"Grunkle Stan!"

The old man was still snoring peacefully in his armchair in the living room while in the TV ran a colorful ad for cereal. The idea of watching a bit of TV to clear his thoughts had been a good one last night, but he'd only made it through the first show of "puppy races" when he drifted into sleep. That is, until his peaceful snores were disturbed by his niece's call again.

"Grunkle Staaaan!" The more urged shouts from Mabel startled him out of his sleep.

"Hmpf-who? What? Mabel!" He blinked and nearly fell out of the chair before he pushed himself on his feet gripping the nearest weapon-like thing in reach before he rushed into the corridor. But Mabel already jumped down the stairs taking two steps at once with rumbled noises like thunder and finally tackled her Grunkle at the bottom of the stairs.

Stan barely caught her, yelping in surprise to be thrown out of his protective mode so suddenly. The momentum got them both, pushing him off his feet and throwing both of them to the floor. Stan winced when his backside met the hard carpet, but he blinked the pain away looking up to Mabel on top of him to see the little girl hugging him with shaking breaths.

"Mabel sweetie, you alright?" But Stan only began to worry even more when Mabel didn't answer but tears began to glitter in the corner of her eyes before he recognized her raspy breathing as- laughter?

"Mabel?" Instead of explaining herself Mabel only burst out into finally shaking giggles, mixed up between her words.

"I saw him Grunkle Stan! He's still there!" She cheered, bracelets glittering in the early daylight.

"Huh? Who? What are you even talking about girl?" He questioned, while putting himself up from the floor to kneel beside his niece, who was obviously not in life threatening danger, but still freaked him out rather good. A wide smile stretched over her face, when she answered him, her voice full of relief while the salty remains of the night's tears still glittered in the corner of her eyes.

"Dipper, he was there!" But Stan only blinked at Mabel's explanation, his eyebrow slowly crawled up his forehead while his big hand cradled the girl's cheek in his palm, checking her for a fever or a bump on the head that could have explained her behavior.

'She's desperate Stanley- of course she's seeing things.' An inner voice explained, but he refused to listen, shaking it of when he seared for the girl's brown eyes in concern.

"Mabel..." However the spirit of her seemed to be back so he didn't come far when she irrupted him again, taking his hand form her cheek to hold it in her smaller ones, smiling brightly at him.

"There is still a way to save him Grunkle Stan! It's the Fluvius Cantatis, I didn't understand him at first, because Dip-dop of course didn't tell me right away what he meant. But now I got it! And we'll get him back!" Mabel grinned, but the name of her brother and the way she spoke about him only bothered him even more.

"Slow down kid- who have you been talking to?" He questioned again, making Mabel rolling her eyes at her Grunkle's bad hearing.

"Dipper of course Grunkle Stan! I met him tonight."

"What but-" His gaze wandered to the stairs where Waddles plodded down on his short legs while the fawn hesitated, looking at them from above with a shy bleat. He bit his lip's carefully setting his words to question her a little further without jumping in firsthand destroying the rest of her hope.

"You mean... Dipper was able to talk to you again?" She frowned, giving him a questionable look like she was talking over the very obvious thing in the world.

"Of course, why wouldn't he be? He was human after all." Stan's gaze fell to the floor for a second, counting the knot holes in the wooden carpet before he took a sharp breath to look back up to her.

"Mabel where exactly did you meet him?" Her eyes grew wide at his question, before flickering from side to side in attempt to remember something. Mabel's breath got raspy with every word she spoke, like she tried to convince herself that she was speaking the truth.

"I – I dreamed, I knew it was a dream but at the same it was not- it was like back in your mind- I mean, back in the mindscape with Bill, only that it was Dipper's mind and-" But she finally paused for a moment when she saw the grim and rather worried look on his face.

He didn't believe her.

He thought she just dreamed all those thing, that Dipper wasn't there, he still thought that he was- that they already lost him. Her grip on his hand hardened, when she looked up to him with demanding eyes.

"Grunkle Stan... he was there! It was Dipper! I'm not imagining things..." She tried to convince him, while fear bubbled up in her again. What if her mind really was just messing with her, what if she only saw what she wanted to see? That her dreams tried to fulfill what reality couldn't? But then again, she could clearly remember the look on his face- to much just "Dipper" to imagine. The concern and the way the "rescued" her from Bill screamed her brother's name in big bright letters. It needed to be him.

'No, it was him, and he's in danger!' She remembered him standing there while Bill dominated the scene, fear written all over her brothers features before darkness had consumed her.

"Bill was there and Dipper he's... he's falling apart. His place was full of holes and he- I- I don't know how long he can take it." Her breath hitched now, a mixture of relief and the fear that they still might fail swirled in her stomach, making hot needles, puncturing her skin. Stan carefully laid his other hand on her shoulder, trying to give her something to hold on to, while his worried but still disbelieving gaze burned her heart at the exact place where the little piece of hope tried to hang on.

"Mabel-" But she only shook her head, wiggling herself out of his grip in protest! Hot tears were hiding in her eyes, making them shine to give them a feverish gleam. Stan bit his lips, shocked by Mabel's behavior and rather helpless about what he could possibly say. He wanted to believe her, he wished he could, but he also knew what the mind was making up in situations like that. Stan swallowed, when he felt her tugging at his hand again, looking up at him with big bleating eyes, while the first tears of the day marked the girls cheek's in angry red stripes.

"Please Grunkle Stan... You need to believe me!" Her breath hitched, her desperate voice held back a little bit of anger at the way he looked at her, pitying her before her voice got lost, shrinking to nothing more than a low whisper while her eyes sunk to the floor.

"I- I saw him... it was Dipper. It was him.... it must be." She whispered, before she shook her head, trying to focus herself back on what was important right now, but the fear for her brother was still audible in her words.

"We need to safe him, he's still frightening Bill but if we don't hurry-" She swallowed, his gaze followed hers back to the stairs, where the fawn finally made it's way downstairs on shivering legs.

Should there really be left something of his nephew in the animal's brain? The old man shuddered at the thought to be imprisoned in a body that wasn't you own, unable to move or do anything at all, while a mind that's supposed to be yours is directing every step you take.

He swallowed when goosebumps formed themselves on his neck, before he looked back down to her to met Mabel's eyes again.

"We need to get him back..." She insisted, with a whisper.

"Please."

Stan bit his lips at the desperate tone of her voice, before he settled an unsteady but hopeful believable smile on his face, brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Don't worry Mabel, we will."

At least it wouldn't hurt to try right? If there was only the slightest bit of a chance they needed to take it.

For Dipper.

This was Gravity Falls after all... nothing here was impossible.

It didn't take long to convince Wendy and Soos to believe her. The two clerks of the Shack had knocked on the door in hesitation before a bright smiling Mabel opened it to guide them inside. The duo looked at each other in confusion, the lack of a good night's sleep was visible on both of their faces when they followed the little girl inside. The redhead shared a questioning look with Stan as Mabel began to explain her "meet an greet" with- whatever might be left of Dipper, but the old man only shrugged with a small grin and left the room to make some phone calls.

Wendy's eyes searched for the fawn, while Soos was questioning Mabel why she didn't use her superpowers like "last time"- yeah... she would rather not ask them about it. Dipper however seemed to be rather cautions around them today, he eyed even Mabel with weary look when she placed his breakfast in front of him. Wendy saw his ears flickering nervously back and forth between them an the door the little deer was standing in front. She swallowed, of course his instincts would finally drive him outside... away from them to someone more like his own kind. The little creature probably felt like being at the wrong place without anyone like his own. Maybe that's why he was hooking himself on waddles heels as best as he could, but since the pig liked human company Dipper was mostly left by the doors on his own.

Wendy sight- they really need to chance that, or Dipper might take the first chance to flee into the wood's.

He needed someone better than a swine, someone more like him who didn't care about the humans-

'Wait!' Her eyes got wide with a grin.

"I'll be right back!" She disappeared in the kitchen to make her way into the backyard, leaving a confused Mabel behind.

"What?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side, but Soos only shrugged.

"Don't know." He muttered, before Wendy reappeared with-

"Gompers?" Mabel blinked at the goat that looked around in the living room courious, already sniffing at Dippers plate of food before Mabel put it out of it's reach.

"Hey! That's for Dipper!"

"Mabel wait! Look..." Wendy pointed out to the little fawn which ears peaked up the moment Grompers had entered the room. Carefully he left his place at the door, sniffing the goats scent with a soft bleat before he pressed his forehead into the animals side brushing it while his tail waggled happily. Grompers looked up from the pile of food, giving the fawn a sniff licking over his left eye before he dugged his muzzle back into the food. Dipper blinked at the goats strange behavior but simply suggested to do the very same, carefully munching at Grompers side.

Wendy let out a releaved breath, smiling at the animals eating piecefully together before her gaze flickered back to Soos and Mabel. The handyman had the same smile on his face while Mabel looked somewhat off...

"Hey Mabel... you're okay?" Her question caused a blaffeld looked to appear on the girls face.

"Yeah of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked in return but her eyes were still glued to the little fawn interacting happily with the goat with no sight of fear he showed around humans... around her. But Wendy wasn't fooled by her the strange look on her features spoke for itself.

"You aren't jealous of Grompers are you? " Wendy smiked when a blush appeared on the girls cheeks.

"What!? Of course not!" She grumbled.

'More like afraid...' the annoing voice im her head whispered. Mabel swallowed and tried to simply ignore it wehn Stan crashed back into the scene.

"Whose jealous on whom?" He questioned before his eyes fell to the goat in his living room.

"What? Who the hell let him in?" He accused, before Mabel answered him with a shrug.

"He's here to give Dipper some company!"

"Yeah, just look at how cut they are!" The handyman chooed when Dipper lay down beside Grompers who looked at the little fawn not knowing what the strange smelling creature was up too.

Stan only groaned, brushing his hand over his face, before straightening his glasses again.

"Just great, first the pig, then Dipper and now the goat too." He muttered, looking down at his furry nephew with a frown.

"We better keep going now, before I can open a petting zoo."

The leaves of the trees vibrated with the noise that filled the forest, like they shivered from the mix of human speech and the chanted warning of the birds who seemed to feel that something was going to happen in their wood.

Mabel however wore a bright and proud smile on her lips, while she tied her brother's leash to a tree near the stream.

"I'm sorry Dip-dop, but we better not find out what the water could possibly do to you. So you're staying here with Gompers until we safe your sorry but- alright?" But the little fawn was hardly listening to her, ever since they stepped onto the soft moss filled path of the forest Dipper was ignoring them, even Gompers who was loyally by his side. His ears were flickering in every possible reaction while he tugged at the leash whit all the little power he had, bleating now and then as if he was calling for someone. Mabel swallowed, she knew that whoever Dipper was waiting for, it wasn't her... maybe his deer baby instincts told him to call for his mother? A soft sight escaped the girls lips, she could hardly imagine her mum "bleating" back to him- an even if so, it would be useless anyway because her brother wouldn't recognize her. He was waiting for someone else, an other family... which Mabel knew she wasn't part of.

She bit her lips, looking down at the fawn which observed the humans near the river not paying attention to her words or worry. It freaked her out that her brother still was somewhere behind all those fluffy fur and dark brown eyes- but at the same time she still hoped that he could hear her somehow- that he was still there, even if he was captured in this fuzzy movable prison.

Mabel let out a soft breath, reaching for her brothers head to take it in moth her hands, forcing the little animal to look up to her, while she could see her own wet reflected in his dark ones.

"Look at them Dipper, there all here to safe you." She smiled, turning the head of the young fawn into the direction of the cursed river. A plie of shoes was growing on the green beside the flowing water while some of the citizens were already wading through the shore side of the crystal clear steam. Even now the quaint acting steam was showing it's dangerous magical potential, even with nearly the whole town in the water it stayed it's clear self, like it was impossible to swirl up any mud at all. It seemed harmless on the shore spot they choose for their plan, but only a few meters ahead the river gurgled in a dangerous humming tone. The rain of the last days together with the still melting snow of the mountains had risen it's high and fasten the steam into a dangerous level. Mabel knew out of experience that the steam was rather deep and dangerous as it was, they really need to be careful today and stay put were the water only reached their knees. Her eyes grew dark as she watched the shining blue water, it was like it was singing but not in it's usual charming and attracting way but more like a dark even foreboding song that should warn them not to come near.

But it's not like the people of Gravity Falls noticed, it seemed like they were more curious of them changing back into monsters to rescue her brother than to worry about the water. It took them the whole day to get all of them together, the rays of the sun already began to darken into a deep orange, but at the and all of them were here. To be honest- the mayor assembling them did help a lot- even the Northwest's were there, arguing with their daughter who was already standing in the water, who however managed to get them here.

Mabel smiled, when she looked back into the dark brown eyes of her brother, who had tried to wiggle himself out of her grip until her eyes caught his again. She carefully brushed her fingertips over his cheek, hiding her hand in his soft fur. Her voice cracked and shivered a little beside her attempt to stay strong.

"It took a while but we finally got them together so- just fight it a little longer... stay with me Dipper."

Her breath hitched by now, but the small deer didn't so much as blink at the strange waver in the humans voice. But Mabel didn't care, she took the opportunity and hugged him, holding the squirming deer close to her, whispering in it's ear in the hope that her brother could still hear her in his disappearing mind.

"Please... " She begged, still holding him close to her so that he finally give up his attempts o flee, holding still while his ear flickered to catch her voice.

"I love you bro-bro, whatever- I'll... I'll always be there." The promise came along with a small tear that run down her cheek before the fawn instinctively licked it away. Mabel giggled but what came out of her was rather a snob than a laugh.

She would never let him go when her Grunkle wouldn't have called for her.

"Mabel?" The hesitation in Stan's voice was audible, but he sighed in relief when Mabel finally turned around.

"I'm- I'm coming!" She shouted, putting herself up from the ground to run back to the others already waiting for her before she turned around to her brother one last time.

"Wait for me." She whispered, while Dipper turned his head to the side, one ear flickering up in confusion before he let out a small bleat.

Mabel smiled at him and pulled of her sandals while she was running to her Grunkle, leaving them on her way. Stan had watched the interaction between the twins with a burning throat, he coughed slightly to get rid of the lump in his throat but failed miserably when is nice gave him a questioning look.

"Is everyone here?" Mabel asked while scanning the area again, while some of the people looked at them waiting, others were chatting with their feet in the steam like they were standing on the weekly mart of Gravity Falls.

"Yep." Stan answered, sharing her look, before his smile fell when his eyes chough the still arguing Northwest's – not it the water but on land. He grumbled, already rolling up the sleeves of his suit while speaking.

"Except for those two arrogant snob's- but I'll get them in there even if-"

But Wendy disturbed him, punishing her fist into her free hand with a smug smile.

"Don't worry Mr. Pines, I'll take care of them."

Mabel and Stan blinked at the redhead before they looked at each other with a shrug, before they made their way into their water themselves. But even in the water they were able to listen in the conversation between the Northwest's and Pacifica.

"But you promised-"

"I don't care Pacifica. There is now way that someone our league will play in the water with- with them." Mr. Northwest scoffed, disgust written all over his face, while her mum seemed to shiver by the thought of getting even her little toe in the steam.

"You're right dear. God knows what we'll catch in this germ factory- it's like-" She shuddered, having problem to even spell the word out.

"No even worse than a public toilet." Pacifica blinked at this comparison, looking at her already wet feet before she shook her head, ignoring the fact that her skin suddenly began to itch.

"It's not, you promised you'll help!" She argued, but only got a cold calculating look from her father.

"That was before we knew it include taking a public bath with the rest of the useless town. And now get out of there Pacifica, immediately." He ordered but the blonde girl refused, crossing her arms above her chest to look into another direction.

"No!"

"Get. Out. Now!"

"No I wont." She answered, looking back up to her parents with all the anger she had tried to hide since their big party and the ghost that cursed her family and her.

"Pacifca you-" But his speech was stopped when suddenly Wendy stood right beside the Northwest couple.

"Hey!" She greeted, a knowing smile already on her lips when the rich family stared at her dumbfounded.

"You know- I think it's time to keep a cool head." And before any of them had the time to react she pushed them into the river so that Pacifica needed to jump out of the way, but still got covered in water form the splash the Northwest couple caused when they fell into the water. Wendy smirked at the hidden smile of the blonde and jumped into the river right after them, before she gave the Pines a thumb up.

Mabel smiled and waved back to her, before she looked up to Stan, waiting for something to happen.

"What now? Do we need to summon him again?"

Stan shrugged and tugged out a piece of paper form his pocket.

"That was what I'm about to do- I already prepared-"

But he suddenly stopped, eyes going wide when the wind grew stronger, the trees seemed to tremble, branches groaning and cracking in the wind. The already dark pink sunlight turned into a more bloodlike red, which Mabel remembered form her dream.

They didn't need to call for Bill.

He already found them.

A lighting bust out of the cloudless sky, leaving behind a scotched spot in the grass, while the thunder vibrated in their bones, making Dipper try to follow Gompers who fled in the wood, tugging at his leash while the noise let the people cringe form the pain in their ears, leaving them deaf for a few seconds before the sound returned in a waring peeping tone.

The demon hovered over the burned spot of grass. His single eye grown dark red while he seemed to struggle to stay on this plane of existence. Mabel watched with a satisfied grin as it was now Bills turn to flicker back and forth into reality, while blue lighting was cracking all over his body.

"YOU!"

The demons eye flickered over the whole town in the river, anger displayed itself in his shrinking pupil, when his gaze finally settled on what was left of the Pines family.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

He demanded while electricity seemed to fill his voice making it sound like a broken record.

Mabel swallowed the fear that dogged into her skin with hundreds of little hot needles, crossing her arm before she forced a knowing smile on her lips.

"What is it triangle head? Is the power of this little steam maybe stronger that your deal?" The demon blinked, before his eye grew wide.

"H-How?" He questioned, while a blue sparkle emitted form his body making him flinch and flicker as Mabel's smile only grew wider.

"Easy Billy- you told us so yourself." But Mabel's smirk only annoyed the demon even more.

"Foolish human, I would never do such a thing!" He argued, hovering warning over them but at the same time stayed out of the water's reach.

"Oh sure you wouldn't." Mabel shrugged, but again looking up to him with a knowing smile.

"It must be my imagination that you said that we "tugged on your power with our silly idea to jump in the cursed water", last time we met." Mabel mocked, satisfied to see the demon speechless for once.

"Well, well, well... fine you got me there shooting star. But you're forget one thing, I was part of this curse too- and you know what? I'm not up for swimming today- to bad isn't it?" The demon shrugged, laying back mind air to observe his nonexistent fingernails, but another flicker made him flinch all coolness gone within a second. There was no way he could fool those humans with his body like that, the annoying grin of the little girl below told him he was right with that thought.

"You're sure- you don't look like you can hold on for much longer cheesy head."

"You-!" But the death thread got stuck in his throat when the older Pines dare to interference his speech.

„The girl is right. Give it up Cipher, none of us is going to move." Stan shouted up to the demon, while the whole town stood behind them, some afraid while other's seemed to notice that they were gathering the upper hand. Mabel beamed with pride when she looked at all the people standing behind them, it was like nothing could stop them now.

Not even this brick covered yellow demon.
"Yeah! You turn my brother back now, or the power of the river will tear you apart!" She treaded with a demanding tone in her voice, fear of the demon long forgotten. Mabel couldn't know that this was a grave mistake.

You better not underestimate a demon, even less an angry one.
Bill's eye flickered a dangerous red when he let out a inhuman growl, turning to the little girl below.
"You want your brother little shooting star?" He questioned a mad chuckle hiding in his words, when he looked back to the struggling fawn from the corner of his eye.

"I'll give him to you!"

"W-What?" But before Mabel could blink the demon rose his hand and she could feel his power crawling under her skin when suddenly her feet left the muddy ground of the river when Bill leveled her high in the air only to drop her unceremonial on the dry ground. The flickering of his form stopped as soon as she was out of the water, he could still feel the damn river consuming a part of his power but it was enough left to end this.

Now.

"Mabel!" Stan shouted but Bill only shook his head, turning back to the citizens with a cruel gleam in his eye.

"Ah ah ah~ You wanted to stay in the water- so you'll stay now." She smirked, snapping his fingers to watch the water around their knees becoming doughty like glue making it impossible for them to move. Stan growled and cursed at the demon in language not meant for children, but he didn't care, his eyes fixed themselves on his nice on the ground, while Bill decided to simply ignore the shouting people in his back, turning around to look at the little girl being at his mercy.

"There you go shooting star – you better welcome him with open arms and don't try to struggle too much- he's your brother after all... he has all right to- end you!" Bills mad laughter made her blood run cold.

"W-What?" She gasped, but then searched for the small tree she had tied the fawn onto only to see his features radiating a blue-golden glow, the leash vanishing into thing hair.

The little deer had closed his eyes shut, twitched and confused on itself like it seemed to struggle against the demons power.

But with a smug grin and a snap of the demons finger's the deer stood still.

Stan was holding his breath, hearing the people in his back shouting in anger and fear, while his world seemed to crumble when his nephew opened his eyes again.

"No!"

But Mabel only stared at the golden pupil less eyes of her brother; his name was barely a whisper on her lips, while her heart seemed to stop beating this very moment.

"Dipper..."

Bills mad chuckles filled the air, when he hovered down to pat the immovable fawn on his head.

"Good boy- now it's time to have some fun." He smirked, looking back to Mabel while he directed the deer's empty golden eyes to her as well.

"And now...Kill her."