#mabillweek2016

Her only distraction from the inevitable came from a muffled voice. Was it begging for something? There was an edge of desperation in it. What could they be begging for to sound so desperate? She'd like to know cause whatever it is must be precious to them. From where? She didn't know. All she knew was that it brought her warmth, love but also heartache and worry. Why did she feel that way?

The winds picked up causing Bill to pause. In anger, Bill's skin turned red, the white of his eyes turned black as his golden irises turned into slits. Then with a snap, he sent a projectile sailing towards the presence little ways from behind him. It didn't meet its target.

Standing tall with a straight back is a demon. Between its long fingers was the dagger that Bill had thrown, which he nonchalantly threw towards the ground. Gangly looking arms attached to bony shoulders hanging pass a little over his knees. Black fur, which covered him from head to toe, circles a pale face. The demon has thin lips with a slight overbite where one could see peeking fangs. For eyes, the demon didn't have irises nor did he have slits for pupils but instead a plain black.

"You've become pathetic, Cipher," he said in a deep voice.

"Adad," Bill spat out the name, baring his elongated canines. "What did you do to her?"

"Have you been playing god around mortals for so long that you can't even recognize a hex in front of you? Very disappointing. No matter, I'm here to take you back. The council wishes your presence."

Bill pulled Mabel closer to his chest. "They don't concern me anymore. So how about you tell me how to get rid of the hex or I'll kill you." The hand, not holding Mabel, lit with a cerulean blaze, casting blue light across his feature threateningly.

"Such an empty threat, Cipher." The demon examined his clawed hand. "You're still recovering energy from your failed apocalypse, nearly getting erased from existence, and making that flesh puppet. Now it seems you only have two choices; come with me willingly or I will drag you back by force."

Bill growled, "How about neither."

The tall demon clicked his tongue, "You don't seem to understand your predicament, Cipher. The number of pleasant escorts is limited. And don't think I won't mention the fact that you're still recovering nor about your little mate.” He paused to let him take in the information, “You know as well as I that they will take full advantage of her.”

“She has nothing to do with this!”

"And do you think others will care?"

Bill gnashed his teeth together. He looked back the young woman cradled against his chest. "I'll protect her." A sudden burst of wind hit him. He quickly whipped his head forward, only to see the storm demon a few inches away from his face. He stared at Bill with wide dark eyes, a deep frown upon his lip and lines running across his forehead. Bill nearly jumped out of his skin, for once.

For a moment, the two seemed stuck in an unwanted staring contest, until a humorless laugh came from the messenger. "Fool! Did you truly think you can challenge other demons sent by the council in your condition? You can barely even go against me! And we use to be equals!" His voice boomed.

"Admit it, Cipher. You can't protect your mate. Maybe when you were at the height of your power but that would mean you might have killed her." In a blur, Bill sent his fist towards him, but Adad caught him just in time and inches away from his face. He gave a pained grunt as the humanoid demon gripped his hand. Were those bones cracking he heard?

After releasing his hand, the demon stared at the minor burn marks he obtained. The frown deepened. "You're fire used to be able to burn me for days. But now they only linger for a few minutes. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

"Make a deal with me. You're good at those aren't you?"

Cradling his injured hand, he glared at the demon before him, "As if I would, I might be insane but not enough to make deals with my kind."

“Oh? Even if it costs your mate’s life?”

Bill paused. He stared at him with wide eyes as the hairy demon’s eyes trained towards Mabel. That’s when he felt the trembling in his arms when he heard the heavy breathing when he felt her growing cold.

He glanced down to find her sweating bullets with skin pale as a ghost. Anger and panic burst forth as he demanded, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!”

“Either make a deal with me or the hex will eat at her sanity.” The blood in Bill’s human went cold. Insanity doesn’t suit her. Mabel’s too bright for the endless maze of darkness it presents. Too kind for the cruel nature it shows. And too alive for the death like state it will put a mortal in. Insanity will ruin his Shooting Star.

He couldn’t break the hex himself. Adad must have personally made it, he thought. If he had the power he held a long time ago this wouldn’t be a problem.

“Tick-tock Cipher,” came the taunting voice of the storm demon. Bill didn’t have time for 'if's but his choice was obvious to him from the start. Turning back to the demon, he held out his hand ablaze by blue fire.

Surprise flew across Adad's facial features but quickly passed before Bill could fully comprehend it. The large demon nearly took Bill's hand until he closed it, "I have one more condition."

Adad growled under his breath, agitated. “You’re not in any opposition to bar---”

"I want you to promise that Shooting Star won’t be harmed. Ever. No demon can get close to her. No demon can know her existence and what she means to me,” he interrupted.

The opposing demon narrowed his eyes, "You're in no position to--"

"I'm in no position to bargain but I know lots of things, Adad. You wouldn't want anything getting to the council would you?"

This caused the demon to pause. Things? No, he wouldn’t know anything about him. Adad made sure anything about his private life was kept out of the spot light. So no, Cipher shouldn’t have anyhthing on him. But does he? “I can kill you to keep those a sec-”

“But you wouldn’t. The council wants me alive, right? They wouldn’t like the fact that their messenger, not to mention their favoured dog, disobeyed. Even if you did kill me, I have ways of sending information to the council.”

“Fine!” He growled out, shaking hands with Bill. “I will hold you to your promise, Cipher.”

“So will I. Now tell me how to get rid of the hex.”

Adad’s mood shifted. The expression “grinning from ear to ear” never have been more literal. Bill knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. But that didn’t mean he won’t do it to secure Mabel’s safety. No matter what, he’ll do it. For her.

“Take her memories of you.” Bill’s eyes widened for a fraction. Before closing his eyes and letting go the breath he’s been holding in. Anything for her, he repeated to himself. A forlorn smile placed on his lips.

“Alright,” Adad’s smirk dropped at his reply. He wasn’t suppose to agree. He had anticipated the dream demon’s old preservation instincts to kick in and abandon the woman. Well, this was no fun.

Bill looked down at the woman he called his own. Swallowing the lump growing in his throat, he committed the image of her to memory except replacing dull eyes with those loving ones he had gotten used to. A smile more brighter than three suns replaced straight blue lips. Pushing back brown hair gently, he laid his forehead on her own. His hand wandered from long strands to pale cheeks brushing away dried blood as he went.

Mabel stared at the still surface above her. The darkness behind her brushes against her back the deeper she sinks. It’s getting restless. She can already hear the whispers of the damned. They whisper of massacres and murder, anarchy and chaos. She smiled sadly, there was no help her was there?

Suddenly, breaking through the water were two bright yellow lights above her. The moon? No, it’s too bright. The sun? It can’t be, it’s bright but not the happy brightness that she usually associated with it. It felt sad. And she wanted to take that sadness away. Bringing her arm up, she reached for them. It’s ok, I’m here. I’ll never leave you, were the words she wanted to say but couldn’t. Why those words? They sounded so intimate.

“Mabel,” resonated a voice throughout the water. It rang to her clearly, unlike the muffled ones that came before and she found that she enjoyed the sound. But there was a skip in the voice when saying her name as if choking on the word. That part she didn’t like.

“Traitor!” Came the chanting of several voices from the darkness below. She didn’t even notice how the darkness receded back, too preoccupied with finally feeling safe again. If they didn’t like the whoever was talking then that would mean the he was her ally, right? After all, her enemy’s enemy is her friend, right?

“... I have to go.” wait, what? Don’t go, she wanted to scream but only bubbles left her mouth. “I know I promised ‘till death do us part, but I need to go,” you shouldn’t have promised anything then! “Haha, I know you’ll be fine though, because you’re a fighter, Star,” no I won’t be fine. Please stay! “Make a deal with me, will you?” 

Don’t let anybody tell you what to be. Keep being that bright shooting star that you are. And please keep in mind how much I love you, keep it at the back of your mind. Never ever doubt it, because everything I do, every since that day was all for you. I… love…  you… so… so...  much,” the voice choked in between words, ending it with a sharp inhale. If you love me then don’t go.

Mabel’s eyes stung, what’s going on? She doesn’t understand. Above, the surface of the water broke into ripples. The yellow orbs started pulling away, wait don’t go! PLEASE! Her hands reached out desperately. From the corner of her eyes she can see the darkness crawling up again. Don’t leave me.

Bill gently laid Mabel on grass. Taking off his black gloves, he started chanting under his breath in a language foreign to the human tongue. One full of growls and tongue twisters. After, he placed his clawed hand on her forehead, it didn’t take long before a small object floated out from her. He grabbed it.

The pearl like stone in his palm should be relatively light but to him it was heavy. It’s very precious and he took it away from her. On its surface, flashed many scenarios that had come to pass, ones he knew all too well and kept in his nonexistent heart. Bill knows lots of things. Lots of things. Even when in his weakened state, that was something he took pride in. But there will always be exceptions, like when he was defeated a long time ago. Like when he allowed himself to actually feel. Long fingers covered it.

Bending down, the dream demon placed one final chaste kiss on her lips before golden eyes glazed over and the body combusted into a raging blue blaze. The puppet quickly broke down into ash and disappearing, leaving a glowing triangular being. The pearl still tightly held in his right hand.

A sudden coldness hit his back, “Come, Cipher. It’s time to go.”

“And our deal?”

Adad growled in irritation, “Already taken cared of. While you were having a disgustingly emotional goodbye to your mate. I’ve set Strange as her guardian, until her final breath. Now, you have to complete your end of the deal.”

The triangle demon silently turned away from the now peacefully sleeping girl. Adad stood beside a dark portal, home is calling. Or at least what used to be home. He floated inside, feeling more than hearing the portal close behind him. Taking him away from the only reality he would ever accept, even if it was a lie.

“That was the best thing you could ever do for your mate. Especially with your notorious infamy. If you have left her memories, other dream demons or memory demons might target her,” started the taller demon walking forward.

“I know,” Bill replied, following behind.

“I hope you understand that you only gave that girl a physical protection.”

“I know.”

“Oh? Then you understand that you’re the greatest threat to her being.”

“No questions asked. I’ve already started again,”

“So you noticed? And you still went with it?” The tall demon barked laugh. Bill was silent, Adad took this as a yes. “Well aren’t you greedy. It’s very ironic really, you give her protection but the thing she needs protecting from isn’t something Strange can actually do anything about.”

“I know,” he said with finality, hoping in ending the conversation. It wouldn’t matter as long as she’s alive.

“You truly will be the end of her Cipher.”

Brown eyes snapped open. Mabel’s head titled to the side, she wasn’t underwater? There was no darkness? Only a clear blue sky and another hot day in Gravity Falls.

Sitting up, searing pain shot across her mind prompting her to cradle her head in her palm. An throbbing ache resonated at the back of her head. Something felt wrong, as if someone stole something precious from her. She can’t place her finger on it though. She wrapped her arms around her herself as if protecting something that wasn’t there anymore.

A blurry image of blond, no yellow?, hair and a mischievous grin.