Dipper awoke coughing up water, his body instinctively turning. He sucked in as much air as he could, trying to remember what had happened. Why he was soaked and reeked of river underbed.
"Are you okay?" Greg croaked, big eyes full of unshed tears.
Dipper looked back, seeing Greg was soaked too, but at least alive and unharmed. Bruising was forming deeply against his neck. "Yeah. Just give me a second. How are you? Okay or banged up somewhere?"
Greg shook his head. "I'm okay. There was a kind fish man who pulled us out with his net." He looked around, Dipper doing the same.
"Think we're safe for now?" Dipper asked, trying to stand.
"Maybe. Dipper, look." Greg pointed to a long line of smoke from far off, just before some mountains.
"Should we?" He asked, his body aching, especially his back and head.
Greg nodded, starting to walk ahead. Dipper immediately noticed Greg's back, that gold line he'd seen once before had black veins spreading from it. "Come on, Dipper. Don't want to get lost." Greg looked back to the teen.
Dipper gulped, unsure if he should bring it up. Greg seemed okay, but he worried for the kid. "Hey, I was wondering if you sang too? Wirt does. Mabel tries on her karaoke machine." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. He wasn't good at it, unlike Mabel.
Greg smiled as Dipper caught up with him. "Not really. I just do it for fun. Wirt once said something about staying in his territory, now that we're older. The Mill is the heart of it. Though The Woodsman doesn't know it. Haha, he'd probably be mad!" Greg laughed, a genuine one, picturing The Woodsman's face.
Dipper smiled fondly. "Yeah. That guy is cranky. So he knows what Wirt is?"
Greg nodded. "Yep. He's always known, hence why he's so tough on him despite sheltering us and helping me when I'm sick. He has a fondness for Wirt but can't let his guard down because of his knowledge. His daughter Aren had told me that once, when I was sick and distraught with worry."
"Sick?" Dipper asked, eyes going the the back of Greg's neck.
"I occasionally get sick. Part of why Wirt's so protective." Greg brushed it off. "Anyway, let's play eye spy!" He ran a bit ahead, thinking of what to spy.
"Okay." Dipper said hesitantly.
Wirt had woken like a bullet, hearing commotion and feeling his father's presence. He ran out as fast as he could, making it to see his father walk back towards the woods. A splinted branch laid near the metal troph. Greg-but quickly realized Dipper too- were nowhere to be felt or seen. He panicked, running against and through the town, seeing if they simply hid after a moment. He called for them, over and over, until he realized he needed to tell the girls, which with the sky lightened the girls would be up by then.
His gut told him to go after his father, but worry for his mortal (and one immortal) companions stalled him from doing so.
With pain in his belly, he ran back, so, so tired and so, so worried.
"You know, I wonder how far we walked. I'm used to you being a chatterbox, so, what's wrong?" Dipper asked, them getting closer to the smoke, but Greg had been uncomfortably quiet. A thought hit him. "Is your throat hurting you?"
Greg stopped, looking up at him. "Yes. I think he hurt something. I'm okay, though." He smiled, rubbing his throat before looking around.
Dipper frowned, seeing how dark the bruising was. "You do the same thing as your brother. It's okay to confi-" he was stopped by Greg shushing him.
"I don't know this area. I feel like I'm somewhere I shouldn't be." Greg mumbled loud enough for Dipper to hear.
Dipper looked around as well. Greg was right. He was so in his head he hadn't even noticed, but the trees looked black with gnarled, thin branches, no leaves in sight, as they curled above, looking like claws ready to swipe anyone up. It was silent, a thin layer of fog at their ankles. He felt as if he was being watched, stalked for a meal. "Yeah…" he took a deep breath, looking around again with the thought of getting out in mind. He'd explored woods before, one's he'd never been. "This way."
Greg looked to where Dipper started to walk. "Why this way?" His voice was raw sounding.
"Trusting my gut and my gut says this way doesn't feel as dangerous. Need a lift so you can rest?" He held out his hands.
Greg's eyes went wide. "You don't have to."
Dipper snorted. "I want to. You're getting slower and your coordination is making you stumble. That…"curse" thing Wirt had spoken of makes you weaker when the black shows, right?"
He didn't expect Greg's eyes to widen more and to go pale. "How do…?" He awkwardly placed his hand over it on the back of his neck.
"I listen sometimes." He laughed. "But in seriousness, I don't want you exerting yourself without reason to. How-uh-how do you make the black go away?" He asked nervously.
Greg bit his lip, thinking, before he turned, lifting his shirt enough for Dipper to get a better view.
Dipper's eyes widened like saucers. "It's-it's almost covering your whole back! I can see it…crawling. What do I do?" He didn't dare touch it as he crouched to get a better look.
"There's nothing YOU can do. Flesh or Edelwood oil is the only way. Without a way to make the oil, we can't do that. I'll let you carry me. There's not a lot I can do if the veins spread any more. I wonder if Wirt knows it's gotten bad?" Greg suddenly felt his body become heavy, like a potato bag was set on his shoulders.
Dipper smiled, reaching and ruffling Greg's hair before he rubbed his cheekbone with his palm, laughing at Greg's pout.
Greg saw how bright the smile was, how simple and accepting the scarred up hands were. It was different than Wirt's. More genuinely joyful than guilty. He felt tears begin to blur and burn his eyes.
Wirt loved him. Protected him from what he could. Wirt was his everything since his parents died. He had friends, but he'd always be forced to move and leave them. He always had to be strong so Beau never saw it. So Wirt wouldn't feel anymore guilty.
Not that it helped to do so, with Wirt getting more aggressive and starving himself. He felt the tears fall like hot bath water down his cheeks, lips wobbling as he began to sob. What did he do to deserve that life? Was Wirt going to go and be Dipper's partner and abandon him to get away from Beau? "D-don't take Wirt from me." He whimpered.
He felt Dipper pick him up with ease, rubbing the back of his head since he wasn't sure if he could touch his back. "Like Wirt would ever allow that to happen." He knew it too. Wirt had even told him so.
Greg clung to him tighter. "What if when you guys get together, he decides to go with you?"
Dipper stumbled only a bit, face hot from the blush. "I-I don't know about that, Greg. But either way, you'd be taken along too. Just wait until we return. There's so much you haven't experienced of a Human life." He squeezed Greg to make sure the kid knew he was fully accepted.
Greg sniffled, feeling more exhausted than before. He wasn't sure if Dipper was lying or just an idiot, but he tried being optimistic and believe he was just a simple idiot with a crush. His eyelids began to get heavy, feeling his strength seep out. He hoped they'd find Wirt and them soon. He needed medicine. "I'm gonna sleep."
The girls, specifically Mabel and Paz, had justifiably yelled at him.
They'd scoured in different directions and yelled their names, but for hours they didn't get a response. They searched around for a couple days and on the 4th, nearing dusk, they came across the ravine and looking down, saw a fur hat against a branch hanging down and the river raging just below it.
"They…they must've fallen in! They-they could be anywhere." Mabel panicked.
Wirt didn't reply as he gazed farther East, the direction of the current. Just beyond, he could see an opening, a large beaver dam looking like a speck by distance. "This…isn't good."
"No duh, Sherlock! How're you so calm?!" Paz yelled.
"I've been taught how to feint calm in dire situations where Greg's involved. It's saved us both from The Beast many times. I think I know where they could've been washed up to." He gripped his forearm with unbearable strength. He was angry. He was hungry. Who knows the state Greg was in. Or Dipper.
"Mabel!" Paz yelled, Beatrice reaching for the twin but she had already jumped, taking a small grappling hook from between her breasts and shooting it when she was low enough, yelling "grappling hook!" as it shot up, latching to the ledge as she struggled to walk against the rock wall and grab the hat.
In a matter of moments, she was back, crawling from the ledge, panting. "Got it!" She took a moment to catch her breath.
"You idiot! He wouldn't care about the hat!" Paz whapped her girlfriend against the head. "What if it broke and you fell too?!"
Mabel stood, smirking before she held Paz's face and gave her a few sweet kisses. "Sorry, Paz."
Paz huffed, a blush on her cheeks as she turned her head to pout.
Wirt witnessed it. He saw how smoldering Mabel's Soul lit when around to comfort her love. He would keep it to himself, knowing if anyone knew the triggers, they'd be used against them. He felt an itch under his skin, a growl in his throat.
He couldn't discern the feelings. One was possibly hunger.
…Paz had been insecure. She was completely accepted and loved, no doubt about it. He put some distance, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself. "Let's go."
"Look!" Beatrice yelled, pointing beyond the ravine, passed the clearing, and past a small batch of trees to find the top of a building.
Wirt hadn't known, but then again, his worry grew. Beyond the ravine was some of his father's territory. He'd be surprised if Dipper and Greg were alive. They were though, Wirt could feel Greg in a sense. His father had a plan then. 'Dammit.'
The smoke was from a burning house, Dipper had realized as soon as they made it, as the city was booming with houses and shops. The people and music reminded him of his Grunkles. A time stamp had said the 1960's. This The Unknown place was a mixing pot of eras, it seemed.
Greg's color was paler, as the veins slowly spread, causing Dipper to worry even more.
At some point while wandering to find a spot, Dipper resulted in carrying Greg the whole time, the youth sleeping deeply. If he didn't have the child on him, he would've feared he was dead.
He wasn't sure how to save Greg and that bit at him. He couldn't find any Edelwood and even if he did, he didn't know how to get the oil out. He didn't know if Greg needed animal meat or Human, so that was…a bit more difficult. They found a park, Dipper setting Greg down to stretch and check on him. Greg slowly opened his eyes, trying to rub them snd waken more, only to move slower. "Greg. I need to ask one more thing before you sleep more." He shook his shoulder to keep him up.
Greg nodded. Trying to sit up, the veins thickening.
"Hey. Do you need animal or Human flesh? Does it matter?" He tried getting closer so Greg didn't have to struggle.
More tears welled in Greg's eyes, the golden light still bright. "Human. Closest…Souls." His eyes began to droop again.
Dipper felt the panic in his throat and shaking in his veins. "Hold on, bud. I'll-I'll think of something." Dipper's mind was racing. How was he going to save Greg without hurting someone?
A chill of fear ran up his spine, the deep baritone of The Beast singing away just at the edge, white eyes in a Human form began to walk towards them. Dipper felt for the axe, it wasn't on him. "Shit."
"I see you're in a pickle, Dipper Pines. Lucky for myself but quite unfortunate for you. I haven't seen Gregory in this state for a long while. Pity." The Beast kept some distance but not by much, pacing.
"Stay the fuck away!" Dipper snarled, body tense as a bow.
"You don't want that. If I left, Gregory will perish without his…what has Wirtham been calling it? Ah, "medicine", that's it. But if you want to be the reason Wirtham looses his sanity, then so be it." He waved away, walking farther.
"W-wait!" Dipper blurted, completely lost on how to help Greg. He tried not running up to The Beast, but his hand was outstretched. "You know what he needs?" He couldn't let Greg die. He was just a child. A child that had went through so much and Dipper wouldn't allow himself to be the reason Wirt lost his only loved one.
The Beast turned his head. "Of course I do. Quite desperate, I see." There was amusement in his voice.
"Fuck off." He growled back. "Just tell me how I help him." Dipper's eyes were hard.
The Beast hummed. "I doubt I should with those manners. But I am a merciful man, so let's make a simple deal. What do you say?" He tilted his head.
Dipper was about to retort with an insult, but Greg coughing brought him back to the true issue there. The reason why The Beast was there and the reason Dipper wanted-needed him to wait. He took a deep breath when Greg calmed more. "Let's hear it first."
The Beast let out a laugh. It was deep and cruel. Hollow. "I hunt the prey you need to renew Gregory's strength. In turn…you accept what I give, no refusal, you take what I bless you with. Then, you alone will dice it up and feed Gregory."
Dipper felt the cold envelope his core. Yes, he wouldn't be the one to kill. But…he felt like he knew what angle The Beast was trying. Dipper could feel the guilt already, deep within, but he also cared for Greg and Wirt and they didn't know when Wirt and the other's would find them. He didn't want Greg dead, nor Wirt hurt because he wasn't willing to take a life. 1 for 2…sounds like a bargain. It was. He tried gulping down the large, nervous lump in his throat. "P-p-p…please…hurry…"
The Beast began to sing his lullaby, his lantern glowing brightly in the dark, leaving Dipper to silently panic and hold Greg close, his fingers pressed tight to his pulse to make sure he stayed breathing. The moon was bright and mocking above them. He only hoped he had chosen right. He needed to apologize to Wirt. He underestimated the mental strength needed to keep trying there. He couldn't rest. Couldn't sleep properly. He had to go with his gut so much more than back home.
The lullaby of The Beast made Dipper's body and mind on alert, never once relaxing.