PART 1:
At the Gravity Falls Police Department, Omir Steindorf is watching through a one-way mirror as Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland interrogate Graupner Kinley, who doesn't say anything, just like he's been doing for the past week. The Sheriff and Deputy leave the interrogation room, happy with their progress, but Omir snaps at them and tells them how ineffective they have been. They all look towards Graupner, who appears to be looking straight through the mirror, spooking the police.
Omir says it's a coincidence before telling the police that if they don't have some actual progress the next time he shows up, he will be personally taking over the investigation. He walks outside, passing the bouncy castle, and the Sheriff tells him that he won't have to get involved. The police are shocked when they hear thunder, the sky clear and weather not having predicted any storms for the day. Omir just shrugs and pulls out an umbrella as clouds quickly form, rain pouring and lightning streaking across the recently clear sky.
Omir tells the police to always be prepared, but leaving the town might be safer, before leaving in a limo. Thunder booms again, orange light coming through the sky. The Sheriff is about to dismiss the storm and head inside when Durland points to the orange light. The light turns into a ball of flame, moving faster than sound, and it crashes into the woods. The Sheriff tells all units to go to the landing site- the Corduroy Lumber Mill, as citizens also rush to the scene.
The police set up a barricade to keep people away as they investigate, concerned about the source of the ashes coming from the sky. Thankfully, the rain is keeping any possible fires in check as the Corduroy boys lead the Sheriff to the destroyed mill, where the fireball finally stopped its path of fiery destruction. The boys and police enter the mill to see Manly Dan standing above a large burning bird that seems to be made of fire itself. Dan identifies the bird as a phoenix, knowing how useful the bird is and how dangerous rain is to it. As Dan stares at the bird and the police try to figure out who to report to, two figures fly away from the destroyed mill.
At the Manor, Mabel and her friends are upset that the sudden storm ruined the boy-hunting day they had planned. Dipper tells them there is more to life than boys, Mabel about to say there is more to life than Wendy's secrets, but Dipper cuts her off, not wanting Grenda and Candy to hear. Mabel asks if he has made any progress on Operation: Red Fever. Dipper says that since they figured out the crystals only work with things that have a biological gender, Wendy being anything like a golem or elemental is out of the question.
Candy and Grenda turn on the TV, Shandra Jimenez reporting that meteorologists are confused about where the sudden storm came from. She then goes on to talk about the creature that crashed into the Corduroy Mill earlier, causing lots of damage. She says that only the Corduroy's and Northwests are being allowed to see the creature, but she is ready to report when a solid answer comes.
Dipper is suspicious that a strange creature landed at a place connected to Wendy, but said girl coming in looking for Yuki distracts him. Mabel realizes that Yuki and her friends haven't been formally introduced and calls for Yuki, who comes in from outside soaking wet. Mabel introduces him to her friends, Grenda flirting and Candy asking scientific questions about his species.
Stan calls the twins and Wendy to the gift shop, telling them there is a stray who wants to see them. The stray turns out to be Arline, who has been keeping tabs on the Warlock. She tells them that the Warlock has been doing a whole lot of nothing the entire time he's been there, and she says that she has a feeling he is biding his time until whoever is helping him makes a move.
Stan tells Arline to pay for the night, raising the price to a full thousand with Summerween a few days away. Arline pulls out her credit card, Stan examining it. He says that no sane person would pay a grand to stay anywhere, and she must be hiding something if she's willing to pay that much to stay at his place. Arline's only response is to give Wendy the card and tell the twins they'll talk more later before taking her card back and going to her room.
The twins confront Stan, who insists that Arline is hiding something, questioning where she goes and what she does when she goes into town for the day. Mabel defends her, but Dipper admits to himself that that is a good point. He tells Stan she's cool, even if he is starting to doubt it himself. Stan mentions what happened the last time they thought they could trust someone and how that turned out three years ago before leaving.
Now just the twins and Wendy in the room, Dipper admits to Mabel that Stan may have a point. Mabel admitting it as well, even more unwillingly than Dipper. Wendy tells them to just ask Arline about what is going on, Dipper noting the hypocrisy of that statement coming from her. Wendy pulls out a magazine about delaying inevitable encounters, Dipper about to ask what it;s about, but someone knocking on the door distracts them.
Confused that someone actually knocked, Dipper moves to the door, looking out the window. He sees two drenched figures wearing hoodies standing outside, the shorter figure wearing an all-too-familiar blue hat under her hood. Dipper pulls open the door, Jess saying hi, Mabel rushing out to share hugs between the four of them, despite the rain. The twins take their friends inside, Jace shaking water off himself as Jess says hi to Wendy.
Jace says they hoped there wouldn't be a storm when they came by, Mabel remembering the tour that was promised. Jess says it's not about the tour, exchanging glances with her brother. Recognizing that looks, the twins ask them what happened. After confirming that Wendy is cool, Jace mentions the Phoenix, Jess grumbling that Murphy's Law came back to haunt them. Jace asks for towels, Mabel rushing to comply before the story finishes. Dipper mentions to Wendy that Jess still has a thing for him before they follow to the living room.
In the living room, Jess and Jace are suspicious about telling Yuki, Candy and Grenda about the fact that they are harpies. Yuki pulls his hat off, revealing the leaves in his hair. Jace and Jess than pull down their hoodie, their feathers revealed, proving Candy and Grenda are part of the Mystery Twins team. Dipper tries to get Wendy to reveal her secret, to no avail, before Jess and Jace start their story.
Bringing everyone else up to speed on what happened the previous month and about them being the Phoenix's guardians, they say that the Phoenix loves dry places, which is why it continued to go south. That say that, with Canada being warmer now, things would have gone fine had it not been for the storm. They say that the Phoenix can detect storms, being able to avoid several on the way up, but this storm came out of nowhere and gave them no time to avoid the downpour before it affected the Phoenix and made it crash.
Dipper is shocked that they abandoned it, but Mabel points out that if two flying people landed next to a burning bird, they would be arrested quicker than lightning. Jess says that they need to get the phoenix back, not just because of the fire hazard, but because, when warm, Phoenix ashes are powerful enough to revive the dead. Everyone, Wendy in particular, is shocked by this revelation. Jace says it's even worse than that because sooner or later, especially in this town, someone (or several someones) will realize this and want to kill the Phoenix for that power, making the species extinct.
As everyone thinks about what they just heard, the twins glance at each other. Coming to a decision without saying anything, they agree to help out, everyone else quickly agreeing as well. Mabel hollers a battle cry, alerting Stan and Soos to their plans. Stan gives them permission to go, Soos staying behind to help with a tour, Yuki ordered to stay back and manage the cash register.
Wendy offers to switch places with Yuki, allowing him to go into the town she is always in. Dipper realizes that since their return to town, Wendy has almost always stayed out of the main part, sticking to the woods the one time she agreed. Realizing Wendy doesn't want to go into town, he insists she come with them, disappointed when her poker face doesn't crack in the slightest.
Deciding to use Grenda's van for Phoenix transportation and monitoring, the seven start gathering supplies for their mission. Pulling on boots, Jess asks Dipper if there is something going on between him and Wendy, noticing the staring. Dipper says there's nothing between them before telling her about Wendy hiding something from them. Jess says its not cool for someone to keep secrets like that, Dipper agreeing with her.
With everyone suited up, Dipper lays out the plan. He, Wendy and Mabel, all going in his car, will head right for the mill/crash site and cause a distraction while Candy, Grenda, Jace and Jess, all in Grenda's van, will look around and attempt to sneak out with the bird. Everyone goes outside to the vehicles and Dipper takes the lead towards the mill. Wendy tells him to take a side road that allows them to view the land from atop a hill, Dipper grudgingly trusting her despite her secrets.
Climbing out of the cars, they switch up the plan slightly- Wendy and Jess will switch places, Wendy knowing the layout of the mill and the best ways to sneak around, as Jess follows the twins to create a distraction. The crowd has grown, barely being held back by the police. Mabel takes the lead, pushing through the crowds and ducking the police, pulling a Bavarian Fire Drill when she is challenged. The police say that they have to leave, but Zander shows up, saying the twins and their friend is with him, getting them inside.
Zander guesses that Jess isn't human, Jess showing him the feathers under her hood. Giving him the brief version of events- guardians, have to get it back, Zander says it's more complicated than that. Pacifica shows up, saying that 'they' beat them here. Introducing everyone quickly, Pacifica says that in the middle of her music lesson with Zander, her father called and told her to come home, excited about owning a rare species. Zander then told her that something crashed at the mill, and the two came to the site, Pacifica hearing that her parents took the Phoenix away.
Dipper grumbles about going back to her mansion, unfond memories of their time as a couple happening there. Pacifica grumbles about her parents, but Zander is able to calm her down. Dipper asks Pacifica to help them, and she agrees, not wanting her parents to get away with taking the Phoenix. Zander volunteers to stay behind, Manly Dan already beginning to round up a mob of townsfolk to storm the mansion and take the Phoenix back. Zander tells them he'll meet up with them at the Manor later, the four of them heading to find Wendy's group and update everyone.
PART 2:
Wendy is leading her group around the building, stopping them behind a bush to hide from two police officers. Wendy says the cops aren't great, mentioning the trouble she and her friends used to cause. Grenda says they should hang out more, Wendy pointing out that she's older then them and has technically graduated. Jace says she still looks fifteen before asking what he plan is after summer's over. She says she is going to leave gravity Falls before preparing them to move, the cops starting to get restless.
Before they go anywhere, the twins, Jess and Pacifica show up. During the quick introductions, Pacifica mentions Wendy not being in school a lot in the past year, causing Dipper to stare at her as Mabel explains about the Phoenix. Jess notices Dipper;s stares, voicing his concerns about Wendy keeping something from them and if he can trust her and if they are even still friends. Jess asks if she and Dipper are friends, Dipper saying yes and saying she is like his little sister.
Confused about her reaction to what he thought would be encouraging, Mabel interrupts his thoughts, saying that everyone is officially caught up. Pacifica says she will lead everyone through a secret escape tunnel that leads into the mansion so they can get the Phoenix out. Dipper mentions the guards the mansion has, Pacifica agreeing to provide a distraction and let everyone else go through the tunnels without her.
Pacifica directs Dipper to the entrance to the tunnel, telling them it should open up near where her father would be keeping the Phoenix. She leaves to cause a distraction as the twins open the doors to the tunnel, revealing an inclining hallway that lights up as the doors open. Walking up the hallway as fast a possible, they come to another set of doors. The twins put their ears against the door, hearing the guards on the other side mentioning the Phoenix. Jess shoves past Wendy to listen for herself, but sirens starts blaring, the guards running to respond to the sirens.
They bust open the doors, revealing Preston's trophy room. Jace and Jess are horrified at the sight of all the animals, Jace even mentioning some of the species are extinct. Following Wendy's instinct, they continue on their way, Jace mentioning that phoenix's explode into fire when they die. A ear-piercing shriek causes everyone except Wendy and the Harpies to cover their ears, Jess taking the lead to the source of the sound.
Opening another door, they find themselves on a balcony overlooking a ballroom, the Phoenix chained down in the middle of it. Jess and Jace leap over the balcony, flying down towards the Phoenix as everyone else follows on the stairs. They try to get close to the chains, but the heat from the Phoenix has made them unsafe to touch. Candy suggest pouring water on the chains, but Jace says the water could hurt the Phoenix more.
A voice from above them has them all turn, Preston Northwest and his wife standing on the balcony above them, the former hiding something behind his back. They threaten to have them arrested, but Wendy says they should be arrested for taking the Phoenix from the mill, her dad having a better claim on it than they did. The twins point out that the Phoenix doesn't belong to anyone, and if anyone were to claim it, it should be Jess and Jace. Preston reveals that he plans on using special heated containers to keep the ashes warm (they are useless when cold) so he can sell them to the highest bidder, who can then cheat death.
Pacifica appears, distracting her parents long enough for Jace and Wendy to start moving, Jace flying towards the Northwests as Wendy climbs the railing, the twins starting to move up the stairs. Before Jace is able to reach the Northwests, Preston pulls out a gun and pulls the trigger. A dart hit Jace in the should, causing him to start to fall. Grenda catches him and the girl start looking him over as Wendy makes it to the balcony. Preston shoots her with the darts, but she continues on, wrenching the gun from his hands and hitting him in the face with it, knocking him out. She pulls the dart out of her shoulder before stumbling, the twins and Pacifica catching her.
Wendy says she is feeling woozy and Jace is out cold, Pacifica explaining that the tranquilizer they were shot with is enough to effect a moose. She says they will be fine as long as they move around when they wake up. Pacfica tells them to get the Phoenix out now, Manly Dan's mob having been the ones to cause the alarm to sound, not her. She walks over to her unconscious father and pulls a set of keys out of his pocket, tossing them down to Candy so they can unlock the chains.
The twins help a slightly woozy Wendy head downstairs, Grenda having thrown Jace over her shoulder. Jess starts calming the bird down as Candy unlocks the chains. Dipper notices the phoenix is smaller than the last time they saw it, Jess saying that rain kills the bird, and they shrink when they are dying. Jess says the Phoenix will follow her, but they have to get it into the van as quickly as possible, as more rain will make it weaker. Wendy insists she is okay to walk, despite being shot with a tranquilizer, and he seven and Phoenix head back to the tunnel, the twins closing the door just as Manly Dan and the townsfolk make it inside, Dan asking Pacifica where the bird is.
At the Manor, Stan, Zander and Arline are standing on the porch, Soos and Yuki watching from inside the gift shop as the twins try to convince Stan to let them bring the Phoenix inside. Stan is concerned about bringing a creature literally made out of fire inside his wood building, him and Arline getting into a shouting match, Arline mentioning the thousand a night she is paying before Zander breaks them up, Stan agreeing to let the Phoenix come inside.
They open the back doors to Grenda's van, which had become a steamer with the Phoenix inside. The Phoenix jumps out of the van and crashes to the ground, the rain not allowing it to fly. Arline explodes a fireball above the Phoenix, giving it enough time to get to it's feet and rush inside, Jess following closely behind. Grenda helps Jace out of her van and he takes off, the tranquilizer having worn off, and everyone else follows.
In the Manor, the Phoenix collapses, not able to even warm the wood underneath it's body. Arline offers to provide a heat source, but Stan refuses, Zander backing him up as if the Manor burned down, the situation would be even worse. jJace says they need to keep the Phoenix inside until the rain stops, but the locals say that rain in Gravity Falls has a tendency to not cooperate with their needs.
A shaking in the ground distracts them and they all look outside, the townsfolk having arrived, Manly Dan in the lead, several others carrying torches. Zander says he is good with crowds and heads outside to people-manage, the twins, Soos and Wendy observing. Dan tells Zander to move, Wendy stepping back as her father moves in. Dipper tells Wendy to go calm her dad down, but Wendy says she can't before revealing that he doesn't know she works in the Manor. She says he thinks she's at some lumber mill upstate before Zander comes back in.
Zander says he made no progress, Dan and the townsfolk wanting the Phoenix, nothing else. The twins share a look, silently deciding that maybe, just this once, they might have to give in. Dipper is about to say this out loud when Arline walks through them, intent on buying them some time. She marches outside and conjures fire, telling the mob they have to go through her before they can get to the Phoenix. Stan walks out next to her, brass knuckles having been added to his fists. Yuki, Grenda and Zander soon join them, Zander using his scarf as an impromptu garrote as they fight back the townsfolk.
Watching from the windows, the twins observe as the townsfolk slowly but surely makes their way past the line of defenders, far outnumbering the five from the Manor. Candy, Jace, Jess and Wendy take the weakening Phoenix upstairs and the twins and Soos prepare to face the townsfolk who make it into the Manor. They hold up well enough despite feeling bad about hurting the townsfolk, but Manly Dan soon steps in. He says he wants the Phoenix and needs it's ashes, refusing to let up. Soos tells the twins to go upstairs, practically shoving them away when they refuse.
The twins head up to their cramped attic bedroom, Camdy reporting that the rain hasn't gotten better. The twins confirm that the townsfolk are getting closer before Wendy suggests giving the crowd the Phoenix. Dipper refuses, telling Wendy that her father wants it dead, no longer willing to give it up to anyone. Wendy points out that they have five friends downstairs fighting a crowd of people, most of whom are willing to destroy the Manor to get the bird. She says if they give it over now, they might be able to minimize damages, asking Dipper to trust her.
Hating himself for trusting her despite her secrets, Dipper is about to agree when Jess asks Wendy why they should trust her. Jess reveals that Dipper knows about Wendy hiding something before accusing Wendy of walking on Dipper, using his crush on her to make sure she doesn't have to reveal anything. Jess breaks down, grumbling that how Dipper treats Wendy and treats herself isn't fair as everyone stares around in shock.
The door booms and almost caves in, Wendy rushing over to hold her father back as the Phoenix looks out the window. She begs them to hand over the bird, looking more tired than Dipper has ever seen her, the shock that she knows about his suspicions still affecting him. Mabel pulls him out of it, saying the storm won't end soon enough to stop damages. Dipper agrees that things are only getting worse, and they should hand over the Phoenix.
Before he can say this out loud, The Phoenix shrieks and starts pecking at the window, the torches carried by people below confusing it. Jess tries to get to it to calm it down, but the Phoenix shrieks again, shattering the glass in the window and flying out before anyone can stop it. It crashes into the mud, the crowd of people below hiding in the trees as the rain takes its toll, eventually leaving nothing behind except a pile of ash.
Manly Dan kneels in front of the ashes as the rest of the crowd heads home, the five who fought the crowd crashing onto the couch on the porch as a tearful Jess walks up to Dan. She tells him that a phoenix only comes back when it's ashes are warm, the ones in front of him useless, all because of him. He stands up and says he's not sorry for trying before leaving the Manor. Mabel walks up to Jess, letting the younger girl cry into her shoulder as Jace walks up to Dipper, also upset. Jace apologizes for Jess doing what she did, saying his sister was jealous of Wendy. He asks if Dipper will be okay, and he can only shrug before the two sets of siblings come back together.
On the porch, Stan is examining the damage done to his building as the rain begins to taper off. He says that at least they are all alive, but none of the others on the porch share that sentiment. Zander however says he likes the Manor and offers Stan a deal- he will give Stan a million dollars to refurbish the building, as long as he stops charging Arline crazy amounts of money. Through his shock at being offered such a large amount, Stan agrees, telling everyone else to start cleaning up as Zander takes off.
Jace says they need to get going, saying that they will go back to Canada for now, but they won't have to stay there with the Phoenix gone. They all promise to see each other again before a still crying Jess hugs Mabel and Dipper in turn. She apologizes to Dipper for what she said about Wendy before the two of them fly away, Mabel heading inside to help with the clean up. Dipper stays outside and watches as Wendy kneels in front of the ashes, crying into her hands, Dipper realizing that with the secret out, nothing between them will be the same again.
Cryptogram:
"Ttdxl wc ivigu, tlha cj yqct zkirb pxnv
ialitzgpl aqpywrt qkiv hlr zfro rees pzf
Gxnzp ql pvvoei, uwkub atccyea xas.
tmem yjybw qqj lowpr bbpyg gnvkda teyt." Keyword
"Empty of touch, lost of life sweet sigh,
endlessly staring into the rich dark sky.
Stars be bright, night devours all.
Fire burns dim while tears cannot fall."
