AN/ Happy Holiday's y'all! Enjoy the winter update!

Come on!" Wendy growled. Pacifica continued to rise, leaning heavily on the rear end of her tail to tower heads above Wendy.

Holy smokes! Wendy stood her ground. When did that short-stack get so frickin' tall?

Dropping like a coil, Pacifica suddenly lunged. Wendy braced herself, throwing her arms in front of her chest. Pacifica crashed into Wendy, digging her talons into Wendy's skin. Wendy grimaced.

"Knock it off!" Wendy growled. She pushed Pacifica back, sending the girl into the mud. Wendy jumped after her, pinning Pacifica to the ground.

"Stay down." Wendy hissed, pushing her claws into Pacifica. The girl grimaced, screaming as Wendy's claws began to draw blood. She started to thrash, screeching and howling beneath the older girl's grasp.

What? Wendy blinked, I didn't hurt her that bad!

In a flash of yellow, Pacifica threw her head forward, slamming her forehead into Wendy's skull.

Wendy gasped, clutching her forehead.

Hissing, Pacifica continued forward, forcing Wendy toward the water, her ankles skidding through the muddy sand. Wendy looked back to the water, still murky and unsettled. Stan and the two kids were still out of sight.

"Ain't no way I'm getting back in that water," Wendy growled. She pushed her palm into Pacifica's face, slamming the girl's head back.

Pacifica looked down at the hand and bit down, burying two fangs into Wendy's palm. Wendy howled. She tried to pull back, only for Pacifica wrap her arms around Wendy's wrist, locking her in place. Suddenly, Wendy's wound began to burn.

"Let go!" Wendy shouted, sending her open hand over Pacifica's face. Pacifica grunted, her teeth still dug deep into Wendy's fur. Four streaks opened over Pacifica's face and shoulder, quickly beginning to ooze red. Wendy reared back again, slamming her open fist into Pacifica's jaw.

Something pushed into Wendy's legs, sweeping her off her feet. Wendy yelped, falling backward. Wendy looked down. Yellow coils had worked themselves against her legs, forcing her off her feet. Pacifica continued to roll, encircling Wendy.

Pacifica arched her body, sending them both to the ground.

"Urk-!"

Wendy blinked.

I can't see through all cursing this mud!

Wendy spat mud from her mouth and punched Pacifica again, landing somewhere against the girl's shoulder. This time, Pacifica gasped, pulling her fangs from Wendy's hand. Quickly, Wendy pressed her throbbing hand into her chest. It burned as if salt and hand sanitizer had been rubbed into it. With her free hand, Wendy grabbed a handful of Pacifica's hair, pulling her head back. The writhing hair hissed and bit at her fingers. Wendy cursed.

"Why do you have so many teeth!" Wendy shouted. Pacifica rolled, digging her talons into the wrist holding her head back. Wendy yelped. Pacifica jutted forward, freeing most of her hair from Wendy's grasp. Rearing back once more, she lashed out, encircling Wendy's ribcage with her tail and digging her fangs into her shoulder. Wendy screamed as the teeth bore through her sweatshirt and into her skin.

Behind the pair, something crashed. Wendy peered back, watching the branches across the trees split. Stanley crashed through, splashing into the water.

"Mr. Pines, are you alright?!" Wendy gasped as Pacifica squeezed. Something in her chest popped. Wendy dug her claws into Pacifica's scales, grimacing as they each eventually broke into the girl's skin. Her hand began to grow wet. Pacifica growled, digging her fangs deeper into Wendy's shoulder. The shoulder was beginning to burn as her hand did. Hell, it seemed like her blood was rolling to a boil. Wendy bit her lip and hit Pacifica again.

Stanley reemerged from the water, clamoring onto shore with heavy steps. He used his arms to help haul himself out. Wendy blinked. She could hardly see her boss through the mud. No, tears. How long had she been crying? Wendy blinked again, her vision beginning to clear. Wait…

Wendy blinked again. Something was wrong with Stanley.

Stanley looked up and made a downturned face. He focused his gaze on Wendy. He growled, dropping into a crouch. Wendy's stomach dropped.

Oh, fish-nuts.

Wendy began to thrash. Baring her teeth, Wendy lunged forward, biting Pacifica in the forearm. Pacifica screamed, both her fangs making a sickening suction nose as they were individually unlatched from Wendy's flesh. The wound smelled of leaky batteries in the open air. It made Wendy's stomach churn. Wendy pushed out again, this time slashing her claws against Pacifca's underbelly. She screeched.

Ever so slightly, Pacifica's grip loosened.

Wendy kicked, breaking free from the yellow coils. She landed in the mud, sliding further than she meant to and crashing into a pile of river rocks beside the shore. She cursed. She looked back to Stanley, his yellow eyes locked onto her.

"Sorry, Mr. Pines," Wendy growled, throwing a fistful of mud and rocks in his direction. It landed with a satisfying clink and coving the gargoyle's face and chest.

Stan roared, wiping the muck from his face, and launched into the air. Wendy scrambled, narrowly avoiding his stone talons as they cut into the pile of river rocks. Wendy gulped, jumping over Pacifica as the gorgon struck out to attack her once more.

"UGh-!"

Wendy looked back. The feral two had collided midair. They scrambled, both clawing and biting at one another to try and jump first.

Behind them, another creature emerged from the water. Candy scrambled forward, taking a running leap at Wendy. Before she could react, Stan swatted her out of the air, knocking Candy into the creek. She shrieked the whole way. He turned back and growled at the web-footed child. She hissed back, throwing a handful of seaweed at the gargoyle. Somehow, Candy's glasses were still on. While Stanley was turned away, Pacifica slapped him. Grenda emerged from the water, holding a large boulder over her head. She was yelling.

Wendy blinked.

They're fighting each other, She realized. She stumbled back, quietly side-stepping into the woods. The quartet of monsters didn't notice.

Wendy continued to work her way backward, putting yards and yards of distance between herself and the river, pausing only as the Stanley and Pacifica were bug-sized in her vision.

Wendy unwrapped her sweatshirt, tearing it in twine with her teeth. She began to wrap it around her hand. It smelt bad in a way Wendy didn't know how to describe, like water and syrup, but also rotten and stinging. She rubbed the skin around the first puncture mark, ignoring it's pale and yellowing color beneath her fur. Her shoulder protested as she continued to work, tying off the second make-shift bandage under her armpit.

"I'm sorry guys," Wendy grumbled, looking back to the river. "I can't take you all on."

She continued to limp forward, wiping tears from her eyes as they rolled into her murky vision. Her body ached, especially in her ribs. Wendy shook her head. Her breathing was raspy and sore, and her sides burned where Pacifica had encircled it. She put her non-bitten hand against the ribs and grimaced. The crack in her ribs yelled at her from even that slight pressure.

The forest was quiet, save for the growling back at the river and the thundering of her heartbeat. Wendy paused. Wait...

Yeah, there was that foreign sound again.

Ding-ding. Ding-ding.

"A bell? Out here?" She grumbled. Wendy looked back at the creek. The water was still and empty. Wendy stumbled back, wiping the insistent tears from her ducts.

"No way…"

Sure enough, the tussle at the river bank had cleared, leaving the shore as empty as it was when they arrived, save for broken leaves and muddy footprints. Stanley, Pacifica, Grenda, and Candy were gone.

"Grunkle Ford?"

Ford jumped into the air, his talons outstretched. Dipper gulped, ducking into the water. He looked up in time to see Ford's feline-ish and winged form rush into the space Dipper had stood a moment before. The water behind him moved as Ford collided with the river, the current growing violent as Ford began to thrash. Dipper stayed under the water, paddling toward the shore.

A sphinx. Dipper thought. Ford's a sphinx. That's wings, claws, teeth, nose, and eyes.

He looked back at Ford. His Grunkle's face was snarled, his nose slightly protruded into a short muzzle. Yellowed eyes darted wildly around the surface of the water. Even from beneath, Dipper noted the unfocused movements of Ford's eyes. They were gleaned over, like a rabid animal. But something else was off about his eyes.

His glasses are gone. Dipper realized. A sensation was beginning to twinge at his lungs. He would have to reemerge and breathe soon.

He continued to stare at Ford. Ford growled, dropping onto all fours. The old man prowled to the water's edge. He shook his torso, sending drops of water flying across the shore. His nose began to twinge as he sniffed at the air.

Dipper suppressed his panic.

I can't fight him off, Dipper reasoned. Ford can fight, but I think and I can't keep hiding. I need to breathe… and soon.

Dipper swiveled, facing the way the two of them had been traveling. I don't know what else is down the creek. I've never been that far. It could just be woods. And Bill….

Dipper shook his head.

I don't know where Bill is. I'll just have to hope I don't run into him.

Dipper paused.

What If I head back toward the shack? Grunkle Stan should be back to the meeting point by now and he's broken out of this fit before. He'll know what to do.

Dipper turned to the way he came.

Until then, I'll just have to outrun Grunkle Ford.

Dipper looked back to Ford. Still, on all fours, Ford was hunched over, pawing at a pile of rocks at the shore. His back was turned.

Mentally, Dipper braced himself. He ran.

Breaking out of the water, Dipper raced for the woods.

Ford's head snapped to the sound of water. Spreading his wings, Ford launched himself into the air, snarling. He swooped, landing with a gust where Dipper emerged. He sent mud and sand flying.

"Ah!"

Dipper stumbled over a bramble bush. Ford's head snapped toward the sound.

He can hear me!

Dipper panicked. He continued to run, his barely grazing the ground with each step. Why couldn't hearing-loss run on this side of the family too?

Ford launched again. Dipper leaped, clearing a thick set of brambles with a single move. He continued to flee, bobbing under a downed tree then immediately clearing a large stone with a sharp turn.

Daring to look back, Dipper gasped. Ford was close behind him, crushing branches and bushes under his thundering feet.

Oh no, Dipper turned his face back to the path, narrowly squeezing between a set of interlocked tree trunks. He's fast!

Robbie slouched back against the golf cart. His bad ankle throbbed, pulsing uncomfortably against his cast. Mabel stayed near the shore, resting on a pile of half-submerged boulders. The silver box they had recovered from Bill was placed on the rear of the cart, tucked under a pile of tools.

"Where is everybody?" Mabel sunk deeper into the water. "It feels like it's been hours."

"It hasn't been that long."

Robbie shuffled. Mabel was right- It had been awhile. The sun was starting to set, the sky turning a bright red, pink and orange. Fireflies had begun to flicker to life, perching close enough to the path that their skinny, unlit bodies buzzed in and out of view.

"Do you think we should go looking?" Mabel asked.

"Maybe soon-" Robbie paused. "Do you hear something?"

The fireflies near the back of the golf cart scattered. After a moment, the bushes began to move. Robbie stood.

After a moment, Wendy emerged.

"Hey, Wendy!" Mabel grinned. "How'd it go?"

Wendy blinked, slowly. She stared at Mabel, then to Robbie. Her gaze was fuzzy, her pupils wide and unfocused. Her eyes were runny.

Robbie took a step forward.

"Wendy are you alright? What happened to your arm?"

"I'm fine," Wendy managed through a pained breath. She looked to her arm and her sweat-shirt bandage. The fabric was turning a mix of brown and red. "I'm fine."

Wendy took a step forward, wobbling as she pushed away from the tree she had been leaning against. Robbie hobbled toward her, grabbing her side. He helped her toward the cart.

"What happened?" Mabel asked.

Wendy reached for the cart, grabbing the side of the vehicle. She pulled away from Robbie.

"I'm so dizzy." She wheezed. Taking a step forward, Wendy's leg buckled underneath her. She crumbled.

"Whoa!" Robbie dropped beside her, disappearing behind the cart.

"Wendy!" Mabel swam further up the river, trying to see behind the cart. "What's wrong?"

Behind the cart, Robbie cursed. He stood and began searching throughout the cart.

"Is there a first-aid kit in here?" He asked. Mabel hoisted herself up, crawling into the cart. She pulled open the glove compartment and pulled out an old coffee tin. Robbie took it, removing a roll of athletic tape and wet wipes from a plastic ziplock inside. Mabel crawled after him.

Wendy was laid on her side, her fur damp with what seemed like pure sweat. Robbie had removed the strips of the sweatshirt she had been using as bandages. Beneath them, her skin had swollen, forming goofball sized lumps at her right shoulder and left palm. They both oozed thin streams of runny blood.

"What happened to you?" Robbie asked. He started dabbing her injured shoulder with a wet wipe. Wendy winced but stayed on the ground, her breathing raspy.

"Wendy?"

Again, she didn't reply. Robbie placed a hand against her forehead. He cursed.

"She's burning up," Robbie said. "Help me lift her into the cart."

Mabel reached over, and together they settled Wendy into the passenger seat. She laid lopsided in it, with her lower legs tucked on the floor and her upper torso and head resting on the butt of the seat. Robbie stood over her, outside the cart, cleaning her shoulder as best as he could. Mabel worked on her hand.

"Pacifica has fangs," Robbie said.

"What was that?"

"Pacifica," Robbie said. "She's a Medusa or something, yeah?"

Mabel blinked, looking to the wound on Wendy's hand. The two puncture wounds were the distance of her fist apart- much bigger than any snake mouth she had ever seen.

"You don't think…?"

"Mmmh…" Wendy groaned. Her eyes were cloudy and thick with water. She looked to her hand and nodded.

"Pacifica did this?" Mabel asked. Again, Wendy nodded.

"She must have gone feral," Robbie said, blinking. "And Stanley?"

Slowly, Wendy nodded.

Mabel and Robbie went quiet.

"This expedition idea sucks." Robbie finally said. He reached for the back of the golf cart, grabbing the wooden box. He set in the set next to Wendy so she could see it. "Your day blows more than ours. We fought a demon, though, and grabbed this."

Robbie moved the box, using it to elevate Wendy's hand.

"I don't know anything about snakes, but I think you're supposed to elevate injuries." He said.

Wendy didn't reply. Mabel began to rub Wendy's back, trying her best to be soothing. Beneath her hand, she could feel Wendy's chest rise and fall, barely and shakily moving it. Mabel shot a look at Robbie. He returned a similarly worried gaze.

"I think we need to head back," Robbie announced. "The emergency room in town should still be open when we get back if we drive back now."

"But what about Dipper and Grunkle Ford?"

"They'll have to find their own way back," Robbie said. "Wendy can't even talk and I-I don't know anything about snake bites. I'm not even sure how serious this is, but I'm sure it's not good."

"Me neither, but if Wendy got torn up like this…" Mabel trailed off. "How's Dipper going to hold up? Robbie… we ran into Bill. And Bill's trouble."

Robbie felt a rock drop in his stomach, but he forced the feeling down. There was no way to know where Dipper and Stanford were and what state they were in, and looking to Wendy… who knew how long she was going to be able to hold up. At least this way, he could for sure help one person.

"Dipper's smart, and Ford knows all about this magic junk. If anyone can handle themselves, it's those two nerds." Robbie reassured Mabel. He dropped into the driver's seat and started the vehicle. "Besides, how much trouble could those two get into?"

The gears clicked.

Trigger blinked. He pulled the paperclips away from the doorknob, holding his breath as he grabbed the metal door. He closed his eyes as he turned it.

Click!

The door opened.

"It opened," Trigger said. He pushed the door and it swung open with no protest. "It opened!"

Trigger rushed out, running into the hall. The hall split into an elevator and a staircase leading further underground. He went to the elevator, barely able to contain his excitement as he pushed the button and waited for the cabin to arrive.

"I'm getting out," He whispered. "And then I'm leaving this god-forsaken tourist trap town. I'll fly to New Zealand and start that goat-farm I've always wanted. Screw the agency, man. I could've been a cop, or a librarian, or-or…"

The elevator dinged and opened. Trigger rushed inside. The rickety thing moved with what felt like dangerous swings but eventually opened to the secret entrance in the gift shop. Trigger burst out and immediately went for a stack of clothes.

"I smell like trash," he muttered, going for a pile of faux fur cryptid-hid lined jackets. They were truly used aviator jackets dyed brown and tagged with a silhouette big-foot-ish print on the back and marked up triple the price than they were at the thrift shop.

Trigger grabbed the first white shirt off the pile and did the same with a set of sweatpants. He quickly threw them on, not bothering to remove his boots. Finally, rigger rushed to the door, grabbing a baseball bat on his way out.

"Just in case," Trigger reasoned, bouncing the bat in his hands. "Just in case."

Stepping out, Trigger looked across the yard and grinned. It was empty. And with her hearing, the red-haired werewolf would have heard him escape by now, meaning the house was empty. He should know- he had the same canine ears.

"No one's here." Trigger said, his grin turning wider. Biting his lip, he looked back at the empty house and thought for a long moment.

"I probably have enough time to pee before I go."

Something off into the woods cracked, then crashed into the ground with a spine shaking thud. Mabel and Robbie's heads snapped toward the sound. Mabel and Robbie looked to the sound, barely audible over the hum of the golf cart.

"What in the world was that?"

Dipper's voice cut through the trees.

"Drive! Drive!"

Robbie tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Why?"

Dipper broke through the woods, covered in mud, leaves, and twigs. He practically flew into the back of the cart, wrapping his fingers around the safety bars.

"It's Ford!" Dipper yelled, managing through his breaths.

Through the trees, bushes and leaves began to move. Robbie narrowed his eyes. the movement was still a ways away. There was maybe a football field worth of distance between them yet. No, less than that. Half a field? A few yards?

Suddenly, the leaves parted as two mighty, multicolored wings burst into the open. A heavy, four-legged creature leaped into the air, slamming into the willow tree that hung over the golf cart. Robbie's eyes widened in recognition at the now tattered coat that hung off the beast.

Stanford prowled across one of the branches, stepping down and closer to the golf cart. He opened his maw and roared.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Robbie screamed. He threw the cart into reverse, sending it screeching away from the creek. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"We ran into Bill!" Dipper screamed. "And-and THAT happened!"

"You ran into Bill? Us too!" Mabel yelled.

"Incoming!"

Robbie spread his arm, covering Mabel and Wendy just as the roof of the golf cart caved in.

"Ahhhh!" Mabel scrambled back, putting herself between the cave-in and Wendy.

Above them, Ford growled, the low vibrations from him shaking the metal roof.

"Shake him off!" Dipper yelled.

"I barely know how to drive straight!" Robbie yelled back. "Wait-Wait a second!"

Robbie turned hard left, tilting the cart to its side as it rocked the sharp corner. Then he slammed on the brakes, sending everyone forward into the dash. Dipper's hindquarters crashed into the back of Robbie's seat. The silver box they had stolen from Bill flew forward, crashing into the dash. It landed near Robbie's lap. Robbie snapped it shut as the lid popped open, narrowly keeping the shimmering blue powder it held inside.

Above them, Ford slid off the roof, his talon claws slicing through the metal as he careened to the left side of the cart. His claws hooked the frame, keeping him from flying into the woods like a sack of rotten potatoes. The old sphinx dropped over the edge, his head and forest-stained torso coming into view. He growled, revealing his mouth of carnivorous and pointed teeth.

"Ah!" Mabel reached down, grabbing a branch from the ground. She swung it, cracking Ford across his maw. She swung again. This time, Ford reached out, clutching the branch mid-swing. He clenched his furred-fist and the branch splintered. Ford dropped the splinters, letting the wood crumble to the dirt.

"Uh-oh."

"Snap this!" Dipper shouted, crawling over the front seat. He grabbed the wooden box at the council and swung it, slapping it down against Ford's chin. In a flash of Blue, powder exploded from the box, enveloping Ford, Dipper, Wendy, and Mabel.

Thump. Something dropped to the forest floor.

"He's off!" Dipper shouted as he scrambled back, the box still in his hand. Robbie slammed it shut.

"Careful, man!" He yelled, throwing the cart into gear. He slammed on the gas. "We don't know what that stuff does to you!"

"DOES to you?" Dipper exclaimed.

As they sped down the path, the blue cloud of powder began to disperse.

"Uh, guys?" Mabel said. She coughed. "I feel sort of...weird."

Robbie shot a look back to Dipper before madly waving the mist away from the passenger seat.

"You're fine!" Robbie shouted. "You're alright!"

"Robbie! What do you mean?" Dipper repeated.

Robbie looked behind the cart- Stanford was nowhere to be seen.

"Bill! We throw the other box at Bill and-and…. I don't know! He disappeared after that!"

Dipper dropped the box, letting it fall to the floor of the cart. He quickly bent over and made sure it was latched.

"You did that to Bill?" Dipper yelled. "The human-floating head thing?"

Robbie locked eyes with Dipper.

"What in the everloving trash-pit are you talking about?!"

Dipper opened his mouth to speak, then paused. His jaw dropped. He raised his hand, pointing to the sky.

"Robbie is that…?"

Robbie looked forward and gasped. Ford's was in the air, flying yards above the golf cart. He pulled into a dive.

"Hold on!" Robbie shouted. The golf cart speeded up, the engine whining as they skidded across the beaten path. A shadow passed overhead.

Ba-Bam.

The cart tilted forward as Ford landed on the front. He snarled, rushing towards Robbie. Robbie crossed his arms in a shield. A leg shot out of the blue cloud, knocking Ford in the ear. Ford stumbled back in surprise.

The cloud mostly dispersed, Mabel recoiled in her seat, pulling her shirt down over her knees. Dipper and Robbie blinked in unison. Knees?

"Boy am I glad I grabbed the extra-large shirt this morning." She chuckled. Leaning over, she clenched her fingers around her feet. Under her breath, she whispered, "Ten toes."

Wendy was sat beside her, still furry and red.

Ford recovered, shaking his head and mane. He lunged again, this time at Mabel. Something shot through the air, striking Ford in the ribs. It crackled. The sphinx shuddered, convulsing and tipping onto his side. Mabel kicked out, knocking him onto the front of the cart.

Robbie pulled Trigger's taser close.

Dipper crawled to the front, knocking Robbie in the shoulder.

"How long have you had that?"

"I forgot, alright? This was a surprise!"

Mabel scrambled over, grabbing the wheel and attempting to turn it.

"Robbie, the wheel!"

Robbie turned forward just in time to see the downed tree laying across the path. They had turned too late.

"Oh, fu-"

The cart collided, the front end jumping upwards and sending the car into the air. Ford's body went under the vehicle, dropping into the forest floor as the cart continued, breaking through the forest wall and snapping branches in its wake. It crashed hard into the yard, crushing the front end of the cart like a soda can.

Dipper and Robbie stubbled out of the wreckage, dropping into the grass beside each other. They were mostly unscathed, save for a few bumps and pre-bruises. Mabel crawled out from the debris next, shakily leaning against her legs and the upturned axel. Wendy managed to roll onto her back and groaned. Ford was a ways back, laying at the edge of the yard, unmoving save for the rise and fall of his chest.

BAM!

The front door of the Mystery Shack slammed open. Trigger came flying out, a baseball bat held clenched in his hands. He leaped over the porch steps and skidded to a stop in the grass. He was wearing assorted clothing from the gift shop, the huge wad of bandages swathed around his shoulder completely visible from beneath the loose-fitting clothes.

He paused for a moment, assessing the scene. The kids stared back at him, all huddled about the trashed vehicle in assorted stated of post-panic. Trigger finally spoke.

"Where'd you all come from?!"