Ch 25: Marco gets motion sickness.
AN: So apparently a previous version of Chapter 25 was incoherent gibberish so this is a changed version. Hopefully not so jumbled because I have no way to know if other people can understand what i'm saying until I post it.
"Not a surprise." Tom mumbled "I shouldn't have lied to myself."
"Tom, you're right. I am cheating on you." Star said surprisingly softly "I don't know how, or if, you'll ever forgive me."
"Forgive you? I-" Tom was split in two. On one hand, he had been cheated on. On the other hand, how hard had he worked before that? When Star was his ex, he did all that he could to get her back. And now to throw that all away?
A familiar feeling came to him: rage. It was not her fault, it was Marco's fault. And he would pay.
"Star, I… I think I can forgive you. Just untie me please." Tom apologized, holding in his anger.
"Oh, of course." Star untied Tom, and he immediately looked around the room to see where he should strike. But Marco was long gone.
"Where's Marco?"
"Oh, he's right here- wait no he's not." Star was as surprised as Tom was.
"Damn it! He ran away!" Tom teleported himself out of the room and into various places in the castle. In an attempt to find Marco he teleported to the throne room, halls, and the puppy farm. Eventually, he did find him. Marco was running through the halls of the castle.
"MARCO!" Tom used his magic to make bindings appear on Marco's hands and ankles, making him fall over.
"Come on man, can't we talk this out?"
"I'll make you pay, i'll make you fucking pay"
"Hey now, no need to swear. Don't want to lose control of yourself- OH MY GOODNESS." Marco was shocked as he was teleported to Tom's domain. More specifically, Tom's spinning dartboard which had cuffs on it so people could be attached to it.
"I bet you're really regretting everything now. You and your stupid eye-patch." Tom spat as he made the board spin.
"Come on, I get sick easily with motion based things. You really don't want me throwing up on your... beautiful torture devices!" Marco said as he slowly span on the circular board.
"What did she even see in you… all you did was get yourself famous by preaching like a mad man. Your fame is all built on a fucking joke!" Tom took a few steps back and picked up a rock. He threw it at Marco and missed.
"Again with the swearing, you really should stop. Maybe you can aim better if you concentrate."
"What is it with you and swearing?"
Marco sighed. "I don't want to get into it right now."
"Oh, but you will get into it." Tom shot a magical shot towards Marco. He barely missed, a small bout of fire appearing and disappearing.
"Woah! Alright! Jeez." Marco felt his side warm up a bit and cool down as the fire died. "It's… It's because of my parents. They don't, or should I say didn't, like it when I swore. Since I know they are- I can't say it…" His lip began to tremble, and it wasn't from needing to throw up.
"You want another fire bolt or do you want to speak up?"
"IT'S BECAUSE MY PARENTS FUCKING DIED OK? THEY- they... they didn't like it when I swore. I know they're looking down on me from heaven, and I don't want to make them sad." Marco had tears start forming from his eyes. He blinked them away.
Tom paused and looked at Marco. He walked up to him and made him spin faster.
"Again, what did she see in you?"
"That was a question? I really can't… think so straight while spinning so fast…"
"Then you'll tell the truth. What did she see in you?" Tom said.
"I… I think it was something about experiencing this thing together… we were both stranded and… ugh…"
"Come on, you can talk!"
"I really… can't I… feel… ugh…" Marco vomited while still spinning. Tom quickly ran and stopped the spinning.
"You got my spinning dart board dirty!" Tom hissed, backhanding Marco.
"Ugh… just let me talk OK?"
"Fine." Tom said, stepping back from the vomit of Marco's hoodie.
"We were both stranded on the Atlantic sea. We would've both drowned if we weren't helped. And even then my eye had to be removed just so I could live. Being helpless together, I guess that bonds people."
"So by some CHANCE of you meeting her, you did what I couldn't without magic." Tom glowered.
"Tom, let me be honest with you, you're way too aggressive." Marco said, stalling for time. "I don't know how you demon people do it, but Mewnians are really similar to Humans. Mewnians and Humans, they don't take kindly to taking what you want by force."
"You aren't in a position to give me advice."
"Well, how long do you think it'll be until Star puts two and two together and teleports right here?"
"Good point. I should get back to torturing you. Hey look, a rat!" Tom picked up a three eyed rat and threw it at Marco.
"Is this really all you can think of? I could think of countless ways to torture myself!"
"Wha- no! No you can't, I'm way better than you!" Tom said with an expression of anger and embarrassment.
"I am way better than you!"
"Am not!" Tom said.
"Am too!" Marco said.
"Am not!" Tom said.
"Am not!" Marco said.
"Am too! Wait-" Tom said "Dang it!"
"Ha! Now, as punishment for losing you have to untie me."
"You really think I'm that dumb?" Tom threw another rock at him.
"Still can't think of anything? I really am better than you!"
"Really? You're trapped here, tied up and helpless! You really think you're better than me? Tell me why you think that!"
"Uh… Oh, I know!" Marco said, "I make a mean Taco!"
"Is… is that it?"
"Of course not, dummy! I also… uh… am really good at… eating?"
"What." Tom said.
"What do you mean 'what'? Eating is one of the most difficult things in the world! I have to prepare for months before I eat!"
"I thought people ate like… everyday. I certainly do..."
"Oh now you come in here and brag about eating everyday. You know how blatantly obvious of a lie that is?"
"Eating is literally one of the only ways the body can get energy- wait, are you just stalling for ti-" Tom heard a portal opening behind him.
"Tom! Stop!" Star stepped through the portal "Please, don't do anything else!"
"He hardly did anything." Marco said while laughing.
"Star, just let me handle this." Tom insisted, "Just go back and everything will be fine. He won't even get any permanent wounds, I assure you!"
"No, I don't care about anything physical!" Star jabbed, "He's been through this before! I saw it happen right in front of me! Do you ever think that you're damaging people even after they leave your capture?" Star grabbed Tom's shoulders.
"What do you mean?"
"Marco told me stories of his old self, and his old self is not who he is now. Something changed on that ship…"
"What ship?"
"The Bismarck" Marco sighed, remembering what had happened on that ship.
"Yeah, that. He was taken into custody by these people, and he was interrogated. Interrogated hard. They beat him into confessing something. And he… he changed there. I don't know what he was like before, but his stories contrast too much with himself."
"So what?" Tom dismissively said.
"Don't you see it? You're hurting him mentally! It's too much like Bismarck! I'm worried he's gonna go insane or something! You have to stop, you're gonna destroy him!" Star pleaded.
Star and Tom locked eyes, then Tom said, "Fine. I won't hurt him anymore. But you have to promise to break up with him."
"Oh thank you thank you! Can you release him now?" Star said, hugging Tom.
"Yeah, yeah I can do that." Tom said, putting his arms around Star too.
After what felt like an entire minute to Tom, they released. Tom walked towards Marco and removed him from the dartboard.
"Ha! Barely any scratches! I've had breakfasts more dangerous than that!" Marco Teased.
"Just get him out of my dimension, Star." Tom said, waving his hands as to dismiss them.
"You OK, Marco?" Star urged.
"Tom probably lost more energy than I did in torturing me. I didn't even need to move! Hahaha-" Marco laughed so hard Star had to support him from falling as they walked through the portal.
"Hahahah-" The portal led to just outside the castle. Marco sat down on the grass.
"You need anything?" Star asked.
"Hahaha…" Marco's laughing slowed to sporadic giggles, then to a smile, then to a frown. "Uhm… just… sit with me please. I want some company." He wiped the corners of his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket which revealed that his eyes were capable of holding back waterfalls of tears.
"Are you sure you're OK?"
Marco took a deep breath of the fresh outside air. "I... don't really know."
