The Return to Gravity Falls

by EZB

Mabel and Dipper return to Gravity Falls three years after their life-altering summer vacation spent with their Grunkle Stan, to find that Gravity Falls never stops being, well, weird. As the twins encounter old friends and reconnect with the supernatural inhabitants of Gravity Falls, new dangers lurk just outside of the knowledge of Uncle Stanfords old journals.

9. A Mabel of Perspective: Part 2

The four teens stared at the three fairy creatures. The laws of Fairies allowed a single person to dictate punishment and guilt? Mabel gaped at the two lawyers, and then to the woman behind them, who was able to bore her fury into Mabel with her glare.

"But, wait," Dipper stepped to his sister's side, who was shaking now, all aspects of attraction washed away at the possibility of legal action, "this all sounds like police work! Why are you two laying out charges to her? Get your officers or whatever! Get a warrant!" He demanded.

The fairy known as Bob rolled his eyes. "Fae do not have 'police'," Bob said, using his fingers to quote the words police, "it is a rather wasteful thing to monitor fairies at all times when we all have magic."

Twinkle Moon coldly looked at the twins. "If you had been a Fairy, Mabel Pines," Twinkle-Moon stated, taking an ominous step closer, having the twins back off slightly, "the punishment for these actions would be death."

Mabel blinked, and blinked again, just to get her vision back to what it should be. More shivers shot down her back. "But I didn't do anything!" Mabel protested, worriedly looking between the two men, and then to the supposed mother, "It was just an accident!"

"Ha!" the woman spat aloud, "A likely story!"

Dipper cast her an incredulous look. "Look – we were just sitting by the woods," Dipper pointed to the area they had occupied earlier, also looking to Jingle-Blossom, "and it just floated into Mabel's mouth. She didn't want to do anything to it! She almost cried when-"

"I don't care," Jingle-Blossom snarled, her skin changing redder with each heated word, "What she did... when she took my baby... away from me!" Jingle-Blossom had grown three feet taller while she had been shouting. Her heavy, heaving breaths slowed down, and her sized began to scale back towards natural human as she glared at the twins hatefully. Even the Lawyers had leaned away, uncertainty etched into their frowns.

Twinkle Moon cleared his throat. "Ah, yes," said as he looked back to the kids, "we must admit, this is the tricky part of the business here. See, fairy's don't recognize human claim to land. You say you were just over there?" he pointed to the plot of land behind several trees in the distance, "in our terms of land-ownership, this entire forest is considered fairy land. To put it into perspective, you took her child right off her own front lawn."

Bob the fairy hummed, "Oh, I've never heard of that analogy."

Twinkle Moon shrugged. "Work with humans enough times, you catch the sayings pretty quickly," Twinkle-Moon explained briefly.

Mabel was flooded with dread, and then the self-loathing returned. The previously done and dealt with experience of swallowing the pixie rose like a zombie, back from the dead. This time, instead of her guilt of being a murderer, she dealt with the well-deserved wrath of a mother. She was a kidnapper and child abuser now, and her heart sank for miles in her chest. She wanted to cry, to let that pain well out. Maybe she did deserve death. After all, how was she supposed to get Jingle-Blossom's pixie back? She had tried hacking up the small puff ball before to no avail. Her nose was suddenly stuffy. As she sniffed, rubbing her arm across her face.

Dipper seemed to have other thoughts. He stepped forward, his face screwed in determination. "You can't kill her," Dipper told them, his eyes boring into the taller men before him, and then to the ever-furious woman behind them, "you can't kill a person because of an innocent mistake! You'd be the horrible people if you did, not us!"

Jingle Blossom outcried. "Innocent? How dare you!?" Jingle-Blossom roared, stomping forward towards Dipper, who stood his ground. Yet she was held back, a hand aside up from Twinkle-Moon to thwart her advance.

"He's right," the blond fairy stated calmly. Dipper gasped and almost smiled. He clearly hadn't been expecting such an answer. The mother gaped at the lawyer, who turned to speak to her. "We, as Fae, are bound to our own laws. Death cannot be executed without explicit breaking of the Seven Prime no-noes."

Behind the twins, Grenda's eyebrow rose. "Seven Prime no-noes?" Grenda asked, tilting her head to the side.

The blond fairy continued. "However," Twinkle-Moon turned back to Mabel, who was trying to calm herself, "that doesn't mean you walk away free. The closest agreement I can come to terms with is punishment by curse."

"Curse?!" Mabel gasped, blinking rapidly. She saw other people's lives accidentally during this important moment, and closed her eyes, forcing her to get her own vision back. She stammered, "But-but-"

"Miss Jingle-Blossom," Bob turned to the Fairy woman, who seemed calmed at their words, "you will hold the lease of the curse. Please sign here," he reached into his bag and pulled out a shimmering piece of parchment, and handed her an oversized cattail with ink on one end.

"By signing this, I determine what exactly?" the mother asked quietly.

Candy rushed to Mabel's side. "You can't curse her!" Candy plead for Mabel, "that's dark magic! Fairies are supposed to be nice and sweet!"

Bob the fairy scanned Candy with an unamused look. "And humans are supposed to be Tall and scary, but you don't see me judging you four, do you?" Bob stated snappily at the four, but his eyes lingered on Grenda, "Well, maybe you fit the description." Grenda growled at his words, pushing her sleeves up her arms. Bob turned back to the mother, "by signing here, you acknowledge the curse of Mabel Pines belongs to you and you determine the extremes of the curse and the length."

Jingle-Blossom nodded and looked to Mabel. "I understand," she said with a cold stare to the girl. The heat from the fairy-mother all disintegrated into a satisfied, cool smirk. With a single examination of the paper, she took the cattail and signed her name on a part of the list. A burst of light emanated from the signature, and the paper rolled itself up without the aid of the fairies, and landed in Jingle-Blossoms open hands.

"No!" Mabel gasped. Her feet gave away, and she fell forward. What kind of curse would it be? Would she feel pain forever? Maybe she could only speak in boring, over-specific words? What if she lost all adorable features about her? Her mind raced as she stared at the ground below her, and she waited for the coming curse.

Dipper shouted, "Just stop! She doesn't deserve this!" at Jingle-Blossom.

She shook her head as she clutched the parchment. "For stealing my child," the vengeful woman declared, "you are cursed, from now and the rest of your days, to never retain your own senses again."

"W-what?!" Mabel stopped shaking and looked up. It was the tiniest gust of wind that caused her to blink, and when she did, she again saw into the life of another person. Fearfully, she blinked again. She did not see the fairies before her. She gasped and blinked again. Another view into another life, but not her own vision. Again, and again, she blinked; faster and faster she closed and opened her eyes. She was desperate for her own sight to come back. "Oh no! I-I-I can't through my own eyes anymore!"

The cruel tones of the cursing woman returned. "That is not all," Jingle-Blossom explained, approaching carefully and speaking in something of a sadistic glee, "don't sneeze. Don't ever hiccup. Don't you ever, ever yawn so hard your ears pop. And never, never, ever shiver. Or... those sense will leave you too."

Dipper shouted, "No!" his voice loud enough to almost knock Mabel over. She felt him approach the woman somewhere ahead of Mabel, his feet stomping into the earth. He ran up to the fairy mother. "You let her off this curse right now! Or-"

"Or else what?" Jingle-Blossom sneered back. Dipper growled so loud it felt like his throat might tear.

Someone stepped up from behind Jingle Blossom. "That's enough," the calm voice of Twinkle-Moon called above the them all, silencing both Dipper and the scorned mother. "The business at hand is now completed. Jingle-Blossom, unless you're trying to start a conflict with humans that goes beyond our legislation, we will be leaving now."

After a tense pause, the wrathful mother said "Yes," and her footsteps sounded like they were leaving the teens, retreating for the woodlands.

Hyperventilating, Mabel cried, "Wait!" as she tripped over her own feet suddenly, barely being caught by Dipper. He hissed as he caught her, but Mabel didn't flinch as she fell. She reached out, trying to call back the fairies, "You can't leave me like this! Please? I'll give it back, I just need to figure out how to get it out of me!"

It was quiet. Mabel felt herself lifted up by her brother, Candy Chui told her timidly, "Mabel, they're gone."

Mabel closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch anyone else's life now. She let her hand fall to her side, limp. Any attempt to stand herself up gave away. Dipper did his best to hold up as tears started building in her eyes.

This was, as her brother lightly put it, real bad. Though life and death it was not, Mabel could only see a bleak future ahead of her. Sooner or later, surely, she would lose all of her senses and have nothing to connect to the world around her. She already lost one of her five senses, not temporarily but forever. If she was going to see again, she was going to do it through someone else eyes. "What kind of sick, twisted curse was this?" she snapped at one point as she climbed onto the Mystery Shack porch.

A Mystery Manor meeting was called in the living room. All employees of the Mystery Manor, the twins, Grenda and Candy Chiu, and Stanley Pines gathered, hearing the story of what had just transpired. Stan had tried being light-hearted at first, blowing this news off like it was nothing. As the story wrapped up, Grunkle Stan's expression was solemn and grim, not that Mabel could see. She had been offered by Dipper multiple times to be her seeing-eye-brother, but she had wordlessly refused, shaking her head rapidly in a flurry of brown hair. It would hurt too much to be reminded she could only see other people's lives.

Wendy, who had listened to the story silently, looked like she was ready to shoot someone. "Dude, we have to break this curse," Wendy finally from her lean against the wall. She unfolded her tightly woven arms, and balled her hands int tight fists, "This isn't freaking cool just to let her lose her senses like this!" she burst out with a righteous fury.

"Exactly!" Dipper snapped a finger to her.

"Just how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Grunkle Stan asked around. "Look, I know my way around a few things like this, but Fairies and I never got along, and I know for a fact their curses are persistent." At these words, Mabel's lower lip trembled. Grunkle Stan leaned up in his seat, worriedly waving his hands about, as he added, "Not that we won't try! Mabel, sweetheart," Grunkle Stan lost all pretenses of his tough nature as his Great-niece broke down and cried for the second time since coming inside.

"I might as well just diiiieeee," Mabel bawled to the ceiling, her arms poised above her, "death! Take me now!"

Dipper pulled his sister's arms down. "Mabel, stop it," Dipper commanded her gently, "you can get along without sight for now. All we have to do is find a way to break this spell thing, and then we put this behind us, right?"

Across from the twins, Candy Chiu asked, "Is anyone familiar with curses enough to lead this?" The group exchanged glances. Eyes fell onto Dipper and Stan.

Stan shrugged. "I can give some notes a look through," he suggested.

Dipper nodded. He would do the same, but he didn't need anyone to tell him what to do. If it took him the rest of his life to break this curse form his sister, he would do it. His eyes shifted momentarily to the others. Soos was watching Mabel so sadly and cautiously, as if he was afraid Mabel would hurt herself. Wendy also seemed out of her element, staring at Mabel with a strange, exhausted look.

Dipper's mind flared with decision. "Grenda, Candy," Dipper said, standing up, "we're going to the Library."

"What for?" Grenda asked as she and Candy naturally stood up as well.

Dipper patted his sister's head as he explained, "Those books that creepo-warlock left behind may have a hint to what we're supposed to do if we want to break this stupid curse. Grunkle Stan, you guys got your end covered?" Dipper turned to his elder, a fire in his eyes.

Stanley Pines let out a tired chuckle. "Kid, don't even worry about me. You go see what else I mighta missed from the library, got it?" Grunkle Stan put a hand on Dipper's shoulder, his eyes looking into Dipper's. "We're going to fix this, you and I."

"I'm going too," Mabel decided, finally speaking, catching most of them off guard as she tried pushing herself off the ground.

Rubbing his arm with uncertainty, Stan cleared his throat before saying, "Sweetheart, you should probably just stay here for now," his gruff voice doing its best to convey concern.

Mabel, with her brother's hand on her shoulder, steadied herself on her feet. "I want to go with my brother," she said stronger.

"Mabel, we'll be right back, okay?" Dipper told her, "I'm not going for long, okay?"

"But – but I –" Mabel tried arguing. Dipper's fingers gripped her firmly enough to remind her of his honesty. He wouldn't be long. Her own mind betraying her, Mabel couldn't think of a way she could be helpful in this instance. She let herself sigh and nodded to the direction she assumed Dipper was towards. "Just don't leave your stupid Sister hanging, got it buster?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Dipper gave her a quick but squeezing hug. Mabel felt his touch leave, and she heard a cluster of pairs of feet leave, racing outside where transport to the town awaited.

"I should do something," Mabel nodded to herself as she stood there. She turned half way to her right. "You guys have anything you need help with?"

"We're over here, sweetheart," Stan's voice called from directly behind her. Mabel nodded and shuffled again. Stan then added, "There ya go. Fully facing us."

"Well?" Mabel repeated, "someone be my taskmaster for a bit."

Soos hummed in thought. "Do you think it's a good idea if I have her help me on the roof?" Soos asked to Stan and Wendy, who, unknown to Mabel, gave him incredulous stares. "So that's a big noooo," he noted.

Stan looked about. "I can always use help with... uh," Grunkle Stan looked around. He found a stack of neat post cards, and tossed them to the floor. "Ah!" he dramatically exclaimed, "My post cards! Gosh, I could sure use some help picking them up in an orderly fashion: my old man back can't bend down to reach that far!"

Having heard him orchestrate the entire thing, Mabel sighed. "I'll take what I can," she said in a resigned voice.

Stan nodded stiffly. "Right. And then, uh... Wendy! You make sure she stays busy," Stan told his employee strongly.

Wendy looked down to the blinded twin, scooping up what she could of the post-cards, Mabel starting to hum a slow, sad tune. A fire coming to her eyes, Wendy saluted. "You got it, boss-man," Wendy nodded, one of the few times she had ever taken an order from her boss seriously.

"Right. Soos, the roof done yet? The contractors are coming tomorrow, so we need to make sure everything looks like it still works," Stan said, wrapping his arm around his handy-man and pulling him from the room. Soos replied animatedly in the other room, leaving the two ladies alone to their work.

Now alone, Wendy stood there awkwardly. She rested a hand by her elbow as she stared at Mabel. Mabel was busy feeling front and back sides of cards, seeking to identify front from back by touch alone. Wendy's eyes scanned each small movement of Mabel, uncertain to her own next course of action. Mabel could feel the eyes on her as she wrapped up her chore, and coughed into her hand deliberately. Wendy almost flinched, surely realizing she had been staring.

"So, what're we gonna do?" Mabel tried after clearing her throat.

"I, uh," Wendy stumbled over her words, looking around the shop to think of something that Mabel could work on, "I think the shelves are dusty, but I'm not sure that giving you a duster is a good-"

"I got it!" Mabel cheered as she tossed the Post cards in Wendy's direction, spilling them into the air like a cardboard explosion. Wendy tried catching them as much as she could while Mabel turned to where she thought she could find a duster. Instead, she ran into a key-chain wrack in the middle of the floor; tripping over it herself. As she landed, she rolled to the side, and bumped into yet another wrack, which collapsed onto her, spilling car license plates onto her. Buried under the wreckage, Mabel's trembling voice admitted, "I don't got it."

"Mabel, hold on a second," Wendy tossed the cards aside as she rushed to the buried teenager before her.

"Wendy, what do I do?" Mabel asked as she felt Wendy's hands untangling the twins hair from the various arms of the stands.

Wendy, clearly focusing on untangling and freeing Mabel, shrugged. "Well, for one, maybe you should start taking a leaf out of your brother's book," Wendy told her as she finally pulled off one of the wracks from Mabel, "and look before you leap."

"Hehe, look," Mabel timidly weakly.

Wendy hissed at her own comment. "Sorry," she added, clearing Mabel from the last of the arms.

"Besides, that sounds boring," Mabel replied, sticking her tongue out plainly, "I live for excitement!"

Wendy smirked. "And being buried under souvenir racks?" Wendy asked as she lifted the second tower from Mabel. "Dude, there isn't any shame on taking it easy, you know. Sometimes you gotta get used to something uncomfortable and it takes a bit."

"I don't need to change for this," Mabel replied, pushing herself off the ground before Wendy had a chance to offer her any of her own assistance, "this isn't that big of a deal. I mean, I can still hear and smell and stuff, right?" Mabel tried chuckling, wobbling for a moment when she regained her footing. Mabel felt the eyes of her fellow friend upon her. Wendy, for her part, was deep in thought and clearly pensive. Mabel, perhaps succumbing to the weight of her situation, let out a loud whine. "What do I do, Wendy?" Mabel gasped after a moment of gently tucking her lips in her mouth, nearly chewing them in nervousness.

"You want my opinion?" Wendy asked, uncertainty pouring through her.

"Yeah!"

"Why?" Wendy asked, "Mabel, I'm not exactly the best source of information on how to deal with... you know. I don't know how to deal with… stuff."

"But you're smart, right?" Mabel took a step towards Wendy's voice, "I bet you'd know what to do about a curse like this! You swing around trees like it's nothing."

Wendy scratched her neck, giving Mabel a worried look. She opened her lips to speak, but paused, closing them as quickly. Struggling on decision, Wendy finally groaned. "I don't know, dude," Wendy rubbed the back of her head, "my first bet… would be to find out how to get rid of that egg-thing, and then hand it back to the Fairies, or whatever. Maybe they'll lift the curse or whatever," Wendy reasoned as she looked out the windows, presumably in a direction the fairies could be located.

"There's no guarantee that they'll let me have all my senses back if I do though, is there?" Mabel huffed, folding her arms along her stomach as she considered. "Tough luck for me."

"It could be worse," Wendy quickly replied. Mabel turned to her, or her direction, and pouted. Wendy's cheeks went flush and she let out a small grumble. "Okay, it's pretty bad still," she admitted.

"It's not just sight, remember?" Mabel told her, "I can't sneeze or anything or cough or... anything!" Mabel grasped her own shoulders as she remembered the final warning of Jingle-Blossom, "And I can't shiver. She was really happy telling me that one, the jerk."

"Then no dusting for you," Wendy decided, taking note of where the broom was, by a corner, "or you'll be dealing with worse than just being blind."

"Right," Mabel nodded. Her mind hadn't been prepared for the shift in weight, and she stumbled, "Ack!" Wendy was fast to respond, catching her by the arms to stabilize her. As Mabel felt herself gain proper footing again, the side of her foot nudged something. "What's that?" she asked, gentling nudging the side of what felt like cardboard.

Wendy peered around Mabel. "Your art-project stuff for your door," Wendy answered, bending down, "I think you left it here after your friends got here."

"Oh, shoot!" Mabel snapped her fingers, having completely forgotten about her little side-project, "Ugh! It's going to a million times harder to make something that perfectly captures Dipper and me when I can't even see it!" Mabel sat down and she felt Wendy do the same. "Maybe I should just toss it now, since I can't finish it."

"Mabel," Wendy spoke soothingly to little avail.

Mabel was holding her knees to her, resting her head against her arms as she drowned in pitiful thoughts. It felt like there was nothing she could currently do. Mabel had felt as if a giant, red-hot brand had pressed into her soul the words 'fragile'. It broke her to think the number of times she relied on her senses for all the things she loved, and how they might vanish with one bad reaction to… something, anything. So wrapped up in the pain of this dread, she lost herself in the dark. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she nearly gasped from the shock.

Wendy had taken a squat next to Mabel. Eying the project with her green eyes, Wendy cast to Mabel a knowing look, filled to the brim with understanding, feeling pouring her gaze. Finally, she took a cross-legged seat next to Mabel. "Mabel," Wendy said so very softly, "I'm not going to say this doesn't suck, but we're going to get past it," Wendy told her.

"I don't know," Mabel mumbled, "No offense Wendy, but it's not like you're really going through anything like this." Wendy gave her a tiny smirk, but said nothing. Mabel groaned, "I feel pretty crummy now."

"Well, no, I guess I don't know anything about losing your sight and stuff," Wendy admitted, "but I know what it's like losing something important to you," Wendy stated strongly. Mabel blinked, actually blinked, and shook her head. She had quickly seen a vision of someone in town, reading into a book, but then snapped her eyelids closed again. Wendy's words still rang in her head.

"What do you mean?" Mabel asked.

Wendy played with the ends of her hair. Rolling her hair between her fingers, Wendy stared at Mabel. After some unseen decision, she sighed. "I…" Wendy started saying timidly, "Uh, I kind of lost all my friends over the past year or so," Wendy told Mabel quietly, turning her head to the hallway to see if anyone was there.

Mabel gasped. "What? But you had like, a gazillion buddies!"

"Yeah, we just sort of realized we weren't all going to be staying around, you know?" Wendy spoke candidly. She was quiet as she added, "I mean, Nate and Lee are heading to different colleges, Tambry is going to move out of town soon with her family, and then -"

"But then who have you been hanging out with at school?" Mabel interjected.

"Eh, I got a few people who I still chat with, you know? But yeah – It's, uh, been kind of hard to get through school in the past year. And then I'm trying to get some scholarships for college-"

"You're going to college!?" Mabel gasped, trying to stand up, only to slip on her left out paper scraps. Her energy was not deterred though; she tried again, this time standing up fully with a leap. Hands at her cheeks, Mabel cried out, "You mean, like, that adult thingy-college!?"

Wendy had laughed at Mabel's determination to stand. "Yeah dude," Wendy grinned, "I mean, logging is fine, but I wanted to go learn something cool, you know?" Wendy scratched the back of her neck as she spoke. Her eyes then darted to the box next to Mabel, and a huge spark of an idea erupted in her mind. "Hey, I could totally help with the door stuff you know," she said to the blinded girl.

"Huh?"

"I can be your seeing eye-artist," Wendy offered her services with a grin. She began to pull out the collected magazines that Mabel had deemed worthy of her attention, and the many cut-outs she already had gotten to. "I won't have that same touch to it all that you do," Wendy admitted, "but we can keep the project alive while we try fixing this craziness, right?"

Mabel blinked, vision of another life flashing in her eyes that didn't belong to her own. She shook her head and closed her eyes, uncertain to her proposition. It wasn't that she didn't trust Wendy- she got Mabel's artistic qualities quite well. It was just saddening to think that she couldn't complete this on her own. She already had been offered such a deal from her brother, and her stomach clenched tightly in recollection. Then, somewhere deep in her brain, a tiny Mabel voice shot up. The tiny Mabel cried in her head, "Collaborations are the best-ations!" and Mabel cracked a smile.

"Hold on," Mabel told Wendy, who had begun to pull over papers and cut outs around her. Mabel cautiously sat back down. She explained, "I'm totally down for this plan, so I'm going to need to find your eyes."

"So you're going to start trying to see again?" Wendy asked, a huge grin growing across her face. The redhead had worked whatever 'chill magical powers' that resided within her. She eagerly watched Mabel as the blinded girl fluttered her eyelids, scanning through lives rapidly to find the correct eyes to see through.

"Maaaybe," Mabel cheekily admitted, "I may not be able to see this silly thing constantly, but I'm doing it for the sake of the door! It needs sprucing up!" The two girls laughed, and Mabel gasped. She had finally found Wendy's vision, and could see herself being looked at. Mabel gagged. "Bleugh! I'm a mess! Why didn't anyone tell me my hair looked like a twisted ball of yarn?"

"I think we figured you had enough stuff going on in your mind," Wendy smirked as Mabel tried her best to smoothen out and straighten her hair, and was able to eventually coordinate her hands to the vision Wendy provided. "Ready for this project?"

Pleased with her hair, Mabel watched herself through her friends eyes as she beamed. "You know it!" Mabel cheered.

Half an hour passed as the two ladies sat on the floor, chatting and putting together a very Mabel-like collaboration of papers to place on her door upstairs. Goofy, nonsensical, positive, colorful – the mural were a brightness the natural tones of the building sorely lacked. Mabel, always the eager creature, nearly took over the entire mural. Wendy stepped in on Dipper's behalf, pulling over science magazines and paranormal tabloids for them to cut from. Soon, Flying saucers and sasquatch were plastered next to gummy-koalas and emojis. Mabel, who had to occasionally find Wendy again after she had blinked, came to adore the work she had completed with her older assistant.

Pausing from a shared laugh, Mabel told Wendy, "Not the end of the world yet."

Only a few minutes after completing the project, the library bound trio of teens returned. According to Dipper and Candy, the library was hesitant to part with their record-setting collection. Over forty books, divided by the three teens, had been called to arms in the battle to discover a solution to Mabel's fae dilemma. Dipper's eyes, as Mabel finally could see through others, looked the most driven they had ever been since they had come to Gravity Falls. Placing her art work aside, Mabel followed her brother into the living room with the Grenda and Candy. She sat alongside them as they began to take notes. Wendy soon joined forces, reading several books herself. Then the torturous process began and hours would pass with the grind.

Dipper had taken to sit before the loveseat that faced the TV. His sister sat above him, in the seat itself, bobbing her head side-to-side. Candy and Grenda sat more onto the carpet just to the seat's right. Wendy quietly leaned on the doorway frame, a book sprayed open in her hands. Grenda would finally snap after an hour.

"I thought reading about magic and stuff would be exciting," Grenda said, cracking her neck loudly, "this is boring! It's worse than my intro to biology textbook!"

Dipper had placed a notepad to his side, and was scribbling a quick thought. "We just need mentions of anything related to fae, curses, or spells that involve cleansing stuff. Maybe potions too," Dipper told her, cross-examining his notes with a separate sheet of paper nearby. On said paper were copied excerpts from various sections of the three journals.

Grenda groaned. "I feel like these words are just little dots now," Grenda said as she heatedly studied the text before her. "My eyes haven't done this much reading since I waited until the hour before exams to study."

"I remember that," Candy nodded as she flipped a page, adjusting her glasses as she took down another note, "you looked like you were in much pain."

Grenda flopped backwards. "I feel like I'm in much pain!" Grenda groaned, pulling her face down with her hands, stretching her skin.

Sensing a collective need to breath, Dipper straightened up and looked around. "Well, how do the notes look so far?" Dipper asked, looking up from his own records, "So far I've found several indications that removing a fairy from your body requires salt to be thrown at its feet."

"But it's a pixie," Mabel stated from her comfy seat above Dipper, "I don't know it even has feet."

Grenda leaned up again. "They don't like metal stuff?" Grenda tried aloud as she looked into a book, "Maybe you should swallow an iron marble, Mabel."

Mabel shook her head. "I've already tried that. I've eaten plenty of stuff I thought would have it react to it," Mabel replied sadly, slouching into the chair further. "Candy?" she asked, aware her friend in glasses hadn't spoken.

Candy read her notes with a frown. She cast a look around everyone present first, and then meagerly said, "I've thought of something, but I don't think we can do it."

Dipper leaned towards her. "Well, it can't be worse than anything we've got so far," Dipper shrugged, "hit us with it."

Candy held up her own notes, which had an eccentric mixture of chemistry and esoteric +notation. She began slowly, "Pixies are un-animated Fairies, or have yet to be born. That means it won't move on its own. If it can't move it ourselves, we need it to make it move itself."

Mabel twisted her head slightly to the side, confusion evident. "But a pixie just floats around- like, shoosh," Mabel lifted her arms at her sides, and glided in her seat, "it didn't look like it did anything other than bob around."

"Then we make sure it can move," Candy stated finally.

Grenda scratched her scalp. "I don't follow," Grenda grunted. Then Dipper gasped and clapped his hand against his head. Staring at him, Grenda added, "What? Am I missing something in the notes?"

Dipper exclaimed, "Of course! Candy's right!"

Mabel, hopping in her seat, asked, "What is going on? Did Candy hold up a picture!? I wanna see it!" and started blinking her eyes rapidly to find one of their visions to borrow.

Candy stood up, holding her notes. "No, no," she started to explain, "if an un-animated fairy cannot move, and we cannot move the fairy, we must then allow it to move on its own. So-"

"So," Dipper continued in Candy's place, "we animate the fairy."

"What!?" Grenda and Mabel gasped.

Wendy closed her book with a gentle clap. "Dude, cool," she congratulated.

Mabel quickly leapt from her seat. "Can that even happen?" she demanded, spinning to the right sharply, nearly tripping over Candy. "Whoops! Close one, huh?" she giggled.

Helping his sister take a seat, Dipper took charge to explain. "So, we know Pixies can be animated," Dipper started, as Mabel got on her knees between Grenda and Candy, staring in the direction of Dipper. He continued, "From what the journal stated, it's a process where Fairies gather positive, or negative, energies and bind it to a pixie. Then the pixie wakes up, and is alive from that point."

Grenda scratched her head. "So do we just make people laugh around Mabel?" she asked.

"No, it can't be that simple," Dipper groaned, realization stunning his train of thought, "if it was that simple, Mabel would have been able to make this thing alive by now, for sure."

"Yeah dude," Wendy put in, "she's a freakin' cannon-ball of joy."

Mabel hummed in thought, considering the analogy. "Destructive, and positive. I like that. Niiice."

Candy hopped back onto the think-aloud-train. "Then what do we do? If Mabel isn't enough-" she, like Dipper, had a moment of clarity, as they both gasped, "unless we need to quantify the positive emotions!" she declared.

"Quanit-fee-fie-foe-what?" Mabel turned towards Candy.

Dipper chuckled. "She means bind it to something we can work with- like turning good vibes into actual chocolate or something," Dipper explained, trying to give an example.

Mabel's eyes widened, and she asked with great awe, "Can... can such a glorious thing happen?"

Grenda said with fantasizing tones, "Feelings into chocolate," Grenda held herself in her arms, her eyes to the ceiling. Mabel and Grenda clearly had the same idea, as the two of them almost started drooling at the concept of a kind of action where by merely feeling good, chocolate goodness would be created before you. It was a thought they both wouldn't let go, even as Dipper looked between them with raised eyebrows.

Mabel suddenly frowned. "I feel a judging stare. Dipper –"

"Anyway," Dipper interrupted the two ladies daydream, "I haven't seen anything like this in the books here, but we haven't been looking for-"

From the corner, a long-quiet voice added, "Why not just get a fairy to do it for you?" The three who could see turned, and Mabel flopped her head around, trying to pin point where Wendy had spoken from.

Grenda responded heatedly, "They cursed her!"

Wendy nodded, and juggled her one book lazily. "I know" she noted glumly, "but unless you have a way to solve this sooner without them, we really should consider asking them for help. They'll get their little pixie back, and Mabel might get to see again," Wendy stepped into the room.

Dipper got a chance to study Wendy carefully. She seemed agitated. Standing before the four younger teens, she almost looked nervous. She was clutching the book in her hand, which also clutched the local newspaper. Dipper eyed it, realizing that she mut have read it recently. Some sort of dread slithered up his neck, and he felt tense. He asked her, "Wendy, what's going on?" he then slowly stood up, "You act like we don't have much time or stuff. Even if she loses hearing or whatever, we can still-"

Wendy placed the book under her arm, and pulled out the paper. "You're not going to believe this," Wendy quietly said, puckering her lips in worry as she held up the paper, "I didn't notice it this morning, but you wouldn't believe what Toby posted on the papers!"

Grenda leaned closer to the ink, her eyes squinting as she tried reading aloud, "Local boy loses tooth in ice-cream: eats it anyway to chagrin of supposed tooth-fairy?"

Wendy rolled her eyes. "No, the big stories?" Wendy pointed with her other hand to the very large picture on front, where the capture members of the Five Freaky Friends sat in jail, angrily staring at the photographer.

Dipper took to reading the captions out loud. "Captured thieves are to be released later today, as their bail has been posted and quickly paid- WHAT!?" Dipper shot up instantly, snatching the paper from Wendy as he read aloud, "police were excited to announce the purchase of their second bouncy-castle in regards to the bail money. Heroes that captured the robbers were unavailable for questioning regarding this news. Well," Dipper said to Wendy, "at least he didn't mention us by-"

"Look, there!" Wendy growled, and pulled the paper so everyone could see it, "right there," she pointed to the end of the story, "if you wish to congratulate the heroes who were able to foil these crazy crooks, go to the Gravity Falls Mystery Shack and inquire for the Pines Twins."

"Oh... oh no," Dipper gasped as the problems all sunk in. There was a band of criminals back on the streets, for one thing. The more pressing issue was that the papers literally pointed anyone who wanted to see their detainees right to Dipper and Mabel. Mabel surely could have taken care of herself, and Dipper was no slouch. The bandages on his arms still itched a little, and as he resisted the urge to scratch, he remembered that Mabel could lose more senses at any point. Neither twin were ready to stand up in a fight. "This is bad!" Dipper cried out.

A new voice called into the room, and Grunkle Stan poked his head around. "Hey! What's the word on curing Mabel? Based on the sounds you've all been making and the looks on your faces," he added as he realized the five teens seemed paler than usual, "Not good."

"It's complicated," Dipper told him, "We're working on something, but we've got worse stuff going on than just the curse."

Grenda burst out, "A gang of robbers is coming for Dipper and Mabel!"

"What?!" Grunkle Stan shouted, his body tensing up as he looked to his two young relatives.

Mabel looked to Grunkle Stan's general direction. "Newspaper are going to lead them to me!" Mabel said worriedly, wringing her hands, "I know I said 'death take me', but I didn't mean it literally!"

Stan took a hasted step inside. "This came out today?" Stan rounded on Wendy, prying the papers from her. Reading them quickly himself he then scowled. "Determined, if I ever get my hands on you," he crumbled the paper in his balling fists, "Ugh! Okay, I got some good news at least," Grunkle Stan turned to the gang, "I think we can get this curse thing off you if we just bring the pixie to life. Sounds crazy, I know-"

Dipper cut him off. "That was our plan too! We're just not sure if that's enough to convince the fairies to end the curse."

Stan blinked, and slumped slightly. "Oh. Well, good thing I could be soo helpful," Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes, "at least we know what we need to do, right?" Stan asked, looking expectantly at Dipper and the others.

"Uh," Dipper started, not certain towards the next steps.

Mabel stood up. "We're going to go talk to the fairies," Mabel declared firmly, drawing the others attention to her. "It's not like we can be fairy foster parents; we don't know magic! Well, maybe not fairy magic," she added, recalling their various dabbing of dangerous spells and incantations in the past, "but if there's someone who can help, it would be a fairy!" Mabel stated proudly, smiling in her conclusion.

"Sweety, they did curse you, you know," Grunkle Stan reminded her, Grenda nodding in agreement. He added quickly, "And not in the purely verbal way."

Mabel pouted. "Who else knows how to animate a fairy? Do you know how, Grunkle Stan?" Mabel asked, leaning in to her Grunkle, giving his general direction a raised eyebrow. When he gave her no answer, she said, "I didn't think so. So, unless someone else has a better idea, I say we go find those pretty little people and tell them to help a Mabel out."

"I..." Dipper tried arguing. There were flaws with this plan, too many flaws and unknown possibilities. The fairies may not want to see or speak to them. They could look for the fae and get lost, or be unable to find them. Even if they did find them, there was no guarantee still that they would lift the curse should they help Mabel. Lastly, and Dipper found this particularly troubling, if they had considered this just now: why hadn't the fairies considered trying to animate the pixie, instead of cursing Mabel? Wouldn't it have made sense to rescue it and leave, rather than picking a fight with a human? But with their time a little more pressed, Dipper sighed, and finally nodded while saying, "It's the best we've got right now.

"Awesome!" Mabel cheered, shooting a fist above her with a little jump. "Let's go on a... on a..." Mabel opened her eyes again, fear shining through her brown pupils as she heaved again and again, and finally sneezed. The four other watched her with dread, and Mabel stared ahead, not seeing them still with her wide open eyes. "Uh..." she slowly murmured, and sniffed the air. To her surprise, she caught a whiff of something saucy and loaded with cheese. "Mmm, Pizza!" she announced loudly, and sniffed again, but then gagged, "Ugh! Not pizza! Blech! Different smell, ew, ew, ew!"

"Just breathe with your mouth," Dipper told his sister with a small chuckle.

Mabel had deflated. "Puh. Great, another lost sense," Mabel grumbled sadly. Dipper gave his sister a knowing look, and approached her. With a quick step to her side, he wrapped his arm around her own, binding elbows together.

With all the warmth he could ask her, Dipper said, "Ready to go find those little jerks?"

Mabel's pain lessened, feeling her brother's eternal support. She nodded, clearly excited to be rid of a complicated and annoying curse. Dipper's arm tugged her gently as he stepped forward, leading her to the front of the building.

As the five in the room took their leave, a large hand reached out for Wendy's shoulder, gently holding her back. "Wendy, we're staying here," Stan said from behind the twins. "Let the kids figure this one out."

Wendy spun half way, looking at her boss incredulously. "They could need our help," Wendy pointed out.

Stan nodded. "Yup. And we're staying here in case they need someone back at base. That's why you all have half an hour, you hear me?" Stan warned the others as they stepped out the front door carefully with Mabel. "No excuses!" he snapped as he followed behind them, "The second after your time's up, I'm going in with my guns. And I don't mean my arms!"

"We'll be back, Grunkle Stan," Dipper waved over his shoulder as turned to assure his grand uncle of their safety, "just keep an eye out for those robbers," he added as the four stepped out through the gift shop.

Out the doors and into the clear the twins, plus Grenda and Candy, marched away. They approached the edge of the woods with a collective determination. Mabel hadn't taken but a step into the perimeter of the woods when – zap! There was a burst of static struck the four teens arms. They each gasped, stepping back while looking for the sudden source of electricity. Mabel had blinked, and her vision set upon a new pair of eyes. Before the other three, a small light shone out from under a shrub.

"We thought you'd try this," came a very high pitched voice, as a well-dressed tiny man with dragonfly wings bobbed into the air.

"Is that Binkie-Moon?" Grenda asked.

The Fairy rose up to her face and glared at her, which was much less intimidating than the fairies intent. "Twinkle-Moon, young lady," Twinkle moon growled as he flew back, still the size of an expected fairy, no larger than a small mouse.

Dipper rubbed his electrically-insulted arm. "What the heck's with zapping us?" Dipper demanded, "I wasn't aware that your curse also had a sub-section of preventing us from going where we're allowed to go."

Landing on a nearby leaf, Twinkle-Moon adjusted his tie. "Yes, that's why I'm here. Under normal circumstances, curses, like the ones laid on Mabel here," Twinkle-Moon indicated to Mabel, who was staring ahead as she watched a scene, absorbed in her visual senses, "are used as trackers. We only curse fairies who have commuted dangerous crimes, and so we place borders around our forests to warn us should they be crossing our lands. It's supposed to knock them out. However, we aren't used to humans being cursed, and I was on my way to alter the border spell to not harm you. Fortunately, you all seem relatively unscathed."

"Oh, look," Dipper looked to Grenda and Candy with a sardonic grin, "the fairy who let my sister get cursed was worried about us."

The tiny, high-pitched being scowled. "I am doing my job as law interpreter," Twinkle-Moon argued his case defiantly, sounding more and more like a squeaking rodent or tiny insect, "as you were not made aware to our custom, it became imperative that I –"

Candy blurted in, "Why haven't you switched to your taller self?"

"I – what?" Twinkle-Moon gaped.

"You're not taller. Why not? You're quite, uh, hard to listen to when you're this small," Candy tried saying carefully.

Her intent to avoid insulting the diminutive creature failed. His tiny face grew visibly red. "At least I don't sound like some lumbering beasts that can't-" Twinkle-Moon hastily grumbled under his breath.

A loud cry from Mabel had the group turn to her. "Oh no," Mabel blinked, but kept her eyes open as she once again started to seek a new host, "oh no! We really, really are running on fumes for time!"

Mabel eyed his sister worriedly. "Mabel?" he asked.

"They're almost here," Mabel told her friends.

Behind them, just by the Mystery Manor, the sound of a vehicle echoed about. Gravel churned and scraped as vehicle breaks screeched out an abrasive, mechanical squeal. A large, rusted white-panel van had appeared. To the horror of the group, five men – each tall and rather well built – stepped out. They had the clean, friendly, unmistakable look of murderous intent.

Quick on the trigger, Grenda hissed under her breath, "Get down!" She pushed down the twins as she and Candy dived behind a large tree. As the twins crawled behind a thick bush, Dipper poked his head above the leaves while Candy and Grenda looked around the trunk.

The five robbers approached the Mystery Manor, looking between one another. Each had short hair, but they each had a different appearance. One was very tall and lanky, while another was short and portly. The other two had very wide shoulders and were quite muscular. Their leader was a man of average height but a large belly. He knocked on the door to the Manor, and waited.

Soos answered, a wide grin on his face. "Hello guests to the Gravity Falls Mystery Manor! Home of mysteries and stuff," Soos exclaimed happily to them. They all seemed unimpressed. Unabated, Soos continued, "We're the world famous tourist attraction for all your weird wants, crazy cravings, and zany... uh... zany..."

The pudgy man before him quickly spoke. "We're looking for the twins who are supposed to be here," the head of the five declared.

Soos held a hand up, scratching his head through his cap. "Hold on," Soos asked him, causing the leader to fume. Soos thought aloud, "zany... zany... you guys got anything that can go with a word with 'Z'?" he asked them.

The tallest one suggested "Zoo?"

"Zebra?" one of the body-builder types tried.

Soos nodded. "Zany Zebras. Oh, that sounds better, yeah," Soos nodded, "I'm sorry to inform you, the Mystery Manor is closed for renovations. Like, I fell through the roof like fifteen times this week; pretty craaa-zaaay."

Snarling, the leader grunted and said, "We're not interested in a tour, or whatever this blatant tourist trap is. We want to, uh, speak to the twins who helped the police earlier this week."

Pounding a fist into his palm, one of the larger ones added, "We're going to beat them up!" The tall one, behind him, whacked the back of his head. The broad man let off a series of hacking coughs, "I mean, beat them at a game because we wanted to... play games. Yeah."

Soos eyed him, but laughed. "Aw, dude, I totally get you. We're all into this new wave of board games these day-" A pair of hands reached out and grasped Soos, yanking him inside.

Stepping up to his employees prior position, Stan cleared his throat and stood up to his tallest, sucking-in-the-gut-iest, tough man pose. "Gentlemen," he told them with as much authority as he could muster, "Thank you for visiting the Mystery Manor, which is under construction. I'm going to have to ask you to shove off."

The leader's eyes shot wide as the other four gasped. Stan, taller than the pudgy leader, had at least conveyed some amount presence. Yet the leader scowled. "Shove off, huh?" the front man of the group repeated, a vein twitching in his temple.

Stan nodded. "Yeah, you heard me," he reiterated, "They aren't here, and even if they would, you wouldn't get a chance to see them, you messed up maniacs," Stan told them off. He took a careful step backwards, ensuring Soos was clear from the door. "Now get lost before I call the police and let them know their favorite gang of losers stopped by."

The shortest one of the five leered at Stan, daring a step closer. "You don't seem to understand that there's five of us, and what, two of you?"

Stan looked unimpressed. He scanned the group, and the told them, "I've had worse odds than you freaks," and then slamming the door in their faces.

His bald head throbbing with veins of fury, the leader ordered, "Strugs, break their door down –"

The tallest spun about, and put a hand on the leader's shoulder. "Wait," the tall man turned, having spotted something in the direction of the kids. They had ducked when he turned his head to them, but the damage had been done. He said loudly, "Boss, I think I just saw someone over there."

"So what?" the boss replied angrily.

"Looked like kids, you know, teenagers," the tallest man said particularly loudly. The four hiding in the woods exchanged scared faces, with exception of Mabel.

Her mind reeled with anxiety. She had heard the tone in these people's voices. They really were willing to hurt Grunkle Stan, Soos, or Wendy if they thought it would get Dipper or her to reveal themselves. If they stayed hidden, the four kids may have had a chance to avoid being spotted, but the three inside didn't stand a chance. Well, maybe they did a – Grunkle Stan and Wendy both kept surprising everyone with their ability to walk out of tight spots mostly unscathed. Even if they did stand a chance to walk out victorious, Mabel dared to think how she would feel knowing they got hurt because of her. Her stomach, just on principle of the idea, dropped and her chest tightened.

Mabel knew she couldn't let them get into the shack. She took Dipper's hand.

Buzzing up to the twins, Twinkle Moon demanded, "What on earth is going on?"

They all ignored him. Mabel leaned next to her brother. "Dipper, we need to run," Mabel declared. Dipper looked to her, his fingers tightening around her hand.

To her relief, he said, "I got the same idea." He turned to the other two, adding, "We need to pull them away from the Mystery Manor. When I give the cue, run into the woods. Make as much noise as you want a first, then just try to get away. Okay?"

Candy nodded, saying, "I understand," and she fiercely adjusted her glasses.

"Let's show these suckers what it's like running through the woods," Grenda quietly roared.

Twinkle Moon fluttered to their front, floating mid-air. "Wait, if you go into the woods, will those men follow?" Twinkle Moon gasped, looking past the bush to the five men, who were preparing to charge into the tourist trap. "Those dangerous men?"

Mabel laughed nervously. She couldn't help herself. The four of them hiding behind a bush and a tree, about to go running into the woods for her life – it was just like old times. It was scary and exhilarating, but it was the kind she was used to by now. Taking a long, stabilizing breath, she focused. Her training gave her the expertise to steady herself. In the nose, out the mouth, slowly. She exhaled and squeezed Dipper's hand.

Dipper jolted to action. "Now!" Dipper hissed, knocking aside Twinkle Moon accidentally, as the four of them darted into the woods.

The men by the shack had reacted exactly as they had predicted. A pair of their voices cried out. The echoing shouts of the criminals heralded the danger that would soon follow the four teenagers. Their feet pushed through the brush and undergrowth of the woods edge. Quickly enough they entered the forest proper, and the chase was on. Birds and forest critters around them scattered and fled from their ruckus.

The energy and endurance of teenagers were not ones to be underestimated. Time passed quickly as the four rushed into the darker shadows of the woods, trailed by the crooks. Minutes passed quickly, and they continued their dash forward, away. For the most part it wasn't difficult – their smaller height made it easier to avoid the thicker, low branches that the dense areas of the woods had in plenty. Grenda began to struggle keeping in pace. Her size made it increasingly difficult to keep up and keep breath. She was a body-builder and lifter, not a long-distance jogger. Mabel too found the run taxing, as she was getting scratched up and was tripping on the many roots of the forest floor. Dipper was doing a fantastic job of keeping her mostly unharmed. Still, senses on the fray, Mabel would occasionally turn one way, thinking she had heard danger, only to whip herself against a thin branch. Her cheeks and shoulders were taking quite the punishment.

Dipper gasped as the four took a moment to stabilize behind a fallen and wide pine tree. He then looked back over the tree, back to where they had come from. "They're... still... coming!?" Dipper gasped, spotting the rushing criminals approaching in the distance. He whipped his head to the other two ladies. "Grenda, Candy, do you think you can get around them and back to the shack?"

Candy said quickly, "Of course!" and patted Grenda's shoulder, who was heaving and could only nod for Dipper.

Dipper gave them an apologetic smile. "Okay, good luck!" Dipper called as the robber's voices grew closer. "Mabel, let's go!"

"Gotcha!" Mabel said, letting herself be pulled again. They ran once more, and soon, Mabel heard something loud ahead. Roiling, churning water.

"Step here," Dipper hastily told her, stepping on a log, which was long enough to actually pass over a large section of a river below them, "and if you're going to fall, tell me."

Stumbling up onto the curved, uneven surface, Mabel gasped. "Wait, we're going over a river?" she cried.

"Yeah," Dipper told her, looking behind him. Just in the distance, he could see movement in the undergrowth. "Oh no..." Dipper mumbled, seeing danger approaching. He looked back to the other side of the river, where a large bush waited for them. Even if they made it to that bush, their hunters would just come looking for them in that bush. They needed a diversion. Dipper came to a quick, reckless conclusion. "Mabel, run straight," Dipper told her as he pulled her ahead. Mabel followed orders. Despite the uneven surface, her balance would not fail her. With Dipper's help, she leapt off the tree onto soft earth. Dipper then told her hastily, "I need you to trust me now, okay?"

Panic flashed through her like a bout of flame. She had heard that voice before. It was that kind of tone he used when he knew he was about to do something stupid. She tried speaking, "Dipper –"

He cut her off, "No matter what you hear, stay in this bush," Dipper said, gently pushing and leaning his sister down to sit in the bush, "and don't say anything, no matter what!"

"Wait –" she froze up as she felt him move up and away. She didn't want him to go anywhere, especially anywhere near those jerks on the other side of the river.

"Don't worry," he assured her. Mabel felt his hand on her head, patting her hair with as much affection he could rush. "I got a plan!" he told her, and then he ran off. Mabel heard him run. Then, he cried out, "Hey!"

From much further away, Mabel heard "There he is!" as one of the robbers called. Mabel placed a hand on her mouth. She couldn't believe it – was he planning on fighting them one-on-one on the log? Dipper was brave, but he wasn't stupid, or nearly as trained as she was to think he should be able to.

Then, she heard Dipper yell all-too-loudly, "Mable, wait up!" followed by a heavy splash in the river.

The other, hostile voice rang out, "Dang! He's going downstream!"

Another voice called out, "Follow him!"

Mabel held herself close as she felt the voices grow distant, as a cluster of dangerous, angry men chased after her brother. As far as she could tell, he had just thrown himself into a flowing river. Mabel wanted to peek above this bush, see if was clear. Not that it would help, of course. The powerlessness of her refused her that ability. She sunk low into the earth, holding herself as the many internal voices of Mabel began their great debate.

What to do now? What could she do now? She could head back over the log- the chances of being seeing by anyone now were small. Maybe she could get back to the Mystery Shack, to rally backup for Dipper? But what if he came back and she's wasn't where he put her? Mabel winced at the mental image of Dipper's face if he looked around the bush and couldn't find her – defeated and wide-eyed. He'd probably assume they got her, and then just give up, the dumb boy. Would Dipper be okay? He just leapt into a river, and was being chased by angry goons, each stronger and meaner than him. What was she supposed to do?

To Mabel's surprise, she wasn't alone. "Who's there?" a tiny, squeaky, feminine voice called from around a tree nearby Mabel. Mabel gasped, and pushed herself in the bushes. There was a fluttering of wings, and a groan. "Oh, it's you," a voice said in disgusted tones.

"Who is it?" Mabel timidly asked, aware she was speaking to a fairy, but unable to guess which it would be, "Bob, is that you?"

Venomously, the voice gnashed the air with the violence a creature the size of a squirrel could. "Guess again, kidnapper."

"Jingle-Blossom," Mabel rolled her eyes behind her closed eyelids, and then she gasped. This was the fairy she was looking! "Hey, Jingle-Blossom," Mabel tried again, desperation flooding her voice, "I need to talk to you!"

"Oh, you do, do you?"

Mabel chewed her lip at the reply. "I know you hate me," Mabel started with a quiet sincerity, aiding her attempts to stay hidden, "And I probably deserve it. You think I stole your child, and that makes me a horrible person."

The fairy paused in her bitterness. "So?" she finally snapped back, "Do you want forgiveness? I'm not in the mood for that," Jingle-Blossom told her heatedly.

Mabel could actually feel a sickly heat emanating from the fairy's direction. "I thought you'd say that," Mabel sighed, "but I need you to understand something-"

"All I understand," the furious little fairy squeaked, "is that I can't have my child now. I lost her to you, and that you're holding her ransom still!" Jingle-Blossom cried, and Mabel put a finger to her lips in a 'shh'.

"Quiet!" Mabel begged her.

"Why? Or those men will get you?"

"It's not just me they'd hurt if they got me," Mabel told her. The heat suddenly subsided. Feeling a shift in mood, Mabel took her chance, "They want me, but that doesn't mean they should hurt your baby! Do your crazy-Fairy-magic to help her out, and then take her away. She doesn't deserve to get hurt because of me."

The fairy stumbled in her aggression. "What," she mumbled something so quiet under her breath Mabel couldn't hear it. Mabel focused, and finally heard, "But I can't animate her," The Fairy sounded nervous, and her fluttering wings grew closer.

Grasping at straws to make a connection, Mabel asked hurriedly, "Why not!?"

The fairy stumbled for words. "I... I'm not sure I am ready to be a parent," Jingle-Blossom told Mabel. Mabel felt a new weight upon her soul. Enemy or not, the fairy's insecurity struck Mabel's big, bleeding heart like a sledgehammer. Jingle-Blossom added, "that's why I let my pixie drift. It could move freely around until I decided that it was time for me to become a mother."

"Oh," Mabel felt a wave of regret deep inside her core, "Jingle-Blossom, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what it's like to be put into this position, but I can't protect your pixie anymore!" she cried out. "I can't see or smell anymore, and I don't know how long I have until I lose more senses."

"But your friends can protect my child," Jingle-Blossom stated, her standard tone of resentment and defiance returning, "Why should I lift the curse for you?"

"Jingle-Blossom," Mabel reached out, and just by mere luck, managed to cup the small fairy in her hands, "You don't have to, okay? I get it. I want you to lift this stupid, sucky, spell that's totally ruining my life, but... if you're going to do anything, save the pixie?"

From what was once a hot ember-like aura near the pixie came a cool, autumnal presence. The pause was long and filled with the sounds of splashes of water passing by. All Mabel could do was hope this tiny being had enough pity for Mabel and love for her yet-to-be-child. Surely, even with one or the other, the Fairy would then help.

The fairy seemed a loss for words. "I..."

"I'm sorry," Mabel added, more guilt crashing on her, "I never wanted to force you to be a parent like this."

There was a flutter in Mabel's hands. "I need to gather the feelings," Jingle-Blossom declared, and her wings suddenly darted out from Mabel's hands.

"W-wait!" Mabel cried, and reached forward, desperate for company; it had been all that kept her sane through all the chaos of the day. The fading sounds of the soft magical twinkling that fairies left behind soon were gone. With a soft brush of wind, Mabel realized that she was, again, left alone.

The otherwise serene, quiet nature was torture to Mabel. She couldn't take it. Minutes passed with nothing but the sounds of passing river. Done with waiting, she gave herself a shaky nod. Standing up, she took a cautious step towards the log. Another, and another, until she felt her sneaker-clad foot touch the beginning of the dead wood. She gave herself one more deep sigh to balance herself, and then she calmly and steadily crossed the fallen log, her arms at her side for balance.

Her weight hadn't accounted for the end of the log on the other side. The uprooted end of the tree tangled up into the air, and she snagged her foot on the angle and she stumbled forward. She gasped as she reached her hands forward. Mabel could feel something just ahead of her, and she clutched ahead. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance and jammed two of her fingers. A groan escaped her mouth as she hugged the tree. Taking a moment to collect herself and swallow the urge to yelp from sore fingers, she straightened herself up.

Maybe it was hitting the tree that loosened the droplet of water that fell down her back. Fate could not be as cruel as it was that moment, for Mabel felt it coming and fought each nerve that desperately wanted to shiver. She tensed up and lunged forward, forcing her body to do anything other than that. It threw her off balance, and she slammed into the pine-needle covered ground. She had avoided shivering, but she then groaned. A sharp pain rose up through the entire side of her arm, and she yelled as she clutched it, feeling a faint trail of blood. Mabel gritted her teeth and pulled her arm away, the burning pain growing stronger with her touch. She had scraped her arm roughly. In the heat of the moment, she bit down on her molars, she felt a familiar popping sensation.

Both her ears had popped.

The chirping of the birds, the rushing of the water, the breeze over her head; everything she had been clinging to so readily around her vanished. She could only feel the pain of her arm and the earth below her. Mabel forgot to breathe. The absolutely silence, total isolation was far worse than any deafening sound she had ever encountered. There was no sight to aid her guidance, or smell of pine sap to remind her of the forest. Her lungs cried out for air, and she gave a shaking breath. Her breath brought tears. She might as well be in deep space, millions of miles from anyone. Her legs pulled up to her arms, and she hugged herself, no longer remembering where she was. She couldn't hear her own sobs as she sat there, feeling the full weight of the curse.

People were out there to get here, and now she wouldn't even have a clue as to when they would come for her. Her eyes were glued shut, trying to stem the flow of tears falling from her eyes. There was nothing she could do about her rattling breathing, even as she wondered how long it would be until someone found her- friend or foe, just a pathetic mess of a person.

From deep in her mind, a voice calmly reminded her of something. "Then don't feel." Mabel felt her lips open as she took in a sharp breath. The memory of her mentor, once again reminding her of something she had known all this time. "Senses can be lied to. Sometimes we need to feel with instincts more."

Mabel remembered how frustrated that had made her. "How do I trust myself if can't even believe what I see with my own googly-eyes?" Mabel had asked, tired from the exercise her teacher had her go through.

Her kind woman of a master had smiled. "We have to know ourselves; not just now how we feel," her master patting her head, "but we know how we act, how we want things, and how we respond to the world."

"That sounds like more boring sitting," Mabel had replied.

"Meditation," her teacher corrected her. "Remember, that little light we see is more than just colors and a distant feeling. It's something more."

Something more. A flicker of hope passed over her mind as Mabel thought to the idea of what she could do. Sure she was blind, and deaf, and couldn't smell anything around her anymore, but that was only if she couldn't sense anyone else around her. Her hands stretched below her, she felt her way to the ground again, and sat down. Legs crossed, she began, once again, to let herself calm. Breathing in the nose, and out through the mouth. Soon, the stinging of her arms and legs and face started to feel distant. For once, since she had started to learn of the paths meditation, she had no distractions. A peaceful excitement flooded her. She could feel that light, supposedly distant and unreachable, within her grasp.

Her body calmed, the stress washing away as she took in breath after breath. That light was closer than it had ever been. She could almost feel the rays of its light washing over her. It was stunning to feel this calm, and in her wonder, she considered if she could actually 'focus' her sight to someone. Anyone's senses, at this point, would be preferable, as opposed to be blind and deaf. She let her focus draw outward, and she thought about the surrounding forests. She then opened her eyes, and clenched her teeth as hard as she could and her ears crackled a little.

She could see into the woods again. It wasn't her vision, but someone was walking through the woods, and she heard rugged breathing. Her heart raced at the concept of having actually nailed it – she was able to grab someone in the woods. They didn't seem to be chasing after Dipper, or even running for that matter. The idea Mabel had after this idea was crazy. Heck, Dipper would have turned to her an told her it was just darn stupid to do what she was about to do. That wouldn't stop her though.

Taking a deep breath, Mabel then cried out, "HEY!" At least she felt her body tense up in the way she expected herself to when shouting.

Then, barely half a second after she shouted, her voice found its way to the person. The person turned their head. Mabel saw herself about a hundred feet away, her eyes wide open, facing away from her source of vision.

"Well," the voice that spoke from the person wasn't familiar. It spoke with a sadistic glee and excitement, darker and meaner than Mabel had been praying for. As it approached her, it said, "Glad you could finally show yourself, missy."

"Crud," Mabel groaned, barely audible from the person as he approached her. He cracked his knuckles just under his vision. The man stepped through a bush as she stood up, and took tiny steps to face his direction. It was very odd to think of trying to move herself in accordance to another person's vision. Mabel wasn't entirely sure how to do it. She began to accustom, moving her arms wildly, even hopping on the spot as the man casually approached her. She even dared blink, retaining as much focus as she had gained. To her increasing excitement and glee, she continued to sense through him – even after a blink.

He spoke aloud to Mabel. "So, here's how this can happen, girl," the man said as he grew closer, "you tell me how it was you were clever enough to figure out my plans, or I'll convince you to do that with a little more... vigor."

Mabel snorted. "Oh, well that's easy," Mabel told him, her wide eyes seemingly unfocused as she stared just past the approaching man.

"Oh yeah? Let's hear it then," the man said.

Candidly, Mabel explained, "I ate a pixie, and saw your plans through your own eyes," Mabel grinned, happy to tell the truth. However, the man closed his eyes and sighed, when he opened them, he took a step to her, leaning in, and she instinctively stepped away quicker.

"That's cute, "he snarled, "Now, what's the truth?"

Mabel pursed her lips with indignity. "That is the truth. I mean, I'm looking through your eyes right now!" Mabel told him, backing away while staring at his chest.

He made his move with a frustrated roar. Mabel had the luck of seeing the body tense up from his own eyes, and moved accordingly. As he reached out to her, she wove to his side – passing by a tree, and sadly to Mabel, out of his vision. The man spun and she finally saw herself as she expected to, backing away, her arms behind her, a look of focus in her eyes.

"See?" she asked him giddily, laughing despite her situation, "I don't need to watch you because I see everything you do," Mabel told him, "Like an eye-switching wizard!"

The man clearly didn't enjoy the analogy. He again rushed at her, his body twisting for a powerful hay-maker punch across her head. She ducked down and rolled forward past him. No sooner had she left his vision than she leapt back up, kicking behind her as she did. Her foot slammed into a soft region of his body, and she heard him shout. Her vision was now hobbling, and the man looked down to his leg. She had just kicked at his hamstring, as he clutched at it.

"Whoops!" she said in an exaggerated shrug, "Looks like nearly blind girl hit something she didn't mean to," Mabel explained with exaggerated surprise. The man looked to her, and Mabel gasped, "Whoa, my hair is a mess! Hold still for a second," Mabel told him, reaching behind herself as she ran her hands and fingers through her tangled hair, pulling it straight, and then as she saw through the man's eyes. She even spun, and gasped, catching a large knot on the exact back of her head.

The sinister attacker snarled. "That's enough," the man growled, standing back up, his hands reaching inside his pocket.

Danger, Mabel Pines! Mabel knew she would only have a moment to act. As his vision darted to his pocket, Mabel pushed herself forward in a sprint. By the time the man heard her sudden approach and turned up to see her, she was already mid-air. Mabel swiped through the air with her foot, smashing the side of the man's face. She almost forget to land as her vision blanked out for a single moment. He roared, grabbing at his head, blocking the side of his vision with his hand cupping his injured face. Mabel couldn't act again until he looked her way, but by the way he was cowering in the ground, she had made sure that wouldn't be happening.

Breathing quickly, adrenaline pouring through her veins, she cackled. "Ha! Uh, so you just stay down there, stupid. Yeah, or else you're going to get another helping of Mabel-power!" Mabel called to him, sounding distant. "Wait, I'm not even facing the right way, am I? Shoot-" Mabel cut herself short.

There was a loud rumbling boom from elsewhere. Her vision turned in the direction of the sound. There were screams now; footsteps running from the sounds of yet more echoing crashes and booms. Mabel's opponent stood up, still holding a hand to his injured head, and the two saw it at the same time.

Four full grown men – all members of the Five Freaky Friends – were running from an absolutely gigantic bear with, what Mabel could quickly count, at least six or seven heads and legs and paws. The man who Mabel saw through stumbled back, and tripped, giving Mabel a quick glance of the treetops. He would scramble back to his feet, allowing Mabel to see the approaching beast again. She was able to spot herself briefly in the chaos. With the scene around her, Mabel took a small step to the side, and leaned against a tree, facing away from the bear-thing.

To her delight, someone called for her by name. "Mabel!?" Dipper's voice shouted loudly. It was a miracle that Mabel heard him at all. The five men huddled and whimpered loudly as they were cornered by the massive bear.

From her spot of safety, Mabel shouted, "Dipper! Watch out! There's a giga-bear on the loose!" She heard footsteps coming her way from the bear, but not loud or heavy enough to belong to the beast. Was Dipper just walking past the monstrous beast?

"Mabel," Dipper said, and Mabel felt a poke on her shoulder, "hey, I'm here."

"But- what's going on?" she asked, focusing all her attention on Dipper, and following procedures to get a new sensory partner. She blinked, and she grinned to see herself through Dipper's eyes, and hear the world through Dipper's ears.

"I brought a friend. Let me introduce you to him," Dipper said, cupping her hand in his own, and leading her around the tree.

Just as Mabel had seen, Dipper was looking at a massive, multi-headed bear that easily towered over the men, not even standing on its hind legs. Each head was easily large enough to swallow a small child whole. It growled at the five me, who were at a loss as how to act, looking between the many heads.

Dipper cleared his throat proudly. "Multi-bear, this is my sister, Mabel," Dipper told the beast, looking to Mabel once, allowing her the chance to double-check her appearance, "remember, she's cursed so she can't see with her own eyes right now."

Mabel laughed as she felt new life flowing through her. It had a name! Dipper knew of it!? She cried out, "I can see you, Mister Multi-bear! I can see through Dipper right now."

A new voice rumbled through the air, a pleasant and low registering tone. "A pleasure to meet you," the bear turned away from the crooks, a 'primary' head speaking. It was the head mostly centered around what seemed to be the main shoulders of the bear, and gave a small smile to Mabel, it's dark eyes peering at where Mabel was sure her face was. Then it snarled. "Do not move! I will not hesitate to take actions not deemed civil to restrain you." The bear roared suddenly. One of the crooks had started to move away. As they discovered, it's other heads were still watching them avidly. That one fleeing criminal leapt back to be with the other five. The primary head smiled back at Mabel. "You look much like your brother, Mabel Pines."

Mabel was in a strange mixture of bliss and shock. Blick? Shoss? Mabel couldn't decide or care enough to try. "Oh. My. God. You can talk!" Mabel hopped in place, excitement running through her entire body as Dipper looked between her and Multi-Bear, who seemed to enjoy Mabel's excitement, "that is so, sooo cool! How come you never introduced me to this guy!?" Mabel tried turning to Dipper, and spun the opposite direction to smack a tree. "Ow! Sorry tree," Mabel apologized, and then smacked Dipper as she spun again, and nailed his stomach with a slap.

Wincing only a little from her attack, Dipper told her, "I'll get the formal information out later. But right now, we have these jerk to deal with," Dipper walked with Mabel to be aside Multi-Bear, staring at the crooks. "Do we let him eat them? Or should we-"

From the woods came snapping branches and new voices. "We found them!" a voice called from the distance. Dipper's eyesight moved to look past Mabel, and she turned her head in instinct. The rescue party had arrived- Grenda and Candy lead the charge with Stan and Soos following suit, a baseball bat in his hands while Stan had his shotgun in his arms.

Stan and the crew slid to a halt with the sight of the ludicrous looking bear. Stan glanced at his gun, perhaps feeling a little under-prepared. He gulped loudly. "Uh... good bear," Grunkle Stan awkwardly said as his party arrived, "Don't bite me, I'm just trying to-"

Multibear calmly spoke. "Do not worry, friends of Dipper," the bear informed them, "Dipper informed me that we would be receiving help. I will not harm you; you may approach."

The four recent arrivals, slightly stunned at the now talking bear, exchanged looks. Stan cleared his throat. "Oh... uh, thanks," Grunkle Stan nodded to the bear, and he turned his attention to the criminals. He walked over to stand before them. "So, you chumps," he growled, "Here's the deal. You walk back to my shack, where the cops will be waiting. You go quietly, or we all get a turn on each of you before we let jumbo over here go nuts on you. How's that plan sounding for ya?" he explained, jabbing a thumb towards Multi-Bear.

Multi-bear let out a earth trembling, rumbling roar with many of its heads at once. The men looked like the blood in their faces was drained instantly. It was a unanimous decision by the five men: they would go quietly.

With Multi-bear in tow, the team escorted the Five Freaky Friends to the Mystery Shack, where, once again, the entire Gravity Falls police department awaited for the gang. Multi-bear remained in the woods while the humans did their job, explaining what had happened.

"Oh, don't worry," Sherriff Blubs informed the listening group, "they blew their chances coming after you all. These suckas are going to be spending a long, long time behind bars."

The deputy skipped in place. "Ohhh boyyy," Deputy Durland grinned excitedly at the last gang member being pushed into a patrol car, "I'm going to enjoy poking you with a stun stick!"

"I'm good thing you all were together when they decided to jump them, huh?" Sherriff Blubs stated, and gave a tip of his hat, "well, stay safe you kids. Mister Mystery."

Grunkle Stan waved dismissively towards them. "Yeah, yeah, dramatic Police exit," Grunkle Stan grumbled. He then turned to Mabel, who was seeing through Dipper still, "Sweety, you want to go inside? I'll treat us to something slightly-better than what we're used to eating. We can go to Greasy's if you'd like?"

Mabel, who had closed her eyes to rest for a moment, took a moment to register him offering a treat. "Huh?" she asked, "Oh, I'm okay. A little scratched up though," Mabel announced, pointing to her still wounded arm.

Stan nodded, and made for the Shack. Then, his eyes widened as he spotted Mabel's still present friends. "Okay you two," Stan rounded on Grenda and Candy, "You two need to scram. You've been here all day, and I don't need your folks figuring out that I had you both around for this madness. I'm not eager for lawsuits."

Candy pouted. "Mabel may still need our help," Candy replied quickly, stepping next to her friend.

"Yeah! We still need to fix her curse!" Grenda agreed.

"It's okay guys," Mabel told them, "Grunkle Stan is right. We'll catch up later, okay?" Mabel asked them, a full smile on her face. She received a double sided hug as her two friends smashed her between their bodies, and her breath was knocked out of her. "Now that's bone crushing!" Mabel joked, breathe flowing back into her lungs.

"Bye guys!" Dipper told the two teens as they climbed back into the Van belonging to Grenda's family.

As the van departed, the deep steps of Multi-bear thundered behind them. "It is good to know you have not lost yourself to age, Dipper," Multi-bear stated, "I had always worried that should I meet my only human friend you would have changed for worse."

"Ah, come on, man," Dipper said, laying a hand on the bridge of Multi-bears snout, "I'm still me. I'm just glad you're still around- running into the cave on the mountain was a gamble."

The bear nodded. "Indeed. Many other creatures have tried inhabiting my cave in recent years, some more forcefully than others," Multi-bear affirmed, "but none have been able to best me as you had."

"Huh?" Grunkle Stan and Mabel both stammered as they heard the bear announce this.

"Hey, it was a misunderstanding," Dipper rubbed the back of his head as he spoke to the bear, "you know we're still buds, right?"

"Naturally. Otherwise, I would probably would not have aided you, my friend," Multi-bear nudged Dipper's chest with his nose, accidentally pushing Dipper back with his strength. Dipper laughed, giving the monstrous creature a hug around the head. "I must depart. The night is coming, and I am certain the Manotaurs will attempt to plague me again this night with their incessant hollering. Dipper, Mabel, Stanley, I bid you a good day," Multi-bear bowed his head, and turned, his body rocking as he walked back into the woods.

Mabel, facing the opposite direction, waved farewell. "Goodbye! Stop bye whenever!"

"Not without a warning!" Grunkle Stan shouted quickly following Mabel, "you know, in case a tourist is in. Don't need them seeing that. Ruin business and what not."

Mabel rubbed her cheeks, raw from the whipping branches and the beaming smile. "Wow... that was the sweetest monster I think we've ever met," Mabel said in awe, watching the bear leave through Dipper's eyes, "well, except Mermando."

Dipper scoffed. "Mermando was fine, but Multi-bear is awesome," Dipper stated as the bear vanished into the brush. "I should go see him later or something," Dipper added, nodding in his idea as he stared after his inhuman friend.

"I wanna come!" Mabel declared.

"I don't know," Dipper sighed as he thought, "I mean, he just met you... then again when we first met, I tried to put a spear into his heart, so... I guess you got a better impression on him than I did."

"You what?" Mabel demanded.

Stan chuckled. "You two have some pretty crazy stories," Grunkle Stan admitted as Dipper turned away from the woods.

"Not as crazy as yours, Grunkle Stan," Dipper poked his Grunkle, who chuckled. The older man adjusted his glasses, and then looked past Dipper, into the woods. His humored grin faded into a scowl. Dipper turned, and Mabel saw exactly the same thing – a single, pink bobbing light approaching them, with two other lights behind the first.

"Oh great," Dipper growled, "them again."

"The fairies?" Grunkle Stan growled, "let me get the bug-spray."

"No! Wait," Mabel demanded, pushing past Dipper accidentally, but he turned and caught her before she stumbled and fell," they're not here to cause any trouble. I think."

Grunkle Stan snorted. "Good. Because that's when the bug spray comes out," Grunkle Stan warned Mabel, and turned to watch the approaching tiny beings. They came to float directly before Dipper and Mabel.

"Ah," Twinkle-Moon cleared his throat, as he fluttered ahead of Jingle-Blossom, who seemed more diminutive than she had ever before, "we would like to discuss the terms of your curse, Mabel Pines."

"I'm listening," Mabel nodded, Dipper helping her to turn and face the small humanoids.

"You see," Twinkle-Moon started, "In accordance to Fairy law, someone in physical possession of a Pixie is the supreme authority on its wellbeing, and therefore-"

"What!?" Dipper shouted, almost knocking the fairies out of the air with his burst, "That's a law for fairies? You kind of dropped the ball in letting us know that one!"

Bob fluttered closer to them. "We were under the impression humans had a similar law!" Bob the fairy soared to Dipper with a plea in his voice, "it was along the lines of 'finders keepers'?"

Dipper slapped his hand to his face. "That's a stupid expression kids use when they steal stuff to make it sound better," Dipper told them, his hand nearly muffling his voice.

"Well, regardless of origin," Twinkle-Moon continued, "under suggestion of Jingle-Blossom, we have come to a new offer. Recent events in the forest have proven that you are clearly willing to protect the Pixie, even after being cursed. As such, we would like to ask permission for Jingle-Blossom to awaken her child."

Mabel felt a jolt run through her heart. "Yes! I agree! As long as the curse put on me goes away forever," Mabel asked carefully.

Jingle Blossom flew past the two lawyers. "You were protecting my child," Jingle-Blossom stated with a newfound softness, "In my anger, I never wanted to see your heart. But in the woods, I finally heard you. I know believe – no, I know you never wanted to hurt it now. You have my promise that the curse shall be removed."

Mable felt, for the millionth time that day, tears slide down her cheeks. She nodded, and she felt tiny hands reach against her neck, and a bubbling warmth radiated through her skin. It was almost enough for her to cough. But the sensation grew, and she seized up. It wasn't going to be a cough, but a sneeze, and she let it fly. A blast of sparkling energy and rainbows blasted out of Mabel's nose and mouth, along with it, a tiny, skinny pale-pink tiny winged human looking fairy.

Mabel wiped her eyes and blinked. Her brain finally processed her own vision for the first time in hours. She could hear from her own ears again, and she let in a deep whiff from her nose, and smelled that same fairy-smell she had before. The curse was gone. Mabel was free to sense from her own perspective.

"Oh, my baby," Jingle-Blossom nearly whispered, fluttering over to her newly animated child. Shockingly, the fairy was even larger than her mother. "Oh, my beautiful baby!" Jingle-Blossom cried as she hugged the disoriented new-born fairy.

Dipper leaned over to Bob the fairy. "Do all fairies look like they are adults when they're born?"

"Of course. We don't really have children, as you humans do. Our appearance and youth are based upon our actions and magic, not the passage of time," Bob explained as the newborn shook its head.

The new fairy looked around. "Wow. I want to do that again!" the large fairy declared! trying to fly to Mabel.

Jingle-Blossom held her back gently. "No, no, sweety, you need to pick a name, if you want to. Do you want to pick a name for yourself?" Jingle-Blossom pulled her child back, and looked into its eyes.

The recently-pixie now fairy paused. "Name? Name..." it repeated. It looked at Mabel, and it's eyes fell onto her sweater. It then beamed as it studied Mabel's sweater. "Rainbow-Star!" it declared.

"Welcome to the world, Rainbow-Star," Jingle-Blossom hugged her child, "have you decided if you want to be a boy or girl yet? Maybe neither?"

Dipper blinked. "Okay, that's an option for fairies?" Dipper asked.

"Of course it is!" Bob spluttered, "what, are humans born without an option or something sick like that?"

"Uh..." Dipper wasn't entirely sure how to reply to his outcry.

Fluttering past the newborn, Jingle Blossom rose to Mabel's face. "Thank you, Mabel," Jingle-Blossom nodded to the teen, "I am so sorry for the pain I must have caused you. Please, remember that you kept safe my child-"

"Girl! I'm going to be a girl!" Rainbow-Star declared.

"-My daughter," Jingle-Blossom said teary-eyed, tightly hugging her daughter.

"Goodbye," Mabel waved to the fairies as they left the property, disappearing into the woods one fairy more than they had come with. "You know, they aren't all that bad once you get past the whole 'they cursed you for a day' sort of thing."

"Carry bug spray for now on, just in case we run into them again?" Dipper asked his sister, and she turned to him.

"Ab-so-lutely," she nodded. The last signs of the flying orbs of light faded into the trees. In the changing orange and yellows of the afternoon, Mabel realized something as she looked into the sky. "Shoot!" she yelled, and spun past her brother and Grunkle, making a dash for the door.

"Mabel?" Dipper called as he hurried to keep at pace, leaving a bewildered Grunkle Stan behind.

"Nothing!" she happily exclaimed over her shoulder. She skidded past Wendy, who was poking her head past the doorway.

The redhead snorted. "Nice to see my girl in full-working status," she said with a heart-felt smile.

Mabel cast her a quick grin. She then whipped her head side to side, looking around the floor. "Thanks," she said to Wendy, "Hey, have you seen then-"

"Dude," Wendy chuckled. As Dipper and Stan came in through the door, Wendy pointed to a box that sat on the cashier counter.

Mabel spun, and saw it. Her eyes wide and filled with stars, she grasped the box, looking inside. "It IS perfect!" she declared. Spinning about to the doorway that lead deeper inside, Mabel darted off. Soos, who had just been about to walk out, dived for his safety out of the way.

Stan patted Dipper's back. "Might as well see that she doesn't hurt herself or something," he told him.

Dipper nodded, smiling to himself. He walked past Soos, giving him an apologetic shrug. "I'm good!" Soos declared proudly, "all that ceiling falling had me prepared for this exact circumstance." Dipper snorted, and walked up the stairs, and found, as he rounded the corner at the top floor, Mabel by their door, tape and tacks in her hands.

He stepped up to her side as she finalized her project. Dipper laughed as he stared at her beloved art-project. It read: Mystery Twins Base of Operations. He asked her, "How does it look?"

Mabel turned to her brother, beaming. "Looks perfect."

---

Happy Post-Halloween!

Yeah, a little late on that one, but a schedule is a schedule. Sorry if I bummed anyone out because I didn't update on Friday. I also hope you had a great time either out trick or treating, or partying with friends. I, myself, had a wonderful time with peeps as a pirate.

Because, I am a pirate. A real pirate. (Suddenly EZB is dressed like captain jack sparrow, and has a pretty dang good impression of him too) Now, let's get this salty dog a proper ending. Savvy? (EZB's dorm is suddenly the bridge of the Black Pearl, and the Kraken is beginning to pull it closer to its gaping maw) Not today, beasty! (EZB pulls out a lightsaber cutlass, and charges forward with a grenade launcher in the other hand) Time for some calamari, mate!

(EZB and the Black Pearl STILL goes down with the Kraken into the depths.)

---

Inside a forest flower, there was a tiny fairy office. It had all the supplies any human office could want: a computer, water cooler, desk cubicles, motivational posters. They all happened to be of a size able to fit inside a single flower, but where helpful to the occupants. Twinkle-Moon, who was leaning by the water-cooler, took a long sip of his water droplet in his hand.

"What a day," he grumbled.

"Sir," Bob the fairy rushed over to him, holding a pile of packets that, while looking large to him, were in actuality about a centimeter tall.

"Oh for faewilds sake," Twinkle-Moon grumbled, turning to the pile of papers, "What is that?"

Bob struggled to contain the papers in his arms. "The new documents about modern human customs," he explained, "Gender constructs, masculine versus feminine names, an update on the 'Finders Keepers' law, and a few others."

Twinkle-Moon's faced twisted in horror. "That's all of that?"

Bob chuckled. "Oh, sorry, I also printed four hundred copies of this picture of a baby waterbear," he said, and pulled out a picture of a strange, eight-legged thing that resembled something of a pug and a caterpillar.

Twinkle-Moon and Bob cooed over the pictures. "Aww," they moaned happily.

"This makes me happy," Bob said proudly.

Twinkle-Moon told him, "Good use of office supplies."

Their world rocked and shook. The two gasped and attempted to steady themselves, other fae in the office running for their lives. Then, the entire flower rooftop was ripped off. Above them, a fat bunny ate their ceiling.

Tinkle-Moon yelled, "Dang it, harold! This is the fourth time this week!" he shouted at the adorable bunny, eating their flower. "You're so lucky you're cute!"

---

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