PART 1:
At a Renaissance Fair, a man is promising Mina that they'll go back north soon enough, aware heat and wool don't mix. A dark-haired young woman comments about Sasquatches to herself before a voice from inside a large tent calls her in, calling her Miss Jones. Tying her yellow jacket around her waist, she enters the nearby tent, five people sitting behind a desk with tumbling mats on the ground. One of the people calls her Caroline Jones, and after she decides not to correct him, he and the others accuse her about lying on her forms. They say she has had some lessons in fighting before, but she insists that everything was self taught, and she is not disqualified.
They compliment her on her abilities and say she can join the troupe on three conditions- she loses the attitude, is more honest, and she gets her parents permission, as the age for joining on your own is 21 and she's only 18. She says she'll do so but it might take a while as her parents are slow these days, the judges saying she has two days before a commotion starts outside. She runs outside to see a suit of armor standing there, glowing yellow eyes staring at her from under the helmet. She turns to grab a blunted audition weapon but the armor is gone by the time she turns back. Grumbling about spirits, she pulls out a cat's paw necklace, promising that the spirit will see what happens when it messes with her.
Dipper is driving his banged-up car, Mabel half asleep next to him, both tired from the fight the night before. Then out of nowhere, Mabel screams at Dipper to pull over, jumping out of the car as soon as it stops, leaving her panicked brother behind. Dipper eventually climbs out of the car, he, Soos, Wendy and Waddles standing behind Mabel, who has fallen to her knees in the grass. Mabel mentions a list of places she wanted to go to and points to a sign for a Renaissance Fair, the noise from it reaching their ears.
While Mabel freaks out, Dipper explains that she made lists about places she wanted to go when she got older so she could get the full experience, and a Renaissance Fair was at the top. Soos asks what it is exactly, Mabel giving an exaggerated explanation that makes it sound like an old-timey Manor. Soos says he wants to go too, and with Dipper outnumbered four to one, he agrees they can go, but only for an hour.
They head to the entrance, the attendant unwillingly allowing them to let Waddles in without a leash, saying that if anything happens to him, it isn't the fair's fault. Mabel tries to say Waddles won't get in trouble, but the others say that he does tend to get captured or hurt. Mabel sulks until they actually get inside, quickly becoming immersed in everything. She and Dipper have a brief conversation about why actual weapons and magic are worse than Mabel's fighting abilities before she and Soos head into a shop.
Dipper grumbles to Wendy about how hard it is to keep up with Mabel as far as the Paths are concerned. Wendy reminds him he has more brains than Mabel as says that he did fine with the Chinese warriors in Area 51, but Dipper reminds her that he used magic to accomplish that. She says he did great with the Warlock the night before, but Dipper reveals his magic usage after finding out what Graupner was, and that he brought the tree spirits. He insists magic is good even though he did a stupid thing last night, Wendy agreeing with him but reminding him magic can be dangerous before saying that he needs to come clean before Mabel finds out on her own.
Dipper tries to say she won't find out but Mabel then appears and tries to get him to put on a frilly shirt. Wendy leaves to look around, Mabel admitting she heard the 'find out on her own' bit, but assumes they were talking about their secret relationship. Dipper mentions the 'deal' they made about dating, Mabel then guessing that Dipper keeps advocating for magic because he thinks it could cure Wendy and let him get closer with her. Dipper snaps that he's not doing it just so he can date her, Mabel admitting she knows that and asking what the conversation was really about. Dipper says he can't tell her and that it isn't something she would like to hear, Mabel angrily storming back in the shop.
Nearly an hour later, Dipper says it's about time to leave as he puts the Journals in a bandolier he just bought. Mabel says they need to find something for Waddles, saying there is a circus nearby that might sell animal stuff in Waddles' size. They head to where it is, a familiar but unplaceable smell in the air. Suddenly Waddles freaks out and starts running towards the smell, the others giving chase. Something that sounds like a trumpet makes them jump as they see a familiar face. Mina the Mastodon is in an enclosure, reaching over the side to put Waddles on her back, Mr. Gullian and Mabel recognizing one another.
Mabel introduces the others tom Mr. Gullian, who is eventually revealed to sort-of remember Gravity Falls, though details not directly pertaining to Mina have disappeared. He tells Mina to put Waddles down, mentioning an impromptu show as Mina complies. Mabel says that should check it out, but Dipper insists they need to get moving until Gullian says they wouldn't like it anyway, as the cool special effects didn't make it not boring. Dipper and Wendy, knowing Renaissance Fairs don't do special effects, ask for details, Gullian telling them about the ghostly suit of armor with an echoing voice and glowing eyes.
He says that the figure just freaked people out, and that some of the veterans said it was an ancient guardian, though no one knows exactly what it is. Dipper pulls the others into a huddle, the description reminding him of the Guardsman. Dipper says they should stick around for a bit before noticing a woman with silver hair tied up in a bandanna watching them from an alley. A person passes in front of Dipper, the woman disappearing into the nearby shop in the second Dipper can't see her.
Dipper tells the others about what he saw and the five of them head to the shop, two men in horse costumes standing by a nearby wagon with ropes dangling everywhere. Dipper tells Wendy and Soos to stand guard outside and tie someone up if someone sneaks out, Mabel telling Waddles to hide under the wagon before she and Dipper enter the shop. Paranormal things are everywhere and the air smells of burning herbs, two doors/hallways causing the twins to have to split up.
Dipper enters a room with six chairs around a table with large cards on it, the woman standing to the side. She calls him by name and tells him he has more important things to do than be there. Dipper tries to get answers from her, but she says he must do something that is cut off by her yelling to someone behind Dipper to wait. A metal hand clamps down on Dipper's mouth and lifts him up, turning him to see the glowing eyes inside the suit of armor.
The woman tells whoever, or whatever, is in the armor to put Dipper down because he is important, but the Knight says protecting her is important and he won't let her get hurt. An unfamiliar voice behind Dipper calls out, Dipper falling to the floor as the Knight charges at the source of the yell, a girl with blue-hued black hair. The lady tells the Knight to not hurt the girl because she is also important, the Knight saying the girl will recover as he slams her into the wall.
Mabel then shows up, but does more harm than good when she punches the Knight's helmet. He then pulls out a knife just as Soos shows up, rope in hand. The Knight throws the knife at Soos, Wendy shoving him aside and taking the hit instead. The girl steps on Dipper as she pulls out a sword, challenging the Knight, who responds in kind, eventually knocking the sword out of the girl's hands and sending her to the ground by Dipper.
The Knight bolts out of the room, the others following behind him into the chaos outside. The girl yells for the Knight to stop as he and the silver-haired woman jump onto the wagon, the men in horse costumes beginning to pull it away. The girl chases after the Knight, Mabel chases after the cart, those driving unaware that Waddles is being dragged along behind them. Mabel tries to get a height advantage, but the rope she tries to grab doesn't hold her weight, and she is sent crashing onto the girl as the cart disappears. The girl stands up and yells at Mabel for making her loose her chance before stalking away, the others showing up and checking on Mabel, who is almost in tears over Waddles' disappearance.
PART 2:
An hour later, Mabel is running around the fairgrounds calling Waddles' name, the others asking anyone if they saw anything, but they all think it was part of a show. They get Mabel calm enough to stop running around while they think of a real plan, Mabel blaming herself for not continuing the chase after she crashed onto the girl. Wendy says it wasn't her fault, suggesting she and Soos go stand guard in the parking lot while the twins continue looking around the fairgrounds.
The four split up, Dipper chasing after Mabel as she interrogates a shopkeeper. He convinces her that the Fair employees don't know anything about the Knight or the woman or where Waddles is and suggests they check out the room they got into the fight in. They enter the building and begin looking for a secret compartment, Mabel checking out a bookshelf while Dipper debates his chances of performing a spell without her noticing.
Mabel calls Dipper over to help her with the bookshelf, but Dipper pulls out the Journal and tells a glaring Mabel that he could do a searching spell. Mabel says they shouldn't and reminds Dipper about what Zander said about magic being corruptive. The two get into a shouting match about Mabel only agreeing with Zander because of her crush on him although she insists that she just feels the same way and has more sense than Dipper does.
Dipper says it wasn't very sensible to bring Waddles on such a dangerous mission, apologizing quickly when he sees the hurt look on her face. They sit at the table as Mabel admits he's right and she was blinding herself to all the danger they have been in recently. She admits that everything that happened to them and their friends and the town scared her, Dipper admitting he has been scared as well, the two of them giving each other a real, non-awkward hug.
Then the Knight comes in and ruins the moment. He says he knew they would come looking for 'her' before walking away, the twins giving chase back outside. Their moves and weaponized branch are inefficient against his armor and sword and tactic of throwing them at each other, and he disappears after telling them to not bother his charge anymore, the gathered crowd applauding what they believe is another show.
Dipper grumbles about the Knight disappearing and says they need something more than just their moves, telling Mabel he could easily use magic to help them find Waddles. Though she doesn't like it, Mabel is about to agree what they hear the clang of metal on metal coming from near Mina's pen. They run in that direction to see a bunch of people at the bottom of a hill pretending to fight each other with blunted weapons as they fight in a sand pit. They are about to leave when they see the girl from earlier among the fighters waiting to practice, Mabel eventually convincing Dipper they should ask for her help.
They walk up behind the seemingly uninterested girl, but before they can say anything, she tells them she's not interested in them. Dipper tries to leave but Mabel repeatedly asks for her help, only getting insults in response. She yells at them for getting in her way and says she doesn't want to work with them or anyone, jumping into the sand pit to try and get away from them. The twins follow, Mabel telling her about what happened to Waddles and guessing she knows how to find the Knight.
The girl says they and their stupid pig won't get any help from her, Dipper and then a furious Mabel trying to get her to apologize for what she said about Waddles. The girl says make me, Mabel challenging her to a duel on the spot. If Mabel wins, they help each other; if the girl wins, the twins leave the fairgrounds. The girl agrees, although Dipper is doubtful about the two of them getting exhausted beating each other up if the Knight comes back. Mabel, not scared by the girl's show of skill with a staff, says she'll win this fight as easily as Dipper wins at chess, Dipper running off with an idea as the two girls prepare to do battle.
Mabel refuses to grab a weapon and the fight begins. Mabel dodges the girl's first few attacks but is forced to block a kick after a faint. The girl attempts a thrust, but Mabel punches the staff in half, the gathered crowd applauding as the girl grabs a small shield and a sword. Mabel tries to attack, but the girl forces her to remain on the defensive. She eventually kicks the girl back long enough to run and grab her own weapon, but the time crunch causes her to grab a length of rope as opposed to something more traditionally effective. Luckily, the swords are blunted, so the rope is more effective than Mabel would have originally thought, and she eventually gets both sword and shield away from the girl. The girl grabs two tonfas (batons with handles) and attacks again, Mabel forced to give up her rope in exchange for a full-sized bastard sword. The girl drops the tonfas and grabs a bastard sword herself, the two circling and bantering with each other before both charging at the same time. They go back and forth for a bit until Mabel gets the girl on the ground, but it ends in a tie with both swords aimed for the kill.
Mabel and the girl agree to a stalemate, complimenting each other on their abilities through their exhaustion. Then the Knight appears, a sword larger than him in his hands. His name is revealed to be Archenhuad de Serolo, and in the name of Lady Taggart, he challenges them to a duel. The girls are about to accept when a voice from the crowd beats them to it, Dipper entering the scene and challenging the Knight to a game of chess. Not wanting to tarnish his honer, the Knight agrees to lead the twins and the girl to the silver-haired woman if Dipper wins, Dipper agreeing they will be executed if he loses. The Knight is sure he will win, but Mabel has trust in her brother, who utterly creams the Knight through skill and no small amount of psychotic manipulation.
With the Knight nearly in check, he knocks the pieces down in frustration, sure Dipper cheated somehow. Dipper assures him he didn't and says that messing up the board means the Knight resigns the match. The Knight moves to attack, but the silver-haired woman appears and banishes him, the armor collapsing in a heap on the ground. She leads the three of them back to her room, Mabel hugging a patched-up Waddles while the girl stands off to the side.
The woman apologizes for the Knight Archenhuad being overprotective since the return of magic. Dipper asks he how she knew his name, the woman responding that she knows lots of things before pulling out a piece of paper with the show's zodiac symbols on it. She says that she is a psychic and that she saw that prophecy 38 years ago, detailing the defeat of Bill. She pulls out another paper, telling them that she saw the new prophecy in a dream three years ago, showing them the Zodiac symbols from a few weeks ago, saying that it foretells the return of magic to the world. She says that the wish-killer Bill Cipher is not as much of a danger as magic is, telling the girl that now is not the time for revenge. The girl leaves, the woman telling the twins that people who bend magic to their will are the real danger. They guess that she is talking about Graupner, but she says there will be many years before the Lich is a real threat, although something will sprout from the child of darkness soon, and only the four of them can stop it. Dipper asks her if Zander is really on their side, but only gets a cryptic response before she throws them out, Archenhuad due back any second.
They head back to Mina and Mr. Gullian, telling him about what happened to them while Waddles and Mina say goodbye. Dipper unwillingly tells Mabel that Waddles should stay with Mina before things get even more dangerous, Mabel eventually tearfully agreeing. Mina takes Waddles and puts him on her back, Mabel saying goodbye through her tears, Mr. Gullian promising to take care of Waddles as Dipper leads Mabel away. They head towards the cars, Dipper being forced to catch up after he gets distracted by the sight of the girl driving away on a cobbled-together motorbike, the license plate reading C0R4L1N3.
Back at the Fair, the Knight is telling the woman she shouldn't banish him, the woman responding that he should listen to her orders before dealing out six tarot cards, the first of which is the Death card. The Guardsman appears, the Knight thanking his master for returning before the Guardsman requests to speak to Aisling alone. Archenhuad leaves as Zander mentions the twins to the woman, who says she told them, and the girl, things they need to know while keeping 'Orvar's' past secret like he requested. He flips over a card showing a skeleton in a cloak, saying his past can't hurt them but his future might. She flips a card of a goofy dancer in a ball mask, warning him big things are coming and one failure could change everything. Zander says he doesn't believe in tarot cards before being told that Wendy suspects him. Aisling asks if he will help her even if it means hurting someone else, but the Guardsman's response is a request to be summoned if another prophecy comes up while he's still around before leaving. Aisling flips the rest of the cards, saying time wait for no one except maybe him and his old friends, as she's sure her mother had told him.
Cryptograms:
Se vhp, aw beho, hi uny, dozrw kr wrrildeu xyhwn tkh oejgevw doq. Lrrssiueev vaisg oi wtqwo yhw nsea, bxw vrgsiqj elw sougd qsu hdyp xzam xqosfa. Tkh semjtlqr xaas ri elw lavw wsfc frursl, youuzhw phh wpxzarv rq jjeeqgdlal wurfkzp. Epsec gb fhhwmfc aqg oinkig rq tsen, wkp psot hfsswo oi xyhwwtk iwekd iq ylmf. Phh fcekdiqj elmjdhu cyexlhv zzwn tkh wefz, cdowmfc agyprlqrh lyxg phh pzwl zevspvspe ri apsj. Tkrdi odo dup pgreg dci dafw eplajd dqo pgot, irc xzaiu vljwpy frxik wt jupel leuvzrsh crve. Rgs wlws xza fxwfvw zaunprajg dqo jmpuuh rsajg glx, azk eovp mk heiw es zals efx lde fozwwot ri vmf? Keyword
We see, we feel, we cry, alone or together under the darkest sky. Prophecies speak of times yet come, but knowing the words may have them undone. The haunting ties of the past long forgot, corrode the tethers of friendship wrought. Empty of feeling and devoid of pain, the last echoes of undeath flash in vain. The crashing thunder rumbles over the land, calling adventure into the most desperate of plan. Those who are loved are left behind and lost, for their safety comes at great personal cost. Now with the future darkening and future going dim, who else is left to help but the closest of kin?
