It's Easter Break! Surprise!
Thanks to StarPotterRed and Ciemnawoda for the Fav and Follows!
StarPotterRed - Haha! Well, we'll learn what turned our ghoulish friend soon enough! ;)
Chapter 14 – The Truth Comes Out
"Grunkle Ford, what's going on?" Dipper looked at his ghoulish Grunkle worriedly as the man paced in the living room. Stan, Fiddleford, and the entire Mystery crew were present as well.
"Come on, man, out with it," Wendy said. "We can all see you're more worried than Toby Determined gets in front of an actual camera. What's going on that's got you so worried? Is it that grem—"
"No, no, it's not that." Ford didn't stop his pacing. "I'm afraid it's much worse."
The Mystery Crew exchanged confused looks at Ford's words while Stan and Fiddleford exchanged far more worried ones.
"What do you mean, Grunkle Ford?" Mabel spoke up. "What's the problem?"
"Pacin' an' not tellin' 'em isn't gonna help ya much, Stanferd," Fiddleford spoke up.
"I know, I know. It's just—" Ford stopped pacing and looked over at the Fiddleford. "I've been trying to figure out how to word this all day and I still haven't figured out how to—"
"Just start from the beginnin'," Fiddleford replied.
"Whoa, wait." Stan looked between the two of them as he stood behind the couch. "You're going to tell them that?"
"Tell us what?" Robbie looked back at Stan with a frown.
"I have to, Stan," Ford replied. "Something's happened that could put all of us in danger, and if they don't know at least something about what's coming, then there is a very slim chance that we will be able to do anything to solve the problem when the time comes."
Ford's words caused any nervous smiles that might have been on the others' faces to drop rather quickly.
"Grunkle Ford?" Dipper asked worriedly.
Ford hesitated, but when he saw the looks he was getting, he sighed and shook his head. "All right. From the beginning it is. I…hope you won't think any less of me for this."
The Mystery Crew looked at each other with worried expressions as Ford seemed to visibly gather his confidence before starting his tale.
"Back when I first arrived here in Gravity Falls, I was very eager to learn everything I possibly could about the creatures in the forest," Ford explained. "However, after a few years I hit a roadblock in my research – I knew what the creatures were and what they were capable of, to my understanding at the time, but I didn't know where it was they were coming from. I needed to know how it was they had come to Gravity Falls in the first place – whether by migration or if they were born here…or some other origin entirely."
"Where else could they come from if they didn't migrate or were born here, though?" Dipper asked. "It…doesn't seem possible that they could just pop up out of the middle of nowhere, right?"
Ford got a spark in his eye. "Actually, there is proof that there are creatures that can travel between dimensional planes of existence in order to enter or leave our dimension, and that is the discovery I was eventually led to." He paused, his expression becoming more grim. "By…something that had other motives besides assisting me in my research."
Wendy leaned forward on the couch, frowning. "What kind of 'something else'?"
"Well…there is a cave in a part of the forest that no magical creature wants to set foot in – and for good reason. Reasons which I did not have at the time, so I went and investigated the caverns." Ford's ears drooped as he kept going. "In those caves, I found murals depicting a creature that claimed to have answers to any questions people put forward to it. I was…far too eager for answers to read the warnings that said not to summon the creature."
Dipper's brow furrowed.
"So, you summoned it?" Tambry asked.
"I did read the incantation on the wall, yes," Ford confirmed. "However, as I did, I was pricked by a creeping vine I hadn't noticed along the walls of the cave. I didn't notice it at the time, but the thorns were covered in a strange toxin that I hadn't run into before, and by the time I returned to my home, I was already feeling some of its effects. Fiddleford – still human, at that time – confined me to bed for a few days in order to see to it that I fought the infection off, doing everything he knew to help."
"Stanferd called me up because he wanted some help figurin' out how ta lure some of the creatures out into the open an' figurin' out a few secret locations he knew about," Fiddleford explained. "So when he got sick, I got ta play nurse. We didn' realize what happened until…well, that." He motioned to Ford.
"So, the poison turned you into a ghoul?" Dipper asked. "But…you said ghouls were made by vampires biting people. So how did—"
"Vampires are not the only creatures that can create ghouls, Dipper," Ford said quietly.
The implications of that statement caused the others to pause.
Tambry was the first to get the courage to speak. "So, you're saying that thing—"
Ford nodded grimly. "As soon as the full transformation had settled into effect, I was under his full control. Fiddleford kept my hunger sated by finding roadkill and letting me drink his blood when there wasn't anything nearby, but as soon as I was a ghoul I worked myself up into a frenzy, thinking that building a portal to another dimension would give me all the answers I needed for my research. I didn't realize that it was actually him that was directing me for a far more sinister purpose."
"Where were you during all this, Grunkle Stan?" Dipper looked up at his other grunkle worriedly.
"Uh…somewhere in Colombia, I think?" Stan scratched his head. "Way we figured it, I got bit not long after Ford started doing his thing, and that was after I got back into the States."
"So, not by the mailman," Soos muttered.
"Will you stop going on about that guy, Soos? He's not the problem right now."
"Well, you're clearly not building the portal now," Mabel spoke up. "So, what happened?"
"Fiddleford found a way to actually get in contact with the being and speak with it," Ford explained. "He had to do it when I was present, which…." He suddenly looked nervous.
"The thing's a demon," Fiddleford said. "A triangle-shaped thing named Bill Cipher."
Ford shuddered at the name.
Robbie scoffed. "Doesn't sound like all that much of a problem."
Wendy hit him upside the back of his head. "How much would you like it if you got bit by the zombies in your parents' cemetery?"
"Hey! That was one time!"
"Yeah, and we could find a way to turn you back, doofus," Nate spoke up. "Dr. Pines can't thanks to this guy. So cut him some slack, will ya?"
Robbie ducked his head, scowling, but he muttered an apology that Ford's ears twitched at.
"So, what did you do?" Dipper asked.
"I had ta make a deal with him," Fiddleford said grimly. "In order ta keep Ford from being used by this guy, I had ta give him somethin' in trade. Guess what I gave up." He gave a small, sad smile, showing his vampire fangs.
The group stared at Fiddleford, wide-eyed.
"So that's how it happened," Dipper said. "But, wait – when did Grunkle Stan get up here?"
"Well, we needed some help in tearing the portal apart." Ford rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "After…what happened, I wasn't up to the level of strength I had when I was building it. Learning that he was a werewolf after he got up here was a surprise, but…to be honest, I should have expected it, considering the luck the two of us had."
"Still didn't stop ya from aimin' a crossbow at me when I first changed in front'a ya," Stan grunted.
"I was surprised, okay?! Stanley, I thought we were past that."
"Well, since we're talkin' about the past—"
"What does bringing up this guy have to do with anything that's going on now?" Wendy spoke up. "You've kept it a secret for this long, right? Why did you think you needed to bring it up now?"
Ford sighed as Stan blinked a couple times, looking annoyed that he had been cut off so suddenly. "And we come to the main problem. Two nights ago, when you were taking care of the vampire carnival, someone broke in and stole one of the more important parts from the portal – a part we have been considering reusing for a possible future project."
"Ford didn' get a good ID on the scent until last night," Fiddleford added. "When someone found that cave and shredded the marker he left at the cave entrance."
"Shredded—" Dipper cut himself off when Ford held up his left hand, showing scars that looked like someone had scraped a rock against his palm and fingers. "Are you okay?!"
"They're merely superficial; it should fade in a few days." Ford looked at his hand himself with an expression of worry before looking back at the others. "Gideon was at the caves last night."
"Gideon?" Wendy blinked in surprise, then frowned. "What would that guy want with anything in the woods at night? He's got that tent of his to run, there's no way he's been doing what we've been doing."
"I dunno about that," Pacifica spoke up suddenly. When the others in the room looked over at her, she ducked her head, then recovered her composure. "You remember how Mom and Dad had all those secret paintings of my family's actual history? The one where we've been lying and cheating and –"
"We get the picture princess, you don't have to repeat everything," Stan said.
Pacifica frowned up at him, then turned her attention back to the others. "Well, there's other stuff in that back room too. Weird, old-looking things. Tapestries and old bowls. When you mentioned that this guy you're so worried about is triangle-shaped, that got me thinking. There are triangles on a lot of the stuff Mom and Dad have hidden away. People worshipping it. I never really put much thought into it because this thing had a top hat and a bow tie, but…if you guys ran into it…."
Ford's ears flicked. "I distinctly remember the top hat, yes."
"…then I think my parents might be getting Gideon to do something. I mean, why else call in a vampire carnival when you know it's going to give you a distraction that could get them to find what they need?"
Ford turned a sickly green at Pacifica's words; Fiddleford looked stone-faced and grim.
"Then…that means they not only have the ability to, but they probably already have the materials they need." Ford looked over at Fiddleford worriedly.
"This is a mighty big conundrum," Fiddleford said. "And it means we have ta move – fast." He looked at the group. "You folks can do things we can't anymore. We're gonna need ya ta get into the Northwests mansion, find the portal – if they've built it – an' shut the damn thing down before that demon can find a way through inta our dimension. Ya think ya can handle that?"
"Just one question." Tambry looked curious. "What would happen if this guy got into our dimension?"
"Everything would get turned on its head," Ford replied instantly. "You do not want him here."
"In Ford's more feverish moments in the beginnin' I heard him muttering the same thing over and over again," Fiddleford said. "'When gravity falls and earth becomes sky, beware the beast with just one eye.' If that isn't enough of an indication of what's gonna happen ta our world, I dunno what is."
Something about the phrase sent shivers down Dipper's spine – but he wasn't entirely sure why.
"So, stop Pacifica's crazy parents and whatever it is they're using Gideon for, got it." Mabel grinned. "I think we can handle that."
"Mabel, we haven't done anything like what's here in Gravity Falls before," Dipper pointed out.
"We can handle gremlins that like eating the electricity of an entire suburban area, I think we can handle this," Mabel replied cheerily. She gained a serious expression moments later. "Besides, the fate of the world is at stake here – we have to stop what's going on before it's too late!"
"Is there anything we should know about this Bill guy other than the fact that he can use creepy vines to turn people into ghouls?" Lee spoke up.
"He can enter your dreams," Ford replied. "That's how he relayed his orders to me initially, but I don't doubt he's restricted to just those he's turned. That's why unicorn hair is so important – when combined with mercury and moonstones, it can create a natural barrier that prevents him from entering your mind at any point. This house is surrounded by it – he won't be able to disturb us here. The rest of the town, however…."
"Mercury and moonstones," Tambry repeated. "Huh. Well, I've got a surplus of unicorn hair from when Candy, Grenda, and Mabel went at the start of the summer—"
"YEAH!" Grenda yelled, causing Ford to jump a couple feet. "Those unicorns were TERRIBLE!"
"…yeah." Tambry rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I bet I could whip something up if I can get my hands on the other two things. Would just bracelets we wear 24/7 keep him out?"
Ford opened his mouth, closed it, thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I should…think so? I-I've never tried."
"And he can't exactly try with me – those moonstones kinda accelerate my transformation on full moon nights." Stan made a face. "You kids are lucky you didn't see me here two nights ago. I had a tail for crying out loud."
Candy and Mabel looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
"You shouldn't have said that," Dipper said with a knowing look.
"Okay, I'm going to find when the next full moon's gonna happen just so I can see that," Mabel said with a wide grin.
Stan looked unnerved.
"If there will be a full moon," Ford said gloomily.
Stan quickly gained a serious stance and nodded. "Right. So let's get to work figurin' out how to get into the Northwests' basement so we can shut the damn thing down. Any ideas?"
"We can use the servants' entrances," Pacifica spoke up. "They have secret passageways all over the mansion; I've taken to using them myself when I don't want to talk to Mom and Dad."
"Good, good." Stan nodded.
"Thanks for not touching my flowers, by the way."
Stan grunted.
"Are we going to sneak in someone who knows how the thing works?" Dipper asked. "Because, I mean, none of us would probably be able how to shut it down safely or take it apart."
"Hopefully they haven't turned it on yet," Ford said quickly. "The portal I built ran on some unconventional fuel."
"Nuclear waste isn't unconventional, it's just plain dangerous," Fiddleford said pointedly.
Ford looked annoyed. "Yes, well, I needed something strong enough to punch a hole in our dimension." He regained his composure. "Anyway, I doubt that even the Northwests would be able to get their hands on—"
A shockwave of some kind of power ran through the room, cutting Ford off as his eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh no," Ford said faintly.
Dipper was about to ask what Ford was reacting to when he realized that he was slowly floating upwards – and so was everyone else.
"What the—"
Gravity suddenly came back into play and everyone slammed down into the couch.
Ford stumbled and quickly regained his balance as Fiddleford looked even more pale than usual. Ford himself looked even more of a sickly green than he normally did.
"It's begun," Ford said faintly.
"That's what happens when the portal turns on?" Candy asked. "Gravity stops?"
"Only if it reaches a high enough instability in its systems that it starts affecting this world," Fiddleford replied quickly. "We don't have a lot of time before it completes the hole between our dimension and its destination – we have to get that thing shut down."
"I know how to do that," Ford said quickly. "If you can get me in, I can tear it apart."
"Then we do that," Stan said. "Tomorrow."
Ford blinked in surprise. "What?"
"We get one of those veil things that those other ghouls were wearing and dress you in it, then get you up to the mansion and get in," Stan said. "The kids will get us in, and you'll do the rest. Sound good?"
Ford stammered at Stan's statement as Fiddleford nodded.
"Jus' make sure yer not caught," Fiddleford said.
"The serving staff are on my side; they'll know to leave us alone," Pacifica said. "Just stick with me and we'll be fine."
"Good."
Ford swallowed nervously, then gained a more determined expression. He nodded. "We will need to move quickly in the morning. Get some sleep here while you can; you're going to need all the strength you can get."
There was a collective determined nod from the others.
"Let's keep this demon from getting what he wants," Stan said with a grin.
Space Break
Preston Northwest stepped away from the activating lever of the portal and looked up at the large, triangular-shaped structure.
"Well done." He turned to look at the group of engineers behind him, grin a little too wide to be entirely normal. "You will all be rewarded accordingly, of course. Go on and collect your reward from my butler on your way out."
The team scrambled towards the exit from the basement, and Northwest looked back at the portal, too-wide grin on his face.
"It won't be long now!" He threw back his head and laughed – but the laugh sounded layered, almost like there was a second, higher, louder voice mixed in with his.