, flipping through its pages. I swing my arm past the book, activating a glyph as it does. My arm is coated in a thick layer of ice as it flies through the air, positioning itself between Amity's fist and my face. Her sludge covered fist slams into the ice, causing it to crack on impact. I am shoved back slightly as the punch connects, unsure whether I could have blocked it without the power of the glyphs. I instantly ready a punch of my own, swinging a powerful haymaker with my other hand. Amity pulls her fist away and uses both of her arms to block, the sludge that was on her hands remoulding into a shield. My hand transitions from a closed fist into an open palm and I land a powerful strike on the sludge. Suddenly, a glyph that I had hid inside my fist activates, now stuck to the shield after being deposited there by the strike. I duck as a blast of fire roars from the glyph, sending Amity flying backwards. She is unfazed, the sludge quickly dissipating and reforming behind her as she lands on her feet. She tilts her head to the side and cracks her neck. "Not bad."

"You throwing in the towel already Amity?"

She smirks. "Not hardly."

Amity's palisman appears in her hands. She spins it quickly, more sludge appearing all around her as she does, before running at me again. However this time I'm ready, and start to run at her as well. As we close the distance, I grab a page from the book and slam it into the ground, vines bursting from it and wrapping around my arm. I yank my arm up, pulling the vines from the ground and taking a large chunk of the rock hard earth with them. I spin, building momentum with my makeshift weapon, before bringing it down towards Amity. With a flick of her staff the sludge forms a barrier that the ground hits, shattering on contact. As the rock shatters, a blinding bright light shines from where it connected, however the sludge had since been moved to ready a counter. Amity covers her eyes to block the bright light as I slide beneath her and get back to my feat quickly, now facing her back. I pull back my arm and send forward another punch, my fist setting ablaze from the glyph within it. Amity, however, recovers faster from the flash than I anticipated, slamming her palisman into the ground. A huge fist of sludge, large than I am, comes out of the ground and strikes me from below, sending me soaring into the air. As I rapidly approach the ground, I pull a slow fall glyph from the book and push it against my chest just in time, my decent slowing to a halt just before I hit the ground. I clamber to my feet and ready my stance again. 

"This is your last chance to concede," Amity yells from across the courtyard.

"Oh I'm not finished yet. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"You'll regret that choice."

Amity spins her palisman, making intricate shapes as she slowly approaches me. With each spin a jagged spike of sludge shoots out from the ground. I dodge each one, glancing as the ground begins to crack and jumping out of the way just in time. Amity draws closer, continuing to spawn these deadly spikes. As one appears bellow me I jump out of the way to dodge it. Suddenly a second spike appears earlier than before, flying towards me. I shift my form in the air, allowing me to dodge the spike but causing me to be off balance when I land. Amity instantly accelerates to full speed towards me as I do, her palisman disappearing and her sludge fists reforming. I attempt regain my balance, concentrating my breathing into slow deep breaths as Amity continues to run towards me. I place one hand in front of me and one behind my back. Amity quickly closes the distance and launches a powerful overhand strike, the air around her fist whistling as it comes towards me. Just as the fist is about to connect I sharply inhale and hold my breath, activating the indivisibility glyph I was hiding behind my back and disappearing. As I disappear I dodge to the left, the fist grazing my hair as I just slightly avoid it. I continue to hold my breath, the deep breathing from earlier helping me, as I slam into Amity's midsection with a punch, ice forming around my hand that shatters as it connects. I dash to the side as Amity wildly swings in the direction the hit came from, launching another punch, this time to her face. It hits home and Amity is shunted backwards by the force. I don't allow her time to recover. I run towards her, dodging underneath her block, and I finally taking a breath as I send an uppercut rocketing into her chest. Amity gasps as the punch connects, vines reinforcing my arm to provide extra power, and she is launched backwards, landing flat on her back some ways across the courtyard.

My form slumps forward as I struggle to regain control of my breathing. That fight took a lot out of me, it's been a while since I have had to rely on something other than my powers or magic. As Amity starts to get up from the ground, I hear a clapping from somewhere in the brush nearby. Luz and Star suddenly appear, Luz walking over and helping Amity up and Star running over to check on me. "Where did you two come from? Were you both watching this whole time?"

Luz nods. "When Amity told me her plan I knew I had to see how the duel would play out. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed you managed to win. I was particularly surprised by your use of breathing techniques to increase the duration of the invisibility, nice job." She looks over to Amity. "You didn't go easy on him did you?"

Amity sighs. "I underestimated him. He beat me fair and square."

Star kisses me on the cheek. "That was amazing. I only just learned the basics and here you are already besting your teacher. You'll have to help me get to your level."

Luz steps forward. "He'll have to do that on the airship, there is no time to lose."

"You mean we get to go with you two on Amity's mission?"

Amity straightens up stretching out her limbs to try and reduce the stiffness that came from the intense battle. "I did promise that you could come if Marco proved he could keep up. Well he proved that and more, so you're more than welcome to come."

Luz walks over to Star and hands her a book, the same one that Amity handed me. "If you are coming with us, you'll need this." She turns back to Amity. "You ready to go?"

"I'm right behind you," Amity replies as we all walk off into the forest.