The portal spat Marco out on a marsh going by how he was slightly sinking into the ground and the lack of trees but he didn't have enough time to finish wondering what was going on as Janna was spat right on top of him falling on his stomach tightly clenching his scissors on her hands.
"Janna quick, get up, I think we can reach the…" Marco looked up "Portal" he said as he saw up and saw no portal anymore and he would have given himself up to disappointment a bit if it wasn't for a sudden and violent cough besides him.
Looking down he saw Janna coughing up a lung, the purple splotches on her arms ran to her throat and disappeared in there, her cough not subsiding even a bit.
"Janna? Janna!" Marco started to rub her back worried until Janna hurled a big ball of a purple liquid that reformed itself into Marcello in it's small form and full of energy while Janna was visibly exhausted and panting heavily.
"Don't worry, I'll find a place to rest and some food, just hang in there" Marco was scared, very scared but tried to reassure Janna anyways.
"Be honest tiger, do I look as bad as I feel?" Janna said with a forced sly smile and Marco really hoped she didn't feel THAT bad, she was very pale, it was painfully obvious that she was forcing herself to lift her head to look at him and she was still panting.
"You look like a million dollars, now let's get out of here" he said getting up and putting her on his back to start walking with Marcello following like a hyperactive puppy.
"Hey Janna remember last time we were in this position?" Marco noticed with her on his back how cold she was, he should have put her jacket on her but right now he needed to find refuge.
"Oh yeah...I remember...but I was the one carrying you" her voice was slow and very soft.
"Yes! You were! I was trying to skate in order to impress Jackie, remember?" Marco was trying his damndest to keep Janna awake and it seemed to work as Janna gave the smallest of chuckles.
"You came to me to teach you how to skate after dawn because you didn't want anyone to see, how dumb can you be? I don't even know how to skate" Janna continued with the story.
"Exactly I'm a dumbass, there I was nine years old, skating at night with an audience, an audience that would say how much I failed at it to anyone" Marco said with a big smile and an enthusiastic tone.
"I used that as black mail for months...but I would have never said that to anyone...you were so cool and only in front of me...no one else...I felt so happy" Marco could feel a small smile coming from Janna.
"Was I? I just remember you carrying me in this position while I was crying after a specially nasty hit" Marco readjusted her on his back and gave her a nice laugh.
"No, you were the coolest...you tried so hard...you fell so many times...the safe kid put himself through all that...because you thought Jackie was worth it" Janna clenched her hands on Marco's hoodie just so slightly.
"And then you thought...Star was worth it" Marco could hear the slightest of sobs coming from Janna.
"There is literally no way for you NOT to hurt her, just...make it gentle" Marco heard Greedy Heart, its voice dejected and concerned.
"Come on, I'm sure we will find some place to…" Marco's eyes widened for what was in front of him, a bunch huts.
"Janna, we just hit the jackpot" Marco ran towards the conglomeration of small homes.
"Hello! Anybody here!?" Marco called out, but no one answered and checking the insides yielded no results either, could it had been a monster or something similar? Marco wanted to not take the risk but as he felt Janna slowly going limp on his back he had to ignore any warning his brain was giving him.
After leaving Janna unconscious and draped on her jacket and his hoodie on a hut Marco went on to find food, looking in the huts he found an assortment of food, most of it had already rot but the fruit was recognisable enough to find some trees that were planted just a few feet besides the gathering of huts.
Marco inspected the trees and they were indeed once planted and cared for by someone, if the people here saw necessary to plant these trees then that put his fear of it being poisonous to rest...at least from the people who lived here, it could still be poisonous to them.
Shaking the fear off his head he took a big bite to try it, it was sweet and it went down his throat well, with a deep sigh he ran with as much of the fruit as he could carry back to Janna.
"Here Janna, can you eat?" Marco tried to hand a piece of the fruit to her but she could barely hold it as it fell off her hand.
"Marco, I don't think she can chew" Greedy Heart sounded like he was worried sick, sentiment that Marco shared and was exacerbated when they heard Janna's stomach rumble.
"Just do something DAMN IT!" Greedy Heart was panicking now.
Marco took a big bite off of the fruit once again and chewed it thoroughly until it was a watered down paste and hovered his face mere inches above Janna's sleeping face, with some hesitation their lips met as he fed Janna mouth to mouth, Marco separated himself from her quickly with an enormous smile as he heard her swallow.
"Don't get comfortable right now, that was only a bite" Greedy Heart berated Marco but sounded noticeably relieved and with a nod Marco went back to work.
*Elsewhere on the same marsh*
A bunch of unconscious women were spat out of a portal far up in the sky, the only three that were still conscious were screaming their heads off...well two of them were the other was pantomiming like she was.
As they were falling the mime noticed the disoriented woollett falling and took the nearest unconscious person she could take on her case a blonde with a seafoam highlight in her hair and shoved her into the hairy monster, Chantelle and Sabrina noticed this and the mime girl desperately signaled for them to go into the woollett's hair.
After nodding to her the mime herself dove into the woollett, meanwhile Sabrina and Chantelle grabbed the unconscious Brittney and threw themselves into the ball of hair.
To their surprise they entered into what looked like a fairly normal home, except mostly everything was made of hair and what wasn't was now in zero gravity because of the free falling.
"Hey mime! Is this gonna save us?" Chantelle asked to the one with the idea in a panic and the mime answered with just a shrug.
"Oh this is just great!" Chantelle screamed in frustration.
"We're all gonna die!" Sabrina with her eyes filled with tears hugged Chantelle tightly.
"I should have run when I had the chance!" Chantelle hugged the desperate doctor back with tears forming in her eyes.
Suddenly everything came to a sudden crash to the floor, the mime stumbled into her feet while the hugging women didn't even want to open their eyes to see what had happened.
"Is it over?" Sabrina asked with the slightest hint of hope in her voice.
The mime peeked her head out of the mass of hair and gave a little jump.
"What!? What is it!?" The two women had let go of each other and now were almost on top of the mime.
The mime reentered the house with a giant smile on her face and gestured to Chantelle and Sabrina to look outside, after gulping down their doubts and giving each other a reassuring look both took a peek outside.
To their surprise they were not on the ground...but they were not falling either, they were on top of a dragon flying over the marsh.
"She just wants a nice place to land, don't worry girls" Kelly said with her voice still showing a bit of dizziness.
"Kelly, are you alright?" Sabrina asked the girl who had her hands on the dragon's horns, holding them as if they were handlebars.
"The world is still spinning a bit but I don't think the floor is pistachio ice cream any more, so I would say I'm much better" Kelly said with subtle enthusiasm.
*On the ground*
Everyone had already regained consciousness and left Kelly's hair, they were now on the ground getting treated by Sabrina.
"So you bought those back in my dimension, good for you guys, there is nothing better for bruises and broken bones as woollett medicine" Said Kelly proudly, she had a bandage over her forehead.
"Yeah, because you need it often I assume" Said Jackie sitting patiently with her shirt off as she was getting both shoulders bandaged.
"Really? Why?" Chantelle asked, she had a noticeable dab of ointment on her chin.
"I don't give a fuck about any of this, when are we going back home? AND WHEN CAN I KICK THAT OLD FART'S ASS UNTIL HE BEGS FOR FORGIVENESS THAT I WON'T GIVE?" Brittney screamed at the top of her lungs, she had already put on Chantelle's dress back so it was not noticeable but her shoulder was bandaged and her right hand was very noticeably splint, everyone's mood went down after this comment.
"Without Janna there is no way we are going back" Sabrina said sadly.
"WHAT?" Brittney screamed jumping to her feet, Sabrina for her part was so startled that she fell into the ground covering her face.
"Take it easy Wong, we fell into the same portal as Marco, she HAS to be here" Jackie said glaring daggers to the rich woman.
"Great! We know she is here because her victim of stalking is here!" Brittney said obvious sarcasm laced her comment.
"So tell me officer, WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY?!" Brittney screamed as she dramatically opened her arms to the sky and her voice echoed.
"We were ten feet away from Barfo on that hall maximum when we were swallowed by that portal or whatever and now because of that overfed lizard we are probably miles away from them, what if they don't know we are here and leave? That is assuming that the creepy bitch is actually here!" The mime got between Brittney and Nachos on a defencive gesture towards the dragon, Brittney glared at the performer.
"Because of that overfed lizard we are still breathing, Wong, and she is our only advantage in finding those two, not only can she fly but she can track Marco, so how about you shut up and try to carry your own damn weight half as well as the "oVErfED LIzarD" can?" Jackie said standing up and giving air quotes to the overfed lizard part, Brittney's glare deepened which seemed to annoy Kelly a great deal.
"And her name is Nachos fucking learn it!" Both Jackie and Kelly said at the same time.
"You ok there doc?" Jackie said with a warm, caring voice to Sabrina as she offered her hand to help her up.
"Yeah, I'm ok, but don't strain your shoulders, don't worry I can stand up" Sabrina said obviously a bit shaken but still giving a nice if strained smile to Jackie who was now putting her shirt back on.
"How do you even know this dragon anyways? You arrived in it last time you went to our building" Chantelle said checking Nachos's name tag while scratching the dragon's neck.
"Well she is Marco's but I don't know how he got her" Jackie said with a shrug.
"As far as I know, she is a dragoncycle he shared with Hekapoo, if there is a story behind it, I've never heard it" Kelly said approaching Nachos and stroking her head.
"Who is Hekapoo? I'm sure I've heard the name somewhere" Asked Sabrina.
"You are the bookworm right? Then you probably read of her on a book, she was part of the magic high commision some of the most powerful magical beings that ever existed, she was the most powerful and well versed portal maker on all dimensions" Kelly said as if she was giving a class then she turned to Jackie with a grimace.
"And just like us, she was also one of Marco's...old Female friends" Kelly gave air quotes to that last part, Jackie was a bit surprised by this revelation.
"Wait, but didn't Marco helped Star destroy magic and all magical creatures with it?" Jackie said shaken, Kelly just gave a nod and Brittney went pale.
"Are you telling me Barfo straight up murdered his ex? And Butterface helped?" Brittney said out of breath.
"If you want to see it THAT way…" Kelly said with a shrug and an "I dunno", Brittney though she fell to her knees.
"A crazy cult, a jacked up kung fu old man, I'm looking for a guy that killed his ex and I'm trapped on another dimension, on what crazy bullshit did I just got myself involved with? I SHOULD HAVE RUN WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!" Brittney screamed on the floor.
"Hey, I said the same thing, boss" Chantelle said with a smile on her face as now her and the mime girl were completely engrossed pampering Nachos, Chantelle though left what she was doing in order to get her boss on her feet.
"How do you stand such a bratty bitch?" Kelly said to the short, big hipped woman.
"Eh, you get used to it, heck you get to enjoy her little tantrums knowing full well that each and every one of them ruins her day little by little" Chantelle spoke with a dreamy sigh.
"Sometimes I wish I could just sack and replace you" Brittney said now on her feet, her eyes still locked on a thousand yard stare.
"And sadly for both of us we just can't live without each other anymore, Kelly can you hold on to her? I don't think she is in conditions to walk anymore" Chantelle asked politely.
"What?! I don't want that bitchy brat on my ha-" Kelly seemed a bit offended by the request but Chantelle had been on the business for years now.
"She will shut up once she is in there" Chantelle dead panned.
"Put her in" Frustrated Kelly let her hair fall all over her and Brittney disappeared into the soft, light green mound.
"Thank you for that" Chantelle gave Kelly a small smile.
"But I need to say, you" Chantelle pointed to Jackie "you" Chantelle pointed to Kelly "that Hekapoo girl and the princess, I would have never imagined Diaz had it in him" Chantelle said with a very small amount of surprise.
"I would be remiss to forget just how obsessed Janna is with the guy...what else? Sabrina anything you want to tell us?" The group had now began advancing through the marsh, Sabrina was behind Chantelle who was holding on to the guide of the group, Nachos.
"What? No! Of course not!" Sabrina said a luminous blush on her cheeks, Chantelle just gave an "u-huh" in acknowledgement.
"What about you?" Chantelle turned towards the mime who avoided her gaze and began whistling.
"Oh my god! I can't believe it!" Chantelle gave a cute, girly laugh that was cut short because of a loud thunder.
"You have to be kidding me" An exasperated Jackie said holding her hand out to confirm that yes, it was beginning to rain.
"Hummm, Kelly not to be rude but…" Sabrina bashfully said to the librarian who turned to see her, her eyes and mouth being visible even through all that hair.
"No worries, you are welcome whenever" Kelly said with a nice smile as she turned back around to let everyone in.
"We're in" Screamed Sabrina as the last girl entered Kelly's hair.
"No, wait, someone is missing" Kelly said as Nachos entered the little house and the dragon proceeded to shake herself dry.
"OHHH COME ON!" Screamed Brittney as she covered herself from the improvised rain.
"There are some leaks Kell, should I be worried about your hair?" Said Sabrina as she examined the hair that made the walls of the house.
"No, that's normal don't worry, but some leaks are better than being in the rain, isn't it?" Kelly said with a small laugh.
"Agreed, I mean this workout outfit is not the best for the chilly air outside" Chantelle said shivering a bit.
"Oh! I have some blankets, they are on the wardrobe next to the sofa" Kelly instructed.
"Don't worry about us, aren't you cold?" Said Sabrina concerned.
"Yeah! Something we can do?" Came Jackie's voice.
"No worries, I won't get all that wet on this rain and I ain't cold at all either, that's what my hair is for, is like an umbrella and a padded suit all at the same time" Kelly said with a giggle, but at the mention of umbrella the mime got an idea, she peeked her head outside the wall of hair and everyone heard the sickening sounds of someone returning the contents of their stomach.
"Oh my gosh! So helpful, where were you hiding an umbrella this big?" Kelly said with an excited voice as the leaks stopped all at once, then the mime reentered the house, cleaning her mouth with a napkin.
"Hairball, you really don't wanna know the answer" Brittney said with disgust.
*Back with Marco and Janna*
Janna fell asleep after finishing her fifth piece of fruit, Marco would have been worried if her breathing hasn't been as steady and easy as it was after she passed out, she was still very pale though and it would be no stretch to assume she was still weak.
Marcello had stayed on his small form and made himself comfortable on Janna's chest and Marco entertained himself all this time by checking on Janna's breathing by watching Marcello steady rise and decent, until he felt a chilly air coming from outside.
Marco snapped to attention and checked the weather, it was about to rain, with all due haste the latino ran to the fruit trees and broke off some branches, as well as picking up some dried leaves and branches before returning to the hut.
He made a fire and placed Janna at a safe distance, then he just took back his position and got comfortable once again but the attempt was cut short as Janna's breathing became forced and irregular once again.
"Janna? Janna are you ok!?" Marco shook her a bit but there was no response.
"Kiddo, I think she is shivering" Greedy Heart chimed in and lo and behold he was right, touching Janna's hand the knight noticed she was freezing.
"Don't panic, you know what to do" Greedy Heart said in a reassuring voice.
"That's rich coming from the guy that was panicking a few hours ago" Marco said rummaging through the hut and finding a big thick blanket.
Stripping himself he found himself hovering over Janna a big cloud of hesitation hanging over himself before finally dissipating it and taking away the improvised blanket that he had put over Janna.
"I'm sorry, Janna" Said Marco as he stripped the sleeping woman and he noticed the amount of tattoos the woman had gotten over the years.
Besides the skull being tangled by thorny vines with roses on her arm near her shoulder, she had a pentagram tramp stamp, a goat skull on her left thigh that was hidden by her skirt, a demon on her right ankle and the one that surprised Marco a tattoo on her left shoulder blade, it was three eyes hovering over a mustache with a ribbon under it that said R.I.P. Quirky Guy.
Wasting no time he held her tightly on a heap and covered both of them with the blanket sitting right beside the fire, Marcello noticed the action and joined them inside.
Janna snuggled to Marco's neck as the latino was caressing her back and holding her hands to keep her warm, Marco was relieved when he heard Janna's breathing steading itself once again.
Marco started to drift off to sleep as he heard a small chuckle coming from the woman in his arms.
"You know, I never tried anything serious with you because I didn't want to you to lie to me like you did with Jackie" Janna turned to see Marco eye to eye and the latino didn't know if she was either shivering from the cold or trembling over forcing herself to lift her head to look at him.
"But I'll admit that if this is how it feels when you lie, I can see the appeal of it" Janna went back to Marco's shoulder to try to fall asleep.
"Only for today, can you lie more to me?" Janna said in a small voice and she immediately felt Marco's embrace tightened.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I took you for granted, I'm a stupid moron that didn't notice when the friend that had been by my side since kindergarden just up and dissapeared, I promise I'll never let that happen again, I'll give you a special pass to the castle, you'll get a copy of the keys to my room, I'll shower you with as much attention you want, so please, just...please...stay somewhere I can reach you" Marco said snuggling closer to Janna as he sobbed.
"You're good...that didn't sound like lie at all" Janna felt Marco's hand leave hers to grab her by the chin to look at her eyes.
"It wasn't" Marco said with a shaky voice, his nose touching hers, both closed their eyes slowly and finally they kissed, Janna was just letting it happen but was receiving the attention gratefully, Marco was wondering why she had so many tattoos but she limited her piercings to the two rings on her brow until he felt a piercing on her tongue, he played with it with his own tongue, caressed hers and tasted the insides of her cheeks but the kiss was short lived as Janna lost enthusiasm pretty soon and separated from him.
"My head hurts" She said uncomfortable and laid into Marco shoulder one last time as she started to snore lightly, her breathing stabilizing.
"Did...Did she just?" Greedy Heart was flabbergasted.
"Chill, she IS tired...me too actually" Marco said with a yawn.
"Well yeah, I'm sure sleeping would be nice for the blue balls, good night kiddo" Greedy Heart said.
"Yeah, good night to you too, annoying little gremlin" Marco said and Marcello burst from the blanket, giving an expectant look to him.
"I didn't mean you, but good night to you too Marcello" Marcello gave a happy neigh and dove back into the blanket.
*The next morning*
Marco woke slowly that morning, trying to feel Janna on his arms only to notice she wasn't there any more, his eyes snapped open and fully nude he jumped to his feet running outside.
"Janna!? Janna where ar-" his panic was cut short as he saw the entire group of Jackie and the others, staring at him, all of them froze mid activity, Sabrina was feeding a fully clothed Janna, Jackie and Kelly were cooking food on a campfire, Chantelle and the mime girl were grooming Nachos and Brittney was just sitting at a moderate distance from the group, the latter of which was the only one that didn't froze, Brittney gave a smug smile and a snort.
"Don't be a prick, boss, that is a solid eight out of ten" Chantelle commented nonchalantly, that comment was the thing that brought everyone out of their stupor.
Janna caught the spoon in her mouth before Sabrina could drop it as she desperately and in a very dramatic way covered her eyes, the mime pantomimed putting on a blind fold and the pair of beet red Jackie and Kelly screamed.
"How long are you gonna stand there you dumbass?!" Kelly and Jackie tried to avert their gazes but their eyes were drawn on to Marco like magnetism, Brittney just scoffed at the chaos that was going on and Chantelle was calmly and openly staring at Marco's crotch.
"I'm sorry" Marco finally snapped back to reality and ran back inside the hut, Nachos following on a mad dash for her master.
"Wait! Nachos?! Sit! I need to get dressed!" there were sounds of things falling, breaking, lots of girly screaming from Marco and a few roars from Nachos before the knight got out of the hut fully dressed.
"There we go! Everything is ok now!" Marco said opening his arms on a "Taa daa" kind of way with a nervous smile plastered on his face.
"Your hoodie is on backwards, you donkey/Barfo" Greedy Heart appeared on Marco's chest and berated him at the same time as Brittney did, with a small blush Marco took off his now sleeveless hoodie and put it on right.
"Better?" Marco said clearly exhausted, but Chantelle, Brittney and the mime were once again stunned stiff.
"What the fuck is that Barfo?" Brittney said pointing an accusatory finger towards Greedy Heart.
"That is a curse Marco has...so far it's harmless, just ignore it" Sabrina said getting her composure back.
"Hey honey, you said an eight out of ten, but I assure you, when it's time to perform it gives nothing below a 100" Greedy Heart waggle his eyebrow to Chantelle who raised one eyebrow and smirked.
"Talk is cheap, cyclops, I will judge myself thank you very much" Chantelle said on a haughty tone.
"That sounded like a prom-" Marco silenced his chest with a hard slap and turned to see the group with a serious face.
"First and foremost, Janna, How are you feeling?" Marco approached the smirking Janna who was still chewing on her breakfast, she swallowed and let the spoon fell from her lips.
"Dude, I just saw your dick, full view, first row, do you really need to try and sound all authoritative" Janna gave a chuckle, Marco scowled.
"Chill, I'm talking and chewing my own food aren't I? You don't need to worry your pretty little head about this, you don't need to chew my food for me either for that matter" Janna waggled her eyebrows on a flirty way, Marco just sighed with relief.
"So you're alright?" Marco said relaxing.
"Much better, still a bit tired but everything alright" Both Janna and Marco gave each other a knowing look that might have ended up with them lost in each other's eyes.
"No! Everything is not alright!" Screamed Brittney snapping both of them back to reality.
"Listen here you creepy bitch! I'm gonna go back home, I don't care if you come out the other side of that portal a fucking corpse, just take me back already!" Brittney demanded with, as a loud and angry voice she was capable of.
"Ok sure, what was that reversing spell Kell?" Janna turned her gaze to Kelly.
"Wait! Janna that trick last time left you anemic! If you do that right now you might actually end up a corpse" Sabrina pleaded to her magic mentor.
"Nah, Sab, last time we used the reversing spell I was right as rain after, I don't see why this would be different" Janna got on her feet with some struggle.
"Besides, the rich kid needs to have her tantrum catered to, you don't want to be between her and what she wants don't you?" Sabrina turned to see a livid Brittney behind her and despite even her best judgement hid behind Janna the girl that was barely standing on her own two feet at the time.
"Marco, I need your scissors, Kelly, I need the spell" Janna said with a smug smirk.
Nobody else had anything to say and all the resources were given to Janna, still wobbly on her legs she still read the spell and recited it, the same light show as last time was visible, Janna's eyes pitch black as she was glowing with purple light, a blade of the scissors in each hand, her voice turned demonic and started to speak on an unknown language.
Marcello once again fused with her and finally she slashed the air with the scissors, everyone turned to see the forming portal...for nothing, the sky was completely clear.
"Did the portal opened on the same place as last time? We need to hurry and fin-" Brittney started with her desperate, angry voice as it had become her habit on this little adventure.
"No, Wong, last time she used the spell the portal opened right under us like it did the first time, following that logic that slash should have opened another portal" Jackie said her voice filled with dread.
"...The reversing spell reverses the very last spell the caster used, no more, no less...I don't want to believe it but maybe…" Sabrina said losing all the strength on her legs and falling to the ground.
"Yes, it's exactly like that, the spell counts each individual portal as it's own spell, Janna opened dozens last time...it looks like ours wasn't the last one she opened" Kelly ended on a solemn note.
"Wait, so that means" Chantelle said as it finally dawned on her and the mime girl covered her mouth in horror.
"There is no safe way to go back home" Marco said following Sabrina as his legs just seemed to give up and collapse from under him.
*Author's Notes*
Guys I'm sorry, I know what I said last time but the writing itch was just too strong to ignore, the Beta seems to have gotten the document and is hopefully giving it a read but I wanted to continue this fic so badly.
I hope this will be no problem, I'll start with the whole revising older chapters once I get a solid grasp on how to work with the Beta.
Besides there are only 2 girls left and one of them is the very next chapter, I'm fucking giddy to get to it.
A very big thanks to anyone who read this chapter and hope you have a nice day.
