"…Mabel." Grunkle Stan was shaking her. "Mabel, it's time to get up."

She groaned and rolled over. Her bed was harder than she remembered it being, and why did her side hurt so much?

"Mabel."

Grunkle Stan sounded different. Not as raspy, a bit deeper and clearer. Wait, it wasn't Grunkle Stan, it was Ford, Stan's brother. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

Ford smiled. "Finally. You're a deep sleeper."

"Yeah…" Mabel blinked blearily, looking around the cave as her memories returned to her. She wasn't at the Mystery Shack, she was in another dimension entirely. Light filtered in through the mouth of the cave, illuminating all of Ford's equipment, which had been packed up at some point. "What time is it?"

"It's hard to say in earth hours," Ford said, moving to his pack. "Days here seem to last for approximately twenty hours, not twenty-four. If I had to guess, I would say it's about seven in the morning."

"Why are we up so early?" she asked through a huge yawn.

Ford returned to her side, handing her a small package and a canteen. "There's a dimensional portal not far from here that will be opening soon. Hopefully it will take us to a more hospitable dimension."

"What is it?" she asked, eyeing the liquid inside the canteen suspiciously.

"Water." When she gave him a skeptical look, he raised his hands helplessly. "It's water jus like on earth. Not even interdimensional beings can survive without it."

She placed the canteen to her lips and tilted it back, taking a small sip. To her surprise and delight, it was a Ford had promised: just water. She drank her fill, not realizing just how thirsty she was until her first sip.

"Feel better?" Ford asked as he took the canteen back.

"Yeah." Mabel turned her attention to the package in her hands and frowned at the label. "'Dehydrated Nutrients'?"

"It may not sound appetizing but it's actually quite good. Can you eat on the go?"

"It's what I do best!" She slowly stood up, expecting her ribs to flare with pain, but to her surprise they didn't hurt nearly as much as they had yesterday.

"Feeling better?" Ford asked.

"Yeah!" Mabel exclaimed with wonder. She patted her side experimentally, and found it hurt just as much as a large bruise might. "What stuff did you put on it?"

"A salve I picked up a long time ago," Ford explained as he took the blanket she had been using and started to fold it. "It speeds up the healing process, but you have to use it sparingly because it's meant for other life forms."

"Oh." Mabel said. "That's so cool!" She undid the wrapper of the "Dehydrated Nutrients" bar and found herself looking at a relatively colorless block of…something. She bit into it and found it tasted a carrot. "Not bad."

Ford stuffed the blanket into his pack and zipped it. "I suppose you'll be needing something to keep yourself warm."

"Yeah," Mabel said through a mouthful of food as she eyed the outside. A large gust of wind rattled the branches of the trees.

Ford undid his cloak and handed it off to her. "This should do the trick until we can get you some real clothes."

Mabel wrapped herself in the cloak. The fabric was soft and light, but thick enough to keep her warm. "What's this made out of? It would be great for sweaters!"

"The wool of a Steel Sheep," Ford replied, as if that were completely normal.

"Huh?"

"Ever heard of steel wool? It's like that but softer. Incredibly hard to sheer, or so I've been told."

"Wow," she breathed, stroking the soft material. "I want a Steel Sheep."

"I wouldn't if I were you. They're quite formidable creatures." Ford hoisted his pack along with a large gun Mabel had not noticed before, setting the strap securely across his shoulders and letting the gun hang diagonally across his back.

"What's that for?" Mabel asked, pointing at the weapon.

"It's just in case we run into something unfriendly," Ford murmured, focusing on putting on his gloves. "You can never be too careful."

"What sort of unfriendly things?" Mabel asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"You can never be sure." Ford looked up, and saw the look of apprehension that was steadily growing on his great-niece's face. He offered her a smile that he hoped was sincere and reassuring. "Don't worry. I've survived thirty years of hopping dimensions." Barely.

"I'm glad you have," Mabel said. "If you hadn't, I wouldn't have met the coolest person ever!"

"Thank you." Ford straightened out his jacket and came up beside her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Mm-hm." Mabel stuffed the last piece of the Dehydrated Nutrients bar into her mouth.

"Let's go." He stiffened as he felt a small set of fingers lace with his abnormal ones. He couldn't remember the last time someone had held his hand. Even back on earth among other humans, many were put off by the number of fingers he possessed. Stealing a glance down at Mabel, he saw she was clutching him like a lifeline. The sight made his throat start to close up, but he cleared it and started on his way.

"So where is it that we're going exactly?" Mabel asked as they began their trek through the bleak landscape.

"As I mentioned before, there is a dimensional portal not far from here. It should be opening soon," Ford explained.

"How do you know where it is?"

"I figured out its location a few days ago when I landed here. The portal opens every few hours, but I decided to stay for a couple of days longer to study this dimension." Ford smiled a little. "I'm glad I stayed, or I would have missed you."

"And I'd be bird food," Mabel said with a shiver.

"Yes, I've found those birds to be quite nasty beasts," Ford said, squinting at the sky. "But they are definitely not the worst creature I've encountered in my time."

"What are they called?"

"You've heard of Rocs from Middle Eastern mythology haven't you?"

Mabel nodded.

"I decided to call them 'Rocks' with a 'k', since they're gray and blend in with the sky."

"Everything in this dimension seems to be made out of rocks," Mabel observed.

"Yes. It's definitely one of the less accommodating dimensions I've found myself in."

"Where are we going next? Somewhere warm, I hope!"

Ford shrugged. "That's just it. I have no way of controlling or knowing what dimension we might end up in once we go through the portal."

"How will we get home then?"

"Well, there are ways to get to the dimension you want, and if I can find a way to get to a certain dimension, there is someone I know who might be able to help us."

"Why can't we just go straight back to earth?"

"Dimension 46'\ is largely unaffected by other dimensions, save for Gravity Falls. Because of this, the only way back that I know of is through the portal I built. Other than that, I don't know."

"But your friend knows a way back?"

"Yes." I hope so.

"Great! Are they nice?"

"She is very nice."

Mabel nudged her great-uncle in the ribs with her elbow. "Ooh, she? Are you a lady's man?"

Ford almost laughed aloud at the insinuation. "No, it's not like that."

She pouted a little. "Oh."

"Here we are." Ford stopped, and Mabel stopped too. They stood in front of a gap between two of the trees, but it was empty.

Mabel squinted. "Where is it? I don't see anything."

"Watch." Ford went over to one of the trees and broke off a small twig. He returned to Mabel's side and tossed the object in between the two trees. Instead of falling and hitting the ground, it vanished as the air shimmered like a heat wave.

"Wow," Mabel breathed. "Where'd it go?"

"If the dimensional connection is fully formed, it should have crossed over into whatever dimension it's connected to," Ford said. "If not, it should come back out."

They waited for a minute, but the stick did not return.

"The connection is fully formed," Ford determined, taking a step forward. "It's time to go through."

Mabel clutched the jacket closer to her body. "Um, does it hurt to go through?"

Ford looked back at her. "Most of the time it doesn't. It depends on the dimension you're going to, really."

"Oh." She gazed at the space where the portal was, clutching the jacket closer to her in apprehension. "A-are you sure about this?"

He came and knelt in front of her. "I don't know what lies on the other side of that portal, but I promise that if it's bad, I will not let it hurt you."

Mabel nodded, the intensity in his words convincing her he meant it. "Alright."

Ford stood up. "Would you like me to carry you through the portal?"

"Yes," she said softly.

He grasped her under the arms and lifted her to his chest, pleasantly surprised to find she weighed a manageable amount and didn't throw out his back. "Hold on tight."

Mabel nodded, pressing her face into Ford's shoulder. He stepped towards the portal, and the sensation of static electricity tingled across her skin, causing the hairs on her body to rise. Then he stepped through, and her stomach dropped with a falling sensation.

"Foooraauuugh!" she screamed, streaks of color shooting past her vision.

Just as suddenly as it had happened, it was gone. The next thing she was aware of was a warm breeze caressing her face.

Ford pulled back slightly, looking her in the eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she breathed, trying to still her quivering limbs.

"I told you it wasn't so bad," he said with a small smile. "It just takes some getting used to." He set her down on the ground, and both of them took the chance to survey their new surroundings.

They stood on a large grassy plain that at first glance seemed to be dotted with huge fluorescent trees. However, they were not trees at all, but huge flowers with purple petals that spread out and covered several yards of grass in violet light. The sky was a normal shade of blue and only one sun hung in the sky, but several moons could be seen faintly beyond the glare of the sunlight. A sweet aroma hung thickly in the air, most like caused by the huge flora around them.

"This place is so much better than the last one!" Mabel exclaimed as she craned her neck to gaze at the huge petals above her.

"So it seems," Ford mused. He rummaged around in his coat, pulling out a notebook and a feather quill of some foreign bird.

"What are you doing?" Mabel asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the sights around her.

"Mapping," he said.

Mabel came to his side, watching what he was doing. The page he was on was littered with many circles, each labeled and connected by a line that went from circle to circle across the page. When the line met the end of the page, the line went down to a new circle and started across the page in the opposite direction. He drew a new section of line from a circle labeled "Rock Dimension" to a new, blank circle.

"Is that a super weird interdimensional game of connect the dots?" she asked.

"No," he said, his lips twitching upwards. "I'm keeping track of which dimension connects to which. So far I haven't visited the same dimension twice, which is why the line never goes to one circle twice."

"You've only visited"—Mabel did a quick count of the circles on the paper—"twenty-two dimensions so far?"

"Oh no. Far more than that." Ford took the pages of the book under his thumb and skimmed through them just slow enough to allow her a glimpse of the contents. Her mouth slowly grew wider as she saw pages upon pages of circles connected by a line that never went back; always forward. There was a great number of pages already filled, and an even greater number of circles, labeled with small notes beside them accordingly.

"That has to be like, at least a thousand," she said.

"Probably," Ford agreed, snapping the book shut and stowing it away in his coat. "This one is new too, just like all the others."

"I like it."

"I do too so far. Seems generally non-threatening, and could be inhabited by sentient lifeforms."

"Well, which direction do we go in?" Mabel asked, turning in a full circle. Every direction looked the same with grass and large flowers stretching out as far as the eye could see.

"That way," Ford said, pointing in the direction they had been facing when they first exited the portal. "I've found that if the dimension is accommodating, towns and cities generally exist not far from portals. Sometimes, the portals are right in the middle of a city for interdimensional traffic."

"Like going on a highway to a different town," Mabel said. "Except it's different dimensions."

"Essentially."

"What happens if we can't find a town?"

"We'll find a portal and hop to the next dimension."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"This is so amazing," Mabel said. "I feel like my brain is exploding."

"You'll get used to it," said Ford. "Let's go."

They started on their way, trekking through the tall grass. They hadn't gone far when Mabel found herself removing the scarf Ford had given her, the warmth of the dimension ridding her of the need for it.

"What is earth like?" Ford asked as they walked.

"What do you mean?"

"How has it changed in the past thirty years? What advancements have been made?"

"Weeeeellll…" Mabel trailed off, thinking of something good to tell him. "We have flat-screen TVs and handheld phones that can do pretty much everything a computer can do."

"What about floppy disks? Do people still use those?"

"Floppy what?"

Ford laughed aloud. "I guess it's been a while." Then he sobered. "Sometimes it's hard to believe that I've been away from home for thirty years."

"Aw, you're homesick?" Mabel asked, frowning up at him.

He sighed. "I suppose you could say that, yes."

She took his hand in hers. "What do you miss about it?"

Ford smiled at the warmth of her grip. After thirty years of loneliness, her companionship was new but not unwelcome. "Well, I miss coffee."

"I get that," she agreed. "But if you really want to get a pep in your step, you should drink Mabel Juice, not some lame ol' coffee."

"Mabel Juice?" he echoed.

"Yeah! I mix Pitt Cola and four cups of sugar with glitter and plastic dinosaurs. It's far superior to coffee if you ask me."

That explained her hyperactivity. "It sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen for me."

Mabel shooed away Ford's suggestion. "Nah. What else do you miss about earth?"

Ford turned his gaze to the flowers. "I miss regular plant life. I miss knowing what's edible and what's not. I miss having a bed to go sleep in every night, and not having to worry about it getting blown up or overrun by creatures."

Mabel listened quietly, taking in what her Grunkle missed as he listed them off. As he spoke of simple things such as a bed, she realized just how much she took them for granted.

"But most of all, I missed people, regular humans."

"Well, now you have me!" she exclaimed.

Ford smiled. "Yes, that's why I said missed. Now that you're here, I finally have someone to talk to that's not my own reflection."

"Hey, I've found reflections can be really good listeners," Mabel said. "No matter what you say, they never leave you."

"True," Ford said. "What about—" His words cut off as he looked up suddenly.

"What's—"

"Shh!" Ford hissed, cutting off the beginning of Mabel's inquiry. "I hear something."

Mabel listened silently, her heartbeat quickening. At first she heard nothing but the breeze whispering through the grass, but then her ears picked up a new sound. It was a humming sound like a helicopter in the distance.

"What is that?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure," Ford muttered. He took out his journal and scribbled something in it. "But we're about to find out."

They continued on a little way, the humming growing steadily louder as they progressed. Then suddenly the ground took a sharp dip that was nearly invisible thanks to the tall grass. Mabel nearly tripped and fell down the decline if it weren't for Ford grabbing the back of her sweater and hauling her backwards.

"Get down!" he hissed.

Mabel instantly dropped to her knees in the tall grass. Ford crouched down beside her as they both gazed at the sight before them.

The ground dipped down into a large hollow that went down about thirty feet. At the base of the hollow, a large muddy brown mound rose up, at least several yards high. Dotted around the mound were gaping black holes from which the ominous humming emanated.

"What the heck is that thing?" Mabel whispered.

"I'm not sure," Ford murmured. He pulled out his journal and began flipping through it, looking for any information that could possibly relate to the odd structure.

Mabel kept her eyes trained on the mound. After a moment, she noticed movement in the darkness of one of the holes.

"Uh, Great-Uncle Ford?"

"What?" He looked up just in time to see a creature emerge from the opening. It was insectoid, like a bee or a wasp but ten times bigger, and its color was bright orange. Bright red eyes glinted in the sunlight as it crawled from the hole, and once it was fully out in the open, they both saw the massive stinger on its rear end.

"What is it?" Mabel asked, regarding the creature apprehensively.

"This is a beehive," Ford muttered. "Of course."

The insect's wings fluttered a little, creating a humming noise like the one that came from within the hive, but less intense. It skittered a little ways down the mound, closer to the base, seeming to be searching for something.

"Do bees have a sense of smell?" she hissed.

"Earth bees have a sense of smell, but I don't know if this creature does," he replied. "Regardless, we should probably go before it—"

The insect's head snapped up, eyes focusing right on the spot where they hid. With a buzz of wings, it left the ground and started directly for them.

"Run!" Ford yelled.

Mabel took off away from the hive, stumbling as she tried to maneuver through the grass. Her bruised ribs cried out in pain as she moved unnaturally, causing her to slow down. Ford, who was right behind her, nearly ran right into her. He looked over his shoulder and saw the insect coming for them, wings buzzing like a helicopter. Desperate, he snatched Mabel up into his arms and continued to run, but there was nowhere to hide. The flower petals were too high up to offer any shelter, and the rest was grassy plains.

A large blast of air hit him in the back, knocking him off balance and sending them both tumbling to the ground. He was back on his feet in an instant, watching as the insect flew over them before turning around to face them, its stinger bared angrily, the air from its wings buffeting him wildly though he held his ground.

"Mabel, hide!" he hissed.

Mabel picked herself up off the ground, looking at him. "What about you?"

"Just go!" he snarled, pushing her away from him.

She did as she was told, running off to the nearest flower and hiding in the grass at the base of the huge stem. The sweet, cloying smell of the flowers was so powerful there she found herself having to plug her nose to breathe.

Ford whipped out his ray gun, pointing it at the beast. "Stay back, I'm warning you!" He had found over the years that phrase had little effect on anyone, wild animal or not, and this was no exception. The insect buzzed angrily and charged at him. He fired off several blasts, but to his dismay, the creature was more agile than he had previously anticipated. It dodged all his blasts, and the next thing he knew he was lying flat on his back, staring into the angry red eyes of the insect.

It happened so fast Mabel barely had time to process what had happened. the next thing she knew, her Great-Uncle was trapped underneath the insect, its stinger raised to gore him through.

"Hey ugly!" she shouted, leaping out from behind the stem.

The insect turned its head in her direction, and she nearly froze as its attention settled on her.

Ford gasped. "Mabel don't—"

"Grappling hook!" She pulled the weapon from the hidden pocket inside her sweater and pointed it at the beast. Her hands were shaking but she fired anyway, and by some sheer luck the grapple hit it square in the eye. It hissed and stumbled, shaking its head, giving Ford just enough time to grab his gun from the ground and shoot it straight through the head. The buzzing of wings ceased and the carcass fell to the ground with an unappetizing thud.

They both stood there in silence for a moment, staring at the body. Small wisps of smoke drifted up from the bullet hole the ray gun had inflicted. Mabel felt like her legs were about to give out.

Ford opened his mouth to say something, but faltered as a loud humming rose up from the direction of the hive.

"More are coming!" Mabel squeaked. "Quick, hide under the flowers! They won't be able to smell us there!"

Knowing it was their best chance of survival, Ford did as she said. He sprinted towards her and grabbed her, flinging them both to the ground near the base of the stem where the smell of flowers was overpowering. The humming rose up loud behind them before stopping. Ford dared to turn his head ever so slightly, peering at the scene between the stalks of the grass. Several more of the insects circled around the dead one, feeling it with their antenna. He tightened his grip on his gun, preparing himself to run just in case they noticed them, but after a few moments they lifted up and flew away.

Ford exhaled a huge breath he didn't even realize he was holding, lifting himself up off the ground slightly.

"Are they gone?" Mabel asked, her voice muffled as she pressed her face hard into the grass.

"Yes," Ford said. "They're gone."

She sat up, looking about with wide eyes. "That's a relief."

"Come on, we need to get out of here before they come back." Ford grabbed her hand and lifted her to her feet.

"Where are we going to go?"

He started walking, this time taking the initiative to hold Mabel's hand instead of the other way around. "Anywhere but here. If we don't find a town or civilization by tomorrow, I'll start looking for another interdimensional portal to take us to the next dimension."

They walked in silence for a while, both of them hypervigilant for the sound or sight of more deadly insects, but there was no indication they were nearby. Once Ford was sure they were safe for the time being, he spoke up again.

"That grappling hook stunt was by far one of the stupidest things I've ever seen someone do in my life," he said, an edge to his voice.

Mabel winced. She had expected to get scolded, but it made his words sting no less.

"…but you saved my life, and I am grateful for that."

Surprised, she looked up at him and saw he was smiling. "Really?"

"Yes," he said. "Without you I'd probably be wounded at the very least, and that's the last thing I need, especially now. However, don't make a habit out of doing things like that. I just found out I have a great niece, and I don't want to lose you so soon."

She grinned back at him, squeezing his hand. "Aw, don't worry too much about me. I've survived two months of Gravity Falls wackiness so far. How much worse could another dimension be?"

He felt a twinge of sadness at her words. She had no idea. "You're right. Just be careful, alright?"

"Alright!"

"By the way, where did you learn to be such a good shot with that grappling hook?"

"Well, it all started when Grunkle Stan said we could take one item from the Mystery Shack gift shop…"

They walked off hand in hand, chatting away.

"What do you think about 'Gore-nets'?"

"Huh?"

"Gore-nets," Ford repeated. "The name I came up with for those insects."

"Oh." Mabel laughed. "That's a good name. I like it."

Ford smiled at her approval and returned his attention to his journal where he was busy documenting all he knew about the dimension they were in.

They sat on opposite sides of the campfire, powered by a strange little device Ford had on him. They had walked for the rest of the day, coming upon no civilization, but no killer insects either. At some point they had exited the flowers onto and empty grassy plain, and though Ford was loathe to camp out in the open, but when the sun started to get low he could see Mabel tiring, so they had no choice but to stop without shelter.

The night sky was significantly brighter than Earth's, several moons of varying sizes and stages of fullness. Additionally, the sky was dotted with many stars and constellations that both of them were unfamiliar with. Ford was tempted to try and document them, but he knew there was no point. He never stayed in one dimension long enough to write down all the information that could be cataloged.

"Do you think it's been at least twenty-four hours since I ended up here?"

Ford looked up at Mabel, who sat curled up in his spare blanket, watching the plasma-fire flicker its bluish light across the grass. "I would think so. Why do you ask?"

"I've been gone for a full day now," she said. "They must be going nuts back in Gravity Falls, Dipper especially."

He felt a surge of sympathy for her and her brother. "Why don't you tell me more about this brother of yours?" He asked in an attempt to get her mind off of home. "He seems like a smart kid."

Mabel's face brightened visibly. "He is. Sometimes I wonder how he hasn't ended up in high school already. He's obsessed with mysteries and all the weird stuff in Gravity Falls. I think it's cool too, but he's just nuts about it."

"Sounds like me when I was younger," Ford said with a chuckle.

"He'll probably pass out when he finally meets you!" Mabel exclaimed. "He's been trying to figure out who the Author is for so long, he investigated every person in Gravity Falls, but neither of us thought it would be Grunkle Stan's twin brother!"

Ford sighed at the mention of his brother. He had tried his best to avoid thinking about Stanley, as any thought of him made him angry. "I just wish he had told you kids what was going on in the first place, then maybe all of this could have been avoided."

"Me too," she said. "But I'm glad I trusted him."

He regarded her quietly for a moment. She did not know better. She did not know to trust no one. "If you hadn't trust him," he said quietly, "you wouldn't be stuck here. You would still be at home."

"Yeah, but I would have never met you."

"Is it really that important to you?"

"Of course! My second Grunkle has been trapped alone for like, thirty years, so I'm happy to be with you." She shrugged. "But I also can't wait to get home."

Ford's heart sank on the last word. She still thought getting home was a viable option. "Yeah, me too." He took a deep breath. "Go to sleep. It's been a long day. I'll stay up and keep watch for a little while."

"Alright." She eased herself down onto the grass. "Good night, Great-Uncle Ford."

He smiled at her. "Good night, Mabel."

She pulled the blanket up around her head and secured it tightly around her. Not long after, her breathing began to slow as she drifted off to sleep.

Ford stayed up for a long time, watching the tall grass for any signs of predators or unsavory creatures, but he saw none. When he was satisfied that they would be safe for the night, he too laid down and finally drifted off despite his tumultuous thoughts.

Worlds away, two brothers mourned their lost siblings.