PART 1:
The sun is just coming out and Wendy is the only one awake, watching the woods from the porch as Soos and Mabel sleep nearby. With Stan having hidden himself underground, it had been up to the three of them to look for Dipper most of the night. They hadn't found anything, and since exploring the woods at night is a bad idea, the ones who could sleep did what they could while Wendy stood guard.
Mabel wakes up and sits next to Wendy on the steps. Wendy admits that she feels bad about being too caught up in her own pain to let Dipper get his out, but Mabel tells her not to worry about her getting mad at him. Dipper admits that he had it coming, walking out of the woods as the girls scream and wake up Soos.
Mabel slaps Dipper for being gone for so long, but Dipper says he lost track of time being kicked around. He and Wendy turn to each other and apologize for the fight, hugging longer than necessary. As they are about to kiss, Soos rushes in and hugs Dipper, killing the moment.
Wendy notices that Dipper's arms and hands are completely fixed. Dipper explains that he ran into the Guardsman and got thrown around pretty badly, but it fixed his arms. He tells them about the Guardsman creating the Paths and what he said about the power of all the elements combined. Mabel realizes that this means they might be able to fix Yuki as Dipper asks where Stan is. Mabel mentions Stan acting stupid but the sounds of a car coming down the driveway prevents her from explaining what Dipper missed.
Phone to his ear, Zander steps out of the car and tells whoever is on the other end to get it all empty quickly. Telling whoever-it-is to be careful with the safe in the room he left open, he hangs up and acknowledges the group, looking stressed. He asks if Pacifica is there, saying that he's here to pick her up. Dipper and Wendy mention him acting weird, and he gestures to where Magenta is circling the Manor far above them.
Mabel says she thought Magenta was cool with him, Zander saying apparently not before mentioning Pacifica again. Mabel tries to assure the other three that there's a good reason he's acting weird, but he cuts her off and says he's in a rush. Magenta drops to the ground behind him, Zander telling the dragon he's on it before saying he's there to take Pacifica home. He says that the Northwests believe he kidnapped Pacifica, so between that and something else, he needs to get her back immediately.
The five walk into the Manor just as Stan comes up from the basement. Noting Zander's weird behavior when he asks where Pacifica is, he turns to the four at the back. Dipper tells Stan Zander isn't telling them everything, but Mabel still insists Zander is cool and everyone is being paranoid. Stan directs Zander to Yuki's room, telling a shocked Wendy and Dipper that the girl isn't high on his priority list.
They follow Zander as he opens the door to Yuki's room, stopping short at the sight of Yuki wrapped up. He tells Pacifica that she needs to come home, but she flat out refuses to leave Yuki's side, telling Zander to tell Magenta and her parents that she's fine and they know where to find her. Dipper moves between Zander and Pacifica and tells him to go, but he angrily refuses, scaring the twins as he grabs Pacifica and starts trying to take her out by force.
Pushing his way past everyone to get outside, Mabel is able to get Pacifica away from him just before they get in his car. Pacifica starts crying as Dipper demands answers from Zander. He tells them that he's leaving Gravity Falls, saying that he came to find things about how people are close to the earth fable-wise, not things like gender-changing crystals or Wendy being a wraith. As Dipper processes Zander's effortless show of wraith-knowledge, he also says that he's sick of interrogations, gesturing to the motel rooms.
Everyone stares at Arline with different looks as she just glances around, confused. Soos tells her about Zander taking Pacifica and his acting weird, Arline marching over to him and reminding him that she told him to stay away from the kids. Zander says he's not there for them, he and Magenta refusing to leave without Pacifica. Dipper asks to know what Arline and Zander said to each other in secret, Arline asking him to let her explain while Zander comments about the double standards she appears to have. She tells him about her mission to protect the twins, getting a smile out of him before he threatens to let Magenta attack for slowing him down in getting Pacifica home.
Soos suggests letting Pacifica pick if she stays or leaves. Pacifica agrees to go, but promises to come back quickly to help the twins, now as much part of the war as anyone else. She climbs onto Magenta as Zander asks for the papers Arline stole back. Zander flips through them quickly, Arline informing him nothing disappeared in the day she had them.
Stan tells a confused Mabel that the papers are FBI identity papers and stuff. Arline tries to hold Mabel back and explain herself, but Mabel ignores her and demands answers from Zander. Zander says that Arline thought he was dangerous and someone he wasn't, and while he normally would try to correct someone on that, he doesn't have time to worry about public opinion at the moment. Mabel asks him why he's in such a rush, and he eventually tells her that he has a truck pack with his stuff ready to leave the second the Northwests give him the okay.
Mabel realizes that since Zander is ready to leave at moments notice, he's been planning to leave for a while. Reminding him that he said he wanted this life, Zander responds that he wanted life, not death and people loosing hope. Mabel questions if he gave up on her, but he says it's more complicated than that- he writes about hope and peace, and that has been replaced with despair recently.
Mabel tells him that she looked up to him from day one, but that him running away after not even one full summer doesn't allow him to know what despair is. She tells him that the monsters around town have torn her family apart and made it so some will never be seen again, but despite this, the remaining members continuing is real strength. Zander asks if she's stronger than him, and she says she isn't, but everyone else around her together is. They stand together and get back up no matter how bad the damage, and they don't quit on each other when things get bad.
Zander gets in his car and tries to leave, but Mabel tells him he's more than that. He didn't run away when they found Midian when the band was in town, he helped Robbie and Dipper stop fighting, he helped her and Dipper get their feelings figured out and got them out of the caves after Graupner set off explosives. Mabel tells Zander she knows him better than he thinks, but that statement kills the luck she had with what she said before. He tells her his job was to inspire people, but he's not a hero and has always been one to run away. Telling her she doesn't know him as well as she thinks, he drives away, Pacifica and Magenta following shortly after.
Mabel marches over to Arline and demands to know why she did what she did. Arline says she did what she thought was best for Mabel, Mabel grumbling about more secrets. Arline says that the way Zander spoke sounded like someone from her past, and with Omir in town as well, she looked up Zander's records online and found that a lot of them were fake. Mabel mentions the witness protection papers Arline took and tells her that, between lying about Omir and Zander both, she's done with people saying they trust her and not telling her everything.
Stan jumps in and shouts at Mabel, saying that if anyone could understand about keeping secrets, it should be her. He tells her that Arline did the same things he did three years ago- lying and not telling the twins everything to try and keep them away from dangerous things. And while both of their attempts failed, Mabel has no reason to be angry about secret keeping. Stan even tells Arline that he understands where she was coming from and apologizes for not trusting her when she first showed up.
Arline apologizes to Mabel and tells her that she's good enough now to follow her own path and stop calling Arline Master. Mabel hugs Arline and apologizes as well, saying she wants to keep being her student for a bit longer. Dipper says that things aren't that bad anymore, showing Stan his healed hands. He quickly explains about the Guardsman fixing them and how they might be able to get Yuki back now. Arline comments that the Guardsman probably beat him up for it, Dipper agreeing that he did before saying that, with the bad guys slowed due to the damage caused the day before, now's the time to go find the Guardsman and fix Yuki.
However, something in town explodes, dirt flying into the air and screams already audible. The twins rush over to Mabel's bike, but Stan tries to get them to stay back and not get hurt or do something stupid again. Arline offers to go with them and keep them safe, and Stan gives the okay, although he does keep Wendy and Soos back in case whatever is in town comes for the Manor. The sunlight washing over them, Mabel begins the drive into town.
PART 2:
The earth rumbling below them, Dipper questions why the town is being attacked again if Omir already knows where the Stone is. Mabel suggests that it's like chess- all the pieces have to be in place to win. Entering town, the three promise to not split up again, Arline assuring them she'll be able to fight with just one arm. They make it into downtown and Mabel slows the bike as they see the damage.
Fire and smoke everywhere, people are trying to run away from the source downtown. Mabel speeds up again and quickly makes her way to the source despite everyone she passes telling them to turn around. A 7-foot-tall version of the golem from the day before is chasing families down the streets. Arline stands up and balances herself on the bike as Mabel heads right for the creature, allowing her to kick it into a nearby car.
The twins dismount the bike and walk over to where Arline landed on the road. Five more of the creatures come out of several alleyways, Arline taking three of them while the twins make quick work of one each. As Arline handles her three, the twins decide to call the creatures Lycanropes. They have just enough time to inform her of this before the next wave arrives, over a dozen Lycanropes chasing and attacking a group of people lead by Tyler.
Before the twins can begin the fight, a van comes barreling out of an alleyway and crashes into several of the Lycanropes, and injured but alive Candy and Grenda stepping out. Tyler and the other people walk up to the five and tell them that the Lycanropes are coming out of another hole in the ground and capturing people, dragging them away to somewhere else in town. Dipper thinks they should go underground and find the source again, but Mabel eventually convinces him that they should help people evacuate town first. Tyler and the others refuse to help, so it's up to the five of them.
They get in the van and start the drive to where the others are being held, hitting as many Lycanropes as possible as Candy explains what happened. Certain pipes exploded simultaneously and a new hole opened up, Dipper telling them that everything is Omir's plan to keep people distracted and cause chaos. Planning to get the people up and able to fight, they drive through a cloud of smoke to see where everyone is being held.
Town Square has been overrun with almost two hundred Lycanropes, people in huddles around the square. The van slams into several Lycanropes, shaking bad enough to knock it onto the side. Everyone inside is okay, and they quickly make their way out of the van. The fight begins, the twins helping each other out. Arline stand on her own, using as many fireballs as possible. Candy also uses fire, spraying a canister at a lighter in her hand, defending herself and covering Grenda's back as Grenda beats her way through the Lycanropes.
But they are outnumbered almost 40 to 1, and eventually they all find themselves with their backs to the Town Hall building, the captured people watching in fear. Mabel tries to convince the people to help them fight back the Lycanropes, telling them they must be stronger than they think if they live in Gravity Falls, but they just turn away from her.
Rumbling begins again, Lycanropes being thrown into the air as the source of the rumbling makes its way to the twins. Eight heads roaring, Multi-bear breaks through the line of Lycanropes and turns around, helping to defend the twins. He asks them if the Lycanropes are part of Graupner's plan, saying that that's good when the confused twin kind-of explain what they discovered the day before.
Multi-bear tells them that part of the laws the Species' passed a month ago says that, if a force that could be dangerous for the species' attacks the town, they are entitled to intervene and defend themselves/the town. Multi-bear tells them that he is a vanguard as the ground begins to rumble again, Dipper explaining to Mabel that a vanguard is the leading force of an army... meaning the rest of the army is coming.
Out of the woods around town, twenty real werewolves coming rushing out, making their way to the square. As they arrive, Multi-bear leads the five back into the battle, the two groups eventually meeting. They explain to Daggard, the Aplpha werewolf, about the Lycanropes being controlled by Omir. Daggard tells them to go fight Omir, but Mabel refuses to leave before the residents are saved, doubting the abilities of Multi-bear and the werewolves. Daggard tells her that the laws mean everyone comes out to help.
The line of trees around town begins moving, gnomes in the mobile trees. One yells to fire, gnomes shooting out like arrows and attacking the Lycanropes. Still coming out of the forest is everyone from Manotaurs to Fairies to Goblins. Twinkle-Moon, Bob, and Sibs all come over to the twins, Sibs firing a musket at the direction of Strooder. Dipper questions them about keeping their existence secret from the town, but Twinkle-Moon and Bob say that the people of Gravity Falls finding out is probably the most normal things that's happened recently.
The fairies enter the battle again, heading for where the line has become clear. The twins are encouraged until Arline points to the rooftops, where hundreds more Lycanropes have gathered. Arline tells them they need to do what Daggard said and find Omir, assuring them that, now that they know her Master is around, the odds will be in their favor this time. A werewolf falls, Sibs rushing back into the fighting as the plan is agreed on.
Candy tells them the hole is on the other side of town, so Mabel's bike s probably the best way to get there. However, her bike was left behind, so they first have to fight their way to it. The twins climb on Multi-bear's back as he leads the five of them through the battlefield, heading towards the crashed and abandoned van. However, the sheer numbers of Lycanropes eventually get to Multi-bear, and he falls in the middle of the battle.
The five surround him and provide him a chance to get to his feet, though he can't quite get there. Candy pulls out another can of spray and starts fashioning it into a bomb to clear a path for Arline and the twins. Mabel tries to refuse to leave unless them all come, but a new force comes in. Tyler, Toby, and others come rushing into the battle on bikes, improvised weapons in their hands. This causes the captured people to become willing to fight back as well, and with the Lycanropes now being attacked on three sides, the twins and Arline are able to leave the battle.
They make it to Mabel's bike and ride into the new hole in the ground with no trouble. Passing the areas familiar from the day before, they stop at the collapsed pit, everything before it having been abandoned. They follow a new tunnel but are forced to abandon the bike as the metal floor under them makes too much noise. Shortly in front of them is a new pit, crosswalks zig-zagging down to where a hooded figure is standing.
They make it low enough to jump apparently without alerting the person below, but before they can jump, a stuttering voice interrupts them, black fire shooting out. They avoid the flames, but the crosswalk gets destroyed by the fireball, Arline and the twins staring in shock as the Warlock takes his hood off. He tells them that he's alive because of magic before casting a spell.
Removing the piece of cloth covering the red stone that is now in place of his missing eye, Graupner reveals the hidden spiraling walkway around the pit, hundreds of Lycanropes now being revealed. He tells them that he's just the distraction while Omir performs the real mission. As the Lycanropes move in, Graupner tells them his only goal was to get Arline and her Master away from the real action, commenting checkmate before we cut to...
Omir Steindorf, staff in one hand and the Starkissed Stone of Conservation in the other, walking along the path to the Manor. Talking to the Stone, he comments that he will finally be able to see someone again before a gunshot echoes around, the ground in front of him exploding slightly. Soos is on the porch with a postcard rack held up while Stan is standing at a second-floor window, a hunting rifle aimed directly at Omir. Stan tells him to shove off, but Omir just smirks and says that she won't get the jump on him.
Wendy rushes out of the bushes, axe in hand, but Omir blindly blocks her attacks and throws her towards the Manor. Stan fires his rifle, but Omir deflects the bullets with his staff. Soos attempts to attack with the postcard rack, but Omir stops him and throws him into a charging Wendy. Stan aims his reloaded rifle back at Omir, who holds the end of his staff to Wendy's neck, commenting that he knows how to permanently deal with things like her.
He agrees to let Wendy go as soon as he makes a deal with Stan. He says that if Stan lets him into the building and gives him access to the Portal, he will undo the damage the Warlock caused. As Stan gapes at him in shock, he elaborates- if he's allowed in, he will revive Yuki.
Cryptograms:
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Walls will not hold. Fortresses will crumble. Nations wither and rot. The Paths are crumbling under my foot, yet I shall hold to my plot. I will bring my love back to me.
20-8-5 5-14-4 9-19 3-12-15-19-5-18 20-8-1-14 20-8-5 14-5-24-20 5-16-9-19-15-4-5 6-9-14-1-12-5
The end is closer than the next episode finale.
