Chapter 36

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

There was an ear-piercing scream from inside the Mystery Shack.

After the the bomb Gideon had dropped on them, Stan had felt his heart cease beating, beginning to realize the danger his grand-niece was in. He wasn't certain if she made a deal as he had for her body to be used or if the entry had been forceful. Either way, the notion made him nauseous. When the scream of agony echoed throughout the clearing they were, the origin from the Mystery Shack, he knew Gideon had told them far too late. He would recognize Mabel's scream anywhere and it seemed Dipper would to. The brunet had blanched at the agonizing noise, eyes widening, and scrambled up from the bench. "MABEL!"

"Dipper, wait!" Stan cried after him, as the 13-year-old rushed into the building. He released a curse, clambering up from his seat, beginning to go after him. He distantly heard Dick calling after him, yet he ignored it, aware he needed to halt Dipper's entrance. The back door slammed shut and he pushed himself to sprint faster. He came to abrupt halt, a few feet away from the door, and froze in place. Mabel had went in with Stanley. That would mean that his brother...He didn't even think about his grand-nephew, as he thrust open the door, legs pumping, as he sprinted to the staircase. He nearly hurtled over Dipper on the stairs, barely noticing he was there, crying out for his twin. "LEE!"

He could hardly breath, as he dashed down the hallway, and up the staircase leading to the attic. The door was closed, an echoing screech surrounding him. The room had lost it's saturation and he knew a dream demon, Jill Rephic to be more precise, was in there with his family. He jiggled the handle, finding it locked or perhaps simply stuck. He backed up a bit, before slamming his shoulder into it. The voice faded away, roaring of wind from inside. He slammed once more into it, ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder, until part of the door splintered open. Stan kicked down the rest of it, scrambling inside. He stared in awe, at the swirling rainbow hued colors surrounding the ghostly figures present in the room. They were like mini versions of the portal, when it was on, leaving him speechlessly at the sight. Mabel floated in the center of one of them, hair spread out, mouth open in a a painful sounding scream. Her eyes glowed a bluish hue, the ends of her becoming wispy. She disappeared into a rain of glittering ashes, leaving her unconsciousness and damaged body upon the floor. Stan's head slowly turned to the left, finding his brother there, his eyes squeezed shut, fists balled into his floating hair. Stan reached out for his twin, his hand passing through, frigid to the touch. His brother's eyes snapped open, staring into Stan's aged face, eyes beginning to glow. "STANLEY!"

He appeared nearly apologetic, eyes sliding shut, as he breathed out his echoing reply. "I'm sorry..."

A dusting of translucent ashes fell across his face, vanishing, as though it was part of the past. He fell to his knees, releasing a sigh. He heard a choking noise from behind, recognizing it to be Dipper's, and he reached out to the body of his twin, cradling him into his lap. He felt heavy across Stan's legs, but he couldn't find himself to feel the weight. He heard anxious blubbering from behind him. "G-Grunkle Stan...Mabel...s-she...G-Grandpa Stanley..."

The elder man ignored the stuttering mess, burying his face into his brother's chest. His mind was silenced, not a single thought passing through him. He was disconnected from emotions, that ones he would typically feel in such a moment. His emotions were reduced to nothing. Stan breathed in the scent of his brother, the coffee and pages of book, causing a semblance of emotion to return. It was dulled, yet he recognized it to be a sense of defeat. He felt a hand touch his back, Dipper's voice close to his ear, sounding frightened. "I-Is Mabel...Grandpa S-Stanley...are t-they...d-dead?"

His aged hands grasped the material of Stanley's sweater, frame trembling at the words spoken. Dead. Blood. Blood drenching the frame of his brother, haunting him. The monsters in his head, providing him with images he had nightmares about. Dead. Blood. DEAD. BLOOD. DEAD. DEAD. BLOOD. He released a grim wail, into the attic, the hand from behind jerking away from him. He screamed and screamed, until his throat was hoarse, and even then, he continued on with each emotion released. He realized moments later, the words he was screaming, yet he was unable to cease them. "DON'T LEAVE ME! GOD DAMMIT, GOD DAMMIT, GOD DAMMIT! DON'T LEAVE ME, AGAIN! GOD DAMMIT!"

He removed his face from his twin, hot tears rolling down his cheeks, as he shouted furiously at the ceiling. "WHERE ARE YOU?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, CIPHER?! COME HERE, YOU DAMN DEMON! COME HERE NOW!"

Dipper staggered away from the sequence of howls and profanity his great-uncle released. Bill Cipher didn't appear though. The brunet wasn't surprised by that, aware that the dream demon never appeared when you wanted him to. He had always been as such and he would never change in that aspect. Dipper wish he would though, if only to end the screams. He was frightened by the pent up emotions Stan released and concerned about his sister. She laid on her side, across the room, as still as a corpse. Corpse. He didn't want to confirm the comparison, unable to predict his own reaction. Would he feel numb or would he completely lose it like Stan? He fould himself curled up into a ball and hiding into the corner of the room. He rocked himself, finding the motion to calm his nerves, and hummed to drown out the noise. He was startled, when a hand rested upon his shoulder, and jerked, glancing up to see Dick squatting next to him. "Dipper? Are you alright?"

His voice was raised above the background howling, eyebrows furrowing together. "M-Mabel...is s-she...de...de...?"

"What? No, no, see's fine. Your sister is unconscious...I'm not sure about Stanley, because your uncle won't let me near him. Are you alright though? Are you feeling anxious?" Dipper felt relief course through him, before he was reminded of the elder man cursing Bill's very existence. He bobbed his head up and down, his frame quivering. He buried his face into his knees, feeling the hand pat his shoulder. "Don't worry, the screaming will stop, alright?"

He glanced back up, observing the doctor leaving him, in favor of crossing the room to his grand-uncle. Dipper flinched, when Stan was backed handed across the face, a crisp smack echoed across the room, his howling immediately silenced. Stan's emotions were lost an instant later, the disconnection returning. The doctor was knelt in front of him, one of his bloodied hands, resting upon one Stanley's limp arms. They weren't bloodied though, Stan's vision haunted by hallucinations, the side effects Bill Cipher had left behind years ago. He ignored the blood soaked into every pore of the attic and his hand rose to his stinging cheek. He rubbed at it, Dick's hand squeezing his twin's wrist. "He's alive. Your brother is alive. I can feel his pulse. Do you understand, that he's alive?"

"...yeah..."

He frowned at Stan's impassive tone and whispered to him. "...Stanford, do you feel like you need a drink?"

"...I don't feel anything." He truthfully revealed.

"I believe you're in a type of emotional shock, Stan. Feeling a reduction of emotions occurs after traumatizing ev-"

"I know how shock works."

"...are you aware that you are scaring your nephew?" He blinked a couple of times, before his eyes roved around the room. Stan finally observed his grand-nephew, in the corner of the room. Dipper was curled into a ball and face buried into his knees. He was quivering, the speedy panting audible from across the room. Dipper's face lifted, revealing the frighted face. The younger Pines' eyes held a type of concern for Stan, his anxiety clearly evident. He had scared the 13-year-old, yet he felt numb about the entire situation, unable to care about anything in the world. He had died inside, his brother lost, as he had been for 37 years. Stan felt his arm grasped onto, he attention redirected to the doctor. "Stanford?"

"No...I didn't realize..." He mumbled, finding himself unable to care what he had done to anyone else. It was as though...he couldn't find the strength to realize the mistakes he had done. It was though...as though he had slipped back into the depressive state he had occupied before. He felt a tinge of emotion seep into him, remembering how dead he felt inside, before his suicide attempt. He jerked away from Stanley's body, scrambling across the wooden floor. Dick's hand slipped away, eyebrows furrowing at the actions the elder man performed. Stan ran into someone behind him, causing him to fall onto his back, the person behind him stumbling back a step or two. He glanced up from where he was laid out and found Gideon to be lingering by the doorway.

"This is all my fault." He whispered, the stutter vanished from his speech. He distantly scrutinized the prone form of Mabel, across the room, the ends of her hair pure white, while the rest was her normal brunette hue. It appeared as though someone had dipped the end of her hair in dye, now matching Gideon's own. His eyes unsettled Stan, as his emotions returned, finding his words to be mirrored to those he had spoken to himself years ago. Stan realized in that moment, that he needed to compose himself, for the sake of Dipper and Gideon. If he didn't, they would be fall apart.

He struggled to sit up, his aged body trembling from the adrenaline fading from his system. "Gideon, come here...you can't blame yourself for this."

Gideon's lip wobbled and he squeezed his eyes shut. "Kid?"

The freckled boy plopped down in front of Stan, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He reached out, rubbing the back of Gideon's neck, listening to the mumbling from his soft tone. "I..I-I s-should o-of t-told y-you...b-but...I-I w-was..."

"Scared?" Gideon bowed his head, releasing a hoarse sob. Stan grasped one of his pudgy hands with his free hand and nodded. "I know how you feel, kid. I've been scared about Bill Cipher coming back for me in the past...and, you were scared she would hurt you, again, if you told someone...I wanna know though, did she hurt you anyways?"

The 11-year-old tugged one of his hands away, rubbing the crook of his neck, appearing distressed. Stan squeezed his other hand, beginning to feel nervous about his actions. He knew that Gideon had experienced a something, when Jill was inside Mabel. He leaned forward, tears rising in his eyes. His voice came out as a mumble, barely heard, but the moment Gideon finished, Stan felt unsettling. "She did that? She sat on you and...and she said those things?"

"I-I'm s-sorry!"

"No, Jesus, no, Gideon. Listen to me, ok? It's ok to be scared...I want you to promise me though, if anyone or anything does any stuff like that or just make you uncomfortable, you tell me, so I can stop it. Ok?" He questioned, distressed that Gideon didn't inform him of this, until he had pushed the freckled boy. Gideon bobbed his head up and down. "Good. Are you upset? Did I...scare you with my yelling?"

"...A-A l-little b-bit..."

"Sorry about that, kid...I was...worried about my brother..." Stan admitted reluctantly. He didn't want to share his emotions on the situation, but he thought it would be best to explain to Gideon, so he could understand and abate his fear. He had lost it for a moment there, though he intended on not doing it anymore to them. He had already done it too much this summer and needed to be available to the three, if they needed him.

"...o-oh...a-are...y-you o-ok?"

His question startled the elder man, since it was ordinarily one of the twins that wondered if he was alright or not. He wanted to be honest, yet revealing more than necessary could further concern the freckled boy. He had to think on the question, since his emotions were completely scrambled. For awhile there, he had felt nothing, before a roaring negative emotion had taken over his senses. Stan hadn't had that issue, until Bill Cipher was inside him, and at those moments he couldn't control the rage that ran through him. Stan didn't want to admit over the years, but he had come to realize that a dream demon possessing him, had mentally unbalanced him. He hadn't been the same since that week and wouldn't be until he died. He had adapted though and was better able to control it as the years had passed. The elder man wouldn't concern Gideon with these matters, so he instead expressed what he felt at that exact moment. "I'm scared for my brother."

"Oh..."

"He's strong though, so he'll be ok...are you alright for now, kid?"

"U-Uh-huh..."

"Well, I think I should go see how Dipper is doing right now...I scared him, too, and I think I need to apologize," He explained, patting Gideon's head, bringing himself to his feet. He observed his great-nephew in the corner and Dick whispering comforting phrases. Stan approached the pair and deposited himself next to Dipper. "I got this, Dick. Could you just check on Stanley and Mabel?"

Dick hummed in agreement, leaving them, and Stan turned to the brunet. The 13-year-old peeked up from his knees, staring into his eyes, before glancing away. Stan released a sigh, before reaching out, and picking up Dipper by his waist. The preteen unleashed a noise sounding to be a mix of protest and surprise at this action. He set Dipper into his lap and settled his jaw onto the top of his head. "G-Grunkle Stan?"

"Sorry about scaring you like that...is your anxiety bad right now?" He asked and grasped onto his grand-nephew's trembling hand. "You gonna have a panic attack or...?"

"Uh...n-no...I don't t-think s-so...are y-you ok?"

"Yeah, just scared for Stanley. I got a bit upset, when I thought about him being...well, you know," The elder Pines explained, rubbing his thumb in circles around Dipper's wrists, until the trembling had reduced to practically nothing. Dipper released a hum of content and Stan rolled his eyes at the sound. "Enjoy this while you can, kid, because I ain't letting you sit in my lap like this, again. You're too heavy to be on my legs for a long time."

"O-Ok...and I f-forgive you...Grunkle Stan?"

"Yeah?"

"What're we going to do?"

He sighed, eyes shutting, as he thought about the translucent hand he had reached out for and the swirling colors surrounding his twin's soul, before he had lost him for the second time in his life. "I don't know, kiddo..."

~!-?-!~

"The dreamscape..." Dipper heard echoed throughout the room, causing him lurch awake from his light sleep. He breathed raggedly through his mouth, his great-uncle shifting next to him. His mind wandered to Dick being in the room, but remembered that the man had headed home, after the unconscious twins were clarified to be alright, and Stan had sent Wendy back to her house, lying about Stanley getting sick, so she wouldn't become involved with the fiasco. He curled up against the elder man's chest, feeling the weight of the arm laid across his stomach, sweat soaking him from the combined weight of Stan and the stifling outside air. He turned his head to the right, the familiar glowing gold hue floating beside the attic's window. Bill Cipher stared out into the front yard, the moon's light spilling into the room. "Jill Rephic has broken yet another rule...it's forbidden to take the soul's of humans there."

"You took us there."

"I took your minds there. Your soul and body remained in the physical realm, while your minds traveled to the scape." He explained, continuing his vigilant gaze out through the triangle shaped window.

"Urrr...Dip...Dipper?" Grunkle Stan mumbled into his ear, the weight of his arm removed from the brunet's stomach. He rolled into the direction, where the dream demon floated, frowning at the source of the glowing hue, penetrating his fuzzy gaze. He recognized the hue, though couldn't quite place where he had seen it exactly. "Wha...What's that light?"

"It's Bill..."

Stan reached across Dipper, to Mabel's side dresser, grasping as the brunet shifted, allowing Stan's reach to lengthen, and access for his glasses. Stan shoved the pair on, sitting up in the bed the two occupied. He glanced over at the opposite bed, Gideon's light eyes blinking into the darkness, aimed at the dream demon. An extra bed, which was near the room's door, Mabel's and Stanley's bodies laid together. After scanning the other beds, he glanced back at the triangle. He frowned at him, feeling unnaturally calm at the sight of Bill. He supposed it was due to the suspicion that Bill could inform them how to rescue his family. "You know how to get them back, don't you, Cipher?"

Bill finally turned to the pair, his voice coming out as a hiss, that echoed throughout the room. "Out in the woods, buried deep, lies what you seek, though it shall be quite weak. Though the game seems to be over and won, it's not quite done. She seems to enjoy corrupting lives and now we'll have to see which Pines survives."

"...Jesus, you're doing that, again? Those cryptic rhymes, instead of just telling us?" Stan groaned, rolling his eyes. Dipper had heard Bill cite rhymes about the future, though usually they were used in more of an mocking form, then the cryptic messages he was creating. "I don't know what the hell I expected."

"I've told you before, Crescent, why I operate the way I do, but you aren't understanding the severity of the situation. You should be lucky I do reveal what I do, since alternative versions of me would simply mock you with what you already know, in the same exact rhymes. I have already done more than I should of in this dimension, in order to correct Jill's mistakes, and now it's up to my wheel to fix the rest. I won't appear, again, until you follow through on your end...if you don't act soon though, you will lose Sixer and Shooting Star..." He trailed off, eye rolling up to the ceiling, as though he could view a sight none of them could. "...I expect you three not to fail, considering the circumstances."

Only when Bill disappeared in the flash of pure luminance, did Dipper realize that the saturation remained intact in the attic, during the entire conversation they had had with the dream demon.

~!-?-!~

"Kid, I'm thinking it's literally the woods he's referencing," Stan informed Dipper, tapping his pen on the notepad he held, with the rhyme scrawled across it, as they pondered over the meaning at the early hours of the morning. The brunet frowned at him, shaking his head at the answer. "We've been through this already; you're thinking about this too hard, kid."

"He says thing like that all the time though and doesn't always literally mean that. It could be a metaphor?" Dipper suggested, pointing at the writing. Gideon was settled in the seat across from them, head titling to the side, attempting to fight the sleep overtaking him. "And he keeps saying about something being buri...oh...Grunkle Stan, the bunker!"

Gideon jolted awake at the cry he heard from across the table, shaking the sleep clouding his mind. Stan smiled wearily at his grand-nephew, shaking his head at the obvious answer. He couldn't believe he didn't realize the meaning behind the line, despite the fact he had been inside the underground bunker more times than he could count. He hadn't been there in years though, finding the need to use it to be unreasonable, since the end of the world couldn't possibly happen in his lifetime. He scribbled down the name, nodding. "Ok, so we got that out of the way, now we need to know what he thinks we're 'seeking'."

"Is it a way to get to the dreamscape?"

"This is Cipher we're talking about here, Dipper. He wouldn't tell us that. He's leading us to something else we need, that might help us get there. Any ideas on what it could be, because I got none coming to mind?"

"Hmmm...maybe something connecting us to the dreamscape? Some sort of portal?"

"I've been in there plenty enough, to tell you that Stanley never made anything like that in the bunker...I would like to know exactly what we're searching for, but it's probably ok if we don't. The answer will probably be pretty obvious when we get there."

"The next part then...I guess he's giving us hope, that we still have time?"

"I don't think 'hope' is something Cipher can give us...'game' though...is this a game to him? To Rephic?"

"Um, I'm not really sure...Bill wasn't all serious when Mabel and I met him, but now he is and...w-well, he's acting kind of weird now..."

"Something is off...Dipper, I know you've put some trust into him, but he's a demon. I want you to be careful around him, ok? He's tricked plenty of folks through the years and he acted different around me, when I wanted help. He acts like a friend, but he ain't one, you hear me?"

"I...I don't know, Grunkle Stan...I'm starting to think that he really wants to stop Jill...she's done some bad things, from what I understand, and Bill keeps saying she'll keep doing stuff like that..." He replied, thinking back on the words and actions Bill Cipher had done, since about two months ago. He had started off as a malevolent and suspicious being, but had evolved into the benevolent demon he had grown to know today. Dipper had grown to trust him, finding that he truly wanted to save them from Jill.

Stan released a sigh. "Please, Dipper, just...you trust me, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course." Dipper replied, without a second thought on the matter.

"Then trust me, when I say he will cause you pain, if he finds it to his benefit. I'm following the rhyme, because it so happens what benefits him, will benefit us. I want to watch your back though, ok?"

The 13-year-old bit his lip, before nodding. He trusted his great-uncle and knew his advice to be sound, but couldn't help wonder if that perhaps the elder man was wrong about the dream demon. He didn't argue further on the matter though, instead opting to continue deciphering the meaning behind the the mysterious words. The next phrase was self-explanatory in his eyes, but the final phrase sent is anxiety on edge. "What...W-What did he mean by 'which Pines survives'?"

"...Dipper, everything is going to be fine...he's said cryptic crap like that, since I've first met him. Most of them haven't occurred and I don't think there's much meaning behind him. I mean, he's already told me a couple of times, that my brother would die really young and guess how old he's made it? He's 30-years-old and he should of died long ago, if Bill wanted to be right. They're simply empty threats and won't come true."

It seemed as though on this one, he didn't need to question, because there were phrases the dream demon had told him, though had never come to pass. It fit with how Bill Cipher operated and he didn't need to experience angst over the last part. He knew none of the Pines would be lost this summer and that they would end up defeating the female dream demon, even if it would be difficult."Ok, well...are we going to the bunker...right now?"

"Yeah...I think Gideon should stay here though. He has already faced her enough and he wouldn't even be awake by the time we get back," He gestured to the freckled boy, slouched over the able, sleeping away, through the majority of their conversation. "And, I don't think we'll find anything too important, when we go in...Dipper, where did you say Shiftie-uh, I mean the shapeshifter was stuck in the bunker?"

"Wendy and I put it into that chamber thing and froze him."

"The stasis tube?"

"Uh, I think that's what it was."

"We won't have to deal with him then, so that's good. I want you to go change out of your pajamas and I'll go get the the journals." He instructed the brunet, watching as he rushed out from the room. Stan lifted himself from his seat, joints creaking in protest, before heading over to gather Gideon into his arms. He entered the living room, setting the freckled boy into the reclining chair, and pulled the lever. The seat reclined into laying position, Gideon grumbling in sleep, from the slight disruption to his sleep. Stan laid out a blanket, that had been draped over the head of the seat, wrapping it around Gideon, before exiting the room.

~!-?-!~

As the sun rose, the golden hues lengthening their shadows before them, the Pines staggered over the terrain of the forest. Dipper was clad in a forest green, skin fitted t-shirt, tan pants, and was missing his pine tree hat. Stan had thought it unusual that he would chose would he wore right now and be missing his beloved hat he had gotten from the gift shop. He hadn't commented on it, though the sight unsettled him. He was clad in a white button-up, not wanting to wear any other layers in the heat, his typical black slacks, and the fez atop his head. They trudged on, Dipper beside him, as they headed in deeper. He stared at the unruly hair in front of him, before removing his fez. He reached out and set it onto his grand-nephew's head. It slid down and he thought it would over Dipper's eyes, but his ears prevented this, only covering his forehead, nearly touching his eyebrows. Dipper halted movement in surprise, reaching up to touch the fez. "Wait, what?"

"You look weird without your hat, kiddo. If you actually brushed your hair, like me, it would be fine, but it looks a mess."

"Ugh, Grunkle Stan, seriously?" He complained, though he didn't attempt to remove the hat, continuing on into the forest. The elder man felt is lips tug into a smile, imagining himself from his own childhood, when his father had given the item to him. They had obtained it from a pawn shop, simply because he had thought it looked cool and his father thought it would be alright for him to have. It had barely fit on his head back then and now it seemed Dipper was the same. His smile dropped though, as they approached the tree they needed. "Wendy had to climb up the tree last time to reach the branch."

Stan rolled his eyes, before plucking up a stone from the ground. He tossed it up and down a couple of times in his hands, judging the weight. He aimed up at the branch, before throwing it. It smacked into the limb, causing it to jerk, the rock bouncing off and disappearing somewhere behind them. The tree before them rumbled, before sinking into the ground below. A series of wooden planks popped out, creating a spiraling staircase down into the abyss. There was an audible pop from down below and the door slid open. "Or, you four could of did that."

"Oh..." Dipper mumbled, as Stan began to descend down the stairs. The 13-year-old followed, a lantern held in his hands, and they headed down. They stepped through the entrance, the elder man kicking at a panel next to the door, near the floor. There was a series of clickings and whirlings, as the tree began to re-ascend to the surface, the button causing the tree to retract. They froze as they observed their surroundings, staring at the figure curled up in the bed. Stan gaped wordlessly at the individual, before he hoarsely forming the name he knew well. "Fiddleford?"

End Chapter 36

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you all had a spooky day and enjoy this update. I also hope, you all aren't still agonizing over Weirdmageddon Part 1. I'm actually impressed with the quality of the episode they've already shown and I can tell you right now my finale probably won't be as grand. I think you readers will like how it plays out my fic though, so be prepared within the next month or two for the end. Notes for this chapter include the following: I'm not sure if anyone would notice, but I took part of the rhyme from the new cipher in the credits, and warped it into my own form. When Bill references alternate universes, it's an allusion to how he knows that in the canon Gravity Falls he's hellbent on opening the rift. As always, I appreciate followers, favorites, and reviews!