Note: This is the chapter which introduces a new character, (yes- an OC). I promise I will keep her to as much a minimum as I can, but I will give her character development and interaction with the others. I hope it doesn't discourage you or anything. Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated! Xx
The curse's revelation was pretty hard to take in by both the boy and the demon. They had to walk together, not able to get away from the other for more than two metres.
The boys travelled stride by stride, following the road Dipper had woken up on. They were bound to run into something that way. For all they knew, they could've been whisked away different country across the globe. At least it taught them how to manage their anger.
They travelled in silence, not a word spoken between them. They had already beaten each other up and argued hotly, and they decided not to have a rematch in any of those situations, since Bill had explained that it was not just the physical beings that were bound together, it was the souls too. If one dies, the other dies too. Dipper had reassured them both that Ford knew how to undo curses like this, so all they needed to do was return to Gravity Falls and break the stupid curse with Ford's help. Dipper wasn't at all worried by the fact that both his great uncles would murder Bill on the spot. He may have problems with his mercy, but all the other people he knew didn't. Even Soos would tare Bill apart when he found out who was behind all this.
For some strange reason, Dipper could sense in his veins that Mabel was alive and well despite the state he last saw her in. She was breathing and... awfully distressed... He shook her feelings away.
Maybe it was just his need to link with his sister that was causing him to hallucinate, or if the feeling was genuine... he didn't know anymore. It was all so very confusing.
Bill also appeared to be lost in his own mind. He was making a strange, quiet noise in the base of his throat, something he had heard Bill do many times whilst deciding whether to do or to not do something. Maybe the whole 'being human' thing had got to him? What was going on in his head? Dipper wondered if he still could read minds, or if he still possessed any of his demon qualities besides his knowledge and strange eyes. But then again, if Bill still had the power to do literally anything if he put his mind to it, the curse would be reversed faster than you could say 'go'.
As for the forest road, it twined and spun through the forest without end, not a single vehicle passing by. Where were they? And where would that road lead them?
What am I gonna do? Dipper thought, blindly walking onward. The trees creaked after them, trying to give them comfort like strangers you ask for directions in a place you've never been to before. Their language was soothing, assuring Dipper that everything would be okay.
Everything will be okay. Things will get better. You'll be fine. Everything's fine.
The message was repeated over and over, as if the forest was sentient itself, just like the Gravity Falls forest. He had heard words when nobody else was there, whispering secrets that they've learned through the hundreds of years they've lived. It wasn't said out loud in the open as if he was listening to a person speak, but rather when he heard the creaks and groans of those trees he just... understood.
Suddenly a loud scream tore through the silence of the forest. The dreadful howl was so loud that it seemed to make Dipper's whole skull ring with the noise as if it was a bell being hit at the force of a speeding truck. It was an awful sound, one that could only be made by an animal of the wild, one that is free and reckless, who's horror of being trapped was yowled out in a ghastly wail of ultimate despair.
Both Bill and Dipper froze to the ground, the forest around them silencing at once.
Someone was hurt. Very hurt.
"Woah," Bill said once the scream turned into echoes that rang through the forest, leaving behind only despair and silence. "That was the coolest scream I've ever heard, and that's saying something."
However Dipper didn't say anything. His mind had gone blank. The scream had paralysed his senses, not letting him move. The sound rang in his head long after everything went silent again.
Someone was hurt. Badly hurt.
Suddenly a snap of the fingers recalled Dipper back from his mind. The boy realised that Bill was shaking his hand in front of his face.
"Earth to Pine Tree! Are you dead?" he chanted. "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing!" Dipper replied hastily, though it was too quick. Bill straightened up and rolled his eyes.
"It's the scream, isn't it?" Bill asked, looking down at him as if he was a scared little kid. "I have to admit, I am a little curious on who screamed. I mean, I have to give them some credit."
So it was decided. Bill and Dipper pushed through the bushes towards where the sound came from. While it was clear that Bill was just curious, Dipper had some impossible thoughts. What would Mabel do? She would want to help whoever was hurt. She was naive at times, and would even help Bill by the looks of it. Dipper decided. If the creature was still alive, he would pull a Mabel and do his best to help it.
The brown haired boy pushed the bushes away, and froze upon seeing who had made the noise.
Dipper and Bill stood still, watching the trapped creature writhe in fruitless efforts to free itself.
Dipper instantly knew what this creature was. It wasn't mentioned in the journals, not even once, but it was a creature so common in stories, fairytales and myths that Dipper recognised it immediately.
It was a dragon, orange like sand at sunset, a little bigger than a riding horse. Two crooked black horns emerged from its head, long ears flattened against its scaly scalp, big holly-green eyes narrowed around oval-shaped pupils. The dragon tried to pull at the wire that was was keeping it bound to a tree, scarlet blood trickling down its amber scales where the thin metal wire cut into its neck. It was making unholy noises of pain and fury as it shook its head and pulled at the wire, but it was holding it fast, not letting it go. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't break free.
"Now that is a beast," Bill remarked quietly, impressed. "Okay, we can go now."
However Dipper had other ideas.
Ignoring Bill's objection, Dipper stepped out of the bushes towards the writhing creature. It stopped instantly, narrowing its eyes at him. As the creature stood still, Dipper could finally get a good look at its face.
The snout was long and reptilian, just like depicted in the fairytales, a red diamond marked cleanly on its forehead. Her forehead... Dipper had spent so much time with mythical creatures he knew how to tell a male from a female.
Dipper took another step forward. The dragon took a step back, drawing her scaly lips back into a snarl, showing off her many, sharp, crooked black teeth. She growled in such a low pitch that she sounded like an engine of a massive tank or monster truck, warning Dipper not to come any closer.
She was scared.
"I can get you out of there if you let me come near," Dipper said calmly, lifting up his arms to let the animal know he didn't mean harm. He could sense Bill looking at him as if he was some sort of lunatic, which was reasonable on his part. Dipper could feel his heart thumping against his chest again. Why was he doing this? Something made him, but now it was too late to back away. The beast had seen him.
The dragon had clearly understood him, for thoughtfulness flashed across her eyes. The ten-second silence that followed felt like ten hours as the dragon tried to decide whether to trust this boy. Dipper remained silent, not even sure what he was expecting.
The dragon's muscles relaxed as she stood up from her crouched position to sit down calmly, her long, mythical-appropriate arrow-tipped tail curled round her paws. She nodded her head in agreement as she made a quiet noise, letting Dipper come close.
The boy shook, realising that he had no idea how to undo snare traps. He decided that would figure it out. This was his chance. Mabel had always teased him for not being able to form friendships with animals, but this wasn't usual taming of cats, dogs or pigs. This was fighting to earn a mystical creature's trust, and he knew the untrustworthy personalities the many fabled beasts from his own experience.
His hands shook as he looked closely at the wire. He breathed in relief as he realised that this was a simple contraption. "Thank goodness this is simple," he breathed, lifting his hands to touch the blood-soaked wire.
The dragon's scales were warm, not like that of a snake or lizard, but like a mammal. Dipper ignored his own fear and grasped the end of the wire which interlocked in a circle. The blood made it slip open with ease. The noose loosened and let Dipper pull it over the dragon's head, releasing her from the trap.
Dipper tried to ignore the staring dragon as he tore the trap off the tree and threw it to the ground, stomping on it for good measure. He turned back to the dragon, only to see her looming over him like a dark shadow.
She ignored her bleeding neck and began to walk steadily towards him, talons glistening in the seeping sunlight, eyes narrowed. Dipper whimpered and backed away, realising that setting this creature free might've not been that a good idea.
"I don't want to hurt you!" Dipper wailed, finding that he had pressed his back against a thick tree trunk, the dragoness cornering him. She lifted a glistening amber paw and drew a single black talon towards his face. Dipper whimpered and tried to lean away from her as the talon neared to his face, however the dragoness didn't hurt him. Her single scaly finger lifted Dipper's fringe to reveal the constellation birthmark on his forehead.
For that moment the whole dragon seemed to go rigid with shock, her emerald eyes blank as if they were seeing through time itself.
She stumbled backwards as if Dipper had severely burned her. There was an unbearable tic in her eyes, as if she had been longing... Longing for something that had been violently torn away from her like the plucking of a feather. Her mouth was open, as if she wanted to say something, anything, but couldn't find the words.
Her reaction unsettled the boy, who looked to Bill for answers, but once again, the demon had nothing to say, also giving the newcomer a confused glare. Dipper looked back to the dragon, who looked at him, then at her claws, and then at him again. Did she... Recognise him?
"Uh... Should... Should I know you?" Dipper asked, finally breaking the awkward silence between them. The dragoness purred sadly, but then shook her head guiltily.
"Then what was that about?" Bill snapped at her, crossing his arms to stand beside Dipper. "Any fool can figure out what that reaction meant."
The dragoness raised her back in defence like some sort of feline, teeth bared at him. It was weird how some creatures could go from docile to hostile in mere moments. Dipper panicked and tried to calm the situation down. It was his problem if Bill wanted to die, because if this dragoness killed him out of agitation, he would die as well.
"What is your name?" Dipper asked, not knowing if the creature could even speak.
Thankfully she calmed down and hid her teeth behind scaly lips. She noticed a bush of dying pale yellow flowers and padded to it. With a delicate paw, she pulled off one of the yellow flowers and held it up.
Dipper remembered what the flowers had a name... there was a book on plants back in the Mystery Shack, and- granted he didn't read it as he read Ford's journals- he had read it... and remembered that those yellow european bush flowers were called primroses.
"Primrose?" Dipper guessed, and the dragoness nodded her head, dropping the dying flower to the ground. He suddenly had an idea. "Do you know a place called Gravity Falls?"
To his relief, Primrose nodded her head again. "Can you take us there?"
His heart leapt when the amber dragoness nodded her head and pointed deeper into the forest with her sharp tail. Her wings swept back, the gust of wind threw off the hats off the boys' heads. With a weird sound, Primrose began to walk further into the bracken, flicking her tail to command the humans to follow her.
Dipper was about to trot willingly after her, when he felt a hand grasp his arm tightly, stopping him from moving.
"You really think that creature knows what Gravity Falls is?" Bill hissed quietly so that the dragoness wouldn't hear.
"She said she did!" Dipper objected, his arm going numb where Bill was holding him. "Bill, let me go, you're cutting off my blood supply."
Bill let him go reluctantly, but his scowl remained on his face. "I don't trust her, she looks very shady, and being an OC doesn't help her situation either and-"
"Do you want to get back to Gravity Falls and get rid of this curse or what?" Dipper snapped coldly at him, so forcefully that Bill flinched. He realised that Dipper had made a very good point.
"Fine. But know that when this curse is gone, I won't hesitate to kill you and everyone you love," he threatened darkly. Now it was Dipper who flinched, but told himself that Bill had no chance against his family and friends when they were all united. After all, there was only one of him and many of them.
Primrose snarled loudly, reminding them to follow her. With a dark glare, Dipper left Bill's side and padded willingly after her, grateful to finally have someone else for company other than the demon. It was brilliant that she could guide them back to where they needed to go. Having a guide was certainly better than wondering the world, totally lost.
Hang in there Mabel, he thought to himself. I'm coming home.
Mabel had cried herself to sleep that night, barricading herself in her small attic room and crying out all the tears she could shed. Her own bed was taken by Waddles, who didn't trust himself to sleep next to his mistress when she was in a state like this.
Granted, he was worried beyond words, sick with the concern of an animal for their human. This was the first time Waddles had seen her this broken down, his tiny pig mind recalling the time earlier the previous day on how happy she was, fooling round as she always did.
Now all that was gone, as if another personality had entered Mabel and was pulling at the strings. Waddles knew of her 'Sweater Town' habit, but now it had just gotten worse. Mabel had clambered onto Dipper's bed and used her own sweater as the duvet, making quiet sobbing noises and not responding to anything the other humans tried to say to her.
Do you want anything? No response.
Are you hungry? Silence.
Waddles twitched his nose. Even when his human was sleeping, her fear-scent hung round her like a poisonous gas and could be smelt by any animal within a hundred feet away. The pig's beady black eyes closed as he curled into a comfortable position on Mabel's bed.
He may be a dumb pig, but nobody messed with his mistress.
However he couldn't sleep. He was thinking. Mabel had told everyone what had happened, how Bill had awoken and how he'd taken Dipper.
Waddles was happy that Mabel had finally gotten to sleep, her chest rising and falling steadily under her sweater, but who knew if she was able to sleep soundly? The pig grunted and sat up. She was his soulmate for pig's sake! His one true mistress. He would help her as much as he could.
Jumping down from his bed, Waddles waddled over to the next bed and scrambled onto the next bed with great effort. Sitting down next to her, he straightened. He would guard her at all costs, protect her from Bill. The demon would have to go through him if he wanted to get his awful, stinking hands on Mabel.
