Mark followed the pull that dragged his soul away from Robbin's memory of the ceremony; he passed by multiple memories within Robins head, each once framed under a different name, a different emotion, some under words he didn't understand. He looked forward, his soul being pulled through what would have been the 'wall' of Robbins mind, he closed his eyes expecting something big, but instead, he entered a dark hall. This new place didn't have the light, and fluffy atmosphere like robins mind had had, Mark felt isolated and tense, and he felt a darkness trying to surround him. "Where are we?" Mark asked as he felt Dark shiver the further into the hall they walked, looking around at the darkness that coated boxes which were holding memories.

'I-I never knew it was th-this bad,' Dark stuttered guiltily, 'Anti had said the da-darkness was growing but this…' he trailed off, looking at each memory trying to fight the darkness that was encasing it.

"Growing darkness?" Mark asked confused he tried to look around his own mind for what Dark meant before a knowing realisation hit him, "Where in…" Dark jumped before Mark was able to finish his sentence. Mark knew where they were? Was the memory spell finally wearing off or was bring in the mind of his love bringing memory after memory back. There was no way for Dark to check which it was until the bond was broken as he didn't want to cause strain to be placed upon Marks soul, ultimately causing stress to Robins or Frith's mind, never mind his own.

'Yes, Mark, welcome to Frith's mind.' Dark said a hint of sadness held in his voice, looking around worried.

"Why has the darkness got worse?"

'I don't know Mark…' Dark said honestly, sure he had theories, but that's all they were theories... 'Mark?' Dark whispered, Mark never responded, but Dark knew he was listening. 'Mark, do you think we-we-we caused this?' Again there was no answer, but an anxious feeling filled the pit of both men's souls. 'Mark, can I?'

"Yes Dark," Mark responded within his mind understanding Darks wishes to take over, he was just as worried seeing Frith as he was, neither knew how the man was going to react, neither knew how they were going to react.

'It's not that I believe you can't do thi-'

"I understand Dark," Marks voice a little raspy, "Please try to bring him into the light just a little, buy us some more time."

'Easier said than done, I'm afraid, time… well, time isn't usually on our hands.' Dark sighed as if remembering a bad memory as a dark light closed in on them, suffocating them.

…

They had awoken in the room Mark had seen in his recent dream; however, the view of the circus paper across the walls had started to tear, and the lantern in the middle of the room was no longer there. They were sat in Erebus' old room which was now held within the shadows of Frith's mind. 'You're not wrong there. He thought we were dead. I think he may still believe that." Dark explained struggling to hold the body up as Mark remembered more, causing the voice to be shaken as the memories hit them like a wave against a ship at sea during a storm.

"Erebus?" Someone shouted from the other side of the door to Erebus; the voice caused both Mark's and Dark's heart to jump back into breathing. The suffocating darkness and the constant wave of memories stopped, Dark tried to stand.

"F-F-Fri-" Dark was unable to come to bring himself to talk, his voice disappearing into a silent sob; his right eye started tearing up. Mark tried to comfort the voice, but he was struggling himself. That voice, that loveable, stupid, Irish voice, it triggered him. It triggered something within Dark and Marks soul, causing them to merge and the body they inhabited became the true Erebus.

Both eyes were now crying as he stood and walked over to the door, turning the handle at the same time the handle was being turned on the opposite side. Before their entity got to open the door fully, it disappeared, obliterated into a million pieces. Frith's body spasmed as he tried to stop a sob from falling from his lips; it was like a dream come true. Both circus men had tears streaming from their eyes, but their expression was black and lost as though either knew how to feel. Frith held his face with a mixture of anger, sadness but mostly hope, while Erebus held a mixture of sadness, guilt and relief. "Hi," Erebus chocked out a soft smiling spreading across his face, Frith jumped at the sudden noise within the silent room and moved closer to the American, his hand raised.

SMACK! Frith dropped his hand back down as Erebus brought his up to his face, a red mark appeared across his left cheek, he chuckled gripping it. Before he was able to apologies the Irish man had pulled him into a tight hug, his body entangled around the Americans, Erebus brought his arms around the Irish man's body, and they stood crying into each other's shoulders. Frith gripped desperately against the body he was holding, making sure he was real and not something he had created in his last moments of desire. They had each other, they finally had each other for a moment and this moment was there's. This was all they wanted, just the two of them together, they can forget what's happened, they can live in this dream world, for now, live in each other.

"Hi," Frith finally whispered back into Erebus' shoulder. "Hi, hello, hola, bonjour, don't go…" Jack sighed desperately, clinging onto the man.

"I'm here Frith," Erebus stated, pulling his hand through the green hair, Frith relaxed into the touch, "I'm not going anywhere, not yet." They sat for what felt like hours, months, and years just in each other's company. Their hearts connected, their minds connecting as the room went from being a dreary darkness to a bright light, a place which Erebus felt at home, a room where Frith lost a little of his darkness.

Frith looked up to Erebus with Glossy eyes, "Thank you." Erebus looked down the same gloss eyes confused.

"Thank you?"

"I'm only here because of you; I'm only still here because of your darn stupid fucking music box, I knew you were alive, at least a part of you. The music box still plays as if you had never left; it still understands these stupid fucking emotions!"

Music box? Erebus laughed, letting go of the Irish man, untangling himself from the long wanted hug, the long wanted attention. He stood up; walking over the cabinet which he remembered held the box only to find it empty. He turned to Frith in a panic, watching him looking down guiltily bring the music box out from under the pillow of the bed. "I have it close by, I open it every night, before every show, before I leave and try to forget you..." Frith choked on as Erebus eyes dropped and tears threatened to fall from his face again, he walked back over the Irish man and placed his hands onto Frith's check, watching as the man pushed against it, a tear falling against the hotness of his skin and Erebus' heart jumps.

Both men felt a pride being placed in their step again; both men felt a reason to live, a reason to try. Of course, they knew that what they had now was going to have to end and they were going to have to suffer a little while longer. But both men remembered they still had a reason to keep fighting, fighting for their happy ending.

Erebus lets go of Frith, taking the little music box out of his hands, opening it to play an old war song, Frith laughed Erebus always knew how to control this box. The red-haired man started to sing along to the tune. "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day." Frith starts to cry again, knowing he was going to have to server the bonds before it became corrupted from the negative thoughts of leaving the American again.

Sighing, Frith stands and sings along with Erebus as dancing together in the circus room- "Keep smiling though, just like you always do, till the blue sky drive the dark cloud far away." Erebus wipes a tear away from Frith's eye before placing his chin on top of the green head, singing deeper.

"So will you please say hello to the folks that I know, tell them I won't be long."

'Don't worry Mark, Dark they'll know. They'll know you're safe; I'll make sure they keep fighting! '

"They'll be happy to know that as you saw me go, I was singing this song." Erebus started to fade singing the last part of the song, pulling at Frith's hearts strings.

"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when but I know we'll meet again some sunny day."

They both hummed along to the rest as Frith was forced to leave his happy moment with Erebus. Both Erebus and Frith had warm, fed hearts and souls; they had remembered each other not through memories but through the connection of their souls, if you could count their 'souls' as souls.

Little do they know this might be the last happy moment they both witness together, little do they know the darker times ahead of them. Little do they know the sadness and pain about to strike their hearts. Little do they know this paragraph is not a foreshadow, but a hope. A hope of a horrible, vile man, who has caused these two pain from the moment they were born…