Three more weeks later...
"Your majesties, my lords and lady, my fellow knights ... this is it."
In the war room, Sir Reggie addressed Moon, River, Sir Daryl, Hekapoo, Rhombulus, Omnitraxus, and all the army commanders, including Marco. Because of her behavior at the start of the conflict, Eclipsa was not permitted to join.
"About twenty minutes ago Lady Hekapoo sensed multiple dimensional portals opening all around the Groundlands. Lookouts and scouting ravens confirm that large numbers of those unfortunate creatures are coming through the rifts. By now they must number in the hundreds, if not thousands." A murmur travelled throughout the room. "Based on the numbers so far, it seems clear Meteora has found all the holding dimensions."
Sir Reggie, recently maimed in battle, fixed his remaining eye on, and pointed his cane at, the non-Mewmin members of the MHC.
"We were assured the dimensions were being monitored, but apparently some beings were too 'busy' doing their 'real' jobs."
Rhombulus gazed at the ceiling, Hekapoo examined her nails, and Omnitraxus was as inscrutable as ever.
"Fortunately, they're not moving quickly to the attack, staying near the portals as if they're concentrating their strength. We believe as soon as their numbers are sufficient, they will attack with overwhelming force. As yet, we have not located Meteora. Sir Daryl?"
"We have recalled all forces and contacted all the allied kingdoms. We managed to persuade them to send as many soldiers as they can. Lucitor armies should be here in thirty minutes or so, but all the other allied armies will take hours to reach us. Our field armies should be here within the hour."
"It now appears likely," Sir Reggie interjected, "that the incursions over the last several weeks were to draw our field armies away from the Groundlands."
Sir Daryl gestured at the conference table, asking, "Your majesty, if you please?" Hands glowing, Moon created a 3-D map of the castle and surrounding village.
"The two Light Divisions and the Castle Guard are already on the move and will be emplaced around the Groundlands in no more than ten minutes. Token forces will cover the bridges into Castle Village, and a quarter of our troops will protect civilians as they evacuate to the castle. No matter how we look at it, we are spread dangerously thin."
"Excuse me," River interrupted, "not that I want any more of our people turned into those creatures, but it seems to me there are too many civilians, spread over too wide an area, for Meteora to turn before reinforcements arrive. Wouldn't we be better off using all our troops for defense?"
"Your majesty," Sir Reggie answered, "if this is truly the final push as we believe, Meteora gains little by turning more Mewmins. Unless her end goal is turning everybody rather than staging a coup d'état, I don't believe those creatures will hold back any longer. They will be loosed to kill."
River, reluctantly, nodded in agreement.
Sir Daryl continued, "Unless we can stop the flow of the creatures, our defenders will not be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive, as you surmised, your majesty. Zoom out please, my queen."
The space shown on the map grew, showing the area outside the castle moat.
"There are four large portals, one at each point of the compass, that can accommodate five or six of the creatures at a time. Several smaller ones, accommodating one or two creatures, are interspersed in between. Closing all the portals will be our first imperative. Our three magic wielders, plus Lady Hekapoo, will each close one primary portal, then move on to the lesser portals."
"Wait," Marco interrupted, addressing Hekapoo, "didn't you tell me once that you could stop dimensional travel altogether?"
"Yes," Hekapoo replied, "but it would kill any beings traveling through portals at the time."
"Ah. Can you make it so only you can create new portals?"
"Oh, yeah, forgot I could do that. That's why you love me so much, I make you look good." Hekapoo snapped her fingers. "Done."
Sir Daryl continued, "After the attack on the portals commences, King River, Lord Rhombulus, and I ..."
Sir Daryl laid out the rest of the battle plan.
— OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO —
Marco and Janna parted from their bear hug in their staging area. "This is it," Janna said to Marco. Both were armored, and they were nervously awaiting the "go" signal to begin their attack. Hekapoo would create rifts for Marco, Janna and Moon to portal to their targets, then portal herself to her own target.
"This is it," Marco agreed.
Moon placed a hand on each teen's shoulder. "You two be safe," she implored them.
"We three will," Hekapoo retorted.
A red flare flew into the sky, exploding in a shower of red sparks.
Hekapoo cut open a portal. Without a word, Moon burst into her Butterfly Monster form then flew into the rift, Hekapoo closing it behind her.
"You're certain this will work when we're so far apart?" Janna asked Marco.
"I never said that," Marco replied.
Marco handed the wond to Janna. As soon as the wond had transformed into its Janna-Cast, the two teens fist bumped each other. "Wonder Twin Powers Activate!"
Hekapoo separated her dimensional scissors, then used each half to slice open a dimensional portal. Janna dove into her designated portal, crying, "To infinity; and beyond!" followed several moments later by Marco flying into his. Once they were through, Hekapoo closed their portals, then, twirling the two halves of her dimensional scissors, tore open her own portal. She jumped through to begin her attack.
— OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO —
Marco flew out of his portal, immediately pulling up and hovering. It was the first time he had used his Butterfly Monster form in the nearly two months since the last battle, and something was off.
He caught sight of a hand in his peripheral vision. Examining it, he realized he had long, black, claws, like Janna in her Pink Nightmare form. Upon realizing what had happened, he quickly ran his tongue over his teeth; while his fangs had not grown to the size of Janna's, they had grown enough that he could not keep them completely covered.
As he flew to the attack, he fervently hoped that in the heat of battle nobody would notice.
— OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO —
Janna flew out of her portal, very nearly flying into the large rift being used to convey this wing of Mewmonsters to their staging area. "Shit!" Janna yelled, banking to avoid the portal, barely missing it. Bloody Hekapoo, Janna thought. Then another problem occurred to her.
Janna touched an earbud. "Uh, guys," she said, "slight problem here. I have no idea how to close these things."
Hekapoo's annoyed voice came over the radio. "Jeebus! You couldn't have told us that earlier? Use your scissors, meatbag!"
"You know damn well I don't have any scissors, you flame-headed twat!"
"Then use the wond," came Marco's voice over the radio.
"How do I ..."
Janna paused as Meteora stepped out of the rift.
"Bigger problem ... Meteora has returned, right here!"
"Acknowledged!" Marco yelled over the radio. "Lady Hekapoo and I will immediately portal to Dame Janna's location. Queen Moon, I suggest you move to close any of the other portals still open."
There was one decision Marco had made independent of the leadership's plans. He paused, took a breath, and dearly hoped he was not making a huge mistake.
"Dame Higgs, you have command of the LDG."
"No, we ... need you in command, sir!" Higgs answered.
"I can't fight Meteora and command the army at the same time. Sir Reggie, are you still monitoring? Do you concur?"
There was a slight pause. "I concur," came Sir Reggie's answer. "Dame Higgs, you are granted a battlefield promotion to Commander General and temporary command of the LDG."
Higgs responded, "Yes, sir. Sir Marco, if I survive this and you don't, I rescind my promise to piss on your grave."
"That's all I ask," Marco said in reply.
Hekapoo stepped out of a dimensional portal at Janna's location, then opened a portal for Marco, who flew out of it seconds later. Considering Hekapoo the greater threat, and influenced by her hatred of Hekapoo for what she did, Meteora immediately attempted to drain Hekapoo's life-force equivalent. Not caught by surprise this time, Hekapoo sidestepped the blast.
"Usual plan, Janna," Marco called. "Attack Meteora, ignore the monsters. Hekapoo, close the portals."
"Hey! Mister Muscles!" Hekapoo yelled. "Don't you love me any more? I can't fly, I'm a sitting duck-icorn down here!"
"Do the best you can, and remember not to hurt any of them."
"Tell them not to hurt me!" Quietly, Hekapoo added, "Damn Earth-turd," as she moved to seal the rifts.
"Janna, flank Meteora, and stay out of her reach."
"Got it, boss."
Marco and Janna flew to opposite sides of Meteora. "Dagger Crystal Heart Attack!" "Obsidian Trident Blast!" Marco and Janna yelled, attacking Meteora with their magic.
The dagger-like crystal hearts and black-crystal pitchforks flew at Meteora. Over the prior six weeks, Bob had taught Meteora new spells to use against the duo, and Star too, when she appeared. Meteora conjured a wall of magic, which absorbed the projectiles. It bent inward, then snapped back, hurling the missiles back at their creators.
Marco quickly formed a funnel, redirecting the crystal hearts harmlessly into a nearby pond. Janna simply ducked, the tridents tearing a tree behind her to shreds before disappearing. Glancing in the direction of the tree, Janna noted that, strangely, several torn pieces of purple cloth were floating to the ground with the leaves.
Turning her attention back to the fight, Janna called, "Well, that didn't work, dipshit. What next?"
"Thanks, Janna, I wouldn't have noticed without your kind words." Noticing a few too many Mewmonsters attempting to attack Hekapoo as she closed the last open portal, Marco cast a Nightshade Disarm spell, putting about two dozen Mewmonsters to sleep. Seeing Hekapoo gave him an idea.
"Janna, Hekapoo," Marco called quietly over the radio, "we're going to try what we tried at the outset. Hekapoo, get behind Meteora while we blast her toward you. Be prepared to portal her away."
"Got it, honey lips," Hekapoo answered.
Marco shook his head. "Janna, with me."
Janna joined Marco in front of Meteora. The two began throwing Pill Bug Grenades, Kitten Bombs, Nasty Needles, and other spells, with the intent to drive Meteora backward. The hope was to keep her so occupied this time that she wouldn't notice the dimensional portal opening behind her.
In the face of the onslaught, Meteora began stepping back as she protected herself the best she could. Marco paused to check whether Hekapoo was in position and had opened the portal. The pause provided Meteora an opening to fire her equivalent of Star's Poison Crystal Cupcake Kiss at the two teens.
Caught by surprise, the shields Marco and Janna threw up did not deflect all of the sharp edged, multi-faceted, crystals. Battered to the ground, Meteora ordered several dozen Mewmonsters to attack the duo. They quickly converged, and Marco and Janna were quickly buried under clawing and biting foes.
Suddenly, a blast of magic lifted the Mewmonsters into the air, flinging them away from the two teens. MewmonStar flew low over them, straight at Meteora.
"Thought I might see you today," Meteora said, grinning.
Meteora thrust her arm forward, throwing a Raspberry Ribbon Lasso and ensnaring Star. Meteora stepped back to pull the ribbon taut, then swung Star around like a hammer in the hammer-throw. When she was almost facing Hekapoo's portal, Meteora cut the magical ribbon. With her wings bound, Star could not stop her momentum, tumbling into the portal. Hekapoo closed the rift.
"Star!" Marco yelled. Blocked by Meteora, Marco hadn't clearly seen the portal. His stomach clenching at what he thought he saw, he asked, "Hekapoo, what dimension did you send her to?"
Confirming Marco's fears, Hekapoo yelled back, "X-103!"
Zero minutes...
Moon's voice came over the radio. "All portals are closed."
"Hekapoo, allow the opening of new portals or Star is trapped!" Marco yelled.
"So is Meteora," Hekapoo responded, "and no more creatures can portal to here." Distracted, Marco and Hekapoo did not see the three Mewmonsters closing on Hekapoo. They caught her, two raking her back with their claws and the third sinking its teeth into a leg. She erupted into a ball of flame, flinging back the Mewmonsters and likely killing them, to Marco's regret. Hekapoo ran from the rest of the Mewmonsters moving to attack her, opening a dimensional portal and jumping in when she had achieved enough distance. She came out on the opposite side of the field.
Leaping back into the air, Janna raised demon-fire under Meteora's feet. As Meteora screeched and hopped away from the flames on singed feet, Marco flew to join the attack. Using spells, raw magic, and demon-fire, the two teens began knocking her around. Unfortunately, Meteora was giving back as good as she got.
Three minutes...
"This isn't working!" Marco yelled.
"Jeebus, General Obvious, is water wet, too?" Janna retorted.
"Stop being an ass and help me think of something, dammit!" Marco yelled, showing a rare flash of temper.
Janna thought, then called over the radio, "Hekapoo, get over here and open a portal to your dimension. Marco's going to bring back Star to help us out."
"Still busy!" Hekapoo responded.
"No, Janna! You can't handle Meteora on your own!"
"Shut it, Marco," Janna yelled, "and do as you're told!"
A blast of magic narrowly missed the two. The distraction allowed an improvised spear to reach Janna, running entirely through a calf, traveling two-thirds of its five-foot length before stopping. Screaming in pain and anger, Janna used her tail to pull the spear the rest of the way through. She transferred the spear to two hands, then turned, making ready to throw it back at the Mewmonster that attacked her.
"Janna, no!" Marco yelled, but it was too late. With Janna's throw strengthened by magic, the spear pierced the Mewmonster's chest, killing it instantly. The spear continued through, skewering a second Mewmonster and pinning it to the ground where it shrieked in pain.
Marco thought of the conversation he had with Janna a year ago, saddening him that she would have to carry the regret of killing after all. Marco knew he could not dwell on it, so moved on, signaling Janna to flank Meteora. After Janna wrapped her calf in a wound cleansing and binding spell, the pair flew to opposite sides of Meteora, slightly in front of her. They began throwing spells and demon-fire directly in front of, or under, her feet, to push her back and create some distance between the three.
Using an arc of flame, Hekapoo knocked the Mewmonsters chasing her to the ground, then ran over to the tree line, to give herself some cover. She opened a dimensional portal, calling over the radio, "I'm in place; now or never!"
Marco and Janna stepped up the ferocity of their attacks. Off to her right, instead of behind her where it was supposed to be, Meteora spied the orange and yellow portal she knew led to Hekapoo's dimension. Seeing an opportunity, and not knowing Hekapoo had stopped rift creation, Meteora decided to risk everything on taking Star out of the fight forever. Temporarily exhausting all her magic in one go, she blasted a simple sphere of magic away from her, the concussion knocking Marco, Janna and Hekapoo to the ground.
Meteora called out, "I'm going to enjoy tearing your other girlfriend to pieces," then turned, running at the portal.
"Hekapoo! Close it!" Marco screamed.
Hekapoo closed the rift ... moments after Meteora leapt through.
Six minutes...
"Hot Belgian waffles!" Marco cursed.
"It's just as well," Hekapoo said, as she opened a new one-way portal to her dimension, "it will be safer for Mewni if you fight her in a different dimension. When you beat her, I'll immediately lift the lock on creating portals. Oh, and I forgot to mention, when you change into your beefcake form you probably won't be able to use magic right away without the wond, so take it with you."
"No. I'm not going to leave Janna without it ... I'm not going to leave you two at all, to face these beings alone."
"Take it!" Janna yelled, limping over to Marco and pushing the wond into his hand, forcing his fingers closed around it. It transformed into its Marco-Cast as Janna dropped out of her Pink Nightmare form. "Now go! Save Star!"
"No! I won't leave you!"
As Mewmonsters rapidly converged on the trio, Hekapoo yelled, "Move it, fleshwad, we're out of time! I'll stay behind to protect the meatbag!"
Marco reeled from the unexpected hard right cross to the jaw from Janna, augmented by her magic and hardened by her gauntlets. Marco felt as if he had been hit with gold-knuckles; if he had not been in his Butterfly Monster form, it likely would have shattered his jaw. With Marco off balance, Janna shoved him into the rift.
Six minutes, thirty seconds...
Hekapoo closed the portal. As she and Janna prepared to face the onslaught alone, Janna said, quietly, "Good luck, Marco. I love you, too." Flames blossomed from all four of the pair's hands, plus Hekapoo's head. Janna yelled, "Never give up; never surrender!" as the two charged to the attack.
— OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO — OoOoO —
The dimensional portal vomited up Marco's thirty-year-old form ten feet above the ground. He dropped, then lay where he landed, stunned. It had been a rough crossing ... he had the distinct impression someone had entered the portal on his end from the opposite side, disrupting the rift.
Marco didn't have time to contemplate the mystery further, as something snatched him from the ground and threw him into a tree. No longer in his Butterfly Monster form and his armor gone, replaced by his adventuring clothes, the impact stunned him again. Groggily, he thought, Oh yeah, I forgot portalling here did that. Still makes no sense.
Marco rose shakily to his feet, facing a smiling, giant-sized, Meteora.
"Hello, princess," Meteora addressed Marco, using a smarmy tone.
"Where's Star?" Marco demanded.
"You'll be relieved to hear I have no idea. The little freak has really adapted to being a monster; in a year of searching, I found signs, but nothing more. I couldn't even find her with magic."
Meteora cast a Raspberry Ribbon Lasso, catching a still groggy Marco and pulling him to her. Meteora brought her face close enough that Marco could see her ragged scars in great detail, and smell her minty-fresh breath. Bizarrely, the "Safe Kid" came out in that moment, Marco thinking, Kudos for her, practicing good dental hygiene.
"But I know she's here;" Meteora continued, "the flaming witch shut down portal magic so neither of us could leave." She grinned an evil grin. "Now that you're here, though, I expect your other girlfriend to arrive forthwith."
Meteora used the magic ribbon to swing Marco overhead, then slam him, hard, into the ground. Meteora kicked Marco into a tree, grabbed him and threw him into another tree, then punched him thrice in his rock-hard abs.
Marco was reeling. Meteora kept up her physical assault without pause, not allowing Marco the opportunity to brandish the wond, which he miraculously still held onto. Bob had been very clear; Meteora's only advantage over Star and Marco was her Monster size and strength, so, if the opportunity presented itself, Meteora should attack hard and fast, with no let-up, so that neither could use their magic. Star also had to be kept from using her teeth and claws.
Meteora grabbed Marco's head with her giant hand, slamming his face into the ground. Marco rolled over, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. He had tunnel vision, seeing only stars in his peripheral vision ... then he saw Star in his peripheral vision.
A blast of yellow magic slammed into Meteora, lifting her from the ground and throwing her twenty yards into a tree. Meteora slid down the trunk, then clambered shakily to her feet. Star landed between Marco and Meteora, shrieking a challenge.
"Hello, princess," Meteora addressed Star, using a smarmy tone.
To Meteora's surprise, MewmonStar responded, in a raspy voice, "Go ... away ... abs ... mine ... half-breed ... bitch."
"Half-breed?" Meteora shot back, placing the back of her hand against her forehead, feigning the vapors. "The great advocate for Monster rights using a slur? Doesn't matter though ... a peasant girl cavorting with a human has some nerve calling me a half-breed. But the bitch part," Meteora grinned, "can't argue with that."
Meteora shot out Raspberry Ribbon Lassos from both hands, which Star easily dodged. She flew to the attack, only to be ensnared by a non-magical trap Meteora had set, a net of zidanium cables. Meteora ran up to Star, kicking Star as hard as she could. Star was thrown several yards, impacting the trunk of a large tree hard enough for it to crack.
Meteora strode quickly up to where Star lay, then began pummeling Star as hard, and as quickly, as she could. Bound, surprised, and groggy, Star was unable to fight back nor use her magic.
Marco stood, pointing the wond at Meteora. "Blackberry Death ..." he began, then stopped.
Marco took a hard breath and tried again. "Blackberry Death ..."
Marco felt tears welling. "Blackberry Death ..."
Marco lowered his head and the wond. "I'm sorry, Star," he said quietly, "I can't do it."
Meteora kicked Star again, knocking her out of the zidanium net. Star did not stir where she lay, enabling Meteora to again focus on Marco. With his head down and wallowing in his self-hatred, Marco failed to notice that Meteora had resumed her attack.
Catching Marco by surprise, Meteora used her tail like a whip, slapping the wond out of Marco's hand, knocking it well out of his reach. She then picked him up and slammed him to the ground, pinning him.
Meteora cocked her arm back, claws ready to strike. "Time to die, human."
Unexpectedly, Marco heard a familiar voice calmly say, "Midnight Shriek." A purple blast of magic hit Meteora, knocking her off, and away from, Marco.
Marco stared in awe at Eclipsa, hovering above the ground, Magic-Pips glowing white. Her usually immaculate purple dress was torn and holed in several places, one tear exposing bloodied skin. She was brandishing an open, purple, parasol. With a start, Marco realized it was the wond, transformed into its Eclipsa-Cast.
"Whaaaa ... Eclipsa, how? You swore a Queen's Oath!" Marco yelled.
"Sweet boy," Eclipsa responded, looking down at Marco, "a Queen's Oath binds the queen; I am not the queen. It was the Dragon Chains that kept me, and the wond, in check."
Meteora slowly clambered up off the ground from where she had landed, clearly shaken by the power of the blast. She yelled, "Mama, you blasted me!"
Eclipsa closed the parasol. "You can't do this, Meteora."
Meteora replied, with incredulity in her voice, "But they ... Mewni ... Mewni should all be ours! They stole it from us!"
"So, what, you're just going to destroy it all?"
"Something like that." Meteora bared her fangs and brandished her claws, moving toward Marco.
Eclipsa blasted Meteora again. "Stop!" Eclipsa shouted.
Meteora, shocked, whined, "You're on their side?"
Eclipsa inhaled, shuddering. She was now certain she would never convince Meteora to stop; Meteora was truly lost. Her heart aching, she knew she had no choice but to do what the old book said. Tears began running down her cheeks.
Marco, watching the exchange from where Meteora had grounded him, felt a wave of horror wash over him as he realized what Eclipsa was about to do. "No!" he yelled. He jumped up, moving to get between Eclipsa and Meteora, intending to act as a shield. He didn't really care about Meteora, he simply didn't want Eclipsa to have to live with being the one to kill her daughter.
Eclipsa sighed and knocked Marco out of the way with a burst of magic. She cast, "Black Widow Calamity Cobweb," pinning Marco to the ground with a purple net of magic. "Thank you," she said to Marco, "but if it has to be done, it has to be me." For the final time, Eclipsa looked at Meteora, who had not fled, not believing her mother would ever harm her.
With sadness in her voice, Eclipsa quietly said, "Black Velvet Inferno." A blast of purple energy and blue butterflies erupted from the wond. It began to coalesce into a purple bubble around Meteora.
"Mommy?" cried Meteora, as the orb of magic closed around her.
For several seconds nothing happened, other than banging sounds and shouts coming from inside the sphere. Cracks then spiderwebbed across the entire surface, followed by an explosion bursting inside the bubble. Meteora's scream of anguish and pain would add to Marco's nightmares for the rest of his life.
The bubble fell to pieces. As the purple fragments disappeared, black smoke and ash blew away on the wind. Meteora was dead and gone.
Eclipsa sank to the ground, sobbing. "I'm sorry..."
The magical net pinning Marco disappeared. He stood and walked over to Eclipsa. A catch in his voice, he asked, "Why did you do that?"
"Because I had to," Eclipsa quietly replied.
Eclipsa regarded the wond for a few moments. She stood, saying, "Well, thank you for letting me borrow this," as she handed the wond to Marco. It immediately transformed into its Marco-Cast.
As Eclipsa cut open a dimensional portal with her scissors, Marco said, "Eclipsa, don't leave; don't bear the pain alone. Don't make the same mistake I did."
Eclipsa turned back. But instead of looking directly at Marco, she looked at something behind him. Her eyes widened, then her face lit up, a huge smile gracing her lips.
"Marco, sweetie," Eclipsa said softly, "I think you should turn around." She then turned away and stepped into the portal, closing it behind her.
Cautiously, Marco turned ... to behold Star, returned to her Mewmin form. It was not a seventeen-year-old girl standing before him, however; it was a thirty-year-old woman.
Marco had longed so much for this moment that when it came, he was so overcome he could barely think. "Hey," he said.
"Hi," Star replied.
Finally realizing that Star was without apparel, a blushing Marco averted his eyes, saying, "Star, you're naked."
Star looked down, and what she observed was far more toned and curvier than the last time she saw it.
"Yeah," she replied, "totally, totally, totally naked."
Fourteen and a half years, from Star's viewpoint, she had been separated from Marco. Like a dream, she remembered all her emotions through those years; the pain, the anger, the loneliness, the longing ... the needs. It was thoughts of Marco that had kept her going, helping prevent her from losing herself entirely to the monster. A firm resolve took hold of her. She looked up with lidded eyes, as a predatory smile slowly crossed her face.
"Marcooo-oo-o," Star cried, quickly covering the distance to him. She threw her arms around Marco's neck, engaging him in a passionate kiss.
As they kissed, Marco felt nearly two-and-a-half years of pain, of loss, of bitterness, slipping away. Then he felt something else ... Star's hand slipping down his bare chest to his exposed abs. They broke the kiss, as Star continued to fondle his abs.
A goofy grin on her face, wings fluttering with excitement, Star said in a seductive voice, "Marco's not a boy ... he's a man."
Marco assumed a goofy grin of his own, remembering when Star called him a boy in that same sultry tone of voice: when she hit Mewberty, the metamorphosis that resulted in her wings.
Star examined Marco's Magic-Pips. She took her hand off his abs, tracing a finger along one pip, then the other. She looked up into his eyes.
On this Friendship Thursday they embraced each other hard, then slowly joined their lips in a deep, loving, kiss, intertwining their tongues ...
and allowing nature to take its course.