Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Darkness. 

That’s all he sees.

He knows what happened.

.

.

.

He just could not accept it.

He awakes….

.

.

.

Dream gasped as he was awoken from his slumber, taking shaky breaths as he recovered from the nightmare he had lived through. 

His hands reached to feel his chest, and the one pain struck heavily as he recalled the last few moments of his life among the living.

The memory flashed before his eyes, and tears rolled down a pale cheek. Sheep-like ears twitched, and teeth almost drew blood from his lips. Streams of tears soon turned into a waterfall as he continued to remember his faith and the betrayal of his mother.

The one he trusted with his heart and soul.

"P-please don’t do this! Please!" He screamed in desperation, squirming, trying to get away from his captors.

"Mama! Mama, please help me!"

Tears sprang to his emerald eyes, which kept their focus on the woman before him.

"MAMA!" 

His voice was silenced by a dirty rag wrapped around his mouth. His eyes widened as he saw no emotion in his mother's eyes. They were dark and passionless.

She looked at him through the kitchen window for a split second before closing the blinds, leaving him defenseless.

He was silent after that.

The men who had been ordered to capture him looked at him with pity that lasted only seconds before dragging him by the horns to the cart next to his house. A cage made of metal smiled at him, greeting him with open arms as he was thrown in with no mercy.

A long white sheet covered him completely.

'Where was he going?!’ he asked internally.

Though no idea came to mind when he asked himself such a vague question,

"Hah!"  He heard a cry, encouraging the horse to move with force. There were, from what he could tell, three men seated on the cart. The voices he heard arguing hinted at his solution.

"The master will be so pleased with our sacrifice!" One shouted with glee.

"You think this pitiful sheep would do us any good?" "Our master will be disgusted!" Another, deeper voice scowled in annoyance.

"Oh, keep quiet, you two," he heard the final member of the trio,

 ‘Probably the mastermind,’ Dream concluded.

"We cannot be sure of the master’s emotions, for he is unpredictable and just." This hybrid could be a great prize. or a troublesome sum mortal in his eyes, and we will never know until we have arrived!" The mastermind finished in a huff, finally getting the peace and quiet he thought he deserved.

Long hours of gruelling silence passed as the journey came to an end when the wooden cart suddenly came to a halt. When the reins were pulled hard, the horses snickered softly; their hooves now clicked against the cobbled floors.

Dream’s eyes flew open from a restless drowse, and he listened carefully to the actions that seemed to happen before him.

His captors lifted the sheet from the cage. He was immediately taken out of it when the cage doors flew open with haste.

He looked up with blurry eyes while strong steel cuffs were chained around his hand. As he walked, he observed his surroundings closely, taking in the sight of where he might die.

At the cruel hands of whoever the "master" may be...

And no thanks to his mother as well.

His steps were forcefully quickened while he was pushed past large wooden doors as they opened slowly. The walls they were behind were made from mere stone bricks, and the doors were only a few feet high.

Dream was then met with a throne atop an altar, lit by dim candles lined along the sides. In the centre of the room lies a red circle with a star inside it—the devil’s cross, as his mother used to call it. He was pushed to his knees before whoever sat on the throne ahead of him. When his head arose slightly, it was immediately forced back down, showing respect for whom he assumes is the master.

"Oh, great and mighty Lord of Death and Life," they chanted.

"Giver of Prosperity and Light, Destroyer of Worlds, we present to you a sacrifice for your great deeds." They finished, pulling his hair so that he might face the one they called a god.

"This is the one you bring to me?" "A mere sheep?" A booming voice mocked,

"Surely I have done more! "You should have brought me the head of a dragon!"

"Master, forgive them! I told them that this would not suffice, but they wouldn-" 

"SILENCE!" His master yelled; his voice tinged with rage. Purple eyes stared into his own in a challenging manner. Dream, like the fool he was, took on the challenge that would cost him his life with pride.

"What do you want from me, you bastards!?" He growled with a glare and an attitude that could rival a mother’s protective nature.

"Aren't we cocky?" "Let's see how long you last with an axe to your head!" smirked the master.

People in dark robes crept from the shadows, chanting an ominous tune as if sending a signal.

It got louder and louder, transitioning from a hum to a chant in a flash. His head was smashed into the ground, and blood began to pour from his forehead immediately.

The chanting got louder.

"Brothers and sisters!" The master spoke,

And louder 

"We gather here today."

Even louder!

"To commemorate death!"

His ears were bleeding!

"Of a non-believer!"

"One that assessed us with his foolish mockery!"

Make it stop! Make it stop!

"And to that we say, my comrades..."

HELP HIM!!!

"Θάνατος!" 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

There was only a defining silence after that.

.

.

.

.

.

.

and crimson blood that stained his neck...

Chapter Text

Dream sighed as his mind cleared and his breathing finally slowed. He got to his feet and began walking slowly. The new environment, where he was currently stuck, was nothing but a blank canvas. No colour, no objects, no nothing. As if the artists who created the sky’s beautiful blend of colours by day and hand painted each star by night had art block, not one wondrous piece in sight. The blonde wandered around the deserted landscape in silence, as not a single thought could escape his mind, resulting in no words. He had no idea where he was going, yet he walked anyway, not thinking of the consequences. In reality, it had only been a few seconds, but to Dream, weeks felt like they flashed before his eyes.

How old was he?

This isn’t heaven, is it?

What about hell?

What did I do to deserve any of this?

Questions without answers were the only things that occupied his mind as he finally stopped walking to take a rest on the pure white floors. At least he thought they were floors. What happened to him?

Didn’t he die?

“You did, actually.” A voice called out, startling Dream out of his thoughts. Before he could even blink, colours sprang to life: a palette of dark purples that matched the highlights of crying obsidian, blacks darker than a raven’s feathers, jade greens like the lush of a dark oak forest, crimson that marinated his fit, and gold that showered the heaven gates that stories previously described.

The skies were no longer a lifeless image but a galaxy of stars, in which brooding, slanted eyes watched his every step. Bricks made of crying obsidian created a walkway illuminated by candles with a golden hilt. A platform stood a few feet away from him; in the middle were a devil’s cross and a throne made from solid gold. The room, he realized, seemed like an exact replica of the one he died in, the difference being that this one was much more devastating. Dream shivered vigorously as he made his way across the bridge. “Slow and steady wins the race,” his mother always said. When he finally arrived at the platform, an evil force struck his body, forcing him to kneel without hesitation. Before him stood a presence he couldn’t even see, and his head was compelled to obey.

“So, this is the sacrifice those cretins made,” it sighed. “What a shame, little lamb; you were capable of greatness.”

The voice of the creature sent waves of fear throughout his entire body, creating an aura that screamed danger.

“Rise and face me, lamb.” It spoke, and Dream’s body complied; no movements were of his own.

The creature smiled eerily at him.

“Tell me, lamb, wouldn’t you like to be greater than this? A being powerful enough to not only fight your enemies but also bathe in their blood as they bow before a leader. A man of skill and knowledge? A god…?”

Its words got to him. I mean, Dream? A god? Ridiculous! A few moments ago, he was captured by mere humans who wanted to play pretend!

He chuckled at the thought, which turned into laughter and then to wheezing.

" Me!?” He calmed himself. “A powerful being? I had just made a fool of myself by trusting my own mother, and now you want me to trust you… Let me die in peace you wretched piece of sh-”

“Ah… you don’t believe me?” It smiled once more.

“I don’t even know what you are.” Dream replied, staring into the eyes of the devil himself.

The being was gigantic, with wings and hands aplenty. A white ball floated between multiple haloes with eyes that blinked as it spoke. It wore a robe of silk and golden jewellery and had feathered pairs of wings; the colour of snow shifted as it did. In some cases, few would call it beautiful; the rest would call it downright terrifying, and believe it or not, Dream wasn’t sure which side he was on.

“I am but the god of life and chaos. The deity who brought you into being is the one who simply isn’t prepared for you to have a conversation with death.”

The floor beneath Dream rose slowly towards the god’s face, and it was only now that he realized it was the hand of…?

“XD is my nickname, and I’ve finally chosen a patron: My puppet, who will carry out my orders and bring forth new followers in my name.”

In its other hand, a plain white mask appeared, created from the purest of energies. When it was presented to him, he realized that both the mask and the face of the XD looked too much alike, only that his had a smile instead of the name of his… master?

“Oh, ender’s no, I prefer … something a little more subtle, perhaps father or…”

“I am not calling you that.” Dream deadpanned.

The deity chuckled as he carefully set Dream back on the warm floor, in the centre of the cross. His disoriented voice soon began chanting an unknown text, with fire rising around them.

“W-what are you doing?” Dream inquired, but his questions were ignored as chains arose from the ground and clung to his body. His breathing became jagged, and tears began to flow. Pain struck like a lightning bolt to water as more chains of hellfire wrapped around his body. “STOP PLEASE!”

Screaming was useless.

He felt useless.

The cross around him continued to glow a crimson light that now matched his eyes, and his mouth bled the colour of obsidian, the ichor oozing out. Another pair of eyes under his original opened, matching the main colour of his despair. The horns of his origins turned blood red, matching the demons of fairy tales and stereotypes.

Tears were now flooding; he couldn’t take the heat any longer. His body was on fire, and his screams were ignored by the one who had chosen him!

The last thing he heard were the soft whispers of XD.

“You’re perfect...”

And with that, once again, he was out cold.

God, when will he stop fainting?

.

.

.

Once again, and hopefully for the last time, Dream awoke in a cold sweat. His body felt so wrong... Not much changed yet at the same time, a lot did. He didn’t know how to describe it, but the lump in his throat and the tears that threatened to spill once more stopped any attempt to try. This time, texture was present, and the grass beneath him did wonders for his mental state. Nature was life to him. Dream remembered the days when his mother took him to play in the fields around their small cottage. Flowers bloomed, and trees with lush leaves were at every corner. He loved to climb those trees, speaking to them as if alive. The blonde chuckled softly, no matter what he thought of his mother now. Their shared moments of the past will always stick with him and rest deep in his mind. Unfortunately, he could not dwell on such memories for any longer as he felt his stomach growl. Who knew resurrection had such an effect? Certainly not Dream.

He was currently resting in a small forest, surrounded by overgrown vegetation and bright flowers. Tall, jade spruce trees provided the forest with its cool shade and the image of a protected dome. The only place where he was somewhat safe from the lush greenery was the one he was stuck in right now.

"I like it here," Dream decided as he rose to his feet, only to fall the next second. A huff was his response, as it seemed like he was way too weak to even stand on his own! What was XD thinking when he chose him? He sighed as he considered his surroundings. Many of the trees were too far from his reach; he couldn’t possibly lean on any of them. No stone was very helpful either, and he couldn’t stay in one spot any longer. Night was quickly approaching, resulting in lower temperatures and hunger. At this point, he felt like crawling was his only option! In a desperate attempt to stand once more, a growl was heard. The blonde's head turned quickly towards the threat, as if he couldn't do anything but stare. He only had trembling legs, twice as many eyes, and a strong white mask with a smile. If you asked him, he would say they were all useless. Soon enough, he realized that the threat was only a wolf, and a very large one at that; just sitting would bring it to more than half of his own height! The other characteristics he could describe were black fur that matched the sky that was about to appear, and hazel eyes that were fixed on him, on its prey.

Dream’s breathing slowed, and his eyes narrowed. His movement was still, as he wanted no reason for the wolf to attack. It crept slowly towards him, as Dream could do nothing but stare. Great… He was about to die once more; how embarrassing would it be to see XD again?

One more time, he tried to stand, but it proved to be futile once again. He was going to die, wasn’t he?

Why couldn't life be fair?

Why couldn’t he have stayed dead in the first place?

His mind now occupied with his rants; he hadn’t noticed the staff the wolf seemed to carry in its mouth. It wasn’t anything special, but it was perfect for the situation he was in now. And as if reading his thoughts,

"Is this—is this for me?" he asked, waiting for a response that did come, just in the form of licks and dog breath.

Dream giggled as he tried to push the damn animal off him, but alas, Moon was way too big for him anyway.

"Moon? "Where did that come from?" he questioned himself, only to drop the silly question. In any case, it was ideal for the lad.

"Thank you," Dream said, petting Moon as a token of gratitude, which they greatly appreciated. He finally stood up, using the staff Moon had brought him. He was still a little shaky, but accomplishment felt good!

Evening was upon them, and his skin shivered as the breeze brushed against him. Ok, so now he's got an animal companion, a pretty large stick, and still a seemingly useless mask. Not to mention the troubling body parts... He’s going to be fine. What's the worst that could happen?

"Where is that damn animal!?"

Oh…

That answered his question real fast.

Chapter Text

Fundy, if he had to be honest, was not very good with animals. He realized this about a few moments ago, when a sizable wolf came along and stole his staff! He sighed as he walked along the dirt path filled with moss and mushrooms of all colours, shapes, and sizes and glanced with bright eyes at the blend of colours as the sun was finally leaving for the night to take over. The forest was quite beautiful, actually, but considering his luck with creatures, living here was not an option. “Where is that dumb animal?” The ginger shouted once more, cringing at the slight crack of his voice. He needed to retrieve that staff! Such a magical artifact will be ruined in the hands of such a vile creature!

Going deeper into the forest, he stumbled upon what seemed like the only area that was free of the spruce trees that were present everywhere. His chestnut-coloured eyes squinted slightly, as he could barely see the figure in the distance. He crept closer in an attempt to get a better look, only to figure out that the figure had suddenly vanished!

Drawing himself closer and closer to the clearing’s centre. The grass, he realized, was a bit darker than the usual shades he was familiar with. Throughout his adventures, this forest was the most outlandish he had ever seen. It was the most alluring one he’d ever been in as well, for it was like a direct force of good and evil was present. “I’m getting off track,” he realized, “I need to find that damn wol-.”

“Who are you?” screamed the voice of a siren. He turned slowly, facing the one favoured by Aphrodite herself. He was staring; he knew; he just couldn’t stop, which unfortunately had consequences.

“Hello, my name is Fu-“A stick was connected to his right cheek, resulting in a slight flow of crimson from his lips. Wait, that was his!

“Hey! Wait! “I don’t mean any harm, I swear!” he said, his hand unconsciously touching the cheek that had been affected by the blow.

“Please just calm down!” Down came another strike, one that missed only slightly due to his quick feet. He referred to them as Fox perks. The blond stranger tried to hit him again, causing his arms to move against his will, grabbing the staff mid-air while the stranger swigged wildly. Unfortunately, he had only just seen the wolf he was hunting when the wild animal stared at him with wild eyes and a growl that shook bones. Immediately, he surrendered, releasing the staff that had once belonged to him. Regrettably, that resulted in a body falling onto his own, both of them tumbling over in grass of a hunter green shade. The wolf didn’t like that, which had now brought him here…

“Moon! Get off him!” The blond commanded, as if the beast would ever listen to hi- aaand it obeyed immediately, settling right next to the blond. Great timing wasn’t it. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I want you to leave. Immediately.” Fundy considered it, but when the need for his staff returned, he decided that he wasn’t leaving without it.

“If I’m being honest, I would love to leave!” Unfortunately, you have an important relic of mine. Give it back, and I would leave at one.”

“A relic?” “I had never taken anything from you,” the man said as he rose to his feet slowly, using the wolf as support, “and we hadn’t even seen each other until now!”

“Your pet demon certainly did before! It was the one that took my staff in the first place. The one you’re conveniently leaning on right now.” The wolf snarled in response, but Fundy paid no mind, brushing off the dirt from his deep brown coat.

“Give it back, and I’ll be out of your hair in a flash.”

“What? No!” The blonde exclaimed, “I- I need it!”

“What for! You can’t even activate it!”

“A-activate it?”

As if on cue, the staff zipped over towards its rightful owner, a slight gust of air following behind it. When reunited with Fundy’s hand, a bright, blue hue gleamed from a crystal that had now appeared at the top of the wooden tool. Branches coil slowly around the power source, and with another flash, he creates a more professional weapon, one that even matches his colour scheme.

"Fundy’s Staff”

“H-how did you do that? Are you a wizard? Do those still exist?” The blonde uttered in amazement, now using the wolf as support. Huh? Is he okay?

“T-they do! very few of them, though. Also, are you doing alright? Your stance seems weak.” Fundy asked, genuinely concerned. The man was obviously hurt; why else would he be trembling so vigorously?

“Just some jitters, I think. Sorry about the staff incident; Moon here just brought it along. It was extremely beneficial; that was the main reason why I didn’t want to give it up.” Oh, how sweet his laugh sounded.

“Moon? Is that the wolf’s name?” He asked, moving away from the previous topic. He’ll get back to it; he just wanted to know the blonde’s name. Internally, referring to him as a “stranger” was becoming tedious.

“Mhm,” he keeled down slowly, “my name’s Dream; may I ask for yours?”

“Fundy.” Fundy answered eagerly, pink tainting his cheeks, which are still hurting, thank you very much.

Dream smiled softly, but quickly became morbid as he stared at his now swollen cheek.

“Oh my Ender, I am so sorry!” The blonde shouted expectantly. “I didn’t mean to do that; I was just defending myself, and it was kind of instinctual because why wouldn’t I use the first weapon in my hand? However, given your story, I was completely wrong, and…

“Hey!” Fundy interrupted his ranting. “It’s okay! I can heal myself just fine. On the other hand, you could hardly stand.”

The ginger gazed upon the forest’s surroundings, suddenly finding a solution among a pile of leaves and branches in the distance. Dream watched eagerly, a confused expression finding its way across his face. It seemed to be a dirty red cloth that had been tangled up in the pile. He brought it over to the blond and carefully wrapped it around both his hooves, tightening it to add pressure.

“There!” Fundy exclaimed. Dream raised an eyebrow and cocked his head slightly.

“Oh! Uh, a friend once told me that applying pressure to restless legs would help to relive the symptoms.” “Goede Tijden…” the man muttered under his breath.

“Well, thank you for the help.” Dream said, pushing himself up slowly as the wraps seemed to work both faster and better than expected. He wasn’t falling, that’s for sure.

“Hey, it’s really late, and you seem lost. Would you like to come back to my camp?” The ginger asked expectantly, and quite excitedly, if you ask him.

“It’s somewhat similar to here, actually, and not that far; besides, it has a perfect water source nearby.” He finished, now wasting the blond’s answer.

“Really? Thank you!” Dream cried out in joy, running up to the ginger and giving him a tight squeeze. The slight height difference caught Fundy off guard. He loved it!

“Then let’s get on with it then!” Dream shouted once more, whistling as he called the demo- Moon over to follow along.

Night was finally upon them, and the stars twinkled as the colours of the twilight mingled and mixed.

Tonight was the night Fundy made a new friend!

.

.

.

.

Tonight, was the night XD got a new follower.

Chapter Text

The journey back to Fundy’s camp was mostly uneventful, as both travellers really didn’t have much to say. Dream was criticizing himself, still hung up on the embarrassing moments of the past few hours, while Fundy, on the other hand, was more focused on the mask by the blond’s side. While it was white, with a simple smile, his gaze was occasionally drawn to a pitch black with eyes all over its surface. It was unnerving. The feeling of being watched was always present when he was relatively close to the thing.

"Are you alright?" "You seem tense," the man by his side observed. His voice was calm and quiet.

"I’m fine, really," he replied as he forced his head to face forward. "We’re really close by, actually." "Just past those trees up ahead."

The trees he was referring to were known as "Sileza Trees." Such plants are the rare parts of the earth Mother Nature wishes she could keep to herself, as there are only a few populating the globe. They grew among the spruce and provided the forest with the only natural light—light that grew in the ground. The Silezas were the sisters of the more common Wisteria trees, though unlike their siblings, the Silezas were illuminated by the flowers they produced. Unfortunately, they only grew during the hottest days and bloomed during the coldest nights. Strolling past those long stems, covered head to toe in deep green leaves, the duo had finally made it back to camp, just in time to greet the morning sun.

Fundy yawned loudly as he stretched his arms.

"That was some quick traveling..." he said, closing his mouth to stop another yawn from coming up. "We’d better get some rest, Dream." The ginger chuckled but heard no response from his companion. "Dream?" he asked, quickly turning around, only to be met with a sleeping beauty lying in the corner of his tent. He chuckled once more, this time joining the other but keeping a safe distance.

"Goodnight Dream," he said before finally falling asleep.

.

.

.

Soon enough, the heat of noon roused Dream from a deep sleep as the sun sets itself in the middle of the sky. Lifting himself up before stifling a yawn, he stepped out of the tent, his hands shielding his eyes from the blinding rays. It had been a long time since he had awoken so peacefully, and even longer since he had slept.

He inhaled and sighed as his thoughts went back to the aching pain he felt, both during his death and his resurrection. He shook his head vigorously; such awful memories are not welcome now. Not after finally meeting someone he… trusted? No, he will never again put his life in the hands of uncaring people. Let’s just call Fundy an ally.

And, by the way, where was the ginger?

The blond’s head turned from left to right in an attempt to spot his companion. He shrugged it off. Maybe Fundy was just out; he seemed to be everywhere when they spoke. Dream sighed in frustration as his feet led him to wander the camp. After all, this would be his first time seeing it. The sounds of the river filled his sheeplike ears as he got closer. He stood by the banks of the river, staring down at his reflection. The once-red horns had returned to their natural colour, and the extra pair of eyes had been closed, leaving his original behind. His hair was an absolute mess, as it was filled with twigs and leaves of all shapes and sizes. He looked down at his body in disgust, frowning at the thought that it even belonged to him. He appeared to be a little older. The day he died was a tragedy, as it happened when he was just a young boy, but now he doesn’t know how old he was or how much time has passed. He never questioned why his voice changed during puberty or why he didn't grow in stature, but rather in mind. He frowned once more, and with his mood now depressed, he returned to the tent, hoping to see the red-headed man.

When he saw Fundy, he was immediately greeted with a wide grin and a cheerful greeting.

"Hey! Morning Dream. "Did you sleep well?" The ginger asked. Dream stared at his face in confusion, as the bags under his eyes were most visible, not to mention the very tired posture of his body.

"Enough about me; what about you?! "You seemed like you didn’t sleep at all last night." The blond grumbled; hands folded as if scolding a child.

Fundy smiled, even laughing, at the compassion because the poor blond had no idea he was the cause of his suffering.

"What’s so funny?" Fundy was questioned in a sassy tone, his hands now dropping to be placed on his hips in a motherly manner.

"Did you know that you snored?"

At this point, the ginger was giggling immensely as the blond’s pale cheeks reddened and his voice stammered.

"I-I don't!" "I have never made a sound while sleeping in my life!"

Fundy calmed down, but oh, did he still smile at those harmless lies.

"You sounded like a truck!" he exclaimed. "I swear I didn’t get any sleep last night!"

"Y-you know what, Fundy?" The blond backed away slowly. "F*ck you!" he shouted from the small distance he had made, flipping the ginger off before running in the other direction, giggling every step of the way.

"Get back here!" Fundy called out, running after him, grinning from ear to ear.

This was actually kind of nice, if he does say so himself.

Too nice…

.

.

.

Sooner or later, the duo became hungry, specifically Fundy. But what about the other? Well, Dream’s stomach felt like it twisted itself into a knot; there was no apatite whatsoever.

"It’s still early enough to go out, you know." Fundy’s voice suddenly filled the silence between them.

"When I was traveling, I passed a village near by," he said, pointing at a floating map that appeared out of nowhere. "If we hurry, we can make it there just in time by nightfall."

"What? I don’t want to leave the forest! "I have everything I need here." The blond folded his arms, glaring at the ginger before him.

"Everything?" "All you have is a damn tent, which is mine by the way, a burned-out campfire, and that damn wolf that disappeared like a chapter ago!" As an exaggeration, the man yelled, hands in the air.

"C-chapter? "What the hell are yo- You know what, fine, we can go," "But only if we return here afterwards. Deal?" Fundy smiled at that.

"Deal."

.

.

.

"Hurry up, Fundy!" the blond yelled in excitement, practically bouncing on his feet.

"I’m coming," he hissed, "why are you even excited?" "You didn’t want to come here to begin with!"

"I didn’t but look at all those pretty trinkets!" Dream squealed as he ran up to the stall filled with jewellery of all kinds. He looked up, his eyes meeting those of a woman with brown hair and the prettiest green eyes.

"Hiya!" "See anything you like?" she smiled.

"O-oh, no, sorry." "I don’t have any, uh, coins on me at the moment." Dream muttered softly, scratching the back of his head as he grinned awkwardly.

The stranger giggled at his antics and said, "That’s quite fine; you’re always welcome to admire them." She spoke with a kind heart, and Dream liked her.

"My name is Hannah; what’s yours?" Her hand was stretched towards him, initiating a handshake, which he took with a smile.

"Dream," he replied, allowing his hand to return to his side.

"So, are you new here?" "I’ve never seen you around." She asked, turning away from him to rearrange some flowers on a nearby shelf.

"I’m actually here with a friend of mine; we came to get some supplies for our camp just nearby."

"Is that him?" she asked, turning around to see a man who stood out from the crowd.

When Dream looked over his shoulder, he was met with the embarrassing scene of Fundy trying to bargain with a salesman over what seemed to be seeds.

"These are way too high!" "A bag of seeds for two gold coins?" Fundy exclaimed, hands slamming on the wooden counter before him.

"Take it or leave it." "That’s my price, and I’m keeping it."

"But you just sold it to that woman for 4 pieces of silver!" He huffed, "Why should I pay such an unfair man?"

"First and foremost, that was a man," the man said as he stood up. "Second, either you leave my stall, or you buy my sh*t." It was four pieces of silver before you got here; now it’s two gold coins. Once again, I say, take it or leave it."

To say that Fundy was upset was an understatement.

"Oh him?" Dream turned to Hannah, sweat running down his face. "I have never seen that man in my life."

Hannah chuckled. She had obviously seen them conversing before the blond ran up to her. They seemed close. Oh, how she wishes for such a bond again Unfortunately, that’s something only she and nature will ever feel. The one she had previously was broken by a man who seemed to admire adventure more than her. A man who seemed to be close by...

"Here," she said, taking out a small bundle of wheat seed. "Even if you don’t know him, how about you take it for the both of you?"

"T-thank you!" He smiled and bowed his head slightly in thanks.

"There’s also a little something in there for him. "Do me a favour and don’t tell him it was from me." she said, waving her hand as he approached his irritated companion.

"Fundy!" "I’ve brought some seeds for us.” Dream yelled as he approached Fundy’s side.

"How? "I didn't even give you any coins," he asked, reaching for Dream's bag.

"Oh, it was from that nice lady over there!" Dream pointed in the direction of the stall and smiled, his jaw dropping as he saw that the shop was no longer there.

"What? "She was just there!" he uttered; eyes as wide as saucers.

"Are you okay?" Fundy asked genuinely, holding onto Dream’s shoulders as he stared at the open space before them in shock.

"Yeah, It was just…"

He felt a hand brush his waist. His eyes looked toward his side in dismay.

"Hey! "That man took my mask!"

The cloaked shadow faced them for a brief moment before disappearing, not even leaving a footprint as they climbed the walls of the apartment nearby.

Dream sprinted after them, leaving behind a confused Fundy and igniting a spirit of determination in himself.

He didn't know what he was doing or where he was going, but that mask was a gift from God himself, and he wasn't going to lose it in the hands of some thief.

Chapter Text

They both flew through the stalls and onto the roofs at the speed of light, as bystanders looked on in awe. No one tried to help him. He was unreachable. The poacher took complicated turns, trying to free the angry sheep behind him. It was getting useless. No matter where he ran, the man would always keep up.

Up, down, and all around he went as he started to get weary. His movements have slowed. He needed to get this mask back to the group one way or another; he couldn’t afford to turn up empty-handed once more. He glanced at the mask slightly before landing on the bricked floors beneath and racing into the crowd. He pushed and dodged, cursing at any marketer that tried to get in his way. Soon enough, the ally where they were waiting was seen, but the owner of the mask wasn’t. He snickered under his breath, his hood lowering as he made his way into the dark alleyway to meet the ones he so desperately dreaded.

“So, Tommy,” the taller man asked, “have you gotten anything useful today?” “Or will it be like last time?”

Tommy frowned as he remembered the bruises on his ribs before quickly handing the mask to him. He slightly flinched when the man glared in return.

He snatched the mask, almost crushing it in the process, and chuckled menacingly.

“You see this bullsh*t, Kailen?” “B*tch boy, here got us a useless piece of plastic!” the man said as he grabbed his shirt and raised him slightly.

Kailen chuckled as he saw the fear in his eyes, grabbing the mask from his friend to inspect it himself. In the end, he threw it to the side in disgust.

“W-wait! I saw something happen to that sh*t! It had eyes that glowed all over! That could surely help in your f*cking magic drug business somehow!” He yelled; his words slightly hesitant. He was a bit of a hothead, he knew, but he wasn’t stupid.

“Help us?” “Oh, Eris, you really dragged in a dinggleberry, didn’t you?” Kailen chuckled with a light voice, but it was still as menacing as his ally next to him.

“Well, I don’t have anything else to offer.” Tommy shouted, wincing as the hand went up to his neck, squeezing it slightly.

“Well, then,” Eris slammed his fist against his nose. “You should have thought of that before you stole from us, you wretch.”

And with that, he could feel nothing but the warm liquid flowing from his face and unto now red floors.

.

.

.

Dream kept up with the thief to the best of his ability, but it wasn’t enough. Soon enough, they reached a more crowded spot, so the thief was more than able to easily slip from his sight. He wandered the market searching for the cloaked figure in hopes of retrieving his mask, but all he could find were the sounds of a boy screaming nearby. Dream’s eyes narrowed as he followed the cries, leading him down a narrow path. He felt the hand of a stranger’s on his shoulder, and looking over it, he was met with the cautious eyes of a young woman.

“It’s best not to wander there. That is the known territory of the “Pirus,” “a cruel and merciless gang of traders,” she said, tracing her hands across her chest.

“I think I’ll be fine,” he smiled in return. “That thief is the one you should be worrying about when I get my hands on them.” He mumbled under his breath as he continued to follow the path that seemed to lead to grief and the smell of blood.

When he arrived, the metal odour became stronger as it seemed to be close by. Slowly, he made his way by a small building, which led to the thief’s resignation. How did he know? The mask by the entrance was a perfect clue in itself.

While it was common sense to just take his belongings and run, the imagery of two grown men hurting what seemed to be a child didn’t seem right to him. He was sure that many would agree as well; therefore, he decided to step in.

He quickly grabbed his mask and stood at the alleyway’s entrance, casting his shadow on the people hiding within.

“And who are you supposed to be?” A towering figure spoke, the knife in his hand lowering from the child’s face.

He didn’t reply.

“I’ll ask you again, bud,” he grumbled. “Who the f*ck are yo-”

But he did react.

Crimson red was seen as a blade was sliced through his neck, yet not a drop of blood remained on the scythe.

The weapon of death, one that gives off an aura of destruction and a promise of gore.

Tommy’s eyes widened as he backed away slowly, hands clutching his shirt. Drops of blood were splattered over him, and his breathing got heavy. He stared at the full, red eyes that watched him with no emotion, weapon in hand. The mask that was lying on the floor earlier was no more, and the other man was just as nervous as he was, if not more so.

Though he wanted to beg for the mercy he did not deserve, his mouth refused to open, and his voice wouldn’t make a peep. He watched as tears rolled down the eyes of the man who encouraged his beating earlier but paid no mind as he prepared himself for his last breath, which didn’t come. Nothing happened but the screams of Kailen as he was beheaded, like his friend before him.

His eyes were now met with emerald as a hand was stretched toward him—a bloodied one that struck fear within his heart, one that he took anyway.

The man, if he could even call him that, was now smiling at him as his ears twitched and his eyes lit up.

“So you were the little thief!” Well, sorry to interrupt whatever was back there, but I really needed my mask back. Also, where is it?” He said it cheerfully, as if the gory scene in which they were conversing was an illusion.

Tommy couldn’t reply; how could he?

The scythe that lay beside the blond had once again turned into a plain white mask that was returned to its rightful owner, but he seemed as clueless as he is.

“So, this was the reason for the mask…” he mumbled as his eyes gazed at the thing.

When his head looked up, he was met with the small blood bath he had created with his own hands. Emerald eyes dimmed as tears swelled.

“This isn’t the future I want…”

“But it’s the future I want for you.”

“We need to leave.” Tommy finally spoke, saying, “There are others that were waiting for those idiots; sooner or later, they will come to try and find them.”

The blond nodded as he turned slowly. His grip on the mask tightened when he was once again reminded of his actions by the drops of dried blood on the child’s face.

“Why are you still here?” He asked, “Who even are you to be brave enough to stand before me?” “After what flashed before your very eyes!”

“My name is Tommy,” he chuckled, “and I’ve been through worse.”

Dream frowned in response and said, “Join me then?” “And I promise that nothing like that will ever happen to you again.” His hand stretched out toward the other.

“I’ll think about it,” he replied, but that didn’t stop his hand from connecting with the other’s.

.

.

.

To say that Fundy was conflicted was an understatement. One second he was standing by his blond companion, chatting about a weird stall, and the next he was running after the blond as he chased the person that stole his belongings. He huffed in frustration. No matter what he tried, there was no way of spotting the blond, much less running after him.

Magic was no use either. He was only able to track someone within an 8-foot radius. With each passing moment, the sky darkened as sunset drew closer. In the end, he returned to the opening of the forest where their camp was located in hopes of somehow meeting his friend. Their goal was to get some supplies, maybe a quick meal or two, and leave, but due to running around all day, most of the stalls were now closed up for the night that was soon to come—all but one.

A small shop selling trinkets kept its lights on for all the villagers to see. It seemed like it was the only one interested in displaying all throughout the night!

Curiosity filled him as he drew closer to the stall’s wooden counter.

He looked into the small room, which was lit by the soft orange glow of a nearby candle.

“Who would burn even a candle in a wooden shack?” His brows were furrowed, and his voice was mocking.

“Someone who knows how to keep it under control.”

The reply startled him slightly, as he did not suspect that another person would be nearby. He faced the voice behind him, his mouth now gaping.

“Like anything you see?” She smiled, her eyes now a brilliant green.

“…Hannah?”

Chapter Text

“H-how are you still here?” Fundy’s eyes swelled with tears. “How are you still alive?”

“You must be so conflicted, huh?” Her eyes were still a beautiful shade of green. “I mean, why would you be?” The smirk on her face widened. “Why did you leave Fundy?”

An evil aura leaked from her body, a promise of pain with every word she spoke. It scared him.

“What are you talking about?” “Hannah, I wanted to help you!” His voice cracked, and a lump formed in his throat.

She simply chuckled.

“So why didn’t you?” “How come you turned your back on me after everything I’ve done for you?” The noise became louder, and the cold breeze made him shiver as it blew across his face, which was soaked with sweat.

“Was it because I was just a useless nobody who didn’t deserve to be saved?”

The ginger became tense; his body was frozen in shock. His mind was filled with so much he wanted to say, but none would leave his mouth as if it were sealed shut.

“Or was it because you were a vile f*cking coward who doesn’t deserve the will to live?”

Fundy was stunned. He remembered it vividly. People in the past were not particularly fond of those who wielded magic. Any living soul seen would be accused of doing evil, stoned, and killed as a result.

He glanced at the floor as the tears finally spilled, kneeling before his friend.

“I’m sorry.” That was the message he repeated over and over. Oh, how he wished he had thought it through at the time. Hannah was the one who had thought him every word; all he had done was amplified its power. She was his mentor, his friend, and his family, and all he did was leave her in the dust to rot. He regretted it so much that he tried to move on years later. When his wet eyes finally met hers, he studied every feature. Her face was tainted with the beauty of age, looking much more mature than when they last met. Her expression calmed, and he chuckled softly, as he knew that she couldn’t bare to stay angry for long, no matter how much rage was actually pent up inside. “It makes me age too fast,” she would always say, trying to cover up the fact that she actually knew how beautiful her smile really is.

Hannah sighed as she offered her hand, lifting him up and interlocking their fingers. She had then led him inside the small shack,

“No matter how much I hate what you did…” she started, staring deeply into his chestnut eyes.

“I could never stay mad at you.”

His heart swelled at such sweet words. Never was there a time when he didn’t smile in return for the happiness she showed on her face, even if this one was slight.

He took a seat and admired the inside of the tiny shack.

It was homey and had the smell of candles in the air. It still astounded him that Hannah’s power had not waned over the years. Speaking of which, the brunette came along, her steps light, carrying a tray of warm drinks and a deck of cards. Carefully, she laid it on the coffee table between them and sat down, pouring a green-coloured liquid from the teapot.

Once finished, she handed it to him in silence as she lifted the cup to her lips, and as a result, he did the same. It went smoothly. Too smooth.

After a few moments, she opened her mouth to speak, finally crushing the ringing that the silence had brought.

“What happened back at Yusia?”

Her voice spoke softly; it was something he always loved about her. Hannah was never the one to use force for anything, yet she could make you bend to her will with her voice alone. It was as if she was a goddess herself.

“I had no excuse for what I did,” he sighed. “I wanted to help, b-but it was as if I felt… overpowered?” “There was this force and feeling that overwhelmed me, and it felt so weird and…”

He wanted to say “unfamiliar,” but the words just wouldn’t leave his mouth. At this very moment, he could be sure that he recalled the gut-retching wave of sin washing over him when he was next to…

.

.

.

That mask.

The ginger shook his head as he spoke once more.

Hannah, you have to believe that I had no intention of leaving you behind—not for riches, not for friends, not for magic, because you’re more than just a friend. You’re family. And-”

Familie is de beste vorm van magie,” she concluded for him, a tear streaming down her cheek, turning the once mint green brew a dark purple. A truth serum

Fundy smiled; he honestly didn’t expect it, but he knew that every word that left his mouth was the truth, and if Hannah needs a potion, just be sure… then so be it.

“Hugs?” he asked.

“Hug!” she answered, both of them rising from their chairs as they were met with each other’s soft embrace.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

“I have too, and I will never leave you behind again!”

“Promise?” she asked, her eyes filled with hope.

.

.

.

“Promise”

Hannah laughed in response as she turned to pick up the small stack of cards she had placed on the tray earlier.

“What are those?” he asked in awe as the cards were a beautiful dark purple colour with markings on the back of each one. The mystery of what each card hid on the other side of its face was part of the fun.

“These are known as tarot cards,” she said, shuffling them around a bit before spreading the deck on the table and encouraging him to take one.

He complied, reaching out to grab the one that lay at the very centre of the table. His confused expression told Hannah all that she needed to know.

“Take some time to think about what that means.” She said, gathering all the cards in a pile before stepping away to grab another item, one that he couldn’t even see.

He examined the card. On one side, a simple purple background and small designs. On the other side, however, there was a single heart split, one half a bright red, the other, a gloomy gray. Both sides had eyes that lay at the top of the hearts and crosses that pointed to the north and south.

When Hannah finally returned, she took the card from him and inspected it herself.

“These cards are something that I have found on my past adventures before settling here.” She placed the card on the table, facing Fundy, and continued to speak in a hushed whisper.

“I then realized that each has unique knowledge that can only be activated by bright red flames when they are ready.”

Her finger pointed at the side of the heart that had a dark grey presence.

“This represents that you lost something during your journeys.” “The other side is showing that you still have something left.” “The cards know nothing of your final future or of your end, but they can still guide you.” “Teaching a spell, summoning a weapon, or even more.”

Fundy gazed at the card once more.

“Have you been practicing this?” he grinned at the brunette, chuckling as he saw her cheeks glow red.

“Oh, shut it.” “They weren’t really useful without activation!”

“Activation?” “What’s that?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“As I said before, they only react to the flames of crimson red, and that is something that not even I can grant to you.”

Fundy sighed in defeat. Not only did he get some good news, but there just had to be some bad news with it.

“Take it with you.”

“Huh, why?” “It would be strange if I only had one card with me.”

“They aren’t for you, but…” Hannah grinned. “When I first saw you, I realized that you had a little friend that you were traveling with.” “We chatted for a bit, and I have given him the task of gifting you a special item that lies within that bag of seeds.”

“W-wait! " “You were the mysterious person that disappeared!”

“Oh, come on, don’t be a party pooper,” she chuckled. “I just wanted to give him a little scare!”

“Hannah! That was the first time I ever saw Dream bamboozled like that!” Fundy laughed as he recalled the blond’s face.

“Oh, clam it! Now hurry up and open the damn thing!”

Fundy, in response, took out the small pouch, digging through the wheat seeds to find it.

.

.

.

A ring… His mother’s ring.

Once again, a wave of emotion fell over him as he ran up to hug Hannah, squeezing her.

“Thank you,” he whispered from over her shoulders, a single tear falling as he felt her hands on his back. The brunette had always been his mother figure. She was the only one who even bothered to care.

“Now how about you do me a favour and go ahead and find your little friend?” she said as he repeated it slowly.

“Give him the card and a message.”

“What kind?”

Hannah’s eyes dimmed slightly, but the ginger did not realize.

“Hij is niet alleen.”

Fundy laughed at the message before gathering his belongings and leaving Hannah’s shack with a smile and a goodbye hug.

Hannah’s mood dropped drastically as he went off into the village.

“Hij is niet alleen,” she whispered as she slowly went back into the shack.

.

.

.

“Maar hij is niet veilig….”

The candles suddenly went out.

            “Could you hurry up!” the blond boy shouted to his companion in a hushed voice. Dream glared in return, before gracefully flinging himself onto the roof, where the cold breeze blew the most. It had the most amazing view of the village. Only a few lights were still on, yet he could still see every detail due to the shimmer of the moon in the night sky.

“I hope you remember that we’re kind of on the run here.”

Dream turned, frowning as he saw the bruises on the child’s face. He was covered in blood, yes, but it was not his own. Tommy, on the other hand, had been marinating in his own blood ever since they stepped out of the alleyway.

“Ew!” The voice behind him screamed, “This f*cking blood is getting all dried up and weird!” Come one, hurry up! “I want to get this sh*t off me immediately.” He frowned as he jumped off the building, sliding on the side of another one to lower his fall.

“You coming, sheep?” He looked up towards Dream, waiting for the blond to either respond or react.

As a result, Dream mimicked his movements, landing perfectly, almost.

“Dumb a**,” Tommy snickered as he walked past the fallen blonde.

Dream lifted himself up and brought himself to ask them one important question that should have been asked moments ago.

“Where are we going?”

“Well, you were just talking about how you and your little follower are looking for supplies, so…”

At this moment, his eyes lit up as he stared at the golden castle that still seemed to shine in the moon’s reflected light.

“I know exactly where to get it.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure about this?” he asked expectantly, as with each passing moment the fear of getting caught arose within him.

“Absolutely,” Tommy said, chuckling, “those damn idiots never notice me; the guards around here are too laid-back!”

Dream smiled in return as he faced the entrance of the castle-like house before him. The walls were made of the finest stone and covered with fake greenery that appeared to have been purposefully placed there, and the large golden gates did nothing to protect them, leading them here, inside the mansion’s garden. The shrubs they hid behind were most effective because no one had seen them yet, but Dream was still tired of Tommy’s plan.

“All we have to do is get to the treasure room undetected.” The blond exclaimed happily and doodled in the dirt below him with a small stick he found.

The pictures show what seems to be himself, considering the crown that the character had, and Dream. Both are linked by a gold pile above the caption “Disk Duo.”

The sheep’s eyebrow raised slightly, but he didn’t question it. Considering Tommy, the blond might throw a fit, getting them caught.

“Now, just around there,” Tommy said, pointing to the other side of the garden where the roses were in bloom and the guards were most active. “There’s a passageway that leads to the dungeon right below the ballroom.” He smiled as he continued, “Your job is to get in there while I distract the guards.”

“Why should I do it?” “I know we’re not doing this for my benefit alone, and you’re the one most familiar with this place!” Dream frowned.

“Quiet down, idiot!” Tommy hushed in a loud whisper, “Look, I’ve been caught one too many times.” “If Foolish catches me once more, it’s jail time.” The blond made an exaggerated motion, mentioning that he might as well be beheaded if this so-called ‘Foolish’ gets a hold of him. He sighed as he nodded, and as much as the blond disagreed with the younger, the very thought of him getting into trouble made his heart ache.

Nah, who is he kidding? He’s just doing this for the gold.

“Fine, but be quick.” “The sun is about to rise, and doing this in daylight isn’t as effective, is it?”

The other nodded, and with that, he was off, covering his head with his hood and gathering medium-sized rocks found within the garden to create some minor chaos.

In the meantime, Dream hurried towards the opening of the bunker, hidden by brightly coloured roses. The shouts of the protectors above faded as he stepped in, and the stairs came to an end as he was met with what Tommy referred to as the dungeon. The atmosphere, as expected, was dim and intense, but fortunately, no one was present because the cells were empty and there were no guards to be seen. Dream released the breath he didn’t know he was holding and took cautious steps, climbing deeper into the room. No light source was within his reach, forcing him to be a little slower than he would like. He kept to the walls as he was unsure of what could lie in the middle of the passageways. As he crept closer to what he thought was the entrance, his hands pressed against a loose brick, causing it to sink back a bit deeper than the rest of the others.

“What the-”

As if on cue, the floor below him lowered slowly, and he was met with another room, one that was much bigger than the one before.

one that most definitely didn’t belong here.

The room was illuminated by glowing charms that hung from the ceiling, and artifacts of all kinds stood on podiums made from all sorts of materials. Symbols decorated the worn-out, mossy walls—ones that seemed familiar.

The platform he was currently standing on was nothing, but a circular disk made out of brick, but the floors it connected to were much older and covered in moss and tall grass that grew out of nowhere. He walked closer to the edge, soon realizing that there was nothing but darkness beneath him. One wrong step, and he knew he was done for.

The sheep gulped as he continued to observe his new surroundings.

In the centre of the room was what appeared to be a devil’s cross, though the design was unlike any he had seen before.

When he looked up, he was faced with a great statue of an unknown soul. It, like anything else in the room, was also covered in greenery and old, yet the fire that was present in its arms burned bright. Flames that matched the colour of his eyes when possessed by his weapon.

It was made for you.

flames that reminded him of the feeling of hellfire being burned into his skin during his resurrection.

I didn’t want this.

Flames that copied the colour of his blood during his death.

But you didn’t deserve that.

Flames that… proved without a doubt that he shouldn’t be alive…

.

.

.

I didn’t deserve this either.

He tried hard not to cry, but there was always one stubborn tear that fell no matter how hard you tried.

His head was pounding, and his breathing was heavy and fast. His hands were sweaty and were now holding his scythe. He looked up slightly, expecting to meet the statue, but was now met with the boulders that had once created it. Emerald eyes widened as he realized what he had done. Yes, the structure was already crumbling, but he destroyed it by severing it cleanly in half. He stumbled as he dropped the scythe, backing away from it slowly.

“Quite the cut, isn’t it?” Dream jumped slightly at the voice behind him, yet was not hesitant when he rushed to reunite with his scythe.

The thing chuckled. “Don’t be so jumpy.” “You’re the one who walked into my territory and destroyed my structure.” It said this while speaking again in the silence provided by Dream.

“How rude. Didn’t XD teach you manners?” “To speak when you’re spoken to?” “I’m sure you must have some respect for a deity at least twice as powerful as the one you kneel for.”

Dream scoffed. Twice as powerful? Don’t make him laugh.

“All right, then, little one…” “Aren’t you going to ask my name?”

Dream wanted to laugh. Unlike XD, this one didn’t seem to be able to read his mind. Otherwise, he would have known that he couldn’t care less about who he is, much less his name.

The deity frowned at the lack of response that Dream granted, yet they continued anyway.

“You may refer to me as Lucid, little one.” “And you must explain to me why you are in my domain and why my elder brother chose you, of all people.” They smiled expectantly. This time, Dream gave a response, which, considering the easily angered prey, is something that he most definitely shouldn’t have done.

“Why don’t you enlighten me about how worthless you are compared to XD?” The lamb spat in a cocky tone. “And if I wanted to know who you were, I would have at least read up on you, but, oh, right! “People only took the time to write about significant gods, and you, of all people, would never be chosen.” Would you?”

Lucid gasped for a moment, only for a grin to stain his face instead.

“Now I see why they chose you,” The deity started to fade slowly as a creature of darkness arose from the ground.

“Samuel… bring me his soul.”

The creature pounced after him, immediately aiming for his heart as he dodged excessively.

.

.

.

“Turn, tail, and run,” Lucid stated as his body faded.

.

.

.

“Little Lamb.”

The last thing Dream heard was a horrifying chuckle that grew from the god as he spoke his last words before disappearing, leaving his follower, Samuel, with the mission to collect his soul for himself.

The thing, although quick, focused not on speed but on strategy. It knew where he was jumping to, where he would aim, and even where his mind was focused as he blocked any possible way to leave the fight. It’s not like Dream was really interested in such an option. He knew it was hopeless; why try?

The blond dove and turned as he tried to land a single blow on the creature, but it outmatched his speed greatly.

If his heart wasn’t pounding in his chest before, it certainly was now.

If “Samuel,” as Lucid called him, wasn’t already starting to look like he would win, he decided to pull a power move by shooting small green balls of fire from his hands that flew randomly around the room.

A few had burned him, his back now scorching as he felt the clothes he wore now on fire, but he didn’t care. In fact, he felt more alive than he ever did!

He needed a weak spot. As he bounced around the room with his quick feet, his eyes were met with a symbol that matched the ones that hung from the ceiling. The one that was marked on the floors and walls was the one that Lucid himself was decorated in, as it was a pattern on his light blue robes. He needed to get to it. It was maybe the only way he could defeat it. With bright eyes now filled with determination, Dream sped up and climbed the walls using nothing but his feet as the creature hurried behind him, trying to follow. With the seconds he had, he pushed himself from the walls right behind Samuel and brought his scythe down in the centre of the emblem, splats of obsidian blood spraying across his face as he retrieved his blade, stepping away from the creature. He was dizzy, and it felt like he’d been fighting for hours, but he fought through the pain, blade poised, in case the creature decided to rise again. It did, but instead of hurrying towards Dream like before, it simply stared.

The black goo that used to cover it from head to toe slid off slowly, revealing a tall, green-headed man with green skin and the fuzziest of paws. Dream used his scythe as a staff as he leaned on it, still on guard of the man now before him.

It crept closer before kneeling at his hooves.

“I am at your service, o great one…

Dream’s eyebrows rose slightly, but he replied softly, as he usually wouldn’t do.

“With all the trouble you’ve given me with that fight, you should be.”

Samuel made a grimace but said nothing.

“Rise. There’s no need to bow.”

He followed his order immediately, showing nothing but a stern look on his face.

Dream smiled and said, “Come on, lighten up, Sam.”

Sam did nothing, but isn’t it the effort that counts?

Soon enough, both a door and a chest appeared before them. Carefully, Dream stepped closer, opening the case that was rounded with golden edges. A bright light was shown for a moment before, and treasure of all kinds was shown. Coins, goblets decorated with jewels, rings of all kinds, and the most noticeable an opening the case that was rounded with golden edges. A bright light was shown for a moment before, and treasure of all kinds was shown. Coins, goblets decorated with jewels, rings of all kinds, and the most noticeable… a red flower.

Dream took the plant as if it were the most important and asked Sam whether he could help with the chest. Sam nodded in response, not helping by grabbing one end, but by picking up the chest as a whole. Dream gaped for a brief moment before snapping out of admiring the one who considers himself lower than him. He admired the door for a moment before realizing that one of the four quarters of the door lit up before opening and leading them to the room where he used to be.

When they stepped out of the portal-like gateway, he was met with a scene he did not want to deal with. Not right now…

“DREAM! YOU D*CK!!!” “YOU LEFT ME!” said the angry blond as he was held captive in a cell that was once empty.

Before it was a man with golden skin dressed in a pure white and blue robe, surrounded by guards, who glared at Tommy and then at him.

“Great,” he said as his hand slid down his face in annoyance.

“Another thief to deal with.”

Chapter Text

“You know of him?” asked the man made of gold, pointing to the blond captive in the cell. Tommy frowned in return, turning his head as he continued to glare at Dream.

Dream said nothing; all he did was stare at the man, trying to capture every detail. Finally, he said, “Let him go, and he won’t bother you again.”

“Are you serious?” Foolish mocked him, mentioning the guards’ need to gather closer. “It was just a few days ago that I decided to do just that.” “I told this little wretch that if he ever comes back, then it’s to the dark, dingy cell for him!” He stared at the blond, his eyes glowering, before he continued. “And did you know what I saw?” “A small child, screaming at the top of his lungs while burning my precious roses.” A single drop of sweat fell from his forehead as he continued to listen to the man rant about his… ruined roses? In all honesty, he expected worse.

Foolish scoffed at the lack of response. “Why am I even telling this to you?” “Guards,” he said, pointing at the other two. “Arrest them.”

He turned slightly and said, “And confiscate that chest; it’s probably mine anyway.” He finished before proceeding up the stairs and into the next room.

Both men winced; there weren’t many people, sure, but he could tell that every single one was skilled and powerful enough to be by Foolish’s side.

Dream’s mask quickly transformed into his scythe as he dodged and dove his way to the cell where Tommy was imprisoned. Sam, on the other hand, simply focused on strength, throwing punches that could kill a man. With one swoop, the bars were sliced clean, and Tommy was dazed.

“I could sue you for that, you know.”

“You have until we get out of here.”

Dream grabbed him, pulling him closer as they ran towards the entrance, passing Sam, who was banging the wooden chest on one of the guards’ heads.

“We got to go, Samuel!” he shouted from across the room, displaying a confused expression when the man frowned at the name. He brushed it off though—there’s no time to think about feelings, is there?

In the end, the three finally exited through the small hatchet that had shown them to the rose garden before.

“Huh,” Dream said, “surprised they didn’t barricade this.”

“They still have no idea that it’s there,” Tommy replied cheerfully as he stepped out, trying his best not to make a sound.

“Come on, if we hurry, Foolish might no-” Tommy began, spinning on his heel, only to be met with the face he despises—to some extent.

“Gotcha,” Foolish said with a smile.

The lack of energy was a major problem in his case. Honestly, Fundy doesn’t know how certain people do it. Dream, for example, has been running around all hyper for days without eating or sleeping!

He sighed as the sun rose and reached its peak. It was blazing, but the people were still up and about as the trees provided small amounts of shade. Everyone seems friendly enough—most people seem friendly enough as he sees others handing out refreshments for their neighbours and offering help in any way they could. It made him smile as he was reminded of all the times he was eager to lend a helping hand to others around him. He considers himself the same way; he won’t lie, but in the past, it was safe to say that maybe he was too obsessed with helping. Hannah was never annoyed by his actions, but he could remember all the messes he would make while trying to aid her in making potions in cauldrons or the times when she told him to get something from the shelf—the prime of his life. The smile didn’t flatter as he made his way towards the town square. Looking for Dream was not an easy task, he realized, so he initially gave up. According to what he knows, Dream is perfectly capable of whacking the hell out of predators and can certainly win over anyone with a smile like his. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get him to stop worrying. The buildings were somewhat squished together, making parkour easier as he envisioned the blond jumping from one to another in hopes of catching the thief. It was something he himself would never try; he would stick to magic, thank you very much.

Soon enough, he was lost in thought, mumbling softly as his steps got faster.

“So, the plan is to find Dream, get food right away, and get more supplies to try building… Maybe we could build a house here… It looks homey but maybe too far…”

What happened next was pretty self-explanatory and much anticipated.

“Oof,” said the man as he glared at Fundy with chocolate-coloured eyes.

“Sorry!” Fundy apologized, circling the man to see if we were alright.

“It’s fine.” The man said, squinting slightly as he observed the other, who was now standing before him. “Huh,” he said, “I don’t think I’ve met you before.”

“Well, it’s a big town; you can’t possibly…”

“Hush, this place isn’t big! I know everyone here!” The brunette exclaimed, folding his arms as he continued to try to figure out who Fundy was.

“You know, we kind of look alike.”

“What? We don’t!”

“No, I see it,” he laughed, “perhaps you’re my long-lost son or something!”

Fundy was perplexed as the man abruptly changed from them looking alike to ranting about… something about a fish?

This, for some reason, went on for more than 10 minutes.

“And then she left me!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, frowning immediately after. “For a man with f*cking social skills, ugh.”

“U-um, sir, I really need to get going. I have friends that need to be found an-”

“Sir? “No, no, no, call me Wilbur… son,” he says.

The ginger frowned in return but complied with his request.

“Well then, Wilbur,” “That was an interesting conversation, but I need to leave right now.”

“Aww, already? What?” “Gonna cover up that tattoo before your mother sees it?”

Tattoo?

Fundy’s eyes were unconsciously led to his arm as he lifted it for a closer look.

“Not on your hand, dummy.” Wilbur mocked him, pointing to his forehead.

“Here!”

Immediately, he ran to the fountain that made itself the centrepiece of the town square and stared at his reflection within it, trying to make out what the symbol was.

Although small, it was still very noticeable as it continued to glow a bright red before cooling down, becoming pink, and disappearing. All he noticed was the simple smile that lingered only for a second.

“When did…” he started before dropping it as he realized that everyone was gathering up towards a huge field not so far away.

“Are you serious?” “Another one this month?” Wilbur groaned, walking away slowly to follow the crowd.

Fundy immediately followed, bombarding him with questions.

“What are you talking about? What are they doing? Where are they all going? Why are we doing this?”

“Hey, hey, one at a time,” the brunette chuckled, pointing to the massive mansion ahead.

“To summarize, there’s a large field nearby where some rich guy lives and kills people for their crimes. To cut a long story short, someone is going to get fucked.”

“What!?”

“It happens all the time.” “The bastard always kills the innocent but never thinks to even try to capture that big bad gang walking around.” Wilbur frowned and returned his gaze to Fundy for a brief moment. “You might want to come along,” he said before continuing on the path.

.

.

.

“Lord Foolish hates it when people are late.”

Within the most secure cell, they were held as the noble before them paced back and forth. The man made of gold sighed as he finally faced them.

“Look,” he started, “you have to know that actions come with consequences.” “It is the way life is.”

“To what? “Kill us for sneaking into your sh*t?” Tommy snarled in return as the others contained their glare.

“It’s the law.”

“It’s ludicrous!”

Foolish folded his arms as he spoke once more.

“Once a person disobeys the rules more than three times, it is mandatory that they are punished accordingly.”

“He’s a fucking kid!” Dream shouted, enraged by this foolish argument.

Foolish scowled as he moved closer to the dingy cell.

“Don’t try to argue with me. I didn’t make the rules; I enforce them at all costs.”

In emphasis, he swung the mask back and forth in mockery, smiling as he saw the reaction he got from the blond. When he finally drew the mask back towards himself, he looked at it closely.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“None of your business,” was his reply.

Foolish scoffed as he rolled his eyes.

“Fine then. If I can get no information from you… I deem you useless to me. I’ll make sure-”

“My lord, your people are outdoors waiting for your arrival.” A servant interrupted; their voice soft. Foolish sent them away with a nod as he continued.

“As you may have heard, many people are waiting outside for your execution. I must be going then.”

He finished as he walked away slowly, turning his head towards the three only for a short moment. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you” were his last words before he went to speak with the crowd outdoors.

Dream scoffed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Once again, he deemed himself useless, as there was nothing he could do to help. His mask was taken away; the only thing that actually made him useful was now gone. He didn’t cry though; he’s had enough of that. Instead, he laughed. His cackle became increasingly maniacal as he ignored the disturbed expressions of his companions trapped alongside him.

“Okay, okay… I’ve had enough of this game.” He said as he arose to his feet and took a step towards the bars made of metal, doing nothing but grinning as he held onto two and pushed them aside, leaving a gap large enough to escape.

As expected, nothing but red was located in his eyes, yet it was confusing due to the mask being separated from him. At the same time, his hands felt like they were burning as he stepped out with no hesitation and went off to seek the one who stole his mask.

“You two, stay here.” “Don’t speak of anything and follow their orders.” He ordered as he left the two behind, making his way up the stairs and taking down anyone that tried to even touch him.

He had no idea what had come over him, but he went along with it because, after all, he was just a sheep. Nothing but a follower of something greater.

That’s going to change soon enough.

Foolish stared at the sea of people that stood before him and said nothing as he waited for them to settle quietly. He stood next to the guillotine, as expected, alongside another who would be responsible for such a deed. His hands tightened as he gripped his robe. He despised that he was the reason for the blood, death, and cries. He wanted nothing to do with it!

At this time, the assignment people will proceed to bring out the three that so-called “disobeyed his orders,” but they were nowhere to be seen. He sighed but said nothing as his eye trailed toward the crowd in guilt.

As he said before, he does not make the rules; he only enforces them, and he will ensure that this is perfect to please the one he intended it for. He had no idea why they wanted this to happen, much less to this one specific person, but he knew that they planned everything. They wanted it for a reason, and for that, he will follow.

“Citizens of Merigald,”

Finally, the criminals stated that they wanted to be killed, but wait…

1

2

…

Where’s the third one?

Maybe it could work without him. They’d still be satisfied, wouldn’t they?

He turned to address the crowd once more, only to realize…Where is everyone?

He spun on his heels to see nothing but white in an ocean of nothing but red chains that hung around the sky.

“You’ve failed me, Foolish.”

He turned to face the god as he bowed quickly. He knew what they were talking about; he just couldn’t bring himself to reply.

“Well?”

“My lord, I know not of this man’s power.” “You’ve instructed me to kill but stated nothing but the obstacles that I would face to do so.”

The deity did nothing but laugh as he shrank down to his size; note that he was still towering anyway.

With a swish of his hands, a small opening of colour appeared, showing what seemed to be currently happening while he was gone. The blonde hybrid was currently freeing his companions while also speaking towards his people in a promising voice. His words were silent to Foolish, but with him stood a brunette who did nothing but smile as the people cheered. The man frowned as the deity continued to speak.

“That is why they have replaced you.”

Foolish’s eyes widened, “W-what…?”

At this point, the man was on his knees, pleading for mercy that God refused to grant.

“My lord, please! I can do better! I will please you, I promise!” He cried in hopes of forgiveness, but they did nothing but grin.

“I want him dead, Foolish, one way or another,” they said in a calm voice as they returned Foolish to where he once was.

He watched through the opening as he grabbed a sword he stole from a guard and proceeded to duel with the blond sheep as the people evacuated from the field.

The sky turned dark as both continued to slash each other, blood now staining the grass.

“That’s why… I replaced you.” XD smiled as he stared at the two eagerly. They knew who was going to win…

.

.

.

But why not have some fun?

Chapter Text

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” the saying goes, and he now realizes that it was not wrong. His heart pumps blood that seems to rush throughout his body as he dodges the swings of a golden blade that aims at his head. The field was now in ashes, and the smoke filled the air as the fire that was lit continued to set the mood through heat and lighting. He was sweating immensely as the man refused to back down, not even for a second. Dream never once tried to convince him otherwise; he knew it was pointless, but his tongue did not turn down the opportunity to tease and rile up the man, encouraging him to try harder. He reflected on the events that had led him here and on the errors and decisions he had made that had caused his God to desire a path of bloodshed in order to please them. Though his mind was in thought, his scythe still swung back and forth in hopes of defeating his enemy and gaining victory, while also doing his best to try and provide the man with the most painful death possible. He had done nothing to deserve to be bound and held down like some wild animal; he committed no crime that warranted his being beheaded twice. It’s happened so many times already! to be held down, all helpless, tied to the floor by whatever they could get their hands on. Being captured and thrown into a small, cramped place with nothing but his thoughts as entertainment drove him mad. Call it a phobia, a weakness, or whatever you want! He hated it, and those who wanted to try would be dealt with accordingly in his book.

At this point, the fight seemed to last for hours, with only the man in red standing before him. He himself was also bathed in blood, both his own and… well, you can certainly tell whose it was. He panted softly, and his hands were now trembling. He couldn’t go on like this any longer.

“Foolish!” he yelled, and he circled around his opponent as Foolish copied in return. “We both know how it’s going to end.”

“I don’t care how it ends; my god demands gore,” Foolish snarled. “And they will be given blood.”

Those were the few words he spoke before he lunged after the other blond, with no regard for his own sluggishness. His moves were sloppy and slower, his breath was heavy, and sweat dripped off his face. They moved, but not as one. Their weapons fought against each other, and their expressions were nothing but determination as the fight went on and on and on. Dream was getting sick of it. Finally, once and for all, he moved as if he were dancing a waltz with him and himself alone. He tried to make every move unpredictable; no one could tell where he would go next. This went on until he was where he wanted to be—right behind him. After minutes of dodging and maneuvering around the man made of gold, he struck.

The scythe swung down, the target being his chest, and struck him.

Foolish gasped, and unconsciously, his hand reached out to touch where the pain struck most. He felt nothing but the enchanted metal that went right through him.

Nothing but blood came from his lips—blood and the few words he could choke out before dropping to the floor, the scythe falling out of him.

“H-he was right. They did replace me.”

Dream watched in pity as the man’s eyelids drooped and fell upon his eyes. He sighed, summoning something without thinking. It’s a red flower.

Carefully, he placed the flower on the wound and kneeled at Foolish’s side. He didn’t cry—he was getting good at that—but he whispered something that only the gods above could hear, as it was intended for them, intended for him.

No one but his god could tell you what he asked for, and no one but himself could tell you how grateful he was when the god, XD, complied.

“Evacuate the field!”

“There’s a fire blazing!”

“Leave no one behind!”

Those were the cries of the village folk as they ran from the reds, yellows, and oranges that spread across the field. It was calm at first. His new-found friend, Wilbur, was chosen to start a rebellion against the lord’s laws associated with execution. The brunette spoke in a mighty voice as the people listened, agreeing to every word. Finally, a blond man who appeared to be familiar released the two prisoners, who sat on the stage with blank expressions before disappearing into the crowd. Everyone rejoiced. No one is questioning the missing lord, except for Fundy. Call him crazy, but he remembered the man speaking, even if it was one phrase, before disappearing from his sight. Since then, it appears as if the entire timeline shifted slightly and no one seemed to notice, or as if someone tampered with the entire record of time.

His mind snapped back to reality as Wilbur shook his shoulders, asking if he was alright. At this time, he was already back in the town square. The air was polluted with smoke from the fire that was lit. It was slight, but it affected many as coughing was heard from the children that were nearby. Though not many people stood around, there were still a few who were curious about the damage. He could easily describe one of the few as a young blond and a tall hybrid with short green hair. The most noticeable feature, though, was the small, glowing red symbol that shone on each of their foreheads. Symbols that he was reminded of…

“Hey! Your tattoo is glowing red again? Are you sure you don’t want to cover it up?” Wilbur asked, flicking his forehead with his finger.

“W-what?” He stuttered, reaching out to touch the man’s flick.

“Oh, and it looks a lot like theirs over there!” The brunette shouted while pointing slightly.

The duo at which he pointed slowly came over, seeming to be conversing among themselves as they crept closer.

“What about Dream, you d*ckhead! We can’t leave him there!” screamed the blond.

“My lord had made himself clear when he left us silently; we are to stay out of his way,” the other replied in a monotone voice, doing nothing but challenging the shorter.

Wait… Dream?

“You know Dream?” he asked them both, stepping closer as he did, Wilbur not so far behind him.

“Are there any other Dreams out here, dumb*ss?” The blond replied, “Also, what the f*ck is on your face?”

Fundy scowled at the question,

“It’s on your face, too!” he replied, his face flushing as he heard the other giggle after realizing his voice had raised a notch due to his embarrassment.

“Wait,” the blond said, freeing him from his irritating laugh. “You’re that b*tch that Dream was with when I took his mask, aren’t you?” He asked in a teasing tone, tilting his head to show his mocking behaviour.

“You’re the thief?” “No wonder Dream was so determined to catch you; you’re a damn menace.”

“Well, how are we,” he gestured to both him and the taller man that stood next to him, “so sure that Dream even knows you?” “There’s no way Big D would associate with a weakling like you.”

“Why you little—”

“Enough!” The green-haired man yelled, silencing the two and releasing them from their argument before speaking once more. “It’s obvious he’s with us,” he said, pointing to the emblem, which still had its signature red glow. “That is how one shows where their loyalty lies. It is the symbol of the one who we now serve.”

In return for this information, Wilbur, who was listening to it all, laughed.

“You’re telling me that a deity has chosen you three of all people to serve them?” He giggled in between phrases, but they were still recognizable as he spoke. “I’m sorry, but this is too good! What’s next? Your so-called liege is going to walk out here and make me bow?”

“Is that a challenge?” said a blond figure that slowly inched closer towards the group. Over his shoulder, he slowly helped another who was limping and covered in blood. As the two finally came close enough, all three could make out who spoke in the first place.

“DREAM!” they yelled in unison as both Fundy and Tommy made their way towards the two limping men that came towards them.

The man said nothing, only smiling at the two before they ran towards him. There were dark bags under his eyes that stood out, not to mention the cuts and bruising that decorated his skin. They both reeked of iron and smoke, not to mention how filthy their hair was. And not even a minute after reaching his friends, as expected, Dream went out like a light immediately, dropping both himself and the man he was helping along the path. Everyone was in mourning around him because no one knew what to do. It was then that Wilbur decided to help along by inviting them all to his home, which was not that far from their current location. He knew nothing about the people he was inviting over other than that they were hurt both physically and emotionally, so why not help? It’s what Sally would have wanted if she were here. When the group arrived at Wilbur’s house, Sam was carrying Dream and Tommy, and Fundy was stuck, dragging the other man by his hands. It was just some innocent people in need of his assistance; there was no need to be concerned about the bloody mess they might get him into… no need to be concerned at all.

Chapter Text

It had been approximately two days since Wilbur had invited guests to stay with him for the time being. Silence filled the room. No one made a peep as the group stared at the two that lay unconscious on the soft mats that Wilbur had offered (it did take some time for him to get one for Foolish on the other hand.)

They were both clean of blood, though not completely free of the scent, as a wet cloth can only do so much.

Wilbur stared at the two. After a minute or so, his gaze was shifted to the others, a look of questioning and confusion emerging. No one but Tommy acknowledged him.

“Does it look like I know what’s going on either?” He said with a frown, folding his arms as he continued to peer at the two lying peacefully on the ground. Wilbur simply sighed as he started to speak, freeing the room of the silence that fell upon the area once more.

“Well, does anyone know why your so-called friend was covered in blood and with the sadistic lord that tried to kill you two?” No one replied; therefore, if they did, he was too busy with his rant to notice.

“I mean, what’s all of you anyways? Glowing tattoos, creepy mask, and not to mention the weird turn of events that just happened—how did the field even catch on fire in the first place?”

It was a good question. No one actually knew the cause of the flames that ruined the field that day; they just evacuated immediately to avoid getting hurt. In his opinion, if anyone was brave or unfortunate enough to be on the pasture at such a time, death would be instant.

His eyes glanced at the fallen blonde once more.

“A different f*cking breed.” He mumbled softly, as he actually took the time to come to this conclusion. First of all, the sheep was now free of scars, and not a burn was in sight. The night when Fundy tried to heal the two, he stated that while Foolish was in a gruesome condition, Dream, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, just covered in blood and ash.

The other reason was simply how any of them didn’t die in the first place, if not from the blazes then by the byproduct of them. The amount of smoke could easily have a trained warrior wheezing for air, yet the two were apparently able to … wait, what exactly where they doing?

The shuffling of a patient snapped him out of his thoughts as the man of gold was starting to awake.

“W-what? H-how did I-” he began as he placed a hand on his head, trying to ease the pain of the beating. When he finally opened his eyes, the squeak that leaped from his throat showed exactly what he was feeling. Almost immediately, Tommy began to interrogate him. Overwhelming him with questions and threats left and right. It was only until Wilbur grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulled him backwards, and smacked him on the head that the blonde ceased his questioning. Unfortunately, this only led to him glaring at Wilbur instead; he didn’t mind though; the young man was easy to ignore.

On the other hand, being distracted by Tommy made him completely oblivious to the panic attack the ex-lord was currently having. It didn’t seem too bad; he’s experienced worse, but he still tried to help—well, not before Sam tried as well.

“Calm down, you’re lucky we didn’t kill you straight away, so… control your… illness.”

Wilbur sighed in disappointment. Taking his time as he plopped himself next to Foolish with a small smile.

“You know,” he began in a quiet tone. “My father always told me to take deep breaths when I’m feeling like this.”

He reached out to gently hold the other’s hand.

“Want to try it?”

Foolish stared at him for a slight moment, only to nod and take a breath, holding it and waiting on Wilbur’s command.

“Deep breath in.”

He did just that—a bit of a shaky one, but he did it.

“Again, breath out.”

“In.”

Foolish gasped loudly as he continued to follow Wilbur’s instructions, not even bothering to think about the events of… oh wait, he just did.

He felt like there was only a thin string holding him in one place as he continued to recall the events of the past day or so, he thinks. Such a bright green thread wrapped around his neck ever so tightly, making him shed blood all over.

“It hurts… so why not cut it?” The voice in his head asked over and over, and until this day, he had said the same answer.

“Who would I be if I did have what kept me together? Such things as ‘emotions’ are for people who have nothing better to do with their time than think. I don’t think I don’t feel I do.”

Before his mind could drift any further down such a lane and send him into a spiral of despair and fear once more, the brunette spoke again.

“When this usually happens to me, my dad always used to say, “You’re my son; through thick and thin, I will always love you.’”

He chuckled as he mocked his father exaggeratedly.

“How about you, huh? Who do you care about?”

.

.

.

It was then that such a string popped.

He sniffled.

.

He cried.

.

He bawled.

.

He had nothing; he had no one.

No more rules.

No more orders

No more doing.

just thinking and feeling.

He was being watched by everyone that sat in this room, and all he could do was think and feel. Oh, did he feel so worthless?

The man that still sat beside him had decided that a meal would be in order and fled the room, bringing everyone with him. He turned and was met by the one he fought on the battle court. Foolish’s once cold and wet face quickly morphed into a scowl as he remembered how the battle had ended—him with a blade through his chest. He continued to frown at the unconscious body as a thought went through his mind.

“You could end him… right here, right now.”

“They would simply have my head on a stick if they found him dead in my hands.” he replied.

“Would it matter? You would have fulfilled a divine command… something you enjoy doing.”

The voice always had a way with words. Foolish slowly rose as he started to look around, a look of determination written on his face. He was stripped of all his weapons; therefore, an alternative was needed immediately. Finally, he found something!

A small kitchen knife covered in dried blood was left in a small drawer. He neither knew nor cared whose it was all he cared about was whose blood it was going to be. He tested it by slicing his thumb, and surprisingly, it was a perfect slice. Foolish grinned manically as he crept toward a sleeping Dream, blind to the dangers that awaited him. The man kneeled by his head, aiming the blade at his neck as he raised it high to be brought down again and finish his only purpose.

Finally, after minutes of sweat getting into his eyes and his hands trembling with great force…

He brought down the knife, yet no scar was seen.

No blood was shed.

No knife that was even bloodier than before.

He flung the knife at the corner of the small room as he tugged at his hair in despair.

“I can’t do it! I can’t do it!” He mumbled to himself over and over as he pressed his knees up to his chest and rocked slowly.

“What is wrong with me?” His scream was muffled by his lack of voice, as his throat was dehydrated and hurting. It felt like the battle was over again. The smoke filled his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. He huffed as he jumped left and right, trying to land even a scratch on his opponent. His body ached, yet he didn’t give up. He wanted to please his god… he wanted to please XD.

Foolish didn’t know what deity Dream had served, but it was impossible for him not to believe in one. No man could possess such great power that it could overcome a soul that was blessed by the god of life and chaos himself.

He rested his head on his knees, following the breathing technique the brunette had taught him. It took time, and he didn’t get it right away, but he appreciated the help. Whether he wanted it or not Foolish arose as he decided that the room was way too suffocating and made his way towards the door. He turned the knob slowly, taking one step at a time as he made his way straight into the sitting room. In his opinion, it was filthy. Letters that were not written properly were scattered all over, just like the scraps of sheet music. A guitar lay in the corner of the room covered in a thin layer of dust, and many burned photographs were found all over the table that sat in the centre, one of which had caught his eye. He kneeled to pick it up, being careful not to ruin it any further, and tried his best to make out what he saw. Two people, a man and a child, Their faces were burned off, yet one could still make out that they seemed close as the man held the younger in his arms for a tight hug. As Foolish tried to decipher more of the photo, a voice appeared behind him, making him flinch as a result.

“That really isn’t any of your business.”

In an instant, the paper fell from his arms as he quickly turned to meet the other person who spoke. As he thought, it was the brunette that had helped him before. He sighed before speaking once more.

“I was just about to call you anyways; take a seat. Dinner is ready.” His monotone voice was instantaneously replaced by the happy, go-lucky tone he usually speaks in.

“R-right.” Foolish replied softly, no longer focusing on anything other than a meal. Unbelievably, all this trauma made him hungry.

The kitchen wasn’t far, as it only took a few steps to arrive. On the counter were two brown bowls of stew; he just wasn’t sure of what kind. By the fireplace, a pot was suspended over a small fire as the soup inside bubbled and boiled to perfection. The outside had black marks all over it, indicating that it had been used multiple times, and the soup was a bright orange, probably pumpkin. Wilbur walked towards the two meals that stood on the counter and let him speak to the rest of the group, who mumbled among themselves while also quietly emptying their own bowls of soup. As he sat, dish in hand, Fundy was the first to acknowledge him.

“What happened when you were with Dream?” he asked with a stern look in his eyes and his arms folded.

“I was with many people that day; surely you can’t expect me to know who is this “Dream” you speak of. He doesn’t sound very specif-"

“Don’t play f*cking dumb with me!” The ginger’s hand slammed on the table, making the brew shake slightly. He looked up to meet the angry eyes of a broken man. He chuckled softly as he realized why.

“Are you afraid that the one you speak of might not wake up?” “Is your fear so great that you wish to threaten me with your witchcraft?”

Fundy’s managed to glare at the man before him even more as he looked down at his hands and was met with an orange glow. He folded them in a fist as he glowered at the other. The rest of the group simply watched from behind, with no one intervening.

The ginger grabbed him by his shirt, his strength not being enough to raise him from his seat, but the thought was still present.

“What happened with Dre—”

“Fundy…?” a small voice called out.

Immediately, Fundy dropped the man and stared at the new entry with wide eyes and a small smile as he made his way towards the blond.

“Dream! Are you okay? You were sleeping for days! IthoughtyouwerenevergoingtoawakeorthatyoudeadbutthenItriedthehealingspellIfewtimesbutitwasuselesssoI-”

“Fundy, please. I’m alright.” Dream smiled as he hugged the man, freeing him from his excessive rant.

Foolish rolled his eyes at the two, choosing instead to stare at the other duo who stood in the corner. The green-headed man simply stood around, peering at the wooden floors, while the blond was glaring right at himself.

“You feel alright? Dream! That’s ridiculous. You haven’t eaten for days; you just literally almost burned in a fir-.”

Though, there was no proof of it, he forgot to add.

“He was also locked up for a while.” Tommy interrupted.

“Fought me while I was corrupted.” Sam added.

“Not to mention that he was blooded when he came out of such fire, therefore meaning that something else obviously happened.” Wilbur joined in, glancing at Foolish once more as he did.

Dream sighed, “Look, a lot has happened over the course of these few days, and I understand your concern, but I can handle myself just fine. Now can we finally be productive and get what we came for in the first place?” Dream asked, his eyebrows raising as he glimpsed at Fundy with hopeful eyes. Before the redhead could reply, however, Foolish had finally spoken up.

“I want to join you.”

“What?” Dream asked.

“I want to join your little cult thing.” He responded, daring not to meet Dream’s emerald eyes. Or any other’s for that matter.

“And why is that?” Sam spoke out of the blue, his arms folded as he leaped against the counter.

“Look, I do not wish to say what happened on the field myself, but I know that I should have been dead. I want to repay the one who saved me with whatever he needs, and that includes myself.”

The younger blond scoffed at that, saying, “Why the hell do you think we need you?”

The man in gold glanced at Dream slightly.

“I may have lost my purpose, but I have not lost my skills of any kind. My people have betrayed me, and they have every right. In a few days, I will no longer have my title, as it is the will of my… former god. Instead, I will help you.”

“Are you serious? Just like that, you want in. And what cult are you even talking about?” Tommy’s questions came one after the other as the blond finally left his spot to join Dream in the centre of the room, standing by his side. He glanced at the older man, observing his expressions, only to be shocked when he said there was no rage of any kind. Only a slight smile.

“Fine then,” he started, “if you want to start helping, do me a favour. I want nothing but a few tools, supplies, food, and the chest you confiscated while still at war with us. This is my only request. At sundown, we will finally leave this town. Whoever wishes to follow along has the right.”

Foolish nodded along.

“As you wish

.

.

.

“Oh, great one.”

Chapter Text

Fundy watched as, instead of one, but two of his companions walked through the door, taking a deep breath as he did so. Sam claimed he didn’t trust the man to not run off, therefore tagging along and ensuring he got the job done. By early noon, both had made their way to who knows where.

He turned his head toward the blond and stared eagerly to catch his attention.

“So…” he started,

“So?” The other one finished.

“Come on, dream!” “You can’t expect me to not question everything that’s happened for the past few days!”

Dream sighed in return, folding his arms as he leaned against the wall he was next to.

“I already gave somewhat of a quick summary, didn’t I? I fought, almost died, didn’t die, fainted, then repeated the cycle. What else should you know?!”

Fundy glared slightly and said, “How about how the hell did you meet like half these people?” “And I mean in detail this time.”

The blond locked eyes with the glaring ginger as he finally started to speak.

After an hour or so, Fundy plopped himself on the wooden bench, the back facing his chest and his hand in his hair as he chuckled.

“Dream… What the fuck!?”

“What! You said to give you a full-blown recap! You should have expected this!”

The red-headed man sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I heard … is it Samuel?” he asked the blond.

“Yea but I just call him Sam. He looks uncomfortable if you call him anything but.”

“Right, so Sam claims he did fight you before; I wouldn’t have thought it would be under such circumstances.”

“Not to mention all of that happened because a damn raccoon decided to steal my sh*t.”

“I HEARD THAT!” There was a tell from the other room.

They gazed at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter, tears even threatening to bloom. They both calmed down, though not necessarily returning the damp mood that was plaguing the room before.

“I’m sorry.” Dream finally breathed out.

“Whatever for?” Fundy asked in return.

“I could just imagine how you’re feeling. We were traveling together only for me to run off and get into all sorts of mischief.” The blonde chuckled.

“It’s fine. All that matters is that you’re here and that you’re okay.”

Dream smiled at that. He smiled at the fact that no matter what, the ginger would support him. He won’t lie; he hasn’t known him for very long, yet he trusts him. Not with his life, he might add, but at least he would feel confident enough to let him hold his drink.

The room was filled with silence once more, leaving Dream time to stare at the other in curiosity.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what’s that thing on your skin?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. Throughout the days they were staying at Wilbur’s home, he’d noticed glowing drawings on his companions occasionally, yet neither of them had brought it up. He himself was not decorated with the symbols, as he had stared at his reflection multiple times in the shattered mirrors that lay around the wooden house.

“What do you mean? I thought you were responsible for it!” the ginger yelled as he folded his arms.

“How am I responsible for that?!”

“Well, you did tell Wilbur to bow to you.”

“That was a joke, Fundy… A joke!”

The two went back and forth with their squabbling, neither of them backing down until another voice interrupted.

“Can you all shut it for a sec! Wilbur is trying to show me how to play a tiny guitar!” screamed the younger blond as he crawled from the other room.

“And to answer your question, Dream, the buff green guy said some deity chose us for their ‘bidding’ or some sh*t like that.” He finished, rolling his bright blue eyes, before returning to continue his session with the brunette.

“Chosen ones, huh.” Dream frowned.

“It’s all so confusing, I know.” Fundy stared at the blond as his green eyes followed the small pouch that sat on the table.

It seems to have caught his attention.

“Hey, I remember those things!” he said as he edged closer towards it, picking it up.

“It’s from that disappearing stall that I saw. That nice woman with the brown hair!” He smiled as he finished, opening the bag to still find the seeds that were inside. Seeds… and another item.

“Huh, I didn’t know there was a ring inside.”

“Noooooo nonononono!” The ginger flew over towards him in an instant as he snatched the pouch from the blond’s arms.

The expression of confusion was evident on Dream’s face (also mixed with the ‘What the F*ck’ gesture, as Tommy liked to call it).

“S-sorry, but… I met the woman you saw.” Fundy spoke softly, hugging the small bag with a sorry look on his face.

“And you made it sound like I was crazy!”

Fundy smiled softly.

“It’s just… “It’s something very special to me, but I haven’t really developed the courage to wear it.” He sighed, clutching the bag harder as he did so.

Dream simple huffed in return.

“That’s nothing to be sorry about, Fundy; I was being a bit nosy anyways.” The blond giggled, hands stretching the back of his head in embarrassment.

“But hey! Speaking about Hannah,

“Whose Hanna-”

“She told me to give you this.” Fundy disrupted his sentence, showing off the small card in his hands.

Dream took it with small amounts of hesitance. He gazed at its colors only for a few minutes before opening his mouth to speak.

“What this even f-”

“You should’ve succeeded.”

“But I tried my best—”

A slap was heard as the smaller fell to the ground by the hands of the other that he spoke to.

“Your best wasn’t good enough!”

The screams of the siblings echoed in the empty halls.

“Lay off him, XD,” another voice said. Reaching out to hold his hand. To prevent it from hitting the poor thing that cried before them once more.

“He is nothing but a disappointment, Nightmare; you of all persons should be ashamed.” XD yelled, tugging his arm from the other’s in an attempt to fold them once again.

“Lucid is inexperienced, XD,” whispered a soft sound. “You cannot expect perfection at such a stage.”

“He disobeyed your orders! No soul, no bishops,not even deities should observe the book of life and death!”

“We all thought of it once; don’t think that excludes yourself.”

XD sneered in response as he turned to the crying boy who held himself together with a squeeze.

The menacing laugh he let loose was enough to send shivers down his body.

“He deserves a proper punishment,” he concluded, staring into the gentle eyes of the one whose responsibility it was to take the lives of the undeserving and to guide those to the path of eternal rest and peace. She glared at him with such eyes, yet didn’t deny the statement he just spat. Gazing at the fallen body, she spoke,

“Lucid, my apologies, but your actions have consequences. And I am not the one who decides them.”

XD smiled at that.

Grabbing the boy by the collar, he dragged him closer to him, staring into his frightened blue eyes.

“I must say, you do have the bluest of eyes.” XD grinned as his arms edged closer towards them, claws out.

“A shame you’ve gone and made me do such a thing.”

.

.

.

He couldn’t see anything after that day, but he was sure as day and night that the others saw nothing but gore .

“Dream? Hellooooo. Big D!”

Tommy’s hand waving by his eyes is what he saw before fully snapping out of his daze. Dream blinked rapidly as he tried to make sense of what he saw. It was a vision; he knew that much, but… of what exactly? He had made out only a few of the characters, one being XD and the other, the youngest, being somewhat recognizable. His voice, his hair, and everything else seem to click in a way that he is certain he has seen or heard before.

“What was that?” questioned the ginger before him as he gave him a small glass filled to the brim with cold water. He took it with a smile as he chugged the contents inside, a small stream sliding from the corner of his mouth. As he returned the cup, he realized that he no longer possessed the card that had transferred him into the trance in the first place. He could say he felt stranger as well. He was no longer as weak as he once was. It was like he had an extra chance at life hidden away under his skin. The blond felt ready for anything!

He giggled as he thought about it.

Imagine not being able to do anything without something weird happening.

He stared as the others looked at him in confusion.

“Sorry about that… I just zoned out for a bit.”

“And by a bit, do you mean like about ten minutes or something?” came a snarky comment from Wilbur.

He said nothing to that, finally leaning off the wall against which he had been stationed for a while now before heading towards the bathroom.

“I’m going to go freshen up. You don’t mind, do you?” he asked,

“Of course not. Take all the time you need.” Wilbur replied, turning away to ruffle Tommy’s hair with a small grin, who did nothing but shoot a steady glare.

Dream smiled as he nodded, making his way towards the door before closing it behind him.

He sighed.

“Well, this was an interesting day.” He concluded as he splashed his face with cold water before staring at his reflection in the mirror.

Lights flashed, and he jumped at the surprise he saw. He didn’t know whether to say it was the trick of the light, his imagination running wild, or even him hallucinating, but…

Why in the hell did he just see XD?!

Chapter Text

So... it's been years.

Not even sure anyone is still reading this but unfortunately I've fallen out of the fandom. 

I humbly apologize to anyone who wanted to see the plot continue and I just want to say feel free to steal my idea and make it better if you wish!

I just wanted to make it known that my hyper fixation is set on another. I'm sorry!

Goodbye to you all.

*Dies.*