Chapter Text
Marcy Wu sat patiently at the bus stop, it was almost 6pm and all she could do to keep herself entertained was sketch out concepts for her webcomic on her journal. At that moment, Marcy was drafting the idea of a large serpentine creature while looking at images of real snakes on her phone for references.
Eventually the bus did arrive, but Marcy had to trip over the pavement before finally heading inside. She tapped her card on a scanner for the bus fee and took a moment to look down the aisle, relieved to see very few people on board.
She took a seat at a vacant row and leaned her elbow against the window. As she looked at the city of Los Angeles pass by, its buildings and people a blip, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She took it out to find that Sasha had texted her, asking if she finally got on a bus. Marcy texted her back, of course.
Marcy: Just a few second ago, actually.
Sasha: Alright. Hey, Are you sure you didn’t want me and Anne to come with u?
Marcy: Yeah, yeah… I don’t want to bother you and Anne.
Sasha: Where are u going anyway? You didn’t even tell us, specifically, just that you ‘Had to make a trip to Oregon’. You also didn’t tell us why.
Marcy: Nowhere, rly. Just a small town with a lot of history and things that I wanted to look into, stuff like that. Stuff that would definitely bore you and Anne.
Sasha: Alright Mars, you do you. Just be safe, ok? Also, see if you can get me and Anne some souvenirs. But! Don’t spend too much money. In case ya forgot, you still need to get back to Massachusetts by the end of the month, remember?
Marcy: haha! Alright, alright, Sashy. Take care, byeee.
Marcy pocketed her phone. You see, Marcy had to take a near 20 hour bus ride in order to get to Oregon without spending too much of the money she needed for a flight back home.
Where in Oregon? A small town called Gravity Falls. It’s not on any maps, that was the fact that got Marcy to grow curious and research all about the town. She read so many stories about its strangest mysteries, such as its history of cryptid sightings, some articles even claimed that this is where cryptids were first conceived.
That Gravity Falls was the first, the mother of all that had laid in mystery for years across the internet and media in general. Bigfoot, Unicorns, U.F.O sightings, even gnomes. Marcy couldn’t even find a reliable source on who the town’s founder was.
However, with all the cryptic mystery that revolved around the town, there was one main reason she was headed there. Marcy Wu had a question that’s been burning inside her for 10 long years. She sighed, opened her bag and pulled out a book. The book. The book that had gotten her and her friends in another dimension full of talking amphibians.
She slid her fingers across the golden letters that made up the title of the hard cover:
“Dr. P’s Extraordinary Guide To Magic & Mystery”. This was the reason she was headed to Oregon and Marcy didn’t want to burden her friends with her responsibility. It was her fault, after all.
She first heard of the town because of the books author, Stanford Pines, who stated that most of the book’s contents were encountered in Gravity Falls. And they did align with the many stories about the town online. From bigfoot to the garden gnomes. Leading Marcy to conclude that he must’ve taken residence there, seeing as the book holds years of data.
But, he never wrote much about The Music Box, despite his bold statement of it allowing travel to other worlds, which even turn out to be true. The only evidence he provided was that he’d recognized its energy signature. That convinced Marcy that he knew more than he was letting on, otherwise how else would he have “recognized its energy signature”.
But, he does also state that he’s never used the box, his excuse being that it was stolen from him. Although, guessing by how Marcy found it ten years ago, that was plausible.
Marcy found his cryptic writing mildly annoying, especially on the box. The undermining lack of information made it clear he was avoiding discussions about it. It drove her to wonder what the author discovered about box and how he recognized its energy signature, what technology did he have in his possession?
Marcy’s head clicked. How could Dr. Pines have detected the energy in the first place unless he had secretly dealt with interdimensional teleportation before, that’s why Marcy had to get to the bottom of it, even if she’d have to sail the arctic in order to meet this man.
“Sasha!” Marcy yelled and waved when she saw her blond friend waiting for her just outside the airport’s gate. It’s been a long time since Marcy last visited, a lot has changed, especially for the three of them, including Anne.
“Mars!” Sasha Waybright swung her arms open as she saw Marcy dashing towards her for a hug, but tripping on herself. Can’t say neither of them expected that, even after ten years, that habit of Marcy’s never ceased.
Marcy quickly stood up and reassured Sasha, “I’m okay.”
They both laughed it off and did get to hug each other before hopping onto Sasha’s car. Marcy had returned to Los Angeles so that she and Sasha could celebrate the birthday of their best friend, Anne Boonchuy. While they drove, they also talked about each other, about how and what they’ve been doing.
Marcy was a little sad to find out that Sasha and Anne hung out less during high school while she was away, after everything that the three of them have been through. Despite saving two whole worlds and uniting three nations, time still takes its toll.
“Never mind that, though. Have you heard what Anne’s been doing these days?” Sasha asked.
“Yes and I love it.” Marcy was excited when she first found out Anne had taken up herpetology, Marcy thought it was nice that she found a way to remember something so far away and so far behind them, to keep those memories alive. Despite letting them go.
Marcy and Sasha made arrived at The Aquarium Of The Pacific, where Anne works. Marcy opened the car door before Sasha grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“Hmm? What’s wrong Sash?” Marcy wondered.
“Marcy,” Sasha spoke, her voice was faint and distant, her eyes weren’t looking away from the windshield and her other hand not letting go of the wheel, “Let me look at you.” Sasha’s head faced Marcy rigidly, the tone in her voice felt… cold.
Marcy’s brows furrowed. “Sasha, what’s wrong?” she asked. Sasha looked at her for a long moment, a moment that felt cold.
“Nothing, Marcy Wu,” Sasha smiled, “Just glad to see your face... after such a long time.”
Marcy shivered for a second, not knowing how to feel about Sasha’s statement. Something felt wrong, though. Marcy’s head ached and there was something different about... this memory.
Sasha never said that...
They both make their way through the aquarium, the whole place was quiet and empty. Weird. Marcy started to feel uneasy as she followed Sasha to where Anne should be working, the amphibian’s section. But, something about the way Sasha moved and the way she spoke earlier made Marcy feel like something was wrong.
“Ten years, huh?” Sasha pondered after a couple minutes of silence.
“Haha.” Marcy laughed nervously. “Yeah, ten years.”
They both made it to the exhibit labeled “The Wonderful World Of Frogs”. Marcy immediately spotted Anne, looking at one of the tanks and called out her name. But, she didn’t turn around, she didn’t even look like she acknowledged her. Marcy frowned when suddenly, Anne spoke. Her voice was soft and somewhat condescending.
“Looks like someone still yearns for an old memory.”
“Anne?”
“Hello, Marcy. Did you miss us?”
“Duh. Of course, I missed you guys. It’s been so long.” Marcy reached out and put her hand on Anne’s shoulder. She wishes she didn’t when she saw her eyes.
“No. I don’t think you do.” Her words were now completely lifeless, almost robotic. “You refused us when we offered you…”
Marcy backed away before bumping into Sash, who now had the exact same eyes as Anne. She walked passed her and stood beside Anne. They both spoke synchronously, as if they’d rehearsed the empty words.
“...whatever you want, Mar-mar. We always want what you want.”
Marcy’s words got caught in her throat, tangled like a web. Her blood went cold, cold like the tank she slept floating in during her time in that empty and lonely castle in the sky. Tears started pouring as she ran away, away form those words, away from those... eyes.
The building no longer existed. Now, she ran through a void with green stars, a gridline seemed to overlay the cosmic sight, like simulated walls inside s videogame. Their words echoed behind her, “Whatever you want, Mar-mar,” over and over and over again.
Marcy tried desperately to cover her ears, to wash away her tears before the stars and the grid turned into an intense orange. All at once, that cold was replaced with the seething pain that dug through her skull. Ringing ensued. But, where she expected the dozens of voices to return with the noise, she only heard one. A female voice. Old yet cruel.
Then Marcy’s endless illusion of a path was blocked by one giant flaming eye, who’s voice boomed across nothingness.
“At last,” she rejoiced, “I have returned to finish what we started, master Marcy.”
Marcy’s eyes swelled at the fiery sight as she curled up and cried. “No,” she whimpered.” The voice simply laughed.
“No!!” Marcy cried out so loudly that her voice might as well have shattered at the effort. Suddenly, the eye vanished and she was left in a familiar quiet place. A teenager again, holding that photo of her and her best friends. She gripped it tightly and held it to her chest.
The petals started falling, again.
Marcy woke up, sweating. She’s been having the nightmares for months now, waving it off as just your standard nightmares associated with traumatic experiences. But, something deep inside her felt like they were deeper than that. They feel like a warning.
They were vivid. The woman’s voice was one she’d never heard before, yet she carried... their presence... The Core. Maybe she was one of them, but that couldn’t be possible. The Core was destroyed, Marcy was sure of that. The ancient amalgamation of genius and madness was dead.
Marcy looked around the bus, it was basically empty at that point and she stared out the window to see the pine trees of Oregon fleeting pass. She saw a water tower with ‘GRAVITY FALLS’ plastered to the side.
She was finally here. Marcy got excited immediately and walked to the front of the bus to sit closer to the exit. The bus slowed down and Marcy got up.
“Gravity Falls,” the bus driver announced before Marcy exited the bus.
She cautiously stepped out, just to avoid any possibility of slipping. The bus drove off and Marcy breathed in the Oregon air. She had slept through the night in the bus so she wasn’t surprised to hear the birds chirping to the warm light of the early hours of day.
She pulled out her journal and started logging her travel to Gravity Falls, Oregon. As she walked along the forest trail, she noted down the nightmare that warped her memory of her arrival to Los Angeles for Anne’s birthday, a few days ago.
Marcy finished her notes and pulled out Dr. Pines’ book, flipping through it again. She stopped at a page that had always been bugging her, a page with a figure that depicted an entity in the shape of a triangle with spindly limbs. It wore a tall and thin top hat, a bowtie, and had only one eye that made him resemble The Eye Of Providence from the back of a dollar bill.
The symbol usually incorporated with the Illuminati
The book states that the being is known as a god of chaos and destruction. Known as one that carries many names, such as Loki, Hastur, The King In Yellow, and many more. But, one name ruled over all of them.
“Bill Cipher,” Marcy read out loud, immediately feeling the forest go cold and the birds silenced. As if these very trees knew the name and very much feared it. She continued walking, reading through Cipher’s entry. Doctor Pines states that whoever encounters him gets their mind warped until they go insane and end their own life.
One way to survive his madness is to bargain with him, he grants you a false sense of safety and you will have granted him access to your mind, body, and soul. Doctor Pines also suggests avoiding this, to encounter is to either die horribly or die horribly while helping him cause madness to our physical realm.
Dr. Pines reassures the reader that no one needs to worry about Bill, though, writing that he’d defeated and killd him. Marcy grew more and more interested on the adventures of this Dr. Pines, fighting monsters, solving mysteries, and defeating a god almost felt comforting because of how familiar it was.
But still, this Bill Cipher gave her shivers when she first read about it. Good thing whatever Doctor Pines did, the entity has been slain.
Eventually, Marcy found the main road that lead into Gravity Falls, right at the bottom of a short cliff where the town sign stood at the top. She walked passed a picnic area where two kids were playing tag while their parents were grilling barbecue.
They exchanged simple greetings, like good morning before Marcy quickly walked passed them and into the main town. She, once again, took out her journal and made comments on the town’s buildings and even architecture.
As Marcy walked the streets, she took notice at some of the town’s kooky characters. Different people with weird traits that made them stand out from the rest. Marcy was then called out by a lumberjack woman with red hair and a blue cap, chopping pieces of wood on a larger trunk at the edge of the forest.
“You new around town, miss?” the woman asked.
“Not really, just a regular ol’ tourist,” Marcy bent her arms and awkwardly swung them in a pendulum like cartoon character.
…
They both chuckled and Marcy was relieved that she hadn’t made it to awkward. The woman then swung the axe on the side of the trunk and stuck it there, she held a hand out to Marcy.
“I’m Wendy, the local wood chopper,” Wendy smiled and welcomed Marcy to their eccentric town.
“Marcy.” They shook hands and Marcy put her journal back in her bag and Wendy picked up her axe again.
“So, what made you want to visit our bonkers town?” Wendy asked.
“Oh, a lot of things actually. I’ve heard so much about the place and all about it’s weird history.”
“Yeah, we get that a lot,” Wendy laughed. “But, hey! If you’re looking for weird, you should check out The Mystery Shack.”
“The what?” Marcy’s interest piqued despite having no idea what Wendy meant, just the name got Marcy’s attention.
“The Mystery Shack. It’s this tourist attraction just out west from here, it’s filled to the brim with these weird exhibits and it even has a gift shop if you’re interested in buying a souvenir.”
Marcy would’ve easily asked for proper directions to this Mystery Shack, in fact, nothing would’ve stopped her from exploring the whole town. Except for the fact that she had something much more important to do.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll check it out later, it’s just that there’s something I’d like to ask you,” she asked, keeping her cheeky little smile.
Wendy raised her eyebrow before answering.
“Alright, shoot.”
Marcy pulled out Dr. Pines’ book, but didn’t explicitly show it to Wendy, just looked at it and held it by her side. Though, that didn’t stop it from catching Wendy’s attention.
Marcy took a breath before asking, “Do you happen to know a Dr. Pines? Last I read, he lived here.”
Marcy sensed some sort of mistake in her decision as she saw Wendy’s face harden a little. Wendy stood up straight and tightened her grip on the axe.
“Why?” Wendy replied with a bitterness to her tongue. Her muscles tensed, almost defensively.
“Oh! Well, I just wanted to, uhh, meet him. I read a book that he wrote from, like, a decade ago or something and, and I, uhh...” Marcy stammered and started sweating nervously at this point. Maybe she’s provoked Wendy by mentioning Dr. Pines. Who really was he?
Wendy’s gaze softened as she saw how nervous and harmless Marcy was and exhaled before finally answering.
“The Mystery Shack, see that trail there?” Wendy pointed to a trail that began at the edge of the woods. “That leads to The Mystery Shack.”
Marcy paused in confusion as Wendy began chopping wood again, now ignoring her with an expression on her face that was difficult to read. But, it did seem like... worry.
Marcy slowly walked away, carrying the book to her chest as she headed for the trail. She didn’t know why Wendy acted that way, but she herself began to get worried. What had she gotten herself into this time? But, she could only assume that there’s a reason Wendy really wanted her to see this Mystery Shack place.
“Marcy!” Wendy called out just as Marcy was about to head into the woods. She turned to see Wendy had paused chopping.
“Whatever you want to ask them,” Wendy yelled and looked down, “Don’t... never mind.”
Them? What did she want her to avoid saying? Marcy then turned to the woods. Sunlight seeped through the late summer branches and the roots of the tall trees were overgrown with wet moss.
“Right.”
Marcy looked at the book once again and trekked forward.