Two days later, Dream's POV

"Has anyone seen Error?"Nightmare asks

"He iS pRoBaBlY iN tHe lIbrArY aGaIn. iT iS giGanTiC iN tHeRe anD iT tAkEs thReE liBrAriAnS t0 keEp ThInGs In oRdEr. I jUsT fOuNd mY wAy oUt oF iT."Blip says

Nightmare glances at him.

"Blip...it's been two days..."

"LiKe i saId, i g0t l0St iN tHerE."

"He is probably off enjoying himself...Probably seeing Mom by now..."I say, taking a spoonful after thanking the chefs.

Blip glances at me curiously.

"I lAsT sAw hIm wiTh yOu, DreAm."

"Yeah well he wasn't satisfied with me so I let him go where he would be."I say, stirring my spoon.

Nightmare glances at me, looking surprised at my words. I've been acting friendly and cheerful this entire time so this is the first time he's hearing me seriously upset. I glance at him and shake my head.

"Don't worry, Brother, you can get your turn soon as well. All it takes is another one of your patronizing headpats."I say dully

"Patronizing? Who says I want a turn?"He says

"You make it very clear that you want your real brother back and I'm not that to you...not entirely. When is the rest of Dream coming back? I can't wait for my brother to come back, then things will be perfect when he's fixed with the rest of him. I'm so tired of babysitting this piece of him. I can't wait to spend time with Dream again. I can't wait to laugh with my brother again. You are too busy desiring that to realize that I'm in the room when you make those comments or that I can sense those desires from you. You dismiss me whenever I try to inform you of anything and reject the fact that I'm not just some old memory of your brother from years ago that fell out of the sky. You act like I'm some clueless kid you have to look after as if I don't have any idea what happened after you ate that apple. I see how you look at me even when I don't hear your condescending words. Just yesterday you patted me on the head and told me to quote: go play, kid! Do you forget that I can see your dreams? I didn't realize that fulfilling your birthday wish would be such short-term satisfaction...didn't realize I wouldn't be enough."I say as I eat, keeping my gaze down on my bowl.

I finish my food and push myself out of my chair, bringing my bowl to the chefs. It is dead quiet.

"Dream..."

"Brother?"I hear Obscuro say

I glance up to see him hovering beside me. I smile at him. He has listened and accepted me instead of looking for the better part of me.

"I tHiNk h3 sh0ulD gEt sOme tiMe aWaY. He hAs bEeN sTuCk In THeSe hAlLs t0o lOnG."Blip says, also one of few who has accepted me and what I've told them.

Obscuro leads me out of the room and the doors shut between us.

"Brother, you seem upset."

"I've just gotten tired of the headpats and hearing the hopes for a better me to return from above..."

"Oh...Nightmare still won't accept that it's you and not 500 years ago you?"

"He called me kid yesterday."

"So he's escalating...I'll try talking to him again."

"It won't change much. I can still sense his feelings and he still believes that the real me is up there. I don't want to be treated like some fragile thing that's about to break and not some kid that he has to watch over constantly. Any discussions you have will at most make him try to placate me or pacify me. I don't want something temporary or empty like promises, I want something genuine like you and Palette have given me. I want to be heard, believed, and loved for who I am, not what he thinks I am or may be part of..."

"I see..."

"Just hurts to hear their praise and love after a while aimed above as if I'm someone different or non-existent...Error and Swap don't pretend they want to get close to me like Nightmare does when thinking or saying this...That part of me gets to be called smart, strong, sweet, and desirable while I just get awww, cute! Nightmare's thoughts even phrase it like I'm a different person and not his brother at times. The rest of me up there gets to be called Dream and I'm just him in his mind. It's strange and upsetting even to hear this or feel like this...You both know what the other side of me is...Is it my aura that determines my identity to him? Or the wings? That side of me can be so stiff and locked on logic alone but if it's the power and logic that he sees and determines my quality...I guess it's good that he loves a part of me...It's better than when he loved none of me as a brother...Am I overreacting? I know they don't mean to hurt me but sometimes I wish they were glad that I'm here instead of seeing disappointment in their eyes..."I say, admitting a lot more than I have all month.

"I mean...it does make sense...Even if you joined their ranks before falling back to us, you still died in a sense. You were attacked and we're lucky to have you back. I'm sure it's a lot to take in and accept that you've returned as well...To recognize that it's lucky to be back...Those events must've impacted you as well and seeing people look through you or be disappointed by your return certainly doesn't help. You have a right to feel hurt. Anyone would be. It's like waking up from a coma and being asked why you haven't started walking yet. We should celebrate your return and love you, not wish for more as if this isn't a miracle in itself. And you've made this entire place for us and reshaped the land to satisfy us, working to protect us. You've been trying to satisfy everyone and protect us, the least that could be done is satisfying you in return. You deserve happiness as well after what happened, not just worrying about if this place makes them happy. And their comments can be quite dismissive and I know it would get on my nerves if I was treated as if I wasn't myself or not deserving of the love or traits that I know I have....I'll be sure to get it through to him."Obscuro says

"Do aNy oF yOu sMeLl sOmeThInG?"

I sniff the air, noticing a sweet smell filling it. It's like the nicest flowers mixed with the nicest scents of candles...But it's also very faint.

"I'll check the garden rooms...Smells like flowers..."I say, heading upstairs.

"I'll check this floor to see if there are any candles left burning. Don't want any fires to start now."Obscuro says and I hear Blip hum in agreement.

I walk through the halls, checking the garden rooms filled with flowers and plants yet finding nothing. Then I felt a doll hit me on the head. I grab it and see that it's a doll of Error. Its eyes flash as it repeatedly says I love you, making me pause before the doll is taken through a portal again. I glance around confusedly. What...was that?

Then there is some rumbling and I glance down the hall, seeing a swarm of blue strings burst toward me, stopping inches away from my face. Then it blooms into a beautiful line of flowers made entirely of strings...I curiously follow them, knowing that Error must be back. As I go further, the smell gets stronger until it's right behind a door. I hear soft music on the other side and suddenly feel extremely relaxed.

"CaRefuLlY...d0n't brEaK...n0w oVeR hErE...tHeRe wE g0. n0w iT's p3rf3cT! i cAn't wAiT f0r hiM t0 c0m3!"I hear Error say

I haven't heard him so excited in weeks...Did Mom figure out how to fix things? Is the other half of me returning and that's why he's so excited?

"I cAn't wAiT t0 sEe hiS cUtE liTtl3 fAcE...waiT! WhAt iF h3 cAn't reAcH? I d0n't wAnT h1m t0 b3 b0th3r3d wiTh cliMbiNg..."

Within moments a group of strings are tugging in a small stool as the doors shut behind it.

"PeRfEcT...ThAt'lL d0...I h0pe he likEs iT..."

My other half wouldn't need a stool to climb up with...my other half is the one with the wings...so is this meant for me?

"My dReAmY wiLl fiNaLlY bE haPpY..."

My soul gets full of warmth hearing that. I push the door open, seeing Error sitting surrounded by pillows and blankets in the middle of a bed yet clearly leaving space for someone to be next to him with all the blankets and pillows. There are candles in the corners of the room and groups of flowers hanging from the ceiling as soft music plays. A remote rests beside Error's hand as he hides something behind his back and his strings adjust the stool so I'd have a direct path to join him if I chose to.

"Error...? You're back...? What's all this?"

"SuRpriSeD?"

"Umm..yeah...I thought you'd be soaking up more cuddles there..."

"WhY w0uLd i b3 tHeRe wHeN y0u'rE hErE? YoU kNow i hAtE fAte's rEaLm."

"But...well..."

He can see my hesitation and sighs. His strings easily pull me over to him.

"DrEaM, i aM s0 s0rRy f0r h0w i'v3 act3d oR sp0k3n. My dr3aMs pr0baBlY d0n't pa1nT a g0oD piCtuRe eItHeR.  I l0ve y0u aNd i aM s0rRy thAt mY woRdS diDn't sh0w it...Aim1nG mY w0rdS aT tHe wr0nG siDe 0f y0u...i l0v3 alL oF y0u, aUrA aNd aLl...YoU'Re mOr3 tHaN aN aUrA...I jUsT nOtiCe hOw toUgH iT iS f0r y0u t0 b3 liViNg oN hAlF a SoUl...YoU sHoUlDn'T bE oN hAlF a SouL aNd i jUsT wAnT tO bE HaPpY wItH yOu...wItHoUt tHiS nOnSeNsE...StiLl s0RrY fOr mAkIng It sEeM ThAt yOu aRe lEsS thAn...weLl...y0u...CaN wE...cuDdLe? I uMm...jUsT WaNt tO makE yOu hApPy...If tHe mUsIc iSn'T gOoD, i hAvE tHe tEleViSiOn s3t f0r maratHoNs oF g3nr3s y0u'd liKe...aNd umMmm..."He tells me, clearly trying his best as his voice is filled with honesty.

He's clearly sorry and trying to apologize, gripping something in his hand tighter behind his back with all the blankets. I smile as I realize that it's not just words proving this but his actions trying to make up for it. It already makes me feel better. I like the idea of cuddling up to him.

"I uMm..aLsO hAvE..."He says hesitantly, pausing when I place my hand on his.

He glances at my hand, then at me. His cheeks already start to glow and I grin wider.

"Cuddles with you sound great, Erry."I say, snuggling up beside him.

"B-BuT i WaNt tO gIvE yOu sOmEtHiNg...MaDe iT fRom reSouRcEs In ThAt reAlM..."He says

"Okaay...?"I say as he raises the blankets up to wrap around us.

He lifts a small case in his hand and lifts the lid off it to reveal golden and blue jewels inside. I see the design of the jewels are shaped like a sun symbol, yet the circle has various lines swirling into the center. The blue jewels match that design, looking like a blue sun with a ball of string in the center. What interesting designs...He flips one over to show that the jewels are made to have the golden sun on one side and the string-like blue sun on the other, both sides twinkling beautifully.

"M-MaY i?"

I nod, looking at him curiously. He lifts one of them up and holds it close to the side of my skull where my ear would be. I feel something clip onto my skull like a magnet pulled to a surface, then something hanging from my skull. He lifts the other one to the side of his skull and I see that the jewels are connected to a small circle that attaches to the side of his skull, leaving the sun dangling from his skull and spinning slightly. Then I realized that these are meant to be earrings.

"I uM rEaLizE tHaT wE dOn'T hAvE eArS bUt I'vE sEeN sOmE aUs' skElEtOnS wiTh ThEm s0 i...i mAdE tHiS dEsIgN s0 iT wiLl juSt cLiP oN liKe oNe...Um, iF y0u d0n'T liKe iT I-"

My face burns, finding him cute when he is so nervous and his gift is very sweet. I squeeze his hand gently to get his attention back and he quickly focuses on me again, shutting his mouth.

"I love it, Erry. Thank you, Error. Can we cuddle now?"

He pulls me into his lap with a grin, pulling the blankets and pillows around us until we feel cocooned, with our heads popping out. I glance up at him and he smiles at me, his glitching only slightly increasing. He wraps his arms around me and we relax, listening to the calming music together.

The peaceful quiet is disrupted as a loud, painful screech echoes through the halls and I tense up, reminded of Nightmare's screams of pain when he ate the apple...Wait...Error quickly throws the blankets aside and we run into the hallways. I quickly run ahead, sliding down the stair railing, and hop off, finding a small puddle of goop crawling along the walls and hissing. I see a single sliver of an eye looking around and sharp tentacles tearing the walls as it tries to crawl as far as possible away from the fading cries of pain. I CHECK the crawling lump of goop and see half of Nightmare's soul in it. It turns to focus on me and starts to hiss, preparing to leap at me. I shake off the shock of the situation and grin as it leaps to me.

"DIE!"It screeches as it leaps with the sharp tentacles aimed at me.

"Sorry, but my beloved brothers say I can't."I say

The sliver shrinks even thinner and it gets repelled backward without anything visibly forcing it to. I smile wider.

"Aren't you just adorable? Can you do me a favor and just stay there? No sneaking away with that precious soul. Alright?"

I get a low hiss but it can hardly move as my words seem to pin it into place.

"Thank you!~"I say, then quickly run to find Nightmare.

I find him lying on the ground with his skull covered in cracks and his hand clutching his chest as he gasps for air, tears mingling with his bright purple eyes.

"Brother! I got you! It's going to be okay!"

He slowly sits up and I hold him carefully. I hear hissing get louder behind me and smile, picking Nightmare up.

"Do you want ice cream or a blanket cocoon to comfort you, Brother? I can get your favorite!"I say

I hear a thud and turn my head to see the small lump of goop thrown against a wall.

"How...are you doing that?"Nightmare asks, still clutching his chest.

"Doing what?"I ask

"Overpowering it...You don't have your aura..."

"Oh, right! Hah! I guess you never got the chance to learn the weakness of auras. That corruption is the equivalent of an aura, something that's artificially powerful and relies on genuine emotions to get stronger. Auras are like parasites or can be symbiotic in dynamics but at the end of the day, their source of power is a double-edged sword. Think about it. Aside from keeping the balance, we both had to spread our influence or collect the emotions to keep our strengths. You needed to spread more negativity to get stronger or to satisfy that corruption. You needed others to feel something genuine for an aura, something artificial, to get stronger. So that source of power is also its weakness. I just genuinely express my feelings, providing nothing to feed on. It's only as strong as you allow it to be, only having as much power as you give it."I explain, turning to see the lump of corruption trembling as it slides to the floor.

"I see..."He says, narrowing his eyes at the lump of corruption.

I hear the lump release a high-pitched screech as Nightmare dives at it, then watch as it grows and stretches to match his size yet struggles to overpower him. It quickly becomes a wrestling match as he turns and tumbles in a struggle with it. He seems to be choking it and unleashing a lot of anger on it along with some mixed emotions. Error walks over and glances at me with a concerned look asking what-am-I-looking-at? I sigh, shaking my head.

"His corrupted side tried to tear away from him and take half his soul but it quickly turned into...this."I say

"I sEe...dO wE dO sOmEtHiNg AbOuT iT oR...?"

Then they stop wrestling and Nightmare slowly rises to his feet. The goop trickles down his body, slowly consuming it and the tentacles stretch from his back again. He hums, seeming pleased as the transformation completes itself and he opens his eye.

"Thanks for the information, Dream. Now it may not take Obscuro to give me back control and perhaps now it knows what happens when it steps out of line."He says

Then he glances at Error and grins.

"Good to see you back, Error. I think I have to find Obscuro so I'll leave you two be. But Dream, I do want to talk to you in private later..."

I nod, seeing him walk out of the room. I glance up at Error and he picks me up with a grin.

"CuDdLeS?"He suggests

"Can I make a request before we cuddle?"

"Go oN..."

My face burns considering my question.

"I umm...wanted to ask if when things become normal again that we could try to...have a first kiss where you're not upset?"

His face burns up.

"We'v3 hAd a fiRsT k1sS...?"

"Ummm...Yeah....You broke the barrier and kissed me while you were upset...It was before the big discussion about prophecies...?"

His face burns even brighter and he nearly drops me as his hands start trembling.

"S0RrY f0r ruInInG iT..."He says quietly

"What?"

"ThAt'S aN iMpOrTaNt ReLaTiOnShiP mOmEnT rIgHt? SORrY tHaT i dIdN't mAkE iT a GoOd oNe..."

"Error, you didn't ruin anything. It was a surprise, sure, but the circumstances didn't make it the best memory...I want you to enjoy it too and remember us both being happy, not stressed...I'm just asking that we have a kiss at a better time...a time when we're actually happy...And maybe when I'm not the size of a five-year-old..."

He nods and I smile.

"Until then, let's cuddle!"I say

He grins, carrying me away.

A few weeks pass and we've gotten past the who is the real Dream or not. Nightmare apologized for the words he said or sentiments that he expressed, treating me like a child specifically, and we've done better here. Error has given plenty of cuddles and it seems better. But then...Will dropped in and it suddenly became a whole new mess.

TBC