Chapter Title Courtesy of 3D Phantom


Normally, when random kids walked into the shack, they left fairly quickly. Ford was fairly sure that Stan's strange very fake, but very creepy hybrids and 'mystery' things, scared them away. Well, most of them under the age of 11. It was sometimes hard to remember that the kids were 16.

"Okay Stanley, what?" Ford huffed, turning to face his twin upon arriving within his lab.

"You obviously don't trust this kid-"

"A little too much of a coincidence if you ask me," Ford said with a frown.

"So you keep an eye on her, but, for gosh sake, don't do anything crazy."

Ford leaned back, "When have I ever done anything 'crazy'."

Stan laughed, "Oh, please, let me count the ways."

He groaned, "Fine, yes, nothing 'crazy' sure. I'll just make sure she's not a demon-"

"Why would the kid be a demon?" Stan complained.

"Stanley," Ford shook his head, slightly amused, "The signs are all there, I just need to confirm-"

"Don't- stop there, if it involves using some random device on her, then no."

Ford folded his arms, "You're getting more and more difficult."

"You're getting crazier and crazier, just- don't- be weird," Stan grumbled dismissively as he walked away.

"What am I supposed to consider weird?" Ford let out, raising his arms in protest.

"Anything involving homemade devices and/or gnomes!"

Ford frowned, and glanced around his lab, "I've never used gnomes with one of my devices, that was all Fiddleford," he mumbled.

Mabel was in an intense staring contest with Quell. Mabel patted Waddles and nodded slowly, "You're good."

"At what?" Quell asked.

"All of it. So, what's true, you actually Bill's sister?" Mabel smiled.

"So you know?"

She nodded firmly, folding her arms, "I know more than most."

Quell nodded, "I thought so. Actually, I was the one 'adopted', as you'd call it."

"Is your name really Quell?"

"It is. He call's me Tetris though, he likes nicknames a lot for some reason."

"Yeah, that's easy to tell. So, do you have the same problem he does or-or"

"I have a host, don't worry, she's pretty happy about wandering about the Mindscape. She wanted to haunt her friends and stuff for a week."

Mabel raised a brow, "You didn't trick her into it?"

"Not at all. In fact, I'm returning her body after the per-determined time and place. I even agreed that I'd stay with her family so they don't worry."

"That's nice."

Quell laughed, "Well, part of me knew that you would eventually ask how I got this host and, I didn't want to get attacked for it."

Mabel narrowed her glare, "I guess you'd be right."

"So, who else knows?" Quell said, her expression darkening quickly.

Mabel swallowed, "Right-um, just me and Pacifica."

"Lama on the Zodiac," Quell said as if to confirm.

"How did you know-" Mabel muttered.

"Adopted sister, remember? I've known him for centuries, I made Zodiac."

Mabel's eyes widened, "You- But- That's supposed to- you know."

"Don't tell Bill," she smirked, "And it shouldn't destroy him if it worked right, just, cause him to get himself out of his little tantrum."

"Tantrum?" Mabel giggled, "What, is he a child?"

"I'm surprised his human body isn't younger," Quell grumbled, "He acts like an 8-year-old sometimes."

Mabel frowned, "So, how do you think he got a human body- like, what kind of-"

Quell smirked, "That, you're going to have to determine with him."

"You don't know or do you not want to tell me?"

"I want your deal with him to work. But, he's stubborn, and his very fragile pride has already been hurt. So, I'm here to get that ball rolling."

Mabel tilted her head, "I don't know what to think of you Quell."

"Most people don't," she said with a smirk. Quell looked back, "Now should be a good time to see how my other project is going, when should I return?"

"What other project- what?"

"My fail-safe really, any particular time I should come back, I have to be back at my host's home by 9."

"Um, well- after dinner, I guess."

Quell nodded, "Thank you, I'll be back then. You have my permission to tell anyone but Bill about anything we've discussed."

She nodded slowly.

"Oh," Quell turned around, "and, maybe don't tell your great uncle Ford, he's always been sorta jumpy after Bill messed with him so."

"Wait!" Mabel let out.

Quell paused with a sigh, "Yes?"

"Who's older?"

Quell smirked, "We're more like twins. Bill would say he's older, but I'm actually older, by about two seconds."

A creature, almost the size of a large dog, weaved through the forest to meet Quell. The animal trod lightly on the ground like a cat, soft-footed, almost like the ground was a bed of soft down. Blended easily into the forest with its dark hide. Turning its head, the creature gave Mabel what felt like some kind of smile, it's iris a bright flashing white.

Mabel tilted her head as the animal followed the Dream Demon as the animal disappeared completely. Invisible. As if it was never there at all, simply a part of her imagination. Mabel frowned.

Bill grabbed the plate of cookies and turned to run, "Thesearemine, thankyou, bye!"

"Hey!" Mabel complained, "I didn't see you help make those!"

Bill leaned in the doorway and stuck out his tongue, "Someone kept me cooped up bored as hell behind a cash register."

"It was a slow day," Dipper said, walking in behind him.

Bill glanced backward at him, "So your crush left?"

A bright red blush ran through Dipper's face, "I- She- I don't have a crush on her anymore!" Dipper complained.

Bill giggled, "Ah, alright, sure."

Dipper frowned, "And yes, Wendy went back home for dinner. Which you really need to have before you eat those sugar death-traps."

Bill glanced down at the cookies and Mabel stole them from his hands, "They are not sugar 'death-traps' Bro-bro."

Bill pouted and folded his arms, "Well I don't see anyone making dinner."

Dipper sighed, "Well you don't want another spaghetti incident."

Bill laughed, "Did we even eat the spaghetti?"

"Don't touch my cookies," Mabel commanded as she pushed past him, "I'm gonna see if Stan or Ford plan on cooking."

Bill pouted. "Someone feed me," he complained, "What can I do to satisfy the physical pain in my stomach?"

"Dude-" Dipper shook his head, "Did you get lunch?"

"Oh yes, the mid-afternoon meal of the day. Um, no," Bill huffed, "I wasn't feeling the physical pain of hunger. Didn't think about it."

Dipper groaned, "There's something wrong with you."

Bill smiled, "Glad you noticed."

Ford fiddled with a device that currently refused to work. He frowned and looked around the gears, "What's wrong with it? It worked yesterday."

"Hey Grunkle Ford, where's Grunkle Stan?"

"Something or another with Soos," Ford muttered. "I see that everyone's left?"

Mabel nodded, "Yep, Quell might come back after dinner though."

Ford let out a huff, "I would expect as much."

"So," Mabel sang, "You gonna cook dinner?"

Ford glanced up at her, "You always complain about what I make."

"Because you make weird stuff that must be from other dimensions."

A faint crash of items came from upstairs. They both glanced up and Mabel frowned, "Those boys better not be fighting over cookies."

Ford shook his head with a mild amusement, "We better check. However, you think of food for me to make and I'll do it."

Mabel smirked.

Ford groaned, "I'm not making anything that involves sprinkles," Ford said as he stood.

"Awe," she moaned, "Why not?"

"Because sprinkles don't mix well with dinner." Ford shook his head. Mabel giggled and turned to go back upstairs.

"You better not have nommed on those cookies, Billy!" Mabel warned as she walked into the living room.

It looked like a hurricane had gone through the living room. Things were flung across the room. She propelled herself into motion and she looked around the wreckage hurriedly, "Dipper? Billy?"

Stanford followed her into the room and paused, "What- what happened?"

Mabel shook her head and perked up at the image of her brother's 'noodle arm' from under the tipped over the couch. She jogged to him and pulled the couch aside.

"Dip! Dipper!"

He groaned, "Stop screaming in my ear."

"Dippy, what happened? Are you okay?"

He nodded slowly, "As good as I can get. I don't know how-" he sat up, "Where's Billy?"

Mabel's eyes widened, "Oh gosh, where is he?"

"Found him!" Ford called, checking the teenager's vitals, not daring to move him. "He seems to be unconscious."

Dipper shifted up, "Is he okay?"

Ford frowned, inspecting the ground around Bill, "Did you see what happened to him? We need to make sure it's safe to move him."

Dipper shook his head and took to an unbalanced stand, "I- I. It was a blur."

Mabel frowned at him, "Are you okay though?"

He sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine." He limped next to Ford, "What do we do?"


Sorry, this one's a touch short. And a touch late. (Sorry a thousand times, I hope none of you became like the Sherlock fandom... I'm one of them so I should know.) HOWEVER, I'll take this as the opportunity to inquire: Q 1: Should I attempt to write larger descriptive paragraphs or keep to my current more dialogue-based style? Q 2: is the level of fluff & comedy (I do hope you're finding me funny because I find me funny), and the level of action/mystery balanced enough? Q 3 (because all good things come in threes): Should I start attempting to name the chapters? ...Honestly, the names will either be jokes only I get or bland as ever. Whatever you think will allow you to remember the chapters and your place in the story. If you desire to answer my random questions, PM me, unless you plan on giving me a lovely review. By writer's law, reviews do make one happier and a happy writer writes faster!