It has been a couple of days since the incident with Mendi and the giant owl occurred. Things were back to normal for the most part. The traffic at the shack had died down when the music festival ended, letting Wendy be as careless as she wanted during her shift. Her leg healed for the most part since that night; she was able to walk without too much discomfort. Ford walked into the gift shop, seeing it was vacant, he approached Wendy.
"Wendy, could I speak with you in private for a second?" Ford asked. Wendy said sure and put down her magazine. Ford went over to the open sign and switched it to close. "I don't mean to cause any stir bringing up the night you encountered that giant owl and managed to get away alive, but have you thought about why it didn't eat you?" Ford asked her while he stared out of the door window.
"I thought about it, and I figured that when I was staring at it straight in the eye, it felt threatened. Animals have an instinct to know when to not encounter other animals don't they?" Wendy asked.
"Well, that would be a plausible explanation, if you did actually stand a chance against it." Ford turned around to Wendy. "Don't get me wrong Wendy, you're tough, but an owl that size could have pinned you down and eaten you with no troubles at all. There's a possibility that's been bugging me ever since we left the music festival that night." Ford adjusted his glasses. "I talked to Dipper when we talked to the shack, asking if you still had both of your parents. He told me your mother passed away several years ago. Let me start by saying you have my deepest condolences. When I first returned to this world with the help from Stanley, I flipped through some of my old journals again. I noticed some pages were missing. One being a mind control spell, and another being an ancient prayer that turned humans into a variety of beasts. The only problem with that verse is that it completely switches you over to animal instinct, leaving the untrained user to abandon their human nature." Ford said.
"Okay? What does that have to do with my mom?" Wendy leaned against the clerk desk.
"Owls are known to attack anything that harms their homes, or their children. But it didn't attack you, it left as if you were its child." Ford looked into Wendy's slowly widening eyes.
"What are you saying?" she cautiously asked. Ford hesitated for a moment before he said his next statement.
"Wendy, I think the owl you encountered that night is your mother." Ford said. Wendy sat back into her seat staring at the cash register. Wendy began to shake her head.
"No... No, my mom died... I saw her body on the floor the night she..." Wendy's eyes began to water as her voice cracked.
"That verse only takes the soul of a person but leaves the physical body as it conjures a new one for the user. You may have seen your mom's body, but your mom's soul could-"
"Stop... Stop talking." Wendy was looking down at the floor, seeing tear drops fall, creating small dark dots near her feet. Ford stood there quietly, looking at the floor himself. Wendy looked up, showing her bloodshot eyes and tear streaks on her face. She wiped her eyes with her wrist.
"Can I... Can I be alone for a moment?" Wendy asked.
"Of course." Ford said then exited the room. On the other side of the doorway was Dipper, Mabel, Stan, and Soos all looking worried for their friend.
"Is she okay?" Mabel asked.
"I'm not sure, sweety. Right now, she wants to be alone. Let's give her some space." Ford said. Wendy looked at the empty room in front of her, recalling the moment she and the owl were locked in eye contact. She tried to put her mother's face on it but wasn't able to vision anything of the sorts. Wendy stayed in the gift shop long after her shift ended. She sat there, thinking how it is possible for her mom to still be alive. The others would sometimes hear her crying, making them all sympathize for their friend. The sun was setting, casting an orange sky over the woods. Wendy stood up from her chair and met everyone in the living room. All eyes turned to her with worried looks.
"Hey Wendy, are you alright?" Mabel asked. Wendy's eyes were noticeably puffy, and her face cheeks were redder than usual. Wendy nodded.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Wendy turned her eyes to Dipper. "Hey, would you be able to help me find the owl?" Wendy asked. Everyone's brows rise. Dipper said he could and asked when she wanted to go looking. "Right now, if that's okay."
"Y-yeah, let me go get my backpack." Dipper ran up the stairs. Wendy then walked up to Soos.
"Hey, would it be okay if I borrowed-" Wendy looked up and saw a set of keys flying at her. She pulled them into her chest when she caught them, and saw they were the keys to the golf cart.
"She's fully charged and ready to go." Soos raised a can of normal Pitt-Cola to her. Wendy smiled, then gave Soos a big hug.
"Thanks, big guy." Wendy said. She let go of Soos, seeing Dipper at the end of the stairs putting on his backpack.
"Ready to go?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah. Do you want to come Mabel?" Dipper asked. Mabel picked up waddles.
"No thanks. If I went, Waddles would want to go, and... well, you don't need me explaining why it's a bad idea to take a pig to a giant bird." Mabel snuggled Waddles, making him snort.
"Soos? Grunkle Ford?" Dipper asked. Soos said he wasn't comfortable going to see a man-eating owl, especially with his baby being very close to being born. Grunkle Ford insisted on watching over Grunkle Stan's wounds.
"Okay, we'll be back as soon as we can." Wendy left the living room; Dipper followed her lead shortly after she left. The two got into the golf kart. The sky was almost covered by night. Only a small portion of the sky still had sunlight. Wendy started the engine and asked Dipper where to go. Dipper pulled out his notebook and traced a path he had created at the last pages.
"You're going to want to go towards the highway, so southeast. Which should be that way." Dipper pointed his pen into a cluttered part of the forest. Wendy put the kart in reverse and began driving down where her navigator instructed. Dipper was focused on directing Wendy to the highway where Dipper first encountered the owl. Though, he couldn't promise any sightings or means to find the large bird. Wendy looked at him reading his notebook with a flashlight in his mouth. Dipper made sure they were on a familiar path, not even noticing how Wendy had been having her eyes on him from time to time. Dipper instructed they needed to travel for a good while before they get to the underpass of the highway. Wendy didn't mind, enjoying the night sky and the casual drive through the woods. The ride was quiet between the two. The only sound was coming from tires and a one note hum from the electric engine. Wendy kept following Dipper's instructions. It wasn't until they had reached the end of his map that they stopped the kart.
"Okay, so everything up from here is uncharted waters. Are you ready?" Dipper asked. Wendy looked at the dark woods lit by the headlights of the golf kart. she gripped the steering wheel and sat up straight in her seat.
"Let's keep going." She said, putting the kart in drive and drove down the path Dipper had yet to mark. The two drove along under the highway that entered Gravity Falls. Dipper said they should probably walk from where they are so the bird doesn't suddenly attack the kart. Wendy parked the car near the highway, Dipper handed her a flashlight, then the two began to walk into the pitch-black woods. The two walked for briefly ten minutes, Wendy looked at Dipper's back as he would point his flashlight around the forest.
"Hey, Wendy, if you don't mind me asking, what was your mom like?" Dipper asked, shining his flashlight at her but not at her face.
"My mom was really cool, and very sweet. She made us home cooked meals every night, would play games or watch movies with us. She showed me how to craft figures out of blocks of wood too. Or, she tried to, I kind of suck at it. She told me to keep practicing and I'd eventually get the hang of it. It was nice to have her around, especially since she was the only other girl in the house. I love my dad and my brothers, but when we had our mother daughter time, it felt like a breath of fresh air." Wendy smiled while remembering the time she spent with her mother. Those thoughts would often get disrupted by images of her that night she had found her on the living room floor.
"She sounds like a great woman." Dipper smiled at Wendy, pulling her out of her head.
"She was, and an even greater mom." Wendy commented. The two had walked into a glade where the moon provided enough light for them to see without their flashlights. They turned them off and walked close to the center of the open space. Dipper marked their trail in his book. When he looked up, he saw a familiar set of two large orange orbs behind some trees. Dipper's stomach dropped when he made eye contact with the owl. The owl revealed itself, stepping into the glade, its height casting a tall shadow almost reaching Dipper and Wendy at the opposite end. Wendy put her hand on Dipper's shoulder.
"Wait here." Wendy said. Dipper looked up to her and nodded. As Wendy got a couple of feet in front of Dipper, he pulled out a flare gun from his backpack. Wendy's heart raced as she got closer to the giant animal. She didn't break eye contact with every step taken towards it, almost being mesmerized by the brightness of its eyes in the dark wilderness. Wendy stopped several yards away from the owl. It leaned its head in staring at Wendy.
"Are you Micah Corduroy?" Wendy asked in a loud firm voice, loud enough even for Dipper to hear. The owl tilted its head. "She married Daniel Corduroy and had one daughter and three sons. I am their daughter, Wendy Blerble Corduroy." The owl straightened its head and began to advance towards Wendy in small steps. The owl lifted its left wing slowly, while Dipper cocked the flare gun with his finger on the trigger. The owl swinged its wing at Wendy, causing her to clench her fist and close her eyes. She felt the soft feathers of the bird brush her hair. Wendy peaked one eye open and lifted her head meeting the owls glimmering eyes once again. The owl made a small 'hoot' before leaning its head down and pressing her forehead against Wendy's. Suddenly, a flash of Micah entered Wendy's head. She was nearly palpable with the vision Wendy saw. Wendy put her hands on the owl's face. "Mom?" Wendy called out. The owl gave another low volume 'hoot' almost like she was responding to her. Wendy wrapped her arms as far as they could wrap around her. Wendy started tearing up while gripping tightly to Micah's feathers. Wendy let out a loud whaling cry, with tears running down her face and fluids leaving her nostrils.
"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH MOM! WE ALL MISSED YOU SO MUCH! I... I..." Wendy wiped her face on her feathers. "I thought you killed yourself! I thought I'd never get to hug you again or tell you how much I love you! I'm not entirely sure how this happened to you, but I'm just happy to know you're still here!" Wendy's words echoed through the forest. Wendy continued to cry, as Micah let her daughter let out all the pain she'd experienced for years. Micah brushed her wing feathers over Wendy's head again. Micah stood up straight while looking down at Wendy. Her attention then went over Wendy's head looking at Dipper. Dipper's veins froze when she made eye contact. Wendy looked behind her to see what her mother was looking at.
"Oh..." Wendy sniffed then wiped her eyes. "Follow me, mom. There's someone I want you to meet." Wendy held Micah's wing and led her to Dipper. Dipper saw Wendy walking back, he quickly put the flare gun back in his backpack. Dipper's head looked up almost as far as it could go, seeing Micah's brightly colored orange eyes. "Mom, this is one of my best friends, Mason. He usually goes by 'Dipper' because of the birthmark on his forehead." Wendy looked up at her, who was still staring at Dipper. Dipper was petrified, remembering how she ate Mendi and that security guard the other night. "Dipper, this is my mom, Micah." Wendy introduced her with a big smile. Dipper cleared his throat.
"I-It's very to m-meet you Mrs. C-Corduroy." Dipper couldn't help but shake when he waved high to Wendy's mother towering over him. Micah leaned down staring at Dipper, then went back to standing straight up. She turned her head to Wendy and made another 'hoot' noise. Wendy laughed, but Dipper was unsure what to do at this moment.
"She likes you." Wendy said to Dipper.
"Oh that's... good." Dipper nervously said. Micah opened her mouth and began gagging. Wendy and Dipper became worried. Micah began coughing, her saliva being spit onto the floor.
"Mom, are you okay?" Wendy eased her hand closer. Micah made one last loud gag before spitting out a human body. Both Wendy and Dipper screamed when the body hit the ground. Dipper turned on his flashlight and pointed it at the humanoid shape covered in saliva. It was the security guard that Mendi stabbed through the eyes. In the silence, they both could hear a groan coming from him.
"Wait... I think he's alive." Dipper kneeled before the body and placed two fingers on his neck. Dipper could feel a pulse coming from him. "He has a heartbeat!" Dipper reported. Dipper pointed the flashlight to his face, opening his eyes with his index finger and thumb. Dipper shined his in his eye, causing the pupil to shrink. "She... revived him." Dipper and Wendy looked up at Micah in awe. The security guard groaned again. Dipper got back on his feet. "We should get him to a hospital. I'll go get the kart. I'll be right back." Wendy handed Dipper the keys and he ran back into the woods to fetch the golf kart. Wendy saw him vanish into the woods then turned her eyes to her mother.
"I have so much to tell you mom. Tambry is going to think I'm telling some sick joke when I say you're still alive. We're still friends even after all these years. And remember dad's friend Tyler? He's the mayor now, believe it or not. But everyone likes him, so he's doing a pretty good job. He passed a law that forbids the town to talk about the world almost ended last year by a demon. But the town worked together to prevent that from happening!" Wendy had a big smile. Micah looked at Wendy with no facial expression. Wendy's smile slowly faded; she hugged her mom again. Micah tried her best to wrap her wings around her daughter. "I wish you could tell me what you've been up to. I bet you've seen and done some amazing things being what you are now." Wendy looked up. "You're not going to revive that girl you ate the other day, right?" Wendy asked. Micah shook her head, making Wendy chuckle. "Good, she tried to kill me and everyone I love." Her head turned around when she saw the headlights behind the wall of trees. Dipper emerged back into the glade. Wendy and Dipper got the security guard into the middle seat of the kart, Wendy turned back to her mother, hugging her one more time. "We have to head back now, but I promise I'll visit regularly and keep you up to date with everything in the family! It might take a bit of convincing before any of the boys or dad come out here, but I'll find a way. I love you, mom." Wendy broke the hug and went next to Dipper's side. Micah looked down at the two before turning around and walking back into the depths of the forest. Wendy and Dipper drove to the town hospital, and gently laid his body at the entrance. Wendy couldn't help but smile on their way back to the Mystery Shack. She felt warm in her heart knowing that her mother was, in a way, still with her, and guarding her. Wendy and Dipper arrived at the Mystery Shack around nine in the afternoon. Wendy and Dipper walked up to the front door.
"Is it okay if we hang out here for a while before I go home?" Wendy asked.
"Of course, you're always welcome here. You want something to drink?" Dipper offered.
"Hmm, sure. I think I still have some sodas in the cooler under the register." Wendy said. Dipper got up from his seat and headed inside, as he opened the door, his Grunkle Ford was stepping out.
"Dipper, I trust everything went alright with the owl?" Grunkle Ford asked. Dipper confirmed that they found it and were able to find out some incredible things they were capable of. He told Ford he was going to get some refreshments for him and Wendy. Ford peaked out of the doorway, seeing Wendy sitting on the porch couch.
"Wendy, glad to see you're back." Ford took out a wood pipe and a small container filled with dry brown leaves. "Did you... get the answers you were looking for?" he asked, peaking his eyes up from his glasses while he packed a pinch of tobacco into his pipe.
"Yeah, I did. That giant owl we all came across is my mom..." Wendy looked down at the wood porch floor.
"Are you okay with that?" Ford asked.
"I'm more than happy to know my mom didn't off herself. I just have some questions." Wendy looked over to Ford, who started a match and lit his pipe.
"And what might those questions be?" He exhaled a cloud of smoke away from Wendy.
"You said that spell turns its user into a variety of animals when used. Why did my mom turn into an owl?" Wendy asked.
"Hmmm... Well, the Greek goddess Athena, the goddess of war, handicraft, and wisdom, is usually portrayed with owls in murals and statues of her. Sometimes an owl represents her all together. I trust that your mother was a smart, tenacious woman who was good with her hands. There's also that old saying of 'mother knows best' while owls have been depicted as being very wise in many works of fiction." Ford inhaled from his pipe and exhaled another cloud. "But I'm not sure. If I had a concrete answer, I would give you one." Ford put his pipe back in his mouth.
"I guess that makes sense. Even if she is a huge owl in the middle of the woods, it's comforting to know we're together again." Wendy said. Ford looked up into the night sky. "My other question is, is there any way she could go back to being human?" Wendy asked leaning on the edge of her seat. Ford puffed out another cloud of smoke.
"I'm sorry, but as far as I know, there isn't. The user would return to their body when they would want to, but seeing as your mother has been buried for years, she has no body to use except the one that was created from the prayer." Ford looked upset explaining that to Wendy. Wendy's eyes were focused on the wooden floor.
"Well, thanks anyway. I just needed to ask." Wendy looked up at him with a small smile.
"Anytime." Ford walked to one of the pillars on the porch. He turned his pipe upside down and tapped the ashes out. He stomped on the embers near his feet. Dipper then came back outside with two Pitt-Cola's. Ford stepped up to the doorway. "Well, I should go check to make sure Stanley isn't picking at his scabs. He's always had that problem since we were kids." Ford said. He looked down at his nephew and winked at him. Dipper sat himself down and handed Wendy her soda. They opened their cans and toasted.
"To moms." Dipper said.
"To moms." Wendy clinked her can against his and they both took big gulps. Dipper let out a burp, but Wendy let out an even larger, more aggressive burp.
"Aww gross!" Dipper waved his hand in front of his face, the two sharing a laugh.
"So how do you think you're going to convince your dad that your mom is alive and a fifteen-foot-tall owl?" Dipper asked. Wendy shook her head slowly and shrugged.
"I'll think of something. Maybe I can ask mom to point out who is who, or asked who had a bad habit of doing what when she lived with us." Wendy said. "Hey, I'm sorry you didn't get to see BABBA live because of all the nonsense that's happened the past couple of days." Wendy said. Dipper waved off what Wendy said.
"It's fine. Like Mabel said, there will be other concerts. If Lazzaopaloozawa doesn't completely bail on Gravity Falls being a location for them next year, we should go." Dipper said.
"That sounds like fun." Wendy leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees. "Hey, so, before I bashed Mendi with the end of a mic stand. What were you two up to?" Wendy asked Dipper. Dipper's cheeks rushed with blood, almost spitting out his current sip of soda.
"Uhh, we went to get some privacy. That's how we ended up behind one of the stages. First, she scratched the back of my head, then we started cuddling for a moment. That was when Grunkle Stan crossed our path, and all my attention went into thinking what he could possibly be doing at Lazzaopaloozawa. She then tried to get my attention again. That's when she... uh... She pushed my back against a wall and put her head below my waistline." Dipper had an unnerving feeling recalling the actions that occurred that night. "I think she wanted to do something to me that, to be frank, I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for." Dipper admitted. Wendy's raised her brows.
"Really?" She asked.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I get those urges from time to time. It's just, I don't want to do THAT with just anyone. I would like it to be with someone who've I've known for more than a week, and I've grown a connection with." Dipper said. Wendy smiled knowing Dipper was uncomfortable with Mendi's advances. "It sounds lame when I say it out loud, but I feel comfortable around you enough to say it." Dipper stated.
"Don't say it's lame. It's actually very sweet. It's comforting to know you wouldn't do anything with anyone just because you were horny for a moment. You actually put thought into your actions before going through with them. I wish more people were considerate like that, it would save a lot of drama." Wendy said. Dipper chuckled. The two shared another sip of their sodas.
"Why do you ask?" Dipper questioned. Wendy's lips thinned.
"Because, when you guys were spending time alone together, I got... jealous." Wendy blushed while admitting her feelings. She looked over and saw Dipper's brows raised and blushing as well.
"You did?" He asked.
"Yeah. Well, to be honest the first time I got jealous was when she told Mabel and I that she thought you were cute. Then when you two went on that hike alone with each other, that's when I knew I couldn't lie to myself about how I feel about you." Wendy looked into Dipper's eyes.
"Wendy, how do you feel about me?" Dipper asked. Wendy's heart was racing, she rubbed the back of her neck.
"When this summer started, I was stoked to spend more time with you guys again. Then, when Mendi came around, it unraveled feelings that I didn't even know existed until I saw someone else being sweet to you. I've had guy friends who liked other girls, and I always encouraged them to go after them. But that didn't happen with you. You made me feel something different when I saw you getting close to another girl that isn't your sister." Wendy leaned back into her seat and sipped her can.
"Wow... I'm flattered." Dipper said. Wendy smiled at him and put her hand on his head. She started to slowly scratch his scalp making the butterflies in his stomach go wild. The two stared at each other, the distance between their faces was getting shorter by the second. Dipper saw Wendy glimpse at Dipper's lips, and she noticed him doing the same. Wendy moved her hand from the top of Dipper's head to behind it, she gently pulled him closer, both closing their eyes. They kissed, making each other's chest fly. They pressed their lips for a bit of time, before pulling away and opening their eyes. Wendy blushed, while Dipper was speechless from his first kiss being with whom he always hoped for. Wendy smiled seeing how taken aback Dipper was at that moment.
"How was your first kiss?" Wendy asked.
"Incredible." He responded. Dipper sat up rolled his eyes to Wendy. "Not that I want to ruin this amazing moment, but where do we go from here?" Dipper asked. Wendy sighed.
"I'm not sure, really. Because I do like you Dipper, more than any other guy I've met in my life. But..." Wendy wondered for the right words to choose. Dipper stared at her looking at the ceiling, thinking.
"I'm too young for you." He spoke. Wendy's head went directly down. She shyly looked over to him leaning back on the couch. Dipper sighed.
"Hey, listen, how about we take it slow. And I mean, SLOW." Wendy emphasized.
"How slow?" Dipper asked.
"Slow as in we hang out, go on adventures together, basically everything we've been doing since we met. But now, we could do what we just did every now and then when the moment feels right. Like it was just now." Wendy looked at him.
"Okay... Would we be a couple? Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Dipper asked.
"Yes, but I wouldn't want us to go parading it around. I've always hated couples who had a shared identity." Wendy said. Dipper started nodding.
"Okay, okay... who are we allowed to tell?" Dipper asked.
"Well, I guess Mabel would be okay."
"Oh god no, she'll pay for an ad in the paper to spread that news. I meant, what if me or you meet someone who makes a move on us?" Wendy asked. He involved himself but knew it was Wendy who was more frequent in that situation.
"Then I'll let them know I'm not interested. If they're very persistent, I'll tell them I have a boyfriend." Wendy put her hand and Dipper's hand.
"And I'll say I have a girlfriend." He said. The two grinned.
"Deal?" Wendy asked. Dipper pulled Wendy's hand up and kissed it.
"Deal." He answered. She leaned in and kissed his forehead.
"Alright, it's settled." Wendy said. Dipper offered Wendy a ride home in the golf kart, but declined, she wanted time to think how she's going to break the news to her family that their mom was still alive. The two got up from their seats and hugged each other good night. Dipper waved her goodnight, and waited until she was no longer in her sights before going inside. Wendy walked home staring at the road, thinking of all the new adventures ahead of her, but most importantly, who would be with her. At Wendy's home, she went to the sculpted owl her mother made years ago. It was placed next to the family photo of all of them. Wendy saw her family smiling in summer clothes, with her mother holding her youngest brother in her arms, Dan holding her two other brothers on his biceps, and a younger Wendy between both of them. Wendy looked over to the right side of the family portrait. She spotted a wooden sculpture of a hawk with its wings spread open with topaz eyes. Wendy realized it was the sculpture her dad was working on the other night. Wendy was filled with encouragement to try and get better at crafting wood models after seeing the two on the fireplace, but she'd worry about what to sculpt tomorrow morning.
-The End.