Chapter 84
Fugitives On The Run
Moira's plan to rescue Pandora was actually a rather simple yet clever one. She had bought a bunch of fireworks in preparation for the moment. With the heightened tensions among the factions, it wouldn't take much to strike at paranoia.
Having studied their routines for a while, she knew that the guards usually came to escort Pandora to the other side of the academy in the mornings. A well-timed distraction during that interval was precisely the moment she needed to get in, grab Pandora and get out of there—and she would have to be quick too. It wouldn't take long for them to figure out who was responsible anyway so she wasn't concerned with being seen.
June was waiting just outside in the neighboring Quartz Town when a portal appeared in front of her.
"The plan went well then? Good. I was starting to go nuts from all these clocks ticking," June said after Moira closed the portal behind her and Pandora.
"Alright, you're turn," Moira said quickly. She had found out from Kohle that each of their Keyblades left a distinguished trace on them after a corridor of light was used. It made it quite easy to track down missing Keyblade wielders, or in some cases, traitors. The plan had been to use the corridors twice. Once to get Pandora out and the second to ensure they weren't followed. The Lunarians couldn't follow June's trail, after all.
They soon emerged in a forest in the dead of night. Officially, she didn't know its name but she had called it the crystal forest because the dew hanging from the branches shone a brilliant silver in the moonlight.
"This place… it's beautiful…" Moira, who was seeing it for the first time, whispered.
"I've been on here during a few missions but I always stayed behind at the end just to look at the moon. It's so clear from here. It's funny. You would think a place like this would be creepy but for me, it's the opposite. It's gentle and soothing," June said, bringing her fingers up and down as if she were playing a string instrument.
Moira smiled and looked back at Pandora. "You okay? Sorry, we were in a bit of a rush back there. We kind of just kidnapped you without explaining anything."
"But why?"
"Would you have preferred we left you? You shouldn't be involved in any of this. I won't let them take advantage of your powers," Moira said.
"It… doesn't matter."
This left Moira and June puzzled. "What do you mean?" the former asked.
"Because if what I saw in my vision is true, it- it would have been better had I stayed," Pandora said. She closed her eyes.
"What did you see?" Moira asked, taking a step forward.
Pandora gave her a sideways glance and looked down at her hands. "The end."
"The end?"
"Yes. Of everything. This world is fated to be consumed by the darkness. I couldn't say of the cause, but I'm sure this war has something to do with it. I saw bodies. Bodies everywhere. A graveyard of Keyblades." Pandora looked up to the bright full moon. "Kingdom Hearts was there too, hanging high in the sky. It looked as if it could swallow anything whole. And then there was bright light—the final light, before a surge of darkness washed over the land and consumed everything, even Kingdom Hearts. I felt as though I were actually there, suffocating in that darkness. Had I not come to then, I feel as though my vision would have taken me along with it."
Nervous glances were exchanged between Moira and June. June soon suppressed a chuckle and covered her mouth.
"Wait, that sounds a bit exaggerated. I know it's bad, but a war couldn't extinguish all light from this world, could it?" June asked.
"I'm just telling you what I saw. If this war keeps going, we will reach the point of no return. That's why I… I thought if I could somehow be there to influence decisions… to steer them from the wrong path… even the tiniest thing could change the future. That's what I thought but…" Pandora's voice fizzled out and dissolved to nothing, leaving a short but eerie silence in its place.
"No… That's just… crazy! I refuse to believe that. I mean, the entire world gone? Surely it must have been a far larger threat," June said, shaking her head.
"But why? Why is it so farfetched? I don't want to believe it any more than you do, but we've been the guardians of light for so long and now we're fighting over it. If the light was a person, I would be surprised if it had abandoned us by now," Moira said. She looked down at her palms. "In which case, all we have waiting for us at the end of this very well may be the end."
June kicked at the ground and grimaced. "Not sure feeling depressed was what I had in mind when helping you."
"Yeah… I was kind of feeling all victorious too when I grabbed Pandora right in front of the guards. My heart was pounding. It kind of still is," Moira said. She let out a nervous laugh. "I'm officially a fugitive. Hehe, it's terrifying but kind of fun."
"My dear sister's finally lost it. I failed you mom!" June said to the sky.
Moira laughed alongside Pandora. Just like that, it seemed that a potential end of the world had been forgotten. Then and there they had made an unspoken vow to never talk about it. Even if it did creep up in their minds from time to time, they had each other as distractions so that they never dwelled on it for too long.
As they traversed the forest, they would occasionally stop and have lunch. Both Moira and June had packed their backpacks full of sandwiches and flasks for drinking. If they needed more, they could restock through each town they passed. Their final destination—neither of them knew however. Their only clues rested in pages they had torn out from books at their respective libraries containing information on some of the more magical oddities of their world.
"Magic…" the answer came to Moira one day as June was finishing her meal at the inn they had stayed at overnight. They had arrived in Braeburn Town just the evening before. The cider that she was currently drinking was just another of the town's specialities, made from the Braeburn apples that grew around the town.
"Exsqueeze me?" June almost snorted her cider as Moira sat down on the bench opposite.
"Oh, that's cute. Anyway, I was just thinking—fairies coalesce around magic and nature, right? So if you wanted a place where there was lots of that, where would you go?" Moira asked.
"I'm eating, don't quiz me," June said, shoving a scoop of oatmeal in her mouth.
Moira rolled her eyes and slammed the page in her hand down on the table. "An ether spring—a pool of mana that leaks out from fissures in certain parts of the world. There are seven of them, but- but-" she put her hand up quickly when she expected June to object. She replaced the page with another, this time of a map with red circles made with a marker. "We don't need to search them all. Much like our own factions, fairies aren't exempt from tribal affiliations either, maybe because resources are too scarce to have them all in one location or maybe they have different ideas of how to lead. In any case, we only need to find one, and the closest to us is-"
"Gravity Falls?" June finished for her, lowering her spoon.
"You've been there?"
"On a couple of missions. I keep coming back to it because it's such a weird place, in a fascinating way, I mean. Like, we're talking about dinosaurs here! Actual dinosaurs trapped in tree sap which hopefully doesn't melt any time soon. Trust me though, you'll love the place," June said, giving a quick glance and smile as Pandora came to join them.
"Sounds good to me. Any objections, Pandora?" Moira asked.
"It's as you say. Our best shot," Pandora agreed. They weren't exactly in the position to choose anyway. It was all or nothing.
"Alright, let's open up a corridor and go-" Moira started, but June waved her spoon to cut her off.
"We could have done that, but I don't know if my Keyblade doesn't have that trace either. I think it's likely, don't you? So, now that I'm technically missing, it's probably not a good idea to use the corridors too much. We'll have to go by foot which sucks and I'll be damned if I don't end up with callouses on my feet by the end of this but it is what it is," June said.
"You could also just leave me here," Pandora suddenly said.
"…P- Pandora!" Moira said after a stunned pause.
"It's not too late. You can both go back to your factions and maybe they'll let you off lightly, more so if they think I encouraged you to help me. I'll go to Gravity Falls on my own. I… I can make it!"
"Is that a prophecy?" Moira asked her with a tilted head. "I think it's a little too late for me. Even if they somehow let me off, I'd probably be under constant surveillance. Not that it's been easy. I valued the comfort I had from being part of the Lunarians and I do miss that but I also made my peace when I let go of Kohle and the others. I won't turn back now. I won't leave you alone, Pandora. Back then or now."
June rested her cheek on the back of her hand as they both looked to her for her answer. "I mean, I could turn back. They'd probably welcome me with open arms, but… I wouldn't be a good sister if I abandoned her here and now, crazy as I sometimes think her exploits may be. Count me in too."
Pandora tore up then and there. Looking back, those tears seemed less those of appreciation and more an omen for worse things to come. Still, June could not have foreseen it then, so at the time her heart was touched in a way any normal heart would be.
With their destination finally decided, all that was needed was for them to restock before leaving town. But first came breakfast. June had been ahead of the others, though admittedly it was something of a habit. The best food, pancakes and all, always went quickly back at the academy's cafeteria.
June stared down at her almost empty cereal bowl. She needed to stop comparing things back to her old life. Yes, it had been a life of luxury. Even in the midst of war, once she reached her bedroom and her head hit the pillow, none of the events of the day seemed to even matter. But perhaps that was exactly why she needed to leave.
As she watched Moira and Pandora dig into their breakfasts, June felt a shiver through her entire body, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She only had moments to figure out what was troubling her, moments that were just enough to pull Pandora and Moira down onto the ground with her as an explosion rocked the room.
June looked up to see bits of shattered glass lying all across the floor. There was also a huge hole where a wall used to be, leading outside to the alley on the side.
Shifting her head, she quickly sought to confirm if Pandora and Moira were alright. Satisfied, June looked up to see a group of overbearing figures in red robes stepping into the room. Even stranger was that they were all wearing kitsune noh masks, albeit differing variations.
One of them stepped for and brought out his hands, looking around at the inn's current patrons.
"I apologize for the dramatic entrance. I mean to bring you no harm, however I'm afraid I must all ask that you comply for the moment. You see, we're looking for someone among you… a girl by the name of Pandora. Well?" The man said, taking steps forward around the room. "I know you can hear me. Don't be shy. Come forward and I promise no one here will get hurt. That is what you want, right?"
June looked over at Moira who gave a slight stir of her head. Even in the vagueness of the action, June understood. They couldn't allow Pandora to be taken.
"Hey, if you're going to talk to someone it'll be me," the manager, an old man, said as he stepped away from the counter.
"And who would you be?" a woman's voice came from another of the masks, cold and callous.
"Bernard McDermott, the manager of this inn. Look, friend, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. Don't you think you've done enough damage already? I won't have you harming my business like this. You'd best be on your way."
The manager's words didn't seem to affect the masked woman as much as the gentle touch that came towards the end. Before they all knew it, a Keyblade had appeared in the woman's hand and she plunged it into the man's stomach. At that point, Moira was about to spring up but June grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze to stop her.
"NOOOOO! What did you do to my husband?" a woman cried out, running forward. What she would have done when she had reached, June couldn't say.
"Oh, shut up," the woman behind the mask said, raising her Keyblade. The next thing they saw was the woman's crumpled body next to her husband. Screams and cries filled the room.
The man who had spoken before turned around and stormed over to the masked woman, bringing a hand swiftly across her face. "Well? Are you happy?"
"I'm sorry, Janus," the woman said, her cold composure broken to be replaced with fear.
Noticing that the group were distracted by this little scene, Moira tapped June on the arm and nudged in the direction of the alley. This was as good a chance as they would get. June slowly extended her hand, as did Moira. They both exchanged a nod and summoned their Keyblades, jumping up to cast Aeroga in unison. The duo of spells managed to knock a few of the robed figures off their feet and throw the rest into a state of confusion.
"Let's go!" Moira yelled, helping Pandora off the ground. They exited through the hole and turned left just as a glowing red projectile smacked against the wall behind them.
As they emerged out on to the main road, June led the charge, turning right in the direction of the town's entrance. Rather than continuing in a straight line however, she chose to zig-zag through the town. It was a sewer hole at the edge of town that proved to be their salvation, though June wasn't necessarily happy about it.
"I know beggars can't be choosers but isn't there any other way? I feel so icky," June said with a visible shudder.
"Well, there's always those Horus guys back there if you're feeling nostalgic," Moira said, stopping to look at her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" June asked with a fading smile.
"There were rumours about a secret division in Horus. Ones who've carried out the darker dealings of the faction. I don't know any other Keyblade wielders who would disguise themselves like that. You didn't know about them, did you?"
"We really should be moving-" Pandora said in a tiny voice easy for June to ignore.
"What, are you saying that I brought them here?"
"No, I'm not but-"
"Then as Pandora says, let's end the discussion here and keep moving," June snapped, turning around. While she was annoyed, it was the hurt of being suspected that really got her.
"I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't do that. I just… I don't understand how they found us so quickly," Moira said. Her voice only added more insult to injury. Now June just felt bad, as if it had been her fault.
She turned around and put a hand each on Moira and Pandora's shoulders. "I'm sorry for blowing up on you. I was promoted to lieutenant but that doesn't mean they'll suddenly tell me everything that's going on so I don't know what to tell you. It's on my mind too but we'll have time to think about all that later. Right now, let's just work on getting Pandora out of here."
This seemed to satisfy Moira and they continued on their way. As they walked, Moira talked about her own experiences in the sewage treatment facility underneath Quartz Town.
"Looks like we have a sewer rat with us, Pandora," June mocked, after listening to the story.
"Ah, shut it! I mean you're not wrong but…" Moira said through Pandora's laugh. "Okay, okay, listen, this sewer does smell worse, I'll give you that."
"No, no, we understand. Pandora and I will go where the air's fresher and you can make yourself at home."
June's insistence at never letting go ensured that they ended up chasing each other to the end of the sewer. When they saw a bright light ahead, their paces only quickened. June danced in a circle from darkness into light as they emerged outside by a river.
"Hey, June. That sewer just saved your life. Say thank you to my home," Moira said, nudging her sister playfully on the arm.
"Well at least you finally admit it. Still could use a bit of redecorating though," June said. Jokes aside, they were effectively homeless once more, not that they hadn't intended to be by the end of the day but it hadn't been by their own choosing as they would have hoped. They hadn't been able to restock and Pandora and Moira had only had half a breakfast if any.
"Think they'll discover us if we use a corridor to get to Gravity Falls? I'm not sure I want any more surprises like that on the way there," Moira said.
"We could risk it. If we're quick about it we can leave the area before they arrive. Best case scenario is that they aren't tracking me yet," June floated the idea around.
"I'm sorry," Pandora suddenly said. "It's because of me that you're involved in this. All because of some stupid power that I was born with that I had no say over. If I could choose a normal life… it wouldn't have to be anything special. It could be mundane and simple and that would be fine too. But my existence causing suffering and hurt? It's unbearable to think it's all because of who I am."
"But Pandora, as long as you know who you are, why should it matter what anyone else thinks?" Moira asked.
"But what if I don't know who I am?" Pandora asked.
"Then who do you want to be? I think everyone's lives are like a book, occasionally meeting new characters and playing off those characters. In the end though, you're the one that chooses the overall narrative of the story, as well as how that story ends. If you let someone else do that, then it isn't really your story. So Pandora, what do you want to do? This is your story after all," Moira said.
A wave of appreciation swept over Pandora and with a single exhale came the relief from a great many chains once holding her back.
"I want to live. Actually live. And if I can travel some more with you both, I wouldn't mind prolonging the journey just a little longer," Pandora said.
"So safety over speed," June said. "Let's not dilly dally then. If we walk fast enough, we might make it to another town before the afternoon and then we can get something quick to eat and restock."
"You know where you're going? To Gravity Falls, I mean," Moira asked.
June grinned at her and summoned her Keyblade. "If my Keyblade knows the fast way then it knows the scenic route too."
They began along the river, travelling farther east. The little water they had was shared between Moira and Pandora. They were more than sceptical of refilling from the river, considering where Braeburn Town's sewage was let out.
Soon enough, they did reach something just before noon, although that something was not a town but perhaps something even better. They had come across a riverboat with queues of people lining up to enter. Led by curiosity, June walked over to the ticket booth and asked the clerk about the boat's destination. She returned to the other two with a gleeful smile.
"It passes through Gravity Falls! Still not exactly close but it's better than travelling unprepared and there's food so what I say we take it," June said. "Also I've never ridden on a boat before so please say yesssss."
"You already had me at food," Pandora said, smiling sheepishly. June had heard her stomach growling more than enough times while they were walking and yet Pandora being Pandora chose not to complain much about it at all.
"Yes! Luxury dining, here we come!" the enamored June pretty much fluttered back over to the ticket booth and before they knew it, they were all setting sail along the river. While Moira and Pandora were down below eating, June stayed up top watching as bare trees passed her by. Fall had given way to bleak winter and the skies were growing dark earlier by the day.
According to Pandora, assuming her vision did indeed come true, all of this would soon be gone. All because of a war. How could she possibly believe? The world was simply too big to be affected by something as small as that, and it was by no means small but relative to the rest of the world?
"No use thinking about it, June," she told herself, leaning against the railing. "Accept what cannot be changed and stand by your convictions. Whatever comes next is out of your hands. Just need to focus on keeping Moira safe now. That's all that matters."
"I thought you were the type to sing your feelings out."
June turned her head halfway, never quite catching Moira's face. "Not quite feeling at the moment, I'm afraid. I can usually figure out what I want to sing regardless of the emotion. Happiness, sadness, most things and yet not confusion. It's… the one emotion my voice can't seem to grasp."
"Well, until now have we ever had any reason to be confused? We've been told what to do practically our entire lives and we've never had to question it up until now. It's weird not being told to do this and do that. For the first time since we made the choice to become Keyblade Wielders, we have freedom except it's far bigger than anything we could have imagined back then. It's scary."
Moira appeared next to her and looked out at the trees. "But you know what? Maybe that's a good thing. We get to make mistakes and learn from them all over again, and all on our own. Maybe this is that adult thing the grownups are always talking about."
June laughed. "If it is then it's terrifying. When I became a general, I thought I was prepared to enter that life, but now… I'm not too sure I'm ready. If only time could just stop. We'd be children forever, no responsibilities, no war and all the negative feelings that come with it. No drama either. Just me and my songs and you and your writing and we'd make the most out of that. Like a fairy tale."
It was a day and a half later when the boat touched land at Gravity Falls. On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary town in the middle of nowhere surrounded by pine trees and mountains. From past experience however, June knew better.
June thought it best to start at the place that contained all the strange artefacts of the unknown—the museum of history. There they found strange rocks and fossils dating back to eras long past. As she walked through the various displays, June noticed Pandora had been standing in front of one of the displays for quite some time.
"What's up?" June asked, walking up next to her.
"This… It's Atlantean! I recognize the pattern," Pandora said. June stared at the artefact. It was a ceramic fragment, probably from a piece of pottery judging by its shape. There were also strange symbols on etched on the surface, although even if they had all the pieces, June doubted she would even be able to understand anything.
"As in Atlantis? The alleged lost city buried under the sea? Wait, it's actually real?" June asked, flabbergasted.
"So say the gods," Pandora said. "And somehow, I just know…"
"Fascinating."
A voice from behind brought their attention away from the artefact. There was a man dressed in simple regalia, tattered at the hem and with a few patches thrown in, but otherwise still wearable. The word shaman seemed to spring to mind.
"I'm sorry? What's fascinating?" Pandora asked.
"Every other artefact in this museum represents a piece of Gravity Falls—every single one, that is, save for that broken fragment there, and you're the first who's taken particular interest with it," the shaman said.
"Do you know its origin?" Pandora asked.
"Washed up on the shore some decades ago according to the curator. Who are you?" the shaman asked, stepping forward.
"My name is Pandora. This is June and… that's Moira," she named them as Moira walked over to join them.
"And you?" June asked.
"The people of this town refer to me as Modoc the Wise, although admittedly, I do not feel very wise at the moment," Modoc gave a soft chuckle though in his old age it came out more as a cough.
"You said this museum's curator? So you don't own the museum… Do you work here?" June asked.
"No, although I do come here more often than most just to ponder things and I am an occasional patron of the museum, which is to say, some of the artefacts here were discovered by me. I've been drawn to this town since I first set foot in it forty-five years ago. It's like a magnet for those abound with curiosity. But that curiosity can consume you if you dig too deep."
"That's how all things are. Everything in moderation," Moira said.
Modoc chuckled. "Indeed. So why have you come here? I get the feeling you're not regular tourists."
Moira glanced over. "Well, we… um…"
"They came for me," Pandora answered quickly. "You wouldn't know where the fairies are, by chance?"
"She's in danger. We can't really go into it in more detail but to put it as simply as we can, we think the fairies might be able to keep her safe," Moira said.
Modoc nodded thoughtfully. "Well I can't tell you where to find them, but beings of magic often tend to gather around nature. They possess a natural affinity to it, such that is essentially their ambrosia. Unfortunately for you, the forest surrounding Gravity Falls covers a wide area. It won't be easy and they certainly won't make their presence known."
June sighed. "I guess getting here then was really just the prelude to our misery."
"I'm afraid so. Tell you what, why don't you accompany me on a trip up to the mountains? Let's see if I can't coax you into telling me a little bit more about your situation. In exchange, we may find some clues as to what you're looking for on the way." The sage turned and made to leave the room, but not before stopping to say, "Presuming you trust me, of course."
June turned around with a questioningly glance at Pandora and Moira. "Well? Do we trust him? What if he's a spy for one of the factions?"
"What if the guy at the ticket booth was a spy? Or the person who ate with us at dinner yesterday? We could go on and on suspecting people but all we'll end up doing is isolating ourselves. That's not what we need right now," Moira said.
"But just humor me for a sec. If worst comes to worst and he is a spy-"
Moira looked up at her with a glum smile. "Then we run."
As they made their way deep into the forest, June, Moira and Pandora learned more about the old man as did he learn about them in return. He was a shaman, a person who could access the spirit world and communicate with spirits good and bad. Apparently there weren't too many of their kind left, however. In other words, they were just like the seers. Although the reason he had come to Gravity Falls was not entirely clear, he had alluded to things in his past driving his pilgrimage and the study of the town's mysteries. Atonement. That was the only word he had provided on the matter, and he left it at that.
Meanwhile, Pandora had ended up revealing more about herself than any of them had foreseen, mainly about her visions to see into the future and how many wanted that power for themselves. Perhaps she had been drawn in by his relaxed tone or taken aback by how forthcoming he was with answers. Maybe it had been a deeper connection in the sense that they were both outsiders. Whatever the case, Pandora seemed to trust this man enough to let him know and considering June and Moira had made it clear that she was in control of her own destiny, it would have been dishonest of them to advise against it.
As for the fairies, they didn't encounter much of any trace of them as they walked. The farther they distanced themselves from the town, the more they began to wonder if they were even in the right place. But as Modoc had said, they had barely even scratched the surface of Gravity Falls, so getting worried about it now hardly seemed appropriate.
After a good amount of walking, they finally reached the mountain path and after an even more tiring ascension, a cave.
"You sleep here?" June asked, turning around to watch as the sun peeked over the treetops.
"Convenience can be a wonderful thing but too much of it and you can become detached from the world that nature intended. I only do so to remind myself that I am never above its influence," Modoc said.
"The world nature intended?" Moira asked.
"Yes. They say that nature may fall tired of our games eventually. When it does, it will come to claim back the world it lent us. What it may have intended for us, light or dark, we'll find out only then, but whatever it is we must not try to go against it, but rather accept what may come," Modoc said.
"I don't think so. I think that's a pretty fatalistic way of thinking of things, but I'm not here to argue philosophy," June said. She turned back to look at him. "It's just… a beautiful place."
They moved deeper into the cave where they found a wooden structure at the back of the cavern.
"You remember what I told you about atonement for the past? This is where it starts," Modoc said.
"I don't understand. What is it?" Pandora asked, looking between him and the structure.
"A gateway to another realm. They call it the Sleeping Realm—a den of dreams and nightmares."
"Excuse me? With all due respect, messing with other realms isn't usually a good idea. Didn't you just get done telling us that no one is above nature? You did hear that right?" June checked with Moira and Pandora.
"It's my friend," Modoc suddenly spoke, his voice weak. "My friend is trapped there. Every night, I speak to him in my dreams. Like me, he's alone and all I can do to help him until this is built is keep him company."
"Your friend? Someone you met in Gravity Falls?" Moira asked.
"No. One day, while I was in a trance state to reach the spirit world, I fell deep into my dream and came across him. He has pervaded my dreams ever since. I know it sounds strange but you're not like the townsfolk. I feel as though I can tell you this. We often discuss many things. Philosophy, culture and arts, the world…" Modoc paused briefly, almost as if in a contemplative trance. "As we exchanged insight with each other, I thought to myself 'here is someone who finally understands me'. He's a good friend. Maybe even…"
Another pause, longer this time. Modoc turned to look at the gate before looking back at the trio. "And then one day while I was doing some research in the museum, I uncovered a rather old book to do with rituals and gateways to other worlds. It was then I knew that I could do more for him than simply pass on knowledge. And when the gateway is complete and he arrives, he and I can uncover Gravity Falls' secrets together. That is what I thought."
Moira frowned. "What you thought?"
"I suppose I just want to know if I'm doing the right thing. Strange, isn't it? I didn't really question it until I was almost finished with building it. My heart yearns for companionship but my mind has lingering doubts. Still, I have come this far. I can't imagine turning back now," Modoc said.
Pandora bit down on her lower lip before eventually gazing up at him, as though coming to a decision. "Do you want to find out? I might be able to give you some comfort."
Modoc blinked repeatedly. "What do you mean?"
"I can see the flow of time. It happens more so when I don't want it to than when I do, but I've had a bit of practice lately. Maybe I can try…" she advanced toward him, but was stopped short when Moira grabbed her wrist.
"Pandora!"
"It's okay," Pandora assured her with those brief words and a smile. Reluctantly, Moira let go of the seer. Pandora walked over to Modoc and offered her hand. For a few seconds, the elderly sage seemed to deliberate whether to take her hand or not. From behind, June couldn't really see what had made him finally take the plunge, but when he did, there was another several seconds of silence as Pandora closed her eyes.
A sharp gasp pierced the silence. Pandora dropped her hand and backed away, shaking her head.
"What did you see?" Modoc asked, although his eyes suggested more of an urging.
"I saw terrible things. Apocalyptic. The end of days. A world set ablaze. I don't know if it's what will happen if you finish building the gateway or not. Is your friend… human?" Pandora asked.
A stranger reaction than Pandora had expected, Modoc chuckled. "I thought so. My life so far has been mired in failure. Why would this be any different?"
"That's not true!" Pandora yelled. Her reaction was met with surprise from everyone. "That's not… I may not know about your past, but that's not who you are now. You can't let the past chain you down like that, otherwise life will pass you by and you really will be defined by who you were rather than are."
A sad smile crept up on the Modoc's face from this and he turned around. "Thank you, Pandora. I really am glad to have met you and your friends… If you wouldn't mind, I think I need some time alone. To sort out my feelings out."
June's mouth fell slack-jawed. "We just climbed up here, old man, and you're already-mmff!"
Moira moved to cover June's mouth quickly. "We understand, we'll give you some space. June, I think we should find somewhere for the night."
That seemed to make June relax and after saying their goodbyes, they made their descent back down the mountain.
June was not able to sleep well that night. She awoke to what had initially resembled a ghost, a pale figure by the window. It was only when she rubbed her eyes and looked harder that that ghost became a person bathed underneath the moonlight.
"Pandora? What're you doing? Get some sleep," she murmured, as if she could speak about that.
"I can't." Pandora continued staring outside the window. The motel they were staying at faced the forest and mountains so she couldn't have been looking at anything else but those.
"You're worried about Modoc, aren't you?" June asked, sitting up.
"There's the feeling… that I can't shake. I think I may have made a terrible mistake," Pandora said.
June did her best to give her a comforting smile, even with Pandora turned away from her. "I'm sure he'll be alright. He just needs to sort out his-"
"Please! Don't say that if you don't know!"
Pandora's eruption, as well as the tears in her eyes made plain when she met June's gaze, was like a spell cast not just on her but the entire room. June's smile faded and Moira also sat up, too tired to show anything but confusion but slowly coming to.
"I'm sorry," a barely audible whisper came from Pandora's mouth before she took off, opening the door and rushing out of the room.
"Pandora? Urgh, what is going on?" Moira croaked, looking over at June.
"Get changed quickly, Moira," was June's reply as she scrambled to get out of bed.
Once out of the motel, they headed straight to where they assumed Pandora would be going. The path was dark and at times even the moon failed to light their path, though they were sure they knew the way. June was annoyed at Pandora. Not for having shouted at her, but because she had completely disregarded her own safety in running off. In the end, June felt the need to go on a rant and Moira, the unfortunate bearer of said rant, chose to stick up for Pandora.
"She was scared. That sort of thing has never happened before for her," Moira reasoned as she moved one arm in front of the other rhythmically. It was a cool and crisp night and neither she nor June had enough layers to keep them warm, but having to jog was at least keeping them distracted.
"And you think that's a reason to run out when you know there are people looking for you and dark creatures roaming about?" June asked.
"You think such a rational thought is the first thing that comes to mind when someone's in an irrational state?" Moira returned her question. "And if we reach her in time, then none of this will matter."
"How many more times am I gonna hear that from now on?" June muttered.
"As many as it takes," Moira said with some exasperation.
After a long climb up the mountain, they finally found Pandora outside the cave's entrance, about to go in.
"Pandora, wait!" Moira called as they ran up to her. Her head turned to look at them briefly before returning to the cave entrance.
"Seriously, do you have any idea how worried we were? Well? Say something!" June snapped at her. When Pandora kept her eyes focused on the cave however, June's expression softened. "Well… we're here already. Might as well head inside."
June took the lead and together, the three of them made their way deeper into the cavern. As the neared the end, June's ears picked up on something— the crackling and popping of flames. As she got even closer, she quickened her pace, as did her companions. This was no small fire.
June could barely get out an 'ah' when faced with what she was seeing. The silhouette of Modoc was ahead of them, lit up by brilliant dancing flames. A bonfire of wood and stone. What had once been in its place, the gateway to another realm, had been completely demolished.
"Modoc," Pandora said, although with her voice so low it probably wasn't likely Modoc had even heard her.
Whether he had somehow heard her or purely by coincidence, Modoc turned around to see them. And then, unexpectedly, shadow mixed with light. He had become one with the flames.
Pandora screamed and tried to run towards him. June and Moira did their best to hold her back. Eventually, Pandora's body seemed to stop resisting and she dropped to her knees.
"A world on fire…" she remarked with some difficulty. Moira knelt down and took Pandora into her arms. June, however, could only stare at the flames that had swallowed the sage.
While Moira comforted Pandora, June was left to extinguish the fire by herself. She made an effort not to look at the remains as she made the finishing touches. Finally finished, she banished her Keyblade and returned to the other two's side. By this time, Moira had managed to get Pandora up on her feet.
"You okay?" June asked, softly.
"Why? Why did I have that stupid vision? I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't…" Pandora said. Her lips trembled and her body was unnaturally stiff. It appeared that, at least tonight, no amount of reassurance was going to convince Pandora. Instead, they decided to head back to the motel and give it some time before talking again.
As they reached the bottom of the mountain, they found themselves stopped by the thing they dreaded most. Humanoid shapes appeared from the trees, advancing in on the trio. Unlike the group at the inn however, they were not wearing masks. Their uniform however, identified them as Lunarians.
"Luther…" Moira suddenly said, looking to her right. June followed her gaze to see that June's friend was indeed among them.
"Moira. Enough is enough. Hand over Pan- the seer and come back home with us. I'm sure the top brass will let everything slide if you do." It sounded more like a recitation with how cold and unemotional he had said it.
"No, you were right the first time, Luther. She has a name. And when you tell me that everything will be alright, at least have the decency to look at me," Moira said. She waited but when he still failed to look at her, she continued. "What happened to you?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Luther muttered. When he finally looked up at her, he was aiming his Keyblade up at her, albeit very shakily. "Final warning, Moira. Hand her over."
"What do we do? Moira, what do we do?" a panicked June whispered under her breath. It seemed this was it for them. Even if Luther's promise came to fruition, what would the Lunarians do to her? Somehow, she doubted they would be handing her back to Horus.
And that was when the answer came to her in the form of Moira's voice. "We Run."
Luna furrowed her brow as June suddenly fell silent. "And? What happened next?"
June loosened her lips and blew air between them. "Well at some point while I was running, my clothing got caught on a low hanging branch. A stupid branch! And with them so close behind us, Pandora being right next to her and her life at stake, I guess Moira must have figured that Pandora's life was far more important than my own. An irrational choice made under a stressful circumstance. Or a rational one. I mean the life of your own sister compared to a seer's, well, it isn't really comparative, is it?"
"And then the Lunarians caught you," Luna continued for her.
"Yep. A prisoner of war. They wanted to know where we were going, why we had taken the seer, stuff like that. I had my honor though and so I never told them anything, though I was honestly beginning to question just how much that was worth in itself.
"According to Irva, however, he negotiated for my release when he found out I was being held captive. But even after my release a few months later, I never heard anything about my sister or Pandora. I could only guess that since they hadn't stopped questioning me in that time frame, they must not have found Moira or Pandora.
"But that didn't mean I gave up on looking for her. Once I was fully back in Horus, I set a lot of my missions in Gravity Falls. I was determined to pick up the trail. Not that I would have run away again if she'd asked me to. It was more for peace of mind. Even breadcrumbs would do, but nothing. You'd have thought we'd never been there at all. I even had to go up to the mountains to confirm I was even there."
June leaned forward, elbows on the table and one hand folded on top of the other. "But it turns out she did leave breadcrumbs, just in a completely different time period."
"Well, I can't say I knew Moira. I only knew my mother, but I don't think she meant to abandon you," Luna said. Even if it was true, calling her anything but Kaylah just seemed wrong to her.
"Whether she abandoned me or not, I can't say I care anymore, because I have you now. And you won't leave me, will you? We're gonna be the best of friends." June feigned an innocent smile, ignoring Luna glaring daggers at her.
"I am not your sister," Luna said, watching as June got up from her seat.
June walked around the table until she was next to Luna and leaned in. "No, just the afterimage."
A/N: So, assuming you're not familiar with Gravity Falls lore, Modoc was referring to Bill Cipher. Bill hoped to convince him to build an interdimensional gateway so he could escape and bring ruin on the world but a certain prophecy convinced Modoc that he was doing the wrong thing. Possibly in an effort to bring about any further interactions with the demon from bringing about an apocalypse, he set fire to the gateway, as well as himself. Ouch.
So on the next chapter, Luna wants out and Astra, Donald and Goofy are on their way to save her. See you then.
