The ssssssccccccchhhhhh of the static became a silence unto itself. Dipper was still pressed to the tree, but his head was hanging. Mabel could make out his half-closed eyes, a flat grey tone, and the blood that was dripping from his mouth into a small pool on the ground. The blood drip was getting slower and slower.
"D...Dipper?" Mabel whispered.
Nothing but an empty stare and static replied.
"No...Dipper...no...NOOOOOOO!" Mabel fell to her knees, not even bothering to cradle her broken arm and letting it painfully dangle at her side. She covered her eyes with her hand, trying to rub the vision of her brother's empty body from them, but to no avail. She sobbed so loudly, she almost didn't hear the monsters approach, but the voice of Gideon's drawl made her glance up in horror.
"Dontcha see, Shootin' Star?" he said, his accented voice flat as he lumbered forward. "This was your choice. An' now you're gonna suffer the consequences."
Mabel said nothing. She had nothing left.
"We're gon' take you," Gideon continued, shuffling forward. Mabel could see now chunks of his flesh were missing, and all the monsters encroached upon her between the static-blaring triangles, reaching for her with claw-like hands. "You'll go mad without him anyway. The Shootin' Star can't survive without her Pine Tree, after all..."
The monsters were almost upon her. Mabel was bereft. Let them come. The Shooting Star can't survive without her Pine Tree.
Pine Tree.
Mabel's bloodshot eyes landed on the hat, laying rumpled by her knee. In the harsh white light of the static, the blue tree seemed to glow against the white background. Her eyes then traced their way through the ever-closer monsters, some of whom could wrap their claws in her long hair, to Dipper. Her gaze met his hollow stare, his birthmark visible beneath his hatless head.
Mabel's eyes widened. Pine Tree!
With her good hand, Mabel grabbed the hat. She leapt up and shoved past a stack of monstrous gnomes and the Summerween Trickster's bony scarecrow frame. They gave chase, and the static grew louder and brighter and more agressive. Manotaur arms crashed into her sides, the Hide-Behind tore at her sweater from the back. Horrifying faces came between Mabel and Dipper, but Mabel gave a loud yell and pushed back against them, barely feeling the pain in her arm as she swung it and hit an evil looking fairy that scratched at her face.
The monsters had picked up speed and gained on Mabel, but she ran forward with every ounce of strength she could summon.
"Dipper!" she called over the static and the moaning and groaning of her assailants. He remained unmoved. A ghostly but strong multi-bear caught her by her injured arm and tried to pull her back, but Mabel struggled against them.
"Watch for the Shooting Star!" she yelled, "I'm here, Pine Tree!"
With a final surge, Mabel loosed herself from the monsters and ghouls that clawed at her. She practically crashed into Dipper, ramming the hat onto his head and over his eyes. The monsters hissed and retreated, and Mabel cried.
"Please, Dipper...wake up...it's Mabel...you remember me, right? It's all here...every memory you ever had..." The static triangles began flickering, as if being tuned in to a weak signal. The light from the memories was warm, and each one grew stronger as Mabel clutched her brother, crying.
"Please, please remember...I won't let them take you...no more nightmares...Shooting Star is here...please...please wake up..."
Through her tears, Mabel saw the memories she shared with her brother projected back at them. One of Mabel and Dipper as babies, throwing spaghetti noodles at each other. Another of Mabel defending Dipper from bullies in second grade, and patching his knee when he fell off his bike. One of Dipper intentionally scaring Mabel and her sleepover friends, and laughing hysterically as Mabel fumed. Them standing solemnly together at Grandma Dot's funeral. Yelling at each other for a reason neither of them could remember. Sharing ice cream. Dipper cheering Mabel on at her swim meet even though she was dead last. Mabel saw each memory and felt it as it wove in with her own life. Dipper's eyes remained unchanged.
"Please..." she whispered, losing strength and hope. "Please." She nuzzled into Dipper's chest, but he didn't move, lashed to the tree, feet an inch off the ground..
One last triangle, on the far side of the circle, still showed static. One of Mabel's tears splashed down her face, and landed, reflecting warm yellow light from the memories, on Dipper's foot. With a soft fuzzy noise, a picture came into view. Mabel turned.
"So, whatcha think?" Mabel said, giving a twirl.
"You made that?" Dipper asked, stuffing the last of his tube socks into a backpack as Mabel burst into his room, spinning like a top.
"Yeah! I had to go back and fix it...I had a few extra neck holes...but I think it turned out!"
"Well, stop moving and let me look at it," Dipper said, rolling his eyes. Mabel finally came to a stand still, holding out her arms proudly.
Dipper looked at his sister. She wore a bright pink sweater, with fairly neat stitches by Mabel's standard. She was getting better at this whole knitting thing. On the front was a large pattern knitted into the fabric, that of a large yellow star with colourful rainbows careening off its back side. It was ironic, and eclectic, and totally Mabel. Dipper smiled with genuine appreciation.
"I love it Mabel. I think that's your best one so far!"
"Really?" Mabel's eyes shone with pride.
"Yep. My favourite, for sure."
"Yay!" Mabel clapped her hands in glee. Dipper closed the top of his rucksack and crossed his arms in mock annoyance.
"Now go finish packing," he lectured. "We're leaving in an hour!"
"I'm so excited!" said Mabel. "A whole summer in...what's it called again?"
"Gravity Falls" said Dipper, a little sullen. "This whole idea kind of gives me the creeps...who even is this Great Uncle Stan guy, anyway?"
"No idea, but Dad wouldn't let us go if he were a creep or dangerous or somethin'." Mabel shrugged and gave a final spin to show off her new sweater. "See you downstairs!"
"Kay. And make sure to bring that sweater, you should be really proud of it."
"I will! Love you, Dipping Sauce!"
"You too, Mabes."
Mabel watched the memory through thick tears. She cradled her injured arm and felt the fabric of her sweater through her fingers. She felt as though half of herself had been lost, and now all she had were memories from an dirty hat and a handmade sweater. She hung her head and cried silently.
"It...really is...my favourite..."
Mabel took in a choked breath that caught in her throat. She slowly, without knowing what to expect, turned back towards Dipper.
"Dipper?"
From beneath the shadow of his slightly askew hat, Dipper's eyes were warming up from a cold, dead grey, to a warm, mottled brown hazel, slowly, like the TV images. He lifted his head, wincing, and smiled at Mabel.
"Mabel...you...you did it..." he breathed. Whatever force tied him to the tree vanished, and he fell to the ground before collapsing into Mabel's reach. Mabel was beside herself, babbling with tears.
"Issitreallyyou!? Dipper! Dipper you're okay! Tellmeitsyou!" The twins landed in a painful pile, surrounded by their memories, playing over and over in a glorious loop.
"It's me, Mabel," he said, reaching up and placing a hand on his sister's dirty cheek. "You did it. I'm gonna be fine...we just..."
"What, what Dipper!?" Mabel screeched, barely able to contain herself. Dipper smiled through his cut and bruised face.
"We just have to...wake up..."
He closed his eyes, and looked peaceful. Mabel wanted to scream for him to wake up here and now, but suddenly she understood. She lay his head down gently before laying next to him, closing her eyes, basking in the warm light of a hundred sparkling memories of the two halves of herself together.
"No no no no no!" Wendy cried. Soos covered his eyes and Grunkle Stan sat silently on the edge of his great nephew's bed, silent, but with veritable rivers running down his cheeks.
"GOD DAMMIT!" screamed Wendy, kicking the wall though her tears. She turned back to the feverish Mabel. "I'm not gonna lose her too," she said, voice thick with anguish. Soos came to her side with more cool water and clean towels, the two of them sniffling.
Grunkle Stan felt completely numb. What had he done? He never thought it would come to this...or he'd never have let them come here...and now...Stan had had blood on his hands before, but not like this. This wouldn't wash away with time and booze. Never.
Dipper's eyes fluttered, and Grunkle Stan turned away. He pressed his face into his hands, and finally let out a sob. He was hallucinating already. Maybe he'd be next. Maybe the Forces where now coming for him again. Fine. Let them take him. What did it matter? Stan longed for death. Stan was completely inconsolable, and wailed piteously.
A faint cough escaped Dipper's lips, and colour rose in his cheeks. Soos heard the soft noise, and turned. His eyes widened. He then grabbed Wendy's shaking arm and wrenched her around to look, unable to speak himself.
"St-S-Stan!" Wendy blurted.
"Oh God, not her too!" Stan moaned, looking up suddenly and turning his red eyes to his prone great niece. She was still out cold, but Wendy and Soos were staring at the boy's bed in shock.
"Wha-?" Stan started to yell in anger and despair, but Soos pointed. Stan turned and looked down.
"H...hey, Grunkle Stan," said Dipper, his voice so hoarse it could barely be heard. His eyes were sunken and his cheeks flushed with heat, but he was alive. Grunkle Stan leapt from the bed in shock, scooching back over to Wendy and Soos. He stared for a few moments, and Dipper let out a simple, weak smile. Stan shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, before leaping back over to Dipper's side.
"Dipper! You're alive!"
"Barely," Dipper managed to quip. Grunkle Stan ran his hands over his face and through his messy hair, unable to believe it.
"Wh...what happened?" Soos stammered.
"Mabel...saved me..." Dipper wheezed. It was obviously exhausting him to talk, and he coughed between words.
"Mabel..." Grunkle Stan turned to the girl's bed. All four eyes landed on her tensely. A few endless moments passed, until the girl's long brown lashes fluttered against her cheeks. Her eyes slowly opened.
"MABEL!" the three Mystery Shack employees cried. Mabel hand flew to her left arm, expecting it to be broken and painful, but it was fine. She sat bolt upright, but felt woozy, and nearly would have fainted immediately if Soos hadn't caught her by the shoulders and lowered her back down.
"Easy there, Ham Bone," he said, smiling through honest tears.
"You were burning up too while you were in there," said Wendy, pressing a cold cloth to Mabel's clammy forehead. Mabel closed her eyes and let the cloth soothe her. Grunkle Stan was reading the number from the themometer he had stuck into Dipper's mouth. The young boy was still incredibly sick.
"102. Still high. Soos, go downstairs and call the doctor, he needs to come look these kids over...tell 'im...they uh...caught a bug or somethin' I don't know! Just leave out the part about the crazy nightmare book dream adventure and the part where they almost died!"
"Sure thing, boss!"
In the flurry of Grunkle Stan giving out orders and Wendy and Soos dashing around to fill them, Dipper and Mabel caught each other's eyes from their separate beds.
Thanks, Shooting Star, Dipper mouthed.
Mabel nodded, as that was all she had the strength to do. With a sigh, she lay back, and let the waves of relief and exhaustion wash over her and lull her back to a much needed rest.
Author's Note: Well of COURSE I'm not gonna kill him? What kind of heartless monster do you take me for!?
Anyway, one more chapter...maybe two after this...of pure fluff :D