Chapter Text
“HOLD TIGHT!”
The whole ship is panicking. The crews scattered around the ship, in the engine room and the cabin. The captain tries his best to keep the ship steady. The life of 121 marine officers and crew were on his hand. The mission is supposed to be easy. Just a simple coast patrol. But in just a minute, it had turned into a living nightmare. The storm is raging on and the wave is higher than a four-storey building. Even an experienced captain like Captain Andrew has trouble against this kind of storm.
“What should we do sir?! It’s category 4!” asked the cabin crew. “I don’t know! Just wished for the best. I have never faced any storm like this. It’s so sudden!” Said the old captain. It’s true. Usually, storms have some initial sign and warning, but this storm was so sudden even the crews didn’t realise the storm until the ship was hit by a big wave.
“CAPTAIN!!” one of the cabin crew shouted, bringing all the attention in the cabin to the direction his pointing. All the cabin crew gasped in horror when they saw what I front of their eyes.
A giant wave, approximately 200 m in height, approached them. The captain realised it was too late to change direction to avoid the wave.
“BRACE YOURSELVES!!!” The captain shouted. He silently pray for safety, although he knew there was no chance of surviving a wave that big. He closed his eyes, ready for the impact to come. He waits, and waits, and waits, but the impact never comes.
'That's weird. A wave that big wouldn’t settle down so easily.’ He thought, still closing his eyes as he also realised the ship have stop shaking.
He braced himself to open his eyes and was shocked by what he had witnessed. In front of the ship, was a feminine figure, purple skin, blond hair with streaks of purples, wearing a pure white ancient greek-like peplos. The figure (definitely not human) was floating in front of the ship, glowing with her arms stretched to the side. The captain and his crew were dumbfounded by what they see. The storm seems to ease with the figure present.
The figure turned around, facing the whole crew and shocked them once more. The figure's eyes with purple scleras and white irises starred sharply at them. She had a pair of mermaid-like ears and webbed hands. They were frozen and stunned. The figure then closed her eyes before her whole body glowed in purple and vanished.
The crew was still stunned by the event. Silence filled the whole cabin. “Does The Guardian Of The Sea, Atlantica, just save us?” one of the crew finally spoke up. Captain Andrew shook his head in disbelief. “I think it’s time for me to retire.” Said the old captain
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Pacifica is so bored. She lay on top of some coral reef, looking at the sky from the sea bed. She thought being a demon was fun as her ally, Dipper told her, but she rarely got summoned by anyone. The dorky demon told her that since she was technically an ocean demon, different from himself as a dream demon, her power was limited to the sea. Usually, people would summon her for good fishing seasons, for safety at the sea, and sometimes, a bunch of idiots would summon her to look for treasures.
Suddenly, a silhouette appears above her, just above the water surface. She was so excited that she bursts herself out of the water and tackles the figure into a hug. “Al! So good to see you!” she said. Dipper was startled as she got him off guard. “WOAHH!!! PACIFICA!” he almost lost his balance, holding his top hat so it would fall over. Pacifica giggled at her companion.
Every time when Dipper didn’t have any summons and didn’t have anything to do with his family, he would visit her. He felt very bad for her since she couldn’t leave the sea and go to the land, well at least not strong enough to do so yet. The furthest she could get was at the sea shore. “Dip, I’m hungry... Did you bring anything for me?” Pacifica whined. Dipper took off his top hat, and insert his hand into the hat before pulling out a few glowing blue orbs. Souls. “Thanks!” Pacifica took the souls from him, swallowing all of them in one go. Being an ocean demon means she didn’t quite have a lot of food sources. Usually, she would take the souls of illegal hunters who hunted for selkie, mermaids and other sea creatures. Sometimes, she would take the soul of the unfortunate sailors who died at the sea. Having Dipper, who was one of the strongest demons as a companion really gave her some advantages.
“So, how’s work?” Pacifica asked him. “Well, nothing much. Some idiots summons me so they could change the United States' name into Southern Canada. I don’t know why but they did ask for it. Then there’s a bunch of stupid high schoolers summon me for a dare. Instead, they got a two hours long lecture from me on why you shouldn’t summon any demons, especially me.” “Let me guess before you did that, you scares them until one of them pissed in his pants,” Pacifica said, smiling sheepishly at Dipper. He put his hand on his chest, showing disbelief. “Oh, how dare you throw such accusations.” He said, sarcastically. Both of them burst into laughter.
“I saw the news by the way. You save a ship full of marines, what’s it true?” Dipper asked her. She nodded. “Oh yeah, the ship. The storm almost destroys them. Good thing I was around. But,” Alcor looked at her in full seriousness. “The storm. It’s not natural. Something caused it. Something strong. I’m worried Dip. What if something happens and you are not around?” Pacifica called Dipper by his real name, showing that she was really scared. Worried. The two demons just hovering above the sea surface, and not a single word came out. Suddenly, Dipper wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hey hey, don’t worry Paz. I promise I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I’m the one who pulled you into..... this. So you’re my responsibility. My anchor. I will make sure anything who tries to mess with you would pay. If you’re still worried,”
Dipper hovered a bit higher than her, holding her head with his hand and planting a kiss on her forehead.
“There. Now nobody would try to hurt you that now I have marked you.” He looked her in the eyes. She smiled at him. She likes it when he called her by her real name, despite that he had stated several times that if someone else asides from family knew their real name, they could use it to bind them. It just, she felt like a person once again if she was called by her real name. “Al?” “Hmm?” “Did you ever... You know, missed being alive?” Alcor sighed. She had asked the same question several times, not that he can blame her though. He understands how it feels. “Sometimes.” He simply answered. Pacifica wrapped her arm around him, embracing him in a hug. “I can’t wait to be able to visit them.” She said into Alcor’s chest. Alcor return the embrace and patted her hair. “ Don’t worry. Just a matter of time before you gain enough power to leave the ocean.” He comforts her.
They remain in a hug for a while. Dipper chuckled. When he first become a demon, never in his mind had he imagine to have any relationship. Mabel had asked him a few times, but he didn’t want to form any relationship with any creature. Yet, here he is, comforting his old friend / now demon partner. Axolotl really does like to give him surprises.
“Oh!” Suddenly, Pacifica felt a tug of summons. “Well, work calls. Want to tag along, Al?” she stands up from her sitting position. Dipper gave her a grin as he stand up. “After you, my lady.” Atlantica giggled at Dipper’s antic. She hold his hand and motioned her hand like waves. They then were surrounded by foams of purple bubbles before disappeared and reappeared again at a sea shore. In front of them was a woman, most likely in her fifties.
“THE OCEAN CALLED UPON MY NAME! WHO HAD SUMMONS ME, ATLANTICA GUARDIAN OF THE SEAS!” She make her usual dramatic entrance, something Dipper had taught her. Dipper made himself invisible so the summoner wouldn’t be surprised by his presence. “I-It's me, great Atlantica. I’m the one who summons you.” The woman said. Pacifica examines the summoning circle that the woman had drawn, clearly, it’s her first time summoning a demon, a sign that she is desperate. “AND WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR?” Pacifica asked, crossing her arms. “My son... He’s lost. About two months ago at the sea, went fishing with his friends. Their boat was overturned, and his friends survived, but he is nowhere to be found. The police team stopped the search a month ago, but I refuse to believe he’s gone. Please, Atlantica! I know he’s still out there, I know he’s still alive! Please, I would trade anything for me to see my son back!” tears streaming down the woman’s face. Pacifica looked at her sympathetically. She’s maybe a demon, but she’s also a mother. She couldn’t imagine what it feels like if Theo, her adoptive son went missing, without a trace.
She closed her eyes, reaching her omniscient to search for the son's presence. She feels all the island, none. She feels the oceans, none. She feels any possible places the son might be, none. She couldn’t feel his soul. Slowly, she opened her eyes at looked at the woman. “ I’m sorry ma'am. But..... Your son, he’s gone. His soul wasn’t on the physical plane anymore. I’m sorry.” Unnoticed by her, purple tears started streaming down her face. She just could see the woman feel into her knee and break down into tears. Sobs turned into wails. Suddenly, Pacifica felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to Dipper, who is passing her something. She’s a little bit confused, only to understand when she touches the thing and her omniscient tells her what is it. She smiled, take the thing and whispered thank you to him.
Pacifica lowers herself to the woman, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder. She looked at her. Pacifica gave her the thing Alcor gave her earlier. The woman’s eyes widened while her hand slowly reaches the thing. “T-This....” “Your son’s favourite hat. The one he’s wearing when he lost.” The woman clutches the hat, not wanting to let it go. “Thank you, Atlantica. Thank you.” The woman looked at her. She gave the woman a warming smile. Suddenly, the woman’s eyes widened in shock. “Al-Alcor!” Pacifica turned her head around at her fellow demon who just realised he forgot to maintain his invisibility. Both of them thought the same thing 'Shit!’ “Okaybyehaveaniceday!” she waved her hand, and once again both of them disappears in foams of purple bubbles. The woman just blinked in confusion.
The demon couple reappears at the spot where they are before. Dipper was laughing so hard until tears streaming from his eyes while Pacifica just giggled. “Al! We’re having an emotional moment! Why must you ruin it!” she said between giggles. “Hey! At least I helped!” Dipper said after he recovered from his laughter. That just turned Pacifica's giggles into laughs. Dipper joined in.
After both of them recovered from their laughter, they just hang out and talked to each other. Dipper told her about Theo who at that time was under his sister’s care. Theo had already gotten over the fact that his mother was now a demon. He was just disappointed not to be able to visit her. Pacifica felt the same. So Dipper was the one who act like a messenger between those too, although it kinda breaks his heart when he saw sadness in her eyes every time he told her about Theo. Making him more determined to help her to gain more power. That’s why he sometimes follows her to her summons, so he could help her. 'Don’t worry Paz. I would help you through this. I promise in my name, Alcor the Dreambender.’