"Here we go." Sere prided with a wink. "And don't worry, Wendy. We'll do the "abridged-abridged" version for ya." The scene switched to that of the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop. "This new chapter starts a few days after you two have a falling out at Lookout Point."
"Oh…" Dipper gave a slight pause.
"…that…" Wendy uttered with a hint of contempt.
"Okay, I can read the room." Sere said. "Don't dig talking about that. The thing is that their tale revolves around that little uh-oh. Not every Dipper and Wendy is as smart as you two cuties. Sometimes, they tend to be a bit more stubborn and foolish, and it leads to things like this."
The figure of Wendy appeared at the counter. She was sitting on her stool, her nose buried in a magazine. At the entrance to the Pines family's parlor, Dipper hid against the swinging door, checking in on his crush. When she glanced in his direction, he disappeared behind the door, returning it to normal.
"In this reality, Wendy is extremely upset by at what happened at Lookout Point; so much to the point that she completely ignores Dipper's presence and his merger attempts at reconciliation."
"Youch!" Dipper cried. "Poor…" He paused, noticing that his own unnerved ginger was staring daggers at him. "Poor…Wendy…"
She nodded with approval.
"With the same token, Dipper refuses to give Wendy the one thing she wants: for him to apologize for his actions at Lookout Point and simply admit that the incident was more about settling the score with Robbie V. than ensuring her well-being."
"Ah, the silly, naïve fool." Wendy pitied. "Something tells me he's going to learn his lesson the hard way."
"You both will." Sere revealed. "While you guys are in the middle of your personal stalemate, a new essence discovers the weak link that Rumble had created between dimensions and uses it to begin a campaign of mayhem and terror."
The image of a floating purple phantom took over the viewer. A living maroon cape blanketed a bulky grey armor. The top of his horned helmet resembled a twisted crown. A daunting white mask hid his true self, save for metallic-clear eyes that sported red streaks that looked similar to bloody tears.
In his right mangled claw, he held a strange-looking sword – a blue-metal blade with a burgundy handle made from what looked like wrinkled, rotten flesh. Green gems embed within gave the appearance of demon eyes.
"That is the Emperor of Darkness. He is a cruel and vindictive dictator in the gaming universe that while has been bested by the forces of good, has never been truly defeated. His weapon of choice is the Dark Sword of Chaos, made from the bone of an actual demon, allowing its welder use to an unlimited amount of black magic."
"Great," Wendy groaned. "Another magical nutbag to deal with."
"I'm afraid it's not just him. Upon breaching the limits of your world, he channels the power of the sword to create two new servants to answer his beck and call…"
The Emperor swung the mighty sword, holding it parallel to the ground. As it glowed a deep purple, two grey forms rose from the cracked ground, growing taller and wider by the second. Their flatness shifted into familiar shapes and curves as color and texture formed from within.
"No…" Dipper huffed.
"…way." Wendy lost her breath at the sight.
A clone of each of them, with the same clothing, the same hairstyles, and even the same causal expressions stood at the Emperor's side. The only thing that separated them from the genuine articles was that their coloring was a bit off, comparable to that of sun-faded paper.
"More clones!" Wendy pulled her long red locks with frustration. "When will it end with that bull-hockey?!"
"I think we have it worse with that stuff than a certain web-slinger does." Dipper compared.
"Fair warning, kids." Sere cautioned. "It's gonna get a bunch worse before it gets better. The Emperor enlists these two to find a way to distract you, and little do they know they walk into the perfect opportunity to do so."
"Meaning…?" Wendy asked.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
The picture switched to that of nightfall over the Gravity Falls Rail Yard. Wendy stood on the tracks, her hands wrapped around her right ankle as she strained loudly. Her lumberjack boot was caught between two narrow rails, leaving her unable to move.
"I got stuck on the train tracks?" The redhead probed. "How'd that happen?"
"Look closer…"
A few feet away, the Dipper clone stood silently outside of her reach, his noodle arms wrapped around the protracted switch that controlled the rails. His lowered cap casted a shadow over most of his face, except for a manic smile that grew with every failed escape attempt made by his entrapped crush.
"That little creep locked me in there?" Wendy held her hips with a sense of suspicion. "I'd be somewhat impressed, if the whole thing wasn't horribly clichéd."
"And on the other side of town, " Sere changed the scene by motioning her hands. "At Lake Gravity Falls…"
"Wah – "
The high-pitched scream was cut-off, replaced was the unusual sound of gurgling. They spotted Dipper being dragged around in the freezing waters at high-speed, snagged up in an odd-looking wire trap. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Wendy clone watched from the safety of a nearby boat, taking pleasure in hearing the small boy call out for her help.
"Why are they doing this?" Dipper asked. "What do they have to gain by trying to kill them?"
"Dipper, it's not that, man. " Wendy noticed. "They're trying to make things worse between them."
Sere shook her head in agreement. "The next morning, those efforts are sorely felt as the last strings of their bond are torn away…"
"I HATE YOU!"
The image shifted to that of Wendy and Dipper having a face-off in front of the counter at the Mystery Shack. The much-taller girl had lowered herself to scream in her boy's face, the declaration bought him back down in shock. After a moment had passed, his pain and sorrow became pure rage. He stood up on his tip-toes and returned a scream to her freckled face.
"I HATE YOU, TOO!"
Their counterparts on the other end of the window grew deathly quiet. Nearly a minute passed before Dipper spoke.
"Wendy?"
"…Yeah, Dip?"
"These two…they were the ones screaming at each other in the – in the…"
"I know, kid. I know."
The uneasy silence returned for a few more moments.
"Dipper?"
"Wendy?"
She looked down at her booted feet, almost embarrassed of what she was about to say.
"Promise me something, will you?"
"…what's that?"
Wendy lifted her head towards the screen. "Promise me…that it'll never get that bad between us." She turned and met his brown eyes. "No matter what horrible thing happens, promise that we'll at least try to make it right before going all scorched earth like that."
"I promise…"
"With the seeds of mistrust planted between them," Sere began to narrate again. "Wendy and Dipper go to different ends of Gravity Falls to lick their wounds." The screen split down the middle, with the left side displaying Dipper at the Rail Yard, poking at Wendy's shredded boot still lodged in the tracks, and the right side showed Wendy sitting by herself on the dock hanging over the lake, soaking her still-aching ankle in its soothing waters. "But their curious natures soon overcome their anger and heartache, shortly realizing that something is amiss."
"They should!"
"They can't be that stupid, right?"
At that moment, two new figures teleported into sight; one on each side of the monitor. Dipper and Wendy froze in place as they both were confronted by their respective imitations.
"But by then, it's already too late."
At the sight of her digital attacker, Wendy's eyes grew wide, as a barrelful of repressed memories came rushing back.
"Oh, man…it was real! It was all real!"
"You think?!" The Wendy beyond the portal chided her more foolish correspondent. "Thanks for joining the rest of us!"
"Despite their attempts to escape, both Dipper and Wendy are captured by the Emperor's forces, and late, banished to the far ends of the game dimensions as the despot readies his master plan."
"Okay, I'll bite." Wendy said. "What's the master plan?"
The Emperor of Darkness stood upon a mountaintop overlooking Gravity Falls. Heaving his ill-fated sword into the sky, the atmosphere turned a sickly shade of reddish-purple. Even from the distance, the three watchers could see that a single building downtown shared the same glow.
"Hey," Dipper leaned over, holding his hands around his eyes to get a better look. "That place – I think it's the Arcade."
"But what – "
*KA-BOOM!*
All of a sudden, a multi-colored wave exploded from the Arcade, spanning out in every direction like a radar signal.
"What's with the blur? What's it doing?"
"Wendy, wait! Look at that tree."
They watched as soon as the wave made contact with the tree, it changed its physical form. The strong bark and its crisp leaves were flattened; the variance in their coloring was stripped away, reducing it to single hues.
"It looks like something out of an arcade game…"
Within seconds, it spread across every aspect of town, sparing no living thing in its path. By the time the wave had vanished from sight, all of Gravity Falls had been converted to digital form. There wasn't an ounce of organic life left to be seen.
"All living energy is drained from the town, in which is used to bring gaming's most villains and their lackeys into the real world."
"I can't decide when the town looked worse," Dipper compared. "During Weirdmageddon or this madness."
"I have a question." Wendy presented. "If this was this jerk face's big plan, then why bother with us in the first place? Why not just let the waves take care of it and call it a day?"
"It's because you and Dipper are unique." Sere described. "It may be hard to believe, but while you weren't the first to become trapped within the video game universe, but you were the first to escape. If anyone held a greater threat to ruining his plans, it's you guys."
"Hear that, Dip?" Wendy prided. "We're like, the gaming dream-team. No one can mess with us when we put our minds to it!"
He grinned in return, as his unease brought him back to the screen. "But I hope it'll be the same for them as well…"
"Of course it'll be, man! We didn't even get to the good part yet. Right, Sere?"
"At that moment," Sere manipulated the dual video-feeds with her hands, displaying the teenagers' current plights. "Both are fleeing their individual prisons. Dipper tries to lose the former minions of King of Thieves in their former hide-out of Death Mountain, as they're bent on reviving their fallen dark lord using Dipper's blood as a sacrifice."
Dipper let out a yelp, using a finger to pull his collar away from his sweaty neck.
"Wendy, sealed away in the underground caverns of Brinstar, outmaneuvers the carnivorous, grasshopper-like Space Pirates, who want nothing more than to have the feisty heroine as a light snack."
"Oh, lucky me…"
"It is during these travels that our adventurers find the tools necessary to fight back against the gaming cataclysm." Sere crossed her arms together in an "X," whisking them back down diagonally. The pictured switched again, where the left end displayed Wendy in a charcoal-tinted room with very little lighting. She stood before a weird statue – a hawk wearing futuristic-body armor with its knees set against its chest, and its arms outstretched with palms opened. It offered her an exceptional gift: a life-sized orange atom with two sets of spinning axis.
As soon as she made contact with it, the sphere melted over Wendy's hand, encasing it with an unknown red-and yellow metal substance.
"Cool. I wonder what it does…"
"On the other side of town, after Dipper falls down the mountainside…"
"Uh," Dipper raised a finger. "I think you meant "climbed down the mountainside.""
"Nope. You literally were dropped from the mountain. It should be a miracle that you survived, yet alone able to walk around."
"…nevermind…"
The right side portrayed Dipper amongst a barren path filled with shrubbery just of outside of downtown Gravity Falls. An older man, roughly along the same height as the stubby teen, stood at his side. Wearing a traditional white lab coat, the elder's long, snowy tangled hair traveled down his backside as a matching fuzzy beard ended just past his shoulders. Worn-out brown loafers stuck out of torn tan slacks.
Strangely enough, he held a mysterious blue wristwatch between his fingers, dropping it into Dipper's awaiting hands.
"Dipper," Wendy said with a confused tone. "How do you know Santa and why is he giving you a watch?"
Sere chuckled. "It's not Santa Claus, Wendy. As far as the gaming universes are concerned, that man is the father of modern robotics. Dipper comes across him as he is attacked by killer robots, and when they are overwhelmed, the doctor gives him the ability to equip body armor that'll allow him to fight back."
Unexpectedly, the screams of both Dipper and Wendy rang through the hallway, frightening the onlookers to their core. They switched from side-to-side, seeing that the heroes withered in pain as they undergone their transformations. The usually-fearless lumberjack princess became a nervous wreck, clawing at the metallic material as it gradually consumed her gangly body.
At the same time, Dipper was on all fours as he struggled to make it back to his feet. His vision blurred as his ears popped like firecrackers. His bones felt like they were cracking as a dark blue layer grew over his flesh like an azure scab. He threw his head upwards and looked ahead; his brown eyes now shone like light-blue headlights.
"What's happening to them, Sere? I thought you said this is where they get those cool armors?"
"It is. I never said it wouldn't hurt, did I?"
Everything grew quiet, prompting them to look back at the portal. The two adventures now stood upright, strong and confident in their new radiant forms. Wendy's face was hidden away behind a green visor embedded inside of a red and yellow rounded helmet. Her bodysuit, consisting of red, yellow, and orange armoring, started at lengthy shoulder pads and ended with space-age rocket boots. A light-green blaster was mounted in lieu of a right hand.
Dipper's change was somewhat similar. His body had been coated with a skintight blue alloy. His legs were protected by large azure boots that ended at his knees. His gloves were made of the same material.
His messy brown hair was tucked away behind a curved indigo helmet. A strange grouping of buttons, reminiscence of an exclamation point, was mounted in its center. A rounded red circle, similar to that of radar, were posted where each ear would be, expanding his sense vastly.
Like with Wendy, his right arm slid into a large blue cuff, creating a functioning, charging cannon. The narrow yellow meter on its outside raced up and down as air was sucked into the gaping hole, as a neon light began to shine within.
As one, the two champions aimed their weapons directly at the screen; a bright flash filling the scene as they released the energies within, leveling all that would dare stand in their way. Wendy and Dipper were forced to turn their heads away, as a dual *SHOOSH* sound roared in blaring stereo.
"Oh, yeah, boy!" The excited clerk threw her fist into the air as she cheered for her empowered equal. "About time she gets the chance to blast herself some fools. Make 'em cry for momma, Wendy-girl!"
Dipper, however, saw things in a different light. "It's kinda ironic if you think about it…"
"Huh?" The off-cuff remark brought Wendy back down to Earth. "Whatdya mean by that?"
"With the way those two were acting before the monsters attacked; not willing to let their guards down and talk about how they felt, it's like they were always wearing armor. And now, they have the real deal to match…"
Wendy let out a long, drawn-out whistle. "That's deep, Dip. Real deep…"
"With their armors, both sides are able to easily wipe out the task forces that plague them." Sere moved things forward with a swipe. "They discover that their virtual prisons were now integrated with Gravity Falls, as part of the Emperor's plot to combine the two dimensions. Dipper and the Professor regroup at the Mystery Shack, where they speculate that the Arcade is the source of the signal."
"Good call…"
"Wendy, on the other hand, fights her way through the catacombs beneath Gravity Falls, ending up in a long-forgotten laboratory. When she exits via secret elevator, she finds herself in an all-too-familiar place…"
"FREEZE!"
"BAH!"
The portal presented the armored Wendy sticking her green cannon in the face of the kindly old doctor.
"Oh, geez." Wendy recoiled. "Please don't tell me I shoot Santa."
"No, but in the future, in another reality, there is a Wendy that actually feuds with Santa, and – "
"One story at a time, Sere."
"Sorry. Got too carried away. Wendy finds out Dipper's plan from the Professor and hurries to meet him at the Arcade."
"Ohh…" Dipper admired. "She hates his guts and she still wants to help save the world. That's so awesome!" His Wendy simply rolled her eyes.
"On the way to the Arcade, Dipper stumbles upon an old foe, which changes his outlook on everything that recently occurred in his life…"
"YAAAAH!"
Lightning struck the screen, revealing that the blue-armored Dipper was facing-off against the karate master, Rumble McSkirmish in the Gravity Falls Woods. The pixelated fighter threw projectile and projectile at the tiny speck, "FIREBALL THROW! LIGHTNING-BALL THROW! FIRE!" Dipper agilely flew between each blast, and when given the chance, returned fire.
"My turn!"
"KA-WHOOSH!"
Smoke and ash surrounded the foliage, blinding all from the explosive aftermath of battle. When the grey clouds finally parted, Dipper stood victorious over Rumble, as the video game character lied under a nearby redwood for support. He looked up to see the aggravated child's glowing arm aimed at his scarred face.
"Whoa." Dipper couldn't believe the harsh actions by his other. "He's going to blow Rumble away!"
"But what were they fighting about?" Wendy wondered. "Is he in cahoots with the Emperor guy?"
"Listen…" Sere hinted.
"I don't…I don't buy it. You're telling me that the only way to save Gravity Falls is for me to let you take Wendy's essence and use it to beat this guy?!"
"Should've guessed it had to do with me," Wendy sneered.
"I know it may be hard to accept," Rumble coughed. "But such trials are part of the hero's way of life. A true hero knows that sacrifices must be made in order to protect the greater good!"
"Greater Good?! But that doesn't make it right, Rumble! Even if everything counts on it, you can't just destroy a person's entire life in order to stop…the…bad…guys…."
The on-screen Dipper froze up as his face turned a sickly shade of white.
"What's up with him?" The Dipper beyond the screen speculated. "He looks like he's going to hurl."
"No." Wendy could see what had happened, as an earnest smile formed. "He finally gets it…"
With guilt weighing heavy on his mind, the supercharged teen lowered his weapon, turning away from his fallen foe and returning to his previous task.
"The weaponized Wendy and Dipper finally reach downtown Gravity Falls, arriving on different sides of town. They are accosted by the unhinged clones once again. Only this time, our fan-favorites are well-armed and able to get their vengeance for the deception that had been wreaked.
"AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"
The Dipper clone detonated into a million green pieces as Wendy shielded her face.
"ARRRRGGGHHHHH!"
The Wendy clone melted into a black and grey slushy pile as the blue-plated Dipper looked on from a safe distance.
"Good…" Wendy commented without a hint of regret.
"That's really gross!" A squeamish Dipper forced himself away from the screen.
"The commotion of the battles attracts unwanted attention to our heroes…"
"Big whoop." Wendy jeered. "My girl can take on all comers, easily."
"And that Dipper seems to be holding his own." Dipper said.
The window stretched to a widescreen presentation, showing the steel-clad Dipper and Wendy standing on each end of Main Street in Downtown Gravity Falls. They slowly turned around to see each other, waiting for only a brief moment before blindly charging into the fray.
"…how unfortunate that the friends do not recognize one another in their new forms…"
"Uh-oh!" Dipper and Wendy exclaimed, as they watched their digital versions brawl across the road with no holds barred. They gave each other cannon blasts, judo tosses, roundhouse kicks, and every cheap shot that they could think of in order to gain the upper hand.
"Boy," Dipper bemoaned. "This just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn't it?"
"Pretty much," Wendy agreed. "I wonder how long Robo-Dipper up there is going to last before he drops?"
"Not sure. Probably if – wait. Why do you think the orange Wendy is going to win?"
"Duh. Because she's a Wendy. That's all that matters."
"Well…I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch…"
"Is that a challenge, squirt? Well, I guess we'll see, won't we?"
"I guess so…"
They went back to the action. Exhausted and out-of-breath, the teens stood on each end of the street, unsure of what else needs to be done to put an end to the fight. As if their minds decided on the same tactic, their fists started to glow; Dipper's a light-blue, and Wendy's dark red.
Using the rockets in their boots, they soared towards the center of the street with arms pulled back. Cracked roars came from dry-throats as Dipper aimed up and Wendy focused downwards. Their energized blows struck at the same time, knocking the helmet from the other's head. The impact created instantly shattered every window on the street.
With their identities exposed, as the duo went to deliver the final blow, they each stopped in place. The mere sight of seeing the other safe and sound and alive broke all inner and outer defenses. They came together, with arms wide open, and hugged firmly. At that moment, nothing else in the world seemed to matter.
"Definitely didn't see that coming." Wendy confessed. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the way this turned out."
Dipper beamed at seeing that hidden side of his crush that she often kept to herself.
"Me,too."
"Oh…"
They turned to see their guide, teary-eyed with her hands held together.
"You ok over there, Sere?"
"Yeah, I – " She wiped her eye with her palm. "It's just that the Fates and I really, really love that part. It's just so sweet."
*KRAK!*
A bolt of purple lightning struck the ground, regaining the viewers' attention. They saw as the Emperor of Darkness materialized out of the ether to challenge Wendy and Dipper on Main Street.
"Here it comes." Wendy awaited with glee. "That guy's going to have his butt handed to him. Big time."
"I wonder if he's going to have them any real trouble?" Dipper said.
They saw Wendy escape the demon's grasp after lighting him ablaze with a series of circular explosives. Dipper followed suit, and switched his arm cannon to a flame thrower. The atomic fires that spewed forth reduced the tyrant to a squishy purple blob that was quickly absorbed by the ground beneath them.
"Huh. That was easier than I thought it'd be."
"A little too easy if you ask me." Wendy expressed her concerns. "It's not over yet, is it Sere?"
*THUNK*
After the Emperor was liquefied, his Dark Sword went flying into the distance, eventually embedding itself into the soft soil miles away.
"Afraid not. Despite having his physical form stripped away, the Emperor's essence lives on in his evil blade. Using the last of its strength, it calls out for someone for aid in his vengeance; someone who holds the same amount of hatred and outrage in their heart…"
A pale hand reached down and freed the sword from its holdings. It was raised upwards, revealing to Wendy and Dipper that pocked filled face of Robbie V.
"Really?!" They moaned in unison.
"Just as you two borrowed the strengths of famed gaming heroes to fight back against injustice, the Emperor enables Robbie to tap into one of that dimension's most infamous villains."
The spirit of the sword soon overtook him, making the cowardly goth scream bloody murder as his body changed. His acne cleared as silver-shaded hair fell longer than Wendy's trademark red locks. A lengthy black overcoat hung over his now-muscularly-built shoulders. His tight pants folded into tall gray boots. The bulky purple weapon had transformed as well, reemerging as a six-foot-katana.
With his senses awakened, the possessed ex-boyfriend gave off a toothy smirk, his cat-like eyes eating away at the souls of the two stunned freedom fighters.
"CHALLENGE ME IF YOU DARE!"
Even from behind the safety of the gateway, Dipper's legs gave out at the overwhelming sight. Seeing this, Wendy rushed in, caught her admirer on the first bounce, and tried her best to hold him steady.
"Seph– " Dipper choked out, unable to say the words. "It's Seph – "
"Dipper, please." Wendy again struggled to bring her boy back upwards. "What's the matter? Who is that? What are you trying to say?"
The shaken teen placed his hand on Wendy's and focused on her worried green eyes.
"They're doomed."
"That's one way of saying it…" Sere said, as she moved things along. "Try as they might, Wendy and Dipper are unable to fend off any attack by the demon-enhanced Robbie.
*GASP!*
The armored Wendy's mouth was locked into a horrified "O" shape as she received a deep, horizontal slash across her chestplate. The shock of the unexpected blow brought her to her knees.
*CRASH!*
They watched as the blue-covered Dipper was thrown through a steel lamppost, cracking it into two, before bouncing off a nearby windowpane, and onto the hard cement. Not satisfied with the damage caused, Robbie walked over to the collapsed defender, took hold of his booted ankle, and hurled him into the air, making Dipper shriek with terror.
"Okay, I get it already." Wendy accepted. "This guy's a tough cookie, but it's nothing to get worked up about, right?"
"Wendy," Dipper calmed himself. "Back in his world, this "guy" created a colossal magical meteor meant to wipe all life off the face of the Earth."
"Well, he didn't do that here, did he? They still have a chance to win."
"I'll give you that, Wendy." Sere brightened. "You sure can call 'em."
"Wait," Dipper's mood rose. "You mean they – "
"Looks like someone hasn't been following along with the rest of the class. While they were unable to fend off the overwhelming attacks of Robbie individually…"
Dipper and Wendy now rested on the floor, battle-damaged and worse for wear. They held each other's hand tightly, sharing their last ounces of power, as they aimed their respective weapons up towards the incoming danger.
"…but by working as one, they are able to level even the most powerful adversary…"
*KA-BLAM!*
As the destructive form was again reduced to purple miasma, it spit out the dazed Robbie V., who remained motionless on the street, drenched in magenta slime. With their abilities slowly returning, the friends returned to their feet, gradually forcing the wicked film back and down the road until...
*KA-BOOM!*
With one last thrust of firepower, the behemoth was shoved back into the Gravity Falls Arcade as it erupted into a fiery explosion. Another shockwave was released, knocking both Dipper and Wendy down onto the ground as it spread across town at rocket-speed. As they got back up, their armors had been removed as all traces of the digital universe had vanished from sight.
"Holy crap!" Wendy couldn't take her eyes off of the smoking ruins off one of her favorite hangouts. "That's some massive damage right there. Hope they're insured…"
"I still can't…" Dipper wheezed at the thought of the incredible battle he had just witnessed. "They actually did it, Wendy…"
"Of course they did, dork. They rocked it the same way we would of." She flicked his nose. "Shame on ya for thinking otherwise…"
"Hehheh. Yeah…"
"But with the battle won, "Sere's tone grew serious. "There was one last order of business to be settled."
"What now?"
"What else could possibly happen after that?"
They watched as Wendy, with her arms tucked against her sides, walked away from Dipper and far from sight. He offered a small wave good-bye, before tucking his hands into his pockets and heading home in the opposite direction.
"Oh…"
"Days pass as they each reflect on the near- catastrophe, and more importantly, their role in it. And then…
*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*
Dipper was jolted from a sound sleep, as he panicky looked around his attic-bedroom, finding no one but his twin sister safely slumbering away in the bed across from him. Chalking it up to his imagination, Dipper was about to go back down when…
*THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!*
His suspicions irked, the protective thirteen year old reached under his bed for a makeshift weapon in case of approaching danger. Finding an aluminum baseball bat, Dipper quietly opened the stained window and made his way towards the roof of the Mystery Shack.
With weapon clutched tightly, Dipper climbed towards Wendy's secret spot, relaxing his stance upon finding his favorite redhead sitting peaceful at the edge of the roof, watching as the sun rose over the horizon.
The Wendy outside of the window laughed, prompting her Dipper to ask, "What?"
"You totally know she did that on purpose, right?"
"Uh-uh."
"C'mon, Dip. Really? "Thump-thump-thump?" She was hitting the roof with her heels to get your little butt outta bed."
"You're not kidding?"
"Nope. Honestly, I'd do the same thing…"
The lumberjane on the roof instinctively turned around, finding her partner-in-crime spellbound. She patted the empty space next to her. "Come sit with me…"
Dipper lowered the bat and did what was asked of him. They began to converse, speaking so softly that their unseen audience could barely hear them.
"What are they saying?"
"I don't know. Wait…"
The pajama-donning Dipper's voice was made clear, "So, what do we do now?"
His Wendy broke eye-contact and went back towards the rising sun. "There's only one thing we can do…"
With that said, a dejected Dipper stood up from the roof and went to go back inside.
"It can't – " Dipper pulled at his hair as he watched the heart-wrenching sight unfold. "After everything that happened, how can things end like that?"
"There's no way." Wendy shared his sentiment. "I'll eat my hat if they leave it like that."
Before the Dipper on-screen could make it a few steps, Wendy spun around and snagged his wrist. "Geez, Dipper! At least let a girl finish her sentence, won't ya?!"
"Phew!" The two watchers wiped the growing sweat from their foreheads.
"See? I told you things would be okay…"
"That's why you let out a sigh of relief, too, Wendy?"
"I don't know what you babbling about…and don't try to prove it."
"What are they saying now?"
While she still held his hand, the Wendy dangling over her secret spot looked her Dipper in the eye. "We might not be able to savage everything that was broken or lost, but it doesn't mean we can't start fresh and try again…"
With her support, Dipper returned to his seat, his arm across Wendy's back, and hers around his, his weary head resting against her plaid shoulder as they enjoyed the promise of a new day together.
"And thus," Sere concluded. "This chapter ends not with finality, but with a new beginning."
Dipper gave his verdict, "Now that was a great ending."
"Oh, yeah." Wendy agreed. Way-y-y better than that dream-stuff from the first story. But I still have a question, Sere. How did the purple Emperor guy know about the way between worlds anyways? I don't think he and Rumble were the best of friends."
"Good call." Sere whisked the happy ending away with her hand, turning the screen dark. "In fact, there was someone whispering the notion into the Emperor's head, going as far as alerting him of your activities in the gaming universe. The true culprit and the mastermind behind the Gravity Falls digital invasion was none other than…"
A familiar red glow filled the hallway, as the taunting Cheshire grin of the Slaughterhouse mask struck a lingering sense of dread into the two, almost like it knew it was being watched from within time and space.
"That crumbum!" Wendy clenched her fists. "I should have known! Y'know, I really wish someone would have fixed his wagon."
"If it helps," Sere offered. "Someone does."
"For real?" Dipper asked. "How?"
Sere gave a brief gleam as she started to move her hands over the portal once more.
Wendy could read between the lines, "Oh, good heavens. There's more, isn't there?"
Sere stopped in place as the friends stared at her.
"There…is one more outbreak from the digital dimensions in this world. At least, by this point in time…"
"But how?" Dipper couldn't imagine the possibility. "They blew up the Arcade, right? How else could that stuff make it through?"
Sere and Dipper turned towards the somewhat annoyed ginger for her approval.
"Oh, all right." She gave in to the peer pressure. "But let's make this fast, 'kay? This is kinda getting long in the tooth."
"I know, Wendy." Dipper said. "But after all that, I have to know how it ends."
"That's how the Fates and I felt, too." Sere waved her hands circularly to begin the final chapter. "But frankly, I'm glad you wanted to check this out."
"Why's that?"
"Because this story mostly involves you, Wendy."
"Lemme guess: I get kidnapped because…?"
"Actually, it's the other way around. You are the one chasing after Dipper through the gaming universe."
"Whaaat?" The two teens exclaimed in disbelief.
"As funny as it sounds," Sere ceased her hand motions. "This occurs just about two days ago."
"It would have been when we threw that big shindig for your and Mabel's birthday." Wendy realized.
"But Sere said that here, our birthday happens during the beginning of summer, right?"
"Correct." The screen solidified, displaying a large gathering of people spread across Gravity Falls' Main Street. "After the disastrous aftermath of their Weirdmageddon, the townspeople decide to throw a rummage sale to help things back on track."
Dipper tapped Wendy's shoulder, "Look, Wendy! There's you and Tambry on the far left!"
Sure enough, the flannel-dressed clerk and her purple-and-brown haired goth friend were walked in unison as the taller of the two searched every nook and cranny for something special. Tambry followed along blindly, her eyes glued to her phone screen.
"Tambry, ignoring the world around her, because of her stupid smartphone?" Wendy mockingly placed a hand against her dimpled cheek as she faked a shocked expression. "No way!"
"But what's that Wendy looking for in all that junk?" Dipper noticed.
"Actually, she's trying to find something for you."
"For…me?" Dipper tried to hide that he was blushing. "But why?"
"With summer drawing to a close," Sere explained. "Things start to weigh down on Wendy's mind. She hates school. Her time spent at the Mystery Shack is going to be reduced. And most importantly, over the last three months, she had gotten used to the idea of having a certain someone to go on adventures with."
Dipper looked past the hand against his head, noticing that Wendy had turned away from the screen, her own face becoming rosy as well.
"She believes that if she finds a memento of sorts, that things won't change as much; that she won't be forgotten."
"That's crazy!" An inspired Dipper made known. "Who could ever forget her?"
A soft punch on the shoulder from behind made him jump. Dipper looked back to see Wendy with a look of pride in her eyes. "That goes ditto for me, little guy."
"That's perfect!"
They turned back to see the eager cashier pluck something out of the junk pile. Holding a small CD player in her hand, she poked at its console, opening its door and releasing a blast of dust into her nose and mouth, making her cough aloud.
The cloud of dirt faded away, leaving behind a new setting. Inside of Wendy's bedroom, Dipper sat on her bed as the lumberjane dropped to one knee, lining him up at eye-level. She pulled the unknown device out from behind her back, and much to her surprise, took the gift with excited glee, and wrapped his arms around her torso with much gratitude.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"You're…welcome…" She shook herself out of the shock, and hugged him back. "I mean, you're more than welcome, little guy."
"That…" Sere wiped her eye. "…is so sweet. It's stuff like that makes you two one of our favorites."
"Thanks…" Dipper shyly rubbed his shoulder, as he whispered under his breath, "Though that sounds really creepy."
"Yeah," Wendy added her two cents. "It really is sweet." From the corner of her eye, she spotted her Dipper shooting her a dodgy look, turning away as she turned in his direction. "What's with you?"
"Huh?"
"Don't play coy. What was with that look?"
"Oh," He played innocent, rocking back and forth on his sneakers. "I was just wondering about something…"
"Like…?"
"Like how that Dipper's getting a good-bye present from his Wendy…"
"And you're wondering if this Dipper is getting something special from this Wendy…?"
He slowly shrugged. "Sorta…"
Wendy hid her smile; before their interdimensional journey, she had already planned for such. The ginger could feel the envelope hidden on her person poking her every few movements.
"Eh…we'll see…"
"With Dipper's help," Sere aided in the distraction. "Wendy soon discovers that the gift she is actually – "
"It's a video game system!" The Dipper in the picture exclaimed as he slid over to Wendy's old-fashioned television and started to fumble with the wiring behind it.
"Just watch the antenna, please." Wendy warned. "I just got the signal down right. You don't know how hard it is to get reception in the middle of the woods!"
A second later, the inventive detective stepped back as a new musical tone filled the room. A colorful, rainbow-esque logo bounced around the once-blank CRT screen.
"Wega CD…" Both Wendys read aloud at the same time. "Your entryway into a new dimension…"
"That doesn't sound too foreboding now, does it?" Dipper smarted off.
"I wonder what they're going to do with it."
"Seriously, guys?" Sere doubted. "You can't guess?"
They followed the sound of taunts and trash-talk back to the gateway as the duo sat on Wendy's bed, each with a game controller in hand. Dipper leaned over on his knees, scooting and shifting about every few moments. Wendy, to his left, lied on her stomach, her elbows resting against the handmade quilt, her stocking feet up in mid-air, remained cool and collected, save for a couple of soft shoves she gave her rival to break his concentration.
"Oh, that's a shocker," Dipper teased. "Someone's already trying to cheat…"
"Dream on, Dipper!" Wendy argued. "I'm sure that it was just an – "
"You can't do that!" She heard the other redhead complain. "That's cheating!"
"Really? You're going to call me out for cheating?!"
Before they knew it, they watched as their cross-dimensional counterparts wrestled across the span of Wendy's handcrafted bed, stopping only as they were about to tumble off of the mattress. Pausing, they held each other for support, before laughing their heads off at the ridiculous matter of it all.
The off-screen pair shared a quick glance and a smile, before returning to the story.
"Alas," Sere prepared. "Their playful bliss doesn't last for long – "
"Of course it doesn't." Wendy heckled.
"Hey, Dip. I'm going to get us some drinks. You stay here and hold down the fort, okay?"
Dipper sat alone on the bed as Wendy went for refreshments. He glanced around the room, taking in all of the detailing and mementos that best represented his lumberjane love.
"Dipper…"
"Dipper…"
He leapt onto his knees and followed the sound, finding that the TV screen had changed. Their last video game had been transformed into a blanked static screen. The electronic waves bounced and jiggled with every syllable uttered.
"Dipper…"
Curious, Dipper slid off the bed and approached the TV, raising his hand towards the glass barrier.
"Oh, little dude." Wendy flinched, knowing that his fate was already sealed. "Don't…"
"I can't look." Dipper covered his face and shifted his head back.
As predicted, as soon as the young explorer was close enough to the TV, an electrical surge rose out of the screen and took hold of his wrists, pulling into the sparkling haze itself.
"WWWWWWWEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDYYYYYYY!"
"Welp! He gone!"
An instant later, an unsuspecting Wendy returned to her room with a cold drink in each hand. "Here's your soda. Let's polish these off and get right back to – "
She found the bedroom empty.
"Dipper?" The redhead laughed. ""You didn't have to hide. I told you that my dad and my brothers won't be home for hours!" She checked in her closet and under her bed. ""Playing around, are we? "Are you – THERE?!"
The unusual quiet added to her hidden bundle of nerves.
"Dipper!" Wendy's voice grew more serious, and yet, panicky. "This isn't funny!" She continued to search the room. "I'm really not in the mood for hide-and-seek!"
"That's the one thing that really gets me about these stories." The Wendy outside of the portal commented. "They start out kinda cool and stuff, but then they get super serious real fast."
"Hey, yeah." Dipper added. "They do end up like that…"
"That's what they call a "dramatic hook," kids." Sere defined. "It's something to keep people interested."
"I get that," Dipper said. "But it's weird hearing you say that."
"Say what?"
"Say that, like our lives are nothing but a story being penned by an invisible author of some kind."
He could see Sere's eyes gleam from behind her glasses. "Aren't all our lives like that?"
"Dipper! I swear if you're trying to scare me, you'll be in for such a pounding! I'm not even kidding!"
They watched as the Wendy searching in her room grew more frantic. A ghost-like whisper made her flesh crawl.
"Wendy…"
Her heels twisted towards the TV, as its screen went to static, looping over and looping in a nonsensical pattern. It seemed to react with each footstep closer.
"Dipper; please, please tell me that it's you messing around…"
Responding to her plea, a small hand made of solid electricity shot out of the solid barrier and reached out for her. Before the startled clerk could react, it was sucked back into the TV, as one final warning slipped through:
"Wendy! Wendy! Don't - !"
"Dipper!" She flew across the floor and tapped at the screen, finding it to be solid again. The CD player /game system at Wendy's feet shone like a recurring beacon. Exhausted, the ginger fell back into her bed, placing her head between her legs and rocked herself gently.
"Oh, no." Dipper worried. "She's freaking out!"
"No…" Wendy knew herself better than anyone else could. "Give 'er a second. She's regrouping."
From her self-contained shelter, the girl could make out something standing out on her floor. She bent over and picked up her friend's blue pine-tree hat and examined it from every angle. To confirm her suspicions, Wendy stood up and took her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed.
"C'mon… pick up already…" Wendy paced around until she heard a voice. ""Tambry! Hey! Um, listen, I need to ask you something really fast. Remember that weird CD player thing I bought off you for Dipper?"
"I don't get it." The watching Dipper asked. "Why is she calling Tambry instead of Grunkle Ford or the feds or someone else?"
"Because your gift was actually taken from Tambry's family's table." Sere said. "And she's able to learn where the gaming system came from…"
"Wait…you're telling me that the CD player came…"
They saw out of the life leave Wendy's face as she caught herself from losing her balance. "I'm…here. I'm here, Tambry. Thanks for the info. Listen, I have to go now…"
"What happened?" Wendy struggled to hear the conversation from the cosmic bounds. "What did Tambry say?"
"I think I know what she said." Dipper guessed with a hint of sadness.
"Tambry told that Wendy," Sere cleared. "That the machine was found among the rubble of the Gravity Falls Arcade."
"Oh…"
"But before Wendy can call to mount a proper rescue, the game forces her hands:
*BEEP!*
The TV screen turned black as neon-green text was typed out. A circular clock formed around it, as bright radar swung around, like the arms of a clock.
"GAME READY TO BEGIN!"
"NO OTHER PLAYERS WILL BE ACCEPTED IN 6 SECONDS!"
*BEEP!*
The seconds countered down with every spin, as Wendy readied herself for battle. She slid into her muddy waders and mounted her hand axe against her belt. Finding a rope left under her bed, the outdoorswoman tied it around her waist and the other to her bedpost as an anchor.
"Smart girl…" Wendy prided over her other self. "Really smart."
She ran to the TV and smacked it. "Are you kidding me? How do I get you to go – " Seeing the controllers on the ground, Wendy picked up her remote and found that the START button was shining.
"Hang on, Dipper…" Wendy pressed the button, as her body turned to light and entered the TV screen. "I'm coming!"
"Wow." Dipper marveled at his crush's heroics. "You were right."
"Of course I was." Wendy bragged. "But if you don't mind, can you specify what exactly you're talking about?"
"It's like you said before. You said if even things were reversed and I was the one eaten by a video game that you would rush in and save me. And look! You didn't even hesitate to come after me!"
Wendy rubbed the back of his head affectionately. "Hey, what can I say? Some things – er, people are definitely worth saving."
"And as Dipper did before," Sere narrated. "Wendy travels from dimension to dimension in search of her friend, assuming the forms of gaming heroine past to – "
"Whatcha' say?" Wendy interrupted.
"Beg pardon?"
"You said "gaming heroine?" Not "kidnapped princess" or "girlfriend-in-distress," or any nonsense like that?"
"Nope. I means what I says."
"You didn't know that some game heroes were girls, Wendy?"
"I know that! I just didn't think that – you know, they were around back then. I know about the lame-o stereotypical ones today. " Wendy held her hands in front of her body. "Like that tomb-raiding lady with the ta-tas out to here."
"True," Sere said. "But there were a few great role models here and there. Heck, the armor the Wendy in that universe wore a few weeks earlier came from who can be considered the first video game heroine ever."
"Get out!"
Sere shoved the current vision to the side using her hand, bringing a close up of the red, orange, and yellow suit Wendy had sported. The helmet unscrewed itself, displaying a young woman with large blonde hair bunched into a ponytail. Her true identity was obscured by shadow.
"A natural-born rebel – orphaned by renegade aliens, she spends her life as an intergalactic bounty hunter, wreaking vengeance on those that dare exploit the weak and defenseless. So little is known about her personally that she is often mistaken for a male."
"Sounds about right…"
"Perhaps that's why her armor chose you to fight against the Emperor's forces."
"Well, who am I in these new worlds?"
Sere motioned with her hands again. The image of Wendy, dressed in lavender and cobalt armor stood in a fog-filled black arena with sword in hand. She looked up to see a monstrous blue demon appearing out of the ether. With his claws hands raised, it opened its massive jaws and roared as the warrioress yelled back and charged into battle.
"A young towns girl, who unites a band of misfits to challenge a tyrant and his ancient cult and free an entire galaxy from the influence of the Dark Force,"
"Cool…"
The imagery changed to a picture-perfect view of a suburban neighborhood during nighttime. Wendy darted out from behind a hedge with a blue water pistol in hand. She wore a purple jacket with a white T-shirt beneath. Her legs stuck out of red short-shorts and into white sneakers. Her hair was tied back into a braid through a red baseball cap.
She launched a water-filled barrage onto a waiting mob of cartoonish-looking zombies, reducing them to dust and ash. Muscled-masked chainsaw-welding madmen followed closely behind her, prompting Wendy to pick up the pace into a nearby shopping mall for safety.
"Your average teenager, with a love of terrible B-movies, defends her piece of suburbia from monsters as they begin to eat her neighbors."
"She does fit the Wendy-bill, if I can say so. Especially the movie part." Dipper observed.
"But the 'burbs, man?" Wendy complained. "If I had my way, I'd be a city girl. Look, it's changing again…"
The third scene displayed a crack of lightning, fading away to show Wendy in a traditional blue and white schoolgirl uniform sprinting through the halls of an old-time luxurious mansion. The chimes of a clock tower could be heard in the background. She limped in clog-like mary-janes, pass the doorway of a nearby bedroom, shutting the door behind her for shelter.
The weary teenager rested her aching body against the hardwood door, taking heavy breathes to recover her strength. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief
*K-RUNC-H!*
Two three-foot blades pierced through the heavy oak, winding up on each side of Wendy's slender neck. The startled girl screamed bloody murder as they started to retract shut like a giant scissor…
"A bright and kind-hearted orphan, offered a home in high-society, lured into a sadistic trap by a supernatural killer with nothing but her wit and cunning to save her…"
Before the outcome could be shown, the portal switched areas again. Wendy stepped into sight, assuming another identity. Her red hair was held back with a headband placed above her brow. A leather jacket led into a matching short skirt, wrapped together by a large black belt. Tan-nyloned legs met scarlet sneakers that seemed to barely touch the floor.
Surrounded by a battalion of gang enforcers: Mohawk-sporting freaks with switchblades in their hands; hooded skinheads with their bodies hidden away by sport coats two-sizes too big and faces concealed by black sunglasses, the plucky fighter cracked her gloved knuckles and popped the joint in her neck before going to town, bringing every threat down with a combination of judo chops, roundhouse kicks, and over-the-shoulder body slams.
As all foes lied incapacitated on the floor, Wendy looked down at her handiwork and smiled.
"An ex-cop, forced out by a corrupt system, takes to the streets with a group of fighters to free her beloved hometown from the vicious criminal syndicate wishing to rule it with an iron fist."
The victorious expression Wendy displayed vanished with a barely-noticeable electronic wave, replaced with one filled with doubt and alarm. Wearing a red-leather cut-off and super-tight blue jeans, tan-colored heeled boots added to her height. The ponytailed survivalist held a loaded crossbow firmly in her hands as she backed into what appeared to be a blood-stained hallway.
A trail of the undead blindly followed along with their potential meal, their arms held high and mashing opened mouths chomping away in an unholy symphony as Wendy carefully aimed her weapon between potential targets, reading herself to make the first move…
"A college student in search of a missing loved one finds herself wrapped in conspiracy as the dead rise from their grave and mutated biohazards stalk every shadowy corner…"
As a spark came from Wendy's crossbow, the setting changed to that of a candlelit altar bathed in what appeared to be red moonlight. The spark matured into a flying fireball, heaved directly into Wendy's face. Suddenly, something spun above her, neutralizing the threat into harmless smoke.
The view panned outwards, showing Wendy in a thin, but strong purple battle armor, her long auburn hair wrapped neatly into a massive braid. Her knee-high lavender boots were caked in dirt, mud, and covered in scratches. She twisted and turned a chain-linked whip in her hands, using it as a defensive tool, but also launching it outwards in an offense.
Her opponent on the other side of the room appeared to an elderly gentleman cloaked in the very darkness itself. Behind his draping white hair lied the red eyes of a demon. He flashed a fanged smile, before waved his long-nailed fingers in the air in circles, creating another barrier of flame within.
With a battle cry, Wendy rushed in, hurling her whip through the fire, and back, mounting it towards her stunned foe, as he rose up, using the living gloom as his strength, in an attempt to counter-attack the rushing redhead.
"The last scion of a clan of exiled barbarians, blessed with supernatural abilities, tasked with saving the European countryside from the Prince of Darkness and the ghoulish inhabits of his haunted castle…"
"Wendy…" Dipper looked on with amazement. "You get to go up against Dracula? That's so – Wendy?
His crush was no longer at his side. She slowly came up to the barrier, her emerald eyes focused on the furious battle taking place above her. As a few moments passed, Wendy looked back at Sere. "And all of these girls; they're real heroes in games, right? It isn't just me playing dress-up or nothin'?"
"Yep." Sere was happy to confirm. "They're all real."
"Man," Wendy sighed, holding a hand over the portal, somewhat wary to make physical contact with the portal. "I really have to catch up on my retro gaming someday…"
She turned left, finding Dipper at her side. "I think I can help out with that."
"Really?"
"Well, I don't know all of these games, but they shouldn't be too hard to find. After all, who would forget any of this?"
"Thanks, Dip. That really means a lot. So what happens next, Sere? Who did nab my dork?"
The vision changed to that of a plain-Lumberjack-garbed Wendy pressed up against a meshed glass window, as a mechanical monstrosity covered in torn fur and rotting, twisted metal threw itself against the display, making the startled teen flinched with fright. The murderous robot dragged its nail-like claws across the glass, shredding slivers of the hardened material away like grated cheese, as its laser-focused eyes traced Wendy's every movement.
"After escaping deadly trap after deadly trap, Wendy arrives at the barren place between gaming dimensions where Dipper is being held, and his kidnapper makes herself known…"
"Her?"
Midst the new setting of illuminated twilight, Wendy dueled against a greyscale version of herself. With each lumberjane holding a sword and shield, they circled around in near-perfect symmetry, waiting for the other to show a sign of wear.
"Argh! Another one?!"
"Wendy, wait." Dipper hesitated. "I think…yeah, she's the same one from before."
"But, didn't we melt her?"
"When the Wendy clone was defeated," Sere said. "She was forced back into this place, as she doesn't have a home world of her own in the gaming dimension. But when she came back alone…"
"That's right. Where's the Dipper clone?"
"Destroyed in the battle in downtown Gravity Falls." Sere rewound the green explosion shown minutes ago. "Sentenced to a meaningless eternity without any form of companionship, the cloned Wendy grows insane and becomes disillusioned with the universe around her."
"And she wasn't exactly in the best state of mind in the first place." Wendy pited.
"Either way, this best explains the desperate measures she takes…"
As the view changed back to the clashing Wendys, they could make out a captive Dipper being held inside of an enormous birdcage. He clutched on the bars as he quietly followed every step of the battle in front of him, the shade hiding the sum of his body.
"HAR!" Wendy covered her mouth, attempting to hide her growing smile.
Dipper spun towards her with beaded eyes. "Wendy!"
"Dude, I'm sorry; I know it's majorly screwed up, but just look at him. The whole thing just screams…" She pinched her fingers together and poked at Dipper's cheeks, letting out a high-pitched squawk. "Bawk! Dipper wants a cracker! FWEET-HOO!"
"Ack! Get away!" Dipper swatted at her hand, as he became an embarrassed red.
"But as the battle concludes, the real Wendy rises up and reigns supreme…"
They looked up to see the fully-colored lumberjack princess rushed through her dark clone with her blade, pulling up on it with both hands to tear the melting menace down the middle. As it fought to maintain balance, Wendy took a step back and swung, decapitating her double with one fell swoop.
"That's right!" Wendy praised the finishing blow. "Take that, sucka!"
As the evil twin lost nearly all shape, being reduced to little more than a slushy puddle, Wendy swung her sword at the locks binding Dipper's cage shut. The door squeaked opened as her small friend tumbled out of his prison, right into Wendy's awaiting arms.
"Let's blow this popsicle stand already!"
Wendy and Dipper took a minute to take in what they saw.
"Is that how that how the story ends?" Dipper asked Sere.
"Yeah. Is all the gaming stuff through with?" Wendy added.
"After this, will we – I mean, they see each other after ever again?"
Sere smirked, "Now, guys. We're talking about the future here. Things that haven't happened yet. Way past where we're at in your dimension. I don't think – "
"Oh, c'mon, Sere!" Dipper protested. "I gotta know if things'll be okay!"
"Don't be a tease, man."
"Okay, you nags. I'll do it." She snapped her fingers as the screen split into two once more. Wendy was on the left side, nettled snuggly between the bleachers of her school's gym, her eyes glued to the small portable gaming system in her hands. On the right, Dipper lied on his messed-up bed in his room in Piedmont, focused on the same kind of video game unit as Wendy's, save for being a different colored shell.
"While they are separated by distance, they managed to find a way to stay connected…"
Pausing on the beat, Dipper and Wendy instantaneously whirled towards the other and demanded, "So, where's my good-bye video game, huh?!" Seeing their deadlock, they threw their arms down and pouted. "Darn it!"
"…and to answer Wendy's question; while the bridge between the physical and digital worlds had been severed, there are still certain traces of the gaming universe to be found, such as that Wendy being infected by Dracula's Curse, and not to mention the Sigma Virus – "
"Wait. What's that about Wendy being cursed? And what's a "Sigma Virus?""
"Nope. "Uh-uh." Wendy had enough. "I changed my mind. Let's move on."
"But, Wendy – "
"Dude, it's like a never-ending rabbit hole. It's going to keep going on-and-on unless who knows when. I liked these stories, but I don't want to waste all our time in one place. You feel me?"
"I guess so." Dipper double-checked with Sere. "We still have some time left to look around, right?"
"A little bit." Sere consulted her watch. "You two are almost home, so we can't linger around too long…"
From out of the blue, the sound of jubilant laughter filled the hallways. Recognizing the voices as their own, Wendy and Dipper followed them further into the corridor, inadvertently leaving their host behind.
"Hey, wait!" Sere called out as the pair vanished from sight. She sighed, pacing herself behind them as she already knew their next destination...