Chapter One: Mabel and Dipper
The village of Gravity Falls was a quite little town that resided out in the vast countryside where little happened. The biggest hardship that the townspeople faced were the occasional bandits attempting to raid the town only to driven off by the town guard. For the most part, the villagers of Gravity Falls were relativity kind to one another; however there was one girl in particular that the people of the village had a tendency to treat like something a pariah among themselves.
The young girl's name was Mabel Pines. Now at first glance one would say that there was nothing wrong with the seventeen year old, however if one had lived in the village long enough, then they would see why she was treated differently among her peers. The girl was usually seen walking the streets with her pet pig at her side as if it thought it was some faithful hound. She would be found on occasion sitting by the fountain talking to herself like she was carrying on some conversation with someone who was invisible. A few of the farmers had even seen Mabel dancing alone in the fields, claiming that nature was her dance partner.
To most open-minded people, Mabel would be called free-spirited, sadly however to the close-minded people of Gravity Falls, she was considered to be a freak that was unwelcome among them. While most did not outright insult or pick on her upfront because of her brother's status in the village, but that didn't stop them from giving her rotten looks as she passed people on the street or be asked to leave such establishments such as bakery or the butcher shop the moment she stepped inside. There would be those bold enough to throw rocks at her or call an unwanted child that should've been drowned at birth right to her face. While Mabel hid the pain behind a warm smile to everyone around her, it still hurt regardless.
However, despite the negativity she had to face on a daily basis, Mabel still walked among the village with her ever faithful swine at her side. As always, the young girl wore her her usual attire, which was a dull light blue dress with brown shoes. Her long brown hair ran that ran down to her back had pink bow tied into it that was given to her by her twin sibling as a birthday present.
"So what do you wanna do today, Waddles?" she inquired to her pet
The pig let out an oink in response as it looked up its master with curious look in its eyes, as if he was curious as to why she would be asking him in the first place. Ever since the girl had rescued the farm animal from certain death at the hands of the local butcher, the two were completely inseparable. As per usual in Gravity Falls, the townspeople thought it was just another strange thing the girl did; for who could care for an animal that was meant to be eaten.
"No we did that yesterday" she answered as the continued their walk "maybe we could—ooff!"
The teen's train of thought was instantly derailed when she collided with another person. She fell backwards on the ground and looked up to see the last person she wanted to run into. It was a rowdy teenager by the name of Robbie Valentine, Gravity Falls's local bully and son of the town's mortician. The young man was head of a small gang of hooligans that consisted of his lover Tambry, a heavyset teen by the name of Thompson and a pair of thugs named Lee and Nate.
The company of teens spent their time heckling and bulling the townspeople and on occasion stealing and mugging from their victims as well and even though time and time again they had been thrown in jail for their crimes, they were released shortly after their imprisonment dew to the fact that the gang all came from wealthy families within the town.
While they enjoyed making the townspeople's lives as difficult as possible, Robbie and his friends took an extra sick pleasure out of tormenting Mabel the most. To them, she was an easy target to pick on since hardly anyone defended her from their heckling since they considered that the girl brought it upon herself with her strange behavior.
"Well look who it, boys?" he asked his gang as he glowered down at the girl "It's the freak and her pig!"
"I'm sorry, Robbie" Mabel politely apologized as she got back to her feet "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going"
"And just where you running off to, exactly?" the bully asked snidely "off to fairy land again?"
Robbie's gang snickered at that at remark, making Mabel fell a hot flash of anger before she stifled it back down. At this point, the rest of the teen's gang had encircled around the poor girl, laughing at her misfortune as they did. While Mabel's mind screamed at her to try to run, she stood her ground.
"I'll have you know that fairy land is very nice this time of year" she replied in a matter-of-factly tone before adding "smells better to"
"Why you miserable little freak!" Robbie snarled as he raised his hand to strike her "I teach you some manners!"
However, just before the bully's hand could even touch the girl, a surprise hand reached out and garbed his wrist in a grasp as hard as steel. The teen turned his head to see who had dared to stop him and found none other then his victim's twin brother standing before him. Unlike like his sibling who was mocked and teased, Dipper Pines was a feared and dreaded figure in Gravity Falls. Ever since he and his sister had come to live with their great-uncles Stanly and Stanford after their parents passed away from the plague, the boy had become one of the town's guards, and a very well feared one at that.
Dipper wore a white shirt with a brown leather vest over it as well a pair of brown pants and black boots along with a brown hooded cloak tied around his shoulders and brown leather gloves. His sword was strapped to his side and was ready to be unsheathed at a moments notice. Before he was guard, the young man once had a promising career as a solider in the king's army—perhaps even a knighthood even, but those days had long since past as he regulated himself to protecting the village from bandits and enforcing the law, but more often then not, his job was mostly protecting his sister from those who would do her harm.
"What have I told you about hitting my sister, Robbie?" he growled before shoving him back
"Oh don't mind us; we we're just having a bit of fun" Robbie calmly mentioned before eyeing Mabel "Ain't that right?"
"That didn't look like any fun I've seen" Dipper said darkly "Your lucky I don't arrest you and your friends for assault…again"
"So my farther can have us out in time for dinner? Perfect" the bully mocked "I could use the nap"
Dipper's grip on his sword's hilt grew even tighter as he glared daggers at the teen and his friends until his knuckles turned white underneath his gloves. While this display and the boy's reputation where enough to make most men back down, the gang of rabble-rousers remained unimpressed.
"You really want to do it, don't you?" Robbie teased before reaching for his sword's hilt "Well come on then, draw your sword and let's see finally whose the better warrior!"
There was no contest in that match-up, Dipper was the finest swordsman in the village—maybe in the whole countryside and the town's bully knew it. Robbie only wanted an excuse to run to his farther who was close friends with the mayor to have him thrown out of Gravity Falls and have guard's sister at his and his friend's nonexistent mercy.
A part of him wanted so badly to draw his blade and run the bastard right through, but then he felt the gently touch of his sibling's hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Mabel's eyes looking pleadingly into his own, silently begging him not to give into his bloodlust. With a defeated sigh, Dipper released his hold on his sword, exhaling all of his inner rage as he did. He then gestured for his twin and her pet to follow him away from the gang of thugs—more to keep himself from killing them then to keep her out of harm's way at this point.
"That's right walk away, Kinslayer!" Robbie" called out with a harsh laugh
Dipper stopped dead in his tracks upon his shameful title, clenching his fists as he did. The title of Kinslayer was one that was earned by breaking their oath and killing someone they had pledged their loyalty to and Dipper had done both of those things. Had it not been for his services to the crown in the past he would've hung for his crimes, but instead he stripped of his potential chance of ever becoming a knight and was branded with the mark of the Kinslayer upon his forehead; a mark which he concealed under his hair.
Dipper was so ashamed of his misdeeds that when he and his sister came to live in Gravity Falls, he concealed his true and instead renamed himself after the mark that was burned into his flesh. However, while his name and his actions were hidden away from the villagers, the mark on his head was more then enough evidence to show that he was a forsaken man.
The young swordsman's face became cold and hardened like a stone. Before Mabel could protest, he had already spun around and stormed up to the heckler, who continued to grin at the shamed guard.
"There's going to come a day where your family ties won't save you" Dipper warned coldly "and on that day, I hope I'm there to see you fall"
Robbie laughed off this young man's words as Kinslayer turned away and returned to his sister's side, silently containing his fury as he did.
The Plague Rat was Gravity Fall's local tavern where the town's lowlifes, drunkards and scoundrels gathered to drown their sorrows away in ale. It was also sadly the place where the twins called home. The tavern was owned by their great-uncle Stanly, an old con-artist, thief and even a former pirate before retiring and setting up his bar in the small town. While Stanly was no angel, he cared deeply for his grand-niece and nephew—though he had had a strange way of showing it, what with all the yelling and lying to them as to where he went to at night.
More then often had Dipper thrown his great-uncle into a jail-cell after catching him gambling, stealing or starting fights in a drunken rage. This of course made their relationship a little rocky, but the two got along for the most part. When Mabel wasn't strolling around town, she would be found here in the tavern helping out Stanly serve drinks to the tavern's patrons or cleaning the dishes in the back room, she would even be asked by Stanly to sing to the drunken men on occasion.
The only other employee in Stanley's services was a heavyset man named Soos. The large man didn't like talking about his past, but he did tell Dipper and Mabel of his cabin boy aboard the same ship their great-uncle was aboard. When the bar's owner grew too old to plunder the sea anymore, he took his share of the gold and Soos with him back to the mainland to set up his tavern. Even though he never said it out loud, Stanly saw his man-servant as the son he never had.
"About time you showed up" Stanly grunted out as his own way of welcoming the siblings "Those dishes aren't gonna clean themselves"
"On it Grunkle Stan" Mabel answered as he headed toward the back as her pig followed closely behind her
"I need to get back to my patrols" Dipper mentioned "I wanted to bring Mabel back here to be safe"
"Robbie again?" his great-uncle inquired, to which the teen nodded "One of these days you need to just gut him like a fish"
"Where it so easy" the guardsman murmured under his breath
"You sure you can't still any longer?" Soos asked from across the room as he swept the floor
"And leave this town in the care of Blubs and Durland? I think not" Dipper answered
With that, the once great warrior turned and left the tavern without as much so a good-bye to them. Stan and the others were used to Dipper's blunt nature at this point. Ever since he came to Gravity Falls with his sister, the former solider tended to distant himself from those around him and focused much on his job as a protector for a town that considered him to be nothing more than a monster.
As Dipper stepped outside he was greeted by a welcoming sight. It was an old man riding up to him on horseback; a man the swordsman was quite familiar with in fact. It was his great-uncle Stanford. Unlike his brother Stanly who was total scoundrel, Ford on the other hand was the picture of righteousness. Like Dipper, he too served in the king's army in his younger years and was even knighted for his heroic deeds. When he retired for the army, Ford grew a fondness for exploring and had gone on many trips across the world to state his curiosity until he settled down here in Gravity Falls where his estrange twin brother had also coincidently taken up residence as well.
The two brothers were as opposite as night and day and had tendency to bicker about one another's life choices which often led to fights that Dipper had to break-up on occasion. Ford and Stan kept their distance from one another as much they could; while the old pirate lived in the tavern he had built, the old knight lived in a small cottage on the edge of town. Dipper always held his great-uncle Ford with the highest regard, in fact, it was because of the old knight that the boy wanted to follow in his footsteps, but sadly due to his betrayal to those he had sworn loyalty to, he would never become a true knight like his great-uncle had.
"Ah, Dipper, just the lad I was looking for" the former warrior greeted as he stopped his steed in front of the boy
"Hello uncle" the guard replied "What do you need of me?"
Even after his shaming, Dipper and Ford shared a close bound. They were both curious men at heart and wanted to explore the mysteries of the world. When he was younger, he sometimes traveled alongside the former solider on one of his great journeys into the unknown where Ford would teach the boy how to survive in the wildness and helped him with his sword training. One could argue that exploration was in Dipper's blood since his and Mabel's mother was a shield-maiden who had sailed with the great Vikings of the north and his farther was a merchant who traveled the seas for his next fortune.
"I was just on my way for next expedition into the western woods" Ford explained "care to join me?"
The western wood's was a place where the people of Gravity Falls had said only the truly desperate or suicidal dared to tread. Not only did roving gangs of bandits and packs of rabid wolves live within the dark forest, but also all manners of magical creatures like goblins, gnomes and other creatures took up residence and preyed upon any poor soul that ventured to deep into the their woods. There were even stories of a hideous winged creature that spewed flames from its mouth so hot that it could melt solid steel.
Ford had traveled into the western woods before, but he always stayed along the lighter parts of forest and had yet to journey further into the realm of the magical beings, though Dipper had a sense that may change.
"I'm sorry uncle, but Gravity Falls needs me" he finally answered "Maybe you should change your mind about this trip and wait until I have some spare time?"
"Nonsense my boy" Ford dismissed with a small laugh "There are secrets in that forest just waiting to be solved. Besides, there's nothing in those woods I can handle"
He then patted his sheathed sword he had strapped to his side to get his point across. Despite his age, Stanford could still wield a blade as easily as he had in his youth and had proved it several times over by slaying any thief or mugger who lacked the common sense not to try and rob him. He had even once slain a band of brutish orcs single-handedly in his younger years. However, the old man had to admit that his grand-nephew had since become his superior due to his age and inherit skill with a blade.
Knowing that there was no way he could talk the stubborn old man out his venture, Dipper could give his warning.
"Just try to stay safe out there, will you?" he advised with concern in his voice
"I always do" Ford answered "I will see you in the morning"
With that, the old man commanded his horse to ride onward, leaving his grand-nephew feeling a sense of worry for him as he did.
Mabel let out a pleased sigh of relief as she placed the last clean dish away. She knew that in a few short hours they would be dirty all over again, but for now she was content with her job. On the other hand, content wouldn't quite be the word she would use to describe her life. She wanted adventure and excitement in her life like Dipper and Grunkle Ford had, not this provincial life.
She had tried to join her great-uncle had one of his travels, but he refused to take her, claming it was too dangerous for her. Mabel always hated that excuse—she was so much more then some tavern waitress, but yet he couldn't see that. Dipper on the other hand refused to let her leave the town with him for a different reason. She was the only shred of his family aside from their great-uncles he had left and he feared for her safety. She could almost understand where he was coming from, but she still longed for adventure.
When she denied by her family any chance of excitement, she turned to the pile of old books Stanly keep in his room to take her mind to far off places. She would read about great battles, hallowing adventures and magical spells. She wanted that life, she wanted her own tale or two tell. Then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be seen as such a freak by the people of Gravity Falls.
"Just once chance, that's all I ask" she thought to herself "just once adventure"
Unknown to Mabel, he wish would soon be granted in ways she couldn't even imagine.
