Gravity Falls: A SANS-ational Tale

by A Blast of Fanfics

"Sans, did you really have to make a pun?" "I thought it was punny!" "I must admit, it is quite humerus." "Aren't you supposed to talk about the story, Sans?" "i'm pretty sure the audience gets the idea, g. bone apetit!"

19. The Bill Witch Project

A/N: Hey y'all. I hope you all are doing alright. I got busy with online learning for school, so I guess I didn't keep my promise. I'm sorry. However, I finally finished this chapter with the help of my co-writer, ACCEPTEDCOOKIE07! Yay! The next few ones are gonna be fun and since I am staying at home everyday, maybe I will get the chapters finished faster (that's my hope, anyways. I want good quality chapters, though). I hope you all stayed healthy or have recovered fully, and I hope this chapter brightens your day today. :)

---

Chara's new presence in the Mystery Shack took a toll on everyone. However, the weight of what her presence represented was what brought the most stress to every member of the household. Weirdmageddon. Sans did explain as much as he knew about it. Chaos would surround the world. Monsters would be slaughtered en masse. Humans would suffer a similar fate. In Sans' words, it was a living hell.

With this knowledge came a common agreement to not tell anyone who didn't live in the Mystery Shack. For all they knew, Chara was lying to them, and then people would be worried for no reason. Besides, they only had limited information. They did not know when, how, and who was involved in this catastrophic event. Until they had enough information, their lips were to be sealed.

Of course, this did not mean Chara's presence was any less unnerving than before.

"What is she doing?" Wendy asked Dipper. Wendy was at the cash register as usual. Ever since Chara had come into the Mystery Shack, her laidback attitude was replaced with vigilance on the verge of paranoia. No one blamed her.

Wendy was staring at Chara. Despite the store half of the Shack being full of customers, Chara was amidst the tourists with a notepad and a pencil. She kept on whispering to herself and looking at the merchandise. At this moment, she picked up a snow globe. After shaking it, she blew on its glassy exterior. She looked at the dew that was left on the globe, wrote on her notepad, and placed the snow globe back on the shelf.

Dipper shrugged as Chara whispered to herself. "She's been doing this all morning."

"Why is she out here, though?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah, dude," Soos added. "Wasn't she, like, told to wait in a corner?"

Dipper sighed. "She was, but then she finally told us why she came back. Sans then decided that she was allowed to wander around as long as she didn't run away."

"So why did she come back?" Wendy looked at Dipper. Her eyes seemed to plead for him to tell her. For a moment, Dipper wanted to tell her everything. His heart beat in double time. However, it came down to a simple fact: he didn't want to warn them of a terrifying reality that might never come to exist. Dipper took a deep breath and let it out in a deep sigh.

"I... can't tell you..." he answered honestly.

Wendy seemed to be taken aback by this response. "Why? Do you think we can't handle it?"

"No! Nononononono! Not at all," he replied, slightly panicked by their disappointed looks. "I-in fact, I believe you guys can probably handle it best. However... I just can't... What Chara said was terrifying, but Sans and the rest of us have problems trusting Chara as it is."

The three of them stared at Chara, who was looking out a window at the sky. "Sans told us not to tell anyone," Dipper continued. "He didn't want anybody else to be worried about something that... might not even happen... I'm sorry. I really want to tell you guys..."

"No. Dipper, it's okay..." Wendy responded. Her expression was one of understanding. "I get it."

"We both get it, dude," Soos confirmed with a smile. "One time, I thought there was a fire in the mall and I pulled one of those fire alarm lever things. It turned out the smoke was from the candles on a 108-year-old grandma's birthday cake. Water came down from the sprinklers and I ruined this poor grandma's birthday celebration."

Dipper and Wendy looked at Soos for a moment, expecting some explanation. "Oh. Right," he said after a few seconds of awkward silence. "The whole point of that story is that it is best to make sure something is actually a danger before sounding the alarm."

"Exactly," Wendy replied as she turned back to Dipper. "If you, Mabel, and Sans feel like you shouldn't tell us, then follow your gut. I trust you. However, if it ever seems like you are dying from stress, trying to keep it a secret, I will try to beat the truth out of you."

Dipper laughed. "I hope it doesn't come to that!"

Wendy once again watched Chara carefully. "Is it wrong that I still hate her?" she whispered, turning towards Dipper and Soos.

"I dunno, dude. I just feel like she's complicated, like a three-dimensional puzzle," Soos responded.

"Or maybe I could be three dimensions of asshole." Wendy, Dipper, and Soos spun around to see Chara right beside Soos.

"D-Dude! How did you get there?" Soos exclaimed.

"I'm just sneaky," Chara responded coyly. "I dunno, guys. I feel like Wendy is on point. Hell, even I still hate myself!"

Dipper gave Chara a stern look. "Weren't you busy doing... whatever you were doing?"

"Decoding. I was decoding," Chara corrected, her smile disappearing into a bored expression. "Look, if you guys don't want me to cut into your conversation, maybe you shouldn't talk about me when I'm in the same room."

"Well, maybe you deserve to hear what you hear," Wendy said, trying to keep herself from yelling.

"Maybe I do, but at this point, I've heard it all," she countered, nonchalantly. "It's like beating a dead horse."

"Guys, stop," Dipper pleaded. The two girls turned to look at him. He sighed. "Not here."

"Fine," Wendy and Chara said at the same time, crossing their arms and rolling their eyes.

"You said you were decoding. Are you, like, a spy?" Soos asked, laughing a little afterwards to diffuse the awkward situation,

"In a way, I am," Chara replied. "I may be bound to the physical realm by my new body, but that doesn't mean I can't see the Code."

Wendy gave Dipper a confused look. He simply shrugged. He gave up long ago trying to understand Chara and her methods. Even if Chara did try to explain the logistics of what she was doing, it would confuse him. Though he often wanted answers, Chara's answers were too long and complicated. He knew. He had tried to understand. He needed explanations of her explanations, and most of the time, she would go off on tangents with seemingly no relation to the original topic.

Either she was crazy, or she was a genius. A murderous genius, or a crazy murderer. Both seemed disconcerting.

Suddenly, Mabel came into the gift shop. She didn't look in her best, to put it nicely. Her sweater was inside out. Her hair was uncombed with strands of hair going every which way. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. She was holding her phone to her face. Her eyes were full of worry and if that wasn't enough of an indicator, she was chewing her hair.

"She's a wreck," Chara remarked in awe. Despite saying what everyone was thinking, Soos, Wendy, and Dipper glared at her. She groaned. "Fine. She looks good, but not as good as she usually does. Is that enough sugar-coating for you?"

Dipper turned away from Chara and looked at Mabel. "Uh, Mabel?"

"Shhh..." Mabel interrupted. In her anxiety, she was rocking back and forth on her feet. Then, she finally spoke into the phone. "Hey Alex! This is Mabel. I know I've called you twenty times now, but I'm just checking up on you. Are you okay? Call me back please!" Then, she hung up and tried to take deep breaths.

"What's wrong?" Wendy asked, just as concerned as Dipper.

"It's my boyfriend, Alex," Mabel explained, showing Wendy her phone. On the screen were the recent calls Mabel made. There were tons of calls, but all of them were short. "I wanted to meet up with him to, y'know, do some girlfriend-boyfriend stuff, but he hasn't been picking up. I feel like I'm going crazy."

Dipper went up to Mabel. "I'm sure someone knows where he is," he reasoned.

"That's the thing, Dipper," she replied, starting to cry. "Nobody knows where he is. Not even Ms. Toriel."

He frowned as he thought for a moment. "Wouldn't Toriel have noticed if he went missing?"

"She didn't think anything of it. She said that Alex occasionally left for a few days, but this is more than a few days, Dipper," she cried out. "I just wanted some time away from the craziness."

"I-it's okay," Dipper responded as he put an arm around Mabel's shoulders. "I can help you look for him."

Mabel looked at him and smiled slightly. She wiped tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself. Dipper smiled back, although he couldn't help but notice that Chara, behind both Mabel and Wendy, had a perplexed look on her face. He could see cogs turning but was unable to figure out what made her so perplexed. However, he turned his attention back to his sister.

"Last time I saw him was when I went looking for the Author and met Larry," he said as he thought back. "If only we had a way to locate him."

"You're right." Chara was suddenly behind them. Dipper let out a soft gasp as he backed away from her. Mabel simply had a look of confusion upon hearing Chara say she was right. However, The Fallen Child didn't seem to notice as she looked at the ground in thought, her hand under her chin. "Alex could be anywhere. If only we had someway of locating him that is guaranteed to work."

"You sound like you have something in mind," Wendy pointed out, watching the girl's every move.

"Yeah. Something to help you," she replied, pointedly giving an indignant look at Wendy. "Have you heard of witches and warlocks?"

"Of course. When I got my memories back from that dumb secret society, I remembered that my mini-golf competition against Pacifica was ruined by witches," Mabel responded bitterly.

"But do you know what they are?" Chara asked again in a hushed voice.

Dipper immediately took out his Journal, making sure that his friends shielded the book from everyone else in the shop. He flipped through the pages, until he came to the pages talking about witches and warlocks.

"'Warlocks and witches are masterful spellcasters, born and shaped by magic. They are similar to druids. However, each warlock has different passive abilities depending on their parentage that can range from mundane characteristics, like their hair growing an unnatural color, to catastrophic powers, like changing size to match emotional distress...'" Dipper stopped himself, skimming through the section. "There's nothing about what they are, other than innate spellcasters. The Authors didn't even draw a picture."

"That's because they are so different from each other, there's no point in drawing one," Chara replied in a confident matter. "The Costume Ball had a legend in which a monster and human fell in love. When humans and monsters lived in peace, this wasn't exactly a rare happening. Warlocks, witches, and druids are the half-human, half-monster descendants from that era. The more human looking ones were labeled warlocks and witches, while the ones that looked more like their monster parent were called druids. Neither of them are normal humans or monsters."

"How have they survived this long? Like, wasn't the time of human and monster peace centuries ago?" Soos said in curiosity.

"The most of the witches, warlocks, and druids that remain are from unions between monsters and humans after the barrier was formed. A few monsters were still on the Surface before eventually falling down. However, there are some of their half-monster descendants who are blessed, or cursed, with long life." Chara left the thought up in the air as everyone processed it, before continuing. "But, I didn't ask to give you a history lesson. I am here to give you help."

"There's an old witch who was born with the power of clairvoyance. Her name is Helvetica. She knows exactly where people are and where they need to be. I suggest you give her a visit."

"Where does she live?" Dipper asked.

"She lives in the Cave of Alternative Futures. That place is mind-numbingly confusing, if you ask me, but she likes to watch the crystals the same way Sans watches the TV. That cave is near the top of the mountain exactly across from Mt. Ebott, appropriately named Ttobe Mountain," she explained, rolling her eyes at the name.

"I guess it's nice to travel away from Mt. Ebott for a change," Mabel commented, almost jokingly if it weren't for her serious expression.

"I can take you there," Chara said, not noticing the looks of suspicion crossing everyone's faces. "She can be quite cryptic, as well as mischievous. It would be preferable if there was someone like me to sort through her words."

"I'm coming with you," Wendy interrupted, looking to the Twins rather than Chara.

"Me too!" Soos added. "I want to meet a real witch!"

"You guys don't have to," Mabel replied sheepishly. "We can handle this."

"Dude, when have your adventures ever been this simple?" Soos pointed out.

Wendy nodded in agreement. Then, she lowered her voice. "Besides, I'm not taking my eyes off her."

"You know, in any other context, that sentence would suggest you like me," Chara responded, giving a teasing smile. Wendy glared at her before pointing two fingers at her eyes and then pointing them at Chara.

Chara simply shrugged and turned towards the door. "We can leave now." Then, she looked back at Wendy with a sly smile. "Unless you can't find anyone to cover your shift, of course."

Wendy's face went red as she scowled at the girl. It was Dipper turned to look at Wendy, before looking at Chara. He had his doubts about Chara. Heck, he still distrusted Chara, but Wendy took it to a whole new level. It almost seemed like they were bound to be enemies. Bound to oppose each other.

And this didn't bode well for the journey at all.

However, Dipper couldn't think of any way to defuse the situation. They were purposely rubbing each other the wrong way, and he couldn't help that both wronged each other in some way. On the one hand, Chara did possess him and made him fight his friends. On the other hand, Wendy was purposely provoking Chara, who was supposedly reformed, with jabs at her character. In truth, all Dipper could do was watch. Mabel, the peacemaker in most arguments, was in no state to try and find common ground between the two. She simply watched them anxiously.

Wendy finally broke her seething glare and looked around her. Her eyes skipped over her friends as she looked at the people in the store. Finally, she zeroed in on a tourist, roughly in her 20s, although clearly gullible and easy to scam. This was proven by the fact that she was debating to buy a whoopee cushion for $2,000,000.

"Hey, you!" Wendy yelled across the room.

The woman turned around, a startled expression on her face. "What, me?"

"Yeah, you!" The teen answered, trying to keep her words void of teenage attitude that she so dearly wanted to use. "Come over here."

The woman put down the overpriced whoopee cushion and came over to the cash register. She had a nervous look on her face upon seeing other kids (and one young adult man) staring at her. Wendy faked a smile.

"Lady, you are today's 100th person to enter this store today!" Wendy announced, feigning enthusiasm.

"I am?" The woman replied, shocked at the news.

"That means that you get an amazing prize that would make many people jealous!" She continued.

"I do?" The woman smiled.

"You do indeed! You get to run the cash register!" Wendy led the woman by the arm behind the counter. "You get to make people pay for items, tell them you don't take returns, and wait 15 minutes for people to search for coupons that only make them save $1!"

"Really?!"

"Yes, really!" Wendy responded, starting to lose her patience a little. "It's a privilege! And you get to do it for the rest of the day, nonstop, and, as if that wasn't enough, it's volunteer work! You will have helped many people pay for their items just out of the goodness of their heart."

"I am honored to do my duty to help this country!" The woman replied, saluting at Wendy.

Wendy laughed nervously. "Okay. Taking it a bit too seriously," she said under her breath. "You are perfect for the position! Just press buttons on the cash register when someone comes up. Eventually, you will hit a button that rings a bell and opens the drawer to the money. At that point, you read off the number at the very top and tell the person to pay it. Put the money in the money tray and then close it. If the customer refuses to pay, tell them to leave. If they try to steal it, call the police. Got it?"

The woman nodded enthusiastically. Wendy smiled as she walked away from the counter backwards, Dipper, Mabel, and Soos walking beside her. "You're going to do great!" She reassured with a big grin and two thumbs up. She turned around and sighed in relief. A cocky smile replaced her fake one as she approached Chara.

Chara's lips were pressed into a straight line, her smile completely gone as Wendy strode towards her. "As you were saying?" Wendy gloated, her arms crossed.

Dipper studied the young woman at the cash register. A man was trying to buy a shirt and at the end of her pushing-button spree, the woman said, "That will be $4,685." The man gawked at this and obviously made a fuss about it. He said things like, "That's impossible!" and "Just for this shirt?"

He continued to complain until suddenly, it seemed like the woman cracked. "JUST GIVE ME THE MONEY AND BUY THE SHIRT!" The man cowered at this and gave her the money shortly after this. The woman gave a smile after putting the money in the register. "Thank you! Come again!" She said in a sing-song way.

"Smart thinking," Dipper finally said, smiling in admiration.

"Like, dude, that was amazing!" Soos agreed. Wendy grinned from all the compliments, occasionally glancing at Chara with a sly smile. Mabel, the one who usually talked the most, simply nodded. However, it was clear that she wanted to get moving.

Dipper looked over and gave a reassuring smile. His sister simply returned it, before her smile slipped and she was left staring down at her feet. The way his sister reacted was something he had seen before. It happened anytime she was worried over something. One time, in 1st grade, she lost her favorite toy, a pink stuffed cat. Even at such a young age, she acted like this: she didn't talk, didn't smile, and didn't seem to react to anything in a real way. Sometimes, she would breakout in tears, unable to hold back her feelings any longer.

Eventually, it was out of his DETERMINATION to bring his sister back that he found the toy. Maybe she had the same reaction when he went adventuring the day before Chara possessed him. Moments like this always hurt him, and it was moments like this that Dipper didn't care if this was an overreaction or not.

He just wanted to get his bubbly, smiley, crazy sister back.

Before Dipper could speak, Chara let out a sigh as she turned towards the door. "Let's just get going," she muttered. As Chara exited through the door, Mabel ran a little ways to follow directly behind her, with Soos following. Wendy and Dipper glanced at each other. He blushed as he motioned for Wendy to go first. She just shrugged as she did just that, leaving Dipper to follow behind, occasionally taking glances to make sure they weren't noticed.

---

The group trudged through the forest of Gravity Falls. At this point, it was a common occurrence for the Twins. Before, they would've marveled at some of the wild life and moss or tripped over a twig that was camouflaged amongst the other million twigs. Now, they just followed Chara on a nonexistent path towards their destination. There was only two differences at this point that Dipper only realized due to their absence.

First was that they weren't going anywhere near the Underground or Mt. Ebott. This was a relief for Dipper. As many answers as there were on Mt. Ebott (or rather, in Mt. Ebott), it brought harsh memories. In all honesty, he would only visit there if he absolutely had to. Of course, maybe this was just because it represented things Dipper despised: darkness, lonesomeness, and, most evident of all, a prison for all those who enter. It only reminded him of the time when he was a prison outside of his body within the Underground. He may face those demons one day, but it wasn't today.

The second thing he noticed was they weren't talking at all. Tension seemed to follow them like a mist, and it drowned out all conversation topics before they even started. Even on their side, Chara was suspicious. Dipper trusted her on a whim, and so far, he was right. But how often could he trust her? She was like a big cat. Maybe she didn't kill you that one time, but she might the next if you don't take precautions.

Wendy was taking all of these precautions. She watched Chara like a hawk. Before leaving, she had grabbed her own personal axe from within her car. She seemed battle ready, and Dipper was partially afraid that if Chara didn't start a fight, Wendy would. Soos, on the other hand, had not taken precautions. However, he knew what Chara was capable of, and so he simply stood behind Mabel, seemingly ready to protect her at any short notice. Mabel was too much of a mess to care, following directly behind Chara. It was understandable and the caution she should've had was upheld by Wendy, Dipper, and Soos, the ones able to protect in their mental state.

The only one remotely calm was Chara... or atleast, Dipper thought. As he thought through his time with Chara, he realized one thing: she had a limited range of emotions she would convey. Of course, she was human. She felt all emotions, as far as Dipper knew. However, the only emotions Dipper saw her convey was happiness (usually conveyed through teasing and laughing), anger, and indifference. On the outside, she seemed indifferent, as if she knew what the rest of the group was prepared for, but didn't care.

In Wendy and Soos' eyes, this was the sign that she was prepared to attack them. However, he wasn't so sure. Could it have just been sad acceptance? An acceptance that the actions she had done in the past were now affecting her future, maybe? In this way, her indifference could be just Chara adopting an "It's perfectly understandable why you would treat me this way" mentality. Was she genuinely sorry?

It was thoughts and observations like this that made Dipper wonder if he was easy to be manipulated.

"Chara," Mabel piped up suddenly, her voice soft. However, Chara lifted her head a little in response to show she was listening. "What's Helvetica like?"

"One word: cryptic. Sometimes, if I'm generous, I use two words: very cryptic. Then, on the rare occasion I want to give her the credit she deserves, I use three: Cryptic. As. Hell," Chara explained, speaking frankly in her sarcastic tone. "Helvetica and I never met in life, but I did meet her during my time in the Code."

"Again about that damned Code," Wendy muttered under her breath.

However, if Chara heard Wendy, she didn't engage for she simply continued her explanation. "Me and Helvetica have a love-hate relationship, with me doing all of the hating," Chara grumbled. "Unfortunately for me, she's the only one who can give us answers, despite how cryptic she can be. You would like her, Dipper. She gives you the answers, but it's a mystery to even figure out what they mean."

"How far are we from that cave?" Soos asked. "I mean, it's not that I don't like walking, dudes. It's just that we're close to the top of the mountain and we still haven't reached a cave. Where is it?"

"You haven't led us to a trap, have you?" Wendy added on, threateningly.

Chara didn't seem phased by Soos' question or Wendy's threat. "With this cave, it's less about how far we have to go and where it is, and more about when Helvetica feels like we have finally walked enough, stops playing with us, and actually allows us into her domain!" Chara yelled.

Suddenly, ground seemed to drop from underneath them. It was an odd sensation, as if their bodies were being dragged by harsh gusts of winds. When the sensation ended, they found themselves in a place with stone walls and no sun. Purple light, however, seemed to shine from crystals on the ceiling. Dipper, Soos, Wendy, and Mabel knew this because upon being teleported, they were about 10 feet off the ground and were falling. Screaming, they landed in a pile, with Soos on the bottom. When they began to sit up, they noticed that Chara was in front of them on two feet. She had a smirk on her face.

"See. It's a matter of when." With that, she turned away from Dipper and the rest and started walking towards the end of the cave, where there was a passage with bright purple light streaming through.

Wendy was the first to get out of the pile, driven by a need to take Chara down a peg. Mabel was next. Dipper followed, although he did help Soos up, to which Soos replied, "Thanks, dude. That wasn't fun."

After going through the naturally carved passage, Dipper could not believe what he saw. Giant protrusions of crystal jutted from the floor and ceiling, forming a maze-like look to the cavern. However, these crystals were unlike the crystals shining down a purple light from the ceiling. These crystals were like screens, projecting scenes and images. Each crystal held something different. In one, there was a scene of a talk skeleton in an orange jacket giving a hug to a girl who looked exactly like Mabel, except she had versions of Dipper's clothes on. Another showed a teenage boy, who looked similar to the Twin's father, being pinned against a locker by a purple monster girl.

Everyone stood there, overwhelmed by the scenes being shown in the crystals. Everyone, that is, except for Chara.

"Everyone, welcome to the Cave of Alternative Futures," Chara announced like a tour guide. Her voice rang from the crystals and echoed throughout the cave.

"Hey Dipper! Mabel! Who's that weird old dude you're hanging out with?" Soos asked, mesmerized by a crystal. Dipper shifted to look into it. It showed Dipper and Mabel playing with fireworks with an old man. He had a fez on and clearly had no care for personal hygiene. Dipper simply shrugged.

"Now all we need is our host," Chara said with a frown. However, she soon cupped her hands around her mouth as she yelled, "HELVETICA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The yell rang through the room. "Maybe she isn't home?" Soos suggested.

"Chara. How lovely it is to have you." A voice came from in between two crystals, although it sounded like a mix between an old woman's voice and a young woman's voice.

Between the two crystals was an old woman... or was she a young woman? Her features seemed to change when it came to determining age. It was hard to pinpoint whether she was a young woman or an old woman. However, there were some traits that were consistent. She was dressed in a simple purple dress. Her hair was shock white, unlike the gray hair of old age. Her purple eyes seemed to glow with mischievousness as she looked at Chara and the rest.

"And you brought friends! How lovely," the woman, presumably Helvetica, replied, although there was no surprise in her tone.

"You would think that with clairvoyance, you would actually come to meet your guests," Chara commented.

"But I found that people didn't like that when they filled out the comment cards," Helvetica countered.

"Comment cards? You never had any comment cards!"

"Ah," Helvetica exclaimed, holding up a finger. "But I foresaw what would be written down after shortly implementing them for five seconds. People other than you, Chara, think it is creepy to be greeted right away by a woman like myself who knows their names and what they want right away. They prefer it when I hide amongst the crystals and only come out when they call my name."

Chara sighed before turning towards her companions. "I guess I'll give the one-sided introductions, since she already knows all of you. This is Helvetica."

"Welcome!" The witch exclaimed, before pointing to each person in turn. "Wendy. Soos. Dipper. And poor Mabel."

Wendy took a breath to start speaking. "I will try that next time," Helvetica interrupted. "It might make people feel more at ease if I say 'Welcome Wendy' instead of naming everyone off."

"Woah! You really are clairvoyant," Wendy replied, smiling a little in wonder.

"Dude, what is up with the crystals in your home?" Soos asked. "They're so... y'know!"

Helvetica nodded. "They show alternate futures and the universes that are caused by them. They're all so different," she mused. "I watch them because they are one of the things in this world that I can't foresee."

"So weird..." Soos trailed off as he was once again mesmerized by the images on the crystal.

Dipper turned towards Helvetica. "Look, it's great meeting you and learning all of this, but we came because Mabel wanted to ask you something."

"I'm trying to find my boyfriend, Alex. We haven't seen him for days," Mabel explained, tearfully. "Do you know where we could go to find him?"

Helvetica thought for a while before looking through the folds of her clothes. Finally, she pulled out a bag and dumped out its contents on the ground. Inside were rocks, both smooth and rough. However, upon hitting the ground, they somehow made a formation that looked like a map of Gravity Falls, with rocks marking the main landmarks. She kneeled down, studying the placement and tilting her head slightly. Mabel waited anxiously, and Dipper simply observed.

"I know a way to find Alex," she started, her mouth a concerned frown. "However, it is tricky to find him, and unfortunately, the one way to find him is convoluted and a weird way of going about it."

"Just tell me!" Mabel exclaimed, growing impatient.

"Here comes the cryptic answer," Chara warned, crossing her arms.

Helvetica closed her eyes and moved her finger over the map, seemingly trying to sense where they had to go. Then, she opened her eyes and placed her finger on one rock that was far from other rocks. "That's where you should go," she answered. "Scuttlebutt Island."

"What?!" Chara screamed, indignant.

"You know, you're right? That answer would've been cryptic if you only had one brain cell," Wendy remarked sarcastically.

"Shut the hell up!" The Fallen Child responded, before turning to Helvetica. "What the hell is that?"

"I gave her the answer she wanted," Helvetica replied, standing up after picking up her rocks off the ground. She had an innocent look, and her smile could've been taken as a sweet smile or a smirk.

"B-but... I asked YOU years ago in the Code when I would eventually get a body and you gave me a whole math equation that didn't even make sense!" Chara protested.

"The average number of petals on a golden flower, plus the number of individual traits human SOULS have. Then, subtract the number of eyes you have and finally, add you," the witch said. "6 petals plus 7 souls, minus 2 eyes. Then, add 1 Chara. 12 years."

"That's not the point, Helvetica! You just straight up gave Mabel the answer to the problem. Why didn't you do that with me."

"I thought you loved riddles, deary," Helvetica answered, making her voice sound older. "Besides, usually fortunes aren't this easy to read."

"Wha-"

"Thank you for telling me where Alex might be," Mabel interrupted, pushing Chara out if the way. "Now we know where to go. We just needed to be prepared."

"Of course! Preparation is what keeps me busy," the witch replied. "Take care of yourself, Mabel. We'll meet again."

"Can you just... transport us out?" Chara asked, frustratedly.

"Wait!" Soos said, giving a pleading look to the group. "I have a question to ask you."

The chamber seemed to echo back his voice as the group seemed to turn to him. A small smile was on Helvetica's lips. Dipper sighed. "Alright then. Ask her." Soos, however, looked down at his feet and started to twiddle his fingers. It seemed as though he was embarrassed, or unable to come up with the words to ask what he was about to ask.

"Well, you see, Ms. witch lady... I... uh..." Soos stopped, before looking up at Helvetica. Then, he made an embarrassed smile. "You see, I have this question, but I'd feel silly saying it out loud in front of these dudes. But you can see the future, which means you see what question I'm about to ask, so can you please-"

"The time will come, Soos," Helvetica interrupted, her tone a mix of serious and hope. "However, it can only be achieved when both sides are willing, not just one."

The handyman smiled, full of hope. "That's all I need to know," he replied. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," the witch answered back. "I shall teleport you all out of here."

With a snap of her fingers, the group was suddenly blinded by the bright daylight. In addition to that, they feel 5 ft. onto the ground with an unceremonious thud. This time, however, they were not in a pile, much to the relief of Soos. Chara stood before them, a look of frustration still on her face. Mabel was the first to get onto her feet as she looked into the valley.

"There's Scuttlebutt Island!" She exclaimed, pointing at the island in the middle of the lake. Dark clouds crowded around it, producing a feeling of unease.

"Wow. That's some weird weather," Wendy remarked as she walked to stand beside Mabel. "Are you sure it's safe?"

Mabel looked at everyone with an expression of uncertainty. At this point, Dipper and Soos joined her, watching her with questioning looks. There was only one person who didn't stand beside her: Chara. She took a quick glance at Chara. The Fallen Child was staring at the storm above the island, seemingly entranced by its swirling clouds and blowing winds. It was a stare one would give their worst enemy; full of fire and pain, fear and confusion. It seemed Chara felt uneasy about the island, but judging by her posture, her look of uncertainty, she had no idea what was happening to make her feel uneasy.

It was with startling clarity that Mabel realized this was no longer a search mission. It was probably a rescue mission with a supernatural influence. How willing was she to find Alex? Was it worth the risk? Would her friends be in danger? Would they be able to deal with the danger? It was her decision at this point, and everything was in her hands...

...Well, they had dealt with far worse situations. What was one more?

"No," she answered Wendy. "But it's the only way to find Alex."

"Yeah, well, I'm going back to the Mystery Shack," Chara announced, crossing her arms and moving down the mountain towards the Shack.

"Wait, why?" Dipper asked, causing her to stop. "You're one of the only people who knows what is going on half the time."

"Are you scared?" Wendy added, mockingly.

Chara turned, her eyes flaring a crimson red as she gave Wendy a scowl. "No! I am not scared," she yelled. "I have already done my part. I said I'd take you and introduce you to Helvetica. What you do with her information isn't my concern."

Dipper felt his temper rise. "So, you're just going to leave us then?!" He responded. "Just leave us when we need your advice."

"I'd like to remind you something, Dipper Pines!" The Fallen Child cried, running close to him and pointing a finger at his throat. Dipper flinched. Chara's voice was suddenly a murmur. "Last time I had someone's life in my hands, my advice caused me to lose them."

"Yo, dude. Chill," Soos ordered, using an arm to push Dipper back a little bit. Chara turned away, ready to walk back to the Shack. However, Dipper was not willing to give up. Despite how much he distrusted Chara, she seemed to be in her element among the supernatural. They needed her expertise.

"You're wrong," he replied, sternly. "Ivy's life was in your hands, and you saved her."

Chara stopped in her tracks. She sighed, crossing her arms. "That was one time," she answered, sadly. "What makes you think I could do it again when I failed many others?"

"She has a point," Wendy responded harshly.

However, Mabel stepped towards Chara. When she was halfway between the group and Chara, she stopped. "Look, Chara..." Mabel took a deep breath. Was she really willing to say this? Here? Now? She sighed, resolute in her decision at the moment. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. It's your choice. However, even if you walk away, our lives are still in your hands. Don't think of this adventure as another way to mess up. Think of it as a chance of redemption. If you help us now, we will be more likely to trust you."

"I've screwed up redemption before," Chara muttered unhappily under her breath. Then, she turned back to the group. "Fine. I'll come, but don't expect me to be happy about it."

"Don't expect me to be happy about you coming," Wendy replied quietly as she turned back towards Scuttlebutt Island. Chara seemed to hear this, though she didn't defend herself.

"Let's just get to Scuttlebutt Island," The Fallen Child responded, leading the way to the rest.

"So... How are we going to get there?" Dipper asked, walking beside Chara, despite Wendy's warning looks. "Last time I went there, I stole a boat, which is technically against the law."

"I've got it covered," Chara replied nonchalantly. She quickly outpaced Dipper. He was unsure. What was she going to do? Steal another boat? Do something outrageous? There was no telling with her. There was no way to know if she would follow the law or not.

---

"ONION-SAN!" Chara yelled out, the words echoing through the valley. The group had just barely made it to the shore of the lake. Across the waters was the stormy island they wished to be on. However, Wendy gave a smug smile and crossed her arms, hoping Chara would fail. Everyone seemed confused by her actions. She simply just stood at the shore for a few seconds.

"Sooo... is anybody coming?" Soos asked. However, right as he did, a tentacle came out of the water. Then, another and another! Finally, a head appeared of a giant... onion? With sparkly eyes and a mouth? The onion monster smiled and blushed, looking at Chara.

"Onion-san," Chara said with a slight smile. However, the smile wasn't sly or full of malice. It seemed like one of relief. Then, she bowed deeply, not lifting her gaze until after she stood tall once again.

"That's me, y'hear!" Onion-san replied, still blushing, before her smile began to waver. "I've been waiting at the bottom of the lake for someone to call for me. But you know my name! That's amazing, y'hear! It's so nice! What can I do for you?"

"My friends and I would like safe passage to Scuttlebutt Island," she responded, pointing at the island. "We're willing to give you as much gold coins as you want."

"Sure! I'll take you to that island, y'hear! It will be fun, y'hear!" The onion monster said with a bright smile. Then, she brought a couple of her tentacles close to the shore. "Get onto my tentacles, friends!"

Chara was the first one to go on, confidently standing on one of Onion-san's tentacles. Then, she motioned for the rest of the group to do the same. However, most of them were flabbergasted. Mabel and Dipper were next, deciding to stay together on the same tentacle. Finally, Soos went on another tentacle and Wendy, rather reluctantly, went onto the final one.

"Hold on tight, y'hear! This'll be fast!"

Soon, the onion monster was swimming through the lake at top speed. She wasn't kidding about the speed. It was hard to stay on. However, despite the splashing of the water and the rushing winds, everyone could still hear Onion-san, humming songs from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Then, she came to a stop near the shore of Scuttlebutt Island. Due to the speed, Onion-san had her tentacles grasp the people on them, lest they fall off.

"Here y'are!" She announced, allowing her passengers onto the shore. However, she looked up at the storm and for the first time, her smile turned into a frown. "That ain't good," she muttered.

The group watched her with concern. Then, as if it never happened, she looked at them and smiled. "Y'all be careful, y'hear! Y'all come back, y'hear!"

"How much do I owe you?" Chara asked, searching through her pockets.

"Your friendship is all I ever want," Onion-san replied, placing two tentacles over her heart.

"Awwww... I'll be your friend forever, strange onion creature!" Soos said with a smile. Chara groaned and hit her head.

Onion-san left with a bunch of waves and goodbyes. She seemed desperately lonely, but despite her awkward goodbyes, she was cordial enough and happy to see them. In the end, most of the group would agree to be friends with her.

When the smiling onion monster left, the true setting of Scuttlebutt Island began to unfold. A storm swirled around the island, thunder constantly booming, lightning occasionally lighting up the sky. Rain did not fall, but the sun was covered. Gusts of wind blew everyone's hair left and right. It seemed as though the storm was circling one place in particular, however. The group stood there, unsure what to do, until Mabel went in front of them, full of DETERMINATION.

"Let's go," she ordered, leading the way towards the eye of the storm.

"Has it always been like this? Y'know, dark and stormy and ominous?" Soos asked, looking up at the sky and shuddering.

"I don't know. I've never actually been on the island," Wendy admitted, one hand on the axe on her belt at all times. She pulled out her phone quickly, only to realize there was no cellphone service. It would be hard to reach help.

"It wasn't like this before," Dipper answered, trying hard to not freak out. "It was not exactly sun and rainbows, but it certainly not... this! It did not have the thunder or lightning."

"Magic," Chara suddenly said.

"What did you say, dude?" Soos replied, unsure about how to feel about how the Fallen Child said that.

"These are all symptoms of magic. The whirling winds, the continual thunder, the storm swirling above us, clouding up the sun. These are symptoms of dark magic."

"You make it sound like it's a disease or something," Wendy pointed out. For the first time, she didn't seem to be pointing it out to push Chara's buttons. Rather, it was like she was trying to clarify something Chara said by saying what it sounded like.

The Fallen Child stopped in her path and turned around towards Wendy, and in turn, everyone except Mabel, who was leading the way. "Dark magic is a disease. It has the potential to harm the very Code of our existence and the fabric of our universe. The world as we know it could fall apart. Even if we stop it before its true effects are recognized, it will still have dire consequences. That is the problem with dark magic: it hurts if you stop it, but it hurts even more if you don't." Chara stopped, looking down at her feet. Then she turned around and started walking again. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Who could be doing this?" Dipper asked, timidly.

"We're about to find out," Mabel responded as she came to a stop. There, next to the mountain, was a small shack made of wood. It was crude looking, but inside was a light, flickering like a candle. Something was not right. A shadow danced across the wall. Someone was in there. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, punctuating the silence around them.

"I'm going up there to see what's going on," Chara said, beginning to crouch down. "You guys hide behind that tree."

Dipper gave a look of uncertainty. "You're going alone? Without a weapon?"

She seemed to read his mind and when she looked at him, her gaze softened. "I appreciate the concern, Dipper, but you, of all people, should know that I am never unarmed."

As if trying to convey what she meant, he watched as she balled her hands into a fist like she was grasping something. When she did, a faint red outline of knife appeared in her hands before she let go, letting the red magic recede. Dipper nodded, somewhat shaken by the return of the red knife. Last time he saw that, it had been held in his body's hands. It had almost killed his friends, his family. What would he tell his past self if he knew all he did now?

Wendy scowled at Chara. "Yeah, well, I'm going with you to make sure you don't trick us," she said harshly. The Fallen Child didn't protest, although her kind expression was replaced with a withering glare at Wendy.

"Fine," Chara replied.

Mabel looked between the two girls. Then she sighed. "I'm coming as well," she added. When the two adversaries looked at her with confused looks, she shrugged. "If you two are going on a mission together, I better go to make sure you don't fight the entire time."

"Are you sure?" Dipper asked, his anxiety growing at the thought that his sister, distraught as she was, was going to look through the window of a strange shack. Mabel simply nodded, her expression was resolute. Dipper sighed, knowing there was no changing her decision now. "Alright. Me and Soos will hide behind this tree until you come back."

"Yeah. I don't want to deal with evil witches and dark magic right now. It's not really a good place for a handyman," Soos confirmed, going behind the tree.

"We'll be back soon," Mabel reassured, though she was unsure herself. She was beginning to suspect that her search for her boyfriend had led to a conspiracy, larger than she could've predicted. Maybe she was paranoid, but the chilling part was that she could be right. It showed how crazy her life had become.

Chara led the way. She slinked like a cat, hunched over but not tiptoeing. Her movements were fluid and barely any sounds came from her steps. When she reached the side of the shack, she stayed close to the wall like a shadow. Wendy followed behind. Being taller than Chara or Mabel, she walked slowly towards the shack until she was close. Then, she crawled on the ground until she reached the window.

Mabel, meanwhile, tried to be like both of them. First, she tried to slink like Chara. However, she made too much noise for a stealth mission. Maybe she didn't make that much noise, but compared to Chara, she might as well have been in a rock concert. When she came close enough to the house, she crawled up to the house, but that only functioned to get her sweater muddy. Another unfortunate predicament. Maybe, if she weren't so DETERMINED to see this through, she would've complained about the mud, but she did not care about the mud on her sweater or the noise from her approach. When she gazed into the window, the only thing she cared about was what was inside.

The room was a mess of books and candles. Papers were scattered all over a desk near the wall, covered in red ink with a quill beside a personal journal. Underneath the journal was an old, closed laptop. On the ground, however, was a pentagram, painted on the floor with lit candles at each point of the star. Sitting in the middle of the pentagram, with a book in her lap, was...

"Oka Ruto..." Chara whispered under her voice. It was full of hatred and scorn. "I should've known."

"Wait... That's Oka?" Wendy asked, her voice hushed. "That's the girl who tried to hurt you and Dipper?" She turned towards Mabel.

However, Mabel didn't respond. She kept on watching the girl with raven-black hair. Her old school outfit was muddy and, in some places, torn. However, what was most unsettling was the fact she looked malnourished. She was skinnier than she was before. Her eyes were fixed on the open book in her lap, mumbling the words under her breath. Then, she closed her eyes and her mumbling stopped. She sighed, and as she did, the candles around her dimmed and the storm seemed to pick up.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed open as they glowed with a dark purple light. The flames on the candles changed to black, seemingly absorbing light rather than giving it off. "SNOMED, SNOMED, EMOC OT EM. SNOMED, SNOMED, NUR OT EM. EHT SEIRADNUOB ERA DENNIHT; EHT REIRRAB DERRULB. I LLAC ROF UOY MORF DNOYEB YM MLAER!" With the final incomprehensible statement, a cruel laugh rang through the air as if surrounding them. It sounded like a man's laugh. Oka was now floating off the floor. She closed her eyes and mumbled more words under her breath, the flames still black.

"What is she doing?" Mabel asked, looking to Chara. She seemed to watch the ritual in fascination. Blood had drained from her face when she listened to the words. She turned towards Mabel and Wendy, desperation mixed with her serious expression.

"She's weakening the barrier between our world and the void beyond," she replied, trying to keep her voice hushed despite the dire information she was expressing. "She's calling for demons from within the void. She's the one trying to usher in a second Weirdmageddon!"

"Wait wait wait..." Wendy ordered. "You're telling me that not only Oka is trying to bring about a terrible event with the horrifying name of Weirdmageddon, but that this Weirdmageddon event has happened before?!"

Chara put up a hand to silence Wendy. "Yes! It has happened before! Have you ever wondered why supernatural creatures and strange phenomena are located here? The first Weirdmageddon was when a powerful demon came through a rift in our newly formed reality and caused mayhem. That rift happened here in Gravity Falls. When the demon was defeated, the rift was closed. That's why weird things happen! The demon's influence never truly left."

Then, she turned to look back at Oka. "And that's why she's doing this here. The rift never fully healed."

"We have to stop her," Mabel said, resolute in her decision. It was going to be dangerous. That was for sure. However, they needed Weirdmageddon to be stopped.

"Well, we can't stop her physically," Chara replied, frowning. "The ritual is too far along to be interrupted by barging in, lest we suffer from the rather... explosive side effects. We need to find a way to break her concentration mentally."

"Dipper might have a spell for that in the Journal," Mabel proposed.

"Then we go back to Dipper and Soos and stop this crazy ritual," Wendy added, leaving to head back to the tree. Then, Mabel followed. Chara stayed for a moment, watching the girl.

She had read about people to conduct dark rituals. They all had the same descriptors: "insane", "crazed", "evil". However, when she looked at Oka, she only saw someone like herself. What made her any different from this teen, other than the fact Chara had not yet cast a dark ritual? They were both broken, scornful, and powerful. And both of them were considered evil. No true difference. Just a difference in methodology.

When Chara returned to the group, Dipper was looking through his book. He had a frown on his face. It didn't seem he took the news about Oka too well. He went near the back of the book. Then, he stopped. "This should be the spell," he explained. "It will allow us to enter her mind."

"You will need to find the source of her concentration. The way she casts spells, it must come from a memory she relives over and over again," Chara added. "That should be easy to stop."

Dipper nodded. "However, it will leave our bodies here, unconscious," he said, looking unsure. "We might be found."

"Which is why I am going to stay awake and watch you," the Fallen Child proposed. Everyone in the group looked at her with uncertainty, but she was not fazed by it. "I am the most able-bodied to fight any creature that comes our way. I always have a weapon on me. Therefore, I am the most logical choice."

Wendy scowled at Chara. "Like hell you are! By what logic? You could kill us while we're vulnerable."

"Unfortunately, I can't see any way around it, Wendy," Dipper admitted, rather sadly.

"Well then, I'm going to watch her," Wendy responded, smiling at the group, other than Chara. "You go kick her butt for me and I'll keep you safe from this weirdo."

Chara simply sighed and shrugged. It was useless to resist. If she did, she would look guilty. Now, she just had to suffer being with Wendy until they were done. This was not going to end well. "Fine," Chara replied. "Start the ritual."

Dipper nodded. "Soos, Mabel, we must join hands." Mabel and Soos held hands while Dipper placed the book on the ground, open to the ritual. He then took the hands. Reading over the section, he let out a deep breath. "Close your eyes," he ordered, closing his own as the other two followed suit.

Then, he started to chant:

"Driht eye, nepo.

Os I yam ees eht edoC!"

The wind began to blow around the three participants. Wendy watched in amazement while Chara simply stared. Unlike Wendy, she was used to most magic. The only magic she hadn't seen were the most powerful ones: the wizard ritual, the Barrier spell, and the Zodiac. Of course, she hoped neither one would ever be used, but times were changing.

Suddenly, Dipper, Mabel, and Soos' eyes flicked open, glowing white. They began to float of the ground slightly, and yet Dipper continued to chant. His voice, however, began to echo with power.

"Tel em klaw hguorht minds

DNA POTS EHT S'TSITLUC LLEPS!"

With the final words, a crack of thunder echoed out from the group. Wendy fell to the ground as the ground trembled from the aftermath. Chara, however, summoned a red knife and stuck it firmly in the ground. This allowed her to stay upright as the forest, once more, went quiet.

"Ow," Wendy muttered softly as she got up on her feet. She wasn't hurt badly, but she knew that she might feel sore in the morning. Rolling her shoulders, she placed a left hand on the opposite shoulder as she approached Chara and the location of the ritual. Chara let go of the knife, causing it to disappear. She then rose to full height and looked upon the bodies of Dipper, Mabel, and Soos.

"It's like they're sleeping," Chara said to herself. It looked like as though the three had fallen asleep in a circle. If she hadn't known any better, she would've never known a ritual had taken place. She took a deep breath as she surveyed her surroundings. There were plenty of trees but there didn't seem to be a single bird or squirrel among the branches. This was an expected outcome of dark magic, but it didn't make it any less unnerving. "Time to watch them."

"Don't think I'm not watching you," Wendy threatened, taking out her axe. "I won't let you harm them."

Chara paid no mind to the angered teen. Instead, she walked up to a tall pine tree. Looking up at its boughs, she summoned a red knife and plunged it into the trunk. Then, she summoned another and threw it higher than the other knife. She threw a final knife even higher above the second knife. Finally, she grabbed the handle of the first knife, which was slightly above her head. Holding on to the handle, she brought her body up until she was able to grasp the handle of the second. She stood on the handle of the first knife as she pulled her body to the third knife. When she finally stood on the third knife's handle, she was able to reach a branch.

Chara climbed through the branches until she reached a branch looking over the group. It was about 8 feet off the ground and she sat on the branch with a knife at hand. Her eyes shined like that of a big cat, ready to pounce on her prey. Wendy glared at her before rolling her eyes.

"You can hide, but I'm still watching you," she pointed out.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm on your side, then. Otherwise, you would be able to see me coming," Chara replied slyly.

"And we would beat your ass."

"Or the final thing you would see at the end of your life is my charming face." Chara shrugged. "All things considered, I think you guys are the lucky ones here."

Wendy cursed under her breath. Deciding to keep a ground watch, she propped herself against the trunk of a tree opposite of Chara's position. She wanted to keep a close eye on that fiend. Chara couldn't be trusted, no matter the information she possessed. No matter the help she possessed. You don't just forgive a megalomaniac like that.

Not wishing to dwell on Chara, she turned her attention to the shack. There was still candlelight in there and she saw no movement. That provided hope. Oka hadn't noticed, which meant they could still stop her. As she watched, the lights began to flicker more than usual and Wendy couldn't help but wonder if the flickering meant Dipper, Mabel, and Soos were there.

She hoped they got there just in time to stop it.

---

It seemed so easy... Too easy... When Dipper stood up and found himself in a white room, he noticed that Oka was sitting right there, chanting under her breath. Her eyes glowed a dark purple light just like it did in the shack. Around her was a pentagram with three candles evenly spread out to form a triangle. Two of the candles had a normal, orange flame while the third had a blue flame.

"This seems too easy, right guys?" He said. When no one responded, he looked around. That's when his blood ran cold. He was alone. Soos and Mabel were not there. Where were they?

That's when he heard a voice echo back to him. "Dipper?!" It was Mabel's voice. "Where are you?"

"Dudes, I can't see either of you!" Soos replied.

Dipper looked around the empty room and noticed there was no doors or windows. There was no way to find them. "What do you guys see?" He asked. "I see Oka with three candles."

"I see that too!" The handyman answered. "One of the candles is glowing green."

"Me too," Mabel said. "But one of the candles is pink."

Dipper walked up to Oka. "Let me see if I can-" he paused as he tried to push Oka. However, his hand went right through her. "Are you kidding me?!" He tried to push her, punch her, and place his hand on her face. Each time, his hand phased right through her without any reaction from Oka.

"What is it, Dipper?" Soos asked.

"I tried to push Oka, but I phased right through her."

"Well, I could've told you that!" Mabel replied. "That's the first thing I tried!"

"Wait, dudes! Rituals rely on candles, right?" Soos started to explain. "What if we tried putting them out? I mean, each of us have a candle that matches the color of what we are wearing. I am trying to put out the ones that are normal out, but my hand goes right through them. Maybe we put the odd flames out first?"

"Great idea, Soos!" Mabel exclaimed. "That's a good place to start!"

Dipper got closer to the blue candle. He sat beside it, only to notice that there were letters on it. He turned his head sideways to read it. "Regret," he read out loud.

"Oh, come on, Dipper! This isn't so bad!" Mabel replied.

Dipper shook his head. "No! I don't regret doing this! Check your candles for words. Mine says 'Regret'."

"Mine says 'Lonely', dude."

"And mine says 'Lost'. What does that mean?" Mabel asked.

"I don't know," Dipper said. "But we've got to extinguish these candles fast before she destroys the world."

"Right," Soos and Mabel replied at the same time.

"On three." Dipper knelt by the candle, putting two fingers and his thumb in his mouth. Then, he took them out, making sure his saliva was still on it. "One. Two..."

"Three!" With that, he took the fingers and thumb and placed them near the source of the flame. This put it out, smoke escaping from his fingers.

Then, the world went black. However, he was still conscious. It was like the lights went out. His head spun and he felt dizziness begin to take hold. What was seconds felt like minutes as finally, bright colors began to fill his vision. This only made him feel more uncomfortable. Not only was he this close to gagging, but his eyes burned, trying to adjust to the sunlight. Closing his eyes, he felt the dizziness subside. Soon after, the nauseousness that had come over him leave him. Taking deep breaths, he opened his eyes again.

He blinked a couple of times. He couldn't believe it. He was in a high school, bright and full of teenage students. He was in a courtyard of some sort, the school surrounding him as if it were its own entity... or maybe he was just overdramatic. He couldn't deny that he was a bit on edge still from being around Oka. But the colors, the sunlight, the laughter of students. Everything felt like it was concealing a dark interior. The windows in the school felt like eyes, watching his every move.

Dipper looked around at the students in the courtyard, scanning them. The students all had crazy hairstyles and hair colors. And their eyes... who even had red eyes? The only similarity between the students were their uniforms, which looked similar to Oka's. Each of them stood with their own group... except for a boy in dark clothes, who sat on the edge of the fountain, reading a book. Even odder than the boy was the fact that no one noticed the preteen boy in their midst. It was like he was a ghost.

A... ghost... Dipper shuddered a little. He couldn't help but remember that time in Judgement Hall. He was out of his body. No one could see him. And he couldn't do anything. He was so helpless. Alone. Left only to watch the consequences of his actions and feel regret.

It was in the middle of this thought that he saw a familiar girl pass right through him. He shook his head, suddenly feeling dizzy. That's when he saw her. It was Oka. He wasn't exactly surprised. This did seem like a vision from the past, but what he did not expect was for her to look exactly the same as she did when he first met her. She had let slip during her battle the traumatic events that scarred her... but this seemed to be before then, and her eyes still held the sadness and misery that she did now.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Dipper asked himself.

---

It was the most awkward situation Soos had ever been in: when his head stopped spinning, he found himself in the center of a circle full of teenage girls with different hair colors, hairstyles, and eye colors. It seemed as though they were in a school courtyard, with pink, flowering trees and everything.

"Woah! Sorry, ladies!" He apologized, holding his hands up to protect himself. However, the girls didn't seem to notice and they continued to talk. However, he couldn't hear what they were saying. It was like their voices were muffled. "Is this how I join your group?" Soos asked, weirded out. "Am I apart of your group?"

No response.

"I don't know how to take that," he said, taking off his hat to scratch his head. As they were talking, the girls continued to move their hands and arms. That's when one of the girl's hand and arm phased through Soos' arm. It felt weird, as if her arm were made of pure ice that could chill him to the very core. He shook a bit before the girl's hand went back to her side. "Well that was odd," he commented. "It's almost like when the character models phase through each other in video games."

He waved his hand in front of one of the girls in the circle. "No reaction," he concluded, putting his hand up to his chin. "Classic NPC interaction. If this is truly like a video game, then this means there must be a core objective. Something that will help me break Oka's concentration..."

That's when he noticed her. "Speak of the devil!" He said.

Oka had just come into the courtyard, holding her books close to her chest. She looked at the courtyard sadly. Her eyes stopped on one boy sitting on the edge of the fountain, reading a book. However, after a while, her eyes dropped to her feet as she walked across the courtyard, away from him.

Soos held up a finger. "Excuse me, ladies," he said, politely before pushing through the circle. It wasn't comfortable, for when he phased through them, chills continued to run through him.

He ran towards Oka, before he came right behind her. "Uhm... I don't believe we've met. My name is Soos and, well, I already know you're Oka. Do you mind telling me how to break your concentration so that I can save the world?"

"Well, if it isn't emo cult leader!" The noise came from behind him. Soos glanced over his shoulder before taking a step back and standing where he could see both girls.

The voice's owner (or so he presumed) was smirking triumphantly. Her blonde hair was tied up tightly in a ponytail with blue tips, and she wore a blue cardigan wrapped around her waist with some hair ties clinging onto her wrists. As Oka turned around to face the girl her eyes slipped from eye contact to down at her shoes, although the handyman could practically hear the gears whirring in her head. She looked unsure of something, as if she was trying to decide something that may or may not change the course of time. Ah, high school, the one place that makes you rethink your life choices.

"Why are you looking at the ground? Scared, are we?" the voice asked teasingly. Yep, this girl was the cliché school bully, picking on those weaker than her to make her feel powerful.

Oka stayed silent, staring at the floor. In all honesty, Soos was unsure which side to be on. Bullying was never good and he had his fair share from people like Robbie. But Oka was going to try and end the world some day! How could he side with her?

"Why don't you go check out your desk upstairs? I heard there was some refurbishments," The bully added, her mouth contorted into a sickly sweet smile that looked patronizing yet happy and triumphant. The cultist's face expression turned from one of indecision to one of realization as she looked up; the bully turned and walked back to her gang of friends.

The schoolgirl took a step back before swiftly turning on her heel and walking inside. Her feet made no echoes across the halls as Soos ran up to her- she was his one-way ticket out of here, after all. "Hellooo?" He asked, tilting his head in front of her, getting in her way. She paid him no mind and kept walking forwards; her feet tapped slightly against the ground but, aside from that, the hallways were silent with the majority of the students outside.

She finally stopped in front of a classroom. It looked average and, well, average. She took a fearful, silent step in, checking that no one else was there, before walking quietly to her desk. At least, Soos thought it was her desk. The desk in question had some…. Unkind words, to say the least, covering it. Oka just looked at it, emotionless, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a marker-pen cleaning-spray.

After she had cleaned up her desk, which took a shorter amount of time than expected, she stood up and looked Soos directly in the eye. He stumbled back in shock, before she shrugged off whatever thought she was thinking and, eyes on the ground, shuffled off outside.

Soos sighed. "Classic NPC." Then, he followed her, unsure what he would find.

---

It was a while later, after the first bullying fiasco. Keyword being 'first'. The bullies had just slapped chalk over Oka's hair and she had ran off whilst they pointed and laughed. She cupped water in her hands and poured it over her head, sobbing quietly as the water-tears mix flowed down, until looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes turned from shyness to hatred before she glanced back at the ground.

She walked upstairs with a purpose. The soft yet DETERMINED tap of her feet against the steps was enough to tell Soos that. Oka kep peeking round the corner, checking no one was there before walking up another step.

Finally, she arrived on the school's roof. This was quite obviously where she wanted to go, so Soos relaxed a bit- at east she wasn't going to the creepy room again with the skull. There was a mark of a gash on the skull but nothing sticking out of it. This seemed to worry Oka.

Speaking of the demon summoner, she slowly walked up to a corner and peeked round it. There stood two girls- sisters, to the looks of things- both with different shades pink hair. Oka looked on with a mixture of fascination and jealousy as the two gossiped and chatted their hearts out.

There was a small scream coming from downstairs. It was probably some kid who was messing around, but the two girls' heads snapped round to the noise. Oka had no time to avoid their glare, and instead widened her eyes in terror.

"Hey! What are you doing, you creep?! We told you to go away!" The darker-shade-of-pink sister yelled angrily. The way she said that it sounded like Oka had done this before. The cultist flinched and ran away in the opposite direction, down to the bottom floor.

---

The next noticeable thing to happen was her interactions with a black haired girl.

The girl in question looked oddly ordinary compared to the bright and colourful students that roamed the halls. She had black eyes, black hair and a thin line for a mouth, with something sticking out her pocket. The cultist was walking along, hunched over and hugging a book, before Oka glanced up to see her.

"A-Ayano!" She gasped quietly. The name seemed to ring a bell, but Soos couldn't quite remember where he had heard the name before. Something Dipper had said. "H-hey Ayano! W-what are you doing?"

The girl didn't even look at her. It was obvious she had heard, since she perked up at the sound of her name, but seemed almost disappointed when she saw it was Oka.

"Wanna c-come see the-" she was cut off when Ayano turned a corner abruptly. Oka looked desperate for someone to just speak to her, and Soos almost felt bad for her. He had a flashback to when the bullies slapped chalk over her head, or when she had watched the sisters, or when Soos had-

"Hey, Ayano?!" Oka cried, trying not to sound weird but sounding it nonetheless. She was used to that by now. "Do you want t-to come and watch the de-"

"I'm not interested Oka." The girl turned to face the cultist, who looked down at the floor ashamed. "We aren't friends. Get it out of your head that we are." The voice sounded monotone and almost preset, but Soos shrugged off the feeling of familiarity of the situation and instead paid attention to Oka's reaction. She looked upset, poor thing, like she was going to cry.

And then, and only then, it clicked.

"Lonely." He nodded, finally understanding.

He flickered back to reality. He didn't take a minute to check and admire his surroundings as he turned to Oka, who was staring at the book in her hands and muttering.

"I saw what you have been put through. I understand. There's no need to do this, dude. Someone, somewhere, would love to be your friend. Remember Dipper an- Dipper?" He stopped himself from saying Mabel, knowing that was the person Oka had loathed from the very beginning. "They want to be your friends too! You know what? I was in your place for a while, before I found where I belong. You just have to look!" he sighed, before whispering "Don't fight any more. You don't have to be lonely."

There was no response, but his candle burned out, engulfing the white room in darkness

---

Mabel screamed when she could finally see and her head stopped spinning. She was in a school hallway, that was for sure, with the club posters, windows, and lockers. But... the white walls were stained with red blood. Bodies of students, girls and boys with colorful hair, were on the ground, their unseeing eyes staring at Mabel.

Mabel closed her eyes, tears running down her face. "What is it with HALLS and MURDER?!" She yelled. "This can't be happening! Why am I here?"

"T-this can't... This can't be happening!" A voice repeated, older than Mabel's pre-teen voice.

Mabel turned to see Oka in her school uniform, her boots stained red. Her eyes were wide, full of fear and shock. Her skin was pale and her hands covered her mouth. "T-this has to... T-this can't... Why?"

"Oka, what the heck is going on?!" Mabel shouted, looking directly into the teen's eyes.

"How could she do this?" Oka said, seemingly ignoring Mabel's question. Tears started streaming down Oka's face, though she didn't seem to notice. Anger replaced her fear. Her arms went to her side, her hands clenched into fists. "This isn't right! I have to stop her!"

Then, Oka sighed, a look of uncertainty replacing her hatred. "But how?"

Mabel went up to Oka, confused. "How? You became a monster with hands when you fought us! You can easily fight whoever it is!"

There was no response from Oka.

Mabel groaned. "Look, I know you don't like me, but can you at least acknowledge I am here?"

No response.

"I don't know what to do," Oka whispered to herself, sadly. She slowly sunk down to the ground, where she sat, her head slumped and eyes closed. "I can't do anything."

Mabel stood beside Oka, careful not to stand in any pools of blood. Oka looked so helpless. So alone. Mabel simply stood there, feeling both sympathetic and angry at the same time. Why should she feel pity for this terrible person? Maybe before, she would've forgiven Oka, but now? Not a chance! And yet, Mabel's kind heart couldn't help but feel sorry.

It all felt so... familiar. A hallway. Blood. The feeling of helplessness. Mabel had felt that at Judgement Hall. There, she couldn't do anything! Her brother was possessed and there was no way for her to help. When Sans told her to leave, she wanted to stay, but what could she do? Sans was able to cast magic and spells! Without those, she was useless and without any direction! Mabel sympathized so much with Oka because those very feelings were what she felt before!

That's when they heard a voice. It was a man's voice, but it was high pitched. "So, this is how it ends, Pentagram?" The voice had a nonchalant tone, like it didn't matter that this could very well be Oka's last day alive.

Oka lifted her head and looked around, a curious look crossing her face. Mabel scanned the area, but she couldn't see anything. Anything other than bodies, that is, and Mabel didn't want to investigate any farther. She already felt nauseous.

"Who are you? Where are you?" Oka asked cautiously.

The voice laughed mischievously."You have such a limiting definition of location in your reality. It brings a tear to my eye how simple-minded your species is!"

Oka stood up, looking around her. "Then you're an extra-dimensional entity," she concluded, eying her surroundings suspiciously. "There can't be any other explanation."

"You're really knowledgeable in the occult, Pentagram. Though you must be careful what rituals your silly little cult does!"

"It's not a cult!" Oka yelled. "We're simply people who believe in beings like you!"

"Eh, tomato, tomato," The being said, pronouncing tomato two different ways. "It just means you're in denial of the real truth! As true as apple seeds have cyanide in them. If I could, I would give you some to snack on!"

"Stop! That isn't funny!" Oka demanded, her eyes scowling at her surroundings.

"Relax! It was just a joke! Besides, I have plans for you."

Oka sighed. "What is the truth that I'm, supposedly, in denial of?"

"People who believe in beings like me are cultists," the voice claimed. "You see, there's no such thing as demons, just like there is no Sun. It's just that your puny minds can't comprehend the fact that an extra-dimensional being wants to help you. You go crazy and start to blame us for your random problems. This isn't my first rodeo, Pentagram. I've been in the deals business for a long time."

Mabel wasn't sure how to feel about this voice. He seemed to mention his superiority every other sentence! It was getting on her nerves.

Suddenly, there was the sound of heavy footsteps overhead, followed by screaming. So many screams. Then, each scream would die out, only to be replaced by another one. Oka stared at the ceiling in horror, the screams increasing in volume. Mabel couldn't take it, covering her ears. Then, finally, the screams stopped. All of them, their owners meeting a terrible fate.

Oka looked desperate. She moved her head frantically to glance at the hall. "Help me. I need to help them. I need to stop her!"

"I can help you, but it'll cost ya," the voice replied, still unconcerned despite the terrible screams.

"I will do anything! I will give anything!" Oka said. There was silence for a while.

"It's a deal, Pentagram." The voice answered. "There's a knife right there. Ms. Lovesick used it to kill these people. You can put the knife into the skull in your occultist room."

"Then?"

"Then, you will have the power to stop her," he answered. Then, the voice laughed. "I'll see you around, Pentagram!"

When the voice left, Oka stood there for a second or two. Then, she moved quickly. She found the knife pretty easily and started sprinting towards the stairway. Mabel, luckily, was good at running and was able to keep up. Under Oka's breath, she was muttering.

"I can do this. I can stop her. I can save him," she muttered in between each pant.

That's when Mabel understood. Rather than keeping up, she stopped and stood there for a while, watching Oka climb up the stairs. Instead of transporting her back like it had before, the image faded away slowly. By the time the scene faded, she was left in the white room with the pentagram. Oka was still there. The pink candle was still there.

Mabel took a deep breath. "I remember when my brother was possessed. I felt so helpless. I couldn't do anything," she explained. "And that's how you feel. You must've felt so powerless, unable to help anybody or save anybody. You must've felt so..."

She paused, coming to a realization. "Lost." She looked at Oka, who was still muttering. "That voice gave you a purpose. A direction. I get it. When you're lost, you will listen to anybody to find a way to help. But, this isn't helping, Oka. This isn't the direction you want to go. You're destroying everyone that you want to help. We can help you! We can help you find a way."

"I... I promise."

That's when the pink candle went out.

---

Neither girl was enjoying keeping watch with the other. Wendy and Chara both were sat on the ground, facing each other. They took one glance at each other and they would burst into unnecessary bickering (on no point or subject) merely to annoy the other. This, as you would expect, was rather annoying.

They were supposed to be keeping watch, but the only thing they were keeping watch of was each other (and the argument tally). This was a point raised by Chara, in fact, which set off a whole load of arguing.

"Shouldn't we go and check on them?" The former ghost pointed out.

"No. Who are you to tell me what to do? I'm only here because of you!" Wendy replied.

"You chose to hel-"

"I only chose to make sure you weren't killing anyone whilst we were gone!"

"We?"

"Well, it would have been a 'we' if it wasn't for you!"

"Oh really?"

Chara had stood up, causing her to look over Wendy and that in turn made a scowl on the girl's usually laid back expression. She stood up so fast that the younger didn't have a chance to comprehend that she had to move out the way. There was a soft bonk as head hit nose, causing Chara to stumble back clutching the bridge of her nose and Wendy to curse, applying pressure to her head.

"You have a hard nose." She commented quite bluntly, and Chara giggled slightly at the statement. "What's so funny?" Wendy sneered as the other put her hand up in fake-surrender.

"Nothing, nothing." She sighed, adding a muffled "Jeez." at the end.

There was a long awkward pause as both females were weighing their options: should they sit and argue, go check on Dipper, Mabel and Soos or have a fight? By process of elimination they decided that sitting (or a fight, as much as both hated to admit it) wouldn't be for the best.

The two came to a mutual agreement by the sheer force of eye contact. Each nodded, for once not arguing, and walking up to the shack where the others were battling Oka. It was too quiet for anything interesting to be happening, though.

Chara was just about to peek in through the window before being shoved back into a tree by Wendy.

"What if she spots you, idiot?"

"Awww, you care about me!" Chara cooed, causing Wendy's face to go red from both anger and embarrassment.

"Psh. You wish. It's only that if she spots you then she knows I'm here too!" The redhead scoffed, recovering quickly.

"Mhmm." Chara smirked. She stood up from her leaning position and went to look in again. When Wendy got in the Fallen Child's way, she explained: "If Oka was trying to fight then there'd be much more noise." Wendy rolled her eyes but stepped to the side, allowing Chara to look.

A strange sight was spread in front of her.

The first thing she noticed was that the only source of light was coming from the candles. She felt her eyes drift to where Oka... was sat up asleep. She was hunched over, but sat up nonetheless, and cross-legged. This made her intrigued as to what the others were doing, whether they did this or-

Her thoughts were cut short when she noticed the others. Soos was slumped against the corner, Mabel was sprawled on the ground like a starfish and Dipper was in fetal position. Everyone in the room had a common thing: they were all unconscious.

Chara was pushed out the way when Wendy decided to look too. The redhead stared for a moment before turning and batting the air next to her right ear backwards. "Nope. I'm done."

Chara smirked and followed her quietly. The sat in the clearing they had been sitting in previously and the younger climbed up on the tree once more.

"I can still see you."

"Are we really doing this again?"

---

Dipper begun to approach Oka in the open courtyard. She stared right through him, but what did he expect? He was clearly in the vision and he couldn't alter the past, even if he wanted to. However, as he approached Oka, it seemed as though his walking became slower, despite the fact he was walking at the same speed. As he contemplated what was going on, he noticed that as he got closer to Oka, the surroundings around him changed.

First, the sky began to grow darker as clouds began to cover the sky. Then, the students began to fade from view. The heat of the sunny day began to leave, replaced by a soft, yet chilly breeze. When he was about halfway to Oka, that's when he began to freak. The students in the courtyard were replaced with puddles of blood, trailing throughout the courtyard. There was not a body in sight, however. The windows the cherry trees began to lose their blossoms. The windows of the school suddenly had splatters of blood.

Trying not to panic, he kept his focus on Oka. As the surroundings changed, Oka began to change in appearance too. Her school uniform was stained red. Her head would occasionally twitch, making her seem insane. And yet, her expression stayed the same. Sadness... there was no fear, just a deep seated sadness. Her eyes, though dark, reflected the red all around her. She didn't move. Not one bit. She was a statue, watching with blind eyes.

Dipper paused when he stood right in front of her. It was unnerving, having a teen stare right through him. It was like he wasn't there. In a way, he wasn't, but it didn't stop him from feeling uneasy. Finally, he reached her.

"What do you want me to see?" He asked as he put out a hand to touch her arm.

Suddenly, his surroundings changed. In shock, he jumped back from Oka, only to see she wasn't where she was previously. It was dark. As he looked around, he realized that nothing was there. Nothing except for a beat-up and bleeding Oka, lying on the ground 10 feet from him. As he approached, he noticed the amount of blood pooling around her. It was too much. No one could lose that much and live.

However, her eyes opened. Dipper kept his distance as the school girl, covered in her own blood, got up to her feet. She held a hand against her forehead, where a gash was. Across her stomach was a deep cut. It was where most of the blood was coming from. Dipper felt faint and his breathing grew quick. He tried to focus in her face, which was mostly unharmed, and not the rest of her body. It was gruesome how far deep that gash cut into her stomach.

Oka seemed to notice this and started to hyperventilate. She almost put her hand over her mouth before noticing it was stained red. She looked around her, tears beading in her eyes.

"Well, well, well." The voice seemed to come from everywhere. Dipper looked around him, but couldn't find the source. That is, until the glowing form of a triangle with thin legs and arms came into existence right in front of Oka. When the glowing subsided, what was left was a yellow triangle with a singular eye. On his head was a black top hat and in his hand was a cane. He floated off the ground rather than stand. He had no mouth, and yet he spoke. "If it isn't Pentagram."

Oka composed herself and the tears she had held back dissipated. "Cipher," she replied. "Where am I?"

The triangle, Cipher, tipped his hat to her. "Welcome to the In-Between of all dimensions! A good infinite steps to the west of the Void. I took the privilege to bringing you here after you perished from the wounds Lovesick gave ya!" He placed his hat back on his head, his eye widening. "Of course, where are my manners? Pull up an eye chair and we'll chat for a while. Be careful not to get blood on it. I just had it cleaned." The triangle snapped his fingers and suddenly, a chair made out of many different colored eyeballs appeared behind Oka. Another one appeared behind Bill. He immediately took a seat in it, leaning back in it.

Oka looked at it in disgust and backed away from it. "I-I think I'll stand."

"Suit yourself." Cipher snapped his fingers again and the chair disappeared.

Oka looked relieved at the fact she wouldn't have to sit on squishy eyeballs. "If you don't mind me asking, what business do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I have plans for you, Pentagram."

"Will you please stop calling me that?!" Oka yelled.

Cipher looked up at the nonexistent sky for a moment. "Hmmm... What about Oak Tree?" He said as a small silhouette of an oak tree appeared in his hand. Then, before Oka could say anything, he crushed the silhouette, creating the sound of a party horn. "Anyways, today's your lucky day."

"How so?" she asked, cautiously.

"You see, Oak Tree, I usually do favors for someone else, but this time, I'm asking you for a favor." He put out his hand and a cocktail glass appeared in it. Coincidentally, a strong smell of vinegar began to permeate throughout the area. "It's a big honor and I've chosen you!"

"And what will I get out of it?" Oka asked.

"Oh, aren't you a clever one? You sound like you've made a deal before."

Oka flinched. "...Only with you!"

"Of course, Oak Tree, only me," Bill replied condescendingly. "However, that never lasts long. Anyways, on to business!"

A table made out of arms rose up from the ground, causing Oka to move around uncomfortably. On its surface was a bunch of papers and a monocle. Bill was quick to pick up the monocle and start looking through the papers. However, when Dipper looked at Bill's eye through the monocle, he saw a different eye. It had a red iris and the whites of the eye were more red, full of pulsating arteries and veins. Dipper took a step back and decided to just look at the papers and the monstrous arm table.

"So according to this contract... let me see here," Bill said as he ripped the piece of paper in half and started looking at the thin side of the paper. Then, he threw it to the side, where it burst with a shriek into a geyser of blood. Some droplets of blood landed on Oka's already-bloody uniform. "Let me give it straight to you. I've grown rather bored in the In-Between of dimensions. I mean, there's too much space to stretch out! I want a reality to be confined to; a reality to make my own, to have fun!"

"And that's where you can help me! You see, I have found the perfect reality, but I can't get there," Bill explained.

Oka crossed her arms. "This is your prison."

"Oh please, Oak Tree. If this was a prison, I would've broken out of it by now," he answered, nonchalantly. "Anyways, I have made a friend with somebody in the Void and they have a plan that can get both of us into the same reality and you're the key!" An image of Oka appeared in his hands, which then shifted into the silhouette of a key.

"You haven't answered my question, Cipher," Oka said, impatiently. "What's your side of the deal? How do I benefit?"

"A VIP ticket to the party?" Bill replied, pushing across the arm table a golden ticket with an image of him on it, complete with a moving eye.

Oka picked it up cautiously, her eyes scanning over the words.

"Comes with benefits such as being alive," Bill paused, watching as Oka suddenly perked up. "There's also the chance to start a new life in a new reality, making new friends, and being my right hand mortal. My companion, friend, compatriot, sister from another dimension, and many more titles than that."

"I can start over," she muttered, smiling a little. Then, she frowned.

"Yup! And in turn, when you are done with your meager existence or if your new life doesn't pan out the way you want it, you can bring me into that existence. I will spice it up a little. I was thinking free bottles of sparkly tarantulas instead of glitter."

"You're crazy," Oka uttered, though she didn't seem bothered by it.

"Aren't we all?" Bill stretched out his hand.

Dipper felt an urge to run or yell. This was too familiar. Chara had done the same thing, and yet she wasn't as crazy as this maniac. Had Oka gone blind? Was she out of her mind? She was across from Bill, smiling, holding the golden ticket in a firm grip. With the other hand, she reached out to grasp his hand.

"No, don't!" Dipper yelled. However, it was too late and he had no voice. Oka grabbed Bill's hand, which became surrounded in flames. The flames traveled up her arm and as it did, the wounds began to knit back together and her clothes mended themselves so they were clean and as good as new. Then, the darkness began to cloud Dipper's vision.

Suddenly, he was back in the room with the candles, a pentagram at his feet, and Oka in the middle of it. It was then he noticed his breathing was quick and shallow. He tried to steady himself, but he only found out he wasn't panicked. He was angry, full of pure fury. Now he knew why she was doing this. This was because he had decided not to be friends with her.

"That's it?!" He shouted, glaring at Oka. "You decide to take a deal from a demon. I can understand that mistake. I can even decide to partner up with the demon that hurt me, but causing the end of the world because I didn't want to be friends with you?! That's what ruined your life?! You had the chance to make other friends. You had the chance to apologize, but no! You took the coward's way and now, the end of the world could happen any moment because of you. You're so... so... CHILDISH! You're 18!"

"GROW THE HELL UP!" The words were out before Dipper could fully realize what he said. It took a moment longer to realize that something else had happened. A wave of red energy had burst out from him like a shockwave. When it hit the walls, it created cracks in them like glass, revealing Mabel to the right of him and Soos to the left. They were both in white rooms, though there was nothing else in those rooms... at least, not anymore.

Mabel ran up to the wall. "Dipper! What happened?!"

"Uh... dudes?" Soos' scared voice drew Dipper's attention. Looking at Soos, he noticed that he was pointing towards where the pentagram was.

Upon turning towards the pentagram, Dipper's eyes widened as Mabel gasped. Oka had been knocked to the ground, leaving only one candle, upright and on fire. The other two had been knocked aside. As Oka stood up, she turned towards Dipper, her eyes full of fury. Her hair was a mess, making her look more manic.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Her voice boomed throughout the room, as if she were a giant demon. Dipper huddled against the wall where his sister was, as if it would save him from the terror.

Oka's eyes darted from wall to wall, noticing Mabel and Soos. Her body seemed to get larger, her hair growing more manic. Her hands became like scythes before she towered above them all. Her uniform turned into a black as dark as pitch, becoming a death shroud. Her eyes glossed over, leaving her eyes a glowing purple with no iris or pupil. When her transformation was complete, she was as tall as a mountain and she glared at the three of them with fury.

Her mouth opened to reveal teeth as sharp as daggers.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

---

Chara was always restless. It was what made her DETERMINED. As much as she needed to sit idly by and scan the area, she found herself growing increasingly bored and burning with the desire to do something. She held it at bay by snapping a twig from the tree she was on. Inspecting it, she summoned her red knife and began to sharpen it to a brutal point. Wood shavings fell from her blade and onto the ground.

Wendy seemed to watch Chara more than the shack. She couldn't say she blamed Wendy. It was just that her fury towards Chara was becoming hard to work around. They needed both eyes from the sky and eyes from the ground. However, her fury was entertaining in a way. Chara had learned to enjoy the glares of passersby when she was a child. It meant they were afraid of her potential, and she used it as leverage against her bullies.

"They sure are taking their sweet time," Wendy muttered. "How long does this usually take?"

Chara didn't even turn her head towards her. "Wow. You actually ask for my opinion on something?"

"Don't let it get to your head," Wendy retorted. "Just answer the question, before I regret asking you anything."

Thinking, Chara stopped whittling and looked up at the sky. "Depends on who's head they enter and how long it takes for them to figure it out." Then, she turned towards Wendy with a grin. "Why? You tired of me?"

"If it were my choice, I wouldn't have even brought you along," Wendy said.

"Hey, why do you think I tried to make you stay at the Shack? I was SPARING you from the pain that is me." Chara was frowning, no longer finding this conversation pleasurable.

Wendy stood up from where she sat with her axe in hand, glaring at the child. "And leave you alone with the Pines Twins and Soos after what you did?"

Anger began to show on Chara's face. "I said I was sorry!"

"Sorry may be good enough for Dipper and Mabel, but it's not good enough for me!" Wendy replied.

Chara stood up on her branch with her knife in hand, dropping the piece of wood on the ground beneath her. "Ohhhh... So it's a personal score." She leaned up against the trunk of the tree. She crossed her arms with her knife in plain view. "What was it? Was it your leg? I broke it, didn't I?"

"It's not because you broke my leg." Wendy found herself on the verge of losing it.

"Of course not. Why did I suggest your leg?" Chara jumped down from her branch and, like a cat, landed gracefully on her feet. She stood directly across from Wendy. Reflexively, the teen readied her axe. Chara began to walk slowly in a circle nonchalantly, with Wendy walking to remain across from her, always facing her. "Was it because I almost killed your employer? Didn't want to go job hunting, huh?"

"He's not just an employer!" Wendy shouted. "It's because you almost killed my friends! You almost killed Sans! You almost killed Mabel! Dipper was unconscious for days because of you! Nobody should have to face the thought of losing a friend!"

"Oh, but I've seen the Code of Existence, Wendy. Maybe I only glanced over it, but one thing stuck out when I read about you." Chara walked straight up to Wendy. Her smirk was long gone, a look of DETERMINATION replacing it. Wendy readied herself as they stood face-to-face. Chara stopped within arms-length. When the kid spoke, it was quieter. "You have faced death before what happened and you felt helpless against it. So when the thought of losing another person close to you rears its ugly head, you take action against it, even if-"

Wendy's fist connected with Chara's face. The child fell to the floor, holding her nose. Chara opened her eyes and brought her hands up to see. Streaks of red blood covered them from where she wiped her nose. Despite this, she wasn't phased by the blood's appearance. She wasn't scared of blood or guts or gore. Wiping her nose with her sleeve, now covered with dirt as well as blood, she looked up at Wendy.

"Get up, you creep!" The teen shouted above her. Her eyes seemed to be filled with rage and... something else. It looked like Wendy's eyes were on the verge of glowing, only limited by the fact she was not properly exposed to monster magic. "Get up and fight me."

Chara couldn't help but smile. It was the small things that made her smile. This smile was because she was curious about something and she may get answers soon. She stood up. She was unarmed for now. When her concentration was broken by the punch, her weapon had evaporated into thin air. Still, even when she looked Wendy in the eyes, who was brandishing an axe, she couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but play her part.

"That was a pretty fast attack," Chara said, wiping the last bit of blood from her nose onto her hand. "Maybe you're a warm color trait. They're usually quick on the draw."

"Stop analyzing me!" Wendy shouted, bring her axe up. "Fight me, one-on-one, for Dipper and all the other people you wronged!"

"Fighting for a cause! Maybe you are JUSTICE," Chara thought outloud, summoning a red knife while she was talking. "PATIENCE is another option. You did wait patiently until I approached you. But then again, you are goading me to fight you, so you might be-"

"STOP TALKING!" Wendy slashed her axe towards Chara's left side.

Chara was able to duck beneath the axe head. However, Wendy switched hands mid-swing in order to swing the other way and hit her right side. This time, the child stepped back. "Can you try not to yell? Oka might hear us," she said, giving a sly smile.

Frustrated, Wendy swung down towards Chara's head. The child swung her knife above her head, creating a wall of energy that held the axe in place. "Trying to harm a child? You could've killed me. Shame on you."

"You didn't go easy on us! We were unarmed, so why should I go easy on you?" Wendy countered through gritted teeth. She continued to hold her axe, watching Chara through the red-tinted wall of energy.

Chara shrugged. "Fair enough."

Cracks began to appear in the red wall. Finally, with the sound of shattering glass, the axe broke through the barrier. Chara quickly moved to the right of the axe, causing the axe to embed itself into the ground. Wendy let go of her axe for a moment and threw her fist at her opponent's chin. The child bent backwards as if doing the limbo, avoiding the hit. Kneeling close to the ground, Chara swung her leg, hitting Wendy in the shin before standing up again.

The teen cursed under her breath as she rubbed her leg. Chara walked around her cautiously.

"Give up?"

Wendy let out a laugh as she grabbed the handle of her axe and pulled it out the of ground. "After what you just did? Never!"

Chara frowned, surprising Wendy. Where was the smirk? Where was the snappy retort? Where was the witty response? What surprised her more was when the red knife disappeared from the child's hand. "Suit yourself," Chara said sadly. Was it just Wendy, or did she sound... sincere?

Did this mean they were going to fight without weapons? Wendy carefully placed her axe against the trunk of the tree behind her, not once turning away from Chara. Then, she brought up her hands, clenched into fists. Chara simply stood there, watching her.

Wendy rushed towards Chara, drawing upon every ounce of fury. Two fists flew through the air. Wendy's first punch missed the child, Chara dodging by moving and turning so that her left side was facing Wendy. However, the second punch had correctly guessed that action and hit her in the arm. The blow threw her against the tree, a red shield-like aura appearing around her before disappearing.

Chara kicked up her leg, but Wendy stepped to the right, dodging the attack. Then, she grabbed the child's leg. With strength she had built up during apocalypse training, she swung Chara to the right of her, sending her opponent sprawling on the ground. Again, the shield-like aura appeared. Chara stood up, her nose beginning to bleed again. This time, she balled her hands into fists and stood in a fighting stance. A fair fight. Exactly as Wendy liked it.

Chara rushed towards Wendy. Though she didn't have Wendy's strength, she did have dexterity. Dodging Wendy's punches, she slid underneath her opponent before punching the teen in the back. It wasn't a hard punch, but it did shock Wendy. It shocked her into submission.

Using Chara's trick against her, Wendy spun around with her leg out, knocking the child to the ground. Then, she punched Chara. With the fury that was left within her, she continued punching her. Each blow hit made the red aura appear, but it continued to dim until it shattered, much like her wall of magic before. It wasn't long until bruises began to appear and blood began to stream from Chara's nose.

And yet, despite all of this, Chara was calm, and somehow, that made Wendy's fury dissipate, only to be replaced by curiosity. Eventually, her hits slowed and she found herself readying to lunch again when she stopped. The quiet was deafening.

"Why?" Wendy finally asked.

"Why what?" Despite her question, Chara did not look surprised.

"Why are you holding back? I have seen how you fight, Chara, and you were not this weak before, even without your magic."

Chara sighed. "Why should I fight back when you're right?" Her eyes avoided Wendy's gaze as she spoke. "Sorry can't make up for what I did to you. To all of you."

"So you just let me beat you up because I'm right?" Wendy replied, bewildered and shocked.

"Hey, if people were actually honest with themselves, we all need a beating sometimes," Chara replied, indignantly. "At least I'm honest enough to allow someone else to beat me up." The child paused for a bit, smiling sincerely a little. "Do you at least feel slightly better?"

Wendy let in a deep breath and then let it out. Then, she dropped her fist. "Yeah. I guess I do," she admitted. She sat down in the dirt, allowing Chara to sit up and wipe the blood from her nose on her sleeve. They sat in silence for a while, but this silence felt different. It wasn't full of bickering or silent arguments, nor was it full of ill will or tension. For once, the two girls were able to breathe easily without being at each other's throats. Wendy was the first to speak.

"How did you know about my mother?"

"I told you," Chara replied, pressing on one of her bruises. "I briefly looked at your Code."

Wendy paused, looking down at her shoes. "And this... 'Code'... does it dictate everything we do in our past, present, and future?"

"Yes and no. The Code shaped us when we were first made, but not... not now. It may dictate our environment, but now, we write our own Code, our own future. The Code only gave us the events that happen around us," Chara explained.

This relieved Wendy. She didn't want her whole life to be dictated by a bunch of code. What was she, a video game character? She was in control of her own life, and yet the answer brought up one question. "So, if it only details events, how did you know... well, everything?"

Chara was silent for a while, looking down at her shoes, then looking at her blood-covered sleeve. "I confess that I only knew your mother passed away. The rest... I... I was mostly speaking from experience." The child paused again, gathering her thoughts and feelings. She brought her legs close to her and hugged them. Wendy watched, intrigued by what she was going to say.

"My mother died when I was born. Everyone was scared of me because of my eyes. I was bullied, shunned, you name it. The only person who cared was my father. My treatment would've been way worse if it weren't for him. He was the only human person I cared about. When he died, I felt so guilty... It was somehow my fault. There must've been something I could've done."

"I ran from the orphanage about a year after that and I came across my new monster family. It was then I knew that I would do anything for them. Even if it meant I had kill to save my brother from humans."

"But humans wouldn't kill your brother," Wendy protested. However, when she saw Chara's face, full of grief, her eyes widened. "No. They didn't!"

Chara lowered her head. "Humans fear what they don't understand. It was that fear that killed my brother, and it was all my fault."

"I'm so sorry," Wendy said, honestly.

The child shrugged. "It's all in the past now and I have to move on despite my past actions." Suddenly, Chara's face went white and her eyes widened. "And speaking of moving on, we're going to have to wake up these guys and get away from here, or else we are really going to be hating life."

Wendy turned to see she was staring at the shack. However, the light from inside was now red. The light flickered more like a raging fire and shadows danced across the walls. "What does that-?"

"It means Oka knows what they are doing!" Chara replied, running back to the unconscious bodies of Soos, Mabel and Dipper.

"Well, just wake them up!" Wendy urged as she ran up beside Chara.

"I can't. The spell makes it so that only under very specific circumstances can they wake up," the child replied.

"What sort of circumstances?"

"The type that alerts Oka to our presence, such as a loud, earsplitting noise or the type that knocks Oka out of her trance. Then, we're toast! That, or they wake up on their own."

Wendy put her hands to her head. "They must be in trouble if Oka knows they're in her mind. We have to do something."

"Wait! I have an idea, but you're not going to like it," Chara said.

"Why not?" Wendy replied.

"It requires you to trust me."

Wendy looked at the shack, its red hot flames dancing inside. Then, she looked at her friends, knocked out cold and in danger. She couldn't just sit there and do nothing! She had to do something to save them! And if that meant trusting a demon girl... well, I guess she wasn't technically a demon anymore, so that meant she wasn't making a deal with a demon to save her friends. She couldn't believe she was doing this, and yet, she felt sure of her decision.

"What's the plan?"

---

Oka's hands swung down through the air, making a loud whistling sound- well, loud considering that the room's occupants was silent. Time seemed to slow down as everyone watched the heavy limbs sail through the air and cut through the quiet, making Dipper's ears ring. There was a loud crash and a 'poomf' as her scythe-arms crashed into the ground, causing a dent in the floor that separated Mabel and Dipper- although it was wide and deep enough to be considered a trench. The boy's eyes followed the scythe as it swiped across the ground, still digging and making a final gash that separated Soos from him and Mabel.

Dipper's survival instincts kicked in as his eyes darted around his corner, looking for some sort of weapon or defense- even something like a block of wood would suffice. But alas, the only viable weapon there was Oka herself.

'Think, think, think!' Dipper scorned himself mentally, trying to remember at least one useful thing he had read before, whether he read it in the library or journals. 'Now is not the time to forget something!' he almost kicked himself to get himself to remember anything vital or key to solving the issue at hand. Oh- wait! He remembered he had read somewhere that, in a person's mind, you could summon something. It was quite vague- the instructions, of course- and he had only read it once, not thinking he would use it, so all he could do was hope.

Dipper tried to summon a weapon in any way he could think of- imagining he was holding them, thinking about them- everything. But... it wasn't working...? Did that chapter have anything-

Oh.

This was a hostile mind. He had also read that, in that type of mindset, it was impossible to summon anything. No matter your-

"DIPPER!"

He was brought back to reality with a scream. Mabel's scream.

The boy glanced up just in time to see a scythe shape hurtling towards him at seventy miles an hour. He only just had time to dodge, skidding onto the ground as it slammed into the ground. The momentum made Dipper bounce up in his place, and his thoughts became scattered once more.

Oka roared, and her voice was much deeper as it echoed around the room, giving it ambiance.

Dipper could feel the beginning of a plan start to form in the back of his mind, trying not to get hit with the schoolgirl's scythe a second time as it crashed right next to him, making the boy slide across the ground to the very edge of the trench.

WOAH!

Wait, hold on a second!

Since when was the gash in the ground filled with lava?!

"Like what I did to the place?" Asked a booming, deep yet feminine voice, sounding like it had gone to the pits of hell and back. "It was to make sure you don't try anything, Dipper. Oh, but don't worry! You'll be gone eventually, so there's no point to be upset about it!" Oka giggled, sending a shiver down Dipper's back. It sounded so maniacal yet sweet, deep yet high-pitched. It was just... creepy.

The lava bubbled, seeming to light up absolutely nothing in the room yet be able to blind you at the same time. The trench's edges loomed dangerously over the lava and it seemed to crumble slightly, making Dipper jump up just as Oka decided to swing again.

His feet left the ground with the extra push Oka's attack gave him, making him go much higher than just a few centimeters this time.

The plan that was just in the making a second ago came barreling to the front of his head as Dipper landed with a thud onto the ground. He shuffled onto the edge of his corner, getting ready to jump...

Oka swung yet again at him, but this time Dipper was ready. He pushed himself off the trench's mini-cliff just as the scythes slammed down. He sailed through the air, landing smoothly with a roll and a small 'puff' sound, scrambling next to Mabel.

Oka did not like this. Not at all.

Her unnerving voice giggled, before turning into maniacal laughter. There was no longer a sweet side to it, no longer a deep echo. That just made it all the more creepy.

The laughter- If you could even call it that- turned into a roar as Oka swung her scythe down, aiming for Soos, with the handyman looking up in terror.

The first swing aimed horizontally, going for his neck. He ducked, avoiding it, and the schoolgirl was not afraid to hide her anger.

"YOU IDIOT! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" She roared, giggling all the while. Oka was really going crazy.

The weapon in her hand swung down yet again, this time aiming for the ground to, put simply, saw Soos in half.

Soos scrambled to the edge and did as Dipper did, pushing off the edge whilst looking down at he ground to the lava to Oka, who had... a grin on her face?

The handyman's landing wasn't so smooth, as he was distracted by the look in Oka's eyes.

It was... triumphant?

Soos crawled over to where the Pine twins were sat, seeing a look in Dipper's face that he did not like the look of.

Regret.

'How could he not have seen this coming?! This was obviously Oka's plan all along!' Dipper yelled at himself, biting his tongue. It was so obvious now! The way she timed her hits with his jumps... how she only aimed for him- she knew he would get the plan... heck, even the fact that the lava made you jump higher was another piece of evidence this was all planned!

"You know, I thought separating would be better... but all of you together just makes this EASIER!" The demonic girl screeched, swinging her weapon at the group, aiming right for their torso.

"There's nowhere left to run!"

Suddenly, the entire room shook. Oka's look of triumph changed to one of horror. She watched as the white room of her mind cracked. Her form began to flicker between her monstrous form and that of her normal form.

"No! Not now! I'm not done!" Then, with a shriek, she became her normal self, collapsing to the ground.

"What's happening?!" Mabel yelled out.

"I don't know, dudes, but I don't like how the floor is shaking," Soos replied, before he fell to the ground. When he sat up, his eyes widened. "Look! The last candle!"

Dipper turned towards where Soos was pointing. There was the candle with the word, Regret. Without thinking, he got up and ran towards the candle, pausing occasionally when the tremors almost threw him off balance. When he finally reached the candle, he tried to knock over the candle.

However, a force prevented him, acting like a wall. He held his hand in pain. This was when he realized the truth: they had failed. The ritual wasn't prevented. It was simply on pause. And, he couldn't help but feel like it was his fault.

"You will never stop it!" Oka said, giving a sly smirk. "I will receive my reward. It doesn't matter if I am in jail. I will win!"

Before Dipper could respond, Oka let out a shriek that caused Mabel, Dipper, and Soos to cover their ears. At the same time, the entire world went white.

---

"Dipper! Wake up!"

Dipper felt the cold ground against his body. He realized he was no longer in the blank room of Oka's mind. He opened his eyes, feeling groggy despite what he had been through in the Mindscape. His eyes met Chara's, who was leaning over him and had previous shook him away. She stood up as he sat up. Suddenly, his head ached and he put a hand to his head.

"Good. You're awake," Chara said, sounding relieved. "I'm going to wake the others."

"Already up." Mabel sounded sick when she spoke, holding her head in her hands. She was sitting up, but it was clear it would take a few seconds for her to feel better from the experience.

Soos had also sat up. He seemed more active than Dipper or Mabel. "Dudes, what just happened?" He asked, looking at Dipper, Mabel, and Chara.

Despite her concern earlier, Chara smiled. "You should see for yourself." She pointed towards the direction of the shack.

It was then that Dipper realized a couple of things. For one, the weather was no longer as bad. It was now partly cloudy, instead of the storm that used to be above them. The second thing he noticed was the sirens, almost like a police siren. It seemed to come from the shore.

Partially confused, the three of them stood beside Chara and looked at the hut. Outside the hut was Wendy. She had a big smirk on her face and her arms were crossed. She was looking at the door of the shack, which was slightly ajar. Before anyone could ask any questions, Oka came out of the shack with an angry expression on her face. Behind her was Undyne, in her human form and in her police uniform. Oka was handcuffed and Undyne forced her hands behind her back.

"Oka Ruto, you are under arrest for using dark magic, a law that has been in the books since Gravity Falls was founded," Undyne said, bringing up Oka's book. "Anything you say can and will be used against you."

Oka glared at Wendy. "You! You may think you've had your day," she said, before smiling. "This is only the beginning! The ritual has already been set in motion. I will have my day!"

"Sure you will," Wendy replied. "and I will become the Queen of England."

"My only regret is that I will be in prison when Bill tears your world apart," Oka responded.

"That's enough out of you. I am taking you back to the station, along with this book," Undyne said, before turning to Wendy with a smile. "Thank you for telling me about this ritual, Wendy. Tell the Pines I say hi." With that, Undyne walked down the path with Oka, the two glaring at each other as they went to the police boat.

"Wendy!" Dipper shouted happily as he walked towards the shack. The teen smiled as he approached, Chara, Mabel, and Soos in tow. "You brought the police?"

Wendy leaned against the shack, smiling. "Well, it was technically Chara's idea," she said, nodding at the ex-demon. Chara nodded back with a small smile.

"Dude, you actually worked with Chara?" Soos asked, shocked.

"Last time we saw you two, you were at each other's throats," Mabel added.

Wendy shrugged. "Well, we saw that you three were in trouble and she came up with an idea I thought might actually work," the teen explained with a confident yet laidback smile. "She would watch over you three while I went to get Undyne. Apparently, Chara knew of a law against dark magic and I thought it was worth a shot."

"What about your mission?" Chara asked, causing Dipper to turn towards her.

Dipper's smile disappeared as he stared at his feet. Mabel suddenly wanted to look at the woods instead of the people in front of her. Soos put his hand on his other arm, which was at his side. Wendy's expression was one of confusion, unsure of why the three looked so uneasy and ashamed. A look of concern crossed Chara's face as she stared at Dipper.

"We failed," Dipper muttered softly as Chara's eyes widened. "We were two-thirds of the way through and then... I jeopardized the spell. I just got so angry with Oka, I just..." His words trailed into silence.

Chara seemed to process this for a moment in silence. "It's okay." she said softly, before lifting her head up. "We may not have stopped the ritual completely, but we have delayed its effects."

She began to pace back and forth. "The ritual was meant to weaken the barrier to our realm and call demons here. We managed to stop it, but not completely," Chara thought out loud. Then, she stopped her pacing. "There is a way we can turn this around."

"How?" Dipper asked, advocating for the whole group.

"We prepare," she replied. "We do not yet know the full extent of its effects, now that it is only partially completed. Best case scenario, it has only weakened the barrier slightly and as long as we don't attract anymore attention, the demons will not notice. Worst case scenario, we have delayed the inevitable. Either way, we can prepare ourselves. Find out more about what Oka was doing, and it starts here at her shack."

"Start looking!" Chara ordered. Wendy and Soos, with DETERMINED looks, went into the shack to search first. Dipper, however, stayed outside with Mabel by his side. Despite wanting to go inside, Chara noticed and turned around.

"I really screwed everything up," Dipper said. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at Oka."

Chara shook her head. "Dipper, you have a right to be mad," she said reassuringly. "You have the right to be mad at me and you have the right to be mad at Oka. The truth is, I don't know if partially stopping the ritual was enough. For all we know, the effects of the dark magic would've been the same if we had fully stopped the ritual."

"You shouldn't blame yourself either way, Dipper," the Fallen Child continued. "Regret will not undo the past. It is how you move forward that makes the difference."

Dipper nodded, though he wasn't entirely sure about Chara's advice. There was something that bothered him about what happened in the Mindscape. How did his anger cause what had happened? If he was in a hostile mind, he couldn't have brought it into existence through his imagination. Besides, he didn't even think to bring anything into existence! He was just yelling!

And those red shockwaves... Those couldn't have come from him, could it?

Mabel sighed. "I guess Alex isn't here," she said sadly. "Where could he be?"

Chara turned towards Mabel. "I can look for him," she replied, causing Dipper to give her a questioning look. "If his disappearance is related to Oka, he might have clues as to what else she has been doing."

"Chara," Mabel said. She paused for a moment. Chara looked uncertain, as if she sensed what Mabel was about to say, but was unsure how to feel about it. Mabel smiled a little. "Thank you."

Chara's cheeks went red as her uncertain look was replaced with bewilderment. Her tough and mysterious exterior fell away for a moment. She put a hand to her mouth as she cleared her throat and with that, her bewildered expression and the red on her cheeks were gone. "You're welcome," she responded, trying to look indifferent.

"Dudes, look what I found!" Soos yelled, coming out of the shack. In one hand was what looked like a metal case and in the other was a bunch of crumpled papers. However, he soon put it to the side and opened it, revealing it to be a laptop. He pressed the on button and soon, the screen was filled with strange looking symbols. Most were of hand positions. Others looked like mailboxes. However, when the laptop fully powered up, there was only one word: PASSWORD.

"Oka had a laptop?" Mabel asked.

"Naw, dude," Soos replied, giving some of the papers to the three of them. "It looks like Oka was looking for a password. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't think her name was G." He pointed at one of the pieces of paper. Written there, circled, was "G's Computer - Who was G?"

Dipper looked at the computer. Despite being old, it seemed to be quite advanced for its time when it was made. Why did Oka want to access this computer? Did Bill tell her to take it? It had to be. Why would she take it and try to find the password when she didn't even know who this mysterious G was? Something in his gut told him this computer was connected with the Journal. It was just a hunch, but whether it was connected to the Journal or not, he had to find out what Oka was planning.

He took the laptop from Soos and closed it, ready to take it home. "Looks like I have some work to do."

---

The storm seemed to stop swirling over Scuttlebutt Island. It was a sign. A sign that Oka was captured. However, she had played her part beautifully. On the day Bill Cipher finally comes into this reality again, she will not be forgotten. She will receive her reward, even if it didn't seem like it.

Now, it was Alex's turn to play his part.

The thing that possessed Alex commanded his every move, his every step. Every thought now belonged to the demon. Alex was still in there, though he was unconscious, as if in a dream. Oh, Alex still had a part to play in all of this. That was why he wasn't killed, after all. The demon simply used his body to serve Oka. However, Oka had failed to remember that the demon was a servant only to one, and their master wasn't a teenage girl.

Alex's body walked through the forest, hunched over to hide his face. The demon knew exactly where to go, following the dirt trail before them. They only stopped when the dirt trail led into a clearing. Though the trail continued through the forest, the demon went into the clearing. Carefully, they pulled away the branches and bushes that were at the edge of the clearing until it revealed what they had come there for.

It was a half-buried statue, a remnant of a forgotten age. An age that the demon eagerly awaited to return. The statue was of a triangle-shaped demon, stretching out his arm. A simple statue, but it was the key.

The demon smiled, Alex's mouth parting to reveal sharp teeth and glowing pink eyes. Sure, the demon was going back to the void, but it wouldn't be for long. The next time they came back, they would have their own body, rather than possess a simple human. Then, they would come into this universe with their master.

With a monstrous laugh, the demon put out Alex's hand and shook the hand of the statue. The statue's hand began to glow yellow. The entire world began to freeze, and as the demon inside Alex laughed, another laugh joined theirs.

The demon who owned that laugh began to take control of Alex's body, causing Alex's eyes to change from pink to slightly bulging eyes with rectangular pupils. The demon, Bill Cipher, finally had another human to play with.

"It's great to be back!"

---

TBIZLJB YXZH, H&*$. F JFPPBA VLR.

---

A/N: Thank you for your patience, everyone. I am awfully sorry this took so long. I will try not to take as long in the future, but I had some family emergencies come up after I said I thought I was in the clear.

I promise you that I will continue to write this story. I will make it my responsibility to tell you if I ever abandon this story, but at this point, I'm all in, and if all goes right, there will never come a point where I will abandon SANS-ational Tale. I will STAY DETERMINED because I know all of you are supporting me. I love you all and if you ever want to talk to me, please PM me. I don't bite.

Until next time!