Sincerely Yours, Bill Cipher

Memories of Us

     "So you're saying that..." I can't finish. I won't finish. If this is really true, it means our troubles are far from over once more.
"That this sixteen-year-old boy is Sebastian "Snapdragon" Redd." Dan looks at me, intense seriousness lining every inch of his face.
"My son."
     My name is Bill Cipher, and right now, I'm worried beyond belief. Life was finally supposed to go back to normal. Now, after our recent skirmish with my henchmaniacs, I know that normal is the last thing our lives will ever be for either the next few hours, days, years, or even decades.
     "Bill," I hear Mabel's voice next to me. "Is this really Dan from the Society of the All-Seeing?" I know she's met him before, but I know she's questioning it because Dan changes his hair, eye, and flush color nearly every day. Also, he should not remember us.
     "You'd better come in," I tell the both of them, ushering them both inside as I shut the back door.
I urge them to take a seat, then I start talking. "Ok, so first, can you tell me why you still have memories of us?"
Dan nods in agreement and says, "I wanted to leave the Society, but..." His lip curls in a grimace. "I didn't want to forget any memories. Not even the bad ones. Even those ones often have good memories with them. And all memories shape who you become, so I rigged the memory gun. I invented that version of it myself, in fact, so it was easy to do. My wife and I pretended to lose the memories we were supposed to. The Society believes we've forgotten everything we need to."
"And when did," I point to Snap, "this happen?"
Snap is the one to speak up this time. "It was only a couple hours ago. We were playing and all of a sudden, it was like I got this burning sensation all over me, and before I knew it, this happened!" he exclaims, throwing his hands up. "Mommy and Daddy were pretty shocked, while Darcy, Asher, and Tamryn thought it was pretty funny. I had to borrow some of Daddy's clothes to wear here. My old ones are shredded at this point."
All this information is whirling through my head. "It doesn't seem like you have the mind of a toddler. Your speaking is just right for a teenager."
"That's what we found out," Dan cuts in. "He seems to know English just fine and has common knowledge, but only has the memories from when he was still two, as he should. Though, he doesn't know anything after that or does not know basic education, because he was never taught."
"Seb, what's the capitol of Oregon? Or, better yet, what's three times four?" I ask, testing this.
Sebastian's eyebrows furrow in thought. He looks back up at me. "I don't know." He suddenly tenses as he squeezes his eyes in discomfort. He cries a small shout of pain.
     "Seb? Sebastian!" his father exclaims in fright, grabbing onto his son's shoulder. Within moments, Seb begins to shrink until he is no older than two, nearly drowning in Dan's clothes.
     The baby hums in confusion, his eyes now appearing bigger than ever. "Biwl." He points to me with a sudden smile. He looks around at everybody, Mabel and Dipper stare in utter shock, while Yule floats down next to the toddler.
     "Guh!" The baby points to Yule with another grin. His smile grows wider as his flailing arm passes right through Yule.
     "That's Yule," I tell him gently.
     "Yu," he repeats softly, memorizing the name. Yule smiles gently, realizing that Seb now has the ability to see him.
     "Yu," Yule copies in total bliss. "That's so cute."
     "Interesting," Dipper notes. "Some babies retain the ability to see ghosts a little past one and a half. It seems he's able to. I wonder how long that'll last..."
     "Is no one else concerned how he just turned back into a baby?" Mabel asks, mesmerized, as Seb grabs onto her finger.
     "Did you say ghost?" Dan asks, still shaken from Snapdragon's fluctuating age.
     "Yeah, we live with a harmless one," Dipper explains, shutting his journal after taking down a note. "Some of us can see him, others can't."
     "Oh," Dan replies as if that's the most natural thing in the world. Well, he is fresh out of the Society, and still retains his memories. He's had tons of experience with beings like these. He crouches down and adjusts the flowing clothes around his son's shoulders. "Seb," his son looks at him with interest. "You okay? Are you hurt?"
     "No," Snapdragon replies, lifting his leg so that the oversized pant leg flops. "No hurt."
     Dan sighs with relief. "Thank God for that." He lifts his child and pulls him close to his chest in a loving embrace.
However, as soon as he sets the boy back down, Sebastian gives a little outcry of pain as his face contorts once more. He begins to grow back again, this time growing right into his clothes, except for his arm, which is no longer in the right arm hole of the shirt. As he slides that arm back into its place in the shirt, his face twists in worry.
"What the heck is happening to me?" He looks at the floor, his voice barely making a whisper.
I take a seat next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "It's alright," I assure him soundly. "We'll get this all sorted out. These pulses won't last forever."
"How long will they last?" Snap asks me, his voice still small.
"No one can be sure..." I answer uncertainly.
"No way!" I hear Mabel shriek from a few feet behind me.
"Not again! How is this even possible?" Dipper gasps from beside her, grabbing the doorframe for support.
"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this," Mabel mumbles, pacing the floor rapidly, just like her brother does when he's stressed.
Dipper runs up to me, distress in his eyes. "Please tell me this is going to end soon! This ended up a disaster last time!" This is too weird. He just seems... so unlike himself. What is going on?
"Last time?" I ask, dumbfounded.
"The last time we switched bodies, dang it!" Mabel exclaims, nearly tearing out her hair.
"I can't go out like this!" Dipper exclaims, gesturing to his body. "Dipper's probably been wearing this same outfit for three days! Ick!"
Dipper? Oh, no. I think I see what's going on.
"Mabel," I say softly, trying to calm her down. As I expected, Dipper looks at me, biting his lip. Or should I say 'her' lip? "These pulses are temporary. I'll find a way to end this, I promise."
Dipper blinks, looking like he's had a hard reset. "Oh my gosh," he breathes, looking down at his hands. "That was too weird."
Mabel runs to me and throws her arms around me. "Thank goodness!" she exclaims, and I know it's really her this time. "I thought we were going to get stuck like that for good!"
"Am I going to be stuck like this for good?" Sebastian asks me nervously, standing up.
"Not for good," I tell him, "though I would like to try and fix this as soon as possible. I would not like us to be stuck like this for years to come. Then again, it could end tomorrow. Nobody can tell. But I will find a way to stop this, okay?"
Mabel laughs, light and sweet. "You're the best, Bill." Her face darkens suddenly. "But are you sure that you even can fix this?"
"I'll do whatever I can," I tell her, putting my arm around her and giving her a squeeze. "I started this, so I'm going to do my best to end it. I have to warn you all, though," I look at them, my lips pursed, "we are in for more madness than you've ever imagined."