And I'm back with a new chapter! Honestly, I'm not really sure of how I feel about this one. What do you guys think? Good or bad? Anyway, review time:
Victoria1676: Don't worry. I'm not giving up this story anytime soon.
Nina EverBlade: Perfect! I'm probably not going to use him as often since I already have two OCs, but he's definitely going to come in. I'm a bit confused though. What's his personality? Sweet, caring, snarky, careless, Magnus Bane?
AngelPines: You're excited about this, aren't you?
13ForLife: Not posting early. You'll find out soon enough. Just go read the chapter!
Nigiro(Guest): Still not sure how you know this...have you somehow accessed my story!? You are freaky...are you part of a group? This is the third review...
All right. If anyone actually reads the A/Ns, then this is when you'll find out who the mysterious OC is. Here we go. Gravity Falls belongs to Alex Hirsch, Elaina belongs to Nightfall100, Nala belongs to me, and Elaine belongs to AngelPines! Onto the story!
Nala lounged on one of the counters in the giftshop, yet another book open in her lap. Though her eyes were on the book, she was currently focused on the conversation between her great uncle and a customer.
"Uh, how about these crystals?" Stan was asking. That drew Nala's attention. The last time I checked, we didn't have any crystals… Her suspicious were confirmed when she heard the customer say, "Looks like broken glass."
"What are you, a cop?" Stan asked. Nala's hand crept toward her belt where her taser was hooked. After the incident in the abandoned store, she was never going anywhere without it again.
"Ooh! What is that new thing?" The customer cried and rushed off. Nala rolled her eyes without looking up from her book. Is everyone in this town that gullible? Two sets of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Having lived with her siblings for their entire lives, she was able to tell their footsteps from other people's, so she didn't even have to look up to know that the twins had entered the gift shop.
"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper began.
"Can we go to the diner?" Mabel continued. "We're huuungry."
"Huuuuungry," Dipper echoed. Nala looked up to see her siblings bumping their stomachs against the others. A small giggle escaped the teen. Her happiness only lasted a moment though. She reached into her pocket and checked her phone again. To her dismay, there were no new messages. She had sent Elaina what must have been hundreds of apologizes, but the she hadn't replied to any of them. How long is she going to stay mad at me?
"Yeah, sure. Soon as this yahoo makes up his mind," Stan said, gesturing to the customer, who was now looking at a fish with fur glued to its body.
"Do you have this in another animal?" He asked. Stan gave him an unimpressed look before saying, "I'm fine locking him inside if you are." Mabel and Dipper nodded eagerly and Mabel turned to Nala.
"Are you coming?" She asked. Nala considered the question for a moment. Maybe I should. It would get my mind off Elaina for a bit. Mind made up, she nodded and hopped off the counter, following her siblings outside. Stan slammed the door shut and clumsily laid a plank of wood over the handle, preventing the door from opening. Nala eyed it with more than a bit of interest. I have got to know where he learns these things. From inside the shop a voice drifted out, mumbling, "Puma shirt, panther shirt. Puma shirt, panther shirt. Puma shirt, panther shirt." Nala rushed to the car and leaped into the passenger seat before she could hear anymore.
It was only a short drive to the diner, but it felt like forever. Nala had already eaten that morning, so she wasn't hungry, but Mabel and Dipper were driving her nuts with the moaning. When they finally got to the diner, Nala was the first one in. She grabbed a booth, waiting for the family while watching a waitress bat a raccoon with a broom.
Over at the bar, McGucket was slamming an empty cup against the wood, chanting, "Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!" Nala made a face as she watched Gravity Falls' police force have a pancake eating race, turning away as fast as she could. Stan and Dipper slipped into the seats opposite her, while Mabel claimed the window seat on the side with Nala. After a minute, a women wearing a faded pink dress and a white apron walked up to their table. Blueish gray hair tumbled down her back in loose curls.
"Lazy Susan!" Stan cried. "There's my little ray of sunshine! Where were you yesterday?"
"I got hit by a bus!" She answered. Stan laughed nervously at this for a minute.
"Hilarious!" He exclaimed. Lazy Susan grinned.
"Thank you," she replied, before gesturing to the menus that laid on the table. "Can I take your order?" Stan gave his menu a disapproving glance.
"You do split plates, right?" He asked.
"Maybe," Lazy Susan said, grabbing her eyelid and forcing it open. "Wink!"
"Great!" Stan said. "We'll all split a one-fourth of the number seven, plus a free salad dressing for the lady, and a small plate of ketchup for the boy." If looks could kill, Stan would be dead from the one Nala was giving him.
"I'll have a hot chocolate," she added. Before Stan could protest, Lazy Susan had written everything down and walked off. Stan gave Nala the stink eye.
"But Grunkle Stan, I want pancakes!" Mabel protested, drawing Stan's attention away from Nala.
"With the fancy flour they use these days? What am I, made of money?" Stan asked. As he said this, a paper bill slipped part way out of his sleeve. Nala eyed it, a judgmental look on her face. Stan gently tapped it back into her sleeve.
"Awww…" Mabel muttered. Dipper glanced over Nala's shoulder and a smile lit up his face.
"Don't worry guys, pancakes are on me," Dipper said. "I'm gonna win some by beating that manliness tester." Nala looked behind her and sure enough, there was a big machine that announced that it was a 'manliness tester'. Stan and Mabel exchanged looks.
"Manliness Tester?" Stan asked, just as Mabel said, "Beating?" They both burst out laughing. Dipper looked to Nala for help, but his older sister just shrugged.
"You just gotta let them get it out of their system," she told Dipper, but he ignored her.
"What? What's so funny?" He demanded. Mabel giggled for a minute or two longer before responding, "Oh, no offense Dipper, but you're not exactly 'Manly Mannington.'" Dipper gave his twin an offended look.
"Hey, I am too 'Manly... Manny' or whatever it is you said," he retorted.
"Look, face the music, kid," Stan said. "You got no muscles, you smell like baby wipes, and let's not forget last Tuesday's...'incident.'" Nala winced at the mention, determined not to remember it. Stan, on the other hand, was determined to bring it back.
"Knuckle head here was listening to this song," Stan began, "Disco Girl or something."
You were listening to girly Icelandic pop sensation "BABBA"?" Mabel asked in shock, and Dipper shook his head furiously. Nala raised her eyebrow before smacking the palm of her hand against her forehead, trying to forget.
"No. Heh heh, I wasn't," Dipper denied. "It's not important. Look, come on guys, I'm plenty masculine. You see this chest hair?" He yanked down the collar of his shirt and Mabel gasped, covering her eyes with her hands.
"Put it away, put it away!" She cried. Stan added, "So smooth! My eyes!" Nala reached over the table and tugged Dipper's hand away from his collar, letting his shirt spring back into place. Dipper looked sadly at the table as Mabel and Stan burst out laughing again.
"Fine," Dipper said angrily, "family of little faith. Get ready to eat your words." He stood up from the chair, Nala's eyes following him nervously.
"And a plate of delicious pancakes," he added, walking toward the manliness tester. Nala could faintly hear him mumbling something to himself, but couldn't hear what he was saying. When he reached the machine, Nala couldn't see what he was doing from her point of view, but she could see the light going up. Slowly, the light went up until it hit the category 'wimp' and didn't move any farther. Dipper turned white and began to stammer something as Manly Dan walked over to the machine. Dipper seemed to try to stop him, but Manly Dan merely shoved by him and walked over to the machine. Nala still couldn't see what they were doing, but she did see the light rocketing up and the machine exploding.
Nala dove underneath the table, dragging Mabel with her. Once she was sure the explosion had stopped, she peeked up to see Dipper with a sad expression on his face and a pancake on his head. After stammering something, he ran out of the restaurant, tripping over a beaver in the process.
"I'll be right back," Nala said, her voice light and her eyes focused on the door. Stan eyed her for a minute before grunting his permission.
With that, Nala leaped up from her seat and rushed after Dipper, knocking over a person in the process. Not stopping to apologize, she darted out of the diner and caught a glimpse of Dipper hurrying into the woods. Realizing too late that she still clutched her book on the supernatural, she decided on just taking it with her.
Nala ran into the woods and quickly realized that she had lost Dipper. In hopes of finding him, she continued running, her gaze trained on the forest floor in front of her. Nala nimbly made her way around trees and leaped over several logs, somehow not tripping. She had been navigating this forest since she was twelve and had gotten good at it. What the teen wasn't expecting was a person to get in her way.
She literally ran into a shorter teen standing in her path. While, not so much standing as leaning against a tree. The girl crumpled to the ground as Nala bumped into her, a cry of shock escaping the girl. Training kicking in, Nala lunged and grabbed the girl by the wrist, twisting her arm behind her back. After a moment, she realized that she had just used a martial arts move on an unsuspecting person and let go, red coloring her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry," Nala stammered, offering the girl her hand. She gave Nala a strange look before accepting Nala's hand.
"Thanks," she muttered. Nala had the grace to look embarrassed.
"Are you okay?" Nala asked, concern crossing her face. The girl merely nodded, not saying anything. Nala's eyes drifted to her clothing, which consisted of sneakers, a flannel shirt, and dirt covered jeans.
"I'm Nala, Nala Pines." Nala held out her hand, waiting. After a moment, the girl reached out and quickly shook Nala's hand.
"I'm Elaine Milton," she said. So mystery girl has a name.
"Are you from around here?" Elaine asked and Nala shook her head.
"Nah," Nala began. "I'm just visiting for the summer. You might have seen my siblings around town? Sweater girl and pine tree hat?" Elaine wrinkled her face in concentration and after a moment, her eyes lit up.
"Them," she realized. "Yeah, I've seen them once or twice." Nala surveyed Elaine with a hesitant expression. She is really making me work to keep a conversation going. A piece of Elaine's light brown hair fell over her face, having fallen loose from her ponytail. Unconsciously, she reached up to tuck it behind her ear. It was then that Nala realized that she had dropped her book. She twirled on the spot, trying to see if it had fallen by her feet. Elaine cleared her throat and Nala looked up to see her holding her book.
"Supernatural Mysteries From Around the World," Elaine read aloud before looking up at Nala with a disbelieving expression on her face.
"You're interested in the supernatural?" She asked. Nala nodded, noticing the look of interest on the girl's face.
"Well, you don't really have a choice when your sister is kidnapped by gnomes," Nala retorted, causing Elaine to snort in amusement. Elaine held out the book, offering it to Nala. She grabbed it and tucked it under her arm with a smile. She seems nice. Maybe she could help keep my mind of Elaina for a while.
"Hey," Nala began. "My great uncle is throwing a party in a couple days. Are you coming?" Elaine shrugged.
"Where is it?" She asked.
"At the Mystery Shack," Nala explained. "You know, that tourist attraction?" Elaine's face lit up in recognition.
"That place," she said, recognition showing in her voice.. "Yeah I'll be there." Nala gave Elaine a smile stiffening as a thought hit her.
"I gotta go!" Nala exclaimed. "I still haven't found Dipper!" With that, Nala rushed off, leaving Elaine to stare after her, a look of puzzlement on her face.
Nala was running through the trees, eyes scanning her surroundings. Even though she had been running this forest for almost four years, in her hurry, she forgot about the dangers. As she ran, her right foot tangled in the root, yanking her off balance. The teen let out a cry of pain as she crashed to the ground, her ankle twisting. She laid there for a moment, panting.
After a minute, she sat up, whimpering as her foot moved every so slightly, sending a bolt of pain up her leg. Nala reached for her foot, carefully unwrapping the root and pulling her leg toward her. She rubbed her ankle for a minute, hoping against hope that the pain would fade. It didn't. An annoyed sigh escaped her as she pushed herself to her feet, trying to make herself stand. She braced a hand against a nearby tree in an attempt to keep her balance.
Slowly, she managed to stay standing, her right leg bent so that her foot wouldn't touch the ground. Nala slipped her hand into her pocket and thanked the gods when her hand brushed smooth metal. She pulled her phone out and quickly opened it, dialing a familiar number. It only rang for a few minutes before the person on the other end picked up.
"Wendy here," she said cheerfully.
"It's Nala," Nala began. "I need your help. I twisted my ankle and now I'm stuck in the woods. Somewhere near the floating cliffs." Wendy didn't say anything and for a minute, Nala was worried that her friend had hung up.
"Wendy?" She asked hesitantly.
"I'll be there in five," Wendy said, her voice totally serious, before hanging up. Nala sighed and eased herself back into a sitting position to wait for Wendy.
After roughly five minutes, Nala heard the familiar noise of the Mystery Shack's golf cart. A smile came to her face as she saw Wendy run over a bush in her hurry to get to Nala. The redhead practically flung herself out of the golf cart and rushed over to Nala.
"I'm so sorry I took so long!" Wendy cried. "I didn't know exactly where you were an-" She cut herself off as she noticed Nala's ankle.
Are you okay?" Wendy demanded. Nala gestured to her ankle, which was starting to turn a nasty purple color.
"What does it look like?" She demanded. Wendy winced at the blunt statement.
"That does not look good," she admitted. After a moment, she leaned forward and slid one of her arms under the bend of Nala's knees. The other one went to support the teen's shoulders.
"What are you doing!?" Nala exclaimed as Wendy stood up, carrying her bridal style. "Put me down!" Wendy shook her head, a smirk on her face.
"Well, you can't walk," Wendy said, pointing out the obvious, "so carrying you is the best way." She walked over the golf cart, holding Nala as though she was made of glass and might break. Wendy carefully placed Nala in the passenger seat and after making sure her seatbelt was buckled, slipped into the driver's seat and started the golf cart.
"Thanks Wendy," Nala said as they drove. Wendy didn't take her eyes from the underbush, not wanting to take any risks.
"I'm your friend, it's what I do," she said. Nala shifted to get her foot into a more comfortable position before saying, "Well, thanks anyway." The rest of the drive was quiet. As they pulled up to the Mystery Shack, the door was flung open and Stan barreled out, Mabel chasing him. Nala unclicked her seatbelt and turned to Wendy.
"You told him?" She accused her friend. Wendy shrugged, a guilty look on her face.
"He wanted to know where I was going." Nala sighed.
"Kid!" Stan cried out. "Are you okay!?" Stan rushed over to the golf cart and scooped up Nala, holding her to his chest. She banged her fists against him, demanding, "Why is everyone trying to carry me!?" Stan eyed her ankle, which was starting to swell.
"Well you obviously can't walk," he retorted. Nala's face turned a bright red and she didn't say anything else. Stan carried her inside to the living room, where Soos stood wearing a pink dress and an apron. Nala gave him a strange glance, but didn't say anything. Why is he wearing that? Wendy clapped her hands to get Soos's attention.
"Go get her an ice-pack," she demanded. Soos nodded and walked through the door that lead to the kitchen. After a moment, he returned with an ice-pack which Nala took gratefully. She laid it on her ankle, wincing slightly at how cold it was. Mabel pushed herself up onto the couch beside her sister.
"Are you okay sis?" She asked. Nala nodded, trying not to let her pain show. She didn't want her sister to worry.
"What were you doing before I got here?" Nala asked in an attempt to distract Mabel. It worked.
"I'm teaching Stan to date!" Mabel exclaimed, gesturing at Soos. "Soos is pretending to be Lazy Susan!" Nala raised her eyebrow at this, but once again decided not to say anything.
"By all means, carry on, " Nala said, gesturing with her free hand. "I'd love to see this." Stan turned to Soos with a terrified look on his face, Wendy plopped down on the couch next to Nala, and Mabel darted over to the table where her clipboard and a whistle rested. She picked up the clipboard and looped the whistle around her neck.
"Grunkle Stan, show me how you approach a woman," Mabel instructed. "Remember this is a safe, non-judgemental environment. I'll just be right off the side judging you on a scale from one to ten." Nala giggled at her sister's statements. Her process of attempting to get Stan on a date was hilarious and perfect for distracting her from her ankle. Slowly, Stan approached Soos. After a moment, he turned his head and spit on the floor before holding out his hand.
"Can I borrow some money?" Mabel blew her whistle immediately, the sharp noise cutting through the air. She surveyed Stan with a hopeless expression on her face.
"This is gonna be harder than you thought, isn't it?" Nala asked. Mabel nodded.
"Exactly, sister."
(Time-Skip)
Wendy had left after several attempts and Mabel had decided to move on to beauty. She sat in a chair in front of Stan. Nala was lounging on the couch, draped over the armrest. Her arm was covering her eyes, but she was clearly peeking.
"Alright! Let's try to get that inner beauty on the outside. Smile harder," Mabel coached, flashing one of her signature smiles. Stan tried to copy her, but Nala winced and moved her arm to completely cover her eyes. Mabel stood up in her chair, one hand raised in a fist and the other pressed against the table.
"Harder!" She insisted. Nala didn't' even bother looking. She heard Soos walk and and she heard his scream as he ran out.
"This is going to take some really great training music," Mabel said. Nala let her arm fall in time to see Mabel slip a BABBA disk into the radio. Her hands few to her ears as she tried to block the music out. When that didn't work, she grabbed a pillow and wrapped it around her head, whimpering slightly as the movement caused a bolt of pain to shoot up her leg. Slowly, her eyes fluttered closed as she sank into a deep sleep.
Nala's eyelids felt heavy. She didn't want to open them. Visions of blue flames and echoing laughter danced in her head, but everytime she reached for the memory, it slipped out of her grasp. It was Mabel's voice that pulled her out of her sleep.
"Okay, Grunkle Stan. You started like this…" She was saying. Nala forced her eyes open to see Mabel holding up a photograph. Stan stood against the wall, a horrible grimace on his face, one shoe missing, a collared shirt half on half off, flies buzzing around him, and sweat dripping down his forehead.
"But you became…" Mabel trailed off upon seeing Stan.
"Can I scratch myself now?" Stan asked. Nala laughed slightly, but Mabel didn't seem as amused.
"No! No, no, no!" She cried. "Is that throw up on your shirt?!" Stan looked nervous before saying, "I don't know how to answer that."
"Just face it Mabel," Nala called, "Stan's unfixable. Like that spinning pie thing in the diner." She didn't expect Mabel's face to light up at this statement.
"Grunkle Stan, come with me!" Mabel cried, leaping off her chair and running toward the door. "And leave your pants at home!" Stan followed her with a cry of, "With pleasure!" Before he walked out the door, he turned back to face Nala.
"Ya coming, kid?" He asked. Nala smirked and gestured to her ankle.
"What do you think?" She asked dryly. Stan winced at her words, then realized something.
"We are driving to the diner," he said. "I could carry you to the car." Nala's face went white as Stan walked over to her.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Nala shrieked as Stan carefully picked her up. She shrieked all the way out to the car and didn't stop until Stan put her in the passenger seat. Nala made a face at Stan as she buckled herself in. Mabel was sitting in the backseat, a smile on her face.
"Punch it!" Mabel cheered as Stan turned on the car. "Drive! Drive! Drive!" Nala rolled her eyes at her sister's chanting and settled into her seat, preparing for a bumpy ride.
It took them roughly ten minutes to get to the diner and while Stan tried to drive smoothly, each small bump jared Nala's ankle. When they finally got there, Stan pulled into a parking spot, turned off the car, and got out. Nala tried locking her door, but Stan was faster then her and managed to open the door. He scooped her up despite her protests and didn't put her down until they had chosen a booth inside. Nala eyed Lazy Susan, who was standing on a stool and banging the pie spinner with her fist, yelling, "SPIN! SPIN!" Mabel rushed inside and darted over to Lazy Susan, Stan following her. Nala grumbled slightly at being left in the booth, but didn't call out.
"Lazy Susan," Mabel began. "Listen: I know he's not much to look at, but you're always fixing stuff in the diner, and if you like fixing stuff, nothing can use more fixing than my Grunkle Stan! Also women live longer than men so your dating pool is smaller and you should really lower your standards." Nala smiled at her sisters words. She always did know how to give a speech.
"So, Lazy Susan, what do you say?" Stan asked, a hopeful expression on his face. Lazy Susan stared at him for a moment before walking away. Stan's face dropped and he slunk over to the booth where Nala was waiting. Nala offered him a reassuring smile, only to look up and see Lazy Susan walking back over.
"Heeeeyyyy! Here's my number. Why don't you give me a call sometime?" She asked, handing Stan a slip of paper and a white plate with a slice of pie on it.
"Really?!" Stan exclaimed and Lazy Susan smiled at him.
"REALLY! HAHA. Also: here's some pie. On the house. For YOU!" She said before walking back to the kitchen. Stan blew a kiss after her and Mabel was practically vibrating.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She yelled. "We did it! When are you gonna call? You wanna call now? I don't have a phone. Let's buy a phone! We can put it on a credit card. Let's get a credit card." Nala raised her hands and began to clap slowly.
"I think my uncle just got a girlfriend," she said. "The universe's logic must be taking a day off." Stan glared at her.
"I think I was just insulted, but I don't understand it," he said before digging into his pie. On his other side, Mabel flung herself against the window, banging her fists against it.
"DIPPER! It's me, Mabel! I'm looking at you through this glass! Right here! This is my voice! I'm talking to you from inside!" She screamed. Nala glanced out the window to see Dipper giving Mabel a weak smile before heading toward the door.
"Did you see me through the-?" Mabel began, only for Dipper to cut her off with a short, "Yes."
"What's wrong?" Nala asked. Dipper sighed and slid into the space next to Nala.
"It's just these half man half bull humanoids were hanging out with me…" He began. Stan rolled his eyes with a, "Here we go."
"But then they wanted me to do this really tough, horrible thing but it just wasn't right. So I said no," Dipper finished. Stan sat bolt upright with an impressed look on his face.
"You were your own man and you stood up for yourself," He complimented. Dipper had a confused look on his face, so he elaborated. "Well, you did what was right even when no one agreed with ya. Sounds pretty manly to me but, what do I know?" Dipper smiled at his grunkle's words. Mabel gasped as she noticed something.
"Wait a minute, do my eyes deceive me? You have a chest hair!" She cried. Dipper gasped as well and pulled his shirt away from his chest, gaping at the single hair that was growing there.
"You're right! I do! Ha ha, this is amazing! I really do! Take that, man tester! Take that, Pituitor!" Dipper exclaimed.
"Pituitor?" Nala asked before shaking her head. "Never mind, I don't want to know."
"This guy has chest hair!" Dipper said proudly. Mabel stood up in her seat and reached across the table, a pair of tweezers in her hands. She used them to pluck the hair from Dipper's chest and tucked it into her sweater pocket with a cry of, "Scrap-book ortunity!" Nala rolled her eyes.
"You don't even have your scrapbook," she pointed out. Mabel waved her hand and said, "I'll glue it in later." Dipper was looking down at his chest with disappointment.
"Don't worry, kid," Stan began, "if you're anything like me, there's more where that came from." He ripped open his own shirt to reveal his chest filled with screamed for Stan to put his shirt on and after a minute, he did.
"Seriously, that's disgusting," Dipper added and Nala raised her hand.
"I agree with him." After that, Stan decided that it was time to go. Dipper slid out of his seat and was slightly surprised when Nala didn't follow. Stan stood up and walked to the other side of the table and picked up Nala. She grumbled slightly but didn't yell this time. Dipper flinched violently at the sight of Nala's swollen ankle.
"What happened?" He asked. Nala shrugged and said, "I tripped while I was in the woods." A look of confusion came onto Dipper's face.
"Why were you in the woods?" He asked. Nala gave him a gentle smile.
"Looking for you." Dipper frowned at these words and was silent the whole drive home.
In a dimension filled with beautiful pastel colors, a gummy creature floated. He was watching his apprentice, a frown on his face. He hated seeing her in pain. Slowly, he began to glow and while she didn't realize it, his apprentice began to glow on the spiritual plane. There. Hopefully, that should speed up her healing. The Axolotl watched, uneasy. Never before had his emotions gotten in the way of doing what was right. But...it feels like they are this time.
Fkdudfwhuv jdwkhuhg iurp rwkhu wlpholqhv
Doo wrjhwkhu, mrlqlqj wkh Slqhv
Wr vdyh wkh zkhho dqg sdb wkh frvw
Ru hovh hyhubwklqj zloo ehfrph orvw
There we go! Honestly, I didn't expect this episode to only be one chapter, but I like how it turned out. OC submissions are still open, although there's a chance that your OC will play a smaller part. Angel's back… Until next time!
-Hourglass