Hurray! Here comes the fic finale! I'm honestly sad to have it finish. I posted the first chapter 7 weeks ago, and have been writing/editing this fic for even longer! But I hoped you've enjoyed, and thank you for sticking with it throughout this whole ordeal! This is the first chaptered fic that I've completed and I'm pretty proud of myself. Anyways, enough babbling, go enjoy this chapter!

(tho I'm warning you this chapter gets intense. so yeah, read with caution)

(also, please read the end notes! they'll be worth it, I swear!)

to Qill or not to Kill

"Now look who I found!" Bill says, holding up the twins triumphantly. "I think I'm going to kill one of them just for the heck of it!" Mabel and Dipper tried to run away, tried to escape, but Bill caught them before they could find an exit to his weird floating pyramid. Now he holds the twins in a death-grip, and their fate lies in his hands.

Dipper feels his heartbeat quicken as he starts to panic. This-this is nothing like Stan's mindscape. This is the real world, where they can really die.

"NO!" Grunkle Ford and Stan both scream, tears streaming down their faces.

"Eeny, meeny, miny…YOU!" Bill's eye glows red and a projection of a pine tree is shown in it. Bill drops Dipper harshly to the ground, and blue chains snake their way up his arms and legs, pinning him to the floor. Dipper struggles, but no matter how many times he tugs, the chains stay firm.

"Let go of my brother you freaky space dorito!" Mabel shouts, punching the arm that holds her captive as hard as she can.

"No can do, Shooting Star. You see, Pine Tree here has gotten in my way one too many times, and it's high time I did something about it!" If Bill had a mouth, he would be flashing an evil smile right now. Dipper shudders as he thinks about what that would look like. He hears a yelp from Mabel and his head snaps back up just in time to see Bill fling his sister across the room. Mabel hits the wall with a thud and falls limp to the floor.

"MABEL!" Dipper screams, but his sister doesn't move a muscle.

"Hahaha! She's really out! Now, the fun can begin!"

"WAIT!" Grunkle Ford shouts, "Don't hurt him! I'll tell you whatever it is you need to know, so long as you don't touch a hair on his head!"

"Ford, are you crazy!" Grunkle Stan counters, "If that demon goes into your mind he could destroy everything!"

"To me, Dipper is everything." Dipper's eyes go wide with shock at that. Is his Grunkle really willing to risk everything in the universe just for him?

"Well, well, well. Gotta hand it to you Sixer, that's real noble. But I'm afraid you're too late. This kid has been a pain in my hide for longer than I'd like to admit. He's given me a real headache, and it's time I return the favor!" Bill claps his hands twice, and Dipper feels more than sees his forehead glow. Then the pain comes. Dipper screams as his forehead burns, like someone is pressing red-hot iron to it. He tries to curl in on himself, but the chains hold him firmly in place. Distantly he realizes that the heat is following the shape of his birthmark, racing along lines he himself has traced over so many times. Only this time, his weird birthmark is being used to hurt him.

Suddenly the burning stops, and the pain slowly subsides to a dull throb. Dipper pants and realizes Bill has released him of his agony. For now, at least. Dipper takes heaping gulps of air, gasping and sputtering as the ground sways beneath him. His wrists and ankles ache, where he was tugging against the chains and he feels blood drip from them.

"BILL STOP! I'LL DO ANYTHING!" Dipper hears Grunkle Ford plead. He tries to tell him no, I'm not worth it, but his mouth doesn't seem to want to work.

"Nah, this is way more fun than anything I could do to you!"

"Ohoho, when I get my hands on you, you little one-eyed cretin!" Grunkle Stan yells, banging on the bars of his cage.

"First of all, it's pronounced CREE-tin. If you're going to threaten me, do it properly. Second of all, you're stuck in a cage! You're powerless to stop me from doing this." Bill snaps his fingers and the manacle around Dippers left wrist starts to tighten. At first it gets uncomfortable, then his wrist stings as the shackle digs into his other wounds, then the pain becomes unbearable.

Dipper throws his head back as another scream is ripped from his throat. Pain shoots up his entire arm and shoulder, even though the pressure is only on one part of his wrist. He watches in horror as his fingers turn purple, the blood circulation completely cut off at this point. Tears stream down Dipper's face, both of fear and pain. How much tighter can this go? Will Bill cut his whole hand off?

"Haha! We're getting close!" Bill makes a fist with his hand, and somehow the manacle gets even tighter. Agony courses through Dipper's veins, and he's screaming endlessly. Please, just make it stop. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop.

"MAKE IT STOP!" Dipper yells, but the pressure just keeps increasing. The manacle gets tighter, and tighter, and tighter, and-

SNAP!

Dipper makes a sound that's not even human anymore, as the bones in his arm are shattered. Pain consumes every ounce of his body, and he doesn't notice the manacles have stopped getting tighter. He doesn't hear Bill and Ford and Stan talking. Doesn't see Bill raise his hand, blue fire racing across it. All he feels is pain pain pain pain pain. Dipper curls around his mangled arm as best as he can, but every move sends white-hot agony through his whole body.

Slowly but surely, the pain recedes enough for Dipper to become aware of his surroundings. He sees Bill and Ford arguing - well Ford's the one doing the arguing, Bill's just laughing along and having the time of his life. Meanwhile Grunkle Stan is staring at Dipper with fear in his eyes. Dipper tries to smile reassuringly, but groans as even that sends pain shooting through his body.

"Well, look who finally came back to their senses!" Bill says, turning back to Dipper. "Y'know, it's no fun torturing someone when they aren't even aware of the pain they are in!"
"Leave the kid alone! Can't you see he's had enough?" Stan pleads.

"No can do, Stanorama. I've come this far, I need to finish the job. So, what do you say Pine Tree? Are you ready to die yet?" Dipper glares and sucks in a deep breath, mustering all his strength so he can answer the deranged dorito. He knows no matter what he says, he's not getting out of this alive, so may as well use his last words to cuss out Bill.

"Go…to…hell…" Dipper slumps down, all energy gone. It's taking all he can to stay conscious.

"Been there, and I gotta say it's not that exciting."

"Bill please, why won't you just take the deal?!" Ford screams. Dipper feels tears trek down his face. He doesn't want to die. He doesn't want to die.

"Because I need to teach you Pines a LESSON!" Bill booms, growing ten times his size. His yellow coloring turns an angry red, and Bill aims his fiery hand at Dipper. "Goodbye, Pine Tree!"

Mabel groggily sits up, clutching her pounding head. What is going on? Wait! Dipper! Bill was going to…to…Mabel whips her head around and spots her brother, still alive but not for much longer. Bill towers over Dipper, glowing red and angry. His fist full of blue fire poised to strike. Dipper on the other hand, has turned as far away as possible, his eyes squeezed shut in anticipation. No. This-this can't be happening.

"Goodbye, Pine Tree!" Bills shouts, releasing the fire from his fingers. Mabel has to do something, now. Using strength she didn't know she had, Mabel stands up and runs to Dipper. She jumps in the line of fire - both literally and figuratively - and blocks Dipper. She will be his shield. Even if she breaks, she will make sure Dipper gets out of here with his life. He has more to live for then she does, anyway. The world needs Dipper Pines, not his silly, irresponsible, counterpart.

Pain erupts through every fiber of her body. It feels like she is being ripped apart cell by cell, and then dunked in burning acid. Mabel struggles to stay standing, but she knows that when she goes down Bill will kill her brother. That's the only thing keeping her going. Somewhere she hears screaming, and it takes her a few moments to realize the sound is coming from her own throat. She hears her Grunkles screaming too, shouting curses at Bill, yelling for Mabel to stay with them. Even Bill is shouting in surprise. The only person Mabel does not hear is Dipper. Did she fail? Is he already dead?

Mabel forces her eyes open - since when did she close them? - and looks over her shoulder at her twin. Dippers eyes and mouth are wide open, and tears are flooding down his face. Mabel feels tears stream down her own face, both of pain and love for her brother.

"Dip…" Mabel's voice is weak, but Dipper heard her.

"Mabel! Mabel please! Please don't go! I can't lose you!" Dipper tries to reach out to her but hisses in pain as his mangled arm is jostled. Through her own pain, Mabel manages to smile at her brother.

"Dipper…listen to me," Mabel starts, her voice growing stronger by the second. "I love you. I love you so much, and want you to go live your life to the fullest!" The heat slowly recedes from her body and out of the corner of her eye Mabel sees Bill easing away his flaming hand, a look of surprise and interest on his triangular face.

"I-I love you too…Mabel please…don't go…don't go…"

"Stay in Gravity Falls, okay? Fill your nerd book with tales of your adventures! And Dipper…don't forget me." Mabel smiles and lets her eyes close. Her body goes limp and crashes to the floor as she finally succumbs to the pain.

"MABEL NO!" Dipper's scream is the last thing Mabel hears before everything goes dark for the final time.

Dipper stares in shock as the body of his sister drops to the floor. He stares hard at her chest, willing it to rise but it doesn't move an inch. No. nonononononononono! This-this can't be happening! He can't lose her…he can't…

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

Dipper slowly looks up and turns to see Grunkle Stan screaming at Bill, tears flooding down his face. He screams and shakes his fists at the demon nothing but pure hatred rolling off of him. Dipper squints through tear-blurred eyes and takes a closer look at his uncle. Is Dipper just seeing things or does Stans fist seem…longer? And what's that bulk under his jacket?

"No, I killed for that!" Bill responds, cackling like the evil maniac he is and indicating at their broken expressions. Dipper looks to Ford, who's been surprisingly silent this whole time. His eyes are wide and staring at Mabels body. He doesn't react to his brother screaming obscenities next to him. His right hand is gripping the bars of the cage, while his left is reaching out to his great-niece. Dipper's eyes widen as he sees Ford's last gloved finger fall limp. Almost like he doesn't have six fingers…

Dipper gasps as his Grunkles plans become clear to him. If this works…they can defeat Bill and avenge Mabel! Dipper growls and turns back to Bill, glaring.

"You monster!"

"Oh, he speaks!"

"What are you gonna do now, huh? Kill me too?"

"Hoho, where's the fun in that? No, I'm going to let you live Pine Tree. I'm going to let you live broken and alone. Everyday you'll wake up without Shooting Star there to wake up with you. You'll never spend another birthday together, never sit together in school, never watch her walk down the aisle at her wedding. So many memories that you two will never ever make. Haha! I love it!" Bill laughs and Dipper shudders, his words sinking in, a fresh wave of tears cascading down his face.

Mabels gone…Mabels gone, Mabels gone, Mabels gone! Bill is right. Dipper will never be whole again without his second half. They can defeat Bill and return life to normal, but Dipper knows that Bill will never truly be gone. That he's already won. Dipper may get to survive, but without Mabel, he's never truly living.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING! (or you did, so bravo) Anyways sorry not sorry for that traumatic ending! Dipper's never going to be the same again, and neither will some of you. Also, when I posted this fic on Ao3, I added some art I made to this last chapter. So if you want, you can go check that out!

But before I leave you guys all sad, I wanted to say that the story isn't entirely over yet! Well, the plot is, but that's not what I meant. Throughout this fic, I've left two hidden messages! One of them you need a decoder for, and the other is pretty straightforward. I'll give you two hints for them (one for each) and if you're still confused and can't find them then leave a comment and I'll help you. Also if you find them then please leave a comment saying you did! I'd love to see how many people tried this and solved them!

Clue #1: The key is TWINS

Clue #2: First and last _ of each _

Can't wait to see who figures them out! :D

And one final thing (I know, this is so long!) I'll be posting a completely fluffy gravity falls fic in the next day or so. If your hearts ache as much as mine did when writing it, then I recommend reading it! Its gonna be about the twins going on a fun adventure and solving a mystery! Plus Dipper has to dress up as a girl to go undercover! So yeah, go read that if you're interested. (totally not me shamelessly promoting my own stuff lol)

Okay, now goodbye! Hope you enjoyed!