The Love Before You (Billdip)

Chapter 1: Strange Encounters

For centuries, demons and humans have been in odds with one another, and it seems that there was no end to it. At least, until the Axolotl himself grew tired of the feud. As an act to put an end to the situation, bonds between a select few of demons and humans were created, where a demonic guardian and their insignia, their human counterpart, would protect, care, and guide each other. However, not all are happy about the establishment, especially not Bill Cipher who appears to loath the humans since the beginning of time. After he attempted to cause havoc on Earth, Bill was sealed away by humans and all of his followers were forced to stand down, contained within the invisible barriers of Gravity Falls.

A prophecy was then foretold by the Axolotl, one that would once again unite demons and humans alike.

"A fallen star rises above all else, a mark of triumph for the world and an insignia of the hellion, all in the form of a kindred spirit. Only when one touches the strings of fate will it intertwine with the hands of the saviour".

People believed the prophecy and started to search for their awaited saviour. Yet as time passed, all hope was lost in the dark, forgotten from the memories of the humans. Until thirty years later, a set of twins arrived in Gravity Falls on one sunny day, allowing destiny to bring them to a long-awaited fate.

***

Dipper Pines sat quietly in the backseat of the bus, his eyes set on the open book set on top of his lap. A pair of headphones were placed on his head and his favourite song blasting through the speaker. Soft snore could be heard from the female beside him, a head on his shoulder and arms around a bag. Mabel Pines had slept throughout most of the trip, stirring and changing her sleeping position from time to time. Dipper could only smile at his sister's attempts to find a comfortable position and decided that he will stay awake for the sake of not missing their stop. There were only the two of them in the bus, which Dipper could only guess was because of the little interest people had on Gravity Falls or the inconvenience of travelling such long distance to a place that doesn't even exist on the map. Either way, he was glad that he could enjoy the quiet. His introverted nature made him prefer the less crowded and quieter scenes and avoiding unnecessary social situations. Besides, that was Mabel's job as a social butterfly.

Dipper couldn't help but chuckle at their contrasting personalities. People have always said that their physical appearance looks so similar that they're like two peas in a pod, but when it comes to their interests, well... let's just say that people can list them in seconds very easily. Some days he wondered what it would be like to have many friends like his sister, always having people clinging to her like a koala, having them on her beck and calls, having lots of people take an interest in her and how much fun she seems to have. On other days, Dipper feels glad that he isn't like his sister. Not that there is anything wrong with her and her personality, it's just too overbearing for him sometimes. The spontaneity, the rush of excitement, and the drama just isn't his cup of tea.

The twenty-year-old male's mind wandered to his Great Uncles' old shack, imagining how it would look like and what it would be like to live there for the summer. He had heard from his father that it was a small shop located near the forest and that it was one of the most tranquil places she had ever visited. He had also mentioned that Gravity Falls was a wondrous little town that seemed to hold some kind of mystery behind it. Added to the fact that he would have the opportunity to be his Great Uncle Ford's apprentice, one of the greatest scientist, inventor and user of magic, there was no way he would pass up the offer.

Great Uncle Ford, or Grunkle Ford, was one of the greatest minds of his time. Uniquely, he was able to use magic from a young age with exceptional skills and without a guardian's help nonetheless. His spark was also strong and his inventions had been used for the greater good of humanity. It was once said that he had united a group of demons and humans alike to help an ongoing threat in Gravity Falls, saving the little town from doom. Though Dipper wasn't quite sure of the latter, he still aspired to be as intelligent and independent as his Grunkle Ford one day. On the other hand, his twin Grunkle Stan is the owner of the shack, displaying different mysteries that had been lurking around Gravity Falls. Well, sort of. It's all fake displays. He decided to call it the "Mystery Shack" and used it as a tourist site. His shack was arguably the most attractive tourist site in town, at least that's what the man said. Dipper has his doubts, but who would want to argue with a cranky man that could make his life a living hell.