The storm created by the Warlock was still going strong a week later. There had been multiple tornado warnings within the area and citizens of Gravity Falls were told to stay indoors and at the ready. The News often spoke of the spontaneous hurricane looming over the entirety of the Oregon state. Every day, the Pines would check to see what meteorologists had to say on the matter, hoping in vain that the storm would eventually move away and allow for decent times to return. A red banner sat at the bottom of every television channel with tips and explanations on what to do in case a tornado found itself heading towards the viewer's home. It was a terrifying situation already but even more so for the Pines who knew the storm wasn't natural and had been provoked by a Warlock.
Bill had been quiet for the first few days and wearily looked out the window. It was like he was expecting the Warlock to step out of the forest and come for him. Mabel often reminded him of the ward they had casted over the house, rendering it invisible and inaccessible to anyone who wasn't human. The blond understood all too well how the magic worked what with being – or rather, having been – a magical creature himself. That being said, he still worried and still spent time staring out the window, waiting for something that felt inevitable.
The tense atmosphere slowly began to fade in the middle of the week, when most of the house hold had finally been convinced that the ward would hold against such a powerful foe. Mabel joked and bothered people into playing board games with her, Bill returned to his typically insufferable ways while Ford fled to his laboratory in the basement, and Stan spent most of his time drinking beer. Dipper, on the other hand, was roped in by his sister more times than not into playing games with her. He wasn't particularly fond of board games in general. He did very much enjoy things like D, D, and D but that was only because they deviated from the usual recipe of those type of games.
"You rolled…a six!" Mabel announced and excitedly took one of the cards from the deck on the left. "You adopt twins! So cute!"
"Mabel, I hate this game." Dipper groaned but still took two small sticks which he jammed into his small plastic car. "I'm also running out of space for the children."
"Oh come on! Everyone loves LIFE!" Mabel insisted with a wide grin. "Now it's my turn!"
She rolled the dice but before it could settle on a number, the board in front of them was suddenly propelled to the other side of the room, the cars and small plastic pieces scattered across the room.
"Bill!" Mabel whined. "That's not nice; we were playing!"
The ex-demon walked into the room with a grin on his face. Dipper had never been gladder that the former was such an ass hole. He had played LIFE with Mabel far too many times that very day and was more than happy to not have to play it anymore.
"I'm bored." The blond declared and sat on the ground next to them.
"Aren't we all?" Dipper huffed and lied on his back.
"You could have just said so and we would have let you join the game." Mabel grumbled as she reached to grab one of the nearby small plastic pieces.
However, before she could, it began to hover. Soon all the pieces were floating in the air, even the board, and they slowly moved towards the three of them, settling themselves in its box carefully and properly.
"Sometimes I forget you can still wield magic." Dipper confessed.
"I don't use it a lot in case I really need it later." Bill said.
"Shouldn't you be saving it then?" The brunet asked, glancing at the man to his left, "The Warlock made that storm just for you, you know."
"Don't remind me." He muttered.
"I don't get how you can still be in the Mystery Shack," Mabel started as she put the cover on the game's box, "if we warded the place against magical creatures."
"Humans can wield magic, dummy." Bill smirked and leaned back on his hands, "It's really simple albeit a bit taxing."
"Can we learn magic?" Mabel asked and Dipper sat up curiously.
"Sure you can." The demon assured nonchalantly, "Any human can learn, it's just easier for some because they have the Gift. The Gift being a natural talent for magic, obviously."
"Whoa!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly, "Teach me!"
"Why not?" Bill shrugged. "Come here."
Mabel moved a bit closer, curiously waiting for what would come next. A small blue flame appeared at the tip of Bill's index, which he then promptly jabbed against her forehead. The flame engulfed her and Dipper was quickly very worried, but his sister showed no signs of pain. She simply seemed mesmerized. The fire then disappeared as quickly as it had first appeared.
"What did you do?" Dipper asked.
"I was looking to see if she had the Gift." Bill said, "She doesn't. Do you want to try?"
Dipper hesitated. He wasn't sure learning magic from a former demon was the best idea. He could almost hear Ford tell them just how stupid they were being by considering it. But before he could make up his mind, Bill jabbed Dipper's forehead and allowed a blue flame to encase him. It was a strange feeling. There was no heat and no pain, rather there was a cool sensation ghosting over his skin in the most gentle of ways. And suddenly, it was all gone.
"You don't have it either." Bill concluded, "Teaching you magic's going to be a bit more difficult."
"Did you ever meet anyone with the Gift?" Mabel asked.
"Yeah, a few." The blond assured, "Your Great Uncle, Sixer, has it."
"What!?" The twins exclaimed, "He does!?"
"Un hun." He confirmed with a proud smile, "Taught him everything he knows too."
"Wait," Dipper insisted, "Great Uncle Ford can use magic?"
"No," Bill corrected, "He can wield it. There's a difference. Anyone can use magic. You used it four years ago on me when you casted the spell that made me human. But wielding it," and a blue flame appeared in the palm of his hand for show, "now that's a whole different beast."
With that information in mind, Dipper didn't care much about what Ford could have to say on them learning magic from Bill. He had done the same over thirty years ago so why shouldn't they? Sure, magic could corrupt its wielder but Ford was doing perfectly fine and his teacher had been an actual demon. Admittedly, a part of Dipper was peeved by how their Great Uncle had, yet again, neglected to inform them on something rather important about his past.
"Does that make Grunkle Ford a Warlock?" Mabel asked. "Or a Sorcerer?"
"No," Bill explained, "To be a Warlock, Witch, Wizard, whatever, you need to follow their culture and religion. Sixer's just your run of the mill magic wielder. He could be stronger if he started worshipping again."
"He worshipped before?" Dipper asked.
"Yeah, you saw his shrine, kid." Bill reminded, "The one he made for me."
"But you weren't a God." Dipper countered.
"That's debatable." The blond grinned, "I had a worshipper, someone who listened to my every word and trembled in awe of my power. He brought and made me offerings. He wrote down everything I said into books, which he maintained and read religiously. If that doesn't make me something like a God, then I don't know what does."
"Point taken." Dipper conceded.
"Sounds like Grunkle Ford was a bit off." Mabel remarked. "You kind of made him sound a bit loopy."
"You want to know the sad truth?" Bill asked and where he would normally have taken pleasure in the misfortune of others, he seemed very humbled and sympathetic as he spoke, "Sixer was lonely. You know his story. Never good with people, sort of a recluse – couldn't score a friend let alone a girlfriend. When his brother went away after screwing up his dreams and aspirations, he had no one to help ease the burden his demanding parents were shoving onto his shoulders. When he went to college, he met McGucket, sure, but calling him his friend is an overstatement. He was more of an acquaintance. So when he found me and saw I was kind and willing to stay with him, he showered me with gifts to make sure I wouldn't leave because he thought it was the only way. By all means, I was his very first friend."
"But you weren't." Dipper said dryly, "You weren't kind and you weren't his friend. You betrayed him."
He expected a laugh, a condescending retort, or anything of the like, but instead Dipper got a very surprised look and a baffled pause. "Yeah. I did." Bill acknowledge and he didn't sound angry or bitter. If anything, he sounded a bit…regretful. "Anyways, enough about that!" He suddenly exclaimed, "I'm here to teach you magic, not talk about the past!"
"Right!" Mabel agreed and sat upright, eager to leave the depressing topic behind. "What first?"
"Well, you need to understand that magic is very spiritually based." Bill started and sat with his legs crossed, "You need to tap into your soul's essence. Once you've done that, I can teach you how to manipulate its energy and create things from nothing. You'll also have to learn not to use too much energy otherwise it could kill you. There are ways to absorb the energy of other life forms, like plants and animals, without having to use yours, but all of that comes later. So first, you meditate. A lot."
Dipper and Mabel exchanged gazes but gave a slow nod. They sat in the lotus position and relaxed their bodies as their eyes fell closed. Bill spoke to them calmingly, instructing them on what to do in order to tap into their soul's essence. He told them to clear their minds, to focus solely on the sound of his voice for now. Then he told them to listen to the sound of their breathing, of the blood coursing through their veins, and the steady beatings of their heart. Neither had ever felt calmer than in that moment. Bill was just in the process of telling them to focus on the sounds their bodies made and forget his voice when he was interrupted.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ford asked as he walked out of the basement.
"He's teaching us magic." Mabel grinned.
Ford didn't seem convinced nor impressed. "Do either of you have the Gift?"
"No." Dipper said slowly.
"Then there's no way for you to learn magic." He said and walked off towards the kitchen.
"That's your opinion!" Bill called after him.
"It's a fact." Ford retorted from the other room, "A fact based on hours of research and proof you mostly provided."
"No!" Bill insisted, "You just misinterpreted what I said!"
"Damn it, Bill!" Ford growled, "We tried teaching McGucket how to wield magic and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't do it!"
"He needed more time!" Bill stated.
"No. He needed the Gift." Ford concluded.
Bill growled and snapped his gaze away from the kitchen's general direction. He pouted and folded his arms against his chest angrily.
"Wow, you two were like a married couple right there." Mabel joked.
"You have no idea." Bill mumbled.
What was that supposed to mean? But Dipper didn't ask. Maybe it meant nothing.
"You can learn magic. It'll just take more time." The ex-demon continued.
"How long were you teaching McGucket?" Dipper asked.
"You know…a while." Bill answered vaguely then he whispered; "Like, two years or something…"
"Two years?" Dipper snorted.
"Well it doesn't take three seconds!" Bill snapped.
"I don't know if I'm ready to commit for over two years." Mabel said and sat normally.
"Same." Dipper said and copied her.
"Fine then." Bill huffed, "Don't learn magic!"
"Wise choice." Ford commented again as he left the kitchen with a can of beer in hand.
"Bill told us you have the Gift." Dipper said, stopping the other man before he could return to his laboratory. "He also told us he taught you everything he knows. Why didn't you tell us?"
"The honest truth is I forgot." Ford admitted, "I know that might sound unbelievable but it's true. Had you asked me thirty years ago to be completely honest with you, that might have been the first thing I would have told you."
"What changed after thirty years?" Dipper asked curiously.
"Well, I got used to it." Ford explained, "Wielding magic is like the equivalent of breathing or blinking for me. If you asked me to tell you everything there was about myself, I wouldn't mention that I breathe to survive or blink every few seconds because it's just so natural that it's forgettable. Besides, I haven't wielded magic in a long time."
Dipper wasn't entirely convinced by the answer but that might have mostly been due to his bias. As a non-magic wielder, such an ability seemed absolutely incredible and awesome. How could someone forget to mention something so amazing? Regardless, Ford returned to his basement once the brunet dropped his gaze and turned back to his sister and the ex-demon.
"Don't know what we're going to do now though." Mabel said and lied back on the ground. She paused and frowned, "I mean we could—"
"No." Dipper cut in. "We're not playing LIFE again."
"It's fun!" Mabel insisted.
"It really isn't." Dipper refuted.
The rest of the day was spent lounging about, hoping the storm would end soon. Dipper eventually gave in and started a new game of LIFE with Mabel while Bill lied on the sofa and watched them quietly. He didn't talk much and whenever Dipper glanced at him, he noticed how he seemed zoned out. The brunet wondered what he was thinking of.
When night came and twins had gone to bed, Dipper lied awake on his bed. He listened to the storm for a moment and then glanced at Mabel who slept just a few feet away. Carefully, he sat up on his bed and began to meditate while applying what Bill had been telling them earlier.