If a Pine Tree Falls in a Forest...

I'll Follow You Into the Dark

Dipper looked at Bill in confusion. He was relieved that he'd be able to help him, but he was unsure about what the dream demon was saying.

"If you can't enter his mind, how would I be able to?" Dipper tilted his head, feeling himself wilt a bit in disappointment.

"Pine Tree, I'm a dream demon, the Mindscape is my domain. When Sixer put that plate in his brain, he cut himself off almost entirely from the Mindscape. Without his say so, I can't get in. But, you, Pine Tree, you were human.  And that human shaped soul of yours gives you a leg up." Bill smiled, seeming satisfied by the plan he'd created. "If you can get into his soul, and make your way to Sixer's mind, then you can get the memory."

Dipper felt his spirits lift a bit, if with some anxiety. But he wouldn't let Bill down. He'd done so much for him, the least Dipper could do is take down this barrier.

It wasn't too long after that that Dipper found himself back at the Fearamid, trying to figure out how exactly he'd enter Sixer's soul. Bill had helped him at the beginning, but they quickly found that Dipper entering a soul would be different than Bill entering the Mindscape. He supposed that made sense. The Mindscape wasn't exactly a living person after all.

So here he was, surrounded by books and tomes that weren't helpful. None of the books Bill had summoned before he left gave any useful information about the human soul. Perhaps in a different circumstance Dipper would be ecstatic to read these, but right now, he had a mission. And he did not need to know the variance of power between human souls depending on what humans called zodiac.

But there had to be something. There had to be.

It wasn't until a few hours later, and possibly a few books being thrown across the room, that he found something. Given, it was a vague theory at best, but it was still better than nothing.

"Bill! Are you there?" Calling into the empty room, Dipper began to pace, reading the information again to make sure he'd gotten it right.

"Find something Pine Tree?" Dipper looked up and smiled at the dream demon, happy that he'd come. It was honestly such a change from he'd been used to. When he'd tried researching with Shooting Star, she'd leave in barely a few minutes. More often than not, she'd end up either distracting him or ruining whatever research he'd managed to do. With Bill, he found the tomes he'd needed. He gave Dipper a quiet place to research. The contrast was shocking.

"I think so, but it's nothing solid. Maybe I should try on another human first?" The briefly lost grin on Bill's face reappeared and grew.

"Sounds great Pine Tree. Any requests?" Dipper didn't really care, and he said as much. All that mattered to him was getting this right.  "Well, one human coming right up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Line ~Break~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a few hours later that Dipper fell back, breathing heavily and exhausted. Bill, ignoring the recently captured news reporter who was in a similar state, caught him, a grin spreading widely across his face.

"I did it Bill, I managed to get into her mind." Dipper smiled despite his exhaustion. "Now I just have to do that with Sixer, and we can go global!"

"That's right Pine Tree. I knew you could do it kid." Bill stood, still holding Dipper in his arms. "Now lets get you some food. You're gonna need it to get into Sixer's head." Dipper settled a bit, content to be carried. Bill was right, he was exhausted. But he was confident that in a few hours, he'd be able to break into the brainiac's mind, and it was sure to be easier the next time he did. No frustrating hours of failing first, using up his energy on doomed attempts.

In a few hours, the barrier would be gone, Weirdmaggendon would take over the globe.

Dipper closed his eyes, trusting Bill not to let him fall.

A/n: ...hello? I'm alive I swear....