Pinesquest 2D, a Romance of the Second Dimension

Ch.4

The Gobblewonker's head lashed at Dipper with incredible speed. Dipper could only barely bring his spear around and try to use the shaft to hold back the mouth.

Unfortunately, the mouth was longer than he had expected.

CHOMP

"Augh! My leg!"

One of the large teeth of the beast had opened a nasty cut on his left leg. The shock and surprise were enough to make Dipper release his spear.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Mable shot her grabbling hook right into the monster's eye. It would have been debilitating if this was a non-aquatic creature that hadn't evolved second eyelids to see underwater more effectively.

As it was, it still hurt enough to send the beast back reeling as it roared in agony.

"Thanks, Mable."

Dipper then picked up his spear as Mable ran over and slapped him on the shoulder to heal his leg.

"Save the thanks for after we make this the "Gone-Wonker."

Dipper nodded and pointed his spear at the beast's body, a larger and more stationary target than the head.

WHOOSH

Dipper's Wind Strike hit it right where the neck meets the body. You could see where the force of the blow peeled away the scales.

"Ha, take that!"

The Gobblewonker responded by lashing its tail at Dipper to knock him over.

"Ow!"

"Hay! Over here, you alligator!"

Mable fired her hook at the beast's head but missed.

"Mable, aim for the base of the neck! I made a weak point earlier!"

Mable nodded and rewound the hook to fire again. While she did this, Dipper fired another Wind Strike where he had previously struck, hoping that it would hurt more if he kept hitting the same place again and again.

While the blow struck true, and the beast did roar in pain, it didn't seem to slow down. It lunged at Dipper but only managed to cut his arm with his tooth as it hit the ground. Mable took the opportunity and fired where Dipper mentioned, hitting it dead on this time and drawing the creature's attention to her.

Instead of lunging or trying to tail whip her, it just gave a massive roar that shook the twins to their core.

Dipper was able to shake it off quickly but noticed that Mable was standing stock still, her face an expression of terror.

"Mable! You have to move!"

Dipper decided to buy her some time by shooting the base of the neck again with a Wind Strike, getting a glancing blow that still managed to draw some more blood from his previous injury.

The monster, thoroughly distracted, lunged at Dipper.

While seeing her brother in danger, Mable shook her head clear of the terror and fired at the base to return the favor.

"Get away from him!"

The fight continued as the creature was distracted, and Dipper nodded at her.

Thus, the twins continued their dance with the Gobblewonker. Dipper and Mable would take turns shooting the base of the neck with their Wind Strikes and grappling hooks while attempting to dodge the counterstrikes by the Gobblewonker. Now and then, it would try that scream that drew up that primal fear embedded in every living thing, but the twins were able to shake it off. If one couldn't, the other would draw fire until it wore off. It felt like they danced for hours, while it was only a minute tops. Eventually-

Dipper was too slow and got gobbled up.

"DIPPER!"

As he dangled halfway in the monster's mouth and kicked his feet on the outside in an attempt to get free, Dipper looked down at his waist and saw that even though the teeth were piercing the faint glow from his gnome cap, they were only leaving gashes in his stomach and back instead of just chopping him in half as he expected.

Less solving mysteries, more monster-slaying Dipper!

Dipper then realized that he had somehow held onto his spear despite being halfway gobbled up. He remembered hearing that there was a thin barrier between the roof of the mouth and the brain.

"Here's why you should be careful what you eat!"

Dipper then pointed the tip of his spear at the roof of the mouth and fired a Wind Strike point blank.

ROAR!

Dipper was spat out onto the ground next to his panicking sister, who was already healing him.

"DIPPER! Are you all right?"

He nodded as he turned to look at the Gobblewonker, smoke pouring off of it like it was dry ice.

Dipper just smiled at her and pointed at the monster's fate.

"We did it."

Mable wrapped him up in a massive hug that threatened to break his bones if she didn't let up, but neither cared.

"Don't do that, you dummy! We have had too many close calls this summer. I am not losing you again."

Dipper felt himself melt into the hug. Eventually, Mable used a healing spell on him before she moved on to fussing over Waddles.

"Waddles! Are you ok?"

Waddles just gave some cheery oinks, to Mable's delight.

"Yay! I'm so glad you're safe!"

Dipper nodded as he stood up and inspected the loot left behind by the Gobblewonker: a pile of gold and a piece of paper.

"Hun, this is new. It doesn't look like the pamphlets; this is handwritten on old-timey parchment."

The note read "alas, a few years ago, i would have said "my universe": But now my mind has been opened to higher views of thinking."

Dipper just looked at it briefly before shrugging and putting it in his pouch along with the gold.

"Now, let's head to the Mystery Shack."

The two then walked away from the lake and back to the path they had been following. As they proceeded to follow the signs to the Shack, Dipper and Mable took stock of their injuries.

"Hay Dipper, do you also have a tiredness in your body that doesn't correspond with your body being tired?"

Dipper wasconfused for a second before he realized she was right. He did feel tired without being tired. He had been feeling normal tired all day due to the fights, and he hadn't done anything in the last one he hadn't-

"Mana! This might be our body's way of telling us we're using up mana."

Mable snapped her fingers as she finally got the answer plaguing her. "Right, I have been using a lot of healing spells, and you just used a lot of wind strikes on the Gobblewonker. I think I have enough mana left to cast a few more healing spells, though. I want to save the battery for when it looks like we're about to get into a big fight.

Dipper did a facepalm after hearing that.

"Ok, this is killing me. I KNOW I should know what is happening, but I can't think of it for some reason! Let's hope talking to the others will jog something."

"Don't worry, Dipper, you'll figure it out."

Mable then turned and pointed at the tip of the totem pole she could see pointing above the trees.

"There it is! I can see it."

"HISS!"

"Back off!"

Dipper and Mable continued to the Shack with a quick slice with the spear to behead the gnome and turn him to mist.

-Mystery Shack Grounds-

Even with everything that had happened to them so far, few things made the twins feel better than looking at the Mystery Shack. It might be a dilapidated building that had been repaired using the cheapest means available. The sign on top may have fallen apart to say "MYSTERY HACK," and the totem pole was highly inaccurate.

But it was home just as much as Piedmont was.

The twins stood near the totem pole and took in the ambiance of their favorite place for a moment before heading in. Dipper then looked down at the plaque at the base of the totem pole Ford had put up to try to make the place more educational.

This totem pole is not capped by a thunderbird but, in fact, by a depiction of Kolus, the Thudnerbird's visually similar brother. Described by pacific-northwestern legend as blockheaded, Kolus is gifted with incredible strength, often pretending he is the Thunderbird, and always acts like he has something to prove.

"There is no way that Stan didn't know what he was doing when he chose that. He really is smarter than people say he is."

Mable gave Dipper's shoulder a small punch in response.

"Of course he is. He repaired and activated an interdimensional portal all on his own without anyone's help, with only a third of the instructions. Not to mention running a successful business for so long."

The two then walked into the Shack, calling out for their friends.

"Hellooooo? Soos? Wendy?"

"Grunkle Stan? Great Uncle Ford?"

The two looked around the Shack, not seeing any other people.

"Where is everyone? The Shack should be packed this time of day."

Mable then pointed at a glowing blue square in the middle of the room.

"And What's that over there? Is Soos setting up new attractions already?"

"I do believe you mean 'who,' not 'what,' young miss!"

"Whoa! It talks!"

As Mable took this in stride, Dipper narrowed his eyes at the figure.

"Wait a minute."

He examined it as close as he could without getting too close to them. It was a blue triangle with arms and legs. In the middle of the shape was an open mouth without any eyes, ears, or nose. A tie was stuck under its mouth. On its head was a bowler hat, and itsleft hand was using a glowing blue umbrella like a cane.

"Floating shape with a hat and tie… He's gotta be another of Bill's demon henchmen!"

Dipper stepped forward and pointed his spear at the blue square's chest.

"Why didn't you disappear after we defeated Bill?! Did you bring us back here?! What've you done with everyone in the Mystery Shack?!"

The square raised his hands in a sigh of surrender, though its umbrella continued to float next to him unaided.

"My word, take it easy, dear boy! I haven't the foggiest idea who or what you're referring to! And I'll have you know that I am in fact no 'demon!' I am a mere traveling salesman, that is all!"

Dipper's spear lowered from being pointed at the square's mouth as Dipper's muscles relaxed, and his face shifted from anger to confusion.

"So wait, you DON'T know who Bill is?..."

The blue square shook its body in a way to convey shaking his head 'no' without possessing a head.

"Not in the slightest! Please, allow me to introduce myself!"

He then held out his hand for a handshake.

"A. Tad Square, at your service. I decided to set up shop in this diminutive reality after receiving a tip I might obtain some excellent business here! This charming little adobe was entirely uninhabited when I arrived; cross my four sides!"

Dipper's spear had drifted down to the ground as Mable turned to him.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

Dipper looked back at Tad quickly before returning his spear to a rest position and looking back at Mable.

"I'm not sure… but I don't trust him!"

He then turned back to Tad.

"Where'd you come from anyway?"

Tad's mouth returned to the smile it was when he was first seen.

"Why, another dimension, of course. Though I myself originally hail from the 2nd Dimension, my last transaction was in Dimension 52! Lovely place, if I do say so myself! Truly enchanting! I almost miss it already! But as I said I am a traveling salesman, peddling my wares wherever business is booming."

Mable looked at him for a little longer before turning to Dipper.

"I dunno Dipper, I think he just wants to sell us stuff. Maybe not all dapper floaty shape guys are apocalypse-causing jerks?"

The shape reached into its pocket, pulling out a notebook and pen. It then began scribbling a few things down before turning to the kids.

"I'll tell you what! As a gesture of goodwill to you children, I'll provide you with a special discount! I'll even buy any items you don't need! Especially since I would highly recommend stocking up on rations and means to defend yourselves if you're going to go searching for your friends! It would appear this realm is absolutely brimming with hostile creatures! Although here we seem to be safe at least. Haven't spotted a single beast in this area since I arrived!"

Dipper looked at him suspiciously while humming. Eventually, he reached a decision.

"Alright, in the interest of not discriminating against, uh… whatever you are, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you help us."

Tad bobbed up and down to convey a nod. "Jolly good show! You know I did in fact spy a rather curious area to the east. Perhaps it may be worth investigating? After you kiddies purchase some of my fine goods, of course!"

Dipper gave him a thumbs up. "We'll make sure to check it out then. Thanks!"

Mable then pulled off her pouch and raised her hands in excitement.

"Now let's shop 'til we drop!... You know, so we're prepared."

Dipper then realized something important.

"We don't really have any cash on us, but we beat up some gnomes in the woods and they dropped these gold coins. Could we pay you with those?"

"Why, that would be positively perfect! Gold is one of the few multi-universally accepted currencies, you know! Bit of financial advice for your children: always make sure to purchase as much gold as possible before making interdimensional transactions!"

Dipper smiled. "Works for us!" He then showed Tad one of his gold coins. What do you have, and how much would it cost if paid in coins like this?"

Tad looked at the coin, flipped a few pages in his notebook, scribbled a few things down, and then handed it over to the kids.

"Here is my current inventory and how much in these coins it could cost. Also, have a sample on the house to celebrate the first of our hopefully many business dealings!"

He then handed them over a small star-shaped box with a button on top.

"This is an insta-portal. This nifty little contraption will instantly transport you back to this place, no matter where you are! I recommend keeping at least one on your person at all times!"

He then suddenly became serious.

"Do be careful with it, however. Wouldn't want your organs rearranged now, or for you to spontaneously gain the ability to smell colors! Chartreuse is absolutely putrid!"

He then regained his cherry deminer. "Now, what do you think of my other wares?"

Hello Gravity Falls and PinesQuest2D fans! Last year my new year's resolution was to upload a 2k word count or greater chapter of any fanfic a week. This year my goal is to upload a 2k word count or greater chapter of the SAME fanfic a week.

I really like Nova Starlyght's fan game PinesQuest 2D, and was disappointed when real life convinced them to abandoned the project. After finding all the notes they posted about where the game would have gone, I have decided to try and novelize it. I have no idea how good or bad this will be, but as of January 23rd, I have 43 chapters prewritten for the story.

If you want to suport Nova Starlyght, please check out their works on the Disclaimer page.

If you want to support me, please check out my work on the Disclaimer page.

Thank you for reading this and see you next week. I will be posting either very early Fridays or very late Saturdays, depending on my schedule for Friday.