Gravity Rises (S2)

OCE: Part Eleven

As the Pines walked down the street toward the Mystery Museum, Mabel couldn't help but think of the last time she'd made this trip.

She shivered in the cold night air and clung more tightly to Ford's trenchcoat. That was okay, though. Of all the things she'd been reminded of tonight, this was definitely the best one. And this time, not only was she safe, but Ford had gotten his final Journal.

His final Journal. . . but also the first Journal.

"Hey, Grunkle Ford," Mabel said, leaning her cheek against the back of his head, "I just realized something."

Ford hitched her up higher on his back. "What's that, Mabel?"

"We found the Journals. . . we found them in reverse order. I found the third one, Gideon had the second, and the Order had the first. Three, two, one. Like a countdown."

"Hey, you're right!" Dipper said. "That's gotta mean something, right?"

Mabel couldn't see Ford's face, but she imagined a smile splitting his wrinkled cheeks. "That's true, Mabel. I'm not one to believe in fate, but that feels like a good omen to me."

"Yeah," Mabel said sleepily. "Next is turning the portal back on and saving Stanley. Zero."

They walked up the porch steps, and Ford let Mabel off his back. "You look pretty tired, Mabel," he said. "Maybe it's hypocritical of me to say this, but don't you think you should get some sleep?"

Yeah, it was hypocritical to say that! Mabel stared at him incredulously. "No way!" she said. "And miss turning the portal back on?!"

Ford grinned. "I thought you'd say that. Though we're not just turning it back on and rescuing Stanley tonight. We still have a long way to—"

The door opened.

"Melody!" Dipper exclaimed, and he barreled into the housekeeper. "We're back!"

Melody laughed and swung him around. "I thought I heard voices! You have no idea how anxious I was waiting for you three." She paused and gave a wry smile. "Well, I guess you do have an idea."

"An inkling," Ford said. He stepped into the house, and Mabel followed. "Dipper, would you go grab the other two Journals? They're in the lab." He took his stun gun out of his holster and held it out. "You may as well take the stun guns, too. Although. . . I think I'll keep these." He slipped the brass knuckles into a pocket.

"Okay!" Dipper raced off down the hall.

"You're going down now?" asked Melody.

Ford gave her a flat stare. "Yes, and before you remind me what time it is, I'm perfectly aware."

How? Mabel hadn't seen a watch on him. She didn't know what time it was, though her body was telling her that it was late. Ford must just be exaggerating.

Melody raised her hands in surrender. "I wasn't going to stop you, no way. The kids look like they're running on fumes, but I'm guessing they wouldn't willingly go to bed, either."

"Nope," said Mabel, "we're staying up. We gotta see this."

"Agreed, which is why I'm not insisting everybody go to bed right away." She raised her eyebrows. "Though I technically have the legal authority to."

"Thank you for reminding me, I had forgotten." Ford rolled his eyes.

Thundering footsteps in the hall announced Dipper's return. "Got 'em!" he said. "Let's go!"

Mabel's heart fluttered as she saw the three maroon-bound books, two in Dipper's arms and one in Ford's. This was it. This was really happening.

The four of them made their way out to the gift shop. It was dark, save for the soft fluorescent light coming from the vending machine. Ford stepped up to it, reached his hand out to type in the code, and paused. "You all should probably know the code too, just in case." And he typed it out slowly so they all could see.

"How'd you remember it, Grunkle Ford?" Dipper asked as they started down the stairs.

"It's in the third Journal."

Mabel's eyes widened. "It is?"

"Yes," Ford said. "I tucked it out of the way, with no context, so it would just look like random gibberish to anyone else. But when I saw it. . . well, that was when I remembered that there was something behind the vending machine."

"Awesome," Dipper breathed.

They reached the elevator, and Melody hesitated just outside it. "Are you sure that thing is safe?" she asked. "It looks like could collapse on just one person, much less four."

Ford frowned. "It has been sitting here for thirty years. It held the twins and me just fine, but if it would make you feel better, we'll split up and take two trips."

"That would make me feel better," Melody said.

So Mabel and Ford went first, with Dipper and Melody to follow. Dipper handed off the second and third Journals to his sister with a wide smile. That smile helped chase off the threads of Mabel's weariness.

The elevator was just as dark as Mabel remembered it. "Y'know," she said, "if we're gonna be using this a lot, we should probably get a light in here."

"Not a bad idea," said Ford.

The elevator came to a stop and slid open. The room outside the elevator was just as dark, but Mabel could hear Ford's hand moving against the wall, and lights came on a moment later.

Last time she had been down here, Mabel hadn't been able to make anything out. Now, she could see the bulky machines that lined the walls and the control station a few yards away from the elevator. Ford headed for the station, setting the first Journal down on the desk, and looked through the glass at the hulking triangle of metal that lay beyond. "Mabel," he said, his eyes not leaving the portal, "my other Journals, please."

She handed them to him, and he placed all three Journals next to each other. Three, two, one.

Mabel glanced up at Ford's face. There were no tears in his eyes, just a satisfied determination. He opened the Journals one at a time, flipped to the page with the portal blueprints, and arranged them so that they formed a picture of an upside-down triangle, mirroring the shape of the portal.

Behind them, the elevator doors opened again, bringing Dipper and Melody into the room. Dipper came running over. "Are those the blueprints?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes," Ford said. "Yes, I remember now." Sitting at the chair next to the control station, Ford started flipping switches and pressing buttons. He glanced at the Journals for reference every few seconds.

Mabel stifled a yawn as she watched her great uncle work. Melody caught the gesture and raised her eyebrows at Mabel, but didn't say anything.

Dipper gasped. "Mabes, look!"

She followed his pointing finger to the portal. It was lighting up! The lights surrounding the perimeter flickered on one by one until the triangle, the circle in the center, and the four surrounding circles were all illuminated.

Ford stood up so fast that he knocked his chair over. "It's working!" And he rushed for the door that led to the portal.

Mabel scrambled after him, with Dipper on her heels and Melody following behind. Ford made his way across the room to a big lever just in front of the portal. It looked way too heavy for Mabel to pull, but Ford put his hands on it confidently.

He looked back, a smile creasing his face.

"Here we go," he said to his companions. And, surrounded by the blue lights of the portal, Ford pulled the switch.

"Zero."

The portal hummed to life. 

END OF EPISODE FIVE