Cataclysm -A Gravity Falls Fan Fic

Chapter Twentyone- The Main Attraction

Dipper sits up and checks the time; it's 6:30 in the morning.
"That's it...I'm getting up," Dipper yawns. "I never got to sleep anyway,"
Dipper stumbles down the steps, and opens the fridge.
"Dipper?" he hears someone say.
He turns around to see Wendy, glancing at him.
"W-Wendy? What are you doing here?" Dipper asks.
"Every once in a while, I come in early just to wake up and get away a bit, y'know?" Wendy smiles, yawning. "So, what are you doing up so early?"
"Just...wanted to get an early start on the day," Dipper says.
"Cool, cool," Wendy nods. "Well, later!"
"Wendy, wait!" Dipper says, holding a hand out to her.
"Huh?" Wendy asks, surprised, stopping to look back at him.
Dipper tries to find the right words to say.
"Just...always remember that you really mean a lot to me," Dipper says, hoping Tilla doesn't see that as hinting.
"Uh...thanks, dude!" Wendy smiles. "The feeling is mutual,"
And with that, she walks away to her desk.
Dipper sighs, letting that warm feeling she gives him consume him for a while, and continues to find his breakfast.
Dipper is taking a walk outside. It's around 9 o'clock in the morning, and Mabel hasn't woken up yet.
Dipper takes this opportunity to have a peaceful, nostalgic stroll, visiting all the places in town he's ever been to.
Some people would stare at him weirdly, as he would stop every once in a while, gaze from left to right slowly, sigh, and then move on.
Dipper is still walking when suddenly, know-it-all-depressing Dipper takes the reigns, no matter how hard Dipper fights against it.
"Ah...the beautiful aroma the world gives you when you're awaiting impending doom!" know-it-all-depressing Dipper laughs, talking to himself, ignoring the weird stares from people he's receiving. "Sorry, Dipper, but I've got a...friend I'd like to bid farewell!"
Dipper walks into the ice cream shop, where Pacifica is coincidentally residing.
"Hey, Miss Northwest!" Dipper waves, smiling.
"Oh...Dipper, hey," Pacifica says casually. "So, what are you doing here? More exclusive nerdy stuff you don't wanna talk about?"
"Nope," Dipper grins, taking a seat across from her. "Truth is--if truth had any meaning, that is--I wanted to see you,"
"Um, you what?" Pacifica asks, confused.
"Wanted to ask how you've been," Dipper explains. "And other pointless surface-y conversation starters like that,"
"Oh...okay...? Um, I've been fine, you?" Pacifica asks, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Fine, besides the fact that--" Dipper starts, but the original Dipper fights back enough to stop him from spilling anything.
"Um...you were saying?" Pacifica asks.
"Right. Just let me think of an excuse," know-it-all-depressing Dipper laughs. "Okay...everything's fine besides...uh, not hanging out with you recently,"
"U-Uh, um," Pacifica stutters, not knowing what to say. "Y-You...wanna hang out?"
"Yeah, that's what I said," Dipper says. "If you don't want to that's fine, because everything is pointless in the end. Especially for me,"
"No, I definitely want to!" Pacifica says quickly.
No...this isn't right! You'll mess things up between Pacifica and I even further, original-Dipper's mindset thinks.
Who cares? It's not like you'll see her ever again in a couple days, know-it-all-depressing Dipper thinks back.
"So...where do you wanna go?" Pacifica smiles.
"We could play mindless arcade games again," Dipper suggests. "Or we could do something actually exciting,"
"Haha, sure!" Pacifica laughs. "Lead the way!"
Dipper stands next to Pacifica on top of the water tower.
"Are you s-s-sure about this...!?" Pacifica gasps, scared.
"C'mon, trust me! Would I let you fall?" Dipper grins.
Pacifica stares up at him.
"No you wouldn't," she replies, smiling big. "Let's do this!"
"That's more like it!" Dipper laughs, putting his arm around her. "Hold on tight!"
Pacifica clings to him tightly as he dives off of the water tower, and just before they hit the ground, Dipper uses his powers to boost them back up into the air.
"This...is...amazing!" Pacifica gasps, screaming.
Dipper lands with Pacifica safely by the Mystery Shack.
"Dipper Pines...you are just full of surprises, aren't you?" Pacifica laughs, adrenaline surging inside of her.
"You have no ide--!" Dipper starts, but once again, original Dipper's mindset stops him from hinting at anything.
"Er, yep!" he finishes.
"So...you probably have to go now, right?" Pacifica sighs, noticing they're by the Mystery Shack.
"Good observation," Dipper confirms in reply.
"Dipper..." Pacifica starts, but can't find the words to say. "Just...let's hang out again soon, okay? You're...one of the only people I can trust and just...let loose and have fun around nowadays,"
"It'll be my pleasure," Dipper winks.
Pacifica laughs, her cheeks beginning to turn red.
"A-Alright, good, then. Thanks, Dipper. See you...later!" she smiles, waving.
"Later," Dipper says, walking into the shack and closing the door behind him. "Not like there's gonna be a later,"
Dipper closes his eyes, clutching his head, which is beginning to hurt.
"Okay...that's...enough, you sick, sick mindset!" original-Dipper yells to himself, taking the reigns back.
"Um, what?" Mabel asks, eating a bowl of cereal right behind him.
"Ahh!" Dipper jumps, turning around. "Um...hey, you're...right there,"
"Did I hear you say mindset? Tell me you're not having head problems again!" Mabel inquires, squinting her eyes.
"I'm...I'm not having head problems," Dipper states. "But, um...look, a new season of Generic Reality Game Show with Hot Dudes is on!"
"WHAT!? GRGSHD is on tv!? I must go, I have been summoned!" Mabel yells, running off.
Dipper laughs, shaking his head, but then feels that gut-wrenching feeling of sadness again, and frowns.
Before he knows it, it's the morning of the third day.
Mabel is already making plans on going to the Gravity Falls festival with Wendy, Soos, Grunkle Stan, and of course, Dipper.
"Um...maybe you guys--I mean, maybe we shouldn't go to the festival tonight," Dipper stutters, sweating.
"Whaaaaaat!? Dipper, don't be such a party pooper! We're totally going!" Mabel smiles.
Dipper knows if he argues anymore, he could risk hinting at hinting about what he and Tilla talked about, so he just sighs and walks away.
Mabel frowns.
"Anyone notice Dipper's been acting different lately?" Wendy points out. "Like, more...quiet. And sentimental,"
"Almost like he's going through some emotional trauma that he just can't tell us about," Soos points out.
"Hey, I'm sure he's alright. I've been depressed before. You get out of it eventually," Stan grunts.

It's 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and Stan calls Dipper down from his room.
"Dipper, you've been up in your room all day! Come down, we're goin' to the festival!" Stan yells.
Dipper sighs, his hands shaking heavily as he takes out what's in the black box and puts it in a pocket in his vest.
"C-Coming," he hoarsely yells back.
Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Soos, and Wendy are all walking together towards town.
"Dipper, you've been ignoring me all day!" Mabel complains. "I hope you aren't going through that depressed-late-tweenage stage of life like Stan was talking about!"
Dipper doesn't reply, just stares at the ground in silence.
"Dipper?" Mabel stutters, placing her hand on his shoulder.
Dipper just pulls the bill of his cap down, casting a shadow over his eyes.
Finally, the five of them arrive at the festival. There are a bunch of games and cotton candy stands, a Ferris wheel, and a big stage right in the center of it all.
"Hey kid, you've been lookin' down," Stan points out. "C'mon, enjoy the festival! This is the one actually kinda successful and fun thing Gravity Falls has to offer!"
"Sorry," Dipper sighs. "I...I just...I don't know anymore,"
"Don't know anymore?" Stan questions. "Oh, no. You aren't going through that vague, confused phase yet are you!? I thought you might last till you were thirteen!"
Dipper musters a grin, and hugs Stan, laughing.
"Yep, you're definitely goin' through a phase," Stan laughs, hugging him back; then Stan takes off Dipper's cap and messes up his hair.
"Thanks Stan," Dipper smiles, but looks away when a tear threatens to fall.
"Don't thank me, thank my casual, relieving sense of humor!" Stan says, flattering himself.
Dipper tries to enjoy his time at the festival with his family, but he just can't.
Not with what's around the corner.
The festival is about to officially start, so an announcer walks onto the center stage.
"Aaaaaaalright, folks! Welcome to the annual Gravity Falls Festival!" the man says into a microphone. "Can everyone please direct their attention to the stage, please? Our main attraction, the Vague Gravity Falls Band, will be up here to play you their latest song shortly, and then the festival will officially begin! Thank you!"
Dipper's heart skips a beat when he realizes that's his cue.
Right before Mabel makes her way along with Stan and the others to the stage, Dipper stops her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"What's up?" Mabel smiles, but then frowns, finally noticing his scared, pale state. "Dipper. What's going on!?"
After a few moments of silence, Dipper just closes his eyes and pulls her into a big hug.
Mabel, surprised, closes her's too, and hugs him back.
Dipper backs away, and before Mabel can ask him why he's acting this way, he dashes off into the crowd.
"Dipper? Dipper, where are you going!?" Mabel yells, running after him toward the stage, but she loses him.
"Kid, over here!" Stan calls to Mabel, motioning for her to join them. Hesitantly, she walks over and stands with them.
"Dipper ran off!" Mabel tells Stan worriedly, but her voice is drowned out by the cheering and bustling of the crowd.
"I got us a front row seat, so be happy," Stan grunts.
The crowd is buzzing, when finally, someone walks out onto the stage.
Everyone cheers, and then goes quiet, waiting for him to do something, like play a song, do a dance, or sing.
"What the...?" Mabel whispers, when she realizes who it is.
"What the heck? Why's Dipper on stage!?" Stan asks Mabel, who can't reply because she doesn't know the answer.
Dipper stands in the center of the stage, also the center of the whole town's attention, the spotlight focused on him.
Sweat trickles down his forehead as he clears his throat and looks out at them.
He looks down at his family to see their expressions.
Wendy looks happy and mellow, just rolling with it.
Soos, his trusty Pterodactyl Bro, gives him a thumbs up, and mouths the words, Good luck, dude!
Stan just looks downright confused.
Mabel's eyes are wide in shock and confusion, and Dipper shares with her one last smile before he performs.
Dipper pulls a pistol out of his pocket and holds it up to his temple, and then, after a tear trickles down his cheek, he pulls the trigger.

(Note: Thanks all for reading, I hope you liked it. This may very well be one of the most intense chapters I've ever written! I'm so happy you all could be apart of it. I try to put my heart into every chapter, even in the midst of all the business of life. So thanks for bearing with me!! ^-^ Love you guys.
-Mabelwaffles127)