Disclaimer: Welcome to what I can call the halfway point of season 2!
SolangeloUniverse: Why did it sound like I was talking character lemons!? I meant Cave Johnson!
Nina Everblade: I didn't think You'll Be Back was so horrible. But yeah, this is gonna be bad.
RainbowCelin: Personally, I believe Preston deserved what Bill did to his face in Weirdmageddon. Yes, it is a reference. It's too good to not use it. Kind of like how Rick and Morty intertwines with Gravity Falls.
RillFipher: Thanks!
DannyPhantom619: You're welcome.
JDMichelle2626: Thank you!
StoriesUnleashed: No one is making out with anyone. Wouldn't you want to yell at the Northwest family for all they've done to Pacifica?
1-18-9-5-19: I was inspired by an old dress of mine for Elaine's, of course I changed the colors though. Black and yellow match Bill perfectly. Dipper and Pacifica are cute together, aren't they?
FrostyAngelWings: I'M GONNA BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, WITH THE LEMONS!
Guest ((former)EMObillcipher89): I never planned on doing any song requests and stuff like that. If any song appears down the road might be bar-related songs. Sort of a sequel to what happened during that party with the demons. This time though, it'll be Elaine singing.
Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, Kat belongs to RillFipher, and I own Elaine and a special guest.
"Speaking"
Thinking
"Reading"
Edited: Sept. 29/18
Elaine's POV
Flying out of the portal could've gone a whole lot better. I'd done it several times before, but at least I went on my own will. Having Bill push me through without a second thought… yeah, that had to stop.
Standing up in the dark red cavern I found myself in, I could see pale light ahead of me, further in a partially open door. "Where are we, Cipher?" Bill floated next to me, adjusting his tie. Torches hung on the walls, and banners were draped about displaying an insignia I wasn't familiar with. "And why is it so hot in here?"
"Welcome to the Lucitor Kingdom, Angel. Located in scenic Underworld of the Mewni dimension," he 'grinned'. I-I'm sorry, what!? Did he just say what I think he said!?My face must've shown my shocked surprise, as he started laughing loudly. "Ah ha ha ha! Wow, Angel. You must've already seen this place before, haven't you? Your face is hilarious!"
"Underw-Mewni!? We're at the Blood Moon Ball!?" I looked around, starting to recognize the entrance to the castle's ballroom. I'd watched a fair bit of Star vs the Forces of Evil back home, and I'd seen theories of the show existing in the same multiverse as Gravity Falls. The same goes for Rick and Morty too, but I never really got into that show. "I-I've seen this world back home, but I didn't know it was real too!"
Bill chuckled, and patted my head. "Shall we, doll?" Doll? I scrunched up my face at that nickname. Well, that's a new one. I think I prefer fleshbag. Even if it was an insulting swap-out for human. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he led the way through the door. There were several dozen different demons and monsters in formal clothes, but none of them rivaled what I was used to in the Nightmare Realm. They were much more tone in comparison, but their species was still clear. Doubted I'd ever get a chance to do this again, visiting a dimension like this one, so I better make the best of-OH MY GOSH! WHAT THE HECK!?
I shivered, and ended up clinging to Bill as two people walked straight through us.
"B-Bill?" I whispered, trying to stop myself from collapsing. "What was… that?"
"Oh. Did I forget to mention that you don't exist in other dimensions, basically existing in a state similar to me?" Yes! He did forgot to mention that! "Only your mental state travels, Angel. Thought you'd figure that out already?" I pulled away from him, glaring and trying to make sense of that logic drop.
"I-I did, but everything seemed so real! Pyronica and the others can see me!" I defended. "How come no one else here see us!?"
"Because the rules of my domain bend differently than the rules of other dimensions. Each place has its own rules and physics, and mine isn't bound by any. You remember how I said time didn't exist there, and it was fated to destroy itself, right?" Bill moved forward, and I walked alongside him. "Welcome to the world of the Mindscape. Just because no one here can see you, doesn't mean you can't have any fun."
"You mean we can't have any fun," I corrected him, frowning.
Bill 'smirked', and released me from his hold. "Why don't you go have a look around? I'll let you get yourself sorted out before we chat more."
I walked through the ballroom, seeing I no choice. "The floor's… pink." I grimaced as the liquid seemed to stick to my feet, marking the bottoms of my shoes. It's like how Bill can affect some things in the Mindscape, same when I used that fire spell. Great. Even if I wasn't physically there, my shoes get ruined. Looking up, I watched a monster couple walk away from a gray platform decorated with monster skulls, and smiled. "There they are."
Star Butterfly and Tom Lucitor stood there, and I watched the dripping vat of unicorn blood sway above their heads. "Classic Carrie moment." At least there was no death, and telekinesis, and explosions. I couldn't hear their conversation, but once I saw Tom petting the pink bunny behind his back, Star had hopped off and walked towards the snack table. The blonde though unfortunately was walking straight into my direction, and before I could move she passed right through me. Flinching, I patted myself over. If this was what it was like for Dipper, when he wasn't in his body… I hated it.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Huh?" Turning around, I saw a young woman in her twenties standing beside me. Teal hair done in a French braid that draped over her shoulder and falling to her knees, intense golden eyes, and freckles scattering across her cheeks. Interesting. She's definitely not from Earth, is she? She smiled, and I wondered if it was me she was addressing, or someone behind me. "Not likely. No one else can see me."
"Why not?" Okay, maybe she CAN see me. "You don't look like a ghost." She glanced me over curiously. "You look human."
"I am," I replied. "Just… not physically all there. I'm Elaine. Elaine Milton." I held out my hand, but when she went to grab it, it passed harmlessly through. "Oops. Um… what's your name?" I asked, shaking it off.
"Astralia," she stated. She held up her hand in confusion, and shrugged. "Astralia Primrose. My friends address me as Lia. I'm Princess Butterfly's lady-in-waiting." We glanced over at Star, seeing her watch something move around in the punch bowl. "It gets tiresome sometimes." With a girl like Star, I can imagine.
"I bet. I have my own friends to keep in line. Can we move to the side so it doesn't stand out so much that you look like you're talking to thin air?" Nodding, we moved to the side of the floor, and I took the time to look over her outfit. She reminded me of a more mature version of Star. A puce colored dress that ended just below her knees with a black ribbon looping around her neck to hold it up. She had small skulls decorating the bottom part of her dress, similar to Star and her hearts, and had black furred boots to top it off.
"Your dress is a lot more… intense, than your friend," I commented. It was probably not her usual outfit. Just like everyone else, she must have dressed for the occasion.
"Yours seems to be trying to fit someone's outfit color scheme," Astralia shot back. "Any invisible guy here you're with?" I looked around, and spotted Bill on the other side of the room, watching us intently.
"Uh, y-yeah." I quickly looked back to her. "You can say that. Don't mind me asking this, but why is it you can see me, when no one else can?" She paused, and brought a finger to her chin in thought.
"I… don't really know. I've seen plenty of abnormal stuff, but… this is the first time anything weird like this has ever happened to me." Astralia looked at me in a stupor, but I could see she was clearly confused… and tired. There were slight bags under her eyes, similar to Dipper's. "I don't even have magic to begin with. How in the name of Mewni is this happening?" I shrugged, and leaned against the wall.
"Dunno. Your idea of magic I'm pretty sure is a lot different than what I'm used to." I chose not to ask about the other thing, deciding that her sleep pattern was not of my concern. A flash of yellow caught my attention, and Bill began moving towards us. "And here he comes now. Speak of the demon."
"You're dating a demon?" Astralia exclaimed, glancing over to Tom. "How are you still in one piece?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but Bill cut me off, resting an arm around me. "Because Angel here is too important to get rid of." Astralia blinked at the triangle, visibly bewildered. What, was she expecting someone like Tom? "We need to chat, kid. You don't have too much longer until Pine Tree comes back to wake you up." Nodding, I smiled at the woman one last time.
"It was nice talking with you. Maybe we'll meet again in the future." She waved goodbye, still appearing the slightest bit confused, and a few monsters around her gave her weird looks. Heh. Forgot that no one else could see... me.
"I wouldn't mind. Have fun." Oh, that's not gonna happen. Bill tightened his hold around my shoulders, and we moved across the floor again. Bill, I know you can hear me. Tell me, why did you take me here? This another chance to sweet talk me?
"You wanna know, Angel?" Yes. I didn't trust my voice, so thinking aloud what I wanted to say was the best thing I could do. "You're still scared of me, kid." Why did that sound so... depressed, coming from him? "Y'see, Pine Tree and I had a conversation while you were on your walk." They what? How come Dipper didn't tell me about this? Was this like when he told Wendy about my deal, leaving me out of what he deemed important Was it about information? "This has to do with Time Baby, doesn't it?"
What do you think? I met his eye, frowning. I heard a monster speak into a PA, but I ignored it. Bill… I-I want to hate you. I want to despise you with my entire being. For trying to kill my friends, for what you've done to Ford, for Asger being played, and Kat's nightmares… everything. You have hurt me, insulted me, and threatened me. Even Time Baby knows of your power over me. Even he wants me to leave you. "And… yet…" I finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. "I… don't hate you. Bill, what's… what's wrong with me?" Lifting my face to look at him, he brought my forehead to just below where his tie was. like I was leaning against his 'chest'. My breathing hitched, and I felt tears sting my eyes. "Why… why can't I hate you?"
Bill kept a steady hand on my shoulder, and the other ran through my curls. His claws traced the back of my skull, and he chuckled. But… it wasn't dark. There no evil in his tone, no malice. I couldn't see his eye, but I felt it staring down at the top of my head. "Kid... Angel… you love me."
A bright red light hit the dance floor, entrapping Star with a disguised Marco, while the sudden drop in sound made everything come to a halt. The ball… we were stuck right in the middle of the big dance. As the Blood Moon Waltz began to play from the organist, as Tom had instructed, Bill took my hand in his, placed my other onto his shoulder before taking my hip. As the song sped up, he moved me across the dance floor at a faster pace, and I let my feet guide me along, similar to gliding through the air on a cloud. Star and Marco, completely unaware of us dancing beside them, were mimicking a more modern version of ours. We didn't spin, no, but the same amount of focus was there, all in that heat of the moment. Bill remained silent, and I couldn't even process any sane thought to retort from his claim. My mind, for once, had gone blank. No thoughts, no matter how hard I tried, were silent for longer than they should've been. The demon dipped me as the music slowed down, and the red light was cut off along with the music. But why was it-? Oh. "Oh no." Glancing away, I watched a fallen Marco lay below Tom, his three eyes glowing red.
"That dance. Was meant. FOR ME!" He roared. Fire burst from along the edges of the ballroom, and the monsters hustled to the middle to stay safe. Brian, Tom's coach, went to try and calm him down, but was thrown across the room. Star and Astralia stood together, watching Tom stalk towards Marco, who was backed against the flames.
Bellowing, Tom launched himself into the air, flames shooting from his feet and hands. Just as he was high enough, the demon was encased in a block of ice, and came crashing down to the floor. The magic from him died out immediately, and the room returned to normal. Albeit, with a noticeably higher temperature. Star, wand held in her hand, moved over to him with an annoyed look and zapped a button onto his suit. Astralia sighed, shaking her head. "Should've seen this coming," she muttered.
"Let's go, Marco," Star sighed. "You too, Lia." She walked out of the room, and Astralia followed after. Marco gave Tom one last look, and darted after the two girls. Bill straightened me, and we looked at each other. Without a word, he snapped his fingers and a portal appeared beside us.
The Nightmare Realm had never seemed so welcoming.
Dropping down on the edge of the crater where all of the Henchmaniacs were, I looked up at the 'sky'. The dream demon lowered himself beside me, and I shifted away.
Love? I-it's not possible. It wasn't possible. I-I couldn't love Bill. After all that he's done to my friends, to the multiverse… to me. How could I overlook all of that? Sure, I had somewhat come to the idea of liking the demon more than a friend while back in Stan's mind, but love? Love was the ultimate form of affection. Love, was what I wanted from my ex, but never managed to find. I-I couldn't… but… but I was? Ford was going to return tomorrow, and everything goes downhill from there. I-I couldn't keep doing this… and yet I did. But… why? Why?
"Soul for your thoughts, Angel?" I breathed deeply, and finally turned to Bill.
"I… I don't love you. I can't love you, Cipher. All you've done, what you will do; I can't get past that. You said so yourself what your opinion is on love anyway." I was going to say something about emotions, and how he himself said he didn't have them. But, let's be honest, we both know that's a lie. He felt something for me, he just wasn't sure what it was. I hugged my knees to my chest. "I… guess I might like you. Otherwise I'd never let you get away with kissing me. But… love?" I've… never even felt it before. At least, not in a relationship.
Bill hummed, and I felt his arms wrap around me. His size changed. Making himself several inches taller than me, he adjusted me so I ended up in a position similar to Stan's Mindscape. My head fell against his form, and he hugged me from behind. It was… gentle. Warm. "Angel, you and me both. I might've felt emotions before, but that was a long… long time ago. You're different, kid. You know and the others know that I've changed since making that deal with you. Might take you some time, but I'm sure you'll figure out what you're feelin'." He nuzzled his eye into my hair, and I giggled in spite of myself.
Shuffling upright enough, I turned around in his arms. "Hmmm." Stretching up enough, I pecked Bill in the corner of the eye, and I laughed harder as the yellow around his eye seemed to turn pink. "I didn't know you were even capable of blushing."
"You wanna know what else I'm capable of?" He teased. Oh no. His nails dug into my sides, and I shrieked as he began to tickle me. "Suffer your body spasms!"
Pyronica smirked from her seat right below us, watching us from the bar. She said something to the other demons, and I watched them voice their agreement as I was mercilessly tickled by their boss. "Bill! Wh-what are they t-talking ab-o-o-ut!?"
"Just that you'd make a swell queen one day," he replied, laughing as well. "After all, every king needs one."
My laughter died down at that, and I peeled out of the black arms. Queen? Really? "I-I wouldn't go that far, Bill. Remember, I'm only here for as long as you need me, Bill. Once I have fulfilled my purpose, I… I go home," I sighed. The statement the Henchmaniacs fell through the gaps, and I zoomed in on the topic I just brought up. "Bill, why is it that some part of me… doesn't want to go back?"
"Simple. You got too close to the fleshbags. You could stay, you know. Doubt Pine Tree, Shooting Star, and Fez wouldn't think any different" That wasn't helping me. "Honestly, Angel. I'm only saying this once here. Pine Tree and I both… worry," he grimaced, "about you. You're not good to me broken."
"You need me as much as I need you," I patted the upper part of his left side. "Well you're not good to me when you're trying to scare me silly for annoying you. It's time for me to head back anyway, Bill." Bill grumbled, but allowed another portal to appear beside us. "C'mon, Billy."
Making sure I kept my balance, I stepped into the garden again. Judging from the loud commotion from the mansion, I saw that the townsfolk had been let inside. "Looks like I'm back in time," I commented. I might want to check in with Dipper, and make sure he's fine after that fight. "Uh, listen. Thanks for… this, Cipher. I… needed a break." The demon's glow seemed to increase, and I could imagine him puffing up his 'chest' in pride.
"Better than your last treat, huh?" We laughed, remembering the previous dance incident. Bill ruffled my hair, and I grinned back. "See ya in your nightmares, Angel."
I watched him turn around, just a random idea popped into my head. "… wait. There's… one last thing." I was probably gonna regret this, seeing how the rest of the summer was going to get darker and more dangerous. But Bill had been trying so hard to cheer me up, I suppose… "here!" Grabbed his sides, I brought him down so I could kiss his eye, which thankfully morphed into a mouth at the last split second. As fast as it happened, I broke it off, leaving a dazed and flushed Bill. "Bye, Cipher."
Ripping myself out of the Mindscape before he could say anything else, I sat up behind a large hedge. "I-I can't believe I just did that… and I don't even care," I added, the tiniest of silly smiles spreading over me. Standing up. I brushed off the pine needles stuck to my dress, and headed back inside. Stepping into the main room, I spotted Dipper and Pacifica dancing around the room, laughing without a care in the world. Their ship pairing in my world, I was strictly against it. Now? She seemed to be bringing out the best in him, and vice versa. I was gonna miss his crush on me, if it ever did fade. Not like that ended up happening with Wendy. Doubt they'll get together soon though. It's about to get really bad before it gets better.
"Welcome back, Elaine." Kat slid up beside me, smirking. "How was your date."
"Not a date," I said. Yes, it was. "But it was fun. We went to another dimension and attended a demon ball. Saw a princess, watched a demon try to roast her best friend until she froze him solid in a block of ice. What about here?"
"The ghost turned everyone to wood, and I'm guessing Pacifica fixed everything? I don't really know. I. uh, got caught in the crossfire. Same as Wendy and Asger. Mabel and the girls are busy making up from a fight." We looked over to see Candy and Mabel watch Grenda dance with a well-dressed young boy. "Tonight went well, wouldn't you agree?"
"I agree completely. I'm not sure how Preston and Priscilla are going to act to Pacifica now, after what happened tonight, but I know now that I play just as important role in her decisions as Asger does."
"She and Mabel really look up to you. You're like every little girl's older sister," Kat giggled. "Silly, loving, knows almost everything to say in a situation." She paused for a moment, her smile faltering. "Doesn't mean that you're innocent of what's been happening around the town."
"… gonna ignore that, since I can't really help it. As for the rest, it's probably because I am an older sister. Pacifica and Mabel have traits similar to her, and I can help with that knowledge."
"Woo! Scobbity-doo! Hornswaggle m' goat knees!" We turned around to see McGucket jig over to us.
"Hey, McGucket? What's-hey!" The man grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into a corner, leaving a confused Kat behind. "What's wrong?" He put the glasses on from when we were in the library, and looked at me in a panic.
"Elaine! I've been lookin' for Dipper, but you'll have ta do. I fixed the laptop." He pulled it from his beard, gazing at it nervously. "I been doin' calculations, and I think something terrible is comin'! The apocalypse! The End Times!"
I sighed, and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's counting down to the time Ford is coming back," I explained. "I'm not sure how safe this is gonna be, but the world isn't going to end… not yet, anyway."
"He's comin' back?" McGucket looked at me in surprise. "How'd you know?" I smiled at how fast he picked up on the name. I had paid half a dozen visits to the old man since the Blind Eye incident, varying in length due to my adventures with the twins. Each time, his memory improved bit by bit. The first time he recalled Ford, it was more of by chance. Now though, he knew what he was saying. We would discuss the safer creatures they had discovered, avoiding topics such as the gremloblin and shape shifter for… obvious reasons. He also told me stories of past inventions he'd made, and of his son when he was the twins' age before they split apart. All the while, he'd be strumming at his banjo, or fiddling with the cube toy I bought him. I loved how he hadn't just ignored it, and cast it aside. Every time I left, I scrambled it again, only for it to be in one piece when I returned. I even went as far as to sometimes drop by and bring him food from lunch or supper from the Mystery Shack. Better than whatever he had been surviving off of.
"I'm… different than most people. I've done some bad things that could've hurt a lot of people. I'm trying to fix my mistakes though. Tomorrow he's coming back. We… we should be ready for it." He opened the laptop, and we watched the countdown tick away. "Less than a day left until the portal opens."
"Elaine, something's coming!" He exclaimed desperately. "Something big." I nodded, turning my head to look up behind me.
Bill's tapestry hung over our heads, depicting his red eye staring down at two people worshiping or cowering in his presence. Everything was ablaze, and rotting trees and bones littered the landscape. "Something huge is coming, McGucket. We'll be ready though. We'll… we're ready."
"Elaine, ya can call me Fiddleford, ya know," he spoke up, seeing how intense I was looking at the cloth. "Ya don't have ta call me by my last name."
"I know. It's just… hard to switch to that in my head. Thank you, McG-Fiddleford." We smiled, and he tucked the laptop away in his beard. How can he fit that there without it falling? "I should be getting home. I'm certain the kids can get a ride back with the others." Nodding, he scurried away, and I walked towards the exit. Just as I was about to pass through the door, I caught Priscilla's eye, and hardened my stare. One last thing. At the sight of her paling face, I quickly strolled up to her. "Just to let you know, if I ever hear anything bad about that precious girl again that results in near tears, I will not hesitate to call in the cops and report child abuse. No amount of money will stop me."
Priscilla gave a meek "okay" and I turned to the door. Once I was certain she couldn't see my face, I finally let the smirk dance over my face.
"Point: Milton."
(Time Skip)
"Not a bad look on you, kiddo. You sure Dipper and Mabel had gotten a ride back?" Still clad in my dress, I smiled at Stan, watching him rummage through a drawer looking for something.
"Kat called the Mystery Shack and told me that her mom was willing to drive them home," I replied. I sat the bottle of nail polish remover down, and checked to see if I got the black off. "I've worn myself out tonight, and decided to call it in. They should be upstairs asleep right now, still believing I'm asleep." Which I was, initially. But after a while, I woke up to head to the basement. I needed to check in on Stan, since… we were so close now.
"Yeah, well, that's your decision." Stan stood up with a hazmat helmet. "You mind watchin' the portal while I go get supplies?"
"Supplies?" He waked past me, sliding on gloves and pulled a lever. Green liquid surged upward in the pipes.
"Come on, come on. Should be just enough to finish the job." Stan pulled his fez off, and wiped his brow. I blinked as I saw the toxic goo on his skin, before it sizzled and glowed green. Vanishing, he put his hat back on. Is that safe?
"Whew. Can't be too careful with this stuff," Stan said.
"Uh, yeah… Stan, what supplies?" I repeated.
"I need to make a run to get more toxic waste, in case we need more. Never hurts to double our amount in case something goes wrong." A red light began flashing followed by a buzzer, and we looked up at the screen above our heads. "Event Initialized" was spelled out, followed by an eighteen hour countdown beginning. Sitting down, Stan flipped a page in journal one and read aloud. "Warning, blah blah blah, extreme usage could result in minor gravity anomalies." He frowned at the warning, and slammed it shut. "Can it, Poindexter! I've come this far. I'm not givin' up now!"
Stan hit a button under the table, and we watched as the portal's lights began to spin, making a kaleidoscope of color. The four holes on either side lit up in a bright light, and Stan grinned excitedly. "Uh, Stan?" He looked at me, and finally seemed to notice that we were lifting off the ground. As fast as it had started, we landed back down in a thump. "That going to be a problem?"
"It'll be fine. Not like anyone in this town notices this stuff anyway." He slipped on a wristwatch, and held it up to compare it to the countdown. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride, but it'll all be worth it." He held a button, synchronizing the times. "Just eighteen more hours. Finally, everything changes. Today."
Today… we welcomed home Ford.
Astralia laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room. What… was that? What happened tonight was… weird. That girl Elaine seemed completely normal. You know, once you got past the fact she was there with a demon herself like Star herself was. But just… how was she see-through?
She knew a fair amount of magic, generating from her large collection of books. It was her duty to teach Star; to guide her to become the next queen, and give her advice when she needed it. Plus, she was almost like her younger sister. Instead of magic, all she had was her trusty crossbow. Which certainly did come in handy, whenever Star dragged her and Marco into the weekly monster fight. Seriously, Ludo, you need a new hobby.
There were those… dreams though. When she first moved to Earth a few weeks after Star had, she had the most peculiar dreams. Like she was awake… and not at the same time. She couldn't interact with anything, and no one could see her. What shocked her though, was that it all seemed real. Nothing like lucid dreaming, but as if… she was really watching all of this happen in real time through a damaged film reel. What's happening to me? So after everything she'd done so far with the princess, her best friend… why was it that she was seeing some sort of auras, the physical forms of other creatures and people in that same state?
"Honestly, I am been reading too much of Star's book," she murmured. Smiling, she rolled over under her covers, creating a massive halo of teal over the pillow. "Oh well. Best to think about it in the morning."
Now, we move on to the most intense episode in the series that excludes Weirdmageddon… Not What He Seems. Finally, after all these years, Ford makes his grand entrance.
Astralia-who was also one of the two mysterious girls at the end of the 50th chapter-is from a story I'm planning for the future. I actually had to change her name since Comet turned out to be the name of Moon's mother. It seemed like an interesting thing to throw in here when they went to the ball. This just means Elaine is going to guest star in her story, but we'll be seeing from her point of view.
I'll try to get to it as fast as I can, but finals are approaching. Be patient, and it'll be up as fast as I can write it.
Until next time!
Angel
