Mimi still knocked on the door the next day. Fenrik was behind her, in human form, and did not look pleased.

"Fen!" Mabel beamed, "Knew I'd be seein' ya again!"

"Mm," Fen looked down at the child. Mimi had told him what her response had been. It made him even more reluctant to teach.

He turned and walked out into the yard. When he was finished transforming he turned back to Mabel, "Get on my back."

"Can't you just tell me what I need to know here?"

He growled, "Get. On."

Mabel rolled her eyes and thumped her feet, dragging them over to where the dire wolf lay. She almost disappeared in the fir as she climbed onto his back. When she sat up she was still barely visible.

Fenrik turned back to Ford and Stan, "I will return her before nightfall."

They watched him lop away and Mimi turned to Dipper.

"Are you ready?"

Dipper shook his head, "No, but I've got to start somewhere."

()

Mabel scowled as she slid off Fenriks back. He had taken her to the other side of the lake. No one was around and there was a steep edge that dropped a good twenty feet before it reached water. The trees and vegetation grew right up to the edge.

"Tell me how you learned your powers and tell me what you do," Fenrik sat, his tail curled around his paws, "Leave nothing out."

Mabel sat and dangled her feet above the water.

"Crap happened and I ended up giving a dream demon a rift in time space. In exchange he gave me an 'endless summer'. What it really was, was my own personal fantasy land. I was in charge of everything. I had all the power there. But the power was really Bills. He was lending me the power. By interacting with all the things the power could create, I began to piece together how demons worked. I realized that the deal was struck and because there wasn't any actual contract with it, the demon could do whatever he wanted. He tortured Dippers body because Dipper wasn't specific in the definition of what a 'puppet' was and Bill only said he'd give him a clue, he never said he'd give Dipper the password to the computer. In the end, Bill did hold up his side of the bargain, but it wasn't what was perceived by both parties. Demons are clever and their lies are hidden in a thousand truths. So, after Dipper and the others saved me from the fantasy land, I began to really focus on what lies and truths my dreams would tell me. I had nightmares for months before I found out how to change them…I guess it all started there. I found out a way to reconstruct my own dreams. From there I found a way to open my own mindspace and look at my own memories. From there it was easy to jump into Dippers head. I was surprised to find that it was-"

"Don't."

"What?" Mabel looked up at Fenrik. The wolf shook his head.

"I do not need to know what their mindspace looks like. That is personal information and should not be shared lightly."

"Oh…ok…well, anyway, I couldn't find his memories anywhere in his head, which was a real bummer. And then I thought, why can't I go into other peoples heads? And through trial and error I found out that I could only enter the head of someone else if I know their name and their face. Stage names don't work either. That's how I found out that my favorite actor, Jason Belmont, is a fake name. I also found out that I couldn't enter others dreams. I could go into their mindspace where their memories are, but whenever Dipper had a nightmare, I'd try to go into his head and get rid of it, but I couldn't."

"Is that it?"

"Oh, and apparently I just found out that I can see past illusions," Mabel shrugged, "But you already knew that."

"I do not have the ability to control mental powers," Fenrik replied, "But I can guide you, if you will let me. I am not accustomed to teaching…anyone, but I do have knowledge and am willing to part with it if you wish to learn."

"Mimi said Mental magic is dangerous."

"It is."

"…did I hurt anyone?"

Fenrik shifted and lay down into a more comfortable position between two trees.

"From what you told me; I do not think you did anything too damaging. Just looking at people's memories will not harm them. Interacting with their memories will. You sounded distressed when you spoke of not being able to fix another's nightmare. This is actually a good thing. To manipulate a mind that is not your own can lead to serious consequences. Your brother could have been damaged to the point where he could not think on his own. What you did for your own dreams is not problematic, but I would highly recommend you not enter your own mindspace. You could become stuck and ultimately descend into madness. Are you understanding me so far?"

Mabel pursed her lips, but nodded.

"There is a sense of privacy that you betrayed in your exploration. The mind is the last safe haven of every living creature. That is why demons are a scourge and why they are so dangerous. They violate that safety and those protocols."

"Are you calling me a demon?"

"I am saying you were reckless," Fenrik snorted, "you smell very much like a human."

"Gee, thanks."

"Because of your strengths, I can teach you how to block unwanted visitors," Fenrik said after a moment of silence, "I can also teach you many more things. I may not be able to do them myself, but I know of skills that others have. They have told me how they do it. I could pass that on to you, but only if you follow my rules."

"And those rules are…"

"You are not allowed to use these skills unless you have my permission or are in a life or death situation. These are secrets that have never reached the ears of humans. They will be treated with respect and you will not tell anyone about them. These secrets will be guarded with your life."

"I promised Dipper I wouldn't lie to him anymore. What if he asks me what I learned today?"

"Tell him the truth," Fenrik said immediately, "that you promised to not speak. I am sure that the dragon is teaching him secrets of her own. You can be truthful without telling everyone what cards you hold."

"…I guess…"

"Are you willing to be taught by me?"

Mabel kicked her feet and scowled at the water. Why couldn't she do anything right? Everything she did was either 'reckless' or 'selfish'. She really didn't need to be lectured like this; being told yet again that what she'd been doing was wrong.

But on the other hand, if she learned these skills…maybe she'd be strong enough to protect and fight back…

"Yeah," she sighed, "teach me what you got."

()

"I'm SO…out of shape…"

"Or you are still recovering," Mimi replied, "I did a little research and it said that recovering form drug abuse could take months."

"that's if the user used it more than once," Dipper shook his hands and ankles out, "and you said this drug was never used on humans before…and I really feel fine. Just out of practice."

"If you are sure," Mimi pointed to the cave entrance, "Start with your breathing exercises."

()

"I want you to try and enter my mind," Fenrik said.

Mabel narrowed her eyes, "you just said I shouldn't do that."

"I want to teach you what happens when you try to enter a mind and get blocked. You will not be able to enter a mind that is prepared for you, has defenses, or has powers that are stronger than yours. Now attempt to enter my mind….away from the ledge if you please."

Mabel scooted back and leaned against a tree. She closed her eyes and focused on Fenriks wolf face…or should it be his human face? Her mind switched between the two.

Nothing happened.

"Fenrik isn't your real name, is it?" Mabel lifted one eye and saw he was grinning, his teeth eerie in the partial shade of the tree.

"It is not," he licked his nose, "it's my name because I say it is, but it is not my given name. Magical creatures do not tell their names lightly and this you will also take to your grave. If my name is spread around to other ears, I will hunt you down myself."

"Ok, ok."

"Rok."

"Rok?"

Fenrik nodded, "believe it or not, I was the runt of my litter. My pack did not believe I would survive. So they called me Rok."

Mabel closed her eyes again and this time focused on the wolfs face. She felt the familiar tug in the back of her head that let her know she was going to slip into another conscious. But before the slipping sensation could take place she was hit with a violent and unforgiving force. It slammed her back into her own head and when she opened her eyes she cried out. She was sitting in the shade, but even that was too bright for her eyes. She clutched her face and rolled into a fetal position. Her head throbbed and she could almost smell something metallic.

Her eyes watered as she blinked. Dots spotted her vision and the light flared and her eyes seemed to refuse to focus.

"This is why you must pick your battles," Fenrik replied, "you must first know your enemy and if you believe them to be stronger than you, then it is not worth incapacitating yourself trying to enter their mind. If they know how to guard their mind, then you might be able to break in. I can teach that to you. But pure strength will always trump you. I will say this as many times as needed: you must choose your battles wisely."

()

Dipper bent over and tried to get a lungful of air. They had only been practicing for an hour!

"This…this is pathetic…"

"Give yourself time to get back up to strength. You will get there."

Dipper shook his head. It had only been a week since he last practiced, and he was already this far back. He reached for his water bottle and took a few sips.

"Ready," he said, putting the bottle down and holding up his stick.

()

Dipper got back about the same time Mabel did. Fenrik walked smoothly out of the trees and lay down as close to the shack as he could. Mabel slipped off and staggered, trying to find her balance. She clutched at her head and groaned.

"Hard day?" Dipper asked rubbing sore muscles.

"Don't…don't say anything…until I've taken an aspirin…maybe the whole bottle..." Mabel covered her eyes and felt her way up the steps and to the door.

Dipper turned to Fenrik, "What did you do?"

"I taught her a lesson in strength," he replied, "and that's all you need to know."

He turned and left.

()

Mabel skipped dinner, claimed her head hurt so bad it was making her nauseous. She took medicine, downed a can of Fords caffeinated Pitt and went to bed.

Dipper ate the way he knew his body needed and then spent the rest of the evening soaking in the bath.

Ford and Stan watched them in silence. They wished they could do something…anything, but the situation was out of their hands.

()

For the next week and a half Dipper and Mabel left the house in the morning and would either come back at noon, or right before dinner.

It had taken two days for Mabels headache to completely go away. When Dipper asked her about it, she said told him that bad things happened to good people…whatever that meant.

They talked and came to the agreement that not telling each other what they were taught by Mimi and Fenrik would not be considered lying. They each knew the other were doing the best they could and were learning and getting stronger, and that was all that was needed to be known.

By the end Dipper found his stamina was mostly back and Mimi had to be the one to call it quits when the time was up.

"I want you to go over your training even at home," she instructed, "Your breathing exercises should be done every morning. You have unusually good control over your magic, so I'm not too concerned with you losing control, but do take care to not lose to your emotions. I do not know what will happen if you suddenly combust in the middle of a human crowd."

"…it might be funny," Dipper grinned, imagining the scenario.

"For the moment, probably, but the lasting effects will be a pain," Mimi replied putting a damper on it.

()

Mabel lay on the grass and kicked her feet against a tree.

"It really isn't that hard," Fenrik pushed, "You can create your own dreams. Creating a separate room should not be so difficult."

"Its boring!"

"Then fill it with things you like," Fenrik growled, "When you leave, we will meet every night in this room you create in your mind. I can continue to teach you and you can grow stronger. But without this room there will be no place for you to invite me."

"How about the mindspace? That should work!"

"I told you why you should not go there."

"But if you're with me, then-"

Fenrik snapped his jaws together, "enough! If you do not wish to continue, then I will not force you."

Mabel sat up and stared Fenrik in the eye. They glared at each other for a while before Mabel gave in.

"Give me a moment…I can fill the room with whatever I want?"

"Its your room in your mind. I will only be there to teach."

Mabel smirked and closed her eyes to focus.

()

Their party was a small one. Pacifica showed up and reminded Dipper that he owed her one.

"Make sure you come back next year so I can collect."

"Sure."

In spite of not inviting a lot of people, they still received a lot of well wishers. Many towns folk remembered their birthday and sent them cards. Everyone still remembered what happened all those years ago.

The party ended late. Grenda and Candy spent the night and Dipper stayed in Fords room.

In the middle of the night Dipper found himself wide awake. His dream had been…messy. Not a nightmare, but nothing that made him feel good either. He turned his head, expecting to see Mabel, but instead he saw the underbelly of Fords bed. It was dark, and as he watched the shadows seemed to move.

He quickly averted his eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was not better. The corners of the room came alive and reached out toward the feint moon light coming from the window, as if it would snuff it out.

"If you close your eyes, the shadows go away," Fords voice was low, but it still made Dipper jump.

"…do you see shadows move often?"

"Mmm," Ford replied, "only when I wake up in the middle of the night. Did you know this is called the nightmare hour? Back in medieval times, knights would suffer from PTSD and because they didn't know what it was, they called this time of night the nightmare hour where shadows and demons play with your mind."

"I've had enough of people playing with my mind, thank you very much."

Ford chuckled, "the mind is a fragile thing but we expect it to hold up against everything life has to throw at it. Sometimes, seeing the shadows move only reminds me that my mind is working the best way it knows how."

"I wish I had more control over it…like Mabel…"

"I'm sure Mabel has her own struggles. She did not look happy coming back from her first day of training."

"First day's the hardest."

"Amen to that."

Dipper smiled and closed his eyes. It was nice to have someone to talk to in the dark.

()

"Now, you listen here you brats," Stan stood, hands on hips as he stared down at the two children, "you keep in touch. Like, weekly. I don't want to hear any excuses."

"Yes Grunkle Stan," the two of them coursed.

"We will also keep you posted about what we find out," Ford gathered them both in a hug, "keep safe and don't talk to strangers."

The twins rolled their eyes and grinned, "Sure thing."

"Be well," Mimi waved.

Fenrik, who had been dragged there by Mimi scowled. He loathed his human form.

"I will see you in three days," He said to Mabel. He then turned to Dipper. The child unnerved him, but he gave the boy a nod.

"You've made really weird friends," Pacifica muttered as Mabel hugged Candy and Grenda, "would it be rude if I just ignored them?"

"I think that they would prefer it if you do," Dipper grinned, "I'll see you next summer."

()

Mimi and Fenrik walked into the tree line, away from the bus as it pulled away. They were silent for a time, but Fenrik decided to ask.

"What are you planning with the children?"

Mimi shrugged, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Specifically the boy."

"You are going to have to be more specific than that."

Fenrik stopped and eyed the dragon, "he does not smell like his kind. Surly you know this and have taught him your secrets in spite of the fact."

Mimi sighed, "Dipper is a human, Fenrik, a very special human, but a human nonetheless."

"You know what he is," he accused. Mimi finally turned to face the wolf.

"I do. I've known for a while. If we are going to win against this threat we need him. We are going to need him to be at his strongest."

"And if that strength is turned against us?"

Mimi laughed, "I'm more worried about Mabel. Her power is the real…surprise. She's impulsive and acts before thought."

Fenrik growled, "tell me what we are dealing with."

"Sheer force of human will," Mimi smiled, not unkindly, "for all your knowledge, Fenrik, I'm actually shocked you don't know."

"Do not speak riddles to me dragon."

"Habit of my kind," she pushed her hair away from her face, "we don't know what exactly we are dealing with, so I want to keep silent about this. Is this demon omniscient? How does he get his information? If I speak out loud will he gain the knowledge needed for an effective attack? The less everyone knows, the safer the Pines family will be."

"You care an awful lot about these humans."

"Of course. They saved my life."

"Did they?"

"Yes," Mimi was no longer smiling, "and they saved yours."

She had been enraged when her memories had come back. In fact, she had almost killed everyone, including the creatures, in her rage. Only through great effort and the thought of returning Dipper to his family had she managed to hold back and retain her sanity. If it hadn't been for that responsibility, she would have burned the entire forest. Once a dragon lost control like that, it was almost impossible to come back from. She would have had to have been killed for the carnage to stop.

Fenrik bristled, "then your plans for after this is over?"

Mimi tilted her head to one side, confused…then she snorted as his meaning became clear.

"If I wanted your territories they would be mine already," She shook her head, "by the time this is all over and a balance is restored between our kind and humans, all my crimes will have been found out and known. If I'm not locked away for the rest of my life, I will be executed. That is the fate I've already embraced. I considered the consequences of every action I've taken. The Pines family will be protected at all cost. This demon and its group of human followers will all be erased. Those goals will be accomplished before my end. I will not accept failure."

Fenrik narrowed his eyes, "Why is a single families safety a top priority? In war, things happen, people will be hurt. It is inevitable."

"Because Dipper and Mabel are still children. If anything happens to their family or to each other, they will lose control. A childs emotions are raw and powerful. You asked what will happen if that power is used against us? There will not be a need for them to use it against us if we protect them."

"Yet we're training them to be stronger?"

"It's a better option than chaos."

Fenrik sighed and ended in a growl. He didn't like that there was something this dragon knew that he didn't. The reason this boy was different from other humans was concerning enough as it was, add in the fact that he and his sister, who actually still smelled like a human, could inherently use magic and it was a recipe for structural upheaval.

"We need to end this quickly," he replied. Mimi laughed.

"You want to be rid of me that badly?"

"that wasn't what I meant."

"Sure, sure," Mimi turned back around and walked further away, "now that Mabel is no longer here, you may go back to your territory and stay there."