A Friend (Stanford Pines x Reader)

Screams

"So this is how the world ends," Ford said, mostly to himself as he stared up at the orange sky. "Not with a bang, but with a... boopboop."

Before you could question the observation, a swarm of crows swooped down from above, followed by a group of fleeing woodland creatures. When they passed, Ford picked Dipper up off of the ground and dusted him off. "The rift is shattered," he explained, taking you by the hand. "Bill's world is seeping into ours, and every minute his power goes stronger." He knew exactly what was happening and what circumstances you were in, and the realization sent chills down your spine.

When Ford finished speaking, Dipper's eyes widened. "Mabel! The rift must have cracked inside her backpack! She must be in danger! I have to go find her!" Dipper turned, preparing himself to go sprint off in the woods before Ford pulled him back. He grabbed the adolescent by the shoulder and turned him around. Dipper stared back up at Ford with wide, terrified eyes. "Dipper, listen to me! We can find your sister soon, but first, we have to stop Bill. If we can blast him back through the rip he came out of, we might be able to stop him before his weirdness spreads across the entire globe." 

"Are you sure defeating Bill is even possible?" Dipper asked. Ford dropped down to his nephew's height. "No," he admitted. "I'm not sure. But being a hero means fighting back, even when it seems impossible. Will you follow me?" Dipper's brown hair danced in the gusts of winds caused by the weirdness. Every second mattered now. He stared up into his fierce uncle's eyes. "To the ends of the earth."

You stared into the woods, at war with yourself. The trees that enveloped your home for the past forty years suddenly seemed unwelcoming and threatening. Mabel was out there, right now, all alone. You wouldn't allow it. "Ford, take Dipper. Stop Bill." You turned back to look at him with a steady resolve. "I'll go look for Mabel." 

"What?" Ford blinked at you in confusion. "No, Y/N. That's insanely dangerous! What if something happens?" You took his hands in yours and squeezed. You shook your head. Nothing, not even his protests, could change your mind now. "What if something happens to her? Ford, this isn't a request. It's a statement. I'm going to look for her."

Ford shook his head and sighed. He took a step forward and leaned in. He kissed you, and you kissed back, trying to ignore the anxiety that radiated from it. When you pulled away, Ford met your eyes. "Come home to me, Y/N. Please."

You lingered there for a moment longer, hand in hand, then turned and made your way into the forest. With every step, you felt more like an intruder. Like the trees were aware of your presence, and they didn't want you there. You partially expected something to jump out from the bushes and grab you, but nothing did. Despite the moaning of the trees, the winds, and your ragged breathing, there was nothing. 

Your intuition was your only guide. She could've been anywhere, and the woods stretched out for miles. How far could she have possibly gone? you asked yourself. She's twelve. How fast can she travel?

Images flashed through your mind, unbidden. Images of Mabel lost or hurt or worse. Shuddering, you shook your head to clear it. You couldn't worry about such things right now. You had to focus all of your power into finding her, but the deeper you went, the more impossible that felt.

Peals of ghoulish laughter broke into the chorus of noises you had grown used to. You stopped moving, blood turning to ice in your veins. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on-end. You were a goner. As good as dead. You were sure of it. Slowly, you turned around. 

You weren't expecting a creature with such a threatening laugh to be so small. The blue demon before you was about as tall as your waist, bouncing in place with delight as he looked you up and down. A gaping, key-like hole in his forehead was his most prominent feature. He clapped and cheered. "Oh, Bill will love this!" he cackled. "Come with me no struggle, and this won't get ugly."

"I'm not afraid of you," you retorted. With sickening dread, you realized you were unarmed. You cursed yourself, but didn't dwell on it further. This was a being of the Nightmare Realm you were dealing with. Would a weapon even be beneficial in this situation? But it didn't matter, and his grin didn't fade. "Do your worst."

The being rolled his eyes. "They all say that," he sighed. "Fair enough!" He snapped his fingers. 

Your body stopped working. You looked down. Stone travelled up your legs like vines clawing hungrily into the side of an abandoned building, snaking their way up your shoes, around your calves, and consuming your thighs. Whipping your head up, your eyes landed on something you were familiar with. An eye bat had its pupil trained on you. It was turning you to stone. 

All of the strength and resolve you had slipped away, and before you could stop yourself, you screamed. Loud and guttural, and you screamed until you couldn't anymore. You screamed until the world went dark. 

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter and for the gap in updates. I've been busy lately, but I will continue to consistently update. Thank you for the continued support!