"Mabel!" Dipper yelled, bursting through the front door.
Mabel was sitting in her tank in the living room, having finished helping Stan prepare supper, and was reading a magazine with her arms stretched over the rim. She jumped when Dipper came flying into the room.
"What?" She cried. "Is it Gideon? Jeff the gnome? That invisible wizard whose name I can't remember?"
"Yeah- wait, what? No, I found a way for you to walk again!" Dipper said hurriedly, standing before the tank.
She blinked. "Whoa, back up. You did what?"
He waved a hasty sketch he'd drawn at her. Dipper had always been a good artist, so she recognized the depiction easily. It was a bird's-eye view of the lake, including the waterfall and Scuttlebutt Island. He pointed to a particular part of the drawing, a little circle with rocks jutting out, located near the waterfall and below the water's surface. It was the entrance to an underwater cave.
"So it turns out Mermando wasn't the first mermaid to be stranded in Gravity Falls," he said excitedly. "There was another that inhabited the lake for a while. She got help from some kind of water fairy to create a bracelet that let her grow legs in place of her tail. It's temporary, but the jewelry let her get around easier until she found a way back to the ocean. She hid it in a cave in case another mermaid ever needed it or if she wanted to return to Gravity Falls. If we get it, it'll let you walk on land and we can find the stone together!"
Joy and disbelief grappled for her heart. A smile spread across Mabel's face, then flickered out as she asked, "Wait, so how do you know this? Did you find another page in your journal?"
Dipper hesitated, lowering the drawing. Speaking quietly he said, "Well...not exactly. Bill told me."
Mabel gaped at him. "Bill? Why the heck would he tell you that? And why did he finally show up again?"
Dipper recounted the tale, fidgeting as he told her about the agreement he'd made with the demon. He knew she wouldn't like it, but he wasn't prepared for the look of complete and utter horror that donned her face.
"Dipper! You made another deal? I thought we agreed to never do that again!" Mabel whispered frantically, hoping Grunkle Stan wouldn't hear. It'd get messy if he knew what was going on.
Dipper stamped a hoof impatiently. Why was she so upset? Surely she knew he was just trying to help her! "I know, Mabel! But if it means you walking around on your own, isn't it worth it? Besides, according to Bill I'll need your help to find the stone! What other choice do we have?"
Swallowing, Mabel shook her head. "For all we know, he may not have been telling the truth! And who knows what he'll do with that stupid stone once he gets it? My dumb legs aren't important enough to risk giving that demon what he wants," Mabel growled. She looked away as Dipper blinked, taken aback.
A torrent of hurt swirled in the pit of her stomach. Her words betrayed her usual cheerful character. Normally she'd be optimistic about such a situation, but this time was different. This time, Bill was involved. She would never forget how Bill had tricked them not once but three times, each one worse than the last. The first time he'd almost stolen Grunkle Stan's memories, the second he tried to pit her against Dipper for their ideals, even stealing Dipper's body. And the third...her blind trust in Bill's disguise had nearly gotten them all killed. After the demon had shown up all those years ago, she remembered the growing rift that appeared between her and Dipper as their distinct personalities began to clash. Bill had drudged up the differences between them with his schemes, forcing the two to react in the ways true to their natures. It made their dissimilarities glaring and obvious, pulling them apart. The pointless arguments went on, keeping Mabel awake at night, sick with anxiety. Eventually, in the midst of despair, their sibling bond shone through the brutal predicament. They realized the issue and worked to repair what Bill had sundered, and had succeeded. But now the demon had appeared once again, and Mabel was terrified of what that meant for their relationship. She couldn't bear the thought of losing their tight bond again, which was why she pushed away her optimism automatically, apprehension hanging over her like a cloud. She gazed down into the water, her lips a thin white line, worry etched into her features.
Dipper's irritation with his sister vanished as he beheld her expression. She looked...frightened. She was terrified. Terrified of losing their bond as siblings, of the past repeating itself. A wave of anger washed over him as he remembered the demon's manipulation, the amount of grief he'd caused their family, and the fear that had scarred Mabel's heart. So sweet, loving and joyful she was, and Bill twisted it around to suit his desires.
Closing his eyes, Dipper took a calming breath. He gripped the edge of the tank with one hand and tipped Mabel's chin up with the other so she met his gaze. The anger replaced itself with determination. "Listen Mabel," he said seriously. "I know that making an agreement with Bill wasn't ideal, but now we've got a leg up. For now let's focus on finding both the cure and that mermaid thing. We can worry about Bill later. Okay? I know he's probably going to trick us but honestly, I don't care if it means I've got my one and only amazing sister with me every step of the way. With your help, there's not a doubt in my mind that we'll find that stupid cure." Taking a deep breath he added, "And nothing will come between us again. I promise."
Mabel's wide eyes softened, a smile creeping onto her face. At once she started giggling, surprising Dipper, and threw her arms around his shoulders. She squished him against the glass in a hug, unintentionally splashing water all over him. "Aww, thanks bro-bro! You know just how to cheer me up!"
Dipper extricated himself with a grunt, attempting to wipe off the droplets of water before returning her smile. "So...are the Mystery Twins back in action?"
Mabel laughed. "Of course we are!" She held out a fist, and he bumped it gently, grinning.
"All right," Mabel said excitedly. "When do we go looking for this mermaid jewelry thing? Right now?"
Dipper opened his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Grunkle Stan barging into the room, tail knocking over a pile of magazines sitting on the floor. A broad grin was stretched across his granite face, yellow eyes glinting. In his hand he held a phone receiver, the cord stretched from the kitchen. "Kids, good news! The canals to the lake around the town limits are finished! The rest will be done in a couple days, or so they tell me. Oh, and dinner's ready..." He trailed off, gazing at the twins. "What's with you two? You look like you just won that pig from the fair all over again," he said, pointing at Mabel's still beaming expression, "and you look like that pig just peed on your shirt." He moved the point to Dipper, indicating his wet clothes.
Dipper began to give a retort before getting interrupted once again, this time by his mobile phone. Annoyed, he flipped it open. His eyes widened as he read the text, uttering a surprised exclamation. He looked up at the two confused faces before him. "Pacifica said she found something to do with Clinton Northwest!" he said, waving his phone at them. "I've gotta go meet her and see what it is," he said hurriedly, making his way to the door, almost tripping over his hooves with excitement.
"Hey, hey, hey," Grunkle Stan warned, closing the distance between them with a few quick strides. He grabbed Dipper by the shirt collar, dragging him back toward the kitchen, ignoring his protests. "Supper first, conspiracies later. Don't worry, even you can eat what I've got prepared with your wimpy vegetarian stomach," Stan assured him.
After retrieving Mabel from her tank, the three sat around the dinner table. While Stan and Mabel sat in their chairs normally, Dipper simply sat on the floor, back legs folded beneath him. He easily came up to about the same height as he would have had he been sitting in a chair as a human.
Dipper inhaled his food impatiently, eager to get going. He'd been waiting a week for this, and he had to know what Pacifica found. Judging by her continuous text messages, it was more complicated than he initially thought.
Mabel studied her brother dejectedly. "Um, Dipper? Weren't we going to...y'know, check out the lake and stuff?"
Dipper finished his mouthful quickly before answering. "Sorry Mabel, can it wait till tomorrow? We've got a breakthrough here! Pacifica tells me she found something hidden in the mansion and that she needs my help. Once we get this sorted out I promise we'll go looking for your mermaid thing, okay?"
Mabel nodded. She understood, of course. She knew how frustrated he was with waiting for Pacifica to get back to him, and how desperately he wanted to continue the investigation. Now he finally could. It wouldn't take too long, anyway. Waiting at home was fine with her, she supposed. She glanced down at her tail. Unless...
Once he was done eating, Dipper bolted upright, then bounded out of the kitchen and up the stairs. His rummaging around their room was easily heard from Mabel and Stan's spot at the table below.
Stan shook his head. "That kid, I swear," he grumbled. "Where does he get that energy?" He glanced at Mabel and sighed.
She was staring at the table forlornly. Her previous happiness had faded away, replaced with drooping eyes and a slightly turned-down mouth. He recognized that look all too well. The feeling of being left out was clear on her face. Both Stan and Mabel knew what Dipper was like, how he tended to get excited about his weird obsessions and often forgot about the people around him. His tunnel vision was remarkable in its own way, but sometimes harmful to others. This was one of those times. Stan cleared his throat, ready to right this wrong. Well, attempt to, anyway. Maybe his method wasn't one that a responsible parent would resort to, but thankfully he wasn't one of them.
"Look, sweetie," he said, startling Mabel. "I don't know exactly what's happening, but just because your brother has an adventure goin' on doesn't mean you can't have your own. We both know how he is, and it's not fair that you should be left out on the sidelines."
Mabel stared at him, hope creeping onto her face.
He continued, "howzabout I take you over to the canals, huh? Try them out for me, enjoy some time in the lake. As long as you don't get yourself into trouble, you hear? It's dangerous being out at night and I wouldn't allow it if I knew you couldn't handle it. Maybe get your friends together if they're available, put my mind at ease. Sound good?"
Mabel grinned, nodding happily.
Stan patted her shoulder affectionately. "Good. Now, let's get your stuff together. We'll leave once your brother's on his way. Make things less complicated than they need to be."
Dipper double checked his backpack, making sure he had everything he needed. By the time he'd arrived at the Northwest manor it was already dark, the stars winking into existence. Pacifica's text had been clear. Her parents' opinions be damned, it was time for them to do some investigating, and that meant sneaking around at night while most of the servants were asleep. From what she said, things could possibly get dangerous.
His supplies consisted of a flashlight, his journal and pen, a small first aid kit, a water bottle, candles and a lighter, and finally canisters of salt and iron filings. Okay, maybe the salt and iron was overkill, but Dipper knew what crazy things lurked in the mansion. He couldn't risk coming unprepared if a ghost got disturbed and decided to attack while they had their noses buried in old files.
Dipper waited at the gate, standing just behind the wall, out of sight. He poked his head out from his hiding place, gazing through the iron bars. The mansion stood quiet and regal before him, a few windows lit up with a soft yellow glow while the rest remained dark. The fountain burbled gently from its place in the middle of the courtyard, the driveway winding around it. The hedges spelling 'NW' were just as well-maintained as ever, and the freshly cut grass was a striking green.
How could anyone live in such a place? Dipper wondered, marveling. It was simply too fancy.
The skin on the nape of his neck began to crawl, and an uneasy feeling settled over him. He glanced around quickly, looking over his shoulder. For a brief moment it seemed as if a pair of glowing red eyes were staring out at him from the trees a short distance away. They vanished as soon as he looked, if they were even there to begin with. Dipper swallowed anxiously.
Suddenly, one of the gates inched open with a low creak, an arm poking through the bars and beckoning him inside. Dipper squeezed through the gap to meet Pacifica Northwest, still as equine as he remembered. She smiled as she greeted him, tucking her hair behind her long ears. Like Dipper, she wore a dark jacket and matching headband, not that they did much to camouflage her with her bright coloured hair. Her silver horn glinted in the moonlight. "Hey, glad you could make it." Her eyes flicked up to Dipper's newly-grown antlers. "Nice, um...antlers."
Dipper sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately they came with the whole cervitaur package."
Pacifica shook her head. "No it's fine, they...suit you. In a way. Anyhow," she said quickly as they began to walk. "We need to go around the side. I left the door unlocked and there are fewer servants that way. We'll have to sneak through the halls and get to the hidden room." They picked up the pace, hugging the property's boundary and sticking to the shadows.
"So what did you find in there?" Dipper asked as he sidestepped a wandering peacock. "It must be more than just information if you risked bringing me along."
Pacifica produced a sheaf of papers from her jacket. "Well, as it happens, there's more to the mansion than what the blueprints show."
"You mean a secret room?"
"Try a secret basement," she said, a smile on her lips. "At least, a part of the existing basement we didn't know about."
"What? How did you guys not know about it?"
Pacifica shrugged, tapping the folded papers. "I found these under some loose floorboards. My parents still don't have a clue about that room, by the way. From what I read it looks like Clinton bribed the construction workers into building it in secret. My great-great-great grandfather and his wife left town for some time during construction, and Clinton stayed behind. He must have had the builders do it while they were away."
"So this must've been when Clinton still had good relations with his family if they trusted him to oversee the construction on his own," Dipper reasoned. "But I still don't see why he'd go to the trouble of all this secrecy. Maybe he was getting annoyed with his brother for some reason, but this was before they had their falling out. They definitely had one at some point, going by that entry he wrote. But what caused it? Maybe he just didn't like sharing his treasure and had that secret area built to hide it." Dipper rubbed his forehead. "It looks like we both have crazy relatives with kleptomaniacal tendencies."
Pacifica giggled. "Looks like it. What you're saying makes sense, though. I'll show you this stuff once we get to the room." She hesitated, then added, "I can't stress this enough: we need to be quiet. I'll lead us through the halls where the servants don't spend as much time. Just follow my lead."
They skirted the perimeter of the courtyard and arrived at an area across from the side of the mansion. The two galloped across the lawn quickly, arriving at a small door set in the weathered oak, hidden by bushes. It seemed to be some kind of service hatch; inconspicuous and placed for the convenience of the staff.
Pacifica gripped the handle and looked up at Dipper. "Ready?"
Dipper took a deep breath. "Ready."
With that, the pair entered the mansion.
Mabel, meanwhile, had sent out a text of her own. With Dipper's map sealed safely in a Ziploc bag, she swam quietly through the canal, headed toward the lake. She couldn't simply sit twiddling her thumbs waiting for Dipper to return. She had her own treasure hunt to attend to! Boy would he be surprised when he next laid eyes on her. She giggled at the thought as she cut through the water gracefully, the moon shining down from its place in the serene night sky. The Mystery Twins were back in action, each pursuing their separate endeavours.
