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Mabel sighed out of relief, patting the deer.
“You feeling a bit warmer with the fuzzy blanket?”
He nudged her with his snout and stumbled to the bag.
“Dip?”
He yanked out the reverse key, pushing his tiny snout through the loop of the necklace to put it on. It dangled around his neck; panting. He knocked over the bag, hoofing through his human clothes.
“You want to change back now, out here?” she crawled over to him, the snow freezing her kneecaps.
He was in a hurry, desperate but he was acting sloppy about it, he kept falling to the ground, his twig legs unable to support him at the moment. He resorted to biting onto the puzzle board, dragging it out.
“I know we just got the key but you can wait till we get back, it’s still snowy and its warmer there.”
“Wounds…”
She frowned with concern and uncertainty.
“Come again?”
“My wounds…”He bleated. “Too hurt, too cold, can’t stay awake. This body…”
“Hang in there a little longer, ok?”
“Meh!” he scooted away from her, appearing scared.
She drew away in shock, what was that for?
He tried biting onto his crystal key, holding it by the back end.
“Dipper stop, just wait.”
He let go of his key, staring at her with half open eyes.
“I can’t survive any longer in this body, I feel really weak. And it’s getting harder to think, I might die, this body wasn’t made to survive these type of things.”
“Turning human again isn’t going to make you warmer!”
“Clothes…maybe I’m not thinking right now.”
“It’s fine.” She put the shorts on him then rewrapped the fawn tightly in his blanket.
“Hope that’s good enough… you want the shirt on too?”
“No it’s good, the blanket is enough. Put the key…in.”
“Doing that, so I just put it…”
“Lay the tip against the center; it should open up for the key.” He coughed.
“Kay.”
Mabel took the crystal around his neck and placed it against the center design; she had to adjust him slightly as he was too exhausted to even move a little closer to the board.
It clicked, the hole opening. She looked into the tired deer’s eyes, the personality fading from them. Her heart stopping briefly as that fearful thought returned; the key was forced into the slot.
The board glowed, humming once again, the crystal and the necklace itself filling with light. She kept her eyes on the deer, waiting for the transformation back into his weird human self. Rather nervous of the process.
She backed away as the blinding light returned.
For a while everything was bright, and when the light faded, a deer was still there.
Mabel stared blankly, trying to register what just happened, after a minute she became puzzled, then annoyed.
Was that it? He’s still a deer, did they mess up? What went wrong?
She looked around sheepishly.
“Is…is that it? I didn’t do anything!”
Dipper gave a blank tired stare into the woods, mindless like.
“Do you feel any different? Like a little?”
He didn’t respond.
“Dipper?”
“Meh.”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“Meh.”
She frowns.
“Dip?”
“Meh.”
“Come on say something…”
He got up on wobbly legs, wandering off.
Horrified, she followed him, whispering a small “Oh no”.
No no no, this wasn’t supposed to happen, were they wrong about this the whole time? Did they just make everything worse? This can’t be right.
“What is it, why are you acting so weird?”
“C-can you still talk, is everything ok?”
He kept trotting away, absent minded.
She grabbed him in a panic, holding him in place.
“Can you still talk?”
He bleated, wriggling as he tried to escape; Mabel clung on to him sadly, then hugged him. He’s not gone, he’s not gone; the instruction said nothing about this, he better be playing a prank on her, just don’t let it be real.
“Dipper, you didn’t go full deer did you? You said this wouldn’t happen; are you feeling ok; are you sick?”
The fawn belated loudly, upset; flailing and kicking to get away from her.
“Dipper stop!”
He escaped looking surprised, then bounded off.
“Wait, where are you going?”
The fawn, despite its weakened state, jumped over a fallen tree elegantly. He seem to disappear from view, the fawn went quiet.
She chased after him, eyes sorrowful; doesn’t matter if he’s not acting like himself. He can’t survive alone out there, and there has to be another way to fix him. Grunkle Ford can probably help…but what if it was irreversible?
No there has to be a way, just please be a way.
She tried her best to hold to self together, just don’t panic, he’s fine…hopefully?
He said it’s impossible for the worst to happen, he has to be right.
But she still could not help but fear for him.
“Don’t go!” She ran over to the fallen trunk.
“Wait!” His voice rang out, a calm tone.
She came to a stop, feeling a tinge of relief, and curious; she continued on with careful steps. Her brother groaning, hearing the snow breakaway around him as he moved unseen; she grew anxious.
“Dipper?”
A human hand slides to the top of log in her view; her eyes grew wide, and the figure emerged from behind the fallen trunk. His right hand holding his left shoulder tightly, shivering as he now lacks the fur and shirt, and he left that warm blanket behind. He gives a humored tired smile; he falls down a little but struggles to stand and supports himself against the log.
She smiled back, giving a small laugh, brushing the hair out of her face, seeing her brother’s old dorky form.

“Dipper, you’re back!” she rushed over to him, overcome with excitement.
“Yeah…in this body.” Stammering as he gasped for air, still appearing worn but he seemed to have woken up a little from turning back.
He took a step but it appeared his knees buckled and he fell back to the ground, digging his nails into the log, he scraped it as he tried to break his fall.
His sister just threw herself at him with open arms, squeezing him tightly, his skin was ice cold. Surprising her, she expected the bright light to warm him, guess the light was only for show. Doesn’t help he’s wearing nothing but his shorts and cap.
She snuggled him like a stuffed animal, giggling. She didn’t want to let go, and she didn’t really have choice in this case.
He held still, slowly wrapping his arms around her, patting her back.
“Easy easy, I’m still aching.” his voice rough sounding.
Mabel pushed away still gripping his shoulders, looking annoyed.
“What was that act for?”
“…What?” he was slow to respond.
“When you ignored me and starting all deer like, I thought you like went full deer!”
“Oh…Oh that? No I never went “full deer”; I was tired, and I didn’t want you to see me turn back. Seriously I feel like sleeping right here.”
She threw a teasing punch to his right arm; he winced without losing his smile.
“I promised you it would never happen right? Course I was kind of nervous of something like that happening a little.”
She gave a nervous laugh.
Dipper trembles, bringing his limbs closer, the cold getting to him again.
“I…should have brought the blanket with me.” He eyed his hand, moving his fingers. “I’m glad I have fingers again, now I can actually keep the blanket on me.”
“Come on, let’s get you all snug.” She snickered.
He looked away awkwardly, fixing his hat as now it could actually stay on his head.
“Your hat still has the ear holes.” She remarked.
There was a slight pause before he responded.
“I’ll fix that.”
Getting to his feet, his wound seized him and had to lean himself against the fallen trunk. Not only that but his legs felt like rubber, he couldn’t even stand. His legs shaky, his expression turned to panic.
“I can’t…I can’t walk!”
“Why?” her smile fades.
“I’m not sure; it’s like they don’t know how to work. I seriously can’t walk.”
“Hey, chill out!”
She calmly put his arm around her neck and they stood up together, helping him move.
A scowl from him was her thank you.
“Seriously? Not the time to use chill.”
“Be disappointed but I had to say it at some point, I must.” Her tone somewhat serious.
He grumbled as he stumbled his way back to the bag with her; difficult because he easily slipped and the snow was practically turning his feet numb.
“Great, I become a deer for a few days and I forget how to walk.” muttering under his breath.
“You’re like a fawn taking its first steps again.”
He rolled his eyes, moaning.
“You had to like being a deer a little bit.”
He smirked.
“Just a bit, just not for days.”
She grinned.
He returned the same, but it was cut short as he grabbed his stomach, cringing, looking rather ill. Gritting his teeth as he went back to scowling, biting his lip in annoyance.
“This is from eating nothing but plants the last few days isn’t it?” he mutters to himself
“Humans stomachs don’t like grass bro bro.” she pauses, raising an eyebrow. “You ate before this didn’t you?”
“I was stressed; this is definitely one of these things I won’t miss.”
She could only laugh in response.