As the rains had begun to die, nearly an hour earlier, the sun had begun to rise. The clouds no longer cast a drab blanket across the sky. Glows of orange, crimson, and gold speckled atmosphere and endless horizon above the trees. The dark forests of Gravity Falls remained in a quiet hush; a strange occurrence for such a usually loud series of woods.
To a pair of figures on front porch of the Mystery Manor, the beauty of the sunrise was lost on them. To another, it was another sleepless night. It would be one of more than nine hundred she had seen without sleep.
Mabel and Wendy had been up all night. What had begun as a simple search for Dipper had become a frantic scramble. At first Mabel had assumed he would be in a corner, trying to hide his shame. Wendy insisted they approach him gently. After an hour of searching and no luck, they soon abandoned that hope to blatantly yelling for his name. At that point, Soos joined in too, wearily calling about.
They had gone looking for Stan as well, but were unable to find him; at least at first. When Soos suggested the one place no one was supposed to go anymore, they found the code for the vending machine secret door changed. For a while they wondered if Dipper was down below, working with Stan on something. Eventually Mabel found the closest hole outside in the mud by the side of the building. She did her best to eavesdrop. She did hear Grunkle Stan, but he seemed to speak to himself. After Mabel heard a straight minute of Stanley wondering aloud why people around him seem to suffer, she called it quits. Dipper would not sit through all that silently, nor did she have intention to listen to any more of that. She didn't need to cry any more.
In the end, the three of them, Soos, Wendy, and Mabel, all ran about the Mystery Manor, looking for Dipper. Hours passed as they checked in closets and spaces under floorboards. Their luck was consistent: a solid nothing. Mabel considered the chance, after Wendy mentioned that the last place she saw Dipper was outside, the brat could have run into the woods.
Mabel made to quickly run out into the darkness, but the two held her back. The last times they had done this, particularly with a massive fire breathing dragon, she had come back with almost scarred hands. "Well, it would be perfect! Dipper and I could relate on that then!" she had shouted back. Yet Wendy assured her; she would quickly do a perimeter scan, but demanded the other two stay back.
That quick search had found them nothing. Wendy had done it twice before Mabel and Soos tagged along. That had been hours ago- in the dark of the early morning. Now it was the coming of the dawn, and only Wendy had kept her eyes wide open. She leaned on the overhang support on the porch, peering out into the woods with a furrowed brow, worriedly scanning the land before her.
Soos and Mabel had fallen asleep, leaning on each other. Wendy occasionally turned for a full minute and just watched them breathe. The sleep they enjoyed teased her awfully, reminding her of something she could not accomplish. If it was envy or jealousy, no one would know; she kept her feelings buried deep inside. It was one of these moments as she turned back and checked on her two friends when Mabel stirred. Wendy flicked her head around, and made her best attempts to normalize her stance. She hated being caught staring at people when they rested.
"Wendy?" Mabel spoke in a hoarse, shaken voice.
"It's just morning," Wendy said quietly. "Sun's only just come out."
Mabel glanced to her side sleepily, her head slow and stiff. Soos was unaffected by her movement, and so Mabel stood. Everything she did seemed delayed and tightened. She yawned, her stretch not gone unnoticed.
Wendy turned to her. "I wish I could do that naturally," Wendy hummed quietly.
"Huh?" Mabel asked, blinking away tired tears in her eyes.
"Nothing," Wendy shook her head with a small smile. "How are you?"
"Where's Dipper?" Mabel asked after a pause to look around. "Is he back yet?"
Wendy turned away and stared at the woods. "No," she announced with a harsh tone. Mabel stepped next to her, scratching her hair as she looked around the misty morning. "Mabel," Wendy gulped and spoke, "What if... when I last saw Dipper, him and I kind of got into a little fight. Do you think-"
"Wendy, it's okay," Mabel patted the girl's shoulder, "I bet you he's just being dumb and stuff. Nothing serious..." Mabel trailed off, staring into the blurring shapes of the gentle mists. At any moment Dipper could run out of those clouds of water vapor.
"He wanted to tell me how bad he felt," Wendy mumbled, turning to lean her entire back on the column. "He just wanted to vent. He needed something to blow up on, and I... I just didn't want to let him."
Mabel watched as Wendy held her hands on her face, pulling back and off her hat. Red hair fell past her face, and Mabel was reminded of how frightening Wendy looked when her face was obscured by red. "What... why?" Mabel asked.
"Because I've suffered," Wendy grumbled and bounced her head back, knocking it against the column with a dull thud. "Because I was too strung up with my own issues to realize that I could have comforted him, instead of telling him he had it easier," she growled and let her deep-shadowed eyes look around, trying to find a spot to focus.
"Wendy," Mabel cooed. These feelings from the redhead were still new to Mabel. Hearing them again, after their surfacing from Summerween, was a stark reminder to the truth of Wendy's existence.
"I could have been there for him," she sat down, squatting on the cold, wet porch, "When he really needed someone to be, and I was too kept up in my own pain to do anything except try to scold him. The heck is with that?" she asked, shaking her head.
From the forest, a quick chuckle made both girls spin, and someone said, "Well, I was kind of asking for it."
"Dipper!"
The shout shocked Soos to awaken and stiffen like a board before falling off the couch. Mabel and Wendy raced out to find Dipper, who walked over to them, beaming. Before Dipper could say another thing though, a strong hand slapped across his face.
"OW! Mabel!? What the heck!?" he demanded, stumbling back a moment to reel from the force.
"You absolute jerk!" Mabel frothed, and Dipper blinked before taking another step back. "You could have said something before you decided to take a walk-about in the second most dangerous place in the world, after Australia!"
"Uhh," Dipper gave her comment a second thought, but decided to move past it, "Well, sorry. I... didn't really know how long I was out until I started coming back."
"What?" Mabel pushed him, "You were having that much fun kicking around wet trees?!"
"Being kicked around, actually," Dipper shrugged. When Mabel made to speak, he quickly turned to Wendy. "I'm so sorry. I was angry, but that doesn't mean you deserved to be the butt of it all."
"Eh," Wendy shrugged, her smile fighting to remain small and polite, "You're good dude-" Dipper rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her. With a small gasp as she felt his arms around her, she let her smile fall apart into a great big grin. "Apology accepted. I'm sorry too, man."
"Don't be," Dipper said as he moved back, smiling to her. "You had the right to have said a ton more, but... you didn't," Dipper grinned.
"Well, what's drama going to do to help anything?" Wendy chuckled.
The two held each other in their gazes, a long moment even longer to the two of them. As the sun rose between them, Mabel stepped aside, biting down on her teeth as she silently shook her arms with excitement. She wanted to start running around in circles while screaming, as she had done earlier that night. All they had to do was go in for the seal.
The two budged an inch closer to one another...
"DUDE!"
Soos barreled over and scooped up Dipper in his arms, nearly knocking over Wendy in the process. Spinning Dipper in the air, he cried. "Oh my god dude! We were so worried about you! Like, on a scale of one to the end of the world, which is like a ten, we were at a solid nine!"
"Soos!" Mabel yelled, furious at her possible memory ruined.
Soos whipped to Mabel as he accidentally dropped Dipper. "What, hambone?" Soos asked.
"They were having a moment!" Mabel cried aloud. Dipper and Wendy quickly shared a look, and glanced away, warm in the face. "See?!" Mabel said, waving a hand to the two of them, and scolded Soos, "They were doing stuff!"
"Oh. Sorry about that," Soos spun back to Dipper, who was pushing himself off the dirt, "Didn't, uh, you know-"
"It's okay," Dipper smiled and nodded, wiping away the more recent mud on his clothes.
"Wait, Dipper," Wendy suddenly approached. The three paused as the redhead reached out and grasped Dipper. She was close to him now, her face stunned and clear of blush. She then reached down and clutched his arms as she looked to them. "Your arms!"
Soos and Mabel also looked, and then gasped. Dipper lifted his other, free arm, and smiled as he displayed the lack of bandages and scars. Mabel and Soos rushed to him, and also examined the skin.
"Smooth!" Soos stated in awe, "Like a newborn's face!"
Wendy squinted at Soos' particular likening. "While a little weird, he's right," Wendy said, shaking her head as she locked eyes with Dipper. "How?"
Dipper smiled, happier than anything they would be able to hear about this. "I know it's crazy, but I ran into the Guardsman. In the woods. I guess... oh wow, it's morning," Dipper suddenly spotted the first rays of the sun.
"Dip, focus," Mabel demanded.
"Right, sorry. Oh man, I'll never hear that again," Dipper shuddered as he heard Mabel say something he thought he'd only ever say to her. "I ran into the Guardsman last night and... well... he helped me."
"He helped you?" Soos asked, "Wow, mystic, warrior, and healer all in one!"
"I mean, he kind of beat me around the woods to use his powers, but look!" he gasped as he moved his hands perfectly, "No wounds! Nothing! They feel perfectly fine!"
"They look perfectly fine!" Mabel said and gave him her own big hug. Dipper gave in and laughed with her giggles.
"But there aren't even scars on you," Wendy said quietly, watching the hands adamantly, "That means... it's powerful magic or something."
"Yeah, and get this: the Guardsman also is the creator of the paths," Dipper stated with authority. Mabel's mouth dropped as she stepped away from him. "Yeah, I know!" Dipper nodded to her, "He said that the four paths, when brought together, can act as a tool for life, and heal and stuff!" The three stared at him, now all with their mouths hanging open. "Don't you realize what this means, though?" Dipper asked them, his own smile growing wider and wider.
"Yuki," Mabel whispered.
"Yes!" Dipper shook her shoulders, "Yes! If we can convince him to help us, or bring Yuki to him, he could be healed!"
"This is amazing!" Soos shouted, "I'm so pumped I could just run in and tell mister Pines!"
"Where is Stan?" Dipper asked as he glanced around. "Inside?"
"Probably just waking up or whatever," Mabel grumbled, "He's being dumb."
"Huh?" Dipper asked. The darkened look on the three caused a trickle of worry to spread from his brain into his spine, and Dipper shifted in his stance. "What happened?"
"Well," Mabel started, giving herself a long sigh. "He got..." she paused, the rumbling down the road giving her pause. She leaned her head around Dipper's shoulder, scanning the dirt path past him. He too turned, and the four diverted their attention to a rapidly approaching shape: an expensive car.
A polished black sports car revved its engines as it climbed up the hill, leaving pebbles it its place as it's four powerful wheels spat them into the air behind them. Dipper and Mabel both blinked as they quickly recognized the car. Heck, Dipper had been in that car. Only one person in gravity falls had enough money to afford that car, and was willing to visit the Mystery Manor.
As the car slid to a stop some fifty feet away, the engines purred to a stop, the door lifted up, and a tall, blond figure stepped out. Zander Maximillion stretched quickly and hastily, not bothering to close the door behind him as he turned and approached the four. As the twins took a step forward, eager to meet him. They felt a sudden wash of hesitancy about Zander and both instead watched him. He wasn't wearing that trademark smile of his. His black jacket and starry-like scarf wrapped tightly around him as he glared at the shack. Next to his head he held a cell-phone.
Zander said aloud, to the phone, "Quickly, yeah. I need it all empty... Well, that's why a crew is being hired and I'm not doing it by myself. Also, the one safe in the room I left open for you guys has fragile. Don't drop it... great... good. Bye." With a press of the screen, he dropped his hand and pocketed his cell-phone. "Hey guys," he quickly said.
"Hey Zander!" Mabel replied with a squeaky voice. Dipper made no reply, instead watching Zander. He seemed tired and worn; dark bags settled under his eyes as he glanced between the four and the Mystery Manor.
"Pacifica here?" he asked them with a gruff voice.
"Yeah, why?" Dipper asked, watching Zander. The rockstar-retiree had a frantic look in his eye.
"I'm here to pick her up," he said as he finally made it before them.
"Wait, why?" Dipper asked.
"What's going on?" Wendy inquired, studying Zander's form as much as Dipper. "You seem tense."
Zander scoffed. "You'd be too, if an overly-protective dragon was watching your every move," Zander grumbled, and pointed directly up into the sky. The four leaned back and stared up. True to his word, there was a dot, high above, making a wide turn. A purple dragon soared above, hovering around the Mystery Manor, gliding in a predatory circle. "See?" he said, pulling their attention back to them, "I've got an eye on me."
"Why?" Mabel asked, "I thought Magenta was cool with you."
Zander rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Guess not," the rockstar stated. "So, Pacifica's here, right?" he asked yet again. When the four said nothing, instead watching him, he sighed. "What?"
"What's going on?" Dipper asked as Wendy had. "You're acting weird."
"No, he's not!" Mabel laughed and nudged Dipper.
"Yeah, he is," Wendy agreed, giving a firm nod.
Mabel chuckled, her body stiffening as Wendy frowned and stared at the rockstar, who's face did not change to the two accusations. Mabel looked to Soos. "He's acting normal, right?" she asked pleadingly.
Soos gave himself a second to think, and displayed a flat hand, which he shook. "Not a steady yes or no there, hambone," Soos said.
"Uh, oh," Mabel gulped, realizing that she was vastly outnumbered in defending Zander, "Well, I'm sure he's got a perfectly good reason for-"
Zander took a wide step past the twins. "I'm in a rush, sorry," Zander stated as he suddenly stormed by the four, making quick, long steps towards the side door.
"Well," Dipper said, following Zander as he hastily side-stepped, "You can tell us what's going on while you rush."
Zander glanced to Dipper, and then to the others, who followed in his wake. Behind them a loud crash and tremble of earth gave pause to the group of five. Purple, pink, and violet scales colored the large, reptilian beast as it landed. Along its wings were recently applied artificial membrane, allowing the dragon the soar. Shifted in its landing, Magenta watched Zander with focused, honed eyes. Zander, eying the beast, said, "We're on it." Magenta, in turn, snorted a small blast of smoke from her nostrils. Zander said aloud, "I'm here to take Pacifica home," he told the four as he continued to approach the building.
"You still haven't said why yet," Wendy reminded him.
Zander spun around, and spoke while walking backwards. "Because now I'm supposedly kidnapping Pacifica. Her parents called me this morning. Hadn't seen her, thought I had her. They somehow convinced Magenta to find me and bring their girl back. So, unless I want the cops jailing me for a crime I didn't commit-"
"They really think you kidnapped her?" Soos gasped. "But she's been with us!"
"Could have used a phone call about that," Zander growled as he spun around again, "And I don't have the time to linger and explain my side of the story."
Wendy looked to Dipper, who just noticed her glance and returned his own concerned look. Wendy said, "So, that's not even the rush?" as Zander made it to the door and pried it open, striding inside with vigor. She mentioned, "You would have thought that a dragon breathing down your neck would make you kind of speedy."
"Well, it's not helping," Zander stated as he passed the darkened gift shop, ignoring the closed sign on the window. At the end of the room, a series of footsteps announced a sleepy-looking older man in a dirty robe.
"Huh? Who's-" Grunkle Stan blinked and adjusted his glasses as Zander approached. "Maximillion? Sir!" Grunkle Stan did a double take, looking about in the gift shop as the millionaire came forward. "I, uh, I know I promised to have the plans for the donations up by the end of the month, but-"
"I don't care," Zaander quickly cut off the old man. "Keep the donations. I don't need you to tell me what you'll do with them. Just tell me where Pacifica is," he stated as he stood before the old man, several inches higher.
Grunkle Stan blinked, his ears adjusting to the new tone of the celebrity. Clearly the accusatory voice was alien to the con-man too, because he leaned over and looked to the four behind him. "Did you guys harass him or something before he came in?" he asked worriedly.
Mabel chortled. "He's in a rush, but who wouldn't be with a dragon on their tail," Mabel quickly said with a shy smile.
"He's also not telling us everything," Dipper said.
Stan looked back to Zander, his sleepy eyes hardening as he focused onto the millionaire. "Well, you want to take the Northwest brat out, or whatever? Fine, to your right," he nudged his head. Dipper and Wendy gasped and glared to Stan as Zander moved quickly down the hall.
"You're just letting him?" Dipper demanded of Stan, walking up to replace Zander's position as the rockstar left them.
"Sorry, did I miss the memo where everyone started mistrusting the second richest man in town? The one who paid for the damage to my place?" Stan asked, crossing his arms, "And besides, Pacifica isn't on my list of essentials." He eyed Dipper, and noticed the hands. "Hey, wait a sec-"
Dipper rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you later. And we started distrusting him the instant he started acting weird!" Dipper shouted as he, Soos, and Wendy rushed down the hall.
Last one to follow, Mabel told Grunkle Stan, "They're just being overly-cautious," with a weak smile.
Ahead, Zander made it to the door, and shoved it open. "Pacifica!" he shouted as he stepped into the shadowed room. Dipper made it just in time to see Pacifica shoot up from her slump, her hair in knots and tangles. She had clearly been there since the previous night.
"Z-Zander?" she asked, rubbing her face, covered in tear-ruined make-up. She glanced to Dipper, her eyes adjusting against the stark light from the hallway windows. "What are you doing here?"
Dipper looked to Zander, who had yet to speak, or even move after opening the door. His face had again changed. No longer was he drawn by a haste or desperation. Instead, he was sullen, staring at the wrapped up, motionless man in the bed. Having trained himself to study the art of poker-faces, Dipper was certain he was looking at a master. Zander's eyes bled emotion and thought that his face refused to show. Zander finally looked to Dipper, who felt an urge to glance away.
Then the rock-star spoke up. "You need to come home," Zander told her with a half-grin.
Pacifica snorted, and then leaned forward, resting her head on Yuki. "No."
The strength in Pacifica's words even shook Dipper. Zander adjusted in his stance, clearing his throat as Dipper gulped. "Pacifica, please. I need you to go home to your parents. If only just to tell them–"
"I'm not leaving."
Zander tensed. "Pacifica-"
Zander's voice cut off as Pacifica lifted her head in a snap, glaring at Zander. More tears fell down her eyes. "I'm not leaving him. Never. One day he'll wake up, and he'll make me feel like I'm worth something again. Until then, tell my parents that if they want me, they can find me here."
Zander closed his eyes, looking to the ceiling. "Magenta is worried about you."
"Tell her I'm fine," she growled back.
"Yeah, she's good," Dipper said, stepping in between Zander and Pacifica.
"C'mon guys," Mabel then squeezed past Soos and Wendy, who stood behind Zander, "Can't we just talk about this for-"
"No," a terrible, cold voice said, coming from the musician.
Pacifica lifted her head, her mouth open. Zander now matched her glare, a power in his eyes that defied his own being. The twins turned and faced the wrath of the rock star, only aware at suddenly how scary he looked when he was angry. Those green eyes of his had a sickly viciousness that dared to be tempted. As if aware of their fear, he closed his eyes once again, and rubbed his face.
"Pacifica, if you don't come home, your parents are going to send me to jail because they think I'm stealing you for myself," he grumbled.
"Well, she'd be lucky, wouldn't she?" Mabel pointed out with a small laugh. Pacifica snorted. Zander said nothing, causing Mabel to falter. "Zander-"
"Sorry Mabel," Zander said, looking to Mabel, "I know you look up to me. But I need to get her out now." And with that, he strode past the twins, and grasped Pacifica's shoulders, lifting her to her feet.
"Hey, what the hell!?" Pacifica shouted as she struggled to leave Zanders arms.
"Hey, get off her!" Wendy shouted, rushing into the room. Pacifica was no longer forcefully being grabbed, but with Zander behind her, her eyes desperately fanned around.
"Guys, kick him out, or something!" she demanded, "I'm not ready to go!" A hand pressed again onto her shoulder, and Pacifica was walked around the bed. Zander guided he away, and Pacifica turned, staring at the silent man. "Yuki! Wait!" she begged of Zander. "I want to say goodbye! Please!? Just one more time!"
Shoving by Wendy and Soos, and then squeezing by a stunned Stan, who looked appalled at what he was seeing, Zander bullied out a defeated Pacifica as she entered hysterics. Dipper and Mabel rapidly gave chase. By the time they made it to the gift shop, Dipper again blocked them.
"You at least can tell us what's making you act like a jerk suddenly!" Dipper said, trying his best to barricade the exit. Zander made a particularly good dodge, and drove Pacifica around him in one direction as he stepped to the other side. "Seriously!?" Dipper shouted, and followed with his sister after them.
"Zander, what gives?!" Mabel said, rushing forward to grab Pacifica's hand. As she did, twisting the blond away from Zander, the musician stopped, facing his car. Magenta the dragon stared at the group with concern, her great, slit eyes widening with worry as she spotted Pacifica in tears. Mabel cried out, "I didn't wanna agree with my bro, but this isn't you! Why would you do that to Pacifica?"
Facing away, quietly said, "I'm leaving this town."
"What?" Mabel asked, holding a sobbing Pacifica in her arms.
"Gravity Falls," Zander said, turning to face the twins, and the three others behind them- Soos, Wendy, and Stan as they caught up, "I'm leaving this town."
"But... but why?!" Mabel demanded.
Zander chuckled in a bitter tone, so alien to his usual charm that it felt unreal. "Really? You need to ask me why?" Zander laughed, leaning into the five. He laughed and shook his head. "I came to this town to find mysteries and fables."
"And what, you found none of that?" Dipper demanded, pointing to Wendy, "She's a freaking myth for crying out loud! Did you know she's not a-"
"A wraith," Zander said, rolling his eyes.
Dipper and Wendy blinked. The red-head slowly took a step forward. "Y-you knew?"
The rockstar gave them all a cutting eye. "Putting one and two together isn't that hard," Zander barked at them, "I mean, she's not transparent or ever floating. She can interact with things physically, and I've seen her react to physical stimulus, so that ruled out ghosts. But since people at the reacted to her the way she did, she clearly still had to be some sort of undead. No rot, or mort flesh? Rules out Zombie or Ghoul," Zander said, crossing his arms across his chest.
Dipper was stunned. What Zander had said was effectively weeks of his research in under one paragraph. "How... how did you-"
"I sing about these sorts of things, guys," Zander growled, "I've got a lot of research to do to make it accurate. Anyway, I needed to find the lost stories of earth! The mysteries that make humans connected with the planet! Not... gnomes and weird body-morphing crystals!" Zander puffed, running a hand through his long, blond hair, "And," his eyes focused as a set of steps gently creaked wood from behind the group, "I've been getting fed up with all the interrogations."
"We haven't interrogated you!" Mabel protested worriedly, "We're concerned! You're acting really weird, and we-"
"Not you guys!" Zander rolled his eyes and pointed to the porch. "Her."
The five turned. Arline stood there, fully clothed. Standing at the corner of the porch which lead to the motel rooms, the woman was agape at the looks she was getting. From Mabel's quick glare as she turned away, to Stan and Soos's confusion, and Dipper and Wendy's intense study, she was overwhelmed.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Zander's taking Pacifica home," Soos quickly stated, "Or at least he's trying to. You know, he's been acting a little weird and out of character, so we're still trying to figure that part out-"
"You!" Arline stepped off the porch, around the group as she pointed to Zander, "I warned you to stay away from the kids."
"Yeah? Good, I'm not here to mess with them," Zander growled as he cracked his neck, glaring into her eyes as she got into his face. She was inches from him now, a new barricade for him to deal with.
Mabel gulped. Arline may be injured, but she looked ready to break Zander's face. Her beloved rockstar could easily take care of himself, but Mabel wasn't interested in watching him eat dirt. She pleaded, "Uh, can we not actually fight, please?" patting Pacifica's calming figure.
Arline demanded of the man before her, "Depends. You leaving, Zander?"
Zander's lip curled, and he leaned his head back. "I dunno. Are we leaving without Pacifica, Magenta?" Zander asked the dragon. The beast let out a horrible, threatening growl that shook the earth itself. Arline's eyes flickered to the dragon, and back to Zander. "I think she said no," Zander snarled.
"Wait, wait," Dipper stepped between the two of them, "Did I miss something?" Dipper turned to Zander, "You said Arline interrogated you? Since when did you two talk while we weren't around?" he asked.
Arline looked to Dipper, her eyes softening. Arline quickly spoke up. "Dipper, I can talk to lots of people without you near, you know," she stated hastily.
"Sure," Zander nodded, "Because what you did to me was just 'a talk'," he muttered.
"Wait, what does he mean by that?" Dipper demanded of Arline.
"Dipper, please let me-" Arline started, but Zander again cut in.
"Oh, so I get shoved around by the big, bad lady on the block, but he'll speak out against you, and you just... let him," Zander snorted, "Sounds fair."
"I have my orders," Arline snarled into his face, her breath steaming his skin, "I am going to keep him, his sister, and everyone they consider friends and family safe." Zander's eyes flashed as he sported a small smile. Arline's eye twitched. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said, looking away and shaking his head. "So, how about we cut this short and make a deal? You let me escort Pacifica home where she is being summoned, and I don't let big bad dragon in purple here tear you a new one?" Zander suggested.
Arline once again studied the dragon. Magenta had leaned slightly closer, some ten feet behind Zander, her imposing and massive presence not unnoticed.
Mabel spoke up quickly. "But Magenta won't hurt anyone," Mabel pleasantly reminded them. "We're not hurting Pacifica, so no fuss!"
"Tell that to the dragon," Zander said quietly to Mabel. There were many things Mabel knew for certain, but looking at that dragon really made her question her safety. Mabel gulped, and looked to Pacifica, who still seemed stunned. Zander, looking all the more upset by the situation, heatedly asked, "So, Arline? You going to actually do what's best for your mission, and let me take Pacifica?"
Arline's hand flashed up. In the blink of an eye, she had moved her left hand from the side of her body to be in Zander's face, pointing at him between his eyes. In a low voice, she said, "Strike one."
Zander hadn't flinched. "Simmer down, Hirsh."
She scowled. "Don't push your luck. I already think you're dangerous. I said-"
"Why not ask Pacifica?" another, long quiet person said. Arline's hand faltered as she turned. Mabel and Dipper did as well, looking to Soos, who had stepped away from Stan. He rung his hands worriedly as he looked around. "I mean, look dudes, I know this is all important and stuff that's waaay over my head," he gave a small nervous chuckle, "But shouldn't Pacifica get a say in this? It's all about her."
Pacifica turned and stared at the large man with wide, stunned eyes. There hadn't been such a change in opinion towards any one single human being as momentous as the one in Pacifica's mind. Mabel grinned wide and proud as Dipper nodded, grinned. Wendy smiled and stepped to Pacifica. "I like the sound of that. So, how about it?" she asked, standing next to the still stunned blonde. "Stay or go?"
Pacifica looked around. She trembled; make-up-stained face, with distant, vacuous eyes. Pacifica had looked lost before, but not quite as helplessly as then. All awaited her words with baited breath, except for Grunkle Stan, who propped up an eyebrow as he folded his arms. It was finally a grin and nod from Dipper and a wink from Mabel that caused the ash-covered girl to close her eyes and speak. Quietly, she said to Mabel, "I'll be back. I'm now in with this fight more than ever," she said with her eyes closed.
"Wouldn't dream of denying you," Mabel agreed.
"Then, I'm going," Pacifica shifted her hair and walked forward, passing by Arline with a stride more to her style. As Zander watched her, she stared back. After a moment, she whipped back to the twins, and said defiantly, "I'm going to make these bastards pay for what they did to him."
"We can start by ruining their plans and exposing them for the monsters they really are," Dipper nodded.
"I'll meet up with you guys later. We have some planning to do," Pacifica said, and turned, her blond hair whipping behind her as she made for the dragon. Zander's stern face softened, and he smiled. The peace was with a bitter edge however, as Arline still remained the blockade for Zander.
"So, before I go," Zander said, now directly to Arline, "I'll take my papers you stole back."
Arlines face reddened. "I-I didn't-" she stammered, but Zander scoffed cut her words apart. Gritting her teeth, and clearly suffering from a horrible deep red blush, she reached into her jacket, and removed a crumpled-up folder. With enough force to nearly knock him over, she slammed the pages into his chest. Stumbling back, Zander began to quickly flip through a series of official looking transcripts. Aline assured him, "They're all in there. In the time I had them, I didn't have a chance to alter or steal anything."
"What are those?" Mabel asked.
It Stan piped up, looking at the papers with interest. "That's FBI papers!" he declared as he pointed, "Identity and stuff! I'd know those papers anywhere."
Dipper rolled his eyes, muttering, "Of course you'd know what those were."
"You have other identities?" Mabel asked to Zander, her voice shaken. Zander slapped the pages together and gave Arline a quick scan, surely checking to see if there wasn't a sign of mistrust. When he found none, he gave the group before him a quick nod, and then turned. "Wait, Zander," Mabel rushed forward. A hand from Arline gently tried holding her back, but Mabel shoved it aside. "Don't touch me now!" she shouted at Arline with a furious point.
"Mabel, I had reason to-" Arline tried, her own tone shaken, stunned at Mabel's fury.
"Shut up! I want to hear them for myself!" Mabel said, keeping in pace with Zander. She turned to the musician. "Why did she take those papers from you?
"Because she thought I was someone I'm not," he said grumpily as he passed by the dragon and Pacifica. The blond had started patting and soothing the dragon's worries with gentle rubs along the base of the dragon's neck.
"Why? Are you?" Mabel asked, stepping in front of Zander.
Stopped by yet another girl, Zander sighed and shook his head. "Mabel, I'm me. Who I am to you could be different to what anyone else thinks of me," he said, "And I like making sure that people don't think bad of me... but I'm done right now with dealing with other people's problems, and being pushed around," he grumbled, and tried side-stepping Mabel.
She stepped with him. "Zander, please," Mabel asked, her lips pursing as she begged, "Just tell me what's really going on."
Zander stepped back. His eyes closed and his brow furrowed he stayed silent for a moment. Without opening them, he said to her, "You should stay back; according to your master I'm a dangerous man."
"Well, I'm not listening to her right now!" Mabel shouted. Her voice carried over and struck Arline in the same manner that a punch might have. Arline stepped back, her eyes closed as her face tightened and she walked away, a hand at her brow. Mabel told the rockstar, "I'm listening to you. You always have something important to say!" Mabel told him with a small smile, "You're always being so wise and stuff! Why can't you trust m- uh, us?"
Mabel gulped at the end of her sentence. She had come a little too close to speaking from the fullest depths of her heart. Times may come later for her to reveal her affections to such a god among men, but this was already a weird and stupid situation to her. She needed to answers first, and the make-up later.
The eyes of Zander Maximillion focused upon her. There was more there than Mabel had expected. He really scanned her. He said, "Okay. I'm rushing because I have a truck with all my stuff packed up and ready to go, the moment I get the okay from Pacifica's parents," Zander announced.
Mabel's hope plummeted along with her jaw. Quietly, she inquired, "You're... leaving right now now?"
"Now now," Zander repeated.
"If you have a truck," Mabel listed, "You've packed already."
"Yeah," Zander nodded, slowly stepping around the stunned girl.
"Which means you've had the time to pack," Mabel again noted, "Like you were already packing."
"Correct again," Zander said, now almost to his car.
"Which means you've... been thinking about this," Mabel said, and turned to Zander, her eyes shimmering, "You've wanted to leave for some time!"
Zander paused, now next to his car. Zander signed and nodded as he placed a hand to the perfect polish and held himself up by it. "Yeah," he said once more.
"But you said you wanted this all!" Mabel declared desperately.
"Wanted death!?" Zander exclaimed, "No! I wanted life!" he said in exasperation. "I seek stories that are uplifting and courageous and powerful to tell, not crushing and hopeless!" he pointed to the Mystery Manor, "And sure, you guys have been able to scramble by each time, but the town took hits this time! People died!" Zander shouted. "I saw Yuki there, how could I not? This isn't some cartoon villain who scares people away to get insurance fraud!"
Grunkle Stan muttered, "That does sound like a good idea."
Zander got to the point with Mabel, "People are losing hope and falling into despair! This isn't a story I want to tell!" he said, and he rushed into his seat.
Mabel watched him, her eyes glazed over. "You... you gave up on me?" she asked.
As the car engine turned on, Zander relaxed and looked back, his own eyes tired and exhausted looking. "It's never that simple, Mabel. There are always elements of hope in a story, but the bottom line is that there are more problems now than there are solutions. I'm... sorry," he said, and lifted his hand out for the car door.
Her hand reached out instinctively. A base part of her soul refused to let him go on such an apology. With a loud groan, she pulled the door back open, glaring at Zander in his eyes. Her brown orbs dared his green to look away, yet he did not.
"I've looked up to you the moment I saw you," she said firmly. "Everything you did, and said, was art to me; is art to me. I wanted more than anything for you to see in me the kinds of things you see in the world that make you want to sing with that angelic voice of yours!" she said, and shoved the door fully aside, "But look at you! Running away?" she said, shouting at him, "You've only been here for one summer! You don't know what real despair is!"
Zander stared at her unblinkingly. Mabel could only continue, her own building feelings feeding into one and then the next.
"When your family is torn apart because of monsters, and you know you'll never see them again," Mabel pointed at her friends, brother, and great uncle behind her, "And you still get by because you remember what you saved? That's real strength!" she paused, breathing loudly as her body shook with anger. It was a strange day- that she thought she would ever shout and yell at Zander Maximillion like this was beyond belief.
Zander finally blinked, and then spoke. "So, you think you're stronger than me?" he asked, his voice quiet.
Mabel cringed and groaned. "No!" she angrily said and looked behind her, seeing the worried faces of those watching and listening. "Us together," she said with a quieter voice, her throat trembling a moment as she saw her brother's worried watch, "That's real strength. When we still lose, and we lose bad, but we get back up and keep going," Mabel said, turning to Zander, "And we always... just... don't quit on our friends. Don't run away from us."
Mabel found her real point to him. Strength, while important, was less impressive than the grit that she found in those important. There was a capacity to endure, withstand against the rains and winds that blew against them that made Mabel appreciate them. She knew this more, perhaps, than anyone there. The smiles, and laughter, and jokes she lent to the world around here were not from the lack of pain, but in spite of it. In the end, she saw all this trouble as a test to courage. Why now, of all times, she saw a flicker of doubt in the one source of great inspiration and attraction she had in a long time, was beyond her. What had made him act like this? She wanted him here, at her side!
To her pain, Zander's eyes faltered and he shrunk into his seat. "Mabel," Zander said in a feeble voice.
"Zander," Mabe's voice remained firm, yet fell away from the sharp convictions she had used previously, "Come on. Come on out. You're so much better than just running away from places and people when things don't go right. Like back in the woods with Midian," Mabel said, a smile returning to her face, "You stood with us until we all got out, not just you."
That warmth returned to Mabel as Zander's eyes flashed and his sealed lips slid open gently. Comprehension flowed in him, surely. Mabel pressed her chance.
"You stopped Dipper and Robbie from fighting and helped them get over each other," Mabel continued, "You helped Dipper and me get our heads back on right and tight, and, and..." she again held back, her heart a flutter as the words 'made me fall crazy deep for you' were withheld in her own interests, "And you got Dipper and me out when the caves exploded. You didn't quit then, when life and death were on the line," she reminded him. "Zander," she said with a great grin, "I know you more than you think."
Zander stared at her. Mabel's words clearly had affected him, and yet her last words had a strange effect on him. He saw Mabel differently. What that meant, to Mabel, was uncertain. The shine in his eyes, as Mabel stared into his green orbs, faded away. He then smiled a sad smile and shook his head.
"I'm a musician. It's been my job to inspire people, Mabel," Zander said with a lopsided, sad grin as he stared at the car windshield, at the listening group. "I've always been good at getting people to do things because I thought they were good. But... that's all," he said, turning back to Mabel. "I'm not a hero. I've never been a hero. I've always been more of a coward than anything else," he told her with a near whisper.
"But you-"
"I'm sorry Mabel," he said, and reached out for the door, "You just don't know me as well as you think. Goodbye," he said, and closed the door before her.
That was what it had added up to, Mabel thought, as the shiny black car reversed itself away. It gently spilled pebbles along her sneakers and legs. Her heart, laid bare and exposed for someone to understand, had again been left alone and unnoticed. Zander fled in his car, and Mabel watched with a numbness that could only be considered pain. She felt deep ache for the betrayal of her trust.
Next to her, Pacifica turned and leapt up to her dragon. "Sorry, Mabel," she said, a sincerity in her voice that would otherwise have touched Mabel. Yet in the numbness, Mabel only barely looked to the blonde, her eyes glazed over. "I'll be back soon," Pacifica told the others, and then gave her two legs a strong kick.
Magenta the dragon lifted off, billowing more dust and dirt into the air. Not that Mabel could care. Something inside her had broken. Who else could she fall to and be caught? Zander would run. He had shown his capacity for a tight spot by using his money and running. Why was he so eager to run?
Then Mabel turned, remembering someone else she once thought she could trust. As the purple scaled reptile flew overhead, Mabel balled her fists and marched towards the group. The four before her stepped aside, perhaps fearful of being burned by the fire blazing so terribly in her eyes. Dipper, Wendy, Soos, and Stan all parted, leaving Mabel to find a seated woman on the porch, her head bent over against her knees.
"What did you do?!" Mabel said, her voice gritted through teeth.
Arline looked up to Mabel. With a gulp as she licked her lips, she shrugged and said, "What I thought was best for you."
Mabel shouted, pouting at the road, "You made him hate us!"
"Hate me," Arline corrected.
"Who cares!" Mabel roared, "He ran off now! That was a super-helpful, mega-cool dude who just ran away because he said he was tired of being pushed around!" she spat into the air, heating the very space between her and Arline with her voice. "What is your problem!?"
"Mabel," Arline leaned forward, her eyes shimmering, "I know he's cool, okay? But I'm telling you, ever since I met him-"
"Another secret, great," Mabel growled.
"Ever since I met him," Arline closed her eyes, pressing her lids together as she let Mabel talk over her, "Something about how he spoke bothered me! It was like I had known him from my past! Something about that voice, I dunno. So, with Steindorf in town, and... look," she said, leaning forward towards Mabel, "I looked him up. His records, all of them, are fake. Anyone with enough know-how on record analysis, and proper identification, can tell they are not real! None of the dates created had any actual backing, and when I lined them up-"
"That's because he had some crazy witness protection stuff that you stole!" Mabel proclaimed defiantly, pointing at Arline with a dire rage.
"Mabel-"
"You lied to us about Omir and Zander!" Mabel shouted. "If you trusted us, why didn't you tell us you thought something!?"
Arline stuttered and stammered. "I-I-I just wanted... I needed to make sure I wasn't just going crazy! I wanted to make sure there was a reason I thought there was something odd going on!" she said, her own words rising in pitch and volume. "And I did! Steindorf wasn't who he said he was!"
"So you yelled at Zander, and scared him away," Mabel grumbled, her eyes shimmering, "You couldn't trust him, and you couldn't trust me, your own apprentice," Mabel said, furious tears falling from her eyes.
"I could- I do!" Arline said, standing, and reaching out with her arm.
Mabel shoved the arm away and shouted. "No! I'm done with people who say they trust me and then walk away like that! I'm done with doing that to people! People who do that are-"
Someone behind Mabel shouted, "What?!" in a deep, grounded voice.
Mabel, startled, spun and faced the newest speaker. A gruff, experienced voice entered the fray as Arline too had begun to cry. Grunkle Stan, still in his robes and sleep-ware stepped up to Mabel. Now between the two ladies, he glared at each of them with worn, tired eyes that matched their former fury.
"It takes a lot for you to look at Arline like that, Mabel!" Stan shouted at his niece, holding his hand out to Arline with example. "You're one to talk!"
Mabel, anger poorly mixing with confused, had her stammer, "Wh-what do you mean?"
Stan glared at her. "Mabel, of all the people to understand why people hold secrets, don't you think you, and your brother, should be the ones to be the most understanding!?" Stan said with an incredulous bark. "For Moses' sake! Think about how you must have thought of me!"
Mabel, who's mouth had been open, ready to retort, sealed shut. To his words, she had no response prepared. Her mouth had gone dry, and she looked to the ground. "I... I look up to you too," she said quietly.
"Right!" Stan shouted, nodding in approval, "Why?"
"Because no matter what you do," Mabel looked up, "You end up picking the family over anything else."
"And you think she was trying to do anything different?" Stan asked, his voice quieter and softer.
"Whoa," Soos quietly said, nudging Wendy and Dipper, "He's gotten good at that."
"I can hear you, Soos," Stan barked at his employee.
"Awesome!" Soos pumped his hand in success.
Stan sighed, and still continued, looking to Mabel as he leaned and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mabel, I know you're mad. Furious. I get it. But did I do anything differently?" Stan asked Mabel earnestly, giving her a trying, but warm stare. Mabel said nothing, her own convictions steadily collapsing. "I know I felt the same way about her as she does about Zander. 'Up to no good', and 'hiding stuff', is what I said," Grunkle Stan stood and turned from Mabel, looking to Arline who quizzically stared back. "You know what though? I wasn't wrong, but I'm disappointed."
Arline bowed her head, her face screwed up into her hands. Mabel spoke up. "Y-you are?"
"Yeah. Talk about a stupid thing to be suspicious over," Stan chuckled, and lifted his hand to Arline.
She looked up, wiping away the stains of tears down her face, a wide- shocked look in her eye. "What?" Arline asked with a small sniff.
"I think we, of all people," Stan said, even turning to look at Dipper and Wendy, "Can understand why you hide something to protect others. Secrets are dangerous. Otherwise, they wouldn't be secrets; you'd just go tell people about whatever it is. But when you hide something, and you care about people as everyone here really does, they're away from the real problem. They're distant. It's not about makin' a profit or standing up taller than the other goonies. It's about keeping those you care about safe!" he declared.
Soos let out a single gasping sob and removed a handkerchief from his pocket, blowing his nose hard. The others turned to him, staring incredulously. "Sorry, I just... that was beautiful," Soos said, wiping away his own tears.
Stan groaned, but a loud clap next to him gave him pause. As he turned his head, he found a small, but no less strong hand grasping his own. Arline had reached out, and with Stan pulling her up, she rose again.
"I'm not saying I still like you, not fully," Stan said, poking Arline's shoulder, "But I'm not going to have anyone talk about hiding secrets for protection with me around."
"At least without getting your own word in. I wouldn't have doubted it, Stan," Arline allowed herself a watery smile. Stan chuckled, and Arline, still with tears, let herself laugh. She closed her eyes and turned towards Mabel, who watched them, just three feet away. "Mabel," Arline practically whispered, "You've grown so much since I've started training with you; so much that you've become able to train your own brother without my help. That's... just amazing," she said with a tiny chuckle.
"...Thanks," Mabel said, refusing to fully look at her.
"I, uh," Arline grasped her injured shoulder as she spoke, and swallowed her throat, "I know that you'll be more than capable in the long run. So, if you wanted, I could let you call me Arline again, instead of master," she suggested, "And you... can follow your own path."
A flash of movement would otherwise have caused panic. Dipper did gasp, seeing as how his sister ran at the woman she once called master. Yet no fist was thrown. Instead, Mabel's shoulder and head slammed into Arline's chest and abdomen. Without words, Mabel clutched her midsection and squeezed tightly.
The golden-haired woman above, who had frozen from the movement smiled and lowered her arms, resting them along Mabel's shoulders. "I'm so sorry," she quietly said.
"Me too," Mabel nodded, and pulled back, looking into the shimmering blue eyes, "I... no, I still want to call you master. Just for a bit longer, anyway," she added with a giggle. Arline too laughed, and pulled Mabel back in for another hug.
"Oi, great," Stan rolled his eyes and held his hands temporarily up to the sky, "Glad I was a help. No need to thank me for diffusing the situation or anything."
"I always thank you, Mister Pines," Soos said happily.
"Soos," Stan turned, and looked to the handyman. For a moment he stared, but then sighed. "You're right. Thanks."
Soos, in perhaps a moment so fast and quick, coughed and looked like he had seen a ghost. Stan turned back to Mabel. Next to Dipper, Soos' knees buckled. He nearly collapsed back and would have, if Dipper and Wendy hadn't gone behind him and hoisted him up. His eyes half open, Soos struggled to sit down, but finally patted them on the shoulders as he was lowered. "I... I need a rest. That was heavy."
"Well," Dipper said, leaving Soos to Wendy as he addressed the crowd, "As crazy as it sounds, this still isn't that bad."
"Huh?" Stan watched him with a confused glare. "You were just listening to everything that just happened, right?"
"I was! But remember," Dipper held up his hands, clean and unharmed, to Stan. The old man's mouth fell open, "I found the Guardsman! He can heal wounds like that! Cure curses too," he said "This means that as long as we have the Guardsman on our side, we have a chance!"
"Yeah!" Wendy stepped up, "Sure, Zander's chickening out, but we can fix Yuki now!"
"We just need to get him into the woods so my master can clean him up?" Arline asked, stepping closer to Dipper.
"Sure. He didn't seem to have a problem doing it to me for free," Dipper said with a shrug.
"I doubt it was exactly 'free'," Arline squinted at the woods, a pained knowing in her stare. "Probably beat you up for it or something."
"...oh. Yeah, he did," Dipper nodded. "But I'm okay now!"
Stan chuckled. "I like him already. Tough guy likes to throw a punch for payment. Maybe he'll turn the clock back a page or two for me, huh?" he asked, his eyebrows wiggling.
"Well, then we need to get going!" Mabel joined them, bounding next to Dipper and Arline, "And since we toasted the baddies hide-out last time, we have a chance to do it!"
"So, let's get going!" Dipper declared proudly.
BOOM.
No one had moved. Staying perfectly as they had, the entire group let their hopes slip from their grasps. Slowly turning to the sound, each of the group found themselves looking at the town some miles away. In the sky, a plume of dirt had ricocheted into the sky. Rock and dirt rained down below, and the six already could hear screams.
"Okay... so, less time on our hands," Dipper gulped.
"Let's go!" Mabel pushed him aside. Dipper spun, following Mabel as she raced to her bike. A distant past Dipper would have argued to take his car, but the pink motorbike was quicker to go. They needed all the time they could. Whatever was happening needed their attention.
"Wait!"
The twins, already at the bike turned. Stan rushed to them, panic in his eyes. "Last time you did this, I nearly lost one of you!"
"That's because I was being stupid," Dipper shrugged.
"Well, teenagers do a lot of stupid things!" Stan pointed out. "I don't want you doing anything else stupid, like running into town when explosions are going off and people are screaming for their lives!"
"Yeah, that does sound kind of stupid," Mabel said. Dipper turned to her, shocked. Yet she grinned and winked, "In the best way possible."
Stan, holding out his hands towards them, begged, "Kids, what would I have told your parents if-" A hand fell on his shoulder, and Arline stepped next to him, and walked next to the twins. She lifted from an inside pocket a pair of goggles, and slipped them over her eyes. As Arline grinned to Stan, he surrendered to their spur-of-the-moment plan. "Ugh!" Stan roared. "If you're going to go, just... win so hard I don't have to worry about a price to it!"
"You know we'll try," Dipper nodded as he sat behind Mabel, who took the grips.
"I'll keep them safe, Stanford. If not for your, or my boss," Arline said, "I'll do it for me."
"You better," Stan said, walking backwards to Wendy and Soos, who too had started running over. "Oh no, you two," Stan said, clutching their shoulders, "You're staying."
"But they-" Wendy started.
"In case whatever is going on spreads, I want you two here to help me fend it off. Besides," Stan grinned as he looked between the twins and Arline, and himself, Wendy, and Soos, "Three is the magical number."
Mabel laughed as she turned the ignition to her bike on. "You're such a dork, Grunkle Stan!" she cheered, and then burned rubber as the bike blew away. Down the road the three raced, heading through the trail in the woods.
Their destination? War? Chaos? Destruction and fire?
Only the rising sun could tell, as bright, unrelenting light washed over them all.
Episode 19, part 1: done.
Three more uploads before the end of Season 2.
So when I originally wrote the draft for this chapter... oh my god, in JANUARY, it was supposed to have the quick drama that fighting and making up always carried with it. Instead, we got... well... damn. But in the end, I'm not displeased. I hope you all enjoyed the talk Zander had, getting his revenge on Arline. I certainly enjoyed seeing this scene come to page. :)
Anyway, see you dudes and dudettes next week. Stay safe, dry, and warm as the weather shifts for colder days to come.
-EZB