Fool's Gold

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Dipper popped out of his bed the next morning, thrilled that his suspicions were...somewhat...confirmed. He nearly tripped over himself running down the stairs to share his discoveries with Mabel. He would've done it last night, but he didn't want to ruin her evening with his revelation.

"Sis, you gotta see this," Dipper said. "I knew there was something weird about Stan..."

"Grunkle Stan," Mabel said, matter-of-factly.

"Whatever. Listen, this sheet says to 'Trust no one' and I think we should listen to it."

"Why should I believe you? Are you lying to me right now about not trusting Stan? Maybe I shouldn't trust you."

"What? No, it's just that we haven't ever met him before. He could be anyone, you never know."

"Look, I don't need to hear this again. My first real show is in half an hour and I wouldn't like to think of my Grunkle as a creepy liar. So, if you could stay out of my business and let me enjoy my summer, that'd be great." Mabel gulped down her chocolate milk and left the breakfast table in a huff.

"Your mistake!" Dipper yelled after her. "I'm gonna prove he's evil if it's the last thing I do!"

~ ~ ~

"Ladies and gentlemen, live from the Mystery Theatre, straight outta California, give it up for...Mabel Pines!" Stan had given a wonderful, if not a little overly excessive, introduction. Mabel was ready for this. She'd practiced the night before and couldn't wait to show the club what she had to offer. The air in the room seemed to thicken as she approached the stage. She looked over a sea of strangers, sitting right in front of her, silently judging her every move. She shuffled up to the microphone and waited for the music. She scanned the crowd and found that Dipper had taken a break from hating everything to see her perform. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and let it flow.

At first, she didn't think that anyone would pay her any mind, they'd just dismiss her as another wanna-be showgirl who has enough talent to get by, but isn't anything special. She soon realized she couldn't have been more wrong. Not only was the audience loving her voice, they were loving her style. The way she sashayed around the stage as she sang, the way she strutted to the beat, she wasn't just singing, she was truly performing.

She'd never felt so proud of her own musical ability. She had finally made it big, sort of. It was a start, perhaps the start of her new career. Getting recognized wasn't that far away now. She finished her song and stood for a moment, quietly taking in the large ensemble before her. The crowd erupted with cheers and applaud. In the back of the room, however, she could make out the faintest smile on Dipper's face, something she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Mabel, I've heard you sing, but never like that," Dipper said. "Truly lovely to listen to."

"Yeah, you've got a bright future ahead of you, kid." Stan chimed in. He held a small slip of paper in his hand. Mabel took notice of it.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, this? Only a contract for a year of shows, at this very shack. I know you just got here, but you got some nice pipes on ya."

"I don't know what to say."

"How about 'yes'?" he said with a grin.

Mabel almost immediately signed the papers. She was thrilled to finally be part of something bigger. However, Dipper's smile began to fade. Mabel was all he had, and if she stayed in Gravity Falls, he'd be alone.

"Come on, Mabel. Are you sure you really want to work here? I mean, you've barely been here one night and you're already signing away your whole summer."

"Dipper, I've never gotten an offer like this. I mean come on, $3 a day is the most I've ever gotten for my voice," she said as she turned to leave. "I've chosen what I'm gonna do this summer, maybe you should do the same." She headed upstairs to the attic to read. It had been a long journey to get there, and she hadn't since their departure.

Dipper, on the other hand, went out to the woods again. He predicted that he'd spend most of his time there, so he might as well make it comfortable. He fashioned a chair out of a tree stump and sat down, slouched and sorrowful. For years Dipper had been teased by his peers about his height, voice, just about everything you could imagine. He would have ended it all long ago if it hadn't been for Mabel. She was always cheering him up, always making him feel 20 feet tall even though he were no bigger than a hobbit. If she stayed here, he didn't know what he'd do.

Just then, a squirrel scurried down a nearby tree. It had the strangest eyes Dipper had ever seen. Yellow all except for a thin, black line down the middle. Before he could stare any longer, the creature bounded toward him, making Dipper fall over the stump and hit the tree behind him.

With a loud clang the trunk shook. Clang? That's not right. He thought to himself. He stood up and realized something, the tree wasn't a tree at all, but rather a metal sculpture made to look like one. But that wasn't all; on the side of it was a hatch that had been opened when he hit it. A closer look at the inside of the compartment revealed a book. It seemed to be a tattered journal, sporting a golden, six fingered hand, with one page clearly ripped out.