Hidden Wish
"Why do I hawve to weaw these pants?" Homestar moaned as he stepped out from the room, two female tailors giggling at him. "Ow these sleeves? Why?"
Marzipan rolled her eyes as the fairy picked at the long sleeved jacket and semi tight pants. Then he pulled at the split coat tail.
"Sewiously, why can't I weaw what I want to?" He continued to complain.
Strong Bad snickered at the sight of dolled up fairy. Slowly he shook his head. "I have to agree with the fairy here, Marzi. There's no way he can fight in that." He took Homestar's hand and pulled him back into the room, kicking the door closed behind him.
Homestar swallowed deep, taking his hands away as soon as he could. The fire prince didn't notice the awkward blush that illuminated the fairy's cheek crystals as he walked over and took a piece of parchment from one of the tailor girls.
"I'll design you something better than that... Sorry excuse for an outfit."
***
The Cheat finally made it back to the edge of the western kingdom. He was tired, sore, confused, and more than a little frustrated. His best friend had gone crazy over a fairy, and then seemed to disappear off the face of the world, leaving The Cheat alone and small in a big and scary forest. And what was worse, after dispatching two fairies; or at least thinking he was rid of them; they came back with a vengeance and an army.
He had just barely escaped the bug winged soldiers intact. The Cheat quickly came to one conclusion; he hated fairies. Actually he came to two, they also didn't taste very good. He had no choice but to bite and scratch to get away.
Trying to shake off the various burrs and little spears stuck in his fur, he had no choice to but to keep going. He scuttled onward, towards the western castle. He had to find and tell Strong Mad about his little brother's disappearance. Maybe the big guy knew how to find him.
***
"Ta-da!" Homestar stepped out, dressing in a red, hooded, long sleeved tunic, and otherwise long traveling boots that were white with blue soles. Marzipan looked over, unsure whether or not the fairy was wearing pants anymore, and blushing at her uncertainty.
"You look like a peasant." She muttered, frowning. "I liked the outfit I decided for you."
"Well I like this one. Stwong Bad even designed the sleeves to come off." Homestar chirped, unhooking and taking them off.
"I know the little dork just a bit better than you, Princess." Strong Bad pointed out with a smug tone. "Live with it."
"Oooo! And look, Mawzi." Homestar turned around. "He put my wing back in place and made the shiwt com-fowt-able awound my wings!" He fluttered his wings.
Marzipan glared over to the fire prince, cletching her teeth. She sighed in frustration before turning away. "Ok, Whatever. Let's just be on our way."
"As you wish, Princess." Strong Bad bowed, giving her a teasing glance before following her. Homestar was right behind them both, happily prancing in the rear.
Now that he no longer hurt he was possibly the happiest he had ever been. Homestar was a man, and not just that he was with his best friend and a pretty, though grumpy-faced, lady.
They left the castle and began to walk through Town. The sun was nearly touching the mountains in the distance, indicating late evening of the day after they first met in the Southern kingdom.
Marzipan stopped at a few shops on the way out, getting
Homestar a new dagger, and some bandages amoung other things. Strong Bad got himself some dried meat, enjoying how much it disturbed Marzipan that he would even consider eating it. Having no money himself Homestar just accepted the dagger and followed them along.
Finally they came to the gate. Strong Bad froze at the sight of the guard. It was Zee.
Zee looked over and tilted his head. "Where'ya goin, yer highners?" He stood straight before bowing.
Marzipan sighed, looking away. "I'm going to Bubs' shop with my escorts. Please move aside so we can pass."
"Ye're goin with dem?" the guard looked surprise. "What would yer father say if he heard you goin back to ol' Bubsy's with a wickid prince and his fallin angel as yer escorts?"
Marzipan looked away from the silver eyed foot soldier, and down. "More than likely? 'Pass the baked ham, do hu hu hu'." Her answer made Homestar look confused and Strong Bad snicker.
"Well I'm not goin ter let you go. You're safety is impertent." Zee crossed him arms. "Now tell dem to leave so I can escort you back to der castle, Princess."
Marzipan shook her head. "No."
"You heard the lady, not out of the way, Guard." Strong Bad spoke bitterly as he motioned for the soldier to obey. "We have an important mission, and the princess is coming with us."
"You'we a pwincess, Mawzi?" Homestar quietly asked Marzipan, "I thought you wewe a dwuid."
"I'm both, silly." Marzipan giggled quietly back to the fairy before she turned a serious eye to her 'loyal' subject. "Zee, you may not understand this, but the fate of the world rests on us seeing Bubs. We have to go."
"Rearly?" Zee stopped glaring at Strong Bad long enough to give the princess a curious look. "If that's der case I'll come with you. Ta protect you and all."
"Uh..."
"Fine." Strong Bad suddenly said. "Come with us, but since you're not one of the chosen ones don't blame us if you die." He walked past the old soldier with purpose in each step.
Homestar glanced to Marzipan, confusion written all over his countenance. "Ma--?" She just motioned for him to be quiet and walked along behind Strong Bad, hooking her arm under Homestar's so he'd follow along.
Reluctantly Zee followed along behind.
It was nightfall by the time they arrived at a small shop in the middle of a field. It was a broken down looking building made of stone, except the sign which was a strange white material that somehow glowed. The word 'Bubs' was written in every language any of them had ever seen and many they hadn't.
Marzipan smiled as she walked over the window and knocked on it. Lights came on and the window opened. Out popped the head of a thick blue man. He squinted at the traveling party before grinning, his mouth taking over more than half his face.
"Why hello there, Princess. I just finished the repairs on you guitar." The man, Bubs, quickly quipped. "Who're your friends?"
"This is Homestar, Strong Bad, and you remember Guard Zee."
"Oh yeah." Bubs glanced over to Zee. "You still owe me money."
"Er... Well, I'll pay you back when I have der monies, Bubsy..." Zee looked away, rubbing the back of his head.
"Sure you will," Bubs sighed, turning back to Marzipan and pulling out her guitar. "Here's Carol, all shiny as new. So how'd you get messed up with those two kids?"
Marzipan took the guitar and slung it over her back before glancing over to Strong Bad and Homestar. The first was just waiting in the background, arms crossed and looking a little impatient. The second was hiding behind Marzipan, looking at Bubs with a curious expression.
"What awe you, Mistew Bubs?" Homestar finally questioned, unable to contain himself. Bubs just chuckled.
"The fairy kid's never seen a wishgranter like me before, huh?" Bubs shook his head, continuing his chuckling, before looking over to Strong Bad. "I bet you haven't either, huh devil kid?"
The fire prince growled. "I am not a devil!" He finally exploded, not just at Bubs but Zee and Marzipan as well. "I'M NOT A DEVIL, A DEMON, OR AN ELF! You're all stupid!"
"Den what are you?" Zee asked, backing off.
"If you all really must know, my dad was a human, my mom was a shadow elemental. Ok? There you have it! I'm a mutt. Same with my brothers." Strong Bad huffed and turned away.
"That's what you think kid." Bubs said with a shrug. This only made Strong Bad glare back before storming off into the night.
"Stwong Bad?" Homestar was quickly on his tail.
Marzipan sighed, turning back to the blue man. "Bubs, was that really necessary? I don't think in matters what Strong Bad is, race-wise."
"It matters more than you know, Marzipan." Bubs darkly muttered.
"Then what are you predicting he is?"
***
Strong Bad sat on the bank of a small river, the moon reflecting in the slowly moving waters. For a moment Homestar sat quietly beside him. When the fire prince let out a quick breath and fell onto his back against the bank's grass the fairy leaned forward over him.
"Stwong Bad?"
The fire prince glance over to the fairy, a solemn look strangely place on his face. Homestar smiled weakly. "I don't cawe what you awe. You'we my fwiend and that's all that mattews. You could be a demon, a unicown, even a nasty ol' faiwydwagon fow all I cawe."
Strong chuckled, slowly sitting up. "Thanks Homestar. That means a lot more than I'd like to admit." He sighed, looking down. "Don't tell a soul I did this again, ok?"
With that he wrapped his arms around the fairy and held him close under his head. Homestar was quiet, a blush taking over his cheeks again. Then he sniffled as tears began to form.
"You wewe twying to save me... When you buwned me. That was you, not the Stwong Bad before that, who twied to kill me."
"Like I said, Homestar, that was my brother controlling me. I tried to stop myself, I really did." Strong Bad closed his eyes, hugging the fairy all the more fervently.
"I would hawve died fow you, Stwong Bad." Homestar's words made Strong Bad pull away quickly. He looked up into shocked green eyes with such sincerity that the fire prince paled.
"No, Homestar. Not like that." Strong Bad stood quickly, but held out a hand to help Homestar up. "That wouldn't have been a sacrifice, that would have been murder. Of all the horrible things I am, I'm not a murderer."
Homestar took the hand and stood as well. He looked away, the pink still fresh on his cheeks.
Strong Bad shook his head, misreading it as embarrassment. "Don't worry about it anymore. Marzipan's got her guitar from Bubs, and now all we have to do is get rid of Zee and be on our way." He began to head back to the shop. "Come on."
"Ok..." Homestar stood for a moment, wrapping his tail around a leg and just watching Strong Bad before he slowly trekked after him.
***
Marzipan shook her head, leaning against the shop. "I just can't believe it, Bubs. But you of all people would know it when you saw it."
"Princess I dernt think you should stick around with them. Come home with me." Zee begged.
"I can't abandon them. If Strong Bad turns and attacks Homestar, he'll kill him. Homestar wouldn't fight back. Its obvious he thinks the world of Strong Bad." Marzipan clasped her head. "But what if he attacks me... I can't handle that kind of power! No druid could."
"As long as he doesn't go crazy once he finds out..." Bubs was about to point something out further when he notice moving in the night. He squinted until he could see it was Strong Bad and Homestar, reconizing the fairy's soft glow and wings. "Shh, here they come. Whatever you decide Marzipan, is your decision."
Homestar stopped in front of the group and smiled brightly. "Awe you weady to go?" He chirped.
"I think I'll stay here." Zee quickly said. "Hang out with ol' Bubs, merybe werk off my debt to him."
"Marzipan?" Strong Bad questioned with a small half smirk, almost unable to stay gloomy after Homestar so quickly became bubbly again. "Are you ready?" He was also relieved the Zee problem solved itself.
"Uh..." the princess glanced over to her body guard and old friend, frowning. "Yeah... Right behind you guys."
"Gweat! The night is still young. Let's go!" Homestar took the lead, happily prancing ahead. Strong Bad and Marzipan followed behind.
"Something wrong, Princess?" The fire prince asked.
"Hmm?" She looked over to him, then smiled a tired smile. "I just can't believe I'll be spending the next few days with a man sized fairy and a trouble making monster like you." Her smile faded at the irony of that statement. Strong Bad just rolled his eyes.