I'm back! And I've come bearing one of my favorite chapters yet! Seriously guys, in my opinion, this one is great. Plus, the whole thing is almost entirely all original, which is definately worth getting excited over, since we're going to get some answers and some new questions in here! But anyway, I won't keep you from it! Here we go! (Atbash again, and you SERIOUSLY should consider decoding this one. You'll thank me for it later ;)
Chapter 19: Gems and Journals
UZWVW KZTVH
ULITLGGVM DLIWH
HLNVGSRMT RH NRHHRMT
IVNVNYVI DSZG BLF'EV SVZIW
"3… 2… 1… GOLF!"
The announcer's enthusiastic call was all Steven and Mabel needed to launch themselves into an intense round of Golf Quest Mini: Battle Royale. Dipper and Connie spectated from their spot on the bed as the two of them fiercely duked it out in a combatant golf match, completely engrossed in the fast paced action.
"Oh no! A wild windmill appeared!" Mabel gasped, lifting her controller up frantically.
"Whoever beats it has their score go back to 0!" Steven exclaimed, quickly mashing buttons. "I could really use that right now, especially since I'm close to hitting par!"
"Sorry, Steven, but it looks like I'm gonna sink this hole-in-one!" Mabel cheered as she landed the final blow on the windmill, reducing her score back to a perfect zero. Steven let out a fake groan of defeat but continued playing anyway in the hopes that he could somehow still come out on top.
"Wow! Mabel is really good at this!" Connie remarked to Dipper. "Isn't this her first time playing this?"
"Yeah, but mini-golf is like Mabel's element," he replied with a grin. "There's no beating her at it. Though… this isn't exactly close to what mini-golf is life in real life…"
"Yes! I won!" Mabel exclaimed happily. A triumphant tune played from the game as her character knocked Steven's off the screen with a hearty whack of her golf club. "Pay up, Universe!"
"Aw, man…" Steven signed, handing Mabel a huge bag of gummy worms, which she was more than happy to take.
"Mabel, please don't eat all of those in one sitting," Dipper advised sensibly. "You haven't forgotten about the funnel cake incident, have you?"
"Pfft, please, bro-bro," Mabel scoffed, already preparing to shove a handful of gummy worms into her mouth. "This will be nothing like the funnel cake incident. I've learned a thing or two about self-control since then."
"What's the story behind the 'funnel cake incident'?" Connie asked with a bewildered smirk.
"Believe me," Dipper crossed his arms. "You don't wanna know."
"So, Steven…" Mabel gave the young Gem a challenging grin as she prepared to devour more gummy worms. "Up for another round against the champ?"
"I would, but my thumbs are a little sore after that last one," Steven laughed. "But we could do something else! I'm sure we'll run into some sort of weird or magical thing if we went into town. It's like an everyday occurrence around here."
"Yeah!" Connie chimed in her agreement. "I've been wanting to go on another adventure with you guys! We may almost die every time we go on one, but I gotta admit: they're really fun."
"Woo! Let's go on a crazy fun mystery hunt!" Mabel jumped up, ready to go. "Or a high-stakes magic hunt. Whatever we run into first."
"Why go on a mystery hunt when we have a whole book full of them?" Dipper asked with a grin as he pulled the journal out of his vest. "We could just pick something out of here and go looking for it. I've been meaning to add onto the notes about some of the creatures in here anyway."
"You've been adding your own notes to it?" Steven asked curiously as they all crowded around to look at the journal. "That's really cool, Dipper!"
"Eh, just a few pages in the back," Dipper shrugged, flipping back to the blank pages he had jotted down his own discoveries on. "Nothing impressive. Not like all this!" With something of a dramatic flair, he turned the journal back to the beginning, where many of the diverse and strange oddities of Gravity Falls were documented in great detail. Dipper turned through the pages slowly so everyone could get a better look at their options for their potential adventure were.
"Floating eyeballs!" Steven exclaimed in amazement. "I bet it wouldn't be too hard to spot them!"
"Giant vampire bats?!" Mabel gasped, stars in her eyes. "Yes!"
"No," Dipper quickly turned her down. "I've read about them and they don't turn into sparkling shirtless vampires, if that's what you're hoping for."
"Darn it!"
"What about gnomes?" Connie asked. "They don't look too-"
"No!" the twins exclaimed in immediate unison, both of them remembering their dangerous run-in with the gnomes all too well.
"The portal potty?" Steven laughed in amusement. "That sounds like fun! And we wouldn't have to worry about taking a bathroom break until we found it."
"Or how about barf faries?" Connie inquired, though she was quick to cringe away from the idea upon saying it out loud. "On second though… never mind."
"We could always go looking for a hawktopus!" Mabel suggested, squinting to see what was written about it. "Looks like Mr. Author didn't write anything down about it cause its 'too stupid to study'. Huh, I wonder why."
"I'm sure he had his reasons," Dipper said, pulling the book away from her a bit. "Maybe we should just go looking for-"
He was abruptly interrupted as the front door suddenly slammed open. As the others whipped around to see who was intruding, Dipper quickly shoved the out of sight, anticipating that it was one of the Gems. His hunch turned out to be correct as Amethyst barged in, shapeshifted into a police officer and wielding a large water gun.
"Dumb police!" the purple Gem bellowed in a deep, playful voice, pointing her weapon at the kids up on the loft. "Uh… you guys are dumb!" Before they could even brace themselves, Amethyst fired a steady stream of water at them, easily dowsing them all as she let out a mischievous chuckle. While Steven and Mabel laughingly accepted the soaking, Dipper and Connie were a bit less receptive to it as they used their arms to shield themselves against the watery blast.
"Amethyst!" Pearl scolded as her and Garnet entered the house a moment later. "Stop that this ins-"
The white Gem found herself cut off as Amethyst turned to her, only to completely drench her and the Gem leader with little remorse. Garnet was hardly phased by this, but Pearl didn't hesitate to show her heated annoyance. "Amethyst!"
"Oh man, I totally got all of you!" the purple Gem smirked as she shapeshifted back into her usual form. "Especially you guys!" she turned to the kids. "You should have seen your faces!"
"Sorry, kids," Pearl apologized in exasperation as she wrung out her sash. "I tried to stop her before she came in, but of course, she wouldn't listen."
"Eh, no worries. That actually felt pretty good!" Mabel shrugged blithely, poking at her sopping sweater.
"Speak for yourself," Dipper said, frowning at his dripping-wet vest.
"So what are you guys up to today?" Amethyst asked the kids with a casual grin. "Anything exciting?"
"Well," Steven began. "We were gonna go out and look for some kind of monster or magical creature using the j-"
"JUST o-our intuition and luck!" Dipper quickly interrupted. The Gems tuned to him with unified confusion, but he did his best to play it off with an awkward laugh. "Y-you know… like you do…"
"Ok…" Pearl said after a beat of silence. "Well, if you are going monster hunting, please be careful out there! There are plenty of perfectly benign creatures in Gravity Falls, true, but there are even more ravenous, blood thirsty ones."
"Are there any that you guys would recommend?" Connie asked curiously.
"Just don't go looking for a leprecorn," Garnet advised stoically, leading the way to the temple door. "It's not worth the annoyance."
"And try not to get killed or anything," Amethyst remarked jokingly. "We wouldn't want to have to come save your butts."
"Amethyst!" Pearl chastised as the purple Gem slipped into the temple with a sly laugh. "She didn't mean that," she said to the kids. "If you four get into any trouble, we'll be more than happy to come and save you."
"How will you guys know if we get into trouble?" Mabel asked with a frown.
"We'll know," Garnet assured, mysteriously adjusting her shades as she opened her own door to the temple and headed inside.
"Just be sure to exercise the proper amount of caution and you should be fine," Pearl assured, using her Gem to open her specific temple door. "Oh, and take plenty of water with you! It's hot out and you don't want to get dehydrated."
"Don't worry, Pearl!" Steven called after the white Gem. "We will!"
"Very good," Pearl nodded with a satisfied smile. "Have fun!"
With one final wave, the temple door shut behind the last Gem, leaving the kids alone once more. "That was too close…" Dipper muttered in relief as he pulled the journal back out.
"Now that's something I'd like to go investigate…" Connie mused, still looking to the temple door.
"What? The Temple?" Steven asked.
"Yes!" Mabel enthusiastically agreed. "The temple has got to be one of the most mysterious, probably coolest things in Gravity Falls! Aside from the Gems themselves, of course."
"Yeah, except that the Gems said we're not allowed inside, remember?" Dipper reminded with the slightest hint of bitterness in his tone. "Apparently it's 'too dangerous for humans'."
"Dangerous-schmangerous!" Mabel scoffed, standing. "After everything that's happened this summer so far, it couldn't be too scary, could it?"
"Plus, why would the Gems live in there if it was so risky?" Connie wondered. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you really think about it."
"Aw, come on guys," Steven said with a defensive frown. "I'm sure the Gems have their reasons for not wanting us to go in there. We should respect that."
"Yeah, but what if the reason why they don't want is in there is because they're hiding something," Dipper said, masking his suspicion behind curiosity. After all, the journal alone was evidence enough for him that the Gems were keeping secrets of their own. Secrets that, for some reason or another, they didn't want getting out. Secrets that, Dipper knew, would provide answers to many of his pressing questions and then some. "Steven, don't tell me you've never wondered about what might be in there."
"I… I have, but…" the young Gem bit his lip anxiously. "Well, I can't even get in there! My Gem won't open the door."
"I'm sure you could do it if you tried, Steven," Connie said with an encouraging smile. "I mean, you healed my eyes even though you thought you couldn't. How is that any different from opening up a door?"
"Yeah!" Mabel exclaimed before launching into supportive cheers. "Steven! Steven!"
Steven looked away nervously as Dipper and Connie joined in the excited chant. Truth be told, he really did want to know what secrets the Gem's mysterious temple held inside of it. But the last thing he ever wanted to do was go against his own guardian's wishes. He had always listened well to what the Gems told him, for he trusted that they only wanted to keep him safe and happy. But at the same time, he did have his doubts every now and again. If the temple was so dangerous, then why had the Gems never divulged exactly why? Why had they never bothered to at least explain what was inside the temple and why they didn't want him seeing it? He would have been quite content with just that, a mere clarification of it all, but like many matters, they had never trusted him with it. Which was why the young Gem finally caved into his friends' curiosity, and his own.
"Ok, ok!" Steven rose to stand. "I'll try it. But I can't guarantee this is even gonna work."
"Come on, Steven, you got this," Dipper reassured as they all started to head down to the temple door. "If you can't do this, no one can. Figuratively and literally, since you're the only one of us who could possibly do this."
"Um… thanks?" the young Gem frowned in confusion. As he came to stand before the imposing door, Steven swallowed hard. His apprehension only grew as he realized that Dipper, Mabel, and Connie were all watching him in intent silence. He could sense just how excited they were and just how much they wanted this. It was a feeling he honestly shared, especially as he lifted his shirt up and aimed his gem towards the door, staring hard at its replica at the top of the star. "Come on, door…" he whispered, straining in the hopes that it would make his gem work. "Open!"
Everyone held their breath in anticipation as they looked to the door. Of course, they all deflated in disappointed unison when it failed to show a single sign of budging. But by far, the most disappointed of them all, was Steven.
"Oh, come on!" the young Gem exclaimed, quite frustrated. "I could have sworn I was starting to feel some sort of magic!"
"Aw, don't worry about it, Steven," Mabel smiled as she put a consoling hand on the young Gem's shoulder. "You'll totally get it next time! Just like you did with your healing spit!"
"This is completely different!" Steven pulled his shoulder away. "You guys were all counting on me, and I let you all down. No wonder the Gems never let me in on anything… I'll never be like them or my mom…"
"Steven, don't say things like that!" Connie exclaimed earnestly. "You know that's not true!"
"Yeah," Dipper agreed with sincerity. "You're just… It's sort of like…" He paused for a moment, unsure of really how to properly comfort the young Gem, until he happened to come up with something he hoped would help. "Maybe you're just a bit of a… late bloomer."
"Sorta like you, Dipper," Mabel began to tease, though her brother was quick to cut her off.
"Not now."
"The point is," Connie brought the conversation back on track, taking Steven's hand. "You'll get there, Steven. It might just take some time. And if it does, then don't worry about it. We'll be here with you for every step of the way."
The twins nodded their wholehearted agreement with this and Steven couldn't help but smile as he wiped away the tears that were starting to come. "Thanks, you guys," he said warmly. "I… I needed that. I guess I just get a little down whenever I try to compare myself to the Gems. But you're right, Connie. I can't give up! I just have to keep trying! And then someday, I'll finally be a full-fledged Crystal Gem!" The young Gem grinned boldly as he concluded his speech, though his smile faded as he realized the others weren't looking at him at all. Instead, their gaze was fixated behind him, their eyes wide in shock and disbelief as a strange pink light fell upon them. "Uh… guys?" Steven asked in confusion. He quickly realized what all the amazement was about however, as Dipper turned him around to face the temple gate. "Whoa…"
The top gemstone on the door's star was, against all odds, glowing a bright shade of pink. Steven quickly pulled his shirt up again to confirm that his own gem was indeed doing the same exact thing. A gentle chime sounded as the door began to peel back from the center in the vague shape of a rose, until it was completely gone. The kids gaped in awe at the side of the vast, pink, cloudy expanse that lay just beyond the doorframe, which was now finally within their reach.
"AHHH!" Mabel suddenly squealed in excitement. The silent wonder of the moment was abruptly broken as she locked Steven into a congratulatory hug. "Steven! You did it! You opened the door!"
"I… guess I did!" Steven grinned widely. "I don't know how I did it, but I did it!"
"See? We knew you could do it," Connie affirmed with a bright smile.
"Look at all this! It's incredible!" Dipper exclaimed as he took a step closer to the open door and glanced inside. "It's like some sort of endless sky in there. We have to go check it out!"
"B-but the Gems are in there! What if they catch us?" the young Gem asked, his further apprehension returning.
"Eh, the temple's huge," Mabel shrugged. "Or at least it is from the outside. We probably won't even run into the Gems at all."
"And if we do, then maybe they won't be so mad," Connie said. "Who knows? Maybe they'll even be excited about you opening the door on your own."
"I hope…" Steven frowned, not wanting to upset his guardians over something like this. Still, he couldn't deny that this was an opportunity that he didn't want to pass up. "And I guess there's no harm in just looking around…"
"That's the spirit!" Mabel exclaimed, giving the young Gem a small push towards the door. "Now let's go! I'm so excited, I can hardly wait!"
The others laughed at her elated enthusiasm, which was something they all shared as they stood before the temple gate. None of them were quite sure about what they would find inside, but regardless, they were all completely thrilled for whatever adventure they were certainly about to face. And so, without any further hesitation, the four of them entered into the mysterious, magical temple, without even so much as thinking about a certain journal that had been left behind.
All four of the kids were encapsulated in absolute awe as they entered within the temple itself. Their first surprise was that, even though it looked like the scenery was nothing but clouds, there seemed to be some sort of solid ground supporting them so that they didn't just fall through the endless expanse. Whatever room they seemed to be in apparently had no borders or boundaries whatsoever. There were no walls or breaks in the fluffy pink clouds to break through the vast skyscape, giving it the illusion that it went on forever, which it very well might have. But even so, aside from the clouds themselves, the room was empty, devoid of any other feature save for its four intrepid guests.
Of course, the kids only had a moment to stare at their bewildering new surroundings before the door they had come through suddenly disappeared behind them in a puff of pink clouds. They all spun around in surprise at this, especially considering that there was not any sign of another exit in sight.
"That can't be good," Dipper remarked with a frown.
"Eh, I'm sure we'll be able to get out of here somehow," Mabel shrugged, unconcerned. "Can't you just reopen the door for us again when we want to leave, Steven?"
"I don't know," Steven shrugged honestly, though he was really too elated to care at the moment. "But for now, look at all this! Its huge in here!"
"And so empty…" Connie mused, taking a step forward. "This can't be all there is, can it?"
"It couldn't be," Dipper shook his head. "I mean, what would the Gems even use a giant empty room like this for anyway?"
"Maybe they use it to practice skydiving!" Mabel exclaimed. With a brazen laugh, she leapt into the air, before quickly plummeting and belly flopping onto the clouds beneath her. "Ah! What a soft landing!"
"Oh, I wanna try!" Steven grinned daringly. However, no more than a second after he had said this, the young Gem suddenly found himself standing atop a high platform that had just appeared completely out of nowhere. Steven gasped as he looked down at the others, who were quite a ways below him, all staring up at him in confusion.
"Whoa… How'd you do that, Steven?" Connie called up to the young Gem.
"I have no idea," Steven said, his awed expression turning into a smile. "But still, this is perfect! Geronimo!" With an excited laugh, the young Gem leapt from his high perch, letting gravity pull him down into a freefall. However, his adrenaline soon turned to a sudden fear as he realized just how fast his descent really was. The cloudy ground might have been soft, true, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough to cushion a fall from so high.
"O-ok! This might not have been the best idea!" Steven exclaimed fearfully as the others watched him with terrified concern. "I-I wish I had a parachute!" he cried, shielding his eyes from the clouds below. The moment the phrase escaped him, Steven instantly felt the speed of his fall greatly decrease. Shakily, he glanced up to a sight that filled him with a relief: against all odds, there was indeed a parachute strapped to his back, widely opened as it gradually and gently brought him back down to the ground. The moment he landed, the parachute suddenly disappeared into a puff of clouds, much like the platform did as soon as Steven had jumped off of it.
"Wow! That was crazy awesome!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly. "How'd you know that parachute thing would work?"
"I didn't," Steven shrugged. "I just sort of said it and it appeared! And I'm really glad it did. I thought I was a goner for a second there."
"It's almost like… like the room itself could hear what you wanted!" Connie concluded, her eyes wide with the realization.
"But that doesn't make any sense…" Dipper frowned in confusion. "It's just a room. How can it know what anyone wants, much less give it to them?"
"It's called magic, Dipper," Mabel pointed out coyly. "And it's my turn to try it! Room, can I please have a little of adorable puppies to play with? Oh, and can they have butterfly wings? And rainbow polka dots? Please?" She smiled expectantly, waiting for the colorful creatures to appear, only for the room to remain as silent and still as ever. "Hey, what gives? Where are my flying polka-dot puppies at?"
"Maybe something like that is too much for the room to handle?" Connie suggested.
"Maybe…" Steven mused with a nod. "Let me try. Room, can we get some puppies with butterfly wings and rainbow polka-dots?"
"That sparkle!" Mabel added.
"That sparkle." As soon as Steven finished giving this request, the magical puppies themselves materialized instantly, flittering around the room as they glittered and barked happily.
Mabel could scarcely contain her elation upon seeing the floating puppies. "Yes! This is literally everything I have ever wanted!" she squealed, grabbing one of the puppies out of thin air and giving it an affectionate hug.
"This is just weird…" Dipper shook his head. "And I'm not just talking about the flying rainbow puppies. Though that's weird too."
"I think you mean adorable!" Mabel interjected, letting the puppy lick her face.
"The room seems to only grant your requests, Steven," Dipper continued, turning to the young Gem. "Any idea as to why that might be?"
"I'm not sure…" Steven frowned. "I mean, each one of the Gems has their own door that goes into the temple, but I've never seen the one that opened for me before… I do remember Pearl talking about how my mom used to have her own room in here, but nobody's been able to get into it since she's been gone. So maybe, since I used her gem to open it, this is her room!"
"Then that would explain why the room only listens to you!" Connie exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Your gem must be connected to it in some way. It thinks you're Rose!"
"Whoa…" Steven glanced down at the gem at his navel. "I… don't really know how to feel about that."
"I guess that makes about as much sense as anything else…" Dipper said, glancing around the already improbably skyscape around them. "Still, you gotta wonder how much this room can really do…"
"We can always find out," the young Gem said with an eager grin.
"Yes!" Mabel cheered in agreement. "More puppies!"
"Actually, I was thinking something along the lines of… quadruple bunk-beds!" Steven exclaimed. Of course, a four tired-bunk bed instantly appeared underneath the kids, raising them all up as they sat on top together. "With slides! Water slides!" the young Gem added as four long, twisting waterslides jutted out from each side of the bed. The kids didn't hesitate to enjoy them, each one taking to a different slide and laughing as they splashed down them. Each slide launched the kids into the air, but thankfully, none of them had to worry about falling as Steven called out his next request. "Trampolines!" Sure enough, four trampolines appeared below the kids right as they landed, allowing them to bounce safely back onto the ground.
"Whoo!" Mabel cheered, flopping down into the clouds. "Let's do that again!"
"Steven, this is great!" Dipper exclaimed with a laugh. "You can get literally anything you ask for in here! What do you have in mind next?"
"Oh, uh…. Hm…" the young Gem paused to ponder this, before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "A tiny floating whale!"
Said tiny floating whale immediately proofed into existence, small and pink and smiling as it let out a light bellow. Steven and Mabel both fawned over the adorable creature as Dipper and Connie laughed in amusement. Indeed, it was as though the room could conjure up just about anything, from the simplest requests to the most complex. Or so it seemed.
"You know, as awesome as all this is, I sure am hungry," Steven said after the excitement over the tiny floating whale died down. Right on que, a donut appeared out of thin air, floating right next to the young Gem. "Well, don't mind if I do!" he laughed, grabbing the donut. "In fact, donuts for everyone!" At Steven's command, three more donuts materialized in front of Dipper, Mabel, and Connie, who happily took the treats. However, they all soon found out these donuts weren't exactly edible as they all poofed away when the kids tried to eat them.
"Aw, what?" Mabel frowned, disappointed as she waved her hand around the space where the donut once was. "Come on! I was really looking forward to that donut!"
"Maybe I should have been more specific…" Steven mused. "Room, we want real donuts!"
Another round of donuts appeared, nearly identical to the first. And while the kids were expecting them to be tangible, once again, they were proven wrong as they tried taking a bite. "This is really weird…" Connie said with a bewildered frown. "I guess the room can't make food for some reason."
"Well, everything the room makes does seem to be made out of clouds…" Dipper mused. "So that might have something to do with it."
"Aw, well. So what if we can use the room to make food?" Mabel shrugged contentedly. "We can still basically do anything else, right Steven?"
"Right!" Steven readily agreed, giving the tiny floating whale a hearty high five. "And since we can do anything, we might as well get started with some… fireworks!" Without missing a beat, a grand fireworks display began erupting in the pink skies above the kids, who all enjoyed it as they sat on the fluffy couch that the young Gem called up. They were all well aware now that it was all fake, but none of them really minded. After all, the memories they were making together within the moldable world of clouds were anything but fake.
The otherwise empty house was suddenly filled with the chime of the temple door opening, which itself was immediately followed by Pearl reprimanding Amethyst as the two of them emerged from the purple Gem's room.
"Amethyst, how many times have I told you stop stealing my swords?!" the white Gem huffed, holding one of her many prized blades close.
"I didn't steal it," Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Your junk always falls down into my room! That's what you get for having so many dumb fountains all over yours."
"Oh please," Pearl scoffed coldly. "You know I keep the majority of my collection in the center spire, all organized by size, shape, and sharpness. It's a very effective system, unlike the complete disaster that is your room."
"I have a system," the purple Gem said, crossing her arms.
"If by system, you mean an awful, awful mess, then you certainly do. You should really let me clean it for you sometime."
"Like that's ever gonna happen."
Pearl gripped her sword a bit tighter, scowling down at Amethyst in aggravation. She was just about to toss out a biting retort, but before she could, the temple door suddenly opened upon once again as Garnet stepped out, as stoic as ever.
"Oh, Garnet! I'm glad you're here," Pearl rushed to cling onto the Gem leader's arm. "I was just scolding Amethyst about coming into my room and taking my swords again."
"I didn't take anything," Amethyst protested, but the white Gem succinctly ignored her.
"Can you please lay down the law for her, Garnet?" Pearl pleaded. "For the millionth time."
The Gem leader's aloof expression didn't change as she looked between her two teammates, before finally addressing the white Gem. "Nobody likes a tattle-tale, Pearl."
Amethyst simply cracked up at Pearl's abrupt shock over being humbled, which was why she followed Garnet away from the temple door much less enthusiastically.
"I guess the kids went mystery hunting after all," Amethyst commented as she glanced up at the empty loft. "It's kinda weird that they left all their stuff here though."
"Don't go raiding through their things," Garnet instructed the purple Gem calmly as she watched her scamper up the stairs.
"I wasn't going to," Amethyst replied. "I was just gonna swipe a few of these gummy worms. And by a few, I mean the whole bag." The purple Gem grinned greedily as she grabbed the bag of candy, though she paused before heading back down after noticing a rather strange looking book lying on the nearby bed. "Whoa… what's that thing?" Her curiosity getting the better of her, Amethyst lifted the book up to get a better look at it. Though she had never been much into reading "human books", she couldn't deny that her curiosity as she looked over the rugged, red leather tome, wondering where it had come from and what it contained.
"Hey, you guys!" she called to Garnet and Pearl, running down the stairs as she held the book up. "Check this old book out!"
"Didn't Garnet just tell you not to root through the kids' things?" Pearl asked caustically.
"Sheesh, Pearl, you're just on a roll with accusing me of things I didn't do today, aren't you?" Amethyst retorted dryly before turning her attention back to the book. "But look at this crazy thing. I mean, a six fingered hand?" She chuckled as she shapeshifted an extra finger onto her hand, putting it over the one on the book. "You gotta admit, that's pretty cool."
"Let me see that," Pearl snatched the book away from her. She didn't look all too impressed as she looked it up and down, turning it over in her hands. "What kind of book is this? It doesn't even have a title! Unless… 3 is its title, but what kind of a title is that?"
"Maybe you'd find out if you opened it up," Garnet deadpanned, crossing her arms.
"I-I was just about to do that!" Pearl exclaimed, fumbling to crack the book open to its first page. "Hm… Well, the name of its author is mysteriously missing…"
"Looks like the guy tore it out or something," Amethyst commented. "Wonder why he'd do that… And what's that thing on the other page say… 'ad astra per aspera'? What the heck does that mean?"
"Oh, that's Latin for 'to the stars through difficulties'!" Pearl smiled. "Whoever did write this must have been very well read."
Garnet took the book next, flipping the page as she read over it to herself silently. "Hm…" she mused, her expression unreadable as she turned through several more of its pages.
"What's up, G?" Amethyst asked.
"This book seems familiar," she replied, handing it back to Pearl. "I can't pinpoint how, but it's like… I've seen it before somewhere."
"You're right…" the white Gem frowned. "Every page details a different oddity of Gravity Falls! And all of these illustrations, these descriptions… none of them seem like they're new at all…"
"Yeah, probably 'cause we've ran into most of these things before," Amethyst said, taking the book again. "I mean, gnomes, ghosts, the bottomless pit, the abominable bro-man, that weird stomach-faced duck thing… We've been here in Gravity Falls so long that all this stuff is normal for us now. But still… I do get what you guys are saying… All of the stuff written in here is pretty dang familiar…"
"But it doesn't make any sense…" Pearl shook her head, watching as the purple Gem continued to slowly flip through it. "Wouldn't we remember seeing something this pertinent and comprehensive before? Shouldn't we-" Her question came to an abrupt halt as Amethyst turned the next page, revealing something that made all three Gems gasp in shocked unison. Until now, the book's entries had all been merely detailing the mysterious facets of Gravity Falls. But suddenly, the Gems were met with vivid illustrations and in-depth descriptions on themselves. While the depictions of them were clearly from years ago, there was no denying it. Each of them had a full page about them, listing their skills, abilities, powers, and more quite intimately, as if the author had known them all personally. A ridiculous notion, considering the fact that the Gems had no idea where this book had even come from, but one that disconcerted them immediately.
"W-what is all this?!" Pearl asked, completely appalled as she ripped the book away from Amethyst. "Why is there so much information in here about us?!"
"Not just us," Garnet scowled, her hands clenched into fists. "About Gem monsters, the temple, and-"
"Rose…" all three Gems said in solemn unison as they arrived to the page on their former leader. While Garnet and Amethyst were quite surprised at this themselves, Pearl in particular found it hard to take as she suddenly slammed the book shut, gripping onto its edges tightly.
"Who wrote this book?!" the white Gem demanded, her voice tight as it masked her true panic.
"And how'd they know all that stuff about us?!" Amethyst asked, her eyes wide in bewilderment. "Did they spy on us or something?"
"But who would have the nerve to do something like that?" Pearl glared at the book. "And why were they recording all of this anyway? What did they plan on doing with this information?"
"And why did the kids have it?" Amethyst continued, her mind racing just as much as Pearl's. "Where'd they even get it from? And why-"
"Enough questions!" Garnet suddenly shouted, roughly taking the book away from the white Gem. Even behind her shades, her expression of adamant rage was clear to see. "It doesn't matter where this came from or who wrote it. Whatever this book is, it's clear that it contains information that's far too sensitive to be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Which is why there's only one thing we can do." Pearl and Amethyst watched nervously as their leader succinctly bubbled the book, letting it hover securely above her palm as she firmly began to lead the way into the temple. "We have to get rid of it."
It was nearly impossible to keep track of time in the expanse of pink clouds, but the kids knew they had been in there for at least a few hours now. And in those hours, they had what could easily be described as the time of their lives. Almost anything they could think of could be brought to life within the room, so long as Steven said it aloud, and all four of them were more than happy to take advantage of this fact. From a towering, high-speed roller coaster, to a sprawling, beautiful ocean, to a petting zoo containing countless types of animals, all of them friendly. They enjoyed it all, heedless of how impossible it all was, since nothing was really impossible there. The fun had gone on for quite some time, until they all settled down to watch the recently-released Dogcopter 3 on the massive screen the room had provided for them. They all enjoyed the movie, but by the time the credits started rolling, it was clear that they were all starting to get a bit restless.
"That was amazing!" Connie gushed as she sat up in her beanbag chair. "I've been waiting to see that movie for months! It was even better than I thought it would be!"
"And did you see those effects?" Dipper asked with a wide grin. "They were incredible! They totally make up for the lackluster CG in Dogcopter 2."
"I know, right?" Connie nodded in absolute agreement.
"Are you two done nerding out yet?" Mabel asked, giving the two of them a teasing smirk as she lay on her back. "You've been doing it for the whole movie."
While Connie let out a small, somewhat embarrassed laugh at this, Dipper decided to use the opportunity for some playful retaliation. "Hey Steven, can I get a pillow over here?"
"Sure thing," Steven smiled. "Room, one pillow please!"
As expected, a pillow appeared out of thin air, dropping down into Steven's arms before he tossed it over to Dipper. The moment he caught it, he didn't hesitate to throw it hard at Mabel, knocking her off her chair and onto the fluffy ground. She hardly protested though as she remained there, contentedly making what she referred to as "cloud angels".
"Well, as fun as this is, we should probably start thinking about heading back," Steven said, standing. "I'm sure the Gems are probably wondering where we are, and I don't really want them to find out we were in here this whole time…"
"Aw, but I wanna see the rest of the temple!" Mabel protested.
"Yeah, there's gotta be more to it than this," Dipper said with a frown. "What about the other Gems' rooms?"
"They'll definitely catch us if we go into them!" Steven exclaimed anxiously. "And besides, I don't think we can even get to any of the other rooms from here… Can we?"
"Maybe the room can help out with that," Connie suggested. "There's no way a place this big doesn't connect to the rest of the temple, right?"
"Huh, I guess I hadn't really thought of that," the young Gem shrugged. "I guess it's worth a try… Room, we'd like to go see the rest of the temple, please!" He paused for a moment, though quickly added something else upon remembering one of the limitations of the room itself. "Oh, and uh, can we get a real way out of here? It wouldn't really do us much good if you gave us a fake one."
The young Gem's request was immediately granted as several of the clouds on the ground nearby parted, revealing what seemed to be another waterslide. However, this one was composed solely of water alone, and it twisted down through the clouds to an unseen point, one that was tinged with hints of blue rather than the constant surrounding pink.
"Will that really lead to another part of the temple?" Dipper asked as they all came to stand before the wide slide.
"There's only one way to find out!" Mabel grinned mischievously before abruptly pushing her brother down the slide. She followed soon after, laughing she heard his cry of protest and, seeing no reason to hesitate, Steven and Connie followed suit and leapt onto the slide themselves.
The long waterslide twisted and meandered through the clouds, defying gravity as it looped and curled without restraint. Eventually though, all four kids began to notice the pink clouds dissipating, giving way to a midnight blue sky, marked with stars and flowing streaks of white. They only had a moment to enjoy the new scenery however, before the slide suddenly steepened drastically, to the point that it was more of a waterfall than anything else. All four of them were somewhat panicked as the waterfall dropped them all into a deep pool of water, though fortunately it was easy for them to swim up to the surface and get a better look at the new room they found themselves in.
Much like Rose's room, this room had a peaceful aura to it, though it was conveyed in quite a different way. Several hovering fountains of differing heights and sizes flowed into the large lake, the largest being the centermost one. The easy fountains, coupled with the soothing night backdrop gave the room an elegant appeal, one that was not lost on any of the kids.
"It's so relaxing in here!" Connie exclaimed with a smile. "I wonder whose room this is?"
"Oh, it's Pearl's!" Steven exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I've seen peeks of it before when she opens up her door!"
"Huge elegant fountains seem like they'd be Pearl's sort of thing," Mabel said with a thoughtful nod.
"But if this is her room, then where is she?" Dipper asked, glancing around for any signs of the white Gem.
"M-maybe all the Gems left to go on a mission!" Steven said a bit apprehensively. "Hopefully…"
"Hey, guys? Is it just me or is that big hole in the middle of the pool starting to get bigger?" Mabel asked, nodding towards the wide indent where the central fountain poured into.
"It's not getting bigger!" Connie gasped in sudden alarm. "It's pulling us towards it!"
"Everyone, quick! Swim to the edge!" Dipper shouted. Everyone did so, fighting against the pulling current as much as they could, but in the end it was too strong for them. The gaping crater sucked all of them down it all too quickly, sending them plummeting down a very long, but thankfully mostly straight waterfall. Once again, they were deposited into another deep pool, though this time, it was in another room altogether.
Upon surfacing, the kids were met with a sight that was far different from the clean serenity of Pearl's room. The room itself appeared to be something of a cavern, its walls consisting of sparkling crystals and jagged stones of various sizes and shapes. Much like the previous two rooms the kids had visited, this one was quite sizable, but unlike them, it was far from empty or organized. Mountains of what could only be described as clutter where at almost every turn, composed of anything from old food, to broken electronics, to ancient artifacts, to household items and everything in between. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the mess, but it still fascinated the kids nonetheless as they emerged from the waterfall pool to get a better look.
"What is this place? The Gem's trash room?" Dipper asked with a caustic frown.
"No, actually I think its Amethyst's room," Steven said.
"Why does she keep all of this stuff?" Connie asked as they began to walk along one of the makeshift paths through the clutter. "Does she ever even use any of it?"
"I think she just keeps it around for decoration," Steven shrugged. "She likes to bring back stuff from missions all the time, so I guess this is where she puts it all."
"Hey, check it out!" Mabel exclaimed as something up ahead caught her eye. The others followed her as she ran up to the purple bubble that was floating above a small pile of random garbage. Trapped inside of it was a rather small circular blue gemstone. "This thing probably belongs to one of those monsters the Gems fight all the time! It's so cool looking!"
"Oh, so this is where they're all bubbled away to!" Steven exclaimed in realization.
"It does make a lot of sense," Connie nodded in agreement.
"Mabel, don't mess with that thing!" Dipper warned as Mabel cupped the bubble in her hands. "What if it pops?"
"Come on, I'm just getting a better look," Mabel scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm being super careful! It's not gonna-"
Pop!
Instinctually, Mabel flinched away as the bubble abruptly burst, the gemstone dropping to the ground as it began to glow. With a concerned gasp, Steven hurriedly pulled Mabel away from it, especially as it began to rise up off the ground. The kids watched in silent terror as an almost humanoid shape formed around the gem, though it quickly shifted into a monstrous one. As the light cleared, the creature revealed its large, plantlike appearance; its head was a glowing blue bulb, protected by four thick navy petals, all of which lashed out with a roar. It was supported by several slithering vine-like appendages, two of which tapered out to sharp, thorny points. It easily towered over all of the kids as it let out a shrill hiss, its deadly vines poised to attack.
"Run!" all four kids exclaimed in frightened unison. Before the monster could even lash out, they had all turned on their heels and began frantically sprinting in the opposite direction. The monster was quick to pursue them, though thankfully the multiple piles of clutter gave them decent enough cover from its long range attacks.
"Nice going, Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed in annoyance as they all continued running.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know it was just like a regular bubble?!" Mabel retorted defensively. "I thought it was made out of glass or magic or something!"
"We can't keep running from that thing forever," Connie took an anxious glance back at the monster. "Maybe we should split up so we can divert its attention and come up with a way to defeat it!"
"Or," Steven smiled as he noticed what was right up ahead. "We can lose it in that tunnel up there!"
The others glanced to what the young Gem was referring to: a thin, relatively narrow tunnel carved into the stone wall. It was wide enough for all of them to easily fit into, but small enough that the monster most likely wouldn't be able to squeeze into it. In all actuality, it would probably be their safest option, which was why they took it as they hurried into the corridor, still not slowing their pace as the monster continued slinking after them. Yet as they had hoped, the monster's bulky body became stuck almost as soon as it barreled into the tunnel. The creature let out an enraged squeal as it tried to free its vines, which were pinned against the walls, but to no avail. For all its struggling, the monster was completely immobile, a sight that filled the kids with overwhelming relief.
"Well, that was a close one!" Mabel exclaimed, letting out the breath she had been holding in.
"So… is that monster just supposed to stay here, or…?" Dipper trailed off, taking an anxious step back as the creature attempted to lash out again.
"Amethyst will probably find it and take it out when she gets back to her room," Steven said as he started moving on down the tunnel. "For now, we might as well keep going."
"I don't think we really have a choice…" Connie said, frowning back at the monster, which was totally blocking the way they had come through. The remainder of the tunnel was quite long and twisting, but thankfully fully illuminated by the glow of the pink crystal walls on all sides. The further away they got from the still writhing monster, the better the kids all felt, even if its angry shrieks could still be heard for quite a while.
"So… who's in favor of going back up to Rose's room and playing with the flying puppies again?" Mabel asked in relative exhaustion.
"At this point, I kind of just want to leave the temple altogether," Dipper said with a tired sigh. "I mean, it's awesome in here and everything, but now I can sort of see what the Gems meant when they said it was dangerous."
"Yeah…" Steven said, frowning remorsefully. "Maybe we should have listened to them after all. They're usually right about this sort of thing."
"Well… maybe there's a way out up ahead," Connie said with a small, hopeful smile. "Or at the very least maybe it won't lead to another death trap."
"Wait a second…" the young Gem suddenly stopped before they could round the next corner. "Do you guys hear that?"
The others stopped and listened, confused at first, until they heard hints of familiar voices coming from not too far away. They were too distant to make out any clear words, but even so, they were immediately recognizable. "It's the Gems!" Mabel gasped in newfound excitement. "We should go say hi!"
"Are you crazy?" Dipper asked harshly. "We can't let them see us! Do you have any idea how much trouble we'll be in if they find out we're in here and that we let a Gem monster loose?!"
"I agree with Dipper," Connie said with a fretful frown. "We should just focus on finding a way out of here before anything else happens."
"But the Gems are right up ahead," Steven said nervously. "I guess we'll just have to sneak past them… somehow…"
The kids made sure to be as quiet as possible as they inched on ahead, until eventually, the end of the tunnel came into sight. The corridor let out into another large room, though it was clear the opening was several feet up from the ground below. All the same, the room was lofty, relatively hot, and had a very high ceiling, which accommodated for the countless bubbled Gems frozenly floating near it. At the center of the room was a circular pit of bright, burning lava, and gathered around it were the Crystal Gems themselves. Though their high vantage point kept them from being immediately spotted, the kids still made sure to press against the sides of the corridor to avoid being seen. Still, they couldn't help but stop for a moment and watch the Gems as they paced around the room almost apprehensively.
"What are they doing down there?" Connie asked, confused.
"I don't know…" Steven frowned. "I guess they're having a meeting or something?"
"Shh!" Mabel quieted the two of them. "I wanna hear what they're saying!"
Garnet had come to stand still in front of the lava pit, her hands curled into fists. All the while, Pearl continued to pace fretfully, while Amethyst sat near the edge of the room, looking through what appeared to be a book, though none of the kids could see it too well from their position.
"Man, I'll give whoever wrote this thing this: they knew their stuff," the purple Gem remarked, casually flipping through pages. "Plus, they did a pretty good job at drawing me, so props to them."
"Amethyst, be careful with that thing!" Pearl snapped, taking the book away from her. Only now that it was closed were the kids able to clearly see the book clearly. And the moment he saw the golden six-fingered hand on its cover, Dipper froze in what was nothing less than absolute horror.
"The journal?!" he exclaimed, completely forgetting about trying to be quiet and unseen. He quickly remembered though as the Gems glanced around, apparently having heard him, though they were soon shrugged it off and returned to their discussion. Even so, Dipper was anything but relieved. He had worked so hard and had been so careful to keep the journal concealed, especially from the Gems. He had spent so long fearing that if the Gems ever did actually discover it, then certainly he'd lose it and the answers it potentially held forever. Yet even despite how cautious and attentive he had been, they had managed to find it all the same. And, based on their clearly troubled expressions, they were anything but pleased by the discovery.
"Huh? How'd they find it?" Connie asked in confusion.
"Looks like somebody was a bit of a scatterbrain and left it lying on the bed," Mabel said pointedly.
Dipper let out a frustrated groan as he face palmed, pressing against the wall of the tunnel again. "I can't believe this! What am I gonna do now?"
"Maybe you could ask them to give it back?" Steven suggested with an awkward smile.
"Yeah, that'll work out just great," Dipper deadpanned. "'Hey, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, I know you guys didn't want us in your temple, but here we are anyway! Mind if I have that journal that's filled with a bunch of secrets about you guys back? Thanks!'"
"You really think that'll work?" Mabel asked, not detecting his sarcasm.
"Of course it won't work!" Dipper snapped, beyond stressed over the entire situation. "They'd probably just laugh right in my face!"
"I don't know, Dipper… Is this really such a bad thing?" Steven asked carefully. "I mean, maybe it's for the best that the Gems know about the journal. It's only fair since there's so much written in it about them. And who knows? Maybe they even know who the author is!"
Dipper was prepared to disagree with this idea, but before he could, one particular statement from Garnet caught his attention. "Both of you need to stop fooling around with that book," the Gem leader firmly commanded Pearl and Amethyst. The white Gem didn't hesitate to shyly hand the journal over to her, allowing her to bubble it once more. Garnet's expression was solemn and resolved as she guided the bubble to hover over the lava pit. "It's time to destroy this thing before it destroys us."
Upon seeing the lava slowly begin to flow upward and rise up towards the bubbled journal, Dipper was completely incapable of remaining silent and out of sight any longer. "No!" he shouted, forgetting how high up the exit of the tunnel was as he leaned out of it. Time seemed to speed up as he started to fall out of the opening, and while Mabel reacted quickly by trying to catch him by the arm, she began to fall as well. Likewise, Steven and Connie also tried their best to grab the twins before they slipped out of the tunnel, but alas, they all managed to accidently pull each other down, sending them plummeting together into the room in full view of the Gems.
"What the…? What are you guys doing in here?" Amethyst asked in absolute bewilderment.
"H-how did you four get into the temple?!" Pearl demanded, clearly much more panicked at their presence.
"Um… I sort of… opened the door…" Steven admitted sheepishly.
"You… Wait, what?!"
Before the conversation could go on any longer, a sudden familiar screech startled them all, one that came from the very same tunnel the kids had emerged from. All four of them shared the same immediate fear upon hearing it, and their fears were confirmed as the monster from earlier dropped down into the room only a few feet away from them and the Gems.
"The monster?!" Mabel exclaimed in alarm.
"B-but we trapped it! It was stuck! How did it break free?!" Connie asked in disbelief.
"Hey, isn't that the slinker?" Amethyst asked with a confused frown. "I thought it was bubbled in my room!"
"Why in the world would it be bubbled in that disaster instead of in here?!" Pearl glared at the purple Gem while summoning her spear.
"Hey, don't look at me! At least I'm not the one who popped it and let it lose in the temple, which is what I'm guessing you guys did," Amethyst gave the kids a pointed look. None of them really replied, but instead glanced away guiltily.
"We don't have time to point fingers," Garnet said firmly, clenching her gauntleted fists as the slinker began to lurch towards them. Fortunately, as she did so, the bubbled journal floated a bit away from the lava pit to the other side of the room. "However that thing was freed, it's going right back where it came from. Gems, let's go!"
"Wait!" Steven called. "We can help you guys!"
"No," Garnet put her hand in front of the kids, abruptly rejecting them.
"But why not?!" Dipper protested crossly, quite tired of being underestimated. "We've already proven to you three several times that we can handle this sort of thing! Why won't you just trust us?!"
"Because you're not even supposed to be in here in the first place!" Pearl snapped in frustration. "We told you it was dangerous, but you didn't listen!"
"You didn't trust us," Garnet said much more calmly, though it was clear she was rather irritated as well. "Which is why we can only trust ourselves with something like this."
"Sorry, you guys," Amethyst said with a hint of sympathy. "But you gotta sit this one out. Don't take it too personally, k?"
Before any of them could further object, the Gems leapt into battle against the slinker. Garnet got the first jump on it, aiming her punches for its main body, though the monster's long tendrils were quick to latch firmly onto her wrists and throw her aside. Pearl attempted to cut her way through the snapping vines with graceful spins of her spear, but their strength proved too much for her as one of them managed to pry her weapon away from her. Amethyst went next, her whip aimed for the central bulb, but the monster preempted her attack and caught her by her midsection, squeezing tight as it held onto her with an iron grip.
The fact that the tide of this fight was quickly turning against the Gems was not lost on any of the kids. While the all the action was playing out a safe distance away from them, they watched it unfold intently, all of them still wanting to help even if they had been advised against it, though none of them were quite sure as to how. That is, until Dipper happened to spot the journal, still bubbled on the other side of the room.
"That's it!" he exclaimed, already starting to rush over to it. "There has to be something about how to defeat that monster in the journal!"
"But the Gems told us not to get involved!" Steven exclaimed, casting a nervous glance towards the nearby fight.
"We have to do something, Steven!" Dipper retorted resiliently. "Whether they like it or not, the Gems need help. They need the journal's help. They need our help!"
"Yeah!" Mabel agreed brightly. "So let's give it to them!"
"The Gems probably won't be very happy about this…" Connie pointed out, but nonetheless, she boldly joined the twins. "But they'll thank us for it later."
Steven frowned apprehensively as they all turned to him expectantly, awaiting his consent with the plan. The young Gem knew that they had already gone against the Gems' instructions countless times today alone, and for each instance, he couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. The trust of his devout guardians was the last thing he had ever wanted to lose, but now it seemed as though he already had. Yet at the same time, Steven couldn't help but feel his own trust in the Gems had been shaken quite a bit. Rarely were they ever truly honest or straightforward with him. They had so many secrets that they constantly refused to let him in on, secrets that he should have been allowed to know. After all, he was a Crystal Gem too, right?
Yet even so, the young Gem understood just how much of an extenuating circumstance this was, especially as he glanced over at the Gems, who were still struggling against the slinker. True, they had ordered them to keep out of the matter, when push came to shove, Steven would always, always work towards protecting those he cared about above all else.
"Ok," he said with resolve. Dipper, Mabel, and Connie all offered him small, consoling smiles, all of them realizing just how difficult of a choice this likely was for him to make considering his deep respect for the Gems. But, if they could manage to aid them against all odds, then it would well be worth it in the end.
Thankfully, the kids were able to reach the journal before it could float to high out of their reach. Acting quickly, Dipper grabbed the bubble and, upon Mabel's insistent request, allowed her to pop it. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon holding the journal in his hands again, especially after how close it had been to being burned into mere ashes. Still, he knew this was no time to celebrate; he rapidly flipped to the section pertaining to Gem monsters, searching for an image or description of the one that the Gems were currently squaring off against. And, fortunately enough, it took very little searching at all to find it.
"Here it is!" Dipper exclaimed with a relieved smile before reading the entry aloud. "The Slinker: This Gem creature receives its name from how it moves, by using its long, vine-like tendrils to 'slink' across the ground. Plantlike in appearance, the slinker makes use of its unassuming form for stealth and camouflage. However, it can be quite vicious and aggressive when provoked. The best way to subdue this monster is to confuse it. Entangle it in its own vines and it'll be as harmless as a regular flower."
"So just tie all of its vine things together?" Mabel asked. "That sounds easy enough!"
"We gotta let the Gems know!" Steven exclaimed, turning towards the brawl. "Hey, you guys! We know how to stop the slinker!"
"S-Steven, please!" Pearl exclaimed harshly as she struggled between two of the slinker's vines. "We told you kids n-not to get involved in this! We can handle it!"
"But you guys are kinda losing!" Mabel called. "No offense!"
"Uh, maybe we should hear them out, you guys!" Amethyst said to Garnet and Pearl as she tried to wriggle free from the slinker. "In case you haven't noticed, we're not doing too hot over here!"
The two of them exchanged a tentative glance, both of them knowing just how of a tight spot they were in. In their frustration with the kids, they weren't fighting with as much clarity as they usually would, making this a losing battle. But perhaps, maybe it was time to embrace the aid the kids were more than willing to give instead of stubbornly pushing it away.
Without a word, Garnet and Pearl turned to the kids, expectantly awaiting their apparent advice. And knowing that time was of the essence, Dipper didn't hesitate to divulge it. "You have to tangle it up in its own vines! That should tie it up long enough for you guys to beat it!"
The Gems didn't waste time deliberating whether or not to utilize this plan, since they all immediately realized how much sense it made. Upon breaking free from the slithering vines, they fanned out, Garnet taking the initiative by firmly catching two of its tendrils as they sped towards her and tying them together tightly. Pearl leapt gracefully over the slinker, all while another vine chased after her, only to collide and twist with another vine on its other side. Amethyst used her whip to fake the slinker out, making it look as though it was another vine, that is, until she stomped down on one of the real ones, tying up with the last free one there was. As the slinker struggled to free its tangled tendrils, the Gems went in for the final assault. As Amethyst made sure that the monster remained incapacitated, Pearl kept its snapping bulb at bay while Garnet plunged her fist into the area between the slinker's body and head, grabbing onto the gemstone inside. With a swift, final pull, the Gem leader tore the gem away, causing the slinker to poof away almost instantly. In wake of its defeat, Garnet wasted no time in bubbling it once more, allowing it to float up and join the huge collection of bubbled gems.
Despite the Gem's successful victory, there was little celebration over it. As the adrenaline of battle faded, a sort of uneasy tension took its place, especially as everyone slowly came to meet in the middle of the room. Still, the kids couldn't help but glance away nervously as the Gems stood over them, disappointment and confusion written all over all three of their faces. After a long silence, surprisingly enough, Steven was the first one to speak up.
"Um… so…" the young Gem began carefully, his tone already apologetic. "I know you guys are probably really mad at all of us, and you kinda have a right to be but… we just wanted to see what the temple was like!"
"Yeah!" Connie added defensively. "We didn't mean to free that monster or cause any trouble at all! Steven's gem opened the door, so we figured we'd check it out. We're sorry if we upset you."
"That's not the point," Garnet said coldly, crossing her arms. "The point is we warned all four of you against coming in here. Now, hopefully, you all understand why we didn't want you in the temple. Every monster we've ever fought and defeated is contained here. Playing around in here is like playing in a minefield."
"We only wanted you kids to be safe…" Pearl said, her tone gentle and kind. "We understand that you're all eager to help us, and we appreciate your enthusiasm. But sometimes we just have to draw the line in order to protect you."
Steven, Mabel, and Connie smiled and nodded in acceptance with this sincere explanation, but Dipper was anything but pacified, especially as he glanced down at the journal in his arms. "So, your idea of protecting us is not filling us in on anything then?" he asked with the slightest edge of accusation.
"Uh… what are you talking about?" Amethyst asked in marked confusion.
"I'm talking about how you guys never want to tell us anything!" Dipper said in clear frustration. "If you had just told us that we shouldn't go in the temple because it's where all of the monsters are bubbled, then we would have listened and stayed out. But you never gave us a reason why we shouldn't be in here and you just expected that we wouldn't want to figure out that reason for ourselves."
"And we're sorry about that," Garnet replied truthfully. "But that doesn't change the fact that you all still disobeyed us."
"Yeah, but it's over with," Mabel said with a tentative smile. "Everything's ok now, isn't it?"
"No, it isn't!" Dipper cut in again, far too perturbed to back down now. In truth, he realized he was probably pressing his luck and being far too bold, but at the same time, he wanted answers. Answers that he knew were far past due. "This isn't just about the temple. This is about how mysterious you three are all the time! Why are you keeping so many secrets?"
"S-secrets?!" Pearl asked, appalled. "Like what?"
"Like… well…" Dipper paused, knowing that he had far too many questions concerning the Gems that had yet to be concretely answered. "Well, for starters, what are you guys really? Where did you come from? What's the deal with you powers? Why… why were you trying to get rid of this?" he asked, holding the journal up.
The Gems all exchanged an uneasy glance as they looked at the journal, almost as if it was something they were unanimously afraid of. Before Dipper could pull it away, Pearl took the journal from him, ignoring him reaching out for it in protest. "Where did you kids find this book?" the white Gem asked incredulously, her eyes wide as she looked down at the four of them.
"I… I found it on the hill a few weeks ago," Dipper admitted a bit hesitantly, unsure of how the Gems would react. They were silent for a long moment, their expression unreadable as they glanced between him and the journal, until Pearl spoke up again.
"Dipper…" the white Gem began, her tone notably unsettled. "If you've had this book for that long… then why did you never show it to us? You do know it has… quite a bit of information about the three of us in it, don't you?"
"We know," Steven spoke up anxiously.
"Huh? Steven, you knew about this thing?" Amethyst asked, looking to the young Gem in disbelief.
"Um… yeah…" Steven admitted remorsefully. "We all did. We just didn't tell you guys because…"
"Because I was afraid that you'd react to it exactly like you did," Dipper interjected, glancing down. "By trying to get rid of it."
"You don't understand," Garnet said, shaking her head. "The information about us in that book is extensive, extensive enough to be a clear danger to us all. Pearl, Amethyst, and I have survived for hundreds of years because we believed the same thing Rose Quartz did: that we need to constantly keep our guards up, no matter what the situation is."
"But… how would the journal be dangerous to you three?" Connie asked, confused. "Didn't you allow all of that stuff to be written about you?"
"We most certainly did not!" Pearl exclaimed, handing the journal off to Garnet. "We'd have to be completely daft to let someone write that much information about us!"
"What? But didn't you know who the author of it was?" Dipper asked, feeling as though the answer to the most important question had already slipped out of his fingers. The uncertain glance the Gems exchanged only seemed to confirm it, but they said it aloud nonetheless.
"We… we don't know who wrote this," Garnet said, her usually stoic tone surprisingly troubled. "But none of us can deny that it does look familiar."
"So you've seen it before?" Mabel asked.
"Nah, probably not," Amethyst frowned. "But it sure does feel like it."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Dipper shook his head. "The author makes it sound like he knew you three, or at least like he knew Rose."
"Don't be ridiculous," Pearl was quick to scoff. "If Rose had allowed some mysterious person to write half of a book about us, then she would have let us know!"
"I dunno…" Amethyst said with an skeptical frown. "Would she have?"
"Of course she would have!" the white Gem snapped harshly. "Rose would have never kept a secret like this from us!"
"So… if Mom never kept secrets from you, then why do you guys keep secrets from us?" Steven asked, the hurt in his expression clear.
"Aw, Steven…" Amethyst began, though the young Gem quickly interrupted.
"I mean… I understand that everything you guys do is important and that it's important for protecting the earth and everyone in it," Steven continued, his tone calm, yet still conflicted. "But… you don't have to do that alone! We want to help you! This is our home and we want to keep it safe just as much as you guys do! We know it can be dangerous sometimes, but we're not afraid! Right guys?"
Dipper, Mabel, and Connie all nodded in firm agreement, but even still, the young Gem wasn't finished with his appeal quite yet. "We know we didn't trust you on the temple thing, and we're sorry. But trust is a two way street. All we want is for you guys to trust us, for you to let us help you! So… can't we all just… learn to trust each other so we can work together and protect what we all care about?"
None of the Gems could really hold back their proud smiles upon hearing their youngest member deliver such a heartfelt, inspiring speech. Amethyst nodded with a side smirk as Pearl dried her teary eyes, all while Garnet placed a gentle hand on Steven's shoulder. "Steven, your mother always believed that trust was something that shouldn't be so easily given away," the Gem leader began, her tone patient. "She believed it was something that should be earned, and that everyone should give others the chance to earn it. And… perhaps… we haven't given you four that chance. Until now."
The kids exchanged relived smiles upon hearing this, all of them feeling as though everything was starting to smooth over. "So… you guys are going to stop leaving us out of everything?" Connie asked, hopeful.
"We're going to try," Pearl said with an affirmative nod. "After all, you four have certainly proven that you have determination and tenacity to spare. It really is quite admirable, to say the least."
"Plus, you guys are pretty cool to have around," Amethyst said with a casual grin. "When you're not accidently letting monsters run wild in the temple. Not that that sort of thing isn't fun or anything. Honestly, it kinda is."
"Yay!" Mabel cheered happily. "We're all friends again! It feels so good to get rid of all of that weird awkward tension."
"You can say that again," Steven sighed contentedly, glad that he was able to somehow make peace in light of everything that had happened.
Despite the fact that the strain between them all had been lifted, Dipper was still the only one not completely satisfied, especially as he looked to the journal in Garnet's hands. "So… I guess you guys are still gonna burn that thing, huh?" he asked glumly, the prospect both unbearable yet inevitable. "I guess I understand if you do. I mean, it's not like it's really mine anyway and besides, it does have a lot of information in it that you probably wouldn't want getting out…" Dipper knew that he was trying to convince himself that he was accepting of the journal's impending destruction than he was trying to convince the Gems. Still, he was quite surprised as he glanced up to see Garnet handing the journal back to him. "Huh?" he asked in absolute bewilderment. "I don't understand. I thought-"
"There are a lot of secrets in this journal," Garnet acknowledged, still holding out to him. "Not just about us, but about Gravity Falls as a whole. But secrets are only really dangerous when they fall into the wrong hands. There's no real need to destroy the journal as long as it's in the right hands. And as far as I'm concerned, it is in theright hands with you, Dipper."
Dipper was hardly able to hide the complete shock on his face as Garnet pressed the journal into his hands, relinquishing it back into his possession. "A-are you sure?"
"Yes, Garnet, are you sure?" Pearl echoed, just as uncertain with this idea.
"I am," the Gem leader nodded with a small smile. "I'm certain the journal and the information it contains will be safe with Dipper. That is as long as he makes sure to be careful with it."
"Yeah, and use it to help us fight off Gem monsters!" Amethyst added with a smirk. "That thing's got all the answers!"
"O-oh, yes, of course!" Dipper nodded enthusiastically. After all, the Gems were essentially trusting him with their own well kept secrets. And that was a trust that he wouldn't dare betray. "I'll be super careful with it! And I won't let any of you down! I promise."
"That's all we ask," Garnet said with an accepting nod.
"Soooo, it looks like all's well that ends well, huh?" Mabel asked with a bright grin. "What do you guys say we hang out a little longer, maybe explore the rest of the temple? Hm?"
"I… think maybe you kids have seen enough of the temple for one day…" Pearl said with an amused smile as Garnet used her gems to open the door leading back to the house.
"But we can always save exploring the rest of it for another day!" Amethyst added daringly. "Especially since this guy can open the door all by himself!" she grinned, pointing to Steven.
"Heh, it's no big deal…" the young Gem said bashfully as they all headed through the door.
"Are you kidding? It's awesome!" the purple Gem exclaimed insistently. "You're getting to be just as magical as the rest of us, Steven!"
"Yeah…" Steven smiled, taking a single glance behind him as the temple door shut. "I guess I am…"
Considering all of the kids were rather tired after the adventure they had been through and that it was starting to get late, it didn't take long for them to bid each other farewell. Connie left first since it took her longer to get home, and while the twins hung out with Steven and the Gems a bit longer, soon enough they departed to begin the short trek back to the Mystery Shack. It was a good feeling for all of them to part on quite amicable terms considering what had transpired between them all, but in the end, they had all walked away with a newfound sense of trust and respect for each other. And that was something they could all be proud of.
"Well, looks like all your worrying about the Gems flipping out over the journal was for nothing," Mabel said to Dipper as the two of them headed down to the shack. "They were totally ok with it!
"Mabel, they did flip out," Dipper pointed out, glancing up from the journal has he flipped through it to look for any potential damage. "I'm just lucky they actually gave it back to me. If anything, now I have to be even more careful with it because of that."
"Yeah, I guess," Mabel rolled her eyes, not quite understanding her brother's concern. "So… you wanna show it to Grunkle Stan next?"
"Are you kidding? After all that?" Dipper asked caustically. "I'd just as well never show it to anyone else ever again if it's going to cause that much trouble." Ignoring Mabel's teasing shrug, he turned his attention back to the journal, though he stopped in his tracks upon noticing a page that he had never really seen before. "Huh… That's weird…"
"What's wrong" Mabel asked, stepping beside him to get a look.
"This page…" Dipper frowned in confusion. "Everything here is in code except for one word…"
"What word?"
He didn't answer right away but instead pointed to the odd word out, one that was nearly lost in the sea of scrambled cryptograms all around it, almost as if it didn't want to be found: "Homeworld…"
OOOOOOOHHHHHH FORESHADOWING! But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed that! I have to say this chapter was a BLAST to write! Plus, I'd also like to credit Z-King who gave me the idea for that end bit there! It's an awesome one! But if you guys have questions, I ain't answering any of em! You just gotta wait to find out the answers for yourselves! And what do you know, we're almost at the end of another arc! Hooray! I guess that means its time for another arc ender, and perhaps the introduction of a certain beloved blue Gem...? So get ready for that next time around! Until then, show your love int he REVIEWS! Until next time!