Chapter 20
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Talk-normal
Talk-thinking/ books talking to each other.
"Talk"-3 talking
A/N: Sorry once again for the late update, I can't tell you how many times I had to revise and rewrite this chapter. Recently, another author had made a story based on this. It's called "Journal 2" by Forestspirit of Thunderclan. Its 2's thoughts and feelings from when he was in Gideon's possession. You should check it out if you want. On with the story!
Sock Opera
"Alright, Mabel, 3, and 2, today is the big day." Dipper announced as they walked into the Gravity Falls library and started to set up the now fixed laptop. It's been two day's since 3's clash with Bill, and they were finally ready to start looking through the device to find the Journal's Father.
"Big day!" Mabel agreed as 3 swallowed with excitement and nodded as she held 2 tighter. 2 wanted to come with them to find out more about their father and to watch over 3 to make sure she would not be alone when Cipher came to collect.
"Soos finally fixed up the laptop. If this thing works, we could learn the identity of the author and unravel the greatest mysteries of Gravity Falls. You guys ready?"
"Oh, I'm ready, baby." Mabel agreed as she flips through pages of a random pop-up book with a drawing of an infant. 'Ma-ma.' It cooed as 2, 3, and Dipper exchanged looks. Where did that come from? 2 asked.
"Don't question it." 3 said, patting his spine. "Trust me on this."
Dipper and Mabel glanced at her and shrugged; Dipper then turned around and started powering up the laptop. "This is it. This is it" Dipper whispered excitedly as laptop's the screen crackles to life and started to show designs that looked familiar to the Journal's.
"That's the portal design!" 2 exclaimed.
"Really!?" Dipper asked.
"Trust me; it's not something I'll forget."
"Do you know what this means?! This means that this is really the author's laptop! We can finally get some answers!" Dipper said joyfully as the computer finished loading and it read, 'Welcome'. "Aha! It worked." He cheered as they high-five each other.
"Finally, a solid lead." 3 sighed in happiness.
"I don't know, this is too easy." 2 pointed out. "From what I remember, which isn't much; Father was very paranoid and would never just leave unprotected information lying around." Just as he said that, an alarmed sounded from the laptop and now read, '/UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS FORBIDDEN/', it then redirected to a password entry screen.
"You just had to say something!" 3 groaned.
"Hey, I warned you."
"Ugh! Of course, a password." Dipper groaned.
"Don't you guys worry. With all your brains, or whatever it is books have, and my laser focus, there is literally nothing that can distract us from... Did you hear that?" Mabel interrupted herself. They listened and heard someone singing in the kids section; they turned their attention to the area to see a blonde hair and blue eyed boy preforming a puppet show for a group of children.
"All my life I've been dreaming of a love that's right for me. And now I finally know her name and it's..." He looked at the kids and said in a normal tone, "Sing it with me kids. Literacy!" He then made the Bee puppet speak, "I finally understand what all the buzz is about. Reading!" He held up the Book puppet, "Give me some of that honey!" They then kissed for the children as the boy laughed.
"That's mildly offensive towards books." 2 quipped in disgust as the puppets made out. Agreed. The books nearby chimed in. 3 shook her head and turned her attention to see Mabel playing with another pop-up book of a heart chanting, "Ba bump. Ba bump."
"Oh, boy." Dipper, 2, and 3 groaned.
"Does this happen often?" 2 asked his sister.
"You have no idea." 3 informed him as she returned her attention towards Mabel's crush of the week.
"Haha. Thank you, thank you." He told the kids as their parents carted them away. "Just when I thought I would never get another summer boyfriend, of course, you show up at my doorstep." Mabel sighed dreamily.
Dipper ignored her and walked over to a bookshelf to pull out a cryptology book and returned to the desk they were currently occupying and started flipping through the book, "Okay, this cryptology book says that there are 7.2 million 8-letter words. I'll type, you read. Okay, Mabel? Mabel?" They looked over to see the chair Mabel was previously occupying spinning around, empty.
"I think she just broke the speed of sound!" 2 said in surprise as he 'watched' Mabel clamber onto a rolling shelf and rolled over to introduce herself to the boy.
"No, there wasn't a sonic boom this time; no she broke the speed of 'love at first sight' or whatever she calls it." Dipper said sullenly, miffed that his sister abandon him again.
"Aw, don't be like that. We'll help you, Dipper." 3 assured him as she grabbed the book as Dipper typed in words.
"Try, ALCHEMIC."
BUZZ, "No."
"Okay, CATACOMB?"
BUZZ, "No."
"BANSHEES?"
BUZZ, "Nope."
"How about USERNAME?" 2 joked.
BUZZ, "Na-uh."
"Maybe, PASSWORD?" 3 asked.
BUZZ, Dipper groaned as Mabel came back and sat back down next to him, "Huh…So, how'd it go?" He asked her, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"Try, CYPHERED."
"Dipper, how hard do you think it'd be to write and compose a sock puppet rock opera with lights, original music and live pyrotechnics by Friday?" Mabel asked out of the blue as the computer buzzed again.
"What!?" They cried as Dipper grabbed her shoulders, "Mabel, are you serious!?"
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED! I got lost in his eyes and his ponytail and I'm gonna be so embarrassed on Friday if I don't have ANYTHING." Mabel cried.
"Then why did you say you did!?" 3 yelled, causing nearby patrons to shush her.
"What about cracking this password? You know mystery twins?" Dipper asked, bumping his fists together, imploringly.
"If you help me with this for just a couple of days I promise I'll help with the password! Please, pretty please! It's for love, Dipper." She pleaded, wide eyed.
Dipper glanced at the Journal's and they shrugged reluctantly. He sighed and smiled weakly, "All right, okay-" He was cut off when Mabel glomped him and screamed in joy, "YES! THANK YOU! THIS GUY! HE'S NUMBER ONE!" She announced to the other patrons, pointing at the embarrassed 2, 3, and Dipper who tried to get her to quiet down.
"Okay, okay, okay, shhhh..." The librarian then walked up to them and politely asked them to leave.
"I can't wait to get to the bottom of this laptop. We're close to something big here; I can feel it..." Dipper told them as they exited the library.
"I know, we will soon find out where are Father could be." 3 told them happily as she held her brother.
"Yes, we might also find out what scared him enough to hide us." 2 agreed then 'frowned' when he felt his sister shiver. What's wrong? He asked her quietly.
Nothing, just felt like someone just walked over my grave.
They swung by the thrift shop and bought used socks to prepare for Mabel's puppet shop and they split off. Mabel drafted, Stan, Soos, and Wendy to help make her sock puppets and sets. While Dipper, 2, 3, and the occasional input from 1, went off to try cracking the password when they weren't helping Mabel.
The day before the puppet show, they were all gathered in the living room working on sock puppets when Mabel called them all to attention, "Alright. This is gonna be called Glove Story: A Sock Opera. Just to warn you, people's eyes will get wet. Cause they'll be crying. From laughter! From how tragic it is."
3 was trying to rip off the puppets that were somehow glued to Dipper's face without hurting him and he said, "Yeah, um. That's sounds great." He coughed up some multi colored pom-poms.
"Keep telling yourself that, though as long as Bear-o isn't in it, I think it'll be a hit. Seriously, how did these get glued onto your face?" 3 muttered through clenched teeth while she pulled
"I'm not-Ah!" Dipper screamed as 3 finally tore one off.
"Sorry."
"Come on, Dipper, Aris, you gotta roll with Mabel's craziness. It's what makes life worth living." Wendy told them as she blow dried some puppets as Mabel began singing as she played on the keyboard next to her.
"Puppet boy, Puppet boy, you're the boy I-"
"Loooooovvvvveeee!" Everyone sang as Stan walked in with a soda.
"Not even gonna ask." He said, turning around.
That night, Mabel was preparing for bed and was bidding her puppets goodnight while 3 and Dipper were crowded around the laptop with 1 and 2 on his bed.
"Goodnight, my babies." She takes a Gabe puppet and makes it kiss the Mabel puppet. "Mwop mwop mwop mwop. Mwah! Soon, Gabe Benson."
BUZZ
"Ugh, wrong password, WRONG, WRONG! UGH!" Dipper groaned as he fell back on the bed as 2 and 3 looked at him in concern.
"Don't stay up all night, Dipper. Last time you got this sleep-deprived you tried to eat your own shirt." Mabel warned.
"Tell me about it, he almost got hit by a parked car." 3 sighed. She just cured him of his nightmares a week ago and now he's back at it. She looked at him strangely as he started gnawing on his shirt.
"Just a few more tries." Dipper told her after spitting the fabric out.
Wow Dipper is really into this. 2 told his sister through their link.
I know! He's really obsessed with trying to find that password. 3 agreed.
I really hope he doesn't get desperate enough to do something stupid. 1 chimed in.
1, you're speaking! 3 said excitedly then huffed in disappointment when 1 didn't respond again.
Maybe it's not a word, maybe it's a number? 2 suggested.
"Oh god, I hope not; then it'll be impossible." 3 said out loud, rubbing her face.
"Aah, 3, who are you talking to?" Dipper asked as he and his sister looked at her weirdly.
"Oh, just talking to my brothers. Well brother, 1 already used up his 12 word limit for the month." 3 groused, glaring at her eldest brother.
"Really?" Mabel asked, sitting up as 3 nodded.
"I've always wondered, 3." Dipper began, temporary forgetting about the password for a moment.
"What?"
"Why is it you needed a potion to speak, when your brothers can speak aloud just fine?"
"Oh, we're just pirating off of 3." 2 told them nonchalantly.
"What!?" Dipper, Mabel, and 3 yelled in surprise. Mabel scrambled from her bed and grabbed 2 and started to shake him. "Why didn't you tell me you were a pirate!? Why don't you ever say 'Arrr' in any sentences!?"
"Not that pirate, Mabel." 2 sighed. "Well a better example would be is that we're using 3 as a chellophone and a tower."
"Cellphone." Dipper corrected.
"That too. Basically, we're using 3 as a phone; as long as 3 is in the room, we can freely speak with you. 3 walk out of the room to demonstrate." 3 got up and as she got further away, 2's voice became fainter and fainter till it all together vanished until 3 went back into the room.
"That's amazing!" Mabel gushed. "It's like telepathy! You three are like twins plus one! Trilepathy! Dipper!? Why don't we have twinlepathy!?" She demanded as she shook her brother.
"So that's why you never talk when 3 isn't in the room!" Dipper said, prying his sister's hands off. "Anyway." Dipper grabbed the laptop and started to walk out of the room. "I'll go out to the roof so I don't disturb you. Goodnight." He left the room as Mabel heaved a sigh and turned to 3. "Make sure he sleeps."
"No promises."
3 grabbed one of Mabel's jackets and followed him up to the roof where he was typing obsessively with one hand while drinking a soda with the other. "You know, I think you might get better results if you hit the hay." 3 said, crossing her arms.
He jumped and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, 3. But I just have to crack this password and we will finally have a solid lead on finding your father."
"Still, if you die from falling off the roof due to lack of sleep, we won't be any closer to finding him."
"Just give me a few more tries. An hour, come on please?" Dipper begged wide eyed. 3 rolled her eyes and nodded.
7 Hours later…3 was dozing in Wendy's lawn chair, twitching whenever she heard the buzzing of the computer. "Ugh, I can't take that sound anymore." He groaned. "I. Hate. You. Sound. There has to be some shortcut or clue. Who would know about secret codes?" He moaned as he slammed on the keyboard.
3 in worldly sighed, I, really, really hope it's not a number or else Dipper will kill himself with exhaustion. There was a thump and she opened her eyes to see Dipper snoozing on the laptop and the sky starting to get brighter, he finally exhausted himself to sleep and it only took 7 hours, 3 smiled to herself as she got up to carry him to bed. She was reaching for him when she drew back in alarm when the world started to lose color.
"How's it going Hand?" A high voice screamed behind her.
"Cipher! What are you doing here!?" 3 cried, whirling around to face him.
"Aw, you're so cold hand, get it cold hands!? Haha, I'm hilarious!" The demonic triangle sidled over and slung an arm over her shoulders. "You're as paranoid as Pine Tree here." He pointed at Dipper. "Can't a guy chat with a friend for no ulterior motive?"
"We're not friends Cipher, what do you want?" 3 snarled, moving in front of Dipper protectively.
"You're wasting your time there. I'm chatting with Pine Tree as well." Bill said smugly, lazily spinning his cane around.
"N-no you're not."
"Yeah huh, a copy of myself is chatting with Pine Tree while I'm chatting with you. We're having a three-way!"
3 narrowed her eyes at the smug demon. "We had a deal, Cipher we agreed that you'll stay out of Dipper's skull."
"Hmm, yes that was the deal. I'm holding up my end of the bargain here Hand. Observe." He enlarged himself to show the scene in Dipper's mindscape. 'I'm a little short on time right now; so here's the deal, I'll come get the information on a later date and in the meantime, I'll leave Pine Tree alone for now.' Past Bill said.
"See, I have time now and I'm ready to collect your end of the bargain. Once I get my answer's I leave Pine Tree's head." Bill said happily.
"Fine, what do you want to know?" 3 asked reluctantly.
"What, no other questions or accusations? You're no fun."
"Just get to the damn point!"
"Sheesh, impatient much? Well Hand I have two questions for you." He got into her face and was disappointed that she didn't flinch. "How is it Shooting Star and Pine Tree knew about your sentience?"
"Wait-you knew we were alive!?" 3 gasped.
"Nope, but I do know!" He said cheerfully then said in a dark voice, "Besides, I'm the one asking questions here, Hand. You better answer."
"Fine! Dipper got really upset with his friends and family over his high voice and he came back to the Shack with a voice changing potion. He tripped and fell over, dropping the serum on me, giving me the ability to speak. Happy now!?" 3 snapped.
"Almost, you just have to answer one more." Bill said distractedly, taking in the information. "How did you get that body there?"
"It's your fault I got this body. When we chased you into Stan's mind, it managed to loosen my conscious enough that I could make my own form."
"That's where you're wrong, Hand. A single trip to the Dreamscape wouldn't be enough to create a body. Trust me on this, I've tried. No, no, there must've been other variables that caused you in-body experience. Think, have there been ANY other times you've been outta body? Or very emotional?" He asked, looking hard at her.
3 hesitantly answered, "Well…there was the body swapping carpet where I spent a few hours in Mabel's body and all the times Gideon threatened Dipper with bodily harm."
"That could work…" Bill said to himself, not realizing he spoke aloud. "But you still haven't answered my question. How did you get a body of your own?"
3 was getting irritated and snapped, "Look! When that former partner of yours, Gideon 'I'm so freaken adorable and won't hurt a fly' Gleeful STABBED Dipper in the abdomen and splattered his blood on my cover, I got a body, and beat the living shit out of him!" she finished screaming.
Bill didn't react for a moment but he looked amused and oddly satisfied. "Hmm that's nice; I was worried there for a second." 3 was taken aback by that then Bill floated back up to her and patted her head. "Thanks for the info, Hand. I'll keep my end and end my conversation with Pine Tree. Ta for now." Bill vanished with a wave and the world regained color just as Dipper woke up screaming.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Oh, man 3." Dipper gasped, when he caught sight of a still shell shocked 3 still staring ahead of her. "You won't believe what just happened."
"Bill Cipher…"
Dipper stared at her wide eyed and asked, "How did you know that?"
"Cause I just talked with him also."
"But I was just…"
"Apparently, he can converse with two different people at once."
Dipper became nervous and asked, "What did he want? And why do you look guilty?"
3 reluctantly explained that Bill was behind his nightmares for the past couple weeks and 3 kind of, sort of, made a deal with Cipher to get him to leave him alone. Dipper was livid.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HE WAS IN MY HEAD!?" He screamed as he paced in the gift shop.
"I just got you calmed down enough to sleep. If you knew Bill was stalking you, you would go back to being an insomniac and be too afraid to sleep." 3 defended herself calmly. "Besides, I was going to tell you; but you were too caught up with the laptop, then the puppet prep, and it never seemed like a good time."
Dipper sighed and rubbed his temples. "What did the deal include?" He asked warily. "You give up your entries?"
"No, but maybe later. He wanted information."
"What sort of information?"
"Just how you figured out I was alive and how I got a body." 3 said crossing her arms in deep thought. "Though I have no idea why he wanted to know about that. What did he want from you?" She asked.
"That's the thing, he would give me the password but I have to give him something in exchange. But he didn't say what."
"Be careful, demons are notorious tricksters and have a way with words. If it's too good to be true, than refuse."
"I know, I know." Dipper groaned and they heard the coffee maker beep from the kitchen. "Stan must be up." He turned to 3 and said, "Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad that you didn't tell me but I can understand. Besides you and 2 are the only ones who always come through." Dipper yawns as they walked into to see Stan drinking his coffee and Mabel playing with puppet Stan at the kitchen table.
"Hey Mabel." They greeted as Dipper yawned
"Woah, bag check for Dipper's eyes. Ha ha! Nobody?" Stan joked when he caught sight of Dipper's face.
"Dipper, I told you to get some sleep last night! Here, wake up with some Mabel Juice. It has plastic dinosaurs in it!"
3 and Stan shivered. "The last time I let you talk me into drinking that stuff; I had vivid hallucinations about a Taco, Yuno Gasai, and a legion of talking golf balls."
"It's like if coffee and nightmares had a baby!" Stan agreed.
Dipper grabbed Mabel and he and 3 pushed her into the living room. "Mabel, last night I had a dream with Bill in it and 3 chatted with him while I was out cold."
"Wait, hold up, the triangle guy?" Mabel asked, holding her fingers around eye to make a copy of Bill.
"He said he'd give me the code to the laptop if I gave him something. Like I'd actually trust Bill, right?"
"What did he want from 3?"
"I made a deal with him a week ago and all he wanted was information."
"Yeah, but we can't figure out why he wanted to know about how 3 got a body." Dipper said to himself as he rubbed his chin.
Mabel just smiled and grabbed the both of them in a headlock and said, "Don't worry, 3, bro. Today's the day that the mystery twins and their partner are back in action. I'll help you two crack that code and figure out what that talking Dorito is after. I've just got to hand off my puppet stuff to my production crew."
"Production crew?" Dipper repeated as they followed Mabel out the door to find Candy and Grenda standing there smiling and covered in socks with Soos and Wendy strapping the backgrounds to the hood of the car.
"We read the script. Very emotional." Candy greeted Mabel when they were in hearing distance.
"I cried like eight times." Grenda agreed
"Hey ladies." A male voice spoke and they turned to see the pretty boy skate up to them, still with his puppets from last week.
"GABE!" Mabel greeted excitedly as Candy's jaw dropped and Grenda just ogled him. "I was just blading by. Helps me dry out my ponytail after a shower." He said nonchalantly as 3 rolled her eyes as Dipper glared when he took off his helmet and whipped his hair out.
"Hubbity-hubbuty." Grenda gasped as Candy muttered something in Korean with narrowed eyes.
"It's so great to see you! I was just working on the world's greatest puppet show. IT HAS PUPPETS!" Mabel told him as she ran up.
"Your passion is so refreshing, Mabel. Unlike the girl from last night's puppet show. Single-stich on one puppet, and CROSS-STICH on the other? I was like, 'Uh-uh!'" He said in disgust.
"Cross-huh?" Mabel asked nervously.
"Naturally I deleted her off my cell phone contacts list." He told her with a smile.
"NATURALLY! Hahahaha!" Mabel laughed, picking nervously at her collar.
"I know you won't let me down. Based on what you said the other day, you must be a puppet expert." Gabe assured her as she looked a little terrified.
"You know, Gabe, you look pretty sweaty. You should really take your shirt off. Right? Aren't we all thinking that?" Grenda cut in and was looking around for those who agreed with her.
"Later, ladies." Gabe skated off and Mabel looked like she was having a personal crisis.
"GWAAA! We gotta up our game, girls! Did you hear that thing he said about the stitches?!" Mabel cried to her friends.
"Don't worry, Mabel, your crew can handle it!" Grenda assured as she held up a puppet of herself, but then rips it. "Oops."
"How many eyes does a face have again?" Candy asked, holding up a puppet covered in googly eyes. In the background, Soos and Wendy are tying the stage set to the car roof then the rope snapped and caused a mini avalanche.
"AAA! Okay, I'm back on fabrication." She took a deep breath and grabbed the box from Grenda and ran back towards the Shack calling, "Get me my lint roller!"
Dipper and 3 each grabbed an arm as she was about to run past her, causing her to drop the box.
"Wo, wo! Hey, you just said you were going to help us!" Dipper cried as she kneeled down to gather her puppets.
"You promised." 3 chimed in, narrowing her eyes at the elder twin.
"DIPPER! 3-Polaris! This sock crisis just bumped up to code argyle! The laptop can wait!"
"Mabel, do you seriously think that your random crush of the week is more important than uncovering the mysteries of this town? You're obsessed!" Dipper accused angrily and a little hurt. Mabel glared at her brother and pointed at him, "I'm obsessed? Look at you! You look like a vampire! And not the hot kind!"
Dipper wipes his eyes and pleaded, "But you said you were going to help me today!"
Mabel smiled and held up a puppet, "Oh, I can help you. With tickles!" She tickles him as Candy and Grenda laughed and 3 scowled at her.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" He glares and punches her arm. "Okay, fine! You know what? I'll do it on my own!" He growled and walked away in a huff. Mabel just shook her head and reached for a puppet but snatched her hand back when 3 stamped her foot on the puppet, narrowly missing her fingers.
"Polaris! What the Hey-Hey!?" Mabel cried as she looked up to glare at her, but flinched when she saw that 3's eyes were red and glowing.
"You're not a very good sister." 3 said frostily.
"What!? I'm a great sister!" Mabel said defensively.
"Oh, really? Well does: 'I'll help you two crack that code' or 'I'll be there with you, brother. Whatever happens, I'll be right here, supporting you every step of the- OH MY GOSH A PIG!' ring any bells?" 3 said in a false sweet voice.
Mabel glanced to the side guiltily but then gave 3 puppy eyes, "This is different, Polaris! This is love! Come on, you understand right?" She said hopefully but deflated as 3's eyes got even narrower.
"Mabel, what I'm saying is that you can't keep promises well. You don't do as much as Dipper as he does for you. Shut up and listen." She said as an affronted Mabel tried to interject. "Dipper does so much for you. He saved you from gnomes, broke up with Gideon, cheered you up when Pacifica was ripping into you, and gave up his day with Wendy for your pig. Hell, he even took a stab wound from trying to save you from Gideon. And what have you done for him in return? Make promises you can't keep?"
"B-but."
3 cut her off. "All I'm saying is that you expect him to drop everything to help you, but when he needs you, you bail on him. 3 said as she turned around to follow Dipper and then turned a little to look into Mabel's hurt eyes, "Being siblings is a two-way street; he'll help you if you need it but you need to know that you need to help him also."
She walked away and went up to the attic to find Dipper on the window seat still going at the laptop and grumbling to himself. "Passwords. Passwords. Mabel. Is. Useless. Oh, man..." He typed.
"I don't think that's the password." 3 said amused, walking over and shutting the laptop.
"HEY!"
"Dipper, what is it do humans need?"3 asked randomly as she tapped her foot.
"What-?"
"What is it that humans need?" She said more forcefully.
"Well, water, food, clothing, shelter and…" Dipper began, confused.
"And?"
"Sleep." Dipper groaned.
"And what are you not doing?"
"Sleeping. But 3, Bill is watching!"
"He's always watching." 3 shot back and took the laptop from him. "He will watch regardless if you give up on sleep or not, wouldn't it be better if you were alert and at your best when you confront him next? You need to sleep, without it; you'll go into delirium and make mistakes like accepting an open ended deal from Cipher. Trust me, a good night's rest and you will have a better chance for success." 3 pointed out.
Dipper sighed and nodded. "You're right. I guess we just have to wait for Mabel to keep her promise. If she even remembers." He finished bitterly. 3 smiled sympathetically and rubbed his back.
"I understand. She doesn't do nearly as much for you as you do for her." 3 said.
Dipper frowned and said, "Uh, it's because there hasn't been a lot of stuff that she needed to save me from. Besides, some of the things I needed to save her from is sort of my fault." He defended his twin.
"True, but that doesn't mean you should continue letting her off the hook. She is a little spoiled by your generosity."
"Shut up." Dipper said blushing, elbowing her playfully.
3 laughed and ruffed his hair. "You're too compassionate for your own good." She frowned when she felt him shiver. "What's wrong?"
Dipper jumped and looked away, ashamed. "Sorry, it was the air conditioner." He lied; he couldn't bring himself to admit that the sentence had him remember the time they were in the Gideon-bot. He didn't want to tell her that he was terrified of her snapped form.
3 frown deepened and repeated. "Air conditioner?" Last time I checked, there was no air conditioner in the attic. Though she now noticed that she could see her breath.
"What the-?" They asked at the same time then noticed that the world was losing color then in a flash Bill Cipher appeared in the room, with the impression of that he was frowning.
"Well, well, well. Isn't this sweet?" He said sarcastically.
"CIPHER!" 3 yelled, standing in front of Dipper.
"I thought I told you to leave me alone." Dipper yelled.
"Aw, you two are so mean. But, seriously, Hand you ruined all of my fun! And I had it all planned out too!" He pouted.
Dipper and 3 exchanged glances and Dipper cautiously asked, "W-What do you mean planned?"
"Glad you asked Pine Tree! You see, my plan to take over your body has been foiled by this meddling book."
"WHAT!?"
"Mmhm, the plan was that Pine Tree would be so sleep deprived and frustrated with trying to crack the code alone that he would ignore his common sense and agree to a deal where I gave him the password in exchange for a puppet."
"Wait puppet? You just said you were going to take my body!?" Dipper accused, pointing at boxes of sock puppets in the corner
"No, you were going to be the puppet. That's why you were forcing Dipper to remember his nightmares; you wanted him nice and tired to be open to anything you suggested!" 3 said wide eyed.
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, give the girl a prize. Here, have this ominous black mirror with skull designs." Bill snapped his fingers and said mirror replaced the laptop she was holding and the technology appeared in his little hands.
"Hey! Give that back!" Dipper yelled, reaching for it as Bill levitated it over his head.
"No can do Pine Tree. I came all this way to play and that just what I'll do, so I'll just play with you." He said in a sing-song voice as he vanished the laptop and floated in between them with his hands behind his head. "Since I'm in the mood, I'll teach you guys a little lessen."
"What!?I will not let you lay a hand on us, Cipher!" 3 snarled, moving in front of Dipper
"Sheesh, take a chill pill Hand, not that kind of lesson."
"What kind of lesson?" Dipper asked suspiciously.
Bill just 'smiled,' "Now we're talking. Well here's the deal, I'll teach you a little something and I'll return the laptop, okay?"
They turned to each other and shrugged, where was the harm? But they remained their guard as Dipper motioned Bill to continue.
"Well what do you meat bags know about alternate universes?"
"Nothing-not really, what does that have to do with anything?" They talked over themselves.
"Well the universe is comprised of choices; if you do one thing then everything is affected."
"Oh, yeah." 3 realized and turned to Dipper, "Basically it's like how I explained how 1 works. 1 takes in all the variables and determines the possible outcome. But when a new variable enters the equation, his predictions then become worthless."
"Glad to see you got it now I'll give you an example. Pine Tree here was arguing with Shooting Star in their room which caused Shooting Star to take Hand and switch bodies. But let's say Pine Tree entered the new room instead, they still argued but instead of Hand and Shooting Star Switching bodies, Shooting Star and Pine Tree switch bodies."
"Wait, you were watching us then too!?" Dipper asked.
"Yep. What I'm trying to say that with every choice there is another you who made another choice. Pine Tree wasn't chosen to hang signs in the forest and never found Hand. Pine Tree doesn't volunteer at the party and ends up hanging out with Red, forgetting about the cloning machine and Red wouldn't have been as close to Broken Heart. You two never going after those agents and didn't figure out the black light trick until later. There are a multitude of choices anyone could've made, and they're all there in alternate universes!"
"Why are you telling us this, Cipher?" 3 asked, narrowed eyed.
"Patience Hand, I'm getting to that. Now let's say Pine Tree never spilt that voice serum or better yet never got it. You never realized that Hand was alive and thus wasn't as close to her. Now what do you think would happen? Hand was already damaged from her Father sealing her away for so long in the dark, now without the ability to interact or get to know those around her, what will happen? The anger and resentment will boil and will evolve into black hatred and loathing towards Pine Tree's friends and family. Without Hand, Pine Tree won't have a close friend, that wasn't related to him, and would have broken down sooner, which would've fed her anger even further which caused her to permanently snap and destroy the entire West Coast from her rampage." He said happily while they exchanged wide eyed glances.
"Wow, we dodged a bullet there." Dipper murmured as 3 nodded in agreement.
"But why tell us this?" 3 asked suspicious, Bill does everything for a reason.
"Hmm, maybe I wanted to give you a little history lesson about that mirror." He said smugly, pointing at the mirror in 3's possession
"This?" 3 asked, looking into the mirror and gasped in surprise and horror. Staring back at her was herself from the nightmare she had a week ago only she had two eyes instead of one (A/N: see Interlude 4). "Wh-what is this!?" She stammered.
"Well, whoever looks into this mirror is replaced by their alternate selves. As in the evil Hand!" Bill laughed as the dark 3 grabs her and dragged her into the mirror with Dipper looking on with horror. 3 struggled desperately to get free but was inevitably pulled in and everything went dark.
(Dipper's POV)
Dipper was rooted to the ground in horror as he watched 3 be pulled into the mirror by her evil self. He snapped out of it and whirled to confront a smirking Bill. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
"Hmm, I just taught you guy's a lesson in alternate universes and Hand just happened to look into the mirror before I finished explaining its properties. Hand was just too impatient." Bill said in an unconcerned tone. The mirror rippled and a clawed, black hand emerged from its depths and tried to lift itself up from the mirror.
"I don't understand! Why are you doing this?!" Dipper asked the demon hysterically.
"Look kid, you've been getting way too close to figuring out some major answers. I've got big plans coming and I don't need you or your little book getting in my way. I was planning on destroy your journal and that laptop in your body but then I figured, what would be better than letting your own journal do the destroying for me?"
Dipper gasped as the figure finally crawled out of the mirror and stood there in the middle of the room breathing heavily. Dark 3 glared around the room and let out an ear shattering roar before smashing through the window and escaping. Bill smirked and said. "Well I would love to stay here and chat but I really must be-!" Bill was cut off when Dipper tackled him to the ground and straddled him to keep him pinned to the ground.
"Tell. Me. How. To. Cure. 3." Dipper growled as he glared at the triangle. Bill glared and shoved Dipper off him. "DO NOT TRIFLE WITH ME MEAT-BAG!" Bill roared, tripling in size to tower over the human.
"I don't care what you are! You could be a demon, a bunny rabbit, or a Dorito! You could eat my soul, rip out my teeth, or replace my eyes with baby heads I don't care; just tell me how to get 3 back!" Dipper screamed back. Bill paused then shank again. "Well, I could tell you for a trade."
"I'm not giving you my body!"
"Darn. Well then, you have to give something up then Pine Tree. What's it gonna be?" Bill asked crossing his arms. Dipper frantically looked around the room for something, anything that would please the demon. "Tick-Tock, kid." Bill taunted, his eye had changed into a clock. Dipper's eyes finally rested on the laptop.
"The laptop! I will give you the laptop in exchange for a way to change 3 back!" He bargained. Bill froze and stared at the meat bag in astonishment. "Are you sure kid? Do you really want to give up the way to solve all the mysteries of Gravity Fall's for one measly book?" He question, his body reflecting images to give quick tastes to show what Dipper would miss. He looked down in sorrow but strengthen his resolve. "Yes."
"Hmph, fine kid your loss. No skin of my nose, which doesn't exist." Bill grumbled and snapped his fingers, destroying the laptop beyond all fixing. "The mirror kid." He pointed at the mirror lying innocently in the center of the room. "Just force Hand to look into the mirror again and the parallel Hand will return to her universe. But beware; if she doesn't look into the mirror before midnight, then you're stuck with this version of Hand. FOREVER." He said in a deep voice and cloaked in blue flames. "Well, you're on your own kid. Bye." Bill then vanished and Dipper shakily turned the mirror over and covered it with an old pillow case and picked it up.
"Okay, I can do this. I just have to find 3 before midnight, fight her enough to get her to stay still long enough to force her to look into the mirror. Easy." He tried to assure himself and then freaked out. "Oh man, oh man, oh man! What do I do, what do I do, there's no way I could fight 3 when she's like this, she'll cut me in half before I could even touch her!? Besides how do I even find her!? I can't even talk to 2 because he needs her to speak anyway…Wait! That's it! I'll use 2 to track her down!"
Dipper ran toward his room and searched for 2 but couldn't find him. "What?" He started to look everywhere, under the beds, behind the giant pawn, on the ceiling supports, and even checked under the floorboards but couldn't find 2 or 1. "Where are they!?" He yelled, frustrated as he dug through the pile of sock puppets.
He ran downstairs and checked the kitchen, "Did Mabel hide them!?" He rifled through the silverware drawer and pulled out a six fingered glove and tossed it over his shoulder in annoyance. He slammed the drawer closed and winced when he smashed it on his forearm. "OW!" Did Stan figure out the fake journals were fakes and stole them back?
He was so deep in thought about how he would break into the hidden passage, steal the books back, and make sure Stan doesn't figure out the switch, and find 3 all before midnight, he didn't notice Mabel standing in the doorway.
"Hey Dipper! I borrowed the Journals to use as props in the show, I hope you don't mind. I'm gonna go before you process this sentence okay BYEE!" She ran off and Dipper absently waved back at her then her words caught up with him.
"What!? Wait! No, Mabel, don't go! I need one of them really badly now! You've gotta stop!" He runs outside just as Stan's car drove off to the theater packed with props. "No, no! Wait! Stop!" He yelled then placed his hands on his knees. "Oh, no…how do I catch up with them now?" He looked around and saw Mabel's bike leaning on the side of the Shack. He ran back upstairs and carefully stuffed the mirror into his backpack with some blankets to cushion it and biked into town.
He biked without stopping for an hour when he finally entered the town; he had to swerve dangerously to dodge a large shadow that leaped out of nowhere. "Ah!" He yelped in surprise as he skidded to a halt and stared, Dark 3 was standing in the small crater next to where he was before and was glaring at him with glowing red eyes. Dipper tried to pull out the mirror but had to leap out of the way of her claws. He peddled away, swerving at times to dodge her when she lunged for him. Why is she attacking me?! He screamed in his head when suddenly Dark 3 slashed the back tires and sent him flying. He felt the mirror and was relieved that it didn't crack.
Dipper looked around and saw the lights from Theatre Time Theater which was were Mabel was hosting her puppet show. He sighed in relief which turned into a yelp when Dark 3 tried to grab the mirror from his hands. The mirror! She's after the mirror! He ran down the street with Dark 3 at his heels, Dipper would occasionally pick up random weapons lying in the street and threw them at her to slow her down. He screamed in surprise when Dark 3 grabbed his leg and he fell flat on his face and she started to drag him away.
He struggled angrily but it was useless as Dark 3 grinned maliciously and reached for his bag. He noticed a stray bazooka near his head and grabbed it. "Hey, Claw Head!" He shouted.
Dark 3 growled, "What?"
"Have some of this!" He pulled the trigger and sent Dark 3 flying into a building and she slumped over groaning, she stumbled to her feet and hissed as she escaped before Dipper could grab the mirror. Dipper ran into the theater, cutting through the angry patrons and ducking into the theater to just in time to see Mabel's show starting.
"The show is about to begin! Please turn off your cell phones. Unless you're texting me, cuties!" Grenda announced from the stage. The house lights dim and the curtain opens as the audience applauds. The set is a glittery and colorful Mystery Shack a spotlight illuminates Candy, standing at a keyboard, dressed as David Bowie.
"Gather round, and let us sing, about a girl who had almost everything."
She is rolled off the stage and a puppet of Dipper pops out of a window and sings.
'Look, it's Mabel!' Puppet Mabel pops up.
'Hi there!'
'Did you say stable?' Puppet Soos asked a Puppet of Polaris, who shrugged.
'No, he said Mabel!' Stan broke in.
Puppet Mabel looks at the gathered puppets and said, 'Okay, hit it, boys and girls!' The puppets formed a line and started to sing.
'Who's that girl with the pig and the braces? She puts smiles on everyone's faces! When she's around, you're never bored!'
A Puppet dressed as a mayor pops up with a trophy. 'I am a mayor, and here's an award!' Despite what just happened, Dipper couldn't help but smile at his sisters enthusiasm and could just imagine 3 saying something snarky. He then frowned and ducked behind stage.
'Thank you, mayor!' Puppet Mabel said, 'It's true I'm great. But the perfect girl needs the perfect maaaate!'
'Hey, what's up, I'm Gabe.'
He found Grenda backstage and ran over to her and asked breathlessly, "Ah, um, hey, Grenda! Do you know where my books are? Mabel took them without permission and I really, really need one of them back. Can I please get them?"
"Sorry Dipper but we also need them too. They're needed for the wedding scene. They're up there in the wedding cake." Grenda told him unconcerned as she pointed at the wooden cake panel over the stage.
"Well, when is the wedding scene?"
"Act 3."
"I mean hours!"
She checked her watch and said, "In about 4 hours."
"What!?" He whispered-shouted, mindful of the play. "You don't understand, I need at least one of them! Polaris is in trouble and I need one!"
"Polaris could wait! Just wait for act 3 and you can have both of them. So hold your horses!" She told him off and turned away.
He grabbed her shoulder and roughly turned her back around and glared at the girl, "Look, my best friend could be injured or DYING right now, I just need one of the damn books to save her, tell me where Mabel is going to be after this scene!"
"Fine, fine, sheesh. She'll be in the dressing room, no need to be so pushy."
Mabel was finishing up her last scene of Act 2 when Grenda called for intermission. Dipper was pacing in the dressing room when Mabel entered the room and walked right pass him towards the water fountain.
"Whew, okay, you can do this, Mabel. Only 36 more musical numbers." She said to herself as she drank from the water fountain. Dipper frowned and walked up behind her, "Mabel! We need to talk!"
Mabel jumped and did a spit take. "Dipper! You made it!" Mabel said happily then frowned looking around. "Where's 3? Is she being a grumpy-grump?"
"That's the thing Mabel! Bill visited us again and tricked 3 into looking onto a mirror that turned her evil, now I have get either 1 or 2 to find and save her! You need to help me!" Dipper told her quickly, placing his hands on her shoulders.
I don't know Dipper; my cue's coming up any minute." She told him, pointing backwards towards the stage.
"But Mabel, 3 could be like this for-" He is cut off by a knock on the door and Gabe enters with flowers and brushes past him.
"Hey, Mabel, do you have a moment?" He asked her.
"GABE!" Mabel cried happily and shoved Dipper away as she approached her crush.
"Ow! Mabel!" Dipper groaned.
The couple ignored him and Gabe said, "Mabel, it's clear to me now that you really love puppets. I mean, you went whole hog. And if you stick the ending, well, maybe later you could join me for biscotti?" He asked with a charming smile.
"You drive a biscotti?" Mabel asked excitedly as the lights flick on and off.
"I'll be waiting." He left as Mabel turned to her brother and gushed, "Did you hear that? He loves it! This play has to be flawless. Can't we wait until after the show?"
"Fine I'll do it myself." He said bitterly, folding his arms. "Just lend me 1 or 2 and I'll get out of your hair."
"Esh. Sorry Dipper, I kind of need both of them for my play." Mabel told him, rubbing the back of her head.
"What!? Why would you need two books!? A regular wedding only needs one!" Dipper asked, mystified.
"Well in the wedding scene where me and Gabe are about to be married, his evil ex-girlfriend Stichina from the cross dimension kidnaps Gabe and we hold onto each other by one of the Journal's, when Gabe declares he'll go with her in exchange for my safety the books split apart so we could find each other again." Mabel said in a 'duh' tone.
Dipper rubbed his temples and said, "I don't think they agreed to that, Mabel."
"I asked them and I didn't hear a 'no.'
"That's why I need one of them! They can only talk when they're near 3. Mabel, the only way I can find 3 in time before midnight is to use either 1 or 2 to use as a 3 radar and save 3. Please Mabel."
"Can't it wait till after the play?" Mabel asked again as Grenda entered the room. "Mabel, you're up."
"Okay-Dokey!" Mabel was about to leave the room when he grabbed her sleeve with the bill of his hat covering his eyes.
"Mabel…please…please. I really need your help this time. I could lose my best friend if you don't do this one thing for me. Please, I'll make it up to you, I could be your slave for a month, and you don't have to help me with my mystery hunts or cyphers. I won't ever ask you for anything ever again; just please, let me save 3." Dipper begged his sister as he angrily brushed his tears away.
Mabel looked away and remembered what 3 told her earlier this morning. 'Being siblings is a two-way street; he'll help you if you need it but you need to know that you need to help him also.' And she sighed. "Okay, just grab one of the Journal's while I'm doing my show."
Dipper grinned and grabbed his sister in a bear hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He whispered in her ear. "I promise I'll make this up to you." He ran off and found his way to the catwalk and entered it as Mabel continued her play below him.
'Gabe! You're back from the war!' Puppet Mabel cried.
'Yes I am! Wanna kiss and sing at the same time? '
'Okay!'
"Seriously?" Dipper asked bewildered as the audience applauded from below. "That is…never mind." He put the puppet show out of his mind and went into the giant cake with 1 and 2 sitting inside. He grabbed 2 and whispered, "Pts, 2. Riddle mode."
2's pages rippled and his entries scrambled together and reformed into different sentences. Dipper? It read. What's wrong? And where's 3?
"We have a major problem. Bill tricked her into looking into a cursed mirror and now we're stuck with an evil version of her from an alternate universe. If she doesn't look into the same mirror by midnight then she'll be stuck like this forever." He informed him as he held up the backpack that had the mirror.
WHAT!? WELL WHY ARE YOU HERE AND NOT OUT LOOKING FOR HER!?
"I need either you or 1 to find her. You know the piracy trilepathy."
Do you even know 'trilepathy' will even work with this version of 3?
Dipper paused and remembered Bill's story about how she didn't get the serum and it's possible the telephone like connection won't work. "That's…that's a good point. But we have to take that chance. It's still better than nothing."
Agreed. What now?
"Well, I was going to use you as sort of a metal detector. The easier and clearer you could be heard, the more likely 3 was there.
Then what are we waiting fo-"r…"
They froze in shock when they heard 2 speak. "2?"
"C…n…hea…m…?"
"Speak up." Dipper said, pressing his ear against the hand. "I can't make out your words."
"If yo…hear…the…3…near…"
Dipper froze and realized if he could hear 2 then that means that 3 is nearby and is getting closer when they heard 1 shout, "Look out!"
Dipper whirled around just as a shadow lunged at him from the rafters. "Wha!" He stumbled backwards and into the cake, sending it lurching dangerously from side to side. Dipper glanced up to see a pissed of Dark 3 glaring down at him from the catwalk. "What happened to her?" 2 whispered in shock.
"Bill happened."
Dark 3 fixed 2 with a hateful glare and reached for rope that controlled the platform when Dipper started to swing the cake erratically, causing the rope to escape her reach. This game continued for a couple of minutes. Whenever the rope was within her reach, Dipper would swing the cake escaping her but further wearing out the rope that was keeping them aloft over where his sister was preforming. He just counted his blessings that she didn't seem to want to jump into the contraption just yet.
'I hope this kiss never ends!' Mabel's voice drifted from below them.
"Come on, come on now, there must be a way for me to pull the mirror out without her trying to break it." He muttered to himself. "I can't keep this cat and mouse game up for much longer. Anymore and the rope with break. Damned if I do, damned if I don't."
Unfortunately the choice was ripped away from his hands when Dark 3's patience finally snapped and she jumped from the catwalk and collided with the cake sending them crashing to the play where the wedding scene was finally playing out.
Puppet Stan looked over to Puppet Mabel and said, 'I'm giving you away. You are a woman now. Waddles, the rings!' Waddles squealed in shock and Mabel glanced up to see what spooked him. "Wait, what?" Mabel looks up in time to see the falling cake over her and gasped. "Oh no." The cakes crashes to the floor on top of the fog machine and laser and an injured Dipper came tumbling out onto the stage.
Mabel stood up from behind the set and ran towards her brother's side. "Dipper! Dipper, are you okay!?" She shouted as the audience gasped in shock as she held up her brother.
"Mabel, run! She's right here!" He warned his sister as Dark 3 rose from the heap of wood that was once a cake. The audience sat transfixed in fear as 3 glared and let out an ear rending roar that made some lose some hearing before they ran for the exits screaming. Dark 3 let out a guttural growl and started to walk towards Dipper, her eyes fixed on 2 clutched in his arms.
Mabel backed up in fear and she heard Stan yelling from the crowd as Dark 3 lumbered towards them, her leg had a large gash and was bleeding which slowed her down but it didn't do anything to improve her mood. Dipper got up painfully and checked the mirror and froze when he felt a hair line fracture on the glass that was slowly growing larger.
He turned to his sister and said, "We don't have much time. The mirror is breaking and midnight is drawing nearer, we have to do something!"
"But what!? What can we do vs a snapped 3!?" Mabel cried as they backed away.
"To my knowledge you yourself have provoked her into snapping once Mabel." 2 pointed out. "What did you last time to escape 3?"
"Dipper distracted her so I can hide and calmed her down."
2 went silent and asked Dipper. "You mentioned an alternate universe, what happened that made 3 turn into, this?"
Dipper thought back and said, "Loneliness. I never found out that you guys were alive and she snapped permanently." He took a steadying breath and said, "I'll distract her while Mabel positions the mirror in a way that will cause her to look into it."
"No!"
"No way, it's too dangerous Dipper! There has to be another way, besides you're still injured from the fall."
Dipper rubbed his arm and said, "It's just a scratch. Besides, she hasn't been trying to hurt me; she was trying to get the mirror and her brothers. I'll be fine." He assured her as he gave her the mirror, but not the bag and threw a wooden plank at her feet to gain Dark 3's attention.
"Hey, look what I got! Come and get it!" He taunted, waving the bag at her. She growled and charged her eyes trained on the bag but not at him personally. He jerked the bag out of the way, causing her to crash into the scenery and get up madder than ever.
"Dipper! Lead her toward stage left!" Mabel called to her brother who nodded and tried to control his fear of 3's snapped form. He waved the bag again and called, "Libra, Libra." Waving it like a red flag to a bull. She charged again and shouted, "Olé"
Slowly but surely, he led a seething 3 towards the pyrotechnics and taunted her again, but this time 3 didn't attack the bag. No this time she leaped at Dipper and took him down painfully to the hardwood floor and he grunted in pain when 3's weight pressed into his chest and injuries.
He looked into Dark 3's eyes and flinched, they looked like black holes filled with nothing but hate and pain. He noticed something in the corner of his eye and saw Mabel making frantic motions and holding the mirror and a button. He nodded and flung the torn bag onto the pyrotechnics with 3 heading after it and froze when she noticed the fireworks.
"Sorry about this 3." Mabel called as she pressed the Big Finish button and the stage exploded with 3 crashing to the floor stunned and the puppets stored nearby lite up in flames. Before Dark 3 could get up Mabel jumped on top of her and said, "I hope this works." She then shoved the cracking mirror bare centimeters from her face and waited for something to happen.
Nothing happened.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. 3 isn't turning back." Mabel sobbed as tears started to well up. "This is my fault, if I hadn't been so stubborn this wouldn't have happened." The Dark 3 started to scream and shoved Mabel off and tried to run but it looked like she ran into an invisible wall that she was trying frantically to scramble over as she was pushed back towards the mirror and she was sucked into the mirror with her using her claws to anchor herself to the ground but was sucked in once and for all.
The mirror went still before it rippled and normal 3's head poked out and slowly fell to this world in an unconscious heap as the mirror shattered to a million of pieces.
(3's POV)
3 slowly opened her eye to be met with the twins staring down at her with concern. She blinked and groaned in pain as she heavily sat up. "Uhh, what happened? Did anyone get that tank's number?"
She was suddenly enveloped in between the twins in a bear hug. "Huh!? Wh-What's wrong? What happened?" She asked them in confusion and grew even more worried when she noticed that they were both holding back tears.
"3…I'm so glad you're back!" Dipper whispered in her ear as Mabel nodded against her neck, 3 also felt her brother's relief and easing fear.
"Once again what…" Suddenly everything came rushing back to her and stood up only to fall back down. "Bill! My dark half! They're-"
"We know we defeated your Dark half just a few minutes again." Dipper assured her.
"R-really?" 3 stammered and looked around in shock taking in the destruction and the fire that was burning in the corner and the twin's injuries. "O-oh no, you two are hurt, did I…" She began guiltily
"Aw don't sweat it. They're just scratches and bruises. Nothing permanent." Dipper said soothingly.
"B-but I hurt you and Mabel, oh Mable your play…I-I'm so sorry, Mabel. You worked so hard on it." She hung her head in shame for what her evil half has done.
Mabel smiled and rubbed her back, "Don't worry about it. This was my fault also, if I had just kept my promise in the first place, you two wouldn't have been tricked by the evil Dorito."
"Still, you're crush…" 3 persisted, not believing Mabel wasn't mad at her for something.
The elder twin laughed and said, "I've seen enough movies to know this is the part where the love interest comes up and thinks it was all part of the show and loves it. Cue raving review!" She said as Gabe stalked up to the tiny group.
"Don't speak to me, Mabel." He growled at her. "You are not what I thought you were. You broke so many monumental rules I don't know where to start! You broke character, destroyed your back drop, burned down your hosting theatre and most importantly of all." He held up the burnt puppets. "You destroyed your puppets; you've tarnished the very art you tried to imitate! You've made a mockery of my art form. Let's go, my loves. He turns and walks away, kissing the puppets.
"Did he just make out with his puppets?" Dipper asked in disgust as he watched him walk away.
"I might've dodged a bullet there." Mabel commented as Candy ran after him, yelling in Korean.
3 looked away not bearing the thought that she crushed Mabel's dreams. "I'm-"
"Don't worry 3." Mabel assured her. "I should be thanking you. I wouldn't want a guy who made out with his own hands.
"Mabel, I'm also sorry about all this. It's my fault your puppets got ruined." Dipper apologized to his sister since he was the one to lead Dark 3 to the fireworks.
"He I told you to lead her to the fireworks and I pressed the button. Besides one of them did survive." She held up a puppet of herself. "And she has something to say to you. 'I'm sorry, Dipper. I spent all week obsessing over a dumb guy. But the dumb guy I should have cared about was you! And 3, I'm sorry for putting off helping you. Bap! Bap!'" She nudges it Dipper's and 3's face as they laughed. "Mystery twins?" She asked her brother holding up a fist.
"Mystery twins." They fist bump as Gabe stalked back into the theatre and held his hand out to Mabel. "You don't deserve that puppet, no named girl who is dead to me. Give it here." He demanded.
"How did you hear us from outside?" Dipper asked, puzzled as 3 glared at the pretty boy.
"Shut up you nonpuppet. Give me that sock puppet!" He yelled.
3 smirked sadistically and took Puppet Mabel and put her on. "Oh I'll give it to you, Benson." She stood up and straight armed punched him out.
"Wow!" The twins cried in amazement at they looked at the passed out blonde.
"Let's go home."
They walked out of the theatre, making sure they stepped on Gabe on the way out until they were ambushed by a worried Soos and Wendy and a solemn Stan. After assuring them that they were okay they drove back to the Shack where Mabel immediately went to bed and 3 found the destroyed laptop.
"Oh no, the laptop. Don't tell me I broke it." 3 gasped when she saw the condition it was in.
"No, I told Bill that he could have it in exchange for the way to turn you back." Dipper told her as he dumped it in a crate.
"Then it's still my fault!"
Dipper grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her. "No it was Bill's; he tricked you into looking in the mirror and mine because I let it be destroyed."
"Still, this was our best shot to find out who and where my father is."
Don't worry there will always be more clues. 2 assured her.
"Ah, there is always next time." Dipper unknowingly repeated 2. "I'm just glad you're alright and that's what important." He climbed into bed as 3 returned to book form and he laid her on the nightstand. "Good night, 3." He bid as he slowly went off to sleep as 3 reflected silently to herself. Even though they're not saying it, it's my fault all of this happened because I looked into that stupid mirror. Even if it kills me, I will make this up to them.