Sorry, this chapter was such a long wait in the making but what could I do. I was also working on my other stories so look out for them. Also, I got myself a new beta reader to check my stories (kind of) because god only knows why I suck at proofreading my own work for some strange reason. also the other chapters were updated as well so go and check them out as well.

So, I hope the wait was worth it. Don't forget to follow or fav and leave a review and tell me what you think.

Ch 5 explanation needed

"So, B-fly spill it, who is this hunk and where can I get his number because he and I are going to be spending some quality time together."

Star didn't say anything to Pony Head as she just gave her a weird look at what she just said was something unacceptable to say in front of a large crowd.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You were having the same thoughts I was having."

"What! Me? No, I wasn't, I swear I didn't… have such thoughts," Star lied to her friend which didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Wow chill girl. You're acting like that checking out hot guys is like a crime or something and besides, we weren't the only ones having such thoughts."

Curious as to what Pony Head was saying Star turned around to see how people were reacting to seeing the older version of Marco. It really did pain Star to admit this, but Pony Head was right about them not being the only ones that were having such inappropriate thoughts about the older version of Marco. With just looking at their faces Star could tell what they were all thinking, and it sickened her to her core. But then again, she couldn't really blame them for having such thoughts about her squire because in her moment of weakness she too was just like them the first time she saw Marco like this.

The worst group that was affected by the sight of perfectly toned abs were the other princesses that were attending the ball. Ram Princess took it the worst as she got a bloody nose and passed out on the floor from the sheer masculinity and sex appeal she was witnessing.

"I-I can't… anymore… Baaa~"

Arm Princess wasn't fairing much better as she was drooling like a waterfall while she was chewing on one of her upper right-hand thumbnails. While her upper left hand had grabbed her left breast, while her bottom right hand and bottom left hand hovered over her crotch.

"Well hello, there sexy."

The group of monster girls was just as bad as the princesses as they as well stared deeply into the image of Marco. Some of the men in the ballroom were drooling over Marco. Her own mother and Eclipsa had slight blushes on their faces when they saw Marco. Hell, even her dad gave Marco a once look over.

"Now that's the body of a warrior! I had one when I wrestled with bears, fought in world-shattering battles, and ran 10 miles in 4 minutes. Oh, how I miss those days."

Star looked around some more and saw Higgs blushing just as red as her hair was with daydreaming eyes glossing all over Marco's hot body like a complete lovesick predator.

"We'd make such strong babies together."

It wasn't just the girls that were looking wide eyed at Marco but also the boys and men. Some of them had a look of longing while others had a more inferiority complex when they saw what looked like the pinnacle of man. Among those boys that felt inferior was of course Tom, as he didn't really know where he stood in his relationship with Star right now.

'Oh, god! Why is there an image of a muscle-bound guy on a dragon-cycle being shown? Is Star into guys with muscles now? I could get buff if I tried, it's in my genes after all. I mean my mom's pretty buff so it only makes sense I will be buff to soon, right?'

The only person Star could find that wasn't practically gushing over Marco's older form was Kelly. She instead looked more conflicted with the mixture of wanting to fawn over Marco and not wanting to fawn over Marco. Her eyes were wide open as a bit of drool escaped her lips, but she was quick to wipe it away. She tried to look away, but Marco's hot body was just too good not to look at for long when she knew it was there.

'No Kelly, no don't keep looking. You don't like him, you don't even know anything about him. He could just be some muscle-bound jerk, a hot muscle-bound jerk with a wicked dragon-cycle and a chiseled jawline. NO! Get those thoughts out of your head, you need to find Marco not look at some guy that's probably double your age!'

"Star!" Kelly called out to Star in a shrill and meek voice still completely flustered as she didn't even bother to look at Star, instead continued to look at the older version of Marco.

"We need to find Marco, not some random hunk with muscles riding a dragon-cycle."

Star was going to respond to Kelly and tell her that this random hunk with muscles and a dragon-cycle was Marco, just an older version of Marco, but Pony Head came to her defense quicker then she should respond. "Kelly girl, that is like so rude that you like say something like that to Star. And what makes it worse is that you're not even looking at her when you're talking to her, now that's hella disrespectful! Show some class, girl!"

Kelly turned her head towards Pony Head as she was about to give her a well-deserved tongue lashing only to see the back of her head. Pony Head's eyes were just staring deeply into the All-Seeing Eye spell as if her eyes were glued to the vision of the perfect set of abs.

"You hypocrite!" Kelly yelled out in frustration to Pony Head. "You're not even looking at her when you're talking to me!"

"What! Can you really blame me though? I mean this guy has obviously put a lot of hard work building up those muscles and it would be bad for me not to look at them," Pony Head argued.

"That makes no sense! You said!... But you!... AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kelly screamed out in frustration but was able to restrain herself from just pulling out her claymore again and take a swing at her. "You know what, keep looking, I no longer care about this!"

"I'm sorry what, you say something?" Pony Head asked Kelly as she was still staring deep into the All-Seeing Eye causing Kelly's eye to twitch in annoyance.

"Star," Kelly called out to her friend in a sweet-sounding voice but an undertone of malice could be felt upon hearing every word that came from her mouth. "I think you need to try that spell again, because this is clearly not Marco."

"I'll say," Pony Head added.

Most of the crowd of onlookers ripped they faces away from the All-Seeing Eye and looked towards Star to see what she would do. Placing Star on the spot with each pair of eyes only serving only to make her anxious.

"Well, the thing is hehe," Star nervously laughed while she also rubbed the back of her head with her wand as she was thinking of the right words on how to explain this to them.

"That is Marco," Star simply blurted out nervously.

All eyes widen at the news that the man that they were seeing was Marco. Many did look back at the All-Seeing Eye and saw the similarities that they missed on the first glance. The mole that was under his eye, the hairstyle, eye color and skin tone were the same as Marco's.

There was one person however that didn't get the proper message as Star intended it to mean.

"Hm, no wonder your spell had shown this guy instead of Marco. They share the same first name, now that's funny."

"Uhm no, Pony Head… that is Marco Diaz."

"Wow what a small universe we live in, he even has the same last name as the Earth Turd. You think they're related or something? Because I hope not."

"Pony Head!"

"Yeah girl, what you need?"

"Listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth."

"Yeah B-fly, I'm all ears."

"Look at me as well."

"Sorry, can't do that. Still picturing myself rubbing against those big shiny abs, but go on with whatever you were saying I'll listen, mostly. Kind of. Sort of."

"Okay fine whatever. You see that person in the All-Seeing Eye?"

"Who couldn't see him?"

"That is Marco Diaz."

"Ah, Star I know that already."

"As in my friend."

"What?! You were friends with a hunk like him and you didn't tell me about it?! That's cold Star, real cold and here I thought we were friends!"

"No, he is the Marco Diaz! I lived with him for almost a year, give or take a few months!"

"Wow, when did that happen? Also, I think Tom may be a little jealous of that fact because I know I am."

"I am now," Tom called out from behind.

"No! He is my squire, Marco Diaz!"

"Star, don't you think this guy is a little bit overqualified to be squiring for you? I know you handed that out to the Earth Turd, but this guy looks like he is already a full-fledged knight. Oh, I just got an idea. Hey, Star can you lend me this Marco Diaz, so he can squire for me. So, I can like make him do stuff for me. Oh, and just to clarify I mean the Marco Diaz with the abs, not the Earth Turd with the flabs."

"Pony head! First off, Marco doesn't have any flabs and you know that! Secondly, that is the "Earth Turd" of Earth! Marco Diaz! They are the same godforsaken person!"

"Wait, you telling me that this guy that I am looking at through the All-Seeing Eye is Marco?"

"Finally," Star breathed out in relief not knowing how much more of this she could take. "Yes, that is Marco, he's just a bit older, 15 years older to be exact. Now then he was… like… an hour since the last time I saw him I guess…"

"Star, how did this happen," Kelly asked now for some reason now looked deeply into the eye, no longer resisting the urge to look at Marco's hot body.

"Talk about rude," Pony Head sneered at Kelly. "But yeah how did this happen?"

"Uh long story."

"Oh B-fly, you better tell me how that Earth Turd got so hot, because things were said and thought of that I can't take back!"

"Okay chill Pony, I'll tell just calm down a bit."

Taking a deep breath and then exhaling Pony Head started speaking again, "Okay I'm good, now tell."

"Well, you remember that time I called you about that red portal I found in Marco's bedroom and then you told me that portal belonged to Hekapoo."

"Yeah, I remember that what of it?"

"Well from what Marco told me Hekapoo thought he stole her scissors, but Marco said he wasn't going to leave without those scissors so Hekapoo told Marco if he wanted them he'd have to earn them"

"Oh~ he had to do the Trial of Scissors."

"The trial of what now?" Star asked not knowing what Pony Head was talking about.

"Star the Trial of Scissors is a well, a great test to see if you are both worthy and responsible enough to wield a pair of dimensional scissors. There are some tests that may take an individual either days, weeks, months, years or even lifetimes. It really does depend on her mood at the time when she gives you it."

"Yeah what your mom said," Pony head confirmed Moon's explanation. "Now spill it, what was the test that she made Marco do?"

"Oh, well from what Marco told me he had to hunt down some of Hekapoo's clones." Star looked over her mother and friends and saw everyone else frozen with all their mouths wide open. "Uh, is there something wrong with what I said?"

"Star, the trial you just described is one of the most-"

"Dangerous trials Hekapoo can send you upon!" River finished his wife explanation with great surprise in his voice.

"River!"

"Sorry dear."

Taking a deep breath, Moon calmed herself before speaking again to her daughter. The sudden revile of the fact that Marco had passed one of Hekapoo's Trial of Scissors. But from what little detail Star gave to her was more than enough information to deduce what kind of trial it was.

"Star, it is as you father bluntly put it. That trial you just described is called, 'The Chase' and it is very much considered the hardest and most dangerous ones she can ever give to any individual or group. In fact, many people just up and quit the trial when she gives them it."

"Mom, don't be ridiculous. It couldn't be that dangerous," Star brushed off her mother's explanation. "I mean Marco came out of it alright. In fact, I'd even say he came out of it even better."

"Yeah, he did," Kelly silently whispered to herself with only Jorby able to hear what she just said.

"Keep it in your pants, Kelly," Jorby whispered back at Kelly who only responded with a slight nod.

"Star, do you know how many people have ever passed the trial of 'The Chase' in all of the thousands of years Hekapoo has had people do it? Go on, take a guess."

"I don't know? But if I had to guess like a 100 or something along those lines maybe."

"Five. The answer is five, Star. And that also now includes Marco for the grand total six people that can say they passed that trial."

"Oh~ that's just… unexpected."

"Actually, Star it's quite the quandary, it's to be expected."

"Wait, what?"

"What your mother is trying to say, Star, is that Hekapoo only sends people on 'The Chase' is when she doesn't want people them earning a pair of scissors."

"Oh, that does make some sense. After all, she did think Marco stole her scissors."

"Good, now that we've got that out of the way," River cheered as he pulled his daughter close to him "Tell me Star, how many clones did Marco have to hunt down? I'm guessing he at least had to hunt down seven of Hekapoo's clones to get that buff."

"River, don't be ridiculous," Moon chimed in. "It would have obviously been the minimum of three. After all Marco was only fifteen then when the trial most likely started."

"Oh, oh are we taking bets on this?" Pony Head asked Moon and River. "Because if we are I bet $500 she would have gone all out on Marco with at least ten clones, because come on Hekapoo was definitely very angry when she found her pair of stolen scissors that I totally did not steal. Anyone else in? Because I'm taking all bets here."

Many raised their hands up while they waved their money in the air as they shouted out random numbers of clones Marco had to hunt down and the amount of money they were betting. As the crowd were calling out numbers while Pony Head was flying around and taking bets with a pen and paper floating near her. Star noticed the number of clones that Marco had to face never went over twelve clones.

As the last bet was placed Pony Head flew over to Star's side with a large smile on her face.

"Okay Star so tell us, how many clones did Hekapoo make that Earth Turd hunt down. Also, just to let you know, we have nobody betting on one clone, three people for three clones including one from your mother."

"I've never placed any bets!"

"Oh, sorry my bad." Pony Head apologized. "So okay new numbers, we've got zero on 1, two for three clones. A somewhat decent amount of twelve people betting on 4 clones, but don't worry Star it only gets bigger from here. With twenty people on 5 with only a slight decrease of eighteen people thinking Marco took on 6, but that's the only fall from here on out girl."

"We have a three-way tie of twenty-seven people on 7, 8, and 9, what are the odds of that. A two-way tie with thirty believing Marco could take 10-11 Hekapoo clones. But seeing him now," Pony Head paused her ever insistent ranting as she gazed off into the All-Seeing Eye. "I guess seeing now… I guess he could totally~…" Pony Head just trailed off as she was now lost in the eye just staring at Marco's abs.

Seeing this Star just rolled her eyes in frustration at Pony Head's predicament but understood it very well. Raising her hand right next to her ear she then snapped her fingers loudly to break her trance.

"Pony Head, you there?"

"What? Yes, I'm here. Where was I again?"

"Eh, 12."

"Oh, right, right, right. And finally, we have thirty-two on 12 and that's… what a minute. There's one more."

"One more?"

"Yeah, but I must have written it down by mistake or it may have just been a typo that I forgot about it or something."

"Why is that?"

"Because I wrote down one person that bet on Marco having beaten one thousand Hekapoo clones."

"Oh, no dearie that wasn't a mistake," Eclipsa called out. "That was me."

"Eclipsa! You bet on Marco beating one thousand Hekapoo clones," the confused look Pony Head had given Eclipsa the impression that she had never known Hekapoo to do such a thing.

"Why yes, I did."

"But one thousand? Seriously?"

"I know that may be excessive if you think about it, but I've known Hekapoo," Eclipsa paused to think about the time she knew of her. "Well, I've known of her for a bit of over three hundred years and I've even fought with and against her one time and another. So, I can speak for myself, she would make Marco fight one thousand."

"Okay, whatever I don't care about any number of clones you are betting for. All I care about now is whether or not you can pay if you lose your bet. And no offense, but I don't think you can pay anything given the situation you're in."

Eclipsa smiled as she reached into her blouse and pulled out a small sack of gold coins and showed it off to Pony Head.

"Will this do?"

"Yes, that will do very nicely." After Pony head confirmed that Eclipsa could pay her betting fee she turned towards back over to Star. "So, girl how many did the Earth Turd beat?" Pony waited for a few seconds, but Star wasn't answering her. "Ah Star, did Marco even tell you how many clones he defeated or something?"

"Well, sort of? He didn't outright tell me the exact number. He just pulled out a small notebook from his pocket with all of these flames crossed out."

"Yeah, that does sound like the Earth Turd to make a checklist in order to keep score," Pony Head amused to herself aloud. "So how many were there in his little notebook?"

"A lot. Like a lot, lot. As in like every single page was filled in flames crossed out. There had had to be like near or over a thousand in there."

Everyone in the room had their mouths hanging open at the news that Marco had defeated one thousand Hekapoo clones in only fifteen years. The only other people in the room that didn't have their mouths wide open were Star and Eclipsa. The latter of which was smiling triumphantly as she clapped her hands together.

"So, does this mean I've won? I know Star only gave a vague answer to the exact number, but my bet was far closer to her estimate then anyone else's, give or take a few dozen clones."

Pony Head didn't even bother trying to argue about the bet she had just lost and gave Eclipsa her winnings. Far too many things were happening in a very short amount of time. And that was saying something, coming from her as she mostly fed off drama. But this was far too much, even for her.

First off, she finds out the smoking hot guy she was drooling over turned out to be Marco. Second, she finds out that Marco wasn't a week little turd that she thought he was. Third, she lost quite a bit of money to Eclipsa. Finally, Marco gets hotter when he gets older. When this day was over she was going to bash her head against something very hard, repeatedly until she no longer saw Marco's older form being, in her own mind and thoughts, a fine piece of ass.

When Pony Head gave Eclipsa her winnings of gold, gems, rare metals and other assorted valuables. She dug her hand into the sack then grabbed a single random gold coin and bit into it to see if it was genuine, and it was.

"I'm so going to pig out later on some sweets and treats," Eclipsa then made her way to the exit to head back to her room.

But before she did that she did stop by near Kelly first and then dipped her hand deep into her sack of winnings. Pulling out a fistful of gold and jewels and handing them to her.

"What is this for?"

"It's me saying thank you, silly," Eclipsa smiled at Kelly as if she was just the cutest thing in the world. "You did give me a chocolate bar, and this is me paying you back. After all, let it not be said I don't pay people back for their generosity."

"I don't know," Kelly said unsure if she should take the gold and jewels from the Queen of Darkness.

"Oh, for crying out loud, not this thing again. Just take the gold," Rich Pigeon screamed from the sidelines.

Shrugging her shoulders Kelly pocked the gold and jewels into her dress and thanked Eclipsa.

"Thanks, Eclipsa."

"Think nothing of it, really don't. Just have fun for the rest of the night."

"Will do."

As they both smiled Eclipsa made her way towards the ballroom exit as many people glared at her. Mostly because they all lost a good deal of money to her. Moon pulled a guard close to her and whispered into his ear.

"Make sure she goes to her room and double the guard posted in the front and the back of her room. Also get those dragon chains again, just to be sure," Moon ordered.

"I'm right on it, my queen," the guard gave a quick bow and followed after Eclipsa.

When Eclipsa reached the exit, she stopped and waited for the guard to catch up with her and looked at him with a sweet smile.

"Oh, hello there," Eclipsa greeted the guard. "You wouldn't mind holding this now would you? It's quite heavy and I'm not quite the beefcake like Marco is over there." Eclipsa asked the guard but didn't wait for him to give her his answer. "Thanks sweetie. Oh, and Star darling, I think I need to tell you something before I go."

"Yeah, Eclipsa."

"I would just like to point out something that I think no one's noticed this but me… all right I'll admit everyone got distracted from his abs, but is it just me or do those arms wrapped around Marco looks like Hekapoo's arms?"

"What!?" Star called out in surprise and looked back at the All-Seeing Eye to indeed see a pair of small white arms wrapped around under Marco's abs.

Using her magic Star was able to adjust the view of what the eye was seeing. Lo and behold as the eye screen was moving its position to the side, there she was in all her slender. Hekapoo, master of scissors, riding atop the dragon-cycle while holding onto an older and hotter Marco with a sly grin on her face.

"What is going on here?"

It was just then, did Princess Ram wake up from the floor with a slight daze as she rubbed her head when she looked up to see the All-Seeing Eye again and saw Marco and Hekapoo riding dragon-cycle together.

"Did I miss anything important?" Princess Ram asked out aloud hoping some random person would answer her.

Thankfully it was Arm Princess who helped her up and gave her an answer to her question.

"Turns out that hot ruggedly handsome guy with the abs was just an older version of Marco. Not that it made him any less hot in my opinion."

"Wait, you mean as in Princess Turdina Marco?"

"Yes."

With her question answered Princess Ram's mind was now flooded with more naughty thoughts about Marco's Princess Turdina persona and his new older buff form. On one hand, you had a feminine icon that looked stunningly sexy in a ruffle pink bikini one-piece swimsuit (as seen in the Princess Turdina the movie) which just made her want to take him then and there and toy with him as she pleased.

Or on the other hand, there was his older, more ruggedly masculine persona that just made her feel weak in the knees thinking about how he would take her any way he wanted. And she would let him do as he pleased no matter what he did. She'd not only love it, but you would want more of it.

All those naughty thoughts were just too much for her mind to take in so suddenly and without warning her nose started to bleed and pass out on the floor again.