Chapter 15: Ernest
"Sure, we can talk. But do you want to talk inside? Cause Pacifica's here with me." Dipper stated.
"It doesn't matter, it's just Pacifica. She's probably not even going to understand what we're discussing." Ernest replied as he walked to the kitchen. Pacifica saw Ernest walk into the kitchen, she said hello to him. He replied with a simple wave. Dipper came followed quickly after entering the room and asked:
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Ernest took a deep breath and said in his monotone voice:
"I'm sure you're going to want to sit down for this." Dipper nodded and simultaneously the boys took a seat. Ernest put the black bag onto the table and started talking:
"Well I wanted to start by asking: Why do you think I'm here in the United States?" Dipper and Pacifica looked at each other perplexingly, Pacifica then had a brief idea and replied:
"Well you're here on holiday with Victoria and her family. Right?" Ernest smiled to himself.
"Not at all, that's what the original Ernest was here for, But not me." Ernest said. Dipper became confused and asked:
"What do you mean by 'Original Ernest'?"
"Well I'm not the Ernest from this timeline." He claimed as he opened the black bag and revealed the contents within the bag. There were a bunch of different metallic parts.
"Wait! If you're not from this timeline, then where's the Ernest from this timeline?" Pacifica asked. Ernest looked away as he said:
"I'll tell you, but only once we get there in the story. I'm going to explain how and why I'm here." Dipper and Pacifica both nodded, Ernest took a deep breath and started talking:
"It happened a few weeks ago, We were on the flight here. There was my Grandmother Precious, Victoria and myself on the plane. The only reason we were coming to the states was because I heard that my father lives here. Since my dad left me a few days after I was born, naturally I'm curious to at least meet him. But due to a malfunction, the plane crashes before landing. I checked on the plane for any survivors, but sadly, No one else made it out alive. Both My Grandmother and Victoria were the killed in the accident. I was devastated when I saw the lifeless bodies of the only two people I cared about. I wanted to take my rage out on something, when suddenly, a old man and his grandson appeared out of nowhere at the crash site. I made my way over to them and asked them for help. The old man took a drink from his flask and said:
"I'm sorry kid, I'm not here for you. There's a part from this particular plane that I need." But suddenly, his grandson cut in.
"Well Rick, we could help him go to a timeline were the plane didn't crash."
"Ah please, could you?" I stated.
"Well I guess, I'll have to build a portal gun that brakes after using it 2 times." The one man said as he started assembling parts from the plane. When he finished, he gave it to me and left with his grandson. I tried to understand it, I chose where I wanted to go on the dial, then I pulled the trigger and it was a success, I opened a hole through spacetime to another timeline. I went through it and found myself in a timeline were the crash happened, but no one survived the plane crash. So I went to another timeline where both Victoria and my Grandmother could survive. But that made me end up here, I had to act fast, since there was another Ernest in the area. I did what I had to, I killed the original Ernest. I didn't want to, but it's the only way I could be with my Victoria. But I didn't know exactly what timeline I ended up in. It was quite different, the De Montardent family came with Victoria and I on Vacation for pleasure reasons. But the worst part was about Victoria, she wasn't the same as I knew her before." He explained.
"What do you mean, not the same?" Asked Pacifica.
"Well if you will, the Victoria I knew was like Star, without the magic. She was loud, joyful, passionate, full of energy, she was an extrovert, very possessive and determined girl. If you will, she was literally known as 'The Bulldozer'. But, the Victoria in this timeline is a lot more calm and introverted, she's not the same person as I once loved and nor the one who once loved me. For as much as I would want it to be, it's not. That's why I'm here Dipper! I want your help to repair the Portal gun. I don't want to admit it, but you're the only person on the same intellectual level as I am to help me figure this out!" Ernest claimed. Dipper sat there in shock, the fact that Ernest did so much, just to be with Victoria again and all his efforts were for nothing. Ernest didn't even like the Victoria he found. Dipper then thought about the problems that can arrive from Ernest just up and leaving.
"Are you sure you want to leave? Do you know what the repercussions would be if you left!? The Montardent family would think you ran off on your own only God knows where, and I'm sure Victoria will be just as devastated as you were when she died back in your timeline. I'll help you, no problem. But know that you're distributing the universe even more by going to another timeline and it will horrible if you leave without telling Victoria about her original Ernest, cause maybe she does truly like you." Dipper elaborated.
"Ah I'm sure! We had a fight yesterday about her date with you. By the way she was talking, I could tell what she was feeling. And if you want to know, as much as I hate to say it, she does have feeling for you Dipper." Said the monotone Ernest. Pacifica stood up, she started to get upset with everything Ernest was saying about Victoria not liking him.
"Ernest, you French retard! For as smart as you may be, you are such an idiot! Why do you think she went on the date with Pines? Not because she likes him, but because she wanted a reaction out of your non-responsive ass! She does care about you! That's just her way of trying to get it across. And just like you said, she's not the same Victoria as the one you knew. So my retarded friend, you have to adapt to the new one!" Yelled Pacifica at Ernest. Ernest went silent, he thought about what Pacifica said. He knew she was right, but he still wanted to leave.
"I still want to go, I don't care about that anymore." Ernest stated. That phrase started to rush through Dipper's mind, this provoked him to think about the consequences of dimensional traveling and time travel in general. 'Is it possible that time traveling doesn't just mess the timelines but also the mental state of the jumper? Making anyone who travels through time lose empathy for anything or anyone, even themselves? I guess time travel doesn't just have consequences on the timeline itself but also on the user.' He thought.
"You know what Ernest, I'll help you." Dipper said.
"Thank you." Replied Ernest.
"Dipper! Why are you helping him?" Asked Pacifica.
"Well he is my friend, plus if he wants to leave, I shouldn't stop him. He has his own reason for leaving." Dipper explained. Pacifica remember that she said almost the same thing to Victoria when Dipper left. Pacifica looked at Dipper.
"Alright, I can help too." She said. Ernest rolled his eyes and replied:
"I doubt you have the level of intelligence to rebuild a timeline jumping gun."
"Hey monotone retard, shut up! I'm not just a pretty face." She shouted. Dipper stood up.
"Both of you, stop! There's no reason to be at each other's throats! We need to concentrate so we can fix this portal gun." Dipper yelled. Both Ernest and Pacifica looked down. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was coming from the basement rapidly as Ford made his way into the Kitchen.
"Did you say Portal Gun?" Ford asked as he was out of breath.
"Oh yeah, why?" Asked Dipper.
"Where did you get it? There's only one person who I know who has a portal gun and that Rick Sanchez. How did you get it?" Ford asked.
"Pacifica, Ernest, this is Stanford, my other Grunkle. He's also the author of the journals. Ford, these are my friends, Pacifica and Ernest." Dipper explained.
"Well hello, nice to meet you both." Ford said as he was fiddling with the gun parts without looking at them.
"Hello, sir." Ernest said in a monotone voice.
"Ah, hi." Hesitantly said Pacifica. Ford looked back up after hearing Pacifica's voice, he looked at her in silence, then he turned to Dipper and asked:
"Wait! Is that the same Pacifica? As in the Northwest's kid?"
"Yeah, that's the same one." Dipper replied. Pacifica looked over at Dipper.
"What do you mean by 'the same one'?" She asked.
"Just like your fight, now's not the time." Dipper said. She rolled her eyes and watched Ford searching through the parts.
"Anyway, who exactly is Rick?" Asked Ernest.
"Well when I was lost in another timeline, I ran into him, he and I became friends. We created the Portal Gun together and the quantum destabilizer. I hate to admit it, but we did some terrible things as a team. I also know his other friends like Birdperson." Replied Ford without looking away from the broken pieces of the Portal Gun.
"Wait! So you know how to fix this right?" Dipper asked.
"Sure, I can fix it! But it will take me about 24 hours and it looks like some parts are missing." Ford said.
"Maybe Dipper and I could go get it for you." Ernest stated.
"Sure, get me a car battery; a GPS and a computer chip from a flip phone." Ford said as he already built a fourth of the gun. Dipper and Ernest nodded, got up from the table and left the Shack. Pacifica sat there, quietly. She turned to Ford and spoke.
"Ah Ford, how do you know about me?" She asked.
"Well I did know your grandfather, I have been involved with the Northwest's before getting cast out of this timeline. Also, Dipper sometimes talks about you. Well he talks about all his friends, like Marco and Victoria. But something about the way he talks about you, I could tell he sees you a little bit differently from his other friends." Ford said as he continued working on the Portal Gun. Pacifica smiled.
"What exactly was the 'something' that you picked up on?" She asked. Ford put the gun down and looked at the young Northwest.
"Dipper isn't a normal person, I think you know that. Remember, he is still a bit antisocial, So he doesn't express himself the same way as you do. Keep that in mind." He replied. Pacifica thought about what Ford said and she knew he was right. She replied by nodding.
"Also, isn't that piece upside down?" Pacifica asked as she pointed to the handle of the gun. Ford saw that she was right and fixed it.
"Wow, good eye. You may be different from your grandfather physically, but you mind is just as sharp as your grandfather." Ford said.
"If you want, you can help me rebuild it." He added as he handed Pacifica the screwdriver. She smiled, she realized that Ford and Dipper had a lot of similarities between them. She thought that if she spent time picking at Ford's brain, she could maybe figure out how Dipper's mind works. Pacifica grabbed the screwdriver, got up and sat next to the scientist.
As Dipper and Ernest made their way into town, they were talking about the probability that something could go wrong when Ernest leaves.
"You know it's a bad idea. Sending you somewhere else is just going to mess up the universal timeline even more than if you stayed." Dipper said.
"That may be true, but I rather be where a Victoria like my old one lives." Ernest replied.
"You know, we are both under qualified to talk about altering the timelines. There's only two people I believe have the level to talk about this. One of them is far away, he's busy choosing which collage to go to, cause every single collage in the country has sent a request for him to join their schools, well he does have an equally intelligent brother. Sorry, I mean stepbrother. And the other person qualified is Ford." Dipper explain.
"Wow, he's applying for college now? Who is this guy?" Ernest asked.
"Well he's a really fun person, always building amazing stuff. He's an old friend, he lives in the USA, but I don't know where on the map his town is." Dipper said.
"Well what's the name of his town? I may know it."
"I doubt that you know it, it's quite the unknown place. He lives in Danville." Dipper replied.
"Okay, I've never heard of Danville." Ernest said.
"Never mind, no one's heard of it. It's not a very interesting place, well the town is nothing special, but the people are very intriguing." Dipper said as he adjusted his hat. Just then, they arrived in front of the market. They walked in and saw that there were few people there. Thomas was the cashier, he looked super bored and tired. He was waiting to do something. Ernest and Dipper went straight to the gardening aisle to grab the car battery, then they went to get the GPS and a flip phone over in the electronics aisle. When they got everything, Dipper and Ernest started heading over to the exit when suddenly, they were stopped by someone.
"Hey Dipper! You're back!" The mysterious person said. Dipper knew who it was due to the voice, he turned around slowly and saw Lucy standing there.
"Ah hey Lucy...Yeah...I'm...back." Dipper said hesitantly. When he had finished completely turning around, Lucy jumped at him for a hug. When Ernest looked at Lucy, he thought back to the night of the dance party. He realized that she was the same girl Pacifica was fighting and screaming at. But he remembered that Lucy and Pacifica did make up.
"I guess you're the same Lucy who tackled Dipper and fought Pacifica, Nice to meet you, I'm Ernest." Lucy looked over at Ernest without releasing Dipper from her bear hug.
"Wait, you're Ernest? I heard quite a bit about you from Victoria." She said.
"That wouldn't surprise me." Ernest replied. Just then, Dipper started suffocating. He started tapping Lucy's arms to signal her. Lucy looked at Dipper and saw his face turn purple, she released and started apologizing:
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Dipper I'm so sorry! I always hug people too hard!" Dipper tried getting his breath back. He realized something was calling out to him, it was something Lucy was wearing, he started to feel ill, he had stomach pain and had a headache. 'Is it the second piece on the Pentagon calling for me?' He thought. Finally, when he finally could catch his breath he replied to Lucy:
"It's okay, don't worry about it." 'I don't get it, something doesn't with Dipper. Why is he so kind, it's like he's planning something. But I don't know what he's up to.' Ernest thought.
"Dipper, we don't waste time. We need to move." Ernest said. Dipper replied with a nod.
"Ah do you really need to leave so soon?' Lucy asked.
"Yeah, sorry Lucy. I'd love to talk more, but we must move. But before we go, could I asked you to give me your bracelet?" Dipper asked.
"Why do you need my bracelet?" Lucy asked.
"it's a long story, but if you want, give me that one and I'll buy you a new one." Dipper said. 'What is Dipper doing? Why does he want Lucy's bracelet?' Ernest thought.
"Alright, that's fine. Here." Lucy said as she handed over the bracelet.
"But I do want a new one! Don't forget!" Lucy added. As the boys started walking away, Dipper turned his head to her and said:
"Don't worry Lucy, I won't forget." Lucy was waving goodbye from a distance as Dipper and Ernest walked up to the cashier. They bought what they needed and started walking back to the Mystery Shack. The two boys were walking next to each other in silence, Ernest was looking at the bracelet in Dipper's hand while Dipper was lost in thought thinking about what kind of fight Pacifica got into. Suddenly, Ernest broke the silence by asked Dipper a question.
"Ah Dipper, why do you need that bracelet?" He asked. Dipper looked at the bracelet, then turned to Ernest and replied:
"It's a long story."
"We have the time now." Ernest insisted.
"Fine, I'll tell the story. But only because you're going in the next 24 hours." He said. Ernest replied with a nod. Dipper took a deep breath, then started talking:
"Long story short, I need to get 5 pieces of a weapon called The Pentagon that only I can weld, and all the pieces are with people that I know. Once all pieces are in my possession, I can summon the blade to stop an evil being." Ernest was shocked, he tried to talk, but he couldn't find the words:
"Wow, that's... I don't even know what to say. It's just..." Dipper cut in and said:
"A bit random."
"Yeah random! And how do you even know who has the pieces? Or what the pieces are?" Asked Ernest.
"I never really know, I've been told by Kyle, the guardian of the timelines, but I can tell what the piece is because is calls out to me." Dipper explained.
"Okay, I understand but it's still weird." Ernest said.
"Trust me, I know, but that's how it is." Ernest looked down at his feet as he walked, he thought about how Victoria would act if he left. Then he thought back to the fight they had last night, he realized that Pacifica was probably right. He turned to Dipper and said:
"I don't get it, how come you and Pacifica get along? Both you personalities are extremely difficult for one another, technology, you two should be far apart from each other and hate each other." Dipper smiled.
"I know what you mean, I used to think think the same way. But recently, I fell like something has change not just in her, but also in myself. It's like after 5 years, something else is at play between the two of us. No matter how different we are." Dipper explained.
"Okay, do you have any clue what it could be?" Asked Ernest.
"No, I have no idea." Dipper said as he looked over to the side, Ernest caught on to Dipper's lie and asked the same question again:
"Do you know what it could be Dipper?" Dipper looked away and said:
"I have a small idea."
"Spit it out Dipper." He said. Dipper didn't turn, he continued to look away, he face turned a light red. Then Dipper realized something. 'Wait, didn't Mabel say Victoria was in town to get ingredients? If that's true, then she should have been at the market, cause that's the only place in Gravity Falls that sells food.' Dipper thought. He then turned behind him and looked back at the patch they took.
"Wait Ernest, before you came over, did you see Victoria?" Dipper asked. Ernest looked at Dipper with a perplexed look on his face.
"Ah no, last time I saw her, she said she was going to the Mystery Shack." He replied.
"Well Mabel said she went out into town to get stuff at the market and we didn't see her." Dipper said.
"Are you saying, she's lost? Are worse?" Ernest asked worried for his friend.
"Maybe, but we should at least call her." Dipper replied. Ernest nodded as he got out his phone, he rung and waited. She didn't answer.
"She didn't answer." Ernest said.
"Could she be wherever her family is staying?" Asked Dipper.
"There's a high chance, maybe we should go check." Replied Ernest. Dipper nodded and the two boys turned around and walking back into town. They went to a small house on the other end of Gravity Falls, it was a small blue house with a wooden door and a single window on the front. Dipper was surprised to see the small house.
"What a minute, doesn't Victoria have 13 brothers?" He asked.
"Yeah she does, but they all didn't come on holidays with us, because a lot of them are over twenty." Ernest explained.
"Ah Okay." The two went up to the door, Ernest went in front of Dipper and opened the door without hesitation, they walked in, Dipper was still behind Ernest. They heard laughter and talking from the living room, the two boys went slowly towards the living room, moving ever so slightly. Ernest signaled to Dipper to stay out of sight just for a little bit, Dipper replied with a nod. Ernest then walked into the room with hesitation:
"Salut tout le monde!" He said. (Hey everyone!) Ernest saw both of Victoria's parents on the couch, Victoria on one of the sofa chairs and on the other one, was someone Ernest had never seen before. It was a young man, about Ernest and Dipper's age. He was short and chubby, he was wearing a light blue suit, a black shirt and a white tie.
"Oh T'es là Ernest, on savais pas où tu avais disparu." Said Ms. de Montadent. (Oh you're here Ernest, we didn't know where you went off to.)
"Désolé, je suis aller voir un ami." (Sorry, I went to see a friend.)
"Ah alor vous êtes Ernest, revis de faire ta connaissance." Said the young man in an american accent. (Ah so you are Ernest, it's a pleasure to meet you.) Dipper heard the voice of the American coming from the living room, he realized straight away who was in there with the de Montadent family and Ernest.
"What the hell are you doing here Gideon!?" Dipper yelled as he entered the room.
"Dipper Pines, you little bitch! What are you doing here!?" Gideon shouted out point at Dipper. Victoria got up and turned to Dipper.
"Dipper, What are you doing here!?" She said.
"Can you just shout up!?" Yelled Ernest making the others stop.
"Alright, now we can do this in a civil manner. Gideon, Dipper asked you first so you should start by saying way you are here." Ernest said. Gideon didn't like the idea of doing what Ernets said, but he knew he had to.
"Okay fine, Dipper I'm here to visit the family. When I went to France a few years back for school, I was sent to live with the de Montadent. That's how I know them." Gideon explained.
"Now Dipper it's your turn, both Victoria and Gideon are curious way you are here." Ernest said. Dipper rolled his eyes.
"I am going to make you kids a snack, how does crumbcake sound?" Asked Ms. de Montadent. Dipper was a but thrown off by Victoria's mother's level of English, till he remembered that her mum was originally English.
"Sure that would be great!" Victoria said. The boys just nodded and the mother went out of the room.
"Alright now why are you here?" Asked Gideon.
"Well I'm friends with both Ernest and Victoria." Dipper replied.
"Ah, that doesn't explain why you're here." Victoria pointed out.
"Im here because we were looking for you Vicky, Mabel said you went to get stuff in town and we didn't see you on the path back, nor in the shopping market. So we thought you would be here." Dipper explained.
"Oh, well I'm sorry if I had you worried, I was Gideon when I was shopping and because he hadn't seen the family in a while, I thought that it would be a good idea." Victoria said. Dipper looks over the Gideon with serious eyes, Gideon just smiles at him.
"Hey I got an idea, why don't we go back to the Mystery Shack and hang out all together, it would be so much fun. We all haven't seen each in a while and I really like hanging out with all of you." Victoria added. Dipper thought that letting Gideon over to the Shack would be the worst idea even, because of Mabel and Stan who hate him, but also because he may take something of Ford's. But then he realized that with Victoria around him, he would have to be on his best behavior.
"Well I guess that make sense, but with my past experiences with this guy, I don't trust him anymore then I can throw him." Dipper replied as he crossed his arms.
"If that's want you want Victoria." Gideon said. Ernest looked at Gideon, he thought someone was off about him, but Ernest just told himself that it was nothing.
"Alright, let's move then" Ernest said. Victoria went and told her mother that they were all going back out for a while, her mother said that that's fine and the four teens left the house, heading towards the Mystery Shack. As they were making there why to the Shack, Victoria and Gideon were walking up front, laughing and chatting, while Dipper and Ernest walked behind. Dipper was keeping an eye on Gideon so he wouldn't get up to some mischief. Ernest remembered the conversation that he and Dipper were having earlier and said:
"Hey Dipper, you never told me how you and Pacifica get along so well." Dipper looked over to the side and said:
"Well I guess there's a million things at play, but I have a little idea of how we get along now, at least from my side."
"Come on, what is it?" Dipper looked at the two people chatting in front and decided to whisper to Ernest. He leaned over and replied:
"I think it's because I may have feelings for her." Ernest nodded and said:
"I guess that makes sense." Victoria turned around due to her curiosity.
"What are you to talking about?" She asked. The two boys turned to each other.
"Just science stuff." Dipper said with a forced grin. Victoria just smiled and turned but to her conversation with the chubby boy.
"So have you told Pacifica?" Asked Ernest.
"Well of course not, who do you think I am?" Dipper replied.
"Ah...You're Dipper." Ernest said. Dipper put his hand on Ernest's shoulder and said:
"It was a rhetorical question."
"Ah okay, sorry." Ernest replied. Dipper smiled and looked back at the two in front, he saw the Gideon got closer to Victoria. Suddenly, Dipper started to get a headache, he heard a voice calling out to him:
"Dipper quickly! Get back to the Shack! Dipper quickly! Get back to the Shack!" It said over and over again. Dipper looked up and saw smoke coming from the direction of the Mystery Shack. He didn't say anything and starting running, leaving the others behind.
End of Chapter 15: Ernest
What happened to the Mystery Shack? Is everyone inside okay? Find out in the next chapter.
Hey everyone, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and got all the references. Sorry it took a bit of time to get this chapter out, I'll try to do a chapter a month. Don't be afraid to leave a comment and I thank you all for reading and I hope to see you all in the next chapter!