In which Dipper and Mabel prepare for their trip and we finally meet our other protagonist!
Bill Cipher, legendary outlaw and wanted thief, had to resist the urge to sing "weeeee!" as he slid along the sloped roof of the palace watch tower. The wind whipped through his shaggy golden hair, the chains on his pants and the buckles on his boots clanking slightly with every movement.
"Did you have to wear all of your stupid accessories?" his mentor hissed at him. "Or did it slip your mind that we were robbing the palace today?"
Bill rolled his eyes. "Unlike you two, I have an image to uphold. I have to give the public what they want."
"You do realize that we aren't supposed to be seen by anyone, right?" Dot shot at him with a raised brow.
"Look, if they bother you that much, I'll just shush them." Following through with his words, Bill ran a gloved hand over each offending object. "Ecnelis," he commanded. He straightened and shook his hips, a proud smile stretching his lips when he was met with silence.
"Good, now come on, we've wasted enough time as it is."
The rose-haired half-demon and her brother ran ahead, Bill hot on their heels. The morning was crisp, the sun just breaking the horizon. A few fluffy clouds dotted the sky. From their position atop the palace they had a full view of the kingdom, its citizens just waking and beginning their morning errands.
"Man, I could get used to a view like this," Bill mumbled to himself, a lopsided grin on his face. He basked in the panoramic beauty a moment longer, ignoring the others' complaints. "Okay, I'm used to it." He turned back to his companions with an eager expression. "Guys, I want a castle when I grow up!"
Star's lips quirked into a devious smirk, an expression that better suited her face than the scowl she'd adopted since they'd left home. "And I'm sure you'll have it, Bill. The Council would be complete morons to not reward us handsomely after we finish this job. In fact, you might just be standing on top of your new home."
She raced back to her brother, but not before shooting the blond a wink. Bill lingered a second longer, a genuine smile stretching his cheeks. There was a chance for him to actually live in a castle?
"Didn't realize you were this out of shape, Cipher," Dot taunted, whipping the bob of lapis-colored hair from his matching blue eyes. "Hurry up!"
The siblings were already poised around the skylight that shone down directly onto their target – the last known resource of the king's brother. The twin had disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly two decades ago. Because of this, King Stanley had the book guarded under lock and key. It was their most accurate record, and the best defense that the kingdom had against the supernatural natives.
With the unrest amongst the forest-dwellers rising, the three demons had agreed to retrieve and destroy the book. They were offered a pretty handsome sum of money to do it, but Star had initially turned it down, grumbling about a mistake that she had to rectify. Bill had opened his mouth to ask, but the vengeful look in her eyes discouraged him.
He skidded to a stop beside Dot, shooting the unamused bluenette a wink.
Star dutifully ignored their antics, using her magic to burn a hole through the thick glass. Once there was a sizeable opening, Bill took his place at its edge, arms outstretched. He watched as two translucent appendages wrapped around his waist, one pink and one blue. He felt one squeeze just a bit too tight, frowning at Dot as the wind was forced out of him.
"Remember, once you have the book, give a tug and we'll pull you up," Star directed, eyes hard. The expression seemed foreign on her usually playful face.
"You got it, boss!" Bill saluted before diving through the hole. He suppressed a chuckle when he heard Dot curse as he scrambled to catch him.
Eyes on the prize, Cipher. Bill mentally reprimanded himself, shifting gears into work mode. Thieving had become second nature to him, so much so that he was widely wanted throughout the kingdom. He enjoyed the act of taking something that belonged to another, but not as much as he loved the thrill of the chase. Perhaps that was why he couldn't help but alert the guards to his presence.
Journal 1 in hand, he patted the pink tendril suspending him from the rooftop. As he felt himself being reeled up, he called down to the nearest guard, "So, first day, or are they really just paying you too much?"
He snickered, watching the guard scramble to find the source of the taunt. When the man finally looked up, he was already climbing through the hole and racing after his siblings.
"Why do you have to do this every time?" Dot groaned, glaring daggers at his partner-in-crime.
"Aww, come on, Dot, where's the fun in stealing something without a good chase?" Bill cackled, panting slightly from the effort of talking, laughing, and running.
Star laughed along with him, seemingly more at ease with the book in their possession. "The boy has a point, bro, lighten up!"
Dot grumbled something under his breath, opting to keep his argument to himself and continue to glare at the blond instead.
The trio leaped across rooftops, tumbling onto the ground in a series of impressive barrel rolls just at the royal ground force stormed out of the palace gates, mounted on horses and weapons hot. At the head of the group was General Fiddleford McGucket, seated atop a steed unlike the others. While the rest of the troop's horses were white with pearl-colored manes, this horse had a deep burgundy coat with a humanlike brown mane.
Bill heard Star gasp when they saw them, and she faltered in her pace. Dot's scowl deepened, his glare redirected toward the general… or maybe at his horse? Bill swore he heard the other man growl. Furrowing his brows, he grabbed Star's hand and tugged her along beside him. There'd be time to ask about it later, he decided.
He was well aware that Star and Dot had a rather extensive history in the town – one that extended back long before he had arrived. He'd always tried to avoid questioning them about it, discovering early on that there were certain topics that Star held an aversion toward. But if it was something significant enough to jeopardize their mission like this, he felt that he had a right to know.
The forest was fenced by a literal wall of foliage that separated it from the town. Without hesitation, the three half-demons crashed through it, the jerk of its resistance seeming to jar Star from her trance.
Bill released her arm, stepping back to let her gather her bearings. Dot moved to her side, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder.
The youngest of the three stood by the barrier, listening to the stampede of hooves grow louder. "We need to keep moving," he stated once his mentor appeared to be alright. He received a nod from them both, and together they continued their escape through the woods.
"Mabel, I think we need to travel lighter," Dipper sighed, looking around at their fully assembled expedition supplies.
The clothes that Mabel had completed were stacked in two neat piles on the sofa, two extra pairs of hand-crafted sandals for each of them on the floor directly below. Ten loaves of bread and two baskets of fruit sat beside the clothes, a bundle of blankets and pillows keeping them from falling all over. Two mats were rolled up on the ground in front of the couch. A first aid kit comprised of gauze, antiseptics, thread, and a hooked needle was encased in a sparkly case. Five journals, three books, and two sketchpads were bundled together with a large ribbon. Various writing and coloring utensils had been thrown into a small basket. Mabel also had most of her hair care products in another, significantly larger basket.
Dipper had also insisted on a few physical weapons, as their magic was not incredibly developed. Mabel had instantly grabbed a frying pan, raising a curious brow from her brother. Said brunet had equipped himself with a knife from the kitchen, slipping it into the belt at his hip. Somehow, this had evolved into a pile of random objects that could potentially be used as weapons sitting at the center of the amassed materials.
Mabel gazed around the room as if realizing the quantity of their supplies for the first time. "Yeah, I think you're right," she pouted, "but all of this stuff is completely necessary!"
"We don't need a ton of blankets and pillows!"
"Then we might as well ditch the mats and just sleep on the ground!"
"No way! Have you read about the types of critters that creep and crawl and slither around on the ground out there?"
"How's a mat going to stop them? Couldn't they just crawl onto it?"
"Ugh, fine, but we're leaving this huge basket! Pick four things that you'll need for your hair and that's it."
"Whoa there, do you have any idea what I go through to take care of this? Of course you don't because you can actually cut your damn hair!"
Dipper winced. Mabel had always been sensitive about her hair, especially whenever Dipper cut his. The tension of the trip's preparations, along with the anxiety of being found out, was beginning to grate on them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that into this."
Mabel sighed, reexamining the contents of the basket. "I suppose I can cut at least half of these out."
"Great," Dipper smiled, relieved to find one mirroring his. "Now, about those stacks of clothes-"
"Touch them and you won't live to step foot out of this tower!"
Dipper's hands shot up. "Fair enough, but we don't need three pairs of shoes."
"Of course we do!" Mabel defended. "One pair to wear out, another pair in case something happens to the first pair, and a fancier pair in case there's a party!"
"Mabel, why and how would we go to a party?"
"You never know who we might run into, Dip!" Mabel chirped, setting the makeshift shoes onto the smaller 'keep' pile.
Dipper sighed, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle. "Okay, let's see what else we have here… A first aid kit? Seriously, Mabel?"
They continued this painstaking process until the pile had greatly diminished. Whatever was deemed unnecessary was shoved into Mabel's sewing room to be dealt with upon their return.
"Is this a grappling hook?" Dipper frowned, shooting his sister an incredulous look.
"Yep, it's for you!" she beamed. "You won't be able to rely on my hair forever, you know. One of these days, I'll leave the nest, and then how would you get around?"
They laughed dryly at the joke, knowing that it was based on wishful thinking. Despite the cruel reminder that it would later spur, Dipper slid it to the 'keep' pile.
Finally, they came to the food, rationing the produce by day and only packing two loaves of bread. They added two sacks of water as an afterthought, Dipper quoting a passage on its importance from some textbook he'd purloined.
It took some time, but they managed to fit everything into two bags. Setting them by the window, they separated, Mabel running off to finish the alterations to the clothes while Dipper made a beeline for Gideon's study. It was time to see what was in Journal 2.
"What do you mean, 'you can't destroy it'?" Star demanded, glaring at her brother. Her eyes watched his movements meticulously as he drew a fifth circle on the ground, his hands coated in the white chalk.
"I've heard of performance anxiety, but this is on another level, bro," Bill scoffed, crossing his arms and moving to watch from the other side.
"I'm doing it right! This isn't my first time destroying someone's property," Dot huffed, sweeping his blue bangs out of his face. A few strands stuck to the sweat beading at his forehead, a streak of white from his hand pasting them down.
He sat back as he finished, allowing Star to examine his work. Just like the other four, this circle had been executed perfectly.
"Maybe you're pronouncing the spell incorrectly," she mumbled, pushing him aside and sitting in his place. She missed the pout that Dot sported, closing her eyes and reciting the incantation.
The circle glowed pink, the chalk rising and slowly beginning to circle the book at its center. Star continued, the whirlwind picking up as her voice rose. The two younger demons watched in anticipation as the chalk lifted the book from the ground and began to glow brighter.
Dot hadn't exaggerated when he said it wasn't his first time. In fact, many of their jobs were commissions for others – bitter lovers who wanted their ex-partner's prized possession in flames, sore losers who couldn't stand to see their spoils in another's hands, bitter rivals who needed an upper hand, the list went on.
They knew what should have followed, depending on the spell that they'd cast. This one should have set the book aflame, the worn carcass falling to the ground when it was spent.
But that didn't happen. Just as it had four times before, the book glowed a combative maroon against the bright pink swirling around it. A bubble of the same color fully encased the tome, expanding outward until the chalk dissipated. When the scattered dust finally settled, the book was back on the ground, not a speck of white on its cover.
Bill scratched at the stubble on his chin, brows knit together in confusion. Star certainly hadn't messed the spell up. The circle was drawn exactly as it should have been. So what went wrong?
"Damn you, Stanford!" Star shrieked, clawing into the stone floor of their cave with her polished nails. Her shoulders shook, and Bill swore he heard a tear or two fall.
Dot moved to comfort her, an arm gently strewn across her back in a side-hug. Bill recognized that it wasn't his place to meddle, stepping back to give the siblings room.
He moved to the front room of their cave, a small entry that they had fashioned after civilian homes. A coat rack stood near the door, their shoes paired neatly around it. Just beyond it was a reception desk of sorts that he or Dot usually occupied. Whenever someone came in with a job for them, they'd attend to them there.
A thinner door led into the "home" part of the lair, a living area with three doors that sealed off their bedrooms. In the back of Star's closet was another door, behind which was their library. The library doubled as their practice room, where they strengthened their magic and carried out spells of destruction, such as the one they'd attempted on the journal.
"There was no plausible reason for that spell to fail," Bill pondered aloud. "Not unless there was a counter spell on it, which would've required very strong magic." At least magic stronger than Star's alone.
And there was that name again, Stanford. Everyone knew that he was the king's missing-and-probably-deceased brother, the author of the journals that could lead to their demise. He'd heard that before his disappearance, Stanford had been the royal ambassador to the forest-dwellers. It wasn't the first time that he'd heard the name slip from Star's mouth, and whenever he was brought up Dot's face would crinkle up more than a burning scroll.
There were rumors circling that Stanford had received generous amounts of help with his studies from some beings in particular, but no one cared to discuss the matter with him further. The fact that he was always with Star or Dot also put a damper on his chances to learn more. Although, perhaps that was the biggest clue of them all…
A sudden pounding on their door startled Bill from his musings. The front door was typically unlocked to allow for customers, but whenever they were in the back room they shut the place down.
"May I help you?" he called, blindly opening the door. He was grateful for the shade that the canopy of trees provided.
"Is the deed done?"
Bill's eyes fell to the three gnomes staring up expectantly at him. They had likely been sent from Gnasty's, where, as of late, the supernatural council assembled for meetings and in times of trouble.
The Council was an enigma on its own, a secret society of sorts. No one knew when the group began meeting, nor who the representatives were. The officials were independently appointed by the elusive leader, the suspected instigator of the rebel forces. Many assumed that the leader was the head of the manotaurs due to his aggressive nature and leadership skills. Some believed The Council to be headed by some ex-citizens of the kingdom, who felt cheated and wronged by King Stanley and wished for vengeance. A few fingers were even pointed at Star or Dot, but Bill had dismissed them as quickly as he'd heard them.
It was The Council's self-imposed duty to govern the inhabitants of the forest, occasionally doling out punishment and execution where they saw fit. As of late, they had been rallying troops and preparing for war against the kingdom. It was The Council themselves that had commissioned the trio of demons for the job – a job which should have been completed by now.
Unsure of what to say, Bill slammed the door shut, sealing it with a whispered spell. Dot came running out at the noise, Star following at a slower pace.
"What the hell was that about?" Dot grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Gnomes from The Council," Bill mumbled, peering out to see if they were still waiting.
Dot's eyes widened. "What did you tell them?"
"Nothing!" Bill defended, adding guiltily, "but I did slam the door in their face."
"You what?" Dot shrieked, moving to grab the door handle.
"Dot, wait," Star commanded. "What are you going to tell them? That we failed? That it's done, but we have no proof? That we can't because we need all three journals to destroy it?"
"All three journals?" This was a new development for Bill.
Star glanced at the door warily before grabbing Bill's wrist. "Stall them for me if they get too antsy, Dot," she ordered before dragging the protesting blond back to her room.
She released him to shut the door behind her, moving to sit on her bed. Bill took a seat beside her, gauging her movements carefully.
"This explanation is long overdue," she sighed, summoning a flask with a wave of her hand and taking a drink. "Sorry, but I'm gonna need this to get through it."
Bill nodded, slipping his hand into her free one and squeezing reassuringly. "It's okay. I think I've gathered most of the pieces myself; you don't have to go into detail."
Star gave her adoptive brother an empty smile before taking another swig from the flask. "Oh, my dear, you don't know the half of it."
Journal 2 was the crown jewel of Gideon's collection. It sat at the center of his study, on a pedestal of all things, the gold-plated six-fingered hand on its cover forever glinting in the dim light cast by the arrangement of torches along the walls. Dipper grabbed one from its fixed position near the door, wary of any new traps that Gideon might have set since his last visit.
His guardian had forbade the twins from ever setting foot in his study after prematurely stopping their magic lessons. Apparently, Dipper had taken to the new spells far too easily, or so he chose to recall. Call him conceited, he assumed that Gideon was fearful of his potential, prompted by his natural talent to hide as many resources from him as possible.
What the guardian had failed to realize was the passion that his lessons had awakened in the young boy. While his commands and locks had been enough to keep the boy away as a child, his curiosity and inclination toward rebellion had only strengthened in his adolescence. Magic flowed through his veins with such power that he could ignore it no longer. It was this that drove him to sneak into the study one evening and snatch the first book that he could get his hands on, a tome of basic spells and runes.
From that moment on, he was hooked. Whenever Gideon left, he'd practice his newfound magic with Mabel. His sister didn't like to take part in the illegal activity, but found herself drawn into it from time to time. She didn't care to learn anything too advanced, but simple spells that could be useful through their day to day lives didn't hurt.
Dipper himself would infiltrate the room and exchange books once a week, always cautious to borrow no more than three at a time from different sections of the room. By their seventeenth birthday, he'd read through over three-quarters of the stuffed shelves.
There was only one tome that eluded him now: Journal 2. It was the oldest book in the study and Gideon's prized possession. Deeming his entry into the room risky enough, Dipper had never even touched the book, fearful that Gideon would be alerted of this immediately and he'd never be able to set foot in the library again. But now that they were quite literally throwing caution to the wind, the brunet figured he had nothing to lose.
Dipper made his way to the center of the room, scanning the floor and various shelves for runes or circle traps. After what seemed like an eternity, he stood before his prize, the burgundy leather-bound book seated in front of him.
He took his time examining the pedestal that it was perched on before determining that it was safe to grab, quickly exchanging it for a look-alike that he had crafted on the off chance that he forgot to return it or Gideon came looking.
Carefully taking the same path out, he shut the door behind himself before giving a triumphant cheer. The book that had eluded him for so many years was finally in his hands!
Wasting no time, he hurried to his favorite reading spot, an alcove ironically located near Gideon's room. It was similar to a very small loft, and he had to use a stool to reach the first foothold. Tucking the book under his chin, he scaled the wall to the nook.
Three cushions and a blanket supplied the comfort while a small window that he'd spent weeks subtly crafting provided natural light. He always had to position the cushions to block out any light that could potentially give the spot away. Mabel knew about it, of course, but he couldn't risk Gideon knowing about the window. It was tough enough keeping him from boarding up the bay window.
He set the book down to rearrange the pillows. He wouldn't have long before they'd have to leave, but he wanted to fully enjoy his favorite spot for what would likely be the last time.
"So you helped him with all of his research, saved the lives of his niece and great-niece-and-nephew, and risked your life to warn him about the threat to his, only for him to just toss you aside?"
Star's eyes were red and puffy, her nose irritated from all of her sniffling. She tried to take another gulp from her flask, only to find it empty.
"Damn it," she grumbled, throwing the metal tin against the wall. It shattered, the small shards evaporating into the air. She turned to address Bill's question, offering a grim nod as her answer.
"Okay, we've established that he's a real tool," Bill started slowly, hesitant of the answer to his next question. He licked his lips, trying to gauge Star's emotional stability before asking, "Where is he now? And what about his family?"
Star sighed, running a hand through her hair. It was drenched in a deep shade of blue, the usually bouncy curls sagging like a mop on her head. She summoned a mirror, examining her appearance with a wince. "Wow, I look like Hell froze over, don't I?"
Bill didn't answer the question, judging it to be rhetorical. Whether it was or was not, Star didn't push for a response.
"To answer your questions, Stanford Pines got what was coming to him. He bit off far more than he could chew, his precious great-niece-and-nephew went missing along with him, and his dear niece died. His twin brother, whom you know as the current king, is the last member of his family left. I didn't know what happened to him… until I saw him today with the general."
Bill opened his mouth to ask which guard he was before realizing what she was implying. That horse with the unusual colors, whose mane had seemed so humanoid…
Star laughed bitterly, but the tears that slipped from her eyes betrayed her true emotions, (aside from her blue eyes and hair). Bill shuffled closer to her, an arm stroking her back comfortingly.
"I'm sorry that you had to relive all of that for me," he apologized gently. It was horrible what that human had done to her – were they all really that selfish? Star and Dot had often warned him about getting too close to them.
'And you do have your own history,' his subconscious reminded him, his fists clenching slightly at the memories flooding his mind. Suddenly it was no wonder that this war had been a long time coming!
Star sat up, wiping her face with her sleeve. She seemed to catch onto his train of thought, taking his hand in her own and squeezing gently. "Thank you for listening, dearest," she murmured sincerely, sweeping the bangs from his face tenderly, "it means a lot to me that you're here."
Bill shook the troubling thoughts from his head and smiled at her softly, standing to give her room to compose herself. His hands balled into fists involuntarily at the sight of his sister in such distress. His sister, who had taken him in when no one else wanted him. His sister, who had scooped him up off of the streets of Gravity Falls and became a mentor to him. His sister, the only role model that he had known and wouldn't trade for the world. His sister, the strongest person that he could imagine.
"Star, I swear that I will do everything in my power to help you fix your mistakes," he declared in a dark voice. He saw something flash in Star's eyes before a small smirk quelled any doubt that he might have had.
"It's great to hear you say that, pet," she purred, eyes and hair quickly revitalizing to their usual bold pink. "There is, in fact, something that you can do."
Bill's eyes lit up. "What might that be?"
Star's gaze was set on the mirror again, her hands working to remedy the mess that her tears had caused. "Stanford and I set a tracking spell on the journals once he began writing them in case any were ever stolen or lost. He presumably never told anyone else of this, otherwise I'm certain the palace would have been in possession of all three by now."
Once she deemed herself presentable again, she took Bill's wrist, leading him back through the closet and into the hidden room where they'd left the journal, continuing her explanation along the way.
"That rat that cursed Stanford must've stolen whichever journal was on him at the time, either Two or Three. I recall him telling me that he'd found a place deep in the forest to hide the remaining one, but I'm not sure if he got the chance to."
They stopped at the circle's edge, the journal still on the floor at its center. She released him to pick it up, drumming the pads of her fingertips along the gold hand in a rhythmic pattern. Suddenly, the number at its center began to flicker a dim red light, a faint beeping sound accompanying it.
"There," she smirked, handing the book over to her charge. "The light will flash brighter and more frequently when you get closer to another journal. The sound should also get louder, but you can silence it if you need to."
Bill accepted the tome cautiously, a confused frown weighing down his lips. "Okay, but why are you giving this to me?"
"Because you are going to retrieve them for me," came the simple reply.
Gold eyes widened, an uncertain look meeting confident pink irises. "Alone?"
"Of course! Dot and I need to stall the council before they try to hang us for treason or some shit. And between you and me, I trust you more than my ass of a brother," she winked conspiratorially. When that did nothing to calm the young demon's nerves, she sighed, placing both hands firmly on his shoulders.
"Bill, I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think you were capable of handling it," she smiled reassuringly. "I know that you won't let me down."
Bill gulped, trying to summon his usual confidence. Just a minute ago, he'd vowed to help Star, no matter the task. And he was most certainly a man of his word.
"You're right," he nodded, a smile involuntarily crossing his features. His grip on the book tightened. "I won't fail you."
A/N: I'm sorry! I intended to post this update two weeks ago, but a sudden health issue came up and delayed it. I'm in a relatively better state now, though, and the show must go on!
Anyway, I think we can all safely assume what's going down next chapter... Bill is a very complex character with quite a few conflicting emotions, most of which will be explained in due time. Let's just say that Dipper's not the only one who has a reason to be paranoid.
Thank you for your faves, follows, and reviews! It's very encouraging to get this kind of support so early into this story! I hope you're all strapped in for the long haul, because it's all uphill (or maybe downhill?) from here!
