Hello hello, again again! I'm back with another terribly late update. My only excuse is procrastination.
I don't exactly LIKE how this chapter ended. It feels rushed and kind of sloppy. I seem to say that a lot, but this one feels like it was poorly planned.
I do think however, that the next chapter will be quite interesting.
If you want a hint for what it's about, it has to do with dimension hopping :)
Side note: I am thinking of doing a 'Writers Thoughts' or something every update to chronicle how I improve as a writer and more importantly, what I was thinking about when I was writing and how I wanted to have everything turn out.
Also, I did not proof read this chapter. I will do it in the morning and fix a few mistakes. Too tired right now. Edit: Proof reading done! Sorry about that folks.
Other than that quick update, onto reviews!
TweenisodeOrange: It's a shortie but a goodie. You do have to work hard in writing, otherwise no one would ever write more than a few chapters! I hope you are able to finish the chapter soon.
Thank you! Yes you certainly do have to work hard in writing. It's a constant process of revisions and rewording and honestly, it's the most tiring thing I have ever done (Hyperbole). And I love it to death.
Meladi1: You know, it's incredible how skeptical Mabel is being... Like they have experienced time travel before and Soos first gf was a computer game girl that tried to KILL 'EM. God Damn it Mabel, just believe hiiiiiim *slaps both her cheeks and smack a sticker with 'BELIEVE IT' on her face*
While I do agree that I wrote Mabel a *bit* to sceptical, it was suppose to show how the passage of time, or lack thereof, affected Dipper and emphasize that there really isn't any true evidence to the fact that he time traveled other than his word on the matter. Maybe it didn't come across that way, but that's what I was going for. Will have to work on that…
Smiles1998: I'm thinking that Dipper just has to look for something different or do something different when he time travels. Maybe then the outcome will be different. Not gamer logic but my logic. Anyway, I had a fun prom and an even better graduation. Loved this chapter and I look forward to what you can do with this. Great job!
Glad to hear the prom went well. Those can get a little wild ;)
When it comes down to the butterfly effect and how it would work in a situation such as this, you are completely right. In fact...
CiaoFromItaly: TIME TRAVEL! YAY A NEW CHAPTER! MYSTERIOUS NERDTENDO GAME CONSOLE! Also is the chapter titles a play on slave state? Or is that just coincidental? I really love this fic. 3
As always, I look forward to more.
I'm ashamed to say I felt proud for coming up with that joke. Oh well.
It was actually a reference to well… Save States. Which are basically save files you can make at any time when using emulators for games. They are also another name for just regular save files.
Gamelover41592: Time travel combined with a video game that's new wonder how they'll get out of this?
You will just have to wait and see!
Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter! I sure hope it came out in a timely fashion because I do these reviews before I even write the next chapter and I have no clue!
Also. I have absolutely no clue how to write Candy and Grenda. And I hate it. I'll figure it out at some point. Probably after rewatching the series, but they don't get much time here because… Well I suck at writing them and I want to at least TRY to do the characters justice.
"What did I do to deserve this?"
Dipper, along with Mabel, Grenda, and Candy, all sat in the twins bedroom. They were seated around what seemed to be the only board game Mabel owned, "Calling all Boys!" and Dipper was trying his best to ignore them.
He was absolutely exhausted. Since his body had gotten absolutely no sleep, His body would continue to try to subtly nudge him into drifting off any chance it would get. Sure, if it had been last summer, he would have been use to not getting any sleep. His record of going without sleep was 5 days last time they visited! But that was last summer. It had been almost a full year since then and his body had gotten use to having a full night's sleep every night.
The only way he could fathom making it through the evening was subjecting him to the worst form of torture imaginable.
Staying awake during his sisters sleep over.
"Seven!" Mabel shouted as she observed the two dice she had just rolled. She moved her character seven spaces and proceeded to put the plastic phone to her ear. What sounded like a 30 year old man trying way too hard to sound like a surfer dude.
"Mabel! Why are you ignoring me? I want to be with you! Please answer back!"
"Yes! Playing hard to get worked!" Mabel shouted as she added another tally mark to her paper. "Another boy for the list!"
"Dang…" Candy said as she crossed her arms "I wanted Randy for myself."
The girls all laughed as Dipper tried to drown out their antics. He once again focused on his journal. He began to write.
"It seems as if the NES I found in the shack has some sort of power infused with it. Whenever someone uses the save function on it, it seems to save your progress in real life as well as in the game. After the individual who saved in the game dies in real life, they wake up in their body the last time they saved. All of this information is currently speculation as no real tests have been run on its features..."
Looking down at what he had written, he decided it was enough for now. He made a quick sketch of an old NES before turning his attention to a fresh page and began to write down everything he knew on the creature that seemed to have killed him twice in a row now.
"Creature: Unknown
This creature seems to appear only in dreams. It uses sound to disorient its prey before pouncing on it. From experience I can tell you it wields sharp claws and teeth. Only appears after prey falls asleep"
That… Wasn't much in all honesty. He drew a big question mark for its picture in erasable pencil and closed his journal.
He really wanted to sleep. However he forced himself to endure through the evening.
"Oooooh! Jeremy is calling!" Grenda screamed.
It was going to be a long night.
"Dipper you probably just had a bad dream"
"No I didn't! I had the same dream twice Pacifica!"
The mystery trio sat together outside the town's Ice Cream shop chatting amongst themselves. Pacifica had joined them after being called by Mabel to join them. Dipper sat enjoying his vanilla ice cream while Mabel and Pacifica sat on the other side of the bench with Rocky Road and Sherbert respectively.
"Like… I guess it's possible. This is gravity falls after all." Pacifica finished a spoon full of ice cream as she dodged some of the ice cream Dipper had flung at her after point at her with his spoon.
"That's my point! Not to mention time travel isn't a new thing to us." Dipper ate what remained of his ice cream off of his spoon. Mabel sat silently listening to their conversation as she chewed on a cold nut found in her desert.
"Wait, you guys have time traveled before? When did that happen?" Pacifica asked, always curious to hear about the twins previous antics.
"Remember when you tried to eat Waddles?" Mabel interrupted.
"Yea… Sorry about that." Pacifica said as Mabel continued to pay attention to her ice cream.
"Well Dipper and I went on a whole time traveling adventure trying to stop him from hitting Wendy in the face with a baseball."
"Why was he hitting her in the face with a baseball?"
"Because he throws worse than Bill Bergen's."
"No Mabel! It was because a series of complex algorithms that always lead me to hitting her in the face with a baseball no matter how hard I tried to stop it!" Dipper now flung ice cream at Mabel, who scraped it off her face with disgust.
"Why didn't you just… Not throw the baseball?" Pacifica asked.
Dipper stared at her and dropped his spoon, before looking down at his feet rejected and seemingly whispering something to himself continuously.
"I think… I think you broke my bother." Mabel said completely astonished.
"I thought he was suppose to be the smart one?" Pacifica said looking confused.
"Oh he is, it's just that he gets so worked up into schemes sometimes that he doesn't see the obvious answer."
"Noted" Pacifica noded. "Anyways, if you have a monster problem, are you gonna hunt it?" Pacifica asked, snapping Dipper back into reality. "You said it only appears in dreams right? Maybe we can have you fall asleep and wake you up if anything happens. That way we can study it!"
"Hmm… That might just work." Dipper flung is fist forward as if he were flicking his spoon. However, he realized his spoon was in fact, on the ground. Chuckling a bit before regaining his composure, he said "Meet at the Mystery Shack tonight."
"There. I laid out a comfy bed for my sleeping princess." Mabel formed a heart with her hands and gestured to the bed while giggling with delight.
Dippers face hung dejected as he shamefully walked towards the bed. "Shut up Mabel"
"Aww it sounds like sleeping beauty is cranky. No sleep in two days will do that to ya!"
Ignoring his sister's laugh, along with the small chuckle that came from the other end of the room where Pacifica stood, he laid back in the bed. "Remember, if it seems like i'm stirring or in pain, wake me up. Even though I saved the game, I would rather not die." Dipper, in preparation, had saved his 'game' right before entering the room. This way he could complete the experiment many times over without having to risk going back in time."
"Right-o Dip-stick! Now go to bed!" Mabel sat down in a chair in the other corner of the room. Dipper would have argued about the name, but he was too tired from staying up so long. Slowly, he fell into a deep slumber.
Tall grass surrounded him on all sides.
However this time, he was ready for it. With vigor he sprinted through the grass with all his might.
'I need to find a way to get out of this predicamen-' But before he could finish his thought, he found himself on the floor. He had tripped over something while running.
Darkness once again consumed him.
He awoke with a start. He sat on the couch with the television on and the game open.
"Dipper! Get up here!" Mabel called from upstairs.
He had died again.
"Oh well. Lets try again."
"Right-o Dip-stick! Now go-"
Mabel was unable to finish her sentence as the incredibly tired looking Dipper covered her mouth with his hand.
"Mabel I have heard you say that 37 times now. This experiment is not going well."
Mabel looked to her brother inquisitively before realizing what he meant. "Well have you tried anything different yet?"
Dipper did not face his sister and instead walked over to the bed. He fell back first onto the sheets and laid down. "Mabel I have tried everything in the book. From standing there to laying down in hopes of taking away its ability to come up from behind me. Even then I didn't see the damn thing after it flung dust into my eyes."
Pacifica stopped leaning on the wall and walked over. Obviously worried about Dippers current state.
"Alright Dipper. Give us a an idea on what happens when you fall asleep? What do your surroundings look like."
Dipper laughed. "I could paint a full color painting i've seen it so many times." His face turned serious. "But if you want me to describe it… I would say the only way I could would be a field. I always appear in a clearing, a circular clearing, and all around me is tall grass. Nothing else in sight. When I try to run, I always get tripped and when I stay still or try to focus on what is attacking me, the sounds of its approach come from all sides of me. It's just… Weird."
Mabel stroked a beard she was thankful she didn't have and pondered what he had said for a moment. "Well we know one thing, the only thing linking you and this 'monster' is the dream right? What if it has to sleep as well to have access to your head too!" Mabel concluded.
Dipper thought for a moment. "Well it's certainly plausible, but how would we find it?"
Mabel rose to her feet and pointed to the heavens with her pointer finger. "Simple! We just look for a clearing with a big monster in it!"
"Mabel this is ridiculous."
"You say that about everything i ever suggest Dipper! Let me be the smart one for once!"
"We were just in this forest yesterday! We saw nothing!"
Mabel had practically dragged Dipper half the way here much to his protests. She seemed to have forgotten Pacifica who just watched in silence as the two bickered.
'How did these two survive a summer together? Between Dipper's lust for the supernatural-' She paused her thought process for a moment before decided that was probably the best word to describe it, '-and Mabel's love for adventure and trying new and dangerous things… Any normal person would have been abducted by gnomes by now!'
"Things can change Dipper! Besides we didn't explore the whole forest!"
"Mabel the forest stretches from here to the other side of Oregon! We can't explore the whole forest! Besides what are the odds we just stumble upon the exact same field from in my drea-"
Dipper was cut off by Mabel who had shoved him forward. He found himself standing on a hill facing what seemed to be a field of tall grass. In the middle of it, was a clearing that seemed completely circular.
"How did you find this?" Dipper asked, still facing towards the field instead of his sister. His face ajar with shock.
"Apple Maps!" Mabel screamed.
"I don't believe you." Dipper commented back.
"What you don't think I can find a field with a circle in the middle on a GPS?"
"No, I don't believe you used Apple Maps to find it."
Mabel huffed. "Fine! I used Google."
"Does it really matter?!" Pacifica shouted while trying to hold back a laugh. "This is the spot isn't it Dipper?"
"Well…" He paused for a moment, stroking the beard he wished he could grow. "I don't exactly know what it looks like from above. But I guess?"
"Great!" Mabel said with joy. "Now all you have to do is go back to sleep!"
"What is sleeping going to help with this?!"
"We can find the thing that's bothering you while you're asleep!"
"Why would moving where I sleep help us!?"
"Because this is the meeting point Dipper! This is where everything is taking place in your mind! Maybe if we observe it, we can figure out how whatever is doing this to you is succeeding!"
"I..." Dipper wanted to object, but her reasoning seemed sound. Couldn't hurt to try after all.
Actually it would probably hurt a lot if he failed, but at least he would come back.
"Alright…"
Mabel squealed before grabbing his hand and leading him to the center of the circle. She laid out a blanket onto the ground and motioned for him to rest. Dipper, reluctantly, lied down on the bag before setting his head down, and falling asleep.
He was tired.
"So… what do we do now?" Pacifica asked.
"We wait." Mabel answered. "But first!" She started while a very large grin forming on her face. "We should stick his hand in some hot water!"
Tall grass surrounded him on all sides.
He was once again in the field. As he got to his feet, a sound began to encircle him on all sides…
"Mabel he got up."
Pacifica and Mabel had been watching Dipper for what seemed like an hour. After sticking his hand in hot water had done nothing, they played the occasional game of sticks on their own and Mabel even braided Pacifica's hair as it was getting in her face and getting annoying. He hadn't moved, he hadn't stirred, nothing came around him at all. They were alone in this field in the dead of night.
Then, all of a sudden, he seemed to stand up of his own accord. While his eyes were still closed, his head turned left and right as if he were looking around. His face showed a sign of concern, yet his eyes remained closed.
Mabel walked closer to him. Waving her hand across his face, he didn't even seem to acknowledge it. Instead, his movements became more frantic as he seemed to anxiously look for something.
"Mabel… Do you... hear something?"
Pacifica seemed to whisper the last part.
All around them, the sound of grass being trampled could be heard.
'It was happening again' he thought.
He tried to make a sound. Yet nothing escaped his lips. In fact he found he could not even open them. At the center of the field, sounds encircled him. Once again the noise of grass being trampled on all of his sides filled his ears. It seemed to get closer and closer, yet once again he could not make out where it came from.
Once again, he frantically looked around as if to find the ever elusive terror. Yet no matter how he tried, he could not locate it.
In a flash, he seemed to hear something behind him coming closer, before he could say anything, he was struck in the back. Slowly, darkness encircled him.
He woke screaming. His face covered in worry and sweat. But something seemed different this time.
A large weight lay on his back. His face was in the dirt, and an audible gasp could be heard nearby.
Standing up, he realized his sister was the weight on his back. By they way she was positioned, it appeared as if she had pushed him.
'Pushed me? Pushed me from where?!'
It was then he looked towards the inner circle where a large cylindrical figure loomed. Standing maybe 15 feet tall, the monster towered over the concerned children. It was ordained with both a light and dark green which encompassed its body. It's eyes however stood out like a star in the night's sky. Completely black, and void of emotion. It's face hovered over a spot he assumed he once stood. It's jay completely open and facing towards the dirt.
It was a snake.
A rather large snake, but a snake none the less. It towered over the crew as they all looked at it with aww. It did not seem to notice them. Instead, it rose itself up. No longer staring at the ground, its face rose up and its tongue spit itself out but for a moment before being consumed by its large mouth. Still, it did not acknowledge them.
Dipper, in his infinite wisdom and curiosity, yelled at it.
"Hey! Snake… Thing… What the hell do you want?!"
Its face darted to his position. As it did this, he could feel a presence he knew as Mabel move behind his back. Silently cursing the cowardice, he looked forward and called again.
"Can you speak?"
The words from the reptilians mouth seem to slither as he spoke.
"Who speaks to me? No prey I have hunted before has understood a tongue."
"My name is Dipper... " He cleared his throat "Dipper Pines."
"What is yours?"
"Names are irrelevant. I was not aware that I hunted sentient life. My condolences for any harm I may have put you into.
Would you know where I am?"
"Before I tell you that, give me your name!" Dipper commanded "I gave you mine so it only seems fitting to do the same!"
Dipper was already tracing the beast in his journal. Mabel looked at Dipper dumbfounded. Pacifica looked impressed.
"I… I have not had a name in many generations. Many times I have slept through entire civilizations. I remember this tongue in fact. However I assumed it would have been wiped out since I had fallen asleep once more."
"Well that's helpful. If you want a name, you can call yourself the 'Sleeping Serpent.' I mean that's what im calling you in my journal."
The snake seemed to laugh, before slowly bowing his head. "Very well. I believe the name fits me."
"Alrighty then…" Dipper marked down his thoughts in his journal, before proposing another question.
"Why were you hunting me?"
"I do not hunt for food like most normal beasts. My body is riddled with fatigue day in and day out and I can not stay awake for more than a day. My digestive system has adapted to this fact and can digest foods over many centuries if the prey is big enough. However, due to my fatigue. I am not able to move from my place more than a few feet. Thus, I must attract prey to my circle here in which I slowly encircle them on all sides and when the time is right, strike them from behind as to not endanger myself from being injured."
"I do not wish to harm sentient life. All that I wish for is a meal so that my existence my go on." It should not be too difficult to obtain."
"Well…That's interesting. But how the hell did you kill me if I was in the Mystery Shack the whole time?"
"I am able to send out a call to a near organism. This call will not affect them until the next time they go to sleep. When they do, it will attract them to this spot as they sleep and thus they will travel here. Most times unconsciously. When they arrive I encircle them from all sides with my body not allowing them to know where I am coming from, and strike when the time is right."
"Have you entered this forest recently? It may simple instance of you being the first to hear my call.
"Huh… Yea I guess we did…"
Dipper looked to the snake. It's completely black eyes almost blinding. He dared to ask one more question.
"Would it be possible for you to make me Not your target?"
"Certainly. I am sorry for the inconvenience. I will find another prey soon. Do not worry about me."
"Right… Well I think we will be on our way."
Somewhat shaken, the mystery trio packed up their things, and left.
"Well that ended rather nicely…"
The team was currently back in the Mystery Shack doing a quick rundown of what they had experienced.
"I still think you are lying about dying a bunch Dipper. But that snake thing was pretty cool. Seemed like a nice guy."
Mabel kicked her feet back and forth as she laid her head on her crossed arms. They sat at a desk as Dipper furiously wrote in his book.
"Do you think that thing was lying to you?" Pacifica asked.
"I don't think so. I guess we'll find out tonight." He let out a small chuckle before his expression turned grim.
"I guess…" Pacifica said. Her voice dripping with concern. "But I just feel like he was hiding something from us. And I don't think it was good."
"What it was it's over now!" Mabel said cheerfully. "Come on we don't have to worry about it! Just lock Dipper in a room and i'm sure he will be fine."
"Yea…Well i'm honestly beat. I'm off to bed. I'm sure everything will be fine."
Pacifica had already called her dad and informed him she would be staying over at the Shack with Mabel. After exchanging good nights, they went upstairs while Dipper retired to the couch.
As he walked closer to the room, he noticed that the light from the TV was still on. Entering the room, he saw Soos engaged in deadly combat with the enemies in a certain Nintendo game. Grunts could be heard as he furiously pushed buttons desperate to win.
"You're going down Ganon! Face my furry!" He screamed dealing the final blow and, in turn finishing the game. He realized he was in presence of company and turned to Dipper a smile appearing on his face.
"Oh… Hey dude! I finished the game… I think I may have reset your save and all. Sorry about that."
"Oh no…"
In the middle of the forest, there was a large patch of grass. In the center, a large snake lay dying.
Unable to obtain a meal for himself, he sat wondering if he made the right decision when sparing those children. Ones he barely knew and no one would ever know died here. Most likely would not amount to much and would be but a footnote in history at best.
He thought of the wind that rushed by his face as the boy had been saved by another child. One who he didn't know even the gender of. The desperation that filled their whole entire being in their attempt to save their friend. What he assumed a friend at least.
'How would they have felt of you took their life?' He reasoned with himself.
'You made the correct choice. In the end, you lived by your ideals. That is all that anyone can ever wish for. Rest now. After over 2 millennia of it, you should be use to the sensation.
Longest chapter yet, and probably my least favorite. I like how it ended, but the way the story came to be felt rushed and sloppy. Something to improve on in writing.
Anyways rate and review. Like I said I will proof read this in the morning. Sorry for the grammar mistakes as of now.
Edit: I just realized I forgot to add in the line breaks. Making this pretty unreadable. Wow. I'm terrible. Sorry about that folks. They are added in now.