Little Dipper

Contemplation

Ford stood in the basement in front of the portal, contemplating everything that had happened since he came through it. In the short time he'd been here he'd seen Bill being friendly with everyone and even talking and laughing with others like it was...normal. He couldn't understand it. Was this really the mind demon he'd grown to fear and hate? The face behind the name that people whispered in hushed circles?

"Planning on leaving again?" He heard Bill say behind him. "At least say goodbye this time."

Ford turned to face him. "I'm not leaving, no. I'm just thinking. And what are you doing down here?"

"Heard you were down here." Bill shrugged.

"Where's...the little one?" Ford asked. "Uhm...Doppler?"

"Dipper. Pine Tree. Pine Tree's upstairs." Bill walked up to the portal. "...I've been growing stronger since you came back."

"What?" Ford gasped.

"Something about your coming back is increasing the link to my real body." Bill said, flexing his fingers as he looked at his hand. "I'm not sure what it is, I'll have to do some research on that. Study the portal's residual energy. Where did you come from?"

"Your dimension. I was planning to storm your castle when the portal opened." Ford sighed. "I chose to take a chance it was home, and it is, but you're so...different."

"It's a good different." Bill said, nodding firmly. "It's what I...used to be like, before I met them. Before...everything. I wasn't always a...monster."

"I find that hard to believe." Ford scoffed.

"Bill!" Mabel came down the elevator. "Pacifica says the other ghost is causing trouble, can you come beat it up?"

"Alright, let's drop by Gideon's and get some rock-salt!" Bill grinned and headed for the elevator. "Sixer, y'coming?"

"...Actually, I'd like to stay behind and see what I can find in the portal readings." Ford replied. "Besides, you probably know what to do better than I do."

"Oh, yeah. 'Oh no, a level 10! Run!' You know, they aren't as hard as you think." Mabel remarked. "We'll see you later, Grunkle Lee."

Bill hung back a bit, looking at him. "...What did you see out there?"

"What?" Ford asked, frowning.

"The worlds beyond. What did you see?" Bill smiled a bit sadly. "You went without me."

"Why would I have taken you? I never even intended to go!" Ford snapped.

"But you were in the company of nobles and kings, if you were watching me at Globnar. Can't have been THAT bad for you these past 30 years." Bill stepped into the elevator with Mabel and they headed up.

Ford sighed and approached the portal. "Let's see what's going on here..."

–

"Great, so now that the curse is gone, the ghost has given up pretenses?" Bill commented.

"This isn't a ghost." Gideon groaned.

"It's not?" Bill looked at him.

"No. Ghosts aren't aimless, they have some kind of meaning, some kind of point. This is a poltergeist, a cross between a demon and ghost. A ghost that is so corrupted that it has broken the pattern and become a demon." Gideon explained.

"A REAL demon?" Bill asked. "Well, how do we beat it?"

"Holy water helps...I'm actually not sure. Most demons have only been exorcised, and I'm no priest." Gideon sighed and looked at the obscene writing in blood on the wall of the dining hall. "Maybe you can just...beat it up."