Episode 15: Chrysalis [part 3]
Arc: "Awakening"
Opening: Butterfly Core – Valshe.

. . .

. . .

And then Ariadne was met with silence.

She thought there would be questions, gasps, exclamations or whatsoever – but there were none. All Dipper did was stare at her, daring to look into her violet eyes. Their color reminded him of a tanzanite, which was Mabel's favorite gem – oh, Mabel... The single tear that slid down the girl's cheek made its way to the floor, and the sound of it falling to the floor, shattering into a million pieces, was audible for both her and Dipper. He knew it. He had always known it. Somehow, he did manage to know it. However, one question prevailed – if Ariadne was really dead, then what was she doing there, with him? Walking with him – a probable demon? A plague that many humans did not dare to mess with?

Humanity feared demons and they feared anything that was related to demons. Dipper, before going to Gravity Falls, used to do so, until he discovered there were things worse than demons. There were creatures out there that seemed to be worse than demons. And there were people who seemed to be worse than demons. Gideon. Pacifica. Dipper wondered why humans feared demons so much. The demons had never come to Earth, causing chaos, death and wars. No, humanity didn't have to fear demons – they had to fear themselves.

"Some things are left unsolved." The phantom-looking girl said, with a sad smile – which was the best she could manage to do, with the depression consuming her from inside out. "And, sometimes, things don't work our way; I'm sure you've already discovered that by yourself, by making a deal with a demon to protect your family and friends, and everyone you love. However, I see you've grown fond of your new comrades." All Dipper did was nod. "…Won't you say anything?"

Dipper looked around, then turned to Ariadne and asked:

"Where are we going?"

She smiled and kept walking. Dipper looked at her, blinked and then followed. His wings were a burden, and he would've almost forgotten about them if they hadn't ripped part of his shirt – also, they weren't too heavy, but the wings weren't also what you'd call light. Appreciating the night was a delight to him, especially because Dipper had always been a nightly person. Though he used to fall asleep very fast, when Dipper had insomnia, he leaned against his room's window and watched the stars and the sunrise – at least until he'd tire himself out.

"I cannot tell you. Not yet." And then Ariadne's smirk was back. Dipper's mind told him to run as fast as he could, but his heart told him to do whatever he wanted. And he wanted to follow Ariadne and see where this would lead them to. "Also…" She stopped and spun on her heels, staring into Dipper's golden eyes. "…Whatever you see, whatever you hear, you must… You must…" She stopped herself from completing the sentence. "I-it's nothing. Let's go."

She started walking again, lowering her head until she was staring her own feet while walking, oblivious to the world around her. Dipper wondered what she was going to say. 'You must'? I must what? Does she want me to…Trust her? Is that what she wants? The blunette decided to drop the subject; for now – this wasn't over; not yet. Not while he was still a mystery hunter and a truth seeker. Before he could do anything, Dipper noticed he was now looking at the floor as well, not even staring at Ariadne's back. Sighing and inhaling a certain amount of air, Dipper looked up at the sky full of stars. The moon shone bright in the sky. It must've been around 7-8 pm.

"Where are we going?" He asked again.

Ariadne did not answer immediately. When Dipper was going to ask the same question again – he's keep asking it until she decided to tell him –, she spoke in a soft, yet dark, voice: "…Trust me." And she had completed her sentence, even if it took more than five minutes to do so. "You must trust me." She repeated in a louder and stronger voice tone, just to make sure Dipper had heard what she had said. "…No matter what." She finished – it was barely a whisper, but the forest surrounding them was so quiet that it was possible for Dipper to hear it.

"I see…" That was all that the boy said.

Dipper never thought the forest would be this quiet at night. While he hunted for monsters, it was noticeable how the forest was always agitated – full of monsters, full of secrets, full of mysteries. However, at night, the forest was also full of its own mysteries – however, those 'mysteries' were not unnatural ones. They were what humans wondered during the night, when they are stargazing or sleeping under the stars. Also, Dipper used to stare at the sky in wonder during a rainy night, because the stars seemed to shine even brighter during the night. But, now, without any rain, they seemed less bright and more mysterious.

"I can hear your thoughts." Ariadne suddenly said. "I can hear what you think about the night, about the universe." She looked up, but didn't smile or show any sign of enjoyment. She was serious. "Sometimes the night can be shadowy, dark and mysterious to the level of giving you nightmares. But, most of the times, it is beautiful in its own way. That is how the relation between humans is. The humans are like nights, don't you agree?" Dipper stopped to think about it.

"Mm-hm." He nodded, finally. However, as soon as she stopped talking, one question crossed his mind. "Ariadne, if you really… Died… Then how come I can touch you?" He extended his hand to touch her arm, however, as soon as he did that, his hand passed through Ariadne's arm like she was never there. "W-what, how…?" He murmured in astonishment. He bumped on her, and remembered that the feeling and the pain were real; he did that while grabbing the broom from the floor and accidentally bumping on her while standing up.

"The mind is something really weird, isn't it?" Ariadne started again. Dipper felt like, every five minutes, she started to speak random things. "For one minute you think you're taking a normal girl to a parking lot and then discover she is a lost soul. How ironic – the destiny." Wait! Did Ariadne just refer to herself as a 'lost soul'? Dipper raised an eyebrow. Should he really ask about it? Every time he asked her something, she started to talk about random things that are completely out of topic.

However, it was worth a try.

"Why did you say 'lost soul' instead of 'ghost'?" And he was met with silence. Ariadne, before, seemed like an open person. However, after revealing her shocking secret, Ariadne seemed completely oblivious to any kind of obvious thing – she couldn't answer even the simplest question. Dipper, at this point, didn't know if she didn't want to give him any answers or if she was really badly affected after revealing the truth. Dipper sighed, seeing she wouldn't answer. Everything he heard were the sounds of their asymmetrical footsteps. No whispers, no nothing. "It's okay. You don't need to answer if you don't want t-"

"There are two types of ghosts on Earth." Ariadne interrupted, and, finally, Dipper was getting some answers. "They are the normal ghosts and the lost souls. The normal ghosts are already born as ghosts. The lost souls become ghosts – and this is why they are called lost; because they are forced to roam upon this planet for the rest of their miserable lives. I will be forced to roam around for the rest of my miserable life." And another tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away with the sleeve of her baby-blue long-sleeved shirt. However, she soon smiled. "How funny, isn't it?"

Dipper didn't answer; instead, he narrowed his eyes at her. Something about her behavior made him very suspicious.

"Oh, here we are!" Her exclaim made him stop on his tracks and look ahead. They were at the exit (or the entrance) of a clearing. Unlike the previous clearing where they had found the horrifying Black Wyvern, this one was illuminated by the moon and had a few butterflies flying around. However, something about this place made Dipper feel agony. As if he would predict the future. "Before we enter, may I tell you a tale?"

"You want to tell me a tale?" Dipper asked.

"Yes."

"…I don't see why not." And he leaned against one of the million pine trees surrounding them, to make himself more comfortable. Knowing Ariadne – even if for a few hours – he already knew this would take some time. She smiled, and started her tale.

"Once upon a time, there was a prince. He was innocent and had a happy life living in hell, a peaceful place, as a young prince, even if he did not behave like one – he behaved like a normal child. When he got older, this prince started his training to control his powers. During the first session of training, the other demons and angels discovered that the prince had potential and was very powerful – more than any ordinary demon. However, as this prince grew up, he started to train harder to discover more of his powers. The more power he got, the more he wanted. No matter how strong he was, the prince always wanted more power. That kept on until he had enough power to destroy the entire solar system." Dipper's eyes widened. What the heck was she even talking about?! "Upon discovering he had reached his limit, and not satisfied with the power he already had, the prince decided to absorb power from other demons and angels, especially the most powerful ones."

Dipper let out a silent gasp that stuck on his throat, making it burn. Something about his tale sent shivers down his spine. However, Ariadne wasn't finished.

"When the other demons and angels discovered what the prince did, how he killed so many lives just for the lust for power. Many demons and angels decided to organize a council and, after everything was done, the prince was judged and his sentence was death – he was not only a murderer, he was a threat. The catch was that one member of his family had to kill him. His father couldn't kill his own offspring, so the prince's uncle offered himself to kill the young demon instead. The father was forced to watch his son's death happen in front of him. His own brother had killed his son. The prince had begged and prayed for mercy, but the uncle didn't seem to care. Or at least he didn't seem to." Ariadne closed her eyes. "The prince's obsession led him to his own end." After that, Dipper was horrified. "And that's the same with humans. Their obsessions, fears and dreams lead them to their own end; in the most tragic and painful way possible." She lowers her head again, as if Dipper's glare would kill her, which is kind of impossible since she's already, you know, dead.

The blunette nodded.

"I see." Dipper turned his attention to the clearing. "But what does the clearing have to do with that tale?" Ariadne turned to the open field behind her. A sad smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she started to walk forward and to the field. Dipper noticed this and immediately followed her. As she stopped in the middle of the clearing, with Dipper next to her, she turned her head to face him, and stared him in the eye. "…" Dipper waited for the answer. Even if it would never come, he'd wait for it.

"Life is meaningless, isn't it?" She asked rhetorically, as if that was some kind of natural joke – the life, the meaning of it. "We all die one day. And we know that we will have this fate since we are born. So why do we bother living?" Dipper knew that now she wanted an answer. He also knew the answer to this, because he once asked Mabel about it – and she answered the same thing he would say now:

"That's the point." He said, looking at the trees in amazement. He quickly snapped out of his trance due to the clearing's beauty, and then looked at Ariadne, who still required an answer. "We know life is short, and this is why we live it to the fullest." Dipper's eyes shone in excitement. "Even if there are people who don't appreciate their lives, we try to." Ariadne nodded.

"What about you?" She asked. A hint of guilt and sadness could be noticed in her voice tone. "Do you appreciate your life?"

"Yes."

"Hm."

And they stood like that for some time. Dipper looked at the pine tree to his left, just to notice a crow-like bird standing on one of the branches. However, looking closely, the blunette noticed that there wasn't just one, there were more than thirty. "Ariadne…" He tried to warn, but his voice came as a whisper of fear and fright. The birds laid their crimson eyes on him upon hearing his voice. Ariadne, again, let a tear slid down her cheek. Geez, she's getting too emotional. What the heck is going on? Dipper thought as he tried to concentrate.

"Ariadne, are you alright?" He asked again, this time in a little softer tone. She looked at him, more tears brimming at the corner of her eyes, daring to fall, to shatter into pieces again; to leave her alone. "Ariadne…?" Dipper was now feeling uncomfortable by her constant stare. It was as if she was planning something worse than everything the humans have done.

eNo On tSUrt …

Dipper stiffened as the voice rang through his mind, speaking in an unknown language – to him. It was back; Dipper didn't know what it was, but he knew it was back. He had always felt an uneasy presence near him. It was always watching every movement, every thought, and every step. Dipper knew that since he had started a deal with Bill Cipher, strange things started to happen around him. Was Bill Cipher the source of all this trouble? Ariadne lowered her head for a second, before turning to face the blunette at her side. The voice couldn't be Ariadne, could it?

"Forgive me, Dipper." Ariadne said, not being able to hold back her tears anymore. They slid down her cheeks like a river: calm, but prone to cause a tsunami. She knew she had to do it, but at what cost? She turned to the horde of birds lingering in the shadows of the trees; hiding, as if they could be attacked at any moment. "Forgive me."

Eno on TSUrt

eNO oN tSUrT

eNo On TsuRT

ENO ON TSURT

"What-"

"fEeD." Ariadne's low, disharmonic and demonic voice ordered. Within a second, the bunch of black-feathered birds opened their wings and took flight, landing to where Dipper was and surrounding him completely. One of them, with a mix of black and white feathers in a disharmonic mess, stepped forward and its crimson eyes connected to Dipper's birthmark, which started to glow, causing Dipper to feel a cool sensation on his forehead – something like this triggered a throbbing at his head. Immediately, all of the other birds did the same until they were all connected to Dipper, whose legs started to tremble, and then all of his energy seemed to vanish slowly, but not as slowly as he wanted it to.

What is this feeling?

Dipper turned to the exit of the clearing. Ariadne was running away. "Ariadne…" He whispered. Realization hit him hard, like a brick. Like tons of bricks at the same time; or maybe a brick wall. "ARIADNE!" Dipper shouted, realizing what she had done: Ariadne left him to die. He tried to run after her, but the horde of birds flying around him made it difficult to find any way out. His vision started to get blurry, everything around him started to spin, the world was switching from black to white, black to white, and so on. He couldn't recognize a bird from his own emerging darkness. Dipper, even at verge of unconsciousness, could hear her only and final whisper to him: "I'm sorry".

It could've been an illusion, but it wasn't.

It could've been a dream, but it wasn't.

It could've been a lie, but it wasn't.

It could've been anything… But it wasn't.

…Then…

What was it?

Dipper fell to his knees; his energy was gone; completely gone at the point he could not stand anymore, feeling the weight of the world within him. He felt so empty, so lonely; so betrayed. Why did he feel so guilty? Why did he feel so disappointed? Why was he so empty inside? Dipper wanted to feel anger, but he couldn't find any strength to do so. Whatever those creatures were, they were sucking his energy, his determination – at the point of making him give up. His wings were losing their color and becoming gray, and the blunette couldn't even keep them up, at the point where they fell to the floor, making some birds retreat for a second, but then they came back. Finally, Dipper stopped resisting, and he fell to the floor; he allowed the birds to take his life away, to take his energy away. That was what they wanted: his energy. He let go. He gave in. It was useless to fight. It was so useless.

Everything went black, but Dipper was still conscious enough to hear one disharmonic voice greeting him through the darkness:

"It'S BeEN So LoNG, LIttLE BrOTHEr."

A/N: Now the TRUE story begins :D

I've been planning this since I started this story, and I have to admit this chapter turned out to be better than I imagined. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, it's a little too big, but I'm warning you won't understand anything the next chapters if you skip this one - I can say its one of the most important chapters for the story's plot. Why am I posting so soon? I need to finish this story, really. AND NOW, THE QUESTIONS YAAAAAH:

(1) Why would Ariadne do that? WHY?
(2) Ready for the challenge in the next chapter? (remember the prize, guys, remember the prize)
(3) What are the names of the crow-like creatures that were in that forest? (tip: they're OBVIOUSLY not crows)
(4) From 1 to 10, how long this chapter is? XD

Ok, I'm done for now. This chapter had 3.200 words, so you better enjoy it and don't say it's too short now XD Yeah!

Awakened Niwana, off.