Wendy and the others moved in the shadowy parts of the forest, guided by the lights and sounds coming from the motel parking lot.

The llamasaur had brought them here, instead of the Mystery Shack. Wendy still didn't understand how he knew Pacifica had been taken to this dingy motel in the middle of nowhere; the agents must have moved her by car, he couldn't have just simply followed her scent. Then again, he was a friggin' alien—one who looked like he was wearing a grandma's coat stolen from a charity sale, but an alien nonetheless. Who knew what other kinds of nifty tricks he had under his proverbial sleeve?

Grenda began the party by detonating one glitter bomb, causing quite a ruckus in the motel parking lot. The agents irrupted from their rooms or their vehicles, some still clad in pyjamas. Grenda then aimed another bomb at the man barking orders, prompting a chorus of yells from his lackeys.

Then, one of the doors opened and Pacifica rushed outside, quickly followed by a bellowing red-haired agent. The girl set out for the forest behind the motel, Agent Baluer in hot pursuit.

The llamasaur immediately took off, his little legs going so fast that Soos and McGucket had trouble keeping pace with him. It left Wendy and the girls behind to deal with the agents. Six of them remained in the parking lot, searching for the source of the disturbance with flashlights.

Six against three. Usually, Wendy would have liked those odds. McGucket, however, had only agreed to their harebrained scheme on one condition and one condition only: that Wendy and the girls would not confront the agents directly.

"Keep out of sight!" he had whined, over and over. "Ah don't want to have you kiddos get arrested!"

McGucket, acting like a responsible, reasonable adult. Wendy had lived in Gravity Falls her entire life, and that was the weirdest friggin' thing she'd ever seen.

Wendy didn't really mind going for a stealthier approach; it would make the operation more interesting, after all. Otherwise, the poor bastards just wouldn't stand a chance, would they?

"Candy, disable the security cameras if there's any," Wendy told the girl. "Grenda, keep supporting me from a distance, yeah?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Candy said with a salute, while Grenda nodded, saying, "Got it!"

The girls scattered to do as they were told. They blended in with the shadows perfectly in their 'ninja gears'. Wendy peered over the bushes, trying to see if there was any agent who'd wandered too far from the rest. Her dad, bless him, had taught all his kids how to do a perfect chokehold. He'd told them the skill was useful to wrestle bears, but Wendy had never attempted that.

(Sometimes, she worried about her dad. She really needed to set him up with the mayor, maybe that would make him chill a little.)

One agent was creeping toward her, and Wendy's lips twitched into a grin. She waited for the perfect moment, like a lynx lying in ambush for a rabbit. After inspecting the bushes where Wendy was hidden, the man turned, giving a soft curse. As quiet as a shadow, Wendy sprung from her hiding place, bringing him down in the undergrowth. He was a grown man, but she was a Corduroy.

In the distance, she heard another bomb going off, followed by a slew of loud curses. Was it one of the girls' stink bombs or one of their smoke bombs? Wendy didn't know. She dragged the unconscious agent away from prying eyes, and began her hunt anew.

The five remaining agents were gathered in the middle of the parking lot, where they were illuminated by the lights of a car. Wendy bit down a curse. Thankfully, another bomb went off, right in the middle of their little huddle. They scattered, and from their moaning and griping, it probably wasn't just a smoke bomb. Wendy grinned; she'd been there while the girls had worked on their stink bombs, she knew the foul-smelling hell Grenda had just unleashed on those idiots.

Something scuttled at her feet, and it took all of Wendy's willpower not to cry out. She inspected the ground, heart pounding. Was it some kind of forest critter? She couldn't see any trace of it.

"Wait!" someone cried out in the parking lot. "I think I saw something moving over there!"

He was pointing in Wendy's direction. Again, she inwardly cursed. Three of the agents were making their way toward her. Wendy moved behind a tree, hoping to escape their flashlights. One of them let out an exclamation, and she knew she hadn't been fast enough. Welp. So much for stealth.

The moment one was close enough, she leaped from her hiding spot, knocking the man off his feet with a well-aimed kick to the knee. A second agent was lunging at Wendy, grabbing her by the arm. Wendy twisted out of the woman's grasp, using the momentum to send her sprawling to the ground as well. In a fluid motion, Wendy turned to strike at a third opponent, only to freeze when she saw what the woman was holding.

"That's enough of that, kiddo," the agent said, taser in hand. "Just follow us back to the car, will you?"

The fourth agent pinned Wendy's arms behind her back before pushing her forward roughly. Wendy gritted her teeth; she'd made a mess of things. Again.

The agent threw her on the ground, and Wendy squinted to shield her eyes from the glare of the car headlights.

"What the hell?" one of the agents said. ""It's just a kid!"

"One of that girl's friend, maybe?" another added.

"Probably," the first agent said, and she reached to remove Wendy's mask.

She was stopped by the scratchy sound of someone talking through a radio. Frowning, the woman took the receiver in hand.

"…you copy?" The words coming out were barely perceptible. "…in the woods… something…"

"What thing?" the woman answered, sounding exasperated. "I asked you to find Blauer and the girl, not to take in the sights."

"…sounds… hooves… there's… kinda like a horse…"

"Like a horse?" The agent exchanged confused looks with the rest of her team. "Decker, you mean to tell me there's a horse wandering the woods in the middle of the night?"

The man's reply was drowned by a series of loud noises—the shriek of twisted metal, followed by the sound of glass shattering. The agents whirled on their feet, only to find that one of their cars had simply… disappeared. Like something had just dragged it back into the shadows of the forest.

Laughter nearly bubbled out of Wendy's mouth, and she had to fight to keep it in.

"Whoa," she said, nonchalantly. "Steve, huh?" She had only halfway believed those stories from her dad and Dr. Pines.

"What did you say?" the agent lady said. "Steve? Who's Steve?"

The woman was interrupted yet again by the voice from the radio. "…horse… see it… white… wait, it's charging… no, no, wait—arghhhh!"

And the radio went silent.

"The hell?!" one of the male agents exclaimed. "What's going on?"

Several small shapes scurried about, visible for only half a second before returning to the darkness. Wendy's grin became even more insolent as the agents grew more agitated.

"What was—" one agent began, before his words turned to screams. Something—no, several somethings—had climbed on his back, and the unseen creatures were now scratching at his scalp.

Another woman shrieked when more of these critters jumped on her head, pulling at her hair. The creatures were covered in branches, dirt and leaves, making them look like pint-sized commandos. They had sharp, gleaming teeth and… bright red noses?

Wendy laughed herself silly while everything around her devolved to chaos.

The gnomes quickly overpowered their targets, sending the man and the woman scampering to safer ground. Three agents remained, including the woman with the taser and the two agents that Wendy had injured. They noticeably startled when a series of deep bellows resounded in the distance. Wendy nodded, recognizing the warcries of the Manotaurs.

"What… what was that?" said the woman with the taser.

Wendy shrugged. "Bears. Lotsa them in these parts, y'know."

The radio at the woman's hip let out another few scratchy noises. "…request for…" said a voice, a different one than before. "…need backup…"

Her face grew paler. "You two," she ordered her last agents, "go help them, now! I'll keep watch over the kid."

The two sped off, their dark suits blending into the shadowed forest. The woman scowled at Wendy. The latter simply returned the stare, sitting in a nonchalant pose.

The agent's glare grew even more murderous when a stink bomb hit her right in the back of the head. With a curse, she turned on her heel, taser at the ready. Wendy seized her chance, leaping and grabbing the agent in a chokehold. A few seconds later, and the woman was unconscious at Wendy's feet.

"You okay, boss?" Grenda said, jogging toward Wendy.

"Yep," Wendy said. "Nice job, G."

The girl replied with two thumbs' up. "No problem! Where did the rest of these jerks go?"

Before Wendy could answer, a third figure clad in a dark mask and suit was appeared next to them. "I took care of the security cameras!" Candy said, offering Wendy another salute. "And look what I've found!"

She gestured at the three people following after her. Well, three people and a certain four-legged creature. The llamasaur was sticking so closely to Pacifica, it almost looked as if he wanted to jump into her arms. The girl was patting his little furred head with a soft expression that was very unlike her.

"You did it, you guys!" Soos said, running toward Wendy and the girls. "I knew you'd be able to take care of these evil agent doods!"

"A-HEM!" a familiar voice sounded. Jeff the gnome was standing atop the shoulders of two of his brethren. Their faces were smudged in dirt, while their usually bright clothing was camouflaged under a bunch of leaves and branches. "Sure you're not forgetting something important, humans?"

"Wait, what are they doing here?" Pacifica said with a scowl.

"What are we—" Jeff sputtered. "Saving your sorry butts, it's plain as day!" In the distance, they heard another roar, followed by more bellows. Jeff nodded, as if that pleased him. "The Manotaurs are actually doing as I asked. Huh. Who woulda thunk?"

"The Manotaurs are here?" Grenda said, excitedly. "And, and…"

"And the unicorns, and the fairies, and every woodland creature who lives here, yadda, yadda, yadda." Jeff gave Wendy a dry look. "Don't worry, it's not our first rodeo. We know how to scare off humans without getting caught or being seen. I mean, it's just how we've been living our lives since forever, right?"

"Oh, oh," said Soos. "We heard this weird noise, like something was making origami out of a car! Was it…"

"Steve," Wendy said simply.

Soos raised an eyebrow. "Steve?"

"Steve," Jeff confirmed with a nod. "Wonder what he does with all those cars, anyway? Does he eat them?"

"Wait, weren't you guys being pursued by an agent?" Candy asked McGucket and the others. "How d'you get rid of him?"

"McGucket took care of it," Soos said. "Right, McGucket?"

The old man held his banjo aloft—his poor battered, broken banjo. His lower lip trembled at the sight of the instrument.

"Ugh, don't you dare cry!" Pacifica said. "I'll buy you a new one. Or I'll blackmail my parents into buying you a new one."

"You could blackmail the government," Candy said, rather cheerfully.

"Sounds like a plan," Wendy said with a smirk. She cocked her ear, listening to the sounds coming from the forest. Everything had gone quiet. Soon enough, a few large figures came out of the woods. Three Manotaurs were carrying the unconscious bodies of some agents. One man was draped on the back of a unicorn; the prissy hoofbag seemed pissed as hell to be treated like a beast of burden. Wendy did not even hide her smirk.

The agents were dumped into a pile in the middle of the parking lot. They would wake up tomorrow with quite the headache, Wendy figured.

"See?" Jeff said, gesturing to the stack of agents moaning on the ground. "Ain't that a purty sight? Aren't you humans glad that we're on your side?"

"Yeah, yeah," Wendy said. "Rub it in our face, will you?"

"Thank ya kindly," McGucket said. "We humans tend ta forget, but it's yer town as well, ain't it?"

"Yep," said Jeff. Flanked by his gnomes, the Manotaurs and the unicorns, he almost cut a heroic figure. "It's our home alright. Not about to let some guys in weird suits ruin it, right, guys?"

"YEAH!" boomed one of the Manotaurs.

"What… what on earth?" a voice said, hoarse with disbelief.

The newcomer had come from behind the motel as well. Blauer's red hair was caked with dirt and leaves, and one of his eyes kept twitching. His knees were shaking under the weight of his body; he would be hit by a breeze, and Wendy was sure he'd crumple to the ground.

"I was right," he continued, almost feverishly. "I was right! There is something wrong with this town! There is, there is!"

"Wow, rude much?" Jeff said, as if he and his friends hadn't spent the last few minutes beating the crap out of Blauer's men. "Typical self-centred human, am I right, guys?"

Blauer chuckled, as if he hadn't heard what Jeff had just said. "There won't be more of these stupid excuses, will there? All of you were caught assaulting employees of the US government…" He let out another bark of laughter, though the sound was rather unhinged. "It's over. You've lost! All of you freaks are done!"

"You kidnapped a child, ya lunatic!" McGucket screamed, startling Wendy. When was the last time she'd seen the old man in such a fury? "How dare you hurt that poor girl?!"

Blauer didn't respond to McGucket's admonition; he could not stop laughing.

Pacifica, for her part, was frowning. "From what I gather, you guys made sure not to be seen, right?" she asked Jeff, pointedly ignoring Blauer.

"Yeah, of course," Jeff replied. "What part of 'not our first rodeo' don't you get, kid?"

"So, there's no evidence, is there?" Pacifica added. "No photos, no videos?"

"I cut the feed for the security cameras," Candy added with a bright smile.

"What about that missing car?"

"Steve threw it in the valley!" one of the Manotaurs answered. "He really don't like them man chariots!"

"Me neither!" roared another Manotaur. "They're LOUD!"

Pacifica smiled a little. "I guess some of the, erm, ruffians who assaulted those poor government servants took it up for a spin before sending it over the cliff. Because we agree, all of this is the work of young delinquents, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Soos said. "Lotsa biker gangs in these here parts. Quite a problem, I tell you, dude."

Blauer had stopped laughing. His face was quickly growing redder and redder. "No. No, no, no, no… I saw you freaks. I can give a testimony—"

"And who would believe you?" Pacifica said, flipping her hair. "An official member of the government, talking about unicorns and gnomes like they're supposed to exist. A member of the government who went against his superior's orders and kidnapped a child, no less…"

Blauer's face went from crimson to bone white within a mere second. "Why, you little—"

"What was it that you said?" Pacifica was now inspecting her nails, nonchalantly. The whole of the Pines Rescue Squad stood behind her, all sporting the same smirk. "It's your word against ours, is that it?"

Blauer fell to his knees. Finally, mercifully, he was silent.

Grunkle Ford marched at the forefront of the crowd, flanked by Mabel and her brother.

He seemed more confident in his nerdy sweater and long coat ensemble. Then again, he was free to make his own fashion choices. Even if those choices meant looking like a high school science teacher who'd taken a jaunt or two in a post-apocalyptic universe. Mabel couldn't judge him, not really.

The men standing guard at the entrance of the Temple of Dawn dropped their weapons at the sight of the mob marching up the stairs. They might have been scared of Grunkle Ford as well; his grumpy face certainly was frightening enough. Oh, and so were the two laser guns in his hands, Mabel supposed.

Grunkle Ford kicked down the doors, to the great delight of the crowd. Inside the temple, everyone froze: attendants carrying treasures, priests in coloured robes in the middle of prayers, guards startling out of their stupor. The mob poured from behind Grunkle Ford. There were exclamations of outrage at the sight of the altars covered in gold and other precious trinkets.

The attendants and priests turned tail and fled at the sight of the crowd, though Mabel didn't see exactly where they could go. The grey-robed guards stood their ground, energy spears at the ready. Ford rolled his eyes, then bared his teeth at them in a frightful scowl. The guards clearly wavered on their spot.

"Kids, you go on and search for Jheselbraum in the levels below," Ford told Mabel and her brother. "I'll head for the portal room and search for Stanley."

"How do you know he's there?" Dipper asked.

Grunkle Ford made a strange face. "It's complicated. You two be careful, okay?"

"You too, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel made sure to give him the tightest hug she could before he flew off with his rocket boots. She couldn't see the grey-robed goons' faces, but she was sure their jaws had dropped to the floor. They didn't exactly make the most dignified of sounds as Grunkle Ford dropped through their midst, kicking and shooting at them.

"C'mon, Mabel," Dipper said, taking her hand. "Let's find a way to the basement levels."

Zuri scoffed. "Let's find a way?" She reached out and grabbed a priest who was trying to flee, his arms filled with treasure. "Hey! How do we get to the basement?"

"A-At the back there is an elevator," the man sputtered. "H-How do you know about the l-lower levels…?"

In response, Zuri shoved him aside, where he found himself mobbed by a group of angry civilians. "You wanna lead the way, Dipper?" she asked Mabel's brother.

"Huh?" Dipper turned wide eyes to her. "Why me?"

Zuri grinned. "I dunno. For a kid your age, you kinda have it together, y'know. Take after your uncle on that part, I guess."

Dipper went beet red, and Mabel had to keep herself from laughing.

"Alright," Dipper said, throwing a peeved glance toward his twin. "Let's do this, I guess."

Mabel and the others fought their way through the chaos. People in the mob were tearing the altars down and chasing after the priests carrying stolen treasure. Some were helping Yaspa and her fighters; together, they overpowered the guards through sheer number. Grunkle Ford assisted them by stunning a few grey-robed goons. Soon, however, he was soaring up the twisting staircase, propelled by his boots. Mabel tried to keep her worry at bay as he disappeared in the levels above.

Finally, Mabel and the others slipped inside the elevator, and Dipper pushed the button leading down. Her heart hammered in her chest as they sank under the temple. Save for a flickering light above their head, the elevator cage was dark, in a spooky horror movie way. Unlike Dipper, Mabel wasn't very fond of scary movies. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She could be brave, she was a Pines. She'd punched a unicorn and laughed in the face of Bill Cipher. Her hand found Dipper's, and he squeezed it back. She could be brave, yes; she had her brother with her, and he had her.

The elevator came to a stop with a loud 'clunk'. Mabel and her companions walked through a deserted hallway, before arriving upon a catwalk. It bridged a deep, yawning chasm. Mabel's heart skipped a beat, and she found herself grabbing her brother's sleeve. She could spy an equal amount of dread on his pale face.

"What's with all these?" Dipper said, pointing to a bunch of large, glowing cables leading to the darkness under their feet.

"It almost feels like they're full of magical energy," Kyan said. He inspected the cables more closely. "Huh. Some of them go down, but others go up. Wait, could those cables be powering the portal?"

"The portal is powered by magic?" Dipper sputtered.

"Your uncle's portal wasn't?" Kyan retorted, sounding equally confused.

"No, it used nuclear waste."

"'Nookooleear waste'? What's that?"

Dipper winced. "Eh. Would take forever to explain. So, you think the Eye of Dawn are using these to carry magical energy to the portal?"

"Yes," said Kyan. "It must take quite a lot of energy, though. What kind of source are they using?"

Mabel took her brand new grappling hook in hand, wiggling her eyebrows. "Just one way to find out, right?"

Dipper threw a nervous glance to the darkness below. "Oh man. We're doing this. We're really doing this."

"Hang on tight, brobro!" Mabel said, grabbing him by the waist and vaulting over the rail. He screamed, but she could only laugh madly as the magnetic hook stuck to the catwalk above their heads. Instead of a rope, a brilliant ray of blue energy slowed their fall. It felt even more exhilarating than using her old grappling hook.

Their landing was very smooth, all things considered. Mabel looked above; as she'd expected, Kyan was using a spell to control his and his sister's descent. Soon, the four of them were standing together in a large space, one that had been hollowed out from rock. Mabel could not see the catwalk above their heads even if she craned her neck. Their surroundings were only illuminated by the glow of the pipes, which led to several bits of machinery fastened to the walls. The purpose of those contraptions soon became very apparent.

Chained to these machines were people, men and women alike. Moans filtered from their mouths; they seemed too weak to make any other kind of sound. Some of them managed to raise weary eyes to Mabel and the others, and she felt cold all over.

"By the Lord of Twilight…" Kyan said.

His sister was shaking her head. She trembled with rage. "Those bastards… those bastards!"

"That's how they power the portal?" Dipper said in quiet horror. "Why they keep kidnapping people?"

"Dipper, we have to save them!" Mabel said, tugging on his arm. "That's just… that's just too horrible!"

The prisoners started to get more agitated. Their whimpers grew louder, some even managing to form words. One woman seemed to draw every ounce of energy left in her body to speak with some semblance of coherency.

"You…" she rasped. "You two are…"

Kyan gasped and ran toward her, his sister in tow. Mabel and Dipper exchanged a glance before following the two siblings.

"Ammat!" Kyan cried. "Ammat, it's us!"

The woman blinked, her clouded eyes growing slightly more focused. "Kyan? And is that…. Zuri, too? What are you two… doing here?"

"We came with Yaspa to save you!" Zuri exclaimed.

"Yaspa?" The woman's eyes brimmed with tears. "Yaspa's here? My Yaspa?"

"Yes!" Zuri's voice choked a little. "She's here, we're all here!"

The tears flowed from Ammat's eyes as Zuri worked to unchain her. As soon as she was out of her bonds, Zuri and Kyan drew her into a tight hug. Mabel's own eyes were watering.

Dipper nudged Mabel in the ribs, and the twins set out to liberate the other prisoners. Many burst into tears upon regaining their freedom; one woman even embraced Mabel, thanking her over and over again.

They helped the liberated prisoners away from the machines, gathering them in the middle of the great cavern. Ammat draped both of her arms over Kyan and Zuri's shoulders, lips forming a tired, but tender smile.

"Thank you, Kyan, Zuri," she said. "I had almost lost hope…"

"Kyan? Zuri?" It was the man who had been chained next to Ammat. "I've heard those names before… in the deeper parts of this place, there's this lady who keeps…" He hacked and wheezed, as if the simple act of speaking was painful for him.

"Lady? What lady?" Kyan said, exchanging a look with his sister. "Sir, please, would you tell us where to find her? It's… it's important!"

"That way, deeper in…" the man said, pointing, "There are… there are others with her…"

Zuri pulled away from her brother and Ammat. Before anyone could say anything, she took off, heading in the direction the man was pointing.

"Zuri—" Kyan called after her. He turned toward Ammat, who simply nodded. Not long afterward, he was rushing after his sister, Mabel and Dipper closely following.

This part of the lower levels was less spacious, almost more of a tunnel than a cavern. A few glowing cables ran over their heads, leading the way. They arrived into another larger space carved out of rock; here, they found more people chained to the machines on the walls. In contrast to the first batch of prisoners, those men and women were eerily quiet, save for the sound of their raspy breathing.

"Mom!" they heard Zuri crying out. "Dad! It's me, Zuri!"

Zuri was kneeling before two people—a man with green skin and a woman the same shade as Kyan and his sister. The man's head lolled to the side, and he appeared deeply unconscious, but a few sounds escaped the woman's lips. She looked at Zuri with glassy, unfocused eyes.

"Kyan… Zuri…" she muttered.

"Yes!" Zuri said, caressing the woman's cheek. "It's me, Mom! Me and Kyan! We're here!"

"Kyan, Zuri…" was the woman's response. "Kyan… Zuri…" On and on she repeated their names, seemingly unaware that her daughter was just in front of her, pleading on her knees.

Kyan stared at his parents, his mouth moving as if to form words that just wouldn't come out. Mabel grabbed her brother's hand, feeling a lump forming in her throat.

"Wh-What's wrong with her?" Zuri asked. Mabel had never heard her sound so frightened. "Why doesn't she recognize me?"

Dipper inspected the machines fastened to the rock walls. "How long has she been there?" he said, very quietly. No one answered him.

Kyan took a few tentative steps forward, before falling to his knees next to his sister. He reached for his mother almost as if he feared she would disappear. "Mom? Dad? Is that… really you? Do you… do you remember me?"

His father remained profoundly asleep, while his mother continued to mutter, "Kyan… Zuri… Kyan…"

Something seemed to hit Mabel in the chest—a wave of deep, relentless longing. Suddenly, she missed her parents so much she almost felt she could not breathe. Were they alright? Were they aware that their children were missing? Were they worried? Dipper squeezed her hand; Mabel knew he was thinking the exact same thing.

"It's no use," Kyan whispered. "They don't even notice we're here… all these years I've been hoping and—" His voice broke before he could finish his sentence. Next to him, his sister was casting her gaze away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"Would a healing spell work?" Dipper said. "I mean, would it heal their minds too? Not just your parents, but everyone else too."

"A healing spell? On that kind of scale?" Kyan shook his head. "I don't know if I could… it would take a lot of energy to make it work…"

Mabel frowned. "Wait, could we like, reverse the flow of energy? Make it so it goes back to them instead of going to the portal?"

Kyan's tear-filled eyes widened. "I… I don't know…"

"It's worth giving it a shot, right?" Dipper said, attempting a smile for Kyan's sake. "Besides, we can't let that thing drain more of their energy."

And they couldn't let those machines supply more energy to the portal, that was for sure. Mabel felt a spike of worry for her Grunkle; what were those creepy cultists doing with him right now? Was he alright? Would they arrive in time to save him?

Kyan got to his feet, wiping his tears with his sleeve. His sister stood up as well, putting a hand over his shoulder.

"O-Okay," he said. "Do… do you think there's a control panel for those machines somewhere?"

"There must be," Dipper answered. "C'mon, guys! We don't have much time!"

Both Zuri and Kyan seemed reluctant to leave their parents' side, but they followed Mabel and her brother without any protest. Mabel tried not to focus too much on the unfortunate souls surrounding them; their silence was growing more unnerving by the second.

"Don't worry, you guys!" Mabel told them. Despite her best effort to sound cheerful, her voice shook a little. "We'll free you! Don't lose hope!"

"There!" Dipper said, pointing. A large machine was erected onto a metallic platform in the deepest part of the room; all the glowing pipes seemed to converge toward it. It was fitted with what appeared to be a control panel. Someone wearing orange robes was fiddling on the console. "I think that's it!"

The orange-robed man turned toward them. "What on Mictlan…? How did you get here? Wait, those two small ones are the same species as…"

Mabel didn't let him finish. "GRAPPLING HOOK!" she shouted, aiming above him. The man gave an undignified squawk as she surged toward him, punting him right in the face. He fell off his feet, holding his nose with both hands. Mabel kicked him again for good measure.

"Hey!" she heard a gruff voice calling out. Two guards were running toward the platform. "Stop that, or else…"

"Or else what?" Mabel said, putting one foot on the orange jerk's head. She tried to channel some of her Grunkle Ford's spirit, putting on the meanest scowl she could muster. "Does it look like we're afraid of you clowns?!"

"Well, maybe you should be!" one of them answered, pointing at them with his spear.

"Ugh!" Dipper exclaimed. "We don't have time for this!"

He drew two pieces of paper from under his hat, and the glyphs written on them burned a bright blue. The two guards were knocked back by a sudden—and inexplicable, to their eyes—gust of wind. They groaned, using their spears to stagger back to their feet.

"Mabel, Zuri!" Dipper cried. "Keep these guys busy while we reverse the flow of this stupid machine!"

"Got it!" Mabel said. The orange-robed man was grabbing at her foot. She struck his mask with her heel, and finally he went limp. "Take that, you jerk! And stay down!"

Zuri was already grappling with one of the two guards, fighting to wrestle control of his spear. The other guardsman, it seemed, would be Mabel's prey. She jumped off the platform, aiming her grappling hook at his stupid mask. She could not help but grin as the hook struck him right in the middle of the snout. By then, Zuri had knocked out her own opponent with a well-placed swing of the spear. In a fluid motion, she directed the shaft toward the guard Mabel had stunned. The man crumpled to the ground beside his comrade.

"Woo!" Mabel pumped her fists in the air. "Taste the power of my GRAPPLING HOOK, you jerks!"

Suddenly, she felt the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Mabel whirled on her feet, seeing that her brother and Kyan had climbed on the platform. Dipper was… pretty much touching every button he found find and pulling levers at random. Kyan, on the other hand, was drawing a sigil in the air in a graceful, flowing motion.

Finally, Dipper tugged on a certain lever, and there was… not exactly a sound, but a sense of something, an impression that Mabel felt in her very bones. The symbol in front of Kyan burst alight, filling the whole of the room with a brilliant blue light. Then, Mabel was hit with a wave of—well, not energy, not exactly, more like a gentle warmth, more like the indescribable comfort of being wrapped in a quilt on a dreary winter day. Her fatigue evaporated, leaving her with an urge to bounce around and scream her joy at the top of her lungs.

Around them, people were stirring. Silence gave way to moans, which turned to mumbled words. Immediately, Zuri and Kyan rushed toward their parents.

"Mom! Dad!" Zuri cried as they dropped to their side. "Oh, please, please, please…"

The green-skinned man was blinking at her. "What…" he said, hoarsely. "Who… who are…"

"DAD!" Zuri put her hands over his cheeks. "Oh, Dad, please, please! It's me, it's Zuri, it's your little girl!"

Mabel looked away, eyes blurry with tears. She remembered another girl crying out in a similar way, barely a year ago.

Kyan unfastened their parents' shackles. "Just… just take it easy. We're here to help." His mother fell into his arms, while Zuri caught their father. "You're safe now, both of you."

His composure cracked when his mother raised a trembling hand toward him. Very gently, she pushed his bangs aside, showing his third eye. A sound escaped her mouth; it took Mabel some time to realize that it was a laugh. A soft, relieved laugh. No other word filtered through her lips, but her eyes—full of love—showed well enough what she was thinking.

"By… by twilight," Kyan and Zuri's father breathed, "I… I know you. I know you. Zu… Zuri?"

Zuri laughed, bringing him closer. He patted her head, slowly, as if he didn't quite remember how to do it.

Mabel held her hands over her mouth, smiling so hard it almost hurt. She was overcome with the urge to hug her brother; Dipper chuckled, gingerly returning her embrace.

As Mabel pulled away from her twin, she caught the eye of the woman chained next to Kyan and Zuri's parents. It was strange; the lady didn't have four or five eyes, like most of the people they'd met, but seven.

She smiled back at Mabel, in a serene way that seemed to smooth over all of her worry. "You," she said. "I knew you would come for me."

"You did?" Mabel gasped. "How did you know?"

The lady's smile took an enigmatic quality. "It's a long story that I will enjoy telling in a near future. Take me to your uncles, dear child. We don't have much time."

Ford flew, literally flew over the stairs, fighting his way through waves of enemies. The grey-robed guards crowded the steps, hoping to slow his advance. Ford evaded their blows and fired stunning charge after stunning charge. He kicked at them with his rocket boots, sending a few men screaming and tumbling down the stairs. He cursed each and every one of them; he was wasting precious time fighting his idiots while Stanley was in peril.

Why, indeed, has the Eye of Dawn activated the portal? Ford entertained several theories, and none boded well for Stanley.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Ford reached the uppermost floor. The orange-robed priests circling the raised platform startled as he irrupted into the hall. However, they soon resumed their creepy chanting. A tall figure stood near the steps leading to the portal. She stared at Ford, her expression inscrutable; still, her hands did grip her staff a bit tighter.

The circular hall was bathed in an eerie light, one coming from the multitudes of stars peering from the other side of the portal. Ford's mouth grew dry at the sight of the damned thing; still, he pushed aside the rising panic threatening to overwhelm him. At the base of the portal, there was a figure lying on a rectangular contraption of sort.

Immediately, Ford surged forward, heart hammering in his chest. He caught a glimpse of his brother's face. Stanley was deathly pale, and half of his face was swollen and covered in dried blood.

Anger coursed in Ford's veins. "What have you done to him?" he hollered at Malakh. "What have you done to my brother?!"

Malakh gave her lackeys a dismissive nod. "Continue the ritual. I'll take care of this."

In response, Ford screamed in rage. He soared toward the nearest orange-robed man, ramming his shoulder into the man's chest. The other priest behind him raised his hand, trying to draw a symbol in the air. Before he could complete his task, Ford flapped his coat, revealing the protection sigils Mabel had sown within. The man yelped and stepped backward—but not fast enough to evade his own spell as it exploded in his face.

Ford shot up, in an attempt to escape the lightning spell he heard crackling from behind. Malakh had joined the fray. Ford fired a few stunning charges, which she easily deflected with her magical shield. He evaded another of her spells, then gritted his teeth as he felt the sharp bite of a burn on his back.

Ford pushed through the pain, turning toward the priest who'd wounded him. The man never had the time to complete his second sigil, and he dropped to the ground after earning himself a rocket-assisted kick to the face. Ford had no time to revel in his victory, however. Malakh and a fourth priest remained, firing spell upon spell toward him.

Ford zipped around, evading their magical attacks by a narrow margin. Finally, he found himself in position to aim at the last remaining priest. The stunning charges hit the man squarely in the chest, and he was blasted across the room.

Ford's boots burst with blue light as he swerved and changed course, landing right in front of Malakh. Her expression remained oddly blank; there was no anger, no fear, not even a hint of triumph showing on her mangled features. She simply stared at Ford as he aimed both guns at her head.

"You fought for nothing," Malakh said. "It's already done. The sliver of the Master's soul inside your brother's body must have taken over by now. The only thing that remains is to—"

"The portal," Ford interrupted her. "What did you activate it?"

Her single eye was devoid of any emotion. "To gather all of the Master's soul shards."

Ford's face drained of blood. "All of them? Then, what will happen to every version of Stanley across the multiverse—" He stopped, drawing in a sharp breath.

She nodded. "An acceptable loss, in exchange for the return of my Master. Our Master."

Ford let out a scream of rage. Again and again, he pulled the trigger, firing shot upon shot. All of his charges fizzled and died upon her shield. She did not move, did not say a word, did not utter a sound as he unleashed his wrath on her.

Finally, finally, Ford's arms dropped limply to the side. The exhaustion of an entire lifetime struck him, and he panted, throat raw from his screams. Sobs threatened to escape his mouth.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Malakh said. "But you must understand—"

She was interrupted by a sound—no, more like an impression, a sensation. A second before, the air in the room had been crackling, popping with overflowing energy, and now… it was just all gone. The low hum of the portal dimmed into nothingness, as did the kaleidoscope of colours seeping through the edges of its open mouth.

"No…" Malakh said, a hint of panic spiking this single word. "No, no, no!"

She screamed, and light burst out of her staff. With a sweeping motion, she directed this new beam of energy toward the portal. Goosebumps prickled the back of Ford's neck as the machine roared back to life. She was powering it with her own energy, Ford soon understood. Her face grew slick with sweat, and her screams soon turned to raspy sounds of pain.

Ford would not have a better chance. He raised both guns, aiming for her back. Still, he hesitated to pull the trigger. What stayed his hand? It was both difficult and easy to explain.

Thirty years ago, would he have found himself in her shoes? Would he have been the one to sacrifice his lifeforce to bring back a being who delighted in his torment?

Ford could not give an honest answer.

"Why are you doing all of this?" he finally asked, lowering his guns. "Just what are you hoping to achieve?"

She found enough energy to give him a hateful scowl. "You know why I'm doing this! Once the Master is back, I'll be, I'll be—"

"He doesn't care about you," Ford said, firmly. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"No!" she shrieked—and yes, Ford could hear that discordant note in her voice again. "All these years I've toiled—I've suffered—to be worthy of him. But he never looked my way… he's never looked at me the way he looked at you!" She managed a laugh. "Now he'll see, now he'll understand that you're not any more special than I am! You're not destined for greatness, you're just—"

"A man?" Ford prompted. "Yes, I know. And I'm very fine with that. You don't have to be special to be important. To be worthy of being loved." He put one of his guns back into its holster, then held out a hand toward her. "I know what you're going through. I know it's hard to break free of his influence, but you don't need him. You'll be stronger without him."

"You don't understand!" Malakh screamed. This time, pure naked fear showed on her face. "When he'll come back and see that I've failed to aid in his return, then, then…!" She gave another shriek, holding her head with one hand. "I still have one eye, I still have one eye, and he'll take it. He'll take it!"

"I'm sorry," Ford said. "Sorry that he hurt you that way. He… he hurt me too." He remembered waking up to find his hands covered in blood, his right eye swollen and throbbing with pain. "Once upon a time, he must have said that you were special. That you were important, that you would change the world…"

"Shut up! SHUT UP!"

"But those were all lies. He didn't care about any of us." Ford took a tentative step toward her. "He just saw us as puppets."

"No… you're lying, you're lying!"

"You're not special," Ford continued. "And neither am I. And that's okay."

Malakh looked at him, single eye wide and fearful. Her hands tightened around her staff.

"So please." Ford could not fight back a sob. "Let Stan go. He's my brother, my twin. Please."

"No… NO!"

With that last scream, Malakh raised her staff above her head, calling once more on her powers. Behind her, the portal flared with a sudden burst of energy. Ford fought to keep his feet on the ground.

"Stop it!" he cried. "Please, I beg you!"

There was another flash of light. Ford summoned all of his strength to move forward, but the sheer amount of power coming off her in waves pinned him into place. He fired several shots at her, but the blue projectiles bounced uselessly off her shield. He tried to cast a spell, but the pieces of paper burst into flames the moment he called on the magic infused within the ink.

Ford reached, futilely, in front of him. The stairs were so close. Stanley was just a few feet away. A whimper—of exhaustion, of grief—escaped Ford's mouth. That was it. He had failed Stan. He had broken his promise to the children. He had been unable to bring their beloved uncle back to them. Again, Ford was going to see his brother's mind be destroyed, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, to no one in particular. "I'm sorry."

His knees were about to give way under him when he felt a sudden presence behind him. A warm, comforting presence. In half a second, a tall, domineering figure was standing at Ford's side. It was a lady clad in purple, her seven-eyed gaze never leaving Malakh's form.

"You…" Ford breathed, disbelieving. "You are…"

A hint of a smile played on Jheselbraum's lips as both of her hands burst with magical energy. "Hello, Stanford Pines. It's so nice to see you again."