Forgotten Ventures
Ch. 5
Scissor Craft
~ EDIT ~
The cool, dry, California air could only be kept at bay for so long, and as Marco slowly rose from his warm bed, his luscious sheets desperate to keep their hold on him, that staunch cold was quick to take their place. He shivered at the chill but found it was the only discomfort he would face that morning. As he looked around his old room, from his old bed, he didn't feel like he was someplace foreign, just that he was now somewhere he hadn't been in a long time. And it was comforting.
It'd been three days since that night at the gas station, and in that time, Marco had been able to reflect on much. He'd come to terms with his situation, each day only solidifying his idea that this was no prank, and in lieu of that he found a new sense of purpose, a new drive to keep him going: hold out until things got better, and if they didn't? He would brace for the worst and hope for the best.
Star, in much the same fashion, had also gotten used to her new life in another world. She was still a boiling melting pot of questions about the future, herself, and of course, Marco. But with each day she'd grown more comfortable around him. In many ways their friendship was blossoming into the fruitful tree it had once been, even though it was disheartening to have to start over. But with Star by his side, he at least didn't have to face these new challenges alone.
Marco slowly drifted out of bed and once again began his morning routine. He stepped into the shared bathroom and stared at the harrowing mess Star had managed to build up in three short days, unfazed by it all. A small smirk even crept across his lips as he recalled how frustrating it used to be navigating her… blockade. But now, it was almost second nature. He'd grown used to her lifestyle, and had already rearranged himself to be better for it.
Star, on the other hand, woke up about as gracefully as a grizzly bear from hibernation, her eyes heavy and the corners of her mouth folded into a frown. Frankly, she looked like death as she rolled from her bed, an outline of cold sweat left in her wake. Last night had not been good to her by any stretch of the imagination. She still slept in her old bed, in a perfect mockup of her old room. She had all the comforts of home and then some. But for all the comforts she could envelop herself in, her dreams were the one thing she couldn't cover up with a bit of magic. She could see an endless ocean of black, vile goo. She had been trapped in a deadly decision that had cost her her very life. And in the end, her kingdom was ravaged and destroyed, swallowed into oblivion as she lay helpless in her warm bed.
She shook her head and stood despite her body's protests, stretching into the sunlight and smacking her lips. 'Just… Forget about the dreams, Star. You've beaten worse, and you're not alone. It was just… a dream.' Another shake of her head and she began to mosey about her room, gathering everything she needed for the day, washing up, and letting her mind wander to Marco. And what information she could pry from him today, she could only imagine.
"¡Buenos Días mija!" Raphael offered a little too loudly, reading a newspaper at the kitchen table. He said it in good spirits, though he paused at the sight that sat just across the table from him. He set down his paper. "Star. You look like death. Did you not sleep well?" He'd heard of this kind of thing, Teen Slump, it was probably called. "You don't have any rashes on your neck or hands, do you?"
Star tilted her head, showing off a blemish-free neck before shaking her head. "Nope, still Vampire free, until they figure out the garlic trick is just a scam."
Raphael's eyes widened, and out of the corner of his vision he saw Angie tense. "Aha.. A um… A scam you say? Nooo, pobrecito! Maybe you are just mistaken." And yet, as though she had every intention of dashing their vampire proofing in one shot, Star shook her head once again. "'Fraid not, Mr. Diaz, they actually don't like tomatoes, which is dumb because, I mean, who doesnt like tomatoes?"
Raphael chanced a glance at Angie, finding her giving him a short nod. They could roll with this, they could adapt with the times. They always did. "W-well, Mija, tell me, what else is troubling you? Since you are clearly not afraid of the vampiros?"
She nodded, brandishing her wand for good measure before taking a seat at the table. "Bad dreams." Angie placed a bowl of cereal in front of her. Cap'n Blanch's Sugar Seeds, her favorite brand, and one of the only foods she had delivered exclusively from outside this dimension. Ninety seven percent sugar, one hundred percent awesome!
Angie smiled, patting her head. "Well, try to take it easy today. Stress can be terrible for growing teenagers." She cheerfully kissed Mr. Diaz as she made her way back to the kitchen. Star noticed they did everything cheerfully, sleeping included. It wasn't a bad thing, just... maybe it was when she was sleep deprived. At that moment, Marco waltzed down the stairs and slid to the table, taking a seat next to Star before he started. He looked her over with a touch more scrutiny. "Jeez, Star, you-" She sent a torrid glare his way.
"Look like death?" she spat, "Yeah, I didn't sleep well. But Cap'n Blanch's always wakes me up, so no biggie."
"Probably because it's got like, ten times your daily value of sugar?" Marco shuddered at the thought. How she had once gotten him addicted to the stuff was beyond insanity, but here? In a new timeline with a new body? He could start fresh, avoid ever taking a bite of- "Ten times the value of awesome too! It's shooo goood!"
Without warning, Star shoveled a heaping spoonful of the stuff into his mouth and practically kicked it closed. On instinct, Marco swallowed the nauseatingly sweet cereal and belched his way into a dry heave. "What the heeeaaauugghhh… uuugghhh… what the heck, Star!?"
"What? Don't give me that look, it's good for you."
"How can something made entirely of sugar be good for you!? It's practically guaranteed diabetes and withdrawals! They even have compensation ads running on Mewni for people that eat it!""
"Marco, those are just regular ads, they play those here on Earth too!" she chided, "Plus! It's not all sugar! Only… carry the seven, 'divide by deliciousness'… Mostly sugar."
Marco glared at his freshly laid pancakes, already too sick to his stomach to eat anything else, yet so sugar-deprived, he wanted to guzzle a bottle of maple syrup. Star one, Marco zero.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
As the two walked down the outdoor hallways of their school, Star greeting everything with a pulse and a working pair of ears, Marco racked his brain thinking back to what would happen today. With such a jumbled collection of events and adventures, plus sixteen years in another dimension? It was hard to sift through the pile and find those at the earliest. 'I feel like this could be the day Star gets all mopey and heartbroken over Oscar? No, I haven't had to go through the Monster arm issue,'. Actually, have they even met yet?" He carefully began constructing a mental list to frame the events on. 'Not sure how we're gonna handle that problem, but I guess as long as Star doesn't get too upset, things will… probably be fine.'
He furrowed his brow. It was hard not to stew in how pointless her crush ended up being. Months of her time wasted on a guy she all but affirmed had nothing really going for him. He wasn't a bad guy, and to the right gal maybe there was some charm? Star had long ago made it clear that he just wasn't what she was looking for. Ultimately, he shrugged it off. 'Nothing I can do about that. I just need to chill out, and not let my own feelings get in the way. Star will be fine, and if things somehow go south, then I can at least rest assured that-'
"MARCO!" Star blared a greeting from six inches away and took up position in front of him, beaming him a smile. A far cry from her droopy, melted candle wax demeanor from the morning, he noted. Maybe there were some benefits to a diet primarily consisting of high fructose awesome syrup!
She took quiet stock of his demeanor and quickly shifted her attack. "Jeez, Diaz, I can almost feel you thinking from here. What's the matter?" She asked, dropping the joy a few cranks and looking with sincerity.
His expression was bordering on annoyed, still sour from the cereal incident earlier, but ultimately he let a smile bleed through. "Sorry, I'm just trying to remember what happens today. I can't really put my finger on it, like it's repressed or something." He was hoping that by going the honest route, he could satiate her curiosity, but it backfired.
"Waitwaitwaitwait, are you talking about the future?" Her eyes were sparkling at the very idea. "Don't hold out on me Diaz! Gimme the goods! Tell me eeverythiiiinnggg!"
Marco rubbed the back of his neck and gave out a nervous laugh, shrugging off the question as they filtered through their classmates. "Star, even if I could remember, I still can't tell you. You remember the whole, break the future thing." He watched her smile wilt, and took a different approach. "Besides, it's not like you won't find out in a day or so. Nothing exciting happens for a while. Or I guess, not compared to a year from now."
Star stared at him with a pout, being given so much but so tantalizingly little. "Marco, that's how the future works for everyone. But my new bestie can read the future like an open book, so can't you at least tell me SOMETHING? How would you feel if I knew exactly when the next Love Sentance concert was gonna be, but I didn't tell you because I knew we'd go together anyway?"
Her pout was adorable, in a 'if she really wanted to know, she'd kill me,' sorta way. After a moment of appreciation for her point, Marco finally laughed and thought about it for a second. "Okay, fine, you don't have to bring LS into this. Todays the day…," his face fell as the memory came thundering back to him, adding weight to his shoulders like barbells. "T-t-today… PonyHead… comes to visit…" His face darkened two shades even as he said it. Subconsciously, everyone in the near vicinity shielded their ears in preparation.
Stars eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she screamed an inaudible squeak of joy. "PONY HEAD IS COMING HERE?!" she shrieked. "When?! How? Where?!" Marco looked at her and smiled despite himself. It had been too long since the three hung out like they used to. Thankfully in small doses. Against all odds Marco could even say with certainty that he had even grown used to pony head, and was eager to have some of her brand of fun. So in good fashion, Marco decided to let Star in. Just a little. After all, how much would it hurt if she knew something so trivial. "Sometime tonight, dimensional scissors, and at my house, after I make nachos," he recited, as if by rote.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoooosh! What do we do? Clubbing? Vandalism? Muurrdeerrr? Do we go to the best clubbing spot in the universe?" She asked with such a fierce devotion, it was hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm.
Marco had to think back into the flurry of places and events from that night, but clubbing did sound… "Um... Oh yeah, the bounce lounge!" Marco noted with a snap. Not to say he'd ever forget that place, but to think that his first trip there was with Star and Ponyhead. He rubbed the back of his neck, fondly reminiscing all the memories made among the clouds. And spikes. "Yeah, we went to the bounce lounge, and a few other places I think. But things got a little crazy at the end, so we ended up running around the universe for a bit."
"Wait, what happened?" Star narrowed her eyes, but before she could get any more answers, Marco furrowed his brow. He'd given up enough secrets to get her through the end of the day, surely. "Oh, nothing we can't handle. You'll see whenever we get to it alright?" He gestured down the hall, "Cmon. We need to get to class before Miss Skullnick wakes up from her third morning nap." Star looked at him as they walked back, thinking about what exactly went wrong, and all the fun they would have prior to it.
The rest of the day was largely uneventful for her. She went to her classes as she had done the few days prior, as was 'mandatory or else'. Mulling over Marco's words, she wondered what exactly 'crazy' would entail with Ponyhead, which meant a vast list of possibilities. But he had convinced her that things would be okay, so she could withhold her enthusiasm, at least until the end of the day.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
By the end of the day, as Star walked home with Marco, that withheld enthusiasm finally burst. Hoping to lure out even a taste of the future, she made a show of thinking out loud and swooning over his shoulder. "I wonder if I date anybody over the next few years. Probably not though, Mom would definitely kill me if I brought home just anybody." She tried to keep it nonchalant, pretending to realize what she said. As expected, Marco was caught off guard, though more due to the sheer audacity of the speculation.
"I uhhh… Yeah, you date a few guys," he mumbled, his cheeks burning and his words struggling to form in his mouth. Star stopped and stared at him with a hint of nervous curiosity as she fought back a frown. That was definitely not what she was expecting. And so easily? "A few? Why a few?"
Marco bit his tongue and glared at the cracked sidewalk below. She had him caught now, why couldn't he keep his trap shut? What kind of answer was 'a few' anyhow? "Yeah. A few." He was digging himself a deeper hole by the second. His cheeks burned a red hue and his heart sank into his stomach. "It takes you a while to find what you're looking for. But I guess eventually you found what you really wanted."
Star watched him, trying to read his expression. His tone reeked with an air of annoyance and impatience at both his answer, and the topic as a whole. "Do you not like him?" They had only just met, but she knew she cared about his opinion, even if it was about that kinda stuff. If he was getting this uncomfortable about one of her prospective future boyfriends, maybe it wasn't a good idea to get back into dating.
"No, I mean- …he's a good guy. Heck, I'm friends with the ones I know- Look, can we not talk about this right now?" He looked like he was not only going to be sick, but angry too. She stared, her curiosity almost tripled as she could tell he was blushing. She worked up the courage to ask one more question, though she was sure it wouldn't help. "Marco? Did you… like me?" She was blushing almost as much as he was, but she knew she wanted an answer.
Marco felt his heart stop, but he stared at the ground and let a tired and annoyed sigh escape his lips. It wasn't her fault she was curious, but his mind was set on one answer. There was only one answer he could give her with a question like that.
"No. We were just friends, Star. Nothing more." He stepped past her and continued walking home. "I never saw you like that, so don't worry about it. Please."
She watched him leave and made to follow, a small frown curling her lips. She knew he was hiding something, but she knew if she pushed harder, it would just upset him with more talk of the future. So she dropped it, the two of them resigning to walk the rest of the way in silence. Though there was an air of disappointment. From both of them.
Two hours later, Marco had just finished making nachos, pulling the steaming pile from the oven with renowned vigor and presenting them to Star. "Feast your eyes, Star… On the greatest food in the universe!" She stared at them and beamed at the amazing triangular food that graced the platter oozing with cheese and spices. "Marcooooos, super awesome nachos!" She announced with more excitement than the words could translate.
She was about to take a bite when she noticed Marco staring at the door. She set down the first of the delicious isosceles confections and leaned back to watch him. "What's wrong? You watching for killer flies?"
He shook his head and smiled, jerking a thumb at the door. "Not in this dimension, nah. Pony head is actually gonna be here in a sec. And uh, it kinda goes without saying, but try not to tell her about me being from the future, alright? I feel like one person thinking I'm crazy is more than enough."
After taking a moment to digest that, Star nodded slowly. She could at least understand that there was some gravity to what was asked. But before she could ask, there came a knock at the back door. Marco set the searing tray of nachos down before making his way over to the sliding glass door. He slid it open and waited patiently before a floating unicorn head hovered from around the corner, watching the strange human with concern. He flashed her a confused smile. "How's it going po- uh, youuu?"
Ponyhead answered with a sheepish smile of her own. "Uhm… What up... home fries?" She hadn't been expecting the boy to… expect her? But a flash of blonde from inside the house was all it took to hotwire her brain and send her back into overdrive. "STAAAARRRR! Beeeflyyyy!"
"Oh my GOSH! PRINCESS PONYHEAD!" Star yelled back, pushing past Marco and throwing her arms around the fantastical flying head. "It's so good to see you again! Where have you been, girl?"
"Oh you know, just kicking it at pool parties and skydiving and other stuff that sounds totally legitimate! But don't worry, I'm here now, and we are going out tonight! Are you ready to make some BAD choices?" Star smiled with a nearly nuclear eagerness and gestured to her Earthbound guide. "Absolutely! We should totally bring Marco too!"
Ponyhead looked at the calm and collected boy next to Star and scoffed. "Girl, are you sure you wanna bring THIS square? I don't know if he can handle it. On a count of being all, one dimensional?."
Marco just smiled and answered with a shrug. Despite himself, and as much as he really had grown to tolerate Pony, it was too tempting to mess with her for a change. "Oh I can handle it, I'm just hoping you make tonight worth my time. Would kinda suck if all this hype blows out to a big nothing burger with extra cheese." He narrowed his eyes. "Hold the tomatoes."
Ponyhead stared at him and frowned, glancing around the backyard. Nothing but the crickets of the cool California night. "Uhm… okay?" She hovered over to Star, whispering, "Girl, where did you find this Earth Turd? This dudes got a screw loose somewhere, you know that right?" But Star only smiled and pulled the two closer together. "He's my Earth guide, he's got way more than one screw loose, and he's my bestie, duh-doy. "
Marcos' prodding smile faltered. Before anyone could say anything they'd regret, he gestured his hands in the air defensively. "On Earth! She meant bestie on Earth. I'm sure you two are better friends in general." Ponyheads demeanor seemed to soften, and he let out a brief sigh of relief.
"Alright then! Well, what the hay, girl. I guess we can bring this little string bean along! As long as he keeps up with us, that is!" She flashed a smile and spat out a pair of red-handled scissors with a huge Ruby at the cross blade. Star squealed with glee, a wide toothy smile spread across her face like a bridge between her two pink hearts. "You have a pair of dimensional scissors?!"
"You bethuh beueeth ith!"
"Ugh, jealous! You can take us anywhere in the universe with those bad boys!" Pony head flashed a smug grin, nodding along as Marco could only watch with thinly veiled interest. "Anywhere we feel like crashing! That is if your friend here can handle other dimensions," she added.
Marco smiled and straightened his hoodie. As terrifying as their rivalry could be, it was also one of his favorite things about her. That, and her ability to make any situation more unhinged than even Star could manage. "Of course I can handle it. Are we gonna get moving? Or are you just keeping us here for hype."
Ponyhead hovered, stone-faced for a moment before tearing a deep pink hole through reality. She met Marco's prodding smile with a steadfast grin of her own. "Alright B-fly, let's see what noodle arms here can handle!" The three charged through the rift, with Ponyhead hanging back for last. Before she followed, she looked around with intense scrutiny before nodding, and letting the portal close behind her. The moment the rift had shut, and the hum had died back down to crickets, another cleaner, dark blue portal opened in nearly the same spot.
Three large, muscular figures stepped out, clad in leather jackets with straps across the chest. They wore leather boots, and darker cargo pants beneath studded black belts. Their faces were covered in masks with a large mesh screen for a mouth and glowing red eyes. The one who appeared to be the leader stepped forward and analyzed the glittery ground beneath them. Pinching a small sample in his glove, he nodded. "She was here," He said with finality before opening another portal.
Marco, Star, and Ponyhead each fell through a cloudy ceiling towards the hard floor of the club he'd grown to love. powerful speakers reverberated with with mix of interstellar house and deep space synth beats. There were dancers scattered about the floor below and columns of cumulonimbus dotted the area around the dance floor. Marco noticed a soft landing spot between a four armed woman and a slug beast, but decided to chance his luck by doing something cool. Star and Ponyhead landed softly on a billowing couch as Marco hit the ground. With careful coordination he rolled into a steady landing to slide on his knees between a group of dancers before flipping to his feet and looking around.
Both Star and Ponyhead stared as he straightened his hoodie. Ponyhead floated closer and whusoered incredulously, "Okay girl, what? Where did Earth turd learn to do that?" Marco smiled and waved them over as they both shook the surprise from their faces. Star waved back and began weaving through crowds of undulating aliens. "Oh, you know. He's umm, been around? Just doing earth stuff."
Ponyhead narrowed her eyes and made to crack with a retort, before Star cut her off. "OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS! LOOK! A PHOTO BOOTH!" Anything to distract from the topic at hand. She dragged the two over to the inconspicuous booth before Marco wrestled his hand from her grip and took a step back. "Star, I think I'm gonna sit this one out. Photo booths… aren't really my thing."
She watched him worm his way back towards the dance floor, faking whatever moves the other clubbers where fronting before Ponyhead started moving towards the booth. "Whatever Earth turd. Cmon, Star, we got photos to take!" Star followed Ponyhead into the booth, but not before looking back at Marco one last time. He looked pale and sick, his smile a fragile front she could see right through. "Okay… well, see ya in a few, bestie!"
Immediately after the two entered the booth and closed the curtain, Ponyhead closed the gap with Star and hissed, "Alright, B-Fly. Spill it. Who's the Earthling? Why do I get the feeling that dude isn't 1-D?" Star looked at her with surprise and fumbled for words and smiles to placate the inquisition. "O-oh you K-know. H-he's just a guy showing me around Ear-" Ponyhead snorted glitter and pressed her face to Stars, staring harder as she spoke. "Girl, you know that ain't what I meant! What's his deal? I wanna know who he is to you." She sounded furious, though her eyes showed genuine concern. Star stared back at her and let her crooked smile fall as she spoke. "I- I don't know yet. He's my best friend, I guess."
Before Ponyhead could press any further, the music in the club scratched to silence. Both girls poked their head out of the booth and saw a crowd of clubbers charging for the exit. And away from the three muscular strangers standing in the middle of the dance floor. Marco had taken a ready stance before them and had positioned himself between the booth and what he knew were robitic henchmen.
Ponyhead gasped and hid back behind the curtain, dragging Star into the booth with her. "Star, those guys are bad. News. We should ditch this place and-"
"What? And leave Marco?" Star demanded, "Pony, who the heck are those guys?"
The floating equeatian head pressed her lips together, glancing around the booth for an out. When none appeared, she let out a sigh and poked her head from behind the curtain to watch them. "Yeeaaah, seee. They've kinda been chasing me and junk?" Star glared ponyhead.
"What do you mean chasing you? Why? And why did you bring Marco and I?" she hissed.
"Well, um. You see Star, I haven't been totally honest with you? These goons are from St. O's. I escaped, and they wanna take me back, so I wanted one last night with mah bestest best friend before I got locked up for good."
Star watched her with mounting horror. "You mean, they're from St Olgas?! Ponyhead why didn't you tell me? And Why did you let me bring Marco?" She glared at her before stepping forward towards the curtain, pushing her way out of the booth and marching to stand next to Marco. "You owe us an explanation after this is over," she warned, brandishing her wand. Ponyhead followed, the trio standing before the strange men with mixed expressions.
"Wait, you guys should take these." Ponyhead tossed her scissors to Star. She looked ready for a fight, but deep down she was scared out of her horn, and if the worst came to worse at least someone could use them. Star looked down at the scissors before tossing them to Marco.
"Girl! What the horn are you-"
Star cut her off with a frigid glance. Determined eyes had replaced the cheerful smile she wore only minutes ago. "I have my wand, so better with Marco than me. I trust his judgment." She aimed her wand at the three men, letting the golden star at its center burn bright yellow. "Are we doing this?"
Just before Ponyhead could protest, there was a rumble in the bounce lounge. The music stopped and the lights flickered as it shook madly from right to left. It sounded like someone had turned the bass all the way up and let it ride, a terrible whir building just behind the thrum. A sickly green rift opened slowly in the middle of the dance floor, fighting to widen like the aperture of a camera. It sizzled as sparks flew from its edges, the rift itself burning like rage given form. Marco, Star, Ponyhead, even the three henchman could only watch in shock as it finally slowed. It was a swirling mass of black and green. A gaping maw resting between them, and the strangers.
A lone figure stepped through before the portal snapped shut, like it couldn't wait to be rid of it.
The humanoid figure stood wearing full plate armor as black as night, with a skull embellished helmet like Ludos. Only this skull gaped as if it were silently caught screaming in pain. The man's armor was littered with gouges, dents, specks of dried blood in every color, and two scimitars hung around its waist. On its chest sat a green, glowing rune. Rugged boots capped in black steel completed the ensemble, along with a mask of wrapped cloth that hugged the man's elongated face. Two bright yellow and hateful eyes seemed to crest out from behind the fabric like two suns rising in hell.
Star was the first to gather her wits, speaking in a desperate whisper. "Um. Marco I know I probably shouldn't ask but, is this the part where things go a little crazy? That guy looks like went five rounds with an army."
Marco stared, just as shocked at the man standing before them as everyone else. "I-I don't know, Star. I've never seen this guy before…" He gripped the pair of dimensional scissors firmly in his hand, the promise of escape both alluring and deceptive. Without many options, Marco breathed softly and turned to the armored figure. He raised his voice to a shout and asked, "Who are you?"
There was no reply. He frowned before calling out again. "What do you want?"
This time the man raised his right hand, slowly pointing a finger… at Star. Marco felt the color drain from his face as he grit his teeth. "Alright then. Let's see what you got."
Ponyhead hovered forward and shouted at the three men behind the armored newcomer. "Hey! That guy kidnapped me from St. O's! Get him!"
They looked from her, to the man, then charged without so much as a word. The stranger didn't budge an inch in their wake, as if he was waiting, and watching. Star grabbed Marco's arm and pulled him to meet her eyes. "Marco, If you don't know who that guy is, we should try to run. Those goons can handle him while we get Pony out of here."
Before Marco could shoot down the idea or suggest a better one, the man whirled around to face the three goons and jutted his palm forward. To everyone's shock and surprise, a thick wave of green magic pulsed from his hand and rippled across the club like a shimmering bubble. It slammed into the goons with all the force of a semi truck. With three simultaneous explosions, battered machinery and circuits were scattered in the wave.
Marco and Star winced at the sight, feeling the force of the hit from where they stood. Marco turned back to Star with a mortified expression. "We can't run... Those guys got us last time, and he just blasted them into scrap metal without even blinking." Star could only nod and grip her wand. It let off an eager glow at the prospect of a fight.
"Okay, then how do we do this?"
Marco watched as the man slowly turned to face them, raising his gauntlet to examine the green glow with curious interest. "I'll rush him and try to send him somewhere that isn't here. Star, you use magic to keep him at bay, and if he tries any of that pulse stuff, blast him. Ponyhead, you distract him and keep him busy while we try to take him out." Star and Ponyhead both nodded in agreement before all three faced the mysterious figure. "Ready? Go!" Marco yelled as he ran forward.
Ponyhead flew around in front of the man, yelling at him to 'Catch me if you can creep face!' as Star began sending volleys of spells at him. "Cupcake gem cannon!" she yelled as her wand glowed a bright purple, shooting a stream of rock hard gem cupcakes.
The man only swiped his hand as a wave of green magic deflected Stars attacks harmlessly to the side, blasting tiles and bits of metal out of the dance floor. All of the other patrons had fled, so there wasn't much to worry about in terms of collateral. Paying for it, maybe. But they could worry about that later.
Marco ran towards the stranger and stopped as it pulled out its two swords. They easily resembled Earth scimitars, but they glowed a vile green around the razor sharp edge. Both swords spat green sparks from their tips as the man dragged them on the ground, finally approaching without so much as a word. "Okay… and now we're doing this. Star! Get back!" He shouted as stared down the figure in the distance.
This wasn't like their usual bouts with Ludo and the other Monsters from early in their relationship. This man had demonstrated a willingness to kill, and the means to do so. So, with mounting uncertainty, Marco held up the scissors and glared. The man stopped, his topaz pupils growing wide, likely in recognition of a pair of dimensional scissors.
Just like Hekapoo had shown him, Marco thought of two separate locations and pulled the individual blades apart. He was met with a satisfying *clang!*, and after focusing on the central gem, felt relief when they grew into daggers in his hands. "Sixteen years fighting for my life, and you? You're gonna be my test drive."
Star backed away from the figure after sending a streaming bolt of rainbow at him, which was deflected to either side. Marco charged and was about to reach the man when he swiped his scissor blade through the air, creating a familiar, humming portal. He dashed through it, reappeared behind the man, and brought his daggers down hard.
The man immediately sent a blade above his head, not wasting energy to look. The edges bit into each other as yellow and green sparks flew in every direction. Marco doubled back and landed on his feet. Both warriors readied their weapons for another strike. As if in appreciation for a good fight, finally the man seemed to show interest, his yellow eyes narrowing. Marco charged first, swiping one sword up and the other across but both strikes were deflected with ease, and returned in kind.
Marco parried one blade from slicing into his shoulder and dodged another attack that would have stabbed into his gut. He rocketed both scissor blades forward and hooked them upwards, hoping to catch the figure off guard as he sent a kick directly into its stomach. The stranger showed his experience with a sidestepping parry that hissed against his steel. One blade hooked both scissors to the side as he let go of the other, reversing his grip and shouldering into Marco's kick.
The force of the blow pushed Marco back, but there wasn't any time to regroup as one scimitar sliced towards his neck, and the other was thrust towards his chest. Marco ducked, but the latter blade bit into his hoodie after a failed parry. The burning green edge hissed as it set his shoulder ablaze with fresh pain.
Marco clutched his arm and dodged a forward kick to the chest before another blade swiped downward. He brought up one dagger and caught the strike, but it took all his strength to avoid losing his grip. The second scimitar thrust forward as Marco brought up his other blade to swipe it to the side. The scimitar dragged against the blade and slide across Marcos' forearm, slicing open his skin as it hissed again. 'I really need a work out when this is over.' He bit back the searing pain.
Unable to watch as the battle began to tip, Star broke into a sprint towards them, shouting, "Ponyhead! Marco needs backup! Try to keep him busy!"
"Wha- we all need help right now, are you serious?! This dudes gonna kill us!"
"Just blast him or something to get his attention! Rainbow rail gun!" Star gripped her wand and spun before sending a giant rainbow bolt through the air. It found its mark and sent the stranger reeling as he clashed with Macro. Their blades sang as he began to lose ground, now fighting two fronts and dwindling odds.
She darted in to finish him off with a warnicorn stampede, but just before she could cast her spell, the man slammed an open palm straight into the ground. Star could barely react before a wave of sickly green magic blasted outward in every direction, throwing her back and into the speakers. She hit with enough force to splinter the wood, dropping to the ground and gasping for air. She struggled to move and get back in the fight, but her body just wouldn't respond.
"Star!" Marco screamed as he made to rush towards her. But the man stepped between the two and held both his blades level at him. His eyes were a steadfast topaz, his gaze was as cold as ice, and he tilted his head in curiosity. He stared, examining the boy for far too long before finally, he spoke.
"You bear the curse, but she doesn't. You can still live free."
Marco stared back, his mind too cluttered with dangers and options to register. The man nodded to himself.
"Very well. Cross me again, and you'll die, boy. Use those toys of yours and go home while you're still human."
Before Marco could question him or charge, a blast of rainbowed energy shot out from the ceiling and zapped with the figures back. "Yeah take that, creep! I got more where that came from!" Ponyhead shouted as she flew circles in the air above them. The man turned an annoyed gaze at her, and Marco saw his opportunity. He lunged forward and slashed down to create a portal. He reappeared next to the man and feigned a strike to its left side.
The man knew where Macros' blade would land and held up his sword with deliberate calm. But before the blades could cross, Marco used his momentum to open another portal and thrust his free dagger into it. He felt a reliving amount of resistance from the other side.
There was a second of silence before the man hissed in pain from the dimensional blade spouting from his right leg, juat under a chink in his armor. He fell to one knee and made a grasp at the scissor when Marco spun around, jerking the blade from the rift. He sent a reeling kick into his temple, cracking the helmet back and sending him flying. The man tumbled and rolled before righting himself and standing ready, but at a funny angle. Purple blood spurted from his right leg as he eyed the red-clad boy in front of him.
"You're making a deadly mistake. She'll kill you too, I've seen it. Don't-."
"Shut it! You're NOT taking Star! I don't care what you think you know!" Marcos' voice echoed throughout the bounce lounge as the figure stood unmoving. "Get out of here and don't come back, or we'll finish what we started." He eyed Macro down, his topaz eyes locked in a glare. A few seconds passed before he charged at him, and swiped both blades downward in a cross, creating a portal and disappearing into the bright green rift.
Marco stood ready, waiting for an inevitable surprise attack. After a moment, when there was no sign of any portals, he lowered his guard. He looked up at Ponyhead before turning wildly to Star. She sat below the cracked speakers, rubbing her head. "Star! Are you okay?!" He ran towards her, but mercifully she slowly held a thumb up and stood.
"Yeah, I'm good, just a little shaken up. What about you? Are you-" She stopped and stared down at his chest and arm before looking wide-eyed back up at him. "Marco! You're bleeding!"
Ponyhead floated down and eyed his wounds, matching Stars wide eyed concern. Marco checked his shoulder, holding the thankfully shallow wound with firm pressure. "I should be alright once we get home. I really liked this hoodie though."
Ponyhead snorted and glanced between the two. "Jeez, Earth Turd. You mean some serious bad news business. Star, who is this dude actually? And no double-sided answers. Is he like your bodyguard or something?"
Star glanced at Marco, back at Ponyhead, then back to Marco before whispering, "Well, he's actually from-" Her words were cut short by the sound of a massive portal opening, and a booming voice that echoed throughout the empty Bounce Lounge. "IT'S TIME TO GIVE IT UP, CUPCAKE." A large unicorn head, easily as big as a small car, floated angrily through the portal, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Heyyy, Daddy." Ponyhead mumbked, sinking between them. King Ponyhead eyed her with impatience before he was flanked by several of the St. Olga guards. "Sweetheart, I understand the shennanigans from your sisters, but its time to stop running-" His words were halted by the sight before him. A bruising and dishelved Star, and cut and bruised boy in a red hoodie wielding two dimensional scissor blades. "What is the meaning of this?" His voice boomed throughout the club, rattling debris and collateral damage.
The three teens filled him in on what happened. From a surprise pony, to three guards cornering them, to a strange and very dangerous man in armor that attacked them before being sent away. In all, it wasn't the craziest story he'd had to endure after an evening out from Ponyhead, but it was close.
"Are you three alright?" he asked. His voice was sharp with a concerned edge, but he didn't seem angry.
Star answered him, though found the words were confusing even to her, given her current state. "We're okay King Ponyhead. Just a little tiny bit banged up."
The king looked them over and diverted his eyes to Marco. He squinted at the boy as if assessing every part of the story at once. Ultimately, he softened. "Thank you, boy. I am forever indebted to you for saving my daughters life, but I'll be taking her to St. Olgas now. She will be safe there." Ponyhead opened her mouth to protest but was quickly silenced.
"There will be no butts, Pumpkin. My decision is final." He turned his gaze back to Star. "And you, do your parents know you're here?"
Star bit her lip and looked around like an excuse would coalesce out of the aether. "Well, I'm actually not supposed to leave earth. I'm got sent there to train with my wand, but I… left for a night," she replied meekly. As if one wrong word would give her the same fate as Ponyhead.
King Ponyhead looked at her and sighed. "I should tell them to come collect you. Clearly, you can't be left alone." Marco looked as though he was about to protest but Star cut him off.
"I promise I'm going right back to Earth. I'm gonna keep practicing, and you wont have to worry about anything, I promise. Plus! I have Marco. He'll make sure I make it home safe." She made the statement with such finality, it was hars not to beleive her. Though she noticed Marcos' surprise. Star did her best to mentally relay that she'd make it up to him somehow later and faced King Ponyhead. "Please don't tell my parents about this. I don't want to worry them."
King Ponyhead watched her for a moment, but mercifully nodded, turning to leave. "Vecause you saved my daughter, we'll keep it between us, against my better judgement. But please be more careful. And I expect you to inform them about any more. Incidents. Good luck to you both."
Ponyhead hovered over to Star and gave her bestie one last disembodied hug. "I'm gonna miss you B-fly," she started before turning to Marco. "You too, or whatever. Keep an eye on Star 'til I get back. Because if you don't?" Her tone shifted to a playful barb. "Now I know where you live." She turned and went through the portal with her father, the two and the henchmen disappearing within it.
Star turned to Marco and eyed his wounds again. Despite his protests, he looked like he'd lost a fight with a Razor Badger. "C'mon, Marco. We need to get you fixed." Her eyes darted down to the two scissor blades he was clinging to, and she let her voice turn soft. "Where did you learn to do all of that?"
He watched her carefully and decided that after everything they just went through, she deserved an answer. He flopped to the floor and sat beside her, leaning against the speaker. "Well, I told you about the years I spent tracking Heckapoo. I learned how to swordfight, battle mercenaries, build stuff, and I learned all about the scissors I was chasing." He hoped that would be enough for her. She nodded without a word and watched as he put the two blades together. They shrank back down and fit easily into his pocket.
"Who was that guy? Why was he after me? Did he say anything?" she asked. Marco shook his head, staring out at the ruined club. "He said something about being cursed, and that 'she'd kill me', but I have no idea who that was. I've never seen magic or swords like that."
He felt a gentle hand take his, and found Star staring out into the empty void just as he was. He fought back a blush and cleared his throat. "We gotta be more careful in the future, in case he comes back for seconds."
She spoke in a hushed tone and her voice wavered. "Thank you for everything, Marco. I'm so sorry you got hurt… and I'm sorry for putting you in danger." Marco shook his head and squeezed her hand. "It's okay Star. I'm fine, really. I'd fight ten of those guys just to keep you safe. It's what best besties do."
She smiled to herself, fighting just as hard to keep her cheeks neutral. "Thank you." After a moment of silent understanding, Star grabbed her wand and took a good look around. "We should probably get out of here. They're gonna blame the two teenagers for all the damages."
Marco nodded and held up his newly earned scissors, trying not to wince as his wound buckled. He cut a shimmering magenta portal and they both stepped back into the kitchen, not a chip out of place. His parents were still out on a date, so the two began dressing their wounds and munching on snacks.
After an hour of Freddy's fun tape-aids, gauze, and enough disinfectant to sterilize a hospital, Star watched Marco as he assessed his bandages. She'd had to apply the majority of them, given their location, but he nodded with satisfaction and began making more nachos. Since the last batch had gotten soggy. She also took notice of how quietly he was working. A small smile spread between her cheeks. "Did you always used to go berserk when I got hurt?
He looked back at her and smiled. "Kinda, even if I can't really do much besides worry most of the time. Though, I once punched straight through a bad guy's chest when I thought you… died." He mentally kicked himself for falling into her easy conversation. But after what just happened, he didn't care if she knew a tiny bit too much.
She looked at him in surprise before smiling and grabbing an almost soggy nacho, munching on it with growing enthusiasm. He was cagey at the best of times, but once again he'd demonstrated that he'd pull through when push came to shove. Especially for her. "Well, this time I'll try not to die on you. I promise."
He glanced around the room and placed the nachos in the oven, leaning against the counter while they waited for the cheese to melt. "Star. I may not be able to tell you everything. And, it sucks more than you know, knowing. But I can tell you that as long as I can help it, I got your back. No matter what." She smiled at that and looked at the new scissors that sat on the counter. "Well, I'm glad I have a friend that can back me up when I need it. Annnnnd one with dimensional scissors to boot."
Marco instinctively nodded before faltering for a moment. He began to think about all the dangers of the world they would face, and the new danger that seemed far worse than any of the others. There would be hard times, nerve wracking bouts of insanity for the sake of whatever Star had set her mind to. And… all the heartbreak. He wondered just how much he'd be willing to let her endure, all for the sake of not robbing her of her destined experiences. But… if they never actually happened? A soft ding was heard to alert the two that their favorite food was ready.
He pulled the freshly warmed nachos out of the oven and sat opposite to Star, setting the tray between them. "You have no idea," he chuckled before the two began munching on the delicious triangle foods of Earth.