Will led Rumble McSkirmish to their destination, Circle Park. Rusty playground rides surrounded them, and Will was going through the plan again with the videogame character.

"You know what to do, right?" He questioned. "Just give Robbie a scare, and it'll all be over."

"Affirmative!" Rumble declared.

"Good," Will said, then he heard movement nearby. "I hear someone coming. Quick! Hide, it could be Robbie!"

Rumble obeyed, and hid behind a nearby tree. Meanwhile, Will turned, saw the Dark Cupid approach him just in time. He had to swallow his fear, as Robbie towered over him menacingly.

"Look who showed up," He sneered. "I was sure you would run away."

"Robbie, we don't have to do this," Will warned.

Robbie chuckled. "What? You said you would make it up to me, which is why..."

He rose his hand, and reached behind him, where his quiver was slung. Will was petrified with fear, and watched as Robbie searched the contents, before pulling something out. What he took out, was indeed surprising.

It was a flower pot, filled with fresh soil, and a little dark sapling protruding out. Will gaped.

"OK, listen closely," Robbie said, patting the flower pot. "You should water this at least once a week, don't put them in direct sunlight, and if you use store brand fertilizer instead of natural fertilizer, I swear to Axolotl--"

"Excuse me, but what!?" Will exclaimed.

"What, do you need written instructions?"

"No! I thought you invited me here to fight, not take care of your plant!"

"Firstly, this isn't just a plant, this is my whole life in a dirt filled pot, also they're name is Val. Secondly, what makes you think I wanted to fight a kid?"

"Because, you really looked like you wanted to kill me," Will pointed out.

"That's because I did," Robbie confirmed. "But, once I thought about it, you're pretty close to Wendy, and the last thing I want is to make her mad at me for sending her friend into a coma."

"Oh," The boy realized, instantly relieved. "Now, I feel silly."

"For what?"

Will chuckled. "Well, a while ago, I brought a videogame character to life, and he's actually right here--"

He was cut off, when a raging fireball narrowed past him. It hit Robbie square in the chest, sending him crashing into some nearby monkey bars. Will felt his heart drop, but was relieved to see that Robbie was okay, though his clothes were smoking, and amazingly, the sapling in his hands was still unscathed. The boy ran to the Cupid's aid, just when he heard heavy footsteps coming behind him.

"Aha! The enemy is neutralized!" Rumble shouted, triumphantly.

"What the heck!?" Will screamed at him. "You were supposed to scare him! Not kill him!"

"But, he killed your father!" The videogame character shot back. "I will not rest until the man who dishonoured you is DESTROYED!"

Rumble started moving forward, and Robbie quickly untangled himself from the bars.

"Here, take Val," He said, handing Will the plant.

Will stared, as the Cupid took out his bow and arrow. But before he could take a shot, his weapon suddenly disappeared in a burst of pixels.

"Opponent's weapon required," a disembodied voice spoke.

"Dammit!" Robbie cursed.

Both watched in horror, as Rumble charged up another fireball, and blasted it in their direction.

❇❇❇

Meanwhile, Bill was standing in an unknown area. He felt a slight breeze, but couldn't see anything.

"Shooting Star, can I put this blindfold off?"

"Sure!" A voice beamed.

Bill quickly tore off the fabric around his eyes, and scanned his surroundings. Him, Mabel, and Dipper, were standing on a tall water tower.

"Yep, I expected this," The blond said, feeling his insides drop.

Mabel nodded. "You're doing good so far...but, how about you let go of the handrails?"

Bill held onto the rails for dear life. "No..."

Dipper regarded him in concern, hesitantly stepping forward. "Bill, don't worry, it's going to be alright."

He pressed a warm hand to Bill's shoulder, making the blond tense up before eventually relaxing. However, unaware to them, three forms were moving on the ground towards the tower. It was Robbie running away from Rumble McSkirmish, while Will followed close behind.

"Arrgh! Fireball!" Rumble yelled, shooting another blast from his magic.

Robbie dodged out of the way, making the fireball hit the stilts holding the water tower in the air. The three on top screamed, as the structure started leaning dangerously to one side.

"We have to get down!" Dipper yelled.

Mabel opened her mouth, but all that came out was a high squeak when the tower started leaning again. Dipper then turned to Bill, who tightened his grip on the railing, eyes screwed shut.

"Bill, let go--"

"No!" He yelled. "I told you I didn't want to do this! This was a terrible idea!"

"I know," Dipper replied, trying to keep a calm tone. "But, you have to be brave. Please, just take my hand."

Bill trembled, then peered at him fearfully. "You promise, that you'll get me down here?"

"Of course," The brunette insisted, stepping closer.

Bill hesitated, before turning towards him, hands still firm on the railings. He slowly withdrew from the metal, and reached towards Dipper's extended hand. The water tower suddenly jerked again, making Bill panic. He quickly ran up and embraced the male Guardian, in a spur of fear. Dipper stood in shock, at the blond hair pressed against the center of his chest. Once that shock subsided, he gently rested his hands over Bill's trembling shoulders.

"Mabel, get us out of here," Dipper told his sister.

"I can't do that..."

He turned to his sister, who was petrified while gripping onto the handrails. He sighed, then snapped his fingers. A moment later, the three disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile, on the ground, there was a commotion as Rumble had Robbie cornered. The Cupid panted, gripping his singed shoulder, which left a tendril of smoke.

"It's over, Robbie!" Rumble growled.

Robbie watched in dismay, as Rumble grew another fireball, and was about to launch it at him. Then, the videogame character stopped dead cold, when a stone hit him in the back of the head.

"Who threw that!?" He demanded, turning towards the culprit.

Will stood before him, with a serious expression. "Rumble, this has gone on long enough!" He shouted. "Robbie...Robbie didn't kill my father."

"Huh!? Then, who did?"

Will gulped down a lump in his throat. "It's hard to explain," He admitted. "But, Robbie didn't do anything wrong."

"You lied to me!?" Rumble gasped. "Then, that makes you a bad guy!"

The blue haired boy glanced at the injured Robbie, and bowed his head in guilt. "I guess, I am."

"Then, if Robbie isn't the last stage, it must be YOU!"

A pixelated Start button materialized beside Will. He frowned at it. He started this mess, he might as while finish it. After placing down the plant, he pressed start.

"Kid, are you crazy!?" Robbie gasped, but Will ignored him.

The Start button disappeared, and then two health bars appeared above both his and Rumble's heads.

"Fight!" The announcer declared.

Will scrunched his brow. "Where is that voice coming--?"

He was interrupted, when Rumble landed a swift kick into his stomach. Will's insides moved in a nauseating way, and he tried not to lose his lunch. The impact caused him to fly across the park, before landing a small ditch. He groaned, while dark bruises formed on his skin. His health bar dropped dramatically.

Rumble laughed at his discomfort. "Haha! You fight like a girl, who is also a baby!"

Will growled under his breath, and rose as much as his hurt body could allow. He then charged at Rumble with a furious yell, before launching off his feet, and landing a uppercut in the man's jaw. Rumble health bar only lowered to 5%.

"Oh, come on!" Will complained, after falling back to the ground.

"Now, for my finishing move!" Rumble announced, raising his beefy hands to the sky. "FIST...RAIN...PUNCH!"

Will looked up, to see a dozen flaming forms shaped like fists, descending on him. There was no way he could dodge that. He had to accept defeat. So, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and prepared for the worst as the fists landed on him.

As expected, it was excruciating, the heat from the fire turning his skin scarlet. Then, as soon as it appeared, the pain vanished. He slowly pealed his eyes open, wincing as he did, and saw Rumble standing with his back facing him.

"COMBO!" The announcer said.

"Winners don't lose!" Rumble smiled.

Will smirked. "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Game Over!"

Rumble gasped, when his pixels started to fade away. Eventually, he disappeared without a trace.

Will sighed in relief. He tried to get up, but struggled to. Fortunately, someone came to his aid.

Robbie helped the boy to his feet, and looked at him strangely. "For a mortal, you're pretty durable."

"Thanks..." Will said, weakly.

"I'm still mad at you," Robbie admitted. "But, I'll let it slide since you saved my life, and got my arrows back." He held up his quiver and bow for emphasis.

Will looked at him, and another idea dawned on, though it was risky. "Robbie, you were raised here, right?"

"Ah, Wendy told you?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, but on an unrelated note...can you teach me how to do magic?"

Robbie blinked at him.

The boy knew what he was asking was crazy. He didn't particularly trust Robbie, however, the Cupid was his best shot in teaching him. Considering Robbie was raised here, he knew little about the Demons that almost destroyed the Guardians, and will be less likely to panic if Will reveals that he has powers. Still, there were downsides to this, as Robbie might tell Wendy, so Will had to be cautious about this.

"Kid, mortals can't do magic," Robbie deadpanned.

"I'm only curious," Will said, deciding not to reveal the truth just yet. "I'm really interested about the Guardians and their spells, so I would like someone to teach me all that stuff."

"Do I look like a tutor?" The Cupid snapped. "It's not gonna happen--"

"Robbie, please," The boy begged. "I...I really need this."

Robbie looked at him blankly, then sighed. "OK, I'll schedule a lesson as soon as I can." Then, he turned around and started walking away.

He only went a couple of steps, before turning back to Will. "One basic rule of magic: is don't strain yourself. The only time when I use my powers is to place a spell on my arrows, and the one thing I do is imagine the magic flowing through my veins, and pouring into said object. Powers are like an extension of a Guardian's body, so we treat it as such."

Will nodded, taking this in. "Thank you."

"Whatever," Robbie said, then proceeded walking. "And make sure to take care of Val!"

The blue haired boy smiled contently, and went to retrieve the potted plant.

❇❇❇

Back home, Will did what Robbie instructed. His eyes were closed, and he took calming breaths, pretending that his magic flowed over the dark bruise on his arm like water. When he opened his eyes, he smiled ear to ear, when he saw his bruise had faded drastically. It wasn't fully healed, and Will still had a long way to go until he could do advanced spells like when he had healed Mason. But for now, he was proud of himself.

"Will, are you home?" Bill called from downstairs.

Will felt a surge of panic. He still had a blistering sunburn and multiple wounds, he wouldn't be able to heal himself in time. He'll just have to explain and face the consequences, or else his brother would've mistaken his injuries for Robbie's doing.

Will headed to the front door, when Gompers stepped Into his path. He smiled down at his pet, and knelt down to give him a quick stroke on the head.

"You happen to have any divine healing?" He joked.

Gompers bleated, and started licking Will's face. The boy protested, but laughed by how ticklish it felt. Eventually, Will put the goat aside, and headed downstairs. Once there, he noticed that Bill was in the kitchen, along with Dipper and Mabel. He gulped softly, and walked in, expecting to be bombarded with questions.

"Hey, Will!" Mabel smiled, at him.

"About time, you showed up," Bill said.

Will blinked, wondering why they hadn't noticed his wounds by now. Curious, he looked into the reflection of a silver toaster, and was astonished to see that his sunburn and all of his wounds were gone like they didn't even existed. He guessed his magic was more powerful than he thought. That made him smile with pride.

"So, how was the fight with Robbie?" Dipper asked, seeming to trudge his words carefully.

"Like I said, we worked it out," Will replied. "Also, don't be weirded out, but I might be visiting him a few times."

"Ugh, you have the worst taste in friends," Bill groaned.

"By the way, how was your day?" The blue haired boy asked.

Bill and Mabel were hesitant to answer, leaving Dipper to respond. "We tried to cure Bill's fear heights, and almost fell off a water tower."

Will gasped. "Oh my gosh, are you okay!?"

"Your brother can handle anything," Bill scoffed.

Dipper smirked. "Then why were you holding onto me so tightly, even after we got down?"

Bill blushed in embarrassment, and the male brunette laughed at him, making the blond shoot him a glare in return.

"Bill, I'm really sorry for forcing you into that," Mabel said, sheepishly.

Bill shrugged. "It's alright, Shooting Star. Honestly, I think it worked a little."

Mabel's eyes shined. "Really?"

"Yeah, I've been through more creepier scenarios, so my fear of heights seems silly in comparison."

"So, I helped you?" She asked, hopefully.

"Um, sure--"

Bill was cut off, when Mabel gripped him in a crushing embrace. "Thank goodness!"

"Mabel, let go of me!" Bill shouted.

Mabel did as she was told, and released him. She then turned to Will, with a curious smile. "Also, I been meaning to ask you: what's that?"

She pointed to the counter, where Robbie's sapling stood.

"Oh, that," Will noticed. "Turns out, Robbie wanted me to take care of his plant for breaking his arrows. It's understandable, but I can't believe I have to look after it for 10 whole years..."

Mabel tilted her head at the sprout, then suddenly stuck her thumb deep into it's soil. "Boop."

A second later, Will was staring in amazement, as the sapling grew into a medium sized tree in a matter of seconds. It had a dark trunk and branches, with beautiful purple leaves in the shape of hearts.

"There you go," The Guardian smiled. "You can return this to Robbie tomorrow."

"That was amazing!" Will exclaimed.

Mabel wiggled her thumb playfully. "Never underestimate a green thumb."

Everyone chuckled at the joke. Though, Will's chuckle sounded a little forced, as he was stricken with anxiety. He realized he had one more person to add to the list of people he kept secrets from. He turned to Bill. He knew his brother would disapprove of his lessons, and would try to stop him.

I'll tell him later, Will thought, determinedly.

Though, deep inside, he knew he was lying to himself.

❇❇❇

Robbie was walking home, in the dead of night. The trees whistled eerily in the soft breeze, but he didn't mind. Though, the walk seemed lonelier without Wendy.

He hoped she would return soon, he already missed her, and he hated how these trips of hers were the norm. The only other person he allowed to walk him home, was Tambry. Sure, walks with the purple haired girl weren't as chatty as the ones with Wendy, but Robbie enjoyed the comfortable silence. But, Tambry wasn't here, and the Cupid felt a unsettling feeling whenever he strolled through the dark woods alone.

Crack!

He froze, not wasting a second as he whipped out his bow and arrow. However, as he was turning in the direction of the noise, he saw nothing.

Robbie sighed in relief. It must've been a squirrel--

That thought was abandoned, when strong hands grabbed his wrists from behind. A sting of heat from the mysterious hands, made Robbie drop his weaponry. Then, the figure tightened his grip, and twisted the Cupid around to face them.

Robbie's eyes widened in confusion, when he saw a young man with red eyes and red hair. "Who are you?"

The man smirked, and his hands glowed. The Cupid gasped, when glowing red chains materialized in thin air, and locked around his wrists.

"Hey! Let me go!" Robbie shouted, struggling to no avail.

The redhead chuckled. He grabbed the Cupid by the shoulders, and pinned Robbie to a nearby tree. The Cupid's exposed skin scraped uncomfortably against the bark.

"Not bad," The redhead smirked, looking Robbie up and down. "I like your style, but you should remove that glorified collar, it's hiding your pretty face."

The man reached for the collar hiding Robbie's mouth from view, and the other retaliated by kicking furiously. "Don't touch me, you freak!"

"Easy, Cupid," The demonic man chuckled. "I'm not gonna hurt you...much. Also, is that real?" He pressed a finger to Robbie's heart tattoo, while the other stared.

"Kill!"

The redhead rolled his eyes at the voice, and turned to some nearby bushes. Robbie saw a girl with blonde hair climb out.

She glared at the redhead. "Are you flirting with one of our puppets, again?"

"Can't a man compliment a other man's attire without seeming suggestive?" The man, supposedly named Kill, complained. "Also, you know that Blue Pine is my one and only, sis."

"Ugh, I can literally smell your desperation," The girl gagged. "Now, move aside, so I can do my work."