Chapter Twenty-Five
The Bizarre And Curious Tale Of Oliver Corduroy
Pike stood in the dark, mist-shrouded void in front of the worn door, his shoulders sagging. The door had tripled in size, and jagged cracks ran the length of it, spreading with each thump, as whatever was on the other side continued to pound against it unceasingly. It shook on its hinges, creaking and groaning as it slowly crumbled against the force of the blows.
Pike covered his eyes with an arm, as one of the cracks split open wide enough that blinding light shone through. He blinked rapidly and squinted, as bright, colorful, swirling light surrounded him like an aura. Sparks, like iridescent motes of dust, floated around him, and a soft breeze began to whistle through the expanding crack.
"Stop!" shouted Pike, desperation straining his vocal cords. "Stop trying to get out! The door is in place for a reason! It can't fall! I have to keep you safe, don't you understand?!"
The pounding continued.
Trembling, and exhausted to his very core, Pike turned his back to the door and braced himself against it, his pulse matching the rapid banging that shook both the door, and his body. The knocking was so jarring that it felt like his brain was rattling around in his skull.
Pike gritted his teeth, and planted his feet firmly, pushing the full weight of his body against the deteriorating door, praying to all the gods that it would hold.
/
Sparse smoke and the smell of burning incense hung in the inky blackness, which spread in all directions. The darkness was interspersed with flickering images that kept breaking into static, as if the connection was bad. Dipper, Mabel, Wendy and Jessica trudged forward without purpose, unsure of what they were supposed to be looking for.
"This is really weird," muttered Mabel. "This is nothing like Grunkle Stan's mindscape."
"Well, I mean, you've got to figure that everyone's mindscape is going to be different," pointed out Dipper. "Pike and Grunkle Stan are two very different individuals, so of course their mindscapes would be too."
"You two have been inside Stanley's mind?" asked Jessica, wrinkling her brow.
"Dude, mom, think about who you're talking to," said Wendy, rolling her eyes. "They're the flippin' Mystery Twins. They went into Stan's mindscape the very first summer they visited Gravity Falls."
"Ah," uttered Jessica, with a non-committal shrug.
"I just wish the Power guy had given me an idea of what to look for when he gave me the vision," complained Mabel. "He said we don't have much time, and we're just wa-AAH!" She fell forward, having tripped on something obscured in the mist at their feet.
"So…itty-bitty train tracks?" she said, as she took Jessica's proffered hand and got back to her feet.
As if on cue, a set of four miniature roller coaster cars rolled squeakily up the track, stopping in front of the group with the quiet hiss of hydraulic brakes.
"I guess we get in and see where it takes us?" suggested Dipper.
"I call dibs on the front car!" said Wendy, hopping in and buckling up. Dipper climbed into the car behind her. Mabel took the car behind him, and Jessica brought up the rear.
"Where do you think it's going to take us?" asked Wendy, turning halfway in her seat to face Dipper, as the carts lurched into motion.
"I honestly have no clue," said Dipper. "Wait, what?"
The cars were picking up speed, and the occupants suddenly realized that the distance between each car was increasing. Before anyone had a chance to act, the four cars all veered off on different courses. Each person was going to have to explore Pike's mindscape on their own.
/
The Pines' living room looked like a crime scene, sans the blood. Dipper, Wendy, Mabel, and Jessica all lay on the floor, unconscious.
Aurora paced the room nervously, absently biting her fingernails, and mumbling to herself, while Pacifica sat on the floor with Mabel's head cradled in her lap, gently stroking her girlfriend's hair. Lexie sat on the end of the sofa, while Gideon, still weak from blood loss, leaned against her.
"Aurora, pacing isn't going to bring them out of Pike's mindscape any quicker," said Pacifica, annoyance clear in her voice. "Sit down, will you? You're giving us all anxiety."
Aurora frowned, then thumped down in the overstuffed chair. She had traded biting her nails for fidgeting with an antique puzzle box. She wasn't even trying to open it—she just needed something to do with her hands.
"I am sorry if I am causing you distress," she said quietly. "I don't know what do to with myself… I'm supposed to protect Dipper, and I can protect his body here… but the rest of him is somewhere out there in the ether—hopefully in Pike's mindscape, if Mabel performed the ritual correctly."
"Yeah, talk like that isn't really helping either," muttered Pacifica. She sighed, and looked down at Mabel's face, stroking her cheek softly. "Mabes, you are the best person I know. I get that you wanted to help Wendy gain some understanding of her dad, but sometimes I wish you were a bit more selfish, and a bit less giving. I don't want to lose you."
Lexie and Gideon weren't overtly ignoring the others in the room, but they weren't really paying attention to them either.
"Do you want a snack, Gid? Orange juice? Something to help keep your blood sugar up?" asked Lexie. She still couldn't shake the panic of having nearly lost Gideon, and felt like she needed to be doing something to get him well again.
"I'm fine, sugar, you can relax a little," said Gideon, gripping Lexie's hand and squeezing it. "Your little love bite saved my life. Now that I have brand new dragon blood in me—well, I won't lie and say I'm back to one-hundred percent, but I actually don't feel that bad."
Lexie bit her lip. "Are you sure, Gid? I don't want you pretending to feel better so I won't worry."
Gideon chuckled. "Perish the thought. You know I'm not that good an actor, Lex."
Lexie smiled in spite of herself. He really was a pretty bad actor.
"Ah, now there's the smile I love," said Gideon, bopping Lexie's bottom lip gently with a finger.
"I'm not sure how it took me so long to realize I love you," Lexie said quietly, leaning her forehead against Gideon's. "You always know what to say to cheer me up."
"Hmm," said Gideon. He took a deep breath, and looked into Lexie's eyes. They were glowing a soft amber color. "This may not be the best time to ask you this, because, well—" Gideon indicated to their unconscious friends laying on the floor. "But Lexie, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the homecoming dance later this month?"
Lexie giggled. "A normal high school dance? Yes, please?"
Gideon grinned and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud clatter. Aurora had stood abruptly from her chair, and dropped the puzzle box on the hardwood floor. The blood had drained from her cheeks.
"We are not alone," she whispered. "There is someone—something in the house with us."
/
Dipper shivered as his cart sped through wisps of fog in Pike's mindscape. He was travelling too quickly to discern what was happening in the flickering images all around him, what memories he was passing. Then, the cart lurched a little, and began to slow. It rolled to a stop in front of what appeared to be a drive-in movie screen. Dipper sat back and folded his arms, waiting for the show.
A projector somewhere behind him whirred to life, and old, grainy, slightly discolored images flashed onto the screen. It took Dipper a moment to get his bearings—he was actually seeing the memories from Pike's point of view… and apparently hearing the thoughts that accompanied them.
Hands wrapped, training with a punching bag. Gotta keep going. So many people counting on me.
Dipper gasped as a wave of pure exhaustion washed over him, and blinked, as sweat dripped into his eyes. Not only was he seeing what Pike saw and hearing his thoughts, he was feeling what Pike felt. He was experiencing the entire memory, down to the aching muscles and knuckles, which were swollen and bloody from Pike's barrage of blows aimed at the punching bag.
The memory dissolved and Dipper sighed with relief, glancing at his knuckles, just to make sure they weren't swollen. A new memory took its place, however, and Dipper nearly doubled over, suddenly hit with a stitch in his side. He began gasping for breath like an asthmatic, and once again found himself drenched in sweat.
Pike was running, flat out. Sprinting as fast as he was able. He wasn't being chased. According to his thoughts, he was training again.
Five more miles. Then weightlifting. Call Oz and see if he wants to spar later. I've gotten too soft. I shouldn't have stayed in Gravity Falls for so long.
A vision flashed into Dipper's head, a memory of a memory. It was Wendy as a toddler, complete with red pigtails and skinned knees.
"Fly me Unka Ollie!" she cried, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. He lifted her up, and swung her around, while she shrieked with delight.
The vision faded, and Dipper was once again watching through Pike's eyes as he ran, and feeling every pain in his worn out body. Pike got another stitch in his side, and grunted with pain, but kept running.
I can't ever stop, especially now that I have Pippy to keep safe, too.
The memory faded from the screen, and Dipper felt his heartbeat return to normal. The sweat he'd felt dripping down his back was gone. Another image started to slowly come into focus on the screen, and Dipper tried to prepare himself for whatever physical exertion was going to come next.
Instead, as Pike, he was sitting in front of a large mahogany table, piled with thick, musty, leather-bound books. He was flipping through a particularly ancient-looking tome, too quickly for Dipper to see what it was about, until he stopped on a page and began to read silently. The writing was in an obscure language that Dipper didn't recognize, but luckily, Pike's thoughts translated what he was reading into English.
Soul magick is the most powerful, and one of the least practiced of all branches of magick. Only the most disciplined, strong-willed individuals are able to practice soul magick, and even then, it is rare for anyone to be able to do large workings. At its most powerful, soul magick allows its wielder to create, or destroy nearly anything, as it bends reality to the will of its wielder. However, soul magick is incredibly dangerous to those who attempt to harness its power, because the magick is pulled from the life force, or soul, of the wielder. The amount of life force used is dependent on the complexity of the working, and the strength of the wielder. It is possible to drain one's entire life force to achieve a working, but of course, this causes the death of the wielder.
Dipper blinked, and suddenly the memory changed. Pike was no longer amongst musty spell books. Instead, he was in a very familiar area of the forest, near the tree house. Dipper was looking through Pike's eyes at himself. Pike was staring at Dipper, Gideon, Lexie, Wendy, and Aurora, who were all hallucinating that the DD & MD game they were playing was real.
Dipper felt like the left half of his body was being stabbed with a thousand needles. As Pike looked down, he saw it was covered in blisters. His left upper arm hurt even worse. Pike had been bitten by Lexie, in her werewolf form. As if that wasn't enough, his head throbbed dully, and he felt a bit queasy. Apparently Pike was hung over during this memory.
"I tried to play nice, but fuck if you guys don't take this game way too damn seriously!" Dipper felt his vocal cords strain, but it was Pike's voice that screamed.
I am so going to regret this in the morning Pike thought, as he ran away from the attacking teenagers and took a knee, pounding a fist into the ground.
"Hastam de caelo descendit!" Dipper heard and felt Pike scream.
Dipper's vision went black as Pike closed his eyes, and he heard a deafening crack of thunder. Dipper felt a strange tingling sensation in his head, but Pike seemed to ignore it, as he went on to use the weapon he had summoned to soundly beat the tar out of the hallucinating teenagers.
He glanced down at the werewolf bite on his arm, which was bleeding profusely, and began to tremble, then dropped to his knees. Dipper felt an odd sensation that he could only describe as something crawling in his veins.
Shit, the werewolf virus moves quickly. I don't have any choice… I have to use Purgabit Corpus. This is gonna suuuuuuuck.
Jessica, Mabel, and Pacifica approached Pike, and he broke the curse on the DD&MD game. Then he dismissed the weapon he had summoned, and crawled away from them.
I hope this doesn't cost me too much thought Pike, just before he shouted "PURGABIT CORPUS."
A searing pain erupted from his werewolf bite, as it turned black and began to smoke. The crawling sensation in his veins felt as if it was moving toward the bite, until he saw dark blood and pus begin to ooze from the wound. The blisters on the left half of his body began to sizzle and pop open, their contents bursting out like miniature hell geysers. A wave of nausea, the magnitude of which Dipper didn't even know was possible, washed over him, and his entire body tingled in an uncomfortable way, like he was receiving thousands of static shocks all over his body at once.
That was nothing, compared to the vomit. Pike opened his mouth, and a vile black liquid poured forth. He wasn't just vomiting from his stomach. Dipper could feel the toxins and impurities being pulled out of every part of Pike's body, like someone had his organs and bones tied to a rope, and was trying to pull him inside-out.
The vomit just kept coming. Dipper didn't know it was possible for a human body to feel as physically horrible as Pike did during this memory. Finally, the black spew slowed, then stopped. Pike was barely able to crawl away from the mess he'd made, before collapsing in a heap. His whole body tingled, and not in a pleasant way.
Shit…I think I overdid it this time, he thought, as Dipper saw Pike's peripheral vision going dark.
Then there was nothing but static.
Dipper took a deep breath, trying to process what he had just seen, heard, and felt. Pike didn't deal with demons. He never had. He only was as powerful as he was because he was using his own life force to bend reality to his will.
Dipper also now knew, with certainty, that Pike was a protector. If it meant making the world safer for others, he was willing to sacrifice his life.
Dipper hung his head in shame as the cart slowly started to move again.
/
Mabel stood in her cart as it tore through Pike's mindscape, pulling her arms inside her sweater, and letting the empty sweater arms flap behind her like a cape. If she was going by herself on a tour of Pike's psyche, she could at least make it fun.
The cart suddenly lurched to a complete stop, causing Mabel to flip forward over the front of it.
"I'm okay," she said to no one, as she quickly stood up and brushed herself off. When she looked up, she had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from yelping.
In front of her, at a long, wooden table that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, sat five robed figures.
"YOU HOLIER-THAN-THOU, MOTHERFUCKING, SHIT-EATING, CUNT-MUNCHERS!"
Mabel jumped, and whirled around to face the person screaming behind her.
"Pike?"
A version of Pike, younger than the one Mabel was familiar with, stood facing the group at the table, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides. A vein throbbed in his temple, and his face was a mask of hatred. He didn't acknowledge Mabel. Apparently, she was merely observing this scene from his past.
"You never told me the key you wanted me to destroy was a fucking kid!" Pike spat. "And not just any kid—the kid sister of the girl I love! You want me to kill her innocent little sister!"
"Language, son, language," said an elderly gentleman sitting in a large, throne-like chair at the center of the table. Mabel squinted at him. It was the Power—her Power! The one who had showed her how to enter Pike's mindscape.
"You know very well that we would never ask you to harm an innocent child," continued the Power. "But she is no ordinary child. Her existence is an assault against the balance of the universe. She holds the power to tear down the walls of reality. Surely you can understand why her death is necessary."
Pike sneered. "What I understand is that the Powers That Be are afraid of a kid, so they sent me to do their dirty work for them." He spat on the ground. "You are a bunch of pathetic cowards."
"Pike, be reasonable," said a woman of indeterminate age, who was sitting to the left of Mabel's Power. "You are in just as much danger from the key as we are. Everyone is. All your loved ones. The whole world. Even if she appears innocent now, evil could manipulate her at any time."
Pike laughed darkly. "That is so much bullshit. My Princess would never let evil anywhere near the key. She'd protect her little sister up to her dying breath."
The center Power folded his hands on the table in front of him, a sickening smirk crossing his face. "If you refuse to destroy the key, that is likely what will end up happening. The girl you love will die."
Pike backed up a step and shook his head. "No, you're lying. I'm not doing it." As an afterthought, he added "And this concludes our business relationship as well. I can't work for 'the Powers That Be Trying to Kill an Innocent Child.'"
The Power at the center of the table bowed his head. "Very well. We cannot force you to work for us, Pike. But know this—you made this decision. And now you will have to live with its consequences."
A heavy wave of mist passed in front of Mabel, and when it dissipated, the scene had changed. Pike stood alone, in a dark forest, in front of a single, freshly dug grave. He knelt, and placed a long-stemmed red rose against the modest, granite headstone.
"I'm sorry, Princess," he whispered so quietly that Mabel had to move closer to be able to hear him. "I'll find a way to fix this. And I know your friends—they won't let this stand."
He leaned forward, and pressed his forehead against the gravestone. "Whatever hell dimension you're in, Princess, I swear to you—I'll get you out of there."
Pike and the grave he knelt over dissolved into nothing, leaving Mabel standing alone in the dark, fog-covered field, next to her cart. She sighed and climbed in. As she sat down, the cart began to move, but Mabel didn't notice. She was in her head, trying to process the scene she had just witnessed.
/
As Wendy's cart rolled through the darkness of Pike's mind, the landscape around her began to look familiar. She was home, in a manner of speaking. The cart was taking her up her street as it had looked when she was around ten years old. The cart bumped to a halt in front of the Corduroy family cabin. Wendy climbed out and approached the front door. From inside she could hear the deep, guttural rumble of Manly Dan's voice, raised in anger, and Pike's lighter, but no less angry counterpoint. Wendy pushed the door open, and slowly stepped into the house.
"Dan, you can't just ignore this," said Pike. He was leaning against the wall next to a framed picture of Dan and Jessica on their wedding day. "Jess is gone. Your kids want to know why. They deserve the truth—they need to know that Jess wasn't—"
"No," growled Dan. He sat on the red plaid sofa, his elbows on his knees, cradling his bearded chin in his hands. "They can never know about that side of her. All the memories they have of their mother are good ones, and I want to keep it that way. If the banishment ritual holds, they'll never have to know any different."
Pike's fists were balled so tightly at his sides that his knuckles were white. "That is such bullshit, Dan! You can't just lie to them for the rest of their lives! Especially Wendy—she's old enough that just telling her 'Mommy had to go away,' isn't going to be an acceptable answer to her. She'll want the truth. You owe her that much."
Dan stood up from the sofa, and crossed the room in two strides to tower over his little brother. "Listen, Pike, I appreciate that you want to help set things right, but they are my kids, and I am going to handle it my way. If you have a problem with that, maybe you should go."
"Fine," said Pike, tonelessly. He turned on his heel, and made his way to the front door. Wendy didn't have time to step aside, and the memory of Pike stepped through her like a cold gust of wind. He slammed the door behind him, and as his motorcycle roared to life, everything shimmered, and the scene changed.
Wendy bit her lip. She was in her bedroom, looking at her ten-year-old self curled up in bed, hugging an old, worn-out teddy bear, and weeping inconsolably. She remembered this. It was the day after her mom had disappeared.
A soft knock on the door startled the younger Wendy. She sniffled, and tried to wipe the evidence of her crying from her face. All she succeeded in was rubbing red blotches onto her wet cheeks.
"Come in," the young girl called.
"Hey, kiddo, how you holding up?" asked Pike, as he sauntered into the room.
"Uncle Ollie? I thought you left… I heard your motorcycle…" Young Wendy trailed off, and wiped her eyes, which had begun watering over again.
"Well, yeah, I left," said Pike, as he plopped down on the bed, pulling a paper sack out from behind his back. "But only to get my Pippy her favorite junk food!"
Young Wendy gave Pike a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, Uncle Ollie."
"Anything for you, kiddo," said Pike, as he wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a bear hug.
Young Wendy began sobbing again, into her uncle's shoulder. He pulled her into his lap and began to rock her.
Wendy watched Pike's face with fascination. At this point he'd already known for years that he was her biological dad, but he couldn't tell her. His little girl's heart was breaking, and still he had to play the role of "Uncle Ollie." He looked broken. Broken, and lost.
Finally, younger Wendy's sobs stopped, and she slid from her uncle's lap. She picked up her teddy bear, and held it to her chest.
"Uncle Ollie… you never lie to me," she said, looking down at the bear. "Is everything going to be okay?"
Pike visibly winced as she said he never lied to her, but by the time she glanced from her bear to his face, he was smiling.
"It sure is, Pippy. I'll see to it myself. Now how about we pig out and watch bad movies?"
The scene flickered, then vanished. Wendy stood motionless, wondering absently why her face was wet. She felt a soft nudge on the backs of her legs, and turned to see the cart directly behind her. She climbed in, and pulled her knees to her chest as it began to move.
Oliver Corduroy was a good man, and nobody, not even the Powers That Be, could convince Wendy otherwise.
/
Jessica Corduroy stared at the darkness around her with wide eyes, as her cart zipped through Pike's mindscape. She had worked magic before, both with and without the help of the rift—but she had never before travelled through someone's consciousness. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to feel like in someone's head, but something about Pike's mindscape seemed off to her.
Her cart slowed down, but didn't stop, as it entered a dense forest of withered, blackened trees. Jessica unconsciously tried to make herself smaller, being acutely aware of the kind of evil Pike had gone up against in the past. She didn't know what kind of memories could be lurking nearby. She shivered, worried that she would come upon herself, as she was when she was corrupted by the rift, and evil.
"Jessie, wait up!" rang out a shrill child's voice.
Jessica shot up and whipped her head around. She saw a flickering image just behind the tree line, like a picture on an old television set with bad reception.
"Ollie?" she called. A small boy darted out of the trees, gritting his teeth and crying. He didn't seem to notice her.
Jessica's cart continued to move, but slowed to a crawl, presumably to let her see how this memory played out. She'd heard little Ollie call out for 'Jessie,' but she was sure now that he hadn't been calling out to her, but to the memory of her.
"Ollie, stop following us!" shouted a young girl's voice, from amongst the trees. Jessica felt nauseated. That was definitely her voice, but she couldn't recall this particular memory from her point of view.
"Yeah, Dolly, stop following us!" bellowed an older boy's voice. "You'll only slow us down!"
"Danny, be nice!" hissed young Jessica, as she audibly smacked his arm.
"Ollie, go home!" called another older boy.
"Jacob…" whispered Jessica.
So this memory was from one of the summers when Dipper and Mabel's dad was a boy, visiting relatives in Gravity Falls. Jessica remembered those summers fondly—but she still couldn't place this memory. Her heart broke for little Ollie, who was trudging along next to the cart, sniffling and wiping his eyes.
"But I want to come!" cried Ollie. "I promise I won't get in the way!"
"No, Ollie," Jessica heard her younger self call out sternly. "We don't want you—"
A loud crackle of static cut the memory of Jessica off. Little Ollie's image flickered for a moment, then stabilized.
"They don't want me…" Ollie whispered to himself. He wiped his face with a flannel sleeve, and squared his shoulders resolutely. "I don't need them anyway."
Jessica reached out to the memory of Ollie, but he dissolved into the darkness. She did vaguely recall this memory from her point of view now. She, Dan, and Jacob were hiking into the mountains, looking for a legendary beast called the Multibear. They had left Ollie behind because they knew it would probably be dangerous. Jessica had her rift powers, Dan had his brawn, and Jacob was the brains of their operation—but Ollie was small, and not especially gifted or strong.
"We don't want you to get hurt," murmured Jessica. That's what she had called out. Pike's memory had her simply saying "We don't want you."
"Ollie, that's not the way it happened," Jessica whispered. She wondered what could have caused him to remember their interaction differently. Before she had much time to ponder, however, the cart picked up speed, and began weaving through the thick tangle of withered trees.
Images from Pike's past wavered to life in the darkness, only to quickly dissolve back into nothing. Ollie being picked on by Dan. Ollie falling out of the treehouse and breaking his arm. Jess and Dan holding hands, and turning their backs to Ollie. Jacob sneering at Ollie in disdain, and pushing him aside.
"Where are the happy memories, Pike?" whispered Jessica, as she blinked back tears. Scene after scene flashed by, all of them grim, lonely, or painful. "We were best friends! Where are those memories?"
The cart suddenly veered into a dark tunnel, which turned into a cave. A cave Jessica knew well. It was lit by a soft, silver-blue glow, which came from the points of starlight on the constellations covering the ceiling and walls. This was the cave where Jessica had earned the title of Star Child. The Scorpius birthmark on her back began to itch.
Out of the gloom appeared a single figure, its back turned to Jessica. The cart came to a halt, so she climbed out, and stepped closer to the figure.
It was Ollie, when he was around fourteen years old—about the time Jessica had started dating Dan. But what was he doing in the Star Cave, when she'd never even told him how to find it? As if to answer her, young Ollie began to shout.
"I know you're here, you floaty, ethereal shits! Come out and talk to me!" he screamed, his hoarse voice echoing dramatically against the cave walls.
The First Star Child appeared, as floaty and ethereal as Ollie had described. Jessica was shocked. The First Star Child didn't appear for just anybody.
"You have no place here," said the Star Child, sounding irritated. "Why have you screamed at us for the last hour? It is most rude."
Ollie raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "No, what's rude is letting someone try to get your attention for an hour, instead of appearing the first time they asked."
"If you've come to lecture me on my manners, young man, I'm afraid you're wasting your time," said the Star Child, his tone dismissive. "I've been around for millennia. I'm rather set in my ways."
Ollie waved a hand. "Whatever. I came here because I want you to let Jess go."
Jessica swallowed against the lump quickly forming in her throat, and stepped closer, so she could better see young Ollie's face. What did he mean by "let Jess go"?
"I am sorry, I do not understand what you mean," said the Star Child, echoing Jessica's question.
Ollie rolled his eyes. "Let her go. As in, free her from her obligations as a Star Child."
"Young man," the First Star Child intoned firmly, "being Star Child is not merely Jessica's obligation. It is her Destiny. She has accepted it. It cannot be undone."
"Bullshit," spat Ollie. "Before Jess accepted her 'Destiny,' she didn't—couldn't use magic. She had no access to the rift. Just cut off her access to the rift."
The First Star Child narrowed his eyes at Ollie. "Why are you so interested in the current Star Child's Destiny—or lack thereof?"
Jessica arched an eyebrow, waiting for Ollie's answer.
"Be-because," Ollie stuttered, which was completely unlike him. The next part came out in a rush, like a dam in his mind broke and he couldn't stop the words from spilling out.
"Because she's my best friend, and now that she's Star Child bad things keep happening to her, or coming for her, and she keeps getting hurt, and I love her, and she's acting different since she became Star Child and I think the power of the rift is starting to change her, and I don't want to lose her, and if you have to have a Star Child, I volunteer, because I want Jess safe."
Jessica stared at the fourteen-year-old Oliver Corduroy in shock, tears sliding down her cheeks. He had noticed, from nearly the beginning, that the power of the rift was changing her, and he had volunteered to take her mantle, even knowing how dangerous it was—especially knowing how dangerous it was.
"Oh, Ollie," Jessica whispered, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand, "why did you never tell me about this?"
The First Star Child's reaction was decidedly different than Jessica's. He laughed.
"You, a Star Child, little fish? What makes you think you'd be an even remotely qualified candidate to replace someone with a Destiny?"
Ollie clenched his fists, his ears red. "I learn quickly," he said. "I'm fast, and I'm stronger than I look. I—"
The First Star Child cut him off. "Enough. It was a rhetorical question. I know you and your friends well, due to your constant proximity to the current Star Child. Young Jessica can draw power from the rift, and manipulate that power for use as magic. Your brother is strong and imposing. The boy that accompanies you during the summer, he is clearly a brilliant strategist and tactician. Tell me, young man, what do you bring to the table when you tag along with them? Because from my point of view, you appear as nothing to them but a liability."
Tears of anger welled up in Ollie's eyes. Voice shaking, he uttered "So that's a no, then?"
"Unequivocally, yes—that is a no," said the First Star Child firmly. "Even if I possessed the ability to transfer Jessica's Star Child status to you, I wouldn't. You are simply not Star Child material."
Ollie was visibly trembling now. "You know what?" he said quietly. "Fuck your Destiny, and fuck you. If you won't help me, I'll figure out a way to protect Jess and others like her on my own."
Ollie turned on his heel and headed toward the mouth of the cave.
The First Star Child rubbed his chin, and watched with interest as Ollie left.
"You do that, little fish."
Jessica wanted to see more, but as soon as Ollie exited the cave, the scene dissolved, and she was once again alone in the dark and twisted forest of Pike's memory. She sank down in the waiting cart, her head in her hands. All that training, all that studying that Ollie did—he wasn't just trying to fit in better with Jacob and Dan. He'd been doing it because he wanted to protect her.
Why, then, now that Jessica was not longer corrupted by the rift, did Pike seem to want nothing to do with her?
/
The Pines' living room was silent, and all eyes were on Aurora. Well, the eyes of those who were conscious, that is.
"What do you mean we're not alone?" hissed Lexie. She jumped up from the sofa, landing silently on the balls of her feet, to stand protectively in front of Gideon. He reached forward and grabbed her hand.
Pacifica cradled Mabel closer. "Who's here?"
Aurora blinked slowly, and took a deep breath. "They're gone."
"Aurora, what the hell?" asked Gideon angrily. He pulled Lexie back down to sit beside him.
"I apologize—I just… there was another presence with us, if only for a moment," Aurora said, looking around the room in confusion.
"Was it one of them?" asked Pacifica, indicating with a hand to their unconscious friends on the floor.
"No," said Aurora shaking her head. "I would have recognized any of them instantly. This was… I'm not even sure it was a person. It felt ancient, and…not evil…but imposing? Definitely powerful."
"Oh, good," said Lexie. "Ancient and powerful. That's the best kind of uninvited guest."
"What do think it was here for?" asked Pacifica. "I mean, ancient, powerful…presences… don't just 'pop around for a quick visit,' do they?"
"They do not," confirmed Aurora. "They were not here long, so I doubt they were here to spy on us. Maybe they were after something?"
Gideon scoffed. "Sorry, but what would the Pines have that an ancient, powerful whatsits would be interested in? I mean, Ford has some cool stuff stored in the basement, but nothing mind-blowing."
"Um, shit," said Lexie suddenly.
Everyone turned to look at her questioningly.
"I think I know what they took… unless anyone else has moved Pike's failsafe chest in the last two minutes?"
All eyes went to the corner of the room where the chest had been placed when it was apparent that they couldn't use the weapon it contained. The chest was indeed missing.
"But the weapon, club thing, it was a dud, wasn't it?" asked Pacifica.
Aurora looked at her feet. "Just because we couldn't detect its magic, or use it as it was meant to be used, does not mean that it was a 'dud,'" she said quietly. "And if something ancient and powerful has spirited it away… that does not bode well."
Lexie collapsed into a fit of hysterical giggles.
"You okay, sugar?" asked Gideon with concern, as he rubbed her back gently.
Lexie chortled with her face in her hands. "It's just (hehehe!) fuck this week."
/
The early morning sun cast the grim scene in a warm light, like a beautifully composed Renaissance painting of a saint being martyred: Pike lay splayed, unconscious, in the middle of the street. A few feet away from him was the body of the Primordial vampire, slowly dissolving into black ash. Between them there sat an ancient, carved chest, and on top of the chest sat a small blonde child with bright blue eyes.
"Wow, I can't believe you actually killed the Primordial," said the First Good. "Maybe we were wrong about you. The Powers have been lying to you this whole time, you know. Well, I guess Darquesse and I have too, by omission. Lillith doesn't know, she just has her stupid vendetta against you because you burned her alive with holy fire. (That was pretty great, by the way). But now you've killed the Primordial, and you didn't even have this with you."
She patted the lid of the chest and continued.
"You don't even know what this is—I'm kind of surprised you haven't figured it out. But I guess you wouldn't have any reason to suspect, because of the bullshit the Powers are always feeding you about how you don't have a Destiny."
She slid off the chest, and knelt down so that she could whisper in the still-unconscious Pike's ear.
"You do have a Destiny, Pike, and I think it's time you knew about it."
/
The door was actively crumbling now, the cracks in it rusting rapidly, raining red dust down upon Pike, who now knelt, exhausted, but still leaning back against the door, trying desperately to brace it against the inevitable. He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut, as the pounding against the door shook the very foundations of his mind. It was because his eyes were closed that he didn't see the four carts and their passengers roll up to him.
"Dad?" cried Wendy, scrambling to exit her cart.
Pike's eyes flew open. "Wendy? What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed. Then he saw the three others with Wendy. "What are…all of you…doing here?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Jessica stepped forward, and took a knee next to Pike, placing a hand on his arm. "Your daughter wanted to get to know you—the real you—before…well, you know."
Pike glanced at Wendy, then looked down, biting his bottom lip.
"What's behind the door?" asked Mabel warily, as a shower of rust flakes rained down on the group, due to the relentless pounding. "Is it dangerous?"
"It's in his head, Mabes," said Dipper. "It can't hurt us."
"Can it hurt him, though?" asked Wendy. She nudged Pike with the toe of her boot. "Can it hurt you, dad? What you're trying to keep locked away?"
Pike, usually strong and stoic, looked from his daughter to her mother, and a single tear, tinted red with iron oxide, slid down his cheek.
"I…I'm not entirely sure," he said, his voice drained of any emotion. "I don't remember exactly. Just that I have to protect…keep safe…"
"Protect what?" asked Dipper, placing his palm against the door. "Keep safe what?"
"Yeah," added Mabel. "Are you protecting whatever's back there, or everyone else from it?"
Pike didn't answer. He leaned his head back against the door, and let the thumping jostle his whole body.
"Dad?" said Wendy quietly, kneeling next to her mom and Pike. "Whatever's back there… keeping it locked away has damn near killed you. Open the door, now, while we're here with you. We'll help you fight or protect. Whatever's behind the door, we'll face it together."
"What if it hurts—" Pike's voice broke, and he held his head in his hands.
"It will be okay, Pike," said Jessica. She took one of his hands, and pulled it away from his face, now streaked with red tears. "Wendy's right—we're here for you. Open it."
Pike took a deep breath, and nodded once. The pounding immediately ceased. Jessica and Wendy helped him to his feet. Shoulders sagging, completely beaten, he turned towards the door. He placed his hand on the last, badly corroded padlock, and it crumbled at his touch. He grabbed the handle, and heaved a sigh.
"Gods help me," he murmured.
And he opened the door.
/
The Powers That Be were never exactly a cheerful lot, and they were becoming exceedingly irritated with the antics of Lillith, the First Good, and the First Evil.
"What in all the dimensions does Nimueh think she's doing?" spat the female voice of one of the hooded figures seated around the Stone Table in the forest near Gravity Falls, their temporary base of operations.
"She's going to ruin everything!" added a youngish male hooded figure.
"He was able to kill the Primordial vampire," chirped another female. "I can't believe Lillith and Darquesse thought that was a good idea. Do you think Lillith suspects what Pike is? Or that maybe Darquesse blabbed to her?"
"This is indeed troubling," said the older male Power. "Pike is circling death's door, and the children have had ample time to satisfy their curiosity about him. To prevent Nimueh from destroying everything, we must move, now."
/
As the door creaked open, Pike and his companions had to throw up their arms to shield their eyes from the blinding light that poured out. The walked forward, blinking rapidly. Before the spots were gone from their eyes, they felt a warm breeze caress their skin, and ruffle their hair. The smell of a cookout wafted past.
Everyone looked around in confusion. It was the forest, not dark and withered as it had been in the rest of his mindscape, but bright, vibrant, and full of life. Someone was strumming a simple melody on an acoustic guitar in the distance. This was what Pike had been holding back?
"Pike, what—" began Dipper, but he stopped, because his vision began to fade. He heard a familiar voice whispering urgently in his head: Aurora.
"Dipper, wake up! We need you!"
Before his vision faded completely, he saw confused looks cross Mabel and Wendy's faces as well.
Jessica grabbed Pike's hand and held on tightly, as the three teens dissolved into the air, having been brought back into reality. Jessica heard the buzz of a whisper, but she shook her head and ignored it.
Pike didn't notice the teens had vanished until the tug of Jessica's hand brought him out of his daze.
"It's okay, Pike," said Jessica. "I'm still here with you."
"This is what I've been keeping locked away?" Pike asked, mostly to himself. "I have to protect…what… the forest…in my mind?"
"Let's walk further in," suggested Jessica, pulling him forward. "It will hopefully make more sense then."
"Maybe…go toward where the light is the brightest, back there beyond that stand of trees?" said Pike. "I think that's where the music is coming from."
Jessica nodded, and they set off, still hand in hand.
They followed the light and the cheerful guitar music to a small clearing. A figure was sitting on a fallen log with its back to them, strumming the guitar and humming.
As they approached the figure, it sat the guitar down, stood, and turned to face them.
Jessica gasped.
Oliver Corduroy smiled. "Hey Pike. It's been a long time."
/
Dipper blinked, and sat up, his neck and back stiff from laying on the floor. Mabel yawned and nuzzled Pacifica's neck sleepily. Wendy shot bolt upright, eyes wide.
"Aurora, what the hell?" she said angrily. "We weren't done in there!"
"Sorry," apologized Aurora, "but…" She nodded toward the door.
The Power who had visited them earlier stood in front of the door, leaning on his cane. He smiled at the group blandly.
"Did you have a good nap?" he asked, not wanting an answer. "Sorry to cut your trip to la-la land short, kiddos, but time's up for Pike. You have one hour to get him to the Stone Table in the forest, or we will wreak havoc on your quaint little town. What we Powers are capable of will make what that insane little triangle did seem like child's play, so I suggest you hurry. The clock is ticking."
Without waiting for a response from the group, the Power vanished.
"That guy makes me feel like stabbing things," said Lexie. "And when I say things, I mean him. Anyone else feeling stabby?"
"Maybe not stabby, sugar, but I'd sure like to try out that diabolical 'rend' spell on him… tear him to pieces…" said Gideon.
"What do we do?" asked Aurora.
"Well we're sure as hell not delivering my dad to those bastards, right mom?" said Wendy. It was then that everyone noticed that Jessica was still unconscious.
"Why didn't you wake her up?" asked Dipper.
"I tried," said Aurora, shrugging. "She kind of grunted at me, but that was it."
"I think Pike still needed her," said Mabel. "We found him protecting…something…in his mind, and we were just about to find out what it was. She probably stayed to help him."
"Well, seriously then, what should we do?" asked Pacifica. "I mean, we can't let them destroy the town."
"We are not handing my dad over to those monsters!" cried Wendy, jumping to her feet.
"Easy there, Lumberjane," said Pacifica, holding up her hands. "No one said we were."
"Oh, I thought when you said…" Wendy mumbled, and then trailed off.
"Look," said Dipper. "I'm still weak, but I'm doing better—and I can control the rift. Lexie's a werewolf. Aurora's a dragon. Gideon can do some pretty badass magic (if you're feeling up to it, bud). Wendy, you wield a crossbow and axe lie a pro. Mabel and Pacifica, you… can also do stuff."
"Gee, thanks, bro-bro," muttered Mabel.
"Point is," continued Dipper, "the Powers underestimate us. They see us as Pike's students, and don't think we're capable of much without him. I say we show them exactly what we're capable of. Let's go to the Stone Table by ourselves. No Pike, no Jessica. Let's kick their asses."
Lexie shivered, and shook her head. "Oooh, I'm all tingly now. Let's do it."
"I'm in," said Gideon. "Thanks to my dragon blood transfusion, I'm good to go."
"Mabel and I can gather weapons and first-aid supplies, and provide support," suggested Pacifica.
"I haven't breathed fire in awhile," said Aurora. "I guess now would be a good time."
Everyone turned to look at Wendy with expectation.
"You guys fucking rock," said Wendy with a wide grin. "Let's go kick some ass."
/
In the depths of the forest, Lillith, still in the form of a lithe, blonde cheerleader, pouted at the Powers. Darquesse was at her side, the First Evil's oozing form constantly shifting.
"What aren't you telling me?" asked Lillith. "You said that fucker doesn't have a Destiny, but he killed the father of all vampires. That's not possible. It's just not. He's weak from the fight now, at least. I think it's time I slit the bastard's throat."
"No," said the elderly gentleman Power, firmly. "As you said, he is weak—he is not an issue at the moment. You will do what you are told, when you are told. And right now, you are being told to stand down."
Lillith opened her mouth to argue, but the Power snapped his fingers, and suddenly she had no voice. The Powers That Be chuckled amongst themselves as hell queen screamed at them silently.
"Now, Darquesse, we are very put out with you for helping Lillith resurrect the Primordial. If you want to get back into our good graces, we require you to find your sister at once, and bring her to us."
Darquesse knew it wasn't a good time to backtalk. She nodded, and slipped off into the darkness of the forest, in search of Nimueh.
/
Jessica stared at Ollie openmouthed. She turned back to look at Pike, and then back again to Ollie.
"You… you don't look like a memory," she observed. He looked like Pike, except happy. There were no grim lines around his mouth and eyes, no streaks of gray in his brown hair. He had an easy smile, and a relaxed demeanor.
"Jess, I've missed you so much," said Ollie. He made a move as if to hug her, and then thought better of it.
Pike crossed his arms, and clenched his jaw. "You're what I've been protecting." It was a statement more than a question.
Ollie nodded. "And I thank you, but I'm ready to come out now. I have been for awhile."
Jessica shifted her glance back and forth between Ollie and Pike again, before saying "Explain, please?"
"Pike is me, and I am him," said Ollie. "He was born out of things that I couldn't handle, when we were young, around the time you became Star Child. Things that hurt me, physically or mentally—Pike dealt with them. I always was a lover, not a fighter. But when you got your rift powers, you were constantly in danger, so I had to become a fighter. I wanted to protect you, and to not be just a liability to you, Dan, and Jacob when we went on adventures. So I tucked Ollie away in the back of my mind, to keep the soft little cinnamon roll safe, while Pike did the dirty work.
"When things calmed down I always came back out to play. But as we got older, and the rift slowly corrupted you, well, Pike had to take the helm a lot more often. And then, you and Dan… I couldn't care. It hurt too much. So Pike handled that, too. Pike always willingly let me take back over when it was safe. It worked pretty well—until your wedding day.
"When you used your magic to seduce me, that was, well, me. I'd always loved you, Jess. I wouldn't have—I didn't want to hurt Dan—but your magic…and everything was hazy, and I couldn't tell right from wrong, except that being with you was right. Afterwards, when the magic wore off and I realized what I'd done, Pike took over. He was so angry with you, because your magic had kept him at bay, and he couldn't stop you from hurting me.
I guess it was Pike's anger that made you realize that seducing me wouldn't keep me in Gravity Falls, so you tried to wipe my memory. As you know, it didn't really work—except for one thing. Pike forgot about me. He knew he had to protect what was behind the door at all costs, but he didn't know what he was protecting."
"I've been able to slip through the cracks a few times—that morning I made you breakfast… but then Wendy overheard that I was her dad, and I lost my composure, so Pike leapt back into the cockpit."
"Oh shit, that makes sense," said Pike. "I felt like I had blacked out for that… all I remembered was Wendy looking at me and saying 'Dad,' and I noped out of there. I had no idea what had happened."
Jessica had listened to Ollie's entire monologue in shock. And then to find out he had loved her. It was almost too much. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she strode toward Ollie, arms outstretched. He met her halfway, and held her while she wept.
"I'm so sorry, Ollie, I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed into his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head. "I forgave you a long time ago, Jessie," he murmured.
Jessica opened her mouth to say more, but her vision started to darken. She faded away, leaving Ollie empty-armed.
"She must have woken up," said Pike.
Ollie nodded. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and gave Pike a sad smile.
"Listen, Pike, our time is almost up. We need to talk."
/
Jessica gasped and sat up, sniffling. She held her head in her hands, as she tried to process what she had just found out about Pike, or rather, Ollie. It was a moment before she remembered where she was—and realized that it was entirely too quiet.
She whipped her head around, and saw that she was alone. The Pines' living room was empty.
"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered, as she grabbed the side of the sofa and pulled herself up off the floor. Unsure of what to do, other than drive around town searching for the kids, she made her way toward the door, stepping more heavily than she intended. One of her legs had fallen asleep while she was unconscious.
As she grabbed the doorknob, she noticed it—a small note, hastily scrawled in Wendy's handwriting, taped to the door.
Mom –Powers going to destroy town if we don't give them Pike at Stone Table. Going there without him. Have to protect Dad and town. Love you. –Wendy
Jessica felt the blood drain from her face, and the bile rise in her stomach. She threw the door open, and raced toward the woods, in the direction of the Stone Table.
/
Before the group had set off toward the Stone Table, Gideon had worked a temporary healing on Dipper that gave him back his energy and strength—for a bit. Because the damage to Dipper's body was from pure rift energy, it would take time and rest for him to fully heal—but time and rest were currently unobtainable, thus, the spell. He and Wendy led their friends into the forest at a full sprint.
The group made record time getting to the Stone Table. They stopped just outside the clearing, to catch their breath and try and form some kind of plan.
"It occurs to me," gasped Lexie, holding a stitch in her side, "that we probably should have had some kind of plan in place before running all the way here."
Mabel, bent nearly in half, hands on her knees as she panted, grunted in agreement. She and Pacifica both wore heavy backpacks full of whatever weaponry they could find.
"Y'all mind if I work a little magic on you?" asked Gideon, who was only slightly pink. "It's a nifty little spell that re-oxygenates your blood and gives you a jolt of energy. Kind of a scaled down version of what I did to Dipper."
Indeed, besides Gideon, Dipper was the only one in the group who was neither winded, nor sweating.
"It's good stuff," encouraged Dipper, as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Yes, please," groaned Lexie.
Gideon glanced at his friends, making sure that everyone made eye contact with him and at least nodded their consent. Satisfied that he wasn't going to magic anyone against their will, Gideon closed his eyes, and held his hands in front of his chest, palms flat together. He murmured an incantation under his breath, and his familiar rose-colored magic flared at his fingertips. There were sparks of golden light in the aura of the magic, and when he touched each of his friends on the forehead, golden sparks were absorbed by their skin.
By the time Gideon was done working his spell, everyone was once again breathing normally, and Mabel no longer looked like she was going to puke.
Dipper opened his mouth, ready to discuss a plan of attack, when he was cut off by someone slow-clapping.
The blonde cheerleader—the one the entire group had seen killed, quite recently, in this very clearing, stood at the edge of the forest, smirking at them. Her eyes were glowing a deep red. She ironically jumped in the air with a fist held high as they stared at her in disbelief.
"Neat little magic trick, Whitey!" she said, with a cheeky grin. "I see Red's daddy isn't with you. That's too bad. I was looking forward to killing him." She narrowed her eyes. "I guess I'll just have to settle for killing all of you, instead." Seemingly from out of nowhere she produced a matching pair of large, black daggers.
She began to run at them, and the group scattered.
"Shit!" cried Lexie gruffly, already one-quarter transformed into a wolf. "Dipper, plan?"
"Uh, don't die?" he called back.
"Don't die isn't a plan!" yelled Pacifica angrily, as she dodged behind a tree, pulling Mabel along with her.
"I kind of like his plan," hollered Wendy, as she crouched behind a moss-covered boulder, loading a bolt into her crossbow.
"It is nice and simple," agreed Aurora, from her perch in the lower branches of a tree.
"I, for one, intend to follow his plan," called Gideon, from behind a warding wall of rose-colored, golden-flecked magic.
Wendy popped up from behind her boulder, looking to target the cheerleader, and blinked in confusion.
"Uh, guys? She's gone," said Wendy. She scratched the back of her head, and let the hand holding the crossbow drop to her side.
"Boo!" cried the cheerleader, directly into Wendy's ear. She grabbed Wendy in a chokehold. "No daggers for you, honey. I want the tactile pleasure of killing you with my bare hands."
Wendy let out a strangled scream, and dropped the crossbow. She clawed frantically at the arm around her throat, and as her vision went black, she saw her friends racing toward her, mouths open. She couldn't hear their screams of fury, just a high-pitched ringing in her ears.
"LILLTH!"
Wendy collapsed to the ground, as the cheerleader suddenly disappeared from behind her.
Dipper got to Wendy first, and sank to the forest floor, cradling her in his arms. She was pale, but breathing. Gideon was right behind Dipper, healing spell at the ready. He touched the bruise on Wendy's throat, and with a bright flash of gold from the tips of his fingers, her eyelids fluttered.
"Are you okay, Wen?" whispered Dipper.
"Not really, but I don't think I have time to be traumatized right now," murmured Wendy. She saw her crossbow lying next to her, and picked it up. "Who the hell is that bitch? I thought she was dead!"
Lexie, fully in werewolf form, let out a low growl, and the rest of the group turned to see the elderly gentleman Power walk toward them from the clearing. Dipper helped Wendy up, and everyone stared at the Power, their bodies tense, weapons at the ready.
"Oh, none of that, children," said the Power, sounding like an amused grandfather. "I do apologize for my…ahem… 'colleague' mistreating you like that. Rest assured, she will be dealt with. Please, join us at the table. We would like to speak with you." He waved a hand, and turned to walk back into the clearing.
Dipper looked at his friends, his gaze lingering on Wendy.
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
Wendy touched her throat, and swallowed. "I guess we go see what they have to say. But go in ready for a fight."
Dipper nodded, and led the way out of the trees, toward the Stone Table. The cheerleader was there, leaning against it and sulking. The elderly gentleman was the only Power dressed in regular clothes. He and the rest of the Powers, all hooded, sat in large, throne-like chairs on the side of the table opposite the teens. Wolf-Lexie sniffed the air and growled, her yellow eyes narrowing. Their smell was not of this world, and she didn't like it.
The elderly Power let his eyes linger on each person (and wolf) as they walked forward. When the group stopped in front of the table, he grinned at them.
"Well, well," he chuckled. "You all really are a motley crew, aren't you?"
"Did he just call us an eighties hair band?" whispered Mabel. Pacifica elbowed her girlfriend gently, the corners of her mouth turning up almost imperceptibly. Lexie looked at Mabel and gave her a quiet woof.
If the Power had heard Mabel, he didn't acknowledge it.
"You are extremely loyal to Pike, I see," continued the Power. "Loyalty is a wonderful quality—as long as your loyalty is directed at the right party."
Dipper raised an eyebrow at the Power. "Yeah, we're loyal to Pike. He's our mentor, but more importantly, our friend—not to mention Wendy's dad. We're not going to hand him over to you so that you can kill him."
"That is what we expected," said the Power. The hooded figures around him nodded and murmured in agreement. "That is why we have decided to offer you a proposition."
Wendy grabbed Dipper's hand. She was shaking. The rest of the group looked around at each other nervously.
"We will agree to let Pike live," said the Power mildly, "if you—all of you—will work for The Powers That Be."
/
It didn't take Darquesse long to find her sister. Nimueh was sitting on top of an intricately carved wooden chest, in the middle of a road, between a pile of greasy, black ash, and an unconscious Pike. The First Good was talking to Pike as if he could hear her.
"Hey goody-two-shoes," sneered Darquesse, as she approached Nimueh from behind. "You know he's out for the count, right? What are you saying to him?"
Nimueh turned her piercing blue eyes toward her sister. "He needs to know he's been lied to," she said bluntly.
"Excuse me?" asked the First Evil, her constantly shifting facial features twisted in disgust. "What the hell for?"
"We shouldn't have tried to influence him the way we did. We manipulated him. The Powers manipulated him," said Nimueh. "He's been manipulated and lied to for pretty much his entire life."
Darquesse rolled her eyes and scoffed. "So what?"
"Sister, he has come this far without knowing the truth—about who he is and what he is capable of," said Nimueh earnestly. "Everything he has accomplished, he has done the hard way. Yes, he has a Destiny, but it isn't in play if he doesn't know about it, and hasn't accepted it. This has all been him."
Nimueh gestured to the pile of black ash. "Without his Destiny—without this," she said, patting the chest, "he killed the Primordial. The Father of all Vampires. And Pike—just Pike—killed him."
"I still fail to see your point," said Darquesse, folding her arms over her chest. "He's powerful. Big whoop."
Nimueh frowned at her sister. "I don't suppose you'd be able to see it my way, because you're the First Evil…and a gigantic bitch. But I feel guilt. I have coveted his power, and tried to sway his will. He is strong, but he will die soon." She looked down at Pike's bloodstained body, shaking her head sadly. "I don't want him to die without knowing the truth. He should know that his life wasn't wasted."
/
Pike sat on the fallen log in his cheerful, mindscape, and scuffed the dirt with his boot.
"If you're going to tell me about how I'm—we're—supposed to die soon, I've already gotten the memo," he said irritably.
"Oh, no, even though I've been locked away, I've still seen and heard everything you have," said Ollie. "So I know what you know. We're toast."
A soft voice murmured something, and Pike looked around, confused. "Did you hear that?"
Ollie's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, I did… that sounded like…"
A much harsher disembodied voice hissed something like "So what?"
Pike's face fell. "That's Darquesse. So the other is probably Nimueh. But I'm unconscious… how can I hear them?"
Ollie flapped a hand at Pike and shushed him. The voices were fading in and out like a talk show on a badly tuned radio with a broken antenna.
"Yes, he has a Destiny—isn't in play—doesn't know about it—hasn't accepted…" Nimueh's words were garbled, but their meaning was plain enough.
Pike stood up off the log, and turned to face Ollie, frowning. "What the hell was that about? They can't've be talking about me—us."
"Actually, they were," said Ollie. He was as relaxed as Pike was tense. "While I've been locked in here, I've had a lot of time to walk through old memories and process them thoroughly. There was one I was particularly intrigued with, and what the First Good just said confirms my theory."
Pike huffed. "Can you just spare me the bullshit and tell me what the hell you're on about?"
Ollie nodded. "Back when I was really young, around four, I think, (I know it was before I needed you), there was an outbreak of head lice at my preschool. To get rid of the lice, dad shaved my head. I didn't think anything of it at the time, and eventually forgot about it… but Dan teased me about the funny birthmark on the back of my head."
Ollie turned his back to Pike, and lifted the hair at the nape of his neck.
Pike's face lost all color, and he dropped back down onto the log with a thump.T
"That…that's not fucking possible."
/
Stay Tuned Next Time For Chapter 26: Swan Song
/
One more. Just one more til the end.
SHOUTOUTS!
TGGDSD, Ghost Man, LimboticMistisos, fereality, NecroticHate, scroghmc. Thanks so much you awesome peoples for leaving me a review I love em. To everybody that Fav/Followed, Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the trip.
ChaoticDurdle. Seriously. This Lady has mad mad talent. She really should be published, cause like wow! Thanks Babe, you da best.
/
Peace