Weirdness and Wendip (Book 1)

Riddle me this o Majestic Fish

Wendy's point of view. Chapter dedicated to Charlie, he's nice but a little odd.

The night was long, me and Dipper took turns walking alongside our Compleenee just to stay awake. But eventually the sun or should that be bubble rose in the pink coloured sky. We didn't talk much, just when we switched. I'm so embarrassed, I genuinely thought that was the end so only did what felt right. I didn't want it to be romantic or anything so I hope he didn't think I was... I dunno. Jesus, I really need to get my thoughts in order. I said no at the bunker, but that's not because I didn't love him but because I thought it would be better if we waited for a year or two. I just wanted to stay friends for now, but sometimes my composure slips and today it had slipped really badly. I mean first I called him cute and then secondly we hugged for what must have been an hour. 

Squish.

"Dammit!" So deep was I in thought that I'd walked straight into some kind of bog. Both my feet were stuck now. And what was that smell? Wow, that stinks. It was the smell of rotting fish. This was clearly where many of the flying fish's remains decompose.

"Dipper." I shouted. Dipper head stuck up from the hammock shaped hollow on the beast's back. With some considerable skill Dipper proceeded to guide the creature back towards the bog. The Compleenee's feet flattened until they were perhaps two feet in diameter when it walked over the soft, fishy ground. This spread its weight out sufficiently so that it did not sink into the mud. I gripped its scaly legs. With minimal effort the beast dragged me clear of the swamp and Dipper gave me a hand up.

"Dipper that was amazing dude. How did you do that?" I said whilst high-fiving him.

"Thanks Wendy, I knew they could spread their weight from when we first got on them and learnt a bit of animal control when Mabel used to go horse riding." Everyday he continued to surprise me. A crab stick fell out of my trouser leg, Dipper picked it up and nonchalantly nibbled it. "Yeah, she used to go a lot up until we turned..." He was sick over the side, I laughed. He was funny but boy did he have to work on playing it cool. He recovered quickly and threw the rest of the crab stick as far as he could. 

"You all right buddy, that old crab stick doesn't agree with you?" I asked nudging him.

"Yep." He wiped his hands on his shorts. A shadow fell over us and we turned around. The rookery. Tin mountains over a hundred metres tall towered above, it was incredible. True my mind had been blown many times today but this was insane. But it wasn't just the tins. It was the fish. Shoals of mackerel flew backwards through the air, their scales glistening in the early morning sun. Some larger trout and carp chased minnows through the vertical maze of metal. On the mountains themselves, crabs and bottom feeders feasted on baked beans and alphabetti spaghetti which leaked from cracked tins. They quickly scattered the moment larger predators appeared. Pieces of foodstuff floated lazily in the air until the mouth of a fish quickly picked it up. The tin reef was most definitely alive with life.

I stared as we walked through. Never talking but just taking in all the sights. A hermit crab using an empty tin as a shell, a puffer fish inflating when a barracuda tried to take a bite out of it, angler fish with a cocktail sausage where normally a light would be waiting patiently for a fish to take the bait.... I was dimly aware Dipper was talking.

".... fascinating, the animals gather round the opened tins much like the fish and shrimps of earth gather around deep sea hydrothermal vents to gather nutrients. This is such a complex ecosystem." I looked across at Ford. He too seemed to have gone into full on nerd mode. Bill crossed his arms and rolled his eye at Ford's enthusiasm. The Compleenee came to a stop and we got off. Ford spoke.

"So what now Bill?" Bill had walked up the nearest tin pile and moaned loudly. He did this for the next minute or so. "Whale song." Dipper and Ford whispered together quietly. After another minute the call was returned, not by a whale but by a huge manta ray which swooped down and swam vertically beside us. The ray spoke in a deep guttural voice.

"Bill Cipher. Can you not leave the rookery alone? First the census and now you bring others here." It sounded threatening but Bill did not appear at all concerned and placed his hands on his sides.

"Stephanie, pal. I've had my eye on you for a while and I must say I'm impressed. King of the reef very grand. But I have a proposition for you, a deal if you will. You take up me, Pine Tree, Red and Ford to the bubble and I'll get you whatever you'd like..." Ford interrupted him.

"Bill, there's no need for you to go any further. You've done all you can for us."

"No, no Fordsy. A deals a deal. I'm making sure you all get out of my, I mean this universe." The ray thought for a second.

"All the bread you can muster.... and a twenty per cent tax reduction provided you can answer my riddle."

"Done." Bill declared and the demon shook hand (or fins) with Stephanie. "But you know I can always do your riddles."

"True." Stephanie replied. "I think I won't bother with the riddle then."

The manta then folded itself so that a step was formed in the middle of its back. The four of us boarded and Stephanie proceed to float away. Backwards.