Falling Universe [Complete]

Chapter 17

Dipper would be angry. Dipper would be scared. Dipper was betrayed long ago.

Dipper woke in a shimmering light. Taking a different form was weird. As soon as he materialized completely he stretched and shook out his body, ignoring the surrounding gasps. He sighed and looked at the sentient forms around him as his assigned counterpart locked him in a steel hug.
"Dipper! You're back! I missed you so much! Oh, and you're so tall now!" Mabel giggled and exclaimed excitedly.

He tilted his head so his gaze was a head below neutral. Wow, that was freakishly taller. She looked worried and it took him a while for him to realise he should be hugging back. He did and she smiled. Dipper looked behind her to the group of people. Stan was there, Sodalite looked worried and was there too, so was that cashier girl... Wendy, right? Soos was there too, along with two girls he had never seen before.

"Nice to see you finally awake, kid. You almost had me worried, there." Stan said, smiling.

Wendy spoke next. "You kidding? He was worried sick. The entire time, easy."

"Dude! You have no idea how much you've missed!" Soos exclaimed.

Dipper put Mabel at arm's length as he looked to Sodalite. "W-what? How long have I been out?"

Sodalite opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by new voices. "A SUPER LONG TIME!" "About a week, I think."

Dipper frowned at the intrusion and moved Mabel to his side, taking himself from her grip. In seconds, he summoned twin swords and had the two strangers backed up against the wall. "Who are you, why are you here and what do you want?"

"Dipper!" The blue gem winced as he was hit on the head with something. He turned around to see Mabel holding a shoe. "These are my friends, you numbskull. Don't hurt them!"

Dipper looked to Mabel, then to the group of people he knew. They didn't seem threatened. Dipper took a glance at the big one he had pinned against the wall. "No. They're not safe." He growled and held his swords dangerously close to them.

Mabel sighed, and soon Dipper found himself being pried away by Sodalite and his sister herself. "Dipper, calm down." Mabel pleaded before smiling and signalling her friends to leave. "Nothing's here to hurt us, okay? That was just Candy and Grenda."

The boy let his breathing calm. He... shivered internally. The world was blacked out around him as he looked deep inside himself and found a void. "There will always be something out to hurt us intentionally or not, Mabel."

She replied, but it was garbled. Nothing was right. Nothing was good... he felt himself fall, but paid it no mind. He missed the power. He hated it. He missed the extra limbs. He hated them. He missed the extra voice. He hated him. He missed being fused. He hated being fused.

"DIPPER!" Mabel snapped her fingers a few more times in front of his face.

He flug his head and mind into attention. "What? Where's Bill? Did you capture him?"

Mabel flinched back a bit. "Woah, calm down there, bro. Bill got away- buut~" Dipper darted up, gripping her by the shoulders. He took a deep breath, as if preparing for a scream before being shushed. "Buut~ Yesterday we got a visit from some gems looking for him! They want us to go with them!" Mabel shook her brother by the shoulders, heaving with absolute joy.

"O-other gems? Mabel, what does that even mean?" Dipper looked to the others that were in the room.

Stan shrugged and so did Sodalite. So, Wendy spoke up. "Dude. It means you'll get to make new friends, track down Bill, then. kick. his. butt!"

Everyone watched as Dipper's pupils dilated. The boy grinned and started laughing. "Yes! YES!" He was nearly jumping with joy.

Mabel laughed and started jumping so he could join. He seemed the wrong kind of excited, but she didn't mention it. She gasped as she realized she hadn't mentioned something. "Oh! Also, they knew us back before we lost our memories or whatever happened. These are friends!" Dipper's excitement only grew stronger. Mabel decided now was a good time for a little push. "The hybrid one wants to see us fuse, too! Wouldn't that be great?"

She faltered when he froze and started rubbing his arm shamefully. "Yeah... sure... uh, when do we leave, anyways?"

Mabel shrugged. Ugh, I'm such a dummy. He's probably still messed up about Bill. "Whenever you want, bro."

Stan sighed. He was going to have to come too, wasn't he? "Mabel, where did those gymnastic weirdos say they were from?"

Mabel cheered as she threw her fists in the air. "BEACH CITY!"

Dipper smiled. Beach City, the place he'll meet Bill again. What will he do when he meets him? Only time will tell.

fin.