Episode Summary: A man finds himself trapped in the Nightmare Realm; a lawless broken dimension. Who is this man and what does fate have in store for him?
Disclaimers: I do not own Gravity Falls or the Relativity Falls AU idea.
Author's Notes: Good Morning my amazing readers! I know you hate when I do this, but I had an awesome idea! It's something that I haven't seen done in any Gravity Falls retelling yet! I want to explore what happened to Ford after he was sucked into the portal. His 30 years away is never really spoke of in the show. However, in the journal, he gives a full account of his time shortly after the events of the episode He's Not What He Seems.
It's an amazing adventure and I look forward to sharing it with you.
As always, thank you for reading and please review!
Interdimensional P1: Mason
(About 30 years Ago…)
The first thing the man felt was the sudden feeling of weightlessness…
However, as soon as it was there the feeling was overpowered by the hopeless terror of the situation. He was now in a world of madness one that had already stolen the sanity of someone he loved. He allowed her face to enter his mind only for a second, her long raven black hair, her round glasses, and breath-taking smile. She had told him, no begged him to stop! Pleaded with him to abandon this publicity stunt while they could still could.
But he refused to walk away, He was regretting that decision now.
As he felt himself being sucked deeper into this new world, he held his breath on instinct. Silently accepting that this could be the end. However, as luck would have it, death did not come. He gasped for air and looked around. He was floating in a gravity free sea of lightning and swirling colors; a void of scattered asteroids and nothingness. He spun around again hoping to find the portal he entered through, but alas it was gone! He was stuck here, tapped possibly forever. But, before he had the time to properly panic over his new fate, he realized for the first time that he was not alone! He was hovering before the enemy!
The Beast with One-Eye was perched on a throne made of optical illusions; flanked by an army of strange and shadowy creatures. "Look who decided to pay me a visit!" He cackled, his voice echoing through Infinity. "Welcome Pine Tree, to the Nightmare Realm; the dimension between all dimensions. The in-between space; a gateway to all worlds where I rule as KING!"
'Pine Tree', The Man balled up his fist at the old nickname. Still, he would not give the beast the satisfaction of knowing he had hit a nerve.
"Well don't be a stranger." The Beast laughed like they were old friends.
The man knew better, this beast was no friend.
"I know, why don't we play a game of Interdimensional chess?" The beast asked. "Only this time you're the pawn!" He snapped his fingers and one of his goons, a 6-foot-tall ball of fingers and teeth let out a howl like a humpback whale before charging at the intruder with slashing fingers and sharp teeth.
The man dodges, but just barely, he hears the maniacal laughter of creatures large and small as they begin to give chase. The man doesn't waste time, instead he swims further away, Managing to hide behind an asteroid field in the nick of time. One or two monstrosity pass him by as he continues to swim further still. While others simply tore through the space rocks like they were made of paper. Trying not to panic, the man tries to think fast, he swims from asteroid to asteroid searching for a place to hide. Finally he sees it. A large crater in an asteroid up ahead. He manages to make it as the monsters swarmed by.
It had been a close one, but as he ventured deeper into the recesses of the crater the man felt safer. He follows the impression as it leads him into a small cave.
"So Pine Tree wants to play hide and seek hu?" The Beast growled. "The first one to find him and bring him to me gets their own Galaxy!"
Maniacal laughter answers the promise, but the man is out of their reach for the time being. The sense of relief is almost overwhelming, so much so he could feel the fatigue threatening to settle in. He shakes it off and keeps moving. The air grows colder the deeper he goes, but he can't afford to stop. Finally, he sees a light a head and runs towards it forgetting the dangers that lie just outside. However, he stops as he sees it's not outside at all. He's come upon a camp surrounded by shivering creatures. These galactical refugees huddled around a strange glittering purple fire. The man backs away, unsure, but one spots him and waves him over. "Do not be afraid, you are safe here."
The man is still weary, but ultimately the cold makes his mind up for him. He walks over to the fire and settles down. For a while there is silence until the first creature, a green octopus like thing, speaks once more. "You must be tired, please stay as long as you like."
The man nodded his thanks, he was tired and would love to get some sleep. But he knew he'd get none until he had some answers. "Who are you…people?"
"We are asteroid miners from dimension 1-6." The first creature spoke again. "I am Mek, and this is my crew. He gestures to the creature around them. "Our ship was sucked into a dimensional wormhole and now we are stuck here."
The man wasn't daunted by the news, on Earth there were many stories of disappearances. Some were planes or boats and he theorized that wormholes were to blame. He had even documented what appeared to be some in outhouses in the woods of Gravity Falls.
If they were indeed wormholes, then there was a chance he could get back home, but it would be a gamble. There was no guarantee where each wormhole would lead him. He could spend a lifetime trying to get back.
"How long?" The man could barely form the words to his most desperate question.
"Many Moons." Mek answered. "There is another wormhole just beyond the asteroid field, but HE is out there.
"You Mean B-" The man goes to say his name, but Mek stops him.
"Please no." Mek begged as the others shivered and covered their ears like he had just spoken something obscene. He is the most feared beings in the entire multiverse, every world he touches becomes ruin. Just like this one."
"This use to be a world?" The Man asked.
"Use to be." A creature that was a cross of a guinea pig and a bat answered. "Now it is a lawless ticking time bomb."
When the man looks confused, she explains. "This world will be gone soon; it cannot stay stable for much longer."
"I guess it's too much to ask that he'll die with it hu?" The man asked cracking a smile despite himself.
"Unlikely, still there is nothing here to cause chaos, soon he and his goons will seek a new world. Once they leave, we may safely travel through the wormhole." Mek explained. "All they need is a foolish mind willing to let him."
"Once that happens it's only a matter of time before he has a new playground to ravage." The guinea pig said.
"I'm afraid he already has." The man admitted.
"How do you know?" Mek asked.
"Because I am the fool who did it." The man confessed. He expected them to yell at him, or to ridicule him at least. Yet they looked almost sympathetic.
"Have no sorrow, he has fooled the best and brightest of all worlds." Mek assured him.
The man shook his head. "No, I trusted him, I allowed him into my mind, and he almost entered my world. I only barely stopped him."
"You stopped him?" The refugees look at him in awe.
"Yes luckily, I was able to-" The man began to explain.
"Praise the Axolotl!" The refugees cheered around him.
"The who?" The Man asked.
"He is the great one." A small creature with bird like features and a squeaky voice explained. "He knows and sees all."
'Great, another self-proclaimed god.' He shakes his head. "Look I appreciate the kindness, but I can't just sit and do nothing."
"We understand you convictions." Mek assured him, "But I am afraid we have little to offer."
The man shakes his head. "No it's alright, please keep what you have-"
The bird girl grabs him and places something that looks like a high-tech watch on his wrist. "It's an interdimensional translator- model X127X"
"It's not the latest, but it will help you communicate with others." Mex explained. "It translates what you hear into something you can understand. All while translating what you say into something others can understand."
"The man looks down at the watch and smiles. "Nifty." He looks at the Bird girl and says "Thank you uh-"
"Tesiki" Bird girl answers. "And what about you?"
"I'm Di-" The man stops, he almost called himself by his old nickname. Something he hadn't done since… "Mason, call me Mason."
"Well Mason, we only have a few rations to spar." Mek hands him a messenger bag full of food and drinks.
"No please I can't take your food." Mason tried to give it back.
"Please, you must continue your journey." The guinea pig insisted. "You have fought the beast and survived; you may be the only one who can save us."
Mason hesitates, before nodding. Of course, he wouldn't be going home, they knew this, as did he. The chances were slim to none. His time was better spent fixing the mess he had help cause in the first place. He placed the strap of the bag over his shoulder as a new plan began to form in his mind. He would travel from one dimension to the other learning all he could about the enemy and his weaknesses.
He'd learn every secret, all while gaining the necessary strength. Once he was ready, he would return to the nightmare realm and destroy the beast once and for all.
"I may never see home again." He admitted out loud. "But at least I can save the multiverse from his wrath and wreck vengeance for the life that he stole from me!"
"Primase Axolotl." They cheered once more.
Shaking his head Mason took his leave biding his new friends one last goodbye before leaving from whence he came. He had no idea where he was going or if he would be successful, but as left the asteroid and swam to the nearest wormhole He felt hopeful.
He stops as he reaches the wormhole, again, holding his breath before casting his fate to the wind. An endless vast of new worlds awaited him. Somewhere hidden among them lied the answers he sought…
And he would stop at nothing to find them.
-To Be Continued