Preface: I wanted to try my hand at writing a longer fanfiction with a more developed story. This story will describe Marco's experience in the other dimension to earn his own pair of dimensional scissors. This period in the show always interested me, and there was never any real look into it besides little peaks provided by some episodes (unless I'm stupid and missed it). Please, please, please! Criticisms and reviews are encouraged to help me know what you think of the story and, more importantly, how I can improve it. Thank you and God Bless!


Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

I don't care how long it takes. I'm getting those scissors.

Those words linger in Marco's mind as he considers what to do next. Marco stands alone, nothing within miles to make any sound except for the gentle hum of several open portals. Marco is surrounded by ten portals, each a different color. He cannot even comprehend what lies behind each one as well as the task he has just undertaken: earning his own pair of dimensional scissors.

Not only do I need to track down every clone of Hekapoo, but I have to blow out each one of their flames. I had a tough enough time getting the first Hekapoo, but now, they are all scattered across a dozen dimensions. Dimensions in which I know nothing about. There could be monsters that want to eat me for breakfast. There could be extreme weather that burns me alive. I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. What am I going to do? This could take weeks, months, or even years. I could die before I even complete my task. What shall I do?

What shall I do?

Marco looks over each of the different portals, but there is one in particular that draws his gaze. It has that familiar shape of all the portals that Star has ever opened, the portal that Hekapoo gave him to return home. Marco can hear what is on the other side. Star practicing her magic, his parents preparing dinner, the rain violently tapping against his window. It's home; it's familiar. Marco knows that to return now would be the easy way out. He would be back home, but he would also have to tell Star how he lost her dimensional scissors, breaking his promise to give it back. He couldn't go back without her scissors or at the very least a replacement. He knows what he must do, but he doesn't know whether he has the resolve to do it.

"Oh, man. I have really done it now." Marco says to himself, no longer able to keep his thoughts in his head.

"Look at where I am. Lord knows where, and I have to dive deeper into this abyss just to earn back Star's scissors. Scissors that I have lost because of my own laziness. I should've just taken the laser puppies out. Why was I stopped by a little rain? If rain can stop me, what hope do I have to do this?"

Marco looks back at the portal to home. He had never seen something so tempting.

Star would understand. She is not the vindictive type. She could probably easily acquire another pair of scissors. She is the princess of Mewni after all. Maybe Hekapoo is right. I'm in no shape to do what she just tasked me to do.

He reluctantly takes a step forward and slow approaches it. But he stops himself right outside of the portal. The sounds of home emanating even louder. Marco thinks for a long time about what to do. He looks around at the desert he is in. He notices that there is nothing to be seen. The only distinguishable features are the mesas that litter the horizon. He knows he must take a portal, but which one. Should he be a coward and go home? Or should he face this challenge head-on? Marco stands in silence for a little bit longer before he finally musters up his courage to say something, even though no one is there to hear him.

"No! This is something I must do. It's my own dang fault I'm even in this situation. Star's no thief, no criminal. Hekapoo claimed the scissors belonged to her, but that cannot be right. Star owns those scissors, and she is no liar. I will be getting those scissors back as I am a man of my word."

Marco turns away from the home portal and looks over at the other nine.

"Well, where to start now?" Marco asks himself.

Unlike the home portal, Marco has no clue as to what was waiting for him on the other side. All he could hear was that gentle hum of an open portal. With nine different choices, that would mean at least nine dimensions for Marco to explore. He just prayed that none were aquatic or always on fire.

"Might as well take a peek, probably better than going in blind."

Marco slowly leans his head into the black portal. He then sees nothing but darkness. He could hear absolutely nothing except for the occasional drip far off in the distance. Marco then pulls his head back out.

"That's a no from me. If I wanted to spend an eternity in darkness, I would help Star practice her magic."

Marco walks to the red portal and sticks his head into it. Instead of darkness, Marco is immediately greeted with a ball of fire firing towards him. Marco's eyes widen as he pulls himself back out of the portal, falling onto the ground as the fireball races out of the red portal and flies into one of the other portals.

"That cannot be good." Marco says quietly as if he thought someone had witnessed him committing a crime.

He pokes his head into the portal that the fireball flew into. He hears wailing as he sees a small gnome on the ground before a huge fire burning down a tiny house. Marco pulls his head back, hoping that the gnome didn't see him. Even after pulling his head out of the portal, Marco could still hear the wailing.

"Crap! I haven't even started my journey, and I already ruined some poor person's life. This is getting me nowhere. I'm going to have to make a choice and just go for it. I imagine none of these portals are going to be optimal. I won't be able to do this if I think about it. I just need to act and figure out what's next from there."

Marco turned to the least threatening looking portal. It was the pink one.

"Well, that looks like a good choice as any. Please, don't let me run into a monster immediately. Let me run into a cotton candy cloud with the friendliest and most helpful people imaginably."

After Marco properly hyped himself up, he took a step back then started to run. He breached the barrier and crossed over but then instantly slammed into a big, red, wall. Marco fell back over, and the portal then disappeared. He could feel blood trickling down his nose along with a blinding pain burning his face. Before he could organize his thoughts, Marco heard thunderous laughter from right behind him. He sat up slowly and turned around only to see Hekapoo rolling on the ground at what she had just witnessed.

"OH MY GOD! What exactly was your plan? What if there was a cliff, a spike, or a bear on the other side of the portal? You'd be done before you even began." Hekapoo said in between laughs.

"I thought you'd be a challenge, but it appears that I'm wrong. I hope for your sake that all your plans don't involve running right into things and landing on your ass. Oh, man!"

Marco stood up and lunged towards her to blow out her flame, but she instantly teleported behind Marco, and she leaned on the wall that he had just faceplanted into.

"You know. If you look hard enough, you can see your face on this wall. Poor wall, it already was an eye sore, but exacerbating problems seems to be your specialty." Hekapoo cheekily said as Marco stood up after completely missing his tackle.

"What do you want? You're not going to taunt me the whole way, are you? Cause if you are, I would've preferred running off a cliff."

"Ooh, someone still has some fight in him yet. You are full of surprises, Marco. You'll be glad to hear that I won't be following you around everywhere. Believe it or not. There are things that I have to do. I'm just here to see if you actually had the guts to go through one of the portals instead of going home, and here you are. Can't lie. I'm somewhat impressed. Somewhat."

"Well, I'm here" Marco said as he spread his arms out. "Now what?"

"Well, isn't it obvious. I thought I was clear. Track down every single one of my clones and blow out her flame. Considering what I just saw, that may take you—" Hekapoo playfully pretends to consider her next words as she starts counting her fingers.

"—around forever. I don't think Omnitraxus has existed longer than what its going to take you to complete this task."

"Screw off, Hekapoo. I'm here ain't I. I will do what it takes to get Star's scissors back." Marco replied.

"First of all, my scissors. And unfortunately for you, there are no participation trophies here. You better find some place safe before it gets dark. It gets pretty chilly at night, and there are not-too-friendly animals that love the smell of blood." Hekapoo states as she points to his bloody nose.

"Where am I supposed to go? I don't know this place at all." Marco asks as he finally clots his bleeding nose.

Hekapoo stops leaning on the wall, "Well, there's a wall here, and call it hutch, I don't think nature built it. Good luck, kid. You'll gonna need it."

Hekapoo opens up a portal and disappears into it.

"Great" Marco mutters to himself.

There was a temporary quiet after she left until the wildlife filled in the silence. The natural ambience started to unsettle Marco as he thought about what was hiding beyond the trees. He looks at the wall. It was taller than himself by a good bit. It was made of stone and seemed pretty solid, considering he ran at it at full speed, and there wasn't any noticeably dent.

Someone must have built this wall. Hopefully, they will be willing to help me out. When I finally meet someone, they better be more helpful than Hekapoo or else I might be mincemeat before I get to even one clone.

Marco looked left and right and saw that the wall went off endlessly.

I would go charging off randomly, but I know how well that worked for me last time. Daylights burning, I better start going. But which way—left or right? I guess it doesn't matter. Either way I'm bound to run into someone.

A distant howl sprang Marco into turns left, then right, then back left and follows the wall. He keeps the woods on his left and the wall on his right. He doesn't hear anything except the faint sounds of animals lurking through the forest and wind blowing through the trees, and nothing on the wall side—an eerie silence that provokes worry. Marco walked, left with only his thoughts.