Chapter Text
Chapter One: So Our Story Begins...
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Gravity Falls Kingdom was full of surprises.
The current King and Queen had managed to be blessed with not only a daughter but a son on the same day, which the oracle had noted would be a sign of prosperity and good fortune.
Raising twins was difficult though, and the pair were now coming of age to marry and come into power. They hadn't been worried for their daughter, since she had been aware of this fact and used her vibrancy and extroversion to not only attract suitors but to win the hearts of her people. She had no problem making speeches and expressing her feelings, only adding to her genuine nature.
Mabel refused to be a damsel in distress though, taking up sword fighting and horseback riding so she could defend her kingdom if needed. Her expertise in combat eventually caught the eye of the Northwests, whose daughter requested to have Mabel's services. It was clear that she was also impressed with the girl herself, since her stares became tinged with affection and love. She only laughed as Mabel scrunched her nose at the puzzle given to her, clearly straining to come up with the solution.
While Mabel might not have been the best academically, Dipper was a genius. He had solved many problems that plagued the town, wanting to continuously improve their tools and trying to create a more detailed map of their land. The boy also had a knack for being detail oriented and fluent in his vocabulary, making sure the laws and treaties that passed him were fine-tuned to perfection. He even dabbled in recording the magical creatures that resided in Gravity falls, picking up in his grandfather's footsteps.
Dipper hadn't learned any of the combat his sister did, so his parents feared for his safety as their daughter would soon leave for the Northwest Castle. He adamantly refused any lessons, only taking the most basic defense moves from his sister who threatened to steal all his books and toss them into the lake if he didn't comply.
It seemed the twins were better suited to make up for the others faults, yet they could not deny the need to learn how to come into adulthood and all it entailed. The King and Queen noticed Mabel seemed to be more clear on her path, but Dipper might have needed some nudging to get him in the right direction.
"Hell no." Dipper glowered, his body poised upright and stiff at the suggestion. "There is no way I'm going to set up a tournament to get a bodyguard slash possible romantic interest." His parents sighed, trying to reason with the younger twin, "It'll be over quickly! Gideon will just pay off everyone and demand to have my hand in marriage again!" He cringed at the memory, thankfully his sister had attacked him at that very moment, proving her superiority in the art of fighting.
His mother nodded, clearly not wanting a repeat of that horrid event, "Well, maybe we can try to test the knights in another way? Like through a quest?" Dipper still wasn't on board with the idea, but he seemed to at least consider it. His mother scrambled to find a suitable answer, all too aware of how thin Dipper’s patience was wearing, “Yes! A quest that would involve collecting magical items, or deal with lore! So that they could be tested not only physically but also see how their wits match up.”
Dipper stood very still for a few moments, imagining the gain from giving out such a task, even if he really didn’t care for the end goal. He sighed, “That...doesn’t sound too bad. I could even make some puzzles myself to test them.” His parents wholeheartedly agreed, if they managed to get Dipper to agree then they could rest easier. It was for his own good after all, since he wasn’t interested in fending for himself.
“We should begin sending invitations, “ his father began, giving the slightest of smiles, “Maybe you could even have the last event being somewhat of a game of hide and seek. You could send a riddle that will reveal your location, and that’ll be when you can accept or decline their offer.” Dipper nodded, thrilled at the idea of being able to use his wits to weed out the competition. Having a dumb fighter wouldn’t do at all, he wanted to be able to talk to them and have a decent acquaintanceship with them. (He also sort of hoped that he could grow to be close to them, not that he would admit that .)
Alas the plan to find Dipper’s guardian and fighter began, his parents allowing him to take as much control of the event as he needed, since this was to ensure his safety and happiness after all. The prince was buzzing with excitement, using all his talents to create the most complex riddle he could conjure. It was going along swimmingly, that is until the news reached Mabel and Grunkle Stan.
Grunkle Stan was the retired King, still upholding a place in royalty despite his grumpiness and tasteless-jokes. Combining these traits with Mabel’s randomness made even demons from hell shudder in fear.
“So the boy is gonna find a tower to go stand in and wait for his knight in shining armor?” Grunkle Stan fell into a fit of laughs, wiping the tears prickling the corners of his eyes, “Yeah! Just like a damsel in distress in the old fairy-tales. All he needs is a dragon and this’ll be another cliché love-story!” Mabel joined her Grunkle in his laughter, shaking her head and clutching her sides as they continued to tease the younger twin about the situation. Dipper’s cheeks flared red as he tried (and failed) to bury his anger, “Whatever, this isn’t a love-story, it’s a quest for them. This isn’t anything like those stories, since I’m actually issuing a challenge. Not just some 2-dimensional bullshi-"
"Language, Dipper." Grunkle's tone left no room for arguing.
The prince huffed and puffed out his chest, “I’m not that much of a weakling, I do have magic on my side you know.” Mabel made a noise with her lips, waving him off, “But you need magical items and tomes to use that stuff. If you didn’t have those then you’d be totally defenseless.” Dipper refused to admit that she was right, instead ignoring her comment and continuing his writing, “Whatever. I’d pick brains over brawn any day.”
Once the moment blew over the twins set off to their usual adventuring, knowing that their time together was growing short. It was best to spend it wisely and not waste it on fighting.