-UnderSwap #0 Skeleton's House-

Dream sighed and rubbed between his sockets, "I will be glad to go wherever I will be staying next. I somehow managed to forget just how exhausting being around Inky's mood swings is." He gives Cerulean a tired smile and stands walking over to open the door.

Fresh 404 walks up the steps with Inky snuggled in his arms. "Thank you uncle Dream perfect timing."

"Thanks Dream." Razz and Stretch follow them in and close the door.

Razz takes a deep breath of the wonderful scent of soup and sighed. "Cerulean you have got to teach me how to make that, it smells wonderful."

"Sure Razz soup is my specialty. I found this book in the dump when I was a kid just trying to figure out how to cook called The Art of Soup. It was full of recipes and the history and reasons behind them. Glitter hates soup now because it was all I could cook for a long time. But it is healthy, there are thousands of kinds, and it stretches limited ingredients when you are on a budget." Cerulean grins eyelights sparkling with enthusiasm.

Stretch leans on a wall watching the energy and enthusiasm light up the room in a way he hadn't seen since Cobalt left their AU. "Sounds good, I take it Glitter is your Papyrus?"

Cerulean shrugs, "I might have been annoyed when I gave him a nickname." He smirked slightly, "he was covered in glitter at the time thanks to Fresh 404's puffing rainbow strings."

Fresh 404 chuckles darkly making everyone but Inky shiver. "We made it permanent."

Inky yawns, "So he annoyed you to and the AU is dying so you made one of those code changes you told Chara are irresponsible in stable AU?"

Cerulean snorts, "so he is permanently dusted in glitter. Well I guess it is better to be known for glitter than dust."

"Hey now Dust is probably my brother-in-law by now." Stretch gave them all a lazy look and shrugged. "What they made it clear they were getting married when they got wherever they were going. It has been like a week."

Dream snorts a laugh, "I know Cobalt mentioned eloping but Dust was pretty determined to have a huge wedding. Those take time."

Inky rubbed his sockets, "Dust will win Error won't let him baby brother have a small wedding."

Razz and Cerulean focused on Inky while everyone else avoided eyelight contact. "Inky, Error is dead he jumped into the VOID. You, Stretch, Classic, and Outer saw him. We all saw what Cobalt and Nightmare's gang did to you guys afterwards." Razz watched Inky as he reminded him.

"I know that but he isn't dead. Your magic dies when you do and the dolls he made with his strings and the strings in the anti-void are fine." Inky frowned at Razz like he should know about this stuff.

"Inky, mom very much meant to die and any trip out of the Multiverse be it surviving the VOID something we imagine could only happen with divine intervention or by a very special portal like Cobalt and the others used it is a one way journey. Just as final as what he intended." Fresh 404 looked straight at the wall refusing to look at anyone.

Razz walks into the kitchen and gets the stepladder stored in the corner, brings it out, sets it up and climbs it to give Fresh 404, and Inky who was still in the kids arms a tight hug. He was experienced enough not to try to talk to them about it right now, fell monsters tended to be a little suicidal. Thank Fox for rests.

Fresh 404 let's go of Inky with one arm keeping the other under him so he doesn't drop him and hugs Razz back. "We are okay, we just don't want to talk about it yet."

"You don't have to buddy." Stretch walks over and joins the group hug. "We will be here when you are ready to talk. But don't pull a Sans stunt, hide it and refuse to deal with it."

"Speak for yourself we have a therapist on retainer. We just have to find the time to stop by his office. Now everyone let go before I have to make you." They take a step away making Razz and Stretch let go before setting Inky down.

Dream walks into the kitchen and sets the table while they sort themselves out. He felt the old urge to make it all better but stopped himself. He couldn't make it all better, his ability would only mask the problems not heal them.

Cerulean rests a hand on Dream's shoulder and gives him a smile. "Are you okay, you look like you wanted in on that hug?"

"I would but my aura makes others react in a false positive sure it is good for a boost now and then but too much can prevent real healing. I am still learning to control it. I honestly didn't realize I needed to before Nightmare fell." He looks down at his hands holding the spoons. "The kid is right we all need therapy."

Cerulean nods and moves the pot of soup to the table. "Alright everyone, lunch time."

As everyone drifted into the kitchen and washed their hands before setting down at the kitchen table. Razz put away the stepladder before washing his hands and joining them.

"Razz was right, this smells wonderful Cerulean!" Fresh 404 flashed a bright smile made more striking by being very blue.

Cerulean smiles flustered and waved it off. And serves up the soup clearly pleased with the favorable comments.

Razz tries to soup and his eyelights go starry. "Tell me you are single!" He grins at Cerulean who laughs and blushes blue.

Stretch facepalms and tries his soup. "It is great Cerulean. Razz don't make him uncomfortable."

Dream was smiling even before he took his first bite already feeling more relaxed with the friendly playful atmosphere. "They are right if every soup you make is this good you could be a chef."

Fresh 404 didn't bother to talk; they just held up their empty bowl. "May we have more please!" Inky was right after him one eyelight an exclamation point the other a star.

Cerulean laughed and refilled their bowls before starting on his own. "I think I am going to like it here."

Lunch was mostly quiet after that other than requests for more please and thank you. It was only after the pot was empty that anyone had time to talk again.

"Uncle Dream about dad's castle. We haven't edited it yet other than lightning up the forest around it and adding fireflies that we found in the codes. In fact we have just been camping in the living room they left most of the furniture so exploring kind of feels like nosing around someone else's house still. We know some things were left for you but again haven't gone farther than the living room and kitchen." They yawn, "We can open a portal for you if you just put your stuff in the front hall. We can both find rooms later."

"Wait you have Nightmare's castle and you haven't even looked around yet?" Inky perks up sockets going wide.

"Inky no we are not exploring we are resting then finishing the repair of this AU. You can look around the place after that if we are not fighting." They yawn and stand taking their dishes to the sink and washing them, setting them in the drying rack before turning back to Inky. "The castle may be ours now but it was theirs for a long time; they built the original that stands at its core together with only as much magic as absolutely necessary. You don't just go poking around something like that just because you can. What is made with love and respect should be treated with love and respect be it soup or an AU."

Inky looks up at him and blinks eyelights flickering through numerous shapes and colors while he processed that idea. "So I should care about and respect anything someone cares about while making it as much as I do my AU's?"

Razz rubs his sockets sighing. "Inky the soup was good right? It was more than just the flavor right? You could feel the warm contentment and healing intentions in it right? I could follow the same recipe and it would not be like that. Not that I wouldn't try or it wouldn't be good. Cerulean through his ability and caring made it that way. You sometimes do the same with AU. Most Asgore can do it with tea. The kiddos are saying that Nightmare and Error managed it with the original castle, and he wants to be very careful with that something special."

"Oh..." Inky sat there lost in thought until Fresh 404 picked him up and walked to the living room to settle on the couch with a yawn leaving the adults to do their own dishes.

Stretch stands and starts gathering the dishes, "Go on I will do the dishes." He slumps a little as he starts cleaning up.

Razz watches him for a minute then gets a dish towel and starts drying. "Dream sounds like the kiddos are ready for you to move your things."

Dream nods and walks into the living room thinking about what Fresh 404 had said. His brother had built a home with love and respect and he was going to get to not just see it but live there. It hurt, it hurt so much he had failed as a brother, and he had missed out on so much, his brother had married and built a weird crazy cobbler together family, of broken Sans that he spent his life healing. He had been a better guardian than Dream ever thought of being.

Fresh 404 looked up from tucking a knitted afghan around Inky smiling at the faint hum of Cobalt's magic in it. "Uncle Dream don't, hold against yourself what dad long ago forgave. To break from the codes took more than just loving you it took not having a path forward in the codes at all. He couldn't kill you and he couldn't die and those were his only options. You never faced that situation."

Dream rubbed his sockets trying to stop the tears that wanted to form. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"It was all over your face. The pain, the longing, the anger given the topic of the day it was an easy guess." Fresh 404 look down at Inky watching them both. "None of us has had time to heal from the broken grace Cobalt gave the council. The life of the multiverse in exchange for the councils complacency, certainty, and mental well-being."

"Your right and given the negativity that resulted I would have once called the price too high but all the negativity we brought on ourselves. Our peace of mind is not worth the lives of trillions. Not now and not in all the years that Error had to make that choice because we didn't know any better." Dream walks over and sets on the stairs with his head in his hands.

Cerulean stood in the doorway watching and taking it all in. Years? Trillions? Fox, he had been thinking small about this in terms of hundreds maybe thousands.

"You continue to think and talk like anyone had a choice. When a deity decides to make you the villain in a story, do you really think the chosen heroes ever get to hear you beg for mercy before the end? Why do you think the contract magic had to be blessed by life and death. Even a Multiverse reset won't undo it." They pick up Inky holding him protectively. "We have no way of knowing their reasons, what they did might have been meaningless cruelty or it might've been a broken grace. We can only prepare the best we can and hope it is enough."

"The contract locks you in a set role so no one else can be forced into being Destruction." Inky frowns, "you are trapping yourself on purpose? Why?"

"Inky... it is a feeling we don't know how to put into words. Every villain that was truly dangerous on a multiversal level has just faded away or been removed one way or the other by my parents. Both of your greatest villains were kind hearted and loving beings even if it was well hidden. Outside of us and Dream, who is the next most powerful and unable to die?" Fresh 404 met Dream's eyelights then look down to meet Inky's.

Inky for once in his life was silent having followed Fresh 404's logic. "So you think it is worth it to spare whoever might be made destroyer if you don't lock it down?"

"Our aging had already slowed before we met mom and dad Inky. I was fourteen for fifty years before I escaped with my sister. We are an outcode, any other Sans with the exception of ones like DustTale or lone survivors are going to have families and possibly a futures. Broken grace the most good at the lowest cost." They look away, meeting Cerulean's eyelights for a moment.

"You see yourself as the lowest impact choice because you don't have anything to lose and don't have the potential to find someone and settle down for a long long time." Cerulean dropped his gaze to the floor not liking that idea at all. "While from a strictly numbers point of view you are not wrong but you fail to take into account the power levels of those who are already forming bonds with you." He glances at Dream then Inky.

"Enough with the heavy stuff. You planned a rest so take a rest. Fox kiddos we know you have not had time to process all this but take a break before you drive yourself crazy." Razz steps around Cerulean walking over to gently push Fresh 404 down on the couch.

Stretch comes down the stairs with blankets and a pillow having taken a shortcut from the kitchen. "Razz is right, get some rest you have burned a lot of magic and the day is barely half over."

Fresh 404 yawned and relax on the couch at Razz's insistence not letting Inky go. "Fine but we have to get going when we wake up so Dream needs to move by then." They open a swirling rainbow portal then snuggle into the couch with another yawn.

Cerulean walks over and tucks the blankets around them. "Don't worry I the Sansational Cerulean will make sure everything is taken care of."

Dream stands and walks up the stairs to get a stack of boxes followed by Razz and Cerulean. Stretch stood there for a moment studying the overgrown kid on his couch and remembering what his bro had said all those years ago. Underneath all that crazy is just a broken monster who needs the same love and care as everyone else! Why can't you see that? Why are you so willing to forgive Chara every time but not Error? Why do you jump to judge him without ever getting to know him? Sighing Stretch turned away from the memory, having the answers for his brother's questions far too late. If he had just admitted it was easier to see Error as bad than broken because he couldn't do anything about it. No Cobalt would have just called him lazy, he could have done something he could have stood up for his bro to the council, he could have reminded them that as judges they should at least question why he acted that way. He didn't because he was angry that Sans remembered he didn't want him to remember dying. That wasn't even Error's fault. He listened to the kid humming Inky a lullaby as he headed upstairs to help Dream move.

-Balance Castle-

Dream gasped when he stepped through the portal to find a magnificent pearl gray fairytale castle surrounded by dark forests, sparkling flushed with morning light like a blushing bride. The quiet emptiness of the place after the first flush of its beauty made his apple like SOUL ache with a melancholy like the whole place was permeated with a bittersweet air.

"Wow no wonder the kiddos are protective of this place. I wonder if the inside is as pretty and well taken care of. I never pictured Nightmare and his boy's as organized enough to keep someplace this big in good condition." Razz looks around having followed Dream with an armload of boxes.

Stretch steps through, looks around and heads for huge double doors carved and inlaid with a pattern of moon flowers. "Huh how do we open the door?"

Razz backed up and looked at the pattern on the door. "There is a smaller door hidden in the carvings on the bottom right side of the door."

Dream follows Razz's directions and finds the normal sized door with a leaf shaped door knob. Opening the door he frozen looking at the floor of the front hall, was a giant marble mosaic a white leafless tree of life on a black background with the sun and moon in gold and platinum caught in its branches shone in the morning light. "Fox that is, he worked both of our symbols into the design."

Stretch looks in over his shoulder. "Overwhelming I can see why exploring alone might not appeal." He slipped past Dream and set his boxes down then took Dreams and stacked them in the same corner.

Razz gently nudged Dream through the door so he could set down his stack of boxes. "I think we should just concentrate on moving boxes so the kiddos doesn't have to keep the portal open longer than necessary. They still have a lot of work today."

Dream nods taking another long look before heading to the portal for another load of boxes.

Stretch looks around then follows Dream thinking hard. He had been so focused on Cobalt and everything else he hadn't stopped to think much about Nightmare as the person Cobalt had chosen to follow and fight for he had just assumed Error and Dust were reason enough especially with Nightmare having broken him out of their AU. Seeing that mosaic it made him reconsider just something about it and the melancholy that shrouded the castle.

After they finished moving boxes Dream looked around. "I can see how the kid could camp in a living room if this is the entrance hall but how would he find one?"

Razz laughs, "Probably checked the codes and just teleported. This place sure explains why Nightmare always seemed to have room on his team."

"Actually I think lord Nightmare kept rebuilding the Outer castle then redecorating to compensate for how empty it is. It is a lot of space for a small family." They jerked around to see a bunny monster in a maid's outfit.

"Who are you, the kiddos didn't mention anyone else being here?" Razz moved protectively in front of Dream.

She tilts her head ears twitching, "Do you mean lord 404? I doubt he would. He doesn't talk much unless it is to ask for stories about his parents."

Dream blinked, "I did not know my brother had anyone on his team other than his gang and Error."

She chuckled, "Oh Fox you must be so confused lord Dream, I wasn't on his team as you call them those were his family. I am Milly the head maid. You don't think this place cleans itself do you?"

"What AU are you from? I thought this one was cobbled together by Error from scraps of unfinished AU?" Razz relaxes slightly.

Milly frowns in though. "Hmm I don't actually know my great grandfather was a lone survivor of a genocide run. Lord Error found him when he went to take down the AU and brought him here. He ended up marrying my great grandmother whose parents had come here the same way. We haven't added an outside bloodline since then." She shrugs, "The village only has about five hundred residents. But only bunny monsters are allowed to work in the castle for safety reasons."

"What safety reasons?" Dream steps forward fascinated by this part of his brother's life, the ruler who protected his people.

"Lord Nightmare's chosen all came from dark places; they came to him broken and he put them back together. Killer and Horror were fond of bunnies and bunny monsters. Even if they had an episode they were less likely to kill one before help could come. That of course has not been a concern since I was a leverett but lord Nightmare did not change the policy because they would not have been protective if he brought in someone new." Her calm acceptance that working here could get you killed was shocking.

"If it was so dangerous why work here?" Razz frowned sure bunny monsters could be brave in a swap AU but it wasn't really normal.

She grins ears twitching, "sure it could be dangerous but like I said there hasn't been an incident in years. Plus the benefits are great, it is a high status job, and if an accident did happen my family would be under the lord's direct protection until the youngest child born before the accident came of age. We know what the AU are like. Every monster here is a refugee or a descendent of one. He may have been born the guardian of negativity but he was a fair and kind ruler who took care of us when no one else cared. In years when crops failed he brought in supplies from outside. He never once set down to eat while his people went hungry. He never had a fire when his people went cold. He never looked away when we needed justice."

Dream swallowed hard and looked down his view of his brother after the apple incident taking a hard slam and making him realise he had started to slip back into viewing him in a negative manner. "Thank you for telling us I believe my nephew plans to build up a team as my brother did please be careful until we know their mental state."

Milly nods, "of course lord Dream he already warned us of his plans, but thank you for the warning. Will you be avoiding the old keep like lord 404 or do you want your things taken to your rooms?"

"Rooms? But I have never been here before?" Dream trades a look with Razz confused.

"True but lord Nightmare has always kept rooms for you here with a few things so you would be comfortable if you were ever able to come home. You are after all his much loved twin brother. There was a place setting for you at his right hand at every meal even if you never came home to eat with him. Just as there was one at his left hand for lord Error. He at least came home when he could." Her smile only sharpened her not so subtle barb about never visiting his brother.

Dream winced getting the message loud and clear these were Nightmare's people and they were loyal and protective even if he was gone. "Unfortunately because of a twist in our codes it would not have been a good thing for me to visit."

"Dream stop, you don't owe her or anyone an explanation. You know if the situation allowed you would have been here for him." Razz gave Milly a cold look and put an arm around Dream. "Come on let's get back so Fresh 404 can close the portal."

Milly watches as Dream is led out and the portal closes behind them before taking out her cell and calling her sister. "Hey Kathy lord Dream dropped off his things looks like lord 404 is ready to start moving in properly, send over the boys to help me get things moved in."

-UnderSwap #0-

As soon as they came through the portal Dream sat down on the stairs and dropped his head in his hands.

Razz sets down next to Dream and hugs him. "We are done kiddos you can close the portal."

Fresh 404 opens his sockets for a moment then the portal closes. "Is Uncle Dream okay?"

"We met Milly the maid." He generally rocks Dream. "She was clearly a big fan of your dad. She also made it clear that she felt Dream neglected to spend time with his brother."

Fresh 404 yawned, "Sorry uncle Dream she is a bit..." Fresh 404 hesitates, "her parents died in a house fire when she was a kid and dad took her and her siblings in along with their grandmother. She pretty much worshipped dad, losing him has been hard for her." They closed their sockets, "she will warm up to you probably."

"It only stings because I agree with her." Dream rubbed his sockets, "get some rest kiddos."

"Okay try to relax and rest Uncle Dream, Stretch has to stay here after we are done here Razz is Inky's escort, so you are the available council member and I have chores to take care of before heading back to the castle." They held Inky a little tighter drifting toward sleep just dozing but not really sleeping.

Dream watches for a few minutes and then starts to hum an old, old, lullaby remembering Nightmare's velvety dark voice singing him to sleep the long faded memory making his SOUL ache.

Razz looks up to see Cerulean leaning on the railing listening with a sad thoughtful look. Cerulean ducks into the bedroom and comes back with a blanket coming down the stairs to drape it around Razz and Dream. "The kiddos right you have a long day ahead try to rest."

Dream sighed and lay his head on Razz's shoulder. "Maybe later I don't want to move right now."

Cerulean set down beside them on the stairs. "When was the last time you really slept? I wasn't going to say anything but with those bags under your sockets I am guessing you need a nap worse than Inky and Fresh 404."

"Cobalt was right, he said the fallen would haunt our dreams and plague our waking hours with pleas for mercy we didn't give. I haven't had a good night's sleep since I saw my brother follow Error into the VOID without the slightest hesitation like his own life didn't matter at all. I hadn't felt anything positive from him for over two thousand years but in that moment his shields were down. He felt nothing but love, determination, and shattering grief at what was happening." Taking a long shuddering breath Dream clenched the edges of the blanket. "I can't help it hazy memories of our long forgotten childhood before the village was built when it was just us and the tree haunt me. I don't know how I could have ever thought badly of the boy he was then. He was the real guardian who kept us safe, who figured out foraging because I was hungry in spite of not needing food, the one who held me when I was scared. Then the villagers came and I was so stupid I believed everything they said maybe not at first but eventually, after the apple incident... It never even crossed my mind that maybe he wasn't the problem. I never once asked why. Not when Inky rescued me. Not when Error looked me right in the sockets before looking at Inky and saying I wasn't much of a guardian. Not when I tried to save his gang members and they laughed at me and said they had what I was too much of a fool to keep. Not when Cobalt looked me in the sockets and said with that big grin of his, and so much joy in his aura I was dizzy that Error was a much better person than we all thought and we should all make friends with him like he did. That the Multiverse would be a better place if we did. I can't stop thinking about the resignation in Nightmare's eyelights during the apple incident and the sadness. Why didn't I recognize what was right in front of me all along." Dream sobbed quietly, breaking down.

Razz held Dream while he cried, rubbing his back. "Dream that is like asking why those in the Sans role find someplace to get trashed when they can't handle emotional stuff, or why Sanses suck at talking about their emotions. It is just what is in our codes. Cobalt and Dust said Nightmare didn't blame you for what happened, I think the only thing you can do for him now is learn not to blame yourself and move forward the way the brother you remember would have wanted."

"I never got to meet any of them but you know what. Before the kiddos showed up Glitter and I were able to fight to the death. He had started clearing out the AU I guess he had figured out it is going to fall. I had civilians to protect and no idea why he was dusting everyone. As soon as he found out why Fresh 404 was there he tried to order me to take the offer. He went from about to kill me to leaping at any chance to save me. I don't think your brother ever doubted you loved him at least not from what everyone is saying. Brothers are complicated but just because we fight sometimes doesn't mean we don't love each other. I agreed to take on this responsibility because Fresh offered Glitter a chance to. When I see him again he will have blood and dust on his hands, he will be different, we both will. I have to accept that but no matter what or how much dust there is with the passing years I know I will always love him." He smiles slightly at them and stands. "Come on time you laid down for a nap."

Razz stands and offers Dream a hand up. "He is right, you need a rest. I will stay with you if you need." He smiles at him, "I may not have dream magic like you and Nightmare but I learned sometimes having someone to hold you, has a magic all it's own."

Dream sniffles and whipped his sockets on his arm warmer before taking Razz's hand and standing. "Thank you both, I am so useless anymore."

"No you're not, you have been helping Stretch adjust and deal with Cobalt leaving. I have been here less than a day and I can tell that. Plus making sure I was okay and knew what I was getting into. Being exhausted and grieving doesn't make you useless, it makes you alive. The highs and lows, the good and bad, the positive and negative all of them put together are what makes up the energy and texture that make life worth living. Just because you are at a low point and need some help and rest doesn't mean that you are not a wonderful useful person just that life has knocked you down and you need time to recover." Cerulean puts a hand on Razz's shoulder and smiles at them both before going on down the stairs and heading into the kitchen.

Razz shakes his head leading Dream upstairs for a nap. "Damn swap Sanses always seems to know something the rest of us don't or maybe they just understand things before the rest of us. Heck I am swapfell and they even confuse me how they do it."

Dream gives a somewhat teary laugh. "They have all the judge abilities and all of the guiding heart abilities. It is why I thought Cobalt had Stockholm syndrome, I didn't believe he could stand up for Error like that if he was in his right mind. I should have known he couldn't be manipulated or fooled like that not easily."

Razz shakes his head. "I just figured Error had to be a good actor. Never crossed my mind that Cobalt had actually learned something important enough to make him overlook the destruction. Turns out he didn't overlook it at all." He sighed and pulled Dream into Cobalts old room to lay down.

Dream pulls Razz down with him for the promised snuggles. "I am scared, Razz what if I fail Fresh 404 like I did my brother?"

Pulling Dream closer Razz arranges the blanket around them. "What if I snap and attack Slim for real in one of our staged fights? What if the kiddo goes crazy and does too many genocide runs, or gets stuck doing them? What if someone from a fell AU goes dust tale would they be more violent? Dream if we think about all the what if's we would either fall down or go crazy."

Sighing, Dream hugs him tight. "You know you are pretty perceptive yourself you don't get enough credit at the meetings."

Razz blushed looking away. "Go to sleep Dream you are getting delusional."

-Down Stairs-

Cerulean quietly packs sandwiches and vegetable sticks as snacks. Then cleans the kitchen again. He looked at a neglected shopping list but decided not to work on it until after the reset. Once he was done he checked the kiddos then slipped out to find Stretch.

Stretch was easy to find he was setting on the porch with a bottle of honey two empties beside him. He glanced at Cerulean when he sat down beside him. The silence that stretched between them wasn't uncomfortable; it was patient and calm without the need to fill the air with words. Words would come but not yet when they were ready. The silence lasted long after Stretch finished his honey.

It was Cerulean that finally broke it when he lay back on the porch and sighed. "Glitter is always going to be my brother no matter how much he changes. You know that just like I know Cobalt will always be your brother. I just hope we end up getting along."

"So do I. I knew, a swap Sans would have to come take his role to keep the AU stable. I am just not sure why this AU matters. I mean why take down some other intact AU and work this hard to save mine?" Stretch takes out a smoke, looks around to make sure there are no kids around, then lights it taking a slow drag on it.

"You mean no one took the time to explain?" Cerulean looks at him with wide sockets. "Okay from what Fresh 404 told me and Glitter when he came to recruit me Original AU like this one are anchor points that help stabilize all the AU of their type. This isn't just about your AU it is about every copy and crossover that comes after it."

"What!?" Stretch jerks around to face him fully, sockets going wide. "That can't be possible. The Multiverse would be a glitchy mess if the original AU where that important every time Error destroyed one, whole sections would get messed up."

"What makes you think he made a practice of destroying original AU? I mean have you ever heard of him making a practice of doing so?" Cerulean rolls on his side and proposes his head up on a hand watching Stretch.

Stretch blinks and falls back on the porch with a groan. "Fox your right why would I jump to conclusions like that. We know he was part of the balance. Why would I do that."

"My guess would be habit, how many years have you been thinking of him in terms of a threat?" He smiles slightly, "changing old habits and ways of thinking is hard and it takes time."

Stretch closes his sockets taking a drag on his cigarillo then blowing the fragrant smoke out his nasal cavity. "I wish I could have talked to Cobalt like this. I know it was my fault we couldn't, but I still wish we could have. I feel like there is still so much I could learn from him but I was too focused on trying to protect him from the resets to see I was more of a problem than the resets."

Cerulean gives a slight hum in thought. "So are Razz and Dream a thing?" He grins when Stretch startles at the subject change.

"Not yet at least not officially. Razz is definitely there but Dream is so busy not dying from his broken balance and dealing with his own psychological and emotional pain that he hasn't even noticed. Razz seems okay with things that way for now. Which probably means that ship is either never leaving the dock or will be very strong when it does." Stretch grins at Cerulean already starting to like his new housemate.

Cerulean chuckles, "I can tell we are going to have fun. Any other good ships I should know about?"

"Well Mob that would be MobTale!Sans is definitely with Alter that would be AlterTale!Sans. Alter is in the family way according to the kiddos. Mob looked really pleased about it too." Stretch chuckles, "they are definitely the odd couple Alter is a ruins keeper and Mob is a classic type with a criminal twist."

"I don't think it is so odd both roles take a lot of strength and belief in one's self and one's instincts." Cerulean absently draws in the snow with a finger.

Stretch blinks looking startled, but after considering it nods in agreement. "You're right maybe they are a better match than I first thought."

Sighing Cerulean sets up. "You know me and Glitter had the same problem. We were too busy taking care of each other and fighting to make friends with each other."

"Fresh 404 warned me before they left to get you and Frisk that your AU had gone farther down the path that made Cobalt leave our AU, and if I screwed up this time I wouldn't get another chance." Stretch smoked quietly staring up at drifting snowflakes. "Should we talk about it?"

Cerulean closes his sockets and hugs his knees. "I can talk about it, things got bad for a while. Glitter had lost control of his drinking and his over controlling attitude was out of control too. Then the broadcast from the council happened, and there he was this version of me that was even smaller but strong enough to stand up to the whole damned multiverse and make them flinch to make them face their own sins and shame. It made me stop and do the same look at what I was letting happen. I moved out and started training with the other guards, not just Alphys. Between the broadcast and my leaving Glitter had enough of a shock he started to get his drinking under control he paid off his tab and closed it for good. Things were getting better and I had just moved back home when the first visible glitches happened. Then Glitter started coming home dusty. So I tried to stop him. That is about when Fresh 404 showed up."

Stretch sets up with a sigh. "You say it like you are not upset. I don't know how to read you heck I apparently couldn't read my own brother."

"Upset... yes very but at the same time I love my brother and I know he was trying to change to do better for me. I also have to accept that I have some fault in what was happening. I let him be controlling, I let him treat me like a child because he took comfort from it. As for the rest well once Fresh 404 explained that our AU would fall soon I understood why he was doing it. He should have just told me I wouldn't have tried to stop him." Cerulean sighed and glanced at Stretch. "When I see him again he won't be the same my baby brother will forever have dust on his SOUL. I will always love him but I have to accept that I can't take care of or protect him anymore."

"Will you be able to forgive him when that happens? When he can look you in the eyes without shame for the dust on his hands?" Stretch watches Cerulean puzzled by him but feeling like he is finally seeing some of the hidden side of Sans and the strength that had held everything together while they were just kids. Too bad he hadn't seen it with his own brother.

"Stretch I will be proud of him when that day comes because I know why it has to be this way. I will know every monster that added to that dust was spared far worse. That doesn't mean I am not sad that he has to be one of the ones to give that broken grace. Just that I am proud he is strong and responsible enough for such an important task." He looks Stretch in the sockets. "When he can look me in the sockets without shame I will know he understands fully what he is doing and why."

Stretch blinks dropping his gaze to the snowy steps under them. "Sounds like as much as he messed up your bro is damn lucky."

"I am lucky to have him because as much as he messed up I know he loves me just as much. We all make mistakes. Stretch he chose to face his, and learn from them as did I." Cerulean wipes his sockets and stands. "Time to go inside the weather might not bother us but the snow is picking up and it is irritating when it gets in the joints."

"Ya right." Stretch pushed himself to his feet with a tired sigh. "Did I ever actually bake those cookies?"

Cerulean opens the door shaking his skull. "No you put the dough in the fridge to chill. Are you okay?"

Stretch yawns, "Just tired, I don't know about Glitter but I don't have the greatest stamina."