As soon as the group passed through the bubble's barrier, they found themselves in a pure white void. Dipper called for Mabel as they wandered. They didn't get very far before the ground started to crack and they found themselves falling through a rainbow-colored tunnel.
"Guys, if I die, I wanna die hugging." Soos declared, pulling Dipper and Wendy into his arms. Soos tried to grab Mike as well but he was a bit too out of reach.
"Soos, you're choking me," Dipper gasped, wriggling until he could breathe again.
"Let my body be your shield!" Soos shouted as the ground rapidly approached. Instead of meeting a hard surface like they were expecting, they ended up bouncing off things until they came to a gentle stop.
"Huh?" Dipper said in confusion, tapping the ground with his foot. "Is the entire ground a bouncy castle?"
"Do you heat 80's music?" Wendy asked, looking around in confusion.
"And does the air smell like childlike wonder?" Soos added.
"Guys…" Mike began in shock, drawing the other's attention. "Molten Freddy… I think they're completely dormant here…"
Molten Freddy wasn't gone of course, as Mike could still feel them in his mind and attached to his soul. But they were quiet and no longer trying to fight to break free.
"What?" Dipper said in surprise. "Why would something Bill created do something like that?"
"I don't know…" Mike said, getting filled with determination. "But we shouldn't waste the opportunity. Come on! We still need to find Mabel!"
The group nodded and left their spot only to pause as they took in the scene before them. It felt like they had fallen into Mabel's imagination rather than her prison as everything was bright, sparkly, and filled with adorable animals and creatures. They ended up being given a tour by some of Mabel's dream guys, but Dipper remained focused. They stormed Mabel's tower and prepared for a fight as they grabbed Mabel.
Mabel was confused by their actions and soon revealed that she was in charge of this place and that she didn't want to leave. Dipper was angry and the others were shocked by the reveal and when Mable offered to let them stay, Dipper argued against it. Mabel's response was to show that she had a backup Dipper (much to the real Dipper's anger and Mike's horror and disgust) and to once again try and persuade the others to stay.
Whenever the others tried to remain firm, Mabel countered by offering them what they wanted. Wendy got lured away first to go cause chaos with her friends. Soos was next, wanting to play catch with the dad he never knew.
"Mabel that's enough!" Mike said sternly. "Look, I'll be the first to admit that reality sucks and can even be cruel, but you can't run away from it! And you can't just replace your brother with a "better version" just because you're mad at him and he disagreed with you! It isn't right and-"
"Mikey!"
Mike's argument was cut off as two cheerful voices sounded from behind him. Mike stiffened up in surprise and disbelief as he slowly turned around.
"No… that's impossible…" Mike whispered as he stared at what looked like his siblings smiling happily up at him, seemingly alive and well. "Evan… Lizzie…"
Mike knew they weren't real. He knew his sister was still trapped within Circus Baby, wandering around and murdering innocent people. He knew that with Charlie's help, Mike had been able to let Evan and most of the other children finally pass on and be at rest. He knew all this. He knew that the images in front of him couldn't possibly be real.
But he wanted them to be…
Mike's life had been mostly filled with tragedy and heartbreak, so of course, he often spent most of his lonely hours imagining a world where he and his siblings were happy and safe. He knew in his mind this wasn't real, but his heart and soul ached for it to be. That's why as the two memories came closer, Mike found himself kneeling with arms wide open. Evan and Elizabeth immediately took the invitation for what it was and ran forward to tackle him in a hug.
"I've missed you guys so much," Mike couldn't help but whisper as he held them close. They were so warm and solid in his arms. Their breath tickled his neck, their heartbeats matched his own, and he could even smell the shampoo they all used to use when he was a kid. It was so easy to believe they were real…to believe that they were safe, happy, and alive.
"We missed you too Mikey," Evan said as they finally pulled away.
"Come on!" Elizabeth grinned as she and Evan grabbed Mike's hands. "Let's go play together! It's been so long since we've been able to!"
"Lead the way," Mike laughed even as a few tears rolled down his cheeks. He allowed himself to be pulled away, reveling in being able to listen to his sister's energetic chatter. (He didn't see the sad smile Mabel gave him or Dipper's conflicted gaze.)
Evan and Elizabeth lead Mike to an unrealistically large playground and they started running around in excitement. They spent hours playing tag, chasing each other through the equipment, going down the slides, and having Mike push them on the swings. They eventually stopped to get ice cream from a cart that conveniently showed up and sat on a bench under a tree to enjoy it. Elizabeth finished first and was running around chasing butterflies while Mike and Evan just watched her as they finished up their own ice cream. It really was just perfect.
"…Mike…" Evan said quietly from beside Mike.
"Yeah Ev?" Mike began, glancing over at his brother only to pause when they made eye contact. Evan was looking a lot more solemn and sad than he had been a moment ago and there was something like a spark in his eyes that made Evan look more… aware…
"…Mike… you can't stay here…" Evan began seriously, the ice cream in his hand abandoned. "You know this isn't right…"
"… I know…" Mike whispered, unable to look at the… ghost?.. Manifestation of his consciousness..? Whoever he was in the eye. "… I just wanted to be happy for a moment… even though I don't deserve it…"
"Mike, you do deserve to be happy," Evan(?) said, taking Mike's hand in his. "But you can't find it here. Not among shadows and memories of a family long gone. You have a new family now… and they need you."
"I'm not replacing you or Lizzie," Mike quickly assured, looking at what might really be his little brother. "You know that right? I might care about them, but that doesn't mean I've stopped loving you."
" I know," Evan smiled, squeezing Mike's hand comfortingly. "And I'm happy you found them. They can look after you now that I've passed on…"
"I don't know if you're the real Evan…" Mike whispered as he pulled the younger boy into a tight embrace, tears beginning to fall down his face. "But if there's any chance you are… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I never wanted to hurt you like that… I love you, Ev… I'm sorry I never told you that enough when you were alive… I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother…"
"It's me," Evan said firmly. That simple phrase carried so much meaning and weight for both them, only making Mike cling tighter. "And I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago… Please Mike… learn to forgive yourself…"
Mike opened his mouth to say something, whether to keep apologizing or to say he didn't deserve forgiveness Mike didn't know, but he never got the chance to. Between one moment and the next, Mike found himself suddenly sitting next to Wendy and Soos in a courtroom with no sign of the shades of his siblings. The only indication that what happened was real was the tears still streaming down his face.
"Dude… you okay?" Wendy asked as she and Soos looked at him in worry.
"…No…" Mike answered honestly, wiping the tears from his face with a sad smile. "But I think… I think in time I can be…"
Mike was surprised to find he really believed that. For the first time in decades that he felt truly hopeful for the future.
Mike was beginning to believe he could be happy.
Fun Fact: I was literally sobbing as I wrote Mike and Evan's interaction (which made it really hard to type btw).
