He has returned (Gravity Falls fanfiction)

chapter twenty-four

„MABEL! MABEEEEL!", the screaming was far away but loud enough to wake the sleeping girl. She sat up, completely awake. She looked around, everything was dark. Her eyes had to adjust to the darkness again. She was also very disoriented, only after some seconds did she realize it had been her brother that called.

„Dipper?", Mabels voice was quiet and shook. She has had a bad dream. No, not just a dream. It had been more. She hat felt pain and she still felt the leftovers in her body right now. Something bad had happened. Void was still there, a few meters away from her, also slowly waking up. Bill was gone.

„MABEL!", it came again, this time a bit louder. He was getting closer.

„Dipper!", Mabel tried again. Her voice was faint and it didn't sound quite like her. She coughed. Her whole body felt numb, from sleep or from the pain, she didnt know. She stood up, her legs hurt and shivered but she stood. Her stomach felt twisted and she had thee feeling like she was going to vomit any second.

„Dipper!". This time it was louder.

„Mabel!", he had heard her, his tone changing, relief flooding over it. „Mabel, where are you?".

„Here, I am here".

There was rustling which grew louder by the second. Then Stan, Ford and Dipper emerged from behind a bush. Dipper ran towards her, letting the gun drop to the ground. He rushed to her, hugging her.

„What happened? Are you okay?", he asked, scanning her up and down, looking for possible bruises and wounds. At this moment he was just glad that his sister was alive and seemingly well.

„I'm fine. I don't know what happened...", she replied, also very glad to see her brother. Stan and Ford were slowly coming to the twins. They still had their guns raised and were ready to fight. But Bill was nowhere to be seen. When the older brothers were sure, that there was no immediate danger, they let their guns down and also went in for a hug with Mabel.

„Mabel, how did you get here? Where is the demon?", Ford asked, a bit calmer than Dipper.

„I don't know where Bill is. I am so sorry!", tears began filling here eyes. She was sure that her family was mad at her for first letting Bill alone, not telling them about it and then running after him into the woods.

„It's okay, sweetie!", Stan reassured her and hugged her again, tightly. When she stopped sobbing he let her go again. „Tell us what happened."

„I- We were working in the garden because Bill had been so full of energy form the coffee. I let him alone there after the work for me to shower and get drinks and then when I came out again, he was gone. A lady told me he had run into the woods and I followed to find him. I didn't want you to know that I left him alone! I am sorry!"

Stan hugged her again.

„Let's sit down so you can explain to us exactly what happened after ,when you calmed down a bit!", Ford suggested and they all did as he said. They formed a little circle, Stan having his arm around Mabel. When she felt ready, she continued explaining about how Bill had then found her. How they had watched the stars and that they then fell asleep. That she has had a weird dream and that it had been painful but somehow she was sure that Bill hadn't been the reason for the pain. He had been too clam and so nice. Stan believed her. Dipper and Ford didnt. The two were sure that this had been Bills plan but he hadn't succeeded in doing whatever he had planned to. When he heard Dippers calling he must have tried to flee.

„Do you really have no clue where he is now?", Ford asked.

Mabel shook her head and looked to the ground. There was a long pause, everybody tried to figure out what to do next. Then a small meow came from next to Mabel. Void was squeezing between Stan and Mabel and made its way onto Mabels lap, as always: purring.

„Void! I am so glad you are okay!", Mabel said and started stroking the cats back. It purred even louder.

„Void...?", the others asked acappella.

„Bill had found this kitten and he wanted to keep it!", Mabel smiled at the cat, it gave her a sense of comfort. Dipper and Stan looked at each other. Ford could never imagine that Bill would want to keep something like that. Could a living being have value in Bills eyes? Was the 'therapy' working? But then, where was Bill?

When Mabel went in to pet Void further, it stood up and meowed at them. It was the first time Mabel heard it meowing and it was the cutest thing she had ever heard. Or maybe the second cutest, after all there was still Waddles.

„So, what do we do now?", Dipper asked.

„We have to find Bill! This dream was so weird, but we need to find him, I have the feeling that he is in danger. I know how this sounds, but please, believe me, Bill has already changed!".

Even Stan found this hard to believe. Ford wanted to laugh about this statement but didnt, because he did not want Mabel to feel bad.

„I guess finding him would be a good idea. But where do we start? I don't think he will answer our calls the way you did.", Ford said. Mabel nodded. Void meowed again.

The four got up, Mabel fortunately did not feel sick anymore and her legs supported her a lot better now. She was very relieved that her family was not mad at her and that she was not alone in the woods right now.

Void stomped to Mabels leg. First she thought that Void wanted to be petted or picked up even but he viciously bit her in the leg, then ran a few meters towards some trees, meowing even louder.

„I think...its showing us the way!", Dipper noticed. Void meowed in approval.

„And I think I know where its taking us", Ford mentioned, his voice growing more worried by the second:" His old statue."

Mabel went white like a ghost and suddenly she felt dizzy again. She knew this place felt familiar. What exactly that meant for Bill, she didnt know, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out either.

They followed Void for quite a while. Stan was the first to notice the faint light between the trees.

„There! Look! It's...blue light. Fire.", It dawned on him that it was Bills fire. Ford and Stan raised their weapons, slowed their pace and continued on a lot more careful than before. Dipper wanted to raise his gun too but he noticed that he had left it behind. He cringed from his forgetfulness.

Mabel was now really worried. It was dawning on her, that that was Bill there. He was probably making those flames, his flames. How has he gotten his powers back? Nothing made sense? Was his kindness just a lie to make Mabel feel safe and fall asleep? He could have just killed her. No need for the kindness. Something else has to be going on.

They inched closer together. Stan and Ford in the front, shielding the kids from whatever that could happen. Ford was afraid. Afraid because he had brought this over his family. If this was the end, it would be his fault, again.

Then they were close enough to see what was going on. There was Bill. Still in his human form, engulfed in blue flames, surrounded by not a blue but green light. He was floating maybe two meters from the ground, his limbs hanging down with no sign of movement. His head was tipped back and hung there limply. He was turned away from them so the family could not see the demons face. Somehow he had noticed them, and slowly turned. It was absolutely horrific to see. Nothing about this was normal, no human body should be floating the way Bills' did. Dipper would most definitively have nightmares about this if he ever got out of this.

Bills face looked normal. His eyes were wide open, an expression of a mixture of fear and pain. Suddenly his eyes fixated on Ford. Something in his eyes changed. He hung there for a second, just looking at his old partner. With the faintes whisper he begged:"please...", then his eyes rolled back, the flames went out in an instant and the forest turned dark. You could hear a thud when Bills body hit the ground. Complete silence. Nothing and nobody dared to move. A single tear had rolled over Mabels cheek.