For the final week of Forduary, I present my story for... WEEK 4: LOVE! One of the subcategories that was suggested was "connection", and I thought this story fit that idea quite perfectly! I actually had it written long before Forduary started, and had to wait until week 4 to post it...
Anyway, this story takes place in substitution of Dungeons Dungeons and More Dungeons, since for it to work, the events of that episode kind of couldn't have happened. You'll understand once you read...
It's also heavily inspired by a few different quotes in Journal 3, particularly all the things Ford writes about Dipper. It got me thinking... how did he begin to see all that potential in his great-nephew? And also, how did he find out about Dipper's and his paralleled oddities?
ANYWAY (after all that...) ENJOY!
(Ford's POV)
I look over my calculations again, tapping my pencil on the desk. There had to be some way to extract the leftover instability from the remainder of the portal. I mean, we can't afford a tear opening now, not when He's so intent on getting through.
I look through the glass wall to the machine. It's been sparking a lot ever since Stanley brought me back, creating tiny portals I've had to snuff out like candle flames. Of all the irresponsible things my brother has done, his management of that gateway has to be the worst offense...
Suddenly, I start to a noise behind me. I turn my desk chair to see my great-nephew standing at the other end of the lab.
I sigh. He's been so unbelievably insistent on helping me since I returned. Clearly, he doesn't understand just how dangerous and complicated my work is. Still, I bite back the annoyance in my voice. "What is it, Dipper?"
"Oh- uh, nothing. I was just... um, dropping by, y'know?" He stutters. "To see if... if you needed anything..."
"I'm fine," I say a bit too quickly. He looks taken aback, so I soften my tone. "Just... just let me know when dinner is ready. Thank you, Dipper."
I turn back to my notes, assuming he'll just leave. Time to put those calculations to the test. I open the door to the portal's room, eyeing the contraption carefully for any signs of destabilization. Alright, now to-
"What are you doing?"
I turn abruptly, appalled to see Dipper inside the room.
"Dipper! What on Earth are you doing in here? It's far too d-"
A sound starts behind me, cutting me off. Crackling.
The portal!
"Dipper, get down!" I yell at him.
"Wh-" He starts, only to be silenced by a zap of electricity shooting through the air. A rip in space begins to form where the bolt struck, opening in the corner of the room. I start to run for it; I have to close it before-
As I run, my feet slowly begin to lose their connection to the ground. Dipper cries out behind me as the gravity in the space shifts. "Grunkle Ford! W-what's going on?" He looks toward the vortex, trying to maintain his balance.
I look back at the tear. No. It's too big. Bigger than any of the others I've dealt with so far. And even though I know there's no true good option... if it means stopping Him...
I take a deep breath. "Dipper... I need your help!" I call out to him.
"My help? Bu-"
"Yes! Your help! Can you get yourself closer to the tear?" He nods, using the wall to air-swim his way towards it. I start to do the same. "Okay, we're going to use this when I count to three." I pull my containment unit out of my inner coat pocket. "I'm going to open it, and you're going to help me make sure I get all of the rift."
Dipper looks at the snowglobe-like object in my hands. "But how? Why do you need me to help?"
"Dipper, that doesn't matter right now! Let's just say... it's going to take some force to get this thing contained. But we need to hurry!" I can already feel the forces in the room becoming unstable. Much longer, and who knows the effects it could have on us.
"O-okay. On three."
"Alright. Hold on to it. One, two..." He takes a hold of the containment unit just as our loose garments float away. "Three!" I open the globe. Immediately, the void is drawn to it, shifting all the forces in the room to the one corner. Dipper and I struggle to hold it steady as the crushing g-forces and blinding flashes of light. "Hang on! Almost got it!" I look over at my great-nephew, a tense and determined look on his face- and something else.
Suddenly, we're thrown to the floor. I make sure to catch the containment unit and hug it close to my chest as I hit the concrete; can't risk it breaking. I sigh in relief, before pushing myself into a sitting position. Dipper sits up as well, groaning in pain.
"Did... did we get it?" He asks in a strained voice, rubbing a cut on his arm.
I look at the strange galaxy-like substance in the globe. "We got it." I force myself to my feet, offering my hand to help Dipper up. He looks surprised for a second, but gratefully takes it.
We walk back to the main part of my lab, and I set the container on my desk. Huh. Maybe he's got potential after all, I think as I look at it. And also...
Before I can stop myself, I ask, "Dipper, can I ask you something?"
He turns to me; he must have been heading to the elevator. "Yeah?"
"Why... why do they call you 'Dipper'?"
His eyes widen as he reaches for his hat, not having noticed it was missing. "My hat-"
"I picked it up, don't worry." I hold up the item. "I.. I was just... curious, is all."
"I... it's- it's just a nickname."
"All nicknames have a story behind them." Right, Sixer?
"Yeah, but I... I don't know if I'm ready. It's just... I've known some not-so-nice people, and..." he trails off, shifting from one foot to the other. Something I've done far too many times in my own life.
"Hey, come over here," I say gently. He does. "Look, I know a thing or too about 'not-so-nice people' myself."
"P-promise you won't make fun of me?"
"Who am I to tease?" I say, holding up my hand. He looks at it, studying my fingers before taking a deep breath and brushing back his hair.
"That's why."
I look at the peculiar pattern he revealed. A birthmark. And not just that, but remarkably similar to that of the Ursa Major. "How intriguing..." I say in awe.
He lets his bangs fall back down. "Wait... you mean, you don't think it's... weird?"
"Of course not. I'd just say it's one more thing we have in common, my boy," I tell him, mussing up his hair. He smiles in return.
"Th-thanks, Great Uncle Ford."
I hand him his hat back, and he starts to walk toward the elevator. Before he gets there, I yell "Oh, and Dipper?" He turns back with a questioning look. "If... if you ever want to, you know... I'd be more than happy to have your company down here in the lab."
"Really?" His expression lights up.
"Really. I think, well, I think there's a lot you and I could do together."
Dipper grins one last time before getting in the elevator.
Once he's gone, I pull out my third journal. Originally, I'd just ignored all the things he'd written in it, even getting angry with what I'd assumed just to be some pre-teen's personal diary. But now... I may as well give it a look. And upon reading it, it becomes clearer than ever.
It's exactly like reading about a younger version of myself. Our interests, our passions, our feats, our escapades... it's all paralleled, right down to the even stranger coincidence that we both have some kind of odd birth defect. Reading of all the adventures; it's almost like... like destiny.
I finally have someone like me.