Author's note: Ok, so this is by request of Barbacar but also the "prequel" of my fic, Deep in the Woods. It might answer a few questions but not all, mind you. Enjoy!

And if you want a good experience of it, put "Adagio of Life and Death" by Joe Hisaishi or "Host of the Seraphim" and "Coming Home" by Lisa Gerrard.

Yomi no Sekai

There was a soft wind floating around. It brushed away the last remains of the Fearamid, the monsters, abnormalities, Bill… Everything. The angry top of the bubble where the Weirdmaggedon had been contained closed his jaws and with it, all of its contents. Nothing could be left and sooner or later, it would cause the long-feared end of the Nightmare Dimension. A blue afternoon sky was beginning to settle around all the inhabitants of the valley as the golden light shone over the pine forest. It all seemed like a dream and yet, he could still feel the burnt ashes dancing around him, the razed skin smell. Closing his eyes was no longer an option.

War was finally over but the battle had been lost, a slaughter on both sides. He wanted to have something to hold on to. Anything but there was nothing. She was gone; it was a fact he would have to accept sooner or later. But could he? A rustle of feet brought him back to the forest. He was Dipper Pines. They had beaten the Dream Demon, Bill, and now he was staring at the results. His Great Uncle Ford stood not far from him, staring in tears at his twin, Stanley. His Grunkle Stan, that con man who had spent a whole summer watching over his two anchors, his grand nephew and… his grand niece. Now she was gone forever and so were his memories. The prize to pay to save the world but why did it have to be so high? The boy could not understand. He tried clinging to his sister's memory but her name didn't make it pass his lips.

All he could do was retreat into his mind.

Stanford Pines glanced across to his grand-nephew. The boy was shaking like mad, covered in mud, blood and tears. He couldn't blame him. Nobody could. This war had been the end of the boy's world in many ways and his. The scientist looked at his brother, still on his knees. He knew the prize to pay, agreed in a way with Stan to pay it but now, he couldn't bear the burden. Ford took all the blame for himself. He looked away, almost ready to jump off the Gravity Falls cliffs but he stood his ground. Stan needed him now more than ever. Memories or not, his twin would always be his twin.

"…Uh" Stanley blinked in confusion. It was like waking up from a strange dream that suddenly had went blank. Where was he and who was the man in the suit looking at him? He did look miserable. As if someone had died. But no one had, right? He gazed around but saw nothing familiar. The stranger held back his tears and grabbed a fez from the ground, gently putting it on his head. "Uh… Who…"

"…" the foreigner said nothing. He just hugged him and cried heavily. "… I… I'm sorry… I'm… This is all my fault, Ley"

"Wo… What are you…?" he didn't understand a thing but for some reason, he felt sad too. He could feel that he knew this man.

"I... should have been here… with you… She's… gone… She's…" the man looked for comfort against his shoulder. They remained in silence for a long while until they parted and the stranger could brush his tears away. "Stanley. Stanley, do you know who I am?"

"Uuuh… No. Do I know you?"

"…" the man looked away in defeat, as if some hope had just been blown away. "I'm Stanford Pines and you are Stanley Pines, my…"

"…"

"Never mind that now" he got up and looked at the child.

"Who's that?" asked Stan.

"Your nephew, Dipper" Ford walked towards the boy and touched his shoulder. He was quickly brushed away. He could hear the child crying hard under his hat. "…" Ford kneeled down. "We have to go back"

"Go where? The Shack's gone, Stan's gone! SHE'S GONE!" Dipper barked.

"I know but it's getting dark, kiddo. And there's nothing else we can do!"

"She can't be gone! She… Bill, he…"

"But he did. And now I need your help to get Stan home"

"That's not my Grunkle!"

"Yes, it is! Do you really think I'm not mourning here, boy? That I'm not considering throwing myself down into the Bottomless Pit? But I can't. My brother needs me and he needs you, Dipper. I can pull this one if you don't help me"

"Good for you cuz this is all your fault! If you had talked with Stan earlier, if you hadn't asked me to be your apprentice, my sister would be alive!" the boy turned and faced the man. "And I was a fool to believe this could work out" Dipper was shaking in rage and sadness. He wanted to open his eyes and see her again, beaming as always, but that was not going to happen. Ford went quiet. The boy was right. He had been careless, selfish and that was how they got into this mess. He could blame Bill but still, a heavy part of it was his and his only. The scientist hugged his nephew and held him tight against his chest. Dipper wanted to flee at first but eventually, he gave in. They both have lost someone dear. "This was not meant to happen"

"I know but we can't let this family go down. We lost one of its supports; we can't afford losing the other"

"…" Dipper nodded and let himself be carried in the arms of his Great Uncle.

"Stan, it's time" Ford stared at his twin.

"Hu?" the con man looked confused.

"We must go home now" the man extended a six-fingered hand. Stanley was taken aback at first but then something crossed his mind. Sixer. He grabbed his brother's and they walked back to the Shack. The remains of the building stood like a dream. Soos was waiting for them there. The handyman tried to talk but the scientist shook his head, making the young man fall into tears. Ford opened the door and walked across the threshold to the living room.

"Nice place you got here" Stan stepped into the room and sat on the chair. "Oh, God! Now this is what I call sweetness. I may not know this place but my butt does know this"

"That's great, Stanley" Ford put down the young man. They both stared around and were able to see Waddles on the floor, waiting for his only friend. The pig seemed to be aware of what had happened. Dipper walked to his Grunkle.

"Do you know me, Stan?"

"Hmm, I don't think so. Although he says you're my nephew"

"Grand-nephew in fact. And you're my Grunkle. You have been here with my sister and me all summer, don't you remember" pleaded the boy.

"Sorry, kid. Am really trying but nothing's coming to me" the old man shook his head. "And where's that sister you say?"

"…" Dipper looked down. He couldn't do this. What was the point? The memory gun had only left a clean slate. What was the point? The boy felt fresh tears falling down his cheeks. Was he doomed to lose everything he loved? A soft rush of breeze pampered the light of the room and made a soft page sound. The boy looked up and saw then a very familiar shape. The album! He forgot all about it! Dipper got hold of it and held it against his chest. Then he felt a soft touch against his face, like a tender caress and a hug. He knew that feeling. That warmth could only belong to one person. He wanted to see the face and feel that pinky skin under his fingers but nothing happened. Dipper sighed and sadly smiled before turning to Stan who was still trying to figure out his surroundings while Soos cried heavily in the corner. "Grunkle Stan" the boy sat near him and opened the album. "Do you remember this? It's our summer together" Dipper slowly went through the pages and couldn't held back his tears as the photos marched across his eyes but little by little, story after story, the pieces slowly came together and the con man began to remember his two favorite gremlins, the Shack, Soos, Waddles, the Summer-ween and finally his twin brother. But it was not the only thing that came out of those pages. Dipper remembered then the visit to the strange cave in the woods, the dragon… "Why did you come back?" Something clicked inside his head. There was a way to undo the harm, to save his sister from her immolation to save her brother in that infernal chase. It was risky and it would take another great prize but he was willing to pay it. Dipper said nothing and watched while Ford was taking care of his twin. Perhaps, he could save them too from this fate.

The boy waited until the sun was gone and everyone was in bed to pick up the album again and head for the door.

"Big changes require big pains" someone spoke and Dipper saw that Ford was still awake and was looking at him from the corner of the porch.

"I know but, this might be our last chance"

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, kid. I was just thinking of myself and all the sorrow I have been carrying around these years" Ford looked down. "I won't stop from you if that is what you fear. I don't care what happens to me"

"I'm going to save her and I will save Stan too"

"Of that I'm sure" the scientist kneeled to the boy's level. "I wish I was a lot more like you, Dipper. My choices wouldn't have been the ones of a scared man"

"I will miss you, Great Uncle Ford" Dipper wasn't sure if the chances would include not seeing him again.

"We'll meet, you'll see. But until then, I just want you to know that you have made me very proud… my son" Stanford hugged his nephew and the boy hugged back. "I don't have kids but thanks to you, now I know what a father feels like. And I thank you" they both cried. For some long minutes, none of them moved but when they parted, they both could see the fox staring at them from the remains of the totem. "Take care, Dipper. And know this, you're a young boy but with the mind of the wisest and the heart of a lion"

Somehow the child was able to find the strength to walk away from the Shack and somehow, the scientist found peace lying next to his twin while he waited for that wrecked world to end. He held the con man's hand and closed his eyes. The Oracle, Dimension 52, the Octopus Pigglets, the metal plate, that Perfect Other World, the Nightmare Realm, Sylvia, Bill… After so many years lost, Stanford Filbrick Pines felt at peace. "Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm"

GF

Dipper walked through the forest and at times, he could make out the familiar figure of a girl in a sweater walking ahead of him and inviting him to follow. It was after midnight when he finally reached the strange cave and the first time he could make out the glowing blue symbols on the walls. He looked up to the large figure of the dragon on the other side of the grotto and noticed that it was surrounded by thousands of misty snakes that seemed to be talking at the same time.

"I'm here to make a deal" said the boy once he found his voice again.

"And what is your wish, young one. Speak and have no fear" the lizard stretched his neck towards him.

"I want my sister back. I want a second chance to prevent this from happening"

"We cannot prevent Bill's entrance, child. It was the only way to lure him into this end"

"Still, I want my sister back! And Grunkle Stan!"

"We can't bring the dead back nor give back the memories"

"…" Dipper bit his lip but didn't turn back. "Very well, then take me back. Take me to that day when I first came in here so I can give Weirdmaggedon another end. Can you do that?"

"Yes but, what are you willing to sacrifice for such wish? You ask for too much, child"

"…" the boy glanced at the album. "My memories. I'll give you every one of them and the ones of the people involved since that day"

"Then, how will you save your beloved ones?"

"I dunno but I have to try" Dipper stood his ground.

"Very well but mind you. The Dream Demon will come eventually and this time you will be on your own" the dragon left out a large cloud of blue smoke while the snakes surrounded the boy. "This world will now cease to exist and will go back to the rabbit's hole" Dipper began to feel asleep, tired, almost like dying but before he could close his eyes, he looked into the creature's. "You should know, child, that one of your Great Uncles did one asked something like you and he did pay a high prize, just like you" the darkness took over and Dipper felt like falling through a never-ending tunnel as his memories spiraled around him before disappearing one after another. He didn't want to let go of the album but he finally did. A song floated in the air and lulled him to sleep.

"And from the rain
Comes a river running wild that will create
An empire for you
Illuminate!
There's a river running wild that will create
An empire for you
An empire for two
An empire for you
An empire for two"

GF

A ray of light hits Dipper's eyes, waking him up. It's morning. Oh, boy! He has fallen asleep again while reading through Journal 3. Hu? Waddles is squeaking around the room. Seriously? Puff! He closes his eyes again. His mind still hangs from that strange dream of a cave and a dragon. For a moment, he had the terrifying thought of not seeing again…

"Morning, bro-bro!" that single sentence erases all the memories that still lingered in his thoughts. She's here and the world is waking up under sunlight.

"Morning… Mabel" Dipper smiles and they both walk downstairs to join Grunkle Stan and Ford for breakfast while the girl keeps talking about the fox story that the con man read the night before. The boy listens but mostly feels a warm feeling in his heart that makes him ignore the little void that now exists but will soon be filled again of that world where the twins were torn apart forever.

And yes! It took me a while and a lot of Lisa Gerrard but, what the heck?

It really came though! YAY! Hope you guys enjoy and it answers a few questions about Deep in the Woods. And no, I don't exactly say how does Mabel die but that is because I trust you guys enough to fill that part.

And yes, there is something tricky in the "title" that starts the story: Yomi no Senkai. Can you guess what it is?

Thank you for reading! Thank you Barbacar and back to my fic!