Return of Vampire Dream

Also, Smol Bats in Fluffy Hoods

Dream had only been trying to spy on his brother.

He thought, I can turn into a bat. I can get in, learn their next plans, and get out without anyone noticing me!

But things never seem to work out for him.

Now he couldn't fly out. He couldn't use his portal magic as a bat, and he was stuck in bat form.

He was frustrated.

He let out annoyed squeaking noises, the bat equivalent of an angry rant.

"Did you hear that?"

Dream froze and looked up.

Well, down, actually; but it was up for him since he was hanging off the rafters.

There was Cross and Horror, walking down the hallway. And Horror was looking straight at him. "We've got a bat."

Dream watched them for a moment, wondering what they would do.

But as Horror slowly reached for his axe, Dream realized he was about to be someone's snack.

He fled.

But Horror caught one of his feet, and pulled him to a stop.

He screeched in batty fury, clawing desperately at the hand holding him. He would've bitten Horror if there hadn't been the problem of turning him too.

"Awww, Horror, he's scared!" Cross said. "Don't eat him!"

Horror glanced at him like, 'really?' "I'm hungry," he insisted.

"But he's not doing anything wrong," Cross insisted. "He was just minding his own business, and we came along and scared him!"

Dream was grateful that Cross was sticking up for him, even though he knew Cross thought he was just a regular bat.

He managed to free his leg from Horror's grip, and he flew into Cross's eye socket where he laid on top of the roof of his mouth and squeaked happily.

"...I feel attacked."

Horror looked into Cross's eye socket, and the red glow illuminated the inside of his skull.

"H-H-Horror please don't stick your hand in my head-"

Dream hissed at the blood-covered skeleton in agreement. Cross flinched.

"DoN't HiSs In My EaR," he pleaded. "Also get out of my head-"

Suddenly a new voice said, "It sounds like you're talking to an evil spirit that's possessing you. Which I am neither."

A pale human shade floated in front of Cross's field of view. Dream had no idea why he was suddenly there, but somehow he knew that it was Cross's Chara.

Interesting.

"Cross," said a voice on the other side of Cross's skull, "Who are you talking to?"

Cross turned to face Nightmare. "There's a bat in my skull," he said calmly, but he was still freaking out.

Dream squeaked cheekily at his brother, clinging to Cross with his claws as his ride flinched again.

"Goddammit- stop making noise-!"

"Cross, hold still."

"N-Nightmare wait-"

But a tentacle shot in and pulled Dream out. Dream squeaked in surprise and squirmed, but Nightmare's grip was tighter than Horror's. Nightmare brought him to his face to examine him.

"...Huh. He's got a perfect little ring of yellow fur around his forehead. Weird."

Cross was currently clutching his eye socket and trembling. Sticking something magic in a skeleton's eye socket had some serious side effects like lingering pain, nausea, and sometimes short-term shaking.

Cross seemed to have gotten all three.

"This is exactly why I didn't want Horror sticking his hand in there," he moaned. "Urgh-"

Dream screeched at Nightmare, making him flinch at the high-pitched noise and drop him. Dream flew back over to Cross and dived into his jacket hood.

He wasn't going to lie; ever since he'd first turned into a bat he'd been wanting to do that.

It was even fluffier than he'd imagined it.

"Looks like you've got a little friend, Cross," Nightmare teased. "You gonna name him?"

Cross turned his head to see Dream le Bat snuggling deeper into the fluff of his hood.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Killer popped up and said, "He is Batman."

Then he ran off, cackling.

Cross sighed. "Okay, no. I was going to say Zap."

Horror snorted. "Zap Bat?"

"Yep."

Nightmare shook his skull. "So creative."

"I know~"

Cross pulled his hood around so he could reach Dream. Then his used one finger to rub his belly.

Dream tried to keep quiet, but he started making a strange purring noise at the nice feeling. He was pretty sure bats weren't supposed to purr.

But the chorus of "awwwww~"s from each of the watching skeletons-including Nightmare and Killer-told him that they didn't care.

One month later, Dream is still stuck in the castle. Horror's given up trying to eat him, and everyone loves him. Dust will let him hang on his hand sometimes, and Killer likes feeding him. The only one who doesn't seem too keen on him is Nightmare.

Once, when Dream was hanging on one of his tentacles, he heard Nightmare mutter, "Why do you look like my brother?" But even he didn't seem to be able to act tough when he was trying to be cute.

He had to admit, the adoring attention was nice.

Especially from Cross.

Cross seemed to like him the most, and that made Dream far too amused.

He kinda wished his boyfriend knew it was him, but he could tell that he was clueless.

Even though they all knew he was a vampire, and thought the band of yellow on his head looked like a crown or something, none of them seemed to put the facts together.

It was funny.

Today, however, wasn't going well for Dream.

He was hungry.

Bugs and small mice weren't satisfying him.

He needed human or monster blood.

He needed human flesh.

He'd eaten one of Horror's head dogs when he wasn't looking. While he would never would've dreamed of it otherwise they were just what Dream needed. But it wasn't enough.

He'd tried to act like nothing was wrong, but every time someone tried to pet him he got antsy. He was agitated.

He finally decided that he had to do something, but he knew he couldn't open the fridge without his hands.

He sat in the rafters, focusing as hard as he could on turning back into his skeleton form.

A sudden creaking sound, and the feeling of barely being supported told him he'd done it. He opened his eye sockets, and saw his own body.

Good.

Because he was ravenous. Was this how Horror felt? Constantly? Jeez. No wonder he was food-crazed.

Carefully, silently, and sticking to the shadows, Dream slipped into the kitchen.

He knew that Horror had recently stocked the fridge with head-dogs.

He yanked open the door, and grabbed as many as he could, shoving a few in his mouth as he went. He was about to run when-

"Hey! What the hell-?"

Dream turned his head enough to see Horror glaring at him. But Dream's appearance was hidden in shadow, and the human-eater didn't recognize him. "Get out of our fridge!" He growled.

Dream ran.

He refused to get caught, and with his unnatural speed and agility Horror was only able to get to the other side of the kitchen before losing him. Dream heard his cursing as he ran.

He finally found a dark corner to hide in.

He ignored the bread completely and just ate the meat, trying not to whine as his hunger was barely sated. He ate all of them but it only took the sharpest edges off, the blade of hunger still there. There was blood on his hands from the meat, and he liked at it desperately. But it didn't help.

He needed more.

He hadn't had real blood in too long. He was going to lose it.

Shit.

Nightmare had heard Horror's yelling. He'd confronted him, and heard that somebody broke in and stole his food.

Dread settle over Nightmare, as he thought of all the possibilities. HorrorFell Sans was one. He was just as hungry, but Nightmare would be fine with it if weren't for the fact that HorrorFell monsters are cannibals.

Then there was ZombieTale Frisk, although he doubted it.

But the worst possibility was that it could've been Dream.

If Dream was stealing some bloody meat...

He was probably desperate.

And a desperate Dream was a dangerous Dream.

Still, Nightmare followed the faint trail of blood the thief had left. Horror had been too pissed to see it, but Nightmare was honestly scared to let Horror go alone.

After a few turns, Nightmare's hearing detected someone's heavy breathing. Every so often, whoever it was made a growl that turned into a whine.

Nightmare turned again, and froze.

There were hotdog buns scattered around the floor.

The blood from them was everywhere, making it look like a murder scene.

And with only his feet in the light of the windows, Dream's wavering starry red eye lights full of alarm were creepy as hell.

"N-Nightmare," he croaked.

Nightmare had time to register the blood on the corners of his mouth, and on his hands, when Dream suddenly snarled.

His eye lights changed, reflecting the change in him as well.

"Nightmare, are you ok-"

Horror was cut off by Nightmare scooping him up and holding him over his head. Just in time too, because Dream launched himself at the spot he was standing.

"Oh shiT NO YOU'RE NOT-"

"I found our food thief," Nightmare said calmly.

"GEE, YA THINK?!?!"

Unfortunately, the others heard Horror's yelling and came to investigate.

"Horror what the heLLOHMYGODWHATISTHAT-"

"Dust," Killer hissed, "calm down!"

"SHUT UP AND RUN THE OTHER WAY-!"

"TOO LATE CROSS HE'S SPOTTED US-"

"Well, you're not helping!"

"Both of you, shut up and run!"

Killer pushed the other two the opposite direction. They stumbled before catching themselves and running, but Dream saw an opportunity for escape. He might get a meal out of it, too, if he was lucky.

"Shi-" Nightmare swore as Dream dodged his tentacles, "LOOK OUT!"

Cross turned his skull and yelped as Dream practically flew past him, landed in front of the group and snarled.

"Fuck," Killer groaned. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Dream hissed and leapt at him. "TRIPLE FUCK!" He yelled, smacking Dream with the flat of his knife.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST STAB HIM?!?" Dust screeched, his magic flaring and several purple bones floating around him.

"I PANICKED!"

"NEXT TIME, ACTUALLY STAB HIM!!"

"THERE WON'T BE A NEXT TIME IF YOU IGNORE HIM AND KEEP ARGUING!" Cross complained. Dust snapped out of it and tried to grab Dream with his blue magic, but Dream moved out of the way-somehow-and would've bitten his head off-literally-if a tentacle has smacked him away.

"Someone call Ink," Nightmare said, setting down Horror behind him. "He might be able to calm him down."

"How, exactly?" Cross asked, pulling out his phone. "Paint into blood or something?"

"That's what I was thinking," Nightmare agreed, trying to keep out of reach of Dream's jaws and arms.

The yellow-clad skeletal vampire had saliva dripping down his bared fangs. His regular teeth glistened with the same moisture, making Nightmare want to gag.

"Hey, Ink?" Cross paused as the other side spoke. "Yeah, I know, but I need- ...wait how did you know he was- whatever! We need some help over here. ...Yeah. ....Yeah okay. Thanks. Hurry." Cross hung up and held up his sword as Dream attacked him next. "They're coming!"

"How soo-" Nightmare started to ask, but a portal opened over Dream's head and dropped Blue and Ink onto him.

It seemed to have been planned as well, because Blue flattened himself and let Ink roll off before pinning Dream's arms and legs to the floor. Dream hissed and snarled and bared his fangs, but he couldn't move. Ink opened a dark red vial-bigger than the ones for his emotions-and poured it into Dream's mouth.

With the vampire's struggling, it missed and got on his chin and the corners of his mouth. But it was enough to catch his attention, and he lapped at it like a dog. Once the stuff in the vial was gone Dream started liking his 'lips' and teeth hungrily, wanting to get every last bit of the delicious blood.

It was more disturbing then Horror eating heads in hotdog buns.

"That should work for now," Ink announced. "But, um, I don't think we can take him back yet."

"Why not?" Horror growled. "He stole my food!"

Ink winced. "Yeah, see, there's this thing we learned recently about the woods around your guy's castle. Also about vampire territory rules and stuff and..."

The others stared at him, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. "Uh, long story short your castle is claimed as another vampire's territory, so Dream can't set foot anywhere outside it. Or wing. Or whatever. Also he kinda has been having problems going through my portals, so I don't think we can..." Ink stopped and gulped. Nightmare's gang was glaring at him dangerously.

"I- uh, I think I'll just...stick him to the wall," Ink muttered, "and leave you with stuff to feed him when he gets hungry..."

Dream put up little struggle as Ink and Blue put him up on the wall. He was too occupied with the blood that had dried on his face to spare his precious attention on a couple of nuisances.

It wasn't right seeing him like that. He didn't look like he was close to calming down, either.

Dream had been stuck to the wall for almost three days. During that time, he'd actually spoken despite still being...apparently constantly hungry? Mostly just, 'Hungry' and 'Go away'. When there was no one in his line of sight when he got hungry he'd start making a really weird, high-pitched noise that made even Nightmare break out in a cold sweat.

Nightmare came to the conclusion that Dream might still be the way he was because it was Spooky Month, AKA October. It was almost Halloween, too, so it would kinda make sense that he and his vampire kin would be out of control. He also suspected that the fact that Dream was a being of positivity/light didn't help either; vampires were creatures of darkness.

They all realized that Dream had a split personality problem now.

Greeeaaat. Thanks; nameless, faceless piece of s*** that decided to use Dream as a chew toy.

Today was the twenty ninth. Two days before Halloween.

And it was Cross's turn to check on their little blood-sucking wall flower.

Dream's snake slit eye lights followed him as he moved, making him nervous. He didn't like seeing his boyfriend like that. But what could he do? Nothing was working.

"Hey, Dream."

Dream gave no indication that he'd heard him, but his eye lights seemed to pierce him.

Cross took a hesitant step forward. Dream still did not move.

"Y-you hungry?"

Dream did not respond. His face was fixed in a flat stare.

"O-okay," Cross said to himself turning to leave, "I'll just leave now-"

"No."

Cross froze. "Uh- wha-?"

"Stay."

Dream's expression hadn't changed. His eye lights were still full of animalistic intelligence. But he pulled his hand out of the glue Ink had covered him in to stick him to the wall, and held it out. "Stay," he repeated.

Cross hesitated. But he did as he was told.

He didn't take Dream's hand though. He wanted to, he wanted so much to hold his lover's hand.

But not when he was like this. Not when he might turn on him. Cross didn't like thinking so badly of Dream, but it was the truth.

"Is there...is there something you want...?"

Dream tilted his skull slightly. Then, a sly and uncharacteristic smile spread of his face.

"You."

Cross felt his face heat up.

"C-come again?"

Dream actually exhaled in exasperation. It wasn't a sigh or a huff. Just an exasperated breath.

"You," he said again, more insistent.

His outstretched hand stretched a little bit further.

Cross hesitated.

Horror had given Dream breakfast a few hours ago. The next time he needed food would be a few more hours yet. It might be safe to...just for a moment...

Cross sighed. "If you bite me, I'm going to kick your ass," he warned.

Dream did not respond.

Cross took Dream's hand.

...and yelped in surprise when the vampire smirked and yanked him forward, pulling him into his embrace.

Dream made a demonic purring sound and snuggled into the crook of Cross's neck.

"Good," Dream purred happily. "This is good."

Cross didn't dare move. He could feel Dream's breath on his neck, his hands around his waist.

"Gay," Chara whispered. "Also, stupid."

Shut up, Chara; Cross thought. Help?

"How the hell do you want me to help?" Chara demanded. Then he paused. "Oh, I think the others heard you."

As if on cue, Nightmare and Killer rounded the corner and stopped dead in their tracks.

"Hi," Cross said. "Help, maybe?"

Dream hissed warningly at them, holding Cross tighter.

Cross's soul beat faster in his chest.

Nightmare glanced at Cross, then warily at Dream.

"...He seems to like you a lot," Nightmare noted.

Cross ignored the suspicion in his tone. "Yes, and I don't want to be up here. Get me down."

Dream's might hissed turned into a snarl as Killer got closer.

Killer stopped. "Could you please put my friend down?" He asked nicely.

Dream hissed. "No."

Cross didn't like the possessiveness in his voice.

Killer didn't seem to either. "If I get you some food-"

"No."

Killer's eye sockets twitched.

Nightmare sighed deeply. "Welp. Guess you're going to be stuck there for a while."

"Yes," Dream said, his tone smug.

"HEY!" Cross protested.

"I'm kidding," Nightmare laughed. "But seriously, you're going to have to wait a minute. Killer, go get Dust."

Killer grumbled but did as he was told.

"Until then," Nightmare said, "don't get too frisky with your boyfriend."

Cross choked as he tried to inhale.

Nightmare blinked. "Wait is he actually your boyfriend?"

Cross felt his face heat up. Dream nuzzled him affectionately, which didn't help.

Nightmare laughed. "That explains so much," he said. "No wonder you-"

Dust and Killer teleported between them.

Dust surveyed the situation, then sighed.

"Did you seriously let him do this?" He asked Cross flatly. "You moron."

Cross's face somehow got hotter.

Dream snarled at Dust.

Dust ignored him and grabbed Cross's soul with his magic.

But as soon as he started to pull, the magic fizzled out.

Dust frowned. He tried again, but the same thing happened.

Dream had a satisfied smirk on his face, but hid it behind Cross's skull. Like nobody would notice.

"O...kay?" Dust muttered, "that's weird."

"Good," Dream purred. "Go away."

The others glance at each other. Nightmare tried to grab Cross with his tentacles, but Dream snapped at them; literally.

Dust crossed his arms and glared at Dream.

"Look, I don't care how much you like Cross; we need him. I will find some god damn holy water and boil you in it if that's what it takes to get you to let go of Cross."

Dream sneered at him. "Try it."

Dust's magic flared, but he made no move to attack.

Dream's next word was smug. "Smart."

Cross realized they were afraid of hurting him instead of Dream. He sighed. "You know what? It's fine. He's not hurting me. I'll be alright."

The others frowned. "Are you sure?" Killer asked. "I could always throw Horror's head dogs at him until he lets go."

"Yeah," Cross said in defeat.

Dream started purring again and nuzzled Cross. Cross sighed again and reached up to pet his skull. Dream purred louder.

The others stared at the strange scene.

"Okay," Dust said finally, "Good enough for me. Have fun. Shout if ya need anything." With that, he left.

Horror quickly made his excuses and left.

Killer started to leave as well, but Nightmare stopped him. "Someone should stay here with them," said the octopus. "And I have to go see if Ink and Blue have found a way to take back Dream."

Killer stumbled over his words, trying to protest. But it was too late; Nightmare left in a puddle of goop.

Dream eyed Killer warily as the grounded skeleton grumbled to himself and sat against the wall.

Cross snickered.

Killer flipped him off.

Dream continued enjoying Cross's affections.

"Dream please stop."

Dream whined wordlessly, looking up at him with sad, blood red eye lights.

"No," Cross said firmly, "My arms are tired. I've been here for-"

"An hour," Killer supplied. He was watching the drama start with eager eye sockets. "I think."

Cross groaned. "I'm not going to pet you anymore. And I'm getting tired of being up here, so if you could put me down-"

Dream whined louder and held Cross tighter. He made a sad whimpering noise like a puppy

who wasn't getting his way.

"Oh my god," Chara wheezed "How is he even doing that-"

"Dream please-"

Dream buried his face into the crook of Cross's neck and mumbled something.

The feeling of Dream's teeth brushing against his bones made the point of contact tingle. Cross felt his face begin to heat up.

Killer whistled. "Don't get too frisky," he said slyly. "Don't want somebody to see that, would you?"

Cross flipped him off and went back to ignoring him.

"..." Horror seemed unsure of what to do.

"...Yeah..." Killer said in agreement. He had switched out for Dust about half an hour ago.

Cross was so fucking done with this shit.

"...Um...Dream?" Nightmare said.

Dream, however, was asleep.

With Cross still in his arms.

And Cross could not get down.

"Somebody fucking help me."

They hesitated.

"...On a scale of one to ten," Dust mused, "ten being certain and one being probably not, how likely is he to wake up and get pissed while we try to get you down?"

Cross groaned. "I am not enjoying being up here."

"We're aware," Nightmare said quietly. "But, ah, maybe let's start by not waking him?"

Dream twitched. Kinda like how you do when you're asleep and something on the edges of your awareness is being mildly irritating.

Cross took a deep breath.

Then, carefully, he tried to undo Dream's hold on him.

"Mmmnnn...."

Dream just held Cross tighter and snuggled into the back of his skull.

Cross would've been perfectly fine with this were it not for the fact that they were on a wall.

"I am actually starting to loose feeling in my limbs from being up here for so long," Cross muttered to the others. "Please. Get me down."

Nightmare sighed. "Dust, would you please...?"

Dust frowned. "It didn't work last time, remember?"

"Maybe it will now that he's asleep," Nightmare reasoned.

Dust glared at him. "Yeah, right. Why don't you do it, o' master of tentacles?"

Nightmare rolled his single eye light. "Because, you idiot. He's more likely to respond to me, with my being made of literal corruption, and wake up than he is if you use your magic."

"..." Dust looked like he wanted to argue, but Nightmare had presented sound logic. He grumbled and attempted to extract the Oreo. Just like last time, the magic fizzled out as soon as Dust tried to pull Cross.

"...Killer, Horror? Why don't you two try?"

The two glanced at each other. Then they shrugged. They're blue magic wasn't nearly as strong as Dust's, and they were out of practice, but they might as well try, right?

Same thing happened.

Only this time, Dream began to stir.

"Fuck," Nightmare swore. "Alright, watch yourselves."

Nightmare's tentacles shot out, grabbed Cross, and pulled him out of Dream's grasp. Dream woke up, saw Cross being taken away, and the saddest, most heartbroken expression he could make formed on his face. He looked like a puppy who's people were leaving him in his cage until they got back from the store. He whined, reaching out for Cross, but Cross was already out of his reach.

Nightmare lowered Cross to the ground, where he almost fell. "WhoAAA MY LEGS ARE NUMB-"

Dream whined for him to come back.

"Oh my god, Dream, I was with you for like three hours. Don't-"

But Dream's whining got louder.

"...Yeah, maybe don't let him do that again," Nightmare said. "As nice as it was to not have you scavenging for chocolate every twenty seconds, if we have to do this a second time I'm leaving you up there."

Cross sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, by the way."

Dream began whimpering. Killer's eye socket twitched.

"Oh MY GOD," he snarled, whirling around to face him, "WILL YOU SHUT UP-"

Dream threw his crown at Killer.

Then he resumed his pitiful whining and whimpering for Cross.

Killer groaned loudly. "That's it. I'm going to find a cave somewhere and scream. Don't bother looking for me. I'll be back once the molecule of sanity I had left returns."

He left.

Cross made a mental note to find a way to get Dream to make that face when he wasn't in Hungry Vamp Mode.

Nightmare took a deep breath.

Sadly, it was Halloween, and it was his turn to keep an eye socket on his brother.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was nervous.

Who knows what Dream would do?

...

"Oh fuck he's gone-"

A squeak behind him made his marrow run cold.

He turned.

"...You sneaky little shit."

Zap, the little bat who'd been missing since Dream appeared, hung from the rafters, his beady little eyes gleaming.

He squeaked again, showing his bloodied teeth as if to say, 'You're fine; I already ate.'

Which did not make Nightmare feel anymore comfortable.

"Are you alright now, or do we still need to worry about you eating our faces?"

Dream gave him a squeaky laugh. He dropped down, morphing back into a skeleton, and smiled as he landed gracefully. Amusement and mischief shone in his starry red eye-lights.

"So, guess what I learned how to do today?" Dream said jokingly.

"Give me a fucking soul attack?" Nightmare grumbled. "Why did I agree to tolerate you again?"

Dream laughed lightly. "Actually, now that you mention it, I do know how, and I could totally do it again."

Nightmare shuddered. "Please don't."

"No; I learned this."

Dream stepped behind Nightmare, into his shadow, and melted.

"..The hell?"

Dream snickered. Nightmare realized that if he looked real hard, he could still see Dream. He was a part of his shadow.

"...Could you not?"

"Nightmare?"

Dream silenced himself as Cross came around the corner.

He stopped short when he saw the empty Vamp Trap.

"..Uh-"

Nightmare glanced at his brother/his shadow.

"Yeah..."

He saw the impish gleam in Dream's nearly-invisible eye lights, and realized what he was thinking.

He could definitely go with giving Cross a good scare.

Nightmare turned back to the cocoon. "You think he turned into a bat and flew off?" He asked, trying to sound anxious rather than amused.

Cross stepped forward. A little closer.

Not close enough...!

"...Wait. Didn't Zap fly off around the same time Dream got here?"

Nightmare pretended to have just realized this.

"...Ok. No more bats are allowed in the castle."

Nightmare glanced meaningfully at his shadow, but he'd looked away. He didn't see Dream anymore. But he knew he was there.

He sighed and turned around.

"Come on; we should warn the others."

Cross followed.

Nightmare glanced back to see Dream emerging from his shadow, a wicked grin on his face.

He told himself not to react. Even though he was this close to bursting out laughing.

Dream tackled Cross in a hug.

Cross screeched in surprise and ducked, but Dream had him.

The oreo met Dream's gaze, and he wheezed. "Oh my god; you scared the shit out of me."

Dream laughed. "That was the point."

"Where did you even come from?" Cross asked.

Dream let go of his boyfriend and stepped back. He once again melded into the shadow of his brother.

"...That is...disturbing. Also really cool. But mostly disturbing."

Dream snickered. "Yeah. It's kind of disorienting."

"I'll bet," Nightmare muttered.

Dream stepped out of the shadow world. "You know what's not disorienting?" He asked gleefully. Before anyone could speak, Dream turned into a bat and launched himself into Cross's jacket hood.

"...You only really love me for my fluffy jackets," Cross grumbled.

Dream the Bat gave a little squeaking laugh and snuggled deeper into the fluff.

Killer poked his head around the corner. "I heard shouting and I'm mildly concerned," he announced.

Before he could say anything about the empty paint wrap, Dream yeeted himself out of Cross's hood and turned back into a skeleton.

Killer blinked at him a few times.

"Oh. Ok. You good now?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. Hey, next time you visit, please don't eat Horror's head dogs. He got really pissed and dragged me along to help him 'replenish' his 'supply'."

Dream snorted.

Horror poked his skull around the corner. "Huh. Should we call Ink and Blue to get you now?"

Dream crossed his arms. "I can make my own portals," he reminded him.

"Sorry, I forgot. Happens when the last you've seen somebody is them stuck on a wall staring hungrily at the blood stains on your clothes."

Dream winced. "Uh, s-sorry..."

"Whatever."

"Hey," Dust said, hanging down from the rafters Dust what the hell- "Isn't it Halloween?"

Dream frowned. "I don't know, is it?"

"Yeah, actually," Nightmare said, scratching his chin. "We kinda thought that it being Spooky Month was the reason you were...whatever you want to call it for days on end. We were kinda expecting you to be crazy today."

Dream shrugged. "Dunno. Makes sense to me, but I feel fine."

"For now," Nightmare coughed. Dream ignored him.

Ink and Blue were sitting on their couch, wondering if they were going to get a call about Dream being Extra Angry Vamp, when a Very Chill Vamp dropped out of the portal he made, landed on his feet and casually said, "Hey guys. What'd I miss?"

Ink blinked.

The delayed shock of someone randomly opening a portal to their house and dropping down caught up with him and he screamed.

Then he smacked himself and said, "Woooow great reflexes Ink."

Blue, being normal, had jumped a foot in the air as soon as he saw that a person was dropping out of the portal.

He laughed in relief when he saw it was just Dream, and gave his friend a hug.

"Dream! How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Dream said. "I could go for an apple or something, though."

They blinked. "Wait, really?" Ink asked.

Dream shrugged. "Yeah. I know it's weird. But I want an apple."

With that, Dream ventured into the kitchen and procured himself an apple.

Yum.

Blue Watched for a moment then said, "You know...we all kinda thought...Halloween, Day of Much Spook, wouldn't be stretch to say you might go a little nuts."

Dream sighed. "Yeah, they told me the same thing. I would've expected that too."

"But..." Blue continued hesitantly, "Not only are you acting normal, but you're eating fruit. Which you haven't been able to stomach since, you know."

Ink clapped his hands together. "Oh! I think I get what you're saying. Halloween is supposed to be a day for scaring off evil spirits like demons and stuff, so Dream, who wasn't always a vampire, gets to go back to normal for a day?"

Blue nodded. "Exactly!"

Dream pondered this.

"Normal for a day...? Well, not completely, but if so I'm going to Disneyland. You guys wanna-"

"HELL YEAH WE WANNA COME!" Ink yelled as he shot to his feet.

Blue frowned. "Wait, how are we going to pay for tickets?"

"You think I've gotten along this far without some kind of income?" Dream said wryly. "I have money. I've been saving for a day like this."

Blue clapped his hands excitedly. "And! And! Since its Halloween, we can watch the Halloween celebration!"

Cue three skeletons cheering.

Halloween was a wonderful holiday.