Gravity Falls: How to Burn a Pine Tree

Part 23: Stan

I did not agree with this plan one little bit. It was dangerous and risky. I know what you're thinking though: "Stan, since when did you care about anything being 'dangerous' or 'risky'?" Well, to answer you're question, if it means the kids being safe or not, that's when I get involved. And wow, yes, I know, Stanley Pines has a soft spot!

Yeah, can it.

We were currently free-falling into a little opening of Bill's Fearamid, everyone trying to fall in a way so they wouldn't face-plant when they opened their parachutes. "Okay everyone! Open you're parachutes, now!" Ford yelled over the wind. I grunt and grumble curses at Ford under my breath as I pull the rope on my backpack that makes the parachute come out.

Mabel cheers victoriously and happily as she falls through the air with the parachute.
"Whoo-hoo!"  She cheered.

Dipper looks like he was having a mental panic attack but did his best to keep a calm composure. Pacifica was screaming her head off, causing Wendy to plug her ears. McGucket was hollering loudly with joy and Soos was laughing. Robbie was screaming with fright (which I didn't think I'd ever witness from that weird emo kid) and Ford kept a determined expression on his face, making me roll my eyes.

I held my breath as we parachuted in through the opening in the top of the Fearamid.

Coincidental? No. More like convenient story line plotting.

We landed inside the Fearamid, and as much as I wish I could say I landed gracefully on my feet, I didn't. Instead, I did the one thing I was trying to avoid (like everyone else) and face planted onto the painful floor. I grunted and shook my head, pushing myself slowly back up to my feet. "Stan! Here, let me help you-" Ford began as he offered me a hand. I glared at him and swatted his hand away.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much Poindexter." I spat as I brushed the dirt off of my pants. Ford looked hurt, but I didn't feel guilty. We were suppose to be mad at each other. Why he had a sudden change of heart, I don't know. He was suppose to be mad at me for getting him trapped in that portal and I was suppose mad at him for not even thanking me for saving his life.

Ford sighed and turned his back to me. "Everyone, gather up!" He commanded. I begrudgingly joined everyone in a circle around Ford. "This mission, whether it fails or succeeds will predict the fate of not only our town and lives but the entire dimensional cosmos. This needs to go as planned or any hope that we have of defeating Bill is lost. To complete the Zodiac Wheel, we need one more person to represent a sign and that one person being Gideon Gleeful, or the star with the eye in the center of it on the Cipher Wheel-"

"Wait, Ford!" Wendy chimed.

"Yes, Wendy?" Ford replied. "Why am I here? I don't represent any of the symbols...so not only is Gideon missing for the symbol, but the ice bag symbol is missing too. I shouldn't be here. I'm not...I don't-" "Wendy, relax. You are the ice bag symbol." Ford confirmed with a nod of his head and words of confusion rippled across the group. "Wait, what?" Mabel exclaimed. "How?" Pacifica pondered. "This doesn't make any sense..." Soos mumbled in bewilderment and a few more comments like those were said as well.

"Everyone, calm down. At first, I was confused by who the ice bag symbol could represent as well but then the puzzle pieces slowly came together to equal it representing Wendy. Before you ask more questions though, let me explain." Ford added just as Soos went to raise his hand and then sheepishly put it back down.

I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "Oh yeah? Then please do enlighten us all, Ford."

Ford glanced at me, his expression blank like a closed book but then shook his head and turned his attention back to the rest of the group, ignoring me. "Ice is cold, or in other words, cool. So I thought hey, it could be a metaphor! And what other person to represent 'being cool' then Wendy. Unless anyone else has any other suggestions then that is why I believe Wendy is the ice bag, because she's cool." Ford confirmed with a stiff nod.