The center of the headquarters of the wicked mastermind, Gideon Gleeful could be considered anything but peaceful. At every waking moment, countless articles of machinery ran endlessly to provide power to the gigantic citadel. Consoles beeped without end. Pistons pumped in constant, perfected rhythm. Few knew the despite of the power the area produced, it also had a tremendous weakness within.

In the center of the area, a lone control panel on the maintenance bridge, the fourth of its kind, contained a huge variety of wiring, circuitry, and components viral to maintaining order to the everyday functions of the complex. If it was tampered with in any way, the consequences would truly be dire.

However, the guard stationed outside the only entrance to the room could care less. With his back leaning against the door, he lowered his head down in boredom, lamenting that he was missing out on his favorite programs on G-TV.

It was this distraction that allowed a figure to slip out of the shadows undetected. She made sure to stay close to the wall to avoid being seen. The draft blew between the torn remains of her uniform, sending chills up her spine. The warrior was battered and beaten, but her iron-clad will kept her going. She crept silently in her bare feet until she was within striking distance of her prey…

"WHAM!"

With one punch, the soldier was down and out. After checking to make sure that her opponent was unconscious, Wendy Corduroy called out to her young charge, "It's all clear! You can come out now!"

Dipper Pines peeked out from behind the corner. He followed along on the heels of his secret love, stopping when he passed along the fallen minion.

"Man," he admired about his sweetheart. "Even after everything Gideon's put her through, she's more than able to kick butt and take names!" Dipper pondered if the Wendy back home somehow had the same type of killer instinct hidden within her.

Wendy approached the door and tried to pry it open. "Locked…" she mumbled in disappointment. A keypad was mounted on the right side of the entrance.

"Huh…" She spun around to face Dipper, "By chance, kiddo, do you still happen to have that hacked ID card.

Dipper fiddled around his pockets until he was able to produce the card. Wendy stepped aside and extended her arms behind her, "It's all yours, champ!"

Very carefully, the cautious boy approached the reader and slid the tag through…

*BEEP*

The door automatically opened seconds later. In a mockingly fashion, Dipper motioned for his teenage friend to lead the way, "Ladies first…"

Wendy rolled her eyes and offered a smirk, "Quite the little gentleman..." She playfully punched her sarcastic pal as she walked passed. Dipper found himself in amazement once more. It was only a few minutes since he had rescued his redheaded crush from being tortured by Lil' Gideon and yet, she sped ahead of the stunned boy without difficulty; there was no limping, groaning, or wincing to be seen at all. The only evidence that anything had actually happened to the resilient girl were the small patches of beet-red sticking out from the thin layer of dust coating Wendy's bare soles.

Racing behind her, Dipper wondered to himself what exactly gave Wendy the strength to move forward unaffected: a great sense of justice or an insatiable thirst for vengeance against the tiny dictator.

Dipper stopped in his tracks as he took in the scope of the massive area. He watched as the machinery ran in constant flux. He stood over the flashing consoles as they fulfilled complex commands in mere microseconds. He stepped past the computers to see that they were on an elevated platform gated around with thin, metal rails. Dipper peered above the barrier to see that the pitfall beneath them easily extended downwards hundreds of feet.

"Wow…"

"Dipper!" His comrade interrupted his train of thought, "Focus, man!"

"Sorry…" Dipper grinned sheepishly and rejoined Wendy by her side. Standing at the left side of the room, the freckled-faced ginger analyzed the location of their final goal. She leaned over on the railing, standing on her toes to reach the last set of panels. Her arm reached backwards towards the twelve year old.

"Let me get that disruptor disk…"

Dipper pulled the disk out of his vest and dropped it into Wendy's hand. She went to raise her arms, only to stop in mid-step. Oddly enough, Wendy remained motionless while on her tip-toes.

"Wendy?"

"I…" A blue aura engulfed her slim figure. The disk slipped from her hands and crashed into the ground.

"What's wrong?!"

Dipper could barely make out a small whisper coming from in front of him, "I…can't…move!"

Suddenly, a blue light flashed before his eyes. Dipper's body began to involuntarily tremble on its own. It felt like he was instantly paralyzed. It took all of his strength to utter a reply, "…Me…neither…"

"Look who's caught with their hands in the cookie jar!"

A sense of dread overcame the adolescents as soon as they recognized the voice coming from behind them. Dipper and Wendy were hoisted off their feet and into midair! As if by magic, they were rotated around so that they would face the source.

Lil Gideon stood at the entrance of the room. His plump little hand clutched his lucky bowtie tightly as it flashed the same shade of blue that covered their bodies. His other arm was lifted towards the sky as it controlled their movements. A squadron of heavily-armed soldiers stood at their leader's side, ready for him to issue any commands.

The nine-year-old cackled at their plight, "MWHAHAHA!" *SNORT* "Did you really think that it was going to be that easy?" He tightened his grip on the shining pendant, making Wendy and Dipper cry out as they felt the same effect. "Did you honestly believe that I didn't have a clue to what you were planning all this time?"

Gideon threw both arms into the air, sending the two further into the sky. With a childish giggle, he stuck out an index finger from each hand and started to make a twirling motion. A split second later, Dipper and Wendy were circling around at an alarming speed!

"WHOA!" They exclaimed as nausea shortly overcame them. After countless cycles, the duo was left dizzy and severely disoriented. Gideon's outstretched hands shifted into in a tight fist. The partners in crime gradually turned to face each other in midair. All of a sudden, they were jolted straight in the same direction.

"Wait! Don't!"

"NONONONONO!"

*BLAM!*"

Both rebels collided with each other at near-break-neck speed! They slumped down in withered pain on top of one another.

Gideon boasted joyfully, "Far too easy…" He glanced at the armed forces behind him, "You men can take your leave…" He returned his sights to Wendy and Dipper, "…I will deal with this vermin personally!"

Stunned, Dipper raised his head to see the loyal servants flee the scene. As the crowd parted, only a shorten figure remained by Gideon's side. Dressed in a sky blue dress and matching high heels, she walked gradually toward the confident sovereign. Her brown eyes were opened halfway as if she was in a form of daze.

Dipper narrowed his eyes to make sure that his imagination wasn't running away with him. Sure enough, his twin sister was standing next to his loathed nemesis!

"MABEL!"

The pint-sized despot was intrigued by the concern from the stranger. "Hmm…" He motioned forward with his hand, dragging the illuminated boy in his direction.

Struggling to regain control of her body, Wendy steadily rose to her feet, "No…stay…stay away from him!"

"Silence, whelp!"

With a thrust of Gideon's arm, the brave redhead was thrown backwards into the metal rail, sending her crashing down into her knees.

"So…" Gideon asked, slightly twisting Dipper in mid-air as if to analyze him, "…you're the one that's supposedly destined to take little ol' me down? Hmmph!"

Dipper's thoughts lied instead with the unusually silent girl at the villain's side, "What…what have you done to her?"

Gideon's face reeled back in surprise, "To her? What haven't I done for her?! Any desire instantly fulfilled! Boy bands personally play just for her! A legion of loyal followers would throw themselves down at her feet at a moment's notice!" A quick confused expression overcame him, "I even got her than oversized hamster ball for humans she always wanted…"

"But at what cost?!" Dipper argued back. "Her mind?! Her soul?!"

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it? Tell me, Gideon, when was the last time Mabel made an actual choice on her own? Without your "influence" to guide her?"

"I…"

"She's nothing more than a doll that you cart around!"

Becoming flustered, the evil mastermind tightened his psychic grip on the helpless twelve year old, "Who cares what you think anyways? As far as I'm concerned, it's none of your business!"

"She is my business! She's my sister!"

"You're what?" Gideon quickly looked back and forth between his two captives. "It's uncanny…" he mumbled to himself. "You're almost identical…" He shook his head clear of any doubts, "Enough of your trickery!" Gideon raised his hand, sending Dipper higher into the air. The pressure on his neck increased, making him gag loudly.

"Mabel…" Dipper whispered coarsely, "Mabel, you need to wake up, please! Don't…Don't let him do this!"

A small, yet high-pitched voice rose from the empty shell of a little girl, "Wha…"

Gideon's eyes widen upon hearing the shill sound.

Mabel fully opened her eyes and looked around the grim scene, "Where am I? What's going on?"

"NO!"

Gideon extended his free hand at the bewildered tween, "Shh…shh…" He attempted to calm her as the blue glow encircled her small frame, "It's alright, my marshmallow. Everything's ok…when this is all over, you won't remember a thing!"

"Fight it, Mabel, fig – ACK!"

The grip on Dipper's neck tensed. "Shut your mouth!" Gideon ordered. "This farce ends here and now!"

"BAM!"

Dipper was dropped roughly on his knees. Gasping for air, he gazed up to see a furious Wendy Corduroy, standing with curled fists over a fallen Gideon.

"That…was for my mother…"

She repeatedly kicked at the villain, making him roll across the metal floor, "That was for every friend that you have taken from me! For ruining Gravity Falls! For destroying everything I've ever cared about!"

Dipper noticed that his friend's face has turned a steamed red as she continued her assault. She fought against the wetness forming in her green eyes.

"S-S-Stop!" Gideon held up a hand in defense. Wendy grunted and struggled as her body locked up as she was blanketed by the blue shine again.

"You…" he rose up, panting out of breath. "You…dare strike me?! You'll pay for that insult with your life!"

Left powerless, Wendy prepared herself for the worse, only to see Dipper dash right pass her. He tackled Lil' Gideon to the ground and traded blows with the deviant. She could see that Dipper was trying to pull something away from the little monster.

"Dipper, how are you able-"

He shouted over his shoulder, "It's his pendant! Gideon isn't strong enough to control all three of us at the same time! If we get it away from him, he'll be powerless!"

As Dipper continued to wrestle the enchanted necktie away from his adversary, he could hear Wendy shout, "No! You don't know what you're doing!"

Unexpectedly, Dipper felt a pair of hands reach around him and pull him off of Gideon. He tried to wiggle out of the hold, but his arms were pulled tightly behind his back. He looked up to see the stern face of Robbie V. over his head. Dipper protested, "Stop! Let me go! It's not too late to stop him!"

Robbie pushed Dipper's arms upwards, making him holler in agony, "Keep quiet, punk. I still owe you for that little surprise back in the rehabilitation room!"

Gideon looked on in disbelief as he stood back up and dusted himself off. He chuckled at his miraculous fortune. "Ah, Robert. Fancy seeing you here!"

The gothic traitor remained silent as he held Dipper in a death-grip.

"Well, children," Gideon mocked, "It's been fun, but my patience is wearing thin. This game ends now!" He scanned the area until his eyes became locked on Wendy, still stuck in place on the other side of the room. Gideon used his powers to lift the trapped ginger back into the air.

"Wait a second," Robbie asked. "What's going on?"

With his attention still on Wendy, Gideon addressed his lackey, "An example must be made, Robert. They came too close to ruining everything that I worked to achieve." He lowered his eyes at the freckled-faced girl floating before him, "She will be that example! Everything that has happened was because of her: the resistance, the destruction of my beloved buildings, the cursed brat being brought here; it's all dear Gwendolyn's fault!"

Dipper and Robbie watched in horror as Gideon's eyes changed to a demonic red. Bands of the same shade appeared on Wendy's wrists and ankles. Her hands were pulled upwards while her feet were yanked in the opposite direction. As her body stretched, Wendy screamed in complete anguish!

Gideon smiled at the pain he caused. "I'm sure you gentlemen have heard of a person being drawn and quartered, but have you ever seen it done without any horses?" He let out an echoing, maniacal cackle.

"What are you doing?!" Robbie threw Dipper down to the ground, "You said you wouldn't hurt her!"

"I'm sorry, Robert," Gideon bemoaned, "But a harsh lesson you must learn is that sacrifice is necessary in order to get what you really want in this world…"

He paused, and raised his sights to his girlfriend left dangling in the atmosphere, only seconds away from having her joints heaved out of place. Robbie lowered his head in as he realized that Gideon was right.

"I'm sorry, Wendy. I wish there was another way, but there isn't…"

"You see!" Gideon bragged to the girl left in peril. "There's no one left to save you! Everybody you love and care about is…"

While he was distracted, Robbie raced across the room and threw his body towards the self-proclaimed clairvoyant. Wendy fell from her holding place and crash landed on the cold, hard floor. She waited for the feeling to return in her stinging limbs.

"What in the – "

The goth pushed with all of his might until both boys were against the metal rail at the end of the platform.

"NO! NO!"

As Robbie and Gideon flipped over the bar, Wendy could make out one final attempt at redemption:

"Forgive me!"

The sound of dual screaming reverberated throughout the hollowed room until it traveled too far down for Wendy or Dipper to hear. Wendy regained her balance and ran towards the edge of the platform. She peered over and shouted into the darkness:

"ROBBIE! ROBBIE!"

Dipper staggered to his feet in disbelief of what just occurred, "He…He saved us all…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Wendy could see a shining object in the darkness. Gideon's amulet had become snagged on a piece of twisted metal just below the ledge. Wendy bent down to reclaim the artifact. Staring at the jewel placed in her hands, the weary teen immediately sunk down to her knees and started to sob silently to herself.

As Dipper started to limp towards his crush's side, his eyes widen as a familiar voice comforted the heartbroken girl.

"Hey, there…why are you crying?"

Wendy whirled around to meet the concerned face of a fully restored Mabel Pines.

"Hey…" she wiped away her tears, "Hey, yourself…"

Mabel's face lit up, "I know you! You're the gift shop counter girl! You work for my uncle, right?!"

"Yep…" Wendy nodded in response. "At least I used to…"

The pre-teen looked down at her current state, "I don't mean to change the subject, but what I am doing here? Why am I wearing this ugly outfit? It looks like a mortician dressed me!"

The depressed female couldn't help but smile at her friend's natural silliness, "Yeah…it kinda does…"

Dipper approached Wendy and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder, "Wendy…I…I don't know what to say…"

After letting out a loud *SNIFFLE*, Wendy slowly rose up and walked past the twins, "Let's finish this…"

Taken back by her sudden change in attitude, the boy asked again, "Are you sure you don't to wait – "

Wendy turned around, "I have lost enough people I care about because of all of this. I just want to get it over with…"

The determined fifteen year old walked over to the fallen disruptor disk and picked it back up. Using the rail as leverage, Wendy reached up and set the piece onto the last sets of circuits. The LED Screen repeatedly flashed the message, "4/4 ACTIVATED." A few seconds later, Dipper noticed that the notice had changed into an ominous warning: "TIME REMANING: 5:00:00." Shortly after, the timer began to count down.

"We only have a few minutes to free the others and get outta here!" Wendy explained. "Where was that release switch again?"

Dipper pointed at the console closest to them, "Over there; at least that's what Thompson told me!"

Wendy flew to the console and began to flip switches. An alarm began to blare overhead. She noticed a microphone connecting to a form of intercom system. Wendy flicked it and issued some advice: "You people have five minutes to get your sorry butts out before everything goes sky high! You have been warned!"

She set down the mic and twirled around to her secret admirer, "Well, everything's unlocked, so it'll only a matter of time before we bump into the guys!"

Dipper let out a sigh of relief, "That's great! So, what do we do next?"

"I think it's time we send you home…"

"How are we going to do that?"

Wendy extended her hand out and offered Gideon's necktie, "With this!" She dropped it into Dipper's open palm, "You do know how to use it, right?"

He blushed as he admitted the truth, "Um…not exactly. Mabel was the one that stopped Gideon by using it…"

The baffled brunette spoke up, "I did?"

"No, not you, Mabel! My Mabel back home…"

"Well," Wendy suggested. "Gideon simply had to concentrate to make those crazy things happen." She tightened Dipper's fist around the priceless treasure. "Maybe all you need to do is think of home…" Her freckled face lit up, "I know! Think of your lady friend, Dipper! Clear your thoughts of everything but her voice! Pretend like she's calling you home!"

Dipper chuckled in complete nervousness, knowing that the truth of the matter was mere inches away from his face, "I'll – I'll try…" As instructed, he emptied his thoughts and focused his mind on his Wendy: the lumberjack-dressed jokester with a tender heart; the one person who in spite of hurt feelings, he would give anything to see again. In his subconscious, he reached out towards the vivid image…

"Look, it's working!"

The pre-teen opened his eyes to see that he was glowing. He could feel a tremendous power flowing through his veins. As if Dipper was told what to do next, he extended his arm, relinquishing a blue light from his fingertips. The girls watched in awe as the beam swirled around, eventually forming what looked like a portal. The entrance shone a bright yellow, similar to that of a little sun.

Dipper took a step back as he analyzed his handiwork. Gusts of air stemming from the gateway brushed against his flushed face. He twisted around and returned the pendant to Wendy.

"Thank you…"

Wendy scoffed at her companion, "If anything, I should be thanking you…"

Dipper raised an eyebrow, "That's the last thing I expect; especially after everything that has happened."

She reassured him, "Sure, there have been a lot of bumps along the way…" Wendy stopped for a moment as another *SNIFF* escaped her, "…but none of this would have been possible without you."

However, he still felt responsible for her loss, "…I'm sorry…"

Wendy smiled sweetly at him. She smeared away a lone tear as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "I know…"

His interest faltered to his amnesiac twin at Wendy's side, "You'll take good care of her, right?"

"Count on it! I'll also see what I can do about restoring Soos and Stan back to normal." She reminisced about her past life, placing an index finger against her chin, "On second thought, maybe I'll take care of Soos first and leave Stan for later."

The two shared one last joined laugh together before an awkward silence filled the ambiance. Offering a gentle wave goodbye, Dipper walked away from the two girls and towards the exit home. Just before he stepped into the portal, a voice called out for him:

"Hey kiddo! Wait!"

Dipper looked over his shoulder to see Wendy head in his direction, "Do me a favor?"

He spun around to answer her with a careful smirk, "Name it…"

She lowered herself to his level, "When you get back home, I want you to find me. The other "me" I mean…"

"And…?"

Wendy pulled herself closer, whispering into his ear, "And I want you to remind that special girl of yours of how lucky she is to have someone like you in her life!"

Dipper's mouth dropped open at her request, "WAIT! How did you know –"

She yanked the young detective by his shirt collar and gave him a tender but sweetened kiss on the lips. Leaving Dipper spellbound, Wendy mischievously pushed him into the portal.

"Go get 'em, slugger!"

A high-pitched, almost girly scream echoed through the room as both Dipper and the portal vanished into mid-air. Wendy stood back up and motioned towards Mabel, "C'mon! We gotta beat feet!"

As they made their way out, Mabel asked an earnest question, "Who was that?"

"For a second there," Wendy mused, "He was the most important person in the world, and the ironic thing is that he'll never even realize it!

"So, are you going to keep Gideon's magic thingie? If you wanted, you can take over where he left off…"

Wendy stopped in her tracks and stared deeply into the jewel in her hand. After thinking about Mabel's suggestion, she reached back and hurled the necklace into the depths of the pitfalls beneath her feet.

"Nah. To be honest, I'd probably end up abusing its power anyways…"

Mabel and Wendy traded a series of much-needed giggles as they set off to reunite with their missing friends…

Dipper screamed and covered his face with his arms as vibrant colors flashed, blinding him. He fell through time and space, losing his breath in the process. As darkness quickly spread over him, Dipper seemed to be guided along by a familiar voice:

"DIP-PER!

DIP-PER!

DIPPER!"

A white light exploded before his eyes.

"BAH!"

As his vision cleared, Dipper found himself staring into the worried, dimpled face of his sweetheart, Wendy Corduroy; His Wendy Corduroy!

"Dipper!" she exclaimed, "You're all right!"

"Wha?" Dipper went to sit up, only to have his body ache and throb. He peeked around to see that he and Wendy were at the base of a deep hill in the middle of the Gravity Falls Forest. Dipper held the side of his head, "What happened?"

Wendy pointed out into the distance, "It looks like you had yourself a nasty spill…" A ruined trail dragged from the top of the mound all the way down to where he currently laid. "It looks like you hit your head pretty hard," She gently moved his brown bangs to the side, "You got a pretty wicked bump there…"

All of a sudden, all of his memories came flowing back: the magnificent metropolis, its creepy inhabitants, the battle with Gideon, and how it all changed his crush's life.

"Oh, Wendy!" Dipper rose up and firmly embraced the befuddled teenager, catching her off-guard.

"Hey, buddy…" she murmured to the boy resting with his head on her flannel covered shoulder as she gently squeezed back, "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm okay," Dipper pulled back to look Wendy in the eyes, "It's just that…was it all a dream? I mean…I'm not sure if you'd believe me…"

She lowered her brow at the child speaking gibberish at her, "But, you're alright?"

Dipper nodded in response, "Yeah…I guess…"

"Good…"

*WHACK*

"Oww!" The staggered child rubbed the shoulder where his hidden love had just slugged him one, "What was that for?"

Wendy shouted back, "That's for making me worry myself sick about you! You go storming out of the Shack before I get a chance to say anything, and you just disappear off the face of the earth! I spent the whole afternoon searching these woods to find you, and when I finally do, you're unconscious at the bottom of some knoll! Dude, how am I supposed to feel?!"

However, Dipper found himself caught up on her first sentence, "You – You were worried about me?"

Upon hearing her own words repeated, Wendy started to blush, "Of course! But I mean, everyone was, but yeah, I was, too…"

Instead of celebrating, Dipper lowered his head, "So, I guess that means you're mad at me, huh?"

To his surprise, Wendy slid down and sat on the grassy floor next to him, "Funny enough, I was just about to ask you the same question." She let out a gasp of relief and gazed down at her admirer, "I didn't mean to make you upset. Stan just put me on the spot, and I felt like a deer caught in the headlights!"

Wendy crossed her arms and sunk down into the dumps, "I'm not exactly the best when it comes to being peer pressured…" She kicked a pebble lying at her boots, "It's just that…what I mean to say is…um…"

Dipper took a shot in the dark, "…you'll always have my back when it comes to the important things?"

Her emerald eyes broaden, "Hey, yeah! How did you know…"

"Hmm…let's call it a lucky guess?"

She beamed down on her friend and extended a fist, "So, are we cool?"

Dipper shook his head and bumped his hand into Wendy's, "We're cool…"

The slender female pushed off the floor with her palms, "Now that that's settled…" She reached down and offered a helping hand to her pal, "…we have to be getting back. Your uncle's probably going kill us for being gone so long!"

The youngster let Wendy lug him to his feet, "He's going to kill us?!"

"Not really," Wendy downplayed, "But he's probably going to scream his head off. It is a work day, after all…"

She noticed how Dipper's bearing plunged as they began the journey back home.

"But…"

Dipper's vision rose up towards the redhead towering over him.

"…who would be the wiser if you and I were to sneak out to the diner for a quick bite first? After all, it's not like Stan would know when I found you exactly …"

A huge tooth-filled smile spread across his pie face. As the two walked hand-in-hand, Dipper remembered what the other Wendy had asked him to do:

"…I want you to remind that special girl of yours of how lucky she is to have someone like you in her life!"

He stole a peek at his secret crush, only to see that she was gazing down at him with absolute affection. Upon being caught, Wendy broke eye contact, and set her sights ahead, whistling a tune to herself.

"On second thought," Dipper reflected. "I don't think I have to; somehow, I think she already knows…"

In the distance, at the top of the highest tree, a circle of fire began to form. Crazed laughter boomed from within as a triangular shaped oddity burst forth.

"Man! What a story!" the dream demon known as Bill Cipher articulated as he relaxed comfortably on a branch. "It had everything! Action! Drama! Even a hint of romance!" He placed his thin black arm below his singular eye and pondered, "Overall, I'd give it three flaming skulls out of four!"

He watched as Dipper and Wendy walked side by side back to civilization, "Well, maybe the little brat learned his lesson about making extremely vague wishes out loud!" He narrowed his eye as the two adolescents faded into the distance, "That's right, Pine Tree. Enjoy your peace with Ice Bag while it lasts!"

The menace let out another haunting chortle as he evaporated back into a ring of flames.

"Until next time, kids; 'til next time!"

June 27, 2014 – July 20, 2014