Journal Excerpt: February 21, 2023: It took some time to do the calculations but I've finally figured out how to make that portal Mason asked for. Turns out some old scribbles I did in this here book was the key. We've just gotta get the parts and I'll have her rigged up in a jiffy!"
Ford shivered as the breeze hit him. Being late summer and in the middle of the day one wouldn't expect for the air to be so cold but to Ford it felt like the arctic. He resigned that it probably wasn't actually cold and this was probably due to his age, after all they say you feel colder more often when you get older. Then again, the obelisk standing in front of him might also have something to do with the chill in his bones.
Was this really happening? Ford couldn't help but to question himself over the absurdity of what they were about to do.
"Fiddleford here. I'm in position." The walkie talkie blared out indicating that they were just one more member away from being ready.
Ford tightened his grip around the communication device as he started to think on the effects of what they were doing. It was complete madness to just up and release Bill. Ford knew that Mason was prone to taking risks but this was the most dangerous thing he'd ever done. They could have recovered from the portal mishap, but Bill?
Would the risk outweigh the reward here? Bill was not a being to be trifled with and undoing the seal they had put on him could put everything in danger. He may be trapped in the city right now but what would happen if he got ahold of Sherman and broke the barrier?
Ford dug his heel into the dirt below him as he winced at the mistake he made. If Bill was aware while trapped in Stan then he most certainly heard the key to breaking the barrier. If he hadn't… well there were probably other ways he could find out. Ford could barely take that he had made such an error of judgment. Too many people knowing this information meant that the possibility of it spreading was greater.
"How are you holding up Grunkle Stan?" Mason asked over the radio.
There was a pause for a few moments before Stan replied. "I guess I'm doing okay. All these what-cha-ma-gizmos are creeping me out though."
"Just hang in there a little longer and I'll treat you to your favorite meal." Paz chimed in.
"Whatever you do… don't take her up on that!" Dee warned.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing… just that your cooking sucks!"
"What? My cooking is amazing! It's just your commoner taste buds that have no refinement."
"Okay you two, settle down." Giddy interjected. "We can argue about how bad Pacifica's cooking is after were done here."
"Hrmf" Paz pouted over the radio.
Ford cracked a small smile. Even with this pressure they were keeping their calm, or at least they were letting it look like they were. He was sure they were as afraid of this going wrong as he was, after all, what happens if the machine fails to push Bill out? Stan would be possessed and they would be up a creek without a motor, or however that saying goes.
Ford looked at the stone in front of him again. The Obelisk was large, as expected. His happened to be deep in the forest, away from town, but still accessible. Thinking back, he probably passed by this thing a hundred times and never really noticed it before now. Gideon had explained that all of the stones were originally covered is moss, lichen, and other natural camouflages so that was probably the reason.
He ran his hand over the stone. The indentions of two right handed prints were carved, no that wasn't right, they were etched, into the side of the stone. Near the top was another hand print, this time just the outline of one, one that he recognized very easily. His own six fingered left hand was near the top.
Holding up his hand he silhouetted the imprint at the top. How did the ancients know that they would do this? Did Bill tell them, or was it something else? Ford imagined what he would give to go back and meet the minds that came up with this plan and ask them how they knew to design it in a way that they would understand.
Just standing in the presence of this great monolith felt right, like he had always meant to be here. It could be anyone's guess why that was but he knew he needed to be here right now. Taking a step back he pace gently around his stone while he waited.
"Not much longer now." He told himself. "Bill will be gone for good this time."
His thoughts were reassuring, if they were true. Obviously if things went wrong then there was little to fall back on, which didn't help the cold feeling that kept washing over him.
A buzzing sound caught Ford's attention. Turning his attention to finding the source Ford's gaze fell upon his travel pack that he had left on the ground near the stone. He squinted as he looked at the pack. Was there some sort of being hiding in his pack? Slowly edging closer to it he carefully reached down to snatch it up.
No sooner was the bag in his hand did it stop buzzing. Flipping the top open Ford dumped the contents onto the ground. Scanning for what created that sound he expected a small beast but saw no such thing. Simply put everything on the ground was his travel gear.
Sighing to himself and cursing his nerves he kneeled down and started picking the things back up. First his canteen, then his compass, Ford was disappointed that he jumped to conclusion in this critical moment. As he reached down for his map, he heard the buzzing again, this time coming from under the map. Hesitating he quickly snatched the map up to see what underneath it.
The small back rectangle was vibrating lightly on the ground. As it shook itself around Ford let out a rather large sigh. "Yup Ford, your nerves are shot."
Picking up the phone Ford realized he must have put the thing on mute before they came out and what he was hearing the first time was the phone vibrating against the metal. Flipping it over he squinted to see what the screen said the caller was. Bemoaning his luck, the screen was covered in dirt and his view blocked. Using his thumb to wipe it off he saw that it was Dipper. No sooner did he start to flip the top up did the phone go silent again.
"Well I suppose it can wait." He decided to himself. "I'm sure whatever needs he can happen after all of this to is done." Ford quickly pushed the map back into his pack as he stood up again. Holding his phone in one hand and the pack in the other he walked back over to where he stashed the pack and put it back down.
A single buzz in his hand told him something on the phone was wanting his attention. Flipping it open he noted he had a voicemail. Looking over at the walkie talkie Ford realized no one had spoken in a while. Checking the length of the voicemail he saw it wasn't that long.
"Well, maybe I have time to check…" Ford told himself as he hit the play button and put the phone up to his ear. Immediately he could hear Dipper's voice. To him it sounded panicked and squeaky but then again that could just be the phone.
"Grunkle Ford! Somethings up with Grandpa Sherman! He's driving like a madman and saying 'she's got to be stopped!' I don't know what to do. We're near the edge of town. If you get this message call me ba…" The message cut off abruptly as Ford held the phone out in front of him.
"What on earth was that?" He questioned as he looked at the screen, trying to discern the meaning. He debated calling his nephew back but unfortunately for him he would be given no time to as at that moment the walkie talkie chirped up again.
"Soos is in position!" Soos called out over the airwaves.
That settled it. Everyone was in position. Whatever Dipper needed would just have to wait as they were about to begin. Tossing his phone on his bag he grabbed the walkie talkie and planted himself before the stone. He could hear Mason begin to give out the instructions.
"Alright, Fiddleford you have control of the device. Once you give the signal that Bill has been expunged from Grunkle Stan that will be the que for everyone to place their hand on the stone and focus." Mason paused. "With any luck this won't take long and we'll all be back home for an early dinner, my treat." A quick groan from Paz followed by a laugh from a few others told Ford that everyone was ready.
Due to his proximity to Stan's stone he could actually faintly hear the machinery sparking and grinding away. The feeling of anxiety tightened in Ford's chest as the sound got louder and louder. To most people standing where he was it would sound no louder than a car in the distance but to Ford it was deafening.
He knew the reason why too. This was the sound of the potential end of the world. This was the sound of his greatest enemy being freed from his cage right in front of him. This was, if nothing else, the sound of the beginning of the end, one way, or another.
"Output's steady. Everything's goin' fine." Fiddleford relayed. That should have helped calm Ford's nerves but it only seemed to wind them tighter.
A thunderous crack of the diesel generator backfiring startled him. He wasn't the only one too, as no sooner did the sound fade did every bird in the vicinity took to the air to get away from what could have been anything. Hearing the generator Ford's mind wandered a bit back to earlier in the day, at the mansion.
He was standing there, looking closely at the machine they were about to haul off to the stone that Stan would use. Mason was just a few feet behind him excitedly scribbling details in his journal. Ford reached over and slowly pushed a piece of the structure, well at least he should call it that. To be honest it looked more like a bunch of cobbled up scrap to him, but then again from what the kids told him Fiddleford had a way with scrap.
"Are you sure this thing is sound?" Ford asked as the piece bent as if it was barely attached. "It looks like it might fall apart with just barely a stiff breeze."
"If you mean it's structurally secure, then you betcha." Fiddleford responded from somewhere within the machine. Ford looked over to see if he could get a glance of him but no avail. The parts were strewn about and Fiddleford was most certainly among them, somewhere. "This thing's put together so well you could try to blow it up and nothin'd happen."
"Right…" Ford trailed off, not sure if a bomb would be needed. Heck it looked almost like one had gone off already.
"So, you say you designed this based on the memory gun?" Mason chimed in, not looking up from his notetaking.
"Well I reckon so." Fiddleford responded as he poked his head out long enough for Ford to spot him. He was absolutely covered in grease, there was probably more on him than in the machine right now. "It's not so much as it's based on it as it is the opposite of it."
"How so?" Mason asked quizzically. A smile growing on his face.
"Well," Fiddleford started as he made his out of the machine. "The memory gun is supposed seal away a memory in a specific person, whomever the gun was pointed at right then, you know." Nearly tripping as he exited the machine he quickly recovered and grabbed the nearby towel to wipe off his face. "This does the exact opposite. It restores any locked memories that a person might have."
"Fascinating. I assume it is a derivative of the device your counterpart from my timeline gave me when I came over to give you his memories."
Fiddleford stopped wiping his face long enough to think about it. "Not so much a derivative but the next logical step I suppose."
Ford tapped the casing of one of the parts. "Regardless Fiddleford, this is astounding. To think that you were able to make something like this with just a bit of scrap."
Fiddleford cringed. "Well it's not my best work to be sure. There are some… flaws."
"Flaws?" Ford gave Fiddleford a concerned look.
Fiddleford nodded as he put the towel down on a nearby chair. "If we had more time, I'd have been able to prefect the device, focus it. Right now, if we use it I can't say the range it would effect."
"Range?" Mason asked.
"Like I said, it's sorta the opposite of the memory gun. While the gun targets and individual this thing targets everyone it can. Anyone within the radius with wiped memories would see them restored."
Ford saw Mason grab his chin as he looked down in deep contemplation. "Something the matter?" Ford asked.
Mason shook his head. "No. I just… wasn't expecting, no, that's not the right word. I wasn't anticipating that there might be some sort of large-scale reverse effect."
"If yer worried about the town don't be. Most of us have already regained bits and pieces of what the memory gun took from us." Fiddleford tried to comfort him.
"Hmm, no, it's not the townsfolk I'm afraid of it's…" He looked up to see both men giving him a concerned look. Mason calmed himself and smiled. "It's nothing, just a little worry about nothing I guess."
Another crack of the diesel generator snapped Ford back to reality. He took a quick glance at his watch. It was nearly time. Very soon they would reach the point of no return and that would be it, for better or worse Bill out be freed.
Ford reached out once again and ran his hand over the stone, over the handprints. He knew science wouldn't be able to explain this, at least not right now, but there was a warmth to these stones. It was unnatural in nature as it not just cooled him on this hot summer day but it made him feel at peace with himself, if but for a moment.
"Alright, we're reaching criticality!" Fiddleford called out on the walkie talkie.
"Criti-what?" A young mans voice asked the communication device.
"Don't worry about it Robbie." Mason chimed in. "Just remember what we told you to do."
"Right, put my hand on this big dumb stone thing. Got it, you don't have to tell me twice."
Ford had heard that Robbie had been more than a little abrasive when it came to his participation, something about the last time it happened he was turned into a tapestry. Not that he could really blame the boy as it was, after all, quite a traumatic experience for all of them. Yet there was something Mason had over the boy that compelled him to comply.
Ford made a mental note to never tick Mason off in the future, lest he use something he might have found in his timeline on him.
The diesel generator cut out and Ford heard Fiddleford make one last comment over the walkie talkies. "It's begun." Those words held so much weight. Ford closed his eyes and listened. He wasn't really sure what he was listening for so he just opened his mind to the sounds around him.
It was, all things considered, quiet. No birds were chirping, though Ford could already chalk it up to the fact that they were all probably scared away earlier when the generator backfired. The trees were silent, no wind so there wasn't much coming from that. Yet there was no other sound of wildlife or even nature itself.
It creeped Ford out a bit. He was reminded of all those times Bill showed up and literally froze the world around him. This time it didn't seem to be the case but that didn't cause the uneasiness in himself to go away.
Ford did not lose any of that tension when Fiddleford called out the next event. "Ten seconds before Bill is expunged." Ford's chest tightened, his pulse shot up and his palms began to sweat. This was it, no going back from here. In but a moment his adversary would be released and the final phase would begin.
"Five, Four, Three, Two…" Fiddleford counted down.
He never even heard the one, yet at the very moment it seemed like the world flashed all sorts of colors before him. He could feel it, without even seeing him he knew that he was there. Then the ultimate confirmation of he nemesis's presence rang out like some sort of horrible chorus.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" The laugh was unmistakable. It was Bill. "Finally, oh finally I'm back!"
Ford felt the whoosh of air as Bill's still incorporeal from rushed to its prize. His body was still laying in the middle of the forest, exactly where he left it, exactly where their trap was set to be sprung.
"Get ready everyone!" Mason called out. "We've only got one shot at this!"
Ford reached out again, his hand hovering only inches from the stone.
"Wait for it, wait for it." Mason cautioned. Ford knew exactly what he was waiting for. Bill was most vulnerable the moment he re-inhabited his body. That was the moment they would strike.
All of a sudden Ford felt a wave of unease hit him. Not like the worry he had been having about Bill but something different and yet something much greater. His eyes wandered up to the sky and what he saw shook him to his core.
The sky, or more specifically a portion of it, was glazed over with a multitude of swirling colors. It was almost as if Ford was standing inside of a bubble of soap as just the right light was hitting it. The colors continued to move and bend around as Ford noticed something much worse.
In the bubble a crack was beginning to form. Small at first it began to spread like a spider's web spreading out on a glass window. Further and further it went until Ford could no longer tell where the origin of it began or where the end of it may lie.
He reached for the walkie talkie, intent to inform his comrades that something was about to happen but it was too late. "NOW!" Mason yelled over the device.
Nine hands reached out and touched the stone as instructed. Ford only took a second to recompose himself and place his hand on the stone. It began to glow slightly, small trails of lights began to shoot out from the hand print and out to the extremities of the stone.
Then it happened. A bright flash of light blinded Ford momentarily. When he could see again, he realized he was more than twenty feet away from the stone looking up to the sky. The first thing first thing he noticed that the odd colored bubble above them was now gone. The second was that the shards of said bubble were slowly falling and dissipating as they did.
Scrambling to his feet Ford quickly grabbed the walkie talkie in his hand and ran back to the stone. Placing his hand on the handprint he waited, hoping that it would light up again, yet nothing happened. The stone with had once felt cool to the touch yet inviting now just felt like any ordinary stone one might find in a forest. There seemed to be nothing special about it anymore.
"Dude! That was awesome!" Soos excited called out on the walkie talkie. "Uh, was it supposed to do that?"
"NO!" Mason shouted in response. "Everyone get back on your stones, Bill's still out there!"
"It's too late." Ford hit the button on his end. "The stones have no power anymore."
"NO!" He could hear Mason slam something hard, most likely his fist on his stone. "We were so close!"
Ford looked up. Just through the break in the trees he could see the area just above Bill's body was. Slowly lifting into the air was his old friend and rival, once again reunited with his physical form. Even from this distance he could still hear him call out.
"Oh man, how much have I missed this body!" Bill let out an evil laugh. "Finally, we can get back to business!"
Snapping his fingers, the sky darkened and the very air began to churn with evil. The whirling mass of clouds just above Bill gave way as a rift began to open. Slowly but surely demons began to pour out of it again.
"Now, how about we get back to Weirdpocolypse!" Bill laughed as he watched the demons begin to swarm around.
"Everyone listen up." Mason's voice was calm, collected, almost rehearsed. "We've failed here. We're going on to plan B. Everyone fall back to the Manor to regroup. Go now before the demons have a chance to figure out where we are."
Ford just stood there for a while, staring at his doom incarnate as the being laughed gleefully at the situation.
"This isn't over Bill." He whispered to himself as he finally turned and began to run for the mansion.
Mason huffed as he forced the doors to the great hall. His face was soaked in sweat from the frantic run back to the manor. As he entered, he noticed that Mabel was sitting on one of the couches with Paz. Giddy, standing beside them turned and quickly approached him.
"What in the stars of our fathers happened out there Mason?" Giddy asked with an urgent tone.
Mason pushed past him and walked further into the room. Drawing out his journal he began to pace as he flipped through each page.
"Mason!" Giddy yelled at him.
"None of this makes any sense!" Mason finally replied. "We did everything perfectly, no mistakes. Bill should have been sealed, but instead…" he trailed off.
Mason let his arm fall to his side as he tilted his head up and closed his eyes. Nothing made sense. They hadn't left anything up to chance, yet here they were. The Obelisks didn't work and Bill was free. They were on Plan B but that plan didn't have a truly definitive end. His breath was heavy as he heard three more pairs of footsteps enter.
"Where's Fiddleford?" Ford asked as he, Stan, and Soos entered. "And Robbie?"
Paz looked up. "Fiddleford just checked in a little while ago. His route was already blocked so he doubled back and went to the shack."
Stan heard the hesitance in her tone. "What about Robbie."
Giddy shook his head. "No word from him. Wendy went out a little while ago to check his route but…" Giddy looked away. "It doesn't look good."
The two older men slogged in and took a seat on another couch in the room. The tension in the room was palpable. It was obvious that not a single person in that room had any idea what had gone wrong, and even less had an answer for how to fix it.
It was a long time of record checking and unproductive conversations about what to do before Dee, covered in demon's bile, fell upon the doorframe in a huff. It took but a flash of thunder for Mason to rush to her side and help her up. He made his way with her over to the nearest couch, now unoccupied by the Grunkles so that she might sit down.
"Thanks." She thanked Mason as he took her arm off of his shoulder.
"How is it?" He asked in return.
She pulled out her axe and dropped it on the floor for all to see. It was completely covered in blood and viscera, not of a human nature. "It's bad, really bad. There's gotta be a hundred times the amount we faced in our timeline out there now. I must have fought a dozen of them just to get to Robbie's stone."
"And Robbie?" Paz asked from her seat next to Mabel.
Dee shook her head. "Gone. I think he might have gone underground. There wasn't any evidence that a demon got him but… at the same time, I couldn't track him with so many demons roaming around."
The mood in room sank further into the darkness as the additional implications became apparent. They may have lost one of their own, the first casualty of what may become a long war against Bill Cipher and his demons.
The silence was only broken by a loud pair of footfalls coming from the hallway. A moment later Sherman rounded the corner to see everyone recovering.
"I thought I felt something going on in here." Sherman sighed. "I get the feeling something didn't go right."
Most of the eyes turned away from him, his suspicions confirmed. Taking a moment to see all of who was there he took another deep breath.
"Guys, you might want to come with me. There's… something I've got to show you." Sherman motioned for the others to follow and turned back out to the hallway. He paused. "I wish I could say it was something good but… well you better just come see."
Making their way to one of the many bedrooms Sherman put his hand on the door but stopped before he opened it. Turning back to the crowd behind him the quietly whispered his warning.
"Listen, something happened while you guys are gone. I can't quite explain what it was but… just be quiet as you enter."
Slowly pushing the door open and entering the others slowly began to follow in. Dipper was kneeling beside the bed holding Mabel's hand while she and Marius lay unconscious on the top. Grenda slowly paced pack and fourth, only stopping for a moment to look at the newcomers and give them but a quick confused look before returning to her worried pacing.
"Kids!" Stan blurted out as he ran over to the young twins at the bedside.
Dipper held up his finger to his lips. "Shhh."
"Oh right." Stan quieted down.
"What happened?" Ford asked as the rest of the group slowly made their way into the room.
Sherman's gaze turned not to his young granddaughter but to her older incarnation. "Mabel, can I ask you something?"
Mabel nodded; her gaze fixed on her younger self.
"When you were about her age did you… did you ever experience things? Weird thing, things you couldn't explain?"
Mason and Mabel looked up at each other, then to Sherman.
"Yeah, I started to develop schizophrenia around this time. Mason tried to get me treatments but our parents didn't believe in it." She replied gently.
"Can you… describe the symptoms for me?" Sherman slowly edged closer to the two.
"Well, I can try." Mabel gathered her thoughts. "I guess it started the first year of high school. I started hearing voices, like people talking when they weren't actually talking. As time went on it got worse until…"
"Until?"
"Until she lost it." Mason finished her thought. "She had a nervous breakdown in her senior year just a few months before graduation and refused to go back to school after that."
Sherman nodded. "I can see how that might feel that way. It's not an easy change to adapt to."
Mason cocked his eyebrow. "Adapt to? What are you talking about? She needed psychiatric help."
Sherman looked Mason dead in the eyes. "No head doctor would have been able to cure what she has." He turned his gaze to Mabel, then to her younger self. "What she… they… have is something hereditary." He took a deep breath. "She has the same powers as Ma and I, just… they're on a whole different level."
Eyes shot around the room as everyone attempted to judge the proper reaction. Stan was the first to speak out.
"So why is Mabel unconscious? Oh, and what's this guy too?" Stan motioned to Marius.
"His name is Marius!" Grenda quietly corrected him.
"Right, Marius. Why are they out like lamps?"
Sherman looked at his young granddaughter again as he tightened his grip. "I believe the boy will recover soon as he was released willingly. He was probably just worn out."
"Released? Explain." Ford beckoned.
"It was Bill. He possessed Marius." Dipper bit his lip at the name of his nemesis. "Then he took over Mabel. I tried to call you, to warn you, but you didn't pick up."
Ford shook his head. "That's not possible. You called before Bill was released, he couldn't have possessed anyone, he was still in Stan!"
Dipper turned his head. His angry look obscured by the shiny streaks where tears had rolled down his face but a little while ago. Even without saying anything Ford could tell that he was serious.
Sherman interjected to clear the air. "I think Mabel will recover too; it just might take her longer. She used a massive amount of power in one fell swoop so she is most likely just extremely exhausted."
"What did she use her power on?" Mason asked.
Dipper chuckled. He found the answer quite funny for some reason. Maybe it was due to his sanity starting to slip or something. "He destroyed the barrier around Gravity Falls. Well Mabel did, and it didn't even take any effort. It was like snapping her fingers and it was gone."
Ford nodded. It was all starting to make sense. "That's what I saw then."
"What did you see?" Mason interjected.
"I believe shortly before we were all knocked back, I saw the barrier reacting to Mabel's powers." He paused to confirm his memory. "That must have been why I saw the barrier vanishing after we were knocked back."
This time it was Giddy who spoke up. "Do you think it might have overloading the magic of the obelisks at that moment?"
Mason nodded. "It makes sense. If they were overwhelmed then that would probably have the same effect as what we encountered."
"Think they'll recover?"
Mason thought about it. "Well the barrier isn't going to come back any time soon, that's for sure. Plus even if it started to come back that when Bill felt it he'd just break it again."
"Yeah but what about their other purpose?" Dee added, trying to steer Mason into the answer.
"In time… probably? No way to know for sure right now but if we can last that long we might still be able to seal Bill with them still." Mason mumbled to himself. "But that still doesn't explain how Bill got out before we released him."
Ford seemed to seize on something. He turned to Stan and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. Stan looked up and stood to meet him. "What?" He asked. "You look like you've got an idea."
"Stanley, remember back when you were writing your play." Ford asked.
Stan nodded. "Of course, it was a doozy but I got through it."
"But not alone."
"Well, yeah, I guess. You know the story already. What's the big deal."
Mason cocked his head. "What are you talking about?"
Ford turned to Mason, his gaze was serious. "Earlier this summer Stan wrote a play, a play about last year in Gravity Falls."
Mason shrugged. "So? I heard about it, though I haven't been able to see it. What about it?"
"I didn't write it alone." Stan chimed in. "I had help from someone who seemed to remember more about it than me."
Mason turned his gaze to Stan. "So? Plenty of people remembered last year. It wouldn't have been a big deal for someone to help you fill in the blanks."
"Mason, it wasn't just anyone. Stanley cut himself off from the outside, no one was able to visit him in the days he was writing it."
"Well then who…"
"Bill." Ford cut him off. "At least that's what we thought. It turns out that Bill had somehow manifested himself to Stan in an effort to get his body back. It was an effort that was almost accomplished if it weren't for a barrier erected around his body." Ford nodded to Mason. "A barrier I assume you had something to do with."
Mason nodded. His mind was beginning to go over all of the data he was being given. "So, you managed to defeat this incarnation of Bill. How did you do it?"
"Grunkle Stan had a copier in his office that could make living clones of things it scanned." Dipper added to the conversation. "I made a few clones of my own last year and this Bill was no different."
"I might have used that same copy machine to make a copy of the journal last year so that Dipper wouldn't suspect that anything while I tried to find Ford." Stan spoke up. "If I knew it could make living things then I probably would have used a different printer."
Mason nodded. "I remember that now. The clones were weak to getting wet, they would dissolve if they did."
"Correct." Ford confirmed. "This Bill clone was no different in that respect, though he only had a fraction of his power due to it."
"So how is this relevant?" Mason finally asked.
Ford took a deep breath. "There was… something that the clone Bill said that didn't make a lot of sense at the time, but is starting to make sense now."
Mason narrowed his eyes.
"He said he would be back to help himself again." Ford scratched his head. "At the time I thought it was just a selfish gesture or quip but now I'm not so sure."
Mason eyes began to dart around as his mind crunched the numbers.
"But what, and I just put this out as a hypothesis, what if there wasn't one but two Bill's operating in Gravity Falls. What if somehow Bill split himself into two entities. One, the stronger, still trapped in Stan. The other, weaker but free to roam around as he wished."
A memory shot across Mason's mind like a cannonball across the bow. During his time in their old world Bill had made it a game to hunt them down, one by one, until the last. It wasn't until they had nearly completed the portal to this world that those attacks seemed to cease. They thought themselves lucky at the time, like a precursor to either a greater attack, or the possibility that Bill had lost interest.
Mason's eyes widened as it all started to click. "No!" He shouted, startling everyone in the room. Running against the wall he slammed his fist into it. "How could I have been so blind!"
No one dared hush him. His attitude, his anger was so apparent that even Mabel and Sherman backed away.
"What? What is it?" Ford asked.
Mason stood, regaining his composure. He ran his hand through his scraggly hair as he tried to calm himself. "I should have seen this coming. I should have predicted this."
"What are you talking about?" Dee interjected. "Mason, tell me what happened."
Mason turned and began laughing softly. "Oh, it was brilliant. I've gotta give him that. He pulled the wool so far over my eyes I couldn't have seen any of this coming."
"Mason." Giddy reached out for his friend who simply brushed him away.
"I thought this was my, our plan. I thought we were the ones pulling the strings but I don't think I could have ever gone as deep as you did my old enemy."
Stan stood. "If you don't start making sense soon, I'm gonna have to beat some into you!"
"Don't you see? It's Bill! Bill's been here all along!" He laughed to himself again. "That's how he's been in two places at once. There isn't a split of Bill… there's two Bills!"
The room looked around at each other, wondering if all of this had finally caused Mason's mind to snap.
"Don't you see? Bill never got out of Grunkle Stan until after we released him. No, the Bill who possessed Marius knew exactly what our plans were! He knew exactly when to strike to disrupt what we were doing. Bill couldn't have known that if he were trapped in Stan."
Mabel reached over and laid her hand on his shoulder. Mason smiled as he covered her hand with his. Calming down he revealed what he had suspected to be true.
"The Bill who possessed Marius was none other than… our Bill. The Bill from the future who destroys the world. It only makes sense now, the reason why the attacks seemed to die off just before I went back. Bill must have found a way to leap frog with me back to the past in this version of history and has been enacting his plan to counter ours."
The room went pale. The thought of not one but two Bill Ciphers was enough to chill the blood in anyone's heart. Yet for those who knew him and how much he changed after those years the thought of seeing the worst version of Bill was enough to put the fear of god right into them.
"And now here we are, two Bill's on the lose and not enough members to restore the zodiac to defeat him." Mason final slinked down against the wall, his body finally giving out after all the excitement of the day. "We've lost this round."
"We can find someone else to take up Robbie's hoodie!" Dipper tried to cheer him up.
Mason shook his head. "You heard what I said earlier. The symbols had more meaning than a simple hoodie. Robbie's was the mended heart. Only someone who's heart has been broken first can activate that stone."
Mabel slinked down beside her brother, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Dee took his other side. Mason leaned back against the wall, looking up but not at anything in particular.
"I just don't know what we're going to do."
Several hours passed as everyone slowly made their way around the mansion. Mason slunk of into a corner of the house with Dee for reasons of their own. Giddy, Mabel, Ford, Stan, and Paz returned to the great hall to try to figure out a way to fix the situation. Soos headed to the kitchen to try to prepare some snacks for everyone in the hope the mood would settle a little when everyone was well fed.
Dipper refused to leave his sister side as Sherman agree to watch over his grandkids. Grenda continued to pace for a time before finally tiring herself out and falling asleep in a nearby chair. Sherman, seeing the opportunity to allow one of his wards to rest quietly walked over, and with great effort for the old man, picked the girl up and started to leave.
"Dipper, I'm going to take her to the bed next door over. Keep an eye on your sister for me, will you?" Sherman knew the question was a moot point. There was no way Dipper was leaving for anything other than biological needs, and only for that long, but he figured it help put the boy at ease to ask anyway.
Dipper simply nodded as Sherman huffed out the door. His hand gently stroked the back of his sister's. 'Why,' he lamented, 'why was she the one this had to happen to? Bill was bad enough last year for tricking her into giving him the rift but using her directly?' Dipper vowed that he would get back at the ancient demon for this if it was the last thing he did.
Dipper himself began to nod a little when movement on the bed alerted him to someone awaking. Perking up, then slightly downing himself he realized Marius was beginning to stir.
"Meine Güte wo bin ich?" The young Austrian spoke. A tongue that Dipper didn't know, yet he already understood the meaning.
"Marius." He quietly called out to the groggy noble. "Over here."
Marius lifted himself on his elbows in order to see what was going on. Spying a young lady next to him he jumped back a bit. "Ich bin nicht untrue!"
Dipper was once again confused as to what he said, this time less sure of the meaning. "MARIUS!" he whispered loudly.
Finally gaining the young boy's attention Marius noticed the other person in the room. "Herr Dipper? What is it that you are doing here?"
"Shhh!" Dipper quieted him down with a finger to his lips. "Mabel's still out."
"Meine Gott! Is she alright?"
Dipper nodded, but not confidently. "I, yeah, she'll be okay. Look I don't have a lot of time to talk to you so go to the great hall if you want to know what's going on."
Marius was still not quite sure what the young man across the bed from him was talking about. The last thing he remember was exploring an old cave with his beloved Grenda in Greece when he came upon an old statue of a pyramidic creature. He vaguely remembered something about that but his memory was fuzzy.
Deciding that it would be best to take the advice of his young friend he gently egressed from the bed and made his way out to the hallway. But a minute later Grandpa Sherman made his way back in. Immediately he noticed that one of the occupants of the bed was now missing.
"Dipper, did that boy wake up?" He asked quietly as he approached.
Dipper nodded. "I sent him to everyone so they could fill him in."
"Oh boy," Sherman rubbed the back of his neck, "well I guess he's safe until she wakes up."
"Mabel?" Dipper asked?
Sherman chuckled. "Well her too. I mean that Grenda girl. She's been thinking too much all day about what happened. I'd pity him when she wakes up."
Dipper had never really thought about what Grenda might do when Marius woke up. She had been fully conscious the entire time so it would make sense that she would have been at least a little aware of what was going on. Then again it made no sense that Bill had controlled him for so long without her noticing.
Dipper squeezed his sister's hand tightly. He knew how he felt after Bill had possessed his body. To speak frankly it hurt for more than a few days just to move around and get used to being himself again, even for the short time he had been possessed. He couldn't imagine how it felt to find out you had these super powers and have them forced up to 11 when someone else was controlling your body.
"Dipper." Sherman quietly whispered to him as he laid his hand on his shoulder. "Loosen your grip, you're hurting her."
Dipper looked down and noticed that he had squeeze far too hard. Letting go he realized that though she showed no pain on her face that he probably was holding too hard.
"I, I just want my sister back." Dipper quietly stated as he almost sobbed.
"I know. She'll be back soon. I think she's almost recovered." Sherman pulled his grandson in for a hug as he took his place beside him. "And once she's back she'll be the same Mabel you've always know, just, better."
"And with magical powers." Dipper joked, trying to lighten his mood.
"Oh, you don't even know the half of it. Don't ever try hiding things for her again, trust me, she will find out!"
Dipper laughed as he wiped away a tear. "Great, now what am I going to tell my girlfriends."
Sherman chuckled a little. "How about, stay as far away from my sister as you can or she'll know all your secrets."
The two chuckled at each other's comments as Mabel gave out a weak moan. Both turned to her as she began to toss in the bed a little.
"Mabel." Dipper whispered to her.
"Dipper?" She whispered weakly, turning to the direction of the sound. "What are you doing all teary eyed?" She smiled as she tried to make fun of him but it was no use. Dipper jumped up on the bed and gave her a massive sibling hug.
"Oh Mabel, you're back." He got out in-between tears.
"Silly, where would I ever go without you?" She smiled.
Night was beginning to fall as Dipper helped Mabel into the great hall. Her legs were still wobbly from the exhaustion. Seeing everyone in their somber moods she spoke up the best she could.
"What going on in here, a funeral? Well it should be, a funeral for not having fun!"
Everyone in the room rose at her voice and smiled. Crowding around her they began to hug her, even her future self.
"Glad to have you back shooting star." The elder Mabel told her as they broke their hug and she ruffled her younger self's hair.
A few minutes of catching her up and Mabel was now on the same page as everyone. "Okay, so let me get this straight. The town's full of demons and Bill's on the loose again, but this time there are two of them?"
Dee nodded. She had recently returned from wherever Mason had holed himself up in, though he had stayed there for a while longer.
"Yup and Mason's working on a plan to fix the whole thing. He thinks he's got an idea but he wanted to work on it alone first."
Mabel slinked down in her seat next to her older self. "So, were not crazy?"
The older Mabel shook her head. "Well, I mean, I guess we are, but not in the way we thought we were."
The two Mabels laughed. The warmth in the room was finally beginning to return as the younger Mabel's attitude began to somber.
"I'm worried." A few looked to her in agreement. "What about Candy… and Gideon? They were both out there when this happened. What if they get caught up in this?"
Giddy looked to Paz. "She's right. He's not like me now, he can't protect her the way I could."
"We need to find them." Paz nodded in agreement. "And fast."
Dee stood from the chair she was sitting on. In a flash her axe flew to her, the flames a more brilliant blue than ever before. "I say the four of us go find um." She waved her axe around as she smirked. "This old guy wants another go at those demons."
"Agreed." Giddy nodded as he stood up. "The three… four of us will head out to find them. We'll bring them back here."
Ford nodded. "We'll hold down the fort while you're gone."
"Oh please, with the barrier up there nothing you need to do. No demon's getting in here without our permission." Paz quipped as she stood and gathered her gear.
"Well then," Sherman spoke up, "I suppose all we can say is good luck… and happy hunting."
The three nodded and gave wicked smiles as they made their way to the door.
Not a half an hour later Dipper walked in to the kitchen to see how Soos was doing. As he entered, he was relieved to find Soos standing over a mixing bowl steadily mixing something together. As he turned to leave, not wanting to bother the cook he heard the oddest sound. It was the sound of metal scraping metal. Slowly making his way up to Soos he instantly realized why. Soos was mixing a bowl full of nothing. Reaching out Soos jumped as Dipper touched his shoulder.
"Ah dude, don't do that, you scared me!" Soos cried out as he tried to steady his heart.
"Soos, are you okay?" He asked, worried about his friend.
"Yeah I'm, I'm okay." Soos replied without conviction.
Dipper picked up on it immediately. "Are you sure about that? You don't sound okay."
"I…" He trailed off. "I'm worried about Melody and Abby." Dipper instantly recognized what was wrong. "They're still at the shack and… I just don't know if they're okay or not."
"I'm sorry."
"For what!" Soos got angry, raising the spatula in the air. "It wasn't like you were the one who summoned dudes to our world!" Seeing Dipper reel back a bit he calmed himself down. "Sorry man. I'm just… worried."
"It's okay, I'm worried too. I wish there was more we could do…" He trailed off. "Soos. How well do you know the forest?"
Soos cocked his head. "Aw man, I've been living here all my life. I know just about every nook and cranny there is out there!"
The gears began to turn in Dippers mind. "Do you think you could get from here to the shack while never going near the main roads?"
Soos held his chin while he thought about it. "I'd be pretty difficult but… I think I've got what you're saying."
"We won't have any backup."
"Dude, that good, less people, less likely to get caught!"
Dipper smiled. "Meet me by the back door in five minutes!"
"Roger!" Soos saluted as Dipper turned on heel and made his way to the place where he knew Mason would stash his gear.
Finding the exact room he was looking for he pushed aside the curtains. This room, it was the place he and Pacifica hid out last year when the ghost attacked the Manor. He knew that only three people would know about it. Mason, Paz, and most likely, Dee. But there was a fourth, and fifth too!
"Bingo!" He whispered to himself as he entered. There was gear stacked up and all he needed to do this. Quickly grabbing a pack, he stuffed it full of the laser guns he saw lined up on shelves. Going further in he got more stuff, food rations and water. He was actually surprised at how much stuff Mason had crammed back here.
Rounding a corner around a crate he found out why. Mason himself was standing over a table looking at a map and some papers. He seemed frantic as he held up one, read it, then quickly replaced it.
Dipper didn't say a word, not wanting to alert his other self to what he was doing he turned as quietly as he could and began to make his way back up front.
"Left cabinet, third shelf." Mason pointed out behind him without looking. "You'll need that too."
Dipper paused. His eyes followed his older self to the cabinet in question. Slowly making his way he opened up the draw only to find something he didn't expect. It was the magnet gun. He could tell what it was even though it had been heavily modified. He slowly picked it up and held it. It was weighty, not like his original gun that Ford had given him.
Turning back, he saw Mason looking at him. "And remember, we're always here for our sister so you better make it back!"
Dipper nodded as Mason smiled. It had to be the first time he really saw himself smile since the two of them had met. It was both a good thing and yet all the creepier at the same time. Smiling back he turned and made his way out of the secret hiding hole that his other self was using and to the back where Soos was waiting patiently for him. After arming up the two quietly slipped out the back door and prepared to make their way to the shack.
It was night, they could tell that though they couldn't see any stars. One odd difference between this and last time was the fact that when Bill opened the rift that was all that seemed to happen to the world. This time it wasn't like the weirdness permeated like it did last time. Dipper could only guess that was due to the fact that without the barrier it was less concentrated or maybe Bill was holding back.
What's more the rift itself tended to act like a light source. The darkness was pushed away but the soft, but horrid, red glow of the nightmare realm. This had a benefit, mind you, in that Soos and Dipper could see without the use of flashlights so they were more able to stalk the path it would take to make it to the shack with less worry. This helped several times in the evasion of a few stray demons who got lost in the forest around the town. The meandering demons seemed to be without purpose for the moment so they could easily be avoided.
It wasn't until they got nearer to the shack that things began to turn. The demons they encountered were more organized in their searches and there were several close calls and last-minute ditches. For Dipper it was easier with his small frame to just hide behind a tree or in a rut in the ground. Soos on the other hand had to be more inventive. Somehow, though, they would always manage to accomplish what seemed like the impossible and avoid demon after demon.
Finally, the shack came into view in the distance, the trees parting just long enough to see the exterior, not of the shack but of the barrier around it. The barrier flashed as if hit again and again. Even from the distance Dipper could tell something was wrong. It seemed if the barrier got weaker each time it flashed in defense.
Deciding to drop the pretense of stealth Dipper and Soos made a mad dash for the Shack. Upon arrival they ran around the side to the sound of battle joined only to watch as a large bull like demon felled by familiar faces.
As it fell before them and almost melted into the ground Dipper shouted out to the combatants. "Wendy!"
"Dipper!" She shouted back as she ran over to greet him. Behind her was none other than Manly Dan and Pagolicy, accompanied by Fiddleford in what looked like a science fiction suit of armor. "Oh man am I glad to see you. What happened out there?"
"All heck broke loose!" Dipper replied. "We've got to get inside before more of them come!"
Fiddleford raised his visor. "That would be a problem."
"Why?" Soos asked worriedly.
"Well this here barrier isn't got much power left in her. Plus, old Paggy here can't go in a barrier without a special thing I rigged up at the Manor."
"But is everyone okay?" Dipper asked.
Wendy explained. "Yeah, were fine. I think Melody and Abby are holed up inside. They're…" In a flash Soos bolted for the front door of the shack, nearly tearing it off the hinges as he broke in. "Oh wow, that was different."
"When you have kids one day you'll understand." Pagolicy explained to her child which caused Wendy to blush a little.
"Mom!"
Manly Dan laughed as he reveled in his family.
"Listen youngins, we're going to have to leave here soon anyway. This barrier's about to head out to pasture." Fiddleford interrupted. "I suggest ya get yer things and we get going."
"I'll go get everyone." Dipper agreed as he turned and made his way to the ajar door.
"Hurry!" Fiddleford shouted as he watched Dipper go.
Just inside Dipper called out for his companions. "Soos! Melody! Abby!"
"In here dude!" Soos called back.
Making his way in he saw Soos kneeling before a tired looking Melody at the kitchen table.
"Is she alright?" Dipper asked.
"I'm fine." Melody replied. "It's just been… a troubling day."
Realizing they were missing one he asked. "Where Abby?"
Melody pointed to the stairs. "I think she's still in your room. She's not been feeling well since this afternoon before all this started."
Dipper nodded. "Okay, I'll go get her. You two get ready to leave."
The two nodded and looked back at each other as Dipper ran for the stairs. Upon reaching the top Dipper held his ear to up to the door. Not hearing anything he slowly opened the door. The room was dark, other than the light from the rift coming in through the window. He could see in the darkness the outline of Abby curled up on the bed.
"Abby." Dipper gently called out to her. "Are you okay?"
He saw the girl stir a little. The whole thing felt reminiscent of what Mabel did just this morning. Deciding he wasn't going to let it end like it did then he made his way in further. Making his way to the bed he sat down next to the girl and began to slowly stroke her hair.
"Abby, are you okay?" Now closer he could see where the tears had been streaming down her cheeks lot long ago. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Looking up at him she snorted back some snot running from her nose as she looked at him. "It's you Dipper. I didn't see you come in."
"How are you?" He asked as gently as he could.
"I'm… fine."
"You don't look fine."
She looked away. "I just… I just remembered something, that's all."
Dipper looked the same way she was looking. The Rift was plainly visible from where she was laying down. Realizing she remembered her time on the other side. "It's okay, were here now."
"I know but…" She trailed off.
"I know you've got a lot to think about Abby, and I hate to do this to you but we've got to get out of here now. If we don't leave soon the shack won't be safe for us anymore."
Raising herself on her elbows she looked up at Dipper, then out at the landscape before her. The barrier around the shack flashed a few times as it was hit, again getting duller each time. She nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
Grabbing the duffle bag with her things the two made their way back to the front where Soos had loaded up the pickup with a few needed essentials that he and Fiddleford agreed the needed to bring up.
"Guys! We can't travel in that!" Dipper commented as he approached.
"Dude, we have to. There's too much ground to cover before morning and Melody can't walk that far." Soos explained.
Dipper realized he was right. If even the four of them tried to travel back the chance of them being caught was astronomically high. This was about the same chance either way but they might have a method to get away if they had a vehicle.
"Don't worry Dipper." Wendy chimed in. "My mom and dad are coming with us. Together we'll be able to fight just about anything off."
"Plus, I now all the back-road logging trails that we can use to stay off the main road." Manly Dan added.
Dipper sighed. They really didn't have a choice about it. As they finished loading everything up one thought did cross his mind.
"Guys. I have a request." They all turned to look at him. "Is there any chance we can make one more stop along the way?"
The others looked at him questioningly. Yet it was Wendy who caught on first. She nodded in acknowledgment of what he was asking.
"You want to go to her, do you?" She asked Dipper.
Rather than blush Dipper clinched his hands tightly. "Yes. She's out there, I know it. I want to find her and bring her back."
"Who?" Fiddleford asked.
"Pacifica." Melody responded with a nod. "And I agree."
Dan thought about it for a moment. "I think we can make it. It'll be a little out of the way but we should be okay."
"Alright everyone, get in! We're gonna save Dipper's girlfriend!" Soos playfully called out as Wendy offered her hand to help Dipper get in the truck bed. "Everyone, say goodbye to the shack, we might not see it for a while!"
As Soos started the engine the gang turned to look at the shack for what might be the last time.
They took their time with the drive. Never going faster than Dan could give out instructions. Luckily for them it seemed most of the demons in the area had begun to swarm the shack in droves with the guardians missing. It didn't take long before they heard the sound of the barrier collapsing and explosions ringing off.
"What was that?" Dipper asked as he ducked from the bright flashes of light in the distance.
Fiddleford cracked a smile. "I reckon they found the present I left for them. Serves um right, messing with that place that I spent so long trying to keep together."
"With duct tape and super glue!" Soos chimed in from the cabin.
"You betcha! Nothing beats those!" The two had a laugh as the truck continued further own the winding logging trails.
At the speed they took it was over an hour before they reached the outskirts of the Northwest land. From there it was a straight shot over an open field until they hit the gate to the new house they owned.
Dipper looked up at the abode. While it wasn't nearly as big as the Mansion it was still one of the largest houses he had ever seen. The wall around the property was still large and imposing, a testament to the private nature of the Northwest household. Reaching the gate, they noticed that it had been bulldozed open.
Hopping from the truck and fearing the worst Dipper, Wendy, and Fiddleford rushed into the house. Sure enough the front room was trashed, furniture was ripped and tossed everywhere.
"Pacifica!" Dipper shouted out, hoping for a response. To his surprise he heard one the most girlish screams he had ever heard coming from the back of the house. A quick glance and nod to his companions and they charged that way.
Rounding corner after corner they continued to the sound of the screaming. Finally making their way around one last they saw a blue big-headed demon slowly walking to a door.
"Yum yum in my tum." The demon cackled as he slowly stepped to the doorway. Dipper couldn't see inside but he once again heard the girlish scream. "Now I'm gonna feast tonight!"
Dipper reached for the magnet gun as the demon took a step closer. No sooner did he though he heard the loud crack of a gunshot. The demon stumbled back a foot and turned towards Dipper. A sizeable hole was now present in his head where his face once was. Collapsing over the purple blood pooled around the area where his new orifice lay.
As the gang approached the door, they heard the sound of a shotgun being racked. Sticking his head out he was met face to barrel with said shotgun. Quickly jumping back and closing his eyes he tried to make himself as non-threatening as he could.
"Dipper?" He heard a voice from behind his mysterious assailant. Opening his eyes, he saw Pricilla Northwest holding a hunting shotgun with Pacifica poking her head out from behind her. "Is that really you?"
"Pacifica!" Dipper cried out. "Your okay!"
Confirming it was him Pacifica jumped into Dippers arms planting small kisses all over his face. "Oh god, it really is you. I was worried that they got you!"
"Ahem." Wendy cleared her throat to get their attention. "We're kinda on the clock here!"
Breaking off the embrace Dipper cleared his throat. "I was worried about you too! How did you guys…"
"Survive?" Pacifica asked.
Taking a moment, now that he was in front of the doorway Dipper notice what had to be over a dozen demon corpses strewn around the hunting room. All of which seemed to have perfectly placed shots to take them out.
"Did your dad do this?" Dipper asked as he walked in the room.
Pricilla smirked. "You think Preston could shoot like this? He can barely hit the toilet some days. We're perfectly fine here."
Pacifica shivered. "Gross mom."
"Wait." Dipper paused. "Then who did I hear screaming?"
Both women's eyes turned to the overturned couch. A pair of eyes were looking back, hiding from all the action. Quickly Preston stood up and brushed himself off.
"Ahem. I was… providing rear support to my wife this whole time, thank you." He tried to preemptively explain.
"Right, by screaming any time one of those monsters got so much as a foot in the door." Pricilla quipped back.
Dipper shook his head. "Pacifica, it's not safe here. We've got to evacuate you all to the Manor."
"The Manor?" Preston asked. "What are you doing up at my Mansion?"
Ignoring him Pacifica responded. "Okay, I'll just have to get a few things and…"
Pricilla grabbed her daughter's arm and moved her over to Dipper. "Sweetie, there's no time for that. You go on ahead and with your boyfriend and we'll catch up."
"But mom!"
"No buts! Your father and I will be fine. I know this area like the back of my hand, after all, who did you think convinced your father to build out here. We'll be fine, now go."
"I…"
"Listen here young man. You take good care of my daughter. Do you understand?"
Taking Pacifica's hand Dipper looked up and nodded. "Absolutely."
Pricilla smiled. "Good. Now get going before we get more visitors."
Turning to leave Dipper felt the resistance from Pacifica.
"Pacifica, we have to go!"
She turned back to him; her eyes filled with worry. It was apparent to all that she didn't want to go. It was at that moment that Preston came out from behind the couch and walked up to his daughter.
"Pacifica dear," he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I want you to go out there and kindly explain to those demons why they don't mess with a member of the Northwest family. Can you do that for me?"
Tears beginning to well in her eyes she nodded.
"Good, now go before you attract more of those beasties to your mother and I."
Pulling once again he felt no resistance. It took another minute for them to join the others in the car. Without a word Soos pulled out into the back roads and they were on their way.
It was nearly dawn when the truck pulled up to the outskirts of the Mansion. Eyes were getting heavy at that point but no one was willing to shut them just yet. Stopping right at the point Fiddleford called out he quickly ran inside. No more than three minutes later he returned with a small pendant. Handing it to Pagolicy he told her that she would need to wear this at all times if she wanted to be within the barrier.
Finally making the last hundred yards to the front they were greeted by Mason and the younger Mabel, the latter of whom ran out and hugged each and every newcomer.
"You're just in time. I think I've come up with a new plan." Mason smiled. "And this time Bill won't even see it coming."
"What about Candy and Gideon?" Dipper asked.
Mabel cheered. "They made it! They got back a few hours ago!"
A happy feeling washed over them as they made their way inside. Although he knew everyone was tired Mason called a meeting out in the courtyard to explain his plan to everyone. As everyone gathered Mason stood, looking up to the sky, and to the demon who's form stood just below the rift. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had been outsmarted once but there was one contingency that Bill hadn't planned for.
The first thing that everyone noticed when they arrived was that Mason had spray painted the zodiac on the ground in the courtyard. It began to click as to what his plan was.
Mason turned as everyone gathered. "As you know, there are two Bills now, the one from this timeline and the one from our timeline." He took a deep breath. "I wish I could say that I had a good method of beating both at the same time but I don't. The one chance we have is this."
Pointing to the zodiac instinctively people began to line up near their respective symbols.
"We know Robbie's still out there, somewhere. It is essential that we get him back. That way we can at least seal one of the Bills this way which might buy us enough time for the obelisks to recharge so that we might use their power to seal the other permanently. I estimate that it might take up to a week for this to happen, if my readings are right."
Turning back his gaze fixated once again on his nemesis. "Until that time, Bill has full control of this world and there's nothing we can do about that. We may need to steel ourselves as we may lose friends, family…" He turned to look at his companions again. "but we will stop Bill!"
"So," Sherman asked, "we're safe from him in here right?"
Mason nodded. "So long as we are within the grounds of this mansion Bill can neither affect us nor see us. We're safe, for the moment. Now, let's go over the details of our next steps. First we're going to have to…"
Mason was summarily cut off from his speech by the horrific laughter that they had grown to hate. Turning back to his enemy he saw that Bill had begun to expand his body to enormous size. Now nearly the size his old Fear-amid was his laughing didn't cease.
"Wow, you guys are crafty! I've had my minions looking for you all night and all they found was a bunch of nothing. Well… that's… just… fine!"
Bill flew in his enormous body around the town. His reach seemed to extend everywhere at once, much like in a little flick of his body he could completely change where he was.
"So, you don't want to play with me? Fine then. I guess I just have to take you all out at once." Bill raised his hand into the air. An enormous fireball began to form above him. "How about I take out your WHOLE TOWN!"
"No!" Dipper cried out as Bill began to swing down. Mason stood resolute; he knew this might happen but he also knew he couldn't let it phase him.
Before his grip could reach the ground, his insane laughter began to ring out again. This caused Bill to stop in his tracks. "What the?"
The ball of flames dissipating from his hands he turned to try to find out what was making that sound.
"Wow, was I ever this dumb?" Bills voice rang out, which only seemed to confuse Bill more.
"What? Who's doing that?" Bill asked.
"Oh man, you're so short sighted, aren't you?" The voice of Bill called out again?
Also confused by this was everyone watching. "Bill's… talking to himself?" The young Mabel asked.
"I, I don't know." Dipper responded to her.
"That's your plan? Blow the whole thing up?" Bill's laughter echoed again. "You've got no imagination."
"Who keeps DOING THAT!" Bill's enormous size turned into its red multiarmed state.
Bill's voice sighed. "I guess I've got to work with what I've got. Even if that's you."
Bill turned, allowing his form to return to its normal shape and size. Yet now did he finally see what was mimicking him so effectively. Just feet away, hovering at the same high was another version of him, this time though it was a two-dimensional version of him, like before he got his body.
"Who the me are you?" The 3D Bill asked.
"Wow, can't you tell what you look like without a mirror?" The 2D Bill asked. He turned and few over to just a few feet outside of the Mansions barrier and looked. "Oh man, can you believe I was ever this gullible? I don't know how you didn't get me back then?"
The occupants of the manor turned pale while as the other Bill flew over. "Who are you talking to, there's no one there!"
The 2D Bill sighed. "See? This is what I'm reduced to working with now, all thanks to you!" He poked the barrier with his finger.
The 3D Bill groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Fine, what do you want. Are you just going to keep insulting me or is there something I can help you with?"
The 2D Bill looked deep into the 3D Bill's eyes for a second then gave what could only be described as a wicked eye smile. "Oh yeah, there's something you can help me with. I need more power and you're the one to help me."
The 3D Bill rolled his eye. "Look bub, I got this body fair and square, go get your own!"
The 2D Bill rolled backwards laughing. "Oh, you're funny. I don't want to take your body!"
"Then what do you want?"
"I want ALL OF YOU!"
In a flash the 2D Bill opened his gaping maw and devoured his 3D counterpart. "Hmm… a bit gamey." He commented as he swallowed.
Then, in a flash of light that caused everyone to have to look away, Bill's body began to form. His 2D shape became 3D once more. He laughed as the physical manifestation of power flowed over him once more taking him to even greater heights. His body finally calming down he leaned over, perching his elbow on the barrier.
"Well Mason, what do you think of me now? Twice the Bill, Twice the fun!"
With that Bill let out a laugh that made everyone cover their ears as he flew up to the rift. Snapping his fingers, he closed it and turned back to the mansion.
"Let's see you stop me now!"
Mason dropped to his knees, his eyes widened, his spirit broken. "There's nothing we can do to stop him now."
Journal Excerpt: April 1, 2024: With Fiddleford's sacrifice the demons seem to have stopped for now. The machine is ready and I head back today. It's eerily quiet but I can't let that phase me. Once I go back then I must immediately begin Phase 1 of the plan. Bill must be stopped in this timeline or the next. I just hope that everyone will be okay until I can bring them back.