Finally, Bill had the decency to shut up.

The blond was now fast asleep, resting his cheek on the back of Dipper's neck. Now that his expression wasn't contorted into a creepy smile, Bill looked peaceful, almost like a human being.

Dipper would've even found this display cute, if it weren't Bill, the same monster that destroyed his home.

The Guardian will never forget that day. Memories such as swirls of raging fire, cries of pain, and flashes of blood. So much blood.

Lastly, the image of Bill in the center of the once beautiful utopia, resorted to a burning hellscape, banishing Dipper's uncle, the Guardian of Night, to another dimension, while giving the brunette a wicked smile. That memory will forever be engraved in Dipper's mind.

It didn't matter what shape or form Bill took, Dipper will never forgive him for what he had done.

Which made his current situation all the more shameful. Why hadn't he just left Bill? The blond didn't deserve a shed of Dipper's sympathy. Regardless, he had to take Wendy into consideration. For some reason, the redhead trusted the Ciphers, and unless the male Guardian could think of a way to convince her otherwise, he had to protect Bill for her sake.

Then, there was also the discussion he had with his Grunkle Stan. That they must try to get Bill on their side, which Dipper found very doubtful. As far as his and the boy's dynamic went, Bill didn't trust him, or like him for that matter, and Dipper wasn't pleased by him either. The only thing they could agree on.

Ignoring Bill for now, Dipper paused, as he reached a fork in a path. He desperately longed to use his tracking powers, but the familiar rush of magic was vacant in his veins. He had a theory of what might had happened, he prayed he was wrong.

Suddenly, he felt a brush of hair against his neck, when Bill shifted. The boy opened his eyes, and adjusted them to their surroundings.

"What..what's going on?" He yawned.

Dipper darted his eyes towards him. "Looks like you're awake, too bad, I was getting use to the peace and quiet. Also, how's your ankle?"

"It hurts," Bill whined, resting his chin on the other's shoulder. "But, I think I can walk on my own."

"Are you sure?" Dipper asked, skeptically.

"Yes, Pine Tree. Jeez, I'm not that fragile."

"I only want to make sure, so you won't complain halfway through our journey, and ask me to carry you again."

"I didn't ask the first time," The blond noted, bitterly. "Now, would you put me..."

Dipper looked at him strangely, when the blond paused in his sentence. "What?"

"Uh, have you noticed you're sinking into the ground?"

The Guardian gaped, and looked down. To his horror, his feet disappeared in the earth, as it slowly consumed him.

"Ah! What is this!?" Dipper screamed, trying to free his feet.

"It's quicksand, you idiot!" Bill shouted.

"How do I get out!?"

Bill looked around rapidly. Then, his eyes caught on the branches overhead. "I think I can reach the branches."

"OK, but what about me?"

"Once I'm up, I'll help pull you out."

Dipper narrowed his eyes. "How do I know if I can trust you?"

"You don't really have a choice!" Bill snapped.

Good point.

With that, Dipper stilled, while Bill slowly climbed onto his shoulders. It took quite a struggle, with Dipper getting the blond's shoes in his face a couple of times, before Bill managed to stand on his shoulders. Bill wobbled a bit, and almost slipped off, if Dipper hadn't kept his ankles secure. The Guardian noticed the boy wincing, and eased his grip on Bill's wound. After that, the blond desperately reached for a nearby branch. Meanwhile, the quicksand swallowed Dipper up to his knees, and panic swelled in him.

"Hurry up!" He told Bill.

Then, like a miracle, Bill grabbed hold of the branch. After a little scuffle, he perched himself on it, breathing heavily. Dipper squirmed, as he felt the gooey contents sinking into his pants. He was almost down to his waist, and tossed a urgent look towards Bill.

"Any minute now, would be nice!"

Dipper almost expected the blond to shout "See ya, sucker!"and sprint off. Instead, Bill snapped off one of the branches, and thrust it in the Guardian's direction.

"Grab hold!" He told him.

Dipper obliged, and gripped the branch tightly. Almost immediately, Bill started pulling with all his weight. At first, Dipper didn't move an inch, then very slowly, he began ascending from the mass of quicksand. Bill was straining from the clear effort, but put all his strength in each yank. Eventually, Dipper's feet were free. Bill used his remaining strength, and pulled him up. Dipper quickly climbed up, and swung his leg over the branch, so he was now sitting across from Bill.

"Thank you," He breathed.

"No problem," Bill replied, rubbing his hands.

Dipper noticed cuts and splinters on the boy's palms. He knitted his brow. He would have to treat Bill's hands once they get down, the boy did get hurt while helping him, so it was the least he could do in return.

Bill helped me, He realized.

Bill looked at him, furrowing his brow. "You're doing that pervy stare again."

Dipper resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Bill was his lifesaver, but still annoying as ever.

"We should get down," He said, then offered a hand to Bill. "You still can't put pressure on your ankle, so I'll help you."

Bill grumbled softly, but thankfully didn't protest. He allowed Dipper to carry him on his back again. After making sure to stay clear of the quicksand, Dipper jumped off the branch, and landed on the ground.

"Alright, now put me down," Bill said.

Dipper cooperated, and placed the boy by his feet, where Bill proceeded to lay on his back. As he did that, something slipped out from his backpack. Curious, the Guardian picked it up, and inspected it. He never seen such a device in his life. His eyes drifted to the button on top, and he placed his finger on it.

Bill noticed this, and his eyes widened. "Wait, don't--"

Dipper didn't heed his warning in time, and pressed the button. Immediately, a flash of bright light seared into his eyes, and he yelped. He unintentionally tossed the object, and then went to rub his eyes. Once the dots disappeared from his vision, he saw Bill staring at the quicksand, where the item quickly sank in a matter of seconds.

Bill tossed him a glare, while Dipper shrank awkwardly.

"Sorry."

❇❇❇

He was pretty certain, that Mabel was trying to kill him.

He screamed, when the Guardian made a wild dash through the forest. Will held onto her for dear life, as she bolted at top speed, the wind rushing over them.

"Woohoo!" She cheered, her hair sweeping behind her. "We'll find Fiddleford in no time!"

"Can you please slow down?" Will pleaded.

Thankfully, Mabel did what he asked, but probably because the path ended for them. Will dared to peer from behind his hands, and what he saw before him, was a giant chasm, like someone drove a knife through the earth. Mabel helped him climb off her shoulders, and then she went to inspect the chasm.

Her gaze drifted overhead, and Will followed it. There, he saw a variety of dangling vines, right over the gaping hole.

He felt anxiety creep up on him. Oh no, she can't be thinking...

His assumption proved to be correct, when Mabel leaped forward without hesitation. She grabbed a vine at the last second, and was now hovering over the gorge below her.

"Mabel, be careful!" Will squeaked.

"It's alright," She insisted, dismissing his concern. "We just have to swing over."

"We?"

She nodded, and extended a hand towards him. "Grab my hand, and I will swing you to the other side."

Did she have any idea what she was suggesting? Will stepped back, shaking his head. "No, thanks!"

"What's the worse that could happen?"

"I could die!" Will shouted.

Mabel gave him a look of encouragement. "There's your problem. Just don't think about dying, and the rest will be easy."

"That is basically impossible, Mabel," He pointed out.

"No, it isn't," She replied. "If you keep thinking about the worst possible outcome, you'll miss out accomplishing things unless you take the leap of faith. Literally."

Will frowned, feeling the familiar emptiness he hid inside. "I don't think I can..."

Mabel regarded him with a warm smile. "Will, what do you want most, right now?"

"To find my brother," He answered, truthfully.

"This town will bring forth a lot of craziness for you and your brother, and I can guarantee that some of it might seem scary. It's alright to be scared, but you have to be brave to protect the ones you love. Okay?"

Will looked at her, feeling a smidge of comfort in her words. "Okay."

"Make sure not to look down," Mabel instructed.

He really wished she hadn't said that, now all he thought about was looking down. Bracing himself, Will dashed forward, before his feet left the ground. He blindly grabbed at the air, and waited for his demise, when a strong hand caught his wrist. He looked up, glad to see Mabel holding onto him.

"OK, I'm gonna swing you over," She told him, already swinging back and forth to build momentum.

Will nodded, unintentionally glancing down. His heart did somersaults, when seeing the darkness below him.

"Wait! I'm having second thoughts--"

That was when Mabel tossed him to the other side. Will released a high pitched scream, when he was thrown over the chasm. He shut his eyes, and a moment later, he was rolling across a hard surface. Will pried his hands from his face, and saw that he made it across.

"I'm alive" He gasped, in disbelief. "Yes! I'm never doing that again!"

There was a thud behind him, and he was lifted off the ground, as Mabel embraced him. "You did it! That was awesome!"

Will was surprised at first, but returned her hug nevertheless. After Mabel released him, she suggested they move on, which he agreed upon.

More time progressed, and then they entered another clearing. Will immediately sensed an unsettling energy, and it amplified once he spotted a cave nearby. The boy wanted to avoid it, but Mabel had other plans. She approached it, her face unreadable.

"I can feel it," She whispered. "He's here..."

Before Will could stop her, Mabel entered the cave, the darkness swallowing her up. He thought about waiting outside, but a part of him didn't want to leave Mabel alone. So, with a beating heart, he followed her in.

As expected, the dripping of water from the roof, the musky scent, and tapping of a dozen centipedes crawling on the walls, almost made Will want to crawl and hide inside his own skin.

"Fiddleford?"

Will could barely see in front him, and quickly reached into his bag. He had replaced the batteries in the flashlight. He pulled it out, and lit the way. Before him, Mabel shielded her eyes from the sudden light, and it was revealed, that she wasn't alone.

Beside her, a old man sat cross legged on the dirty cave floor. He was wearing dark green robes, a pointy hat upon his nearly bald head, and a pair of glasses perched on his large nose. Next to him, was a weird looking walking stick, like a piece of twisted root. Will wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he certainly didn't picture Fiddleford to look exactly like a wizard from children's folklore.

"Fiddleford, wake up!" Mabel pleaded, shaking the man's shoulders.

Will realized Fiddleford had his eyes closed, and he was unresponsive to Mabel's voice. The female Guardian looked distressed by this, and Will decided to help her. He knelt before the Prophet, ignoring the foul smelling slush beneath his knees.

"Um, sir?" Will said, gingerly. "We're here to save you, can you please wake up?"

He made the notion to snap his fingers in front of Fiddleford's face, but regretted it a moment later. A wrinkly hand grabbed the boy's wrist, and was surprisingly strong. Will gaped in horror, as the old man opened his eyes, only to reveal that his pupils have rolled to the back of his head.

"TUSM TSURTSID REHTORB!"

Will had no idea what came out of Fiddleford's mouth, but it wasn't any language he heard of. It was inhuman, and held the prospect of death and worse things to come.

A second later, Fiddleford released him, and the boy quickly stepped back in fright. "What was that?"

Mabel didn't answer, instead she regarded the man in concern, as he started shaking vigorously. "Fiddleford, are you okay?"

The man looked up, his eyes looked normal this time, and he gave them a wide toothless grin. "Never been better!"

Will stared, as Fiddleford sprung to his feet and dusted off his cloak, like nothing happened. "Well, isn't it lovely Maple, and this blueberry looking lad!"

Mabel smiled at him, looking relieved.

"Holy banjo polish, what year is it?" Fiddleford asked, looking around the cave. "And why is it so dark?"

Will blinked. "Wait, so you don't remember how you got here?"

Fiddleford rubbed his chin. "The last thing I remember is waltzy dooing in the mortal realm, then I heard this growl. At first, I thought it was my ex-wife, but then this long necked T-rex came out of nowhere, and I had to scrabdoodle away!"

"So, you were chased by the monster," Mabel concluded.

He nodded. "Yep. Even gave that slippery fella a name: the Gobblewonker, because he gobbles up everything in his path."

"Speaking of this Gobblewonker, it attacked us earlier, and we've been separated from our friends," Will explained. "We were wondering, if you can help us find them."

"Don't ya have a Guardian to cast some tracking spell?"

Mabel rubbed her arm nervously. "About that...something is wrong with my powers, and I don't know why."

Fiddleford's eyes squinted from behind his glasses, and he nodded slowly. "I'm afraid to say, that your powers are fading."

Will and Mabel both had masks of horror. The female Guardian paled, as though seeing a ghost. "What?"

"It's been happening to every Guardian," The man explained. "Little by little, the magic is draining from this town, to the point where Guardians can't cast spells unless they're near their own kind."

"So, individually, Guardians are powerless?" Will breathed.

Fiddleford nodded.

"But, why is this happening?" Mabel asked.

"For the first time, I don't know," Fiddleford said, helplessly. "But, I sense grave danger in the near future."

The brunette clenched the fabric of her skirt anxiously. "Does this have anything to do with Bill?"

Will looked at her, surprised by the question. Meanwhile, the old man's gaze turned serious. "I think you already know the answer to that question."

Mabel turned another shade paler, and she nodded weakly. "I see," She whispered.

Will looked at her worriedly. What did this have to do with Bill? Was it the same reason why they were after his brother the last time? He wanted to know, but it was unlikely he'll receive any answers.

Quickly, Fiddleford's mood changed in a matter seconds. Again, he regarded them with a smile. "So? You wanted me to help you find your pals?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, will you be able to do it?"

"Of course!" He said, excitingly. "Follow me!"

He grabbed his walking stick and rushed out of the cave in a fit of laughter. Mabel and Will both gave him blank looks.

Will bit his lip. "I don't mean to sound rude, but Fiddleford seems a bit...crazy."

Mabel shrugged. "Honestly, it would be surprising if he's not."

❇❇❇

He was yet again being carried by the Guardian, despite his many protests. Still, Dipper was insistent about his ankle, and refused to give in. Bill could understand that, but why on god's green earth, did the brunette have to carry him bridal style? Dipper mentioned it was easier for him, but it only made Bill feel more helpless than he already was.

He bowed his head back, sighing heavily. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"No, and neither do you," Dipper shot back, then huffed. "If only Wendy was here."

"Well, we're probably far enough from the lake, let's try that horn."

Dipper nodded in agreement, and stopped before placing Bill on the ground once again. The Guardian reached into Bill's backpack, that he decided to carry on his back for the boy. A moment later, he pulled out the Viking horn. Dipper waited for the surrounding sounds of the forest to reside, before taking a deep breath, and blowing the horn. A earsplitting noise emitted from the object, and echoed throughout the trees. Bill covered his ears, as his teeth vibrated in his mouth. Thankfully, the noise ceased, as Dipper returned the horn to the backpack.

"Hopefully, she will hear that," He said, gazing up at the sky.

Bill noticed the unfamiliar look in the Guardian's eyes. A strange emotion surfaced in Dipper's pink pupils. It took a minute, before Bill finally realized what it was.

He smirked. "You have a crush on Wendy, don't ya?"

Dipper jolted, like he just been touched by a brand of fire. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Bill laughed. "My god, you do like her!"

The Guardian turned red, bristling defensively. "No, I don't! She's just a friend!"

"Don't worry, I can keep a secret," The blond replied, slyly. "Though, if an opportunity to blackmail is ever brought up--"

"I would seriously kill you."

Bill laughed again, then stopped cold, when he heard rustling nearby. Both turned, and saw the trees parted, and out came out three people. Bill's heart almost burst from his chest, when He saw Will, along with Mabel and some weird looking wizard.

"There you are!" He gasped.

Will perked up when hearing his brother's voice. "Bill!"

The younger twin ran up to him, and hugged him. When Will released Bill, he noticed with dismay, that the blond's ankle was bandaged.

"Bill, what happened to you?"

"It doesn't matter," Bill said, seriously. "All that matters, is that you're safe."

Nearby, Mabel was also embracing her brother, though more tightly than what was possible. "I thought you were dead!"

"Mabel...please...I can't breathe," Dipper rasped.

Once Mabel let go, the male Guardian gasped for air. After that, Dipper directed his attention to Fiddleford, and a smile formed on his face. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

"Oh shucks! It's good to see everyone too!" Fiddleford beamed. "The Pines, those strange looking fellas, and of course, that bloodthirsty monster glaring at us."

Bill froze, only now hearing the heavy breathing emitting from behind them.

The group turned, and emerging from the trees, was the beast. It's scales a slimy green, it's jaw filled with bone crushing teeth, and it had one glowing eye.