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Today was going to be the day. Alex Pines wiped his face, a bit nervously. He held the small ring box in his hands and bit his lip."Alex!" A woman called from behind him. He stiffened. "Hey!" She called happily, hugging him from behind, not excitedly, but tenderly."A-Ash." He choked a bit, surprised. He smiled nervously, spinning her around and looping their arms. "Shall we?" He said, gesturing to the restaurant, almost sheepishly."What's wrong? Are you planning something?" She asked, with a huge grin and a suggestive eyebrow.Alex put on a weak smile as they walked into the restaurant. "A-oh uh, no I'm not I'm n-""OH MY GOD you scallywag! What's there?" She said, in a soft chuckle. "What have you planned?"He sighed. "Well, it's nothing big, the staff have nothing to do with it so, just dinner I guess."Ashley looped her index fingers with her thumbs and put them over her eyes. "Alex.." She said dangerously. "Honey, don't make me use my skepticals."Alex laughed a bit as they were led to their fancy booth. "Tell me, do you want the surprise before, or after dinner?""Is it a gift?" She asked."Uh... kinda?" He made a nervous smile. Would she know what he was up to?"After supper then, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to guess what it is." Ashley smiled.She was in no rush to receive her gift, she enjoyed the food and her time with Alex. Of course, she was still anxious to see her present. After she went to the washroom and cleaned the sweet and sour sauce off her fingers, she was ready. She came back to see Alex, practically bouncing with excitement. She got in her spot and Alex got up, then down on one knee. "Ashley Brownsfield. You are the most perfect girl I could ever ask for." He said, pulling out a moonstone ring. "Now I ask of you, will you make this the happiest day of my life, and marry me?"There were tears in Ash's eyes. "Alex..." She gasped. The ring was beautiful. She nodded. "Yes, yes, yes! Alex..." She wiped her joyful tears away with a napkin and the restaurant was filled with applause. He slipped the ring on her finger as he got up."I love you.""I love you too."A week after the marriage...Ashley stared at the soaking rings. She wanted them to always be shiny forever. She swore on her favorite knitting needles she'd wash them once a week."Ashley, you don't have to watch them soak. I don't even think they have to be washed so frequently." Alex chuckled."Yes, I do, it increases shininess." Ashley insisted."I'm no geologist, but I don't think that's how it works." Alex said."Well then, what do propose we do instead?" Ashley asked, getting up."Well, we need fruit." Alex suggested. "We can go to the grocer.""Yeah, ok... I want a dragon fruit!" Ashley laughed as they walked out of the kitchen. "To the one on Main, or Whitehorse?" She asked before leaving, Alex following.The door was shut and it was deemed safe.The gem in each of the rings doubled in size. "What is this place? Where am I? Where are she... we... I?" He opened his own eyes for the first time in over 500 years. He looked around. The objects in this area were overwhelming."Woah! This is so different than I... we... I remember." She looked around, the only thing familiar, other than the liquid she was standing in, was her counterpart. She looked so different. Than before they were I. "Moon, wh-what happened to the Eclipse?"Sun looked as confused as he. "I need... we don't remember?" He said in a questioning tone. They looked at each other, Sun reached for Moon's hand and held it. Sun pet Moon's hair."My... your form." She spoke. "Your hair, I... you look different. Male.""I... you... don't understand we." Moon held his head.Sun frowned a bit. "Where are we? This isn't the earth temple.""Huh?" Moon questioned. "I do not understand. I am Moon?""Yes, why are you acting as if you've forgotten?" Sun asked."I think I have, I don't recall a thing since... words." Moon said.Sun sighed. "We are counterparts, you've reformed without me, so now we must seek shelter for yet... another Ex reformation.""Ex reformation... rebirth from the same gem... I agree, if we are counterparts." Moon agreed."This building is a human habitat. Humans value gems, if we find a proper hiding place, we can stay hidden until our reformation. It shouldn't be more than 12 or 13 earth months." Sun said, she glanced at Moon's forehead. A ring was attached to his gem. She touched just above her chest. Her gem had a ring too. "It would seem we've been chosen for a thing humans call jewelry. Rings. We should be safe for the time we need."Moon nodded. "Shall we ex reform then?"Sun nodded. "Gladly."The two gems went unnoticed in their physical forms. They retracted into their gems and shrunk, glowing and sparkling with more beauty than before. They hadn't had the smallest suspicion that one day, they'd emerge in a bathe of light, and grow up like human children, with human children names, go to school and age, like human children. There was no way they could've predicted that, when they reformed, they'd look like discolored human babies. Like twins.They had no idea. No clue. One day, they'd be Mabel and Dipper Pines and have to face the truth of what they were and what they were meant for.
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"Mabel! Don't leave me alone!" Dipper wailed, grabbing his sister's pink sweater sleeve."Geez, calm down Dipilina, just grabbing my bags. Don't be such a worry wart with all your dumb conspiracies." Mabel said coldly, whipping her hair, along with white ribbon in her brother's face."Mabel, I know we just got here." Dipper said, reaching his blue skinned hand to knock on the door. "But there is something seriously not right with this town!" He complained.Mabel rolled her eyes. "You used to say that about syrup."Dipper frowned and shivered. "Yeah, it's unnatural... like food."Mabel burst into laughter. "Out of everything you could've said, you picked food?" Dipper flushed. He didn't like taste in general, and he's never been fond of feeling mushed substances travel down his throat... Or expelling it from his body. He shivered. He tried knocking again."Yeah, yeah... I'm coming." A scruffy voice spoke. The owner of said voice opened the door."MONSTER!" Mabel yelled, picking up a rock and throwing it at him straight in the gut. Dipper flinched slightly and fumbled on grabbing a rock of his own. The door-opener cringed and held his stomach with one arm while his other lifted in surrender. "Hold yer fire." He gasped. He looked up. "Kids!" The elder said, slapping his knee and laughing. "And I thought you were some teenagers, haven't seen you in years!""Family member we hardly remember meeting!" Mabel cheered, hugging the 'monster.'"Two Christmases ago, right?" Dipper asked, tipping up his brown hat slightly and straightening his light blue vest cockily. "Uncle Stan?"Stan scanned the runt. He was pretty... lanky? Small? "That's Grunkle Stan to you, slick." The kid seemed to become nervous, holding one arm in the other. Not at all he was expecting at his age... Maybe he's a late bloomer? Or do kids not bloom this early nowadays? Well, technically not kids, Stan smiled. "Make yourselves at home- but hey, don't get too comfortable.Stan pressed away from his great niece and beelined towards a table in the living room. It was covered in papers. He straightened his glasses and looked at his papers. "Your room's upstairs." He grumbled. Mabel started hauling her things upstairs, Dipper trailing.Stan glared up the stairs. Were they going to sleep in the same room? He was going to move the second bed into that old, unused room he had. Oh well. Wait... did they even need sleep?Mabel plopped her things next to the far bed. "My bed!" A goat started munching on her sweater. She laughed. "Yes you can keep chewing on my sweater."Dipper put his things to the opposite bed. He sighed "For a second there he had me thinking we'd be in separate rooms." He gave a slightly nervous laugh, relieved.Mabel replaced her bow with a yellow headband. "I have a good feeling about this summer." She smiled, posing in front of the giant mirror that already sat in the room.Dipper smiled. Maybe their first summer away from home won't be so bad. Maybe the siblings will even become friends....He was wrong. "AND I WON'T LET YOU RUIN THIS WITH YOUR CRAZY CONSPIRACIES!" Mabel yelled, slamming the door on her brother as she pushed him out. It was only earlier that day he'd found an odd book. A journal. A journal about monsters that lived in the forest of Gravity Falls. It really freaked him out.Dipper knocked on the door. "Mabel! Let me back in! You know I have separation issues." The light orange girl ignored him. He was always holding onto her. Well, he won't be able to do that today. This girl's got a date! Dipper thinks Norman is some kind of zombie or monster deely. Tch. As if. Although his skin is paler than anyone she's ever seen. Maybe he's a vampire...Dipper paced in front of the door. "Okay... all I have to do is spy on her for a while, right?" He muttered. "Right." He went down the stairs and went straight to digging in closets and drawers for some sort of camera where he could document his findings. He noticed his Great Uncle was following him around, watching him closely pen and paper on hand. "Grunkle Stan, what are you doing?"His Grunkle coughed. "Heh, nothing important, kiddo. Need help finding something?""Camera or Video recorder." Dipper said. "I need it for uh... research.""That's it? It's on the cards table. I have a blank sd card there too. If you're spying on your sister, use the red one." Stan replied. "Don't break it, or you'll be working it off tomorrow."Dipper nodded, walking to the camera and inserting the red card into the it, taking out a blue one and setting it next to the black one that was on the table. "Thanks Stan." He said before going upstairs. He looked around the attic for his sister, but she was nowhere to be found. "Mabel?" He called, and got no reply. He sighed and looked out the window. "MABEL!" He practically screamed as 'Norman' put his hands on her shoulders. He lifted them up, revealing an orange flower necklace. It went well with her outfit, actually. He sighed in relief.He seen the shack's handyman fixing a lightbulb. "Soos, do you think I'm crazy for thinking Mabel's boyfriend is a zombie?""How many brains didya see the guy eat?" Soos asked."Zero..." Dipper sighed.Soos laughed a bit. "Dood, I have a mailman that walks by my bus stop everyday, I'm pretty sure he's a werewolf. No one would believe me without proof.""Yeah, I already know that..." Dipper sighed again.Soos chuckled again. "I mean, I always thought Mr.Pines was crazy before you two showed up. He's always talking abou-""Soos! I need you to unclog the toilet!" Stan yelled."I am needed elsewhere." Soos said before backing away.Dipper ran downstairs and out the door. He found his sister automatically. He was sure it was a twin thing. First, he found she and Norman bowling alley. Then, the diner. After that, they went outside to play games. They even went to the graveyard for some reason. Once he decided he'd seen enough, he went back home."I just don't get it. I could've sworn this guy is a zombie." He looked to the door. Man, he already missed Mabel. He looked back to the replays of the video camera. There were already a few that Stan took of Mabel eating and knitting, but he skipped those ones. "I guess I can be a bit paranoid at times..."Norman's hand fell off at one of the replays, he reattached it."I mean, It's not like I have any- WAIT, WHAT?!" Dipper replayed it, his hand did fall off. "I'm not crazy!" He cheered. Wait... "Mabel!" He gasped."Mabel!" He yelled, fumbling out the door. He ran. Where? To tell you the truth, he had no idea. He stopped before he could reach the forest border. He knew Mabel was far, he wouldn't make it on time if he walked. "Wendy!" He called. The red-headed teenager leaned against the golf cart. "Hey Dip. Too much sunscreen?" She joked."Wendy! I need the golf cart to save my sister from a zombie!!!" He yelled.Wendy dropped the keys in his hand. "Try not to hit any pedestrians." She said, almost joyfully.Dipper smiled. He hopped into the golf cart, driving until he was stopped. By Soos. "Dude!" He called. He handed Dipper a shovel. "For the zombie." He proceeded to hand Dipper a bat. "In case you see a Piñata.""Uhh, thanks?" Dipper responded. With that, he stepped on it. Somehow, he knew exactly where to go. He could feel where she was. He parked by a mossy cave. Inside, the mini ponds glimmered, it was well lit. Beautiful, if it weren't for the little white men. Gnomes."Mabel!" He gasped. "I told you this place was weird!" He shouted.The little monsters had her tied to the ground, there were a lot of them. Dipper hurriedly looked through the journal he had found earlier. Gnomes, the little men of the Gravity Falls forest. He skipped to the weaknesses. None. Shoot.A gem-nosed gnome spoke up. "Calm down, she's jut becoming our queen by marrying us all at once for all eternity.""Get off me you butt faces!" Mabel yelled.Dipper frowned. "Hey, get off of her!" He commanded with a new found courage. They had his sister. No one separated them if they didn't want to. No one."You dare mess with us? You may not think so, but Cubic Zirconia gnomes are a powerful race! You cannot- AH!" Dipper scooped up the gnome with the shovel and tossed him away."Mabel, c'mon!" He half-yelled, cutting away the ropes with his shovel and dragging her to her feet. He held her hand as they ran to the golf cart.He jumped in and started it, the golf cart drove at it's fastest speeds. "You think they'll catch up?" Mabel asked worriedly.Dipper snickered. "Probably not, you see their little legs.""Dipper..." She said, in a warning tone. "LOOK!"Dipper took a brief look in the side mirror. The gnomes turned themselves into a giant mixture of gems and body parts. The gems stuck out of every which way and it had billions of eyes. Dipper screamed as he slammed the pedal harder. The giant gnome monster moved his arm in a throwing motion, releasing a bunch of smaller gem gnomes. "AAAAAHHHH!" Dipper screamed, one was scratching on his face, and really, they were everywhere! "Getitoff getitoff getitoff!" He yelled.Mabel was able to punch the little man off his face, but Dipper's hat fell off.----------------------------------------------------The twins sighed. Defeating a giant gnome monster thing was exhausting... and traumatizing. They both walked inside, practically dragging their feet. Their Grunkle watched them walk in front of them as he counted the money in the mystery shack's register. "Uh... hey!" He called. The twins turned to him. "Hey, I might have overstocked on some merchandise... so, take one thing."Dipper squinted. "What's the catch?""Do it before I change my mind." Stan said harshly.Dipper looked around, his eyes immediately locked with a blue hat that had a pine tree on the cap. He grabbed it and tried it on. He tipped the bill upwards a little bit. "There we-" He gasped as tears easily dripped down his eyes.Mabel walked up to her brother, a grappling hook in tow. He backed away, hands clamped over his mouth. "What's wrong, Dip?" Dipper took his hands off his mouth and breathed quickly. He pointed his eyes up, as if trying to look at the gem. Mabel gasped. "Stan...." She called. "Something not good happened. I think it's bad... different and bad."She brushed Dipper's bangs away. His gem was cracked.
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Stan sat Dipper down. "Don't move, I'll be right back with some equipment." He said.Dipper begged his sister to stay with him, in fear something terrible might happen when she leaves. Stan came back, dragging a bunch of equipment with him. He put a suction cup thingy on Dipper's gem, connecting the others on different parts of his body. Dipper looked worried. "Will these make it better?" He asked."No, but it will give us a lot more information." Stan hesitated. "On how to fix it."Dipper sighed. "Bien, parce-que ce petit fraction commence de faire... eugh, bizarre."Mabel gawked at Dipper. "...Stan?" She asked worriedly. Why was her brother speaking Spanish?Stan gave her a nervous smile and patted her head. "Mabel, sweetie, go get ready for bed and I'll work on fixing your brother."The girl nodded, hesitantly leaving for bed."...Quoi?" Dipper asked."Me too, Dip... Me too." Stan replied, confusing the blue child. The two sat in silence as Stan was watching Dipper's readings with calculative eyes. After a while, it showed nothing. The kid didn't even have a pulse anymore."Grunkle Stan?" Dipper started, holding onto his left arm. "Est-ce que tu peu me prendre au l'hôpital?"Stan squinted. "I think you're asking for the hospital but I'm not sure." Stan huffed. "We still can't take you to the hospital though. They'll freak."Dipper realized no one understood what he was trying to say, so he dropped his remaining questions and nodded.By the time the sun finished setting, then rose again Stan had tried everything to fix his grand-nephew's gem. From band-aids to hot glue to sealer. He didn't even want to try sewing it. The worst part was that Dipper had only gotten worse. His communication was down to squeaks and body movement. Soon, he might lose even that."How's my fav guys doing- woah!" Mabel gasped. Dipper looked like he was a hallucination or something, flickering from translucent to lucent in a flurry of blurs. He laid on the couch, ill. His gem somehow managed to crack more under stress.Stan didn't look too hot either. He had ruffled hair and bags that could hold groceries under his eyes. He had loads of writing on his notepads, but most of it was only point form."You know what you guys need? Some cheering up!" She started unplugging Dipper from the machine. "Let's go get some breky and be happy!"Stan sighed. "A break? Ok, I can live with that. I'll make Stan Cakes."Dipper gazed towards Mabel sadly, in a depressed manor. "Come on, Dip!" She pulled on his arm, and with almost no effort, it stretched.Dipper squeaked in response. His arm just stretched effortlessly; and is now a literal noodle. Mabel laughed nervously. "It- It's fine..." She rolled his arm into a ball and put it on top of him. "See? Don't worry Dipper. Yo sister has yo back."Dipper held his hair with his other hand, about to hyperventilate and cry. They needed to fix his gem. Stat. He let go of his hair and carried his arm, he tried to get up, but failed. He collapsed an his feet, and fell to the floor. He couldn't feel his heart beat. The biggest feeling he experienced was the inflation and deflation of his lungs.Mabel glanced to the kitchen, then back to Dipper. "Stan! There's something wrong with Dipper!" She shouted.Stan rushed in, as soon as he seen the situation, he sent Mabel to check on the Stan cakes. Stan pushed up his glasses. He had a backup for if something like this ever happened. "We need to find Hematite." He said.Dipper squeaked in a questioning tone."She is a powerful healing gem of balance, intelligence and happiness. The legends say she can heal anything in no time. The thing is... she hasn't been heard from in over 30 years. Seen her once, she really was beautiful, and seriously not my type though." He sighed. "Other than her, I'm not sure who can help ya, kid... unless."He looked at where Dipper's gem was placed and rubbed his chin. He sighed as he lifted Dipper up and carried him like a groom carries his bride. "Mabel make the pancakes to go. We're going to pay a visit to a gem collector." He paused them grumbled to himself. "Hopefully, she's as good as Hematite."Stan made sure Dipper was as comfortable as he could be in the back of the car. His other kid sat next to him in front.He parked in front of a small, cleaned up building that looked like it was for business. He grabbed a blanket from the trunk and covered Dipper in it, to hide his arm. He carried the boy inside."Dr. Soda, please." He asked. The teller nodded and paged the therapist right away. A pale, almost blue woman with long dark blue hair walked in."Stanford, I never thought I'd see you again, come with me into my room." She directed the group to her room, seeming to ignore the child in her old friend's arms. She got Stan to lay the kid on the couch. "How long have you had him for?""They're just here for the summer, you know, fresh air and what not." Stan replied.The therapist cocked her eyebrow. "Where were they before?""Back home in Piedmont.... uh, Mabel, why don't you wait in the lobby? Grown ups are talking." Stan said.Knowing what that usually meant, Mabel let out a noise of disgust. "Thanks for the warning." She backed out of the room."Now, seriously... How long, and why. I know you know, Stan." She said, wanting answers."Sodalite, there's kids present!" He gestured to Dipper who was squeaking and trying to reach the door from the couch. The woman looked at Dipper and seen his distress. She went close to him and lifted his chin gently with her hand."Calm yourself, young one. Your friend will be okay, you will be okay without your friend. You can be independent here, it's fine." She reassured kindly. Dipper calmed and looked to the ceiling, his one long arm laying on the floor. She turned to Stan and glared. "I'll get answers from you later. For now, I need to know where his gem is.""The thing is on the kid's forehead." Stan said.Sodalite brushed Dipper's bangs out of the way. She rested her thumb on it and concentrated. "This makes it so much easier, then." Within a few moments, Dipper's gem twinkled and his arm, along with his body slowly morphed back the way it was.Dipper smiled in relief and joy as he looked over his once deformed arm. "Yes! Thank you!" He cheered. After those few relieved moments, he had to ask. "What happened and how'd you do that?""I used my healer's powers, although they prove more effective when used mentally. I'm just glad your gem was close enough to your head." She smiled.Dipper blushed and tried to cover it up with his hair. "Please don't tell." He whimpered, looking into the metallic pole of a nearby lamp, trying to cover it. "Wait, did you say powers? You healed me with magic? No way! I knew magic and other crazy stuff was real!"Sodalite glared at Stan hatefully. "Lune, go see your friend, I need to have a talk with your... guardian."Dipper held onto one arm. "Uh... Ok; and my name's not Lune, call me Dipper next time, please. Mabel's also my sister. And-""That's enough from you." Stan laughed nervously and pushed Dipper out of the room and held it shut. He smiled too wide to be real as Sodalite glared at him. "Kids, am I right?"
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Sodalite's glare was locked. "Why are you hosting two of the most powerful gems on this lowly planet in a weakened form?" She growled. "And why don't they know their own names? He shouldn't be embarrassed of his gem. He should be proud the Crystals one their rights for this planet." She sighed."For the record, my son bought them fair and square twelve or more years ago. It's not his fault they turned into literal discoloured babies." Stan argued."So their base is in Piedmont?" Sodalite asked. Stan nodded. "How have you been training them?""Uh, they'll figure it out eventually." He said, looking at the bubbled gems she had displayed. "The hell'd you get this?" He asked, poking at a white tinted bubble. "Cat's Eye is like, the king amongst cool looking gems, no offence.""None taken. You should really get on training those kids. I'll even help if you really need it." Sodalite spoke. "Although I might be a little out of practice." She hummed thoughtfully.Stan inspected the chrysoberyl. "Did this used to be...""Yes. It was a gem. Sadly, corrupt at this point. There are many corrupt gems out there, Stan. Let me train Lunas and Solana." Sodalite said."No way." Stan said. "And this gem looks weird." It was a bolo tie with a turquoise stone in the middle."Turk?" Sodalite sighed. "She really was beautiful..." She furrowed her brow. "Stanford, these kids need training." She said sternly.Stan rolled his eyes. "There're not ready! They'll get training when they're old enough. They'll be the definition of innocent until I say they can be otherwise."Sodalite sighed. "I still believe this is the wrong choice.""Look, when I notice their powers starting up, I'll give you a call." Stan compromised, getting up and exiting the office, without another word from Sodalite.He went to the lobby to find his two multicoloured grand... brother's grand kids. yeah. Talking it up with- No!"Come on, kids." Stan said, pushing his kids away from the tiny, white haired menace they were socializing with. Gideon."But Sta~an." Mabel whined."No butts, except yours out the door. Come on, Sodalite's there if this ever happens again, so let's go." They got in their car and drove off, Stan swerving everywhere.The secretary looked at the next scheduled appointment. "Gideon Charles Gleeful." She called, then blushed as she noticed there was only one family in the lobby. "Only door to your left.""Why, thanks." Gideon said cheerfully.His dad, Bud Gleeful put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Now, son-"He was interrupted by a high pitched "Don't touch me!!!" By his son, swatting away his hand. He cleared his throat and opened the door. "Father, wait out here." He entered.He sighed as he entered, seeing one of his enemies before him. "Sodalite." He greeted."Gleeful." Sodalite scowled back. From the back of her head, she pulled out a blue gun-like weapon and aimed it at the dangerous child."Modernized your bow and arrow, I see... very clever." Gideon giggled. He looked at the bubbled gems at his side. As he popped one, Sodalite moved up and her gun started glowing. The gem glowed dimly, thank goodness it wasn't ready."Gideon, don't make me do this, I am under oath not to harm any form of human consciously." She said in a commanding tone.He swiped another bubble off the bookshelf they laid on, popping it. "Whoopsie, looks like I dropped one." He said, his tone turning angry. When he got to the cat's eye, Sodalite blocked his path and stood tall."Fool! Gideon, you are a fool. Do not awaken chrysoberyl! You may not have the faintest idea on what you've done if you did." Sodalite said.Gideon got in a defensive pose. "You are the fool!" He took an object out from his pocket. A violetish blue, square shaped gem. Sodalite scowled. "Return him, Gideon.""What? This old thing?" Gideon threw the gem behind him and Sodalite ran to catch it. She pet it before trapping it in a bubble. She looked back to find that Gideon... was gone. So was the cat's eye and turquoise. Her expression tensed into an angry scowl. "GIDEON!" She shouted at the ceiling. She stomped to the lobby and found it empty."Lite, are you ok?" Her secretary friend asked.Sodalite huffed. "For now.""Stan, was that actual magic? Why was that woman calling me Lune?" Dipper asked the driver. He was too curious for his own good, and that's exactly what his Grunkle told him. "You're too curious for your own good, kid. You're probably delusional from the meds she gave you." Stan lied, keeping his eyes on what looked to be road."What about his arm? What happened to his arm, huh?" Mabel questioned."Your gems are connected with and control your molecular forms." Stan said, now squinting at the road. "If it breaks, your body starts breaking.""So... we're magic?" Dipper asked, looking at his arms in wonder."No." Stan shut down. "You're..." He looked for a lie. "One of a kind, it's a birth defect. It happens in twins, your skin condensed itself into hard stone-like calluses that hold your fragile unstable bodies together... yeah. It's purely scientific." All new information he told, lies. "Oh." Dipper said. So, what did Stan's word mean? One of a kind, birth defect, fragile, unstable.... did he just call them mistakes? Or some kind of freak or something? Either way, it was definitely a put down.Mabel seemed interested. "Woah, really? Freaky!" She took off her sweater and started poking at her gem that shown through a hole she cut in her shirt."So don't be breaking them!" Stan shouted, not keeping his eyes off the dirt path he trailed off on. "How the heck did you break it in the first place?""Dipper and I were fighting gnomes!" Mabel blurted, Dipper cringing. Oh, they were gonna be in trouble, weren't they? Doing dangerous stuff is always number one in things not to do! Fighting those gnomes was very dangerous. Not to mention inexplicably magical! Dipper panicked internally, externally getting sweaty and almost shaky. He hated being yelled at!"You kids and your imaginations!" Stan laughed. Dipper relaxed and gave a confused look. He proceeded to look at Mabel with the same expression. His orange sister just shrugged and gave him a reassuring smile. He sighed, grabbing at her resting hand. He knew how much she claimed she didn't, but he knew she felt just as connected and reassured as he did once they touched."I guess I can be a bit paranoid sometimes..."
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"Dipper, we won't get in trouble, it's just a syrup race." Mabel rolled her eyes. Dipper was just so paranoid and worrisome all the time."What if Stan gets upset, huh? What would we tell him, would we lie to him? I don't want to do that, Mabel!" Her twin panicked, scrunching up the magazine he had in his hands. Geez, her brother had more problems than she let on. He was always clingy and she had to literally pry him off whenever she wanted a sleepover. I mean, back with the gnomes he just felt... different."Dipper, no one ever gets mad over little things like this." She rolled her eyes. She moved one of the bottles around and mimicked a voice. "Come on, Dipper, you know you wanna eat me!""Mabel, I don't think a food would ask for something like that, and plus" He grabbed the other syrup bottle and pointed at the label. "Syrup." He put it back down.Mabel groaned and pushed the syrup bottle further. "Eaaaat meeee!"Dipper pushed it away and laughed a bit. "Fine, go Mountie Man!" He declared, swiping the other syrup again."There we go! Now, go Sir Syrup!" In unison they lifted their syrup bottles upside down over their mouths, mumbling a bunch of 'almosts' and 'yeses' until Mabel's finally dripped into her mouth when she tapped the bottom. "Caaagh!" She choked, coughing immediately. "I won!"Dipper smiled, and sighed, happy he didn't have to eat the syrup. He put down the bottle and retrieved his magazine. He gasped."What?" She asked. "You freaking out?"Dipper shook his head and crumpled up the magazine. "What? Pfft, no." He gave her a fake smile, but the corner of his mouth was twitching, so she knew what was up."You're trying to hide something from me." She said, snatching up the magazine and un crumpling it aggressively. She looked at the page and gasped. "Giant hamster ball!" She squealed."No... the other thing, but I don't want you to drag me back out, I mean, the gnomes were kinda fun to run away from, but I need preparation." He explained. "A thousand dollars is also hard to resist... especially if you think about how many weird monsters I see." He paused. "500 bucks each.""I got this beard hair." Mabel said, putting it closer to Dipper as he backed away. Dipper shivered."Please. Don't." He practically whimpered. "It's really disgusting and vomit inducing."Mabel laughed a bit and pocketed it.Meanwhile, Stan was taking a look at the footage he got of Dipper. Why was he so emotional when his gem cracked? He didn't even know what it did! Stan ran a hand through his hair. He needed a break. He sighed. In the footage he also seen Mabel when she picked out her piece of free merchandise. The girl grabbed a grappling hook. "Heh." He got up and greeted the kids in the kitchen.-Dipper shivered, curled up in a ball. Stan told them they were going to spend a family day together and blindfolded them before they got into his car. "Blindfolds never lead to anything good." He held his knees tighter."I feel as if all my senses are heightened." Mabel said in a whispery tone. She started feeling Dipper's face and he laughed at the gentle caresses and pinches. Until the road bumped and she retracted."Grunkle Stan, um... are... are you wearing a blindfold?" Dipper asked unsurely, not wanting to upset anyone.Stan laughed, "no, but with this cataracts, I might as well be."Dipper gulped then whipped forward a bit, he was at least 67% sure they crashed./=====-------------...........''''Gideon giggled, almost evilly as he practiced using the turquoise amulet. He lifted the cat's eye so it was integrated with his mirror. "Don't worry, kitty." He pet the jewel on the mirror. "You'll be free, eventually." He laughed this time. "Now, mirror mirror on the wall, who'd you like to fuse with out of them all?"The mirror bubbled and a picture of a pink quarts gem faded in. Gideon rolled his eyes. "One of them I know, and that's in gravity falls." The mirror turned black and red, while seeming to boil. A yellow form dripped out of it and looked like it was gasping for air. He looked straight at Gideon and screamed in assumed pain, it was horrifying, really. The scream was inhuman, it was similar to that of a dinosaur from Jurassic World.The form was pulled by it's long hair back into the mirror. She showed up in the mirror. A dark brown lady, with blonde flowing hair appeared. She clawed at the surface if the mirror, with giant, well, claws. She had one brilliant blue eye, the other was her gem. "Rose was the strongest I've known of!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "Please, Gideon, I need to get out." "Try cutting your hair, it was the only reason you got sucked back in last time." Gideon snapped.Chrysoberyl shook her head grimly and low. "You need to pull me out, Gideon, you need to be my hero!" She gasped as she raised her head."I ain't falling for your tricks, Beryl." Gideon said, turning away. He knew this gem was seductive and a compulsive liar.The gem growled, morphing her hair to be extremely short. "Fine, I'll just have to force my way out..." She clawed at the mirror and screamed in pain as her entire body turned yellow. Gideon backed up. "What the?"The mirror shook and finally fell over, the gem popping out. There was a male laughter emitting from the stone as light shone around it. It grew and bubbled until it stabilized a form. "Freedom! Finally!" The now he, said. He had orangey skin, passable as a human skin colour, and short blonde hair, that had bangs long enough to cover his gem eye. His claws morphed to look more human. He was also bulky, and decently unattractive. "I would've made my form prettier, given the time."The gem pulled a large scythe from his eye and jumped at Gideon, scythe swung back. A loud, almost female, scream could be heard from blocks away.Cat's eye laughed. "It's too easy to leave marks wherever I go." He smirked, letting go of his weapon and letting it vanish. "But I like how you think, kid, fusing ain't such a bad idea." A hologram of Hematite shone from his eye when he lifted his bangs. He sighed at the sight. The grey female gem split into two. "and I know just the power source to do it." He cackled as he made another scythe and tore open the little boy's wall.-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-"Kids, open your blindfolds!" Stan exclaimed enthusiastically. The young gems hesitantly did as they were told. They were met with Lake Gravity Falls, and a big banner that read 'fishing season' in a red text. "You're going fishing with your great uncle Stan!"The twins both gave each other confused looks."Here, even made you hats." He handed them each a fishing hat with hooks and letters attached to them. Dipper's read 'Dippy' in blue and Mabel's 'Mabel' in pink. "That... That's hand stitching.""I think he actually wants to fish with us." Mabel said quietly to her twin.Dipper looked unsurely towards the lake and gulped. "Yeah, I'll pass.""What do you mean? You'll pass?" Stan scoffed."Grunkle Stan, hundreds of ancient and urban legends not only revolve around water, but specifically revolve around lakes." Dipper said, glaring at the lake and hugging his sister's arm.Mabel moved his head so he could see her eyebrow raised excitement. Her look was the suggestive look that read '500$?'.He sighed and looked towards the lake and smiled. He was about to pretend to be upset about saying 'yes'. When he was interrupted by an old screaming man."I SEEN IT, AND I SEEN IT AGAIN!" The man yelled. He ended up getting yelled at by his... son? Neither of the twins knew for sure. The old man started talking about a sea monster.Dipper tapped Mabel. "Mabel, we can get the picture!"Mabel smirked. "Look who's got all excited-y all of a sudden."Dipper's cheeks turned a darker shade of blue. "Well, we know what we're up against now... so, we know how to prepare, and stuff." He pulled his hat down a bit.Mabel laughed. "Face it, you like adventures!""What? N-no I don't!" Dipper denied. Mabel poked him repeatedly. "Mabel!" He squealed, pushing her away a bit."Woah! that's a first, am I right?" She laughed a bit more. It was true, it was the only time she could remember Dipper actually pushing her away.He sighed. "Fine, okay. You win." Dipper gave up. She gave him a victory poke on the nose. He sighed and started walking towards the small booth to get supplies."Got any... cameras or... I dunno, a big net... I guess?" Dipper asked, not sure what he was looking for."Not for sale, but you can borrow whatever's in the back." The man replied. "If you're looking to find all that bologna that old man fed ya, I wouldn't bother."Dipper walked to the back anyways, ignoring the comment. He spotted net quickly, it was caught on the building and had vines growing on it. He grabbed hold and tugged as hard as he could. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it free though. He ended up giving up and sitting next to it, holding his knees.He sighed and concenrated on making a plan of some sort... maybe if he had scissors he'd be able to cut the vines...He heard a muffled laugh and looked up. A man curved around a tree with his mouth muffling his chuckles. He walked towards the kid and extended an orangey hand. "Need help, kid?" He smiled a sharp toothed smile."Uh, I guess?" Dipper took it and was pulled up."Name's Kato, but I prefer Bill much better." He said, pulling the kid a bit closer."Dipper." The unsuspecting blue gem replied. He wouldn't know the trouble he put himself in by accepting that hand.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The bulky blonde circled him like a shark. "You looking to catch that lake monster the old man was blabbering about?"Dipper rubbed one of his arms as his cheeks turned bluer, obviously embarrassed. "K-kinda, I guess." He sputtered. Something about this man didn't feel right. "It's more of just a picture for this contest.""If, surely not by yourself." The man smirked. "Much too small in this form, childish and vulnerable, any friends?... Family, even?"Dipper didn't want to stay there, he wanted to leave. This didn't feel right... Something about the guy, his bright appearance, smokey smell and bold personality, reminded him of a burning forest."Feeling ok, child?" The man asked, stopping right in front of him and leaning down. "You're looking a bit... blue. Maybe I can yellow you out a bit?"Dipper backed into the shed. "N-no, that's just how my skin is, sir...." He bit his tongue from correcting him any further. Especially about the 'yellow' part. "Thank you, Bill, but I really need to get this to my sister." He said, blindly tugging at the net."I'll be on my way, then." He smirked at the child, so weak without a driver, controller... user. "I could help with your monster hunt, y'know."Dipper shook his head vigorously. "If my Grunkle found out I talked to strangers, he'll destroy me! I can't just show up with a stranger, or even be seen with one or-or or..." He said, a bit dramatically. He imagined an archive of cruel and unusual punishments, staring into the distance.... not that he's ever had a severe punishment. But his imagination loved to run south anyways.Bill smiled, coming over and gently removing the boy's fragile hands off the net as he began unraveling it from the wall. "He doesn't have the guts to, kid." He handed the small blue gem the net. "We're also going to need some kind of fish food, eh?" He ruffled Dipper's hat.Dipper shook his head. "You can't Grunkle and Mabel would be mad." He rubbed his arm, feeling so upset with himself for just kicking this friendly (but still creepy) man out of his life like that... I mean, his sister does always beg him to get friends... Wait... how old was this guy? How old am I?The man flicked Dipper's hat up and smirked. "Ok, kid. I get it. Give me a call if you ever need help with anything, I'll know where to get you. I'm very helpful, and if you need... I could be you and your sister's saviour."Dipper's face turned to utter concern and fear. "H-how? and how would you possibly even know if you could help?"Bill smirked and began walking into the forest, he looked back. "I'm always watching, and know things, kid." He blew the hair off his covered eye and revealed an interesting, if not beautiful gem. It was a pale yellow with an obvious shining white line going down the middle. "Lots of things." The man laughed before sprinting away into the forest. "EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE, KID!"The words echoed through the young's body, making him shiver. Dipper scampered back to his family as fast as he could, forgetting the net and leaving it behind. Why did that guy have a gem? Was he like he and his sister? Was he really always watching? Why was he watching? Was he watching everybody, just him, or people with the gems? What did he mean by 'saviour?'He slowed down at the call of his name. "Hey, Dipper!" Mabel called, happily waving to her twin from a pretty big (in comparison to his Grunkle's) red boat. Soos the handyman waved from the boat as well, both wearing life jackets."Hey, dude!" The older friend called.The closer Dipper got the more he smiled. The boat had the words 'S.S. Cool Dude' written on the side in white paint and an action figure taped to the bow. "Yo dork, where's our monster catching supplies?" Mabel smirked.Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. Oh yeah. "I kinda..." He thought of what he could tell her. It was either the truth, about meeting someone, talking with a stranger, then driving said creepy stranger off in not the best way, or a lie. He decided with the ladder. "Wanted you to come with me." He raised his arms, awkwardly waiting for a hug.She rolled her eyes and smiled, swiftly jumping out of the boat and running into his arms. After 3.4 seconds, they both loosened and did their sibling "pat pat" ritual. He held her arm and closed his eyes, he let her lead the way just how he liked it. Just letting her know how much her brother really trusts her. Y'know?It felt like a good forever until he reached the supply stand again, this time with his sister... And Soos who, he didn't notice, had tagged along. He walked up to the stand and asked for umpteen disposable cameras. Along with the fish food Bill had suggested. "Uhhh." He looked to his monster hunting crew. "What else?""Sunscreen, dude." Soos pointed out, literally pointing to the sunscreen.They ended up dragging a bunch of supplies with them, all the way to the boat, having to make multiple trips for the fish food. "How many cameras didja even get?" Mabel asked, moving from the steering wheel to let Soos start driving."You know how in horror/ mystery movies-" The blue gem was interrupted by his counterpart."The ones you make me watch with your scaredy butt?" She laughed, digging through the fish food."What? No I don't!""You do! Otherwise you won't sleep and no matter how much I try get you to stop watching, you do anyways. You goof." She dropped the smelly fish snack back into it's barrel."That's besides the point." He took a breath. "Plus, sleep is overrated. The point was they always have some kind of camera trouble, right?""So what? You just got a billion cameras?" Mabel arched her eyebrow."Seventeen. Only seventeen." He jiggled his bag of cameras."Dude, that's still a lot." Soos said, he smiled to himself. "Wouldn't it be cool if that were a magic bag? Then, all the cameras could double until we like... actually have a billion."The twins shared reasoning smiles. They both nodded and agreed. "It sure would take care of the camera problem." "Do you think it would work on other stuff too?"Soos barely had to think about it. "Like Pizza? We could have like, infinite pizza for like, ever.""Or stickers. Can you imagine how many things I could decorate with those?" Mabel smiled excitedly."You could cover the whole town in your artistic vision." Soos gasped. "Only use it for good, dude.Mabel winked and pointed at him. "No promises."Dipper looked at the lake island in the distance. "Where's Grunkle Stan? Also can you be lookout?""Stan's just fishing. And I'll be the best lookout you'll ever know." She smiled, then gasped immediately. "A pelican!" She scurried towards it and poked it in various places. All the while her twin look wistfully towards the shore. The only thing on his mind the mystery of Bill, and how he could possibly help a pair of twins.A minute later, his mind buzzed thinking about how to get a picture of a monster without blur.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Mabel!" Dipper shouted, tackling Mabel away from the falling tree and bouncing back up, returning to their sprint.A giant aqua coloured sea monster chased them, knocking down trees along with anything that dared cross it's path."To the boat!" Soos yelled, scooping up the young and hopping in, the twins quick to stand on their own."That thing is crazy!" Mabel yelled, looking back to the aquatic dinosaur chasing them as Soos zoomed the boat as fast as it could go. Dipper pulled her closer to the bow before it could chomp her up along with the back of the boat."That's why you stay as far away from it as possible!" Dipper yelled back frantically.The monster chased them relentlessly, knocking away any boats, swimmers, fishers and lumberjacks until it got them cornered. The twins looked frantically between the deadly aquatic beast, and the falls that shared a name with the town."Dipper check in your summer diary!" Mabel screeched."My what?""Journal! Whatever Dipper just check if there's something that can help us!" Mabel screamed as the monster took another snap at the boat."Help?" Dipper gulped as he leafed through his journal, thinking back to the strange man who said he could be their savior for a breif moment. He shook his head and screamed his response. "Just keep going! There might be a cave beind the falls!""Might be?!" Mabel screamed. Dipper nodded, still unsure. They all screamed as they dove through through the falls and crashed into a cavern, skipping past the small body of water onto dry land. They both ran off the boat, Soos fumbling behind with them. They ran as far away from the water as they could be, without going too deep in the cave.They panted, then all squealed in various pitches at the monster who stormed in, roaring and flinging it's head wildly. It didn't leave the water, but squirmed around. Dipper smiled. "WE'RE ALIVE! And it can't even get us! Also it's a journal... clearly a journal."He danced around Mabel, holding her hands and leading her in circles, a small white glow secretly emanating from them. She snapped her hands out of his, for a different reason. The light immediately went out. "Dipper we almost died!""Yeah!" He said excitedly. "But Mabel, we didn't." He showed his twin a toothy grin."Hey doods?" Both twins looked at Soos expectantly. The handyman shook his head, brushing off their earlier glowing. "Uh, nevermind. Shouldn't we be, I dunno, taking pictures of that thing? I mean, it looks like it lodged itself in the cave entrance."The twins looked to the stuck monster. "Oh yeah." The blue gem smiled mischievously. "Want to see how close we can get?" If the others were drinking, they would've done huge spit takes. Mabel's eye twitched. "Wh- Dipper! What the heck?!"The boy tipped the bill of his hat up and sniffled, putting his hand on his chin. "We shouldn've brought the net. It's moving too much... could get hurt." He started mumbling to himself incoherently."Dipper, I like your sudden enthusiasm and confidence boost, but now isn't really the time. As the alpha twin your request has been denied.""Yeah, assistant co-denied dude. You could get injured or killed or something.""Permission granted from first co-captain." Dipper started running into the water, until he was a bit more than ankle deep, smiling when his sister ran after him."Dipper." She said, she pulled his sleeve and pointed to an inside cave cliff, far enough away from the monster, but close enough for a good picture. She knew her bro'd understand how much better the angles were. He did, a look from above was always more appealing to him and his eyes lit up.Dragging his sister with him (and Soos following), he ran up the mildly steep mound. He grabbed his camera from under his hat and took pictures like madman. "Get any good ones?" Mabel asked.He turned around and smiled. "They're all good ones!"
Snap.
A blur of aqua colours and that crisp noise, and he was gone in a blink of an eye. The camera fell to the edge, bouncing off into the water.Mabel's grin faltered as she fell to her knees. "WHAT THE HECK WORLD!" She yelled, tears in her eyes."Duuude." Soos groaned. "That... that was... quick." He cleared his throat and his eyes got a bit watery as he led Mabel away from the dangerous area. "Maybe he's just... in the water?"Dipper was nowhere to be found. It was a snap of jaws and he was gone. "Give me back my brother you stupid fish!" Mabel yelled, grabbing her grappeling hook and shooting it in the face.The monster flung his head upwards and a rock crushed it's face while sparks flew from it's face and it collapsed. "Chaarge!" Soos yelled, carrying a bunch of rocks using what was left of his shirt and running towards the monster's side that was closest to shore and attacking it."Foor Dipper!" Mabel yelled, charging with Soos."Wait... dude." Soos stopped throwing rocks. "Hambone, I think it's a cyborg or something check it out." He threw another rock. A metallic sound. "Maybe Dipper's still in there!""Nope; Only me."The pair screamed, seeing a man pop up from the monster. "Crazy old man? You got eaten too?" Soos gasped."Eaten? Why; everything my here gobblywonker eats just goes kaput, into here." He gestured to the garbage pile beside him that was restricting his space."Where's my brother?" Mabel interrogated angrily."He dung dangly telepornated in a poofy things." The old man replied, pressing a button on his control panel with his beard.Mabel rubbed her arm, disturbed that he can move his beard without moving a muscle. Literally. "Yeah, can you just tell us?"He brought up a projector screen and showed his footage in slow motion. "He dun disslypearified."The footage showed through the mouth. The teeth only tapped Dipper's hat and poof! Dipper was gone and his hat fell into the water. Mabel frowned. "Well you're an evil genius just bring him back!" She growled."Actually I just wanted attention... but if saving an alien childen is what it takes, I'll do!"Mabel cocked her eyebrow. "We're not aliens.""Sure ya aren't! Name's Fiddleford!" He held out his hand, back and forth between Mabel and Soos. No one wanted it. He shrugged."Hi! I'm Jesus." Soos said, pronouncing it he-soos. "And this is Mabel." He gestured to Mabel.The girl would've been friendlier if this guy hadn't almost hurt her brother, so she gave him a firm "Hi.""Look in the watermiwatzits for his hatamagig." Fiddleford said, jigging out of the mechanical monster and diving into the water.--A man dove deep into the cavern lake. He smiled and a hand swiped the blue gem's hat up along with the gem itself. He smiled. "Adorable." Cat's eye swam up quickly and ran deeper in the cave, hopefully unnoticed. "Kid, you and I've got work to do." A faint laugh could be heard. Mabel had taken off her sweater and skirt and was in her tank top and shorts, diving. (She'd never wear her skirt without shorts) She splooshed out of the water and turned towards the cave. "Anyone else hear that?"The others shrugged or shook their heads. She shrugged too. As far as she was concerned, that was just a distraction. Except she couldn't shake the feeling they were looking in the wrong place.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Bill watched the gem intently. Multiple hostile, hissing creatures surrounded them. Some with a special gem somewhere on it's body, others with no gem and no stable being. It's been a few days, and Lune sure was taking it's time.He growled. "I swear, if this takes any longer... I'll... I'll smash him to bits and force it!" The sides of his mouth twitched and the monsters around him slithered back. "Get out of there you stupid kid!"
Three days prior...
Mabel cried once the shimmering sun set and the glowing moon rose. "I'm sorry dude, I need to get you back to Stan." Soos said as she wiped her tears and nodded. They couldn't find him. Dipper was lost! They lost her brother! He could be scared and alone and... Maybe Stan knew what to do..."Teleportation? I had no idea you were capable of such feats." Stan blabbered, looking at his notes and straightening his glasses. "It must be some kind of... safety reflex." He cleared the living room table of cards and papers that weren't apart of his research."Then why didn't it happen with the gnomes?" Mabel asked. Stan turned to her.He sighed. "That's why you're here. To figure it out."Mabel gave him a confused stare, but shook her head. "None of this matters, Grunkle Stan. I need to know where Dipper is." She nervously scratched and picked at her arms. "We've never been apart this long."Stan widened his eyes. "What about all that personal space talk and how you wanted to go for sleep... sleepovers? Yeah, and slumber parties and junk."She sighed and wiped at her watery eyes with her orange sweater. "My friends always had to come over to my place." She smiled. "I was so wrong." She went back to her sad expression. "This is terrible. I mean, there's no one here to comfort so now it's all... blargh! What do I do?"Stan tapped a pen to his chin. He began writing notes. It was obvious these kids needed eachother to function... but to what extent?"I lied." He sighed.Mabel blinked. "What? Did- do my ears deceive me?""You guys aren't birth defects or whatever." Stan ground his teeth nervously. "You are... Well, you're these extraterrestrial beings called gems.""I have no idea what that means.""I really shouldn't tell you this... you're adopted. You aren't human. To everyone else you still are. No telling ANYBODY. Now that you know this... I need you to-" He was interrupted."Okay, back up there old man." She took a breath. "I completely understand the adopted part but... I knew we were very very different. Not human?" She took a breath. It was a lot to take in... without Dipper asking the questions and doing the nervous investigation stuff, this was hard. Dipper totally called the not being human part, though she always chose to ignore it. "Are we like some kind of primate or what? And why not tell anyone?" She tried smiling.Stan rubbed his head. "Once we find Dipper I'll explain. First I need you to concentrate.""What? Why?" Mabel asked."I've been told by Sodalite that certain gems, aka: you and Dipstick, can have locating properties if they have been together an excessive amount of time." He pointed to Mabel. "You might be able to find him."She gulped. "I can try...?"
Three days later
"Over here." Mabel whispered. Her and Stan crept around a dark alley. Stan looked left and right, making sure they weren't followed. It was sunset and dark shadows loomed over the pavement. She gently moved a garbage can over, as quietly as possible, revealing a deep tunnel that glistened in smooth pink and purple stone. Mabel's eyes shimmered. It was so sparkly!"Bingo." The old man smiled.A white light surrounded the blue gem. The kid, exactly as he was before, appeared in a kneeling position. No hat on his head. His eyes fluttered open, revealing whom he was kneeling to. "...Bill, right?"Bill smiled and helped him to his feet. "That's my name, kid!"Dipper jumped at the scenery. Nothing but glowing eyes surrounded them. He grabbed onto Bill, the safest thing he seen.The yellow gem's eye widened, then he grinned, hugging the young one back and stroking his navy blue hair. "Shh, it's okay Lune. You can trust me to keep you safe." His smile only got wider when the child buried his face into Bill's sweater. So trusting... so vulnerable. "We can dance your fears away."Dipper stopped trying to dig his face into the man's clothes and looked up, wanting to stop hugging, but not wanting to feel so alone. "Dance our fears away?" He said it so skeptically. Dipper flinched and tightened his hug when he looked to the monsters. He looked back to the man's admittedly ugly face. "That sounds like something Mabel would say.""That's your sister, right kid?" Bill asked. He just needed to be sure it was Solana.Dipper nodded slowly and Bill pulled away, brushing his bangs back to reaveal the kid's gem. Soon he'll bear a mark of Pyrite."May I have this dance?" Bill pulled back further, taking a firm step, feet together. Before he dragged the foot forward, moving firmly with his drawed out hand. "Just... take... my... hand."That sounded... really dumb. Except Dipper was desperate to concentrate on something other than the hungry eyes attempting to get in his head and eat up his soul, he reached for the hand, but flinched back. He held one of his arms nervously. "I... I can't dance."Bill groaned. "Just dance, kid.""Dipper!" Mabel's voice pushed through the crowd of monsters. The hook of her grappling hook shot above their heads and they watched her swing over, Stan hanging onto her for dear life. She landed between them and her twin latched onto her immediately. "What happened? Where did you go? I was so worried."Dipper shook his head and smiled. "I don't know, I literally just woke up, Mabel."Stan glared at Bill. "How did you get out of Sodalite's bubble?"Bill grinned. "And I thought you wouldn't recognize me. How sweet." He sighed and crossed his arms. He grimaced. "You know everything was going Chrysoberyl before you and Solana showed up." He snapped and the monsters that surrounded them started to edge closer. "You've riled them up.""Call off your beasts, Chrysoberyl." Stan growled, huddling closer to the kids."Even if I wanted to, why should they? They hate you, Dr. Dissection... I wonder why though." Bill grinned as he started to walk away."Bill-" Dipper's voice cracked and he coughed. "Bill, can I use that free save now?"The mentioned gem smiled and the monsters all stopped. Bill turned his head and smiled. "First, I want a dance.""Smokebomb!" Stan yelled, pulling the twins harshly back how they came, pushing through jaws claws and other limbs to get out.Bill growled and yelled in frustration, he couldn't see anything and they were getting away! Once the smoke cleared, he glared at the monsters and they immediately cowered back. He stomped closer and closer. With his clawed hands he grabbed one by the neck and snapped it until it poofed into a gem. He caught the gem in the air and crushed it. Crushed it."Who wants a BFF?" He hissed, glaring at the others. "That is what they're calling it these days, right?" He snapped around and grabbed one without looking. He ripped the gem from it's form and- poof! Another gem. He crushed it in his hand like it was nothing."Hm? Who would like to deal with my anger next?" He crushed them together and his hand turned red hot. He opened his hand to reveal a bubbled mess of two gems. He threw it on the ground with disgust. "Next time, I expect better."He strolled out of the cave, humming. The monsters huddled around the forced fusion. They clicked and hummed, communicating as well as possible. Two light forms emerged, screaming and crying for help, dripping with light and tears before meshing together and becoming one. The creature was a deformed mess of multicolored arms and legs, multiple eyes and orifices. Most of the monsters shrunk back in fear of the familiar sight.Bill grinned at the frightened whimpers and cries.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Dipper, Mabel and Grunkle Stan crawled out of the once blocked tunnel. They emerged in the same back alley, this time in the darkness of night. "Dipper, who was that?" Mabel asked."That was Bill... he wanted me to dance with him?" Dipper said it like a question, a bit weirded out. He noticed his navy blue bangs were still pulled aside and brought them back to cover his gem."Dance?" Stan started pacing. "What power could gems possibly use with dance?" What was Chrysoberyl trying to accomplish? His mind flashed back to the scene, many of the monsters were multicolored and had no gems. It was like he fused a bunch of body limbs together. Was he going to do that to Dipper? Then why'd he want to dance? "Stan, you've got some 'splainin to do." Mabel said."I know kid, I know." He sighed. Everyone jumped slightly when they heard the groans from the tunnel. "I'll explain back at the shack."-------------- Stan explained all he could, all he knew, in fact. How they were gemstones. Extraterrestrial beings. Aliens. He explained that Bill was defective and last time he escaped his bubble the previously mentioned (and missing) Hematite defeated him. He explained how Sodalite and multiple other gems live in Gravity Falls. Living completely undetected by gem technology.He explained how their bodies were made of light and how that's all he really knew.Dipper high fived Mabel. His pupils blew way up in excitement. "I knew we were aliens!"Stan sighed. "Did you know that now you know you're going into a training camp?"The twins' eyes widened. "Boo!" Mabel shouted."What? Why?" Dipper asked, voice cracking slightly."To learn how to use your gem super powers or something." Stan shrugged. "Classified. Don't worry though. I forgive you for abandoning me a few days ago."Dipper rubbed his arm. "Oh yeah, sorry.""Plus, you'll still live here. You'll just be going to the therapist every weekday morning to train." Stan shrugged. "You kids better get some sleep. Have a big day tomorrow. And hey, welcome back Dipper.""D'aww thanks Stan." Dipper said, a bit shyly. He and Mabel climbed up the stairs into their rooms.-------------- Sodalite gasped and a tear dripped from her left eye. "You'll actually let me help?" She trembled. "Train them?" She smiled as she ran in place. She took a deep breath and calmed down. "It's about time you rusty human."Stan sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Just make sure they're back by noon." He left the place before he got in trouble for seeing something he wasn't supposed to.Sodalite gave the twins an excited smile. "It's an honor. You should have seen you guys back in the day, you were such a duo. "A holographic image of two girls appeared behind her. They were dancing. A blue one with long pure white hair, the other, orange with beautiful golden hair. Both looked older then the twins. One danced with grace, the other in very rhythmic steps and swings.Mabel started laughing. "Dipper was a girl?!" Dipper glared at his sister and pouted.Sodalite shook her head. "Gems have no gender unless they choose so. They cannot have children in the same ways humans do." The holographic Mabel grabbed the holographic Dipper's hands and spun him around, when they came in for a hug they were covered in a blinding light."What happened?" Mabel asked, a bit concerned. Dipper's breath caught in his throat. What Bill wanted to happen.The holographic twins, smiling merged into one, dark being. The being had white hair and grey skin. Her four eyes were multicolored and beautiful... in a creepy kind of way. Her arms were chimeraed, having striped skin all over. Mabel was entranced, but Dipper was hesitant."Can all gems do that?" He asked, playing with his hands nervously.Sodalite sighed and muttered. "This is what you get Lune for living on a human world..." She took a breath and answered. "Of course, Lune. It's how gems show their love and attachment to eachother. Traditionally."The twins looked to eachother in disgust with a "yuck" And "Gross"."Although that was millennia ago, nowadays it's used for sport or battle." She sighed. "You guys will accomplish great things when you fuse again. It will be amazing."The twins still wrinkled their noses. This was so weird...Sodalite led them outside to the backyard. "This where we'll train. Lune with his sheild and sword and Solana with her crossbow." She smiled and mumbled something incoherent to the twins. "Hematite and her blade shooter...""All learning will be done back in my office." She smiled widely. "Who wants to learn how to dance?"Mabel jumped for joy. "Me! Can you imagine me and Dipper flying around as that scary lady? We could totally pull pranks and no one would know it was us, right bro?" No answer. "...bro?"Dipper shrunk where he stood. "I... i dunno, can't we learn about this whole sword and sheild business first?"Sodalite nodded. "Right, you kids should probably learn about yourselves separately. Just in case if I... trigger... uhh..." she rubbed her gem nervously, looking for an excuse for Dipper, then snapped. "Some kind of separation issues for when you come apart." She coughed.Dipper seen what she did and smiled. Mabel sighed. "Yeah, okay." She grinned to her brother. "Bet you I can figure out this weapon business first."Dipper smirked. "I bet your emergency sprinkles I will."Mabel gasped, then laughed. "I bet your summer diary on it."Dipper huffed. "Mabel, it's a manly journal and you know it.""You keep thinking that..."Sodalite cleared her throat. "You won't need to figure it out. I'm going to show you." She paused. "As soon as Stanford leaves."A far away. "Come on! I just got here!" Was heard from the nearby shrubs.Sodalite smiled and summoned her gun, pulling it from her gem and shooting in his direction. A small ting was heard."My pen! Fine, I'm leaving!" The twins watched their Grunkle stumble out of the bushes back to the main street of the town.Sodalite smiled. "When your weapon is ready to be summoned, your gem will glow. Most gems have different ways to activate their glow, some use-""Got it!" Mabel cheered, pulling a golden crossbow (loaded with a sunset orange arrow) from under her sweater.Sodalite practically squealed. "Solana's already got it down!" She looked to Dipper, smiling with the same energy in a more calm manner. "Lune, do you want to try?"Dipper scratched behind his head and looked to the grass, cheeks turning a tint of darker blue going purple. He smiled. "Sure, I mean, yeah. I want to try." His eyes read determination when he looked to his new teacher.He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, practically meditating. The one thing on his mind was a sword and sheild. He heard some hushes from Mabel and opened an eye to see her smiling excitedly."...what?" His voice cracked."You did that projection thingy with your sword and sheildymagig. You know that thing I and the girls were talking about that one sleepover there was a dare and-" Dipper covered his sister's mouth."Sh! Yeah, I remember. Please don't talk about it!" The boy sighed and looked to his teacher in mild embarrassment. "So, how were the ways I could make my gem glow?""It's a mix of feeling, concentration and determination. I, use the joy of protection, concentrate on my weapon and am determined to not only teach you, but guide you in the right direction."Dipper nodded and smiled. His gem glew lightly, and when he looked up, there was something behind his bangs. He grabbed it and pulled it out of his gem. A blue sword. Not too long after a sheild was presented before him and he grabbed it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sodalite smiled and almost squeed in delight. "Now, do you think you guys will be good to dance?"Mabel smiled. "Heck yeah! We're gonna look and be so cool! Right Dipper?" She punched her brother lightheartedly. He didn't answer and was looking to the floor shyly. "I said, right Dipper?" She started poking him, earning no reaction."I just... don't want to? I guess?" Dipper said, pulling the bill of his hat down, his sword and sheild poofing out of existence.Mabel grabbed his hands and bounced. "Come on, it will be fun!""Well, shouldn't we like, practice with our weapons before we get all dance crazy?" Dipper laughed nervously as he moved his hands out of his sister's grip.Sodalite coughed. "Of course, heh. Whoopsies. Guess I got carried away in my excitement." She pulled her small gun from her gem. "Lune, I'm going to need you to go inside while I teach Solana about her crossbow. As for you, bring a sword from my display when it's your turn, okay?"Dipper nodded in understanding and made his way inside.----------------------------Dipper kinda just sat there feeling... useless. Not that he was ever useful. He studied a sword he had picked as these thoughts started to meld into his mind. Thinking about it, he came to realise he was useless. He literally could be replaced by anyone and the things he does will still get done.He sighed externally. "Lune?" Sodalite's voice interrupted his sulking. "Lune, is there something wrong?" She came closer to sit by the (seemingly) younger gem.Dipper only huffed before running his hands along the sword, carefully avoiding the blade. "Nah, it's nothing. Just a bit of parnoia. I just tend to be unsettled easily. That's all."Although she knew there was something more, Sodalite didn't push it. She took his hat and ruffled his hair, moving it up so his gem can be shown. "If you say so, Lune. I'm going to go back to Solana, I don't want to sense anymore unease, ok?"Dipper's cheeks felt warm as he brushed his bangs down. "Yeah, okay Sodalite. I- I'll try."She left (with his hat, although Dipper didn't notice) and he hummed happily. It was only a few moments until he heard happy screaming from the backyard along with giggles and the occasional "I am the god of destruction!" from Mabel. He smiled and got up, sword in hand as he happily bounded towards the back door. He peeked through to see what exactly was happening.Mabel was running around, shooting at holotargets and trees. He smiled warmly and thought about joining them. (Well, if watching from a closer distance counted as 'joining'.) Ultimately, he didn't and did what he was told and waited inside for his turn. He knew Sodalite would never get mad if he joined, but he stayed inside just in case.What was he thinking about before? Wait. Oh, right. He sighed as he retured to his seat and looked for something else to think about. For starters, the ceiling fan was unnervingly shakey. There was also a few empty places on a small display with bubbles containing... gems? He looked to the window. Huh, Bill was tapping on the glass. He looked back to the sword display and looked at the different rapiers and longswords and swords he didn't- wait.He felt his hair stand on end and his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. "Bill?" He said in a quiet, high pitched voice.The one eyed gem waved through the window with a large smile that screamed friendship. (Tried to, anyways. In reality it was kinda unnerving. ) Dipper scampered towards the door and seen his sister and new mentor continue playing. He ran back to the window and opened it. "Hey, kid. As a gentleman it's my duty to apologize for not being able to save you. Really. You still get a save, moonie."Dipper rubbed his arm. "Look, man. It's not that I don't appreciate what you've done, but I shouldn't be talking to you. Grunkle Stan might get upset. He told me you were 'defective' and not a really good influence on anyone.""But you're so useless to him." Dipper gasped at how flatly Bill said it. "Why would he even care about you?"Dipper looked to the ground sadly. "I.. family reasons? Plus Mom and Dad'll kill him.""You aren't even related, kid." Bill smirked at Dipper's visible cringe. This is sooo easy. "You wanna know what I say? With their Star out there, why would they need you?"Tears already dripped down Dipper's eyes. How did this guy already know what he was thinking? Why was he being so emotional? "Th- they don't.""So why stay? I need you. You'll be so useful, you'll be the go to guy. People will beg for your help or advice." Bill leaned against the windowsill. "Just run, Dipper. We'll laugh and eat and play. One day, we might even dance."Dipper's mouth threatened to pull into a smile and one arm reached almost longingly towards Bill. Towards being useful for once. Inside he was screaming to go get Mabel and Sodalite... but something was wrong.An arrow, orange like the start of a sunset, shot between them. Dipper snapped his head up. Mabel. "Get away from my brother. You... you... kidnapper!"Dipper shrunk back, mind so fragile and foggy at the moment. Bill had his paws around it. He didn't know what to do. So he stood back and watched with wide eyes. Sodalite and Mabel stood at the doorway, both with their own crossbows. "What ideas did you put into his head?" Sodalite growled, hostility fuming off her uncontrollably.Dipper was on the verge of a breakdown until he noticed how calm Bill was. "None he didn't already have, Sody." Both girls scowled. "If you really must know, I was going to take my new and only friend somewhere he's useful." Bill smiled to Dipper. Dipper grit his teeth at the word only."Joke's on you, kidnapper. Dipper's on team Mabel, all the way. Right bro?" She smiled as she lowered her bow slightly.Dipper just blanked to the floor. Thoughts that he's never had before. Never had before Bill. Mabel was always right. She was always the sun. He was the moon, left alone in the dark. Noone wants to see the moon set, nor rise. No one's ever had time for lune. "Solana. I- I know how in the way I c-can be. I kn-know how untalented I am compared to you and I... I understand now why I've always agreed with you."Mabel was silent as tears dripped down her brother's eyes, her own threatening to follow. "Wh- what?" She tried smiling to put it off like some kind of joke."I never wanted to be away fr-from you. You were always the center of attention and I was okay with that... but you're too bright for me Mabel. I'm useless when you're around.""Luna, I apologize for not training you guys at the same time, please don't go. Chrysoberyl is a bad gem, Lune. He... digs in your mind, somehow. He finds your weakness and your most pent up thoughts and turns them against you. Lune, understand your training will come soon." Sodalite said, freaking out internally, but needing to contribute to the situation.Bill smirked as he pulled a scythe from his gem. "Sooner than you think, moonie. I can give you everything for the price of friendship. All the training you could want, all the things for control, all that you can use to finally be useful. I can train you."Dipper flicked his head up. His sister and mentor were closer and Bill leaned in a bit. He frowned looking back and forth. He bit the inside of his lip. It was a few moments of dead silence. Dipper wiped his eyes and took a breath. "Bill." Said gem lit up and the mention of his name. "Trust me when I tell you to get out of here."Bill faltered and looked very upset. Dipper snapped his fingers and Bill looked up, scythe poofing away. Dipper had a welcoming smile on his face. Did... was that supposed to be a sign? Bill just moved from view of the window.Mabel bounded up and hugged her brother. "I'm sorry Dipper. Why don't you ever tell me how you feel?"Dipper shrugged, even though he had an answer ready. "Mabel?""Yeah?"She was pushed off. "You never give me the chance." He ran to the window and jumped out. "Get out!" He yelled, snapping Bill from his thoughts.Bill understood immediately and lowered so Dipper can get onto his back. They bolted away with no hesitation whatsoever.Mabel stuck her head out the window. "Dipper?"Sodalite lifted her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "He was saying goodbye." She groaned. "Heck. Heck to Chrysoberyl. That sneaky jerk is only getting worse.""Getting wor- DIPPER!" She jumped out the window and looked around. "Bro?" Tears began to fall. He literally just got back! "Dipper you sellfish knuckle head! You don't need to be useful!" Her voice started degrading to a squeak. "I just need you here."----------------------------Bill and Dipper laughed. They entered Bill's weirdly void of monsters lair. A breif high five was shared before they stopped and Dipper was let down from the piggy back. The moonstone immediately locked Bill in a hug and looked up. "Thanks, Bill. What should we do first?""We're going to make you so useful, people'll beg for your help, kid." Bill stroked his hair, a grin dripping with acidic malice. "By people, I mean everyone."Bill pried the clingy brat off himself, a grin still crazed but more happy and admittedly more comforting. Both hands were on Dipper's shoulders."You're going to be useful, kid." Bill said, earning a beam of joy from the child. To me.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"You see, kid ya got to be ruthless. Show no mercy in battle. Mercy is weakness and weakness is lack of power. Lack of power is lack of usefulness. Got it?"Dipper nodded in response to Bill's instruction. "No mercy." The young one echoed. He struck the 'dummy' (it was actually one of Bill's monsters) right in the stomach and it poofed into it's gem. The gem was taken by Bill and bubbled."Nice work, Loonie. Maybe next time I'll let you crack the gem. Won't that be fun?" Bill beamed.Dipper rubbed his arm. "It depends, will you be able to fix it?"Bill smiled warmly and ruffled the squirt's hair. "Of course. I'm Chrysoberyl."Dipper smiled and fixed his bangs as a hand was placed on his shoulder. "Bill?""Yeah, squirt?""Thanks, man. I don't think I would've gotten anywhere with Sodalite. She's more long range, so... yeah." Dipper put one arm on the back of his neck."You are very welcome, Loonie. You think you're up to take on some forest creatures? They're much more sentient, but that just makes it more fun." Bill smiled.Dipper smiled back. "Am I!" It had been a week since her twin's disappearance. Although most of her group's time was spent searching, it wouldn't consume their lives. They had stuff to do. The shack stayed open and Mabel kept going to training.... by the end of said week, it was only Mabel and Stan who continued searching. (No one knew them very well yet, and Stan doubted the police would've responded to: help my alien nephew was abducted by an alien.) Chrysoberyl's first hiding spot was long since abandoned, so they searched in the forests they knew. They searched through town as well, asking if anybody had seen either gem they were looking for with no luck."It's just not fair. I mean, who even does that? What about me, huh? What about Mabel? Am I just not good enough to be seduced into running away?" Mabel complained, shooting her crossbow at one of the marked targets."Solana, I understand you're hurt, but wishing to be kidnapped isn't going to help us find Lunas." Sodalite sighed, projecting more holotargets.Mabel dismissed her weapon. "I just feel like half of me is missing." She mumbled.Sodalite bit her lip and sighed, dismissing the targets. She walked inside and motioned Solana to follow. The blue gem sat down on the couch and pulled Mabel beside her, arm around her shoulder. A projection of the two gems the twins used to be danced in front of them."There once was two gems..." Sodalite started."One was shy and quiet. They stayed away from all else, enjoying their silent peace and loneliness.The other was loud and outgoing. They existed only to seek out others like her, enjoying chaotic peace and other's company.The two were created together. One stone drifted and was forgotten over time, the other was bright and stayed.One day, the bright one heard a tale of the forgotten. She heard it was someone important to her. She knew inside it was her other half. It was no more than slow gossip, but she was still determined to find them and reunite....The forgotten was not pleased to see the bright one at first. The forgotten pushed away, knowing who the bright was. They wanted nothing to do with their other half. They wanted to show that they could do anything without them.Or so it seemed, internally the forgotten was scared. She was scared that if the bright one rejected her, all else will. She was scared that her destined other half would not be accepting, would not want such a shy thing in her life. No matter how much the bright one denied it... She drifted farther and farther.It was neither of their faults. The bright one, unable to burn dimmer. The forgotten, unable to take-"Mabel squirmed a bit. "Sodalite, this sounds really sad. Was this supposed to cheer me up or make me feel worse?"Sodalite cleared her throat. "Right, I'll skip over the, um, sadder parts.Gradually, the forgotten stopped running and froze. She froze, looking at her other half, still scared. This time, the brighter noticed the fear.The brighter knew now that the forgotten was not angry all this time. All this time she was actually scared. The brighter approached the forgotten and held her in her warm embrace, melting the ice that grew in the forgotten's heart. She gently melted all her half's mistrust and doubt.They became one and were happy."By now, Mabel was hugging Sodalite. "W-was that about us? Me and Dipper?"Sodalite licked her lips in thought. "History is always bound to repeat itself... but this time, a new character invaded the story."Mabel looked to the floor. "So, whaddo I do?""Remove the dark shield around your brother's ice and embrace it with your warmth.""Yeah, but I mean literally.""Sorry. What we need to do is take Bill down, and get your brother back. I've finally cancelled all this month's appointments and we are going to go check the only other hiding spot he could be in." Sodalite paused."The men's bathroom!" Mabel shouted, smiling."Not quite, Solana. But I can't deny there's going to be a lot of water." Dipper followed Bill in a sprint, vest and hat long abandoned as they jumped a gorge. The Moonstone stumbled but was pulled away from the ledge."Be careful, Lune. You won't be as helpful if you're body's smushed and your gem is cracked." Bill said, grinning as he padded the boy to continue in their direction."Thanks, Bill." Dipper said, smiling before continuing their run.The two stopped near a river and Bill narrowed his voice down to a hush. "See that monster there?" He pointed to a Gremloblin.Dipper nodded."Use your training well. Don't look into it's eyes. You'll be paralyzed with fear. Remember, show no mercy! None! Whatsoever." Bill gave his student a smile, canines being shown off a bit too much."No mercy!" Dipper shouted as he jumped to the monster, maneuvering so he could get in a good place behind it. Once there, he jumped up and summoned his sword. The monster didn't have time to be sorry it turned around. The sword impaled his skull and Dipper was atop the beast when it fell.Bill stared hungrily. He gripped the child's shoulders and grinned. "Lune, you have no idea how happy I am. I can't even begin to express it."Dipper let his sword evaporate. He looked at the wound and at the fallen monster. He felt bad... this monster will never be able to be again.Bill excitedly pulled Dipper away from the no-longer-alive Gremloblin. "Kid, we're going to do big things!"Dipper gave a half smile. "Yay!" He said a bit wryly, taking one last look at the monster.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was the same day, and two gems had strayed far from their usual safe area..."'Cmon, Lune. You were on a streak. Plus, this one's so easy." Bill was really getting annoyed. Stupid human morals. They were holding his precious power source back."Bill, no offence, but I'm really starting to question your morality here, man." Dipper arched his eyebrow to Chrysoberyl, then went back to staring at the fluffy cotton ball-like bunny munching the forest grass in front of him.The yellow gem sighed. "Dipper. It's not an adorable bunny. It's playing you for a fool."Dipper held his sword close. Who better to tell him something's an illusion than the master of illusion himself. "I think I'd feel a lot better if I actually see it change or something. Or just see it... y'know... not look so innocent?"Bill sighed in annoyance as he pulled his scythe from his gem. He jumped up and brought it down on the bunny, slicing it nearly in half.Dipper winced, but once he seen the dead body morph into the hoofed and antlered humanoid creature it was, he knew he would've felt bad letting it be set free. "What is that?"Bill's sythe disappeared. "Charmed wendigo. It would've ate every human in town if ya let it go. Ya gotta trust me more than that, kid."Dipper didn't pry his eyes off the corpse horrific creature. "I-I will."Bill hummed happily. "Tommorow we'll get rid of the rest. Hm?"Dipper nodded. "Yeah. Those things look really dangerous." He cringed at the dead humanoid creature."And not good. See? We're already being useful!" He put both hands on Dipper's shoulders and pushed him to a nearby cave. He snapped his fingers once they were in."Why are we stopping here? Shouldn't we go back to the island or something?" Dipper asked, obviously confused why they were moving so quickly.Bill waved it off. "Bad people are on the island, kid. It won't be safe for me or you.""Yeah, but who?""Bad people. You said you'll trust me. " Bill said, almost accusingly. "Sodey, this place... I almost got eaten by a water dinosaur here. Fake one, but..." Solana shrugged, making a weird face at the sandy island. "I apologize, Solana. I just know this is totally something Cipher would do. He loved solitude as much as always being the center of attention. However that makes sense. Why wouldn't he choose an obvious, but lonesome island?""Hey, that looks like one of those monster dudes we seen last time we seen what's his face." Mabel pointed to two multicolored hands attached to eachother.Sodalite gasped. She froze, completely immobile as she watched it with wide, teary eyes."Sodey? Sodalite? Are you okay? It's just a hand." Mabel skipped towards it and pet it. It trembled and garbled in response. "See? It's not even that bad!"Sodalite shivered. "Solana, get away from that. They... it could be dangerous." Sodalite took a step back.Mabel hopped on it's wrist. "Cmon! It'll take us right to my brother!" She tapped it on it's (assumed) backside and it began to crawl.Sodalite gasped, tears breaking free from her eyes. Did Solana not know... of course she didn't. "Solana!" Sodalite trailed after her, not going close to the monster, but not letting her student out of her sight either.Mabel looked concerned. "Sodey, what's wrong?""The... the monster." Sodalite breathed. "You have a determined heart, Solana. I respect that... but... and... you don't have to ride on this. I don't want to sound inconsiderate, but maybe we can just follow it. From a distance."Mabel scoffed. "We might lose it. Plus I don't see anything not good about her." She stroked it's side. "Isn't that right, Ariel?"The hand shivered and she laughed.Sodalite took a breath, continuing to follow from a distance. "Why Ariel?"Mabel smiled and pointed ahead of them. "Cause this hand's gonna swim like the little mermaid, boi! Ahahah."Sodalite looked to the water and sighed. Cipher moved.She summoned her pistol and hopped onto the water, walking on it as if it were just a shallow puddle layered on a road of concrete. She grimaced when Ariel followed."Onwards, Ariel! Take me to my brother so we may take him home!" She smiled brightly, braces shimmering partially in Sodalite's eyes. The deep blue gem rubbed her eyes, messing with her contacts.She groaned, stopping to fix them as Mabel traveled dangerously far ahead. When she recovered, the sun gem was gone.A sarcastic "great" was in order. So, as a result Sodalite ran. She ran to find the smaller gem."Solana!" Sodalite cried. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Solana!" By now her cheeks were purple and her eyes were a bit puffy. She sighed a broken whine before tip toeing a bit farther. The water rippled sadly with each gentle step. She lost her balance as the overwhelming dizziness of failure shadowed over her. The ripples continued onto the nearby shore.The emotionally scratched gem fell to her knees and she sighed with a large breath. Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her dark blue blazer, she took control of her breath and steeled herself to march on. "I swear on this earth if cipher has done anything to these kids he'll pay.""Chysobereeree! I swear if you've done anything to my bro bro you're going to pay bigtime! Solana's here to break the ice, baby!" Riding on her trusty steed Ariel, Mabel screamed her battle cry. Rearing on the double handed wrist monster, she grinned in her righteous fury. "Ha! I knew you were here! Give it up!"From her gem, she whipped out her sunset themed bow and arrow and drew back. She aimed at right at Bill's stupid gem eye.After a small moment of shock, Bill's lips tightened into a malicious grin. His focus that was turned away, slowly spun and zoomed in on Mabel. "Come to disturb our training, sunshine?"A bit off from her main vision, she could see her brother. He was hidden behind Bill along with a few other monsters similar to the tame creature she rode on."Give me my brother back, you-... you demon!" Mabel drew back further.Bill let out an exasperated sigh. "I would... if he were your brother, wendigo."Wendigo? Mabel's brow furrowed in confusion.Dipper snapped up. Wendigo? He sat down, leaning against Bill's leg. "The shapeshifter..." he heard himself whisper. Bill said that there were more. He peeked from Bill's side and glared at his sister... but in his quickly influenced mind she was easily registered as a monster.A threat against all he cared about and more.
Show no mercy.
"Wendiwhat?" Solana's bow was lowered in her confusion. Her face dropped at Dipper's deathly glare. "Dipper?"Bill tilted his head and gave a crazed look. His hair suddenly lifted and his eye widened... his teeth looked unbelievably sharp when he gave her a wide grin. His dark grumbling laugh echoed in the cave before Bill stopped abruptly.His voice was more dark and tempting than normal. "... D͡ip̀͢ṕe͠ŗ.̶.̧.͏ you know what to do."It wasn't a call nor was it a question.It was an order.It happened so quickly... Mabel had no idea what had happened.A second. Maybe three.There was a lunging jump, Dipper's sword was drawn and the end shone. The blade was only inches from his sister's face. There was another beat. Another beat of her artificial heart and the harsh clank of metal against metal rang in her ears. "Solana!" Dipper tried to attack her. Her brother tried to hurt her. Kill her. This wasn't right. "Solana! Go!" Bill changed him. Chysoberyl changed him. She frowned deeply. Sobs that could've been mistaken for laughs echoed in her ears."Please!"Snapped back to reality, two sweater clad hands reached to stifle a gasp seconds too late.Sodalite's gun was now bladed, the small point barely doing the job of holding back Dipper's determined attacks. It seemed they moved only a little ways away from Mabel. "Solana! Move!... please. Get away! Bill's hold on him is stronger than-" She grunted, pushing Dipper a few steps back. "Than I thought it'd be.""Bill holds nothing, monster. Even if he did, he's done nothing but help me become-" He swung at Sodalite, and she was hardly able to guard herself. "Stronger!" He grunted as he swung the sword again, getting a bit of her arm. He scowled. His teeth seemed to sharpen in his feral rage. "And I'll be ever so useful." He chimed.He was about to make another attempt at her, but everyone was cut off by a gurgling shreik.Mabel whacked Ariel and the creature jumped back, screeching. She steadied her bow and aimed for her brother. "Bro! Stop! You don't have to do this!" She yelled. "I'm not leaving, bro. Not without you."Everything stilled.Bill glared. Dipper froze. Sodalite watched Mabel. Mabel heaved."Dipper..." She began. "You were never useless. I need you. YOU. Not whatever monster Bill's trying to morph you into. Look at him bro. Do you really want to look like that?"Bill straightened up and scowled at Mabel. His hair still stood on end and his teeth were still pointed. His claws were bigger than normal.Dipper flinched back. "Bill?""Don't listen to them. We still have a chance, Moonstone. You still have a chance. Come with me." Bill's eyes and face screamed crazed desperation. He couldn't risk losing his battery. Not when there was someone closer to him that could swipe him away in an instant. Dipper couldn't say anything.The gem stood there, confused. How'd the wendigo know? Is that- did Bill lie? Why would he lie? Dipper's sword vanished and he curled himself into his own arms.
Can't trust Bill.
The yellow gem's desperation became anger. His yellow into a blood red. "I say N̷͘͢Ớ̶͠͝W̧͡, you dumb battery!"Dipper shrank. "B-battery?"Bill dropped on all fours and steadily crawled towards Dipper. He didn't look okay. He looked like a feral cat. He even let a low growl escape his throat as he closed in.Sodalite pulled Dipper away, she wrapped him defensively in her arms."Unuseful. You can't even do nothing right. You're nothing but a clod with too much energy. A power source that doesn't know how to expell itself. Pathetic.""Chysoberyl stop. Now." Sodalite pulled the smaller gem closer to herself.Bill was close now and Dipper can feel his guardian's shivers.A struggled noise squeaked out of Bill. An monstorous squelch. An arrow, shot into his chest. Mabel glared, loading a new arrow.Sodalite's breath hitched. "Oh no." She grabbed Dipper and climbed onto the monster. "Go!" She yelled and Mabel whacked Ariel's side.The monster sprinted off, it squeaked. Ariel was terrified. "Why we running?" Mabel asked, hugging her brother.Sodalite's eyes widened. Mabel's too when she seen Sodalite on the brink of tears. "You made him mad."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Dipper's grip tightened. His hands squeezed around Mabel desperately. He was soo sorry. He was so confused. Bill was helping him. Bill was his friend. Bill was supposed to undetstand... Bill was a liar. He almost attacked- killed his sister! The conversation around him was no more than background static for his ruminations.Dipper didn't want to be helpless. He didn't want Mabel to eventually abandon him because he's not a good enough brother. He wanted to train so he could come back a hero... come back useful. Now here he was. Sniveling. Weak. Pathetic. Holding his sister like a lifeline. He really was useless as dirt... wasn't he?He didn't register her talking. He didn't register the usually strong Sodalite unravel and begin to sob. He didn't register trees falling nor Bill's crazed laughter. Getting closer and closer. He didn't register his sister's screams when she-...He registered her hold and he hugged her back as the world began to bleed back into his consciousness."Dipper! How do we stop that?!" Mabel screamed.On all fours Bill lead the charge of mutations. The arrow still stuck in his chest. Animals stampeding away, trees falling in their wake. Bill laughed maniacally as his claws penetrated Ariel's physical form. His scythe was brought out and with a swipe of it, the tame mutation poofed into it's gem....it was a part of the scythe's power. Able to destroy the physical being in a single swipe if he willed it.The trio let out oofs as they fell to the forest floor, the shore and other side of the lake was visible. Dipper gapsed as he felt points dig into his wrist and forehead. Around his gem. His hold was ripped away from his sister's and he whimpered. He was on the tips of his toes. He felt a painful tug at his chest. His body expanded alarmingly before calming. He thrashed and tried to get away from the claws. Away from Bill."Dipper!""Mabel!"Bill had him. The mutations were stalled and Dipper was grabbed. He felt himself expand again, this time with a flickering white light. He seen his sister. With determination, she drew her bow. His surprise was unable to show when he seen Sodalite backed away from them, almost hiding behind Mabel.Even when he was on the brink of- what was his body doing? Was it trying to explode?- whatever it was doing, he questioned his trust in her. As Mabel drew back further, the claws got worse and Bill's grip tightened. "Ah ah ah, you big bright star. Don't want to see him crack, do you?"His grip on Dipper's gem tightened as he pulled him closer, against his physical form. For a beat all that could be heard was the breathing of the surrounding army and the haunting quiet of the forest. He grinned as Mabel's weapon disappeared. An almost incoherent mumble came from her lips. "Don't hurt him.""D'aww how cute. She thinks she can save her quote unquote brother." Bill teased. By now the furious red had faded back to yellow. With a small whistle and tilt of his head, the monsters inched closer to Mabel and Sodalite."Mabel!" Dipper cried. "I'm so soo sorry! None of this would have happened if I just-" he let a strangled noise as Bill tightened his hold. Any more and he was sure his gem would shatter. It felt like Bill held his entire being and was slowly trying to compress it into nothing."Don't blame yourself, Dipper!" Mabel backed away from the mutations, jumping a bit when her back touched Sodalite. "Bill would have said anything to get what he couldn't have!" Him and his trust. He would've said-The words rang in his head. "Give me a call if you ever need help with anything, I'll know where to get you. I'm very helpful, and if you need... I could be you and your sister's savior."
"Bill, can I use that free save now?"
Bill turned his head and smiled. "First, I want a dance."
"Dance with me." Dipper said in a gasp of realization.Bill let Dipper go and waved his hand, the mutations stopped. They had only started yanking Mabel and Sodalite apart. "Stop." He said. "I think my-" He held Dipper's hand and pulled him close. "Partner, has something to say."Dipper let out a shuddering breath. "In exchange for saving my sister, and by extent, Sodalite, I will dance with you and let us become one.""No!" Mabel cried.Sodalite gasped. "Chysoberyl! No. You can't do this! You'll lose yourselves! You'll overpower each other."Bill made a disgustingly pleased noise as he let Dipper stand on his own. "Start, Looney." Dipper trembled. He can't dance. He's never actually danced. "H-how? What do- How's I supposed to do this?" "Just dance. Here. Look. I can't make it easier than this." He grabbed Dipper and spun him around, he held his hands in a tango position and rocked side to side. He spun Dipper again, this time away from himself.Despite himself, Dipper smiled. He didn't want to and it wasn't because of the demon of a rock that held his sister captive.The air brushing his face, the movement in general. It felt almost natural. It felt happy.He danced. He ran his hands down his body and held himself in a spin. His feet moved on their own, doing stars know what, as he waved an arm in a circle and brought it back in, doing it with the other. His hips started their own beat as the world disappeared from him. He swayed and he swung his arms. He laughed. He laughed. It felt like it was just him... floating, almost. He even closed his eyes to strengthen the effect.Bill kept predatory eyes on Dipper the entire time. His dance was choppy and powerful. He started with a strong step forward, then a skip step. His other foot dragged ahead and in a circle, returning back to the other. Both right limbs flung over and directed towards Dipper as the boy did his gentle steps and swung his arms in big circles.Bill dragged himself with his right foot and tucked his arm in. He turned with a strong step, his arms wide as he caught Dipper. The moonstone was laughing.There was a blue and grey puff of smoke. The mutations cowered.Mabel and Sodalite grabbed onto each other. The shadow under the smoke was huge. As big as the shack, at least."D-Dipper?""Lune, do not allow Chysoberyl to take over. Be one!" Sodalite shouted. This experience was not good for any of them psychologically.A low laugh as Bill's gem glimmered through the smoke. An eye blinked open, yellow, giant, and glowing. Dipper's gem flickered on, glowing as well. The other eyes snapped open, glowing. All of them focused on the pair on the ground. With a wave from four arms, the chimeric creature was revealed. A vest- like cape, a plush sweater-like shirt with an eye on it, shorts. Bill's straight, spiked hair mixed with Dipper's hair length.With a blue puff of flame, a giant trucker's hat appeared in their hands. They- He grinned. He put on the hat with a hand, then flipped it backwards with another. He sat back in the air and gave the most terrifying smile Mabel's ever seen. A pair of arms sat in in his lap and he lounged his head in his other. With a flick of one of his wrists, the army backed off. He twiddled with the fingers that that in his lap."So... my name is Pyrite." His blue eyes were glowing. His almost nervous expression darkened as his yellow eye flashed. "and I'm here to make your world a living nightmare." Pyrite smiled before standing straight and straightening his cape. His blue eyes glew more than his yellow. "Not before making sure you guys are safe first, duh." Sodalite looked at Mabel with horror. Mabel stared at Pyrite. She half forced a smile. He swiped them up. Mabel was held by her sweater and Sodalite by her stupid, beautiful, traitorous, blue hair.Mabel took a deep breath and gulped, seeing the fire Pyrite left in his path.This.THIS is the fool's gold.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Flames licked the forest floor, Pyrite destroyed everything his path. Gentle steps producing unspreading but still powerful blue fire. To be honest, he enjoyed the destruction. Even if the flames were only subconsciously made. As he watched himself set fire to the forest and destroy the animal's homes... he wondered...Where'd the animals go? More forest, probably...It would be fun to see them flee without a forest to turn to. Watch them and everything else that got in his way burn. Because, he thought, this is definitely in my way. He burned bushes and pushed down trees."So... Pyrite... may I speak to my brother's part of your consciousness?"The blue eyes along with Dipper's gem flashed a bit. "Ugh, Mabel it doesn't work like that so stop asking."Mabel frowned as Pyrite's grip tightened. Her voice was sad and serious. "Can I at least ask you something? As a whole."Pyrite froze. Y-yeah. Of course, Mabel.
What a waste of time. No.
Please? What if she has something important to say? What if it's just about how we work?
"NO." Pyrite growled. He felt himself try slip away. He kept his hold.Mabel huffed and crossed her arms as she was lowered gently to the shack's roof. Her pout ended and she grinned. "Sounds like somebody has secrets~" she chimed."And I intend to keep them that way, pebble." Pyrite tossed Sodalite lazily next to Mabel. He grinned as he cracked all of his knuckles. "Now, if you excuse me..." Pyrite's arms lit in a blue flame. "I have work to do." With a loud laugh, he turned and jumped into the air.Mabel watched him fly into the air before crashing down. With a worried expression, she watched him shrink with distance. Towards town. "Dipper will be fine, he'll unfuse when the time seems right. Right Sodey? ...Sodey?"Sodalite groaned, putting a hand to her gem. "I- ...." She sighed, sitting up right. "Give me a second."She felt her false fluids rush to her head. Sodalite cursed herself for making her body so human.Mabel wrapped herself in her fluffy sweater, holding herself tight. Think, Mabel. Think. Sodalite's out of commission. Who else would have at least a vague understanding of gems? And how to get them not one person anymore. "Be right back, Sodalite. Don't go no where!"The blue gem nodded absently.Mabel smiled as she climbed to what seemed to be a hatch from the roof to the main floor. She opened it and crawled down the wooden latter that was provided. She pursed her lips at the red curtain obstructing her vision. Pushing it aside, she was met with a friendly face."Hey, Wendy! We found Dipper." She smiled brightly as she sat on the counter. "You wouldn't happen to know where Stan is, would you?"Wendy put her magazine down and leaned against the wall behind her, feet on the counter. "Cool, he's not like, dead or anything right?" Mabel shook her head no, smiling. "I think Stan's in the living room or something.""Thanks, Wendy. We should hang out once I get Dipper out of his weird love weapon fusion thing." Without giving her time to answer, she quickly ran into the living room. "Stan! We have a problem! A big big problem, for sure."Stan didn't miss the stress in her voice. "Mabel! What's wrong? Did you find Dipper?"She nodded frantically. "But they danced and now they're fused and now it's like they're not neither and Pyrite left with big balls of fire and-" She started choking up, but swallowed it down. "We need to stop them, Grunkle Stan. I think they went to town?"There was a beat of silence before he got up. He stared at a floorboard, processing exactly what his neice said and meant. "The time has finally come." He grumbled.His mouth seemed to frown. Mabel watched his reaction with a worried look. "Grunkle Stan? What's wrong?"He shook his head. "Nothing... nothing. Stay here. I'll be right back." She heard him tell Wendy to close shop and dismissed her. Her gaze fell onto what Stan was writing. There were marked pages next to his camcorder. Her face only read more concern.
Destroy. Break. Break. Ruin. Fire.
Wait- no. Not that place.
Pyrite stood on main street, looking over the shops and listing a thorough plan. He moved on from the arcade he didn't get to visit yet.
Pulverize. Drown. Fire. Burn. Burn. Break. Nothing-
DESTROY.
With a flash of his eyes, Pyrite growled. The world around him and his target disappeared."Hey, are you alright?" The voice of the pedestrian went unnoticed as Pyrite's arms caught fire.She was long run away when he grabbed a scythe and sword from his gems. The scythe bent in two and the blade disappeared, he bent it again and in a flash of white the sword became the piercing blue blade to four sharp knives.With a roar he charged towards the building. A knife was lit with blue fire before it was thrown into a salon.Bad place. A low growl. Hate.A vague memory of getting his bangs chopped off wiped his brain. Another of waiting there endlessly with no purpose. Another, older of dangerous blades so close to him. With the four of his arms he ripped the door of the small business off. He went inside and ignored the people running past him. With another roar a counter was pulled from the floor and thrown across the room. He let his being catch in the blue flame and laughed as several hairspray cans and other product came a bit too close.Another memory, watching from the window. Their nose is a chocolate brown. Their vision is blurred in one eye, but they push the hair out of it's way anyways. They watch a beautiful turquoise gem interact with a pale gem, with long blue hair. They recognize their interest as Turq and the other as Sodalite.The flame grew even more and he loved it. Part of him was curious and wanted to watch from a distance. The other part wanted to be it, wanted to know how it felt to eat away and cause destruction just by existing. It was only when there was a loud crack from above he hovered out.People gathered to see the commotion. He paid them no mind.
Destroy.
No- keep.
Burn. Burn. Break. Cripple. Keep. Break. Burn. Keep. Destroy. Keep-
Burn.
BBRRPPZZT.
Stan came into the living room holding a forked stick-like device. In the middle was a circle that seemed to power it, electricity visible and shocking between each- "Grunkle Stan, what's that?""It's a stabilizer. It weakens fusions and tears them apart. They'll be in their gems for a while, but they'll be fine."Mabel watched it cautiously. Her brother would be hit with that thing.Sodalite stumbled into the room, all well and good. "We need to stop Pyrite. Bill is crazy and Lune can be unreasonable. Do you st-" her gaze landed on the stabilizer. "That's perfect."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Solana watched a moonstone from a distance. She watched her abnormally white and wavy hair bounce as she parted from the other moonstones.The sunstone said her goodbyes to her sunstone comrades and walked after her. The moonstone looked familiar somehow. She was different than the others, therefore hard to forget. Moonstone S walked away from the others, shaking her head. She stopped between the cracks of two gem buildings. She was made to love. She was made to one day fuse. Become a powerhouse made for battle. So... why couldn't she interact with others?! It was a medial task and she was failing it. "Am I defective o-or something?" She stuttered to herself.Maybe they were wrong when they said she was special. When the new sapphire said she'll hold a balance of many fates. They were wrong. She deserved to be thrown away, taken away and put into an object. Shattered, made into a cluster. She was useless. Why did they still accept her? She stopped and collapsed to her knees crying, hidden away from all other gems. She'd never be able to serve anyone at the rate she's going."Do you need assistance?" S looked up only to be met with a bright smile. She swiped her tears and flinched back. "Woah. You're prettier up close. I'm sunstone."S felt her sit. "G-greetings. I will not be needing assistance and- and-" The gem looked away. "I accept your compliment. I apologize if my appearance distracted you from your duties."S's head was lifted and gently moved so she was looking at Sunstone. Sunstone grinned, then had to stop herself from laughing. "Apologize? Hah. You confuse and amuse me. I am not above a gem such as yourself. We are equal.""..." S tried making her body look smaller. Maybe Sunstone would leave if she noticed how uncomfortable she was. Sunstones were good at that? Right? Moonstone leafed through her young five-thousand year old mind for information on his counterpart race."Conmuse... you conmuse me. Oh! Oooorr- you amfuse me." Sunstone grinned at S, letting her face go and hugging her.The white haired girl gulped hard, snapping out of her daze. "I-I'm sorry. Did you just say fuse?"Sunstone drew back with a blank face. A sudden rush of realization changed her features. "Oh, not us. The adjectives. I fused them into one that has twice as many meanings.""...a portmanteau." Moonstone S flushed, knowing that this sunstone may be the only one she'd have a chance with fusing in battle with one day. "D-did you know that before the Pink Quartz Rebellion f-fusion between different gems was taboo and generally unheard of? Nowadays, gems s-seem to incorporate it in m-many things, including war tactics. That's why we were created. To make a stronger fusion that would easily obey to command."Sunstone gave Moonstone a very odd look. "May I ask... where did you acquire such information?"Moonstone jumped and flinched back. She hung her head. "I-It was an accident, I swear. I overheard pearls gossip about us. Please don't report me.""Amfuse me again, huh? That seems to be one of your strong suits, moonstone." Sunstone stared at Moonstone, and Moonstone stared back.I love you.
"What's your ID?"
"...S" *blush
*laughter "No way! Mine too!"
"...want to- uh... fuse? I-I mean, in battle of course. "
"I'd like that."
"May the diamonds well you."
"You too."
Chrysoberyl B31 frowned at the scene projected in front of her. She slammed her claws against her mint colored crystal desk and growled. "The Fated have paired... with each other."A smaller, discolored, defective chrysoberyl gathered beside the brown gem. "I-Is that bad, Kato?"He was grabbed by his gem eye and held in the air. B31 scowled. "How isn't it? You stupid mistake of nature. They are batteries, fueling each other could only lead to corruption. We need to split. Them. Up."W31 gulped and stared at his superior. "M-maybe you could try seducing one of them to fuse with you. If it is the way of the diamonds, of course." W31 was dropped roughly and scrambled to stand on it's default position.B31's scowl slowly turned into a thoughtful grin as she pressed a claw to her chin. "That's a wonderful idea, Bartholomew. I'm glad I thought of it... I shall seduce the stronger battery for not only their own sake, but the sake of all gems everywhere." B31 pounded her desk again. She sighed not too long after. "..so much for saving myself for when we meet that pink quartz lady, huh?"W31 winced. "B-bartholomew, ma'am?"B31's grin split her face. "Bartholomew. You know, mew." B31 pawed the air.W31 flinched and struggled to make an amused expression. "Very good, ma'am. Earth must be an amusing planet for you to-" In a second a claw was pressed against W31's pale blue gem.B31 was growling. "Don't you dare think for a second I care for that miserable chunk of dirt or it's alien inhabitants. Felines are just an interesting species, no matter how few exists."W31 stayed completely still until the claw was lifted away from his face. "I do not underestimate you ma'am."" Good." Rows upon rows of moonstone and sunstone stood in front of B31, the equivalent of a general. W31, an exact miscolored copy but with shorter hair stood meekly by her side.Defective, S categorized But still functional. Side by side, moonstone S and sunstone S stood, watching the chrysoberyl. The gem stood tall, professional and grinning confidently on the platform at least ten times as big as they, she was no doubt one of their superiors.Moonstone and sunstone alike had no idea why they were gathered. All of them except Moonstone S knew better than to question any order. Even Sunstone S didn't think about it, but if there was going to be a gathering, moonstone S usually heard the pearls gossip about it.Moonstone S's superior was talking, but moonstone was still as she thought. Chrysoberyl started to sound angry, so moonstone decidedly snapped out of it."S!" The chrysoberyl shouted.Moonstone S jolted up and quickly walked forward. She was grabbed and pulled close to B31. The chrysoberyl's grin didn't falter. "Usually," their superior started "I demonstrate this technique with my counterpart W31. Today, I will demonstrate with Moonstone S for efficiency purposes. You will learn fusion and how to use it in battle."Moonstone stiffened and could only obey what the other gem told her to do. They danced, they fused, AND BOY, DID BILL LOVE THAT! "This is kinda fun." Half of Pyrite said, burning down a park that reminded him too much, too much of home. They laughed maniacally, together.Together they ignored the screams of children and parents and everybody.Together, they swatted fire trucks away with a wicked satisfaction.Together they were unstoppable.
"Ahahahahahhahahaha!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Mabel Pines and Stan Pines stood before the town. With curiosity, Mabel looked at the claw marks that were etched into certain buildings, they were at least an inch deep. She looked with surprise at buildings that were completely destroyed, some of them still burning with Pyrite's flame."Stan, Pyrite couldn't have done this... right?" The gem gestured to the town."Sorry to say it, sweetie, but that thing ain't your brother at the moment. We need to separate him from whoever he fused with." He started walking around cautiously looking for an outrageously tall man."Oh... I didn't tell you who he fused with... did I?" Mabel fiddled with her sweater.Stan stopped and kneeled down to his great niece. "Mabel. Who did Dipper fuse with?"Mabel was silent before she sighed, wondering if her choice of words would antagonize the fusion. "That creep who kidnapped him. Bill."He tugged her closer for a hug. "Thank you for telling me, sweetie. Bill is a dangerous creep and we can't let them stay fused. I'll separate them if it's the last thing I do."Mabel smiled a releived smile as she returned the hug. "Thanks Stan. You may seem a little shabby, but you're a good uncle."A booming laughter seemed to silence the world. "How touching. Except, I disagree. All of me. Pyrite is here forever, baby! Nothing will separate us." There, Pyrite stood towering over the Pines in the middle of the sidewalk. He pulled out his weapons, and combined them for his daggers. "Anything that gets in my way will die, fools!"He charged at the Pines, Stan's eyes widened. Stan shoved Mabel behind himself and held his destabilizer in a defensive stance.Before anything could hit anything, Pyrite quickly dodged Stan's weapon and lunged behind the old man to scoop up Mabel with his bottom set of arms. He looked back to see Stan in shock and grinned wildly.Pyrite felt himself try to tear himself in half, but he pulled together before they were torn. "What are you doing?" "Saving Mabel, idiot!" "Why!?" "We care about her." "...I guess we do."Mabel gaped at the exchange. "There is no way you can tell me I can't speak to Dipper separately, you liar!""..." Releived, Pyrite was silent and Mabel was put down on the roof of a building.The fusion sighed before he grinned, looking back to Stan like prey. Pyrite's teeth sharpened in a flash of light, as well as his nails. His hair seemed to spark up and his hat dissapeared. "Stan Pines..." his voice dripped with venom. "I believe we were in the middle of something?""Yeah! I was about to kick your butt and get my nephew back!" Stan charged, swiping the destabilizer at Pyrite. He hit a dagger and bounced off it.Pyrite barked out a few loud laughs, one of his bottom set of eyes began dripping with tears and a hand from his bottom set of arms gripped his hair. Stan noticed the click in the fusion's behaviour. Pyrite smiled. "Nephew? The moonstone was never your nephew." Pyrite ticked the moonstone on his forehead twice. "Before, that pathetic waste of space was just that, useless, now, with Bill's guidance, look at how strong I am!" Pyrite laughed. "I can kill you right now, old man."Stan glared at the being. "You aren't even yourself, Dipper. Neither are you, Bill. You, Pyrite, aren't strong at all. You're just riding on each other's coat tails!" Stan took another swipe while Pyrite broke down, but missed. "If you were strong, you'd face your problems."With another swipe, diagonally, they were split in half. Every part of Pyrite was highlighted before they poofed into smoke, and two gems clattered to the pavement."DIPPER!" Mabel screamed, jumping off the building and landing lightly on the ground. (She found out she was made of light during earlier training). She skid on her knees to her brother's gem. "Stan, will he be alright?"Stan fell beside her. "Yeah, pumpkin. He'll be fine. He just needs time. Uh... like last time."Beside them, Bill reformed quickly in a deformed cat's form, one eye much bigger than the other and an abnormally long miscolored tail. He scattered away, bolting as fast as he could into the Oregon forest.Mabel frowned and pointed to the gold flecks in Dipper's gem. "Stan, what's that?" Her fingers trailed gently across the gem.Stan sighed, moving Mabel's hand and picking Dipper up gently, inspecting the flecks. Stan's eyes widened briefly when his nephew's gem changed from blue to green in the lighting. "Wish he was here... We'll have to ask Sodalite. For now, we should get out of here. I don't need cops trailing us home." He shoved Dipper into his jacket pocket and ran towards home, Mabel following closely.Inwardly, Stan cursed that he had let Bill get away. The word was dark, and light. Dipper's skin tingled and chilled. He was cold, yet hot until he opened his eyes. He stared at the form that stood in front of him. She was quite literally blue, her hair was the purest white and draped far past her shoulders. Her eyes were blank.He remembered her. No, he remembered Bill remembering her at some point... when they were fused. Dipper rubbed at his eyes and sighed. That was moonstone S, Lune, his past self that Bill, no, B31 was so obsessed with.He opened his eyes, and he seen himself- the dark blue one he was used to- beside Moonstone S, along with another. This one was coloured like Moonstone S, but seemed to have the same type of body he was used to. He walked up to it, and tugged the strange reverand outfit it was wearing, changing it to something that stuck closer to his body and was more flexible. Dipper turned it into a darker blue. Again, their eyes were blank.Now, he played with the bow hanging off the neck of this outfit gently. He slowly ran his hands down the seams of what used to be his jacket. He smiled, satisfied and touched the gem of the copy.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Dipper would be angry. Dipper would be scared. Dipper was betrayed long ago.
Dipper woke in a shimmering light. Taking a different form was weird. As soon as he materialized completely he stretched and shook out his body, ignoring the surrounding gasps. He sighed and looked at the sentient forms around him as his assigned counterpart locked him in a steel hug.
"Dipper! You're back! I missed you so much! Oh, and you're so tall now!" Mabel giggled and exclaimed excitedly.He tilted his head so his gaze was a head below neutral. Wow, that was freakishly taller. She looked worried and it took him a while for him to realise he should be hugging back. He did and she smiled. Dipper looked behind her to the group of people. Stan was there, Sodalite looked worried and was there too, so was that cashier girl... Wendy, right? Soos was there too, along with two girls he had never seen before."Nice to see you finally awake, kid. You almost had me worried, there." Stan said, smiling.Wendy spoke next. "You kidding? He was worried sick. The entire time, easy.""Dude! You have no idea how much you've missed!" Soos exclaimed.Dipper put Mabel at arm's length as he looked to Sodalite. "W-what? How long have I been out?"Sodalite opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by new voices. "A SUPER LONG TIME!" "About a week, I think."Dipper frowned at the intrusion and moved Mabel to his side, taking himself from her grip. In seconds, he summoned twin swords and had the two strangers backed up against the wall. "Who are you, why are you here and what do you want?""Dipper!" The blue gem winced as he was hit on the head with something. He turned around to see Mabel holding a shoe. "These are my friends, you numbskull. Don't hurt them!"Dipper looked to Mabel, then to the group of people he knew. They didn't seem threatened. Dipper took a glance at the big one he had pinned against the wall. "No. They're not safe." He growled and held his swords dangerously close to them.Mabel sighed, and soon Dipper found himself being pried away by Sodalite and his sister herself. "Dipper, calm down." Mabel pleaded before smiling and signalling her friends to leave. "Nothing's here to hurt us, okay? That was just Candy and Grenda."The boy let his breathing calm. He... shivered internally. The world was blacked out around him as he looked deep inside himself and found a void. "There will always be something out to hurt us intentionally or not, Mabel."She replied, but it was garbled. Nothing was right. Nothing was good... he felt himself fall, but paid it no mind. He missed the power. He hated it. He missed the extra limbs. He hated them. He missed the extra voice. He hated him. He missed being fused. He hated being fused."DIPPER!" Mabel snapped her fingers a few more times in front of his face.He flug his head and mind into attention. "What? Where's Bill? Did you capture him?"Mabel flinched back a bit. "Woah, calm down there, bro. Bill got away- buut~" Dipper darted up, gripping her by the shoulders. He took a deep breath, as if preparing for a scream before being shushed. "Buut~ Yesterday we got a visit from some gems looking for him! They want us to go with them!" Mabel shook her brother by the shoulders, heaving with absolute joy."O-other gems? Mabel, what does that even mean?" Dipper looked to the others that were in the room.Stan shrugged and so did Sodalite. So, Wendy spoke up. "Dude. It means you'll get to make new friends, track down Bill, then. kick. his. butt!"Everyone watched as Dipper's pupils dilated. The boy grinned and started laughing. "Yes! YES!" He was nearly jumping with joy.Mabel laughed and started jumping so he could join. He seemed the wrong kind of excited, but she didn't mention it. She gasped as she realized she hadn't mentioned something. "Oh! Also, they knew us back before we lost our memories or whatever happened. These are friends!" Dipper's excitement only grew stronger. Mabel decided now was a good time for a little push. "The hybrid one wants to see us fuse, too! Wouldn't that be great?"She faltered when he froze and started rubbing his arm shamefully. "Yeah... sure... uh, when do we leave, anyways?"Mabel shrugged. Ugh, I'm such a dummy. He's probably still messed up about Bill. "Whenever you want, bro."Stan sighed. He was going to have to come too, wasn't he? "Mabel, where did those gymnastic weirdos say they were from?"Mabel cheered as she threw her fists in the air. "BEACH CITY!"Dipper smiled. Beach City, the place he'll meet Bill again. What will he do when he meets him? Only time will tell.
fin.