Well, better late than never. Wanted to come back to this series after writing so much Star vs the Forces of Evil stuff; I missed it, as I still miss the real Gravity Falls series. But, apparently, Alex is releasing a graphic novel for which I'm very excited. Anyways, enjoy. More to follow soon. Also, my Star story, "Reality Fracture," is actually an indirect sequel to "One Last Night of Peace" for those who are interested.
The group continued to make their way through the halls, the lights still dim and the carpet still damp. After everything that had happened, there was still a collective agitation between them. It still felt like they had been walking in circles.
"If the hallways keep shifting," Dipper began to ask, "how are we going to get where we need to go?"
"I was able to find you guys," Mabel answered, "It can't be that hard, right? You know those puzzles with the shifting pictures that are supposed to make a larger picture? I don't always have an idea of how to get them all in place, but I know if I keep shifting them around enough, I'll get it all to line up right. This is just like that. We just gotta keep moving, and we'll get where we need to go." She paused and thought for a moment. "But where are we going?"
"That's what I'm wondering, too," Wendy responded, "I'm going to say what Dipper normally does in that we need to come up with a game plan now. Do you guys think we've bit off more than we can chew and should try to head back to the boat to get more help? Or should we try and put a stop to these monsters? I'm actually hoping we go for the latter…would love to bust some more heads."
"I'm with Miss Gingerhead here," Pacifica agreed, lifting the alien lighting gun at the ready, "Now that I know how to use this thing…for some reason…I'm ready to fry some fishmen or tentacle demons or whatever weird creatures attack my favorite nerds." But upon saying this, she immediately broke into another coughing fit, one violent enough to cause her to bend over, holding her chest. Dipper and Mabel rushed over to her to keep her steady again, but her coughs continued to the point where it looked as if she had coughed something out onto the floor. It was too dark to see what it was, but it looked to be dark in color. Pacifica wiped her mouth, trying not to make it too conspicuous and either cause the twins to worry further or otherwise compromise her pretty demeanor. "If this cough doesn't kill me that is."
"It won't," Mabel said with deliberateness and assurance, "We're all going to get out of here in one piece. The merfolk are coming to help put a stop to this, we're going to turn back the tide of these monsters…yes, the tide pun was intended…and then my brother is going to take you out to dinner afterwards." She jabbed her brother in the ribs, but she really didn't need to pass on the message. He was already planning on that once they got back to the mainland.
"That's right," Dipper followed, "My treat. Anywhere you want to go."
"I'd like that," Pacifica answered with a smile, raising her head and looking into his eyes. She could have spent all day staring into them if she had the chance.
Suddenly, the group felt a rumble through the halls, the small earthquake causing them to stagger. They each looked around for a moment, wondering about the source of this tremor, all before finding that a new door had appeared in the wall to their left.
"Was that door there before?" Wendy asked.
"I don't think so," Dipper responded, "but at the very least, it's a new direction we can take."
"Anything's better than wasting our time going in circles," Pacifica said.
"We got nothing to lose," Mabel squeaked, "Why not?"
Dipper edged near the door, Pacifica holding her gun and Wendy her ax in front of them, ready to take on anything that might spring out at them. He opened the wooden gateway to find it lead to a walkway outside, winding along the side of the facility.
"Well, looks like we found an exit," Dipper chimed with some excitement.
"Ugh, finally," Pacifica groaned, "I was so sick of seeing the same drab carpet pattern over and over again."
"You and me both, sister," Mabel retorted.
"I'll take point," Wendy said, "Need to be sure there's nothing out there waiting for us." She moved ahead of the group and stepped through the door, still holding the ax in front of her. She looked around and found nothing but the crashing waves, dark clouds, and heavy rainfall. The air was still bitingly cold, and the smell of brine was prevalent. "Nothing so far! Come on guys, but watch your step! It's kinda slick!" She was having to shout over the massive wind that rocked the side of the walkway, forcing her to hold the railing.
The group proceeded through the opening behind Wendy, Pacifica at the rear with the gun ready in case anything were following them. She shut the door behind the group as each of them attempted to keep their composure during the storm. As they rounded the corner, they found what had caused the violent tremor. Between the two halves of the facility was another walkway that was now cleaved in two. Between them was what looked like a colossal cyclopean citadel, looming over the facility like some gargoyle over the side of a cathedral.
"Perhaps those psychics were able to make that rise after all," Mabel inferred.
"I guess we have no choice but to head there," Dipper shouted into the wind. There was some sort of added vibration and thumping sound the group felt as they proceeded, but they decided it must be the storm.
"And what do we do when we get there?" Pacifica asked.
"I may have some banishing spells in the new journal I brought with me," Dipper answered, "Perhaps once we get to some sort of node, we might be able to send them back where they came from. But that's just speculation."
"I'm counting on Mermando's group to get here sooner than later," Mabel said, "They gotta have some deterrent against these angry fish monsters." The thumping sound and vibration continued, this time louder and more violent. This time they couldn't ignore it until finally, the threat made itself manifest.
Pacifica was the first to see them as they crawled from behind the wall of the facility. What she saw were what looked like two gargantuan crabs, each appearing to be roughly 50 feet tall, complete with huge, menacing pincers. The creatures continued to crawl her way while she prepared to fire a lightning blast at them.
"Uh, guys," Pacifica moaned, "We've got company!" The group turned around and saw the monstrous crabs as well.
"Run," Dipper shouted, and the group raced along the walkway towards the bizarre citadel. They did their best not to slip, though it was difficult with the driving rain and accumulating moisture at their feet. They finally made their way to the curve that had once linked the one half of the facility to the other, the crabs hot on their tails.
Pacifica fired a bolt of lightning at the closest creature, only to have it ricochet off the large crustacean's claws and into the sea, frying several salmon and yellowtail. In almost the same instant, the creature reached down and picked up Pacifica in its claws, lifting her into the air. Dipper immediately drew the revolver, but he knew it would do him no good. Mabel, on the other hand, quickly fired her grappling hook up to the monster's claw, hooking it within the pincer, right next to Pacifica's side. She grappled up to her and attempted to pull the pincer apart to free her, only to have the monster bat her back down to the walkway, though thankfully maintaining her hold on the grappling hook. Pacifca still struggled to break free, but then she thought from a moment about where the creature's weakness could be. She thought about the crab legs she had eaten at the expensive restaurants to which her parents had taken her. The lightning gun was still in her hand, a golden ticket to her freedom. Her finger held down on the trigger of the weapon before finally releasing it, a tremendous burst of lighting hitting the tender spot between the armor.
The crab screeched and flailed its arms, tossing Pacifica into the air. Dipper acted fast and ran for her. Thankfully, she landed in his arms, at which time she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on. As the creature still flailed and screeched, falling into the other giant crab behind it, Pacifica turned around to yell at it, still in Dipper's arms.
"Eat that, crab cakes!" she shouted, "I'm not going to be the blonde bimbo that dies in a horror movie! I will sue you for all the…whatever you elder beings use as currency! You want anymore space lightning? I've got more right here!" She then turned her head back over to Dipper. "But I wouldn't have picked a better landing." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before he lowered her to her feet.
"We'd better hurry," Dipper reminded the group, and they proceeded to run again as the crabs recovered. They proceeded through an opening in the weird citadel, whose biomechanical walls felt cold and hard, similar to smoothed marble. Fortunately, it was small enough that the crab's claws could not reach through. Eventually the beast gave up and turned away, disappearing into the storm.
"I guess there's no going back now," Wendy said.
"Anybody got a flashlight?" Mabel asked. Dipper reached for his and turned it on. The walls, floors, and ceiling of the area seemed to consist of the same material as the outside, swirling and twisting in weird patterns that would confuse the eye if one stared at them for too long.
"I'm ready to fry whatever stupid monsters come our way next," Pacifica grunted, still full of adrenaline from her last encounter, though it was clearly not the healthiest thing for her with what occurred next. She then began to cough again, Dipper patting her back. She then coughed up more of the red liquid, only this time she couldn't hide it. Dipper could clearly see what it was, and a wave of concern washed over him.
"We need to get you back to the mainland fast," he said.
"Right, we would like our Paz to stay alive and healthy," Mabel followed.
"If you need to rest or take a step back at any time," Wendy continued, "let us know. None of you are getting hurt on my watch."
"I'll be okay, guys," Pacifica assured them, "Despite severing myself from my parents, I'm still a Northwest, and you know we're determined as hell. Now, come on; let's kick some monster ass." The group then proceeded further into the dark hallways of the cyclopean structure.