Hi!

July 2nd

Today we got to see some crazy stuff from the Enchiridion. Some of it I wish I did not see, but I'm still glad to know.

First, we got to see a huge portion of Ghost's past. We found out that he's the son of Valor! As well as a pretty dragoness called Tranquility. The book showed us Ragnarok having her killed…

Apparently, Tranquility had discovered that Ragnarok was planning to attack Gaia, so she went to try and warn her. Ragnarok figured it out though and sent his monsters after her with the command "kill her". And they did. She faded into a patch of grass and a tall, beautiful white flower that almost looked like a star, right in front of Ghost.

Ghost went get his little brother and they ran away to Avas. But they got there just in time to watch Ragnarok kill Valor. Valor became this huge clearing in the forest that Amy lives in. Poor Ghost. He didn't get the chance to say goodbye to either of his parents and watched them both get murdered…

Then, the book showed us Ghost and his brother Crusade meeting humans for the first time, years later. The humans started messing around with magic and things they didn't know about and ended up summoning Bill. Most of the dragons fled and/or refused to help the humans after. I wonder why? I'm pretty sure all of those dragons could have easily beaten him.

After Ghost finally showed them how to use a zodiac sealing spell, humans basically waged war on all of dragon kind and started hunting and slaughtering them. The dragons didn't fight back. They just left.

Crusade was pretty mad about it. He didn't understand why they wouldn't fight. Frankly, I don't understand either. But Crusade went and burned down a whole town and killed all of the humans in it. The town that existed here before Gravity Falls. Ghost was horrified at what his brother had done. Since Crusade was so bent on exterminating humanity, putting both humans and himself at risk, Ghost used his own zodiac to seal Crusade into the Spirit Realm.

After that, the Enchiridion showed us Ghost meeting Flora and Rose (Amy's mom) for the first time. The three of them became fast friends. Rose seemed like a really adventurous and stubborn person. But she seemed super nice too. She could turn into a human and did that a lot to interact with humans. Eventually, she met Amy's dad. He didn't mind Rose's secret. I think Ghost liked him too.

Unfortunately, his brother wasn't as nice as he was. After finding out about Rose, he and a bunch of other jerks attacked and killed Amy's parents. Ghost got there just in time to find Rose in Valor's clearing. She was trying to get to the house to check on Amy (a newborn baby at the time). Ghost brought her to Rose and with her last breaths, she begged him to take care of Amy for her. Then, she faded into that big pond and willow tree that sit in the clearing.

Ghost had not said anything at the time, but he did what she had asked and looked after Amy. We got to see him giving her a puppy version of Bud as a birthday present. The book also showed us something Ghost and Amy couldn't see at that time…

It was Crusade. He was watching them from the Spirit Realm. Apparently, he had been watching them for years and really likes Amy. He's in love with her, but not like in a romantic way. Kind of like in the same way that Ghost is with Amy.

Side note: It turns out that Ghost and Flora are in love with each other, but they're not actually together for some reason. Flora says it's complicated. Not sure how though.

Ghost's real name is Vaulgangar, meaning Starlight.

Oh, everyone was there by the way. When we were learning all of this stuff from the Enchiridion. Well, Ghost wasn't there, and Bill was upstairs. But Flora and Teeth had joined me, Mabel, Ford, Stan, Dionysus, and Amy in the living room to watch. Uh, well, Flora and Teeth were sticking their heads through the window. They're too big to get through the door and neither of them can change into a human or any other form. Which makes me think… Dragons and humans can reproduce offspring together when the dragon takes a human form. Does that mean that dragons who can't do that can't be with a human? Or can they just not have children together? …Dragons are weird.

Anyways, now for the really messed up part. After all of that, Ford asked the Enchiridion to show us Bill's past. The book actually hesitated! It opened up and started writing to Ford. Dionysus had to translate it for us. But basically, the book was saying that it could only show us as far back into Bill's past as the first time Bill met Ragnarok. It also was super insistent that Ford be absolutely sure. We should've taken the hint…

Finally, the book showed us Bill arriving in Necronire for the first time. The place looks like outer space. Just a vast, endless space of stars and asteroids. But some of the asteroids are like islands. Some big and some small. They even have different biomes and plants and creatures. Uh, anyways…

There was this weird moth-dragon hybrid that was there. While Bill was talking to it to figure out where Ragnarok was, the black dragon himself showed up on his own to investigate. A bunch of monsters had accompanied him out of curiosity. They all must have sensed the rift that appeared briefly with Bill's arrival.

Bill was pretty confident at first, and Ragnarok was furious with his cockiness. It didn't take him long to put Bill in his place…

It was…horrifying to watch. And just as awful to listen to. I won't go into detail, but Ragnarok literally tore Bill apart.

He left him there after, ordering the monsters to leave him alone. He was going to let him bleed to death I guess, but then he changed his mind because he had an idea to use Bill. So, Ragnarok made that little moth dragon go help Bill and then bring him to him. Bill's body language and attitude were completely different after. He was quiet and kept himself low to the ground, refusing to make eye contact with Ragnarok. He was afraid of him.

Ragnarok spoke to him like Bill was a disobedient child. Or maybe more like he was a pet. But all in a cruel, demeaning way. From what Ghost said once, Ragnarok punishes anyone who fails at completing the tasks he gives them. How many times has Bill tried to take over Avas and failed? How many times has Ragnarok torn him apart and put him back together? I don't think I want to know… But no wonder Bill is psychotic and hates when people touch him. Man… I kind of feel bad for him. And we still don't even know what his life was like before that.

…

In the morning, Amy awoke to find herself still wrapped up with Bill by the window. She stayed still at first, listening to his heart beat in his chest. She did not really want to get up or even move. He was so cozy. But a thud on the roof caused her to jump and sit up.

"What was that?" she asked quickly.

Bill looked up at the ceiling, listening to whatever it was that was moving on the roof. "…If I had to guess…" he muttered.

Amy pushed open the big window just as a big feathery red dragon popped its upside-down head down in front of her. She shouted and fell backwards, but Bill caught her.

"Hey there!" Dionysus smiled toothily. "Haha, did I spook you? Sorry!"

"Dionysus!" She stood herself up straight. "What are you doing on the roof!?"

"Just –" He climbed down the front of the house and righted himself before poking his head into the window. "Popping in. Ghost is here. He got here earlier and let out the sheep for you."

"Oh." She stared at him for a long moment before bonking her fist on his snout. "You could have knocked on the door instead!"

"Ow!" He winced.

Amy found Ghost waiting outside by the sheep pen when she went down. "Thanks for letting them out for me," she told him.

He looked down at her and nodded. "I have prepared the seal. It is ready to be broken."

"Are you nervous to see your brother again?"

"Nervous is not the term I would use," he said. "But I am unsure if his time in the Spirit Realm has actually helped him. He could be his old self, or he could be just as furious as he was when I sent him away."

"Somehow, I think it will be okay," she said. "Well, either way, let's hope for the best."

…

Everyone had joined Ghost and Amy on the mountain ledge. Even Teeth and Flora had gone along to see. Ghost had everyone back away from the spiraled etching in the ground then spread his wings. A ring of blue light appeared on the ground and another ring encompassed it and both began to turn in opposite directions. Several pillars of light sprouted from the space between the circles and a figure began to appear in the center.

The light dispersed and a large black dragon with a white underbelly and two thick curved horns was left in its wake. His golden eyes shot open and his pupils slit from the sunlight. He looked at them then slowly stood up on his hindlegs.

"Perhaps…bringing humans was a…bad idea?" Flora exchanged looks with Teeth.

The black dragon reared his head, spread his wings, and let out a long loud roar that turned into a yawn. "All these people just to see me? Aw, you shouldn't have!" He quickly took notice of Amy and with wide-eyes brought his face in front of hers. "Hello~! We haven't met. I'm Crusade, well that's what they called me. Of course, I already know who you are."

"Is that so?" She smiled.

"Yes! When you're in the Spirit Realm, all you can really do is wander around and watch. And I have been watching you!"

"That's…mildly disturbing."

"This isn't what I expected," Ford said.

"Oh, don't worry," Crusade told him. "That whole 'exterminating humanity' thing is in the past. I'm over it…mostly."

"Mostly?" Mabel tilted her head.

"Anyways." Crusade turned his attention back to Amy. "I've wanted to talk to you for so long, Amy!"

"Well, there'll be plenty of time for that," she told him with a smile.

"Crusade," Ghost called his attention. "I hate to admit it, but I did let you free for a reason other than us being siblings."

Crusade turned to him. "Yes, yes, Ragnarok. Eh, I guess I'll help… But only if I get to see Amy every day!" He smiled cheerily and wrapped his tail around her to pull her closer.

She giggled at his behavior. "Well, I don't think we have anymore room for you to stay, but you can certainly visit as often as you like."

"Oh, I will," he assured her. Crusade noticed Bill watching him closely and turned to him with a false grin. "Oh, well if it isn't the reason humans hate us!"

Bill narrowed his eye at him. "It's not my fault that dragons didn't want to help them. I never told humans to attack dragons."

"Bill is not at fault for the humans' actions involving the dragons," Ghost stated.

"I know, I know!" Crusade rolled his eyes. "It was a joke, sheesh! Never thought I'd hear you stand up for him!"

Ghost shook his head. "You are as rambunctious and bothersome as ever…"

"Aaaadmit it." Crusade pressed himself against Ghost's side. "You missed me."

Ghost only sighed.

Crusade removed himself from his brother and went over to investigate the rest of the bodies present. "I remember you guys," he said as he lowered his head to examine each of the Pines. "Yeah…" He looked at Ford. "You're the dummy that summoned Bill again and made a portal to Necronire."

"In my defense –"

Crusade interrupted him by mocking him. "'In my defense!'" He laughed. "Ha! Don't bother! I already know everything that happened."

"You do?"

"Yeah! I was there, after all! Well, in the Spirit Realm, that is. But I still watched. And listened. And laughed at you."

"I'm starting to like this guy," Bill said to Amy who huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes.

"Course, it was the little fat kid with the big hair that really set it all off again later." Crusade raised his head back up and pranced over to Flora, Teeth, and Dionysus, who was still in his dragon form. "Ma'am," Crusade greeted Flora with a polite bow of his head.

She returned the gesture. "Greetings."

"My," Crusade said with a smile, "there are so many interesting people here! I feel so important." He laughed.

"You know," Mabel said to him, "tomorrow is the Fourth of July. Barbecue and fireworks! We can celebrate America and your return!"

"Sounds like a party," Dionysus said. "I love parties!"

"Fantastic!" Crusade grinned. "I can't wait!"

…

July 3rd

We all joined Amy to go watch Ghost release his brother from the Spirit Realm today. Crusade is certainly something else. Not at all what I expected. For someone who was once bent on killing off all humans, he's pretty cool. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to kill us. Hopefully…

He's like the opposite of their mom. Tranquility was white with black along her back, but Crusade is black with white along his belly. Ghost has their mom's eyes and Crusade has Valor's. Really, Ghost and Crusade don't look related, but dragons seem to come in so many shapes and sizes. Maybe they can tell by scent or something?

…

Bill stood at the edge of the grassy cliff and stared out at the horizon. The wind was brushing his bangs into his face and he started pacing back and forth along the edge. He seemed frantic, or even frustrated.

"And just what are you doing way out here?"

Bill stopped and looked back at Crusade.

"Oh," the dragon said. "Don't make such a rude face." Crusade watched him turn away and stare out at the world. "You aren't seriously considering leaving, are you?"

"What's it to you?"

"Is it because of what my brother said? Flora told me about that, you know. I didn't really think you of all people would actually think about what he said… What did he say by the way?"

"Didn't you just say Flora told you?"

"She told me about it, yes. But not the details. So, tell me."

"Amy could have died." He muttered. "Because of me she's in danger." He paused. "He's right…"

"Hm?" Crusade sat up and crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Unfortunately, yes, he usually is. However, he is also prone to saying irrational things when it comes to those he cares about. Still, if she's in danger why would you leave?" He did not wait for an answer. "Are you wanting to leave because you're afraid for her safety, or are you afraid for yours?" Bill tensed. "Maybe both," Crusade seemed to be talking to himself now. "But you can't leave, can you? I mean, you can, physically that is. But! You'd be too worried the whole time if you left."

"You talk too much," Bill muttered.

Crusade shrugged. "Maybe you should talk to someone whose opinion matters to you. Then again, does anyone's opinion matter to you? Well," he chuckled. "Maybe her opinion does."

…

Amy walked up a little grassy slope and glanced around. She was quite annoyed as Crusade had 'accidentally' let one of the sheep out and scared it so that it ran off. The dragon had run off somewhere before she could direct her anger at him. She sighed; finding a lost sheep in the woods wasn't too difficult with Bud sniffing it out. All she had to do was follow him. But the woods were dangerous for lost sheep.

She looked over as she heard something and watched for a moment until a little squirrel scrambled up a tree. She huffed and turned back, gasping in surprise at finding Bill standing right in front of her. "What the heck!" She shoved him.

He smirked and laughed a little.

Amy's annoyance quickly turned to curiousness as she noticed something. It was usually difficult to read Bill, but over time she had figured out a few things. He seemed bothered by something and would not look directly at her. "Are you okay?" she asked. He looked over and stared blankly for a long moment before smiling softly. That's a new look, she thought. She stepped closer and gently brushed his bangs aside, "Is that a no? Because you've never made a face like that before."

"I'm fine…" he said quietly.

She made a face then moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. He tensed a bit then carefully hugged her back. "You're hurting," she whispered.

He huffed. "Oh please."

"You are." She looked up at him then smiled. "I may not technically be a full-blooded dragon, but I can sense that much." She softly pressed her cheek to his. "Your face is hot," she laughed.

"Would you be upset if I left?" he asked suddenly.

She thought of making a smart remark but something about his tone changed her mind. "Of course I would."

He looked confused. "Why?"

She blushed a little and looked away. "Why wouldn't I be?" She looked back at him. "I'll tell you if you tell me why you're hurting."

"I'm not-" He thought for a moment. "I don't know why…"

She went to say something but was interrupted by the not-so-distant sound of Bud's barking. "Ah, he found him!" She took off after the sounds.

Amy found Bud sniffing at the sheep that was hunched over in an odd position and walked over to them. The sheep let out a cry as she approached, greatly relieved that its owner was there. "What are you doing?" She leaned over him to find that his leg was stuck in a hole in the ground. "I can't believe you ran this far."

A low growl from behind caught her attention and the sheep began to struggle. Bud quickly turned to face the source and growled back. Amy looked back at the mountain lion stalking them. "I see," she said. "You were running from him." The lion snarled and bolted at them. Amy lifted her hand and a strange blue barrier appeared. The lion slammed into it then quickly took off with a pitiful whimper. "Sorry kitty," she said and watched it run away. "This is my sheep."

Bill side-stepped the fleeing cougar, watching it for a moment before rejoining Amy. "What did you do to that cat?"

"Nothing. He did it to himself." She managed to free the sheep's stuck foot and hefted the animal up onto her shoulders.

Amy carried the sheep all the way back home and carefully dropped it over the fence. Immediately, it bounded towards the flock and they greeted it with curiosity. She laughed as it cried out at the others, explaining the adventure it had involuntarily gone on.

"You found him!"

She glanced over at the young man who approached with a wide grin. His messy hair was black and so were his clothes, but his clothes were neat and clean. "Crusade," she said. "If you ever mess with my sheep again, I'll break your fingers."

He winced and laughed awkwardly. "It was an accident, really!"

"Can all dragons turn into humans?" Mabel asked. She was leaning over the fence on her belly and petting a lamb that kept nipping at her sleeve.

"Nope," Crusade replied. "But most of them can." He looked over at Bill as he walked past. "Oh! So you've decided to stay? Darn, here I was thinking I would have Amy all to myself."

"Excuse you?" Amy shot him a look.

"Kidding!" Crusade quickly moved away from her. "Haha, don't hurt me."

"Hey, Amy!" Mabel said as she straightened herself up. "Dipper and I are going with Grunkle Stan to get some fireworks. Wanna come?"

"Yeah, I'm coming. Hold on." Before she walked away, Amy turned to tell Bill, "Keep an eye on this fool and make sure he doesn't lose any more of my sheep."

"Do I have permission to break his arm if he does?"

She stared at Bill for a moment before responding. "…Yes. You do." Then, she turned and went to join the others.

"What?!" Crusade jumped. He leaned away from him as Bill gave him a frightening grin.

"Can Bud come too?" Mabel asked as Amy approached.

"Sure. Bud! Here boy!"

When they returned later in the afternoon, they found Dionysus chatting happily with Ford by the barbecue pit that had been brought out. Teeth was sitting several feet away, staring hungrily at the food cooking, his mouth slightly agape and drooling. Meanwhile, Bill and Crusade were having a conversation over by the old barn.

"Ah, Amy," Bill greeted her as she went over to them. "I didn't have to break his arm. …Unfortunately…"

She smiled, amused. "I see. Bill, have you ever used fireworks before?"

"Used them? No. I've seen them."

She smiled a little more. "I'll show you something with them after we eat. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks."

Crusade followed her as she left to rejoin the others. Bill watched them for a minute before turning at the feeling of a presence lingering nearby. As he turned to look, Ghost appeared beside him.

"What do you want now?"

"Crude," Ghost stated. He let out a sigh before continuing. "I wanted to apologize to you."

Bill actually looked surprised. "Apologize? You? To me?"

"Yes. For my behavior and comments towards you about Amy." He turned his gaze over in her direction. She was smiling and talking with the others as they ate. "…It is not your fault. She would have become a target anyway."

Bill raised an eyebrow at him. "She would?"

"We all would," Ghost told him. "Besides… She would probably have been in more danger without you. Or worse…"

There was a pause in which Bill stared at him, thinking. Ghost noticed and turned back to him.

"Of course, you are certainly free to leave if you so wish. I am sure that she will be fine. Or stay. It does not matter to me." And with that, Ghost stood up on all fours and walked over to the group to sit between Teeth and Flora, who had just shown up herself.

Bill stayed where he was and watched. Normally, he did not really care what others thought of him or his actions and decisions. He just did what he thought would be best for himself. Though, as of late, he had been highly attentive to Amy's needs and what he thought would be best for her or what she might like or enjoy. So, something about Ghost's apology made him feel something almost like relief or peace.

When everyone else had finished eating and the sky was beginning to darken, Stan retrieved the crate of fireworks from the trunk of his car. Both Ford and Ghost scolded him upon Mabel's mention of Stan stealing half of them. Stan's only response was calling both of them sticks in the mud before setting the crate down in the grass a few yards away from the bonfire that Crusade had started.

Amy retrieved a few oblong objects from the crate and handed one to Bill as he joined the group. "It's called a Roman candle," she told him as he examined the thing credulously.

"The only Roman candle I know was a torture device," he said.

"Ah, I remember those," Dionysus said whimsically.

"Well, these Roman candles aren't too incredibly amazing, but…" Amy stretched the fuse so that it was sticking straight out then held it so that the bonfire would light it. "They're fun to do this." She aimed the lit firework at Bill's feet.

"Agh!" He jumped awkwardly out of the way as it shot out a bright colorful ball of flame and popped as it hit the ground. "Woman!" He jumped aside again as another shot out…and another. "I was right! It is a torture device! Hey!" One of the shots nearly hit his knee. "When does it end?!"

"These are ten shot candles," Amy told him with a grin. When the candle finally ran out, she watched Bill hurry over to the bonfire to light the candle he had. "Uh-oh," she said as he aimed it at her feet.

"You have made a mistake!" He laughed as the firework shot at her feet and she dodged them awkwardly.

"Ah! Bill, wait!" She quickly skipped around to the other side of the fire and behind Crusade.

"Whoa!" Crusade pulled her aside with him as one of the shots flew by.

"Ouch!" Dipper yelped as it struck him right in his thigh. "Hot!"

Bill had snatched up and lit another Roman candle, and Dipper ran across the clearing as three colorful shots flew after him. Stan chuckled, but his amusement had soon turned to concern as Bill directed the candle at him instead.

"Wait, no! I have a bad back!" He ran the opposite direction.

"Candle fight!" Mabel shouted and snatched up a candle of her own.

"This is most irresponsible," Ford said. "Amy, look what you've done! Hey!" He ducked as a red fireball whizzed past his head. "Watch it!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Came Dipper's reply.

Bud had begun barking and chasing them excitedly around the clearing while Ford, Ghost, Flora, and Dionysus watched. Ford and Ghost looked most displeased with the others' behavior. Flora seemed rather amused, and Dionysus was laughing heartily with a beer in his hand. Teeth had even joined in the "fight" and was carrying several lit candles in his jaws that shot one after the other in all directions. Luckily the sheep and other animals were safely tucked away in their respective barns and coop as several stray shots had flown through the pen and all around the clearing.

Once they had all run out of shots and used up all of the Roman candles, they regathered by the crate to see what else was there. Stan set up a few firework mortars in the yard while Mabel and Teeth played around with some sparklers. Meanwhile, Bill had discovered the tiny dynamite styled firecrackers and was terrorizing Dipper with them while Bud barked at the noisy little things from a safe distance.

Everyone stopped to look up and watch as the mortars suddenly blasted charges high up into the air that exploded loudly with all types of patterns and bright colors. Some of them even whistled as they flew up towards the sky, then popped and scattered before each piece blew up like golden stars before fading away just as quickly. The smell of barbecue, a bonfire, and hints of gunpowder filled the air along with the sounds and lights.

Amy was so busy watching the display that she was a tad startled by something lightly brushing against her arm. "Bill," she breathed then laughed a little.

"Hello." He smirked at her. "Did I scare you?"

"You? Scare me? Ha!"

He laughed as she flinched from a particularly loud firework going off a little lower than the others. "You know," he said, turning his gaze up to the fireworks. "These might be the prettiest explosions I've ever seen."

She laughed. "Who would've thought, huh?" She stared up at him for a long time, watching as the colorful lights outlined him.

After a while, he turned to look at her with a soft smile. "What are you looking at, Amy?"

She quickly looked away from him. "The fireworks, of course!" Her face flushed with heat and embarrassment. What kind of sweet face was that?! she thought. He did that sometimes and it always made her chest flutter. It used to be a rare occurrence, but lately it had become a bit more common.

Later in the night, after they had cleaned up and all gone off to bed, Amy felt something move behind her in the bed and turned to see Bill climbing in the bed to lay on his back beside her.

"You're still awake?"

"Yes," she replied and turned over to face him. "What are you doing?"

"The same thing I do every night. Except…you're awake this time, I guess."

"You come lay down here every night? I thought you stayed by that window all night." He was always at the window when she went to bed, and he was typically always there when she woke up in the morning, too. She never realized or even thought that he did this.

He was staring silently up at the paper dragon hanging from the ceiling. After a while of silence, he quietly said, "It's warmer here."

"You're not even using the blanket," she scoffed into her pillow then edged closer to him and hugged his arm against her torso.

"Don't need it," he said simply. "Especially when you do something like this."

She only hummed in response as tiredness took over but managed to mumble, "'night."

"…Goodnight, Amy."

To be continued…

I do not condone the improper use of Roman candles or any other fireworks. ...But I will admit that my friend and his sisters and I do have "candle fights" with them. It is very unsafe. (Still fun though)