25DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN GRAVITY FALLS
A/N: I just like to reiterate that this one-shot is in no way connected to my other stories. Since many people have been posting their theories of what will happen next, I decided to do one of my own. Please enjoy.
"My brother," Grunkle Stan said staring at the man who had just stepped out of the portal.
"Isn't this where one of us faints?" Mabel commented.
"Way ahead of you," Soos joked before falling down.
"Stanley," the author said.
"Stanford," Stan, or rather Stanley now just to avoid confusion, cried.
"Stanley, YOU IDIOT!" Stanford yelled punching his brother in the face. "Do you realized what you have done?"
"But, I had to get you out of there," Stanley cried from the pain. Not so much from the physical pain from the punch, but the emotional one that his brother wasn't grateful for everything he had sacrificed.
"I warned you not to save me. That rebuilding the portal could and will destroy the world!" Stanford said.
"Hey, you Grunkle Stan, Stanley, Stanford, um, Other Grunkle Stan." Mabel interrupted. "He was just trying to save you. And besides, the timer reached zero and we're still here." Mabel argued.
"Yeah so all's good right?" Dipper hoped. Since the world is still safe, he would be able to overlook everything Stan and Mabel had done since it helped save Stanford.
"Who are these kids?" Stanford asked.
"There are our great nephew and niece. I'm watching over them over the summer." Stanley explained.
"Well you've obviously been doing a lousy job at it," Stanford said cynically. "And no, it is not all good. The timer wasn't for doomsday, it was for the point of no return. Even as we speak there are catastrophes happening around the world right now, and they will continue to happen until this world tears itself apart." Stanley said sadly.
"There must be a way to stop it, there has to be!" Dipper pleaded.
"Sorry kid, but shutting down the portal before the counter reached zero was our last resort. Now it's too late. There's no way to stop it, that's why it's called the point of no return. I suggest you make peace with whatever you have left before the end." Stanford said before walking out of the secret lab.
"Stanford wait," Stanley begged chasing after his brother. Leaving Dipper and Mabel with an unconscious Soos.
"So Dipper what are we going to do?" Mabel asked her brother.
"Do? What do you mean we?" Dipper said coldly. Mabel was taken back by her brother's attitude towards her, but held her ground.
"Dipper you hear Other Grunkle Stan, if we don't do something the world is doomed." Mabel said.
"And who's fault is that?" Dipper accused. This time it would be Dipper who was taken back, by the hurt look in Mabel's eyes, but just like his sister he held his ground. "Look Mabel, he's the author, and if he says there's nothing that can be done, then that's it. Game over man."
"Well I still believe. I know the Mystery Twins can still prevail." Mabel said with her usual up beat positive attitude while putting her arm around her brother.
"Was there ever really a Mystery Twins," Dipper mumbled to himself, unaware that Mabel heard him.
"Say what?" Mabel asked hoping she misheard him.
"Here Mabel," Dipper said handing her Journal 3. "If you think you can save the world, by all means. Me, I'm done cleaning up after your messes. This is all you now." Dipper then turned to the exit.
"Where are you going?" Mabel asked.
"I'm going to take Stanford's advice and try to enjoy what's left of summer and quite possibly the final days of our lives." Dipper answered as he walked out the door.
"But, but, I need you." Mabel cried.
"Yeah well I, no, the world needed you ten minutes ago." Dipper shot back as he stormed off, leaving Mabel all alone.
Outside the Mystery Shack, Dipper could see the devastation caused by the portal first hand, and every moment made him sick to his stomach that it all could have been avoided if Mabel had just listened to him instead of that liar and a cheat. Looking back, Dipper realized that this wasn't the first time Mabel has let him down. She didn't listen to him when he tried to warn her about Norman being a zombie. Of course he was wrong and it turned out that he was a bunch of Gnomes, but still he was kind of right and Mabel blew him off. He warned her about flirting with Gideon and again she ignored him. He sacrificed his one chance with Wendy so that she can have Waddles, which he still regrets doing. And let's not even go in to the ordeal with Mermando. That is one thing Dipper wishes he let the Blind Eye erase from his memory. Tired Dipper sat down on a log wondering what he should do next.
"Having a little family troubles Pine Tree?" This creepy voice laughed.
"Bill, what are you doing here?" Dipper snapped at this tree that had the image of Bill Cipher etched in its bark.
"Just checking on my favorite adversary. I must say you've looked better, and I have low standards." Bill laughed as he came out of the tree. "So anyway, I need your help."
"Oh yeah well, I'm in no mood to play your games!" Dipper declared.
"This is no game Pine Tree. The day I've dreaded has come to pass. The evil that your uncles have unleashed will bring untold ruin, and only I can stop him, but I cannot do it alone. That is why I need your help."
"And why should I trust you? You tried to destroy my uncle's mind, you tricked me to destroy the laptop and then you tried to do the same to my journal." Dipper accused.
"All too true, but if you think about it, your great uncle or grunkle as you like to refer to him as, was building a doomsday device. That laptop and journal had vital information that could get the machine working. So technically I was trying to prevent that machine from starting up again. Face facts kid, the true villains of this story are your uncles, and that makes me the hero." Bill joked as he conjured a cape and a Superman emblem with the letters BC in it. "I may be a dream demon, but I don't want to see this world to end any more than you do."
"Say I agree, what's the catch?" Dipper asked skeptically.
"None what so ever, this is actually part of our original deal," Bill said.
"What?" Dipper not understanding.
"You remember a few days back when you offered me a puppet in exchange for information." Bill nudged.
"Yes and you tricked me!" Dipper accused.
"Not really, yes I did, but for good reason. You weren't ready to accept the truth. Back then you never would have believed that your uncle is really the bad guy. You needed to see that for yourself. Now that you know the truth, you are ready to learn the rest. Everything you're going to need if you want to save the world." Bill extended his hand. Only this time his hand wasn't burning in blue fire. "Trust me," Bill said ominously.
"Maybe you're right, or maybe this might just be another lie." Dipper accused slapping Bill's hand away. "And I'm sick of being lied to. You're on your own. Just leave me out of this." Dipper decided.
"Fine, but if you change your mind just call. I'll be waiting." Bill promised in his creepy voice causing Dipper so scream in terror.
Dipper awoke with a start, finding himself sitting on the log. "Dam that isosceles freak," Dipper cursed. "Actually now that I think about it, he's more of an equilateral triangle." Dipper wandered into town and saw that things were even worst than he imagine. Again he blamed Stan and Mabel for this mess. Walking in the Greasy's Diner, which he was surprise to find still open, he took a seat at the counter. "Apple cider please and keep them coming," he ordered putting all of his money down. Since the world is about to end, he saw no reason to hold on to it.
"Man that was one crazy quake wouldn't you say," Lazy Susan said taking down his order.
"Earthquake huh," Dipper smiled thinking how lucky these people are to be so ignorant of what's really happening. Lazy Susan returned with a bottle of grape juice. "I didn't order this," Dipper said.
"I know, compliments of that young lady over there, wink." Lazy Susan manually winked her eye as she directed Dipper's attention to a young girl sitting at the other end of the diner.
Dipper picked up the bottle and walked over to the girl and placed the bottle rather forcefully in front of her. "I take it this is yours, Pacifica?" Dipper asked rather harshly.
"Careful, that is top quality juice, very expensive. I had it imported here all the way from France." Pacifica complained.
"What are you doing here? Isn't this place beneath you Pacifica?" Dipper asked.
"Normally yeah, but everywhere else is closed due to the earthquake. Besides, this give me a chance to see how the common folk live." Pacifica said in earnest. Ever since the encounter with that vengeful lumberjack ghost, Pacifica vowed to do everything she can to make amends for all the wrongdoings her family has done over the years. Even so it is hard for her to break certain habits like using terms that tend to insult people. A shortcoming that Dipper is willing to overlook for the time being. "So shall we have a toast?" Pacifica suggested pouring two glasses of grape juice for them.
"Toast to what?" Dipper asked.
"Oh, how about are delightful reunion here." Pacifica joked. Dipper smiled as he lifted his glass. After the two drank their first drink, Pacifica refilled their glass. "So what's got you down in the dumps?" she asked.
"Nothing," Dipper said as he took another sip.
"That's good," Pacifica said sadly. Even though things have improved between them, she knew it would take a lot of work before he'd even consider her a possible friend.
"Hey Pacifica, if you knew the world was going to end, how would you spend your last few days?" Dipper suddenly blurted out. He blamed the grape juice. That stuff messes with your head.
"What is that your best pick up line?" Pacifica laughed, but stopped after seeing the serious expression on Dipper's face. "If I knew the world was going to end, I'd like to at least try to help at least one person to make amends what my family has done." Pacifica confessed. "Why is the world coming to an end?" she asked.
Dipper gulped nervously wondering how much he should tell her. As much as he would like to keep this in the dark, he really feels the need to talk to someone about all this; and right now Pacifica Northwest, who ironically just up until a few days ago he considered the worst of humanity, is the only one he can confide in. Dipper soon told her everything that has happened, everything except the end of the world part. "Can you believe it, I trusted him, and he's been lying to not only me, but all of us the entire time, and my sister still chose to side with him rather than me." Dipper ranted chugging down another glass of grape juice.
"Yeah I know how you feel," Pacifica said sadly.
"How can someone like you possibly understand how I feel? I was just betrayed by my entire family!" Dipper cried.
"Up until yesterday, I was always taught to believe in the Northwest family's greatness. That it was my ancestors noble achievements that made Gravity Falls what it is today. We were praised and respected as royalty. Then thanks to a certain nerd boy and ghost, I found out everything I believed in to be a lie. That we're not a family of great explorers, or peacekeepers, or even good people in general." Pacifica said sadly. "I guess we both come from bad stock huh," Pacifica joked.
"I guess we do," Dipper sadly agreed.
"But you know, I wise dork once said: 'Just because we're related to them doesn't mean we have to become like them'." Pacifica quoted.
"I didn't say it like that," Dipper blushed.
"I paraphrase, besides who said I was talking about you." Pacifica teased. The two shared a friendly laughed as they poured themselves another drink.
"Thanks Pacifica," Dipper smiled. Surprisingly he's starting to feel better. Looking at his reflection in the glass of grape juice, thought about everything that has happened. Of all the adventures he had, all the near death experiences, the revelation of Stan's betrayal, to Pacifica wanting to make amends for all of her family's misdeeds. That reminded him that she wasn't the only one who needed to fix their family's mistakes. He too had responsibilities he needed to take care of. His biggest problem is that he knows that this task is too big for him alone.
He needed help. Of course his first choice was his sister Mabel, but considering how she let him down at the Mystery Shack, and as much as he loves her, he felt that he could no longer depend on her for anything important. He then thought of Soos, but as much as he loves the big guy, he tends to mess up a lot. Finally he considered Wendy, but now that he's no longer blinded by love, he can see that she is a tad irresponsible. Not really someone he would want for this task. That just left one possible option. Someone who he once considered a waste of humanity and just recently proven herself to be responsible and dedicated, and maybe just maybe could be someone Dipper can trust. "Pacifica, will you help me save the world?" Dipper asked his drinking companion. Pacifica nodded with a shocked expression. Not so much out of fear about the end of the world, but from surprise that he'd just asked her for help.
Meanwhile deep in the Dreamscape. "So he's enlisting Llama instead huh. Unexpected but it still works for my plans." Bill laughed suspiciously.
Back in the Mystery Shack. "Only the might magic of the Lepracorns can save the world," Mabel said, playfully holding the journal up on the page about Lepracorns.
"No way, only the mighty muscles of the mighty Manotaur stop with whatever is going on." Soos laughed holding another journal on the page about the Manotaurs.
"Oh yeah, let's see who's better. Fight!" Mabel declared. The two friends then started crashing the two pages together in a pretend battle. It hasn't even been an hour yet and Mabel has already lost focus of the task at hand.