"Dipper, please listen to me!" "But I'm not done complementing you!", Lil' Dipper said as she and Dusty were at the air attack base having an argument. "That's kind of the idea!", Dusty snapped. Dipper's eyes widened in shock. "I'm tired you of you always following me around!", he continued, "I think you're stalking me, so back off!" Dipper felt horrified at what she'd just been told by her favorite former air racer-turned-SEAT. She bolted off in the other direction while starting her two engines. She taxied by Blade Ranger, who saw tears welling up in her eyes. The red helicopter turned toward Dusty with a look that said, "Boy, you've done it this time." Dusty got that through to his mind, but before he could react Dipper took off heading towards and over the mountains. He taxied to the runway to follow her, but the helicopter blocked his path saying, "I think you've caused more than enough trouble around here. Your actions will result in your floats being taken away. You will be left in the hangar so you can think about what just happened. Maru, do your job!" Maru, a purplish-blue forklift with large tires and a missing tooth came over and directed Dusty to the workshop hangar.
TWO WEEKS LATER.
Fire season had finally ended for the year. Dusty was still in his holding cell-like hangar, propped up on a stand. Suddenly the doors opened, letting blinding light inside. Dusty squinted his eyes just enough to be able to look at a figure rolling towards him. His eyes adjusted to the brightness, and he saw that it was Dottie. "Blade Ranger told me everything.", the forklift said to Dusty, "I'm very disappointed." Dusty could barely look at her, since he felt guilty. Dottie added, "I'm putting the floats back on, since Maru joined the search party. Dusty looked confused. "You don't know?", she asked him. Dusty shook his nose. Dottie broke the news to him saying, "Dipper is missing." Dusty's eyes widened as he gasped. "WHAT?!", Dusty yelled. "Calm down.", she told him, "I just modified the floats so they can act as reserve fuel tanks. That will extend your shift in the search." She went out and then came back with the floats and a toolbox. One grueling hour later, Dusty rolled out of the hangar and taxied towards Dipper's hangar. He got inside and looked all the pictures of him on one wall. Dusty then started talking to himself. "Dipper, if you can hear me, I want you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I'm so sorry. I'll never talk back at you ever again. I'll do whatever it takes to bring you home safely. I swear on my life. You're tough, intelligent, and most of all…" It took Dusty a few seconds or so to utter that last word. "beautiful."
Cutting through the valley, Dusty scoured the countless acres of dense forest looking for a yellow speck that would be Dipper. Then he received a transmission on his radio. "Crophopper Seven, Dipper has been spotted two-zero nautical miles off of your position. Change your current heading to one-niner-zero." "Copy, that.", Dusty replied immediately. He banked left and headed towards Dipper's location. After thirty minutes of climbing up and down mountains, Dusty spotted a lake. In it he saw a yellow dot floating on the surface. "Dipper!", he exclaimed with glee. But when he got low enough he saw that her eyes were closed. Dusty immediately started to worry as he prepared to land on the water. His floats made contact with the water as he touched down. He slowed and turned so he could float over to her. Dusty shut off his engine once he was in front of her. "Dipper?!", he called to her. Dipper opened her eyes slowly, revealing Dusty in front of her. "D-D-Dusty?", she stammered in a whisper. He asked her, "Are you alright?" Dipper shook her nose. "What happened?", he asked. "I don't know.", she answered simply. Dusty looked up and gasped when he saw that part of Dipper's tail was missing. Then he noticed that one of her eyes was half-opened. Her elevators were also slightly warped. He immediately turned on his radio. "Windlifter, Dipper's been seriously hurt. She needs to be taken to the hospital. We're two hundred miles northeast of the base." As soon as he finished the transmission, he saw Dipper's eyes closing. "No, stay with me!", he exclaimed, "Help is coming!" Dipper's breathing suddenly became shallower. "DIPPER!"