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The woods surrounding the quirky town of Gravity Falls were always bustling with creatures large, small, and undoubtedly peculiar. Deer small enough to fit in your palms were asleep under pine tree roots; half men, half bull creatures partied and punched each other in caves with roaring fires and shadows dancing along the walls; little, white-bearded men scurried up trees and hissed at squirrels trying to hoard nuts in their nests. Yes, the creatures of the town residing in the Pacific Northwest were peculiar, fascinating, and somehow natural in their own unique ways, but one creature did not belong amongst the forest. At least, not according to the bizarre, anomalous terms of Gravity Falls.
To call the creature an “it” would be insulting, demeaning, but the creature itself didn’t even know what “it” was, much less what it should be called. So, for the sake of simplicity, “it” shall be referred to as such. The creature in question was humanoid in appearance; it had hair, two arms, two legs, and even a pair of glasses so it could see, despite one lense having a fracture. However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that it was not fully human.
It ran through the woods, the red boots it was wearing turning brown as it stomped through mud. It’s long black coat snagged branches and caused it to trip and crash into trees, earning it some nasty scrapes and bruises along its discolored, green skin. The longer it continued its trek through the dark woods, the more the skin on its face sizzled and burned by the tears shed from its own eyes. But the thing that separated this creature from the native inhabitants of the forest was the unearthly piece of technology attached to the back of its head, shining a faint pink light across the moonlit ground.
Eventually, the creature burst into a clearing near Gravity Falls Lake, and stumbled along the shore on its tired feet, seemingly unsure of what it was doing or where it was going. It mumbled to itself, jerking left and right as a conversation sputtered from its mouth, but nothing was decipherable as half the conversation was in a foriegn language unknown to any Earth creature. Soon, the creature all but collapsed along the shores of the lake, the water lapping at the pebbled shore quietly, but it sent the creature scrambling away, hissing and baring sharp fangs.
“Are you trying to kill us?!” it hissed, the tip of a tapered tongue rattling in its mouth. The voice the creature used was harsh, sharp enough to cut glass with its syllables, and it stung like a fresh papercut: subtle but painful. The creature spoke to no one but itself, but it was far from alone along the quiet shore.
The creature shifted its body, turning its head to face the opposite direction, as an arm was raised in defense against nothing.
“Of course not! I’m stupid, Zim!” While the words still came from the same mouth, still came from the same creature, this voice was different. It was deeper and strained, cracking along the vowel of the name that punctuated the end of the sentence. The words this voice spoke were stern, but the creature's lips quivered and its eyes darted around frantically.
The creature's body shifted again, the hesitation in its face melting away into a cold scowl with gritted teeth.
“Your mind betrays you, Dib-stink. I can feel everything you’re feeling, everything you’re thinking, all because of this stupid town and your stupid curiosity!”
“Stop rutting in my head! It’s bad enough that we’re stuck like this, I don’t need you creeping through my every thought, too!”
“Do you think I am choosing to sift through the abstractions your stupid species dare calls “thoughts?” They are too loud to ignore! Even now I am fighting to speak with your overwhelming anxiety pounding within my PAK!”
The creature’s head snapped back and forth as their conversation continued, facial expressions and postures changing depending on which voice was speaking. It would hiss and scowl and growl, like each voice was a completely different person. Which was true. The two voices that dominated the poor creatures head and body fought for control of the vessel, both too stubborn to yield in their confrontation despite how draining it was to the body mentally, verbally, and physically. The creature groaned and swayed on its hands and knees involuntarily as the two voices refused to quiet down, overwhelmed by the sheer force of will both personalities inflicted outwardly and inwardly on itself. Soon, it fell over, panting heavily and dizzy.
The creature itself was an anomaly, a mixture of two drastically different people, and not just ones with different personalities—ironically, one could argue that the two were more alike, personality-wise, than either would ever admit. The reason the creature was so uncertain of who and what it was was because it was a mixture of a human and an alien. The creature's appearance reflected as such, too, retaining the basic physical form of the human counterpart while also pronouncing the more alien qualities of the extraterrestrial.
The human part of the creature referred to itself as Dib, a young adult male who acted more young than adult despite being of legal age. He gave the creature its stature and appearance: the lanky frame, the muddy red shoes, the long black coat, the fractured glasses, and the unruly black hair. The other half of the creature was from an alien species known as Irken—a species that could best be described as bug-like, to put it simply—and he was named Zim, a cocky and malicious individual whose ego was so inflated that one would be surprised he was only 4’ even. He gave the creature it’s inhuman details: green-tinted skin, four clawed fingers, zipper-fanged teeth, a tapered tongue, yellowing eyes, and the device that was referred to as the PAK attached to the back of its undoubtedly large head.
It was hideous and monstrous and disgusting, and that is not just from a single observation from a single person.
The creature could still hear the screams of terror ringing in its ears, pounding in its skull. People of the town called it an abomination and a freak. They threw candy and insults and watermelons, of all things, at it when it wandered into the town looking for help. Everything had hurt and it’s head felt like it was split despite being perfectly intact. Yet, with every beat of its heart, it heard the clicks and whirs of a device that did not belong to its body. And the body betrayed the inhabitants, Zim and Dib, when it couldn’t control the way it lashed out against the discrimination the town had shown it. Sharp limbs of silver erupted from the back of it’s head with no semblance of control. They scraped along the roads, dragging the body along as it screamed and kicked at anything within it’s range. People had fled in terror as the sentient limbs attacked with no concept of a target, and the creatures' own spiraling rage turned to fear of the way it was perceived, not only to the crowd but to itself.
The creature groaned as it struggled to lift itself off the ground, bleary-eyed and dazed. It’s gaze was far away, skimming across the surface of the lake, before it’s eyes hardened and it scowled. “You are wearing us out. Stop thinking about that!”
“It’s not just me!” the deeper voice snarled. “ You’re thinking of it, too, Space Boy!Don’t make me the bad guy!”
“Oh, yes,” the sharp voice spat, “because you’re the innocent one in this situation, Dib-Beast.”
“I am the innocent one. You followed me when you had no business to!”
“Lies! Filthy lies pour from your mouth!” the creature screamed and raked its fingers through its hair, grabbing the two hair-spikes that were both antennae and hair.
It hissed and squirmed trying to stop its own assault. “Stop it! You’re only hurting the both of us!”
“Lies! Lies lies lies lies lies!”
As the creature continued to shout the repeated word, a distressed rumbling vibrated deep in its chest. Both voices were unaware of it as it didn’t interfere with the screaming of the sharper voice, and it only continued to grow as its vision tunneled. It whimpered when its lungs finally gave out and trembled against the shore, its mind a choppy ocean compared to the tranquil lake.
Before ending up on the shores of the lake in an unnatural amalgamation, the two had ended up in Gravity Falls under different circumstances. Dib was taking the opportunity to use his first summer after high school graduation to travel and hunt for paranormal creatures around the country, visiting sites that were fabled to contain Bigfeets, Mothman, Chupacabra, and Jersey Devil sightings. He’d already had run-ins with several paranormal creatures and was thoroughly enjoying his time, but he somehow found his way to Gravity Falls when he heard rumors of paranormal creatures unknown to any other region on the globe. Well, the young adult couldn’t let that town slip under his radar if he had anything to say about it. The fact that it was the town’s second annual Halloween celebrations, also known as Summerween, was just an added bonus to him as he heard rumors of a trickster that knocked on doors and gobbled up i spirited children.
Zim, on the other hand, got to Gravity Falls by other methods. While he would never admit it, he was growing rather bored of the same old routine in the same old place and impressing no one but Dib. The two were “enemies” in that they fought tooth and nail over a “doomsday” device, before promptly going to grab milkshakes at McMeatie’s and playing video games together in his base until midnight. It became a routine to keep their old rivalry alive while expanding upon their more less-violent rituals—because calling it a friendship would be too much for the manic alien. However, Zim had noticed that the boy had been avoiding him lately and their frequent afternoon hangouts became, well, less frequent. When Zim had finally had enough and went to confront him, he found him gone on his paranormal adventure. Zim then proceeded to scour the continent in search of his runaway human, determined to drag him back to his base and demand his attitude be readjusted for daring to bail on him for his ridiculous creatures, and he had found him scouring the forests of an odd town named Gravity Falls.
The two had argued—which was not surprising in the slightest—and it had broken into a fist fight—which was also not surprising—but this fight in particular ended with a different outcome than most others.
A weak moan escaped the creature’s lips as it struggled to sit up. “This isn’t working. We need to think of another plan.”
“To that, we can agree, but Zim shall come up with the plan because your monkey head is too stupid.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, my head is also your head, so that means you’re calling yourself stupid.”
“Lies!”
The creature let out a frustrated groan. “Enough with the “lies” thing! You’re fucking annoying!”
“You’re annoying! I hate you!”
The body faltered, it’s breath shaking slightly. “Y-Yeah? Well, I hate you, too!”
“I hated you first!”
“Well, I hate you twice as much!”
“I hate you twice as much as that, human!”
“Asshole!”
“Stink beast!”
“Alien scum!”
“Monster!”
A scream punctuated the air so loud it sent the body into a frenzy. A scream that came from the creature's own mouth as hot tears poured down its cheeks. It flipped onto its back, clutching its head and ripping at its hair. It kicked and flailed and screamed and screamed and screamed, clawing its face, its arms, it’s chest as it delved into madness. The two voices were caught off guard by the sudden, frantic outburst, and they remained silent despite their own voices being used to express the distress. A chaotic chorus woven together in a symphony of agony.
Finally the creature took a breath.
“Wh-What was that?”
“I am...unsure. Was that...you?”
“No…” The creature swallowed thickly, digging its fingers into the soft soil. “Was it...you?”
“Of course not.” Despite coming across as cold, there was no malice behind the words.
The two voices went quiet after that, struggling to comprehend how the body could be against them when both of them could control it. It was an interesting predicament the two found themselves in, almost as interesting as the scenario that made them the thing that they were now.
There were many things that made Gravity Falls a peculiar and fascinating place, but the most classified of the town’s fables is one that remained a secret for centuries most likely, buried under everyone’s noses. Literally. Beneath the ground of the town was a UFO, intact and well functioning despite being left to rot and untouched since being abandoned. Dib had discovered the place by accident, as trouble attracted the young man in the oddest of ways, and with Zim hot on his heels, he quickly followed. Things were knocked around during their exchange of heated words, but there was one thing that the two failed to notice: how Zim’s PAK reacted to the tech around it. The ship roared to life as electricity pulsed from the PAK, sending Zim into a screaming fit as Dib cowered. The ship’s security system sprang to life and large, silver orbs drifted down from the ceiling, engulfing the poor man inside it’s chamber before doing the same to the other. Had it been a normal procedure, the two would’ve been sent to an alien prison, but the malfunctioning PAK had other plans as the clash in technology and the proximity of the two created a dangerous chemical reaction, changing their compositions permanently.
It is...best to leave out the details of what happened inside that orb before it finally gave out and spat out a single being that had no knowledge of itself or its whereabouts.
Confused eyes stared up at the stars, thousands of tiny lights long dead yet still finding ways to be relevant. Despite that, the creature found itself cowering before them, like the universe was judging how insignificant it was in the grand scheme of everything. And who was it to argue? A creature of conflicting and unnatural life and circumstance had no business existing if it could not even find harmony within itself. Yet...part of it longed to be part of that universe, and it wasn’t sure which personality was expressing it. However, it knew that there was an ache deep within it’s chest that called for it. It felt so strong that perhaps both were feeling this way, but how could it know?
A hand reached for those lights, closing its claws to wind up empty handed. “Why did you follow me here, Zim?”
There was a long pause heavy enough to suffocate, but the human side was patient and did not pry for answers inside their shared head. Finally, the other spoke. “You left.”
A snort escaped its mouth. “I think we established that part considering you followed me.”
“No. You left Zim. Left without meeting for tasteless milk drinks and cursing your father-unit while I played the auto stealing game. You. Left.” Its breathing grew ragged and uneven as it blinked furiously, its eyes glossy. “And Zim was...upset because there was no warning.”
Dib had left several days before Zim found out. The whiplash of not only being left behind but without so much as a farewell sat heavy in the Irken’s squeedlyspooch. His PAK had whirred and jolted with so many things that everything felt like a blur to him. He couldn’t recall how he ended up back in his base when he found out from Dib’s sister-unit, how he ended up with 27 broken bones, or how the technology in his base had been reduced to sparking wires and torn metal. The only thing he could recall was the massive empty feeling that bore straight through him without leaving a physical mark, and how that feeling had never left him as he scoured the continent.
“Why did you leave?”
Now, the silence returned for the other to ponder their answer, and for once the alien was patient as the PAK quietly hummed.
“I was scared.”
A sharp cackle spurted from the creature’s mouth as its face contorted between amusement and embarrassment. “The Dib was scared of Zim not attacking for years that you had to leave?!”
“It’s not funny!”
“It’s hilarious, Dib-stink!” The laughter continued to tumble out of its mouth as it crossed its arms and turned on its side.
“If you’re gonna make fun of me, I won’t fucking tell you.”
The alien’s laughter continued for another moment as the creature huddled itself on its side. When the laughter finally ceased, it sucked in a deep breath. “How could you ever be threatened by Zim after you continued to oppose me for years before our truce? Have you started slacking?”
“No. When it comes to you, I can never slack off.” The creature’s lips curled into a light smirk. Had they been separate people, this would’ve been the part where Dib punched Zim in the shoulder, but instead settled for squeezing its forearms lightly. “No, I...was scared because we were...getting along.”
“Afraid that we were becoming friends?” the other taunted.
“No...I was afraid I couldn’t handle what I wanted after that…”
It had taken months for Dib to accept the possibility that he was rather fond of Zim’s company. Well, “rather fond of” was a very light way of putting it...He could never admit aloud that he found himself enamored by Zim on a more intimate level. Something about the way his skin didn’t look as disgusting anymore, or the way his antennae revealed his emotions, or the way his magenta eyes glistened in the light, or how his interpretations of Earth culture were curious, and...Dib couldn’t deny thinking about pressing his lips softly to those green ones and fantasizing how they tasted: sour, sweet, or spicy? It thrilled him, sitting so close that the space between them was charged with electricity so strong that he wanted to plunge into it head-first, and that’s why it scared him.
“I didn’t want to fuck it up...How could I know what you wanted without asking? And how could I ask with the risk of ruining everything? I didn’t want to break what we had...so I ran from it…”
The two went quiet after that, with nothing but the soft chirps and calls of the wildlife and the gentle hum of the PAK keeping the silence from becoming unbearable. It was almost peaceful, the turmoil from earlier seemingly lost, like dust particles scattered along the surface of water.
“Don’t run from me…” the creature whimpered, hugging itself tighter. “ Stay...please.”
It’s breathing grew shallow, barely escaping its lips as its heart skipped. “What if I fuck it up?” it whispered.
“You always fuck things up. That’s how we’ve always interacted.”
Another burst of laughter came from the creature, but it belonged to the human’s voice this time. “I guess you have a point, space boy. It’s not like I can’t get away from you anytime soon.”
“You present a good point, as well.”
They shared the next chuckle as the creature smiled and shut its eyes, not bothered by the faint burning of its cheeks from faint tears. “I’ll stay…”
The creature was blinded as pink light illuminated from its skin. It hissed lightly, sitting up and examining its fingers. The veins beneath the skin glowed magenta light so strong that it highlighted the faint dust in the air. Under the night sky, the lights shimmered like an aurora borealis. “Whoa…” it gasped, turning its hands over and gawking at the way the light moved beneath its skin. “What is this?”
“The PAK makes the veins glow.”
“Really?” Dib breathed, removing the trench coat to gaze at its arms. “This is incredible.”
“It is incredible,” Zim confirmed. “An entire universe within our veins.”
“We’re beautiful…”
“I’m beautiful…”
It gasped. The voice that came out this time was not of the two that had occupied its headspace. This one was deep like Dib’s, but smoother. It was brash like Zim’s, but crisper. It was not the two voices speaking together in agreement, but a new voice entirely that was still indeed a mixture of the two, much like it’s body. It stared down at itself, mouth agape trying to form more words as it struggled with denial.
“Did I...say that?” It gasped again as the voice was still not Dib nor Zim. “What...what voice is this? Is this...is this my voice?”
All at once, the turmoil the creature felt within its chest dissipated and left behind an airy feeling. The air it sucked into its lungs was harsh as it burned its dry throat, but it was satisfying. It peered forward over the surface of the lake and it could see itself clearly. It looked like Dib and it looked like Zim, but it was not. It was both and neither at the same time. It was a whole new person created through and by two different people.
“I’m me...and I’m beautiful…” it murmured, staring down at the universe shimmering in its veins. “I’m beautiful. I’m beautiful!” It whooped and hollered, springing to its feet and running along the shore. It ran fast and straight, unswayed by conflicting thoughts and movements. It ran unopposed with a smile full of sharp teeth all its own spreading across its face. It could feel the wind in its hair, it could hear the chirps of the crickets, it could taste the adrenaline on its tongue as it howled in elation. It ended up tripping over itself, its feet moving too fast for its body to keep up, but as it tumbled along the shore, it could only laugh because it knew that was only an accident, that it had done that. No...that he had done that.
When he stopped, he was breathless but not tired, shaking but not afraid, and he turned on his heels to stare up at the stars. He didn’t cower this time as his glasses reflected the entire universe back at it, and the pink lights left a soft glare around the round edges. He was still judged by the vast display of the universe, most definitely still just as insignificant as before, but he was a universe all on his own, composed of two drastically different people, but still his own person nonetheless.
He hugged himself and smiled. “I’m here…”