It started with a invader in his closet. Not that this was a surprise to Marco. It started with a invader in his closet. Not that this was a surprise to Marco. Normally Janna was a lot more stealthy with this sort of thing but that just meant that for once he had the upperhand and he wasn't going to waste it.
Diaz slipped off his shoes, he'd make less noise that way, stuck to the walls, and slowly inched to his closet. He stepped back and struck.
With the loudest battle cry, he reeled his foot and kicked the closet door open.
He paused.
Who was in his closet? It wasn't Janna nor was it the obvious second choice, the magical girl that was his housemate.
Standing there with with long red hair, chalk white skin and long lashes was a girl who he knew very well.
It was: "Hekapoo?"
In retrospect, while still surprising, he had to admit it was a distant good third guess.
She turned to him and for a second he thought that she actually had the decency to look surprise and even maybe embarrassed. This flash of emotion however went away quickly and dissolved into an almost bored expression, "Oh hey kiddo."
She muttered and continue to whatever it was that she doing which at this moment seemed to be shuffling through the hoodies he had stashed away in his closet.
"What are you doing?" he set his foot down slowly, not really sure if he should be putting his guard down considering his large storage of memories with this girl.
"Wow I know you aren't this unobservant. I'm rummaging through your stuff." Her pace in which she went through the red clothing seem to intensify for a bit as if punctuating her sentence.
Of course she was invading his privacy, but that isn't what he was asking.
"Argh, where did you put it?" Hekapoo groaned.
Marco stepped forward, poking his head over the demonesses' shoulder, "Put what?"
She gave him a glare and turned as much as she could away from him while still comfortably being able breeze through the hangers, "Why do you have so many of these?"
"Like red, like hoodies. Got fifty of them." he stated in a matter of fact manner and she stopped, giving him a hard look. "Hey don't judge, I actually go through them pretty fast."
She rolled her eyes, slipping her hand through another hoodie as she pushed it aside. There was a smell of burn cotton and as Marco glazed at her hand he could make out a bit of smoke starting to form as she touched each article of clothing, "Especially because I know girls like you."
The other dimensional woman gave a sigh before twisting around and grabbing the boy by the collar, "where's your hoodie?"
"Um" he looked at her.
He looked at his closet.
He looked at his hoodies.
Then he looked back at her.
"Is this a trick question?"
"Your hoodie. The one you had on for sixteen years lamebrain." she gripped him closer, "What? You threw it out the moment you got back to your dimension?"
He blinked, "Well I couldn't really wear it anymore." he told her and she looked away, "Didn't have the abs for it."
He let out a weak laugh and she let him go.
He rubbed his neck around where his collar rubbed against it. There were silence between the two. He stared at her and she found a whole new interest in his floor. He coughed and pointed over to a small cardboard box in his closet, "It's in there if you really want to know."
Her eyes widen and as he blinked she was already bending over, picking up the light container.
Overturning the box completely, she watched everything drop out. Some old pictures, a worn out hat, a skull mask. None of which was of interest to her, but she did find what she came for. A red hoodie, sliced up, not worth being worn by anyone and she smiled.
"Couldn't really find the heart to get rid of it." he rubbed the back of his neck, "Don't really have much else to remember those years by. Even the bald spot is starting to disappear."
"You always have the scissors." she spoke quickly.
"Yes I know," he traced his fingers against his pants and felt the inter dimensional device in his pocket, "they're not enough."
"No, I mean-" she paused "you do remember that I said you can come back any time."
"I remember but I'm not ready." he stepped towards her, "Hekapoo, if I went back now I don't think I could ever head home. There too much here that I'd leave behind."
She looked him in the eyes, "Are you saying that you left nothing important there?"
Marco started to open his mouth and she just sighed and looked away, "Don't answer that."
She held up the shredded hoodie, "The scissors will have to be enough."
Before he knew it, there was a familiar red portal and the demoness was gone.
He reached for his scissors once again. He could go after her. It was his keepsake after all and he did love the chase. It would be like old times. No, he couldn't do old times. The allure of old times felt too great. Old times ended with him gone for another sixteen years. Even if it didn't, even if his experience prove true and cut his journey to half of what it was before, he knew that the temptation would be too great.
So he just stared at the space and sighed.
That isn't to say that he completely let it go.
One day, Marco was taking a shower and out of nowhere he asked "Remember those years?"
"Those years?" a young girl asked from the other side of the shower walls. She was Star, wearing her green dress, long striped socks and devil horn headband.
"When I was gone", he leaned back against the closed shower door.
"You mean those eight minutes?" she suggested.
Marco muttered to himself, "It was sixteen years for me."
"What about them?" she straightened her back and look back at the impossible to make out shape that was behind the rough glass door.
"Hekapoo, do you know her?" he asked, "I mean Pony Head apparently knew her. Can't really figure out how she was worthy of dimensional scissors."
"Oh no, she like totally stole them."
"Of course she did." That made too much sense, "So like would Pony Head know anything about her?"
After that he waited about a week. He didn't spend that time ideally. He had to do his homework and housework. Things that he used to take pride in but now he had to admit seemed like a waste. He however still thought that doing so was the responsible thing to do and being responsible was how you were supposed to live.
Of course the time wasn't a complete waste. There were days where he hung out with his friends. Jackie, his girlfriend for one.
She was impressed, or at least he hoped she was, with how he didn't seem to panic as much while she helped with her board. Even suggested that maybe he should get his own and practice.
He was more of a bike guy but he considered it.
Janna was there, making her usual remarks. He thought they might've been flirty, not in a way that she was making it known she was interested but in a way as to make him uncomfortable. She liked to see him squirm.
He turned around and shot a comment of his own and she gasped and laugh, slapping him on the arm. Her giggles went on probably longer than was required but she was surprised by his guts but was surprised at his guys. She even said so herself.
He spent time with Tom who challenged him to an array of video games. Marco bragged that he was a champ amongst his friends, namely Ferguson and Alphonso but still found himself at the mercy of the demon.
Finally near the end of the week, Star and he went on an adventure and while technically the scissors was his to do whatever with, making them a great bargaining chip, he still allowed her to pick the destination. There was only one place that he thought to go to in the universe and there didn't think that he should go there.
When Saturday hit however, he knew in his gut that he couldn't delay what he had to do. He had told himself that school was the reason that he couldn't have go but in face of the weekend, he had to face that the true reason was nerves.
When he was sure that his parents were out and Star was busy with her spell book, he pulled out his scissors.
Where he went was an floating island with a large building, less like the tower he was expecting and more like a government building. Something you would see on earth in a big city somewhere, almost normal.
He stepped past the doorman, a green moose with a quick hello, asked the man at the front desk, a green moose if where the magical high commission was located and was stopped by security, a green moose.
Has he seen this guy here?
Marco looked back at the empty front desk.
Nah, he probably was just imagining it.
"Sir please step forward." the moose said and he stepped through the plain looking metal detector and continued to walk even when it came a life with red lights and a buzz.
He stopped.
"Sir, do you have any arcane objects on you?" The moose was polite and seemed cheery just doing his job.
Marco pulled out his scissors and twirled them around his finger, "Well this is sort of my ride home."
The guard lifted a plastic bin like the ones you would see at an airport.
The kid in the hoodie frowned, "Hey it wouldn't be cool if I um just held onto it? I kinda want to keep it on me."
The moose smile faltered for a second as he gave Marco a once over with his glance. He made a whine but then lowered the plastic bin, "I guess it'll be alright."
Security smiled pointed down the hall, "The elevator is right down the hall. The stairs to the right."
Diaz would later find out that not only were the elevator not working but apparently to go up the stairs you have to repeatedly backflip up them. Nothing about other dimensions were easy it seemed.
Hekapoo hated being on the list of the arguable top ten most powerful magical entities in the known universe.
it was because of that fact that she had a seat on the high commission. One that she could've turned down but then she would've been subjected to the constant whining of the other beings on the rhetorical list that she shared a space on.
"I don't see what we're all waiting for. We need to go in there and strip all flesh from any being willing to go against the council." crystal head shouted, "then do so to the rest of the planet just to be extra sure."
"Baa" goat brains said which Hekapoo was sure translated to something in the lines of "blah blah Rhombulus. Blah blah cool your jets. Blah blah don't really care about this conversation."
"Why is it that you never back me up Lekmet!" the wizard blubbered. Hekapoo could only describe it as blubbering.
The more she thought about it the more she realized that the result of her joining the commission and not joining the commission were pretty much the same except if she wasn't part of the club then she could be on the beach somewhere while they are moaning about whatever nonsense.
Guess she did care about the safety of the universe. Gosh she had to be such a bleeding heart.
Letting out a huff of air, she didn't even bother looking at the other two currently at the table, "or until they pay their taxes we could reduce magical utilities, just a simple suggestion from those of us in the room not throwing a temper tantrum."
"It's not a temper tantrum Hekapoo. This is righteous fury. We provide protection and we deserve our compensation." his arms, two snakes hissed as he stood up.
With a twirl of her hand she summoned her chosen weapon when dealing with her fellow commission member. A jet black squirt bottle.
"No bad Rhombulus." she squeezed.
He gave a cry, "no fair."
True what came out was hot molten magma but between the three strongest in the cosmos, it worked well as a squirt bottle.
He sat down, looking like he was going to cry.
There were some steps and the room turned their heads to the door. There was no one penciled in at this time.
If anything it was probably 'the new great evil' or 'neo dark overlord' or whatever the next great tyrannical wanted to be called.
Seriously it was mostly a weekly event. Anyone with an ego and half a spark of magic would eventually try to make a pass at the commission like they were so cool or whatever.
This guy was probably not going to last long. Hekapoo could barely feel a hint of magical energy.
There was a click and the door creaked.
Standing there was- of course she could rewrite the laws of reality but the universe can still hate her as much as it"ll like.
"Who dares stands in front of the universal magic high-"
"Shut up" Hekapoo squirted the bottle once more before the one eye man could stand up, "go stand in the corner."
"But I didn't do anything this time." the man whined back.
She bared her fangs at him, "Go stand in the time out corner Rhombulus or so help me I'll rip a tear in time and space and erase any possibility of you ever having been born."
"This is so unfair." yep, he was definitely crying now. At least he did what he was told.
She gave a glance to the goat, "You too Lekmet."
The winged mammal spared her a look before shrugging and standing into a corner in the back of the room, though a different one then where Rhombulus was.
"Who told you to come to where I work?" she stood in front of Marco and spoke quietly so that'll only he would hear.
He swallowed and looked at Rhobulus, at Lekmet, both in their respective corners before setting his eyes back at Hekapoo. He spoke just as softly, "You said I could visit you anytime I wanted."
"I said" she began to yell. She looked behind her to the other members of the high commission and coughed. Looking back to Diaz, she readjusted her volume, "I said you could visit me at my swamp. I didn't think you needed glasses but clearly you do cause last time I checked this might be a craphole but it is not a swamp."
"It's just," he couldn't look her in the eye, "I couldn't. Just couldn't. Way too many memories. That whole dimension reminds me of way too many things."
"Save it." Hekapoo took her hands and pinched the bridge of her nose, "it's not like i was actually expecting you to ever show up anyway after we last talked."
She stepped away, "In fact It's probably best if I revoke that whole visiting privilege I gave you."
"You can't do that." he followed her. "You said I could visit you, you come to my house and now you don't want me to see you?"
"This whole arrangement we had if you can even call it that," she brought the flat of her hand and crossed in front of her throat, "It's not working out."
"So just like that?" he frowned. Before he looked shock about what she was saying but now Marco was genuinely crossed, "You're leaving me just like that."
She pointed at his neck, "You're the one who left."
Throwing her arms, she uttered, "I'm just following your lead. Now you don't have to visit me since it's 'so difficult.'"
"You can't." he yelled, "What about-"
He almost said 'us', but Marco guessed that with this rant that she was basically telling him that whatever time they share what ever bond they had whatever someone could call it, it didn't matter.
"What about Nacho?" he asked, "So you're saying I can't visit her?"
"What?" her eyes widen, "If that's all you care about I can dump that dumb lizard back to your little toxic rock."
There was a knock on the door.
"Don't call her dumb," the boy shouted, "she apparently cared a whole lot more about me then you did."
Another knock was heard.
Hekapoo laughed, "She just loved that you gave her food. She forgot about you the moment it was lunch time and I was the only one to feed her."
And another knock.
"I wouldn't even be here if you would just leave me alone. Every time I keep on just living my life, you have to come and complicate it."
Two knocks.
"Well I'm telling you that you can just go back to your stupid existence."
Three more.
"Fantastic, I would love nothing more."
The door went quiet for a moment.
"Excuse me," there was a soft feminine voice, "This isn't a bad time is it?"
The door squeaked and there was a girl with long green hair and a pink striped shirt, "Hey Hekapoo."
The green hair girl looked at Marco and her eyes widen, "Hey Marco."
The demon and teen looked at each other and stepped away from each other. They had the decency to looked embarrassed but both tried to remain neutral in front of the girl.
"Hey Kelly," Marco spoke.
So did Hekapoo, "Sup."
Suddenly some of the girl's hair shook and a male voice rang out, "Hey Marco, how you're doing Hekapoo?"
"Sup Tad."
"How you're doing Tad."
Kelly coughed.
Marco coughed.
Hekapoo coughed.
Tad didn't cough, he was a pretty chill dude and the atmosphere of the room didn't really bother him.
"So, I know this is sudden," the green haired girl spoke, "I know this is really short notice but there's a family emergency with my grandmother."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Marco eyes widen.
"Oh, it's fine." Kelly shushed, "She just had a slight scare. Everyone's going down to make sure she's fine."
She started to giggle, "Honestly I'm more scared for Tad. My dad's not the biggest fan of his."
Kelly's hair murmured, "What? I don't know babe. Pretty sure the guy loves me."
She stuck out her tongue, "You think everyone loves you."
"I'm a very loveable guy."
"I know." the girl blushed. She turned around revealing a red bundle which she brought to her chest, "So Hekapoo, I'm gonna have to return this to you."
Hekapoo hurried forward and Marco didn't know how someone can move so fast while still having a sort of gentleness to them.
"What is that," he spoke, "Is that my hoodie?"
"No it isn't." as she walked by him she kept her back to him, "And if it was, what does it matter?"
A small cry was heard, "What is that?"
"It's nothing." the demoness spoke. It was amazing to him how she could speak so softly while sounding absolutely panicked.
The cry was louder and Hekapoo stopped her pacing to bounce and soothe the red bundle.
Marco stared and tried to looked over her shoulders, "Is that-"
He saw a glimpse of a tuft of brown hair, "Is that?"
"Is that a baby?" Standing up from his corner was the crystal warlock Rhombulus who roared, "I love babies."
He practically ran over to see the small humanoid wrapped in red. Whatever being was there in returned stopped it's tantrum to stare back at the single crystal eye of the mage.
Hekapoo tried to kick him away, "Later, you can see her later."
She repeated again and again but he seem to ignore her displays of physical violence in order to play with the spawn.
"She has brown hair"
Hekapoo put her foot down slowly and Rhombulus back away feeling tension in the air.
"Hey I returned your baby back to you, so I'm gonna just head out." Kelly was already out the door and she continued to speak as her footsteps could be heard descending the staircase.
Marco looked at the baby. It did have brown hair and it shared a tone of skin not with Hekapoo but with Marco's own mother, "And she has your eyes."
Hekapoo nodded. She also had the woman's horns and the beginnings of a fang if he guessed correctly.
"Is this?" he started but he wasn't sure if it was appropriate for him to ask.
"Yes" her voice shook, "This is your daughter."