Early the next morning, the kids set out on what might've been their most important mission yet. With the rest of the summer on the line, they knew they had to act, and fast. To that end, they began with a stakeout, hiding in the shrubs surrounding the shack in the hopes of finding some way in. The sight of the ongoing construction on "Gideonland" was intimidating enough on its own; hopefully, it'd come to a swift end if they had anything to do about it.
"Alright," Dipper began. "The bus that'll take us out of Gravity Falls comes at sundown. If we wanna stay in town, we've got to get past those guards, make it through the fence, and get Gideon to hand over that deed."
"Sounds easier said than done…" Connie frowned up at the towering fence.
"Don't worry, guys!" Mabel whipped her grappling hook out again. "Just leave that to Mabel! Wa-chaw!" Without paying any attention to her aim, she fired, letting the hook strike a tree before it ricochet back and struck Dipper squarely in the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow!" He glared at his sister as he picked himself up, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "Now will you admit that grappling hook is useless?!"
"Nope!"
"So how are we gonna get over that fence?" Steven got the group back on track. "Are we gonna build a catapult and fling ourselves over it? Because I've always wanted to use a catapult!"
"What? No," Dipper shook his head. "We're gonna use this, remember?" He pulled the journal out, leafing through it as the others gathered around to get a better look. "Now, what can we use to defeat Gideon? Let's see… abominable bro-man?"
"Yeah!" Mabel and Steven excitedly agreed.
"Nope," Dipper quickly turned the idea down. "Butternut squash with a human face and emotions?"
"What?" Connie asked, bewildered.
"Yeah!"
"No," Dipper rolled his eyes. He flipped to yet another page, one that caught everyone's attention.
"Whoa, what's all that?" Connie asked, eyeing the complex, intricate design filling the parchment.
"I honestly have no idea," Dipper admitted with a frown. "I've stared at this page for hours. It seems like a blueprint to build some kind of strange futuristic super-weapon-"
"Boring!" Mabel interrupted. "To get rid of those guards, we need some kind of army."
"Wait a minute!" Dipper gasped as an idea suddenly struck him. "An army! Mabel, that's it! The gnomes!" He flipped to the entry on the tiny men, holding it up for the others to see.
"Uh…" Mabel tugged at the collar of her sweater, exchanging an uncomfortable glance with Connie.
"I don't know about that…" she said, wincing at the harrowing memory of their capture.
Steven, on the other hand, was much more supportive of the idea. "Hey, that could actually work!" he said, smiling. "There are so many gnomes out in the woods that Gideon wouldn't know what to do with them all! Plus, they're really, really stubborn to boot."
"Well, you're not wrong about that," Connie flatly agreed. "But after what happened a few weeks ago, what makes you think they'll even want to help us?"
Dipper smirked as he closed the journal. If there was any time for all of the lessons Stan had taught him and Mabel about persuasion, it was now. "I'm sure we'll think of something…"
Fortunately, the mystical forest that the gnomes called home wasn't too far of a hike from the shack. Still, the kids kept their guard up as they ventured into the cove. They had every reason to after just how violent their first confrontation with the gnomes had turned.
"I gotta admit, I never thought we'd ever come back here on purpose," Connie said, keeping a close look out for any tiny, prying eyes.
"I wonder what gnomes do out here all alone in the forest?" Mabel mused. She quickly got an answer to that question, though it was far from a pleasant one. Because there, sitting in a bathtub filled to the brim with scurrying squirrels, was Jeff. He happily relaxed in his "squirrel bath", until he noticed the group of kids watching on in shocked disgust.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, alarmed. "This… this is normal. This is normal for gnomes." To prove his point, he scrubbed his armpit with one of the many squirrels running around in the tub. The kids could only exchange a repulsed glance, unsure of what to say or do. Fortunately, Jeff filled in the awkward silence for them.
"Well, well, well," he cracked a broad smirk, reclining in his tub. "Look who came crawling back. Take five, Chris," he said to one of the countless squirrels, which hopped out of the tub. "The rest of you guys keep doin' what you're doin'. So, you ladies changed your mind about marrying us, eh?"
"Ew, hardly!" Mabel nearly gagged. "We just need your help. And seriously, ew!"
"You want our help?!" Jeff asked hotly. "After you both left us at the altar? No dice!"
"Oh, come on," Connie huffed, annoyed. "How could you have expected either one of us to marry any of you after you captured us and tied us up?"
"What?" Jeff shrugged, defensive. "That's a customary gnome courtship ritual! We'd have broken years of tradition if we hadn't done that!"
"Even if it was tradition, it was still super mean of you guys," Steven spoke up. "And so was forming a giant super gnome to chase us all through the woods, by the way."
"Oh look, it's that Gem kid again," Jeff dryly noted. "Are those three knockouts you live with still playing hard to get?"
"Uh, yeah… Pearl's still mad about the last time you guys tried to sneak into her room and sing that love song to her."
"Hey, not all our plans can be winners," Jeff admitted before he turned back to Mabel and Connie. "We're still short one queen here, no matter how you cut it. So, are either of you dolls gonna marry us, or what?"
"Uh, no, that's not happening," Connie firmly shook her head. "Ever."
"Aw, but why not?!"
"Because… because we can get you a new queen!" Mabel cut in, rolling with her sudden idea. "One that's even more beautiful than me or Connie!"
"Oh yeah!" Dipper added, catching Mabel's drift. "Her name is Gideon, and she has lovely white hair."
"Huh?" Steven asked, confused. "But Gideon's not a-"
"Shh!" Connie slapped a hand over his mouth just in time.
"Whoa, mature woman, huh?" Jeff asked, intrigued. "Hey, Shmebulock! Get my cologne!"
"Shmebulock!" The gnome in question proclaimed, carrying in a bottle of cologne that was almost as big as he was.
"Is Shmebulock all you can say?"
"…Shmebulock…" Shmebulock nodded sadly.
Jeff simply shrugged as he turned back to the kids with a broad grin. One that they shared as they realized their plan was coming together perfectly. "It's a deal!"
By now, construction on Gideonland was in full swing. Not that Gideon was devoting much of his attention to it. He was far more focused on his first and foremost goal instead: finding the other journal.
"Where are you, journal?" Gideon muttered to himself. He started digging another hole next to the countless empty ones he had made on the fringes of the property. A testament to just how fruitless his search had been thus far. "Where are you!?"
"Boy, I hate to interrupt you," Bud cut in as he approached his son. "But you have some guests."
"What?" Gideon scowled over at the fence. To his surprise, Dipper, Mabel, Steven, and Connie were all gathered just outside of it.
"Give us the deed to the shack, Gideon!" Dipper demanded. "Or else!"
Gideon rolled his eyes, refusing to take them seriously. "Oh, I'm just shakin'. Am I supposed to say 'or else what'?"
"Yes, you are supposed to say that!" Mabel exclaimed before she called out to what was hiding in the nearby woods. "Now!"
At this, the kids cleared out of the way to allow the gnomes to take over. They stormed out of the forest, riding atop various woodland creatures as they easily tore through the fence. Gideon cried out in alarm as even more gnomes appeared on top of the shack, aiming their pointy hats straight at him. Unable to escape, there was little Gideon could do as the kids pressed in to confront him.
"Nice work, you guys!" Steven rewarded a handful of gnomes with a bag of chips. "You all did great! It just goes to show that teamwork always works!"
"Where'd you hear that one from?" Connie asked, chuckling.
"I made it up!"
"It's over, Gideon," Dipper sternly said. "You're surrounded by an unstoppable gnome army. Now give us back our deed and get off our property!"
"And let the marriage ceremony begin!" Jeff declared from atop his deer steed.
To everyone's surprise, Gideon seemed to cave under the pressure almost immediately. "Very well," he sighed, reaching into his suit. "I suppose this deed belongs to-" He stopped short as he pulled a whistle out instead of the deed. When he blew it, its high-pitched tone sent shockwaves through the gnomes as they fell from their formations, frantically covering their ears against the harsh noise. "Ha! What do you know? It works on gnomes too!" Gideon chuckled as he blew the whistle again.
"Stop!" Jeff pleaded as he bowed in submission before Gideon. "We'll do anything! How can we serve you, your majesty, the most beautiful girl we've ever seen?!"
"I am not a girl!"
"Really? But your skin is so soft. Do you moisturize or-"
"Subdue them!" Gideon fiercely ordered. The gnomes were quick to comply, charging for the kids as they easily outnumbered and captured all four of them. Gideon smugly laughed as he watched his foes struggle in vain, relishing how the odds had been turned back in his favor. "I have to admit, ya'll, I am impressed by your creativity! How did you ever manage this little scheme?"
"We just bribed them," Connie bluntly explained.
Before anyone could say another word, Steven suddenly caught everyone off guard with a startled gasp. "Oh no! Connie, you're hurt!" he exclaimed, eyeing the small cut on her cheek their scuffle with the gnomes had left her with. "Here, I can fix it! Just let me…" He trailed off, licking his hand as he tried to reach past the gnomes to get to Connie. Only to stop short when he heard Gideon let out a sharp, appalled scoff.
"Oh, I understand what's goin' on here…" he said with a dark, jealous scowl.
"Huh?" Steven frowned, confused.
"Don't act like you don't know, Universe!" Gideon angrily snapped. "It's clear to see that you're nothing but a two-timing, womanizing scoundrel!"
"…What?"
"Just look at yourself! Cheatin' on poor Mabel right in front of her with–I'm so sorry, darlin', remind me of your name again?"
"Connie?" she raised an eyebrow when he glanced her way.
"Connie, right," Gideon nodded, his scowl returning as he looked back at Steven. "You oughta be ashamed of yourself. Just goes to show that Mabel should've chosen me instead of you."
"Cheating?" Steven shook his head, bewildered. Likewise, Mabel and Connie exchanged a truly baffled glance, wondering how in the world Gideon could have jumped such a drastic conclusion. "What are you talking about? I'm not with-"
"Oh, and don't think I haven't forgotten about that little stunt you tried to pull at my openin' ceremony the other day!" Gideon smirked smugly as he got in Steven's face. "You almost had me worried there for a moment, tryin' to convince the townsfolk of the 'truth', but in the end, you should have known it was destined to fail. Face it, Universe; this town may like you, but they love widdle ol' me."
"Ok, that's enough!" Dipper cut in, thoroughly agitated by this point. "Lay off Steven already, Gideon! He didn't do anything wrong, unlike you -" He cut himself off while trying to pull himself away from the gnomes' surprisingly tight grip. "Come on, let go!" He continued to struggle, not even noticing what suddenly slipped out of his vest until it hit the ground with a thud.
"No, could it be?!" Gideon gasped at the sight of the alarmingly familiar book. A book bound in the same weathered burgundy and gold as the one in his possession. "It is!" He readily claimed it, flipping through its pages to confirm it was true. "Of course! It all makes sense!"
Gideon laughed as he held the journal far out of Dipper's reach, not that he could have taken it anyway with the gnomes still holding him back. "The one place I'd never think to look!" Gideon triumphantly taunted. " You had it the whole time! And to think I actually considered you a threat!"
"No!" Dipper protested, desperate to get the journal back. Because to lose anything, especially something as important as that, to Gideon now was all but unthinkable. Even as it was becoming a reality right before his eyes. "Give it back!"
"Every victory you had was because of your precious book!"
"Give it back, or I'll-"
"Or you'll what , boy?" Gideon challenged. He held the journal painfully close to Dipper, and yet, it was still so far out of his reach. "You'll what ? Huh? Huh ?! No muscles, no brains. Face it! You're nothin' without this!"
With that, he starkly pulled the journal away as he pointed the gnomes to the hole in the fence they'd made. Another blow of his whistle was all it took to get them to haul the kids off, leaving him with yet another stolen prize. "Bye, bye forever, ya'll!"
"No!" Dipper shouted one last time. But even then, he knew it was pointless. As the gnomes dragged them off, the journal stayed put in Gideon's hands. The last thing that could have stopped this, one of the final shreds of hope they had left–taken away. Just like everything else, it seemed.
The gnomes finally dropped them off just beyond the fence, not bothering to stick around much longer than that. "Next time, do your own dirty work," Jeff sullenly told the kids. "Come on, boys!" At this call, three squirrels ran to him and jumped into his pants right before he scampered off. The other gnomes followed after him, leaving a group of dejected, defeated kids behind.
"Well, that's it," Dipper sighed as he took a seat on a nearby tree stump. "Guess the bus should be here soon."
"What?" Mabel asked. Steven and Connie mirrored her surprise. "Dipper, don't give up! You always have a plan!"
"Yeah!" Steven agreed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Like the time you figured out how to stop that Gem monster when we were exploring the temple!"
"Or just the other day when you found a way to follow Bill into Mr. Pines' mind," Connie added just as supportively.
"Don't you guys get it?" Dipper asked, making no effort to hide his growing grief. "The journal was what bailed us out both of those times, not me! That's always what has a plan! Gideon was right. The only cool or courageous things I've ever done have been because of that journal. Without it… I can't help us, or Stan, or anyone…"
"B-but… there's gotta be something we can do…" Mabel softly insisted, fighting back tears.
"What can we do?" Dipper could only meet his sister's mournful gaze by sadly shaking his head. They both knew–without even needing to say it aloud–what going home would mean for them. They knew it meant the end, not just of their summer, but of so many other things. The mysteries, the magic, the friendships they'd come to cherish so much in such a short amount of time. They were about to lose it all in one fell swoop, and once they left, there'd be no doubt–
That much like the shack and the journal, they'd never get any of that back.
Sunset came far too quickly. And with, came the bus that would take Dipper and Mabel back to California.
A large group gathered at the bus stop to see them off, made up of the friends they'd made so far this summer. There was scarcely a dry eye among them, with plenty of solemn hugs and sad farewells shared. Amethyst could only let out a small, defeated sigh as Pearl struggled to hold her pressing sobs back. A stray tear even slipped out from under Garnet's visor as she promised the twins they'd all meet again someday.
A promise that Dipper and Mabel only wished they could believe.
Saying goodbye to Steven and Connie was the most painful by far. In such a short amount of time, they'd formed such a close and special bond. After everything they'd been through together, it felt like such a waste for them to be split apart so soon. But they knew all too well there was nothing they could do now. Nothing other than tearfully embrace each other, say one final, heartbroken goodbye–
And watch as the Mystery Kids fell apart before their very eyes.
Stan was the last to bid them farewell, bringing a remorseful apology along with it. He didn't have much else to say to the twins after that as he urged them onto the bus. All the while, he tried his hardest not to let his anger, his guilt, his shame get the better of him. There'd be plenty of time to fall apart after they were gone.
It felt like the twins were stepping into another world entirely when they boarded the bus. Its lonely leather seats and grimy exterior would usher them out of this strange, exceptional little town, back to the dull, unextraordinary lives they used to know. Back to the real world, where there were no such things as gnomes or monsters or magical aliens. Back to a home filled with all of the strife they had longed to leave behind.
Maybe that's why they took the back seat of the bus, in the hopes that it'd let them stay in Gravity Falls for just a second longer. From that vantage point, there were able to watch everyone send them one final, tearful wave as the bus pulled away–
And Dipper and Mabel's summer came to an end.
"I've got it! I finally got it!" Gideon proclaimed as he burst into the shack with his new journal in tow. He was beside himself with excitement over what he was set to claim now that both of the coveted books were his. "Get out!" He fiercely ordered his parents, who both rushed out of the den without a word.
"It's finally mine!" Gideon rushed over to where he'd left the second journal. "At last, I have journal number-" He sharply cut himself off when he set the new book down, only to find a different number on its cover instead of the 1 he'd been expecting. "Three?! There are three of them?! But where is journal number one!? I must have all three of 'em for the power to be unlocked! Where could it-"
Gideon stopped himself as another realization struck him. "Dipper! He must know where it is! He gave me the third one and kept the first for himself! I can't let him leave Gravity Falls!"
Refusing to let any promise of ultimate power slip through his fingers, Gideon knew what needed to be done. He raced out of the shack with both journals in hand, stopping just shy of the recently-completed statue of himself. "You there!" He shouted up at Old Man McGucket, who had built the impressive machine from the ground up. "Is it ready?!"
"Heh, only one way to find out!" McGucket laughed. He pulled a lever on the statue's head, bringing the complicated machinery inside to life. The statue's– robot's –eyes lit up as it jolted with energy, as sure a sign as ever that it was primed and ready to go.
Gideon had intended for the Crystal Gems to be the first targets of his robot's power. But this would be more than enough of a test run to see what it was capable of. Knowing there wasn't a moment to lose, Gideon entered the bot, putting his motion-sensor suit on in order to take control of the automaton. As designed, it followed his movements as he slammed the Gideonland statue it was holding into the ground. Gideon grinned twistedly as he guided his robot to action, pushing it ahead on its vengeful onslaught to the path heading out of town.
Meanwhile, McGucket stood by, watching with a satisfied smile, unaware of the devastation his creation was about to bring. "I've got a good feeling 'bout that kid!"
"Well, Stan, this is it," Stan lamented to himself, his head in his hands. After the bus had left, he'd retreated back to the temple, hoping to distract himself with a bit of TV. Not that anything could really take his mind off of that last, miserable look the twins had sent his way. "Rock bottom. No friends, no family, stuck watching infomercials for whatever that is…"
"Are you sick of piles of owls constantly blocking your driveway? Well then you gotta get Owl Trowel!"
Stan heaved a tired sigh as he set his sights on the Gideon pin sitting on the bed next to him. "How'd you do it, kid?" he asked, picking it up. "Why are you always one step ahead? Maybe he really is a psychic after-"
He stopped short at the sound of another high-pitched, painful whine. "Ah! My hearing aid! What keeps causing that?!" Stan groaned, annoyed. He paused, however, upon staring down to the pin in his hands. Curious, he pulled it closer to his ear, awestruck when his hearing aid screeched yet again. Just like last time. "Wait a minute! That's it! I know Gideon's weakness!"
"Stan," Pearl began as she climbed up onto the loft. "If you're going to be staying here for a while, there's a few ground rules we need to-"
She cut herself off when Stan ran up to her, scarcely able to contain his excitement as he hugged her tight. By the time he let her go and ran out of the house, Pearl could only stand there, equally baffled and repulsed by whatever that was about.
Stan didn't pay Steven or Connie any mind as he rushed past them on the porch before hopping into his car and speeding off. "I wonder where he's going in such a hurry," Connie said, confused.
"Maybe he's going to chase after that bus and bring Dipper and Mabel back…" Steven muttered, slumping against the porch table.
"Aw, Steven," Connie rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I miss them too… But look on the bright side; at least we got to say goodbye to them before they left."
"We shouldn't have had to," Steven let out a frustrated huff. "They should have been able to stay here for the rest of the summer, Connie. It's not fair!"
Connie couldn't really argue against that, nor did she want to after losing two of the only friends she really had. "No, I guess you're right," she glanced down, dejected. "It's really not."
"We were supposed to have so much fun together!" Steven continued, distraught. "There were still so many Gem missions and mystery hunts for us to go on! And now they'll never happen… It's over… They're gone…"
"If only we could have done more to help them," Connie said. "Hanging out with you and Dipper and Mabel this summer has made me believe that pretty much anything is possible. That no challenge was too big or too dangerous to get through. But… I guess that isn't always true; even the four of us working together wasn't enough to get us through this time…"
Steven glumly nodded as he rusted his head against the table again. And yet, that table didn't stay still for long as the entire temple began to suddenly shake from its very foundations.
"W-what was that?!" Connie exclaimed, struggling to stay in her chair. That was a battle Steven lost as he was sent tumbling out of his as the ground only continued rumbling violently. It was enough to bring all three of the Gems out of the house, each of them every bit as alarmed as Steven and Connie were.
"Kids, what's going on?!" Pearl asked, eyes wide.
"Yeah, what's with all the sha-aking?!" Amethyst tried to ask as another earthquake knocked her off her feet.
Before either Steven or Connie could try to answer, Garnet suddenly let out a strong, warning shout. "Look!" She pointed down at the shack. The group on the porch watched, stunned, as the massive statue built in Gideon's image somehow ran towards the woods. It briefly stopped and spared a glance up at the temple, before it ripped a tree from the ground and brutally threw it their way.
Fortunately, Garnet lept into action just in time, punching the tree in half before it could hurt anyone. Even so, the "Gideonbot" continued on its way, surprisingly not even bothering to launch another attack on them. At least not yet anyway.
"The statue Gideon built down at the shack… I-it's a giant robot?!" Steven asked, aghast.
"We can't let Gideon take that thing into town!" Pearl exclaimed. "Who knows what kind of damage he might cause with something like that!"
"That's not where he's heading," Garnet said. She adjusted her shades as she watched the robot as it disappeared into the woods in the opposite direction of town. "It seems like he's going for the cliffs."
"But why?" Connie asked.
"Hey, maybe he's gonna do us a favor and toss that huge eyesore right off the cliff," Amethyst said, scoffing.
"No," Garnet let out a gap as her future vision provided her with the truth. A very frightening truth at that. "He's going after Dipper and Mabel."
"What?!" Pearl and Amethyst exclaimed, equally shocked.
"Oh no!" Steven cried. "Garnet, are you sure?"
"Positive," Garnet nodded as her hands curled into tight, angry fists.
"W-well, we have to stop him!" Connie exclaimed. "He could really hurt them with that thing!"
"You two go on ahead," Garnet told Steven and Connie. "We'll catch up with you soon."
The pair shared a resolved nod, more than ready to do whatever they had to to help their friends. To this end, Steven called upon Lion, knowing they'd need his speed on their side if they ever hoped to catch up to the Gideonbot. "Ok, Lion," he said as he helped Connie onto his pink steed's back. "Let's go save Dipper and Mabel!"
Lion let out a fierce roar as he ran off, leaving the Gems behind. "So, what are we gonna do?" Amethyst asked the question she and Pearl were both thinking.
Fortunately, like always, Garnet had a plan. She held her hands out to her teammates, the gemstones on both of her palms already glowing. "Gems," she said as they took her hands. As they prepared to come together to save what they all cared so much about. "Let's synchronize."
The further the bus got out of town, the lower the sun seemed to sink in the sky. As if Dipper or Mabel really needed yet another reminder that their all-to-short time in Gravity Falls was, much like the day itself, coming to a close.
Much of the ride so far had been steeped in sorrowful silence. But as they finally passed the town's iconic water tower, Dipper broke that silence with a thought neither one of them wanted to face. "Everything's going to be so much worse when we get home," he muttered, not even glancing over at his sister. "There's no way it won't be."
Mabel winced, but she still forced on a small, hopeful smile, more for herself than her brother. "You don't know that. Mom and Dad have had a few weeks by themselves. Who knows? They might've worked things out by now-"
"Knowing them?" Dipper quietly, bitterly scoffed. "Not a chance."
For a moment, Mabel said nothing as she loosely hugged herself. She nearly extended that hug to her brother, but ultimately didn't. Instead, she resorted to a different tactic–trying her best to distract them both from what they were only hours away from facing. "W-well, we don't have to think about all that heavy junk right now. Wanna play bus seat treasure hunt instead?"
"I'm not in the mood," Dipper said, sighing.
"Aw, come on!" Mabel encouraged. She pulled the seat next to her up, listing out what she found under it. "We got Canadian coins… gum that's shaped like Ronald Reagan's head… and ooh! Miscellaneous fluid stain?"
"Giant robot!"
"Yeah, a giant robot" Mabel stopped short, puzzled, when she realized what her brother had just said. "Wait, what?"
"Look!" Dipper pointed out the back window. And there, sure enough, was a giant Gideon-shaped robot, chasing after the bus in a heated pursuit.
"Halt!" Gideon's voice rang out fiercely from the rampaging machine. "I command you to halt!"
Unsure of what else to do, the twins ran to the front of the bus, terrified by such a shocking turn of events. "Mr. Bus driver!" Mabel cried, panicked. "There's a giant Gideonbot coming for us!"
"Oh hey, dudes!" Soos greeted as he turned to face the kids from his spot in the driver's seat.
"Soos?!" the twins exclaimed, surprised, yet relieved to see a familiar face.
"What are you doing here?" Dipper asked, confused.
"Well, since the Mystery Shack shut down, I've had to take on a bunch of part time jobs," Soos explained. "Don't worry, I've been a bus driver for at least 40 minutes now. One of these is probably a clutch…"
Fortunately, he found the clutch just in time, warning the twins to hang on as the bus picked up speed. From their spot a few seats back, they were able to see the Gideonbot reaching for the vehicle. It only narrowly missed thanks to Soos swerving the bus at the last second, though Gideon was never one to give up that easily.
"Soos, look out!" Mabel warned. Without warning, the Gideonbot easily leapt over the bus, landing just up the road to block the path ahead.
Acting quickly, Soos spun the wheel, veering off the road and onto a dirt path that led toward the floating cliffs. With Gideon still relentlessly on their tail, they couldn't even think of stopping, not even as the bus smashed through a "road closed" sign.
"I don't understand. He already won!" Dipper said, exchanging a fearful glance with Mabel. "What does he want from us?!"
As alarming as the robot behind them was, the twins soon found they had something else to worry about when they looked ahead. "Soos, cliff!" Dipper warned as they came up to the edge at intense speeds. Soos floored the breaks, but even that wasn't enough to keep the bus from spinning wildly out of control. By some miracle, it finally grinded to a halt right before it could plummet over the cliff altogether, leaving it precariously teetering just on the edge.
There was no time for any of them to even breathe a sigh of relief, however. Because with a mere tug on the bus' roof, the Gideonbot ripped it clean off as if it were nothing. For his part, Soos quickly began leafing through the bus' emergency manual, hoping to find some sort of solution there. "Okay, what's closest to our present situation? Raccoon in the engine or angry grandparent won't leave the bus? P-probably the second one."
It didn't take long for Gideon to notice neither of the twins were still inside of the bus. Instead, they'd taken the opportunity to slip away onto the train bridge connecting the floating cliffs below. They didn't get far before the Gideonbot slammed onto the bridge just ahead of them, blocking any hope of escape.
"Tell me!" Gideon demanded as his robot towered over them both. "Where is journal #1?!"
Dipper and Mabel could only exchange a glance at this, completely confused. "Journal #1?"
"Don't play games with me, boy!" The Gideonbot's fist struck the cliff right above the twins. As a rain of stone and shrapnel rained down, Dipper made sure to block Mabel from the brunt of it. Still, there wasn't much else he could do to shield either of them from Gideon's inexplicable wrath.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Dipper shouted. "You took the only journal I ever had! What do you even want with these journals anyway?!"
"That is none of your concern!" Gideon harshly returned. "If you won't tell me where that first journal is, then I'll find it myself!"
Suddenly, the Gideonbot brought both of its massive hands down, snatching up Dipper and Mabel before they could even think of escaping. While they tried to stay together, Gideon easily separated them, holding one twin tight in each of his robot's metallic hands. Something in Dipper snapped when he heard Mabel let out a particularly shrill shriek–possibly from the robot squeezing her too hard, though it could have just been out of fear. Whatever the reason, Dipper wasn't about to let it go on as he began beating against the hand keeping him away from his sister. "Let go of her!"
"Ha!" Gideon only laughed at this demand. "You still think you're some kind of hero?! You ain't NOTHING!"
With that, the robot suddenly tossed Dipper aside. While still in its grip, Mabel could only watch, horrified, as her brother landed on the other cliff, hitting the ground hard before his head brutally struck a stray rock. Pain exploded across his vision, all but briefly blacking him out. When he came to a moment later, his nose was bleeding, his back was aching, his body felt heavy, and his sister–
His sister was being carried off against her will.
"Once I find that final journal, I'll rule this town with you as my queen!" Gideon victoriously proclaimed to Mabel. "And I think I'll begin my reign with shatterin' three pesky Gems and their annoyin' little prodigy!"
Mabel gasped, eyes wide, when she realized she wasn't the only one in danger here. Steven, the Gems, perhaps the entire town could be at stake if Gideon wasn't somehow stopped. "Dipper!" she cried, desperately trying to pull herself out of the robot's grip. "Help me!"
Her panicked cry alone was more than enough for Dipper to shove himself to his feet, swaying a bit as he tried to steady himself. He approached the edge of the cliff, all while realizing his time and options were quickly running out. Once again, Gideon's vicious words filled his thoughts, cutting him deeper than ever: "No muscles, no brains. Face it! You're nothin' without this journal."
It all only continued to echo as Dipper took a small step back, his breath hitching and his chest tightening. Gideon was only getting further and further away with Mabel in tow and yet–he couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he couldn't do anything . Not without the journal, which he'd been lucky to stumble across in the first place. But on his own? He didn't have Mabel's creativity, Steven's compassion, or Connie's cleverness. So what did he have instead?
Nothing. He had nothing, just like Gideon had said.
And yet…
Even if he had nothing, that didn't mean he couldn't do something .
And so, acting on impulse and desperation alone, Dipper took in a deep breath, ran to the edge of the cliff–and leaped .
He propelled himself through the air with a loud, determined shout, hoping that gravity would take care of the rest. For one breathless, terrifying moment, he felt like he was flying –until he crashed straight into one of the Gideonbot's glass eyes. Dipper broke through it, feeling the sting of shattering glass lacerating his skin, but he hardly cared about that. He hardly cared about anything right now, other than saving his sister and stopping the one who had stolen so much from his family.
Dipper's feet barely even hit the ground before he barreled straight into Gideon, tackling him to the ground. Mabel yelped as the Gideonbot reeled backward on the narrow bridge. It only continued to stumble as a brutal brawl broke out inside the robot's head as both sides struggled for control.
"Let go of my sister!" Dipper demanded. He held Gideon down, landing a direct punch to his jaw, one that sent the robot's head spinning.
"Never!" Gideon shouted back, as she shoved Dipper down and returned the favor. "I finally won this time!"
The fight only continued from there, made even more apparent from the way the Gideonbot clumsily reeled around the bridge. This was the chaotic scene Steven and Connie arrived to find as Lion came to a stop on top of the cliff alongside the stalled bus.
"Whoa!" they both exclaimed, bewildered as they watched the Gideonbot inexplicably flail about.
"What's going on?" Connie asked Soos.
"Dude, I'm gonna level with you and say I have, like, no idea," he admitted with a shrug.
"Steven! Connie!" Mabel shouted the second she caught sight of them.
"Mabel!" Steven cried down to her. "Don't worry! We'll save you!"
"Wait, where's Dipper?!" Connie asked, not spotting him in the robot's other hand.
"He's-" Mabel was cut off when the Gideonbot veered back once again. Inside of its head, Dipper had just thrown another jab Gideon's way, one that he sent back just as fiercely. Despite his size, Gideon hit surprisingly hard, but Dipper ignored the bruise forming on his jaw in favor of catching his next swing with his open palm. He was more than ready to turn it right back on his opponent–only for a sudden, booming rumbling outside to catch them both off guard.
"Huh? What's-" Steven's confusion was cut off as he and Connie turned to see the source of this commotion. They watched, jaws dropped, as a massive figure ran their way. She was a titan of a woman, with magenta skin, teal hair, and six powerful arms. She arrived on the cliffside, her anger thinly concealed under her dark shades as she let out a furious roar through not just one mouth, but two.
"GIDEON!" she snarled, her voice deep and mighty. The battle inside of the Gideonbot came to a total standstill at the arrival of such an intimidating being as Dipper and Gideon both stopped and stared at her, dumbfounded.
"W-who is that?!" Dipper asked, alarmed.
"No…" Gideon began, completely floored. Because by all accounts, it was as though the ferocious fusion had stepped out of the pages of the second journal itself. "It can't be…. It's-"
"Alexandrite!" Steven gasped in realization. It had taken a moment to spot everyone's gemstones, but sure enough, they were all there, all shining in harmony to protect the ones they all held dear.
With another bold shout, Alexandrite jumped down onto the bridge to square off against the Gideonbot face-to-face. "Let them go!" she sharply shouted. "NOW!"
In an instant, Gideon broke out of his shock. Instead, he shifted into a dark smirk as he shoved Dipper aside in favor of focusing on the fusion before him. "Well, well… If it isn't all three of the Crystal Gems, fused into one. Looks like I'll get to kill two—or rather, several —birds with one stone!" His sinister smile only deepened as he geared up for the decisive battle ahead. "Are you ladies itchin' for a fight? Well, I'll be more than happy to oblige!"
The Gideonbot threw the first blow, catching Alexandrite off guard as she stumbled back across the bridge. Still, she was nothing if not resilient as she charged at the robot, using her several sets of arms to push it back into the side of the cliff. Gideon's attempt at swinging back at her was cut off when Alexandrite caught the robot's first, all while another one of her ample arms landed a solid uppercut.
"Yeah! Go, Alexandrite!" Steven cheered from his spot on the sidelines.
"This is seriously the coolest thing I've ever seen," Connie said, eyes wide.
"Tell me about it, dude," Soos agreed, just as awestruck.
By now, Alexandrite made an attempt at freeing Mabel from the robot's hold, only for the Gideonbot to yank her out of her reach. Frustrated, Gideon shoved the fusion away, hoping to go in from a different angle. Before he remembered Alexandrite wasn't the only one he had to worry about.
Before Gideon could even throw another punch, Dipper tackled him once more, slamming him to the floor. Outside, Alexandrite watched, confused, as the robot tilted dangerously to the side, its head spinning all the while. Despite this, Dipper did his best to hold his own, blocking swings and staying as steady as he could manage. It was only as Gideon kicked him squarely in the chest and into the metal wall behind him that his injuries began to get the better of him. His vision tunneled and his limbs shook, to the point that he struggled to keep himself up. A struggle that came to a swift end when Gideon kicked him once more.
"Ha! Stay down, boy!" Gideon smirked as he watched Dipper fall, barely conscious, to the floor. "Maybe that'll teach ya. Now, back to the main event-"
Gideon stiffened, alarm overtaking his expression when he glanced back up to Alexandrite. Using her many arms, she summoned Pearl's spear and Amethyst's whip, before bringing them together to form Opal's mighty longbow. She summoned an arrow of pure light, pulling her bowstring taunt as she took aim straight at the Gideonbot's face. She was completely set to fire, until-
"Wait! Stop!" Mabel cried, looking to Alexandrite in a pleading panic. "Dipper's in there!"
The arrow missed its target; Alexandrite made sure of that as she shifted her aim just in time. Even so, that was all the ammunition Gideon needed as yet another twisted idea came to mind. "Looks like you might actually be useful after all, boy." He grinned as he Dipper by the wrist and hoisted him up off the ground. With his head pounding and his chest heaving for air, there wasn't much he could do to resist him, as much as he may have wanted to.
"Listen here, Crystal Gems!" Gideon shouted. "Either you three stand down, unfuse, and leave town forever, or… I'll throw Dipper Pines out of this robot and off this bridge into the chasm below! Now, which'll it be?"
"What?!" Mabel started, shocked at such a deadly threat. "No! Dipper!" Fearful tears filled her eyes as she tried harder than ever to pull herself free from the robot's grasp, desperate to help him before it was too late. After all, the thought of losing him, especially after he'd so selflessly tried to rescue her, was more than she could bear.
Likewise, Alexandrite froze, at a sudden loss over what to do. Her longbow vanished as her components desperately searched for a solution that would somehow save Dipper, finding none they could soundly agree on. As a result, it wasn't long before indecisiveness gave way to instability.
Alexandrite jolted, her form flickering with sudden light as the Gems who made her began to fall out of sync with each other. "No!" she ordered herself. It wasn't lost on anyone how her once-singular voice was starting to split into three, just like the rest of her. "Cooperate!"
Even from a distance, Steven could tell things weren't going well. Fortunately, he was quick to come up with a backup plan. He leaned in low, whispering in Lion's ear. This time, he actually listened, letting out a gruff growl as he took off running away from the edge of the cliff with Steven and Connie in tow. All without Gideon even noticing.
Instead, Gideon was much more focused on watching Alexandrite fall to pieces. Dipper was watching too, overwhelmed with fear when he realized the Gems wouldn't be able to save him.
Which meant he had no choice but to save himself this time.
It took a tremendous amount of effort, but he forced himself to move, despite his body's painful protesting. Still, he managed to wrench his arm out of Gideon's grasp before, just as quickly, pulling both of his opponents' hands behind his back. "Hey!" Gideon shouted, trying and failing to break free. "How dare you-"
"You guys!" Dipper shouted to Alexandrite through Gideon's mic. "Hit him! Now!"
That was all Alexandrite needed to hear. In an instant, they pulled themselves together, remembering exactly what they were fighting for. With this newfound momentum, Alexandrite struck the Gideonbot squarely in the gut. As it stumbled backward from the blow, Dipper pulled Gideon hard to the side, shifting the robot's center of gravity until one of its feet slipped over the side of the bridge. Unable to right itself, the entire machine began to dangerously tilt, and while Alexandrite reached out to catch it, she was ultimately too late–
Too late to stop the Gideonbot from slipping right off the side of the bridge.
Now in a freefall, the robot descended toward the valley below at a frightening speed. Its grip on Mabel finally loosened, not that she saw much relief as she was left careening to the ground just the same. At the same time, Dipper fell out of the robot's head through the same eye he'd shattered through earlier. The twins could only share a terrified cry as they caught each other in the air, knowing that wouldn't be enough to save them. Still, Mabel hoped that something else would.
Acting fast, she reached into her sweater and grabbed her grappling hook. Before Dipper could even ask, Mabel fired it straight up at the bridge above them–only to end up missing it by just a few short inches. The twins watched, dismayed, as the hook began to fall back down toward them–until a flash of light sparked through the air and a familiar pink beast emerged from it.
"Lion! Catch!" Steven pointed at the falling hook. Lion did just that, gliding through the air to catch the rope just before the hook in his maw. With a heavy tug, he pulled his head up, flinging both of the twins upward. They landed squarely behind Connie on Lion's back, and as soon as they did, Lion roared another portal into existence and leapt through it.
As the Gideonbot finally crashed to the ground, the resounding explosion was loud and bright enough to catch the attention of nearly everyone in Gravity Falls. As the smoke cleared, a chaotic crash site was left behind as the robot's mangled remains lay smoldering far beneath the bridge. Amidst these ruins, Lion emerged from another portal with the kids in tow, all finally safe and sound.
"Grappling hook!" Mabel triumphantly held her tool high. "Told you it would come in handy!"
"You did great too, Lion," Steven patted Lion on the head as he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. "Take all the time you need to rest."
"Speaking of great, how about this guy!" Mabel proudly pointed at Dipper. "Taking on a giant robot like a total boss!"
"Aw, come on, Mabel," Dipper let out a bashful laugh. It soon turned into a pained hiss as he rested a hand against the back of his still heavily-aching head.
"Uh, are you ok, Dipper?" Connie asked, concerned.
"Well, to be honest, pretty much everything hurts," Dipper admitted, gently rubbing his lightly bleeding arm. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I probably have a concussion and might need stitches in a few places. But I'm sure it's nothing Steven and his, uh, healing spit can't fix, right?"
Stars were in Steven's eyes as he gasped, giving Dipper an excited hug. "Of course, Dipper! I'd be more than happy to heal you up!"
"Ok, ow!" Dipper cried. "Like I said, everything still hurts, Steven! You haven't healed me yet!"
"Oh, sorry!" Steven pulled back, blushing. That blush only deepened when he heard Mabel and Connie laughing behind him.
"Oh, there they are!"
The kids turned to find Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl rushing in. They'd unfused at some point; understandable now that the threat the Gideonbot posed was no more. "Oh, kids!" Pearl threw her arms over them in a relieved embrace. "We're so glad you're all alright!"
"Well, mostly alright," Connie said, exchanging a glance with Dipper.
"Man, that thing went down hard, huh?" Amethyst looked over the remains of the Gideonbot. "We totally owned that slimy punk and his dumb robot!"
"We weren't completely responsible for that…" Garnet said. She picked up the third journal as it lay amidst the wreckage before handing it back to Dipper with a small smile. "Excellent work, Dipper. I believe this belongs to you."
"Thanks," Dipper gratefully accepted the book. Simply having its familiar, brittle leather surface in his hands again filled him with unspeakable relief. Especially after he'd come so close to losing it forever.
"You guys were so cool!" Mabel told the Gems, amazed. "Or I guess I should say, Alexandrite was so cool! She was like 'bam'! And 'woosh'! And 'punch'! And all sorts of other awesome actiony words!"
The Gems shared a warm laugh, one that was short-lived as others began to congregate to the crash site. The townsfolk, curious to see the cause of the explosion, approached the robot's wreckage, murmuring in confusion amongst themselves.
"Is this the thing that exploded?"
"Look! It's over here!"
"Hey, those magical women are here!"
"Did they have something to do with this?"
As this group began to gather, Gideon slowly, sullenly climbed out of the remains of his robot, tearing off what was left of his motion-sensor suit. The moment the townsfolk spotted him, the Gems and the kids were left forgotten as everyone crowded around the beloved child psychic instead.
"Gideon!" Durland cried as he and Blubs rushed to retrieve Gideon from the robot's ruins. "Oh, good heavens! What on earth happened here?!"
"I-it was the Pines twins!" Gideon hotly exclaimed. "They tried to attack me and blow up my statue with dynamite! And then those Crystal Gems pushed it off the bridge and nearly killed me! Arrest 'em! Arrest 'em all!"
"What?!" The kids and the Gems exchanged a baffled glance at such bold, dishonest claims.
"Officers, he's lying!" Dipper argued.
"He certainly is!" Pearl firmly agreed. "You can't possibly believe such a preposterous claim. We were trying to save the kids–and the entire town–from him, for crying out loud!"
"Pearl's right!" Steven turned to the crowd, earnestly imploring them. "I mean, just think about how many times the Gems have saved Gravity Falls before! Like the time we brought the waterfall back when it was stolen! Remember that?"
A wave of soft agreement rippled through the crowd as they considered what Steven had to say. Gideon, however, wasn't about to let it last long. "W-well, even if that is true, that doesn't change the fact that they destroyed my property! I demand you arrest them! Every last one of them, at once!"
Unfortunately for the kids and the Gems, Gideon's argument proved to be far more convincing. As devoted as they were to him, there was little they could do to change their minds now. To the point that the cops simply shrugged and turned back to the group with handcuffs in hand, ready to do exactly as Gideon told them.
"Aw, what? You can't be serious!" Amethyst angrily exclaimed. "We didn't do anything wrong!"
"Sorry, folks, but we trust Gideon," Blubs said. "And nothing short of a miracle would ever change our-"
The sound of screeching tires cut the sheriff off as a familiar car veered onto the scene, ramming into the side of the cop car. Stan hardly cared as he jumped out, clad in his boxers and bedroom slippers as he loudly caught everyone's attention. "Wait! Wait! Stop everything! I've got somethin' to say!"
"Ugh, not this guy again…" Blubs shared an annoyed groan with the rest of the crowd.
"Just wait!" Stan ran to stand in front of the ruined robot. "So, you all think Gideon is so perfect and honest , right? 'Oh, I could never tell a lie! I'm Gideon!'"
"He's more honest than you !" Blubs countered, sending Stan a suspicious glance.
"Yeah! And he's psychic too!" Durland added.
"Oh really? How's this for psychic?!" Stan kicked a panel of the robot away. "Take a good look!"
The crowd drew in a shared gasp as they realized what they were looking at. Inside of the robot were countless small screens, all showing what appeared to be surveillance feeds of the people of Gravity Falls.
"Wait a minute, is that me ?!" Lazy Susan exclaimed, spotting a screen showing her pouring coffee into an omelet to make her famous coffee omelet.
"Hey, look! That's me!" Mr. Smiley shouted, aghast, as he saw a video of him signing a notice to add several new games to Funland Arcade.
"And me!" Toby pointed to the screen where he was showing his disgusting birthmark to a doctor.
The other townsfolk were quick to spot themselves on other screens, alarmed and horrified by what they were seeing. "That's right! These pins were hidden cameras!" Stan held a Lil' Gideon pin up for them all to see. "And my hearing aid was picking up the feedback! Who's the fraud now?"
With a satisfied grin, Stan crushed the pin, revealing the tiny camera hidden inside. The very same camera that all of Gideon's pins had been hiding, all meant to constantly watch his adoring public, without any of them even knowing.
"Gideon… we gave you our trust…" Durland said, deeply hurt.
"You LIED to us!" Manly Dan shouted, enraged.
"P-please!" Gideon pleaded. "I… I—It's not what it looks like! I-"
"Oh, it's not?" Pearl coyly cut in. "Because what it does look like is that not only were you blatantly spying on the people of Gravity Falls, but it also looks like you used a giant robot to chase down two defenseless, innocent children, nearly killing them both in the process. And then you proceeded to try and pin the blame on us for it. So, I believe this is exactly what it looks like. Wouldn't you officers agree?"
Blubs and Durland could only nod in sad agreement over what they knew they had to do. "Lil' Gideon, you're under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, use of a giant, deadly robot, and breaking our hearts," Blubs said, wiping a tear away. "Durland, the tiny handcuffs."
"Wha–no!" Gideon cried as the handcuffs were latched around his wrists. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, he still struggled as the cops led him over to the squad car. "Let go of me!"
Stan smirked as held the door to the cop car open for Gideon. Still, he stopped him short, picking his rival up to shake him dry first. Among everything else that fell out of Gideon's pockets was the deed to the Mystery Shack, which Stan was more than happy to rightfully reclaim. "I believe this belongs to me."
"No! No!" Gideon protested as he was shoved into the back of the cop car. "You can't do this to me! Y'all are sheep! You need me!" He only continued to throw out hateful threats, even as the cops began to drive him away to prison. "You'll hear from my lawyers! I'll be back! I'll destroy the Pines family and the Crystal Gems alike, I swear it!"
"Sooo… what are the chances we'll actually hear from him again anytime soon?" Amethyst asked Garnet.
"Not likely," Garnet adjusted her shades with a confident grin.
"There you have it," Shandra Jimenez reported as she stood before the Pines and the Gems. "Local hero Stanford Pines has just exposed Lil' Gideon as a fraud after the Crystal Gems took down his giant robot of doom. Is there anything any of you would like to say?"
"Well," Pearl began. "Firstly, I think it's important to note that we-"
"The Mystery Shack is back, baby!" Stan boldly interrupted. Despite this, the kids and the Gems shared a joyful laugh, all of them more than ready to pick things up right where they had left off.
Because now, at long last, the storm was finally over.
With the reclaimed deed in hand, the Pines easily moved back into the Mystery Shack, tossing out anything Gideon had left behind in the process. The Gems, Steven, and Connie were all happy to help them restore the shack back to working order. And, as soon as its doors opened for business again, it was more popular than ever before.
With Stan now hailed as a town hero for exposing Gideon, locals and tourists alike were eager to get his autograph and tour the museum. Soos and Wendy gladly returned to their usual posts, even if the sudden rush made their jobs quite busy. And above all, Dipper and Mabel were able to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing the rest of their summer in Gravity Falls was safe and secured.
With so much to celebrate, the twins had barely found time to properly move back into their room in the attic. Steven and Connie had come down to help, joining Dipper and Mabel in reorganizing books and rehanging posters. It wasn't long before a knock on the door sounded, with Stan and the Gems entering soon after it.
"Uh, you kiddos settling back in okay?" Stan sent the twins a small, content grin.
"Yep!" Mabel brightly nodded. "All of my favorite moldy spots on the ceiling are still there!"
"We just came by to tell you kids how proud we are of all of you," Pearl said, smiling. "You all were very brave in a situation that, to be perfectly honest, even had the three of us a little frightened at times."
"Yeah, you dudes totally kicked butt!" Amethyst smirked. "Guess they call you four the Mystery Kids for a reason, huh?"
"Yeah, they do!" Steven proudly exclaimed.
"Um, speaking of mysteries…" Dipper hesitantly spoke up as Stan took a seat on the bed next to him. "Well… me and Mabel have been talking and… I think there's something we should finally tell you."
He took a deep breath as he reached into his vest and pulled out the journal. To his surprise, Stan didn't seem to react to it much, at least not compared to how the Gems had before. "This is a journal I found in the woods," he handed it over to his uncle so he could peruse it for himself. "It talks about all of the crazy stuff that lives in Gravity Falls, including the Gems. Gideon nearly destroyed the whole town trying to find it. I don't know what it means, or who wrote it, but after all we've been through, maybe it's time you knew about it."
For a long while, Stan didn't say anything as he looked through the journal. When he finally did speak, it came in the form of a question posed to the Gems. "So you three knew about this thing already, huh?"
"Well, we didn't at first…" Pearl admitted, frowning. "But when we did discover it, it came as quite a shock, seeing as there's quite a bit in there about the three of us."
"Yeah… We might have overreacted over it and tried to burn it," Amethyst shrugged. "You know, like you do."
For his part, Stan fell into silence once more, this time only for a beat or two as he closed the book and took in a deep breath. "I'm glad you showed me this, Dipper," he said, his tone surprisingly solemn. Until he suddenly burst out laughing . "Now I know where you've been getting it all from! Spookums and monsters—this kooky book has been filling your head with crazy conspiracies!"
"Wha—but it's all real!" Dipper protested.
"Dipper's right, Mr. Pines," Connie vouched.
Steven readily joined in. "Yeah! We've seen a lot of the stuff in there this summer! Plus, everything in it about the Gems is true too! Right guys?"
While the Gems nodded, Stan simply chuckled as he flashed a sarcastic smirk. "Oh, yeah sure it is. You kids gotta quit reading this fantasy nonsense for your own good. Although some of these would make great attractions!" He nodded to the page about the butternut squash with a human face and emotions. "Can't come up with this stuff! Mind if I borrow this for a while?"
"Wait, no!" Dipper panicked as Stan got up, taking the journal with him. "Grunkle Stan!"
"'Magic' book," Stan scoffed as he left the attic. "Ridiculous!"
"Stan, I need it!" Dipper cried, ready to chase him down and get it back. At least until Mabel stopped him.
"Dipper, you don't need that book! Don't you see? On your own, you defeated a giant robot with nothing but your bare hands! You're a hero whether you've got that journal or not!"
"Mabel's right," Garnet soundly agreed. "The courage and determination you showed in facing off against Gideon the other day was something that you couldn't have found in the pages of that journal. That was entirely your own, Dipper. And that is something to be proud of."
"Yeah!" Steven and Connie cheered.
"Definitely," Pearl nodded with a warm smile.
"Totally, dude!" Amethyst grinned, softly punching him on the arm.
"Whoa…" Dipper whispered, realizing they were all right . That when push came to shove, he'd risen to the occasion to help the ones he cared about. He always would–journal or no journal. "Thanks, guys… But, I still want the journal back though."
"I'm sure you'll get it back," Mabel assured. "What would a boring old man like Stan want with that book anyway?"
"Knowing Stan, he'll probably end up using it as a door stopper," Pearl chuckled.
"Or a paperweight," Garnet said, crossing her arms.
"Or he'll try using it as a weapon during our next Revenge Trip," Amethyst smirked. "Yo, speaking of trips, we were gonna go check out this cool old Gem tower later. You guys wanna come with?"
"Do we!?" Steven exclaimed, beaming.
"Yeah, we do!" Mabel happily agreed.
"Well then, come along," Pearl laughed as she led the way out. "That tower's not going to explore itself!"
The kids happily followed them out, excited for whatever magical adventure awaited. Especially now that they knew, more than ever before–
They had plenty of summer left to spend together .
The shack was quiet that night, something Stan was grateful for. Under the cover of quiet darkness, he slipped into the gift shop, making sure no prying eyes were watching as he dialed the code into the vending machine. And, just as he had almost every night for the past 30 years, he descended the staircase into the hidden basement below.
It had been nothing short of a miracle Gideon didn't discover this, not that Stan had expected him to be smart enough to anyway. As it stood, he was still the only one who knew about the complex laboratory awaiting in the depths beneath the shack. He was the only one who knew about the momentous machine standing just beyond it.
Stan took a seat at the desk, setting the third journal down alongside the second book he'd snatched from Gideon when no one was looking. As for the first, he'd had it for years now, only one piece of a puzzle he'd been struggling for so long to put together. But now…
"After all these years…" he muttered to himself, utterly awestruck. "Finally, I have them all."
Finally, after spending so much time searching, scheming, hoping, waiting. Finally, the one journal Rose Quartz herself had vowed he'd never claimed… had somehow been found by his own nephew. Somehow it was sitting right in front of him alongside the others. Somehow, at long last, he'd completed the set he'd always needed.
Without waiting any longer, Stan turned each book to the proper page, arranging them in the right order. The schematics they revealed were complicated, but he hadn't spent the past several decades teaching himself all he needed to know for nothing. He followed the journals' instructions, punching in the right codes and pushing the right buttons until–
For the first time in 30 years, the machine sparked with life.
"It's working!" He jumped to his feet, running into the larger room. With as much force as he could muster, he pulled the lever standing before it, allowing even more energy to pass through. It wasn't ready quite yet–chances were, it wouldn't be for quite some time. But for now, Stan could only smile as he basked in its bright, momentous glow, knowing everything he'd ever worked for was finally about to pay off.
"Here we go."