Mabel frowned.
Why did Dipper look so upset?
Dipper did not move from his spot, simply staring at the fire swallowing the journals whole. It left small burnt scraps of papers and ashes.
Mabel didn't understand her twin. She burnt his journals. He should be saying thank you.
Dipper knelt down and clenched the burnt scrap of paper with "Trust No One" written on it.
"It was for the best, Dipper," Mabel said. "It is for your own good."
Dipper gave no response.
Mabel forced a smile. "I did it for you, Dipper. For the past few weeks, you have been ignoring me. And I finally found the source of the problem: the journal."
Mabel turned her head to face Dipper. "I just want you to come back. Be my twin. I ... I don't even know who you are anymore."
Her voice began to crack, "Dipper, answer me. Why won't you answer me?"
She moved her hand to his shoulder, only to be pushed down with such force she did not know Dipper possessed. She crashed on the ground with a thump. There was a cracked sound.
"How could you ..." Dipper growled. She could hear the hurt in his voice. "I trusted you."
Mabel winced.
"The journal warned me not to tell anyone, not to trust anyone ... but I told you!"
Mabel cried, "You don't understand! I -"
She paused when she saw her twin's eyes turn yellow. She was struck by the familiarity she could easily tell. Those were his eyes.
No, he couldn't be here. Mabel and Dipper had defeated the demon! If he was here, why did he possess Dipper?
"I understand," Dipper sneered. "A lot."
And with that, the boy ran into the woods.
Tears welling, Mabel ran to catch him, but he was too fast. She shouted his name over and over, and waited. Waited.
She waited for him to come back. She shouted the name again, hoping this time, he would come back. Third time was the charm, wasn't it?
No one answered.
• • •
Trust no one.
Trust no one. Trust no one. Trust no one.
Trust no one. Trust no one. Trust no one.
Trust no one. Trust no one. Trust no one.
Mabel was the only person he had trusted, but he didn't know how fast she was willing to betray that fickle trust, until now.
And twice at that!
Did she not know that without the journal, he was nothing? Without it, he would be the normal nerd again, the one who constantly got bullied on daily time basis. Without it, he would not have known the secrets that were kept hidden for centuries.
When Mabel trusted Stan over him, it was as if someone stabbed his heart with a bloody dagger. It hurt. Dipper have sacrificed so much for his sister, and this was how she repaid him. By believing the words of a conman.
Styx, he did not know where he was now. He could almost imagine what his gravestone would say: bullied and betrayed ... Rest In Peace, Dipper Pines. Forever lost in the woods.
Huh, that was depressing.
With a cry of frustration, he did the first thing he could think of. He punched a nearby tree and yelped at his bloody knuckles. He have never felt this hopeless in his life. That one time with the broken toilet did not count.
A punch.
No muscles, no brain.
Another punch.
Face it, kid.
You're nothing without that journal.
Dipper scowled and punched even harder, which led the tree to fall over. Roots were pulled out of the soil.
I did that ...?
Before he could process what happened, the fallen tree turned black, and the colors of the landscape shifted to varying shades of grey. This only meant one thing. Bill Cipher was here.
The demon's laughter confirmed his suspicion. "Greetings! Want a banshee sundae?"
Dipper hurriedly glanced at his dirty knuckles, and entertained the thought of hitting Cipher in his nonexistent face. He quickly changed his mind when he saw the demon doing a dance with his cane. The banshee sundae was thankfully, not conjured.
"Bill, the journals are gone, so there is really no need to make a deal with me."
"Who said I was here for a deal? Stop making that face, I'm telling the truth."
Dipper scoffed.
"You owe me a life debt, Pine Tree."
"That fire happened in a dream which, if I remember correctly, was created by you. So, I don't owe you any."
"Details. Details. Do I care?"
Dipper did not know how to respond.
Bill laughed. "That's why I like you, kid. Always so observant and careful."
"So what brings you to my humble abode," deadpanned Dipper. "I can't offer you any sacrifices."
"Relax, Pine Tree," said Bill, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "I just want you to do me a favor."
Dipper crossed his arms.
Bill continued, "I'll stop sending you funny nightmares, solve your family issues, and get you the journal. In return, you help me."
It was a perfect deal, but it sounded too tempting. Dipper was better than that. No sane mine would willingly help a demon. As Dipper was very sane, he politely replied "no."
He thought he looked pretty cool when he said that word, until he saw the demon fuming.
Styx, Dipper was doomed.
"Oh well, you leave me no choice."
•••
[edited]