It wasn't long before Sasha's team had returned to Wartwood. Fortunately the return trip was much smoother than the original trip, thanks to Sasha actually leading the way back.
As such, less distractions, less detours, and no more quicksand. It was a slight blow to Anne's pride but she got over it really fast.
So far there was no sign of the other team, but Sasha had faith that they would be fine. she trusts Marco after all, even if Brandy was part of that team as well.
Sasha stood before the entrance with Anne, Marcy, Luz, Amity and Molly, opting to wait to see if the other teams were alright before continuing.
"Looks like we're the first ones back," Marcy noted. "I hope Marco's team was successful."
"They'll be fine," Sasha said. "Marco is good at what he does, and he had Kim Possible by his side. That girl seems more than competent."
"Out of all the kids we found across the multiverse, Kim seems like the best out of them all," Luz said, then immediately had her worries as she turned to the girl beside her. "No offense to you, Molly."
"I'd be crazy to think I'm much more valuable than a literal secret agent who's probably been training her whole life," Molly said.
"That's actually a good point," Anne said. "For all we know, Kim's been doing this from a young age. A lot of us barely have a year of this kind of experience."
"Hey, to be fair, I've been learning witch magic since I was a little kid," Amity said. "I think I'd be at Kim's level."
"Come on, it's not a contest," Marcy said. "Some get their skills through hard word, some have a natural gift for them. What matters is that we're all working together to save the multiverse."
"Also if we're taking magic into account, that means Star probably has a lot of experience herself given that she grew up training with her wand," Luz said. "Now she's at a point where she can do magic without it."
"Exactly, so her teaming with Marco is a guarantee for success," Anne said.
"Assuming Brandy doesn't screw anything up," Sasha pointed out.
"Oh come on," Luz said. "What's the worst she could have done?"
"Well she is carrying the Boom Shrooms," Sasha said. "In hindsight, maybe I should have told her they were bombs."
"You think?" Anne said. "That could have really backfired."
"It might have put Marco in danger," Molly said.
"I already told Marco and Star what the Shrooms were, and Sasha at least respects Marco enough to listen to him," Sasha said. "So yeah, there's a small risk, but it is totally worth the reward."
"SASHA!" Came a voice from nearby. Everyone turned to see Brandy stomping over with a look of anger in her eyes.
"It's Brandy!" Luz said.
"Oh wow, you're alive," Sasha said.
"Yes I'm alive, no thanks to you!" Brandy shouted as she got in Sasha's face. "What's the big idea making me carry around a bag of exploding mushrooms!?" Are you trying to get me killed or something!?"
"Marco had everything under control," Sasha said. "Speaking of Marco, where is he?"
"Don't you change the subject, blondie!" Brandy warned as she held her fist to Sasha's face. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't slug you right-!"
Sasha grabbed Brandy by the wrist and then flipped her over in a judo style take down. She then placed Brandy's hand behind her back after flipping her over and began applying pressure to the spoiled rich girl.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Knock it off!" Brandy cried as she began tapping on the ground. "Come on! This hurts!"
"Sasha!" Marco called as he ran over to where the girls were fighting and began pulling the blonde girl off. "Sasha! That's enough! Let Brandy go!"
Sasha complied, letting the girl go without a word as she stepped away while dusting off her hands. "Fine, she gets the point now at least."
"What was even the point!?" Marco asked as Brandy quickly stood up and went to hug Marco for comfort, the boy gently placing his arm around her hip. "Why were you even fighting!?"
"She started it," Sasha said.
"Come on, we're supposed to be on the same side here," Marco said.
"Marco!" Star ran over with Willow, Gus, Kim and Ron by her side. She was quick to notice a freaked out Brandy. "Uh, did something happen here?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Marco said.
"Let's not worry about it," Sasha said. "So, how did it go?"
"The mission was a success," Kim said. "We managed to destroy the factory. This should hopefully weaken Andrias's forces."
"That's the plan after all," Sasha said.
"It wasn't easy," Ron said. "We got attacked by some giant robot snail."
"It came out of nowhere," Gus said. "For a moment, I thought we were done for."
"It wasn't that bad, that snail was no match for my magic," Star bragged.
"Yeah, we can always count on Star," Marco said, much to the girl's relief.
"Marco was a big help too," Star insisted. "It was good old fashioned teamwork."
"So you had to deal with an enemy threat too?" Luz asked.
"That we did," Marco said. "Why, did you have to as well?"
"Yeah, some giant snake with some weird mechanism attached it," Luz said. "Oddly enough, it fell out of the sky."
"That is odd," Star said. "Still, what about the Snake? Did you destroy it."
"Hopefully, I left it pinned down with my vine magic just as the factory exploded," Luz said.
"Luz and Amity pulled through big time," Anne said. "Their magical coordination was totally on point."
"Aw, it's nothing Anne," Luz bashfully insisted.
"Speaking of teamwork," Sasha turned to Molly. "Where did that ghost go?"
"You mean Scratch?" Molly asked. "He left about halfway home, he didn't see a need to come back. Besides I think that snake really freaked him out."
"I'm glad he showed up when he did," Marcy said. "Though teaming with Sasha and Anne again like old times was pretty fun."
"How about that?" Star said. "I worked well with Marco, Luz worked well with Amity, Molly had her ghost friend, and the trio of Anne, Sasha and Marcy did well too. Let's also chalk one up for Kim and Ron, and also Willow and Gus of course. Best friends working together, like they should do."
"That about sums it up," Marco said.
"I guess some groups work better than others, huh?" Star asked while glancing at Amity. "And some duos are just meant for each other."
Amity nervously rubbed her head as she tried to play it cool, "Yeah, I guess."
"Well then, seems like everyone out there had at least one trustworthy best friend," Sasha said.
"I didn't," Brandy pointed out.
"Sucks for you then," Sasha said.
"Sasha!" Marco scolded as he gently rubbed Brandy's back. "Come on, lay off of Brandy already. She helped too."
"Yeah, what Marco said," Brandy replied. "Besides, I have best friends, they're just not here."
"Are you talking about that dumbass rabbit?" Sasha asked.
"Hey! Don't talk that way about...!" Brandy caught herself and tried to play it off. "What I mean to say is that Whiskers isn't my best friend. Lola, Sheryl and Meryl are."
Marco of course saw through that, but wouldn't press it right now. "And I know they appreciate you. Personally, I'm glad you were out there, it allows us to spend more time together and get to know each other more."
"You're sweet," Brandy said, then kissed Marco on the cheek. "I can always count on you, Marco Diaz."
"Careful, you might make Marcy jealous," Sasha teased as she gestured to her friend.
"Come on Sasha..." Marcy said. "Though, I will admit, I get a bit jealous when girls flirt with Marco. But in the end, I am his Queen. No matter how many girls pass his eyes, I am always Number One."
"Not for long..." Star muttered to himself.
"I can't deny that," Marco said as he held his hand out for Marcy to greet him with a hug, all the while still holding Brandy close.
Marcy took note of the other girl, and now felt awkward, "Hey, um...Brandy? This moment is kind of between Marco and me."
"...Boy hog," Brandy said as she walked off.
"Wow they look cute together," Anne said. "Probably the cutest couple here."
"Oye hermosa, don't forget about us," Luz said as she placed her arm around Anne. "Marco and Marcy are the cutest boy-girl couple here. But you and I are the cutest girl-girl couple here."
"Can't argue that," Anne said as she kissed Luz's cheek.
Amity turned away in jealousy, wishing she and Anne could switch places with each other.
"I will never get used to seeing two girls dating each other," Brandy said. "It seems so unnatural."
"Come on, none of that," Marco said. "We're meant to be a tolerant bunch after all."
"I'm just trying to understand it," Brandy said. "What brings one girl to another in a romantic sense?"
"It's hard to explain," Luz said. "I just feel attraction to girls. I feel it to guys too, but girls just the same."
"I'm new to this so I can't comment," Anne said.
Well if it's any consolation, I am in full support of you girls and your rights," Ron said. "Scream your pride to the world!"
"Okay, let's not get carried away," Marco said. "Tolerance is good, pandering is not."
"Yeah, I don't think I'd want to shout my same sex relationship to the world," Anne said. "Not out of shame, but it just seems pointless."
"I feel the same way," Amity said. "This type of thing is normal in The Boiling Isles. Not super common, but pretty accepted."
"Works for my dads," Willow said.
"...You have two dads?" Brandy asked. "How were you born?"
"Adoption," Willow said. "It's that easy."
"This kind of thing is not that easy on Earth," Luz said. "I'm still trying to figure out how to tell my mom."
"Just tell her," Marco said. "Don't make it a big deal, don't wave some silly flag around, just be honest. Remember, there's more to you than your sexuality."
"Yeah, exactly," Luz said.
"Good point," Sasha said. "When people think of me, I just want them to know what a badass army commander I am. I just happen to enjoy hot masculine bodies and smooth feminine ones. It's the best of both worlds."
"...Are you always this much of a pervert?" Kim asked.
"Hey, if it's any consolation, you're the type of girl I would totally do it with," Sasha said.
Kim grimaced in uncertainty, "Thanks, but like I said before, I am not into girls that way."
"Same, just in case anyone needed a reminder," Brandy said.
"Yeah, we know," Sasha said, the girl mildly annoyed.
"Can we move on from this?" Marco said. "Every time this gets brought up, I end up feeling worried that things are about to get more awkward and inappropriate."
"Don't worry about it, I'm used to hearing that type of talk," Luz said. "Mom always used to say that when all else fails, I know God will love me just as I am."
"Yeah, God loves all of us," Anne agreed. "So let's stop worrying and start being happy. We did great today after all."
"In the end, our missions were successful," Marco said. "My team destroyed a factory, and so did your team. All the missions went well."
"Two of them at least," Sasha said. "I did send King River on a mission with a group of his own, I'm hoping things are going well with them."
"Well, let's check inside," Marco said. "He might have come back already."
"Alright, let's go," Sasha said as she led everyone inside.
Molly however remained outside, and turned her attention to one of the boys. "Hey, Marco, mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it, Molly?" Marco asked.
"On the topic of God, you think he created this entire multiverse?" Molly asked. "Or does this multiverse actually go against his vision?"
"I can't say for sure," Marco said.
"I'm just worried about technically sinning," Molly said. "I've heard people of this world say 'Oh my Frog', and the people from the Boiling Isles say 'Oh my Titan', so I don't know if I'm sinning or not."
"I'm not an expert on God, but I don't think he'll condemn you over this," Marco said. "After all, you're trying to help others. That is the basis of Christianity."
"Yeah, good point," Molly said.
"I don't know if he created the multiverse, but he did create you and me," Marco said. "Let's try to make him proud."
"You bet," Molly said as she and Marco went inside.
Sasha took a look around, and so far, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and preparing for what's to come in the future. So far, no sign of the aforementioned group.
"Wow, he's really not back yet, huh?" Sasha said.
"Sasha," Higgs greeted. "Hey, you're back. How'd everything go?"
"It went well, I hit my mark," Sasha said. "Marco's team hit their mark as well."
"Well that's good, glad that was a success," Higgs said. "It didn't take you long either, talk about fast work."
"Thanks," Sasha said. "But um, have you seen King River and his group?"
"I'm afraid not, I actually just sent that Gretel girl out to find them," Higgs said.
"Gretel?" Sasha asked, taking a moment to think. "Oh, you mean that girl with the superpowers."
"She and her brother left a little while ago," Higgs said. "Hopefully they found King River. But I am worried about how long they've been taking."
"King River's tough, he can handle it," Sasha said. "Though I am willing to bet that Star would want to know if her father's safe or not."
"Not just him, Eda's boyfriend was with them," Higgs said as she gestured to the witch. "She seems fine for the moment at least, but I did see her chug some booze pretty fast."
"That seems like an Eda thing," Sasha said. "Anyway, you got any other reports?"
"Yeah, Tom Lucitor went to find you," Higgs said. "Apparently he changed his mind about the mission. Not sure why but he just decided to go and look for you."
"That's odd," Sasha said. "So he's out there somewhere?"
"I'm hoping he'll give up and come back soon," Higgs said. "But if he's gone too long, we'll have to send a search party out to find him."
"Hopefully it won't come to that," Sasha said. "Anyway, let's hit the drawing board again, there's still some places we need to hit before we focus on Blight Industries."
"There are some, but the travel is much further," Higgs said. "The fact that you came back just in time for sunset is impressive in its own right."
"Honestly, we could have returned sooner, but Anne's hopeless with directions," Sasha said.
"I can hear you!" Anne called.
"You let her lead?" Higgs asked. "You're really adamant about making her a leader, aren't you?"
"I'm just trying to make up for some lousy things I did," Sasha said. "You already know about how bad things got between me and Anne."
"Yeah, I get it," Higgs said. "I can't say I relate too much since being a squire left me very little time to make friends. But I did antagonize Marco Diaz. I still find him being a squire bogus since squires are for knights, not princesses, but I suppose I could have been nicer and not try to screw him over during that race."
"Sounds funny though," Sasha said.
"Got that right," Higgs said as she and Sasha briefly shared a laugh together. "Still, how much did you commit to Anne being a leader?"
"Well, we kind of had to compromise during a big fight against a giant snake," Sasha said.
"A giant what!?" Higgs asked.
"Yeah some snake with mechanical parts came out of nowhere and attacked us," Sasha said. "The girls needed my leadership, so I decided to just take the help."
"That would be for the better," Higgs said. "You're a natural born leader after all."
"Funny, that's what my friends keep telling me," Sasha said.
"You should listen to them then," Higgs said. "Anyway, I'm glad you pulled it off, and that the snake didn't hurt you. I trust no one else got hurt either."
"No, everyone made it back in one piece," Sasha said. "Even Brandy."
"Hey!" Brandy called from nearby.
"That's a miracle," Higgs joked, with her and Sasha laughing.
Brandy took a seat, the girl seemingly exhausted. "What a day, I really thought I was going to die."
"You worry too much," Marcy said. "You were with Marco, he wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."
"Yeah, that's the only thing that kept me from totally freaking out," Brandy said. "Honestly, with how much I risked my life in The Amazon, I thought I'd be used to this kind of stress. Then again, I wasn't exactly a commando. Of course I've had to deal with some weird crap."
"Why don't you grab a drink?" Marcy said. "Or something to eat."
"I would, but somehow the food here is worse than the food in the jungle," Brandy said. "At least the jungle had fruit."
"Well we'll have that fixed," Marcy said. "I'm inviting everyone to my room later, we're going to get some pizza and soda and have a little party."
Brandy's tail wagged in excitement, "You mean it!?"
"Well that's the plan," Marcy said. "We're going to try to invite a few guests for that."
"Hopefully ones that are not lame," Brandy said.
"Hey, easy there," Marcy playfully warned. "In my book, no one here is lame."
"Alright fine," Brandy said.
"Setting up a party?" Amity asked as she got Marcy's attention.
"I asked Sasha about it on the way home, it's good to keep up morale for everyone," Marcy said. "We're chipping in and getting some food."
"Can we afford food for everyone?" Amity asked.
"If anything, just put it under my name," Brandy said. "My family's rich."
"You're a guest, you don't need to pay," Marcy said. "We just need to find a good pizza place."
"Did someone say, pizza?" Marco asked as he passed by. "Because I know a guy."
"You know someone who makes pizza?" Marcy asked.
"Yeah, he owns a pizzeria," Marco said. "Granted we did have a bit of a spat once, resulting in me and Pony Head having to make our own pizza once, but I think I can clear things up for a discount."
"You actually made pizza yourself?" Amity asked.
"Yeah, and it tasted horrible," Marco said. "But Pony Head and I were still proud of what we did."
"That sounds like quite an adventure," Brandy said.
"Alright, let's get to planning," Marcy called her friend. "Hey Sasha! Ready for the pizza!?"
"Pizza?" Higgs asked. "What's that exactly?"
"Delicious treat made by a group of cuisine geniuses known as, The Italians," Sasha said, then turned to Marcy. "Later, I still gotta plan with Higgs!"
"Hey, we talked about this!" Marcy said.
"We can take a break," Higgs said.
"I'm still worried about where King River might be," Sasha said. "I should probably wait."
"Nonsense," Grime said as he got Sasha's attention. "Let me worry about King River. Once he returns, he too will likely celebrate with a feast. We'll help ourselves to our finest ale."
"Boy I could use some ale," Sasha said.
"That has alcohol," Higgs reminded. "Your friends don't want you drinking that."
"Honestly, they should try it before trashing on the idea," Sasha said.
"Go be with your friends," Grime said. "Both of you. And that's, an order."
"Well, orders are orders," Higgs said. "Come on."
"...Yeah, sure," Sasha said, the girl giving in. "Couldn't hurt."
At his table, Dipper was still looking into some research of his, trying to understand each of the different realms with Ford by his side.
"Kind of strange how medieval some of these places are," Dipper said. "Could they have been formed around those times in our world and simply never have evolved?"
"Well I can't explain Mewni," Ford said. "I do know they've been around for centuries. But with Amphibia, they have potential for technology as evident by the robots. Ironically their technology surpasses some stuff from even our world."
"What of The Boiling Isles?" Dipper asked. "From what I've seen, they have a basic idea of what things are like in our world."
"They have a deeper connection to the Human World than we thought," Ford said. "It helps that Belos himself was once a human, according to that girl Luz at least."
"And Mewni, they're a little odd about it as well," Dipper said. "They live in these old towns, yet know things like checks and photo booths."
"The anomalies of these worlds are on part with Gravity Falls," Ford said. "It could be possible that each world interacted much more with ours than we thought, and it concentrated a lot of that energy to Gravity Falls."
"Bill's definitely been in these worlds," Dipper said as he gestured to a book. "Marcy lent this to me, it's a book she found in Andrias's castle. Check out who's got his picture on here."
"There he is," Ford said as he glanced at a picture of Bill Cipher. "And did Amity Blight give you a book as well?"
"Yeah, she asked me to be careful with it," Dipper said as he scanned the pages. "There's nothing direct, but some passages talk of aa cyclops resembling a triangle."
"I've noticed this in one of the Mewman books," Ford said. "Only Bill was referred to directly by name. He's considered a myth, how little these Mewmans know."
"Hey guys," Luz said as she greeted the two. "You look busy."
"Hi Luz, we're just learning all we can about these worlds, and Bill Cipher's connection to them," Dipper said.
"Man, you talk a lot about this Bill Cipher guy," Luz said. "But you did mention he was dangerous, even more than Belos and Andrias."
"He's a crafty one for sure," Ford said. "We can't be too careful."
"Well, we're about to have a pizza party, if you want to come," Luz said.
"Maybe later," Dipper said. "My sister may want to join, she should be with Eda, so you can ask her."
"Alright, but don't work too hard," Luz said just as she left.
"...You know, she might have a point," Ford said. "Why don't you relax for a bit my boy."
"Are you sure?" Dipper asked.
"Why certainly," Ford said. "Go, have some fun."
"Uh, alright, maybe for a bit," Dipper said as he got up off his seat.
"Now..." Ford began pulling out his own research notes. "Time to do a little more comparisons. See what mark Bill has left on these worlds too."
Meanwhile Anne was seen looking around for someone, "Sprig!? Hey Sprig! Where are you!?"
"Anne?" Hunter got the girl's attention.
"Hey Hunter, have you seen Sprig?" Anne asked.
"Yeah, he should be nearby," Hunter said. "We're looking for treasure."
"Wow, sounds fun," Anne said. "Good way to pass the time."
"Well I'm glad you're back," Hunter said. "Is everyone else back too?"
"Yeah, even Brandy," Anne said.
"Hunter!" Sprig ran to the boy with a chest, then spotted a familiar face. "Anne! You're back!"
"Got that right," Anne boasted. "What'chu got there?"
"I found this in some old room," Sprig said as he opened the chest. "Some old junk and a blank piece of paper."
"Hold onto it, for all you know, it could be valuable," Anne said.
"Sounds good to me," Sprig said as he took the paper out. "Except this maybe." He put it in his pocket. "But I'll probably find use for it later."
"Well, we're going to get some pizza," Anne said.
"Pizza?" Hunter asked. "Sounds familiar."
"Yeah, it is familiar," Sprig said.
"We're doing a little party later, you're both invited," Anne said.
"Did someone say party!?" Polly ran out into the open. "Lead the way Anne! I'm ready to get my freak on!"
"...Who taught you that saying?" Anne asked.
Later on in the shared room of Marco and Marcy, a party was underway. With so many people, a portal to Mewni had been opened, specifically one near some Hot Springs.
Marco chatted it up with Ron, Dipper, Gus and Hunter while Anne and Luz had taken Molly to the hot springs, just as promised. Luz and Anne were cool with going in without clothes, but Molly took a moment to convince.
"Just come in," Anne said. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"I don't know, my body may not be as nice as yours," Molly said.
"Come on, my arms and legs are basically twigs," Anne said.
"Well, you got nice boobies," Luz teased.
Anne playfully rolled her eyes then focused on Molly, "Would it help if we closed our eyes?"
"I think so," Molly said.
"Alright," Anne turned to Luz. "Eyes shut."
"Promise you won't cheat and try to grope me," Luz teased. "I've seen how you've been eyeing my butt."
"Seriously, in front of Molly?" Luz asked. "Just close your eyes."
"Just teasing," Luz said as she closed her eyes along with Anne.
After a few seconds, they heard a small splash, and saw that Molly had entered the spring.
"Wow, this does feel nice," Molly said as she took a moment to relax. "It feels so perfect."
"See? Nothing to worry about," Anne said. "Just sit back and relax."
Meanwhile Marco was still chatting with the guys, explaining his prior experiences, "Yeah, teaching Star how to ride a bike wasn't easy. I told her to stop she had to ride backwards, but she found the idea ridiculous."
"Man, everything you describe about Star reminds me almost of my sister," Dipper said. "She's so eccentric, she went out and got a pet pig. She loves him so much, that when I accidentally messed with time, she was so depressed after losing him. I fixed it, even if it meant my crush getting consoled by some creep."
"You messed with time travel?" Hunter asked. "That sounds dangerous."
"It is, I've done a lot of dangerous things," Dipper said. "I once brought a video game character to life."
"What's a video game?" Hunter asked.
"Check out Marcy over there," Marco said, gesturing to his girlfriend.
Marcy was currently playing a game with Sprig, King and Polly by her side, cheering her on. She was completely focused on what she was doing, and from the looks of things, was doing well.
"Wow! You're already double what you did in the last level!" Sprig cheered.
"That fruit is no match for you!" Polly said.
"Come on, Marcy!" King cheered.
"Almost..." After a few seconds, the victory tune played as Marcy began cheering. "Let's goooooo!"
"Alright, Marcy!" Sprig cheered along with Polly and King.
Hunter looked amazed by what he saw, "Wow, so much joy."
"That's the power of video games," Marco said as a tear came to his eye. "Seeing a girl I care so much about excel at such a thing really gets you in the heart man. I am so proud."
"Uh...wow," Gus said.
"Hey, a girl who shares your favorite hobby is a keeper," Ron said.
Star's ears twitched as she ran to Marcy's side. "I want a turn!"
"Sure, go for it," Marcy said as she handed the remote over to Star.
"This shouldn't be hard, I've encountered something like this in real life, thanks to Pony Head," Star said. "Now I just gotta-"
"Game Over!" the voice on the screen said.
"...Eh!?" Star asked in disbelief. "I literally just started!"
"It probably just took you off guard," Marcy said. "Just try again."
"Yeah, sure, I wasn't ready before," Star said as she pressed the continue button. "But now I'm-"
"Game Over!" the voice said again.
"...What the fu..." Star remembered she was around kids. "...udge...Yeah, fudge."
"Uh-huh...sure," Polly said.
Ron grimaced in worry, "Princess Star really isn't good at this, is she?"
"Hey, she's trying, and Star always tries hard, no matter what," Marco said. "I respect that about her."
"You two are really close after all," Gus said.
"Oh course, Star's my best friend," Marco said. "It's nice seeing her and Marcy getting along."
"Clear one thing up for me," Gus said. "You and Star never formally dated, right?"
"No, we never did," Marco said. "Far as I remember, she's always been with Tom."
"Until today," Dipper said. "That breakup was awkward."
"Yeah, it's so weird," Marco said. "But I can't say I'm too surprised. They have been slowly drifting apart. I just wish that they worked things out first."
"They probably just weren't meant to be," Ron said.
"Still, he placed a hex on you and Star," Gus said. "Did he think you two liked each other that way?"
"Like I've said before, aside from the curse, I never felt attraction to Star," Marco said. "I've only ever seen Star as a friend."
"Just a friend?" Hunter asked. "A pretty girl like that, and you never considered seeing her as more than a friend?"
"What difference does it make?" Marco asked. "A guy and a girl can be just friends. Not every friendship turns into romance. Like, Ron, how long have you known Kim?"
"Since Preschool," Ron said.
"And now you're in High School, meanwhile you and Kim are just friends, right?" Marco asked.
"Yeah," Ron said.
"Hey!" Came Rufus's voice as the mole rat popped out of Ron's pocket, startling everyone.
"Where did that thing come from?" Hunter asked.
"It's not a 'thing', it's my pet," Ron said.
"Did you have him during the mission?" Marco asked.
"Yeah, I always bring Rufus, he's like a good luck charm," Ron said as his pet leapt onto his shoulder. "Why?"
"I didn't even notice him," Gus said.
"Well he was hiding from the giant snail robot," Ron said.
"Also, did he talk?" Hunter asked.
"A little, not that it's weird," Ron said. "Gretel's pet hamster talked."
"Oh yeah, where is that hamster?" Hunter asked.
"He's standing guard outside, along with Perry," Marco said.
Outside Hamster and Perry were seen keeping an eye out for any danger.
"So...what's your dating life like?" Hamster asked, earning a confused glare from Perry. "Not much for conversation, are you?"
Perry shook his head in annoyance as he continued to focus.
Back with the boys, Hunter seemed confused by something, "I still don't get the story with that Platypus."
"He's a secret agent, just like Ron and Kim," Marco said.
"If he's good at stealth, he should come along on a mission with me and KP," Ron said. "Three agents are better than two."
"Run it by Sasha," Marco said, glancing over at the girl while she and Higgs seemed to be drinking together. Marco could tell they were drinking out of soda cans, but their mannerisms seemed a bit unusual for soda drinkers. "Just not right now."
"But back to Marco's earlier point," Ron said. "KP and I have always been good friends, and never really needed romance." He could see Rufus shaking his head. "What? You got a different opinion?"
"Besides Gus, you seem close with Willow," Marco said. "And you two aren't dating."
"Willow's a different story," Gus said.
"Uh-huh, sure she is," Marco said. "Look, it doesn't matter. I'm dating Marcy."
"Yeah, but check this," Ron said. "All these girls seem to dig you. Are you sure you only want to choose only one?"
"Hey don't start with that," Marco warned. "Come on, things have been complicated enough, all I want is to remain steady with my girlfriend."
"Hey Marco!" Marcy called. "Come take a turn!"
"Not yet!" Star shouted as she desperately tried harder. "I'm not done!"
"You got this, Star!" Marco cheered.
"Hey Marco," Willow said, getting the boy's attention. "Check out Amity."
The girl in question had a crown of flowers on her head, carefully placed together by Willow, "So...how do I look?"
"You look pretty," Marco said.
Amity began blushing and giggling at the response, "Wow you're forward."
"I like how you look too," Ron said while shifting his eyebrows.
"Didn't ask you," Amity said in an almost snobby way. "Also, do I need to remind you that I'm into boys."
"Yeah, of course, remember?" Ron asked. "Respect for those who take pride."
"What is this pride thing anyway?" Amity asked.
"Don't ask," Dipper said. "Hey was my sister with you?"
"Yeah, I did her hair too," Willow said as she gestured to a happy Mabel.
"I got daisies!" Mabel said.
"I also did Brandy's hair," Willow said as she gestured to the teen dog who was glancing at her mirror.
"Not a bad style," Brandy said. "Boy if Whiskers could see me now."
"Do you want me to get him?" Marco asked.
Brandy's eyes widened for a moment before shaking her head. "N-no need."
"Hey, where's Luz?" Amity asked. "I want to show her."
"She's in the Hot Springs with Anne," Marco said.
Amity's mood soured a bit, "Yeah, that figures."
"Molly should be there too," Marco said. "Maybe you girls should join them?"
"Uh, I'd be too shy to do that," Willow said.
"Same, even I'm not that zany," Mabel said, then tapped her chin. "Or am I?"
"After my nails dry," Brandy said as she checked her nails.
"I've done mixed bathing before, I can do it again," Amity said, then left to find the Hot Spring.
As she walked, she passed by the group of Kim and Maddie, the latter showing the teen agent all her different ingredients.
"This is how I make a petrification spell," Maddie said. "Enough of these can stop even the strongest men in their tracks. It might come in handy on a mission of yours."
"Wow, this is some resourceful stuff," Kim said, then noticed Amity walk by. "Hey Amity, need a break from the party?"
"I'm going to a Hot Spring with some other girls," Amity said as she left.
"A Hot Spring?" Kim asked. "That actually sounds fun."
"Let's join them," Maddie said.
At the Hot Spring, Molly is seen looking up at the night sky, "Mewni's skies are really beautiful, huh?"
"Yeah, they look like the same skies from back home," Luz said.
"Tch, I'd be lucky to see the stars," Anne said. "There's way too much light pollution in Los Angeles."
"That's a shame," Molly said. "You're missing so much natural beauty."
"I got plenty in Amphibia at least," Anne said. "Going there was a good break from LA and its chaos."
"Same, but with the Boiling Isles and getting away from how quiet and boring it can be in the state of Connecticut," Luz said.
"I bet Connecticut isn't that bad," Molly said.
"Come see for yourself, if you dare," Luz said.
"Hey girls," Amity greeted as she stepped into view. "Mind if I come in?"
"Go for it," Anne said.
Amity was quick to disrobe and stepped inside, opting to stay close to Luz. "So, you girls just relaxing?"
"Yeah, we're looking up at the stars," Luz said. "Beautiful huh?"
"Yeah, you are...right!" Amity said while catching herself and looking up. "The stars are beautiful. Good reminder of the peace we're fighting for."
"Are they this nice in The Boiling Isles?" Molly asked.
"Depending on where you view them," Amity said.
"How sweet," Maddie greeted as she came into view while tossing her clothes off. "Room for two more?"
"Yeah, but two more?" Anne asked.
Suddenly Kim stepped into view as well. "Hey, I never did this before, mind if I try?"
"The more the merrier," Anne said.
"Great...but um, it looks like you're all naked," Kim said.
"Yeah, that's not going to be a problem, is it?" Anne asked.
"No, I'm just surprised you were brave enough to do so," Kim said. "I respect that."
Kim disrobed as well, earning some heavy stares from Anne, Luz and Amity, each of them unable to believe just how fit Kim was. Molly looked jealous herself while Maddie grinned in satisfaction.
"Whoa..." Anne said. "You're like...a Goddess."
"Aw, thanks," Kim said as she stepped into the water, immediately adjusting herself. "Well, this is great."
"Yeah..." Luz glanced at Kim's breasts. "They are."
"They?" Kim asked.
"Huh?" Luz asked, before snapping out of it. "I meant the stars."
Kim looked up at the sky, "Oh yeah, they are great."
While Amity and Anne were jealous of Luz's reaction, they could not blame her. They too were mesmerized by Kim's features as jealousy took over.
At the party, Star was still desperately trying to improve at the same. Marcy got bored and walked over to the boys.
"Hey guys, having a riveting conversation?" Marcy asked.
"Something like that," Dipper said.
"Well, I'm going to grab some snacks," Marcy said, then glanced over at Star. "That might take a while, and it's getting weird being around such a stressed out Star."
"That's fine," Marco said.
Marcy leaned in to whisper to Marco, "Join me in a second for a private session in our own personal Hot Spring."
Marco began blushing as Marcy walked off, the boy already taking her suggestion into account.
A knock on the door came along, with Marco opting to answer. He opened to see a familiar face, "Hey Grime, what's up?"
"I'm here to see Sasha," Grime said. He then heard the girl and Higgs laughing up a storm, this immediately worrying Grime. "On second thought, I should speak with you instead."
"Sure," Marco closed the door behind him. "What's up?"
"You should know that King River and his team have returned safe and sound," Grime said.
"Wow really?" Marco asked. "That's awesome!"
"Unfortunately they have not had much luck on their end regarding Andrias or his plans," Grime said. "The plan is to return to the battlefield first thing tomorrow morning."
"Alright, I'll relay this to Sasha," Marco said. "Anything else we should know?"
"Yes, Tom Lucitor has returned, and for whatever reason, brought a guest," Grime said.
"A guest?" Marco asked. "Who?"
"Sup?" Janna greeted, much to Marco's irritation.
"Janna!? Again!?" Marco asked. "Weren't you with my parents!?"
"You expect me to keep track of where I've been?" Janna asked.
"...I'm not even bothering with that," Marco said.
"Anyway, we heard about your party," Janna said.
"We?" Marco asked, then saw Tom, Kelly, Kevin and Gretel.
"I heard there's pizza!" Gretel said. "Show me the pizza!"
"Uh, sure come inside," Marco said. "There's pizza, soda, video games and hot springs."
"Video games!?" Gretel rushed inside. "Who's got the console!?"
"I do! And it's still my turn!" Star said.
"Star, maybe you need a break," Marco said. "Go visit the Hot Springs."
"Ugh, fine..." Star said as she placed the controller down.
"My turn," Gretel said and immediately began scoring point after point. "Take that you fruits!"
Sasha turned to her friend, "Let's go to the Hot Springs and make the girls jealous with our sexy bodies."
"Oh hell yeah," Higgs agreed as she and Sasha left.
Janna made her way outside, "Might as well go to the springs."
Brandy had stood up herself, "Time to pamper myself as well."
Marco worried about the idea of Janna and Brandy being at the hot springs, "Oh boy..."
"Hey Marco," Marcy got his attention while winking in a flirty manner. "Ready to join me?"
"Oh...yeah, totally," A shy but eager Marco said. He then called out to the others. "All of you behave while I'm gone!"
"Hey what are you, our mother?" Gretel asked.
"Why did you use 'mother' on me!?" Marco asked in disbelief as he left with Marcy. "I'm a boy! Just behave!"
"Whatever..." Gretel said as she kept gaming.
Meanwhile Ron turned his attention to the boys, "So...who wants to peep at the girls?"
"Peep?" Hunter asked. "I don't think they'd like that."
"Yeah, count me out," Gus said.
"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?" Ron asked, then turned to Dipper. "What about you?"
"Uh, I'm not sure," Dipper said.
"There's a lot of pretty girls there," Ron said. "Anne, Luz, Amity. We even just saw Sasha and Higgs leave, Princess Star too."
"...I...I suppose," Dipper said.
"Don't do it man," Gus said.
"Hey, you only live once," Ron said as he stood up. "Come join me if you dare."
As Ron left, Dipper took a moment to think things over. Despite the consequences he may face, his curiosity got the better of him. "Forgive me."
Dipper ran off to meet with Ron, much to Gus's disappointment, "They're gonna get their butts kicked."
"...Wanna see it happen?" Hunter asked.
"Tch, you bet, let's go," Gus said as he and Hunter left.
"Wonder where they're going?" Kevin wondered as he sat by his sister as Tom gorged on some food.
At the Hot Springs, Star had made herself comfortable, though wished that Marco was around. She really wanted to see a different side to him.
Janna was chilling, despite her presence being a total shock at first. Brandy was also chilling, even making a mud mask for herself and placed some cucumbers she found over her eyes.
Meanwhile Sasha and Higgs looked slightly jealous of Kim, and unlike the others, were willing to speak up about it.
"Hey Kimmy, just because you got a nice pair of tits doesn't make you better than us," Sasha said.
"Yeah, we other girls work hard for our bodies too!" Higgs said.
"...Huh?" Kim asked.
"Sasha, chill," Anne said.
"Of course you'd take her side," Sasha said. "You got nice tits too."
Anne began to instinctively cover up, "Was that necessary?"
Meanwhile Ron and Dipper were getting closer, the two boys nearing the hot springs.
"Almost there," Ron said.
"What if we get caught?" Dipper asked.
"We won't if you just quiet down," Ron said.
As they got in closer, both Hunter and Gus were observing from a distance as well.
"I can't wait to see them get caught," Gus said. "It's gonna be so funny."
"Got that right," Hunter said.
Meanwhile in their own spring, Marco and Marcy were already disrobed and bathing together, the boy holding his girlfriend close.
"This Spring is smaller, so our friends found it harder to share," Molly said. "It's perfect for us."
"Guess we should be lucky that Anne and Luz didn't decide to use it," Marco said.
"Which makes it all ours," Marcy said as she gently stroked Marco's face. "So, we got some time, let's make the most of it."
"Yeah but first," Marco said. "I gotta be honest with you about some things."
"Can't it wait?" Marcy asked as she pressed her body against Marco's, earning a massive blush from the boy. "We're finally alone again, let's just have fun."
"But Marcy," Marco said. "I've been thinking about us and...well, when you were gone...I...me and the other girls..."
"Marco, I know the other girls probably flirted with you," Marcy said. "Whatever happened, I'm fine with. I'm your girlfriend, and that's all that-"
"I cheated on you!" Marco said, then braced for an upset Marcy to respond. When she didn't, he slowly opened his eyes, expecting her tears. To his surprise, he saw nothing. "Uh, you heard me, right?"
"Yeah, I did," Marcy said. "Sasha already told me, or she at least hinted at it back when I had that weird helmet on my head."
"But...aren't you mad?" Marco asked in disbelief.
"I should be, what you did was terrible," Marcy said, with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "I know what I'm about to say may sound crazy, but right now, I don't care about that. I just want to be with you."
"Come on Marcy, have more self respect," A remorseful Marco said. "You can dump me if you want."
"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Marcy said.
"But you should!" Marco said. "I hurt you, didn't I?"
"I'm over it," Marcy said. "Look, wer can talk more about this later. But I know you Marco, and I know you're not the type to want to hurt others. Whatever happened, I have confidence that we can talk it over. I don't know the details of your cheating, but whatever you did, I'm fine with it."
"I feel terrible though," Marco said. "I took advantage of your trust."
"Marco, for the last time, we'll talk about this later," Marcy said. "I promise you that I'm fine. Regardless of what you did, I doubt you even gave Sasha or anyone else what you reguarlyl give me. That Marco, is the feeling of true love. Now, let's stop worrying, and just have fun."
"...Alright, if that's what you want," Marco said as he hugged Marcy close, feeling his bare chest against her bare breasts. "I love you."
"I love you too," Marcy said. "Those are words that are only shared between us, right?"
"Yeah, only you get those words," Marco said, then brought Marcy in for a kiss, the two ready to show their true love.
Meanwhile Ron and Dipper had gotten close enough to get a view at the girls, and so far, they liked what they saw.
"Wow...it's like the Promised Land..." Dipper whispered.
"Oh yeah...Anne's looking great," Ron said. "Luz is one fine mama. Amity's cute, Sasha's sexy, even Brandy looks nice. And...wait, is that KP?"
"...Whoa..." Dipper began drooling. "The epitome of a woman." Something about Kim reminded Dipper of another woman. "Man, imagine if I saw Wendy like this..."
"Who?" Ron asked.
"Uh...no one," Dipper nervously said.
Meanwhile Hunter and Gus are waiting desperately for the two to get caught.
"Come on...come on..." Hunter said.
"What are you two doing!?" Willow shouted, the girl standing next to an equally annoyed Kelly.
Amity's ears perked, "What was that?"
Ron and Dipper looked worried as well as they tried to sneak away.
"Are you freaking perverts spying on the girls!?" Kelly shouted while glaring at Hunter and Gus.
"N-n-n-no! We're not!" Hunter insisted.
"Yeah, we're just trying to stop the actual peepers," Gus insisted.
"What actual...?" Willow noticed the two other boys. "Ron!? Dipper!?"
Brandy took the cucumbers off her eyes, "Did I just hear the names of some boys?"
Luz heard some rustling, and used some magic to get rid of a bush and exposed Ron and Dipper.
"Uh...hi?" Ron nervously said.
A loud scream was heard, to which Marco ceased what he was doing with Marcy and stepped out of the hot spring. "The girls are in trouble!"
"Oh come on! So close too!" Marcy lamented as she too ran out of the springs. "I'm so going to hurt someone!"
Meanwhile Star generated some magic at the boys, "You lousy perverts! Take this!"
"Wait! Don't!" Dipper pleaded.
Unfortunately Star unleashed a powerful attack that knocked the boys back toward Hunter and Gus. Within moments, all of the girls were out of the Hot Springs, each of them glaring at the perverted boys.
"G-g-girls..." Dipper noticed that each of them were fully naked and exposed, and didn't seem to care.
"Well, you got to see what you wanted," Sasha grabbed her swords. "I hope it's worth dying over."
"You guys are fucking dead!" Higgs warned as she also had her sword out.
"Girls!" Marco ran over, also just as naked with an equally exposed Marcy by his side. "What's going on!?"
The girls, Star especially, couldn't help but noticed Marco's features for a second before snapping out of it.
"Those guys were peeping at us!" Anne said as she gestured to the boys.
"So we're going to kill them," Luz said.
"...You guys were peeping!?" Marcy shouted.
"Not us! Only them!" Hunter said as he gestured to Ron and Dipper.
"We just wanted to see them get caught and beat up!" Gus said.
"Oh, so we're just entertainment to you boys, huh?" Kim asked as she cracked her knuckles. "I see four ass kickings to go around."
"Wait...wait...WAIT!" Ron pleaded.
Unfortunately, there was no mercy for the fools as the sounds of pain echoed throughout the forest.
While Marco and his friends were relaxing for the moment, peeping aside, things still were going bad with the villains.
Andrias was furious that his factories were attacked. His fears of betrayal were also weighing on his mind as he used his remaining resources to generate more robots.
Belos was more concerned with his own matters, but so long as he still had the Abominations, he felt confident that his plans would succeed.
Another day would come, and another step closer to liberation was at hand.