Prologue

Holding hands were his sister and some new, random dude who had shiny braces and a respective personality.

    "Mabel," said Dipper. "Who's he?" He held journal 3 tightly under his arm as he imagined strangling the newcomer.

    "Oh, him?" Mabel said, giggling awfully amusingly. "He's my boyfriend, Dipper! His name's Rick!"

Dipper's eyes were filled with rage and terror. "So...I guess this means we won't be solving mysteries together anymore, just like we did when we were happy 12 year olds?"

Mabel ignored his irritated brother as she had fallen into her boyfriend's happy gaze. "Oh, Rick...," she mumbled dreamily and hugged Rick's arm.

    "M-Mabel!" shouted Dipper. "Are you even listening? Now we can't spend quality time together like we used to! I miss solving mysteries with you! I've even enjoyed your jokes as I went through puberty and my voice kinda changed!"

Rick looked at Dipper with a rude look. "Hey, Dipper, kiddo. Mabel and I have some dating to do. Just move on, man. You guys are 20 years old. Here in this aging domain there won't be any twin-to-twin accompanying."

Dipper's knuckles curled in a strangling clench as red washed over it, heating and sweating.

    "Ew, Dipper," Mabel said. "Your fist is red and sweating! Besides, you only focus on figuring out about the journals' mysteries! You never let me take over! You always wanted to impress Wendy!"

Dipper stretched out his sweaty fingers as he sighed and pulled up his sleeve and gazed at the Bill Cipher wheel which was tattooed onto his arm. "Mabel...you know I've already gave up on Wendy. She has a family of her own now...now that she's 'reunited' with a newer Robbie."

    "Then why won't you give up on our twin-to-twin relationship? It doesn't mean I'll stop loving you like a sister would...," said Mabel and sighed, tightening her clutch around her boyfriend's arm.

Dipper lowered his head as his hat flew down to the floor, near his shoes. "I-It's just that we've spent so many family times together...it just hurts to see you go...I'm just worried that I'll be forgotten once you have a family of your own, too, just like Wendy..."

    "Dipper, that's nonsense!" Mabel said with a cheerful tone. "Of course I won't forget you! Family members don't forget family members!" She disentangled from Rick's embrace and hugged his brother.

Dipper slowly creased a smile onto his face as he let go of the journal and embraced her sister just as much as she loved him.  "I'll miss you...'shooting star'," he said and chuckled.

    "I'll miss you, too, bro bro!" Mabel skipped back to Rick as they left the door hanging open.

Dipper would've raised his arm and waved at his sister, but seeing how she sadly had turned her back on him his decision changed. I'll miss you, Mabel...

He bent down and grabbed the journal and his hat as he headed upstairs to pack up his things for a long trip to a new casual cabin he afforded. He took out an old, shaggy, stitched backpack and plopped it onto his old, rusty bed cushion. He clicked the top open and put the two other journals in, and planted a crinkled map into the side pocket. He took one more look at Mabel's colorful bed across from him as he let out a mournful sigh. He took time to take it all in and feel over her bed, and kissed each plushy his sister had. For a final touch he placed a portrait of them under her pillow.

As soon as he finally left the room he slowly closed the wooden door and gazed out the broken window that was opposite of the staircase. He saw the trees rustling from the breeze, and felt his hat join the dancing wind.

    "Oh no, no, no, no!" Dipper exclaimed and edged onto the window sill, leaping down onto the lower roof. He took a final jump to the grassy ground as he tugged his backpack onto his shoulder, using his legs to carry him to his flying hat. Once he finally reached it around the bend of a river he claimed it back from a twig it got stuck in. The open space around him was quiet. No bird chirruping, nor  deer staring curiously at him. His heart thumped in a race with his pumping blood. The gusts of wind howled as it brushed his hair to the side. He looked up, feeling a bright light shine as a vertical line rolled around the sun. He grit his teeth as a searing pain hugged his heart.

***

    "Aaah!" Dipper yelled and wavered his arms in the air. He found himself drowsy and sleepy on the porch with his functioning laptop. "Oh...," he mumbled drowsily. "It was all a stupid dream..."

An ear piercing woman scream caught his ears as he leaped to his feet and clutched his coat. There went the same gust of wind again. Until he finally recognized the edgy woman scream he turned to anger and terror again. Mabel!

    "Wait..," Dipper said and stopped himself. "If it was all a dream then Mabel must've still been here!" 

Excited and hopeful Dipper tripped into the bedroom, only seeing his packed backpack and the portrait he had tucked under the pillow. With a glowering frown the 20 year old sighed sadly. "Well then...I bet she's happy that she had to scream in front of her boyfriend..."

He sauntered sadly to his bed and looped his backpack's straps around his shoulders as he continued heading out the door. He leaped down the first four bottom steps and landed with a quivering thump. With a final exit out of the Mystery Shack he gazed at the fallen 'S' and smiled. He waved at the shack as if it would wave back. But in his eyes...it did.