GB was idly gliding in the sky, not a cloud in sight. It was hot, but the heat didn't bother him. Blue was off somewhere helping the Varden or Wyrdaí Islingrya as usual and he was left boredly lazing about in the air, getting lost in memories.

As the sun beat down from above, his mind was adrift elsewhere, worlds away and full of snow. He.. thought of his brother.
I hope he's okay..
He peered up at the sky yet again, seeing a faint gleam of stars beyond the blue. He wanted to fly ever higher and join the distant lights… but that venture didn't end so well last he tried.

Flapping, he angled himself to follow the path of the the Jiet River, peering down at the distant Varden beneath him, a chessboard laid out amidst the splotchy plains.

He felt his sight blur, thinking of home.
Heh. I even miss the kid.
GB shook himself, trying to rattle the memory out of his mind. It wouldn't go.
The skeleblaster could even see the dogs of Snowdin enjoying a game night at the bar as he sipped ketchup and signed to Grilby in his mind.

Tucking in his right wing, GB rolled through the air and caught himself upright again, pondering.
Why can't we teach the Varden sign language? Why hasn't that been done yet?
At that thought, he reached out his mind, looking for Blue or anyone he knew to ask.

Almost surprisingly, he discovered Saphira, the dragon unexpectedly upset.
Are you okay? He asked, turning to see her soaring somewhere above him, spewing a gout of flame.
No, I am not. I miss Eragon.
...I understand. It's lonely today.
No, the day is perfect. I only wish I could share it with him. It does not feel right without him.

He didn't reply at first, thinking of his children so far away, his beloved- mate? Boyfriend? His lover far from him. Draco was guarding their unhatched children deep in the forests of the elves.
Hatching.
Strange he was capable of eggs when he was more skeleton than dragon.
I know the feeling. He sighed.

Saphira drifted down, nearing his level as he flew higher to meet her.
On another matter, have you ever wanted to communicate in a way that wouldn't get you blocked by strangers?
She eyed him quizzically.
I do not. I can overwhelm all mental barriers if any try to block me.

He cringed. Well, I've always found it off-putting at how unsettling the experience is for others. I haven't always communicated telepathically, y'know? Hell, I used to be able to speak English before I started changing.

Now the dragon blinked, flying alongside him. You did not always have the traits of a dragon?
He shook his skull, wobbling in the wind. No, they grew in as I got older. I was born looking pretty much like any other skeleton. Me and my brother both.

At this, Saphira was intrigued. And you became as you are now. She pondered.
I did. Hell, it took years before I found out I could change into this form as well. After that I just kind of.. figured out everything else, for the most part. It was a weird time. I was the only one. There weren't anymore dragons at all there, just distant relatives like me.

I do not believe you are so distantly related as you think. Saphira spoke thoughtfully.
How so? He quizzed, glancing over.
A distant ancestor would not have the form of a dragon, would they?
Well.. they had been nearly extinct by the war, and were completely killed off in the conflict. There was just a few hybrids left after that, and they died out early on in the Underground.

Hmm. Perhaps you are the child of such hybrids.
He shook his skull. No, my dad never had any dragonic traits.
What of your mother?
GB hesitated. I never knew them.

She regarded him pointedly. That is quite possibly your dragon-blooded parent.
He looked away. I don't know.. I still can't understand how that leads to me being able to turn into.. this. He gestured with his claws. Just seems like a big step.

Who are we to understand how bloodlines operate? Saphira asked rhetorically. GB let his legs hang as limp as the wind would allow, pondering this.
I don't know.

He shook his skull, trying to remember why he originally reached out.
Right.. have you ever heard of sign language?
No, I have not. What is it?
Now he had a grin on his jaws. It's a language not spoken or written, but rather communicated by hands. It's common among monsterkind when many are unable to speak any traditional verbal language. I had the idea that it could be taught to others. Maybe you could use it too. It'd be a lot more inclusive when nobody's on edge with someone in their mind.

She stared at him, face unreadable.
...It is a strange concept for me to imagine. The dragon admitted as they both banked to the side, circling the camp.
I'm not surprised. Languages are often verbal. Imagine it like.. writing without pen and paper.

Saphira considered this thoughtfully.
I must see how this sign language functions. She decided.
Oh sure! Shall we land, then?
Very well. I will meet you on the eastern edge of the camp. She turned and began diving to the ground below.

The skeleblaster teleported down, landing delicately in a small clearing amidst the tents, startling a good portion of the soldiers before they all grew to understand his presence, returning to their previous business.

Now all he had to do was find a member of the Wyrdaí Islingrya to share the idea with as the true dragon came ever closer.

Casting out his thoughts, he eventually recognized the one he'd somehow carried into this world from the last.
Dr Gaster?

The scientist immediately responded. Yes, my good friend? You are in my mind!
I am, yeah. Uh. I've been thinking. Did you know no one here knows sign language of any kind?
Do they? I can't say I'm too surprised, but that is a disappointment. What of it?
I figured, since I can't exactly speak English of any kind, we could try teaching the Varden sign language.

A delightful project! The eccentric scientist exclaimed before abruptly hesitating.
..How can it be effectively taught to the masses? It's quite the sizable task.
GB paused, considering this.
We could probably start with a few, see if they can teach what they know to others.

Saphira then swooped in to land, thudding against the packed earth as the wind of her arrival whipped at the tents and blew dust from the earth.
We could start by seeing if Saphira can use it? He suggested as the dragon regarded him.

Drawing back from the scientist as he lit up, GB blinked at her, realizing he had no idea where to begin.
Well shit, I didn't think this through.
You did not? Can you not think of a word? A name, perhaps? She started cleaning her talons as she spoke.

Now he blinked. Actually, you're right. I could show you what your name is in sign. He held up his claws as someone teleported beside them.
"Found you!"

Both dragons regarded the goopy one in varying degrees of surprise.
"What? You think I won't want to be involved in teaching others?"
Didn't think you'd latch on the idea that fast, no.
"Of course I would!"
I do not see the point of learning it for myself when I can easily speak to whomever I wish to already. Saphira pointed out. I am curious of how it functions, but no more.

But Saphira, you'd be surprised at how many options you get when you can communicate with more than a select few. I know for a fact most others wouldn't be comfortable with communicating directly through their minds. People in general prefer to have a bubble of privacy, y'know? GB explained.

"I agree with his point. There are many merits to sharing language with others." Summoning two hand attacks, he automatically began signing while talking. "And he is right that most are not comfortable with having their minds invaded. In the Multiverse, it is simply unheard of. In Alagaësia it seems that it holds about the same sanctity. Wouldn't it be easier on the general populace to at least try?"

She sat upright, regarding the two of them.
I admit that your argument has a point. The dragon conceded. But we are amidst a war, and I fail to see the usefulness of learning an entire unfamiliar language on top of our myriad of responsibilities.

Here GB paused, seeing the logic. Gaster just smiled brightly.
"Why there are plenty of uses I can think of now! It's advantageous in communicating without enemies spying on plans! You could even discuss an invasion without the enemy knowing one whit of what you are saying!"

Actually yeah, it does have good points. Messages can be sent without fear of being discovered and faster too. That would mean teaching it to informants and messengers before anyone else, but it has tactical advantages.. GB marveled thoughtfully.

Saphira tucked in her head, mulling it over.
In that case, it appears we ought to discuss this with Nasuada.
"Most certainly!" Gaster agreed, spinning around.
Whoa whoa whoa, is she even free at the moment? GB reminded him.

The Royal Scientist visibly deflated. "I forget time sometimes." He sighed, turning back to face them. "I do not know when she is free. Have you any idea?"

She is often alone in the late evenings, when she is having her evening meal and reading papers. Saphira supplied somewhat cautiously.
And she insists others announce themselves before meeting with her.
GB nodded. Sounds about right.

Gaster hummed to himself, thinking.
"Since it appears that we must wait awhile, what shall we do with this idea in the meantime?"
I dunno, bring it up to others?
He pointed at the skeleblaster vigorously. "Brilliant idea! More minds equals polished plans! I know just the ones to bring into this!"

With a flourish, his form collapsed inward and vanished in a flash of purple.
Both dragon and skeleblaster blinked at the sight, having not expected the abrupt liquefaction.

. • °

Horror, Dust, Powder, Killer, Ghost and Phantom were all playing cards on the floor of a tent and the center stack suddenly flew up and scattered, thrown aside by blacker than black goo as a familiar shape materialized before them, blinking at the mess.

Horror threw down his cards as Dust facepalmed, Killer falling back and groaning.
"Oh come on." Ghost muttered as Phantom gaped beside him.
"I just shuffled those!" Powder cried, his own cards fluttering from his disembodied gloves.

"Did'ja have to do that?" Horror asked as Gaster cringed.
"My bad, I had not realized there were cards there."
"You're shuffling them, then!" Killer quipped irritably.

"Well I cannot, I wanted to ask something of you all."
"Oh really?" Dust snarked, arms crossed.
"Yes! Did you know that sign language does not exist here?"
"Yeah." Several voices replied at once, largely disinterested. He paused. "..Oh."

Then he lit up again. "Well, have you considered the prospect of teaching it?"
They collectively glanced at one another, Dust shrugging before Ghost spoke.
"I don't think it's the best idea to distract others when there's a war and all.."

"There's plenty of time in-between clashes to learn things." Dust pointed out thoughtfully. "It could speed up communications and be used over distances when a majority of the enemy can't translate it. Then again, there's a few monsters on their side to worry about."

"Oh dear, I hadn't thought of that." Gaster pondered, sliding out of the circle and picking up a few cards as he did so.
"Well, there are always codes to speak in while using it. Plenty of war AU's had several codes in multiple languages." Horror pointed out, shuffling his cards around boredly.

"Still seems like a lot. Is this war going to last long?" Killer asked.
"I thought it had lasted about a century already." Phantom noted, confused, his voice echoing somewhat as red gleamed in his smoky form.

Gaster blinked at him curiously as Powder huffed, hands crossed below his scarfed skull. "He appears to mean how much longer it will continue. And yes, it feels as though it shall end soon. But you are right! It is an old conflict."

"However can you tell it will be ending soon?" Gaster queried, puzzled.
"Can't you feel it?" Killer straightened. "It's always there. This.. stuff, everywhere. Almost like the future is leaking backwards in time."
"That explanation made zero sense." Dust deadpanned before Ghost offered his thoughts.

"He's actually pretty spot-on with the leaking part. It's like a web spread in all directions through space and time, weaving.. neatly around everything but tangled around us. We don't.. exactly fit in, but it adapts to try. But it's.. like magic and not, and because of that we end up picking up things from it from the future and past simultaneously when it wasn't designed to send information outside of itself."

"You're saying it's a fourth dimensional thing we're entangled in." Dust summarized in curiosity.
Ghost glanced at his brother, both of which shrugged. "We don't know what it may truly be either. We have all taken to calling it-" "Wyrda." Horror finished, a strange look on his face.
"Yes, that."

"Hm." The former Royal Scientist considered this.
"These descriptions do sound.. familiar. In the edge of the Void, I myself discovered something I could not quite comprehend." He paused, somewhat disquieted. "I.. was besieged by knowledge I could not fully retain."
"You learned something?" Ghost asked, quietly gathering the deck from the others and the floor.

"Well, I wouldn't call it learning, per se, but I most certainly was bombarded with information I could not process even in that Void state. I understand I have bits and pieces left from the encounter, but nothing strictly useful. I know what Alagaësia is and segments of its history, but where and when events take place I am still relatively unsure of. These side effects are often.. confusing. I could look at anyone and see things they have done or perhaps will do, even look at a random object and see all manner of things that have or will occur to it. Is this useful? It may be. But it has proven to be fairly distressing at times."

After a long pause, Dust spoke up quietly.
"Can you.. control it at all?"
The elder perked up. "Oh of course. It's like a lense I can put on, metaphorically. Only once or twice has it switched on unintentionally. When I met Nightmare and when I saw.. her name.. yes, Arya. I.. am not sure what I saw at the time."

"Which time?" Killer asked, mildly concerned.
"Eh.. Nightmare. I said nothing, but it was like.. at some point he was or will be.. a tree? But more. Something bright and large and radiating through time- I could feel it. I still can, each time he and his brother are near. I cannot fathom what it is or how it is connected to them."

"... That's concerning." Dust muttered in a strained voice.
"What about us? What's happening to us?" Horror shifted the topic. Gaster blinked at him, a faint violet ringing his eyelights.

"You.. sitting much as you are now, in darkness, an axe in your lap. Your right light's out, and you seem forlorn. You.. seem to be dressed for travel? The weaving looks incredible-"
"Sounds like Error's work." The not quite broken skeleton interrupted, then continued. "If my right's out, then it's probably the past. The Agaetí Blödhren fixed that."
"Well. That is but one image."

"Aight, what's my fortune?" He asked, leaning back with his arms spread wide. Killer exploded in a guffaw as Dust snickered, Ghost grinning as Phantom scoffed beside him. Powder faded somewhat from view, annoyed as Gaster snorted.
"I'm not a fortune teller!"
"Hey, you can see the future."
"How does that make me a fortune teller?"
He shrugged, grinning as mist seeped from him and darted away in shapeless forms.

After a brief staring contest, Gaster sighed and narrowed his sockets at the other, shifting into a thoughtful pose.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure, I see several things. On one hand, I see you.. caring for medium reptile.." He squinted somewhat to the side, before blinking in surprise. "Those are dragonets."

Now everyone blinked. "Wait, seriously?" Horror leaned forward in surprise as the rest drew closer as well.
"I do. I see you caring for many different sorts of dragonets and older dragons as well as traveling." He turned fond.
"..You look happy."

After a moment, Killer leapt to his feet. "What's my future? I need to know!"
Gaster faced him, glancing back at Horror who sat there, pondering this information as the eccentric one looked Killer up and down.

He then glanced at Dust, regarding both in surprise.
He pointed at Dust much to Killer's disappointment.
"You are with a dragon. An oddly colored one, too."
"I'm. What? Seriously?"
"Yes. You both travel together often." He gestured to Horror. "You all appear to meet up often with.. strange people that often prefer darkness, but you appear to be on good terms."

"Do I have dragons in my future?" Killer practically begged. Gaster studied him thoughtfully. "I believe so. I see fairly small dragons around others.. oh! Oh how wonderful! You appear to be a teacher of sorts!"
"... Seriously?"

"I see you teaching groups to carve and to fight with smaller weapons, I see no wrong in that."
Here, he lit up a little more. "Pretty neat. But WHY DO YOU TWO GET DRAGONS IN YOUR FUTURE?" He yelled in anguish.

Horror cackled, Dust wheezing. "Sucks to be you, man!"
"I just want to hug a baby dragon.." He cried.
"I'm afraid I cannot search for specific moments, only generalized things." Gaster shook his skull with a smile.

"Do you think you could see my future?" Ghost spoke up, silencing the others. Gaster paused, peering at him.
"I can try, but what I can see is rather.. blurred. I keep seeing bits of yours instead." He regarded Horror briefly, frowning. "Entire sections seem to be replaced. It's a bit odd. Looking one way.. I believe that is the past, I only see.. Horror's."

"That makes sense, before the celebration he was still injured and we were all still asleep." Ghost explained, shifting in place. Gaster nodded, understanding.
"Well, that aside.. I'm not sure.. you seem to be right by his side much of the time. You.. are also working with young dragons, but also guiding others and.. hm. You and your brother tend to travel through dark forests and speak with rather unsettling monsters. Sometimes with other spirits, sometimes just the two of you, sometimes alone.. it's quite fascinating. A common companion of yours, he is also a Sans but.. dressed quite nicely, I'll admit."

There were a few snickers as Gaster admired something no one could see. "It's harder to make out, but he has wonderful taste! And large fangs, hm."
"Alright, old man. Is he dressed like the Renaissance?" Dust asked. Gaster scoffed at that. "I am hardly old! If anything, your leader is old!"

"Yes, but he's a god." Killer smirked, arms crossed.
"You're just a mere mortal, bwahahaha!" Dust chortled, gesturing wildly.
"Back in my day.." Horror teased. "We didn't have railings!"
"Oh! No! Just crush him, won't you!" Ghost cried.
"Anyone got any ice for that?" Dust asked, grinning.

"That was horrible!" Phantom shouted, stomping an intangible boot and crossing his arms.
"You wound me." Gaster hid a smile amidst the chaos, watching them all before glancing outside the tent.

"You should apologize!" Phantom was demanding of the currently cackling Horror on the floor, red tinted mist billowing from his mouth and nasal cavity as he rolled in merriment.

Strange, half-formed figures appeared in the unearthly fog before moving away, the Papyrus often shooing them off as he struggled to shake the conduit that only giggled.
"Bro, you're just making him laugh harder." Ghost pointed out.

"Nyeh! You're all insufferable!"
"But you care." Dust grinned. Powder then reappeared. "I agree, entirely insufferable!" The disembodied skull and hands darted to the shadowy Papyrus.
"Paps, no, don't abandon me."
"I most certainly shall."
"Noooo…" He devolved into giggles, covering his face. An unfamiliar voice then snorted from the entrance, suddenly drawing everyone's attention.

Dream stood there, arms crossed with one hand hiding his smile, albeit poorly.
"Oh no, please go on, this is fantastic."
"Eh, you ruined it." Killer shrugged.
"Ruined? Ruined! There was nothing to ruin when it was already a mess!" Phantom retorted.

Horror snickered from his catlike position on the floor, having calmed.
"Nah, it's perfect. Nothing like a good roast at the campsite."
There was a beat of silence, then Dream swiftly bent over and wheezed, shortly followed by Dust cackling and hugging himself.

"What brings you here, anyway?" Gaster asked, chuckling.
"Partly curious as to what was going on. That and Blue asked me to find you?"
"Oh, he did?" The scientist straightened, the laughter fading in the tent.
"Yes, he wanted to continue some prospect of teaching sign language to others? And that Nasuada wanted to see you for your strategical expertise."

He held up a cup, sipping an oddly tart smelling drink. "I didn't want to interrupt this, though."
"Ah, it's quite alright." The old scientist waved it off, heading out. "There are more important matters than having a bit of good fun, unfortunately. I'll be right there- and give him my thanks, as well!" He smiled before imploding and vanishing.

Horror was soon standing next to Dream, sighing and releasing a cloud as he did so.
"..Welp. I guess we should get back to our stuff."
"No, I don't want to wooorrrrrk." Killer groaned from deeper in the tent.
Dust grumbled, but exited the tent as well, trudging down to the left. "We'll play Go Fish later, guys." He waved, then teleported away.

Sharing a look with the guardian of positivity, Horror sighed again and began trotting to the right. "We gotta check on the animals anyway." He explained before speeding up and leaving just Killer and Dream, the spirits having scattered already.

"Well shit. I'm bored." Killer noted, looking outside in distaste. Dream turned to him. "Do you have anything to do?"
"Not really. You?"

The yellow one winced. "I've.. been trying to step back. Well. I'm being told to step back." He chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his neck vertebrae. "Been helping one too many people again."

"You really just look at some nobody and try to cure all their problems?" Killer asked incredulously.
Dream scoffed. "No, only the ones that are really badly off. I know morale in war is an important thing to keep up. And.. many are really suffering. It's easy to help those good Souls that just didn't deserve what they got."

"You're such a pansy." Killer snorted into his hand.
"Hey! I'm not! Would you want to fight if you felt it was pointless?" He retorted, wings twitching.
Killer hesitated then, looking to the side.
"...I wouldn't want to, but it wouldn't matter. You fight with your all no matter what."

Dream regarded him curiously. ".. You've found your own motivation." He noted softly. The other scoffed. "I had to. Long time ago. Did you think it was easy for us to fight you and Ink? It wasn't, not at all. It was literally get good or fucking die, y'know?"

He looked away, cradling his drink. "I.. I'm sorry. I never really thought of that."
Killer shrugged, taking a while to answer.
"You're not against us anymore. You never fucked us up as much anyway. It was always Ink that really wiped the floor with everyone. I still have a shitload of scars from that paintbrush." He snorted. "Mostly my arms, really."

Dream pulled his green wings closer, vines curling tighter along his bones as he hugged himself. "I'm sorry about that." He muttered. Killer glanced at him, noting the disquiet.
"Hey, I'm not tryna make you feel guilty. It's in the past. All of it." He peered around at the campground, sighing as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's all a different battle now. Everything's changed. This time we're actually the good guys."

With a thoughtful gleam in his white ringed lights, his gaze drifted back to the plantlike one. "And this battle ain't pointless. It's not a constant loop with no end, it's not a back and forth that's always the same shit in and out, it's.." He trailed, unable to find the words.

"Look. Before? It was constantly fight this or kill that. Maim him or traumatize her. Even after we.. well, stopped finding it fun I guess, we still had to keep up with it. To balance shit and help Error…. Fuck, Ink's hard to fight. And he was never alone- did I mention you three make a great team? Even though Blue always held back, you guys are damn good fighters together. We didn't have that system."

"S-system??" Dream stuttered, caught off guard by the question.
"Yeah. You had effective roles. All of us are decentralized and were just vaguely ordered around by Nightmare, but you had teamwork. It's basic battle strategies. Archer, tanker, shield." He listed off. "That's the simplified version, when Ink's got both range and melee as well as a fucking unfair defense- why he ever needed you guys in the first place is practically beyond me."
He sighed abruptly, gazing into the sky.

For a moment, there was a tense silence, then he faced Dream. "Look, that probably didn't help. I'm not saying I hate you or what you did. I'm just trying to say.. I admire your teamwork, I guess? Y'all made a great team on top of Ink's general.. unbeatable.. ness. That's not the best wording."
"It's alright. I understand." The guardian nodded reassuringly.

The once emotionless skeleton sighed like a weight had been lifted.
"Thanks." He murmured, staring up at the azure sky.
They enjoyed each other's company for a little while longer, then Killer took a step away.

"See you around, Dream." He hummed, walking away.
The god of positivity sighed, smiling after him. "I'll be waiting!"
Killer nodded, teleporting away. The guardian stared at his feet, quiet as the numerous vines upon him reordered themselves, shuffling around his bones with soft rustles.

He stepped into the sun, leaves lifting up and facing the sky. The vines withdrew from their winglike formation and curled around him, the skeleton all but disappearing under the foilage as they hugged close, fluttering in a faint breeze.

It was strange how the vines and leaves were still growing, even after their initial explosion of growth.
They just kept growing, albiet at a slower rate than in Du Weldenvarden.

It made him wonder why.