Work Text:
Drawing by - quixoticlimn
Dipper panted heavily, collapsing on the ground. “I can’t... I can’t do this... This is too hard... I can’t do this, Bill...” He said, sweat soaked the thin shirt he was wearing. He was starting to see double vision. Who knew practicing magic could be this hard? Well, it was probably because this was dark magic, but hey, he had no problem summoning the dead before... He shouldn’t have any problems now. And yet...
“Stand up, Pine Tree. Try again. I saw some progress.” Bill said, taking Dipper’s hands. “Yeah, definitely some progress. I can sense the magic still lingering there.” The demon said, pulling Dipper to a standing position.
“I have been doing this for hours now, Bill. I can’t do it. It’s too hard!” Dipper protested, stressed. His ‘family’ could be out looking for him right now. He didn’t want to find him when he wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to meet his traitorous sister and a liar and a guy he had never met before.
“Are you giving up then?” Bill asked coldly, releasing his grip on Dipper’s hand. “After what you have done all summer, you are going to give up now? What are you going to do if you give up? You have no use to me anymore, Pine Tree. You don’t have the journals, and even if you did, Six Fingers would have told Shooting Star and Fez of my plan already. You are physically weak, you are no longer the smart guy anymore. You have nothing of use to me.” Bill Cipher said calmly, whispering in Dipper’s ear.
“If you are not the smart guy, then who are you?” He asked, making Dipper take a step back.
“Y-You can’t threaten me. I came here on my own! I can expose your secrets and my family will welcome me back!” Dipper said, feeling regret that he had ever followed Bill at all.
“Go ahead. See if they will accept you back.” Bill said calmly, gesturing toward the direction of the Mystery Shack. “You know the way back to that dirty old Shack. I’m sure Shooting star will welcome you back with opened arms. Go.” Bill said. He would have smirked if he had lips.
“W-Why are you not afraid?!” Dipper asked, gritting his teeth. This was possibly the worst decision he had ever made!
“Because, Pine Tree. You are no use to them, either. Shooting Star will welcome you back. But will she trust you after you have betrayed their trust? What if they believe it’s me in your body? Six Fingers doesn’t trust me anymore. Do you think he will trust you?” He asked.
“I-I... T-That’s not true!” Dipper screamed. “That’s not true!” He protested, his tears welled up. “Oh it is and you know it. I hit a sore place right there, didn’t I?” Bill asked.
“I’m leaving. I’m going to come back to the Shack, and tell them everything I know. And I will be on my knees begging for forgiveness. You... You are a terrible being! You act... You acted like a gentleman when you want me to join you. Now you abuse me like this!” Dipper said, bitter tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Be careful with your words, Pine Tree. You are still my puppet. Just because I don’t possess your body doesn’t mean you can talk shit to me.” Bill said darkly. “Now try again. And do it right this time around.”
Dipper stood on shaky feet and he tried to call for the fire like Bill did, imagining his hands on fire, his body feeling incredible, powerful, dark.
Nothing happened.
Bill had to suppress a growl. What’s wrong with this boy? He had shown so much potential when he summoned those zombies! Why was he showing nothing now? Unless...
Bill’s single eye widened before it became half-lidded and he circled Dipper, causing the boy to look at him warily. “W-What?” He stammered. Bill said nothing. “What did I do wrong?” Dipper asked again, swallowing.
“Ah! What are you doing?!” Dipper yelped when Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper in what he looked like a hug from behind but he was gripping Dipper’s wrists. It wasn’t a harsh grip nor a cruel one. But it was firm.
“Shut up and listen to my words.” Bill growled softly in Dipper’s ear, causing the boy to flinch. “O-Okay...” He whispered, growing scared of Bill’s weird actions.
“How did Shooting Star treat you back when you were still at home?” Bill asked softly in Dipper’s ear. “W-W-What? U-Um... She paid more attention to boys than me... So...” Dipper answered nervously.
“So, you, her brother, her blood, is not as important as some boys?” Bill asked and Dipper nodded, his voice sounded surer than before. “Yeah... Well, she’s... She’s into her romantic relationship thing...” He answered hesitantly, wondering where Bill was going with this.
“How did she treat you when you told her about your theory?” Bill asked.
“She dismissed them...”
“What do you always do when she asks you to help with one of her seduction plan?”
“I help her...”
“And has she ever done anything for you when you have an interesting theory? When you need someone to be with you but she’s too busy with boys?”
“No... She always focuses on boys first.”
“That’s right. It has always her above you. It has always been Shooting Star’s interest first. Has she ever used you to complete her school work for her? Has she ever made you work like a slave while she gives that pig of her break time? You are not even as good as a pig in her eyes.”
“S-She has.” Dipper swallowed. Bill kept the torrent of questions going as Dipper felt more and more betrayed, his voice began to shake. Not from fear, but from anger this time around.
“Who are you in people’s eyes?”
“A nerd. Book smart. I’m the smart guy...”
“Are you more than that, Pine Tree? Are you Dipper Pines the nerd? Or are you Dipper Pine the adventurer? The seeker of truth? The hero?”
“I’m not just a nerd! I’m more than a nerd! I want people to look at me differently!”
“That’s right. You are not just a nerd! You are more than that. You are better than that. No one realizes though. Not Ice Bag, not Question Mark, not Fez, not even Shooting Star! No one realizes your value. You wanted to save the world from the Apocalypse, is that so wrong?” Bill purred.
“No! No it’s not wrong! It’s the most logical thing to do! What other choice do I have? Grunklet Stan is a liar! And the device will destroy the universe!” Dipper said bitterly.
“And yet. Yet, to them, you were wrong. Logic could not beat emotions. The stupidity of your sister won against your wise words. Like always! Who did she trust? A conman or her own brother?!”
“A CONMAN! She trusted HIM over ME!”
“SHE BETRAYED YOU!”
“She betrayed me! I will show them... I will show them that I was right! I will show that they should have trusted me!” Dipper said, tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Repeat after me, Pine Tree. I’m Dipper Pines the warrior! I’m powerful!” Bill said just as a cold feeling wash over Dipper’s body and began to focus on his outstretched hands.
“I’M DIPPER PINES THE WARRIOR! I’M POWERFUL! I’M MORE THAN JUST A NERD! I’M MORE THAN JUST A SMART GUY! I WILL SHOW THEM THAT I WAS RIGHT FROM THE START! THEY SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME! I WILL PROVE IT TO THEM! THEY WILL REGRET THE DAY THEY BETRAYED ME!” Dipper screamed, watching as blue flames engulfed his hands.
He breathed heavily, staring at his hands in disbelief. “I... I did it...?” He said in amazement, staring at the flames. The fire wasn’t hot. It was cold on his palm. And yet, yet he could feel amazing heat radiating as he put his face near the flames. It didn’t hurt him! This... This was amazing!
“You did it, Pine Tree.” Bill purred, pleased. It only took a small push~ This boy truly had talents for magic.
“I did it! I DID IT!” Dipper said in joy, breathless. He laughed. “Oh God! I really, really did it!” Dipper couldn’t keep down the sounds of pure glee, crackling.
“Do you feel powerful now, Pine Tree?” Bill asked and Dipper nodded. “Y-Yes... Yes I do. I feel amazing.” Dipper said, grinning widely.
“Now, do you know what to use your power for?” Bill asked, sliding his hands down until he was gripping Dipper’s elbows loosely, raising his arms up above the sky.
“Yessss. I will prove them wrong. They will regret it.” Dipper smirked, answering the question easily.
“Very good. Now wake up and show the world what you are made of.” Bill said and Dipper suddenly opened his eyes, tear tracks were still visible on his face. He was dreaming. Bill taught him in his dreams. He sat up and looked at his hands. “I’m powerful.” He whispered, watching as the blue flames covered his hands again.
“I did it.” Dipper whispered, not looking up, fascinated by the cold (and yet, so hot) fire.
“So you did. Are you ready for the next stage of the plan?” Gideon said, having woken up when Dipper laughed in his sleep. Dipper slowly looked up, causing a chill down Gideon’s back.
“Yes, I’m ready. Let’s crush them.” Dipper said with a gleeful, smirk.
Dipper’s right eye had turned a yellow color, his pupil became like that of a snake. It was Bill’s eyes. Gideon suppressed another shudder.
Dipper grinned.
And he felt free. He felt amazing.
Powerful.
Looking from Dipper’s single eye, Bill laughed.
A puppet without strings indeed.