It didn't take very long for Gravity Falls and its sentient fleet of structures to be reduced to a pile of shivering, quaking rubble - the cognizant blue goo soaking back into the ground and, seemingly, disappearing back into thick clay and soil that made up Gravity Falls' water table. The scene was one of utter carnage - of terrors wrought from outright desperation, pure violence and broken bricks.
Smoke and dust rose lazily from the half-demolished township, content in the flames and destruction that had fed it so ably. The Manotaurs were soon staggering around, punching any wall or fence in the vain hope that they might come alive and reinvigorate the battle.
Only the Courthouse remained in one piece - though the wing where the Northwests had been tied now seemed conspicuously absent - replaced only by broken roof tiles and flailing cables.
"Do you… do you think that's it?" Kevin whispered to his sister.
Wendy narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure if we'll ever know for certain, little dude."
Kevin lowered his eyes and shifted his feet uncomfortably. "Do you…think Mabel's okay?"
His sister smiled and ruffled his hair. "Dude, I've seen that kid punch a unicorn in the throat. I'm pretty sure Mabel is gonna be fine. Nothing could get between you two."
"I hope you're right."
"Dude. Trust me. It'd have to be something super serious to get in the way of you two."
Tyler, open-jawed and unprepared for what lay in front of him, silently collapsed to his knees, staring blankly at the battle. His beloved town lay in tatters of crumbled mortar and brickwork, perforated by the occasional iron beam or wooden joist.
Blubs and Durland stood either side of him, each one with a firm hand on his shoulder - the other grasped around their batons.
"Sure is a sight." Blubs muttered.
Durland twisted his lip. "Where's we gonna go a-justicin' now?"
"Strength in hardship, Durland. Strength in hardship."
"D-dang, Blubs, I- I ain't so sure I'm used to this kinda hardship. M-mister Mayor?"
Tyler huffed. "I- I don't think we've anybody to git, boys. We've just gotta…rebuild."
For Soos, there was a whole new realm of confusion rife in his - admittedly not usually occupied - mind. He held onto the infinity strings and traced them back to the beaten-up roof of the Courthouse, where the rift continued to sit, swirling, bubbling and spitting occasional pieces of cosmic dust.
"Dude, surely they should've been back by now, right?" He gulped.
Blubs raised an eyebrow. "I mean…how long does travelling through space crud take?"
"Ya gotta have faith in that there Ford Pines." Bud nodded, hands on his sizeable hips. "He knows his stuff."
Then, that eternal time-stretching string, the infinity loops that held the Pines steadfast to the world that they knew, began to slacken. Soos gasped as they started whirling back towards him, lashing back and forth in a zig-zag motion, as if its burden was returning to them at full pelt.
The community flocked to grab hold of an infinity string each, trying to accelerate the return of the town's heroes. Through the seemingly constant slackening of twine, metre after metre of the infinity thread was pulled from the choking vortex into worlds and dimensions unknown.
"HEAVE!" Dan bellowed, promptly yanking free a good five metres of thread.
Kevin, heaving away with his hob-nailed boots jammed into the rooftiles, was getting distinctly excited. "Oh man, I'm gonna squeeze Mabel so hard."
"Dude, don't like - injure her, man." Wendy replied..
"You've clearly never felt a Mabel hug." Kevin beamed. "She's got arms like a vice."
The loops continued to slacken and erupt from the vortex that held them, vomiting up like silly string from the can, looping around the townsfolk with impressive tact. For a rare moment, every single person was united in one goal - get the Pines, Pacifica and Susan back home.
Thwip!
One of the loops sprung forth - and with a thud, Grunkle Stan's wallet hit the roof tiles. Still full of cash both counterfeit and authentic, and smelling strongly of expired apple juice.
Soos stared at the leather bi-fold as if it was the head of a loved one. Slowly, his eyes welled up with tears, and with a mournful wail, he fell to his knees.
"Oh God. Oh God, dude! Mister Pines! Oh God, it should have been me, dawg!"
"Hey, hey, it's okay sweetie, it doesn't mean-"
"Melody, it's his wallet! Mr. Pines never leaves his wallet! It's practically part of his soul, bro!" Soos sobbed frantically, holding the dirty-money-filled filth-magnet to his face. "Oh God, I can smell the counterfeit cigar tobacco!"
Then came Lazy Susan, flying at some velocity and landing promptly in Manly Dan's arms with a WHUMP. Her makeup was streaking and the poor woman looked utterly heartbroken, clinging to Dan with little thought for decency and sobbing as her shoulders bucked for air.
"S-susan?!" Toby chirped, grabbing the woman's shoulder. "Golly-jee Willickers, Susan, what's wrooong?!"
"It's- it's- it's all over!" She sobbed. "Time's going to change itself and then it's all over! The big space-lizard said so!"
Nobody was quite sure how to handle that kind of statement. Even for the often somewhat off-kilter Wentworth, it was an odd sentence. The sort that'd usually erupt scepticism in even the most weirdness-acclimated population.
Tad Strange and Bud Gleeful exchanged a bewildered glance, while Dan - never a particularly well-schooled man in matters of sympathetic compassion - patted Susan's back warmly with nothing short of pure confusion adorning his hairy features.
"Dang. I think she's cracked." Blubs whispered.
"Should we tase her, Blubs? Should we?!"
Blubs twisted his lip while he ruminated on the matter - but before any tasing could take place, and before Susan could elaborate on the matter that had left her so utterly distraught, the rift began to glow. The tear in space-time illuminated in a fiery, white hot flourish that pulsated and quivered, casting out one-by-one in big, broad beams of light that threatened to blind and discombobulate all who dared to watch.
"Oh my god, it's happening." Susan sobbed. "My poor Pacifica! Poor Dipsy! Poor Table!"
"Wh-what is it?!" Tyler shrieked, bounding behind Dan - who was similarly recoiling.
"It's so beaaauutiful!" Toby gasped, clenching his weirdly broad cheeks as they were enveloped in light.
A booming voice echoed from within, distorted by the echoing walls and realms of countless unseen worlds - all of which were shrouded by the fierce light that not a single soul of Gravity Falls could lay sight on any of the infinite possibilities.
"For when all is said and done…
You'll be back in place a-true…
And while you may lose one love…
You'll find fresh - anew…"
The Oregonites backed away fearfully, still clutching the Infinity Belt loops tightly, as an enormous dome of light soaked the valley.
Thwip! Thwip! Thiwp! Thwip!
Every single loop flew back out at the crowd - with no member of the Pines to be seen. No Pacifica. No Dipper. Not even a Mabel, flying back into Kevin's arms.
Before they even had a chance to process the presumed loss of their comrades, with a cacophonic swirl of what could only be perceived as electronic thunder, everything - every tree, every cliff, every cloud and every pile of rubble - was drenched in that hideous white light - and everything fell deadly, horrendously silent. A deafening, pregnant sort of silence that felt cacophonic. One that rang in the ears and pained the senses.
Just as it was all kicking off - the Courthouse gave way, and collapsed under the townsfolk's feet.