The rumble of the earth was now a constant. Was it the bike; striking its rubber wheel against dirt, gravel, and road as they soared down the road? Was it a stampede of something horrible in their future, yet to be seen? To the twins and their companion, it did not matter. At this point in time, the explosion could have been a coincidence, and they still needed to be there.
Mabel's grip on the motorcycle was covered in sweat. Her eyes glued ahead as she spied the racing and turning road through the forests, she swallowed her tightening throat. She knew exactly what she had signed herself up for; this wasn't another mystery. This was rescue or a battle. Possibly a big one.
"Dipper?" she called, feeling her ribs being squeezed tightly, "You okay?" He nodded, yet said nothing. "What are you thinking?" she asked him.
"Operation Search and Destroy was supposed to be the big, scary plan that Omir led up to," Dipper recalled loudly, his voice reaching Mabel and Arline, who leaned slightly out to better listen. "The Warlock and Sorcerer did all this stuff for something- all this secrecy and town sabotage to try scaring people out of town."
"True. What's your thought then?" Arline asked.
"If Omir Steindorf got what he was looking for, discovering the location of the stone or whatever, why attack the town still?" Dipper asked. "The stone is in the woods, so it doesn't make sense to spend more resources to attack people who are already out of his way."
Mabel leaned forward, pushing her weight into the front wheel, urging her mind and body to move faster. She pondered Dipper's reasoning. It was solid, as were most of Dipper's thoughts. Yet... maybe they were overlooking something.
"Maybe because he didn't have everything the way he needed them," Mabel suggested with a glance to Dipper and Arline. "You know, like chess? You can't win right even if you the pieces you need unless you're positioned correctly?" The two stared to Mabel. "What?" she asked, glancing to their awe.
"You hate chess," Dipper said with a small, incredulous chuckle.
"Because that position stuff is dumb!" Mabel grumbled and turned again.
"That's Mabel for you," Arline shook her head, smiling gently.
Mabel glanced to the mirror, spotting her master in the back, holding onto the bottom of the seat. "Are you going to be able to fight?" Mabel asked.
"Me?" Dipper quickly questioned.
"She means me," Arline answered immediately after, and nodded. "I'm down my arm, but the other and the rest of me is... stiff, but functional."
"Just don't push yourself too hard," Dipper said. Mabel watched him turn to her, also adjusting his glasses as wind billowed between the space of his face and his eyes.
Arline grinned and nodded. "I think that's ironic, coming from either of you two," she said, "But I'll manage. Just don't go out and do anything stupid if I can't help you."
"We're not separating anymore," Dipper firmly stated. "Learned that lesson the hard way. Don't split the party," he noted aloud.
"Stronghold and Serpents taught us well," Mabel chuckled.
"What's that?" Arline asked. The twins turned and glanced at her. "What?" Arline asked, her eyes widening behind her goggles, "What?!" she asked again when they glanced at each other with a clever smile.
"After this, maybe we'll play," Mabel promised her. She refocused and looked forward again. The air in her lungs was forced out as she saw the first signs of town. "Oh no..."
Fire and smoke billowed up into the sky more now than ever. The skies, now filtered with rays of the sun, danced along the lines of apocalyptic with trails of black reaching into the light blue. The two behind her had clearly also seen the sights, as she could make out in her shaking rear mirror the dawning horror on their faces. Even with sunglasses and goggles, their expressions were clear.
Without a second further hesitation, Mabel revved the engine harder, and buckled down. The bike roared and she blasted forward even faster.
Passing by houses along the edge of the highway, the twins saw fear-stricken families racing to their cars, desperately trying to make out what was going on downtown; the epicenter of the smoke and chaos. They occasionally pointed to the trio on the bike. A few more desperate called for them, asking what was happening. One father warned them to not go.
It wouldn't change their minds.
Coming around a turn, the bike lurched and turned as Mabel twisted the handrails. Dipper was pulling on her harder than ever, and Arline gripped the seat tightly. As Mabel spun into town, the three finally saw what was happening.
As had happened the day before, a plant like monster had taken to the streets. It was, however, much, much smaller than the previous they had encountered. While the first had towered over buildings with ease, this one stood at seven feet tall. It was certainly an impressive height, but the twins squinted. Was that all? Behind it, families of people fled from it, racing away from the street. Individuals ran away as well, moving however down different paths.
Arline however chuckled. "Got it," she told them. Behind Dipper, the bike buckled as Arline leapt up and placed her feet on the seat. "Right at him!" she patted Mabel's shoulder, balancing on the bike like a skate board.
"We told you not to over-exert yourself!" Dipper warned her, too afraid to turn around and face her, should his unbalancing of Mabel endanger Arline.
"You kidding me?" Arline asked with a chuckle as Mabel continued forward, the distance of the unaware werewolf-look-alike closing, "This is just fun!"
The werewolf-looking thing spun and spotted the coming bike. It snarled just as Mabel ducked down, avoiding a slash from the monster's claws. Dipper too ducked, and yet Arline leapt forward. Her knee was first to collide with the body of the monster. With the speed of the bike behind her already formidable kick, Arline easily lifted the plant backwards with a crush of its chest. Whimpering as it flew backwards, the plant-monstrosity spun against the ground until it struck a caved-in car and stopped, broken and unmoving.
"Hah!" Arline said, landing on her two feet as Mabel spun the bike, her wheels wailing against the pavement.
"Well, she wasn't kidding," Dipper shrugged, jumping off first, "That was easy for her."
"One hit wonder?" Mabel suggested as she pushed herself off and followed Dipper in his wake. "Boom! Homerun."
"It's never that easy," he reminded her.
"Maybe it was," Arline heard them talking as she walked over, and the three stared at the broken plant-construct. Deciding if it was dead or not was a hard task, but certainly it was defeated. The 'tongue'- a raveling of many small vines in its mouth- hung out to its side like a downed dog. "Still... it lost preeetty easily for something that caused all of... that," Arline pointed to the skies, where more smoke lingered.
"Also," Dipper poked the two of them and held a finger to his lips. Taking his cue, the three listened. Screams and panic still flitted the air.
"The heck? Are there more things?" Mabel turned and glanced down the street.
True to her guess, another creature was chasing a family, snapping and snarling at their heels. Mabel growled and rushed forward, providing little preparation for the two behind her.
If her master could easily snap one of these twig-chasing green twigs, she could too. Her glasses jostling with each step, Mabel raced forward. She could hear Dipper and Arline behind her, running in step. The werewolf-creature ahead had spotted her, and turned, now racing back at her. It wasn't just one anymore though. Four more had appeared from alleyways behind the first monster, and ran at the three.
"I got three!" Arline quickly announced as Mabel yelled her bloody warcry.
"We got two!" Dipper declared, and he quickly made his place next to Mabel.
The first of the werewolf-looking plant monsters jumped at Mabel, ready to draw blood. Two others also leapt, desperate to claw into the three. Mabel made her counter-attack and dove under the leap. As claws scratched at the inches of air above her scalp, she leapt and kicked upward twice.
The first leaping monster found itself struck in the mid-section by two powerful feet. Rather than collect itself or tumble, and fell to the ground in a slump, clawing at the street to pull itself up.
Mabel landed better, and quickly found herself in the brawl. She turned and dodged away from a swipe of claws and then wove under a snap of ferocious jaws. Dipper took the chance and dived at the attacker, giving its neck a strong punch. As that one fell aside, Mabel leapt, and joined the assault, her own airborne punch driving the beast to the concrete. While it had been stunned, it shook off the impact, and made to stand.
"Down boy!" Dipper shouted, and snapped out at its muzzle with a kick. The attack connected, and the dog stilled, defeated. "Hah! Oh that–" Dipper spotted Mabel glaring at him, "What?"
"I was going to say that," she glowered as she turned and found Arline easily ducking and weaving around three of the werewolf monsters. Even with her shoulder and arm still out of commission, she was more than a match for just three.
"Help?" Dipper suggested as Arline spun in mid-air, kicking two at once with out-stretched legs.
"Nah. I'd rather let her get her fun in now," Mabel shrugged, "So that if real trouble happens, we can pick up."
"Sure," Dipper nodded, and looked around. As his eyes scanned the buildings, many of which still crumbled and without power, he eventually looked back to the fallen plant monster at his feet. "So... what should we call them?"
"Hmm," Mabel said, placing a hand at her chin as she looked to her brother. This kind of question was one that had to be taken seriously. Dipper only ever asked that question when he was going to write more into the journal. "How about... Barkers?"
"Barkers?" Dipper asked his eyes squinting, clearly disapproving of the name.
Mabel was not dissuaded. "Yeah! You know, 'their bark is as bad as their bite'?" she asked, snickering. In the distance, Arline roared and lifted up one of the dogs with one hand, and threw it at the other two, knocking all three to the ground. In a literal dog-pile, they raced to get back up and charge again.
"No. Bad name," Dipper groaned and shook his head. "How about... I remember something about them calling them 'Vicious Vinous'. Maybe that's the name of the species they used-"
"No. Latin. Any. More," Mabel demanded, using her finger to poke his chest with each word.
"Well, why not?" he asked. Arline stood up on her one hand and leapt up, driving two feet into one of the dogs, knocking into the air and against a wall.
Whining, Mabel replied, "Because you want everything to be named with Latin-ey sounding stuff," displeased with his insistence. "Latin is a dead language, for a reason. It was boring and people let it die. Just because something is dead doesn't make it cool!" Dipper's mouth flapped open and closed. "Boys," Mabel rolled her eyes.
Dipper scowled. A light flashed in his eyes, and he nudged her arm with his knuckles. "Maybe Dogwood?"
"Hah! Mabel laughed, and then more lightning stuck her, "No! Got it!" she jumped up once just as Arline did, dispatching two of the soon-to-be-named creatures with a single jump and twist kick. As the two bodies soared back and slapped against the hard brick walls, Mabel declared, "We'll call them Lycanropes!"
"Huh?" Arline asked, landing on her feet and turning to the twins. "Did I miss something important?"
"Shaped like werewolves, but made of vine," Dipper put up two fingers, "Catchy and punny, " he added two more fingers, "And something that sounds both impressive and silly! Done. We call them lycanropes."
Arline, from the distance, called to them, "You guys don't just call them dogwoods in your head?" The twins turned to her and stared. "What?" she asked.
Before the twins could reply, more cries in the city called to their attention. The twins spun and Arline looked past them. Through the smoke of fires, more figures were running at them.
People were rushing through the smoke and flames, coughing and spluttering some hundred feet away. They looked horrible- many had scratches and bruises all along their bodies. Ash and rubble carried in their hair and clothing. Leading the charge was a very skinny man with a simple wife-beater shirt, cowboy boots and short jean-shorts lead the charge with desperation.
"Git out, git out!" he yelled as he ran with gusto.
Mabel made to step towards them, and then the running crowd was met with their fears. Through the flames, many more of the 'Lycanropes' rushed forward. Outnumbering the crowd, they began to pounce on people, pinning them to the ground. "No!" Mabel roared and ran forward.
The three rushed to meet to opposition, passing by the first of the crowd before they met with any of the lycanropes. Those furthest away from them, who had already bagged their prize, had begun to drag people away, through the smoke and ashes. There were more; nearly fifteen of the lycanropes ran at the crowd and the trio. Mabel knew they could do it. This fight was going to be a hairy one, but not impossible. I mean, it would just be Dipper and Mabel taking on five while Arline took on nine. Not that bad odds, right?
Mabel gulped, yet tensed her fists. The fight would be starting in a moment. She stalled, taking her stance right behind the still fleeing crowd. The two behind her also took positions, and readied to fight.
If they had expected a more dramatic start, they were sorely interrupted. A series of loud, obnoxious car horn blares heralded a coming car. The swarm of lycanropes had no time to respond. They had been focused on the trio and those behind them they protected. A large love-machine burst out from an alleyway, and instantly exploded the group of plant-monsters. Pieces of plant and root thrown into the air, the car spun and swiveled, yet was able to retain its balance.
Mabel blinked and stared at the car as Dipper spoke up. "Isn't that-" he stated, pointing to the savior vehicle.
The window dropped open and a muscular, thick arm waved to them. "Hey guys!" Grenda's unmistakable voice called to them. She pulled herself out from the door, which the twins noticed had been jammed inward. "Nice strike huh? Like, double points!"
"Hi!" Candy's voice too floated over, as she instead walked around the car, adjusting her glasses. Grenda fell out and onto her back as she fell from the window. Undeterred, she shook herself free from the remains of the lycanropes, and approached the twins. "Glad to see you are all okay."
Mabel stifled her smile. Her two friends, despite being happy to see them, looked worse for wear. Candy had a thin cut across her cheek, and her black hair stood in odd places. She clearly had been through one or two scuffles based on the dirt on her face. Grenda on the other hand was scratched, bruised, and sported a black eye. With her own hair standing in clumps of dirt and mud, and some of her clothing torn, Mabel was shocked she was still as mobile as she was.
"Well," Arline muttered, giving her arm a gentle twist, "Better."
Behind the three, the fleeing crowd had clustered together, staring at the five who had come between them and probable danger, or worse. They gathered closer, their wide eyes and injured skin a testament to the trauma they had all been through. The few kids in the crowd hugged close to their families or family present, and lone adults stared in awe at the five.
"Lay it down, amigos," Mabel quickly asked around, "What's the word?" The crowd stared at her, uncertain to trust her further. A few began to whisper to one another, their eyes locked onto Mabel.
Tyler Cutebiker, from the crowd, stepped forward and explained. "These nasties started coming out of the ground, "The skinny man quickly said, "and grabbing at people. Dragging them to areas in town they started to control. Totally not kosher."
"They were dragging people away?" Arline quickly asked, and the smaller man nodded to her. She glanced to the twins, a spark of uncertainty in her eyes. "That's a new one. Why?"
"I don't know," Candy piped up, "The first one, the giant," she clarified as she pointed to a log still imbedded into a building cluster, "Made no attempts to capturing people – only destroying. This is strange."
"So, the goals have changed," Dipper stated.
"Well, we need to save those people!" Mabel declared. Arline and Dipper looked to each other first, shocking Mabel. "Wait, you don't want to?" she asked, holding back her shock.
"It's not that we don't want to," Dipper said, "But we should get to the bottom of this before we make this a full-out battlefield."
"A little late for that one," Mabel reminded him with a look around, to the burning buildings.
After a moment of Dipper glaring back at Mabel, Tyler spoke up. "You three should just get people out of town. These monsters are coming like ants out of a hole in the ground."
"Another one!?" Mabel groaned.
"So that's twice they've popped out of the ground," Arline grumbled.
"Which means whatever we thought we had done to stop them wasn't enough," Dipper stated. "Whatever is controlling these things wasn't that machine we blew up."
Mister Cuteboker gawked at the five. "You... you're all honestly thinking about fighting them?"
"Uh, yeah?" Grenda scoffed, brushing specs of dirt off her shoulders. "It's kind of our thing," she said with a proud puff out from her chest.
"Look," Mabel turned to Dipper, looking him dead in the eyes, "We can go ahead and save the day, but we are going to help the town first." Dipper bit his lip, shaking his head. He wanted to argue, clearly with a deep-rooted thought. Yet Mabel's stare and grin won out.
Dipper sighed and nodded. "Okay. We help first," Dipper agreed, looking to Arline.
The wounded martial artist nodded. "Sure. You two in?" she asked Grenda and Candy. Candy adjusted her glasses as she nodded and Grenda smirked, cracking her knuckles with a leer. Arline chuckled, "Okay."
"B-But it's dangerous!" Tyler said, "You could get hurt!"
"We kind of expect that at this point," Dipper said easily as Mabel shrugged.
"Comes with the job description," she said with a smile to her twin.
"You all are welcome to help," Arline said, eying the crowd, "These are your neighbors, your friends. Your families." The people, all taken aback from the sheer willpower of the five before them stared in awe. Tyler looked behind them, his eyebrows crooked in uncertainty. After a moment, his head fell, and he shook his head. Arline shrugged. "Don't feel bad about it," Arline said, "Just stay safe, if you're not fighting alongside us."
Though Arline assured the townspeople, her eyes had darkened. The girl twin understood Arline's disappointment. While they wanted to keep people safe, absolutely safe, the idea of help by numbers was one that had never come up before. If they wanted more help, it would have to be down the road. They were clearly not getting their help from this lot.
"Well, go find cover and stay low," Dipper told them as he turned away, "And try not to get into any more trouble."
"So," Mabel looked to her two friends, basking in their presence with her grin, "You know where the peeps are being held?"
Candy grinned, flipping her black hair, "We came from there. We'll show you."
"Hop in," Grenda suggested, turning to indicate the scuffed and slightly dinged up van.
Sliding into the injured vehicle from the sixties, the now five turned down the one street and made their way past the smoke and fire that covered one of the intersections. Candy explained as she drove, "It was strange: certain pipes exploded at the same time, and then the second hole opened up. It was very strategic."
"Did they use the old hole?" Dipper asked. Candy was quick to shake her head. "So, they have a new breach hole." As he sighed, Dipper was quick to explain their full findings from their past battle; that a powerful magic user was behind all this, driving the town into chaos. When asked why, Dipper explained, "It's all some crazy plan to keep everyone here too distracted to realize what's really going on," Dipper explained.
"And I hate to say it," Arline piped in as the van drove, "It's working at the moment."
"What do we do?" Grenda asked, "how do you fight chaos?"
"Easy," Mabel said with her own grin, "With your own chaos!"
"Uhh... no," Dipper said.
"You totally do!" Mabel argued, staring down her brother, "That way everything may be crazy, but at least you're on top, and can sorta decide what's up and what's down."
"You fight chaos with order," Dipper grumbled, "Which means we need to establish some sort of defense. Getting the townsfolk to their feet is a good idea. That way they can fend for themselves while we look to really put a cork on this trouble."
"Do you really think people can fight these monsters – oh! One second," Candy said and suddenly swerved the car, smashing one of the Lycanropes off the road with a rattling crash. "Sorry, had to get him. Anyway, you really think people can do this?"
Dipper sourly said, "It's either that, or we never get anywhere defending them. I'm beginning to think is the purpose of this all."
"But why?!" Mabel demanded of Dipper. "Why? If Omir did that spell or whatever he needed, why go crazy on the town anymore? He has what he wants."
"Sort of. Maybe what he needs to do in order to finish this would bring attention to himself," Dipper said, rubbing his head through his beanie. "It would make sense to distract the only people currently capable of fighting back by sacking the town."
"I imagine he's controlling these guys," Arline suddenly said. She had sat in the back, holding her hand to her head as she thought in silence. "Last time, Omir had Graupner act as a decoy while he fully prepared and activated the spell. Now it's just him. Maybe he's trying to lure us out and grab us."
"I still can't believe Omir was a bad guy," Candy said, turning the wheel.
"Right there with you," Mabel said sadly.
Arline snorted in the back. Mabel and Dipper glanced back. If there was anyone who would have had something to say about Omir Stiendorf and his place in the world, it would have been her. Yet she wrapped her injured shoulder with her hand, and leaned against the walls of the van. She kept her voice to herself this time.
As the twins checked with one another, Candy called out. "Okay," she said, and the van began to slow, "Past this next smoke is the group of people who had been gathered. You guys ready?" she asked, and grabbed the stick-shift.
The twins looked to Arline, who nodded. They turned to one another. It was time again. The smoke enveloped the car as Candy pushed down on the gas pedal. Finally, the view before them was un-obscured.
Mabel gulped, "Oh, fffuuuudge."
The view before them opened in an instant, and it was the worst thing they could imagine. As they looked out onto the main square of Gravity Falls and nearby the Town Hall, hundreds of Lycanropes stood and walked about, shoving around captured townsfolk as they were herded into buildings and clusters by alleys. Many of the Lycanropes had turned stare at the coming van. Candy saw the first cluster of Lycanropes and what was directly behind them: a group of residents.
"Hold on!" Candy shouted as she whipped the wheel to the right. The van turned and swerved, running on a short time only two wheels.
The van could have been running on uneven road with how bad the car began to shake. Dozens of the plant-like monsters were knocked aside or driven under the wheel as the van dove into a crowd. As the five inside began to feel the shift in directional gravity, the van spun onto one side.
Sparks filled the insides of the car as glass shattered. The moaning and screaming of metal and plastic filled the air with smoke and rubble as the car slid through even more of the Lycanropes. Mabel and Dipper, safely secured in their seatbelts were not sideways, along with Grenda and Candy. Arline was fine- despite having never secured herself. She stood along the wall of the car, perfectly upright.
Moments had passed as the car began to slow. With one final lurch as a final Lycanrope fell, the van stopped and the four finally could begin unbuckling themselves.
"Mom is going to kill me about the van," Grenda groaned, fumbling to remove the seatbelt.
Candy apologetically whimpered, "Sorry."
Mabel was faster, and fell to her feet. The one of the two doors was facing the sky, and with a shove, she wrenched it open. The dark smoke above blocked out skylight from pouring in, and the opened door allowed the snarls and howls of coming enemies.
"Shall we, my stalwart companions?" she asked, seeing Dipper next to her, Arline across, and her two friends joining them. They all nodded. "Then, onto the gates of chaos we charge!" she yelled, and leapt up, climbing out of the van with a rush.
Arline was quicker; able to leap out without a problem. Mabel made it to the top of the flipped van as Dipper did, and Arline landed next to them. Around them on all sides were the Lycanropes. Snarling, snapping their jaws, they all faced them in numbers almost too high to count.
Dipper took the job of counting them quickly, "Probably... two hundred just here," he said as he shook his shoulders. "But they're slow and kind of frail. Not... too bad," he shrugged and gulped.
"I've faced worse," Arline said, "Tecently, too."
"Yeah. The Mabel agrees," Mabel smirked to her brother, even as a sweat began to build under her arms and along her forehead. "Dipper, do you have a plan for this one?"
"Plan?" Dipper repeated, looking around. "Uh... nope. No plan."
Despite Arline and Dipper looking discouraged at the news, Mabel grinned. "Not a problem," she said, and cracked her neck, stretching her head left and right as Grenda and Candy stood with them.
"Really?" Dipper asked, turning to see his sister.
"Yup," Mabel said, and stared down the dozens of foes, "Just means we do what I do best. We make it up as we go."
And then Mabel leapt out, and punched downward.
The first Lycanrope fell to her strike, unable to stand up to her falling weight and power as she collapsed onto its chest. As she did, waves of shadows turned to Mabel. As she looked up, she was met with yellow snarling faces of vines. Then Dipper landed, kicking out as he did. More fell away and back. Arline followed, now unleashing her greatest assets: fire.
As smoke and flame erupted from her single hand, at least ten of the Lycanropes fell in a circle around the twins.
Grenda dived right in as well, and bellowed as she charged, her arms outstretched as she reached forward, grasping the closest enemy she could. She lifted it up easily with both arms- they were only made of vines, after all, and had plenty of space between the individual shoots. As she did, carrying the beast above her head, she threw it with a bellow that would make a Spartan proud.
Candy took action. From Artline's example, she lifted a canister from under her sleeve, took a match to the nozzle, and began to spray fire around her. One by one, those that got to close to her ended up in flames- blinded by fire and toxic smoke as fumes, and worse, enveloped their heads. She raced behind her friend, ensuring that those trying to make their attack on Grenda met a fate of flame and ash.
Now was the struggle. Now was the fight.
Could the world have seen the blur of motion that was the rage of the battle, they could have watched as the twins, Mabel and Dipper Pines fight at their absolute best. Through the chaos of exploding bits of vine and howls that pierced the air, they rose to the occasion.
They would anticipate each other's needs. If Mabel had ducked, Dipper leapt backwards, and spun, punching away the unwary foe. If Dipper had been pulled, Mabel turned and jumped at the foe, slamming her feet into the head of the enemy. When they got surrounded by the Lycanropes, they grasped each other's arms and spun- Dipper holding Mabel as a support while she whipped out and kicked away the enemy.
It was something to make Arline proud, if she was able to watch from a distance. Fortunately for her excitement, she was smack in the middle of the fight. Her legs, specifically the spaces next to her ankles, had also erupted into flames. As her pant legs slowly singed and burned, she was able to kick away fireballs. Spinning in mid-air with terrible fury and destructive power, she brought the most amount of pain on those who tried stopping them.
Yet it was not enough. More came. More filled the ranks. The vine-monsters kept replacing one another, and even as the five could fend for themselves with spectacular power and grace, they found themselves still constantly surrounded, occasionally taking the proud injury.
The onslaught was one sided. While Mabel, Dipper, Arline, Grenda and Candy could fully support themselves as they bounded around, aiding one another as they fought, the sheer numbers was fully overwhelming. Slowly and surely, the fight was brought to the wall against town hall, next to the open square. They had a wall against their backs on one side, and the army of Lycanropes on the other.
As the entire fight had gone down, the captured folks had watched fearfully, trying to warn the five of their fate. It was in the moment, the twins watching the animated, violence-inclined vegetation, that they realized how far in the pit they had thrown themselves into.
"Well Mabel," Arline spoke up, holding her one hand up as she held her injured arm away, "You wanted to jump into chaos like a hero. Here we are," she said with a gulp, "What's next?"
"Yeah," Dipper glanced to her quick enough to establish eye contact and a meaningful look, "What is next?"
The trained eyes of Mabel stared around. The thickness of the crowds before them was unnerving. How they even fought through some of that was beyond Mabel. Still, somewhere deep in her brain, Mabel found a light and courage to stand up to the danger before her.
They had forgotten about a resource that the town had always had. Gravity Falls was known in part of the State for two big things- lumber and the Mystery Manor. If there had been another noted feature, it would be strange, yet simple. The people.
They were all rough and tough mountain folk with simple lives. They lived in cold weather and hard days and night, and rarely complained. Mabel had seen more than one person easily out-shine tasks by athletes in trained fields. The people here were strong!
They just needed to be reminded of that! She grinned and held a hand up to the sky.
"People of Gravity Falls!" she roared, heralding the coming changes of the future itself, "Look at what can be done! Stand up for yourself! Fight together! We can overcome these jerk-faced-snort-boogers!"
"You had me up until the insult," Dipper grumbled. Mabel elbowed him hard in the shoulder.
"Look at what we can do!" she shouted, turning to face a crowd of men and women, still being herded in a corner, "Look at what just four teens can do, and a woman with a broken arm! We can do this!" she shouted desperately. "You can do this!"
She stared at one man in particular. He wore a large winter cap and held close to himself a thick jacket of green plaid. With his well trimmed beard, he stared back at Mabel, his eyes shining. She awaited the light that inspiration drew to shine from his eyes, begging for him to rally up and fight back. She knew they could.
Yet he turned away, looking to the ground.
"Guys!" Mabel shouted to the group, "You're so much better than you all give yourself credit for! You live here!" Mabel shouted angrily, waving to the sky, "The capital of crazy! The Nation of Nutty! The World of Wacky! Gravity Falls is a crazy place, and you all just live here anyway!?" she demanded of them, "That takes guts! You all have crazy guts!"
More turned away from Mabel. A reddened burning in her stomach began to flare up. The same kind of feeling had come when she had spoken to Zander while he struggled to flee. How many times did she have to see capable people turn away from those that could use their help? She and her brother, her master, her best friends had just given their best to help them- and yet all they did was cower.
"Get up!" she screamed. "Fight!"
Rumbling began again. The five against the wall looked around. It was the kind of rumbling of movement. Of something heavy coming their way. Their vision obscured; they could only wait as they continued to scan around. Finally, Mabel pointed. "Look! There!" she yelled.
Lycanrope after Lycanrope was thrown into the air as something the size of a small car barreled towards the group. Heavy, hefting breath heralded something huge. The twins gasped- the sight of extra paws and arms poking from above the crowd of monsters told them who was coming.
As it crashed through the wall that blockaded them, they shouted together, "Multibear!"
With a triumphant roar from all heads, the massive mutant aberration of a bear smashed through the line of vine-animals and appeared, sliding to a stop before them. Standing at his terrible height, he landed and sniffed the twins.
"You are not injured," he said with a small grin, "This is good."
"Multibear, you've come to fight!?" Dipper asked with trembling excitement.
"Please, please, please, pleeeaase tell me Dipper is right!" Mabel begged the bear as it turned from them.
"Perhaps," Multibear said as he faced the somewhat shaken monsters, away from the group. "I merely need to know one thing," he said, facing away, "These beasts – you're certain they belong to the encroacher who threatens these lands, for both magical species and human alike?" he asked.
The twins shared a glance. "If you mean the Sorcerer Omir Steindorf, who's been behind everything the Warlock has been doing, than-" Dipper started.
"YES!" Mabel roared, beating him to it.
"That is good to hear," he grumbled and shook his body.
"Uh... why?" Mabel asked, squinting at the bear as confusion addled her brain. "How is that in anyway a good thing?"
"Yeah, how?" Dipper added.
Multibear cleared his throat(s). "Part two, section one of the newly established Neutrality act of the Special Interspecies Council states clearly," Multibear announced as the Lycanropes growled and began to close in on him, the twins, and their friends, "That any attempt made on the town by forces that would otherwise possibly threaten the likelihood of the species in the woods should they succeed, causes for immediate intervention."
"So... wait," Dipper gasped, and grinned, "You're sort of the scout?"
"I am a vanguard," Multibear turned to Dipper and winked.
"Wha- YES!" Dipper shouted; his eyes wide as he laughed with giddiness. Mabel stared. Aside from Multibear declaring he was something, she did not understand the significance. "A vanguard, Mabel," Dipper turned to her, "Is a leading force of an army."
"Uh... so?" she asked, staring around.
"That means," Dipper said, as the ground began to shake, "The rest of the force is coming."
If the rumbling that brought forth Multibear had been a distraction, the coming rumble shocked the town to its core. Windows shook and trembled, those that had already splintered or shattered falling apart. Unhurt cars began to blare loudly, and the still lifted power-lines, though not functional, swung and swayed.
At the forest line, the retaliation began.
Nearly twenty full-born werewolves, in their natural bodies, raced out against the ground. Snarling along their four digits, they raced down the hills that lead towards town. Townsfolk panicked and screamed as one by one, more and more raced out, until nearly thirty of the massive true lycans bore down onto the town, funneling into the streets.
"Wait, who's side are they on?" Arline asked, pointing.
To answer her question, the lead Werewolf, a huge silver and white furred beast named Daggard bared down on the first Lycanrope it could find. With one mighty sweep of it's claws, the Lycanrope fell to the packleader. The rest of the werewolves followed suit, diving into combat with howls and snarls that easily overtook those of the Lycanropes.
"The werewolves came to fight!?" Mabel laughed as the Lycanropes turned back to the group. "This is so awesome!"
"Once more, my friends!" Multibear roared as he stood on his two main legs, "Into the fray!"
As he bore down and charged, the five followed suit. The heavy, huge bear drove his entire weight through the wall of enemies, splintering them with his various, fully functional claws and heavy paws. Behind him, cleaning up the mess, was the five, easily able to ride the wake made by the bear.
He dove ahead, driving the five closer to the ranks of the werewolves. As the half-man, half wolf beasts clawed and fought their ways through the vine look-alikes, Dipper and Mabel were able to climb atop Multibear. Helping one another up with a tug from their arms, they jumped ahead, landing by Daggard. The werewolf took his most recent opponent with both paws, and tore it in half at the middle with one sweeping tug.
"You two," Daggard snarled, turning to face the twins, "Tell me what you know about these false hounds."
"They're not actually wolves or hounds," Dipper was quick to explain as the carnage of Multibears charge made it to the forward pressing ranks of the werewolves.
Mabel spoke up. "They're actually just being controlled by one wizard jerk, that calls himself the Sorcerer," she explained darkly, but then snorted, "But his name is actually Omir."
"Then we suggest you go and stop this man, this," Daggard snarled and licked his thick dog-like lips, "Omir."
Dipper nodded, but Mabel remained rooted to the spot. "We're not leaving until the people of the town are helped!" she declared.
The werewolf packleader, some seven feet tall himself, stared down on the twins with a curious stare. After a moment, he let out three barking laughs. "You think we're not going to be able to do this?"
"If it's just you guys, uh..." Mabel pointed out.
Daggard sniffed loudly and sneered. "That's cute that you think I'm the only one to show up," he said, grinning, "The contract is a binding one." He pointed over their shoulders, towards the woods. The twins turned, just as more trees began to shake and twist. "That means we all show up."
The trees weren't budging from things pushing them aside. The trees were coming to the fight.
Amidst the trees, cries of war and shrieks of terrible excitement flooded the air. Tall red hats and small beards of all shapes and sizes filled the now animated trees. Roots acting as tendrils which supported and pulled the trees closer to town, Dipper and Mabel could only stare as gnomish siege trees pulled themselves down the street.
"Open fire!" a gnome called.
Gnomes rocketed down as arrows from the canopies of the mobile flora. Streaking into the crowds of Lycanropes. Whistling through the air, dozens of gnomes stabbed into unprepared forces below; their hats oddly sharp and powerful against even the thicker vines of the wolfen bodies. As soon as the gnomes would land, they scurried back through the many angered monsters, and found their way to their respective trees, awaiting to be fired again.
"I never thought I'd say this," Dipper said with an air of regret, "But I'm really happy to see the gnomes."
"I've got one better," Mabel said, looking back at the forest with a grin, "I'm really happy to see them!"
Dipper turned, following her gaze. Their eyes together tried focusing on the sheer movement of entities rushing out from the woods. Yet numbers proved to be larger than they had expected. Manotaurs were running out, roaring and flexing their muscles in boastful manners while small fairies flew overhead.
"Dipper, my boy!" a small, squeaky voice called, as a two-foot-tall figure came running up to him.
"Sibs!" Dipper shouted.
The Goblin Sentinal rushed to the twins and Multibear, who stood on his hind legs, observing the chaos behind them. Sibs quickly looked to the bear and the others, nodding to them each. "And Mabel Pines- couldn't have forgotten about you."
"You're here as well?" she asked with a beaming smile.
"Naturally!" Sibs proudly declared, thumping his chest with a small musket, which he then began to fashion a fang to the end of the gun like a bayoneted. "Who do you think it was that agreed to this declaration with your mutated friend here?" he added, giving the massive bear a glance of fear.
"Is it just you?" Arline asked. Sibs snorted, and pointed behind him and up, towards the rooftops. Walking in order and rank, fifty or so goblins, all wearing great-war styled uniforms marched, and assumed firing positions.
"Ready," Strooder, the revered Goblin ranger lead them, holding a sword in his hand as he pointed down into the awaiting Lycanropes, "Aim," the goblins turned their muskets down into the streets, "Fire!"
For their size, the first wave of tiny bullets was surprisingly effective. The Lycanropes effected twisted and howled as the small bullets struck their bodies, tearing out holes and ripping away sections of vine. After the first volley was complete, a new row of awaiting goblin soldiers stepped up and took aim.
"But why?" Dipper asked to Sibs, who looked up to his taller friend.
"I thought the treaty or whatever you guys signed was one that prevented you from acting!" Mabel declared, desperate to watch the action flying around her. A half of a Lycanrope flew overhead, torn in half by Daggard, who had leapt back into the fray. "Aw! Cool!" she pointed as the top half landed nearby.
"The guise of the treaty," another small voice stated, familiar and cold to the twins, "Was to reduce conflict between the species of these woods." Twinkle Moon and Bob the fairy zoomed in next to them, their small wings glistening with sparkling dust. "That means that when a threat is recognized by one or more groups of the signed contract, all in question must react accordingly."
"You're saying you're come to help people because it will help you?!" Dipper gasped. "Talk about progress!"
Twinkle Moon looked to Bob, who shrugged. Bob spoke, "Well, if these country bumpkins get all killed, whose to stop the new power from coming after us?" he asked.
"I've heard worse reasons to help others," Arline shrugged.
"So, it's not just the people of Gravity Falls versus these dog-bark-monsters?" Grenda asked, poking her head over the twins.
"Call them Lycanropes," Mabel smirked.
"But what about hiding your secrets of existence?" Dipper leaned to them. "Everyone in Gravity Falls knows you all exist now!"
Twinkle Moon and Bob smirked. "You really think that's our problem? If these people had doubts about species like ours existing after being assaulted by... 'lycanropes'," Bob painfully quoted Mabel, who grinned toothily, "Then frankly, there was nothing we could have done regardless."
"Now," Twinkle Moon said, adjusting his tie quickly. "No, if you'll excuse us, we have a battle to endure."
As the two Fae fluttered their wings faster and soared ahead, the twins looked around. there was now a front of combat. The monsters of Gravity Falls versus the monsters from outside Gravity Falls. An army a hundred or so creatures had come from the forest, and combated the Lycanropes.
"We have this," Dipper grinned, looking to his friends. "With the monsters helping us, we should have this fight," he said around, checking on Arline. Her eyes were glued on the fighting. Not a trace of envy was behind her stare, yet the twins could sense something. "Arline?"
"Master?" Mabel added. Arline slowly lifted her finger and pointed to the rooftops where the townsfolk had been wrangled to.
Climbing up from all over town, more and more of the enemy gathered. If Dipper and Mabel had thought that two hundred of the Lycanropes was the final, scary number, they were now looking at something terrifying. Hundreds of them stood on the rooftops, howling. They had a good number of allies with them, but the armies had converged.
"We can't win in a straight up fight," Arline finally said. "But your big, werewolf friend wasn't wrong," she said, finally looking to the twins, "We just need to figure out what Omir is doing, and bust whatever spell he's got."
Mabel fought the strong urge to gulp. Dipper was not so fortunate- he trembled and scratched his neck with worry. He spoke up, "Last time we tried that-"
"We didn't know that my master was here last time!" Arline told them, "if we go, there's a great chance that we just need to hold off until he shows up. The four of us combined may be able to do something against Omir!"
"Well... it's either that or we wait and see," Mabel said to Dipper. The teen boy tensed and looked around. The Lycanropes army was now beginning to force their own line, and the two armies finally stood head-to-head. Slashing, stomping, biting at one another without movement.
"They've got numbers on their side, which means they have time too probably," Dipper said, a calculation of some sort racing in his mind. He turned to Mabel, his expression solidified. "If we can just get to him and then stall him until big bad Guardsman shows up, we have a chance."
"The hole is on the other side of town," Candy pointed out to them. A howl of pain caused the five to turn, along with Multibear and Sibs. One of the werewolf warriors had fallen, clutching a large gash across its chest.
"And we need you to end this before longer," Sibs said worriedly, grasping his weapon, "I must leave you, my friends!" he said, and ran around Multibear, "Stay strong!"
"So how do we get across town and unto the underground base quickly?" Arline asked.
"Get you to your bike," Candy piped up.
"Great idea," Grenda nudged her friend.
"How?" Dipper asked with frustration, "The alleys are all still destroyed with logs and rubble."
"I know of one, more direct path," the deep, soothing voice of Multibear stated. He was grinning, staring at the line of battle with a smirk. "You two," he looked to the twins, "climb on my back. You three, prepare to follow."
"What are we about to do?" Dipper asked, still climbing atop the huge bear. Mabel was quicker, hopping atop one of the extra shoulders of the body.
"Simple, Dipper," she said with a smile, "we're going in again."
Dipper, now atop Multibear, nodded slowly and tuckered down against the thick fur. Mabel did so as well, feeling the huge collections of muscle tense. Their friends in place behind the bear, it was now up to Multibear to be the trigger.
As a bullet from the gun, Multibear lunged out while roaring.
The sheer force of the titanic animal was enough to level and crush more and more of the stunned Lycanropes in his way. Behind him charged Arline, tossing fireballs around her, ensuring the path the bear made would remain open. Grenda and Candy raced after the mutant, avoiding damage more than causing it.
As Multibear spotted the van and made to turn, a Lycanrope leapt up and out, latching himself onto the bears back. Multibear roare, having on of it's heads snarl and snap at the attacker. Mabel was quick to turn, kicking at the head of the monster. Even as one of Multibears limbs began to claw back at the attacking monster, it remained attached, digging his claws deeper into Multibears back.
Dipper screamed, "Get off him!"
Dipper turned and dived. His full force and weight slammed into the monster with his shoulder, shoving it off with a loud slam. With the bounding beast and the splashes of blood along the fur, Dipper found less to hold onto than he clearly had expected, and began to slip.
"Gotcha!" Mabel shouted, as she too lunged out and caught him with both arms. As she started to pull him up, another Lycanrope landed atop her, and turned down, ready to sink it's claws into her. "Master!" she shouted, unable to defender herself.
The fireball came not a second too late. Slamming into the face of the assaulting monster, the Lycanrope fell away, scorched all along its head to the point of grilled vegetables. The moment of peace was enough for Mabel to strain, pulling Dipper back up Multibears back.
"I am slowing, my friends!" Multibear shouted, his voice trembling, "I have been badly hurt!"
"You can do it, buddy!" Mabel called back as she and Dipper slowly pulled their way up to his front. As much as Mabel's optimism could carry emotions, she could not heal the wounds he had been inflicted. Blood had stained parts of their clothes, and continued to fall from his back.
"I... I can't keep-"
Multibear roared as one leg of his tripped under his weight, and he fell forward.
Dipper and Mabel flew into the air, catapulted forward from the shift in momentum from Multibear. Mabel was quick to establish where she would land- onto on unprepared Lycanrope in a crowd. Dipper too seemed to find his target, and as they soared forward, they both struck true.
As Multibear fell to his side, groaning and unmoving, Arline, Candy, and Grenda arrived. Arline easily leapt over the bear, throwing around a quick burst of fire, providing the mutant bear a chance to stand without waves of enemies crashing down upon him. Grenda and Candy quickly stood next to the bear, and started to lift his head.
"C'mon!" Grenda shouted, "Stand up!"
"A bear's endurance is more than this!" Candy said, providing a miniscule fraction of the support that Grenda had, yet still tried to lift the animal.
"And you're like seven bears!" Grenda added.
"I can see the smoke!" Mabel pointed to their far left. True to her word, the street the five had driven down was entirely deserted. "We need to get over there, that's all!"
"You make it sound so simple!" Dipper reminded her Arline stepped next to him, and the five found themselves surrounded, along with a crippled Multibear. He whimpered as he tried to stand, but convulsing muscle fought against him.
Mabel turned around quickly, spying the damage they had caused. At first her heart leapt; it looked as if the lines of the good guys- the monsters of Gravity Falls- had come closer. They weren't nearly as far as they had thought. Yet... after a quick moment to watch any progress, Mabel realized they still weren't moving any closer to them. They were once again five, stuck together in a sea of enemies.
"I'm going to cause a distraction," Candy piped up, pulling out three more of her large chemical and industrial bug-sprays she used for fire-spraying, "I'll make one bomb that will get a big chunk out of the way. When they do, move and run out."
"As long as you're coming," Mabel nodded, and looked to Grenda and Candy "right?" The two looked back to Mabel without a word. "You're coming," Mabel assured them.
"Mabel," Grenda shrugged, "We're not as fast as you three."
Mabel shook her head. "But you'd be left to these jerks!"
"And you'd be able to save the town," Candy reminded her.
"We're not leaving you-" Mabel started.
"GIT 'EM! GIT 'EM!"
A new yell caught their ears. The five turned, along with most of the nearby Lycanrope horde.
Tyler Cutebiker, atop a bicycle fashioned with pieces of trashcan and sheets of thin metal, peddled furiously forward. Sharing space on the bike with Tyler, Toby Determined held a hockey stick. Like a horse and his lancer, the two, along with another dozen men and bikes and motorcycles with similar set ups, charged down the street and crashed through the un-expecting waves of Lycanropes.
Toby, with his shakey, whiney voice, proudly shouted, "This is our town! Get out you big dummies!" Toby Determined snapped at the Lycanropes as Tyler drove between clusters, allowing Toby to continue smacking more and more heads with his hockey stick.
"People are fighting back!" Mabel yelled. Her eyes turned to the people behind her. "Do I even need to say anything?!" she demanded of them. "Now's the best time for a newly inspired charge!"
The huge numbers of herded people all stared at Mabel. Simultaneously, they all stood, and rushed forward. Matching the fury of the monsters of Gravity Falls, the townsfolk roared and raged, smashing down anything that stood in their way until they passed straight over the Lycanropes that acted as guards, and they met with the twins and their four allies.
"The Lycanropes may have numbers," Dipper giddily told Mabel, "But we have them fighting on three fronts now!"
"Then what are you waiting for! Go kick butt!" Grenda shouted at the twins, as several bikers drove past them, kicking down Lycanropes for townsfolk to jump on top of and begin kicking to the curb.
"Get going!" Candy told them. "We'll stay behind and help fight!"
Mabel gave her friends a quick look over. They no longer held an air of desperation. They were confident, and that feeling flooded into Mabel with waves of appreciation. "I love you two!" she said, and rushed over to them quickly, hugging them both. They hugged back briefly, and Mabel had to push away, and rush past her brother and Arline. "Let's go!"
With the newfound chaos of the battlefield, the three easily slipped their way through it all. Bikers swerved and dived into and around crowds, smashing down distracted Lycanrops or kicking the Lycanropes who had pounced onto a helpless human. Two to three humans at a time could pull one of the plant monstrosities to the earth and begin pulling them apart.
Finally, they were out of the war. The battle behind them certainly seemed to grow however. More civilians were rushing into the battle, holding up pipe-pieces, baseball bats, pots, pans, rolling pins, brooms- anything they could get their hands onto. Then the three found the still intact Motorcycle.
Rumble, roar, lurch; the twins and Arline raced out of town and up the hill, to the gaping hole in the ground.
"Mabel, are you sure about this!?" Dipper demanded as Mabel refused to slow down, even as they stared at the gaping maw of darkness before them.
"Duh!" she shouted and adjusted her glasses with a gentle shake of her head. "This bike has plenty of shock absorption!"
"That hole had a ten-foot drop, and is slanted!" Dipper pointed out as the hill got steeper and the biker went even faster, as Mabel really pushed the engine forward. "Mabel-"
"Trust me!" Mabel roared, "Into the gates of the abyss weee goooo!" she yelled, and the bike fell forward, into the shadows.
Gravity was missing for a moment as Mabel held the bike forward. They were in now, falling forward, down the darkness. Dipper screamed as Alrine held herself tightly along the seat. Mabel was laughing, her hair billowing behind her. With a grin, she removed the glasses, pocketing them as she saw the first signs of earth coming.
The wheel, true to her promise, buckled and remained intact. All three lurched forward, yet still remained seated. All Mabel had to do was a simple adjustment of her steering now, avoiding the odd rock in the loose dirt before her. It wasn't even an issue for her, now swerving dramatically out of the way while she remained upright with her bike.
They quickly entered the first chamber, which had incubated the original giant Lycanrope. Abandoned as it was, Dipper and Mabel found all the doors still open. All they had to do was tuck in as the bike flew through the relatively thin doorways. The occasional light had shattered or remained off, and the three were subjected to a flashing, slow strobe of passing sources of bright light.
Down the carved tunnels Mabel drove, the engine of her bike growling and roaring as she grew closer and closer to the original tunnel. With a gasp and turn of the handles, Mabel turned the bike to a stop.
They had made it to their destination- the original pit that Montana Jeffreys had once used, and the site of Arline, the Guardsman, and Omir's battle. The lowest section of the pit was still caved in with rock, and only a few lights remained on.
"It's... abandoned?" Dipper asked. "But these things are still coming up from the earth... so where are they?" he growled.
"There's another tunnel that way," Arline pointed across the massive divide of the chamber. Mabel nodded, and twisted the handle again. The bike lurched as she turned it, and they began to ride around the sides of the massive room. While huge, the room barely took a few seconds to cross over while the three rode the bike.
The newest tunnels, as the twins silently looked around, brought memories to their mind. These were the original tunnels they had used to escape from Montana; caving in the ceiling in an attempt to better flee from his wrath, and his dogs. Yet the rocks and rubble had been moved, and the ceiling looked perfectly solid, like it had never happened.
"Magic," Mabel mumbled, and bored down on the bike, speeding it to go even faster.
Mabel spotted the change in the tunnel first. A new large hole, one that bore into rock and earth alike, turned off to the side. Her bike swerved as she chose to follow it, ready to take a risk to find the culprit of these actions and demand he stop. Inside the tunnel, the landscape began to change.
The constant lights began to fade away. Less and less lights had been brought to this section of underground hide-away. Metal sections and plates had been bolted into parts of the walls and floors, changing the soft thuds of wheel against dirt into loud clatter.
"Dang it," Dipper grumbled, "Can you be any louder?"
"Sure!" Mabel barked back at him, frustrated at the metal sheets. While stealth was not a concern to her, the possibility of ruining her ties was. Slowly, she reduced speed until the bike came to a stop. She sighed and looked behind them. "Walk from here like a trio of bums?" she asked.
Arline was quick to get off first. "Don't need to. Look," she pointed past Mabel. The twins looked down the tunnel, and they too saw her target. A new pit had been formed.
Leaving the now deactivated bike behind, the twins and Arline made their way, step by step, towards the drop before them. As they found themselves at the edge, they realized how far down it led. Just as much as the original, if not more, the massive chamber was pinned together seemingly by many bridges of metal beams, all nailed and bolted together. A criss-cross of unabashed metal crudely assembled.
Awaiting at the bottom, a cloaked figure stood; light radiating around him.
"There he is," Mabel gulped. As the three stared down the tunnel, she spoke again, quietly, "So, any idea when your master shows up?"
Arline sighed. "Usually only when he is absolutely needed. And that could be any time. He's, uh," she scratched the side of her forehead, "not entirely predictable."
"Then let's get down there," Mabel grinned, "And make this happen."
"Okay. Nothing stupid though," Dipper said with a scoff, "Like any of this isn't stupid."
The closest bridge of metal was directly before them, leading towards another. Each of these simple constructs brought the trio further and further down, towards the figure awaiting them. After several crosses, they found themselves at a point where they could merely drop down. Arline leaned with them, at the edge, staring down at their foe.
"On the count of three?" she asked them. The two nodded, taking calming breathes before they took action.
From below, the figure suddenly called out, "How about now?"
The three flinched, and then looked down in shock. A hand from under the cloak shot up, and a plume of black fire shot up.
Arline ordered quickly. "Jump!"
Avoiding the deadly cursed fire, the three landed before the man just as the fire ate away at the worn, rusted metal. The acrid scent perfumed the air as ashes fluttered down next to the twins and Arline, who stood up, ready for more. The figure had turned to face them though, and held in his hands, a staff.
Not, however, a staff of bright white. A gnarled staff of torn metal which had been wrapped around a single, knobby branch. The face was young, and was pale. An eye looked out at them from under the hood, and grinning leer presented itself. A small rag covered his one eye, which had a small, strange, red glow about it.
Dipper realized who he was looking at. He hadn't seen it himself, but he was sure that face belonged to a corpse now. "This is-" Dipper started, his voice empty as he stared ahead.
"Impossible?" the figure snarled, lifting his hand up to the hood.
"You-" Mabel gasped.
"Died?" he said, and lowered his hoodie. Graupner Steindorf stood before them, his staff glowing a sickly green and yellow at the top end. "Seriously, you all are so-"
"Awesome," Mabel answered for him.
Graupner tensed his lips, glaring at her. "Predictable. I was going to say-"
"Where is Omir!?" Arline yelled. Graupner rolled his eyes.
"Not here?" he stated with a grin. With a curt bash of his staff against the ground, a resounding echo of arcane light flooded the entire room. The ends of the metal bridges began to shake and tremble, as if the light around them was being warped and twisted. The walls of the pit itself faded and died, revealing a larger room they all stood in. The entire pit had been concealed with a vast illusion.
Each of the bridges had been cloaked by magic. At the ends of the real bridges, a spiraling walkway, similar to the original pit, was connected to each end. What awaited in the shadows was, however, much worse. Hundreds more of the Lycanropes, all perfectly still until just then, turned their heads and began to growl. They began to climb down, some choosing to fall next to Graupner.
"You... how are you even here!?" Dipper shout, spit flying from his mouth.
"Magic," Graupner grinned. "Thanks to you, and your friend Yuki. Your notes were very insightful," he cackled. Dipper trembled, fury boiling in his heart. Graupner added, "But that's in the past," he stuttered, and waved his staff into the air, "Because now, you're going to see a true power of magic. When even life itself bows before arcane power!" he laughed, and removed the rag.
A beady red crystal floated in what was a blackened eye-socket. Moving in place with his natural eye, the crystal stared at the twins and Arline.
"Last chance," Arline stated, as she and the twins were surrounded, "Where is your master?!"
The Warlock bowed his head slightly, a frightening visage with the new red-eye. "He's doing the real mission. I... was just the distraction-"
The twins and Arline stood back-to-back. They were fully surrounded. From every side, and even above on the bridges above them, the Lycanropes stood, snarling and barking at them.
"All just to lull you and your master here," Graupner finished, and then smiled. "Away from th-the real stuff. Checkmate."
Along the path that led to the Mystery Manor, a figure walked at a gentle, but brisk pace. Wearing a well adorned suit with a bow-tie, he held an object each in his hand. One, he held a beautiful white staff of simple, elegant design. In his other hand, he held a large glowing black crystal which shined rainbow coalescence from under his fingertips.
He paused as he climbed to the top of the hill. Holding out the Starkissed Stone of Conservation in his hands, he inspected it with a deep awe in his eyes.
"Finally... how long has it been since I've seen you?" he asked ahead gently, his deep, resonant voice echoing against the sounds of war in the distance. "This day... this one, final day, I'll be able to see you again. Hear your voice. Take your orders and fulfill them," he sighed, and lowered the stone.
Right where he had held it to his vision, the Mystery Manor stood.
"Now," he said, and held the stone to his side, and continued his pace, "let's ask these kind folk if they are willing to help me."
BANG.
A loud gunshot tore at the air. Some two feet before the Sorcerer, Omir Steindorf, a large section of earth exploded. Omir chuckled, and quickly looked ahead. To himself, Omir quietly stated, "Maybe a little reserved."
Out from a window on the second floor, an old man in a suit stared down at him, holding a large hunting rifle. He leaned out, his weapon laid out in full view.
"Take one more step and I'm not lowering my aim!" Stan shouted; his sights trained firmly on Omir. "Now shove off!"
"Not at all my intention, I assure you," Omir called to Stan, "I'm not here to fight any of you."
"Right," Stan nodded as the front door below him opened, and Soos stormed out, holding a five-foot tall stand filled with falling postcards, "Then give me one reason I shouldn't just 'accidentally' murder you, and add that to my long list of crimes?"
"Yeah!" Soos declared, holding the support end of the stand, poking at the air by Omir. "Why should we?"
Omir stared at Soos, and then to Stan. His eyes focused on each of them so quickly it could have been a blur. He studied them, their posture, their eyes, their weapons. Yet he smiled.
"She won't get the jump on me," Omir chuckled.
On cue, Wendy lunged out from the bushes and charged, holding her axe up by her head. Omir never turned to see her; he never even acknowledged her attack. She made a charge, and swung the axe at his shoulder. His hand bent back, and he poked her own stomach with the end of his staff. Using the moment she created, Omir gently twisted his wrist and lifted Wendy up and over herself, and threw her towards the shack.
Once she landed with a loud thump, Omir jostled himself. "A nice try. I had to really focus to sense where you were hiding," Omir told Wendy as she scrambled to stand up.
Stan had taken his cue. Pulling on the trigger, he fired again and again, filling the air with tremendous gunshots. Omir merely whipped the staff back and forth, swatting the bullets away like flies.
Soos rushed forward and swung with all his might onto the man. The stand was blocked by Omir, who blinked, and studied Soos. "You're much stronger than you look," he admitted, and then tightened his grip on the staff.
Wendy bellowed, and rushed again. Omir twisted his wrist, and spun Soos aside, knocking him away into Wendy. "Stanley!" Omir shouted, seeing as Stan was nearly done with re-loading his weapon. Stan never paused, but he looked back down. Omir stepped over, and placed his staff by Wendy's neck.
"Let go of her!" Stan roared, and finally cocked his rifle.
"Point that at me again," Omir growled, "And she doesn't get back up. Ever. And trust me, there are ways of dealing with the undead, like her," Omir warned Stan, and then Soos, who had started to stand back up.
"W-wait, don't hurt her!" Soos begged.
"Stand down, Sorcerer!" Stan shouted, yet kept his gun aside.
"Just get him!" Wendy demanded, "He's probably bluffing!"
"You'd think that," Omir glanced down to her quickly, a faint but confident grin worn, and he looked back to Stan, "But my own experiences have taught me how to deal with things like her. If you attack me, I destroy her."
Stan's arm twitched. He snarled as his eyes glued onto Omir. Soos looked between them, his own eyes wide and fearful. "C'mon, let her go!" Soos begged.
"I plan on it, truthfully," Omir told Soos, "but I need a deal to be made first."
"I don't do deals with anyone when I'm not the prime contractor," Stan barked.
"Don't be so argumentative," Omir said, pressing down on Wendy's windpipe gently. Stan watched him do so. The rage in his face died away, replaced with worry. "So," Omir stated, gathering his attention again, "The deal is simple. You let me in, and show me this device you have hidden from the world. The one underneath the building," he pointed to the Mystery Manor, "And I help you."
Stan stared, blinking. If they had a chance to get the jump on him somehow, it may be by talking to him. "How is that? You just, what, help us?"
"Yes. Here, I can start by giving you a suggestion," Omir said, taking a step closer to Wendy, but staring intently at Stan, "Help me. Allow me to do as I wish, and I'll undo... the damage caused by my apprentice to your friend."
When Stan's gaping mouth said nothing, Omir specified.
"I'll revive Yuki-Dohth for you."
I wonder what Omir wants, huh? Hm... probably just dirt. Lots of dirt. :D
This was a huge, crazy massive chapter, and I warn you all, the next two are going to be just as long. Not that I see a lot of complaints about that... still. Warning you. :p
*cough cough*... Anyone-still-seeing-the-signs-from-A-Summerween-Carol-coming-to-life?... *cough cough*
And yes, we end another update with a deal being offered, but this time the separation between two episodes. What will be chosen? Who will stay true? Who will break and fall? These answers come very, very shortly.
If this was the nine of craziness, we have two more bumps in insanity to go. Ten for part one of the Season Finale, and then eleven for the true ending. Grab your straight jackets, because these next two weeks will blow your minds. ;)
-EZB
The road was bumpy, even for an expensive sparts car like his. The forests reflected in the sides of the black paneling, showing their proud sheen. The car was followed by two trucks, each belonging to a moving company. The eyes that looked in the rear-view mirror were a tired, emerald green.
Zander Maximillion stared at the view behind himself. He saw the signs he had passed, leaving the region. He would only need a little bit more before he was out of the area of Gravity Falls.
A sign was approaching him. He could see it approach, steadily telling him the time he had before he would be out of the town.
His eyes were focused, honed. He drove with a purpose. He glanced once to the side-view, seeing the trucks again. Something about that sight made him curl the side of his lip. Perhaps it was the things packed away in crates he ensured they hadn't seen. Maybe it was his hope that they wouldn't break the piles of expensive materials.
Maybe it was something else that drove him to reach into his glove compartment, and pull out a small, printed, piece of paper. He lifted it to the side of his view, and scanned it. With the contents in order, he turned the wheel.
He parked the car just passed the sign to the exit of Gravity Falls.
As he slowed down, the truck behind him slid to a stop at his side. Zander opened the door, and stepped out.
The window closest to him in the nearby truck lowered. "Hey, Mister Maximillion," the driver called out, "We're, uh, not really done yet."
Zander said nothing. He stared at the lands he had just left. Those tall trees, the mountain ranges that toyed with the horizon, the blue skies; it all beckoned him. He frowned, and played with the scarf. Holding the paper in his left hand, he looked to it once more, checking for the necessary information.
The driver called again, "Sir? We should keep–"
Zander walked over to him, stood up to the window, and reached inside, handing the paper to the driver.
The driver eyed the paper. "Uh–"
Zander gave an order like it was second nature. "It's got the address to take this truck. The second half has a location to take the other stuff to. Make sure you get them to the correct places, got it?"
"But, uh sir, you're supposed to–"
Zander threw five hundred dollars at the man like it was a tissue. "Shush," Zander told him. As the man started to choke on air, the rockstar said again, "Take them to those addresses. Go without me. Got it?"
Once again looking at the money, the man nodded. "Yes sir."
Zander smirked. "Good boy. Safe trip," he said, and hopped off the truck.
As the two moving vehicles sped away, Zander was left alone on the lonely road. He turned back to a blemish on the horizon. There was smoke on the horizon, just by the pass that the road took to go back into Gravity Falls.
Zander was very still. He walked back over to his car, towards the back. Opening up the trunk, he found a guitar case. With a smirk, he then opened it. With its sights in view, he said to himself, "Well. I suppose one encore won't hurt."
-Vigenere-
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-Not Vigenere-
20-8-5 5-14-4 9-19 3-12-15-19-5-18 20-8-1-14 20-8-5 14-5-24-20 5-16-9-19-15-4-5 6-9-14-1-12-5.