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DISCLAIMER: this here chapter might be a tad confusing.
Chapter 2
Hekapoo
XxXxXxXxX
Since Marco's departure and apparent warding of his dimension and planet, Hekapoo searched feverishly for a means to break into the boy's home. Never had she been denied a dimension, every dimension was her domain and she would not let this insult to her honor and powers go unnoticed. Still, after months of fruitless rift ripping she had to admit that Marco did make a rather good defense against her, but she knew the ward would not last forever, nothing ever does.
Even she would eventually die of old age. Eventually.
By then Mewni, Earth and most of the dimensions would have perished.
But the thought didn't bother her too much.
Not when she had so much fun doing her job.
Slashing rift after rift, Hekapoo searched for ways into Marco's dimension but it always seem to lead her in circles, at first she found it cute, then frustrating but eventually curious, he had to make these sidesteps, these detours. Did he really make these many dead ends just for her and anyone who wanted to get to him?
Maybe he was afraid of the threat she made, the ones Moon made and the retaliation of Star. There was no telling what he was planning and if he was jumping through dimensions, she couldn't tell, apparently his sword could rip rifts and she was oblivious to any instances it happen.
Marco had truly disappeared from the universe, shielding his home from all prying hands and eyes.
She was pissed when she found out she was best by Marco, waking up as Moon shook her awake, she worse for wear, at first she thought Marco even best the queen but Eclipsa claimed that victory. Everyone in the Magical High Commission underestimated him and they paid the price, Omni was put into a sink hole, Rhomobulus was nearly shattered and she toyed with her food too long. She would have laughed at each of their outcomes but being the one that should have won their respective fight shut her up fast.
If he ever appeared again they would be more cautious of the human, but no doubt he wasn't gonna show his face on Mewni any time soon. While he did flee, he was pretty much thrashed by all who fought him, only escaping by sheer luck from what she was told.
She scoffed though, Muscles has always been strong and skilled…he was just never pushed far enough.
Hekapoo slashed another rift, bored out of her mind as she searched endlessly for a backdoor into Marco's dimension, deciding that the next rift she ripped open would be the last so she could take a break, maybe get something to eat.
Using Marco's scissors, something she found ironic to help her break into his dimension, she slashed away again, careless at her technique.
She paused as the rift opened and instead she saw herself on the other side, she blinked thinking she made a clone and she just ended back home. Hekapoo slipped in and froze, the would be clone smiled,
"Welcome back."
Not a clone.
But someone who looked like a clone.
She stood just about her height, she looked like a teenage, at the cusp of a woman, Hekapoo blinked, not sure who she was seeing.
"Who…who are you?"
"Kinda rude to ask first, just waltzing into the house."
Hekapoo looked around, suddenly realizing she was inside a cozy little parlor, the girl smiled.
Hekapoo looked at the girl more closely realizing how tired she was made her seemingly think she was a clone: her skin was a soft shade of cream, bright orange eyes, bushy brown hair, but those didn't give her pause; it was her yellow orange tipped horns, a thorny black scrunchy binding her hair, a little flame dancing around her hand and a cutey fang. The fact she wore a red hoodie, navy jeans and knee high boots just made her look so utterly familiar, Hekapoo balked and back step the girl laughed at the reaction.
"Sunk in yet, Mom?"
"I'm…I'm not your mom!" Hekapoo cried, unsure why she panicking.
The girl rolled her eyes, "Suuure I haven't heard that line before."
Hekapoo found her mind reeling, maybe I'm tired…hallucinating…
The girl scoffed, "Let me guess: I'm tired, I must be seeing things." the girl mocked.
The blacksmith flinched, the girl rolled her eyes again, "Seriously? Ugh, whatever. Go on, back to your little scavenger hunt."
Hekapoo was rooted on the spot at the words, the girl smirked and sat down on a two person couch. Hekapoo couldn't believe her eyes, she looked over the girl and it felt so obvious but she had to be sure.
A 100 percent sure.
"Are you—"
"Marco Diaz is my daddy." The girl said miffed, crossing her arms.
Hekapoo's face turned into the same color as her hair, the girl sighed before smiling again obviously an act, "I am Hestia 'Don't-Call-Me-That' Diaz, lovely daughter to one Hekapoo and Marco Diaz."
Hekapoo blushed, "Oh…heck no."
"See?" the girl said snidely, as if pleased with herself.
Hekapoo let the words roll around a bit before she reached out, Hestia shrugged and opened her arms to hug her mother.
The redhead blacksmith pinched the girl's cheek and she wasn't too gentle either,
"WHERE IN MEWNI DID YOU GET THAT SNOOTY MOUTH OF YOURS!?"
Hestia's eyes flared up, a hand found Hekapoo's cheek and a painful pinch followed,
"FROM YOU! LET GO!"
"NO!"
Hestia leapt on Hekapoo and the two thrashed all over the parlor carpet and rugs, pushing furniture and knocking over things. Hestia rolled to her feet, wiping her chin, her cheek swollen as was Hekapoo, she tossed her hair and rubbed her creamy cheek, the red swell more apparent.
The two locked eyes together.
Hestia was nearly pulled out of her hoodie, her boot was lying somewhere, Hekapoo's hair was a mess, she blew a strand from her face and tugged her dress.
Hekapoo narrowed her eyes and pulled out Marco's Scissors, Hestia snarled and pulled out an identical one, although it was more battle worn. Hekapoo froze, Hestia smirked and pointed it at her,
"Do you think I lie now?"
"Prove it's not a fake!"
Hestia rolled her eyes again, muttering something before bringing the scissor to her hand, a flame dancing for her and it smothered the scissor, Hekapoo felt a plunge to her gut as the blade shine and revealed the name she dreaded:
MARCO
Hekapoo quietly closed her eyes as Hestia smiled triumphantly at her, "Hah! I AM your daughter! Undeniable truth!"
The girl's face faltered as the redhead blacksmith's body erupted with flames, Hekapoo's eyes filled with tears,
"Where…"
"…?"
"Where did you get those scissors from!"
"…!"
Hestia brought the blade up as Hekapoo shot at her like a missile, the two slammed against the fireplace, the girl looked up frighten as the redhead glared at her, eyes full of pain, guilty and anger.
Hestia shrunk at the sight, Hekapoo grabbed her by the shoulders shaking her,
"WHERE'S MARCO?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!?"
Hestia was pale face as Hekapoo shook her, jutting her against the fireplace, suddenly something fell and cracked beside her. With shaking hands, Hestia pointed at the fallen object and Hekapoo glanced at it,
A broken picture frame laid on the carpet, the glass shards every where but it did not obscure the picture of a smiling adult Marco carrying a blushing Hekapoo decked in a white wedding gown, obviously embarrassed but happy.
Hekapoo felt herself be pushed back as Hestia stood up, her face filled with emotion, she stared at the girl as tears fell from her young face,
"Where's dad? What did I do to him? He is where he is happiest."
"Wait…I—? What are these?"
Hekapoo stared at her as she took picture frames from the mantle and handed it to her, she looked at it and saw her and Marco cradling a baby in a bundle, a picture of them playing with a child, Marco and her dancing and so many more. Hekapoo looked at them then back to the girl, her eyes were puffed up as she silently cried, she gave her one last picture:
Marco, Hekapoo, Hestia and 11 other children grinning back at her.
Hekapoo stared looked at it.
"You wanted a big family, Mom. So did dad. Never complained though about all our combined antics."
Hekapoo looked at the pictures before to Hestia, Marco grew older in each one, a horrible truth came to light.
"…I outlived Marco…didn't I?"
Hestia painfully nodded before sitting in front of her mother, she tentatively held her hands, feeling them shake, Hekapoo wanted to wretch them free but something made her hold on, "Mother, I am the Forger of Dimensional Scissors now."
Hekapoo felt so out of place, she just lulled her head to the side, so much information, "…so I retired."
"No, Mom, after Dad…well, you couldn't do your duties anymore, so I took up your mantle instead…been making scissors for years now actually."
"Because I was distraught over Muscles…"
"…no, because you were like Dad…you two found a dimension where both of you aged normally and built a home there. You built a home here."
"But all those pictures—!"
"You dyed your hair red and your alabaster skin doesn't show your wrinkles that well, after Dad…you went back to him."
Hekapoo was speechless.
Hestia smiled sadly as she knew her mother silently had tears welled up, Hestia tentatively pulled her mother and hugged her, "He really loved you, you know?" even her young voice cracked.
Hekapoo was unsure what was going on, here was a girl claiming to be her daughter, telling her about a life she had with Marco and that they lived happily for a long long time together.
She felt herself being led to a couch, Hestia sat next to her, "Sorry for being so forceful Mom…"
"…I'm so sorry…I nearly…" she trailed off, Hestia chuckled nervously, "Yeah…I had flashbacks…"
The two sat quietly for a moment.
"Hestia?"
"Yes, Mum?"
Hekapoo winced at the word, not sure it would ever feel right.
"Can you tell me about…this place?"
Hestia smiled, "Well, it all started when you and Dad…"
And the two of them talked, Hestia was the more frequent talker, Hekapoo could see the child like glee in her eyes, like Marco had even as a 30 year old adventurer. She went on and on about her childhood, the stories she and her siblings were brought up, the time they took Nachos, Tequila and Burrito on a test flight their parents chasing after them, how they spent the holidays with their grandparents, how Marco overreacted to Hestia and his daughters dating and countless of times and tales so absurd but she knew it had to be true.
They just had to.
It felt like a lifetime the two were talking back and forth, Hestia made tea and open a tin filled with sweets, biscuits and dried fruit and they ate.
Hestia looked as if she had stories for lifetimes, but despite all the stories her daughter told her, something just seemed off.
"But Marco left Mewni…does that mean he will come back?"
Hestia was silent for a moment before she spoke, as if unsure what to say,
"Yes, he can not just stand idly by with what is going to happen. He has to be there to make sure things don't…well it doesn't bear to thinking."
Hekapoo thought for a long time, no mention of…girls Marco had relationships prior to her, she had questions for Hestia.
"…so in the end…Marco ended up with me? What happened to Star? His ex girlfriend Jackie?" Hekapoo asked quietly, Hestia shook her head, "The names are familiar but I don't recall what happened to them. You and dad were very reclusive when we were growing up."
Hekapoo deflated at the choice she made, however her thoughts drifted to Marco despite their recent battle, she felt a bit guilty over how things had gone down and knowing how they would end up. Hestia thought the question over for a moment.
"Well, Mom, I can't say for sure, I mean…I'm always born no matter who daddy chooses."
Hekapoo felt as if someone dunked her in frigid water.
"…what? What do you mean, 'always born'?" Hekapoo looked at Hestia concerned, "What you said and you just said right now makes absolutely no sense!"
Hestia looked thoughtful for a moment but Hekapoo knew she was just faking it, she was terrible must have inherited that from her dad, "I am a constant child, I will always be born no matter what."
"…are you saying Marco and I will always have you?…wait a minute…does that mean even if he is married? And not to me? You will be born?!"
"Yup. I'm your love child, eldest child, only child, secret child and future child." Hestia said mockingly cheerful.
"That can't be…that's…cruel…" Hekapoo whispered, she grabbed Hestia, "Was Marco married before he and I…?"
Hestia gave her a knowing smile, "I am an universal constant. As long as you meet Marco Diaz, my only father, I will be born, whether out of wedlock or marriage."
"Why? Why you, Hestia?"
"Hmph, why not? I'm just glad I will be born."
Hekapoo grabbed Hestia by the shoulders, her eyes bright, "Will you be born every time Marco and I meet? Why?"
"Yes, always. Dad will always be determined, that's one of his universal defining trait, he will earn his scissors and you two will fall in love and I will be born soon afterwards."
Hekapoo looked at Hestia, torn with being glad and utterly sad at the fate of her child. She touched her cheek and Hestia smiled sadly, "Are you and dad fighting right now? You've been slashing portals so much I couldn't ignore it."
"…yeah, we got into a…argument." the words felt so weak.
Hestia regarded her mother for a moment, eyes roving all over her face, Hekapoo looked away and her daughter shook from head to toe.
"…you two shouldn't do that…you never would lay a finger on each other like that."
Hekapoo could hear the hurt in Hestia's words and voice, she was genuinely upset and the blacksmith felt incredibly guilty again, she saw right through her.
"Mom…do you want to talk about it?"
Hekapoo was uneasy at the subject like how her daughter was apparently a universal constant, but nonetheless she sat down with Hestia and she told her how she went from guarding Eclipsa, to her trial in Mewni, Mina's appearance, Marco's involvement and later her duel with her would-be-husband.
Hekapoo was frustrated at Marco's actions how could she not be? With him lying again to her to protect his 'princess', without helping it she went off in a tangent, her words spilling and her emotions hurt and fiery, Hestia merely listened. She said a lot of awful things about Marco, about herself and the dire situation as a whole, by the time she was done, Hekapoo was out of breath and felt a creeping guilt that she just broke down in front of her daughter.
Hestia looked calm as ever.
"Gee Mom…you should talk to dad soon."
"I wish I could…but he barred his entire dimension."
"Give it time, he will come back. And you should too."
Hekapoo blinked, Hestia looked at her expectantly, "W-what do you mean?"
Hestia gestured to the house, "Mom didn't I say? In this dimension, you age at the same rate as dad, as a human, you shouldn't be here…yet."
Hekapoo looked at her daughter for a moment, "…I shouldn't be here? Why? Am I breaking some sort of rule?"
"Not you. Me."
Gears began to turn in Hekapoo's head, "What is this a paradox?"
Hestia merely smiled and made a portal and pointed to it, "Once you walk through that portal…you'll forget that I exist, everything that happened here will be like a fleeting dream, unable to be recall any of our conversations or comprehend why you can't remember. You will get over it and go on your way."
Hekapoo looked at her daughter, unable to understand why she was being turned away.
"Why? Why bother bringing me here? Or telling me about my future? Or showing me something wonderful and snatching it away? Why Hestia? Why bother doing any of this just to undo it?"
There was no anger or emotion in Hekapoo's words and Hestia looked at her boots, "…I was just being selfish, I wanted to see my mother again."
"But I don't want to forget you."
Hestia closed her eyes at the words.
"…I wish I could…but I can't…please Mom, don't make this parting any harder than it should."
Hekapoo was rooted to the spot, she didn't want to leave, she wasn't going to leave. Hestia looked at her again, sensing the defiance, oh so there's where I got it from…wait no, both mom and dad are stubborn, I might have gotten mine squared…
"Mom…Hekapoo, please, you have to go."
"No. I don't have to."
"Mom you're acting like a child! You have a responsibility and duty for all dimensions, you can't just abandon it because of me!"
Hekapoo glared at her, "…I'm not leaving."
Hestia sighed before walking up to her, she frowned they were about each other's eye level, damnit, I'm short…
"Mom…if you don't go, I won't be born."
"You said you'll be born either way!"
"Yes. I will. So long as you're there Mom, if you're here then who is Dad going to do the nasty with?"
Hekapoo frowned looking at the gate, Hestia folded her arms, looking impatient, "You act as if you're never going to see me again."
"Because I won't."
She rolled her eyes, "What a drama queen. Whatever, get going or you'll be the one sneaking into Dad's bedroom instead of—?"
"Fine! Fine." Hekapoo sighed, rubbing her temples, "Is this what I have to look forward to in a few years?"
"Whatever Mom. You say that but you really happy, the happiest you've ever been. Well, maybe when Dad took you on that date at…" Hestia let the words hang as her mother turned scarlet.
Hestia smirked as Hekapoo stalked towards the portal, looking at her daughter one more time, "…take care of yourself, Hestia."
"You too Mom."
Hekapoo paused, looking at the portal before turning to face the new Dimensional Scissor Forger, she opened her arms and Hestia dived into the hug, snuggling up to her. Hekapoo hugged the sobbing girl, whenever someone cried to her be it trials or a beat down, she only felt a sadistic glee, but with her…the emotion was wrong, she felt so much more than she should have, her thoughts drifted to Marco.
Damn boy…he really did change me…
"Enough Hestia…I'll see you soon."
Hestia drew back, hiccuping and wiping her eyes, Hekapoo wiped her chin and nose, feeling maternal, "Heh, what a big baby."
She giggled when Hestia pouted.
Hekapoo stepped into the portal, feeling the immediate effects, she looked at Hestia again, "I don't want to forget you, Hestia."
"…I'll be in your dreams, Mom. I promise."
Hekapoo wasn't convinced as she fell through the portal.
Hestia stared at the portal before she sighed and walked to the next room, she kept walking until she ended up outside: the Time Dimension. Father Time was outside, looking worried,
"Same thing kiddo?"
"The same. I…I need to sit down."
The two walked towards the temple of his, he glanced down at the little one, sadness in his eyes, "You know you could ask your siblings for help."
"Sure. If they could keep it together and actually send their…mother back. They can't, Father Time, they love her as much as me."
They continued to walk, Father Time looked at her,
"…you let a lot of things slip this time." he said gently.
"Yeah…it's getting harder and harder for me to turn Mom away…I was really trying to make her feel guilty…lying about Aunty Star, Aunty Jackie and everyone…if I said any more she would never leave."
Silence.
"You really like that Nacho, Tequila and Burrito story."
"Yeah I do."
Hestia looked at the sky then to the horizon, Omnitraxius was lying there dejected at the situation. The two of them unable to fix the titanic problem, Father Time taking it better than Omni who felt that it was his duty to ensure things like this didn't happen and being utterly powerless made things no better for the cosmic giant.
They left the balance of the universe on the shoulders of a lone teenager.
The two continued to walk to the temple, Father Time helped her sort through the events on the many monitors, Hestia looked at the many screens some being divided more times than necessary making it difficult to perceive what it was trying to reveal.
Hestia stood there for a moment, amidst all the monitors, the papers and the board that kept track of thing, she couldn't help thinking back when it first happened…
Hestia Diaz had gone to the Time Dimension, since she had become the new Forger of Dimensional Scissors, she made it known far and wide that she was to be contacted for new scissors going through the Trials of Hestia, formerly Hekapoo to earn thy scissors.
She used the same criteria as her mother's keeping things simple. Except she allowed to use her clones and her siblings as buffers.
There were a lot who called foul until she loosen up.
Babies, really, who was gonna reprimand her? A list came up but she refused to say who was on it.
She could have sent a herald or some sort of messenger, but she decided to do it in person, while her youthful appearance was deceiving like her mother's, she was as wily as her and then some thanks to her father, whom she tried to outsmart on a daily basis.
Towards the end of the run she decided that Father Time would be last, he shared dimensions with Uncle Omni and she didn't want to hear a long winded lecture, that and she reminded the giant so much of Hekapoo he would constantly refer to her as her mother. Which inevitably made him sad. And Hestia as well.
When she got there, she saw Omni and Father Time huddled, talking to someone, Hestia grinned and sneaked over, ready to scare the two,
"BOOP!"
"GAH!?" "HEY!"
"DA HECK WAS THAT!?"
Hestia froze.
The two turned to face her then a third joined:
Hekapoo, her mother.
Hestia just stared at her.
"So you're the munchkin making my scissors…heh, guess I kicked the bucket, Glossaryck must have made you."
"Um, Hekapoo, she's not your replacement."
"Wow, Ms. Diaz you came on a great time!"
Hekapoo's face fell, she looked at the two, "What? 'Diaz'? Did I heard you two right?"
"Yeah, you did." "That girl there is your daughter."
Hekapoo burst out laughing, falling to the ground, her boots kicking in the air, "Oh, that's rich! Omni, Father Time you know I can't get pregnant! I'm sterile!"
Hestia felt a frown on her face, this couldn't be her mother, she was just some cruelly made impostor, honestly how did this two been fooled?
"Whatever. Whoever you are, you better not be running around looking like my mother or you'll be sorry." Hestia spat, a glare on her face.
Father Time and Omni froze and slowly backed up.
Hekapoo abruptly stopped laughing and quietly stood up, the two blacksmith glared at each other, "You are not my daughter."
Hestia rolled her eyes, speaking sarcastically, "Suuure, I haven't heard that line before."
Hestia pulled out her scissors as did Hekapoo, their blades gleaming in the light of their flames, Omni and Father Time saw this and gasped, the two glanced at them then to the opposite weapon: they were identical.
"How…?"
"…did you get that!?"
Hekapoo snatched the scissors from her, she looked at it expertly, she thrust it to her flame, the both of them looking at both scissors, Hestia, Omni and Father Time peering at it.
MARCO
MARCO
Hekapoo dropped both of them.
Hestia yelled at her before she felt two hands cup her face.
"…you're…you're really my daughter?"
Hestia could see Hekapoo more clearly now, she looked unnaturally young, she could see others mistaking the two as elder and younger sisters.
She didn't know how or why, but Hestia felt her heart swell at the sight of her mother back again, she didn't question it at the time and happily embraced her mother, Omni and Father Time ecstatic at the sight.
They spent the next few hours getting everyone to meet Hekapoo especially her other 11 children who came barreling at her, sobbing and hugging her, telling how much they loved her and missed her. Understandably, Hekapoo fainted, unable to process how many times Marco got her pregnant.
Twelve.
12 times.
When they final revived her, the party was let loose and it lasted well through the night in the Time Dimension, so many came to see Hekapoo again, it felt like something out of a fairytale. When most of them were smashed face, Hestia brought her mother to their resting place, the dimension that she and Marco found. The former forger patted the gravestones, smiling wistfully at the sight.
"That's a really nice looking house."
"Yep, glad that dad was such a handy man, we punched holes and broke windows all the time as kids. Almost burned it down once too."
"I bet I was furious."
"You were, spanked all of us. Dad too."
The two laughed before they went back to the party.
The next morning, Hestia groggily woke up to Hekapoo looking at her, "Wha? Mom? Gosh, you wouldn't believe how much I…?"
"Mom? I don't remember having a kid like you."
Hestia blinked.
"Mom? Why so frigid? It's me, Hestia! Y'know, future daughter, inherit your position? Drank more than—!"
"Quit the smart ass talking, who are YOU?"
Hestia blinked unsure what the heck was going on, she glanced towards the back, the party people were still smashed, the ones who stayed anyways. Hestia felt a her gut punched at the sight of Hekapoo on a table, face first with shot glasses balanced on her head.
Hestia robotically turned to face her mother, she looked mighty upset at her, "WHO ARE YOU?"
Getting the rest of the party people to leave, Father Time, Omni, Hestia, the two Hekapoos and 11 other Diaz kids were in the temple, the eye looked at both Hekapoos and showed near identical events on the monitors.
"This is bizarre…"
"It must be an omen."
"Well, this place has been always precise."
Father Time and Omni were however concerned pointing out different events, "Look: Moon is in this one, but in this it's Star. And that's Tom when it's suppose to be Richard Pigeon."
"So, two things are different. So what? Look the results is the same anyways."
The two shook their heads gravely.
"Short term yes. Nothing wrong happens but look it gets—"
"—worse. That means these two Hekapoos are from two different timelines, somehow they converged here, when neither of them should."
Hekapoo and Hekapoo looked at each other, concerned, "I was slashing portals to Marco's Dimension, to get to Earth, he shielded it by the way, lil bugger. I saw this portal appear and I leapt through."
"Strange, I was doing the exact same thing but the portal I slashed I leapt through led me here."
Father Time and Omni paled.
"So…the portal was made either by you…or was already pre made…that's troubling."
"What does that mean?"
Omni folded his arms, "You two must have made enough portals to thin the barrier between dimensions, one of you made the other portal for the other hence why you're here."
"Which?"
"You."
"You have to be more specific Omni." the two spoke, grinning.
He groaned, "Take this seriously!"
They began to thoroughly search the two Hekapoo's history, kicking out the 11 other kids when they saw Hekapoo and Marco do some alone time, Hestia couldn't be more embarrassed, her mothers screamed foul at the invasion of privacy. But slowly, ever so slowly, they begun to see the discrepancy and it wasn't good, Omni's hypothesis proved right: they were from differing timelines suddenly on their plane.
Hestia wasn't convinced.
It seemed so far fetched that two of them made that kind of trouble.
Thinning the barriers? Jump on different timelines?
Hestia however couldn't help but feel wrong about the situation.
But the following day, the portal the two spoke of popped up again and a Hekapoo came out of it, clueless to where she was, when she was and who Hestia was or her siblings. The other two Hekapoos were aghast.
"Oh."
"Shit."
The third Hekapoo was shoved to the temple, horribly confused and violently threatening all of them. Only when she saw the monitors and watched the scenes play out did she have an inkling of an idea what was going on, all present watched the screens and again they saw discrepancies.
"Well, at least now we know, don't we?" Omni sighed, Father Time looked at the eye before it's pupil dilated, it thrust forward to Hekapoo again and the monitors went dark, next static then the next one shook everyone.
It was sudden but terrible, no one could turn away: a bloody war that never happened in their time took place, royalties died everywhere, the battlefield, in their carriages, in their sleep.
"Oh no…"
"No…"
"WHY? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"
"IS THIS THE RESULT OF HEKAPOO BEING HERE?!"
"WHY IS MOM EVEN COMING HERE! No offense."
The other 11 kids were frighten and concerned, Hekapoo got Hekapoo up to speed while Hekapoo was depressed. Omni investigated using his cosmic crystals and he nearly shat another cosmic body: there were Hekapoos. Hundreds of them. Thousands even. All running towards a portal that would send them to the same portal the Hekapoos were being led out from.
"So…Mom will end up here. Then what?" Hestia closed her eyes and rubbed her temples painfully.
Omni and Father Time looked at her,
"Hestia this is terrible! If you're mother is here, then she's not present for some events! That will drastically change the timeline! Heck, you might not be even born! Or your siblings! The universe is in peril!"
"We need a solution and quick."
Hestia sighed bitterly, Omni was always like that. Mostly.
She looked back at the screens, a sense of foreboding growing deeper and deeper in her gut…
The next day another Hekapoo showed up.
Omni sadly shook his head, Father Time just walked off somewhere.
Hestia grimaced at the sight, she sat down and looked at her, not sure how to feel.
Hekapoo, Hekapoo and Hekapoo carefully got her to speed and led her to the temple, Omni and Father Time then nearly had a heart attack: Mewni went through Armageddon, the place didn't have more than 100 inhabitants above ground.
"Okay. That's it. Hekapoo go back through that portal."
"We can't."
"We've tried."
"It's like running into a brick wall."
Hestia frowned at the problem and went there herself, she pressed her hand on the portal and felt the iron clad resistance: definitely a one way portal.
So…Dad makes a ward…Mom slashes a zillion portals to get to him…causes dimensional damage between dimensions…A portal comes up or becomes this portal, she leaps through and becomes stranded…She doesn't go back to her timeline, things change and escalates: Armageddon.
They went around discussing what to do: the simplest solution was to just open a portal and chuck Hekapoo through it, problem solved.
Only Father Time and Omni shot it down fast.
"One: you have to send them to the right timeline, Two: they have to forget any of this happens, Three—"
"But Uncle Omni it's simple! You can tell me what timeline or dimension or whatever they are from, I'll make a portal take Gear Hamsters and just drop them off."
"How about their memories, hmmm?! Listen Hestia, my lovable niece, you could make them swear up and down not to tell or do anything out of the ordinary…but how will they know how to act? Or what to do? Because of them getting here and seeing all they saw at the temple it's no longer reversible."
Hestia stood there, unable to find her voice, Omni patted her shoulder, "I'm not saying your idea is not good, but there's just too much to leave to chance."
"…if all these Moms, I mean, Hekapoos are from before Dad, er, Marco dropped the wards, then let's just look through my history, maybe they talked about it with me, maybe as a kid or something."
"…that's worth a shot, heck anything is viable at this point."
The three stood at the temple, the eye was looking mighty tired but it leveled with Hestia and begun to unravel her past, "C'mon please, something about the ward, Dad had to tell me the story before…"
They looked at the screens and they were taken back: Hestia was definitely showing up, but not as it was.
Hekapoo only having 3 kids, Hestia the eldest child.
Hekapoo sneaking into the bedroom, Hestia born somewhere.
Hekapoo as Marco's mistress then Hestia being born.
A widow Marco marrying Hekapoo then Hestia being born.
"What the…?"
"Oh no…no, no, no! Hestia, all these Hekapoos—they must be fluctuating the timelines!"
"Is—is that even a thing?!"
Omni ran his hand over his skull, "I—I don't know! But they are throwing things out of control!"
Hestia looked back at the monitors she shudder, "Yup, she's definitely changing things, look my hair is blue."
"Uh huh, there's me in the background, my swords are kitchen knives."
"That's nothing, look there's me wearing a wig. I look ridiculous." "Actually you look look with it."
Hestia jumped on the Father Time's Gear Ride and tried to go the first portal and stop her mother from entering it. Only find herself back where she started: the Time Dimension, no matter how many times she tried.
Omnitraxus couldn't break the unique time-loop apparently happening, as it was not a real space-time-loop just displacement of Hekapoos across the dimensions.
The two were aghast at their lack of power.
They fell back to Hestia's plan.
"Even if we did send her back to her own time…she will alter it, she's seen you, Hestia, your siblings, everything you told her, what she has seen, what she's experienced, if she stays here or goes back we're screwed."
"Then…wipe my memory."
Everyone looked at Hekapoo in surprise. The other Hekapoos were doubtful but nodded slowly.
"Agreed."
"Whoa, I just hope not everything."
"Just the time we spent here. The less we have the better."
"Wait, is that even possible?"
"Yes, and you'll have to do that to the next Hekapoo and the next that comes out of that portal, you gotta send her on her way. Father Time or Omni, you have to pretend this never happened and convince her to leave." Hekapoo said firmly.
"So…how do we do that? Mom's memory must be wiped and sent back."
"Actually, you can do it Hestia."
Hestia looked at the second or third Hekapoo, she looked a little embarrassed, "I want to explain this to my daughter…in private."
The rest were resistant but they eventually left them alone leaving her with Hekapoo, she sighed and looked at her daughter, "Never thought Marco-boy would get me preggers…guess I must have been ovulating like a bitch in heat."
"That's really foul language Mom."
She shrugged, she began to write complex glyphs and symbols on the ground and taught Hestia the correct utilization of her powers she inherited from her, complex chants, complex hand gestures, correct scissor slashing, precise resonance, harmony and such, it was difficult but eventually Hestia got it after hours of practice.
"Why do you ever need this?" Hestia looked at the mock portal, Hekapoo then inspected it before nodding, she then told her that she would need Father Time in conjunction to send her back in time and without memory of her or recent events.
"You dodged my question, Mom."
Hekapoo looked around, making sure she was truly alone glancing at a mud puddle, she looked a little guilty at her, "You go on and on about Marco…about your father, my husband…well, I'm not a…"
"Oh no…OH HECK NO. MOM." Hestia looked scandalized, Hekapoo blushed but looked a lot less guilty.
"Hestia, I've lived a long time. A LONG TIME. Without meeting Marco. Don't you think I—?"
"LA LA LA NOT LISTENING ONLY PAPA ONLY PAPA LA LA LA ONLY ONE TRUE LOVE LA LA LA."
Hekapoo laughed at her daughter's antics, "Alright, alright, tone it down or you might as well announce it to the whole universe. Yes, I did have lovers before Marco I'm not going to deny that, but he's the best I ever had, by the way. Everyone else don't even come close. Both meanings."
"MOM!"
"Hestia, I have lived a long time, don't patronize me! You will too. Don't you think one puppy love will last forever? I said good bye to many friends and lovers, I'm glad for them all. You're lucky you have so many siblings to get along with, I only had Rhomobulus, Omni, Lekmet and Glossaryck growing up, while fun it did lack things I wanted."
Hestia was still smarting at the revelations of her mother, things better left unsaid, Hekapoo however wasn't done tormenting her would-be daughter,
"It was mostly girls by the way."
"OK MOM."
After Hestia got all of her misgivings away, mostly about her Mom, this Mom anyways, they tested sending her back after cross referencing her with Omni and the temple before making the portal with Father Time, Hekapoo smiled at the portal if not a little apprehensive.
"How will we know it work?" Hestia questioned.
"Well, I'll come through that portal, tell Omni about what he did in 'that' party and then we can try again."
Omni paled, Hekapoo smiled widely at him before waving.
"See you soon!"
The moment she disappeared, Omnitraxus leapt and body slam the portal, "OH HECK NO YOU ARE NOT GETTING ME LIKE THIS SISTER!"
"Someone call the Coast Guard we got a beached whale!" Hekapoo cackled.
"FUCK OFF!"
Thanks to Hekapoo's teaching and Father Time's powers and Omni's precision, Hestia could conjure up the portal necessary to send the stranded Hekapoos back on their timeline without altering the timeline with their newfound experience and knowledge, it was as if the event never happened.
After careful cross referencing and careful monitoring, Father Time deduce their procedure worked, they could do it without harm to the timeline. Much to everyone's relief.
"So…how long do we have to do this? I'm sure that portal will close, then no more problems right? No more 'the universe is in peril' business, right?"
Omni and Father Time looked unease at the words, Hestia looked at them not happy or even glad, "What? What's the matter?"
"…I'm sure the portal will close…but when…we don't know…"
"And only you can open that portal…"
Hestia tried to look not sad at the words, when they sent the Hekapoos on their way, she immediately tried to teach her siblings but none of them were compatible.
"You're right…I tried to teach my siblings…they can't." Hestia's hopeful face fell, "…why am I the only one who can do it? I taught them exactly how I learned it, heck I did it with them and they still couldn't do it."
The two shook their heads at the plight, Hestia despite the setback she confidently puffed her chest, "We'll manage. I bet this thing will blow over in a week. A month tops."
The two watched the Diaz march to the portal, waiting for the next Hekapoo to arrive.
.
Hestia walked back to the house, it was built to give the sense of coziness and a place to deceive the arriving Hekapoos, they wouldn't need to know or be explained that they were in the Time Dimension, skipping a lot of exposition. It also gave Hestia the chance to guilt trip her mother and send her on her way, everything inside the mock house was to exploit Hekapoo's affection for Marco and her new found maternal instincts for her future children.
It felt so wrong to manipulate her mother like this, but she stayed like the off chance Hekapoos who saw through her and demanded to stay and fix the problem, the universe would be jeopardy.
She even tried just telling the truth and was met with mixed belief and disbelief, she even had to knock her mother unconscious and push her through the portal, suffering numerous injuries.
Lying and guilt tripping her mother was the easiest route, her mother was level headed and responsible Magical High Commission member, however when Omni tried or Father Time, she became incredibly stubborn and when Hestia or her siblings were mentioned, she became adamant to leaving.
Hestia tried having her siblings help but…they became so attached, they loved their mother so much that sending her away became too much of a burden. Hence, she did it alone, leaving the second eldest to run the forge while she remained on a committed vigil over the portal.
She cleaned the parlor, picking up the glass and tossing them into the fireplace, rearranged the picture frames and took the broken one and went into the closet, opening a hidden compartment she pulled out a fresh family portrait and placed it on the mantle.
"Alright everything is as it should be…" she sighed before facing the portal.
Another solution would be just closing the portal, but no one could, not Hekapoo, not Omni, Father time, the Diaz kids, herself or any other being in the universe that her siblings brought to try.
It remained.
Hestia stared at it, seeing the void, waiting…
I do know one sure fire way to close it…Dad's sword…I've seen Dad do things with it like nothing ever seen this one-way asshole of a portal could be close…but that sword, so many tried to claim it, especially us, his children but the sword is stubborn, unwilling to move on. If I could just wield it…all this would be over…these long two years…this nightmare can end…
Hestia felt her eyes well up, she wiped her eyes on her hoodie sleeve, unable to keep herself from crying the words spilling from her lips, "Papa, please…drop your ward…please let Mom find you…please make up…please let me stop lying to Mom, please I don't want to keep reliving our times together over and over again just to push her away and make her leave… I don't want to do this anymore…I can't…I don't want to…Papa please!"
She sobbed, it hurt.
Her heart hurt so bad.
Hestia sensed it, she looked up and saw a familiar shadow coming, she straighten up and wiped her tears away. She waited for Hekapoo to walk through the portal, looking around confused, Hestia smiled hollowly,
"Welcome back." Dad…please save me…
XxXxXxXxX
This chapter made me really think how far I would take this fanfic, sadly I have to take things even further than before if I hope to outclass the prequel in ways I can't imagine. My heart goes out to Hestia, the poor child.
Yeah, this part made me actually want to take the fanfic in a different direction, this was suppose to be part of the Epilogue but I cut it out for...reasons. Hestia is one tough cookie but everything has it's limits. Overall, Hestia Diaz's life for the past two years has been rough, she can't rely on her younger siblings to put their mother in the right timeline and emotional trauma gets deeper and wider with each visit.
She is literally one of the few people holding the dimensions together through this act alone, she has to wait for her father and mother to make amends or she'll break mentally, physically and emotionally.
And the universe will literally fall apart.
This chapter made me even dislike Marco for a time, who indadvertedly did this to his daughter in combination to Hekapoo. So I'll just clarify how this all went down:
1. Marco wards the Earth Dimension
2. Hekapoo recklessly tries to enter Earth Dimension
3. Eventually the many many portals thins the dimensional barriers, think of it like the Butterfly Effect [see what I did there?]
4. The 'portal' is eventually made by Hekapoo or appears already premade
5. All 'portals' are linked to one exit: Hestia's timeline and the Time Dimension
6. Hekapoo is displaced, not present for events, timeline is compromised and things escalates
7. Hekapoo has her mind wiped by Hestia-Omni-Father Time's triangulated portal.
This vicious cycle has continued for two years and Hestia and everyone is powerless to stop it, literally impossible.
This plight then becomes one of Marco's Impossible Tasks to break the Blood Moon Curse.
IMPOSSIBLE TASK 777: Save Hestia Diaz.
This chapter also has a lot of significance beyond itself: it is where Star receives her dream from. That's right, that Armageddon dream Star had was that one mentioned.
Damn, lore building is a lot harder than I first thought it would be. So much things to remember and to tie in.
So what y'all think of it? PM and review!
Ciao,
I AM NRG
END OF TRANSMISSION