It wasn't too much longer before both their tattoos were done, leaving behind a dull but endurable ache. Bill stepped out of the shop after paying. His designs had taken considerably more time than Dipper's, allowing the younger boy more time to recover. Bill just didn't seem to mind the extra pain.
"So, Pine Tree, did you like mine?" In the middle of his back was his Cipher Wheel with all its symbols. Underneath it was a code. An eye was on the back of his neck. Another code ran along the back of his arm. All of that took multiple hours to complete. "The code underneath the wheel is my name and the cipher on my arm translates to 'King of Dreams'. Fitting, huh?"
Dipper gave a chuckle, grinning at the blond. It certainly appeared stunning when he looked at it, though anyone else would call it strange. Now the blond was covered up enough that no one would notice unless they really tried to.
"That's probably the best tattoo I've ever seen in my entire life," he said, struggling not to rub his own, which wasn't concealed in the least. "The artists here are shockingly talented. And fast. I love mine, too! Sad that I'll have to keep it hidden most of the time with that spell . . . It's so cool." He marveled at the design on his arm, letting every line sink into his memory. Like it wasn't already there after staring at the journal.
"They sure are something," Bill nodded. "I'll teach you the spell soon, but first . . . I need to tell you what I saw in the shop. " The blond male paused for a moment, making sure he knew what he was going to say. "I was watching Ford, Stan and Mabel out of my eye in the attic. They were talking and Ford knew you were the one that performed the human transmutation spell. And now . . . well, he wants Stan to keep me out of the way. Ford has a rift between dimensions that I need to take from him before he can destroy the universe. It's the only thing I know that will stop him, but I can't get it easily with Stan in the way. I promised you I wouldn't hurt him, and I won't."
"A rift? Like, a physical rift?" Dipper asked, panic rising up within him. "How did he get ahold of one? This is bad. This is bad . . . He could be preparing to use it at any moment! We have to hurry!" He looked around frantically for the entrance they used to get into the mall, wanting to sprint to the golf cart but not being able to.
"Calm down, kid. He won't get rid of it right away. We have a few days until he takes it to the place he needs to. On that day we'll follow him and retrieve the rift. But I'll need your complete dedication to stay quiet about this and follow directions. You can do that, right?" Bill looked at Dipper seriously, even though he wanted to grin evilly. This plan was perfect! A few more days 'till his long-awaited apocalypse. "As long as Stan will let me out of the house that day to follow Ford, we should be fine. Or . . . better yet . . ." Bill smirked, a brilliant idea coming into mind.
Dipper caught on as well, not being able to hold his emotions in when he realized what the plan would be. "You want to take that chance?" he blinked, blanching a little at the prospect. It was a little scary, but it just might work. "I'll help you until the end, but . . ."
"But what?" Bill asked him curiously. The demon's plan might work if they could do it right. He needed it to work.
"But . . . I mean," the brunet said carefully, mind tracing the possible outcomes. It had tight odds, then again, pulling it off would hold huge benefits. He decided it would be worth the chance as long as Bill stayed along with him. "N-nevermind. We'll do it. We'll save the universe together. Tonight."
"Alright. Together and tonight," Bill agreed, smiling. "Let's go back. The sun will be setting soon. I'll teach you the spell in the woods near the Shack." Bill happily took his hand, walking the rest of the way to the golf cart.
By the time they had the cart started up, most of the activity on the streets had thinned. Dipper drove at a reasonable speed, carefully taking them to the edge of town. He ignored his hunger from skipping lunch until it was hardly noticeable. "Is that all you need to do?" the boy double-checked, determinedly keeping his eyes on the road.
"I think so. Unless you think I need to do anything else?" Bill asked, holding onto his shopping bags as they sped down the road. He looked around once more. Watching the town from the mindscape was one thing; seeing it from the perspective of a human was totally different.
"Not that I know of," Dipper replied, taking the trail in the forest. He drove to the spot where they dug up the treasure chest. "So, um, about that spell," the brunet said as he got out of the cart. One of the shovels was still stuck in the dirt so he picked it up, placing it in the back seat.
"Right. The spell. It's very important to concentrate on what you are doing, no matter how effortless it might seem. Try this: Deverto hoc invisiblis," Bill recited the Latin words from memory without giving it any power. "I'm sure you can do this one without help. You need to be able to maintain if for a long period of time so make sure to practice. If you get tired, try to take magic energy from your surroundings." Bill paused and pointed to Dipper's tattoo. "Make sure you're focusing on that when you do. If you don't cast it right, your whole arm or another object could become invisible and drain you instantly depending on how big it is."
Dipper nodded, focusing on the somewhat simple lines that he'd already memorized, wanting to hide them from peering eyes. Hide them. Mask them. "Deverto hoc invisiblis," he casted, sensing the magic inside of him work to his aid. The tattoo faded to a washed-out color. He repeated himself. "Deverto hoc invisiblis." In a second, the Cipher Wheel was gone, replaced by innocent, familiar skin. The back of his head felt like it was holding a weight inside, but it wasn't unbearable, only a small burden. "I-is that right?"
Bill playfully swatted him on his opposite shoulder. "Nice job, kid!" he smiled, having watched the tattoo disappear. "Try holding it for a few minutes, but don't push yourself. And there's a possibility you might not have to return home, remember? So might not even have to worry about it."
Dipper smiled gratefully. "Yeah. Okay, Bill. Thanks." He stretched his arm out, satisfied when the tattoo didn't try to show. "I think . . . this won't be that bad."
"It's a easier spell then teleporting and the other stuff you've been doing." The blond smiled. "Now we can go back to the Shack and eat!" Bill enthusiastically hopped into the cart.
Dipper sat down beside him, starting the vehicle up again with the key. His stomach grumbled loudly. "Aww, come on. You made me hungry."
"Kid, we aren't that far from the shack." Bill giggled softly as they drove back.
"But still . . . I could go for a corn-dog right now," he pouted, his belly growling again. "Maybe two. Or three."
Bill smirked, thinking of something totally random that he remembered from watching humans so long. "Bill Nye the science guy!" he burst out in a tune, laughing.
"What was that?" the boy grinned, the cart coming to the edge of the forest. "I don't know why, but that somehow sounds invasive."
Bill laughed harder, muffling some of the sound with his hand. "It's the name of a guy from an educational show in Reality Prime. Teachers apparently like what he does but mostly everyone just jokes about him."
Bill got out of the cart when it stopped in front of the Mystery Shack, running in with his bags of clothes with Dipper tailing him. He nearly crashed into an angry looking Ford. "Heh. Hey there, Sixer! We're back."
The man was standing next to the kitchen, having just finished eating dinner by the looks of it. The stove and counter were a bigger mess than before. Dipper almost lost the invisibility illusion, but held strong as Ford swept his gaze over him.
"You went shopping, Cipher?" he asked, the question sounding more like a demand than anything.
"Yep. I needed clothes. Can't go without my flashy style." Bill pulled a top hat out of the shopping bag and put it on his head. "See? Much better!" he flashed a grin at the other. " So what is there to eat? We're hungry."
Ford hummed in thought, still frowning. "There are leftovers from lunch in the fridge. Dipper, help yourself."
The boy nodded, but didn't budge from Bill's side. Do you think he'll try to stop you from eating?
Bill held in a laugh. No, silly. He knows better than to try to starve me and this body needs food. I'm sure I can eat. Even if he won't let me, I'll steal some food late at night or something. He casually walked over to the fridge to grab something to eat for himself and Dipper.
Ford glared at them from the hall, but predictably didn't prevent them from retrieving a bowl of spaghetti and three slices of microwavable pizza. Dipper set the pizza down on the table, not bothering to warm it up. This is good cold, but the spaghetti should be warm. Should I show you how to use the —
"I want to talk to you two later," Ford interrupted his thoughts, hands behind his back. "After you eat, Bill Cipher, meet me in the spare room. Don't worry about settling in just yet. I have some things to tell you."
"Whatever. I know what you're going to say anyway." Bill rolled his visible eye and went to heat up the spaghetti. Yes, Pine Tree, I am able to use a microwave. It's not that hard. Bill pressed random buttons and finally got it to turn on. He turned his head, mocking the old man. "Cipher, get out of here! I don't want you hurting people or ruining my precious things!"
Dipper watched as his great uncle made a face then proceeded down the hall without another word. "He really hates you," he said, looking at the blond. "I don't like it."
Bill shrugged and took the spaghetti out of the microwave. He sat down at the table. "Lots of people hate me, kid. I'm used to it." The blond took a fork and began to eat, not caring that it was hot.
Dipper started on the pizza. "I don't hate you."
"Thanks, kid. I don't hate me too," The demon ate his dinner somewhat silently. When he had finished, he set down the fork. "I should talk with Ford. I'll meet you upstairs soon. I promise I won't take very long."
"Are you sure? He did say he wanted to talk to both of us . . ." Dipper responded, worried. "What if he tries something? It'd be better that we go together."
Bill frowned slightly. "He can't do much, but alright. You can come, but I'm protecting you okay?" He stood up, grabbing Dipper's hand.
He blushed at the contact, affection overtaking his senses. "I'll protect you, too." Dipper tried to drop his smile, looking to the hall.
He started to lead Bill to the room. When they made it, they found Ford waiting there for them.
"Hello, Sixer. What is it you wanted to say so badly that you needed me here?" The former triangle wasn't happy but kept his voice level.
Instead of answering, the man paced the length of the room, never taking his eyes off of the two males. "Do you know where we are, Cipher?"
"Your room in the Mystery Shack in Gravity Falls, Oregon, in dimension 46'\," Bill answered tartly and with a sarcastic ring. "So you're wasting my time with things I already know. Big shocker there."
"Or so you'd think. This isn't where I sleep. In fact, I don't have a room in the Mystery Shack. My brother renovated my house and flipped the entire place to fit his antics. Now I am forced to sleep on the living room couch as I wait for the summer to end," Ford explained rather seriously, stopping in his tracks. "But last night Mabel came to me looking for a place to sleep because she could not use her bedroom. Dipper, Cipher, I'm sure you're both well aware of the reason to that. Now I ask of you something as simple as to make sure she doesn't have those troubles again."
"That's what you wanted to say? Aww, come on.That was her choice. I didn't do anything. We played Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons and then she just walked out." Bill put his hands up defensively. "It's not like I tried to hurt her or anything. Thanks for the waste of time. Tell her she'd better get used to it. I'm not going anywhere for a while."
"What? You're playing Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons with my grand nephew now? No wonder he seems so attached. That game is great," Ford couldn't help but comment. "If you're sure you can keep your mischief out of life, I wouldn't mind playing a game for good-times' sake."
Dipper froze a second after Bill started to walk out. Can we ask . . . No, no, that's a bad idea. Right. Guy who wants to destroy the universe here . . .
Bill studied Ford. "I would, but not with the grumpy old man who wants to kick me out. I'd rather have fun with a boy who respects that I've changed." His tone was still cold. "However, one day when you've accepted me, we can play a game. Chess, Dungeons, or whatever else you want." Bill stopped there and took Dipper out of the room and grabbed his stuff from the kitchen before going up the stairs, never looking back. Sorry, kid. It wouldn't be a very nice game with how much we hate each other right now.
It's okay. For a second I forgot how much fun you are, Dipper responded. I don't need to play with anyone else to be happy. Grunkle Ford won't be able to change that. Especially if he's secretly evil like you say. He opened the door to their room, checking to see if anyone had followed. They hadn't. "I bet Mabel's with Grunkle Stan trying to get the gift shop running again."
"Probably. Am I supposed to help out there now? Or should I do that tomorrow?" the demon asked him, sitting down on the floor. "I thought Ford was going to say something about what I saw early today. I wonder if he knows I can still see out of my eyes . . ."
Dipper took a seat beside him, humming in thought. "I don't know. He might think you lost all your powers when you became human," he guessed, looking at his friend. "I'm just glad he didn't try to hurt you. And . . . well, if Grunkle Stan doesn't tell you to work, you should be fine. But he most likely thinks we're still gone. I haven't seen him today."
"Yeah. That's true. I did lose my powers. I'm not quite sure why that one decided to stay," Bill mused. "I'm the all-seeing eye, so maybe ripping that away from me would be hard . . . It could even change me completely and take away who I am . . ." Bill rambled on.
Dipper listened intently anyway, the train of thought very interesting. Or he just liked the sound of Bill's voice. "Did you not know what powers you would keep as a human before you had me make your body?"
"No. I've never done this before. Possessing other people is different than the human transmutation connection. It was an experiment for you to try based off of math calculations," Bill responded, grabbing a paper and writing down a bunch of letters and numbers and sketching out a pine tree. "I figured this all out, but if I didn't help you, well, let's just say . . ." — Bill erased the tree he drew on the paper — "you would be gone."
It took a moment before he could take it all in. "My life would have been at risk. If it weren't for you," he repeated, not sounding angry at all. He was more grateful, actually. "It's like the teleportation spell. But I got to get you your body and experience doing it. Not many people can say that." He laughed softly, smiling up at Bill.
Bill smiled back. "Of course. Nobody except you can say that." The demon grabbed another paper. "Hey, would you like to draw something for me? Anything at all. I can't really draw, but I heard you weren't bad."
"Where did you hear that?" Dipper asked, blushing. "I've never been the artsy-craftsy type . . . that was more Mabel — b-but sure, I could try . . ."
"I saw some sketches before. Just draw whatever comes to your mind." He handed Dipper a pencil and sat down to watch him draw. "You could even write something if you wanted."
"It's weird when you're looking at me," he protested, starting his little project anyway. Dipper, finding nothing else roaming his mind, wrote the letters "ELOO FLSKHU" and started on a simple design above it.
Bill just watched, the coded words translated in his head automatically. He was quiet, wanting to see what else he would doodle onto the paper. Bill was also flattered that the kid would think to draw about him and not any other supernatural creature.
Once Dipper had a rough image of the triangle demon on the paper, he paused, hesitating just a bit. His pencil lingered beside it, mentally debating, though not voicing, his choices. The boy started to draw something round and organic but erased it quickly. "No . . . um . . ." he muttered, trying to think of another option. Was it . . . close, but . . . hm, should I? It's . . . He wrote beside the previous coded title, using the same mental alphabet he'd memorized. It read "DQG KLV SLQH WUHH". Dipper felt conviction rise up in him as he drew the second figure, but geometric instead of round. It was a pine tree dream demon. Or it was supposed to be.
"Alcor huh? Nice choice." Bill smiled as he watched him draw the two demons. The coded letters once again translated automatically in head. Mine indeed, he thought to himself. How cute.
"Alcor? Is that what this is called?" Dipper wondered, feeling the color on his cheeks. "I thought I made it up."
"It's in another dimension where you're a dream demon. I've visited it before. It's pretty cool. There's also the Reverse Universe, or Reverse Falls . . . " Bill trailed off, a clear picture of his own reverse alternate popping into his head.
Dipper had to blink when the blue figure was shown to him. The Reverse Falls Universe's Bill Cipher just looked so sad. "That me-being-a-dream-demon thing sounds awesome, but . . . I just wouldn't have thought that we have alternate forms, being from Reality Prime and all. It's so much to take in . . ." He laughed awkwardly, thinking back to the image.
"Everyone has alternates. Even me. You are from this universe. Splitting from this one, there are multiple different universes where different things happen to you. For example, I think the Reverse Universe is labeled 46'/2," Bill explained.
Dipper played with the edge of the paper he used to draw. "What about . . . about Alcor? What happened to me there? And what would you be like?"
"You were normal until you transcended into a demon. I always forget how, but I think it had something to do with the Journals. And depending which version of that universe, I would either be a complete human, or you would be a demon with me," Bill said. He then thought of the other dimension numbers. 46'\4 "That's the Monster Falls Alternate Universe." He stopped. "Oh, sorry Pine Tree. Is all this alternate universe talk confusing you?"
He jumped like he was being torn out of a deep reverie. "Oh, no! It's all super interesting. You know, I should probably take notes on this. I would hate to forget anything," Dipper said quickly, smiling brightly. The brunet grabbed another sheet of paper, starting to scribble down what he already knew about alternate dimensions. "46'/4 . . . Monster Falls Universe . . . You can continue."
Bill just laughed, looking down at his notes. "You're like Ford in some ways. But I never told him all this information. You're special, kid. I like you enough to give out the secrets of the universe without a deal," he smiled. "Anway, Monster Falls is basically where everyone is a supernatural creature and the creatures in the forest are humans. Kinda reversed. I really like your alternate, too. He's a cervitaur, half human and half deer. Shooting Star is a Mermaid and Wendy is a werewolf. Cool, huh? And I'm a human hunter that lives in the woods that enjoys shooting down prey!"
I'm special? Dipper puffed up in pride, writing the details about the universe as fast as he could. "So you're a hunter . . . and I'm part deer? Funny — wait, does that have anything to do with the deer teeth thing? Your gift to me? I never was able to make much sense of it."
"Well, sorta. I just like deer in general, but yeah, it has some relevance to deer Dipper." Bill shrugged. He really did just give Dipper the tooth because he always liked deer. Plus, it was a random gift that didn't cost any money. "Don't worry, that tooth isn't from your alternate."
"Oka—" he cut off, feeling suddenly tired. The pressure on his mind began to strengthen and he had to let go of it all of a sudden. The Cipher Wheel on his arm flickered back into existence. Dipper thought he might've flopped onto the floor if he didn't quit giving energy to the invisibility spell. "Bill, what do I do? Grunkle Stan can't see me like this!"
"Here." Bill handed him a long-sleeved shirt. "Wear that. I wasn't expecting you to hold it for so long. You did great!" he complimented, beaming. "You should rest, Pine Tree."
Dipper smiled warmly at the praise. He then eyed the shirt. "Hey, weren't you wearing this one in the store?"
"Yup. I tried it on, but you can wear it," Bill answered with a shrug. "It might not fit, but it will be cool to see you in my clothes. And it'll cover up that tattoo."
Dipper blushed, taking off his vest. And his tee. He didn't even look at Bill before he put on the shirt, noticing that it was, in fact, a bit large on him. Kind of comfortable, though. The bagginess made up for him wearing a long-sleeved top in the summer. "That might work, actually," he said with a laugh, finally looking up at the other. "Thanks."
Bill got a good look at him in the baggy shirt. It showed just how small Dipper was. It was rather adorable, the demon had to admit. Bill smiled. "I wouldn't worry too much about holding that spell for too long. I don't think you'll be going back to California anyway."
"I really hope not," he confessed, seeing if he would be able to fit his vest over Bill's shirt. "I don't think Grunkle Stan would mind much but someone will definitely admonish me for it. I didn't even ask anyone before went and got this. But . . . I don't regret it."
"Alright," Bill nodded. "Stan has his own tattoo . . . well, not really, but kinda. He might be okay with it." The blond thought back to the symbol on Stan's back.
"You know about that?" he asked. "What does it mean?"
"Nothing. It's just a symbol from an accident. It doesn't have much meaning."
"What? Aw man, I've been obsessively trying to solve that mystery for the longest time. Why is he so sensitive?" Dipper said, standing up and picking the drawing from the floor. He thought about tacking it to the wall.
"He's sensitive about how he got it. The symbol itself doesn't carry any meaning." Bill watched him take the drawing. "If you had tape you could put it up." He then realized how late it actually was. "Also I think it's time to sleep before our . . . plan."
Dipper went ahead and used a tack to pin it to the wall above his bed. Tape was so overrated. "Right," he grinned back at Bill, excitement and anticipation pooling inside of him. "But we could just stay awake. We wouldn't want to waste any time."
"If you're sure. I figured you might want some sleep in case we need your energy for a spell if something goes wrong," Bill said and stood up, only to sit down on the bed. "But it's up to you."
Dipper looked at him, about to insist his point. But Bill was sitting on his bed. And he realized that he wanted to . . . sleep with Bill. In the bed. With him. Because the floor was overrated too. "I . . . uh . . . maybe? Will you sleep?"
"Sure. The body needs rest even if I don't." Bill patted the spot next to him with a tempting smile. "I'll stop the dream and wake you up in a few hours when we start our plan, okay?"
Dipper hummed in agreement, deciding against cleaning up for the night. He didn't even take his vest off, though he left his shoes on the floor, and sat down where Bill had beckoned. The boy pulled the covers back, lying down. "Goodnight, I guess," he smiled at the blond whose shirt he was wearing, those warm feelings returning.
Bill felt them too, radiating off of Dipper and even some of his own. They were stupid emotions he didn't want or need, but that was the price a of being human at the moment. The demon smiled still, laying back as well. "Goodnight, Pine Tree." And with that he fell asleep, leaving the body to rest and allowing himself a passageway to the mindscape.