A/N: It's good to have another chapter out of the way. It's also nice to have a job interview in a couple days. Nervous and stressful, yes. But getting this job would be a huge step for me.
So, Mabel has technically not been in this story yet (unless you count the time Dipper found her in the forest...). No longer! You also get your required fix of Bill in here too. This chapter is a sort-of flashback. Chronologically, I'm placing this part of the story sometime during Chapter 5 and 6. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls or its characters. Alex Hirsch and Disney does.
A jolt of consciousness rendered her awake. She stirred, moving to stretch her aching body. She squinted, immediately bringing her hand up to her face to shield herself from the light. Slowly pulling her hand away, she faced the source of the brightness.
White.
Looking straight ahead from where she lay just a few seconds ago, she became confused. There was nothing there. Only white. She craned her neck and moved herself to scan her surroundings. They were all white. She was puzzled.
She pushed herself off the ground, if there even was one, and stood to examine where she was. She spun in a full circle and became suddenly scared.
"H-hello?" she weakly called out to the empty world. Her voice echoed like the void she was in was a cavern. It made her feel even more isolated. The blank environment had a lack of any sense. She couldn't see anything besides white. She couldn't smell any odor. She couldn't hear anything besides her breathing, rising with her fear.
She took a step in a direction and began to walk slowly. Each step added even more worry as they seemed to lead to no place. Thoughts passed through her mind like they were running a marathon.
"What happened? Where am I? Where is the Mystery Shack? Grunkle Stan and Ford?"
The last thing she had remembered was being in Sweatertown out in the forest. Everything after going under her cozy, tear-soaking sweater was a blur. Had she fallen asleep? Was this some sort of dream?
"Oh, sorry I wasn't here when you woke up!"
That voice pained her deeply. Of course it had to be him. Who else would it have been?
"The triangle guy! What did you do?" she angrily demanded.
"Calm down, sweetie! You need to rest a bit more," he said, waving his hand upward. Before she knew it, a comfy reclining chair rose from under her. It immediately pulled into a lying position. Irritated, she grabbed the lever from the side and pulled it back to face Bill.
"Stop it! Answer my questions! Where am I?" she asked with fury.
"Ok, I'll explain," he said, creating a projection from his one eye. "I know lots of things, Shooting Star. I know your brother accepted your great-uncle Sixer's apprenticeship and he'll be staying around! I also know you weren't very happy about that or finding out that high school sucks. In fact, I heard your wish from earlier too!"
Moving images of her moping in the forest projected from Bill's eye during his explanation. Ford and Dipper shaking hands followed. When he paused, she heard her own voice speaking from earlier.
"I just wish summer could last forever."
"Well, I'm here to make that wish come true! Welcome to your wildest dream!" he declared in a joyous tone.
"Why should I trust you? You've lied to me and Dipper more than once before! Why should I take this deal?!" she blared out, standing up and getting out of the recliner.
"Whoa, easy there! I never said this was a deal! This is a gift from me to you! I don't want anything in return," he responded, trying to calm her down. "Look, I'm actually not keeping you here. See that over there?"
The triangle pointed to a far-off door in the distance. Mabel never noticed it before. Perhaps it was because Bill possibly made it appear when he arrived.
"That's the exit," he said, being blunt. "I want you to know that I'm not forcing any of this on you, Shooting Star. If you want to leave, go right ahead. But I suggest you stay for a bit and try out this fantasy world," Bill proposed as he leaned back into the air, drifting in a relaxed position.
"I don't understand. This isn't my fantasy, this is empty," she mumbled depressingly.
"That's the point. I don't know what your fantasy is, Shooting Star. But I know you have quite an imagination. You have an imagination that I haven't seen in anybody in the past seven millennium! This void is just a blank slate for you to make this place your fantasy! You're in control here! I'll show you how it works," he jested, hovering closer towards her. He waved his hand to the vast hallow world in front of her.
"All you have to do is imagine. Anything you come up with, this place will deliver. Tell me, what is one thing that you wish was real?"
As much as she had wanted to leave since she woke up, her curiosity began to take control. Was it really true? There was only one way to find out.
"Well, I always wanted a bodyguard. Like a waffle with big arms! It would protect me and be my snack if needed."
"That's so… ingenious! It's the perfect example," Bill said, trying to sound sincere. "Now, look over there and imagine your waffle guards."
Mabel stared blankly at the blank background. Closing her eyes, she began to visualize the waffle guards that she had drawn once before. Only after about a second, she heard a voice other than Bill's.
"I am here to serve and protect you, Mabel."
Opening her eyes, she found herself facing a realized version of the drawing she had made weeks ago. A big, floating waffle stared at her with eyes that bled determination. He had the same ridiculous muscular arms that physically would make the waffle incapable of floating. He also had a butterknife sword that he held in his right hand. He began to bend over, as if he was bowing down to her.
"Woah," she said with astonishment. "I can't believe it! You're here!"
"Of course I am," he responded with enthusiasm. "I will always be here to protect you and be your snack if needed," he declared, pulling a small piece of his body off with his arm. He winced in pain when he tore it off and handed it to Mabel. "That didn't hurt at all," he groaned, trying to hide his discomfort.
What she had said earlier still rang true seconds later: she couldn't believe it. Bill wasn't lying. This place had brought her waffle bodyguard to life.
"So, what do you think, Shooting Star? Is this place great or what?" the triangle heartily asked from behind.
"This is amazing! So, this place can create literally anything I think of?" she asked with wonder.
"It sure can!" Bill affirmed.
"But, why are you doing this for me?" she questioned in confusion.
Bill sighed. "I'm going to be honest, Shooting Star. You're in a rough situation. Pine Tree is staying behind here to help old Sixer and you're heading back home! Eighth grade in September is gonna be pretty tough if you ask me. I mean, I never went to school, but I know everything," he joked.
"Your world is falling apart," he said in an honest, serious tone. "Here though, it can be whatever you want it to be. You can be with Pine Tree and your friends. You can make summer last forever!" he marveled.
"You know what, can I ask you another question? Since your brother is being a nard as of late, what is your perfect version of him?" Bill pestered.
Mabel's mind rewound itself back to when Dipper tried to reason with her about him accepting Ford's apprenticeship. She tried to think of something that Dipper would hate if he saw himself like that. An idea immediately popped into her head. It was exactly what she would want if she could remake her brother if possible.
She looked past Bill into the empty space and pictured her perfect twin brother. She didn't even bother closing her eyes. She knew that she was all-powerful here and whatever her wishes were, they would be answered.
"That," she said proudly, pointing behind Bill. "That is the Dipper I would want."
Bill turned around to face the absolute version of Pine Tree that Shooting Star wanted.
At first glance, it looked completely like him. There were a few wardrobe changes like the backwards hat, grey jeans, and the neon-green glasses. Bill wasn't amused at first. Only when he started to talk, it got funny.
"Yeah!" he shouted in an absurd voice. "Wiggity-wiggity-what's up, dude-bros? I'm Dippy Fresh! I like skateboarding, supporting my sister, and punctuating every sentence with a high five!"
The triangle began to laugh hysterically.
"Now that is version of Pine Tree I would have paid to see!" he croaked in laughter. Mabel agreed. It was quite funny to see Dipper acting like that. There was only one more thing to add to make him perfect.
A green hoverboard materialized beside him. "Woah!" he exclaimed, grabbing it and promptly started to ride it around the void. "Totally radical!"
"I have to say, Shooting Star, I was surprised to see that," Bill complimented. "This 'Dippy' is a definite improvement on the original Pine Tree! I can only imagine the paradise you could make this place. What do you think? Want to stay for a while?" Bill almost extended his hand like he did with every proposal he made with humans. He restrained himself, remembering this wasn't a deal. It was a gift.
"I'd love to," she smiled, continuing to adore the waffleguard and improved Dipper she had created.
"I'll come by later to see what you do with the place!" he called out before vanishing into the blank background.
Mabel turned to see both her wafflegaurd and Dippy Fresh eagerly waiting for her next wish.
"Well, I think you need to spruce up the place a bit," the waffle suggested.
"Just you guys wait, I'm going to create a world unlike anything you've ever seen," she insisted. Doing a 360° to visualize her dream world, she spotted a blemish in one corner. It was the door that Bill had left for her.
She placed her hand in view to make it look as if she was holding it between her thumb and index finger. With a swift motion, she crushed the tiny door. Moving her hand away, the door was now a pile of broken wood.
"That's better," she muttered under her breath before approaching her two comrades to discuss her plans for the empty realm. They gasped in wonder as she described the place to them. Afterwards, she walked out a few steps and closed her eyes. She turned in one full circle. Upon opening her eyes, her imagination was more alive than it could have ever been. She already had a name in mind for this utopia.
Mabeland.
Bill gave a distorted chuckle as he teleported into his pyramid palace back in reality. His plan was going exactly as he had hoped. He was so happy with himself, he began to hum a familiar tune. He found it quite relevant as he had just given Shooting Star a world she couldn't have ever imagined before. Three notes repeated themselves over and over before it reached the main melody.
Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination
Pouring himself a drink from his mini-bar in his room, he dropped a single eyeball to complete his martini. He took a small sip through his eyelid. Yes, everything was going according to plan.
We'll begin with a spin
Travelling in the world of my creation
What we'll see will defy explanation
The demon actually pondered for a moment about how easy it was to convince Shooting Star to stay in the bubble. It only took two examples of its capabilities before he left her alone. Bill thought it would have taken longer. But he knew her vulnerable position had made everything so much easier. The whole apprenticeship between Sixer and Pine Tree and the true realization of high school made it no problem to persuade her. The skill of swaying the human mind was one of his strengths. Then again, their minds were so weak.
If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanna change the world?
There's nothing to it
He hovered over to a triangular window that was facing the valley of the town. Savoring another gulp of his drink, he gazed through the glass to see a perfect view of the gigantic pink bubble that was several miles away. Monstrous chains were wrapped snug around the sphere. With the key to unlock it in the hands of Gideon Gleeful, Bill was sure the trap was secure.
There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be
Bill did plan to check up on her later to see the way she made her 'trap' comfortable. While she was not part of his original plan, the girl would definitely be useful if something happened to come up. She was the perfect bait for the true players in the game he was playing.
If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanna change the world?
There's nothing to it
Still contemplating his visit with her, he was very glad that she never tried to use the door he had shown her. It was completely bogus. If she had tried to escape, he would have had to resort to other means to keep her in there. He didn't want to bring any harm to her. It was better to keep her untouched for unexpected circumstances.
There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you'll be free
If you truly wish to be
He took a final swig of his drink before he started to leave his room to go and sit on his throne made of petrified human bodies. The glass shattered as he threw it against the wall in exuberance.
"Stage one is almost complete," he cackled to himself. "World domination is almost within my reach!"
Some people may not agree with the fast decision Mabel has about staying in the void. But hey, I'm the Author! Oops, I mean 'author'. I'm not "The Author". Also, consider the fact that she doesn't remember the Blendin-Bill incident as well as that she just had 'the worst day of her life'. She doesn't hate Dipper but she is really bitter with him and Ford too.
For some reason, I really wanted Bill to sing a song in this story after seeing him serenade us with "We'll Meet Again" for a few seconds in the finale. But I find that song numbers in story don't always translate so well (I have nothing against songfics!). So, I came up with a compromise. He doesn't sing, but he hums a classic song Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka. I suggest reading the second part of the chapter with the Maroon 5 cover playing in the background (link: /watch?v=bk82L6DwUE8). I find that it really captures the disturbing, odd essence of Bill Cipher.
Also, one final thing. Thanks again to everyone who has followed and favourited this story! Remember to review as well! Love you guys and girls!
-ThatGuy