A week later, Dream's POV

I see the articles from Evelyn's blog and grin, seeing that they're still finding material to discuss from what I said on that show. Some are examining my relationships using the answers I gave, others look at the history or analyze my answers, some tear down rumors, others are dedicated to my loved ones or looking at opinions of them, while a few talk about the downfall the show had after my interview. It's interesting to read them and the comments. The show, by now, has shut down after being exposed and losing all viewers and anything it had to begin with. I've gotten a few messages about concerning accounts from Evelyn, but nothing too concerning. At least, not at first. Now she alerts me to groups seeming to unite and plan together, inviting others to "special servers". She asked if there's any places that these groups could meet that could be concerning and I could hardly think of any. But then I noticed their similarities to the group of creeps that were uniting to take down anyone in their way...now it's just a group with a different target...There is a place they could go...I texted that I'll check the locations and she was relieved, saying that she will keep me updated.

Then, said target lands on my couch. My beloved Error.

"Soo uMm...I sPoKe wiTh mY bRoThEr aAnD i aM jUsT waNt t0 aSk h0w lOnG hE kNeW aBoUt y0uR fEeLiNgS. Was iT THAt lOnG...?"He asks shyly

He hides in his scarf nervously.

"Well I think he caught onto the signs a bit before I did...He kept making teasing comments whenever I expressed concern or care for you...Looking back my wording made it so clear that something more was going on yet I hardly noticed...I started to notice the signs after talking with Reaper and actually acknowledge that they exist but I wasn't sure how I could have these feelings properly. I didn't want to act on feelings I've never had before and don't completely understand...didn't want to end up hurting you if I misunderstood them...Then after Fate grabbed me, I was even more hesitant about acting on them around you...Didn't want to mess up and prove Fate right about being just a phase or whatever they said...so when you were busy, I visited Blip and spoke with him. He snapped me out of my doubts...Told me to talk as your friend, not as the guardian...he accepted my feelings as real and said that he'd keep it secret until I understood them and felt comfortable acting on them. He wasn't subtle about supporting me behind your back though. He'd literally give a thumbs-up and point to you while standing behind you at times."I explain

He takes it in, then glances at me again.

"AnD yOu tHoUgHt oF m3 dUrInG tHaT chAt wiTh rEaPeR?"He asks, leaning forward with a grin.

"I don't know how long you were spying on me chatting with him but yeah. The description he gave for love or someone showing love reminded me of you but I didn't quite get it at the time...Part of me was scared of that being true or misinterpreting things since I didn't want to risk our friendship...hehe...And the other was too nervous to screw up at all and give the wrong idea...Funny how that turned out..."

He pulls me closer to him with a grin.

"Oh rEaLlY? YoU wErE nErvOuS?" He says

I nod, seeing how amused he is by this and my face burns.

"Y-Yeah...That's umm...Part of why I was so upset by all the questions at the beach day...Didn't like them being so pushy or assuming that I was going with Evelyn, dating someone or being attracted to someone else...When you were right there...Hehe...Why would I go with her when you're right there? That was very recently after my talk with your brother so that was very uncomfortable on a different level..."

He chuckles, tracing a finger under my chin and cupping my cheek.

"I guEsS w3 sh0uLd tHaNk mY br0tHeR f0r sNaPpInG uS b0tH 0uT oF 0uR h3aDs, huH? ImAgiNe miSsInG oUt 0n tHiS b3cAuSe 0f 0ur sTupiD d0uBtS."

I look at him curiously as I lean into his touch.

"Somehow I get the sense that you got the tougher talks from him than I did instead of a gentle nudge."

"WhAt mAkEs y0u sAy tHaT?"

"He seemed more aggressive with his hinting tone to you at times. And the look he had when you laughed after I gave you chocolates made chills go down my spine. Sure, he kept my secret but he seemed to be pushing for you to catch on or to give a good moment for us to connect."

"YeAh...At tHAt p0iNt I wAs tHiNkInG y0u d3s3rv3d bEtTeR...tHaT i w0ulDn't gEt iN tHe wAy oF y0uR hApPiNeSs h0w3v3r y0u deFinE tHaT...aNd oVeRaLl hAd tHe feAr oF n0t aCtiNg rIgHt...I wAs s0 dUmB aNd h3 wAs s0 fruStrAtEd. ImAgiNe tHaT, hUh? Me t0o buSy d0uBtInG mY quAliFiCaTiOnS aNd y0u d0uBtiNg y0ur f3eLiNgS, b0tH oF uS iN aN eNdl3sS lo0p oF miSSeD cHaNcEs?"

"Whatever made you think you weren't enough to begin with?"

"WelL....mY aBiLiTy t0 t0uCh wAs a dRaWbAcK tHaT b0tHeReD m3...Y0u hAve s0 muCh l0ve t0 giVe s0 i wAnTeD y0u t0 hAvE s0m3on3 tHaT c0uLd d0 tHe sAmE, iF n0t moRe...Th3n tHe v0ic3s jUsT...eXtEnDeD tHe liSt..."He says, hiding his face in my chest.

"And yet here we are...proving it all wrong..."

He smiles, glancing up at me for a moment before hiding in his scarf.

"How is it going with Nightmare?"

"HiS tEsTs fe3l m0re liKe tRaiNiNg sEsSi0nS...aNd cHaTs....He eVeN gAvE m3 a niCe dRiNk...NoT aS bAd aS i ThoUgHt..."He says

Then I hear a knock at the door and Error shifts away from me. I check outside and find baskets full of gifts and bouquets of flowers, including roses, on the porch.

"WhAt'S aLl tHiS?"

"I have no idea. Looks like a bunch of gifts were delivered here..."

"R0mAntiC oNeS."He says, narrowing his eyes.

"Tch, these could be for others, Error."

He rolls his eyes.

"YoU tElLinG m3 0bScuRo cOulD hAVe s0me aDmiReRs? He sEeMs a BiT yOuNg f0r tHaT. EvEn iF hE wAsN't, i d0n't tHiNk hE hAs mUcH oF aN iNtErEsT iN iT aNd hAs eNoUgh fUn aLreAdY."

"I'm not eliminating anything as too unlikely. I've learned not to or this multiverse would be too hard to handle. Expect the unexpected sort of thing. All I'm saying is that it would be quite stupid to send gifts to me after I just said that I have a boyfriend. Palette is growing into a teen so he could easily be getting admirers. I am told that teens is usually the age of crushes and that sort of thing."

He hums, considering it. I notice that the gifts are sorted into two groups, one with greenish-yellow bows and the other with purple bows. Each were divided by the doorway as none of the gifts were placed to block the door or cross the unspoken barrier that seemed to be decided on to separate the two groups. On the left was the greenish-yellow marked gifts and sure enough, I found notes attached for Palette. Different styles of handwriting but seemingly fitting for the writing of teens with their wording. I can sense the intentions left with these gifts. I bring them inside for when he comes back. Then I check the other gifts, finding more cursive writing and more vague yet flattering notes addressed to "Your Radiant Magnificence" or your "Brilliant Highness". I check the back of the cards, seeing that each were printed with names or brands and QR codes and labels of different usernames. Error gives me a look after reading some of the notes himself.

"These are from dating sites...Lust showed me their logos when teaching me about the UnderNet and what sites to avoid or look out for...But I am not on those..."

"YeAh AnD pUrPlE uSuAlLy iSn'T tHe c0l0r aSsOciAtEd wiTh y0u...wAiT..."

I glance at him as he stares at the gifts. I glance at them and realize what he's considering.

"You don't think that these are for Nightmare, do you?"

"MAyBe tHeY'Re t0o iNtiMidAtEd t0 seNd iT tO hIs cAsTlE."

"Error, this is a bit unsettling. I doubt that he has any accounts for these admirers to contact. I still have to teach him at times how to work FaceTime and he reads books whenever we see each other. I buy newspapers for when he visits. So either someone is impersonating him on these sights and giving this place as the address somehow or these are just a new group of...special admirers...Ugh...What if he's being stalked?"

He shakes his head, kissing my cheek softly.

"TheiR fUnErAl. I hEaR iNk hAs bEeN buSy s0 i sHoulD g0 fiX tHaT. CaN i rEtuRn f0r diNnEr t0gEtHeR?"

I smile at him, nodding.

"Be careful."

He chuckles as he steps through a portal, agreeing nonetheless.

"Of c0urs3, m1 am0r."

My face burns as the portal shuts. It's rare that he speaks Spanish but I love it when he does.

Not long after he left, Nightmare arrived as he rose from a puddle that formed on my living room floor. He smiles at me, and I smile back at him. He glances around and settles on the couch, picking up the newspaper I left on the table for him.

"How are you doing, Brother?"He asks, flipping through to the crosswords and taking out a pencil.

I chuckle. His time here is like his relaxation time where he can take a break from the mess outside.

"I'm doing well."I say, feeling the back of my neck with a nervous smile.

"I see a lot more baskets in the living room."

"Apparently Palette has gotten some admirers. I brought these in for him until he comes home."

"I see."He says, focusing on his page.

He slips on his reading glasses and gnaws on the eraser end of his pencil, trying to solve it. I arrange the baskets so that they're out of the way and won't be tripped on, then reluctantly check the ones outside.

"Heeey, Nightmare? Have you ever been on uHarmony?"

"The hell is that?"

"Well I'm told that it's an online dating site and based on your reaction I can assume that you haven't."

"Why does that matter? I doubt Error is on it either."

"Well, there are some gifts outside from various dating sites and they seem to be addressed to you...Brilliant Highness, Radiant Magnificence, Lunar Beauty, etc, etc, they're all here. I don't know why they are here or who from. I just wanted to check if you were aware of this."

He looks at me as if I just spoke an unknown language, confused beyond words.

"I haven't seen so many on my doorstep since....wait...Obscuro! Did you pressure people into sending gifts here?"

"Why force them when they openly will do so if given the right opportunity? And entire sites are available to help me help them to help my plan."Obscuro says, appearing on the ceiling

"What plan?"I ask

"What better way to correct a demon feeding only insecurities than to prove it wrong with words and actions of love? Showing the value others give? It worked with you when your mind was filled with doubts or ideas of worthlessness, so I thought a similar plan would help Nightmare. And given that he has no digital presence, it was easy to make profiles to attract good people using the good pictures I have and the details I know. I knew someone would bite and take a chance since there are pages on Evelyn's blog indicating that entire clubs are dedicated to him. Turns out a lot of people like nerdy octopuses that value family and work."

"What?"Nightmare says

"Don't worry, I only chose flattering pictures."

"You put me on what?"

"I can show you! They're nice people and intelligent so you're not dealing with idiots! I thought it'd help you since you won't hear us out when telling you that whatever is corrupted in you is wrong."

I actually see how tempted Nightmare is after processing what was said. He sets the newspapers aside, getting up. He checks outside and his tentacles drop as he seems stunned at the sight in front of him. He grips his chest, fiddling with his ring that matches the necklace he gave me. I see a teal shade cover his goopy cheeks and he starts to shake a bit. He kneels down, checking the labels. Obscuro hovers beside me.

"Is...Is he okay? Did I do something wrong?"He asks, fiddling with a bracelet he has to match our jewelry.

"It definitely would've been better if you asked him before you started this plan that put him on the dating market. But this...this is more than just proving Corruption wrong, Obscuro. You've basically undone years of false beliefs and mistreatment that was drilled into him...Proving those bullies or any who spoke ill of him in the village wrong. When we were little, he was never included in any celebrations because he had nothing they desired...I could so they gave me gifts...Even our birthday...I often sold mine or remade mine so that he could have something...They never saw him deserving of gifts and said he'd never be valued enough to get any...He says that he avoided our birthday in the castle like the plague before the truce. So all this...is correcting something and is a big shock, as you can imagine. Your plan is definitely healing something in his mind."I tell him as Nightmare carefully goes through his gifts.

Obscuro is quiet for a few moments.

"So what you're saying is...He's 500 years overdue for some appreciation?"

I glance at him and he grins.

"I'll fill that castle if it shuts that voice up! All the voices!"He says with a look of determination.

He teleports away and Nightmare continues going through the gifts. I chuckle.

"Amazing how you two went from enemies to such a caring bond...although I should be the last one talking given how we went from fighting to brothers."I say

He glances over and tilts his head.

"Where did Obscuro go?"

"He went to plan some more it seems. Don't be surprised if you find your castle filled with gifts soon. He is realizing that he is silencing more than just Corruption in your head but helping silence any words from the past..."

"That's a bit funny given how the past was what he used to snap at me about..."

"That was then. Now, he seems to look up to you. You both can relate to each other just like I can relate to him, just with different parts of our pasts. You both know how it is to be outcasted for existing, but both of you have gotten past that. You protected him from that cruel lady who abandoned him, and the words you said to him regarding that meant a lot...it healed a part of him, and he wants to do the same for you."

"Do we know what happened to her?"

"Who knows or cares? I think she knows to stay away from him."

He crosses his arms, seeming to pout.

"Why?"

"I would've liked to...chat with her."

I roll my eyes, knowing the implications behind that.

"You can have that chat whenever she has the misfortune of crossing your path. If the multiverse is on your side, it won't be long."I say

He nods, considering it.

"How much longer until the tests end?"

He glances at me, humming for a moment.

"Error passes, as expected. Just keep those voices in check."He concludes

I smile at him, feeling relieved hearing that.

"That's good. I'm making plans for our one-year milestone of dating."

"Isn't that an anniversary?"He asks

"Yeah, that word would probably fit better."I say

Then my phone rings with a call from Ink. I pick it up as Nightmare carries his gifts inside to return to his crossword.

"What is it now, Ink?"

"Heeeey, Dream. We're buddies, right?"

"What did you do now?"

"Oh come on! Rude to assume!"

"Am I wrong?"I ask

"Nooo....It was an accident though!"

"Everything is an accident to you. What's the real excuse?"

"Usually he can take a hit!"

"What?"

"I only punched Error once! Not even that hard compared to past fights! Usually, he jumps away and recovers, but he just collapsed!"

I get up hearing that and frown.

"With what? Your brush?"

"My fist...He was stopping my fun in AUs, Dream! If he didn't bother me then your boyfriend would be fine!"

I roll my eyes.

"He would only bother you if your fun was bothering AUs enough to disrupt the balance. Is he conscious or rebooting?"

"Neither! He's unresponsive! Please don't tell his brother!"

I grab a coin, humming as if I was thinking about it. Nightmare glances at me curiously.

"I'll try this for you, Ink. I'll flip a coin. If it lands on your side, you only have to deal with me after what you did because there's no way a single punch made him collapse. You had to have done something to cause this. If it lands on my side, you deal with Blip and me as well as whoever else joins in. A reminder of what consequences are. Now tell me, which side do you call?"

"Tails."

I flip the coin and catch it.

"Ooooo, sorry. It's heads. You know what that means hehe."

He hangs up.

Nightmare's eye shrinks.

"Corruption is laughing in my head...What...? Okay that's just cruel and unusual punishment for anyone. See this is why you're not in control anymore. Completely no sophistication."He says

"Huh?"

"You go get Error, you'll at least improve his conditions. I'll apologize to him later."

"What happened?"

"Corruption laced his drink with something that would kick in right about now. Go get him and I'll get solution."

I nod, teleporting to where I sense Ink...he must've taken his yellow vial. I call Blip, and he quickly comes to find me before I get my words out. All I said was Error and Ink for him to come. Blip chases Ink away, and I find Error on the ground without any signs of a reboot. I kneel down, checking him and finding a few wounds on him. None were serious enough to cause him to collapse. I carefully lean closer, checking his soul for a beat anyway. I feel a jolt and can hear his soul beat quicker.

"I'll take him back to my house."

"OkAy!"

I teleport back home, landing on the couch, checking his condition further. I don't see Nightmare anywhere so he must've returned to the castle to read or have a private chat with Corruption for answers. I smile, seeing how he unconsciously leans into my touch and curls up to be closer to me.

"Can you hear me, Error?"

He doesn't respond or show any signs of hearing me.

At least I don't see any serious injuries...He is here so he is safe...I have him and Nightmare will be back soon to help...Blip is probably kicking Ink's ass right now...I hope he doesn't crash with me holding him...Should I move or...?

As soon as the thought of moving crossed my mind, he held onto me firmly and pressed against me.

...Guess that's a no...Oh, now there's his cute cat-like purring...I guess that's a sign that he is okay...

His face starts burning up, and I feel his cheek gently, checking for the cause or signs that he is ok. He shifts a bit but then stops, and his fingers twitch a bit. I grip his hand firmly to soothe it.

I got him....I got you, Erry...You'll be okay...

After a few minutes of sitting with him in my arms, he stops moving altogether. Then I get overcome by a strange pain in my head...pounding and a faint voice shouting my voice, too faint for me to recognize. I tune in more to his glitchy purrs as that's the only sign, other than his soulbeat, that he is okay.

Nightmare returns and glances over at me with his tentacles holding stacks of books.

"So basically what happened was Corruption used a tentacle to drop a chemical mix into his drink that would only activate a week later. It would trap him in the mind of whoever touches him, and I have the books on the chemicals here to back up how it would achieve that as strange as that sounds. Being that the first one to touch him was Ink fighting him, you can imagine where he was sent....Oh, you notice my tone? Yes, I am upset! I can and will be angry with you!"He says, glaring at the tentacles curling and poking him as if he was talking with Corruption.

I think it over and frown, shaking my head.

That means he was trapped in Ink's mind...not even I know what that looks like and I've never wanted to know...I once saw a glimpse of his dream and it was so random...quickly changing and messy...just like the messy artist he is...I can't imagine what Error went through in there. Error in INK's mind? That is cruel and unusual punishment...too cruel to use....it must've tortured him! Wait...

"Would he still be stuck there?"

"How long have you been holding him?"

"For a few minutes."

"He should be in better condition now. I think he'd be in your mind now."

He's in my head...? I wonder what that would mean exactly...I've only gotten stuck in people's dreams, so what would be seen when someone is conscious and not daydreaming or put into a dream? Wait...he reacted after I thought to move or... considering that he's cute...He can see my thoughts?

He squeezes my hand tighter.

"How do we fix this?"I ask

"I'm researching it but you'll definitely have to do it so he transfers back to his mind."

He makes a seat for himself, reading through the books. His only distraction was whatever Corruption was saying to him.

Nightmare really isn't happy...Things were going well, and Corruption ruined it...He passed Error and now this chemical messes with Error?

Error tilts his head and grins.

Oh, right, he can probably see my thoughts...Yes, Error you passed. He says just to keep the voices in check, which makes sense since those voices caused concern for him to begin with. You'll be out of there soon. Don't snoop around too much, ok?

He brushes my knuckles for a moment. It's quiet for a few moments and he starts twitching again. I watch him carefully and then he crashes. As a result, my headache seems to worsen and I hold my head.

"You okay?"Nightmare asks

"I think Error just crashed and since he's in my head, I'm feeling some of it."I say, lifting Error off of me so that he can reboot.

"I think I'm getting close to a solution."He says, a tentacle hesitating to pass me headache medicine.

I nod and he keeps reading. By the time Error was 75% done rebooting, he shut his book.

"Press your head to his and see if that works. Can't believe I read seven books just to get that basic answer."He says

"I'll wait until he finishes rebooting. That could mess it up or restart the process."I say

"Good point."

We wait until he finishes rebooting before I went near Error again. I pressed my head against his gently. I stay there, holding his hand gently until I see his eyes start to open. I lean back as his eyes reshape and focus again. He glances around, regaining his energy. Then he glances at me and his face burns up brighter. I grin, crossing my arms as curiosity pokes at me to ask a question.

"Was that enough of a look inside for you?"

He nods.

"What did you see in there that made you crash?"

His face burns even more.

"ShUt uP."He says, hiding in his scarf.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad was it?"

"Even I'm a little curious."Nightmare says

Error focuses on Nightmare.

"If i hAvE t0 kEeP tHe v0iCeS iN cHeCk tHeN y0u hAv3 t0 k3ep y0uR t3ntaCl3s 1n cHeCK."

"Fair enough."Nightmare says

I grin, seeing Error try to "subtly" shift closer to me again, snuggling close to me. Nightmare keeps grumbling to himself, probably arguing with Corruption. I hear a few thuds outside and glance out the window the best I can.

"I think Obscuro got a few delivered, Brother. They're purple again."

"I still haven't sorted through these completely yet!"

"Guess you have a new form of paperwork!"I chuckle

"Heey Dreeeaaam? Can we talk?"Will asks

"So y0u s3e yoUr gIfTS? AnD y0u tElL mE y0u d0n'T kNoW hOw pHonEs wOrK!"

"Obscuro did that behind my back. I'd be mad but he is trying to shut up Corruption and help so...It's...nice..."

They keep talking as if they didn't hear Will so I assume this is a private chat.

"I'll take a nap and see if we will chat later, sound good?"I say

They both nod and I doze off, giving the chance for Will to chat with me privately. I glance at him curiously.

"I know that I am meant to oversee things and not interfere too much. I want people to have control of their lives or at least more than they did with Fate...Buuut what happens when I see trouble brewing against balance keepers? Are there any rules for that?"

"What do you mean?"I ask

"Groups are forming just like they did before the prophecy, except they're targeting Destruction. They claim to care for him but they clearly don't respect him. There are two categories that I've put them into. Creeps and twisted scientists. Creeps are the ones who want to have him, claiming to have a connection to him like a parasocial fan or wanting the ego boost of having a destroyer near them. The twisted scientists want to learn what makes him tick. The two groups fight each other, so you can easily use that to your advantage if you encounter them. The scientists are taking coding classes, but they all stay on message boards for the most part. Do I do something or let it play out? None of the others are giving me advice."

"They are probably adjusting to having control again and are uncertain as well. Fate had a lot of control for a long time from what I understand. I have sources here that have also picked up on their concerning activity so your warning is appreciated. None of you can really do much without disrupting something so just a warning goes a long way within your limitations. Anyone I should be concerned about?"

"Well...you know that lady your mom talked to after you beat her up?"

"Yeah, Nightmare's still upset that he didn't get much time to see her. What about her?"

"She isn't heeding Nim's warning. She isn't listening to any warning, to be honest. Despite being told what would happen if she caused any more trouble, she is trying to get Chaos back. She does nothing but sit on a computer, trying to find someone capable of taking you and your brother out so that she can get her abandoned son back...She is planning something and desperate...Be careful..."

"Ah, I see...I wouldn't worry about her. This just means that Nightmare will get to have a chat with her."

"I can materialize a list of the groups of individuals to look out for and what their motives are. But I am concerned about where E!Gaster may fall into all this..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...He has gotten busy trying to change paths but...he isn't being very smart...shocking that your boyfriend is related to him."

"What is he doing now?"I ask, wishing that he will just get to the point.

He looks uncomfortable with what he is about to say, glancing around despite us being alone. He summons a white board instead with a marker, writing on it before showing it to me. I froze up seeing what stupidity was written on it.

He's doing WHAT?! Hell no!

I quickly wake up after seeing it and glance around, seeing Error in the kitchen with Nightmare as they chat away casually. I sit up and frown, hearing Error laugh at something Nightmare said to him. Why is it that as soon as I'm freed from the trouble people caused does it switch to Error? How can E!Gaster be so stupid? Doesn't he realize the danger he is putting Error or Blip in?

I get up, opening the door as Obscuro carries more baskets inside. He smiles at me, blissfully aware of the mess that fool of a mother is trying to cause. Nobody is going to lay a finger on him and if she doesn't get that, she is in for a surprise. I walk out to the front yard that is now filled with gifts for Nightmare and Palette which makes me smile for a moment. I wave to Obscuro and he waves back, not even asking anything before he shuts the door with his foot. I teleport away, landing beside Ink.

"How doomed am I?"

"You're lucky that your punch wasn't the cause of the issue. I won't get between you and Error since that's your business and your balance to handle. If you have issues with each other, that's for you to handle. Besides, it would be wrong of me to ask you to go easy on my boyfriend when I know he won't hold back when fighting you."

"Then what do you want? You're not as bright and cheerful as you usually are so it has to be serious."

"Well since it seems that you have a thing for talking to Gasters——"

"Do not!"He snaps

"Ink you caused a mess twice because you decided to go behind the backs of those who trusted you or called themselves your friends and speak with a Gaster that clearly only meant trouble with their perfectionism. We both know you caused a mess with E!Gaster by tattling about our relationship to him and you have a history before him. Or should I call Cross for confirmation and a little reminder of how you planned with X!Gaster behind his back? Once could be an accident but twice is the start of a pattern. Do I need to confirm that or are you going to let me finish? You were right about your observation. I am not in the mood for this."

He hesitantly nods.

"Since you have connected so well snitching to E!Gaster, I was hoping you could be a good friend and point me in his direction. I'd like to see him for a little chat."I say

He hesitantly nods, checking his scarf and I grin wider.

Perfect.

NO POV

"Umm, did either of you see where Dream went?"Nightmare asks as he steps into the living room.

"He iS n0t h3re?"Error asks, glancing around.

"He didn't tell you he was going out?"Obscuro says

"He was napping on the couch while we were in the kitchen! You saw him go and didn't mention it?"

"I thought you knew!"Obscuro says

"Did he say anything?"Nightmare asks

"No, he just let me in so he could step out. He seemed really happy...He was smiling...his smile looked like the one he had on the show."

Nightmare's expression dulls.

"You know what that means. Someone is gonna die."

"WHAT?"

"No no no. The real question is WHO? Man, I am glad that I wasn't fighting Dream when he's like this. Unrestrained anger...."

"DiD h3 tAlK wItH y0u aBoUt aNy0n3 b3iNg tRouBlE?"

"No...but I did ask about someone...that fool's doomed if he's after her..."

They each know who he is referring and they frown. Error shakes his head.

"I d0uBt h3'd g0 aNywHeRe uNl3sS h3 hAd a r3as0n."

Obscuro sits down and shrugs.

"He will explain when he comes back."He says, completely trusting of his brother who is currently chasing E!Gaster down.

"Yeah, that's true. Besides, it can't be that bad if he blows off a little steam. What's the worst he can do on a mission?"Nightmare says as Dream is pointing a spear to his neck elsewhere.

"It'll be quite a story."Obscuro says as Dream demands answers from him.

"Very interesting."Nightmare says as E!Gaster tries to call Blip on the phone for help.

"I wonder if he will take any videos or pictures."Obscuro says as E!Gaster's livestreamed class cries out in shock from their viewing point on a computer screen.

Error's phone dings, and he glances at it. He puts on his glasses to read it, then shakes his head. 

"Tw0 liVeSTReAmS oF a beAtInG...DrEaMy..."He says yet can't hold back his grin.

"What?"

"Oh nOtHiNG. My bR0 sAyS tHaT E!GaStEr iS d0iNg aN oNliNe clAsS oR sOmeThInG anD hE iS haViNg aN...uNpLaNnEd me3tInG wiTh DrEaM oN iT. I'm sUrE dReAm wiLl eXpLaIn lAtEr."

"What's there to explain? He obviously is getting revenge for nearly killing him the other day. I'm sure my brother doesn't like nearly being trapped in stone for years again."Obscuro says

They each nod in agreement, happy that Dream is handling a matter and fighting for himself. Little did they know that this was nothing close to the real motive that made him hunt E!Gaster down.

TBC