Twins Missing in Dual Worlds Chapter 27: Colder shoulder.
Hop Pop and Polly were working on wanted posters for Mabel. She just disappeared after the trip to the archives. "Finish your pancakes, Polly?"
"Not yet..." She couldn't stop worrying. It was getting cold out and Mabel was all alone."
"Don't worry, the town may not be kind towards outsiders but most people would help find a missing child." He knew that they were not perfect but this town was not full of sadists and he knew that. Mabel would be fine for the time being.
"How can you be so sure?" Polly being younger hasn't experienced as much as her dear grandfather.
"It's just one of those things you get used to when you reach my age dear." He said Mabel would stay in the town since she enjoyed the company too much. He would keep an eye out for her. "Hey, where is your brother?"
"Probably off making more plans to ruin our family." She was so upset about losing Mabel, it was making her think irrationally.
"Hey I don't like what Sprig did either, but he's still family." He is sad, Polly has been extra angry lately and Hop Pop has grounded Sprig to the Plantar grounds lately.
"AH." The current subject of conversation decided that now would be a good time to let out a loud feral scream.
"Someone has better be dead." She yelled at Sprig.
"Polly let's hear him out," he said worry. He knew Sprig preferred not to draw attention to himself most of the time, especially if he was grounded. So he wanted to give his grandson a day in court.
"It's happening!" He declared a simple statement but it got Hop Pop's full attention. The search for Mabel would have to be delayed until another time.
"Are you sure it's happening?" He asked, turning to face his grandson in the eyes. This required their full focus if they wanted it to work.
Sprig then spoke, "Dead sure. Come on Polly, we've got to go sound the alarm!" He declares as they rush out of the house.
"But what about Mabel? She's all alone out there!" She forgot what happen this time of year, every year.
"I am sorry, but this needs our full attention." He didn't want to leave Mabel alone, but they didn't have the time to search for her now, they just had to take a chance and pray to frog it would work out.
Polly was worried but followed.
Hop Pop rushed out with Sprig sitting on his shoulder blaring like he was some alarm. He rushed through getting all attention as they ran by. They went by the forest, fields, around and under the river until they reached the center of the entire town of Wartwood. The town gathered in the square, to them that alarm was something serious that required all to stop what they were doing.
"What's going on?" Felica Sundew asked.
"There trouble afoot?" Another frog said.
"Are we being invaded?" Toadie asked. "This would never happen if my mayor stayed in office."
"What's going on here, Plantars?" Sadie Croaker walked out, as Mayor it was her job to know what was happening around here.
Sprig then spoke, as Hop Pop felt letting him off him, "Everyone! Listen up! Today is the third morning in a row! Where the temperature dipped below the frog line!" As he spoke people could swear they heard intense music playing from somewhere. "Which means... Hiber day is almost upon us!" The town was in an instant panic.
This causes Mabel to get curious and reveal herself out of the crowd she happens to be in.
Mrs. Croaker was trying to calm everyone down when Mabel approached her.
"What's going on here, Hiberday is that a holiday? I can make snacks for everyone." She did not see how everyone was reacting to the news of Hiber Day.
"Mabel." All the Plantars said they were so happy to see her after she went missing a few days ago.
"Hi there Hop Pop. Hi Polly." Mabel then looks at Sprig at this.
"Mabel, where are you?" Sprig asked, he was such a frog darn worried for her and started to miss his roommate.
"Tell us everything," Polly said.
"Kids as much as I miss Mabel." He started to cry, "We have to focus on Hiber day."
"What is Hiber day?" Mabel asked, she used her good right hand to scratch her forehead, she had to stop herself from accidentally moving her other arm.
"Once a year, the temperature drops so low, that it sends everyone into instant hibernation! And when we thaw, we feel refreshed, rejuvenated, virile!" He pointed out that his voice was a bit chipper.
"That's great!" Mabel was thinking she was going to love HIber Day.
"Well, it's not." Hop Pop's voice got all serious all of a sudden, "Every year, one townsperson disappears, never to be seen again." They all look worried at this.
"I miss my dad," Ivy said, as Maddie comforted her.
"I feel the same way about my mom." They both look so sad. The two of them both lost a family member due to whatever was happening around them.
"That's horrible!" Why is it that whenever something was fun around here, it caused her problems to deal with?
"Possible goodbye ginger, possibly goodbye rosemary, possible goodbye lavender."
They all said possibly goodbye to Maddie.
"Possible goodbye Mom," Ivy said, hugging the taller frog woman.
"Possible goodbye Ivy." She said, her eyes full of tears.
"Possible goodbye Toadie." Mayor Toadstool said.
"Possible goodbye sir."
"Possible goodbye Archie." Who barks in response.
"Possible goodbye Hop Pop." Sprig said, so sad.
"Possible goodbye Sprig." Hop Pop said, "Possible goodbye Polly."
"Possible goodbye family." The purple baby cried out, she then said, "Possible good-" She was interrupted by the Pines girl.
"No goodbyes! I won't let this happen!" Mabel was defiant at this.
"You kinda stepping on tradition here." Hop Pop said as the grandchildren were confused.
"If tradition is dying then tradition can go away." Mabel sounded heroic even if she got it backward.
"Not much we can do about it," Polly said since Mabel failed to mention how Mabel was a mammal.
"Guys. I'm a mammal, remember?"
Polly with the amount of tact anyone would expect from a baby then said, "GRoss what is your point?" She asked.
"I am confused." Sprig tilted his head in response.
"It means I don't freeze in the cold."
"Oh..." IT took Hop Pop a moment to comprehend what she was trying to articulate to the amphibious inhabit of the province to a realization, "You can keep the family alive, and the rest of the two too."
"I'm going to do my best!" Is this what it is like when Dipper decides to have all his friends go on one of his adventures, she likes it.
The rest of the town was happy, Hop Pop then asked, "Are you sure you can do this, the entire town is a huge responsibility, are you sure you are up for it?" The older told was worried.
"I can't stand by idle."
"Don't worry guys, if something goes on only one of us will die." Sprig said, "That sounded better in my head."
"Really dude, really?" she was already not on good terms with him after the archives, which was not helping their relationship.
"This is serious though." Polly reminded her.
"I CAN DO THIS!" She cheered out.
"You sound sure of yourself, and I am trusting you." Hop Pop said.
"Our very lives are in your hands," Polly said.
"Yes. But we'll need a plan," she thought of what Dipper would do. He was always a good leader, and that was what they needed at this moment.
"Okay, we have not long before we all freeze over." Sprig said.
She noticed they didn't seem to have any fence around the place, she could make them one out of glitter. No, no wait she can't afford that much glue, plan b then. "Right. It will be easier to keep track of everyone in a single building with few exits."
"We should hurry, we don't have long before we freeze over and become helpless," Polly said. She was shivering slightly as she spoke.
"How long has it left?" Mabel asked. She could corral them all in one building and lock the door close.
Sprig answered, "Oh a little longer than this sent..." Snowfall and they all were giant ice cubes.
Mabel screamed in shock, she started to pace back and forth she couldn't move all these guys around by herself. She had a broken arm that was still a day or two away from healing, so she had to do it with one arm.
An angelic version of Mabel appears wearing white robes, a halo, and white wings her mere presence is heavenly, "Mabel Mabel Mabel." She tries to calm down her human self.
"Everyone is all over town!" Mabel said, even if most got to the town square beforehand.
"Luckily most everyone gathered around and didn't get that far when Sprig got everyone's attention." Her miniature counterpart reminds her of that fact.
She started to bring them to the restaurant since it's so big. It was hard to do so with just her right arm, but she could push them in without incident.
"Good thing they are so light," Angel said
Devil Mabel appears, clad in red pajamas a pair of pointy horns, and a tail with a bar in it causing real Mabel to ask, "What do you think Evil?"
"Do whatever good asked of you I'm freezing my tail off." The evil Mabel is more focused on herself than on causing Mabel to do any bad things.
"Well, that was easy." Even her broken arm wasn't a major problem for them.
Angel Mabel, "Now you just need to wait it out just you and all the frozen form of all of your friends."
"I just hope I can do this." Now that Mabel was all alone she could lower her guard and show her doubt, she never did this when people were around, she had to be the confident one. If Mabel wasn't satisfied with herself then who is she? She needed to save everyone.
Evil appeared and said, "Yes you do it, all by yourself. So alone, so bored, nothing but ice and figments of your imaginations to keep you company."
"Not like there's another human," Mabel said, she did wonder if she was alone here or not, she kinda hope she was the only human, this couldn't be fun to any of the three. While Sasha could be controlling Mabel was getting closer to her friend group.
"IF one you could draw some of them, with fire, nice soothing fire," Evil said. Luckily, Stumpy has tools for people to make fire easily with one hand.
Evil smirk, "Maybe a certain magic user. Name rhyme with Daddy." She said, rubbing her hands together. She had plans for this, which might not be well for anyone involved.
"She could be helpful…" the Angelic one said, "But should we interrupt their sleep, I mean you do like to have your full eight hours. We also have no Mabel juice left. So I need to ask if that is the best choice?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Do you worry that might not be good for them?" Angel Mabel was supposed to protect
Evil then added, "I am sure she won't mind. The cold reminds her of death, and she will be so happy."
Evil sticks her tongue out at Good Mabel, "Turn on the fire." She watched as Mabel got the wood and some rolls.
Regular Mabel said, "Nobody helps me, that would be too easy."
The two said in sync, "We're figment of your imaginations, what do you expect us to do?"
She lit the fire and brought Maddie to it. She should have gotten a bucket because the water made a mess all over Stumpy nice clean floor, she would clean it up when it warmed up for them. She was like an ice figure getting smaller and smaller until her magical friend was frozen from her icy prison.
"Hi, Maddie!" Mabel said picking her up by the armpits before she placed her down back on the ground, "Are you better now?" She asked she was so excited and she couldn't hide it.
She stumbled back and forth, "Wable why were you dancy?" She asked. Her standing made it seem like she could fall in any direction.
"Woah are you ok?" Mabel was completely caught off guard, Maddie seemed out of it like she was still partly asleep, she wondered if Polly would have been better but maybe not to wake up a sleeping baby.
"Never better, WOW were you always ten feet tall Mabel?" She asked falling on the floor.
She looked at her and then thought about being alone. "I am sure nothing too horrible will happen around here."
"Don't worry Mab Mab, Hop Pop can vouch for me, can't you Hop Pop." She said turning to face a nearby chair. "See proof I didn't start that fire officer."
She pats her shoulder wanting to spend time with one of her besties.
"Let's go unfreeze the others woo hoo." She said raising her fists up in a manner that would be found in a party. She wasn't thinking clearly.
Mabel put her hand in the way of the magic girl, "How about some one-on-one time, just us girls, together." She said with a smile.
She slipped and fell under the water of her ice prison. "This is a funny place to put a floor." She said as she kept trying to walk but was going nowhere since she was lying on the floor.
Mabel walked over to help, but somehow Maddie was gone.
"What are we looking at?" Maddie asked, somehow she managed to get up and get behind Mabel when she wasn't looking. "Something different about you, you got some kind of bump on your face." She said, apparently she was noticing Mabel's nose again. This would be a fun time for Mabel.
"Yes I have a nose, thank you for noticing." she said, "You okay?"
"OF course I am, why do you ask?" She asked. "It sure is white outside." She said. "What is with the white? I mean am I right?" She said, almost sounding like she expected Mabel to laugh.
"That's the snow silly." She said, going to the window to check out the snow herself.
"Snow? I never saw that before, will it be friends with me?" she asked, with a dumb smile on her face. She had never seen snow before since she kept being frozen over.
Mabel giggled. She was trying to wrap her in wool scarves and sweaters to stay warm. She finally had an excuse to put one of her friends in Amphibia in a sweater outside its fashion value.
"I have two tongues now." She said, playing with her scarf as they went outside. "What do we do with the snow, conquer it?"
"We play with it! We can conquer later." She said to her friend.
"Can we make a Golem with it?" She asked, as she grabbed a handful of snow and poured it over herself. "It is so cold. It is giving me love bites all over." She laughed and joined in. She was having a blast at this quite a blast. She started to try to make a snowman, but it wasn't working out at the moment.
She would have to get help from Mabel. Mabel was more than happy to help. "Maybe I can put some scarves on them later."
She started to be fun and managed to make dozens and dozens of them. "Don't worry, this should help us defend the entire town from anything."
"Wow, you are way faster than I am." She was so impressed by the frog girl.
"I know we can make one as big as you, maybe use your magic box on them, the glowing thing that makes noise, the one that eats your pocket," Maddie said. Mabel had no idea what she meant, and Maddie probably didn't either.
"Eats my pocket? Even by my standards, that's weird." Mabel said.
"Yes?" Maddie asked, she was kinda of talking nonsense at the moment. "Your pone I believe." She said, "I didn't hear the name good."
"Oh, my phone." She would have never gotten that if she was given a hundred tries she wouldn't have gotten that.
"Yes, we can use that for something." She said, leaning back and forth at this.
"Okay, just be careful." She would get to see how tough Grunkle Ford made her phone.
She got the camera app and took a picture of Mabel's feet. "Mabel Mabel Mabel look I got a pair of shoes just like yours." She said, showing Mabel the picture the frog had just taken.
Mabel laughed at that. "What was I worry about this is great."
"They must be for someone much smaller than you." She said. "They are little doll feet, little doll feet."
"Hmm what else can we take photos of," she grinned evilly. Mabel rubbed her hands together in joy. "Montage time!"
Maddie manage to make an Ice rink for them to shake on. "Do you like the pool?"
"Maddie, I'm gonna teach you a game called Curling."
"Okay," She just stood there, "wait you mean me?"
"No no no, them!" She happily started sliding the frozen frogs on the ice. She got Mr. Flour and Duckweed and made a circle of snow for them to be pushed into. She took the taller one for herself since it was harder.
"This cruel look just my daddy," she said because it was the frozen form of her father.
"Ya let's go with that." That might not have been her best choice she realized.
She gently pushed it, "Ya it moved." She said, even if she did move it 180 degrees in the wrong direction.
Mabel cheered her on despite it. "You got this girl!"
"The ground is made of candy." She said, grabbing a handful of snow and eating it.
Mabel decided to find the juice to make snow cones.
"Me love this snow stuff, we can do more of it." She said, not fully in control.
Mabel got an idea and started to make snow angels for the magical frog girl.
"Me want to try, ya." she did so making deplorable snow angels on the ground, "Why am I on the ground?" Maddie's frozen brain still hasn't thaw.
"Just flap your arms and legs. Like this." She is doing some jumping jacks for her friend to see an example.
She smiled doing as she was instructed slowly. "Thank you, Ivy."
Mabel smiled, rolling her eyes at her name being wrong, and jumped down beside her. "This is awesome!"
"May with wis." She said, she apparently grabbed some snow and started to eat it when Mabel wasn't looking.
"Here let's flavor it first silly." She always had some sugar from the frog store which she turned into a makeshift sugar. Mabel tried to think of what was next. And decided why not use the frozen frogs as sleds.
Maddie grabbed Mrs Sundew and Mabel got Duckweed, he probably had it coming one way or another.
"TODAY WE RIDE!" Mabel was humming Western music as she did so.
She started to sing as they went down, "Annie are you okay, are you okay, Annie are you ok way." She said as she was thrown off by a bump.
Mabel ran to catch her, she was unable to but Maddie landed safely in a pile of snow. Her legs were sticking out and moving to show that it was a okay here.
She landed head-first into a snow bank, her legs sticking out.
"Sorry! My bad."
Maddie kicks her legs trying to get up. Mabel pulled her out.
"Mabel you are standing in the sky." She said.
"You're so silly." Mabel loved it here in Wartwood.
"You're the one holding a frog, not me," she said since Mabel hadn't let Maddie go yet.
"But Maddie you are the frog."
"Exactly," she said. Mabel got her right side up. "Mabel, I was upside down." She said.
"That's great. Now let's eat candy!"
"Yummy." She said, staring off into the sky, "You're in charge while we are gone
Marco." She said talking to one of the snowmen.
"Come on!" She dragged her off.
"Yay, no cleanup for Maddie." She said that some of the frogs Mabel had brought out were still in the open.
"Let's raid the store!" She's sure no one will mind, she could pay for it later if anyone wanted to make a stink out of it.
"Ya, I can make magic," Maddie said, more stating the fact than anything.
"Onward!" Her one-word response easily deploys her intent.
She stuck her tongue to the back of Mabel's sweater, "forward wobble Wabel." (Onward noble Mabel).
"Works for me!" Mabel said rushing fast.
"Mmsh mmsh." She said using an imaginary whip on Mabel. (Mush Mush). Mabel happily brought her to the store. "Giant candy." She said, taking a bite out of a two-by-four lying on the ground, apparently, someone was working on some shelves before Hiber day.
"Yes, this is great." Mabel cheered, everything was going Pines!
"Enough candy for all three of us."
"Three?" Mabel was confused by the extra weird statement from the brain-frozen magic user.
"Yes, you, me, and the nice lady leaving with Polly." She said waving at something.
Mabel spun to look and saw a shadowy figure leaving. It was large, and from what she could tell it looked like it could take her down.
It was ridiculously fast, faster than Mabel could keep up with.
"Hurry!" She grabbed Maddie and ran.
They got so far behind they needed to follow a track, "We are flying." She said as Mabel was able to lift her off the ground.
"No time for flying. We have to move!" She felt so guilty, she was supposed to protect the town, but instead of doing her job she got distracted and Polly's life was in danger.
"Wee wee." She said enjoying the feeling of following her. Completely unaware of the danger one of the fellow people in this town was currently in at this very moment. Meanwhile, Mabel was in a complete panic at the situation, she must save her, she must, she must.
As Mabel ran, she heard a crunching sound, beneath her foot was a bone, it was way too large to be Polly but it was enough to warn Mabel death was nearby. So she better hurry it up.
She came in. "Hey Polly how are you way up there," Maddie said, looking up at the ceiling of the cave.
"How will we get her? Down?"
Maddie tilted her head, "Very kindly, Polly would you please come down from there? I got candy."
"Maddie she's frozen!"
"I like candy." She moves her head back and forth in response, "Don't worry, she should have something that can warm Polly up." Maddie was pointing directly towards a giant white-furred weasel appearing and leaping forward. The creature's eyes were glowing red and each tooth was as long as a dagger.
Mabel barely got herself and Maddie out of the way. "I wonder if Polly will teach me how to fly." She said.
(Add Fight scene)
The weasel rushed forward, Mabel thinking fast went for a large bone and swung it hard at the beast's face, sending it back. The baby was stunned but still alive.
Mabel wound up running them into a small hole in the wall. Where to her shock she found small baby versions of the creature.
They were barking like dogs, it must have been the creature babies. While Mabel was distracted, "Hey Polly." Maddie was climbing up the wall.
"Why is it... food! In the frozen times, she can't find food for her babies as easily! That's why she targets the village!
"Polly get off the chandelier," Maddie said happily swinging unaware that death from below in the form of the sharp teeth of the weasel with its mouth open wide.
Mabel grabbed some of the food she'd packed up earlier and tried offering it to the ferret, hoping to appease it.
It stopped and sniffed the food giving one of them a quick lick grabbing it and rushing to it babies. Once fed it looked at Mabel in a way suggesting she was free to leave.
Mabel smiled and grabbed her friends. She noticed something near her, she picked up some jewelry near some bones one was what looked like a pocket watch with GS, and the necklace says Flour. She pockets them both in her skirt.
I was booking it out of there.
Maddie held Mabel by her good arm holding Polly on her embrace. Mabel was exhausted by the time she got them all home. Maddie was slowly getting better and had a clock to count down how long Hiber day still had left. She used what time was left to make sure everyone was there, and when she was sure that was the case, she counted down with Maddie. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two…" Everyone instantly unfroze.
The townspeople looked at each other with amazement when they were all there. "You actually did it." Hop Pop said, way more surprised than Mabel expected. Mabel looked down sadly.
Sprig started to speak, "Let's give three cheers for Mabel, we would have lost someone if not for her."
"But we almost did!" She cried. "I nearly lost Polly."
"Say what?" Hop Pop asked confused.
Polly then added, "Double say what?" She asked.
"We can train you with that another day." He said.
Mabel sobbed and told them what happened. "I was a terrible protector, I a goof off and nearly got Polly killed, I am not worthy of your trust."
"Mabel, you admit you did that, which means you are more worthy than you think." He said.
"R-really?" She said, trying to hold back a cry.
Hop Pop continue, "Yeah, if you hadn't fessed up, we never would have known anything happened." He said. "I would be honored if you came home again."
"I think I'd like that."
"Where did you go anyway?" Hop Pop spoke for the whole family wanting to know where the human went.
"Oh, I stayed at the Sundew's."
"That's nice, I wish I knew that before getting the wanted posters." He said he went to thank the Sundews for their care of one of his own.
"My bestie is back." Polly leaping into her embrace. Mabel happily hugs the ball-shaped frog. She was so happy to be back, even if she was still sore in more than one way about what happened in the archives.
"Mabel, can we talk in private later?" Sprig asked, wanting to say something but not without so many watching eyes.
"I guess so."
He didn't want to do this in public and felt they needed to make this workout. Mabel was being honest with herself, she did not want to make a fuss either.
Polly smiled, would this work things out? Her harsh words help save the day once again.
Mabel waited until nighttime, letting the old man and her best friend go to bed.
He waited until Polly went to bed. "I am sorry Mabel. I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry." He blubber. "I should not have trapped you there."
"Thanks Sprig. I know you're hungry for adventure. But you can have an adventure and be prepared," She thought of something. "You know. My Grunkle Ford is a great adventurer."
"I didn't mean to hurt you." Looking at her cast arm. "I heard you mentioned him once or twice but very little." He said
"I could tell you about him. If you want."
"Yes please." He loved hearing and experiencing adventures.
She smiled and started to explain how she and Dipper found the journal and the adventures they went on that led to them meeting their Grunkle Ford
"So you're continuing the family business by being here?" Sprig said, with his unique worldview.
"I guess I kind of am." Mabel never thought about it like that. She felt warm at the thought but remembered she was still a prisoner.
"You're amazing!" Sprig said.
"But it wasn't by choice."
"You made it sound like it wasn't him either." Sprig actually was paying attention to what she was saying this time.
"To be fair he kind of asked for it." She felt you don't accidentally make a portal to another world.
"Hopefully your friends were away when the portal opened."
"I really hope so," Mabel said. "I'll be right back I have something to do." She felt something in her pocket.
"Okay." I hope Pop will stay by to make sure she does not run away again.
"Hey, Maddie we got to talk." Mabel said she knew the young witch frog family was the only 'Flour' in town.
"Yeah, how can I help ya?" Maddie asked.
"I found something and I think it is yours." She said, pulling out the necklace.
Maddie looked at it and started to get teary eyes as the necklace went from Mabel's hands to her own.
"What is wrong?" She asked, "Are you suffering from not getting your ice nap hyper nation thing?" Mabel asked.
"No, it's not that, it's just that this is my mother's necklace," Maddie said.
"What was it doing in a cave…with the frog-eating monster, oh." Mabel started to put two and two together.
"She died on Hiber day the year before last. There is no law or anything but we don't like talking about the subject. I don't either. Most deaths I am willing to accept, but not my family." She reached forward and gave the human girl a hug, "If you need anything don't be a stranger." She said.
"I found this circle thing." She said, pulling out the pocket watch. "I don't know anyone by the letters G.S. Do you know any?"
"There is Grant Sundew, Ivy's father. I don't think I ever saw a pocket watch like that before." Maddie said, "You might want to go to her about it."
She happily skips over to the Sundew's place. She knocks on her former temporary house.
"Hey, Mabel coming to spend the night again?" Ivy asked, clearly cheerful. She had just gotten back in the house but figured no harm in asking, the human was fun to be around anyway.
"Not this time, I think I got something I think belongs to you." She said, proud that she would help out her friend.
Ivy wondered what it was, "Lay it on me."
Mabel smiled pulling out her pocket watch, "I found this, and Maddie told me this might be your father. What is wrong?" The site of it was making Ivy cry. "I'll take it away…"
"No don't, sorry it's just essential to me. May I have it?" Mabel happily gave it to her. "Listen I need some alone time okay."
Mabel smiled, "Take all the time you need, you know where to find me." She said before going home.
To Be continue…
I used Grammarly here, tell me how it is.
AN: I don't know if this is the intended canon but we know Maddie and Ivy both lost one parent, we also know there is a thing that goes around killing the people of Wartwood every year.
Authors notes:
Join a discord server a while ago, and wanted to share a link… /invite/abaqNh9f\
My response to Reviews...
RonaldM40196867 chapter 26 . Jul 20
Yes, they do whole knowledge. I agree. I would suggest the library, since I don't know if there are any archives near me.
I feel for that one I need context.