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.

17. Strongholds and Serpents: Part 2

The ground trembled and the danger approached. The four were staring at the approaching army of screaming, bellowing, roaring Orcs. Not just Orcs; giants, ogres, goblins. They bore skins of green and grey, blueish hues and warm browns. The horde before them lumbered, skittered, charged right for him, carrying armor and weapons easily fit for their needs.

Soos asked casually, "Is this one of those moments where we turn right around and warn everyone back at the castle of coming doom?"

Dipper quickly decided, "I think we'll have a better chance for this if we run past the castle!" Then spun his horse about, and told the other three, "Turn around, turn around!"

The four let their horses stomp the ground, echoing their desperation to flee. Dipper was right – should they be able to pass by the castle, surely the orcs intended target, they would be safe and free. The orc army would attack their true enemy, Dilhedreek and grind it to dust. The four stampeded back to town

A few of the peasantry had come to see what made the noise upon the road. Dipper yelled at them, "Out of the way!", waving his hand at the folk who had run to the edge of town. Some guards were running towards them, their swords drawn as they ran closer.

Mabel joined in the shouting, "Get to cover! An army is coming, you dopes!"

The few guards who had it in their heads to detain them dived out of the horses way. As Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Wendy rode their steeds onward, they raced through the village. The castle was passing by the right. Upon the castles defensive wall, archers and soldiers shouted down at them as they rode. Those same archers took aim.

Wendy idle said, "I wonder if they're more interested in us then that army?" as several crossbow bolts whipped by their heads, barely missing the four adventurers.

Doing his best to both watch the road and any incoming bolts, Dipper pointed ahead. "There! The edge of town!" he exclaimed, where several more buildings peeled away as they traversed the street. They saw the wilderness which Mabel, Soos, and Wendy had arrived from.

Then, his heart sinking, Dipper remembered with a pained outcry that he had rolled three ones to start this story off. Things were not going to be that easy. As they looked down the other road that lead into town, they spotted another group of marauding humanoids. It was yet another army.

"What the-" Wendy shouted as the four of them slid their horses to a stop.

The army outside of town seemed just as disorganized as the Orcish one. Humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and all sizes charged from the other end, no particular flag held up, just a ground shaking roar as hundreds peeled out from the woods and towards the castle. Dipper remembered with a sharp jolt in his mind his own creations. These were the disbanded and exiled from the kingdom, all coming for vengeance upon the kingdom.

Dipper scowled, "This is so not what was going to happen if I was Stronghold Lord!" angered at the chaos about to unfurl. He, once again, spun his horse about, "Find a spot to dismount the horses and get on foot!" As the four did as Dipper instructed, he added worriedly, "I think we're fighting this one through!"

Soos chuckled. "Hehehe, dismount," and Mabel joined him in laughter.

The four horse-carried adventurers found themselves in an alley. The four quickly got off their horses, which all went into a full panic and ran off. They alley lead to a smaller plaza-like clearing, with a well in it's center. The four arrived and turned to Dipper, ready for instruction.

He would have started to detail his thoughts, but something was whistling in the air. A loud crash later, and to their right, one of the walls to the buildings isolating the back-alley plaza caved in. A huge, burning boulder fell from the sky and leveled the wooden frame. From the main street, people had started screaming.

"Great," Dipper grumbled, trying his best to calm himself, "Both armies are here at once, competing for 'who's the most upset' at the kingdom. Do we have a preferred plan?" Dipper asked the other three.

Wendy answered quickly, "I like 'survive'." She spotted something past Dipper, who faced away from their alley. "Get down!" she cried, reaching for her bow as she shoved Dipper down.

An archer of the rebels had just shot at Dipper. Without her protective action, the arrow would surely have made its mark. It barely missing him. Wendy, a fury in her eyes, replied in kind. She let the arrow loose, and it struck him in the chest. The man fell, unmoving.

As Dipper looked to the defeated rebel, Mabel whined, "The rebels want is dead too? Is there anything around here that's okay with us?"

As he stood up, Dipper eyed his sister. "I don't know, Druid," he reminded her, brushing dirt and pebbles off his cloak, "Why don't you summon some things that like us?"

The flames from the one burning boulder had started to spread within the one sieged building. Wendy told them, "I'll watch the alley," as she strode past the twins, avoiding the flames.

Mabel's eyes widened at Dipper's comment. "Wait, I can do that?" Mabel asked, "So if I want an army of cuddly pigs to show up, they-"

"It would take a while, but yeah, you can summon them," Dipper told her. The burning building then seemed to… laugh? Dipper looked over his sister's head, and saw what he had feared – the boulder had been both a weapon and a vessel for invasion. They were on fire, bleeding, and pretty banged up, but their considerable size and battle-hungry demeanor told Dipper one thing – Orcs. As three orcs, who had been launched into the building, crawled their way out of the flames, Dipper pointed at them and cried, "Soos!"

Soos looked around, and saw the danger. "Woah! Got it dude!" Soos said. He whipped his spear above his head and shoved his shield before him as the invaders dislodged themselves from the flames, "Alright dawgs, let's throw down!"

Mabel, sensing the threat accumulating, nodded firmly. She told Dipper, "Alright, I'll just summon everything I can then!" And she closed her eyes.

Dipper winced; that hadn't been what he meant! He turned to his sister. "Wait- Mabel! The more you try to bring to us the longer... Mabel?" Dipper asked as he poked her shoulder. Faint green and pink embers seemed to emanated from her, as a spell was slowly being channeled. It was too late. She had already entered a state of trance, and was deep inside the process of completing her druid summoning magic. The magic pulled a meager breeze, just barely strong enough to toss around Dipper's hair and robes. He cried out to the other two, "Mabel is out of action: she's casting a spell!"

Wendy, leaning against a corner of the alley, called back, "Watch her then!" Shouldering the corner of the alley, she lifted out another arrow and shot it down the street into rebel incomer. "Two," she said proudly with a smirk.

Soos, currently blocking and defending his friends from the orcs, craned his neck to look at Wendy. "You're keeping track?" Soos asked, having just dispatched one of the orcs, and was onto the second.

The orc, clearly upset with the lack of attention, told Soos, "Really, man? I am trying to behead you, here!"

Wendy ducked back to the wall as someone fired back at her. "If I'm going to get through all this war without developing some serious trauma," Wendy explained, firing another arrow, "Three – I'm going to act like this is just a game." She shot another arrow. "Four – no, wait," she shot another, "Now its four."

Soos chuckled, and one of the orcs pushed into him. Paladin Soos slid against the ground, and then then reached out with his fist, putting his knuckles onto the orc's shoulder. He let out a roar, "Holy Shock!" The green creature looked down to Soos's hand just as a bright light shone out. An electrical plug made of golden light appeared, and then stabbed the orcs hand. The orc spasmed and twitched as he was hit with some serious voltage. He was thrown away, back into the burning building and through the walls.

Soos chuckled, waving his hand through the air. "Dang, that was stronger than I thought it was going to be."

Dipper laughed, and congratulated Soos, "Soos, that was some awesome magic!"

Soos smiled and told Wendy "So, that's two," And he turned to face the last of his orc competitors.

"I'm on nine!" Wendy shouted as she reached again into her quiver.

Soos's eyes bulged. "What? I can't have my junior coworker outscoring me! Haa!" Soos then turned, and kicked the Orc hard right between the legs. Blood thirsty or not, the Orc yelped, and fell to the ground as he wept.

Over the wall nearby Soos, several long-fingered creatures crawled up. They were familiar to Soos and Dipper: goblins. "Oh, sup dawgs," Soos waved to them, "Long time no-" the goblins hissed and lunged at Soos with daggers and clubs. Though unprepared for the assault, his armor and size protected him from their feeble assault. "Aw, c'mon dudes," Soos told them, shoving them away half-heartedly, "You're way less cool than the goblins I know."

When one stomped on Soos's foot, he howled and started hopping on the spot. The goblins cackled and pointed at him. Soos then swung with his shield, tossing them into the air like a bowling ball against pins. Soos sourly muttered, "Definitely not my buds."

Another burning bolder crashed into the building, this time the one next to Wendy. She didn't notice it until a wave of fire and heat spilled past her, the impact tossing the half-elf away from her post. She slammed into the less, destroyed building, and crumbled to the floor, stunned.

Dipper, who still had been at Mabel's side, cried out, "Wendy!" and he ran forward. His attention was taken though. A larger group of rebels, now aware of Wendy's fall, were charging at them. Dipper lifted his hands, and felt the energies ahead of him.

His power, as an Enchanter, wasn't in flashy magic and direct power. He changed things, he altered them, or empowered it. Enchanters put magical energy into pre-existing energies around them, making them stronger or changing their nature. Fire was in the building right next to the alley. Dipperthur the Wise grinned.

With a clutch of his hands on air, Dipper announced with an air of authority, "Alter properties: nitroglycerin!" The fire hissed angrily. The entire wall next to the alley, and the remains of that building in particular, exploded violently. Not only did the Rebels vanish beneath the rubble, but the Goblins still making their way to Soos the next building over get vaporized in the huge column of heat.

Dipper, still on his feet turned to Wendy. She was climbing back up, but he rushed over to her, pulling her up gently with guiding force. "Are you okay?" Dipper asked of her.

Wendy nodded. She looked to her arm, noticing a few scratches. She eyed it a tad longer, and then made a hum as if perplexed with the wound. She looked back to Dipper and smiled. "I'm fine. Are you – what the – what happened to our cover?" Wendy demanded.

Dipper turned, and face-palmed. He might have gone overboard with the spell. He not only destroyed the one building next to the alley, but had also blow up the building next to it. There was nothing left of the two, save for burning planks of wood. They now had a clear view of the castle beyond them. It loomed above them, actively defending itself from all sides. They could see catapults launching the same burning stones into the castle walls, as ballistae fired back down upon the hordes of invaders. Dipper was at least happy it looked really cool.

As Soos marched up to the enchanter and Ranger, Dipper dwelled on action. "So," he started to plan, "I'm thinking we stay here," Dipper told the two still able to fight, as Mabel was still in the middle of a spell. "We might have lost some cover, but between Soos's shield and your range," he told the two, "we should be able to stand our ground. At least this way we have a visual on what's coming to us."

Wendy nodded. "I like it."

"Same here dude," Soos agreed, peering up at the castle. "How long do you think this is going to take anyway?"

Dipper hissed as he considered that question. "I don't know," he admitted, "If there was going to be a battle, it would have been a two sided one- not this!" Dipper informed them, "This free for all is nothing like what I had in mind. This... this is just crazy!"

As if on cue, there was an explosion from the castle. A fireball had burst out from one of the castle towers. The three turned and stared up. Something human-sized was flying through the air, holding onto something metallic. Watching it arc right towards them, the adventurers backed up. The thing flew towards them, and hit the ground with its feet, skidding to a halt right before them.

A figure, dressed head to toe in expensive, kingly armor, glistening with gold plating blue and black gems. The man stood up fully. He was just a smidgeon taller than Soos, the man had a long blond hair, and an angled face with sharp features. Over his right eye was a black triangle eye-patch. On his back, attached to his metal plate-armor, was a large modern metal casing, like a large ammo crate.

The prince sneered. Gleefully eyeing the three before him, the man announced, "Someone call for me?!"

"What the heck!?" Dipper demanded as the person stood in front of them his arms crossed.

The man rambled. "Bow before you king! Or, you know, throw your moldy bread and rotten cheeses at me! I think if you stuff rotten cheeses into dorks mouths you should be made a knight! Or maybe the advisor to the king, since we'd clearly get along." The man proclaimed as king told them.

Dipper knew the voice. "That's not the king," he said, shaking his head. Those eyes- yellowish and a slit for a pupil- told him exactly who it was.

"Missed me, Pine Tree?" Bill Cipher said, reaching around for whatever was on his back.

Dipper yelled at him, "You tried to have me kill!"

"All part of the game," Bill Cipher reminded them, as he retrieved what looked like, at first, some sort of backpack-mounted gatling gun. Only, instead of a multitude of barrels, a large baby's head stared at them, grumpily glaring at the three of them.

Soos winced as he saw the weird weapon. "What the heck is that?" Soos demanded, pointing to the grim contraption.

Cipher patted the butt of the weapon. "This is the Squealer-Squasher Thirty-Thousand. My own personal design," Cipher proudly explained. The baby head did not approve of his pets, but Cipher continued, "This baby can fire life-ending lasers at an ungodly rate per second. Or, godless rate per second. I don't know. Don't really care either! LEEET 'ERRRR RIP!"

Cipher roared with laughter as the mouth of the babe opened, while the head spun around, and a rainbow of lasers blasted out. Soos quickly cast a spell on his shield as Dipper and Wendy dived behind him. Each laser slammed into the magical shield, reflected off and cutting away through wood, stone, person, or Orc. Whoever and whatever got in the reflected lasers path was doomed to die.

Cipher started to push closer as he continued to fire with the spinning baby head. "C'mon out of there!" Cipher begged, "It'll be really fun for the first second before you violently expire!"

Dipper shouted past Soos, "Not until you stop cheating!"

"How is this cheating! It's a fantasy!" The demon retorted.

"Laser gatling guns aren't fantasy! This is a fantasy within a specific genre and type, one where technology of this type is-"

"I make the rules, sucka!" Bill roared back. Then he noticed a quiet Mabel standing upright, gently wind swirling around her. "Aw, and look," he told them as the lasers stopped. Cipher, in the body of the king, turned to Mabel, "The cute little druid. Interruption of death!" He said and aimed the gun right for Mabel. Soos made quick to adjust, leaping to place himself between Mabel and Cipher.

Cipher sneered, and spun the gun again towards Dipper and Wendy. "Tricked you," he said, dripping with sadistic happiness.

Dipper and Wendy dodged out of the way. Dipper called back to Wendy and Soos, "Hold him off, I can think of something!" and he ran into the backdoor of a house.

Wendy nodded and took her charge professionally. Lowering herself, she darted along the ground as a red streak. Hair billowing behind her she weaved away from the coming danger, she dove past Soos and into the wreckage of the burning building. Using the flames and ashes as cover, she drew away Ciphers fire. He cackled as he started to blast wildly around where she had dived towards. Wendy nocked arrows into her bow, and fired two shots. Both arrows made their mark, but the armor was thick and they bounced away.

Soos made good use of her timing, and crept up slowly on Cipher, his shield still the first thing between them. With a large huff, Soos lowered the shield and swung it like a bat with his one arm. Cipher was too interested in shooting Wendy, and never noticed Soos' creeping approach. The king was knocked off his feet.

The laser fire stopped, and Cipher rolled away, laughing manically. "Oh, big guy feels alone, does he?" he quickly stood, readying the weapon. Cipher didn't get a chance to fire first. Soos swung his spear for the enemy. For a man in heavy armor, Cipher very easily dodged and weaved around Soos' attacks. Cipher teased him, "What ever happened to looking for peaceful resolution? You used to be so boring!"

Soos frowned at Cipher, clearly past diplomacy. "No one threatens my friends!" Soos told him dangerously. The paladin thrust out with his shield and smashed Cipher's armor head on, striking him full in the face. At the painful hit, Cipher reeled with laughter. He forsook winding up on the baby-faced gatling gun, and instead chose to just slam it against Soos. The Paladin blocked it with his spear. Movement on the rooftops caught their attention. Wendy had climbed up from the burning rubble and repositioned herself. She was ready and fired three arrows in quick succession.

Cipher swung his bizarre weapon against each arrow. "Nope! Not! Nix!" Cipher excitedly declared as he deflected each attack. Soos tried to step in again, shield front. Cipher jumped forward and landed a powerful kick against the shield, pushing Soos backwards. With Soos out of his hair, Cipher turned the gun back on and pointed at Wendy. She was entirely exposed, but she acted quickly. Leaping off from the roof, she flung herself at him, putting her bow away as she gripped onto the axes.

"Ohh, a duel of the cools!" Cipher proudly told her as she struck towards him. He easily dodged it. He told her, "C'mon, let's engage in some clever word-play! You go first!"

Wendy roared at him as she swung with her axes.

"Huh, fierce," Cipher nodded, ducking under her attacks, "I like it!"

Twirling around like a bloody ballerina, Wendy practically flung herself against Bill Cipher. She was no slouch either; easily recovering her stance so that the quick extension of her axes wouldn't throw off her balance. Wendy was keeping Bill on the retreat, forcing him to parry and block all her lightning like strikes at bay.

Soos pointed his finger at the weird gun Cipher carried. "Let's hope this words! Break automaton!" Soos cried. A ray of red light cast out from his fist. It was deflected by a strong yellow light emanating from Cipher like an aura.

"Try again, sucker!" Cipher stuck out his tongue just before ducking under a swipe from an axe.

"Soos!" Dipper re-emerged to the battle. He noticed Wendy's duel, and could not help but watch for a moment. Dipper was just in awe: she was something else. Cipher had finally gotten a chance to return fire with his odd gun, producing sporadic streams of lasers into the sky. Dipper turned back to Soos, and exclaimed, "I know how to break that thing!"

Soos nodded. "Good, cus my spell looked like it was blocked!" Soos told him.

Dipper nodded, and explained, "It's his demon aura! He's a powerful demon, so he can deflect magic at certain levels and types. Soos, I'm about to give you a one-time boost to magical offensive spells. You need to cast your strongest holy spell that damages on him!" Dipper told him.

"But that'll have me run out of magic juice!" Soos whined, and then spotted danger just behind Dipper. "Watch out!" Soos spun around his friend, raising the shield. Lasers struck his magical defenses, and Soos had once again protected the twins.

Dipper gasped and nodded in thanks. "It's mana," he told him, "Don't worry about your mana. I got that covered," Dipper told him with a grin. "Go for it!"

Soos stood, and turned to Cipher. The handyman turned paladin gripped his magical spear tightly as bright white electricity began to crackle from his grip, causing the weapon to tremble and shake. As he did, his eyes crackled with the same kind of energy, searing the air and billowing out around him. Light pierced through the heavy clouds above. That light shone upon Soos, seemingly heating his armor to the point where Dipper had to step away. The ground itself buckled with the magical energy.

Soos finally roared, pointing his spear at Cipher, "Holy Judgment: Divine Claw-Hammer!"

From the crackling energies Soos had created, a massive workman's hammer comprised out of white energy. It crackled with furious indignation, and the humble nature of the blue-collar worker. It flew out from Soos and soared like a missile straight at their great enemy. Cipher watched it coming, his smile unflinching. He just managed to step away from Wendy's most recent attack for the spell to strike him full on.

Bill Cipher screamed as his body met with the attack. The energies coursed through his armor, his eyes, his gun; everything that he touched crackled with this energy. His screams in agony were only barely muffled by the buzz of power that was coursing through him. The dream demon was stunned in the power of the magic, twitching and spastic. Wendy, twirling the axes, made to strike him true in the center of his head.

Dipper yelled out, "Don't! It'll connect to you and kill you!" At his warning, Wendy nodded and stepped back. "Stay there though!" Dipper told her and ran over, putting a hand on Soos's shoulder. "Calming thoughts," Dipperthur the wise said quickly, providing a source for Soos' mana regeneration. A bubbling blue aura formed around the paladin, who until that point had been breathing heavily. Soos stood up, shaking off his fatigue.

Dipper turned back to Wendy, the Red Phantom. "Wendy, draw an arrow. Soos," Dipper talked quickly, as the powerful spell on the demon would be wearing off, "Soos, when I say when, cast the spell that'll break his gun. Wendy, when I say fire, shoot the arrow."

"Gotcha bud," She nodded as she strung the arrow.

Dipper closed his eyes, dwelling on his plan. He muttered, "Astral Grafting," and placed a hand on the arrow. It glowed a dark blue, appearing like constellations were etched into the wooden shaft.

Wendy eyed the arrow, and looked to Dipper. "Dude, what was –"

"Trust me," Dipper asked her.

Cipher finally broke from the restraining power of Soos' magic. "GAAH!" Cipher roared as the last bits of the spell wore off. He was bleeding from the eye and nose, angrily glaring at the three. "You," Cipher warned them as he prepared his gun, "I'll break that stupid shielding spell and shove it into your-!"

"And, Soos – now!" Dipper shouted. Cipher had gone to lower the gun, and Soos did as what was tasked of him.

"Break automaton," Soos cried and shot the spell forward. The same red light shot forward. Cipher sneered, and pointed his own hand upwards.

Dipper was ready. "Arcane Subjection!" Dipper shouted. The light from Soos stopped. It reversed direction and shot into Dipper's hand. He tensed the magic through his arms like it was some muscle, and he directed it at Wendy's arrow. The constellations changed from white to red. Dipper told Wendy, "Fire now!"

Wendy sighed out as she let go of her arrow. It soared right for the mechanisms hidden behind the baby's head and stuck itself inside. Cipher went to shoot with his gun, and there was a loud click. It was followed by a clang, a bassy thump, and finally the baby's face giggled.

Cipher groaned, "Ah, nuts."

The gun exploded. The huge blast of fire and heat erupted out past the kingly armor. The unholy contraction had exploded and thrown Cipher back far. Dipper, Wendy, and Soos had shielded themselves as best they could; shrapnel and flame pouring around. The last thing they heard was the gun-baby's cry as it was disintegrated.

As the three stood and watched the now very much fiery landscape around them, Wendy pulled hair out from her face. She looked at Dipper and asked, "How did you do that?"

Dipper took a shaky breath, and then explained. "I enchanted your arrow to take the properties of whatever spell I wanted. Instead of frost or fire or whatever elements I can use, I just took control of Soos's spell and placed it onto the arrow. Boom," Dipper snapped his gloved fingers, "Arrow of mechanical destruction."

"How did you even think of that, dude?" Soos inquired, a huge smile beaming down on Dipper.

"It's all in the job of the enchanter. Of Dipperthur," Dipper crossed his arms triumphantly, "Dipperthur the wise. And it's kind of meta to turn save spells into attack spells," Dipper added quickly, unable to deny his inner nerd a chance to speak, "Because bosses can choose to save against spells a few times, but they can't choose to ignore attacks. So, yeah."

From the fire, a voice called out to them. "Braaaavo." The unmistakable voice of Bill Cipher returned to them. Rising from his crater some fifty feet away, Cipher walked closer. Half his armor was disintegrated. His hair also was mostly blown off, along with chunks of his skin. Blood poured down from wounded his body, yet he paid little attention to them. "You broke my toy, "he said, slightly cross, "Good job."

Dipper shook his head. "Surrender, Cipher," Dipper demanded from him, "Even when you cheat, we're still going to beat you."

Cipher rolled his eye. "Oh, see, that's funny," Cipher snickered, shaking his hand, which had lost a finger from the explosion, "You think because you beat me in this meat puppet that this is ending. Well, I have a crier who has something to tell you," he said, and snapped his fingers.

A town crier appeared, and began to burn in the fire around him. He screamed in agony as he announced, "Hear ye, hear ye: you dun goofed!" he said. He then disregarded the three and fled with fire crawling all around him.

Cipher laughed. "Lovely guy; deserves a raise. But anyway: this isn't over. You really think I came down here to fight? A demon who fights mano-y-mano?"

"What?" the three asked.

Cipher stepped a bit closer, some level of exhaustion creeping into the injured body of the king. "Maybe if you'd been a good enchanter," Cipher leered at Dipper as he staggered closer, "Instead of one who got involved in a fight, you'd have realized I was altering your sister's spell. You didn't see me lift my hand when you took Big's spell for your own?" he asked. He told Dipper with his best hateful smile, "You're not the only one who can alter magic."

"No!" Dipper spun to his sister. He saw her, just in time, awaken and smile at them. Her aura faded and the wind died away.

"Guys!" she excitedly declared, "Reinforcements are – wow, you guys totally ruined this place," Mabel nodded as she looked around, "Nice. Hey, who's that?" She asked, pointing to the severely injured Cipher.

Dipper spun back to Cipher. He marched over, and grabbed the broken man. "What did you do to the spell?" Dipper demanded.

Cipher snickered. "Well, you add a little power to the spell, change the range, open up draconic languages," Cipher listed off the things he had done, "And made sure it was a hostile target to anyone. And boom – corrupted a spell for evil dragon summoning."

The four stared at him. Cipher began to laugh, held by Dipper's balled up fist. Mabel, after gulping quite audibly, asked, "Is he talking about my spell?"

An ear-splitting roar stole the attention of the group. Wendy, Soos, and Mabel stared to the skies. Dipper refused to peel his vision off of Cipher. He had been played at his own game; distraction and diversion for the killing blow. Dipper imagined all the creative ways he could kill Cipher with the right power; enchanting his gloves with an ice storm for a freezing chokehold, or maybe a firey punch into the gut to explode the man. Just then the demon sneered.

Cipher seemed aware of Dipper's murderous intent. "You really think I'd reside in this body long enough for you to kill me? Stupid! Ridiculous!" Cipher snorted loudly.

"Why a dragon?" Dipper growled. "Why summon something that could destroy the kingdom?"

Cipher stared at Dipper. "Wow, for the smart one of the group, you're really not that smart, are you?" Cipher asked happily. Hate and anger boiled in Dipper, but Cipher answered, "I'm a demon! Maybe a dream demon, but you should know me by now! Chaos and destruction are my forte! I love it as much as the next two-dimensional aberration. Your goal was peace, wasn't it?" he asked Dipper gladly, "Good luck establishing peace now when there isn't much left! I'll see you all in the underworld!"

Without another warning, his body fell back. The eye lost no loner was yellow and slitted. The king's corpse fell to the ground, dropped from Dippers hands.

"Out of the frying pan," Dipper said as he turned away from their first real boss, "and-"

Mabel quickly corrected him, "It's out of the Microwave and into the deep-frier. C'mon bro," she told him.

A massive beast soared above them and passed over the castle. It was reptilian, with four legs and two massive, tattered wings. It's scales, which covered it's top and down its long tail, were jet-black. Dark green flame erupted over the walls, melting stone, armor, ballistae alike. It was larger than the castle gate itself, some one hundred feet long with a wingspan almost twice that. Spikes of red and crimson sprouted out from its back. Deadly purple eyes surveyed the area as it turned away from the stone walls and breathed down the throats of anyone in its path, the similar green fire scorching a trail of destruction.

Mabel worriedly swore to her friends, "I promise I didn't invite Godzilla over there."

Dipper eased her, "It was Cipher, not you. So, I don't know if the original story idea is going to work here."

"Whadda mean dude?" Soos asked worriedly.

Dipper scowled, and scratched his head. "Cipher's three-sided war and the dragon are going to torch everything that's left of the kingdom. If our goal was to protect people, we never had a chance to begin with," Dipper told them.

Wendy nodded. "Not even a talk for diplomacy here or an idle chat there."

"Except that one guy," Soos pointed out, "The poacher was cool."

Dipper took a sharp breath, coming to terms with their next objective. "So I think our next best thing –"

"Look out!" Mabel grabbed the brother and pulled him aside as Soos stepped in front of Wendy. The dragon dove right for them. From its maw, a torrent of green fire spilled over them, scorching the area they had just been discussing tactics by. The buildings where they dragon had just passed over melted and collapsed into more green flames.

Wendy, having been protected by Soos, stepped out to see the twins. When she saw they were uninjured, she looked to the skies. "Man, those eighties movies about war weren't far off. This is becoming hell really quickly."

Dipper clenched his jaw tightly. "We need that dragon dead," he announced grimly, "Black dragons are ruthless and don't generally care who gets in their way. If we try to run, and it spots us, which it will," Dipper looked to them all, "It'll chase us just the same. We need to fight it. We don't have much of a choice."

Mabel gave into the choiceless situation quickly. "Up against a wall with a big meany coming at us? I'm all for that."

Wendy approached the twins. "How exactly do we do that though?" she asked, "The thing is like a hundred feet in the air constantly. I can shoot it, but unless you want to strap a bomb to one of my arrows-"

"It wouldn't be enough," Dipper pointed to the dragon as it passed far off in the village, where a boulder struck its back, exploding and doing little to no harm. "See?" he pointed at the siege-weapons failed attempt to bring it down, "Those scales are basically impenetrable. This thing is an old, scary mother hubbard. Which means it only has one real weakness."

"Pretty princess for it to steal?" Mabel suggested.

"For a snack, maybe," Dipper sighed, "No - it's mouth. Dragons don't have scales in its mouth."

"So, "Soos summarized, "So we shoot it down its throat, which means it has to be looking at us, which means it can attack us... this sounds super dangerous," he said, heavy with worry.

"About as dangerous as walking into the underworld itself," Dipper told him. "But we have an advantage: I have one spell that can help out. It's called 'Force of Will'. If I can cast the spell on this sucker, he won't be able to move or act without my say! Or at least, for maybe a minute at most."

Wendy stared at Dipper, and they eyed the Dragon in the sky. "So, we distract it and then you make this dude paralyzed," Wendy stated, "How long do you need?"

"Well, first off," Dipper gripped an arrow in her quiver. He pushed some magics into it, and muttered, "Alter properties: nitroglycerin," and it glowed golden and red. He explained, "That one is now like TNT. If it lights up or strikes something with enough force, it explodes."

Wendy's eyes bulged. "What!?" Wendy ripped it out of her quiver hurriedly, "Dipper!"

He, only too late, that maybe he should have explained what he was going to do to the arrow. "Oh, right, sorry," Dipper blushed horribly as he stumbled for a meaningful apology. Potentially threatening her life was a new screw-up for him. He reached out and gently took the arrow from her, "Just, uh, here-" And he slid it into his robes, tucking it under a belt by his trousers, "I'll hold onto it. Sorry."

Wendy glared at him. "That's a bomb waiting to happen with all this fire around!" Wendy scolded him, "You could have told me!"

"Sorry!" Dipper apologized hastily, "I wasn't thinking like- I'm sorry!"

As fun as it was for Mabel to watch her brother squirm, she was eying the carnage around them. "So, guys! Dragon?" Mabel suggested loudly. The four looked around. The village was in utter ruins. Almost no buildings were left now. Sparse fighting still remained- people of all shapes and sizes struggled for life and death above the crackling flames of green and black ashes that were scattered around them.

"Okay," Dipper said, "I'll start the spell. When I start, I'll be like Mabel: so I'll need cover. Just keep me alive until its ready, and then we can shove this arrow into its mouth, and end this all."

The three nodded and Dipper bowed his head. A single tiny ball of blue light began to float around Dipper and his eyes closed. He was no help to them now. Mabel watched her brother enter the demi-conscious state. "Hurry up, bro," she quietly told him.

Off to the side, there was a loud and deep outcry. "Look!" an orc said as he pointed at the four, "Magic nerds! Let's kill 'em!" he cried out as he and four more orc warriors charged towards them.

Mabel shouted, "Tangle of roses!" and pointed a spell towards the attacking warriors. From under the orcs feet a massive burst of thorny, rose-growing vines exploded up, twisting and pulling around the incomers. The orcs winced, crying out in small, upset yelps as they got pricked and stabbed with the small thorns. Mabel shouted at them, "Now stay there and think about what you've done!"

"Okay," the head orc defeatedly nodded.

"There's more!" Wendy shouted and pointed ahead.

Clearly more of the rebel rabble and orcish army had survived than the soldiers from the castle. Both remaining forces were dead-set on charging at one another, conveniently where the four adventurers were stationed. There was no longer any cover. They were in the open.

Soos, thinking quickly, pointed his spear outwards. He told his friends, "Close your eyes, dawgs!" and he then shouted, "Big Holy Flash Thing!"

At the tip of Soos' spear grew a mote of lite, in the shape of a lightbulb. This magically created lightbulb grew in light, trembling and rattling as it restrained some great, holy power. Wendy and Mabel looked away just in time. The bulb exploded, and a flash of light was so bright that all those nearby cried out, holding hands to their eyes.

"Ah!" An orc screamed, "My seeing eyes! How can I find things to hit if I can't see!" Fortunately, someone was next to him. He cackled, and punched his also blind ally. "Hah! Nevermind, I'm good," the orc said.

A woman on the rebel side rubbed her assaulted eyes. "But I need to know where to throw torches at! The bourgeois need to be brought to the torch, and I can't throw well enough without seeing!"

Rolling her eyes at their ridiculous display, Wendy took advantage of the opportunity. Arrow after arrow was fired towards the crowd. She aimed to disarm or debilitate now; striking those she deemed more dangerous than others. Those with large swords, spears, thick shields holding a bow and arrow would find themselves with an arrow in the shoulder. Those who seemed more dangerous that that she made sure to be lethal. "Make that seventeen," she told the other two.

The blinding spell was wearing off. Mabel grasped her staff with two hands, and said as an incantation, "Cattitude!" as she cast a spell on herself. "Oh boy!" she shouted. Her eyes grew large, taking on the appearance of a feline creature. Her fingernails grew and sharpened into claws. Spinning her staff above her head, she welcomed the first attacker with a bending of her fingers. "Come and get it, boys and girls!"

The one happy orc who had punched his ally, with an arrow sticking in his shoulder, pointed at Mabel. "She gets it! Squash those nerds!" he shouted. The orcish army charged. The rebels screamed and rushed ahead as well. As the three readied themselves, their ears rang as the rumbling grew terribly loud. Finally the waves crashed together. Men and women were tossed into the airs. Huge orcs were toppled over by groups of halflings. Amidst the chaos, Soos, Wendy and Mabel protected Dipper, was silent and motionless.

Soos was easily the best wall of the three of them. His shield made it impossible for almost anyone to gain an edge against him, literally acting as an impenetrable tower. His spear swiped and stabbed at those who dared to attack him, knocking many out, and drawing blood from the more dangerous. Nothing touched him, not even the arrows aimed for his peeking head around the edge of his thick screen.

Wendy was doing her job magnificently. She was a woman dancing like a loose scarf in the wind, her hair always a beautiful trail just behind her. Two axes whipped and swung around her, blocking attacks, chopping apart weapons (and occasionally limbs), and making the occasional killing blow. She was easily the flashiest of the three; landing onto of targets before kicking them back. Effortlessly she soared mid-air to land a another blow with her aerial ascension.

Thanks to her spell, the druid Mabel had the instincts and reflexes of a big-game cat. With her staff, she batted away and thrust back at attackers, jabbing them in their eyes and other unmentionable areas, easily putting them in harms way before using a free hand to cast a spell. Angry wasps soared at the injured participant, forcing them to retreat as the horrible creatures stung and bit at their face.

It was working. Just the three of them were holding off against a group of easily fifty armored soldiers. Their luck was holding off.

Until a roar heralded danger above them. The dragon seemed to notice the squabble.

"Crud!" Mabel turned away from the frightened soldiers. She saw the dragon making a turn, approaching them from Wendy's side. Mabel commanded, "Soos! On Wendy's side!"

The two mentioned turned just in time to see the coming dragon from the clouds. It was heading right for them. Soos cast a quick spell on his shield and ran next to Wendy as the soldiers started splintering their formation. Not a jet of fire this time, but a single, huge fireball soared for them. Wendy ducked behind Soos, and leaned against him, hoping to support the incoming blast. Mabel added her own aid, casting a simultaneous long-term healing spell.

The one orc, about to strike Mabel, looked to the coming dragon too late. "Ah, heck no-"

The fireball landed directly before Soos. Even with the spells and extra push on Soos' back, he was thrown backwards from the shockwave that followed. Directly over Dipper and Wendy the handyman soared, landing roughly some thirty feet away. Wendy had been spared little less, and was tumbling far past Mabel. The Druid had done her part to keep them alive, but only just that.

Smoke filled the air. Mabel coughed, trying to wave it away. "Guys!?" she called.

The dragon soared past them, blowing away the smoke. Any of the lingering army-folk that hadn't fled were well-done. Mabel spotted Soos, crumbled just by Dipper. He was out for the count now. Not dead, at least: her magical sense told her that no one she called friend had perished. There was no one on her feet now; it was just her.

The dragon circled them, letting loose another rumbling roar. The woods were burning now, green and red flames billowing black smock into the clouds. It was horrible. Even if this was some sort of game, Mabel stared around her in shock.

What could a druid do with her forests gone? Her allies incapacitated?

Then again, what would Mabel do? She looked to her friends, and focused on Dipper. She would do the same thing he would have done: save their twin at all costs.

Then she knew what he to be done. Mabel felt her feral instincts kick her mentally; they entirely disagreed with the plan she suddenly had. "Stuff it," she growled to herself. With a quick twirl of her staff, she cast as spell, long feathers falling from her druid staff. She summoned more birds: two large eagles. They soared over the castle and flew towards her. Landing at her feet, it was clear these were no ordinary birds, as they stood at eye-level with Mabel. She turned to her still motionless brother.

"Don't get hurt while I'm gone," she told him. With a quick grasp, she reached inside his robes and pulled out the enchanted 'TNT' arrow. The arrow in her hands, she leapt onto the backs of the eagles.

Wendy started stirring. Her eyes re-adjusting, she saw the younger girl begin her take-off. "Mabel?" Wendy then saw the danger-arrow. She shouted, "Mabel what are you doing!?"

Mabel grimaced back at her. "Something stupid and crazy that will totally work!" she yelled back. She laid a hand onto the back of the eagers, and said, "Borrow Primal Aspects!"

Mabel then leapt off the Eagles. As she did, a pair of massive, rainbow wings grew from her back, the same color and shape of her comrades now below her. Her staff in one hand and the arrow in the other, she scanned for the dragon, and she spotted it in the clouds, turning its head for her. Those huge wings of her flapped once, and Mabel soared upwards like a rocket.

Wendy, eyes widened, scrambled up to shout, "Mabel!"

Dipper's eyes shot open. "Done!" Dipper celebrated. In his hands, the spell had complete: a bright ball of blue light resting in his hands. He looked around and said, "Now, we just have to get that dragon to... where's Soos and Mabel?" Dipper scouted around. He spotted Soos rising up, and then Wendy staring upwards with a fearful gaze. Dipper turned, and he felt his blood freeze. "Mabel!?" he shouted.

Wendy quietly muttered, "She's going right for it."

Dipper's mind shut down as he saw his sister fly towards almost certain death. "Oh my god, Mabel! NO!"

Mabel soared right for the head of the dragon, who opened his mouth, about to shoot out a jet of green flames.

Mabel was ready. She still raced through the air, approaching the incoming dragon. She held the arrow out with her hands, and streams of concentrated air gathered around the fletching of the arrow. She proudly shouted, "Winds of Guidance!"

The arrow was guided by a magical force of wind. As the spell intended, it homed the arrow right to its intended target: straight into the mouth of the beast. The fires just started to emerge from the throat of the dragon.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, punching out in the air, and wishfully said, "Wish you could see me now, Jace!"

An explosion of fire, so big and bright that it dimmed the sky's daylight, erupted from the dragon's neck. The three earthbound adventures covered their eyes as the blast of displaced wind shock-waved past them.

When they looked back, the dragon's entire front half had been blown apart. They could only see the lower half of the body; the rest was smoking black, inky smoke. The draconic corpse soared tumbled towards the earth. Falling along the dead dragon was a winged figure, falling limply and spiraling.

Dipper screamed like he had never in his life. Running across the flame scorched field, his feet pushed him harder than he had ever run. He needed a spell, a saving grace, something to keep her away from the ground she was speeding towards. His sister was so far. So far away. He just needed to reach her with a spell to lower the speed she fell at, but it had a limit in distance.

He shot his hand out once he thought he might be in range. "Sky's Gift!" Dipper roared, silent to his own ears. The small whirling sphere of gentle blue light shot ahead of his hand, a gust of wind intended to act as a buffer for his falling sister.

The world slowed down as Dipper watched Mabel fall faster than his spell moved.

Dipper's feet stalled as his heart thrummed with a new pain, a deeper pain.

Someone ahead of him had hit the ground at terminal velocity. A cloud of dust puffed upwards, next to the smoking remains of the fallen dragon.

Emptiness consumed Dipper. He didn't just see it, but he refused to believe what he had seen. Nothing would compute; his brain, his consciousness, his very will refused to accept this fate. This couldn't be what was happening. Maybe there was an illusion?

Wendy and Soos ran past him, screaming something loudly. He almost fell forward from their force as they almost ran into him. They threw their weapons to the ground. Dipper watched Wendy slide to a stop by the end of the tail of the ruined creature, and her tears began to fall.

They were acting like they had seen that horrible sight. "No," Dipper told himself.

His feet began to move forward again slowly. He saw Soos trying to cast some light from his hands. Wendy was shouting at him, demanding something.

Dipper almost tripped over the claws of the dead dragon. His unclosing eyes stared ahead. Scales littered the ground. Beautiful feathers of all of life's colors danced in the air, falling to the smoldering flames around him. Finally, he saw them. Wendy stared to Dipper, quickly lowering what she had been cradling in her arms. She ran to Dipper, her hands on his shoulder. She was telling him something, but what could his ears hear but silence?

He felt her try holding him back from approaching. "No," Dipper told Wendy, not knowing a word she was saying. It could have been an entirely other language, he didn't care. Her attempts to keep him back were not strong enough. Dipper pushed past her and saw it, saw her.

Mabel. Sprawled on the ground. Her eyes closed. A trickle of blood fell from her nose.

"No," Dipper told his sister.

His knees gave way. Only then, staring down at this sight, did it set in.

She was dead.

"No!" Dipper scrambled closer to her, wanting more than anything to hold her in his own hands, but afraid to damage her further. "No! Wake up, Mabel!" he shouted at her, pulling himself to her face, and asking, begging, praying for her to wake up. His whole body was trembling, strength failing him. He looked up to his longtime friend, Soos. "Soos, help her!"

Soos was already weeping. His hands again glowed with a faint yellow light. "I– I'm trying," Soos told him between sobs.

That wasn't good enough. Dipper roared, "Try harder!" Dipper screamed at him. Soos flinched, nodded, and tried again. Nothing changed with Mabel. Dipper scooched closer to his sister, scraping his legs on the ashen ground. He told her, "No, you don't get to die like that. Not in a game I told you to play that you're not even interested in! You die in a million years from now. You're going to find some stupid boyfriend somewhere that I'll actually like, and you'll get married like you wanted to, and then-"

"Dipper," Wendy's hands reached around his shoulder.

He violently pulled away. He was talking to Mabel. "And then I'll be an uncle! I'll probably just then have someone special, and you'll tease me about it for being slow and bad with girls, like you always do!" Dipper told her body, holding her hands. They were going cold. "Right?" he asked her, "You love teasing me!"

Wendy stood next him. She, a voice so unlike her, exhausted and gentle, reached out to him. "Dipper."

"No! She gets to tease me again!" Dipper shouted at Wendy, standing and rounding at her, angrily challenge her tender tones, "She's going to get up, and tease me, like she always does!"

Wendy let tears fall from her face. Her voice was quiet when she told Dipper, "She's gone."

"Don't say that," Dipper shook his head, his voice cracking under the weight of grief that cut deep into his being. His heart had been ripped out, and like the feathers around him, burnt to cinders. "How can you say that?" Dipper demanded of Wendy. "How can you give up like that?" he told Soos, and finally he looked back to his sister, "We can save her! We-we have to save-"

Wendy didn't say a thing. She grabbed him forcefully, not giving him a chance to resist. She hugged him tightly, pulling him close. The teenage boy lost his will to fight. The love for the game. Anything that might have held him together against this horrible, horrible sight was lost.

Dipper bawled into Wendy's shoulder. He lost his other half.

Soos, again, reached out to Mabel with his magic. "I'm trying," Soos whimpered, still trying to use his remaining healing spell to fix Mabel. "Dipper, I-"

"Soos," Wendy told him gently.

The large man closed his eyes and nodded, and let his hands fall. There were now only three left. The village was gone. The villagers, guards, the invaders, the rebels: it was all destroyed. Ashes and smoke whirled past them as Dipper sobbed into Wendy, holding her tightly as he could. He needed something to hold, something that was his own.

The air deeply hummed. A flash of light behind Wendy startled the three of them. An oval of white and blue light shimmered, ten feet tall and five feet wide. On the other side was a familiar room; arched in the center with two beds across the room. Scattered on the floor were pencils and papers, and small little figurines.

It was a portal. One that would get them out of the nightmare.

"What?" Wendy sniffled, wiping away a tear that had fallen from her face.

Soos rose up from Mabel's side, eying the magical effect. "That looks like the Mystery Manor," Soos said as he stood to be next to the others.

"But we didn't win," Wendy said to Soos and Dipper. "Not to hammer it all in," she said in a low, defeated tone, "But how is this, in any way, winning?"

Dipper, in a scratchy, hollow voice spoke. "The game I made called for a victory where peace is established in the region," Dipper quietly explained, "Which, I guess having everyone dead and no conflict left is registered as 'establishing peace', by Bill's standards."

The three stared at the sight that was the empty attic room. It was a wonderous sight, a place not controlled by a mad two-dimensional being who's sense of humor could be summarized with 'pain'. They were just feet away from all of this being over.

Dipper saw his bed. And across from it, his sisters bed. It would be empty now. She would never go to bed next to him, telling him how much of a dork he was, and he would never get to reminder her to keep quiet in the morning.

Dipper's hand clenched as his throat tightened. He coughed, and wiped at his face. "No." Dipper shook his head at the portal.

Wendy and Soos eyed each other. "Dipper?" Wendy asked.

"I'm not going back without her," Dipper said, refusing to look behind himself. Instead, he approached the portal. "The game saved me a lot of trouble doing this," he stated darkly.

Soos asked, "For what? We're not going back?"

Dipper reached out to the portal, and closed his eyes. He began to cast his own enchanting magics. "No. I won't go back without Mabel," he turned to them, the light of the shimmering portal illuminating him.

Soos rarely looked so much like a scared child like he did when he reminded Dipper, "I'm sorry, dawg. She's gone."

Dipper, mania setting in, nodded. "Here, yes," Dipper agreed, "But I know for a fact, for a fact," Dipper urged, a building excitement in his chest, his heart beating faster, "There is afterlife in this world. An underworld."

"Like Hades?" Wendy checked with him, blinking her still watery eyes.

Dipper pointed and nodded at her. "Exactly like Hades. Just about all souls go there. To get there you need to either dig forever down, or find yourself a portal that sends you there, or, well, die. As it were," Dipper turned to the portal, "this portal looks more than strong enough to get us into the underworld. Let's just tweak the settings," Dipper lifted his hands and cast dark magic into the shimmering light. The creation changed, as well did the image. Fire began to pour out from the frame of the portal. The image of the twin's bedroom faded away, and an obsidian, fiery landscape awaited them.

Wendy took a long breath. "So, we're going to hell?" Wendy asked her friend as she and Soos stepped up with Dipper. She snorted, and added, "Time to fact check my morbid curiosities."

Dipper nodded, and explained, "I think I know exactly where she is. If there is a devil in control of this game, it's Bill Cipher. All I had to do is make sure this sucker opens right in his little chambers."

Soos, steeling himself, looked to the two. "Well, if we're going to go into that bad place," Soos gulped, "I'd do it for Mabel or you guys."

"Aw, thanks Soos," Wendy nudged the larger man in armor, who shrugged.

"Ah, dude, just being honest here. We ready?" Soos asked of Dipper.

The youngest of the three turned to check with Wendy, who nodded. Dipper looked back to the portal. "It's about to get even hotter," Dipper sighed and stepped into the portal.

As the three left one realm and journeyed into the other, Dipper's statement wasn't wrong. It got way, way, waay hotter. And drier. And the screams of the damned floated around them.

The had walked onto a massive plateau on a spire of dark red rock. Around them was a burning, smokey darkness. The distant horizons were spitted with other mountainous spires, sharp and evil looking with their crooked angles. Fire and brimstone shone up through smoke far below them, the only source of real light in this hellish scape.

"De-de-doo-doo," a voice stated from behind them. The three slowly turned to find Bill Cipher in his true triangular form playing with Mabel. She was tied to dark strings as he danced her around like a puppet, but was unconscious. Bill sighed, and told the girl, "Once they're gone, you and me are going to have to go explore the world together! You won't mind if I just hop on in your meat-suit and strut around as you for a bit, do you?" Bill asked Mabel. He pulled some strings for her, and Mabel's head bobbed up and down in a macabre nod. "Ah, thanks, Shooting star! You know, I wonder what the air out of a car tastes like? That black Smokey stuff? Hm. We'll find out!"

Dipper was livid. He roared at Bill, "Let go of my sister!" Dipper roared.

Bill Cipher jolted in shock, and his eyes caught them and the portal in his vicinity. "Hey! What the –" Bill demanded.

Wendy shot an arrow quickly at the strings, snapping the main binds on Mabel. Dipper rushed forward with Soos as Bill shouted, both of them casting beams of light at the demon. The spells struck true, and Bill rolled backwards, spiraling in the air. He caught himself, and shook his fists at the sight of a freed Mabel. "No! NO!" The yellow demon roared with anger, and suddenly vanished.

Soos gulped. "Dude, where did he go?" Soos demanded, looking around the hellish landscape. There were plenty of tall, sharp rocks for him to hide behind.

"Mabel," Dipper ran over and slid to a stop by his sister. Holding her up by the head, he propped her to lay against him. His heart almost burst out from his chest when she fluttered her eyes open. "Mabel!"

She coughed up a bright green feather, which tickled Dipper's nose. "Yo, dork," she weakly smiled. Tears shone down his face as he grabbed her in a hug to end hugs. To Mabel, it felt like he nearly broke her neck. "Blah! Okay bro, you missed me! Wow!" she leaned up, laughing. "Didn't think getting knocked out would cause you to freak out. I just fell like... a hundred feet. Nothing awful!"

Wendy stepped over. "Mabel, you didn't just get knocked out," Wendy explained, helping the twins up, "You died."

"Nah! Nuh-uh!" Mabel smiled cheekily at Wendy, her arms at her hips.

Soos nodded. "Look around, hambone," Soos told Mabel.

She did as asked. Taking in the scenery, she started to frown. She realized that truthfully, she wasn't where she thought she was. "Huh. I died," Mabel rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry?" she asked Dipper, half smiling. He hit her shoulder as had as he could muster. "Ow!" she cried out, holding the soon-to-be bruise, "That actually hurt!"

Dipper, in a mix of fury and relief that his sister had never seen before, warned her, "If this hadn't been a game, you would have left me alone without a sister!" He grabbed her, "Don't you ever do that again!"

"Well, don't – Mabel's eyes shimmered when she noticed Dipper's trembling lip, "Dipper," she said as she hugged him. "I'm sorry for scaring you, dude."

"You're okay," Dipper managed to admit, nestling his head into her shoulder, "That's all that matters."

Mabel giggled. "Right? Thanks, bro–" Mabel twitched. She blinked suddenly, her eyes jamming shut. She then twitched again, her head twisting slightly to one side.

Dipper worriedly studied her. "You okay?" he asked. "Maybe your head just realized you sort of fell all that distance, and the pain is catching up, or something," Dipper said cautiously, putting a hand to her shoulder, "You going to be okay?"

Mabel's head had sunken forward slightly, her hair falling past her face. When she did raise it to face him, Dipper gasped.

A voice unbelonging to Mabel answered. "Oh sure, bro," a slitted, yellow-eyed Mabel told Dipper, "Just peachy! Ha!" Mabel slammed her fist into Dipper, lifting him back and flying him into Wendy. Both rolled backwards, nearing the edge of the cliff.

"Mabel!" Soos scolded, "that's totally not what you do when... wait, your eyes!" Soos noticed as well.

Dipper shouted as he and Wendy struggled to stand back up. "She's been possessed by Bill!"

Mabel, or Bill inside Mabel (Babel), stretched their arms out. "Let's see how a druid can handle!" Babel eagerly said. They slapped their hands together. Large, thick roots burst out from the ground, and tried coiling around Dipper and Wendy.

"Chill out, dawg!" Soos shouted and cast a burst of light from his spear. The bright light seared through the roots, allowing Dipper and Wendy a chance to escape.

Babel leered at Soos, a new target acquired. "Velociraptitude," Babel growled. Their eyes grey wide and reptilian, and their nails grew massively long and sickle like. Soos gulped as Babel, with borrowed qualities of a velociraptor, charged at Soos.

Soos quickly lifted his spear to defend himself. "Seriously, dawg, chill out!" Soos said, blocking and parrying the flurry of attacks that Babel attacked him with.

"Bill's trying to hurt her!" Dipper shouted as Mabel's body ran around Soos, hitting him in the back with a strong smack of her staff. Soos recoiled, but remained standing.

Soos, trying his best to keep an eye on the hastily moving possessed woman, shouted back to Dipper, "No, he's trying to hurt us! What do we do!?"

Dipper quickly asked, "Expel him? I don't know if you have any exorcism spells!" Dipper cried out.

Wendy stepped past Dipper. "I'll keep her busy," she announced plainly.

Dipper begged, "Just don't hurt her!" and he called, "Soos! We have to think of something!"

As Soos and Wendy traded places, Babel the possessed druid smirked at Wendy. "That's right, don't hurt the Shooting Star! Precious sister to Pine Tree! It would be such a shame if she fell like a meteor!" Babel cackled at Wendy while swinging their staff viciously at the redhead.

Wendy, displaying her usual formidable dexterity, bowed away from and avoided the attacks. "I've dealt with things scarier than a messed-up triangle before," Wendy retorted, blocking the attacks with the side of her axe. The fight was a fast and furious one. Wendy was afraid to injure the girl- unknowing of the consequences of injury or death when in the underworld itself. She held back.

Babel moved around like she was without bones, swaying and whirling around drunkenly. "A triangle! Ha!" Babel laughed, "I'm a three-dimensional creature now!" Mabel grinned, sweeping out one of Wendy's legs. The half-elf adjusted quickly, spinning in mid air to regain her footing, and landing back on her feet. Babel sneered at the redhead. "You, though, are you sure you have dealt with worse than me?" Babel asked, wiggling Mabel's eyebrows, "I mean, if I had to guess, you've seen some pretty delightfully hopeless things!"

Something about that taunt took Wendy from hesitant to combative. She jumped forward suddenly, and lashed out with her boot. She slammed into Babel's ribs, kicking her to the side. As Babel flew to the side, roaring with laughter, Wendy blinked. "Oh my god, Mabel! I'm sorry!" she shouted, holding an apologetic hand towards the possessed girl.

Babel was thrilled. "Ow! Haaaahahahaha, That hurt! Well now, I think that's enough messing with the brain and body of this one!"

Mabel's body went limp. She fell to the ground, her staff clattering aside, her eyes closed.

"Dipper!" Wendy shouted to her friend. Dipper turned from his discussion from Soos to peer at Wendy.

"What?" Dipper asked. Then a large, armored fist closed on his neck from behind him. "S-s-soos?!"

The closed eyes of Soos opened. Gone were the kind and timid looks, replaced with slits and yellow. "Not Soos no more, duude," Soos, or Bill inside Soos (Boos), teased Dipper, lifting him up easily with one hand and walking him closer to the edge. As he approached the drop into fire, Boos said to Dipper, "Now, for a little payback, see how you like being dropped into an infinity hellscape?"

Wendy forgot the safety in this combat. She lifted an arrow out of her quiver and shot on into the elbow of Boos. The man roared in pain, dropping Dipper, who tumbled and slipped on the edge. He caught himself before falling, but hung on for life.

"Dipper!" Wendy shouted. Boos turned, grinning as he ripped out the bloodied arrow, and marched towards Wendy.

"I'm okay," Dipper managed, hanging on to the side of the cliff. "Give me a second."

"Hurry!" Wendy pleaded as Boos lifted his shield and approached Wendy. Wendy asked Dipper, "How can he keep doing this, man? I thought he was a deal demon! Can only possess people who are, you know, asleep!"

Boos was eager to answer for Dipper. "We're in my home turf, you stupids," Boos told them, his yellow eye with black slits for pupils staring at Wendy as he swung once with his spear. Wendy blocked and leapt back. Boos explained with deadly glee, "Without the laws of the world of the living holding me down, I'm practically a god here! Well, a demon god!"

"You're still gonna lose," Wendy growled as she blocked another strike of the spear. This time, she lifted one of her axes as she caught the spear with her bearded axe, and splintered the shaft with the other weapon. Boos snickered and tossed the spear back. There was still the six and half foot tall, three-foot-wide shield to deal with. Wendy stepped back, realizing he was fast enough to slam her with it, which all the weight would deal some pretty hefty damage. As she retreated, Wendy looked over her shoulder. There was another ledge, and he was pushing her towards it. Starting to feel the heat of the drop below scorching the air behind her, she roared, "Dipper!"

There was a patter of footfalls. Boos was quick to turn, but not fast enough. Dipper, midair, reached out and slapped a hand onto the armor Boos wore. "Magnify weight!" Dipper declared. The armor seemed to strain, the metal and leather clasps groaning as they were magically pulled down. With a gasp, Boos fell backwards, giving Dipper only a moment to react and leap aside. Dipper stepped around the collapsed, and reached for Wendy. "Good for water exploring," Dipper off-handedly explained, "Even better when you use it against heavily armored enemies."

Boos chuckled. "Right!" Boos agreed, "So maybe what I need to do is... change my equipment?" and wiggled his eyebrows.

Before Wendy or Dipper had a chance to react, Soos gasped and his eyes closed. He was also still.

Dipper realized what was going to happen. "He's going to possess one of us!" Dipper told Wendy, looking around. "Damn it... which one?"

"I don't know," Wendy shook her head. Half way through shaking her head, she stumbled. Dipper gasped. He knew what he had to do now. He lifted his hand and slammed a spell into his chest. A blue light wrapped around his body briefly, but then he was free to move.

Then he turned to Wendy, and pointed at her hand. "Disarm!" Dipper shouted and cast a bolt of pink light at Wendy. She stumbled slightly, but only her weapons were truly cast away. One of her axes fell into the darkness beyond the cliff along with her arrows. Only her bow fell past Dipper, sliding behind him. Wendy hadn't moved since she had been disarmed. Dipper, worrying maybe he had been hasty, leaned closer to her. "Wendy?" he quietly asked.

"Wendy's not home at the moment," Wendy, or Bill inside Wendy (Bendy), looked to Dipper, yellow eyes and a wide smile, "Why don't you leave a message and she'll get back to you."

Dipper trembled. This was something straight out of a nightmare. Bill was living to his namesake. Dipper was alone, the enchanter left without anything to combat the dream-demon. As he had done in the past, he attempted to understand. "Bill, why?" Dipper asked as Bendy approached him.

"Why what?" Bendy the demonic redhead leered.

"Why not me?!" Dipper demanded.

Bendy cooed. "Well, you see," Wendy lifted a hand to scratch their chin, and then used a sweeping backhanded slap to lift Dipper off his feet. Dipper felt his chin, sore and raw to touch. He looked back to the body of the girl he crushed for, and saw only malice look back. "I wanted to see your face as I took each one of your friends away from you; one by one, before I took you too."

Dipper wiped his face as Bendy lifted up their bow, and pulled back the string, aiming it him.

"Summon Arrow," Bendy sneered. An arrow appeared like smoke into her bow, and then was shot at Dipper. Dipper felt his skin break. His muscle felt fire as magical wood and steel pierced into his thigh. Dipper yelled, clutching the wound. Bendy chuckled, "Oh, that looked painful. Can't wait to feel it for myself."

Dipper looked to the injury, and then back to Bendy, their head slightly crooked to the side and still grinning. With a horrible sensation of his leg tightening all at once, he grasped the base of the arrow, and snapped off the rest of the wooden shaft. He roared in agony. Even staying as still as possible when he pulled out the arrow, the meat of his leg felt any slight change in pressure like another, new stab.

Bendy eyed him with all the happiness it could manage. "Awww, little bitty pine tree grew up to tolerate pain better," Bendy bent low, cowing him with puffed out lips and a mocking baby voice, "Maybe when this is all done, I'll tear off Wendy's face and put it on my next Squealer-Squasher. Oh! But it'll be called the 'Wendy-Waster'! That sounds great, right? HAHAHAHA!"

"Bill," Dipper stood up. He held a hand to the arrowhead still in his leg, trying to stem some of the bleeding. His leg shook as he told the demon, "Do what you want."

"Excuse me?" Bendy asked, cupping her elfish ear with a hand, "Want to repeat that?"

"Go ahead. Go nuts on me," Dipper growled.

Bendy looked around. The two others were still out for the count. Dipper stared down the possessed girl, and suddenly they smiled, tossing down their bow as she nodded. "You have some stupid plan, don't you?" they asked, approaching him smoothly, "Is there a spell that enchanters have that works only when at low health?"

Dipper felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Heat alone was bad, but he worried Bill might know what he was up to. Bendy grinned, and quickly landed a powerful kick in the middle of his back. Dipper shouted and fell forward. Bendy wasn't done. She lifted him up, and punched him in the face, drawing blood.

"C'mon then, pine-tree," Bendy demanded, "Fight back. Hurt me? Please?" Bendy asked him sweetly as they punched his nose. Dipper shouted in pain, holding his face with his arms. Bendy relented for a moment, waiting for Dipper to retaliate. He wouldn't. Bendy scowled. "Ugh! I bet it's because it's this body, isn't it?" Bendy stood up, backing away from Dipper. "You don't want to hurt her?"

"If you want pain," Dipper lifted his swollen face to glare at them, "Just try me."

Bendy's eyes widened, and then they focused on Dipper with a horrid, cruel excitement. "Ohhh, you tease me, Pine-tree," Bendy admitted, clearly enticed to feel a bit of the awful situation Dipper was in. Bendy shrugged, "Well, if it's all that much to you, I'll kill your sleeping friends with your body, then," Bendy winked.

Wendy then fell backwards, her eyes falling shut. Dipper got onto his feet as fast as he could, aware that the time between possession and leaving the body was short.

Dipper, sliding to a stop right next to the fallen Wendy, placed his hands on her arms, and cast a spell. "Energize!" he said. A fizz of blue and green dots formed around Wendy, like she was in some sort of soda-bath. Then, he pointed to his own chest, and shouted, "Enervate!" The spell left his hands and he felt a zap of pain inside his mind. Like a sheet of deep purple and dark red, an aura surrounded Dipper. As it faded away a moment later, Dipper felt an awful feeling. His head twitched. But, unlike the last time he lost his body to Bill, Dipper had a trick. He felt a small, inner trap spring.

A flash of blue light emerged from Dipper – a blue circle with an orbit of magical runes. From inside his mind, Dipper heard Bill demand, "What the heck is this!?"

Dipper sneered, and tapped his own head. "I never got to try that spell on the dragon," Dipper told Bill with his own words, "So I cast it... on myself."

Bill shouted, "WHAT?!"

Dipper felt truly proud at what he had done. He cockily explained it aloud, "Go ahead and try to do anything without my consent," Dipper told himself as the spell slowly wrapped around his body, "Because you won't be able to use me without my own say so. Force Of Will, max level can't be broken – even by you. And even if you did break free, I've got enervate on. I'll be exhausted by the time you're free, if you even got that to happen. I'm down for the count, Bill, and I'm taking you with me."

"DAMN YOU, PINE TREEEeee..."

The voice inside his head faded. Dipper felt his body tighten, like the spell physically put coils or ropes around him. White-hot pain jabbed at his insides and Dipper bent backwards, yelling loudly. Then the blue light finally encapsulated him. Just like that, the light vanished, and the spell completed.

A small gasp burst forth from the girl nearby Dipper. Wendy looked around. "What... what happened?" Wendy asked, pushing hair out from her face as she stood up. There before her was Dipper, bent forwards on his knees. "Dipper?!" she gasped and rushing for him. With a gasp of air that startled her, he bent back to her, breathing heavily.

"Got him," Dipper quietly muttered, "it really worked."

She slid to kneel at his side. "Dipper, are you okay? I'm so sorry- I couldn't-" she realized the welts over his face, and then she saw a broken arrow shaft into his leg. Her hands went to cup the side of her head. "I... did I–"

"You didn't do any of it," Dipper assured her, resisting the pain coursing through his body as best he could, "It was all Cipher."

"Where is he?" she demanded, her feet scraping against the burning rock as she scanned around, "He didn't leave Mabel or Soos unless he had someone else to..." Wendy slowly looked to Dipper, staring into his eyes, "But... you don't look like he's inside you."

"That's because he doesn't have control. Not yet anyway," Dipper smiled, a loopy smile coming to grow on his face. She frowned at him, and he added, "Remember that spell for the dragon? I never got to use it. But I still had it on reserve it. So... I cast it on myself."

"Yourself?"

"Force of Will: level five control spell. Even dragons and demons can't resist that. At least not initially. Now my body can't do anything without my say so," Dipper grinned, "and Bill can't escape from me either unless I say so either. I got him-" pain seared through his guts like a snake tearing through his insides, "GAH!" Dipper clutched his stomach, tears streaking out of his eyes, "But damn does it hurt!"

"Dipper," Wendy held his shoulders, trying to help him upright, "It's okay. I can get them up – I have some basic healing skills, right? Medicine and things- and then Soos can burn him out of you!"

"No. We don't have that much time. Maybe a minute," Dipper shook his head slowly, his eyes empty, "This has got to end."

She laughed a little harder than she needed, maybe trying to comfort Dipper, or herself. "What are you talking about? We got him!" Wendy chuckled. She saw tears start to fall from his eyes. Panic flustered her more that he was doing so calmly. "Dipper, we won!" she reminded him urgently.

"If we did win, we would have gone home already," Dipper told her, "And we'd be safe. Bill isn't going to give in so easily... and he'll kill us all and just use our bodies to wander around and hurt others."

Wendy nodded. "Okay, so we stop him, like we just did-"

"Wendy, please listen!" Dipper groaned as he clutched his stomach again, gasping for air, "God! It literally feels like he's ramming his corners into my stomach and heart! Uck!"

"Okay- okay buddy, I'm listening," Wendy told him, trying to keep her voice even. "Talk to me."

"I... I think we can kill him here," Dipper told her, "Like, actually kill him. Not banish him, but really end him once and for all. So no one ever has to deal with him again."

"How?" she demanded, her eyes begging Dipper for the answer.

He smiled. It was not a happy smile, but a warm, accepting one. It did not come from pain or agony, although those two were constantly being felt in his entire body. Since Dipper realized Wendy had been chosen to be possessed before he was, he knew he wasn't going home. Dipper lifted his finger and drew a line across his own neck.

Wendy's eyes shot wide and she gasped. "No."

"Wendy-"

She shouted, "Absolutely not!" She pulled him by his robes closer to her. He felt her breath on his face, something he was sure, in different circumstances, would have made him lose his mind. Still, the inevitable sturdied him. Wendy scowled at his seemingly defeatist attitude. "We lost your sister today!" she snapped, "Dipper, I don't care what stupid, heroic thing you plan on doing, but I'm not interesting losing you!"

"If we don't kill me soon, he'll have control of me, and all the magic my character can control. Wendy, you're not in the best shape either," Dipper told her, indicating the scorch marks along her hands and face, "You think I can just stand by and watch as not only he wins, but kills you and my sister and our best friend?"

Wendy shook her head, her lip trembling. Dipper's own lips followed suit, and he let out a raspy cry. Of course, he did not want to die. He just saw his sister die and all his friends get possessed and try to murder him all in one day, and maybe it was desensitizing him. Dipper knew that this was the damage Bill Cipher was willing to commit. Dipper would never let him get away with that if he could. Not a chance in, well, in hell.

He'd die to stop Cipher, and this was a great chance to do it.

The redhead's hands pulled down on his robes as her knees gave away. She fell together to the floor next to him. "Dipper, please," Wendy begged him, "C'mon man, think of something else. Anything else."

"We can't pass this up," Dipper shrugged, his heart breaking at her sight. She was crying now. Her tears cut away the soot that stuck to her face.

She shook her head, her green eyes boring into his brown. "I don't want you to go, dude," Wendy managed to say, "You've always found a way out of crud like this! I can't let the guy who's made two of my summers the most exciting, memorable times of my life just die because he thinks he needs to! I'm sick to death of my life, and you and Mabel make it worth while!"

Dipper felt air rush out of him in a strong gasp. What a time for a compliment. Still, the pain of Cipher fighting in his cage wasn't number by Wendy's sweet words. Dipper sighed: this was really it. She bent forward, and rested her forehead against his chest. He knew he had gotten her to the point of acceptance. Dipper felt a particularly painful jab in his body, and he twitched. Wendy jolted up and gasped. Part of Dipper's vision was blurring, and she clutched his face, looking into the eye.

"No! Dipper!" she begged, staring into his face. As yellow tint began to spread into his left eye.

He chuckled dumbly. "I'm trying my best. You've only got a few more seconds before he's got me," Dipper told her, shaking his head.

Wendy stood shakily. Behind her was her last hatched, the one not thrown into the abyss of magma around them. It fell from her fingers at first and she shook her head. "I can't do it!"

"Of course you can," Dipper told her, "there isn't anyone in the world I trust more to get the impossible done than you. You're the coolest person I've ever met, Wendy," Dipper gently told her. Wendy exhaled sharply, bearing the weight of the situation. Dipper then added, "Hey, please tell Mabel I'm sorry."

Wendy nodded and she grasped the axe firmly in her hand. Dipper wondered if he had enough strength to resist longer; give him a chance to say a few more things to the girl he loved. One of his eyes was almost entirely darkened now, and he felt a roar of triumph inside his head. Bill was aware he was almost out. The teen growled, and suppressed the hostile takeover. "If you're going to do it," Dipper gasped, "you need to do it now!"

"I... okay," she stepped over, holding the axe to her side. She looked him in the face, raising the weapon slowly. "Dipper, I'm never going to forget you."

"I know," Dipper nodded. If death was really coming, then had one more thing to get off his chest. "Wendy, I still like you," Dipper flinched as he said it finally, a burst of admittance from a moment of weakness. She closed her eyes painfully, but refused to make a noise, looking away just for a moment. "I... I love you. Just, you know, keep being yourself forever."

She finally opened her eyes. She looked to him, connecting their gazes, and she nodded.

Dipper watched her axe climb into the air, risen for the dirty, horrible deed about to befall himself. It was fitting, he supposed; to be the one that could end Bill Cipher. The demon had tricked him once before into almost killing his sister, tormenting him, Soos and Mabel in a realm of nightmares. It was here, in hell itself, when the creature of evil finally underestimated Dipper's will, that he could end it all.

The axe fell.

Dipper closed his eyes as wind rushed by him.

"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!"

A deafening roar of sound and noise forced Dipper to open his eyes. The universe was chaos of bright color and sound. No longer did he carry the markings of war and conflict, or the unbearable pain of the monster inside him. Dipper's leg no longer carried a broken end of an arrow. Wendy was in her normal clothing, and Mabel and Soos stood up, checking their state in amazement. All the injuries never existed- they all were in perfect health. Even though the reality around them blew past them like an asteroid hurtling through space, they stood like an invisible platform beneath them suspended them in space.

With a tiny 'pop' sound, Bill Cipher appeared before them, slowly clapping his hands to Dipper, looking angered. "Fine. Good job. You win. Woohoo," Cipher was clearly not a graceful loser, "You've shown me the first thing I'm going to do when I have a chance to alter human identity – remove all sense of selflessness. God! That word just SUCKS! Like kittens without spikes; just horrible!"

Dipper glared at the Triangle. He had been ready for it. Certainly, he was glad to be alive, but a chance to kill that cretin would have been worth it. Then again, Mabel tackled him and hugged him tightly. That might be worthy staying alive.

"You did it!" she cheered, "Of course you would, you huge, stupid, lovable nerd!" Mabel told him as she lifted him up and squeezed, crushing his body like it were made of straw.

"Ow! Mabel!" Dipper gasped, "We're still dealing with him?" he nodded to the upset floating Triangle.

"Oh. Right. Jerkus-maximus here," Mabel turned around, scowling at the demon.

Dipper and the others faced Bill, aware of their victory. "We go back," Dipper told Bill Cipher, "And you hold your end of the deal. Part of that secret."

Bill rolled his eye. "Okay, okay, Pine Tree," Cipher, tipped his hat with a curt nod, floating away, "I should warn you though, these kinds of deals make you think everyone's trying to kill you."

"I can deal with that," Dipper retorted

"Now fess up!" Mabel pointed at him forcefully.

"Alrighty. So, my tip to you, just so you two know," the demons started. Then, emerging from the white nothingness around Cipher, a series of lines emerged from his three sides, moving outward from him and forming a sectioned off circle.

"No one in town is who they seeeeem," Cipher told them, as images flowed into the circle: A glowing smooth stone, crossed hands with wrappings on them, a broken pair of glasses, a skull with a single eye in its right socket, a axe with a broken handle, a punching fist with fire streaking behind it, a person in astronaut gear, a fancy bow tie, and a long thin scarf all appeared in respective slots.

Soos stumbled for words as the other three stared, "Dude, what the-"

One of the sections flashed with light, and then each section to its right flashed in procession. One by one, the cell with an image flashed in order, spinning around the circle. It was a glyph with new icons.

Bill Cipher called to them as he floated up and away, "Remember; stability is a delusion, all knowledge is relative, cook your own food, BYYYYYYYYE!" Bill Cipher screamed for the last time before he, and his circle flashed into bright light and vanished.

The spiraling universe they inhabited also went away, and the four found themselves back on their rears, staring at the three ones Dipper had rolled what felt like a whole day ago. Dipper, Mabel, and Soos took deep breaths as they had just risen out of water. Wendy looked around, and checked her hands, and then her ears. Dipper looked to clock in the room by his desk. A minute hadn't passed, maybe not even a full thirty seconds.

The four sat on the floor, pondering their encounter. Their battles. What they had done, and what they had accomplished. Magical feats likened to those told in legends, fought monsters that Greek mythology feared, and braved lands so dark that the four of them wouldn't look at the concept of 'hell' as the same ever again.

Soos broke the silence with a small smile. "Well, that was fun," Soos admitted, nodding his head. "I think I'm mildly scarred for life, and that I'm never going to play a fantasy game again too. Hm. I'm going to go downstairs actually. Clear my head and stare at trees."

As he stood, Mabel joined him. "Ditto, dude. My brain is all heavy with 'whaa' and 'whoa'. Being dead was weird."

Dipper let the two pass, staring at the tree dice. The worse possible start. Baddest of bad rolls. They did it. They survived and could later tell the tale.

There was movement to his right. Wendy silently stood up.

Heat rose instantly to his neck and behind the ears. He had told her. It had been expected after all – he was going to have died. Maybe in hindsight it made sense that by killing Cipher they would have been brought back, but the moment had won him over, along with his sense of secrecy. Now what did he do? She knew!

The air came out of his mouth before he had a plan. "Wendy," he said abruptly, standing and looking to her. She stood by the door, and turned back to him. There was no readable look about her. Dipper took a deep, deep breath, and then said, "I just wanted to apologize."

"Huh?"

"I... I said that, that thing, you know?" Dipper took this approach as carefully as he could, "Because I wanted to say something meaningful just before I died," Dipper tried lying, wanting to cover his tracks, "And I feel really bad about it. I, uh, I just wanted to let you know-"

"Dipper, stop it."

His mouth sealed instantly, like a vacuum had been created between his lips. She had meant it. Her eyes stared at him, investigating his form. She wasn't angry, or so it seemed. That said, her eyes bled with intensity. It almost looked like she had just woken up from a long, much needed nap. "You're a good liar, but you're not that good of a liar," she said with a smirk.

Dipper swore under his breath, feeling the heat crawl into his face. Sweat would be forming soon. "Uh..." he had broken contact with her stares, but after searching the room for a moment, hopeful for an easy answer, he found none and returned her gaze. He relented. "You're right. I… I meant it."

Wendy pursed her lips together. Dipper already could feel his heart sink. All he wanted to avoid was hearing the words she had used three years ago on him again. Not. Again.

Dipper scrambled to speak. "You- you know, I just, I really don't want to change anything, right?" Dipper explained, shrugging as he put on his best smile, his nervous energy piling his ideas all together in a messy, mental pile. "Cus, you know, I just wanted to keep hanging around with you without being weird, right?" he said. It was a mild lie, but hopefully small enough to get by her keen senses. He added, "And who cares what my feelings are? You know? They're just feelings!"

"Don't be like that, dude," Wendy told him, taking a step closer. Her green eyes blazed like beams of sun to Dipper, wide and endlessly beautiful. It hurt so much to force himself to believe that all he really wanted was to just hang with her like usual, but if it meant to continue being nearby her, he would take that to nothing.

"We can still be friends," Dipper quietly said to her, and more importantly, himself. A knot formed in his throat. It hurt enough for him to want to gasp, but he remained vigilant as he stared at her. Wendy had not changed much from the moment they had stopped to talk.

Then it hit Dipper. She wasn't devoid of expression. Her eyes were sharp, as she was thinking. Her brow was slightly furrowed, her mind deep in thought. After this a moment (but to Dipper, a terrible hour), she then smiled.

"You know," she turned back to him as she left the room, "After we all get over that life-threatened trauma we just collected, we can do this again."

"We... huh?"

"Yeah dude. Get another game that isn't cursed, and I'll be up for more nerd-ventures," she told him, "It was a lot of fun playing with you." She then waved and disappeared past the door, heading out.

Dipper was left standing in the exact same spot he had been the entire time.

She hadn't rejected him.

She hadn't told him they can't hang out.

She didn't even say that she was too old and he too young.

What did any of it mean then? She hadn't said anything except for Dipper not to hit himself too hard over the head for admitting to it. She didn't acknowledge anything else. It was as if... she knew already? No – that couldn't be right. Dipper had made certain to change his ways- maintain a firm grasp on his visible cues for feelings towards her.

Unless.

All the lightning in the world could have struck Dipper in that moment. He gasped and jolted upwards as his mind found the answer that he had never dared dream of. It was too much to comprehend, and still so hopeful that all his fingers felt static and his body felt heavy. He knew it now.

There was a chance.

"Dork!"

Dipper yelped as Mabel stepped into the room, drinking a glass of cold water.

"You done looking like Wendy rejected you again?" Mabel smirked as she gargled water and swallowed it happily. "Ah, nothing like a refreshing glass of water after a venture into hell itself."

"Mabel, what do you mean-" Dipper started, looking to his sister intently.

"Dude, you want to keep your voice down when you talk to Wendy in a wooden house," Mabel sneered at him, and flicked some water off her finger and onto his face, "whop!"

His face grew red-hot. "You overheard?"

"Mmm pretty much everything," Mabel nodded, and sipped loudly. "So, what did you tell her? You know, while I was MIA."

Dipper looked to his sister. Damn it, even if they had beaten Cipher, he had still lost something- his security of his secret. Mabel was easily the last person he had wanted to tell her, as her tendency to tease and belittle was seconded by her desire to force couples to marry one another. Still, something about the way she looked to him gave him some hope. Would she be more mature about this?

He then watched Mabel gargle water, and then spit it up, and onto her own face. She giggled as she washed her face. Dipper couldn't help but smile.

He would try trust her with his feelings this time. "I told her-"

His phone buzzed. From inside his pocket, he retrieved his phone, flipping it open. He had missed a call, but there was a voice mail. Activating it, he listened intently on his mobile device.

"This is the Gravity Falls Town Hall. We've collected your required material. You can drop by at any time and collected them for a period up to three days. Thank you. Have a wonderful day."

Dipper slapped his phone shut. He had them.

"Mabel, we got the information!" he told her, beaming and giddy. Without a chance of protest from his sister, he grabbed her hand and started running for the exit. "Let's go!"

---

I'll be honest guys.

This was some of the most fun I've had with this entire season. So, uh, if there's enough support for it, I may come up with some other non-canon bits that involve the adventures of Dipperthur the Wise, Soos of Mission Soos, The Red Phantom, and Magnanimously Magnificent Masterfully Malleably Mendable Mabel the fourth, Esquire. Sounds fun, doesn't it? :)

Oh, pay attention to the Cipher wheel. It's impooorrtant.

Two more episodes, guys. Then season two. :D

(A massive black dragon swoops down and eats EZB. Fitting.)

---

Somewhere, not too far from Gravity Falls, a dimmly lit room hummed with electrical paneling and video screens. This room glowed with a massive, electrical monitor, but a single silhouetted figure sat in a chair, rapidly touching the myriad of touchscreens around the huge monitor. A display appeared nearby, showing Dipper and Mabel Pines, along with Soos, chasing after a very frightened Tambry in the woods.

There was a beep from the console before the silhouetted figure. The person leaned forward, and pushed a holographic button. "Yes, captain?"

The deeper, gruff voice stated, "Time is running out."

"Yes, I am aware," the figure said, activating several other screens, displaying more individuals from Gravity Falls. They seemed to be going about their day-to-day life. "I understand that action is needed."

The 'captain' called back. "Our time has run thin. We cannot remain here. They are being discovered."

The silhouetted figure stood. "I know! But, please: we must save them. I cannot just-"

"Uki-Doth."

The Silhouetted person was undeterred from his statement. "Abandoned them to this fate! It is my responsibility! We aught hold off until the last moment."

"Uki-doth!" the voice snapped over the channel. Finally, the man flinched, and collapsed into his seat. His superior continued, "You have only one earth day to resolve this. We have detected a forming uniform-band-width, which are coming from the uncollected memory charges. If you cannot resolve this in a short time, we will terminate this procedure, and do what we must."

The slumped figure quietly said back, "We will damn them if we cannot save them."

The voice paused. Perhaps there was real turmoil in the superior after hearing such a declaration. Finally, the voice returned. "Do what you can. You have a deadline."

The voice channel cut out off with a small beep. The man sitting in the chair angrily clawed at his head. Looking up to the screens, he shook his head. "I don't have enough material. How am I supposed to get multiple exposed chrono-radiation bio-samples now?" he asked, and held his head as he leant into his lap.

---

Ollph orpv Yroo iloovw z mzgfizo lmv uli srh 'ozhg olmtvi gszm z hrmtov vkrhlwv' iloo. Dszg z olhvi.

-GSRMP ZTZRM, WFNNB. R'OO YV YZXP! R'OO YV DZGXSRMT!-