Disclaimer: I own nothing that has to do with Uncharted or Gravity Falls.

Chapter 22: The Dreamers of the Day

(Dipper runs on the walkway and reaches a small guard tower leading to the bridge. Some goons come out of the tower and attack him. He fights back feeling more strong and confident than before. After clearing out the tower, he goes to the top and shoots down at the mercenaries on the bridge. Then he goes down, takes more ammo from his fallen enemies, and crosses the bridge still shooting the remaining men on a walkway next to the big tower.)

(Suddenly, a grenade comes from behind the last two men on the walkway and kills them. Dipper is alarmed and slowly walks towards a small gazebo at the end of the walkway with his gun out. He enters it and finds a big brazier in the center of the interior. Then he hears a familiar voice.)

Voice: That you, kid…?

(A figure comes out from behind the brazier. It's Stan who looks alive and well like he was never even shot. Dipper is shocked.)

Stan: (relieved) Oh, thank God. You all right? Man, I had a hell of a time-

(He stops as he notices that Dipper hesitatingly has his gun trained on him.)

Stan: (confused) What's the matter with you?

Dipper: (nervous) How do I know you're real?

(Stan slowly approaches him and calmly makes him lower the gun from him. Then he flicks Dipper's forehead.)

Dipper: Ow!

Stan: (irritated) That real enough for you? Don't ever point a gun at me again.

(Dipper puts the gun away.)

Dipper: (bewildered) I… I saw them shoot you… right after the eclipse…

Stan: What? What eclipse? Look, kid, you just went nuts right after you drank from that fountain. That's when I realized it's the water. That's what destroyed the city. Not the "Wrath of God". The whole water supply is tainted with some sort of hallucinogenic agent. Must've drove everyone mad.

(Dipper takes a deep breath and sits down on a bench in the gazebo.)

Dipper: It was just all so real...

(Stan smiles and pats his shoulder.)

Stan: Well, it was nothing you couldn't snap out of. You couldn't go down that easy by some poisoned water.

(Dipper then has a big revelation.)

Dipper: (stunned) My God... That's what Giffany and Bill are after.

Stan: (stunned) Oh, man, of course… Remember what Robbie said about how they control their enemies through fear. Oh, this'd do it, in spades. But wait, it still doesn't make sense. How do they think they're getting the water out of here?

(Dipper thinks for a moment and then remembers something. He puts two and two together and figure it all out.)

Dipper: No, it's not the water, it's what's in the water.

Stan: Come again?

Dipper: Alright, listen, just bear with me for a second. Mermando told me that when King Solomon ruled Iram thousands of years ago, the city was cursed when he imprisoned these evil spirits called the Djinn inside a vessel of brass, and then cast it into the depths of the city.

Stan: Evil spirits? Like a genie in a bottle?

Dipper: I know it sounds pretty crazy, but after what I just went through, I know it must be true. That's what they're looking for. All they have to do is find that brass vessel and they have what they want.

Stan: Oh, now it makes sense. So, you reckon that's why Queen Elizabeth and John Dee sent Francis Drake all the way out here in the first place?

Dipper: Yeah. It wasn't treasure they wanted, it was power. Only once Drake realized what he'd been sent for, once he discovered what this place contained, he abandoned the mission. He lied to the Queen, told her there was nothing to find, and then hid all the traces of his voyage. Rewrote history and kept this place hidden from the world through deception.

Stan: (smiles) Well, who are we to argue with Sir Francis? Come on. Whaddya say we head down there and end this thing, once and for all?

(He takes out Dipper's hat and puts it on Dipper's head. Dipper stands up and nods in agreement. They leave the gazebo and head to the big tower. The notice that the part of the city they're in is underground with sunlight shining though openings in the top of the cavern.)

Dipper: Look at this place. Whole city's resting on this cavern. Doesn't look very safe, does it?

Stan: That's an understatement. We gotta find a way down there.

(They enter the tower and find a platform in the floor with a lever. They turn it and the platform descends through the floor. It stops and reveals a doorway.)

Stan: This is gonna get hairy. You ready for this?

Dipper: Let's do it.

(They go through the doorway and onto another walkway on a cliffside. They see a big mechanism with large gears and containers on a pulley system.)

Dipper: (intrigued) Amazing. This is how they moved the water to the surface.

(They see the rocky top of the cavern and how unstable it looks.)

Stan: Good God. Look at the ceiling here.

Dipper: I'm surprised the whole place hasn't come crashing down yet.

Stan: I don't know how the hell it's still standing.

(They get to the doorway of another tower and enter. They go down to a lower floor where more enemies are.)

Dipper: Shit, get down!

(They take cover behind some pillars and fight off their enemies in the tower and down a corridor. Soon they clear the place and move down some stairs.)

Dipper: Alright, all clear. Down this way!

(Then they go through a big door and get back outside. More men occupy the walkway and cliffs edge in front of them.)

Dipper: Ah, crap! Stan we got more company!

(They push through and shoot down any hostile in their path. They get across the walkway and through another building. They reach another big door where two more mercenaries are. They take them down and find a large metal crate they had.)

Stan: Let's see what they're up to.

(Dipper opens the crate and sees some oxygen tanks and scuba gear.)

Dipper: Well, they're definitely going into the water.

(Stan finds a flare pistol with three shots that can shoot underwater in the crate.)

Stan: (smirks) Hey, this might come in handy. I'm holding on to this.

(He puts the gun away and they head to the door where switches were on either side.)

Dipper: Stan, help me with this. We gotta get through here.

(The duo pulls the switches and the door opens. They go through and head towards a big tower. They go past it and reach a bridge. On the other side is a reservoir. Dipper and Stan hide behind an archway and look over at the large pool of water. Several of Giffany's men patrol the edge of the pool. On the other side in front of a watchtower, is a big metal winch. A guy operates on it and slowly pulls the cord out of the water. Giffany herself stands beside it.)

Giffany: (demandingly) Careful! Lift it gently.

(Dipper and Stan look in the water and see the shape of big round object get closer to the surface. They know it must be the brass vessel containing the Djinn.)

Stan: (whispering) You gotta be kidding me…

Dipper: (whispering) We gotta to take that thing out. Any ideas?

Stan: Well, they sure as hell got us outnumbered. Let's… let's split up, try to flank 'em.

Dipper: Yeah. Better odds that way.

(They quietly sneak away from each other and move behind the pillars surrounding the pool. Dipper gets halfway around it on his side and peaks over at the pillar across from him. He doesn't see Stan.)

Dipper: Damn it, where is he?

(He then notices Bill standing next to the opposite pillar and he's looking right at him. Dipper's eyes widen as Bill points his gun at him. Stan immediately comes out from behind the pillar next to Bill and grabs causing him to miss shooting at Dipper. Bill grabs Stan from behind, throws him down and kicks him in the face.)

Dipper: (alarmed) Stan!

(Bill grins viciously as he pushes Stan into the water with his foot.)

Dipper: No!

(Dipper dives into the pool on his side. Giffany and her other men see the whole thing and believe that Dipper and Stan are doomed since they know the water is toxic. Dipper swims beneath the surface holding his breath as much as he can. He swims over to Stan who's holding his breath too and grabs his arm. They both look up and see the large round brass vessel that their enemies came all the way to obtain. It slowly reaches the surface of the water. Stan gives Dipper the underwater flare gun. Dipper points it at the winch above the water and fires just as the brass vessel emerges from the surface. Giffany and Bill smile with delight as they see their prize. Then a flare shoots out of the water and hits the metal arm on the winch, breaking it off and sending the vessel back into the water.)

Giffany: (upset) No!

(Dipper and Stan watch the vessel plunge back down into the dark depths of the water until it can't be seen. Giffany's men point their weapons at the water and wait for them to come back up. Dipper then aims the flare gun upward and fires the last two rounds. They shoot out of the water and hit the posts holding up the small tower behind the pool. The tower shakes and starts to collapse. Bill runs up to Giffany.)

Bill: (urgently) Giffany, we've got to go now! Run!

(Everyone turns away from the pool and runs down the bridge. Dipper and Stan emerge from the water as soon as they leave. They climb out of the pool breathing heavily.)

Dipper: C'mon, Stan. Get up. Please tell me you didn't swallow any of that water.

Stan: I… I don't think so.

Dipper: Okay.

(They entire area around them starts shaking. They see the tower completely tumble down.)

Dipper: (startled) Whoa! Geez!

Stan: This is why we can't have nice things.

(They get up and run back down the bridge.)

Dipper: C'mon, we gotta move. The whole place is coming down!

Stan: (mutters) If I had a nickel for every time you said that…

Dipper: We gotta find a way out here, fast!

(The mercenaries appear on the bridge and on the big tower behind it. They open fire at Dipper and Stan.)

Mercenary: Keep them away from Giffany!

Dipper: The hell's with these guys?! Don't they know they're gonna get buried here?!

Stan: Something tells me they don't care!

Dipper: I sure as hell do!

(They fight their way through their attackers who have a hard time shooting at them due to the shaking buildings. Dipper and Stan manage to get away from them and find an elevator platform in the tower. They use it to go up where even more mercenaries are.)

Dipper: Oh crap! More of 'em! Get down!

(They engage in another firefight the remaining goons. After clearing the area, they continue to move up the tower.)

Dipper: Over here, Stan. Up this way.

(They eventually reach the top where it's connected to a mechanism. There's nowhere to go from there.)

Stan: How are we gonna get outta here?

(Dipper notices they cogs on the pulley system moving upward to another building. He gets an idea.)

Dipper: Wait, the gears! Stan, we're gonna have to ride these, alright?

Stan: You got it.

(They climb on the gears and are elevated up to the edge of the next building. They get on and find a staircase leading to a tunnel. They go up and through.)

Dipper: This is the way out.

(Everything still shakes around them. They come out of the tunnel into a room with a staircase leading upward. Suddenly, Giffany and Bill run into the room from the other side and come face to face with them.)

Giffany: (angry) You!

Bill: (angry) Drake!

(They all quickly take out their guns and try to point them at one another until the floor below them breaks apart and causes them to drop their weapons. Everyone except Stan falls through.)

Stan: Dipper!

(They land in a small cavern covered with quicksand below the floor. Dipper and Bill land on the edge and are able to get out onto the broken pieces of the floor. Giffany lands in the middle and is stuck. She's up to her waist and is slowly sinking. Bill this to reach for her.)

Bill: Giffany! I can't reach!

(Stan leans down from the floor above and reaches for Dipper.)

Stan: C'mon, kid, I'll pull you up!

Bill: You can't just let her die!

Stan: (to Bill) The hell he can't! (to Dipper) Hurry, give me your hand!

(Dipper looks at Giffany. She looks back at him.)

Giffany: Dipper Drake! Are you worthy of the name?

(She shows him his ring that she took from him back in Yemen.)

Giffany: Earn this. As Francis earned it from Elizabeth. Prove your greatness!

(Dipper looks at the ring and realizes that its purpose was to find this place that turned out to be too dangerous for the world. He decides that he has no longer has any need for it and that speaks to Giffany with a serious tone.)

Dipper: (serious) I've got nothing to prove.

(Giffany is taken aback by his response. Stan continues to reach for him.)

Stan: Dipper, give me your goddamn hand!

(Dipper sees Giffany is still sinking into the sand. She's up to her chest. He crouches down, takes off his scarf and throws one end to her.)

Dipper: Here! Grab it!

Stan: What the hell are you doing?!

(Giffany grabs hold and tries to pull herself out but can't. She sinks down to her neck.)

Giffany: (weakly) I can't... I can't...

Stan: It's no good! Get the hell outta there!

(She lets go of the scarf and lets out a faint yell as she completely descends into the sand.)

Bill: (upset) No!

(Dipper watches as his ring disappears into the sand after her. He then turns to Stan and grabs his hand. Stan pulls him out as Bill keeps wailing in agony.)

Bill: Noooooo!

(Stan helps Dipper back up to the floor with the staircase.)

Stan: C'mon. There you go.

Dipper: Run!

(They go up the stairs as fast as they can as the sand below rises and begins to fill the place.)

Stan: Up here! Hurry it up!

(They get to the top and out of the building. They see buildings all around crumbling into a massive pit forming in the center. Endless amounts of sand pour out from under the buildings and drag them down.)

Dipper: (frantically) Holy shit! We're in a giant sinkhole! Keep going!

(They jump between broken platforms slowly sliding down the slope of the pit. Stan realizes when Dipper fired three times from the flare gun and destroyed the tower, it started a chain reaction that led to the destruction of the entire city.)

Stan: (confounded) Three goddamn bullets?! How the hell did you do this with three bullets?!

(They keep hoping from one platform to another, getting higher up the slope until the entrance to the city they came in is in sight.)

Dipper: We gotta get higher! We're almost out!

(They get to a bridge slowly breaking apart but still leading towards the entrance. They reach a pavilion as the bridge breaks apart into pieces. A surviving henchman of Bill's suddenly appears and ambushes Stan. Dipper tries to help but is attacked by Bill himself who shoves him off the pavilion and onto a broken platform.)

Stan: Dipper!

(As Stan struggles with the henchman, Dipper gets up as Bill stands before him on the piece of the bridge glaring at him.)

Bill: (furious) You ruined everything!

Dipper: (angry) I've just about had it with you coming out of nowhere!

(Bill pulls out a big combat knife.)

Bill: If I'm getting buried here, you're coming with me!

(He comes at him with the knife but Dipper is not afraid and holds his own. He agilely dodges Bill's attacks and gets some hits on him when given the opportunity. Bill grabs Dipper's arm as he swings at him and holds him from behind. He tries to stab Dipper but Dipper kicks him and makes him let go. Bill comes at him with the knife again and Dipper grabs his arm. Bill drops the knife into his other hand and tries to slash Dipper with it but he jumps back and punches Bill. Bill then knocks Dipper to the ground and makes another attempt to slash him but Dipper rolls out of the way and trips him. They both get back up and continue to fight. The platform shakes and gets closer to the edge of the pit which almost throws them off balance.)

(Eventually, Bill tries to attack again and Dipper grabs both his arms. They struggle for a moment until Bill trips Dipper to the edge of the platform stands over him. He tire to stab him and Dipper pushes his arms back. Bill slowly inches the knife down on Dipper with all his might. Then he's suddenly shot in the shoulder which allows Dipper to throw him off and get back up. Stan appears on the platform next to him with a pistol he took from the henchman that he just defeated.)

Dipper: Thanks.

Stan: (to Bill) That'll teach you to bring a knife to a gun fight!

(He prepares to shoot Bill again but the platform lurches and he drops the gun.)

Stan: Oh shit!

(Dipper falls off and grabs hold of the edge. The gun slides off next to him and he grabs it. He points it at Bill but it shakes again before he can fire. He falls again and grabs onto some rocky holds on the side of platform. He starts climbing back up while trying to resist the shaking. When he gets near the top, sees Stan fall down on the ledge. Bill appears standing over him.)

Dipper: Stan! Hold on!

(As Bill puts his foot on Stan ready to shove him off, Dipper aims the gun at him from where he clings on.)

Dipper: (determined) Time to end this you son of a bitch!

(He shoots Bill in the chest. This time he seems affected by it as he clutches it in pain and stumbles forward. Stan rolls out of the way as he falls off the ledge. Dipper watches as Bill Cipher plummets to his death in the giant hole. Stan reaches down for him.)

Stan: Thanks, kid! Come on! Get up here!

(Dipper drops the gun and gets back on the platform with Stan's help. They jump to another and then onto the sandy floor. They run as fast as they can towards the entrance that looks like it's about to cave in and trap them in the crumbling city.)

Stan: (desperate) It's no good! We can't make it!

(Three horses suddenly come galloping in front of them. Two are empty while one has a purple clothed man riding it.)

Dipper: (relieved) Mermando!

Mermando: Hurry! Get on!

(Dipper and Stan quickly get on the empty horses and the three of them bolt to the entrance.)

Mermando: Move out!

(They get through the entrance just as it comes crashing down. They ride out into the desert away from the city. After getting some distance away, they stop on top of a tall sand dune and look out to see Ubar in the distance sinking into the ground with sand blowing all around it. They are amazed by the sight.)

Stan: My God...

Mermando: Incredible... (smiling) I don't know what you two did in there, but you've caused Iram to descend into the desert. No one will ever find it now. Well done.

(Dipper smiles back at him and then frowns as he turns to Stan with some slight disappointment.)

Dipper: So much for "immeasurable wealth", huh?

Stan: (smirks) Well… I did manage to get a little something.

(He takes out several old coins he managed to salvage.)

Dipper: It's not much, is it?

Stan: (smiles) It's enough.

Dipper: (smiles) Yeah.

(The three men watch Iram of the Pillars disappear in the sands of the Rub' al Kahli and then ride off back to Mermando's village.)

(Some time later, Dipper and Stan are back at the airport they arrived in Yemen at. After getting back to the Bedouin tribe, Mermando and his men helped them navigate their way through the desert back to civilization. After saying goodbye to them, Dipper and Stan made it back to the city they came from and reunited with Pacifica. With their business in Yemen finished, they prepared to leave. They also contacted Wendy and Robbie and planned to meet up with them and tell them all about their journey. Robbie was still recovering from his broken leg but was relieved that his friends had defeated their enemies.)

(Right now, Dipper and Stan walk out of the airport building with their bags and head towards a passenger plane parked near the runway. Dipper is out of his desert clothes and back in his dark-green shirt and blue jeans. As they walk to the plane, Stan stops in front of Dipper and turns to him.)

Stan: Hold up a minute, Dipper.

Dipper: You okay?

Stan: Yeah, I just got something needs saying, that's all.

(They put their bags down and Dipper gives him his full attention.)

Dipper: Alright. What is it?

Stan: Look, I, uh… I had a lousy father. Lousy childhood. And when I grew up and was on my own, I figured I was never gonna have a son of my own. Hell, I never wanted one. (chuckles) What the hell do I know about raising a kid? (warmly) But then you came barreling into my life.

Dipper: (sighs) Look, I know what you're getting at. You don't have to-

Stan: No, I do. I have made a lot of mistakes, kid. A lot. And, ah… well, I'm not a perfect man. But I always wanted what's best for you like a father would for his son. So, here.

(He takes something out and shows it to Dipper. He sees it's an ordinary silver ring.)

Dipper: (confused) You're not proposing, are you, Stan? I mean, I love you, but-

Stan: (annoyed) Dipper, stop. Just stop being a wiseass for one second. You know what this is.

(Dipper takes a closer look and realizes that it's actually his wedding ring that he had when he married Pacifica.)

Dipper: (surprised) How long you been carrying that around?

Stan: Too long.

(He takes it and stares at it solemnly.)

Dipper: Thought I'd lost it. You really kept it for me?

Stan: (smiles) Here's the thing, kid. Francis Drake was right about how greatness comes from "small beginnings". But the truth is we don't get to choose how we start in this life. Real "greatness" is what you do with the hand you're dealt.

(He then motions towards the building. Dipper turns and sees Pacifica coming out with her own bag. Dipper smiles at Stan and goes towards Pacifica. They walk up to each other.)

Dipper: (smiles) Hey.

Pacifica: (smiles) Hey.

Dipper: Going somewhere?

Pacifica: Maybe.

(She looks at his neck and frowns. She puts her bag down and places her hand on his chest where his ring used to hang.)

Pacifica: (sadly) I'm really sorry about your ring.

(Dipper looks down at her hand and sees her wedding ring on her finger. He continues to smile at her.)

Dipper: (comfortingly) Aw, it's all right.

(He puts his own hand over hers.)

Dipper: I swapped it for something better.

(Pacifica's confused by what he meant until she sees the ring on his hand over hers and knows that he's finally ready to commit himself to her. She smiles and gets teary-eyed.)

Pacifica: (warmly) Oh, Dipper...

(The couple embrace each other tightly and share a warm passionate kiss. This sort of thing may be frowned upon here, but they don't care. They're about to leave anyway. They then separate still smiling.)

Dipper: Let's get out of here, huh?

Pacifica: Yeah.

(Pacifica picks up her bag and they head towards Stan while blushing and holding hands. Stan smiles as he watches them. Dipper takes his bag and is about to head to the passenger plane but Stan starts walking away from it.)

Stan: C'mon, we're this way.

Dipper: (confused) But-

Stan: Come on. Trust me.

(Dipper and Pacifica follow him to the hangars nearby.)

Dipper: What are you up to?

(Stan stops and gestures his hand in the direction in front of them. They see a light-gray turquoise seaplane sitting outside a hangar. They realize Stan must've bought it with the ancient coins he took.)

Dipper: (amazed) No way.

Pacifica: (amazed) Wow.

Stan: (laughs) Yeah, it's not as nice the one you two wrecked four years ago, but it'll do. C'mon, let's see if I can remember how to fly the goddamn thing…

(They take their bags and head to the plane. Dipper and Pacifica walk beside Stan with their arms around each other.)

Pacifica: Hey, this has parachutes, right?

Stan: Oh, yeah.

Dipper: Three?

Stan: (shrugs) Eh, more or less.

THE END

And that's that. The original Uncharted trilogy rewritten with Gravity Falls characters is done. Now I can start the re-enactment for the fourth game which I'm looking forward to doing since it's the longest and best story in the series. See ya then!