Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Part Thirty: Blueprints to Armageddon

It was a little after seven in the evening when Wendy, Dipper and Pacifica Pines returned to the Gravity Falls Regional Medical Center. Walking into the room, they saw the bedridden Mabel staring out the large window as the sun began to sink in the sky. "Hey honey, we're back..." Wendy said as she took a seat on the edge of the bed; Dipper pulling up a chair and Pacifica choosing to stand. "I cannot wait to get out of this place. It's just so boring here" the redhead said in a somewhat whiny tone. "Trust me, we all know the feeling all too well..." Dipper said as he looked to his wife as they all thought about their time spent in the hospital over the years. "Hey sis, what's with the outfit? I mean, it's super cute and all, but it's not really your usual style..." the fifteen year old asked. "Oh, I was just going through some of Mom's stuff in the attic and came across this. I thought it looked kinda neat, so I figured I'd try it on. Speaking of which, I found this for you!" she said while taking the music player out of her pocket and removing the wireless headphones from around her slender neck. "What the heck is this? Some kind of old cell phone?" Mabel asked in a curious tone as she examined the digital device. "It's a music player that Mom had when she was our age. It's got some really good songs on it. Should stave off the boredom until we pick you up tomorrow" her sister explained. "Thanks!" the ginger teen said with a smile on her face.

"Welp, that should do it for the outer perimeter ring..." Ford said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He had long ago removed his trademark maroon sweater, which revealed his tattooed torso and arms. Not many beside Stanley had seen the markings, which told the tale of his life on the run in the multiverse. "So, this will keep the town safe from those things?" Stan asked his brother. "Yes... But also no..." he replied as the duo began their walk back to the truck they had rented. "What the fuck do you mean by that? Stop talking in riddles and give it to me straight..." Stan said in a frustrated tone. "It only works if they use their magic. The more they use it, the more the moonstones will drain them of their powers. We just have to goad them into using it... In a way that is safe for us and the town, of course" Ford clarified. "Well, in that case we should finish the other two rings tomorrow..." Stan said. "I agree, but this was enough work for one day. Let's go grab a couple cold ones and let these old bones rest..." Ford remarked. "Fordsy, that's the best idea I've heard from you in a while..." Stan agreed as the two set off for the local bar.

"Director Trigger, I have your daily briefing" a professionally dressed woman said as she placed a tablet on his desk; her heels clicking against the tile floor with every step she took. "Thank you, Agent Larson" he replied while turning on the device, which contained reports on the latest supernatural occurrences in the Pacific Northwestern nation. "While most seemed mundane, a photograph of a bedridden teen girl caught his attention. "Who is this girl, Agent Larson?" he asked while holding the picture up for her to see. "That would be Mabel Elise Pines, age fifteen. She lives in Gravity Falls, Oregon" the woman, who was in her mid-twenties replied. "Why does the name Pines ring a bell?" he thought to himself. Although Ford had managed to wipe the minds of the federal agents that had descended on Gravity Falls in the days preceding Weirdmageddon, the town and its inhabitants were still of great interest to the organization in the years that followed. "Tell me, Katelyn, why we're taking pictures of teenage girls in the hospital? Does one of our agents have a new fetish I should be aware of?" he asked his subordinate; a hint of dry humor coming from the usually reserved man. "Well, Kevin, this isn't just any teenage girl. Over the past few months the special agents assigned to the area have observed her using magic. Her powers are among the strongest we've seen in quite some time. We have reason to believe that she is the cause for the recent spikes of activity in the region" the dirty blonde haired woman explained as she sat on the edge of his desk. "So, why is she in the hospital? A mishap with a spell?" the black suit clad man asked before taking a sip of water from a glass on his desk. "According to our sources, it appears she suffered a seizure, which may or may not be related to her use of magic" Agent Larson replied. "Katelyn, tell the boys to get ready... We're going on a field trip to Gravity Falls..." the man instructed. "Right away, sir!" she dutifully said before exiting the office.

"Gideon Gleeful... It's been a long time since you've seen this place, hasn't it?" a suit clad man asked as he circled the interrogation room of the Gravity Falls Police Department. "I'm not saying a word until my lawyer shows up" the white haired presidential candidate responded. "Well, I suppose that is well within your rights, but I don't know why you're being so defensive. I mean, it's not like you're the one who violated multiple federal and international laws, are you?" the man continued. Gideon remained stoic and the agent knew that he'd have to step up his game if he was going to get anything out of the younger man. "If you're worried about her well-being, I can assure you that Ms. McGuckett will be treated with the utmost dignity and respect when she's apprehended" the interviewer said. Still, Gideon remained silent. Jennifer, like most everyone else in his life were either in his way or existed only to be used as a tool to get what he wanted. Sure, he had tried to shed his evil ways and be just a regular person, but after the death of Mabel he realized that the one person who had ever truly believed in him was gone and he no longer had any obligation to do such a thing. "You know... If you were to cooperate with us, I'm pretty sure that we could make this whole situation go away for you. While this election may be lost, who's to say that your entire political career has to go with it. All you have to do is get Dr. McGuckett to turn herself in and we'll handle the rest. You're good name will be restored" the man explained. Gideon thought about what the sharply dressed man had offered to him. While he did harbor some romantic feelings for Jennifer, he realized that his entire future was at stake. If he could get them to deliver on their promises, then he could continue with his master plan. "Say that I could deliver Dr. McGuckett to you... You're saying I'd walk out of here scotch-free? But what about all the texts, emails and paperwork?" the white haired man inquired. "It'd be a real shame if those things were to go missing... Wouldn't you agree?" the man replied. "What about the kids? They're all I have left of my dear Mabel..." Gideon remarked. "They'd go home to their father, of course... It's not like they had a say in being created by Dr. McGuckett" the interviewer answered. "Alright... Get me out of here and I'll deliver Jennifer to you. I don't know how, but I will" the legislator said with a sense of relief in his voice. "Consider it done" the man said as the door to the interrogation room opened. Gideon began to walk out of the room when the black suit clad man grabbed him by the shoulder. " You have until the end of the week. Don't make us regret extending this offer to you..." the man remarked before letting go him.

"Once again, if you're just joining us, Senator Gideon Charles Gleeful has just left the Gravity Falls Police Department headquarters after what appears to have been a marathon interview with federal authorities" a familiar voice on the television narrated over footage of a dark colored sport utility vehicle driving away from the brick building. Wendy, Dipper and Pacifica had just returned home from the hospital and the trio sat down on the sofa to decompress from the day and catch up on the news. To say that this story took them by surprise was a bit of an understatement. "How'd he manage to get out of this one?" Dipper asked aloud. "Yeah, I thought they had him dead to rights with the whole human cloning thing and all..." Wendy agreed. "He probably threw someone else under the bus to save himself... Typical politician" Pacifica chimed in; her cynical comment catching Wendy and Dipper by surprise. It wasn't long after that the auburn haired woman's phone rang and she had an answer. Tambry informed her that Gideon and the authorities had struck some sort of deal and that he was allowed to walk because of a lack of evidence that he had played a part in the creation of the children. "That fucking snake!" Wendy erupted at the news. "Well, it's far from the first time that some backroom deal has happened to absolve someone of a crime in this town..." her violet haired best friend replied; reminding Wendy of her own murky past with the law enforcement of Gravity Falls. "Yeah, but that was different..." the thirty-six year old woman shot back. "Was it really, Wen?" Tambry pointed out, "If I recall correctly, that person never knew about or asked for that to happen... She was fully prepared to face the consequences for her actions" Wendy said as both Dipper and Pacifica felt the anger slowly building inside of her. "All I'm saying is that those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones..." Tambry remarked. "Noted. Well, you have yourself a pleasant evening, Mrs. Bennett..." Wendy said through clenched teeth before abruptly ending the call. "FUCKING BITCH!" the redhead growled as she threw her phone down onto the couch. She then looked up to notice both her husband and daughter looking at her with a shocked look on their faces. Without saying a word, she got up from the sofa and headed upstairs. "What was that about?" Pacifica asked her father in a hushed tone. "I think Aunt Tambry might have struck a nerve with your mother. I'll go try to smooth things out..." Dipper explained as he reached for his cane. "Do you need some help getting up the stairs?" the silver haired teen asked. "Nah. My legs are just killing me from running up to your room earlier today... Thanks though..." he replied.

The possessed bodies of Ariel and Baron Gleeful had retreated to an abandoned cabin in the woods, where they had begun to plot their takeover of the dimension. "Well, it seems as though this one will be a piece of cake. Also, note to self... Get a piece of cake from Greasey's before we destroy this town. Sooooo good..." Ariel said. "Sooooo good..." Baron agreed with his sibling as he licked his lips. "Same as always, dear brother. Eliminate the Pines family and the rest will all fall into place" the white haired teen remarked as she removed a dagger from her jacket and pinned a picture of the family to the wooden wall with it. Baron let out a sigh and it caught the attention of his sibling. "You okay?" she asked in an empathetic tone, which was highly unusual for the cruel and heartless demon. "Yeah. It's just that... nevermind" he remarked. "No. Go on. What's on your mind?" she asked while taking a seat at the table to join him. "I just wonder when all of this is going to end, you know? I mean, we're going from dimension to dimension, but I think we're never going to find another place like home. Even if we manage to do so... what then?" he said in a sullen tone. Although it was now hard to believe, the Magic Killers were not always the twin embodiments of death and destruction that were feared from one corner of the multiverse to the other. They had once been just average children. That all changed on one fateful summer day when they stumbled upon a pair of amulets deep in the woods while going for a walk to clear their heads. Their Great-Uncle had taken the siblings in after the untimely death of their parents back in California and the two began to perform in his stage show.

The show had been on its last legs and it wouldn't be long before it had to close for good. Mabel and Mason Gleeful were desperate to help and thought of ways to save the family business. They had gone for a walk in the woods in an attempt to find some sort of oddity when they stumbled across an old book and two amulets. The pair spent the better part of a week researching the tome and were amazed when they began to perform the spells within it. Soon, the magic acts were incorporated into the show and it wasn't long before it began to draw as well as it had in its heyday. Mason and Mabel had done nearly every trick in the book and were desperate to keep the act fresh. Turning to the last page of the book, it contained an incantation that promised an unlimited amount of power, but cautioned that it came at a price. Ignoring the vague warning, the twins read it aloud on closing night as a grand finale. It ended in disaster, as the town was destroyed and everyone they cared for had been killed in the chaos. A portal to the nightmare realm had been opened and after being sucked into it, their descent began. Although they had been counseled by many, one demon in particular had led them down an especially dark path. His name was Bill Cipher and the triangular terror had tainted them with his touch like so many before them. He molded their young and naive minds with warped viewpoints in which it was acceptable to get what you wanted by any means necessary. In the twins' case, it was a new home. "Do you ever wonder what happened to Bill?" Mabel asked as removed another dagger from her jacket and began to play with it. "I'm sure he succeeded. I mean, he was the most powerful demon in the multiverse by far" Mason replied. Little did the pair know that they were in the very dimension where Bill Cipher was defeated once and for all.

Authors Note: Sorry about how long updates are taking, but my work life has been absolutely crazy this year. I promise that this story is heading towards an epic finale and it will not disappoint. Thanks for all of your support, reviews and fan art! So, Stan and Ford are bonding while trying to protect the town from the Magic Killers. I also decided to finally give a little bit of a backstory to the Magic Killers, as I wanted to humanize them a bit. Sure, they're literal demons who jump from dimension to dimension in search of more magic to consume, but they do have reasons other than that for what they do. Even people who do horrific things usually have some sort of rational in their mind that what they're doing is right, even if they way they're going about it may be wrong. What will happen when Wendy and Tambry next cross paths? Stay tuned for the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. Until then, stay safe and remember that I Know Lots Of Things... -iKLOT

Music:

The Score & AWOLNATION - "Carry On"

Nothing But Thieves - "Unperson"

Weezer ft. Wyld Stallyns – "The Beginning Of The End"

From Ashes To New ft. Anders Friden of In Flames - "Scars That I'm Hiding"

Our Last Night - "Ignorance Is Bliss"

Kill The Lights - "Through The Night"

Major Lazer/ MO / DJ Snake - "Lean On"

Against Me! - "Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners"

The Interrupters - "Take Back The Power"

beabadoobee - "Care"

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Cyr"

M83 - "Midnight City"