The Academy

UPDATED VERSION: Discovery

Dipper watched as his sister jumped around the well-lit, pyramid shaped room. It had been a few hours since their meeting with the council, and Mabel was already exploring more of the school.

"Hey guys, meet my roommate Akila." Cleopatra walked through the metal door, followed by another girl. The second girl had bright red hair, part of which was tied up in a high bun.

"H-hey, Akila. I'm Dipper, Dipper Pines. This is my sister Mabel." Dipper pointed in the direction of his overexcited sibling, who was glowing in her bright orange sweater.

"Oh, and this is--" Cleopatra was cut off by a loud screech, similar in pitch to that of a banshee.

"Kitty!!!" A bright pink blur flew to Cleo's feet, where a small tan cat with black-tipped ears and a golden sweater sat.

Disgruntled, the cat tried to pull away, but Mabel pulled him back, stroking his tail. "Awww... You're so cute! What's your name?"

Cleo snickered, while Akila turned a nervous shade of pink. "Um, I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

The cat finally succeeded in pulling away from Mabel's grasp, smoothing its sweater back down with its paws. "Well, since Cleopatra was cut off, I'll finish introducing myself. I am Khensu, the resident historian of the academy."

Mabel stared wide-eyed at Khensu. "You can talk?"

Dipper groaned. "We just met with a council of talking cats, and you ask if the cat can talk? Seriously Mabel, think about it."

"Well, we'd best finish up the tour I started for you guys earlier," said Cleo. "Come on, I need to get my friend Brian to meet you!"

Akila and Cleo pushed a button and opened the door, motioning for Mabel and Dipper to follow them. The twins sprung to their feet, eager to explore.

A grand corridor opened up, connecting all of the student living quarters together. As their little group passed, Dipper couldn't help but notice how Cleopatra gained stares from her fellow classmates. It must be part of that whole 'similar situation' Kephra mentioned earlier...

Akila stopped in front of him and he bumped into her, not noticing she was there. Muttering an apology, Dipper sidestepped Akila and stood next to his sister, watching as the door of another room opened.

Inside, it was dark and dusty, with mechanical equipment scattered everywhere. Flashes of light came from the back of the room. Pipes hung from the ceiling, and strange objects cluttered the shelves.

"Hey Brian, meet Dipper and Mabel Pines. They came here from Earth too, except, it was more of an accident..." Cleo trailed off as the two siblings stepped forwards.

"Hi! I'm Mabel. It's nice to meet you!"

As he walked forwards, Dipper was careful not to touch anything. "I'm Dipper. So, are you some sort of inventor-- Wait, what's that?"

Brian stood up, ruffling his short brown hair. "What, this old thing? It's just a tape measure." He held up a small black and yellow box. "I found it here this morning. It's got some lettering..."

"That's ours!" yelled Dipper, snatching the time travel box away from Brian. "This thing brought us here, and it's our only ticket back."

Brian stared at Dipper, then shrugged. "I guess, since it's yours, do whatever you want to."

Mabel placed her hand on her twin's shoulder. "Ready?" She cast a sad glance at Cleo and Akila as Dipper pulled out a length of gray tape.

"Well, here we go." Dipper released the tape and screwed his eyes shut, preparing for the bright light that would send them home again. Blinking them open once more, he was shocked to see Cleo and her friends still standing there.

"What?? What's wrong with the machine?" Dipper held it out in his palm. A wisp of smoke rose from the box, curling into the air.

"Looks like it's broken," muttered Brian. Taking the box, he stared at it. "I can probably fix it, but it will take a few days."

Dipper moaned. "I guess we'll have to stay here for a few days, then..."

"Yes!! I'll finally be able to pet all of the kitties!" Glancing at his sister, who was punching the air in excitement, Dipper couldn't help but smile. As Akila and Cleo began to laugh, he joined in. Mabel always managed to make a situation better.

I AM PLANNING ON CONTINUING THIS STORY