Chapter Three: A Whole New World
While the others had been deciding who to vote for, Mabel simply watched with curiosity, doing her best to block out the mentions of the crude way the boy was murdered. She was so desperate to avoid it, in fact, that she ended up moving around to place some spare scratch-and-sniff stickers around the hospital before finally returning. Much to her luck, it seemed that the decision of who would be checked had finally been made.
"Soooo you got someone picked out, right?" the child inquired, tilting her head. Not really giving anyone the chance to answer, she continued.
"Sweet! Let's go!" And, without another word, Mabel turned heel and began to lead the group back towards the shack. She just hoped that Dipper was back and alright by the time they got there...
Not exactly the case, but at least they'd be figuring out if the group had guessed correctly on the murderer, right?
Upon arriving, Mabel didn't exactly waste any time. Considering her Grunkle Stan didn't seem to be in company of the alleged 'Friendship Sceptre' lying on the desk Wendy was sat at, the young brunette didn't really hesitate.
"Heya, Wendy! Can you hand me that little gold pony stick thingy?"
"Sure, dude. Just, make sure you use it responsibly and all that," the redhead remarked, picking up the sceptre and handing it to the girl before bursting out laughing.
"Haha, nah, man - just kidding. Do whatever the heck you want."
"Thanks, Wendy!" the child replied, cheerfully moving right up to
Jack with a bright smile.
"Kneel!" she exclaimed to Jack, considering she was too short to reach up terribly high. After he complied, Mabel stood as tall as she could, her eyes closed and her chin held high.
"I knight thee..." she started, mockingly mimicking a knighting ceremony and bringing the sceptre down on his shoulders... Just a little too hard. She didn't really seem to notice how strong she was. But hey - the Friendship Sceptre was glowing blue!
"...Sir Jack of the..."
"..."
"Haha, whatever - blue's good, right? That means you're not a super psycho cray-cray killer!"
Looking rather pleased with this fact (likely not understanding that this meant they all still weren't safe), the young Pines girl glanced over the group before seeming to make up her mind on something. As she stood there, the sceptre in her hand began to glow an even brighter blue than usual. It shone so brilliantly, that Mabel had to gasp.
"Woah... does that mean you're, like, one of those investigator peoples the umbrella guy was talking about? Neato." Mabel shrugged, not really getting it.
"Anyways, c'mon - maybe Grunkle Ford's figured out how to get you guys back to your weird alien places!"
...And found Dipper.
With that being said, the girl raced down to the lab with the group in tow, glad to see both Mom and Ford were around. Yet, at the same time, her heart sank when she realized she didn't see Dipper.
"...Hey, Grunkle Ford! We found the crystals to get the mini bro-bros back to their normal size, and..." A pause.
"...Have you, like, figured out some sort of crazy teleporty thingy yet?"
Ford didn't respond at first, his head buried in the story book Mabel had given him. It was only after Lalonde had cleared her throat that he looked up and gave his Great Niece a big smile.
"Just in time, Mabel! I have managed to figure out how to isolate young Dipper from this book! However..." Ford picked up the tome and turned it around so that Mabel and the others could see pictures of some of the other characters in the story.
"He's not the only one trapped in there. Unfortunately, it will take a great amount of power just to remove Dipper, so I think I could only free one more after him for the time being. Who will that be? Well, there seems to be someone who had died during the story. That means he won't be anchored and it should be easier to get him out than the others!"
"Yes! Thank you thank you thank you, Grunkle Ford!"
Mabel didn't really get the majority of what her Grunkle was saying, but she was visibly excited about the part where Dipper was going to be freed. Her eyes lit up with joy and relief, and she clapped her hands excitedly while she waited eagerly for Ford to place the book on a contraption it looked like he and Lalonde had just built in the portal room.
"Now," he said, one hand to his chin.
"We should only have to flip this switch, and..."
A great white light burst forth from the book. A wind picked up as the pages of the tome began to flip through rapidly. From the white light came a faint whisper, though no one in the room could discern what it was saying. This continued for what felt like far too long until two glowing bodies were spit out from the book. Once they hit the ground, the glow around them would fade and the group would find the prime Dipper laying on the ground. Beside him was Michaelangelo Scarlatti, otherwise known as
Spike.
Once the whispering ended and the wind died down, Ford pressed a button and the light from the book faded. Dipper raised his head from the ground and muttered,
"Hey, uh... What's going on...?"
"... Mabel?"
"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, wasting no time in tackling the newly-emerged Dipper in what might've been the most affectionate embrace in history. She was so happy and relieved that she felt she could cry. Instead? She settled for snuggling and hugging him tighter than she probably should've.
"Wonderful!" cried Ford.
"It's a complete success. Hopefully their molecular structure is still intact!" Ford moved to help Dipper, whom Mabel was still clinging to, up to his feet. Once that was done, he turned back to the group.
"Now then, as for the rest--"
But Ford froze when he saw what was happening in the middle of the group. Pearl, defying all logic, had thrust her staff right through poor
LeShawna.
"That was... exhilarating! I've never had this much fun before!"
Her voice sounded strange, and the look on Pearl's face was somehow more manic than usual. As others moved to stop her, Pearl's body shifted into a form of pure flame, eliciting a pained reaction from Ford.
"Someone stop that thing!"
The fire floated up into the air, only for it to turn then into Inigo and fall down to thrust the staff into
Clarence as well. From there, Inigo's eyes went wide as he searched the room, his eyes eventually landing on one of three numbered books...
"Finally!" he yelled, leaping toward the books and turning into an ugly and massive creature.
It grabbed the Journals and started flipping through #3, the one that the Gravity Falls residents knew contained the likeness of one Bill Cipher. In a panic, Ford ran to the controls for the portal.
"It can't be allowed to read that book!" The man saw no other option before him and touched at the controls to activate the portal. Lalonde ran to stop him.
"Ford! I don't that's a good idea--!"
The journals in the creature's hands flew from him and into the portal. The creature stumbled after them, only to be pulled in himself. A wind picked up as the portal then refused to close, beginning to pull everyone inside. Dipper was first to be pulled in alongside his sister, followed by Lalonde and Ford.
It was an odd sensation, being sucked through. It almost felt like the molecules of the group, themselves, were coming apart and then being pieced back together. Not that the group would really feel it - it was likely hard to stay conscious through the experience.
When everyone came to, they'd find themselves in a rather dusty and old basement. There was no furnishing, and all kinds of junk was strewn about without a care. What was odd was that the majority of the objects about seemed awfully... strange. Much like the wares of the mystery shack, in fact. From the looks of things, they were the only ones down there, at the moment - and there seemed to be no trace of the shape shifter around. Mabel laid on the floor, unconscious, a box of random objects having toppled onto her. Meanwhile, sounds could be heard coming from the upstairs area of wherever the hell they were. One just had to hope whatever was making it wasn't hostile.
***
Starring
@C.T. as
GwenPool [Marvel Comics]
@DapperDogman as
Sans [Undertale AU] and
Ryner Lute [Legend of the Legendary Heroes]
@T.O.M. as
Ougi Oshino and
Kanbaru Suruga [Monogatari]
@Crow as
Gran and
Djeeta [Granblue Fantasy]
@Verite as
Koyomi Araragi and
Shinobu Oshino [Monogatari]
@Kaykay as
Karen Araragi [Monogatari]
@Mighty Roman as
Thor Odinson [Marvel]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as
Alex Mercer [Prototype]
@Jeremi as
Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk [Marvel Comics]
@Atomyk as
Pearl [Steven Universe]
@Gummi Bunnies as
Hideo Kawamura and
Will.CO21 "Wiruko" [Sentou Jousai Masurawo]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as
Lorekeeper Zinnia and
Aster the Whismur [Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire]
@Melon as
Hanzō Urushihara AKA Lucifer [Hataraku Maou-sama!]
@Crimson Spartan as
Lon'qu [Fire Emblem Awakening/Murder Games] and
Inigo [Fire Emblem Awakening]
@Schnee Corp Lawyer as
Ciri [The Witcher]
@Krieg as
Lena "Tracer" Oxton [Overwatch]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as
Lincoln Campbell [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D] and
Thomas "Tommy" Merlyn [Arrow]
@Lissamel as
RGB [The Property of Hate]
@The Silver Paladin as
Sam Winchester and
Dean Winchester [Supernatural]
@ResistingTheEnlightened as
Duke Togo [Golgo 13] and
Michaelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti [Flashpoint]
@Ringmaster as
Roman Torchwick [RWBY]
@TheColourlessRainbow as
Da'losen Lyison and
Kepti [Original Characters]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as
James 'Bucky' Barnes [MCU]
@Gwazi Magnum as
Gilgamesh [Fate Series]
@Raven as
Uncle Chan and
Jade Chan [Jackie Chan Adventures]
@Takumi as
Michiko Malandro and
Hana "Hatchin" Morenos [Michiko and Hatchin]
@Josh M as
Enzo Amore and
Colin "Big Cass" Cassady [WWE Kafabe]
@Nater Taters as
Kirby [Kirby Franchise]
@Gossamer as
Cloud and
Light [Original Characters]
@BarrenThin as
Artorias [Dark Souls]
@Archmage Jeremiah as
Grim and
Mandy [The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy]
@york as
Max Caulfield [Life is Strange]
MURDERED! INNOCENT! DROWNED
@Yun Lee as
Aran Ryan [Punch-Out!!!]
INVESTIGATED! INNOCENT!
@Bomb as
Meteo [L]
MURDERED! INNOCENT! DECAPITATED
@The Tactician as
Samurai Jack [Samurai Jack]
INVESTIGATED! INNOCENT!
@Yang Lee as
LeShawna [Total Drama]
KILLED! INNOCENT! IMPALED
@IntrusivePenDesperateSword as
Clarence Irawn [Fallen London]
KILLED! INNOCENT! IMPALED
