Note: This story takes place in the Reverse Falls AU. If you don't know what that means, it's the idea of what if the roles in Gravity Falls were switched around. Mabel and Dipper perform at the Tent of Telepathy, while Gideon and Pacifica work at and protect the Mystery Shack. Past that, the interpretation varies from person to person. Check out the Reverse Falls or Reverse Pines tag on Tumblr for more info. But even if you don't know anything else, this would still be a great place to start! This fanfic is my take on the Reverse Falls AU starting from the beginning. Enjoy!
Many people wondered what went on within the mysterious old shack deep within the woods. They knew it was the home of Stanley and Stanford Pines, but they could only dream of what actually occurred there. Strange creatures could be seen wandering about the shack's perimeter. Eerie lights could be seen from far in the distance on multiple occasions. But the closer you tried to look, the less they'd begin to understand. For those that dared to take a peek, they could find themselves running away from a terrible monster, be in another part of the forest in the blink of an eye, or sometimes even wake up in their own beds with no memory of what happened over the past twenty-four hours. What the townsfolk had dubbed "The Mystery Shack" did not seem to invite the friendliest of company. But the secrets it held were not for everyone's eyes.
The Shack was currently more active than ever. Stanley Pines could feel the buzz of energy in the air. The blue glow was brightly visible from the windows, even though the summer sun still hung in the air. Stan felt himself growing lighter as he tried to put each foot in front of the other. He couldn't stop no matter how much it felt like the world was falling apart. When he reached the porch, he found himself floating off the ground entirely. His arm wrapped around one of the support beams trying to stay grounded. However, it was only a few seconds before gravity took control once again. Stan slumped down to the ground, trying to pull himself together. He took a quick glance at his watch- 6:18. But it wasn't the hour that was important as much as the second hand. Still ticking forward. Even if gravity was still slacking on the job, time seemed to still be moving forward. He wasn't too late yet.
As Stan burst into the Shack he saw how disorganized things had gotten. Blueprints and diagrams were scattered across every table or surface. Even walls had equations scribbled on them with chalk or carved into the wooden planks. Small gadgets and gizmos were scattered all around- some half-finished, others letting off an eerie buzz that Stan didn't dare get close to for fear of being electrocuted. Stanley was hardly the neat twin of the two Stans, but this was ridiculous. This was more than his brother getting into one of his "moods". This had gone too far. He'd been gone for too long. He could only hope that there was still a way to make things right.
Stan rushed to where the hidden door to the underground lab was. He'd been the one to suggest hiding the entrance with a vending machine. All the heavy metal doors and secret codes did you no good if people could tell from walking into your living room that you were hiding something. Better to be clever and hide the entrance in plain sight. Instead of looking like some sort of mad scientist, it was just a sign of wealth, status and overall laziness to have a vending machine in their own home. But before he could even put in the code, he realized that it was swung wide open. Ford was either being careless, didn't have enough time, or didn't expect to be bothered. But there wasn't time to waste wondering which it was or what combination.
Stan ran down the stairs, not caring about the lack of a light source. He'd been down here hundreds of times. Enough to know each step and where the elevator waited. This was supposed to be a place where they discovered the secrets of the supernatural together. A hidden workplace where mysterious entities became old friends. Where magic became a reality. He should have never let Ford start coming here alone. And now the rift between them was about to grow wider than ever.
The lab had changed vastly since Stan had last been down here. There were no more desks and tables scattered about with all kinds of implements ranging from those designed to test the components of a dragon's breath to those that could synthesize magically charged stones. There were no more supernatural creatures visiting for a chat about their culture or circles drawn upon the ground designed to summon and bring peace to lost spirits. Those were all gone. And a huge glowing portal stood in their place.
Stan wasn't even sure exactly what this was supposed to be. He knew that McGucket had started working on this doohickey with him. Some kind of portal to all the answers they could want about Gravity Falls. But McGucket hadn't been assisting him for a couple of months now. He hadn't even begun to describe how far it had gone. He could recognize the inventor's handiwork as well as his brother's on the center console. But the sight he saw beyond the glass? The huge triangle shaped portal engraved with strange symbols… the set of almost blinding beams of light beside it… and what looked like some kind of window into space in the center. It looked… otherworldly. It certainly looked like it could bring about the end of their world as well.
Stan looked all around the viewing area for something that could help shut this thing down. But he knew that messing with the machinery could just as easily have catastrophic consequences. He looked at the red digits ticking down on the timer above him. There was still plenty of time with hours on the clock before the device was at full power. He could still try reasoning with his brother. Even if he'd gone this far in… he had to know the consequences. There still had to be a way to turn back. And yet there in front of the portal fixed in place as if in a trance was Stanford Pines. The man that would change the world. For better or worse.
Stanley rushed out of the viewing area and called out to his brother. "Ford!"
But there was no response. The man still remained fixed, staring up at the portal, only barely behind a caution line drawn on the ground. "Come on- at least talk to me, Sixer!" Stan yelled out.
"We're all just pieces on the board… not even pawns… we can't even begin to fathom the game being played." Stanford spoke aloud. Stanley wasn't even sure if his brother was talking to him, or had gone mad and started talking to himself.
Stanley put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Alright Ford, that's enough. We need to shut this portal thing down."
An eerie chuckle escaped Stanford's lips. "A portal? Is that all you think this is?" Stanford finally turned around to face his brother. The light from the cylinders of blue energy were reflected on his glasses. Stanley had known his twin his entire life, yet his brother's face seemed almost impossible to read. Was that joy? Curiosity? Madness.
Stanford lifted his arm indicating to the device and all its wonder. "This is a chance. A way to break the ties that bind our world. We wouldn't just be expanding our knowledge- we'd be breaking all the limits imposed on us. More than human. More than immortal. We could do things we couldn't even begin to imagine."
"And apparently, we could also start the apocalypse and have reality as we know it collapse." Stanley interrupted. "The fact that I'm the one saying this thing is too dangerous- Stanley 'Sharp objects and explosives make everything better' Pines- should tell you something." Stan insisted. He didn't care if this thing could shoot out gold and bring world peace. If this thing had even a chance of bringing an end to the world, then it needed to end here and now. He crossed his arms, wondering if any of this even mattered to his brother.
But Ford didn't even flinch at the mention. He already knew the risks. "I've taken that all into account. But this is bigger than our world…. 13.2 billion years. Our galaxy is so young. We're so relatively tiny in the grand scheme of things… This is our chance to start something new. We won't be anyone's pawns. We won't be puppets of fate. Stanley, you can't even begin to imagine how little our lives mean right now. Even if we had every answer we've been seeking, we couldn't even begin to start asking the right questions. The death of our universe may come in another trillion years, and none of it would mean anything. But this-" Stanford said motioning to the portal. "This could make our entire existence worthwhile."
Hearing the way Ford talked only got Stan angrier. "None of it means anything?" He questioned. "None of those dreams we had as kids about discovering the mysteries of this town? That means nothing? What about all the supernatural beings that we promised to help once we started to understand who they were? What about the promise to open the world's eyes? To make them see that this world is so much weirder than they can begin to imagine. What about that?" He yelled. How could his brother just throw everything away like this, and say it didn't matter.
"What about me?" Stanley asked. If none of that even mattered to Ford, would he at least believe in him? "I'm your brother... doesn't that mean anything?"
Stanford closed his eyes and considered it for a moment. These things did have value to him… but he didn't have an answer for him. He could only redirect the question in hopes that maybe Stanley would see things his way.
"Who told you that this 'portal' was so dangerous? You'd have been here months ago if Fiddleford was the one that warned you. And he didn't say anything about the apocalypse… so who was it Stanley?"
Stan flinched, knowing that the source wasn't exactly a trustworthy one. But the fact that he was the one that warned him… that had to make it even worse, right?
Ford chuckled, knowing he was right. If his brother wasn't going to say it, then he would. "Bill Cipher. The beast with one eye. You're really going to trust in the whisperings of a demon over your own brother?"
"It's not like that, and you know it, Stanford! He's right, isn't he? This thing is going to lead to the end of the world. Why would he warn me if even he was scared of what you're doing down here?" Stan retorted.
Stanford raised his arms in the air. "That's my point! Don't you get it? He's manipulating us- all of this is just a game to him! He's already seen the end and has decided to change the script. Whatever he's telling you, it's only to serve his own needs. I'm through with all of us just playing our parts. It's time for us to write our own story."
Stanley stood there stunned, not sure what route to take. On one hand, he knew his brother was right. They couldn't trust Bill. He shouldn't have let the triangle lead him down this far. But even so, they couldn't just risk their own world for a chance to get back at him. There was too much at stake. There had to be another way. "Stanford… please… I promised I was going to stop you from doing this."
What may have sounded as a heartfelt plea, caused Ford to click the pieces of the puzzle in his head. This wasn't just trying to talk him down. His brother had already been set on putting an end to this before he'd even walked through the door. And a promise meant so much more than maybe even Stan realized.
"You promised… Bill? Stanley… did you make a deal with him?"
Stanley stumbled as a force shook his body down to its core. But the being had some practice working in a human body over the last few decades. And the laughter that begun to emerge from it began to strike a nerve within Stanford. He would have taken a step back if he didn't know it would mean him getting sucked into the portal above. When Stan opened his eyes again, silt pupils stared back at Ford.
"Thought you finally got the best of me, huh, Sixer? I've been playing this game long before your universe's molecules even decided to atom up! You really thought you could turn the tables on me? Ha!" A nasally voice chuckled from Stan's mouth. How he had even managed to get a sound like that to come out of the man's vocal cords like that was a wonder to Ford.
Ford tried to figure out how it was possible in his head. The most Bill should have been able to do now was send out a few nightmares. Making a deal… Stanford had taken the precautions. "Impossible… you should be bound…"
"And what's a binding without a few loopholes? Sorry, Sixer! Even if you've got me feeling a little blue, you're going to have to try a little harder than that to get one up on me!" He said with a smirk.
The blue that had replaced the white of Stan's eyes wasn't just a reflection of the glow of the portal. Bill had to admit, Sixer had done quite a number on him. He messed with the very fabric of Bill's being. He'd taken more than just his signature golden color. He'd imposed his every will on the dream demon. For all intents and purposes, he should have been Ford's slave, marked by Bill's new blue complexion. But Bill had made enough deals to know how to find a way out of this one.
Ford tried to step aside from the portal- he knew exactly where this was going. But that only caused Bill-ley to take a step closer. He didn't need to see the future to know what happened next. He could see it written on the grin on his possessed brother's face.
"Bill… isn't this what you wanted from the beginning? Why are you doing this? You'll be sucked in too!" Ford shouted.
Bill only let out a chuckle. "You have no idea what I've got in mind. Oh sure- maybe I'll be off this plane of existence for about thirty years or so. But it's worth it to get you out of the picture. And believe me- this time, you won't be part of the retake."
Stanford looked his old friend in the eyes… his brother… now both his enemies. He thought he'd beaten Bill. But it seemed like things were still going according to his plans. No… he wouldn't let this be the end of it. His foot drifted behind the yellow and black line. Was this really to be his fate?
"…You made a huge mistake, Bill. You wanted to change the ending? This entire world is going to be like nothing you could ever have predicted."
Stanford kicked off the ground and jumped backward into the portal. He could feel it pulling him in, but he didn't resist. If he was going out, at least he was doing it of his own choosing. The light grew brighter as Stanford's trench coat made contact with the portal's opening. There was a final burst of light as the portal claimed its victim, leaving only a slowly dying blue glow.
Bill watched as Stanford accepted his doom. Even though he didn't have much of a choice, Bill admitted he didn't expect him to jump into it so full heartedly. Didn't Sixer know? An unpredictable future was exactly what Bill was hoping for. Bill's cackles echoed through the basement.
"Hehe! You Pines Twins! I don't know if you're either complete idiots or reality's attempt to kill me with laughter!" He called out with glee as he watched the portal began to fizzle out. It couldn't stay stable after a living being just jumped into it. Especially before it was even fully functional. Soon, Bill's link to this reality would be broken and he'd no longer be able to hold onto Stanley's body. But man, was this going to be interesting!
"See ya later 3rd Dimension! Next time I see you, there better be a whole new show going on! Wouldn't want to have screwed up this reality for nothing! Awe, who am I kidding- that's all part of the fun!"
When Stanley regained control of his body, he couldn't stop his hands from trembling. He'd seen everything from the mindscape. He'd wanted to stop his brother from doing anything crazy. Not… this. He may not have pushed his brother in. But he might as well have. Stan looked up at the portal, now just a huge piece of junk. This couldn't be the end of it. His brother couldn't be gone…. This couldn't have been what Bill wanted. He refused to accept what had just happened.
"I don't care who's been playing who or how much of a mess this world is going to be by the time we're all through… I'm dragging both of you lunatics back here! Whether you like it or not!"
Pdb idwhv eh uhyhuvhg wr iuhh wkhvh vrxov
Wkh flufoh eh eurnhq wr fkdqjh wkhlu urohv
/ Φ \
Zm vmwovhh ivzorgb mld hvvnh hl hnzoo
Sld mvzihrtsgvw szh gsv vbv yvxlnv gszg lmxv hzd zoo?
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! While my other fanfic, De Stella Nova are a series of one-shot describing important moments in various Reverse Falls characters lives (And a bit more experimental with the writing style) this one will proceed more like a narrative. Some events may proceed like in the show and won't be focused on or skipped over, but others will go along completely different. Reverse Falls isn't just the same events with different faces, or even "What would Dipper and Mabel do as Pacifica and Gideon" and vice versa. Growing up under different circumstances, changing who they are leads to different scenarios with the same elements. At their core, they still share traits with their canon counterparts, but the new surroundings lead to a new interpretation on these characters. Please let me know what you think so far or if you have any questions and share your own interpretations on the Reverse Falls canon!
Also, if this is your first time reading this story, this prologue was added in 3 chapters in after I first wrote it. It won't change how you read the story, but it will mean the comments for the first few chapters are shifted (IE, people will be talking about chapter 2 in chapter 1, chapter 3 in chapter 2 and so on. Hopefully beyond this, everything should go normally.