It went without saying that Mabel was coddled, Stan hadn't let her go until she claimed he was suffocating her, Ford though, he was going to be a problem. He kept looked at her suspiciously. He didn't trust was going to be a problem. Perhaps she needed to push Dipper...
That morning after breakfast was cleared away Dipper and Mabel walked through the forest, "Grunkle Ford hates me now." She whispered.
"Don't say that Mabel, he's just worried about you, he's going to find a way to turn you back human."
""But what if there isn't a way?" She asked, "What if I'm stuck like this forever?"
"Then you're a demon forever." Dipper replied, "What Bill did to you was horrible, but you're still my sister." he hoped so anyway. Whatever Bill did to her, it had hurt her. Dipper really wanted to get rid of Bill for good.
She hugged him again, "You're great Bro." she pulled away, "I guess it's not all bad." She grinned, Look what I can do" She took his arm and levitated them, "We can fly!"
"That's awesome." Dipper said looking down, "Is it hard for you to do it?"
She shook her head, "Not at all. It's as easy as walking."
"Mabel," Dipper said.
"Relax Bro Bro. I'm just staying positive. I need it." She looked back at him, "So, want to go to the Mall. I want to get some supplies to make more Mabel sweaters"
"I honestly don't know how you wear those things in the middle of the summer." he said, "But sure."
Mabel grinned and flew them towards town, acting normal was easy enough.
"I'm glad you're back Mabel." Dipper said, "When Grunkle Ford said that Bill had you, well. I was a mess. So was Grunkle Stan, you know Mabel we would have given anything to bring you back."
"I know" She replied, "And that scares me. You can't trust Bill, we can't take any more chances with him. We just need to defeat him and move on" They landed, "Oh no! What are we going to tell Mom and dad?" She rubbed her face, truth be told. If things went to plan The world would be as Bill had put it "Liberated" by the end of filled Mabel with excitement, it seemed like fun."Dipper I can't go back home with purple eyes! What if Grunkle Ford can't fix this? What if I'm stuck as a dreamon..That's the name I just made up.. forever!?"
"Mabel, calm down. We can't stress over that right now. Come on, let's just have a normal day at the mall" He led her inside, the "Let's get your supplies and wander a bit, maybe Candy and Grenda are around."
Mabel tilted her head eyes glowing, "They'll be here in ten minutes." She said glancing back at the doors.
"Mabel." Dipper said, "Careful."
"Nobody was looking," Mabel said waving her hand, "Let's sit in the food court and wait for them
Dipper wanted to argue, but this wasn't the place, "Yeah, alright."
The pair walked to the food court, "You know, you haven't told us much about what happened. What he did. Why you took the deal."
She rubbed her arms, "Not now Dipper, Not here."
"Mabel" Dipper said quietly.
"Dipper" Her lip quivered, eat it up brother, "I Just can' said normal. Let's have normal."
"Alright, let's just wait." He sat down with her, just relaxing, "Mabel, would you be alright for a second." He pointed to the bathrooms."
"I'll be fine Dipper." She said and watched him run off."
"You're doing well Shooting Star. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were a normal human." Bill hovered beside her.
She smirked, "He's gullible," She said softly.
"We already knew that. I'm just going to hang out here while you two have 'fun' don't forget we have a job to do"
"Trust me, I have this all figured out." She winked at him and sat up as Dipper returned rubbing his hands on his shirt.
"I trust you Shooting Star." Bill said, "after all, you're just like me."
"You okay Mabel. You were muttering to yourself." Dipper said.
"Oh, you know me. I get like that sometimes." She lied smoothly, "It helps me calm, did you and Ford do anything while I was away?"
"We did research to try and get you back." he replied shortly.
"Did you find any information?" She inquired.
"Well actually…" Dippers response was cut off.
"Mabel Girl is that you" A deep voice called from across the food court.
"Grenda!" Mabel jumped up and hugged her friend.
"We are very glad to see you." Candy said softly, "Dipper said you were ill when we came to see you."
Mabel nodded, "I was."
"Wow, your eyes look cool!" Grenda said, "I wish mine looked like that."
Mabel's smile was genuine, "I love my eyes."
"So Mabel...Where were you planning to go?"
"Dipper and I were going to go get some supplies for more Mabel sweaters then walk back to the shack. Hey Bro Bro, do you have any protests if Grenda and Candy join us?"
"Of course not." Dipper just wanted her to be okay. Things to go back to normal, "Go crazy"
Mabel grinned at her friends, "Race you to the store?" She said.
Dipper caught her arm, "Is that a good idea?" He whispered, "What if your abilities show? We don't know what you can do."
"Oh my God Dipper. I'm running to a store, not fighting a bad guy." Mabel looked at him, "Come on Bro, I'll be fine."
He clenched his jaw, "Alright. Just be careful."
She took his hands, "I will." She promised before taking off after her friends.
Bill was infinitely amused, Shooting Star was a much better actress than he gave credit for. Tonight he would set forward another piece of the plan.
Mabel was enjoying herself, her friends were entertaining if nothing else and even if she could make sweaters appear, the feeling of knitting was nice. That night after her friends left she sat at the table, her Grunkles and twin watching her.
Mabel shifted nervously, "I made the deal to protect Dipper." She said softly, "He said he would hurt Dipper again. I wasn't going to let you get hurt." Her eyes rested solely on her brother.
"He wouldn't have been able to hurt him, Mabel." Ford replied, "He doesn't have power like that without a physical form."
"And how was I supposed to know that? It's not like I'm included on any adventures you and Dipper have. Or told things important like that." She clenched her fists, "I didn't know if things changed but I knew my brother was being threatened."
She took a breath, "So I accepted the deal, I don't know what he did. It all hurt though. But that was nothing compared to this." she pointed to her eyes, "The pain was unimaginable and afterwards, I could just see everything, feel and hear everything." She shuddered, "But Some things were clearer, I realised that I went with him, I stayed with him. I could leave. So I did."
"Grunkle Ford, do you know why he did this?" Mabel looked directly into Ford's eyes.
"A power play maybe." Ford said standing, hands behind his back as he paced, "I imagine he hoped to use you somehow. I haven't come across anyone being turned into a demon like him. Frankly, it worries me, he's bound to come back and try and retrieve you."
"I'm evenly matched with him though."
"We can't guarantee that Mabel. He gave you some of his power, but I doubt you and his match."
"So what do we do? Wait and see what he does?" Mabel asked hotly, "From what I understand you wanted to wait to talk to Bill too. If you had helped Dipper and Grunkle Stan from the beginning maybe I wouldn't be like this! I'm a demon. I can't go home looking like this!"
"We still have time to figure out how to turn you back human Mabel." Ford said, "And if not, you could stay here."
"That's not the point," Mabel whispered, "I want to help." She said, "please let me help. Don't exclude me anymore, I know things, I can know things."
Ford watched her for a moment, "That's true" he said smiling and holding out his hand, "welcome aboard Mabel."
Mabel took his hand, "So we start tomorrow."
"Tomorrow." Ford agreed ushering them towards the stairs, "Sleep well you two."
Dipper grinned, "I hated not being able to tell you everything.I can't wait for you to hear everything tomorrow" he said as they laid in their beds.
"I can only imagine, we've told each other everything our whole lives. I understand though, whatever it was you had to keep it safe. Good night Dipper."
"Night Mabel."
Mabel closed her eyes, letting her mental self travel through the dreamscape.
"Are you having fun Shooting Star?"
"That one word for this." Mabel muttered, "But I got them to let me help."
"I noticed." Bill chuckled, "I got some plans to lay out tonight, talk to Sixer. We need him to keep moving, make him slip."
Mabel nodded, "I'll head back then, have fun."
"You too." He said and the pair disappeared.
Bill watched Stanford in hiding, the landscape was covered in wheat, broken down pieces of his past were scattered about. He pushed down the wheat around Ford in his shape and laughed.
Fords eyes narrowed, "I know that laugh. Show yourself!"
Bil appeared making clones of himself, "Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eye. Stanford Filbrick Pines, my old pal."
"Bill Cipher." Ford said crossing his arms, "You don't think you've caused enough trouble lately? What do you want?"
"Trouble?" Bill asked, "Ohh, you mean with Shooting Star, she made a deal, you know how deals work."
"You hurt my niece." Ford replied, "That's not okay."
"So she's a demon now. She's back with you, safe and sound and now she has a bunch of new powers. I did her a favour."
"If you call ruining a twelve-year-old's life a favour," Ford replied.
"I do, now back to why I'm here. I've been making deals, chatting with old friends, preparing for the big day. You can't keep that rift safe forever."Bill make an illusion of the rift appear You'll slip up and when you do." He threw the rift down, the rift exploding and making a tear.
Ford glared at him, "Get out of here, you have no dominion in our world."
"Maybe not right now, but things change Stanford Pines, Things change" Bill laughed before floating into the rift.
The next morning the trio sat at the kitchen table, "You look exhausted Grunkle Stan." Mabel said, "Are you alright."
"I could be asking you the same thing," Ford replied.
Mabel looked at the table, "he came last night." She said, "He sounded more amused than anything. He tried to get me to come back, said that without him I'd be a danger to you. I wasn't going back with him though."
Dipper took his sister's hand, "What are we going to do Grunkle Ford?"
"I don't know. The spell I'd suggest blocks out demons in general."
"That's out of the question," Dipper said.
"I know Dipper" Ford rubbed his eyes, "We can shield our thoughts to him. While that's going on I can explain everything to you, Mabel."
Mabel nodded, "Alright, let's do it!"
Ford led them to the lab, "I've deconstructed the machine" He explained, "It's too dangerous to have in this world. I'll always be grateful to Stanley and you for bringing me back, it's created a rift" Ford took out the glass orb, "If this breaks, or falls into Bill's hands it would mean the end of the world."
"Which would be bad," Dipper concluded.
"I caught that Dipper." Mabel said, "So what do we do?"
"We are careful, watch everyone's eyes and behaviour. You know that Bill knows the shack." Ford said.
Dipper looked between the pair, "What am I missing."
"I'll tell you latter Dipper," Ford replied looking vaguely uncomfortable, "right now we need to block your mind. It might take a while, but it will be worth it."
Mabel glanced at the Rift, she just needed the journals.
"Mabel. I've done a lot of research into demons. I know a fair amount about them. Maybe in the other room, you can see what you can do."
Mabel nodded, "I already know I can fly." She said making her way into the room, the dismantled scraps of the machine around her. Ford followed closely behind.
"Look, Mabel. I want you to learn because you might be able to keep the rift safest. If you can create something to hold the rift, it might be strong enough to contain if the glass breaks."
Mabel nodded, "I think I can do that." She said, "Just let me get some practice. I'll show you when I'm done."
Ford nodded, "I'm going to head back to the other room with Dipper." He squeezed her arm, "I'm sorry for how I was acting before Mabel. I should have realised."
"It's okay Grunkle Ford, you and Dipper are a lot alike. It was nice to see him meet his idol. Besides I'm apart of it now. That's what matters."
Ford nodded and headed back to the other room.
Mabel smiled, Now this was perfect. She was in charge of keeping the rift safe. It was a job she planned to take very seriously….Time was running out, soon chaos would reign supreme.