Ways of the Shack
The sun began to shine on the Mystery Shack managing to perk it's way through the closed windows. Riku was laying on the moldy old chair in the living room. The T.V was still on but at static. He looked quite uncomfortable, his body bent and looking mismatched, like it was not supposed to bend that way. A far cry from a nice bed back on Destiny Island. Or even in the old chambers at Maleficent's castle on Hollow Bastion. Eventually the light beam of the sun began to hit upon the young boys face, causing his eyes to blink as the light caught in.
Riku had had a pretty restless night. His little audience with Xehanort had caused his mind to be plagued with various questions. It seemed that he hadn't truly escaped the evil Keyblade Masters grip yet. Despite what he had thought of freeing himself from the darkness. It seemed that the darkness never truly leaves someone.
Sighing Riku got up from the chair, his eyes stinging as he looked out at the sun. No matter what world he was in, it always seemed so bright...To bright for his taste. A sign that once again, he still held a disdain for light.
It made himself sick thinking about it.
"Ugh my ...Everything hurts" Riku muttered as his head throbbed in agony, he felt his entire body slumped onto the chair. He slowly began to wake up, stretching his aching muscles hoping they would soon hurt less as he felt the stickiness of the chair.
"Yeah, I feel yuh, welcome to the beauties of getting old" Riku eyes opened to see Stan Pines walking into the room wearing nothing but some underwear and some socks, coffee in one hand, "Now get out of my chair so I can watch the news"
Riku jumped from the chair for Stan to sit on it as he turned on the T.V, the local announcer beginning to speak. The Pet Parrot Iago flew lazily towards them sitting on the chairs arm rest.
"So, what's on the talking box today?" Iago yawned.
Stan shrugged, "Eh, news...Maybe Baby Fights later"
"Today's news begins with the important news up, since we are the news and that's what we do. So to update the news, Cats...History greatest monsters or saviors. Find out more after these ten commercial breaks, followed by another round of commercials"
"Cats!" Stan grunted, "I knew it was them, even though I have no idea what they did or if anything was done, I knew it was them"
"Never trust cats!" Iago nodded.
"Exactly, and if T.V tells me to not trust something then I'm gonna not trust them!"
Knowing that standing around here wasn't gonna do him much good, Riku began to make his way upstairs, deciding best to not stick around for whatever was going on here. began muttering about some sort of cat conspiracy that was happening. He had a feeling that small mere things like this were gonna be common place here while staying at the Mystery Shack.
Missing the days when he used to shower back in his house, it was better than how things had been just a few weeks ago. Maleficent castle had baths but it wasn't the modern day plumbing he used too. It was more medieval tech meets somewhat futuristic plumbing at best. So a nice normal shower in a more or less normal house would be a good change of the Mystery Shack was definitely more run down than his house Villa.
Back there he had his own private bathroom, and a nice warm shower or bath would always take his mind off things when his parents were being their usual aloof selves. Then he was able to think, think about leaving his house and his Island and going out into the world.
This was when Riku enjoyed being alone with his thoughts
"Oh hey dude" Soos popped out from the hall.
Riku paused, "Oh um...H-Hi?"
Soos just stood there for a moment looking at him inquisitively, "You seem like you've been through deep introspection? Wanna talk? I tend to be a good listener"
"Um...N-No thanks," Riku said, taking a step back.
"Oh, okay" Soos waved, "You just seem like the kind of guy who has a lot demons that he needs to get through, and that would take a good character arc or more to get through"
Riku again paused for a moment, "Um...Okay?" he headed off.
Opening the door he was ready to join the hot water but instead he found a young thirteen year old wearing nothing but a tower looking in front of the mirror using the soap as a microphone while singing, quite poorly.
"Disco girl! Coming through! That girl is you ...Oooooh" Dipper sang even doing a bit of a dance. It was so off key and really, really bad.
Riku just stared at him for a second not being able to process that was until the sounds of Dipper screaming made him realize what was going on. The two jumped back for a moment, Riku mind becoming jumbled in a panic
"Ah! Close the door! Close the door! Close the door!" Dipper voice getting higher and more screetchy with each word, "LEARN TO KNOCK!"
"Agh! Sorry, sorry!" Riku immediately slammed the door and turned around, eyes still bloodshot as he had know idea what was going on. He slowly began to walk downstairs before Mabel arrived to stand right in front of him beaming.
"Good morning Riku, see you got a look at my brothers singing. A good day to initiate yourself with the Mystery Shack and it's wacky ways". Mabel smiled walking down the hall with her Pet Waddles in toe, unaware of his discomfort "Hope you had a good night's sleep"
"No," Riku muttered.
"Oh," Mabel frowned, "Well, hopefully today will be good, we have a big day ahead of us helping Grunkle Stan get lots of customers and make lots of money"
"By scamming people out of there hard earned money" Riku responded with no emotion
"That's the spirit!" Mabel kept that enthusiasm about her as she began to lead him downstairs, her pet pig following them "Come on, lets get scamming!"
Riku sighed knowing that it was going to be a long day no matter what. Mabel seemed quite enthusiastic about it though so perhaps it wouldn't be too bad.
So...The day began.
-000-
Just as Riku had feared it was bad. The Mystery Shack itself was an odd store, with odd people working for it. Of course you had the owner himself Stan Pines, a grifter, a con man, who seemed to have no regard for his customers, or personal hygiene. Constantly trying to get people to spend their money on things that were fake, cheap or a combination of the two. The other employees were also strange. Soos of course who he had met a few times was an oddball, nice but strange, always bringing up weird topics, like what kind of character one would be in a RPG or if they had a character arc what trope would it be. Then of course there was Wendy, the most normal of the employees, laid back, however she had an air to her that made it seem like she didn't like him very much.
"So...You turned evil or something?" was the first thing Wendy said when Riku approached her.
Riku blushed, "Um...I uh…"
"Don't do that here okay" Wendy pointed to him, "I know how to use a Axe and I'm not afraid to swing it at a person"
"O-Okay"
"RIKU! I NEED YOU TO CLOG OUT THE TOLIETS!" Stan yelled.
Wendy just smirked, "Welcome to hell boy, gonna take lunch boss!"
"It's only ten o clock," Stan argued.
"Lunch doesn't have time, it's a state of mind sucker!" Wendy snickered as she walked off.
Stan merely groaned, "Lousy teens and their hip fangled philosophy, whatever. Riku! Looks like you have Wendy's job, clean up the place till she gets back...like that'll happen". He grumbled that last part.
"Oh cleaning duty nice" Mabel said standing behind him, "Keeping this place in tip top shape, so the customers have something clean and pretty to enter"
"Great," Riku groaned, "Least it's not as big as home"
"And then do the gutters, uh...Let's just say Iago had a bit of um...Incident involving spicey beans and tacos'
Iago sneered, "I thought we weren't gonna talk about it"
"It stinks what can I say, we aren't binge eating again"
Riku just sighed, "Great...Just...Great"
Despite the incident with the gutters and some horrible substances that made the darkness Riku smelt seem pleasant in comparison, the day was pretty quiet nonetheless. Riku spent most of the time cleaning and sweeping in the front store while Stan tried to sell the customers on his merchandise. Well more like harassment and scam but he didn't judge. Mable for her part just monitored him most of the time, making tiny little notes in a notebook she carried with her all while Riku wondered just when Wendy would come back to help. Be nice to have someone around his own age to talk too or be with, otherwise it was just him, an old man and a pre-teen.
Sadly Wendy never came back any time soon.
While the day was quiet for the most part, one customer for his part was quite awkward, constantly debating between two shirts in the store, going back and forth. Riku could tell Stan was about to pop a vein.
"Puma shirt...Panther shirt" He said holding both up, "Puma shirt...Panther shirt, puma shirt, panther shirt"
He did it for thirty minutes.
"PICK ONE ALREADY!" Iago blurted out, "By the hearts does everyone in this town have one brain cell or am I just smarter than everyone here"
The customer just stood there in silence before looking back at the shirts, "Puma shirt…"
"Oy vey" Iago grunted, "Where do you pick up these idiots Stan"
"You'd think I'd be used to my idiot customers by now" Stan muttered as he just watched, a glazed look in his eyes, "But I'm not".
"Such loyalty to your customers master Stan" Zazu muttered as he flew to a nearby perch.
"Hey I don't tell yuh how to run a business bird beak"
Riku continued to clean the floor and mind his own business until...
"See, told you he was a hunk" Riku heard Mabel approach along with two other girls following her, "Riku met Grenda and Candy, some of my best Gravity Falls gal pals".
"WOW HE'S A HUNK!" The one called Grenda said, Riku was surprised by how uh...Deep her voice was for someone her age.
Candy nodded as she spoke with a thick accent of some sort, "Yes, I can concur, he is definitely the hunk"
Riku could feel his body tense, he was never called a hunk by anyone before. Actually that wasn't true, he was, he knew some of the guys, gals, and non-binaries of Destiny Island tended to think of him as physically attracted. It granted him much unwanted attention that he never wanted. He never had feelings for them in the first place, those feelings were for Sora and Sora alone.
"Yeah, too bad he swings for the other team" Mabel replied giving Riku a nudge on the shoulder, "Am I right!"
Riku's face turned red as both girls looked disappointed.
"Ah well...Hey, who cares," Grenda said, giving a casual shrug "Still a hunk, and I'm sure he's gonna make some guy very happy"
"Yeah," Mabel said with pride, "I'm here to oversea his redemption process and I already got it all figured out. Charts, graphs, goals, the works!"
Riku again just looked down as he kept sweeping.
"You should work on your social skills" Mabel commented after an hour passed, she showed him a list, "See it's on your redemption chart"
"My what?"
"Redemption chart, I made a list of things that will show you are making progress on the road to the light".
Riku raised an eyebrow as he looked at the list, "A redemption chart?"
"Yes" Mabel nodded, "A redemption arc needs a redemption chart!"
"It is true" Candy replied, "I helped calculate most of the algorithms myself"
"Mabel I-I don't think this is how it works"
"Of course it does," Mabel said matter of factly, "Believe me Riku I am an expert when it comes to people so I know exactly how this will work. You have to have faith in me that this is gonna be the proper way to go" She showed him a picture of his chat. "See, right now you are in a weird neutral phrase, I couldn't really do a badness goodness level, I mean I could have used your past deeds, but I think after what happened I decided to start the slate clean. So you aren't good per say, but you aren't bad, you are in that morally ambiguous center".
Riku wanted to argue but he couldn't let himself do it. Mabel seemed quite confident in her strategy all the way down to her happy go lucky demeanor. He tried to think of a way out of this but in the end gave up and just went back to cleaning, thinking there wouldn't be any other way but to just be quiet and work.
"Where's Wendy?" he muttered as he kept sweeping.
Mabel rolled her eyes, "Oh, she's probably on the roof with Dipper hanging out."
"Oh...?"
"Yeah, yeah...now come on, lets see how you do."
Mabel continued to observe Riku with cautious optimism.
He was calm and silent for her liking, she wanted him to talk more. The more she knew about him, the more she would be able to determine how many good or bad points he should have. Last time they met, when he talked about it was always so vile and filled with hate and jealousy towards his friend Sora. Now though, he had this almost broken look to him.
Hey dude, what's up?" Soos waved as he held a pile of tools under one arm.
Riku looked up at Soos and nodded before going back to sweeping.
"Heh, strong silent type, huh? No worries, I watch a lot of anime, that normally means you were a bad guy in the first story and then a hero in the second."
"Hmm, Soos and Riku…" Mabel thought to herself shaking her head, "Nah, he has Melody."
"Like my favorite one Yozora. Oh man, that guy is rad! Verum Rex is one of the best video games out there and the story! I mean, sure, it's a little complex but it really hits you with the feels. I've been playing that franchise now for years and the lore keeps getting more complicated but also more intriguing, I've done podcasts with friends! ...Well myself, sometimes Dipper and Mabel join, but they aren't really into it, sadly."
Again Riku remained silent as he kept sweeping ignoring Soos who just stood there looking a bit confused. Thankfully, his innocent nature made it hard for him to be offended and instead he just shrugged it off.
"Ah, well that's okay, dude. Maybe when you have time you can join me and the guys for an anime marathon."
Riku nodded and went back to sweeping.
"Hmm, how do I get you to open up?" Mabel muttered as she leaned back against the wall thinking.
"Ugh, Mabel, Soos help me out," Stan said as he had with him a large cardboard cutout of Sora, "It's time to give it another go and this time I know I can sell Keyblade lore right! I mean, kids like weird magical stuff, right?"
"Right!" Mabel saluted.
Riku looked confused as he walked over to them, "Um, why is my friend a giant cardboard cutout?" He asked stoically.
"Oh, Grunkle Stan has been using Sora's image and tale to sell a bunch of Keyblade and Heartless related merchandise to the people of Gravity Falls!" Mabel explained excitedly.
Stan beamed, "People love a good story and boy your spiky haired friend got one of the best ones ever. Romance, betrayal...aka you...adventure, terror, evil, and that means it can be sold and merchandise for unreasonable prices."
"Yeah, but , this isn't Traverse Town and people here have never seen Sora, remember?" Soos reminded him, "So it's gonna be hard to sell them if they don't have any genuine proof."
"Oh come on Soos, I can sell this kid easily! I think this time I got us a tale that…."
"Sora?" Candy asked looking excited, "Who is that? I never heard of him before...Though the name sounds familiar"
Stan looked at Candy and then at the Sora doll and smirked, "This...Is the Keyblade Master, a legendary warrior of warriors, he defeated dozens of monsters, and battled evil villains and made heroics...I should know I met him."
Candy and Grenda seemed uncertain, "Hmm ...Seems epic, what do you know about him?" Grenda said
"Eh….." Stan eyes darted across the room, Mabel knew that look, it was the look of him trying to find a lie and make up a story. Then an idea occurred to her.
"Hey kid," Mabel said tapping his shoulder, " Riku, knows Sora, he might be able to tell you."
"He does?" Candy asked.
"Didn't I mention it before?" Mabel said.
"You didn't get us on the up and up so ...no" Grenda replied.
Riku grimace, that was one story he didn't want to tell, considering that was the time he stabbed Sora in the back.
"Ooooooh." Grend and Candy said in unison, "Mr. Pines told us that the Keyblade Master defeated monsters! Did you see him defeat monsters?"
Riku's eyes widened as the kids got around waiting to hear him talk with great interest. He looked to Mabel who gave him an encouraging nod and Stan who just shrugged, pinching his fingers indicating that he wanted to make money. His eyes darted to the kids with those big eyes and wide smiles. To them, Sora had become somewhat of a legend. Although, what Stan had told them would be interesting to find out later.
"Come on kid," Stan said, getting annoyed "Tell them something already, make this work and will be able to spread the legend of Sora to new heights, and profits."
Riku gulped as he took a deep breath, "Well uh...S-Sora, Sora is…."
Grenda and Candy listened with great intent.
"Sora is ...Kind ...Nice...One of the greatest people you'd ever meet." As Mabel watched, she could tell that his eyes were getting misty as if he was entering into a dream state, "He's someone that just looking at him smile could liven up the room. He's brave, fantastic and just ...wonderful."
Grenda and Candy just looked at each other as Riku let out a wistful sigh before realizing what he was doing and blushed with embarrassment before taking the broom and walking off to the corner again. One kid though followed him and quite bluntly.
"Sounds like you're in love with Sora" Candy replied.
"I-I don't...I mean...As a friend"
"Oh please" Grenda snickered, "A friend … Oldest trick in the book"
Candy nodded, "I agree, that blush to me indicates a certain amount of affection beyond the casual friendship and or sibling love...Sorta like how Mabel acts these days whenever we talk about Pacific..."
Mabel intervened now, "Okay, how about you go and buy a cool Keyblade or something?" she said chuckling nervously as she shoved him away, giving Riku some much needed space.
Candy and Grenda were pushed back to the store leaving the two of them alone now.
"Good job, Riku!" Mabel said adding some good points to his char, "I see Sora is something you like to talk about, that's a good thing."
"Eh, not really the tales of heroics but I guess I could spin the tween angle a bit" Stan thought to himself.
Riku just muttered under his breath as he moved around.
"Excuse me?" Mabel eyed.
"Nothing," Riku muttered putting the broom away, "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some fresh air for a while."
-000-
Mabel felt a bit bad for Riku, she probably shouldn't have prayed so hard onto his feelings.
Looking at her clipboard she made a quick little checkmark and decided it would be best to make adjustments to her plans for Riku's rehabilitation. She had a few more items on here that maybe she could re-adjust, such as group therapy sessions and the occasional slumber party. Those might have to come later in the program, however she was still determined for ever that her plans for redemption would play out as she hoped.
One thing Mabel always heard about but never really had time to think over was the fact that Sora had lost his best friend to the darkness. That had to take a toll on someone. If that ever happened to Dipper, she knew herself that she would be devastated. Despite being there when Riku betrayed Sora in that whale named Monstro, she never really thought much about it outside of the fact her friend Sora was sad. She wasn't one to judge, at least not to harshly, and not when it was deserved. Except for peoples fashion choices. But people's moral choices that was always a case by case basis in her mind
Plus as a fan of many fantasy novels, her favorite tropes were redemption arcs, and stories that got to have the bad guy become good and a tone were always her favorite characters.
"So, what are you gonna do with Riku?" Candy asked, her and Grenda still standing by Mabel.
Mabel shrugged looking at her clipboard, "I don't know, I gotta get him to open his walls more, make him feel at home at the Shack"
"But why are you doing this again?" Candy asked.
Mabel sighed, "Because, he was part of the whole universe saving adventure with that kid Sora and the Keyblade, you know the one I told yuh about"
"He sounded like a hunk" Grenada replied,
"Well yes, not as good as Pacifica but eh" Mabel replied going over her notes, "Still, I gotta find a way, he needs support, and you can't redeem people without support around them, doing it alone isn't healthy, and to many books have ex-baddies do everything alone. People need people, that is how we function as a society. Despite what Dipper may think"
"Maybe show him around town" Grenada responded, "See the sights, that sort of thing"
"Oh good idea, that's definitely on the list" Mabel wrote it down, "But Grunkle Stan gonna need him for stuff"
Already her mind went through what places she could visit. He had probably not been around a town in a while, spending all that time with Maleficent and those villains from what she heard. She could take her to lazy Susan's diner, give him pancakes, or the arcade and they could play games. Mabel wondered if Riku had played games in a while. Maybe just walk around, go to the golf center, play some gold. So many wonderful ideas all her perfect town of hers. How could someone not love the idea of just having a day.
"Hey Grunkle Stan!" Mabel rushed over to the counter were Stan was, "When will we have time for a trip into town"
"Eh, not for a while, it's the rush hour" Stan said, Mabel only saw nothing but a empty store, "Or it will be once I uh...Start thinking of ways to make it the rush hour"
"Maybe use that Riku kid to do the whole wolf boy thing again, guys, gals and the rest will love it" Iago suggested.
Stan nodded, "Yeah, yeah I could see that" he snickered.
Mabel sighed, she was gonna have to make sure that Riku wouldn't be too overwhelmed with Stan's cocky plans. As much as she loved Grunkle, sometimes his schemes tended to be a bit too much with his schemes sometimes. Iago too, he was someone else she hoped to perhaps get into the redemption game with. After all he was apparnetly a parrot to a evil wizard named Jafar. That had to meant he did some shady things.
Again she didn't like to judge.
"Ah I'm sure you'll find something" Candy patted Mabel's shoulder, "Oh and by the way, how is Pacfica"
Mabel blushed, "Pacifica? Oh it's fine, we haven't talked in a while, in fact, I don't think we've talked since I've gotten back to Gravity Falls since the world was destroyed"
"It was so weird" Grenada said, "I was like asleep, but I wasn't, then again maybe I was, i don't remember"
"Darkness consumed us, and then poof we were back" Candy added, "Like we were never gone"
"Well that's good to know" Mabel chuckled.
"But still Pacifcia!" Candy continued
Again Mabel blushed, it wasn't like she didn't want to talk about Pacifica, she really liked her. I mean sure at first she didn't like her but then they started to get to know each other a little bit. Especially after Dipper had helped get rid of a ghost from her mansion. They even got to attend a party, and realized the Northwest parents were real jerks. Mabel hoped that maybe spending more time with Pacifica would get her away from her parents and maybe get her to open up some more.
Kinda like what she was doing with Riku right now in fact.
Mabel gave a faint smile, she definitely had a lot of people in her life she was trying to help and redeem. She had fate though that it was gonna work out in the end. With some hard work of course, I couldn't just do it all on her own. But she had to believe, and not be too cynical. Unlike Dipper who was cynical about everything. Hope was her key. That would be her true north as they said.
Yeah...Hope would prevail.
"Welp" Mabel took a deep breath, "Gotta find Riku, excuse me!"
"Hey, Riku…" Mabel opened the door and saw him standing, "Um, sorry about earlier, maybe I got a little carried away with my friends and all...Just was hoping to spread the love and all that".
Riku just shrugged, "It's okay, it's whatever"
"No, it's not whatever" Mabel sat next to him, "I overwhelmed you, and I'm sorry, I just thought talking about Sora might lighten you up you know...Maybe tried to do a bit too much too quickly".
"It's okay, I did have some fun. I mean...It does, he's fun to talk about...I mean, ugh"
"It's okay" Mabel smiled, "I didn't know him that much, but from what I remember he seemed awesome. Being a Keyblade Master and all, I know Dipper couldn't get over that".
"I never cared that he was the Keyblade Master" Riku replied leaning back, "I like Sora because well...he's good, he's the best, he doesn't have an ounce of bad in him".
"Sounds like a saint," Mabel chuckled.
"Maybe" Riku sighed smiling.
Mabel rolled her eyes, "Well, don't let anything cloud your judgment Riku, if I know one thing about love is when you start idolizing it's never good. Believe me, Dipper is like that with Wendy all the time and it gets annoying"
"Sorry"
"No don't be, your feelings are your feelings, just don't I don't know...Don't get into your head like my brother. One minute you start obsessing and the next you're never satisfied and you just live your life misrabel and alone and probably do something stupid in the process".
Riku looked at Mabel, "You worried about him"
"Well yeah, he's kinda paranoid about what happened after we lost track of Sora, and even when he came back, he wasn't sure if Sora won. Our Grunkle Ford, our Grunkle Stan's twin brother, he knew about the Heartless and stuff and well...He didn't come back after Gravity Falls did"
"Uh Riku-"
Riku eyed Mabel and blinked, "Sorry, I was thinking"
"Again, like Dipper" Mabel said, "You should try taking some deep breaths, that always helps me out"
"Are you worried he is going to do something stupid?" Riku asked.
"I don't know, maybe"
"I can understand, he just wants to keep what matters safe" Riku folded his arms and looked out, "That's what I kept telling myself I was doing at first, just doing it so that Sora would be safe"
"Yeah but then looked what happened"
Riku frowned.
"Sorry"
"Don't be"
Getting up Riku leaned out on the porch and took a deep breath. He knew Mabel was probably still sitting there but that was okay. In some way she reminded him of Sora, that cheery demeanor, the quasi-moralizing. It was familiar, yet comforting in a way, perhaps in time he could relax with these people more, the fact he was opening up as much as he did must have meant something was happening.
"HEY KID! WE NEED SOME MUSCLE TO MOVE SOME UM...MERCHANDISE! YEAH! THAT'S IT!" Stan yelled from the sore.
Riku sighed, "Duty calls I guess"
"I'l l come with, you might need to learn the ropes"
Stan was waiting for everyone in the back, the only people who should be up apart from Riku were Mabel and Soos. Iago was on his shoulder looking around, he seemed quite paranoid about something, though what no one knew. Next to them was a giant truck by them and a few boxes stacked together
"See the cops bird beak" Stan muttered.
Iago shook his head, "Nothing boss! The coast is clear"
"Good!" Stan clasped his hands together before addressing everyone else, "Alright Mystery Shack cast members-"
"Cast Member?" Mabel asked.
"Yeah, it's a new scheme to make employees feel a lot more involved without really paying them much, heh heh...well anyway! Listen up! We got a big shipment of this stuff and we need to make sure it get to the proper place in time"
"What's in there?" Riku asked, pointing to the box.
"Uh….." Stan looked nervous until a few little yelps came from inside.
Mabel quickly rushed over to the box and opened up the crates only for tiny dalmatian puppies to pop up.
"This again!" Mabel sighed as she picked up one of the puppies holding it tightly.
Stan chuckled nervously, "Hey, what can I say, these things found there way here I don't know what to do with all of them"
"Um...Why are there dalmations here?" Riku asked.
Mabel rolled her eyes, "Ugh, back in Traverse Town there were a bunch of lost dalmations, Stan found some and was trying to sell them back, thankfully Dipper and I made sure to just give them to the proper owners. Apparently there are a lot more"
"What good merchandise!"
"And they are cute," Soos said as one of the puppies licked his cheeks.
Riku slowly walked up to the dogs and gave a faint smile as a few looked up at him with those big old eyes. "Sora would have loved this"
"Well, look we are selling them…" Stan saw Mabel give him a glare "To good homes! To good homes! Yeesh I'm not that bad, at least when it comes to cute things!"
Mabel smiled "I'm rubbing off on yuh aren't I Grunkle Stan"
"What no! It's just kids these days are into their cute things for some bizarre reason and doing bad things to cute things seems bad for my business and money making"
"Probably because of the state of depression and panic most of my generation is about the future" Soos commented, "And nihilism...There is always a bit of nihilism in there for good measure"
"No one asked you" Iago grumbled.
Riku smirked as he listened to the bickering. He could tell that this was definitely a family that loved each other very much in their own bizarre way. Staying with these people probably wouldn't be as bad as I thought. He just hoped his own problems wouldn't get in the way of anything.
"Hey, where's Dipper?" Stan asked looking around, "Come to think of it, where the heck is Wendy?"
Riku just rolled his eyes and kept sleeping, "Hope your having a better day then I am Sora, wherever you are"
-000-
Clouds passed by the Mystery Shack. The breeze was a bit light and the sun was beaming down on Dipper and Wendy as they laid down on their secret spot on the rooftop. Both of them were laughing at pretty much everything the other said. They both had wide grins on their face as they looked up at the sky. Both seemin at peace with one another.
"Oh, that one looks like a butt….and that one looks like a wood axe," Wendy pointed to the various clouds, her mind letting them take on very specific shapes, "And that one looks like Robbie's small…."
Dipper was in awe, not off the roof nor the view he always had. But Wendy, sure despite the age gap and the fact she already said no, he couldn't help but still admire the fact just how special a person she was. Her determination, her fire, the fact that even when the Heartless came and sent them off to Traverse Town, she didn't break, she didn't waver, she showed strength and determination. Oh. how much he loved her still
Wendy though had made her feelings clear during one of their adventures that theirs would always be a platonic relationship. Of course, Dipper would respect her decision no matter what, for their friendship mattered more than if they were romantically involved. Still, it was hard at times to still not possess some sort of feelings with them when they were together. . Sometimes he wished he could just let loose and tell her how he really felt still even now. Though the age gap was still a thing, he was twelve and she was fifteen. It was still too young, and even he waited a bit longer by then who knows it might have been too late.
"Hey, dude? Dude? your spacing out again, contacting the mother ship?" Wendy said, snapping his fingers in front of her. "Earth to Dipper? Come in, Dipper. Houston we've lost contact with Dork Space One, I repeat we've lost contact with Dork Space One, over."
Dipper shook his head, "Oh sorry, just uh…. Thinking?"
"More thinking," Wendy snickered, "When you are ever not thinking dude. Seriously you think more than all those boring philosophers they make us read about in school".
"Hey!"
Wendy chuckled.
Dipper loved her laugh, it was definitely one of the few things that made him calm. Wendy just had a good instinct to know what was going on in his head and knew how to make it chill. She always knew just how to be chill. Whenever he was with her, he really did wish he could just get his brain to stop thinking and live in the moment, enjoy life, with her.
Wasn't the first time he had done this, nor will it be the last. All the time he would think about the people he loved and how in some way he may have failed them by not being able to protect his world by being destroyed from the Heartless. Perhaps there was something he could have done, or maybe he could have been better when he was in Traverse Town. Instead, for the most part he stood on the sidelines and let Sora do the work.
"Guess that's why it tends to go off the rails a lot."
"Oh, nice use of puns! I like it, I like it." Wendy smirked
"Yeah, but you know...Just thinking ...Grunkle Ford's still not back, all the stuff we did back in Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion"
Wendy nodded, "Yeah, that was one wild ride"
Dipper chuckled as he blushed. His mind was thinking about several things at once. Wendy, Riku, Mabel and Sora might have won. Life had definitely been interesting for him, and after the Heartless came, his mind exploded now knowing about the knowledge of the other worlds, darkness, and of course the all powerful weapon...The Keyblade.
Every time he thought about that weapon he felt a small tingle encompass him. Such a powerful weapon, considered by one of the most powerful beings in the entire universe. The only problem one there was one, and it was in the hands of a fourteen year old. Dipper had high thoughts of Sora for sure, he seemed to prove his mettle against Maleficent, even Riku, still he could see the flaws. He was cocky, naive, and definitely someone who flew by the seat of his pants. In a lot of ways, he reminded him of Mabel and with a powerful weapon, that was a scary combination.
A weapon like that should be with someone smart and wise, like him, or his great uncle Ford. He wondered how much his great uncle knew about the Keyblade before he vanished. He wished he was here right now. So many questions left unanswered. He wanted to know, he needed to know.
"Dipper, spacing out again." Wendy said waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention again
"Oops, sorry Wendy," He blushed hard now, feeling his insides churn
Wendy stood up looking at Dipper concerned, "Alright kid, what's wrong, come on, you can tell me, I know you told me a little, but what's really got your mind all kerbobbled.".
"Well, uh…." Dipper started blushing from embarrassment, "It's embarrassing. You don't wanna hear about it"
"Oh man, now you gotta tell me!" Wendy said getting on her knees looking excited, "Is it a deep dark secret, do you finally have another crush...It's another crush isn't it
"No...No…." Dipper laughed nervously "Well, I was just thinking ...What would it be like to wield one of those Keyblade's for myself?"
"Huh, really? Thinking about all that Keyblade stuff again. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, I mean after everything that happened " Wendy looked at Dipper with a smirk, ruffling his hair a bit, "I guess I can see it, i mean it might be heavy for you. But hey, if that Sora kid could do it with little to experience I don't see why you can't"
"Really?" Dipper looked excited now, "Think so"
Wendy nodded her head, "Yeah, why not, beside you seem like you'd study and train and get better at it. We've been through a lot of weird stuff that i'm sure having one of those key things would be a perfect fit".
"I thought you wouldn't want me to have one because of all the bad stuff it caused? I mean Grunkle Ford but that stuff in the Journal when he came back for a reason right? He must have discovered it on his adventure, he must be worried about it.
Wendy shrugged, "I mean sure I'd be worried, but I'm always worried, so might as well enjoy it."
"Ha, you have a Keyblade Master Dipper," Zazu flew up towards them now, the long hornbill landing on top of Dipper's cap, "Come now Master Dipper, why on earth would you want one of those infernal things anyway?"
"Oh yeah?" Dipper smirked arms folded confident, "You don't think I can do it?"
Zazu replied, "If from what I heard about them, we are lucky Sora was able to wield one."
"Not the way I see it."
Mabel popped her head out the window looking up at the roof, "Oh, I sense an obligatory song!"
Dipper
I'm gonna wield a mighty key.
So enemies beware
Zazu
Well I've never seen a key's wielder
With such messy hair.
"Well, there was Sora," Wendy pointed out.
"True."
Dipper
I'm gonna be the main event
Like no wielder was before.
I'm brushing up I'm looking down.
Working on my battle roar!
Zazu
Thus far a rather uninspiring thing.
Dipper
Oh I just can't wait to wield that Key.
Wendy chuckled, "Oh man, you wielding a Keyblade? That's something I gotta see."
"Can you imagine it, though?!" Dipper exclaimed.
Dipper
No one saying do this.
Wendy
No one saying be there.
Dipper
No one saying stop that.
Dipper/Wendy
No one saying see here.
Zazu
Now see here.
Dipper
Free to run around all day
Free to do it my way.
Zazu
I think it's time
That you and I
Arrange a heart to heart.
Dipper
Wielders don't need advice
From little horn fields for a start
Zazu
If this is where the keyblade is headed
Then ser cut me out.
Out of service
Out of Africa
I wouldn't hang about.
This child is getting wildly out of wing.
Dipper
Oh I just can't wait to wield that Key
Dipper
Everyone look left.
Everyone looks right.
Everywhere you look I'm
Standing spotlight!
Zazu
Not yet
Chorus
Let every creature go for broke and sing
Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing
It's gonna be young's finest fling
Dipper
Oh, I just can't wait to wield that key
Oh, I just can't wait to wield that key
Oh, I just can't wait to wield that key
Zazu sighed, "Oh, I hope there aren't any other young pre-teens out there with the insanity that you posses, master Dipper. I really, really, hope so."
"There you are!" Stan came out pointing to the two of them, "Stop singing songs about dreams and the future and get to work!"
Dipper sighed, "Yes, Grunkle Stan."
"Hey Dipper," Wendy said, stopping him mid way,
"I think you'd make an awesome Keyblade Master...but uh you know, don't let it go to your head okay dude."
"Yeah….heh heh….right"
Dipper smiled, his cheeks turning a tad red, before running off.
-000-
Walking back home through the woods was never hard, Wendy had plenty of experience through the woods. Her father when she was young showed her all the important roots and signs to avoid the most danger. It got to the point where she felt at one with the forest at times. Like she could hear it speaking to her.
Wendy took a deep breath and wondered just went through that brain of Dipper's. She worried about him sometimes. Well not sometimes, all the time. Kid was just twelve year old, on the cusp of Teenagerdom and yet he had been through so much. He and his sister. More than any kids there age had probably been through, heck probably more than she had been through and she had been through a lot.
First with losing her mother when she was very young and then having to pretty much raise her brothers and her father in a house. It was hard, she loved her family, but that didn't make things any easier. She had to carve out a life for herself, balancing being a teen and helping take care of the famly. She may not have been the oldest sibling but she sure was the most mature, and that was a pretty low bar.
Despite the pay, she loved the Mystery Shack and definitely considered it a home away from home. Even considered Stan a bit of a father figure, sure a cheap one who didn't pay at all but still a father figure nonetheless.
She loved the Pines family and would do anything to protect them for they were just as much her family as her own blood family was, maybe even a little bit more so these days.
During the whole Heartless thing Wendy felt for the first time in her life real her life. Her family and friends had been completely lost. The only home she had for that brief time was the Mystery Shack. Sure she put up a brave face but every day was a challenge to get through.
"Hey Wendy!"
Wendy zoomed around to see Soos just sitting standing there as if he appeared out of nowhere, "Ah geez!" She jumped back a few feet.
"Whoops sorry" Soos chuckled, "Didn't realize my ninja skills were kicking in"
"Yeah, well don't just sneak up on people like that" Wendy grunted before taking a deep breath, "What's up, if Stan needs me to clean the gutters tell him my shift ended thirty minutes ago"
"What oh no,no,no, I already did that I'm trying to show my usefulness to get my monthly performance view from A+ to A + +" Soos looked giddy with excitement.
Wendy sighed, "Of course you are you little boot licker, well anyway, what's up?"
"Oh not much, just thought you looked lonely sitting in the trees, makes a scene kinda boring with only one person and possible internal thoughts going on"
Wendy just stared at him with a confused expression, "You've been playing those JRPG's again haven't you"
"Yep, but that's beside the point" Soos waved it off, "Just think it's sorta interesting all the stuff going on, I mean, we first survive our world being taken by a real threat of darkness and evil and now the people who stopped it came to our town and one of them is living with us on a redemption arc, I feel like a secondary character, and I love every second of it"
"Right?" Wendy again sighed rubbing the back of her neck, "Well I don't know what half of that means but I do know that it is kinda weird. Dipper I don't think is still over Stan two not being here and I think it's really eating him up. I'm worried he's gonna do something stupid, knowing how his brain works"
Soos looked sad now, "Ah geez dude, I'm sure Dipper will be okay, sure Ford is gone, and Stan doesn't really talk about it again...I mean losing a brother twice that's like, really weird, sometimes I feel like something took a smack at our continuity and i leading us in a entirely originally direction than we've originally supposed to go"
"Okay seriously that makes no sense" Wendy grunted before sighing, "Well anyway, I'm just worried, and now he's going on about wielding one of those weird Key things, and I don't know, I don't trust any of it"
The weird and the strange were something Wendy liked but when it came to the supernatural stuff it was all a little too much. She really went along with the odd things going on because her friends liked it. Dipper especially had a fondness for all the paranormal stuff going on in Gravity Falls. It was the only reason she got involved in any of the misadventures in the first place. However now that thing started affecting her and family in a deep way, she started to have a great sense of mistrust in all of it.
Soos put a hand on Wendy's shoulder and smiled, "Hey, i'm sure it will all work out these stories kinda do"
"What kind of story are we in?" Wendy asked, still looking glum, "The one of angst and depression
Soos shrugged, "Huh, I don't know, given I feel like we're really just secondary characters, I'm thinking a big epic"
"Hey, I'm secondary to no one!" Wendy declared with pride, "I'm the main character of my own story"