So Dipper's journal here... there's a part where he tries to spell Atë's name. In the word document, the first two attempts have slashes through them but apparently fanfic net can't do that so I just put this ... Anyways, her name is pronounced Ah-tee.

June 23rd

I did something bad last night. It was an accident, but still…

I had gone out for a walk with Mabel and I was telling her about how Bill had been driving me crazy with all his crap. Always messing with me and trying to get me to break my neck on the stairs… Well, someone overheard us and offered a solution.

A mysterious lady who called herself Atie...Atee... Atë showed up. She knew Bill, and I'm pretty sure she wasn't a human even though she looked like one. A dragon maybe? I'm not sure.

She told me that I could get back at Bill for messing with me so much if I showed him this flower called a Nightshade Amaranth. She didn't say it would kill him though! Well, he's not dead, but he's really sick. It happened as soon as I uncovered the flower from the towel I had it wrapped in. Amy was horrified when she saw it.

Apparently, Nightshade Amaranths are the only amaranths that are dangerous. All the other kinds are used for healing and stuff like that, but this one… It causes something called Shadow Fever. It's supposed to be deadly to dragons and no dragon has ever been known to survive it. But Bill isn't a dragon, so I don't know why he's sick! Even Flora looked disgusted by the sight of the flower and refused to get any closer than several yards of it! Mabel and I went with her to Telmak to find a Blood Amaranth. It's the only thing that can counteract the effects of Shadow Fever, but only if you use it as soon as possible…

We had to go all the way to this huge volcano called Mount Carver, where a giant phoenix called Dawnbringer lives. For some reason, she was chained up and trapped inside her own home, but we managed to free her. She told us that the shadows have returned to Telmak and some of them managed to trap her like that. I'm not sure what shadows are yet… As a reward, Dawnbringer made the Blood Amaranths bloom and let us take one. She also promised to help us later if we need her.

Now, considering who he is and all he's done, you would think Bill dying wouldn't be such a big deal, right? Well, I have no idea. I'm not very surprised that Flora was disappointed since she likes everyone, but even GHOST was mad at me! And I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like Bill! Why do the dragons like him so much? What am I missing here? Maybe I can get Ghost or Flora to tell me.

Nightshade Amaranth:

It's about the size of my whole hand when in full bloom. Black petals with little white specks and all of the pistil and stamen are red.

The flower glows red.

Leaves are also red, but darker.

They grow in clusters in a specific area in Telmak and nowhere else. They don't have proper stems like other amaranths so they grow close to the ground, and the top roots are exposed.

Roots are the same shade of red as the pistil and stamen.

Flora said that the Nightshade Amaranth used to be known as the Dust Amaranth, but the name was changed after the plants were cursed by Ragnarok a long time ago. He cursed them to make dragons ill instead of benefiting them. They named the sickness Shadow Fever because it's caused by the same black magic that makes up the shadows. (I need to ask more about the shadows)

Scent of the flower is apparently very strong to dragons, but humans can barely smell a thing. Just a whiff of it causes:

Headache

Dizziness

Fatigue

Loss of consciousness

High fever

Difficulty breathing

Body aches/physical pain

Death

Note: Humans are not affected by the Nightshade Amaranth at all. No dragon has ever survived Shadow Fever…

Blood Amaranth:

Larger than the Nightshade Amaranth. About seven to eight inches in diameter. The whole flower is one shade of dark red.

Stem and leaves are a dark green color. Stem is thick and grows about two feet tall.

The flower glows red.

The Blood Amaranth looks very tropical.

They're only found around the base of Mount Carver. Dawnbringer has the ability to make them grow and bloom. Wonder if they're connected specifically to her?

According to Flora, the Blood Amaranth, despite being a dark red color, actually got its name because it cleanses the body and blood and flushes out toxins and poison. It's also good for combating viruses.

The way it's used depends on what it's being used for and how the illness was obtained. If something toxic was ingested or venom was injected into the body, you would ingest the flower (typically in the form of tea). If the toxin was inhaled, like the Nightshade Amaranth with Bill, you just need the flower near you for its scent. Something to do with magic and the oils in the flower itself. Ghost told me that death comes much sooner if the Nightshade Amaranth is ingested…

The Blood Amaranth is apparently the only thing that can help with Shadow Fever at all. Keeping a Blood Amaranth with a Nightshade Amaranth cancels the effects of the Nightshade Amaranth, allowing a dragon to be near or interact with the Nightshade Amaranth. They still don't do it though. Also, you need one Blood Amaranth per two Nightshade Amaranths.

Amy's pretty upset. She probably hates me now. She brought Bill up to her room and is looking after him there. She hasn't left her room all day. I doubt she will until he wakes up…

…

Amy was incredibly worried about Bill. She had not left his side since last night, so Flora had taken it upon herself to tend to the animals while Ghost transformed himself into a human to enter the house. He was very tall, even as a human, with snowy white hair that reached his shoulders. He wore a slightly oversized white shirt with a pair of worn blue jeans and leather boots. Stan and Mabel had been surprised and somewhat startled at first when he just walked into the house through the front door, but they realized who he was once he spoke to them.

Amy glanced over her shoulder at the door as Ghost entered her room. He placed a bowl of water down on the bedside table and wrung out the small towel that was in it.

"Here," he muttered as he handed her the towel."

She did not say anything and took it, placing it on Bill's forehead. He tensed in his unconsciousness and clenched his teeth.

Ghost watched him for a second then eyed the Blood Amaranth nearby. "This is all that can be done for now."

"Why did the Nightshade Amaranth affect him?" Amy asked. "Isn't it only supposed to affect dragons?"

He glanced at her briefly before focusing his attention back to Bill. "Correct. But we do not bother to experiment with Nightshade Amaranths. Therefore, the only certainties we know are that dragons are affected and humans are not. I suppose others are fair game…" There was a long pause before he continued speaking. "Flora and I will remain here in the meantime to assist with the animals."

"…Thank you."

Ghost nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Bill did not wake up at all that day and steadily became more restless later in the night. Amy did not sleep for she was too worried about him. Not only that, but he had become so restless from the fever and pain that he kept shifting his legs, turning his head from side-to-side, and grunting and groaning. Sometimes he muttered things through clenched teeth. Some of it seemed to be in a language that Amy did not recognize but her dragon magic was quickly picking up on it. Still, none of it really made sense. Words like "no", "stop", "die", "dead", and "why", all of which made no sense to her since she could not make out any context or actual sentences. At one point, he startled her when he suddenly gasped for air and clutched tightly at his own collar.

Amy jumped and stared at him in the darkness; only the bedside table lamp was on. Concerned and not really sure of what he was doing, she tried to pull his hand down but he tightened his grip and clenched his teeth, making a sound reminiscent of a threatening growl.

"Bill," she said quietly. "You're okay…"

She took her other hand and softly stroked the back of her fingers along his cheek. He had an incredibly high fever… He grunted and turned his head towards her as his grip on his shirt loosened and he exhaled. It seemed to relax him, so she continued while she intertwined the fingers of her other hand with his so he couldn't clutch at himself anymore. Then she leaned down as she removed the damp towel and just barely touched her lips to his forehead.

He muttered something, just barely above a whisper, that sounded very much like her name.

"Druu grayal, belno," she whispered sweetly and he hummed in response.

Flora and Ghost remained in the clearing all the next day and night. On the third day, Ghost watched, a very unimpressed expression on his face, as Mabel ran screaming from the rooster.

"Your shouting and running only makes it worse," he said. She ran over to the dragon and hid behind his arm. The rooster skidded to a halt and looked up at him. Ghost snorted and the chicken quickly turned and ran off.

"Phew!" Mabel relaxed. "I don't know how Amy does it."

"By not screaming and running away," Ghost stated bluntly. "She is a fairy dragon, a type of nature dragon specifically in tune with plants and animals. Animals understand and respect her, and she can make plants grow even in pitiful places." He sounded almost proud. "She is only half dragon but she may be even more talented than her mother was."

"Her mom's name was Rose, right?" Mabel looked up at him. "What was she like? Did you know her?"

Dipper had just finished feeding Bud and came over to listen.

"Of course I did." Ghost puffed smoke at her, causing her to cough and back up. He flicked his tail and the Enchiridion appeared from Dipper's vest. It flipped open and produced one of its strange moving 3D images; a pink dragon with fairy wings made of light, round golden eyes and red spikes running down her spine.

"That was her?" Dipper asked.

"She's so pretty," Mabel cooed and leaned closer to examine.

Ghost nodded. "Rose, Gaia's most faithful follower and beta. Beta is the term dragons use for their second in command," he explained before they could ask. "She was talented with magic but not powerful and too soft-hearted to harm another. Most fairy dragons are pacifist creatures. What they lack in strength they make up for in speed and defense. Despite this, she was bold and often came to this realm under the guise of a human. It was here she met Amy's father and the two fell in love."

"Aw," Mabel smiled. "A love story."

"With a tragic ending." Ghost narrowed his eyes. "Humans fear what is stronger than them. They dislike what they do not understand. They kill what they perceive to be a threat." The twins gulped. "Amy's uncle, her father's brother, discovered what Rose was. Fearful, and refusing to understand, he rallied others with his view and had them hunt her down like a wild animal. She escaped but suffered great wounds. With the last of her strength, she came to me, bleeding and begging, and left Amy in my care." He turned to look at the willow tree looming over the nearby pond. "When dragons die their bodies return to the land and everlasting formations appear in their place. That tree marks the grave of Rose." He looked around and spread his wings. "This clearing marks the grave of Valor."

"Whoa, wait what?!" Dipper jumped and nearly fell backwards. "This whole time we've been on a giant grave?! And that tree is Amy's mom's grave?!"

"Amy's mom is a tree?" Mabel tilted her head.

Ghost hit her head with the end of his tail. "Rose is not a tree. Dragon's bodies return immediately to nature, but their souls move on to the afterlife. Dragons do not bury their dead or move them to other locations after death. Wherever they die, that becomes their grave."

"Is that why Amy doesn't really like humans?"

"It is one reason out of many," Ghost replied. He let out a long breath through his nostrils and laid down, crossing his arms. "Although rambunctious and odd at times, Amy is golden-hearted to the core. She is a fairy dragon after all. However, she has suffered much, all at the hands of humans. She has always known, and seen, what humans do. The good may out-weigh the bad, but if one only notices the bad then that is all they will see. She is not bad, so she would never actively try to harm or destroy anyone or anything, but that does not mean she does not dislike or even hate them."

Ghost turned, staring off into the distance as if pondering something. "She could never want something to perish or suffer. No matter what, or who, it is. Besides, we all know that humans will kill themselves off eventually."

"Huh?" Mabel raised an eyebrow.

"Ghost," Dipper said. "I want to know why the dragons are not concerned by Bill's presence. In fact, they seem to kind of respect or even like him. But he's not a good guy, and the dragons aren't evil. …Right?"

"Whether someone is good or evil is subjective. The rabbit may view the fox as evil because the fox desires to kill and eat the rabbit. But the fox does not see itself as such because it is simply doing what it must to survive. The deer does not fear the fox because it is strong enough to fend it off, and the fox does not bother the deer. The deer sees the fox killing the rabbit, and it may very well believe the fox to be wrong. Perhaps even evil. But another deer will not see it that way. It will not agree with or like what the fox does, but it will understand why it does what it does."

"I'm confused," Mabel said.

"Is the fox supposed to represent Bill?" Dipper asked. "The deer are the dragons? But Bill doesn't do what he does because he has to. He does it because he's a crazy jerk!"

"Is that so?" Ghost mused. "You are half right, I suppose. Hm… Well then, let's say we have a wolf instead of a fox. Wolves live in packs, yes? But wolves often kill or abandon the runts of their litters. The weak link will drag the pack down and cause problems for all of them. But sometimes, they may attempt to raise the weak one anyway. Unfortunately, the young wolf could not keep up and the rest of the pack began to attack and drive it away. With the pack against it, the wolf came to only know fear and betrayal. It had to fight every day just to survive in its own pack. The only way for a wolf to be respected is for it to be strong. So, the wolf found a way to become strong. Stronger than even the alpha. The wolf killed the alpha, but out of fear of betrayal, it killed the rest of the pack as well then left to wander alone. But still, the wolf had to keep growing stronger to survive, even outside of its home.

One day, after a long time of wandering and searching, living in fear, the wolf finds a new pack. But wolves are territorial. Because of this, and the wolf's desire to be the strongest, it challenges the pack's alpha. But this alpha is stronger and wins the fight. The wolf is torn apart and on the brink of death, but instead of being killed, the wolf is taken in by the alpha to serve him. Under fear of the alpha's teeth and claws, the wolf joins the pack and follows the alpha's orders. The wolf has once again been depressed by an abusive and tyrannical alpha, perhaps even worse than the first. Wolves that do not follow the alpha's orders are punished by the alpha's fangs. Wolves that continue to not follow orders or disappoint the alpha are torn apart and killed by the pack.

So, this wolf has grown up only knowing death and suffering. Feeling joy when the one suffering is finally not itself. It desires to be the alpha, but it is too afraid and too weak to challenge the current alpha. It lives in fear of being betrayed and attacked. …Such is the life of a lone wolf."

"Okay…" Dipper said. "Then what?"

"The wolf fights to survive. It must show that it is stronger than the rest of the pack so that it can remain high in the ranks. But if it rises too high, the alpha will strike it. The wolf follows orders and goes where the alpha tells it to, sits when the alpha says to sit, and kills what the alpha says to kill. If it does not, it will die.

Then, one day, the wolf finds another pack. This pack is different from its own. It is bigger, cautious, but not openly aggressive towards the wolf. The wolf is welcomed into the new pack, but the new pack is at war. The bears attack and kill the wolves, who must work together to take down even a single bear. Our wolf helps the new pack to fend off the bears. Eventually, the bears are driven away. But the wolf, although it wishes to stay, must return to its old pack. If it does not, the alpha will seek it out and kill it for treachery. The wolf would die and also put the new pack at risk. So, the wolf leaves. Again, surviving through fear and anger even in its own pack."

"I…think I get it," Dipper mused. "Huh…"

…

Bill winced and opened his eye slightly, blinking as he processed where he was. He sat up and muttered something, annoyed at the headache he had. He looked over to where Bud was standing beside the bed staring at him, tail wagging and tongue hanging out.

"What are you looking at?" Bill said to the dog.

Amy was sitting at the edge of the bed flipping through a book. She turned at the voice and stared at him. When he looked over and opened his mouth to say something she suddenly jumped over and hugged him. "You're awake!" He tensed, surprised by the sudden action. She let go and laughed, embarrassed, then laughed again at his confused expression.

His face flushed slightly and he scoffed. "What, you thought I was gonna die?"

"Yes," she stated. "You've been out for almost three days because of that Nightshade Amaranth."

"Oh." He looked away. "Interesting."

"I was so worried…"

He looked at her again, surprised.

Her face pinkened. "Well, no one's ever survived Shadow Fever you know!"

…

Ghost was laying down with his head resting on his hands like a dog while Dipper and Mabel showed Ford something in the Enchiridion. The dragon's eyes opened suddenly and he lifted his head slowly. "Bill is awake."

"Uh-oh," Dipper tensed and his sister snickered. The boy stood up to leave and yelped when he turned and almost ran into Bill who was looking down at him with pure hate. "Oh, hey Bill," Dipper's voice cracked. "Feeling better?"

"Better than you'll be," he growled.

As he moved to grab him Ghost's tail came down between the two and swept them away from each other. "Silence," the big dragon said. "It's story time. Well, I suppose it's more movie-like than anything."

"Yeah," Mabel piped up. "Fight on your own time, it's story time!"

"Story time?" They looked over to see Amy walking over with Bud close behind.

"Amy!" Mabel ran over to hug her. "Ghost said he'd let the Enchiridion show us what happened to Valor."

Amy flinched and looked up at Ghost then back at the girl. "That's a…violent story."

"Something interesting for once," Bill said, still trapped against Ghost's tail.

Ghost leaned forward and puffed air at the book. It flipped through most of its pages before stopping near the beginning and producing text accompanied by 3D images. Ghost scanned over the text then read it aloud. "…the Original One produced four siblings that each took the form of dragons. The first sibling took to her world, Telmak, where she created magical beings and birthed magic unto the worlds. The offspring dubbed her, Gaia. The second sibling took to his world, Sava, where he corralled the souls of those no more and sent them to their final destinations. For this he became known as the Ouroboros." The book showed a long serpentine dragon with a feathery cream-colored body and large red plumes around his head and arms, circling around translucent misty figures. "The third sibling took to his world, Avas, where life grew slow and was everchanging. The world's dwellers called him Valor." A different image appeared, one of a large white dragon with golden claws and horns and feathered wings. He stood boldly on his hind legs staring out over a vast forest. "At the same time, a separate being took to Evalo, where physicality met spirituality and neither the living nor the dead could tread without sinking into the sand." The book's image shifted to a blue starry place where rivers of sparkling blue lights flowed like ribbons. At its center was the ghostly figure of some creature that was curled up asleep. It looked as if it was made of stardust. Suddenly the image shifted again and showed them a fierce-looking black dragon, darker that the void with four bloodred eyes and long blade-like spikes all down its back. Its mouth gaped, showing rows of shinning white teeth, curved and sharpened like talons. "The fourth sibling took to his world, Druunire, to balance all the chaos of the universe and turn dreams and illusions into reality. But the fourth sibling was displeased and became known as Ragnarok.

Ragnarok grew jealous of his siblings Gaia and Valor and the prosperous, everchanging worlds they tended. They were worshipped like gods by both mortal and immortal beings alike. Ragnarok abandoned Druunire and attempted to seize Telmak. Valor stopped him midway and the two siblings fought in Avas." Ghost stopped reading and allowed the book to show them the past.

Valor stood across from Ragnarok, they were surrounded by the vast forest. "You must stop," Valor's proud voice boomed.

"I won't," Ragnarok's dark raspy voice growled. It was like hearing hatred itself speak. "The Great One has wronged me. I will get what I deserve!"

"That is not why we exist," Valor retorted. "We exist for all other things, living or not. We exist to allow others to exist and to keep all things from collapsing."

"A pitiful existence," Ragnarok growled lowly. "You are only resigned to that fate because you are treated like royalty!"

"I have been resigned to my fate before I came to be. They may view me as they wish, I will perform my duties nonetheless. If you are unsatisfied with Druunire then change it if you must, but you have no right to take lives or worlds. None of us do."

Ragnarok snorted and slammed his tail down crushing several plants and rocks beneath him. "The words of a smug fool! I only needed Telmak, but if you insist on barring my way then I shall take Avas as well!" He blasted out a massive red fireball.

Valor slashed with golden claws at the attack, causing the flames to disperse, but Ragnarok was already upon him. The black dragon sunk his curved teeth into the other's shoulder and held on as the other thrashed, roaring with pain and anger. Golden fire filled Valor's mouth as he clamped his jaws on Ragnarok's spine. The pain caused Ragnarok to let go with a furious hissing screech. He turned and threw the white dragon off and tried to burn him again as Valor took to the sky. Ragnarok burst into the air at great speed and the two struck at each other several times, faster than anyone could see. Bleeding wounds seemed to be coming from nowhere. Finally, the white dragon, now tattered by red, was struck in the wing and crashed to the earth. Ragnarok landed hard next to him, panting with his own blood dripping from his jaws.

Two dragons suddenly burst from a portal in the sky, drawing Ragnarok's attention. He glared spitefully up at Gaia and Ouroboros, too tired and out of breath to speak. Gaia stared down at him, sadness in her eyes, while Ouroboros looked down at him with fury and hate. Their eyes glowed and an earsplitting sound reverberated amongst them. Ragnarok let out a furious roaring howl as a red portal appeared behind him and began to forcibly pull him in. His claws dragged through the rocks and earth in an attempt to get away but the sealing spell was too powerful. As the portal finally consumed him it closed with a sound like cracking thunder.

Gaia and Ouroboros watched regretfully as Valor's last breath escaped him and his body faded into the earth. The surrounding trees wilted and vanished as if too sad to remain, creating a large clearing in the forest.

"That was messed up," Dipper said as the book's images faded.

"So those were those great dragons," Ford rubbed his chin.

"You wanted to see it for yourselves," Ghost snorted. "Dragons are as brutal in combat as they are sophisticated in everyday life." He looked down at Bill and let him loose from his tail. "Story time is over. You may continue."

Amy quickly stepped between Bill and Dipper then shot Ghost a glare.

"Ah," Ghost said, ignoring Amy's glare. "Bill."

"What?" he snapped.

"It appears that the one who told Dipper about the Nightshade Amaranth was none other than Atë."

He tensed and stared at him, wide-eyed for a moment before shaking his head. "That's not possible."

"Are you sure?"

"YES!"

The others flinched, aside from Ghost. "…Very well," Ghost said.

"Um, who is –"

"Dead!" Bill shouted before Mabel could finish the question. "Dead and unimportant! Don't ask any more questions about it!"

"O-Okay! Okay."

He inhaled deeply then released it in an exasperated sigh as he held his head. "Ugh. Still feel like shit…"

"Why don't you come back inside and get some more rest?" Amy suggested. "You can beat Dipper later."

"What!?" Dipper yelped. "Amy, don't tell him that!"

…

June 25th

Well, Bill survived the Shadow Fever. Probably because he's not a dragon. On one hand, great news to some, on the other…pretty sure he's gonna murder me in my sleep tonight. Maybe I'll stay up tonight…

He got really mad all of a sudden when Ghost mentioned the name Atë. In fact, he refused to believe him. He insisted, very angrily, that she's dead. Just who the heck is she?

To be continued…

The weird language Amy spoke in is the dragon language. I actually made the entire language myself. You'll see more of it in later chapters. Ah, I guess I should translate... "Druu grayal, belno" can be translated to "dream well, love"