Y/n and Dipper shared a fist bump, shaking off the dirt from their hair. They just came back after catching a vampire bat that was reported to be terrorizing the local mall. Even the police were scared of the big creature flying around and screeching.

Mabel ran towards them, shaking a newspaper in her hands. "You guys! You just made it into the front page!" She excitedly showed the two a headline which read, "'MYSTERY SOLVERS' CATCH VAMPIRE BAT", featuring a picture of Y/n and Dipper against the creature with Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland screaming in the background.

The duo's smiles couldn't be any wider, proud of their achievement. Mabel allowed a smirk to grace her features as she placed her hands on her hips. "Look at you, two. Having fun."

Y/n went to the kitchen to get herself a cup of orange juice. "Adventures make me thirsty," she commented, taking a big gulp.

Meanwhile, Dipper was getting ready for bed, being exhausted. But his adrenaline might keep him awake to log this experience in the journal. He even managed to get a vampire bat's teeth and was contemplating on hanging it around his neck as good luck, but decided to hang it by the window.

Mystery Solvers. He smiled to himself. It had a nice ring to it.



The next morning greeted them with rainy weather, and the Mystery Shack was closed for the day. Stan thought it was perfect, considering they needed to work on the portal as soon as possible with the sudden boom of the gift shop this week, but Y/n had other plans.

"Where are you going?" Stan raised an eyebrow, tampering with the meters on the console.

She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair. "Dipper invited me to a marathon,"

"You caught a large python?" He replied, making her deadpan. With those big ears of his, it was a wonder why he still couldn't hear. Oh, right. she chuckled to herself. He's old.

"No, old man, Dipper and I are watching a marathon of Ghost Harassers. I really like that show."

"Huh? Must be a new show because I don't know the slightest thing about it," the older man grunted, bending down to reach a gear.

She eventually made her leave, going up through the elevator. Stan sighed, watching her leave. He noticed that these days, she's becoming attached with her niece and nephew. And although he's... happy that things are smooth-sailing, he's afraid that she might be forgetting what's more important.

He gazed at the portal in front of him, active and swirling around. This has been brewing for thirty years now. How long does it take until they get him back? Is he still out there?

Stan closed the control panel with more force than he should. With or without Y/n, he's determined to undo all of his mistakes and do what is right.

So he got to work.

"Hey," Dipper greeted her. "Good morning,"

"Morning," Y/n yawned, a hot coffee in her hand. She managed to drink half of its contents before continuing, "You ready?"

Dipper was smug as he motioned to the living room. The TV was already on, a box of pizza on the dinosaur's head skeleton, bags of chips, a bottle of Pitt soda, a fruit bowl, and an unoccupied yellow lounge chair. "I was ready ever since they announced the—"

"48-hour marathon of Ghost Harassers!" The two said in unison, looking excited with huge grins on their faces.

Not wasting any more time, Y/n leaped towards the chair and sat, Dipper following, sitting beside her. She took a handful of chips before shoving it in her mouth. They began geeking about the show as they waited. "Kim is my favorite harasser, she's so cool!"

"Really?" Dipper smiled, "Well, Jason is mine. I can really relate to him."

Just as the commercials were finished and the show announced its return, Toby Determined's voice chimed in with a visual that said, 'BREAKING NEWS!'. "We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news!"

Dipper's smile immediately turned 180º. "Aww, what?" he said, annoyed.

From the other room, Mabel bounded over, landing on the arm of the sofa. "It's starting!"

Candy followed, jumping to sit on Dipper's left. "Turn it up!" she said.

"Make room for Grenda!" The third girl cannonballed onto the four, breaking a lamp so casually. Y/n managed to kick them off the couch and they were on the ground, laying on their stomachs.

Toby continued his report, "Well tonight's the night, but I've been out here for days! The Northwest family's annual high-society-shindig-ball-soiree is here! And even though common folk aren't let in, that doesn't stop us from camping out for a peek at the fanciness!"

Mabel, Candy, and Grenda expressed sounds of awe and amazement. Meanwhile, Y/n's eyes twitched. They're interrupting a marathon of Ghost Harassers for this?!

Dipper was fed up, saying, "Okay, can someone please explain why people care about this?"

Exactly. The Northwest have been doing this ball thingy for decades now, only reserved for the rich people with the snootiest of laughter. They haven't been very open to the local folks, gatekeeping every luxurious thing from their property.

Grenda turned to him. "Um, it's pretty much the best party of all time?" Her tone sounded offended, as if asking Dipper if he lived under a rock this whole time. "Rich food, richer boys!"

"They say each basket has a live quail inside!" Mabel sat up, explaining excitedly.

Candy crawled towards the TV, pawing at the screen that had Pacifica's face on it. "Give me your life, Pacifica."

Dipper scoffed, "Guys, in case you've already forgotten, Pacifica Northwest is the worst."

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Before Y/n could stand up and answer it, he beat her to it, already on his way to the front. He continued his rant. "And that's just not jealousy talking, I'd say that to her face." He opened the door, and there she stood. The descendant of the very influential family in Gravity Falls, Pacifica Northwest, wearing a purple hooded cowl, a tan coat, and a pair of black sunglasses, as if she was incognito.

"I need your help."

Dipper stared at her blankly. Then, "You're the worst," he said before slamming the door right to her face.

Grenda, Mabel, and Candy all let out a jaw-dropping gasp. The boy remained stone-faced. "See?"

There was a knock on the door again, and he opened, waiting to hear what she had to say. He's ready to retaliate any insults she might throw his way. "Look, you think it's easy for me to come here? I don't wanna be seen in this hovel!" she said, but her expression changed, one of dread. "But there's something haunting Northwest Manor. My father requested you and the other girl to extinguish the ghost, and if you don't, the party could be ruined!"

"Did she just say 'ghost'?" Y/n quirked up from the living room, excitement filling her veins.

But Dipper remained relentless, crossing his arms as he glared. "And... Why should we trust you? All you've ever done was try to humiliate me, Y/n, and Mabel."

"Just name your price, okay?" Pacifica exclaimed, desperate. "I'll give you anything!"

Mabel suddenly came into view, sliding towards Dipper. "Hi, Pacifica!" she greeted her as if they were long time friends. "Excuse us!"

Pulling Dipper to the side, they brought their voices to a whisper. "Dipper!" Mabel began, "Don't you see what this means? If you and Y/n help Pacifica, you can get us invites to the greatest party of all time!"

"What?" Dipper hissed, flabbergasted. "Mabel, this is Pacifica we're talking about!"

"But it's Candy and Grenda's dream!" the other twin shot back, motioning to her other friends. "Plus, you and Y/n will get more newspaper coverage! You two will be known as the greatest Mystery Solvers yet!"

Dipper pursed his lips, contemplating. His eyes shifted to the other half of the Mystery Solvers— a name coined by the locals— who was already looking at him. "You in?"

"I think it would be fun," she said, and that was enough for Dipper to accept the offer.

He stepped back outside and faced Pacifica again. "Okay, fine. We'll bust your ghost," he extended his hand to lure her in for a handshake, but before their hands met he raised his up again. "But in exchange, I'll need three tickets for the party."

Pacifica growled, her eyes twitching. "You're just lucky I'm desperate," she said, taking out three golden envelopes from her bag.

The girl on the couch watched as the three friends whooped and celebrated. "WOOOO! Desperate! Desperate! Desperate!" They chanted, while Y/n couldn't help but smile at the thought of busting a ghost in the middle of a party.

While the marathon of Ghost Harassers wasn't continued with Mabel and her friends making dresses in the middle of the living room, Y/n and Dipper spent their time preparing their bags in case of encountering different types of ghosts.

If her memory serves her right, then it would be best to bring extra clothes (for the ectoplasm), earplugs for when the spirits are too loud, an alarm clock for Category 9, and a silver mirror for Category 4.

Mabel scoffed playfully, seeing Y/n and Dipper geekily talking about ghostly encounters. She placed her hands on her hips. "Y/n, wouldn't you rather make gowns with us?" She said, eyeing the glass cup full of concoction that will be effective against ghosts. "You're going to a party, after all."

"A haunted party," Y/n replied, smiling. "It's nice to be prepared, that's all."

"Still, you need to wear the most appropriate clothing for the occasion!"

"Mabel, Y/n doesn't need any of those," Dipper chimed in, closing the journal. "And I don't think it would be suitable to wear a dress when chasing a ghost—"

"Speaking of suitable, you should be wearing a suit, Dipper!" Mabel interrupted, standing up completely and pointing at him as if declaring a statement.

Y/n chuckled. "Dipper's right, Mabel," she said, leaning against the table. "Besides, it's your moment, Mabel. We're letting you shine."

The girl laughed. "Well, you're gonna regret it later!"

A few hours later, a limousine pulled up in front of the Shack. It was still raining, so it was quite difficult to prevent mud from splashing into their dresses. The butlers did their best to shield the kids with their umbrellas as they escorted them into the vehicle. The car ride was unbearable, it was obvious that Y/n hadn't lived a very luxurious life, not being used to anything fancy.

Mabel raved about having candies in the back of the limousine. Candy and Grenda were being excited about their looks in the mirror, while Dipper felt suffocated.

Eventually the limousine made its way to the Northwest Manor, and from her window, Y/n could see a crowdful of people standing behind a barricade, under the rain. She felt a pang on her chest as she watched their excited faces seeing such a fancy car, taking pictures and screaming. She didn't know that the people of Gravity Falls idolized this family so much when they didn't even do anything to them in return. In fact, they could care less about them.

All this rain in the Northwest Manor reminded her of the Great Flood of 1863 that she and Ford investigated. How countless of lumber folk died in that year, and all of them were under the Northwests' employment.

Y/n's eyes averted to the gate that they were passing through. Maybe the ghosts that were haunting them were their past.

They got off the vehicle one by one, Pacifica greeting them from the entrance with her usual demeanor. The group got behind her as the butlers opened the double doors. "Welcome to the Northwest Manor, dorks," Pacifica said boredly, gesturing to the grand hall where they were still preparing for the 'greatest party of all time', filling up the Cider Fountain, sculpting an ice Pacifica as a mermaid, putting away the stuffed peacock...

"Try not to touch anything," the blonde instructed as the other girls expressed sounds of awe.

Mabel, Grenda, and Candy did the opposite of what she requested, getting their hands on everything within their reach. They eventually ran off, giggling as they did so, making Y/n chuckle.

Y/n couldn't mistake the disapproving glances of Pacifica's parents when they passed by, and immediately smiled when they greeted them. "Ah, if it isn't the anticipated pair! Hopefully you two can help us with our little... situation, before the guests arrive in an hour?"

The duo exchanged glances. "We'll do our best, sir," Y/n answered for them, bringing a smile to Preston's face.

"Splendid!" He expressed, turning to his daughter. "Pacifica, take our guests to the 'problem room', and uh... they are not wearing that, are they?" he lowered his voice down to a whisper, pointing at the two who were busy being dorks.

Pacifica crossed her arms. "I'm on it."

And so she led the two in a hallway that led to another room full of dresses, shoes, and suits. "Oh, no."

Pacifica quickly but surely retrieved a dress in a coat hanger from one of the cabinets. A yellow skirt with a bodice colored a lighter shade. It was accompanied with a white scarf, black elbow-length gloves, and dark shoes. "Go change."

"You do realize that this isn't the appropriate outfit to catch some ghosts, right?" Y/n gave the blonde a look. "This could be ruined, and I don't think I can afford—"

"Then don't you dare get it ruined, let alone a single speck of dust on there," Pacifica placed her hands on her hips as she seethed. Y/n rolled her eyes, unperturbed by her threat.

So she went inside a separate room and began undressing herself. Her face scrunched in disgust, her tongue out in disdain. Her favorite color changes everyday, so yellow wasn't to her liking, at all.

Nonetheless, she wore the outfit. After all, Pacifica chose this for her, so she's willing to go along with the only thing she's ever good for. The only thing she didn't include in the outfit was the scarf. She couldn't imagine the amount of sweat that will forming around the crevice of her neck. Dipper eventually came out of the other dressing room as he was the first to be given his black suit. He didn't look impressed, not even the slightest, complaining about his tight collar.

He adjusted it, choking as he did so. "Ugh, it's like this collar is strangling me. Who do you guys think you're impressing with this stuff?"

"Um, everyone?" Pacifica said, her tone deadpan as she began tying Dipper's bow. Of course he doesn't know how to do a bowtie. "You two wouldn't understand. High standards are what make the Northwest family great."

"Funny," Y/n chimed in, parting the curtains for her to emerge from her own dressing room. "I thought it was about lying about founding the town." And that was just the surface to the family's list of crimes she and Ford uncovered.

Dipper sucked in a breath, seeing her look so majestic and regal, and— pretty.

Yellow suited her the best.

Her eyes shifted to meet his, and she smiled that charming smile of hers. "You look nice," she said, adjusting her black gloves.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Piece of advice? Don't pair that dirty backpack with the dress. Just leave it here," Pacifica insisted, kicking that bag away. "Come on, we're wasting our time," Pacifica said with haste, lifting the front of her dress and marching forth. The two rolled their eyes and followed her, mocking her strut from behind. The brunette laughed but stopped before Pacifica could turn around.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a door that Dipper opened, making their way inside of a dark room. "This is the main room where it's been happening," Pacifica whispered.

The room was already creepy by default, dead stuffed animal heads were hung on the walls, old paintings casted aside, and a lit fireplace that gives the room a reddish hue.

"Yep, this looks like the kind of room that would be haunted, alright," Dipper noted, bringing out the journal. "I wouldn't be worried, though. Ghosts fall on a ten-category scale. Floating plates sound like a category 1."

Y/n was flattered that Dipper was relying on the journal for his information about ghosts, knowing she herself experienced all ten of them. Pacifica was smug, teasing him. "So what? Are you gonna bore him back into the afterlife by reading from this dumb book?"

Dipper held up a small, round bottle of water– the same mixture that they contrived earlier, while Y/n retrieved an EMF detector from the brunette's backpack, starting it up with a beep. Why does he get to keep his bag?

He swished the liquid around the container. "Just gotta splash this sucker with some anointed water, and he should be out of your... probably-fake blonde hair."

"What was that about my hair?!"

"Shh! I'm picking something up!" Y/n hissed, aiming the detector at the interior of the room, the indicator going bananas as she walked, stopping before the fireplace. Dipper joined her, observing the tall painting of a lumberjack. They exchanged glances of uncertainty, and a second passed when the device lost its signal for a moment. Y/n tapped the detector a few times and the signal returned.

They looked back at the painting, and the lumberjack inside of the painting just disappeared. The two stepped back, giving Pacifica a warning look, but she was busy freaking out about blood dripping from above.

She looked up, and she saw the red liquid coming from one of the creatures hung on the wall, making her scream.

The fireplace in front of the two burst out an angry, uncontrollable fire. The animal heads began chanting in unison, "Ancient sins. Ancient sins. Ancient sins."

Books, furniture, and antique weapons began flying around the three of them, the chandelier above them crackling dangerously. Y/n shielded Dipper and Pacifica against any sharp object that might make contact with them, but the mini tornado around the room just kept getting stronger.

"Ancient blood and blackened skies, the forest dark shall once more rise!"

The bottle of anointed water broke, and the mystery solvers realized that this particular ghost might not belong in any category. "It can't get worse than this..." Dipper yelled shakily, turning to Y/n. "R-right?"

As if on cue, the flames got bigger, and Y/n sought to hide under the pool table, Dipper and Pacifica following. Just then. A giant, black skeleton emerged from the fire itself. They watched as the bones get wrapped around by mass, skin and clothes materializing. The enormous lumberjack from the painting appeared in front of them, in the flesh— or rather, spirit?

"I smell... a Northwest!" The lumberjack growled, and a beard made out of blue fire appeared, along with a ghostly, conjured ax that he began dragging along the floor. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"What do we do? What do we do?" Pacifica panicked, urging Dipper to read through the book.

Y/n's thinking gears were spinning, trying to remember. This ghost came from a portrait, so therefore he must be a Category 4: Haunted Paintings & Image-based Spectre. She took the journal from Dipper while he was reading Category 10. He simply got it all wrong.

Dipper didn't protest, watching as she went back a few pages until it landed on Category 4. Of course!

After quickly reading it, she closed the book and declared, "We need a silver mirror!"

The table that they were hiding from suddenly floated out from over, revealing themselves to the ghost. He turned around and saw the three kids, scrambling away from him. He raised his ax in the air and brought it down. "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!"

"This way! Hurry!" Pacifica dashed out of the room, the Mystery Solvers close behind. Y/n lagged slightly, trying to remember the path back to the dressing room where her backpack was located. Why did she have to leave it behind in the first place?

She veered to the left and split up from the two, going for a quick detour. Dipper looked behind him and saw that she was gone, and so was the ghost. He stopped in his tracks. "Y/n?!" He called, making Pacifica halt as well. "Y/n!"

"Shh! You'll get the ghost's attention!" Pacifica shushed. "It's better that he's not chasing us anymore. My shoes would be ruined if I ran more in these."

"Pacifica, that doesn't matter! Y/n is—"

The lumber-ghost appeared again, back to chasing them. Dipper and Pacifica bolted out onto another hallway until Pacifica saw the garden and made their way there. "Watch out for peacocks!" she warned, but Dipper was already smacked by the feathers. Their shoes were muddied as the dirt was wet after the rain.

The two turned to the right and another long hallway they entered. Dipper gasped, pointing ahead of them. "There's a silver mirror right there!" The two ran towards a white, pristine room, where a large, rectangular mirror hung on a rear wall.

But before Dipper could step in, Pacifica grabbed his arm, stopping him from entering. "Wait! Don't go in there!" The brunette turned back, looking at Pacifica as if she was crazy. "This room has my parents' favorite carpet pattern! They'll lose it if we track mud in there!"

"What? Are you serious?" Dipper said, exasperated. He tried to force his way into the room, but Pacifica blocked him.

"We'll find another way!"

The boy closed his knuckles into a fist, looking at her irritatedly. "Pacifica, Y/n might be in danger because of you! Let me through–!"

"No! My parents will kill me!" Pacifica shouted just as loud, beginning to tug on his journal.

"Why are you so afraid of your parents?!" Dipper yanked it back just as hard, not coming down.

"You wouldn't understand!" The blonde pulled more forcefully, tripping them both and causing them to fall through a painting of a skeleton in a crown and robe into a dark, dusty, cobwebbed room. The ghost didn't seem to see them go through as he flew in the opposite direction.

Dipper looked around the dark room. "What is this place?" He asked, scanning the items in the area, mostly abandoned and littered with dust.

Even Pacifica was confused. "That's weird. I don't even know where this room is."

"Hopefully the ghost doesn't either. We need to search for Y/n." he said. Where could she be hiding?

The blonde wandered around the room, thinking they were safe at last, but the covered painting behind her said otherwise, the sheet coming to life and was close to swallow her.

If it wasn't for Dipper's warning. "Pacifica, watch out!"

She screamed, scurrying away from the ghost. "YOUR FATE IS SEALED!" The ghost boomed, pursuing Pacifica.

Dipper began to chase after her, maybe act as some sort of distraction, but he had no item against the ghost, it's hopeless.

Pacifica yelped as she tripped over a loose floorboard, turning around and pretty much accepting her fate. "PREPARE TO DIE, NORTHWEST!"

Y/n got there on time, dashing in front of Pacifica and holding up the silver mirror she retrieved from her bag. The ghost entered the mirror, and the force knocked the two out of the first floor, Dipper screaming Y/n's name. The two girls became entangled in a window drape and fell down a short hill, tumbling over and landing on a garden.

The unnatural girl immediately stood up, no harm inflicted on her, and she looked at the blonde who was coughing up dirt. She groaned in pain, shaking her dizziness away. "You okay?" Y/n asked, giving her an extended hand.

And when Pacifica looked up and saw her close, her face was flushed unknowingly. She glanced at the hand offered to her and she took it, slowly standing up. Pacifica dusted her purple dress, as well as the blush from her cheeks just as Dipper managed to skip down the hill, unscathed. "Hey! Are you okay?"

Dipper's hands stopped themselves from going over her face to check for injuries when he realized. Y/n chuckled at the question. She's always going to be okay.

Pacifica stood up, walking up to them. "Did you get him?" She asked Y/n, who was already smirking as she showed them the mirror🗝, which showed a very angry and trapped lumberjack, pounding his hands on the reflection, desperate to be free.

"FREE ME!"

The three of them cheered. Y/n and Dipper jumped up and shared a fist bump, while Pacifica went and hugged the two of them, taking their breath away.

It was silent, the Mystery Solvers were at a loss for words as they succumbed to the embrace of the Northwest's scion. Pacifica's eyes widened when she realized what she was doing. What was up with her in the last hour?

She backed off awkwardly, clearing her throat. Y/n avoided her gaze, opting to straighten her gown while Dipper was rubbing his arm nervously. Pacifica held out a dollar. "Can I... pay you two to pretend that never happened?"

Y/n took the dollar, a small smile in her features. She'll never forget that.

Pacifica led the two on the other side of the garden, where the party was going on inside. She called upon a butler to summon her parents outside and Preston and Priscilla Northwest along with two butlers walked out, a smile on their faces.

"Well, Pacifica, you really found the right people for the job," Preston commended, snapping his fingers. The two butlers bent down and began shaking each of their hands.

"We can't thank you enough," Priscilla added. She paused as the butlers continued to shake their hands. "That's enough," she ordered, and the butlers stopped their actions, walking away.

Dipper chuckled good-naturedly. "We're just holding up our end of the deal."

The two began walking away, talking about ways they could deal with a vengeful ghost stuck in the mirror, when Pacifica called after them. "Leaving already? You nerds are at the world's best party."

Y/n smiled. shrugging casually. She noticed the change in Preston and Priscilla's expression (she swore it turned sour), but decided not to comment on it. "Honestly, we really love to stay, but we have this ghost to dispose of and we don't want him to ruin 'the world's best party'," she reiterated before she and Dipper laughed like an inside joke, walking away.

"So what are you going to do with that dollar?" Dipper asked, taking the mirror from her.

She smiled at the question. "Put it in a frame and hang it up on the wall with a sign that says, 'Pacifica paid me a dollar to pretend she never hugged me'." Y/n answered quickly in a jest.

Dipper laughed, clutching his stomach. "I can't believe she would do that. She was so embarrassed."

"I'm not that hideous to hug, come on now," Y/n smirked in confidence, mocking the way Pacifica would strut down.

He looked at her fondly, suddenly avoiding her gaze as he scratched the side of the mirror. "You're not," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

The girl halted, looking at him. What did he say?

"In fact... you look really pretty."

Dipper tried to loosen his collar, a furious blush coating his cheeks nicely.

Y/n's hands felt sweaty under her black gloves. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

"You look pretty too."

"Thank you."

A cackle coming from the silver mirror startled the two and they looked over to see the lumberjack laughing. Dipper raised an eyebrow, slightly offended and embarrassed at the thought of the lumberjack listening in their conversation. It was supposed to be a private moment for the two of them.

"What are you laughing at, man? We defeated you," he said, pointing a finger at him.

"Well, the two of you have been tricked. You remind me of me 150 years ago," the lumberjack said.

Y/n stepped closer, ready to hear a story from him. "What do you mean?" she asked. Was he perhaps talking about the Great Flood?

The lumberjack began his tale, his life before it was taken away from the storm. It turned out that before the deaths from the flood, there were already several of lumberfolks passed away from the backboned labor and sacrifice.

He finished his story, and Dipper and Y/n were filled with rage. She knew that the Northwests were deceitful and a bunch of cheap liars, but she was dumb enough to still trust them.

No, Y/n. You were simply kind.

"So the Northwests knew this haunting was coming, and they tricked us into helping them to avoid ghostly justice?" Dipper quickly summarized, hitting the target.

Dipper handed her the mirror before he began marching his way back to the manor with purpose, Y/n trying to catch up with him. Not that she was unsure of his plan, but what exactly can Dipper do in this situation? He's powerless against the family and there's no way he would be able to persuade them.

Reaching a large double door from the back, Dipper called the ones at fault, "NORTHWESTS!"

He opened the doors, and there stood the parents busy talking with the town's mayor, entertaining him with a monkey butler. They were clearly displeased when they saw the two commoners interrupting their conversation.

"You have some explaining to do!"

They were silent, but they weren't shocked at all. Pacifica entered the room, grinning widely when she saw Y/n and Dipper again. "You two came back!"

"You lied to us!" Dipper accused, his voice loud. "All of you did!"

Pacifica had the decency to look guilty as she avoided their gazes. "All you had to do was let the townsfolk into the party and you would have broken the curse!" Dipper exclaimed.

"But you went ahead and hired two kids to do your dirty work instead," Y/n added, narrowing her eyes at them. If looks could kill.

Preston placed his cup on a butler's tray, his stare cold and menacing. "Look at who you two are talking to, children," he warned, looking them both in the eyes. "I'm hosting a party for the most powerful people in the world," Preston's eyes shifted towards said people in the main hall next to them.

Dipper and Y/n couldn't care less. So what if they wear fancy clothes and hold wine glasses? They're still people.

The Northwest patriarch continued, "You think they'd come here if they were to rub elbows with your kind?"

Y/n recoiled by the way Preston emphasized the last part. His tone was different, tinged with disgust.

"Our kind?" Dipper whispered, eyebrows knitted together. What could he possibly insinuate by that? He faced Pacifica, the one person from the family he thought he could finally change into someone better, but she went ahead and ruined everything.

"I was right about you all along," Dipper said, venom laced in his tone. "You're just as bad as your parents. Another link in the world's worst chain!"

Even Y/n winced when he uttered the words. Harsh, but purely deserved.

Pacifica frowned, desperate to explain. "I'm sorry, they made me!" She pointed at her parents, the first time she blamed them for something. "I should've told you guys, but—"

The ringing of a bell interrupted her plea, and her mouth was shut. Y/n watched the entire scene play out, pity in her features. Preston didn't even call her name out. He simply swung a little instrument.

The patriarch turned back to the duo, who wore faces of disdain. It didn't deter the older man, not even a change in expression. "Enjoy the party. It's the last time you and your kind will ever come."

Dipper and Y/n walked out of the room with their pride and identity being stomped on. The girl tried to think things through, maybe playing devil's advocate to try and understand their intentions.

But the more she brainstormed, the more she had come to the conclusion that the Northwests are very... bad.

"Let's just extinguish the ghost once and for all," Y/n offered, trying to take Dipper's mind off the subject. "By doing that, they're not going to trick other people like us."

She didn't want Dipper to come back there and face them again, but she welcomed his inconvenient threats.

"I hope their socks are always wet," he said while setting up candles that he brought. "I hope all of their pens are out of ink."

Y/n couldn't help but let out a chuckle as she helped with the anointed water. "That would be infuriating," she said, agreeing. Eventually, the duo completed their preparations, having placed candles in their right order and lighting them up one by one. Thankfully, no strong winds were able to deter the fire.

She gazed at the sky, which was slowly turning grayer, accompanied by distant lightning and thunder. Rain was imminent.

Placing the cursed silver mirror on a random stump that they found, Dipper kneeled down as he opened up the journal. "Stupid Northwests. Making us do their exorcism for them..." The brunette grumbled under his breath and he began to chant in a monotonous way. "Exodus demonus, spookus scarus, aintafraidus noghostus—"

"Kids, kids!" The lumberjack from the mirror pleaded, his hands pressed on the glass. "Please let me get my vengeance on the Northwest! The two of you hate them as much as I."

Y/n turned to Dipper, dropping her voice in a whisper. "Don't believe him."

He faced the ghost again. "Hey, man. I feel you," he said. "It's just... my sister's in there, and you seem a little unstable." Emphasis on the little.

The girl crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. After all, this was a vengeful spirit, and considering the way he relentlessly pursued them, she was well aware that he wouldn't cease until his mission was accomplished.

The lumberjack had the decency to look sorrowful, wearing a deep frown. "Very well, boy. Then, before you banish my soul, may these tired lumber eyes gaze upon the trees one final time?"

Y/n rolled her eyes. So dramatic.

Dipper shrugged. "I guess?"

"I'll do it," she spoke, standing up before him. She picked up the mirror's handle and faced it towards the expanse of the woods like he requested. "Go nuts," she offered, imagining his expression while he gazed.

However, he was cackling like a madman, and Y/n couldn't help but glance at the mirror to see the lumberjack turning bright orange, resembling fire. Suddenly, the handle began to turn red, as if it, too, was engulfed in flames.

Quite unfortunate that Y/n doesn't even feel the slightest pain.

The lumberjack stopped abruptly, staring at her. She noticed that the mirror was back to being silver. "Does it not... Does it not hurt?" he asked meekly, standing awkwardly.

"What do you mean?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

Dipper stood up now, watching them with concern. He called her name, "What's going on?" he asked.

"Are you done?" the girl asked, shaking the mirror slightly.

The ghost was fidgety, and he looked desperate. "No! No! Please!" he pushed on the glass with all his strength. "You will pay for restricting me of my right to seek justice!" His hands conjured balls of flames, his face angry. She was unperturbed, knowing that he was powerless inside of the mirror.

"What's happening?" Dipper asked while the mirror remained facing away from her. His curiosity was filled to the brim, and the fear of missing out settled in, wanting to see what the lumberjack might show her.

His shoes moved on their own, eager to watch even from behind her shoulder, but even the smallest of pebbles could trip a young boy's feet, and Dipper didn't realize he fell until his body crashed into Y/n's. The strength of his weight sent the two to the ground, and her hand that held the mirror was slammed against the stump next to them.

She felt it shattering beyond relief, and Y/n's heart was sent to a frenzy. "Oh, no!" she screamed, scrambling to sit up, pushing Dipper away. The lumberjack laughed maniacally more than ever, and he was now reformed to the physical world, floating in the air.

The lumberjack flew above them, and she immediately shielded Dipper, knowing that they were supposed to pay for trapping them. But instead of reigning down curses at them, he flew away. "Vengeance on the Northwest is my top priority. I will deal with you twerps later," he noted before calling upon the storm again and fled towards the mansion.

"Are you okay?!" she said in a panic, offering Dipper a hand as she stood up.

He groaned in embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm– I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine. It doesn't matter," she dismissed him, dusting the dirt from her dress. Though she meant it as something he shouldn't have to worry about, Dipper still felt anxious of what she might feel. "We have to go back."

Finally, panic settled in on Dipper and his hands were on his hair in an instant. "Oh, no. Mabel's in there!"

It began raining, and the two began to make their way back to the manor, the mud from the ground was unavoidable as it eventually splattered against their shoes and clothes. Y/n thought about her fatal mistake. How could she let that happen? Shaking off the past, she realized dwelling on the accidental collision with Dipper was pointless. Better to focus on the now and figure out how to deal with the vengeful spirit.

Dipper kicked open the door to reveal the chaos that was the center of the party. Taxidermied animals were given life, and were assigned to just give the guests a bad time, while the lumberjack floated in the middle of it all, turning the people into wood.

One guest reached out to them, calling desperately for help, but he was eventually frozen, turned into timber. "Woah! That is messed up," the boy beside her recoiled, stepping back.

The spirit laughed, announcing his request. "Just one way to change your fates: a Northwest must open the party gates!"

"A Northwest?" Dipper asked out, until the two exchanged looks and gasped in unison. "Pacifica!" they both said.

They went and looked for her, managing to escape the ghost's sight, until they eventually found a light flashing from the abandoned room they were in an hour ago. "Pacifica!" he exclaimed as he began to explain the dire situation outside. Maybe she'll understand that they needed her help. "There you are! The ghost is turning everyone to wood, and he just started rhyming, for some reason?" he tugged on the blonde's hand. "Come on, we need your help!"

But she wasn't budging, indifferent to his plea. She avoided their gazes, looking down instead. She kept her flashlight aimed to the ground as she stayed still.

"Pacifica?" Y/n spoke, her instincts kicking in. The blonde seemed so sad all of a sudden, and not at all panicking like her parents.

She eventually explained, "You wanna know why this room was locked up?" She raised the flashlight towards big paintings that loomed over them. The light revealed the family's crimes, all smiling so proudly.

"This is what I found in here. A painted record of every horrible thing that my family's ever done. Lying, cheating, and then there's me," Pacifica trailed. "I lied to you two just because I'm too scared to talk back to my stupid parents!" She threw her discarded diamond earrings at a painting of Preston and Priscilla.

She turned to Dipper. "You were right about me. I am just another link in the world's worst chain," she said, her voice slightly cracking.

Dipper sighed. "Pacifica, I'm sorry about what I said earlier," he said. "But just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them."

Y/n added, sitting on the other side of the scion. "Yeah, and I know that you're the only Northwest in your family who is capable of changing. In fact, you already showed that you're better than them by being brave and admitting your faults, two things that your parents lack. You can break free from that mold and be whoever you want to be," she finished, and she swore she saw Pacifica's eyes moisten until she forcibly wiped her face.

Dipper smiled reassuringly. "It's not too late," he said.

"IT'S TOO LATE!"

The loudness of his voice interrupted their moment and the brunette stood up, "Oh no!"

The three sprinted out of the room and into the main hall where it was overgrown with trees and leaves. They screamed upon seeing all of the people– including Mabel, Candy, and Grenda— were now turned into wooden statues. Dipper saw the lumberjack hovering near a fireplace, as if he was waiting for a change.

Dipper's face changed into one of determination, and without hesitation he broke into a sprint and ran towards the ghost. "Don't do anything stupid!" Y/n shouted at him, but it fell on deaf ears.

The brunette rushed into a platform and retrieved a random silver tray that he held up against the lumberjack. " Alright ghost, prepare to get—" an energy beam knocked the journal out of his hands, interrupting his heroic speech. "No, wait!" He was zapped by the powers, and his feet began to turn into wood, gradually making its way to his body.

Y/n couldn't watch anymore as she turned to the blonde. "Pacifica, you have to open the gates now!"

The lumberjack heard the commotion, and his eyes shifted to see the two girls. He had gotten angrier. "You!" he pointed at Y/n. "You couldn't let me out before, now prepare to atone for your fatal error!" he rhymed before blasting another beam that was heading straight for them.

"Pacifica!" she exclaimed, pushing the blonde away and the fire hit her.

The Northwest daughter gasped, extending her arm. "Y/n!" she called out.

Her legs were transformed into timber, and then her chest. Y/n weakly let out, "Just... do what you need to do! Save the town—!"

Now standing before her was the wooden statue of the girl who pushed her out of harm's way and saved her. Pacifica now felt angry at the turn of events, determined to make things right. She faced the ghost. "I'll let in the townsfolk! Just change everyone back!"

"You wish to prove yourself?!" The ghost retaliated, disbelief in his bluish features. "Pull that lever and open the grand gate to the town! Fulfill your ancestors' promise!"

Pacifica's hand itched towards the lever, but centimeters away from the contraption, her father, mother, and the butler burst out from the underground hatch. "Pacifica Elise Northwest," he seethed, glaring at his daughter. "Stop this instant! We can't let the town see us like this! We have a reputation to uphold! Now come into the panic room. There's enough mini-sandwiches and oxygen to last you, me, and a butler a full week." He then dropped his voice into a whisper. "We'll eat the butler!"

The blonde didn't say anything before looking over to her newfound friends that were stuck as statues made out of wood. It was her fault that they were in this situation. It was her fault that the ghost wanted vengeance. She wanted to undo her mistakes.

So she continued reaching for the lever, and Preston didn't like that one bit.

He arched an eyebrow. "You dare disobey us?" he asked, incredulous, before producing a small bell from his pocket and began jingling it around. The sound of the instrument sent shivers down Pacifica's spine, memories associated with the sound flooding back. Every time the bell rang, she was compelled to obey her parents' commands, all in the pursuit of making them proud.

But this isn't something to be proud of.

She avoided their pointed gazes and decided to look at Y/n, remembering her words, "You can break free from that mold and be whoever you want to be,"

And those were the words she needed, not some petty order.

"Dingly, dingly! Is this bell broken?!" Preston exclaimed.

Pacifica stomped her foot on the floor, finally standing up for herself, and not her father. "Our family name is broken, and I'm gonna fix it!"

The lever was pulled down with a click, making the lumberjack gasp. The main gates were opened in such a grandiose manner, and the people of Gravity Falls were excited to march inside and have fun. The ghost watched them from a window with a large smile. "Yes, yes! It's happening! My heart, once as hard as oak, now grows soft like more of a... birch— or, something..."

With the fulfillment of the promise, vengeance dissipated, and normalcy returned. The main hall no longer harbored wild trees and animals, and the guests reverted to their usual selves. Dipper and Y/n took a deep breath, relieved to be liberated from the wooden shackles.

Pacifica looked up at the ghost, who was smiling down at her. "Pacifica," he said. "You are not like the other Northwests. I feel... lumber-justice." He rose to the ceiling until he faded into nothing, the ax in his head falling to the floor and sinking into the ground.

The ground shook, and the manor doors swung wide open, welcoming the people of Gravity Falls into the main hall, creating a lively atmosphere. Amidst the chaos, Preston fretted over the disorder and the apparent misplacement of his prized utensils.

Music played in the background, and the people were happy as they got to experience the luxury of being rich and fancy for free.

Pacifica wandered around the room, until she was caught off guard by Y/n, who had her arms around the blonde. "Pacifica, you did it!"

Blushing at the affectionate gesture, she felt unsure about where to place her hands, unaccustomed to physical touch. Fortunately, Y/n withdrew before it became more awkward. Dipper, standing at a distance, finally spoke up, "Man, if your family hates you for this, they're idiots. This is great."

"Now, this is a party," the other one agreed.

Pacifica crossed her arms, looking away. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Next year, I'm sure they're just gonna lock everyone out again."

Y/n looked down on her dirty clothes, now feigning a worried look. "Hey, I'm sorry I got your gown ruined. I told you it wouldn't be appropriate for ghost hunting."

But the Northwest daughter dismissed it quickly, an unusual act from her. "Keep it. I have hundreds of dresses, and the designs are better than that anyway."

Dipper grinned in amusement, shaking his head. "Still a mean girl," he noted. She might have fixed her mistakes, but she still hasn't changed her snarky personality.

"I'd say," Y/n added. "Look at what we're standing on," she said, pointing at their muddied shoes standing directly on her parent's favorite carpet pattern.

Pacifica gasped as she realized, but instead of looking terrified like before, she began laughing and dirtied the carpet some more, even throwing food and drinks onto it. The three laughed as they imagined the adults' reaction. "But seriously, I'd better go and find someone to clean this up," Pacifica said before walking away, her probably fake hair swishing around as she left.

The two exchanged smiles of victory. "Mystery?" Y/n began their slogan, holding up a fist as she waited.

"Solved," Dipper finished, lifting his own closed fist, bumping it against hers.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked, looking around the people mingling and socializing. The soft music continued as they conversed.

He shrugged, shuffling his feet as he moved closer. Suddenly, he looked self-conscious compared to the smug facade that he wore earlier. "I..."

She waited, looking down at him with an anticipating gaze. "Yes?" an amused grin was slowly stretching on her lips. She had a feeling she knew what he was about to say.

"Can I..."

"Oh, come on, Dipper," she urged in a whisper, chuckling. "We just faced a demonic vengeance specter trying to kill us with a big ax, why be scared now?"

He cleared his throat, before mustering up the courage. "So, um. Dancing," he began, trying to keep his clammy hands to himself. "It's a thing people do, right?"

She laughed, finding his awkwardness endearing. Before she could reply, she remembered the first occurrence of when Dipper asked her to the activity, making her smirk. "But I can't dance."

The brunette's eyes lit up, looking at her with wonder. Y/n guessed that he remembered the moment as well, and now he was grinning. "Me neither," he let out a snort, and she joined in like they were doing an inside joke. "...but we can try?"

And so, she accepted. The two swayed around closely, their sludgy feet continued to track down mud on the apparently expensive white carpet, but they couldn't care less. They were too busy being lost in each other's eyes and relishing in the moment to notice...

In the distant corner of the main hall, an elderly man sporting green goggles watched anxiously, eager to approach the duo but unable to do so without revealing himself. The laptop in front of him displayed a screen bearing the words "Imminent threat" accompanied by a countdown, ticking down to less than twenty-four hours.

"Something's coming!"

***

[y/n's appearance in this drawing is not the canon design!!! it's my own headcanon. you're free to design a different y/n 👍]

MZIRBXQ BYVA NQTC, ZH'J VCJK PVSCE.
🗝:???

In the tapestry of life, a moment will unfold,
Where destinies shift and stories are told.
Enjoy the laughter, the joys that won't last,
Tomorrow's chapter is bound to be cast.

***

X⅃MGᴙMꟻVH ᴙM XꙄZKGVI !

[author's note]: fun fact! this is one of the only episode that i have memorized. i know every line, every intonation, every delivery (as well as sock opera) :) 

anyways, this had been the most fun i have ever written! it was continuous writing, (maybe because it's my fav episode) and we get to bond with pacifica again! guess how many times i've written the word lumberjack because i literally cannot find any other synonyms other than ghost or spirit LMAO. i know i said that this book was supposed to be on hiatus until the 20th but i hope you guys are grateful that i managed to squeeze writing into my VERY hectic schedule! i'm failing my classes but writing is more important, me thinks. 👍

G-G-G- GUESS WH- WHAT E-E-E-EPISODE IS-S-S N-N-NEXT......... 🥶🥶🥶❗❗❗❗

always open for fanarts, theories, and speculations! also I LIVEEE for your comments! i read them all!!!

kimmiepines
8283 words

[REAL AUTHOR'S NOTE]: HOW SWEET OF DAISY TO DISTRACT THEM FOR ME WHILE I PREPARE FOR THE DAY! AWW LOOK HOW HAPPY PINETREE IS— WHATEVER! THAT'LL BE THE LAST WALTZ YOU'LL EVER DANCE TO! ENJOY IT WHILE IT LAST!