Direct continuation of the last chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Six: The New Author

"I think it's cute! What do you think, Pacifica?"

Mabel presented the fluffy sweater to the rich blonde happily, eagerly awaiting her opinion.

Pacifica tried to be as nice as she could. "I'd say it's...loud, but comfortable. Probably a waste of time though. I mean, don't you have enough sweaters as it is?"

Event number one on Mabel's list for their 'girls' day' had been going to the mall and shopping, which at first, Pacifica didn't really mind. In fact, she'd been pleasantly surprised when she heard the idea. She half-expected Mabel's idea of a girls' day to be eating a bunch of candy and making earrings out of chips.

Then once they got there, Mabel took her to a place...a little foreign to her. Pacifica hadn't exactly been on a shopping spree for a while, on the account of practically living at Greasy's diner, but when she used to, she would always visit the most expensive stores and buy clothes or jewelry that exceeded four figures.

Mabel wasn't rich. She frequented a more...affordable store that looked like a little kid's playground. Bright pink and cute drawings of animals screamed at you, and it was just so colorful, wacky and...so Mabel.

The brunette tilted her head, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I've got enough sweaters to clothe the entire town!"

Pacifica raised a curious eyebrow, "Where do you get them from anyway? Here?"

Mabel shook her head, "No, I make them myself."

That caught Pacifica off guard, "Really? All by yourself? But...you're always wearing a different one each day!"

"Yep. I've been doing it for years, especially back home. My mom taught me."

That statement had Pacifica blinking at the wall. When she first met Mabel and Dipper, she figured the old weirdo at the Mystery Shack took in two orphans off the street. Then she found out he was their great uncle, and the thought of them having parents vaguely crossed her mind, but she never actually tried to picture what that could look like. Now, she was imagining a taller, middle-aged woman wearing bright sweaters and skirts, cradling a giant pig in her arms, while the father stood next to her, a hat covering most of his brown hair. He had a wispy goatee and wore flannel jackets, with one of those dumb books tucked underneath an armpit.

Once again, Pacifica was reminded of their other life outside Gravity Falls. And once again, she was reminded that when the summer ends, so would whatever semblance of a frenemyship she had with them. It didn't feel right, picturing those two in normal settings. In a school hallway, or a playground, or a crowded California street. They belonged here, where they blended in with the weirdness.

If she's being honest with herself, they were too special to be cooped up in a boring place like Piedmont, or whatever it's called.

Pacifica finds her voice again, and it comes out quietly. "I used to think my parents taught me so much. But really...the only thing they ever taught me was how to be like them."

A moment of vulnerability. Pacifica realized what she'd done immediately and brought her walls back up, forcing a stern expression. Right away, she prepared to follow up with a rude comment about how Mabel never heard that, and if she told anyone, she'd sue both her and her old Grunkle. But Mabel beat her to the punch with kindness.

She put a hand on Pacifica's shoulder, "Hey, I know you probably don't wanna hear his name right now, but Dipper told you that you don't have to be like your parents. Even if you're their daughter, you can be your own person. He's right about that."

Of course he was. It was the rightest thing Pacifica Northwest had ever heard out of anyone's mouth. It was the only time someone ever told her something that in her heart, she knew was the truth. With her parents, and especially strangers that come on business meetings or parties, it's always formalities and useless small talk, all disingenuous drabble and lies, meant to either play on the person's sympathy or appear classier than they seem.

Everything's a front. Nothing's real.

But Dipper is. When he said those words to her in the secret room of that manor that night...for the first time, Pacifica felt like she was an actual human being. Not a fancy robot programmed by her family's long-standing corruption.

"I know," she whispered, "And I am trying to be different." Pacifica put on a smirk, "I mean, I'm hanging out with you for crying out loud. Can you imagine that happening when we first met?"

Mabel giggled, "I know! We were archenemies!"

"But you have to admit, I rocked that song at the Shack party."

"You did."

"But...I guess you weren't half-bad either."

Mabel nodded, her smile growing, "There we go! Now we're making progress! Is it too early in our friendship for me to make matching bracelets?"

Pacifica put up her right hand, telling Mabel to slow her roll, "Way too early. But I think I'm feeling friendly enough to give you some perspective on fashion. Come on."

The heiress turned around and marched out of the store, a shred of her old confidence and pride returning. She used to walk around this place with her posse like she owned it, and now, she would still carry that same aura with her, but she wasn't about to become the old Pacifica again, and she wasn't going to let anyone's stares or thoughts deter her. She was done caring about the town's gossip on her family's downfall.

Mabel jogged to catch up, "Where are we going?"

"To my side of the pasture. It's time I show you how rich girl's shop."

Instead of eating Dipper, Ford, and Wendy right away, the spider bats decided to take the trio inside their hideout and hang them up along a rock wall. So Dipper figured he should count himself lucky. He hadn't been turned into an evening snack quite yet.

The conglomerate of monsters took them inside a shallow cave and put them up like trophies side by side, facing the thin ray of light shining through the cave entrance. It was just enough to see the group scurry around the corners and crevices, seemingly working on something. Dipper figured it was some sort of pre-feasting ritual.

He struggled to turn his head. The cocoon somehow managed to wrap itself tighter around him in the few minutes they'd been there, like the silk had a mind of its own. Ford and Wendy were next to him, his Grunkle to the direct left, head faced forward, jaw clenched.

"I'm sorry I got you into this, guys." Dipper said, "I shouldn't have been so careless-"

"Quiet, Dipper," Ford shushed him, "We all need to stay quiet."

"Why?"

"They're part spider. Which means..." He waited for Dipper to finish the sentence.

It took him a moment to catch on, and when he did, he perked up, "...They're basically blind. In theory."

"Correct, which means their other senses are heightened. Including their hearing. Spiders can sense vibration."

Dipper nodded, keeping the rest of his thoughts to himself. If they actually have bad eyesight, and their hearing is enhanced...then that must be why they kept their heads free. To hear their breathing and feel the vibration of their voices.

"So what are we gonna do?"

"What do you remember doing when you didn't know the right protocol?" Ford purposefully flickered his pupils up and down several times, signaling for Dipper to look at his waist. He did, and saw that the entire time they'd been here, Ford had been working on an escape route, using the electric mode on his gloves to slowly burn through the silk, freeing up his right arm.

Dipper's eyes widened. Ford quickly brought his index finger to his lips, shaking his head. In a voice that if any lower, might as well have been silent mouthing, Ford whispered, "When you don't know the right protocol, you consult the journal."

"What's going on over there?" Wendy hissed. Just her voice. Dipper couldn't see her.

"Just give us a sec!" Dipper turned back to Ford, "You really think whoever wrote this has already dealt with these things?"

Ford dug around in his trench coat, retrieving the fourth journal from his pocket and opening it for Dipper, trying to balance it with one hand. "We're about to find out. You tell me when to stop."

Dipper had never really seen Ford's sixth finger come in handy before, but now, he could hardly focus on the actual content of the pages, he was too busy watching Ford's extra pinkie act as a page turner.

"Focus, boy."

"Right. Sorry."

The pages were fuller than Dipper could've guessed, which made him wonder how long that journal had been buried in the dirt, and how long this new author had been doing their research. Ten pages flashed by in two seconds, all matching the same format his Grunkle used to use, drawing a detailed sketch of the creature in question on the left, and information written on the right. With the speed Ford was going, Dipper had to ignore the writing and instead watch out for a spider shape. So far, he hadn't seen one.

By around page twenty or thirty, Dipper's mind registered a split moment where he saw eight legs around an oval. "Right there! That's it!"

Ford turned back two pages, landing on it. Whoever this new author was, had indeed already contacted these spider-bats, and drew them accurately, scribbling down paragraphs worth of information, with certain important texts darkened several shades or circled. Again, similar to how Ford used to layout his journal contents.

His Grunkle's voice became ghostly. The spider bats' movements had gotten quieter. They were on to them. "What does it say? Read the bold letters."

Dipper squinted. With the limited amount of sunlight, he could barely make out the letters on even the large fonts. "Terrible eyesight...excellent hearing...very dangerous in groups...utilizes efficient teamwork...It's basically stuff we already know."

"Try a weakness."

Dipper kept reading until he reached the very bottom of the page, "Only one sure weakness...loud sounds of any kind. Use voice enhancer at close range to incapacitate. Makes sense. Now I'm wishing I snatched Mr. Northwest's megaphone..."

Ford smirked, "What we have is even better." He reached in his pocket again, this time digging nearly all the way to the back of the trench coat, switching out the journal with a small diamond shaped metallic box. "I always carry a voice enhancer in case of emergency. Found this bad boy in dimension F-32. If cranked to the highest setting, it can burst the eardrum of every living human on the planet tenfold!"

Dipper found that both fascinating and terrifying. But such a thing would be perfect to get them out of this situation.

"We need to use it, then! What's the plan?"

"I'm going to create a distraction. When I do, I'll get you both out of those cocoons. Then...we run like our lives depend on it, because, well, they do."

"What about the voice enhancer?"

"Just follow my lead," Ford tilted his head to the left, "Did you get all of that Wendy?"

"Yep. Ready when you guys are."

"On three, everyone." Dipper braced himself, waiting for Ford to start the count. But he didn't, he just jumped right in. "...Three!"

As fast as a master gunslinger, Ford switched the voice enhancer with the fourth journal and threw it downward. There was a moment's pause, then a loud smacking sound of the book spine hitting the jagged rocks, creating an echo around the small cavern.

The spider bats immediately went nuts, all of their little heads whipping around toward the spot where the journal lay. They swooped down collectively and pounced on the area, freeing up a path straight ahead.

Ford wasted no time. He drew his laser gun and fired a blue beam just shy of Dipper's body, grazing the cocoon and disintegrating it. After doing the same to Wendy and himself, all three of them fell ten feet and landed safely on the cavern floor. Save for Dipper though, whose legs screamed with stinging pain on contact, but didn't dare scream out in pain. Those spider bats still didn't know what they were up to, but they'd soon catch on.

"Alright everybody, run!" Ford shouted. Wendy and Dipper broke out into a sprint, while the old monster hunter stayed back.

Dipper's gaze kept switching between the wide-open path in front of him and the journal currently being hounded on by the hybrids, "What about the fourth journal?!"

"What about your Grunkle?!" Wendy countered, "Come on, Mr. Pines! We've gotta go!"

"One moment!" Ford reached down and picked up a loose silk string and used it like a lasso to successfully latch on to the journal, throwing a calculated shot in a small opening between the spider bats. With a full forced tug, the journal came flying from the bottom of the pile and directly in Ford's hand.

He laughed, "Haha! Got it!"

"That's great, now come on! You just took back our distraction!"

Ford ran over and joined them, holding the journal in one hand and using his other to pull out the voice enhancer. "We can't leave just yet. We need to make sure they don't get out. Dipper, use this to push them back, and I'll trap them." He tossed the tool in the air towards Dipper, who carefully caught it.

"What do I do? Just yell in it?"

Ford pulled out his laser gun again, cocking back a lever on the end, charging it up. That must've been what he meant by 'trapping' them. "Press the button on the side. I've already got it appointed to a proper and safe setting. With the soundwaves aimed at the spider bats, we won't be harmed. Now do it, quickly!"

Dipper didn't hesitate. This was his chance to right the wrong of getting them caught in the first place. He wouldn't mess up.

More determined than ever, he pressed the button Ford told him too and brought the device close to his lips. Dipper sucked in a deep breath and released a guttural cry from his gut, which translated to an enhancement that shook the entire landscape, sounding something like a mix between the horn of a semi-truck and the explosion of dynamite.

Whatever the sound, it managed to completely stun the spider bats, a second ago emerging from the cave's entrance like a nightmare from the underworld, now knocked back to the rock wall behind them, hissing in agony.

Once Ford saw that, he acted quick, taking the shot just above the top of the hole in the cave. Another blue beam erupted from the gun and loosened the natural hold the boulders had on each other, making the entire structure fall in on itself. Before they knew it, the entire cave had been closed up, and the hissing ceased.

Now, everything was quiet. Even the critters in the surrounding trees and grass ran away from the battle. Only the trio's labored breathing remained.

Wendy fell to her knees from exhaustion, "Now that's a killer way to start the summer! We almost became bat food!"

Ford twirled the laser gun on his finger and nodded, turning to Dipper proudly. "We did...but we pulled through in the end. Like I knew we would. Good job, both of you."

Wendy's body gave out completely. She fell limp and landed in snow angel formation, smiling lazily with her thumb in the air, "Thanks, dude."

"Really?" Dipper still felt responsible for almost getting them eaten, "You guys aren't mad I got us into this mess?"

Wendy lifted her hand half a foot and let it fall. "Not at all, man."

"Of course not," Ford agreed, "Facing danger and learning about a new weirdness is all a part of the game! That's why we came out here, right?"

Dipper thought about it. It was true. He couldn't lie and say he didn't expect something like this to happen anyway, and he'd go as far as to say it wouldn't have been any fun without the risk. That sort of thing has happened to them dozens of times, and they've always come out unscathed. Well, mostly unscathed.

He nodded, "Yeah. You're right."

"Of course I am. Now, let's get back to the Shack and look at this journal a bit more. I'm curious to see who's been keeping up my research."

Pacifica took Mabel to the other side of the mall. There, sat not only the most expensive clothing store in the building, but probably the most expensive store in Gravity Falls, period. It was only for the rich residents, like her parents, her parents' friends, or anyone that worked for them. So really...mainly a Northwest spot. Not many people in Gravity Falls were known for their wealth.

When they first entered, Mabel's eyes turned into saucers. The poor girl was like a kid in a candy store, jumping from section to section, unable to decide what to focus on. Pacifica watched her bumble around, jabbering excitedly for ten minutes straight while the staff gave them weird looks. Pacifica didnt care. She just smiled, amused by Mabel's enthusiasm.

"Pacifica, this place is like...ultra fancy and super cool, but I couldn't afford anything even if I worked at the Shack for a year straight!"

Pacifica shrugged, "Doesn't hurt to look. Besides, I'm still rich. Buying an outfit to improve your fashion sense is more of an investment than a waste if you ask me." She chose not to reveal that her parents cut her off from the family's money the second she took a job at Greasy's, and now the only money she has is earned from there. But she figured she had enough in the tank for at least one dress.

Mabel smiled appreciatively, "I...don't know what to say, Pacifica."

"Say thanks." She walked past Mabel, brushing her shoulder, "Follow me. I'll show you the section my parents always bought my dresses from."

Pacifica led her to a corner of the store that held a neat array of dresses for young women. Only the finest brands and all types. Pacifica had countless memories of her parents taking her here and making her try on dozens of them, critiquing even the smallest thing until the presentation was perfect. All the while, she would walk in and out of that changing room again and again with a look of pure dread and boredom.

But she would do it anyway. Because at the time, she still felt like her parents knew what was best for her. If they made her try on so many dresses, it had to be for a reason. It was, but not the reason she thought. Everything they did was only to make themselves look better. If their daughter looks good, so do they.

Mabel walked slowly along one of the rows in an enchanted trance, running her finger along the sleeves. "This is...they're beautiful. I've never seen anything like it. Even back home."

Pacifica stared at her; a bit surprised at the tone Mabel was taking. It was almost somber. She doesn't know the girl well, but she knows for sure when Mabel is sad, because it's incredibly rare.

Her eyebrows furrow a bit. She's not sure how to address sadness. Especially in other people. The Old Pacifica would probably just ignore it and turn her head, or on a bad day, make fun of the situation. The New Pacifica is still learning.

Think. What's the proper thing to say?

Her face scrunched up as she said it, afraid she might get it wrong, "...You okay?"

Mabel stopped, "Yeah. It's just...I'm out of my element. Our parents aren't exactly...zillionaires."

Pacifica chuckled, "They must be good people then."

"I think they're breaking up."

Pacifica blinked. Did she hear that right? "What was that?"

Mabel didn't miss a beat. "A few months ago, Dipper heard them arguing. After that it was once a week. We could never make out what they were saying, but they kept getting so loud and angry..."

Pacifica was speechless and still. She couldn't have expected that to come out of her mouth. In her mind, a thousand possibilities would've come before that, all of them trivial and silly. Like her pet pig getting too fat or losing one of her sweaters. But this sounded serious.

Personally, she heard her parents argue plenty of times, almost always ending with her father speaking over her mother and then saying, "End of discussion." Then, that would be that. Her mother wouldn't put up a fight from then on...until the next argument. Pacifica never feared they'd split up. The thought never crossed her mind.

But this must be something entirely new to Mabel. Her parents have probably never argued before, at least, not in front of her and Dipper. She was clearly taking it hard.

"I'm just worried that it's because of me and Dipper. Maybe we did something wrong, or maybe it's because we kept begging to come back to Gravity Falls, or..." Her body shook, her hand came up to wipe something out of her eye, "If my parents split up because of me...I..."

Pacifica started to open her mouth, but a group of girls behind them burst into laughter.

"Oh my gosh, the freak's back!"

"Did she sneak in through the trash chute?"

Pacifica turned to face the condescending giggles, her knuckles turning white when she saw that it was her two former friends, Tiffany and Aubry, both carrying shopping bags and looking as obnoxious as possible.

"What did you say?" Pacifica growled.

The girls kept laughing, but now it was directed at the blonde.

"Oh look, it's Pacifica. Heard you were working at that disgusting diner now." Tiffany said.

Aubry looked her up and down, scoffing with disgust, "Guess that's what happens when you lose all your money. You start hanging out with freaks."

Before Pacifica could do anything, Mabel stormed up next to her angrily, "Leave us alone!"

The Northwest put her arm out, stopping Mabel from getting any closer.

"I've got this."

While the girls were still giggling to themselves, Pacifica closed the distance and got right in their faces, catching them off guard.

"Listen losers. Need I remind you that while the Northwests have taken a huge hit, we still own the most successful real estate agency in the state, and if we pull a few strings, we can get your houses demolished tomorrow."

Tiffany and Aubry's laughter had long ceased, both began to look at each other nervously, which only stoked the flame within Pacifica higher. She wasn't stopping now.

"You girls would've been nothing without me, and your parents would've been nothing without mine! Tiffany, the only reason you have any money at all is because your dad worked for my dad. And Aubry, who begged me to get her mother a marketing job at my mom's modeling company? Oh that's right, it was you, groveling at my feet saying you would do anything."

With the fire now bursting from her very skin, her words like poison daggers, the two girls began backing away in fear, trembling. "W-We're sorry, Pacifica. It won't happen again."

"Oh, I know it won't. And it's not me you need to say sorry to, it's her. And if you don't, then I'll just have to get in touch with her brother."

Aubry looked terrified, "W-What'll he do?"

"He catches monsters as a hobby. Has a whole collection of the most horrible creatures you can imagine. If you don't apologize to Mabel right now and promise to never make fun of her again, then I'd say within the next eight hours, you'll have a giant blood sucking worm crawling in your houses, or something equally creepy. Your choice."

Tiffany and Aubry both dropped their bags and placed their hands together, looking at Mabel as if she were the harbinger of pure destruction, begging for her mercy.

"W-We're so sorry, Mabel!"

"Please don't get your brother to sick a monster on us!"

"Y-Yeah, we won't talk to you- or even look at you! You're actually pretty cool, now that I think about it!"

"Totally! That sweater is really cute!"

Mabel gave Pacifica a thankful look that filled the blonde with warmth. Just like when she agreed to hang out with her in the first place, she got that same feeling of goodness in her heart, a sign that she'd done the right thing and made another step towards redeeming herself.

Mabel put a hand on her hip and glowered at the girls, "I guess I won't tell my brother about this. But this is a warning. Next time...RARRR!"

The girls screamed in terror and ran off as fast as they could, leaving behind their shopping bags. Pacifica scooped them up and burst out laughing, Mabel joining her in unison.

By the time it was over, both of them were wiping tears from the corners of their eyes, and Mabel's mood had completely shifted. Now, she was smiling.

"Thanks for that, Pacifica. And thanks for taking me here, but...I don't know, these dresses are nice, but they don't really feel like...me."

"Yeah, I figured. Now that I think about it, you're the one that planned this whole day anyway, so I think I'll just let you take over from this point."

Mabel jumped up and down excitedly, then grabbed Pacifica's wrist to drag her out of the clothing store. "Let's get ice cream then!"

"Okay, just slow down!"

"Hey, are you seriously keeping those bags?"

Pacifica raised one, showing Mabel the receipt attached to the outside, "They're already paid for. Might as well."

After a long walk, Dipper, Ford, and Wendy made it back to the Mystery Shack, all of them completely fatigued. Especially Dipper. He hadn't been pushed that hard physically since Mr. Douglas's dodgeball games in PE. Bad memories, right there.

"Alright guys," Wendy switched directions, "It's been fun, but I've gotta roll or my dad's gonna freak."

Dipper stopped walking and saw that she'd already put on her bike helmet, grabbing the ride from the outside corner of the shack.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah, man. Thanks for letting me go, though."

"Alright. See you tomorrow."

She waved at him, "See ya. Bye, Mr. Pines!"

Due to both of Ford's hands being full with a roll of spider bat silk and the fourth journal, he could only nod at her. "Goodbye, Wendy. Thank you for the help."

With that, the redheaded lumberjack pedaled off into the forest trail leading to the main road, leaving Dipper and his Grunkle behind, the sound of that annoying woodpecker rapping somewhere above them.

"Now then," Ford said, "Let's take this thing inside and see what we can figure out."

Dipper followed Ford through the front door of the Shack, where the lights had been turned off everywhere else but the living room, where Stan and Soos were currently watching TV. Stan back in his old recliner and Soos standing behind him, enthralled by the black and white contents of the screen.

"I may be a dutchess...but I'm also a woman!"

"Yes! YES!" Stan cheered.

Soos started sniffling, "Oh, dude! This is a classic!"

"You see, Soos? It's just like I told ya, It's literally my life! In a way."

Dipper and Ford slowly walked in the room, both looking like they just stumbled in on an alien invasion.

"Are you watching The Dutchess Approves?" Ford asked, bewildered.

"Get out of here, Poindexter! It's getting to the best part!"

Ford rolled his eyes and retreated to the vending machine, "Give me a break. Come on, Dipper."

Dipper followed, but kept his eyes glued to the two grown men almost bursting into tears over an old movie, "What's so great about The Dutchess Approves? It can't be better than Ghost Harassers."

Ford immediately stopped entering the code to look down at Dipper, his eyes wide with shock. "You watch Ghost Harassers?"

"Yeah. Wait...do you?!" Dipper sensed another Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons moment coming.

"Every season! Oh, we have much to discuss, boy, but right now let's take a look at this journal."

He punched the last button and the vending machine obeyed, sliding from the doorframe to the left side of the wall. Dipper clung to Ford's hip, both of their shadows descended down the stairway, their footsteps being the only constant sound until they reached the bottom where a mixture of machines whirred and bleeped robotic noises.

Ford threw the spider silk on the desk in front of the portal room carelessly and did the opposite with the journal, laying it flat carefully, then lining up the replicas of the original three beside it.

"See any difference?"

The little illumination in the basement came from the machines Ford had running and the tiny bulb at the center of the room's ceiling, so Dipper had to lean ten inches from the journals to investigate. He saw no differences whatsoever. The red hardcover matched, the golden outline matched, and so did the black shading of the number. The only thing missing was a sixth finger, which meant the author had only five.

"Just the finger."

"Exactly. Whoever wrote this has seen at least one of the other three. They know of my work."

Dipper took initiative, reaching forward and opening up all of the journals to their first page to match the handwriting. The one in the fourth's did look slightly different. It wasn't in cursive, for one, it was in print, but still neat. An adult or an intelligent child could've written it, so that barely narrowed it down. Did this author not know how to write in cursive? Or simply chose not to?

And now that he got a closer look at it, Dipper could've sworn that the handwriting was familiar. He'd seen it before somewhere...he just couldn't place it.

"The handwriting is obviously different," Ford stated, "But I don't recognize it off the top of my head. Do you, Dipper?"

He shook his head, "No."

"This is strange. Why would someone other than you continue my work? Everyone I know in this dimension wouldn't do such a thing. Not Fiddleford, not Stanley, for certain, not Mabel, not anyone."

A thought, or rather, a memory reached Dipper, reminding him of a stranger that he was aware of that very well could be behind this.

"Grunkle Ford, I may have a lead."

That gained Ford's attention fast. He pulled up the chair pushed to the side and sat down, all ears. "Go on."

"The other morning, before anyone else woke up, I went out to get some fresh air. While outside, I saw this...person standing at the edge of the forest, watching me. When I took off after them, they ran, and I figured it was smart to just stay put. For all I knew they could've wanted me to chase them."

"This person...what did they look like?"

Dipper shrugged helplessly, "I didn't see their face or body. They were wearing a black cloak, completely covered up. But they ran pretty quick, so I'd guess they're in shape."

"How tall were they?"

Dipper never really thought of that. That could narrow down suspects by a wide margin. The only problem is, he couldn't really remember. "Uh...I don't know for sure. Taller than me, probably, but not taller than you."

Ford nodded, "I see. Did they say anything?"

"No. But they did leave behind something. A silver tipped sword."

Ford sat back in the chair, looking off to the side in deep thought. "Why would they leave you that?"

"Because Pacifica Northwest wants me to help her with her family's werewolf problem. Apparently, they've been getting attacked once a month for a while now."

Ford switched positions again, circling his fingers together quickly to signal that they needed to go back a few steps. "Wait a minute, you're telling me that this person somehow knew that you needed silver to fight against a werewolf? And willingly gave you a weapon capable for the job?"

"When Pacifica asked me for help, we were outside of the Shack at night about a week ago. They must've been listening from the woods or something." The notion creeped Dipper out to his core, the fact that the entire time he was talking to her that night, he was unaware of someone fifty feet in front of him, hearing the entire thing, watching them. "I found it dropped on the ground when I chased them. They left a note telling me that it should come in handy, or something. I threw it away."

"So they could've harmed you, but they didn't. Instead, they chose to aid you. Very interesting."

"But why? What do they want? And if there's really someone else investigating the mysteries of Gravity Falls, how come we haven't heard of them or seen them?"

"Because they clearly don't want to be seen. They operate secretively. A bit like me, it seems. As for their interest in you...I couldn't say for sure. Perhaps they see you as a threat, or maybe even an ally."

Ford turned several pages, covering a quarter of the journal until he stopped on a specific page, staring at Dipper neutrally, waiting for him to take a look.

On the page, the format was like any other. A big sketch on the left side with paragraphs of information following. Only this page wasn't dedicated to a monster, it was dedicated to him.

There he was, inked out in charcoal pencil, standing with his hands in his pockets, wearing the exact same thing he wore at the moment. His name was written directly below, along with his accurate height, weight, and other features.

Dipper realized he'd been staring for a minute straight. He gulped, "Are...are there any other pages? For Mabel, or-or-"

Ford turned the page, revealing an empty sheet. The one dedicated to himself was the last thing the new author had written. Meaning this person was targeting him and him alone.

Dipper felt a tremendous weight appear in the air and push down on his shoulders. A tingling fear crept up his spine, reminding him of the feeling he got every time he remembered the sensation of being possessed by Bill, or even the current lingering idea that Bill was still able to come back someday.

Someone is out there watching you. That's what it boiled down to. But at least with Bill, Dipper knew what he wanted. This new author...he wasn't quite sure.

"What do you want to do, Dipper?"

"Uh...well, what can we do?"

"Surveillance. I can have hidden cameras set up in the woods by tomorrow evening, if you want. I can probably create a radar device in a couple of weeks capable of detecting body heat in any human within Gravity Falls. Even underground or in the sky. Let's see...I'm sure if Fiddleford is willing, I could have him create a squad of robots programmed to find a cloaked figure and follow them every waking hour, using invisible camouflage to stay hidden. I could also use a fingerprint scanner to locate and match whatever traces are on this journal to the person." Ford perked up, "Ah, in fact..."

Dipper watched his Grunkle pop up from the chair, rush over to a locker, fish around for a few seconds, then scurry back holding what looked like a mix between a cell phone and a remote. With the press of a red button at the top, a thin green light shone from a glass circle in the center, running from the top of the journal to the bottom. The device eventually beeped, but when Ford looked at the screen, he frowned.

"No traces detected. Hmm, they're pretty good. They made sure to use concealing gloves. But the other options I listed would work."

"I'm not sure. I mean...another investigator besides us? They're probably dangerous."

Ford put away the device, leaning forward to sit close to Dipper. "So was Bill Cipher. My boy, I've dealt with not only the supernatural, but the most heinous and terrifyingly intelligent humans across many dimensions. Some of them paranormal investigators like myself. I've dealt with them all, and I know how to combat them all. This person may be cunning and stealthy, but so am I. If you say the word, I will drop everything and make it my mission to bring them into the light."

Dipper was touched that Grunkle Ford would help him like this, and he had no doubt that if he wanted, he could catch this new author. But there was also that small chance of things going wrong. One slip up, and it could be the end. Just like in every adventure they've had, there was a split second where if another decision was made, or if the timing was wrong, or if someone hesitated...he and Mabel would've died.

The last thing he wanted to do was involve anyone else in this mess. If this new author wanted to target him, then it was his problem to solve.

"Thanks Grunkle Ford, but I think I'll take care of this one."

Ford reared his head back, "Are you sure? You don't have to put on a brave front for me, I can aid my-"

"No, really, it's okay. I...need to do this. Please let me do this."

He looked in the older man's eyes and immediately determined the train of thought he was going down. The instinctive, protective adult wanting to get the child out of harm's way came first, but it teetered on to recognizing Dipper's potential, then the realization of his plea. Maybe he didn't recognize the exact reason why Dipper wanted this, but he at least recognized the base fact that he wanted this period.

So he took in a deep breath and nodded a single time. "Alright. But if you change your mind, let me know. We do a lot of risky things, but the last thing I want is you or Mabel getting hurt."

"I know. I'll be careful. Thanks for trusting me, Grunkle Ford."

His mentor smiled and patted his shoulder. "Of course. Now, I need to check on the baby dragon, and you need to lead a normal life until bedtime. There's such a thing as too much mystery, you know."

Dipper laughed, "Believe me, I know. I'll take the journal too, if that's okay."

Ford handed it to him. Dipper stood awkwardly for a moment, wanting to say more, but never finding the courage.

"A-Alright. See ya later."

He began to walk off, but Ford must've noticed something in his obvious expression. "Something else you wanted to say?"

Dipper stopped, a nervous sweat beginning to form on his scalp. "Yeah. Do you remember last summer...how you gave me the chance to be your apprentice?"

"I do."

"And I sort of accepted, then sort of left town with Mabel back to Piedmont, and sort of never apologized for leaving without saying sorry?"

Silence.

"Well, I am. I am sorry, Grunkle Ford. I love solving mysteries and finding crazy monsters, and staying behind with you would've been awesome! But Mabel...she overheard us talking on the walkie talkie and she was devastated-and then when we were in that fantasy prison I saw all of these memories and realized how much we needed each other and I should've told you all of that but instead I left without really saying a word or even goodbye and I'm really sorry!"

It all came out in one messy sentence. Thoughts building for months spilling out through his mouth recklessly, but boy did it feel good to do so.

There was no judgement or the slightest contempt in his Grunkle's face. He just smirked, like he knew the ordeal the entire time. "Dipper, you don't have to apologize for that." He reached behind him and pulled up another chair, sliding it parallel to his. "Sit."

Dipper obliged, a bit puzzled. He didn't really expect Ford to be too mad, but he at least expected slight annoyance at not being told the truth.

"Before I reconciled with Stanley, your decision would've made no sense to me. Heck, I might have even judged you for it. But after realizing our dream of taking the Stan-O-War across the seas, just the two of us for nearly a year...I understand it perfectly."

Dipper began to understand. As much as the fact stood in front of his face every day, he often forgot that Stan and Ford were twins too, just like he and Mabel. He recognized that bond better than any other.

"The bond between siblings is a beauty to behold. One of the strongest connections in the multiverse. I...forgot that for a long, long time, and remembered it far too late. But I'm glad I did so later rather than never. To know that there is always someone there for you, that has your back no matter what, even in the darkest of times, it's not obligation, it's instinct. You have to do the same. One cannot live without the other. For even suggesting that you break that connection and stay behind with me...Dipper, I'm sorry."

Dipper didn't quite know why, but his eyes were welling with tears. The words he just heard somehow punctured his heart, but not in a bad way. It sounded like poetry.

"Guess we're even."

Ford laughed, "Good. Now, with that out of the way, this baby dragon needs feeding and you need to lend me your Ghost Harassers box set!"

Dipper grinned, "On it! Heh, you're gonna love the deluxe edition! It has behind the scenes featurettes and interviews with the cast!"

"Dipper. Dipper, wait!"

"Yeah?"

Ford's wrinkled features darkened several shades, "I'm going to stand aside as far as this new author goes. But I want your word that you're going to be extremely careful and diligent. Be on lookout, and if they aid you further in your quests, use the items with caution. Don't let yourself owe them. They could use that against you."

"I'll be careful, Grunkle Ford. They're not the only one who's kept up your work, so if we think alike at all...I'm pretty sure I'll be able to stay a step ahead."

After ice cream and a few other visits, day swiftly turned to night. Pacifica had to inwardly admit, she was thoroughly enjoying herself and the Pines girl was growing on her, but her parents would freak if she stayed out too late.

So Mabel took her back to the cabin and the two didn't even have to sneak in the house, because her parents were nowhere to be seen. Their car was in the drive, but they weren't on the porch or by the fireplace, so Pacifica dared to hang out with Mabel a little longer. The two went upstairs to her room, where Mabel did ninety percent of the talking, marveling at the size of her room and finishing the last of her sorbet, high as a kite on a sugar rush.

"Wow! I don't think I've ever eaten that much ice cream before! It's running in my veins! Can you tell, can you tell, can you tell, can you tell?!"

Mabel shoved her hand out in front of her. It was vibrating rapidly.

"Sorta, yeah."

"Oh come on, you loved it! I can't believe you've never had ice cream before today! What kind of kid doesn't eat ice cream?"

"A Northwest. My parents always controlled my diet to keep my figure slim. All part of 'presentation' they said."

Pacifica found an old, framed picture on her dresser that made her frown. Her at five years old tucked in between her parents in a portrait style photo, with her sitting on a velveted chair and them standing on either side of her. She was smiling broadly, while they were straight faced.

It said everything.

"I've missed out on so much."

Now it was her turn to cause the silence and hesitation. This time, she darkened the situation and left Mabel clueless as to what to do.

Only this was Mabel, not her. Mabel knew exactly what to say and do.

"You're still a kid, you know? You've already started to live a different life, and it's only gonna get better from here."

"So you're saying I should be grateful or something?"

"Grateful that you're seeing everything clearly now instead of later on when you're all grown up."

Pacifica's mouth fell open. She was right. Sure, she'd been trapped for so long, but she was still just a kid. She had her whole life in front of her. That's all the time she needs to change and break away.

In that moment, she felt true gratitude. But not just towards the realization, but towards Mabel. She went out of her way today to try and build a bridge, even after all that happened in the past. Sure, she can be annoying and overwhelming at times, but she has a good heart. A good soul.

Pacifica never, ever thought she would think this, but Mabel...is someone she should be similar to. Maybe not as random or silly, but as kind and open minded.

She was so going to regret what happened next. "I need to show you something."

"What is it?"

Pacifica strode over to her closet, opening the door and reaching behind the left corner where the shirts were. When she felt the fluffy woolen material hidden behind a bundle of thin cloth, she pulled it out and presented it to Mabel, who's eyes lit up.

"You kept it!"

Pacifica smirked, looking down at the yellow llama sweater. "Yeah. I can't lie, it's pretty warm."

Mabel's body began shaking, and Pacifica knew what was coming next, but still did nothing to stop it, even though her conscious told her to. Mabel darted forward and grabbed the rich girl in a tight hug.

"I knew you liked the sweater! I just knew it!"

"Yep...ow! Crushing ribs! Crushing ribs!"

Mabel retracted herself, "Sorry! Bad habit."

Pacifica shook her head, "Look, Mabel, now that you bring that up...there's something I should say." Like the word sharing, sorry was also something foreign to her. Not the word itself, but the weight behind it. Pacifica couldn't really recall a time before this where she'd truly been sorry for something and admitted it out loud, let alone asking for forgiveness. Her parents always told her that apologies were for the weak. You should never be ashamed of what you've done, and you should never take it back.

But Pacifica knew if she wanted to redeem herself, this was the right road to travel. Mabel was by far the most deserving of the two words.

"I just want to...no, I need to...say that..."

Mabel seemed to catch on, because she didn't say a word, even through her insane sugar high. She waited patiently for the heiress to get it out.

Pacifica finally cleared her throat and stood tall, "I want to say that I'm sorry, Mabel. I really am. For all the things I said and did last summer. To you and Dipper, but especially you. I targeted you and so many others because I wore this stupid mask that my parents made. I thought that was who I'm meant to be, but the two of you showed me that that's not true. I can be better. So...again, I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

The moment after the last word came out, Pacifica wanted to faint. It felt like a bowling ball had been surgically removed from her gut. An intense weight she didn't even realize was there had disappeared with just a few meaningful words. It must've been festering ever since the golf tournament, slowly building to this very moment. Now, she'd finally gained the will to say what needed to be said long ago.

Mabel put out her arms, "I forgive you, Pacifica. Sincere friend hug?"

Pacifica wasn't used to this much physical contact, but after all she said and did last summer, she felt she owed at least one returning embrace. Might as well get it over with.

"Sure."

The two embraced, this time, Pacifica wrapped her arms around Mabel's shoulders in return, feeling like more and more of the Northwest chain was being broken from her ankles every minute. It was an exhilarating feeling.

"Pat pat." Mabel said, patting the middle of her shoulder blades.

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's just this thing Dipper and I do when we have awkward sibling hugs."

Pacifica had been so caught up, she hardly registered the sound of footsteps coming towards the room, and barely managed to pull away from Mabel when the door opened.

Preston poked his head in, lip curling at the sight of Mabel, "What the- Pacifica, we've been wondering where you were all day! What the devil is she doing in your room?"

Mabel waved at her father, naive to the situation, "Hi!"

"I want an answer, young lady."

Pacifica crossed her arms, feeling a new boost of confidence within herself. "She's here because we hung out. I have friends, you know."

"Yes, but not the Pines children. I thought I told you not two nights ago that you weren't to be seen with them again."

"No, you told me after the werething situation is fixed, not to see them again. And it hasn't been fixed yet, so it's fair game."

Preston narrowed his eyes at her, a hint of anger there, but also respect. Her father knew when someone had gotten the better of him, especially his own daughter.

"Clever, sweetie. Very clever. Have her gone by your bedtime."

With that, he slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Pacifica with wobbly knees. Every time she stood up to her father like that, she always felt like she just ran a marathon.

She had to sit on the edge of her bed to give her quaking body some relief. That would probably come back to bite her, but she didn't really care. She couldn't just talk the talk, she had to walk the walk and prove she was different now, and that included verbal spars with her father.

Mabel stood nervously beside her, "I...should probably go."

"Probably a good idea."

"Thanks for hanging out with me. I had fun."

"Sure. Loser."

Mabel whipped her head around, taking it serious at first, but then she saw Pacifica's growing smile and matched it. Before leaving the room, Mabel made sure the last thing she heard was, "See ya, Paz!"

Then, she made a run for the front door, with Pacifica not even worried about reprimanding her. She'd let that one slide.

The moon sat high in the black void of space, casting light on the planet, and Gravity Falls, filling Dipper and Mabel's bedroom with a gray ray through the window. Dipper could almost trace the cracks in the wooden roof with his pupils.

Currently, he lay flat on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with the fourth journal sprawled out on his belly. He couldn't stop thinking about the situation at hand. The new author. The fact that there's another person out there trying to discover the secrets of this town. In a way, it was both exciting and scary.

On one hand, Dipper felt a sort of kinship to the stranger. There weren't many people like him out there, and he was constantly reminded of that in school by the other kids, but when he first discovered that journal in the hidden slot underground last summer and read the author's words, he knew he'd found another.

Now, it was happening again. Only this time, the author was aware of him and not the other way around. Even helping him.

He couldn't lose sight of what Grunkle Ford said though. It could be a trick. He had to stay on constant alert. If even a blade of grass moved the wrong way, he needed to know about it.

Dipper nodded to himself, closing up the journal and slipping it on top of the desk adjacent. He was just about to get comfortable and close his eyes, when a raging bull burst into the room.

Whoever it was threw the door open with such force, it smacked the wall beside it and no doubt shook the entire Shack, waking up everyone inside. Dipper jumped to a sitting position, hoping that werewolf sword was nearby.

But it was just Mabel.

"Mabel!" He hissed, "Why are you being so loud! Everyone's asleep!"

"Go apologize to Pacifica."

Dipper knit his eyebrows and blinked. Was Mabel...angry at him?

"Huh?"

"Take the golf cart, drive to Pacifica's house, wake her up, and say you're sorry for that stupid argument. Right now."

"Are you insane? If her parents catch me I'm dead!"

"You'll be dead if you don't, Dippingsauce!" Mabel went to the foot of her bed and retrieved Waddles, holding him between herself and Dipper menacingly. "I'll release Waddles on you. He hasn't had a bath in three days."

Dipper scooted to the far side of the bed, "Why are you coming in here like this? What's gotten into..." It hit him. Where she went earlier that day and why she was acting like this. "...You hung out with her! That's why you're getting so defensive!"

"It's justice, bro-bro. We covered a lot of ground and may or may not have become besties."

"Besties? Really? I doubt Pacifica sees it that way."

"She hugged me, Dipper! And she said she was sorry!"

That one made Dipper freeze, "Wait...really?"

"Yeah. She stood up for me at the mall to her two friends that used to hang out with her, she offered to buy me an expensive dress, she took me back to her family's cabin, she showed me that she kept the llama sweater from Weirdmaggedon, she apologized for everything she's done, and she stood up to her dad, who apparently told her she's not allowed to see us anymore after your werewolf hunt!"

Dipper was speechless. With how passionate Mabel was getting, he knew she was telling the truth.

"She...really did all of that?"

Mabel sat Waddles down and lowered her voice, "She did. She's been through a lot, Dipper, and she's just now breaking away from their grip on her and becoming an entirely different person. You guys need to fix whatever's going on between you and be friends. She needs as many as she can get."

The fact that Mabel didn't even throw in a 'couple' or 'girlfriend' tease at the end there meant she was dead serious, which doesn't happen a lot. It's best to listen when she gets like that.

Besides, if Dipper's being honest with himself, he's wanted to apologize this entire time anyway.

Sighing, he stood up and put on his shoes, "Give me the golf cart keys."

Dipper felt like he was in some low budget spy thriller.

He parked the golf cart behind a tree thirty feet from the Northwest Cabin gate, afraid that they had cameras or spotlights zipping around on constant surveillance. Even now, climbing the steel fence, he feared that at any moment, a blaring alarm would go off and wake the peacocks, who'd come at him in a murderous frenzy.

"This is single handedly..." Dipper groaned, heaving his leg over the top of the fence, "...the riskiest thing you've ever done, man. And that's saying a lot."

It took him a painful three minutes, but the boy finally managed to shimmy his way down the long steel bar, landing softly on the grass and running as quietly, but quickly as he could to the side of the house, picking up a few pebbles in the courtyard as he went.

He stopped on the left side under a window located upstairs, overlooking the best part of the open field. He hoped and prayed to any spirit or supernatural deity that was out there that this was Pacifica's window. If it were Mr. Northwest's...he'd literally die. The yard was so open and the grass was so well kept, his only chances of escape would be to run and leave Gravity Falls, or hide behind a peacock.

Dipper clutched the pebbles, biting down his nerves. "Alright man, make this count."

Trying not to use too much strength, he tossed a pebble using an overarch method, swinging his arm behind his head and over like a catapult. The pebble rose and sunk quickly, not even hitting the cabin.

Dipper's ears got hot. He was glad no one was around to see that.

Putting more effort in, he reared his arm back and pitched it this time, using all of his strength instead of half. The pebble made the trip, pinging against the window a single time and bouncing back down to the grass.

"Yes!" He dropped the rest of the pebbles and crossed his fingers, "Please don't be Mr. Northwest, please don't be Mr. Northwest..."

The window made a creaking noise. Dipper's heart sped into overdrive. It was the moment of truth. Whoever appeared in that window would determine if he lived another day or not.

When he saw the window raise and the blonde hair emerge, he let out a huge breath. His heart calmed instantly. Looks like he'd live to see another day.

"Dipper?" Pacifica's voice was far up, but she was whispering angrily, so it cancelled out. "You idiot! What are you doing here?! If my dad finds out, he'll kill you!"

Dipper barely heard what she was saying. He could only stare mindlessly at the hot pink pajamas hugging her body, and the way her hair was getting messy from the wind, and the fact that she didn't have any purple eyeshadow or other makeup on, leaving nothing to stand out but her stunning ocean blue eyes. Even with the distance, Dipper could get lost in them.

Okay, he thought, There's normal Pacifica, work Pacifica, raccoon skin cap Pacifica, llama sweater Pacifica, and now bedtime Pacifica. This version is by far the cutest, with llama sweater in close second. I mean, this even beats that time I saw Wendy in her swimsuit!

Dipper paused, second guessing the statement. Okay, maybe not beating that. That's a high bar. But maybe if I saw Pacifica in a swimsuit...no, don't think like that! Don't think like that!

All the meanwhile, Pacifica was waving her arm at him, "Uh, Earth to dork! Hello, do you hear me?!"

Dipper cleared his throat, "Yeah, loud and clear! I just need a few minutes to say something!"

"Then spit it out!"

"Okay! Listen...I just came by because...it's been brought to my attention that we...aren't on the best of terms."

Pacifica's arm fell, her gaze breaking away. "Duh, you yelled at me in the woods."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

It fell silent for a few seconds, but eventually she replied, "I guess...I am too."

"It was stupid. I was being stupid."

"And a dork."

"Yeah, that too. Forgive me?"

This time, he specifically watched her reaction, and those blue eyes didn't disappoint, rolling around in mock annoyance. "Sure. You're just lucky I'm in a good mood."

"Right. Oh! One other thing."

"Yeah?"

Dipper pointed towards the orb in the sky, "Full moon's tomorrow night. Are you still my client?"

Pacifica snorted, "We're equals on this one, dork. I'm not hiding in my room while some ugly beast attacks the house."

Dipper smiled, "Just what I expected. So I'll see you tomorrow? Just before nightfall?"

"Yeah. Just be sure to bring that silver sword of yours. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on fighting those werethings with my parents' china collection."

"I won't forget it. Now I'll uh...let you get back to your beauty sleep. You could really use it."

Dipper ran off before she could throw something at him, laughing at the fact he got the last word.

Just before she climbed back in and closed her window, he got another small glimpse of her from the side, and somehow made the image last far longer than it really did, burning the memory into his brain.

"You could really use it?" He repeated, shaking his head. "Biggest lie of the century."

Both hooded figures walked toward the end of the trail where the fourth journal had been planted. One of them reached down and brushed their hand along the dirt, finding nothing buried beneath.

They smiled, "See. I told you good things come to those who wait."

"You were right. As usual. So what now?"

"Now, we keep doing what we've been doing. Evade suspicion and play along. I have to gain his trust before anything else."

"How will you know when you've gained it?"

They chuckled, "In a way, I already have. I'm a mysterious author of a journal detailing the supernatural. He's already idolized someone like that in the past, so what's one more?"

-x-

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