"I've found a reason to show,
a side of me you didn't know.
A reason for all that I do,
and the reason is you."
"The Reason," by Hoobastank
Chapter 8 – Our Final Fight
Dipper and Wendy flew once more through virtual time and space, only this time, they did so hand-in-hand. Despite the dire circumstances at hand, the teens knew that they had at one advantage; one comfort to consider:
For whatever this place would throw at them, at least they would face it together.
Within seconds, both adolescents had landed in a mangled mess of each other, complete with a deafening *THUD* and several following groans. Scrambling to her feet, Wendy stood up and went to help a still-dazed Dipper. She didn't realize it at first, but after noticing the ease of assisting her friend, Wendy perceived that he had changed again!
"Dipper!" she exclaimed. "You're you again!"
"Wha?" slurred the boy, still stunned from his hard-hitting arrival. In her excitement, Wendy picked up the confused boy and held him tightly in her arms. While Dipper did enjoy being squeezed lovingly by his not-so-secret love, her observation filled him with dread as he analyzed his current state. He had regained his orange and blue ensemble, complete with short pants, sneakers, and trademark white and blue pine trucker cap.
"Oh, no! I'm little again!"
Dipper sighed to himself. He was reminded of his natural state as he wasn't able to meet Wendy face to face as he could (when enhanced) only a few moments ago. Now, he was barely able to reach her shoulders, height wise. Dipper's brow further lowered as the realization hit him that he was left without any advantage given by the gaming worlds! He closed his eyes while lowering his head onto her shoulder, wondering how he was going to able to do keep his promise now?
"Where are we?" she asked.
Dipper raised his head and was lowered back to the ground. He and Wendy looked around the new environment. Both were taken aback as they noticed that they were being watched by dozens of green and purple hooded beings. Due to the fact that they were totally covered, Dipper couldn't make out if these things were even human! He felt Wendy put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look to see her pointing out towards the distance past the group.
"Dipper…" she asked curiously. "Are we in Italy?"
Dipper, standing on his tip-toes, looked around to see a sunset background stretching out, totally covered in arched and curved worn out concrete buildings. Some of the ancient-looking structures were left wide open or caved-in in a form of decay. Dipper turned back towards Wendy,
"I'm not sure, Wendy. I mean, you're right; the construction definitely looks Romanesque, but other than that, I don't see anything else that –"
Dipper's analogy was interrupted by a loudening and repeating *BOOM* sound. Dipper and Wendy glared around to find the source of the sound coming closer. Both teens watched as a path of the building they (as well as the masked group) stood in front of began to glow brightly. With each *BOOM,* an unlit torch in the road began to light up on its own accord, until all where fully lit!
Suddenly, another hooded figure, garbed in red and blue, appeared at the end of the torch-lit walkway. With a sense of nervousness growing over him, Dipper instinctively stepped in front of Wendy (despite her easily towering over the small teen). He looked up to see Wendy's emerald eyes staring down at him with the same sense of worry he shared. Trembling a bit, Dipper whispered to his lanky crush,
"Stay close to me, okay?"
Looking down, Wendy nodded obediently.
Dipper stood on guard defiantly. He knew that regardless of all of the trials that these villains have put him through, it was Wendy's life that was truly at risk. After all, it was her life force that Rumble and the other rogues craved. He glanced up to see Wendy staring into the distance, still with concern on her face. Dipper knew what was asked of him, "I've gotten Wendy into this mess. I'm going to get her out unscathed…"
He gulped at the approaching robed figure, and then looked down at his natural, yet fragile frame.
"…no matter what."
They looked to see as the red and blue hooded figure approached the group, they spread out, parting a clear passage for it. Dipper asked himself, "Are they kinda like followers? Is this some sort of cult thing?"
Shortly, the red/blue figure moved to the front of the group, mere yards before Wendy and Dipper. Wendy looked on in shock, as she noticed that this person was, at least, three times the size of any of the other robed figures.
The hooded giant pulled back his top to reveal his true identity. The rough, rugged, and scarred face of Rumble McSmirkish stared back at the readied teens. Silently, he raised his hand in the air. Dipper and Wendy watched in awe as every single hooded individual bowed their heads and quickly parted ways, exiting the arena.
Only the three remained.
Rumble was the first to speak, "So, it is as I predicted to "ginger-freckled princess…"
Dipper looked up to see an anxious look spread across Wendy's face. The game villain pointed straight at Wendy.
"…Rumble WILL take your life force, and WILL laugh as you two DIE TOGETHER!"
Dipper had heard enough. He began to speak up, "Not while I'm-"
He was interrupted quickly by Wendy, shouting back at their opponent from over his head, "You want us, ugly? Come and get us!"
Dipper glanced back with a confused look towards his "gal pal." She noticed his expression, and explained, "WHAT?! Did you really think I'd let you face this guy all by yourself?"
Dipper, embarrassed, tried to stumble up an answer, "Well, yeah… I mean, no… umm…maybe?"
Wendy rolled her eyes at the naïve 13-year old. "And who says chivalry is dead?" She put her hand on the shoulder of the boy attempting to shield her from harm. "Dipper, remember; no matter what, we're in this together, okay? You aren't alone!" Dipper returned her gesture with a smile stretching from ear to ear. His face turned serious as he faced his enemy once more.
Rumble threw his multi-colored robe onto the ground. With an ear-shattering roar, Rumble began to run viciously towards the joined teens.
Dipper could feel Wendy's grip on his shoulder tighten. She warned him, "Be ready for anything…"
Lightning abruptly flashed throughout the sky, as the two prepared for the stampeding warrior, blinding both Wendy and Dipper. As they shielded their eyes, both could make out the sounds of blows landing, a humongous moan, and something hitting the ground.
Dipper and Wendy opened their eyes to see dust settling, and to their astonishment, found a beaten and bruised Rumble lying motionless on the ground. They turned to each other, when Dipper spit out, "Gotta be honest with you, Wendy. I definitely wasn't ready for that!"
As more dust cleared from the scene, the two started to make out yet another person in the distance; someone who wasn't there before Rumble's arrival. Dipper, his shorten height enabling a clearer sight through the dirt-filled wind, could see that said being was even bigger than Rumble! Garbed in a pitch black robe with red trimmings and symbols, the mocha skinned man turned towards the teens, his mere essence filling them with goose bumps. Wendy was amazed as this person had flowing hair (both on head and facial) that was a deeper and darker red than her own! She thought to herself, "It's like…his hair was made of fire itself!" The man's yellow tinted eyes, almost seemingly glowing, burnt through the mind of the frightened fifteen year old. Wendy had to force herself to turn away from the eerie man; it almost felt like she was losing herself while in his gaze…
Dipper could feel Wendy pressing down once more on his shoulder. Despite the fear growing in his own heart, he attempted to calm his crush towering over him by placing his tiny hand over hers. He hoped that the slight gesture would give her the support that she desired. He overlooked the menacing figure standing before him. Dipper couldn't quite put his finger on it, but this person seemed awfully familiar, but not from his experiences with Wendy at the Gravity Falls Arcade; this figure brought back fuzzy memories of his home in Piedmont. As he tried to clear his cloudy mind, the man began to address both teenagers in a surprising soothing voice,
"Child…what is it that you fear?"
Dipper raised an eyebrow to his question.
"These paths; these tribulations are meant to be. It is your destiny; your fate for these things to come to pass…" The man drew out a cloaked covered hand, with palm outward,
"Come, child…let us fulfill our destinies together…"
Dipper was left in a state of confusion. He asked himself, "Who is this guy talking to? What is he trying to do?" His questions were quickly answered as he shortly sensed Wendy remove her hand slowly from his shoulder.
"WENDY!" gasped Dipper, as his vision shot up to meet his crush. Her emerald eyes were replaced with the same hue of yellow in which belonging to the dark clothed man. Her freckled-dimpled smiling face was forcibly removed, leaving only a still-faced stupor. Wendy gently pressed pass the panicking teenager, gradually making her way towards the villain waiting with open arms.
Determined, Dipper took back the dainty hand that had left him. He pleaded to Wendy, who was unknowingly walking towards her doom,
"WENDY! WAKE UP, WENDY! PLEASE!
Suddenly, the man raised his hand and swung it across his being. "Be gone, whelp!"
Dipper was instantly flung away from Wendy's side and across the arena. Dipper landed hard, face first. He thought to himself, "Was that telekinesis?" Caring less about his scrapes and bruises, Dipper was quickly back on his feet and headed towards his hypnotized companion. He ran behind her, taking both of her hands onto his, and began to try to yank her back while digging his heels into the ground.
"PLEASE, WENDY! DON'T! DO! THIS! STOP, PLEASE!"
While Dipper couldn't see in front of him, due to Wendy's tall frame, he could hear the robed figure beckoning to her once more,
"My dear; if you would be so kind…"
With that, Wendy lifted her arms, taking Dipper with them. Holding the small teen overhead, Wendy threw him back into the ground in front of her, making him cry out in agony! As she went to step over the boy, he latched on Wendy's booted ankles in an effort to bog her down. Nonchalantly, the lanky teen kicked herself free, still resolute in unconsciously reaching her goal.
With his last ounce of strength, Dipper forced himself up, and threw himself in front of the runaway teen. He held his hands up, trying to push against Wendy, who was mere feet away from the mysterious hypnotist,
"WEN - *HUFF* - MY WENDY, PLEASE! CAN'T YOU HEAR ME? IT'S ME, YOUR DIPPING -* ACK*!"
Before Dipper could even finish his plea, a strange sensation came over him. It felt as if there were invisible fingers tightly clamping down on his throat! Abruptly, the same force launched the boy into the air. Dipper soon found himself hovering in front of the wicked man trying to lure Wendy away. Floating face-to-face, the being addressed Dipper, the almost-lullaby tone gone from his voice,
"Such tenaciousness from one so young and small…" Dipper glared rebelliously at the sneering rogue. He continued on, "I can sense the gifts of wisdom and courage flowing through your veins; however, you lack the one trait that truly matters in this, yet any world…"
With that, Dipper felt the grip on his neck press harder. The scoundrel uttered his answer through gritted teeth: "POWER!" With a flick of his wrist, the man rotated the boy, making him face the brainwashed girl. Dipper could do nothing but look as Wendy stood as if she was (once again) empty inside. The only sign of life were her golden glowing eyes; mere copies of the ones belonging to the monstrous being holding both teens hostage. The man began to talk onto Dipper yet again,
"Look at her…" he ordered. Dipper continued to stare helplessly at his crush with a heavy heart. "Does it depress you…" the rogue mocked. "…of how alone you really are?"
Dipper forced himself to stammer a response, "I'm….I'm not alone!"
Dipper heard a chuckle coming from behind his back. "Don't be a fool! She's gone! Her mind was so easily conquered. Such a warm and inviting personality; just so trusting. Her spirit was essentially a "Welcome Mat" to the glorious energy flowing throughout her frame…"
Dipper, still totally immobilized, began to panic. He had only one option left.
"Please…" Dipper pleaded. "Don't…just don't take her, please…" He took a deep gulp to prepare for his next statement. "Take me instead; drain my essence! Don't hurt my Wendy, please!"
Dipper closed his eyes in defeat, only to hear deep, bellowing laughter. He was immediately turned around to face the robed enemy.
"You?!" he laughed at the small teen. "Comparing you, mere boy, to her would be like contrasting a bitter lemon to extra-sweetened candy. " He pulled Dipper closer, "Your paranoia; your suspicious nature betrays you. Of course, such a thing can be an advantage. It is that strong will that allows you to fight my control, unlike your lady friend there…"
Dipper turned to see the man extend a hand towards the dazed Wendy.
"...but what cost does one gain such an instinct?" Dipper raised an eyebrow at the man's suggestion.
"A life filled with misery? A life containing only solitude and loneliness? A life devoid of anything but sorrow and regret? It is such things that reveal what you really are at heart: weak and powerless!"
Dipper lowered his eyes and whispered to the foe holding him telepathically in midair, "Well, she doesn't think so!"
"Hmm...good point! Though, in a few minutes, that will never be a concern to you again."
The dark villain began to whisper to Dipper, with a wicked smirk spread throughout his face.
"If it's any consolation to you, I can hear her; that is, the real "her" trapped inside of her own mind. And what's the only thing the poor girl is doing while being locked so far away? She is screaming your name!"
With that, Dipper immediately saw red, and began to struggle, desperate to break free of this binding curse. "You'll pay for that, you son-of-a-"
"Enough!" the man interrupted. "I grow weary of this!"
With that, he flicked his hand away, sending Dipper away from the scene…and straight into one of the concrete walls of the structures nearby! Dipper shrieked as he hit the wall at top speed!
The small teen moaned as he fell on his back. Pain shot through every inch of his nearly-broken body! As Dipper began to dwindle into unconsciousness, the last thing he saw was the shadowy figure, with Wendy in tow, walking past and into the illuminated tunnel from where Rumble originally entered. The sinister being whispered to the teenage girl,
"Come, my child. Say "good-bye" to your young friend. I'm afraid he won't be joining us…"
Dipper, using the last of his strength, glanced up to see Wendy standing over him, her golden, hypnotized eyes staring straight into his soul. As she was commanded, Wendy spoke to Dipper in an emotionless, monotone manner:
"Good…Bye…"
Dipper lowered his head, his whole world quickly fading to black. The sounds of footsteps fading further and further away echoed through his mind…
Amongst the darkness of the dreamscape, a vision flashed through the unconscious mind of Dipper Pines. Unlike his most recent dreams involving the various oddities and monstrosities of Gravity Falls (with Wendy mixed in, of course), this particular one offered a nostalgic window to the past; rather Dipper's video gaming past.
He dreamt of one of the first games he played as a little kid. Sitting on an ugly shag carpet while parked in front of a giant round-tubed television, Dipper reached over and switched on the button to power the gaming console. A tiny, non-braced Mabel sat behind him, clutching her favorite dolly, anxious to watch his virtual adventures on-screen. With a smile stretching from ear to ear and small brown eyes beaming, Dipper loaded his previous save from his favorite game, Legends & Fables. Dipper adored the game, for it allowed him to do several things that he would never be possible from the safe haven of Piedmont. Within this cybernetic scenario, Dipper was able to explore and discover new and strange lands, fight bizarre and exotic monsters, and save a gorgeous red-headed princess (not a damsel in distress, but a strong and courageous young woman whom sacrificed her well-being for the greater good) from a treacherous king of thieves, whose quest for power could never be quenched.
Under the guise of the elfin boy on-screen, Dipper could be considered a fearless adventurer; a clever explorer; a cunning warrior; a revered champion. All in all, such things that would brand him a true hero; things that he secretly wished that he could be in real life, one day…
Dipper awoke from his vision, still in horrid pain, but yet, somewhat enlighten. He had forgotten this particular aspect from childhood; one in which could easily explain where a lot of his more obvious traits stem from. He thought to himself,
"I AM a lot of those things when you think about it. I love to explore unfamiliar territory. I enjoy solving forgotten and challenging mysteries. When my back is against the wall, I can dish it out as well as I can take it…"
Dipper stopped as he came to the final part, for who would ever consider him to be any sort of champion? He reflected back on the dark wizard's taunts. He was correct in saying Dipper's "unique" personality made him more enemies and rivals than it did friends. As his thoughts turned to despair, a shining beacon popped into his consciousness. The image of Wendy's smiling, freckled, dimpled face glowed brightly. He then recalled Robbie's jealousy, of how Dipper was "Wendy's little hero."
Upon this recollection, Dipper jumped back to his feet revitalized. It was Wendy's faith in him that made all of these things real! Even if the whole world thought him insane and feeble, for as long as one person truly believed in him (coincidentally, the person whom he loved with all of his heart), does it not make said claim true?
Dipper turned the corner to the pathway where he previously watched the robed man walk away with Wendy in arm. A white portal flowed at the end of the corridor. Without a second thought, Dipper took a running jump into the void, caring less what awaited him on the other side.
Rushing through the blinding light, Dipper cried out as he tripped over a sturdy object placed in his path. Dipper switched back and forth between rubbing his eyes and his injured knee. Upon regaining his vision, he glanced to see that he had fallen over a huge treasure chest.
Dipper stood up to view the new world surrounding him. Ironically, to Dipper, it was anything but new. He looked from top to bottom at the strange grey bricked room that he had walked into. Several torches hung decoratively throughout the chamber kept it well lit. He had seen the all-so familiar locked doors in every direction, labeled with a simple key-shaped marking. The only passage out of the room was a giant ladder leading to an outside tower. Dipper nodded his head as his observations confirmed his suspicions.
He was no longer in the worlds created by the Gravity Falls Arcade; he was now in the realm of Legends & Fables! While his inner-fan boy wanted to squeal with delight, Dipper forced himself to be calm. Wendy's life was still at stake!
Immediately, Dipper turned back to the treasure chest he stumbled upon earlier. With a swift kick, the top flipped open. Dipper dove to his knees and began to search through the contents inside.
"Let's see what we have here…um…magical boomerang, nah… grapple shot…no, Mabel has one of those already…hmm…bow and arrow combo…nope, I have terrible aim…a-ha! Here we go!"
At the bottom of the incredibly deep chest lied a jeweled encrusted sword with a mirror layered shield. As Dipper's hand approached the shiny blade, it began to glow excitedly, as if it recognized him! Still a tad unsteady, Dipper firmly grabbed the sword's handle, and raised it above his head, analyzing it from every angle. All of a sudden, a wave of multi-colored pixels began to flow throughout his body. Dipper closed his eyes to avoid the wave of brighten colors. A few seconds later, Dipper peeked to see what had just happened.
Dipper looked down to see that his shirt, vest, short pants, and sneakers were quickly replaced! Instead, he was now donning a dark blue chain mail with orange sleeves. The same combination was found on his pants as well. A pair of comfy, yet sturdy brown boots appeared in place of his black sneakers. The outfit was topped off with a simple blue stocking cap on his head.
Dipper stood in amazement of what had just occurred. It was the same thing that happened to Wendy in the last world! He shook his head to clear his mind and refocus. Dipper quickly went back into the chest and pulled out the matching shield. He slid his arm into the straps behind the protection, firmly latching the shield to his left hand.
Now properly equipped, Dipper began to hurry up the extended ladder with haste. Halfway up, Dipper was hit was a shocking premonition. The words of the twisted Slaughterhouse mask came back to haunt him. It originally blamed Dipper for Wendy's predicament, saying that it was his wish that caused this catastrophe. But, what if it wasn't referring to the wish that he made earlier upon the birthday cake at the Arcade, with Wendy gently humming overhead? What if it was the younger Dipper, wishing and hoping to one day be the same adventurer/explorer/rescuer that his virtual avatar was, that made all of this happen? Even though Dipper had just recalled the memory, the mask claimed that through his bond with the young teen, it could see into his inner psyche.
Was the wicked relic correct all along? Were Wendy's constant plights all truly Dipper's fault?
Once more, Dipper shook the obstructions from his mind. This wasn't the time or the place to feel held down by huge amounts of guilt. Dipper thought to himself,
"If anything, this is the perfect time to prove to my inner-5-year-old that I can be everything that he had dreamed of. After all, there is a bad guy just asking to be put in place, and more importantly, I have a princess still waiting to be saved!"
As Dipper finally made it to the top platform, he could see a surreal blue skyline that seemed to stretch on to infinity! He carefully peered over the edge of the platform to see that he was on some form of ancient tower up hundreds upon hundreds of feet in the air. Dipper looked ahead to see that the platform was actually a form of altar. The flooring with filled with various symbols and carvings. Almost every edge had a form of pillar or arched structure, complete with the same aforementioned markings. It was at the other end of the platform that Dipper viewed his robed nemesis, his back facing the young teen. As Dipper took a single step forward, the gruff voice addressed him once again:
"Your defiance is becoming quite annoying, lad!"
Dipper took another step, raising his sword and shield higher.
"Are you the King of Thieves?" Dipper asked. "The powerful sorcerer whose treacherous thirsts can never be quenched?"
The villain laughed heartedly at the teen's description, "My, what a colorful way of asking, but yes, I am one and the same!"
Dipper recoiled at the confirmation. The same monster that plagued his virtual fantasies as a young boy was now the last obstacle separating him from Wendy. A feeling of dread shortly crept through Dipper's psyche; he just remembered that despite his hundreds of gaming-related adventures as a child, THIS was the one enemy he was never able to defeat…
Dipper began to question again, "If you are who are say you are, what do you want with Wendy? And how does Rumble fit into this?"
The King of Thieves turned around to face Dipper. His sneer was wiped out his face upon seeing Dipper's new outfit.
"In what seems like mere years in the real world are actually millennia in this world. Thousands of years locked away in the exact same world; everything remains unchanged, day after day after day. Recently, rumblings spread throughout the "console universe" of a digital character being released from the "arcade realm" into the real world for a short period of time by some buffoon…"
Dipper frowned, knowing the truth that he was said buffoon.
"…I watched from a distance, waiting for the karate fool to organize a petty quest for vengeance. Against mere children, nonetheless! After all the pieces fell into place, I crossed over and stepped in at the last moment, and relieved that fool of the true potential of his plan!"
"True potential?" Dipper asked. After a moment or two, it finally struck Dipper.
"This isn't around Wendy or me, is it? It's around your never-ending greed! You just want another world to conquer!"
The wizard stepped to the side, to reveal an unconscious Wendy fitted into one of the structures on the back end of the platform. While Dipper noticed (and was relieved) that Wendy wasn't injured, he had seen that her clothing had changed once more. Wendy was now dressed in a light pink long-flowing dress decorated with gold trimmings. She wore golden jewelry around her neck, beltline, and wrists. Wendy's trademark brown boots remained the same, except ironically, they were actually clean for once! Perhaps the most dramatic change that Wendy endured was that there was a long red braid on each side of her face.
"Beautiful, isn't she? She seems pristine, like a porcelain doll. And yet, behind that all those adorable traits, lies a strength that nearly rivals my own…" The sorcerer raised a hand towards the insentient girl when Dipper interrupted,
"If you DARE touch one hair on her head…"
The villain turned to see the teen's sword glowing bright, seemingly amplified by his growing rage. He laughed at Dipper's threat, "My boy, you're speaking as if you actually stand a chance…" The man continued, walking towards Dipper menacingly. "In fact, I think I'll do one better; I'll destroy you without lifting a finger!"
With that, Dipper watched as the hulking figure transformed into a wave of floating pixel blocks. Unlike that the forms that transformed both Wendy and Dipper, this mass was completely devoid of color, remaining shades of black and white. Dipper raised his shield, preparing for the upcoming blow, but all of a sudden, he watched in horror as the form changed direction – towards Wendy!
Dipper immediately ran towards the gingered teenager, still out-cold from her experience. He threw himself in front of Wendy, raising his shield as high as he could. Dipper knew that because of the difference in height, he may not make the best human barrier, but he had to try to protect Wendy from whatever was coming next. Dipper braced himself as he watched the black pixels point themselves in the direction of the two teens. As they began to launch, Dipper closed his eyes, hoping that his efforts would be enough.
After a moment or two of silence, Dipper opened his eyes. Both the villain and his transformed form had vanished from sight. He turned back toward Wendy. Standing on his tip-toes, he analyzed the redheaded teenager from top to bottom to ensure she was free of harm. As Dipper looked back towards Wendy's face, her eyes shot open! Dipper jumped back in surprise as he seen a pair of glowing yellow eyes in lieu of his favorite emerald green ones.
A horrible, haunting laugh came from deep within Wendy's lungs. Goosebumps formed across the teen's flesh as the charming giggles he had fallen in love with had completely vanished! Dipper recognized the evil laugh coming from Wendy's lips as the one belonging to the wicked king!
The young hero began to backpedal a bit as the possessed Wendy hopped off the ledge she was placed upon. However, he stared in shock as she never reached the floor. Dipper could do nothing but look as Wendy floated several feet off the ground, an ominous purple aura surrounding her dainty frame.
"Wendy?" called Dipper, his eyes wide open in fright.
Suddenly, the teenage girl pointed a finger at the armed boy. He watched as a light stemming from Wendy's finger began to grow larger into the shape of a huge energy ball. Within an instance, she cried out (in the dark man's tone) and launched the projectile at her young friend.
Dipper, fighting his bewilderment, was able to dive out of harm's way. Dipper forced himself to his feet to see the redhead hovering in circles overhead. He looked up to see that Wendy was raising both of her arms towards the sky. Dipper raised an eye to his crush's action. Suddenly, the ground beneath Dipper's boots began to glow brightly. Without a second thought, Dipper leapt from the spot. He turned around to see that golden jagged spikes had risen up from the ground, just barely missing their mark.
Dipper elevated his head to the sky once more, only to discover that Wendy had vanished from the sky! His eyes shot around the arena. "Where is she?" Dipper worried to himself. He thought about Wendy's fate: trapped inside of her own body, forced to fight someone she held dear to her heart. It must be a living nightmare! Regardless, Dipper knew he had to try to reach his secret love that was locked away.
"WENDY! " Dipper shouted, making sure that his voice echoed throughout the platform. "Please, Wendy, you gotta fight it! Don't let him win, please!"
Dipper spun around in circles, desperate for a mere glimpse of his favorite redhead. Out of nowhere, Wendy dove in, speeding like a bullet, and struck the distracted teen. Dipper was knocked off his feet, and was sent soaring across the floor. The young boy panicked as he stopped inches away from the edge. He glanced back up to see Wendy, arms crossed, and continuing to mock him in the evil King's voice. Still struggling to regain his balance, Dipper looked back up to see another energy ball flying straight at his head!
Without thinking, Dipper swung his sword, frantically trying anything to defend himself. Turning from gold into a bluish tint, the bolt flew across the stage. In astonishment, Dipper looked at the sword, as it began to pulsate bright blue continuously. "Wait…" he thought to himself. "The blade is able deflect the evil energy?" An idea went off in the back of Dipper's mind.
He looked to see another bolt growing in the hand of his gingered sweetheart. He braced himself for the forthcoming blow. Dipper aimed the sword carefully as Wendy let go of the energy ball. As the flame was just about to hit the teen, Dipper swung the glowing blade, reflecting a blue bolt back towards Wendy.
"I hope this works…"
Dipper watched as the redhead's eyes shot wide open. As the flame struck her, her purple aura was quickly engulfed by a blue one. As Dipper almost started to celebrate, the next sound he heard nearly brought him to his knees.
Wendy was crying out in anguish! However, it wasn't the King's voice screaming; it was Wendy's real voice blaring in pain!
Dipper raised his hands to his face, "OHNOOHNOOHNO! What did I just do?!" Dipper was faced with a serious dilemma. How could defend himself without injuring Wendy? More importantly, how was he going to free her from the wizard's control?
As Dipper glanced around for an answer, his eyes locked on a new disturbance in the arena. In the middle of the altar platform stood the evil King, hutched over with head lowered, and robed arms together.
"YOU!" Dipper screamed, rushing the villain with sword raised. Dipper ran his sword past the treacherous rogue…only to have it go through his being!
"Wha?!" Dipper gasped. Determined, he continued to try to strike down his foe, only to fail. He took a step back. Dipper thought to himself, "It's like attacking a ghost or cutting through mist; almost like he's on a totally different wavelength…" Dipper lost himself in his own words, for he thought of the only possible way of releasing Wendy.
Dipper shouted out to the floating possessed teenager, "Hey, hot shot! Think you can actually try to hit me with something today?!"
Wendy smirked devilishly, raising her hand to create another glowing bolt. Dipper readied his aim, hoping that this idea, his last and only hope, would work flawlessly. With another deep grunt, the lanky girl launched a golden bolt right at Dipper. Quickly, he sidestepped the projectile and used the sword to deflect the shot towards the transparent form of his foe. Dipper almost roared with glee as he watched the shape become solid once more, and revolt back in pain. He could see that his enemy had frozen in a form of shock.
Suddenly, Dipper's thoughts turned to Wendy. Was she alright? He looked up to see her falling from the sky! Dropping his sword, Dipper ran ferociously hoping to catch Wendy before she hit the ground. As he stood underneath the descending pink clothed girl with open arms, Dipper had a horrifying thought,
"Wait... she's almost three times my size!"
*CRASH*
Wendy sat up, feeling as if she had been asleep for a long time. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she froze in the moment, for she came to a realization,
"Hey! I can move again!"
A smile spread through her face as look down to test the limits of her newly-freed body. Wendy giggled to herself as she wiggled her fingers and flexed her toes. As the moments passed, Wendy began to recall the last few minutes. A wave of anxiety, similar to that of claustrophobia, rushed through the teen's heart.
Wendy remembered watching the previous events unfold through the perspective of her eyes, yet, something was terribly wrong. She couldn't move; she couldn't blink; she could barely control her own breathing. Out of all the strange visions flying through her mind's eye, the one picture that Wendy just couldn't shake was that of looking down at Dipper from an incredible height. The expression on his face was that showing extreme worry and fear.
"Dipper!" Wendy regained focus, and looked around for her friend. "Where was he?" she asked herself, panicked. After everything that the young teen had done for her, Wendy had no intent on losing Dipper so easily. The two had planned on making a whole summer's worth of memories, and Wendy was going to make sure that it stayed that way!
All of a sudden, Wendy felt something squirming beneath the light pink dress she was wearing. Between each struggle, Wendy could make out loud muffles. Curious, she lifted the side of her dress to see that she was on top of a very squished Dipper.
"DIPPER!" Wendy exclaimed. "There you are!"
*WEEZE* ….Wendy…*WEEZE*
"Yes, 'Dipping Sauce'?"
"Please…get…off…."
"OH!" she cried out, immediately jumping off the crushed boy. Dipper let out a huge sigh of relief. Wendy reached for Dipper's hands and helped him to his feet. Wendy quickly embraced her small champion to which he did the same. Wendy pulled back and placed her cool hand against Dipper's flushed cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Dipper. I didn't know! Are you alright?!
"…I'll…live…" he mumbled, struggling to catch his breath. "How…about…you?"
"I'm fine. It was so weird, Dipper; I was there, but I really wasn't. I was so scared…
"Well, that makes two of us, then…"
Wendy raised an eyebrow to Dipper's suggestion.
"I…I thought that I lost you again…"
As a heart-warmed smile spread across Wendy's blushing face, a voice came from the center of the arena.
"How touching…"
Wendy and Dipper turned to face the beckoning voice. The wicked King had returned to consciousness. He stared at the two teens with completely shocked faces. He raised his hand, displaying an evil smile,
"Do not worry, children. Please, finish your tender moment. After all, you are only delaying the inevitable. We will continue "playing" as soon as you are ready…"
Dipper let go of Wendy and quickly bent down to retrieve his sword. Enraged, he began to charge towards the mocking enemy until he was stopped in his tracks.
"Dipper, wait!"
The boy immediately came to his senses and turned towards the source of the sound. Wendy had called out to him, but why? Was this monster trying to take control of her again?
Without a second's delay, Dipper ran back to his crush's side, "What's wrong?! Are you feeling alright?" In his nervousness, he began to examine his friend from head to toe in search of any oddities.
"No, I'm fine," Wendy explained. "...but that's the thing, Dipper. Why are you doing this? Why are we still doing this?"
Dipper looked at Wendy with a confused expression on his face, "I...I don't understand..."
Wendy bent down to meet the boy eye-to-eye. "Dipper...I don't want you to fight anymore..."
Somewhat shocked, Dipper turned away from Wendy's shining green eyes, "You...you think I can't win, don't you?"
"No!" Wendy immediately interrupted, placing her hands on the teen's shoulder. "No, no, no, no! It's not like that!"
Wendy rolled her eyes, trying to find the words to express her feelings to Dipper without offending him. A moment later, she began once more:
"Dipper...why did you do all of this? Why risk life and limb through these dangerous worlds?"
The costumed hero looked down as he thought of an answer. Wendy could tell that he found one, as his pale cheeks quickly became a rosy red.
"For you..." Dipper whispered to the girl in front of him. "I did all of this for you..."
Wendy smiled deeply at his response. "I know that..." She gently placed her hand against his blushed face, making Dipper redden even more. "That's just it, Dipper. You don't have to do this anymore, because I'm here...I'm right here...and I'm okay now..."
The lanky teenage girl could tell she was making headway as she seen tears forming in the dark, brown eyes in front of her.
"...and all I want is to go back home...with you...please?"
As Dipper became lost in the sparkling, yet pleading emerald eyes staring back at him, a sinister voice shattered the moment,
"You can't be serious?!"
Dipper shot an infuriated look at the villain trying to egg him on, but instantly returned his attention towards his secret love. He offered a tiny smile to Wendy to show that he understood.
"O-Okay, then...let's go home!"
"Really?"
"Wendy, there isn't anything I would want more..."
Relieved, Wendy nodded and rose back to her feet. Together, the two teens began to head towards the exit leading back down the tower. In a state of shock, the wizard called after the duo,
"Where do you two think you're going?! We aren't finished yet!"
Dipper stopped and turned to face the monstrous entity. "Sorry, man! Like the lady said, this game is over with! He rejoined Wendy a split second later.
Unimpressed, the evil king crossed his robed arms and laughed at Dipper's remark. "Fine, boy! But before you go, know this!"
As he walked away, Dipper peeked over his shoulder. To his horror, he realized that the wicked man was pointing straight at Wendy!
"No matter where she goes or wherever she is, every time she comes into contact with a video game, a television, a computer, or even a cell phone; we'll be there, watching and waiting, until one day, she disappears into nothingness, just like that!"
With that, both adolescents had stopped in their tracks, returning their focus on the awaiting nemesis. Dipper glanced towards the smiling adversary, then looked up towards Wendy. She was staring out into the distance, obviously troubled by the man's threats. Dipper observed that he had seen that exact expression from Wendy before; it was the same as when he smashed the evil mirror doppelgangers while donning the Slaughterhouse mask.
It was a look of absolute terror and fear; one that Dipper had hoped that he would never see spread across his friend's face again.
Dipper took a deep gulp as he contemplated the task at hand. He was going to have to break Wendy's heart, but he couldn't -no - he wouldn't allow these things to take her away a second time!
He noticed that he and Wendy were on the end of the platform with the ladder leading back down to the tower's base. He reached for Wendy's hand with his free one,
"Wendy, you need to run, NOW!" Dipper pointed to the nearby ladder.
She stood in defiance of the newly-christened teen, "Dude, are you kidding me?! I'm NOT going anywhere! Remember what I told you earlier? We're in this together!"
Dipper frowned at her resistance, "I know, Wendy, but you gotta remember something. "They" don't want me; they only want YOU!"
Dipper watched as Wendy's face lighten. He squeezed her hand tighter.
"Please, Wendy; listen to reason. Yeah, there is no place I'd rather be than by your side, but all this world has to do to win is take you away again."
Dipper could easily see by Wendy's expression, standing with eyes closed, head slightly turned, and arms crossed, that she wasn't moving an inch. He tried a different approach.
"Wendy, is what Robbie said earlier true?"
The young girl opened an eye to the small teen addressing her, "Which part?"
"The part where I'm supposedly your "little hero?" Dipper bragged with a smirk.
The angry redhead's dimpled cheeks began to blush, "Perhaps…"
"So, is it fair to say you have faith in me?"
"I think you already know the answer to that…"
"Yeah, I do know, but I'm trying to prove a point!"
The arguing boy turned Wendy back towards him, "If that's who you say I am, then, let me do my job! The best way you can help me is by staying out of harm's way…"
Wendy opened her eyes, to see Dipper's brown eyes beaming straight at her, his hands in hers. He whispered to her, "Your life is worth too much to risk…" The teenager sighed, knowing that she was no match for a "puppy-dog-stare."
"Fine…" Wendy grumbled, heading towards the ladder. As she began to lower herself down, she jumped up and pointed at Dipper, "You got ten minutes, kid! After that, I'm coming back up, no matter what!"
Dipper nodded and smiled. He watched as his secret love safely climbed down to the ground floor. Dipper felt bad to resort to such low measures to sway Wendy's mindset, but at the end of the day, he'd rather she think he was somewhat of a sexist pig than to chance losing her forever. Besides, how could he guarantee Wendy's well-being when he couldn't assure his own?
He turned around to his awaiting foe. The villain chuckled under his breath, "So, where were we?"
Dipper started to walk towards the evil King, "I believe we left the score at '1-1.'"
"Unfortunately for you, kid, I'm not one for tie games!"
Dipper readied his sword and shield, "Neither am I…"
Suddenly, the sorcerer disappeared into thin air. He glanced around the altar arena, to see that the foe had reappeared to his left, somewhat closer. As Dipper turned and raised his weapons, the enemy vanished once more. Dipper's eyes scanned the platform. "What is this?" the pint-sized teen asked himself. As he turned back from his right, Dipper looked forward to see the wicked King materialize right in front of him! Before Dipper could react, he was given a devastating left and right cross, knocking him on the ground. Dipper was so pummeled that he had accidentally dropped his weaponry!
The wicked figure picked Dipper up by the throat and held him face to face. The wizard bragged, "I'm afraid, dear lad, this is game over!" He held his other hand back, preparing to strike Dipper with the final blow. Dipper closed his eyes, waiting for the end, until a voice boomed throughout the arena:
"HEY, UGLY! PUT HIM DOWN!"
Dipper opened his eyes to see a red streak fly across the room, striking his robed nemesis. Dipper looked on to see fire spread across his opponent's wardrobe. In a panic, the King dropped the stunned boy, and attempted to pat out the raging inferno spreading throughout his cloth-covered body. In the meantime, Dipper reequipped his arsenal and looked to where his saving grace came from.
At the edge of the platform, he found Wendy, with a bow and arrow combo in hand. With an enraged expression on her face, she shouted to her evil pursuer,
"NO ONE DOES THAT TO "MY BOY"! YOU GOT THAT?!"
With that, Wendy shot another arrow at the hulking rogue, igniting another set of flames upon his body. The King dropped to his knees in agony. Using her distraction as cover, Dipper ran over to his lanky friend.
"So, ten minutes, huh?"
Wendy glanced down at him with a smile, "Gee, Dipper. You have a really funny way of saying, 'Der, thanks for saving my bacon, Wendy!'"
Dipper continued to stare daggers at his companion.
"So, I lied! Yeah, I generally tend to do that over matters of complete and utter nonsense, or when a certain someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes!
Embarrassed, Dipper broke eye contact and stared down at the ground. Wendy could barely make out Dipper grumbling under his breath. She raised her eyes at the young teen, "Sorry, I couldn't make that out..." Wendy slightly bent down with a devious grin, and used a hand to cup her ear. "You'll have to speak up…"
Dipper rolled his eyes at his sarcastic love interest. He then repeated his words using a very monotone and wooden voice,
"Thank you for saving me, Wendy…"
Wendy resumed standing upright. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She reached over gently punched his shoulder. Wendy quickly reached behind her back to pull out a huge smorgasbord of weapons.
"Check it out!" Wendy said, displaying her discoveries. "I found a bunch of cool stuff in some trunk at the bottom of this tower. Dipper seen that Wendy was now clutching the blue boomerang he had discovered earlier.
Wendy turned towards their opponent, whom was nearly done extinguishing the flames inflicted upon him, and hurdled the weapon straight at him. He ducked out of the path of the projectile, raising up to mock the young teen, "HA! You missed, wretched wench!"
Wendy looked at Dipper and pointed into the distance with a sly smile, "Watch this…"
Both teens watched as the blue boomerang came flying back, cracking the back of the gloating scoundrel's head and landing back in the awaiting redhead's hand. Wendy spun around to Dipper, wearing a tooth-filled grin, "Cool, huh?"
Dipper laughed at Wendy's amusement. He thought to himself, "Maybe I was wrong for being so over-protective…" His musings were interrupted by a tremendous roar. The two teens turned towards the center of the room to see the wicked sorcerer revived, with a glowing red aura surrounding him.
"CHILDREN!" the monstrous being bellowed. "I! WILL! NOT! BE! BESTED! BY! MERE! CHILDREN!"
Wendy rearmed herself with the bow and arrow combo. Dipper once more stepped in front of Wendy, having his sword and shield readied.
"Fine; you two want to do this the hard way?" The man stretched his arms out, only to have a saber magically appear in each hand. He gave off a horrific grin,
"…I'll be more than happy to oblige!"
Within seconds, the evil King rushed towards the duo. Wendy yelled to Dipper, "SPLIT UP!" Dipper ran to the left of the arena, while Wendy hustled to the right. Dipper turned around to see the hulking figure rushed towards him! As the man began to swing his blades at Dipper, the boy quickly raised his mirror shield to deflect the blows. The hits were so massive and heavy, the teen was nearly knocked down to his knees with every shot.
"This is hopeless…" Dipper thought. "I can't even get a chance to counter-attack!"
From behind the safety of his shield, Dipper heard the cry of the villain once more. He lowered his shield to see the wizard back onto his knees. Dipper looked behind him to see Wendy still holding her bow, giving him a thumbs-up.
"Hurry, Dipper! I stunned him! Now's your chance!"
Dipper raised his sword skyward, filling it with glowing blue energy. The small hero rushed towards the stunned foe and began to jab the blade through. Dipper remembered that there wasn't any mention of blood in this gaming world, yet he could easily see markings of his attacks. The King's robe was becoming more tattered with every blow.
As Dipper continued to swipe, he was interrupted as the sorcerer gathered enough strength to grab the damaging blade in mid-swing! Dipper froze as the yellow, glowing eyes gazed into his soft brown ones.
"You'll pay dearly for that, boy!"
The wicked foe continued to close in on Dipper, when out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen another red bolt shooting straight at him. The villain incredibly leapt into the air, successfully dodging the attack, only to land in front of its source. Shocked, yet determined, Wendy bit her lip as she quickly tried to ready another arrow.
"Insolent girl!" the King bellowed. "That is enough of that!" With a wave of his arm, a saber retracted back into his sleeve. He raised his bare hand and delivered such a tremendous backhand that sent the gingered teenager flying across the arena!"
Upon hearing Wendy's shriek, Dipper immediately rushed into a rage, seeing pure red. His enemy turned, with both sabers extended and met the boy's attack. Dipper swung with increasing velocity, a series of sparks marking the sky to where the three blades met. As the towering wizard began his assault, Dipper dodged, rolling over to his foe's unprotected backside. He immediately pounced, slashing deeply and quickly bringing the adversary back onto his knees.
Stunning the monster once more, Dipper swiftly flew to Wendy, who remained sprawled on the ground. He called to her, trying to help her back to her feet. Wendy, a bit dazed, looked up at the little hero, who stood before her with an extremely worried and concerned expression on his face. Fighting her way through the pain, Wendy looked up with a smile, and winked at her friend. Exactly as Wendy planned, Dipper returned the smile and sighed in relief. Wendy pulled him closer,
"Dipper, I think I know how we can beat him. I just have to get a direct shot on him!"
"How are we going to do that?"
Wendy glanced down at the mirrored shield Dipper had latched his arm. "Your shield…" she quickly explained. "We can use it to reflect one of my arrows straight at him!"
"Is that really going to wo-"
Dipper looked up to see the emerald eyes he loved so beaming down at him. Wendy trusted him all of her heart, so shouldn't he do the same? "Okay…" he nodded in agreement. "I got it…"
Dipper noticed that Wendy's point of view quickly changed to the King on the other side of the arena, whom was starting to rise once again. Wendy whispered to him, "Give me a clear shot, Dipper. We can do this!"
He ran in front of the ascending sorcerer. Dipper had to make sure that he lured the enemy away from Wendy; at least long enough for her to carry out her plan. He stood at the edge of the platform, calling out his nemesis,
"Was that everything you got? How's it feel to have your butt handed to you by someone a quarter your size?"
Dipper looked to see that the King's eyes had changed from gold to blood red! His voice became deeper and raspier,
"THAT will be your last mistake!" As the menace raised both sabers above his head, Dipper heard a shout from the other side of the altar platform:
"DIPPER! NOW!"
Dipper drew his shield and hid behind it. The villain turned his head to see another red shot speed past his side. He watched as the arrow shot off the young teen's reflective shield…straight into his own chest!
"AARRGGGHHH!"
Dipper watched as a form of electrical aura engulfed the stunned scoundrel. Dipper looked around to find Wendy,
"Okay, Wendy. What should I do now?"
She was nowhere to be seen. Dipper was beginning to panic a bit.
"Wendy! What now?!"
Still, Dipper heard nothing in response. He glanced forward to see that the aura was quickly fading. The dark antagonist opened his eyes once more…
"WENDY?!"
Suddenly, Dipper could feel himself being hoisted into the air from behind. He looked down to see that Wendy held his little frame over her head.
He gasped, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Wendy grinned back at the frantic teen, "Get ready, slugger! You're only going to get ONE shot!"
Without any effort, as if the boy was a mere rag doll, Wendy threw Dipper into the air, into the path of the stunned adversary. Revived, the King looked up to see the incoming blue blur. He roared and readied his blades. Falling at an incredible speed, Dipper perceived the sight below, thrust his sword downwards, and closed his eyes.
As the two met, a huge white light shined throughout the arena, forcing Wendy to cover her eyes. A ghastly groan echoed throughout the atmosphere! A moment later, she peeked through her fingers to see an incredible sight.
Dipper stood on top the evil King's shoulders, with the glowing blue sword impaled through his skull! He watched as the glowing yellow disappeared from his opponent's eyes. Suddenly, an inconceivable rumble shook the entire arena. Dipper glanced around to see that the structure was quickly evaporating into the multi-colored pixels from before! He turned to see that the enemy carcass that he was mounted upon was doing the exact same thing! Within seconds, Dipper began to fall through, back into an infinite time and space.
"AAAHHH!"
As quickly as he began to plunge, Dipper once more felt an arm wrap around his midsection. He jolted back in place, only to glance up to see Wendy's still grinning dimpled face.
"Hey, squirt!"
"Wendy?!" Dipper wrapped his arms around her torso. "But…but how?"
Wendy, lacking free hands, glanced upwards with raised eyebrows. Dipper's eyes shot up to see that she had used the grappling shot (the same one he ignored earlier) to attach to one of the still-standing decorations hanging overhead.
Dipper laughed at the serendipity of the situation. Wendy joined in as well,
"I can see why Mabel loves these things!"
Exhausted, Dipper rested his weary head against Wendy's shoulder, making the redhead blush. She whispered, "You did great, my little hero…"
Wendy closed her eyes, only to hear a returned whisper,
"Couldn't have done it without you…my heroine…"
Both teens looked up at each other, and gave one another a quick celebratory peck on the lips. Seconds later, a huge beam of light rose up from the nothingness below the teens. Dipper and Wendy looked on to see that it was similar to that of the white portals they used to transverse the gaming worlds. Suddenly, the light began to speak to them, leaving both teenagers flabbergasted:
"You have succeeded in ridding the land of the evil tyrant. Please enter the light with a wish in your minds and hearts, and it shall be granted…"
Wendy and Dipper looked at one another. Dipper smiled at the girl he loved so much, "I think I know what we both could want…" Wendy returned the sentiment. "I wish…"
"Wait, Dipper! *sssshhhhh!*"
"Huh? What's the matter?"
Wendy whispered, "Don't you remember what you said earlier?"
Dipper gave her a confused look. Wendy lowered her eyes at her cohort.
"You said, if you say your wish aloud, it won't come true…"
Dipper nodded. He felt Wendy's arm squeeze him harder.
"Hang on, tight!" she ordered the little teen. She could feel Dipper's grip on her waist tighten. Now situated, Wendy kicked her legs, back and forth, as if she was on a swing set. Once she had gained enough momentum, she warned Dipper to "Get ready!" as she let go of the grappling shot.
Both teens screamed as they fell into the shining force. With seconds, they could feel themselves rise higher and higher. Still holding on to each other tightly, Dipper and Wendy looked up into the blinding light, hoping that their next stop together would be home…
