Babes And The Beast

Chapter 7: Learning

The Pines twins ran through the castle in a panic, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"STAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!"

The hairy beast in question bounded down the stairs. "What? What? Where's the fire?"

Mabel gazed up at him, tears welling in her eyes, Dipper stood by her clutching Ford to his chest. "F-f-ford l-l-lost a p-page." She blubbered. Stan stared at them. "Huh?"

"It was an accident! We swear! We were reading one of his stories and it just... fell out." Mabel held up the fallen page, which in the short time since it detached itself, had grown yellow and spotted.

"And then, right when it happened, a bunch of tiles fell of the roof. I don't know why; all the snow had melted from that area." He held the journal out, head bowed. "Please don't be mad."

Stan let out a deep sigh. Dipper braced himself as he reached out a paw. Then to his surprise, he felt himself being gently patted on the head. "Don't worry about it." Stan said as he opened the book to show Ford's rapid scrawl. "That kind of thing... happens sometimes. I bet Ford tried to tell you that right before you started freaking out."

Mabel sniffed. "R-really?"

Really.

said Ford

"Did it hurt?"

Nah. The only way I could feel it, would be if someone ripped out my pages with their bare hands. And no one has ever done that to me."

"But, but what does this mean? Doesn't this affect you at all?"

I lose a memory with each page. But only one. And like Stan says it only happens sometimes.

"That's... Aw man, that's so messed up. How did this even happen to you." Stan stiffened at the question, then gave a smile. "That is a story for another day."

That night, Dipper had a dream about two boys, just like Mabel. Only in his dream, the boys were playing on a swing-set – the same swing-set that was in in front garden – one happily chatted to the other about how they were gong to have "so many adventures when we leave". After a while, Dipper noticed that the other boy's hands both had an extra finger. Just like the man in the portrait. Just like the golden hand on Ford's book.

Next morning, Mabel announced that they were going to clean the west wing. "Make it nicer for Ford." The staff members were eager to help. So there they were, in the play-room, raking dirt out of the carpet and wiping down the ship. During the break, Dipper looked over at a flag hanging on the wall. It was a curious design; a hatchet and a pickaxe crossed over a gold hand, flanked by two pine trees with a shooting star passing underneath. It was just like the flag hanging over the front door. Wendy hopped over to him.

"What's up?"

"Have you ever heard of the Falls family?" Dipper asked in a serious tone. The axe girl flinched. "Uh... who are they?" she asked innocently.

"They were the most powerful noble family in the whole country. Their territory stretched from these woods all the way to the western shore."

"Oh really? That's nice." Wendy wouldn't look them in the eye.

"They were nice. One of the most prosperous families in our history, until the twin heirs disappeared right before their coronation. They were staying at the Winter castle, and were supposed to rule together, but when people searched for them, no one could remember where the castle was or how to find it. They couldn't even find any of the servants. After that, the currant Head of the family went mad. And the land ended up being divided among the other ruling nobles.