Meet Markus Locke^^^

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update last week. School had me literally like a dog on a leash and it was horrible. But I'm here now! WARNING: Not this chapter but the next one is super long but please read it or you won't understand the rest of the story. I didn't mean for it to be...super long but I guess things happen when you're in the zone for writing.

Narrator's POV

"Mommy!" the young girl yelled, running out of her bedroom. She ran down the hallways through twists and turns before finding her mother in her own bedroom.

"Y/n? What are you doing still awake? You should be asleep right now."

The young girl's breath was shaky and her heart was beating fast. Fear. Pure fear is what the girl was experiencing. Her bright, (e/c) eyes were wide and her skin was very pale. She's never been so afraid in her life. All she wanted to do was scream and cry.

"Th-There's a monster i-in my r-room." Y/n stuttered while clenching onto her mother's leg tight.

"*sigh* Alright, let's go see this monster."

They both walked into her bedroom only to see everything the same. No one was in there but them. Y/n had finally let go of her mother and walked over to her vanity where the mirror was. Y/n was shaking as she walked closer to it, "It was right here, mommy, in the mirror." Her mother walked over only to find nothing; she sighed once again and rubbed her tired eyes, "Y/n, there's nothing there. Probably just your imagination."

Y/n shook her head rapidly, "Nuh uh, there was too something in there! A monster with wings a-and horns and a very, very long tail! He even looked part human! Mommy, I'm scared."

"There was nothing in your mirror. Now, go back to bed before your father gets home."

Her mother picked her up and placed the young girl in bed. She put the covers over her before kissing the top of her head. She walked over and turned off the light switch before walking out the door to her own bedroom.

Y/n closed her eyes tight while holding tight to her blanket, trying to steady her breathing.

"There's no such thing as monsters..."

Y/N's POV

"There's no such thing as monsters...There's no such thing as monsters...There's no such thing as monsters..."

I open my eyes and I start to shake uncontrollably. My blurry vision starts to clear up to see a silhouette of a figure standing in front of a...portal? What happened?! Okay, recap: the portal started, Markus was the one behind it all, he was doing this for his master. Is that him? Is that his master? Ugh, my head hurts so much. I feel terrified; why am I terrified all of a sudden? I don't even know this guy yet. Maybe that's why I'm scared.

I see everyone start to finally regain consciousness as well. Gravity has already come back and I'm sitting on the floor. The light from the portal dims a little as the figure becomes more clear. It starts to chuckle darkly, it's voice raspy and deep. Male, I believe. He walks closer and my eyes widen as I grow pale.

Definitely male but not human. This man, I know him. A few weeks after I started having the dream of the wheel, I saw a monster in my mirror while trying to go to bed. He was the monster. I remember those dark, cold, violet eyes anywhere. He wore a purple suit with a salmon colored tie tucked in. He wore shiny, black shoes. Sticking out of the man's back were shiny, black wings, large and as sharp as razors. Black horns stuck up from his grey, light purple hair. His teeth were sharp and had facial hair from sideburns to a goatee. Trailing behind him was a long purple tail that was as sharps as his wings.

This is my monster.

I felt something tight around my waist to see Bill's arms with him death glaring at the new demon.

"Why hello, Y/n, it's been too long, don't you agree?"

"Psyche," my attention has turned towards Ford who is now standing up with the last of his strength, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know exactly why I'm here, Mr. Pines."

"Wh-Who are you?" I was able to stutter out. His attention turned towards me and I felt a sudden chill run up my spine. I was starting to shake a lot and my skin turned very pale. How does he have this effect on me? "My dear Y/n, where in the Nightmare Realm are my manners? I am Kaden Psyche, demon of the mind. An old ally of your friend, Stanford. I believe it's been too long since our last encounter but here we are once again. My dear, I truly must thank you because none of this would've happened if it weren't for your cooperation."

"I never planned to help you! You used me!" I yell at him.

Markus starts to chuckle from the back, "It was fun playing around with your mind, sweetheart. All the curiosity and questions you came up with were truly priceless! We had you like a dog on a leash." He started laughing some more as I only glared at him. They used me and they think it's hilarious. How would they feel if they were the ones in chains with no escape but to just do as they were told? To just play the game and be oblivious to even knowing that you joined the game? That's how I feel. That's exactly how I feel. I heard Bill start to growl as he stands up, releasing me from his grasp. The red color once again coming back as the yellow starts to fade.

"Psyche, what exactly do you want?" Bill growls through clenched teeth.

"Why, if it isn't the infamous Bill Cipher. Your reputation does proceed you, you are mentioned quite a lot nowadays."

"I don't have time for your stalling, Kaden, I want to know why you have been messing with my Star."

"Oh, her? She was nothing more than a mere distraction. Her part has been completed and I have no use of her now. As for this planet, though, I have big plans. I heard of your plan to save your dear friends before the Nightmare Realm collapsed by bringing them to this dimension but you were only to go so far. See, you were stuck here in Gravity Falls, Cipher, thanks to a barrier around it. I, however, can get passed the barrier."

"Wha- How?"

"Stanford told me."

"My brother did what?!" Stan shouted while still gaining consciousness. I turn my attention to Ford to see him there with regret written across his face. How much exactly has Ford not told us? Told me? Why did he tell this mind guy or whatever the equation to break down the barrier?  He looks ashamed, maybe because we know and he didn't tell us or the fact that he did it in the first place. I felt like that, when I made the deal with Bill and I didn't tell them. Yet, even after lying and betraying him he still forgave me; was it because he was in the same position and would want me to forgive him just the same as well? I would, I just wish I could know what exactly he did. I'm not exactly a member of this family so I don't assume Ford to trust me with any important information but it seems as though his family thought differently.

I stand up and walk closer to Bill. I grab his arm and hug it as the thought of the other two demons in this room terrifies me and I have nothing to protect myself with. Well, besides Bill. Markus still has that cocky grin while staring at me; I have this sudden urge to punch him in the face but I know better than to do that. Gosh was I stupid to ever trust or even believe him. I'm so ignorant and naïve sometimes. What if that's how Ford feels? Ignorant and naïve that he trusted another demon after what happened with Bill? In a way, I feel like we were both played; both pieces of the game moving as they commanded and not having any say in it. Markus controlled me, Kaden betrayed Ford's trust; in a way, so did Markus. This just gives me another urge to punch him in the face so I can smack that stupid grin off. Who'd be laughing then? Me!

"Mr. Pines, would you rather I tell them?" Kaden spoke up breaking the silence that I didn't even realize to be so long.

Ford lifts his eyes ever so slightly to glare up at the purple demon with clenched teeth. "No," he says coldly and a hint of bitterness, "I'll tell them. I want you to stay out of this." Kaden stood there with a fake surprised look with his arms in the air in defense as if he had done nothing wrong. As if...

"Stanley, children, it wasn't my intentions in the beginning to give him the equation to break the barrier. It just...happened, thanks to my stupidity and not seeing what his intentions would be once he finally had the equation. I was on my own and for a time being I was giving up on hope; I was having trouble finding information on Bill's weaknesses and I was wanted in many dimensions. I stumbled upon Kaden one day, tired and hungry; he took me to his home that just so happened to just be floating in the middle of space among all the stars. I was able to shower, eat, and even rest but I had never put my guard down since I knew that he was a demon as well and was not to be trusted with-"

"Please, you know you enjoyed the food and the feeling of not having to be on the run anymore. You practically saw me as an old friend of yours whom you could trust."

Ford growled lowly before continuing, "Anyways, Psyche told me that he knew about Bill's and I's old alliance. He also knew that Bill and his friends were searching for me in every dimension. Kaden said he could help me with my situation for Bill had been trouble for Psyche since he could remember."

Bill started bursting out laughing, "Is that so? If I recall I have tried to stay as far away from you as possible, for personal reasons, yet you keep finding a way to come ruin my life! Seems as though messing with minds is the only thing you are good at, Psyche!"

"He would give me protection from Bill and his friends on one condition, I would give him the equation to break the barrier around Gravity Falls. Now, I tried to figure out why on earth he would need to know that information for it seemed somewhat odd to be asking for such a simple equation; I couldn't think of anything wrong with it at the time so I took the offer and made the deal with Psyche. How I was so clueless to know that would come back to haunt me.

"I found him talking with some green keyhole demon one day in the library which I had just stumbled upon hearing their conversation. Apparently, Psyche knew of the idea and plan of Weirdmageddon and loved it so much he wanted to extend it. He apparently never shared the information about the barrier to Bill so he already assumed it would backfire. He wanted to take over earth as a starting point; from that moment he would take over many other planets until he had control over everyone and everything with the keyhole by his side."

Markus started laughing uncontrollably; his laugh was getting more annoying by the second. I swear, my fist is going to make its way to his jaw in about five seconds if he doesn't shut up. I can even see Ford getting annoyed now and that takes a lot to annoy him. Unless their name is Bill Cipher, the mention of his name makes him want to rip out all his hair. Markus snapped his fingers and appeared on Ford's right side with his arm around his shoulder.

"Haha, I remember that! You tried to escape the mansion but I caught you before you did! That was a fun game of hide-and-seek in the mansion. Except, you eventually escaped; that's when all of this fits into our puzzle, like a key to a lock all of your questions and theories come together to reveal everything that has happened and what is to come!"

Markus starts laughing more while floating into the air; he snaps his fingers once again as purple fire surrounds the demon engulfing him in it. Once it clears, there is no longer a human but a green keyhole with one eye and the same hat. Markus Locke, a floating green keyhole...beware everybody, a keyhole is going to end the world with his tiny arms and legs!

I wonder if the town thought the same way when Bill had appeared.

The keyhole floats over to Kaden's side as the monster starts to snicker, "Oh, we're not done yet here."

"What do you want?!" Bill growled. Kaden started to walk at a steady pace, circling us. I can feel Bill tense as he continues to glare. I don't want to be here, I never asked for this to happen to me! I use to have a normal life, why did that all have to change? Was it just fate that I would end up here? Was there something along the way that I could've prevented this from happening to me? Kaden's eyes are still fixed on me, as if he is just judging me silently. I know that all three demons in here can read my mind and I know they all know that I'm scared out of my mind!

I want it to all stop! I just feel trapped in all this mess as I keep banging on all the walls to escape. No doors, no windows, no exit. I can't escape, is this Psyche messing with my mind? Does Locke find this all hilarious to watch me be in fear as he knows well that I was gullible to believe his story from the beginning? What would Bill be thinking after reading my mind?

Kaden completes his circle around us with his tail trailing behind him and his wings extending out and then retracting back in. He stops in front of Bill with a simple, yet devious, smirk placed on his lips. "Bill, what I want would be your help, of course."

Bill stiffened, "Why?"

"Bill, don't lie to yourself. I can see your thoughts and I know that you still have hatred for the Pines family. I know that you still crave the taste of power. I'm just offering a chance to help you; I can help you regain the strength you lost faster and I can help you become powerful once again." Kaden steps closer towards him as I take a step back, "You still think about that day, Weirdmageddon. All those people running for their lives; screaming, begging for mercy. I see it all, Cipher, all those thoughts racing around. You try to place them in the lowest depths of your mind and yet it still comes back up. You're craving for it again and I can help end that hunger of yours."

Bill hasn't moved the slightest bit since Kaden started talking. He isn't actually considering his offer, is he? No, he can't be. Bill, show me a sign you aren't! Say something! Please, I'm begging; tell me that you aren't actually going to do it. Speak to me through the mind for all I care, I just want you to tell me that it isn't true! Bill Cipher, please!

He moves his arm so I am no longer holding it. He never looks back at me, he continues his gaze upon the purple demon. That's when fear takes over, a grin so wide not even the Marionette's smile could compare to Bill's right now. He started chuckling under his breath which started to grow into a demonic laughter.

"For once, Psyche, we are finally thinking on the same page!"

"B-Bill?..."

He turns his head slightly with a snicker, "Oh Star, you really did think I cared about you. When it comes down to power or a living, breathing, pathetic flesh bag, it's truly a no brainer of what I'm going to choose. I'll be honest, it's been a blast being with you but I just care about power more than...you! Haha, sorry if I disappointed you but you really can't trust demons."

No...

I...

No...

Everything I thought, every feeling I've ever felt...it feels like they were all worthless. Nothing. None of it meant anything. When it comes down to me or power, Bill would rather be in control than by my side. My heart hurts, I feel like collapsing; I feel like crying rivers but I know it would be pointless. It wouldn't make the pain go away. I thought he cared- no, he doesn't care about anyone but his selfish self! I fooled myself to believe that he was different, that he had changed, but in the end the truth always comes out. This was the truth, I was just something to distract him and then be thrown away once he got what he really wanted. Why do these type of things always happen to me? What made me so different from everybody else that I had to have the worst life ever?!

My heart is crushed into broken shards that now lay around my feet. The roses have lost their petals. The eternal day has now turned into a reckless night. How long will this night last? How many more times will I have to be pierced through the heart and taken from my emotions? Do I even have any left? First, my own parents. Then, every kid who went to my school. Now, the one I trusted the most and wasn't afraid to tell him anything...Bill Cipher.

He walks over to Kaden as the temperature starts to rise and it's boiling hot. Dipper holds onto Mabel as Stanley starts backing away. I'm frozen in place, trying to figure out what's going on. Creatures and shadows of sorts start to come out of the portal; I'm petrified and no matter how much I try to move I just can't. I feel as if my feet are sinking into the ground like quick sand and no matter how hard I try I just can't run away.

These things...these creatures, they're as if they are a living nightmare. The faces they have are forever scarred into the deepest parts of my memory. This...is this it? The end? The ground starts to shake and the ceiling starts to crumble to the floor. I snap out of my senses when I feel someone's hand grab mine. Ford. We run to the elevator and make our way back to the surface. The Mystery Shack starts to collapse as the Pines and I run out. As we are running, I trip and fall to the dirt path; I turn around and look up to see all the creatures escaping and at the top of the sky is Kaden breaking the barrier. I gasp at the sight. This is it. The end of summer.

The end of the world.