Beyond the Mysterious Beyond Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Paranorman/Gravity Falls/Kingdom Hearts parody: Patreon Reward

Beyond the Mysterious Beyond
Norman's powers continue to grow, and he can do more than talk to spirits, he's got magic. His search for answers leads him to one Dipper Pines. The two hit it off, but as they search for answers the Darkness peers back at them and send monsters to collect their hearts. Norman's heart is nearly taken and causes Dipper to manifest his keyblade. Dipper/Norman/Harem

Chapter 1

Norman Babcock had powers, he was able to see ghosts. This gift was a part of him and there were times he wished he could ignore it, but eventually he came to accept them. People thought he was weird and different, even his own dad felt off about his powers. Be normal...be normal...he heard that a lot, but didn’t understand what that meant.

Seeing and talking to ghosts was normal for him. It was a gift, it shouldn’t feel like a curse. After an incident with zombies and a “witch’s” ghost, he learned to accept his powers. He became the local shaman of sorts. Helping people connect with the dead and find peace. Ghosts tended to have unfinished business which kept their souls in this world, other ghosts just liked hanging around it was fun. Norman was able to help spirits pass on to the other side, and if the families ever wished to speak to them Norman could channel them.

Over time Norman learned the power of souls, he could channel them, unify with them, he could also bind and even seal them. Not all ghosts were friendly, get a spirit angry enough or one full of despair they could go dark and become a threat. Norman used his gifts to deal with them, he did his best to talk it out, but situations tended to be worse than dealing with an angry human, ghosts didn’t have much to lose after all.

If they forced his hand he could exorcise them. Not a single ghost judged him for it either, dark spirits made things bad for regular ghosts to. As he got older his powers got stronger, it got to the point every year on Halloween he’d revive the dead, it was almost like Christmas but for/with dead people.

Then as things do, Babcock began to ponder why he had these powers. His Grandma didn’t have the answer, and neither did the ghosts. It just seemed to happen, those with the power appeared and disappeared. Though ghosts did praise him as they hadn’t seen someone so powerful before.

Norman began to have curiosity scratch at the back of his mind, every day he used his gift he wondered. If the ghosts didn’t know where would he get answers?

Fate had a way.

Knock knock knock

“I got it!” Norman went to answer the door. “Hello…”

Babcock froze, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the guy at the door. He was wearing a cap with a pine tree on it, he had messy brown hair, big curious eyes, a cute nose, a nice smile…

“Hi, I’m Dipper Pines!” He greeted. Norman gulped, swallowing the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Dipper was dressed casually, a gray and red T-shirt with a front pocket that had pens in it. He was wearing a vest jacket, with a lot of pockets. His pants were tan, but he was rocking a utility belt. He had an athletic build, like a soccer player or something. It was hard for Norman to think and he was doing his best not to stare.

Pines was carrying a journal of some kind. “Hi...I’m normal...Norman! I’m Norman!” His cheeks burned.

Dipper chuckled. “Well Norman, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?” He opened up his journal and pulled a pen from his pocket.

‘You can ask me anything!’ Babcock mentally slapped himself. ‘Come on be cool!’ He smiled. “Questions? Are you working for a census or something?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. “I’ve never seen you around before.”

Pines shook his head. “I’m not part of any census, I’m actually new in town, just passing through.” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Believe it or not, I’m a mystery hunter. I travel around looking for the strange and paranormal.”

“Really!” Norman shot up. “What for?” If he was from the government could this be it, they learned what he could do and were now gonna take him away to area 51 or something to dissect him and see what makes him tick.

“To figure it out, a lot of people are scared of the mysterious and the unknown. So I figure if I can understand what’s out there, I can share it and help people understand so its not so scary anymore.” Dipper was brave enough to step out into the mysterious beyond.

Norman was nudged. ‘Oh he’s sweet, I like him!’His Grandma said. Babcock blushed.

“So!” He cleared his throat. “What brings you to our small town?”

“Well I’ve heard rumors of a shaman living out here, who’s able to see and talk to ghosts, even raise the dead!” Dipper went through notes and reports he had stashed in his journal.

Norman’s whole face went red. ‘He’s here for me!’ His heart gave a few happy thumps. It was beating so loud, Babcock panicked thinking Dipper could hear it.

“So do you anything about this shaman?” He looked up from his book and their eyes met.

“Know anything? Shaman? Ha, I mean what’s a shaman? Is there something like that, are people calling him that, that’s weird, he doesn’t call himself that, not that it is a he, or that I know them or anything, how would I know anything about ghosts, spirits, zombies, oh man zombies scary like a horror movie, does talking to ghosts make one a shaman, I mean I guess it could be worse, if they making zombies they might get called a necromancer or something, but that sounds too evil, they aren’t evil! Not that I know them or anything.” Norman was sweating bullets. “I’ve been talking too long!”

Dipper blinked, recognizing the familiar panic. There was an awkward silence between them. “Norman!” His mother called. “If you are talking to ghosts don’t do it on the porch with the door open you’ll let bugs in. Invite the spirit in and I’ll make some tea.”

Norman wanted to scream. No way Dipper didn’t hear all that, the brunette’s eyes narrowed on him. “I’m sorry I gotta go bye!” He slammed the door.

If his heart could it’d pop out of his chest and slap him for being so stupid. ‘What is wrong with me, why am I so freaked out?’ It had been years since he felt like this, and he had people from out of town come and seek his powers before and he never felt like this.

‘You have a crush on him dear.’ His grandmother told him. It was but a small spark, he could ignore it and the spark will fade away or he could explore it and let the spark grow into a mighty flame.

‘Oh no…’ He was freaking out. Not over the fact he had a crush on a boy, that bridge was crossed awhile ago, but he never really got romantic with anyone. Then this cute guy walked into his life. ‘Dipper Pines…’

Ba-thump ba-thump

He glared at his heart. ‘Traitor!’ He slumped down. ‘I acted like a total idiot!’ He buried his face in his arms.

Babcock was torn between the choices, between wanting to see Dipper again and hoping he’d move on.

Dipper wasn’t going away, especially when he had a lead. Norman had the local ghosts watching him and he was just exploring the town, looking through some kind of weird spy glass. Pines was living out of his van, and even set up camp in the woods.

‘You should talk to him, you like him, he seems like a good bean!’ His grandmother suggested.

He checked with his ghost network and learned Dipper was at the local diner, so he went to talk with him. “Can we talk?”

“Not having your ghosts spy on me anymore?” Norman blushed.

“What? I didn’t how did?” Dipper smirked. “It’s not spying, I was just being cautious!”

He pulled out his spy glass. “It’s special glass, it can see beyond the veil, let’s me see ghosts and auras and things.” Looking around the room. “Lot of ghosts here, this is one of the most spectral places I’ve ever seen.”

Norman’s eyes widen. “Who are you?”

“Dipper Pines, I’m a mystery hunter. I know a thing or two about the weird and paranormal.” He set the glass down. “I’m not here to hurt you or get you in trouble, I was just looking to solve a mystery, so…” He pushed over a plate of fries. “Can we talk?”

Norman took a fry. “We can talk, but let’s do a tit for tat. You are practically a stranger, so you give me info about you, and I’ll share info about me.”

“Deal!”

-x-

And talk they did!

Dipper shared where his start for the weird began, a place called Gravity Falls. He shared different stories of his time there. “Wait, you’ve kissed a merman?”

Pines blushed. “Yeah, Mermando, he was kinda sorta my first kiss.” Mermen, Manotaurs, living manifestation of a video game character, he’s even battled dinosaurs. Dipper told Norman about Bill, the dream demon that nearly started an apocalypse. “He was the most powerful and dangerous creature I’ve ever come across.”

“Dang, you’ve really faced all that, I thought my life was dangerous just fending off evil spirits.” They both had experience with zombies and ghosts, just with vastly different results.

Norman shared info on his abilities, though he confessed he never called himself a shaman. He just wanted to use his gift to help people.

Pines had a wild and crazy summer, using his uncle’s journals to combat the strange and paranormal. “After Bill was defeated I saw the people of Gravity Falls live alongside the paranormal. It gave me hope. So I started my own journal, but I was still a bit young to travel.”

Once he got into High School he did what Stan told him to do, he toughened up. He joined a sport, he worked out, got on the soccer team which helped him build up stamina. Dipper didn’t have a ton of upper body strength but he had strong legs, so he started learning kick boxing. “I studied and trained for years, while working a part time job or two. Once I graduatedI bought my van and set off on my journey.” He studied science so he could be like Ford, lot of the tech he had he designed and built himself.

He went chasing after one paranormal lead after another, usually running into hoaxes, but every now and then he stumbled upon the real deal. Sometimes it was friendly other times Dipper had to bust out some mojo of his own. He had some keep sakes from his time in Gravity Falls, and found other stuff in his travels.

“Wow, that’s really amazing. Besides exploring my powers and going to school, I don’t really have that much of an exciting life. I’ve never left town before.” Sure because fighting evil spirits wasn’t exciting. It sounded exciting to Dipper.

The two were nerding out over what each other could do, had seen, and experienced...lunch time had turned into dinner time. “Dinner?”

Norman blushed and nodded, so the brunette paid for their dinner and they carried on the conversation. ‘Is this a date?’

Dipper had savings, and he did odd jobs in places he went to to earn extra money. All the chores Stan made him do made him quite handy, from chopping wood, fixing roofs, dealing with pests, plumbing, and he was a decent handyman. He was inspired by Soos so he alsotook autoshop in school so he could work on and fix his own car.

All the info Norman shared Pines recorded in his journal. The two kept talking till closing time, and Dipper walked Norman home. “So how did you get your powers?”

“I...I actually don’t know, it’s something I’ve actually been curious about myself.” He rubbed his shoulder.

They made it to Norman’s place. “Welp, I thing I got all I need to solve the mystery of the Blithe Hollow Shaman.”

Babcock blinked. “Really?”

Dipper smiled. “Yep,” he showed Norman his journal and the guy blushed. Dipper took excellent notes sure, but there was also a stunning drawing of Norman in the book.

‘He drew this?’

“The Shaman is a cool dude, who uses his powers to help people.” He closed the book.

“So, I guess that means you’re gonna be leaving huh?” It’s how it went, once Dipper solved a case he moved onto the next one.

“Yeah...but you know, maybe I can give you a call, if I even need ghost help.” Dipper pulled out a cell phone. “Can I get your number?”

“Yes!” He coughed. “I mean sure.” The two exchanged numbers.

“Thanks man, and if you ever run into trouble don’t hesitate to give me a call.” He turned to walk away.

Norman wanted to stop him, but froze, his anxiety clutched at his heart tighter than a phantom. He didn’t want Dipper to go, he wanted to spend more time with him. “Wa…” Suddenly Dipper stopped.

The brunette turned around and scratched his cheek. “You know, maybe I don’t have to leave town.”

“Really!?” Excitement dripped over his voice.

“Yeah, this place is a spectral hot spot, and I think my friend has a new case for me.”

“Friend?” Dipper put his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, my friend, he’s this cool dude who can see ghosts, thing is he doesn’t know where his powers come from. Sounds like a mystery to me.” Norman smiled and Dipper smiled.

Babcock’s heart fluttered. ‘Dipper is staying woohoo!’

The two were about to explore the mysterious beyond together, but they weren’t prepared for what was beyond the mysterious beyond. That diving deeper to learn the truth of Norman’s magic, would cause them to scratch the surface of darkness and light, and cause those forces to take notice of them.

To be continued