A few days later:

“Finally I’m out…” J groaned.

“Yes… I was beginning to wonder if they’d ever let you leave.” Nightmare said.

“Yeah I got a bit impatient, but then I remembered that you got shot.” Star said.

“Yeah… but at least I’m out now!” J said.

“Mmm yes… I’ve decide… if we’re going to go anywhere you two might as well be able to eat.” Nightmare said.

“Yes. We… Where is Pinkie?” Star asked.

J shrugged, “She came in with you.” He said.

A woman in a black outfit and mask came down from the ceiling and landed in front of J and Star.

“NINJA! I THOUGHT YOU WERE JOKING NIGHTMARE!” Star said.

J jumped backwards. “Gah… oh… fu…” He stammered.

J’s shadow went back to normal.

The woman took off the mask to reveal it was Pinkie. “It was me! I was the ninja the WHOOOLE time! It was all a ruse! A CLEVER RUSE!” She shouted, tackling Star to the floor.

“O… kay?” J said uncertainly.

J’s shadow went wispy again.

“Oh… okay…” Nightmare said.

Pinkie and Star rolled on the floor giggling.

“Um… Night… what do you say to… leaving these two here for a bit and going to get a snack?” J asked.

“I’d agree to that.” Nightmare said.

“WAIT!” Pinkie shouted, jumping off and grabbing J. “You don’t get it…”

J stumbled around for a few steps before regaining his footing, “Okay… what was I supposed to get?” He asked.

Pinkie leaned in close, pressing her nose to his and staring him in the eyes. “The penguins…” She whispered.

“Uh…” J mumbled, “Okay…?”

“They are everywhere… You need to take your clothes off.” Pinkie whispered.

“Wh… o… I… don’t… even… what?” J stammered.

“Yes.” Pinkie said.

“I… just… got them on…” J said.

“No J she’s right. The penguins.” Star nodded.

“If you have clothes… You can’t get their medallion to save the ice princess.” Pinkie said quickly.

“Why… does MY brain hurt?” Nightmare questioned.

Pinkie jumped onto Star’s back. “Onward!” She shouted, pointing to the door.

“Well… then…” J shrugged as he walked towards the door.

“STOP!” Pinkie screamed, forcing everyone to a halt. She jumped off Star and licked J’s face. “Okay… We’re safe.” She said with a sigh of relief.

“Should… oh… right.” Nightmare said.

“Mmhmm.” J mumbled, “Let’s go. Hospital food sucks. I haven’t had a really edible meal since I got here.”

“So where do you want to go?” Star asked.

“Well… food first.” Nightmare said, “Then I’ll tell you.”

Pinkie clung to J’s back, wrapping her arms around him. “J…” She whispered.

“Yes Pinkie?” J questioned.

“The heart goes beat beat beat… And the whispers say creek… Creek… Creek.” Pinkie whispered. “What do the voices say J…”

J simply stared ahead trying his best not to show how creeped out he was.

“J…” Pinkie whispered even quieter, rubbing her hand down his cheek slowly, “The voices… Do you know… What they’re telling us?”

“N… no…” J said uncertainly.

“They’re hungry… Do you know what they want to eat…?” Pinkie said, twisting around him and whispering in his other ear.

“N… no.” J said.

Pinkie stared at him for a moment. “PIZZA!” She shouted before running out the doors.

“Um… I guess… we’re eating pizza?” J said uncertainly.

“I was about to say gunpowder and vodka.” Nightmare said.

“Well I’m sure we can get those as toppings.” Star said.

------------------------

J came back from the bathroom and walked over to his chosen table. “So what kind are we getting?” He asked as he sat down.

“Do they come with a cup of frosting?” Pinkie asked.

“I… Don’t think so.” Star said.

Pinkie’s eyes shot open. “Well I’m going to make sure they do from now on.” She said and stood up. Star grabbed her hair and yanked her back into the seat.

“Sit.” Star said.

“Okie dokie!” Pinkie said kissing Star on the cheek.

“And… why would pizza come with a cup of frosting?” Nightmare questioned.

“What else would I drink?” Pinkie asked.

“Soda?” Nightmare questioned.

“Does it come with frosting?” Pinkie asked.

“N… I… don’t… know?” Nightmare said uncertainly.

“How can you not know?!” Pinkie said in surprise.

“How do YOU not know?” Star asked.

Pinkie paused. “Touché…” She said.

“But… we… aren’t… fencing?” Nightmare said.

“We aren’t?” Pinkie asked. “Well then why did I bring this fencing mask.”

Nightmare remained quiet. J nodded calmly.

“What are you nodding about?” Star asked.

“Oh… just something that came up.” J said.

“Tell me about it I’m interested. I think she is too.” Star said motioning to Pinkie, who had somehow gotten a soda can caught in her hair.

“It’s fine… just an old worry of mine…” Nightmare said quietly.

“How old?” Star asked.

“As old as I am.” Nightmare said.

“How worrisome?” Pinkie asked.

“It’s nothing too bad.” Nightmare said, “At least not anymore.”

Star glanced at the thickening shadows growing around J’s arm and smiled. “Especially with J here.” He said.

“Yes… especially with J…” Nightmare agreed.

“Sorry… to be the one to change the subject, but… when’s the food getting here?” J asked.

“I’ll go ask them!” Pinkie said. She jumped up and immediately was grabbed by Star. She started walking, dragging Star out of his seat and to the floor.

J bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

Nightmare laughed a little.

“Stop… Being… Strong.” Star grunted as his face started skidding across the floor, being dragged to the kitchen.

J chuckled, “Have fun in there.” He said.

“Try not to damage the chefs too much!” Nightmare said.

“Oh god I’m stuck… Help!” Star shouted as he was dragged through the kitchen doors.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have grabbed Pinkie’s arm!” J said with a chuckle.

“I’m sure the glue will come undone soon.” Nightmare giggled.

“Not the crepes!” Star shouted before a large crash was heard in the kitchen, followed by plates smashing.

J burst out laughing.

Nightmare just giggled a little more.

“P… Pinkie where did you get the balloon.” Star said. “W… Wait don-”

Star was cut off as the sound of rubber stretching was heard.

“Should we… do something?” Nightmare asked.

“We really can’t…” J said, “It’s Pinkie… it’s not like something TOO bad can happen.”

There was a sudden silence as Pinkamena walked out of the kitchen and sat back down next to J.

The shadows around J thickened all around him.

“And… I spoke too soon.” J said.

Star walked out of the kitchen, his arms tied behind his back with several balloons stretched and wrapped around him awkwardly. He sat down next to Pinkamena silently.

“Why… do I get the feeling that something is going to happen to me?” J asked.

Star stared silently at the table, not saying a word.

“Star… why aren’t you talking?” J asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Star said, his voice extremely high pitched like he inhaled a ton of helium.

J bit his lip to contain his laughter, “O… okay… that’s… okay…” He stammered.

One of the balloons popped, startling Star and forcing him to jump slightly.

J started to laugh a little.

“Shut up.” Star said, his voice still off its usual pitch.

“Sorry… sorry… I’ll stop…” J said as his laughter slowed.

“I remember two people being here. Why’s Nightmare so quiet?” Star asked. He noticed a lot thicker shadows forming between Pinkamena and J. “Nightmare?”

“Yes?” Nightmare asked.

“Explain?” Star asked, poking the spot between J and Pinkamena.

Nightmare kept silent.

Pinkamena scooted closer to J, wrapping her arms around him.

“Oh… right… I’m useless outside his mind…” Nightmare said quietly as she reformed on the other side of J.

“So J… You know what time it is?” Pinkamena whispered.

“I have a feeling it’s, Adventure Time…” J said.

“Not till three o’clock.” Pinkamena said. “It’s still two fifty five.”

“Okay…” J said.

“It’s… Tickle time!” Pinkie said, her hair poofing up again as her hands shot to J’s sides.

“OH GOD NO!” J shouted before he burst into laughter.

“I would… Help… If I didn’t have a condom in… Never mind.” Star said.

“What?” Nightmare asked.

“I’ll tell you about it later.” Pinkie whispered before crawling under the table and grabbing J’s feet, tickling them gently.

“Please! No more! I surrender!” J said through laughter.

Pinkie giggled uncontrollably as she crawled back up and into his lap. She tapped her finger to his snout. “Boop!” She said before rolling onto the table and falling to the floor on the other side. When she got up she was covered in soda and pizza toppings. She started giggling again almost immediately.

“I… didn’t… get to eat… any…” J mumbled.

“Oh well that just won’t work. Here try this.” Star said, grabbing a bunch of wet toppings off Pinkie and throwing it at J’s face.

J wiped them off with his hand, “So… you want to start a food fight?” He asked.

“Does the anchovy on your eyelid not clarify that?” Star asked.

J picked up two slices of pizza and threw them at Star’s face.

One piece sailed past Star, but the other hit him dead center. “MMPH!” He shouted, falling backwards out of his chair and to the floor. Pinkie took a step forward and tripped over his body, falling onto and breaking the table. Everything on it slid down it and onto Star.

“I guess Pinkie wins.” J laughed.

“Yaaay! What do I win?” Pinkie asked.

“Star’s the one who started it… so I think he should be the prize.” J said.

“Here’s your consolation prize.” Star said, tackling J out of his chair and covering him in pizza.

J wrapped his arms around Star and started to roll over.

“What are you doing?” Star asked.

J smiled as he grabbed Star’s arm. “Remember… I go until the tap out…” He said.

“Okay then…” Star said as an hand shot out of his back and attached to J’s face.

J ignored it and wrapped his legs around Star’s arm before falling backwards and forcing it into an armbar.

“Two… Can play… That game…” Star said as the hand on J’s face started to force it’s fingers up his nose.

J arched his back forcing Star’s arm to lock up.

“FATAL THREE WAY!” Pinkie shouted as she smashed a chair over J and Star.

J fell back to the ground dazed.

Star stood up and stumbled back into the kitchen, a loud crash was heard directly after.

“Th… think… I… got… concussion…” J mumbled.

“No… just a little bruising.” Nightmare said.

A plate sailed out of the kitchen and hit Pinkie in the face. It shattered as it hit her and a small trickle of blood ran down her face. Her expression went blank as she turned to Star, who was staring in surprise. Her hair fell down to her side, straightening out immediately.

J scooted back on the floor. “I… I have things I… I need to… do… so… have fun…” He said as he scrambled to his feet and backed away further.

Pinkamena lifted up the entire table and threw it at Star, colliding with him and sending him back into the kitchen.

J’s shadow went wispy.

“Let’s… go before it gets too bad…” Nightmare said.

“I agree…” J said as he backed towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Pinkamena tackled J from behind and twisted his arm around his back. “Where you going buddy? We still have a match to finish.” She whispered.

J’s eyes closed and he let out a deep breath, “Then…” He said, “Let’s do this…”

----------------------------------

“Ow…” Star mumbled, pulling another shard of glass out of his shoulder.

J rubbed his own shoulder, “Yes… ow…” He said.

Pinkie was following close behind, drinking a soda with a straw. “That was fun! We should do this more often.” She said.

“I’d have to disagree with calling that… fun…” Nightmare said, “But… without that… yes we should do this more often.”

“Well I gotta go… Love ya!” Pinkie said, slugging J in the shoulder before running off.

“Ow… much… pain… such sore…” J mumbled.

A little bit of shadow gathered around J’s shoulders.

“Does this help?” Nightmare asked.

“Yes… the heat feels so nice…” J smiled, “Thanks Nighty…”

Nightmare giggled a little bit.

“When we get home… And I get patched up… I’m totally giving you a back rub.” Star said.

“Okay… not going to stop you.” J said. “So… tomorrow… what are we going to do?”

“I don’t really care what we do.” Nightmare said.

“Why not?” Star asked.

“Really… I CAN’T do anything… so why should I care where we go?” Nightmare asked a little sadly.

“Hey… it’s alright… we’ll find a way to get around that someday.” J said with a comforting smile.

Star’s head shot up. “Oh! I know something we can all do!” He said.

“What?” Nightmare and J asked.

“How about we go see a movie?” Star suggested. “And maybe we can bring Twilight along. So long as you don’t mind watching something sciency…”

“I’d much rather watch a horror movie.” Nightmare said, “But… I assume you could already guess that.”

J rolled his eyes.

“Hey! Don’t roll your eyes at me!” Nightmare said.

“Horror sounds great.” Star said.

“Yes… horror… that’s what she meant.” J said with a little sigh.

“M… n… S… I don’t… know…” Nightmare muttered.

“What is it?” Star asked curiously.

“I… really don’t want to see a horror movie…” Nightmare said. “Well I’d love to… but I want to see something else...”

“Well don’t stop now… Go on.” Star said.

“No… no I’ll let you choose. It doesn’t matter to me…” Nightmare said.

“Well fine… If you don’t want to be apart of this family… You don’t have to choose anything.” Star shrugged.

“Oh go ahead make me feel guilty…” Nightmare groaned. “And I doubt you’d want to deal with Twilight after the movie I’d choose.”

Star just stared at J, a growing smile on his face.

“Oh we’ve dealt with worse after movies.” J said. “I’m sure we can survive a romance movie.”