(Dream left, Nightmare right)

8 months later Nightmare's POV

I stare at the picture Dream slipped to Killer and he gave to me. It shows such a fond memory. He and I were hanging out while Charles was still behind bars. I remember it like it was yesterday now.

"Hello Brother!"Dream greeted me

"Hey, Dream. How are you?"I asked, doing swinging on monkey bars

"Finally got Palette's and Jasper's paints off the walls. So pretty good. How about you?"He replied

"Pfft. That sounds hard. I'm doing pretty good."I told him

"How are you and Killer doing?"He asked

"Good. We actually started to cook together."I told him

"Ooo! That sounds lovely!"He said

"How about you and Cross?"I asked

"Can't do anything without X!Chara either messing with us or giving me warnings. I am pretty sure he still doesn't like me because of all the chocolate he lost."He said

"Oh come on! He doesn't hate you! You make his bud Cross happy! He just is tough on you because he cares! Remember how tough you were on Killer?"I said

"Good point."He sighs

"I'm sure he will soften up eventually. Just be patient."I told him

He nodded.

I hopped off of the bars and sipped some water. Ghastly and Étoile were going down slides, cheering with joy on the hot summer day. Palette and Goth walked by, eating ice cream and chatting. Reaper and Geno sat in the shade. Jasper was getting chased by Suave, being up to no good as always under the trees. Encre and Fallacy were under a cover of a picnic area. S!Pap was asleep on a bench. Error and Ink sat in a tree, literally. Radier was helping Shino ride a bike for the first time. Blueprint was stuck in a hug from Raven. Dust and Blue were keeping a close eye on Sprinkle, who was being a daring little kid on the playground. Classic and Fell were playing volleyball with Classic's Pap and E!Pap in the sand pit. Some stayed home to avoid the heat. Everyone was happy, having a good time.

But dark thoughts still entered my head.

"Hey, Dream?"I said

"Yes, Allsun?"He asks

"Do you think Charles could ever cause trouble again?"I asked

"No, not really. People who get put in jail are stupid people, so I don't see someone as stupid as him getting out."He told me

I sigh.

"Guess I'm being paronoid."I said

"You have every right to be, Brother. After what you went through. I wouldn't be surprised if Cross or Fell were the same to some level. It isn't wrong. It's actually pretty good. Besides,"He said

He swung off of the bars now.

"Even if he got out and started causing trouble with you again, I'd protect you. I'd do anything I could to keep you safe and happy!"He assured me

"Really?"I asked

"That's what brothers are for! I swear on my life I will!"He said

Now I really wish he didn't swear on his life to that and follow through with it.

"Heh, you're an awesome brother."I told him, unaware of what is to come

"So are you! Now can we take a pic to remember this moment? I'm sure we will look back on this day with such joy in the future! Plus, E!Pap may want this in his album for the sibling section."He said

He was half right.

I looked over and saw E!Pap watching us with a big grin.

"Sure!"I said

"Say Awesome Brothers!"He told me

"Awesome Brothers!"I said

He clicked the button for the camera on his phone, taking the picture.

"It looks great!"He said

I nod.

"And look who finally showed up!"I said

Cross, X!Chara and Kills came over happily. The five of us began chatting happily.

Now I question why he even swore that or followed through with it.

I can't help but worry. I hear the door creak open. I look over and Kills enters.

"Looking at the picture again, huh?"He says

"Sorry, I just can't help myself. It kinda eases my worries. It reminds me of the good times....with him."I say

"Don't be. He's your brother. If it were my brother, I would be no different. But we gotta stay positive."He says

"Stay positive? How? He has been stuck with a complete phsycotic fugitive who is abusive and can kill without a hint of sorrow! Who knows what Dream has been put through or is being put through! And it doesn't help that I have constant bad dreams about that asshole getting angry or tired of Dream and killing him! Or being able to sense how miserable Dream is! I-I-"I explain

He pulls me close.

"Ssh, ssh, it is alright. It is alright."He says

I cry on his shoulder.

"I just want Dream back. Not with that maniac!"I cry

"I know, I know. But we can't do anything from what you told of the trade and Charles doesn't want to see anyone unless it's you coming to visit him, not Dream. We are working on finding a loophole, but just have dead ends right now. We'll knock through one of those ends soon. But we gotta stay positive for your brother. Positivity does give him strength."He tells me

"Y-You're right."I sigh, trying to calm down

He caresses my back gently.

"There we go. Even a smile will do."He says

I smile.

"Thank you, Kills."I say

"Much better."He says

I set the photo aside.

"Now can you help me downstairs? Cross is still a soulbroken mess."He tells me

"Of course."I say

I go downstairs and see Cross looking sadder than I've ever seen him. He sits on the ground with envelopes and papers with pictures laying in a circle around him.

"Cross? What is all this?"I ask, coming over

"Stuff sent supposedly from Dream...."He says

I pick them up, examining them. It was like his writing, but his phrasing or wording was off. He was saying things for Cross that I know he would never say. And the pictures did not seem right. They were really of "romantic moments" with Charles, but Dream was shown to be unusally happy in them.

"He seems so happy now...."Cross says

"Hold that idiocy for a sec."I say, going to the kitchen

I grab a coin and lean on the counter. I scratch away at the letter and picture like scratching away at a lottery ticket with the coin. It revealed something completely different. The wording and phrasing showed his real self. And the photos showed the truth. This photo was of Dream and Charles kissing. Before it showed Dream looking happy, but after I scratched away at the editing, it showed a different expression. Disgust and fear.

"Gotcha!"I say

I grab a bunch of coins and tuck them in a pocket. I come in and show Killer what I found.

"He edited them! That bastard!"Killer says

"What?"He says

"Charles sent those letters, but changed them for his satisfaction. Allow me to read to you the truth, Cross. Ahem. Dear Cross, I hope you are well. I really miss you. I wish I could be with you right now(or in the corner at least) instead of here. But I know that can't happen without someone dying. I'm not willing to put you all in danger. Things have been....unpleasent, but I have you, brother and Killer to motivate me. I enjoy seeing you all in my dreams....When Charles isn't making me pull all-nighters with him. Still. And at least he is allowing me to write letters to you guys and remind you that regardless of what he does or says, I love you guys. I love you, Cross. Don't ever get a reason to think otherwise, because that's a lie. Surely this guy will either get caught by the cops or get a little thing called MATURITY and SANITY. Eh, one could hope. I doubt we'll see each other soon if Charles has anything to say about it, but I still hope the best for you. Stay safe and please, don't fall for any tricks Charles sends. I'll be dreaming of you when I can. Sincerely, Dream With a little heart too. And of course a note from Charles telling you to see the picture."I read

I see Cross smile the first smile I've seen on him in months.

"Oh and here is the real picture attatched."I say, showing him the picture

His posture goes from mopey and sad to up and energetic. I take the coins from my pocket.

"I'll bet you anything the rest of these are the same case. Wanna try our luck? There's a 100% chance of being a winner if I know my brother."I say

"I'm in if it makes Cross happy."Killer says

Cross nods.

I give them the coins and we circle around the letters and pictures, scratching away at them.

I am completely right.

The truth is chipped away into view. Each time, Killer and I would read them to Cross and show him the pictures. I could sense Cross getting better now. But then he pauses after scrating a letter with three photos off. He looks at it. His face glows. We look at him. Killer chuckles. I look at Cross, curious or concerned. Could he be blushing at the letter or the photos? And why? I can't tell what Charles may send.

"What's up, Cross? Did he confess more to you?"Killer teases

"Charles is playing dress-up on Dream...I-Is it wrong to like him looking like this?"He asks

I come over and look at the pictures. One had him in this long nightgown that droops down nearly to him. Dream looks uneasy in it. A second had him in a school uniform. A girl's school uniform. He did not seem happy. A note on this pic in the corner said:My prince looks adorable, right?-Charles. Then, the third shows Dream naked. Completely. His face was shocked and a bright yellow. He is reaching for where the photo is being taken, trying to cover or block it. But it failed miserably. I look at Cross.

"Which exactly do you like?"I ask, protectiveness kicking in and narrowing my eyes

He points to the two photos where Dream had clothes on.

"Good."I say, nodding

I tuck the explicit or exploitative picture of my brother away from sight.

"Now that you see the truth, how do you feel?"I ask

"A lot better."He says

Killer makes a stack of the photos and sorts them. One pile was keep, the other was FUCKING BURN! The keeps were ones consisting of Dream without Charles in the picture and seeming ok. The BURN pile consisted of any with Charles included in the picture and Dream looking NOT ok. I He slides the keep pile to Cross while tossing the other stack into the fireplace. Cross holds the stack close to him with a smile.

"But....Is it bad that I still worry of what could be happening to him now?"He asks

"Join the club. Nighty was just talking about that."Killer says

"It's understandable."I say

"Alright. I hope he is ok...."He says

Meanwhile, Dream's POV

I sleep for the first time in 3 months. But then I get shaken awake. I look and see Charles on me. He smiles happily. And he had marker on his face to imitate Cross' mark. But it was incorrect and it is so creepy.

"Hello, dear."He says

"What the? Get off me!"I snap

"Aww, but I thought you would've liked me now."He says

"Stop taunting me! This isn't nice or funny!"I snap

"But don't you love Cross?"He says

"Yes! Him, not you! Now get off me now!"I say, tired and uneased with this

I try to shove him off of me, but he would not budge. It's bad enough now that he has me wearing a shirt too small to cover my spine and pants.

"Rules!"I snap

"Hmmm..."He says

He yanks my left arm down. He slips something on my finger and smiles.

"And you just got engaged to me.~"He says

"What?!"I exclaim

I sit up and look at the finger. It has a ring on it. Most likely stolen.

"I don't have to ask permission if I don't ask."He says

Straws are falling out of the jar.

"What the hell?!"I snap

"Oh, and your rules will no longer matter once we get married."He says

I leap at him, tackling and wrestling him. I've grown tired of this. But due to how sleep deprived I am, it is easy for him to pin me down.

"Now you're gonna accept it or I will kill your friends and brother. Wouldn't that be nice to put on the fireplace? Their jars of dust that way they'll never leave you. And if you accept, you may have one last chance to see Cross and your brother, they're invited...."He says

He shoves me down and tears my sleeves.

"Or, I could simply kill you and invite them over to get a jar of your dust. Your choice."He says, taking a knife and slashing my left arm

A chill goes down my spine. I hold my wounded arm. I can't contradict my goal. My reason for being here. My purpose and choice. I sigh.

He lifts me up by the string tying my soul to his wrist, unlike how Cross and I soul had our souls tied.

"Remember, you are mine. I can do what I want when I want. So what do you say?"He says

"Fine."I say

"Good, now, for attacking me."He growls

He pulls the string, making it tighten around my soul.

"A-Aaah! Stop! Please!"I cry

He ignores me and slashes my exposed spine. Then he drops me. I cry uncontrollably in pain. He just stands there for a few moments, then leaves. I try to tear the ring off but it would not budge. And I was too weak in pain to get a grip on it. I try to take the string off of my soul but that fails too.

Surely Nightmare and Cross won't be stupid to come. Surely it's a trap. They are smart. They won't come. Right? But then....

What am I going to do?

.

.

.

.

Back to Nightmare's POV a week later

"Hey Nightmare! Can you help me out with that coin trick Cross told me about?"X!Chara asks

"What for?"I ask, coming over

"I found two letters, one for you and one for Cross. But I can't read the writing so I doubt you guys will."He says

I hand him a coin and and he scratches away at the papers.

"Ok, now I'm getting mixed signals."He says

"What do you mean?"I ask

"Is this bastard inviting you and Cross or threatening you two? Listen to this! Dear Nightmare, Hello sweet star!-Ugh, that's disgusting I'm just saying. You haven't seen your brother in a while, have you? Well, never fear! You can see him at the wedding. Warning, if you don't come, I will kill him. If you do come, I might not kill any of you. It's, according to when you'll get this, the Friday three weeks away at noon! Cya then! Look how happy he is!-Charles P.S. Don't let that Cross bitch try anything. Wait, nobody calls him names but me and not names like that!"X!Chara says

"Let me see the picture."I say

He hands me it. It shows Dream laying on the floor in tears. I scratch at it and see he has wounds on his spine and arm. It ticked me off at the sight.

"Oh hell no! Nobody is allowed to take Cross' source of happiness and then do that to him! Stupid Charles! Stupid wedding plan! Stupid! Wait......That's it! Hey Faith! Palette!"X!Chara snaps while peeking over my shoulder

Faith comes over with Palette.

"Yes?"They ask

"Get your map set up on the dining room table. It's time."X!Chara says

"Yes sir!"They say, running off

"What map?"I ask

"They've been sharing dreams with Dream somehow and learned enough to get a map of where Dream is being kept. Now, everything fits for the plan. We just need to go over it."He says

"Alright. Cool."I say

He leads me to the table where Palette and Faith were laying a giant map out. Hand drawn and labeled. One had a circle and label marking where Dream's room is and Xs representing where Charles usually is at certain times. It was very complex and carefully labeled. But it was awesome.

"CROSS! KILLER! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE NOW! EMERGENCY MEETING!"X!Chara yells

Killer and Cross come in. We all sit and X!Chara smirks.

"First of all, you can thank Dream's alternate kids for getting into Dream's....well, dreams and making this map."X!Chara says, gesturing to Faith and Palette

"Wait, what timeline are you from?"Killer asks Faith

"A Cream one."Faith says

Killer smirks. Cross is shocked.

"Congrats bud, you're a father in the multiverse!"Killer says

"Ahem, but that is not why we're here at this family meeting."X!Chara says before things get too off topic

That got everyone's attention again.

He slaps the letter onto the table.

"Big news, Dream is engaged. Woop dee freaking doo. But, he wasn't exactly given a choice."He says

Then he slaps the photo onto the table. Cross looks at these two objects with hatred in his gaze.

"Now, Cross and Nightmare were invited to it next week. Now, I doubt either of you want to go or have proper wear for a wedding. Plus it's most likely a trap if you show or not, though if you don't he will die. But what he doesn't know is that he gave us a loophole and the key to our plan. First, the plan will happen the night before the wedding, since he will lower his guard at that point. Any time sooner and he will be expecting us. So, now here's the plan."X!Chara explains

"Papa?"Ghastly says

I look and see Ghastly there with Étoile.

"What are you doing?"He asks

"Oh! We're just talking about plans for....shopping next week!"I lie

"Any way we can help?"Étoile asks

"Can you both go to Suave and help look after him while we're out? I'm sure he'd love the help."I say

They nod.

"We were gonna go play with Jasper today anyway."Ghastly says, then they leave

"Okay, so here's how it will go. We will get there by midnight, 1 AM tops. We will go through the hatchet TJ says he and Dream used to get Nightmare, it leads right into a closet on the second floor here."X!Chara explains, pointing to a room drawn in the 2nd floor space

"Palette, you will go down the halls to each X and vandalize the walls with realistic distractions. Be creative. Faith will take Cross the quickest way to Dream, who is on the 3rd floor. You know how to get there right?"X!Chara continues

"I know it like the back of my hand."Faith says

"Run into any issues, take them down. Killer, you and Nightmare secure the escape route, make sure everything is clear. I will be setting up a surprise for that butthole if you get what I am saying."X!Chara says

"How come you have any interest in this plan? I thought you hated Dream."Cross says

"Ehhh, mostly with the chocolate. But he makes you happy bud, and I like you better when you're happy. Easier to mess with. Funnier to mess with. And I won't let some stupid female dog just take him away from you. He is your Dream, both literally and figuratively. Now, who's in with this plan?"X!Chara says

Everyone and I raise our hands.

"Then let's get ready! Don't know what to expect!"He says

Everyone starts training outside.

Brother will be okay...

Dream's POV that Friday at 11:05

Charles comes in and changes me into "wedding clothes". But it wasn't the usual clothes. It was a short yellow top with a red skirt. He says it's so that being in bed together after the wedding will be much more easy to have fun in than if I were in a dress. He ties my ankles and wrists up, making me sit very straight and still. Which hurt with him reopening my wounds afterwards. It's so I don't try to escape. Then he leaves the room to prepare.

I fimble with my hands, trying to get the stupid ring off at least. It's still no use. I can't move or sleep. I cry from the pain and the absolute resentment towards noon tomorrow. I don't want this! I look at the clock after a while. 12:05.

Well, here marks the worst day of my life.

I summon the two pictures I still had from the pocket of the cloak in the closet. I force a smile. I accomplished my goal though. They are safe. Though...The cost is big. Thinking they wouldn't come, I speak to the pictures.

"H-Hey, brother. I hope you are alright. Killer should be taking good care of you....I love you brother. Cross......I miss you. I stand by my word, I love you very much....I did this for you guys after all...It will be ok, right?"I whimper

I get no response.

I sigh and shake my head. I teleport them home. I lose myself in thoughts. I snap out of it and check the clock. 12:25.

I hear the door start creaking open. I mess with the ring again and manage to get it off.

"Hah! Finally got it off! In your face Charles!"I cheer out of spite

I flick the ring as far as I could away.

I look overand see someone looking like Cross standing in the doorway. After months of dealing with Charles, I thought it was him.

"Oh just go f off, Charles. I am not in the mood for your crap."I snap

He is silent. He steps closer and closer to me.

"Close your eyes and look away."He says

But it doesn't sound like Charles. It really sounds like Cross.

"Huh? Cross? It's really you?"I ask

He smiles and nods.

"What are you doing here? If he comes, he'll kill you!"I say

"He won't kill me. I'm getting you out of here. But can you do as I asked?"He says, wiping my tears

I nod. I shut my eyes and turn my head away.

I feel his hand on my wounded arm, then his other touching where my spine is wounded. It hurts.

"C-Cross?"I say, not sure what he's doing

"He hurt you here?"He asks

"Y-Yes."I reply

"Well allow me to make up for his cruelty."He says

"W-W-What are you gonna do?"I ask

"Just keep your eyes closed and you'll see."He tells me

"O-Ok."I say

I feel his hands keep shifting. Then I feel him kiss my neck. My soul beats faster. My face burns up. He does it again and again, kissing my neck or my head. I couldn't move, even if I wanted to.

"C-Cross! What are you doing?"I ask

"Giving you the love you deserve."He says

I feel a yank at my soul.

"Hey! The string is back!"He says

I feel a string tighten on my soul, and I know what that means.

"Cross, he's coming. You gotta go or hide."I tell him

"How can you tell?"He asks

"When he comes, he tightens the black string to make me obey. And it just got tight. M-May I open my eyes?"I say

"One sec."He says

I feel my ankles get yanked by the string, then the string slipped off. Same with my wrists except they are still bound together. I feel him lift me up.

"Okay, now you can."He says

I open my eyes, finding myself in his arms. He smiles at me and carries me out of the room. Faith smiles at us.

"I'm gonna move onto phase 3 of the plan and help Palette out!"He says

"Okay."Cross says

Faith runs off.

"Wait, what's this plan?"I ask

"A plan Chara made to get you out of here."He replies

I guess he doesn't hate me as much as I thought.

Cross carries me down the halls. I gaze at him and smile.

"Did you get the letters? I wasn't sure if Charles would even let them get sent."I say

"Oh I got them. And each came with some photo of you too."He says

So that's why he kept taking pictures.

"Is it bad that I kinda liked some of them and thought you looked cute? Like right now, if I were to get a picture in a letter of you in this, that's what I'd think. Is that bad?"He asks

"There's nothing bad about that, Cross."I say, feeling my face burn

"You look so tired. When was the last time you slept?"He asks

"Nearly a month ago for two hours. Other than that, I'm just staying up out of fear lately."I reply

"Well, that is gonna change soon enough. When we get home, you are resting and relaxing!"He says

I feel the string tighten again painfully.

"What's with that face? I thought you'd be happy!"He says

"S-Soul...Hurts!"I tell him

"Ok, that's it! We are getting that off you NOW!"He says

He runs quickly down the halls. He finds a closet and goes in it. He sets me down and locks the door. He kneels down beside me.

"Stay still. I'm getting it off of you."He says

"O-Ok."I say

He lifts my shirt up a bit and feels carefully around. My face burns up extremely and my soul pounds, especially when he grabs my soul. But his grip made the string dig into my soul.

"Aaah! Cross!"I cry

"I got you. Just need to untie it."He says

Now both his hands go under and start to grab the string, lightly tapping my soul in the process. He tries to untie the string. I lay there, still unable to move my hands but trying not to move. My soul is still pounding and my face burns with every move he makes. Then he takes one hand out. I feel his other gently touch my soul.

"C-C-Cross?"I stutter

He smiles, leaning closer.

"I did it. Now may I get a reward?~"He says with a wink

"L-Like what?"I ask

He leans in and smiles at me. He caresses my soul, making me feel all kinds of feelings. He leaves my soul alone and the string connecting to him grows thicker or stronger.

"May I keep carrying you?"He asks

"Sure."I say

He sits up and the string yanks my soul, making me sit up with him. He uses his sword/knife to cut the string from my wrists. First thing I do is wrap my arms around him, holding him close and tightly.. I nuzzle my head against him.

"I love you, Cross. Thank you for coming."I say

"No problem."He says, placing a hand on my chin

My soul starts racing.

"I would never let someone harm you and get away with it."He tells me

He lifts my chin up, making me look at him. My face burns again.

"I love you. You are my Dream."He says

He begins to lean in again.

Then there is a bang on the closet door.

"I know you're in there! Quit making my brother nervous!"Nightmare's voice snaps

I chuckle. Brother is being protective again. Meanwhile Cross looks as uneasy as someone who just signed a Death wish. Cross scoops me up and unlocks the door. I smile. He opens the door and there is Nightmare on the other side with Killer. Nightmare sees me and smiles, grabbing me from Cross and hugging me. Then he gets serious.

"You are in so much trouble! When we get home, I'm gonna figure out a way to punish you! Don't you ever do something that stupid again! Don't you ever worry us like that again! Worry me like that again!"He tells me

"Okay, got it. That's fine by me, Nightmare."I say, hugging him

"What were you even doing in there?"Killer asks

"Removing a string he had on Dream to hurt him."Cross replies 

Nightmare smiles at hearing this. He lifts me up and puts me back in Cross' arms. I hold him tightly.

"Now this is the wedding I wish we were invited to."Killer says, gesturing to us

"Killer!"Cross snaps, his face burning

"Agreed."He says

I feel my face burn, but don't say anything against their teasing statements. I agree. I'd rather be getting married to Cross instead of Charles. Or anyone besides Charles.

"Come on, let's get out of here. I'm curious to see what X!Chara's surprise is."Nightmare says

We head off and slide down the railings of the stairs. I see Palette running outside to where X!Chara waited. X!Chara sees us and smiles, then says something to Palette, sending him out of sight. Cross sets me down and holds me by the hand. I smile. This horrible time is finally over. 

Isn't it?

He leads me through the doors, but I couldn't pass. The moment I step in the doorway, I get knocked back. Cross comes back through, picking me up and carrying me. He got through, but I was knocked back again.

"What the hell?"Cross says

I get up and come to the doorway, but put my hand out. I feel a barrier in front of me. Cross could reach through, but I could not.

"Aww man, he's smarter than he seems. Hey Palette! Did you set it off?"X!Chara says

"Ya, why?"Palette asks

"Crap."He mutters

Palette comes over.

"Oh great. We have a Ruby locked up situation of Steven Universe or Wreck It Ralph evacuation problem."Palette says

My soul gets pinged and turned blue. I get dragged away quickly.

"Dream!"Cross yells

I feel a hand grip my shoulder tight.

"Ah! You must really be excited since you got out! What a surprise!"Charles says with a wink.

I feel a chill go down my spine again. I do not say a word. 

"Or were you trying to escape?"He asks, spinning a knife in his hand

"N-No, of course not. I know what h-h-happens when I disobey you."I tell him

"Good Dream. Now, why did you take my strings off of you?"He asks

"They were hurting me. And since today is gonna be a big day, I didn't want to be in pain."I say

"So you've accepted it now for real?"He says

"Y-Yes."I lie

"And what's with the golden string on you?"He asks

"It's just a loose thread."I lie

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind for later.~"He says

"Just one question, why can't I go outside? An owl was on my windowsill and when I reached out to it, I got knocked across the room."I ask, making a story up

"Oh! I set a barrier up on this place just for today! It is your special day, can't have you running away or getting attacked! It will be lifted once someone shows some love to you. Someone like me.~"He says, reaching for the string and tugging at it

"Please stop."I say

"I can do whatever I want whenever I want. Remember, today marks the end to your stupid rules. On second thought, I'll cancel the wedding. All it takes is a kiss to marry here."He says, leaning close

"No!"I snap

"What? You dare defy me? I thought you knew what happens when you do that."He says, slashing the back of my spine now

"Hands off!"A voice shouts

I look up to the ceiling fan and see Faith leap down. Faith looks furiously at Charles, then ambushes him with attacks. Charles shoves me aside, getting beaten by a kid. He flees and Faith helps me up. He smiles, but then leads me through the halls.

"Heard him preparing to get you. But we really need to get out of here. We're on the fourth floor but a railing could get us all the way down. Wait...Do you smell something?"He says

I sniff the air.

"Yeah..."I say

"Smells like smoke..."He says

BOOM!

A big boom and explosion occurs, making the floor shake. The building quickly starts falling apart, fire spreading down the hall.

"So that's why X!Chara brought the dynamite. Oooh. Ya, we really have to get out now. But don't worry, Father! I got ya!"He says, leading me away from the burning halls and roof the best he could

"Father?"I say

"Oh! I meant Mr. Dream, sorry. Force of habit."He says

"Are you another kid from another ruined timeline?"I ask

"Yes, one where you and Cross got together. It got destroyed, so I will be sure to keep you safe!"He says

He runs ahead and slices a fallen bookcase in half with his katana-looking sword. Smoke fills the building, but he is short enough not to deal with it. I hear a crumbling noise. I look up and see the ceiling was about to cave in on Faith. I shove him ahead and then jump back. A whole pile of rubble and parts of the ceiling all the way from the roof came crashing down.

"Faith!*cough, cough* Faith! Are you okay?"I shout

"Yes, I'm okay! What about you?"Faith yells

"I'm alright! You get out of *coughing* here! It's not safe and you're just a kid! I'll find a way out!"I tell him

"B-But-!"He begins

"No but's! GO!"I tell him

"Okay..."He sighs

I hear him run off. I look around, searching for a way out. Fire is breaking walls down all around me. I dodge as many collapsions as I could, but then some fire raised in front of me. I hold my wounds gently as I step back quickly. My spine aches. My soul is getting yanked by the string. It's trying to pull me to Cross. But there is no way to go to him.  But then I notice the floor tiles had broken apart to reveal the dirt underneath. This place has no basement. I start to get an idea. 

Then I hear another noise.

"Dream! Dream! Dream! Where are you?!"Cross shouts while coughing from the smoke

He is inside! He is in danger! I look at the string. He must be following this. I put it over the fire and it snaps, breaking. It disappears.

"DREAM!"Cross yells

"Cross! Come on! Get your stupid ass out of here before this place collapses on you!"X!Chara shouts

"But Dream-"Cross begins

"He'll be fine! Just you wait and see!"X!Chara cuts him off

Then I no longer hear them. Instead, I hear a crumbling noise. I look up and see the ceiling starting to cave, but fire surrounds me. I look around and go to the only place I could go.

I hide and stay completely still. I hear multiple crashes and booming noises. I clutch myself tight and wait, listening. Soon, all I hear is the crackling of fire, but the fire couldn't reach me.

"Dream!"I hear Cross and Nightmare yell

I could not answer their calls.

"Quickly! I saw a river nearby! Let's get some water and put the fire out!"Killer says

Then I'm left with nothing but the fire working away. 

Moments pass. 

Minutes pass. 

It feels like an hour. 

A sequence of big splashes break this silence, followed by sizzles of the fire going out. Nightmare and Cross start calling for me again. I take this as an all clear. I start digging my way out.

"Dream! Answer us please! Where are you?!"Cross shouts

"Give us a sign!"Nightmare pleas

I smile a bit.

It worked. But I'm sorry for worrying them. I kinda regret choosing here if it wasn't so safe.

Nightmare gasps.

"What is it?"Cross asks

"I just sensed some regret from Dream! Quickly! He's over this way!"Nightmare cheers

"Dream!"Cross shouts

I dig out and see a bunch of rubble had fallen over my hiding spot, many layers still burning. I cover it up so the fire doesn't get me. I hear and feel two pairs of footsteps pound on the ground, then a big splash soaks the ground around me. I move the now muddy dirt aside and look to see the fire of the rubble is out. I see four hands working through the debri and rubble, taking parts away. Then I see a face appear in front of me. Faith's.

"Palette! Look!"He says

Palette takes a few bricks and toss them aside. He looks at me and smiles.

"Aha! Very smart!"Palette says

"Hey! You're searching the wrong spot! He's under this pile! You were one off!"Faith says

"Oh! The panic set me off!"Nightmare says

"Can you move, Mr. Dream?"Faith asks

I try to move but anything with my spine and left arm would not budge. I couldn't feel them, it was just numb.

"Anything besides my spine and left arm."I reply

"Okay."Faith says as he and Palette continue to remove rubble

I reach my right hand out, trying to lift myself up.

"Dream! How-?"Nightmare begins

"Suave showed me how good dirt is at stopping fire. Especially after Jasper nearly caused a wild bonfire to make smores become a forest fire."I say

"Okay, now I'm even HAPPIER that I sent the kids to help Suave out."Nightmare says

A hand grabs mine and pulls me up gently. the mud and dirt are now at my waist.

I turn my head and it's Cross. I smile at him. He releases my hand. He is crying.

"Don't do something like that again!"He snaps at me

"I was doing what I could."I tell him

"Then why'd you break the string?"He asks

"Bud, rope or string gets burnt by fire. And enough fire makes it snap. It probably wasn't intentional. But it did save you because if it didn't snap apart, you'd probably be under this rubble somewhere. You probably would've gotten crushed following it to find him. Besides, look at him now!"X!Chara says from behind Cross

Cross goes silent. He looks at me, silent. His face burns up a bit. Dunno why. But I guess Nightmare caught on.

"His eyes are up there stupid."Nightmare says, pointing to my head

I didn't even realize Cross' gaze was dropping. His face burns up more.

"N-Nightmare no! I w-wasn't! I mean, I- um, well, uh-"He struggles to speak

I am completely confused on what they mean. But then I look down and see my top is gone. It could've come off when Charles slashed the back of my spine, nearly up to my neck. Or when I was being lead around quickly in the fire by Faith. Still, this leaves me exposed. I cover myself with my arm and feel my face burn. I lower back into the hole.

"Wait, Cross. Haven't you seen him like that already? Like in a photo you keep in a stack from those letters?"X!Chara says

"What?!"I exclaim, my face burning even more

I remember multiple occassions where I would be getting dressed and Charles would pop in, taking a picture like the jerk he is. Or he'd take my clothes off and take a pic. Those were my most hated of times.

Nightmare narrows his eyes at Cross.

"Chara shut up! He's kidding! KIDDING! There's no photo like that! We burned those!"Cross says

"You better have! If we go home and I check that stack, finding one like that is kept, YOU ARE DEAD! And I will check!"Nightmare says

"Nighty, calm down."Killer says, hugging his boyfriend

Nightmare takes some deep breaths.

"Sorry, protective brotherly istincts. When I see Dream upset, they kick in. But just be careful, Cross."Nightmare says

"I have it in my pocket. I was gonna ask about it. You guys didn't put enough firewood on so I found it just sitting there in the fireplace."X!Chara says, taking a picture out

"CHARA!"Cross snaps

"Here, you take a look Dream."X!Chara says, handing me it

"CHARA!"Nightmare and Cross snap

"What? I said only I can mess with you and Dream, so now I am messing with you. It's fun seeing you guys agitated. Or when Dream glows in his case."X!Chara says

"Naughty corner for you!"Palette says, grabbing X!Chara by the ear and dragging him off

"Ow! Ow! Ow,ow,ow!"He says in pain

I look at the photo. It has burnt corners but the image is still clear. It was when I was still settling in. The first time he took my clothes off. He put my clothes on a shelf out of my reach, then while I tried to get it, told me to turn and "smile for the camera". I never had felt so angry, uncomfortable, embarrassed or exposed in all my life at that point. I shudder at the memory. 

But now I know that Cross saw this picture! My face feels like it's melting. I feel humiliated.

I tear the picture up and throw the shreds away. 

"Come on out, Dream!"X!Chara shouts

I am hesitant. I check if the skirt got burned too. It did not. I sigh relieved. Cross reaches his hand to me. I take it and he pulls me out. He hugs me close.

"You're safe now."He tells me

I hug him back with my one functional arm.

"I know."I tell him

Cross keeps looking at my brother nervously. He doesn't want to mess up, especially since Nightmare is giving him a look that says Try-anything-and-I-will-kick-your-ass! 

For now, he just holds me, being the only support for me to stay standing. He leads me toward the front of where the house was, where three horses stood. We are about to pass through where the doorway would be when I get knocked back. I hit the ground hard.

"Oh come on!"Nightmare yells

Now he also had the same luck. 

Some words pop up saying:AREA LOCKED!

"How the heck do we unlock this barrier?"Cross asks

Then more words.

PREPARING TO CHANGE LOCATIONS IN 10 SECONDS!

"Oh! I know!"Faith says

"Kid, help Palette with X!Chara."Killer says

"But-!"Faith says

Nightmare comes over to me and hugs me as the words count down.

"Let him speak!"Palette says

3.

2.

1.

"Dream! Nightmare!"Cross shouts, trying to get past the barrier but now was locking him out

"Nighty!"Killer shouts

They all disappear from sight. Replaced with a sea-cave kind of surrounding. Where the heck are we? Nightmare tightens his grip on me protectively.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Faith:I knew how to break it! I could've told you if you let me speak!

Killer:Well what was it?

Faith:Someone would have had to kiss them! It is a wedding day! Charles said so when he was bragging to Dream about putting the barrier up! Love! Like from family or someone special! A family's love, a friend's love, a special someone's love, any love! And I know who would've been fit for the job! AHEM!

Killer:Oh....

Cross:Killer, WHY?!

X!Chara:See, this is why we let the kiddos speak, Killer.

Killer:NO KIDDING!

-Killer and X!Chara are now Naughty Corner buddies-

TBC