Come Wayward Souls

Phase One

"Ah, come on now, you too, Gnome Boy," Bill said, clapping his tiny hands together as Dipper shook the remaining blue sparks from his fingers.
Then the demon held out his hand to Wirt. "You've got to shake on it too; you're in this deal just as much as Pine Tree, right?"

Wirt hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"Ahhh- right," he said, and shook.
"Excellent," Bill chimed. "I won't ask the little one- not gonna lie, he's pretty useless. So! Let's get started."

Greg looked cross but didn't say anything.

"What's first?" Wirt asked, sounding scared. Dipper grasped his hand, expecting to find it shaking, but it was as steady as a rock. It was also icy cold.

"Well, I suppose we've got to wait until the woodsman comes to us, right?" Bill said, mock- sighing. "Wrong!" He slapped his hands together and there in front of them appeared the woodsman.

They all, bar Bill, yelled in surprise. Bill whispered to Dipper and Wirt:

"You get that lantern, then that's your side of the deal done. I'll be back- I don't want him to see me. Don't worry: I'll be closer than you think. Good luck."

Then he evaporated again, like a Chestire cat.

"What's going on?" Woodsman cried. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"Woodsman," Wirt said, dropping Dippers hand coldly and walking away from him, with his back to him, towards the woodsman. "It's okay, it's me- erm... Wirt, and over there's... My... Brother. Greg? Greg. Yeah. Don't worry."

Dipper frowned.

"Boys!" Woodsman groaned. "What are you still doing here? You need to get yourselves home, it isn't safe for you here."

"I know," Wirt said. "This is how we're going to do just that. Could I see your lantern for a moment?"

"What?" Woodsman asked, confused. "Why?"

"I just need to have a quick look."

"No!" Woodsman shouted, holding the lantern close to him. He stared around at them, his eyes narrowing on Dipper.

"Who's that?" He asked suspiciously.

"That's my friend Mason, don't worry, she's not a threat," Wirt said, his back still to Dipper.

Dipper's jaw dropped.

It couldn't be true.

How?

How did Wirt know his birth name?

No one knew his birth name- and for good reasons!

He didn't want to remember... That part of his life.
Before he had become who he really was: he was Dipper Pines, not Mason. Mabel's brother, not her...

There was no way he had told Wirt, he was sure of it.

But he had used the female pronoun!

What on earth was going on?

"Mason, eh?" The woodsman said with raised eyebrows. "Well. What use is my lantern to any of you?"

"We need it to get home," Wirt began, but just as he reached out to take the lantern, a deep singing that had not so long ago enticed Dipper, began to radiate through the trees. The Beast was on his way.