Chapter Text
Once upon a time, but not very long ago at all, two brothers lived in a castle. One was incredibly charming and seemed to be trustworthy, but he thought only of his brother’s well-being, uncaring for others and even less so for himself; the other was incredibly intelligent, but cared for nothing but his research.
Thirty years ago on a cold night, a young man and his companions arrived at the castle and asked for shelter for a night. The second brother ignored them and returned to his work, but the first brother led them inside and sheltered them. But the next day, when the young man and his companions had set off to continue their journey, they found that they had been robbed by the first brother.
Infuriated, they returned to the castle and demanded their possessions back, but the first brother laughed in their faces and slammed the door. Unknown to him, though, the young man was a powerful sorcerer and was angry at having been tricked. He saw that the first brother thought so little of himself, and cursed him to appear as he imagined himself to be; and he saw that the second brother never noticed how much the first cared for him, and cursed him into the form of one of his beloved books, to watch helplessly as his brother struggled to free them both.
The young man informed the two that their curses would be broken if the first brother could learn the lesson assigned. Without telling them what that lesson was, he absconded from the castle, leaving them alone as the second’s pages began to fall, and their world began to die…
-O-
“I can’t believe you actually think that’s real, Dipdop.”
Dipper Pines looked up from his book to glare at his sister Mabel as she lounged on the edge of the fountain. “It is!”
Mabel sighed. “It’s just made up! Like the stories Gideon tries to use to scare me. Someone made up a story about that old place in the woods, probably to keep people away, and now everyone believes it!”
“You can’t say that you don’t think it’s at least a little bit true.”
Mabel huffed. “I did before Gideon started making up even worse stories. Then I realized that it was probably someone just like him, messing around!”
Dipper looked back down at the pages of the red book. “Yeah, well, I think it’s real. And I’m gonna find out someday.”
“Like the Professor would ever let us in the forest. He says it’s too dangerous.”
“I know what the Professor says, Mabel, I—“
Whatever Dipper was about to say was cut off by Mabel’s loud groan. “Ugh. Incoming.”
She pointed across the square to a familiar head of white hair bobbing its way through the crowd, a burly man close behind. “Gideon.”
The one in question sidled up next to them, sitting with legs primly crossed next to Mabel on the fountain edge. “Mabel, my sweet!” he crowed, snapping his fingers. “Ghost Eyes, where’s that gift?”
The large man, Ghost Eyes, rummaged around in a bag and handed Gideon a small and clumsily wrapped box. Gideon presented it to Mabel with a flourish.
Mabel took it carefully, giving Gideon a side-eye. “Oh…Gideon…you shouldn’t have.”
“It was nothing, peach,” he crooned.
“No, I mean, you really shouldn’t have.” She pulled off the paper and opened the box to reveal a small doll of Gideon.
“So you’ll always think of me!”
Dipper snorted, face hidden in his book.
Gideon rounded on him, crossing his arms. “What was that, Dipper Pines?”
“Nothin’,” Dipper muttered.
Gideon didn’t take that as an answer and snapped his fingers again. Ghost Eyes grabbed the book out of Dipper’s hands.
“Hey!” Dipper jumped up, trying in vain to reach the book. “Give that back!”
“Not until you apologize to Gideon!” Ghost Eyes barked.
“What’d I do?”
“I don’t appreciate being laughed at,” Gideon snapped.
“But you make it so easy.”
“Mabel! Not helping!” Dipper grabbed at Ghost Eye’s arm. “Give that back!”
As he struggled for his book, Gideon turned back to Mabel. “So, dove, have you thought any more about my…proposal?” He traced his finger along Mabel’s chin.
Mabel looked unimpressed. “I’m not interested, you creep! Besides, the Professor says I can’t date.” That wasn’t strictly true, but it made a handy excuse whenever Gideon came around. The Professor really couldn’t care less about what the twins did as long as they didn’t get arrested or killed, made minimal mess in the house, and at least tried to stay well-groomed. It was an arrangement that suited everyone involved; the Professor didn’t have to parent them, and Dipper and Mabel were left to do as they pleased.
They did not please to be around Gideon Gleeful.
Ghost Eyes grew bored with Dipper and tossed his book aside. Dipper shrieked. “You can’t do that, I was borrowing it!”
“You’ll have to pay for it then,” Gideon said cheerfully. “I could help, if Miss Mabel goes on a date with me!”
Dipper grimaced, picking the book up by a corner and trying to wipe off the worst of the mud and dirt. “She’ll pass. It isn’t worth that much.”
Gideon growled, Ghost Eyes punched his fist, and just as things were going to get bad Susan from the bakery came bustling by, asking if anyone wanted any free samples. Mabel grabbed a sample, Dipper clutched the book to his chest, and they both ran off towards the edge of town. Susan could usually be counted on in a pinch to “rescue” them from any unwanted attention.
When they were sure they’d left Gideon and Ghost Eyes behind in town—the two didn’t appreciate going out to where the twins lived with the Professor, anyway—Mabel and Dipper slowed down, Dipper wiping at his book with his cloak and groaning loudly. “Look at this, Mabel! The bookkeep’s never gonna let me borrow anything again if I return it like this!”
“Relax, bro-bro, I’m sure he’ll understand.” Mabel was entirely more cheerful now that they had escaped Gideon yet again. “You’re his best customer.”
“Yeah, but my word against Gideon’s? He’s the mayor’s son, you know everyone’s gonna listen to him.” Dipper gave up on getting the mud off, instead holding it by the cover flaps in an attempt to let the pages dry out. “I’ll never be allowed to borrow a book again, and then my education will go down the drain, and I’ll never learn anything and the Professor will hate me and I won’t be the smart one and—“
“Dipper, calm down,” Mabel soothed. “You’re getting circular again. It’ll be fine. I bet the Professor can find something for you to fix the book with, and if not, we can pool our allowances and pay Mr. Durland for the book anyway.”
Dipper sighed. “Mabel, I can’t ask you to—“
“Which is why I’m offering! You don’t have to ask!” Entirely pleased with her reasoning, Mabel took her brother’s arm and dragged him along the cobblestone path. “C’mon, I bet the Professor’s got a cool new invention for you to look at. That always cheers you up.”
Dipper smiled a little and let Mabel pull him along the path towards the Professor’s shack in the woods.