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Chapter 2 - Brother Talk

Gravity Falls was normally a small, quiet town where nothing much happened on a day-to-day basis.

Even after the chaos of Weirdmageddon at the end of August, that still held true. But now it just meant that people didn't stare at Sixer like he'd come out of a portal to a really weird dimension or something like that.

Honestly, those stares hadn't been far from the truth in the past, but at least they didn't step on eggshells around him.

"Quaint place," Axel commented as they walked down the street. "Do you know everybody in town?"

"Most everybody." Maria nodded across the street to a rather rotund-looking man in a red shirt. He took one look and scurried further down the street, causing her to frown. "Getting to know the people from Sixer's dimension has been…interesting. They're still adjusting to not being – well, where they were."

"That bad?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

Sixer's tails flicked. "Our dimension wasn't…exactly friendly to humans after a certain point. They were conscious for part of it, but not all."

"Oh, geez. Ouch." Axel looked sympathetic. "So, they were kept prisoner or something?"

Sixer looked across the street at some of the townsfolk. A woman with a lazy eye wearing a waitress outfit waved at them cheerily. "…something like that." He raised a hand and nodded a little at the woman, and she moved towards a log-looking building labeled "Greasy's Diner."

"That reminds me – don't ask too many questions about what happened." Maria looked at Axel and Roxas. "The town has a Never Mind All That Act where we're technically not supposed to talk about anything that people might find weird or strange. So…since you guys are from out of town…."

"We're not going to get any information on what happened from anyone here," Roxas finished.

Maria nodded. "Which, I mean…people are trying to move on? As big as that was, a lot more people would rather just…not think about it."

"If it's as bad as what happened to Sixer, I don't blame them for it," Axel commented. "At least things are back to normal, right?"

"As normal as they can get." Maria shrugged one shoulder. "Gravity Falls has all the strange mythical creatures and cryptids that the rest of the world doesn't. Like unicorns and stuff like that."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why are they here and not in the rest of the world?"

"Beats me." Maria shrugged. "Probably something to do with the location, if anything else. We could ask Stanford about it, but he would probably give a really in-depth lecture about it."

Roxas looked at Sixer and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head in reply.

"It's been…a long time since I looked closely at any research pertaining to the Theory of Weirdness Magnetism," Sixer said. "I've been spending time going over research that my counterparts have already done in order to get used to that mindset again."

Something flickered across Roxas' face, and he nodded.

They let the conversation turn to the town itself as Maria and Sixer led Axel and Roxas around, letting them have a look at the different buildings and chat with the locals. Most of them were cautious when talking to the keyblade users, but the teenagers opened up to them easily.

The fact that they knew Maria was probably what helped the most.

"I'm glad to see that what happened hasn't affected this place permanently," Roxas commented. He frowned. "However, they are aware that other worlds exist now. I'm not certain if this will have a positive effect in the future."

"What do you mean?" Sixer frowned.

"Keyblade wielders have this weird idea that you can't tell people you're from another world." Axel jabbed Sixer with an elbow to his side. "Something about keeping the worlds uncontaminated or from getting too power-hungry about other dimensions, I guess. I dunno."

"Should have thought of that when I first made contact with the demon," Sixer replied. "He was the one who got the idea into my head and exposed myself and my counterparts to the rest of the multiverse."

"Yeah; you'd have a hard time trying to find a way to keep that information under wraps." Maria glanced back as she led them up the hill towards the large mansion that overlooked the town. "Besides, the Never Mind All That Act would effectively keep people around here from talking about it anyway – multidimensional travel is involved in Weirdmageddon, so they don't like to talk about it very much."

"Even though there are five different versions of the same family living in the same building?" Axel looked surprised. "Yeesh."

"You would be hesitant to talk about it as well, if the most experience you had with it happened to alsobe directly involved with Weirdmageddon," Sixer pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah. Good point."

Roxas shook his head at Lea as they came up to the open main gates of the mansion. "Does a friend of yours live here?"

"Many, actually." Maria grinned. "The Gravity Falls of Sixer's dimension lives up here – they're the only case of doubles for the rest of the town, so they don't have anywhere else to stay at the moment. Fiddleford opened his mansion to them and said he's working on something that might be able to help."

"It's only been a week, however, so I don't expect that he's made it into the building stage yet," Sixer said.

"Would you call your friend a mad scientist?" Roxas asked.

Sixer blinked at the question, then glanced over at Maria as he responded. "Well, that…depends, I think. Fiddleford is very inventive and has built a large number of robotic contraptions over the years."

"So he's a mad mechanic," Axel amended. "Will we know him when we see him?"

"More than likely," Maria replied dryly.

The mansion's front doors weren't locked – which, considering the extravagance of the place, was a bit of a surprise. One would have thought that a rich building would have even richer security. Apparently, Fiddleford was confident that nothing important to him would end up stolen.

"Hello!" Maria stepped into the large front room, Sixer and the two visitors trailing behind. "Just thought I'd pop by for a visit with a couple friends from out of town!"

An old man sitting in the middle of the room with a large, floppy hat and a pair of glasses that made his pupils a few sizes larger than normal looked up from a raccoon sitting in the middle of the floor. He grinned. "Howdy, Maria! Can't say I was expectin' ya, but it's always good ta see ya!" He tilted his head curiously at Axel and Roxas. "An' who are yer two friends?"

"My name is Roxas, and this is Axel." Roxas motioned to the other. "Axel is an old friend of Maria's."

"All the way back to when she first started traveling around," Axel added.

"Really? Well, any friend a' Maria's is a friend a' mine!" Fiddleford hopped over, sending the raccoon chittering away as he shook their hands vigorously. "Welcome ta Fiddleford's Hootenany Hut! I'm Fiddleford McGucket!" He paused. "Er, one of 'em, anyway."

"Where's Hadron?" Maria asked.

"Out back somewheres, I think. Said somethin' about wantin' ta enjoy the fresh air a bit an' left breakfast early. I don't blame 'im fer that." His expression went a bit somber, then perked up. "Oh! Shermie said he wanted ta talk to ya, Sixer – he's around here somewhere."

Sixer's ears flicked as he blinked in surprise. "O-oh? I guess I'll…have a look around for him, then." He looked at Maria, who nodded.

"We'll meet back here when you're done and when I'm done showing these two around," Maria said.

Sixer nodded, then turned and disappeared down a hallway off the main room.

"Shermie?" Axel repeated. "What kinda name is that?"

"He's Sixer's older brother," Maria replied. She smiled a little when she saw the look on Axel's face. "Fiddleford, would you mind giving these two a grand tour of the place?"

"Sure! We can talk ta some of the folks aroun' here, too, if they're up to it. Come on!"

Change in POV

Sixer knew where Shermie's room was. He'd been up here when they'd all moved in, trying to help as best he could.

It made up a little for what he had done, but not by much in his own opinion. There was still a lot he had to answer for.

Shermie's bedroom door was open when Sixer arrived. He peered in to see if his brother was there.

Sure enough, the skinnier, older Pines man was sitting on his bed, pulling on a pair of shoes. Clearly, he was getting ready to walk out of the mansion and go looking for a certain someone.

Sixer knocked on the open door, and his brother looked up.

"Ford? I can't say I was expectin' ya ta show up here."

"Maria is…showing around a couple visitors." Sixer paused when he saw his brother's stare. "They're friends of hers. From…long before she arrived here."

"Really? What, did she call them in?" Shermie motioned for Sixer to step into the room, and Sixer obliged him.

"No. She was surprised to see them."

Shermie frowned. "Hm."

Sixer sat down at the end of the bed, a short distance from Shermie. "Fiddleford said you…wished to see me?"

Sixer may be free of Cipher's control, but his missing willpower made his situation a complicated one. As much as "wanted" might have worked better, he was unable to properly use it. Not when the definition went in one ear and out the other.

"I did." Shermie nodded, the frown still present. "Are you sure that it's a good idea you should stay with Maria? I'd feel better if you were a little closer to home like everyone else."

Sixer's tails lay behind him on the bed, spread out just enough that they could lie side by side. They twitched at Shermie's question. "I thought we talked about this. Maria is careful because she has been in similar situations before."

"What I'm worried about isn't about how she's handling the situation. What I'm worried about is what happens when she leaveswith her nephews."

Sixer blinked blankly.

"She's a World Jumper. She travels across worlds, especially when those places are in trouble. What if she never finds a way to fix all…this?" Shermie motioned to his brother. "She's gonna end up taking you with her, and what then? You're going to miss important milestones and next thing you know, you're like her."

Sixer's expression became somber. "I already am."

"I don't think you—"

"I do."

The force in Sixer's voice cut Shermie off.

"My sense of time has been compromised because of everything that's happened from the moment I was pushed through the portal. Weirdmageddon made that far worse. I…wouldn't be surprised if I stay in the physical state I am now. I wouldn't be surprised if my tails continued to split. But Maria's near-immortal state is something that wetook on as a result of hismeddling." Sixer looked at Shermie with a saddened expression. "And I would rather not think about the 'important milestones' that may entail."

Shermie started at Sixer. It took him a moment to find his voice. "I see. But that doesn't mean you can run away from that."

"I know." Sixer paused. "I just…we just got you back."

"And I just got you and the grandkids back." Shermie wrapped an arm around Sixer and squeezed a shoulder. "Come on, Ford, do you really think I want to think about my death? Ma disappearing like that was shocking enough – I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon."

Sixer laughed shakily. "I should think not."

"So?" Shermie raised an eyebrow. "What's your decision?"

Sixer's expression went a little serious at the question. "Maria and I agreed that it wouldn't be wise to let knowledge of what she did travel anywhere beyond the Mystery Shack. If you are certain that you would be better, I would suggest talking to her, first."

Shermie frowned. "And she's how old?"

"She is at least four hundred years older than I am, if what these tell me is correct." Sixer motioned back to his tails.

"…uh huh."

Sixer wasn't surprised his brother doubted that. Maria looked like she had just become an adult, despite her mental age and experience. Maria had explained it was because of her physical appearance. Even with the gray streaks at eye-level on either side of her head, she still looked young.

It was her eyes that spoke of her knowledge and wisdom that tipped people off about how much more she was.

"Besides, Maria swore she would find a way to reverse this." Sixer looked down at his hands – specifically, his wrists. Even though they were covered, and even though the markings didn't show up outside of the mindscape and Weirdmageddon's chaos, he knew the fiery tattoos of Maria's presence were still there. "I would like to see what she does to that end."

He would like to make sure that Maria really was going to be looking for a way to return his soul to its whole state. She swore that she would. And he did not like the idea that Maria might let this promise turn into a similar situation to what had ended Cipher.

A deal left unbalanced could start to turn into a debt. And then begin to accrue interest.

And then….

Shermie sighed. "There's nothing I can say that's gonna convince ya, is there?"

"There might be. You just haven't said it yet."

There was a snort. "I find that hard to believe."

Sixer raised an eyebrow.

"We've always been stubborn as Pines." The word – stubborn– was there and gone before Sixer could grasp its meaning. "And you're being stubborn about staying with Maria."

"It's logical," Sixer pointed out. "She has experience with being in a situation such as mine, even though her past and my present are not similar enough to be identical. She is aware of steps that should never be taken, and I am grateful for that."

Shermie's expression shifted a little.

"Maria…may not be family, in blood, but…if I had the ability, I would put my—" Sixer cut himself off, frowning. He rubbed at his chest absently.

"Your…" Shermie paused, frowning. "Your trust?"

"…I think that's the word?" Sixer tilted his head slightly, frowning. The slightly throbbing pain in his chest suddenly spiked. He winced, nearly doubling over.

"Ford—"

"I-I'm all right." Sixer held up a hand, stopping his brother from moving further. "This…happens sometimes."

The pain faded back to a dull throb, and Sixer straightened himself.

"…and yes, that was the right word." Already, the word and its definition had slipped out of his mind, but he wasn't about to try and find it to repeat it.

"…I wish I knew something about all this so I could fix it myself."

Sixer looked at Shermie with a tired expression. "You and me both."

If he did, then it would not only save Maria the trouble of looking, but they would have already settled this particular problem long before this point. Or maybe recently, in order to ensure that the pain they'd felt when Cipher had taken their willpower didn't happen again when he'd invaded this dimension.

"…I've been thinking."

Sixer blinked when Shermie spoke up.

"Karen, Alex and I are thinking about moving into the Shack with the rest of you." Shermie looked at Sixer. "We're the last relatives those kids have – Karen lost her whole family back there, and being separated from her kids for much longer isn't going to do her any good."

"Ah." Sixer nodded a little. "Yes, that…would be a good decision to make."

"And we need to get to know the kids again. Even if they aren't exactly kids anymore." Shermie gave Sixer a knowing look. "And I want to get to know my brothers again – both you and every other version of you in that house, Ford."

One of Sixer's ears went a little lopsided. "I…I think they want to get to know you, too. And maybe the version of you who already lives in this dimension, if he can be found."

"Oh, don't drag him into this! He deserves some peace and quiet and absolutely no worryin' about what his brothers have been up to up here." Shermie shoved his brother, but the look in his eyes suggested he wasn't trying to be outright mean.

"Tell that to them, not me," Sixer replied with a shaky laugh. "When are you planning on moving in?"

"Soon, I think. Before Halloween at the latest – I don't know about you, but I don't want to be caught up in the ruckus that's going to bring around."

"It's going to be in the Shack, too, but I'm sure that there will be places you can stay out of it."

"Good. I've had enough of the weird and terrifying to last a lifetime." Shermie rested his hands on his knees, then pushed himself to his feet. "Well, might as well go find Maria and see who she's brought along. What do you think of them?"

Sixer shrugged one shoulder, then rose to his feet. "One of them was Maria's mentor the first time she stepped outside of her dimension. They have clear experience, but it's also clear that time has passed differently for them. They're…significantly younger than Maria, as they are still human."

"Huh. More of that multiversal mumbo-jumbo, then."

"…something like that."

The two stepped out of Shermie's room and made their way back to the large main room.

"If they were her mentors, what kind of people are they?"

"They look like they've seen war, and they only just reached adulthood."

Shermie stared at Sixer. "You have got to be kidding."

Sixer shook his head.

"Ford. What kind of people send kids off to war?"

Sixer shrugged. "Ones with special powers, apparently. These two are among a group that are charged with protecting specific dimensions from…something. Darkness, negative emotions…at least, that's what I understood of the conversation."

"Sounds like something from a children's cartoon."

"Apparently, that's most of what they keep an eye on."

"…okay, having kids protect G-rated worlds makes a lot more sense now. At least Maria had a safe enough place to be when she was with them."

Sixer nodded, but didn't offer anything further to the conversation as they entered the large main room.

Maria, Axel, and Roxas were already there, conversing with Soos – or, Sixer's dimension's Soos. What were they calling him again? Zeus?

"So if you guys see—" Zeus cut himself off when he saw Sixer and Shermie approach. "H-hey, Dr. Pines! I, uh, I didn't know you were in the buildin'." He chuckled nervously.

Sixer's ears drooped a little as he nodded a quiet greeting to Zeus. "We've been…showing Maria's friends around."

"Yeah – and they're both pretty cool dudes." Zeus held up a hand, which Axel immediately high-fived. "Hey – is it true you're gonna be lookin' for a solution to yer problem soon?"

Sixer paused, then nodded a little. Maria saw the look on his face and gave him and Shermie an encouraging grin.

"That's awesome. I wish you luck, Dr. Pines! And you too, Maria." Zeus grinned. "Well, I'm gonna head over to my Abuelita and see if she needs help with anything. Later, dudes!" He turned and walked out of the room, arm raised for a moment in farewell before he disappeared around a corner.

"It seems people are warming up to you already," Shermie commented. "I'm glad for that."

Sixer nodded a little in response. Still, despite Maria's help, he liked the idea of improving relations on his own, in the future.

With a whole soul.