A few days later, Dream's POV

A loud rumble is heard and suddenly the air feels heavier as I walk down the hallways. How odd...Things have been peaceful all day. I get up on my toes to look out the window and feel my body tense up, seeing a portal tear itself into the air to open up and let something through. My eyes widen as giggling rings out and a blinding light exits the opening. That means a deity has crossed realms and they can't reveal their form here...Only seen as a large light drifting closer to Error. Error seems frozen in place, knowing as well as I do that beings like Fate have never crossed realms before.

"So this is the little multiverse Positivity is so attentive to! Ooo! Look at all the little people! Ah! This one looks interesting!"

I recognize that voice...It's Will...He picks Error up to examine him. Error struggles but he stops after finding no changes in Will's grip.

"I wonder if I can open screens like they can...they always make it so interesting..."Will says

What is he thinking? Is he trying to mess with Error? Why? How?

He manages to open a screen of Error's code and information.

"Oh! I can! Ooo! It seems it's for his soul! Don't worry, little guy! I won't hurt you! Hmmm, I wonder what this scale does...I wonder what he can do if I remove the limits on it...give him a bit more freedom..."

What is he..? No no no no...

I watch as the scales are adjusted as bars or sliders are moved across a line as if being asked on to rate on a scale of 1-5 the pain level or something. The scales look like a color spectrum with a triangle being moved along it. I can see Error's soul trembling as Will toys with everything he can see. Then he sets Error back down and I can see his body stiffen up, fists clenched. His eyes glow bright pink as if he just consumed Ink's pink vial, yet there was something off...something menacing...about it. What had Will done?

Shit!

I watch as Error runs back toward the castle, his gaze scanning the windows yet not the window I'm in. His pace is quick and his gaze is intense. His emotions are stronger and too mixed for me to understand clearly. I can hardly handle sensing them so intensely...Not knowing what is done to him is also unsettling. On top of that, today our brothers left the castle to explore the village so I'm alone in the castle to deal with Error. Hopefully, Will's arrival will bring them back. But I'm not staying by the window hoping for that... I get a good grip on the curtains, tucking myself behind them and climbing the wall while using it as rope until I get to the bar that the curtains hook onto. I lift myself to grip the ledge above the windowsill that outlines where the walls start to meet the high-arched ceilings. I climb ono the ledge, tucking my feet out of sight and watching the halls below. Error marches through the halls, checking each room as he hums an...ominous tune. It didn't sound very friendly but wasn't threatening either if that makes sense...This situation is becoming more unsettling by the second.

"I see he ran there....But there's no way I'll fit inside so I can't see what he's doing...I should've checked his name...I wonder who else is here..."

"Will get back here right now!"I hear Mom snap

"What? But I just gooo--ooookkaaay."

I hear a portal shut and sigh with relief that he got stopped before he harmed others for his curiosity. Given how intimidated he sounded, Mom must've been glaring him down. Now, what do I do? I should keep moving out of sight until someone comes. I crawl across the ledge, listening to Error hum down below. He never looks up or lifts himself up with his strings. He only checks any room or closet he can, prowling the halls with the careful, precise movements and focus of a predator hunting a target...He doesn't seem to be in control of himself as his eyes intensely fixate on anything yet seem so crazed as they zip around to scan a room. I couldn't help but cling to the walls, feeling the need to hide as he acts like he's hunting an anomaly or working to destroy AUs again. I do not say a word or make a sound that may draw attention to my position. Then I shift to the interior buttresses supporting the hallways' ceiling at an intersection of two connecting paths, watching him quietly march down the halls now and check behind curtains or plants. I see a grin spread on his face.

"WhEn I fInD yOu, DrEaMy, yOu'lL lEaRn wHaT iM rEaLlY cApAbLe oF. My pHobiA b3 dAmnEd, iT wiLl hApPeN. It's OnLy a mAtTer oF tiMe..."

He disappears around a corner and his words sink in. I don't have a clue what he means by that nor do I want to know. I don't think I want to know...not in the state he's in...His humming echoes down the halls but fades after a moment. It becomes quiet...too quiet...Then I see Blip race through the halls, looking around desperately in a panic.

"BroThEr I muSt fIx yOuR cOdE! PlEaSe dOn'T tOuCh aNyThInG oR aNyOnE!"

Error's voice echoes back in a shout that's way too glitched for me to clearly make out. It was like he was trying to say different things at the same time and they were overlapping. One second I hear Help me, stop me and the next I can hear bits of go away. He has to be overwhelmed and whatever Will messed with could make Error conflicting with himself. Blip quickly disappears down the halls to find him and then the echoes of a struggle and doors slamming make their way back to me moments later. I'm not sure if I should move or if I want to. Blip answers this question in my head by suddenly shouting for me, giving me a clear order.

"DrEaM! DrEaM iF yOu cAn hEaR mE r1gHt n0w y0u hAvE t0 l1st3n t0 m3! D0n't g1v3 anY iNdiCaTi0n oF wHeRe y0u aRe aNd sTaY hiDdEn uNtiL i g1v3 tHe aLl-cl3aR! My br0tHer n3eDs t0 b3 hAndl3d!"

I frown, hearing the panic in his voice and shake my head. To think that he's fighting his brother...protecting me...when Will was the one who set this off within minutes...His meddling caused this and I along with Mom, Destiny, and other deities were supposed to be training him so he doesn't cluelessly do things like this...I know my other half has been carefully working to teach him as I've gotten progress reports dropped on my head. I have to make sure Will knows better than to do this again. He cannot make a mess of anybody's code or toy with it aimlessly just to curiously test the impact it has...They aren't toys...Error isn't a toy and this is far too similar to Fate's cruel treatment of Error, whom Will claims to despise. He doesn't like Fate yet randomly selects Error to hurt in the same ways Fate did? He is going to be very sorry, especially after I hear Error's shout of pain before the sound of him crashing with the need to reboot echo through the halls.

Then Nightmare bursts through the doors and I can hear him demanding answers from Blip after he disappears from my sight. Then I can feel the relief in Blip's voice as he responds.

"We juSt nArRowlY aV0idEd a cAtAstr0phe aFtEr a n3wbie eNtiTy aRrivEd hErE. n0ne oF tHe uSuAl entit1es w0ulD c0m3 h3r3 or be s0 sl0pPy aNd clu3leSs...oR duMb en0uGh t0 m3ss wiTh ErRoR's coDe. MoSt 0f hiS limItS wErE rem0veD anD s0m3 paRtS wErE sEt t0 hiS eXtr3m3s, cauSiNg h0rRibl3 c0nfl1cts f0r h1m. A l0ve-driv3n hiGh aNd dEsTruCti0n-spr3e m0de d0n't eXactLy co0perAte weLl oR c0exiSt aT tHe sAm3 t1me with0ut beiNg dAnger0usLy uNpreDictAbl3. EiTheR he'd haVe a s0ul aTtAck seEiNg dr3aM oR kiLl tHe fiRst person h3 seEs. His r3b0oT shOuLd fiX iT."

I frown, climbing out of a ceiling light and sitting on the roof. I close my eyes and focus very carefully on the aura of the other half of my soul, allowing me to appear briefly in the other realm. I start to see what my other half sees and I frown, seeing Will sitting across from me and I get my hearing back just in time to hear his plea for help. He dug himself a hole and wants me to fix it? No, he is going to learn.

"Will, what have you been taught so far?"I ask

"Not to cross realms unless completely necessary...Among other things unless I want to ruin things like Fate...that freak..."

"And what did you do?"I ask

"Broke the rules like Fate...But I wanna help influence things just like everyone else! I want those little people to be free and choose their paths!"He insists

I can sense his honesty and good intentions but shake my head. Removing Fate's limits would be good...if done right.

"Did you understand any of the code you looked at?"I ask

"No, but I saw that he was very limited by Fate! I fixed that by removing it!"He says

"But you did more than removing the restraints on him, didn't you?"I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Yeah..."He says, bowing his head shamefully.

"Did you ask him if you could do that?"

"No..."

"No, you did it without permission and without the proper knowledge to do it right. You did it because you felt like doing it much like how Fate usually treated souls in the multiverses. You can be taught how to do code and work on removing Fate's limitations on them but there has to be a process and consent to it, not something done willy nilly. You violated him and could've harmed him by meddling with his code. I heard his pain after you left and there's no excuse for it. You caused him harm and that cannot happen again because of your reckless ignorance. You have the resources and support around you to learn more and improve...Much more resources than I ever got to guide me for my role so you have no reason not to improve or learn to avoid these mistakes. This is definitely something that has to be worked on with you. You have good intentions but you have to remember that they're people, not toys. I expect you to give him a proper apology at some point soon."I say sternly to scold him.

"Oh come on, I have to appear in front of him again?"He whines. 

"I can take him to you instead so it's a proper face-to-face discussion so that you're not hidden from him or tempted to sneak off and meddle elsewhere. He deserves a proper apology for your mistake. It just may not be now since he's probably very shaken up by your actions and reminded of Fate's abuse. It should be done regardless."

"What's so important about him?"

I narrow his eyes at Will.

"You're telling me that you don't even realize who you violated? Even when you had his code in your hands? I'm adding studies of balance keepers and time in the tapestry room to your to-do list. If you want to influence the multiverse, you have to know the do's and dont's and who is who in it. For your information, that was Error that you violated."

Will gasps, looking shocked.

"The balance keeper of destruction?! I violated his code?"

I nod and he looks horrified.

"You owe him an apology. No excuses."

"Okay..."He says, bowing his head again.

"I'll handle him for now, my child."Mom says as she enters.

I relax with a sigh and nod, letting my other half regain control. My view of that realm slips away until I see darkness and feel the smooth edges of the roof where I sit. I open my eyes, seeing the clear sky and shake my head. Hopefully my words stick with him but they certainly won't be the last. I'm sure he will continue to be scolded for a bit. Then I hear loud voices calling for me so I drop back down through the ceiling window onto the buttress. I see Nightmare running through the halls and searching every room with Error quickly following to help him. He must've rebooted quickly. I glance around, realizing that there's no easy way down and that it's a miracle that my crawling and hopping got me here at all.

"How did I get up here again...?"I mutter, glancing around for a possible ledge to climb down from.

Error glances up and quickly fires his strings to lift himself up to me. I can see the worry on his face and he quickly throws himself at me. I can feel the waves of relief that his soul just experienced as his shoulders slump and his arms lock around me. I hear him sigh softly, gently holding the back of my skull and I feel some relief wash over me as well. Blip was right. He seems much better now and back to himself at least. 

"I d0n't r3m3mbeR mUcH aFtEr b3iNg piCkEd uP...I reMeMbEr fe3liNg mY c0de gEt chAnGeD...tHeN PaPs maDe m3 r3b0ot bUt it'S a bLuR...I diDn'T hUrT y0u, diD i?"He asks quietly with his head tucked over my shoulder.

"I'm okay, Error. I'm just glad you are..."

"H0w'd y0u gEt uP hErE?"

"I climbed the walls and stayed hidden like your brother told me to. I'm sorry, Error."

"SorRy?"

"Sorry that you were toyed with like that...That was the new entity Will that picked you up. Despite his hate for Fate, he did the same things I know Fate has done to harm you...I'm sorry about that but unlike with Fate, you'll get an apology from him when he's done getting scolded."

"WhAt d0 y0u kn0w aBoUt WiLl?"

"He wants to be nothing like Fate and give more freedom to the multiverses that they watch over from that realm...He wants to remove any limits Fate put in place, which he did with you but he doesn't really have the knowledge to do so...I was told that the smaller Fate's influence gets, the more likely that multiverses can gain different qualities and lead to new deities to form and represent those qualities...That was before Nightmare's wish but Will is probably one of those new deities that formed after Fate lost some power...Fate was pretty torn up after our fights so it would give an opening for newbies to appear while Fate is weak...especially the kind that oppose Fate..."

"MaYbE hE rEpReSeNtS fReE wiLL?"

"That would make sense...But he has to learn how to make changes without crossing the lines...I don't want to see you like that again or anyone...You sounded like you were in pain before Blip made you reboot...And he definitely needs to do his research because he didn't even know who you were."

He chuckles, shaking his head.

"So i cAn'T fInD pEaCe bEcAuSe th3 oNes liKe fAtE kNoW mE 0r cAN ReCoGniZe mE bUt y0u'rE saYiNg tHaT i Am AlSo iN dAnGeR wHeN tHeY d0n't kNoW mY idEnTiTy? JuSt cAn'T wIn."He says

"You will be kept safe, Error. I won't let that happen again and I'm sure that it will be made very clear very soon what isn't tolerated. There's always a solution and even if there wasn't, I'd make one so you wouldn't get hurt Erry."I say, then feel him lift me into his arms.

He smiles at me as he cradles me in his arms and hops back down to the floor with his strings cushioning his landing. Then I see Mom appear in front of us.

"He has a long line of folks scolding him now and forcing him to study. He will be busy until tomorrow at a minimum. I apologize for any suffering his actions caused you, Error. I truly hope you are better. Do you need anything to help your recovery?"

Error glances at me, looking so confused. 

"UuMm, n0o? My r3b0oT fiXeS aLl oF iT...WhY w0uLd y0u cArE?"

"You are my son's boyfriend. Of course I would care. I see the matching earrings and what the tapestries have shown. I may have been gone for years but I know what relationships can lead to when they're really happy together. I'd want any future son-in-law to be cared for properly."

Both our faces burn up and he nearly drops me.

"Mom, what do you mean by tapestry?"I ask

"It doesn't take much to know what's in your future when the tapestries make it so obvious. One of his strings tied around your ring finger and everything including you seems happy in the tapestry tells me all that I really need to know. And the earrings he made don't really hide the fact that it's likely."

I glance at Error quietly as he puts me down.

Did he give another gift without realizing the interpretations or connotations surrounding it again? First the strings on my wings, now the earrings? Is that why this is happening? Do these earrings have some deeper meaning and hint that we will be...? Oh...

"I'll...IlL g0 t0 tHe liBrArY..."

He slips away and I glance at Mom.

"On aNoThEr n0t3...We've figured out how to transfer the tapestries you've protected over to me, including your loved ones. We've also figured out how to return you back completely so it's only a matter of time."

"Is it...safe? I know this whole situation has been improvised so are we sure it's going to be solved safely? I know it's inevitable but it's kind of scary..."

She gently cups my cheek with a soft smile and understanding gaze. She gives a small nod.

"I understand your concern so that's why I won't make promises that mislead you into thinking it will be perfectly fine without any uncertainties to come. I will not give false hope. But you can take comfort in the fact that if anything goes wrong, I will fight to get you back and punish any who seek to harm you, much like the loved ones surrounding you. This prophecy nearly took you away and I'll have to be eliminated from every possible realm before I let that happen. No matter what happens, you will be kept safe."

I nod, feeling comforted by those words. Then she fades away with a small wave. I should probably check on Error...I make my way to the library and once inside, quickly notice the various strings snatching books off of shelves. I also notice a recurring theme of the titles and shake my head. He's researching gifts or actions that may have deeper meaning especially in romantic relationships...I follow them back to, finding him hidden behind stacks of books as he leans against a wall to read. His glasses are on and his scarf is pulled up but it does little to hide the bright glow on his face and his anxious glitching. 

"Sooo, are we gonna talk about that or are you just going to research it?"

He jolts, looking at me, pulling his scarf up higher nervously and looking away.

"I'll take that as a no...There's more good news to share. My mom says that they found a way to transfer the tapestries I've protected over to her...so nobody like Fate will cause harm or get too much power again. And they've found a way to return my soul here...completely...make my soul complete again...Everything has been improvised so far but soon we can put this mess behind us."

He glances at me and grins.

"I aM sUrE 0bsCur0 wiLl bE haPpY t0 maKe sn0w aRmiEs iN fr0nT oF y0ur h0m3 aGaIn. He seEmS t0 b3 geTtiNg rEsTlEsS."

"So you're saying this place is getting tiring?"

"ThIs uTopiA iS w0nDeRfUl dReAm. I'm jUsT n0t sUrE h0w l0ng p3rf3ct1oN cAn bE...d3sirEd i gu3Ss? SuRe, tHiS iS tHe eMboDimEnt oF cHaOs w3 arE tAlKiNg aBoUt s0 hE cAn eAsiLy gEt tiReD oF pErFeCt pEaCe, bUt aNyOnE cAn gEt sIcK oF a pErFeCt RoutInE. I tHiNk mAnY aRe rEaDy t0 g0 baCk t0 s0meThInG rEaL. MeSsY, buT rEaL. AnD tHaT's 0ur muLtiVeRsE. S0met1mEs wE d0n't n3eD fAnCy cAsTlEs oR pErfEctlY crAfTeD sCeNeS t0 b3 hAPpY. SiMpl3 tHiNgS lik3 mY bEaNbAg wItH uNdErn0v3lA oR ObsCur0 pLaYiNg wiTh y0u iN y0ur h0m3 iS eNouGh. Th3 siMplE, reAl th1ngS cAn maKe iT aLl worThwHilE...tHaT oR i'vE bEeN liSteNiNg t0 SwAp's 0pt1miStiC rAnTs t0o muCh."He says with a chuckle and shake of his head.

"That sounds...really nice..."I say

Perhaps I want to return to the simple things too...

TBC