Don't Forgive Me

Chapter 41

The creature appeared almost out of nowhere as if it had materialized from thin air. Bill kept one hand on Dipper; he couldn’t do much against this being, but it's the thought that counts.

It hovered around them both curiously. “I had not expected to see you so soon…”. Its eyes narrowed as it looked at the boy.

“Bill….you brought a human with you.”

The demon shudders, trying to make words. “I …I didn’t mean to . It just happened…”. He gulped, not daring to speak more than he should. He can no longer hide how scared he was. He was shaking.

“I can tell you’ve changed…I’m assuming with the help of this boy .,.” The beast stops, neck curled to peer down directly at them; mostly at the boy who cowered behind Bill.

It wouldn’t seem that this hovering behemoth has any malice towards either of them; it has a true neutral in nature. It awaits expectantly for a response.

“I…”, Bill stammered. “Y-yes ….He’s been a good friend to me along the way …”.

“It appears so …Though, it is not enough to say you’ve earned pardon for your misdeeds.”, the axolotl says calmly.

“What !”, the brunette squeaked from behind the entity, gripping his arm. “Are you kidding me? I’ve watched Bill do some major work on himself for the past few months, sure he’s not perfect. But, you at least have to cut him some slack?!”

It would seem that the boy was too big for his britches. That impulsion he gets sometimes, that bravery sparked up again. Perhaps, in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

“What are you doing?!”, The demon hisses at the brunette, a mix of emotions washed across his face. He couldn’t believe that he spoke up against the axolotl like that. His yellow eyes were wide with worry.

“Trying to help you”, Dipper looks thoughtfully at his companion. It’s hard to tell what’s going on behind those dark eyes.

The axolotl chuckles lightly. “You don’t understand what I truly intended for him…mayhaps, you would like to share his punishment.”. The floating beast says ominously yet benevolently.

Bill growls, steam rising from his shoulders.

“No! You leave him out of this, this has nothing to do with hi---”, the reddening demon is cut short as he yelps and collapses to his knees.

The axolotl merely lifted one finger and activated the sigil on his back, causing it to glow and pulsate with harmful magic.

“Silence, Cipher. You have not a choice in this, yet, the boy does.”, Dipper bends down and sets his hands on Bill who is struggling to breathe.

“I know you, Dipper Pines…to be a kind soul, yet it is muddled with logic, that blinds the heart and clouds the mind. What will it be? Boy? are you willing to take one final trial with this demon in order for you both to prove your worth…...to prove his.”

Dipper’s heart pounds wildly, he’s just about as fearful as when he entered Weirdmageddon. That burning sensation of panic and anxiety rose in his chest.

Maybe he doesn’t know the full weight of the situation, but he knows there’s no point in going back. He can't recede into that place he was before all this. Beyond that, he wants to prove to Bill that he wants to know him; that he cares.

“I-I’ll do it. Just please, stop hurting him.”, he says, trying to sound stronger than he actually was at that moment. In reality, he was on the brink of buckling.

“And Bill…you’ve not overcome yourself. Your power may be great, but it cannot be without restraint. It cannot be, without consideration for others besides oneself….”

The demon only nods, he knows where he has gone wrong, though, at a loss of how to fix it. He thinks of his deal with dipper…he looks over at him. Selfish is all he can think of at that moment. Had he too been missing something more?

“Then…it is decided, to truly comprehend the other’s tribulations, one must see with their eyes.”

A black hole opens up in the clouds below them and they fall in before everything goes dark.