A/N: I'm baaaaaack! Guess who finally returned from the dead! I found this little beaut lying around my old stories, so I decided to slap an ending on it and post it. So you may notice a change in writing at some point around the climax. I really struggled with this one, so please don't grade it too harshly. For one thing, I'm not even sure when it's supposed to take place, but it's definitely before Weirdmageddon. Possibly even before Sock Opera, though that's up for debate. Another thing is that Bill is definitely way OOC! I wanted a story with a cute, soft Dipper, and obviously I couldn't have Bill be too mean to him. So the ending is some weird result of that!
Anyways, enjoy!
7 Layer Dip with Triangle Chips
Bill grinned when he felt who was summoning him. He was torn between excitement and confusion, because on one hand it was his shining little Shooting Star, but on the other hand it was Shooting Star. What horrible trouble had his meat-sacks gotten into this time?
The triangular demon examined her appearance as they met in the Mindscape. She was thinner than before. Her hair was greasy, a little tangled, and generally unkempt. Her skin looked dirty, like she hadn't showered in at least a week, and her eyes were sunken and droopy. Her clothes looked well-worn; she hadn't changed clothes for a week either. Her shine was missing.
But the thing that grabbed his attention the most was the limp body clutched against her. For a moment he was surprised his little Pine Tree might have finally kicked the bucket, but then the young human gave a shuddering breath. He looked worn too. His hair was a mess, wrapped in some kind of scarf. He was pale, sweaty, and bruised under his eyes. He was even skinnier than she was, and Bill mentally pictured him as a living glass figure. His chest heaved with each breath, and his limbs trembled. His signature hat and vest were missing. He was wearing some kind of paper gown and thin pants.
"What's up, kid?" Bill greeted. He didn't sound as cheerful as usual, but their sudden appearance was a bit strange, even for him. They didn't trust him, hated him even. It must be pretty bad, whatever it was, and he had an amazing guess.
Tears slipped down Shooting Star's face at him voice and she hiccuped once. She looked down to her brother, as though for support, but he remained silent. Finally, she seemed to gather herself and look up at the demon.
"Dipper's... He's sick," she whispered, quietly, unsurely. It felt wrong for her light to be that dim, and Bill felt his eye mimicking a frown. "He's gonna... gonna die." She hiccuped again. "I know you can... can help him, and I prepared t-to... to make-" she cringed and turned her face back down to her brother, "-a deal."
"I think I'm missing some context here, Star," the supernatural being chirped as best he could. "Thought you meat-sacks had doctors or something."
She shook her head, weary like she had given the same answer many times before. "They don't know what's wrong with him. It's... It's like cancer and a bad flu and an allergic reaction-" She cut herself off and held her breath for a few seconds. She let it out in a swift whoosh.
Bill frowned, thinking about all the human illnesses he knew. What Star was describing didn't sound like a regular sickness at all. In fact, it sounded like a curse. One he knew.
"Tell me when Dipper first got sick."
"Um," she tucked some loose hair behind her ear and fidgeted. "He started coughing and saying he had a headache-"
"No, no, Shooting Star. What led to him getting sick? You ran into something," he corrected, tone light. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Yeah, actually," she admitted. "We were exploring in the woods and we found these weird flowers. I wanted to make something with them but Dipper started saying he didn't feel right. I thought he was just being silly until... until he almost started crying."
"Welp. That's definitely familiar," Bill hummed. "There's a type of weed that grows in several dimensions. Most beings are immune to it, but some are really affected by it. Pine Tree must be one of those."
"But why?" Shooting Star demanded, still upset.
"It's cursed. A lot of demons and supernatural beings use it in spells and stuff. Used to be good for light magic, now it's only useful for the darkest kinds," the triangle shrugged.
"And why are you telling me this?" She finally questioned. Seems like she had learned something since they last met.
"Well, there's only one deal I'm willing to make with you, kid," he grinned again. He held out his hand. "I'll fix Pine Tree over there, but he has to stay with me."
"Until he gets better?"
"Nope! Forever!"
"W-What?! But, I-"
"Look, kid. You pretty much got two options. You can give him to me and he'll live forever, or you can keep him and he'll die in about a week."
"How do you know?!"
"I've seen this plenty of times before, Star," Bill stated casually. He spun around her in a circle. "Yup, he's got about a week, maybe less, to live."
"I-I-"
"You care about your brother, though, right? You want him to get better and all that." The demon flippantly waved his hand. "Otherwise you wouldn't have contacted me. You said you were ready to make a deal. Or were you lying about that?"
"I wasn't lying!" She protested. "B-But-"
"Listen, kid. I don't have all day, and neither does Dipper. We got a deal or not?" He held out his hand expectantly, lit with blue fire. He wasn't perfectly sure why he was so set on having Pine Tree with him, but he would deal with any unwanted feelings later.
"I-I guess," Shooting Star mumbled, her entire posture slumped and dim. She slowly reached out.
Just as she grabbed his hand, she lit up with a strange smirk.
"Dipper can stay with you but you can't possess him or hurt him in any way and the people who love him will always be allowed to visit him!" She said as quickly as possible. Bill gasped and yanked his hand away, but it was too late. The deal was sealed.
Shooting Star cringed back like she expected him to be angry, but her light was finally shining again.
The triangle considered it for less than a second and decided he preferred her bright and shining over her small and dim.
So, instead of being angry, he burst out laughing and wiped imaginary tears from his eye. She flinched at the unexpected noise, but a laughing Bill was slightly better than a mad Bill.
"Ya got me good, Star!" He laughed wildly. He tipped his hat to her. "But in the end, I still get Pine Tree!" He snapped, and the sickly brother appeared next to him, wrapped in blankets.
"Oh, well, I..." She hesitated now that her brother was no longer in her arms. "Um, goodbye, Bill and... and Dipper. I'll come see you soon."
"Here's the address, kid." A piece of paper popped up in front of her, and she snatched it up as quickly as she could.
"You're being really nice," she smiled at him weakly.
"Meh, I want Pine Tree to like me. Especially if we're going to be with each other for all eternity!"
He laughed maniacally and snapped once more, kicking her out of the Mindscape.
Pine Tree wheezed softly, tiny puffs of air drifting close to the triangle. Bill looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Reversing this curse would be tricky and take a lot of time, and the kid would be physically scarred by it for the rest of his life. That was something he probably should have mentioned to Shooting Star, but he was 'nice' enough already right? Right!
Pine Tree's life was getting weaker and weaker by the second, so the powerful being wrapped him in a special bubble. It would keep his body in stasis, but allow his mind to roam in a dream-like state. It wasn't a good idea to keep him there for long, so Bill teleported both of them to the address he gave Shooting Star.
"Huh. This place is way more wrecked than I remember!" He cheerfully declared, looking at the run-down building. Most of the windows were broken, parts of the outside paneling had fallen off, and about half the roof had caved in.
The triangle gently pushed Pine Tree's bubble into the warmest part of the house.
He had work to do.
Later that evening, Bill entered Pine Tree's room. He summoned a rocking chair to sit in and observed the dying kid carefully.
He had spent the day fixing up and furnishing the house. He figured Pine Tree probably wouldn't be happy with screaming heads on the walls and blood instead of wallpaper, so he decorated with... boring meat-sack stuff. Regular couches, tables, and chairs; a tv, a microwave, and a phone; a bathroom with toothbrushes and toilet paper, a closet with coats and blankets, and a kitchen with plates and cooking utensils. All very normal and lame.
Now, Bill's room was a completely different story. So he made sure to put a 'Warning: Keep Out' sign on the door. That should stop Pine Tree, right?
Anyway, now that the kid could live in the house, Bill needed to start fixing him. It would take a lot of energy, which the demon wasn't really looking forward to. But a deal was a deal.
With a caution he didn't usually employ, he entered Pine Tree's bubble and hovered over him for a moment. If he focused, really focused, he could feel the dark energy caging the human's mind and heart. Crushing both and suffocating his light.
"Here goes nothing," he grumbled. He placed one hand over each of the affected areas and began to tug at the energy. It was darker than even his own and gave him a powerful headache. Luckily, he wasn't a meat-sack, so he pushed it aside and kept pulling.
Some of the dark energy came free, and he sent it to another dimension for someone else to worry about. Pine Tree gave a heaving breath, gasping like he was dying. Bill gently tucked some of his own energy where the dark stuff had been. The human calmed down.
His breathing had eased slightly, though no color had returned to his face and he was still trembling. At least the kid didn't look like he would shatter if a breeze so much as blew past.
Bill spent the rest of the night repeating the process, yanking dark energy away and replacing it with his own.
A week later and Pine Tree started to look like he was just sleeping. His regular skin tone had returned. His hair looked soft and clean again. His breathing was somewhat regular, though it would never be the same as it had been. Every part of him was still; his fingers twitched sometimes, but that was a good sign because it meant he would be waking up soon.
Bill was resting, slightly irritated that he had to use so much energy. But it was okay. Pine Tree was good now and had been released from his bubble. The triangle wondered a bit about the sparkly, pink headscarf on the kid's head, but he didn't mess with it.
A knock at the door made Bill groan. Seriously? He was just starting to get some energy back!
He blearily drifted down and ripped open the door. Shooting Star stood on the doorstep, carrying a large bag and sopping wet from the harsh rain. Her soaked hair fell across her face, and Bill almost laughed at how much she resembled a drowned mouse. Oh, whoops. He did laugh.
The triangle figured she was here to visit Pine Tree, and since it was part of the deal, he let her in. She dropped the bag and spent a minute wringing out her hair and fixing her mussed appearance.
"How's Dipper?" She finally asked.
"I fixed him mostly," Bill proudly grinned. "It's up to him now. He should wake up soon." She let out a deep, relieved sigh.
"Also, do you know how hard it is to get here? I had to take three buses and trek through the woods," she beamed. She always enjoyed a good challenge, especially if she could see her brother happy afterwards. Bill remembered that from when he poked around in her mind. "Look! I even got a map and compass!" She held out the items, and he smiled down at her.
Adorable.
"Anyway, Pine Tree's up here," he announced. She grabbed the bag and followed him up the stairs and to the safest room in the house. Shooting Star made him stop so she could hang a sign on the human's door. It was the letters to spell 'Dipper' in different shades of green and blue, with white and yellow stars.
She pushed into the room and stilled at the sight of her brother.
"He's... so healthy," she breathed.
"Well, I said I fixed him, didn't I?" Bill put his hands on the hip region of his sides. "Did you not believe me? Shooting Star, I'm hurt, truly!" He swooned dramatically and put a hand to his forehead.
"Is it... Can I touch him?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Sure! Why not!" Bill cried. She hesitantly grabbed her brother's hand. She almost started crying when nothing happened.
"Um, I brought stuff for him," she held up the bag.
"Ooh!" Bill greedily whispered. "What kinda stuff?"
"Oh! A scrapbook, a sweater I made him, some books, his memory box-"
"His what?"
She smiled sweetly and pulled out a red cardboard box with a horribly dented lid. "Dipper keeps a box of pictures and papers, recording some of his favorite moments. He doesn't scrapbook like me, so he just puts 'em in here." She shook the box a little. "I also brought his notebooks and nerd stuff."
"What kind of nerd stuff?" Bill grinned, happy to hear anything he could embarrass Pine Tree with.
"Trading cards, action figures, board games, you know," she shrugged. "I've always been more into arts and crafts, but Dipper..." She looked at her brother again and sighed. Her hand squeezed his gently, like it would break.
Bill had seen their memories. Seen how kids used to pick on them. Shooting Star tried to put glitter on everything, make it happy. Pine Tree shoved his nose in a book and hid from the world.
"Why don't we decorate his room!" Bill suggested. "I haven't really got to it since I was fixing up the rest of the house, but this seems like a great time!" The girl perked up and sprung forward.
"I was hoping you'd say that!" She revealed several types of crafting supplies, squealing giddily.
Well, if he had to rest, he might as well have some fun while doing it!
"Are ya sure he won't like some decorative roadkill?" Bill questioned. He and Shooting Star had been making wall decorations of Pine Tree's favorite characters, setting up stars on his ceiling like back at his old home, and generally filling in the room. A black bookcase now filled one corner of the room, and the closet was stocked with his clothes. There was even a cork board, pinned with lots of photos and decorated with stickers.
"I'm sure," Shooting Star giggled. She finished taping up the last paper superhero. "This looks super-duper amazing! He's gonna love it!" She yawned. She looked at the new clock with surprise and disappointment.
"I guess it's getting kinda late," she mumbled. "I need to get home..."
"Don't be sad, kid!" Bill chirped. "You can always come and visit!"
"Yeah..." She stared at her brother. "Hey, why don't you take my phone-number, and when he wakes up, you can call me?"
"Sure! I've never used a phone before, but I'm sure Pine Tree can help me!"
She laughed, for once enjoying his high voice and odd enthusiasm.
"Alright," she handed him a sparkly pink slip of paper. He glanced at the 10 numbers and figured it wouldn't be too much trouble to call her. Humans and their ability to care for each other was pretty curious.
"Ya want me to teleport you back, Shooting Star?" He held out his hand. Not like he was making a deal, but like he was helping her stand after she'd fallen.
"Really?"
"Yeah! You're pretty entertaining, kid. 'Was starting to get bored," he grinned. She smiled up at him like she realized something and gently grabbed his hand.
Just before he teleported her away, he heard her happy "Thank you!"
The day after Shooting Star's visit, Pine Tree started showing more signs of waking. He was making little noises and shifting a bit more. Bill made sure to check on him often; if he had missed one speck of dark magic, Pine Tree could relapse and all their progress would be gone. The demon wasn't kidding when he said it was a weed.
Three days later, Bill just camped himself at Pine Tree's door. He had to be there immediately if anything happened, and he knew how to keep himself entertained. He made little light shows for himself and used little puppets made from teeth to tell himself stories.
He was in the middle of retelling Frozen when he heard it. Through the door came a soft, whimpery noise. He was used to Pine Tree's unconscious noises, but this was different.
He dropped Anna and Olaf and rushed into the bedroom.
Pine Tree stared up at him with frightened doe eyes. He made another quiet noise, hands clenching in the blankets.
"Hiya, Pine Tree!" Bill tipped his hat. "I see you're finally awake! Even I was starting to get worried! Haha. No I wasn't!" He laughed a little bit.
The kid opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a timid squeak. He tried again and again, but no words came out. Tears started to bubble up in his eyes.
"Aw," the demon cooed. "Don't worry, Pine Tree. Your voice should work again soon. It's just a side effect of that nasty curse you caught!" Pine Tree took a deep breath and nodded quickly, but after looking around the room, he actually started to cry. The human tried writing in the air to communicate, but his hands shook too much for Bill to understand.
"Ya know the alphabet in sign-language?" Bill asked, making the letters for his and Pine Tree's names. The kid seemed to calm down a little at seeing those same six letters again (D-I-P-P-E-R).
Quickly he signed back. (M-A-B-E-L) he didn't know the sign for question mark, so he just drew it in the air. (?)
"Shooting Star?" Bill clarified. "She came to visit a couple days ago. She helped decorate your place here!" He spun around in a circle, gesturing to the furniture and crafts that had been put up.
(V-I-S-I-T ?)
"Yeah! She left you here!"
The little being inhaled sharply and tried getting up.
"Whoa!" Bill hurried forward and pushed him down. "You can barely speak! Let's not test your walking ability yet, okay?"
(W-H-Y ?)
"She wanted me to fix you, duh." The triangle cocked his body to one side and put one hand on his hip-region. He liked some of these sassy poses. "You were dying, kid! Really bad reaction to a cursed flower. You woulda died with any meat-sack healers."
Pine Tree started signing and trying to speak frantically.
"Nevermind. This isn't working," Bill snapped his fingers. A new pad of paper and a yellow pen appeared. He tossed them to the kid. "Write out your questions. I'm gonna go make soup or something. I hope you like demon eyelash fungus!"
He left the room.
He wasn't actually going to make eyelash fungus soup. 8-Ball was the only one who could make it right, and it took too much effort for the moment.
Instead, Bill set to work making regular, boring chicken noodle soup. It took him a little longer than expected, and he was pretty sure egg shells weren't in the recipe, but he brought it up to Pine Tree anyway.
As soon as he set the soup down, a pad of paper was waved in his face. He sighed theatrically and took it. The demon adjusted his bow tie like it was a pair of reading glasses.
"Question One! Did Mabel make a deal with you? Yeah! She did. I wasn't just gonna fix ya for free ya know; everything comes at a price, especially magic! Silly meat-sacks, thinking anything is given at no cost," Bill laughed. Pine Tree made an odd huffing noise that managed to be both frightened and irritated.
"Question Two! If she did make a deal with you, what did she give you?" The triangle smiled down at the human. "Well, nevermind! Guess you do have a brain in that head of yours. It's really one-track though, isn't it?"
(A-N-S-W-E-R !)
"You, Pine Tree! You stayed with her and died, or I get you and you live," Bill supplied easily. His voice was only a little bit smug. Okay, it was pretty smug, but who cares!
The boy gaped at him like a fish.
"Don't look so shocked, kid! It's only the rest of eternity!" The supernatural being dismissively waved a hand.
Pine Tree's statue imitation was starting to freak him out.
"Pine Tree?"
The human trembled silently, mouth closed now, but eyes wide open.
"Heya, you alright?"
Bill waved his hand in front of the kid's face. His wrung his hat between his hands.
"Was it something I said? Shooting Star said I'm not allowed to possess you or hurt you ever again, so we're good, right?"
A single tear slid down the frozen child's cheek.
"Shooting Star and the old man are still allowed to visit you! And your friends and family!"
"Is this about Gideon? I was just fulfilling the deal! That's what I do! Demon! Hello!"
"Kid? Kid? KID!"
The boy dropped into unconsciousness.
"So... I just press the buttons?" Bill asked, twirling the old-fashioned phone cord around his finger.
"Y-Yeah," Pine Tree croaked. He was sitting in one of the comfy arm chairs, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. Bill hadn't realized how important those kinds of items were until the human sank into the warmth with a deep sigh. The kid still couldn't stand or even sit by himself for long periods of time, so Bill made sure there were fluffy chairs in each room of the house.
"And if I press the buttons in the right order, Shooting Star's voice will come out here?" The demon pointed to one end of the receiver. The human nodded.
Bill started pressing the buttons like the pink paper the sister had given him. He jolted when the little machine began to ring, but he refrained from turning it into a small stack of wood and lighting it on fire.
"Hey, how'd ya get this number?" A familiar voice grumped after a moment.
"Hiya! I need to speak with Shooting Star! She there?" Bill asked, holding the phone as far away from him as he could.
"Cipher?!" The voice growled. "What the he- heck are you doing, calling us up like this, ya bas- creep!"
"Oh, Glasses! You always say such sweet, sweet things! It warms the empty hole where my heart would be! But seriously, Shooting Star wanted me to call her," the triangle insisted.
"Oh, yeah? Why should I believe you?" The eldest Pines snapped.
"Grunkle Stan!" Pine Tree cried as loudly as he could. "Give the frickin' phone to Mabel!"
"Dipper?!" There was something like a roar that came through the phone. "I swear, Cipher, when I get my hands on you-!"
"Oh? Is that Bill?"
"Mabel, sweetie, what on earth is going on?"
"Um, I mighta made a made one of those decisions you wouldn't like...?"
"Mabel! I- You know what. I'm not gonna deal with this. You talk to the sadistic demon that has your brother. I'm gonna go watch tv."
(S-O L-O-V-I-N-G) Bill signed back to Pine Tree. The kid sighed, trying desperately not to cough.
"Hey, Bill! What's up?"
"Pine Tree!"
"Wait- What?"
"Pine Tree's what's up! He woke up! Yay!"
"Seriously?! I have to get down there right now. When's the next bus?! Oh, I'm so excited! Is he there with you? Is he okay? Did he like his room? How is he feeling? Does he need anything? Did he-"
"Hey, Mabel," Pine Tree called softly. His entire body was curled into a gentle smile. "Maybe next time, don't leave me with a demon."
"Dipper!"
Bill tried to hand Pine Tree the phone, but the cord was too short. Instead, he carefully lifted Pine Tree up so he could hold the phone for himself.
"I'm so glad you're okay! And you're talking! Oh, it's so good to hear your voice, you have no idea! Everything's been a nightmare without you!"
"Yeah? How is everyone?" His voice was starting to get a little raspy, so Bill knew they'd have to end the conversation soon. He felt the tiniest bit upset at that; Pine Tree and Shooting Star both sounded so happy, like everything they ever wished for had come true. He wasn't totally apathetic; he usually just ignored other being's emotions.
"Wendy's been kinda down in the dumps since you got sick, but after... after the deal she sorta stopped talking to me. Soos is like himself, but... quieter. Grunkle Stan's been even more grouchy than normal!" The female human stated quietly.
"Oh," Pine Tree whispered. "And you? Mabel, how are you? Are you o-okay?" He coughed weakly. Bill shifted the kid to lean against him, which seemed to surprise the boy.
"I'm fine, Dipper! I'm even better now that I know you're okay! I promise I'll come up there soon to visit," Shooting Star's beaming grin could be heard through the phone.
"Okay," the child smiled sleepily. "I can't wait to see you. I miss you."
Shooting Star paused.
"I missed you too."
Silence reigned for a moment.
"Awkward over-the-phone sibling hug?"
"Awkward over-the-phone sibling hug."
"Pat. Pat." They both said. Their voices held both giggles and sadness. Bill stared at the human in his arms with curiosity. Humans were so odd.
The moment was broken by Pine Tree breaking into a long, loud string of coughing.
"I think we're gonna have to hang down for now, Shooting Star," Bill informed lightly.
"It's hang up, Bill," she said softly.
"Up, down, left, right," he waved his hand. "Whichever direction, we'll see you soon."
"Yeah. See you soon!" Some warmth had returned to her tone, which he counted as a victory.
"Bill! Open the door! I wanna see my brother and it's cold!" Loud pounding rattled both the door and all three sides of Bill's body. Could the human be any louder?
"Hush," Bill chuckled when he opened the door. "Last I checked, Pine Tree was reading."
"Even better then. Can't have him stuck in his nerd books all day," Shooting Star took a moment to fix her appearance again. "I think I'm going to invest in a bus pass."
"I'd focus on buying and saving up gold, but maybe that's just me," the triangle shrugged. The little meat-sack ran ahead of him and tore into Pine Tree's room.
"DIPPER!"
"GAAAAH!"
Bill laughed loudly and drifted upstairs. The female human was all over her brother, laying completely on top of him.
"M-Mabel!" Pine Tree wheezed. "Get off!" She just laughed. "Can't breathe! Gonna die!" He dramatically flopped across the bed with his tongue stuck out.
"On no!" Shooting Star cried brightly. She moved back to kneel beside her brother and shake him lightly. "Dipper! My beloved brother! What have I DONE?!" She began to sob theatrically.
"Wah! I'm alive!" The brother sat up with his arms out. "But now I'm a zombie!" She let out a fake scream and ran away from the bed.
He tried to get up and follow her, but his legs trembled precariously and gave out beneath him.
Luckily, Bill was suddenly there to catch him. The powerful being eased him back into bed and gave him a quick check over.
"You okay, baby brother?" Shooting Star asked softly.
"I-I'm not even that much younger than you!" Pine Tree coughed. She grinned.
"Alpha twin! Alpha twin!"
"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off. His face sobered. "I'm really happy to see you."
"And that's my cue to act like a poor meat-sack and go get something to serve you," Bill practically fled the room. He ended up making a hundred tiny tea sandwiches and little hot dogs wrapped in fluffy bread. Cows in a blanket? Whatever they were called, they were good. Meat-sacks knew how to make at least something right!
He eventually carried the tray up to the twins. He walked in on Shooting Star telling a funny story, with Pine Tree laying in bed and listening with soft, happy features.
"I think this is what you would consider 'grub' which is completely inaccurate but-"
"Thank you, Bill," Shooting Star looked up at him with a look he'd never received before and he knew nothing to do with. He laughed to hide his awkwardness.
"No problem, kid!"
He set the tray down on the bed. Pine Tree was the first to eat; the smaller human let out an appreciative hum. Shooting Star followed shortly after.
"Wow!" She beamed, taking as much as she could.
Bill waved away both their compliments and his slight embarrassment.
The little girl resumed her story and the demon sat at the end of the bed to listen.
"Bill?"
"Yes, Pine Tree?" The triangle popped into the room.
The human carefully set aside his book and looked up at him with those innocent doe eyes.
"Why did you want... me?"
"Did want? Still do want!" Bill giggled. He was trying some new forms of expression, and he didn't think he liked this one. Even Pine Tree cringed away.
"But, you must have had a reason to make the deal, right? Why me? You could have asked for the journals, or... or Gravity Falls or something!"
Bill sighed. Here were those feelings he didn't want to deal with. "I don't really know." His body drifted down of its own accord and settled next to Pine Tree on the bed. "I mean, I like you. Like, for real. I've never really liked a meat-sack before. But for some reason, you're really special."
The kid flushed slightly.
"I mean, I've had 8-Ball and Teeth and all them, but you can actually care about other people. It's hard for me, but when I look at you and Shooting Star, I think I could do it. I could genuinely like you and form a bond and want to spend time with you and protect you..."
"Why don't you?"
"I'm a demon! I'm not supposed to feel things and care about people!" He threw his hands up. "I can't go soft on people. I can't give people that kind of power over me and my abilities!"
"Mabel and I wouldn't take advantage of that!"
Bill huffed, tinting red.
"I don't know how to explain it. I don't deal with feelings. Feelings are for meat-sacks."
He moved up and dusted himself off. Being in Pine Tree's presence made him feel weird.
"I'm gonna go blow up steam!"
He started to leave.
"It's blow off."
"I do what I want!"
Blowing up steam didn't go quite how he planned.
The more he blew stuff up, the more aggressive and upset he got. And then he blew more stuff up. And the cycle continued.
Finally, he decided to call some of his... not-really-friends (?) over to settle him. He was a demon. His real relationships were with demons. He made deals because he was a demon.
It took Keyhole and Hectorgon less than an hour to show up at the house. They started laughing as soon as he let them in.
"You've gotten comfy!"
"Just like a fleshie!"
"Can't believe you act like a human now!"
"Bill, you're losing your touch!"
"Haha!" Bill laughed, tucking his anxiety deeper away. "This is all for a deal! Like I would ever enjoy acting like a stupid meat-sack!"
"Well, then let's fix you up like a real demon!" Keyhole cried loudly. He began to smash furniture, using his mouth to turn other objects into more demonic things. An armchair became a giant, sixteen-eyed toad. A potted plant transformed into a viking-fish.
"Can't have you turning into a human!" Hectorgon giggled slightly. He blew up the tv, increased the pressure on all the water pipes until they burst, and turned all the light bulbs into glowing eyeballs.
"Yeah," Bill began hesitantly. He made the house like this for a reason, but this is what he called his... friends over for... He was a demon. He could do what he wanted! Who cared if Pine Tree would be uncomfortable! It was his house! It was his life! He was a demon! "Yeah! The deal never said I had to do any of this! I don't have to put up with anything!"
He turned the carpet into a bloody swamp and lit it on fire. Picture frames turned into screaming masks, chairs turned into horrific monsters, decorations and trinkets began to glow and float and attack.
It was... perfect.
"Bill?" A quiet voice called. "What's going on?" The triangle turned to the top of the stairs.
Pine Tree leaned heavily against the railing, knuckles white. His eyes were wide, and his knees trembled terribly. He looked both concerned and terrified.
"Look at the human! So comfortable!" Hectorgon sneered. "You really gonna let him disrespect you like that?"
"You're keeping a human with you?" Keyhole laughed. "You really have gone soft. First living like a fleshie, then living with one? Demons don't have little friends!"
Bill stared at everyone for a brief moment. He took all his unwanted feelings, shoved them in a box, and threw them away.
"Get outta here, Pine Tree," he declared.
"Bill?"
"Act like a good little meat-sack and do as you're told," Bill snapped. Pine Tree flinched, and there was a flash of guilt again. He pushed it away. "I'm spending time with... with my... with Keyhole and Hectorgon. I don't have time for... for stupid meat-sacks like you."
Pine Tree ducked his head.
"GO!" Bill shouted. The boy weakly scampered off, tripping over his own feet and slamming into the wall.
"Not even a real human! It's broken!" Hectorgon snarled. "Why didn't you teach it a lesson?!"
"He's part of my deal! I can't harm him!" Bill growled back.
"Break your deal!" Keyhole threw his hands up.
"NO!" Bill roared. His body tinged red, and the other demons flinched away. "I don't break deals!"
"There's the demon we know and hate!" Hectorgon cheered. "Let's have a party to celebrate! Go call the others!"
Bill gave him a fierce glare. He was a demon, a powerful one. He didn't have to do anything.
"It'll be fun!" Keyhole cheered. "We'll cause some chaos, maybe take over part of the world! Let's do it!"
"That does sound kinda fun," Bill sighed. "Fine! You've convinced me!" He snapped his fingers and disappeared to gather up their other not-quite-friends.
Hectorgon and Keyhole looked at each other. They made their way towards the stairs.
"He might not break the deal, but we'll help him out. If he goes soft, what'll happen to the rest of us? We can't allow it!" Hectorgon stated harshly.
They opened the door on the human writing out something.
Bill was in the middle of talking to Pyronica when he felt it.
He knew he shouldn't have left those dunderheads with Pine Tree!
The triangle snapped himself back to his house, just in time to hear his Pine Tree's weak cry for help.
"Bill! I'm s-sorry! Please, please! I'm sorry!"
Red filled his vision, and the only thing the demon could see was Pine Tree bleeding and crying, begging for help. Hectorgon and Keyhole barely had time to turn before he destroyed them. They'd be back, eventually, but for now, they were suffering in the worst way a demon could.
No one should hurt Pine Tree.
"I'm sorry," the boy was still sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Shut up," Bill muttered. He scooped the child up and checked his injuries. Most were inflicted with demonic power. Burns, deep cuts, large bruises, fractured bones, twisted limbs.
They had hurt him pretty bad for such a short amount of time.
"I-I'm sorry... I'm... I'm..." Dipper's head slipped, his eyes going a bit glassy. "Sorrrrry... Sorry... Sorry... Sor... ry... ry... sor... r-r-"
"Shut up," Bill snapped. He laid the child down on the bed and carefully began to wield energy over the injuries.
"ssssssoorrry-"
"Stop apologizing!" The demon shouted. He blasted the stupid, annoying, irritating, dumb, hopeless meat-sack. Stupid human couldn't even be angry or defensive or-or- "Stop making me feel this way!"
Dipper hiccuped, eyes wide open and petrified.
Bill cursed. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have done that! I didn't mean to- I didn't- I mean- I... I..."
The triangle floated down and carefully wrapped the boy up in his arms. He let all of his sorrow and upset feelings seep into his magic, and fade away into the care and worry he felt for his Pine Tree. His magic glowed a lovely gold, folding itself around the child and healing each wound and calming every mental scar. Dipper slipped into a deep sleep and went limp.
Bill breathed heavily, cradling the boy like the precious treasure he was.
The sun set; the room was cast in darkness.
-{[(•)]}-
The house was dark when Mabel arrived. She looked at the closed windows and was shocked by the stillness she sensed. In all the times she'd visited, the building had always seemed lively, like the magic that resided within its walls gave it a sparkling energy of its own. Now, she couldn't even hear birds singing, and the trees were quiet and limp, and despite the sun shining down overhead, a chill rippled through the area.
Instead of banging on the door the way she usually did, she took a moment to walk around the house and make sure there wasn't anything out of the ordinary inside (other than a dream demon, of course). It was hard to see, but she could definitely tell that the interior had received a bit of damage. She made her way back around to the front and knocked politely.
"Bill, it's me," she called through the door. She could faintly see through the windows as a significantly dimmed triangle floated towards her and opened the door. She gasped at his rumpled appearance. "Is everything alright? What happened? Are you okay?" She stepped inside and gasped even louder.
The house was completely trashed! There was blood everywhere, the furniture and decorations had been turned into horrifying pieces of spellwork, and dim fires of unnatural colors burned here and there. It looked like the Nightmare Realm had swept through the area like a tornado. Bill hovered by her side, looking over the area and her reaction with dismay.
"Bill, what happened?" Mabel asked more intently. His hat drooped even further, and he began to fiddle with his bowtie, twisting it around. He mumbled something. "I can't hear you, Bill." The triangle slouched over.
"Shooting Star, I-" His voice hitched slightly. "I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea…" She wasn't sure what he was referring to, but she decided she wasn't going to get an explanation from him.
She took off her socks and shoes, and waded further into the living room. The blood had the chilling sensation of being both warm and cold, and it squished like mud between her toes, so she tried really, really hard not to think about it. Eventually she reached the closet, where thankfully, the cleaning supplies had been left untouched. She wasn't sure why Bill had created them in the first place, but she was glad they hadn't been turned into snakes or something. Mabel grabbed an old-fashioned mop and bucket, and trooped to the kitchen to fill the bucket with water.
"What are you doing?" Bill asked. He spun around her in circles until the water filled. She wasn't able to lift it by herself, so she turned to him with a giant, confident smile.
"I'm going to help you clean! And then we'll go talk to Dipper and get everything worked out!" She promised. Bill grabbed the bucket from her when she tried to lift it again, and uncertainty, he followed her to the living room.
"I don't think that's gonna happen, Shooting Star. I think Pine Tree's really mad at me," he stage-whispered, watching as she began to mop up the blood. "I… I really messed up."
"Did you threaten me or any of our family?" Mabel asked. He shook side to side, indicating a negative response. "Did you make fun of his birthmark or his hobbies?" He shook his body again. "Did you destroy his favorite books and stuff?" He shook again. "Well, he can't be too upset then! When was the last time you talked to him?"
"A day or so ago," Bill whispered. "I've just been teleporting food through the door for him."
"You being unusually honest is freaking me out more than that frog thing over here, but could you turn it back into whatever it was?" Mabel turned to him with her most earnest eyes, and he snapped his fingers, returning the living room to its original state. "Well that definitely speeds things along! Let's go see Dipper then!" Bill hovered behind her shoulder, shrinking in size as she made her way up the stairs and knocked on Dipper's door.
"Dipper! It's your wonderful sister, Mabel, so open the door, pretty please!" The door swung open and Bill ducked completely behind her back. Suddenly, the twins enveloped each other in a hug, separating only for Mabel to immediately exclaim, "It's great to see you're doing well!"
"Um, yeah," Dipper responded somewhat vaguely. "Did Bill call for you?" He paused and looked at Mabel's shoulder. "Bill, I know you're there. I can see the top of your hat." Bill popped up enough to show his eye, looking painfully shy.
"Hiya, Pine Tree," the demon squeaked. He quickly averted his gaze, and Dipper and Mabel shared a Look. "Are… you doing well?"
"I am, but I'm also a little confused," Dipper gestured them into his room, and Mabel sat on the bed. "Like, what actually happened? I remember some other demons were here, trashing the place, and then you were acting really odd and basically told me to hide, and then they came up to my room anyway…" He voice trailed off as he spiraled into mumbles, trying to piece his memories together into something that made sense.
"Well that version of events makes me feel a lot better, so can we just go with that?" Bill pleaded, and Mabel giggled a little. She gently pulled him around to sit in her hands, where he curled up as much as his triangle shape allowed.
"We just want to know what actually happened," Mabel said.
"Yeah, and, like, did I do something wrong?" Dipper looked worried, as though he had been the cause of this entire issue. "You stopped talking to me after you healed me…"
"Wait, wait. Back that train back into the station, little bro. Healed you? You were hurt?" The eldest twin leapt forward and looked over her brother with renewed vigor. "How were you hurt?"
"It was those demon guys," he informed, allowing her to poke and prod him to prove he was really okay now. "They came up to my room and started blasting me, and basically as soon as it started, Bill appeared and stopped it. Then I passed out, woke up healed, and then Bill wouldn't talk to me." Dipper stared down at the ground, questions clearly written across his face. Both twins turned to the dream demon once again.
"I should apologize, Pine Tree," Bill admitted. "It was a bad idea to try and keep you. You…. You're both really important to me; you're special. I wanted to have you, and when I saw the opportunity, I took it without thinking."
"Aw, Bill!" Mabel grinned. "But you don't need to regret that. I think being friends with you can be really great! Obviously, I'd prefer it if you hadn't made a deal to get here, and if you hadn't sort of tried to steal the journals and take over Gravity Falls, but other than that!"
"That's real nice of you, Shooting Star, but I'm not a nice guy. Yeah, I want to keep you close to me, but I also can't give you that kind of power. Firstly, it's not safe, and secondly, you can see how crazy it's driven me. I'm selfish, and when I make mistakes, I make really big, really bad ones. Like, for example, I felt bad about going soft on you guys, so I called some of buddies over to hang out, let them trash the place, let them trick me into leaving, and let them attack Pine Tree! Yeah, I healed him, but… It shouldn't have happened in the first place."
"You're not acting crazy and it's freaking me out," Dipper insisted. "Clearly you haven't gone as nuts from the power as you think you have, because otherwise we wouldn't be having a conversation this logical. You wouldn't have made a house for me to be comfortable in, and you definitely wouldn't have tried to your best to maintain a positive relationship with both of us and at least attempt civility with our family. You're quirky yeah, but the only big mistake you've made is trying to take over Gravity Falls!"
"Because that's what demons do, okay? We're the bad guys! We destroy stuff, we possess people! I have such infinite cosmic power; what am I supposed to use it for?" Bill scowled, his eye scrunched up.
"Whatever you want!" Mabel's jingling voice held a hint of a knowing giggle. "I mean, yeah, some people definitely want to take over the world. But why do that when you can experience the magic of friendship and see the wonders of the world live, instead of through some all seeing eye? You make jokes, but have you ever actually seen a deer? In person? Or smelled roses? With your own triangle face?"
"I can't just have all this power and not use it-"
"For what? It's intended purpose? Who decided that?" Dipper demanded. "It's your power, isn't it? Why can't you decide what you want? What's your end goal with taking over the world? With being a true demon? Where will that take you?"
"I can't go soft!" Bill shouted. "I can't."
"Why not!?" Dipper yelled back.
"It's hard wired into me, Pine Tree," Bill turned away. His voice was low, and hard, but it lacked a sharp edge. "This is how I've been since I first existed. I have all this power and ability; I see everything, all the good, all the bad. I'm not designed to go soft, or to have friends, or to care."
"And yet, you do," Mabel gently laid a hand on his tiny arm. "You have us."
"Do you even have DNA?" Dipper whispered. "If you're made from cosmic, intangible energy, how can you be wired in any way? If anything, you have endless, free control over every aspect of yourself. You can be however you want to be; you'd don't have to be defined by anything but yourself."
"It's not that simple," Bill said, but his form betrayed him. A warm light shone from his chest. "I have the ability to do anything, and somehow, you still have more power than I do… Funny little meat sacks…"
The light filled the room, forcing Mabel and Dipper to cover their eyes. As the intensity faded, a form gradually came into view. Before them stood a boy about their age. His hair was a shock of bright yellow, curling every which direction and dancing in an invisible wind. A tiny black top hat floated above his head, matched by the teeny black bowtie on the front of his 'Dream On' t-shirt. He was tanned, like someone who had spent years staring into the sun, and his eyes glittered, unable to stick with one color. His swim trunks had a brick pattern on them, the same color as his unnatural blonde hair. From under his bangs, a smile peeked out at them.
"I don't want to Bill Cipher anymore," he said, the same voice that they had grown familiar with. "I don't want to be a demon. I guess I am a little soft… Pine Tree, Shooting Star…. Will you teach me how?"
"Bill… What does this mean?" Mabel gaped.
"I might still decide to take over the world someday. But that'll probably be long after you fleshies are gone. For now, I think I'd just like trying to be human… and maybe, a friend?" The boy declared, ending hopefully.
"I'd like that too," Dipper grinned. "But what does that mean for the deal? For all your deals, really?"
"You're still mine," Bill smirked, eyes flashing red. "But I think that means something a little different now. And we definitely don't have to stay here. We should probably get back to your family."
"Bill should totally stay with us!" Mabel exclaimed.
"Maybe we talk to Grunkle Stan about that first?" Dipper suggested, chuckling nervously.
"It's settled!" Bill cheered. He snapped, and with a popping sound, everything in the room twisted together and collided in a suitcase. "I'll grab your chair from downstairs, and then we can head to the Mystery Shack!" Dipper smiled softly, warmed by Bill remembering his love for the soft armchair.
"I have so many things to share with you!" Mabel exclaimed. "Movies, food, culture! You're going to get the ultimate human experience!"
"Looking forward to it!" Bill disappeared and reappeared, dropping a tiny armchair into the suitcase. "To a new future!" He held out his hand for the twins to take.
The three grinned at each other, perfectly aware of the wonderful chaos to come.
"To the future!"
A/N: Yeah, I have no idea. I literally just completed the ending because I was so tired of not having it finished. I guess that's one thing off the to-do list!
Another thing on the agenda though is to move my stories over to AO3! Because of the system for creating accounts, it'll probably be a few days before I get there, but I definitely hope to hear from you guys!
QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: If you could decorate your room any way you wanted, what would you do? My room would probably be similar, except I would get a different bed frame, put glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling, and put twine around around the top of the room to hang photos from. Would you paint the walls a different color, change the size, change the layout?