Guided by demons

Daydreams and Nightmares

"Dipper? Where are you? I can't see you?" Mabel's voice echoed across a black void. "It's dark in here...I'm scared..."

Dipper looked around for his sister, in a panicked hurry. "Mabel? Mabel, where are you?"

"Dipper please hurry! I think there's something else here!" His blood ran cold as he heard this. He tried to call to her but he could no longer find his voice. "Hang on...I think I've found something..." A torch lit up in the distance it was faint, but he could just make out his sister's face. He ran at full force towards her. "Dipper help! It's coming closer! I'm gonna die!" He was close enough now to see she had visible tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's here! Dipper help me!" He reached her side and sat next to her. She was shaking.

"Mabel...there's no one here..." he looked around.

"Isn't there?" A familiar voice echoed through his sister's lips. She chuckled and wiped the tears away from her yellow eyes. He backed away slowly as Mabel's chuckles turned into Bill's manic laughter.

"GET OUT OF MY SISTER, BILL!" Dipper's voice echoed across the blank void, but Bill only laughed.

"You think you're so great, Pine Tree? Pathetic!" Suddenly, he was hit by something, knocking him to the ground. When he eventually got up to see what it was, it was a near completely destroyed version of his own Journal. The metallic tree on the cover had given him a cut on his arm, as it appeared to have been thrown separately.

Mabel started to float as the void itself slowly transformed into the setting of Weirdmageddon. Where just last year, the world nearly ended. Where Mabel nearly died.

"Say goodbye to your loved ones, Pine Tree!"

* * *

Dipper awoke, heart pounding. The clock bared the time 5:00 AM. He put his hand to his chest to verify that he was still alive, and sighed. At least it was over.

"Dipper...?" Mabel rolled over, and Dipper suppressed a scream. He'd forgotten they were sharing the bed. She sat up from her end and looked at him. "Did you have another...oh my god. What happened?!" He pulled him close and started inspecting his arm. It had a long scar across it...right where he'd been cut in his dream. Could it be possible that...no. He pushed the thought out of his head. Correlation does not equal causation, he reminded himself.

"I really don't know..." he answered her question as truthfully as he could. She looked him in the eye.

"How don't you know? It's YOUR arm!" She sighed. "I guess I'll leave it be for the night, but you've gotta promise me we'll talk about it in the morning!" He nodded. "And why do you look so pale?" She looked at him, before realising he obviously wasn't okay. "Oh. Dipper...it's obvious you had a nightmare. What happened?" He shook his head.

"I'll tell you in the morning. I just want to try and forget it. Get some sleep." His heart rate had slowed down, and he took deep breaths. Mabel looked unsure, but reluctantly gave way.

"If you're sure. Wake me if you need anything, then." She lay back down and snuggled back into the blanket, leaving her brother staring at the ceiling, trying his hardest to fall asleep.

* * *

He got up at 7, and looked in the mirror. He had dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. "Gross..." he said aloud, accidentally waking up Mabel.

"Huh? Oh, good morning Dipper!" She jumped out her bed, and ran into the wardrobe. A few seconds later she came out, fully dressed and ready for the day.

"I'll never understand how you do that." Dipper said, pretending to note it down in his journal. "Mystery number 112: Mabel's wardrobe" he said, in between yawns. Mabel walked over to lightly elbow him, as she'd usually do, but then she saw the mark on his arm and remembered last night's conversation.

"So, Dipper. What happened in that dream?"

He sighed and sat down on his bed. "Promise to keep this between us unless I agree to tell?" She nodded, and sat next to him as he described each detail of his dream. She listened, horrified of the fact that she scared her brother, even if it was really Bill. Even if it was just a dream. When he'd finished, she grabbed his hand.

"I'm not sure what any of that meant, but I'll promise you something. I'll never let Bill in my body, Dipper. I will never scare you, or hurt you, and whatever's on its way, we'll deal with it together! So...don't be scared, okay? You're the strongest guy I know." She smiled at him, and he squeezed her hand back. Mabel laughed. "I bet Bill still hasn't learnt the power of the Mystery twins! In fact, I'm sure well be rid of him as a threat by lunch time!"

"Thanks Mabel."
"Any time, bro."
"No, really." He looked at her, his previously scared and pale face now holding the warmest of smiles that only siblings can share. He looked her in the eye, before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you."