When he was young, his eyes were bright and filled with innocence, just like any other child at his age. And like any other child, he was curious. The world back then was so new to him, so different, so exciting!
When he thought back to it, he would almost certainly laugh at his own stupid naivety.
His laugh would be bitter and cold, hidden under a façade so well that no one could tell that he was actually crying underneath. So different from the laugh he once had. A laugh of warmth and joy, one that he and his brother once had when they were only small kids that didn't know anything about the cold cruel world back then. Oh how that has now all changed. How time had become cruel and uncaring to him. His own faults and follies had come to this.
He wondered if it was fate or some cruel sick joke that was thrown upon him the moment he was born. Must have been. Why else would he have a life such as his?
Looking back though, he could say that he wasn't really the best person not to deserve his current life position.
~x~
He felt sick.
It was the best way to sum it all up as he paced around and around the living room. His mind was jumbled and filled with thoughts he didn't think he would ever have ever again. Or maybe he did think he would have these thoughts again and hoped that it wouldn't come so soon.
(But that was a lie.
He knew deep down that he wanted this.
So very badly.)
Family.
Family was coming over to stay at the shack. A pair of young kids that would turn thirteen at the end of the summer. His nephew had asked if he could watch over his kids for the summer, having problems over at their home town with Night Seekers attacks. And since Gravity Tales rarely ever had any Night Seeker attacks, he thought it would be best to send them over to his home to watch over till the attacks died down.
And, being dumb as he was, he said yes. But only because they were family and he knew how deadly Night Seekers could be. And since they were barely teenagers and could hardly fend for themselves, it was best that they stayed with him for the time being.
(Lie.
He was doing it because he wanted to see his family again.
It had been too long since he had any family with him.)
Groaning, he slumped down into his easy chair, rubbing his face. Why did the universe hate him so much? What did he do to deserve this life? From what he could remember, he didn't do anything that bad to be cursed like this. There were a few things he did that would be considered bad but he didn't think that they would be so terrible to be punished.
But it was in the past. No going back now.
(Partly a lie.
He could always sneak into the clock tower and try to swipe one of the hourglasses to go back.
But then again, the last time he tried to do that, he nearly got himself a life time imprisonment.
Didn't stop him from thinking about it once awhile though…)
What was he honestly thinking when he said yes? Was he really that dumb? Or was he just that lonely that he was desperate to have some family or someone around the shack?
(Technically, that Soos kid kept visiting him for around ten some years now.
And that Wendy girl often dropped by sometimes too.
Not so much as Soos, but he did enjoy their company when they came over.
Not that he would ever show it of course.)
"Huuuuung. You really messed up big time, huh?" He asked no one in particular aside from himself. Not something he liked to do when he was alone, but the silence only grabbed at his irritation. And irritation made him want to clench his fake teeth, and that made his jaws sore, which irked him even more that it made him angry.
And he hated being angry.
~x~
When they were young, their mother would tell them stories about Fairy Tales. Mostly about the stories characters and what they do. She would tell them that each character had been born to follow in their ancestors' footsteps, following tradition and carrying on their story. She would tell them how each character worked and how their roll played in each story, both the good and the bad.
They would listen intently to her stories. Sitting at her sides, asking questions when they didn't understand, quipping up once in a while with their own ideas and their own endings when they didn't like the original ending to one of her stories.
She would laugh sometimes. Telling them that she preferred their endings much better than the originals too, and hug them close to her as they laughed along with her.
Then one day, she told them a story. A story which was sad, and unhappy. Where nothing good ever happened in the story. They never learned the end of the story because Filbrick had told her to stop filling their heads with something a nonsense and untrue as that story. He made her promise to never tell that story to them ever again.
She promised.
Later that same day when they were tucked into bed, he asked his mother if the story had a happy ending to it.
All she said was that the ending hasn't happened yet.
~x~
"And you said yes? Wow, what were you thinking man?"
He shrugged, stuffing his fists into the pockets of the coat. "I don't know. My mind tends to speak out on a will of its own sometimes."
(It was true.
He never knew what was going through his mind.
He wasn't sure what he would say in situations that didn't require his lying skill.)
"Hump. Well, no turning back now I guess." Wendy swung her sword, slashing another mark into the dummy. "Maybe it's a good thing that you're doing this from them. I'm slightly interested in meeting someone from your family." She set her sword to the side, easing out of her armor. "Do they know who they're distended to be?"
"As far as I know, no. Still not ready yet for their destined story rolls yet. Won't be for a while."
"Man, I wish I could be in their place right now." Wendy huffed, setting the last piece of her armor on the stand. "They're lucky. Destined story rolls are the worst."
"Hey, they're not all that bad."
(No.
His was the worst.)
"Speak for yourself Mr. Pines." She picked up the sword, examining it on all angles. "You don't have a destined story roll like I do. You can't imagine how much I hate it!" She swung the sword out, cutting a swift deep mark in the wood. Huffing, she placed the sword back in its scabbard, looking at him with anger filled eyes. "I don't want to be the next Red Riding Hood. I want to be a knight."
She turned her gaze to the ground, losing her anger. "… I don't want to be destined with something that I don't want. I don't care if the roll was chosen for me the moment I was born. I want to make my own destiny. I want to make my own story… I don't want to be a shadow of another generation…"
He frowned.
A small part of him agreed with her.
~x~
When he slept, he dreamed.
When he dreamed, usually they were good dreams.
But sometimes, his dreams would turn into nightmares, and those nightmares stuck tight to him.
He didn't let anyone know about his dreams except for his brother.
In return, his brother often told him of his worries and fears.
Sometimes they would be silly fears and worries.
Sometimes they would be concerning fears and worries.
He always was there to comfort his brother and cheer him up.
He was always there to make him smile again.
Sometimes he wished that he was young again, ready to be there for his brother and make him smile again.
~x~
The train arrived right on time at the station, coming to a screeching halt that hurt his ears. Breathing in and out slowly, he waited as people started to get off the train. The painful growing knot in his gut was tightening and his hands were starting to sweat through his mits and leave stains behind. Great, he was getting nervous. Huffing, he readjusted his hat and straightened his coat out, making sure that the buttons were in place in their holes and his glove were tightened. He had a whole week to prepare everything for the kids arrival and he was getting cold feet.
(And why wouldn't he be?
This was the first time in thirty years that he had seen any of his family.
First impressions were always a big thing.)
Finally, he spotted them. Two small children, a boy and a girl, stepping out of the train with their luggage in hand. The boy was wearing a leather archer tunic with hood included, black pants, brown boots and a small quiver attached to his back. The girl wore a simple dress with the most beautiful flower designs he had ever seen.
But what came as a shock to him was that their faces were near identical, aside from some minor differences, and looked almost exactly alike.
Twins.
They were twins.
Oh hot bangle raccoon waffles they were TWINS.
The knot was almost too painful as he swallowed back his shock and made his way over to them, putting on his best showman smile.
(Now or never.)
~x~
The Huntsman, by Fairy Tale lore, was the bravest, most skilled, most well respected Fairy Tale character in all of the land. He was well renowned for being in nearly all Fairy Tale stories and was regarded as a hero to all. When he and his brother learned of their heritage, they practically begged their father to take them out and learn to be the Huntsman.
It obviously didn't work.
But one day, while Filbrick had taken his brother out to help with marketing his goods, his mother came to him, smiling sweetly with warmth and gentleness that he loved some much. He remembered her saying how a young boy like him shouldn't be cooped up in a shack. So she took him out, far into the woods that would have concerned most people had it not been for the fact that he went into the woods almost daily with his twin that it was a second home to him.
She took him to a hidden spot in a wall of a stone cave, making him promise not to tell anyone of its location cause it was a secret that not even Filbrick knew about.
The excitement thrilled in him as she showed him the way in, and he was rewarded with a sight to behold. A secret meadow, full of beautiful flowers and grass that was taller than him with a small lake to one side.
It. Was. Perfect.
Laughter left him as he ran around, going over ever spot, every nook and cranny, diving in and out of the small lake and all over as his mother watched from her seat on a fallen tree, smiling and occasionally giggling at his silliness and odd behavior.
He didn't mind.
He was having fun.
So much fun.
So much freedom.
He felt so free.
So alive.
He called out to his mother, asking her, begging her to join him as he kicked off his boots, calling out to her as he ran through the grass, promising her fun while trying to jump high along with grasshoppers. She laughed, taking off her own shoes and chased after him, following him around and around, never catching him but never far behind.
It was forever before they were too tired to move. They sat by the lake, letting their toes soak in the cooling water. His mother ran her fingers through his hair while he leaned against her side, enjoying the calmness and the excitement ware him down.
Sleep was crawling up on him, and before he succumbed to unconsciousness, his mother whispered something into his ear, and the world became black.
When he awoke, he was back in the shack in bed with his twin at his side, sound asleep. When morning came around, he asked his mother if all that happened yesterday happened, and what she had told him was true.
She only laughed and ruffled his hair, telling him he had the wildest of imaginations.
He knew she was lying.
~x~
"Why are you wearing such a long coat?"
"Hm?" He glanced down at the boy, Dipper, as he stared right back up at him. From what he could tell, he was sure that bonding with Dipper was going to be a slight challenge. He wasn't an open book that was easy to read, and he could see the deep untrusting spark in his gaze when he looked at him. "What 'bout it?"
"Nothing it's just that it's hot out. People normally tend to wear something that doesn't bake them like a cake in an oven. Shouldn't you be wearing something that isn't so long?"
(Dame.
This kid was good with observations.
But he was good with lies.)
"Kid, when ya get to my age, ya tend to not really care 'bout what ya wear these days."
(That was a big lie.
He deeply cared about what to wear.
Especially about covering up certain… secrets.
The more he covers up what needs to be covered up, the better it stays hidden.)
"Leave the fashion and jazz to the younger generation."
"Oh! Great Uncle Stanford you can try out some of my designs!" His eyes shifted over to the girl twin, Mabel, as she started pulling out different sets of clothes for her bag. "I've got lots of ideas and lots of time to make them! I could make you some of the best fashion in all of town!"
Her enthusiasm… surprised him. He never met someone so bright, cheerful, and so bright as her before. Something deep inside of him wanted to keep that light burning inside her, no matter how hard it would take. But maybe he should be careful with her enthusiasm being focused on him. "Uh, that's a nice offer, but I like the way I am right now so, no thank you."
(Lie.)
"Oh, and, jus' call me your Grunkle Stan or Stan for short. A bit easier to remember an' shorter ta say."
The walk back to the shack was at first, silent and awkward, but once they reached the town itself, that's when the twins had begun talking to him. Most of it was questions about the town, the shops, buildings, and some popular spots they could check out once they settled in. He could see that Gravity Tales was starting to peek their interests.
~x~
"Stan? Stan, are you in here?"
Ford was calling him, yet he stayed hidden in the dark, curling up on himself to be smaller and hide deeper into the shadows. He had no idea what had happened. One minute, he and Ford were out on their first hunt, without their parents knowing a thing about it, tracking down some game to see who was the better hunter.
It was well an hour before they spotted the perfect first hunting game. A rabbit. Fur of white as snow, all puffed up and fluffy looking. It sat there, nibbling on some grass that managed to poke through the ground and thrive. Oh how he thought it was irony. The grass had worked so hard to grow, and the rabbit comes along to eat it, and now it was about to become their first target in a long line of hunting.
The eager was rushing through him that he had to restrain himself from leaping out and run straight at the small creature. He didn't care if it would run and try to escape him. Running was his thing! No one could match up to his speed, not even Sixer.
He let Ford take the shot. Ford was the elder twin of the two of them, it was only fair that his brother got the best.
And that's when-
He couldn't-
It was so fast-
He didn't mean to-
"Stanley."
He jumped in surprise as a six fingered grip came down resting on his shoulder. Looking up, he could see Ford, holding up the lantern and looking at him in concern. "Stan, what happened? Why'd you run?"
His mouth opened and closed, but his voice wasn't working. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He couldn't tell his brother what was wrong with him.
"… Lee… was it, me?" Worry and pain was on Ford's face. The pain and worry was not something that should be on his twin's face.
He shook his head hard, wishing, willing, wanting his brother, his twin to know that no it wasn't him that was the problem, none of him was the problem, it was just him and his head messing up everything and that none of it was Ford's fault but his own and that he shouldn't worry about-
"Did you know you shake like a dog?"
He froze, locking eyes with Ford. Ford was smiling, soft and easy, with no trace or hint of worry.
It took him a moment to realize that the question was a joke.
It took a little second for him to see that Ford he made a bad light humor in this.
And he laughed.
~x~
It took some time to help the kids settle in for the night in the attic since it was the only place that had enough room for the both of them. Once they settled in, they started to explore a bit, looking around the shack with some or no interests. He already hid what needed to be hidden and made sure that they knew the off limits areas of the place. They asked a few more questions and he came up with answers as best he could.
Dipper seemed to have a hard time to adjust to his new surroundings. Mabel on the other hand was adjusting quite well. Still, he could see the tall tale signs of deep sadness in their eyes. It would still be there, in both of them, as days rolled by, but he knew that the sadness would turn into understanding and acceptance.
(He had went through the same thing.
Only, he went through it multiple times.)
Dinner was made and the table was quite minus Mabel talking about her ideas of seeing more of the town tomorrow and exploring more of everything in Gravity Tales.
And then Mabel asked him if it was alright to see more of the town tomorrow.
"It's fine with me if ya want ta see more of the place." He talked between bites of his food, leaning back in his chair. "This place ain't so bad once ya know the ins and outs of it. In fact, you kids can have a run of the whole place as long as ya stay in the areas I can look for ya. But there's no rule that has to be known if you wanna have that privilege of freedom."
"Oh boy, here it comes."
"What is it Grunkle Stan?"
He eyed them, making sure that they had their full on attention on him as he leaned in and spoke in his most serious voice he could have. "Never, under no circumstances, ever leave this shack, or any other building after dark."
Their surprised faces were all that he needed to know that the warning had gotten through to them.
~x~
In every Fairy Tale, there was a hero and there was a bad guy.
In every story, the hero always won in the end and the bad guy was defeated.
But while there were many heroes and villains, there was one that was known throughout all of Fairy Tale, known far and wide, feared and hated, a myth and the oldest of legends.
Many stories held their name, their deeds, their actions, their sins and their evil.
They were the perfect bad guy for all villains to look up to.
After all.
They were the first villain ever known.
~x~
"Stan?! Stan?!"
Stan glanced up as his mother, ragged and panting, came barreling through the door, looking around frantically till her eyes landed on him. Once she spotted him, she threw herself at him, burring her face to his thick chest and wept, hugging him close to her.
"Ma? Ma what's the matter?" He embraced her, rubbing soothing circles on her back just the way he knew best to calm her down.
But she wouldn't calm down. She grabbed his arm, pulling him, talking too fast for him to understand.
He could see she was worried, he could see the fear within her eyes. He didn't understand the situation, but he knew that it was important enough to make his mother worry. She kept pulling, tugging him towards the door, babbling how sorry she was and how it was all her fault, and how they needed to run, to leave, to escape.
He wanted to protest, to calm her down so she would talk straight and tell him what's wrong, to ease her worry and fear away like he could with Ford. He tried to, so hard and yet trying at the same time to be so soft and gentle with her.
But something happened.
They heard it before they saw any of it. Angry shouts, the thundering pulse of feet hitting the ground, shouts of curses and promises of revenge and death.
He didn't know what was going on.
He didn't know what happened.
But he did know one thing.
They needed to run.
FAST.
And they did.
They ran out the back door, running far into the woods at the dead of a stormy night. They ran, kicked, jumped, and scampered as they tried to get away from the place that was once called home. They could still hear the shouts, even as they went farther in. The wind had the distinct smell of smoke and ash.
He didn't need to look behind to know that the place where he once called home and the same time prison was now up in flames.
He didn't need to know that the wetness that trailed down his face wasn't from the downpour of rain.
He didn't understand why he followed his mother blindly without word or thought.
He didn't understand why he was suddenly following a big, black dog, or why he could understand every bark and yelp she shouted at him, encouraging him to keep up and don't look back and how sorry she was that this had to happen and that he must use all his legs, give in to his true side and run faster.
He wanted to shout at them to just shut up, but he held his tongue, following the big dog faithfully and obediently.
It was then that he felt the shift in his body.
It ached.
It pained.
It longed to be free of this prison it had been locked up for so long in.
It longed for him to acknowledge of its presence and to let it help him.
It wanted to help him escape.
It wanted him to be free.
And he accepted it.
Soon, he was running on all fours, running alongside the black dog, his small family pack.
They ran for what almost felt like hours or days, never stopping and never resting, only running.
But his body needed to rest, no matter how hard he pushed at it to keep going. Then, he slipped and collapsed, falling into the wet earth that trembled under his new body he had never used before yet felt so natural to him. The black dog had stopped, seeing him fall and returned to his side, laying down next to him and curling around him as his body got smaller. She cried as he curled into her side, grabbing handfuls of fur and burying himself in it, trying hard to hide from the cruel truth, to pretend that this never happened, to go back and imagine that this was one of his bad dreams he was having and he would wake up soon back home with his family, with his mother, with Ford and their new little brother Sherman.
But he learned fate was a cruel thing.
And fate only went one direction.
That night, he fell asleep against the wet mattered fur of the black dog, hugging her close to him as she held him close to her, whispering apologies and hope filled promises to make things right.
That night, Stanley Pines and his mother had died in a fire and heartbreak.
The next day, the Huntsman's old enemy, the Wolf, had fled into the woods with her small pup, beginning his training as the next Big Bad Wolf.
