Opening File: The Veil
The Veil is an invisible barrier that cuts off just at the border of Orchid Bay. Its main objective besides shielding the monsters from human eyesight is to also keep truly evil magic at bay.
It was put in place by the Magical Elders before recorded history, at the end of a big planetary war between the world of humans and world of magic. To put a stop to it, they gave up their physical forms and empowered three touchstones, which gave rise to the actual Veil, making the world of magic invisible to humans, separating the two worlds forever. Along with the Veil, the Elders also instated the position of the first Te Xuan Ze, a human given great power to hold everything in balance. A current Te Xuan Ze is also the only one in power and able to destroy the three orbs.
The Veil is really a spell protected by three Sacred Touch Stones which control it through three different aspects:
1. The first touchstone – 'gets the ball rolling'; destroying this one starts the process of lifting the spell of the Veil.
2. Magical Sight - The second one holds up the actual veil spell itself.
3. The third is a keystone that acts as a last resort. Destroying it will make the magical veil gone forever as well as let truly evil magic in.
Reciting the oath of the Te Xuan Ze at the third stone will restore all of the other touch stones as well as the magical veil. The barrier did not exist as a physical limit barring departure for any Te Xuan Ze before Kai Yee, the Te Xuan Ze's 'strongest warrior and greatest curse' after whom the Elders decided to bind the Veil to the role of The Protector as a literal barrier for all current Te Xuan Ze. Recently the current Te Xuan Ze was given a task outside of Orchid Bay and thus a deal was made to allow her to leave Orchid Bay City, only after a ritual was performed. The Ritual of Soul Bonding, where the Te Xuan Ze's soul is bound to another who is able to leave the barrier but the souls must remain in close proximity at all times.
End File
Xxx
"You can't live life without rules. There are a lot of people with different opinions on rules. One person might say 'Rules are a job to uphold' while another would say 'Rules are for losers'. What category do you fall under?" TOM asked while closing the 'Veil' file. "Rules are meant to give structure while keeping people civilized and from becoming savages. Though, some rules can be seen as ridiculous but they only are if the people who made them were complete loonies. Then are the ones considered unfair and unreasonable and unfortunately those kinds of rules do exist. And many are changed and replaced all the time so you just need to remember the basic ones along with the important rules: the unspoken ones made by you."
Xxx
"So remember, Marco that we are trusting you to help Star settle down around here." Raphael said to his son. "Star is not from this world and she doesn't understand the differences and dangers that exists here. Take the time to show her around Echo-Creek, tell her of the Faunus and Mobians and make sure she doesn't go looking for trouble."
"All right, Star. Feast your eyes on this!" Marco revealed a plateful of hot, cheesy nachos.
"Marco's Super Awesome Nachos!" Star sang in excitement, clapping excitedly and picked up a nacho. "Triangle food!"
At the very least they both had the same love for nachos.
A knock at the door was heard, interrupting their nacho feast. Marco answered but no one was there. Marco looks around, at first seeing no one until he saw who had knocked.
A floating pony head. "Yo, what up, home fries?"
Marco screamed and fell over, spilling his nachos.
"Oh, my gosh!" Star came outside, stepping on Marco who groaned. "Flying Princess Pony Head!"
"Oh, hello, 'B-Fly'!"
Star hugged Pony Head and giggles.
"Girl, we're going out tonight! Are you ready to make some ba-a-ad choices?"
"Let me just wake up Marco."
Marco lied on the ground, motionless and covered in nachos and cheese.
"Oh, that is not a dead person?" Pony Head asked.
Marco groaned. "Not... dead..."
Star picked Marco up. "Pony Head, meet my best friend Marco Diaz."
"Your best friend?"
"Huh? Oh, no-no-no! On Earth! You're my best friend on Mewni. Marco, this is the pony I've been telling you about."
Pony Head snorted. "I hate your face. Plus you're ugly." She suddenly laughed. "Just kidding. That's a joke. Tick-tock, girl. Let's paaartaaay!"
"Yeah, Marco! Let's paaartaaay!"
"With her? Um, okay, well, I was gonna... But I... I was gonna..."
Star gave a sad puppy-dog pout.
"I... Ugh. Alright." Marco picked a nacho off his shirt and eats it.
"My two besties are gonna be besties!"
"Sweet! Let's go!" Pony Head revealed a pair of dimensional scissors in her mouth.
Star gasped. "Dimensional scissors?! Aah! Jealous!"
Pony Head cut open a portal.
"Wait, we're going to another dimen-"
"Come on!" Star pulled Marco through the portal.
Poor Marco felt he should reconsider being the one trying to educate Star on what living on Earth was like, considering how much time he was going to spend off Earth.
Xxx
"Aw come on, Ah-Mah!" Ray-Ray complained as the Lees left the arcade with Lila. "Why'd you trick us? We could be fighting evil with June!"
"Ray-Ray, this mission is too important for you to be messing with and I didn't trick Lila." Jasmine replied, smiling at Lila. "She knew the plan from the beginning."
"What?!"
Lila chuckled. "Sorry, Ray-Ray. June asked me."
"Besides, this is a test for June. Up till now she's faced against small-time beasts and losers. This is the real world and it will be her first step into the kind of battle that has not been fought by a Te Xuan Ze since the split of humans and magic." Jasmine stated stoically. "The last thing June needs is you two getting in her way."
Xxx
June and Monroe rushed through the forest back to Gravity Falls, following the car that had passed them.
"Where are Ray-Ray or Dennis to distract that driver when you need them?" June complained under her breath.
Monroe was right beside June when he picked up a strange scent. "Hold up, lass!"
"Uh?" June stopped and looked behind. "What's up?"
"We got company!" Monroe shouted, jumping up and pushing June down just as something shot out of the woods and sailed over them.
June rolled and jumped to her feet as two figures, wearing crimson robes stepped out of the shadows. One of them was carrying what looked to be a large wrecking ball with a long strong chain attached to it and crystals sprouting from it, resembling teeth.
"Te Xuan Ze, you are not welcome here." The robed figure carrying the wrecking ball stated.
"Great. More cult weirdos in dresses." June groaned.
"They are robes and watch your mouth, young lady!" The shorted robed man complained. "Anyways, turn back now and leave. The Te Xuan Ze and the so-called Elders have no authority here."
"Yeah, I've got my authority right here!" June held up her fist to them and shot forward.
The large robed man threw his wrecking ball again and June ducked, the ball hitting the ground behind her. However when it hit the ground it unleashed a great wave that slammed into June's back, knocking her forward towards the robed figures. The shorter one pulled out a large sledgehammer and swung it, slamming into June's torso and sent her flying back, hitting the ground next to Monroe.
"Oh boy." Monroe mumbled, staring warily at the two who just so easily knocked June around. "These two…They are pros."
June grunted, rubbing her head as she stood up. Thankfully her Aura training and her Te Xuan Ze magic had allowed her to recover quickly but she still had a splitting headache.
"Okay, so these guys are tougher than the last dudes in dresses." June clenched both fists and stretched her neck. "Okay, time to take off the kid gloves."
The large man threw his wrecking ball at her again but June dodged, cart-wheeling to the side and jumped up as the inevitable invisible explosion propelled her through the air. The shorter one aimed his sledgehammer at June and the hammer end fired like a rocket.
"Whoa!" June exclaimed, twisting her body to avoid being hit.
She then aimed a kick down but the robed men jumped away in time. June's foot slammed into the ground and created a large crater in the ground.
'These guys are good. They know the lass is dangerous up close so they are keeping their distance.' Monroe analyzed the two opponents. 'They must be from that cult that worships Cipher. This could be trouble.'
June looked around warily, tracking the two robed men who had disappeared into the trees. A sudden sound made her duck as the Wrecking Ball sailed over her head. She grabbed the chain and pulled, her magically enhanced strength allowing her to pull the owner out of the bushes towards her. She then swung her foot and kicked the man in the chest. The man's Aura flashed grey as he sailed back into a tree.
June looked at the Wrecking Ball and noticed something. "This isn't an ordinary weapon. It's a Geodite! You made magical creatures into weapons?!"
The man stood up, shaking off June's kick, remaining silent. June tossed the Wrecking Ball aside and lunged at the man but the shorter figure jumped out, firing the hammer end of his sledgehammer as June and knocked her back. June grunted, shaking it off and lunged again at the smaller robed enemy, punching at him. However he was fast and agile enough to dodge her strikes and jumped.
He held his sledgehammer up…
And swung it down on his knee.
That caused June to stop for a mere second, seeing he was now limping. "Uh…Are you okay?"
The man answered by charging at her which she took as the answer 'yes' and decided to end the fight. She punched at him but he ducked and touched her arm…
"GAH!" June screamed as she fell over, her knee now in great pain. "What in the world?!"
The man stood up, seemingly completely healed.
"Why are you…You transferred your injury to me!" June realized that she had been tricked. "That's why you hurt yourself!"
Realizing she had been duped June limped back, focusing her Aura on to healing her injury. As the Te Xuan Ze her Aura reserves were much larger than even a highly trained Huntsmen's and Jasmine had shown her a few tricks. She had not yet unlocked her Semblance, if she even had one at all but she had experience in fighting all sorts of magical monsters. What she hadn't been ready for was that the people she was fighting knew how to use their Semblances and they knew how to fight.
The giant picked up his Wrecking Ball and twirled it above his head.
"Lass, move!"
The giant swung his Wrecking Ball as June stood up, her magically enhanced Aura having healed most of her injury and allowing her to move. She rolled to the side, bracing herself for the invisible explosion that came from the crash that sent her skidding through the woods.
"Lass!" Monroe ran over to June, seeing his young charge covered in dirt and bruises. "We got to move. We can't win like this."
"We?" June asked, not recalling her dog friend doing any of the fighting.
"Quick, we have to move. Let's lose them in the woods." Monroe continued, tugging on June's legs.
June looked to see the two robed guys coming after her again and as much as she'd like to smash them down she knew she needed to recover. So with heavy reluctance she picked up Monroe and ran into the woods.
"Don't let her escape!" The large man said, throwing his Wrecking Ball after them.
June jumped, using her enhanced strength to jump up through the air and use the trees as cover. She jumped from tree to tree, feeling her injury healing faster but still needed to get some breathing room.
'I really didn't see this coming. Those magic-xenophobic freaks I fought with Ah-Mah before were posers compared to these guys.' June thought. 'They caught me by surprise but I won't let them get the better of me next time.'
Bill Cipher was just going to have to wait.
Xxx
Dipper flew out of a nearby building, coming upon the theatre. "Bill? Bill! I gotta get my body back before he does something crazy with it." He flew into the theater, spotting Bill in the audience.
Xxx
"Aw, nothing like the theater, huh toots?" The evil demon possessing Dipper's body was sitting with an arm around Wendy and Soos. "Hey Soos, wanna hear the exact time and date of your death?"
"Heheh, okay!" Soos answered.
"Hey guys! You all made it!" Mabel called out, spotting her friends and family in the audience.
"Are you kidding me? I would never miss... whatever this is." Stan said, trying to sound supportive.
"By the by, Mabel, where'd you put my journal again?" Bill asked.
"I used it as a prop for the big wedding scene! I still need a reverend, though." Mabel answered.
"Hey, what if I play the reverend? I mean, someone's gotta hold that journal, right?" Bill offered.
"Right! Let's go!" Mabel said before running off with Bill.
"Oh, no! Wait! Mabel!" Dipper flew after and followed them backstage.
Xxx
Mabel peeked through the curtain. Gabe was sitting down with his puppets as the lights flickered.
"The show is about to begin! Please turn off your cell phones! Unless you're texting me, cuties!" Grenda called out.
The house lights dimmed, and, to applause, the curtain opened. The set was a glittery and colorful Mystery Shack.
A light illuminated Candy, standing at a keyboard, dressed as David Bowie. "Gather round, and let us sing, about a girl who had almost everything."
She is rolled off the stage as a Dipper puppet popped out of a window and sang. "Look, it's Mabel!"
Puppet Mabel popped up. "Hi there!"
Next was Puppet Soos. "Did you say stable?"
Followed by Puppet Stan. "No, he said Mabel!"
"Okay, hit it, boys!"
The puppets formed a line and sang. "Who's that girl with the pig and the braces? She puts smiles on everyone's faces!"
Gabe smiled and nodded along.
"When she's around, you're never bored!"
The Puppet mayor came into the middle. "I am a mayor, and here's an award!"
Next was Puppet Mabel. "Thank you, mayor, it's true I'm great. But the perfect girl needs the perfect maaaate..."
The Gabe puppet was revealed. "Hey, what's up, I'm Gabe."
"Bwaaaa?" Heart glasses layered over Puppet Mabel's eyes.
Meanwhile Grenda was standing backstage as Bill, dressed in vicarage clothing, walked up behind her. "So, hey, Grendo! Where's that book prop I'm using for the wedding scene?"
"It's up in the wedding cake. But that doesn't come down until Act 3. So hold your horses!"
Bill backed away. "Oh, I'll hold my horses. I'll hold them... you monster."
Dipper flew up to Grenda. "Hey! Listen! Have you seen Mabel?" However Grenda didn't see him. "What did Bill say? I can't be heard without a vessel? Where would I find a-" Dipper stopped, noticing a pile of puppets and grinned.
"Finally, we're together." Mabel said as Puppet Mable.
"I'm sorry, Mabel, but I have to go fight. In the war!" A helmet landed on Puppet Gabe's head.
He yelled and ran off into a ravaged, flaming background. With a roar, a gigantic many-tentacled Grimm monsters appeared. Lasers flashed, fog rolled in, and gunshots were heard)
"I'll wait for you, Gabe! I'll wait for you!"
Happy music played and the curtain closed as the audience cheered.
"Our intermission has begun! Mill about!" Grenda announced.
Xxx
Mabel was now in her dressing room. "Whew, okay, you can do this, Mabel. Only 36 more musical numbers." She drank from the water fountain as the Dipper puppet slowly rose up, floating beside Mabel.
"Pst, Mabel!"
She noticed the Dipper puppet talking and does a spit take. "Aah! It's come to life! The puppetbooks didn't warn me about this!" She picked up a fork and threw it at the puppet.
"Mabel, it's me, Dipper! You need to help me!"
Mabel stopped, staring at the puppet. "Wait, what, Dipper?! But you're... so much more of a sock than usual!"
"Mabel, you have to listen. Bill tricked me! He stole my body and now he's after the journal! You have to find the journal before Bill destroys it. It's the only hope to get me back in my body!"
"But my cue's coming up any minute!"
There was a knock on the door and Gabe entered with flowers. "Hey, Mabel, do you have a moment?"
"GABE!" Mabel grabbed the puppet floating beside her and tucked it behind her back, laughing nervously.
Dipper struggled to free his hand. "Ow! Mabel!"
"Mabel, it's clear to me now that you really love puppets. I mean, you went whole hog. And if you stick the ending, well, maybe later you could join me for a biscotti?"
"You drive a biscotti?"
The lights flicked on and off.
"I'll be waiting." Gabe said and left.
"Did you hear that? He loves it! This play has to be flawless. Can't we wait until after the show?" Mabel asked, releasing the puppet.
"Mabel! You want me to be a sock puppet forever?!" The puppet's arms flailed.
Mabel laughed. "I'm sorry, it- it looks funny when you're mad."
Dipper grunted.
"Okay, okay, okay, just take over for me till I get back with the book. Little puppet face!"
Xxx
Dipper was now providing the voices for the puppets, giving Mabel the time she needed to find the book.
"Gabe! You're back from the war!"
He held up Puppet Gabe. "Yes I am! Wanna kiss and sing at the same time?"
"Okay!" He made kissing sound effects as the puppets kiss, stopping to whisper to himself. "Seriously?"
The audience applauded as Mabel climbed the catwalk and ran over to where the giant cake was hanging with the journal sitting inside.
Mabel climbed over the edge and reached for the journal. "Come on, come on!" She fell into the cake and it plummeted down. Just before it hit the stage, it was pulled back up.
"I hope this kiss never ends!" Dipper said as Mabel, continuing the play.
Mabel sighed. "Come on, come on now, there must be a way to get Dipper's body back!"
"Oho, but why would you want to do that?" Mabel looked up to see Bill pulling the cake up, with lights shining behind his grinning face.
"Bill Dipper! Bipper."
"Shh! You wouldn't want to ruin the show... Whoops!" He briefly released the cake, sending Mabel plummeting. "It's slipping! How's about you hand that book over?"
"No way! This is Dipper's! I'd never give it away!"
"Hmm, you didn't seem to have a problem taking it for your own play, ditching him when he needed you. So come to your senses. Give me the book or your play is ruined." Mabel sighed and began to hand over the journal. "There it is. I mean, who would sacrifice everything they've worked for just for their dumb sibling?"
Mabel glared. "Dipper would."
"Huh?" Mabel pulled him into the cake and they fall to the stage.
Dipper was acting as Puppet Stan. "I'm giving you away. You are a woman now. Waddles, the rings!"
Waddles squealed.
"Wait, what?" Dipper looked up to see the falling cake. "Oh no."
The cake crashed to the floor and Mabel and Bill tumbled out, grappling over the journal while lasers and fog went off.
"Get out of my brother's body, you evil monster!"
Stan got out his camera. "Whoa! Children fighting! I can sell this."
Mabel hit Bill in the face with the journal and ran away.
"You can't stop me! I'm a being of pure energy with no weakness!" Bill lunged at Mabel but missed.
"True, but you're in Dipper's body. And I know all his weaknesses!" Mabel retorted.
"Whaddya mean his-"
Mabel tickled him. "Tickle, tickle!"
Bill laughed and fell on the floor. "Aah! Body spasms! What are these?"
"A little note about the human body- You haven't slept for 24 hours!" She ran around the stage, Bill chasing her. "Also, I got a full night's sleep and I'm on four mega-shots of Mabel Juice!"
Bill's face dropped. "Ah! What is this feeling?" He was now wheezing. "My body is burning! I can't move these stupid noodle legs! Curse you, useless flesh sticks! Body...shutting down... must...scratch... mosquito bites..."
Dipper and Mabel watched as Bill stumbled around, then he collapsed. Bill shot out of Dipper's body and the world turned black and white.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa.. hey!" Dipper flew back into his body and opened his eyes.
"Hey! Yes! I'm in my own body! And it's... just as underwhelming as I remember." He stood and gripped his back in pain. "Ooh, everything hurts."
"The twins look over to see the Dipper puppet cackling. "This isn't the last you'll hear of me! Big things are coming! You can't stop me!"
"I'm sorry, Gabe." Mabel sighed and pushed the 'Big Finish' button.
Bill's puppet was on a pile of pyrotechnics, which exploded, sending fireworks shooting into the audience and blowing up the box of puppets. In slow motion, the Grunkle Stan puppet arced through the air, aflame, as Gabe, amid falling puppets, looked on in shock as 'Ave Maria' played mournfully. The rest of the fireworks go off in a cacophonous boom, and Dipper gleefully stomped on the Dipper puppet. As the smoke cleared from the smoldering set, the twins turn to the audience.
Some scaffolding crashed to the floor behind them.
"Don't worry. I've seen enough movies to know this is the part where the audience thinks it was all part of the show and loves it. Cue applause!"
The audience stared at them and started to boo. They get up and left the theater, grumbling about how they almost died.
Gabe stood, frowning.
"Gabe! Stick around for the wrap party? We've got mini-quiches!"
"Don't speak to me, Mabel. You've made a mockery of my art form. Let's go, my loves." He walked away, kissing the puppets.
The twins just stared.
"Did he just make out with his puppets?" Dipper finally asked.
"I might've dodged a bullet there." Mabel admitted.
Candy ran after Gabe, calling out in her native language. "Gaeibeu'i jamkkan! Kaendi na ajikdo neol saranghae! (Wait, Gabe! Candy still loves you!)"
"Oof. Mabel, I'm sorry about all this. It's my fault your puppets got ruined."
"Well, one of them survived." She pulled out the Mabel puppet. "And she has something to say to you." She spoke through the puppet. "I'm sorry, Dipper. I spent all week obsessing over a dumb guy. But the dumb guy I should have cared about was you! Bap!" She nudged Dipper's face. "Mystery twins?"
"Mystery twins." Dipper smiled and they fist bumped right before Dipper gasped in pain. "Ow! What'd Bill do to my hand? Ahh!"
"Nothing a little sleep can't fix." They walked offstage. "Come on, bro bro, let's go home."
"Seriously, I need to go to the hospital." Dipper said just as the door opened, revealing Hoagie who was sweating and panting. "Hoagie?!"
"Dipper?!" Hoagie jumped back.
"You're back in your body!" Both boys exclaimed.
Mabel simply stared. "Can we wait till morning?"