A few weeks later, Dream's POV

I smile as I wave goodbye to Lust after having some time to catch up together. He was shocked to hear everything that was unfolding since the last time we talked. He even taught me a few more dance moves and was proud of my growth or identifying myself. Swap has apologized for the beach day and what he said. He has shown trust and belief in me again so we've fixed the crack that was forming. I haven't seen Error since that day but Blip has been in a better mood whenever I see him. I shake my head, dismissing my thoughts. Perhaps the reason is obvious and Error caught on...I did give him chocolate and left saying that I liked the idea of us together...I only failed to explicitly say those three words to him but maybe my actions said enough and he finds it ridiculous...unsettling even. I might've messed up and should be giving him space. I really suck at this love thing...

I hear movement following behind me and glance over my shoulder and frown, seeing that lady Evelyn following behind me with a smile. No matter where I seem to go she seems to show up. I see a small flag waving in her hand and recognize it as the ally flag from the Pride Festival. I open my other eye, seeing her aura still radiate a bright pink and red, yet show no soul to shine from. Does she not have one? The thought of a soulless person like Ink whose aura radiates like someone drunk on his pink vial 24/7 is extremely unsettling. Where exactly did this lady come from?

I should get out of here...

I unfold my wings to leave, then feel an electric shock painfully strike up and down my body, making me almost collapse from the feeling and fall limp. I feel two arms wrap around me carefully and glance up as my body goes rigid, seeing Evelyn looking at me worriedly.

"Are you alright? What can I do to help?"She asks

I feel another painful shock take my energy away.

"Don't worry, I'll find a way to help you."She says, carrying me away as things blur.

"Let's see what makes you tick and what bait taunts you like a carrot on a stick..."A different voice says

That's not exactly reassuring...Wait..What makes me tick? That sounds like...Oh no....

Meanwhile

Obscuro wakes up as a chill goes down his spine with a dreadfully familiar feeling. The feeling that only comes when a certain kind of trouble comes his way. He feels his arms and legs carefully, checking his control over his body. He got hardly a second of relief before realizing what this means. He quickly checks Dream's room finding it empty. He checks the entire house but finds no sign of him inside or out. Then he remembers Dream saying before he took a nap that he was going to see some friends. He tried very hard to remember who but couldn't do it. So in a panic he starts teleporting to the routine locations and AUs, unable to sense Dream's unmissable aura. That only makes him panic more.

"No no no no no no no no! This can't be happening! This can't be done! I have to stop it! They can't do this! Not again! I have to protect him! But how...? Where to even start...? Where would he, no. W-where would they start for this? Getting resources...Where would there be resources for this?"

The answer became clear to him. So he desperately teleports to the antivoid, soaring to the mess of strings above and searching among the twisted jumbles for anything. Error happened to be sewing another puppet and jumped when he suddenly appeared, ripping the stitching.

"Not him not him not him not him not him NOT HIM! Stars damn it where do you hide all the puppets of my brother? Show them to me now!"He snaps with shaking fists.

"WoAh wOaH wOaH, sLoW dOwN tHeRe bUdDy. YoU aRe nOt mEsSiNg wItH mY puPpeTs. If yOu wAnT sOmE, I cAn mAkE sOmE oR sHoW yOu hOw-"

"I don't have time for this! Nobody does! So shut up and just show me your collection! I know you have it and I need to see it! I won't ask again before I rip this frustrating mess apart!"He shouts, power zapping randomly from his hands.

"WhY yOu liTtlE-"

"WoAh wOaH woAh! LeT's nOt sTaRt a fIghT hErE! ObsCuRo, bUddY, pLeAsE tAkE a DeEp bReATh. YoU aRe sHakIng sO sOmeThiNg hAs To bE wRoNg. We cAn'T hElp iF wE dOn'T kNoW wHaT iT iS. PlEaSe cAlM doWn aNd tElL uS."Blip says, running between them before they try anything and using his most soothing voice for Obscuro

"It's those stupid puppets! I can't stand them! I have to see them! Now! To know they're not tainted again! They can't be...he can't...Trapped...Not again! I just have to see them now!"

"DoEs tHiS hAvE tO dO wItH yoUr bUlLiEs hUrTiNg yOu? ArE yOu sCaReD?"

Obscuro snaps out of his panic and the power fades from his hands. Tears fill his eyes and he slowly lowers himself down to Blip. Now he isn't the angry entity of chaos but a desperate, scared little kid in need of some help. He shakily nods and whimpers out a yes to Blip who responds with opening his arms to him. Obscuro hovers closer to him, accepting the warm embrace of security and compassion he offered. Then Obscuro completely breaks down in tears, crying as Blip tries to soothe him, rubbing circles into his back.

"SsSShhHh, iT iS oK. It's oK. We aRe hErE. YoU'rE oK. It iS gOiNg tO bE oK. BroThEr, gEt tHe pUppEtS fOr hIm noW pLeAsE."Blip says

Error frowns, remembering what Dream said about Obscuro's bullies and the pain Obscuro suffered...How he got a fear of puppets due to it.

"I cAn AsSuRe yOu tHaT tHeRe aRe nOnE oF yOu fOr yOu tO gEt tRaPpEd iN."

"Why do you...t-t-think I asked for puppets of my brother? I know that already or I wouldn't be able to be here right now....I can't find Dream or remember where he was going and they...t-t-they-!"Obscuro says before breaking down again

Error tenses up as he realizes what Obscuro meant. He quickly gets all his puppets of Dream down and Obscuro sits with Blip, checking each one carefully. He frowns, finding nothing.

"Nothing is here but that means they must...have it elsewhere....To trap him...Have to find him..."He says, opening a screen in his hands to swipe through views of the AUs.

He opens one screen in his left hand, scrolling through a record of actions connected to the Chameleos.

Error frowns, picking up one of the puppets of Dream. He can't imagine him trapped in a puppet to be toyed with.

"So tHeY'rE tRaPpiNg hIm iN tHiS?"

"They'll try to make a connection with him to it before that...get control over him...Then it will escalate to a transfer...Aha! This was recorded recently! My feeling was right!"He says

On the listed record of Chameleos' actions are two flashing points saying: Connected control over Dream with puppet and Processing Dream's mind's data for later use.

Obscuro frowns, clenching his fists.

"ProCeSsInG hIs mInD?"

"It's another trick of theirs where they'll look through anything they can to find the weaknesses. They did it plenty of times to me after they immobilized me...Never leads to anything good. They'll just use it against him..."

Blip opens more views of AUs, searching for him. Error glances at the puppet in his hand, getting an idea.

"Do yOu kNoW iF tHeIr cOnTroL cAn bE cAnCelEd oUt?"

"Hmmm...Whenever more than one of them tried to control me at the same time with a puppet, that would free me. I'm sure they've learned from that by now."

"HoW dO yOu fEeL aBoUt mE dOiNg iT?"

Obscuro looks at Error, then at the puppet in his hands. He frowns, glancing at Error again.

"It will hurt him. You have to know that. The overlap of control will intensify his pain until it cancels out. We have to find him to help him but your actions will be better than whatever they do. It has to be an accurate one connected to him so it can't be the one in your hands."

Error nods, starting to make another one. Then another point appear on the list for Obscuro that says manipulating Dream's senses.

Obscuro frowns and Blip hugs him to soothe him. Then Blip glances at his screens again and frowns, catching a glimpse of Dream's wings in one.

"I tHiNk I hAvE sOmEtHiNg. LeT mE rEwInD iT."

He swipes to rewind it, seeing things move in reverse before he lets it play. Obscuro watches carefully with him as Dream says goodbye to Lust with a smile, seeming fine. He strolls down the trails of the AU they met in but they see the joy fade from Dream's face as he seems deep in thought. Then he notices Evelyn following him and unfolds his wings. That's when a pain strikes him and he stumbles, struggling to stay standing. They can see that Evelyn wasn't the culprit, instead being the one trying to help him. Obscuro still frowns, seeing her carry him away as he loses consciousness. She shouldn't have just taken him away and the screen indicates that this was three hours ago already. If she really wanted to help, why not check Dream's phone for contacts and reach out? Make some announcement or reach out somehow? He also just didn't like a stranger having his brother in such a vulnerable position.

"I'm going after her as soon as it shows where she took him."He says

He glances over at Error, seeing him already halfway done with the new puppet and taking care in every detail he adds.

This may not be the best solution but it's better than nothing. And he cannot see Error causing Dream more harm than he'll already endure. He knows that the destroyer cares deeply for Dream so he will probably treat this with the most care possible....He can only hope it'll work.

Back to Dream's POV

I slowly get the strength to wake up again but find that I can only open up one eye. I glance around, seeing nothing but darkness. Then I remember which eye is open and frown. It's the one that only sees auras so there's no way for me to see where I am. I also notice how tightly shut my jaw feels, refusing to open and how I can't move any part of my body. Why can't I move? What happened? My mind feels so fuzzy...

Then my vision gets overloaded by a pink aura and I quickly understand who I'm with.

"Oh thank the stars you're awake, Dream! Don't worry! I have taken good care of you and have a doctor on the way to figure out what's hurting you! It's just me, Evelyn! Nobody is going to hurt your precious little head."She says

Her Shara shines brighter, indicating that she does care and isn't lying.

Okay...This is very weird but I don't have much of a choice to believe her...

"Can you speak? Your body looks so stiff. Can you move?"

"Mm-mmm."

That's the most I can manage when nothing in my body seems willing to move.

"Does your soul feel different? It doesn't seem to be doing that well."

"Mm?"

What does she mean about my soul?

"There's some green string wrapping around it. I tried to remove it but it won't budge. I hope I didn't hurt you when I was trying that."

Maybe that's why I can't move...My soul isn't free...

"Here, I can show you it!"

Ping!

I see my soul appear in front of the pink aura, radiating a bright yellow automatically. I see a green string tightly wrapped around it. Then I watch as a blue one slips around my soul, trying to slip under the green string. I jolt, feeling more painful shocks run up and down my body yet couldn't even scream or do anything about the pain. I feel both strings tighten as the pain worsens but I can't move as much as I try. I can't hear anything except for a loud ringing and can't even close my eye...not that doing so would make it any better.

Then I see the blue string wrap loops around my soul from any angle it could, forcing the green string to slip off and disappear. That's when the pain finally settles and the ringing stops. I feel my body relax and loosen up, as if I got control again.

What just happened? Is this another test to see what makes me "tick"? My head is so fuzzy...Worst part is that I'm too weak to move now...

I slowly gather the strength to try sitting up and hold myself gently, checking for any other sources of pain. Finding none, I sigh with relief. Then I feel my soul get returned to me. I glance at Evelyn and feel my body stiffen up as she's right beside me and I feel a hand slide down my arm.

"I cannot imagine how horrible that just was for you...It looked painful...Yet you survived it and already regain some strength...You really are strong.~"

"Ummm, so about that doctor..."

"Oh, right. I just said that to reassure you. I don't know any nearby doctors but didn't want you to panic more with the stress of the situation...Sorry I couldn't do much...Want me to bring you to a hospital to get checked?"

"I...don't think this is something they can fix...I just want to...get back to my brother..."I say, weakly getting up.

I feel a hand reach for mine but hug myself so that she couldn't touch them. I feel really uncomfortable and need to get out of here. I feel along the walls until I feel a door handle. I push it open and feel a cool breeze and hear the chirps of birds. I step out and already feel better. I try my best to teleport home, landing roughly on the ground somewhere else as darkness fills my vision again. I sit up and glance around, seeing a yellow glow ahead of me the size of a house. I know my home has absorbed the positive aura from me and all the good times here so my hopes are that this must be my home. I try to get up but couldn't, the teleportation taking too much out of me.

"OpEn yOuR eYeS."I hear Error say

"Error?"I call out

Suddenly I had the strength to open both my eyes. I glance around, not seeing anyone around me. I don't see Error peeking in either.

"DoEs iT sAy tHey mAniPulAtEd tHaT oR sHouLd I tRy sOmEtHinG eLsE?"

How can I hear him if he isn't here?

"OKaY, yOu gO tHeRe aNd I wiLl cOntInuE wOrKinG oN thiS."

I try to get up again and manage to get to the front steps before I lost the strength in my legs again. I fall on my back, staring up at the front door with my head too fuzzily hurting for me to think properly about opening it. Then I jolt, feeling a hand brush through the feathers of my wings gently. Except something was so...soothing about it...

Then I get an idea. I summon a staff to my hand and use it to hook the door handle and push it open. Someone must've left it unlocked because I know I locked it before leaving as Obscuro took a nap. I push myself through the opening and let the door shut behind me. I feel ready to pass out on the floor but don't think that would be a good idea. Part of me is scared of what I'll wake up to next.

"DoN'T wOrRy, DrEaM. We'vE gOt yOu nOw. YoUr bRoThEr iS cOmiNg aNd yOu'rE nOt gOiNg aNyWhErE. JuSt rElAx..."I hear Error say as I feel two hands I don't see feel my wings and trail down my back softly.

Then I feel a hand cup my cheek but nobody is around, making me even more unsettled with the touches meant to comfort me. Then something clicks in my head.

The blue string on my soul...is that his? Then who was the green string...? Why is this happening? Is that how I feel this or hear him...? Does he have control over me somehow...? Wait...Am I connected to a puppet? Huh...Wouldn't think that he'd try this...After weeks of not seeing him....

"I'm mAkInG sOmEtHinG, wElL, a FeW vErY sPecIaL tHinGs fOr yOu tO mAkE uP fOr tHiS. I'Ll mAkE sUrE yOu lOvE iT.~"He whispers as if cooing to me quietly

My face burns up, never hearing that tone from him and my mind going blank when trying to think of what he means. I feel a pat on my head and hear him chuckle.

"JUsT lEt mE hAnDlE iT aNd iT wiLl bE oKaY sOoN."

He quite literally has my soul so what is there to handle?

"Hey, Dream I sensed that you're in pain and want to check in on you. I hope you don't mind my intrusion and-why are you on the floor?"Nightmare asks as he rises from a puddle, quickly alarmed by my position.

"I keep...getting the ability to move taken from me..."I say, jolting as I feel another hand brush my wings again.

My starts getting fuzzier and I feel some relief with Nightmare here. Someone I can physically see and his protective desires are radiating from him. I reach up to him and he scoops me up, letting me cling to him as a tentacle rubs the back of my skull gently. He looks at me worriedly and frowns, checking my soul. His eye shrinks and I hear a growling hiss barely contain itself in him.

"I swear it's as if he's looking to be slapped by a tentacle lately. Don't worry, Dream. I'll make sure this doesn't last."He says

"Thank you, Brother..."I say

Then I realize what I said and smile as he tries to hide his happiness at what he hears. This is the first time that I called him Brother again as far as I can recall. His tentacles wiggle happily as much as he tries to play it cool with a small smile. He passes me to his tentacles so that his hands are free, then teleports us away. Then his mood completely shifts from calm to furious and the tentacles that aren't holding me sharpen as the antivoid surrounds us. I see Error sitting on his beanbag as he stitches something together using the balls of yarn I gave him with a puppet of me in his lap.

"Error are you looking for me to kill you? It's bad enough that you figuratively toy with his soul! Now you do it physically? What the actual hell?!"He shouts, making Error jump.

That started a very long period of Nightmare verbally ripping into Error, shouting and spewing his anger at Error while holding me protectively in his tentacles. Error couldn't even get a word in. Then Nightmare summons my soul, pointing to the blue string around it.

"Remove it NOW!"He snaps

"No."Error says with hardly any hesitation.

Then he turns back to his work, continuing it calmly.

"No? The fuck do you mea-?"

"HeY ObscUrO, The tRiCk wOrKeD. h3 1s fr3e bUt n0w i haVe aN aNgRy NiGhtMaRe hErE. d0 i UnDO It oR-?"Error says, setting his phone on speaker.

They both are in on this? Trick? What trick and why?

"No! Do not remove it!"Obscuro snaps

"ThEn c0m3 eXpLaIn iT t0 NiGhtMaRe."

Within seconds Obscuro appears and his face lights up with joy when he sees me.

"Brother! You are okay! Thank goodness!"He says

I jolt, feeling a hand brush my wings, and I see Error gently touch my puppet. I see him smile slightly as he continues to work.

"I want that string removed now."Nightmare repeats, holding me closer to him.

"We can't do that, Nightmare. He is better in Error's hands than theirs. This is meant to free him and protect him until they give up."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"There was....a green string...before...I think?"I say

"That was theirs. Nightmare, the scum tried some old tricks they used on me. I could sense it and it was only going to escalate until they could trap him in their puppet. They were going to toy with him just like they did to me hundreds of years ago. Error's string keeps them from doing so and canceling out any attempts. It technically isn't even there and is just the representation of code linking them."Obscuro says, showing a list of actions recorded of the Chameleos doing.

Six bullets show attempts to get control again with an equal six bullets saying that Error's code rejected it.

"Was he the one taking away his control to move?"

"No, i'Ve fOlLoWeD tHaT liSt aNd tRiEd t0 uNd0 iT. It sAiD iT t0oK aWaY hIs s3nSeS, s0 I tRiEd t0 uNd0 iT."

"I sensed a lot of pain from him and it's still there."

"The process to cancel it out isn't a painless one. I know that for a fact. Just getting placed under their control is excruciating."

Nightmare glances between them then sets me down beside Error on the beanbag.

"Let's go hunting then, Obscuro."He says

Obscuro nods and they teleport away. I feel a blanket get wrapped around me and see Error smile at me slightly. He puts more blankets around me and puts a newly stitched neck-rest on me in addition to that. 

"So uMm...s0rRy aBoUt tHaT wHoLe siTuAtiOn...I hAvEn'T hUrT yOu, hAvE i?"

I shake my head.

"Just felt...weird...feeling hands that I can't see..."

"I s3e...Ch0coLaTe?"He says, lifting a heart-shaped pack of chocolates that I got for him.

I shake my head, not exactly hungry after that whole ordeal. He sets it aside, understanding.

"So uMm...aBoUt lAsT tiMe..."

"Sorry that I made you uncomfortable...Should've kept quiet or changed the subject...I won't bring it up again."I say, glancing away.

I hear nothing from him.

"HaVe y0u be3n oKaY?"

I glance at him and frown.

What's that supposed to mean? Just try something simple...

"Yeah, I've been ok. Training and hopping between AUs for the most part. Lust even tried to make more plans with me...so sweet him..."I say, recalling what he said earlier today.

He had asked after I revealed my newly understood identity if I've had any "demi-crushes" as he called it or feelings developed after getting an emotional bond. I said yes but admitted that the feelings aren't evidently reciprocated. 

"Aww, darling I'm sorry to hear that. I know my first crush didn't work out either after building a connection. It can be tough but the good thing is that it's your first, not your last. You must remember that it's nothing personal and there's plenty of you that anyone would be lucky to have. You're wonderful, Dream darlin'. Just because this person can't see it in you doesn't mean others won't. There's someone out there for everyone so don't let this hold you down from finding that, hun. You deserve someone who sees it in you and makes you as happy as you make others."

I smile recalling it. Part of me is happy that I have his support and agrees with him. Error laughed at the suggestion and that's the closest thing to rejection. There's no interest in more so there's no use holding these feelings. We can be friends and I can fall for someone else or give someone else a chance. Sure, the options of genuine people are slim but it's better than making Error uncomfortable, losing our friendship, or holding feelings that only hurt me. I don't....want to hurt anymore from feelings held on too long...Not like the 500 years with Nightmare who didn't care for it...

"AnD wHaT pLaNs aRe tHoSE?"

"Parties and events of that sort. He knows some circles where I can connect and relate to others. He wants me to get into some kind of field...meet others...Also events to get Evelyn to back off..."

"ShE iS sTiLl b0tHeRiNg yOu?"

"Shows up everywhere...no soul in her yet constant pink aura....Woke up to her trying to help me...then made me uncomfortable with her comments so I left and got home before Nightmare found me..."I say

He hands me a puppet and I glance at it, seeing that it's one of him. Then I notice how he twitches as I adjust my hand to hold it.

Wait a minute...

"Error...you did not just..."

"I wAnT tHiNgS t0 b3 fAiR....i diDn't eXaCtLy aSk b3f0re uSiNg y0ur c0d3 0r d0iNg tHaT s0 n0w we'Re eVeN."He says

But his phobia...It could be triggered...I'll be gentle....He must trust me a lot to even think of doing this...

I carefully hold it closer, noticing his smile as he reaches to hold his sides which must be feeling where I'm holding the puppet. His glitching doesn't increase. He seems to enjoy feeling it, as indirect as it is...

"Br0tHeR, pl3aSe c0m3 s3e tHiS."

He nods, getting up to see his brother. I lose that last bit of my energy and take the chance to doze off.

No POV

Error walks over to Blip who has a screen scrolling through the UnderNet. He pulls Lust's profile up.

"I tHiNk yOu cAn sEe tHaT yOu mEsSeD uP. YoU tRiPpEd yOuRsElF uP bUt i FoUnD sOmeThInG."

He points to the newest posts from Lust, advertising a few events. Trust and Dance: Learn to Dance Your Heart Out and Put Your Trust in Someone! Then after that Craft and Munch: Sculpt out new creations and connections! and then Cook and Hook! among other events or parties. On a few of these events, there is a message surrounded by asterisks that reads: **If my buddies attend, treat them with respect and not as servants or heroes, darlings! They want to have some time for themselves to relax as well and I WILL know!**

"He bAsiCaLlY iNviTeD DrEaM t0 eVeNtS t0 fInd l0v3 eLsEwHeRe. YoU'r3 l0siNg y0uR cHaNcE anD hE iS liMiTiNg hImSeLf aRoUnD yOu. ThAt oNe cOmMeNt hAs pUt a diStAnCe bEtWeEn yOu bOtH."

"WeLl wHaT sHoUlD i d0?"

"MaYbE g0 sPeAk wiTh lUsT. He hAs eXpErIeNcE wIth rElAtIoNsHiPs s0 mAybE hE cAn tEaCh yOu wHat n0t t0 d0. BuT yOu cAn'T kEeP av0iDiNg tHiS. YoU'r3 oNlY g0iNg t0 rUiN yOuR rElAtIoNsHiP iF y0u kEeP tHis uP aNd yOu'Ll l0s3 hIm."

Error nods, sitting beside Dream again.

"I'Ll d0 iT lAtEr. HAvE t0 keEp h1m sAfE."He says, smiling as he feels Dream's touch as Dream hugs the puppet tighter in his sleep.

TBC