(Yes, I updated this at 2 in the morning. Are you judging me, mortals? How dare you. You have been sentenced with massive feels.) 

Song: 'A Sadness Runs Through Him'
(I also added a video for the song. It's like the story... In a way.)

Warning: This chapter. Feelz. Our favorite AU demon has some serious issues. I think Bill left some evil little Dorito sprinkles in Dipper's mind, because he's messed up.

And get ready for the Dipper and Ford argument. We might need the firemen to help with all the burns.
Please enjoy.
Also:
2K!!!!!!!!!! (Future me here, and omg. We're past 2K, now shut up!)
DANCE PARTY!

Okay, celebration over.
On to the actual story:

Reality flashed back into color, and Mabel had to blink a few times to adjust to it. She looked around for Dipper, at first alarmed that she couldn't see him, but then she noticed him standing off to the side, looking around at the real world. She thought she could see a few golden tears drip from his eyes.

She decided to give him a few moments. For all she knew, time ran differently in the Nightmare Realm. The thought horrified her, that maybe it had been a month for her but years for him. Mabel made a mental note to ask later.

Ford approached her and pulled her slightly off to the side to make sure Dipper couldn't hear them.

"Yes Grunckle Ford?" She asked.

"Look, Mabel," he said, "I know you can trust Dipper, but be careful while he's adjusting to reality."

"Why would I need to worry?"

"If he's anything like Bill, it'll be overwhelming being back in the physical world. He told you how Bill was when he was first possessed. It could be the same situation."

"Grunkle Ford," Mabel said, waving a hand, "It's fine."

"Just, be careful Mabel." He said.

Frowning, she looked at Dipper across the yard. "Okay, I'll be careful."

He sighed in relief and said that he was going inside to get the journal they had. Something about needing answers for stuff, Mabel wasn't fully listening.

She decided to join Stan on the back porch of the Mystery Shack.

Stan turned to her after a few moments and asked: "What do you think the kid's been up too?"

"What?"

"I mean, everyone says he's been trapped in this 'Nightmare Realm' or something, but we don't even know what that is. So what has he been up to?"

"Well," Mabel said, thoughtfully, "he was probably just trying to survive, right?"

"Yeah, but what happened that did this to him? And where was that other demon when you tried to summon him?"

 Mabel frowned and leaned back. "I don't know. Maybe Ford will!" 

So they waited for Ford. However, a few minutes later, when Ford hadn't showed up yet, she noticed Dipper suddenly disappear from in front of the trees. Curiously, she watched the yard. Suddenly, there was a movement of air and a strange 'swoosh' noise beside her. When she turned, Dipper was floating there, grinning at her.

"Hey Shooting Star! Look what I can do!" Dipper exclaimed with joy.

"What did you do?" Mabel asked.

"Uh, yeah, kid." Stan said. "What was that?"

"I can still teleport around in your dimension!"

"You know how to teleport?" Mabel said.

"Do you know anything about Dream Demons, Shooting Star? Of course I can. Fez, tell her."

"Tell her what?" Stan asked.

"I don't know, just say something about Dream Demons." Dipper said.

Mabel felt dread settle in the pit of her stomach. "Dipper?" Her brother frowned, he'd told her to not call him that. "What do you mean Dream Demon?"

"Um."

"You mean like Bill was? Aren't they the most powerful kind or something?" Mabel added.

"Well, Shooting Star--"

"You have a lot to explain, Dipper." Said Ford. They all turned around, and saw him standing in the doorway. He had the same Quantum Destabilizer gun that he had planned to use on Bill.

Or should I call you Bill now, as well?" Ford added.

Everyone froze. Dipper growled. It reminded Mabel if a cat. A demonic cat.

"Six Fingers!" Dipper said. "You wouldn't shoot your own family would you?"

"Dream Demons aren't family."

Mabel felt like that would hurt.

Dipper only laughed. "Says the one who once made a deal with Bill in terms that lasted for eternity."

Ford drew back, aiming the gun.

Mabel was frozen in place, Stan was holding her hand so that neither of them would make any rash decisions.

"I didn't give my soul to him." Ford rebutted.

"I wasn't the one who lost the battle." Dipper said. "While you, in the end, gave up and let a twelve year have his soul dragged into a realm of demons."

"I'm sure you fit in just fine."

"Aww, Six Fingers, I'm touched, truly." Dipper said snidely.

"Don't flatter yourself, demon." Ford said.

"Careful puppet, you might end up with tangled strings."

Ford prepared to fire the gun, Dipper sneered at him.

"Wait! Stop!" Mabel said. "What's going on?"

"Your brother," Ford said, motioning to Dipper, "Isn't what he seems. He hasn't told you everything."

"Dipper, what does he mean, please tell us. Tell me." Mabel pleaded.

Her brother looked down and gazed at a crack in the wood, His black and gold eyes flickering. For a moment, Mabel saw a third eye on his forehead, but she dismissed it as her imagination.

"Tell them." Ford demanded, waving the special gun.

Dipper didn't respond.

"Tell them."

"No. You're just mortals, you wouldn't understand." Dipper said.

"Mortal?" Stan asked.

"You die. Eventually." Dipper said. "But I can't. I'll be here forever. You'll all be gone. I'll be like Bill. I need you here. I can't--" he stuttered and fell silent. Thick trails of gold streamed down his face.

"That isn't it, and you know it." Ford said. "Tell about Bill. Why he isn't here."

"He is here. You just can't see him. No one can anymore. He's gone. But I can hear him."

Mabel felt cold. She didn't know what she was feeling. Was it fear? Of who, for what?

"What does that mean?" Stan asked.

"He's dead." Ford said. "And Dipper killed him. That's why you're like this now isn't it? You took his powers. You're just like him then."

Dipper looked down again. "I suppose you're right."

"You don't even look like this do you?" Ford added.

"I'm a demon. I can look however I want."

"Dipper?" Mabel asked. "How long were you in the Nightmare Realm?"

Dipper looked at her. He seemed puzzled. "I don't know, Shooting Star. You stop counting when you spend hundreds of years away from your family."

Mabel felt tears prick her eyes and she covered her mouth with her hands. Hundreds of years? How had he stood it?

"I couldn't feel anything you know, the whole time. I didn't have a form or a 'body' then either." 

Mabel suddenly realized why he was floating. He wasn't touching anything. On purpose. When Bill had possessed him, months ago, the Dream Demon had lost it. Dipper understood that now. So, was he protecting them... From himself?

What had her brother done to deserve that? Hundreds of years. It had only been a month for her.

"Dipper, if that is still your name, you can't stay here. We made a deal, you withheld your end." Ford said.

"You didn't hold up your end." Dipper accused.

"I never said I would. You promised no loopholes. I didn't do anything." He lifted the Quantum Destabilizer again. "We can't have another dream demon running around."

Mabel tried to run forward to shove Dipper out of the way, but Stan grabbed her arm. She spat furiously, but deep inside she understood that Stan was protecting her.

She watched as Dipper unfolded his bat-like wings and hovered a little higher. Even though nothing about him actually changed, Mabel once again felt like she wasn't looking at her brother. He seemed different like this.

Ford fired the shot, and it tore through the air, ever so slowly stopping in between the human and demon. Was Dipper doing that? Freezing it in midair?

"This gun was designed to take out Bill!" Ford shouted. "You don't even know how to properly use his powers yet!"

"Aww, I was willing to work out some more terms, but I guess you don't like it when demons are nice. Are you that desperate to see Bill again after such a short time? Sure thing."

The blast from the gun unfroze and shot towards Dipper.

His two black eyes closed as a gold and black slitted eye on his forehead opened, hovering a little above his skin.

All too familiar laughter filled the air.

Ford had been wrong, Bill wasn't gone. And he had just used up the shot on the Quantum   Destabilizer.

OH! A TWIST!!!
You guys didn't really expect me to kill Bill, right? He's my favorite character!

So, are you enjoying it, little puppets? I'm sure you love the story so far.
Just wait.
It'll get even better.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
~Aza