A Demon of the Sea - Gravity Falls

Chapter 8

       "Wait, you can't do this! That's my sister!" Dipper said desperately, tugging on one of the men's arms without thinking of the consequences. He was thrown to the ground, landing on his back and getting the wind knocked from his lungs. "If you interfere, you're joining her in the prison!" the man barked. As Dipper gasped for breath, all he could do was watch as they dragged her farther and farther out of his reach. "Wait, is that Dipper?! Dipper!!" he heard his twin shout.
       There has to be something I can do! He thought to himself. He followed them as soon as he found the strength to stand. As soon as they threw her in a cell, he ducked in another room until they passed. Once he got to her cell, he saw that they at least had the courtesy to take off her bag. It really was her, she really is here! Dipper's stomach churned with a sickening mix of relief and despair. "Mabel!" he quietly screamed, clinging to the bars of her cage. She perked up at the sound of his voice, the squirmed to her knees and closer to him. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Dipper! I found you! You're alive!" she said, voice wavering in overwhelming relief. He made his best attempt to hug her through the bars. "Why are you here? Why did you come on this ship?!" he asked.
      Once she got a hold of herself, she began explaining, "That first day you were supposed to meet with your landlord, you never showed up! He contacted Stan and Ford, saying that he heard some person that matched your description went on a whaling ship and never came back! At first they just thought that you had found a job before you settled in, but then Ford remembered something from his time missing at sea! It wasn't a whaling ship, it was a pirate ship with the freaking most dangerous captain of our era! So I asked around to see where you were going to stop next, and here I am." They both remained silent for a while. Does that mean Ford was once a part of this crew as well? Just how old was Bill, anyway?! Wait a second, if he was a part of this crew at one point, it meant the captain did let people go! They had a chance! His heart lightened with their one glimmer of hope.
      "But Mabel, why would you willingly sneak onto this ship?!" he said frantically. It was a suicide mission! "I had to come looking for you. I couldn't let you go missing for thirty years!" Mabel said, unable to hold it back any longer and finally bursting into a crying mess in his arms. A few tears escaped his own eyes at the thought of abandoning her as Ford had done, though he probably didn't have much choice if it was this ship. At least they were finally together, but for how much longer?
"Mabel," he said seriously, looking her straight in the eye, "I'm gonna go talk to the captain. Maybe I can get him to let you join the crew, if nothing else. Promise me you won't do anything to provoke anyone while I'm gone, ok?" She nodded. "I'll see you as soon as I can!" Dipper called after her as he began running to Cipher's quarters.
He burst into the captain's main room to see he had just finished talking to the two burly pirates that brought Mabel to prison. He dismissed them and turned his attention to Dipper. He had a solemn look on his face as he motioned for the brunette to sit in a chair in front if his desk. He did so, saying a he sat, "Bill, please, I'm begging you to spare that girl."
"Look, Pine Tree. I can't spare everyone that's dumb enough to sneak onto my ship," he replied. Dipper took a deep breath before speaking in an attempt to stop the tears from falling, but he couldn't keep all of them back. "She's my sister... Please... There has to be something you can do, you're the captain!"
"If I let her join the crew, it could cause mutinies. I can't go soft like this with every one of our prisoners," Bill replied casually, "Especially not two in a row." Dipper buried his face in his hands and hunched over. He wished he could just turn invisible. He didn't want to let the demon see him in this state.
"Hey, when you were talking with her earlier, did you mention someone named Ford? As in Stanford Pines?" Bill asked. Dipper quickly wiped his eyes dry and looked up, unable to do anything but nod. How did he...? Oh, right. Demon.
Bill tapped his fingers on the desk contemplatively. "Old Fordsy, eh? He's the only one I ever trusted with my secret, and he escapes!" he said quietly and bitterly to himself, pounding his fist on the wood. "Answer me honestly, cuz I'll be able to tell if you're lying. Did that six-fingered freak ever tell anyone about me?" Bill asked. Dipper shook his head slowly, trying to absorb what he just heard. Ford was the other person Cipher trusted with his secret? And if he escaped, does that mean the captain never actually let him go? His heart sank a little as he lost that glimmer of hope. Bill's expression softened a bit. "Ok, so your family is trustworthy..." said the captain, mind wandering into deep thought again.
Finally, he snapped his head up and looked Dipper in the eye with his usual creepily-cheerful attitude. "Ya know, poindexter was pretty useful to us while he was still around. Maybe if I tell the crew you two could be a good addition, they might listen!" he said. Dipper perked up. "Y-you're going to let her live?!" he said in disbelief. "Well, if she gets herself killed, that's her own proble-"
He never finished his sentence. Dipper had sprung out of his chair and onto the desk, hugging the captain tight. It was an awkward position, but he didn't care. Bill was going to let Mabel live! Even with the risk of mutiny! The captain stiffened in shock at first, but never wanting to miss the opportunity, he wrapped his arms around his Pine Tree. Dipper was so happy he could kiss someone! So he did. He planted a kiss on Cipher's lips before turning and dashing out of the room.
"Mabel, everything's gonna be ok! You're gonna live!" he said excitedly upon arrival. She looked up at him with relief. "He's gonna let us go?" she asked hopefully. His face darkened. "No... He's going to let you become a part of the crew, just like he did for me," he replied. She was only phased for a split second. "Ok, then as soon as I become part of the crew or whatever, I say we take out some of the big guys and run off the ship, when their guards are lowered! We can make it if we're quick enough!"
He lowered his head, staring at the ground. "I'm willing to bet we left port as soon as you were thrown in this cell," her brother said dejectedly. Mabel's smile faded. "Just bear with it, maybe we can escape the next time we dock," he said, looking up and smiling lightly. Just then, they heard people approaching. "I gotta go... Mystery twins?" Dipper held up a fist to bump, but then he remembered her hands were bound. He was just about to turn and leave when he felt a head lightly hit his fist. He smiled as she replied, "Mystery twins." The people approaching were almost upon them. "I'll find you later," he said as he dashed around a corner. He watched as one man slung her over his shoulder and walked away with her, out of sight.