tran·scend·ence (tran(t)ˈsendəns) noun
1. existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level.
2. transcending the universal or material existence.
When Dipper had imagined his summer in Gravity Falls, it did not involve battling a megalomaniac triangle trying to start the apocalypse. Then again, he was pretty sure things had stopped making sense the moment he set foot in this town.
Now here he was, a sheet of Latin grasped in his left hand, staring down at a small, backwoods town covered in flames and multi-colored floating bubbles of madness. The only sounds he could here was the harsh crackling of fire and the occasional car alarm going off, presumably after a collision with a floating eyeball. He almost hoped to hear something. Even a scream would be more comforting than the thick silence that surrounded him.
'But you're not alone,' he reminded himself. Mabel and his Grunkle Stan and the rest of the gang were there too, just out of his line of vision, probably just as petrified as he was, preparing for a plan that was so unstable he could count fifty ways it could go wrong off the top of his head. This did nothing to calm his nerves. If anything his heart rate quickened at the thought of Mabel out there alone.
He shook his head. 'You can do this,' he whispered to himself. 'All you have to do is say a few words.'.
A few words that could decide the fate of the entire world.
'Oh god.' A wave of trepidation slipped down his spine. He couldn't do this.
The ground began to shake, a deep boom sounding from what was once a giant floating pyramid. He briefly lost his train of thought, forgetting what he was supposed to do. Chunks of obsidian-like bricks fell to the ground below, as the so called 'Fearamid' shattered into millions of pieces in a blast of fire and golden light.
Thank goodness his Grunkle had kept a few boxes of explosives hidden in the shack. He tried not to dwell on why he had them hidden there in the first place. Right, his family had done this. That was the plan. So why wasn't he moving?
He snapped out of his trance. 'Need to focus,' he thought, gathering his thoughts. Slowly at first, almost as if he were learning to walk again, he stumbled down the hill and towards the crater. Where was his family?
If he recalled the plan correctly, they should be somewhere around the edge of the crater. As far as he could tell, the only thing circling the crater were jet black clouds of smoke and debris.
'I'm too late!' his mind screamed. His stumbling turned more frantic as he neared the scene. Bits of debris had gotten in his eyes, blurring his vision with muddy tears.
When he came to the edge he was able to catch a glimpse of the scene below, framed between two clouds of dark smoke. Everyone was cowered in the middle of the crater, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. Somehow his group had managed to free Ford and the others from their frozen states. The relief was short lived, however, as his gaze shifted to the figure floating above them.
Bill was furious.
His eye had changed from its usual yellow to an eerie, void-like black. Three extra sets of long, black claws sprouted from his now three-dimensional sides. The familiar golden bricks had changed to a nightmarish scarlet. He must have grown at least fifty feet in height, towering over his family like a cat preparing pounce on its prey.
"Hey you over-sized Dorito! Over here!" his voice echoed against the rocky walls. Somehow he had managed to mask his anxiety with feigned bravery, but he knew the facade wouldn't last.
"Pine tree." the demon's voice growled menacingly, his eye fixating itself on the disheveled boy, "How nice of you to join us!"
The monster's stare sent millions of needles dancing across his skin, and for a moment he couldn't speak. His tongue felt like lead under Bill's harsh gaze, and he quickly glance at his family down below. His sister was staring up at him with a smile, her eyes filled with hope. She believed in him. Somehow, that hope was enough to rekindle his anger. "Leave my family alone!"
"Oh?" his eye seemed to form its own Cheshire grin. Dipper stood his ground. "And why in the world would I do that?"
Bill was toying with him, he realized. That was the only reason he would be reckless enough to halt his attack on Dipper's family. In Bill's eyes, Dipper was nothing but a nuisance, not a single hint of threat resided with in him. If Dipper had learned anything this summer it was to never underestimate your enemy, no matter how small or weak they may seem. There was more to winning a battle than power.
All of the citizens were quiet, their eyes trained on the argument taking place above. Their lives were at stake. 'You can do it'. Without even realizing it he had unraveled the crumpled scroll. All her had to was read a few words.
"Finis daemonis regnet," the Latin passed his lips with such confidence that he almost questioned if it was really him who was speaking. Had Bill's eye just twitched? "In flamma consumpsit-"
"You really think you can stop me with one of Sixer's dumb spells? Ha! I am a being of pure energy! I cannot be defeated by some pathetic meat sack!" Bill's voice seemed to come from all around, pressing against his skull. Dipper hoped that the charm he wore around his neck was enough to hold the demon back, if only for a few seconds.
'You can do it' "
"Seriously kid?" the pressure increased as Bill spoke, the chattering of his fire beginning to magnify. Dipper ignored it. He wouldn't give in that easily.
"ad infernum," his voice began to gain in volume.
"Didn't you hear me?!"
'You can do it'"apud hoc,"
"I AM A BEING OF ULTIMATE POWER!"
Murderous blue flames surrounded Dipper on all sides, just a hairs length away from swallowing him whole. The charm around his neck began to glow feverishly in an attempt to protect him.
'You can do it!'"ultimum,"
The fire licked at his feet, singing the fabric and blistering the surface of his skin. The charm was glowing brightly, almost blinding, but it would be nothing against the power of a god.
"I NEVER LOSE!"
"exponentia!" he shouted the last word with every ounce of energy he could muster, shoulders relaxing as he felt the blue pyres recede.
'I did it'Bill screamed.