#Ford In Cult AU

[acerobot]

Found a Silas Birtchtree playlist and kinda fell Deep into a rabbit hole lol. Liked the idea of a Ford in the cult au scenario I've seen(So moving the timeline of the cult until Way Later obv) and was inspired by Silas' whole spiel of "You can't kill a dead man" or something similar.

So yeah. Ford is a little past his obsession and gullible era and has entered the "Oh Fuck Oh Fuck Oh Fuck What Did I Do" era. Kinda snapped and tried to kill this guy and yeah.. Didn't work.

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

Gravity Falls was strange, and the townsfolk even stranger, it seemed.

The twins had been unceremoniously dropped off on the side of the dusty road, the roar of the bus engine fading away as the driver wordlessly drove off without fanfare. The poor man had almost seemed close to tears ever since they had entered the thresholds of this seemingly innocuous town, all too eager to speed off and away while leaving the two children coughing and wheezing in its dust.

It had not even been a full minute since their lackluster drop-off before they became well acquainted with the oddly sociable and irritatingly chatty inhabitants of Gravity Falls. A single conversation with a pair of boisterous policemen already told them all they needed to know about the history of the town, as well as the whereabouts of their Great Uncle Ford.

"The Mystery Shack," the townsfolk had called it. It seemed as though their distant uncle had earned himself somewhat of a reputation amongst the locals. He was the town cryptid; the ever elusive mad scientist that lived in the outskirts of town in this so called "Mystery Shack". No one really knew who he really was; but everyone knew exactly who he was.

So, when the twins found themselves stood hand in hand in front of the rickety old shack, they hadn't really known what to expect when door had swung open with a deafening slam.

He was a strange man, their Great Uncle Ford. He seemed nothing like the cackling looney lab-coated madman they had imagined from what meager hushed information the townsfolk had offered them. It seemed as though the tales of a scientist gone mad that experimented on stray children that wandered into his spooky "Mystery Shack" was but a cruel rumor.

He mostly just seemed unhealthy, to be honest. His sickly, pale frame utterly drowned in the thick red woolen sweater that practically seemed to hang off of his lanky body like a second flap of skin. It made him look almost child-like, like a kid trying on their parents clothes; which somewhat diluted the intimidating effects of his looming height.

Although, the townsfolk's apparent fear of their Great Uncle Ford seemed to have some merit.

For one, Grunkle Ford really didn't seem all too human. He wasn't inhumane, per se; just, not entirely himself, if that made any sense. Looking at him was like looking at an incomplete puzzle; or looking at someone who you remember all your life wearing a hat, suddenly coming to work one day without one, and it takes a little too long for you to remember what is missing.

It was like Grunkle Ford had lost pieces of himself. Somewhere, to someone. His eyes seemed... almost empty. They were a little too dull and a little too opaque, lacking the lively shine of life everyone else seemed to have.

Another thing was that Grunkle Ford wasn't entirely alone. There was... someone else. The twins couldn't exactly pinpoint where, but they could feel its stare, whatever or whoever it was. They could almost feel its stare, a non-existent eye trailing a weird prickling sensation across their skin. The twins recalled the words of one of the townsfolk, a tall bestacled man with haunted blind eyes; although unseeing they could have sworn his gaze never seemed to leave them, as all he said was:

"Don't catch IT staring at you"

The twins had an odd feeling that IT was looking at them right now.

They didn't even notice when the pale bony hand of Grunkle Ford suddenly reached into their personal space, barely registering his words at all, much less the extra fingers that adorned each of his rough, worn palms.

They didn't take the hand.

If the twins had thought the outside of the shack looked decrepit, the inside seemed somehow even worse.

Every inch of exposed wall, ceiling or floor were utterly covered by sprawling symbols, summoning circles, and indecipherable words that seemed to be in an entirely different language than any the twins knew. They overlapped and tangled into one another into big, messy, red splotches of clustered nothings.

There were notes, diagrams on ripped pieces of aged looking paper scattered everywhere, with hardly any room for post-it notes squeezed wherever there was room. Lit and unlit candles were placed absolutely everywhere; either hidden in the dark corners or openly stood in the middle of the floor; sometimes in a circle, sometimes not. The melted fallen wax had coagulated into a hard white mess onto the floor; the smell of cheap vanilla scented candles intermingling with the smell of halloween fake blood (and Dipper was convince there had to be some real blood there, too) to create a sour concoction that stung their noses unpleasantly.

The shack was sparsely furnished with rarely any furniture at all. Not even a couch, the tables and chairs simply pushed to the walls to make more space for the endlessly swirling symbols and pentagrams. The twins were hesitant of stepping on any of the summoning circles, carefully sidestepping the candles and walking over the line of the pentagrams.

The attic, where they would be residing, was not much better.

Maybe they did end up in a mad scientist's house, after all.

[kamodofilez]

The people of TikTok have spoken, and I needed to make that a reality

[yeenkingart]

"F, it brings me much joy that you wish to reconcile, but this is an unorthodox meeting place. F? Where are you?"

Its fiddleford friday! Forget your memory gun at home so you have to make do :)

Something something Cane and Able

[chaoticvintagelesbian]

FiddEmmaStan AU where Emma May moved to Gravity Falls around the same time Stan took Ford's identity. She divorces Fiddleford & dumps him on Stan's (newly acquired) porch. While Stan is trying to fix the portal and run the mystery shack, and a recovering Fiddleford builds lots of robots for the mystery shack & does upkeep, Emma is raising Tate & having weekly Wine Nights with Stan (she finds out the truth of him not being Ford & they kinda become best friends about it). Fiddleford & Emma May fall for Stanley separately and accidentally fall back in love with each other along the way (Stan is Tate's favourite parent during the like 3 years this takes). Emma ends up moving into the mystery shack & with no prior science knowledge takes up helping fix the portal & gives some of the tours. Stan is having huge amounts of Bi Panic cause omg he's fallen for Emma May & Fiddleford and their son now calls him Dad (Stan balled his eyes put the first time) but they seem to be working stuff out and he shouldn't get in the way of that??? Anyway Fiddleford and Emma co-seduce Stanley. It works. The relationship is surprisingly healthy. They get Poly Married (it's Gravity Falls) but it's Emma & Fidds both being married to Stanley - when Emma May is annoyed with Fiddleford she describes him as her husband-in-law.

Mabel & Dipper visit Gravity Falls for the summer and are greeted by their Grunkle Stan, Grauntie Emma May, Grunkle Fidds & Cousin Tate

[localcanadiancreature62]

Dipper and Mabel vs the Past au (title is a reference to an actual episode in the show) - Timestuck style au where instead of ending up in the time period where the Oregon Trail was being used in The Time Traveler's Pig,Dipper and Mabel end up 30 years into the past and end up uncovering secrets about their Grunkle Stan like WAYYYY earlier than they're supposed to (time travelers pig is s1,not what he seems is s2. they discover things Very Early in the timeline here). Mabel ends up with Ford,Dipper ends up with Stan. Now i know the usual portrayal of this au is "the kids being with their favorite grunkles" but i wanted to do something different cuz i LOVE exploring the dynamics of Dipper with Stan and Mabel with Ford sooo bad. I'm thinking this is set like... Paranoia Ford era aka the events culminating to Stan receiving the postcard,so basically Ford has literally just lost his best friend and also almost had his fucking tendons snapped and now he has to deal with a child who is apparently his great niece in the future while simultaneously protecting the child from Bill,Ford has a lot on his plate lmaooo.

Meanwhile Mullet Stan is down on his luck as he lives in his shitty rundown apartment while trying to avoid Rico due to owing him money that he currently doesn't have,he's miserable as ever and then a child with a hat as well as a striking resemblance to his brother suddenly appears in his car when he was out shoplifting groceries,having to take care of it when he can barely take care of himself. Angst and hurt/comfort + a few wholesome moments ensue. Ford finds himself getting attached to his young niece even when he's incredibly highstrung and feels that he can't trust anyone right now,seeing that such a bright and caring soul is worth trusting. Mabel eventually finds out about Bill after the bastard possesses Ford while she was trying to give him a better sleep schedule,and the girl makes it her mission to protect her other grunkle (like i said. they figure things out way early here) from that bastard after realizing that this pointy jerk wants to hurt him as evident from the fork stabbing and Ford's journal pages regarding him being tormented by Bill (bro the funniest thing is that Bill doesn't even appear yet in this current part of the timeline lmaoo. like dreamscapers happens WAYYY AFTER the time traveler's pig. so Mabel basically just saw a triangle dude that she knows nothing about and has never met and decided that she needs to fight for her life to protect Ford from him despite ALSO not knowing anything about her other grunkle either). Mabel helps Ford slowly get himself back together as Bill is biding his time to eventually get the portal started again one way or another,meaning that Bill is too busy planning things out to torment Ford,thus Mabel chooses self care for her Grunkle Ford and makes it his problem, trying to force Ford to get out of the house for groceries or at least give him a few minutes to touch grass rather than being cooped up in his dumb dork lab all day making him shower giving him a better sleep schedule and even making cupcakes for him so he can eat things besides moldy cheese or strange tasting alien cow milk (reference to that one real life journal 3 page with the weird cow). Ford is actually very shocked and touched by this gesture,because he has been spending weeks all by himself while being actively tortured without anyone by his side but now this girl suddenly makes his life a little brighter and he thanks her for that,despite him being strict snappy and moody most of the time due to being stressed from Bill and the portal (i can't really blame him for feeling that way. i too would feel my sanity slipping as the looming threat of the apocalypse going to be eventually caused by my former muse is getting nearer and nearer while said muse is also torturing me 24/7 all while juggling self care and research and taking care of a whole child to top it all off),bro is close to tears when he realizes that he's not alone after all and that he doesn't HAVE to be alone,and that he actually needs someone rather than not needing people like what he said,i.e "I don't need you. I don't need anyone!" and Mabel is right there to help him. Mabel ends up wearing 80s clothes as well as stops using her phone in public in order to not draw suspicion after Ford pointed out that people would get pretty confused by her glowing shoes and "advanced flip phone",meanwhile Ford tries to figure out how to find the time tape that the girl speaks of as he starts to study time travel and relearn the laws of time in order to help Mabel as he plans on possibly building a makeshift time machine to replace the tape in the case that they never find it.

So far Mabel is doing pretty well despite having to deal with her snappy Grunkle Ford and the fact that her Grunkle Stan was lying about her and Dipper being the only family he has left as well as the fact that she actively has to ignore every trick that Bill pulls on her including possession by using unicorn hair that is now a hair extension on her own hair (early discovery) while also trying to not die/get grievously injured at the hands of Bill or Bill possessed Ford and ALSO greatly missing her brother who is nowhere to be found as she can't find a way home to her time as she begins to experience literally disappearing very slowly as a result of a time paradox of her being in a time before she was even born,what fun! :D.

Dipper however,has worse problems to deal with than a demon triangle and a snappy Grunkle. He has to deal with being homeless and being even MORE anxious/guarded than he already was due to the fact that his Grunkle Stan's enemies could jump him any moment. He has to be Stan's accomplice in committing crimes like shoplifting or pickpocketing people for food and money. The fact that Stan is a criminal and that he has to commit crimes with the risk of getting caught or worse,killed by his Grunkle's old "friends" puts a lot of weight on the poor boy,and he was anxious as is with him generally being highstrung and now he has EVERY reason to be afraid due to him being a runaway criminal with Stan. Although having to live a hard life and commit difficult crimes even when it's wrong ended up toughening Dipper up,showing that dealing with the hard and fast life boosted his confidence tenfold. Dipper actually feels bad for his Grunkle Stan,even when the guy kept making fun of him back then (i.e Dipper vs manliness and the bottomless pit stories),as he had NO IDEA that his Grunkle lived like this before. So he makes sure to be as helpful and as less of a burden as possible,just to make his Grunkle Stan happy. Heck,he even becomes protective of his Grunkle despite his weak nerd arms and he has gotten injured for the grifter's sake multiple times such as the time he got a lot of scrapes and bruises from trying to rescue Stan from falling in a ditch as he ended up falling himself instead. Stan is glad to have a little buddy around him,especially when the kid is his future nephew and thus family,since he's been suffering all by himself for so long and he really appreciates the company. He really wishes that he could help Dipper regarding the whole time tape situation,but only Ford could know what to do as he's too dumb to understand time travel (Stan ur inferiority complex is showing). So he figures that the only way he could help is to just watch out for a weird looking tape measure with an hour glass symbol on it and steal it immediately from whoever has it (the time tape has actually ended up with Blendin after he used a spare time tape to look for the other one that the kids have [he needs to return those. he'll get in trouble for losing a single one],and he's been looking for the children for a while so that he could bring them back to their own time as their very presence in the 80s is a time anomaly and thus he wants to fix it before he gets in trouble with the time police).

Dipper ALSO forces Stan to take care of himself,although to a lesser extent than Mabel with Ford. He doesn't do any heavy duty self care work,but he more so reminds Stan to consider himself too whenever they have food or beds to share instead of just letting him have everything and sacrificing the little stability he already has for the kid. Dipper also tries to give them a better lifestyle at some point by convincing Stan to rent a house and also steal wads of cash from an ATM just to give him a taste of a normal life again since he feels bad for his Grunkle having to sleep in his car or a shitty apartment all the time,Stan literally cries from this gesture as he's so happy to have someone besides Ford finally care about him after 10 years of being alone. He discovers that he doesn't have to be alone and push people away despite wanting someone to care so bad,as Dipper is there to help him.

The two happily live in the rented house for a few weeks until they the landlord kicked them out for not paying rent and then they had to make a run for it. Sometimes,being with Dipper physically pains Stan because of how much he reminds him of Ford. He has the same bright curiosity and thirst for knowledge that his brother had,the same innocence and happiness that Ford had before everything happened. Stan missing Ford is so evident to the point of him occasionally calling the kid "Poindexter" because of how much the boy reminds him of his twin. Dipper finds out about Ford sooner or later because of this,plus he ends up discovering the old picture of Stan and Ford in front of the Stan o' War in his Grunkle's jacket.

He gets angry at the future old Stan for never telling him about his brother and that he had another Grunkle,but he soon realizes why after young Stan explains the whole ordeal he has with Ford regarding the science fair incident. Stan himself points that out too. "What the- You- You had a brother this whole time?!. How come your future self never told me about this?!. What other things is he hiding?. Ugh." "Well,kid. If i know myself,i wouldn't go around telling everyone about the drama i have with my brother y'know?. Especially when it still hurts *sniff*." "What?. What do you mean 'drama'?. Actually,is that the reason why you're living like this and you don't ask him for help?." "Uhh.. You see,my brother is a stubborn jerk. So stubborn that he decided to go to college instead of staying with me. And he let Dad kick me out because of what?. Breaking his dumb perpetual motion machine project?." Stan says in frustration as the resentment is oozing with his every word,as he still doesn't forgive Ford for what he did even with how much he misses him. "Oh.. That's awful. I don't really know the full scope of what happened between you two,but i can say that it's that bad considering that you ended up living on the streets soon after." "Ya think?. As far as i'm concerned,that nerd is living it up in a normal house with his dumb college money instead of sleeping out in a car all the damn time." "And kid,there's a reason why the older me didn't tell you anything. Whatever happens to us in the future,that bastard STILL didn't talk to me about our problems. As him- er me not talking about it means that the resentment is still simmering inside." "Ah,figures. I guess you really are Grunkle Stan instead of some random dumb hobo with how wise you are." "Can it Dippy. I wasn't the one crying over losing a hat yesterday." "Hey!. I- It's my signature accessory,i can't go without it" "Yeah yeah whatever". Also,Dipper and Mabel greatly miss the other. The kids' determination to get back to their twin no matter what cost reminds their respective Stans that they used to be like that too back then,always prioritizing their twin over everything else.

Mabel always makes little doodles of her and Dipper's adventures together in her new 80s scrapbook which Ford catches her doing,meanwhile Dipper rambles about how fun and supportive Mabel is to Stan whenever they have a break from being on the run. Stan feels conflicted over letting the boy constantly talk about how great his sister is when his own sibling is a good for nothing bastard but it also makes him think that maybe he and Ford can be like that again sometime whenever he finally gets the courage to call him or send a postcard to him,Ford on the other hand ignores Mabel's Dipper doodles and occasional rambles about her brother while making an excuse about him being "too busy" to hear about it despite the real reason being that he's too angry at Stan to keep being reminded of the fact that they used to be as close as his future niece and nephew. Both younger twins realize that they NEED to get their Grunkles to talk to each other since it's painful to see a set of siblings like them hate each other so much,especially when they're family, although Mabel is more insistent about it than Dipper due to the fact that Stan has bigger fish to fry than making up with his brother plus the girl is more optimistic than her brother who thinks that Stan and Ford's relationship is broken beyond repair and that there's no hope for them. But getting their Grunkles talk to each other is a job for another time,as they still have to find each other and also find the time tape as well as blend into the 80s until they get back.

(i made this au forever ago. but i forgot to finish it until like November or show it to anyone until now 💀)

[triptychcryptid]

How would the twins react to Stan in the demon's disciple au?. How would Ford react to the twins when they try to call the cops on him for his sketchy demon shit?. Are Soos and Wendy there?.

They wouldn't totally know what to make of him at first. Of course the portal thing would be as unbelievable and cool as it should be, but then Stan sees Ford and immediately tries to shoot him, but can't because of Bill's protection. Ford's influence would have already started taking hold a little bit with the kids, not so much that they couldn't be fairly easily swayed the other way, but enough that they see Ford as a parental figure like they do Stan in cannon. Stan sees that there are kids there, sees the symbols on their clothing and IMMEDIATELY understands what that means. He's even MORE pissed once they explain who they are and Stan realizes Ford is basically going to sacrifice his own family. So he devises his plan to pretend to start seeing it Ford's way.

Stan offers to help take over with the shop so Ford can "Focus more on the church". He is, afterall, still a good salesman/con artist. He uses the opportunity to get to know the kids and figure out how to get them out of there. He's made additions to Journal 2, and after finding out Dipper's love for puzzles and mysteries, he makes up a new secret cymbol cipher for him and Dipper to communicate through and manages to convince them of the dangers of Ciphertology without Ford knowing. The kids keep it a secret that they know, but one day they try to call the cops on Ford.

Ford finds out because a couple of the cops are Ciphertology members, and he tries to lock the kids up in the study with Ciphertology texts, figures, paintings, videos, etc to "secure their faith." The videos are honestly terrifying, and now that the kids are reading the texts themselves, they realize how horrific they are.

Stan finds out and busts them out of there and cements his position as their favorite uncle. He tells the kids he needs help breaking the protection that Bill put on Ford, and asks for their help. They agree and both pretend their faith is being restored while using the texts Ford supplied them to try to find a weakness in Bill they can exploit.

Wendy would be there, but I don't see her believing in religion, do she wouldn't work at the shop. If she did ANYTHING for Ford, it would probably be exterior work on the house (her dad taught her) and probably building additions to the church as needed.

Soos would still be there as the handyman, but he wouldn't have a father-son relationship with Ford. He actually would find Ford VERY off-putting and try not to interact with him more than necessary. He would still befriend the kids, though.

[hollowhi]

I redesign bill to be a goat

Why?

One I wasn’t really happy with the first design

and two I remember that old theory of Gomper being possessed by Bill and the fact it was referenced in the book of bill when bill saids that goats are the only ones that the eye stay the same while being possessed.

Also this

This this the most hilarious thing I can imagine bill doing

And very much in character as well

Edit Done

[cult-of-pine]

Here a little sketch of there two

This is post defeat ford and bill

[pix-writes]

Gravity falls AU idea I've had

Bill cipher is just some (charismatic, psychopathic) guy, except! He runs a cult at the time that Ford is deep in his research in gravity falls.

I'm calling it the Ciphertology AU (if someone comes up with something better I'm all ears tho)

Rest of it under cut (mentions tbob and same level of dark content as is in the book/website, just as warning) ⚠️

So, the university contacts Ford to ask him to investigate the psychic claims that this group deep in the forest, not too far from the falls, has. Ford grumbles that he isn't much of a people person to carry out such research but he's the one nearest to the area and they've agreed to send over Fiddleford, since they're friends and as his assistant he can act as an objective observer (since he didn't study parapsychology) and it pays well.

They both inadvertently get sucked into bill's cult in different ways! Ford is drawn in by his seemingly high intelligence and helpful nature, assured within himself that he wouldn't be fooled by fraudsters or fakes due to his background/intelligence, ends up treating Bill reverently (his 'muse' and one he trusts, because it fills the loneliness he feels, especially because before he began interviewing ciphers group, he felt guilt for not contacting his brother) before coming to a fast and cruel awakening that he's not who he says he is! Bill isolates him from his parents and tries to make him believe he's the only one who understands him, he obstructs his work being sent to the university too.

Meanwhile, poor Fidds had been pulled into addiction from the cultish hippie use of drugs in the group, but ended up slipping into mental health issues and realising that his friend is being manipulated and leaves. tries to persuade Ford to leave, trying to convince him that bill's evil but it doesn't go well ofc and he leaves and tries to set up a counter protest with a load of other people in gravity falls to get rid of the cult, which ends up kicking him out when he has a mental breakdown. By this time the FBI is alerted and they have the cult on their watchlist.

Ford is tortured, similar to how he is described to in tbob and journal 3 (except probably without the possession side of it, haven't decided if that's something he'd be able to do/is real in this au) and he's kept at the isolated cult camp against his will. But he does manage to get hold of a phone and call his brother. Stanley to the rescue! He isn't told fully just how bad it is but sensing bullshit, he high tails up to the falls as fast as possible ❤️

Stan is horrified by the way Ford's been treated and angry that he's still making excuses for the group (poor ford is so sleep deprived so the coercive control is going to take a little while to be unconditioned from) and quickly manages to get him out of there!

Takes a while, and not many people believe the stan twins story, but eventually Bill is caught for other crimes and is sent to a max security psychiatric hospital (basically a prison). (Stan and Ford in the aftermath keep close eyes on the cult from a distance to try and get justice.)

They end up forgiving each other and settling their home base in the falls, since now the rest of the town either hates bill or wants to forget he existed. Stan sets up his own tourist business in the falls whilst ford heals and eventually he ends up working as a lecturer and travels about to a few different colleges in the area for work. After the trial where Cipher is put behind bars decades later, the stans make their childhood dream happen and go sailing around the world for 2-3 years!

Oh, and Ford ends up reconnecting with Fidds, as after some time his son Tate tracks him down and gets him to a place where he can recover and be treated for his mental health. Their contact helps them both get through the trial because now they can finally talk to someone else who experienced the cult. Maybe they even contacted some others who were also drawn into the cult who were victims?

Dipper and Mabel come for the summer like in the show, except now they know of their two eccentric grunkles, though the whole cult story is kept from them for a while (they end up finding out somehow).

...And that's as far as I've got with this idea! I think there might be room for Bill to escape and the pines family coming across him during a future summer? Like maybe because of Ford's involvement with the cult he still has possession of some of Ford's journals/information after he escapes/is set free? Idk. What do you think?

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

Fiddauthor divorce arc speedrun <3

After 30 years of searching for his lost brother through demonic rituals and summonings, Ford has become a bit of a notorious demon collector over the years. He's made a LOT of deals with MANY different demons over the years; from minor and harmless little entities to big and powerful overlords. Most of the time, these deals aren't really a one-way situation, so a lot of demons have a strong grip on him just as much as he does on them. It often ends up being a mutual sort of destruction, as in: "I know I'm but a mere mortal trifling with things I couldn't begin to fathom, and I know you will destroy me eventually; but I don't care as long as I get to destroy you too." He just needs to live long enough to find his brother.

The red hands are essentially pieces of himself (his soul, you could say??) that he wields as his method of restraint to the demons he has "tamed" so far. They act as a leash to contain each demons' powers, and he can loosen or tighten his hold on them as much as he wants. The number of hands required to contain a demon really depends on their individual strengths, but 3-4 hands are already very energy consuming.

YES, I gave all of his demons stupid names. SUE ME.

[poor-ciceros-voring-again]

Yeah alright I'm sketching out designs for my au 🫡 I've never drawn Fiddleford before so here goes I guess

[deadpig124]

I just updated BCLF!! The next chapter is up

[the-east-art]

I have a question about Shifter Stan au: Does Ford eventualy warms up and believes that this is HIS Stan?

And, are they more shifts that Stan likes to use besides Lee and Eve?

Choosing to answer the second half! Alex is an every-man type used to blend in. He claims he’s a distant Corduroy relative. After Wendy learns he can shift she’ll back up this claim.

Seb is friendly, everyone’s friend. Suave and kind and open and honest. Honing these traits bit Seb in the ass… Stan has a hard time shifting into Seb after it.

It occurs to me that Dipper probably thinks Stan’s fish symbol is some kind of a cult since all his shifts wear it before he finds out it’s just… all Stan

[triptychcryptid]

Alright, It's official:

Demon's Desciple AU:

Stanford Pines finds a cave deep in the Forest of Gravity Falls with paintings depicting an ancient god. After deciphering the ancient encryptions that accompany the paintings, Stanford discovers that the God promises salvation to our dimension that is on the brink of destruction brought on by humans. All he requires to do so is a conduit from his home to ours, an Apostle to guide and act under his advisement and a disciple to carry out his judgements against those that do not believe in the cause. Those that do not believe in a New Paradise.

Stanford enlists his college roomate, Fiddleford McGucket to assist in building the conduit. His muse has told him that they are destined for great things and will receive a great reward once the gate between worlds is complete.

However, during a field test of the Gate, Fiddleford almost gets sucked in, and what he sees on the other side is a horrific being shedding its skin in order to feed. This is not a god, but a Demon.

When he tries to warn Stanford, Stanford realizes that Fiddleford has lost his way and his faith has faltered. He cannot have someone who doesn't believe in the cause. He tells Fiddleford to make a choice: To choose God and Salvation, or to leave. Fiddleford leaves. Stanford realizes he can't finish this on his own, so he calls his brother for the first time in a decade. With Stanley by his side as His disciple, they would surely reach their salvation.

Stanley arrives at the behest of his brother, and something seems...off. His brother is giddy. He looks depraved. When was the last time he slept? What were the symbols etched into his walls and doors...drawn in his windows in...was that blood?

Stanford takes Stan down to the Gate and excitedly explains his mission to his brother who does not believe him and thinks it's some sort of joke. Until the Gate gets turned on and Stanford laughs, desperately trying to get his brother to see that it's all real and their God is waiting for them on the other side. That their Great Reward will soon be given to them. He explains his journals and how His plans are outlined in them. He shows Stanley the blueprints and diagrams.

Stan looks at him, in utter shock at what had become of his brother. He grabs the journal and pulls out his lighter, stating it was for Stanford's own good. He needed help. Stanford roars and tackles Stan and they both go through the portal.

On the other side, they are met by Stanford's god, welcoming them both and promising a great reward. Stan doesn't like anything about this thing. Whatever it is, it's powerful and dangerous. As Stanford is groveling at the feet of his god, Stan grabs him and runs. Bill sends his other "Disciples" after them, but Stan manages to evade them.

They end up lost in the multiverse for a few months with Stan realizing his brother is lost in his beliefs. He challenges Stanford's "Faith" at every turn. How can he be so sure his actions and choices are his own? Was he not being influenced by something else? He wasn't acting of his own volition, but by something else telling him bullshit stories of salvation and paradise. None of it was real, and his "God" was a demon!

Stanford always argues that he's acting on behalf of a higher power that has a plan for him. For THEM. If Stan joins the cause, he will be spared judgement and will find his way to Paradise as well.

Stan realizes there's no getting him back.

Stanford betrays Stanley and leaves him stranded in the multiverse while he goes back to his God. He manages to create a small rift and go through back to his world, but he would need the Gate in order to allow Him access to our world, and the Gate broke down after his and Stanley's entry. And Stanley has the second journal with him in the portal.

Stanford opens the Temple of Ciphertology in Gravity Falls and spends the next 30 years gathering disciples and rebuilding the Gate. One summer, his nephew contacts him and asks if his children can spend the summer in Gravity Falls while he sorts out his marriage, mistakingly thinking that it's his uncle Stanley, not Stanford. Stanford agrees, thinking he can send the children on missions for his Church. Once they arrive, he realizes that they represent two of the symbols on his God's Summoning Circle. Now he had all the symbols in one place, and it was only a matter of time before the Gate was operational and he could bring his God's will to fruition.

Meanwhile, Stanley makes it his life mission to kill the Demon God and make his way back home to kill his crazed and dangerous brother. He manages to convince some other Fords to help him make the Quantum Destabilizer, then steals it and goes back to the Nightmare dimension to face off with Bill. Just as he gets his chance, the portal opens and he propels himself through it, instead, using the Quantum Destabilizer on his way out to break the portal again and prevent Bill from entering. Imagine Stanford's distain when what comes through the Gate is not his God, but his heretic brother who did not believe in his divine purpose.

Thanks to @localcanadiancreature62 for the name and some great additions to my weird AU! ❤️

[hollowhi]

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