A/N:
Heya, I updated this a few days ago to make stuff later down the line make more sense.
I want you guys to know that whilst some pretty bad stuff is happening now, in a few chapters it all straightens out into good old fluff and angst… XD
Please don't read any chapters from here unless they say UPDATED in the Author's Note! They won't make much sense otherwise.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gravity Falls!
However, I DO own the plot as well as the OCs (Major and Minor). If I reference other people's works I will gain permission first and also give credit in the Author's Note.
Alex Hirsch is awesome, all hail our triangular overlord, Bill Cipher!
Also, just so everyone knows, this fanfic will involve blood, gory details, swearing, mentions of suicide, torture, mentions of other things, etc.
It will also revolve around a character I created a long time ago but always hit writers' block with. She completely of my own creation, and so is her backstory. (And quite a few other characters involving her).
Please enjoy, please review!
He stared into the memory, his warm hands and breath steaming up the glass.
Finally he would know, know exactly WHAT she was hiding.
However, he was struck by a bout of dizziness and collapsed onto his knees, putting a hand on the glass to steady himself.
Suddenly, his hand felt sticky, almost like he was touching… Honey.
He let out a strangled cry as with a slurping noise the barrier between past and present dissolved and he was flung into the memory…
Instantly, he realised two things:
This was a dream.
This was one of her prophetic dreams.
Then his heart hammered and his breath caught in his throat as he realised what he was seeing.
It was her.
But not her.
Standing atop a mountain of weapons- blunderbusses, daggers, pistols, rapiers, throwing knives, machine guns, longswords, round viking shields, broadswords, rectangular roman shields, the like…
But then he looked to her- dark, glossy wings extended to their maximum wingspan; chunky, steampunk boots; a torn shirt, emblazoned with symbols he couldn't decipher.
In one hand she wielded a rapier, the other was curled into a fist, flickering tongues of cyan flame erupting from it, illuminating her face with its chilling light.
He looked into her eyes and his heart dropped into his boots.
They flashed at him in the darkness, unmissable. Bright, luminous, striking yellow eyes that burned a hole into his soul. The classic black, cat-eye slit for a pupil.
Then she blinked and they were back to normal… But the wavering flames burned merrily on.
And he was ejected from the memory to land face-first on the slick black tiles…
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
She smiled, watching the girls play in the fields, heads of corn bobbing in and out of view as they ran between them… She reached out longingly, but her fingertips came into contact with the glassy surface of the memory and the illusion shattered, fading to black and white.
The memory flickered, faded, and stopped, fading to black and white.
She frowned as a chilling breeze swept through the fields, blowing the shards of the once-touching scene away…
She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, but suddenly she found herself swaying, lost to the winds.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
—
-DIMENSION 78- SOMEWHERE IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLES-
—
A girl, looking about eighteen by human standards, was flung onto the back of a sled. Grey chains then bound her in place, clinking gently.
On taking a closer look, you would see she was badly bruised, her face bloodied, and the icy cold had given her nose a bluish tinge. She was unconscious- probably for the best, considering her injuries.
With a harsh shout and the cracking of whips, vicious looking dogs lumbered forwards, dragging the sledges, snarling and barking as they ran.
Following up behind were many more sledges, each carrying a similar cargo…
Hours passed, days maybe? None of them were sure.
They shivered in the bitter cold, hoping their friend would wake and- once again- produce some far-fetched miracle that somehow got them out of this mess.
Their wishes were not to be granted, however. Not this time.
From then, the temperature only seemed to drop further.
Eventually, after what felt like forever, the sledges began to slow. They were
headed for a gaping chasm between two walls of deep blue ice…
After hours in the pitch blackness, they came out the other side... They squinted into the gloom, fog obscuring whatever they might have seen…
Eventually, a cargo ship could be faintly made out, unintelligible words painted on the side.
The silent, hostile strangers who had brought them here roughly began to unload them, clamping hands over their mouths to muffle their screams, and tying their limbs with coarse ropes to limit their attempts to escape. They were dumped into the hold of the ship and once again left in darkness.
For the 11th time in 48 hours all of them were asking themselves, "How did we get ourselves into this mess…?"
Soon they found themselves becoming weary and allowed themselves to
succumb to sleep, despite their friend's previous warnings about doing so...
—
-ARRIVAL IN DIMENSION 62-
—
After a brief and futile struggle, they were frogmarched into a foreboding building not unlike a Nazi concentration camp; the mere comparison made their stomachs turn. The main difference was that this was modernised, and security appeared tight.
The girl, who still hadn't gained consciousness, was dragged by her chains through the gates, through the courtyard, and then through the building itself.
A few of the brave ones protested at this, but a barely concealed threat or two soon had them silent and quaking in their boots.
They were locked into a section of connected cells, all leading into each other. In total they contained about 20 bunks; just enough for everyone.
The first, however, was slowly dragged away.
She gained consciousness just to see her friends fading from sight.
Struggle though she may, in her stupor she was unable to free herself and made them a silent promise. "I will find you." She thought before something slammed into the back of her head and she lost consciousness once more…
HIS POV
The man awoke with a barely suppressed scream, sitting bolt upright.
He quickly calmed himself, reassuring that He... The man caught himself. It, IT, was nowhere to be seen.
From his coat pocket he produced a spiral notepad, pacing the cell as he jotted down the rough details of his dream; it was always good to have a slight edge of paranoia. It kept you alive.
It had kept him alive.
He abruptly broke off from his pacing when he heard the grumbles of the wardens. He knew well enough that most of what he currently held was contraband, and quickly stuffed the pad and pen deep into his hidden pockets.
With practised speed, he gathered a few unwanted items and dumped them with little ceremony into his more obvious pockets; to have nothing of interest on him at all would be suspicious to say the least.
He prepared to see the familiar sight of the pacing goons, to be shaken upside-down once more until all of his items fell from his pockets for them to collect and, most likely, sell.
All his items but his precious, carefully concealed, notepad and pen, that is. It was good that his guards were so lazy, so inattentive to detail.
If they weren't, he would've been caught long ago...
But the guards went straight past his cell, dragging behind a dishevelled prisoner.
She looked barely a day over eighteen, yet when the man looked at her he could see the shadows under her eyes, the purplish bruises, faded scars, deep cuts, and red welts... From the strangely shaped lumps beneath her skin he suspected she might have broken quite a few ribs... Just how bad of a fight was she in to get that badly injured?
Despite his wariness, he felt his curiosity spike. Just what HAD she done to get on their bad side…?
HER POV
She awoke with a banging headache. Grimacing, she put her hand to the back of her head, where a small lump was forming.
Every muscle in her body protested as she slowly got to her feet.
"What in the name of hell happened?" She groaned, desperately trying to regain the fleeting memories of the past few days.
Warily, she took in her surroundings.
She was in a dark cell, mould clinging to the ceiling, its signature green fuzz probably the most colour the dank room had ever had.
There were two bunks on the wall, a single window with slate-grey bars was positioned just above the highest bunk.
At least she could see the stars, and if her limited, still-adjusting vision was correct, snow-capped mountains in the distance; freedom, tantalisingly out of her reach.
She shook her head to refocus and, in her haze, noticed a copper-handled door. Striding over- because if her memory was correct, she was as good as dead anyway and honestly didn't have much left to fear- she turned the handle and opened the door.
She was surprised to be greeted by a small, tiled, bathroom. Don't get me wrong- it was in no degree fancy, or of any quality whatsoever. But it did contain a shower, a sink, and a moth bitten towel- much more than she could've ever hoped for.
The girl collapsed on the highest bunk after a quick sweep. She'd disposed of twenty bugs so far- one in the doorknob of the tiny bathroom, one in every corner of the two rooms, three hidden in the mould (of course she would search there, the more disgusting the more likely), two sewn into each of the mattresses (if you could even call it that- If she hadn't seen the stuffing with her own two eyes she would've sworn it was made of rocks...) and in so many other places she'd lost count. These guys really wanted to hear what she had to say, that was for sure.
Oh there was doubtlessly many more, but at least she felt like she'd made some sort of effort.
Just above her head, scrawled in barely comprehensible writing was the rambles of the clearly insane. She groaned. If she didn't get company soon, that would be her.
Everything in the cell was in some state of disrepair... Everything but the brand-new cement securing the steel bars of the cell in place, and the grille covering the vents, that is.
She'd checked that out on a whim, hoping that maybe, just maybe they'd slipped up... But no.
It wasn't just screwed in place with some normal, typical hardware store stuff. No. They'd really put out all the stops to get her and keep her here... She had to give them that.
She struggled to stay awake, knowing whatever greeted her in her sleep would be far worse than reality, but soon she drifted off, wondering what tomorrow had in store for her…
Or, to put it more accurately, what They had in store for her...
/ Two Days Later /
When she slowly came to, she realised her sheets were once again a crusty reddish-brown.
She groaned, but after being a human girl for six months, this didn't bother her until she felt a throbbing in her gut.
Gently, she probed the spot, her fingers coming away crimson and slightly sticky.
Memories of yesterday hit her like a car on the motorway, knocking the breath from her lungs…
"I'm not going to ask you again. WHERE IS THE FIRE GUARDIAN AND THE ICE GUARDIAN?"
She kept her lips firmly sealed despite not fully remembering who they were; only a fierce desire to protect them kept her silent, mustering every ounce of acting skill she had. She stared blankly at the man, cocking her head listlessly, as if she didn't understand his thick Russian accent…
"All right, you asked for it!"
She shook her head firmly, attempting to clear her mind before she could recall anything more, but the memories kept coming…
"How wonderful, more psychologically-damaging memories to enjoy…
At least my sense of sarcasm hasn't deserted me, even if my sanity soon will." She thought with a sigh.
"Don't make me bring them into this." He says, gesturing to the huddling teenagers in the corner.
She felt a sudden tidal wave of fury wash over her at his threat.
"What the heck was that about?" She thinks. "Do I know them?"
One called out, "Lilly?", their expression a heart-rendering mix between hope and terror.
She swallowed. Lilly? That name seems familiar… Hers?
"It's us. Your friends."
"My-" She hesitated. "Friends?"
"Y-you remember us, right? Please drop the act, you're… You're scaring us!"
Her heart ached. Desperately scanning their faces, she hoped for even a minute detail that might trigger a flood of memories… But nothing, nothing at all.
Swallowing again, she said thickly, "I'm sorry. I don't know who you are."
They gasped, stepping back, shocked. Her interrogator looked dumbfounded.
"You're telling me you've got no idea who these guys are?"
She shook her head, more confused than ever.
She met their eyes and said, "I haven't a clue."
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
I still can't quite remember who they are, but I feel a fluttering at the edge of my mind, like the memories are fighting to get loose. When I think of someone causing harm to them, red flashes in the corner of my vision, and I feel an icy darkness settle within me. Like I'd kill someone just for threatening them. Like I'd give my life to save theirs…
A strange feeling that only just returned within the past two hours.
But I cannot remember the memories.
Everything... Everything is fuzzy. Everything is empty... A blank canvas... But then I the canvas over and the splashes of colour are a rainbow of ecstasy, laughter, and joy.
Complex, unexplainable feelings of bittersweet longing fill me when I try to remember them... But I still cannot recall the memories...
. . . .
The words come back to me... But things like that are always there; they wait at the fringes of my recollections, haunting my dreams, my past, my future, my present... And I know they'll never leave...
But would they truly hurt them?
"I want to see you SUFFER, Guardian. I want you to sit there and WATCH, knowing that it's YOUR FAULT they're here, YOUR FAULT, as they scream, again and again, the sound of their agony echoing in your skull until the day you die…!"
A spark ignites within me.
A small spark, yes, but every spark has the potential to become a roaring fire if only given the correct motivation.
A dangerous glint comes into my eye as I wait, wait for them to come to drag me back... And the spark grows to a flame...
Malicious thoughts race through my mind, my mouth curves into a vicious smile... But nobody comes.
Soon the smile fades, the spark dies, and I realise just what I'd just been prepared to do…
Dread pools in my stomach and worry churns in my gut. It's getting stronger.
I collapse onto the bottom bunk, attempting to fight the sadistic thoughts invading my mind…
I wait. Nobody comes.
It's just my swiftly receding sanity and me.
Nobody comes.
HIM
Screaming, I awake from another nightmare, my heart thumping. Eventually it slows to a healthy pace and I run my hand through my physics-defying hair with a groan.
As I rise, I note that the screaming STILL hasn't stopped...!
Wait... It's changed.
It's someone ELSE this time! Is constant, ENDLESS agonised screaming a REQUIREMENT at this place or something?!
I begin pacing up and down, ranting at the top of my lungs. Hearing heavy footsteps, I pause.
Uh-oh.
—
"MUST you wake us all up?" The guard asks angrily, pulling me face-first into the bars. A small groan escapes my lips.
"You humans are all the same! At least our new resident Guardian hasn't given us any trouble!"
My curiosity spikes again. Guardian…?
The guard suddenly smirks. "I know what will cheer me up... Let's see what you have on you TODAY!"
My eyes widen. I forgot to hide my notepad!
"W-wait!" I cry, grabbing for something to hold onto, ANYTHING to hold onto, as he picks me up by the ankle.
Despairingly, I watch as my notepad and pen fall to the floor.
"Oooh, contraband, eh? That'll be twelve hours in the dungeons for you then!"
I swallow hard. What have I gotten myself into…?
He pockets my flip-pad and pen.
"I'll be back for you tomorrow!"
This only confirms what I knew before- I HAVE TO ESCAPE.
HER
For three days I have done nothing but stare out the barred window, waiting for my memories to return.
Day... Mountains.
Night... Constellations.
Day... Mountains.
Night... Constellations
Day... Mountains.
Night... Constellations…
They don't.
I collapse onto the bed, attempting unsuccessfully to drown out the agonised screaming coming from beneath the floor, no doubt from some poor wretch who's taking their turn now that They seems to be done with me…
Shutting my eyes, I nearly let myself drift off...Realising the gravity of what I almost did, I scold myself for the near slip-up...
"Everything I do these days seems to be in my head..." I find myself thinking.
I lie there procrastinating, desperately trying to stop my eyelids from drooping.
I muse, ponder, plan, daydream, and converse with myself. Anything to keep from falling asleep.
I'm just beginning to succumb to sleep when I notice something off about the screams. Frowning, I slowly get to my feet.
The screams... They're too... Human...
My pulse skyrockets.
Surely... Surely they wouldn't?
My earlier conclusion returns with vengeance. They WOULD.
Whatever self-control I had left deserted me as I ran and slammed my shoulder into the bars.
"COME ON!" I yelled.
I slammed my shoulder into the bars but only succeeded in hurting myself.
"Fuck." I growled, glaring at the bars as I rubbed my shoulder.
As anger raged within me and my hands clenched into fists, my hands slowly grew cold. Icy cold. Almost like...
Looking down at my hands, a wave of fear slammed into me. It was happening again.
I shoved my hands deep into my pockets. It was fine. I was fine.
I was stronger than this. I could fight it.
Turning away from the bars, I intended to re-check the vents…
I stopped. Pulling my hand from my pocket, I checked if it was still there.
It was.
I glanced at the bars. Could... Could it melt the bars...?
Looking back my palms I hesitated…
A scream.
Sparks flew, wood was reduced to charcoal, ashes were caught on the chilly evening air.
I screamed as I fought for control, losing miserably. The consequences of my failure raged around me.
Desperate cries for help.
Thick black smoke filled the room, contaminating the air, choking all inside.
A baby's wail.
Then silence reigned and the world span around me.
I gasped.
Trying to stop myself from shaking, I rested unsteadily against the wall. I eyed my hands warily, flinching at the blue glow.
I couldn't even trust myself...
I bit my lip as the screams grew louder. This was MY fault. They were here because they'd tried to save me... Save me from myself.
I walked over to the bars, but my resolve wavered.
The screams became heart-rendering and I felt my heart clench painfully.
Then I collapsed to the ground and I screamed as the cold seeped into my bones, numbing the pain, dragging my tender heart into its frigid embrace.
I felt its dark light grow as my heart hardened and the chains on my mind loosened, the darkness eclipsing whatever 'fear' or 'mercy' I once had
.
Mercy. Hah. Like that ever did anyone any good. The spark, that shining spark was back. The dangerous glint too.
Gently, I held my palms up to the bars.
"Melt." I commanded, and the flames leapt from my hands to do my bidding.
A/N:
Ok, I went through and cut out a whole lot of waffle from the first and second chapters because, hey, it wasn't necessary!
The next two chapters I'm re-writing to work better with my plot…
If you'd like to beta-read, please PM me, but be prepared for a mountain of rough ideas to come through too.
Please review! (No flames please!)
Remember, next chapter is when things really kick off!