"Day Dream Demon"

Will tried to walk as quickly as he could down the grand stairs of the Gleeful mansion. He had been in this human physical form for a while now, but it still took some getting used to. Besides, with only one eye, his depth perception was terrible. He really had to watch and be alert so he wouldn't trip down the stairs again. He held the broom and dustpan awkwardly in one arm, with a death grip on the rail with the other, and focused on putting each foot on the correct step in front of him.

He reached the last step and took a breath of relief—he made it. He let go of the dust pan, but before it could fall, with a wave of his hand, he caught it with him magic and lowered it to the ground. He hummed quietly as he began to seep the downstairs main rooms. It would take a while, but he didn't mind. Chores like this gave him time to think, and hum, and look out windows when nobody was looking, and wonder what it was like outside today, was it nice or a little warm, are the birds singing—"

"Cipher, what are you doing?" A sharp voice whipped out. Will cringed and almost dropped his broom.

"Just sweeping, Mistress," he answered meekly.

"No you weren't, you were just standing there, staring off again. Look at me, and don't you dare lie!" Will reluctantly turned to face his mistress. She was about his height, but she wore bright blue stilettos, which made her seem taller. They almost made her look much older than her 12 years. But then, the incredulity short skirt, black leggings and tight shirt over her chest also made her look more like 16 then 12 years old. It was her eyes though, that really made her look aged. They were brilliant deep blue, and they would have been beautiful, but you couldn't miss the cruelty in them. They were hard and cold, more so than any gem that could have been compared to them. "Answer me!" she snapped.

"I was just thinking, Mistress. I'm sorry I stopped my work, I'll get right—"

Mabel, for that was the girl's name, laughed cruelly. "You, thinking? I didn't think you had it in you." Will didn't know what was a safe response to that, so he kept his mouth shut. With a toss of her head, she flung her waist length hair back. "Does Grunkle Ford need you anytime this afternoon?"

"No, Mistress, I'm just supposed to clean until your show later. Do you need me to do something?"

"Yes," she drawled, "I was supposed to go out with Candy and Grenda, but their families are making them go do some family bonding time. Some lame fishing thing. I don't want to tag along, and I can't go by myself."

"Oh," Will's eyes and voice perked up. "You want me to go with you? Mistress, it will be such fun—"

Mabel's laugh cut him off. "You should see your face, so hopeful and happy. It's pathetic." She reached out and bopped him on the end of his slightly turned up nose, causing him to wince. "No, you idiot, I don't want to go fishing. Can you imagine me, in this outfit," she paused and gestured to herself, "going fishing?" She continued before he could come up with an answer. "Don't worry though; we can still get some bonding time in." Will began to have a sinking feeling in his stomach. "I need to practice my knife throwing skills, and I need someone," she leaned menacingly forward and that sinking felling was definitely there now, "to be the target."

Will gripped his broom tightly with both hands. "Mistress," he began with suddenly dry lips, "I have to clean the house. Headmaster Ford will—"

"Will get over, the house not being free of dust bunnies for a day." She reached out and slid two of her fingers underneath the bright blue manacle he wore around his wrist. "Come along; let's go play."

"But I still need to wash all the windows, mop, do the laundry—"

"Cipher," she let go of his manacle and rubbed her first two fingers against her thumb. "Do I need to snap my fingers?" She asked darkly.

Will lowered his eyes and absently rubbed at the chains links on both of his wrists. "No, Mistress."

"Then obey me, and come on." She spun around and started down the hallway for the stairs leading to the basement. With a resigned sigh, Will followed.

Will was trying his best to be as still as possible, but it was really hard to keep completely still when someone is throwing knifes at you. Particularly if that person is using a hand mirror to throw them backward over her shoulder. "You are shaking too much, hold still!" she ordered for what had to be the fifth time.

"I'm trying, but your knives are getting really close. That last one clipped my hair."

"That's the point, you stupid demon. I want to get as close to your stupid face as possible. Now shut your stupid mouth, and for the last time hold still, or I will make you be still. Understand!?"

"Yes, Mistress." Will closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, bracing himself. He had an assortment of knifes around his head but no blood had been drawn yet. Will really wanted to keep it that way. He heard the sounds of her motion as she wound up and threw. But unfortunately, he opened his eye to measure its trajectory, and saw that it was slightly off. With a shriek, he dodged out of the way.

"Will!" Mabel swirled around, furious. "You deliberately moved! What have I told you about that?"

"But, Mistress, the knife. It would have hit me."

"Then you stand there and take it!" She screeched. She breathed heavily for a moment, fists clenched and staring daggers at him. "You will be punished for your disobedience. Come here." She reached up and touched the jewel embedded in her headband. As it started to glow, she waved her hands in front of her body and a small rod appeared between her hands. It was about ten centimeters long and about one centimeter across. As Will slowly approached her, he couldn't help but be a little impressed at her skill. Sure, he could do magic too, but she was much better at it than he was. And her brother…well, he was in a whole different league. He stopped moving though, when her blue flames crept out of her palms and into the rod turning it red hot. "I said, 'come here'." Maple didn't take her eyes off the rod as she focused.

"Mistress, please, I'm sorry. I promise I won't disobey you again. Please, Mistress, have mercy, I didn't mean to move." It felt like his mouth had a mind of its own, he couldn't stop talking. He couldn't move either; all he could do was stare and the now glowing red hot rod in growing dread.

Without looking at him, Mabel snapped her fingers. Will fell a sharp, shearing pain on both wrists from his chains, and he yelled as they jerked him forward the rest of the way to stand before his angry capturer. "Please, please, please, Mistress, I'm sorry. Please forgive me, I'm sorry, so sorry—"

"Hold out your hands. Palms up." Her voice as flat and completely devoid of emotion besides fury.

"Mistress, please, I beg you. I'm sorry I'm stupid and forgetful and slow. Please, I'll do better—"

She snapped her fingers again and his hands were jerked up, to her desired height. "Flip your palms over."

Trembling, he did as she commanded. "Mistress—Mistress, please—please don't. He could feel tears sliding down his face, but he didn't care. His voice was somewhere close to undignified groveling and begging, but that also didn't matter right now.

"Hold them out flat."

"Mistress, please—please don't, I'm sorry; please stop, I'm sorry." He closed his eyes at the last second and braced himself.

The pain was terrible. He screamed and his knees buckled, dropping him to the floor. The only thing that was still supported him was the chains still holding his palms up. He screamed and pressed his eyes against his arm, trying to brace against the pain in his palms. After what felt like forever to him, the chains allowed his hands to fall, also allowing him to slump against the cold floor. He curled up on his side and brought his hands up to his face.

His palms were terrible; blistering, black and red marks covered them. He couldn't move his fingers at all. He brought his painful hands up t his face, and taking a deep breath, got ready to flow his healing power on them.

"Did I say you could heel them?" Her voice was cold as ice.

Will was having trouble thinking through the pain. "No, Mistress, but my hands..."

"This might help drill it home that you always obey me. Always obey me, no matter what." She reached down, and with a flash of her blade, nicked him on the ear. "There, see? Your disobedience got you nothing. Well, nothing but pain."

"Yes, Mistress," Will murmured. He was having a really hard time following her words. He felt something shift in the air around him though. Not so much in the physical plane, but on the magical side. It felt kind of like a vibration though the magic around him.

Mabel felt it too. "Perfect timing; Grunkle Ford wants you. You better go."

With much difficulty, Will focused and turned his inner eye to where he knew Headmaster Ford would be in the study. Teleportation was difficult anyway, but in his condition, it was much harder. With as little as effort as possible, he allowed himself to fall through his hole in reality to the study.

Will crashed onto his side as he fell though. He lay, there trying to push through the pain. It felt like it was getting worse. The cold floor of the underground study felt nice against his cheek, and just laying there for the rest of the afternoon felt like a good idea. He was vaguely aware of someone calling his name, but it was so hard to focus through the roaring in his ears, so he just laid there. He gradually realized that a pair of nice, expensive dress shoes came into his field of vision on the floor and the deep, sophisticated voice familiar. "Good blazes, what have they done now."

Will felt himself shifted over, and his head was propped up on something. He tried to resist when he felt his wrists being lifted up, out of fear of being in more pain. "Stop it, Cipher." The voice commanded and Will instantly obeyed. It wasn't just the tone and shear will behind that voice, but he had obeyed that voice for so long now he felt like it was second nature to submit. He heard the voice grunt in disapproval. "Why haven't you regenerated your hands yet?"

"Wouldn't let me," mumbled Will. He wasn't sure if it was coherent or not.

He heard the voice make a sound of disapproval deep in his throat. Will felt something press against his palm, but before he could react to it, he felt the warm, soothing power of healing flow into it. Will breathed easy and relaxed. For the moment at least, he was not in danger.

Once the first hand was done, the same thing happened to the other one. As he was healed, Will opened his eye to take stock of precisely where he was. He felt a shock as he realized he was leaning against his Headmaster's leg, with his Headmaster crouching over him. He quickly dropped his eye from looking at his Headmaster's face. Headmaster was very firm that a dream demon should never take the initiative to look in his master's eyes without permission. Instead he focused on the six-fingered gloved hand pressed up against his, healing it. When that was done, he felt his head tilted to one side. "She got your ear too? What is she thinking?"

Will signed in satisfaction as his ear was healed as well. With a wave of the gloved hand, the blood in his hair and dripping down his face disappeared in puff of blue smoke. Will felt his chin grabbed, and his face was turned from one side to the other, to check for anymore damage. "Are you harmed anywhere else?"

"No, Headmaster."

"Good."

As the hand removed itself from Will's face, Will reached out and quickly brought it to his lips, lightly kissing it. "Thank you, Headmaster. I appreciate your kindness in—"

He was cut off as the hand flicked him hard in the mouth. "Don't be weak, Cipher. 'Kindness' has nothing to do with it. You can't help me with my research if you are about to pass out from pain on the floor. The leg Will was leaning against suddenly moved, causing Will to almost bang his head on the floor. "Now come along; we have much to do."

"Yes, Headmaster." Will scrambled to his feet and meekly followed him to the work bench.

Author's Note

Shipping: I don't write with the intention to ship anyone with anyone else. I know Will/Dipper and Will/Ford ships are a major part of Reverse Falls, but that's not really my thing. Because of this, I write so the relationship between them can be seen as platonic, but still a little on the 'shippy' side. So if Will/Dipper and Will/Ford ships are your thing, hopefully this will still satisfy you.

Welcome to my first 'real' fanfiction! I have had this idea for Reverse Falls in my head for about 6 months now, and even have the most of the entire first season mapped out. I worked on this on and off, with the intention of putting it up 'sometime' in the future. Well, I realize now that if I ever want to actually finish this, I need some kind of accountability. So even though this is nowhere near perfect, I'm going to go ahead and put it up.

That being said, I would really, really appreciate reviews. Partly, because I see this as practice for my writing. So if anyone sees any typos, grammar mistakes, confusing sentence structure, ect. please tell me. Hey, even if you just have writing advice, I'll take it.
Also, like I said earlier, I need accountability. I am aiming to update about once every week or two. But it really is motivating to know people are actually reading and enjoying this.

Thanks in advance for reading this, and double thanks for any likes, favorites, follows, and reviews!