In a small town by a lake where the trees grow tall and objects occasionally fall up instead of down there lived a brother and a sister, twins to be precise, named Dipper and Mabel. One day, while walking through the woods near her Grand Uncle's Mystery Shack Mabel came upon a curious clearing of trees, a clearing quite unlike any she'd seen before. Although she could not have know it at the time, by fate or by chance the tendrils of causality stretching back past the emergence of what could barely be called life all the way to the improbable birth of the Universe itself had decreed that Mabel would find this exact place, at that exact time. While the individual threads in Time's tapestry are imperceptible to most one entity, who still remembered the universe when it was young, watched with keen interest as these particular threads converged…
Dipper struggled to keep up with Mabel as she pranced through the woods ahead of him. It had only been a few days since he'd reclaimed his body from Bill Cipher and his, well, everything still ached more than he thought possible. He'd vowed never be duped by the dapper triangle again, but he'd have been lying if the prospect of not having a body for a few hours didn't hold some appeal.
"Come on Dipper!" yelled Mabel. "If we don't get there in time we'll miss it!"
"I'm…oy…coming!" Dipper caught up with his sister at the edge of a small clearing where the evening shadows were growing long over the needle-covered ground. "So what is the big surprise-?" he began.
"Shhh!" Mabel hushed. "Just wait." The sun touched the horizon and its light glinted off something at the center of the clearing. From this initial spark a narrow beam emerged and refracted off seven equidistant points around the clearing, forming a star made of light. The needles and debris that carpeted the clearing twitched and rolled until they were lifted into a powerful cyclone that remained fixed at the center. Through the vortex Mabel and Dipper were able to make out something hidden beneath the litter. It appeared to be a statue of a man's head, only with two faces, one on either side. Dipper reached out his hand to touch the torrent of needles, and in a flash the vortex collapsed, obscuring the bust from view. Astonished, Dipper ran to the center of the clearing and began sifting through the debris.
"Don't bother." said Mabel "It's not there." Dipper scraped frantically but found only dirt beneath.
"That was…Mabel, that was amazing!"
"I know right? Light activated tornado hiding creepy two-faced statue? That's easily a triple weird score for 'Gravity Falls Scrabble.'" Dipper pulled out and began flipping through his Journal.
"I thought we agreed that phenomena could only count as double…Here it is!" He placed the Journal in his lap and began reading. "Janus: Roman God of beginnings and transitions. It says 'Commonly depicted as a man with two faces Janus is associated with the passage of one state to another, and can serve as a representation of the past and future, or doorways and passages.'" Dipper looked up, his face full of excitement. "Mabel, I think this is some sort of portal!"
"Very clever Dipper." cawed a small, raspy voice. Mabel and Dipper turned to see a large, black raven perched upon a stump. The raven puffed its chest and extended its wings. "Do not be afraid young Pines. I am here to make you a proposition." Dipper and Mabel looked at the bird, and then back at each other. Mabel smirked and pointed at the raven with her thumb.
"Get a load of the talking bird." she said. "I bet you a week's worth of chores it was once a man who was cursed to live as a crow."
"No way," countered Dipper "it's definitely a witch's familiar that has been given the power of speech." Indignant, the raven flew to a perch above the twins.
"I am no such thing!" it declared, spreading its wings. The shadow it cast across the ground grew large and contorted into dark puppets that acted out its words. "I have lived for many years and I have had many names. I harried your people as Oreb, and I abandoned the Tower and toppled the British Empire. I was the herald of Apollo and Odin and mount to Shani. I defied Noah and nourished Elijah. I was muse to Poe and Hamlet's cry of vengeance. I am bad luck…I am death…and I stole the light that became the sun, the moon and the stars." Mabel and Dipper stared ahead dumbly. The raven dropped its wings in frustration. "I am Raven." it paused for a response. "The Raven?"
"So…you're, like, a God or something?" asked Mabel.
"Well…no, not a God exactly. More like an immortal personification of…" Dipper and Mabel continued to stare blankly. "Sure." the raven sighed. "I'm a God. I have to say you two are awfully hard to impress."
"I kissed a mermaid." shrugged Mabel.
"And last week a dream demon pulled my soul from my body." added Dipper. "A talking bird is honestly one of the tamer things we've seen this summer." The raven buried its head into its wing.
"Fair enough." it said, upset that its well-rehearsed entrance had fallen completely flat. The trio stood in awkward silence before Mabel finally spoke up.
"So…you were saying something about a portal…?"
"Huh? Oh! Right." The raven flew to another branch and indicated the clearing with its wing. "You were correct, this is a portal. You see, when the universe began there were infinite planes of existence and many bled into one another before they settled into their present state. Through the tumult some developed a kind of sympathetic relationship where the ideas of one would be made manifest in another, such as the planes of myth and your universe. Thus, as man dreamt of Gods and heroes, so too did the figures of myth dream of man and his world."
"But how could they create one another at the same time if neither of them existed first?" asked Dipper.
"Because the magical bird said so." snapped the raven. "Don't interrupt! Anyway, over time these planes separated and the boundaries hardened, and in the chaotic, ambiguous space between new entities emerged, demons that could not enter the planes on their own, but could be brought through by invocation."
"Like Bill?" asked Mabel.
"Exactly. The triangle is why I have come to you today. We have a…mutual interest in his departure, and with your help I believe it can be done." Dipper and Mabel perked up.
"But how?" asked Dipper, holding out the Journal, "I've looked through this thing hundreds of times and I've never found any sort of banishing ritual."
"The portal." answered the raven. "While the boarders between planes have all but sealed, there are…exceptions. Rare soft spots in the membrane where the gap can be bridged. Gravity Falls is such a place. I'm sure you've wondered why this town is so unusual." It gestured again to the clearing. "This portal is a passage to the world of myth and the source of much of this town's…character. Were the triangle…persuaded to pass through, he would be trapped on the other plane where his 'powers' would be of little consequence."
"But how would you get him to go through?" asked Dipper "And why do you need us?" The raven raised its wings. A wind began to blow through the trees as the color drained from the world. The clearing grew dark and the bird's eyes glowed red.
"I can be very persuasive." it cawed, its voice deeper and more resonant. Mabel and Dipper crouched together, feeling genuine fear for the first time since they'd met the dark bird. "As for why I need you…" the raven lower its wings and the world returned to normal. "The ceremony to open the portal requires a male and a female sibling, twins in point of fact." The raven took off and landed at the center of the clearing. "When the sun is in alignment and the head of Janus is exposed the portal may be opened with a sacrifice-" Dipper and Mabel's eyes widened and they took a step back. The raven shook its head. "Not that kind of sacrifice. The siblings must bring an offering, something of value to pay Janus."
"Like, what sort of thing?" asked Mabel tentatively.
"That all depends on how long you wish to have the portal open. Something of great monetary value alone will only buy you a moment, while objects of sentimental value will last longer. A living sacrifice…" the raven lifted its wings and cast a shadow that resembled a small pig.
"No!" yelled Mabel with shocked horror. She grabbed her brother's hand and turned back home. "Dipper, let's get out of here, I don't trust this this bird."
"Just a joke." called the raven, cackling quietly. "We would need very little time, a sentimental item from you both will suffice." Dipper pulled back and Mabel leaned in.
"There's something off about this whole thing." she whispered.
"I know, I feel it too…but this could be our chance to get rid of Bill."
"What if this thing is even worse? We don't know how powerful it is and Dipper, what it did before where it took away the color, that was exactly like Bill. I don't think we can trust this thing." Dipper cast his eyes at the ground and collected his thoughts.
"You're right." he said simply. "We probably can't trust it, and it's not like I haven't been tricked before." He rubbed his arm ruefully. "But Mabel, what if it works? I don't know what Bill is planning but I know it's going to be bad and so far this is the only thing we've found that might stop him. I know it's risky, but what if this is the only chance we get? Isn't that worth the risk?" Mabel crossed her arms in frustration and looked away.
"Fine." she said finally. "Let's give it a try."
"Thank you." said Dipper, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Alright," said Mabel, turning back to the raven. "We'll help you do the ceremony. I just have one question…why do you want to help us get rid of Bill?" The raven tilted its head slightly and stared off into the woods.
"These young demons," it began, its voice oozing with contempt. "the products of the chaos between planes? I find them…distasteful." The raven swept its wing and levitated into the air, a cyclone of forest debris following its ascent. "They have no elegance, no sophistication, all basic shapes and babbling madness. They are tiresome." The vortex expanded, pushing Mabel and Dipper outside of the clearing. "Return tomorrow with the objects before the sun reaches the horizon." The raven reached the canopy of the forest. "And one more thing…" it called down, its voice once again deep and resonant. "Don't let yourselves be fooled by the triangle. He will no doubt attempt to upset our plans. YOU MUST NOT LISTEN TO HIM!" The raven's warning trailed off into a guttural caw before the bird vanished into the sky.
…
Dipper was digging through the rumpled contents of his laundry pile looking for something he could give to the portal. Mabel had volunteered her shooting star sweater, a sacrifice that was not lost on Dipper. Try as hard as he could though Dipper couldn't come up with something of equal value. The Journal wasn't an option, that was too valuable, but something like his BABBA CDs didn't seem special enough. He came across the "what-the-heck-ahedron," still unsolved, and tossed the toy carelessly over his shoulder. As he did so everything slowed and color faded from the world while the puzzle glowed white. A single, slit pupil rolled to the front of the ball before a bright flash of light filled the room.
"Long time no see kid." taunted a familiar, nasally, nigh-omnipotent voice. "Looks like you've been busy since 'I moved out.'" Dipper grabbed a golf club from the floor.
"Get away from me Bill!" Dipper raised the club menacingly.
"Awww come on roomie, after all we've shared? Incidentally, how are those arms healing up?"
"Argh!" Dipper took a swing at the sinister triangle, which passed through him with harmlessly.
"Yeesh, you take over a guy's body one time…"
"I have nothing to say to you." said Dipper, throwing down the club and turning back to the pile.
"Well I've got a few words for you Pine Tree. I heard you made a friend." Bill clapped his hands and created a small, black bird that took off around the room before gradually disintegrating into nothing but bone and ash. "An unusual friend…" he trailed off.
"I meet a lot weird things Bill, why do you care?"
"Oh no reason, I was just wondering…" Bill grew enormous and his eye glowed red, "WHAT PLANS YOU'D MADE?" Dipper turned and stared down the monstrosity. A smirk crept onto his face.
"You don't know?" he asked. "I thought you knew 'lots of things.'" Bill shrank down to his normal size.
"Of course I know!" he said defensively. "I was just…checking to see if you knew…" Dipper continued to smirk, unconvinced. "Alright," said Bill, rising his hands in surrender, "You got me kid, that bird is a blind spot for me. Here's the thing Pine Tree, whatever it told you, don't believe it. It's more powerful than you know and however straight forward the deal may seem, take it from me, there's ALWAYS a catch and it's NEVER that simple."
"Why should I believe anything you say? Why would I ever side with you over it?"
"Devil you know kid." said Bill, examining his non-existent nails. "Don't get me wrong, I've been around the ethereal block, but that guy? He's old kid. Inscrutable. With me at least you know where you stand, but that guy? Plans within plans Pine Tree, plans within plans. Trust me, whatever it offered you, it's not worth it." Dipper stepped up and looked the demon square in the eye.
"We're going to defeat you Bill. You're done. We won. Enjoy the time you have left." Bill's eye blazed red and the demon shook the room with its rage.
"YOU'VE WON NOTHING KID! You're a pawn in game you couldn't begin to understand! You're being used Pine Tree, and very soon you'll see what a FOOL you are!" Bill vanished and the puzzle shattered on the floor. Mabel came up the stairs to see what was wrong.
"What was that?" she asked, looking around the room.
"Bill." said Dipper, picking up part of the toy.
"Bill was here?" asked Mabel. Suddenly her eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're the real Dipper?" she asked suspiciously.
"Mabel it's me, do you really think I'd let him take over my body twice?"
"That's just what an evil triangle would say…" she grabbed the golf club and began stalking Dipper around the room. He held up his hands pleadingly. "Prove you're Dipper and not a demon in a Dipper suit!" she demanded.
"Mabel, I swear it's me I'm-wup!" Dipper tripped over a suitcase and rolled into the desk, where, one by one, a teetering pile of books dropped onto his head. Dipper lay back and moaned. "Ow…my…everything." Mabel smiled and put down the club.
"I'm convinced." she said, offering him a hand. "What did he say?"
"Just what the crow said he would; that we shouldn't trust it, that it was old and had 'plans within plans.'" Mabel looked down uncomfortably and began to fidget with the sleeve of her sweater. "You still don't think this is a good idea, do you?"
"No…" said Mabel, tugging at an errant thread. "…Maybe…I don't know." She flopped on the ground and pulled in her legs. "I know we need to get rid of Bill, but there's something about that bird that just feels…wrong." Dipper sat next to her.
"I know we're taking a risk, but Mabel I just know Bill is planning something terrible. We're the only ones who can stop him and this may be the only chance we get." Mabel stared at the floor and sighed.
"I know Bro Bro." she said, looking up at him. "I'm with you."
"Thanks." said Dipper, squeezing her hand.
"So what are you going to give up?" asked Mabel.
"I wasn't sure until Bill gave me an idea." He took off his hat and handed it to Mabel. "He keeps calling me 'Pine Tree.' I've that hat through all our adventures this summer and I wear it to cover up my birth mark." he brushed aside his hair. "So I guess it's valuable to me."
…
In the waning hours of daylight Mabel and Dipper entered the mysterious clearing with their offerings held closely to their chests. They looked nervously around the deserted circle. "Have you brought the objects?" inquired the raspy voice. The raven was perched on thin air a few feet above them. It eyed the sweater and hat the twins had brought and nodded. "Fine choices." it cawed coolly. "Fine choices indeed." The raven trotted across the air to the center of the circle.
"How will you force Bill here?" asked Dipper, following the raven.
"I'll summon him of course." The raven waved its wings and a circle of flames like the ones Gideon had used ignited around the clearing. "He must respond when summoned." The sun touched the horizon and the light at the center of the circle began to glow. "Quickly!" cawed the raven. "Stand on either side of the portal. Wait until the triangle appears, then cast your offerings into the vortex." The star formed, the winds swirled and the raven began its invocation. "Triangulum, entangulum. Veneforis dominus ventium. Veneforis venetisarium!" The raven's eyes glowed blue and once again color drained from the forest. Bill's component parts assembled within the vortex and he flashed into being. "NOW!" cried the raven. Dipper and Mabel threw the hat and sweater into the cyclone, which roared unnervingly.
"What the...?" Bill looked around with momentary confusion. In an instant the portal erupted with light and glowing tendrils snatched the demon from the air. "Woe woe HEY! Watch where you're grabbing!" Bill unleashed a powerful beam from his eye, which widened with disbelief. "The portal?!" he yelled as he struggled against the light. "You opened the portal?! You have no idea what you've done Pine Tree! I warned you!" Bill unleashed a torrent of lighting, which passed through his bonds uselessly. Before he was completely consumed Bill narrowed his eye and shook his cane at Dipper. "I…WARNED…YOU!" With that Bill was pulled beyond the threshold and vanished from sight.
The light from the portal bent around the raven, condensing into streams and patterns before they burst, knocking back Dipper and Mabel. They shielded their eyes and looked up. The bird was unchanged, but it was now enveloped within an aura of painted black and red formlines in the shape of an enormous, stylized raven.
For a moment the roar of the cyclone cut out and the only sound Dipper and Mabel could hear was the hiss of the portal. Finally the raven opened its eyes and looked down, its aura mimicking its every movement.
"You've done well Pines. I cannot express how much your sacrifice means to me." Dipper and Mabel struggled to their feet, still shaken. "But now I'm afraid I must ask for something more..."
Mabel gasped and the color drained from Dippers face.
"Oh no." he chocked. "Mabel! RU-WAHHH!" Before he could finish the raven's aura beat its massive wings and the two were snatched up by the wind.
"AHHH!" yelled Mable as she was thrown around the vortex like a rag doll. In the chaos Dipper crashed into his sister and frantically held on to her baggy sweater with all his might.
"I'm sorry!" he yelled desperately through the wind. "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you!" They approached the apex of the tornado with the portal yawning hungrily beneath. Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm and swung him around so they were face to face. The winds dissipated, and for a moment they hung together, motionless in the air.
"We're going to be ok." she said, touching her forehead against his. With that, Gravity resumed its usual duties and the pair plummeted past the event horizon and into the world beyond.