The start of an adventure in real life never feels like the start of anything good. I started my Summer with a trip down to Gravity Falls, Oregon, and I never thought my life would change any more than it already had. I may have known it was the start of something, but an adventure? I would've laughed. At the time, I thought it was the start of boredom, the start of a period of trying to cope with what happened days before summer began, and the start of a relationship with a great uncle I really should've had at a younger age. I never really knew what my twin sister Mabel thought. She's an enigma, but I don't think the start of a life-changing event was on her mind when we came to the small, rural town to meet our great uncle Sans.

My name is Dipper Pines, and I will tell you what happened those summer days, instead of puppies and video games. That summer changed my life in more ways than one, and it all began on that bus ride to the mysterious town of Gravity Falls…

Dipper leaned against the window of the bus, watching the trees go past. In many ways, he found that the bus was peaceful, compared to the mess they left behind. I mean, he and his sister, Mabel, were the only people on the bus. All the other passengers had left at other destinations, leaving him to his own thoughts. On his head was a brown hat with a star on the front. Beside him was Mabel.

Mabel was… well, Dipper would classify her was certifiably random and even crazy at times. However, she was relatively still at the moment, simply kicking her legs back and forth and swaying to the beat of a song she was humming. The smile she had never left her face, as if permanent and unchangeable.

Of course, all of this was confusing to her brother. How could she be so happy after what happened? How could she be so happy when they were about to meet a man who they never knew? Of course, he trusted his family's emotionally-charged decision, but his heightened anxiety didn't come from the fear of their great uncle being a serial killer. It came from the fact he was unsure how to bond with a family member who was absent throughout his childhood.

He tried not to think about it and instead watched the scenery go past his window. "Welcome to Gravity Falls," the bus driver said with a tired and grouchy tone of voice. "We'll be at the Mystery Shack at some point…"

At first, Dipper didn't even see the town. All he saw was the woods, with trees and mountains in the background. However, there was a sudden break in the trees and they were in the middle of the town. A town hall stood tall as if a beacon of the towns grandeur. A building across from it, still under construction, seemed to rival it in both size and grandeur. The sign to this building was mostly covered, with only the word, "School", showing.

There was a diner, as well as a bar, labeled "Grillby's". People wandered from their houses to these places. A library with a misspelled sign was beside the town hall. Dipper watched everything as a sudden rise of enthusiasm grew. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. However, the town was only half of what he was worried about.

"Look!" Mabel shouted, looking a little further from just the town center. "There's a mall!"

"Mabel, there's a mall at home," he reminded her, a little annoyed at her amazement at something so common.

"Well, duh, Dipper! Of course there's a mall at home," she responded, her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes. "But this is a Gravity Falls Mall…"

Dipper rolled his eyes as he watched the town start to disperse into houses, here and there, until the woods overtook his view again. Confused at why they seemed to be exiting the town, he turned to the grumpy bus driver.

"Why are we leaving?" He asked.

"The Mystery Shack is a little ways away from the town," the bus driver replied, a fake smile on his face. "It'll just be a little while, little buddy."

Dipper watched the forests around him, feeling uneasy for some reason not entirely understood. It was like he was in a different land, away from everything he found familiar. What seemed more alien to him was when they finally turned down a dirt path and he caught a sight of a building, presumably his home for the entire summer.

"Woah! Our great uncle lives in a mystery shack?" Mabel gasped, looking up at the sign above the wooden house. The sign did say Mystery Shack. However, the "S" fell from the sign onto the roof.

Unlike his sister, Dipper wasn't in awe. If anything, he was a little disgusted by how rundown the place looked. The wood that the shack was built out of was dark and, in certain places, looked damp, almost rotting even. What was just as unexpected was that people, presumably tourists, were coming in and out through what he thought was the front door. His parents had told him that the shop was Great Uncle Sans' livelihood, but he didn't think that would mean the shop and house were the same places.

"Here you go, kids. The Mystery Shack," the bus driver replied in an aggravated and tired voice. "Now please, get off."

With a grin, Mabel put on her pink backpack and grabbed her suitcase as she went to leave the bus. At a slower pace, Dipper followed, looking at the building with caution. He was so unsure of what to think that he almost ran into his sister.

"Here's some glitter to make your day better! Babow!" She threw glitter all over the bus driver. It didn't improve his grumpy attitude, but he faked a smile so that Mabel wouldn't do it again. Dipper could only feel sorry for the young man as he left and gave an apologetic look.

The bus left shortly there after and they walked up to the bottom of the stairs to the store. "I guess we should go in…" Dipper said, giving Mabel a reassuring smile that she didn't need. She turned to him and seemed to notice his anxiety. She gave a concerned look as she put her hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing!" Dipper said quickly, although it wasn't convincing to his twin sister.

She sighed. "I know it's hard to accept-"

"That's the understatement of the century," he replied bitterly.

"But give him a chance!" Mabel said, her voice full of emotions that never fully showed themselves. Her expression was a mix of anger and sorrow. Dipper found himself taken slightly aback. She took a deep breath and soon, the emotions she had shown were gone, replaced by an understanding smile. "Our parents sent us here to have a good vacation and meet the great uncle we never got to meet. We don't know why we never knew him before, but he's here now! Now, I don't know about you, but I'm going inside to meet him.

Before he could even respond, Mabel went through the store door with her suitcase. Dipper simply sighed before entering. When he entered, he was immediately met with shelves of interesting curios. Now he knew for sure that this was a tourist trap. It wasn't because it was full of mythological creatures or magical items that were proven to not exist. It was because at the top of the story was a sign that said, "PSYCHE!" It was a prank store. A store that sold items to pull off unusual pranks.

At the cash register was a beautiful teenage girl with red hair. She was leaning against the desk, her arm holding her head, as she watched and listened to a girl about Dipper and Mabel's age. The younger girl wore a strange poncho with no sleeves are holes for her arms, designed with yellow and orange stripes. Despite the lack of rain, she had her hood up, covering her orangish-red hair. Her blue eyes contrasted with everything about her, from the poncho to the dark orange freckles that dotted her face. The girl seemed to be telling the teen a gripping story, judging by her hand movements and volume. By the door, a man with a green hat and a green shirt with a question mark was fixing a pipe. However, he seemed to occasionally ask the girl questions about her tale.

Mabel, with her suitcase still in hand, was drawn to the girl's spontaneous energy. It was like she met a kindred spirit. She walked off, and in going towards the cash register, she dragged Dipper along with her. It wasn't because he was obligated to join her or she grabbed his hand and forced him to come. It was because he didn't know where to go, and in his indecision, he decided to follow his sister for once.

"And then I called for help because I totally couldn't handle all the tiny halflings with pointy hats by myself, despite skills," the girl narrated, her motions punctuating the important parts of the story. "Suddenly, spears came flying through the air and it was Undyne! The halflings were like 'AAAHHHH!' And Undyne was like, 'If you try to make another person your queen, I WILL DESTROY YOU!' Then, she suplexed a boulder and she was so cool!"

"Then, what did Undyne do after that?" The teen asked lazily.

The poncho girl sighed. "She was all, 'Yo, why are you not home?' Then… she took me home."

"Hey. Spending time adventuring and with Undyne is still cool, even if you had to go home early," she replied, winking at the girl.

"Yeah! Like, dude, you're the guide to adventure. You're the adventure guide!" The handyman added, looking at the girl rather than the pipe. He had a serious look on his face, as if he took the whole thing serious. "I would go on an adventure with you, if I didn't love working here with Wendy and Mr. Pines."

"Wow!" Mabel suddenly said, causing the poncho girl to turn, clearly embarrassed. "You're an adventure guide?"

"Yo, what? N-no! Soos and Wendy were just trying to make me feel better," the girl replied, looking down at the floor.

"She's just being modest," the cashier responded before sitting up straight. "Are you guys here to buy something?"

"Uh, well, actually…" Dipper stuttered, scratching his arm, a nervous habit. "We're here to meet our great uncle. He runs this place?"

"Oh! That explains why you two brought in your stuff!" She concluded, before putting out a hand to shake. "My name's Wendy. The guy in the question mark shirt is Soos and this girl is MK, which stands for… I actually can't remember because I've said MK for so long."

"That's fine. It stands for Mo- Mary Katherine, but please! I just go by MK," the girl answered, still looking down at the ground. Clearly, she was not used to new people, but Dipper couldn't blame her too much.

"That's such a cool name! Mikay!" Mabel shouted.

"It's MK. Like the letters," MK corrected respectfully.

"Oh. Sorry," she apologized, partially embarrassed.

"No no. Y'know what? I kinda like the sound of Mikay. It can be your nickname for me."

"Alright, but only if you like it," Mabel answered, before being excitable yet again. "I have to say, I love your poncho! Where did you get it?"

"W-well, yo, thanks," MK replied, grabbing her poncho to look at the material used to make it, as if noticing it for the first time. There seemed to be no sleeves or armholes for her arms, so her hands and arms were almost always covered with a plastic sheen. "To be honest, I don't know where I got it, but I could totally make you one."

"We could make one together! That would be so awesome!" His sister shouted, excitedly. MK giggled, her eyes closed and her chin up. Wendy simply smiled. When she was finished, MK put out her hand.

"Yo! What's your name?"

"My name's Mabel Pines!" She answered, nearly jumping up and down with each shake.

Then, MK turned towards Dipper, a smile still on her face. After studying him for a bit, she put out her hand. "And what's your name?"

"Dipper," he replied, taking her hand hesitantly. Despite having less enthusiasm than his sister, MK still smiled when she shook Dipper's hand, respecting his wish to not have a very enthusiastic handshake. Then, she let go.

"Yo! Are you guys staying here all summer?" MK asked with a hopeful look.

"Yeah," Dipper responded, his voice full of cautious optimism. "Our parents wanted us to spend some time outside of California."

"Sweet! That means we can hangout all summer!" She replied before she seemed to become self-conscious about her enthusiasm. She frowned and looked down at the floor. "Of course… only if you guys want to…"

"Sure!" Mabel shouted. "Then you can be our Gravity Falls guide!"

"This is just a small town in Oregon. What is there around here?" Dipper asked skeptically.

"Yo! There's a lot around here!" MK said, getting defensive. "And I can prove it! There's an untold history around here and if you guys come with me, you can see it!"

"Maybe sometime after we meet our Great Uncle Sans," Mabel responded with a smile.

"Wait!" Dipper interrupted, shaking his head. "Maybe we could wait until we settle down. Tomorrow, maybe?"

"You're asking MK to delay her adventures?" Wendy replied, playfully giving him a shocked expression.

"Dude, that might make you miss stuff," Soos said. Unlike Wendy, he sounded dead serious about it.

"Like a triceratops," Wendy added jokingly.

MK rolled her eyes. "C'mon Wendy! Let's not be ridiculous. We wouldn't see a triceratops. We might miss seeing Bigfoot!" Despite her expression, which seemed to suggest she was playing around, her demeanor was that of indignation at Wendy's jokes. It was subtle indignation, as if she couldn't defend herself.

"you're looking for bigfoot, mk?" A voice came from behind MK. The Twins looked behind MK, who spun around. The voice belonged to a man, only a little taller than Dipper and Mabel. He had short, shock white hair. His eyes were blue, although one eye was a bright blue, while the other was a grayish blue. He wore a heavy blue jacket over a white shirt. He wore black exercise shorts with a white line along the side. This contrasted with his shoes, which were pink, fluffy slippers.

MK didn't respond. Instead, she seemed to get out if the way between the twins and the man. Wendy straightened up when she saw the man and immediately turned towards the twins. "Mr. Pines," she started casually, despite calling him by a title. "I think your special guests have arrived."

Dipper stared at the man, his eyes wide. This was his great uncle? It wasn't necessarily disappointment (he always expected his great uncle to look different from the rest of the family), but he certainly surprised by his appearance. However, when he tried to think about what his previous expectations were, he couldn't pinpoint what he exactly expected. It just was different.

His great uncle simply looked them over. He also seemed to be at a loss of words. There so much unsaid. So much that they didn't want to say. The only one who seemed to be unfazed was Mabel. And when it came to words, Mabel was the one who could speak with explosive enthusiasm.

"GRUNKLE SANS!" She shouted, jumping forward towards the man. His eyes widened in alarm, but it was too late. Soon, he was caught in a Mabel hug: a hug known for how sudden and tight it was. Wendy smiled a bit and MK came up beside Dipper.

"well, you must be mabel," Sans said with a chuckle. Then, he looked to Dipper. "and you must be mason."

Dipper frowned. "Uh, actually, I go by Dipper."

"Yup! That's my bro-bro!" Mabel replied, letting go of Sans.

"well, it is nice to meet ya," their great uncle responded. Dipper was bothered by the way he said it, though. It was as if they had been the reason Sans had never met them before, and not the other way around. "i guess you can call me grunkle sans." Sans winked at Mabel as she giggled.

"i see you two have met soos, wendy, and mk."

"Yeah. We were just talking," Wendy replied. "By the way, thanks for allowing me to take the day off yesterday, Mr. Pines."

"it's no problem. how's your brother?" Sans asked.

"He's better than yesterday. This morning, he wanted to chop down trees with the others."

"well, that's good," Sans responded with a smile. Then, he turned to Soos. "how're you, soos?"

"I'm doing fine, Mr. Pines! Just trying to fix this pipe," he replied. Dipper watched his grunkle with confusion. Sans seemed to always be there for his employees and regulars, and yet he never seemed to be there for Dipper and Mabel. Why was he never there?

"wouldn't trust anyone else." Sans turned to MK. "so, you're goin' after bigfoot, huh?"

"Oh no, Sans. Not Bigfoot specifically," she answered, her face slightly red. "I was just asking if Dipper and Mabel could go on an adventure with me. Of course, they're just settling in and you have a chance to spend time with them, so if they can't-"

"do you two want to?" Sans asked Dipper and Mabel.

"Yes!" Mabel shouted in excitement.

"I mean, sure," Dipper replied, absolutely unsure about how good the idea was. Sans smiled at them before turning to MK.

"alright, mk. take 'em on an adventure they will never forget after they get settled in their rooms," he told MK.

"Yo, really?" She replied before beaming. Her eyes were full of glee. Clearly, she was not used to having anyone else on her adventures.

"Right after we unpack? We're going on an 'adventure we'll never forget' immediately after we unpack," Dipper responded skeptically. He was curious about the unique places in Gravity Falls. Don't get him wrong. It was just so sudden, and spontaneous action was something he wasn't fond of unless he was the one planning the spontaneous action. Having his great uncle, who he barely even knew, and some random girl they just met plan this sudden adventure filled him with anxiety.

"Well, yo! If you want something more your speed, I can give you a tour of Gravity Falls, and then work up to the adventure of a lifetime stuff," MK proposed, giving an understanding look at Dipper. "Gravity Falls is a small but unique town by itself."

"What do you think, Dipper? A tour of Gravity Falls with our new friend, Mikay!" Mabel asked. She was smiling, but she also was sincere in a way. It was as if she was saying, We don't have to do it if you don't want to.

"Yeah. I guess we can do that," Dipper answered, still hesitant, but curious as well. His hesitation was because of his many questions about his Grunkle Sans. This mysterious family member had been absent for most of his life. He was the only family member his parents could contact after… well, the point was, where had he been? He wished to ask those questions, but his persistent worrying kept him silent.

"there we have it. a tour of the town. it'll help you two get settled and make some friends," Sans responded, somewhat in relief.

"I won't take anymore time," MK said to them. "But, yo! I will meet you two outside when you're ready."

"Got it!" Mabel replied. Dipper simply nodded. Then, MK looked at Soos and Wendy. "Yo. See you two tomorrow!"

"Bye," Wendy and Soos said at the same time, as if she always said that. Then, MK ran towards the exit of the shop. She then tripped on her poncho and fell to the ground. However, before Dipper or Mabel could ask if she was okay, she got up without using her hands and continued running out of the Shack as if nothing happened. Sans simply smiled and shook his head.

Sans looked at his niece and nephew. "well, how 'bout we go up to your rooms for the summer?" He walked towards the back of the store. There was an employees only door in the back, which he opened for the Twins. "after you," he offered politely.

Mabel went through first, confident and with more than a little spring in her step. Dipper walked through second, less sure than his sister. When they entered, they found themselves in a living room. To the right was a wooden table with three chairs. In front of the table was the entrance to the kitchen area, where a fridge, stove, and a sink of normal height was. To the left of them was a couch next to a small table up against the far corner. In front of it was a TV, which was a decent size. On the far side of the left wall was a staircase, leading to a landing that looked down upon the living room. Above, they could see three doors, two doors towards the right side of the landing and one to the far left with a decent space in between.

Sans told Wendy and Soos to watch the Shack before joining the Twins. He put his arms around them both before saying, "i know it isn't much, but it's better than nothing."

Dipper quickly went to the small table next to couch, feigning curiosity in order to be away from the arms of a stranger. However, there was a joke book. He opened it to find a quantum physics book within its pages. He opened the quantum physics book to find a copy of the same joke book within its pages. Rolling his eyes, he stopped turning the pages.

Sans went past him to get to the staircase, but he paused when he saw Dipper close it. "yeah. that book's a real PAGE TURNER!" In the distance, Dipper thought he heard a rimshot. He looked around, only to find no sign of one. Odd. He would keep that in mind. Mabel giggled at the pun, before following Sans up to the landing. Dipper followed shortly after, still puzzled about the rimshot.

The door on the far left was the bathroom. There was even a sign, as if they would forget. Dipper saw no reason to inspect the bathroom when they were going to their own room. The gap between the left door and the two right ones was strange. Of course, he didn't know much about his great uncle. Maybe he wasn't one for symmetry. The next door they reached was not abnormal, other than a rainbow of colors that seemed to shine through the crack underneath the door.

"this is my room." Sans motioned to the rainbow door. "it's usually locked, but if you need me, i'll be in there taking a nap."

"Understood!" Mabel replied before following Sans onto the next one. Dipper stopped for a moment to stoop down and look through the crack under the door. However, other than the rainbow light, seemingly coming from the door, the room was pitch black inside. He couldn't see a thing. Quickly, before he was noticed, he stood up and followed his sister and Sans, suspicious of why his Grunkle would have his door locked all the time.

"this room is yours," Sans stated, before opening the last door on the right. "i hope you both like it."

Dipper and Mabel entered at the same time and stood in the center of the room. The walls were plain white with a triangle stained glass window in the back wall. To the right of them was a bed with magenta bed sheets and pillowcases. To the left was another with blue instead of magenta. Other than a big mirror in the right corner closest to them and a couple of cork boards on each side, the room was bare.

"This room is amazing, Grunkle Sans," Mabel complimented, with optimism Dipper didn't share. While Mabel placed her suitcase next to the magenta bed and laid on her bed, Dipper walked to the window. Through the yellow glass, he could see the woods and mountains around Gravity Falls. Great. He was in a small town, surrounded by nothing but wilderness, with Mabel and this stranger, Grunkle Sans.

"i got those beds just for you two. hope you like them," Sans explained, standing in the doorway to watch them. He pulled out a red bottle from his jacket and began drinking it. Dipper watched in curiosity.

"I love them!" Mabel replied. Then, she got up on the bed and jumped on it. "These are good jumping beds!"

"Yeah… thanks for the beds, but… uh, our family had us bring sleeping bags… you really didn't have to," Dipper explained, feeling quite uncomfortable talking to his Grunkle.

"nah. they were on sale anyways. can't have my family sleeping on the floor," he replied with a wink. "you can decorate the room however you want. didn't know what you would like, so i left it up to you."

You would know what we like if you actually spent time with us, Dipper thought bitterly. However, he said nothing as he simply placed his backpack and suitcase next to the blue bed. Sans smiled and closed his eyes for a bit.

"i'll let you two settle in and then you can meet mk." And with that, their great uncle was gone.

Mabel got off of the bed and was quick to pull out a book. It was the infamous Mabel Scrapbook, something she had continued to add to everyday and spanned the length of three binders. The newest edition was full of only a few pictures. This third binder was new. She quickly took out a camera from her bag and positioned it towards Dipper, who was looking out the window.

"Turn around, Dipper," she ordered. Dipper turned around in confusion, before realizing what she was doing. "Now, smile like you mean it!"

He smiled as best he could, but he didn't exactly mean it. He was still unsure about everything. He was unsure about the town, the people, his Grunkle Sans. Everything was so unfamiliar that he was intimidated, in a way. However, the camera flashed as it took the picture.

The photo came out of the camera and Mabel grabbed it as it gained color. "Our first day in our new rooms! That's going in the scrapbook."

Dipper scratched his arm as Mabel pulled out glue and glitter glue out of her pack. "Mabel, can I talk to you?" He asked as she started adding the photo to the scrapbook.

She paused. "You know you can always talk to me," she replied in an optimistic tone. It was both sincere and goofy. That was Mabel's way of listening.

"I'm not sure about Grunkle Sans," he said, looking at Mabel as she worked. "I know you told me to give him a chance, but it's hard when he doesn't trust us to not enter his room. He even locks it! It's kind of hard to trust him when-"

"He doesn't seem to trust us. I know, Dipper," Mabel responded, looking up at her brother. Her expression was full of understanding. "I know trusting people doesn't come as easy to you, and there's nothing wrong with that! In fact, it makes it harder for you to feel betrayed when you always suspected them in the first place."

"But maybe Grunkle Sans is the same way. For all he knows, we could be kids who don't listen to him," she continued before smiling. "But if both of us give him a chance, then he can trust us, and then you can trust him! You can fake it 'til you make it. Besides, you were able to fake this smile pretty good!"

Dipper let out a laugh. A real one. Mabel smirked as she put the finishing touches to her page. Dipper smiled as he watched. Maybe she was right. Faking it might help him actually learn to trust his Grunkle. He had a whole summer. He may as well throw his Grunkle a bone.

"Ready?" Mabel asked, getting off the floor.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied in kind. Together, they ran out the door and towards the store area of the Shack. As they rushed by, Wendy waved to them with a small smile and Soos said, "See you later, dudes!" Soon, they were outside and saw MK, waiting for them.

MK smiled upon seeing them. "Alright! Ready for an MK-led tour of Gravity Falls?"

"Yes!" Mabel shouted.

"Yeah," Dipper answered, a little less enthusiastic than Mabel.

"Then let's get to it!" MK said. She immediately started running. Mabel followed right behind her, with Dipper behind them both. Little did they know that this would begin the adventure of a lifetime. Little did they know, this was just the beginning.

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The tour MK took Dipper and Mabel on was more interesting than expected. MK knew a lot about the town. She showed them the library, with its misspelled name and large history section. She pointed to a nearly completed building, which seemed to be a school. She was quite competent at being tour guide. By the end of it, Mabel was excited to become friends with all the townsfolk and Dipper felt more comfortable in an otherwise unfamiliar environment.

MK was leading them to the last stop on the tour. However, it seemed she was going farther from the town and more into the woods surrounding it. Dipper rationalized it in his head by saying it may be a building out in the middle of nowhere. However, when MK stopped and turned, it seemed they were no where, other than a large tree. It was impressive, but not exactly tourworthy.

"And now, I bring you to a mystery," MK announced. "I have been the only one to find it, and you two will be able to see something no one else has seen."

"What is it?" asked Mabel.

"Observe!" MK went to the big tree. She put her hand against it, as if leaning against it, only for Dipper and Mabel to realize a part of the tree was sinking in. It was like a hand-shaped button. When it had been pressed, a soft clunk sounded as a piece of the tree moved away from the trunk. It was then that Dipper realized what it was. It was a door within the tree! MK swung it open to reveal a keypad with twelve buttons in a four-by-four arrangement. On each key was a symbol that Dipper did not recognize. The symbols were like an alien language.

Before MK could say a word, Dipper came closer to the keypad, amazed. "If there's a keypad, there must be a code to enter," he reasoned to himself.

"Yeah," MK replied. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure it out. I don't even know what the symbols mean! That's why it's a big mystery."

Mabel came up to the keypad. Then, she smiled. "Guys! These are astrology symbols!"

Dipper looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Oh, c'mon, Dipper!" she said in playful disgust. "You remember when I was into horoscopes and astrology and what people's signs were."

"I thought that was just to attract boys," Dipper replied, bluntly.

"Well, it may have started as that, but I take my phases seriously," she explained. "These are all the symbols of astrology! Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces! All here!" She pointed to each symbol as she named them.

"Interesting," MK responded, putting her poncho-covered hand to her chin. "The plot thickens."

"Maybe there's another button or something," Dipper proposed. It was partially a hope, since he knew, deep down, no logical human being would put any hint to their secret code. Nevertheless, he looked. It must've looked ridiculous to place his hand against the tree so many times, but it didn't matter. He got the results he was looking for.

His hand sunk into the trunk, partially causing him to trip before he caught himself. As the button sank in, he was able to see its' shape: a hand with a circle in the center of the palm. With another soft thunk, a compartment appeared next to the button. However, this compartment held a piece of paper, crumpled up to fit within. Dipper quickly pulled it out.

"Huh. It's a horoscope," he told Mabel and MK, who came towards him. He let them look at it to read it.

"Aries, pay attention to how credible and honorable your reputation is," MK read aloud.

"Use your logic and charm to change the mind of some very important people, Taurus," Mabel added.

"Gemini should treat their coworkers with respect. Cancers should speak up about their problems at work. Leos should give people a second chance after their first impressions. Virgos should work harder today," Dipper read.

"Let go of your old problems, Libra. Scorpios should remember to live in the moment, and not just look far ahead. Sagittarius should try to save money. Don't dwell on what doesn't go according to plan, Capricorns. You're the inspiration for someone today, Aquarius. Pisces should give someone appreciation today," MK finished reading.

"All of it is good advice!" Mabel said with a smile.

"But what does this have to do with the keypad?" Dipper asked.

"Dipper, look!" MK pointed to the large tree in awe. Above the compartments was writing, seemingly carved into the tree. Clearly, the button caused the writing to appear before them in golden words."One day, twelve people walk into a restaurant after reading their horoscopes that morning: 3 people, unsure of each other, a married couple, 5 people on a company dinner, and two performers. Based on their conversations, find out which person belongs to each horoscope symbol."

"Ugh," Mabel groaned. "It's phrased like a math word problem."

"It's on all the other trees as well!" Dipper pointed out. Four of the surrounding trees had writing on them as well.

MK walked to one of them. "The Friends," she read.

Dipper walked to another tree. "The Couple."

"Why do I get the boring one? 'The Company Dinner'? Are you serious?" Mabel pouted.

"The last one says, 'The Performers'," MK said.

Dipper walked up to the first tree. "Let's read 'The Friends' first." MK and Mabel looked at the tree. The writing was written in dialogue between the people:

Person 1: "I love this restaurant. I hope you don't mind if I pay the bill."

Person 2: "As long as we don't argue again, anything is fine."

Person 3: "I'm just happy we're talking at all."

1: "I'd like to apologize to both of you for how I acted. I'm sorry, 3, for how judgmental I was. I should've at least tried to find out more about you before getting angry."

3: "I'm sorry too. I feel like I got in the way of you two. I mean, you two were friends long before I came into the picture. I didn't mean to offend you, 1, and I haven't been able to forgive myself for what I did."

2: "In truth, I should be the one apologizing. I planned it all out so that you two would become friends, but in the end, I made a mess of everything."

1: "I think we all made a mess of everything. I forgive you all."

2: "So do I!"

3: "As do I. I'm just glad all of this is behind us now."

2: "Agreed. So, why don't we do a redo."

1: "Let's!"

"Person 1 is Leo," MK said, out of the blue. "They gave their friends a second chance."

"Good job, Mikay!" Mabel complimented, causing MK to smile.

Dipper looked at the horoscope page and then read the story. He was certainly on to something. Person 2 had planned to introduce Person 1 to Person 3, but their plans went awry. Dwelling on plans that went wrong. "Person 2 is a Capricorn."

"I think Person 3 is a Libra," Mabel said afterwards. "They said they couldn't forgive themselves for something that happened in the past. They also wanted to be a peacemaker, which is often a trait Libras have."

Dipper pulled out a small notebook and pencil from his shorts, something he had found was useful to have around. With it, he wrote down their answers to the problem. "Let's move on to 'The Couple'." Together, they went to the second tree.

Person 4: "It has been a while since we've been on a date like this."

Person 5: "Yeah. And to think you suddenly thought of it this morning!"

4: "Well, it's a good idea, isn't it? We've always been planning for romantic dates in far away places, when we could've just gone here instead!"

5: "I say it's a preview of what's to come."

4: "To us!"

5: "To our marriage."

5: "By the way, I was thinking that, if we really wanted to, we could cut down on the amount of times we eat out and manage to get enough money to go on a trip to Paris."

4: "A good idea, my love! After this date, we will have our next in Paris! But, I'm getting ahead of myself. The only thing I should care about is the love of my life in front of me."

5: "Hahaha! I love you too!"

Dipper looked at the story. Person 4 was all about living in the present. They also mentioned never having the time to do those things, since they were planning on romantic dates in the future. It would make sense that Person 4 was a Scorpio. However, Person 5 was trickier…

"Person 5 wants to save money for a date in Paris," MK noted. "Therefore, I think they are Sagittarius."

"And 4 is a Scorpio, because they are living in the present," Dipper added, writing down the results. "On to the next one."

Company Dinner:

Person 6: "As the head of this company, I am able to choose an employee of the month. The newest employee of the month is... 7!"

Person 7: "Thank you so much, 6! I have worked so hard as your secretary. I promise I will always do the best I can for this company!"

6: "We all thank you for that. I believe that we are the best company ever. Our profits have been going higher and higher with each day!"

Person 8: "With all due respect, sir, I believe we are not the best company."

6: "Why do you say that?"

8: "Our profits have gone higher because we have been cheaper with our employees!"

Person 9: "What she means to say is that by being cheaper with our employees, we are not working optimally. We are understaffed, and therefore, our customer service is going down the drain. Just look at our reviews online!"

6: "What is this? 'One Star'? 'Not credible'? These are awful!"

9: "As you can see, sir, our customers are not happy."

8: "We are no longer honorable or honest!"

6: "10, do you have any advice for me?"

Person 10: "Although I have not agreed with my coworkers in the past, I do say they are correct. We have to do something to help our customer service, and if we begin to respect our employees, we can get the results we want."

6: "Then it's decided. I will change this at once!"

After another round of collective discussion between the three, the five people being discussed were figured out. The first one was Person 8. Person 8 had been open about their problems with the company. Therefore, they must've been a Cancer. Person 10 seemed to be a Gemini. They had said that they respected their coworkers opinions, even though they hadn't always accepted it in the past.

Person 9 seemed to be convincing and charismatic. In fact, they managed to convince Person 6, a very powerful figure, to change their mind. A Taurus seemed to fit with their statements. As for Person 7, they were recognized for working hard as a secretary. They were clearly a Virgo. Finally, Person 6 continually used the words, "credible" and "honorable", as well as was easily manipulated by how those words were used. Therefore, Person 6, the head of the company, was an Aries.

"This means the last two people consist of an Aquarius and a Pisces," Dipper concluded, after writing their notes down.

"This'll be easy!" MK encouraged with a grin.

"We've got this in the bag!" Mabel joined in. The three of them finally made it to the last tree.

Performers:

Person 11: "Do you think anyone's really listening to our songs?"

Person 12: "Of course they are, my child. You are magnificent!"

11: "Thank you, sir! I learned it all from you!"

12: "Ah, but you have true talent! Why don't you play solo next song?"

11: "You'll really let me?! I promise I'll make you proud."

Song plays.

12: "Good job, my child!"

11: "I made it just for you!"

12: "It was so inspiring, I have an idea for a duet on that piece."

11: "Yeah! Let's do it together!"

"Person 12 is a Pisces," Mabel concluded. "They allowed the younger child play and complimented their songs."

"That makes sense!" MK and Dipper said at the same time. They both looked at each other in shock, before MK turned away, motioning for Dipper to continue. She blushed a little, though no one noticed. "Person 11 took the spotlight and was the inspiration for Person 12, therefore making them an Aquarius."

"So, we've figured it out. What do we do now?" Mabel asked, looking at the keypad in confusion.

MK shrugged. "Let's type them in the order of the people." She went to the keypad with Mabel following behind. However, MK allowed Mabel to be directly in front of the keypad. "Dipper, read 'em in order of the people, from Person 1 to Person 12. Mabel, you push the symbol when he reads it off."

"Got it, Mikay!" Mabel replied with a smile. "Ready, Dipper."

Dipper started, leaving a pause in between each symbol for Mabel to press it. "Leo. Capricorn. Libra. Scorpio. Sagittarius. Aries. Virgo. Cancer. Taurus. Gemini. Aquarius. Pisces."

Mabel put in the last symbol. With the last button pressed, a loud clunk sounded as the surface the keypad was on began to swing open. Mabel stood back, as Dipper and MK came towards it to peek inside.

Inside was a dusty book, surrounded by dust bunnies and spiderwebs. The book was old with yellowed pages. The cover was maroon with gold on the corners and on the spine of the book. Despite the layer of dust, the cover was visible. It had a golden hand on it, with a hole in the cent of the palm. Inside the hole was the number 3 in black. The three kids were stunned and hesitant to pick it up.

"Well, we did it, guys! We solved the horoscope!" Mabel said enthusiastically. "Now, who's going to grab the book?"

Without an answer, Dipper took the book from the tree trunk and blew the dust off of the cover. Opening it up to the first page, he found a note from the writer of the mysterious book. He read it aloud. "'Through my studies of Gravity Falls, I have found that this entire place is a façade for something greater and more mysterious. Never have I seen so many mysteries end up interconnected. It is here that I make my conclusion that Gravity Falls is connected to interesting supernatural forces!'"

"What?!" Mabel cried out in surprise.

"'Within the pages of this journal is my collection of research pertaining to the region, including supernatural creatures, locations, and artifacts. However, I am being watched. No one is who they seem. DO NOT TRUST ANYONE!'"

Dipper paused for a bit, looking at the note. Then, he flipped through the pages, finding that the last few at the end were empty, devoid of even the slightest pen stroke. Closing it, he looked to his companions. "Guys, do you know what this means?"

"It means that I told you there was strange stuff out there! Yo, I told you!" MK said, finally feeling like her stories were valid. Dipper merely nodded.

"If what the author of this journal says is true, then there may be more than just the places and creatures you saw," he added.

Mabel went over to Dipper. Then, she grinned. "Well, looks like we'll have some adventures after all!" She playfully elbowed her brother.

"But what's odd is that the author just stops. Look at these blank pages," Dipper mentioned, flipping to the back. "Who was the author, and why did they stop?"

"Yo, I bet if we can solve the horoscope puzzle, we can solve that mystery," MK replied, confidently.

"Mikay is right," Mabel said. "The author says we shouldn't trust anyone, but we can all trust each other, right? We can figure this out together, as friends!"

"Yeah," Dipper answered with a smile, thinking of the adventures to come. He thought of the mysteries they were going to solve. It reminded of him of what it was like before he had to come here. He was ready to start another chapter.

"Together."

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