Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

A face of perplexity settled on Dipper, as he cradled his throbbing elbow, beholding the sight before him. Mabel laid on the tile floor, under the window of the kitchen. Sleeping. Waddles sat next to her, nudging her arm with his chubby snout. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he had to admit it was pretty endearing once he got other the strange state he had discovered his sister in. Watching the display caused him to focus less on the pain in his elbow and the the thoughts of that disappearance act Gideon Gleeful apparently had performed in the forest earlier. She began to curl up on her side, hand sluggishly swatting at her pig. Waddles, in return, scooted closer and began to nudge the back of her head. Dipper laughed, surprised at how much more adorable the scene had gotten wh-Mabel was drooling all over the floor. He made a face. Not adorable. "Ew, Mabel."

Just then, Stan entered the kitchen, keys in hand. He narrowed his eyes when he noticed what Mabel was up to. "That better not be drool."

Dipper knew if he confirmed the answer he would probably not like the man's reply. "Uh, Grunkle Stan? Should we go now? I think it stopped bleeding, but it still hurts."

"Alright, alright, quit your complaining." Stan ordered him as they migrated outside.

Dipper wasn't all that surprised at the condition of the '65 Cadillac Sedan was in at the moment. The vehicle was encrusted with fresh bird crap, causing Stan to glower at his Stanley Mobile. "Ugh, those damn-uh, darn rats with wing."

"Grunkle Stan, I already know your cuss," Dipper informed the elder man as they settled in. Stan grumbled something that sounded like "shut it" in reply as he shoved the key in, bringing the ignition to life with a pathetic rumble. He frowned as it rattled nosily, before pounding his fist on the dashboard, effectively silencing it. "Really, its not too big of a deal.

"Look, I'm your guardian for the summer so I have to be 'good'." Stan enlightened him, using fingers for quote marks. Both of their seat belts went into the buckle with a 'click'.

Dipper raised a eyebrow. "We spent the night in a jail cell. I'm pretty sure that cussing is nothing compared to that."

"I though you hated cussing?" Stan questioned, as they made way down the road.

"I do. But, I'm not two, I can handle hearing cuss words. What are you so worried about anyways?"

"I ain't worried about nothing. I just doubt your folks would want you to come home with some new vocab."

"If they didn't freak out about the jail thing, which actually surprises me since Dad is so strict, then I doubt me cussing will bug them."

Stan gulped guiltily, eyes shifting to the side for a moment. "Yep, they definitely thought it was alright."

Dipper frowned deeply. "...you didn't tell them, did you?"

Stan could lie about anything. Expect on the topic of his nephew. "...Look, I just didn't think that they wo-"

"Oh my god! You never told them!"

"Kid, its not much of a big deal, I jus-"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygo-"

Dipper was bordering onto a panic attack within a few seconds of the revelation. Stan began to reply, but was cut off each time the preteen repeated his statement. He frowned, before pulling off to the side of the road, knowing he needed to calm Dipper before his anxiety overwhelmed him. He turned to his great-nephew, right arm settling on the top of the seat. His chest violently heaved, mouth gaped open with a face of shock. "Kid...Dipper. Dipper. DIPPER!"

Dipper jolted from the moment of hysteria, eyes wide, but effectively silenced. Stan decided to continue on, now that he had his attention. "Its ok. You and Mabel didn't get hurt, so there wasn't any reason to tell them."

"What do you mean 'there wasn't any reason'?!" Dipper blurted in a frenzy. Oh god, He was screwed. Disappointing his parents was the worse development for him to even imagine. And even disappointing them as much as to go to jail was much worse than would he could imagine. His parents would be upset about this development when they discovered it.

"Look, you don't actually have to tell them nothing. They would be none the wiser if yo-"

"I can't! It would drive me insane if I didn't tell them! I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I CA-" Dipper's voice was rising in volume, hysteria returning.

"Alright, alright! If you have to tell them, at least wait until the two of you get back!"

Dipper paused in his repetition, taking deep breathes to calm his nerves. In, Out. In, Out. In, Out. Out, In. Out, In. That had been a close call, as he had nearly completely went off the deep end. He knew that doing so would of been a nightmare for his great-uncle. Dipper would never subject him to that, fully knowing that Mabel was capable of dealing with those moments. Now that his head wasn't so foggy though, he realized he could inform his parents of that situation when the summer was over and done with. If he just didn't think about it now, then he wouldn't panic. Put the worry off until later. He imagined jamming all of his concerns into a mental closet, and shoving the door shut. He'll open that door later on. He wasn't sure why Stan wanted for him to put it off until later though. "Uh, w-why?"

"It would just, uh be easier."

"How would it be easier to tell later?"

"It just would, now shut up, we're almost there." Stan ordered him, before pulling the vehicle back onto the road. Dipper still wasn't understanding why he would want the situation to be told later. He supposed that for the time being, all would be well. He just hoped that his parents wouldn't be too upset upon the revelation. That made him wonder what else Stan had conveniently not inform his parents of. Did his parents even know know about the the injuries he and his sister had received from the opera? He suspected they didn't. And now he had to get them again, hiding more than one trip to the hospital. They parked in a handicap space, the front of the Stanley Mobile producing a dent in the pole of the sign. Stan placed the photocopied and laminated parking pass onto the rear view mirror, before removing himself from the vehicle, as smoke rose from underneath the engine's hood.

~!4-5-19-20-18-15-25/20-8-5/5-22-9-12!~

"Kid, how old are you? Like eight?"

"I just turned 13 this summer, Grunkle Stan. You asked me the same thing last time we were here like a week ago." Dipper told him, rolling his eyes. That reminded him, those stitches on his arm needed to be removed since they were already here at the hospital. They were in the waiting room, Stan, much to his dismay, forced to fill out a form for Dipper.

"Well, why don't you fill this out yourself if you're gonna act lik-Oh, that's right, you can't, can you? So, why don't you stop being rude kid, and just answer the questions without all that talkback."

Dipper glared at Stan, but the elder was already back to filling it out. Much to his surprise, Stan didn't ask anymore questions in the span of nearly five minutes he filled the form out. He recalled Stan had asked a lot more questions last time he was doing one for him and Mabel. He had better not be writing down bullcrap, instead of his correct information. "Do you even know what I'm allergic to?"

Stan turned the clipboard to him, raising a eyebrow at his great-nephew's tone. "What do you think, kid?"

Dipper saw that the word, "Penicillin" was written in the cursive handwriting Stan used, on the black space. Evidently it seemed that his great-uncle had remembered nearly all of his information. Dipper blushed, embarrassed that he naturally assumed that Stan would recall as much as he obviously did. Neither didn't say anything else, until they were called in. They were brought to a examination room by the same nurse as last time they had come. She assessed his wounds, before nodding to herself. "Well, it looks like we'll have to put stitches in you, again, dearie."

Dipper nodded in reply, before she removed herself from the room to fetch the doctor. Stan was settled into the corner, intently reading a TV guide. He then muttered something about one of his shows. Dipper rolled his eyes and glanced over at the sink. It was in the shape of a triangle. What? That was weird. Why would someone make a a sink like that? This was like the 8th time this week he had seen a tr- The doctor entered. He blinked and then frowned at her. Her golden triangle earrings glinted in the light. That was another triangle. Feeling a bit unnerved, he looked to Stan, hoping for reassurance. He was still focused on the TV guide. Why was he surprised? Dipper jumped when he felt the prick of a shot in his bicep. "Now, that numbs you, so you won't feel a thing. I'll just take out these old stitches and apply the new ones to your elbow, alright?"

Dipper absent mindlessly nodded, observing her earrings. The golden light reminded him of another triangle he had last seen nearly a week ago. The triangle that had tricked him into giving up his body in exchange from a hint for that stupid password. How about you let me give you a hint, huh? He felt a brief tug at his left arm, as the doctor swiftly removed the stitching. It didn't hurt per say, but produced a slight stinging on his healed over stab wounds. She seemed to approve of the healing, a face of satisfaction. Dipper felt uncomfortable at the sight of the scars on his pale flesh though. They just reminded him of the opera. She continued on, cleansing the blood from his new injury. Dipper watched as she applied the new stitches. It was as gross as the first time. He focused his gaze back on Stan. He had a bored expression on his face as he continued his reading. He had that face a lot. Why was he always so bored looking? Was it his default face? Or was it just hiding a different expression? And why was there a triangle on the front of the guide? He shook his head. There was no need to over analyze everything. It was a common shape, no need to associate it with that dream demon.

"I'm finished, Dipper," She frowned at his palms. "I should clean those hands, too."

She pulled a cotton ball from a clear jar, dipping it in medical alcohol from the sink counter. He presented his hands to her and she preceded to rub the ball across them. The doctor finally squatted down to get a better view of his scratched knees. She presented him with the option of either flaming triangles or a Hello Kitty bandaids. Dipper felt a cold sweat cover him as he studied the flaming triangles. Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me. Nope. Finally, he chose the Hello Kitty ones and she covered his knees in them. "There! You should be good now. Just be careful when you're playing in the woods next time."

Dipper grunted in reply, before the doctor left. Stan immediately hopped up. "We done? Great, let's go."

The magazine was tossed back onto the triangle-shaped side table, before Stan waltzed out. Dipper gulped thickly as he stared at the table. He had caught the glimpse of the bold lettering of yesterday's newspaper, below the guide. He wasn't sure what was possibly worse; the idea of a certain triangle dream demon returning to further haunt him, or this predicament. He shivered as he realized who he thought he imagined in the forest today, was actually not his imagination. GIDEON GLEEFUL RELEASED FROM PRISON. He followed his great-uncle.

~!-?-!~

Mabel was no longer passed out on the kitchen floor or even in the house for that matter. Waddles appeared to be absent as well. Stan knew exactly why his grand-niece was no longer present. It was her attempt of avoiding the eventual conversation they would have on the events as of late. They would be having that conversation soon though, Stan promised himself. Dipper left, mumbling a subdued 'good night'. Stan accounted it to the painkiller given to him. Hopefully he wouldn't have to wait as long as he usually did for his great-nephew to fall asleep, so that he could sneak into the laboratory. He removed his fez and set it on the side table, next to the reclining seat. He would wait about half an hour until he would go down to the lab, he decided, just to be sure that Dipper was completely asleep. He needed to do a few adjustments on the portal and further study one section of the photocopies on Journal 3. For now though, he would enjoy the showing of "The Duchess Approves: Two".

About two hours later, Stan entered the lab. Clad in his household attire, he sat in his swivel chair, listening to the distinct humming produced by the portal. He was honestly surprised that it hadn't blown out yet or caused a blackout like last time. It required constant energy consumption to maintain it at the moment. Fearing it would refuse to start up again if he ceased doing so, he hadn't let up. Stan was aware on how dangerous that could be. Over the years, he had taught himself through the journals and books in his brother's old room, the workings of the portal. Sure, he didn't completely understand the process, but he understood the general concept of it, which appeared to be enough to work the thing. The portal had began to produce that distinct humming noise a few days ago though and he needed to read up on how to repair that. The photocopies would explain to him exac- When he slid open the small cabinet to find them, they were gone. And all three of the journals. Stan stared blankly at the spot for a period of time.

"SHIT!"

~!-?-!~

Dipper hadn't taken the painkillers prescribed to him. He lay awake in his bed, covers bunched up around his feet, attempting to reduce the heat he felt in the attic. His shirt stuck to his back, drenched from the ever present sweat clinging to his skin. There would be no sleeping tonight, as he would be fighting off the pain that ached him and the thoughts barreling through his head. Haha! Pain is hilarious! Dipper frowned. His mind released echos on events of the past few days and it annoyed him to no end. He sat up and began pulling the damp shirt off. It had been pretty hot the last few days and with his room being closer to the sun, had made it stifling in there. Piedmont never became so overbearingly hot as it was now, so he wasn't quite used to it.

He rolled onto his side, attempting to become more comfy in an effort to fall asleep, but froze when he witnessed a bright bluish glow from the window. Why was the moon so bright? He removed himself from bed and peered out the window. The forest was glowing. He blinked a few time in confusion and the glow disappeared. What was that? Dipper stood there, before making the decision to investigate. His anxiety screamed that it was a bad idea, but Dipper shoved it into his "Worry Later Closet". He decided to put on a new t-shirt, this one being a forest green one, and slipped on his shoes without the socks. He tiptoed to the living room, but relaxed when realizing Stan wasn't there. He must of been asleep. It was a bit early though, being as it was only 11:00 PM, while Stan usually went to his bedroom around midnight. Dipper headed out the backdoor and onto the porch, observing the forest. There were no mysterious lights as far as he could see. He wanted to investigate further, but doing so would break the only rule Stan had given the twins when they first came here; Don't go into the woods at night. He bit his lip, before deciding on breaking the rule. The forest was just as frightening as it was in the daytime, so what was the harm in doing so?

The underbrush crunched noisily beneath his feet, causing Dipper to cringe a few times. It appeared that the forest was quiet, compared to the chattering birds heard in the daytime. And he could barely see a thing. He was able to see the barest of a outline from the light of the quarter moon. In all hindsight, Dipper realized that going into the woods at night was not the best idea, especially since he had injured himself earlier today in the very same area and the wound was throbbing worse than before. It wasn't as bad as the pain he had from the forks being stabbed into him though. Boy, these arms are durable! The glow was up ahead, dimmed though compared to the light he witnessed earlier. What in the world is that?

After passing a few pine trees into a clearing, he finally was able to see what produced the glow blue light. Dipper frowned at what was before him. There was a circle of tiny white candles, topped with jade hued flames in the clearing. And, the center of the candles was Gideon Gleeful. He was on his knees, cradling the very same mystic amulet Mabel had destroyed, and was whispering to it. There wasn't even a crack present on the amulet, much to Dipper's growing confusion. He stepped closer, on the border of candles, listening to what Gideon was speaking. "...destruere malum, Destruere malum, destruere malum, destruere malum, destruere malum..."

The 10-year old began to increase the phrase in volume, causing the flames to expand. Dipper took a step back, producing a 'crack' from the branch beneath his shoe. Gideon's head jerked up from the stone to stare at him. They stared into each others eyes, Dipper realizing his eyes were flickering back and forth between a jade hue and a dark blue. Gideon's face contorted in pain, and realized a hiss as he dropped the now steaming amulet. The flames exploded in a furious expansion, Dipper staggering back from the intensity of them. Then, as soon as it began, it was over. The flames and the glow of the amulet vanished all together.

Chapter 5 End

Hello, I'm back and I'm happy with the reviews I've gotten so far! "Destruere Malum" translates from Latin into "Destroy the Evil".