Eventually, it was starting to get dark out as the kids continued to hang out at the Tobin residence.

"It's getting dark," Moon soon told his new friends. "You better head back home."

"Alright," LJ said as he got his flashlight. "C'mon, amigos; let's book it. Thanks for having us, Moon."

"No problem." Moon nodded.

"See you around," Zofia told the younger boy. "It was nice to meet you and your family."

"My sister liked you guys too." Moon replied.

"Judy's nice," Lisa smiled. "Maybe we can do this again sometime... Ya know, if Bart doesn't get us in trouble with his prank phone calls."

"Maybe..." Moon said as he waved to them. "Get back home safe."

"We'll try." LJ nodded as he got his jacket, and he and the others went on their way.

Moon and his family said goodbye to the Simpson and Schwartz children as they soon went back to their new home to rejoin their parents as it began to get dark.

"If you guys want, we can have pizza," Cherry said once she saw the kids. "Though they say that there was a pizza delivery boy who went unstable all because he never got a tip after his last delivery to The Arctic Circle, so... You guys are lucky you got home before it got too dark."

"Can't your mom just say hi like a normal person?" Bart asked LJ and Zofia.

"No." LJ and Zofia simply stated since their mother was unlike many mothers.

"Anyway, you better come inside and relax," Cherry soon suggested. "Homer and Marge suggested that we relax indoors tonight in front of the TV."

"Sure, not a problem," responded Lionel. "Time to grab a seat in front of the tube, and wrap up in a blanket."

The kids soon took their boots, coats, hats, and scarves off to get settled for the evening. Cherry then decided to help out with David while Marge tended to Maggie.

"It's so nice to see Maggie getting along with other babies," Marge remarked softly. "She often has trouble with that one baby who has a unibrow."

"A baby with a unibrow? I feel sorry for the mother." Cherry commented bluntly.

Marge giggled at that, but stifled it. Cherry smirked a bit wryly as they soon began to get comfortable for the evening.


The adults looked mildly annoyed while the kids looked invested as they were watching one of the Melvin & The Squirrels live-action movies which were pretty mediocre at best, but soon, there was a TV commercial that interrupted the broadcast and looked very important showing a family known as the Allmans with a bratty teenage daughter who sounded very similar to Bart, but with a more noticeable feminine voice.

"Are you tired of the same old Grand Canyon?" A voice on TV soon asked during the commercial.

"Here we are, kids, the Grand Canyon." Bob told his kids, Andy and Megan.

"It's so old and boring. I want a new one. Now!" Megan complained before stomping her foot.

"Hello. I'm Tom Hanks," The voice soon said before showing a celebrity guest appearance. "The U.S. government has lost its credibility so it's borrowing some of mine."

"Tousle my hair, Mr. Hanks." Andy smiled hopefully.

"Sure thing, son," Tom Hanks chuckled as he ruffled up the boy's hair before magic sparks seemed to fly out of it. "Now, I'm pleased to tell you all about the New Grand Canyon. Coming this weekend. It's east of Shelbyville and south of Capitol City." he then said before showing a location on the TV of where the new Grand Canyon would be.

"That's where Springfield is!" Marge exclaimed out of horror.

"It's nowhere near where anything is or ever was," Tom Hanks soon reassured. "This is Tom Hanks, saying: if you're going to pick a government to trust, why not this one?" he then concluded as the commercial ended suddenly.

"So that's the plan, then," commented Lionel. "To make a Neo Grand Canyon, they're going to blow up Springfield."

"That is so messed up..." Cherry remarked. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do. We're going to save Springfield," Marge replied as she got out of bed to get ready to leave and spring into action. "Homie, get your clothes on."

However, Homer wasn't budging out of the bed.

"...Homie?" Marge called.

"I'm happy here. Screw Springfield!" Homer glared from in the bed.

"I can't believe you'd say something so selfish." Marge frowned at her husband.

"Marge, those people chased us with pitchforks and torches. Torches! At 4:00 in the afternoon!" Homer defended.

"It was 7:00 at night." Cherry reminded.

"It was during Access Hollywood." Homer retorted.

"Which is on at 4:00 and 7:00." Marge then told him.

"Dad, how can you turn your back on everyone who loved us?" Lisa asked.

"Flanders helped when we were in trouble!" Bart insisted.

Homer scoffed. "Who cares what he did? He's not your father!"

Bart glared. "I wish he was."

"You don't mean that," retorted Homer. "You worship me!"

"Boy, you really are a moron," Bart spat, his tone acidic. "I have about as much respect for you as I have for dog turds."

"Bart..." Zofia cringed as that sounded pretty harsh.

"No. He has to hear this," Bart defended with a glare as he brought out a photograph of Homer, but it was drawn on to look like Flanders. "Besides, look what I did to your picture."

Homer gasped at the image.

"Look at it..." Bart glared before taunting Homer with the photograph. "Howdilly-doodilly. Howdilly-doodilly!"

"Why you little-!" Homer glared back as he leaped right out of the bed and began to strangle Bart like he always did. "I'll strangle-angle you!"

"Diddily-diddily." Bart continued as he gasped and choked.

"Bart, stop it!" Marge scolded her son before she looked hopeful toward Homer. "Leave this to me. Homer... In every marriage, you get one chance to say: 'I need you to do this with me'." she then quoted before holding out her hand hopefully.

Homer just glanced at her despite him saying that to her before they came to Alaska. "That is the stupidest thing live ever heard." he then dismissed.

"Homer Simpson!" Marge scolded.

"We're saving Springfield!" Lisa glared in determination.

"And the friends and family you have left!" Zofia added.

"Listen to me, all of you. We are staying. We have a great life in Alaska and we're never going back to America again," Homer glared at his family and guests before he stormed right out of the house, deciding to get dressed up nice and warm as he went to be on his own. "I have spoken!" he then added from outside, heading right over to the bar known as Eski-Moe's where a strange cloaked woman already was before she mysteriously disappeared before anyone could see her.

"Well, we better help you get back to Springfield to save the friends you have left," Cherry suggested to Marge. "I've seen this happen before."

"Fine by me." responded Bart.

"So what do you wanna do?" Lionel asked Marge and the Simpson kids.

"I think we should go..." Marge sighed as she began to sound weary and exhausted with her husband. "I've stuck by Homer through everything that we had been through, but now... Now I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Hey, no problem," Lionel responded. "Do whatever you must, and then we'll gear up and head out."

"All right, I'll meet you outside." Marge nodded.

"Very well," Cherry replied as she began to pick up and carry David outside. "We'll be outside as soon as we're ready."

Marge nodded at that before she looked at her and Homer's wedding video tape and soon thought about what she had to do to prepare for leaving her husband and Alaska to head straight back to Springfield.

"So you write books?" Bart asked Cherry. "Sounds like a boring life."

"Maybe you'd like to disappear in one of my novels. Right now." Cherry smirked darkly.

"Books ain't as boring as you think," LJ responded. "Besides, you can't just coast through life pulling pranks, being a delinquent, and making mischief. It's like, sure that's fine for a little while, but I'm pretty sure you have no desire to do 4th or 5th grade a second time."

"I've been in 4th grade for what feels like 33 years." Bart scoffed.

"Bart, don't exaggerate." Marge said as she began to change Maggie's diaper.

"That's what it feels like, Mom!" Bart defended. "I swear, we're all trapped in some kinda time warp and none of us are getting any older!"

Marge sighed and shook her head at that.

"Besides, it's not like it'll change anything." Bart then shrugged.

"The future will be here before you know it, kid," Cherry told Bart as she gave David his favorite toy to settle him down before Marge handed Maggie to Lisa as she headed inside with a video camera. "I know it sometimes feels like you'll never be all grown up and just be a rugrat forever. Unless you go to Neverland of course. Besides, in a way you are maturing... You're realizing what a negative role model your father can be sometimes," she then added. "No offense of course."

"I guess," Bart shrugged. "...And none taken."

Cherry nodded before looking over as Marge was taking her time. She then decided to put her ear on the door and listen in... Not to eavesdrop, but was just curious about what was going on.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop, Mrs. Schwartz." Lisa piped up.

"I'm just a little bit concerned that your mother is taking so long," Cherry replied. "She sounds really exhausted... Almost like she tried to say what she has to say to your father over 100 times."

"Maybe she's just emotionally drained." suggested LJ.

"Probably," Cherry nodded. "Let's go wait in the RV."

"Yes, Mother." Zofia agreed as they soon decided to wait in the RV.

Marge kept trying to record her video farewell for Homer before she soon finished and came outside as everyone else waited as long as they could in the RV while Cherry decided to catch up with Atticus on the phone as the kids bonded together.

"And then the guy kept telling Dad 'Hello, Mr. Thompson', but he kept forgetting he was supposed to be Mr. Thompson," Bart was soon telling LJ, Zofia, and David a story that involved his family being in the Witness Protection Program. "I thought we would never get out of there."

"Jeez, that sounds like a massive hassle." LJ winced audibly.

"Tell me about it." Bart groaned and rolled his eyes.

David and Maggie sat around before they both felt a disturbance and glanced outside the RV window as a mysterious shadow was there before it disappeared again before anyone else could see it.

"Okay... I think I'm ready to go now." Marge said as she stepped over as her voice sounded a bit raspier than usual.

"Good, then," Lionel said. "...Would you like a lozenge? I bought some while we were at that gas station a few weeks back."

"Thank you, Mr. Schwartz. I'd like that." Marge nodded.

"You can call us Cherry and Lionel," Cherry replied as Lionel gave the blue-haired woman the lozenge. "Just because our children are around doesn't mean you need to be formal."

"Well... Okay," Marge said before she popped the lozenge into her mouth. "I'm just sorry you folks have to witness something crazy like this during your visit, but I suppose that just happens when you have an adventure with The Simpson family."

"I suppose that's true," Lionel responded. "After all, we're not exactly strangers to having crazy adventures."

"Oh..." Marge blinked and nodded. "Lisa DID mention some adventures that Zofia wrote about in her letter."

"I'm a Pagemaster." Zofia grinned proudly.

"Erm... Yes, that was one of them." Marge said to her.

"You would love Mr. Dewey," Zofia told Lisa. "He's a librarian, but he's very cool and has a lot of amazing adventures too."

"Well, maybe I could visit sometime." Lisa suggested, intrigued by this.

"Sounds pretty interesting at least." Zofia nodded before she and Lisa shared a smile.

Bart and LJ just glanced at each other before they looked away from each other.

"Well, if that's everything... Let's hit the road, Lionel." Cherry soon said once they were all together, except for Homer of course.

"Consider the road, hit." Lionel declared as they headed to the RV and set off for home.

"Goodbye, Homer... Hope you figure things out sooner or later." Cherry said as she glanced out the window.

"Probably not ever." Bart scoffed and rolled his eyes, doubting his father instantly.

"Alright, next stop, Springfield." nodded Lionel as LJ and the kids buckled into their seats and sat down.

And off they went as Homer would be on his own, though he wouldn't notice for a while.

"So after we drive through Lone Moose, we should take a train that will take us straight to Springfield." Cherry told Lionel as she was checking for a way back home on her phone.

"It won't be too long then." Zofia noted.

"Nope... Nothing should stop us, though I feel like something might come up with the life I lead." Cherry replied as she still looked a bit cautious.

"I'll be sure to keep both eyes open." Lionel nodded.

Cherry nodded before she yawned a bit as a polar bear wandered by just as Homer began to leave Eski-Moe's and was about to go on a personal self-journey without his family after he would see his and Marge's wedding video that had a recently added bonus feature.


"I've let her worry about me long enough." Homer decided as he headed back home, whistling all the way there.

The mysterious figure continued into the shadows, seeming to be following Homer somehow. A truck soon sped by and Homer grabbed it, hitching a ride before letting go and skidding up the snowy hill that his Alaskan home was on top of and came stumbling inside.

"Marge? Kids? ...Other family?" Homer called out as his home seemed empty before he checked one room only to find a video tape on the bed with a note stuck to it that read: "Play Me In VCR". He then dropped the flowers he picked on the bed and soon put the tape inside the VCR while getting his coat and boots off due to being indoors.

Marge soon appeared in the recording as Homer wasn't aware of what was happening just yet. "Okay, here goes... Homer," she soon said which caught his attention instantly. "I've always stood up for you. When people point out your flaws I always say: 'Well. Sometimes you have to stand back to appreciate a work of art'."

Homer chuckled at that. "Way back."

"Lately, what's keeping us together is my ability to overlook everything you do," Marge soon continued, sounding very weary and exhausted in tone. "And I overlook these things because..."

"Because...?" Homer prompted for her to continue even though this was a video.

"Well, that's the thing. I just don't know how to finish that sentence anymore. So I'm leaving with the kids and the Schwartz family to help Springfield and we're never coming back." Marge soon continued.

Homer looked over with a crestfallen gape on his face, shocked at his wife's words.

"And to prove to myself that this is the end I taped this over our wedding video. Goodbye, Homie." Marge then concluded and started to cry before the video fizzled out of her and soon showed her and Homer when they were younger and getting married.

Homer grew mortified, and it was then he realized this really WAS his fault. In a panic, he raced outside into the snow, looking around. "Marge?!" he called. "Maaaarge!"

Of course, Marge didn't answer... No one answered him. He soon fell down onto a patch of ice in the water below and it cracked into the shape of a heart as he soon began to drift out into the water.

The heart-shaped patch of ice soon broke in half as though to symbolize Homer's broken heart on the inside and this looked like the end... Only for it not to be.


Homer was now lying unconscious in the snow until a polar bear approached, looking indifferent about its surroundings and even the potential prey that stood in front of him. A shadowed figure was soon heard yelling out and gesturing wildly to the polar bear.

"Ice Bear understands and apologizes for intruding." The polar bear spoke in a very flat monotone voice before exiting the scene suddenly, passing by a fox on the way.


MEANWHILE...

Marge and the others were now on board a train.

"So, Mom, what's our plan?" asked Bart as he hung from the cargo compartment over the seats.

"What are you doing up there?" Marge inquired.

"Looking through people's luggage," Bart replied before he came back, wearing a bra on his head like a pair of mouse ears. "I'm the mascot of an evil corporation!"

"...Now there's some irony for you." LJ remarked.

"I'm not going to disagree when you're right." Lionel said in agreement.

"Neither am I." Zofia added.

"I don't think any of us will." Cherry said as she looked out the window.

"Get down from there!" Marge told Bart and he quickly did as his mother said as she huddled her children closer together. " We have to keep a low profile 'til we get to Seattle to tell the world of the plot to destroy Springfield."

"I don't know if you guys should be talking so loud." Lisa whispered cautiously.

"Oh, Lisa, it's not like the government is listening to everybody's conversation." Marge sighed and tutted as she carried a sleeping Maggie.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about that statement?" Cherry remarked to herself.

In a couple of seats ahead, the conductor sat up straight as his eyes glowed bright red, showing that he was actually a unit connected to the National Security Agency.


Meanwhile, at that place, hundreds of workers were listening in on overlapping conversations such as a woman calling about a Meat Lover's pizza, a sickeningly sweet teenage couple on the phone telling each other to hang up, and soon, a more important voice was heard.

"But we're fugitives," Zofia's voice was soon heard, causing one worker to spring into quick attention. "We should just lay low 'til we get to Seattle."

"Hey, everybody, I found one!" The worker called out to his colleagues out of victory. "The government actually found someone we're looking for! Yeah, baby, yeah!"


"Welp... Looks like we're bound for trouble." Lionel sighed as he cracked his knuckles.

"Get on your mark and get set," Cherry advised since she was no stranger to the way how some adventures would play out. "Something will probably come about once we arrive at the station."


MEANWHILE, BACK IN ALASKA...

"Homer Simpson..." said the mysterious medicine woman. "...Do you know why you are here?"

Homer regained consciousness by then, and his blurry vision magnified. "Cuz my family cares more about other people than they do about ME." he then grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Drink this liquid." A girl who was known as Ingrid soon arrived and poured something into Homer's mouth.

Homer then suddenly shot up and spit out fire almost as if he had just ingested Blazing Inferno Hellfire Hot Sauce before he then sat back down. "More please." he then said calmly.

Ingrid then gave him more as she stood beside the medicine woman.

"Now we will cleanse your spirit by the ancient Inuit art of throat singing." The medicine woman informed Homer.

"Throat singing?" Homer asked curiously.

The medicine woman soon demonstrated the activity through guttural chanting.

Homer then joined in while striking Egyptian poses and made Peace signs before he suddenly stopped. "How long are we doing this?" he then asked.

"Until you have an epiphany." The medicine woman replied.

"Okay," Homer said before they did more throat singing until he stopped again. "What's an epiphany?"

"Sudden realization of great truth." Ingrid stated.

"Okay. Who are you?" Homer asked.

"A friend of the Fudo and Schwartz family," Ingrid said calmly before yelling. "NOW FOCUS!"

"Who-do?" asked Homer before they continued their throat-singing.

Ingrid narrowed her eyes before she joined in on the throat singing.


Soon, Homer's head seemed to inflate before he traveled deep within his soul with his family back home and on their favorite spot in the house: the living room couch.

"Aww..." Homer smiled before he sat down, but as he did that, everything retracted away like a projection screen and fell through a void as his Spider-Pig song was heard being sung by a ghostly chorus.

There was a multi-dimensional Labyrinth with Escher stairs before he fell and slid down into several plains of totem poles that were rising from the floor and they showed his family members all giving him deep scowls.

"Unless you have an epiphany you will spend the remainder of your days alone." The medicine woman advised Homer before a bell toll sound could be heard, sending Homer into a forest surrounded by living trees like in The Wizard of Oz movie.

"Oh! I know!" Homer exclaimed. "Bananas are an excellent source of potassium!"

One of the trees leaned down and smacked Homer with its branches across the face.

"Americans will never embrace soccer?" Homer tried again nervously.

More branches then slapped him and soon picked him up by his arms and legs.

"More than two shakes and it's playing with yourself?" Homer tried yet again.

The branches then smacked and punched him, even in the groin, and soon pulled him apart into pieces.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Homer cried out and soon saw his body parts were starting to melt away like in a Salvador Dali painting until he soon seemed to finally get it. "Oh, do whatever you want to me. I don't care about myself anymore."

His body parts then restored back to normal and soon his face and eyes were put back on his head like a Mr. Potato Head doll.

"Because...?" The medicine woman prompted.

"Because other people are just as important as me! Without them, I'm nothing. In order to save myself, I have to save Springfield!" Homer concluded. "That's it! ...Isn't it?"

Soon, the tree branches were putting Homer's body parts back on him as a jazzy theme tune could be heard and they soon applauded him once he finally had his epiphany.

Homer then woke up from his vision quest as Ingrid and the medicine woman continued to throat sing. "That was the most incredible experience of my life. And now to find my family and new friends, save my town, and drop 10 pounds! Thank you, Boob Lady and girl who smells like foxes and wolves!" he then said before he hugged both of them and took off outside into the Alaskan wilderness.


MEANWHILE...

The train pulled into the Seattle station, coming to a halt.

"All right, here we are in Seattle," Cherry told the younger ones. "Home if the old iCarly website that got toxic after a few years and the former radio broadcast of Dr. Frasier Crane."

Soon, the smoke cleared to reveal a hauntingly familiar face that startled the Simpson and Schwartz families instantly.

"Russ Cargill!" Marge cried out as she put her head down with her family and grabbed her hair out of fright. "Do you think he saw us?"

Suddenly, as she said that, the windows smashed as the EPA swarmed into the train with their guns and arsenal, pointing deathly toward both families, causing Marge, Maggie, Bart, and Lisa to be terrified while Cherry was barely slightly unfazed because she had been through a lot worse than something like this.

"Yes, I did." Cargill soon smirked at the Simpson family.

"Looks like they were listening in after all." Lionel commented.