Gravity Rises (S1)

DRB: Part Six

Pacifica's long nails scratched the glass ball, making an ugly noise that she hardly noticed. "'I don't trust anyone whose hair is bigger than their head,'" she repeated mockingly, glaring at the figure of Mabel in the glass ball. What a horrible girl. How could someone as adorable as Dipper be related to a girl like that?

Pacifica sat back with a sigh, and the image in the crystal ball dissolved into mist. Dipper really had grown on her these past few days. He was endearing and cute. And he actually appreciated fashion, if in a rather. . . male way. Pacifica had watched him walk home in the crystal ball; she told herself it was to make sure that he wasn't doing anything suspicious after hanging out with her, but she also liked watching him. Even the way he walked — half running, half skipping down the street — was carefree and innocent in a way that made Pacifica smile.

She still couldn't read his mind. That was still frustrating — still worrying. But she would keep investigating. Hopefully this crystal ball would help, though it hadn't given her any answers yet. "You had better be worth it," she said to the crystal ball. "I ruined a pair of shoes for you."

The crystal ball did not respond. Inside the glass, the smoke swirled. Pacifica watched the mesmerizing tendrils, her mouth twisting as she remembered how she obtained the item.

~~~~~

"Augh! This stupid — mud — is ruining — my shoes!" Pacifica pulled her foot up with a frustrated growl and attempted to find a sturdy place to step.

Her foot sank into more mud.

Pacifica let out a long and frustrated yell. Why wasn't her astral projection working in this area? Or was it even the part of the forest she was in? Maybe her amulet really was faulty. Maybe her powers really were slipping away: first with the Pines twins being impenetrable and now with her astral projection refusing to form and save her the trouble of walking through all this mud.

No. No, it was just this area of the forest. It had to be.

Pacifica took another arduous step.

"Well, this is a sight I never expected to see. Pacifica Pleasure, trudging through the mud."

Pacifica stopped, sinking a bit deeper. Really? This was how she got to see him again?

Her eyes followed the sound of the voice. "Oh look," she said, "Gideon Northwest, being a brat."

Gideon was perched on a rock, looking smugly down at her. It didn't help that his rock was just above the cave entrance she was trying to reach. "Looking for something, Pleasure?"

"No," Pacifica replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "No, I just find it enjoyable to ruin my shoes in this horrible mud."

Gideon ignored her scathing tone. "You've got some mud on your perfect dress too."

Pacifica growled under her breath. "Good thing I can't possibly look as stupid as you in that cape of yours."

Gideon let out a scoff of wounded dignity and jumped down from his rock. A flash of blue swirled around him as his amulet slowed his fall; the white cape to which Pacifica was referring fluttered on his back. "You mean," he said as he regained his footing on another ledge of stone, "you can't possibly look as amazing."

"Hey!" Pacifica demanded. "Why is your amulet working out here, Northwest? I'd be using my astral projection if I could!"

"I'm just outside the cave boundaries," Gideon replied. "I can't get in from here, so I can use my amulet. But since you're actually trying to get inside, you can't. You should be grateful that there's a no-magic zone around here: Otherwise, who knows what could be shooting out from there. Why are you back here, anyway?"

It was the cave where she'd found her amulet, four years ago. She'd met Gideon near here as well, though he'd already had his amulet. Pacifica could still remember her outrage when she'd discovered another child with her power.

"Aren't you happy to see me back?" she asked him. "Portland was a bore. I missed having you around to annoy me."

He rolled his eyes. "I meant the cave, not the town. Why are you coming back to this cave?"

"None of your business," she said. "Go look down your nose at someone worthy of it."

"I was here first. But this spot is ruined now that you're here. I'll go find somewhere better. Enjoy your mud!" He launched himself off his ledge in a swirling flash of blue.

"Somewhere better to do what, pose for a medieval portrait?" Pacifica shouted after him. It was a weak retort, but he probably didn't hear her.

What a brat. She didn't know why she'd missed him.

She turned back to the task at hand: getting into that cave. There had better be a crystal ball in there, or she would be very annoyed.