CHAPTER EIGHT
Dipper and Mabel awoke simultaneously, their eyes drifting open at the same time. Briefly Dipper could have sworn he saw a brief glimpse of real stars in his sister's eyes. He probably had in fact, thinking about it. They were nestled close together in Mabel's bed, their arms wrapped tightly round one another. After the trauma of the previous night, the two of them had clung to one another like limpets, quivering more than a little as Mabel had whispered reassurances to Dipper, reassurances meant for the both of them.
"Hey", Mabel muttered drowsily.
"Hey", Dipper replied, putting on a soft smile. "So… that whole mindscape thing".
"Pretty awesome, huh?"
"Yeah, definitely. But… weird too, you know…"
"Hey, if we're gonna live forever, might as well have a place all our own, you know", Mabel said.
Dipper nodded.
"That's true".
"How's your head Dipster?"
"Eh, still kinda hurts a little, but it's not so bad".
"Good".
There was a brief silence, during which Dipper tightened his embrace on Mabel, simply glad to have her there.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, you know", he whispered.
"Probably go crazy".
They both laughed.
"I meant it though", Dipper said over his chuckles.
"Same to you, stupid", Mabel said. "What the heckers would I ever do without my big dorky bro?"
"Well… I guess we'll never have to find out".
They subsided into another silence, Dipper closing his eyes and letting out a long, low breath. Mabel folded back his bangs and kissed his forehead on the birthmark.
"We're gonna be okay", she said, closing her eyes too.
She was only reiterating what had been said the previous night, but heck, it needed saying again.
"I know", he replied.
It was then that they heard the attic door softly open, the slow padding of feet across the wooden floor.
"Yeesh, too much cuddlin' goin' on in here for my liking", came Stan's voice.
They opened their eyes and looked up at him, chuckling softly at his joke.
"Hey, cuddle time is important", Mabel said as she ended the embrace and sat upright, stretching her arms and legs.
Stan chuckled again and ruffled his niece's hair before sitting down on the end of the bed.
"How you feelin' kiddo?" he asked Dipper.
"Well, not a hundred percent", Dipper said as he groggily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat upright too, "but better".
"Glad to hear it", Stan said.
He smiled warmly at them, but both of them could see the sadness in his eyes.
"What's wrong Grunkle Stan?" Mabel said. "Why are you sad?"
"There's a lotta reasons right now sweetie", Stan said. "But I think top o' the list today is you kids goin' home".
Mabel gasped.
"I forgot all about that", she said.
She threw herself into Stan and hugged him round the middle.
"I don't wanna go", she said, pressing her face into his stomach.
Stan hugged her back.
"I don't want you to go either", he said, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.
"Come on Dipper, get in here", Stan said.
Dipper quickly stretched his limbs before going over to Stan and allowing his uncle to sweep him up into a group hug. He squeezed the both of them like his life depended on it.
"I'll miss you Grunkle Stan", he said.
"I'll miss you too, kid".
They remained in their embrace for a minute longer before Stan released the two of them.
"But hey, let's not be too sad, eh? Yer gonna be back here next year, so it won't even be that long before you two see me again".
"We know", Mabel said, giving him her biggest, toothiest smile. "But you better expect to be called every day".
"And she means EVERY day", Dipper said, smirking.
Stan laughed heartily and noogied the both of them.
"Wouldn't have it any other way. Now come on, Ford's cookin' breakfast".
"Can he… Can he actually cook?" Dipper asked sceptically, grimacing sheepishly.
"Yeah, Ford's always been a decent cook", Stan said. "Surprising for a big work obsessed nerd like him. Now come on, those bacon and eggs ain't gonna eat themselves".
Following Stan out of the attic, they made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. Upon entering, they were met by a familiar handyman and redhead.
"Wendy! Soos!" Mabel yelled joyously, her face lighting up.
"Hey little doods", Soos said.
"Sup dorks", Wendy said, giving them her sharp toothed grin.
"Hey", Dipper said. "Come to see us off?"
"You know it", Wendy said. "But… also to check up on you two. That was… that was pretty intense last night".
"Yeah, we wanted to come and see you right away", Soos said, concern etched all over his face. "But… Mr. Pines said you needed space last night, and he was probably right and stuff".
"Y-yeah, sorry 'bout that and all", Stan said. "Just thought… given the circumstances it'd be better to wait til the mornin', ya know?"
"It's fine", Wendy said. "But… how are you doing after last night Dipper?"
"Still a little shaken, but a lot better", he said.
He looked away, a guilt ridden look on his face.
"I'm sorry for giving you guys such a scare like that".
"Hey, don't apologize", Wendy said. "It was YOU that was suffering dude, you don't need to apologize to us for anything. Besides, you guys are new to this whole freaky jam, accidents like that are gonna happen. But… just what in the heck was that guys?"
Dipper and Mabel took a seat at the table along with Stan.
"Um… well", Dipper began to awkwardly explain. "It's.. I sort of… opened up my omniscience".
"Whoa, dood, is that like, the thing where you know everything about everything?" Soos inquired.
"Basically", Ford said from over at the stove. "By the sounds of it, Dipper received a rush of information. Thank goodness Mabel did what she did. Otherwise, who knows what could have happened. It might not have stopped until Dipper had all the knowledge of the multiverse".
Dipper felt deep rooted discomfort at that thought. Even though he'd lost most of what he'd learned, he knew that at the time he had learned some deeply disturbing things about the universe and the nature of reality itself. There were some things one was better off not knowing.
"Yeah… that basically", Dipper said. "Hurt like hell, too".
"Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that dude", Wendy said, frowning apologetically.
She gave him a quick one armed hug. Soos meanwhile looked fit to cry almost.
"That… that sounds pretty rough", he said.
"Hey, it's not so bad Soos", Dipper said, smiling encouragingly. "I'm okay now. It's not gonna happen again now that I know to avoid opening it".
Soos smiled back.
"Yeah, I know dood. Just… just take care of yourselves back home, okay?"
"We will", Mabel said. "Me and Dipper have always got each other guys, so don't worry too much".
"You sure you're gonna be alright back in California?" Wendy asked. "I mean, nobody there is gonna know anything about to you two".
"It'll be weird", Dipper said. "I mean we're gonna have to keep our powers a secret, but… you know, if we need to talk to anyone, you guys are always here to call and video chat, right?"
"Of course we are", Stan said. "I mean, I don't know nothin' about video chattin' yet, but I'm sure Wendy and Soos can teach me about that stuff, uhh, whatever the heck it is. But whenever either of you need to talk to me or Ford, you can call us. Any time of the day, be it the middle o' the mornin' or the middle of the night, doesn't matter to us one bit".
"Yes, I quite agree", Ford said. "I understand that keeping this whole ordeal a secret from your peers will be trying, so if you need an understanding ear, Stan and I will always be here".
"Thanks", Dipper said, "all of you, I mean it. Thanks so much".
"Don't mention it dude", Wendy said. "We're your friends, we're always gonna be here for you. I mean it's gotta kinda suck, you know, going somewhere that nobody's gonna know about it".
"It's better than everyone knowing about it like here", Mabel said morosely, gazing down at the floor.
"Hey, don't freak out about that", Wendy said. "The people in this town won't turn their backs on you just because you've got some funky superpowers".
"But you saw the way they were all staring at us", Mabel said.
"They were just worried", Wendy said. "Trust me on this guys, you two are heroes, everyone loves you. They're not gonna turn against you just 'cause you're a little different now".
"Are you really sure about that?" Dipper said, grabbing his arm anxiously.
"Yeah doods", Soos said. "When we were heading over here, everyone we saw on the way was asking about you guys. They were all super worried about what happened last night".
Dipper and Mabel turned to look at one another, their faces lighting up.
"That's great!" Mabel said. "They still love us Dipper".
"Of course they do", Ford said. "They'd have to be utter fools to turn against you after you beat Bill".
"Most of the people in this town are utter fools", Stan said. "But they're good people, and they look out for the people they care about. And you kids have really left an impact, ya know. They care, and that ain't gonna change".
"Yeah", Wendy said. "So even if no other town in the world understands, the people here always will. You'll always have a home here in Gravity Falls, no matter what".
Dipper felt a surge of gratefulness. Mabel felt fit to burst from happiness, tears shining in her eyes.
"Ooooohhhhh, THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" she yelled, and hugged Soos and Wendy in rapid succession.
"No problem little doods", Soos said. "And even if they didn't understand, you'd still have us. You two are like, our best friends".
"That's true", Wendy said.
Stan was beaming. He'd certainly chosen the right people to be his employees, for sure. It was then that Ford came over to the table and began plating up eggs and bacon along with slices of toast, cooked to perfection.
"Aw, sweet!" Wendy said. "Mr. Pines, these look awesome".
"Yeah, thanks Mr. Stanford", Soos said, practically drooling.
"You're both very welcome", Ford said. "And feel free to call me Ford. I ought to get to know the two of you better as is".
A short while later, the six of them went for a walk through the Gravity Falls woods to allow the twins to say goodbye to their stomping ground. The ground was damp and the air smelt of pine trees due to rainfall that had come in the night. Morning light broke through the trees in sunbeams. For the most part, silence reigned over the forest, only the occasional birdsong and trickling of streams permeating it.
"Oh man, I'm gonna miss this", Dipper said. "It's weird to think, I hated being out in the middle of nowhere back at the start of the summer, but now I can't ever picture being anywhere else. I'm gonna miss nature".
"Me too", Mabel said. "I can't wait to get back out here again".
"Yeah", Wendy said. "Honestly, when you live around trees your whole life, you sort of take it for granted, you know. But then, when you really think about it and appreciate it, that sort of junk, you feel really grateful for it".
"Oh yeah, totally dood", Soos agreed. "I mean, for years I never really even thought about the forest and stuff. Wasn't til you two showed up that I started, you know, feelin' really happy about it again".
"It's weird", Stan said. "I mean, back in Jersey I never lived near trees. And then I spent all those homeless years traveling around, but I usually tended to stay around civilisation more, ya know. But bein' out here for thirty somethin' years, it really becomes a part of you".
"It almost makes you forget that it's filled with horrifying monsters", Dipper said.
"Well, don't forget that the horrifying monsters are only a part of the paranormafauna in these parts", Ford chuckled. "There are the more pleasant creatures, too. They, and even the monsters really, are a big part of what makes these forests as beautiful as they are. As unique and special as they are".
"Of course", Dipper said.
"There's still so much out here to see, huh?" Mabel mused. "So much has happened all summer, but I bet we haven't even scratched the surface".
"That's true", Dipper said. "But to be honest, I think after everything with Bill, I could use a good long break from the supernatural. Although, I suppose that might not be so easy, given that we ARE the supernatural now".
"Huh, yeah, never really thought about it that way", Mabel said. "We really are a part of Gravity Falls' weirdness now".
"You dorks were a part of the weirdness way before this whole transformation deal", Wendy said, getting a laugh out of all of them. "And I wouldn't have it any other way", she added affectionately.
"Oh hey", Soos said. "I don't know if this is like, kinda bad of me to ask or anything, but… can you doods show us some more of your rad powers?"
The twins shared identical grins.
"Yeah, totally", Mabel said. "What's the point of having these funky powers if you don't get to show them off? HA'CHA!" she yelled as she jabbed her finger at the nearest tree and transformed it into a wooden sculpture of Soos. There came murmur of wonder from the others.
"Whoa, thanks Hambone", Soos said.
"No problemo, Soos. I am but a humble artiste", Mabel said with a mock-gloating expression.
"it's quite impressive how you're able to attain such detail with such little effort", Ford said. "That's an admirable piece of work there, Mabel".
"Yeah, ain't half bad", Stan said, though that was an understatement on his part.
"You think that's good?" Dipper said. "Then check THIS out".
He transformed a thick cloud overhead into the serpentine shape of a Chinese dragon and had it fly down into the woods around them, moving sinuously and dynamically. It circled around them for a little while, before Dipper transformed it back into water and had it form a translucent great white shark, which remained in place in the air before them, snapping its jaws. Dipper grinned as he looked at the expressions of wonder on everyone's faces.
"Yeah, gotta say that's just a little cooler", Wendy said. "Sorry Mabes".
"Meh, I could do better", Mabel teased.
With a flick of his wrist, Dipper had a part of the water fly off of the shark and splash his sister in the face. She giggled unrepentantly.
"Alright, now step aside brozo", she said as she wiped her face dry on her sweater sleeve before making a few lithe movements with her hands and transforming the water shark into a small castle of ice.
"Ooh, fancy", Soos said.
"Heh, you kids are gettin' real good with this magical junk", Stan said. "I'd almost say I were proud of the two of you, were it not for this cold, black heart of ice", he added jokingly.
It was then that all of them felt a disturbance in the air, a fluttering wind rising out of seemingly nowhere.
"Goodness, I haven't seen that in a very long time", Ford said.
They all turned to face where he was looking, and their eyes widened as they saw thousands of tiny, flying little beings swarming towards them, all of them in many different glowing colours. Together they formed what looked like a living rainbow. Stunned into silence, the group watched in wonder as the swarm of creatures, vaguely humanoid and made of wood, began to circle above them, flying in formation into various beautiful patterns like a flock of starlings. Mabel's eyes practically sparkled.
"Oh my gosh, they're beautiful", she said, her voice hushed in awe. "Grunkle Ford, what are these?"
"They're rainbow sprites", Ford said. "One of Gravity Falls' more impressive supernatural spectacles".
"This is really cool", Dipper said, his eyes darting about as he tried to keep up with the flurry of colour. "Why did they come here?"
"This is their part of the forest, their territory as it were", Ford explained. "They feed on magic, so naturally they're drawn to large influxes of it such as that which you and Mabel just released. Right now, they're feeding on the plentiful residual magic left behind by your display".
"Dood, this is easily the raddest thing ever", Soos said. "I've never seen anything like it".
"Yeah, not gonna lie", Wendy said, "of all the paranormal junk I've seen from this town, this has gotta be one of the coolest".
Stan remained silent, but he was just as awed as the others were. He bumped his elbow into Ford's arm, and the two brothers exchanged a smile.
Then, as the sprites finished feasting, their impressive formation dropped down to their level and began to fly between them. Several of them nuzzled the twins, setting them both off into giggles as their fluttering wings tickled them.
"They sure seem to like you guys", Wendy said.
"It would seem that they're thanking the two of you for the magic", Ford said, smiling warmly at the sight.
Finally, the swarm of sprites took off into the air once again, and as a singular mass, they flew away into the deeper parts of their territory once again. The event had left all of them in a good mood. Of all the send offs Gravity Falls could have given them, Dipper thought, that was probably the best.
When finally their walk was over, the group returned to the Shack. The twins took a good long look at its exterior. Mabel was already starting to tear up.
"I'm gonna miss this moldy old house so much", she said, her voice watery.
"Yeah", Dipper readily agreed.
"You two wanna go take one last look around inside?" Stan said.
They both nodded.
"Alright then, go ahead. Just make sure to be back out by the time the bus gets here. And grab yer stuff while you're in the there, don't want you two leavin' all yer stuff behind".
Looking back at the little assembled group once more, Dipper and Mabel took off into the house. They took their time exploring every nook and cranny of the Shack, walking through the kitchen, the living room, the parlour, Ford's lab, every single room that had become a part of the house they had come to call home. Finally, they made their way up to their attic bedroom, and took a good hard look at the room that had been their place, their lair just for the two of them, where they had many times talked long into the night, had played attic mini golf together, had generally become the closest they had ever been in their lives, and given that they had always been close as could be, that really was saying something.
"Man, I think I really took this room for granted", Mabel said as these thoughts raced through her head. "It may be dingy, dirty and covered in fungus, but… it's ours".
"Yeah, it is", Dipper said, fondly taking in the bedroom. "It's been nice, huh? Sharing this room?"
"Yeah".
After a few more moments of silence, the two of them grabbed their duffel bags and suitcases, before, after taking one last look at their beloved shared space, they made their way downstairs and out the door. In the distance, they could hear the rumbling approach of a large bus, undoubtedly full of tourists waiting to be scammed out of their money by Stan. The bus that would take them home. Candy, Grenda and Pacifica had joined the assembled group.
"GIRLS!" Mabel shrieked joyously.
She raced over to the group and was swept into a group hug by the three of them.
"I didn't think you were gonna be here", she said, a few tears escaping.
"What, as if we'd miss you two leaving?" Pacifica said.
"Yeah", Grenda said. "Why would we wanna miss out on saying goodbye to our bestie?"
"It is unthinkable", Candy said.
"THANK YOU!" Mabel yelled. "And look… about what happened last night".
"It's okay, Mabel", Candy said. "We know something must have happened to you and Dipper, and that perhaps you are not quite the same as before. But it doesn't matter. You're both still our friends".
"Yeah, it doesn't matter who or what you are", Grenda said. "As long as you come back next summer, you could be a pile of rocks and we wouldn't care at all".
"And ya got here just in time by the sounds of it", Stan said, listening as the bus drew ever nearer.
Dipper made his way over the group. He'd sworn to himself that he wasn't going to cry before leaving, but now, as he looked at his assembled friends and family, he felt a lump forming in his throat. Just as this realisation occurred to him, he was pulled into the group hug with Mabel and the other girls.
"We'll miss you too, Dipper", Candy said.
Dipper blushed a little. Neither Candy nor Grenda had gotten particularly close to him during the summer, so it meant a lot to him that they still considered him their friend.
"Thanks", he muttered awkwardly, hugging them back.
Finally the group squish ended and they separated once again. The bus then emerged from the trees, coming to a stop before the shack. The doors opened and a crowd of tourists stepped off.
"Well, guess this is it", Dipper said.
Mabel tried to speak, but she found that she couldn't. Instead she let loose her tears, futilely wiping at them with her sweater sleeves. Wendy and Soos stepped up first. Soos was rapidly becoming a blubbering mess.
"You… you doods", he said, his throat painful. "You two mean the world to me, you know that?"
Mabel wordlessly threw herself into Soos and hugged his belly tightly. Soos finally broke down and began to sob. He grabbed Dipper and pulled him into the hug too.
"I love you guys", he said. "You're like… No, you ARE family to me doods".
Dipper's restistance broke. Damn everything he thought as his own tears came free.
"We love you too Soos", he said. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had".
"Same for me", Mabel weeped.
"I'm gonna miss you so much", Soos blubbered.
"We're gonna miss you too", they said.
Finally Soos released them, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears and the snot running down his nose. Wendy was not so secretly crying herself, her eyes puffy and red through the tears.
"Wendy, I've never seen you cry before", Mabel said.
"Don't expect to see it again, either", the teen laughed. "This is a one off special event, dorks. Now come on, give me some love".
She opened her arms wide, and within a second they were filled by both the twins.
"You're still the coolest person I've ever met", Dipper said.
"I know dude", Wendy good naturedly replied. "And you two are the coolest people I'VE ever met. This was the coolest summer ever thanks to you too".
"Nuh-uh, it's because of all of you guys", Mabel sobbed. "And nothing could have been as cool as it was without you Wendy".
"Thanks for everything", Dipper said.
"Hey, no problemo", Wendy said as they pulled away. "Mabel, you're a rainbow filled joy ride who makes life worth living. Dipper, you're a cool dude and a goddamn hero, and don't you ever forget it. And it's the same for me as it is with Soos. You two are my best friends. Never forget that, okay? And make sure you get back here next summer".
"We will", Dipper said. "I can't wait to get back out here. California's gonna suck without you there".
"Hey, who knows", Wendy said. "Maybe I'll come visit. Might bring the others along with me, too".
"That'd be nice", Mabel said.
Next, they moved on to the three girls.
"I love you girls", Mabel said as she squeezed each of them in turn. "Besties forever?"
"You know it", Grenda said.
"It is only natural for a bond of friendship such as ours to remain strong forever", Candy said. "Even with distance between us".
Pacifica remained silent for now, but she returned Mabel's hug nonetheless. Dipper was hugged by each of them one at a time.
"Hopefully we'll get to know you better next time Dipper", Candy said.
"You're a great guy", Grenda said. "And the best brother I've ever seen anyone be".
Dipper's heart swelled at that last remark.
"Thanks", he said sincerely.
Finally, he reached Pacifica. She stood before the twins, an awkward silence permeating the air for a few moments before she finally spoke.
"Look, I just wanna say", she said, her voice a little watery. "You two are like… the closest friends I've ever had. Mabel, even though we didn't get to spend much time together, I just… back at that mini golf game we had, you were the first person who ever saw past my mask and actually saw me as a person. Thanks for that".
"Hey, it's no problem Paz", Mabel said, a fresh wave of tears hitting her. "I'm sorry we didn't get to hang out more. Next time we're here, you won't be able to get rid of us".
"Glad to hear it", she said, smiling in a way that she hadn't often been able to in her life. "And Dipper… back when the ghost attacked, you were the one who finally broke through the mask… the one who finally made me feel okay to be myself… okay to be a decent person, to be better than my stupid parents. I don't think there's anything I could ever do to repay you for what you did for me that night, but thank you so much, a thousand times".
"The pleasure's all mine", Dipper said, smiling warmly at her. "You're an awesome person, Pacifica, never forget that".
She pulled the two of them into a hug.
"You two are my best friends. Even if we didn't get to spend much time together, you still totally are. The first real friends I ever had. I'll miss you both".
"We'll miss you too Pacifica", Mabel said.
"A lot", Dipper said. "You've always got a friend in us, no matter what your parents try to say".
They broke apart, and finally they moved onto the last goodbyes of all. Ford was clearly emotional, but was holding back tears as best he could. Stan was looking away from them, wiping his eyes as he failed miserable at keeping his tears at bay. Ford, seeing that his brother needed a moment, stepped forward first. He kneeled down to look both of them in the eyes.
"Dipper, Mabel", he said. "The two of you are the finest niece and nephew a man could ever ask for. You're both brilliant minds in your own special ways, each as much a genius as the other. It's been a true pleasure to meet you both, and I consider you not only my niece and nephew, but two of my best friends as well".
"Darn it", Mabel said as yet more tears came forth, "now I'm emotional all over again".
She flung herself into Ford and hugged him round the middle. Dipper joined her, and Ford tightly wrapped his arms around the both of them.
"You're one of my best friends too", Dipper said, trying and failing to get rid of his tears on his uncle's sweater.
"You're both wonderful people, and I look forward to getting to know both of you even better the next time you're here", Ford said, before he patted the two of them on the back and released them from his grip.
"I love you Grunkle Ford", Mabel said.
"Me too", Dipper said.
"I love both of you too", Ford said, smiling warmly at them. "And believe me, if I could have taken your place in what happened to you, I would have".
At long last, it came down to the final goodbye of all. Stan stared at the two of them, tears pouring down his face at this point. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times, trying to speak but finding himself unable to do so. In the end he gave up on speaking, and he threw himself at the twins instead, dropping to his knees and pulling both of them into the tightest hug he'd ever given. He sobbed unashamedly into the tops of their heads, the twins sobbing into his suit as they hugged him back as tightly as they could.
"I'm gonna miss you kids so much", Stan sobbed. "More than you know".
"We'll miss you too Grunkle Stan", they said.
"I love you both so much, never forget that".
"We won't", Dipper said. "And we love you too".
"So, so much", Mabel said.
"You kids… ya mean the world to me, and I ain't exaggeratin' either. You've both given me the best summer of my life, and I can never thank either of ya enough for it".
"Thanks for having us Grunkle Stan", Mabel said.
"Yeah", Dipper agreed. "It's been the best summer of our lives too, minus the apocalypse".
Stan laughed through his sobs and tightened his embrace. Finally, after another minute or so, he kissed both of them on the forehead and released them from his grip, wiping away his tears.
"Now you two hurry up and get on that bus", Stan said. "Don't wanna miss yer ride home. And remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, me and Ford are right here".
"Indeed we are", Ford said. "Don't hesitate to call, we'll always be glad to hear your voices".
"Same here", Wendy said.
"Me too", Soos agreed.
"Us as well", Candy chimed in.
"Forever and always", Grenda said.
"Yeah, you two losers better not forget to call me", Pacifica said.
"We won't", Mabel assured. "Prepare for a tidal wave of digital affection, all of you".
There was one more round of quick hugs between everyone present, culminating in a big group hug between all of them at once, the twins squished at the centre of it. Then, with tears still coming thick and fast, both of them picked up their luggage and stepped on board the bus. After quickly showing their tickets to the driver, they stowed their things in the overhead rack and raced to the back of the bus, staring out the window. Slowly, the bus closed its doors and pulled away from the Shack. Mabel and Dipper both waved furiously out the back window, their assembled friends and family waving back as hard as they could. The group chased after the bus for as long and hard as they could, keeping up the waving and all of them yelling out yet more farewells.
"GOODBYE, WE LOVE YOU!" Mabel screamed.
"SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!" Dipper yelled as loud as he could. "DON'T FORGET ABOUT US IN THE MEANTIME!"
The bus picked up speed and their friends and family were left behind. Mabel blew all of them a kiss before they vanished from sight. Then, the bus made its way through Gravity Falls, and the twins watched as their beloved home rapidly passed them by. Soon they were rolling away into the hills, and they were given a spectacular view of the entire town, the sun beaming down onto it. Mabel's hand slipped into Dipper's, both of them squeezing affectionately. They pressed their shoulders together and placed one another's heads together. Mabel blew out a long, shaky breath and wiped away her tears.
"Goodbye, Gravity Falls", she whispered as the town finally vanished from view.
"We'll miss you", Dipper said.
He gave Mabel's hand another loving squeeze, and after a few more moments of wistful staring, they turned around to go to their seats. What they saw made them gasp in shock. Dipper tensed and instinctively placed an arm out in front of Mabel. Stood before them was a man dressed in a dark brown cloak, archaic symbols imprinted all over it. A hood covered his head, and inside it they could see no face, only darkness. Two grey, clawed hands were poking out of the sleeves.
"Good day to you, godlings", he said in an ancient, rattling voice. "A pleasure to finally meet you".
A/N: Whoof, this turned into another pretty big chapter here. But I suppose that was always going to be the case with the farewell scene. Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of the Gravity Falls gang just yet. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and once again, I'm sorry it took me as long as it did, but unfortunately that's just the way my writing seems to happen with this story, and I'm just gonna have to learn to deal with my brain's way of doing things I think. Hopefully the next one will come along a little quicker. Thanks for reading :)
