At the edge of a lifeless forest, there's a building carved out of a hollow tree. Smoke billows out of the top like a smokestack, and two Hekapoo clones stand guard outside the front door with spears. A man approaches the building on the back of what appears to be a motorcycle.
"Achoo!!" " Hey watch it!" The first hekapoo clone sneezes while the other scolds her while pointing to her flame.
"Sorry" The first clone apologize
The man swoops down from the sky on a dragon-cycle wearing wasteland gear. His face is mostly obscured by a tattered red hoodie.
"Ohhhh, incoming" The first clone exclaimed
The dragon-cycle stops a short distance away from the building, and the hooded man draws a katana from its sheath. With a single swing of his sword, the man generates a strong gust of wind.
"Jump!!!" The first Hekapoo clone jumps into the air, but the second one's flame gets blown out by the wind. She vanishes into thin air.
"Ohhh dude, It's on!" The hooded man runs up to the Hekapoo clone, and she swings her spear down on him producing a wall of fire. When the flames disappear, the hooded man is gone.
"Ha-ha!" The hooded man sneaks up behind the Hekapoo clone and catches her in an armlock. "[gasps] Oh, man!" The hooded man blows out the Hekapoo clone's flame, and she vanishes. Reaching into his vest, the man takes out a small book and pen. He opens the book, revealing pages and pages of crossed-out flames. On the last page, he crosses out two flames and closes the book.
Inside the building, the real Hekapoo telekinetically molds molten metal into a pair of scissors. The hooded man enters.
"So it all comes down to this. Sixteen years. A lot of clones. Seemed to go by... like that. I finally tracked you down, Hekapoo." The hooded man said.
"Yeah, it's the real me. No more clones, so..." Hekapoo said while turning to the hooded man
The hooded man pulls of his hood revealing a 30 year old, Marco Diaz. "Who's a little boy now?"
"This is the part where you blow out my flame." Hekapoo said.
"Hah. You barely escaped me on the exploding plains of Flendar. And when I lost your trail in the mist of the Neverzone, I thought I'd never find you. After spending a few years infiltrating a cloister of monks, I acquired some ancient texts which led me to dimensional scholars who taught me to translate their language. After that, it was a simple matter... of surviving the Afflicted Forest and ending up right at your door." Marco walked up to Hekapoo blow out her flame.
"Not bad for a human." Hekapoo gives Marco a new pair of dimensional scissors. His name appeared engraved on them. "You truly earned these. You really deserve a reward. I underestimated you."
"You've underestimated me a lot H-poo" Marco said teasingly.
"Hey!!! Dont call me that. You know I hate that stupid nickname!" Hekapoo exclaimed while having a little blush on her face.
"Hahahaha!!! Well I so happened to love that nickname" Marco laughed. He really loves it when he see's a blush on Hekapoo's face.
"Dont push it, Mister!"
"Yes Ma'am"
"[sighs] What am i gonna do with you?"
At that moment Star kick's in Hekapoo's door and pointed her wand at her "Hekapoo!, where's Marco?"
"Star!"
Marco runs up to Star and hugs her, but Star pushes him away and points her wand at him.
"Unhand me, beautiful stranger! How do you know my name?"
"It's me, Marco! See?" shows Star his hoodie
Star's brain seemed to have broken down while looking at Marco's body.
"Marco..." Star said feeling love strucked.
"Oh, man! We have so much to catch up on! I've learned how to sword fight, I fought an army of wolf-bears..." As Marco talks in the background, Star blushes at Marco's toned muscles
"Aaaaaaabs..."
"...I rode in a hot air balloon, and then I jet-skied off a waterfall! Isn't that cool?"
"What?"
"Oh, check it out! It took me sixteen years, but I totally earned these scissors." While showing Star a scissor with his name engraved.
"W-W-Wait. Sixteen years? You've been gone from Earth for, like, eight minutes"
"Eight minutes!!!" He exclaimed while looking at Hekapoo for an explanation.
"Yeah, I forgot to tell you that time passes differently in this dimension. Not sorry." Hekapoo said while enjoying the shock in Marco's face.
"No, no, no, no. This is good. It means you haven't missed anything back on Earth. Come on. Use your new scissors to take us home." Star said.
"Yeah, about that... I don't think I'm coming back. Turns out I really like my new life here. I got my sword, my dragon-cycle. I get to ride around all day and go on adventures whenever I want. It's the journey, you know?"
"Yeah, that dragon-cycle is pretty dope. ...No! Wait, wait! What about your parents or your friends... or... me?"
Marco ponders before making the decision of going back home. Marco smiles at Hekapoo while standing up.
"Don't look at me. Those scissors are yours now. You can come back here any time you want"
"Yes I'd like that. Please take care of nachos for me."
"She's in good hands." Marco suddenly grabbed Hekapoo and pull her into a hug.
"Thanks, Hekapoo. Star let's go." Star leaves through the portal then Marco looked back at Hekapoo before stepping in.
"See ya later, H-poo" While blowing a kiss to Hekapoo before going through.
"Dont call me that!!" Hekapoo blushes up like crazy.
Star burst in Marco's room through the portal and Marco is reverted back to a teenager; his clothes are too big for him.
"No! My hot bod! Where did it go?!" Stars stares at Marco's stomach then pokes it while making a squish sound.
"Squish"
Marco covers up his exposed midsection and blushes.
"I guess you're back on Earth's timeline now. But look on the bright side. You still have your bald spot."
"Seriously?! That's the thing that stayed the same?!" Marco said getting irritated.
Suddenly Hekapoo comes partways out of her portal.
"Hah! You got the mark of Hekapoo, son! Ok bye!"
The portal is still open and Hekapoo comes out still partways.
"I almost forget." Kisses Marco on the cheek. " Ok, love you bye."
"Uhhhh... Y-y-you two are in that kind of relationship Marco?" asked Star while in disbelief.
"Well its been 15 years and She's not that bad" Marco reasoned.
"I'm gonna makes us some nachos" Star said robotically while getting out of the room.
Marco looks around his room and suddenly remembers the years before he got into the trial. Looks like he got his reward. Marco takes his hamburger and laptop, and sits at his bed.
"This hamburger is still warm." Marco opens his laptop and checks that it's been only 8 minutes.
Marco sighs and sits at his desk. A moment later, The laser puppies came in with leashes on ther mouths.
"All right. Let's go for a walk." 'Looks like I remembered everything in the trial. It's time to use my experience of 15 years to up my game.'
Marco walks out the door leashed in hand. He smiles while looking at the streets of Echo Creek.
'A whole new adventure is upon me yet again.'
YOU ARE READING
SVTFOE: Rewarded
FanfictionThis is an AU which Marco never loses his memories when he gets back from the nerverzone. Just read the fanfic. You can also read it in Fanfiction.net
