"FASTER, MABEL! WE HAVE TO GO FASTER!"

The elder Pines twin shooed away her slightly younger brother, "DIPPER! Knock it off! You're going to make me crash!"

Defeated, the boy shrank back into his seat, "Sorry! Sorry!" Quietly, he brought his knees up to his chest and lowered his head onto them while glancing depressingly down at the floor.

Mabel could only sigh as she peeked a small glimpse at her brother's state. Here she was, driving through the Gravity Falls Forest on one of her 'Grunkle's' shoddy Mystery Carts, at the worst possible time; at night! Still, she just had to help out Dipper in his plight (as he was in no condition to drive), no matter how much she resented the current situation.

Part of the tiny girl was still taken aback by the actions of her friend (and Dipper's secret crush) Wendy. Was Dipper's theory correct? Had she actually stole Dipper's secret journal in hopes of contacting her mother from beyond the grave? While Mabel could easily sympathize with her heartbroken pal's plight, she just couldn't overlook the fact that Wendy had resorted to thievery to obtain her goal, especially from the one person who practically worshipped the ground she walked on.

With her eyes firmly on the road, Mabel saw out of the corner of her eye that her brother was quivering with a rush of over anxiousness. Disgusted, she shook her head and let out another sigh, thinking to herself about which of Dipper's loves had actually caused him the most trouble during their stay in Gravity Falls: that stupid book or his lanky gingered main squeeze?

Moments later, Mabel drove up the path leading to the abandoned Dusk2Dawn convenience store. For some reason, her memories of the place were somewhat blurry, outside of eating expired ice cream and playing an arcade game or two. Wendy and Dipper had tried to explain that ghosts had attacked their small assembly, and even more so, possessed her to do their evil bidding. The spunky lass laughed at their claims, stating "Wouldn't I have remembered something like that?"

With a sudden burst of energy, Dipper unbuckled his seatbelt and leapt from the cart before it came to a complete stop. As he ran up the dusty trail, Mabel called out, "Dipper, WAIT! How do you even know for sure that she's here?"

While running forward, he turned back to his doubtful sister, "It has to be! Where else was there a confirmed haunting in this town?!"

"Dipper! Watch out!"

The boy turned around to run face first into a chain-linked fence. Dipper fell roughly with a moan, only to quickly rise again to his feet. He looked to see that the gate leading into the store had been closed. Clutching with both hands, the pre-teen shook the gateway, discovering out that it would not budge an inch.

"Locked…" Dipper mumbled to himself. He couldn't remember if the path was left open the last time he was there. Didn't the ghosts release all of the sealed exits after their departure? However, his spirits rose upon seeing a familiar sight on the other side.

"MABEL!" he shouted. As his twin finally caught up, Dipper excitedly pointed at his discovery.

A Mystery Cart was parked to the side of the building.

"Wendy's gotta be inside!" he exclaimed with great excitement. Without thinking, he leapt into the linked fence, and bravely started to scale upwards.

Suddenly, he felt something yank him back. Dipper turned around to see that Mabel was pulling on his navy blue vest.

"Wait a sec-"

He responded in a snarky tone, somewhat annoyed in having his rescue attempt interrupted, "What?! What is it?!"

With her free hand, Mabel simply pointed upwards as a huge frown overcame her face. Dipper followed his twin's direction, only to gasp at her discovery.

A row of razor-sharp barbed wire completely surrounded the top of the fence! Unlike their last visit (in which Dipper was tossed over the side of the fence), there was no safe passage into the lot leading to the once-haunted convenience store. A shade of guilt entered the back of the boy's mind over yelling at his sister upon comprehending that she had just saved him from hopping into an extraordinary painful surprise.

"Who laid this trap here?" Dipper asked himself. "Was someone (or something) expecting us to follow Wendy?" He gulped in nervousness as he came to a horrifying realization:

"What if this thing is trying to keep me…keep us away from her?" His thoughts quickly formed around the image of the two ghostly shopkeepers that plagued the last visit to the Dusk2Dawn. Could they be behind these recent changes?

All of a sudden, a shriek echoed throughout the quiet atmosphere, shattering his concentration. Both Pines twins glanced forward to see that strange lights started to flash repeatedly and wildly throughout the entire complex!

As the two tweens were left on the outside looking in, Mabel asked, "What do we do now?"

Dipper simply glimpsed down sadly at his older sister, unable to come up with a suitable answer. He could only lean his head forward as he desperately theorized a way to reach his secret crush.

"Wendy…"


Wendy Corduroy felt her heart race faster and faster with every inch her ghostly captors came closer. Bound and gagged by a sentient fire hose, the redhead was completely defenseless to whatever supernatural misery that the married ghosts had designed for her.

"I don't understand…" she thought to herself. "Why didn't it work? Why are they here?"

Dipper's journal, left wide open at her knees, began to turn to the next page, as if her question was mystically answered. Her eyes shot away from her subjugators and upon the newly-revealed passage:

"Beware to those who dare employ the aforementioned incantation, for the risks that come with usage are great indeed. The doorway is opened on both sides, without any way to restrict who or what exactly comes through. Practitioners must be on guard and well alert in case great evil manages to find its way past the barrier…"

Wendy narrowed her eyes at the book beneath her, as her contempt for the accursed text grew with every fleeting moment.

"This is because I kicked you, isn't it?"

The bound teen struggled against the taut cord holding her prisoner to no prevail. She was wrapped up too tightly for any hope of escape! As the ghosts, each with exposed fangs and claws, were mere inches away from her dimpled face, Wendy shut her eyes and prepared herself for the end. She could feel incredible frost emitting from the specters' forms.

Out of the darkness, the frightened girl felt a strange sensation come upon her. Even with her eyes clamped, Wendy could sense a shining coming from the direction of the still-open portal. Seconds later, she was blinded by the upcoming essence. A booming voice shook the scattered store:

"LEAVE THAT CHILD BE, OR ELSE, FACE THE CONSQUENCES!"

Pa turned around to challenge the interloper, "Who dares…" Immediately, he was silenced by the sight before him. He lowered himself to his wife with a hint of worry in his voice,

"It's like…It's like…nothing I've ever encountered! Its strength is at least, three times that of ours put together!"

Once more, the deep voice commanded, "WILL YOU YIELD?"

Ma, finding the courage to finally speak out, protested, "But…But she needs to be taught a lesson! Spoiled, rotten children like her must be disciplined…"

"NOT BY THE LIKES OF YOU! I'LL ASK ONE LAST TIME; LEAVE THE CHILD…TO ME!"

Disappointed and utterly defeated, the elderly ghost pair simply vaporized into the musky atmosphere, mumbling and groaning under their breath. With eyelids still closed, deathly afraid to observe the events that had just transpired, Wendy soon experienced inconceivable warmth as the being came closer. She trembled in fright, as her mind raced about this new monstrosity that had claimed sovereignty over her.

Goosebumps swiftly formed over Wendy's freckled flesh as she awaited the final fatal blow. Instead, she gasped into her gag as a hand was gently placed against her redden cheek.

Opening her eyes, she looked up to see an angelic woman standing over her. She was dressed from head to toe in luxurious white clothing. Her long, dark red hair flowed freely, as if it was defying gravity itself. Her sparkling emerald eyes shone towards the trapped teenager on the floor. Her freckled, yet thin face became instantly familiar to Wendy.

"Oh, my dear Gwendolyn…" the figure smiled at her. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Huh?!"

There was only one person who would dare call her by her legally-given name! Stunned by the new visitor before her, Wendy used the last of her strength to force out one last muffled cry:

"Mom?"


"Let me go, Mabel! I know I can make it through!"

"There's no way, Dipper! Those blades will tear you to shreds! Please don't do it!"

Dipper had once again attempted to climb over the fence leading into the Dusk2Dawn store, choosing to risk coming into contact with the sharpened razor spikes conveniently placed at the top. His twin sister, Mabel, clutched the back of his vest to prevent the overbearing boy from purposely injuring himself.

"I have to, Mabel!" he argued. "I have to save Wendy! She needs me!"

"The last thing she needs is for you to hurt yourself! What good is that going to do for her?"

He pulled against the tight grip holding him at bay, "I don't care! She would do the same for me!"

Mabel sighed quietly to herself, "You don't know that…"

"What did you say?!"

"Nothing! I said nothing!"

Dipper grunted, trying with all his might to break away, "Mabel! Let go of my vest, RIGHT NOW!"

Struck by serendipity, Dipper leapt from the fence, as he repeated over and over, "My vest…"

Mabel looked at her brother's odd actions with widen eyes, "What are you doing now?!"

The young detective removed his trademark navy blue vest, and flung it over the top of the fence. The cloth snagged on the blades, covering a small portion.

"I'm hoping this will work…"

With renewed strength, Dipper flew up the chain-link fence, and used his discarded clothing as a barrier to overcome the obstacle preventing him from being with his secret sweetheart. He cheered as he flipped over the other side. With a smirk on his face, Dipper reached over and extended his hand towards his sister, who stood at the ground with her arms crossed in a doubting fashion. The young girl simply rolled her eyes, and after a moment, climbed the fence and accepted the helping hand.

Mabel hopped from the fence, landing safely on the grassy area below her. Dipper looked down at the reasonable distance, and gulped, feeling the sudden effects of vertigo. As his bravery slowly slipped away, his thoughts started to wander.

"Oh, man…" Dipper bemoaned to himself. "This is what happened the first time…" However, Wendy's friend, Nate wasn't there to simply fling him to the ground as with his last visit.

Mabel cupped her hands in an attempt to encourage her brother, "C'mon, Dipper! You can do it!"

Dipper looked away from the gate towards the ground. Instead of seeing his metal-mouthed sister shouting up at him, Wendy stood in her place, her glowing green eyes seemingly pleading with him. The ginger wore a huge, worrisome frown across her face.

"C'mon, Dipper!" the teenager entreated. "You can do it! I know you can!" Her grimace deepened. "I need you to…"

The disillusioned pre-teen shook his head, trying to make sense of the scene before him. As he turned once again, Mabel resumed her original spot on the ground, staring up in silence with a raised eyebrow at her sibling's peculiar actions.

"What was that?" Dipper asked himself. "Was it some sort of sign? Or were the store's ghostly influences messing with me?" Without a second thought, he let out of his tight grip on the fence, landing hard on one knee. Mabel ran up to her cringing brother, "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She helped him back to his feet. "Let's get going!"

The Pines twins ran up to the entrance of the Dusk2Dawn. Strangely enough, every door and window had become completely fogged, preventing anyone from looking inside of the convenience store. Dipper attempted to open the front doors, only to discover that they were firmly sealed. In a panic, he began to bang on the covered windows with his fists.

"WENDY?!" he called out. "WENDY?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" His uneasiness increased with every second without any response from his crush. Determined, he ran past his sister, motioning her to follow,

"This way! We'll go in through the vents on the roof! *HUFF* Just like last time!"

As Dipper hustled to the side of the store, his heart dropped once more. The pile of garbage cans that allowed him to reach the rooftop had been removed!

"Oh no! What am I going to do now?!"

He felt Mabel press down on his shoulder, "Bend down…"

"WHAT?!"

"Just do it, Dipper!"

As Dipper knelt down, he groaned as Mabel jumped onto his back. With knees quaking, the young boy stood up with his twin perched on his shoulder.

"I know I can reach the top! After all, I am the taller, alpha twin!" She gave him a love-tap. "I need you to lift me higher, Dipper! I'm almost there!"

Struggling with all his might, Dipper choked up a response, "I…I don't think…this is a good…"

With a hint of annoyance in her voice, Mabel cut him off, "Do you want to save her or not?" She nudged him once more with her heels, "Higher, Dipper! Bend with your knees! Get on your tip-toes!"

Closing his eyes, Dipper pushed upwards as much as his small frame could. Seconds later, he felt Mabel rise up past him, the small girl stepping down roughly on his capped head as she ascended upwards.

Dipper looked up to see Mabel kneeling over the edge, reaching out for him with her stubby hands. He backed away, only to take off dashing towards the wall. At the last second, Dipper leaped and snatched his sister's extended limbs. With a series of groans, Mabel successfully pulled her twin up the side of the building. Exhausted, both children rested, lying down on the rooftop, panting and worn out.

"Man, Dipper…" the girl complained. "You…You might want to cut back on the snacks…or maybe, go for more walks in the woods, or something…"

"Thanks, Mabel…"

After a moment to rest, Dipper helped Mabel up. Both twins walked over to the exposed vent. Dipper noted that the dented vent cover that he punched off earlier that summer was still on the side.

"Cool!" Mabel exclaimed. "I've never snuck into a building through a vent before!" Her smile widen greatly. "We'll be like international secret agent spies!"

Dipper rolled his eyes at his sister's excitement, preparing himself to enter the dark shaft once more. "Trust me, Mabel," he downplayed. "It's not as fun as it seems…"


Still awe-struck, Wendy couldn't take her eyes off of the virtuous figure before her. Had she finally done it? Was this phantom before her really her long-lost mother or merely another cruel trick the haunted business played upon her?

The red-headed specter took a step back, and with a gleam in her eyes, snapped her fingers. Instantly, Wendy felt her restraints slack and loosen. The shaken teen shot up to her feet. Wendy carefully overstepped the coiled hose that previously held her captive. Without saying a word, the girl slowly circled around the woman before her, making sure to note anything off about her appearance, relying only on faded memories to help guide her.

The woman smiled deeply at Wendy, making sure to noiselessly follow along with the curious girl's movement. After turning completely around, Wendy stood face-to-face with her rescuer.

"It's you…" she questioned. "It's really you, isn't it?"

The apparition simply nodded in response.

Tears filled Wendy's green eyes. She took off towards her mother with her arms wide open.

"Oh, Mom!"

The woman held her hands up in warning, "Wait-"

In an attempt to embrace her mom, Wendy dove through the transparent image, crashing painfully into the counter behind her.

"OWW!" Wendy moaned, rubbing her head in agony. She glared up at her mother, who now sported an embarrassed expression.

"I'm so sorry, dearest," she apologized. "You caught me off-guard." She walked over to her fallen daughter. "It takes a bit of effort and concentration to become tangible in the physical world. It's the same way that elderly couple are able to haunt the mortal realm." Wendy's mom offered a helping hand. "Here, try now…"

After a split second of hesitation, Wendy reached up and met her mother's hand.

"Wow," Wendy thought to herself. "Her hand is so warm! It's almost like she was still al-"She forced herself to stop the thought, for it made her want to cry again.

Wendy quickly grasped the ghost, making sure to savor every single moment with her mom. She shuddered as she sensed a pair of warm arms enclose around her. Warm tears streamed from her emerald eyes, falling past her cheeks, and right through the translucent woman holding her.

"You…You don't know…" she sobbed on her mother's shoulder. "…how much I needed this; how much I wanted this; how much I missed this…"

"Oh, I missed you, too, sweetheart," Wendy's mom squeezed her harder. "And I know about the things you've done to bring me here…"

Wendy's eyes broaden as she pulled back to face the music, "You mean…you've seen…" Her face reddened at her mother's claim. "You've seen all of the terrible things I've done, haven't you?" Ashamed and reminded of her betrayal to Dipper, she turned her head away from the light.

Her mother reached out and raised Wendy's chin, "We all do terrible things, Gwendolyn, but at the same time, I have also witnessed all of the great things you have done as well. " She gave her child an encouraging smile, "I am proud of the person that you have grown to be!"

"Really?!" Wendy quickly raised an eyebrow, "Hold on; you're always watching, like every second, every minute, every hour?"

"Nah. That would be too creepy, even for me." she explained. "Think less like Santa Claus, and more like a guardian angel-type of deal. I'm there for all of the important things, or just when you, your dad, or the boys really need me. Just like what happened with you a few minutes ago…"

Her mother's comment made Wendy rethink all of the good luck she had during her legendary "close calls" with fate. It also reminded her that she didn't thank her mom for the impromptu rescue.

"You know…" Wendy started, showing off a sheepish grin. "…I could have easily got out of that by myself.

She was gently poked on her button-nose for her sarcastic answer, "Sure you could've, pumpkin; sure you could've…"

Both females shared a hearty laugh at the pure absurdity. Abruptly, the portal behind the two began to omit a deafening *WHIRRRL* sound, as it started to grow in size. Its blue light completely overcame the dankness of the storefront.

"What's happening?!" Wendy screamed over the noise.

Wendy's mother held her child's face, "I'm so sorry, my darling, but it's time to go. I'm being called back.

"No! You can't go! Not yet! I mean, you just got here…" Wendy promptly became mawkish once more with the distressing news.

"Hey, now…" her mom attempted to comfort her distraught girl as she wiped away the tears. "This isn't good-bye-forever, just see-ya-later..." She raised Wendy's head, "Just remember that I am always with you, no matter what!"

"I know…"

After a moment of silent weeping, Wendy spontaneously looked up with a brave smirk, as if she was struck by lightning. Her mom became delighted by her positive response.

"Are you going to be all right, Gwendolyn?"

Wendy nodded, "Yeah, Mom. I'll be okay…"

"I'm so relieved to hear that-"

"…because I've come to a decision."

The concerned parent gave a quizzed look, "About what?"

Wendy gripped her mother as tight as she could.

"I've decided…I'm going with you!"

"What are you talking-"

Without a moment's notice, Wendy threw her entire weight against her mom, hurling both of them into the enlarged portal. As she faded into the next world, Wendy could have sworn that she heard someone scream her name…


Mabel called out to her brother," Dipper, are you sure we're going the right way? I could have sworn we passed that sleeping rat three times already!"

*HUFF PUFF* "We're also there, Mabel! And I'm pretty sure that rat isn't "sleeping…"

"Eww…"

His sister reached out and tugged on his ankle as Dipper crawled deeper into the narrow passage,. He turned around to see her light-hearted, braced mouth.

"'Now I know what a TV dinner feels like!' HAHA! Get it, Dipper? We're like in that one movie…"

"MABEL!" Dipper chastised. "We don't have time to-"The boy interrupted himself as he came across a chute leading downwards. He glanced down to see that an eerie blue light seemed to rising from the floor behind them.

"I think this is our stop!" As Dipper started to position himself for the descent, he offered his twin some advice, "Use your hands and feet to slide down slowly. Be careful because there is a bit of a drop at the end." Mabel nodded and waited as Dipper gently slid against the edge of the shaft.

"Easy…easy…" he guided himself as he fell at a turtle's pace. His concentration and rhythm was quickly shattered by a shout from above.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!"

Dipper looked up to see a pink and brown blur flying towards him. Without any way of avoiding the obstacle, the pre-teen could do nothing but scream. He was plunged fast and hard onto the cold tiled floor of the Dusk2Dawn.

"Ohh! My back!"

Dipper looked up to see that had just happened. Mabel was positioned right on top of him. She leaned over and offered a tiny wave.

"Sorry, Dip; I kinda of slipped. Oh, hey, that rhymes!"

As if it wasn't bad enough that he had fallen from such a dangerous height, luck would have it that he became the landing cushion for his sister as well!

As he lowered his head in agony, a shining blue light sparked from the corner of his eye. He twisted his neck and gasped at the sight before him.

His crush, Wendy Corduroy, was standing in front of a gaping blue portal! As funny as it sounded, it looked like she was cuddling something that wasn't there! The vortex swirled more frequently as a whooshing sound echoed throughout the tiny store.

He struggled to find his voice. Dipper was only able to cough out a small gasp, "Wendy…"

The ginger continued to stand with her back to him, totally unaware of the presence of her friend.

Determined, Dipper struggled to regain his strength. He wiggled out from beneath Mabel, and staggered to his feet. "Wait…"

As the child limped closer, he watched as Wendy was apparently pulled into the vortex!

"WENDY! NO!"

A bright light blinded Dipper, making him shield his eyes from the flash with his arms. As they slowly faded away, he peeked out from cover.

His lanky, secret love had vanished into thin air. He watched in horror as Wendy's brown trapper hat, the last remnant of her on the earthly plane, fell down from the sky, landing right upon of his journal marked with #3.

Dipper slumped down to his knees, his vision focused on the two objects laid out before him.

"No…No! No! No! No! No!" The devastated tween shook his head in defiance, unable to accept what had just happened before his very eyes.

Mabel slowly approached from behind, "We…We were too late…"

Dipper reached for the journal, noticing that the page it had been left ajar to was the one warning of the dangers of this particular ritual. His rage only grew at the cruel irony.

"The book…" he mumbled to himself, as his hands shook involuntarily. "This stupid book…HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE THE DAY I FOUND IT!" With an energetic burst, he threw the tome with all of his might against the closest glass door, instantly reducing it to slivers!

His twin sister jumped back at Dipper's angry outburst in shock. Never before had she seen him treat the mysterious tome so roughly. The girl could even recall several times when she had caught him cradling the journal in bed! This action made the girl rethink her position on just how important Wendy truly was to her slightly younger brother.

"Dipper," she bravely came closer to the enraged boy, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Dipper, I'm so sorr-"

"DON"T!" he shrugged off her comfort. Dipper lowered his head as he continued to stare at the hat before him. Mabel wasn't sure, but she could have sworn to hear the sounds of light sobs and sniffles.

"Just don't…"


"Gwendolyn, please! You need to let me go! You don't know what you're doing!"

"I won't do it! Please, Mom; can't I just stay with you? Please?!"

Wendy continued to cling tightly to her mother's physical form. She looked around to see a variety of indescribable colors fly pass her at an alarming rate! Even though it seemed like she was standing still, Wendy felt as if her essence was ascending to a higher plane!

"Honey, I love you with all my heart, but you're making a grave mistake!" Wendy's mom warned. "You need to stop yourself before it's too late!"

The teen shed tears again in response to her mother's somewhat callous attitude, "But…But I need you, Mom! I need you to be here with me! When you're here, I don't feel scared, or lonely, or hopeless! Why is that so much to ask?! Other kids get to keep their moms; why can't I?!"

"I know, Gwendolyn…" Wendy looked to see that her mother started to get teary-eyed as well. "…but it's not that simple. If I could stay, I would; I swear it! And if I could take you with me, I'd do that as well."

Wendy's mom was able to wrestle a hand away to caress her daughter's wet face, "But you have to understand this: if you continue onwards with me, you will have your life stripped away from you! You'll never have the chance to experience growing up, or finding someone to be with for the rest of your days, or even the joy of having children, like I have." Her warming smile only grew, "Besides, my dear, don't you realize that there are people who love and cherish you back home who would be lost without you?"

Instead of feeling comforted, Wendy grew angry, "What are you talking about, Mama? What kind of life do you think waits for me? Barely managing through high school? Working at the Mystery Shack forever? Or being stuck in that rut of a town for the rest of my life?! No thanks!"

The freckled teen rolled her eyes in disbelief, "And besides, there isn't anyone who would care if I left with you…"

"Oh, really?" her mother challenged. "What about your father and brothers?"

Wendy scoffed at the suggestion, "Yeah, right! They'd miss having a cook and maid to kick around! And the other half of the time, they totally forget I'm even there!"

Her mother frowned at Wendy's negativity, "Even though your father is a…complicated man, he is a good man, and I know that he loves you, and would be heartbroken if anything happened to you. As for your brothers, yes, they're wild and rambunctious, but as time passes, they will grow to appreciate all of the good things you have done for them, just as you have for me."

"Hmmph!"

"Alright, then. What would your friends do without you? "

Even though Wendy's mood lightened at the mention, her demeanor remained solid. "So they're my friends? Of course I'll miss them, but as soon as we graduate, we'll grow up, and go our separate ways." Her face lowered even more, "That's all I need: to lose more important people in my life! If anything, I'm beating fate to the punch!"

The angelic woman's face contorted at Wendy's reasoning. However, she still had one more ace up her sleeve.

"Ok, but before we arrive, I just have to know: what is going to happen to poor Dipper?"

The name mentioned caught the plucky redhead off-guard, "Dipper?! How do you even know who-" She took a second to collect herself, "I mean, what about Dipper?"

"Well, isn't he going to be totally distraught about your 'mysterious disappearance?'"

Wendy grew hushed as she thought about her mother's claim. "I'm not sure. I mean, I like Dipper. A lot. He's a great, little guy, but at the same time, I'm just some girl he met on summer vacation. A month after he goes home, I'm positive he'll forget all about me. There will be other girls sooner or later, and I'll only be a distant memory to him…"

"Don't be too sure," the ghost corrected. "People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime."

The girl became perplexed by her parent's sage advice, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Wendy's mom used her free hand to point out into the distance, "I think it's better to show you. Look to your right."

She turned to the side to see that an open window had appeared amongst the vivid colors raining down on her. Suddenly, the image of Dipper materialized on the screen. The boy was on his knees, at what appeared to be the Dusk2Dawn convenience store, crying his eyes out while clutching something large close to his chest. In the background, his twin sister Mabel stood with her hands together, as if she was trying to think of the right thing to say to comfort her sibling.

Wendy squinted in an effort to make out the object. Her eyes opened widely upon realization, "Hey, wait. Is that…?"

The item Dipper was wailing into was none other than Wendy's trapper hat! Deeply surprised, Wendy reached upon the crown of red hair on top her head to confirm it was really hers. She thought to herself, "I didn't even realize I had dropped it…" She continued watching as Mabel tried once more to console her brother.

"Dipper, it isn't your fault. Wendy chose to do this! Please listen to reason!"

The wounded boy lashed out in a half-sobbing tone, "How can you say that about her?! I did this, Mabel! ME! It's my fault! I found the journal! I made Wendy upset about her mom! I left the journal out for her to see! I failed to save her in time!"

He turned around, displaying Wendy's treasured cap, "Look at it, Mabel! Look at what I caused! Look at what I made happen because of that thing!" His lips quivered in utter agony, as his anger shifted back to pure sadness and despair.

Wendy turned back towards her mother, "I don't understand. Why does Dipper think he did this?"

Her mom quickly provided an answer, "Dipper was there when we entered the gateway. The thing is that he doesn't know you went willingly. He believes that you were taken by force, and he was unable to help you in time…"

"That's not what happened though-"

"Please keep watching, dearest…"

"But, Dipper…" Mabel asked. "Can't we use the book to open another doorway to look for Wendy?"

The boy gathered himself to give an explanation, "The netherworld is said to be the size of our entire universe, Mabel. We could search forever, and still not be able to find…to find-" Dipper couldn't even finish his sentence for it made him want to cry even harder.

"Dipper, I know it hurts now, but as time passes-"

"NO! That's not good enough!" He turned back around, and started to let everything pour out, "She believed I could do anything, and with her, I could. She saw me as more than a "stupid, little kid" when no one else would. Now, she'll never know how I really feel about…*SNIFF* …we'll never have another adventure together, or a simple day of sitting at her secret spot, watching the sun set. All those things are gone because of ME!"

Mabel could only watch as Dipper quickly returned to his sorrowful state, shuddering over his friend's heirloom.

"There can never be another one like her…another Wendy…" As Dipper returned his constant whimpering and blubbering, Mabel heard him make out the phrase, as if it was a form of prayer, "I wantI need my Wendy back! Please?"

Wendy forced herself away from the sight, as she started to feel sick to her stomach, "What have I done?!" She looked back at her mother, "I don't want Dipper to blame himself for something that I did!"

The specter squeezed harder on Wendy's shoulder, "The truth is, my dear, it's more complicated than that." She narrowed her eyes as she explained. "You see, in time, a great series of events will come upon our town of Gravity Falls, and that boy plays a great part in all of it."

"Dipper is going to do what? And how?"

"That's not important right now! What is is that he will be guided through those trials by those he holds near and dear to his heart." The spirit looked up with great pride at her child, "You, Gwendolyn, are one of, if not the most important of those guiding lights!"

"WHAT?!" Wendy looked back at her mother. "Mama, that's crazy! How can I guide Dipper, or yet alone anyone, through anything! You have seen me in everyday life, right? How can you think that?"

"But, Gwendolyn," she argued. "I have already seen such things. You bring out the best in that boy! You raise his confidence. You make him strive to be a better person. He wishes to be brave and strong, all because of you!"

Wendy blushed at her mother's words. Even if they were a little fabricated, it was kind of flattering to hear about everything Dipper tries to do for her benefit.

"At the same time, if things are left as they are, Dipper will be devoid of all those things. When the world needs him, he will be unable to fulfill his destiny. "

A million thoughts ran though the mind-blown teenager's consciousness, but the one that repeatedly kept popping up was Dipper's sadden plea, "I need my Wendy…" Did she really mean that much to the small pre-teen? Even more so, his words stung deeply, for it reminded Wendy of her own entreaties about her mother. Tears formed around her green eyes, only this time, it wasn't over her own pain.

"Mama…" she implored. "I don't know what to do…"

Her mother raised Wendy's head, "My sweet Gwendolyn. If I have one regret, it was that I was forced to leave you, your brothers, and your father at such an early age. However, I didn't have a choice in the matter. But you do! You have a chance to make things right!" The apparition lowered her eyes with great admiration. "So, what will you do?"

After a moment to think over her mother's words, Wendy came to a decision. She gave her parent one last deep hug, and slowly, but surely, started to release her death-grip on her mom's hand. The presence kissed her daughter's freckled forehead.

"Remember, my Gwendolyn," the ghost prided. "Your mother will love you forever, and always be proud of you!"

"Thank you, Mom!" Wendy exclaimed as she felt as if she was being pulled back down. "I love you, too!" Before they departed, she made one last request, "Hey, Mama? One last thing?"

"Anything, darling."

"It's "Wendy," Mom; just "Wendy…"


On the cold, almost frozen floor of the Dusk2Dawn, Dipper Pines sat in heartbroken misery, unable to cope over the failed rescue of his secret crush. All of a sudden, a bright light flashed throughout the darkened room.

Dipper immediately stood up, despite his lack of vision. After everything that had just happened, he was left totally unprepared for any other ghostly surprises.

Surprisingly, a pair of hands came out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around his small figure. At first, Dipper panicked at the sensation, but after a moment, he stopped, for something seemed awfully familiar.

He looked up as the fog began to clear itself from his eyes. As the form took shape, Dipper heard Mabel gasp loudly from behind him. A voice he desperately craved to hear called out,

"What's up, dweeb?"

Dipper rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. He returned his glaze upwards as his soft brown eyes met the adorning emerald eyes of Wendy Corduroy. Kneeling down on one knee, her freckled, dimpled smile beamed down on the young boy, rejuvenating him instantly.

"WENDY!" Dipper exploded with energy, throwing his arms around her torso, and squeezing with every fiber of his being.

"Hey, easy there, champ…" the teenage girl laughed, as she kept her own tears in check.

He looked back up, somewhat in embarrassment, "Sorry, it's just…I thought…I mean…I saw…I…I didn't know what to think! I'm just happy you're back home!"

"I'm happy to be here with you, too, Dip!" Wendy looked at the wetness coming from the boy's eyes. She reached over and used a finger to wipe away a tear.

"Hey, what's this?" Wendy asked teasingly. "My "brave little hero" hasn't gone soft on me, has he?"

Dipper tried his best to hide his emotions, "Well, that's because…I fell earlier…err…what I mean to say is that…"

His façade was easily broken by staring up at Wendy's shining eyes yet again. Defeated, he lowered his head with an "Oh!" and buried his head against her shoulder as the tears started to flow again.

"There, there…" Wendy comforted her friend as she gently rubbed the back of his head. "Everything's going to be okay now. I'm here…I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere; I swear it. "

Mabel stood silently struck by the heartwarming scene, clutching Dipper's journal that she had retrieved moments earlier, desperate not do anything to interrupt the tender scene.

Wendy started up her Mystery Cart, and began to follow Mabel, who led the way home in her own vehicle. As she drove, she glanced down at the exhausted boy, who had snuggled up against her side and fallen asleep. She smiled down at her friend, before looking up at the night sky, as if the stars helped shine the way through the Gravity Falls Forest. The words of her mother came rushing back as she wondered about the future. Wendy shook away the doubts, as the sight of Dipper cuddled besides her reassured her that she did make the right choice.

"Maybe…" Wendy thought to herself. "Just maybe, this life isn't so bad after all…"