A bright white flash blinded Mabel and Dipper's line of sight, causing them to shield their eyes with their free arms while they used their other arms to reach out through the barrier in order to cross it. A moment passed when the bright light soon began to fade, allowing Dipper and Mabel to lower their arms away from their eyes, blinking them open which they then snapped in astonishment. What was beheld before their sight was the surface of the world, their true home, coupled with the familiar sea of trees, mountain sides in the distance, and of course, the ever so recognizable town of Gravity Falls itself. The twins slowly took several steps forward with their eyes wide as saucers and their mouths hung open in pure disbelief towards the fact that they finally reached the end of their journey, faced insurmountable odds, and at last made it to the end. "...we...we did it...Mabel...we really did it." Dipper stammered lowly in incredulity and amazement, with Mabel's similar expression soon giving way to one of sheer delight and joy, her pupils expanding and becoming glittery, biting her lips, squishing her cheeks, and letting out what may be the loudest squeal Dipper has ever heard from her. "WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!" Mabel squealed happily before wrapping her arms around Dipper, lifting him off the ground making him grunt but laugh, as she swung him from side to side all while laughing and cheering, "HAHA! WE REALLY DID, SIS!" Dipper accompanied her on their victory before she set him down, "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO! I mean I know but I don't know where to start! SHOULD I GO TO WADDLES FIRST?! HE'S GONNA BE ALL OVER ME! GRUNKLE STAN OR SOOS?! MAYBE WENDY!? OR-OR GRENDA AND CANDY!? AAAH! I JUST DON'T KNOW!" She blabbered profusely as the excitement overcame her until Dipper stepped in, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Mabel! Relax, easy!" He told her calming her down with his hands on her shoulders, "I know it's been ages since we've been in the Underground. Let's just take a breather." He said as she panted heavily before taking a few calm breaths and exhaled, "Okay...okay...I am one with the meditating pink cloud." She oddly stated before taking a sticker out and placed a meditating hippie cloud sticker on her cheek. "Oho, man! I can't wait to tell everyone about th-...wait a minute..." Dipper felt his hands on the sides of his pants when his eyes widened in panic, "Oh no...oh no NO NO! Shoot! Shoot! I FORGOT THE JOURNAL! THE JOURNAL'S STILL BACK THERE!" Dipper exclaimed in alarm.
"Whoa, what?! Really?!" Mabel too exclaimed in shock as Dipper slapped his palms against his face, "I must've dropped it after Bill showed up! Agh! I can't believe this!" He cursed to himself. "Oh, yeah, about that..." Mabel began to say when Dipper turned to look at her, that is until he was met with a strong punch to his arm, "OW!" He yelled out in pain clutching his arm, "That's for making that stupid deal with Bill you big doofus!" She barked at him angrily making him flinch as he stepped back while rubbing his arm, "I'm sorry! I didn't know that Bill would take over my body!" Dipper apologized but he was struck again this time in the chest making him wheeze and clutch his chest, "You didn't know?! He's an evil triangle! YOU NEVER TRUST A TRIANGLE THAT'S EVIL! ESPECIALLY ONE THAT WEARS A TOP HAT!" She exclaimed furiously while shaking him by the shoulders, "B-But don't you wear a top h-" He tried to retort but was immediately cut off by her, "THOSE ARE FOR POLITICIANS! THEY'RE DIFFERENT!" She countered. "I'm s-sorry...!" He breathed out audibly, Mabel just continued to shoot him a cross-sour glare before she sighed closing her eyes then reopened them to look at Dipper, "Dipper...I know you're trying to protect me but please...can you for once just listen to what I'm gonna say just so you don't crazy protective brother mode?" She requested as he took a moment before nodding once, "Goodie. Look bro, I can handle myself. I don't need a bodyguard or a hero...I need a friend. A best friend...someone who'll not only look out for me but I'll also look out for...and someone that I can always go to ask for help, advice, or some fun sibling stuffs. If I really need to be protected...I'LL ask you for it, capiche?" She concluded as Dipper listened intently before he looked to the side sheepishly, "I'm really sorry, Mabel. For everything..." He apologized heartfully to which she smiled at but soon frowned, "I'm sorry too. I know you've got your bad paranoia moments...and I shouldn't have acted like a big turd to you about it..." She too apologized releasing his shoulders and rubbing the back of her neck, "Hey, I deserved it, anyway." Dipper countered gently when she gave him a look but snorted a chuckle, "Yeeeeah. You might've had it coming but...not that much, really." She admitted as he eyed her but chuckled afterwards himself, "I guess we're both turds, huh?" He mused while rubbing his chest a little from where she hit him, "Pretty much. But hey, we're twins. So, it don't matter. Long as we make up for being turds." She replied with a giggle when Dipper took a moment and spread his arms out for an embrace, "Sincere sibling hug?" He requested to which Mabel smiled widely at, "Sincere sibling hug." She answered gladly and the two siblings held each other in a warm embrace.
Mabel's eyes then opened with a stern expression, "Seriously, if you do something like that again you're gonna get a knee to the gnards." She firmly told him referencing his deal with Bill Cipher to which he gulped anxiously at, "Yes, ma'am." He complied and Mabel giggled in satisfaction, "Goodie goodie." They continued to hug each other for a few more moments, "Dipper...?" She called to him and he opened his eyes a little, "Yeah?" He answered when she then said, "Please don't leave me...you...you don't know how scary it was without you..." She told him with a whimper making Dipper have a look of sympathy and tighten his hold around her, "Same here. And I ain't leaving you, Mabes. I promise..." He assured her as she continued to hold onto him, "Really?" Dipper nodded once in confirmation, "Not a chance in the world. I can't live in it without my best friend." He said to her gently to which her smile widened in response, "Thanks, bro bro." She thanked him tenderly as Dipper patted her back. Their moment soon ended when they separated and adjusted themselves a little. "So, uh, guess it's time we head back home, huh?" Mabel asked rather nervously, and Dipper detected that he excitement tor return home was fading. "Yeah, I guess so." Dipper responded in the same dull tone, his joy too also fading. A moment of silence crossed between the twins for a moment until Mabel could no longer take it, "Blargh!" She blurted out flailing her arms, "I can't take it anymore, Dipper! This isn't the way I wanted things to end! This is honestly the worst ending, like, ever!" She gripped her head as she paced around with Dipper watching, "Mabel.." He called to her but she continued, "I promised them that I'd set them all free! But things only got worse! Asgore's gone and now the monsters have no king! They're gonna be stuck down there all scared and having no idea what they should do!" She ranted on. "Mabel c'mon..." Dipper attempted to calm her but to no avail, "Like, should they put this puzzle on this side? Should they go to the toilet after dinner or after lunch? Should they maybe like spread some rainbow sauce on their tacos so that when they get gassy they fart our rainbows so strong they fly up in their air and join the great farting unicorn gods?!" She exclaimed with Dipper giving her a bewildered look on the last one, "Wait what...?" He asked but was shrugged off, "I just...agh! We can't leave them like this, Dipper! This isn't the way I wanted things to end! And I know before you have a go at me, yes, I am happy we got out...but...we would be happy if we made it out from a cave filled with mean bloodthirsty monsters but...they're different! They're some of the nicest and most awesome monsters I've ever met!" She poured her thoughts out while pacing back and forth flailing her arms.
Until Dipper stepped in front of her and halted her advances, "Mabel!" He yelled her name out as she breathed a little quick, "Mabel...it's okay." He told her in a gentle voice now, but it did not ease her frustration and sadness, "No. No it's not, Dipper. It's not okay. Because...-sniff-...they're stuck down there, now. Probably forever..." She whimpered with her eyes getting watery, "Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne...they're all trapped and they might never get out..." She said sorrowfully as Dipper frowned in sadness as well, "Mabel...didn't you say that if anyone can find a way to break that barrier it'd be me?" He asked her to which she glanced up a little wiping her eyes and nodded once weakly, "And didn't I promise to do it?" He asked her once again and she nodded again, "Then I'm sticking by that promise. You have faith in so many people. And you have faith in me despite everything. So, I'm not gonna betray that faith...because I'll do everything in my power until there's not a breath left in me." He swore strongly with Mabel gazing at him for several moments before her lips quivered into a weak smile, "But I'm gonna need some help. And there's no else to turn to but you. Cause...if we want this to happen..we gotta do it together." He told her with a smile of his own and she wiped her eyes with her smile widening a little more, "Yeah...yeah we totally should..." She agreed as she regained her composure. "Who are we?" He asked her folding his arms, and immediately she knew as she grinned, "We're Mabel and Dipper freaking Pines!" She responded loudly with optimism until both her and her brother finished in unison, "THE MYSTERY TWINS!" They cried out in pride throwing their arms up in the air. And they broke into laughter after that. Her laughter soon died down to chuckling, "Thanks, brosef." She thanked him for his efforts at cheering her up which was a success. "I had to pay you back somehow, sister." He responded as he patted her shoulder earning a giggle from her when she prodded his cheek to which he countered by poking hers and engaged in a poke war getting laughs from one another. Mabel then let out a yawn with Dipper raising his brow, "Tired?" Mabel eyed him at the question, "Dude...I just fought the king of the monsters and a giant mutant flower with god powers...of course I'm tired, Dip Stick." She replied sardonically causing Dipper to raise his hands up at her, "Alright, alright, sheesh. I forgot how grumpy you can be when you're tired." He stated crossing his arms together as Mabel leaned on the side of the entrance within the cavern which lead to the barrier down below. "Hey, I've had it bad too, y'know?" He retorted with a cross expression at her. "Point taken, Dipping sauce. But lemme tell you that stuff was just the tip of the ice berg compared to what I went through before it happened.." She stated mentioning the time of when the monsters explained the true tale of why they were trapped in the underground and why the king collected the human souls. But Mabel was too exhausted to inform Dipper of the story, so she decided it was best left for another time.
"Oh trust me when I say I know exactly how you feel about that." Dipper told her as he walked over and sat down next to her leaning against the wall of the massive cavern entrance. Mabel yawned once again, and blinked a few times drowsily, "Bro bro...can we like...rest here for a while? Maybe take a -yawn- nap?" She requested tiredly and Dipper had no objections to that as he too was exhausted from their battle against Omega Flowey as well as feeling the effects of the battle from when Bill used his body to fight Sans. "Of course, Mabes. Just don't sleep for too long though cause we might-...uh, Mabel?" He noticed that she was already fast asleep, her head leaning against the wall with her mouth slightly open and snoring a little in her slumber. Dipper shook his head with a smirk as he too relaxed with a deep sigh. His head laid back against the rocky wall as well, before turning to the side to watch the sun nearly setting beyond the horizon. He honestly had missed the sun setting, he had longed to see the outside world despite not being down in the underground for that long. But he was so longing to see the surface world that he felt at ease and peace now seeing not just the setting sun but the beautiful view that it encompassed as well. He could see the many of the trees all trembling from the wind, and a flock of birds passing by chirping. He wanted so bad to go down and return to the Mystery Shack, to mess around with Soos, to get belittled by Grunkle Stan, and even be awkward around Wendy. His adventures in Gravity Falls is what he missed and his interactions with the people down there, well, most of the people at least. However, concerning that he lacks the journal, he wonders how things would progress without it. But it was justified seeing as how he knew his sister was in peril and that the only thing on his mind was saving her, even if it meant leaving behind the journal, the one thing that would aid him in his ventures through the deepest crevices of Gravity Falls where none have ever trekked nor would they dare to venture forward to. Part of him wanted to slap himself for almost thinking that getting the journal as just as important as saving their lives and ensuring that they live through the horrendous ordeal with Omega Flowey and Bill Cipher. Besides, Mabel said that the journal does not define him as a character. It's just a book, after all.
On the other note, Dipper could not help but feel the same thing that Mabel is feeling. This honestly does feel like the worst kind of ending to a story, which is their victory upon returning to the surface world does not feel that grand or satisfying. Sure, they did beat the tar out of Flowey for what he put them through, yet at the same time, there was something about his mannerisms that speaks of a deeper story behind his innocent yet terrifying facade. He could not understand the feelings he is experiencing, almost as if he had never known love in his life, or perhaps, since he lacked a soul, he was incapable of feeling affection of any sort. Was that the case? Perhaps, but he would not go into it further. Because despite them breaching the barrier and returning home, there was the fact that the monsters were still trapped in the mountain. Despite his paranoia, Dipper found himself befriending many of the monsters down there. Toriel was motherly towards them, Sans and Papyrus acted more than just good friends but almost like two immature siblings, and Undyne, well, she was much like Wendy except quite possibly more hardcore. But then he thought about Alphys, and about how he reacted towards her 'betrayal' if one could call it that. He thought about how she rigged their entire journey throughout Hotland in order to cement herself in their adventure and act as a hero. But, there was something that Mettaton said about her manipulation and he connected it with what Alphys told them after completing one of the puzzles. She stated that she did not really like herself that much and would constantly feel useless despite her position. And she always wanted to feel like she is acknowledged and that she is important, and she did this by inserting both him and his sister her game while making it look like that she is liberating them from the perils that approach them. Putting his anxiety aside, he saw that Alphys did have the best intentions and meant no ill will towards the twins. That she wanted to feel like she was important and that she wanted to feel like she is able and strong. To be honest, it reminds Dipper of himself in a way. He flinched knowing what he did and the things he said to Alphys, and immediately regretted it afterwards. He especially regretted what he said to Mabel, and to this day still hates himself for what he did. Another thing that still haunts him is the deal he made with Bill, which made him hate himself even more, knowing that his stupid decisions put not only the monsters in danger but also his sister. He felt like he was about to puke from believing that Bill might actually have killed many monsters during his rampage and using his own body to do it. There was so much to think about, but now was not the time. Right now, he would just enjoy the cool air and the serene scene that was before him.
Five hours passed with Dipper now already succumbing to sleep alongside Mabel who had her head resting against his shoulder with his own head on hers. They were so deep into sleep that the cell phone in Dipper's pocket began to ring. It rang a total of three times but each time it did not wake neither Dipper nor Mabel. After the third ring, it was left to voice mail and a familiar voice answered, "heya. is anyone there...?" It was Sans, calling out to the twins but there was no response as they were in a deep slumber due to exhaustion from their intense battles. "well, i'll just leave a message..." Sans said as the scene transitioned to his house with him laying on the couch and having his phone to his ear hole. With a sigh, he leaned back and closed his eye sockets, "so...it's been a while..." He began to say before reopening them, "just wanted to let you know that the queen returned, and is now ruling the underground." He revealed before looking out the window, "she's also instated a new policy: all the humans who fall here will be treated not as enemies..." He then shut his left eye leaving his right eye open, "...but as friends." He finished, until he chuckled, "it's probably for the best, anyway." He admitted with an amused tone of voice all while Dipper and Mabel were sleeping, that is until Dipper's eyes began to twitch ever so slightly when Sans continued with his message, "oh, and the human souls that the kind gathered seem to have disappeared." He said while messing with the telephone wires, "so, uh, that plan ain't happening any time soon...but, even though the people are heartbroken over the king...suffered a lot of losses...and things are looking grim for our freedom...the queen's trying her best not to let us lose hope." He adjusted himself in his seat with a grunt, still sore from his battle with Bill Cipher, "so, uh, hey...if we're not giving up down here...don't give up while you're up there, squirts. Ok?" He told the twins with his left eye closing as the right was looking at the receiver. Dipper's eyes eventually twitched open ever so slowly, awakening from his slumber barring Mabel. Sans sighed and he closed both sockets, "oh, and uh, cupcake...if you're hearing this...don't bring out the waterworks for thinking that you broke your promise...it's ok...we'll figure something out. We don't know how long it'll take but...we will get outta here." He spoke to Mabel hoping that she does not go into depression for thinking that she broke her promise for swearing to set the monsters all free. Both of his eye sockets snapped open when his brother called to him in the kitchen, "SANS! WHO'RE YOU TALKING TO?!" Papyrus asked while he was chopping some tomatoes. "oh, nobody." Sans replied nonchalantly with one eye socket closed causing Papyrus to turn his skull up, "WHAT?! NOBODY!?" He then turned around with an expression of anticipation, "CAN I TALK TO THEM TOO?!" He asked excitedly as he rushed over. Sans chuckled and handed him the phone, "here, knock yourself out."
Papyrus took the phone but stopped almost immediately when he took notice of the number, "WAIT A SECOND...I RECOGNIZE THIS NUMBER!" He exclaimed in shock and gasped before hopping up and down in joy, "IT'S DIPPER AND MABEL! HEY! HI! HOW'RE YOU GUYS DOING?! I REQUEST YOUR ATTENTION!" Papyrus then cleared his throat and assumed a pose, "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS..." And before he could finish, he grabbed his scarf and whipped it out with the large cloth obscuring his view briefly until, impressively, he was now in a new uniform. He sported pristine white armor, which was similar to the one that Undyne wore before except hers was more of a dark silver. The shoulder pauldrons had golden trims at the end, along with the gauntlets, and grieves as well. He also sported a cloth of sorts that hung down between his legs. His scarf also was wrapped and positioned behind his back giving it the appearance of a tattered cape. What was especially noticeable is that the armor sported the Delta Rune on the chest, "...AM NOW CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" He announced with pride and glee while putting his hands on his hips, the phone in one of the hands, and assuming a heroic pose, all while Sans could just stare in admiration. "IT'S EVERYTHING I EVER DREAMED OF! EXCEPT, INSTEAD OF FIGHTING, WE JUST WATER FLOWERS." He said the last part with a look of uncertainty until it immediately shifted to one of delight, "BUT THAT'S EVER SO SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT!" He retorted as Dipper was now slowly getting more and more awake and heard the voice message from the cell phone, "AND WE'RE HELPING DR. ALPHYS WITH HER RESEARCH! SHE'S GONNA FIND A WAY TO GET US OUT OF HERE." He added until Sans said, "yep, and undyne's helping her too." He flipped through a few channels on the television. "THOUGH, TO BE HONEST, HER METHOD OF HELPING SEEMS KIND OF...EXPLOSION-INDUCING." He added nervously but was replaced with a flamboyant tone, "BUT I THINK ALPHYS LIKES HAVING HER AROUND!" He stated when he jumped from a certain fish woman behind him, "Hey! What're you up to, punk?!" Undyne barked questioningly as Papyrus whipped himself to face her with an anxious expression, "UH OH...UH..." He stammered until Undyne snatched the phone from him in a flash, "Ngah!" She shouted with Papyrus holding his hands up, "PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE THE PHONE!" He pleaded when he leaned back as Undyne was up in his face while having the phone away in her hand, "Hey! Who's in charge here?!" She questioned strongly as Papyrus glanced left and right for a good response but simply answered, "ME." And that seemed to have worked as Undyne's expression dropped, "Oh...yeah, that's right!" She slapped Papyrus in the shoulder rather happily making him stumble and nearly fall to the ground, "I quit my job as leader of the Royal Guard. Actually, since we won't be fighting more...the Royal Guard totally disbanded." She spoke to the twins on the phone.
Dipper was now fully awake but he was too tired to move his limbs, only listening, but had a smile on his features from what he was hearing. "There's, uh, only one member now." Undyne stated rubbing the back of her neck and that is when Papyrus immediately stepped in striking a pose, "AND HE'S EXTREMELY GOOD!" He said in a factual manner. "Fuhuhu! Yeah! He is! C'mere, bonehead!" She suddenly gripped Papyrus in a headlock and gave him a noogie, "NYEEEEH! PLEASE! DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!" He pleaded in discomfort until she stopped and continued to speak on the phone, "Anyways, now I'm working as Alphy's lab assistant. And we're gonna find a way outta this dump once and for all!" She proclaimed in a strong determined manner, "AND SHE'S A GYM TEACHER AT THE QUEEN'S NEW SCHOOL!" Papyrus added to which Undyne ruffled up Papyrus' skull for with a laugh, "Fuhuhu! Yeah I am! And did you know that I can bench press seven children!? Awesome, right?" She said with excitement while Dipper could not help but chuckle at their antics but also happy for their new positions despite the sacrifices it took, and that is when Undyne said in a rather sad tone, "Hey. I'm sorry about what happened with Asgore. You were just doing what you had to. It's not your fault he..." Undyne then took an emotional pause with Papyrus and Sans giving her glances of sympathy. Dipper then frowned, knowing how close she was with Asgore as he was the reason that she became who she is now, and was in a way almost like a father figure to her. Papyrus patted her shoulder in comfort as she glanced to the side holding back any tears that might emerge, "Ah, darn it. I miss the big guy..." She said sorrowfully but trying to keep her roughness with Papyrus then saying, "WE ALL DO, UNDYNE. THERE THERE..." He said trying to comfort her when she huffed and stomped the ground once, "Ngah! Come on, Undyne! Snap out of it!" She ordered herself when Papyrus said, "OH! TELL THEM HOW ALPHYS IS DOING!" He suggested. "Oh yeah, uh, well...she's the same as ever. Maybe a little more reclusive than normal. Seems like something's really bothering her..." Undyne claimed concerned for her with Dipper looking down, ashamed of his attitude towards Alphys ever since the revelation with Mettaton. "But she can get through it! I'm there supporting her! That's what friends are for, right?" She asked and Papyrus of course answered instead jovially, "ABSOLUTELY!" He agreed making Undyne chuckle when she sighed, "Hey, squirts...wherever you are right now...I hope it's better than here. I mean...it took a lot of sacrifice for you to get there. So, wherever you are..." Her expression then changed to a demanding but lit one, "You have to try and be happy, okay!? For our sake! We'll feel better knowing our trouble was worth it!" Undyne told them supportingly.
Honestly he could not tell if it was good or bad that Mabel was sleeping throughout the whole call, because if she heard this call she would be shedding waterfalls for tears and Dipper had a smile on his face the whole time, which widened more when Undyne said this next, "We're all with you! Everyone is! Even the queen!" That is when Undyne paused in realization, "HEY! Wait a second!" She shouted when she released Papyrus from the headlock making him collapse to the floor with a grunt, and was unable to get back up due to the armor. "Why the heck am I here with you bozos?! I gotta let Toriel talk to you!" She exclaimed as she prepared to leave with Dipper's eyes widening upon realizing that it was Toriel who was the queen. "WAIT, WAIT, UNDYNE! I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA." Papyrus stopped her by having his hand on her leg with Undyne eyeing him, "What?! Why!?" She questioned. "BECAUSE IF SHE KNEW WHO WE WERE TALKING TO..." He answered and Sans continued for him, "we wouldn't get the phone back for at least a few hours." He replied with a wink. "EXACTLY! SO WE HAVE THE MERCY TO SPARE YOU FROM HER!" He further added. "But call back anytime, okay?! She'd love to talk! So would we!" Undyne said when she heard a beeping noise and noticed that it was a notification on the phone which showed the battery was running low on juice, "oh, whoops. this thing's almost outta batteries." Sans pointed out as he took the phone from Undyne, "so, hate to cut this short, but...be seeing you, buddy ol' pals." He said to them when he lowered the phone to Papyrus who was on the ground on his back, "BYE BYE FOR NOW, DIPPER AND MABEL!" He too said his goodbyes and Undyne grabbed Sans' arm to have the phone close to her, "See ya, punks!" And with that the call ended, but Dipper quickly reached for the phone to speak to them, "Hey! Guys! Wai-" But it was too late, they already hung up or likely the phone ran out of battery. He sighed in disappointment and dropped the phone next to him, upset that he was unable to say his goodbyes to his new friends. Papyrus took a proud inhale and then sighed with a look of delight and joy, "AHHH. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FINALLY CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! IT FEELS SO SURREAL!" He exclaimed in disbelief and happiness as well. "heh, i'm proud of you, pap. but uh, have you ever wondered where the king even keeps his armies? we rarely see 'em." Sans asked his brother to which Papyrus began to wonder about as well, "HMM...YOU KNOW, THAT ACTUALLY IS A GOOD QUESTION, BROTHER. MAYBE WE CAN ASK-" But he was interrupted by Sans, "actually, i can answer that for you, bro." He told him with a devious grin, "HUH?" Papyrus simply said in confusion, "because he obviously keeps them..." And that is when Papyrus realized the horror that is about to commence as his eyes popped out comically from his sockets, "OH GOD NO..."
"in his 'sleevies'..." Sans responded while he shook his sleeves, and naturally Papyrus flailed his arms and legs while pinned to the ground by his own armor furiously, "SAAAAAANS! I SWEAR TO GOD!" The tall skeleton cried out in rage with Sans laughing. Meanwhile, Dipper was left with Mabel still sleeping, although she shifted from time to time. He could not believe that despite everything, the monsters were still clinging onto whatever hoped that lingered in their spirits, and are determined just as they are to find a way to destroy the barrier and set themselves free. But despite their support and praise towards the twins, Dipper could still not help but feel that this is not the best of endings in a story. He wiped his face a few times slowly with a deep sigh, "Ugh...man this sucks...I thought coming back up to the surface would be a happy ending but...yeah this just sucks..." He slowly let his hands fall down off his face with a huff, until he looked up and gasped in alarm from who was in front of him; Flowey. Dipper instinctively held Mabel close in a defensive manner as she slept, and Flowey noticed it, "Relax. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to know something..." He oddly said much to Dipper's surprise but he remained skeptical and cautious, "What do you want, Flowey?" He questioned sternly when Flowey took a moment and then finally said, "Why...?" That made Dipper raise one eyebrow in confusion, "Why did you let me go?" He asked him, when Dipper blinked once until his brows furrowed together and looked down at the slumbering form of his sister, "Well, it was Mabel that let you go. But you already know the answer to that don't you?" He responded with his own question. Flowey looked to the side with a frown, "But doesn't she realize that being nice just makes you get hurt?" He again questioned when he continued before Dipper could retort, "I mean...look at yourselves. You made all these great friends. But now, you'll probably never see them again. Not to mention how much they've been set back by you." Flowey told him when he then chuckled closing his eyes and then opening them again to look at the twins, "Hurts, doesn't it?" And that is when Dipper snapped pointing at Flowey, "Don't act all self-righteous with me, Flowey. You're the one that killed Asgore. You took the souls for yourself and now they're gone and you doomed the monsters to be trapped down there forever. We just wanted to go home and you just played the role of the bad guy..." He told him with a venomous tone of voice.
"And that's just it. That's all my role is. I'm the...bad guy. But...I guess it depends on the version of the story." Flowey said not really fazed by Dipper's cold tone of voice. "But seriously, if you had just gone through without caring about anyone...you wouldn't have to feel bad now. So, I don't get it." He again wondered at these characteristics that are so alien to him. "You don't get it because you never had a chance to get it. Mabel showed you what it's like to care...by caring about you. Sure, caring about people can cause some complications, but in the end it makes strong bonds." Dipper answered with Flowey tilting his head a little in confusion, until Dipper continued, "You say if you don't care then you'll never get hurt, and if you hold no expectations for people, you'll never be disappointed. While, in theory, these statements are true...they don't take into account one very important piece of the puzzle..." He elaborated with Flowey asking, "What is it?" In an almost eager voice. "That we're human. We're all human, and we all have wants, needs, and emotions. Ignoring our very most inner core is, I would argue: A weakness. But in the end, if we follow the puzzle correctly, we get good results. Sure, maybe not the results we were hoping for, but good results in the end." Dipper furthered added with Flowey still looking befuddled at these words, "But...if that's the case and you did everything the right way...how come things still ended up like this? I mean...is life really that unfair." Flowey again asked much like a child that has experienced the cruelties of life firsthand and seeks guidance from its parent. Dipper sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "I dunno, man. I mean...honestly, life is just playing by different rules. The real rules are there. They actually make sense. But they're a bit more complicated, and a lot less comfortable, which is why most people never manage to learn them." He responded in a mellow tone. Flowey took a few moments to think as he looked to the side in thought, when he turned back to Dipper, "Say." He spoke getting Dipper's attention, "What if I told you...I knew some way to get you a better ending?" He revealed which gained the boy's attention even more as he sat up with eyes widened by three inches, "What? Really? How?" He asked him almost eagerly to which Flowey then said, "Hold out your hand first..." he instructed with Dipper hesitating briefly but did as he was told and held his hand out. Flowey then summoned a vine to emerge from the ground and slither towards Dipper's hand with the latter being tense and cautious the whole time.
The tip of the vine reached his palm and prodded it once which lighted up a small glow from his hand. The vine retracted slowly as if it was pulling something out from his hand, and that it did. The vine literally plucked the light from his hand as Dipper observed with shocked eyes, and when it was done, the light took the shape of a bright yellow star of sorts. "This'll help set things right. Set it the way you want." Flowey told him as Dipper gazed at the star in his palm with astonishment, "W...what is it?" He asked. "That right there, is called a LOAD star. But don't mistake it with the stars you're familiar with. This particular star is actually a manifestation of your very trait. The trait that defines you...and that is perseverance." Flowey responded as Dipper blinked and stared at the star, "Okay, so, what exactly does it do?" He asked once again. "It'll bring you back to a moment in time, but only a moment that applies to the time stream that's attributed to this place." He answered earning an even more bewildered look from Dipper, "Wait...so you're saying that this can actually rewind time?" He repeated to make sure he was hearing it right, and Flowey nodded once in confirmation. "Wh-...but wait a minute hold on...why're you showing it to me now? How come it never came up this whole time?" He questioned him still in disbelief as he held the star in his hand, "Because it's like I said, Dipper...it's a manifestation of your perseverance. The only reason it wasn't with you until now is because you didn't build up enough perseverance to help form it. It's only until that your trait grew to astronomical levels during our fight that it fully formed and loaded." Flowey replied in elaboration. Dipper eyed Flowey then back to the star, "So you're saying this can bring me back to any point in time in the Underground?" He questioned. "Yes. But you can only use it once. So, I suggest you use it wisely." Flowey informed him until Dipper stopped him, "Hold up. Is this some kind of trick? Because I remember a similar scenario and last time it didn't work out so well." He coldly said to him reminding Flowey of their first encounter. The flower sighed and said, "Look, I don't blame you if you don't trust me. But...your sister tried to teach me something...and it's something no one ever tried to teach me before. So, I guess, this is considered a gift in some way?" Flowey sheepishly said with a grin but Dipper's glare did not falter, "But, anyway, use the star to bring you back to a point in time...but you have to choose which point wisely. And, in the meantime, after you go through it...why don't you go see Dr. Alphys?" He suggested causing Dipper to raise one eyebrow at Flowey, "Huh?" Flowey just nodded once, "Yeah. I mean, it seems like you could've been better friends. And who knows? Maybe she's got the key to your happiness...?" Flowey added rather ominously with a smile.
Dipper looked down at the star and he hated to admit it but Flowey was right, perhaps Alphys and him could have been better friends if not for Dipper's meltdown towards her. "See you soon!" Flowey said his goodbye and jutted back to the ground before Dipper could stop him. Mabel, miraculously, woke up with a gasp, "Waddles was the one that ate the corn-a-corn!" She blurted out oddly startling Dipper. She quickly calmed down and yawned rubbing her eyes, "Whoa, man, Dipper...how long was I out? And..." She stopped when she saw the star in Dipper's hand. She said nothing, looking at the star, then at Dipper, then back to the star and again to Dipper, "Okay, bro, spill it. How long have you been a member of the Sailor Soldiers?" She interrogated him with narrowed eyes thinking that he was a member of Sailor Moon's army. "Wha-? No, Mabel. This isn't what it looks like." He responded with Mabel giving him a thoughtful look, "Hmm. You're right. It'd be weird seeing you in a skirt~" She teased him and he shot her a glare in response, "Mabel! Ugh, look, this isn't something from that weird cartoon, okay? This is a LOAD star..." He clarified with Mabel gazing at the star in admiration, "Whooooooa. A LOAD star? Wait...what does it do?" She asked to which Dipper answered, "Well, apparently it can bring you to any point in time. But only in the past and it's just a one time opportunity thing." Mabel's eyes widened in a glittery fashion, "Neato! Wait a minute...how'd you get it?" Dipper sighed, hesitating for a moment, "Flowey showed it to me..." He responded and naturally Mabel was shocked, "WHAT?! Flowey!? He was here?!" She exclaimed sitting up completely in alarm. Dipper merely nodded, "Wait...why did he give it to you?" She instead asked him but was still in shock at the fact that the flower that tried to brutally murder the twins and destroy the world was here and did not even kill them. "I...honestly have no idea. I mean he could've killed us while we were down but he didn't...he just wanted to know why you were being nice to him and then...he just gave me this thing." He tried to answer properly with Mabel too blinking once and looking to the side in thought, "Oh." Was all she said with furrowed brows but her expression then lit up, "Hold the mayo! So, he said that this twinkle star can actually take us back at any time?" She repeated in question. "Yep. It's what he said." Dipper responded in confirmation. "Ooh! Let's go back in time to take two Mammoths and force them to make out!" She mischievously suggested with a grin. "Ew! No! It doesn't work that way, Mabel. We can only go back to when were in the Underground." He clarified. "Ohhh. Wait so...any moment? -gasp- Dipper! You know what that means?!" Mabel told him with Dipper shaking his head. "It means we can go back in time and fix all this! We can just go back and get a different kind of ending! You can be friends with Alphys! We can save Asgore! We can make sure you don't get possessed by Bill! We finally have a chance to make things right!" She exclaimed in delight.
"Hey, yeah, you're right! But..." Dipper looked down with Mabel's own smile lowering, "What? What's with the 'but'?" She asked anxiously. "Mabel...this is just a one time thing. If we do this...then...we don't get to be here. We don't get to be outside." Dipper muttered a little with Mabel frowning and looking over outside, seeing Gravity Falls below and more than likely where all her friends and family are. Freedom was right there, and by doing this, it would be snatched away from them. But her expression grew strong, when she grabbed Dipper by the sides of his face making him grunt, "Dipper Pines. We've got one chance to make this right. But we're gonna do it much more differently. This time...we'll find a way to really break the barrier. And we won't only set the monsters free...but we'll be free too." She strongly said with determination. Dipper blinked as his cheeks were squished, "You sure about this, Mabel?" He wondered in concern. "Do you trust me?" She instead answered with her own question, "Of course I do." He replied with a nod. "Then I'm sure. Bro, I promise...we'll get this right. And after it's all said and done...we'll go back home again." She assured him with a comforting smile before releasing his face. Dipper took a few moments to think about this, until he sighed and looked back at Mabel who smiling in assurance as the twins sat in front of each other on their knees. He soon smiled himself, "Alright, Mabes. Let's do it." He complied much to her joy, "WOOP WOOP!" She hopped up pumping her fists twice in the air as Dipper himself stood up with a smirk. "So, how does this thingamabob work?" She asked him as she held the star, and poked it a few times curiously, but he was just as confused as she was, "I dunno. It's not exactly a tape measure. And Flowey didn't tell me, either" He replied. "Which I still can't believe that he's helping us...you think maybe that...?" She began to say, believing that he might have reformed through Mabel's affections and kindness, "Let's not jump to conclusions, Mabel. We still don't know. It just needs time." He proclaimed as he took the star in both of his hands now while it hovered. The twins gazed at the star with astonishment. "Okay, so, Flowey said that this star is a manifestation of our character trait. Mine's perseverance..." Dipper began when Mabel added, "And mine's determination! Sans told me!" Dipper looked at her surprised, "Sans?" Mabel nodded, "Yeah! He was in that pretty hallway and gave me a big speech. Oh, the best part, is that he kept his promise! He promised that he would save you and- wait...oh my gosh! Dipper is Sans okay!?" She inquired worryingly about her friend's well being, "Oh he's fine, Mabel. Don't worry. He just fell asleep from how tired he was." He assured her in response.
She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness." A thought then occurred to Dipper, "Come to think of it...I don't even know how he managed against Bill considering how lazy he was." He said impressed by how Sans managed to fair against Bill oblivious to the skeleton's true but terrifying potential. "Hehe, it's Sans, bro bro. He's just that awesome." Mabel proclaimed her admiration for Sans. "Heh, yeah, I guess so. Anyway, Flowey said that this star manifested from how strong our traits became. So, maybe, if we pour those traits through the star via our souls, it can work from there." Dipper hypothesized as Mabel was nodding in understanding with narrowed eyes and a pout, "Hmm. Sounds dangerous...I LOVE IT! Let's do this shibang!" She said with excitement. "Alright. Here goes nothing." Dipper said as well when they slowly began to enclose their hands together on the star. Dipper had it with his left hand while Mabel with her right, as their hands began to enclose on the star until they caught it completely in their hands with their fingers intertwined. They then focused as they channeled each of their respective traits from their souls through the star, Mabel's determination and Dipper's perseverance came in the form of a ethereal red and blue aura respectively, beginning from their hearts, swirling around through their arms, and reaching their hands. "Sure hope this works..." Dipper muttered lowly as he observed the event on the edge, the power of their souls soon encompassed the star that was held in their hands, and from the seemingly endless supply of traits that they both wield, it was enough to actually cause the star to emit a bright glow from within. So much so, that streaks of light slipped through the slim cracks between their entangled fingers. The twins' faces brightened from this development, "Dipper it's working!" Mabel said in delight and anticipation, that is until the light that was being emitted from the star through the power of their souls increased in intensity. So much so that it forced Mabel and Dipper to shut their eyes and turn their heads away, "Uh, Mabel, I think it's working too well!" Dipper exclaimed in worry before it then vanished completely. Mabel opened her eyes and gasped with wide eyes to see that she was back in the golden hallway with the familiar mosaic windows and Greek pillars at both sides. But she was more alarmed at the fact that Dipper was nowhere in sight, "Dipper? Dipper?! Where are you!?" Mabel called out to her brother in worry. Dipper opened his eyes as well and found himself in one of the halls that was inside the mechanical complex of the Core. In fact it was the same hall that he laid out in after his huge fight with Mabel and their battle against Mettaton.
Dipper immediately stood up, glancing around and panicked upon realizing that Mabel was not with him. "Mabel?! Mabel where are you?! Oh, shoot! Wait, we just went back in time. That means she's gotta be in the last place she was before. And that's...the hallway." He concluded but before he could leave, he was relieved to see that his cap, scarf, and journal were still there laid to the side. He took the cap, placing it on, then wrapped the scarf around his neck, and hooked the journal to the side of his pants before sprinting towards Mabel's location. The latter ran out of the hall and was walking along the bridge that held the view of the Capital of the Underground, "Dipper! Where are you?!" She called to her brother but there was no response, she was so focused on where he was that she did not notice the multitude of monsters that were roaming around from below. This could likely indicated that this particular point in time happened before Bill took control of Dipper's body and used it to take the lives of these innocent monsters. Eventually, Mabel made it near the exit of the castle, until she stopped upon seeing the two large wooden doors open. She took a few steps forward with her hands raised a little, and was delighted as well as relieved to see it was Dipper, complete with his hat, scarf, and journal. "DIPPER!" She rushed to Dipper, "MABEL!" Her brother too rushed and they both caught each other in an embrace, "Holy granola don't do that! I thought I lost you again!" She exclaimed in distress and relief. "It's okay, Mabel. We just got sent back to where we were before." He assured her when they broke their embrace, "Wait a second...so...we're back all the way before I met Asgore and before Bill got you?" She questioned with a curious raised brow. "Yeah. I mean...at least...I think so. Ugh, I don't know." Dipper stammered for a clear answer. "Time travel makes my head hurt." Mabel groaned unhappily earning a chuckle from Dipper, "Trust me, it's not exactly my favorite subject, either." He said as they both prepared to leave, "So, whaddo we do?" Mabel asked him, until she gasped lightly, "Hey! You got your nerd book back! And your hat and scarf!" She noticed as Dipper smiled a little, "Heh, yeah. Felt naked without them." Mabel made a face at that, "Ew." She teased causing Dipper to glare at her flustered, "W- THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" He exclaimed earning a hard laugh from Mabel. Dipper rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh as he was in thought, "Anyway, to answer your question, Flowey said that...in another time...Alphys and I could've been friends. And that she's got the 'key to our happiness'...whatever that means." He responded, uncertain of what to make of that statement from the flower until Mabel gasped, "It's just like in an episode of Believe in Yourself!" She said in astonishment and glee while squishing her cheeks together with a squeal.
"Wait a minute...that weird show has time travel?" Dipper asked in bewilderment. "Pssh, duh! If there's one thing that Shimmery Twinkleheart taught me is to always go back in time and be friends with the people you could've been friends with!" Mabel declared pointing to the sky as Dipper merely stared, "That's...oddly coincidental." Was all he could say. "So, all we gotta do is find Alphys, make amends, be friends and boom! Problem solved!" Mabel proclaimed fist pumping twice in the air with gun sound effects. "Easier said than done, Mabel. I mean...after that whole bit with Mettaton...it's not exactly gonna be a walk in the park." He said, a little skeptical in believing that it would be that simple to befriend Alphys after what he did. "Oh come on, Dipping spice. Alphys is just a sweet, adorable, shy little nerdy dinosaur girl. Nothing hard about making friends with her." She assured him patting his shoulder. "Yeah, I know, but still..." Mabel interrupted him before he could continue, "Ah, ah! There's no 'buts'! Those are for saddles and chairs. Now, we're gonna go to Alphys and we're gonna find that key to our happiness! Cause Celestia knows that making a shy nerdy girl happy brings happiness to the lives of people around her!" Mabel proclaimed flamboyantly as Dipper blinked twice, "Mabel you need to take a break from My Little Pony." He told her with a tired glance, "Never! It's the show of my people! I cannot abandon it, brother!" Mabel declared strongly. Dipper just rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Okay, well, then let's just go to Alphys and get this over with." He said with Mabel hopping once in cheer, "Now you're talking, bro bro!" But before they could proceed, Dipper felt the cell phone vibrate twice, and saw a notification popping up, "What's up?" Mabel asked. "A text message from Undyne. It says to meet her at Papyrus's place. Followed by 'ngah' exclamation mark." He replied reading the message. "Ooh! Undyne wants to see us?!" Mabel excitedly said, "But shouldn't we go see Alphys first?" He added but she waved her hand once, "We will, bro. We will but first we gotta catch up with the besties!" She proclaimed with excitement, and Dipper was about to retort until he remembered the message he heard from Undyne, Papyrus, and Sans. Thinking back to that message, he realized that it would not be so bad in giving them a visit, so, with a smile he nodded in acceptance, "Alright, Mabes." And Mabel of course was more than happy to hear as she jumped up once joyfully, "Yay!" The twins made it to the door and opened it slowly, allowing a crack of light to shine through the dim hallway within the castle's entrance, "Hey bro? If we went back in time...doesn't mean that things are gonna be a bit off?" Mabel oddly asked in curiosity.
Dipper took a moment to think on it but shook his head dismissively, "Nah. I wouldn't say so. I mean, things look pretty much the same as far as I can tell. Even there are minor changes." He replied as the two began to leave, not knowing that the crack of light shining through illuminated what appears to be a portrait in the distance at the hallway that was up the stairs. The portrait in question showed what appears to be three small people, with two larger ones behind them. One looked to be a person with a pink/purple and blue sweater with blue pants, medium length brown hair, and short bangs standing on the left. The other was a person of similar stature wearing a lime and cream colored striped sweater and red-brown pants with the same hair as the other, and standing on the right. They appear to have a strikingly similar resemblance to one another, with a third party standing between them. This third party wore a green, long-sleeved shirt with yellow stripes and black pants. But what was noticeable is that his hands were covered in white fur and small claws. From the looks of it, they were children, and all of their faces were obscured. The children that stood on the left and right had their faces obscured by a batch of buttercups that they were holding up to their faces a little, with the third child in the middle having his face covered by the streak of shadows and was holding a batch of buttercups as well, as the door closed slowly from Dipper and Mabel's departure. As they were walking, they eventually made it to the first level of the Core, and along the way Mabel was giving Dipper the lengthy explanation of the true reason behind the monster's imprisonment and why Asgore became the way he is. She spoke to her brother about the two humans that fell who were identical and siblings as well, how they were taken in by the Dreemurrs and adopted, that is until one of the siblings became ill and passed away. The soul of the deceased human was absorbed by the king and queen's son, and Asriel brought the human back to the surface only to be attacked by the humans through a huge misunderstanding. However, Asriel perished due to the intensity of the brutal assault by the humans, with the other living sibling disappearing completely. Dipper had no words for what he was hearing, he was just in complete shock and could not help but feel sympathetic and sad for what both the king and queen endured and suffered such incredibly tragic losses, "It's all our fault, Dipper. We took away their happiness and...it's just..." Mabel whimpered as she felt like her tears were coming back until Dipper placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, Mabel. It's okay. It was all just an accident..." He told her gently until she threw her arms up, "AND WE'RE SO STUPID THAT WE KILL SOMEONE'S KID INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING IT OUT LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE!" She exclaimed in fury startling Dipper slightly. He thought back to when he read the plaques and realized that this made sense more than the previous theories he thought of. The reason for the war is because the humans killed Asgore and Toriel's son, and they thought the monsters killed a human, thereby breaking the peace treaty between them.
Thinking to that, he cringed at the thoughts he had about Asgore, believing him to be a maniacal ruler hellbent on taking any human's life that comes down here and destroying humanity, when in reality he was a broken and tragic man who had lost so much. What made it even more sad is the fact that Asgore loathed himself for his actions, as from what Mabel stated he was not exactly proud of what he was doing, even if it meant bringing his people the freedom that they longed desired. "It's just...it's so stupid, Dipper...it's so horrible..." Mabel said in a pained voice while Dipper could just rub her shoulder in comfort, "I'm so sorry, Mabel. I didn't know until now...but sad to say there's nothing we can do now...except use this one chance to make things right and the way we wanted it to go and should go." Dipper said to her comfortingly. "Yeah. Dipper, you're still not upset about that are you? Like, we were right there...with Grunkle Stan and the others waiting for us and we lost it." Mabel wondered anxiously but Dipper shook his head, "Mabel, I'm not upset about it. If I had to be honest, I wasn't happy with the ending either. Because if I knew about the real story after we went home I wouldn't be happy at all. It would make things even worse for me. Plus, this redo won't be different in where we stay down here forever now. We're gonna use it to find a way to break everyone free and we can go home. Okay?" He proclaimed, Mabel nodded a little and huffed regaining her composure, "You're right. Sorry, just that...y'know." She sheepishly said and Dipper saw it, "Heh, it's fine. I've learned my lesson." He stated with Mabel giggling a little, "You better...cause I'm getting a little tired of bonking you on the head." She mused getting a chuckle from Dipper, "Trust me, from the way I am, I'll be needing those bonks." He said with amusement until Mabel brought the burnt pan up with a look of anticipation, "I'd be happy to provide you with those bonks." She gleefully said with a grin making Dipper nervous, "Um, yeah, how 'bout you just talk it out to me instead?" He suggested with an anxious grin. The twins made it past the MTT-Resort and already were in the regions of Hotland. The elevator doors opened and out came the twins. "So how exactly did you make it back and stop Bill?" Mabel asked him with Dipper visibly cringing at that memory, "I, uh, I used one of the training dummies." He responded grumpily, and almost immediately Mabel was on the verge of laughter, snorting and covering her mouth. "IT'S NOT FUNNY! It was torture!" Dipper scolded with Mabel continuing to snort out small laughs, "I'm s-s-sorry...pfft..."
"The worst part about being a training dummy is having to convince another training dummy that's actually inhabited by a ghost that you're not their relative! Oh, wait, that's not the worst part. It's actually having to try and escape from Undyne." Dipper yelled angrily with Mabel giving him a surprised look, "Wait, seriously?" She laughed out in amusement, "SERIOUSLY! Undyne was throwing spears at me and punching me! She thought I was just another training dummy even when I said who I was she just goes 'that's what they all say'." Dipper responded vehemently. "Well, you shouldn't have dummied it that much, bro." Mabel quipped with a cheesy grin earning a groan from Dipper. Along the way, Dipper then talked about his experience as a ghost from when Bill removed his spirit and used his body, "It was so weird, Mabel. Like...I felt like me but at the same time I wasn't me. If that even makes sense. I mean...I was there yet I wasn't..." Dipper said with a weak elaboration and Mabel nodded but in truth she had no idea what to make of it as she pursed her lips, "Dang, brosef. I gotta be a ghost sometime to see what it's like cause I have no idea what the flubber you're saying." She admitted while scratching her head in confusion. "Trust me, that's not even the crazy part." He revealed regaining her attention. "While I was looking for a vessel...I met these...these people. Well, they weren't people they were monsters but...but something was just...off about them. And I don't mean just a weird kind of off...I mean a scary weird kind." Dipper began to speak about his encounters with the gray monsters and that mysterious man he met. "Hey, there's nothing scary about being weird." Mabel chastised him crossly. "No, like, the scary thing is that...they could see me, Mabel. They could actually hear me and see me...and Bill said that nobody could see or hear me when I was in that state except for him." He explained, feeling a shiver run up his spine from these encounters. "So...what they were like...ghosts or something?" She wondered with Dipper shaking his head, "I don't even know. I mean they could've been. It's the only possible explanation as to how they could interact with me. And...if I had to be honest...I'd say the worst one was with that...'man'." Dipper shivered a little in discomfort from retelling that one terrifying experience, "'Man'? What 'man'?" Mabel asked him. "I...I don't know...ugh I don't even know if it really was a man. I mean he looked like a man but was something else completely...and...for some reason...that's all I can remember. I'm serious I vaguely remember there being more to it but-" He began to say as he tried to recall the events that transpired as he was in his spirit form, but for some strange reason, those memories were foggy, almost as if that they were fading from his mind. "Hey, whoa, relax bro. You've been through a lot. So it's okay." Mabel told him in a gentle voice. "You're right. You're right I just need some time to relax." Dipper said with an exhale. "Besides, we're back here now and we're back together! And this time nothing's gonna keep us apart!" Mabel strongly declared with a wide grin as she marched forward with a laugh.
Dipper had to smirk at her antics, and he prepared to say something when he froze upon hearing something behind him. Upon turning, his eyes widened like dinner plates at who stood behind him several feet away. It was a monster, only there was something eerily familiar about this one. It looked to have gray skin, only it felt like that its very being or existence was devoid of color, almost as if that it was plucked from somewhere else and placed here in this moment of reality. The monster also had an uncanny resemblance to the monster that was licking the ficus in the restaurant when the twins were having dinner with Sans. But instead of for dots on its chest, the monster had some sort of cross-like pattern on its chest with its face looking completely emotionless. Emotionless is the best way to describe the face, as it looked more like a face that you would normally see on a dead person or even a mannequin. Dipper took a step back, his mouth open a little with his eyes wide like saucers as he breathed heavily. "Dipper..." He suddenly heard the entity speak in a distorted but echoing voice, and it almost sounded like a whisper too. The entity addressed his name again but only this time, he noticed that its voice was being overtaken by Mabel's and that is when he jumped with a yelp upon feeling Mabel shaking him once. "Dipper!" She called to him audibly snapping him out of his trance, "Broham, you okay? You looked like you've seen a ghost." Mabel said to him with a worried look on her face, "I saw one, Mabel! It's that same thing I saw before!" He exclaimed holding her by the arms, "Wait what?" She questioned in confusion. "Look! It's over-" Dipper pointed to where the entity is only to find that it was nowhere in sight. "Wha...but...it was just..." He stammered in disbelief as Mabel blinked, glancing from where he was pointing and then to him, "It was there, Mabel! I saw it! It was that same gray thing...!" Dipper insisted strongly with Mabel gripping his shoulders, "Bro! Hey! Dipper! Calm down!" She yelled as Dipper was breathing heavily, "Brosef. Look at me...I'm here. The crazy stuff is over now, okay? It's literally in the past. Just put it behind you. We've got a new chapter in the story now. Okay?" She firmly told him in assurance, trying to comfort him as best she could. He nodded a little shakily, his breathing slowly becoming relaxed. "There you. Breathe in...and then out. You're doing great." Mabel cheered for him gently. With a deep inhale and exhale, Dipper slowly calmed down. "I'm good. I'm all right." He said repeatedly a few times lowly. "And I'm glad. C'mon, bro. Let's get outta here." Mabel said as she put her arm around her brother's shoulder, supporting him along the way and took their leave. Unbeknownst to them, as they were leaving, the same gray ficus licking monster reappeared, gazing at their retreating forms with the same emotionless expression.
They eventually made it to the very first section of Hotland, passing by Alphys's lab as well. Dipper took a glance at it, then sighed, "You okay, Dip Dip?" Mabel asked him as she held his hand, "Yeah. Just...you know...still feel really bad. For being a jerk and all..." He replied shamefully for his previous actions. "C'mon. We all have our moments. I mean...I acted like a jerk too, y'know? It's just how we work." She stated with Dipper chuckling a little, "You do have your jerky moments." He mused to which she shot him a look, "Hey! I'm still adorable!" She retorted with a smirk. "Well, there's that too." Dipper said in agreement when Mabel stuck her tongue out at him. They walked down the stairs and met up with the enigmatic boatman, "Tra la la. Ah! Welcome back! Care for a ride?" The River Person asked them. "As always River Guy slash Gal!" Mabel answered enthusiastically as the twins boarded the boat. "Where to?" He again asked to which Dipper responded this time, "To Snowdin, please." Followed by Mabel saying, "And make haste, oh cloaked one!" She added in a heroic manner. "Tra la la. If it's hot or cold you can count on me!" The River Person said before the boat took off as they made their way to Snowdin. "Yah! Go cat/dog boat thing!" Mabel cheered as Dipper sat on the edge of the boat, kicking his legs a little. He was in thought while Mabel was preoccupied with singing a melody alongside the boatman. He thought back to that gray entity that he saw back in Hotland. And he did not need to make any comparisons to figure out that this entity is in the exact same state as the other one that resembled the Monster Kid. But, he actually saw it this time as he was physical. So, that could mean that they are not technically ghosts in a manner of speaking. Then again, there was Napstablook and he was ghost, and they could see him quite well yet he was still intangible. But then Mabel could physically interact with him so perhaps it was just an ability of shifting between tangibility and intangibility. So, maybe that is what the gray entity did then? It would explain how he was there for a brief moment and gone the next. But, if that gray entity was the same as the one that looked like Monster Kid, it would not explain the gray kid's own way of disappearing. Its exist consisted of various types of distortion, resembling a corrupted file of sorts that faced deletion. As far as he knew, there was no ghost that could make an entrance like that. For now at the very least. And then there was that door. That random gray door that just appeared out of nowhere. And that very same door that Dipper could physically interact with despite his ethereal state. He could not phase through it at all, he could really feel it.
But something about it was gnawing at his mind. It was practically telling him that this door was seemingly out of place. Sure, there were obviously monsters that took residence in Waterfall, but this door was the odd one of the bunch. Almost as if it did not belong there at all, especially considering that it was found on a wall, even more so that it was not even there before until he noticed it. So, was his mind playing tricks on him? Or did he possibly ascend to a higher plane of existence in order to see all what he saw? He tried to push it all aside though because he was honestly stepping into a territory that will make him even more mad. His thoughts were interrupted by the River Person saying, "That waters are wild today. That's good luck." Mabel became enamored by that as she stood next to him at the front of the boat, "Whoa. You're so wise beyond your years, boat guy." She told him but then asked, "Wait, how old are you, anyway?" The River Person just shrugged, "How old am I? It doesn't really matter." He replied casually as they continued to make their way towards Snowdin. "But what if it's your birthday? I can make you a cake!" Mabel requested with a bright expression, "Hmm. That would be nice except that you can never have too many cake. Sadly this is not true. For the cake is a lie. Tra la la." He replied once again oddly. "Whaaaaaaaaat?" Mabel comically said in disbelief, "I always knew those cakes tasted funny!" She declared crossly. Eventually, they finally made it to the Snowdin port with the twins stepping off, "Thank you, Mister or Miss boat person!" Mabel waved to the cloaked being. "Of course! Always happy to lend an obscure hand!" The River Person said in the same buoyant tone. "C'mon, Dipper! Our ever so fabulous public awaits!" Mabel declared with excitement before she rushed over to Papyrus and Sans' residence. "Alright, alright, slow down, Mabel!" Dipper called out to her but stopped when he heard the River Person address his name, "Dipper Pines..." He paused and turned around to the River Person, "Uh, yeah?" He answered. "Before you go...it's best if I give you a fair warning." The River Person said to him in an ominous tone of voice which made Dipper furrow his eyebrows but with a look of nervousness. "A warning...? What warning?" He questioned. "Beware..." The River Person began, "Beware of the man who speaks in hands..." He gave his warning morbidly causing Dipper to just stare anxiously, "...w-what?" He stammered only for the River Person to lastly say, "Beware of the man who came from the other world..." Dipper had no idea what the meaning behind those warnings were, as he could only feel his anxiety coming back to him. "That is all! Come again sometime! Tra la la..." The River Person shifted back to their happy state before they moved on to their next port. "Wha- Wait, wait! What do you mean?! What man?!" Dipper shouted trying to get some more answers from the River Person but it was too late as they were far gone. Dipper looked to where the River Person was off, and then out to the distance, "A man...? Who speaks in hands? What? What does that even mean...and who came from the other world...?" He repeated the warnings to himself in a mumble trying to decipher the meanings behind those warnings until he was interrupted by Mabel calling out his name, "DIPPING SAUCE! WHERE YOU AT! COME ON THE PARTY'S OVER THERE!" She yelled out. "Oh, uh, I'm coming Mabel! Hang on!" Dipper responded as he quickly rushed over to where Mabel is.
You all thought I was done? Ha. Nah, it's just getting started. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own Gravity Falls or Undertale. Read and Review.