Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Part Four: Into The Fire
"I can't believe it… M-Mom tried to kill herself?!" Mabel quietly said in disbelief to herself as she leaned up against the side of the Mystery Shack; a cool breeze blowing through the late November morning air. "And Pacifica's been cutting herself?! How did she hide it so well? I mean, I'm practically with her twenty-four, seven… She's my fucking twin and still I had no idea that she was doing that shit!" the auburn haired girl softly berated herself as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. An immense feeling of guilt came over the young woman for the second time that morning as she thought of how the accident at the Outdoorsman Games had changed her sister's life forever. Despite being reassured countless times from both her family and countless others, she still felt as if had been her fault. Now, she also felt responsible for the fact that Pacifica had become so depressed about her condition that she was intentionally harming herself. "I'm the worst sister ever!" she said in a faint voice as she sat down, pulled her knees into her chest and began to break down again.
Pacifica and Wendy had returned to the event hall, where a very festive attitude filled the air. Grateful that the chestnut haired girl had managed to survive the night in the unforgiving Central Oregon forest despite the odds not being in her favor, the Corduroy and Pines families decided to resume their Thanksgiving celebration. Most everyone had a great time, but Mabel had kept to herself for the rest of the day. After the party had ended and everyone had cleared out of the event hall, the Pines family began to clean up. Wendy looked around as she tried to find any discarded plates, cups or food that may have been left behind. Glancing to the far side of the room, she spied Mabel seated in a chair. "Hey Mabey-Baby! Can you help me out with something?" she called to her daughter as she began to fold up one of the portable tables. Mabel continued to sit in the chair as her mother wondered if she had heard her. "Mabel, can you help me?" she once again asked, this time in a slightly louder tone, only to have the preteen fail to react for a second time. "Maybe she has her headphones in or something?" the ginger woman thought to herself as she began to walk over. "Mabel?" Wendy asked for a third time as she now stood only feet from the seated child. "Yeah, I heard you…" the redhead finally answered in a very annoyed tone. "Well? Why didn't you answer me then?" Wendy inquired as she observed a cross expression begin to form on her usually cheery daughter's face. "Because, I didn't feel like it… Problem?" she once again replied with attitude. "Oh yeah… Big problem…" the alabaster skinned mother shot back as she squatted down to look at her daughter in her hazel eyes. "Well, that sounds like your problem… Maybe you should go share that with Pacifica… I'm sure she'd care about it… I, on the other hand, couldn't give less of a shit…" Mabel said as she did a hair flip and turned her head away from her now irate mom. "MABEL ELISE PINES!" a bewildered Wendy shouted; Pacifica, Dipper, Melody, Soos and Mateo all turning around to see what the commotion was about.
Tears began to fill the emerald eyes of the thirty-six year old mother of two as she was hurt by her daughter's total lack of respect for her. It was incredibly out of character for the usually happy go lucky twelve year old and she was taken aback by both the language and tone she used. The sting of the young woman's words hurt more than any wound she had ever suffered before. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to apologize right now" the ginger woman said as she fought the urge to break down and cry. She was met with silence as Dipper and Pacifica arrived at the scene; Melody, Soos and Mateo exiting the hall in order to give the family privacy while they dealt with the matter. "Mabel, honey, what's the problem?" asked Dipper as he took a knee in front of his insolent child. "She knows what she did…" the redhead said in a curt manner. "Mabel, I really don't… Maybe if we talked about thi-" she began before being cut off by the preteen girl. "Sure… Now you wanna talk… Well guess what? Why don't you go peddle your fake ass apology somewhere else, because I'm not buying what you're selling…" Mabel said with a sneer as everyone's jaws dropped at the blatant disrespect for her mother. "Mabel, that's your mother you're speaking to!" Dipper exclaimed with a bit of disgust in his voice. "No… That is a liar that I'm talking to… A-A mother wouldn't keep things from her children like she did… A mother wouldn't only tell one of her kids about something that's important…" the auburn haired girl shot back. Suddenly it all became clear for Wendy as to why her daughter was so upset. To be honest, she completely understood as well.
"Mabel… Honey… I-I was going to tell you… I promise that I was. I-It's just that it kinda came up when I was talking to Pacifica… That's all. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise…. More importantly, I-I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings…" Wendy said as tears escaped her emerald eyes and began to trickle down her freckled cheeks. Mabel mulled over the apology for a moment. She was still a bit angry about the whole thing, but the love she had for her mother far outweighed that feeling. It hurt her deeply to see that she had caused the thirty-six year old to cry and she wanted to make it right. "Mom… I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I let my anger get the best of me… I should have known that you were only trying to bond with Pacifica… That you were going to tell me too. I-I just guess that I was jealous that Pacifica has been getting all of this attention today while I've kinda been an afterthought. It doesn't make what I said and did right, but that's what was going on with me. God, I'm a pretty horrible person, aren't I?" the preteen said as she began to cry. "Honey, jealousy is just a part of growing up, especially when you have a twin. You feel like everything should be equal. That one shouldn't know something important while the other is seemingly left out. Trust me, I know. There were times when I was jealous of your Aunt Mabel and I'm certain there were times that she was jealous of me. So, while I am upset with how you've acted today, I get it…" Dipper said as he put a hand on his daughter's shoulder; thinking back to how those feelings from his own sister nearly caused the end of the world almost two decades prior.
Pacifica took a seat beside her sister and looked her in the eye as she began to speak. "Mabes… I-I'm sorry that you had to find out this way" she said in a soft voice as she wrapped her twin up in a hug. "It's okay sis… I-I just want you to be okay… I had no idea you were feeling that way… Kinda makes me a shitty sister, doesn't it?" the redhead commented. "Nah… I didn't want you to know… I was embarrassed… A-And I know you already feel bad enough about everything… I didn't want you feeling like this was your fault too, because just like my arm, this is not your fault… It's me. I'm just dealing with all this in a really shitty way… But Mom is going to get me set up with someone who can help me work through this…" the young woman said as a smile formed on her face. Dipper was still a bit out of the loop, as he was not aware that his daughter was cutting her arm in an attempt to cope with her feelings. He had figured she was just feeling insecure about her prosthetic arm. "Well… If we're being honest with one another, there's something that I've been keeping from all of you…" Mabel said as she took a deep breath, hoping her family would understand. "I-I've been feeling really bad lately… Like, I dunno, my feelings are just cranked up to eleven and they start to control me. I-I was crying in the shower this morning because I was afraid that Pacifica had died…" the auburn haired preteen said in a trembling voice before continuing. "It wasn't just a normal sad feeling… My heart was beating outta my chest and I felt like I was locked inside my body… I couldn't move, even though the water was starting to burn me…" she said as she slid the purple t-shirt she was wearing down her shoulder, revealing a few blisters from the hot water. She was grateful that her cousin had come in when she did, as it had likely saved her from suffering much more severe burns to her skin. "Oh my God…" Wendy said in a hushed tone as she held her hand up to her mouth. "Cassie came in and helped me get out of the shower… B-But if she hadn't… I-I would have just sat there. I just kinda froze up… A-And I'm scared…" the young woman said as she fought back tears.
Dipper knew the feeling all too well. In the weeks and months following Weirdmageddon, he had suffered from similar crippling anxiety attacks himself. His parents, who had no idea what had triggered them in their son, had ended up getting him help in dealing with them. Dipper had tried to be honest with his therapist, but at the same time had withheld most of the reasons for why he was feeling the way he was, as he was certain that they would not believe him. Thinking on his feet, he recalled an old movie about some kids finding a dead body in the woods and decided to use that as an excuse. Luckily, the doctor had bought it and he had been prescribed medication to help him cope. He had a strong feeling that his daughter was suffering from something similar and was determined to help his daughter out. "I-I know how you feel… I wasn't much older than you when I felt similar feelings… Like my body was locking up on me and my mind was moving a mile a minute with fear… Weirdmageddon really fu-" he explained before suddenly stopping. Wendy and Dipper had made a pact to shield their children from the supernatural and just plain weird things that their town had to offer, in hopes that they could have a normal childhood. He hoped that his slip up had gone unnoticed, but unfortunately for him his children had inherited his keen sense of observation. "Weirdmawhatsit?" Mabel and Pacifica asked in unison. "Oh, uh… Nothing… Never mind all that…" the chestnut haired man said as he tried to change the subject. "No… You said something about that Weirdmageddon thing…" Pacifica said. "Yeah… I've heard other people mention it in passing too… What is it?" Mabel joined in. "Look… It's been a long day… We've got, like, a million phone calls to make to get you girls set up with some people who can help out and then we still have to cle-" Wendy said before being cut off. "We've both found out things we never knew about you guys… Like how Mom tried to kill herself and how Dad had crippling anxiety… And guess what? It's beginning to affect us… So I think you guys need to come clean. Just be honest with us… It's time we knew the whole truth… About this town… And about both of you" Pacifica said as she looked her father in the eye.
Dipper and Wendy were silent for a moment. Both knew that this day would come, but had hoped that it would be at least a few more years. "Okay…" Wendy said as she turned and faced her husband. "We need to tell them… They're right. We've been hiding this for far too long…" she explained to her lover. "Yeah… I guess so… It had to happen eventually" Dipper said with a sigh. "You guys are old enough to know… I mean, your Pops and Aunt Mabel were your age when they first came here and started seeing all this crazy stuff" the auburn haired mother said to her twin daughters, who now shared an excited expression. While they had overheard people talking about the event from time to time, they never did get an idea of what had truly happened that summer nearly two decades ago. Now, they were about to get the whole story straight from the source, and they were eager to see what all the secrecy was about. "First, we've gotta get this place straightened up though…" Wendy pointed out. "Okay!" Mabel cheerily replied as she and her sister got up from their chairs and began to do so. "Well… This is gonna be fun…" Dipper said in a sarcastic voice to his wife. "C'mon… You were, like, a total badass back then… You're going to sound like a superhero to them…" Wendy said as she pecked the uneasy man on his lips. "What do you mean by 'were'? I'm still a badass… Right?!" the hazel eyed man asked with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Of course you are…" she said with a chuckle. Dipper was unsure of how to take the comment. "Well… If I recall correctly, you did jump onto a flying Eyebat and fought it a couple hundred or so feet in the air… So if anyone is a badass, it's you…" the flannel clad man quipped. "Oh yeah! I had totally forgotten about that… I could have died! God I was dumb back then… I thought I was invincible…" the redhead recalled. "You weren't dumb. You were brave. That's part of the reason I fell in love with you… Because you were never afraid to get your hands dirty… No matter what, you were always up for whatever crazy thing that Mabel and I roped you into… You saved us so many times…" Dipper said as the pair took a seat in the chairs that their daughters had occupied only moments before.
Over the course of the next hour, Dipper and Wendy Pines reminisced about the first summer that they had met while their daughters cleaned up the event hall. "Hey Mabes, check it out…" Pacifica said as she folded up a steel chair. The two looked at their parents, who were cutting up like a couple of teenagers on the far side of the room. "They're so cute!" Mabel gushed as she saw her mother playfully paw at her husband's shoulder. "That's the kind of love that I want to have someday…" Pacifica said in an adoring tone. "I know, right?! They're soulmates…" Mabel agreed with her sister. It had been a while since Wendy and Dipper had just sat and talked. "Oh gosh! Remember when I punted Lil' Gideon and broke Ghosteye's arm?" the ginger woman asked her husband. "Oh yeah… That snap both frightened me and turned me on at the same time…" he joked. "Well… If we're talking about times that we scare-roused each other, then your moment would be when you caught that guy who stole my hat in Portland… I was so afraid you were going to kill him, but at the same time I was so hot for you… Just that you would get that angry at someone that you'd beat them within an inch of their life for disrespecting me… I-I'd never felt that way about anyone before… If I'm being honest, I would have taken you right there and made him watch if it were up to me" she chuckled as her lover's face turned a crimson hue. "What about that time we got into that bar fight at Skull Crusher's because that guy grabbed my ass while I was bent over the pool table? Good thing my Dad walked in at the right time and pulled you off of him… I mean, you were choking him out with a pool cue like a wrestler using a kendo stick!" Wendy continued. "Well… He wasn't too thrilled that his daughter had a guy backed up into a corner while brandishing a broken beer bottle… Although it was funny that the dude pissed himself!" Dipper laughed. "A-And he tried to play it off by saying it was just sweat… I was all like, 'Okay… Yeah, sure thing buddy!" the freckled woman said as she joined her husband in laughter. "What happened to us?" Wendy asked her husband in a somewhat wistful tone. "We grew up Wen… We have kids now… We can't just go tearing up the town and risking our lives like we used to back in the day…" the brown haired man explained. "Yeah… And now that we're going to tell our daughters about all that, I'm kinda worried that they're going to be just as reckless and headstrong as we were…" the ginger woman added. "Well… All we can do is be there for them, just like our friends and family were…" Dipper said as he hugged his wife on a late November afternoon in Gravity Falls, Oregon.
Author's Note: So, lots of secrets have just been revealed to the new Mystery Twins. Will they be able to handle the fact that they're parents battled an interdimensional dream demon and won? Or that while they were victorious, it came at a great cost to them? How will Dipper and Wendy manage to recall the events of what has come to be known as the Great Forgotten War? Wil the girls go in search of the supernatural oddities that both the town and their parents have tried to shield them from for their entire lives? And just how does the book that Pacifica found play into all of this? Answers to all these questions and more that you didn't even know you had in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story. Until then, thanks for reading and reviewing! -iKLOT
My Playlist For This Chapter:
Bring Me The Horizon - "Can You Feel My Heart"
Mansionair - "Astronaut (Something About Your Love)"
Papa Roach - "To Be Loved"
I Prevail - "Alone"
Foo Fighters - "Outside"
Flyleaf – "I'm So Sick"
Skillet – "Whispers In The Dark"
Papa Roach – "Born For Greatness"
Korn – "Twisted Transistor"
Nickleback – "Feed The Machine"
The Official Shooting Star Falls AU Reading Order:
Underage Discoveries On A Reckless Night: A Shooting Star Falls Prequel
A Shooting Star Falls
Echoes Of A Nearby Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Scarred Summer: A Shooting Star Falls Story
The Dark Days of Candy Chiu: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Forever Memories: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Stable Times Or A Wild Ride?: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Grenda's Confession: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Birthday Weirdness In The Rose City: A Shooting Star Falls Story
The Gift Of Forever: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Wendy & Dipper Vs The Future: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Life In Transit: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Pause The Moment: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Tales Of The Flame & The Axe: A Shooting Star Falls Story