Back To Gravity Falls: Beware the Beast (Multiverse Crossover)

End of the Line

The somber crew of motley characters looming around the warmth of the fireplace ranged from a small boy-- clinging to a stuffed elephant and muttering quietly to himself-- to the eldest of the group (technically Mabel by a few minutes) who was untangling strands of her hair. Gideon sat on the floor beside Greg, expression unreadable and conflicted. Norman and Dipper sat shoulder-to-shoulder, holding hands while Dipper was still trying to wind down from his emotional episode.

"Where do you go when you die?" Greg asked the room, not looking away from the fire.

"It depends on what you believe, I guess," Gideon answered and lay flat on his back to stare at the shadows of fire grates dancing on the ceiling. "Some believe in fire and brimstone, like Hell or something like Heaven, others see it in the more Grecian sort of way as we all go to one place somewhere, then some believe in nothing."

"I don't think I want there to be nothing," Greg muttered to himself.

"Me either, kiddo," Norman chimed in, "Me either. All I can say is, from my experience, those that stick around can still be pretty happy-- even if they don't ever leave."

"Can you come back as whatever you want?" Greg asked Norman, looking over the grey ears of the stuffed animal. "I think I would want to be an elephant."

"Not so far as I've seen, but who knows." Norman answered, "You may meet a spirit, but that means you only met one-- they've all got different experiences."

"Is there anything we can do?" Gideon asked the room, looking around, tired of beating around the bush. "Surely, there's something?"

"QUETZ!" Greg suddenly screamed from the top of his lungs, nearly bursting the eardrums of those sitting around him. 

"What are you doing?!" Norman hissed, cupping his ear.

"When the going gets tough--" Greg answered with a confident, toothy smile.

"I don't think you understand that phrase--" Gideon started to say, unable to hide the hint of amusement dancing in his features.

"You're right," Mabel huffed, "This is his mess too. He can help. QUETZ GET YOUR FEATHERY A--!"

A soft knock on the window caused them all to flinch in surprise, some (namely Gideon) with a screech.

"I would think it prudent, young lady, to refrain from finishing that sentence," Quetzalcoatl harrumphed, staring in the window. His voice was muffled by the glass, "For what reason have you summoned me, children?"

"So screaming at the sky does work," Mabel rolled her eyes, speaking more to herself than the others. She stepped forward and opened the window for the feathery serpent to slither in through the window. She closed it behind as Quetzalcoatl perked its head to eye level with the group.

"So, what would it take to be your puppet?" Greg asked.

Norman nearly choked trying to process what Greg had just said. All eyes shot to the youngest among them, his expression clear and unfaltering.

The plumed god seemed to stretch his neck, biding time, fighting the urge to be demeaning to the mortal child when he met his gaze. He was sitting within inches from his face, "If you mean vessel, boy, I merely need a fresh wound which weeps as a sign of your allegiance."

Dipper cleared his throat loudly to interrupt, confused. "We didn't have to do all that for Wybie and Tez, though." 

A silence and shuffling of feet to step back from Greg were met by the feathered god's look of half-amused interest.

"Well. Actually," Norman pulled his mouth to the side in thought, crossing his arms, "Remember how we found Wybie? His leg was dragged by Xolotl's beast form and had to have cut his leg at least some, that was likely his blood sacrifice, whether he overtly asked for help or not. "