Season 1 Episode 2: Into the Woods
Episode Summary: Our mystery trio make good on their promise to help Steve find his way home! However during their journey Ford gets kidnapped by Gnomes! Can his friends save him before it's too late?
Author's Note: The idea for the episode originated from the Gnome page of Journal#3 where Ford talks about how Gnomes tried to kidnap him one night and offer him to their queen. Other ideas explored in this episode include Ford's own mysterious mosquito bite message telling him to 'BATCH OUT FOR WILL'.
Disclaimers: I do not own Gravity Falls or the Relativity Falls AU
Reference Point #1: In Journal 3, Stanford says: "Several tried to 'kidnap' me as an 'offering to the queen' as I was sleeping, but I just drop-kicked them out the window when I awoke. Unsettling."
Reference Point #2: In Journal 3, Stanford writes: Their bites spell out dire messages for your future. Except they are frequently misspelled. I was told to "BATCH OUT FOR WILL" Which as far as I can tell is total nonsense.
Fun Fact: I know some people like to change up the monsters in other versions of the Relativity Falls AU, but I wanted to use this AU to explain things that are only discussed in journal number 3 or just briefly mentioned in the series, as well as further examine things you may have looked over in the series.
For example how did Bill get inside the time traveler? What deal did they make? And did you ever notice that in Stan's and Ford's flashback of their childhood that the words "Blendin was here." Was located where the Stan 'O War was first discovered! Or how in Mable's scrap book episodes Dipper and Mable somehow won a snow sledding race against a space lizard in JULY!
Not to mention the monsters, and objects that are mentioned in journal number 3 that are never shown in the show, like cursed doors, wild Kill Billies, and mind controlling facial hair. And these are only a few things I wanted to explore. My hope is to further expand on our overall knowledge of the series without giving you a total copy and paste version of the script.
Anyway, thank you for reading and please review!
Yours Truly, RoxieDivine
In to The Woods (Part 1)
(Somewhere In A Forgotten, And Destroyed Dimension…)
Time…
For as long as he could remember time was the enemy.
The beast with one eye growled deep in his throat as he waited for time to be on his side, but alas it would appear that time was just as unreliable as ever. 'This is pointless.' The beast thought. 'No one will summon me, no one has summoned me in almost 30 years!' Oh how he wish he could go about his plans without needing the help of the enemy, but sadly as a demon the beast with one eye was bound by the laws of time and space.
And the laws of time and space had separated his world from the human realm, cutting the humans off from him entirely. Luckily though there was one way he could cross over, if someone summoned and created a deal with him he would be pulled out of his forgotten realm, and into the mindscape. Once there he would be free to cause some mischief of his own.
However, he could do nothing until the initial summoning!
Nothing, but wait until some idiot decided that they needed his expertise.
He hated this part of his schemes, the part that had him twiddling his thumbs in inpatient anticipation. Yes, this was not the first time he had tried to pull of his current scheme. No, in fact the beast with one eye had tried many times to escape this realm, but every time he tried the same symbols got in his way! The pine tree, the question mark, the axe, the shooting star, the six fingered hand, the spectacles, the stars of the all-seeing eye, the llama, the crescent, and the stitched heart! Sure the faces and names that represented those symbols changed over time; after all mortals could only live so long.
But there deaths did nothing to ensure his victory, no fate would simply replace them with another, leaving the wheel intact! The beast hated the wheel that those symbols represented, for it held the power to destroy all his efforts forcing him to start all over again.
But he would not allow it to happen this time!
No, not when he had come so far! The beast's one eye narrowed at the thought. He had never come this close to the final stage of his plan before, and he'd be damn if he had to start over…AGAIN!
"No not this time." The beast hissed. "This time I will prevail," He swore as his eyes fell on the symbol of the dreaded Pine Tree resting upon his wheel. "And nothing will stand in my way!" he vowed as he pulled out his all-seeing orb, a small round ball of energy that allowed him to peer into the real world and spy on his enemies.
His sights focus in on the boy that represented the six finger hand. He is standing in a tree house in the woods with his twin, the crescent, and their two friends: the stitched heart, and the spectacles.
All four Symbols had their noses in some book.
However the beast soon noticed that it wasn't just some book, but a familiar looking journal with a Pine Tree on its worn leather cover.
The beast smiled.
Maybe he wouldn't be waiting much longer after all.
However, if the enemy had wrote his fellow symbols any warnings in that journal of his, then the beast may lose his chance to trick them.
'I must watch them closely, I can't have them learning of me before I want them to.' He decided.
His one eye narrowed on the six finger hand, the boy instantly reminded him of that enemy.
A foe who could match him step for step…
A foe that somehow always managed to stay just out of reach, so close yet so far away.
"Well Pine Tree." He mused. "Let's see how well these kids fair against me. Shall we?"
(Back with Ford…)
Brains…
Ford had always thought that he had plenty, however the Journal in his hands had put those beliefs to the test.
How?
Because every page was coded, with hidden warnings and advice meant to guide the reader safely, and as smart as Ford was he had to admit he was struggling to decode the page about the tree people. The many jumble of letters and symbols seemed out of place, and Stan was sure it was just some scribbles of a mad man who was obviously paranoid about something trying to kill him.
Ford knew his brother might have a point, after all the Author did seem worried about a certain HIM, but who this HIM was? He wasn't sure. What he was sure of was that the letters, and symbols meant something, so he worked at it. From the moment that he met Steve, and learned about the tree people Ford studied the page, running every code key he could find in the public library.
It was hard going, but in the end his hunch had been right!
It turned out that the Author was not using just one type of code but actually a combination of the A1Z26, Atbash, and Caesar ciphers. With this knowledge Ford was able to decipher the page about the tree people with ease, and just as feared the page warned them of all the things they needed to avoid to have a safe journey to the home of the tree people.
Warnings about Forest oddities, such as the moth man, portal potties, and cursed doors. Thankfully, all these warnings seemed to have their own pages in the journal allowing Ford to read what he could for the journey. To his relief most of the threats could be avoided if you stayed on the marked path that the journal displayed.
However, there was on threat that had him worried.
"Listen to this." He said. "Kill Billies, These feral and fanged hill men are known as Kill Billies, and are known to the drink blood and steal the overalls of any who wander into their territory of the forest. They may be responsible for the cursed outhouses. They communicate through a language of grunts and ham-boning. When you hear blue grass music run for the nearest convenience store…"
"Please tell me we won't be running into any of those on this trip." Fiddleford asked hopefully.
Ford traced the path way from the Shack to the clearing were the Tree people were located, deep in the Gravity falls woods. "There's two path that veers off the trail." He informed his friends. "If we go right it will safely lead us around the Kill Billies territory."
"That's great." Heather said.
"Yeah let's do that one Ford." Stan seemed to agree.
"There's a catch." Ford warned. "If we go right our travel time doubles." He explained,
"Meaning it will take us well after night fall to get Steve home." Heather realized.
"It also means we'll be spending a night in the woods." Ford said the obvious.
"So we either stay the night in the woods, or risk cutting across a territory of blood thirsty Kill Billies?" Fiddleford asked fearfully.
"But how are we going to even do it?" Stan asked. "Grauntie Mable will never let us stay in the woods overnight."
"We can ask Danny to cover for us." Heather mentioned.
"Really?" Ford asked.
"Yeah who do you think I go to when I need someone to cover for me when my nosey brother tries to butt into my life?" Heather pointed out.
"Sounds good to me." Stan said.
"Ford nodded. "Okay if we head over to the shack and talk to Danny, and then leave right away we should make it to the Tree people by night fall." He informed them.
"Excellent!" Heather said. "Let's do this!"
"Yeah!" Stan and Ford exclaimed together, Fiddleford on the other hand looked unsure.
"Hey we'll be right beside you." Ford assured his friend, giving him a reassuring smile.
Fiddleford found a smile slipping onto his own face with ease. "Yeah you're right, we can do this."
"That's the spirit!" Ford said encouragingly. "Now come on we've got to find Danny and come up with an excuse to be out pass bed time!"
The one eyed beast couldn't help but chuckle as the children bounded off towards the mystery shack. "You Pines just can't keep well enough alone can you?" He muttered. "Oh well guess they'll have to learn the hard way too hu, Pine Tree?
Ford bit his lip, as he continued to run, he couldn't explain it, but he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. He chanced a glance over his shoulders as he continued to run.
Nothing, was he imagining it?
Suddenly a shot of pain hit his right arm. "Stupid mosquitoes." He whispered slapping the pests away.
Moments later the gang arrived at the Mystery Shack, and thankfully Danny was still there, and even more thankfully Grauntie Mable was no were in sight.
"Quick Danny can you cover for us tonight?" Heather exclaimed.
"What for?" Danny asked.
"We need to use the Golf Cart so we can journey into the woods and help our giant tree friend get home." Stan answered honestly.
There's an awkward silence…
Finally, Danny cracks a smile, and pulls out the keys to the Golf Cart. "Just drive safe, and look out for pedestrians."
"Really?" Ford asked.
"Yeah it's cool, I've got Heather's cell in case you don't show by tomorrow afternoon." Danny assured them. "Oh and take this." He pulled out a big duffle bag from under his the front counter.
"What is it?" Ford asked.
"It's my survival kit, Food, first aid, you name it." Danny explained. "I never leave anywhere without it."
"Wow thanks Danny." Heather said. "I was just going to make sandwiches, but this is great."
"So I guess we're good to go." Fiddleford said.
"But what about Grauntie Mable?" Stan asked.
"What about me?" Grauntie Mable asked as she popped out of nowhere making everyone scream.
"Nothing much." Danny said, being the only one to keep his cool. "My friends and I are having a camp out in my back yard tonight, and I wanted to invite your nephews and their friends."
"You aren't planning on running into those woods, are you?" Grauntie Mabel prompted.
Danny shook his head. With as much poise as someone who was telling the sworn truth, he said, "No my mom Wendy is crazy strict about us going anywhere near that place."
"Well than its fine by me." Grauntie Mable said. "I'll let Tate and Heather's parents know that way you can focus on finishing the inventory count before you leave."
"And we'll go to Danny's and help set up." Heather said. "Right guys."
"Sure if that's okay with you." Ford said to his Great Aunt.
"Sure, I'll even let you guys use the Golf Cart." Shew said pointing to the keys in Stan's hands. "Just don't scratch it because if you do…well it's coming out of your pay."
"Thanks, Grauntie Mabel!" Stan yelled as the gang ran outside, and jumped into the Golf Cart.
"Well make good time with this." Ford assured them, as he made sure they had a full tank of gas, and a full gas canister, just in case they needed to refuel.
"Okay gang we're ready to go!" Ford announced.
"Finally!" Stan exclaimed starting the engine, and just like that, they were off.
The beast with the one eye chuckled. "Wow Shooting Star, you would think with all the lies that you tell you'd be able to know a lie when you hear one."
Ford grimaced as he gets that unsettling feeling once more, and even though he knows it's nothing; he looks over his shoulder anyways.
Nothing, just as he thought.
So where was this feeling coming from?
His thoughts are interrupted by another series of stingy mosquito bite. Man, why were these things biting him so much?
He tried his best to ignore them as the group pressed on.
Moments later, they reentered the woods behind Heather's house where Steve was waiting.
"Okay Steve, it's time to go home!" She told him.
Steve claps his hands happily causing the group of friends to cover their ears, because well those claps of his sounded like thunder.
"Okay Steve we're going to drive so follow the cart okay?" Heather ordered him once his happy clapping had died down.
Steve nodded happily, and soon with a little help from Ford's ingenious sense of direction (More like a lot of help.) Stan soon found their desired path, and just like that the friends were off; starting their journey into the woods.
As they drove along the bumpy trial (Which was bumpier due to the fact that Steve's footsteps would cause the cart to jump into the air) the group of friends watched in awe as the forest came alive around them.
"Wow what is that?" Stan asked pointing at a plaid colored creature that looked like a mix between a beaver and a duck.
Ford flipped through the journal and found the creature in question. "That's the Plaidypus." Ford answered. "It's basically a Platypus with a plaid fur pattern, who strongly smells of maple syrup and bacon." He said skimming the page.
"The lumber jacks in town talk about them all the time." Heather said. "Danny swears he caught one once."
"Cool." The Boys said in awe.
Many more creatures appear, from Barf Fairies, Woodpecker-pecker, and Leprecorns. Ford kind of wished they had brought an umbrella for the Barf Fairies, but luckily the roof of the Golf Cart spared them from the worse of it.
"We're gonna have to wash this at Danny's before we get home Poindexter." Stan whispered to his brother.
"Agreed." Ford said with a grimace.
"Well let's hope that's the only damage it gets." Stan said. "Cause I don't want to waste my very first pay check ever on fixing this thing up."
Ford couldn't help but smile. Just yesterday Grauntie Mable had handed them each an envelope full of money as their weekly pay. Ford would never forget the way Stan's eyes lit up at the sight of those bills nestled inside his envelope.
Of course his money loving brother would flip out, he already had a long list of things he wanted to buy. Things like hard candy, and cool CD's with music that was supposed to drive girls crazy for you.
Ford on the other hand saved his money, so that one day he could go to his dream college West Coast Tech. Sure he was only 12 now, and college seemed like a long time from now, but Ford knew that every penny counted. Sure he could get a scholarship, or make some promising invention for the science fair, but if something went wrong he needed a backup plan.
So Ford stored his money in a little jar under a lose floor board in the attic, because to Ford his future meant everything. He always had to have a plan, Stan on the other hand enjoyed flying by the seat of his pants; and allowed fate to take him wherever it wanted his life to go.
Yes, the two twins may look alike, but they couldn't be more different; and the one eyed beast planned to use that against them.
Ford hissed as more mosquitos bit his already sore arm. He examined the bites, and froze, the small bumps seemed to spell out a sentence on his arm.
'BATCH OUT FOR WILL'
"What?" Ford shook his head and decided to consult the journal, it didn't take him long to find something that fit his situation.
A page read.
Soothsquitos (A breed of mosquito) - Their bites spell out dire messages for your future. Except they are frequently misspelled. "Yesterday my mosquitos bite spelled out 'BEWARB' and I can only assume the creatures are trying to warn me to BEWARE something, but what? I do not know."
Ford shivered.
Where these pesky insects trying to warn him about something, or maybe someone?
'BATCH OUT FOR WILL'
Could it be possible that the message was WATCH OUT FOR WILL?
Who was Will?
Ford wasn't sure, but he was sure of one thing…
It was all very unsettling to say the least.
The beast with one eye chuckled at fate's efforts to warn his enemies. "Foolish fate, humans are too stupid to know a sign when they see one."
Yes, unfortunately the heroes of this story wouldn't know what hit them…
Until it was too late!
-To Be Continued
Author's Note: Again sorry for the long wait, I hope this first part was worth it, Part 2 of Episode 2 will be up next week.
Yours Truly, RoxieDivine