This took a reeeeeeeeeally long while to finish but I'm glad to have gotten it done. I feel as though this chapter is the one I'm proud of the most, so enough of my rambling and onto you reading!
Dipper considered himself as a pretty understanding person, despite his rational nature at times. But after witnessing his old enemy resurrected by the hands of an otherworldly entity, getting forced into a portal by the same entity, and now staying in the home with a bunch of strangers and a magical princess was where he drew the line. He was prepared to handle the supernatural for another summer—which is why he started his own journal in the first place—but this was the last thing he expected to happen to him.
"Well, here's my room," Marco introduced as he presented his bedroom to Dipper once they reached upstairs. The room itself was very well-kept and tidy without a hint of a mess. "It's nothing special or anything, but it's still suitable. You might have to sleep on the floor though."
Dipper looked around the room, noticing the teen's hobby of karate as he spotted a few items and posters. "I think it's pretty neat," he complimented with a shrug.
"Eh, it could be better," Marco replied as he sat on his bed. "It's nowhere near as cool as Star's. Her room is like a big royal palace, but a little less on the royal side and more... her."
Dipper's suspicions grew at the mention of the magical princess' room, the boy wondering what could be inside judging from that description.
"But that's just me—I still have my own cool stuff I'm proud of," Marco said confidently, particularly referring to his broken karate boards. "So, you need any help unpacking?"
"Oh no, it's fine," Dipper assured with a wave. "I barely have that much stuff with me anyway."
"You sure? I mean, even though we're bunkmates, you are technically a guest," Marco said with a friendly smile.
"Well, is there anywhere I can put my stuff?" Dipper asked cautiously. "I wouldn't wanna mess with anything you have."
"I don't mind where you put your things; if it's my space you need, it's my space you'll get," Marco assured with a wave. "I wouldn't wanna put anything in the closet though—don't want my stuff getting mixed with yours."
Dipper spared a puzzled glance at the closet doors behind him, questioning what could be inside for Marco to tell him not to put anything in there. "I'll just put my things over here," he pointed as he went over to Marco's desk.
"Well, while you do that, I'll be downstairs helping my mom with the food," Marco replied as he hopped off his bed and went to the door. "But if you need help with anything, you know just who to call." The teen blasted a couple of finger guns as he walked backwards, effectively losing all his coolness once he tripped and fell on his back. "Ow!" he exclaimed before he picked himself up and left with a wince.
Dipper shook his head at the lame exit before he shifted his focus back to his belongings. He didn't want to leave any of his supplies out in the open in case anyone in the house possibly wanted to take them, so he took to organizing them instead. Due to not packing that many items, there wasn't that much for him to tidy, though he zipped up his snacks within an inner compartment to avoid the Laser puppies from reaching it again. All that remained inside was his flashlight, a walkie-talkie, and his journal, something of which he brought out.
He inspected the journal, letting out an exasperated groan as the reality of the situation set in deeper. All Dipper wished was to uncover the many more layers that Gravity Falls possessed, yet he felt he might not get the chance to do what he aspired to. "This is ridiculous..." he muttered with a sigh as he set the journal back, the main source of his summer discoveries now feeling meaningless.
In the midst of his sulking, Dipper caught a glance of Marco's closet door from the corner of his eye, his dismay soon replaced with curiosity. While he wanted to write about the remaining mysteries of Gravity Falls, he couldn't deny the strangeness everyone in the house possessed. It was as if the door was calling to him, telling him to peek inside. He knew he shouldn't invade someone else's privacy, though his suspicions rose the more he thought about what could be in there. The boy tried to brush those thoughts aside, the boy believing that he and Mabel were staying with a regular family and he was just being paranoid over nothing. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that Star had possibly done something to Marco and his parents. It was already strange of them to take in a princess from another dimension, but her magical prowess made Dipper theorize her possible possession over the Diaz family.
Feeling as though he was about to uncover something big, Dipper cast a glance behind him as he went and creaked the door to avoid anyone showing up. He grabbed his flashlight from his bag and approached the closet door, holding the door handle tight as he prepared for what he could face. Without wanting to waste another second, he cracked the door open and peeked inside, his curiosity morphing into shock as he found himself staring at what could only be described as absurd: an entire row of identical red hoodies lined up on hangers.
"What the...?" Dipper stared in disbelief at the bizarre assortment of clothing, noticing how every single one was the same piece "That's... something?" He closed the closet door with a despondent frown, thinking he was onto something only for it all to come crashing down on him in a heap of disappointment. "Who in the world even needs that many hoodies?" he questioned, setting his flashlight back in his bag before he overheard Mabel and Star conversing in the hallway.
"Gosh, Star, how are you so cool?" Mabel gushed, her eyes bright with enthusiasm as she, Waddles, and Star walked downstairs. "You have gotta tell me your secret."
"It's all in the technique, Mabel," Star replied cooly as she tossed her wand back and forth. "Become a magical princess and people will come wanting to be your best friend. "
"So inspiring..."
The girls' voices dimmed as they left the vicinity, leaving Dipper as the only one left upstairs. However, as soon as they were gone, he formed an idea: if he wanted to find Star's true nature, he had to go to one of the sources. He peeked out into the hallway in case of any unexpected residents, making sure the coast was clear before he crept down the hall with fast yet quiet steps. It wasn't all too difficult to locate Star's room as her door read "Star's room" with hearts, flowers, and stars decorated around it, Dipper finding the welcoming signs to be a deliberate way to seem friendly.
Dipper hesitantly hovered his hand over the door, expecting some kind of magic to shock him upon touching it, but he soon found out that it was just like any other regular door. Not wanting to waste another second, he opened it and stepped into the room, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the sight of his surroundings. The room was a mix of royalty and suburban decor with the greenish-yellow walls holding an array of royal weaponry and pictures of whimsical creatures lined up, a large canopy bed sitting near an open windowsill, a spiraling staircase cracking through the floor that led up to the second story, and lines of treasure and clothes were sprawled across the floor.
"Whoa..." Dipper gasped in awe as he slowly walked into the room, amazed by the look of the place. "I guess she wasn't kidding about the princess thing."
Despite the fascinating decor, it wasn't enough to distract Dipper from the reason he came here. While he looked around the room for anything of note, his attention was promptly drawn to a lone object lying on Star's bed: a book. He ran over and saw its large, rugged appearance with an old copper cover and tattered edges that showed its apparent age, the most intriguing feature of it being that it didn't have a title despite its burly size, but rather a thick infinity symbol etched onto the cover with two gleaming gems planted in the openings. If this was anything the boy had to go by, the book must have been something of special use to Star.
"Interesting..." Dipper mused, confident that he was about to discover something about Star's true character. He looked around for any prying eyes before he slowly creaked open the front cover of the book, a few pages turning from the weight of being opened. The page that was revealed showcased an illustration of a human-like figure with multiple arms growing out of them, Dipper staring in bewilderment at the drawing as he read the more confusing title above it. "Magis Armis...? Whoever is the receiver of the spell shall be granted additional limbs to their body?" he read aloud, puzzled at the strange text written. Choosing to believe that it was only nonsensical, he skimmed through the numerous other pages within the book in the hopes of finding something knowledgeable, only to be met with similar strange titles and illustrations. "Papilio Multa Caput? Novis Inamabilis Sciurus Cornu? Lupus Mutatis Soror?" He continued to flip through the pages more and more, completely lost as most of the pages didn't continue to make any sense to him, and it didn't help as most of the pages were filled with cryptid, otherworldly text. "What is any of this? Is there a glossary in here I can find or something?"
"Did someone say Glossaryck?"
As soon as Dipper asked the question, he was suddenly thrown aback as the large book gained some form of sentience and began to flip its pages on its own will as if they were forced by a great gust of wind despite no strong weather coming through the windows, but they stopped their motion as a small figure rose from a naked page. It was a small, dark-blue humanoid wearing a long, yellow tunic, owning a collection of twelve fingers and a white beard that parted down the middle, a long nose, and a gem embedded in its forehead.
"What the...?" Dipper muttered in absolute bewilderment at the sudden intrusion. "Who are you...?"
"I believe I just said it, but maybe a little repeat is needed," the blue humanoid said casually, floating in a meditating stance. "To give your little ears a better understanding, I am Sir Glossaryck Of Terms. At your service, milady-" Glossaryck abruptly paused once he realized who stood in front of him. "Wait a second, you're not a lady."
"Uh, no, I'm not a lady," Dipper awkwardly corrected as he stood up and adjusted his hat. "But what even are you? And what are you doing in that book?"
"Well, seeing as though you are not of royalty, I believe I do not have to answer those questions of yours. Goodbye," Glossaryck quickly dismissed as he laid himself back onto the bare page before the book proceeded to close itself.
"Wait!" Dipper exclaimed as he attempted to pry open the book, the task suddenly difficult as it wouldn't budge. "I know that you know something about Star! Do you mind telling me something?!"
"Hate to break it to you, kid, but this book is only for the likes of magical princesses and other royalty!" Glossaryck voiced from inside, the book mouthing the words he spoke.
"Please! I need to find out who Star actually is!" Dipper explained as he continued to attempt to open the book with all the strength he could muster. "Geez, I really gotta build some muscle soon." As he tried once more to open it, he was suddenly knocked back to the floor as Glossaryck opened it himself.
"Tell me, what must you know about Star Butterfly?" Glossaryck asked, clearly intrigued at the repeated mentions of the magical princess.
"I want to know who she really is," Dipper answered confidently as he picked himself off the floor again. "You don't know me, but she told me she got sent away from her dimension because her parents wanted her to use her powers safely, but something about her is not right. She has puppies that shoot lasers from their eyes, she created some kind of bear, moose thing, she made a rainbow that caught on fire, and I'm pretty sure she knows mind control. What did she really do in her dimension for her to get sent to Earth? And seeing that you're a... wizard? You must have an answer."
Glossaryck stared expressionless at the boy for a moment before he shortly went into a round of laughter to the point of tears. "Oh boy! I haven't had a good laugh like that in a while!" he exclaimed as his laughter subsided, wiping away the remaining tears. "Say, kid, I know we just met and all but I think you'd make for an excellent comedian."
"W-what? No! I'm being serious!" Dipper retorted defensively. "There's something she's hiding that I need to know about; she's dangerous!"
"Listen, kid, you sure do remind me of that Marco boy," Glossaryck said as he rearranged himself into a more comfortable position. "Paranoid, lack of strength, an obnoxious voice."
"Huh?" Dipper questioned, quite confused at the comparison.
"But that doesn't matter right now," Glossaryck joked, ignoring the confused look Dipper gave him. "Star may seem dangerous to you, but she is simply a princess who's in need of training. She wouldn't hurt a fly; instead, she'd turn it into a butterfly if it bugged her. Get it? Bugged? I only jest, boy, all I'm here to do is assist her with my guidance."
"So what's the book for then?" Dipper asked with an accusing finger.
"This is the Book of Spells, my dear friend," Glossaryck replied with a wave of his hands.
"We aren't friends," Dipper corrected immediately.
"Inside this book contains all forms of spells for the use of the one who takes ownership of the Royal Magic Wand," Glossaryck continued without acknowledging the boy's comment. "Whichever spell Star wishes to create, all the instructions are within here."
Dipper raised a curious brow, his interest in the book growing. He believed if this whole book had a heap of spells, then there could possibly be a spell to help him and Mabel with their problem. "So this book has a bunch of magical spells that she can use?" he inquired for clarification.
"You need to get your ears checked, kid, but corrrrrrrrect!" Glossaryck answered enthusiastically.
Dipper contemplated the circumstances of asking Star for assistance; on one hand, she seemed extremely friendly. But, on the other, she seemed to be an uncertain force of destruction with an overly enthusiastic personality. However, the more he thought about it, the more he began to take Mabel's advice into consideration; maybe Star could help bring them back to Gravity Falls.
"Listen, kid, I understand you're not from around here, but I wouldn't recommend going around poking people with an accusation stick," Glossaryck criticized sternly. "That can only bring you no good in the long run."
Dipper snapped out of his thoughts, staring in disbelief at the living embodiment of magic. "How do you know I'm not from here?" he asked, growing suspicious that the magical guide knew more than he realized.
"Being a guide to royalty isn't my only attribute, Dipper Pines—or should I say, Mason," Glossaryck said casually as he floated in front of the boy's face with a grin. "I know every step you take and every thought you make, and that brain of yours isn't exactly secretive. But never mind all that; here's to being roommates." He held out a friendly hand for Dipper to shake.
Dipper stared hesitantly at the extended gesture, having now known the abilities Glossaryck seemingly possessed. However, he raised a finger for the magical guide to shake, seeing as though his hand was on par in size of his body.
"I suppose you should really get going now—wouldn't want Star to see you in her room uninvited," Glossaryck recommended as he laid on the open book.
"Right..." Dipper nodded as he slowly took his leave from the room, having gained enough information than he initially wanted.
"It was a pleasure meeting your acquaintance!" Glossaryck exclaimed with a smile as Dipper went further to the door. "And be sure to bring some pudding next time we meet!"
Dipper completely ignored what Glossaryck said as he closed the door behind him, having a hard time processing everything the magical guide explained. "...What just happened?" he questioned, confused.
"What are you doing, Dipper?"
Dipper jumped at the sudden voice, but he quickly found out that it was just Mabel standing next to him, a puzzled look written on her face. "Mabel! Could you not sneak up on me next time?" he asked caustically.
"I would if you weren't being so suspicious," Mabel answered with a frown, her arms crossed. "Were you snooping around Star's room because you still think she's plotting something dangerous because you're always paranoid?"
"No, Mabel, I wasn't snooping," Dipper lied as casually as he could, feeling minor guilt for not telling his sister the truth. "I was just looking around for a bit—seeing where all the rooms are and stuff. And I just so happened to be at Star's door."
Mabel glared at her brother as she suspected that he was lying to her, which he was, though it was soon replaced with her usual bright attitude. "Great! Because I assure you there's nothing to worry about," Mabel guaranteed proudly with a smile before she grabbed her brother's hand and headed for the stairs. "Now, c'mon! The food is ready."
Dipper didn't reject the offer as he was feeling pretty hungry at the moment, though he couldn't help but take a quick look at Star's door once again. His perception of the magical princess was already apprehensive enough, but if there was anything he learned from Glossaryck, it was that she may have been the only source of potentially getting them out of Echo Creek.
If there was anything Dipper had to admit about his stay so far, it was that the food was actually pretty good. While the pasta was initially meant for the twins to eat, everyone else couldn't help but get a plate for themselves as they all sat around the table, Mr. Diaz being kind enough to give Waddles a bowl of corn, the pig happily squealing as he dug right in.
"Wow, Mrs. Diaz, this tastes so good!" Mabel complimented as she took another bite.
"I'm glad you like it, Mabel," Angie thanked with a warm smile. "I tend to think I overspice sometimes, so I was worried neither of you would like it."
"Well, only the most special person can cook the most special dishes," Rafael remarked in a flattering manner, throwing his arm over his wife's shoulder.
"Oh you," Angie laughed as she placed an affectionate hand on her husband's hairy arm.
Dipper silently loathed the scene, his appetite already low as he occasionally picked at his food.
"It's a shame you two almost had to fend for yourselves out there," Angie brought up with a saddened frown. "Thank goodness Star and Marco found you both before anything bad could've happened."
"And we sure are lucky!" Mabel exclaimed positively, more than thankful to have met them while Dipper didn't fully share the same sentiment.
"Feels good to commit a helpful act of righteousness is what I always say," Star gloated with a cheeky grin.
"You don't say that, Star," Marco remarked as he took a bite of his food.
"No need to be a party-pooper, Marco," Star retorted, crossing her arms.
"So, Dipper, Mabel, where did you and your parents move from?" Angie asked the twins out of curiosity.
The twins exchanged a worried glance, both of them knowing the main cause of their arrival would sound very outlandish, even with Star being here. Thankfully, Dipper was quick to think of an answer. "We just moved from this town called Gravity Falls," he replied, which was technically both true and false. "It's in Oregon but it's pretty small—barely anyone's heard of it."
"Gravity Falls?" Star asked, fascinated by the name. "Is the gravity wonky over there?"
"If you're climbing a tree and get attacked by an angry family of squirrels it could be," Mabel replied casually, partially speaking from experience.
"Gravity Falls? Sounds very intriguing," Rafael commented.
"Well, what made you all want to move here?" Angie asked. "While Echo Creek is nice, it can get pretty expensive in a lot of areas around here."
"Our parents thought we should see something different for once," Dipper answered. "Seeing the same pine tree everyday could make you pretty bored of it all."
"Huh, that's weird," Marco spoke up as he scrolled on his phone. "There's nothing about Gravity Falls popping up."
Dipper raised a confused brow at this as he glanced over to Marco. "Huh?" he questioned, not sure he heard him right.
"I'm scrolling and absolutely nothing is showing up about it," Marco replied as he continued searching. "Not even anything for directions or traveling. Heck, nothing for a map either."
"Did you try doing that refreshing thing?" Star asked as she curiously peeked over to his phone.
"Yep, still no result—and I have full bars too," Marco said, the teen also growing confused. "You sure you said the right place?"
"I did, but how's that..." Dipper paused once he slowly began to realize the huge issue. The portal Vyódin forced them through not only sent them to the wrong town, but to a place where Gravity Falls didn't exist."We're in the wrong universe..."
"Come again?" Marco questioned as everyone gave Dipper a confused look.
"I think what Dipper meant to say was that Gravity Falls is so small that you can't even search for it," Mabel chimed in, hoping to lighten the mood. "Isn't that crazy?"
"Oooh, how mysterious," Angie said with a smile. "Well, it's very nice to have you both move in with us for the time being. Echo Creek certainly has a lot to offer."
Angie's words seemingly gave Star an idea as the magical princess let out a gasp. "I have an idea!" she beamed. "Marco! How about we give Dipper and Mabel a tour?"
"Oooh, a tour? Sounds exciting," Mabel grinned, enticed by the idea.
"A tour, Star?" Marco questioned, not all too up for walking around for a long time.
"Yep, a tour!" Star smiled brightly. "You gave me a tour of the place when I first came to Earth, so it's only right we do the same for them. And I know just the place where to start." She gave Marco a cheeky grin, the teenager giving the princess a deadpan stare once he realized what she was leading onto.
"No, Star." Marco frowned.
"Please, Marco?" Star asked, clasping her hands together.
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"What's going on?" Mabel asked, curious as to what Star wanted to show them.
"She wants us to go to this new donut place that opened up recently," Marco clarified. "And it's been the only food place we've been going to for the past week."
"That's because they're so good!" Star gushed excitedly, much to Marco's annoyance. "We have to go now!"
"Star, we all just ate pasta, I'm not sure how much that'll settle with donuts," Marco reminded aptly, knowing his stomach wouldn't sit well with that combination.
"I wouldn't mind going for some donuts right about now," Mabel said "I was once capable of eating ten whole donuts at once, but then I threw up."
"See, Mabel gets it," Star grinned as the two exchanged fist bumps.
Marco rolled his eyes as he pushed out his chair. "Fine, I'll go get my wallet," he sighed as he headed upstairs.
"Thank you, Marco!" Star called to her best friend.
While Marco went upstairs, Mabel noticed Dipper still in a mixed state of confusion and worry, waving her hands in front of his face to no result of him being brought back to reality. "Excuse us for one moment," she said as she dragged her brother out of the dining room and into the living room. Once they were a distance away from the others, Mabel shook her brother wildly, snapping him back to his senses. "Dipper, what's happening? You blanked out over there."
"Mabel, we're in the wrong universe," Dipper answered, trying his best to keep his cool even when he was failing at it. "Vyódin sent us to someplace where Gravity Falls isn't real. We're stuck here and we have no idea how to get back."
"You're forgetting we could always ask Star for help," Mabel suggested, seemingly not too phased by being in another universe. "She is from another dimension after all."
Dipper glanced over his sister's shoulder to see Star conversing with Marco's parents, the boy still not fully convinced about her. "Mabel, I'm not sure how we're gonna ask her when we made up a story by saying we moved here," he retorted.
"Well I believe when the time is right we can ask here," Mabel said. "I'm positive she would understand."
Dipper sighed, though he couldn't argue against what sounded like proper advice. "If you say so, Mabel," he remarked as Marco soon came back downstairs.
"Alright, I got my wallet," Marco announced, more than ready to get a move on. "Now about we get these donuts over and done with?"
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Star exclaimed as she grabbed Marco's arm and ran out of the dining room and to the front door. "We'll be back soon, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!"
"Woooo! Donut place, here we come!" Mabel cheered as she ran after them, sharing the same excitement Star owned.
Dipper walked towards the front door to join the others outside, though not before turning to Marco's parents. "Thanks for the food again, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz," he said with a smile.
"We're glad that you enjoyed it, Dipper," Angie thanked politely. "You kids be sure to stay safe out there."
"And be sure to come back before it gets too dark," Rafael added with a bright smile.
Dipper nodded before exiting through the front door and shutting it behind him, his smile faltering as soon as he was out of their sight. "Those two are way too happy for their own good," he said, tightening his cap as he saw the others not too far down the sidewalk. He followed after them, feeling a small sense of dread as he thought of how he could ask Star to help them get back to their universe.
After all, it was only a matter of time before Gravity Falls would face eventual doom.
The donut shop, standardly dubbed "Lazy Day Bakers", had been experiencing a slow shift of customers throughout the afternoon, which its workers were very grateful for. However, their peace didn't last long as Star showed up and proceeded to make the shop cashier's day a whole lot more miserable. The magical teen was accompanied by Mabel as the two stood at the front counter and tried to pick out the donuts of their desires, further worsening the cashier's mood, while Dipper and Marco sat at a spare booth as they waited for the girls to make their picks.
"Okay, I'll have a... Actually, I think I'll take some... Wait, do I really want those?" Star questioned as she rubbed her chin, deep in thought as she gazed at the selection of sweets on the menu. "Wow, choosing what kind of circle food I want is always so difficult—wish there was some way to make it easier."
"Ma'am, you've been staring at the menu for five minutes now, you do this every time you're here," the cashier groaned, clearly irritated.
"I know, I know, it's just all of your options are so hard to choose!"
"Ooo, those strawberry glitter ones look pretty tasty," Mabel said.
"You're right, but those blueberry blast ones look even better. But the same could go for those tropical-lemon ones, or even those cinnamon-sugar ones, or maybe even chocolate-swirl ones," Star continued on and on about all the different flavors, furthering the cashier's annoyance.
"I hate this job..." the cashier scowled.
Dipper was thankful he carried his journal with him, otherwise he was sure he would die of boredom. His original plan of investigating Star quickly subsided as he put his focus on Vyódin, feeling as though he could decipher who he was and what he wanted with Gravity Falls. The boy worried for everyone back in town, the theft from Vyódin and his assistants and Bill's revival posing a devastating threat over everything. Trying to gain some remembrance of Vyódin's appearance, Dipper sketched down his recent memory of the celestial anomaly, his features not all too difficult to draw as his body was majorly concealed by his robe.
Marco noticed the boy drawing as he heard his pencil scratching against the paper, curiously getting a peak of what he was sketching. "Nice sketch you got there, dude," he said with a friendly smile, grabbing Dipper's attention. "What is it supposed to be?"
Dipper hadn't expected the question, nor did he have a concrete answer. "I... don't really know," he admitted.
"Well, whatever it is, it looks pretty cool," Marco complimented with a friendly smile. "You must be pretty good at art."
"Eh, it's not my sorta thing," Dipper replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "I'm more of a math guy."
"You and me both—I get straight A's on practically every test," Marco grinned. "Except for ones that involve long division, I have no idea how to do those."
Dipper let out a small laugh at the confession. "If you want, I can help you with some of that later on," he offered.
"You'd do that?" Marco inquired, wonder in his eyes.
"I mean, sure. It wouldn't hurt to help," Dipper said with a reassuring shrug.
"Dude, you're a lifesaver!" Marco thanked as he relaxed further into the booth's cushioning. "I have this big math test soon and if I don't get the division part done, I'll get a B instead of an A, and that's the last thing I ever need to be with my grades."
"I feel you there," Dipper laughed, feeling somewhat enthralled to talk to someone who was more on his level. He felt partially foolish for thinking Marco was supposedly mind-controlled by Star earlier when in reality he seemed to be a regular teen just like him. "Say, Marco, could I ask you something?" he spoke up tentatively.
"Sure, what's up?" Marco replied as he sat up.
Dipper glanced over to the girls at the counter, both of whom were still trying to decide the donuts of choice before he continued. "You would consider Star to be helpful, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, she's pretty helpful around," Marco said. "Why ask?"
"I guess it's just, let's say... I'm feeling homesick and I possibly wanna go back to my old home; would she be able to help at all with that?"
"Well, Star is capable of a lot of magic, so I'm sure she could do a transportation spell," Marco answered, aware of the power the princess possessed. "Are you feeling homesick?"
"Nope, just wondering," Dipper said aptly. Though, in all honesty, he wanted his paranoia about the girl to clear.
Marco noticed the unnerved look on the boy's face, aware of what exactly Dipper was feeling. "I can tell you don't trust Star all that much," he began, grabbing the boy's attention. "Me and Star didn't exactly start off on the right foot honestly, and I'll admit I was pretty stubborn with her at first. But after the day she moved in with me and my parents, we kinda just became best friends. She does a lot of risky things here and there, but she's honestly just learning how Earth works and just wants to have fun. And personally, I do enjoy myself a little danger in my life every now and then."
The more Dipper thought about it, the more he realized how rash he was to guess Star held some form of evil intentions. With Mabel, Glossaryck, and now Marco, he felt as if his paranoia got the best of him too much.
"You and your sister just moved here, so I think it'll take some time to get used to Star's energy, which I'm sure your sister already has," Marco assured, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"Hey, guys!" Star exclaimed as she suddenly appeared beside the booth with an enlightened grin, completely startling Marco as he toppled over in his seat. "Look at what we got!" she sang before presenting a large box of strawberry-frosted donuts to the boys, each one overloaded with sprinkles.
"Ba-bam! A pack of twenty donuts just for us," Mabel remarked with a wide grin.
"Annnnnnd these are their super-duper ultra-special deluxe bundle!" Star beamed as she closed the box. "I have no idea what that means, but that could only be a good thing, right?"
"And how much is this super-duper ultra-special deluxe bundle?" Marco asked with a skeptical brow.
"Oh, that lovely gentleman said something about... forty of your Earth currency?" Star casually answered.
Marco could only give the magical princess a pure blank stare at the response before letting out a defeated sigh and making his way over to the counter. "We need to stop coming here," he deadpanned with a frown.
While the teenage boy went to pay for the sweet desserts, Mabel took it upon herself and grabbed a donut out of the box before taking a small bite out of it, the abundance of sprinkles falling off and onto the floor. "Yeah, I can definitely eat ten of these all at once," she remarked with a wide grin.
"Don't even think about it," Dipper instantly told, remembering the last time she dared herself.
"Alright, I'm about ready to get out of here now," Marco advised as he returned to the group, more than ready to leave the establishment as he grabbed the donut box. "I feel like I'm gonna start leaving shoeprints through the floor itself at this point by how many times we come here."
"Awww, but can't we enjoy our delicious treats here? In the most wonderous place on Earth?" Star asked with a saddened pout.
"Nope, let's go; there's a hole in my wallet, and being here is gonna keep reminding me of that," Marco insisted eagerly to get a move on as he carefully pushed Star through the entrance door with Dipper and Mabel following closely behind.
"So, guys, how many of these do you think I can eat in ten seconds?" Star enthusiastically asked as she slowed her pace.
"I would say... fifteen!" Mabel cheerfully replied with a snap of her fingers.
"Well, the last time you did that you got sick in nine seconds, so I'm gonna have to say maybe fourteen," Marco nonchalantly added with a casual shrug.
"Pfffft! Please, don't you guys know who I am? I believe I can eat about thirty of them, for I am, of course-"
"Star Butterfly!"
The kids halted in their steps as their attention was driven towards what stood across the parking lot, a bizarre sight to behold as an army of monster-like creatures brandishing an array of razor-sharp teeth and jagged claws glared at the four of them with low growls. Stepping out from the bunch was a short, bird-like monster wearing a mossy green cloak and the skull of an unknown creature on its head, his grin foul as he clutched his staff.
"Well, well, well, look at what we have here," the bird-like monster laughed.
"Ludo!" Star glared at her nemesis and his minions. "What do you think you're doing here?"
"Same as every other reason I'm always here," Ludo replied with a sharp scowl. "To take your wand of course!"
While they had seen their fair share of monsters and creatures, Dipper and Mabel exchanged a bewildered glance, neither of them not sure what to make of the sudden confrontation of monsters.
"Have you ever tried doing something else other than trying to take my wand before?" Star asked genuinely. "Like maybe reading a good book? Sitting under a tree in the sunset? Those things sound much more fulfilling."
"...Well, I was planning on visiting this wonderful—hey! How dare you attempt to distract me with your foolish suggestions!" Ludo fumed hysterically before fixing the position of the skull on his head.
"Hey, Star, who are these guys?" Mabel asked Star, eyeing the monsters. "And why does that one look like a weird eagle turtle thing?"
"Hey! I have no idea who you are, but I resent those words!" Ludo retorted loudly.
"Oh, this is just Ludo and his army of monsters," Star casually explained as if they weren't a threat. "He's always trying to steal my wand because he wants to use its power and use it for evil and blah blah blah. So I make sure to keep my wand away from the wrong hands just like what my mom told me, and every time he shows up I kick his butt and save the day once more as always."
"That's what you think, but today, that wand will be mine before you can say... Uh, I can't think of an appropriate word for this scenario," Ludo frowned with a shrug as he turned to his army. "Anyone have any suggestions?"
"What about bumfuzzle?" Lobster Claws recommended.
"Finifugal?" Man Arm proposed.
"How about slumgullion?" Buff Frog suggested.
"Ah! Yes, slumgullion! I was just about to think of that," Ludo egotistically said as he took all the credit.
"Slumgullion," Star said.
"...Get her!"
Upon the command, Ludo's minions charged forward toward the magical princess with battle cries and sharpened claws, intent on getting the sacred wand out of Star's grasp. Dipper and Mabel let out a unified panicked gasp at the army of malicious monsters charging at them, but Star herself was anything but worried by this. "Rainbow Cloud Power Blast!" she announced as she swiftly took out her wand with a spin and aimed it at the army of monsters, the wand glowing brightly before a massive stream of rainbow-colored clouds that ambushed the army in a wave of colors as they released pained shouts.
"Whoa..." Mabel gazed in amazement at the magical spell that was performed. However, Dipper noticed Bearicorn managed to avoid the attack and charge forth from the side at them with his claws unsheathed.
"Look out!" Dipper exclaimed in time as they all avoided the sudden attack.
Before Bearicorn could properly attack them once more, he was struck by an unexpected yet gracious kick to the face from Marco that was strong enough to knock a few teeth out, causing him to fall back onto the pavement with a loud thud. "Hiii-ya!" Marco exclaimed as he flashed a karate stance.
That didn't stop the onslaught of Ludo's minions as they kept charging forward towards them in an attempt to take the wand. With a cheeky smirk, Star ran and hitched a piggyback ride on top of Big Chicken, the bird-like monster freaking out as it tried to whack the princess off with his feathers, but in his attempt ended up crashing into a streetlight, giving it a massive dent as the bird fell back unconscious.
"Pulverizing Ice Storm!" Star shouted as her wand fired a blast of icicle shards at the approaching monsters, some of them dodging the attack while others quickly fell victim to the onslaught. For those who dodged, however, most of the ground formed into a lake of ice as the minions began to slip and spin uncontrollably, most of them falling into a dogpile. Lobster Claws slipped across the ground haphazardly before plummeting straight into the donut shop, breaking the glass doors as he slid against the front counter, the cashier not caring all too much as he was engrossed in his phone.
"You gonna pay for that?" he deadpanned with a frown.
Star landed gracefully back onto the ground and delivered a quick punch to the gut against Three-eyed Potato Baby before he could lay a finger on her, but the princess was unaware of the incoming attack from Beard Deer. The muscular monster didn't have time to reach her as he was suddenly struck across the face by a fast roundhouse kick from Marco, knocking his mallet out of his hand and straight into one of his colleagues. He didn't take it all too kindly for his weapon to be discarded like a doll, but he wasn't quick enough to block the karate chop followed by a powerful axe kick that was capable of throwing him back.
Ludo watched the pathetic display of his minions failing their mission, growing enraged by their incompetence. "You boneheads!" he yelled angrily, rattling the skull on his head. "Why must you always fail a simple task!"
Dipper and Mabel watched in awe at the butt-kicking being displayed, Mabel mimicking the punches that flew while Dipper watched in confusion at everything happening. "Yeah, you get them, guys!" Mabel cheered enthusiastically.
"Lightning Sucker Punch!" Star exclaimed as she aimed her wand at Boo Fly, releasing a shocking punch that flung him just far enough to crash through a stop sign. As expected, the magical princess was doing great, however, she was suddenly struck aside by an unsuspecting shoulder bash from Emmitt, the minotaur-like monster letting out a fiendish laugh as her wand clinked and rolled across the ground before laying still in the broad open space.
"Star!" Marco called to the princess as he fought off the monsters in his way.
"My wand!" Star gasped, panicked while she rubbed her hurt shoulder.
"Ah! Forget what I just said! Get that wand!" Ludo hurriedly announced to his minions, drawing focus to the objective at hand.
Luckily, in Ludo's case, his minion Spikeballs happened to be the closest to the wand. The large monster let out a low laugh as he kneeled to grab the sacred wand and give it to his boss, yet there was one problem. "Uh, I can't grab it," Spikeballs said as he attempted to pick up the wand, though due to his hands being spiked maces, it continuously fell out of his grasp.
Ludo could only facepalm at the disappointing scene, his patience running thin. "You can't be serious..." he deadpanned with a frown.
Despite the obvious issue, Spikeballs continued to try and grab the wand with little success other than a slight lift from the ground, even though it still continued to fall. Just when he thought he had a precise grab, the wand was suddenly pushed out from beneath him and retracted after interlocking with what looked to be a hook attached to a piece of string. Shocked, everyone's attention was brought to the culprit in the area as the wand slid across the parking lot.
"And that's why I always carry my grappling hook!" Mabel declared proudly as he showed her treasured item to the army of monsters with their objective intertwined between the object.
"Mabel, why would you do that?" Dipper said cautiously to his sister, a little more than intimidated by the stares of the monsters.
"To protect the wand, duh," Mabel replied bravely. "If they want Star's wand, then they'll have to go through me."
Dipper had no clue as to what she was planning to do, yet he didn't think any further arguing would make things better, so he complied with her.
"What the? Hey! Who do you think you are taking that wand from my rightful possession?!" Ludo exclaimed with a stomp. "Get them!"
Ludo's minions, despite the numerous injuries they sustained from Star's attacks, followed their command and charged at the twins. Not needing any further telling, Mabel was the first to take initiative, sprinting forward with a determined smirk with her grappling hook tight in hand. She had her fair share of fighting monsters from her previous year in Gravity Falls, so it didn't come as a surprise to see the girl take advantage of the situation. She slid underneath the charging monsters before whacking her grappling hook into the back of Bearicorn, the blow surprisingly strong enough to cause the bear-like monster to tumble into his colleagues, resulting in even more injuries than before due to his large build.
"Never underestimate the wits of Mabel!" Mabel exclaimed with a pump of her fist, though her victory was short-lived as she almost failed to notice an incoming scratch from Big Chicken's claws before Dipper pushed her out of the way. Thankfully, the monster's claws instead inadvertently scratched one of his colleagues who was attempting to sneak attack the girl. The bird-like monster let out an angry cluck as he took to the air and steadied his aim, and without a second to pass, began firing a load of eggs out of his rear. Despite the rather gross form of attack, Mabel didn't seem all too phased by it, ducking and jumping over the array of eggs as yolk spread across the ground in a heaping mess before she readied her grappling hook as if it were a baseball bat, and with a well-timed swing, deflected an incoming egg straight back into its sender, plunging the feathered fiend to the ground. "Egg-cellent job there, grappling hook." she laughed at her pun.
Dipper held his ground against the monsters as he delivered a round of punches against the approaching minions, using any object he could find on the ground as more defense. He plucked a piece of ice against the ground and used it as a shield to avoid his face being punched by Man Arm, the ice shattering as the humanoid alligator cried in pain.
"Dipper, watch out!" Mabel called to her brother as she noticed the unsuspecting monster behind him.
Dipper turned just in time to avoid a spiked fly swatter aimed directly at him, the culprit being Boo Fly. With his head stuck through a stop sign, the fly swatted at the boy with little accuracy as Dipper backed away with each swing that came. "Hey, I'm pointing at something that's gonna distract you!" Dipper shouted, pointing in the distance.
"Huh? Where?" Boo Fly asked as he whipped his head around to see what the boy was pointing at, though he was led a lie as Dipper kicked the stop sign under him, the object smacking the fly in the face as he fell to the ground. The boy smirked at his accomplishment before letting out a gasp as Three-eye Potato Baby tried to grab ahold of him, the boy poking him in one of his eyes before he could get him, the monster letting out a pained cry as he covered the injured eye.
"Dipper! Catch!" Mabel called to her brother, quickly running and tossing her grappling hook over to him.
Dipper managed to catch the grappling hook just in time as Three-eyed Potato Baby came closer to him with an intimidating growl and aggravated glare as his poked eye was now bloodshot. Out of instinct, he whacked the grappling hook against the monster's leg with as much strength as his arms could muster, the three-eyed monster letting out a loud yell of pain that pierced through the air, gripping his leg tight as he hopped around in aching hurt. Without watching where he was going, he ended up tumbling into Spikeballs, causing the two to fall over against a nearby parked car, crushing the vehicle entirely as the horn rang.
Ludo couldn't believe what he was witnessing right now; seeing his monsters fall to the hands of mere children, who were tiny in comparison to them, was a very demeaning sight to behold. "You told me we had nothing else to worry about! You said these two would not be a big deal! Now look what's happening!" Ludo exclaimed in annoyance to Buff Frog as he climbed and forcibly tugged on his henchman's clothing.
"Their tiny sizes made me greatly underestimate them," Buff Frog admitted
Noticing that most of Ludo's minions were slightly recovering from their sustained injuries, Dipper saw Star picking herself up from the ground with Marco's assistance, thankfully not retaining anything major herself. "Star!" he called, grabbing the top of her wand and loosening it from the grappling hook, sprinting past the bodies of injured monsters and quickly tossing the wand over to the princess.
Star jumped and caught her wand despite her shoulder, but that didn't stop the confident smirk that formed on her face. The magical princess held the wand with a tight grip and aimed it at the fallen army of monsters as Dipper and Mabel rushed to her side to avoid what was to come.
"Super Cosmic Crystal Tornado!" Star shouted with a wide smile before her wand erupted with a spiral of large, cosmic-colored crystals that targeted the all monsters on the field. Ludo's minions weren't given enough time to react before they were met with an armada of pokes and pricks from the crystals as all the monsters ran around in pain, which didn't help considering it helped the crystals reach around their entire bodies. Once the crystal storm concluded, Ludo's minions all groaned in pain and slumped in yet another grueling defeat from Star Butterfly.
Ludo's eye twitched at the display of his defeated minions, his patience growing more and more irritated. His focus soon drifted toward the magical princess as she approached him with a sly grin and a satisfied pep in her step.
"So, Ludo, wanna call it quits?" Star asked the bird-like monster in a mocking tone.
"...Fine!" Ludo retorted, enranged by yet another embarrassing defeat but didn't want to bother putting up with his enemy any longer. From his cloak, he took out what looked to be a pair of skeletal-looking scissors that gave off an eerie vibe, but these weren't just any ordinary scissors. Jumping and slicing through the empty air, Ludo miserably created a large portal around the size of his minions, the other side unknown as it swirled a dark aura. "Alright, morons! Back through the portal! Now!"
Ludo's minions slowly went through the portal one by one with pained steps and miserable groans, each one sustaining some remnant of Star's delightful spells. Buff Frog was the last to enter before Ludo followed shortly behind. "You have not seen the last of me! Remember that!" Ludo declared as he poked his head back through the portal. "One day that wand will be mine! And when that day comes, I will-"
"Will you go already?" Star inquired harshly, crossing her arms.
"...Have it your way," Ludo replied as he glared daggers at the princess before returning from where he came as the portal closed behind him.
And now, the four kids stood in the destroyed parking lot all by themselves in silence, the remains of Star's magic spread about in the mix of the damaged property. It was then Mabel decided to break the silence with her sudden enthusiasm.
"That. Was. Awesome!" Mabel exclaimed cheerfully. "That was like a battle of epic proportions! You guys fought those monsters like some kind of incredible crime-fighting duo!"
"We should be talking about you guys!" Star added with equal cheer. "You guys fought them like it was nothing! And you used that cool rope thingy that was like ka-pew and bam bam bam!"
"I guess you could say we have some fighting experience from where we're from," Dipper chimed in as he rubbed the back of his head.
"No kidding," Marco smirked as he brushed Dipper's shoulder with his hand.
"So does that bird thing just come after you guys everyday?" Dipper asked, imagining how much of a hassle it had to be dealing with something like this daily.
"It's usually when he just feels like it, which is a lot of the time actually," Star replied before she brought everyone into a small group. "But with you two around, I'm sure Ludo's gonna have a harder time trying to get a hold of my wand now. Oooh! What if we came up with a team name?"
"I think I like the sound of that!" Mabel agreed excitedly. "How about 'Team Friendship'?"
"Yeah, I don't think that'll be necessary," Marco grinned, Dipper silently agreeing with him.
From the corner of his eye, Dipper noticed the box of donuts they bought sitting on a nearby table, somehow unscathed from the events that just took place. He went over and grabbed the box, opening it up to find the donuts untouched. "Uh, I think these still look good to eat," he said.
Seeing that their sugary treats were still intact, Star and Mabel were certainly very pleased. "Awesome!" Star exclaimed as he took one out of the box and ate it.
"Now can I try eating ten of them at once?" Mabel asked Dipper innocently.
"Mabel." Dipper chastised his sister's eagerness.
"Well, it was worth a shot," Mabel innocently shrugged, taking a donut out of the box anyway.
"Now that my wand is safe and sound, and we got our circle food, how about we continue the tour," Star beamed. "I was thinking we head to that place where people bring their dogs to bark at random squirrels, I forget what it's called."
"That'd be the park, Star," Marco reminded her.
"Oh yeah! Off to the park we go!" Star exclaimed as she began to walk down the sidewalk to the next destination of their tour, the others shortly following behind her.
While everything was now fine and dandy, except for the destroyed parking lot, Dipper couldn't help but feel a little conflicted about the events that just unfolded. Star's magical fight was interesting to watch, but now he learned that Ludo and his army were a common pest for attempting to steal the princess' wand, the urgency to leave started to grow higher. If they were to get their hands on Star's main source of power, then he, Mabel, and Waddles wouldn't be able to make it back to Gravity Falls.
However, Dipper still remained a bit wary of the princess herself. His suspicion of the teenager lowered ever since he talked with Glossaryck and Marco, yet he felt she might possibly view them as a threat once she found out the truth. The boy didn't wish to be on the receiving end of Star's power as evident from the attacks earlier, but he knew she was their only hope of ever returning to their universe. He recalled what Mabel told him about waiting for the right moment, knowing his worried state would get them nowhere but further from their goal.
So he continued walking with the others, waiting for his moment to tell.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was tough to make as the fight scene was difficult to keep Dipper and Mabel in character, but I believe I did a well enough job. I don't have much to say but I do appreciate reviews if you wish to leave any!
Until next time!