Ford peered out of the bushes and glanced around. The porch of the Mystery Shack was empty. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he motioned to the others. "Get inside, quickly!"
Gideon, Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica darted into the gift shop. Wendy shepherded them all inside, her eyes constantly scanning. Bringing up the rear was McGucket, humming to himself like he was strolling in a city park.
"Come on old man!" Wendy huffed as she scanned the skies.
"Just leave him be!" Ford tried to wave her aside. At the same time, he put his arm behind Fiddleford and tried to guide him inside faster. Once they had gotten across the threshold, Ford closed the door. "Okay kids, I need you to clear away a space on the floor. Move these shelves against the far wall, please."
They all began to clear merchandise from the shelves. Pacifica could be heard grumbling, "Didn't realize this was going to involve child labor…"
Ignoring her, Ford guided McGucket over to the living room. "Fiddleford, what… what happened to you?"
"Eh? Oh this!" He held up his bandaged arm. "That's a funny story. See, my raccoon wife and I once got into an argument over—"
"No, no! Fiddleford, I know the real you. This isn't the real you!" In desperation Ford grasped the man's shoulders and shook him. The eyes seemed to bounce aimlessly. Ford felt a pit grow in his throat and spread to his stomach. "The Fiddleford I knew could take a screwdriver and use it to go to the moon."
"Oh hey, I know about the moon! The moon and I hambone out a jig together every night, yee hehe!"
Ford patted in his pockets. Then he spotted Journal 2 on the coffee table. "Fiddleford Hadron McGucket, this is who you were." He opened the book and showed off the pages. "You were a genius, and… and my best friend…"
He flipped through the journal. Fiddleford's eyes barely saw the pictures and words… but the more they took in, the more they began to focus. The broken old man reached with trembling fingers and took the journal for himself. One by one he turned through the pages. Then he looked up. In that instant he seemed to have aged a decade.
"S-stanford?"
"That's it! It's me, Stanford!" Ford felt a snap of relief in his chest. "Remember our work?"
"Our work?" Fiddleford screwed up his face in concentration. "Ehh… kind of? The gremloblin… the portal… the triangle… evil eyes, evil blue eyes! The twins! They work for the one-eyed beast!" With a yell he tossed the journal away.
"Shh, Fiddleford, it'll be okay!" Ford set his hands on the old man's shoulders, trying to calm him down. "I know it hurts, but try to remember."
"Euggghh…" Fiddleford grimaced. "I don't want to remember. I just want to forget…"
"I know Fiddleford, and… that's my fault." He bowed his head. "I should have stopped when I was ahead. I should have listened to you, and now look at the state you're in." Ford bit his bottom lip as he took in a deep breath. "I know that nothing I can do can get you back the thirty years you've wasted. I… I'm…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "God, you must hate me."
Ford looked down. He couldn't bear to look his former colleague in the eye. Then he felt something he didn't expect:
A pat on the back, and a tickle of old beard on his sideburns.
"Thirty years of forgettin' hasn't worked," Fiddleford seemed to struggle with his words. "Maybe it's time to try forgivin'..."
Ford could only blink at first. Then with a grateful sigh, he hugged Fiddleford back. "Thank you…"
Just at that moment, he heard Wendy behind him: "Uh, don't want to break up this moment, but we cleared the floor Mr. Pines? And the world is kinda still ending outside."
"Yes yes, right." He let go of McGucket and cleared his throat. "Okay, here's what I need. Get the kids to draw these symbols on the floor:" Ford opened up Journal 2 and flipped to the page on Bill Cipher, pointing to the cipher wheel. "Wendy, are you feeling up to going back out there to help me find people?"
"Only been training for the end times my whole life sir." She gave a chipper salute.
"That's the spirit! Go take this in there. And Fidds…" he turned back. "Will you help me save the world and my niblings?"
"I'll do the best I can," the old man smiled.
"Good. Because before I can save either of those two things, I need to save my brother. Here's what I'm thinking…"
"COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE."
Time Baby's voice boomed as he floated over ruined buildings. Dipper peeked out from behind the corner of the bowling alley before he darted out, Mabel following close by. "I'll give us some cover," she whispered. She snapped her finger; a line of trees a block away lurched. Their trunks split into long moaning faces, and their roots tore from the ground. Frail-fingered branches grasped at chunks of houses and cars, then tossed them at Time Baby.
"FOOLISH CREATURES!" He rumbled. With his attention diverted, the twins could easily sneak away.
"Like taking candy from a baby," Dipper snickered. "Speaking of which, have you seen Candy or Grenda around?"
"Nuh-uh. They're probably hiding out in a cave somewhere. And how about you? Seen Wendy around?" she teased.
Dipper blushed hard, accidentally setting a nearby tree aflame. "W-why do you ask?"
"Dipper, this is your chance! You can be the perfect person that Wendy wants! You can control space and matter, landing the girl of your dreams should be a cinch now!"
He paused, taking in the realization. A stupid grin came over his face. "Where do you think she is?"
Right on cue, "Dipper! Mabel!"
Wendy ran out before them, waving her arms. She had on a white tanktop with her plaid sweater tied around her waist, along with blue jeans and boots. A bandanna was wrapped about the crown of her head, and her axe hung on her back. Mabel took Dipper close and whispered in his ear, "Go get 'er, bro!"
"Guys, I was just looking for you out here. I don't know what's going on, but I want to know. What happened on stage? And what do you think you're getting out of this now?"
"Simple: no one's ever going to mess with us again," Dipper announced proudly. "Well, no one after we get rid of the giant evil floating baby. So, uh…" he rubbed the back of his head nervously, "how have you been?"
"Surviving. Barely." Her eyes flicked from his face to the amulet, and back again. "Look, you proved that you can tear a hole in between dimensions. That's great, any chance you could perhaps turn it off now?"
Dipper looked back at Mabel for support. She motioned for him to continue. She's all yours, a familiar voice spoke in his mind, but he couldn't tell if it was Mabel's. At the moment he didn't care. With a deep breath he turned back to Wendy. "Wendy… there's something I gotta tell you."
"Oh no…" her face curled into disgust. "Please don't say what I think you're going to say."
"What… what are you talking about?"
"Are you about to actually say that you like me?"
The pre-emptive catch set Dipper off-kilter. His shock quickly turned to anger, which he tried to slam a lid down on. "So what if I was going to? You don't know that's what I was going to say…"
"Look, I've dated lots of guys, and I know the routine. I can see it your eyes and the way you talk to me. I know that you're into me. You haven't been as subtle as you think you've been. But Dipper, I'm just too old for you. You're twelve, I'm fifteen, it'd just be kinda weird…"
"Hold on!" Dipper snapped his fingers. A cloud of smoke descended over his head. He felt his body morph, his limbs lengthen. When the smoke vanished, Wendy took a step back. "What do you think now?"
Dipper now stood eye-to-eye with Wendy. He had donned himself in an aquamarine tuxedo, with his amulet still glistening beneath his neck. On a whim, he poofed a rose between his teeth. Wendy didn't speak for a while.
"Wendy, if you choose me then I'll give you everything you could ask for." He raised one hand; the broken asphalt smoothed into glistening gold. An entire neighborhood crumbled, and in its place sparkling crystal sprouted. The sunlight danced and glistened off the surfaces as the stones solidified into a massive palace. "Come on, what do you say?"
She looked at him. "Dipper…"
His heart leapt a bit.
"...are you out of your mind?!"
Her words stabbed into his joy and left it to slowly die. "Wendy, what's not to like?"
"I'll tell you what's not to like: I trusted you and your sister, and you went and ended the world! You nearly killed Robbie, and tell me Dipper, where's my family?" She crossed her arms. "Tell me right now that my dad and brothers haven't been scooped up for some crazy sculpture or experiment that you've been running! And you think I'm gonna fall in LOVE with you?!"
Every word dug the knife into Dipper's heart. He felt his lips twisting into a scowl ungrateful. His teeth gritted until they hurt stupid. One hand clasped his amulet. The other lifted Wendy into the air. His fingers itched to clench and crush her there. He didn't hear her shouts. "I am the most powerful person in the world! You should consider yourself LUCKY that I offered you to be my queen!"
"Hey bro?" Mabel sounded from far away. "We are the most powerful people? And I thought I was going to be queen?"
Dipper ticked his head to brush her aside shut up. He turned Wendy upside down with a yank. He could barely see her, so much blue why bother no no she's yours you deserve her you just take
"What do you want?" he demanded. "I can make myself look like literally anyone, anything you want! I can give you literally anything you want! I can give you a star, I can make an entire constellation in your image! I can give you money, I can make you famous, what do you want from me?!"
The blood roared in his ears, but he could still hear her answer: "Not you."
kill her turn her to stone BETRAYED YOU keep her ALWAYS HAPPENS trophy take apart her atoms one by one dipper MAKE HER PAY destroy Dipper YOURS "DIPPER!"
He tore his arm from Mabel's grasp. She was pointing down the street. "Look!"
She gestured towards Stan's bubble. A small column of smoke rose towards it, and riding atop was Ford. An improvised jetpack shot him into the air. "Good work Wendy!" he hollered.
"YOU WERE ONLY TRICKING US!" Dipper screamed at Wendy, still floating in the air. "Mabel, stop Ford! I'm going to teach Wendy what happens to people who cross us." He summoned a fireball in one hand and let the flame illuminate his angry visage...
"Hold on a second," Mabel took his arm and lowered it. "Why do you think you get to boss me around, Mr. 'Most-Powerful'? Last I checked, you wouldn't have even gotten the powers without my help!"
"Come on Mabel, I did the book work, and that takes some real smarts to do. Now hurry, he's gonna get into the bubble!"
"You're saying I don't have 'smarts'?! Who talked Gideon into giving up Journal 2? Who took down the town darling Pacifica? I'm plenty smart enough, so maybe YOU should go get Ford!"
She gave him a shove, knocking him forward. Dipper loosed his hold on Wendy, who fell with a thud and an "Ooph!" He glared at his sister, who stood there defiantly. "What makes YOU think you can push me around?!"
He shoved her back, this time actually pushing her to the ground. When his hands hit her body there was a clap of thunder. The skies darkened above their heads, and in the shadows he could see her eyes glinting a cruel blue.
she wants your power
He should have seen it all along. All this time, pretending to be by his side, all to soften him, turn a blind eye.
she wants the amulet she will kill
Everyone else had betrayed him, why did he expect anything different?
she will kill kill first don't let her take amulet don't let take me
"Go ahead Dipper!" Mabel bellowed. "You wanna be number one so badly? Show me what you've got!"
With a swipe of the hand he hurled a flaming wall at her. She swished her cape and landed on her feet, two knives in her hands. Mabel hurled one at her brother, which divided into over two dozen. He swiped his hand and melted them into liquid steel. Then he willed huge chunks from the ground. Each chunk hurled itself at his sister. She dodged one. Sliced through another. Tossed eight blades into the air. Kept two in her hands. Aimed all ten at his heart. Dove forward…
With a deft motion he froze her in midair. Every inch of his power shivered, threatening to give way, but he had practiced these spells more. Mabel had relied on her knives stupid serves right and now she was going to pay the price.
"I said GO GET FORD!" With a furious roar, he hurled Mabel towards the bubble. Dipper watched his sister fly back screaming until she hit the surface. The green rippled as she disappeared inside. He still panted from the fight when he felt a cough behind him.
"Wow, uh, Dipper…" Wendy still stood there. "Not gonna lie, that was… really impressive. I guess, if the whole 'being your queen' thing is still an option… I might give it a shot after all? I'm a sucker for a good fighter," she chuckled.
Good girl
Dipper couldn't help but give a proud smirk. "Know what? I think I could give you a second chance." He held out his arms for a hug. Wendy accepted. "Before we do anything, we gotta get Ford to—"
As soon as Wendy's arms went around him, one hand grabbed the back of the amulet. The other grabbed the stone. Dipper felt the cord snap. Wendy shoved him back. Unsheathed her axe.
"WENDY DON'T—"
The blade came down. The stone fractured, and so did Dipper's mind. He could hear himself, feel himself crying out in agony. He screamed in two voices. One of them wasn't his but yet familiar. Fire. Fire in his head. A tumor being dragged out. Latching on. Wanting to stay. Fire consuming. Blue light dying. His eyes wet. Blue turning to red. Blood, blood dripping to his hands. His head would burst like a walnut. Make it stop. Make it break. Anything please!
Dipper fell forward on his hands and knees. The grass singed under his palms, and tendrils of smoke curled up lazily. He gulped. The boy tried to stand, only for his legs to give out. Beads of sweat dripped from his hair and rolled down his arm.
"...Mabel?"
He fell back a bit. Feeling bleary-eyed, he saw Wendy standing there uncertainly.
"Wendy? Where's Mabel?" His memory came back to him through a bluish haze. His stomach began to drop, and he felt like vomiting. "Mabel?!"
"THERE YOU ARE!" A voice boomed behind him. He turned to see Time Baby looming overhead. "NO MORE PEEKABOO!"
"MABEL!"
