“Wow. When Tirek wants to blow something up, he doesn’t hold back,” said Bill as he, Twilight, and Spike stood before the charred tree stump that had once been the Golden Oaks Library.

“You can say that again,” said Spike.

Bill examined the tree stump. “You know something, though? This looks like the perfect place for me to set up my new castle!” he said.

“What?!” cried Spike and Twilight in shock and surprise.

“What? You’re not jealous that you won’t be the only one with a super-cool castle anymore, are you?” asked Bill in a teasing sort of manner. “Besides, if I’m going to run around this country willy-nilly looking for the keys to my wife’s temple, I’m gonna need a place to crash in the meantime. Now, let’s get rid of that problem area.”

Before Twilight or Spike could say anything against him, Bill snapped his fingers, causing the ruins of the library to disintegrate into sawdust and get blown away by the wind.

“And now for the potentially destructive part. You two might want to find a relatively sturdy structure. There’s no telling what could happen with the tectonic plates underneath the town considering what’s about to happen,” Bill told the stunned dragon and alicorn before he snapped his fingers again.

Almost instantly, the Earth began to shake and rumble as a gigantic black pyramid erupted from the ground. Before long, it stood higher than any building in Ponyville, including Twilight’s own castle. Finally, once the castle had reached its full height, a small mailbox labeled 618 popped up from the ground not far from the large front door.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” asked Bill, looking up at his handiwork.

“How… wha…?” stammered Twilight as she and her assistant stared at the black pyramid before them in shock.

“Well, now that my castle’s built, I think I’ll go and get myself moved in! See you in your dreams!” said Bill, tipping his hat before he flew through the wall of his castle, leaving a hole shaped like him for all of five seconds before the castle fixed itself, leaving the dumbfounded Twilight and Spike behind.

“Spike?” said Twilight, still staring at the pyramid before her in shock.

“Yes, Twilight?” said Spike.

“Make sure I keep Discord and Bill far, far away from each other. I have a funny feeling that Equestria won’t survive if those two come into contact with each other.”

“The feeling’s mutual, Twilight… the feeling’s mutual.”

…

Later that evening, Bill was lounging on his throne, playing Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets on his custom yellow-and-black Nintendo 3DS XL.

“Ooh, plot twist,” muttered Bill as he continued to play his video game.

“Having fun, Cipher?”

Bill stopped as he heard a young voice come from behind him. Turning his head around he saw a young boy standing there. He looked about twelve years old. He had slick black hair, he wore a butler's outfit and his eyes had reptilian slits for pupils with no irises. “Who the heck are you? How'd you get in here?”

The body chuckled and gave a polite bow. “My name is Symph, son of Symbol Shattered and personal agent of Roden Godswell, at your service.” He straightened himself. “As for how I got in here, that would be Rodens doing.”

‘Roden? Haven't seen him since the hospital.’ Bill floated out of his throne and shook the boy's hand. “Well it's a pleasure to meet ya Symph, so old man Roden sent you huh? How's old green doing these days?”

“He's doing fine, he's just a little busy nowadays with a few of his other displaced, my father is his apprentice so that's taken a lot of his time.”

Bill nodded and floated down to the ground. “So what does Green want you to do here exactly?”

“Master Roden sent me here to assist you, be a sidekick of sorts while you search for Miss Jacqueline.”

Bill scratched his chin in thought. “I don't know, what can ya do?”

Symph smirked and his body became all black, the White of his eyes glowing. His fingers shaped into claws and he grew four black tendrils out of his back, his hair also became spiked. “A little something passed down from my father.”

Bill smiled wickedly and summoned a group of Timberwolves. “I'm feeling a little bored, see if you can destroy those things.” Bill floated in the air and summoned a bucket of tooth shaped popcorn.

Symph glared at the wolves before disappearing. He appeared beside a wolf and swiped a claw at it, leaving a white scrape Mark in the air and slicing the wolf. He turned to a charging wolf and shot a tendril into it, smashing it to pieces.

A wolf jumped him and clamped its jaw onto his torso. Symph grunted and punched it, shattering it into splinters. As he stared down the last two wolves he opened his hands and summoned a white fireball in each palm. Within seconds the wolves were devastated by two magical blasts.

Bill clapped his hands in approval. “Oh yes, this I can use!”

Symph returned to his normal self and dusted off his outfit. “Well, that was a nice little exercise.” He looked down to the bite mark on his torso, multiple tiny holes in his skin that were filled with a black liquid that repaired his flesh.

Bill noticed this and raised a brow. “What are you exactly? You definitely aren't human.”

Symph smiled. “I am indeed no human, nor am I a displaced. I am a Symbiote, my father created me while researching the creation of other Symbiotes. My body is made of black liquid and I can merge with another being's body to regain strength and give that person a power boost if need be.”

“Sounds to me like you are gonna make a great sidekick.” Bill looked around and frowned. “Nothing to do, c’mon Symph, let's go mess with these ponies in their dreams.” Symph rolled his eyes and his body became black, he collapsed into a puddle of black liquid that jumped onto Bill and faded into his body.

‘Try not to cause too much havoc Cipher, we don't need to be on the Princess's bad side this early on.’ Bill could hear Symph inside his head.

“Fine fine, doesn't mean I'm not gonna cause a bit of chaos though.”

…

Spike stood on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean, the dragon himself looking grand and triumphant in battle armor with a sword at his waist and a red cape fluttering in the breeze behind him. He finally had everything he’d ever wanted; respect, glory, and most importantly, his parents and the girl of his dreams, Rarity Belle, who was clad in her own battle armor and who he was now holding in his arms.

“You’re my hero, Spikey-Wikey,” she whispered to him with her eyes closed, apparently listening to her lover’s heartbeat.

“We’re so proud of you, son,” a gruff voice said from nearby.

Spike looked over his shoulder to see a red dragon with green spines like Spike’s and a soft blue dragoness with Spike’s eyes were standing right behind him, pride evident on their faces.

Suddenly, time stopped completely. Confused, Spike looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. He didn’t have to wait long, however, before an all too familiar voice rang out.

“Ugh, this dream makes me want to puke up my new sidekick. Why must there always be a happy ending?”

“Where are you, Bill?” asked Spike.

“Down here.”

Spike looked down at Rarity, only to find Bill there instead, which needless to say, scared the crap out of him and sent him sprawling to the ground as the dream changed around him into a black void.

“H-how did you get in here? How did you get into my dreams?” demanded Spike.

“Haven’t you been paying attention to the story, Spike? I’m a dream demon, the Master of The Mind. Getting into people’s dreams is what I do,” explained Bill. “And you know what else I do when I’m in people’s dreams, Spikey-Wikey? I MAKE THEM NIGHTMARES!”

With wave of his black-clawed hands, Bill turned the black void into Spike’s worst nightmare. Gone were his parents, battle armor, and physique, and instead he wore his normal clothes. It was suddenly the middle of the night during a powerful thunderstorm. Spike’s belongings were piled up outside the front door of Twilight’s castle, where Princess Twilight herself stood.

“...you don’t know how painful this is for me, Spike, to have to fire you and kick you out of the house,” said Twilight, her eyes shut in determination. “But, ever since Bill Cipher rolled into town, he’s been so much more enjoyable to be around. And well, he needed a job, so I gave him yours.”

“Wh-what?! Twilight, please, don’t!” begged Spike.

Bill walked up beside Twilight, snapped his fingers and made a cup of tea appear. “More tea, Miss?” asked Bill, casting Spike a wicked grin that Twilight didn’t seem to notice.

“No, thank you, Bill, I’m fine,” said Twilight.

“As you wish, your majesty,” said Bill before he entered the castle.

“My point is, Bill’s just so much more useful than you are, and plus I don’t have to feed him and take care of him. I’m sure you’ll understand what I mean. Good-bye, Spike.”

And with that, Twilight turned on her heel and returned to the castle, locking the door behind her. Spike ran towards the door and started banging on it. “No, Twilight, please, don’t do this! I don’t know what I did wrong, but I promise you I’ll do anything to make it right! Twilight, please don’t leave me!” cried Spike, finally falling to his knees.

“I need you…”

…

Three Hours and Five Nightmares Later…

Princess Twilight was sitting in a vast library, reading a mountain of books in hopes of finding something that would help them keep Bill under control, but so far she had found nothing that would help… at all.

“Princess Twilight, are you all right?”

Twilight turned around to find a tall, dark blue alicorn with a shimmering dark blue mane and tail wearing full combat armor with a fluttering blue cape behind her.

“Princess Luna? What are you doing here?” asked Twilight, noticing the concerned look on the elder alicorn’s face.

“We’ve sensed someone or something very powerful running loose, turning your friends dreams into nightmares, forcing them to experience their deepest, darkest fears while they sleep. They may come after you next,” explained Luna. “In all my life I’ve never heard of a being powerful enough to actually manipulate the mindscape in such a way. I may be able to enter the dreams of ponies, but I can’t actually alter them.”

“You can’t… but I can.”

Luna and Twilight looked behind them to find Bill walking down a nearby staircase, a smug look on his face.

“Nice subconscious you have here, Twilight,” said Bill. “Very fitting for a nerd such as yourself.”

Luna drew her rapier and aimed it directly at Bill’s chest. “Who or what are you?” she demanded to know of the strange creature before her.

“Oh, forgive me, Princess Luna, where are my manners? Name’s Bill Cipher, dream demon extraordinaire and the undisputed Master of The Mind,” said Bill, tipping his hat to the Lunar Princess, and as a result, caused the entire world of the dream to turn sideways and caused a lot of books to fall on top of the two Princesses, burying them. While Luna managed to pull herself out of the book pile, Twilight on the other hand was a little dazed and confused as her head poked out of the pile.

Luna again aimed her rapier at Bill. “I suggest you leave this dream immediately, unless you want to be forced out in pieces,” she threatened the man in yellow, who merely chuckled.

“You really think you can defeat me? I’m the Master of The Mind. I can predict your first move before you even-URK!” said Bill as Luna impaled him on her sword.

YEOWCH! Watch the swords, there, Bill! I told you not to get on the Princesses’ bad side! yelled Symph inside Bill’s mind.

Well, too late for that, Bill replied in his mind before he spoke aloud. “Oh, will you look at that? I’ve been impaled… AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! PAIN IS HILARIOUS!” he laughed causing a look of concern to cross Princess Luna’s face for a brief moment. “In any case, it is so on!”

And on that note, Bill’s cane turned into a gleaming black katana, which he aimed at Princess Luna, who used her magic to pull her sword out of Bill, leaving a hole in his chest that quickly healed itself, leaving only the small patch of blood and the hole in Bill’s suit.

“Shall we dance, your highness?” sneered Bill as he and Luna glared into  each other’s eyes.

“Gladly,” said Luna, making the first move and swinging her rapier at Bill, a blow he almost casually blocked. Backward and forward the two immortals dueled, neither one of them gaining an edge over the other, all while Princess Twilight watched in awe.

“Time to change things up a bit!” said Bill, snapping his fingers with his free hand and summoning two duplicates of himself as he ran up the library. “Let’s see how you deal with multiple foes, Lunie!”

“Don’t you dare call that!” snarled Luna as she began to fight the doubles while Bill watched in amusement. Lucky for Luna, the doubles weren’t nearly as skilled as the original and went down fairly quickly. Once the last duplicate vanished in a puff of smoke, Bill started to get concerned as he began to sense the raw power coming from Luna.

Run! Damn it, Bill run! urged Symph as Luna advanced on Bill and swung her sword again, cutting deeply across Bill’s chest, a wound which quickly healed itself. Luna then used a spell called the “Sword’s Dance Spell” which caused at least seven swords to appear out of thin air. With a point from Luna’s rapier, the swords launched themselves at Bill, each on finding its mark, causing Bill to fall onto his knees.

And yet, Bill Cipher was somehow still alive, although Symph had certainly seen better days.

Oh, why did I let myself become your sidekick? the symbiote groaned.

Because Roden told you to. In any case, I think I’ve had my fun for now, said Bill.

Thank God!

With that, the bloodied man in yellow snapped his fingers, causing the swords, Bill’s injuries, the damage to his suit, and even the library itself to vanish, leaving behind nothing but himself, Luna, Twilight, and a white void.

“I’m impressed with your skills in swordplay, Luna. You might actually come in useful later. But, for now, I think I’ll take my leave,” said Bill a shimmering white glow surrounding him. “Remember: reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold, BYE!!!”

And, in a flash of white light, Bill disappeared.

“That was amazing, Princess Luna,” said Twilight.

“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Hopefully this is the last we’ll see of that Bill Cipher character,” said Luna, sheathing her sword.

“Actually, Luna, I kind of doubt that… he’s just set up his own castle on top of the ruins of the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville.

“WHAT?!”

Twilight began to explain what had happened earlier that day. As she finished, Luna grabbed Twilight by the shoulders.

“Listen to me very carefully, Twilight Sparkle. You MUST find out what Bill Cipher’s weakness is. And until you do, do not let him out of your sight. Do you understand?” said Luna.

“Yes,” said Twilight.

“Good. I will return to Canterlot and alert my sister to Bill’s presence. In the meantime, Twilight… sweet dreams.”

And with that, Luna vanished into thin air.

Next Chapter: Meeting Princess Celestia Estimated time remaining: 48 Minutes