I see the light

Chapter 5

(Dipper pov)

We sit on a log, the fire crackling in front of us. I hold the journal in my lap trying to dry it off as best as I can.

"So, what exactly is that journal?"

"It's Ford's. When he leaves he catalogs everything in it. He doesn't like me reading it, says he doesn't want the horrors of the outside world to scare me."

"And? Are you scared reading it?"

"Not at all. I love reading it. It's fascinating to me." He looks down at the cut on his palm. ".....are you ready?"

"Yeah, ready for whatever your unnaturally colored hair that glows when you sing does."

"Okay, so you'll kinda need to be touching it, but don't pull. And promise that you won't freak out."

"I promise." He reaches towards the back of my head, gently grabbing the hair at the back. "Like that?"

"Yeah. Again no freaking out."

"I already promised."

I've only ever done this for Ford, so I am breaking every rule by doing this. But I trust Bill. I slowly start singing, my hair glowing as I do just like always.

"Flower, gleam and glow
Let your powers shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt

Change the fates' design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine"

The glowing stops as I finish the song. He lets go of my hair, looking at his palm his eyes wide open. The cut is gone, no sign it was ever even there. "Holy shit...." He looks at me in amazement. "How long has it done that?"

"Um.....forever, I guess? Ford said, when I was a baby some bandits tried to cut it. Killed my parents to get to me. But you can't cut it." I push some hair aside showing the one dark strand at the very back of my head. "You cut it, it loses its power. Turns brown and never grows back." I let my hair cover it over again. "That's why I......it's why Ford....."

"It's why you never left that tower.....but you still want to go back?"

"No.....yes.....I don't even know anymore.....so, Bill Cipher."

"Here it comes."

"Fake name must have a story behind it."

"......there was a book I read as a kid. The character's name beind William and he always went on these crazy adventures. Was rich beyound his dreams, had all the ladies he could ever need."

"Was he a thief too?"

"No. He was a hero. Everyone loved him. And for an orphan, who was found abandoned just outside of the city walls, it felt ideal. Perfect. So when I got older and ran away, I started calling myself William and just rearranged my last name."

"Can I ask about the crown that was in that bag?"

"So you looked? Figured you would."

"Those people are after you because you stole it. But couldn't they just make another crown?"

"No, that belonged to the lost prince."

"Lost prince?"

"You never heard the story?"

"No."

"The story changes depending who you ask but it basically goes that the king and queen had a son. And a few days after he was born, someone took him. He was never seen or heard from again. So the kingdom lights the lanterns every year in hopes of finding him."

"How does the story change?"

"Some people say he had like bright purple or some weird colored hair, others saying he grew up to be a witch or that he wasn't taken but murdered. Like I said, the story has been around so long the details get mixed up."

"Why did you steal the crown?"

"Something that valuable and treasured, it could have set me up for life. I never would have had to steal another thing ever again. I could start fresh somewhere and just live my life instead of always running." I go to put a hand on his shoulder when he stands up. "Anyway, that's enough of the soap opera shit. I'm going to go get some more firewood."

"Hey, Bill?" He turns back to me. "I like Bill Cipher a lot better than William Rehpic."

He looks down at the hand I had healed, a small smile on his lips before he looks at me again. "Well, you would be the first. But thank you."

He walks off into the forests surrounding us as I find myself sitting there with a smile on my face.

"And here I thought he would never leave."

I quickly stand up turning around, Ford standing there. What the fuck?! How long has he been there?

"Ford? How....how did you even find me?"

"I simply followed the trail of lying and deception." He grabs my chin turning my face to the side before letting go. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Good, we're leaving." He grabs my arm starting to pull me along but I pull away.

"Ford wait. I've been on this crazy adventure and met all of these different people-"

"Oh yes. The outlaw."

"He's nice and caring and makes me happy. He's protected me when he didn't have to. I....I think he likes me."

He scoffs, shaking his head like I'm a child who asked a stupid question. He speaks in a condescending tone. "Dipper, don't be so naive. I mean look at you, you think anyone would ever love you once they knew the truth? I told you that you weren't ready now come along and-"

"No." I surprise us both as I say this. After everything I can't just sit back and let him dictate everything I do. I can't keep being a pushover. I have to stand up for myself. "I am not a child. I will not let you keep talking to me and treating me like one. I know what's best for me better than anyone else."

"Oh really? Fine then, go on with your little adventure. Just make sure to give him this." He reaches into the coat taking out the crown.

"H-How did you-"

"You really think he cares about you at all? This pretty little thing is the only reason he's sticking around so he can get what he wants. The minute he has it." He snaps his fingers. "That's how fast he'll leave you to pick up your broken pieces. But go ahead, don't believe me after everything I've done for you." He tosses the crown at me and I manage to catch it. "See what happens when you give it to him."

"I will, and he won't leave. He isn't like that."

"Then don't let me stop you." He tosses the satchel at my feet. "Don't come running back to me when the darkest parts of this world chew you up and spit you out like nothing."

He takes something from his pocket throwing it on the ground. A cloud of smoke rises up and when it's gone, there is no sign of him in the fog that had rolled in.

I put the crown in the satchel and stuff it into my own bag before I sit on the log, holding the book in my lap as I hear him come back.

"Hey, are you okay, Pinetree?"

"Huh?" I look up from the book. "Oh yeah, sorry. I just get really engrossed when I start reading something."

"Don't worry about it." He ruffles my hair slightly before he adds more wood to the roaring fire.