Gravity Powers - Stranger Than Mystery - Book 3

Chapter 10 - And The First, Last

"Friends are like earthly possessions. They come and go. But there's a difference that defines them beyond comparison to anything or anyone else: bits and pieces stay behind within us our friends left before they passed on."

Dipper, Stan, Soos, Ty, Markus, and Kai marched along through a cemetery carrying a large casket in their arms reverently. Everyone else from Gravity Falls followed dressed in black. Wirt and a few of his agents from the battle were there as well.

The four men and two boys stopped at an open grave and placed the casket on a machine that lowered it down into the hole. Candy stood before everyone else and Kai turned around and ran into her arms sobbing.

"The day I became a father, I also became a friend. I had the privilege of being born with a loyal brother and a bubbly sister. But I was introduced two new members of our family. My son, Markus, and my best friend, Kronos." Dipper began standing in front of the grave facing the crowd.

"He was pushy, mysterious, unpredictable, and had poor social skills. But I can name a few people with those traits here today. He was also strong, brave, merciful, loving,...a brother, a husband,...a father....a hero." He wiped a tear from his cheek.

"I never thought I would endure such pain when I lost my parents again. But seeing him sacrifice himself to save us, our town, the universe. I learned that I shouldn't mourn him. None of us should. Sure, he left too early. But no matter when he leaves, he leaves behind the greatest gifts and blessings: memories. The good. The bad."

"He is not gone. He lives on within all of us. Candy and Kai especially. Because like he once was to my son, he is a guardian angel." He finished and walked over to his family with Markus and hugged Pacifica.

After a few heart-felt moments, they did the same for two more caskets. One had the eulogy lead by the dock master from Gravity Falls on his father, Fiddleford McGucket.

The other was by Stanley Pines on his brother. Jane stood to the side in tears.

Mabel left a bouquet of flowers on each of the three tombstones. One read: Kronos Pines, beloved husband, father, and brother. Another read: Fiddleford Hadron McGucket, brilliant man and father. The third read: Stanford Pines, a great man, brother, and uncle.

They all gave their condolences and left a few at a time until just Dipper, Mabel, and Ty remained. Their families went ahead but still waited for them. Rory looked over at the triplets staring down at the graves with her arm in a sling.

Pacifica took a moment off buckling her children to look at Dipper. Mermando had his and Mabel's triplets in the car with Samaera. He looked over as well.

"Think about what you said, Dip. He's not gone. Not for good." Mabel said. She hugged him and kissed his cheek before walking to her family. On her way to her car, she broke out into a hysterical sob. Mermando ran out and comforted her.

Ty gave Dipper a hug and Dipper hugged back while not breaking his stare at Kronos' grave. Without a word, he walked away to Rory and Violet.

"Y-you gave us a promise....That you would always be the protector of my family.....I still believe you are....wherever you are....I know you're still holding your promise......T-thank you, Kronos." Dipper said in between sobs. Tears trickled down his cheeks.

After his tearful goodbye, he walked over to his family in the car and hugged Pacifica tightly. She hugged him back and cried loudly into his chest.

None of their kids were more shocked than Markus. He hadn't said a word since the war. When the family got home, he ran up into his room and stared at the sword Kronos gave him as a baby. It was mounted on his wall as his most cherished possession.

After a while, he let out a scream that had been hidden within himself for months now. He grabbed whatever was closest to him and threw it at the sword until it was knocked from its hooks and fell to the floor. He slammed his fist on the ground and bit his lip to stop the sobbing.

Dipper and Pacifica waited outside his bedroom door listening to him. It had been a few days now since the funeral. "I don't think we can help him, Paz." Dipper said.

"We can't. But those who understand him better can." Pacifica said. Dipper looked over at her.

Right on schedule, there was a knock on Markus' door. He opened it to Kai standing there in the doorway. "H-hey...." He said.

Markus wiped his cheeks. "Hey."

"You up for some videogames? Violet's having a Crest competition at the bunker and I need another player. Would you want to come?" Kai asked.

Markus looked at him. "Are you ok? F-from what happen-"

"No. And my mother hasn't smiled in days." Kai said almost impatiently.

Markus could see he was suffering. Kronos may have been a hero to him, but he was Kai's father. Aunt Candy's husband. They had a better reason to feel this way. But he noticed how Kai must've listened to his father's words. How he is trying not to mourn, but to move on and take the pieces his father left with him.

He's spending time with the only friends Markus has and is inviting him too. "Yes." Markus said.

Kai looked up at him. "I will." He told him. That made Kai smile a little.

"Come on. We're waiting on you, Iron Man." Kai said bumping his elbow to Markus' arm lightly.

"Oh wait. I gotta do something first." Markus said. He ran back into his room and looked over at the fallen sword. He picked it up and tied the scabbard around his belt then slid the sword inside.

He then ran out and gave Dipper and Pacifica hugs. "I love you, Mom and Dad."

"We love you too, Markus. Now go out and have fun with your friends." Dipper said.

Pacifica stole a kiss on Markus' forehead as he ran off and down the stairs and out the front door with Kai to the bunker where their friends were waiting.

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Reese returned to the angel home-world and was greeted by his wife Kylie and daughter Agatha. He smiled at them and looked over to a large island in the distance off the coast where the sun rose swiftly, the beaches were white and smooth, the land was green and many people were there: humans, aliens, angels. Paradise.

They gathered around as someone new was coming in through the teleporter installed in the center of the land. A man with thick red hair, blue eyes, and a scar on his right eye which faded away emerged to the cheering crowd.

"What took you so long, Kronos?" A friendly voice asked.

The man turned to the young woman who said that. A girl with long black hair, pointed ears, and a small set of angel wings stood there.

"S-Selene?" He asked.

"It's good to see you. We're so proud of you." She said with a smile.

"W-where am I?" He asked.

"You're in Heaven, Kronos. Looks like where you came from didn't matter where you'd end up." She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to a series of floating windows hovering only inches off the ground. "Step in it." She insisted. "It's your way into the people you loved."

He hesitated but then walked right through the first one and was transported to his family's house. He saw Candy sitting at the kitchen table alone. "Candy...." He said.

She sniffed. He walked right over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She couldn't see it, but she felt warmer and at home again. She knew that Dipper was right. Kronos wasn't gone forever. "I miss you Kronos." She said.

"I miss you too Candy." Kronos said. He pulled away and kissed her cheek. She smiled. "I will always be your guardian angel."

THE END