"Okay, Mabel. Once this potion is done, we can finally find out what happened to everyone at Gravity Falls and maybe even speak to them whenever we want" said Dipper in a serious tone as he held a purple potion in his hands before turning to Mabel who looked distracted as she knitted a colorful spidersilk sweater using 4 giant spider legs that sprouted from her back "Mabel, are you listening?"
The twins were now talking in front of their lockers in the halls of Hexside
"Y-yeah! I'm just..." said Mabel in a worried tone as she caressed her arm "nervous"
"Don't worry, I'm sure everything's gonna be okay" Dipper reassured Mabel softly "they're not gonna hate us or something"
"But what if things changed, we've been gone for who knows how long! They got older and what if...what if-" said Mabel worriedly as she sat on the floor before Dipper cut her off and placed a hand on her shoulder
"Look, it's just gonna be a peek. We can decide whether to talk to them or not after, okay?" Said Dipper with a reassuring smile as Waddles climbed unto Mabel's lap
A small smile made it's way unto Mabel's face, but before she could say anything the principal's voice was heard all over the school
"Teachers and all students from the bard, oracle, potions and beast keeping tracks, please head to the grudgby field at once"
Dipper and Mabel went to silent for a few seconds before Mabel decided to ask
"Huh? Wonder what that's about?" Said Mabel as she tilted her head in curiosity
"I guess we should go find out" said Dipper as he scratched his head a little
"Yeah...do you think they'll let me wear this sweater there?" Asked Mabel, holding the colorful spidersilk sweater as got up from the ground
"Definitely not" replied Dipper
"Eh, i'll just tie it around my waist" Mabel shrugged before she did as she said before she and Dipper went to the grudgby field
Where they'll meet a new face.
"Hello, everyone." Said Principal Bump as he stood on the podium "you may be wondering why i brought you all here"
Dipper and Mabel sat next to each other as they listened to Bump before they heard a familiar voice
"Ooh, an empty seat next to my dear Mabel" said Carwyn cheerfully before he tried to down only for Mabel to grow a spiky tail and coiling it on top of the seat next to her "ooh, i like-
The tail quickly sprouted fire breathing snakes, making Carwyn leave...after caressing one of the snakes while saying "beautiful"
After Carwyn left, the twins refocused on the Principal
"-a young member of the emperor's coven is coming to study the magic of your tracks at Hexside" said Bump calmly "now, let me introduce...Frida Wayward!"
(Yes, her name is a pun)
Soon, a 13 year old girl with pale white skin, blood red eyes and pitch black hair braided in a ponytail that went over her shoulder. She was wearing a Hexside uniform that had white where the coven colors were. The girl also had the emperor's coven brand on her wrist
"I hope you all can give her a warm welcome" said Bump calmly "now, back to your classes!"
_-_-_
"Wow, I've never seen someone from the emperor's coven before." Said Mabel as she balanced herself on a tail she created "at least not without a mask"
Waddles oinked as he sat next to the twins
The twins were now getting ready for their lessons by grabbing their books...or Dipper's, Mabel's class didn't require books
"I thought the emperor's coven didn't have students?" Said Dipper, raising a brow as he got his books from his locker
"Well, let's hope she's a nice person. We already have enough mean girls" said Mabel frowning as Boscha and her friends passed by. Waddles oinked at that "good pig."
Then, soon after, the school bell rang and it was time to go to class
"Well, time to head to class. See you later bro-bro" said Mabel as she hopped unto her legs using her tail before heading to her class
"See ya" said Dipper, waving as he headed to his own class
Mabel quickly made her way to beast keeping class with Waddles in hand
"Okay, Waddles. It's time to take care of som-" said Mabel cheerfully as she opened the door to the Beast Keeping classroom "oh! It's you!"
In front of Mabel was a black haired red eyed girl, it was Frida Wayward, the student from the emperor's coven.
Mabel stared at the girl in front of her silently for a few long seconds and Mabel had to admit one thing...Frida was creepy; her eyes were scary to look at, they looked dead and not robot dead. It was as if someone sapped away all the joy, emotion and will from them
"Hello, I'm Mabel Clawthorne" said Mabel with a nervous smile, trying not to look at the eyes as she extended her hand "nice to officially meet you"
Frida didn't respond, she just stared at the hand silently as if studying it
"Uhh, you're supposed to shake my hand" said Mabel as shook her hand with a nervous smile
"Why?" Asked Frida emotionlessly as she tilted her head
Her voice made Mabel even more creeped out, it was so hollow and devoid of anything
"It's a greeting" said Mabel nervously as she asked her classmates for assistance
Her classmates gave her nervous shrugs of "i don't know"
"That's not what a greeting is" said Frida calmly
"Uhh, different culture? Totally get it" said Mabel awkwardly, trying to change the subject "let's just get to beast keeping"
And with that, they started class. Luckily it was one of the days where they just take care of beasts
_-_-_
Mabel was taking care of some beasts here and there when Waddles went for one of his usual strolls around the classroom
"Oh, hello, Waddles" said a student before petting Waddles
Waddles oinked before continuing his stroll, he went around the entire classroom...until he saw the girl with red eyes and black hair
He approached her, believing that she'd be nice like everyone here. He oinked as he stood in front of her
Frida quickly noticed Waddles and studied the pig silently, and after a few seconds she drew a red magic circle...that did nothing; she tried again...nothing
"Is my beast keeping magic so inadequate?" Asked Frida emotionlessly as she stared at Waddles
A student quickly noticed the stand off between Waddles and the new student and approached them
"Oh! That's just Waddles" said the student with a smile "he doesn't listen to anyone other than Mabel. As long as you don't bother him too much, he doesn't cause trouble"
After a few seconds of silence, Frida asked
"Mabel...the girl with the weird greeting?" asked Frida emotionlessly
"Uhh, yes." Said the student awkwardly "she's the top student in this track"
"I see" replied Frida calmly
"Yeah, she's also the certified strongest witchling here at school" said the student cheerfully "and possibly the boiling isles
Frida's ears perked as she heard that, "is that true?" she asked
The student confirmed it and Frida asked another student, she got the same answer
She then approached Mabel
"Mabel Clawthorne" said Frida in her usual emotionless tone, getting Mabel's attention "i challenge you to a duel"
Mabel almost vomited her insides in surprise
'You just don't get it, Dipper' said Mabel telepathically 'her eyes look so dead! And i died once!'
The twins were now at lunch discussing Mabel's interaction with Frida. Gus got sick and Willow volunteered to help him so it was just the twins
'And then she asked for a duel and i refused'
'Seems like you had a rough time' said Dipper telepathically as he held a potion in his hands 'well, i finished the scrying potion. We should be able to see into Gravity Falls soon'
'Great, another thing to worry about' said Mabel as she placed her head on the table
"Mabel Clawthorne, i challenge you to a duel" said a familiar voice, it was Frida...again
"Didn't i just refuse your previous challenge?" Asked Mabel nervously
"Yeah, and why do you want to fight her so bad for?" Asked Dipper raising a brow. He really understood what Mabel meant by dead eyes when he saw her face to face
"I'm supposed to be the best" said Frida emotionlessly "i want to fight her to make sure of that"
"Is that it? You just wanna embarrass her in front of a crowd?" Asked Dipper crossing his arms
"No, i never said anything about that" said Frida calmly "how did you come to such an unrealistic conclusion? I don't care about crowds, i want to defeat her"
Frida then took Dipper's scrying potion by force
"If you don't duel me, I'll destroy your brother's potion" said Frida emotionlessly "and i won't stop asking even if you refuse now"
Mabel groaned tiredly before she gave in. It was time for a duel
"But at least let us finish lunch first" said Mabel
Correction, the time for a duel was after lunch
_-_-_
"Okay, you two; make sure not to destroy school property, got it?" Asked Principal Bump in a serious tone and Mabel and Frida nodded
The two girls were now in an empty grudgby field, save for Dipper, and were ready to fight
"Let the duel begin" announced Bump
Frida's reaction was instantaneous. Several sharp spikes rose from the ground, attacking Mabel.
Mabel easily dodged and sprouted two large angelic looking wings from her back to fly around with. She then dropkicked Frida with her bear aura
Frida blocked some of the attack and some still hit her. She then summoned many vines to attack Mabel, one of which managed to grab her leg and threw her unto the ground before Frida fired a stream of frost at Mabel
Mabel covered herself in her bear aura and cut the vines before blocking the ice blast. After the blast was done, Mabel shivered at cold for a second before she got back to the fight
The duel went on with each one landing a hit every once in a while. The two fought until they became exhausted and that was when Mabel decided to end it
"I give up! You win!" Yelled Mabel "man, I'm tired"
Frida was confused, why would she simply...give up?...she still could've won...so why is she giving up?
"Why are you giving up?" Asked Frida in confusion
"I'm just not into it" said Mabel with a smile after blowing a raspberry before a spike of earth grew near her
"No, i need to prove that I'm better-"
"You already did, you're better than me at not giving up duels" said Mabel before making a run for it as she waved at Frida "byeeeee"
Frida just stood there...baffled and confused
Mabel just cheerfully left with Dipper. She learnt a lot from her great aunt and one of those lessons was that, sometimes violence is not the answer...only sometimes
_-_-_
"Okay, Mabel. Are you ready?" Asked Dipper in a serious tone
"Nope!" Replied Mabel
"Well, that makes two of us" said Dipper before he activated the scrying potion "let's do this"
When Dipper did his research for this potion, he learned of a substance called Titan's Blood; powerful enough to punch a hole through dimensions
But Dipper realized that they didn't need it, Gravity Falls was a weak part in the dimension and they weren't trying to cross from one place to the other, just spying. There was no need for Titan's Blood, just a lot of ingenuity; besides, Stan and Ford did it before without magic, why couldn't he?
The scrying potion quickly changed to familiar scenery, it was the mystery shack
With Grunkle Stan as Mr Mystery? Soos without Melody? Mcgucket without his sanity back?
"What the-" said Mabel in shock
"It's as if we went back in time" said Dipper curiously "wait, what about-"
Dipper quickly tried to get a peek at one specific place, a house in Piedmont, California. The cauldron rumbled as Dipper tried to get a better look
Mabel quickly realized what her twin was doing and stared intently at the cauldron
Suddenly, the cauldron exploded, but there was some left over on the floor of their room
The picture the potion showed was of a family...a father they knew, a mother they never saw in their lives, and a 12 year old twin brother and sister
At that moment, they realized that they were in a world where their parents never met
_-_-_
When making Firda, i decided we had enough mean girls and decided to have something different
she's someone who believes their only purpose is to be the best. she doesn't care about status, fame or anything other than her purpose and Mabel stood against that purpose. it was also the reason she joined the 4 tracks she did, it was the 4 she was the worst at
she is someone who doesn't even understand common social gestures and expressions because she hasn't been taught anything about social behavior other than to threaten when needed
she is someone who's emotions are so repressed because of her upbringing, she practically only shows gestures of confusion when she doesn't understand something
Toodles.