After a comfortable morning spent reading, it was well into the afternoon when Pine Tree stepped out into the throne room, breathing in fresh air as it wafted through an unfixed wall. The devastation did nothing to obstruct the beauty of their castle, though, the hole big enough to reveal a breathtaking view of the town in the midst of Weirdmageddon. And lots of monsters. There were monsters outside.
Bill followed him, sitting down on his now-complete throne. All the stone humans formed it perfectly, this time with a stronger support. The blond's grin widened. "Oh, global domination, here I come!"
Pine Tree couldn't help but laugh. "You look so tiny on that throne, Bill." It didn't appear to be made for his human form.
Bill laughed. "I know." Then he grew bigger until he fit correctly in the throne, looking more like a deity than anything else.
It coaxed a blush to the boy's cheeks, noticing how hot he was, superior and strong. But it was also sort of eerie. Pine Tree turned his eyes to his own throne, then made his way over to it, stopping when he noticed Ford not too far away. He pressed his lips together. What is he: a statue? He looked less flattering than he did a prisoner.
Bill simply watched Pine Tree, relaxing on his throne now that he was the right size for it. "Did you want to talk with him?" Bill asked softly, though his immensity made his voice sound louder.
"I . . . I don't think I'm ready," he responded, shaking his head. "He's going to be mad when when we do. I'm not able to face that just yet." Pine Tree turned away from the immobile old man, running his fingers across the arm of his throne in contemplation. The boy finally decided not to sit, walking out to the edge of the Fearamid and peering out into the landscape. I wonder if those demons will come back here . . .
"The demons went out to occupy themselves in town. That's all. They don't have any other responsibilities at the moment," Bill replied, deciding not to shrink just yet. He was enjoying relaxing on his throne.
"So they're waiting on us to break the barrier," he said, blinking at the fires that had started to die down. Movement caught the edge of his vision, a flash of a small figure, then it was gone.
"Basically," the blond said, observing Pine Tree in front of him. "We'll have to break it soon. I'm not sure how long they can keep busy in such a small space."
"Soon . . ." Pine Tree echoed, agreeing. But not now. If any part of him hoped for resistance, it wouldn't matter after Bill was no longer confined. And then the entire world would meet Weirdmageddon. His parents, too. He wondered just how far the protection of their deal really stretched. If anyone would be safe at all. If it was worth it. He backtracked, moving closer to the king's throne. But of course it was. For Bill, everything would always be.
Bill heard his thoughts, understanding the inner workings of the kid's mind. He shrunk down to his normal size, pointing a finger at Pine Tree. A light blue glow formed around the boy as Bill lifted him up onto the throne with magic. "Sit with me, Pine Tree. There's a nice view up here."
"Huh?" Pine Tree felt his surprise ebb away after he was seated. His insides froze when he realized he was probably sitting on a stone Thompson and Nate, but he quickly smothered those discomforts. It was no worse than the human sofa, at least. His hand found Bill's on their weird perch, and he turned his gaze upwards. "I guess so." The rift's farthest tip was visible in the evening sky, colors clashing in a mixture of warm hues. Nice was one way to put it.
Bill wrapped his arms around the younger male, smiling. "See? We can watch a beautiful sunset from here." The demon smiled, as it it was evening time and the sun was barely starting to set.
Pine Tree leaned into Bill, his eyes gazing wistfully, almost contentedly, outside. It would be a while until dusk, perhaps a few hours, even. But the moment was one to enjoy . . . and . . . he saw something round and pink peaking in the distance. And it wasn't a weirdness bubble. He squinted. "Bill? What's that? Over there, by the cliffs."
"A time bubble?" Bill guessed. "That wasn't my doing. I wonder if the time travelers came back . . ." Bill trailed off, squinting at the bubble in the distance.
"What's a time bubble?" he asked, watching it closely. "Why would they put one here?"
"It basically runs on a different timeline in its own little world. I'm not sure why they would place one here." He stretched the truth, but still his chest felt heavy and cold with . . . guilt?
"Will it . . . do anything to us if it stays here? Can we check it out?" the boy questioned, slightly hopeful. "I've never seen these before. What's it like?"
"Well, if you want . . . we can go over there. It's not dangerous." Bill hesitated. He'd rather Pine Tree stay in the Fearamid, but containing his curiosity wouldn't be good.
"Yes!" the brunet cheered, turning his head to look at the blond. Pine Tree paused, sensing something different in the atmosphere. "Hey, um . . . is everything okay?"
"Yeah." Bill smiled, giving him a one-eyed wink. "Everything is fine! Let's go!" He grabbed Pine Tree's hand, floating them up. "Wanna fly over there?"
"Sure," he grinned in return, only a tad unconvinced as he felt himself lift into the air, weightless. It got him into remembering their dance together on the first day of the apocalypse, his skin flushing joyfully in response. He had enjoyed that party a lot more than he had meant to. No regrets.
Bill flew with Pine Tree all the way out to the bubble. As they got closer, it was easier to see that it was quite big and had a familiar mark on it. A shooting star.
Not only that, there were people standing on a land-bridge before it, untouched by the demonic creatures dotting the town and its edges. Pine Tree felt a gnawing feeling in his gut as he made out the figures of Wendy, Soos, the copies and . . . Gideon. The little-fat-baby-man was being manhandled by the former, and he could hear muffled demands being carried by the wind as they approached. The brunet got the sudden hunch that he shouldn't have came. But he was also glad that he did, if not to miss Gideon getting strangled to death.
Bill alighted on the ground, looking around at what was going on.
Wendy glared at Gideon. "Give me the key." Her fists were at her sides now, ready to fly out if needed.
The male seemed about to break, his face furious and terrified. Wendy certainly packed a punch, even if she wasn't punching.
"Look! It's Di—" Soos started, catching himself with wide eyes, "Pine Tree prince dude!"
The tween made a face, gaze stricken with different emotions. "W-what's going on here? Where's Mabel?" He knew. But maybe it wasn't what it looked like.
The redhead pointed to Gideon. "He came waltzing up after you left and threw something at Mabel. And now she's in there and he won't show me where he's keeping the key." She growled at the country boy. "What you're doing is not cool, Dipper. If you really care, you'd help us rescue Mabel. You'd stop this."
Pine Tree took in a deep breath, biting painfully on his lower lip. He knew that bad things were happening. Bad things that he could stop. But she didn't understand, did she? Wendy didn't see what Bill was facing, didn't know how much he deserved. No one did.
"I . . . I ain't givin' her up!" Gideon protested shakily, casting a wary glance at the newcomers. Behind him, Dipper's clone was looking extremely amused for some reason, deciding it would be okay to punch Gideon straight in the jaw, sending him reeling.
"Wrong answer," he hissed, paper eyes glinting with something personal, a grin splitting his features when he glared back at him. It was the one time when the copy wasn't trying to love up to Cipher. And Pine Tree couldn't not get a kick out of it, even though things were serious.
Gideon spat, causing not-Dipper to retreat at the last moment, just out of range. He turned his head to Bill. "Your Mad-jesty!" the white-haired human smiled as if he had just made a clever joke, voice carrying that same infuriatingly prideful ring that put the brunet on edge. "And . . . His Highness. Won't you help a poor soul out?"
"Poor unfortunate soul," Bill snapped. "You got what you wanted. This is the price." The demon didn't say more than that, glancing over at Cipher.
The clone was giving paper Dipper a kiss for punching Gideon. "That was awesome!" he congratulated him, grinning.
"He asked for it," the boy laughed, giving Cipher another smooch, flexing his hands. "You have no idea how great that felt. I've wanted to do that since I was printed."
Gideon was blazing. "H-how could ya' dare . . ."
Pine Tree frowned, glancing at Bill once before turning back to the nine year-old. "Give them the key, Gideon. If Mabel's in there then you can't keep her trapped."
"But . . . I . . ." he stammered, taking a step back, closer to the bubble. And the edge of the bridge.
Bill watched with a curious eye. He wasn't going to help Gideon because he deserved to pay. "Everything costs something, shorty," he muttered, not particularly caring if the boy heard him.
Wendy stepped closer, about to wrestle him for it anyway.
He looked like he just might jump off the ledge, but decided against it at the last moment, pulling the key from his pocket and chucking it at the redhead. His chubby face matched the shade of her hair. "None of y'all are bein' fair! You'll rue this day, stealin' my Mabel away!"
Pine Tree clenched his fists.
Wendy caught the key with ease, walking over to Soos and the bubble. She glanced at Pine Tree. "You coming, Dipper? Leave that demon and get your sister back." She shot Bill a look before turning her attention back to him.
Bill had already walked over to Gideon, snapping his fingers as blue chains kept the white-haired boy incapacitated. "Stay quiet," he ordered.
Gideon opened his mouth, a million struggling protests remaining unspoken. He ended up closing it.
"Wendy . . ." Pine Tree started, grimacing. "I need to . . . talk to Bill."
Wendy slowly nodded, expression flashing with irritation as she hesitated, waiting for him.
Bill turned to Pine Tree. "Yeah . . .?"
The boy made his way to him, eyes searching the dream demon's face. "Bill, what should I do? Mabel needs us . . ."
Bill hesitated before answering. "Do what you feel is right. Would you promise me something if you go, though?" The blond leaned into Pine Tree's ear, murmuring. "Promise to come back to me when you complete your mission. I'll miss you. Stay safe."
The brunet's eyes widened and he crushed Bill in a hug, shamelessly kissing him. When he pulled away, his voice was a whisper. "I will. I promise," he vowed, glancing over at his friends. "But . . . I don't want to leave you. Can't you help us?"
Bill thought about it, seeing the request for company as more of an advantage than anything. "Oh, alright. I did say that we would stay side-by side." The dream demon waved his hand, sending Gideon to the Fearamid to be with Ford. He took Pine Tree's hand, walking over toward Wendy and Soos, smirking. "We're ready to go!"
Wendy glowered, losing her usual composure. "I clearly remember inviting only one of you to help us. Why would I trust you of all people to save Mabel? You could try to kill her or something. Dipper, can't you just leave Bill? That demon will only make things worse," the teen spat, frustrated with all the drama. Why did this have to be so complicated?
"The heck, Wendy?" Pine Tree huffed, holding Bill's hand harder. "He's not going to hurt her. And if you want me to come, you're going to have to accept that he'll be there too."
"I don't like prince Pine Tree's stare, dude," Soos offered, shuffling past them and hiding behind his co-worker. "I think he's serious."
"You bet he's serious," the Dipper clone added with a sly grin. "I vote we let 'em come with us. Unless Cipher and I are getting some alone time out here. Then whatever."
"Fine. Whatever. Let's just go!" Wendy frowned at Bill. "You hurt anybody, I'll chop your head off with this." The girl held her axe with two hands. She was dead serious. Turning heel after that dire warning, she opened the bubble's lock with the key. It fell to the ground, tens of feet below.
Bill didn't seem worried at all about Wendy's threat, rolling his eye and following them with Pine Tree. He never let go of the boy's hand, happy to have his prince with him. They all stepped into the bubble.
Cipher looked at paper Dipper as the others entered the strange prison. "I'm sure four people getting Mabel back is fine. Let's just go back to the Shack and have fun! Sound good?" He grinned and started home.
"Fun, huh? I'd never turn that down!" he chuckled in response, trailing close to the male as Pine Tree and Bill disappeared in an engulfing white light.
On the opposite side, the boy found himself floating precariously in a void while his friends fell screaming, down, down, down. What's going on?
Bill laughed. "Oh, this is going to be entertaining!" The blond let himself fall along with Pine Tree as the white void gradually turned into a beautiful rainbow of color. Fortunately, everyone landed safely on the bouncy castle floor.
Wendy looked around in confusion."Are we on a bounce house? And do you hear annoying boy-band music?"
Pine Tree bit his lip, glancing at their surroundings. Overall, it was the type of place that he could imagine his sister dreaming of: girly creatures and candy trees and bright buildings with kaleidoscopic lights, a sky of friendliness and entertainment.
"Dawg, where are we?" Soos said, awed.
Two vividly colored men drove up in a unique version of a convertible car. "Welcome to Mabeland! Who wants to go on a tour?"
Bill wasn't too happy about them, making a face. "I'm guessing we don't have a choice," he muttered darkly as they were forced into the back of the car.
Wendy squinted. "It's too bright here," she complained, scooting away from Bill and Pine Tree.
Xyler and Craz responded together, "Of course! Mabeland has colors only certain animals can see!"
"Like hawks?" Pine Tree offered on instinct, smiling sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry. Just curious about the spectrum . . . and uh . . . could you show us where Mabel is first? Maybe drop us off there?"
"Mabel's at the top of the tower, dude. Why don't we tour the place first?" a radical man answered, driving the car carelessly through the weird streets and laughing.
"I feel like my life's so fragile!" Soos declared, one of the signs bending like a swirly straw when they hit it.
The prince pressed closer to his king, stiff in posture. Who taught him how to drive?
Nobody. He's fictional, Bill muttered through their connection. The demon wrapped an arm around Pine Tree.
Wendy noticed, giving them a nasty look before turning her head towards the crazy fantasy world. "So where are you taking us again?"
"The beach and spa resort! Our favorite place in all of Mabeland!" Xyler and Craz cheered together. pointing out random landmarks along the way.
Pine Tree shrunk in his seat, pressing closer to Bill. He would just have to wait it out. Maybe he could actually survive this trial.
When the convertible car stopped at the beach, everyone was allowed out of the car. Small penguins with platters of food and drinks walked around the beach. Intriguing creatures of all kinds roamed about.
The brunet lost interest in the scene pretty quickly, eyes scanning the skyline for a tower. There was something really off about the place, though he wasn't sure what. Pine Tree looked back at Bill. "It isn't right here . . ."
Bill shrugged. "Tell me if you get too uncomfortable. We can leave at anytime," the blond said, keeping the group in sight.
"Hey, colorful guys! Can we see Mabel now? We're kinda in a hurry," Wendy directed at Xyler and Craz.
"She's in there!" The two young men pointed to a tower guarded by waffles. With big arms.
"I wonder if we could eat them," the handyman commented with a laugh. "Just kidding. Kind of."
We have to save Mabel, Pine Tree responded, shaking his head. Pulling Bill along, he started forward until he was closer to the tower, in sight of the guards. "I am Pine Tree, prince of Weirdmageddon," the boy began, as regally as he could muster. "Let His Majesty, Bill Cipher, and my friends pass. We want to see Mabel."
The two waffle guards glanced at each other before stepping aside to let them in the tower. Bill followed him up the stairs, a light blush on his cheeks. The title Pine Tree called him made his insides tingle.
Pine Tree let out a small breath of relief after they were out of earshot. "Whew. I'm surprised that actually worked."
"Being royalty must be something amazing," Soos offered, in the background somewhere.
Bill shrugged at Soos' comment, unsure if it was the royal factor. "They probably knew we held more power over them. That's all."
Wendy stepped in front and opened the door to the room Mabel was supposed to be in. "Pst! Mabel? You in here?"
But instead of the girl answering her, it was Dipper. Or, a neon-dressed Dipper with the most irritated look on the planet. Bubble. Thing.
"Another Pine Tree-Dipper dude?" the chubbiest member of the band exclaimed, having caught up with them. He smiled, holding out a hand in greeting. "What's up? I'm Soos, the Mystery Shack handyman and future —"
"Sorry bro, but you're gonna have to leave," the fake Dipper deadpanned, eyes scanning each of them through his shades. He was on the verge of scowling. "I'm supposed to be supporting and encouraging my amazing sister for the next infinity hours, so disruptive visitors aren't allowed." He ended his sentence by frowning at Bill.
Pine Tree wrapped an arm around the dream demon, angry. All copies of him were doomed to be horrible, it seemed. He was done taking it.
Wendy scowled. "This is a trap set up by Gideon. Tell me where Mabel is. We're her friends," the redhead attempted.
Bill placed a supportive hand on Pine Tree's shoulder. Don't worry. I'm here.
The boy leaned into the touch, wanting to knock his head on a wall in frustration. Better yet, knock all his clones on a wall. That would be worth the next infinity hours.
"Yo', girl, the name's Dippy Fresh. Don't get sassy on me. Besides, my wonderful sister doesn't want to leave. She's happy here, where she has a real bro-face to care for her and a town that's high-five fab to live in," Dippy Fresh defended, flipping his sunglasses to look at Wendy more clearly. "Best of all, there aren't any demons here to ruin the party." He cast a meaningful expression at Bill before continuing. "It's safe. Don't believe me, go right on ahead and ask her yourself."
"I will," Wendy retorted, pushing past Dippy Fresh to find Mabel. "Mabel? It's me: Wendy!" The teen wanted to talk with the girl and hopefully convince her to come back to her real friends and family.
Bill looked at Pine Tree. "Tell me when you want to go home. I'll be glad to take you back when you're finished." The male didn't want to stay anyway, and he could sense the younger male was a bit uncomfortable.
"Okay," Pine Tree murmured, wanting to take the blond in with him. But Dippy Fresh appeared like he was going to be a problem. LIKE THAT MATTERED. The tween shoved his way through the doorway, pulling Bill with him, glad to find that there were no immediate repercussions.
"Don't bother her," the imaginary sibling pressured again. "Ask your question, get the facts, then get out, bros."
Even Bill didn't like the attitude of Dippy Fresh. The demon growled threateningly. "We can do whatever we want. Shut up and leave us alone."
Wendy called again. "Mabel! It's Wendy. Are you in here?"
"Wendy?" a peppy voice perked from the end of the room, a mix between a princess suite and a mayor's office. Mabel was standing next to a window, a welcome sweater in her arms. She dropped it when she saw them. "What?"
Pine Tree felt his irritation go away all the same, eyes wide to see his sister. "Mabel!"
"Dipper? Bill?" the brunette gaped, taking a step back. "Or should I say Pine Tree? Enjoying your horrible apocalypse? Not so fun, is it?"
Bill said nothing, watching Pine Tree curiously.
Wendy smiled and waved at her. "Hey, Mabel! So, long story short, Gideon trapped you in this bubble. Soos, Dipper, and I were hoping to get you back into reality. We need your help to save the world. Stan is gathering an army as we speak."
Pine Tree whipped to face the redhead, practically fuming. "Do you realize that Bill and I are standing right here? Wendy, what are you trying to say? You know I wouldn't betray him."
"Well, I was hoping you would actually stop hanging with demons and do what's right. I know you aren't an idiot, Dipper. Wake up, already! Why can you use your eyes and see that this apocalypse isn't good? Or has 'love' made you blind to the fact that Bill's evil?" Wendy groaned in frustration, having lost her "cool" personality. "Come on, Mabel. Let's go. Your old man is counting on you."
Pine Tree hissed under his breath, glaring. Wendy was making him livid. He couldn't believe that he used to like her, someone so rude and inconsiderate. And Bill was literally standing right next to him. He clenched his teeth, unable to fully calm down. Ugh, why can't anyone understand?
Red needs to learn her place! Stupid human, Bill growled under his breath. And she thinks you would actually leave me. Ha! He paused, anger subsiding. I do believe we should leave if people are just going to be angry with us.
Mabel frowned, breathing deeply. "Wendy . . . I'd rather stay here. Even if . . . I mean, why would you let Bill come here if it's so bad? He must not be . . . I mean, Dipper . . . I don't know," she sighed, flopping down in her desk and laying her head down. "I'm done fighting my brother. All I want is for my bro-bro to be happy and like me again. It isn't fun being left behind. You deal with the apocalypse on your own."
Dippy Fresh rounded the group, standing beside the girl and offering comforting pets to her shoulder. "You heard her. Outta' here, dawgs."
"B-but I had no say in that demon tagging alone. Please, Mabel? I know you're frustrated, and so am I, but living in a fantasy world won't fix your problems." Wendy took a deep breath, trying to relax and act cool once again.
Dippy Fresh smacked his fist against his hand.
Mabel lifted her head. "How do you know that? Have you tried it? I have everything I want here. You could, too . . ."
I'm about spent, anyway. Pine Tree dug his fingers into his palm, equally frustrated. "Mabel, if you don't come back, we're going to leave," he warned, warily eyeing his imaginary self.
"I'm not leaving without her, dude!" Soos protested, arms wide.
Dippy Fresh stepped in front of them, his eyes flashing darkly as he put on his sunglasses again. "Kiddo has the right idea. Last chance; you heard her. Either stay with my sis' or I'll be kickin' you to where you came."
Wendy sighed. "We miss you, Mabel. We need your help. Come back with us." The teen held out her hand, offering a smile.
Dippy Fresh was getting on Bill's nerves. I just want to punch that insulting scrap of garbage already, Bill hissed. Never act like him, Pine Tree. Ever.
"Chill, okay?" the brightly-colored male huffed, snapping his fingers. "Visitors are sometimes not tubular at all."
Soos cried out in distress as a portal to the outside world suddenly opened below him and he fell through with wide orbs.
"Later. I'm falling behind on my events with Mabes," Dippy Fresh held up a peace sign, the same portal moving over to try and swallow Wendy.
Mabel was watching her brother and friend with a torn expression, though she did nothing to stop it. "Goodbye."
"Wait! Mabel!" Wendy yelled desperately. She made a determined face, skillfully embedding her axe in the floor to stop her from being sucked into the portal. "This is not cool, Dippy Fresh. Not cool at all." She used the axe to pull herself away from the portal.
"I said goodbye," Mabel asserted, frowning unhappily as she swung her hand, forcefully throwing the teen into another portal that opened behind her. She looked like she might start sobbing but sat up straighter, putting on a smile. "Don't worry about me, Dipper. I have Dippy Fresh to keep me twin company. Go . . . enjoy your time . . . and tell everyone I love them."
"I'll . . . I'll do that. Thanks for talking to me, Mabel. And . . . be happy here," he responded softly, glancing at Bill. "Can we leave now?"
Bill nodded, holding Dipper's hand. "Good day, Shooting Star." The king waved at Mabel before teleporting back to the Fearamid with his prince.