Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story

Part Forty-One: Decompose

Pacifica Pines quickly pulled out her cell phone and was about to place the call to emergency services when it began to ring. Looking at the screen, she saw that it was her father and quickly picked up. "Hey Paz. I wanted to see how the school shopping was goi-" he began before being cut off. "DAD! Something's happening to Ariel! All the skin on her hand melted off? And her hair is falling out... I-I don't know what to do!" the hazel eyed girl frantically shouted into the phone. "What?! Oh no. I was worried that this could happen..." Dipper replied in a troubled voice. "That what could happen?!" Pacifica inquired as she stood up and walked a few paces away from Ariel, who remained seated against the tan tiled wall. "Paz... Ariel is a clone. She was made in a lab by Dr. McGuckett. Long story short, she's become unstable and is pretty much falling apart." Dipper explained to his daughter, who listened intently. "Yeah, they mentioned that in health class. So what do I do? She's totally freaking out right now and to be honest, I am too" she asked. "I'm not sure that there is anything that you can do. Where are you right now? In a store?" Dipper inquired. "No. We're in the bathroom by ourselves" she answered. "I'm gonna need you to get her and Baron out of the mall as quickly as possible. Find a quiet place that's away from people and I'll meet you there" the thirty-three year old man instructed. Pacifica tried to walk further away from Ariel, as she had to ask a question that if overheard could frighten the already hysterical teen. "Dad. I-Is she gonna die?" she wondered in a hushed tone. "Pacifica, honey, um... Uh... Yeah. I'm sorry, but yeah, she is" he admitted in a sullen tone. "Please hurry..." the fifteen year old said. "I'm heading out now. Please do what I asked of you and I'll see you soon. I love you" Dipper replied. "I love you too, Dad" Pacifica said as she ended the call and began to tear up.

"W-Who was that?" Ariel asked. "It was my Dad" she answered. "Please tell me that you have some good news..." the white haired teen girl inquired in a hopeful manner. "Yeah! We're gonna meet him outside, but we have to hurry! He's gonna be here in a few minutes and might have a way to stop whatever is going on with you" Pacifica replied while walking back towards Ariel. She knew it was an absolute lie, but wanted to bring some peace to the mind of the young woman if these were to indeed be her final moments. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be in Ariel's shoes. The teen girl was already emotional and the last thing Pacifica wanted to do was to add to her distress. "Okay. What about Baron? W-We have to make sure that he's okay" Ariel asked as she got up gingerly; afraid that something else would happen to her already fragile body. "Of course. I'll text Mateo and let him know what's up. Don't worry, I won't go into detail so that Baron isn't scared" Pacifica explained as she began to rapidly type the message to her slightly older friend. "Hey. We need to meet up in the woods behind the mall. I'll explain when you guys get there. Five minutes." she wrote before sending the text and returning the mobile device to her purse. "You okay to go on a little walk?" the hazel eyed girl asked. "Y-Yeah. I-I should be good" Ariel replied as she swept some of her long locks over her cheek as not to draw attention to herself. The pair left the restroom and walked across the hall to the store, where Mabel, Courtney, Grendy and Alessandra continued to shop.

Dipper Pines ended the call with his daughter and let out a sigh. He knew what he had to do, but wasn't sure if he actually could. Walking to the closet in his bedroom, he reached up onto a shelf above the clothing rack and removed a small wooden box. It was a gift that his father-in-law had given him just before his wedding. Removing the lid from the case, he set eyes on a stainless steel handgun that Dan Corduroy had given him so many years ago. It was gifted with the intent of it being used as a means of defense for his family, should the need arise. Despite the negative role that firearms had played in his life up to that point, Dipper begrudgingly accepted the present as a sign of good faith between the burly lumberjack and himself. He thought that it would remain in the box for the rest of his life, but he now had to remove it from its internment. Placing the magazine into the weapon, knew that it would be the best way to keep the children from suffering. Much like everyone else in the world, he had learned about the process of clone degradation and wished to keep Ariel and Baron from an experience similar to radiation sickness. He soon got into his classic muscle car and began the journey to the mall, where he knew two young lives were about to be cut short. The thought of it conjured the feelings he had felt in the immediate aftermath of Mabel Ariel and Pacifica Elise's deaths. Still, he felt a duty to keep the Gleeful children from needlessly suffering.

After meeting up with the rest of the group, the children headed out to the heavily wooded area behind the shopping complex. While she had tried her best to keep the urgency of the situation to herself, the others knew that something was up. "Why are we heading out here? We weren't even close to being done shopping" Lucas complained. "Let's get to the clearing up ahead and then I promise that I'll explain" Pacifica said. A few moments later, they arrived at their destination and true to her word, the brunette revealed the reason behind their trek into the wilderness. The teens were horrified to learn what had happened to the fifteen year old girl and wondered why Pacifica hadn't simply called emergency services, as the loss of skin on a person's hand seemed to be a good reason to contact them. "Look. I can't say a whole lot, but Dad is gonna be here any minute now and he'll be able to help her out better than any doctor could" the young woman stated as she searched for her father. The crack of a branch caused the group to collectively turn and see the thirty-three year old man emerge from the forest. "Everything is gonna be alright. I need to speak to Ariel and Baron alone for a little bit, so you guys can head back to the mall. They'll be along shortly to rejoin you" the chestnut haired man said as he turned to the white haired Gleeful children. Being the only person fully aware of the situation, Pacifica wanted to stay behind and see what her father would do, but reluctantly obeyed his request. "You heard him, dudes. Let's go grab something to eat. I'm feeling sushi, but I'm open to suggestions..." Pacifica said as she led the teens away from the clearing. Turning back, she saw her father give her a quick thumbs up before placing his hands on the shoulders of Ariel and Baron. Tears fell from her hazel eyes as she knew what was about to happen. Still, she had to keep up the act in order to keep the others from realizing what was going on.

"Baron... Ariel... I have to tell you both something that might be hard to hear, but you deserve to know the truth" Dipper said as he looked down at the teenagers. "What is it, Mr. Pines?" Ariel asked in a worried tone. "I don't know how to say this, so I'll just go ahead and say it. You guys are clones of your father and my late sister, Mabel Ariel Pines" he said. "Clones?" Baron asked while looking at his arm with curiosity. While Ariel had known the truth about her origins for a few weeks, she had decided to keep it from Baron for the time being. She reckoned that he was too young to fully understand the situation but had intended to tell him in the future. "I'm afraid so. Your father lied to you. He made you to have the kids that he could never have in real life" Dipper continued. "Oh... Oh no... Oh God no..." Ariel said as it clicked as to why she seemed to be falling apart. "What are you talking about, sis?" her younger brother asked. She pulled the sleeve of her shirt back to reveal her disfigured digits that she had tried so hard to conceal. "WHAT HAPPENED?! WE NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL!" Baron exclaimed as he turned away from the horrifying sight. "I-I don't think they could do anything for me... Isn't that right Mr. Pines?" Ariel said as she began to openly weep once more.

The ten year old took a step towards his sibling when a loud crack was heard. His left leg had snapped and he quickly tumbled to the ground. "AHHH!" he cried out in pain as he reached for his injured limb. "BARON!" Ariel shouted as she sprinted over to her brother and fell to her knees. "Mr. Pines! Pacifica said you might have something that can help him! I know it's probably too late for me, but you can save him! Right?!" the teen girl shouted as she began to attend to the injured boy. Dipper removed the handgun from the back of his jeans and turned off the safety. He tried to keep his emotions at bay, but the weight of the moment overcame him and soon tears escaped his hazel eyes. Baron had gathered the strength to sit up and now faced away from Mason while Ariel continued to tend to him. Dipper knew that it was now or never. While Ariel was quickly becoming aware of how dire her situation was, Baron had no idea of what awaited him; his broken leg a harbinger of the incredible pain and suffering that would soon follow. The father of two preferred to keep it that way. "Yeah!" he lied as he walked up behind the Gleeful children. "It's a shot, so keep looking that way so you don't see the needle. I'm not gonna lie, it's big and it will hurt, but I need to do it to make you feel better" Dipper said as he pulled the slide back and prepared to place the barrel at the base of the young man's head. "Okay. I trust you" Baron remarked through gritted teeth; the pain almost too much to stand. Ariel reached out with her good hand and grasped the trembling digits of her frightened little brother. "It's gonna be okay. I promise" she reassured him. "Ok. I love you, sis..." Baron said as he closed his eyes. "I love you too, bro..." she replied before closing her eyes as well.

A moment later, a single shot rang out and Baron slumped forward. "Y-You killed him! YOU KILLED HIM! WHY?!" Ariel said as she looked to see the lifeless body of her younger brother. "To spare him from what you're going through. All he knew was that he broke his leg and his sister was really sick. It was better that way. He was never terrified. He never suffered. I only wish you had same opportunity" Dipper said in a tone that seemed to be devoid of emotion. "S-So Pacifica lied to me? There was never a cure, was there?" Ariel asked as she rose to her feet and faced Dipper. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart. I really wish there was" he said in a defeated voice. "I suppose that you're gonna do the same to me?" the white haired teen asked. "I mean, you know what's gonna happen if I don't do anything. It's awful" he continued. "Yeah... Can I do it, though? I know it must have been so hard to do that and the last thing I want is for you to have to go through that again. Give me the gun, Mr. Pines..." the fifteen year old said as she held out her good hand. Dipper thought for a moment. While the whole situation troubled him deeply, he saw her point. Ariel knew that she was going to die, so she figured she'd go out on her own accord. He let out a sigh and handed over the silver weapon. "Thank you..." she said in a relieved tone. Ariel walked to the other side of the clearing and knelt down on the grass covered ground. "My whole life was a lie. Carefully created and controlled by a man who only had an affinity for power. Well, at least I can control one part of it" she remarked in a shaky voice before placing the weapon to the underside of her chin, like she had seen in a movie. Her hand trembled as she wrapped her index finger around the trigger; tears falling from her sapphire eyes as she prepared to end her life. After a few moments without hearing a gunshot, Dipper walked over and found the fifteen year old weeping and the weapon shaking in her hand. "I-I can't do it..." she said between labored breaths. "It's okay... I'll help..." Dipper said as he knelt behind her and placed his hand over hers. The warmth of his digits helped to calm the young woman somewhat. "You didn't deserve any of this. I hope you find peace in the next life, Ariel..." he said before pecking her on the cheek and pulling the trigger.

The shot echoed throughout the woods and Dipper let go of Ariel. She fell to the ground with a soft thud. He spent the next few minutes crying his eyes out as he questioned if he had indeed done the right thing. Should he have just let them pass on their own even though it would have been a horrible death? He was finally shaken from his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. Removing it from his pocket, he saw that it was Wendy who wanted to speak with him. He took a brief moment to compose himself and answered the phone. "Hey Wendy! What's up?" he said while trying to mask his true emotions. "Nothing much. Just got done cutting down some trees that were gonna fall into the road if a big storm came through. What about you? Have you heard from the kids yet? God, I hope they didn't spend that money we gave them on stupid shit..." she answered. "Sounds like fun. No, I haven't heard from them yet. I'll give them a call and see what's up when I hang up with you" Dipper replied. Wendy couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something seemed off with her lover. His voice was a bit raspy and he seemed to be giving short answers to her questions. "You okay?" she asked in a somewhat concerned voice. "Yeah! Of course I am... Why would you think I'm not?" he asked. "Okay... Now I definitely know something is up. You're being way too defensive. What's the deal?" the thirty-six year old inquired. "Wendy... C-Can you meet me in the woods behind the mall? I... I need to show you something..." he said while fighting the urge to break down. "I'll take an early lunch. I can be there in fifteen minutes. Are you gonna be okay until I can get there?" she asked. Wendy was worried that her husband was having some sort of mental health emergency and was terrified that she wouldn't make it in time. "Y-Yeah. I mean, I'm not doing great, but I'll be alright until you get here..." he said in a voice that seemed emotionally drained. "I'm getting in the truck now. We can talk until I get there, okay?" she said while putting the call on speakerphone. "Yeah. I'd like that" he responded.

Mabel, Pacifica, Grendy, Courtney, Alessandra, Mateo and Lucas returned to the mall. The walk had been quiet and full of tension, as they all knew something wasn't quite right. "Paz... What's going on?" Mabel asked as she placed her hand on the shoulder of her sister. "Yeah. That was hella weird" Mateo chimed in. "Uh... Let's go sit down at the food court and I'll explain everything" the brunette girl replied; hoping the additional time would help her think of just how to tell the group that the two children that had accompanied them on their trip wouldn't be coming back from the woods. "Ok. I was getting a little hungry anyway..." Courtney commented while rubbing her stomach. The rest of the teens agreed and they began their way to the dining area. Mabel could tell that her twin was in great distress, but couldn't get a read on why she would be that way. Perhaps the Gleeful's father had regained custody of them somehow? Maybe their mother had finally shown up? Whatever it was, Pacifica was being tight-lipped about it.

Wendy continued to talk to her despondent husband as she drove towards Gravity Falls Mall. She had little indication about what was going on, but figured she'd be clued in when she arrived. For now she would simply try to take Dipper's mind off of whatever seemed to be troubling him. The two talked about all sorts of things, such as what a crazy summer it had been and how the Seattle Navigators had been doing as of late. Before she knew it, Wendy had arrived at the shopping complex. She parked next to Dipper's car and walked into the woods behind the mall. "Dipper! Dipper! Where are you, dude?!" she called out. "I-I'm over here!" he responded. He could only hope that his lover could understand the situation he had found himself in. The bodies of the Gleeful children had continued to rapidly deteriorate in the time it took for Wendy to show up, which made him feel slightly better about his decision. "Dipper! There you are! What's the matter? What happened?!" she asked while approaching the chestnut haired man. "Okay... So you know how Ariel and Baron were clones of Mabel and Gideon?" he said to his lover. "Yeah?" she replied with curiosity. "Well... They... They did what poorly made and rushed clones tend to do... And, well... Uh..." Dipper continued as his emotions began to overtake him. "Oh my God... They started to fall apart?! That's horrible! A-Are they still alive?! Maybe Ford could find a way to hel-" she said before being cut off. "No. They're gone, Wen. Ariel was in a really bad way and Baron was gonna start soon. He was the lucky one. He only broke his leg. Ariel... She, um... Her skin was starting to come off and... H-Her hair was falling out. I'm pretty sure her major organs were shutting down too" Dipper explained as the tears he fought to hold back had won the battle and cascaded down his reddened cheeks. "Oh, honey..." Wendy remarked in an aghast tone as she wrapped him up in a hug; her hand soon rubbing the upper back of the clearly disturbed man.

The two stayed locked in their embrace for a few minutes as Dipper let all of his emotions spill out. He hadn't even gotten to the worst part of the ordeal yet and wondered what his wife would think of him for what he had done. Would she understand that he didn't want the siblings to unnecessarily suffer or would she see him as a cold-blooded killer? "Th-That's not even the worst part. So... You know how they kinda explained all of this stuff when they banned cloning a few years back?" he began. Wendy nodded that she indeed did. "Okay, so you know what kind of hell those kids were going to go through before they would die..." he continued. Once again, Wendy confirmed that she knew. There had been a whole presentation by a high-ranking health official on the effects of cloning and what could happen to that individual if anything went wrong that aired on all the major networks and children had been taught about it in health class. It was graphic, but important in proving the point as to why the process should be banned. Public opinion had soon swayed towards the prohibition of the practice and it became a felony to do so, which was why Jennifer McGuckett knew she had to run away when it came to light that she had engaged in the illegal act. "Yeah... So what happened, Mason? What happened to those kids?" she asked in a worried tone while looking beyond the shoulder of her husband to see what appeared to be two piles of refuse in the distance.

"I put them out of their misery. Nobody should have to suffer like that. Th-They were just fuckin' kids, Wen! Gideon made them for some stupid ass vanity project to make him more electable or some bullshit like that! They were people, damn it! They lived and they breathed just like anyone else!" Dipper explained as his feelings once again got the better of him. He pulled away from his wife and turned. Wendy took a second to process what her husband had just said. Did he really admit to killing them? Sure, it was done out of compassion and mercy, but it was still a bit unsettling for the thirty-six year old woman to comprehend. "A-Are you saying that you kil-" Wendy began before being cut off. "Yeah. I killed them. I used the gun your father gave to me before we got married..." he explained while removing the firearm from the back of his jeans and holding it out for her to see. The auburn haired woman took a step back as she didn't care for the sight of guns; let alone one being held by her husband. "M-My Dad gave you a gun?" she asked in a bewildered voice. "Look... I didn't want it, but it was a gift from him, so I took it. I put it away in our closet and honestly had forgotten about it until today" he said as the look on the freckled woman's face softened just a bit. She knew they both shared a complicated past when it came to firearms, but it still would have been nice to have known that one was in their home. By contrast, Wendy kept her weapons in her work truck, as she was obligated to have them for her job.

"D-Did they know? Did the kids have any idea about what was happening?" Wendy asked Dipper. "Ariel did a little bit. Baron didn't, thankfully..." he responded. "So... How did it all go down?" she continued; curious as to what had transpired. He began to describe what had led up to the moment he removed the weapon and placed it to the back of Baron's head. "A-And then they said their goodbye's. It tore me up. I-It made me think of when I said goodbye to Mabel. I pulled the trigger and that was it. He fell forward. Ariel knew what was up and she... She asked me if she could do it. I gave her the gun and she tried... B-But she couldn't. She was so damn scared. I tried my best to comfort her and then we both pulled the trigger together. Just like that, she was gone too..." he concluded. Wendy had joined her husband in crying early on in the recollection of the events and once again found herself embracing him. "You must think I'm a fucking monster. I-I just couldn't stand to let them die like that" Dipper said. "No. Not at all. You did the right thing. You gave them the one thing they deserved more than anything else... Their dignity" Wendy reassured her lover as the two walked over to the remains of the Gleeful children. While both weren't terribly religious, they still took a moment to say a small prayer for Ariel and Baron.

Back at the food court, the time had come for Pacifica to come clean about what had happened to the white haired siblings. "I don't know how to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. Ariel and Baron are dead..." she began as a chorus of gasps enveloped the table. "What do you mean?!" Mabel practically shouted at her sibling. "T-They can't be dead. We just saw them a little while ago..." Grendy added. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. They were clones. They weren't like you or me. Clones don't last that long..." Pacifica said. "Yeah, duh. We all saw the film in health class..." Lucas chimed in. "I-I didn't see it..." Alessandra said. "Allie... Clones are people who are made in labs by scientists. They don't last long because they're not made like you and me..." Pacifica explained to the youngest member of the group. "So... Ariel and Baron were falling apart?!" Courtney asked. "Yeah... Well... Ariel was. It... It wasn't good. She was so scared... Dad... Um... He said he'd take care of it..." Pacifica continued. "D-Dad killed them, didn't he?" Mabel asked in a worried tone. "I'm pretty sure that's the case. I mean, if I were going through what Ariel was, I'd want that sorta way out too..." the chestnut haired girl remarked. "Damn... One minute you're shopping with a girl and the next she's dead... Makes you think..." Courtney said. "Yeah..." Grendy added as she grasped the hand of her girlfriend. The table fell silent as they contemplated just what had happened on what was supposed to be a regular trip to the mall in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

Author's Note: I know this chapter was a bit dark, even by my standards, but there was no way to save the Gleeful children. How will everyone respond to the deaths of Ariel and Baron? What's next for the residents of Gravity Falls as the summer quickly draws to a close? Answers to these questions and more as we head towards the conclusion of Tales of the Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. - iKLOT

Playlist:

CHVRCHES / Robert Smith - "How Not To Drown"

Skillet - "It's Not Me, It's You"

Jimmy Eat World - "Bleed American" (Song playing on Dipper's radio as he races to the mall)

Movements - "Daylily"

Young The Giant - "Cough Syrup" (Made me think of Ariel and Baron)

CHVRCHES - "He Said, She Said"

Bastille - "Distorted Light Beam"

Imagine Dragons - "Wrecked"

My Chemical Romance - "The Sharpest Lives"

Black Keys - "Little Black Submarines"

Good Charlotte - "I Just Wanna Live"

Seether - "Wasteland"

Good Charlotte - "Little Things"

The All-American Rejects - "Move Along (06)"

Olivia Rodrigo - "brutal"

Milky Chance - "Colorado"

Seaway - "London"

Hey Monday - "How You Love Me Now"

Phoebe Bridgers - "I Know The End" (Made me think of Ariel and how she knew the end was close for her.)

Aranda - "Compartmentalize"

Grouplove - "Ways To Go"

Anberlin - "Paperthin Hymn"

Mayday Parade - "Kids Of Summer" (Reminded me of Gravity Falls)