Terrified, Dipper felt the ground under his feet disappear completely, leaving him to hopelessly fall through space. He yelled, his body twisting and turning as he dropped through the hazy red and white colours surrounding him.

Through his terror, he caught glimpses of the world around him – or lack of. Colours floated aimlessly through the air, the matter around him glitching like a computer screen.

Suddenly, he was no longer falling, colliding painfully with the ground. He yelled out in pain, breathing heavily as he fought to catch his breath. Dipper dared not move, not at first; he simply stayed how he was, watching out of the corner of his eye for any sign on life. The strange, disjointed colours and objects drifted around him as silence fell upon the realm he was trapped in.

The surface underneath him felt like glass, only rougher. Slowly, he ran his hand across the ground, watching how colours were dragged with the movement.

What happened next was so small, yet so horrifying, that Dipper would have missed it if had simply blinked. And yet, his eyes widened as he saw his hand flicker like a glitching computer screen before his eyes.

"No!" Forgetting to be silent, Dipper jumped to his feet, stumbling backwards. His hand was held in front of him, shaking.

Again, for a split second, it glitched like the world around him.

"No!" He repeated, staring around. It was like he was in the middle of nowhere, no exit in sight. Everything looked the same everywhere he looked. He ran an unsteady hand down his face, feeling tears burn at the back of his eyes.

"Oh, we'll meet again…"

Dipper paused abruptly, freezing as he felt familiar piano keys begin to play around him, now accompanied by a voice. It echoed around him in a deliberate, slow manner, dipping with malice.

"Don't know where…"

Painfully, Dipper felt an invisible force collide with his back, sending him crashing to the ground. The glass-like surface shattered beneath the force, and he was suddenly falling once more.

"Don't know when…"

Shards scattered around him as he began to plummet, knifing his exposed skin. Twisting in the air, Dipper looked at where he fell from, eyes widening in horror.

"But I know we'll meet again…"

A scarlet eye was staring down at him, it's red light reflecting onto Dipper's skin. Dipper screamed, but could not hear himself over the booming piano keys that seemed to quake the world around him.

"Some sunny day…"

A blinding pain struck his head, and he was mercifully knocked unconscious.

Dipper came to shortly after, waking with a start and staring around. Above him, he spotted a rift closing itself in the sky with a large flash of colour.

Immediately, he sprang to his feet, attempting to grab the small gun Grunkle Stan had given him in earlier years. It was to keep him safe during his adventures, and though he disliked the idea at first, it had saved him from getting torn apart by monsters one too many times.

So he was startled when his fingers only clasped air rather than the smooth metal handle. With a startled gasp, he looked down and found that he had lost the weapon somewhere in the fall.

The fall.

Reminded of the frightening experience, Dipper looked around wildly, ears straining for any sound of slow music. However, he found none – no distorted colours, no singing – he looked down at his hands, relieved to note that they were no longer flickering like colours on tv.

Instead, he found himself in a place that was strangely familiar, as if in a dream.

The ground was bare underneath his shoes, scattered with broken gravel. The world was barren around him, broken stones and skeletons of buildings the only things he could make out through the haze of dust and smoke. He slowly turned around, eyes widening at the sight.

Fire licking high into the sky, almost touching the clouds. Colourful bubbles surrounded the entire area, drifting up slowly to the sky – no longer a pleasant blue, but a mixture of reds, oranges and purples. Dipper's eyes travelled to the source of the chaos, something that made his blood run cold; a larger, gaping tear in the atmosphere, where a triangular palace lay underneath.

"But…it's impossible…it…" Dipper whispered, voice trembling. Images that he had fought to forget clawed through his mind. A blazing eye with a shooting star symbol, slowly turning red. The horror at what was going to happen. The stone faces, twisted in agony to create a throne for –

"Bill…" Dipper stammered. He dropped to his knees, fully recognising the structures that lay in ruin in front of him. "But this didn't happen. We stopped this."

For it was Gravity Falls that lay before him, torn to the ground. Through the haze, he could make out swarms of eyebats circling the area. The high school, the supermarket, the diner – all in complete ruin.

Dipper's mind was reeling, being torn apart by confusion and grief. He was sure this never happened, they saved the town…didn't they? But he began to doubt himself as he surveyed the scene in front of him, feeling tears begin to fall from his eyes.

Had it been a trick? A clever distraction by Bill? He looked down at himself, noticing that he was still in his older body. He was half expecting to still be twelve, still wearing his jacket and hat.

"Fuck…" Dipper began to stand, wincing as his injuries protested. He turned his head away from the scene, staring around him.

With a sinking realisation, he was standing in what he now realised was the forest that surrounded the town. Through the dust clouds, he could even make out traces of tarmac and road still in place. Everything was gone.

"What happened?" Dipper muttered, wrapping his arms around himself. "Grunkle Stan – " he paused, head snapping up towards the ruin again.

"Grunkle Stan. Grunkle Ford." He took a step forward, whispering the last name. "Mabel."

Resolutely, he began to walk towards the carnage. His pace picked up until he was running, dust clouding behind him as he kicked up dirt in his haste.

Through the years, his investigations with Ford had been physically demanding as well as emotionally. His initial "noodle like" (as Mabel would tease) body was much more toned and muscular as his body changed to keep up with the demand. He could run and dodge with ease, and he was grateful for such skills now.

The weird bubbles immediately began to draw towards him, as if they sensed his presence. His body reacted before his mind could, jumping and dodging each bubble that came his way. He was determined not to stop for anything – he needed to get to the shack, he needed to know what happened, whether this was a trick or simply reality.

Finally, broke into the main town, step haltering as he gazed at the wreckage around him. Buildings were pulled down completely, creatures roaming the battered streets. All around him, human statues were positioned. Slowly, Dipper walked towards one, fear racing through his veins.

It was Lazy Suzan, still looking like she had when he was twelve. The only difference that her usual docile expression was replaced with one of terror, forever frozen in time. His fingers traced it carefully, and he span around.

More town members, ones that he had even talked to yesterday, were stone, wearing identical faces of fear. Stumbling back in horror, Dipper forced himself to turn away and continue his journey.

However, he had barely began again before he spotted a group of eyebats swooping towards him, their pupils glowing a dangerous red.

With a yell, he ducked out of the way of their glaring lasers, concealing himself behind a crumbling wall. Thinking fast, he picked up some loose bricks beside the wreckage tightly in his hand. As the wing-beats grew alarmingly loud, he span from his hiding place and threw the brick as hard as he could at the beasts before scooping a metal rod abandoned at his feet. With satisfaction, he heard a screech of pain, informing him he had hit his target.

Swiftly, he used the wall as a leverage to jump into the air, stabbing the next in its eye. He sharply avoided more red beams, feeling them close at his heels. Dipper ran, weaving through the buildings in hope to lose them.

When he had attacked, he had counted at least seven additional eyebats in the flock. Despite his somewhat refined skills, it was impossible for him to take them all on without a gun. He had only so much stamina, and he could already feel it escaping him.

Dipper turned into an alley in desperation. He spotted an old dumpster at the side and, out of options, jumped into it. With a clank, the lid shut.

"That was too close…" Dipper muttered to himself, breathing heavily. He stayed still for a few minutes, counting the seconds in his head.

Slowly, he pushed open the lid once more. Upon seeing no beasts, he stepped out, brushing himself down.

Dipper, a little more cautiously this time, took off at a running pace, eyes narrowed. His goal was burning in his mind, silencing his fears and confusion. Only when he reached the shack did he slow down fully, staring at the scene before him.

It was a wreck.

The wood that kept the shack standing tall was rotting, creaking ominously as he entered the threshold. Weeds had snaked their was through the floorboard cracks and through the windows.

It was strange – he couldn't feel the magic barrier that Ford had secured a few days before, nor could he hear anyone inside. And yet the door was wide open, hanging from its hinges. Dipper stooped down, tracing cracks with his finger.

"Where's the barrier?" Dipper muttered, unease churning in his chest. "Where's the unicorn hair?"

Standing upright, he stepped into the once-familiar shack, staring around. Like the exterior, the place showed obvious signs of decay.

"Mabel? Grunkle Stan? Grunkle Ford?" Dipper asked into the silence. He turned into the living room, pausing mid step.

"No…" Dipper muttered, staring in front of him with wide eyes. "No…" he repeated, shaking his head.

On the main chair in the room, another statue sat, a peaceful expression frozen on its face. It's lips were curved into a slight smile, eyes staring down at the scrap book in its hands, simply titles Summer Memories.

"Grunkle Stan…" Dipper gasped, feeling tears break from his eyes and drip down his cheek. The statue of Grunkle Stan stayed silent, forever in his final moments.

"No!" Dipper felt himself moving backwards, forcing himself out of the room. "No!"

He tore out of the house, his heartbeat booming in his ears. He was running again, but this time far away from the Mystery Shack, from his grunkle –

He had not realised he was ran so far from the home until he bumped into something, falling backwards.

Not something, but rather someone.

"Gideon?" Dipper asked in disbelief, staring at the grubby child who had also fallen upon impact. He looked older than he had remembered during Weirdmaggedon, but still far younger than he was presently. The child looked worn, battered, eyes shadowed by dark bags.

"W-who are you?" Gideon asked, picking himself up slowly. Dipper blinked, chest heaving.

Finally, he could get answers, even if it was in the form of Gideon – someone he had never fully trusted after being threatened to have his tongue cut off. But the child seemed to be suffering heavily, making him sure that he would do no harm. If he did try and retaliate, Dipper was confident he could overpower him in an instant – that was if he still didn't have his bodyguards.

Reminded by this, Dipper stared around, but found no one else with them. Gideon seemed to be alone.

"Where is Mabel?" Dipper avoided his question, standing up. "I need to find her."

Gideon, at the mention of the name, stiffened, then looked sadly down at his hands. In them, he held a large key, just like the one he used when he unlocked Mabel's bubble.

Understanding washed over him, making him freeze.

"I let her go…" Gideon said, but it sounded wrong, too sullen.

"Let her go? From the bubble?" Dipper pried. Gideon apparently was not listening, nor alarmed at his odd knowledge.

"…I thought it was the right thing, but…" Gideon murmured. "…but she was safe in there, and now…reality…"

"Where is she?!" Dipper asked urgently, stepping closer, he reeled back, however, when his eyes met Gideon's, which were full of grief and guilt.

"She's…she's gone…Bill…" The child whispered, collapsing back into his knees.

"No…" Dipper whispered. He buried his head in his hands, shaking. "No…no…no…"

"All gone…" Gideon murmured, staring down at the ground with blank eyes.

"No!" Dipper yelled desperately. He stared around the destroyed landscape in dismay. "I was here! Only a few hours ago! It wasn't like this – we won, don't you remember?!" He suddenly lunged towards Gideon, holding his shoulders so he was forced to face him. "We won! We survived – she – she grew up with me!"

"What do you mean – who are –"

Suddenly, a loud, too-familiar laugh echoed around the landscape, making Dipper freeze. It had been so long, but the laugh had haunted him well beyond its demise.

"It's him!" Gideon shrieked in alarm, pulling himself away from Dipper. Dipper turned, spotting the pyramid palace beginning to shift in the sky. For a moment, he saw a long black arm reach out before turning away in horror.

"Run!" Gideon yelled, and Dipper obeyed. He split off from the child, weaving through the building wreckages with his heart hammering.

"What happened?" Dipper gasped. "What happened here? Where am I?"

His pace was abruptly cut off as his foot caught itself on a jutting rock. With a shout of alarm, he felt himself fall through the air, tumbling down a steep hill. His body collided painfully with the ground as he landed, making him groan.

Dazed, he lifted his head from the ground, staring around for an escape. As the dooming laughter looked ever closer, a sharp light blinded him, firing a hand over his face.

Squinting, he watched in awe as the air opened into a slither of light a few metres away from him. He immediately recognised the structure.

"A rift…" Dipper muttered, pulling himself up.

Perhaps, he realised, it was his way out of this whole nightmare. Surely, this was the way back to Gravity Falls, the Gravity Falls he remembered and not this ruined shell. Without thinking, he ran forward, jumping into the blinding light.

"Please take me back." Dipper whispered as colours swirled around him. He closed his eyes tightly, and only opened them again when the rushing sounds quietened around him.

He was greeted with deep blue sky surrounding him, decorated with stars and far away planets and rifts. Dipper himself was suspended in the air, helpless.

"No…" he felt tears of frustration burn in his eyes, floating in the space around him. Grunkle Ford had described this place briefly in his journals, saying it was a mixture of rifts and planets. He didn't bother trying to recall its name, covering his face with his hands.

This was not Gravity Falls. He was nowhere. He was trapped in endless space.

"I was supposed to be back." Dipper whispered. "I was supposed to be home."

Closing himself from the world he had entered, he cried into the silence of space.