PART 1:
In the Louisiana Bayou, Bud Gleeful watches from a distance as construction crews use dynamite to clear a path through the swamp vegetation. As the crews start clearing out the land, he calls Gideon, informing him the dynamite helped alleviate the crews' fears of a Swamp-Ape attack. Gideon mentions police he has on standby before the ground begins to shake, Bud forced to drop the call. He watches as five seven-foot-tall hairy beings begin attacking the construction crew, telling the workers to get off their land. Bud blows a whistle around his neck and calls in the police, who quickly take down and cuff the creatures. Bud charges them with disrupting a state construction project and tells them he'll see them in court before they are taken away.
In the middle of a swamp, the gang is in a motel room with a broken... everything. No AC or entertainment to be had, they desperately answer Dipper's phone when Zander calls. Unfortunately, he can't tell them much, saying that he's crazy busy at the moment and they'll have to talk to him tomorrow. He does know that their family is fine, and they are close to where the next piece of Starkissed is. He asks them if anything weird came up lately, saying he just has a feeling when he gets a negative response. Telling them he'll hopefully call tomorrow, he hangs up, leaving the gang even worse than before.
The ones who can sleep try to get some, but they all toss and turn long into the night, the heat unbearable. Eventually Dipper falls asleep, but he wakes up in the early hours of the morning, the others still out cold, except for Wendy, who is looking through a book. Telling him they all slept like a rock (except Soos, who keeps mumbling), she gives him his keys back and shows him the cover of Journal 1.
Telling him she was jealous of them being able to sleep, she says she grabbed the book to distract herself. She says Dipper's notes were too complicated for her to understand, so she started looking through the books to find evidence for a theory about Zander. She said that since he's super old, she started looking for stuff about ancient people and discovered something about a night of 'wailing spirits' after which the ancient people started seeing the weird things in the woods. Saying that this happened over 500 years ago, she goes on to say that afterwards, the ancient people started seeing weird lights from where the twins found the Stone.
Dipper looks through the book himself, shocked that he missed that information. He asks Wendy what that has to do with Zander, but a knock on the door distracts them. Soos mumbling "no deal madam" in his sleep, Dipper slowly walks over to the door, Wendy behind him. He wrenches it open to see a sasquatch wearing glasses, a wrinkled tie, and pink bunny slippers. The creature introduces himself as Goland and asks to speak to the twins, Dipper staring at him as he slowly closes the door.
Then chaos ensues as Dipper wakes everyone up, alerting them to the monster at their door. Soos yells no way as he collapses to the ground, Mabel leaping out of bed much more smoothly. Dipper opens the door for a second to show them the confused creature before slamming it shut. Soos attempts to weaponize a lamp, but struggles with the cord while Dipper and the girls open the door, ready for battle.
The monster reacts with concern, telling them he won't attack before asking to be let inside. They agree just as Soos gets the lamp undone, Goland asking to be referred to as a Sasquatch as he enters the room. The twins ask him how he knows them and why he came looking for them. Goland explains that, long story short, he was taught how to be a lawyer by the Fairies of Gravity Falls (adding another person to the number who remember its existence), and when he heard about a number of his friends being arrested for defending their land by disrupting a highway construction project, he heard through Fairy-email that the twins could be trusted.
He asks them to help him represent his people in court, adding that he believes they know who is responsible for his peers being arrested. He tells them the name of the construction company is Gleeful, Mabel agreeing to help him instantly. Dipper steps in, reminding her of their mission for Zander. Luckily, Goland tells them he can have the other Sasquatches in the area track down the Starkissed for them, and they quickly agree to help him in exchange.
They start preparing for the case, Dipper doing deep research into the Gleeful company. Mostly finding construction projects, Dipper eventually finds an address in the nearby city, the same one the court case will be held at. Wanting to try and convince the other side to back out, the four and pig head into the city, promising to meet up with Goland at the courthouse.
In an office building, a vaguely familiar woman shows them to a meeting room, no one able to place where they saw her before. Mabel, however, shivers, saying she has a weird feeling that she hasn't felt since the last time they saw Gideon. On cue, the now-teen enters the room, no less creepy despite having filled out slightly. After several attempts at flirting with Mabel, he asks them how the town is doing, admitting that there may have been reason for him to get kicked out after working with Bill.
Happy and confused someone else remembers Gravity Falls, the four exchange glances, unsure of how much they should tell Gideon. Eventually they tell him that the town is gone, but as he doesn't believe them, they don't really give him any details. Gideon says he'll look it up later before they talk about the real business at hand- the trial. They try to get Gideon to back out by threatening him with bringing up their history together, but Gideon says that no one will worry about him being charged when he was a child, and his political platform will not be affected.
Warning them to stay out of his way, he calls the woman, his mother, into the room and has her escort the gang from the building. Fifteen minutes later, they enter the courthouse to see nearly a hundred people wearing pins with Gideon's face on them have gathered. Dipper grumbling about Gideon's public appeal and their history together probably not being effective, the four and pig join Goland on one side of the room, five other Sasquatches in handcuffs nearby.
Gideon and his father enter the courtroom, taking their seats just as the judge enters, beginning the trial of Gleeful vs. Bigfoot. The detained Sasquatches rebuke the term 'bigfoot,' but stop grumbling at the Judge's request. After Goland pleads not guilty and demonstrates that he doesn't entirely know what he's doing, Gideon begins to speak, the twins doubting the legality of him representing himself.
Goland interrupts after Gideon demeans his clients, Gideon questioning Goland's legal authority. Unfortunately, Goland doesn't have his certificate with him (as it was carved into a rock), and Gideon attempts to have him removed as a representative, the Judge about to agree when Mabel speaks up. Using her authority as a kind-of Senator, she declares herself partners with Goland and says she will help defend the Sasquatches. Gideon mentions that she really doesn't know how court cases work, Dipper agreeing with him on that count before throwing his hat in with Mabel, promising to help her help Goland and his friends.
PART 2:
A half hour having passed since the twins' decision, Dipper is anxiously awaiting Mabel's return, her having disappeared halfway through the recess. Just as the Judge is getting angry, Mabel returns, now wearing nearly-appropriate lawyer attire. The trial resumes, Goland giving a great but ineffective opening statement about how Humans and Sasquatches should unite instead of fighting with each other. Gideon then gives his opening statement, the crowd more than willing to support him after he promises to help fix up their town.
The trial begins for real, and over the next two hours, Goland beautifully explaining the Sasquatches relationship with nature, it wasn't too effective. Dipper tries to get at Gideon with statistics, but Gideon is able to refute these and Dipper is unable to gain ground. Mabel then tries to bring up Gideon's past and what he did in Gravity Falls, but when she discovers the town's website has disappeared, and Gideon shows that his supporters would be more than willing to testify on his current character, she is forced to back down.
Gideon then gives his testimony, clobbering Goland and Dipper whenever they try to refute him. The Judge calls for an hour long recess, Dipper glaring at Mabel, who had been using her phone since her testimony and hadn't helped at all during Gideon's. She shows him her phone, all evidence of Gravity Falls and the people who lived there having been erased from the internet entirely.
Before they can think on this more, Gideon comes over and tells them his end goal is the Government, not some childish deal like the ones from three years ago. Telling them they will regret having gotten in his path, he walks away, intending to go back to his office. The twins comment that they wish the crowd could have seen the real Gideon threatening them just then, not fake-public-appeal Gideon. Dipper then realizes Gideon probably does have an ulterior motive to everything, and they make a quick decision to have Mabel distract Gideon while Wendy and Dipper sneak into his office and snoop around.
With Soos and Waddles as bodyguard, Mabel heads to the front of the office building while Dipper and Wendy head around the back, using the fire escape to get up to the window of Gideon's office. Dipper pulls out the Journal and uses a spell to open the window, Wendy reminding him that he needs to tell Mabel sooner or later. Dipper says he doesn't have to as Mabel wouldn't like it because Zander doesn't, Wendy clamming up after this as they enter the office room.
They start looking around for anything secret or hidden away, Dipper finding the construction reports for the highway and other things. He is shocked that Gideon has enough money to finance the projects before he notices staple-holes in the corner. He tries to tell Wendy about this, but she is still closed off. She eventually admits that she's not too into magic either, as it made her what she is, but Dipper insists magic is the way to cure her. This conversation stops when they discover a safe hidden behind a portrait of Gideon. Dipper magics it open, a folder with the torn-off pages inside. Dipper opens the folder to see lawsuit payments paid to Gideon by the US Government.
A voice behind them applauds their detective work, Gideon entering the room. Dipper glances at his phone to see that there was no signal in the building as Gideon says he smelled a rat as soon as Mabel showed up. They try to threaten him by revealing the scheme, but Gideon encourages them to do so, as he's figured out a way to cheat the system that is still entirely legal and gives him a good reputation. He they says that them breaking into his office wasn't legal and gives them an ultimatum- Dipper drops out of the court case, or he and Wendy go to jail for breaking and entering.
A few minutes later, the two of them reunite with the others, revealing that they took the first option. They return to the courtroom, quickly telling Goland that Dipper is off the case before the trial resumes, the time for closing statements having arrived. Gideon goes first, admitting that he took advantage of the Sasquatches, creature who don't even really have rights since they don't have birth certificates. He says that, instead of forcing them to leave their homes, hew would be willing to have them help his company, gaining even more support from everyone.
Except Mabel, who finally snaps and brings up Gideon's past with her and Dipper. Gideon admits that he had a bad past in Gravity Falls, the Judge saying he's never heard of the town before threatening Mabel with contempt to court. Mabel sits down as Goland takes the floor, giving a moving statement about how progress should be made between him/his people and humans, instead of through infrastructure. Everyone in the room impressed with the speech, the Judge turns to Mabel, who desperately checks her phone one last time for anything about Gravity Falls she could use against Gideon, but this turns up nothing...
Bingo. With a grin on her face that even makes Gideon nervous, Mabel restates what he said earlier about birth certificates before adding that his isn't real. Gideon, who had it on him, pulls it out, Mabel's smile growing when she sees that the location says Gravity Falls. She tells him the town doesn't exist, Gideon not believing her until people in the crowd behind him are unable to find it on their phones. She starts to use the discovery as evidence against him, but Gideon quickly dismisses all charges, wanting to keep his reputation intact. A bit later and with a shard of Starkissed in their possession, the four and pig leave the Bayou, happy with the results of the day.
Back at the now-halted construction site, Gideon, wanting to try and recover some public appeal, is saying goodbye to the Sasquatches after personally taking them home. A blue car pulls up just as the Sasquatches disappear, Gideon informing the sunglasses-wearing driver that the highway is delayed permanently. The driver says that it isn't a problem before asking Gideon if he's seen some kids around. Gideon, having recognized the driver's voice, looks at the picture of the twins, Soos, Wendy, Stan and a few others in front of the Shack/Manor before the driver takes of the sunglasses, revealing the young Ford. Gideon freaks out that Bill is back and climbs into his truck, driving away as Ford continues to yell questions at him. Cursing Gideon's escape, Ford pulls out a device that shows him the magic levels are rising steadily. He gets back in the car and drives after the truck, promising he will find answers to what happened while he was gone.
Cryptograms:
Elgv Dzwwovh uli Nzbli: 2015! Zmw Nrmz uli Urihg Nzhgzwlm.
Vote Waddles for Mayor: 2015! And Mina for First Mastadon.
Nifh trpw gdcojmvv, essiugd xdm hqo, eo bkh frowoyph livw nsimv; upwktxwtsj jrxyh. Pcuq meys qrh, adqoh emim vwtph xhuxmpa, ilyh uwxu yis xodni; hqih debm dqo wkcqg. Tj xzdyp mj phdcx, oblow mj ulqo, tnmsdci pph mzynvhb jip, nru revmv zlxyp zlel cthh, ela mqhxc jwz pzzaa, lqeijb rq gmybruj, eo bullrcthv dmhmqwwc obdov xdmh. Keyword
Race into darkness, towards the end, as the unsolved past comes; resolution bound. Turn back now, while time still permits, find your new place; life safe and sound. If brave in heart, still in mind, prepare the journey yet, for gazes watch with glee, the enemy now moves, intent on victory, as triangles silently stalk thee.
