A/N: I don't own Nothing. Please, if you have an AO3 account, go check out Stuck_in_the_Couch. She's my Beta.
Jill Cipher stood in the fringe of the trees, watching the happy family playing in the clearing before her. Two sets of twins, one set of teenagers and one set of older men, laughed at an unheard joke. Jill only smiled, turning and walking into the forest, not seeing that two of the group had noticed her. She walked on, following an animal path to another clearing. A statue stood here, a triangular shape with a hand outstretched. It seemed as though the figure was hoping to make a deal. Jill sighed, placing her hand on the statue's face.
The trinity tattoo on her wrist lit up briefly, telling her that there was still an entity inside the statue of Bill Cipher, her twin brother. She frowned, removing her hand and looking at the mark on her wrist. Memories flooded her, remembering the Demon Trinity forming the vessel she was using. Their words echoed through her head.
Find the boy named Mason in the town of Gravity Falls. That is the only way to save your brother.
A sound drew her attention, and she turned sharply to find two of the men she had been watching behind her. The male teenager and one of the elder men stood just on the edge of the clearing, the teen held a book and the man held what appeared to be a gun. Jill smiled sadly, turning fully to properly face them. She walked a little closer, and the man lifted his gun just a fraction, getting a better aim.
"I didn't realize anyone had seen me," Jill said truthfully. She looked over the man, his trench coat and red sweater standing out. Her eyes slid over to the teen, taking in his blue and white hat with the blue pine tree. She chuckled softly, making the teen go stiff.
"Who are you?" the man asked, and Jill noticed his hand. She realized that he had six fingers on each hand.
"I am everyone and no one, Sixer," she said, grinning when his eyes widened just a bit. She had gone through all of Bill's memories before the Weirdmageddon happened, and now knew the names of the two males. Stanford Filbrick Pines and Dipper Pines stood stiffly, watching her carefully now. "My name is Jill," she finally told them. "And I'm honestly no one to worry about."
"What the hell does that mean?" bit out Ford, anger flashed through his eyes, but he held firm. Jill chuckled again, her hand unconsciously rubbing her tattoo. "And what do you want here?" he finished. Jill shrugged, glancing at Bill's statue.
"I am here by the Trinity," she told them, eyes still on Bill. "They sent me to fix what has happened." She turned her head back to look at Ford, who had lowered his eyes to her tattoo. She could see the confused look on Dipper's face, but she didn't feel like elaborating right now. Another memory flashed before her, the image of a young boy that she knew very well being murdered. She reeled back, trying to pull out of the intense memory. She felt a thud behind her, and jerked out of the memory to find that she had fallen down and was panting.
"A-are you okay?' asked Dipper, a little more friendly then his uncle. Jill looked up at him, seeing the similarities to the boy in the memory. She shook her head in hopes of removing the image from her mind's eye. She suddenly regretted the decision to interfere in Bill's memories, and she looked up at Ford. He had lowered his weapon, obviously seeing the pain in Jill's brown eyes.
"I-I think I'm fine now," she said, dropping her gaze to Ford's shoes. "J-just a memory." She frowned when she realized that she was stuttering, something she never did. She just barely saw Dipper nod, and a six fingered hand showed up in her line of vision. She glanced up, taking the calloused hand and letting Ford pull her to her feet.
"Why don't you come back to my place?" he asked, dropping her hand. She nodded silently, following the two back the way she had came. She didn't look up again till she heard a gruff voice.
"Who the Sam Hell is this?" the voice asked, and she looked up to see the other older twin, wearing a black suit and a red tie. She searched her memories and found his name. Stanley Pines.
"She's a friend," Ford lied smoothly, causing Dipper to look up. Stan just shrugged, obviously not caring either way. Ford jerked his head to tell Jill to follow him, which she did without question. Ford lead her to what looked to be a closed gift shop, stopping in front of a vending machine. He punched in a code and the machine opened up to reveal an elevator. Jill frowned but followed Ford in, standing in the far corner, away from the two Pines males. She tuned out their conversation until the elevator stopped, stepping out into what look to be an office.
"What do you want to know?" she asked, letting her magic flow freely to float up onto a filing cabinet. Ford froze, staring at her as she played with a spark of yellow flames. She grinned, glad that she surprised him.
"Um," he started, then gulped and spoke up. "You said you were sent by the Trinity. Why? What do they want with Gravity Falls?" Jill let out a dark chuckle that obviously sent tremors down the Pines' spines.
"They don't want anything with Gravity Falls other than to fix what happened," she laughed out, her voice echoing around the office. "Two years ago, something happened here. It created problems for the Trinity."
"What kind of problems?" asked Dipper, his teen body shaking slightly. He must have been controlling the tremors.
"The Nightmare realm is collapsing," Jill stated, her tone more serious now. "Without Bill Cipher, it will collapse completely. That's a serious problem, for without Nightmares, the Holy Trinity can not control the human race."
Ford, who had been pacing around the office, froze. He turned to Jill, his face contorted in fear and worry. Jill stopped playing with the spark, her eyes flickering to pink as she stared at Ford, watching the emotions run through the man's eyes. She knew what he was thinking. The Nightmare Realm was needed, and now, because of Bill's actions, it was slowly being destroyed.
"What happens if it collapses?" asked Dipper, voicing Ford's concern. Jill glanced at the boy before returning her now pink eyes back to Ford.
"Humans who would otherwise ignore their evil desires will act upon those desires. The Nightmare Realm keeps most humans from committing evil acts," Jill explained. "Without the nightmares, the fear that the nightmares instill, humans could act out and destroy the world."
"And why would demons care about this?" asked Ford, his tone harsh.
"Because most demons feed on that fear," Jill answered honestly. Skating over the truth could only hinder her mission. "Also, the Holy Trinity would lose control of humans, who they protect."
"So why did they pick you?" Ford questioned, his face confused. Jill shrugged in response.
"I was the best one for the job," she stated.
"What is your connection to Bill?" Dipper asked quietly, like he didn't mean to say it. Jill sighed.
"He's my twin," she stated, cursed human emotions flooding her. "He is the opposite of me. I create good dreams." She didn't need to add that last part, but she did, as if she needed them to understand her. "My full name is Jillian Cipher." Dipper stared at her. She almost wanted to read his mind, to see what questions he really had.
"How did you get a vessel?" Ford suddenly asked, turning her attention back to him. She smiled softly at the question.
"The Trinity made it for me," she told them. "They also gave me the ability to form a vessel for Bill. That's why they sent me here. They want me to pull Bill from his prison, and into a human vessel." She thought for a moment. "I also have to take his powers away," she added, though more to herself. "There's also someone I have to find. Someone named Mason, though they didn't give me a last name."
Both Pines froze this time, exchanging glaces with each other. Jill looked between the two, her eyes moving quickly. They didn't say anything at first, but after a few moments of silence, they turned back to her.
"Why do you need Mason?" Dipper inquired, his face thoughtful. Jill tilted her head at the wording.
"They said he would help me to tame Bill," she said slowly, realizing that they knew something. "I was told that Mason would help me save him." Dipper frowned, looking back at his uncle for a second. Then he removed his hat, running a hand through his messy brown hair. Jill caught the birthmark for only a second, the Ursa Major, or the Big Dipper. She finally understood that Dipper was not the boy's real name
"Want to make a deal?" Dipper looked up at Jill as he returned the hat to his head, his question hanging in the air.
"I normally don't do that, but I can," replied Jill, sliding off the cabinet gracefully. "What do you want?" Dipper thought for a moment, his eyes shining.
"I want you to ensure the safety of my family," he finally said, "In return, I'll help you with Bill." Jill froze, the information seeping in. "My name is Mason Pines. But you can call me Dipper."
"I see," Jill whispered, then raised her voice. "I was right coming here then, huh?"
"I guess so," replied Dipper with a smile. "So, about our deal?" Jill nodded, Yellow flames appearing around her hand as she stretched it out towards the boy. He quickly took her hand, sealing the deal. But before Jill could say anything, the human vessel she was using blacked out.
Dipper watched as the light went out in Jill's eyes, and suddenly, she was falling. He moved quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her into him instead. She was burning up, her face turning red with the heat. Her breathing was erratic, like she couldn't catch her breath. Dipper looked up at Ford, who seemed to be frozen in fear. Dipper cleared his throat, and his uncle moved to his side.
"It seems as though she used too much magic for the vessel," the older man said softly, his six fingered hand brushing the woman's burning forehead. "Some sleep and she should be fine." He stood and gently took the demon from Dipper, laying her out on his futon that he kept in his office.
"Will she be safe down here?" Dipper asked, then realized he was getting tired of all the questions. Ford nodded softly.
"I'll keep an eye on her though. Why don't you go spend some time with Mabel," he said, and Dipper nodded, a soft smile crossing his lips as he hurried out of the basement. He found Mabel in the attic bedroom, and quickly told her everything that he had learned. She was respectfully quiet until the end of Dipper's explanation. When Dipper breathlessly finished, she frowned.
"So… Let me get this straight," she started. "We have a dream demon who is related to Bill sleeping in our basement?" Dipper nodded, still trying to catch his breath. Mabel sighed, looking out the window with a distant look. When she finally returned her gaze to her twin, she seemed resolved. "Well, I suppose we can't do anything about this."
"Yeah," Dipper replied. "Something stronger than us wants this to happen. The prophecy even said my name." He too turned to look out the window, noticing once again that it resembled Bill's eye. This was a thought he had entertained since he first met the demon. Mabel's face was distant again, thinking over what Dipper had told her.
"Well, I guess I can't say anything then," she said slowly. "I'm still not happy that you made a deal with a demon, again," she emphasized the last word. Dipper flushed, but didn't reply. "However, we need to trust Grunkle Ford." She was thoughtful for a moment, then beamed at her brother. "But this means we get to have another family member "
"What?"
"Well, If Bill is going to stay with us as a human, then that means he's family," Mabel explained. Dipper groaned at his sister's enthusiasm. While he had made the decision to help, he still wasn't sure about having a blood thirsty demon living with him. And he really didn't want to have to babysit said demon. But there were powers that were stronger than him, who wanted him to save Bill. He felt it was only right to help, considering the prophecy. But he wondered, as he watched Mabel talk to her pig, Waddles, if he was the right one for the job. Even though he didn't know anyone else named Mason who lived in Gravity Falls.
It was getting pretty late, and the Pines twins sat in the window seat, watching the sun set. They were quiet, no giggles or talk between them. Dipper knew that Mabel was still processing what he had told her earlier. It certainly was a lot to take in, even Dipper was still reeling from the information that Jill had given him. And so Dipper waited, staring out the window until his sister retired to bed and quickly fell asleep. Once her soft snores filled the room, he crept from the attic and down the stairs. He wasn't surprised to see that Grunkle Stan had fallen asleep watching TV, but he was surprised to find Grunkle Ford waiting for him at the door, a flashlight in his hand.
"I knew you would try to sneak out," the older man grinned. Dipper stared down at his feet, not wanting to meet his uncles eyes. Then, he felt a large hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Jill left while I was working." Dipper looked up, for he had already figured that she would leave as soon as she woke up. Ford handed him the flashlight, pulling another one from his coat, and the two left the Mystery Shack to find Jill, knowing where she had gone. They followed the path silently, only the sounds of their steps on the grass and brush.
They found Jill at the clearing, floating a foot away from Bill's statue and surrounded by yellow flames. Dipper stared in awe, it was like a million floating candles, rotating around the woman. It was then that he saw what was in front of her. A white cloud like object floated just in front of her, images flashing on its surface. Dipper silently approached her at Ford's touch to his shoulder, but he stepped on a twig, making the woman tremor for a second before she turned around.
"Ah, if it isn't Sixer and Pinetree," she said with a chuckle. She returned her gaze to the cloud, which Dipper realized was showing some kind of memory. Bill's triangular form was on one side of the screen, and he appeared to be speaking to a young man around Dipper's age. Though based on the boy's clothing, this event happened years ago. "His name was Mya," Jill explained without turning around.
"Who was he?" asked Dipper in a whisper, not wanting to break her focus again. Jill chuckled, but he couldn't see her expression.
"Someone very important to Bill," she said, her voice washing through the peace like a slow river. "I believe that Mya's death was what sent Bill into the depths of despair. He may have been trying to bring the boy back to life." She shrugged, a slow and calm movement. With a gentle flick of her wrist, the cloud vanished, giving light to Bill's statue. The stone almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. Dipper heard Jill whisper, but didn't pick up on what she said.
"Do you have a plan?" asked Dipper, changing the subject. Jill gave that calm chuckle again, and it kind of sounded like tinkling.
"I know I have to create a vessel," she said, her floating form turning to face him. Dipper saw tear tracks on her face, and her pink eyes shimmered from left over tears. "The hard part is coming up with a look for him."
"I can resolve that," Dipper spoke up, causing both Ford and Jill to look at him. He flushed, pink tinging his face. "I have some sketches from when I was younger. I always wondered what he would look like as a human," he confessed, trying to shrug off their looks. Suddenly, and without warning, Jill let out a peal of laughter, like a bell.
"That," she giggled out, "is hilarious." She laughed for a moment longer, making Dipper's face go from pink to beet red. He suddenly regretted telling them this piece of information. Something that he had never even told his sister. "I knew you were strange, but imagining your rival as a human is just out there."
"And this is why I never told anyone," Dipper mumbled, but both of the elders heard, and Jill laughed even more. It was a moment before she calmed herself, a hand pressed to her ribs. She took a few steadying breaths, taking her hands and, palm down, lowered them with an exhale. This was something that Dipper had seen some of his teachers do before addressing an unruly classroom.
"I would actually like to see them, honestly," she said, her voice still quavering a little. But her face was serious, and Dipper felt that he could trust her to see them. He pulled a book from his vest, bound in red leather like his uncle's journals, though adorned with a gold pine tree instead of a hand print. He flipped it open to a section about halfway through the book, and handed it to her.
Jill gave a low whistle, but said nothing as her eyes scanned the pages. She began floating again, pulling her legs under her to sit cross legged in the air. She seemed intent on looking at Dipper's sketches, turning the page back and forth to look at all four of the pictures Dipper had come up with. After a few minutes of this, she smiled and folded the corner of a page, handing it back to Dipper without a word. He looked at the sketch.
She had chosen his favorite one. Dipper had drawn this design from several angles, and it was the most detailed of the sketches. He had drawn Bill with black hair and blond tips, his eyes golden with black slits. The design had a lean, but well muscled form, and showed Bill with the Cipher Zodiac on his back. He glanced up at her, but she was in a quiet conversation with Ford over how she intended to form the vessel. Dipper smiled, pulling out a pen and going to sit a distance from them. He turned to an empty page in his journal, and began sketching Jill.
He realized that he had never really taken a good look at her. She was a healthy, but slim, woman. Golden hair traveled down her back to her waist, brought up in a braid to keep it from blowing about in the wind. Her eyes were almond shaped, and constantly flickered from pink to blue as she spoke. Dipper glanced at her several times, going from his sketch to her form as he tried to draw her out. He barely noticed her looking at him until he had finished the sketch, stretching his back and looking up to see her floating above him.
She chuckled when he screamed, the sound echoing off the trees. He quickly realized that she was just trying to look at his picture, so he silently lifted up his journal so she could see the sketch. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she looked it over, a soft smile on her lips. She nodded once, floating back over to Ford to return to her conversation. Dipper closed his journal, slipping it back into his vest and leaning back against the tree behind him. He glanced up to realize that he was sitting beneath a pine. An annoyed smirk crossed his lips as he began to drift off.
He woke slightly to find himself being carried. His bleary eyes glanced up to see Jill, gently holding him as she walked. He drifted off again, hearing Ford's heavy boots behind Jill, and knew he was safe with them.
Jill smiled when she noticed that Dipper had fallen asleep, under a pine tree no less. Ford followed her gaze, letting out a soft chuckle at the sight. He bent over the teen, intent on picking him up, when Jill stepped in.
"I can carry him pretty effortlessly," she told him, to which Ford agreed pretty quickly. She used some of her magic to lift him and allowed her feet to touch the ground. Ford seemed a little surprised, but he said nothing as Jill gracefully headed for the shack. About halfway there, Dipper seemed to come to just enough to see who was holding him. Jill knew it was a testament of how much he trusted her when he drifted back to sleep as she walked.
"Why don't you give off the same vibe as most demons?" Ford's question cut through the silence, and Jill laughed softly so as to not wake the teen in her arms.
"I am one of the good demons," she told him. "The demons that your family met during Weirdmageddon were known for their sins." She went silent, glancing at Ford, who walked just behind her. "Bill used to be good."
"You mentioned earlier that it was a human boy who drove him crazy," Ford said, almost unsure of his words. Jill nodded. "How did that happen?"
"While demons are aware of the seven cardinal sins, we are also affected by the seven cardinal virtues," she told him, but refused to meet his eyes. Instead, she stared ahead where the lights of the shack were just barely visible. "I believe that Bill loved that boy, and when the boy was murdered, my brother changed." Ford grunted just as the shack came into view.
"So you think that his heartbreak drove him to the edge?"
"Yes," Jill said, crossing the clearing. "I have reason to think that Weirdmageddon was an effort to gain the powers to return the human to life. Although, he didn't realize that enough time had passed for the boy to be reborn." Ford was silent as they stepped up onto the porch. He waited for Jill to take Dipper up to the attic, and when she returned, they both descended to the basement. Once in Ford's office, Jill returned to the top of the filing cabinet. Ford glanced at her, then sat at his desk and started scribbling something in his journal. A comfortable silence spread between them, only the sound of pen on paper and the crackle of Jill's flames hung in the air. After an hour though, Ford turned to her.
"If the boy was reborn, would that mean that he's somewhere in Gravity Falls?" he asked, curiosity on his face.
"I would assume that Dipper is the boy," Jill said, unsure of her answer. "I was only told that a boy named Mason would save Bill. So, naturally, I would think..." she trailed off. Ford's head cocked to the side just a fraction. "Dipper's birthmark is of the big dipper, right?" Ford nodded. "Mya had a similar birthmark on his side."
Jill jumped slightly when Ford quickly took to his feet. He began pacing the room, and Jill watched him with wary eyes. He was mumbling in a language that Jill knew was from a different dimension, surprising her. She knew that Ford had spent thirty years in another dimension, but she would have never guessed that he would have learned an alien language. She kept her eyes on him until he wheeled around to face her with wild eyes.
"Is Bill going to know this information?" he asked, his voice gruff with worry. Jill shrugged, but decided to answer him.
"As far as I know, Bill knows nothing of the birthmark, and I've been through all of his memories," she said, placing a finger on her chin in thought. "It would be up to Dipper to show him.," she added as an afterthought. Ford looked wildly around as though he was afraid.
"Will Bill still have his powers?" Ford questioned. Jill shook her head gently, trying to calm the crazed man.
"That was the deal the Trinity made," she informed him. "Bill was only supposed to have some of his powers, but not enough to harm anyone. Things like his powers of regeneration and healing will still exist."
Ford sat back in his chair, looking slightly better than he did. Jill remained quiet, her vision flickering as it had since she first woke in Gravity Falls. Ford's thoughts flitted through her mind, though she tried to ignore his yelling.
"So Bill will be no threat to us?" he whispered, but Jill's excellent hearing picked it up.
"I have a deal with Dipper anyway," she said gently. "I promised I would protect your family." Ford looked at her, his eyes much more calm now. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Silence fell between them again for a few minutes. Jill watched Ford a while longer as he returned to his journal, his thoughts still screaming out. Jill could barely ignore them at this point, but she did her best. She hated that she still had that ability, as she didn't like being inside the heads of humans when they were awake. She felt that she was interrupting the personal space of a person's mind.
"Jillian?" Ford asked, and she jolted from her thoughts and looked at him. "How do you and Bill enter dreams?" Jill looked at him, for only a second, before she slid off the cabinet to stand beside him. She then did something that he didn't expect. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one with a spark of yellow flames.
"I'm a Dream Demon," she said, exhaling the smoke. She stood silent for a while, blowing smoke into the air. Ford said nothing, only watched her with a scary patience. She assumed that the time he had spent dealing with his brother had led him to be like this. "I watch over people's dreams as they sleep. My brother always watched over people's nightmares, scaring would be criminals into being good. When he went crazy, I had to take over, and it wasn't easy." She dropped her cigarette to the floor, snuffing it out with her foot.
"You were equipped with the powers to care for the nightmares, huh?" asked Ford, his voice near silent. Jill looked at him, and noticed that he was looking down. "Can you see anyone's dreams?"
"Yeah," Jill replied to his both questions. "Even yours, Stanford." She never took her eyes off him, even when he looked at her with disbelieving eyes. She giggled, patting him on the shoulder. "You'd be surprised how lost you look right now. Don't worry, it'll work itself out." She made her way over to Ford's futon, flopping down on the mattress and slipping quickly into sleep.
Ford watched as the demon fell asleep before returning to his desk. He couldn't focus on his journal though, still open to the page where he was documenting everything Jill had told him in the last few hours. He also figured out that her body could only handle so much magic before she had to sleep. He went over his notes with very little interest, absentmindedly scribbling a picture of the woman on the blank page.
He didn't notice the hours pass, but suddenly it was morning, and Jill was stirring. The sketch he was drawing came out pretty good for him not paying attention. He stretched, feeling his back pop in a few places just as Jill opened her eyes. They were a bright ice blue this time, and he watched her stretch like a kitten before she sat up. She mussed up her blond hair, removing the braid that fell down her back. A hairbrush appeared from nowhere, and she quickly brushed out any tangles and re-braided her hair. The hairbrush disappeared, leaving the woman's hand empty until she pulled out the cigarettes again. She lit one with another spark of yellow flames, exhaling the smoke away from Ford. She said nothing as she smoked, staring off at the wall opposite her, as if it held some sort of answer.
"You seem distant today," Ford stated. Jill gave something similar to a grunt, only more graceful of a sound. She gave no other indication that she heard him, putting her spent cigarette out on the floor. She continued to stare for a few good minutes, and Ford noticed that her eyes were changing color again. Where her eyes had once been ice blue, they were now a darker blue in color. He frowned, able to see the change as they slowly went black, then pink, and then back to a dark blue. Once her eyes had reached this color, she turned to him.
"I'm okay," she told him. "I just used too much of my powers yesterday." She stood, stretching again. He said nothing in turn, just led her out of the office and up to the kitchen. The Pines twins looked up from their cereal, but quickly returned once they had registered who she was. Jill looked at Ford, uncertain, and he waved towards a chair. She sat down slowly, accepting the cup of coffee passed her way. She sipped her coffee as she listened to Stan and Ford talk quietly, noting the Ford was explaining everything to his brother.
"So, when did you want to get started?" Dipper suddenly asked, and everyone turned to him. His expression was serious, staring right at Jill. The demon shrugged nonchalantly, not bothering to answer the question as she took another sip of her coffee. Dipper sighed, getting up to put his bowl in the sink and refill his coffee cup. Jill watched him with suspicious eyes, wondering why he was so intent on bringing back the very demon who tried to destroy his family.
"Dipper," said Ford, now the center of attention, "This would probably be better done at night, during the height of the moon." Eyes moved to Jill to verify, who only nodded.
"Exactly," she said, but didn't elaborate. She wanted to know how Ford knew this information, but decided against asking. She stood, placing her coffee cup in the sink and finding her way back to the living room. She felt stronger today, but didn't want to risk using too much magic. She sat on the floor, legs under her, hands brought together to form a triangle. She closed her eyes, and began to meditate. Jill felt herself lift off the floor, heard the crackle of the electricity around her, and she let out a soft breath. She allowed her breathing to stay stable, in and out.
"Wow," came a rough voice behind her, one which she registered as Stan. A responsive hum sounded as well, which came from Ford. She didn't look their way, but focused on returning to her space on the floor. Once her body had touched the ground, she released her focus, feeling the energy around her fading. She smiled and stood, turning to the older men.
"That was somewhat unexpected," said Ford, his eyes sharp as he looked around. Jill knew what they must have saw. With so many electronics in the room, they would have seen the electricity she was using to power herself.
"I was just meditating," she said, though she could tell that the twins knew what that meant. She needed the energy from the electronics so that she had the power to form a vessel for Bill.
"Who was doing what?" asked Dipper as he entered the room, but Ford shushed him.
"You need to get ready to open the shop, kids," Stan said, giving his twin a knowing look. The younger twins groaned, but went past Jill towards the shop on the other side of the shack. Jill glanced at Ford, who was in a silent conversation with Stan. A few minutes passed before Stan walked away, leaving Jill and Ford alone in the living room.
"Why exactly did Stan open a shop in the back of your house?" Jill asked, but Ford sighed and ignored the question.
"Do you need anything?" he asked instead. Jill was thoughtful for a moment.
"I would like to have Dipper with me," she said after a bit. "You can come along too. But I don't think it would be a good idea for Mabel or Stan to come along." Ford nodded at this, then walked past her and headed for the door. Jill thought it would be smart to follow. She really didn't want to see the shop, since she knew that there were others who worked there. They walked in silence for a minute, Ford seemingly in his own world. It wasn't long before she realized that Ford was leading her to the clearing where Bill's statue stood.
"I didn't want to tell you this around Dipper and Mabel," Ford started, not turning to her. "Their parents have asked for me and Stan to keep an eye on them this school year. Their dad got a job overseas and their mom is going as well."
"Well, that's interesting," Jill stated. "So that means that they are staying here for the rest of the year?" Ford nodded in response, and Jill glanced over to her brother's statue for a second. Ford was silent, looking towards the statue as well. "So, why don't you want them to know?"
"I figured it would be a good birthday present," Ford answered. Jill nodded with the knowledge, then made her way over to the statue. She sat down in front of it, her back to Ford. She began to sing, the Latin words falling from her lips easily. This was no normal song, though, and her trinity tattoo began to glow. In front of her, Bill's statue took on a faint blue hue. Though the song wasn't enough to bring Bill back, it would definitely call for him. Ford stepped closer, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What?" he asked. Jill let the song fade off, turning to him without standing.
"Bill's essence is deep within the dreamscape. That song was to pull him forward so I can return him tonight," she said, turning back to the statue, which was still glowing. "He has heard my call, and is looking for me now." She frowned, her vessel feeling weak once more. Tonight would take it's toll, that she knew very well.
"So he's here now? Can he hear us?" Ford questioned. Jill nodded.
"But barely," she told him. "To him, it should just be a weak murmur. And he wouldn't be able to make out our voices." She looked at him once more, a soft smile on her face. "You should return to the Shack. I'm going to stay here and see if I can contact him."
Ford nodded silently, turning back the way they had came. Once he had left the clearing, Jill returned her attention to the song, once again letting it flow. As she did so, she borrowed energy from the life around her, which was why she wanted Ford to leave. She kept her eyes on the statue, smiling when it turned a darker blue. She could almost hear the thoughts of her brother, faint but strong, as she sang, weaving her magic into the lyrics.
She sang until her throat was tired, finally letting the song taper off. The statue still glowed the dark blue of her brother's magic, but she couldn't do anything else by herself. She needed the life force of a human, and Dipper was the only one she knew with the strength to help. Tired, she turned herself to rest against the stone. The stone was warm, and, while not very comfortable, Jill could feel herself drifting into sleep. She felt the ghost of a set of arms wrapping around her before sleep took her.
"Jillian?"
The demon girl jolted awake at the sound of her name. She looked up to see Dipper and Ford standing in front of her, the warmth of Bill's statue still at her back. She leaned forward, up onto her knees, and stretched her sore back. Then she stood, looking over the two males before turning her eyes to the night sky.
"I slept for quite some time," she mused, then turned back to the statue. "And he's still here."
"Yeah, we found you passed out," Dipper explained. Jill turned to him with a short nod. "The moon will be coming over the trees in a few minutes, so we might want to get started." Jill nodded once more, approaching the men before turning back around. She lifted her hands, fingers shaped into a triangle, and allowed her magic to crackle inside the shape. Her brow furrowed, but she felt Dipper's hand on her arm. Ford must have explained things to him. She focused the shape her hands made to fit the statue inside, feeling the sweat beginning to bead on her forehead.
She heard Dipper's gasp as she shifted her hands, pulling the apart and causing the statue to shift, magic surrounding it. Jill pictured the image the Dipper had created in his youth, editing the statue to match the image. Ford moved behind her, and she felt his hand on her back. It was then that she realized that her back was bleeding, and she quickly, without losing focus, removed her shirt to reveal the cipher zodiac, blocked only by a tube top shirt. Dipper's hand moved to her wrist, covering the trinity tattoo, his eyes closed as he sent Jill energy.
Finally, her current mission complete, she dropped to her knees. Her eyes never left the statue, no longer a triangular shape, but now the shape of a young man, his hand still outstretched. She heard Dipper whisper softly, a sound of approval, and glanced at the young man. He was clearly happy with the way it had turned out. Jill returned her attention to the statue, and began to sing again. Dipper, realizing what she was doing, dropped to her side, humming a harmony that she didn't know he knew. Blue and yellow flames burst up from the ground around Bill, covering the form. It was then that she turned to Dipper, nodding her head towards the statue when he met her eyes. He understood, and stood to approach the flames. His hand reached out, trembling slightly as he took the hand reaching out of the fire.
"Bill, it's time to return," he said, and, with a small jerk, pulled the young man from the fire. Bill fell to the ground, breathing heavy, and Dipper dropped down beside him. Yellow eyes looked up, confused.
"P-Pinetree?" he asked, and Jill almost squealed in happiness. Her brother was finally back. The young demon looked around, eyes finding Ford and then Jill. Those yellow eyes widened when he took in Jill's weakened form, but he quickly found his feet and rushed to her.
"Hey, brother," she said, her conscious fading. "Dipper will explain everything, okay?" Her eyes closed, and she could hear Ford saying something. She opened her eyes for a second to find that Ford had picked her up and they were walking through the forest. Happy with the fact that Bill walked next to them, she let sleep take her once again.
Dipper followed quietly, taking in Bill's form. The demon was holding Jill's hand as Ford carried her, not saying anything, but Dipper could see his eyes flicking from Jill to him. On one of these flickers, Dipper smiled softly at Bill, who flushed and returned his gaze to his sister. He didn't look back again as they approached the Shack, Mabel and Stan waiting outside. Mabel gave a low whistle, and then ran to Dipper's side.
"What happened to Jill?" she asked.
"Using too much energy with too little sleep," Ford answered, stepping inside as Stan held the door open. "She'll be fine by morning."
"Okay," Mabel replied, running into the kitchen, and returning a second later with a wet washcloth. Once Ford had placed the girl on the couch, Mabel patted Jill's forehead with the washcloth before placing it down. "She has a fever again," Mabel stated.
"Keep an eye on her," Ford told her, patting Mabel on the head before turning to Bill. "You look confused." Bill's eyes widened again, obviously not expecting the warm welcome. "We've been working hard to bring you here, and I suppose you want answers." Bill nodded, his gaze drifting to Dipper once again. "Dipper, why don't you take him up to your room. Explain everything," Ford murmured.
"Can do," Dipper replied, grabbing Bill's hand and pulling him up the stairs. Bill gave almost no resistance, but did give a grunt of disapproval at leaving his sister. "It's going to be fine, she sleeps a lot right now," Dipper told him. He didn't reply, but Dipper didn't mind as he pulled the demon into the attic bedroom. "You can ask questions if you want," he said as he closed the door. He turned to find Bill sitting on his bed.
"Why?" the demon asked, his voice cracking from lack of use. It didn't sound like his former voice, but was much more attractive. Dipper blushed, but turned to the window to hide it.
"From what Jill said, this is your punishment for Weirdmageddon," he said, turning back to Bill once his blush was gone. "The trinity also said that you are the reason the Nightmare realm is collapsing." Dipper was surprised as Bill stood quickly. A little too quickly, for he stumbled into Dipper's arms. He didn't move for a second, then straightened up.
"Why is it collapsing? I worked hard on that," Bill said, confused. Dipper gave him a sad smile.
"Because you aren't there anymore," he said softly. Bill brought a hand up, obviously trying to access his magic. Nothing happened. "You won't be able to do that for a while. The trinity said you weren't allowed to have your magic. You have to earn it back."
"And how the hell do I do that?" Bill growled, his eyes glowing a bit.
"Jill didn't tell me. All I know on that it that you have to find a boy named Mason," Dipper explained. Bill frowned, his eyes losing the glow. "Mya has returned as Mason."
"Mya?" Bill whispered, looking down. "Why? Is that why it didn't work?"
"Yeah, that's why," Dipper said, pursing his lips. "Mason was here in Gravity Falls when you started Weirdmageddon. That's why they took your powers. You could have killed Mason." Bill looked up again, a lost look in his eyes. Dipper, not thinking, pulled the demon into a hug. Bill didn't fight, but instead hugged back.
"Why is everyone being nice to me? I almost ended your world," Bill whispered, something like sadness in his voice. Dipper shrugged and pulled Bill even closer.
"I made a deal with Jill," he said, causing Bill to glance at him. "I told her I would protect you, if she protected my family. Bringing you back took a lot of power, but she'll be back to full health tomorrow. Now that you are back, she can focus on herself for a bit."
"But… Jill never makes deals," Bill said, still watching Dipper's face. The teen just smiled.
"I promised, and she made it a deal," he told the demon. "This way, I can't back out and she can't either." He was quiet for a moment, glancing out the window. He was startled, though, when Bill's forehead found his neck. The demon snuggled into the flesh and gave a shaky sigh.
"I'm tired," he said, and Dipper couldn't help but smile again. He pulled back, causing the demon to give a sound of disappointment. Dipper only shook his head and helped Bill settle down in his bed. He pulled the blue blanket over the demon, and ran his fingers through Bill's blond hair as the man drifted off.
"I'll be here if you need me," Dipper said, to which the tired demon nodded. Dipper stood, going over to the window seat and snuggling in with a good book. He lost himself in the pages of the story, only glancing up every few paragraphs to check on Bill's sleeping form. The demon slept fairly peacefully, scrunching up his face every once in a while. Finally, with only a chapter to finish, Dipper put the book down and walked over to the bed. Currently, Bill wore an expression of upset, like something was bothering him. Dipper sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through the demon's hair again. Bill's face smoothed out, and Dipper was left to focus on how soft his hair was.
Tired himself, Dipper glanced around the room. At some point, Mabel had informed him that she would be sleeping in the living room to keep an eye on Jill, so he had the option to sleep in her bed. He had the option of sleeping in her bed, but decided that he could keep a better watch on Bill if he shared his bed with the demon. Only a little embarrassed, he pulled the blanket up and slipped under, blushing when Bill snuggled up to him. He froze when Bill did this, but relaxed when the demon released a soft snore. He chuckled and let the other get comfortable, which meant Bill laying on his chest. Dipper just closed his eyes and drifted off.
A/N: So, I totally wrote that... Working on Chapter two now.