It was a very good thing that Pacifica wasn't driving the snowmobile. She felt like she could barely stay on the machine as it was. She gripped the dagger in one hand; her other arm was wrapped around the servant who drove the snowmobile. She held tightly to him, her face buried in the back of his shoulder, trying not to listen to the oppressive sound around her.

But it was hard to ignore Mabel's screams.

The spirit was pulling out all the stops. Screaming — screaming terrible things, terrible degrading things that wormed their way into Pacifica's mind and lodged there like leeches. Mabel's attacks sent shivers down Pacifica's spine and across her arms, made her fingers tremble, made her hands clammy and slick on the dagger even through her gloves. Pacifica pressed herself against the servant, hoping to cushion the dagger between them if her traitorous hands let go. She could not lose the dagger. Not now. Not before she got to Mabel.

The forest rushed by in a dizzying blur; the snowmobiles were moving at full throttle. The speed, mixed with the screaming, mixed with the shivers, made Pacifica feel sick. She squeezed her eyes shut.

If any other supernatural creatures came to stop them, Pacifica didn't see it. The snowmobiles never stopped. There was some turbulence — running over rocks, maybe, or the occasional gnome; Pacifica didn't know. She only had ears for Mabel. Only had thoughts for the mental anguish that the spirit was putting her through. It was what happened most nights — except now it was during the day, under the sun, while Pacifica leaned against the snowmobile driver and tried not to fall off the machine from the pain.

She thought she saw flashes of light through her tightly closed eyelids. Flashes of magic? Attacks from supernatural creatures? Mabel, creating some kind of horrific display for Pacifica alone to see? She didn't know. She didn't want to know.

They were moving fast. They'd get to the Museum soon. But not soon enough.

"You'll never succeed!" Mabel insisted. "You'll only hurt yourself by trying to get to me! And while I certainly wouldn't mind seeing you get hurt, I'd rather do the hurting myself." Her words were shrill and amplified; the volume hurt. Pacifica wanted desperately to cover her ears, but she didn't have any spare hands. Besides, covering her ears never worked. Mabel's screams came from inside Pacifica's head as much as from outside.

I can't do this, Pacifica found herself thinking. I have to do this — I need to stop her — but — I can't—

Mabel seized on those thoughts. "Of course you can't do this. You never could do anything to me. I'm protected, Pacifica. I have my family and friends around me to protect me. Who do you have?"

No one. Pacifica had no one.

No! Another thought forced its way into Pacifica's mind. No, I'm not alone! I have the Northwest servants. I have Bill!

Mabel would have none of that. "Oh yeah? And where's your precious Bill now?"

Where was Bill? Pacifica's thoughts — what little coherent thought she had left — started calling out to Bill for relief. Please, Bill. Please, Lord Cipher. I can't do this on my own. I need you!

A warm glow shone on Pacifica's eyelids. Was that Bill? Was he here? Mabel's screams were forced back by another voice: a calm, confident voice. "I'm here," Bill said.

Pacifica didn't open her eyes, didn't say anything, but relief swept through her.

"Caleb is on his way to Yingtai now," Bill told her. "You're down to four snowmobiles and four servants. And the minotaurs and other creatures are gathering at the Museum. They're probably using the hamadryads to travel through the trees."

Pacifica's relief was stifled by a burst of fear.

"I was hoping that Andrew would be too preoccupied to join them, but no, he's there. He's warning the Symbols that you have the dagger. They knew immediately that you would come after Mabel, and they're making plans to protect her."

"Of course they knew," Mabel said smugly. "They'll stop you!" Her voice was still loud, but it was dampened by Bill's presence. Pacifica could think a little more clearly with Bill here.

"The good news is that I'm probably right: Andrew is likely the only nonhuman who can get through that barrier around the Museum. If the servants can keep him occupied, you should have a straight shot to the Museum."

The relief came back just a bit. That had been a concern: The hexal magic would allow Pacifica to get through the barrier, but would other supernatural creatures be able to follow her? She had enhanced speed and strength, yes, and the ability to walk through walls, but she had no desire to have strong minotaurs or slippery nymphs chasing after her. If Bill was "probably right" that no one could follow her, then Pacifica would take that as a comfort.

"I'll direct you to Mabel," Bill continued. "You're almost there. Tell the servants to take you as close to the barrier as they can. Then you need to jump down and run to the Museum. I know you're feeling sick, but you have to push through it, okay?"

Pacifica's stomach turned over at the thought. Mabel laughed and made a derogatory comment about Pacifica losing her lunch before she could get to the barrier. Pacifica squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, agreeing to Bill's instructions, her forehead rubbing against the back of the driver's camo suit. She would push through whatever she had to in order to stop Mabel.

"As soon as you've gotten through the barrier, the servants need to focus on keeping Andrew away. Tell them," Bill instructed. So she did her best to shout over the wind to the driver. She could hardly hear herself, but she opened her eyes enough to see the back of the servant's head as he nodded.

Beyond the servant, the Mystery Museum came into view. And in front of it, the creatures. Dozens of minotaurs and nymphs and other species were congregated between the tree line and the Museum's protective barrier. They were waiting there. They were waiting for Pacifica.

Part of her felt flattered that they would all show up for her — like her former psychic shows, but with a nonhuman audience. Part of her felt assured that, with her hexal magic and with Bill's help, she would successfully avoid the supernatural creatures and make it to the Museum.

Most of her felt terrified.

The snowmobiles continued on, not slowing down, headed for the creatures. Pacifica could hear various shouts to stop, to hand over the dagger — although the shouts were hardly audible over Mabel, who had started screaming again. Bill's influence seemed to have lessened as the spirit grew louder and louder.

Ignore it. Ignore her. Stay focused, Pacifica. She sat up straighter on the snowmobile, preparing to jump off, trusting her magic to help her. The servants steered the snowmobiles closer, heedless of anyone in the way. Some nymphs jumped forward and sent magical gusts of wind toward the snowmobiles; the servants did their best to steer around them, but minotaurs and other creatures cut them off.

They weren't going to make it to the barrier, not on the snowmobiles. "Jump off now," Bill said. "You'll have to phase through people, but the dagger will phase with you. It'll be fine."

Pacifica knew he was right; she and the servants had practiced with the intangibility spell, and she could phase through people, through walls, through basically anything she chose except the ground. And anything she was holding — including other people — turned intangible with her.

She hadn't wanted to show the supernatural creatures what power she had, not this soon, but she didn't have a choice. She jumped from the snowmobile, mentally instructed her hex to make her intangible to everyone around her, and hit the ground rolling.

Hands immediately tried to grab at her. They went right through. It was terrifying to see so many people of so many different species all reaching for her, but Pacifica tried not to focus on her fear. She got to her feet, clutching the dagger tightly in her hand, and started sprinting to the Mystery Museum.

She expected to spend extra energy running through the deep snow between her and the Museum, but that wasn't the case. Miraculously, her intangibility spell helped her phase through the snow, too. That, combined with her enhanced speed, made running easier than it had ever been before. Pacifica ran across the ground and through the people around her, headed straight for the barrier.

Now for the third spell: canceling out the magic of the barrier. Pacifica worried for a split second that her magic would fail her, that the barrier spell would knock her out, that she'd wake up to find herself imprisoned by the minotaurs — but then she was through. The tingling feeling of magic on her skin increased to a warm buzzing as the barrier spell was forced back by the hex. Pacifica couldn't fall unconscious: Her task was too important. Her magic took this determination and brought it into reality.

She sprinted to the Museum. There was shouting behind her as the supernatural creatures realized what she had done: She had gotten through the Symbols' main protection. Pacifica could hear people calling Andrew's name, but they were cut off by gunshots. The servants were shooting; Pacifica knew they'd be specifically aiming for Andrew.

Mabel was still screaming. Loudly. It was a wonder Pacifica could do anything more than huddle on the ground and cover her ears. But the hexal magic gave her an extra boost — or maybe it was just pure adrenaline — and she kept going. Bill, she thought, where do I need to go?

"Phase through the wall right in front of you," Bill answered. "That will take you into Ford's lab. Cross the room and phase through the opposite wall. Mabel and the others are right on the other side, in the Hall of Mysteries."

It'd be that easy?

"I certainly hope so," Bill said. "Phase in, grab Mabel, get out. The others — Dipper, Gideon, Robbie, the Valentinos — will be right behind you, so move fast. Bring Mabel outside and stab her quickly. You won't have time to gloat."

Pacifica didn't need time to gloat. She just needed Mabel to stop. She needed the screaming to stop. She needed to be able to think again.

"Remember," Bill said. "Remember where you're stabbing her. The hand. Don't let that dagger touch anything but her hand. The magic won't take hold otherwise."

Pacifica grimaced with the reminder. Yes, Bill, you've told me this a million times before. Pacifica wanted to run the dagger straight through Mabel's heart, but she would restrain herself. She only had to stab Mabel in the hand. Then the dagger's magic would do the rest.

She reached the Museum and ran through the wall, leaving the sunlight outside for the dark lab inside. Nobody was in here — Stanford was safely on his way to the Northwest Manor, thanks to the servants — and Pacifica stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She made sure to be quiet, but she needed a minute. More gunshots could be heard through the walls, as well as shouting and whizzing, crackling magic.

But those sounds fell away as Spirit Mabel slammed Pacifica with the loudest attack yet.

Suddenly Pacifica was seized in what felt like a panic attack. She fell to her knees as she struggled to get her breath. Destructive thoughts and devastating emotions sped through her mind and body. The tingly feeling of the hexal magic was nearly washed away by waves of chills. It felt as if a terrible force were pressing in on her from all sides.

And Mabel screamed. Screamed and screamed and screamed. "You can't get to me! You'll never stop me! You're a worthless nobody, and everyone knows it! I've already won! No dagger, no Bill, no fancy magic will ever change that, because you — are — a — failure!"

"Pacifica." Bill's voice was weak, but Pacifica could hear it. With a gasp of breath, she clung to that voice with all the willpower she had left. "Pacifica, you have to do this. You can make her stop. Just go through the wall. End this."

How? I can't even move. Andrew is probably after me, probably almost here. Mabel is right. I'm a failure.

"No," Bill said firmly. "You won't be a failure if you do as I say. Get up, Pacifica."

So she struggled to her feet. Each breath was a sob, each movement an effort.

"Take a deep breath. Gather your strength. Then go."

Taking a deep breath was easier said than done when every screech from Mabel made Pacifica hyperventilate. But she forced her lungs to cooperate. Almost there. We're almost there!

Pacifica leapt through the wall.

Someone gave a startled yell, though Pacifica barely heard it over Spirit Mabel's screams. More hands grabbed for her, but they passed right through her. Pacifica ran through the people, looking for Mabel.

There she was. Pressed up against Dipper, using him as a shield. Anger flared in Pacifica's chest: You'll never use him for your evil purposes again, Mabel. I will free him from you.

She snatched Mabel's wrist, pulled her away from Dipper. Her enhanced strength allowed her to do this with ease. Mabel cried out as she stumbled away. Pacifica kept an iron grip on her wrist; Mabel became intangible to anyone else.

Then they were off. Pacifica yanked Mabel behind her, feeling almost giddy. Mabel screamed — though not as loud as her spirit — and tried in vain to pull away from Pacifica. Through one wall — across the lab — then they were outside again.

The hexal magic on Pacifica's skin roared with anticipation and encouragement. Do it! the magic urged her. Stab her! Get your revenge!

There was a lot of sound around her — Spirit Mabel screaming, physical Mabel screaming, supernatural creatures yelling as they saw Pacifica reappear, doors slamming as the people inside the Museum ran after her — but Pacifica could only hear Spirit Mabel. She could only hear the cursed sound of the spirit who had haunted her for weeks.

Pacifica let out her own scream. No more. No more! She twisted Mabel's wrist so that the girl's palm was facing upward. She raised the dagger.

Then she plunged it into Mabel's palm.

The scream that wrenched from Mabel's lips was almost louder than that from Spirit Mabel. "No!" screeched the spirit. "No!"

"Yes!" Pacifica shouted back. She pulled the dagger out of Mabel's hand, pushed Mabel into the snow, and raised the dagger triumphantly over her head.

Spirit Mabel gave one last scream that reverberated in Pacifica's bones. But that was it.

The spirit dissipated into the air.

Pacifica stood there, the dagger still held over her head, taking huge breaths in the sudden absence of sound. Well, there was still sound — plenty of it, coming from all around her — but there was no more Spirit Mabel. No more ethereal torture.

Tears came to Pacifica's eyes. She wanted to sink to the ground and weep with relief.

"Don't celebrate yet," Bill's voice said. "You have to get out of here. Now!"

It was hard to focus with the joy Pacifica felt, but she did as Bill said, running back to the barrier. She was going to slip through, pass intangibly through whoever tried to grab her, jump on a snowmobile with a servant, and drive away.

She could hardly believe what was happening. She could hardly believe what she'd just done. It was that easy. That simple. And she'd done it. She couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling from her throat as she ran, her feet still passing through the snow as if it weren't even there.

But then, strangely enough, she started to feel the snow. She suddenly found herself knee-deep in it, taking huge steps just to move forward. What had happened? Why was she—?

Her hexal magic gave out. Pacifica's strength left her. She collapsed into the snow.

"No!" Bill cried. "Pacifica, you have to get up!"

But she couldn't. She really couldn't this time. Her hex had done what it was designed to do: It had allowed Pacifica to hurt Mabel. Then it had given out, overwhelmed by the four separate spells that had been pushed into it. Pacifica was left with no magic and, after expending everything she had to get to Mabel, no strength.

Someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her upright. With one arm, a burly man pinned Pacifica against him; with the other, he pried the dagger out of her hand. He flung it down into the snow.

Gideon Northwest appeared and picked it up. "What have you done?" he said to Pacifica. His voice was absolutely horrified. "What have you done?"

"I stopped her," Pacifica replied, though it was hard to get air with how tightly the man was holding her. "I freed everyone from her!"

"Miss Pleasure!" called one of the servants from beyond the barrier. "Let go of her!" She leveled a gun at the man holding Pacifica.

Everybody flinched as the gun went off. Yet it didn't make it past the barrier. It instantly disintegrated into a fine white powder that fell like snow.

A minotaur tackled the servant before she could try shooting again. Inside the barrier, Gideon was the first to recover from the shock of the gunshot. "Where's Andrew?" he shouted to the supernatural creatures. "Somebody get Andrew!"

"He's hurt," a minotaur called back. "He's back home."

"Well, somebody get him! Or Stanford! Somebody get help!"

But no help would arrive. Not before the dagger's magic took hold. Mabel had been screaming in pain behind Pacifica, but now her breath cut off in a gasp. Gideon whirled around, and the man holding Pacifica turned halfway, taking Pacifica with him.

Mabel was kneeling in the snow, and Dipper was beside her. He was babbling — "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you're going to be okay, we'll get you help" — but Mabel wasn't responding. Her breath came in quick gasps as she stared at her bloody hand.

It was glowing blue. Dark blue, just like the pine tree on Mabel's shirt.

Dipper noticed it. "Mabel? What—?"

The blue glow grew larger and larger, like a soap bubble forming on a child's wand. Dipper held onto Mabel, but he was pushed away by the magic. "Dipper!" Mabel cried. "Dipper, help!"

"Mabel!" Dipper tried to return to her side, but the blue glow was more than just a glow. It was some kind of physical force, pushing Dipper farther and farther from Mabel as it grew larger and larger.

"Help!" Mabel called over and over. "Help!"

People surrounded her, trying to get to her — Dipper, Gideon, Robbie, Melody — but no one could reach her. She rose up from the ground, surrounded by the blue glow. Her cries were soon muffled by the magic that had her captive.

Her eyes met Pacifica's. Her expression was one of terror.

Then she disappeared.

Just like that, Mabel and the blue glow disappeared. Another laugh burst from Pacifica. Then another. She found herself laughing hysterically, unable to catch her breath, still held back by the burly man. Pure relief filled her veins until she thought she might burst.

She was free.

"Mabel!" Dipper shouted. "Mabel, come back!"

Then he turned on Pacifica. The hatred in his eyes was so strong that it vaporized much of her relief.

"What did you do to my sister?!" he shouted at Pacifica. "Bring her back!"

Then the ground started to shake, and Dipper fell to his knees.

The people outside the barrier — the audience that Pacifica had nearly forgotten about — gave cries of alarm. "Get down!" yelled someone nearby; the burly man dropped to the ground, nearly crushing Pacifica beneath him. The ground rattled them back and forth.

"The trees!" someone called. "Quick, get us through the trees!"

The earthquake continued. Pacifica heard horrible crunching sounds like someone grinding asphalt under a giant shoe.

"They're leaving," Bill's voice said. "The supernatural creatures are running away. Ha! You did it, Crescent Moon! The township is ready to go!" He sounded more joyful than Pacifica had ever heard him. "Now," he said, "see if you can get out from under Danny."

But she couldn't. The man, Danny, was too strong; there was no way she'd escape from him. She tried, but struggling against him during an earthquake only made her feel dizzy.

The earth rumbled and shook; Danny didn't move, so Pacifica couldn't either. Instead she stared at the snow in front of her face (thank goodness for her snow gear) until a flash of yellow light made her look up.

There was Bill. It was the first time in hours that he'd visually appeared to Pacifica. His yellow light radiated with delight and triumph as he gazed down on her. "Thank you, Pacifica," he said. His voice cut through the sounds of the earthquake. "Thank you. I'm finally on my way home."

Pacifica tried to smile up at him, but her neck was at an awkward angle and she only managed a grimace.

"The earthquake," Bill continued, "should be over soon. It's a sign that the township is waking up. It is ready to go. Mabel will be a great resource."

A thrill ran through Pacifica. Her greatest enemy had become a means for Bill's end. And she would never come near Pacifica again. It was the best outcome possible.

"I need to go now," Bill said. "The township won't move unless I'm in a human body, unfortunately. I'll be up in the Northwest Manor, using Lincoln's body, until we get to my dimension."

And I'll be here? Pacifica asked silently.

"Yes, for now. I'll have to plan how to get the dagger back, but I'll worry about that later. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait here until we can rescue you, and that might be a while."

Pacifica found that she didn't mind. Maybe she'd be stuck at the Museum, but Mabel wouldn't be there! And she could start from the inside on healing Dipper and Gideon from Mabel's abusive lies.

"That's a good way to think about it," Bill said. "I won't be able to visit you, sadly, since I'll have to stay in Lincoln's body."

Why? Pacifica thought.

"Oh, some annoyance that the ancients built into my prison," Bill said airily. "Designed to make things harder for me. If I leave the body, the township starts going backwards, which wastes my Symbols. I didn't actually know this — no one did — until the township formed, and then the information magically appeared to me. Interesting, isn't it? The ancients were so careful to make sure I wouldn't know about this little snag until the last minute. Little did they know that I'd make my deal with Lincoln."

"I see," Pacifica said out loud. She said it quietly, and her voice was strained since she was still halfway under Danny, but she still wanted to say it out loud. "Thank you, Lord Cipher. Thank you for your help. I couldn't have done this without you."

"Nor I without you," Bill replied. "You deserve my thanks as well. Goodbye for now, Crescent Moon."

"Goodbye," Pacifica said.

And Bill faded away.

After that, it wasn't long before the earthquake ended. Danny got to his feet, pulling Pacifica up with him. "Is everyone okay?" called another voice. Pacifica looked over to see Gregory Corduroy.

"No," Dipper snapped. "Mabel's not!" Pacifica couldn't see him from this angle, but she saw Melody walk out of view, probably to go over to him. From the angle of people's heads as they watched, Pacifica guessed that Melody and Dipper were going back to the Museum.

She'd probably need to give Dipper a little time. He was badly tangled in Mabel's deceptions. But Pacifica didn't mind waiting, especially because Mabel wasn't here to deceive him anymore.

"Let's get inside," said Gideon. "Take Pacifica. Keep her away from Dipper." His eyes flicked over to the barrier, where Pacifica noticed some servants still standing outside the barrier.

"Are you going to go talk to them?" Greg asked softly.

Gideon scowled. "I have nothing to say to them," he said, raising his voice so the servants could hear him clearly. "But they're not getting this back." He was still holding the dagger. He tightened his grip on it, then walked away.

With Gideon, Dipper, and Melody gone, Pacifica could only see the three Corduroys and Wendy. And of course Danny, whose grip on her was far too tight. Robbie stared at Pacifica with a haunted look in his eyes. "What did you do to her?" he asked.

A genuine smile spread across Pacifica's face. "I got rid of her," she said. "We're all free of her."

Robbie's face opened in surprise, then closed in rage. But Janice touched his arm, and the Corduroys and Wendy turned and went back into the house.

Danny followed, pushing Pacifica in front of him. He was hardly gentle, but Pacifica didn't even notice. She didn't even mind. She was too overjoyed to care what happened now. Even if she was physically captive, she was forever free from Mabel.

Nobody could keep her down now.