Hey there! I would like to say before we start that yes, there is a reason why Pine Tree's personality is different from how he is in the show. I'll probably explain it sometime in this fanfiction, or completely forget to explain it... ehhhhhh… probably the second one...
Also, I had this chapter written a few days ago, but forgot to post it... oops...
I don't own Gravity Falls. I don't know why I still say that, it's pretty obvious...
Chapter Seventeen: Sarcasm
Pine Tree watched as his other self opened his eyes, but only to slits. They were glazed over and blurred with pain, and it looked like he was struggling to comprehend what was going on, now that he was conscious.
The other's gaze finally went to Pine Tree, who didn't say anything, staying silent. The other narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"Why... why do you... Why do you look l-like me?" the other asked, his words slurred together. Pine Tree blinked. Well, crap, he thought. How do you explain to yourself that you're another version of him from an alternate dimension without sending them into a heart attack?
"Mm, doesn't matter right now," Pine Tree responded dismissively, since he didn't want to get into that now. "Look, what happened to you? I can't tell for sure, my vision's a little messed up right now -" he didn't want to get into the weirdness wave thing "- but you look like you're bleeding... A lot."
"You seem awfully calm about that," his other mumbled. Pine Tree tensed slightly. Now that he mentioned it...
"That doesn't matter, just tell me what the heck happened."
The other didn't respond, distrust flitting in his gaze. Pine Tree stifled a sigh. "Wow, you're making this a lot harder than it needs to be..." he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Fine. If you want to lay dead on the floor, I'm not going to stop you. Live out your dreams or whatever. Not my fault if your dream is to die. So la-de-da, enjoy your wonderful life here, alone, bleeding, dying, such an amazing choice-"
"W-who the heck a-are you?" his other interrupted. "And n-no, my dream i-isn't... isn't to die..." It seemed like Pine Tree's other version was struggling to speak. Probably because he was dying. Figures, Pine Tree thought.
"You want to know who I am? I'm you, now come on, tell me what the heck happened-"
"What d-do you mean, you're me? Tha-at doesn't... that doesn't make... sense..."
Oh, right, Pine Tree thought. He doesn't believe in supernatural stuff. No wonder he doesn't believe me...
"Is your name still Dipper?" Pine Tree asked, rubbing his eyelids as he closed them.
"Y-yeah?" Dipper responded.
"And you probably think I'm some sort of hallucination due to your... Ahem... Dying..." Pine Tree went on.
"...I-I'd appreciate it if you stop pointing o-out the fact that I'm ba-asically dying..." Dipper muttered. Pine Tree shrugged, opening his eyes again.
"Eh. Maybe."
"W-what is even g-going on..." Pine Tree heard Dipper mumble.
"Something's happening, not sure what that is," Pine Tree said, rolling his eyes. "And geez, you seem pretty calm about, you know, dying."
"S-so do you," Dipper shot back, before sighing and muttering, "great, now I'm arguing with myself."
"And just to clarify, 'yourself' as in an actual person, and not your delusional-dying-mind."
"Thanks for the clarification, I definitely needed that," Dipper grumbled.
"Wow, about to die, and still sarcastic," Pine Tree tsked, clapping slowly.
"I can't believe this."
"Believe what?"
"That I'm literally talking to myself when I'm bleeding out on the floor."
Pine Tree hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, and you still haven't told me how. What the heck happened to you, man?"
"Mm, dunno," Dipper responded casually. Pine Tree mentally noted how calm both of them seemed about the current situation.
"Seriously, why are you so calm about this?" Pine Tree asked.
"Probably because I already wasted all of my fear when I was running away from death. I think I've pretty much accepted it."
Pine Tree didn't know why, but those words made something inside of him snap. "You can't just accept it," he growled. "You have to keep fighting!"
"Why..." Dipper mumbled. It sounded more like a statement than a question, but Pine Tree answered anyways.
"What about Mabel..." Pine Tree murmured. Dipper's eyes widened, as if he had forgotten about her and had only just remembered. "Do you know that Mabel's worried about you? She's been looking for you, so have Stan, and so have Ford... You can't just give up on them."
"I can't just give up on Mabel," Dipper snapped. "I barely know the other two."
"Right," Pine Tree muttered.
"And plus, you're not... you're not even real! It's just me trying to convince myself that they'd care."
Pine Tree groaned out-loud. "FOR THE LAST FREAKIN' TIME, I AM NOT JUST IN YOUR MIND. I'M REAL. SO QUIT ACTING LIKE I'M NOT."
"If you're real, why the heck do you look like me, asides from the fact that you're BLACK-AND-WHITE and WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO YOUR EYES!? WHAT ARE YOU?"
"Apparently, according to you, I'm not real. But if you listen to me, I'd tell you that I am you, and if it comes to it I will inform you that I AM IN FACT OLDER THAN YOU, AND IF I HAVE TO, I WILL ASSERT MY DOMINANCE."
"...you're starting to sound a lot like Mabel."
"Well it's true," Pine Tree scoffed, "I am older, so shut up and listen to me."
"Wow, okay, rude, but fine."
"You're probably not going to believe me, but I'm you from a different universe. I don't know why I'm here where you are, but that's not important. I need to ask you something, and I want you to answer me."
"Shoot," Dipper murmured.
"Do you know who Bill Cipher is?"
"You mean that triangle thing in that old book? Yeah, that was weird. I wonder who was first to think up such nonsense..." he mumbled. "It was so strange that I had a dream about it..."
Pine Tree stiffened, his eyes widening and flashing crimson for a brief moment before returning to a neon blue. "You had a dream with Bill in it? What did he say?"
"He... He told me to shake his hand," Dipper answered, dumbfounded.
"Did you?" Pine Tree demanded, shaking from anger, though he already knew the answer.
"...yes."
Pine Tree placed his head in his hands. "Oh my gosh, you really did.. You really did."
"W-what's so bad about that?"
"You have no idea..."
"Fine, if you want to be mysterious about it," Dipper muttered. "Just answer me this: who are you? I know you say you're me, but... that's not-"
"Not real? Yeah, you keep saying that," Pine Tree sighed. "If it's really that important to you, my name is..." he stopped for a moment. This wasn't his name, but he had to say it anyways. "My name is Pine Tree."
There was a moment of silence, before Dipper mumbled, "That's what Bill called me..."
•••
Mabel shook Pine Tree, her heart hammering in her chest. He couldn't be dead, could he? Just like that? He wasn't breathing, so what else could it be? Refusing to believe that he could've just died just like that, she felt for a pulse again.
Nothing...
Nothing...
Nothing...
Nothing...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Nothing...
She was about to give up, when...
There was a beat. Faint. She thought she imagined it for a moment, but a second later, there was another... and another...
She stood up, too shocked to say anything for a brief moment. "H-he's... He's still alive!" she gasped.
"How?" Stan asked. "Y-you just said the kid wasn't breathing!"
"What's even going on," Ford mumbled. A second later, Pine Tree's eyes shot open, his blue pupils glowing brightly and flashing like a metronome. The flashing receded, and he held his head with a hiss of what Mabel thought might've been pain. Ignoring the shocked gazes of the other three, he stumbled to his feet, still holding his head and his breathing heavy.
"WHAT IN THE LOVE OF SMILE-DIP JUST HAPPENED!" Mabel shouted. Pine Tree flinched slightly, before lowering his hand and opening his mouth, and closing it again, as if he didn't know how to respond.
"I-I-I... I talked to..." He was stumbling over his words, shaking his head slowly with his eyes shut. "I talked to, to Dipper..."
Mabel felt her breath hitch in her throat. Pine Tree talked to her brother? How was that possible? And...
"B-but what happened to you earlier?"
Pine Tree didn't respond for a moment. "I... I think it was Bill..."
"BILL!?" All three of them exclaimed. Pine Tree nodded slowly, his posture slumped from exhaustion.
"Yeah, Bill," he murmured before shaking his head. "Anyways, yes, I did talk to your twin," he said, glancing at Mabel. "While he didn't say much that was... useful... He did say that he shook hands with Bill... I didn't get to ask about it, though..."
Ford clenched his teeth, his hands shaking as they tightened into fists. "Bill..." he growled under his breath, before shutting his eyes and opening them again after a moment.
"I still have a feeling that he's in that bubble, though," Pine Tree continued, gesturing towards the blue, chained bubble on the horizon.
"Pine Tree..." Mabel whispered softly, so quietly that he barely heard her. "Is... is Dipper okay?"
There was a pause, a moment of silence, before Pine Tree replied. "I'd be lying if I said he was."
Mabel sighed, averting her gaze and tears springing to her eyes. She had really hoped he had been okay...
She lifted her gaze to speak again, only to notice that Pine Tree had stiffened, his eyes wide, trained at the sky and his eyes flashing brightly with alarm. The three others turned around to see what had startled him, and their own eyes widened as well. Strange creatures with crimson leather wings and a single, large, bloodshot eye were flapping towards them, releasing high-pitched squeaks despite their lack of mouths.
"Eye-Bats..." Pike Tree murmured. "A whole swarm of them..."
Geez, these chapters are getting shorter and shorter... Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! The first part of this chapter was especially fun to write, and the next one will be to... You'll see.
*Manical laughing*