Strang Goof in a Strange World
"Okay, so where am I again?" Max asked as he sat down at the dining table, rubbing his head in agony. The journey from here to the Mystery Shack was already troubling enough, and he could still feel the bruises the hooded guys gave him earlier.
"G-R-A-V-I-T-Y...Falls!" Mable said, slowly spelling out every word "Doooo yoooooouuuu uuuunder…."
"I can understand you, I just wanted a refresher" Max said in a deadpan expression. He didn't like being treated as if he was an idiot. Got that enough back home.
"Sorry"
"It's fine" Max muttered leaning back on the chair and rubbing his head, "Just stuck in a world
Mable again explained that he was in Gravity Falls, some sort of small town in a weird place called Oregon. Already this place was strange by his standards. Everything here seemed ...off. Though he couldn't really tell why. Staff didn't seem to bounce the same way it did back home. Even the flowers didn't have faces in some regards, they were just lifeless. Plus this strange species of people known as Humans, definitely different then most toons he knew.
The tall one called Riku, a name he remembered from his father's messages seemed to keep to himself. Apparently he was now a good person or something. Last thing he read he was like, Sora's enemy, Max didn't really pay attention to all the parts of Sora. Preferring instead to know how his father was doing instead.
None of that really mattered right now though, he was in a strange new world with strange people and had no idea of how to return home. He was in this strange world, away from his friends, what little family he had left. He was hoping someone would feed Waffles, good thing he left him with , Peg.
"Fascinating" Dipper took notes as Max continued to explain, "And you just were chased by those two guys"
"Yep, pretty much"
"Oh man, more bad guys, see Mable I knew it, I knew something was still up, even when I didn't know I knew"
Mable rolled her eyes, "We don't know anything about Dip-Dot? For all we know they might be just local creeps from town, not...Interdimensional dark bad guy people"
"I'm telling you, the fact that we don't know were Grunkle Ford is, it's a sign, something big is still going down, I don't think Sora won the day like you think he did"
At this Max felt his heart skip a beat.
Even here people wondered if Sora was not as victorious as they had originally thought. The worlds might have been restored, but there were still many remnants of darkness still left over. Perhaps those remnants were starting to grow into a new, more powerful threat. Or perhaps, something far large was at play then even he knew. Considering that one told him anything, it was highly possible. Maleficent's words played in his ear.
"Darkness runs deep, deeper than any of us can comprehend, and it's patients is eternal"
"Ugh, great, more strangers" There Grunkle Stan Pines muttered as he walked passed everyone, "I'm not running a bed and breakfast again...Although...Nah, to many weirdos in this town, gonna be paranoid someone trying to kill me most of the time, or worse...They're an IRS agent !"
Max rubbed his head as he tried to piece it all together, "Oh man, oh man...Mr is gonna kill me!"
"McDuck!" Stan, popped his head back in, "What's that no good cheat doing now! He ain't here is he...This is Stan territory!"
"No, he's not here, I don't even know how I got here, all I know was that I was followed when I used this" Max went into his pocket and pulled out the Star Shard, "It's called a Star Shard, apparently it used to be able to transport people, didn't know it could transport people this far"
Dipper eyes widened looking at it, "Wow! How does it work"
"I don't know?" Max shrugged, "I don't even know how I can get back"
"Oh do you need a place to stay too" Mable turned to her Grunkle Stan and gave him the biggest cutest expression ever, "Grunkle Stan please oh please….
Stan covered his eyes, "Oy, yikes...That look, fine fine! Same deal as Riku, free labor with no pay!"
"Yay!"
"Wait what." Max blinked trying to figure out what happened.
"Again," Dipper sighed, "Should have unionized"
-000-
So now Max was now a member of the Mystery Shack home and doing manual labor. Far cry being a hero, which was the whole reason for disobeying Scrooge and trying to find information of the Heartless in the first place. In hindsight it really did seem like a bad idea and now that he thought of it more now, he had really messed him over. Now he was just working at some shops. A shop with apparently really high pricing and very cheap merchandise. At least Scrooge valued quality over quantity.
"Now remember if someone asks, the roaches are part of the product" Stan assured him as he showed him some run down looking item, Iago just standing there on his shoulder.
Max sighed, "Got it"
"Right, also if anyone asks for a refund, just push the panic button" Iago said.
"Um, what panic button?" Max asked, looking around.
"Oh right, was to cheap to get one" Stan muttered more to himself, "Um...Just hide under the counter or run away screaming after you knock the guy out, that normally works for me until the cops come"
"Great," Max groaned.
Stan rolled his eyes, "Teenagers, always giving me lip for something, just be happy I'm letting more weirdo's into my house okay. I gotta put up with weird spiky haired kids, then I gotta deal with, like...what are you a dog, dog human...dog human hybrid ...thing"
"I think he's like a human mutant thing," Iago muttered, "His dad had a bigger nose that's what I remember"
Max just gave him a deadpan expression.
"Well anyway, just stand here by the cash register and take peoples money" Stan said as he walked off.
Iago just gave Max and wink and said in a whisper, "Doesn't always have to be legally"
With that the parrot and old man left Max alone in the middle of a store in a place he didn't know. Such a strange situation to be in just after being in Hollow Bastion with and trying to prove himself a worthy addition to his team.
"Eh, don't let him freak yuh out" Wendy, one of Stan's employees said as she came next to him behind the counter, "Normally you just gotta stand here and hope no one comes in"
"Well thanks" Max chuckled, it was nice to have someone around his age to be with, "Wendy right? Mable gave me the details"
"Yep" Wendy shook his hand, "Max? Your one of those weird dog things that Sora hung out"
Max flinched but nodded, "I guess, Max Goof"
"Goof...Oh right, Goofy, one of Sora's friends"
"Y-Yeah" Max said eye twitching again, "My dad"
"Dad huh? Nice" Wendy said as she took a magazine and started reading it.
It was quiet for him until he saw it.
A doll.
A spikey haired looking doll.
"What's this?" Max asked pulling out the doll, Mable was there to answer.
Mable walked into the room the moment he asked. "Oh that's a doll of Sora, Grunkle Stan had me make a bunch to sell to people back in Traverse Town."
"Ugh, I remember having to promote this thing" Wendy said taking the doll, "Felt bad for the kid, always having to talk him up, I mean comes he's like what your age, no kid should go through what he did"
"Sadly Sora isn't that popular here" Mable added
"Well, that's one good thing" Max grunted, tossing the doll a bit more aggressively than he meant too, "I've heard enough about Sora thank you for one day"
Mable just looked confused, "Wait? You don't like Sora?"
"I don't even know Sora"
"Then why don't you like him if you don't know him, like the old saying goes, never judge a book by it's cover!"
"Ha!" Dipper muttered from a distance.
Mable rolled her eyes, "Come on, it's Sora, the kids amazing"
"Amazing!" Max grunted eyes narrowing, voice sounding bitter, "Yeah, if he was so amazing why is he missing! With my dad! Oooh yes, Sora Mr. Amazing, more like mister breaker of promises!"
Taking a deep breath, Max just tried to return to calm. He wasn't going to let his bad mood ruin it for him. Mable clearly didn't know what he was talking about. Rubbing his forehead he just sat back down on the counter and groaned.
"Yeesh, someone got issues" Wendy commented.
Seems like wherever he want he wasn't going to be able to escape the Keyblade Master anytime soon.
Standing there in awkward silence Mable and Max just looked at one another for a few moments. Both unsure what to say after the little spat earlier. Feeling bad, Max thought perhaps he should at least try to find out just what he was going to be dealing with outside of two more Sora fans that he had to endure. He can at least be nice on that front, which is what his dad would have wanted.
"So um...What do you do around here?" Max asked rubbing his arm nervously.
At this Mable smiled, "Oh, well normally we have weird stuff happen to us that normally causes some sort of adventure or life threatening situation. Or we just spend most of the day here being board"
"Wow, a bit extreme but okay"
"Normally I just try to avoid stress or get into wacky life threatening things with those two" Wendy smirked.
"What do you like to do Max?"
"Oh me" Max seemed taken aback, "Oh you know, skateboard, hang out with friends, relax, sleep...Like doing that alot"
"I hear that!" Wendy held out her hand for a high five, Max took it lightly, "Yeah!"
"Hey Wendy, aren't you hanging out with some of the gang today"
"Yeah, at Lazy Susans today why?"
Mable tapped her chin, "Mind if me, Dipper, Riku and Max join"
"Well…." Wendy looked at Max for a moment, "Eh...Sure, I'm sure they won't care, but Riku, eh...He's...Is he gonna like it".
"Oh I'm sure he's fine, he needs to hang around kids his own age anyway"
"Yeesh, you sound like his mom" Max commented.
"I'm worse than anyone's mom!"
"Well, probably a good thing anyway," Wendy said taking a drink of her soda she brought with her, "Dipper seems extra high strung than usual, afraid the kid is gonna keil over or something"
"Oh, he's just worried about some sorta growing evil or what not" Mable said, "Paranoid Dipper"
"Yeah…." Max laughed nervously, "Paranoid"
-000-
"Mable! Again, I have research and-
"Chill dude, just enjoy it" Wendy said, causing Dipper to quickly brighten up and stop complaining.
Max kept a distance from everyone as they walked into town, though tried to keep somewhat close so that he didn't take and experiment on. Not that he was trying to think darkly here, but he still had thought in the back of his mind. Changing gears, he did notice that Riku kept the most distance from everyone. A dull expressionlist looked on his face, he didn't even look annoyed, but he clearly didn't want to be there.
"Well anyway," Dipper said taking out a pad of paper and pen, "Max? What exactly are you, you look like a dog but you walk like a human…"
"Uh…"
"Yo Wendy!" Came a girls voice in the distance ending what would have been a very confusion and awkward conversation.
Max could see the other teens waiting for them, all of them. They seemed nice, a bit weird, but similar to many of his fellow classmates back home. Weird hair, earrings sometimes for the guys, raggedy looking clothes. Wendy was the first to go up to them and give them all high fives. Even in any world, teens will be teens. It was definitely comforting thought.
"Yo, Wendy what's with a big nose and the pale kid" One of them asked.
Wendy sighed, giving him a disapproving look, "They, Robbie, are Riku and Max, they are um...From outta town, but wanna hang with us"
"Cool with me" Another one, a elder girl said, "I'm Tambry, you met Robbie my BF, also Lee and Thompson".
"I like being included," Thomson replied
"Max" He took her hand first, "But I guess you knew that"
Riku just gave her a light wave, he seemed disinterested in being her and looked down on the carpet. Mable was giving him a disapproving look before sighing. She must have really wanted him to interact with others.
There was a moment of awkward silence before Max spoke up.
"So, um...Gravity Falls huh? Nice place, what do you guys like to do around here?"
"Eh stuff…" Wendy answered.
"What can you do?" Robbie asked them.
"Um…." Max looked around and widened his eyes as he saw it, "I can skateboard"
"Skateboard?"
Max didn't even have to answer, taking the skateboard in hand he jumped on and started to speed his way down the street as fast he could. And then once he found a nearby pip he jumped managing to balance on it for a few seconds before jumping off. He did a quick turn and and skid against the edge of the sidewalk before doing a flip and landing straight on his feet.
Everyone but Riku clapped in amazement.
"Wow!" Mable said looking impressed, "That was awesome"
"It was kay," Robbie muttered
"Kay, that was amazing!" Tambry said, nudging Robbie in the chest "Never seen skateboarding like that before"
"Eh, I've been doing it for years," Max said, smugly, happy to make a good first impression.
"Well come on, we're going to the graveyard to hang out" Tambry said, leading the way.
"Graveyard?"
Yes, apparently here teens hung out in Graveyards. Max hadn't been to a graveyard in a very long time. Part of him felt a bit weird walking around the place, Riku as well had a very awkward expression as he followed. Eventually though they all found a nice hill to sit on and just look up at the sky and the clouds.
Apparently the game was to see what the clouds look like.
"Heh, that one looks like a butt" Wendy laughed.
Dipper laughed too, "Yeah, a big butt...heh...heh"
"Nice to see you finally relaxing a bit" Wendy smiled.
"Yeah, thanks" Dipper smiled back.
Max didn't get it.
One cloud though started to look like his dad, just the way it was shaped, with that big head and a big nose and hat. Again he felt his heart clench as he thought of what Dipper had said earlier, Sora not winning. What did that mean? What did that mean not just for him but for his dad. Sitting up he looked out in the distance only to see Riku standing a few feet away, Mable was there with him, convincing him to join, but it seemed to not be working.
Getting up, Max decided maybe he had a crack at it, or at least get him to talk.
"Hey," Max said, getting Riku's gaze, "Probably nice to talk to someone your own age huh, heh, heh."
Riku shrugged, "I guess"
"Yeah…" Max tapped his gloved fingers together looking nervous, "Um, so ...Okay, look I'm gonna be blunt...Did Sora win"
Riku seemed taken aback by Max's statement, giving him a questionable expression before turning back to face the town again. There was this moment of pure silence for a moment before he took a deep breath and responded with a very curt, "yes".
"Okay," Max took another deep breath, "And my dad"
Riku arched an eyebrow and turned to Max, "He was alive"
"Oh thank stars" Max almost lost his balance before he took a deep breath, "So, you know were he is now right?"
"No"
The anxiety returned.
"Sorry" Riku muttered, his eyes darting to the ground.
Max didn't know how to respond, he wasn't angry, but he wasn't happy, he needed more answers, "W-Well, what did Sora do? What happened? Something had to happen right if he won" he said that last part with bitnernses.
"Sora did win" Riku replied, almost defensively, "He shut the door to darkness and defeated Xehanort"
"Okay, then why isn't my dad here"
"I don't know" Riku replied, again stoically, "We lost track of each, heck I lost track of the king"
"Some king" Max muttered starting to get bitter again, "Great, well...I uh ...Thanks anyway"
"Max!" Riku called before he walked away, "If Sora said he keep your dad safe, he is going to keep that promise"
Max looked at Riku sternly, "I don't doubt his intent, but I don't know if he can keep it"
Max just walked off back to another corner, he didn't really want to interact with anyone anymore. All he wanted was his dad, and he didn't even know where he was. He didn't hate Sora, but he did question whether or not he could really protect his dad, or even himself at this point.
"I get you" Max turned to see Dipper standing in front of him, he must have overhead everything he and Riku talked about, "You don't have faith in Sora right?"
Max seemed guilty but sighed, "Yes"
"Good" Dipper said, his expression darkened a bit, "Keep that skepticism, someone has to have it around here"
"I don't like being skeptical, I just...I don't like the idea of one person having all this weight on their shoulders"
"Especially someone who doesn't deserve it" Dipper muttered.
Max shivered, "Yeesh kid your dark"
"I know-" Dipper sighed, "Just in a dark mood sometimes"
Dipper walked off leaving Max just standing there, these people were strange, he really was a strange Goof in a strange world.
