Hey guys! So it's finally here! The chapter where the groups officially converge! Sorry it took so long to get here, but the little details scattered throughout the story needed to happen! They will become relevant later on! As for the question brought up by CriticWriter, I honestly don't know if the Rick Citadel will be involved. Probably not, but I wouldn't discount it yet either. I hope you guys like this chapter, and make sure to leave a review or comment if you like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty
Dipper wasn't entirely sure what to expect with multidimensional travel, but he didn't expect the universes to be so normal looking. For example, here he and his uncles were, in a sci-fi moonbase of some kind, face to face with colorful looking aliens. They all looked to be female, and not nearly as terrifying as the creatures he encountered in Weirdmaggeden.
"Uh... Uncle Ford... are we in the right place...?" Dipper looked towards Ford uncertainly, with his uncle peering around their location and looking at a radar device.
"No... but Sanchez was definitely here at some point." Ford replied putting away the device. "My meter is supposed to track significant cosmic energy levels, but it can't actually determine what the phenomena is caused by."
"Great! So we're being forced to walk through these weird places blindfolded! Nice plan Ford! We're going after a mad man, and we don't even know if the messes we're walking into are his!" Stan complained.
"AHEM!" The men stopped their bickering and finally turned their attention to the other occupants in the room. They definitely weren't human, but they were less alien looking than some of the species Ford encountered too. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Uh... Sorry ma'am. We were looking for someone else, and guess we took a wrong turn." Dipper explained apologetically.
"You're humans right?" Amethyst spoke up.
"Yeah... it's kind of hard to explained but we came from a completely different world, from this place called Gravity Falls and-"
"GRAVITY FALLS?!" The female aliens yelled.
"Yeah. What's it to yah?" Stan asked suspiciously.
Peridot immediately got out the book she and Lapis found. "It was mentioned in this book! Gravity Falls in this place called 'Or-ee-gone'!"
"First off, it's Oregon. Seriously- how do people come up with these weird pronunciations? It doesn't even have an 'e' at the end. Second off- how in the heck do you have one of Uncle Ford's journals?!" Dipper exclaimed and reached into his backpack to pull out the first one. In doing so, he failed to notice something else had fallen out of his backpack.
"Journal?" Peridot repeated. "I recall Steven recommending keeping a journal when I first became stranded on Earth."
"Wait- there's also an Earth here?" Ford asked.
"Well duh! Which orbit do you think this moon belongs to?" Amethyst rolled her eyes.
"Moon..." Dipper ran to the nearest window and was stunned to see the purple alien women as right. "Guys! She's right! We're on the moon! And there's Earth! It looks like the one we're from!"
"Slow down!" Pearl yelled. "Who are you people and how did your journal get here?!"
"I-I don't know!" Ford sputtered. "Please calm down!"
"Wait..." Pearl walked closer to Dipper, making the boy back up- also making him realize just how tall she and the other aliens were. Pearl picked up the item Dipper had dropped and analyzed it. "Where did you get this?"
"We found it with the journal..." Dipper answered carefully, backing away slowly. "Do you know who Nora is?"
"As a matter of fact I do... we all do." Without another word, Pearl reached into her gem and pulled out her sphere. Stand and Ford immediately pushed Dipper behind them when they noticed the other aliens were doing the same. In the same even tone, Pearl continued. "Nora was the name of a very special human child our leader, Rose Quartz, brought into existence at the expense of her own. Instead however a precious boy was formed... where is he? Where's Steven?!"
"We don't know any Steven." Stan gripped his brass knuckles tighter. "What about you?! Why do you weirdos have the second journal! Where's Mabel?!"
"Whose Mabel?" Lapis whispered to Peridot.
"No idea." Peridot muttered but then spoke louder to address the strange humans. "Pardon me, but did you humans use some kind of portal gun device to get here? One of you exhibits the piece of fabric similar to the reports I've read, and you traveled to the moon without any form of transportation. So please make this easier for yourselves and give up Steven."
"We don't know what you're talking about!" Ford yelled, readying his ray gun. "I don't have a portal gun- just a space disruptor! We don't want any trouble!"
"Then tell us where Steven is!" Pearl yelled.
"ENOUGH!" Garnet's yell was enough to disrupt the entire room. "Honestly... we just managed to fuse ourselves back together, and you're all making our headache far worse than it has to be. These humans are obviously not our enemies, and as difficult as it is... we'll have to accept the fact that they don't have Steven. But... they will be of significant help to us."
"Garnet..." Pearl lowered her weapon, as did Amethyst while Lapis dispelled her water back into wings. "Are you back to normal?"
"Not at full capacity, but we're recovering at a steady pace." Garnet explained and turned to address the strange humans. "You humans are: Dipper Pines, Stan Pines, and Ford Pines- nephew and twin uncles respectively."
"How'd you know our names?" Dipper rose a brow.
"I am Garnet. Current leader of the Crystal Gems, and we seem to have a mix up of possessions here." Garnet explained and took the journal from Peridot's hands and carefully picked up the Nora VHS tape on her way. Walking over to the men, she noted they still had their weapons up- understandable, considering they had a younger family member to protect and her comrades were essentially at their breaking point.
To Garnet's surprise, the boy took the initiative and stepped out from behind his uncles. He was still clutching the first journal, and welcomed the weight of the second one when the tall woman stacked it in his arms. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"
Smiling, Dipper spoke, "Hi... I'm Dipper Pines like you said. We're from Gravity Falls, where all these weird sci-fi supernatural events happen all the time and I think the most recent one took my sister away. And for some reason- we ended up getting your VHS tape and you somehow got one of our journals. That probably means that Steven and Mabel's disappearances are connected, so we should probably work together to save them." After a brief moment of silence, Dipper pleaded, "Please... she's my sister."
Rubbing his head, Garnet smiled. "We are the Crystal Gems, and we always save the day, cause we made Earth our home. One of our most important members went missing, his name is Steven Universe- will you help us find him?"
/
After introductions were all said and done, both parties were thoroughly acquainted with each other and had exchanged different theories about what may have happened to Steven and Mabel. The group agreed they didn't have much to go on but did agree on two things: they needed to find Rick Sanchez and the abductions of Mabel and Steven were connected.
They were still on the Moonbase, forming a strategy for when they were going to approach Rick. But there was something still very prevalent in Pearl's mind that she needed addresses. "Ford Pines was it...?"
The man looked up in surprise. This was the first time Pearl spoke since the discussion began, and was curious what she wanted to ask. "Yes."
"With the interference of this 'Bill' character or Rick Sanchez- does this mean that the past as it is now, is not the past that truly transpired?" Pearl asked and reiterated. "What I'm trying to ask is: can we trust any historical records in our universe, as it is now?"
"That depends..." Ford rubbed his chin. "You said you found the VHS counterpart to ours yes? When you watched it- was it as you remembered?"
Amethyst looked down. "That was the first time we've seen it. It was only meant for Steven, yah know? Greg seemed to think it was true though."
"This is Steven's father?" Ford clarified.
"Correct." Peridot answered. "What my comrade is trying to ask is- with this interference of two potential invaders, is it possible that our the time-line of our universe was altered or replaced in some way?"
Ford frowned. "I'm not sure, but based on our own situation- that is definitely possible. Though rather than a replacement timeline enacting, I believe your initial theory of being altered is more accurate. However, whoever did do these alterations failed." Turning to Dipper, he continued. "Similar to us, everyone did indeed forget Mabel Pines existed but there were trace remnants of her in the memories of her in select residents in our respective universe."
"Wait, does that mean Bill or this Rick guy deliberately made it so everyone forgot Mabel and Steven? Why? It doesn't make any sense." Dipper pointed out.
"Agreed, but there's another layer of complexity to Steven's disappearance compared to Mabel's." Ford stated. "Not only did the Crystal Gems remember Steven, but also physical items were left behind indicating his existence like the VHS tapes and his bedroom. Following that logic, your pet pig Waddles should've done the same for Mabel."
"My mom told me that I felt sorry for him and brought him home. And I probably would've saved him from Pacifica, but I wouldn't have gone out of my way to convince my parents to keep him." Dipper explained.
"Uh... context?" Lapis interrupted.
"Sorry, previous adventure. My sister rescued a pig and named it Waddles, and have they've been companions ever since." Dipper explained.
"So it's like Lion." Amethyst smiled.
"Lion?" Dipper asked.
"Yeah. He's a magic pink lion that has a portal to store stuff in, in his mane." Amethyst answered nonchalantly.
"Really?" Stan suddenly asked. "How much money do you think I could get away charging storage prices?"
"Stan!" Ford chided. "Anyways, whatever records you were looking at can be considered false. Clearly someone or something had tried to falsify your universe's history, but failed miserably."
"Thank you..." Pearl sighed in relief.
"I would actually like to continue the discussion on the topic of Rick Sanchez." Peridot spoke up. "As mentioned previously, the majority of our group is from a different planet called Homeworld that had attempted to colonize Earth for its resources. Homeworld has done this before on numerous occasions, but occasionally Sapphires would suffer extreme pain and interference with their visions."
"You said each of your species was gemstones?" Ford clarified.
"That is what Earth languages translate our species, yes." Garnet finally spoke up. "Each gem type has a different role and duty on Homeworld, which is completely run by the Diamond Matriarch. Sapphires hold the power of clairvoyance, and are used to determine the outcome of battles or any other venture."
"Geez... remind me to bring one of those on Poker night." Stan whistled while gesturing with his thumb.
"Shh!" Dipper shushed.
"Anyways, when time-lines fractures or becomes altered in any way of the respective planet- then Sapphires become unable to function. When the future of the planet contradicts the past-"
"Then Sapphires can't see any clear outcome." Dipper finished. "This happened to your Sapphire? Is she okay? I mean, I'm just assuming it's a she at this point..."
"Our entire species is female, so you would be correct." Peridot nodded. "And while Sapphire may take time to recover, she should have her visions resume at full capacity if she remains in her fusion form with Ruby."
"Fusion?" Ford asked.
"We can explain that later, but for now we need you determine if this man from Sapphire's vision is the same 'Rick Sanchez' you're describing." Garnet interjected. "Peridot."
Nodding, she cleared her throat. "While I do not have an illustration of the human Rick Sanchez in question, I can give you a detailed description. According to the reports, he is described as a lithe figure wearing a white coat of some kind, and has spiky gray hair. Oh, and he apparently tears planets apart while using a portal gun-like device. Does that sound familiar?"
"Too familiar. That's Rick Sanchez. No doubt about it." Ford concluded.
"So... what does he want with Steven?" Lapis asked.
"I don't know. Rick's a mad man that I only had the displeasure of meeting for a short time. I don't want to discourage any of you- but there's a good chances Steven and Mabel... may not be salvageable." Ford looked down.
There was a still silence for a moment, before Garnet spoke. "I don't see any outcomes where that would be the case, but Sapphire is still recovering..."
"I'm confused. I thought your name was Garnet." Dipper asked.
"I am Garnet, Sapphire, and Ruby." Garnet smiled down. "And somehow- your presence seems to have stabilized me."
"...You're welcome I guess." Dipper laughed awkwardly. "Um... if you can see the future... can you at least tell us how Mabel and Steven are doing? Or maybe you can see where they are?"
"Sapphire cannot control her visions, but she will speak if anything of relevance is revealed." Garnet answered. "However, I truly do not believe Steven nor Mabel are dead. Before Sapphire began experiencing problems with her vision, she saw Steven in the presence of a friendly human that looked like a shooting star. Does that sound like your sister?"
Smiling, Dipper flicked the pine tree on his hat. "Yeah... that's definitely Mabel."
/
Mabel groggily opened her eyes, and eventually woke up to find herself in her own bedroom. Sitting straight up, she looked down at herself and noticed she was in the same clothes she remembered wearing last. Rubbing her head, she got up out of her bed and walked around her room- everything seemed to be in place: her dresser, her clothes in the dresser, the boy band posters, the distinctive pink and purple furniture, her laptop, and even Waddles' dog bed.
Frowning, she walked over the bed and touched the padding- and couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was still cold, and piratically had no smell at all. This confirmed what Mabel feared when she woke up- what she was experienced wasn't a dream and she NEEDED to find Steven. Going over to her door, she jiggled the handle and was surprised to see that it opened.
To her surprise, she wasn't in a simulation of her house. Instead, she seemed to be in some kind of Air BNB style beach home with a single hallway and several doors to different rooms. Even with the welcoming house, the whole place felt wrong- there were no windows and the place was practically dead silent.
"Hello...? Steven?" Mabel called out and walked down the hall and soon found herself in the main living room of the house. There she noticed a portrait of a beautiful pink woman, the same one simulated from Steven's mind, above the entryway. From there, Mabel noted there was just whiteness outside, confirming her suspicions that she was currently in a prison.
"I'm up here, Mabel." Mabel turned suddenly and saw Steven sitting up in a loft area with his pet Lion. The boy seemed to be distressed, to Mabel got closer and noticed Steven was kneeling in front of his pet. "Something's wrong with Lion... he's been acting strange since you fell asleep."
"... How long was I out?" Mabel asked.
"I don't know... we don't have clocks here, so it feels like for awhile." Steven responded. "I'm worried about him... Lion's... he's not just my pet he's-"
"Family. I know. I feel the same way about Waddles." Mabel nodded, and noticed that the cat had its head down and was in a kneeling position. Taking a chance, Mabel stroke Lion's mane in an effort to calm him. "What is this place Steven?"
"This is what my home looks like in Beach City. Pretty cool huh?" Steven smiled.
"Yeah... perfect beach house style." Mabel acknowledged. "Speaking of homes... I think it's about time for us to go home, don't you think?"
"I can't... I made a deal with someone. Someone or something I really shouldn't have." Steven couldn't look at Mabel.
"Bill." Mabel figured. "What did you get in exchange for coming here Steven?"
"I haven't gotten it yet. Bill told me if I came here, I could meet my mom and that the Crystal Gems would be safe." Steven explained.
"Don't trust Bill, Steven! Whatever you were told, don't believe him! Remember what he did to Gravity Falls! Don't think he won't do the same to Beach City, or anywhere else! That's what he actually wanted, yah know! To turn our whole world into his playground!" Mabel exclaimed.
"I knew it was a risk! But I had to! I couldn't take the pressure anymore! It was too much!" Steven exclaimed.
"What was too much?!" Mabel yelled back.
"EVERYTHING!" Steven's sudden outburst caused Lion to groan. Steven pet Lion in apology, and continued. "The situation in my universe got to be too much. And then Bill came to me in a dream and started visiting me regularly. To prove he was real... he made small wishes come true, and I would come visit him for games in my dreams in return. And when I found that VHS tape addressed to Nora, and... and- I couldn't take it anymore! I don't know anything about myself or my mom, or why she made me!"
"Steven! You're not making any sense! You had to know believing Bill was a bad idea!" Mabel exclaimed. "He's not a genie! Bill makes deals, and you CAN'T get out of them! Don't you get that?!"
"I don't expect you to understand Mabel, bu Bill does! I knew he had the answers I needed, that's why I went with him!" Steven explained.
/
Steven knew this time was gonna be different when he saw Bill tonight.
The triangle's knew something was up- the boy's dreasmcape was dark and depressing even by Bill's standards. That was when Bill noted a gym bag with Steven- along with being accompanied by a pink lion. The protective relic from Steven's mother.
"You hitting the road, Jack?" Bill snickered, and didn't even flinch when Lion ran straight through him.
"Lion! Be nice!" Steven sighed and pet his fur. "Sorry... he likes following me into dreams sometimes."
"I gathered. So what's with the duffel bag, kid?" Bill inquired.
"Bill... I know you can do stuff somehow, but I need to know... how far can you go?" Steven asked quietly.
"Depends on the request." Bill shrugged. "Bu keep in mind, the deal has to match the weight of the favor. The balance of justice and all those rules."
"Yeah. Hey Bill... if I were to ask you to prevent Homeworld from attacking Earth, could you do that?" Steven asked quietly.
"Sacrificing yourself for your loved ones, how noble!" Bill inwardly vomited at the boy's stupidity. "But it's gonna cost you big!"
"I don't care." Steven stated firmly. "It's all my fault Homeworld's on the attack, and I just want it to stop. I don't want to lose anyone..."
"So you take yourself out of the picture?" Bill scratched his chin. "That could work."
"What do you mean?" Steven wiped some tears from his eyes.
"If you agree to be my playmate in this dreadfully boring place, then I'll prevent Homeworld from attacking Earth!" Bill clarified.
"So if I stay here with you... Earth will be saved?" Steven clarified.
"Yep! What do you say Steven, do we have deal?" Bill reached out his hand.
"Deal!"
/
"Steven... I'm sorry, I had no idea you were under such pressure." Mabel said sadly. "We can talk about it, but we gotta get out of here first."
"No. It's not that simple and we can't leave. Otherwise, everyone in my world will be in danger again. With me gone, the Diamonds will have no reason to go after Earth." Steven explained.
"You don't know that, Steven! The Crystal Gems need you! My brother and my family need me!" Mabel argued. "Bill is the last person you should trust to keep anything safe!"
"He's kept his promises so far! And besides, why would he help me then? If he's as selfish and destructive as you say he is- then why did he find me in the first place?!" Steven yelled.
"I don't know! And I don't want to find out! I thought I was done with Bill when-" Mabel suddenly stopped her rant, realizing something. "Steven... why was I brought here?"
Steven looked away in shame. "I don't know... I asked Bill if I could bring a friend to visit me, cause I was getting lonely. When you arrived, I was pretty confused- I didn't know you and Bill kept saying no do-overs. He said that we could probably get along."
"And you don't think it's weird that he brought me, of all people, here?! With you?!" Mabel pressed.
"It is! But I can't change that!" Steven yelled. "But what I can change- is whatever purpose my mom forced on me!"
COUGH! COUGH!
Their arguing suddenly ceased, when they head Lion coughing. Not fazed but drool and fluff, Mabel went to fetch some tissue to start cleaning- Waddles was clean and tidy but he was still a pig. But as Mabel started picking at the massive blob, she noticed something heard in the middle. Wiping it clean, her eyes widened at the unfamiliar object.
"Steven...?" Mabel spoke.
"Yeah?" Steven asked, wiping his tears.
"What is this thing?" Mabel held up the object, making Steven jump back a little. "What? Lion coughed it up in the hairball. Whatever it is, it's heavy."
"That's... how?! She was in the Burning Room!" Steven yelled.
"What?! Steven, what's wrong?!" Mabel yelled.
"That's Bismuth... she's a former Crystal Gem! She was bubbled because she went crazy against my mom!"