Dipper's eyes shot open. He tried to breathe but vomited instead. Water flooded from his nose and mouth. He tried to look around but more water came up. He couldn't stop. After a few more heaves and coughs he finally felt like it was of his system and he sat back hard, holding his stomach and wincing. His head, neck and stomach were all throbbing and he shivered. He was wet and it was dark. Moonlight streamed through the trees overhead. How long had they been down in that water?
He sat there shivering for a moment. With a slight movement he brushes against something cold 'MABEL!'
His heart shattered as he looked next to him and saw that his sister was with him but… She was gone…
She looked cold, small, lifeless, but so peaceful in a way. The former girl that she was had completely disappeared though. Even through his pain he was surprised at how un-Mabel-like she looked in death. All her former energy had been extinguished by those monsters.
He just stared at her as tears started to flow down his cheeks. Dipper felt empty inside. Like all the life and feeling and emotion he'd had before had just simply drained away with the events with the Kelpies. He felt used up, like a deflated balloon.
"Mabel.. No Mabel.. Please.."
He whispered. The pain in his throat where the lead Kelpie had choked him prevented his voice from being any louder than that. It didn't matter. She couldn't hear him anymore anyway.
With a hoarse sob he gathered her into his arms, cradling his precious sister. More tears streamed down his face. He squeezed her close to him nuzzling her, even though she couldn't feel it.
"T-this is all my fault."
He squeaked out hoarsely.
If he had just got an extra pack and carried the fucking tent or something. Why did he leave her alone? Why?
In his reverie he felt something press softly into the side of his leg and heard a quiet snort. Dipper wiped his eyes and looked down. Waddles was staring at him with plaintive eyes. He was pressing his head against his leg. Something was in his mouth. THE MESSENGER BAG WITH THE JOURNALS!
With shaking hands he grabbed the first journal out of the bag with his handheld black light and flipped through the pages till he found the entry he wanted with the word 'Kelpies' scrawled across it.
His fingers trembled as he flicked on the black light. The word 'IVY' was scribbled across both pages in thick lettering.
Dipper's mind reeled. Rub it on her? Running a hand through his wet hair he quickly skimmed through the entry.
"KELPIES, a race of fish horse creatures that call their victims to a stream and trick them into drown in it so they can feast on their flesh and soul. Should someone chance to stumble into their realm in search of something they will have to outsmart the Kelpies to escape or they will be engulfed in seaweed. Near the streams of a Kelpies' domain grows ivy that can revive a drowned body so long as not more than two hours have passed."
Wincing he looked over the pages more. In small letters he noticed a phrase repeated a few times in invisible writing. "Make them eat it."
With a start he looked around, trying to be calm but failing horribly. He noticed they were IN the stuff! Ivy was all around them; growing up the tree trunks with its curling fingers and lining the entire length of the stream along either side. He had to admit he was slightly perplexed but there was no time to think.
Grabbing a handful of leaves he shoved it into his mouth and chewed for a minute then pulled the wad of plant from his mouth and gently pried open Mabel's. It wasn't easy. In the process he'd started to cry again.
He'd finally managed to get her mouth closed around the chewed up ivy. He simply held her close to his chest again, still crying, hoping against hope.
"Please. Please please…"
Dipper whimpered. A minute passes. Two minutes pass. Nothing happened. His face broke into a mask of pain and he began to sob again openly. The realization of what has happened finally hits him. She's gone. She's gone forever and there's nothing he can do.
He's lost in his pain. It was like a hot knife was stabbing into his chest and the heat spread to his fingertips. It hurt so badly that he cried loudly, howling to the forest with his loss.
He looked around, not knowing what to do in his agony and noticed Waddles was starting at Mabel fixedly. With a sniff he looked down at her. Maybe it was the light but, she looked different somehow.
What was happening?
With a hard jerk he's pushed from his sister as her arms shot out to her sides. Just like he had done, Mabel began to expel water. Like a crap-ton of it.
A smile touched the corner of his lips and his heart felt like it was beating again. He was shaking all over. She was alive. He'd saved her… He'd saved her.
He squeezed her close to him as she tried to push him off as she retched up more water but he didn't care. He held her to him. She tried to push him off again but he continued to cling desperately to her.
After one more gag of water Mabel went limp in his arms, trembling and shivering. Her breaths were ragged. Unbeknownst to Dipper, she was still conscious but she may as well not have been since she wasn't really all there. She just lay limply in his arms; her brain trying to form cohesive thoughts.
Dipper simply squeezed her and cradled her still shaking and trembling as well. He was coming down from the adrenaline rush slightly and felt dizzy and he wanted to throw up again. He fought back the urge to gag. He simply continued to hold her, still trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.
The girl felt something kind of smooth against her cheek. Or well, maybe not exactly smooth. It was nylon. It felt like nylon. She opened her eyes and saw a gentle stream gleaming in the moonlight. For some reason the sight made her stomach drop out and she was filled with an icy dread, even though she was already cold. She closed her eyes again tightly so she didn't have to look at it anymore. She was positively freezing, shivering uncontrollably and soaking wet.
Weakly, she gripped the fabric beneath her fingers, thoroughly enjoying the warmth against her cheek, hearing a heartbeat. She sighed softly, letting the warm comfort of that heartbeat spread all the way to her fingertips and toes.
Dipper realized she might be awake but he had no idea what to say or do. He was just so flabbergasted that she was even there with him at all. So he continued to just hold her. He began rocking back and forth gently under the cold moonlight.
She was still enjoying the warmth and heartbeat and now there was gentle movement. She let out a soft hum of contentment at the feeling and quietly began to wonder where she was exactly and who she was with. She clung more tightly to the warm stranger and pressed her cheek harder into their chest.
Dipper felt the movement and was sure she was awake now. He had to say something. He had to address what had just happened. He could not pretend it didn't anymore, as nice as those few moments were. With a shaking breath his voice cut the silence.
"How are you feeling?" It sounded stupid in his head and even stupider when he said it. But at least it was something. He felt extremely surprised to hear his own voice soft but clear as a bell and not raspy. The pain in his throat and neck were gone too. He was utterly confused about this but glad nonetheless.
Mabel's head throbbed and she heard a soft voice say something. It sounded like a question. Then she recognized it and mumbled through chattering teeth
"Dipper?…" It was a question. Her brain started to churn again and red flags ping off one by one inside her head; forcing clarity through her pounding headache.
"Where's Dipper?" She was so confused.
Dipper felt worried. She was really messed up. His eyebrows pushed together again and he had to repress the urge to cry. Taking in another deep breath he calmed himself for the sake of his sister.
"I'm r-right here, Mabes. See?" He pushed her away just enough so she could see his face and forced a smile for her.
"I'm here. I've got you." He repeated shakily, almost more to himself then her.
She relaxed again, most of her anxiety subsiding. Quietly she clung to him again and squeezed him tighter, wrapping her arms around his torso fumblingly. Her cheek rubbed against his warm chest and she sighed his name.
He didn't want to disturb her so for a moment he just let her relax there. But nagging feelings forced him to pipe up once again.
"Do.. Uhh.. Do you remember what happened?" He winced again. God why couldn't he figure out something better to say? Mentally he slapped himself.
Her brain was sluggish and she was loathing the idea using it. She'd much rather just lay here quietly with her bro bro; as cold as she was. She didn't wanna think about well, anything actually.
"I.. D-don't.." She stammered, still shivering.
Dipper sighed. He felt relieved and worried at the same time. He didn't want to tell her and he was glad she couldn't remember but on the other hand he HAD to tell her. She had DIED and she would want to know that she had died. He didn't want her to feel like she didn't know what had happened for the rest of her life.
A soft snort startled him and he gasped. Luckily it was just Waddles again. He let out a hiss of relief.
"Oh man you scared the crap out of me. Whatcha got there, buddy?"
One of the blobs glittered in the moonlight and was lighter than the other one. THEIR BACKPACKS! A sob of gratefulness caught in Dipper's throat when he realized that now they wouldn't die of hypothermia. They had everything they needed.
A few tears squeezed out of his eyes as he reached out to caress the big floppy ears fondly. He would take care of this damn pig for the rest of his days, he thought. From that moment he resolved that he would make sure no harm would EVER come to Waddles. He would always get the best of care. He owed this pig everything. With a jolt he realized without Waddles' help, Mabel wouldn't be.. wouldn't be..
He sniffed hard and looked down at his sister and held her close. She shivered hard. His face filled with worry, Dipper quickly grabbed for her pack and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes and a blanket. Actually, there were like four blankets in there. There was also lots of candy and a two stuffed animals. He shook his head and despite him not wanting it to happen, he smiled and a single tear slid down his cheek. 'God dammit Mabel.' He thought.
Getting back to his task, he quickly undressed her. It wasn't easy at first. She was mumbling and fighting him a bit, trying to clutch at his chest and hang there almost like some kind of baby animal. It wasn't until he told her in an urgent voice that he had to undress her or they might.. Well he didn't actually finish the thought but she got the point and with a slump she stopped struggling. He lay her down on the blanket, naked and she shivered again. With shaking hands he managed to dress her in a thick pair of stockings and the warmest of the three sweaters she had.
Now that his task was over with he suddenly felt very tired. He wasn't shivering as hard now either. Alarm bells went off in his head and he quickly stripped grabbing warm clothing from his own pack and dressed as quickly as his numb fingers would allow.
He wrapped another blanket around his sister's now sleeping form. He reached underneath it and touched her hand. It was warming up. It was still cold but it was warmer for sure. He relaxed slightly. She would be okay and so would he now; at least physically. He felt tired and sluggish. Slowly with trial and error he managed to get Mabel in the two sleeping bags he'd brought for both of them; zipping them together to form one big one.
With a small smile he called to Waddles and wrapped him in the other two blankets, deciding he would instead go without and just curl up with Mabel in the sleeping bag. Waddles needed the blankets more. And even if he didn't, Dipper owed them to him.
He slid himself in the sleeping bag next to his sister hemming her in. Waddles was on one side lying next to them. Him on the other, making sure she was warm and safe. Dipper pressed his face into the back of her neck, spooning her. A few tears of gratefulness squeezed from his eyes as he lay there listening to Mabel's quiet, calm breaths.
Sleep eluded him. Every time his eyelids would close he would think he heard a noise. A swirl of water? A snap of breaking pine needles? It was torture. Until finally and mercifully, he fell asleep, holding his lover close.