The Fearamid was as lively as ever, with creatures continuing their wild partying as if there were no tomorrow. Time was dead—they had literally witnessed Time Baby get vaporized—and meaning had lost all meaning in the chaos.

Bill tapped a fork on the still-petrified Ford Pines, causing the music to stop abruptly. Everyone turned their uniquely-shaped heads toward him. "Ladies, gentlemen, Nathaniel," he said, side-eyeing the last abominable creature. "It's been fun turning Gravity Falls inside out, rounding up all its terrified citizens, and stacking them into this massive throne of frozen human agony!"

He settled onto the throne, reassuring the crowd, "Don't worry. They're not conscious anymore! Probably."

As if on cue, Lazy Susan began to regain consciousness, her breathing slowly returning. "Uh, my omelets... they- they have friendly faces."

"Whoops! Hehe, back—back you go there." He poked the woman back into place, turning her back to stone. "But Gravity Falls is just the beginning. It's time to take our chaos worldwide!" he exclaimed, opening up the Fearamid to let his gang loose. "To the corners of the Earth! Set the world aflame with your weirdness. This dimension is ours!"

Bill watched with glee as his henchmen flew toward the skies, only to be unexpectedly stopped by a barrier. The impact was so jarring, like slamming into a brick wall, that it knocked them unconscious for a moment. Bill screamed in disbelief and floated out to investigate.

He pressed a finger against the barrier and felt it, an invisible force field trapping all of Weirdmageddon within the confines of Gravity Falls. It rippled like a bubble as he poked it. "This might be more complicated than I thought," he muttered to himself.

"I- I think I broke something!"

"WALK IT OFF!"

***

https://youtu.be/uWvdqkl2UH4

***

Back in the Fearamid, Bill paced around with his hands behind his back, scheming. His henchmen were slumped on the floor, nursing their bruises in despair. Bill was livid. "Okay, can anyone explain to me why, even with our newfound INFINITE POWER, none of us can escape the borders of this stupid, hick town!"

He scanned the lineup of his henchmen, calling them out. "Anyone, anyone, I'm looking at you, Eyeball, Lava Lamp Guy, anyone?! Suggestions?!"

Finally, someone raised their hand from the bunch, making Bill raise an eyebrow. "Uh, Paci-Fire?" The demon resembled a dark gray infant-like being with enormous black horns and an additional face on his torso that had nipple-like light red eyes with red pupils, sucking a namesake red pacifier linked to a chain attached to a lone shackle on his left ankle.

Paci-Fire pulled out his pacifier before summoning a small blackboard. A deep voice came from the mouth on his belly. "It appears that this town functions as a weirdness magnet, drawing strange things toward its center." Illustrations appeared on the board as he explained. "Without a way to reverse the polarity, our powers will be trapped within the location of Gravity Falls forever."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Okay, we get it. Great, you went to college, you got big words! Any idea how to fix this?"

The henchmen looked at each other, clueless. After a moment, 8-Ball spoke up, "Okay, well I've been reading some science books, and I think we can solve this if we, uh, party harder?" A silence washed over them. "Right?"

Bill pointed at him. "Wrong. You're dust now."

With a snap of his fingers, the creature vaporized into nothing but dust, leaving his 8-Ball eyes rolling on the ground.

Desperate for a solution, they turned to another demon, who nervously suggested something. "Uh, maybe if we, uh, build a trampoline, a really big trampoline—"

"Your bones are now my coat," Bill commanded, snapping his fingers. The demon suddenly felt like jelly, melting to the ground as his bones were extracted and draped across Bill's shoulders like a grotesque cape.

The overdressed nacho, massaged the bridge of his nose—if he had one. "So you're telling me I planned for a million, stupid years to find a new home dimension, and we can't even leave the front step!" he screamed, retreating to his table. There, a cup of human tears sat next to the golden statue of Ford. Bill began fiddling with the gold, muttering to himself, "There's got to be a way to fix this. If I get one more piece of bad news today—"

"Bill! Bill, there's a problem!"

He stopped, staring ahead. Suddenly, his entire figure was engulfed in flames, sending the others running from his line of sight, afraid to be his target. He slowly turned around to see Keyhole fidgeting nervously.

"Uh, sorry, boss! But Gideon let the Pines kid escape!"

"WHAT?!"

"They're inside Mabel's bubble as we speak!"

Bill quieted down, his eye downcast as he listened to the news. "Who's they?"

"Uh..." Keyhole stuttered. "If I remember correctly, there's the Pines kid, the red-haired lady, the chubby man, and... the girl."

The triangle demon suddenly cackled. "Well, going into the most diabolical trap I've ever created is certainly a choice! It would take the will of titanium not to give into its temptation. Fetch me Gideon and take the rest of the day off. Things just got a little more interesting."

***

Mabel's bubble world was more than just a trap; it was her ideal paradise. Dipper and the gang expected a horrifying prison, but what they found was far from it. The city was filled with things only Mabel could imagine: endless glitter, giant stuffed animals, and everything sparkly and cute. It was like stepping into Mabel's dream come true.

Dipper couldn't believe it. "This is supposed to be a prison?" he muttered, looking around in disbelief. Y/n had to admit that Bill had outdone himself. Evil, yes, but also a genius. Who would ever want to leave this place?

As they explored, they saw all sorts of things Mabel loved—giant stuffed animals, endless glitter, and even living versions of her favorite pet, Waddles. Everywhere they looked, there were reminders of Mabel's happy, carefree spirit. It was easy to forget the real world and their mission with all these distractions.

Dipper, Wendy, Soos, and Y/n realized the real trap here. This place was made to make Mabel never want to leave. It wasn't about scaring her into staying; it was about making her so happy she'd never want to go back.

Mabel was thrilled to show them around, pointing out all the amazing things. She was determined to prove why staying in this world was the best choice. She even used the bubble's magic to give Wendy and Soos their heart's desires. Wendy was living the teen dream, pranking their high school and laughing with her dreams who she thought were captured. Soos was in heaven playing baseball with his imaginary dad.

The most ruthless blow of all came when Mabel introduced her "backup" Dipper, a far cry from her real twin. This new Dipper, known as Dippy Fresh, was a caricature with an over-the-top supportive attitude that grated on Dipper's nerves. His high-pitched, screechy voice was irritating enough, but when this skateboard-riding imposter made unwelcome advances toward the girl standing beside him, Dipper had to fight the urge to unleash his fury and wipe the smug grin off Dippy Fresh's face.

Dipper spoke up, trying to break through to his sister. "Mabel, you've gone too far. You can't honestly think these fantasies are good for anyone!"

She looked at him, her eyes filled with determination. "Dipper, for once, just listen to your heart. This place makes us happy. Isn't that worth something? Mabeland had something for everyone! Even you! In fact..."

A door to their right began to open, but the brunette refused to even sneak a glance at it, marching his way out of the room, leaving the two girls.

Y/n decided that it was her turn to convince the girl. "Mabel, Dipper's right. This isn't real. It's just a trap to keep you from helping us fight Bill. We need you, the real you, out there with us."

Mabel's expression turned hurt and confused. "But this place makes me happy! Why can't we just have this? Why can't we have fun and be safe for once? Out there, everything is falling apart. Here, we can have everything we've ever wanted."

"And what if what I want is for Bill to be defeated? For Ford to be saved? Your bubble can't grant me that. I wonder why." She crossed her arms, giving her a look of despair.

Mabel smiled and raised a finger confidently. "Well, I can solve that other issue!" She clapped her hands, and a door to their right creaked open, revealing a figure stepping into the light. It was Ford, looking just as he did before Bill turned him to gold. He smiled warmly at Y/n and Mabel.

"Hello, everyone," he said, his voice carrying the familiar tone of wisdom and assurance.

She turned to the brunette in an unimpressed glare. "Really?" she deadpanned.

Mabel beamed, just failing to see what was wrong with this. "See? This bubble can give us everything we want! We can all be together and safe," she smiled.

Y/n tried to make a move, but every time she so much as twitched, "Ford" was right there, watching her with that unnervingly constant proud smile. It was creepy how he never let her out of his sight. She realized she was going to be stuck with him as long as they were in Mabel's bubble.

Meanwhile, Dipper wasn't doing any better. After storming out of the castle room, he quickly regretted leaving Y/n behind. He had wanted to come up with a plan to escape the bubble, and it was easier to strategize with someone who shared his IQ—or possibly even surpassed it.

He found himself sitting on the grassy path by Giggle Creek, feeling sulky even after perfectly skipping a stone across the water. For a moment, he began to internalize his thoughts, "Maybe Mabel's right... It is a horror show out there. At least the air here is breathable..."

Dipper was just about to stand up until Y/n slumped down next to him, rubbing her face in exasperation. He looked at her in concern. "Uh... are you okay?"

"Yeah..." she groaned, stilling her face in her hands. "I just had to evade the fake Ford that Mabel had conjured to make me stay."

His face quickly morphed to disdain. "Oh..."

"But, let's forget about that at the moment," she dismissed, waving a hand. "Are your eyes not hurting at the colors of this world? It's so bright, but uh, what do I know? Heh, I'm invulnerable."

Dipper smiled slightly at that, appreciating her presence beside him. They let a comfortable silence wash over them, just them admiring the pink skies and neon-colored birds.

"You know what I found?" She cut off the silence, making him turn to her. "In this bubble, time stops for a moment." He didn't say anything, and she continued. "It's been a stressful couple of days. Time has stopped so the world outside is not even moving! That's interesting."

"Huh..." Dipper let out, eyes wandering to the river. "But I can't help but still feel uneasy, though. I feel like we're being selfish by staying here while everything out there is just... suffering."

Y/n hummed, trying to find the right words to say. "Sometimes, well, sometimes it's okay to be selfish. You know you need to pause and take care of yourself before you can help others, right?" She turned to him with a smirk. "Besides, the fact that this world is not moving gives you more time to dwell on other stuff."

He didn't say anything.

She continued. "You still need to think about that apprenticeship. Or... do you already have an answer?"

Dipper could feel her looking at him while he avoided her gaze. He was hesitant. "I... I've been thinking about it. It's just—there's a lot on my mind right now. It's hard to focus on something like that with everything going on. I guess I'm not really sure yet."

"Okay. That's fine!" She replied, an unnervingly constant proud smile on her face. "You know you can tell me everything, right?" But when Dipper didn't say anything, she took the floor. "While we're on the topic of your apprenticeship, I really want you to join us, Dip."

Dipper looked at her with a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah!" she said, her voice earnest and full of hope. "After everything we've been through together, don't you want to keep going even after summer ends? I know it'll be amazing with the three of us—adventures and everything. I promise I'll make it up to you," she added, her tone sincere.

Dipper felt a flicker of excitement at the thought, imagining the thrilling adventures ahead with the author of the journals and Y/n by his side. But despite the enticing prospect, a frown tugged at his lips. There were more pressing matters at hand. "We need to defeat Bill first," he said, his voice carrying a weight of seriousness. "Before we can even think about the future, we have to take care of what's happening right now. We need to leave."

Y/n's grip on his arm tightened, her fingers digging in with a desperate intensity. "Dipper, you don't understand. You can't leave. We have to stay here and make the most of this. This place can be our sanctuary."

He tried to pull away, his discomfort growing as her hold remained unyielding. "Y/n, you're not making any sense," he said, frustration creeping into his voice. "This place isn't real. We need to get out and stop Bill!"

"But everything we need is right here!" Her voice grew louder, her face flushed with a fierce determination. "Why can't you see that? It's perfect here!"

Dipper rose to his feet, his voice rising to a shout as his desperation mounted. "Y-you're not thinking clearly! I don't know what's happened to you, but you're not the real Y/n! I'm getting out of here, and nothing you say will change that!"

The girl was desperately holding onto him now, her eyes wild. "No, Dipper! You don't understand! You can't leave! I won't let you!"

He fought against her grip, his voice a mix of anger and fear. "Let me go! This isn't you! This isn't real!"

Just then, another Y/n arrived at the creek, her face set with grim determination. Without a word, she moved swiftly behind the Fake Y/n and plunged a knife into her back. The Fake Y/n gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she collapsed, dissolving into a bunch of centipedes. "You... can't... escape..." she whispered weakly before disappearing.

Dipper stood frozen, his eyes wide and mouth agape, watching in shock as Y/n eliminated the fake version of herself. It felt unsettlingly familiar, like déjà vu, even though he couldn't quite get used to it.

Y/n looked down at the fading figure, catching her breath. "Maybe not," she said quietly to herself, "but at least I can see through the lies."

With a nonchalant flick, she wiped the blade clean and slipped it back into her sleeve. "Apparently I wanted a knife," she said with a casual smile, her gaze shifting to Dipper, who remained frozen in disbelief. "Good job not falling for her tricks, Dipper."

Again, deja vu.

He struggled to find his voice, his reply coming out as stammering, incoherent fragments.

"This... this is crazy," Dipper said, his voice trembling and his breaths coming out in uneven gasps. "We really need to get out of here."

"Okay, Dipper. Calm down," Y/n said softly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she noticed him starting to lose his composure. "You need to breathe."

But Dipper shook his head, his panic only growing. "W-we have to go back. To the real... WORLD!"

Conveniently, everyone heard Dipper's confession, and gasps echoed through the crowd as they all turned to face him. In an instant, he was tackled to the ground by a waffle guard. "Hey!" Y/n shouted, rushing to help him, only to be swarmed by more buff-armed waffles.

"Under Article Smiley Face of Exhibit Squeaky Duck, you are hereby accused of breaking our one rule: mentioning reality," one of the waffle guards declared.

The crowd quickly gathered around, whispering amongst themselves as they watched the scene unfold.

"Prepare to be banished from this land FOREVER!"

A portal to the real world opened before them, showing a chaotic scene on the other side. Y/n saw the chaos beyond the portal and knew this could be their chance to escape, but their main mission was to save Mabel and wake her from her dream.

Desperate, Dipper pleaded, "MABEL! You're smarter than this! Bill has you hypnotized or something! Are you really gonna let them banish me?!"

"No! Of course not; that's my brother, guys! There's gotta be another way!" Mabel pleaded, giving Y/n and Dipper a glimmer of hope that she was still somewhat aware.

The waffle guard responded, "Very well. If Dipper wishes to stay, he must plead his case in the ultimate trial... of Fantasy Vs. Reality."

A courtroom made of yarn materialized around them, filled with every citizen of Mabeland, big and small, eager to witness the trial between the Pines twins.

Dipper took a seat next to Mabel, frustration evident on his face. "Seriously, Mabel? You're letting them take our argument to court?"

She shrugged, flashing an innocent grin. "Hey, I didn't make the rules in Mabeland."

"Yes, you did! There's a tapestry of you making the rules!" He pointed to the tapestry hung on one of the courtroom walls.

Y/n sat on a pew between Soos and Ducktective, who kept chewing on the sleeve of her top. She just wanted this ordeal to end, but she couldn't deny her intrigue.

The Policegiraffe introduced the judge, Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartsein. Emerging from his hole at the bottom of the cat scratcher, the judge climbed to the top and banged his squeaky mallet. "Order! Order! This trial begins right meow! We are here to try Dipper Pines in the case of Fantasy vs. Reality. If Dipper wins, Mabel will return with him to the real world! But if he loses, he will be banished forever and replaced with town darling, Dippy Fresh! Dippy, come on out."

The guy was summoned, striking an obnoxious pose. "Flip-a-dip-dip!"

Dipper pounded on the table, seething with irritation. "I hate him. So. Much!"

"The final decision will be made by a jury of your peers." Mabel clapped, and six copies of herself appeared in the jury stand. They also introduced Mabel's legal team: the neon-colored boys they met earlier, now wearing suits with the sleeves cut off. Clearly Mabel's choice.

Xyler and Craz started the opening statements, arguing that reality was bogus, lame, and whack. Dipper wanted to object, but he was overruled—or in the judge's terms, "Meowverruled."

Xyler held up Mabel's scrapbook as Exhibit A, flipping it open and narrating. To everyone's surprise, the entire room transformed into an outdoor setting with leaves falling gently around them. Y/n turned and saw little kids lining up for photos. The next two kids in line were Mabel and Dipper. She almost cried as she watched Mabel sob because a girl had ruined her hair by sticking gum in it.

"Mabel's fantasy was having a great school photo, but reality had other plans," Craz said grimly.

"Look, that was one bad day!" Dipper argued.

"One of many!" Xyler countered. "February fourteenth, fourth grade. Valentine's Day—"

Dipper's eyes widened at the mention of the date, the memory flashing vividly in his mind. "Oh, come on, man, you can't."

The scene changed to a classroom in fourth grade. Little Mabel held a bag full of Valentine's cards, while little Dipper had none, enduring ridicule until he ran out of the classroom, humiliated.

"Hey, what's the point of all this?! That was in the past!" Present Dipper shouted.

Xyler shook his head. "Is your life any better now, bro?" He displayed the scrapbook, filled with pictures showcasing all of Dipper's failures.

"Fear."

"Disaster."

"Betrayals."

"Broken promises."

"That's reality for you," Xyler concluded.

Craz continued, "Out there, it's nothing but heartbreak. But here, who wants pug sundaes?!"

They finished with a mic drop, and Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow was immediately convinced. "Well, I think we're ready for a verdict."

"Wait! I haven't even presented my case!" Dipper yelled, determined not to back down.

"Do you even have a case?"

Dipper glanced at Mabel, who was busy rocking in her chair and singing to herself, before turning back to the judge. "Yes, I do, your honor. I call as a witness: Mabel Pines!"

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Mabel objected, but without a valid reason, she had no choice but to take the witness stand. She walked up to the chair, the people around her muttering and mumbling.

Dipper sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mabel, listen. I might not have all the answers. I'm not stylish, I'm not cool, and I can't make pugs appear out of thin air."

The jury booed, but Dipper pressed on, undeterred. He wanted to reach his sister, to convince her, even if she didn't want to listen. She went so far as to order the guards to place puff fingers in her ears, but he continued.

"Look, real life stinks sometimes, okay? I'm not gonna lie. But there's a better way to get through it than denial, and that's with help from people who care about you. It's how we've gotten through our whole lives. Just look."

The tables turned, and Dipper held the scrapbook this time, making the room change back to Picture Day. It showed little Dipper shaving a line down his head to support Mabel's bad hair day. Another flashback showed Mabel's support for her brother on Valentine's Day.

"We've always been there for each other," he said, reminding them of the times they always had each other's backs.

[green screen skin for interpretation. you can color it in if you want^^]

Y/n was right. The twins had faced everything together; they were each other's halves, a crucial part of each other's lives.

Dipper continued, "Mabel, I thought you were living a fantasy, but look at me! I actually thought I was gonna stay here and be Ford's apprentice! Spend my entire teens cooped up in a basement with a lab coat? How ridiculous is that?"

Mabel furrowed her brows, still unsure, but her guard was slowly dropping as she listened intently.

He approached her gingerly. "I don't know what's gonna happen in the future, but whatever it is, you don't have to fear because we'll do it together. I'm not taking Ford's apprenticeship. We've traveled to heck and back to get you, and we're going back together. Leave this fantasy world. Let's beat Bill and grow up together."

He extended a hand towards her. Mabel's eyes welled up with tears at his speech. The citizens were slightly freaking out and muttering refusals. Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow was smashing his rubber mallet in distress. "Order! Order in the court! Dang it, why is this hammer squeaking?!"

Mabel eventually stepped down from the stand, walking towards him. "You mean it? You're really coming home with me?"

"Yes," Dipper answered. "Definitely. Absolutely." And then, with a smile, "Awkward sibling hug?"

The crowd suddenly shrieked, panicking. "Don't do it!" they kept saying, very adamant about the hug. And here Y/n thought they liked hugs.

"You do this and it's all over!" Even Kitty Kitty Meow Meow was threatening them not to do it.

But Mabel didn't care. All that mattered was her and her brother and their usual sibling hug. But this time, it wasn't awkward; it was a sincere sibling hug.

The two met each other for an embrace. "DON'T DO THE PATS!"

What's a sibling hug without the—"Pat pat!"

Suddenly, a ripple burst out from their spot, blowing away the judge and some of the pews. The jurors of Mabels all popped away and disappeared without a moment's glance. Pulling away from the hug, Mabel rubbed her eyes as if she had just woken up from a dream.

"Aw, man, I never noticed how bright this place is, ugh!" she said, covering her eyes. "Have I actually been listening to the same song for an entire week?"

Kitty Kitty Meow Meow was meowing in a distressed manner, making Mabel step back.

"Whoa, time to calm you down," she said, clapping twice, but nothing happened. "Uh, why isn't this working?" She clapped again, but nothing changed.

"Because your reign over this land is OVER!" the judge declared, and all of a sudden, his skin split open, revealing a nightmare-ish pile of yarn. The crowd around them turned gray, their eyes glowing red—apart from Xyler and Craz, who were hugging each other and screaming in fear.

"We gotta get out of here!" Mabel said, urgency in her voice.

The citizens began to crowd over them, forcing Y/n, Wendy, and Soos to punch their way through. The gang ran through hallways, Wendy punching a random waffle guard who got in their way while Soos smacked away another fairy. Y/n kicked the same Ducktective that was chewing on her sleeve earlier as they continued to sprint.

Dipper felt his hand being pulled apart from the group, and he turned around to see Dippy Fresh with the same red eyes and grayed skin. Despite that, he still had an annoying voice. "Your hat is on backwards!" he said, pointing at Dipper mockingly, before forcibly turning his hat around.

Dipper could not take it anymore. "YOUR HEAD IS ON BACKWARDS!" he shouted, grabbing Dippy Fresh and twisting his neck around with surprising strength. The ridiculous clone stumbled, his head now facing the wrong direction, still trying to skateboard but failing miserably.

"Whoa! Totally not cool, bro!" Dippy Fresh sputtered, now disoriented and tripping over his own feet.

"Dipper, come on!" Y/n yelled, grabbing his arm and pulling him back into the escape.

They dashed through the chaotic hallways, the bizarre citizens of Mabeland still hot on their heels. Y/n kept glancing back, ensuring they weren't falling behind. Mabel led the way, her determination unwavering.

"Everyone, get on Waddles!" Mabel shouted as the giant pig woke up and began to run. The gang clambered onto Waddles' back, holding on tightly as he barreled through the destruction.

"Hold on, you guys!" Mabel yelled over the noise, her voice filled with resolve. As they raced towards the exit, Mabel spotted a giant knitting needle and grabbed it. The citizens of Mabeland were closing in, but she wasn't about to let them be caught.

Waddles neared a cliff, and with a mighty leap, he soared into the air. Mabel extended the needle outward. "Sorry, Mabeland. It's time to burst your BUBBLE!" She thrust the needle into the shimmering surface of the bubble, and with a resounding pop, it exploded into a shower of confetti.

The gang held on as Waddles landed on the other side, the confetti raining down around them like colorful snow. Mabel eventually opened her eyes and stood up, seeing everyone. "You all good, everyone good?"

They all engulfed each other in a warm hug. "We've missed you, Mabel!"

Wendy and Soos decided to give the twins some time to themselves, knowing they needed to catch up. Meanwhile, Soos started telling Wendy about his adventures in the wasteland and how there were now folk songs about him.

Mabel, standing with Dipper, sheepishly rubbed her arms. "Hey, Dipper? I really appreciate what you said back there. I know I've been difficult and selfish. I've been scared about growing up and losing you. But if you really want to take Ford's apprenticeship, I won't stand in your way. I just want you to be happy."

Dipper scoffed playfully. "Psh. And miss out on your awkward teen years? You wish," he laughed, and Mabel joined in. "It's okay, Mabel. You're my sister, and I'll always be here for you."

She smiled, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," she said, taking a deep breath. "Man, I went nuts back there. I mean, come on, the real world can't be that bad, right?" She glanced over and saw Gompers still giant and the Fearamid looming in the sky. "Oh, boy."

The twins noticed Y/n, who was staring at the chaos with concern etched on her face. They exchanged a look before Dipper cleared his throat and approached her. "Are you okay?"

Y/n took a moment, her eyes reflecting her worry. "Yeah," she said softly, shaking her head. "It's just... everything is falling apart out there. We need to save Ford and put an end to this madness. We need to regroup at the Shack."

The group nodded in agreement, trailing behind Mabel as she led the way back to the Shack. As they moved, Soos' gaze scanned the eerily empty town, a deep concern etched on his face. "This place is deserted," he said with worry. "I hope Bill hasn't already taken over."

Wendy, her eyes darting around, voiced her own fear. "I haven't seen my family anywhere."

"They're fine." Mabel comforted her, before gulping down her nerves. "I hope." While walking, she asked the group. "Hey, how did you guys even manage to get to the bubble? without being caught?"

Wendy filled her in, talking about the encounters they had with Gideon and everything that had happened; from her drop-kicking the child, to Dipper's glorious speech.

Dipper caught up to Y/n, noting her quiet demeanor since they had escaped the bubble. He felt a tug of concern. "Y/n, are you alright?"

She glanced at him, her face a mask of contemplation. "Did Ford say anything to you before he was captured by Bill?"

Dipper looked down, gathering his thoughts. "He tried to say something after handing over the journal, but it was too late. He stopped because he didn't want Bill to overhear him. But...," he paused, meeting her gaze with earnest eyes. "He was looking for you."

"Ford?"

He shook his head slowly. "No, not Ford. Bill was. He was specifically looking for Ford's assistant."

Y/n's expression fell as she turned away, her lips pressing into a tight line. "Got it," she nodded.

They were almost there, just around the corner. "Yes!" Dipper exclaimed. "It's there! Come on!" He decided to make a run for it, but suddenly he heard someone calling his name.

He stopped momentarily, looking behind him to see the group frozen in their tracks, while Y/n was dashing towards him.

"Wha—" Dipper yelped as Y/n suddenly pushed him to the side, making him fall to the ground harshly. "Oh, no. Y/n!"

He watched in horror as a floating eyeball caught Y/n in its red beam, and he quickly realized that it was supposed to capture him had she not jumped in and pushed him out of the way.

Her legs gradually turned to stone, but before she was completely engulfed, she managed to instruct the gang, "Go! Get out of here—" She became motionless mid-sentence. They gasped as they ran and hid. Dipper's mind and heart raced. It was supposed to be him, but she had sacrificed herself again!

"Agh!" Wendy exclaimed, planning to ambush the eyeball that captured their friend. Her fist was already loaded, but she was pulled back by Soos and Mabel. They helplessly watched as Y/n was stowed away by the eyeball, heading towards the Fearamid.

"No! Y/n!" Dipper cried, reaching out a hand in desperation. "We have to save her!"

"We will," Wendy replied, with Mabel coming to comfort her brother. "But Y/n is right; we have to go back to the Mystery Shack and regroup."

Mabel hugged Dipper tightly, trying to reassure him. "We'll get her back, Dipper. We'll figure this out together."

They quickly sprinted, trying not to alert any other eyeballs floating here and there. They eventually reached the front door. Dipper expected it to be just Stan inside, but he stopped by the doorknob when he heard scuffling and a couple more voices.

"Wait, what was that?" Dipper stepped back at the noise. He warned the others to be quiet and they got the gist, preparing themselves for a brawl with the people on the other side of the door. Wendy reloaded her crossbow, Soos smacked his fist against his palm, Mabel readied her grappling hook, while Dipper picked up a golf club from the floorboards.

Without further ado, he kicked open the door, screaming as they faced their adversaries.

But what surprised them were the people they thought they would never see again.

***

yxtaa://ymiqs.rtx/ahwKojzpatMClh4b8
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