Hi there just wanted to apologize about not updating like I use to. Don't really know why it's just is. Also, to inform you is that I'll be updating 'humanity's dark secrets' because I'm getting a lot of PMs to and then I'll update 'The Red Chain Of Fate' cause I want to and then 'He is mine to have' if people want it. And last but not least I may update 'love of friendship' or back around to 'Squire to knight.'
Let's hope I can keep my word on this and don't forget to comment, favorite and follow as it fuels me to write more.
Ch 9 Sticky Dinner
"So, explain to me again why you can't just out again?" Marco asked Hekapoo.
When Marco got to the sound of someone calling out for help he assumed it might have been Hekapoo, and he was right. For when he got to the large tree where the sound was coming from he found her. Stuck in yellow sticky sap that covered most of her body, along with her eyes. Marco did manage to wipe off the sap that covered her eyes but soon found that the sap was really, really thick and sticky. So much so that even just having his hands covered in the stuff it was difficult to even move his finger apart from each other.
So there they were, Marco just standing outside the reach of any of the yellow sap while sucking and licking the sap off his hand, which was the only safe way Marco found to work to get it off of him. Surprisingly it actually tasted pretty good, both rich and sweet. He'd know that Star would love this stuff and planned to get some of this stuff later for her. But only in small quantity, he didn't want her getting stuck on something or someone.
"Like I've said before,this stuff is very difficult to get out of because it's FUCKING hard to move in and it fucking hurts when I move because it also got in my hair! FUCK!" Hekapoo screamed in pain when she tried to move the sap that was in her hair pulled a few strands loose.
"I see that but what I don't get is why didn't Ki get stuck in there with you? I mean you're pretty deep in there."
"Because that scaly basters species naturally excretes a thin layer of oil over his scales that prevent the sap from sticking to him," Hekapoo explained still trying to get out of the sap. "I swear when I get out of here I'm going to pluck every one of his scales one by one, slowly," Hekapoo swore her voice full of malice. "You did leave him alive for me did you?"
"Uh, yes."
"Good, where did you leave him tied up?" she asked with an evil grin on her face.
"Oh no nothing like that, I let him go."
"What, why would you do that?!"
"What can I say, he wasn't a threat anymore and also you need to work on your detective skills. He wasn't going to be a warlord or anything like that. He only did it to impress a princess that he had no chance with. Trust me on this, he really did have no chance with her."
"Well, I do remember saying it was ninety percent chance that he'd become a warlord. And before you start criticizing my detective skills, Rhombulus is way worse then I am. He's imprisoned multiple people on multiple occasions for just looking evil."
"Did that ever include you?"
"Yeah, a few times but I always dodged it or had a clone take the hit for me."
As they continued talking Marco saw Hekapoo was almost out of sap. "Did you even try to burn away the sap?"
"That wouldn't work. You see this sap has special properties that if it is exposed to a high temperature of heat the sap begin to harden like steel." Hekapoo explained as she was reaching the edge of the sap grasp. "Now help me out of this now, I don't want to be stuck in this any longer then I have to."
Hekapoo scratched out her hand for Marco to take. Grabbing on to her hand Marco started pulling as hard as he could. As he did he could also felt that the sap was trying equally hard to pull Hekapoo back into it along with Marco as well. Not wanting to pull himself into the sap, Marco adjusted himself so he wouldn't slip up and fall before one mighty herculean pull he was able to pull Hekapoo out of the sap. They both heard something ripping as Hekapoo was freed from the sap, the momentum of the pull sending them careening backward into another tree. Thankfully the tree they hit was just another normal dry dead tree with no sticky sap anywhere near it.
Coming to Marco had realized he had held Hekapoo in his big strong arms shielding her from the impact. This would have been considered a normal thing had he not realized that she wasn't wearing her dress. Hekapoo came to as well and saw the situation at hand they were in and didn't care in the slightest as she got up off the floor busting herself off.
Hekapoo stood up tall and as proud as anyone as short as she was when only in her underwear. Looking down Hekapoo saw Marco was still on the floor staring at her noticeably blushing bright red. Seeing that she was looking at him he turned away from her embarrassed that he was caught staring. Laughing a bit to herself Hekapoo outstretched her hand to help Marco up which he gladly accepted it.
As he got up Marco still didn't look at Hekapoo still too embarrassed to look at her with the state she was in. Hekapoo herself had no real problem with her appearance and slapped Marco on his ass to get him to look at her.
"Oh come on you big baby you've seen more than this. And no one else is here to see me like this but you, big boy," Hekapoo playfully scolded.
Rubbing his ass from the painful slap Hekapoo gave him, Marco now looking back at Hekapoo only stared at her with disapproving eyes. "Well, I was only trying to be a gentleman about it by showing some class, my Lady Hekapoo." Marco sneered in a fake posh British accent as he was a bit bitter for the slapping of his ass.
"My Lady Hekapoo? It's been a long time since you've called me that."
"What can I say, I'm feeling very sentimental right now."
"Whatever Muscles. Since you foolishly let Ki go did you at least undo whatever he did to the fountain?"
"No, not yet, however," Marco handed over the crystal that Ki gave him. "He gave me this before he left said there's another one in the fountain as well. I would've gone and got the other one but I came to help you out first."
"Thanks." She thanked Marco as she looked over the crystal. "I recognize this crystal they're very rare and come in pairs. This is some powerful stuff Ki got his hands on." She explained before crushing the crystal in her hands with very little effort. "Not that it matters anymore."
"Uh…" shocked at what he saw Marco was about to say something until he was cut off.
"Don't worry about it the other crystal was destroyed along with this one at the same time so everything is fine. No need to panic, Muscles."
"Okay, so is the forest going to start healing now or do we still need to do something about it?"
"No, 'we' don't need to do anything. I one the other hand do. Or more precisely my clones need to do something." Multiple clones of Hekapoo start appearing all around her, but these ones are wearing her normal attire. "These guys are going to have to start setting fires all over the forest to burn away all the dead plant life so that new plant life can grow in its place and do all the seed planting and other boring stuff I don't want to get into."
"Are you sure that'll be alright for you to just burn the forest down and leave like this?"
"Marco, this is a magical forest. Earth rules don't really apply here, also the circle of life and whatnot just trust me I know what I'm doing."
"Okay, looks like you got everything under control," Marco said as he pulled out his interdimensional scissors and opened up a portal.
"Wow, wow," Hekapoo called out stopping Marco from entering the portal he just made. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Uh… home, back to Mewni."
"What about the dinner I invited you to? Are you just going to flake on me now?"
"No, I'm not it's just that the ball-"
"Is most likely over by now." Hekapoo cut in. "You've been gone for quite some time."
"Yeah but Star may be worried that I-"
"If she was so worried she would of have tried to contact you but she didn't," Hekapoo cut off Marco again. "And speaking of the ball, how come I wasn't invited to attend?"
"Sorry about that it's just that Star didn't want anyone from the Magic High Commission, not after what happened last time at the monster temple. Well, besides Moon of course because you know, her castle and all. Also, do you really think you should be going to any fancy restaurant looking like that?" Marco pointed out Hekapoo's current attire and sticky sap that covered some parts of her.
"Oh, that's easily fixed, Marco."
Taking his interdimensional scissors off him she closed the portal he made and then opened a new one and entered it alone as it closed behind her. After a quick two seconds passed and a new portal opened up and out stepped Hekapoo. No longer covered in sap, she approached him wearing a red long slim form-fitting dress with gold studs adorning her chest and shoulder area that showed off all her curves in all the right places along with a generous helping of her ample cleavage. Her hair straightened out as well as a few strands of her hair were braided with sapphire beads on the ends of each braid while still covering her right eye. Her horns seemed to have been polished to a mirror finish as well as sharpened at the points. She was also had it decorated in all sorts of gold and other valuable minerals like pearls and opals.
"Well, how do I look?"
"…" she was met with only silence with Marco unable to describe how beautiful she looked, only able to stare in amazement.
"I'll take your dumbfounded silence as a compliment." That snapped Marco out of his daze.
"Well, I won't lie. You look good but what about me?"
"What about you?"
"I'm hardly dressed to go to some fancy restaurant especially when I'm compared to you."
"Well again, thanks for the compliment and don't worry about it." Hekapoo brushed Marco's concern away. "The outfit I gave you will be just fine. The fight you were in was not at all that intense from what I can see." Looking over Marco she saw no damage done to the clothes she made for him. A little dirty but a good pat down will be enough for a quick clean up. "But if anyone ever does sneer at what you're wearing just flash and flex those large pectoral muscles at them. They'll either be intimidated or enthralled by you or maybe both."
"I feel like you're only taking me is because you want to show me off to everyone as if I was your boy toy or something."
"Oh please Marco, you're more of a fashion accessory to me. After all, every girl deserves to feel pretty." She teased as she wrapped her arms onto Marco right arm.
"That hurts H-poo that really hurts."
"Oh don't be such a big baby." Hekapoo lightly pinched his face. "Just keep in mind that if you're well behaved and show me a good time I might promote you to boy toy if you're lucky."
"Well, I feel very honored."
"You better be. Now let's go," she said using Marco's scissors to open a portal.
"Wait what about Nachos?"
"Oh don't worry about that, one of my clones will take care of her." She answered steeping throw the portal with Marco in hand.
When they both passed through the portal Marco saw they were in some kind of wide open street that is lined with high-end buildings with elaborate architecture. The road was well maintained looking as good as new as chariots were being pulled by such well pampered exotic creatures that he didn't recognize. Everywhere he looked every person he was here wore stunning outfits and dresses that were on the cutting edge of fashion. Hell, even the air in this places smelled divine, free of pollution and impurities.
"Didn't expect that I'd take you to a place like this, didn't you?"
"I wasn't even sure a like place like this even existed," Marco said in wonder. "Where are we?"
"We're in a dimension called Azural Paradise, it's only a place for the wealthy and powerful for all across the dimensions. Here there is no poverty, no sickness, no starvation, a place for the finer arts and luxuries." As Hekapoo explained as she noticed that they were garnishing a lot of attention from all the bystanders passing by.
Marco leaned into Hekapoo's ear. "Hey, is it just me or are people staring at us?" He whispered softly.
"Look again, Muscles." Hekapoo points out nonchalantly and inconspicuous so the onlookers don't see it. "They're looking at you."
"Why?"
"Have you looked at yourself in a mirror, Marco? Take a look at that guy over there." Hekapoo pointed out a nobleman with delicate features. "Do you think a guy like him as ever worked a hard day in his life? Let alone have fought a monster in his life. He's the very textbook definition of being born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
"I guess." Marco acknowledged. "But that still doesn't explain why they're looking at me. Don't these people have bodyguards that look like me or something?"
"Yeah they do but those bodyguards they have are more like over glorified mannequins used to display their wealth. Even the few actual guards that truly know how to fight are dragged down by their clients 'visual tastes' in aesthetics. I kid you not, I see knights here forced to wear gold armor instead of proper steel or wield a sword that looks like an abstract artist forged it. So seeing someone like you that looks like he was just in a fight for his life is a very foreign experience to them."
"I wouldn't say I was in a fight for my life."
"Not the point, Marco. All I'm saying is that to them you're some good eye candy."
"Not that I don't like being compared to sweet candy, but why are they not looking at you? You look better than half of the people here from what I can see."
"Well look at that, someone really wants to be promoted to boy toy." Hekapoo pulled Marco's arm closer to her as she lifted his leather jacket too show off some of his abs "Why do you think I brought you along?" Guiding Marco down the street they could hear people talking about them to one another.
'Is that Lady Hekapoo of the Magic High Commission?'
'Yes, but who the fuck cares. The real question is, who is that hot hunk she has in her arms?'
'Lucky bitch.'
'Cheek out those abs.'
'God, she's such a slut'
'Is he a gigolo?'
'He must be a best in the sheets if he's with Hekapoo'
'God, I love her dress.'
The things that were being said were both good and bad, but all the attention they were getting was still giving Hekapoo a smile to her face. She really did like being the center of attention in a situation like this as it made her feel special.
It didn't take very long to reach their destination, only a few meters from where they arrived in fact. The name of the restaurant was long and in a language Marco knew of but he didn't really care. This was where Hekapoo wanted to eat out at who was he to complain. Upon entering the establishment a good dress waiter was there to greet them and take them to a table with a nice view of the outside that showed a garden with glowing flowers that shined in every color at night. And then handed them both a menu each.
"Thanks." Marco thanked the waiter but was unsure if he would be able to read the menu if the name of the restaurant was anything to go by but as he looked at the menu the words seemed to change to English. "What the hell?"
"Cool, right? The menus here are magically enchanted to rewrite themselves in the favored language of the holder, see?" She explained as she showed him her menu.
Looking down at he did indeed saw the menu was in another language that he was familiar with. That being the language used in the Never Zone, Hekapoo's home dimension. The only things that stayed the same were the prices of each item.
The waiter returned after a few minutes of waiting for them to decide on what to order. Standing next to their table he waited to write down their order.
"I'll have the hydra brisket with deep glow mushrooms."
"Excellent choice my lady and what about you, my good sir?"
"I'll get the chimera tail venom stew."
"Again excellent choice and to drink?"
"I'll get a glass of your finest eight prefixes red wine."
"And just water for me thanks."
"Water Marco, seriously?" Hekapoo stared disappointingly at Marco
"You know I don't drink, especially ever since what happened on my 21st birthday. I cannot even remember the majority of what I did that night and the things that I do remember, I'm not proud of."
"Oh come on it wasn't that bad."
"I ran down a street naked and all of those pixies didn't stop looking at me afterward."
"Those pixie ladies like what they saw and who could blame them," Hekapoo argued. "Because I liked what I saw." She whispered that last part to herself.
"I was talking about the male pixies." Marco specified.
"They too liked what they saw, Marco."
"But they were all really aggressive and weird about it. Some of them even asked me to put them in my mouth."
"They asked me that too, but I'll admit you were the more popular one." She pointed out. "Must have loved all that attention because I would have."
"Well, I didn't."
"Don't care, just be a man and have a drink with me."
"No, I don't trust myself to be influenced by alcohol. Especially when you're around because I know you won't stop me from doing stupid things that I shouldn't."
"Marco Ub- pphtt." Hekapoo stopped herself from laughing at what Marco just said about her because it was very true. She wouldn't really stop Marco from doing something stupid. Unless it was absolutely necessary to intervene. "Marco Ubaldo Diaz."
'Oh shit, she's busting out my full name.'
"I give you a nice weapon, clothes that I made by hand, and don't forget you still owe me a lot especially after you let Ki go. So, all I ask is that we sit down, enjoy a nice meal, have a toast to our restored friendship, and have a drink. Is that so much to ask for?"
"Fine, I'll get 'one' glass of." Looks back at the menu. "White Wolf."
"Be honest with me Marco, you ordered that one because you thought the name sounded cool?"
"What, no I didn't! I got it because…" he looked back down to the menu and scanned the prices. "Because it is the second most expensive wine on the menu."
"Nice save Marco. Fun fact, that wine you ordered it was human made by other humans from another dimension outside of Earth."
"Really, there are other humans out there, how is that possible?"
"Well, there was this advent call The Conjunction of the Spheres were people and creatures from other dimensions fell in one world and humans happen to be one of them. In fact, it's quite common with your kind." Marco was about to ask about what she meant but the waiter intervened.
"I assume madam will be paying for tonight's meal?" the waiter assumed as he knew Hekapoo was rich and the man she brought with her looked like he just came out of a fight.
"Yes, that would be correct." She nodded. "I will be paying for tonight."
"Wow, wow, no you will not. I will be, it's the least I could do."
"That very sweet of you Marco but I don't think you'll be able to afford the prices here."
Taking this as an insult on his pride Marco couldn't back down on this. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised but I do have a lot of money." He pulled out six hunred fifty dollars from his pocket and slammed it on the table with a loud thud.
"Wow-wow look at all that money," Hekapoo mocked. "That's just enough to buy some of the appetizers here for one person."
Stunned Marco looked over to the waiter and asked. "She's joking right?"
The waiter nodded. "Yes, sir she is joking."
"Oh thank god." He sighed in relief.
"You are at least four hundred short of the cheapest appetizer we have here." The waiter finished his sentence.
"Guess you weren't really paying much attention to the prices that much hmmm, Marco."
Giggling to herself Hekapoo brought out her handbag from a small portal she opened and was about to pay for the bill until Marco stopped her.
"Stop!" Marco called out as he pulled out a small sack he got from Rich Pigeon. "Will this be enough?" he asked in a smug voice as he tipped the sack over and the gold and jewels fall out.
As the gold and jewels continued falling out Marco had now just realized that there was more treasure inside this small bag than it looked like. So much so that the gold and jewels were now covering the table and spilling over the sides.
'How much did that bird give me?' Marco questioned as he turned up right the bag as to stop the gold and jewels from spewing out any more.
The waiter proceeded to grab an arm full of the treasure. "This is more than adequate, my good man." And walked away to inform the cooks of the order until Hekapoo stopped him.
"Oh waiter, before go" Hekapoo grabbed a nicely sized ruby from the treachery pile and casually tosses it into his already full arms of gold he had. "Grab another unopened bottle of eight prefixes red wine while you're at it, okay? It's going to be a long night. Oh and keep the change, consider it a generous tip."
"Thank you, milady."
With the order and pay sorted out Hekapoo's focused returned squarely on Marco.
"Not going to lie, I'm impressed." Hekapoo complimented "Where did you get all this?"
Not even looking at her he replied. "From a job I did for Rich Pigeon." As he was shoving the gold and stuff back in the bag. "Can I get some help here?"
"Oh, sure no problem I've got it here give me the bag." Marco did as he was asked and handed the small bag over and as he does she makes a few clones and hands one of them the bag. "Now clean up." She commanded her clones.
"What?! You can't do this to us," one clone spoke up.
"Yeah, we want to have fun too," another clone added.
"You'll all have your fun later on tonight, trust me on this." She winked at her clones. "Now get to cleaning up."
Looking back at Marco, Hekapoo all of a sudden got this very serious look on her face that told him that the fun and witty banter had ended. It was the kind of look you'd give a person to tell them something of importance or are bearing some bad news. Whatever it was Marco was not ready for it.
"Marco… we need to talk. About us."