A/N: I don't own Gravity Falls or Sparkles & Gloom.

Making Friends

"Come on you guys are in for a treat!" Mabel said excitedly as she pushed Candy and Grenda into the cafeteria.

"Please it's the last bell, and the last place I want to be is in school!" Candy pleaded. It was a few days ago that Candy, Mabel, and others escaped from Detention Island. Shortly after escaping, Candy thanked her for saving her life. While Candy only intended to express gratitude, Mabel took it as a sign of friendship. Practically announcing to the whole class that they are BFFs. Much to Candy's chagrin as well as causing confusion with Candy's other friend Grenda. Grenda did offer to twist Mabel's head off but to her credit Candy told her not to. This is due to Candy owing Mabel one but to the casual observer, it only serves to confirm Mabel's claim that they are now friends. Even worst since Candy and Grenda are friends, in Mabel's mind that also makes her and Grenda friends by default as well.

"Oh hello Mabel," Waddles greeted happily. "And guests," he added with a hint of animosity after seeing Candy and Grenda.

"They are my new BFFs!" Mabel smiled.

"Hey!" Candy reaching her breaking point. "Just because you saved my life that doesn't mean we're friends!"

"She saved your life? How?" Grenda shocked to hear this. Candy simply shut her mouth refusing to say anything on the matter.

"Yes I'd like to know that myself," Waddles turning to Mabel.

"I'm not really sure," Mabel confessed. "I mean it's not like there was anything on Detention Island that can hurt a vampire."

"I am not vampire," Candy finally confessed. "I am Sapphire."

"Never heard of them."

"Vampires can only exist at night due to them burning to ash in sunlight. Sapphires are the reverse. We're fine in the sun but in moonlight we freeze in to ice." Candy explained. "The moon was starting to rise on Detention Island. If you hadn't covered me in sludge, I would have been dead before I could reach the gate."

Mabel nodded as she finally understanding why Candy came back still covered in sludge when she could have easily cleaned herself off. "If it makes you feel any better. I did it by accident." Mabel admitted. Having mixed feelings that it was Pacifica's sludge magic that saved Candy's life, and fearing this might ruin her potential friendship.

"Everything about you is an accident," Candy said dryly. Shocking everyone, but then all started laughing after realizing that it was in jest. Even Grenda seems to look at Mabel with some new found respect.

"Well how about we celebrate Mabel's accident with a new recipe that I found." he said excitedly.

"Oh great," Mabel chuckled nervously. It's not that she doesn't like Waddles's cooking, it's just a bit unsettling knowing that she's eating parts of her friend.

"I suppose you can try some as well," Waddles suspicious of the two girls but willing to give them a chance for Mabel's sake. He quickly flew into the kitchen and returned with three plates with some strange food that none of the girls could recognize. Candy and Grenda waited for Mabel to take the first bite to see if it's poison or anything.

Mabel slowly cut a piece and put it in her mouth. "Wow this is delicious," she complimented. With that, Candy and Grenda also tried it. They pretty much agreed with Mabel's assessment.

"I'm glad you like it," Waddles smiled.

"What is it," Candy had to ask despite Mabel shaking her head begging her not to.

"It's delicacy from the small unknown island of Mypos called Ding Ding Machmud," Waddles informed them.

"What?" the girls not recognizing the language.

"Stuffed Pigs Snout with saffron along my own personal touches." Waddles said proudly. This of course caused the girls to gag.

"You mean we're eating some pig's schnozzle?" Grenda asked looking really sick.

"Not just any schnozzle," Waddles laughed as he used his cleaver to slice off his own snout. Catching his snout on a small plate, Waddles added some stuffing and blowing fire on it. Later adding a bit of saffron for the final touch. By the time he was done cooking, he'd already grew a new snout. "Anyone for seconds?" Offering his newly cooked snout.

"No thanks," both Candy and Mabel said at the same time, but still being gracious enough to finish off their first serving.

"I'll take it," Grenda grabbing the plate and devouring the snout whole in one bite even going as far as to licking the plate. "What?" she asked after noticing that her friends were staring at her. "It's good," she justified.

"So how are you able to cook so well?" Candy asking the question that Mabel was afraid to.

"It's a long story," Waddles hoping that the kids short attention span cause them to drop the issue. However all three girls gave him their full attention in anticipation of a good story. Waddles sighed, "My mother was a fierce dragon that had a...a thing for pigs."

"To mate or eat?" the girls joked. Waddles didn't answer. "So you're half dragon?" Mabel finally understanding his wings and the ability to breath fire. "What about your father?"

"Never met him personally, but I'm fairly certain I ran across his bones in my mother's lair." Waddles shivered recalling the piles of pig bones he saw there. "After leaving my mother's cave, I traveled the world. Avoiding such creatures as the Cloud Sharks, the World Worm, and the fearsome Lord King Bat. Eventually I ended up in a cave where I spotted a huge barbarian fighting a duck, over of all things, a single grape. Never noticing that there was a second grape on the ground. Feeling a bit peckish I took the second grape for myself. It was then after getting smashed by rocks, thus dying for the first time, that I learned the grape was in fact the Grape of Eternity (seedless of course). Granting me immortality."

"So how old are you? And how many times did you die?" the girls asked. Again Waddles didn't answer.

"Over the next few centuries I waddled around the world. Learning how to read, how to speak, and various other crafts. It was then I stumbled upon a village suffering from famine. Their last morsel of livestock was a family of pigs. Normally I don't let myself get involved in other people's affairs, but for some reason this time I decided to intervene. In exchange for the pigs lives, I offered myself to feed the village. Being immortal I can provide an unlimited amount of food."

"I'm surprise that they let you go."

"I fed them for two years until the famine finally ended. By then a miracle happen. The piglets I protected grew into adulthood. Becoming large, strong, and intelligent boars. Many of them became the pets and eventually the mounts of choice for their elite warriors, calling themselves the Wild Hog Riders." Waddles paused to reminisce how the young piglets used to look up to him as a father figure. "After that pigs became a sacred animal for them. In fact the Winged Pig became the village's crest."

"Is that why you still feed people with your flesh?"

"The way I see it, with every person I feed with myself, that is one less pig going to the slaughter. And this school used to ship in 100,000 pounds of meat day. Now it's zero thanks to me." Waddles bragged.

"That is so beautiful," the girls applauded. Actually touched by Waddles's heroism and willingness to sacrifice himself for his own kind. Well half of his own kind any way. "You're a real hero."

"Thank you but I'm not the only hero here," Waddles winking at Mabel.

"HEY he was cute OK!" Grenda objected. Only to realize that he wasn't talking about her. Seeing as how everyone's curiosity perked up, Grenda decided to regale her tale. "Family is part of a guild of masked marauders. In one of our raids at some random kingdom, we kidnapped the prince Marius von Fundshauser." Grenda blushed just by saying his name. "We were going to ransom him, but I let him go after he agreed to marry me."

"So what happened next?" Mabel asked since she just loves this type of romance story.

"Well my family was so mad that they accused me of being a hero, sending me here to Deep Dungeon in hopes that I can learn to act like a true Marauder." Grenda sighed sadly at the thought of being separated from her beloved prince.

"That's too bad," Mabel sympathizing with her plight. "So what are you going to do after to graduate?"

"I'm going to kidnap him again, lock him up, and force him to father my babies! Just how a true Marauder should do!" Grenda laughing manically.

"That's sort of romantic, I think." Mabel now unsure of how to take this.

"Speaking of boys," Candy stepping in. "You really should stay away from Gideon," she advised.

"But he's helping me," Mabel argued.

"He doesn't help anyone but himself. There's a reason he didn't graduate with his class. The teachers all here think that he's too dangerous even by Deep Dungeon standards." Candy warned.

"Yeah girl. Whatever he's helping you with it's best to find another way." Grenda adding her two cents.

"But there is no other way," Mabel cried. Feeling as if she can now trust them, she finally told them of how she and her sister Pacifica switched magical affinities which is how she got stuck here in Deep Dungeon. Finishing off with Gideon's promise to use his brain switching machine to change her back.

"So let me get this straight that Pacifica girl we met on Detention Island is your sister? And that frilly flower magic she used was originally yours?" Candy trying to process all that she heard.

"That would explain a lot," Grenda nodded. "I always felt that you didn't belong here in Deep Dungeon."

"And that's why I need Gideon's help. He's the only one I can turn to." Mabel insisted.

"I still think it is a mistake, but I do owe you my life. So I will find a way to help you get your powers back." Candy promised. "Just don't trust Gideon!"

"I don't owe you anything, but if I'm friends with you then that means I'll be getting good food from Waddles." Grenda reasoned licking her lips. Waddles agreed with these terms since he too wanted to help Mabel.

"Thank you! You're the best!" Mabel happily hugged the girls along with Waddles. Candy and Grenda both were clearly uncomfortable with such acts of affection, but after hearing her backstory they decided to tolerate it. For now.

Choosing Friends

Meanwhile up in Cloud Castle

Pacifica was making a score sheet on Dipper and Robbie's team performance. Trying to figure out which one would make the best Pactio. While Robbie's team is more powerful, her glitter magic didn't really seem to boost his magic that much. Unlike with Dipper's team when their magic seemingly doubled.

After studying Pactio theory, most scholars seem to think that two people need a certain level of compatibility to form a successful Pactio. However what that form of compatibility is needed seems to differ between person to person. Looking back, Pacifica tried to visualize what happened when she first empowered Dipper. She recalled getting annoyed at his speech about being a hero that she just wanted to hurt him. Unfortunately she had her sister's glitter magic so instead of hurting him, it ended up helping him. At least that's what she thinks is what happened. Going back to Detention Island, she felt equally annoyed by Robbie and Dipper competing over her that she blasted them both. While she has no way of knowing for sure, she's almost certain that she used the same amount of magic on both. Regardless it doesn't change the fact that Dipper benefited more from the power boost than Robbie. However at the same time, Robbie still performed better than Dipper ever could. So does that mean that she and Dipper have a certain compatibility? Perhaps, but it doesn't negate Robbie's skills.

Taking everything into account, her decision is inconclusive. While she seems to show more compatibility with Dipper, he's almost hopeless. She and Robbie might not mesh well but he is among the top five teams favored to win. Maybe there's a way to help train Dipper to get better or maybe work with Robbie to become more compatible. So how to choose? Giving herself a headache, Pacifica decided to simply flip a coin.