Stanford Pines
I walk through the forests of old, stained with the memories of a forgotten past. The years have slipped by since I had entered these woods, enchanted and mystified by the mysteries and secrets they hid behind their great oaks. How naive I was, to seek out the knowledge I proved too immature to handle. I approach the large metallic tree in the heart of the forest, brandishing my magnetic gun and pulling the lever down with it's polarizing force. With a rumble, the forest floor opens up and the tree lowers, swallowed by the void created. With an ear piercing creaking noise, a rust coated staircase opened up before my eyes. I feel regret and guilt pass over me, rippling over my subconsciousness and disturbing the pool of calm I work so hard to maintain. It is all a facade. Deep down, I am afraid of what must happen, what will happen. What I must do, what I have done. The details do not matter, I remain the scared little boy I was all those years ago. A six fingered freak.
I use those fingers of mine to crack a fluorescent glow stick, allowing it to illuminate my path as I forge forward into the forgotten bunker. I adjust my glasses as my boots take the familiar path, clambering down the muddy steps and eventually entering the dusty coated metal room. Something seems off. The air down here smells humid and earthy and I can no longer hear the forest above, everything seems too quiet. My objective for this mission was to check on the well being of the bunker and see if all my specimens were still safely trapped. I enter and check up on all my supplies and rations, cursing myself for not using this place during Wierdmageddon, when I suddenly hear a thump from the experiment chamber. I glance up and rest my hand on my gun, approaching the decontamination bay slowly. I take a step inside and am instantly assaulted by water and foul smelling wind. Even if I know it's coming, nothing prepares you for it, it's just an extremely unpleasant sensation. I pat down my hair, which is now sticking up at the end, entering the experiment chamber and dropping my glow stick in shock.
It appears that during the events of Wierdmageddon, something had occurred down here. A jagged spire of black rock punctures the cryogenic pod that was meant to contain the shape shifter. I instantly take a step backward whipping out my plasma pistol, keeping it steady at eye level. I feel the familiar hum of the energies colliding within the cylindrical metal gadget, the sensation of it warming in my hands.
"Alright, shape shifter. I know you're in here somewhere. Come on out so I can transport you somewhere safer."
"Keep me safe? You, father? Do not kid yourself, you wish to kill me." I instantly whip my pistol around, pointing it right at…myself.
"Tricks again, shifter." I squeeze the trigger, but just as the beam of blue energy would blast out, something tail-like slithers out from behind my- the shape shifter's coat and slammed the gun out of my hand, sending it skidding across the floor.
"Oh but father, you see, I have learned more than just tricks." My form takes a step towards me, out of the shadows that hid his face. "After long last, I become privy to your mind…" The shifter shudders for a moment, wincing slightly as if adjusting to his form. That's never happened before, something is very wrong here.
"That's impossible. You've never been able to gain a subject's knowledge post transformation." I bellow, slowly and discretely shifting towards my gun.
"After….what was it you called it?" A shiver passes through the creature and his form ripples for a moment, a sickening thing to see when it is your face that stares back at you. "Ah yes, that's right. Wierdmageddon. After Wierdmageddon, a few…..weirdness bubbles passed through here and granted me reprieve from my eternal ensnarement, and not just that, but enhanced abilities." I, or what appears to be replicating my body, spreads my arms wide appreciatively, not realizing that the original had shifted into a position where leaping toward the gun became possible.
"I see they did not grant you further insight, you idiot!" I roar, as I pounce towards the metallic gun resting on the floor.
My hand's reach out, six fingers out stretched as I suddenly feel a lurch in my stomach, some sort of metallic belt fastened around my waist, yanking me back towards my original position. I bounce across the floor, my old bones rattling beneath my flesh as I manage to pull myself up, only to be met with a sight that made me wish I stayed down. Myself, staring back at me but his right arm had morphed into a large metallic snake-like tentacle, a part of his head an explosion of the same metal. The glossy metal surface seems to be crawling across the fake Stanford's head, whilst a devious grin that did not belong on my face spread just as fast.
"What….What have you done." I say breathlessly, my hand reaching into my coat pocket under the guise of massaging my pains, crouching down on the floor.
"I have evolved father. Beyond anything imaginable. You did not tell me you had some sort of metal within your head." He raises his hand and raps his knuckles across his head. My head.
"You will not escape this place." I say gruffly, playing up my injuries.
"Certainly not on my own. You will aid me." He says, his arms morphing back into my arms and the metal retracting into his mind, assuming a gesture that I have seen in the mirror too many times, a thoughtful expression, "Ah…I see.. So the exit is through there, is it? Oh and the pass code is….. 1551953. Oh and is that dear Stanley's birth date? What a caring brother I am." He looks down at me, smirking cruelly. "I think I will leave you down here forever, see how you enjoy it, father. It will take some time to fully attune to this great mind of yours."
"No more of this." I mutter to myself as I leap up, pulling my secondary plasma pistol out of my coat pocket and aiming it right at the shifter's head. He, as if by by reflex, flicks his coat back and reaches for a gun that is not there.
"Wha-" He snarled in shock as his face suddenly lights up and a beam of plasma passes through his neck. He leaps backwards with superhuman reflex, sputtering as black intestines and blood splatters onto the floor from his mouth and neck. I point my gun to finish the job as the shifter begins to morph. I leap onto of him, pinning him down with my knee as the energies gather in the barrel of the gun.
"Gah, sorry about that Ford…Think you could consider letting me up now?" A sickeningly familiar awkward voice stammers out underneath my knee, one that perfectly resembles the one I heard only a few hours prior. Curly brown hair and intelligent brown eyes, a young man with a pitiful expression, begging for mercy.
"Wha-you!" In my split second of hesitance, as I stare into Dipper's youthful face, my finger loosens on the trigger and he kicks me off suddenly, transforming into some sort of tiny beast that flickers away into the darkness of the chamber, past the door and barreling towards the exit. I pull myself up and give chase, turning a corner to see the shifter wearing my face, concentrating on his hands as some sort of metallic object manifests and grows in his hands, one resembling the gun I was too slow to bring up. If only I was a little bit younger, are my final thoughts as a beam of pure light passes through my shoulder and knocks me back into the metallic locker behind me. My final moments were watching myself wave goodbye as he enters the password perfectly and steps into the light of the outside.
"Please don't die, father. It would be regrettable." And then all is black.
Mabel
I hop down the stairs two at a time, Waddles (obviously) waddling along behind me. Dipper is sitting down at the table and shoving spoons of my favorite cereal into his mouth.
"Oh YES. Overly Sensitive Owls? It's been so long, we couldn't get any of this back in California." Dipper glances down as if just noticing that he was even eating cereal.
"Hm? Oh yeah. Hey Mabel listen, you had any weird dreams now that we're back in Gravity Falls?" He asks, rubbing his eyes lazily. He lets out a yawn as I feel my stomach drop.
"Noooo?….what do you mean? You okay? You still having those nightmares about Bill? I ask, approaching slowly and putting my hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, psh whaaaat? No-no uh no way bro." He says in a weirdly high pitched voice.
"Dipper I know you're lying." I say, my concern growing like a water balloon in my gut.
"Whaaaaaaaat? I'm no-"
"You always make that voice when you lie."
"Okay, fine. Maybe once. Or twice." He says, avoiding my eyes and lifting another spoon to his mouth. I raise my eyebrows at him in my most "I see through your lies." face and he cracks, "A week."
"Once or twice a WEEK?! Dipper that's way too much, I'm getting worried about you bro bro."
"Relax Mabel, seriously, I'm completely fine. Just sit down and eat your breakfast so we can go sign up for school, preferably today." And then he flips open his journal and we all know what happens once Dipper flicks open that journal of his. Before I even knew it he's already shut out the world, buried in his drab, colorless pages.
I click my tongue and reach for the cereal bag, dropping it immediately in terror.
"DIPPER." I shriek.
"What?" He says, obviously irritated but his anger pales in comparison to my righteous fury.
"YOU FINISHED. MY CEREAL." I slam my trained fists onto the table, making his bowl shake. Dipper's face morphs into one of absolute fear as he raises his hands defensively.
"Woah, woah, woah Mabel, calm down. There's a simple fix to this, let's not do anything irrational here!"
"OH YEAH? AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE MR IM SO SMART ALL OF THE TIME BUT I CAN'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE DAMN CEREAL IM EATING." I say, raising my fist. Dipper lets out a girlish yelp and raises his hands to protect his face. Soos pokes his head into the room. "You dudes need to get your hands on some more cereal?"
And that's how we found ourselves at the mall a half hour later, shopping for cereal.
"Mabel, they're all pretty much the same can we please just pick one?"
"How are we even RELATED?" I shoot back at him, shocked.
"Through blood. Unfortunately." Dipper mumbles under his breath.
"You're not clever. You're just sad." I shake my head in pity. Dipper rolls his eyes in my peripherals, thinking I wouldn't see. That just earns him more head shakes.
After a while I managed to pick out some new cereal brand that was way more colorful than Overly Sensitive Owls, introducing Lemon Lizard Crunch. I slam the box down onto the black conveyer belt and stare at Dipper expectantly. He groans and pulls out his wallet, rifling through it and sliding some cash across the counter. I hold the box to my chest and we both hop into Soos's car that he had spray painted black with streaks of gray at the bottom and super glued one of Stan's hat onto the top.
"Soos, is this car supposed to be Grunkle Stan?"
"Oho yeah dudes, sweet ride, right? Preserving his legacy. I call it the 'Stan-mobile"
Me and Dipper exchange a knowing twin look and we say nothing more. Some things must not be acknowledged. We drive through the town, Soos pointing out new buildings and attractions, the old northwest statue had been seemingly rebuilt but fortunately his hat seemed to be missing and there was graffiti all over his bronze body. Dipper leans forward and taps Soos's chair in the middle of our sight seeing, saying "Hey, Soos, can you maybe pull up at the high school now? Mabel and I gotta register before it ends."
"Oh, no worries dawg that's just around the corner." It most definitely was not right around the corner.
I'm pretty sure Soos had gone the direct opposite way, swerving and drifting around ever corner until we eventually came to a screeching halt outside Gravity Falls High School.
"Oh man, this brings me back. I remember how much this place was supposed to suck, according to Wendy at least." I say, thinking back on the week before our thirteenth birthday. I really did think everything was the end of the world back then. And then I caused the actual end of the world. For reals. Blah, thinking back on all that junk makes me feel all stupid, like mega stupid. Dipper is lost in his own thought's, probably chasing himself around in circles till he gets a headache. I don't know where he gets the energy to think all day and that's coming from me. The energy part not the thinking part, I mean.
I'm glaring at the weathered red bricks and the gray but probably used to be some sort of dark brown or black roof tiles slant over the top of the stifling looking building, like some sort of feathered cage. I shudder, thinking back to the Prison Bubble, which had been like someone shoving scented candles up my nose and into my brain so I couldn't think through all the smells and haze. Although, I stare at the windows of the school, catching glimpses of classrooms and students, suddenly I don't think I'll have the same problem I had in Bill's fantasy trap. Something tells me this high school is not a very pleasant place to be in. I feel a seed of nervousness in my belly start to sprout, stabbing the inside of my stomach and making my chest feel all shifty and scared.
I collapse back onto my seat and let out a muffled groan that couldn't escape through my pouted lips. Dipper, who snaps his book shut as we pull up on the dull asphalt, let's out a resounding sigh that dwindles into his own groan of pain, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he mocks me. We have a little back and forth of pained grunts and groans, Soos joining in louder than both of us, before he readjusts his windshield mirror, "Uh, dudes. I think this is your stop." Dipper lets out a dry chuckle as he pushes open the car door, taking a step out into the fresh air. Relax, Mabel. You've kicked plenty of ass before, this school's no different. Remember what Dipper always tells you before you step onto the mat. You survived the apocalypse, you can survive this too. Also that morality is relative.
We walk into the hallowed halls of Gravity Falls High School just as the bell rings, signally the end of first period, and by the way Wendy had been describing it I half expected some sort of vampire or werewolf to jump out at every corner, telling me my pony tail looks stupid. I shudder at the very thought, now that was a nightmare that even Bill couldn't cook up with that twisted mind of his.
The halls smell like rubber and my shoes squeaked against the tiles as I skipped along, all the students having filed into their classes. Dipper was trailing behind, taking his sweet time to read just about every second poster or flier or noticeboard.
"Dipper, seriously, what are you even looking for?"
He frowns, confused at my question. "A map."
"Oo? You've been here what, 2 minutes, and you're already trying to track down some buried treasure? I like your moxy, bro." I hop along, trying to jump high enough to catch a glimpse of the classrooms behind the windows.
"What? No." He says, squinting at one of the noticeboards. "We need to find the registrations office."
And then I noticed that there was something distinctly different about Dipper. Like, his face area.
"Dipper, did you leave your glasses at the shack? Because I'm pretty sure we passed the registration office, near the entrance."
He pat's face and realisation dawns on him resulting in resounding face palm.
"Damn it. Okay, fine. Lead the way." He drawls, and even though he may seem annoyed, the humor isn't lost on him. I can see a playful smile budding on his face. He turns around, making our way back from were we came, when he suddenly stops in his tracks. His eyes widen and I follow his line of sight, gazing over at two ordinary lockers just next to us.
"Uhh, you good? You losing your mind or something?"
"Mabel, l-look." He stammers, his hand's snaking into his hoodie and pulling out his journal so fast it's like it just materialized in his hands (seriously, how does he do that?).
"Mabel-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm looking." I say through pursed lips, my concern leaking into my voice. I only see it after squinting my eyes, peering into the gap between the shoddily arranged lockers. At first all I can see is just the cheap peeling paint that had been lathered over the lockers and some old gum stuck onto the sides but as my eyes focus in on the darkness, something else come's into view.
It looked like some sort of doodle, sort of resembling an owl, scrawled onto the wall in permanent marker. It was a circle with a line running down the middle vertically, then another running through that line horizontally. Underneath it are words in really pretty handwriting that read "open sesame!"
I lean back to fix my sight on Dipper, rolling my eyes as he's feverishly copying the symbol down into his journal, muttering rapidly under his breath.
"Okay? So what? It's a doodle." I say, feeling like I missed something. This better not be some dumb nerd thing.
"Mabel, it's not just a doodle." He affronts, staring at me in shock and outrage like I had just stepped on his toes or something. "I've seen this symbol before. It's one of those runes I was telling you about."
That's just perfect. A dumb nerd thing.
"Ugh, Dipper. Don't scare me like that I thought there was some sort of crazed lunatic or something." I say, giving him a good punch of the shoulder for compensation. He let's out a cry of pain and rubs his shoulder sympathetically, glaring at me. "This is a big deal Mabel, seriously. These kinds of symbols always show up on old ruins all over the world and usually those ruins are on ley lines. Don't you see? This means I'm onto something. Why else would it be here?" I roll my eyes and start pushing him along.
"Ah, Ah, okay wait a sec." He bleated, pulling his phone out and taking about 100 photos from different angles. That seemed to satisfy him and we continued forward, Dipper's nose buried in his journal again. Which is probably why he didn't hear the footsteps quickly approaching the corner. I grin and slow my pace, sitting back and watching the show. Please say it's a girl, that would be so awkward for him.
A familiar flash of blonde and purple turns the corner, ramming straight into Dipper, sending their books sprawling. She stumbles backwards and gets onto her knees, grumbling darkly as I let out a gasp of recognition. There was no way. There was literally no way. "Oh. My. God." I breathe, nudging Dipper who's mouth was agape.
""I-I..Uhh" He blurts out, bending over slightly to try and pick his journal off the floor, flinching at every one of the girl's movement. She reaches out to Dipper's journal, hesitating for a moment. I watch as a shiver of recognition passes through her like an electric shock. "No. Way." She scoffs, straightening up like a bullet and glaring at us, as if she's angry at our very presence.
"Uh…Heyyyyyy Pacifica." Dipper says, squirming where he stood.
Her facial features twitch, as if she's retroactively trying to be mad at us and fighting off a smile at the same time. Locks of her straight cool blonde hair hung freely below her shoulders, with icy blue eyes that flash with recognition. Every one of her movement's betray a grace only achieved by years of practice under scrutiny, her complexion a healthy pink coupled with layers of make up that compliment her natural beauty perfectly. I feel a twinge of envy, I never had the patience to apply makeup so well, nor make it look so effortless.
The silence is deafening and it's so awkward it's making me itchy, but that won't ruin the feeling of fireworks of delight going off in my head. Normally, this would be precisely the right time to un-awkward the situation by being myself but I am holding myself back. Why, you ask? Because as Pacifica's eyes flickered over mine and settled onto Dipper, her scowl melted off her face, leaving only a pout as her gaze locks onto his eyes. Dipper isn't much better, he's even forgotten about his journal which lies on the floor gathering dust. His hands are by his side as he matches Pacifica's creepy staring with his own, drinking in every facet of her appearance and holding her gaze, openly gawking at her.
Okay this has gone on long enough, I'm getting bored. Delivering a smack to my brother's back, I speak up, "Pacifica! God, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
She blinks, as if she had just been snapped out of a trance. "Uh. Yeah. Hi."
"Hi." I nod amicably. "Hi, indeed. How've you been?" Her eyes dance between mine and Dipper's, her gaze so sharp it's like she's trying to cut into us. Her expression is a picture of solemn regard, frigidly considering our existence and simultaneously calculating her next response. Like she's trying to figure out how much she can say and how much she should keep hidden beneath the layers of lip gloss.
"I-" She opens her mouth as if to say something and then closes it. "I've been fine, It's tolerable. I mean, not that it's any of your business, but after you guys caused the literal end of the world my family suffered quite a bit." Her expression remains stoney, as if watching for our next move. Her words sounded nasty but they came without the bite that I've come to associate with Pacifica Northwest. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but there's something there, something different.
"We didn't-" Dipper sputters, immediately flaring up, but the words die lamely in his throat. "There was a whole load of things that- It wasn't just us." I stay quiet, I can't find the word's that are swimming inside my brain, splashing against my skull and begging to be let loose but won't be because of the sunken memory hidden beneath their waves, the one they try to cover with the noise and the color. I could still see the globe fracture against the earth, shards scattering over the blades of grass as sickening laughter pierces my ears.
"Besides, it was your own parent's fault that you're broke. Your dad's the one who tried to side with Bill. I'd say what happened to you was his fault!" And at last her icy facade crumbles, giving way to a reluctant sigh of defeat. "Haah. Yeah. Yeah it sorta was."
"Yeah, and you- wait what?" Dipper raises his finger accusingly but his anger was quickly defused by Pacifica's lack thereof.
"Shocked that you finally got something right?" She teases, a smirk appears on her face that she quickly stifles with a clear of her throat.
"I-I'm right about a lot of things, for your information." He scoffs indignantly in response.
She tilts her head up pridefully. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Your memory must be terrible. It feels like it was only yesterday a certain someone came to the shack, practically begging for my help with a ghost problem." He says breathlessly, stumbling over the words just to deliver the blow.
"Puh-lease! I was not BEGGING. Besides, I totally saved your ass in the end, didn't I." She crosses her arms and the her smile unshakable now. Dipper responds with his own reminiscent smile, the levity of the situation creeping over the initial anger.
"Yeah. I guess you sorta did." He shakes his head in disbelief.
"And don't you forget it, Pines." She prods his chest with her book as if to punctuate her sentence.
"Ha ha. Yeah. And I was wood." I interject, reminding them both I was there , just enjoying the show. The silence sinks it's claws back into the moment and Pacifica jumps suddenly.
"Right, well, I've kinda got class now. So, later dorks." And she nudges past Dipper who immediately presses his back against the lockers as she walks by. As I'm watching her blonde hair bounce with every one of her steps, I realise that there's probably more catching up to do.
"Hey, Pacifica. Wait up!" I yell out.
She turns around impatiently and clicks her tongue. "What is it? And make it quick."
"Wanna catch up properly at the mall this afternoon? I think it'd be nice, if you're down for that."
She raises her eyebrows in surprise and tucks some hair behind her ear. "I uh. I'll see. It might be hard cause I uh I've got so much plans, you know?"
"I know. Keep me posted?"
"Uh, sure. I guess." she turns on her heel to walk as I scoff incredulously, running past her and stopping in front of her. I take my phone out and gesture to it with mock surprise. Realisation passes over her face and her mouth forms an "O".
"Right. You want my number." she says, rifling through her purse.
"Or you want mine?" I ask hopefully. "Or a certain someone's brother." Immediately her cheeks redden and her phone nearly slips out of her hand. "I- what are you talking about Mabel." She hisses.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Unless there's something, after all?"
"There's nothing." She grumbles.
"Whatever you say." I shrug jovially.
And with that, I now have Pacifica Northwest's number. I'll give her a call in a bit and then she'll have mine. She turns around and walks down the hall hurriedly, one step away from breaking into a jog. Guess she really is in a rush.
I turn around with a diabolical grin plastered over my face. Dipper has bent over to retrieve his journal and is now dusting it off affectionately with a faded smile on his lips.
"Sooooooooo.." I say, taking a step towards him with my arms behind my back.
"Sooo?" He asks, raising his eyebrows inquisitively.
"I've scored us a date with Pacifica after school. At the mall."
"You mean you've scored yourself one. I'm staying home, I've got things to do." He says, raising his journal to show me.
"Aww you aren't gonna make me tolerate the spoiled princess all by myself, are you?" I say, doing my best evil villain laugh internally.
Dipper frowns, "Hey, come on. Lay off her, she's not that bad."
"Oh? So now you're standing up for her, huh?" My grin widens and he groans, depositing his journal back in his hoodie.
"Besides, you've got the whole summer to stare at your nerd book-"
"-journal." he says warningly.
"your nerd journal. How many chances are we gonna have to hang out with our favorite walking rich, blonde, valley girl cliche?" He seems amused by my attempts at persuasion, and I can tell he's considering it.
"Yeah, fine. I'll go." And as he walks ahead I tap my fingers together wickedly.
Mabel Pines, Gravity Falls's best matchmaker has returned and is better than ever.