Sincerely Yours, Bill Cipher

So Much Grief

     "Bill? Are you okay?" Mabel comes to sit next to me at the kitchen table as I stressfully pore through the copies of the journals, my mind not even trying to comprehend what I'm reading.
     "It's Yule, Mabel." I give one final flip, then push away the stacks of paper that I wasn't even paying attention to. "It's been days over how long he said he wanted to stay at his house. It's just... if he knew he wanted to stay longer, I know he would have told me."
     She puts an arm around me reassuringly. "He's a ghost, Bill. Nothing has happened to him. Even if he wasn't practically invulnerable, I think we can trust Yule enough to know that he can take care of himself."
     I shake my head. "But what if something happened, Mabel? I don't know what, but I'm worried. Tyler isn't exactly the safest person to be around, and the more I think back on it, the more sketchy he seems in my memories."
     "Dear, Tyler would never do anything to hurt his little brother. Plus, he can't even see Yule! Let's give it at least a few more days before we start to be concerned about it, alright?"
I stand up from the table. "Maybe I should call Pacifica-"
"Bill, no!" Mabel grabs me by the back of my shirt and pulls me back down. "You don't need to worry Pacifica for no reason." She glances at the clock. "It's getting late. Why don't we just call it a night? The quads are already asleep. No use causing a ruckus."
I sigh, folding. "Fine. But if he's not back by morning, I'm going over there myself."
A slight smile creeps onto my girlfriend's face. "And what exactly are you going to say to Mrs. Shields when she answers the door?"
"Um, probably make up some sob story." I shrug.
She giggles and pecks my forehead. "Huh. I could've sworn we exorcised all the demon out of you."
I can't help grinning too. "No, actually, I don't really know what I would say yet. I'll just hop in and bring something for her, probably. Maybe one of those pictures with them and us and Yule all together from Christmas that she hasn't seen yet."
"Okay," Mabel complies. "You go do that. Just don't do anything reckless when you're there, alright?" She pauses and thinks for a moment. "On second thought, why don't I come with you? No harm in that, right?"
"Sounds fine." I take her hands and stand from the table, pulling her up with me. I kiss her and tell her, "'Night, my Shooting Star."
"G'night, love," she replies, hugging me. We pull apart and head to pass out in the living room, because the quadruplets are still occupying the attic.
Will's already sleeping on the couch. His mouth hangs open as he drools. It's pretty endearing, to be honest. Though he's going to wake up with some serious bedhead.
Mabel and I throw open our sleeping bags after getting ready for bed. Crawling inside, we whisper more 'good nights', then promptly fall asleep.
———
A sickening screech begins my dreams. My eye flies open, startled, and I realize that Pacifica is standing next to me.
"Bill, is that really you?" she asks me worriedly, poking my shoulder. "Are you dreaming too? Or are you just... Dream Bill?"
"No, no, it's really me. I guess we're having a shared dream. This must be important," I remark, taking in our familiar surroundings. If I didn't feel so ghostlike, I could swear we were awake and walking around Gravity Falls.
"Did you hear that sound? I-" Pacifica bites her lip and scrunches her eyebrows together. "I'm kind of scared, Bill."
I take her hand. "It's okay. This is the dreamscape. Nothing can hurt us here."
She shakes her head. "Not for us. For who we were sent here to see." She motions her head to the house we're standing in front of.
It's the Shields' house.
Oh galaxies.
     "Tyler!" Another scream.
     Pacifica and I don't hesitate another second. We dash in the direction of Yule's screams and phase right through the door.
     Tyler and Yule are alone, but it's obvious that Tyler doesn't know who he's dealing with. He has Yule pinned in the corner of the living room. A barrier of salt keeps Yule at bay. Tyler's hands are gloved heavily as he holds an iron fire poker in his hands. He thrusts in Yule's general direction. Where the iron comes into contact with Yule, his form dissipates, and he screams in agony. When he screams, the lights flicker, the radio goes haywire, and the outlets spark. A vase falls to the floor from the mantle, shattering into a million pieces.
     "Why won't you just disappear already?!" Tyler shouts in outrage. With a yelp, he drops the iron rod, like it burned him. I realize why he's been wearing the gloves. He's a faerie- if his bare skin touches the iron, it will have the same burning affect on him as it does on Yule.
     "It's me! It's Yule! Your brother, Tyler, please!" Yule cries out in horror. If Yule gives in, if Tyler completely eradicates him, Yule knows he won't come back.
     Tyler has no idea whose spirit he's dealing with. "You think you can come into my home and terrorize my family when we're dealing with so much GRIEF!"
     For a brief second, I watch Tyler's  face morph into his true changeling form. Grotesquely sharp teeth reveal themselves as he grimaces. His face looks almost scaly, but then he looks human again.
     Yule shudders in terror as desperate tears course down his cheeks. "Bill, Pacifica, M-Merrily... I've never needed you more than I do now. Where are you guys? I don't think I can hold out for much longer," he murmurs. I can see how much it pains him to be in such a weak position. Yule wants to be a hero, and yet he knows that he's the one in desperate need of being rescued.
     Pacifica reaches out for Yule, desperation in her gaze. "We have to wake up! How do we wake up, Bill? Hurry!"
     "You have to to realize you're in the dreamscape, even though what we're seeing is real. Or, let your heart rate increase. Let yourself be afraid. The more scared you get, the more likely chance you have of waking yourself up!"
     "I don't think I could be much more afraid at this point!" Pacifica shouts back, her voice shaking.
     "Then talk. Yell. Do whatever it takes! Some people have a better tendency of talking in their sleep. They have a strong connection between real life and the dreamscape. I have a good one, but I need you to try too!"
     It turns out that we don't have to wait for long. Another earsplitting screech from Yule sends my mind back into reality.