Winged Falls

//Prologue//

Dipper collapsed onto his bed face-first, his billowing robes splaying out around him in black folds. His wings sat limply to either side of him, hanging off either side of the bed. He buried his face into the blankets and let out a long sigh, trying to release the tension in his body and sink into the bed.

Today had been stressful.

Every day was stressful, really, when you were infiltrating the enemy by being apprenticed to a demon.

Maybe, just maybe, he could get a bit of peace and a full night's rest.

Tap tap tap.

Dipper moaned and groped blindly for a pillow to put over his head.

Tap tap.

"Dipper!"

Dipper's head shot up. He'd recognize that voice anywhere, muffled or not.

Tap tap tap.

Dipper pushed himself off the bed and onto his feet, his wings folding behind him, hurrying to the window before his visitor made any more noise. He tried shooting her a go away look, but she pantomimed him opening the window.

He shook his head, making shooing motions.

She folded her arms and stared at him.

Fine! She won. Dipper carefully unlatched the window and pulled it open. "Mabel!" he hissed. "What are you doing here?!"

Her wings blew air into his face as she hovered outside the window, a few small lilac feathers coming loose and twirling into his room. "I'm here to visit you, of course!"

Dipper glanced fearfully behind him and braced his hands on the window sill. "Look, Mabel, I know you want to see me, and I want to see you too, but what if he catches you?"

"Nobody is going to catch me," Mabel said confidently.

"Mabel! This isn't the time to be hubristic!"

Mabel opened her mouth to retort and then closed it. "What? Use real words, bro."

Dipper tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a nervous squeak. "Mabel, please, you have to go! As soon as I get the information I need, I can come back to you, but until then, please go. You have to stay safe, and it isn't safe here."

"Well, it isn't safe for you either!" Mabel retorted. "How do you think I feel, huh? Waiting around every day wondering if you've been caught, or if you're even still alive!" Tears were forming in her eyes, right along with the lump in Dipper's throat.

He reached out and took her hand in his. "I know, Mabel," he said softly. "It scares me too. But I promise I'll come back."

"How can you promise that?" Mabel whispered.

"Because you're waiting for me," Dipper said simply. "And as long as you're waiting for me, I'll come back to you."

Mabel smiled through her tears. "You promise?"

"I promise."

The siblings stayed there, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, Mabel hovering outside and Dipper standing inside. This moment was all they had.

A sudden, booming voice filled the room. "Pine Tree. Antechamber. Now." The voice had multiple layers and sounded like the speaker was right next to Dipper.

Mabel started, dropping Dipper's hand and flying back a bit. "What was that?"

"Oh, that's Lord Cipher," Dipper said tiredly. "I guess I gotta go. Mabel, promise me you'll go home."