Chapter Nine: Dunwich Inn, Part One
The school bus sat alone in a field of snow. The sky was still thick with dark clouds, casting the entire area in darkness. Inside the bus, the students were coping as best they could. Soos had managed to get the air conditioning running again, and switching it to 'heat' had allowed everyone in the bus a moment of warmth.
There was a small light directly above every seat in the bus. Some of the students had turned them off, and went to sleep. A few of them had turned their lights on to read, or even get some of their extra school work done. Others were simply talking amongst themselves in hushed tones.
In the middle of the bus, Marius was sitting quietly in his seat and staring blankly out the window. Outside, it seemed like a swirling abyss of black and white. The snowstorm seemed to be getting all the more violent as time passed by. Every now and again, he would see a flash of lightning somewhere off in the distance. The clap of thunder that came soon after would rock the entire bus, causing some students to let out small gasps or shrieks.
Marius however, remained silent.
Marius von Fundhauser had been through a lot of unusual things during his relatively short life time. He had been raised primarily by his grandparents, ever since his father died in what had been described to him as a 'freak sauerkraut accident'. His mother had died shortly after giving birth to him.
He had been born into nobility, of course. So unlike many other orphans, Marius had lived a life of great luxury. He tried not to take that for granted.
Marius had been home-schooled throughout his entire childhood. He had been taught by a long line of some of the greatest teachers in the world. Among the usual subjects, he had also been taught fencing, horse riding, caviar appreciation and various other stereotypical rich person things.
During his free time, he would attend various charitable functions across the world. He had even taken to volunteering at a nearby orphanage. He would do everything from cooking, to cleaning, to reading to the younger children. He had gained such a reputation for his charity work, that some people had even taken to referring to him as 'Prince Charming'.
Most of the people who referred to him as Prince Charming, were doing so with an air of sarcasm. Many people seemed to think that his charity work was some kind of desperate ploy for attention.
But for Marius, it was nothing short of flattering. One of his greatest dreams was to be a hero. It was a dream he had been holding on to for as long as he could remember. And the 'Prince Charming' from his grandparents old fairy tales seemed like the perfect role model.
Nobel and courageous. Unafraid to stand up for the greater good.
A knight in shining armor.
'You are a coward. And a fool.'
Marius felt his hands tighten into fists. It wasn't often that he got angry. He usually preferred to keep a level head. But whenever he thought about that man...
He took a deep breath, and tried to shake it off. He soon found himself looking around the bus, searching desperately for something to take his mind off the past. Then, he noticed Grenda. Sitting close to the back of the bus, and smiling.
He felt a familiar sting in his chest, and his heart began to sink.
'Vielleicht sollte ich nicht hierher gekommen sind...' he thought, as he sank back into his seat.
"... Maybe I should not have come here.." he repeated, this time aloud and in English.
He let out another sigh, and went back to staring out the window.
His reasons for suddenly enrolling in Lovecraft Boarding School were somewhat... Complicated. His grandparents had insisted on it. They said he would be 'safe' there. Safe from what exactly, they had never told him. All he really knew, was that it was supposed to be a secret. He had some suspicions, but he couldn't be sure.
Marius sighed again, as he gently pressed his forehead against the window. Outside, it was pitch black. All he could really see was his own reflection. He looked tired. His long brown hair seemed a little more unkempt than usual, and if he looked hard enough, he could just make out what looked like beard stubble on his upper lip.
Marius suddenly remembered something that Grenda had told him, back when they were still in a relationship.
"Facial hair is so cool! You should grow some! You'll look like the most awesome guy in all of Australia!"
Marius smiled a little, but it quickly faded. It had been quite some time since she had broken up with him, and everything he had tried to get her back had failed. Sometimes spectacularly. But even after had forced himself to give up- Grenda held a special place in his heart. Marius gently rubbed his upper lip with a gloved hand, and frowned a little.
"...It is foolish of me to think... That facial hair might have her change her mind..." he muttered to himself.
"Heya, Marius!"
At the sound of the voice, Marius practically jumped out of his own skin. He let out a high pitched yelp before he spun around in his seat to face the source of the voice.
Mabel Pines was standing in the aisle between the bus seats, carrying what looked like a mountain of junkfood. There were lollipops, chocolate bars, packets of marshmallows, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies and all manner of other things. Marius stared at the pile of junkfood for a moment, and then turned his attention back to Mabel.
Mabel grinned. "Aw, don't worry about that, Marius. I catch Dipper checking for facial hair all the time." she said.
Marius blushed a little, and cleared his throat. "M-... May I help you, Miss Mabel?" he asked.
Mabel nodded. "Yeah! Our study group is having a big card tournament, and we're betting all of our bus snacks. The stakes have never been higher." she announced. "We're all moving to the back of the bus, so there's room. Come and join us! It's gonna be the battle of the century!"
Marius glanced back at Grenda, and rand his hand over his upper lip. He felt his chest start to tighten, and his heart sink. He took a deep breath, and sighed. "Miss Mabel... Perhaps it is being for the best, if I... If I stay out of your... 'Study group'." he muttered.
Mabel blinked, and tilted her head just enough to make her look like a curious puppy. Then, she suddenly cleared her throat and rose her voice. "Candy! Gill! Could you guys take all of this stuff to the back of the bus for me?" she barked, paying no mind to the many dirty looks she was receiving from the other students.
It was enough to stir Mrs Voorhees, who twitched, muttered something about killing teenagers, and then seemed to settle back to sleep.
From the back of the bus, Gideon and Candy took a break from glaring at each other to walk over to Mabel and collect the junk food. As they made their way back, Mabel began to carefully squeeze past Mrs Voorhees, before setting herself down between Mrs Voorhees and Marius. It was a tight fit, and Marius had to press himself against the window to give her enough room to sit.
Once she was settled, Mabel turned to face him. "Alright, what's up?" she asked.
Marius wriggled a little in his seat. "Er..." he muttered. "Entschuldigen Sie?"
There was a long pause, as Mabel simply stared at him. Looking curious.
Marius sighed. "... Sorry..." he muttered. "What do you mean by 'what's up'?"
"Well, I dunno... You've been doin' a whole bunch of sighing and staring off into the distance lately. And usually, that means something's up. So... What is it?" asked Mabel.
Marius fell silent, as he slowly shifted his gave to the floor.
"It's about Grenda, right?" asked Mabel.
Marius flinched a little. "...Ja..." he muttered.
Mabel rubbed the back of her head, and sighed."... I'm sorry. I knew it'd be kinda awkward and all... Inviting you to our gang and stuff..." she muttered.
There was an awkward pause between the two of them, while Mrs Voorhees continued to snore and grumble to herself.
Finally, Marius spoke up.
"Then... Miss Mabel... I must ask you... Why? Why... Did you invite me?" he asked.
Mabel smiled. "Because you're a good guy, Marius. Plus- when I saw you looking like a little lost puppy in the dining room... I just had to help out! It's the right thing to do!" she exclaimed.
"I-... I see..." muttered Marius.
"Besides... You kinda reminded me of someone else I know that always looks kinda lonely..." said Mabel, in a much quieter voice.
Marius thought for a moment. "...You mean you're brother?" he asked.
Mabel's eye turned downcast for a moment, but she quickly shook it off. And Marius suddenly got the feeling that he had said something he shouldn't of. Before he had the chance to apologize, however- Mabel had spoken up again.
"No... I was actually kinda thinking about Pacifica... Although... Maybe a bit of Dipper, too..." she muttered.
"I, apologize, Miss Mabel. I-... I did not mean to insinuate anything about your brother. I-"
"No. You're... You're right. He always acts like he's all alone. Even when I'm around. It gets a little annoying sometimes. Sometimes it makes me just wanna smack him! I mean, we're supposed to be in this together, you know! Mystery twins for life!" she exclaimed.
"...I'm sure that he is still thinking of you, Miss Mabel." said Marius.
Mabel sighed. "I know that. It's just... I dunno. I guess it's kind of a guy thing. He wants to carry all of his burdens all by himself, because he thinks that by doing that- then no one'll get hurt. I just wish he'd get it through his dumb face that some people actually care about him. And... And they feel sad when they see him closing himself off from the rest of the world... Even if it is to protect everyone. Or... himself."
There was another moment of awkward silence between them. And once again, Marius was the one to break it.
"I have not really spoken to your brother... But, if he has such a caring sibling... Then I am certain that he will be okay." said Marius.
Mabel smiled a little. "Thanks... Marius..." she muttered.
Before yet another moment of silence could fall between them, Mabel suddenly shot up to her feet. "O-kay! Now, what do you say to a psychological battle for card-based dominance!" she exclaimed.
Marius hesitated for a moment, but finally relented. "...Very well." he muttered.
Wearing a victorious grin, Mabel led Marius to the back of the bus, where Grenda, Gideon and Candy were all waiting impatiently.
"Oh yeah, well I'm gunna eat those gummi things right in front of you!" yelled Gideon.
Candy let out a dramatic gasp. "You monster!" she exclaimed.
Grenda was sitting between them, looking bored.
"Alright, everyone! It's officially time for the Epic Card Explosion! The stakes are high! Now, prepare yourselves for the battle of a lifetime!" Mabel exclaimed.
Candy pumped her fist into the air and cheered in solidarity, while Gideon did his very best not to look nervous in front of Mabel. In his puppet body, it was easy not to blush or start sweating profusely- since it was impossible to do so in the first place. All he had to do was keep himself from trembling. Which was proving to be harder than he thought.
Grenda however, stood up. And, with an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face, she walked over to Marius.
Marius stepped backwards a little, only to feel Mabel subtly nudge him forward. Before he could ask what was going on, Grenda loudly cleared her throat.
"Hey, Marius..." she muttered. "Listen... I know I've been kind of... A jerk to you, these past couple of days..." she said, before giving Mabel a stern look. "Honestly, I didn't really think I'd wind up hanging out with my ex-boyfriend..." she grumbled.
Mabel avoided eye contact, and pretended to whistle.
Grenda's features quickly softened. "But... Look. To be honest, I didn't really like how... How we ended things, and... ARGH! This is so hard!" she bellowed.
Mabel and Candy spoke up in unison. "You can do it, Grenda! You're almost there!"
Grenda let out a loud sigh. "But, listen... You were always a good guy, and I think... I think I'd like to try and be friends with you..." she said. "I... I really hate awkward stuff like this... Okay? So just... What do you say? Friends?" she asked, as she extended her hand out in front of her.
Marius stared at her for a moment, as a flood of memories suddenly washed over him. He remembered every date, every smile they had shared, and every kiss. His chest tightened.
He was still in love with her. He knew it the moment he set eyes on her again in the dining room. But as he stared at her extended hand, he felt the tightness in his chest slowly soften.
He loved and respected Grenda. She was everything he had always sought in himself. She was strong, and brave. She was his very first love. And now... He had to let it go.
Marius took a deep breath."I... I would be honored, Grenda. Thank you." he said, as he gently shook her hand.
Mabel and Candy cheered in the background, while Gideon focused on fixing his wig for the umpteenth time- completely unaware of what was happening directly in front of him.
As Marius and Grenda took their seats, Marius took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. He was happy to be back on speaking terms with Grenda. But that didn't stop the pain in his chest. He took another deep breath, and glanced at Grenda.
She was smiling again.
And all of a sudden, so was he.
Finally, with everyone sitting at the back of the bus, Mabel puffed out her chest to make a grand proclamation.
"Now that that's out of the way- let the Infinitely Epic Card Explosion of Doom... Begin!" she announced.
And with that, the five remaining members of the study group began what would go down in history amongst the other students, as the loudest and most annoying card game in history.
And for the first time in a while, Marius felt... Happy.
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
Soos had been standing outside for what seemed like an eternity, armed only with a flashlight and his keen sense of observation. He was on lookout duty- doing his best to keep an eye out for any inconceivable horrors and/or chupacabra's that might decide that a bus full of teenagers was too good a meal to pass up.
The snow storm seemed to be fluctuating. Going from bad, to worse, to suddenly going still- and then back again. It was still pitch black outside, save for the occasional flash of lightning.
Soos rubbed his gloved hands together, and huffed. "...C'mon, Dipper..." he muttered. "Don't to this to me, dude..."
It had been hours since he had watched Dipper and Pacifica disappear into the snow. He wanted to go after them, but he couldn't leave his post. Plus, there was a very good chance that he would only end up getting himself lost.
Soos let out a long sigh. A few more minutes passed by, and he still couldn't hear or see anything but the storm.
As time continued to tick by, Soos found himself starting to daydream.
It was the usual thing. He and Melody, standing in front of the Mystery Shack. In front of them, a group of kids. Three or four of them- he hadn't decided quite yet. Two boys, and two girls.
He imagined sending them off to school. Watching Saturday morning cartoons with them. Watching them grow up. He thought about how he would always be there for them. No matter what.
Soos grinned.
In that future, he would invite the Stan twins to dinner every night. And they'd go camping together, along with the kids. Dipper and Mabel would be all grown up. Which would be kinda weird, but also kinda cool. Gravity Falls would continue to age along with him- but it would always have that same air of mystery to it. And he'd make Melody smile at least once every day- without fail.
"I wonder if she'd let me name the kids after giant robots... 'Extreme-a-tron' wouldn't be bad... Oh!" he suddenly exclaimed, slapping himself on the forehead for emphasis. "How could I have missed it! 'Gun-Sword'! I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier! No-one would mess with a kid called 'Gun-Sword'! It's perfect!"
As Soos continued to build his list of perfect names, which included 'Mega-Ultra-Omega-Dynamic X', 'Super Metroid' and 'Stan', he noticed something in the distance.
A small flicker of movement. He frowned a little. "Alright... I guess I'd better lock all of those awesome names away in the memory bank... I wish I had a pen or something... Oh, wait! I think I do! Just need something to write on... I wonder if Mrs Voorhees will mind if I use some of those bandages she keeps wrapped around her head..." he muttered, as he took a few steps forward. He thought for a moment, and then shook his head.
"Focus, Soos." he told himself, as he held his flashlight out in front of him. "Hey! Dipper! Pacifica! Is that you, dudes!?" he called out.
Two figures slowly emerged from the darkness.
Soos gasped. "Dudes! It is you!" he exclaimed, as Dipper and Pacifica stepped into the light of his flashlight. They both looked a little different from normal. They were both visibly shaken, and Pacifica's hair was a complete mess. She was also wearing sunglasses, for no apparent reason.
Dipper seemed to be standing a little taller than usual. His hair seemed a little darker and silkier than usual. As if Mabel had just attacked him with a pile of hair care products. He was still wearing his glasses, but somehow they were less... Nerdy. In fact, the way he was wearing them- they almost looked... Cool.
But before all of that, the first thing he noticed, and the thing that shocked Soos to his very core- was that they were holding hands.
Soos gaped at them for a moment. Finally, he snapped out of it just long enough to sputter a few words. "Wha- What happened?" he asked. 'Are they going steady now? Is that it? I have to tell Stan! And Mabel! And then Stan again!' he thought.
Dipper and Pacifica shared a nervous look, before Dipper finally cleared his throat and rose his voice. "Jes! Eet iz us! Jou're allies... Deeper, and Specifica!" 'Dipper' exclaimed, as he took a bow. 'Pacifica' immediately smacked him on the back of the head.
"Oi! It's pronounced Pacifica! It's a Pa! Ya damn frog!" she bellowed.
'Dipper' rubbed the back of his head, and scowled. "Jou are ze worst..." he muttered.
Soos blinked, and rubbed his chin. "Uh... You know- Something seems a little off about you guys..." he said.
"Is that 'ow you blokes go about talkin' ta everyone ya meet!? 'Ow about invitin' us in the cold instead o' goin' around callin' people off? Ya damn gorilla-mouse!" exclaimed 'Pacifica'.
Soos simply stood there, looking dumbfounded.
"Oh! Look over zere!" exclaimed Dipper, as he pointed at the bus. Soos turned to look, and while he had his back turned- 'Dipper' smacked 'Pacifica' on the back of the head. "Jou eediot! Ve are under ze cover! Remember? Jou must act refined! Like ze rich girl!" he whispered.
'Pacifica' stuck her pinky up her nose and grunted. "Sounds like too much bloody trouble if ya ask me." she grumbled.
"Well no one is asking jou!" hissed 'Dipper'.
Soos turned back around, still looking confused. "Uh... There was nothing there, dude." he said.
'Dipper' let out an awkward cough. "Jes, vell- I suppose all zis snow eez making me a little... Ow jou say... Off."
"Uh... Yeah... I, uh... I can see that... Hey, did you somehow grow a mustache while you were out there?" asked Soos, as he pointed at the thin black mustache sitting above 'Dipper's upper lip. In a flash of movement, 'Pacifica' quickly grabbed it, and promptly tore it off.
"KYAAA!" screamed 'Dipper', as 'Pacifica' threw the mustache away behind her.
"What mustache?" she asked, doing her very best to look innocent.
Soos opened his mouth to say something, only to slowly close it again. "Uh... Huh..." he muttered.
There was a long, awkward silence as the three of them stood there in the snow. Finally, Soos cleared his throat. "So, uh... Listen... Are you dudes like, some kind of ancient alien demon things that're pretending to be Dipper and Pacifica so that you can lead me and everyone else to their painful demise?" he asked.
'Pacifica' huffed. "Well, I wouldn't say we're ancient..." she muttered.
'Dipper' coughed and sent 'Pacifica' an angry glare. "What Specifica means to zay, eez zat ve are normal. Jes. Very... Very... Normal."
'Pacifica' shrugged, and went back to picking her nose.
Soos frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Well... I guess if you really were shape-shifting alien-demons... Then you'd probably be a lot better at this than you are..." he muttered.
'Dipper' nodded enthusiastically. "Jes! Our ineptness proves our humanity!" he exclaimed.
"Buuuut..." Soos continued. "If there's one thing I've learned in all my years back at the Mystery Shack... It's that even monsters and alien-demons can be bad at their jobs. Especially time-travelers." he muttered, as he stroked his chin in thought.
'Dipper' gulped as he nervously tugged on his collar. "W-well, jes... But, as ve stated... Ve are ze real Deeper and Specifica. I-... I mean... Look! Ve are 'olding hands! Only ze real Deeper and Specifica would do this, jes?" he said.
"Nope. They're in sort of a 'Tsun-dere' phase right now. I think they're still a little ways off from being all 'Dere-dere'. Of course- that's just me." said Soos, with a simply shrug.
'Dipper' blinked. "Er... What?" he muttered.
'Pacifica' snorted. "They're anime terms, ya uncultured frog. And wait! Are you tellin' me that we've been holding hands all this time for no bloody reason!?" she exclaimed.
'Dipper' grimaced. "Believe me, I am 'ave much more reason to be upset about that than jou do." he muttered.
'Pacifica' finished picking her nose, and wiped the snot off on her skirt. Then, she frowned. "What's that s'posed to mean?" she growled.
'Dipper' sighed. "Nuzzing..." he muttered.
There was another awkward pause between the three of them. Until finally, Dipper sighed and slumped his shoulders- looking defeated. Then, he slowly rose his hand up in front of him.
The snow suddenly stopped in the air, as Soos felt a wave of warmth wash over him, from head to toe.
"Everyzing iz... Normal. Ve are ze Dipper, and ze Pacifica. Ve 'ave found ze way to shelter. You will follow uz... To zis shelter... Understood?" asked 'Dipper'.
Soos' features slowly went slack, as he gave 'Dipper' a slow nod.
"Perfect. Jou zee, Yeb? I told jou. Zis eez going to be ze 'walk in ze park'!" exclaimed 'Dipper'.
'Pacifica' let out a snort. "Please. In the end ya just used ya bloody hypnosis on 'im. I coulda done that all on my own, ya damn frog." she growled.
'Dipper' sighed. "Yes, vell- 'e eez not ze only one ve are to bring to ze Inn, now eez 'e?"
'Pacifica' rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But if you wind up just usin' yer hypnosis again, then ya can owe me a Pitt. And not just a can, 'neither. I wanna bottle."
'Dipper' sighed once more. "... Very well..."
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
The air was thick with tension, as five teenagers exchanged curious glances. Each one of them were biding their time. Doing their best to analyze their opponent. Looking deep into their eyes for any sign of weakness. Each one fully prepared to strike at any moment.
Except of course, for Marius. Who still seemed to have no idea what kind of card game they were actually supposed to be playing.
He glanced down at the cards in his hands.
One of them had a picture of a cowboy dancing with a unicorn in the pale moonlight. Another one seemed to depict a furry orange creature sitting on a blue dinosaur and playing a banjo. The card next to that one depicted a creature that was labelled as a 'Snadger'.
Sitting across from him, Grenda suddenly pumped her fist into the air. "YEAH! Alright! I summon the centaur-taur! Take that!" she exclaimed, as she slapped a card down on the floor in front of her.
Candy gasped. "Oh, no... It can't be!" she exclaimed.
Grenda grinned as she let out a low, evil chuckle. "That's right! And with it's infinite power... I shall be the snack food champion!" she announced.
Candy and Mabel reeled back in terror, as Grenda gave a sinister chuckle.
A voice suddenly interrupted the dramatic scene, just before Grenda got the chance to deliver her loud victory speech.
"Hey... Dudes... Dipper. And. Pa. Ci. Fi. Ca. Have... Come. Back."
The group looked up from the game to find Soos standing over them, looking... odd. He was blinking one eye at a time for one thing. And as he stood there, he seemed to be making a series of quiet whirring sounds.
Behind him, stood Dipper and Pacifica.
"Hey... Why's he acting all... Robot-ey? You only hypnotized 'im to 'obey', right?" whispered Pacifica.
Dipper sighed. "I believe... Zat he thinks he eez a robot now." he muttered.
Pacifica frowned. "O-kaaay... And why does he think he's a robot now?" she whispered.
Dipper gave her a helpless shrug.
Suddenly, there was a blur of colors as Mabel leapt from her spot and launched herself at Dipper. She managed to wrap he arms tightly around him, before they were both sent tumbling across the floor.
Mabel quickly got back to her feet, and carefully helped Dipper do the same. "You're okay!" she exclaimed, before wrapping her arms around him for another spine crushing hug. Dipper gave Pacifica a pleading look, as he did his very best to wriggle out of Mabel's grip.
Pacifica picked her nose, and flashed him an evil grin. She didn't have very long to chuckle at his misfortune however, because before she knew it she had been grabbed by the collar- and pulled into the hug.
The sound of bones cracking filled the air for a good few seconds, before Mabel finally let them go. Dipper and Pacifica were forced to lean against each other in order to recover. Both of them were gasping desperately for air.
"What took you guys so long!? We've already finished the big game of Mabel-Cards!" exclaimed Mabel.
Dipper wheezed and grimaced. "Jes... Jes..." he muttered. "Vell... Jou see... We got a little... How jou say... 'Lost'. But, rest assured, we did manage to find ze perfect place for us to spend ze night. Eet eez an old 'Inn'. Not far from here..." he explained.
Mabel frowned a little. "I see..." she muttered. She thought for a moment, and then glanced at Pacifica. "Hey, so... How did it go? With you guys out there all alone? Did anything... Happen?" she asked, with a wicked smile.
Pacifica blinked. "Huh? Oh... Uh-... What happened was... Well... Whatever you thought was going to happen." she said.
Mabel sighed. "You mean you just bickered most of the time?" she asked.
Pacifica nodded. "Yeah. Sure. That. Whatever." she muttered.
Mabel took a long deep breath, and sighed.
As Mabel began to pout and mutter about Dipper and Pacifica being 'no fun', Dipper loudly cleared his throat.
"Attention! I, ze very normal and heroic 'Deeper'- togezzer with my faithful sidekick, 'Specifica'-" Dipper was suddenly cut off when Pacifica plunged her elbow into his stomach. He let out a loud wheeze and a gasp, followed by a few angry words in what sounded like Latin.
Pacifica gave him an angry snarl. "Call me your bloody 'sidekick' again, and I'll tie your tentacles in knots and feed you to the spiders." she whispered, angrily.
Dipper shot her an equally angry look. "Oh, yeah? Well I'll tell mother about that pet boyband you've been keeping in the basement." he growled.
Pacifica grit her teeth. "And then I'll flood the Earth with your blood." she growled.
Dipper huffed. "Then I'll flood the solar system with yours." he growled.
"Well, I'll flood the universe!"
"Then I'll flood the multi-verse!"
By now, Dipper and Pacifica had pressed their foreheads against each other as they glared and hissed at each other. Then, they noticed that they were both still in the center of attention. Slowly, they moved away from each other, and Dipper cleared his throat again.
He was just about to speak, when Pacifica suddenly pushed him aside. "Oi! If you guys wanna freeze ta death in this old rust-bucket, you can go ahead. But anyone who doesn't- follow me. There's an Inn not too far from here- with warmth and food and all that other human stuff."
Dipper nodded. "Jes. Eet 'as all of ze 'human stuff'. Like... Uh... Like... Bathrooms? And... And, uh... You know... More bathrooms?"
Pacifica gave him a look.
"What?" sputtered Dipper.
Pacifica sighed, and shook her head."Everyone, feel free to ignore the idiot and follow me to sanctuary!" she announced.
Soos, standing beside her, nodded robotically. "Affirmative. Children. Please collect your luggage and execute exiting procedures."
The students talked amongst themselves for a few minutes. Then, with a collective shrug, they slowly retrieved their bags from the overhead racks, and made their way out of the bus.
Mabel was quiet as she joined the crowd. Candy and Gideon had apparently already found something new to bicker about, and Marius seemed to be doing his best to try and keep the peace. Grenda collected her winnings, and walked side by side with Mabel as they made their way towards the exit.
"... Hey, Mabel?"
"Hm?"
"I, uh... I don't really know Dipper or Pacifica real well, but... That wasn't them, was it?" asked Grenda.
Mabel nodded.
"Huh... Do you have a plan? You know- in case they try to eat us or something?"
Mabel thought for a moment. "I don't know..." she muttered. "But... No matter what happens... We'll need to stick together."
"Oh, don't worry. I've got that covered." said Grenda, with a warm smile.
Mabel smiled back. "Thanks, Grenda."
"So... Should we tell the others?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure Candy and Gideon'll have figured it out..."
"Wait- who?"
"Huh? Oh- uh... Gill. I meant Gill."
Grenda looked mildly confused, as she and Mabel stepped out of the bus and into the snow. Mrs Voorhees was standing amongst the crowd, being oddly quiet. It wasn't until Mabel was standing next to her, that she heard Mrs Voorhees snoring. Apparently, she was sleeping on her feet. Which was easily as impressive as it was off-putting.
"It ain't too far! Everyone just huddle up!" yelled Pacifica.
Soos nodded robotically. "Affirmative. And beware of chupacabra's. The chupacabra's haunt my dreams."
Dipper and Pacifica shared a confused look, followed by a shrug.
"Er... Jes. And beware of ze chupacabra." added Dipper.
"Negative. Chupacarbra's. Plural. As in more than one." said Soos, in the same robotic tone.
Dipper sighed. "Whatever..." he muttered. "Can we just go already?"
From amongst the crowd, someone suddenly rose their hand.
"Er... Do you not think it would be best to stay with the bus? Rather than travel through this storm... We could wait for rescue in there. It is not being so bad..." called out Marius, as he did his best to keep the snarling Gideon and Candy at arms length from each other.
All of a sudden, a massive bolt of lightning leapt out of the sky and crashed into the bus. In an instant, the bus burst into flames.
All of the students turned to face the fire, each one of them wearing a mixed expression of horror and complete surprise.
Marius slowly lowered his hand. "I... I retract my last statement." he muttered.
As the group began to travel through the snow, led by the fake Dipper and the fake Pacifica, Mabel sighed. She could feel the familiar sense of dread that always came around whenever she was about to go into a big adventure. As usual- it was mostly thrilling. Unfortunately, she couldn't enjoy it.
Because even though she had her two best friends in the world, a new friend who was also her best friends ex, and a boy who had given off major 'stalker' vibes for most of the time she had known him... There were still two missing pieces.
Mabel bit her lip. "Please... Please just be okay, Dipper... Pacifica..." she muttered.
"Please."
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
A soft melody began to drift through the air, as Dipper and Pacifica began to stir.
They were lying on their backs, on an endless dark surface. The area around them appeared as an endless void. They were both damp and pale. Only an hour ago, they had both had an intense poison coursing through their veins, and they had both been slowly freezing to death. One of them almost had.
Hovering above them both, was a small black orb. It was impossible to really see, as it seemed to blend in with the dark environment. But as time passed, that began to change. The orb slowly began to change color. Going from black, to a very dark red. As time passed, the color slowly began to brighten.
Dozens of thin lines began to slowly rise out of Dipper and Pacifica. Each one of them spiraled into the orb. The ice that had been encrusted all over them began to melt, and travel up the lines and into the orb. Some of the lines began to thicken, as black liquid seemed to seep out of their pores.
The black liquid was a by-product of the spiders poison. Soon the poison itself, a thick blue liquid, joined the black liquid in travelling up the lines and swirling into the orb. The orb eventually began to glow a deep red.
Some of the lines began to writhe as they slowly turned yellow. The color began to return to their faces, and their cuts and bruises seemed to fade away.
Eventually, the lines began to fade away. Leaving only the floating red orb, and the music that continued to drift eerily across the void.
The source of the music was an old piano, sitting just a small distance from Dipper and Pacifica. The piano was dark brown, and covered with lines and patterns made of gold and silver. Sitting at the piano, and running his long fingers across the keys, was a tall old man, wearing a long black suit.
His short gray hair was parted to the side, and his face was very pale. Almost sickly. His expressions seemed to be permanently set into something resembling a mix of a sneer, and a scowl. His eyes were cold. As if there were no life behind them.
His gloved fingers continued to run across the keys, as the orb hovering above Dipper and Pacifica continued to glow.
And then, the orb burst into smoke.
The old man suddenly stopped playing the melody, and stepped away from his piano. As he made his away toward Dipper and Pacifica, he pulled a pair of thin, wire-frame glasses out of his breast pocket, and slid them on his face. Suddenly, the piano began playing again. All by itself.
The old man slid the glasses up the bridge of his nose, as his gaze moved over to Pacifica. There was a flicker of something in his eyes. An emotion he thought he had long forgotten.
The old man extended an arm. Suddenly, the sleeve of his expensive shirt seemed to turn to smoke, revealing underneath it an arm of only bone. Everything around him began to turn to smoke, including his face.
All of sudden, he was a skeleton. Cloaked in black smoke.
Slowly, Dipper and Pacifica began to sink into the darkness.
It wasn't until they had sunk fully into the darkness, that the smoke around the man began to take the shape of a suit once more, and the mans stern looking facial expression once again graced his face.
The man muttered Pacifica's name to himself, and then he muttered Dippers true name.
His frown deepened a little.
"When you awaken, you two shall find yourselves in another world. Stay on your path... Trust no one but each other. And the two of you may very well triumph against the third piece."
There was a moment of silence, as the man put away his glasses and carefully adjusted his cuff-links. Then, the man went back to playing his piano.
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
"YOU! Keep up or we'll leave you out here to freeze! And you! Just because I don't know what your name is, it don't mean I won't suspend the snot out of you!" roared Mrs Voorhees.
The group of students, along with the hypnotized Soos and the fake Dipper and Pacifica, had been walking through the snow for only a few minutes now. However, the combination of the harsh weather and the bitter cold was working to make it feel like they had been walking for an eternity. The only person who seemed unaffected by the weather, was Gideon. Even the fake Dipper and Pacifica were shivering from the cold.
Gideon was the only one who wasn't desperately huddling against someone else in a bid for warmth. He didn't need to. His puppet body didn't feel the temperature. Nor did it feel pain. He didn't eat or sleep anymore, either. Everything around him felt like a hazy dream. One that he was barely even a part of.
He didn't know if he could even count himself as being 'alive' anymore. It certainly didn't feel like he was.
Gideon buried his gloved hands into his jacket. He couldn't feel the cotton on his hands, nor could he feel the snow under his feet.
He sighed. But not breath left his mouth.
"Hey... Gill? Are you okay?"
If Gideon still had eyebrows, he would have frowned. Candy had broken away from the group to walk next to him. He tightened his jaw. "I'm fine." he spat. "What're ya'll doin' over here, anyway? Shouldn't you be over there? Pallin' it up with whats-her-face and fancy-pants?"
Candy thought for a moment. "Do you mean Marius and Grenda?" she asked.
Gideon snorted."Well, not in that order- but yeah. Now why don't you go off and bother them?"
Candy shrugged. "I thought that you might be getting cold over here, all by yourself." she said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "And it just so happens that I have a spare sweater here... Mabel knitted it herself." she said, as she pulled a sweater out of her backpack. It was bright purple, with the word 'Dipcifica' written across the chest in large pink letters.
Gideon stared at it for a moment. "What is that?" he asked.
"Well, Mabel made it because she wants to make Dipper and Pacifica wear a matching pair when they get back. It will be an incredible 'scrap-book-a-tunity'. I think so too." said Candy.
Gideon stared at the sweater for a moment, and then he moved his gaze up to Candy. He frowned, inwardly. "...So ya'll already figured out that they ain't the real Dipper and Pacifica?" he asked.
Candy nodded. "Yes."
"Really? Since when're you able to figure out anythin'?" asked Gideon.
In a flash of movement, Candy wrapped the sweater around Gideon's mouth, and tied it as tightly as she could. Gideon made a few muffled noises as he struggled to pull the sweater off of his face.
"I learned how to see through disguises a long time ago. It is all a part of maturing." said Candy.
Gideon managed to unravel the sweater just enough to make space for his mouth. "Pfft- Maturing? You still look and act like a kindergartner. Only more violent."
This time, Candy managed to shove the majority of the sweater into his mouth.
"Listen... Mabel thinks that we should all stick together. And... I agree. I have... Bad feelings." said Candy.
Gideon finally removed the sweater, and huffed. "Fine. Whatever." he muttered.
Candy frowned. "I am being serious."
"Well, I'm being serious- alright? I'll die a thousand times before I let anythin' happen to Mabel. But I ain't no hero. And there ain't nothin' I can do in this... This body." muttered Gideon. "And even if I weren't like this... She'd be better off without me. Everyone would."
Candy's frown deepened. There was silence between them, as she carefully pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath, and sighed. "You can still change." said Candy. "Into a hero... Or even just a normal boy. Your path is not predetermined. It will always be your choice."
Gideon went silent.
Candy opened her mouth to say something else- only to be suddenly interrupted by a burst of light, followed immediately by a massive burst of thunder.
Both Candy and Gideon, along with the entire group, looked out ahead just in time to see an enormous silhouette set against a bright backdrop. It was a silhouette of an enormous log-cabin, sitting on top of a hill
At the front of the group, the fake Dipper and Pacifica breathed a sigh of relief. "We're here!" they announced.
As the group made their way towards the staircase that led up to the big cabin, Candy turned to face Gideon. But, he had already walked away.
Candy sighed.
"...I think I am starting to understand why Mabel invited you... Gideon." she muttered.
There was a long wooden staircase running up the side of the hill. The stairs grounded and complained as everyone slowly made their way up, towards the enormous cabin on top. Sitting on a hook by the doorway, there was an enormous lantern. Unfortunately, it looked like it had fizzled out, so it was almost impossible to make out any details on the front door.
As soon as the fake Dipper and Pacifica made it to the doorway, it suddenly swung open. Revealing a tall man, wearing a dull grey suit that looked like it had been hastily patched and sewn together several times over.
"Welcome..." muttered the man. "I-it is an honor... T-to make your acquaintance."
The fake Dipper and Pacifica rolled their eyes and pushed him aside. As they walked through the doorway, everyone else slowly followed suit.
The room inside was enormous. The walls were made up of a stack of massive wooden logs, and decorated with a variety of lanterns. They were all hanging off of nails in the walls. Each lantern was a different shape, size and color from the one next to it- and each one of them was lit. Basking the room in a warm orange glow.
The floor seemed to be made out of long panels of dark black wood, all of it polished so highly that it was possible for the students to see their reflections in it. The front desk was enormous, and made of the same black wooden material. Across the front of the desk, the words 'Dunwich Inn' were written in big golden letters.
The man who had greeted them at the doorway moved behind the desk, and gently cleared his throat. "Welcome to the Dunwich Inn." he said, with a small bow.
The crowd of students poured into the room, all of them talking amongst themselves and enjoying the refreshing warmth in the air.
"Wow! This place is like one of the fanciest places I've ever been too!" exclaimed Grenda, from somewhere amongst the crowd of students. From somewhere else in the crowd, Candy nodded to herself. "Yes... But I think that it needs more chandeliers... You can not be 'fancy' without chandeliers."
"What if they installed a bunch of disco balls?" asked Grenda.
Candy seemed to consider that for a moment. "Hmm... Maybe..." she muttered. "But you would also need some lasers. And smoke machines."
"And a pinata!" yelled Grenda.
"Ugh- Ya'll 're just tryin' to make this place into some kinda dance club!" yelled Gideon. "And besides- Ya can't have a dance club without kareoke! What're we, animals!?"
Mrs Voorhees calmly placed her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a pen. There was a massive 'thunk', as the pen was suddenly embedded into Gideon's wooden forehead. "Shut. Up." she growled. "All of you."
Gideon pulled the pen out of his forehead, and muttered angrily to himself.
Mrs Voorhees pulled another pen out of her pocket, and started spinning it in her hand as she turned to face the man behind the front desk. "Now... What'd you say yer name was?" she growled.
The man took another small bow. "James... Nekri..." he muttered.
Mrs Voorhees frowned. The man behind the counter was tall, and very thin. His skin was pale, and his eyes had dark rings around them. He looked like somebody who belonged in the faculty back at the school. His eyes were a bright and deep blue, and his short black hair was a mess. He was taller than she was, but he still looked very young.
"How old are you?" asked Mrs Voorhees, with a slight frown.
Nekri thought for a moment. "... E-... Eighteen..." he muttered.
Mrs Voorhees sighed. "Great... Another damn teenager..." she muttered. "Are there any adults around here?"
Nekri thought for a moment, and then quietly shook his head. "N-no..." he muttered. "The owner of... This place... Passed away. A-and... I was asked to... To take over."
Mrs Voorhees' frown deepened. "So, wait... Are you the only one working here?"
Nekri gave her a small nod. "I-I'm afraid so..." he muttered. "H-however... I am quite a ch-chef... If anyone is hungry..."
The crowd of students immediately erupted into series of loud cheers and demands, ranging from caviar to fried chicken. Nekri nodded politely. "Th-the kitchen is f-freshly stocked... So... If everyone would kindly go down the hallway here to the dining room... I would b-be happy to prepare something for... F-for all of you."
Mrs Voorhees sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Follow me, students. And keep it down. Or else next time I'll hit someone important." she growled.
Gideon scowled, as the group of students quietly followed Mrs Voorhees down the hallway.
Amongst the crowd, Mabel seemed to be the only one to notice that the fake Dipper and Pacifica were no longer with them. Without saying anything, she quietly moved through the crowd to bring the study group back together. She quietly grabbed Marius by the sleeve, and pulled Gideon along by the bow-tie. Then they moved toward Candy and Grenda.
Once the five of them were walking in a group again, she could feel herself start to breathe a little easier. But as they moved further down the hallway, that brief feeling of relief began to evaporate. Mabel grit her teeth. She could feel something watching her. And the atmosphere seemed to be growing more and more foreboding.
Finally, she took a deep breath, and turned to face the study group.
"Emergency secret meeting, everyone!" she announced.
A pen whizzed through the air, and embedded itself into Gideon's forehead.
"I said, be quiet." growled Mrs Voorhees from the front of the crowd.
Gideon removed the pen, and glared at Marius. "I blame you for that." he muttered.
Marius, as always, looked confused.
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
"I say we punch 'em. Punch 'em in their faces. That'll get them to talk. But... Well, I guess it'd be hard for 'em to talk if we brake their faces... Never mind." said Grenda, as she picked up an over-sized turkey leg.
"Wait, Grenda!" exclaimed Candy, as she suddenly knocked the turkey leg out of Grenda's hand. Time slowed to a crawl, and Grenda watched in horror as the turkey leg fell through the air and landed with a soft 'thud' on the floor.
Grenda stared at her felled turkey leg for a moment. Then, she turned to face Candy with tears forming in her eyes. "Why, Candy? Why?" she whimpered.
"I know it is sad, Grenda... But we can not trust the food. What if it is filled with hypnosis-juice? Or tranquilizers?" said Candy, as she did her best to console her friend.
"I'm sorry, Grenda... But she's probably right. Why don't you eat your winnings from the Infinitely Epic Card Explosion of Doom tournament instead?" asked Mabel.
Grenda gave heavy sigh, as she pulled her bag off the floor and on to her lap. "...Fine. Here, I'll share some with you guys too. Here, Marius. Gill." she said.
The study group was sitting at one of about a dozen tables, each one of them covered with newly prepared food. The rest of the students, including Mrs Voorhees and the hypnotized Soos, were all happily eating and talking amongst themselves.
It had only taken about ten minutes for the first round of food to arrive, and it was fair to say that the students spirits were currently soaring. They had been shown the way to the bathrooms a short time ago, and some of them had even gotten the chance to take showers. There was even a public bathing area, although no one had been brave enough to try it.
During this time, the study group had been focused on two things. Finding the real Dipper and Pacifica, and figuring out why the impostors were posing as them in the first place.
Candy, Grenda and Mabel continued this discussion for a while, each doing their best to ignore the smell of the food in front of them. Then, they were suddenly interrupted.
"Um... Entschuldigen Sie... But, are you certain that Mister Dipper and Miss Northwest are really... Er... Shapeshifters? Perhaps they are acting odd for some other reason..." said Marius.
Mabel set down her packet of chocolate covered pretzels, and sighed. "Well, I did think of that. I've seen Dipper go all loopy 'cuz of a spell or a weird crystal before... But not like that. And he can't be possessed by anything either... We, uh... We kinda took measures against that kinda thing a little while ago. I got an awesome 'anti-possession' tattoo-spell. They couldn't do it in pink though..." she explained. "Dipper went a little more drastic. He can be really paranoid about that kinda thing."
Marius blinked. "Are you... Are you saying that you have had dealing with... Ghosts?" he asked.
"Aw, I've had 'dealings' with just about everything. From Lepre-corns to giant marshmallow guys. It's all a part of bein' a Mystery Twin." said Mabel.
Marius frowned a little. "I... I had heard some stories about the, er... 'Bill'. And your war with the unicorns..."
"Oh, we resolved that. We just keep our distance from each other." interjected Mabel.
"Er... Yes. But... Ghosts... And, shapeshifters... Are these not simply... Fantasy?" asked Marius.
Mabel, Candy, Grenda and Gideon all simply shook their heads.
"Nope."
Marius frowned. "I see... That is... Concerning..." he muttered.
"Don't you remember the Lumberjack Ghost?" asked Candy.
"Yeah! Remember? The jerk that turned us into wood. Back when we first met." said Grenda.
Marius blinked. "Er... Not really. Although I do remember some... Screaming. But I was more focused on... Other things." he muttered, as he did his best to avoid making eye contact with Grenda.
Mabel cleared her throat. "Alright, guys. How about this- We wait until everyone goes to bed, and then we can start investigating this place. I brought Dipper's bag with me, so we've got plenty of magnifying glasses and stuff."
"Why... Why do we need to investigate this place?" asked Marius.
"Well, 'cuz the shapeshifters are obviously connected to this place somehow. They wouldn't take us here if they weren't." explained Mabel.
Marius frowned again. "I see... And you are sure that your suspicions are not... Unfounded?" he asked.
Mabel nodded. "I'm sure."
Marius thought for a moment. Then, he shifted his gaze toward Mabel.
"...Okay. I trust you, Miss Mabel. And I shall help in any way I can. I promise you." said Marius.
Mabel smiled. "Thank you, Marius." she said.
With the plan to investigate once everyone else had gone to bed now set in stone, Mabel, Candy and Grenda moved on to other subjects, while Gideon sat there silently poking at his food and Marius began to reevaluate his entire world view.
Time passed by pretty quickly. And soon, everyone else was beginning to yawn and rub their eyes. Some of the students even began to fall asleep face-first into their plates.
Marius blinked, and glanced at Candy.
It looked like she had been right about the food.
Suddenly, Nekri appeared in the middle of the room.
"I-It is getting very late... So i-if you will all follow me... I w-will guide you to your r-rooms..." he said.
As the study group left their table, Mabel cleared her throat. "We'll meet here in an hour. Be prepared." she whispered. Everyone except for Gideon gave her an obedient nod, as they followed Nekri and the other students down another long dark corridor.
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
Back in Piedmont, Mabel Pines had an eclectic group of friends.
There was Sabrina, who had fostered a life-long affection for witchcraft. There was Alicia, a foreign exchange student whose hobbies consisted of napping, napping and more napping. And there was also Jen, a cheerleader and straight A student who seemed to be the best at everything she did.
And then, there was Lillith. She was the quietest one of the group. Perpetually shy, she could always be found reading a book and keeping to herself- even when they visited the mall together. Lillith could easily be described as 'Goth', although she tended to stare disapprovingly at anyone who actually called her that.
She had pale white skin, and long black hair. Her face was sprinkled with piercings, and her eyes where an interesting shade of amber. They seemed to sparkle whenever she was near something that she liked- like a haunted house or a collection of Gothic poetry- and they would grow dull whenever she would go near something she didn't like. Jen's cheerleader uniform for instance. Or anything pink.
It was during their first slumber party at Mabels house, that Mabel noticed something about Lillith. Whenever she looked at Dipper, her eyes would sparkle.
A secret committee was soon founded between Mabel, Sabrina, Alicia and Jen. With the sole purpose of finding a way to set up Mabel's nerdy brother with their quiet best friend. They used all manner of tactics. Each one of them designed to give Dipper and Lillith some time together, all by themselves.
Things were working well. It helped that Dipper was constantly finding himself thrust into life threatening adventures. There was nothing like an adventure or two to help bring people together.
After about a year, things finally reached a head when Dipper told Mabel that he was going to meet Lillith in a special place just outside of town- and ask her to be his girlfriend.
Mabel had never been happier for her brother. He hadn't made any friends since their time in Gravity Falls. And he seemed to be getting more and more reserved, and shy. For him to muster up the courage to ask out Lillith was quite literally the biggest deal in the entire world. So, naturally- Mabel told everyone she could about the happy news.
Everyone had been overjoyed. Dipper and Mabel's parents, all of Mabel's friends, and especially Mabel. It was just so perfect.
Then, the big night was dressed in his best clothes (that is to say, the only clothes he had that hadn't been burned, torn, or splattered with any variety of unknown chemicals and fluids). He was holding a bouquet of roses, and a leather bound book with a big black bow on it. Mabel watched him practice his little speech in front of a mirror for the better part of an hour before he finally packed everything he had into a backpack, and set out for the outskirts of town on a bicycle.
Following him had been difficult. Luckily, Dipper had been mostly distracted by the crippling anxiety and fear that seemed to have taken full control over his body. It took everything he had not to let himself run away.
Talking about his feelings was, apparently, much scarier than any demon or monster could ever hope to be.
When Dipper finally came to a stop, Mabel followed, doing her best to hide behind trees and bushes as Dipper made his way toward the clearing. Lillith was already there, waiting for him.
Mabel did feel bad about spying on them. But she knew that if she wanted the juicy details, she wasn't going to get them by asking afterwards. They would both probably just blush and clamp their mouths shut. As a gesture of good faith, however, Mabel did decide not to bring a camera. That was her gift to them. Even though it would no doubt be the king of 'Scrap-Book-A-Tunities'.
From he position behind a tree, Mabel could just barely make out what they were saying to each other.
First, was a series of awkward greetings. Followed by an even more awkward period of small talk. For Mabel, it was both entertaining and eternally frustrating. Just as she was beginning to seriously consider just pushing them into each others arms, Dipper finally spoke up.
"Uh- s-so... I, uh- I mean..." he muttered, before letting out an exasperated sigh. "I'm... I'm just going to be honest. Is that okay?" he asked.
Lillith gave him a small smile, followed by a smile.
"Okay. So... We've known each other for a while now. And I know... i know it's weird... I mean- I'm you're best friends weird brother... And, uh... I don't exactly have the best reputation around town..." he muttered. There was an wakward pause, before he quickly shook his head.
"Sorry..." he muttered, as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "What I-... What I mean is... There aren't a lot of people out there that I really feel comfortable around. I kinda... Have trust issues. Outside of my family, it's really hard for me to trust anyone. Whenever I do... And they see the kind of things I do... Well, they usually call me crazy. Or... Or dangerous. Even the people who've really seen what's out there... They refuse to believe it. And somehow... They always blame me. Like I'm the one who made the world so crazy..." he muttered.
"But you... You're different. You always have been. Like... That time, with Mabel's friends... You were the only one who stuck up for me. You... You've always been... The only one who ever believed in me. Except for Mabel, of course." he said, with a small smile.
Lillith blushed a little, and nodded.
"Do you... Do you remember what you told me, during the 'Pheonix Incident'?" he asked.
Lillith broke eye contact for a moment, and nodded again. "I told you... That you... Are a hero. That it doesn't matter what other people think... Or what they say... Your actions... Your passion, for helping others... Even if everyone else thinks of you... As some kind of villain. Or... A creepy kid... You'll always be a hero... At least... To me..." she whispered.
They both blushed, and stood there in an awkward silence. Finally, Dipper cleared his throat.
"That... That meant a lot to me..." he muttered. "And... And I just wanted to tell you, that... That you're... Amazing. You're brave... And smart... And whenever me, Mabel, or any of your friends are in trouble... You're always there for us. Even when it means going way out of your comfort zone. Or even risking your life. So... So if I'm a hero... Then so are you."
Dipper cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. There was a moment of silence, as Dipper did his best to pull himself together. His heart was beating loudly against his chest, and his palms were drenched with sweat.
This was it.
The moment Mabel had been waiting for.
"Lillith... Do you think... That- uh... I mean... A-and, it's okay if you... If you don't-... But... Would you go out with me?" he asked.
Lillith stepped closer to him. And in a flash of movement, she wrapped her arms around him.
She whispered something into his ear.
And then-
Dipper made a sound. Like all of the air had suddenly been knocked out of him.
Everything went quiet. And suddenly, Dipper slumped over. Landing on the ground in a heap. Blood began to pool all around him very quickly, as Lillith held his still beating heart in the air.
She stared at it for a moment. Then, she slowly began to draw it toward her mouth.
Mabel had never moved so fast in her entire life. During all of her time chasing and being chased by all sorts of monsters and creatures of the night, she had never felt a surge of adrenilin quite like the one she felt in that moment.
Mabel closed the distance between her and Lillith in an instant. And then, with every ounce of power she had, Mabel swung her fist- and connected a punched directly into Lillith's face. The sound of the impact echoed into the distance.
Everything else was a blur, as Lillith ran off and Mabel found herself standing over the bloody form of her brother.
Mabel screamed until her voice gave out. Her sobbing was rasped and gutteral. She quivered with both despair and rage, as she softly cradled her brothers face. Her tears quietly slid down her face and dripped on to his. Joining the mess of blood and dirt that was caked all over his face.
Her throat was on fire, and her right hand-still clenched into a fist- was red and bruised.
The world around her seemed to fade away, as she stared down into her brothers lifeless eyes.
She wanted to hold him closer. Tighter. To keep him there. With her.
She screamed his name, despite her throats belligerent protests.
Then- she felt something. A pair of large, warm arms- wrapping themselves around her. It didn't take her very long to recognise the scent of cheap cologne and seawater.
"...G-... Grunkle Stan?" she whimpered.
"I'm here, kid." he muttered.
Grunkle Ford stood beside them for a moment. He was holding an old rucksack, with the words 'TOP SECRET' printed all over it in big black letters. He opened it, and pulled out a small corked bottle of golden liquid. He pulled off the cork with his teeth, and carefully poured its contents into Dippers chest.
He was muttering to himself as he continued to rifle through the rucksack. Most of it was in latin, but every now and again Mabel would catch a word she could recognize. Almost all of them were curse words.
Finally, he retrieved a small packet of bright red powder. He opened it, and sprinkled it on top of the golden liquid sitting in Dippers chest cavity. All of a sudden, the liquid began to bubble and move. Until finally, it took the shape of a heart. It took a few seconds for it to lose it's golden hue- but before long, the organ that had been ripped out of him had suddenly been replaced.
Dipper had a heart again.
Ford snapped on a pair of rubber gloves, and grunted as he carefully massaged the heart.
"Stan? Do me a favour and call an ambulance." he muttered.
Stan nodded, and reluctantly broke the embrace with his trembling grand-niece in order to place the call.
Ford grit his teeth. Slowly but surely, the heart began to move on its own.
"... Mabel... I-... I was warned... By... By an oracle... Only hours ago... I'm... I'm sorry we didn't arrive sooner... There wasn't... There was no time..." said Ford, as beads of sweat began to drip down from his forehead.
"Are... Are you going... To save him?" Mabel rasped, as she looked up at her Grunkle's face. His eye's had dark circles around them, and his face was even more pale than usual. Still, Ford gave her a smile.
"Of course. He's going to be okay, Mabel. I promise." he said.
What followed was a complete blur, as Dipper was carted away by an ambulance. All of a sudden, she found herself in a cold hospital waiting room. Sitting next to her parents, and her Grunkle's.
The doctors came back with good news. And the very next day, Mabel was able to see Dipper with his eyes open once more. He looked fragile. More vulnerable than she had ever seen him.
But, he was alive.
Mabel apologized well over a thousand times. Insisting that it was all her fault.
But Dipper wouldn't hear of it.
"It's not your fault..." he would say, in a quiet voice- doing his very best to sound stern. "None of this is your fault."
Of course, she couldn't believe that. After all, Lillith had been her friend. Her best friend. And Mabel had been the one to introduce them to each other. She had encouraged Dipper to act on his feelings. To invite Lillith on that date...
Why?
Why did it end this way?
Lillith had always been the quiet type. Shy. Almost to a fault. But kind, and generous. And it had been obvious, especially to Mabel, just how deeply Lillith had fallen for her brother.
It was supposed to be perfect.
Mabel's eyes suddenly shot open. And all of a sudden, she was standing in the middle of the hallway. In front of the dining room. Where the study group had decided to meet.
Mabel frowned a little, and rubbed her eyes. She had fallen asleep while leaning against the wall.
"Maybe an hour was a little too long to wait before we all meet up..." she muttered. The image of Dipper's weak form lying on a hospital bed suddenly flashed before her eyes.
Mabel scowled. "Stupid memories... Tryin' to make me sad... I've got other things to worry about, y'know?" she muttered.
She wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a deep breath.
A lot had changed since 'the Lillith Incident'.
First, Lillith disappeared. And then rumors began to spread around town that Dipper was responsible. Some people even seemed to think that he had attacked her, and he had only been hospitalized when she tried to defend herself. The rumors were so wide spread and pernicious, that they even reached the people that Mabel had thought were her friends.
And they believed it.
Grunkle Ford had told her that there was something deeper going on. That the people of Piedmont were being manipulated by something. Mabel didn't know if he was telling the truth, or just trying to make her feel better.
It wasn't the first time that people had turned against her brother. But this was the first time that it felt so... Personal.
When Dipper was finally released from the hospital, he had been quick to dive into a mountain of old books and internet research. He did his best to pretend that nothing had changed, but it was easy to see how much further withdrawn he had become.
Normally, whenever her brother had his heart broken, she would immediately start trying to set him up with someone new. But this time, it was different.
She still felt like her playing love god had been largely responsible for what happened that day.
Over a year had passed since then. And Mabel still believed that the power of love would be what finally healed him. She was sure that he was ready. And this time, she would keep a careful eye on any girl that got anywhere close to him.
Even if it was someone that, deep down, she trusted.
Especially if it was someone she trusted.
"Miss Mabel?"
Mabel almost jumped out of her skin, as Marius stepped out from the shadows of the hallway. "Gah! You scared the heck outta me!" she exclaimed.
Marius blinked. "Oh... I apologize, Miss Mabel." he said.
"Well... It's fine. Just don't do that again. Emerging from the shadows is only for monsters and vampires. That's a rule." said Mabel.
Marius gave her a short nod.
Suddenly, it was quiet. Too quiet.
Mabel sighed.
Marius had his long brown hair tied into a ponytail, and he was wearing a bright red sweater with the words 'Welt beste Enkelkind' stitched across the chest in big black letters. His slender features were bordering on feminine, but his shoulders seemed a little broader than expected. His large, soulful eyes seemed distracted. They were also a beautiful shade of blue.
"...I was surprised." muttered Marius.
Mabel blinked. "By what?" she asked.
"... That you were... Er... 'Scared the heck out of'. I had thought you fearless." said Marius.
Mabel pursed her lips. "... I'm not fearless. I'm scared of lot's of stuff." she said.
"But not monsters, or ghosts?" asked Marius.
Mabel shrugged. "It depends mostly on what it is. Most of them aren't even all that bad once you get to know them." she said.
Marius rubbed his chin. "Is that so..." he muttered.
"Yeah... Although..." Mabel's hands suddenly tightened into fists as she spoke. "There are some monsters..." she muttered.
There was another beat of silence, as Mabel grimaced at her memories.
"...Miss Mabel. I know you are worried... But Dipper will be okay." said Marius.
Mabel smiled a little. "...Yeah..." she muttered.
"Oh-ho... Look's like yall're just havin' a ball of a time here on your own..."growled a voice from the shadows. Slowly, Gideon emerged from the darkness, glaring at Marius with all the fury of a thousand sun's.
Suddenly, Candy appeared beside him. "You are such a mood killer." she muttered, as she nudged him aside.
"Hey, guys!" called out Grenda, as she popped out of the shadows between Gideon and Candy. "Sorry I took so long. It took me forever to find my baseball bat." she said, as she slung the aluminum bat on her shoulder.
"You packed a baseball bat?" muttered Gideon.
Grenda nodded. "Yep. This time if there're any plant monsters, zombies or mutant pinata's- then I'll be more than prepared."
Gideon rolled his eyes, and Mabel grinned.
"Alright! Everyone's here." she announced. "It's time for the Official Super Laser-Puppy Study Group of Glitter, Sparkles and History to begin our first ever full-fledged investigation! Is everyone ready?" she asked.
"Yeah!" yelled Grenda and Candy.
"Then let's do it!" announced Mabel.
Gideon sighed. "I guess we ain't gunna be doin' this quietly, huh?" he muttered.
Together, the study group made their way down the hallway. Confident that they were ready to face anything that got in their way.
But nothing could have prepared them for what they would find in the Dunwich Inn. Or, more accurately... Underneath.
* ~ * GravityFalls * ~ *
The man playing the piano in the abyss paused for a moment.
"...What do you want?" he muttered, without bothering to face the figure standing behind him.
Not-Wendy scowled.
"Where is he!?" she hissed.
"Dipper Pines is no longer your concern." said the man at the piano.
"The hell he isn't! Tell me where you put him right now!" bellowed Not-Wendy.
The man at the piano sighed. "Dipper Pines is no longer the one in the greatest danger. The other sibling is." he said.
Not-Wendy frowned. "You mean, Mabel?"
The man at the piano nodded.
"... Are you going to let me actually do something this time? Or will I only be there to give more vague, general directions?"
The man at the piano thought for a moment. "...For what they are facing, I believe your physical presence will be required." he said.
Not-Wendy frowned. "That's impossible. You know I can't transform my physical being. I would have to be there in my true form."
"That is none of my concern." said the man at the piano.
Not-Wendy grit her teeth.
"...Fine." she spat, as she turned to leave.
"Oh, and Lillith?"
Not-Wendy froze. "...What?"
"Expect a family reunion."
Lillith blinked for a moment. Then, she grimaced. "Oh. And here I thought it couldn't get any worse."
To be continued...
(AN: Okay. So... I'm expecting this chapter to be kind of controversial. I've been planning to do an arc that focuses more on Mabel and her friends for a while now, and I was kind of setting up for that at the start of the last chapter. But, still... An entire chapter, and possibly another, without any real interaction between Dipper and Pacifica? I'm kinda asking for it, aren't I?
All I can say to my defend myself- is that once the Mabel Gangs adventure is over, there will be a very meaty arc about Dipper and Pacifica, and where they are at the moment. But right now, it's time for Mabel, Candy, Grenda, Marius and Gideon to have an arc of their own.
But- If you guys feel *really* strongly about it, I can try and juggle the Mabel Gang story along with the Dipper and Pacifica story. But I just can't see how I could do that without hurting both.
Either way, I worked really hard on this chapter, and I really hope at least one person likes it.)