"Time to get up sleepyhead!"
Through the muffled haze of of sleep, Dipper heard the voice call out to him. For a moment he didn't acknowledge it or even open his eyes, preferring to nuzzle back into his thin blankets. Apparently, this was not acceptable.
"Come on! I'm not doing the dishes by myself again!" The voice persisted. Dipper blearily turned towards the source, eyes still shut.
"But I'm tired…" he whined childishly. He lifted his head, opening his eyes a crack. "Ugh, you're too bright…"
Through his blurred vision, he saw his sister strike an exaggerated pose with a small laugh.
"Dazzling to the eyes, as usual!" Mabel explained happily. In one movement, she tugged the blanket that sheltered Dipper from the morning breeze. "You're just jealous!"
"Fuck!" Dipper yelled, trying to huddle away from the wind. "Are you kidding me?"
Mabel only laughed, making him sit up and glare.
Now fully awake, he could see the battered attic room that had sheltered him every time he went to Gravity Falls for the summer. It was less crowded than it had been a few years ago; once he and Mabel had grown into full teens, they agreed that it would be best if they split rooms. He took the attic, she took the room downstairs. So the lack of sparkles in the corner of the room made it easier on his sleepy eyes as he rubbed them with his fist.
"Just for the record, I wouldn't be jealous if I looked like a walking traffic light." Dipper muttered moodily, sitting up. He meant no hurt, and Mabel understood this too as she laughed.
"Yeah, well I'm not jealous of you right now, Mr I'm-going-to-stay-up-to-four-in-the-morning-for-a-book." Mabel retorted, swatting his head. Dipper whined, ducking away as she ruffled his bangs.
"I discovered a lot yesterday! I would have forgotten it all!" He smiled tiredly, swinging his legs off the worn mattress. The floorboards chilled his feet, making his shudder.
"Like that dream?" Mabel asked, half teasing, half serious. Dipper stood up, staring out at the dusted window.
The dream hadn't exactly been a nightmare, but it hadn't been pleasant either. Sure, it was far less fearful than his night terrors he had suffered from (and still did sometimes, despite him telling Mabel otherwise) in the first few years after Weirdmaggedon, but he still was much happier awake than asleep.
He wasn't even sure why it was unpleasant – all he remembered was a mess of red and white swirling around him, with disjointed piano keys playing in the distance. He had only chosen to tell Mabel unless it actually was anything more than a strange dream; he didn't want to put his ageing grunkles under any unnecessary stress.
"I didn't write it down." Dipper said, "I didn't have it again tonight, so I don't think it was anything more than a dream."
The unspoken possibilities and fears of what that dream potentially could have been lingered as Dipper shuffled to the cabinet beside his bed, pulling out a bottle of pills from its shelves.
"Ugh. Water?" Dipper asked, unscrewing the lid. Mabel had already brought some, handing it to him. "Thanks."
He swallowed them with a small grimace.
"Have you –"
"Yes Dipper." Mabel answered, knowing what he was going to say. She too had had some, though not as many as Dipper, medication prescribed to her after Weirdmaggedon. "Stop worrying for once…" she chuckled. Dipper could not help chuckle with her – it was a weakness of his, as he often called Mabel's laughter infectious.
"Can't help it. My job." He grinned, stretching. He playfully shoved her to the door. "Now get out before you see me get changed!"
Mabel shoved him back, making him stumble.
"Come on, I don't think it can get any worse than Grunkle Stan in the shower!" His sister grinned mischievously. "But to be fair, you are getting pretty hairy…"
"Fuck off Mabel!" Dipper laughed, pushing her through the doorway. She laughed, stepping out into the corridor.
"Just don't leave me with the dishes this time!" She yelled as Dipper closed the door slowly.
"It was one time!" He retorted with a sigh. "I didn't mean to create such heartbreak!"
Mabel's laughter echoed down the hall as he shut the door with a click.
Despite his teasing, he did get dressed as fast as he could, guilt surfacing in his gut at sleeping in for so long. He supposed he should really try and change his sleep schedule, but it was easier said than done.
He pulled on his worn jeans (double checking his legs to see whether they had gotten hairier than Grunkle Stan's, just in case) and his black t-shirt with a huff. He hurriedly grabbed his rucksack, journal and jacket from the chair they had been thrown on last night before exiting his room entirely.
Through the hall, he grabbed any loose papers and objects that Mabel had missed, knowing that Grunkle Stan would struggle to do so himself. He placed them in a stack on a drawer before entering the kitchen with a smile.
"Told you I would do dishes." He told Mabel almost immediately. Mabel turned from the sink, flicking soapy water at his face in response.
"Mabel!" Dipper recoiled as Mabel began to laugh, trying to rub the suds out of his hair. "That's gross! Dirty water!"
"Calm down…" Mabel, still giggling, grabbed a cloth and began to dab it on his bangs. With the action, the hair was peeled away from his forehead, revealing his birthmark, or rather namesake.
"You should show this off more often." She hummed, poking it with her painted nails. Dipper rolled his eyes, but didn't stop her prods.
"Nope. It deserves to stay in the eternal shadow of my hair." He responded. Mabel raised a brow.
"Dramatic much?"
"Is that gossiping I hear in there? Whilst you let your favourite grunkle starve?" A voice rang from the living room. Mabel laughed as Dipper gave a smile.
"We're just discussing how wonderful you are to us, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel called back with a grin.
"Wonderfully dangerous." Dipper muttered.
"I heard that you little punk!" Grunkle Stan yelled. Mabel shoved a plate of Mabel cakes (Stan cakes, only with less hair) into his hands. With a flourish, she sprinkled some glitter on the top, though thankfully not as much as she used to when she was younger.
"Again?" Dipper asked, eyeing the sparkles on his grunkle's breakfast. Mabel only grinned. "Did Grunkle Ford's get the same treatment?"
"He gets up earlier, so he gets more sparkle!" His sister answered, shaking the glitter dispenser. "A bright way to start the day, as I always say - isn't that right, Waddles?"
Dipper made himself scarce from the kitchen before Waddles fully heaved himself into the space - he'd rather not get his clothes chewed by a pig half his size, thanks. Quietly, he made his way into the living room, greeting his grunkle with a smile.
"About time. I was going to starve!" Grunkle Stan sat up from his slouch with a groan, turning off the television. His joints had been troubling him lately, paining him to move. It seemed like his reckless days of crime were finally coming back to bite him in whatever way they could. He couldn't move as easily, preferring to stay in the chair where possible.
"Sure." Dipper placed the plate down, rolling his eyes. Stan looked at the pile of glitter on his pancake and, with a shrug, began to eat.
"Where's Soos? He should be running the place right now." His Grunkle muttered, staring down the hall.
"Supply run!" Mabel shouted from the kitchen before Dipper could answer. She stepped into the living room, dusting off her sweater. "There's still a big hole in the wall from last episode of Ducktective, thanks to you."
Grunkle Stan laughed loudly through a mouthful of pancakes.
"A minor sacrifice for such a great finale! Before they reboot it again, that is." Dipper joined in with his grunkle's laughter before spotting a book on the table.
"Did Grunkle Ford leave this here?" He asked, picking up the leather-bound cover. Stan shrugged.
"Probably. Looks too smart for the likes of me." He said, eyeing the title. Dipper smiled softly at the cover.
"I'll give it to him." He said, beginning to walk out of the room. He felt Mabel's hand rub his shoulder as he passed her, and turned to look at her.
"Do you want me to?" She asked kindly, knowing him too well to note the slightly solemn expression in his eyes. Dipper shook his head with a reassuring smile.
"I'm good. I haven't said good morning to him yet either, so it's all okay." He answered, stepping out of the doorway.
Slowly, he made his way through the familiar rooms, passing the vending machine (and secret rooms still) as he made his way to where he knew Grunkle Ford would be.
The secret halls that lay under the shack were now mostly occupied by Dipper rather than his more adventurous grunkle, as age began to make them dangerous for the elder. Still, Dipper had helped carefully bring Ford's most prized possessions to his new office, renovated a few years ago from the old wax figures room. This way, his grunkle was within reach of everyone in the shack in case of an emergency.
Dipper stopped by the door, giving a quick knock.
"Come in, come in." Grunkle Ford's voice invited quietly at the sound. Dipper obeyed, shutting the door silently behind him.
He smiled at the sight of his grunkle resting in his large chair, bent over a large gun on the desk. Dipper placed the book to the side, moving over to where he sat.
"Is that –"
"The only weapon to stop Bill?" Ford finished with a small smile. "Yes."
Dipper watched as his trembling hands grabbed another screwdriver, attempting to repair some more parts. Dipper immediately held his steadier hands over his, aiding him.
"Let me help." He said as he did this action. Now far less shaky, Ford completed the task he wanted, leaning back with a sigh.
It still honestly amazed Dipper how intelligent his grunkle was; even after being told this gun was useless, he was slowly fixing it. "Just in case he returns" was the only answer the young adult received when asking, and he couldn't find a reason to argue.
Even now, he still caught himself jumping as suspicious shadows, flinching at the stone statue that lurked in the woods.
That statue was the reason he was planning to set off into the forest today, aiming to keep it heavily monitored until his last breath. He used to do such expeditions with Ford until he could no longer cope with the physical demand of their adventures.
Now, he mostly investigated Gravity Falls alone, sometimes with Mabel when she wasn't busy with her art. He felt his heart sink at the memory of when he and his grunkle would investigate for hours at a time, now lost through the years.
"I brought a book Stan said was yours." Dipper carefully removed the large gun from his grunkle's frail grasp, hanging it back on the wall. "It's on the desk."
"Hmm? Oh, thank you Mason – I've been looking for that." His grunkle replied quietly, closing his eyes. Dipper gave him a sad smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's no problem." Dipper began to tidy the cluttered desk, removing forgotten mugs, still half full with coffee. Beside him, he spotted an old picture of him and Ford posing inside the alien spaceship they had discovered years ago.
At that point, he was turning fourteen – it was just before age fully began to hit his grunkle, who still took pride in the many trails they had to various locations. Grunkle Ford didn't notice as he traced the old picture, smiling softly.
"Stan wants you to come down later - he's planning a tv marathon of the first Ducktective series, and seeing as you weren't around to see it we thought it would be fun." Dipper said as he bent to scoop some items his grunkle had knocked onto the floor. Grunkle Ford opened one eye in response, giving a warm smile.
"Of course…Ducktective…" Ford's eyes clouded with confusion for a few seconds, before he fully remembered the show. "Ah yes…" He began to close his eye again. "I'll have to remember that…"
"It's not on till later, so you got some time to work until then." Dipper knew by "work" he meant rest, but didn't want to hurt his grunkle's feelings with the fragility of his body. Travelling across multiverses had been demanding throughout the years he was trapped, making old age hit him with enough force to knock him to the ground. It was shocking, and a little frightening, for Dipper to witness his beloved grunkles slowly grow older.
"Tell me about your new investigation when you get back, will you?" Ford asked as Dipper began to quietly exit the room. "Unicorns again, is it? Annoying creatures."
"Yes." Dipper lied, not wanting to cause unwanted distress. He knew Grunkle Ford would insist upon accompanying him to Bill' s statue, his real aim of the day – something that could damage his health further.
"I'll tell you all about it." He smiled, shutting the door quietly behind him with a click. Once out of sight, he let out a long sigh, shoulders sagging. He gripped the plates in his arms, moving back into the kitchen.
"Ford's gonna come and watch the old Ducktectives with you later, he said to just let him know when." Dipper said as he passed Stan through the living room again. Stan muttered a "can do" before resuming the footage on the tv.
"Let me take over." Dipper said as he entered the kitchen, gently nudging Mabel away from the sink.
"I thought you were going to leave me trapped forever." Mabel said over-dramatically, flopping onto his back. Now almost twenty two, Dipper had finally gained height on his sister, standing a good few inches above her. Mabel was horrified when she first realised what was happening, and would moan about it when she could.
"Still can't believe you're taller than me." She muttered with a pout. Dipper gave a small laugh, ruffling her hair with his wet hands.
"I'll have you know –" Mabel said as she swatted his hand away, "- that this adorable hair style takes half an hour to pull off – which you just ruined!" She pretended to be angry, but was grinning all the same.
"Now you know what it feels like to get soap water splashed over you." Dipper pointed out. He dried his hands, turning to fully face her. "Besides, I think it's an improvement."
"Dipper Pines you take that back!" Mabel yelled, jumping onto his back. Unprepared, Dipper toppled to the ground with the additional weight with a small scream.
"You better not be destroying my kitchen again!" Stan called from the living room.
"We're not!" Dipper and Mabel answered simultaneously. Giggling, Mabel stood up and helped Dipper to his feet. They stood in comfortable silence, catching their breath.
"How's Stan?" Dipper asked, staring at the open door to the main room.
"In pain." Mabel answered softly. "Mostly his knees, like you would expect. I'm going to see whether he can have stronger medication later today. What about Grunkle Ford?"
"Tired. Left three unused coffee mugs on his desk, but he seemed happy." Dipper replied. "I told him I was going to study unicorns rather than his tormentor's dead corpse again."
"Well I'm coming with you this time. He was right about not going there alone, that's for sure." Mabel added. She tugged the unravelled ribbon from her hair, eyes flicking to the mirror. "Right after I sort this destruction of beauty you just unleashed." She joked. Dipper felt a smile spread to his face.
"I'll go on ahead." Dipper suggested. "At the big pine tree, no further - don't worry!" He added hastily after seeing her worried expression.
Mabel nodded in satisfaction, pursing her lips.
"Call me if you begin to feel anxious again." She ordered. Dipper nodded, recalling all too well what happened when he had first tried to go alone.
"I will." He shoved on his cap (the same as the one he had when he was younger, but rather green than blue), and stepped into the morning sunshine. He gave a small wave, shutting the door behind him.
Gravity Falls immediately greeted him in a burst of warm wind and scattered leaves that danced around his ankles. He smiled, feeling some tension leave his body.
"Right." He flicked open his book, scanning the page centred around the Bill statue. He had drew a rough map in the corner – it was strange, but for some reason he always struggled to remember where the statue was despite knowing the forest like the back of his hand.
As he began to make his way to the large pine tree he had agreed to meet at, the surroundings began to shift into an eerie silence. At first, he didn't notice, too preoccupied with reading his journal once more. It was only when bird song cut off abruptly that he looked up from his journal, feeling his body tense.
It was strange, even by Gravity Falls standards. Usually he would've encountered a gnome or a salamander at this point, but all life had been erased from the woods. They sky had darkened notably, the wind churning restlessly through the air.
And then he heard it. The disjointed piano keys that had echoed in his dream, almost indistinguishable in the wind. The ground trembled beneath him, making his breath catch.
Unease clawing through his chest, he made a move to run, aiming to leap through the foliage and back to the safety of the shack. A loud bang, almost a roar, shook the trees, and the ground began to open beneath him into a swirling mass of red and white. It looked like a rift he and Ford had studied, only much more sinister and unnatural.
Mid leap, an inky, black arm pulled him to the ground, making him yell. It was wrapped tightly around his ankle, and slowly pulling him into the large rift.
"No!" Blind with panic, Dipper kicked, writhed, clawed, but it seemed to be for nothing. With ease, he was being pulled into the swirling colours.
Fingers plucked up dirt and grass blades as Dipper desperately tried to grip onto something, but it was useless. The long arm was now snaking around his waist, already having pulled his lower half into the corrupted rift.
"Mabel!" He screamed in a last fight for freedom. With a jolt, he was suddenly pulled under completely with a scream.
The ground sealed itself once more, the rift shutting away. A blue journal and a cap remained, the owner of which simply gone.