Gravity Falls: How to Burn a Pine Tree

Part 24: Ford

Unfortunately, I was forced Ford everything once more to Gideon, to 'enlighten him' we set our plan into action.

Gideon had explained that in Bill's throne room, he had his well...throne, but it wasn't a normal throne. The townsfolk who got turned to stone by Bill's demon friends, got taken back to Bill's Fearamid, to be added to his 'throne of agony'. It made me cringe at the thought.

I told everyone--fortunately--that we didn't have to set the townsfolk free just yet, because it could put the townsfolk in harm's way and could be a distraction. "Alright, everyone, we've got time but we've got to move fast," I began as I glanced over my shoulder out the window of the Fearamid to still see Bill being distracted by the Shacktron.

"Ford, stop telling everyone that we have time, but not much of it! We know that! And by you repeating it, we're just wasting it! So just get on with it!" Stan snapped, causing me to flinch at his sudden harshness.

I swallowed hardly, trying to push my anger aside and focus on the more important matter at hand. "Right, of course." I managed to say through gritted teeth. I then cleared my throat and asked, "Does anyone have a can of spray paint on them?"

He looked around the group, his eyes landing on everyone. Wendy looked pointedly at Robbie, who kept his gaze down and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Finally, Robbie exclaimed, "Alright! Fine! Here!" He reached his hand into his back jean pocket, pulled out a can of dark blue spray paint and put it into Ford's hands.

I smiled in appreciation. "Thanks."

Robbie crossed his arms and grumbled, "Whatever."

Everyone watched me open up the bottle, shake it and begin to spray it onto the ground. "Everyone back up!" I ordered and we all quickly scrambled about to oblige. "What the heck are you making? I think you've finally lost it, Ford. I mean, drawing on Bill's floor with spray paint? Stan scoffed. Once again, I shook of Stan's comment and kept spraying the paint onto the floor.

Dipper suddenly gasped and I saw Mabel glanced over at him with confusion. "What is it bro-bro?" She asked with a titled head. "You're drawing the Cipher Wheel! Of course! Now it's starting to piece together!" He exclaimed, smacking himself in the forehead, causing me to smile in approval. He would make a great apprentice.

"Wha..? What are you talking about Dipper?" Mabel remarked.

"Mabel, Ford's drawing out the base of the Cipher Wheel. You know, the one that we're a part of? Then we all have to stand where our symbol stands. And if I'm thinking correctly, once we're all together, the Zodiacs unite and use some ancient power thing to destroy Bill for good!" He exclaimed, with a smile and a spark of excitement in his eyes.

"I guess that makes sense..." Mabel pondered it for a second, then shook her head. "Actually, no it doesn't. But I'm just going to pretend that it does anyways." She beamed with a smile.

"Alright, done. Everyone, find your symbol and stand on it. Dipper, to the Pine Tree. Mabel, to the Shooting Star. Robbie to the Stitch Heart. Gideon to the-" "Star with the eye. I know, I know." Gideon brushed Ford off and made his way over to his spot, which unfortunately just so happened to be right next to me. "Soos, to the Question Mark. Pacifica to the Llama. McGucket to the Glasses. Wendy to the Ice Bag, myself to the Six-Fingered Hand and Stan to the symbol that matches the one on your fez." I concluded.

Stan crossed his arms and trudged over to his spot.

"Now everyone, hold hands and whatever you do, don't let go until I say so." I instructed.
I saw Mabel cringed as Gideon smirked and held her hand. "Stan, are you going to hold my hand, of what?" I attempted to joke with a small smile but Stan didn't seem to find it funny. Instead, he just glared at me with a burning passion. "I'm not doing it." He stated bluntly.

"Stan, come on. The fate of the entire cosmos and multi-universes depend on us defeating Bill. Why can't you just hold my hand?" I remarked angrily. "Why can't you, just say, 'Thank you'?" Stan spat back, with much more anger than I had. I blinked. "Stan-" "No! Don't 'Stan' me! I already risked the entire galactic cosmos and multi-universes for you to be standing here, right now! All I get in return is a punch to the face! At the very least, I deserve a 'thank you'!" Stan fumed.

"What's going on?" Pacifica whispered.

Dipper sighed. "Stan and Ford haven't been getting along well at all. Not even since Ford came out of the portal. They both have..." He paused, looking for the right word to say. "Different opinions to put it bluntly, I suppose." Pacifica frowned, but didn't press for more. "Uh, Mr. Pines?" Soos asked as he glanced out the window to see Bill starting to give up on fighting the Shacktron.

"Yes, Soos?" Stan and I answered back in sync. Stan's voice was laced in annoyance and Ford was more, not annoyed. "We might want to hurry this up. I don't think the Shacktron is going to keep Bill distracted for much longer." Soos noted.

I looked out the window and exhaled deeply, in frustration. Then I glanced at Stan. His gaze softened and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Stan...look, I know we've had our differences in the past and-I..." I hesitated, not knowing how to put, what I wanted to say. "I...I'm sorry." I began, earning surprised looks from everyone. Even Stan seemed startled by my apology, but quickly re-composed himself to act as if it didn't affect him the slightest bit.

"You're right." I swallowed hardly, and forced myself to stare into Stan's eyes even though I didn't want to. I didn't feel like I had the guts to. But this was the only way that he'd know, that I truly meant every word of what I was saying.

"After deep thought, I've realized that you've only done, what you've done because you didn't want me to leave you. You weren't ready to let go and as much as I thought I was, truth be told, I wasn't. I'm sorry I didn't realize how grateful I should be, beforehand. How despite my warnings, you risked everything just to get me back. If you hadn't been working all those years to start my portal up again, you're right, I would still be stuck between dimensions. I have been so blind, Stanley, from the day everything changed. When you got tossed out of the house after accidentally breaking my invention. Everything you do, is usually meant for good intentions, but you just tend to go about them the wrong way. I never saw that before, but now I do."

I exhaled deeply, before continuing.

"Before, I was too wrapped up in myself, in my dreams and what I wanted to accomplish that I never stopped for one second to see how you were feeling. I wasn't the only one who was practically an outcast. We both were treated like yesterday's trash, but I was so insecure and emotionally unstable that I thought I was the only one going through it, and I'm sorry. I wish I had saw it before Stanley, I truly do. And-And I wish I could turn back the clock and make a better start with you, but I can't. At the very least though, I can start by saying, thank you, for everything you've done for me, even if I had been to wrapped up in myself to see it."

I finished, and let out a shaky breath.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for whatever Stan's response was going to be. Then suddenly I felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around me, I let out the breath of air that I didn't know I had been holding. "You're welcome Ford, and thank you." I heard Stan murmur and I quickly hugged him back, squeezing him just as tight. "Darn it, I wish I had my camera because this would be a perfect scrap booking moment..." I heard Mabel pout, making me smile.

Stan and I pulled a part from the hug and for the first time in years, I felt like my old self again. I felt whole. I smiled at Stan and held my hand out for him to take. He smiled back and took my hand in his. Everyone else saw this held hands again. "Remember now, no one let go, until I say so, or it won't work." I warned everyone, eyeing them all sternly.

Everyone nodded or gave some sort of signal that they understood, and the process began.