Dipper told the others that he'd be late for dinner, so Stan and Mabel sat together by the kitchen watching Soos flirt with Melody.
"I think he likes her." Mabel said as they watched the little hammer chatter away with the cook-stove.
"Oh, it's more than that." said Stan. "He comes down here every night to tell Mel about his day. Since she's one of the few who can't leave her room, he has to come to her. Even before the curse when she was just to busy to leave the kitchen, he'd find some way to make her feel included. That's not just love. That's devotion." He paused, "I can relate."
"Sure wish I could be devoted to someone like that. Most guys I meet are (sigh) somewhat lacking."
"Oh yeah, like who?"
Dipper came down to find them sitting around the counter, knee deep in conversation.
"Yeah, the Gleefuls have always been a bunch of crazies." Stan said.
Mabel looked down. "He wasn't always like that. We used to be good friends. He'd talk to us when no one else would, came to visit our house, he even bought me knitting supplies once. But then he got... creepy."
"Creepy how?"
"He started talking about doing things like kill his parents or burn down the church, and then say "Just kidding". But I don't think he was kidding. Then last Summer, He told us he was destined to be King of all the country, and asked if I wanted to be his queen. Things kind of unraveled after that. Oh, hey Dipper. How ya doing?"
"Ford taught me this cool math game." He opened the journal up to reveal a series of elaborate algorithms. Stan and Mabel looked at it, then each other, then gave him an indulgent smile. "Very nice Dipper, very nice."
He sat down with them, and pretty soon he was sharing his own issues with their home town.
"All my life, the only compliment I ever got from people there was that I'm "Cute". "Such a cute boy." "What an adorable sneeze." "That cap looks cute on you" Bleah!"
"Mmm. What a shame. People think you're nice to look at." Stan's voice was sarcastic.
"Well I'm not going to be cute forever! In a few years, I'll be an awkward blemished virgin and then what are people going to compliment? If I'm gonna be praised, I want it to be because of a real achievement. Not because of my looks."
"Fair enough."
Mabel glanced over at the passing clock. "Say Blendin, what day is it?"
"According to my timepiece, it is December 14, Tuesday, Fourteen hours and twenty-four minutes, Eight seconds."
"Oh my gosh!" Hanukkah is tomorrow!" I have to go knit presents!" She ran from the table.
Wendy beamed; "We used to have the best Holiday parties. And the best New Year's parties."
"Really?" Dipper looked between her and Stan. "Can we have one now? I mean tomorrow?"
"Ask the boss. He might be persuaded."
Dipper immediately focused his eyes on Stan. Stan sighed. The kid really was super cute.
He was persuaded, and so the kids spent the rest of the night and the next morning deciding what gifts to give everyone. Luckily, they had plenty of supplies for sewing and building. They also took some time to reorganize their bedroom (Pacifica insisted).
In a corner of their room was the satchel they had brought with them to the castle. Dipper looked through it and found the memory gun. He also found the broken music box pieces stashed in an old crate. Among the pieces was a small plate with the subscription TO MY BROTHER STANLY ON OUR BIRTHDAY. Ah. He thought to himself. Somehow that made sense. It even gave him an idea.
Meanwhile, Mabel took a break to get the memory gun and work the dial; OUR PARENTS. Then aimed it at her eye, "Mom, Dad, this is for you." and pulled the trigger. She felt a shockwave go through her head, like being caught in a tidal wave of hot water. Then she had a vision, clear as day, of being in a cradle with two smiling faces looking down at her. She could feel her brother, a baby like she was, laying right beside her. She could smell the soap used to clean their blankets. Best of all, she could hear her Mother singing a lullaby, while her father hummed and harmonized with her.
The vision was only thirty seconds, but it felt like an hour went by until it ended. When it did, she touched her cheeks, and felt hot tears running down her face. She sat like that for a while, in a light-headed stupor.
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The servants spent the whole day cleaning the ballroom. The chandeliers shone brightly onto the polished wood floor. The windows were so clean they looked like they were open. A long table had been placed in between the pillars, with a splendid kosher feast set out on it.
Stan sat in his tub, having the most luxuriant bath he'd had in years. "Can't believe I'm doing this. I just can't say no to those two."
"Well," said Soos, "They ARE trying to help break the curse. And to be fair they don't ask for that much."
"Yeah, yeah, they're great kids I get it." He dunked his head underwater to rinse. "And I'll be honest, it's been nice having them around. Almost makes this place feel alive again. I bet if I'd known folks like them sooner..." He stared at the door, behind which Ford sat waiting for him. "Yes?" asked Soos hopping closer.
"Ah, nevermind. Hand me my towel would'ya?" He got up and shook himself.
While he was dressing, Mabel came in to help him spruce up. He even let her braid parts of his mane.
"So," she raised her eyebrows, "Given any thought to potential love interests?"
He shrugged. "Well, there're some tree spirits we're pretty friendly with. And mermaids that swim upriver every Spring." She leaned close to his cheek and gave him a side-eye.
"Next time I see one, I'll ask her out." he sighed. Mabel did a fist pump. "Yes!"
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For the ball, Dipper put on a blue and gold embroidered tailcoat. He shifted in his polished boots as he waited for his sister to finish dressing. She came out wearing a sumptuous pink velvet dress with ruffled skirts a shooting star design. Her hair was topped with an elaborate filigree tiara and she wore kid-skin gloves. She pinned a tree-shaped brooch to his cravat. "Very handsome." she said.
Dipper blushed. I'm just glad all their old clothes fit me."
"Actually, the girls and I made this for you ourselves."
"Really?"
"Yep. Happy Hanukah!" she glomped her arms around him.
They met Stan waiting for them at the stairway. Wearing trousers and a maroon tailcoat that matched Dippers' he actually looked really good. He even had his little fish-clasp pinned to his lapel.
"Why do you like that so much anyway?" Dipper asked him.
"It's the symbol of a fishing village way off on the east coast. One of the trips Ford and I thought about was to buy a boat and go sailing from there."
"Nifty." they said together.
The white instruments started playing, and everyone started dancing. They did the polka and the ha-cha and sang off-key to several old songs. Then they sat down to eat.
Partway through the meal, Mabel announced that it was time for presents, then she and Dipper handed out packages they'd brought with them. Wendy got a covering for her blade, Soos got a handle snuggie, Ford got a fancy dust jacket. Candy, Grenda, and Paz all got matching beaded necklaces, and Stan was handed a box by Dipper. It was the newly repaired music box. He looked up at Dipper who smiled bashfully. "Ford showed me the original blueprint he used to design it." he explained, "It's not completely fixed, but it should still play music."
Stan turned the key on top, and sure enough, the music came out slow and hurky-jerky, but they could still recognize it as the folk dance that was as old as their town.
"Sorry it's not-"
"EH, it's great. You know what? Makes me wanna dance s'more. Come on."
They all continued dancing, trading partners with each song. Dipper dance with Wendy in his arms while Mabel spun around on Pacifica. Then, Dipper danced with Pacifica while Mabel waltzed with Soos. Then, Stan swung Mabel around while Dipper sang a love balled Ford showed him. It was like something out of a dream: Two happy children surrounded by twirling furniture. At one point, Dipper and Mabel took each other's hands and spun around and around, creating a bigger and bigger circle. Stan and Ford watched them, as did everyone else. The twins had never felt so utterly surrounded by happiness. No wonder they couldn't make friends back home. Everyone worth being friends with was right here!
Later, while they had some dessert, the kids showed Stan the memory gun. "Want ta try it?" Dipper offered. Stan picked it up delicately. He typed in NEW YEAR'S PARTY and aimed it at his eyeball. "You might want to stand away from me in case I fall over." And pulled.
On the far wall was shown a beautiful scene full of a hundred happy people. They saw through Stan's eyes a smiling man adjusting his spectacles. "That's our Ford."
It was a good idea to have this before we leave again. He spoke with such a nice voice. The view panned over to a red-haired girl chatting with a heavyset boy by a pillar: Dude, now's your chance to ask out Mel.
"Is that you?" Dipper looked at Wendy. "Wow, you're so pretty!"
"And you're so tall!" Mabel said to Soos.
Then the vision showed what must've been a human Tambry, wearing a black and purple dress, standing amongst a crowd of boys.
So, do you want to, like, kiss at midnight or something? asked a black-haired boy next to her that Wendy pointed out as Robbie.
Sure, unless your 'something' is a lot better. she told him coyly.
Then the view turned to someone the kids recognized instantly. Young Uncle Fiddle, sharing a drink with his wife. "That man..." Dipper whispered.
"Yep. Old Fiddleford McGucket. Our head engineer. Ford was always inviting him over to chat about whatever science thing he was into."
"But that's him! That's Uncle Fiddle! He's the one who came here!"
"What? Seriously?" Stan closed his eye, ending the scene. The kids rushed to Ford and tapped the hand. "Show us Fiddleford McGucket." They asked in unison.
"There he is!" The hand showed a wagon overturned in a blizzard.
"Oh my Gosh! Something's wrong! He's in trouble!"
"I know that path! It's near the South-East end of our town!"
"Guess you'd better go after him."
The twins paused in their panic to look at Stan. "Huh?"
He continued: "I haven't been near that town in years, and I'd probably cause a scene if I came too close. You two are the only ones who can help the old fella."
"So..." Dipper said slowly, "You're just trusting us to leave? And come back."
"Eh, you don't hafta' come back. Your debt's more than paid off."
"REALLY?" squealed Mabel.
"Yeah. You're released from my service and all that."
She flung herself forward and hugged him. So did Dipper. He held them for a second before pushing them off. "You'd better go now, before the winds around here pick up."
"Okay! Come on Sis! We'll need supplies." They scurried off holding hands.
Soos jumped up and down in his own panic.
"OH but Sir! You can't just let them go out alone by themselves!"
"You can go with them if you want Soos." Stan said as he caught in mid-air.
"Really?" the little hammer stared up at him with wide eyes."
"Go on." Stan lowered him to the floor, and the little green hammer hopped away.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Everyone gathered around the front window to watch them leave. Wendy looked at Stan with an approving smile. "That was a pretty solid thing you did Boss." Stan stroked Fords' pages. "Well it's like the poets say; 'When you love something, set it free.' I just wish I could do the same fer all of you."
Wendy was taken aback by this casual statement. "Love huh?"
Yes.
said Ford,
I love them too.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Just before they left the gate, Dipper turned back and called out. "We'll come back as soon as we can! I meant it when I said we'd help you break the curse!"
Soos popped his head out of their satchel. "Aww! You're sweet!"
"SOOS! What are you doing in there?"
"I'm your chaperone for when you come back."
"Don't they need you at the castle?"
"Oh, they'll be fine until I get back. I've got a new mission now; protecting you kids."
None of them knew how much they would actually need protection as they rode on through the woods.