Chapter 13: The Wheel and the Portal
The elevator did not go down, even though Fred pushed the button several times.
Fred asked, "What's going on?"
Professor Pericles said, "We are still missing the elemental keys. We need earth, air, fire, and water."
"What does that mean?" asked Dipper.
"It means things associated with those elements that are significant to you," said Pericles.
"Like my grappling hook?" asked Mabel. "That was super important to us when we were falling through the air."
"That will do very nicely for Air," said Perecles.
"Dudes, I know what we could use for Earth," said Soos. "The Rock that Looks Like a Face. I'll go get it."
"Wendy, I can think of a form of water that makes me think of you," said Dipper. "Ice."
"Why ice?" asked Wendy.
"I got some for you when I hit you in the eye with a baseball at the fair, something I tried to fix with time travel," said Dipper. "There was also ice at the haunted convenience store."
"OK, if you say so," said Wendy. "I'll go get some from the gift shop freezer."
That leaves Fire," said Dipper. "There are some cigarette lighters in the gift shop, but I don't think they're important to us."
"Dude, according to that book you're Domiclese," said Shaggy. "That means you can shoot fire from your eyes, right?"
"Reah, ryes of rire," said Scooby-Doo.
"But I can't," said Dipper. "Just that once in the dreamscape."
"You will be able when the time comes," said Pericles.
Armed with the elemental keys, they tried going into the elevator again. The lights blinked and the elevator beeped. It still would not go down.
"Let's try one at a time, element bearers first," suggested Fred.
Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, and Soos all got in without problems. Each of the human members of Mystery Incorporated tried, and so did McGucket, but in each case the elevator beeped as soon as one of them got in. The only one it accepted was Scooby-Doo.
Pericles also flew in and pecked the button. The door closed and the elevator descended.
"Wait, what about the others?" asked Dipper.
"This is all we need," said Pericles. "All the members of Gravity Incorporated and two descendants of the Annunaki."
"Rannunaki?" asked Scooby-Doo.
"Intelligent talking animals," said Pericles. "Like me. And, at a much lower level, you."
The elevator stopped on the bottom floor, a dark room with computers and other machinery. Standing in a circle in front of a glowing portal were several people.
"Mr. Pines, what is going on?" asked Soos.
"Gideon, why are you out of jail?" asked Dipper.
"Robbie, what are you doing here?" asked Wendy.
"Lebam, what are you up to?" asked Mabel.
None of them answered. Robbie just shook his head grimly.
In the middle of the circle a one-eyed triangular figure appeared.
"What is rat?" asked Scooby-Doo. "A riant Rorito?"
"The gang's all here!" said Bill. "Welcome to my team, Dog Tag. Welcome to everyone on the other team: Pine Tree, Shooting Star, Ice, Question Mark, and Bird Cage."
"What do you mean about teams?" asked Dipper.
"There are obviously two five-member teams," said Professor Pericles. "We must take our places on the Wheel and seize control of the Portal before the other side does."
"This is rike rast time," said Scooby-Doo. "Rood team, rad team."
"Good team, bad team," said Dipper. "A mystery team is four people and a talking animal..."
"One of the two animals is bad!" said Mabel. "I knew we should have stuck with Waddles!"
"Scooby-Doo must have been corrupted to the bad side," said Pericles. "Don't listen to him. He's trying to throw off the plan!"
"Pericles was bad last time," said Dipper. "We shouldn't listen to him!"
Mabel hugged Scooby. "I chose Scooby-Doo for our team! He's nicer!"
"You are making a mistake," said Pericles. "Pound for pound I have the most intelligent brain here."
"The team leader has chosen Dog Tag as the Heart for her side," said Bill. "Places, everyone!"
All the people felt a compulsion to move. Wendy spotted the Ice symbol, and moved to it. Mabel moved to the Shooting star position, and Dipper moved to the Pine Tree position. Soos saw the place matching the Question Mark on his shirt, and moved there. Periclese moved to the position with the Bird Cage.
"Ratch rout," said Scooby-Doo, balking at going to the position with an "SD" tag. He was dragged there by a supernatural force.
Pericles looked at his new team-mates. "Get the elemental Keys from them and throw them to the center. Then it will be our side that unlocks the Portal, and that is rewarded with power."
Robbie, looking very hypnotized with glowing eyes, stuck out a long frog-like tongue and started pulling the ice bag away from Wendy.
Stanley Pines grabbed the Rock that Looks Like a Face from Soos, saying "Gimme that!"
Lebam said to Mabel, "I don't need your grappling hook. I've got my own!"
Gideon asked, "Where's the last one, the Fire?"
"Dipper's eyes," said Periclese. "We must compel Dipper to assume his Domiclese form and project lasers from his eyes into the center. Threaten his sister."
There was a hum from the Portal and gravity turned off. Everyone began to float.
"Re don't rant to ropen the Rortal," said Scooby-Doo. "Re reed to rut it rown! Ruse the rword!"
Dipper drew the Sword of Domiclese. As soon as he did, a shudder of energy went through him and he grew tall, dark haired, and very muscular. His eyes glowed.
Gideon floated over and grabbed Mabel. "Ok, Dipper. Zap those eyes to the center, or Mabel gets it!"
Mabel kicked Gideon and floated away from him. She also grew older, taller, and more beautiful. A force bubble projected around her, keeping Gideon at bay.
"Don't worry about me! Shut down the Portal."
Domiclese wasn't facing the right way, but he could see the Portal reflected in the shiny surface of the sword.
"Reamwork! Rork rogether!" called Scooby-Doo.
"Catch, Soos!" said Domiclese, tossing the sword.
Soos caught it, keeping it away from Stan, who got the Rock that Looked Like a Face.
"Like, catch, Wendy!" called Soos, passing it on.
Wendy caught it, letting Robbie get the ice.
"Mabel!" called Wendy, tossing the the sword on.
Mabel/Callisto dropped the force bubble and caught the sword. Gideon started to close in on her again.
"Scooby!" called Callisto.
Scooby-Doo gave the sword a kick, as he had with the Spear against the Evil Entity in Crystal Cove.
The sword went straight into the delicate tuning ring that controlled the portal. It sparked and shut down.
"Noo!" said Bill, his projection fading away.
The Bill-controlled team moved around aimlessly in the basement for a while, recovering from the shock of what had happened.
Wendy came up to Domiclese. "Thank you for saving us."
"Glad to," said Domiclese.
"Your real name is Domi..." Wendy said.
"Domiclese."
"Domi, you're pretty buff like that... Are you planning to stay that way?"
Domiclese shrank and reverted to being Dipper.
"That would complicate my life too much. But I'm willing to age up for you when we're alone. If you want to go out with me, that is."
Wendy stared at him. "This is pretty weird. I'm kind of in shock..."
"I'm still the Dipper you know. We can have fun, break rules, all that stuff. But I've been oldet than you before; I know how to be mature. Do we have a chance?"
"...Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, it's been a lovely evenin', y'all, but Ah've got to be on mah way," said Gideon, heading toward the elevator.
"Stop," said Lebam.
Gideon stopped. "Oh-oh."
"Just what I was hoping," Lebam said with a wicked grin. "Which would you rather, to go back to prison or to be my slave?"
"Prison," said Gideon.
"Then I'm definitely keeping you. Someone has to keep you out of trouble," said Lebam.
She led Gideon away, smiling to herself.
The local gang was sending off the Crystal Cove gang, who had all loaded back into the Mystery Machine.
"We need to head back to Miskatonic University," said Fred. "Mr. Ellison may have a lead on the next place where a piece of the Planospheric Disk is about to manifest."
"I wish we could come and help you with the next part of the case," said Mabel.
"You guys have done enough for now," said Velma. "You saved the world, so now you can relax and have fun for the rest of the summer."
"Do you think we should tell everyone who we really are?" asked Dipper.
"I wouldn't if I were you," said Daphne. "Just because they're adopted relatives doesn't mean they aren't your real family now."
"I feel the same about Abuelita," said Soos. "Would you mind if I continue living with her, Mom?"
"That would be fine with me," said Mabel. "I still want to be a kid while I can."
"I'm going to enjoy being able to be a little older," said Dipper, looking at Wendy. "Sometimes."
"If you have any more trouble around here, you can always call on Mystery Incorporated," said Fred.
"Same here," said Dipper. "You can always call on Gravity Incorporated."
"Scooby-Dooby-Doo!" called Scooby as they sped away.
THE END