Sean was restless in sleep. His memories tormenting him with random bits, until he couldn't take it and sat up. Beside him, Illinois snored away with his arm draped over Sean's side. Moving Illinois' arm off him carefully, he did his best not to wake him. Then he rubbed his tired and sore eyes. He felt awful. It was a strange feeling to know who he was after thinking he was someone so different. The weight of remembering his family and worrying about where they were was a heavy one. Twisting the ring around on his finger, he bowed his head and tried to relax. Illinois had been right. The memories and feelings were a lot for him to take in at once. He felt like he'd messed up. That he was the cause for Wonderland's suffering. Even if he felt like that wasn't entirely true... it was hard to convince himself that it wasn't. Would his family ever forgive him? How could he convince Anti that he was family... when Mark corrupted the pearl that made him? He just couldn't sleep with these thoughts swirling in his mind. He needed to find answers. Seeing everyone sleeping, Sean began to tap his heel impatiently as he listened to the clock tick away at a slow steady pace.

He didn't want to wait. He thought he might just go crazy from waiting, until S34N asked him from a corner. "Something on your mind?" Sean glanced at him, mumbling out quietly. "I'm just eager to start the day." S34N ran his hand through Bingiplier's hair as Bing appeared to sleep on his lap. In the other corner, CyberNateic was sitting very still with data running over his eyes. S34N smirked a little, telling him calmly. "You should get some rest while you can. Your body isn't designed to go without sleep. Like ours." Sean shrugged, uttering out softly. "I can't. And if that's true... What is he doing?" Sean smiled a little, pointing to Bing. S34N smiled as he answered nicely. "He went into sleep mode because he was bored. He doesn't like sitting still and being quiet." S34N traced a finger down along Bing's nose, then stroked his knuckles down his cheek. Watching him, Sean asked very gently. "I didn't know you liked him." S34N tilted his head back against the wall, stating out with a smug grin. "I didn't at first. Over time though, I found that I rather like his approach to things. I do things so methodically and keep things so organized. He's not like that. It can be annoying but there are times when he surprises me. I like being surprised."

Curious, Sean asked him openly. "What does he do to surprise you?" S34N looked down at Bing, before saying warmly. "Different things. There was a time when I was working really hard. Keeping busy by just finding things to fix and do. He walked in and for no reason... he gave me this." Sean reached under the collar of his shirt to pull out a little necklace with a long computer chip pendent. Sean raised an eyebrow, prompting S34N to tell with him a little blush. "His heart had to be replaced and he took one of the old processing chips from it. He made it into a necklace and told me that I was the reason that his heart stopped." S34N bowed his head, biting his lip a little, before adding happily. "I tried to tell him that I did nothing to him but... he just smiled and told me that he wanted me to have a piece of his heart. It was the first time that I felt something that I wasn't programmed to feel." S34N looked over the chip, then tucked it back under his shirt, chuckling out as he met Sean's eyes. "Things like that." Sean nodded to him in return. He was glad that S34N was happy. Then he asked curiously. "What are you doing here though? I thought you and the others were working with Calculester? Monitoring time throughout Wonderland and that sort of thing."

S34N's expression faded a bit before informing him. "After the King of Hearts took over, he tried to capture Calculester. When he couldn't. He took us. However, none of us could help the King of Hearts with information because we locked it away. He became frustrated and sent us to the Walrus to see if he could reprogram us or dig out the information. We didn't. However... Googleplier suffered too much under the King of Spades. It changed him. It made him as ruthless as them. They upgraded him to make the rest of us jealous... but we can see how unhappy Googleplier is. They took his freedom and made him obedient. To disobey causes him pain. Through it all though... even he hasn't told them what they want to know. We don't know why." Sean straightened up a little, asking curiously. "Calculester sent me to find you. Is it possible that he knows how to track Anti down?" S34N huffed, blurting out. "Of course. He's Time. He knows where everyone is. But I think it would be a waste of his time." Sean narrowed his eyes on him, until CyberNateic suddenly told them casually. "Ya. It's no surprise where he'll be. The King of Hearts is throwing a party. He's getting ready for it now." S34N shook his head, slipping in. "He's probably going to scold the others for not being able to get his ring back. And losing his Oysters..."

CyberNateic chuckled, replying lightly. "That is part of it. But it gets worse. He's going to behead the rebels that he has as a show of his firm grip on Wonderland." S34N's smile faded as he uttered out. "I want to say that I'm surprised but I'm not. He does this every other week... but... most of the rebels are family. What is he planning to..." S34N drifted off as something occurred to him, causing him to drop his head into his hand. Sean shrugged confused, waiting until CyberNateic informed him grimly. "If he gets you and Nathan back... He'll have the ability to kill us off and replace us with versions that... are more of what he WANTS us to be." Sean tensed a little, telling them softly. "I don't think I want to take the risk of going there without the blade. I can't face them and get the blade from Anti..." S34N looked up from his hand, telling CyberNateic curiously. "We could take him to Calculester... He can lure Anti away. Long enough for us to talk to him." CyberNateic rolled his eyes, retorting sternly. "Every time you have tried in the past, he shuts you down or breaks you. What makes you think he'll listen now? And we'd be risking Calculester's life by luring Anti there. Which is exactly what the King of Hearts wants."

S34N shrugged, stating back swiftly. "Maybe it is about time that he got into this fight. The King is going to kill members of my family and yours too. I've accounted for the risks. Same as you. The odds are a little uneven... but still good. If we lose them... the odds become less favorable." CyberNateic straightened up a bit, grumbling out. "This could be a trap." S34N nodded, telling him a bit snarkily. "All the more reason to go ask. Right?" CyberNateic leaned back more comfortably against the wall, uttering out softly. "Ya... I guess." A moment of silence passed between them, before CyberNateic softly stated out. "Maybe he can help me save Nathan..." Sean looked to Nathan, who still appeared to just be asleep. While Akern slept next to him with his hand resting on Nathan's hand. Slowly getting up to his feet, Sean moved closer to Nathan. Resting his hands on the footboard, Sean closed his eyes and thought of every memory he could recall with Nathan. From the corner, CyberNateic asked softly. "Sean?" Sean raised a hand to stop him, then opened his eyes to walk carefully over the others to reach Nathan's side.

Standing at his side, Sean raised his hand to look at the Ring of Wonderland. The red diamond glinted, and Sean smirked to himself. He'd charged it. He just needed to remember how to use it. Touching the ring, he took a few breaths before leaning down and whispering into Nathan's ear. "Nathan? If you can hear me... Think about waking up. You have to want it too." Moving Akren's hand off, Sean took ahold of Nathan's hand in his ring hand. Akern stirred, asking groggily. "What are you doing...?" Sean ignored his question, focusing on his desire for Nathan to wake up. The ring started to glow a bright red, before turning a soft warm pink that drifted down Nathan's arm. When all of Nathan's skin had turned the that warm pink, it slowly faded away before Nathan's eyes slowly opened. Akern stumbled off the bed in his shock, stepping on Illinois who grunted and shoved him to the floor with a curse. Akern's yelp and loud fall, woke everyone with a start. Sean stayed still though, smiling as he saw Nathan weakly glance around and wince out. "Where am I?" Sean released his hand, telling him happily. "Someplace safe for now. How are you feeling?"

Nathan opened his mouth to answer, but his stomach did it for him. The entire room laughed, causing Nathan to blush. Sean got up off the bed, moving away as Akern crawled over the bed hesitantly. The look on Nathan's face said it all when he softly purred out. "I know you..." Akern's eyes teared up, when he replied in a broken voice. "Hi, baby." Nathan's hands shook weakly when he raised them to cup Akern's face, pulling him close enough to kiss him. When Akern broke the kiss to breathe, he mumbled out so emotionally that Sean had to move away. "Next time... Take me with you. Don't sneak out. That wasn't fair. I didn't get to say goodbye." Nathan kissed him, whispering to him lovingly. "I didn't intend to say that... but I will say this. Good morning, Squirrel." As Sean inched passed Wilford, Wilford sniffled and hugged a squirming Squirrel to his chest as he said aloud. "That's so beautiful..." Nearby. Sean saw Bandit looking at Wilford from under the brim of his jet black cowboy hat with eyes that longed to be that squirming squirrel. Reaching the other side of the bed, Illinois sat up, but CyberNatic asked him curiously. "How did you do that? I tried everything."

Sean lifted his hand to twist the ring around his finger, mumbling out. "The Ring runs on the imagination of an Oyster like myself. When we dream or image things... The ring charges up. It's a vessel for our Pearls and a key that allows us to get around every location in Wonderland. If I can think of it. I can make it happen with this, but it does have limitations. I didn't force Nathan to wake. He had to want it as well. In a way... you could say that I broke the curse they put him under." CyberNateic looked confused, before Sean explained more. "That 'King for a Day' program. It got me thinking that... maybe Mark used a Pearl to lock Nathan in a dream state. Allowing them to harvest him without resistance. They put him in a dream that he'd never want to wake from. But the longer he was in... the more he realized where he was. So, I decided to use a pearl of my own to wake him." CyberNateic looked a little impressed, saying coolly to him. "It's good to have you back, Highness." Sean blushed, then turned to face Illinois. Illinois smiled at him, then took his hands and pulled him down onto their little bed setup. S34N slowly got to his feet as Bing sat up, telling the others warmly. "Well, since we're all up. How about some breakfast? Coffee anyone?"

All around the room came soft agreements, but Sean mumbled out to Illinois. "I can't eat it... Or I'll..." Sean gestured to his height growing, but S34N coolly told him. "You're fine here. The food here isn't all that natural. Most everything here is artificially grown and made. So, it won't have that effect. Still good though. Or so I'm told." Relaxing, Sean leaned back between Illinois' legs to rest with his back against his chest. Hugging him, Illinois whispered over his shoulder. "Should I start calling you... your highness now?" Smiling, Sean looked into his eyes and told him coolly. "No. Call me, Sean. We're not out of the woods yet. We still need to find the blade." While S34N began making breakfast, Sean informed the others about their plan to go see Calculester. The others looked a little nervous about the idea. While Bandit asked him. "Wouldn't causing a scene be just as effective to get Anti's attention? I'm sure meeting Calculester would be one way to find him, but I think we'd all feel safer NOT putting him at risk." Sean nodded, telling them honestly. "I know. But if we try to lure Anti in any other way, we don't know if he'll come alone. If he'll come at all. Natemare might beat him to us."

Wilford waved his hand to draw attention to himself, before stating aloud. "If I could interject here. I think you all are forgetting something." All eyes turned on him. Wilford then leaned back against the wall, petting the reluctant squirrel, while he shrugged out innocently. "Anti is the King of Clovers." When no one said anything, Wilford exhaled out under his breath. "Bloody hell... I'll spell it out for you then. If you want Anti... Simply go to his kingdom." Sean blinked, looking back at the androids. Bing crossed his arms, blurting out in shock. "You want to give Anti homefield advantage? Look, I'm no expert on the Glitch Bitch. But I know enough about him that that is a terrible idea." Wilford lazily glared at Bing, stating out dryly. "It's only a terrible idea if you don't know how to handle him." Illinois rolled his eyes, asking gruffly. "What is that supposed to mean?" Wilford pushed his top hat up a bit, telling Illinois a bit snippy. "It means that Anti may be a nightmare... but he is still a person. When Mark created Damien, the three of us were inseparable. When Mark used a pearl on Damien to turn him into a nightmare... it didn't change who he is all that much. If I can still find a way to talk Darkiplier into listening to ME. Then you can still talk to Anti."

Illinois scoffed, blurting out. "ME? No way in hell. He doesn't-" Wilford cut Illinois off to gesture toward Sean, correcting innocently. "Not you. Him." S34N turned from making breakfast to say very softly. "I don't know... You knew Damien before he became Darkiplier. Anti didn't know Sean before he was created." Wilford crossed his legs, calmly saying with pride. "That's not his fault. Imagine feeling like you are family but not. Anti feels isolated because you treat him like that. I say, we let Sean talk to Anti." Nathan sat up a little, slipping in uneasily. "But Wilford... If Sean goes there... He's going to run into the Blood Hunter. And they've never had the best... interactions." To Be Continued...