A/N: With the series finale coming in a few weeks, I decided to work on the chapters some more. But it won't be as frequent due to the unknown mystery regarding Bill's backstory. I will only post two more chapters after this one, but as soon as the series finale airs, I will finally complete the series.
"Finally!" the Guardian said. "After all these long years, you're actually here! Welcome back, Daniel!"
"Yeah, well, thanks for the help," Daniel said. "But I didn't really need it."
The Guardian smiled warmly. "You missed me, didn't you?"
"Oh, of course I did, Spacewoman!" Daniel said. Then he and the Guardian embraced in a friendly hug, smiling and laughing joyously.
"Hey, hi," Marcus said, interrupting the heartfelt moment between the old friends. "Marcus here. Quick question: WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?!"
The Guardian and Daniel parted. "That reminds me," Daniel said. "Who exactly are these kids, Guardian?"
"They're Silvia's great-niece and great-nephew," The Guardian explained. "Dana and Marcus Pines."
"Then I guess it was a good thing I rescued this one from being sucked up into the portal," Daniel said.
"Thanks for that, by the way," Marcus said.
"Just thought it was the right thing to do," Daniel said. He looked over at Dana, and his eyes widened. "Whoa... It can't be!"
"What?" Dana asked. "What can't be?"
"Aside from the boy clothes and the ponytail with bangs, you look just like Silvia," Daniel commented.
"Oh please," the Guardian said. "I can't get her to wear a formal dress for the life of me."
"She wore one to the Southeast ball," Marcus recalled.
"Against my will!" Dana pointed out.
"So Guardian, are there any security breaches?" Daniel asked. "Does anyone else know about our project?"
"No, just us," the Guardian said. "And UNIT."
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Daniel said. "UNIT is involved?! How did that happen?!"
"Apparently they were spying on us the entire summer," the Guardian guessed.
"And you let them?!" Daniel asked.
"I wasn't exactly myself," the Guardian explained. "I was pretending to be Silvia for the past thirty years."
"Oh sure, because that was more important than keeping our project a secret!" Daniel said sarcastically.
"Well it looks like we're stuck down here for a while," Marcus said. "Who wants to tell us their entire mysterious backstory?"
"Yeah, Guardian, no more lies!" Dana said. "You owe us some answers: What's the deal with this portal? What's the deal with this TARDIS thing?"
"And what happened between you and your friends?" Marcus asked.
"I hope all this aligns exactly with my fanfic, Guardian," Salls said. "If not, I will be very disappointed."
"I'll start," Daniel said. "This whole thing started back in the sixties, in a town called Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey. It was just me, Franny, and Silvia. Together we were the Mystery Trio. We each had a role to contribute to the group. Franny had an abnormally high IQ and an interest in exploring, making her the leader. Since I was the only one who took kickboxing lessons, I handled most of the heavy work. Then there was Silvia Pines, the most beautiful girl in the entire town. You should have seen her. She used to prance around in costume dresses and plastic shoes, saying her parents called her a princess. She mostly tagged along for the fun. But as different as we were, we were the perfect team. Every day we would explore the town, looking for a new discovery. Then one day, our whole lives changed when Franny decided to explore the local junkyard..."
The Mystery Trio entered a junkyard. The three kids looked so different, their appearances matching their personalities. Silvia had long brown curly hair and she wore a pink long-sleeved costume dress with matching plastic shoes. Franny had shoulder-length light brown hair and she wore glasses, a green t-shirt, denim overalls, and black shoes. Daniel had short auburn hair and he wore a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown shoes.
"What are we even doing in this filthy place?" Silvia asked, speaking in an unnatural high-pitched voice (which was due to her mother's constant smoking). "My shoes are going to get dirty!"
"Lighten up, princess," Daniel said. "Franny said there was something strange in this place."
"Precisely," Franny said. "Recently there have been reportings of a strange vending machine in this junkyard."
"What makes it so strange anyway?" Daniel asked.
"It looks so advanced," Franny explained. "Doesn't look like any vending machines we see at school. And I heard the food prices are so expensive!"
"Does it have some kind of glass cover?" Silvia asked.
"I'm not sure," Franny said. "Why do you ask?"
"Because that vending machine looks so different," Silvia said, pointing to a vending machine.
The three kids were amazed. They approached the vending machine in awe, looking at the contents.
"Amazing!" Franny said. "The labels on these candy products look so different!"
Silvia looked at the prices. "Holy smokes!" she exclaimed. "A whole dollar for a package of Gummy Koalas! Whoever owned this vending machine must have been wealthy to afford such a thing."
"So what now?" Daniel asked. "We can't exactly collect it."
Franny took out a notepad and started sketching the vending machine. "I don't think there's anything we can do," she said. "We'll just have to call this Anomaly Number Twenty-Three and continue on with our exploring."
Suddenly, the vending machine cracked open, making the kids gasp and step back. Daniel stood in front of the girls. "Get back guys," he said, holding an arm in front of Silvia. "I got this."
When the vending machine opened, a young woman stepped out. She had a tall, slim frame, finely boned hands and face, thick long brown hair tied up in a messy ponytail, pale skin scattered with freckles, and large, dark brown eyes. She wore a brown woman's suit, black leggings, and white converse sneakers. The kids recognized her as Jane Smith, the substitute physics teacher at their school.
"What?" Jane asked, speaking in a British accent. "What are you three doing here?"
"We're explorers!" Daniel said proudly. "The Mystery Trio of Glass Shard Beach!"
"What are you doing here, Ms. Smith?" Franny asked.
"Well... It's kind of complicated..." Jane said. Was she nervous?
"Something doesn't feel right," Franny said. "What's going on? What are you doing in the junkyard?"
"Yeah, we want answers!" Daniel said.
"I don't know, guys," Silvia said. "Maybe we should stay out of this..." She started to back away, but Franny grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.
"Oh, alright," Jane said. "But you three have to promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to show you." And with that, she led the kids inside the 'vending machine' and closed the door.
One elevator ride later, Jane led the trio to a high-tech control room. The kids were amazed with this.
"Amazing!" Franny said. "It's like this whole interior is set in some kind of alternate dimension!"
"Yes, that's precisely it," Jane said. "Aren't you a smart girl?"
"Well I don't know what that means, but it looks like this vending machine is smaller on the outside," Daniel said.
Silvia was in awe. "What is this vending machine anyway?" she asked.
"First of all, this isn't a vending machine," Jane said. "It's called a TARDIS, and ever since the Chameleon Circuit broke, its exterior has been stuck on '21st Century Vending Machine' mode."
"That would explain why the prices look so expensive, Ms. Smith," Franny said.
"Secondly, stop calling me that," Jane said. "Jane Smith is merely an alias I use. I would rather like it if you call me the Guardian."
"The guardian of what?" Silvia asked.
"Just the Guardian," the Guardian said.
"So what are you doing in the junkyard, Guardian?" Franny asked.
"Oh, just some complex interdimensional research," the Guardian said. "No biggie."
But Franny was already interested. "Can we help?" she asked.
"Oh no," the Guardian said. "You three probably have an education to focus on. And you don't want to get involved with my work. Besides, the last time I had a child companion, it ended with disaster."
"How bad was it?" Daniel asked.
The Guardian simply put on a high-tech helmet. When she did, a nearby monitor played back a small movie, chronicling events that happened in the past. After an agonized scream was heard, the trio was shocked.
"And that's why I refuse to take children with me," the Guardian said, taking off her helmet.
"Relax," Daniel said. "We're nothing like that kid. We come from good families and kids rarely make fun of us."
"Tell you what," the Guardian said. "If you three are still interested in my work by the time you graduate high school, I'll let you be my new companions. Deal?"
"Deal," Franny said.
"I'm in," Daniel said.
"Sure, why not?" Silvia asked.
"Our lives were never the same since then," Daniel said. "Every Saturday we would visit the junkyard and the Guardian would tell us about one of her many past adventures. But while Franny and I remained the same, Silvia had drastically changed. Sure she still saw herself as a princess, but she slowly developed an obsession with space travel, wondering what exactly the galaxy had to offer. She eventually did give up the costume dresses and plastic shoes, but by then she had become a flower child. You should have seen her during that time. She had fakes flowers braided in her long hair and she wore sandals and casual dresses. Then one day, she was called down to the principal's office. I'm not sure what happened there, but something led to her enrolling in the Timelord Academy."
"Timelord Academy?" Dana asked.
"Ah, yes, the Timelord Academy," the Guardian said. "I was there when young Silvia was called down to the principal's office. I remember what happened as if it was yesterday..."
Silvia entered the office. She still had long curly hair, but it was decorated with fake flowers. She wore a long-sleeved flowery light blue dress and white sandals. She saw that her parents were there and she sat in the chair between them. The Guardian was also present, standing next to the principal's desk.
"Now, Mr. and Mrs. Pines, I'd like to speak with you very frankly if I may," the principal said.
"Very frankly is the only way I speak," Filbrick Pines said.
"You have a daughter, and she's always daydreaming about space travel," the principal continued.
"What're ya sayin'?" Melissa Pines asked.
"At first I thought this was a problem," the principal said. "I was originally going to snap the young lady out of it. I mean, a woman in space? That's unheard of!"
"Now listen here," Filbrick said, speaking in a stern tone. "My daughter loves the idea of traveling in space. I won't let you take away the only thing that gives her happiness!"
"Yeah," Melissa agreed. "And we fully support the dreams of our little free-spirited princess."
"Hold on," the principal said. "I talked to Jane over here about this since she started Silvia's interest in space, and she offered an alternate route. Ms. Smith?"
"There's a special school that will accept your daughter," the Guardian said. "It's called the Timelord Academy." She gave Silvia a pamphlet. "Usually they only accept students at the age of eight, but I was able to make an exception. If Silvia was to attend the academy, she would participate in a three-year program, learning all about the wonders of space. She would learn about botany, thermodynamics, cybernetics, and cosmic science among many subjects."
"I'm impressed," Filbrick said.
"So whaddya think, Silvia?" Melissa asked. "Does this sound like the right college for ya?"
"Of course," Silvia said happily. Even after puberty, her voice was rather high-pitched.
"Wow, this story's so happy!" Marcus said.
"But, wait, what about you and McGucket?" Dana asked Daniel.
"The Guardian offered to tutor us," Daniel explained. "And by the time, me, Franny, and Silvia graduated high school, we were ready to begin our journey."
After a tearful goodbye to her parents, Silvia arrived at the junkyard and entered the TARDIS. "Alright Guardian, I'm ready for my new life at Timelord Academy."
Daniel and Franny were also in the TARDIS. Franny wore a black and white suit, while Daniel wore a dark yellow t-shirt, dark brown jeans, and black sneakers. The two were both excited for Silvia.
"You're going to do great, Sils," Franny said.
"We believe in you," Daniel encouraged.
"Alright, that's everyone," the Guardian said. "Next stop: Gallifrey!" She pulled on a lever, activating the TARDIS.
"So for the next three years, while Silvia was learning all about space travel, me and Franny explored time and space with the Guardian," Daniel said. "We came across all different kinds of galaxies and facing all different kinds of foes. We fought Cybermen, Autons, Sontarans, and so many other creatures. But the Guardian warmed us of her greatest enemy: a race called the Ciphers. They were evil demons from another reality. They were defeated in a great Time War the Guardian participated in many years ago, so thankfully we didn't have to worry about them."
"So what happened after Graunt Silvia graduated?" Dana asked.
"You should have seen her," the Guardian said. "She had come a long way. She was fluent in Circular Gallifreyan and she was proud to become an honorary Timelady. I even gave her a blue and white pine tree hat as a graduation present."
"My hat," Dana realized.
"Yep, it's the exact same hat," the Guardian continued. "But shortly after Silvia's graduation, something tragic happened..."
It was a typical day in the TARDIS. The Mystery Trio had changed their appearance since they started traveling with the Guardian. Silvia's hair was still long and curly and she wore a blue and white dress, white high heels, and her blue and white pine tree hat. Franny wore a green floral shirt, blue jeans, and brown shoes. Daniel wore an orange shirt, blue jeans, and black boots.
"Daniel, for the last time, there's no planet of the women!" the Guardian said.
"Yeah right," Daniel said. "You said there are billions of planets in existence. There has to be some planet out there full of beautiful women walking around in nothing but bikinis."
Suddenly, the TARDIS landed somewhere. "That's weird," Franny said. "It just landed all of a sudden."
The Guardian fiddled with the controls. "I can't seem to set in coordinates," she said, putting on a pair of glasses. "It's as if the entire thing was shut down."
"Wait, so we're stuck here?" Silvia asked.
"Don't think of it as being stuck," the Guardian said, taking off her glasses. "Now come on. Let's see where the TARDIS has land."
The Guardian and the Mystery Trio stepped outside. They were in the middle of some kind of forest. "Great," Daniel said sarcastically. "Congratulations Guardian. You sent us to another planet that's about to go through a solar flare."
"No I didn't," the Guardian said. "It looks like we're on Earth." She pulled out a handheld device. "Yep! Earth," she said, checking the device. "To be precise, we have landed in Gravity Falls, Oregon in the year 1975. And it appears to be in-sync to your present timelines."
"So what now?" Franny asked.
"I visited this place once before," the Guardian said. "A large number of our foes are in this place."
"No problem," Daniel said, cracking his knuckles. "I already know how to disable Cybermen."
"Not the serious threat like Cybermen," the Guardian continued. "Small threat like floating eyeballs, gnomes, and sirens."
"So what should we do, Guardian?" Silvia asked.
"We explore this town," the Guardian said. "And if possible, defeat the evil threats before any innocent locals discover them."
"So for the past few years, we faced off against the most deadliest creatures ever," the Guardian said. "During our first year, Franny decided to record our findings so we would be able to face off against them in the future. That was when she decided to keep a journal-"
Dana let out an excited squeal. "THE JOURNALS!" She realized everyone in the room was staring at her. "Sorry, sorry," she cleared her throat. "Just got excited there...about the journals... Keep- Keep talking."
"Franny decided to keep a journal-" the Guardian said.
Dana excitedly squealed again.
"Ignoring that..." the Guardian said. "There were evil creatures everywhere. Even new ones we never saw before, like alien shapeshifters. But as time passed, Silvia decided to come up with a full-proof cover to make sure the locals didn't get suspicious..."
Silvia led a group of locals into the newly-developed 'Surprise Hut'. "Step right up, folks," she happily said, using the treasure she and her friends discovered as a museum. "Welcome to a world of enchantment and all things glittery! Gaze in wonder at the-"
"Ah! My eye!"
Silvia ran over to a young Samuel Wentworth, who had just lost his eye due to it being unexpectedly poked with a floating crystal.
"I'm so sorry about that, sir," Silvia said, giving Samuel $15. "Here's a full refund. I hope you feel better."
"So that explains why the Surprise Hut exists," Marcus said.
"Oh, that Silvia," the Guardian said. "She quickly gained a reputation as the town's honest sales artist."
"Yeah, I remember that," Daniel said. "She was so busy with the showmanship that she often forgot about us and our special project."
"What was the project?" Salls asked.
"It started when Franny had an unusual dream," the Guardian explained. "She told us that she met an unnamed muse who told her about the ability to unlock a portal to other worlds. It would work just like the TARDIS, but better. And after years of hard work, we finally finished it. But that was when it all went downhill..."
"Alright everyone," Silvia said happily, holding a video camera. "Today's July 4, 1982, and we're about to make history!"
"Silvia, put that camera away," the Guardian said.
"Aw..." Silvia said, putting the camera down.
"Okay Mystery Trio," the Guardian said. "It has been ten years since I first took you as my companions, and we have come along way. But no matter what happens after this, I want you to know that our future together will remain bright."
"I certainly won't forget any of this," Franny said.
"Me neither," Daniel said.
"Now let's get this portal open!" Silvia cheered.
And so, the four activated the portal. It worked! The machine was a success!
"We did it, team," the Guardian said happily. "Now let's prepare the test dummy so we can-"
But suddenly, the light blue glow that came from the portal turned dark red, and electricity started sparking. The symbols on the portal became coded in Circular Gallifreyan. "Wait, what's going on?" Daniel asked.
Silvia translated the markings. "'Game is over and I've won'," she read. "'Now it's time to start the fun'?"
Suddenly, a laugh was heard from the portal. Then...
POP!
A dream demon emerged from the portal. "Hiya, smart girl," he told Franny.
Franny noticed Daniel and Silvia looked concerned. "It's okay," the southern young woman explained. "This is my muse, the one who gave us the blueprints to the portal."
"That's no muse!" the Guardian said, readying her Sonic Screwdriver. "That's a Cipher, and he tricked you!"
"Ding ding ding ding ding!" the Cipher said. "Name's Bill Cipher."
"I don't understand!" Silvia told the Guardian. "You said you killed the Ciphers!"
"Not exactly," Bill said. "You see, after the Time War, my home dimension started decaying. My friends and I have been looking for a new home ever since, so we decided to tackle either Dimension 46 or 63!"
"You're not taking this dimension!" the Guardian said. "Kids, get ready to shut down the portal!"
And so, Daniel, Franny, and Silvia activated the portal override switch. Silvia ran over to the switch and was ready to press the red button-
ZAP!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Silvia collapsed to the ground as something flew into the portal. Daniel ran over to her body and checked for a pulse. "No..." he sadly muttered. "NO!"
Bill just simply laughed. "How about that?" he asked. "She died before you could tell her how much you love her!"
"You did this!" Daniel angrily exclaimed, looking straight at Bill.
"Sure I did," Bill said. "What's your point?"
Without warning, Daniel tackled Bill towards the portal, sucking them both in. And after a huge flash of electricity, the portal shut down by itself.
"Franny, are you alright?" the Guardian asked.
"Does this look like I'm alright?!" Franny angrily asked. "My only two friends are gone thanks to that...thing!" She started crying. "I just want to forget the pain..."
"So I contacted the High Council of Timelords to see if they could use a Confession Dial to help Franny forget the pain after she buried two of her three journals," the Guardian said. "Unfortunately, they told me that it worked too well and she completely forgot everything. I felt so bad about losing all three of my trusted companions in one day. Then I realized that everyone in town would notice the honest sales artist's sudden death, so I created a video for the McGuckets, Nobles, and Pines explaining what happened to their kids, and used a device called the Chameleon Arc as I forced one last regeneration to completely take Silvia's identity. I spent the past thirty years as her, until now." She looked over at Daniel. "Bill invaded my mind recently, which automatically activated the Fob Watch that stored my Timelady essence. Since then I spent most of my time trying to activate the portal so I could get you back."
"So all this time you were just trying to save your only remaining friend," Dana said. "Guardian, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."
"That's okay," the Guardian said. "I should have been more honest with you."
Suddenly, loud crashes were heard from upstairs. "Aw, man," Salls said. "I was so spellbound by your dramatic tale I forgot all about those UNIT guys."
Then everything became quiet. "That's weird," the Guardian said. "Unless..."
Outside, the Guardian, Dana, Marcus, Salls, and Daniel were surprised to see the everyone from UNIT was gone. "What just happened?" Dana asked. "Where are all the UNIT agents?"
The Guardian picked up a stray business card that read 'Torchwood -You're Welcome'. She smiled. "Let's just say an old friend took care of things," she said.
That night, the Guardian and Daniel looked at themselves in the mirror. "Look at us," the Guardian said. "What's left of the great time-traveling team."
"So what now?" Daniel asked. "Thinking about getting back to our work?"
"Of course, Daniel," the Guardian answered with a smile. "But it probably won't feel the same without Franny and Silvia."
"I'm sure we can work it out with just us," Daniel said. He held out his hand. "Just like old times?"
The Guardian looked at the hand, then she smiled and shook hands with Daniel. "Just like old times," she replied.
"GAH!"
Marcus woke up and quickly ran over to Dana's room, only to see her in her bed, clutching her forehead in pain. "Oh great," he said, entering the room. "The headaches are back."
"They feel much worse than before!" Dana complained. "And I- GAH!"
Marcus held Dana in his arms. "It's okay, Stargirl," he said. "They have to go away eventually." He pushed back her bangs and his eyes widened. "Uh, sis?"
"What is it?" Dana asked, still in pain.
Marcus led Dana over to the vanity. To her surprise it looked like her birthmark was glowing bright red slightly. It died down after a few seconds, and the headaches vanished.
"Marcus, something tells there's something else going on in this town," Dana said, sounding a bit concerned.
Meanwhile, at the Corduroy residence, William was sitting up in his bed with Salls on the phone.
"Okay, okay," Salls said. "So it turns out that the Silvia that we know was actually an alien called the Guardian, but the original Silvia died thirty years ago, but we didn't know until Daniel came out of the portal, which was built by the Guardian and her companions, but then the Guardian pretending to be Silvia, she did the portal, 'cause she's Silvia, but she's not Silvia."
"Salls, it's three in the morning!" William complained.
"Okay, okay, I understand," Salls said. "Anyway, act two: the Guardian started..."
William groaned and laid back on his bed.