•What Should've Been•

6. Triangles Don't Belong

"So, you're grounded, huh?" Bill asked, one leg crossed nonchalantly over the other. I nodded and looked away.
"Ridiculous, right?"
"Oh, I agree. I just think it's a rather..." He began to roll his wrist around, as if searching for the right word. "...imbecilic punishment for a boy like you."
"Why so?" I took a seat on my beresting my elbows on my knees with a bored expression.
"Well, lets just say your great uncle doesn't know that you have a friend with powers like levitation. And more.." He gave me a glance. "If you're interested to know."
"Like what?" I questioned. What exactly could this demon do that I didn't know?
"Oh, y'know. Many things you simple humans can't. I can shape ship. I can take the form of anything; any person, plant, animal, device- it doesn't matter. I'm clairvoyant-"
What? That's one I've never heard of. I guess he took by my strange look that I didn't entirely understand what that meant.
"Hm...Think of it like extra sensory perception. Let's see... Oh, cross dimension awareness, intangibility, manipulation, illusion, inducement, precognition- I could go on, but I don't want to bore you." He placed his hands behind him. I stared at him in awe, jumping up from my spot on my bed.
"That's... Amazing!" Could he really do all of that and more?
"Yeah. It's only fun when you have beings to mess with the abilities." He shrugged it off. "But, it'll do you good, Dipper, in a scenario like yours. Trust me." He was right. I was grounded and there was no way Grunkel Stanley was giving me a ride anywhere. He probably convinced that brother of his the same, as well. Mabel was probably butt-hurt from when I slapped her, so I knew she'd rat me out. I nodded my head slowly.
"I do."
Bill brightened. "You're a clever kid, Dipper. I'll give you that."
I smiled and then rubbed my arm. "Thanks. Y'know, you're the only one who actually compliments me and makes me feel happy."
Bill chuckled out of good-humor and nudged me. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get used to it." Of course, just like Bill. I released a snicker.
"Sure. Well, at least you don't have a betraying sibling like I do that always puts you down. Right?" Bill didn't answer. I glanced toward his direction.
"Wait... Do you?"
More silence. Suddenly he took a deep breath. "Follow me." He began hovering toward the window, it automatically opening as he did. I could never get used to that.
I trailed his path up until we reached the window, where I came to a stop.
Bill was already outside.
"Uh-"
"You don't need me to commit telekinesis, Dipper." He didn't even look at me. "You can do it on your own." Was that true? Could I fly without his help? I took a step out the window and before I knew it, I was soaring. My brown irises stared at the ground for a second until my train of thought was interrupted by the isosceles triangle.
"Eyes up. You'll fly better that way. Plus, you're following me, aren't ya?"
I nodded, though he was in front of me, and followed his flight path. It seemed as if we had passed half of the forest when he made an abrupt stop. I stopped too, careful not to bump into him.
Then, he started letting gravity do the work and began floating down. I was a tad surprised at this, but began floating down as well.
There was a tree stump sitting directing where he was heading south. I figured that's where he intended to sit. Though instead, he saved the stump for me.
"Have a seat, kid." He offered, turning around to face me. His all-seeing eye seemed concerned. Or worried.
I shook my hands out in front of me.
"No, it's okay, Bill. Really-"
"I don't need it, Dipper. And we're going to be here for a while." I stared at him for a bit until I concluded it'd be best not to argue with an already upset demon. So, I sat on the stump and glanced at him.
He took a breath before nodding his triangular body.
"It's been... A long, long time since I spoke about my brother."
I gasped softly. "You have a brother?"
"A twin brother. Kinda like your situation, kid. Except we are fraternal twins and I guess I got the short end of the stick. He was a square and from my dimension, that's the second class of our world order. Guess where triangles lay?"
I sat, mouth agape, listening to his every word. Bill Cipher, the Bill Cipher- Master of the Mind had a twin brother?
"Lower than squares?" I guessed.
"Not just lower." Bill narrowed his eye. "The lowest! We're placed at the bottom of the heap!"
I pointed to him. "You? The one who possessed me, who turned me into a living puppet, who took over Grunkel Stanley's minscape? You were at the bottom of the entire order?" The dream-demon simply blinked out of sadness. As if an old memory came lingering to haunt him. He sighed, lowering the top portion of himself.
We sat in silence for a few moments.
It felt like hours.
I knew I had to tread steady, this was a sensitive subject.
"What... What was Flatland like?"
•••
"Hey!" Bill howled towards the multi-colored squares pushing him aside.
A green one faced him for a second, stating, "Move aside, Triangle. Know your place..."
Bill inhaled deeply, marching alongside with the some fellow triangular shapes. Some side glances were exchanged, until everyone had reached their destination: The Grove.
A cherry colored circle stood tall on a pillar, a gavel in his hand. His one eye staring everyone down.
"Do you know why you are all here?" He inquired. The shapes stared at the powerful circle before looking at each other and then shaking their bodies. The judge sighed and continued in a bored tone.
"You are here, because one of you have been thinking outside of our social order." A collection of gasps filled the jury. Nobody ever stepped out of line here! Bill watched with a wide eye. It couldn't have been him, could it?
"Who is it?" A green square spoke up.
The circle eyed the speaker. "...Why, the demon was brought forth to us by his very own brother!" Another collection of gasps and some murmuring. Bill began to sweat. Quad wouldn't do this to him, would he?
The circle waited for the sound to die down before finally speaking up.
"Billiam Cipher."
Bill's eye went wide, as all eyes focused towards him. "Yes?" He could feel the presence of the room growing increasingly colder, as everyone was dead silent.
"Been doing some dangerous thinking, have you?" The judge tapped his charcoal fingers on the desk. The triangular demon could only stare up at him, feeling everyone's eyes watching him. They were waiting.
"No, your honor. I don't consider it to be dangerous thinking. I just think that in Flatland, triangles are treated unfairly. So just think that-" But he was cut off by a cruel laughter erupting amongst the judge.
"Oh, just like a triangle to think you could have equality." The circular demon chucked. "It's sad, really."
A few triangles from the crowd narrowed their all-seeing eyes from this comment, yet remained silent. They knew it was not their place to speak up. At least not here.
"Why not, though?" Bill challenged. "Are you afraid we might rise up against you because our potential is greater?"
"Silence!" The judge pounded his gavel on the desk, creating a large boom that shocked everyone, including Bill. With this, he cleared his throat. "Listen to me, Billiam Cipher. Triangles are simple minded demons, compared to squares and, above all, circles. So, let us put this to rest and get on with our lives."
Bill suddenly turned hot red, levitating up into the air. "No..."
The judge gave him a frightened stare. "Excuse me, Billiam-"
"It's Bill. And I'm going to prove to you all that triangles can do more than what you deem us to." A blue electric circuit began erupting from his fingers as his voice lowered. "I'll grant you eternal nightmares, 'till the day you are nonexistent!"
The shapes began hovering about in chaos, trying to find an exit to get out. Things were getting out of hand.
The judge raised his gavel and brought it down, shakily. "Billiam Cipher, I henceforth declare you banished from Flatland!"