Chapter Text
The frantic thrum of Bill’s heart resounded in his ears as he watched the crew practically fall apart. He might have succumbed to the mind-numbing screech as well if he wasn’t in shock at the sight of the giant magical monster. He was trying to usher the crew to their stations, calling out orders to get them ready for battle, but something told him normal cannons weren’t going to cut it in this fight. The ship rocked and groaned as the monster began constricting it within its watery appendages. Was the ocean actively trying to destroy his ship? The thought made Bill’s blood boil, his ship was his home, and it had become Dipper’s home as well. He wasn’t about to let some ugly abomination take that now, especially not after all he’d been through.
He could feel it rising like bile up his throat, the beast. His anger only fueled its will, calling it out from wherever it had been resting for the last month or so. The hot and heavy anger that accompanied the beast was already clearing Bill’s vision when he felt Dipper’s hand grab hold of his arm. At this point, however, the beast wouldn’t back down. His ship was in peril, his crew was in danger, and most of all Dipper could get hurt. There was no way he was going to let any of that stand, not now, not ever.
Dipper clung on to Bill and the captain could practically smell the siren’s desperation and fear. With all the care of a frenzied man, he pulled Dipper into a brief embrace, mumbling something nonsensical into the man’s soft brown curls. Even as the beast’s anger and trepidation settled into his mind, Bill felt the need to protect Dipper, the siren was the only thing important to him right now. The beast functioned on primal instincts and the main senses, it amplified Bill’s needs and worked to carry out what Bill deemed to be most important. He half dragged Dipper to their cabin, urging the man to stay inside with pleading looks and whines as he closed the door. Fear hit him in full force as his mind finally registered the lost and fearful look on Dipper’s face, but now was not the time to dwell on it. He needed to save his ship, and the monster needed to go.
Mens Scapus creaked under the pressure of the monster, its limbs winding their way around her body. It was dragging the ship in all directions, the force of movement causing Bill to be unsteady on his feet. At this rate, they were losing all the ground they had covered, and they were losing it fast. The crew seemed to be too affected by the beast’s screams to properly load and maintain heavy artillery, which meant the cannons were useless. Bill himself didn’t think he would be able to give orders, not if his beast was taking over. He didn’t have his sword or a gun, but Bill didn’t need it. The monster would fall, and he would make sure of that, even if he had to use his own two hands to accomplish the task.
He needed to get a better look at this monster, see if he could spot any weaknesses it might have. Casting his gaze about, Bill zeroed in on the main mast. If he can climb high enough on the rigging he might be able to see more of this creature. Making for the rigging, Bill avoided falling ropes and cargo, hissing as he heard the sickening sound of cracking wood. His ship was in peril and if he didn’t act fast all would be lost. There was still so much left he still needed to do, and Bill would not let some moody wave prevent him from accomplishing what he had set out to do.
He needed to save his crew from Gideon, the weasel had to pay for what he had done to Bill. Tad was waiting for news from him, his brother would undoubtedly come looking for him if he went for too long without word from Bill. The voice inside his head needed to be properly addressed, sooner rather than later. This beast that resided within him, Bill needed to search for answers or find a way to rid himself of the curse. Most of all, he had a promise to keep to Dipper, and Bill has never broken a promise.
Somehow, the siren had found his way into Bill’s hazed state of mind and now he couldn’t think of anything else. What would become of his precious friend if he couldn’t beat this monster? Bill’s chest ached at the thought of never being able to see Dipper again, never being able to speak to him, fight with him over the silly and mundane, never again to be able to hold him close just to be sure they were still alive, to never be able to confess to what the siren had shown him.
Bill practically roared as he took hold of the rigging, scaling the ropes high enough to look down into the water and see the gnashing maw of the monster. His heart beat in his ears as he looked down on it, his mind going blessedly clear for a few moments to take in the impossible monster that thrashed beneath the water. It was the water. A solid force hit Bill from the side, knocking him loose from the rigging and sending him toward the deck of his ship.
As his body hit the floor with a sickening crack, he was reminded of an old story his mother once told him. It had been about a monster of the sea that was only called upon by those with overflowing anger or grief, either to carry out their enemy’s demise or their own. In the story, a man invoked a powerful spell to call forth the very ocean, sharing his grief with her in an effort to relieve himself of the pain he was feeling. In sympathy, the ocean had let the man’s negative energy and magic imbue her with the power to obtain a nearly solid form of magic and water. It had crushed countless towns along the sea and inland before returning to the man and taking his life as well. Bill’s mother called it the Kraken.
He thoroughly believed that this creature was that very monster, called forth by someone who was haunted by either grief or anger. Bill had a feeling it was the latter, and the person who wielded this anger was undoubtedly Gideon himself. It was clear to Bill now, and the world seemed to move slowly around him. Surely Gideon wasn’t so foolish to exude so much energy and power to unleash such a creature. Yet, Bill could see it, the Kraken pulsed with Gideon’s signature, the pale turquoise magic giving the monster an eerie glow.
No doubt the conniving weasel had gotten word of his failed assassination attempts, leaving him with not only sour news, but the news of Bill’s return. The Kraken was here for him, and it was very clear what Gideon intended to happen. In a moment, Bill was back on his feet, mind racing as he thought of any kind of spell strong enough to even stun a creature of the Kraken’s magnitude. Nothing was coming to mind and his beast refused to stay stationary, having Bill weave through the falling debris and to the edge of the railing. He stopped just short of jumping over, looking down and seeing the wide pupiless eyes of the monster.
With a low hiss of anger, Bill swerved and raced over to where one of the monster’s limbs was wrapped around a mast. Raising his arm high he swung down as hard as he could, and his hand tore easily through the flesh, nearly severing the limb entirely. His beast wriggled in glee as the monster let out a high pitched and pained shriek, all limbs retracting from his ship into the water. The victory was short lived as the limbs once again resurfaced to smack at his ship, destroying one of the front masts entirely.
Bill growled as the splintered wood cascaded across the ship, a few of the jagged pieces piercing his skin. The tiny pin pricks only served to rile up the beast, the barest wisps of pure magic becoming visible as Bill became consumed by the beast. Bill sprinted across the ship, crouching low to avoid being hit by any big debris. A few of the crew members who were not entirely incapacitated quickly moved out of his way, pulling others along to seek cover. He jumped at another watery appendage, and with a clawed hand came down on it. The limb exploded on impact and Bill could see the thick tendrils of magic that rolled off him. He wondered briefly if Dipper would be able to see the magic as well. A shadow fell over Bill, and as he lifted his head he was engulfed in water.
Slumped against the door to his and Bill’s quarters, Dipper clutched his head in his hands. The contorted magic of the Kraken sickened him, his very core aching as the monster continued to search and destroy. Contorted magic numbed his senses, his head feeling light and compressed all at once, and the only thing that kept him upright was knowing that Bill was still out there. It could have been hours as Dipper sat on the floor, arms feeling more and more like dead weights as he tried to reach for the handle to open the door.
Screams of the fish crew echoed in Dipper’s ears and his stomach churned at the thought of them being utterly decimated just outside the door. There was no doubt that they were affected by the Kraken just as much as he was, perhaps even more so. He could hear fighting beyond the door, and if that wasn’t a sign of Bill’s beast coming out to bat at the Kraken, then the wisps of the familiar golden tendrils surely made it known. Fear twisted violently in Dipper’s gut, nothing can defeat the Kraken, it has always completed its mission, and something told him that its goal was to ensure their demise.
The sound of a body hitting the deck shocked Dipper’s system. The Kraken’s screeching grew in volume and the ship lurched, tipping dangerously to the side. Dipper smacked into one of the golden tendrils and the magic clung to him, his skin tingled as the magic began to envelop him. The feeling of anger shot through him, so violent and foreign it twisted Dipper’s stomach and for a moment he was worried he would be sick. Too focused on trying not to lose the contents of his stomach, it took Dipper a moment to realize his head had stopped pounding and his vision cleared. The golden haze covered him like a second skin, and it was blocking out the Kraken’s numbing magic.
Shakily, Dipper stood and feeling returned to his limbs. He quickly grabbed the door’s handle, flinging it open. He stepped out just in time to see one of the Kraken’s watery limbs come crashing down on top of Bill. A shrill scream pierced the air, sounding distorted and inhuman, and it was a few moments before Dipper figured the scream was his own. He felt more than heard the Kraken’s reply to his shriek, and the limb crushing Bill wavered slightly before it exploded, sending water shooting across the deck.
All of Dipper’s fear and anxiety seemed to fall away as he stalked forward, his screech having lulled into a softer whimper. His gaze zeroed in on Bill’s form, lying motionless on the deck but still exhuming a steady stream of magic. He continued to walk across the deck towards the railing. The Kraken’s own cries had fallen nearly silent as its limbs stilled around the ship. It was waiting to see what Dipper would do. Stopping next to Bill’s still form, Dipper’s heart gave a painful squeeze, and with a glare he turned to face the Kraken.
Cyan glowing orbs stared back at him, the signature tumultuous emotion raged within them and Dipper shivered. The silence was loud in Dipper’s ears as he watched the limbs pull slightly back before bashing back into the ship, splintering the wood even more. The Kraken held on to the masts, lifting itself higher and higher. Without another thought, Dipper took hold of the main masts rigging and climbed. The rope dug into his bare skin, but he could hardly feel the burn, Bill’s magic numbed everything but his mind and sight.
Together, Dipper and the Kraken rose, the water’s screeching no longer affecting Dipper like it had before. The same foreign anger churned Dipper’s stomach, but he let it pull him higher. The Kraken stopped at the main topgallant yard and Dipper crossed it without hesitation, reaching the end to gaze into the watery cyan eyes again. It opened its maw in an earsplitting screech, Dipper only flinched at it now, the intended effects no longer disturbing him. He could feel the ship still moving, in what direction he didn’t know, but the Kraken seemed to want to take its time in decimating Mens Scapus .
Dipper stilled at the end of the topgallant, willing the Kraken to meet his gaze. He heard more than saw a watery limb slowly wind its way closer to his position. Steely cyan orbs focused in on Dipper, the ship stopped rocking and the Kraken’s tentacles eased up on the hull and masts, all of the monster’s attention was now on him. Memories of falling into the ocean and the horrible nightmares after that assaulted Dipper’s mind, clearly a new tactic of the ocean. He swayed but stayed put, glaring back at the Kraken.
This power did not belong to whoever called forth the Kraken. Dipper could feel his mind being prodded, as though a channel were opening. Memories flickered in his mind, rewinding the events that led him here. In reverse, Dipper saw his life before his eyes. Bill flickered briefly before images of the Mystery Wreck whizzed by. He saw his family and heard echoes of their voices, he felt their embraces and saw their expressions. The cool hold of his mother waters seemed to surround him, like his mother holding him close to her chest, hands slightly shaking as she whispered silent pleas to the stars that he would live.
Somehow he could sense someone else’s emotions, confusion, worry, conviction, elation. They tasted sweet and bitter on his tongue and he screwed his eyes shut. He could see the surface of the sea, incredibly calm with the lack of wind. His gaze swiveled at some unheard sound and he could see Stan walking toward him. Wait. Walking? The image and emotions faded as the feeling of being swept into his mother’s arms overcame him again. All cognitive thought fled from his mind, he no longer had a reason to think. His mother’s hand brushed his hair back to kiss his forehead, muttering rushed phrases of gratitude and promise.
Opening his eyes, Dipper found himself encased in a bubble of water. Panic spiked in his gut for a moment before he realized he was still breathing. The water holding him continued to cradle his body, lifting him from the topgallant. The gold magic still enveloped him but was no longer writhing with fury.
He felt his mind being prodded once more and let his eyes fall shut. This time he saw no clear images, but the feelings were overwhelming. All range of emotion washed over him, joy, excitement, fear, pain, and anger. There was so much anger. However, the anger made him feel almost detached, as though he was no longer in control and that the anger had formed some half-baked conscious of its own. It seemed to be fueled by an orb of cyan light pulsating in his center. The hotter the anger, the brighter the light and vice versa. It was unsettling and caused Dipper extreme discomfort, as though his mind was being violated and his body forced to move as though it were attached to strings.
Dipper registered that it was not him dealing with all these pulling forces, it was the sea. The channel to his mind clearly went two ways, and the ocean wanted him to know something, and he had a feeling it revolved around that disturbing orb. Horrible anger and fear hit Dipper like a storm propelled wave, disorienting him and causing his vision to blur. He felt violated, he felt used and torn, every part of his being felt wrong and foreign. He felt like a puppet being held over a heat vent for an extended period of time, only to be thrust into it to be burnt alive.
The orb pulsed brightly, as if it was mocking Dipper, taking joy in turning him inside out. He felt like cowering in fear, but if he did then the orb would only grow stronger. It sat hardly two feet away, but it felt as though there were miles between them, out of reach and untouchable. It’s not, though, it’s right there. Something in Dipper’s mind snapped and his vision cleared again. If he truly wanted, Dipper could reach out and grab it if he really tried, so he did just that. Stretching his arm out he curled his fingers around the light, just barely able to get a tight enough grip on the orb.
The moment the tips of his fingers had brushed the orb’s pulsating surface his entire arm had gone numb. Dipper had never known something as cold at this, it was like a void of all warmth and it made his unease grow even further. The orb wasn’t quite a solid force and lacked definite shape, but somehow it managed to stay together, as though it refused to fall apart. Dipper was frozen in place as the orb attempted to form around his hand, but one of the golden tendrils still wrapped around Dipper smacked it back and attempted to keep it confined in its former shape. The orbed writhed angrily at having been denied its attempt to spread. With another angry pulse, Dipper’s body went numb with the cold and his vision blurred again.
His insides felt like a frenzied school of fish, and Dipper’s vision doubled as he saw both the orb in front of him as well as within him. He could see himself with his arm outstretched, hand gripping tightly to the cyan light. Groaning with effort, Dipper pulled the wavering orb from its position, meeting heavy resistance. The anger hit him full force, almost blinding him with its intensity as it writhed in his grasp. Dipper continued to tug the orb away, finally managing to sever its connection to the Kraken’s body. His ears popped and he felt more than heard the relieved sigh escaping his, no, the ocean’s lips. The orb dissipated from Dipper’s hand, and with it the anger vanished as well.
His sight snapped back into a singular line, leaving Dipper disoriented. When his surroundings stopped spinning, Dipper looked up, right into the translucent eyes of this sea. He gasped and realized he was still encased in water. With a single worried thought, the water fell away and he was standing on the topgallant again. Watery hands instead of tentacles lifted up to hover around Dipper’s frame. The siren leaned to the side, letting the ocean hold him. She may not be his own mother waters, but she was still the ocean, and she was still painfully like his home.
“Hello, child of stars,” the sea spoke gently, her lips curved into a tender smile. “Thank you for freeing me of that magic, and forgive me for the trouble I have caused you.”
“N-no problem,” Dipper stuttered out.
“In return for all my misdeeds, I will repair your ship.”
As she spoke, she lifted Dipper off the topgallant, placing him back down onto the deck of the ship before delving back into the water. Shortly afterward a wave of translucent dark blue magic wafted over the ship, and Dipper watched in awe as all the damage around him reversed itself. The reformation of the ship was flawless and practically silent, making Mens Scapus’ last fix look utterly crude in comparison. It was as though Dipper was dreaming, all sounds were dulled and muffled, as though he was watching from beneath the surface. Deep in his bones, Dipper could feel his own magic in the ship beckoning the sea. He could almost feel the amusement and care the ocean took as she wove her magic with his, strengthening the last spell he had cast on Mens Scapus. When the wave finally receded, Dipper gazed in awe at how beautiful the ship looked in the waning light.
Wait, waning light. Shocked, Dipper took note of the sun’s setting position, stars already blinking into view in the sky. They had been batted around for hours, now it was late, and they had no idea where they were. These waters had already repaid their debt owed to them by fixing the ship, which meant they were now on their own in getting back on course. Bill would not be pleased with this setback.
A chill shot down Dipper’s spine. Where was Bill? Dipper swiveled around so fast that he became light-headed and a sharp pain tore through his neck. He made a choked noise as he located Bill’s crumpled body on the deck of the ship, unmoving in the chilled breeze. Before he realized he was even moving, Dipper was by Bill’s side, pulling the older man into his lap. The captain’s eyes were blown wide, his pupils dilated and watering, the sclera a mottled gray while the irises swirled with a dull gold. Dipper couldn’t even see the tendrils of Bill’s magic anymore and fear began to settle heavily in the pit of his stomach.
“Bill?” Dipper’s voice came out broken and wavered with worry. “Bill, can you hear me?” He brushed some of the captain’s hair away from his face, hands shaking as he silently urged Bill to react.
The captain’s face was ashen and his skin felt cold and clammy. Dipper let a hand fall from Bill’s face to grab onto his cold fingers, squeezing them gently. Bill’s chest wasn’t rising or falling, and his upper torso looked grossly mangled. Water dripped onto Bill’s chest, Dipper lifted both of their hands to his cheek to feel the tears escaping his eyes. As soon as he acknowledged them, the tears began to flow freely from Dipper’s eyes, his throat becoming tight as he took in what was happening.
Bill wasn’t moving, and usually when someone stopped moving they were gone. The man he loved wasn’t moving, the man he loved was gone, Bill was gone, he is gone. Dipper shook where he sat, tremors wracking his entire body as he clutched Bill’s unmoving form to his chest. Silent sobs clogged his throat as tears blurred his vision. Dipper bowed his head, mentally pleading to the gods above that Bill was not truly gone, he couldn’t be gone.
Dipper felt the consoling touch of a golden tendril and finally let out a loud sob. What was he to do now that Bill was not here? Everything had changed so drastically during his time with the pirate, there was no way he could just return home like nothing had happened. There were things they had been planning to accomplish. He had promised Bill to help him find the truth to his inner monster, to help him enact his revenge, and to get his crew back. They were going to sail together across the seas, visit the land, and study all manner of species together. He squeezed Bill’s hand, pressing it harder against his cheek and let out another pitiful sob.
Although faint, golden threads of magic lay over Dipper’s shoulders, wrapping loosely around him as well as Bill. A thumb swiped gently along Dipper’s cheek, brushing away the steady stream of tears. The movements finally registered in Dipper’s head and he gasped, blinking away the tears and tightening his grip on Bill. The captain blinked slowly, his sclera still an uncomfortable shade of gray, but his irises were no longer a dull gold. Beautiful blues gazed back at Dipper, the captain’s brows drawn together in an expression of worry.
“Pine Tre-ugh!” Dipper tugged Bill into a tight hug, successfully stopping any attempt the captain might make to talk.
“Y-you idiot!” Dipper sobbed, “what the hell possessed you to try to take on the Kraken by yourself!? I could have lost you!” Dipper raged, his voice breaking towards the end, falling into softer tones. “What would I do without you?”
Bill stared wide-eyed at Dipper, a little confused as to why the siren was so upset. Tears continued to fall from Dipper eyes down onto Bill’s clothes, though it made little difference with how soaked through the captain still was. Dipper’s nose was pressed against Bill’s neck, arms clenched almost uncomfortably around him, like if he didn’t hold him tight enough Bill would disappear. Bill had seen Dipper get swallowed by the Kraken as he lay immobile on the deck of the ship. Whatever the monster had done when it hit him had rendered Bill completely useless, not even the beast’s strength and anger could break through.
“You’d think of something, love,” Bill finally responded, even if he knew Dipper hadn’t expected an answer.
Dipper pulled away from Bill, taking a shaky breath as he searched Bill’s face for anything that could be amiss. A crooked smile split the captain’s face and he lifted a hand to brush Dipper’s hair from his face. Finding nothing but Bill’s genuine gaze meeting his eyes, tears of relief welled up in Dipper’s eyes again, his shoulders drooping as the tension fled his body.
“Hey, hey,” Bill sat up, grunting slightly as pain shot through his ribs, “Don’t cry, did I do something wrong?”
“No, no of course not!” Dipper shot forward to kiss Bill, both hands leaving the captain’s sides to cup his face. “I just love you so much,” Dipper breathed the words as he pulled away from their kiss.
Bill’s heartbeat sped up at the words and no matter how he tried his voice still shook, “I love you too. I was so worried I was going to lose you.”
Dipper sniffled, tears still falling from his eyes. “Gods I’m a sap,” he brushed away tears with both hands, “let’s not die on each other anytime soon.”
Letting his hands fall from Dipper, Bill’s muscles went lax and he lay back on the deck. “I think I can manage that, or I’ll try to anyway.”
Dipper let out a watery chuckle and lay down next to Bill. “You’d better, or I might just have to learn necromancy.”
“Can you learn how to heal broken ribs first? Mine are kind of mangled at the moment,” Bill joked.
“Yeah, yeah I can do that. Foolish captain.”
“Hey, I’m your foolish captain.”