Gravity Falls: The return of Bill Cipher

-CHAPTER NINETEEN- The truth

Everyone gathered in Ford's laboratory.

'Sorry for taking so long to get here, Ford,' Candy said.

'No problem.'

'So, what's the good news Gruncle Ford?' I asked.

'First, I want to tell you guys the whole truth.'

'What truth, Gruncle Ford?' Mabel asked.

Ford looked at Stan.

'It's time, Sixer,' Stan said. Ford nodded.

'I have to tell you what really happened on our journey to the Arctic Ocean,' Ford said.

Everyone listened carefully.

'It all began three years ago, after Weirdmageddon when Stan and I decided to investigate the weirdness in the Arctic Ocean. We began our journey in a town called Prudhoe Bay in the North Slope Borough of Alaska. For the first few months we fought krakens but on Christmas Eve 2012 everything changed, and our world was turned upside down. Ah Christmas Eve! Stan, do you realise this is the first time in years that we have all spent Christmas together?'

'Oh yeah, I just realised that. Let's go to a bar tonight. It's on me,' Stan said.

'You know that I can't hold my liquor.'

'Come on! What's the worst that could happen?'

'Ok, Stan the bar it is then.'

'Gruncle Ford, can we get back on track?' I asked, irritated that they were walking down memory lane when so much was at stake.

'Right, remember the story that I told you about back in the woods,' Ford said.

'Was it the time you guys got drunk and almost kissed a seal?' I asked.

Stan looked at Ford.

'We promised each other never to tell anyone about this, Sixer.'

'Sorry Stan, I was stuck. Mabel would have nagged me to death if I didn't tell them. You know how she is.' Ford winked at Mabel, softening the blow.

'Good point there,' Stan said.

'Anyway, I withheld some of the events that occurred at the same bar. We ordered drinks and the bartender said something remarkably interesting. He asked whether we had heard the stories about weird creatures that turned people into stone. Of course, we were both confused at this point. We said we hadn't and he surmised that we had to be new in town, which we were. We told him that we had arrived a few months ago from Ohio,' Ford continued.

'I asked him to tell us one of these stories. He said he'd heard of a group of hikers in their early 20's that had been heading to the mountains, nineteen kilometres northwest of the town. One of the hikers had apparently witnessed his friend being turned into stone by an eyeball with dragon like wings. The rest of them hightailed it into town,' Stan interrupted.

'I asked the bartender whether he believed the stories were true. He said that a lot of weird things had been happening since the end of August. Folktales and myths have been reported for centuries in towns like these, but he insisted that they had increased dramatically.' Ford said.

'Then I said, let's drink till we are broke.' Stan laughed.

'Yes, after that we got piss drunk and when we were done drinking, we got the bill. $85 which Stan had to pay of course. We left the bar and saw what we thought were two beautiful women flirting with us.'

'I yelled at them; oh yeah beautiful come to papa,' Stan said remembering the entire sordid affair.

'We tried to kiss them, until Stan sobered up enough to realise that they were seals. A police officer was walking his beat, saw us and threw us into jail for the night. In that particular town it's illegal to attempt kissing a seal. Stan always asks what the worst thing is that could happen, and it does. I promised never to say anything about it.'