On My Way Home (A Gravity Falls / Over the Garden Wall Crossover fanfic)

Ch. 6: Fault

Dipper

She was lost. She was in danger. She was hurt. She was alone. All the worst possible scenarios ran through my head as I blindly flung myself towards the sound of Beatrice's flapping wings.

"Where is she?!" I screamed, or, at least, tried to. It seemed as if the sounds couldn't escape my mouth, but the bird knew anyway.

"This way," she cried. She sounded almost as heartbroken as I felt.

"Please, hurry," I managed.

Because this was my fault.

"It was - the Be-" she gasped, but before she could finish, her wing caught on a branch, causing her to scream and tumble to the forest floor, littered with dead leaves. I skidded to a stop and dropped to my knees, looking for Beatrice, all while fighting back tears.

All my fault.

By the time I heard Wirt's heavy footsteps behind me, the tears had won.

"Dipper!" Greg said. "Wirt carried me on his back all the way here. Did you find Mabel?"

I didn't answer him. I could hear Wirt huffing and puffing, trying to get a word out.

"What - happened - to -" he managed to choke out, still trying to catch his breath.

"Beatrice!" Greg yelled again, and dove into the leaves to scoop out Beatrice, whose left wing was damp with blood.

How was I supposed to find Mabel when the one creature who knew where she was was injured?!

"Put me down, I'm fine!" Beatrice struggled against Greg's hands and lifted her wings only to tumble to the ground again. Greg picked her up once more. He dumped her into Wirt's hands, and stooped to collect the blue and red feathers on the ground. Wirt eyed Beatrice uncomfortably. "Are... you okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine, dingbat!" She answered sharply.

Greg put Beatrice's shed feathers into Wirt's hands next to the bird. It would have been sweet if Mabel hadn't been in trouble. If they hadn't been wasting time. If everything hadn't been my fault.

"Beatrice, where's Mabel? I have to keep going."

"Adelaide's -" she gasped. "Take a left at the giant Edelwood. You'll know it when you see it."

I nodded and looked back at Wirt and Greg. I guess this was where our paths separated. Greg waved and I took off down the path.

I don't know how long I ran, or even the areas I passed through. All I remember was chanting edelwood, edelwood, over and over in my head, until I finally reached it. Twisted, gnarled, and gray, the tree loomed over the forest, a face of pure torture etched onto it. Maybe 'etched' wasn't the right choice of words - it seemed as if it were living that expression, as if the tree itself were a tortured being. I swallowed hard and made a left turn, trying to shake the feeling that a thousand eyes were watching me from behind. I had a sister to save.

-

It was pouring rain by the time I reached the cottage I assumed was Adelaide's. I could see it in the distance, but the wind was howling as if in mourning and the rain attacked the earth and pelted me from all angles. Lightning cracked and my vision was momentarily overcome by white, then black. I thought I heard singing in the back of my mind, but that was crazy... right? Thunder shook the ground and brought me to the ground, at the mercy of the storm.

-

Tralalala...