Fading Flames

Chapter 5 (Kinda Long)

Nov, 22, 2015, Tennessee

(Lily) As I was slowly waking up, I could feel Crystal shifting through my sleep, eventually picking me up carefully with his beak and moving me to his back. I felt so tired that I couldn't open my eyes. It was probably around dawn and we would start moving again soon, and we hadn't set up our tent so we were ready to go. My sickness hadn't permanently gone away from a month ago yet, so I figured it must've made me really tired. I eventually drifted back off to sleep and woke up in midair on Crystal's neck. "Finally..." I heard Mabel's voice say, and I looked behind me. She was sitting behind me with her backpack on her back and holding mine. "What... how did you..." I said, looking downward. "I think I know how to get on a gryphon." She said, patting a spot of feathers in front of her. I paused for a minute before looking ahead. "is that the border?" I said, looking forward into the trees. Mabel leaned forward and looked into the direction I was, and nodded. "What!? We just left the Tennessee border to enter here like yesterday!" I said, amazed. "Look." Mabel said, pointing behind us to where the sun was. Apparently I slept through the whole day. "Tennessee is a small state. You slept all day." She said and sounded a bit annoyed. "Oh... sorry..." I said and looked forward again. I looked down at the landscape below. No matter where we went, it was always destroyed. Since 15 portals were opened all over the country, the nightmare creatures have got everywhere, killing everyone. Barely anyone in the human race is still alive. We haven't seen any living people since this whole thing started, only towns and cities that have been deserted. I stared at the landscape and sighed. "Almost away from this nightmare..." I said and stared ahead at the border silently. I turned back to Mabel, who was also silently looking at the border then she looked up at me and I spoke. "What do you think Dipper would be like if he were alive now..." I said a bit quietly, looking back up at her. Mabel fell silent, but didn't look away from my eyes. She looked down for a moment before looking back up into my eyes. "H-he... he would b-be just like he always was.." She said, her voice cracking and tears starting to come out of her eyes. I smiled and scooted downward closer to her and hugged her tightly. "I miss him to..." I said as a few tears started to come out of my eyes as well. We both took a deep breath and sighed. I knew Mabel was hurting just as much as I was, we both missed Dipper with the bottom of our hearts, but she didn't ever experience what it was like to lose family like I did. I was trying to stay strong mainly for her. I was trying so hard to figure out a way to make her feel better, when it hit me. Something my mom used to sing to me so long ago when I felt sad or scared. We sat there silently for a few moments before I started humming. Mabel looked up, as she recognized the song. "Come stop your crying, it'll be alright," I sang slowly, trying to smile. "Just take my hand, hold it tight," I sang, holding out my hand towards Mabel. She smiled, taking it and we sat side by side on Crystal's back. "I will protect you, from all around you," I sang as I slowly took out his hat. "I will be here, don't you cry..." I said handing it to Mabel carefully, she taking it slowly and examining it, more tears coming out of her eyes. "For what so small you seem so strong," I sang and put my arm around her shoulder, and she looked up at me and smiled. "My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm," I sang and smiled. "This bond between us, can't be broken," I sang, slowly petting the hat in Mabel's hand. "I will be here don't you cry," Mabel sang, touching my hand. "Cause you'll be in my heart, yes you'll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more," We both sang together in perfect harmony. I started thumping a beat slowly on Crystal's fur, it slowly becoming more intense. "Come stop your crying, it'll be alright. Just take my hand hold it tight, I will protect you from all around you, I will be here, don't you cry," We sang, Mabel holding up the hat into the glittering afternoon sky as Crystal flew up and above the clouds into the most beautiful thing we have ever seen. "Cause you'll be in my heart, yes you'll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more," We sang, tears coming out of our eyes but we were smiling. I continued to pat the beat on Crystal's fur. "Oh you'll be in my heart, no matter what they say, you'll be here in my heart, always," We sang, me stopping cause I felt that I was getting to overwhelmed with sadness, then looked at Mabel and she smiled. "Don't listen to them, cause what they know, we need each other, to have to hold, they'll see in time, I know," She sang to me and helped me stand up, we both stood up on Crystal's back and continued. "When destiny calls you, you must be strong, I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on, they'll see in time, I know, we'll show them together," We both sang to the hat in our hands, tears pouring out of our eyes as we went back to the chorus. "Cause you'll be in my heart, believe me you'll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more," We sang and sat back down carefully, and started to look around us at the clouds. "Yes you'll be in my heart no matter what they say, you'll be here in my heart, always, always," We sang, starting to slow our tune. "Always..." We finished, then started giggling happily, not letting go of the hat. We looked at each other and hugged with the Dipper hat. "oh dipping sauce, you know we always will love you," I said through my tears, Mabel nodding. I sighed. Suddenly, a loud explosion was hear from down below the clouds. Crystal stopped in midair. "Oh no..." Mabel said and she looked at me. "Hold on!" I said and jumped back up and grabbed Mabel's hand and we made our way over to crystal's neck, Mabel putting her arms around my waist and me grabbing the feathers on the sides of Crystal's face like you would on a horse. "YAAH!" I said, pulling on the feathers a bit, Crystal moving swiftly to a downward position and diving straight down into the abyss of clouds. Down below we saw the remains of and explosion in the air. Crystal swiftly landed on the ground near my troop, me and Mabel jumped off of Crystal and ran back to the area where we saw the explosion Our entire was on the ground. I ran quickly over to Stanford, and Mabel running to Stanley. "Stan!? Stan?!" I said, shaking him. "Lily!? Oh my god are you okay!?" He asked, panicked and sat up and hugged me tightly. "Y-yea... I'm fine..." I said, hugging him back. "You scared me..." I said, my voice cracking as I helped him up. I looked back over at Mabel and Stanley, and they went to make sure everyone else was okay. I looked back at Ford. "What was that?" I asked, spooked at the recent sound. "I don't know, but we ducked to make sure it wasn't a gun... shot..." Stan said as he stared behind me. "What..." I said and turned around and froze. The trees were melting. "oh god..." I said scared and looked at Stan, more scared than I had ever felt. "What do we do!?" I said, my voice shook. "RUN!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, picked me up, and started to bolt out of the forest. Stanley followed with picking up a frightened Mabel, and the others following by running. I whistled for Crystal, she flying and swooping up Stan and me. "Hold on!" I shouted to Stan, grabbing onto his hand as I pulled him up onto Crystal's back. Stan, having never flown on a fast-flying gryphon before, grasped onto my waist as I took my steering position. "Figure out what that was! But keep in contact with the group!" I shouted to Crystal, he nodded and flew higher into the sky. I looked down, the whole forest was melting from one end to the other. I spotted a group of black gathered around something glowing red. I recognized those black things instantly the same things that killed Dipper, the Nightmare Creatures. "God dam it..." I said, watching the creatures. I withdrew my Silver Sword from around my waist, inspecting the blade. "Down." I told Crystal, he shot down and landed on the ground. "Common Stan, I need your help." I said, helping him off. Stan withdrew his iron sword, not as powerful as my silver but it still would do some damage. The group caught up with us, and we organized a plan to take them out. Stan, Soos, Stanford, Wendy, Mabel and me would go and see what they were doing, coming in from all directions and attacking them on each side. Everyone else would stay back and stay safe, Crystal would fend them off if any creatures came. The attacking group started to make their way towards where we saw the creatures. We saw them from a distance, and heard someone talking quietly. I stepped in first, anger bubbling inside of my nonstop to get revenge on these creatures for killing one of the remaining parts of my family, someone I deeply loved, someone I would risk my life for, and he would do the same. We all took positions, and I was the one with a clear shot. The trees around is were melting, but I didn't feel the heat. My sword glimmered and I bounced light off of it and onto one of the creatures, burning part of its flesh. It groaned and looked toward me, standing strong. The creature's black oozy body dripped onto the grass, making it shrivel and die instantly. I stared at it with cold blood-hungry eyes. I was ready I leap out of the bushes and into the opening, before I attacked I heard a voice oh to familiar. "Well well well, if it isn't Ender Heart..." The voice echoed. "Bill..." I said through clenched teeth. His loud cackling echoed all around the forest, I grasped my sword tighter before he stepped into view. I froze in fear. My eyes widened. I almost dropped my sword. "No, it is I! Dipper!" Said the possessed Dipper Pines. His eyes looked just like Bill's, but this was Bipper. "What did you do to him!?" I screamed, almost crying. He cackled that devilishly evil laugh and looked back at me. "Oh, he is well under my control. I made a, lets say, "bargain" with him." He said, evilly rubbing his hands together. I started to get furious. "Give him back!" I said, tears starting to come out of my eyes. "That's not a choice, young one. He made a deal, and I must fulfil his end." He said, holding out his hands, a blue flame of fire burning in each. I stood still, staring at him, clasping my sword, tears pouring down my face. "What was Dipper's end?" I said, voice shaking. "Just sappy stuff, yada yada yada." He said, annoyed. "Now, I hope your prepared," He said cackling and snapped his fingers. I readied my sword as two smaller nightmare creatures came towards me quickly. I swiftly chopped off both of their heads as they tried to kill me. "Hmm, your good..." Bipper said as he looked the area. The rest of the gang started to come out from the surrounding trees, weapons ready. "Your not killing us. You took one of us, you wont take another..." I said walking forward. Bill snapped his fingers, more creatures running towards me. I swung my sword at one, kicked another and then chopped his head, the other running towards the group, they easily killed it off. "Well, you've definitely had practice. That's it, I'm done playing games." He said furiously. He snapped his fingers, the whole area silent. I heard something come from above me, looked up and was hit with a large power of wings, knocking me to the ground. "GAH!" I said, and jumped out of the way. It landed in front of me and roared in my face, me taking my sword and slicing it. It didn't hesitate and shoved me backwards into Mabel, everyone else running up to attack it, but it just knocked them back. I stood up and stood my ground, blood dripped down my face. Stan killed the creature and it fell to the ground. I stared at Bipper, deep into his face full of hate. Suddenly I felt my face get slammed into the ground. "LILY!" Mabel shouted in fear as I struggled to see what was wrapped around my foot. A black slithering nightmare creature had wrapped its tail all up my leg, closing in on my body. I used my sword to stab into it, but it quickly wrapped up my sword, throwing it aside and covering the rest of my body and over my mouth in its thick black oozing tail flesh. "Well, that was actally quite simple," The demon boy said. Mabel grabbed my sword and ran up to stab the creature before Bipper shouted out, "Any who touch the monster will see you precious friend popped to a pulp." He said and evilly smiled, Mabel staring at me. I stared back at her as I tried to get out of the grasp, but it was to tight. The slitherly monster carried me over in front of Bipper and dropped me on the ground, smashing my face. He quickly picked me up by the neck of my shirt and looked into my eyes. "Ahh, finally. I have you in my grasp. Now, to finish off your friends." He said and devilishly smiled and snapped his fingers, all the monsters surrounding him leap towards the group. "NO!" I shouted and tried to retreat out of his grasp, but he smacked my face and ripped off the bandage covering my eye. "Ahh, what a lovely sight, I guess you still haven't recovered, have you?" He said, slowly reaching his hand towards it. In that instant I leaned over and bit it, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he didn't flinch. "My, pain is adoring, don't you think?" He asked, pushing his hand onto the outer part of my missing eye. The pain was inducing. I winced. "STOP!" I yelled in pain. He pushed it a little bit farther in, inducing more pain. "Hmm, what will you do for me?" He cackled. I couldn't take it. I used my feet to kick him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. Blood started coming out of my eye as I jumped on top of him, and we just started wrestling right there. "You'll never defeat me! It was pointless to even try!" He said, flipping on top of me. "Well I'm gonna try!" I shouted, punching him in the face and dragging him to the ground. He cackled as if he felt no pain. I started repeatedly banging his head on the ground until eventually he was laughing to stop. "LET DIPPER GO!" I shouted. He rolled his eyes and looked into my eyes. "He's not coming back." He said, erasing all hope but a tiny smudge in my body. I was silent for a second before knocking him back onto the ground before standing up and facing away from him. He stood up and slowly walked over to me, put his arm around my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "You 'member that time when-" "when you tricked me into kissing you by possessing dipper's body, capturing me and ripping me away from reality "for my own good," yea right." I said and smacked his hand off of my shoulder. "Aww come on babe, you know you love this." He said, evilly smiling. "No, I don't, I love the REAL Dipper." I said, shoving him away from me. Bipper started to get furious. "Why don't you get it!?" He yelled and shoved me forward, knocking me onto the ground. He lit his hand and started to slowly circle my eye, creating a burn around the edge. I yelped in pain and tried to get away, but his strength was to much. "Time to get rid of you." He said evilly, pulling me up by my shirt collar. Suddenly, right before he was about to plummet me into the ground, a sword tightened around his neck. He froze. I froze. "Drop her." Mabel said, Bipper lowered me back down to the ground and smiled at Mabel. "Dear sister! If it isn't so great to see-" "Nice try Bill. Don't "Dear Sister" me. Im not letting you hurt another part of my family." Mabel said. "But Sister, your overlooking one thing..." Bill said as he examined the sword. "No I aint. I know just what I'm doing. Like I told you before, I know all my brother's weaknesses." Mabel said, slowly lowering her knife. "good god, you people are ridiculus..." He said and rolled his eyes, then Mabel had an all out Tickle-Attack on Bipper, which made me laugh my head off. "THAT'S IT!" He said after Mabel wouldn't stop. "JUST LET ME DO WHAT I CAME HERE FOR! LET ME KILL THE GIRL!" He shouted, Mabel slapping him across the face. "We killed your silly nightmare creatures. No point now." She said, looking at him as he started to get dizzy. "That's it," I said, grabbing Bipper forcefully by the hands. I started to spin him faster and faster until he was wailing to stop. "He is so gullible!" Mabel shouted, laughing. "THAT'S IT! I'LL BE BACK, DON'T YOU WAIT, I WILL KILL YOU ALL IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO." He said, knocking me onto the ground, Mabel lunging to help me but he forced her back. He pinned me down and stuck his hand into my eye. I screamed in pain. "STOP! STOP!" I screamed, Mabel trying everything she could to come and help me. I bit Bipper's arm extremely hard, trying to get him to get his hand out of my eye. He pulled his hand out, it was covered in blood, it made me wanna puke as more blood poured out of my eye. In to much pain to fight back, I started to feel tired and stopped fighting. "Yes..." Bill said devilishly. "Mabel.." I moaned. She finally found a way to knock Bipper off of me. She knocked him out right then and there before running over to me. "Are you okay!? That looked painful..." She said, kneeling next to me. "I cant see..." I said slowly, my hands were shaking, I couldn't move my body, I felt limp, I tried to focus my eyesight on Mabel, who was extremely worried. She helped me stand up, and I saw Bipper on the ground. I tried to focus my eyesight on him, seeing that he was indeed passed out. Blood spewed from my eye and rolled down my cheek as Mabel helped set me down by a rock, and the rest of the gang came up to the scene. "What happened!? Dipper!?" Soos asked, examining Bipper. "Be careful!" Mabel yelped. "Bill possessed Dipper's body and, well there his is, but he might be faking it..." Mabel said. I lied slowly on the ground, my eye swelling in pain. Stan picked me up and looked at Mabel. "We gotta take shelter, wrap him up in rope, there's a small chance we can bargain with him, we cant kill him either because then we'll be killing Dipper... and Bill cant die..." Stan said to Mabel. Mabel nodded. "We can possibly get him back..." She said, and you could tell tears were coming out of her eyes and she whispered "Don't worry Bro-bro, were gonna get you back." I heard her say before we wandered off before my world faded to darkness. 

I woke up slowly. My eye was swelling with pain as I sat up. Someone had bandaged it up, but that didn't stop the pain. I looked around, my vision blurry. No one was around me. The whole area was silent. I remembered what happened not so long ago, with the whole "Bipper" thing. I carefully stood up and walked out of the tent. We were set up camp in a small area, tents pushed close together. No one was there. I looked around, it was still light outside, but what if they got attacked while I was passed out? I looked around more sketchy, wondering if any of them were still alive. "Ahh, I see your awake." I heard abuelita say, and turned around. "Where is everyone?" I asked. "They went searching for food. You were out of two days you know..." She said, a bit skeptical. "Must've done a number on me..." I said, feeling the patch on my eye. "Good thing to, why don't you go and collect some firewood and take it easy? Your still under the medicine Stan gave you." She said, smiling. I nodded and made my way into the surrounding forest, with tall trees blocking out the sun. I breathed in slowly, feeing myself get a bit dizzier, but I continued to walk in search of firewood. I gathered a few sticks lying around on the forest floor, but not enough to even make a lasting fire. After a while I crowded a bunch of small logs and sat down under a tree. I saw a squirrel scamper past me, not noticing I was there. I withdrew my dagger, and swiftly killed it with one strike. I put it back with the wood, and decided to look around for more food. As I looked around for more, and saw a deer. Humph, easy prey. I thought and made my way up a tree. I readied my dagger but before I striked, someone in a cloak jumped out of a nearby bush and attacked the deer with a bow, killing it swiftly. "HEY!" I yelled out angrily, jumping down from the tree. The person's head popped up quickly as I yelled, their face covered by their cloak. "What was that for! I saw it first!" I yelled angrily. The person didn't say anything, instead quickly ran over to me. I stepped back quickly, wondering if they were going to attack me. Instead it knelt down in front of me and took off its hood showed his face, a bit of blood smeared across his lip and smiled. I immediately recognized the face and started crying. "Dipper!" I shouted and hugged him tightly, him swirling me around holding me back. "I thought you would never wake up!" He said happily. I hugged him tightly again, not letting go. "I thought you were dead..." I said, more tears coming out of my eyes as he smiled. "I know, I got knocked unconscious before that beast took me." He said. I was so happy to have him back, He leaned in and kissed me on the lips almost instantly. I smiled, kissing him back as we withdrew our weapons. "How come your not Bill anymore?" I asked him, still a bit confused on the element of surprise. "He left after Mabel knocked me out..." He said and chuckled, and started to cut up the deer. "Looks like you took a beating yourself, you look terrible." He said and frowned and slowly passed his hand over my bandage around my eye. I sighed unhappily. "Yea, that's not going to grow back..." I said and leaned against his hand and hugged him back tightly. "That doesn't matter, I'm just glad your alive, and you look wonderful..." I said, twirling my finger around a piece of his hair. He smiled and picked up the deer. "how are we going to get this back to camp..." He said, a bit frustrated. "Dur. The ONLY way we know how." I said, smiling. I put my hand up to my mouth and blew softly, no noise coming out. Dipper stared at me a bit confused before we both heard a familiar squawking sound from the sky. Crystal swiftly passed through the trees and landed on the ground in front of us. "Crystal?!" Dipper said confused and touched the gryphon's rough beak. I nodded happily, climbing onto my pet. I reached my hand out towards Dipper, he smiled and grabbed it and I helped him up onto the back of my gryphon. "Haven't done this in a while," He said, adjusting his sitting position. "He's gotten a lot bigger too." I said, gripping the soft sides of Crystal's face where I steered him. "Ready?" he asked me, I rolled my eyes. "You should ask yourself." I said, smirking. "YA!" I yelled, pulling slightly on a few of his feathers. Crystal launched up through the trees extremely fast and into the sky, Dipper hesitated before wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. "I told you." I said, smiling as Crystal dove back downwards into the trees, grabbed the deer with his gigantic claws, and flew back up into the sky. "Whoa!! This is so much more fun than I remember!" He shouted over the wind in our ears. I smiled as we flew our way back to camp with the fresh meat we would eat tonight.