It had only been raining for about fifteen minutes, and very lightly too. But ever since it had started, Stan had glanced out the window no less than three times. By the looks of the darkening clouds overhead, it wasn't going to be very long until the weather grew fierce.
He wasn't the only one getting a little antsy as the minutes ticked on by. His cashier kept looking up from her magazine to steal quick glances at the clock. The twins still hadn't returned from their earlier foray out into the woods. At least it was something of a comfort to see her boss show a little bit of heart for once. He was getting so worked up that he was letting his guard down, making for quite the enjoyable spectacle.
"C'mon, where are you?" He grumbled under his breath, doing his very best to sound convincingly annoyed above all else. "Yeesh. It's gonna start pouring buckets any second. Then they're gonna track mud everywhere in here, and it's just gonna be a whole thing…."
"I'll go look out for them." Wendy finally volunteered. The old man just nodded and shuffled off to his office. It was better than sticking around and watching that smirk spread across her face.
The lanky girl "borrowed" an official souvenir Mystery Shack poncho and trotted outside. She positioned herself near the edge of the woods and kept her eyes peeled for a pine tree cap bobbing off in the distance, or a telltale flash of a brightly-colored homemade sweater. Meanwhile, the skies above continued to grow thicker with every passing moment. It was only midday day, yet it looked like night had come early to the town.
Right when she had begun to think about running in to go grab a flashlight, she picked up the distinct rumble of footsteps. Her immediate relief quickly turned to confusion; that was may more racket than two preteens could make. It honestly sounded like a small stampade, which as a Gravity Falls native she had never heard before. The unfamiliar pounding quickly grew closer, and before she knew it a miniature herd sprang from out of the thick forest, coming to a halt only a few yards away from her.
Thankfully for the teenager, the Pines twins had been doing a spectacular job of getting her well-acquainted with all the oddity that apparently had been dwelling in the shadows of her hometown her entire life. Otherwise she might have panicked at the sight of the strange new arrivals. Instead she only gawked curiously.
"...Whoa."
There were five of them total, each and every one a walking, breathing mishmash. From the shoulders down they looked like any average human being. But In place of their necks, each one sprouted the front half of a small horse complete with an extra set of hooved feet. They snorted and agitatedly kicked the air while waiting for their passengers to disembark. A pair of slightly wet twins clambered down off the equine shoulders of two of the living absurdities.
"Wendy!" Mabel flashed brace-filled smile. "Hey!"
"Uh...hey." The unsettled teen murmured back.
"Good to see you! Give us just a sec, okay?" The girl turned to their mounts. "Thanks a million for the quick ride home! And as promised…."
Dipper stayed back as his sister handled their end of the bargain. She reached into her sweater pocket and fished out two thick handfuls of sugar cubes, which their new friends eagerly slurped up with relish. The girl squealed with laughter as their lips tickled her open palms. Once the treats were gone, one of the creatures whinnied loudly and signaled it was high time to take their leave. Teen and preteens watched as they whirled about and raced away.
"Reverse centaurs." Dipper explained simply to their older friend.
"Yeah, I was actually able to figure that out." Wendy found herself feeling unexpectedly proud about this. "Huh. Well looks like you guys took care of my weirdness quota for the week again."
"Yup." The boy conceded bluntly, He didn't need to say another word. All in all, it was just another day in the life for the three of them.
"Thanks for all your help! Bye, friends! Good-byeeeee! Bye!" Mabel waved furiously, biding an enthusiastic adieu to the strange beasts. Just her luck, as soon as the last one had disappeared from sight, something occurred to her. She snapped her fingers.. "Aw darn it! I forgot to ask them!"
"Ask them what?" Wendy pried curiously.
" I wonder where they buy their pants?" The tween innocently wondered out loud.
"I'm not sure," Dipper weighed in. "But all I can say is I'm so, so glad that they apparently found a place…."