No, I still don't own Gravity Falls.

I thought that was pretty obvious...

Chapter One: Taken

Mabel flopped down onto the floorboards, a saddened sigh escaping from her mouth. Her cheek was pressed against the ground uncomfortably, but she couldn't care less. When we grow older, it's not going to be better... It's going to be worse, she though glumly. She rolled onto her side, shifting her position so that she was propped up on her elbows. She reached with one arm, balancing her form on the other, for her scrapbook, which lay a few inches away from her. She grasped its edge, and dragged it towards herself. She set it down in front of herself, putting her other arm to the ground after flipping to a random page.

I was so excited to go to high-school... but Wendy said it's horrible... and Candy and Grenda won't be able to come to my party? When the summer ends, I'll have to leave Gravity Falls behind... I'll have to leave everyone behind!

Mabel barely suppressed a wail of sorrow. She turned the pages of her scrapbook, tears welling in her eyes. She had so many memories here... If she left, would she be leaving them behind? Her breath caught in her throat, and tears slipped down her face as she upturned another page. These photos were seared into her memory, but she still usually found comfort in gazing at them. Now, however, they just deepened the melancholy around her.

I'd be leaving Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford... I'd be leaving Wendy and Soos… I'd be leaving Candy and Grenda… I'd be leaving everyone! she thought, shutting her eyes as if doing so would block out the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her. She slowly opened her eyes again and pushed off of her hands so that she was on her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself, and was about to pull up the collar of her sweater for a ticket to Sweatertown, when there was a soft knocking on her door. She refrained from going to her private town, mumbling a "come in" that she wasn't sure whoever it was had heard. It was evident, however, when the door creaked open, that they had heard.

It was her Grunkle Stan. Mabel wasn't sure if she was happy or not to see him. On one hand, maybe he could reassure her, but on the other hand, he was just another person that she was going to leave behind.

"Everything alright, kiddo?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle for once. He had a Pitt Cola in one hand, and had the door knob held in the other. Mabel lifted her watery gaze to look at him, as before she had been staring at the wooden floor. She unfurled herself, now trying to hold back her tears. If Grunkle Stan saw her crying, he might make fun of her.

"Y-yeah, everything's fine," she mumbled, her tone laden with woe, and she knew Stan had detected it. To her surprise, though, instead of laughing at her misery, his expression softened. He pushed the door open all the way, before stepping inside. He walked over to Mabel and sat down on his knees besides her. For a moment, the two were indulged in a completely silent moment, broken only by the rattling of the tree branches tapping on the window.

"Come on, what's wrong?" Stan finally asked. Mabel averted her gaze, but she supposed she'd have to reply at some point. She leaned sideways so that her head was resting on his shoulder.

"I... I don't want to leave Gravity Falls," she choked out. "I... I'd be leaving everyone behind, and..." She trailed off with a sigh. Stan grabbed her softly by her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"Hey, at least whatever happens, you'll always have your brother with you through thick and thin!" He looked away as he added, "Not everyone can say that, y'know?"

Then he stood up, brushing dust off his suit with one hand and the soda still in one hand. He gave her a slight wave, before heading out of the room.

When he left, Mabel straightened, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed to herself. "At least whatever happens, I'll always have Dipper along with me! Good ol', reliable ol'-" she trailed off again as she heard a crackling sound, like static. She swiveled her head. The light on her walkie-talkie was flashing, and she could hear fragments of sentences as she crawled over and held the radio in her hands.

"... you said... here is dead, right?"

Even though Mabel could only make out a few words, she knew it was Dipper's voice, and it sounded like he was nervous... worried... scared...

"...unless somehow... reactivated... security system!"

That was Ford's voice...

"What do we do!?"

"Listen... carefully... security droids... detect adrenaline... not feel any fear... won't see you..."

"What!?"

"...done this before... take a deep breath... control your fear..."

"...that's crazy! I-"

"Follow my lead!"

"...Ford-"

"Focus, Dipper!"

There was a moment of silence on the other and as the radio crackled for a few seconds, then...

"Get down!"

She heard something like an explosion, and then a grunt as someone hit the ground. Then she heard another crackling, not from the radio, but from what was happening with Ford and Dipper, before there were high-pitched beeps and another explosion. Then she heard a sound like a cracking whip, before she heard Dipper gasp out in pain.

"Dipper, no!" Ford cried. Mabel widened her eyes. What was going on there? Was Dipper in trouble!?

Then she heard something slam shut on the other end, before she heard ragged breathing, fast with panic. She knew it was Dipper... Then she heard him hiss in pain, before everything faded away as the walkie-talkie turned off and the connection was lost. Mabel banged the side of it.

"No! Dipper! W-what happened!?" she wailed to herself. She cradled the radio in her arms. What had happened over there?

"Oh, Dipper, please, please, please, please be okay..." she pleaded to nobody as she sat in worry with tears streaming down her face.

Dipper blinked open his eyes, but only to slits. His head was aching, stinging, and his vision was blurry. It took him a moment to remember where he was. When he did, he struggled to stand up. His hands slipped on the smooth and curved bottom of the droid, but eventually he was standing. His breathing was amplified by the arced walls(?) as he gazed at what lay outside of the droid...

It was a vast expanse black. Stars glittered in pale blue glows, but he could see a few orange and red stars here and there, colored like a blazing flame. Far, far off, he could faintly see a blue planet, with spots of green and brown, though it was covered by a layer of white. Dipper gasped as he realized that it was Earth. Was he really that far?

He stumbled backwards, only to slip on the curved floor(?). He feel back, but he didn't have the strength to get up again.

He placed his hand on his chest, feeling the rise and fall of it as he breathed. This can't be happening... This can't be happening... This can't be happening... But isn't it happening right now?

He turned his head slightly, and saw that the other half of the orb was coated in a silver sheen, like it was attached to something else. Probably a ship... Dipper guessed. How am I even able to breathe here...

Then his eyes widened. The rift!

He shot up, glancing around. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that his backpack was lying against one of the sides of the droid. Then he realized he shouldn't be relieved. If it was here, and without the adhesive...

Dipper kneeled down and lifted the flap on his backpack. He reached into it and felt around. Then he retracted his arms, with the rift in his hands. he lifted it to his eyes warily. It swirled in its containment, but Dipper wasn't staring at that... His eyes were fixed on the crack that ran along its side, branching off into various directions.

It's so close to breaking, he shuddered. It could've cracked so easily... It was my fault... It was all my fault...

He held the rift close to him, not daring to put it back. I need to be careful with this... If it breaks, then...

He shut his eyes tightly, drawing in a deep breath and trying to control the speed of his pounding heart. I won't let it crack... he vowed. I'll protect it until my last breath, until I die, I'll protect it. I won't let it crack...

He dropped backwards so that he was laying on his back. His eyes never wavered from the rift, though, as he thought further.

I might be gone forever, he realized with a jolt. I might never get back... I barely got to say goodbye to Mabel...

He held the rift closer to his chest, though taking great care as to not apply pressure to it.

"Mabel, I'm sorry," he murmured, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "I'm sorry..."

Mabel lifted her head slightly as she heard a knock on the attic door. It'd been an hour since she had heard what was going on with Dipper and Ford from the walkie-talkie. She was still on the floor on the same place as when it happened.

"C-come in..." she mumbled. She still didn't know if Dipper was safe...

Mabel's heart skipped a beat when Ford came in, but it sunk again when she realized that Dipper wasn't with him, and when she saw the dire and grave expression on his face.

"Mabel-" he started, but she cut him off with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Where's Dipper?"

Ford didn't reply. Instead, he averted his gaze with a small sigh.

"Where's Dipper?" she repeated, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"He's..." Ford hesitated. "Look, it's... Complicated..."

"Just tell me!" Mabel wailed. "Where's my brother!?"

"Taken," Ford murmured.

"By what!? W-why didn't you stop it!?"

"Mabel, I tried, but..." he trailed off with another sigh. Mabel's vision was blurred by the water gathering in her eyes that fell her neck. She wiped them away.

"W-what h-happened?" she stammered, her voice strained as she spoke.

"There's no way to sugarcoat this, Mabel. We activated the security system in the place we were going. One of the droids..." he trailed off again, shaking his head with closed eyes.

There was a long moment of silence. Dipper... Where are you? Mabel asked to nobody, because nobody could hear her. Please be alright... Please be alright.