Story by EllerAnonysus

Just minutes before Grunkle Stan started letting guests into the party, Dipper and Mabel were both having major headaches. Neither of them could comprehend why they both were feeling that pain at the same time. It also wasn't just them, literally everyone in the Shack got that headache at the same time like it was just a disease spreading through the air. Dipper noticed how everyone, even Wendy and Soos had it and ran to the stairs to grab his journal from his bed when he ran into someone who looked exactly like him, but he didn't have a birthmark, wasn't wearing a hat or vest, and was about a millimeter shorter. Not to mention his skin had an unusually grey tone.

"Hey Ty." Dipper said a little startled at seeing him standing right there in the doorway.

"Hey Dip." He said back.

For as long as Dipper could remember, he and Mabel had a "miracle brother" who the doctors didn't know was in the womb until they were born. He was remarkably resembling Dipper and stayed that way. But at the same time the headache showed up, those memories seemed to feel shady to him. Almost like they were nothing more than a dream.

"Where are you running off to?" Tyrone, yes his full name is Tyrone, asked.

"Oh. Just getting the journal. Everyone's got this strange headache all at the same time....Wait a minute." Dipper inspected Ty up close. "Do you have a headache?"

"Wait, what? No. I don't. What's going on?" Ty asked nervously.

"I don't know. Just wondering. But you're the only one here without a headache...I'm hoping it doesn't affect the guests coming. Stan'll be in more trouble with the town than ever if that happens." Dipper said passing Ty and walking up the stairs. "Wait right here."

Ty wasn't sure what was going on and decided to do as he was told. Unlike Dipper, he was more of a pushover and obeyed anyone out of intimidation and unnecessary respect.

After a few minutes, Dipper came back down. "Ok. I brought the journal down with me since I can't find anything just rushing through the pages."

"Good idea." Ty said.

Before Dipper said anything else, he noticed someone in the window apart from the crowd. It was that girl from town that Ty was best friends with. There was many times when Ty felt alone, not even Dipper and Mabel could help him. But this girl always made him smile. Made him laugh.

Ty caught Dipper glancing elsewhere and looked in the direction he faced.

"Isn't that your friend?" Dipper asked.

After a good long look at her staring back at them and waving, they both realized she looked like she had a headache as well.

"Rory!" Ty came to his senses and ran to the door. Stan came out of nowhere and stood in his way.

"I don't think so, kid! We're not done here. Besides, we still need to set up the ticket booth so we can charge those suckers." He said with crossed arms.

"But Grunkle Stan! That's my friend out there! Wendy and Soos are friends here and they got in free!" Ty protested.

"That's right." Stan said almost looking like he was thinking of charging Wendy and Soos himself. "But they work here. They get a discount." He decided out loud.

"B-but..." Ty tried to say.

"But nothing! You're makin' my headache worse! Now get going! That punch isn't gonna make itself!" Stan barked and pointed toward the supplies on the table.

Ty gave up and turned around lowering his head as he walked to the table. "Grunkle Stan. Why do you think everyone got headaches at the same time?" Dipper walked up to him and asked.

"Cause parties are stressful, kid. But none of you should feel as stressed as I am here." Stan said jabbing himself in his chest with his thumb. "Now get out there. I need someone to man the ticket booth."

"What? Are you kidding me?!" Dipper protested. He looked away from Stan and over to Wendy giving Mabel some sort of advice while hanging streamers. "Can't you just get, I dunno, Soos to do it?"

"No. Soos is the DJ for the music." Stan said.

"Mabel?" He asked.

"She's uh.....She's social." Stan said looking over at her.

"Ty?" Dipper asked.

"Ty's makin' the punch. When he's done, then he can. But for now, it's your job." Stan said pointing the same thumb back behind him to the now set up ticket booth thanks to Soos.

"Fine." Dipper gave in. He walked away from Stan to think out loud to himself. "I only have so much party time with Wendy. I have to do something."

He looked up realizing he almost walked right into the table Ty was working on.

"Sup." Ty said as he stirred the mix.

"I don't know, Tyrone." Dipper said.

Ty looked over at Wendy and back to Dipper. "It's Wendy, isn't it?" He asked.

"When is it never her?" Dipper asked.

"I dunno man. I'm kinda wishing Grunkle Stan would let Rory into the party early so I could hang out with her." Ty admitted.

"Hey...Ty?" Dipper asked leaning against the table and tilting his head to the side to see Ty. "Do you like her?"

Ty's face lit up bright red. "Um. Well.....We've been friends all summer and she's been the best friend I ever had and she's really nice and cool and...."

Dipper couldn't help but smile at how relatable Ty was about this. He had a crush too!

"Your secret is safe with me, man. It's cool." Dipper said with a shrug. "But I wouldn't tell Mabel."

"Yeah....Right." Ty said rubbing the back of his neck. "H-have you figured out what's caused your guys' headaches?"

"No. Not yet. It's really bizarre.....Do you remember last year on our birthday? I can't remember it that well. I could've sworn yesterday I could remember it like it was....well, yesterday." Dipper said.

"I-I don't...." Ty said.

"Wait. You don't have a headache like us yet you can't remember anything like me?" Dipper asked.

"I guess." Ty shrugged nervously. Dipper eyed him again.

"Something is very fishy here." Dipper said to himself.

Grunkle Stan shoved Ty outside and into the ticket booth. Nearby, people of all ages were screaming for him to let them in. He wasn't the type to say no that easily. Especially to a giant and restless crowd like this.

"Let us in, guy!" One girl shouted.

"I-I can't." Ty said.

"Yeah! Let us in! We want to party!" A guy said.

"I uhhh." He looked around for someone or something to help him.

"Hey, back off!" A girl shouted to the crowd and walked around to the booth.

Ty felt so much better now. He smiled as she leaned on the board of the booth.

"Hey, Ror." He said. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, Ty." She said with a smirk.

"Hey! Why does she get to go ahead?!" Another girl snapped.

"Yeah! We want in!" A third girl yelled. Pretty soon, everyone was chanting the last thing she said.

"WE WANT IN! WE WANT IN!" They shouted and threw their fists up.

"I uh, I..." Ty stuttered.

"Just forget them, Tyrone." Rory said. She climbed inside the booth with him and turned him around by his hands away from the crowd.

"Oh.....Ok." He said with a blush in his cheeks at the feeling of her hands in his.

She pulled away and looked at him directly. "So what have you been up to?" She asked.

He hesitated to respond, getting lost in her bright green eyes. "T-the usual." He said.

She snickered. "It's always that way. Unless of course some monster comes along."

"Yeah." Ty rubbed the back of his neck again and adverted his eyes from her.

"You know I've been having this killer headache like, all day." Rory said clutching her forehead.

"Oh really?" Ty said. He knew it from earlier but he didn't want to seem like a creep to her. Unlike Dipper, he controlled his strange behavior around cute girls. A trait he earned from shyness.

"Yeah. It burns. And I feel like I can't remember anything from the start of the summer." She said.

"That is weird. Everyone in the shack is having the same problem. Everyone except me." He said.

"Whoa! Really? That's really weird!" Rory's eyes shot wide open at him. "Then again....weirder things have happened before."

"Yeah....But nothing to do with memories, right?" Ty added.

"I suppose. Everything's just been physical weirdness. Never psychological." She frowned. "How are you not affected?"

"Dipper asked me that earlier. But I don't even know." Ty said.

"This really is weird. Maybe there's something in the shack? It must be because everyone who's affected is either in the shack, or me...." She was confusing herself.

"Well, I would be affected too. But I'm not. And you are but you haven't been here since yesterday." Ty said.

"Excuse me?! Are we allowed to go or not?!" A pushy guy from the crowd shouted over the others.

"Why are you here, Ty?" Rory asked.

"Grunkle Stan put me here in charge of tickets." Ty grumbled.

"Wait. People have to pay to get into a public party?" Rory asked.

"That's Stan for you." Ty shrugged.

"We should just ditch this and find out what's going on." She looked back at Ty and smirked.

"I dunno. Grunkle Stan'll be really mad if he finds me not charging people and-"

"He'll just get Dipper to do it." Her smirk evened out into a smile. "Let's get inside."

Ty was swooning. "O-ok." He practically hiccuped.

She laughed and took his hand as they both ran into the shack and closed the door behind them. Stan was too busy helping Soos figure out the sound system to notice. She pulled him out of the big room and into the hall. They laughed together and ran around forgetting about what they were originally doing. Ty felt more confidence than he had in a long time and was able to tell her a joke he'd spent days working on.

She looked at him and laughed so hard she was snorting. He found every part of her laugh so...adorable. But the feeling, and the moment, went away when she shoved him away and he was supposed to softly land on the wall, but he went right through it.

He smashed through a thin wooden door and into a dark, dusty room. She gasped and followed him through. "Oh my gosh! Ty! Are you okay?" She got down on her knees beside him and shook him lightly.

"Y-yeah. I'm good." He said in between a few coughs. "What is this room?" He finally asked looking around.

Rory got up and found not a light switch, but a small chain leading to a lightbulb dangling in the ceiling. Ty eventually got up and joined her in looking around at the room now lit dimly by the single light bulb.

For a room that looked old, there wasn't that much dust than expected. They both caught sight of the only thing in the room, a copy machine in the corner.

"What is this?" Rory asked.

"It looks like some....ordinary copier. But why is it in this hidden room and why is it the only thing here?" Ty asked observing everything again.

"Strange." She said. Out of curiosity, she pressed a button to turn the copy machine on. It lit up and hummed to life.

"Rory!" Ty turned around and said looking at her and the machine.

"What?! I just turned it on! No harm done." She said swinging her arms up in defense, her left arm hit a lever on the machine and caused it to stir and begin making noises.

The two backed up as the cartridge to the machine opened up ready for use.

Tyrone cautiously walked over to the copy machine and looked inside the open cartridge. "Ty. It's a copy machine. It's not going to eat you." Rory said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well....You never know." Ty said looking at it. He stuck his head inside the cartridge a little too far and bumped it with his elbow.

"TY!" Rory yelled as the door slammed on his head and a buzz was heard as Ty was freaking out trying to get out. The machine then dinged and opened with Ty's head shooting back out in a gasp of air. After catching his breath, he and Rory watched as a large piece of paper printed from the side of the machine with his face on it.

"Nice butt shot." Rory giggled.

"Very funny." Ty rolled his eyes. "I could've died."

"But you didn't." She smirked.

Suddenly the paper shuttered and the print of Ty's face started growing out of the page. Soon, a three-dimensional cut out of Tyrone's head was looking around the room and locked eyes with Ty and Rory.

"Hey! You!" He yelled and plopped down on his chin to inch towards them.

Rory looked very freaked out and kicked the head hard at the wall. She ran out and came back with a cup of punch and threw its contents at the bruised head moaning in pain. "No! No! Nooooo!" He yelled as the liquid fell upon him and his skin began to melt until he was nothing but a pile of goopy ink.

"Ew." Rory shivered.

"Rory. Do you realize what this means?" Ty asked.

"This machine copies people?" She suggested.

"Well yeah. But....Maybe I have a chance at being in two places at once. Or maybe even Dipper since he wants to impress Wendy so bad tonight but Grunkle Stan is making him be the ticket guy." He said with a smile forming in his cheeks.

"You could just make copies of yourself and disguise them as Dipper. You guys are identical after all." She pointed out.

"Maybe. But would it even be a good idea?" Ty asked turning to her.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Rory shrugged.

"Tyrone! I have a big time-consuming job for you!" Stan called from somewhere in the shack.

"Ok. I'll do it." Ty volunteered and walked over to the copy machine again. He took a deep breath and laid down flat on the cartridge bed. Surprisngly, he was able to fit his whole frame inside. "Do whatever you did to make it work." He instructed her.

"Ok. But that was your doing just so you know." Rory said walking over to his side and pulling the lever. The cartridge came down on him and buzzed.

After a minute, the tray opened and Ty stepped out as the paper printed and a full image of himself climbed out of the paper.

"Is my head really that big?" He asked out loud.

"Tyrone?" The copy asked. Ty and Rory jumped.

"How do you know my name?" He asked.

"I know everything about you. I'm a copy of you, aren't I?" The copy said putting his hands on his hips.

"Well yeah but....Weird." Ty said walking around the copy to inspect him.

The copy looked over at Rory and nearly jumped himself. "It's her...."

"Who?" Rory and Ty asked in unison.

"I uhh....I can't say." The copy said realizing his mistake.

"She's Rory. My friend." Ty introduced her to the copy.

"I know that." The copy said almost impatiently.

"Okay then." Ty stared at him and pulled out a marker from his pocket he had for the punch cups. He was about to draw a number 2 on the copy's forehead when his hand got in the way. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Giving you a 2 so I can remember." Ty said.

"I'm not Number 2. Call me Number 3." He said putting Ty's hand up and helping him draw a 3 on his forehead.

"Okay. Number 3. A little confusing but I can make it work." He shrugged.

"I really hope this works, Ty." Rory said.

"It will. Right, Number 3?" Ty said turning to his copy.

"Yeah. Just give me a command and I'll do it. I'd do anything for you." He said.

"A little creepy but I like the attitude. You're just like me!" Ty said pointing out his willing to do what others tell him.

"Of course I am." He said in a confused manner.

"Okay. Your first task while me and Rory enjoy the party. You will pose as my brother, Dipper and sell tickets to people outside the shack as they come in. Can you handle that?" Ty asked.

"....I have to pose as who?" He asked.

"Dipper. My brother. Don't worry, we're identical twins." Ty waved it off. "Just run upstairs to his closet and get any pair of shirt, shorts, vest, and hat to wear. They're all the same practically."

The clone looked at him funny but did as he was told and walked out. "And don't let anyone in here see you!" Ty called to him.

"What if this doesn't work?" Rory asked.

"It'll work. If he's just like me, he'll do anything anyone tells him...." Ty's eyes lost hope as he thought of that statement. Anyone could tell him anything and he would do it. He wasn't good at holding back a crowd unless Rory was there.

"That's a bad thing, Ty." She informed him. But he already knew it.

While the party was now in full swing, Ty and Rory disappeared and came up to the roof to watch the stars and escape all the loud music, closed spaces, and tons of people. They assumed that miraculously, Number 3 was doing a very good job at the one job they gave him. Dipper was still inside trying to come up with ways to talk to Wendy using one of his "lists".

"It's really beautiful out tonight, eh Ty?" Rory asked with her eyes glued to the many stars.

"Y-yeah. It really is." Ty said sitting back in the lawn chair. It never occurred to him that tonight could also finally be the night he could take their relationship to the next level from just being "friends" to something more. "H-hey Ror?"

She turned and looked at him. The reflection of the stars was still in her large eyes as she locked them with his. "Mhm?"

"S-say I were to n-not go home after this s-summer. S-say I were to....s-stay here.....with you." He was blushing harder than he could produce the right words to say, let alone any at all.

"Uh huh." She encouraged him to continue.

"W-would you.....just wondering if....you would ever......g-go out with me perhaps?" His face was a tomato now, his eyes were shut from embarrassment. Butterflies violently rocked his stomach.

She seemed hesitant to answer. "Oh....I would love to but...."

But. But. There had to be a but. There always was. For as long as he could remember, he never had good luck with friends or even talking to girls. He was so afraid of getting made fun of that he was even too scared to talk to Mabel and it spread to Dipper. He was alone. Because he was afraid.

"Ty....I told you I like Dipper....Right? You remember that, right?" She asked.

He was devastated, and he couldn't do a thing about it. Just like old times. They just like Dipper. Dipper this. Dipper that. Dipper wins at chess. Dipper wins the spelling bee. Dipper gets first prize in the mandatory science fair. It was moments like this that made Tyrone feel like....he was just Dipper's clone. He was nothing but the living representation of Dipper's pathetic side. Without a word, he stood up from the chair and stormed off the roof and back inside the shack despite Rory's protests.

Just before he shut the door behind him to the roof, he could hear her sniffing. That almost made him go back. Almost. Not anymore.

He ran downstairs, past all the partygoers, past Dipper trying different means of talking to Wendy, and out the front door. He walked over to Number 3 in the ticket booth. Luckily for both of them, no one else was coming.

"Hello, Tyrone. What's the matter?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. I just want some time alone." Ty said leaning against the table with his arms crossed.

"Time alone with yourself?" He added.

"Yeah. That's why I came to you." Ty said.

"I see what you mean. Does that mean you don't mind me asking what's eating you?" Number 3 asked.

"It's just....I like this girl. A lot." Ty started.

"Rory?" He asked.

Ty nodded. "I actually was finally able to ask her out....but she said she just likes Dipper."

The clone looked at him with sympathetic eyes then took a deep breath. "You know. You do seem to look a lot like him, don't you? And you're not that different from him." The clone implied.

"Yeah well. I'm not smart like him. And I can't even talk to girls." Ty scoffed.

"That just means you have a weaker version of his personality." He said. "There's something I should show you." He stood up straight and walked to the door to the shack.

Ty didn't know what he was thinking, but followed him inside. They made sure not to let him be seen anywhere near Dipper as they went from the party area to the hallway where the hidden room stood. Then he lead Ty into the room and began to press a few buttons in a certain sequence on the copy machine.

Ty watched with curiosity as the machine made a sound no copy machine made. It whirred to life and started to shift around in place, reassembling itself until it formed a large doorway suspended by a few steps below it. The clone then stood back at it. "Doppelgänger." He said.

The doorway suddenly shuddered and formed a curtain of blue within its frame. "Come with me." He said before stepping right through the portal.

Ty rubbed his eyes to see if what he was seeing was real. Then he cautiously tiptoed over to the doorway and inspected it. Out of nowhere, an arm, possibly Number 3's, grabbed him and pulled him through.

Ty was pulled into a strange pocket dimension with dark swirling skies overhead and nothing but a vast, shadowy version of the town of Gravity Falls. He nearly fell over trying to regain balance here as Number 3 stood there waiting for him to have a reaction first.

"W-what is this place? Where are we?" Ty asked dusting himself off.

"This is the shadow realm." Number 3 answered. "Ever since that copy machine was first used, it created the first portal, the first connection between the real world and this one."

"The REAL world?" Ty asked.

"Yes. The creator of the copy machine wasn't actually the first to use it. The first one who ever used it only discovered it yesterday." He said wandering around the area looking at all the nothing-ness.

"W-who was that?" Ty asked eagerly.

"Dipper Pines." Number 3 answered with pride.

"Dipper? Well....If he really did use it, then his clone or clones are already dead. It was raining yesterday." Ty said.

"Explain to me why you don't like to get wet? Why you wouldn't go out in that rain? Explain why you have no memory of ever getting wet or even drinking anything since yesterday? Why are you the only one who doesn't have a headache?" He walked over to Ty and pointed at him as he asked these questions.

"That's insane. I am not a clone." Ty snapped at him.

He shook his head. "You don't have to deny it. You are the reason this world exists. You are the reason WE exist."

"Who's 'we'?" Ty asked reluctantly.

Just then, out of the blackness of the landscape, coming out of different cracks and crevices he didn't see before, pale-grey versions of everyone from the town appeared. A copy of Mabel and Rory appeared behind himself and Number 3.

"Dipper! You've come home!" Clone-Mabel said with a big smile and open arms. She ran up and wrapped Ty in a big bear hug.

"Whoa! Mabel! Put me down! I'm not Dipper!" He told her.

She obeyed him surprisingly and backed up. "Of course you're not! You're better than Dipper if you had to have made us. Not to mention this place!"

"I-I don't understand." Ty said putting a hand to his head.

"You are Dipper's clone. And when he copied himself, he created you, and he created copies of all the people of Gravity Falls for this world." Number 3 said. "And that makes me a copy of a copy."

Ty now had both hands covering his face. His skin burned as he felt himself start to cry. "There there, Dipper. It's only sad because you thought you were a part of that world outside. But you're not...." Number 3 said.

Ty ignored him and looked over at Clone-Rory. "N-not you too." He whispered.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Y-you're a clone." He bit back a sob. The skin around his eyes was burning red.

"Duh. We all are." She said rudely.

"Dipper. We have a destiny. You have a destiny." Number 3 said. Ty turned around to see him. "With you as our leader, we can march out of this wasteland and capture the world outside. We have an army perfect against anyone on the outside." He put his hand on Ty's shoulder. "Will you lead us to the life we all were copied for?"

Ty looked around at the clones of everyone he knew. His life was a lie. All those memories were fake. Dipper and Mabel were never born with a triplet brother. It was always them. That's why they left him out...at least according to those fake memories. He was exactly what he felt. Nothing more than a clone....

That made sense. Why no one liked him. He was just a duller version of Dipper. And that's why Rory Greenwood liked Dipper more than him.

He didn't say a word, instead walked over to a large black mass that could've just been a boulder and stood on top of it over all the clones. "I will lead you to the lives yo- WE deserve."

The clones didn't cheer like a ragtag group of likable people would, they nodded amongst themselves and began to march to the portal surrounded by a black mass of rubble where the shack would be in the copied world. 

Dipper had given up hope. His elaborate plan didn't work for Wendy. It ended in him accidentally spilling a full cup of punch all over her. He decided the best thing to do was leave her before he could cause further damage. He got up on the roof and watched the stars. Little did he know that Rory was hiding behind the cooler behind him.

She heard him coming up and hid herself from embarrassment. She noticed that he seemed upset about something and her instincts took over. "Hey." She said softly.

Dipper nearly jumped out of the lawn chair and off the roof. "Rory! Don't scare me like that." He gasped.

"Sorry. You okay?" Rory asked getting up and walking over to him.

"Yeah. Just....don't like parties that much." He admitted.

"Yeah?" She looked at him turning her head to the side.

He nodded. "Now....why are you up here?"

"Oh uh. I was talking to Ty but....." She blushed.

"Oh! Do you like him?" Dipper asked.

"No!" She said immediately. He looked disappointed.

"That's alright. You're still the best friend he's ever had. No one's ever been able to talk to him. Not even me and Mabel." He said. "Friends are what matter now anyways. Right?" That made him think of Wendy again. What if they were better off as friends?.....Nah.

"I know...." She didn't sound convinced at her own words. She was even thinking if he hated her. That probably took more confidence than he will ever have again in a long time to tell her how he felt....and she just threw him away.

"Okay, Ror. Just be good to him, okay?" Dipper asked and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I can't do this, Dipper. I'm the worst friend ever!" She started to tear up and cover her face with her hands.

"Wait! It's okay! What's wrong?" He asked frantically trying to calm her down.

"What's wrong is you. Both of you." Ty said suddenly behind them with his eyes locked on the two of them.

They turned around in surprise and said his name in unison. "Dude. What's going on?" Dipper asked.

"You....you used the copy machine and made me." Ty hissed and started to walk around them in circles.

"What? Ty, you're my brother. You're Mabel's brother." Dipper tried to tell him.

"LIAR!" Ty snapped. "I'm not real at all! All your memories are blurry because I wasn't there! I never existed until yesterday!"

Rory was even worse now. "Ty. I'm so sorry."

"No you're not. You preferred him anyways. The original. Meanwhile I'm nothing more than just a copy you created to help you get out of working for your Grunkle Stan." Ty said, he spat Stan's name out like it was a curse. "But now. I don't need to be shy. I don't need to be the clone. Now that I learned who I really am. I'm ready to prove it to this world."

"Tyrone! This is insane!" Dipper yelled at him.

"TYRONE IS DEAD!" He screamed at the two. "He died before anyone knew him."

Suddenly, everyone inside the shack yelled and ran out the front door. Rory and Dipper turned their attention from Ty to the door and back to Ty. "And now it's time for you to meet my people."

On cue, a massive group of familiar-looking people with grey skin tones chased after the crowd. They looked just like the people of Gravity Falls. But they were nothing like them. One who looked like Dipper ran out and stopped to look around. He spotted the trio on the roof and ran back inside.

Mabel, Stan, Wendy, and Soos hid in the bushes and watched the army of clones stop and stand at attention in front of the shack.

"Is that Dipper? And Ty?" Mabel asked.

Number 3 ran up and onto the roof and grabbed Dipper and Rory by their arms. For a clone of Dipper, he was abnormally strong. Ty kept a frown on the two and walked to the edge of the roof overlooking the clone army.

"People of the Shadow realm. I grant you freedom. We will take over this town and live the lives we deserve here. We'll replace the lives of everyone with ourselves. Starting with the Pines family." He said with an unhappy look in his eyes.

"No!" Mabel yelled from the bushes. Wendy and Stan grabbed her mouth to shush her but it was too late.

"Get her out of there." Ty ordered Clone-Mabel who was coincidentally closest to them.

After a few minutes of struggling, clones of everyone had them with their arms behind their backs.

Tyrone stood with confidence. But a thought rang in his mind. He wasn't acting any better than the people he once thought was his family. "Tyrone." Dipper said under the strain of Number 3.

"I know you may not be really my brother. And all those memories aren't true....but you're wrong. We love you. Me and Mabel and Stan and Soos. Those memories may be fake, but we know who you are because of them. You're our brother."

Ty turned around and looked at him. His anger almost going away in his face.

He then turned to Rory. She looked at him in the eyes. "Ty. You were the best friend I ever had....You made me happy again. Made me laugh. I don't have feelings like that for you....because we're just kids. I wanted you with me as the friend I've prayed for."

Ty felt bad. But one thing was holding him back. "What about Dipper? You said you liked him."

"Well...I guess it applies to him as well. We're just kids. Watching him trying to get Wendy to like him made me realize that. Besides. Who's my better friend? Him? Or you?" She asked with a a tear falling off her cheek.

He lost all thought of whatever he was doing before and ran over to her, throwing his arms around her tightly.

Number 3 let go of her to let Ty have a better hold. She at first was startled but hugged him back. When they broke apart and looked at each other awkwardly, they then both heard a laugh.

"My own leader. The reason me and all these clones exist....betrayed us within five minutes." Number 3 said with a devious smile. He was still holding Dipper hostage.

"That's what you get when you get Tyrone to be your evil leader." Ty said with a smirk.

"Shut it. If you really think you'll stop us you've got another thing coming." He snapped and inched himself and Dipper to the edge. "Attention everyone! Tyrone is no longer in charge. He's had a change of heart for the people who tricked him into becoming a member of their family."

The clones started to groan and start an uproar in anger. "Not to worry! I'm going to take over from here! I've seen the ropes. I know how it works."

"You're not getting away with this." Ty said glaring at him and balling his hands into fists.

"Too late." Number 3 smirked and tossed Dipper over the side. Everyone screamed his name as he fell hard landing on something that cracked. Number 3 laughed manically which was very unlike that kind of voice. It was Dipper's. You expect Dipper to have that kind of voice for a maniacal laugh? Well, Number 3 did it perfectly before jumping off as well. A clone of Manly Dan, Wendy's manly father caught him and put him down softly. "Now! Off to take the rest of this town! Take the old man, brat, fat man, and lumberjack wannabe with us." He ordered pointing the way down the road.

Ty and Rory waited for the clones to leave before they ran down as fast as their hearts could handle and found Dipper laying flat on his back.

"Dipper! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Ty yelled as he cradled his upper body. Rory sat beside him examining everything she could.

"He's got a broken ankle. But other than that, he's really lucky."

"T-Ty." Dipper gasped. A broken ankle wasn't the worst thing that could've happened, but unfortunately, Dipper wasn't the strongest of boys and was losing consciousness fast. "Look....in the journal.....copy machine.....Whatever happens.....you'll always be....to me....the brother I never had....."

"No, no, no. Please Dipper. Don't say that, you're going to be okay. Please stay with me....Please!" Ty was in tears rocking him back and forth and crying into his brown hair.

Rory grabbed his shoulder. "He's not going anywhere Ty." She told him.

And with that, she took his body from Ty's arms and carried him inside, laying him on the couch. "A broken ankle just means he's going to be unconscious from the pain. We'll have to make a makeshift cast for him then go stop that Dipper clone."

Ty nodded and understood what she was saying. He ran outside to the garage/shed where a large pile of thin pieces of wood was resting against the wall. He grabbed four good pieces and a few bits of rope hanging on the wall and ran back to join Rory.

She used the rope to tie the planks together tightly against Dipper's leg. When she was done, she turned around to Ty. "Get Dipper's journal." She ordered him.

"Oh. Right." Ty said awkwardly saluting to her and running up the stairs to the attic and snatched Journal #3 off Dipper's bed. He looked around to realize that there was only two beds in the room and shook his head at the horrible thoughts from earlier. Focus on what's most important.

He came back down and passed Rory out the door. She followed him outside and together they raced down to the town as fast as they could on their two pairs of legs.

What did Dipper mean by what he said before he was knocked out? He should know he wasn't going to die....Ty felt his heart skip a beat when he thought that it could be himself.

While they ran, Rory was skimming through the journal searching for the copy machine. She yelled "Aha!" when she found it and kept her finger on that page. They stopped to take a short break and let her read.

"Ty. It's saying that the clones are vulnerable to water. They're practically made out of ink! If we can just get to the sprinkler system. O-or maybe we could find a few water guns." Rory said. She came across a paragraph that she decided to keep to herself.

"There must be a faster way of destroying the clones all at once. Isn't there?" Ty asked walking over to her.

She hid the page from his view. "Is there?" He repeated. She nodded reluctantly.

"Rory. If it'll get rid of those clones, then we should try it." He said softly.

"NO! I won't let you do it!" She yelled and wrapped him in a hug.

"T-try to do what?" He asked.

"Please! We can get rid of them another way!" Rory sobbed.

Ty wasn't sure what she meant but went with it. "Okay. We'll try another way."

They broke apart and continued to run down to the town. They watched from the hill as the water tower collapsed with a loud crash.

"No!" They both yelled.

"It's not over!" She called to him and ran ahead. A couple kids had conveniently left their water squirters on the sidewalk while they left for something else.

They each grabbed as many as they could and checked them all for any water. Now they knew why the kids abandoned them. They were all drained to the point the guns only sprayed light mist.

Rory was panicking at this time. She ran around looking for anything with liquid. For a town with plenty of water even if the tower falls, there wasn't anything they could find. "Why can't we find any liquids?!" She asked out loud.

"Because we got a head-start." Number 3 interrupted her with a smirk and appeared from behind her in the street. "We got all the townsfolk as captives and rounded up all the liquids in town."

"You!" She roared and charged him readying her fist.

Suddenly, a much paler version of Rory lunged at her from the side and held her down.

"Let her go!" Ty called.

"Are you really trying to order me around after betraying your own kind?" Number 3 asked.

Ty gave an awkward nod of his head. "Yeah. If it works."

"Well you had your chance. But you chose the uncaring originals over your own flesh and ink." He hissed.

"Ink." Ty thought to himself in a whisper. The copy machine. He could never get past all those clones to the liquid or even any of the townspeople. The only way left was to destroy the copy machine. With it, the clones and their hideous dimension would be gone forever.

"I'm afraid for your crimes against your own kind and the new rulers of this valley, you'll be sentenced to immediate death. Get a bottle of water ready." 3 said then turned to a clone of Sheriff Blubbs to give him that order.

Ty thought quickly. "I'll save you Rory. One way or another." He said to her on the ground. Then he turned around and darted right back up the way he came from.

"After him!" Number 3 yelled. Suddenly, a whole army, possibly every one of the clones charged from the fire station after him. Manly Dan's clone picked Number 3 up and set him on his shoulder.

Ty ran as fast as he possibly could up the slope. His lungs (if he really had any) were puffing hard. The thought of Dipper, Mabel, Grunkle Stan, and especially Rory fueled him and filled him with adrenaline.

He made it up to the shack in record time and ran into the secret room. He grabbed the copy machine and started to push it on its four small wheels. It would barely move a few feet at a very slow pace. Too slow. The clones were almost there.

Suddenly, he felt someone pulling on the machine on the other side of it. He looked over and saw Dipper leaning on his better leg while his casted leg was angled and taking less weight. Without a word Ty joined him and together, they moved the copier out the door to the shack.

"We have to take this somewhere that will smash it. A cliff." Ty said.

That made Dipper stop. "Ty....I don't know if I'm ready to let you do this."

Ty looked over at him. "I have to do this. There's no other choice."

"I don't want to lose my brother...." Dipper said. "I never had one before."

Ty let go of the copier and walked over to him. "I'm not going anywhere, Dipper." He said putting a hand on his shoulder.

Ty and Dipper dragged the copier through the gravel until they reached a nearby ledge leading off into the valley. The whole county could be seen from this spot.

Ty was pulling it while Dipper pushed. Together, they were now only feet away from it when they saw the army of clones charge them.

Dipper realized this was it and started to pull it back. "Wait, Ty!" He said.

"No Dipper! We're almost there!" Ty yelled to him.

"Ty stop!" He yelled. Ty did as he was told and held back.

"So this is what it's come to." Number 3 said appearing in front of the halted army. In his hand was a one-handed water gun. "I thought you weren't that smart." He taunted.

"Do whatever you want. Just leave my family out of this and let them go." Ty said.

3 laughed. "Your family?! That's just pathetic. You really think they love you? Sounds like they never did when I was first created. And then you join my side for...five minutes and instill terror in their hearts. Making them not just not care about you....but despise you."

"You're wrong." Ty said. "They know more than anyone else that people make mistakes."

"Many people make mistakes and they have no family. But they don't need it. I tried to make you realize your potential. But this family got in the way. All those memories of you being born a triplet, having birthdays, having this family. It's not real." Number 3 hissed.

"Stop it!" Ty yelled. "You're lying!"

"Then I'm more like Dipper than I thought." 3 said.

"Nothing you say is true to me!" He yelled covering his ears. His eyes were shut also.

3 smiled and raised the gun. Dipper reacted fast and lunged in front of the jet of water, crashing it straight in his chest. He then landed on his bad leg with his entire shirt and vest soaked.

Ty watched him fall and realized what happened without watching the whole thing himself. 3 fired again and Ty ducked behind the copier. The water hit the top and caused a few sparks to ignite.

Meanwhile, Rory and the others were tied to many chairs in the fire station's garage. She looked around for a way to cut herself free.

She spotted a hook on the front of one of the smaller firetrucks probably used for towing. Using the last remaining energy she could muster, she rocked her chair by pushing back with her legs. She slowly inched over to the firetruck's hook and tipped back, landing right on it. The hook sliced through the ropes and a few strands of her hair. Rory then wriggled out of the bits of rope and ran out. Everyone else called for her to untie them as well but she had somewhere to be that was more life-threatening.

Rory looked around realizing all the clones had followed their leader up the hill stupidly. Running up the hill she spotted the army standing there apparently watching something happen.

She ran around them through the bushes and ducking out of sight until she could see what was going on. "Ty!" She screamed. Bad idea. And she knew it. The clones looked over at the bushes. Mabel's pale other looked suspiciously at where Rory was hiding and didn't look away.

Tyrone heard her yell and looked around for her. "Rory!" He yelled back.

3 signalled to Clone-Mabel to go get her. It was now much more obvious she was hiding somewhere nearby. He then fired again, shorting out the copier as it crashed right into the many buttons.

Some of the clones started to twitch.

Dipper was helpless now. His pain had returned upon the nasty fall he took on his broken ankle. 3 laughed maniacally as he sprayed in Ty's direction over and over. He pulled the trigger but nothing came out. He was empty.

Seeing him all out, Ty rushed from his cover and rammed Number 3 in the stomach.

They fought for a bit as 3 pulled him from his stomach and began to punch him in the jaw over and over. Ty was focused on not falling. No matter how many hits he took. He wouldn't give up. Rory found her chance and charging in from the bushes, she shoved 3 forward tripping him over against Ty. The two fell to the earth.

Ty groaned but got up lazily and picked 3 up by his arms. He fought back as best he could but was stuck as Ty carried him over to the copier. He was thrown on top of the copier and stayed there as Ty pushed the machine further against the ledge.

Now the clones charged but Rory stood there pushing a few back, sending them toppling over each other like dominoes. She watched as Ty gave her one final look then witnessed him shove the entire copy machine off the cliff with himself and a few clones who helped smack it off by running into it uncontrollably.

"NOOO!" She screamed and reached out.

Around her, the clones soon started to scream as their bodies started to burn up as if they were made of paper. Soon no one was left but herself and Dipper who both watched the greatest sacrifice of their lives.

Rory fell to her knees and wept with her hands cupping her cheeks. Dipper crawled over to her and hugged her from the side. She started hearing and feeling tears coming down from his cheeks as well against her light blue hoodie with a print of a purple dog giving a thumbs up. Something Mabel took the liberty of making her one day.

Speaking of which, Mabel, Wendy, Stan, and Soos came barging up the hill and ran over to Rory asking what happened.

"H-how did you escape?" Dipper asked.

"Mabel used her braces to gnaw the ropes off." Wendy said.

"I have metal chompers!....Wait. Where's Ty?" Mabel asked.

Dipper looked at Rory and decided to explain himself. Not even he could tell them without crying. Stan himself walked over to the edge and wiped his eyes before they could see his tears.

"I don't care if those memories were fake! I want Tyrone back!" Mabel said hugging Dipper and Rory and letting tears fall from her cheeks fast.

"I know...." Dipper sniffed.

Soos hung his head low and walked over to the edge. He saw what remained of the old copy machine in many pieces at the bottom of the steep drop. He suddenly returned his gaze on the ledge and saw a root sticking out of the ground being pulled down.

"L-little help?" A soft voice asked from the bottom of the root out of sight from the ledge.

"Ty dood?" He asked.

"Soos. Please don't go mad on me. Tyrone is gone. Just let it go..." Stan said shielding his eyes from everyone.

"No wait! Guys! I hear someone!" Soos called to everyone who crowded around behind him. He reached down and grabbed the root from the ground and pulled it up. He and everyone else could see someone who looked a lot like Dipper only he didn't have a birthmark, wasn't wearing a vest or hat, and had on a green t-shirt instead. His skin was a lighter pale color than Dipper's normal complexion.

Soos yanked him up and everyone, especially Rory and tackled him in a big group hug. When they all pulled away, Rory planted a quick kiss on his cheek. It lightly burned his skin but he didn't mind. He thought of it as a good burn because his cheeks were more blushed than they ever were before.

Dipper hated it, but he had to know. "How are you still alive? Aren't you from that machine?"

Ty shrugged. "The only thing I can assume is.....that I'm your brother."

Dipper and Mabel came in for another big hug. "I like having two bros." Mabel said sticking her cheek against Ty's and forcing Dipper to do the same to his other cheek.

Stan walked over and got down on one knee to Ty's level. "Those memories of you in Gravity Falls may not be true. But I think I speak for everyone here when I say: Welcome to the Pines family."

Ty smiled and threw himself at Stan wrapping his arms around his neck. "Is this a hug, kid?"

"Yeah. I like hugs." Ty said. He obviously wasn't much like Dipper in that way.

"So, you ready to make some memories?" Stan asked pulling him away for space.

"Yes, sir." Ty saluted.

"Good. We've got some work to do then." He said patting Ty's back and walking off with Soos.

Wendy held out her knuckles for Ty and he met his knuckles to hers. "I think having another boy around here will be pretty interesting. You're a good guy Ty. Cool name by the way." She said.

"Hey. Thank you." Ty said waving to her as she ran off.

"Dude. She said your name is cool. That's awesome!" Dipper said.

Ty rolled his eyes and started to walk back to the shack with everyone.

Mabel pulled an umbrella out of her sweater pouch and held it up above Ty when they heard thunder crack. He invited Rory to join him and she ran over and smushed against him under the shield against the now-pouring rain. "By the way. Don't ever scare me like that again." She said with a smirk.

"I'll never hurt you again, Ror." Ty said. "Any of you." He said looking around at Mabel and Dipper who limped beside them.

Dipper smiled back. "We're gonna hold you to that. After all, family is forever."

Meanwhile in the fire station.... "Hello?" Toby Determined asked sitting there still tied up in his chair. "Guess they forgot about me. Oh well. At least I can catch up on the sleep I missed." He sat his head back and started to snore just as the sirens rang out and the firemen came out staring at him in awe.

"Not even gonna ask." One of the firemen said pointing a finger at him.

QEB BKA