Come Wayward Souls

The Reckoning

"Ha!" Dipper shouted. "Jog on, Bill, that's not going to happen!"

"Too bad," Bill said, twirling his sleek black cane, "because I could get you home in a flash if you only did a me a tiny favour."

"No way," Dipper fired up, jabbing his finger at Bill. "I'm never doing anything for you agai-"

"Hold up a second, Dipper," Wirt muttered, putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "He can get all us all home?"

"It doesn't matter what he's promised you- I've learned the hard way to never trust this maniac," Dipper hissed back. "Just- let me handle this."

"What're you chatting about down there?" Bill loomed over them.

"Nothing," Dipper said firmly. "We decline your offer. We'll get home by ourselves."

"He can get us home?" Greg piped up. "Shouldn't we give him a chance?"

"No, we should not," Dipper said.
"Are you sure, Dipper?" Wirt asked, looking worried. "Let's just hear what he wants in return."

"Urhh! Fine," Dipper groaned.

"So, um, Triangle Guy," Wirt asked loudly. "Just wondering, what is it that you want in return?"

"Ah! Gay Gnome is cooperating. Excellent!" Bill giggled nastily. "Well you see, Gay Gnome, old Beasty and me haven't been getting on the best recently. He's getting a little power crazed... And we all know the only demon around here with both a lovable medley of songs and a power complex under his belt... Is me. So. You know that weird lantern guy? We need to get that lantern off of him. Blow out the light, bye bye Beast, new underworld for me to rule, you lot bugger off home. Everybody's happy. So what do you say? Will you help me get the Beast's lantern?"

Bill's hand was outstretched towards Wirt this time. He looked at it, then at Dipper, then back at the hand.

"Tick tock kid," Bill said, his huge one eye popping into a clock.

"We need to discuss it," Wirt concluded.

"Urg fine!" Whined Bill. "Just yell when you've made up your mind." And he evaporated into thin air.

"Wirt, what the hell! I told you to let me handle it! There is no way on earth we are getting into this deal," Dipper snarled.

"I didn't mind him too much," Greg mused. "I liked the sound of his medley."

"Greg, listen to me," sais Dipper. "That demon is responsible for corrupting peoples minds. He destroys everything worth anything and takes it for himself. You can't trust him."

"But-"

"Dipper!" It was Wirt. He didn't say anything else, he just stared right into Dipper's eyes steadily. Dipper would the moonlight reflecting in his large dark irises. Now he suddenly realised: He had been so against any help from Bill that he hadn't even considered the fact that this might be their only way home. He thought about Mabel and his great uncles. And Wendy. He couldn't bare the idea of never seeing them again. It was torture to even imagine it. But for Wirt... How long had he been stuck here? He had nearly become a tree... He had lost his brother... Now he had a shred of hope of getting home. Who was Dipper to take that chance away?

Dipper sighed, resigned and feeling guilty.

"Alright," he said slowly. "We'll take the deal. But on one condition- you listen to me. I've had experience with Bill. If we're going to do this, we need to be careful and not give him and chances to get one up on us."

The other two nodded.

Dipper took a deep breath, then yelled,

"Bill!"

He popped into existence once more.

"Pine?"

"We'll take the deal," Dipper said, his eyes on the floor.

"Wonderful!" Bill exclaimed, holding out his hand.

They shook, and Dipper's arm became encased by bluebell flames.