Time Flop

Chapter 18

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" Dipper screamed. Mabel jumped back in surprise. Dipper had been unconscious for two days, hardly breathing, and not eating at all.

"Dipper it's ok!" Mabel yelled, holding him by his arms as Soos secured his flailing legs. Pacifica rushed in from the kitchen.

"He's awake!" Pacifica beamed. Mabel shot a dirty glance her way.

"Yes, obviously! Get me some food for him or shut up, Barbie Doll!" She snapped. Pacifica stepped back, then spun on her high-heels and dashed into the kitchen once more. Dipper felt his muscles spasm uncontrollably.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD, PLEASE! GET OUT!" He pleaded. Mabel's brow began to sweat.

"Soos, kneel on his thighs and hold down his arms!" She commanded. Soos took his time, claiming it was awkward to be holding down someone who was supposed to be dead. Mabel took off her headband...

... And touched her jewel to Dipper's. Both the twins fell unconscious immediately just as Pacifica returned with a tray of deer jerky.

"I got some of the deer meat Mab-OMIGOSH WHAT HAPPENED?!" She screamed. Soos got off of Dipper.

"I don't know! They both just dropped!" He replied. Pacifica dropped the tray of food to the floor: right next to Gideon's stirring corpse...

"Are they breathing?" Pacifica asked, checking Dipper's pulse. Gideon moved his right index finger.

"I-I can't feel a pulse!" Pacifica screamed. Soos began to push on Dipper's chest, performing CPR. Gideon's tired eyes began to open.

"Come on, Dipper! Don't make me lose you again!" Soos yelled. Pacifica sat against the wall, a hand over her mouth. Tears ran down her face as Gideon moaned and moved his legs. Slight pigment began to return to his skin.

"DONT MAKE ME LOSE YOU DIPPER! DONT YOU DARE!" Soos screamed.

"Ooooo..." Gideon moaned, standing up. He wore a pair of Dipper's clothes, but in a larger size that barely covered his oversized belly. Pacifica's eyes caught movement in the corner of her eye. She whirled her head around to see Gideon stand, his hand on the wall for support.

"OAKES!" Gideon screamed.

Pacifica fainted. Soos collapsed onto Dipper's body, feeling defeated.

"GET UP, PEASANT!" Gideon commanded as he brushed off the top layer of dead skin, and what dust remained. "I HAVE A FEW TWINS TO RETRIEVE."

~<>~

Mabel's eyes opened to see the Mindscape around her. She saw the swirling purple and black void, the floating clay-debris, and the remains of castles and houses. In the center of it all, she saw her brother in the fetal position. She went to activate her jewel, but felt it's absence.

Right...magical items don't transmit through to the Mindscape... She thought. She extended her arms and angled her body towards Dipper's. Her body began to float towards him.

"Dipper, it's me! It's Mabel!" She screamed. Dipper looked up at her. His Pine Tree hat was floating off of his head, and he made no effort to keep it on. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Please make the voices stop! They won't stop screaming!" He yelled. Mabel felt her chest contort at the sight of her brother like this... It reminded her of a similar experience from years before...

"Please don't let it take me, Mabel... Please don't let him win!" The words echoed in her head.

"Whose voices, Dipper?" She asked, arriving next to him. A bit of debris came up underneath them and acted like a floor beneath them. Mabel kneeled down to Dipper's level.

"It's him, Mabel! The Overlord! He's hurting her! He's hurting Wendy! I'm going to kill him! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM, MABEL!" He screamed. The ground beneath them cracked, and smaller bits began to drift off. A large, clay pillar a few yards away exploded into clay dust. Mabel grabbed both his shoulders.

"I know, Dipper, I know..." She reassured. Dipper looked up into her eyes. "I understand, but you need to calm down... Your Mindscape is tearing itself apart, Dipper! What is happening here?" Dipper shook his head.

"I don't know! I...I don't remember! I..." He stopped short, his eyes widening.

"I don't remember, Mabel...I don't remember!" Mabel shook her head.

"That doesn't matter for now... Just... You know what? You want to kill him?" She asked. Dipper's tears returned, but his face hardened into one of pure hate.

"Then let's kill him, Dipper. Let's kill The Overlord."

~<>~

"Freakin' Oakes..." Gideon cursed, positioning the twins' bodies exactly how they were in the Mindscape. Pacifica continued to stare at the third eye in Gideon's forehead. He noticed her gaze, and turned to her.

"You need somethin'?" He asked in his think southern accent. Pacifica shook her head.

"N-no, it's just...your eye... And, how are you alive?!" She asked. Gideon scoffed as he downed yet another stick of Mabel's deer jerky. She had gone hunting the day before.

"Formalities aren't needed, sweet cheeks. Basically, mah past is mah past. As fer the eye? It's mah Mind's Eye. Let's me see into the Oakes' minds at will. But, it only works when both their freakin' jewels are offline. They never forgave me after Ah let 'em go. Freakin' inanimate objects holdin' grudges. Go figure." He scoffed. Pacifica nodded, trying to process the information. Soos had fainted not long after Gideon's awakening, and was laying on the old couch. It had been an hour since Dipper's last episode, and he was now beginning to stir again. Gideon yawned.

"Ah can keep in touch with 'em when they're unconscious, but ONLY when they're unconscious, ya hear? So keep mah body wit' ya!" Gideon said, as all three of his eyes began to close. A single tear ran down Dipper's cheek.

Gideon collapsed to the floor as both the twins gasped for air. Soos stirred in his sleep.

"You're awake! I was so scared!" Pacifica said. Mabel rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Dipper? You ok?" She asked, turning to her brother. His gaze was still hard.

"Never better. Let's go find Wendy."