The stars above Gravity Falls flickered in the midnight sky, staring down at the inhabitants of the town. All were peacefully in their homes, fast asleep under the light of the crescent moon. All were safe from the werewolves that roamed the forest and the vampires that lurked in the shadows and the faeries that danced on the glowing waters of the lake, sending musical ripples along the surface. All were silent. All accept one.
A dark man waited, with a dark purpose. Gideon Gleeful, beloved by all the town, stood waiting at the top of a hill, shrouded in shadows. His powder blue suit seemed to suck all the light out of the air around him, cloaking him from any wandering eyes. His hands were tucked in to the crooks of his folded arms, and he shivered as the winter cold swirled around him, the wind an eerie whisper in the night.
He was facing away from the trees when a scarred face split the shadows amongst them, followed by a body that was only half human. Light footfalls padded across the grass, and the beast stood proud in front of the boy. "You're late," Gideon chastised, the dark undertones of his voice contradicting his cheery persona. Gideon focused on staring into the eyes of his company rather than at his hooves.
"One thousand apologies," the creature bowed low at Gideon's shined black shoes.
Gideon waved him off. "Yes, yes. Do you have it?" he asked, his patience diminished, cold blue eyes narrowed. He was chilled to the bone, and if he didn't return home soon someone would realise he was missing. It was becoming a hassle to lie to them so often, and they had made a habit of asking too many questions. But that would all be over soon.
"I had to cut a few throats, but I got it." The satyr answered, reaching a hand into his satchel. He pulled out two gold pieces and brandished them to the boy. Gideon's eyes shone with delight, and he reached out his hand. The satyr snapped his outstretched hand back before Gideon's stubby fingers could ghost over the relics. "Ah ah ah," the satyr shook a finger at the boy, "You promised me treasure."
Gideon laughed, maybe a little forcefully. "Trust me, my treacherous friend," his hand reached out and snatched the pieces away from the other's, his eyes promising pain if he dared to try that again, "You'll get what's coming to you." The satyr let out a started cry as Gideon admired the two pieces, nestled in the palm on his hand.
He grinned as he brought his hands together, slowly. He could feel the electricity thrumming through the artefacts as their smooth edges came closer to each other, itching to interlock. Like magnets, each edge called out to the other, and Gideon gasped at the flicker of blue as the sides grew closer.
The pieces clicked together.
As soon as they touched, the golden triangle glowed a brilliant blue, and was engulfed in flames. Gideon dropped the hot metal and scowled down at his burnt hands, an angry red triangle marring the soft skin. The triangle floated in front of his face, the flame flickering and growing for a second before the amulet flew higher, whizzing around in the air. It circled Gideon twice, then crashed past the treeline to fly through the trees.
"Follow that triangle!" Gideon screamed, his little legs already pumping to keep up with the gold and blue streak. "Don't lose its trail!" With every inch that the triangle flew, it left a trail of bright blue sparks, as well as a burn mark on any trees that got too close.
The glowing shape stretched a few feet away, then a few metres. "Faster!" Gideon yelled, scrambling to keep upright on the jagged forest floor. Every tree root threatened to trip him up. Every leaf and twig that scratched his face slowed him down and clouded his vision.
Gideon's breath was coming in short sharp bursts and his legs were screaming at him to stop. He sprinted after the triangle, yelling at it to slow down. But it didn't. Not until it neared a large waterfall, so tall Gideon couldn't see the top of it over the canopy of trees. The triangle floated there for a moment, and then plunged into the water with a resonating 'plop'.
For a moment, there was nothing, and the pool glowed with the light of the fire. The light flickered, then blazed, and the water began to bubble. It boiled, spitting droplets at Gideon and the satyr, and Gideon yelped when a scolding drop hit his cheek, shuffling back a couple of steps. The satyr gasped when the water began to rise.
Slowly at first, then faster, a dome began to form in the centre of the lagoon, a hole forming at its centre and tunnelling deep down beneath the water's surface. The watery hill grew and grew, until it was almost the size of a house, and then it stopped. The vast hole gaped at them, the triangle hovering in the centre of the hole staring straight out at them like an eye of hell.
"At last!" Gideon finally managed to shriek, jumping up and down with excitement. "After all those years of searching, I've finally found it! Oh, I could kiss something right now!"
The satyr took a step away. "Mierda," he whispered to himself, marking the sign of the cross against his torso. The jagged scars all over his body were illuminated by the brilliant blue cast down on him.
"Now!" Gideon grabbed the satyr's vest and dragged him down to look in his eyes. "Remember! Bring me the lamp! The rest of the treasure is yours but the lamp is mine." Gideon shoved the creature forward.
The satyr chuckled, rubbing his hands together as he thought of all the treasure buried beneath the waters. His steps became more cautious as he reached the waters edge. Peering down into the fiery blue abyss, he lifted a tentative hoof and dipped it into the waters, surprised to find it neither hot nor cold. His foot, barely three inches into the water, was met with something solid, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He was thrown away from the pool, screaming.
"Who dares disturbs my slumber?" A source less voice demanded, rumbling through the forest and shaking the ground. A few rocks fell into the iridescent pool, and the fires in the pit flared, sending a wave of heat towards the two males.
The satyr whimpered. "It is- it is I, Grouper. The humble satyr." He scrambled to his feet. His voice shook, as did his body, and Gideon rolled his eyes at him.
"Know this – only two halves of a whole may enter here." The deep voice boomed, and Gideon frowned – he didn't remember reading that in the journal. "Two who are worth much more than what lies within. Twin diamonds in the rough."
The flames died back down, and Grouper cast a glance to Gideon, his eyes begging to be let out of the deal. Gideon scowled. This could all be a test of faith. "What are you waiting for? Go!"
Grouper gulped, and turned slowly back to face the gaping hole in the water. He took a step in, and nothing happened. He ignored the way the cavern seemed to breathe, and took another step. Then another. Gideon chuckled darkly – he didn't need something special to enter the cave. The water gave out an almighty roar, and the satyr squealed. Gideon winced – he spoke too soon. The water crashed down, beating against Grouper, and the fire flared up once again and claimed the satyr's body. He screamed, and the water tugged on him, dragging him to the bottom of the fiery pool.
The two halves of the triangle were spat out, and the light in the water fizzled out with one final warning. "Seek out the diamonds in the rough."
Gideon screamed in frustration, dragging his hands through his hair and pulling out thick tufts of white. "I can't believe this! I can not believe this! I am never gonna get a hold of this stupid lamp!"
Gideon froze, fist half way to punching a tree, and a devious smile stretched across his face. He giggled, bringing his hand up to his mouth as he realised exactly what he would need. Who he would need. "Looks like I'm gonna have to pay a visit to my favourite set o' twins."
.
. .
"Stop!" a voice thundered, and almost all of the people on the street faltered, glancing over their shoulders at the large man bounding down the pavement, pushing people out of his way. "Stop those thieving brats!" The man commanded again, pointing at two figures running a few metres ahead of him.
The twins exchanged a glance as they ran from the man, grinning at his frustrated bellows. Skidding around a corner and into a deserted street, Dipper leapt up and pulled the fire escape ladder down. Mabel climbed up first, Dipper at her heels, and the man cried out in anger when he saw where they were going.
They reached the top of the building and threw themselves on to it. Dipper reached out and squeezed his sister's hand, and she grinned as they ran to the edge of the roof. "Ready?" She laughed, the pavement below coming into sight.
"No!" Dipper yelled back, laughing just as loud, and they jumped.
Dipper screamed as they soared through the air, his shirt whipping him in the face and his hat flying off. Mabel did the same, the hand that wasn't holding tightly to her brother pressing against her thigh, fighting to keep her skirt down. A few people stopped to stare, but most people blotted them out – the Pines twins made enough of a nuisance of themselves that most had grown numb to it in the 17 years they'd been alive.
The cloth top of a market stall broke their fall, and they bounced off of it, rolling to the side and crashing to the ground in a fit of giggles as the man who had chased them scowled down. "I'll get you one day, you lousy brats!" He yelled, shaking his fist a little, and Mabel poked her tongue out at him as her brother erupted in laughter.
They breathed heavily for a moment, sprawled in the dirt, the corner of Dipper's notebook jabbing into his hip with every shaky inhale. Mabel's arms were wrapped around her bag, and she stroked it possessively.
"Did you get it?" Dipper asked.
The girl grinned, dipping her hand into the bag and pulling out a stone amulet, "You know it."
Dipper let his head fall back as he let out a sigh of relief. It had taken over a month of planning to pull of this heist, and while he didn't like to take things from people, he did like to feed him family. And with this, he'd be able to do so for months.
Dipper and Mabel had been left to fend for themselves after their legal guardians had left them to go on a hunt for buried treasure. They had promised to be back before the rise of the new moon. The end of the lunar cycle came and went, as did the next, and the next. At the end of every month for the three years that followed, both kids stayed seated on the roof of their house all night, waiting for the two men to stride round the corner, laughing and punching each other like they'd never been gone.
They never did.
Mabel let out an audible gasp, and Dipper frowned up at her. When had she stood up? "Mabel?" She didn't look at him. Her eyes were glued to a spot just past his line of sight. Before he could arch his neck to take a look, Mabel had hurtled off towards where she'd been looking, dropping her bag on Dipper's face as she took off. Jumping to his feet, Dipper slung the bag over a shoulder and stepped out on to the street just in time to see Mabel throw herself in front of a cowering child, a horse reared up in front of her.
"Out of my way, you vile creatures!" The man on the horse snarled.
"Mabel!" Dipper cried out, and tackled his sister, knocking her and the child out of the way before a whip could crack down on her arm.
They rolled to the side of the road, and the child that would have been trampled – had Mabel not intervened – scurried off, muttering to itself. Mabel gasped for breath, and Dipper scoured her body for injuries. Content when he found none, he turned after the man, who was riding away from them with a smug lilt to his shoulders. "Hey!" Dipper yelled, standing and glaring at his back. "Why don't you use all that money in your pocket to buy yourself some manners?"
The man reared around and levelled Dipper with a sneer, his black hair falling over his eye. "I'll teach you some manners!" He pulled a sword out of its sheath just far enough to blind Dipper when the light reflected off it. When Dipper brought a hand up to cover his eyes the man barked a laugh, sliding the sword back down, and he turned away once again.
But Dipper was having none of it. Extending a hand to his sister, he pulled her up, keeping their hands joined. "Look at that, Mabel! It's not every day you see a horse with two assholes!"
Dipper smirked when he saw the man blanch, but it fell off his face when the man turned his horse around, the creature whining in pain, cold fury in its rider's eyes. "You" he spat, "are a rat worth less than my horse's shit!" He seemed to be glaring at everyone on the street at once. "You were born a rat and you will die a rat, and only your fleas will bewail you!"
Dipper gritted his teeth and took a step forward, but Mabel's hand in his pulled him back. "He's not worth it," she mumbled, eyes cast to the ground, and Dipper gaped at her with disbelief. She squeezed his hand, biting her lip, and he sighed, stepping down. He understood. A man like that's pride was worth more than their lives put together, and if he saw fit to put them in prison they'd never see the light of day again.
"Okay," Dipper sighed, and moved to step behind his sister.
The man barked a laugh and turned away from them, slicing the whip through the air to hit against the floor. The sound startled the horse into moving forwards, and the man glanced over his shoulder one last time, "That's what I thought."
It seemed forever before the man rounded the corner of the street, made longer by the fact that everyone froze to watch him go. As soon as he was out of sight, though, the hustle and bustle resumed again, and Mabel dragged Dipper to stand against a wall to avoid being hit by passers by. "Who did that guy think he was?" Dipper growled in frustration, hands clenched to fists, and Mabel rolled her eyes.
"He was just another of the princess' suitors." She got a hazy look in her eye when she mentioned her – she'd always been curious about the palace. Awed by its grandeur. She'd give anything to see inside.
"Another one? Whoa – that girl must be hard work if this many men have tried and failed." Mabel slapped his shoulder at that, and he laughed. "What? Aren't these rich types raised to believe that guys are supposed to act like that? If they are and she doesn't like them, then she must be a handful."
Mabel frowned, "Just because she doesn't like any of those guys doesn't make her hard work. It makes her smart. And strong."
Dipper grinned at the admiration in his sister's voice. "Yeah yeah, I know. Now lets go and sell this thing before the shop guy comes back for us!"
Mabel grinned back, grabbing the bag off Dipper's shoulder and sliding it on to her own. She swept her hand through the air to gesture Dipper forward with a flourish and a bow, "After you."
.
. .
The door slammed shut behind Prince Robbie, and Preston Northwest roared in frustration. "Pacifica! Come here at once!" The blonde girl hurried quickly into the room, swooping into a low curtsey at her father's feet. He grunted and she took that as a sign to straighten up. She ran through the checklist in her mind as he gave her a once over. Hair – up, dress – smooth, back – straight.
She was okay.
"Why, exactly, did I just watch Prince Robbie scramble out of here like a frightened lamb?" His face was going red with rage, and he fought himself to keep his hands balled at his sides.
His daughter flinched at the volume of his voice, taking a step away from him. It took her a second to regain her composure, and when she did, she said, "His gift was inadequate. So I told him I cannot be bought with wealth alone."
Her father grew redder in the face, so much so he was almost purple, and she wondered if there was any blood left in the rest of his body. "What did he give you?" He asked, his voice a terse whisper.
"A bag of jewels," she snorted, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.
"A bag of jewels?!" Preston roared. "What's wrong with that?! That's a perfectly satisfactory gift! What more could you want?"
Pacifica rolled her eyes, but when she saw the look her father gave her, she ducked her head. "Is it so much to ask to receive a gift from the heart? Something that took time and effort and consideration? Something that tells me that they want me for the person I-"
"You seem to be forgetting," Preston growled, "that you are not a person! You are a princess and you are a tool to connect our kingdom with another. You will choose one of the Princes we have set out for you to marry or I will choose one for you! Is that clear?"
Pacifica was practically cowering in front of her father, to hell with her straight posture, and her voice was a whisper when she said, "Yes sir. I understand."
Preston smiled, "Good. Now go fix your hair. You don't want to be looking like that when the next Prince visits for supper, now do you?"
Pacifica shook her head. "No, sir."
Pacifica backed away from her father, turning on her heel at the door and making her way to her room. Preston sighed when she disappeared, rubbing his eyes with his hand.
"You certainly do have a way with children," a light voice sang from across the room, and Preston spun around.
"Gideon? I didn't expect you to be here today."
"Oh, I just thought I'd drop by, pay a visit to my favourite royal family! It's a good thing, too. Looks like she's being quite the disobedient child today."
"Yes, well. She says that she wants a marriage with someone who loves her. Child is too naïve to even realise that there is no such thing as love in this world."
Gideon giggled, "Well I wouldn't be too sure about that." Preston raised an eyebrow, and Gideon continued. "I was thinking that perhaps I could have a try at courting the princess? You know I'd treat her right."
Preston stared at the boy for a few moments before laughing loudly, his voice like rolling thunder. "You?" Gideon's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment, and Preston judged it as the second. "I'm sorry, Gideon. But you're not nobility. You'd have to conquer a kingdom before I'd allow you to marry my daughter."
Preston clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder as he walked past him, still chuckling to himself, and Gideon resisted the urge to growl as he watched the man exit the room. When he was sure he was gone, Gideon's eyes turned sinister and he grinned. "I just might do that, Preston Northwest. I just might."
.
. .
Pacifica dashed through the courtyard of Northwest Palace, avoiding the glass lanterns that cast hazy circles of luminescence throughout the yard. Her usual dress had been swapped out for a dark trousers and a loose shirt, and with no make up or jewellery or beautifully styled hair, she bore no resemblance to the Princess the person her family once knew.
A guard rounded the corner, and Pacifica ducked under the cover of the shadows, waiting for him to pass. She took a deep breath as she watched him scan the yard for intruders, hoping she had placed herself deep enough into the darkness to not be seen. She was absolutely giddy with excitement and terror – she couldn't believe she was going to do this. It would take all of her courage – in fact, it already had. But every time she thought about turning back she would glance down at her arms, at all of the hand-shaped bruises that perfectly matched her fathers. And she knew she was doing the right thing, for her and her people. This kingdom deserved a just and fair king, not her father, and certainly not any of the douchebag Prince's he'd arranged for her to meet.
Once the guard had disappeared back inside the palace, Pacifica sprinted across the last stretch of grass and threw herself at a large tree with thick, low hanging branches. She stood on her toes and gripped the highest branch she could reach, pulling herself up into the tree and grunting with the exertion. It didn't take her long to climb high enough to be able to see the kingdom over the wall lining the garden, and she cast one last glance at the palace behind her. She sighed at all of the memories that flooded her mind at the sight - the good from before her father had ascended to the throne and the bad from after – and flung herself over it, landing with a thud on the other side of her entire life.
She ran away. And she didn't look back. There was nothing left for her there, anyway.
.
. .
It was another bright, sunny day in the kingdom of Gravity Falls, and Dipper and Mabel grinned down at the marketplace below. "Where are we hitting first?" Mabel asked, smiling deviously at her brother, who was perched on the wall beside her.
"Where do you want to go first?" Dipper asked back, not taking his eyes off the police patrolling the streets. There seemed to be more of them than usual today, though he couldn't figure out why. The only time there were this many guards out was when there was a royal visit. And he would know if one of those was going on today – there'd be a lot of nobles to rob.
"I really fancy some..." Mabel drawled, scanning the stalls, "Watermelon." She decided.
Dipper grinned. "Alright then." He swung to the side and slid down the wooden ladder, ignoring the splinters that dug into his palms, and flashed his sister a thumbs up. "Set 'im free!"
She saluted him and reached to the side, pulling on a rope that lifted a small wooden crate just a few feet off the floor – but it was enough. A large pink pig scrambled out of the box, and started waddling down the street, oinking happily at the people who stopped long enough to stare. "Stop that pig!" Mabel yelled, throwing herself down from the roof and giving chase.
A few shop owners looked up at this, saw the pig, and of course started chasing after it as well. If they could catch it, they'd be fed for half a year. Mabel never worried that someone else might catch her beloved pig, though – she always got him back. Dipper smirked when the watermelon salesman followed his sister, leaving his stall unattended, and Dipper quickly grabbed one from the pile and dropped it in his bag. He grabbed a couple of apples for good measure, too, stuffing them into the small space left after the melon.
He turned and walked casually back into the alley he had been in only a minute before, just in time to see a plump pig round the corner, followed closely by his sister. Waddles trotted right back into his crate, flopping down into the straw, and Dipper grinned at his sister. "Nice going, sis."
She bowed, "Thank you."
They secured Waddles' crate and Dipper tossed him an apple before he climbed back up the ladder after his sister. They sat on the edge of the roof with their legs hanging over the edge, staring out at the streets of the town. Mabel sliced down on the melon with a thick knife and handed the biggest half to her brother, her face already dripping with pink juice as she licked her fingers clean. "Breakfast is served!" She announced, turning to place the knife back in her bag, and when she did Dipper switched his melon half for hers.
They sat there for a few moments, content to people-watch. There were so many merchants in the streets, selling food and clothing and jewellery – it was hard not to be fascinated with it all. Dipper smiled at a child helping her father carry a blanket across the street, then frowned as a short man cut the purse away from another man's belt. It seemed hypocritical for him to look down on thieves, but he and Mabel took barely enough to survive. That man took because he enjoyed it.
"Hey, Dipper," Mabel said, pointing down at the street. "Who's that?"
Dipper rolled his eyes, "Mabel, you can't possibly know every person in Gravity Falls." He looked anyway, following his sister's finger to a girl weaving her way through the street.
Unlike many of the girls in the Falls, she wore trousers and an ill fitting shirt, held close to her body by a thick brown belt. Her blonde hair fell out behind her back, swishing in the wind, and her eyes were wide with wonder and apprehension. He could see why Mabel had picked up on her so easily – she stuck out like a sore thumb. Her clothes were expensive but messy, as if she'd spent money to sully them. Dipper rolled his eyes – she was probably a noble trying to avoid getting mugged by dressing like a pauper.
"Pretty lady!" A scrawny merchant called out to her, and she gasped in surprise. "Buy a pot in brass or silver!" He called after her as she walked by, smiling pleasantly at his wares.
"Sugar dates!" Another man called, handing a small round fruit to the girl. "Sugar dates and pistachios!" She smiled but shook her head, laying the morsel back down on a pile full of others.
She crossed over to the other side of the street, still glancing around with wide eyes at all the wonderful things the stores had to offer. "Pretty necklace for a pretty lady?" A man asked, holding a string of beads up to the girl's neck.
"Oh, I don't think so," the girl answered, backing away from the salesman. Dipper squinted at her, and realised with a jolt that what he'd mistaken for a smile was actually a sneer. The girl looked disgusted.
"She's not from around here," Dipper mused, and he heard Mabel hum in agreement as they both continued to watch her.
The blonde backed away from a man waving a fish in her face, straight into one of the guards. She yelped as he turned on her, backing away from him, and he peered at her with suspicion. "Do I know you?"
"Uh oh," Mabel's lips turned down with concerned curiosity, and she leaned forward to watch the scene play out. "This can't be good."
"Oh! Um, no!" The girl replied, a bit too fast, and the guard narrowed his eyes at her. "This is my first time in town," She explained. The guard wasn't buying it - Dipper could tell - and the girl tried to smile up at the man, who was inching closer, backing her against a wall. Dipper saw a spark in her eyes, which he instantly recognised as fear, and he bit his lip.
Mabel leaned forward some more, her hands over her mouth as she watched the way the guard eyed the girl. Mabel gave the girl a once over, her eyes gleaming and- oh no. Dipper knew that look all too well. It was the same look Mabel had given every guy they'd seen back when they were kids. He raised an eyebrow at the way her eyes seemed to sparkle with a thousand stars as they drank in the sight of the blonde girl.
Dipper looked away from his sister. He felt like he was intruding on a private matter. It was a good thing he did, too. Mabel was so enamoured with the girl that she hadn't noticed how close to her the guard had come. It was obvious that he was coming close to placing her face, and any second now he would figure it out. When that moment came, blondie was a goner. After all, if a guard knew her face, she was a criminal. Not a very good one, if she'd been caught, but a criminal none the less.
Dipper clambered to his feet and grabbed the back of Mabel's jumper, pulling her back an inch or three. She frowned up at him, that lovelost light gone from her eyes, "What?"
"Get any closer and you'll fall," Dipper warned, and Mabel blushed at the double meaning in his words. "Come on. As soon as he figures out who she is, she's done for. We'd better go get her before she loses her head. Literally."
Mabel nodded, accepting her brother's outstretched hand and standing up. The two hurried down the ladder and across the street. "Guard!" Dipper yelled, rushing over. He noticed the look of abject horror on the girl's face and he nodded at her, subtly. "Thank goodness you found her!" He exclaimed to the guard, then to the girl, "I've been looking all over for you!"
"What the-?" She mouthed, but had the good sense to keep quiet when Mabel held a finger up to her own lips.
The guard turned slowly, eyebrows furrowed, "You know this girl?"
"Yes," Dipper explained while Mabel made her way over to the girl, wrapping her hand around the blonde's upper arm. "She's our cousin," Dipper continued, wrapping am arm around the guard's shoulder and turning him away from the two girls. He waved his hand behind his back, signalling for Mabel to take the girl away from the main street. "It's her first day in the kingdom so she's not registered yet. We were taking her to The Watch when we lost her."
The guard frowned, "I could have sworn I've seen her before," he mused, turning back to look at the retreating girls.
"A lot of people say that. It's because she's blonde – they all look the same, don't they?" Dipper offered up, visibly relaxing when the guard started nodding.
"Yeah, I suppose they do." He clapped Dipper on the back a couple of times, "Well, alright, kid. Don't forget to sign that register, now!"
"I won't," Dipper smiled, glad that he'd gotten one of the stupider guards. "Have a good day now!" He called, and ran down the street after the girls.
When he caught up he grabbed both of them by the sleeves, tugging them into an alley. The girl broke his hold on her fairly easily, and Dipper raised an eyebrow at her. "Who are you?" He asked.
Her eyes blew wide with shock. "Who am I? You just kidnapped me and you're asking me who I am?" She backed away from the twins, burrowing as far into a corner as she could get. "What do you want from me? Gold? Jewels?"
Mabel took a step towards the girl, but froze when the blonde flinched. "I'm not going to hurt you," Mabel said softly, reaching a hand out but then pulling it back, thinking better of it. "My brother and I saw the way you were looking at that guard and figured you may need a rescue. I just want to know if something's wrong, and if we can help you."
The blonde looked from Dipper to Mabel and back again, something indescribable and altogether heart-wrenching in her eyes. "You wanted to help me?" She asked, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. Dipper frowned at this. Had she never been offered help before? Been shown kindness? Dipper thought about how lucky he was to have Mabel – a lot of kids grew up without that. Maybe this girl was one of them?
Mabel must have thought the same thing, because the next second she pulled the girl into a tight hug. The blonde looked taken aback for a moment before she returned the gesture, wrapping her arms tightly around Mabel's waist and burying her head in the crook of the her neck.
"Come on," Mabel said, pulling away from the girl and threading their fingers together. "Come home with us. We can talk there."
.
. .
Gideon stared into the pool of water, the green magic swirling around in the liquid, searching for the answers he needed. "Waters of then and now, tell me, how can I get Mabel and Dipper Pines to do my bidding?"
The green continued to swirl in the clear liquid, the separate arms of colour moving with varying degrees of ferocity and fervency. The tendrils of green shifted, flying out into smaller strands of blue and pink and purple, weaving together to form a perfectly clear image.
Dipper Pines sat on a green armchair, a notebook resting on his knee. He nodded as he hurriedly took notes, his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth. His stupid hat was pulled down over his forehead, hiding the equally silly birthmark from view. He wore a tshirt and shorts and an unbuttoned blue flannel shirt – at least he had finally gotten over that horrendous poof jacket. Gideon growled at the boy, before a flicker of movement at the boy's side caught his attention.
On the floor next to her brother's foot sat Mabel Pines. Her long brown hair was twisted into a braid that fell over one shoulder, obscuring the message on her trademark sweater. She chewed on her sleeve, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her trousered legs were drawn in to her chest, and she rested her chin on one of them. Gideon sighed contentedly when he saw her smile sweetly at someone – he had long since gotten over his childhood crush, but he couldn't help the overwhelming want to own her, to be her everything, to break her then rebuild her as his own.
Gideon looked to the last person in the room, and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Sitting there, on the arm-chair of the Pines Residence, was none other than Princess Pacifica Northwest.
A slow grin tugged at his lips and he slashed his hand through the picture, cutting all three of them in half. He knew exactly what to do.
"Guards!" Gideon yelled, "Guards!"
Two footmen burst through the door, "Master Gideon? What's wrong?"
Gideon forced himself not to giggle with glee, forcing his expression to remain grim. "I've found out who kidnapped the Princess."