Chapter 11
[ Everyone screams as they fall - even when you jump on purpose ]
We hated him, we always hated him, we'd never stop hating him. Hate him for his sins, his blindness, his inability to help anyone, his inability to help his brother.
We hated him, we despised him, we hated him. The worst kind, the fallen guardian, the one we didn't want, we didn't want anymore.
And yet he had tried, he had tried everything. Tried to help, to fix the situation, to save his brother from his powerful torment. To stop this war, to resolve this conflict, to find a complicity of yesteryear, a love that he missed so much.
He was ready for anything, anything at all. You're always ready for anything out of love, but mostly out of desperation.
He'd done anything.
"I can understand you now!"
He was so proud when he said this, that he gave his twin that broad smile...
And that he had a bite of this apple.
That apple that had finished corrupting him.
[Who had made him a shattered dream]
Strange thing to be standing in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by the surrounding forest which was taking on a disturbing appearance as the sun was waning.
The hour was coming slowly, very slowly, to the great displeasure of Dream who felt his apprehension growing and oppressing him. He tried to reassure himself by smelling the smell of fresh grass, that smell that mixes nature after the passage of rain, which usually had the gift of pleasing the guardian of dreams. But not this time. But this time... was far too different.
Nightmare stood not far from him, watching for the right moment to begin the ritual. He seemed worried, which did not reassure Dream who came to seek comfort from the others.
The Bads Sans, as well as Ink and Error, stood much further away, so as not to interfere with the ritual while being able to intervene if things went wrong. But it wasn't going to go wrong, was it? Dream tried in vain to convince himself of that, without any real success.
However, when he saw Cross and Dust smiling at him and lifting their thumbs, he found himself smiling back. The message from his friends was clear: "Everything is going to be all right. "
He took a breath, bringing his gaze back to the sky. Everyone had worked so hard to help him... he thought he'd never get any support...
He had to succeed.
[He had to do it for his comrades, for them who had done so much for him.]
[ But it was only fair. Dream had helped them so much in the past... it's a good thing they returned the favor! Otherwise, the bastards could run if they asked him for help again!]
The guard froze. What did he just think?
He shook his head.
The others helped him out of pity. Once he was healed, they would turn away from him again and ... ]
Dream took his head in his hands, trying to repress the thoughts that assailed him. They weren't coming from him, he knew they weren't coming from him! He had never thought, would never think such a thing!
[Except the others didn't like him. The others...]
Dream slapped himself, squealed under his own violence, his cheek throwing him furiously. But it at least had the gift of holding on to reality, of ignoring the negativity that was trying to grab him.
"Dream? Are you gonna be okay? " asked his brother, puzzled to see him hit himself like that.
New inspiration, before the little dream looks at him with determination:
"Yeah. It's gonna be okay."
The answer that brought a smile to Nightmare's face: seeing his twin regain his composure inflated his own determination.
"Well, good. Prepare yourself then, the ritual will begin soon."
Further on, Cross covered them with a worried look. Like the rest of the group, he was unaware of the nature of this ritual, and feared what was to come. His greatest fear now was that one of the twins might get hurt, and he was preparing to intervene at any moment.
Nightmare and Dream, now immersed in their bubble, placed themselves in front of each other, silent. They knew exactly what they had to do, they had done it many times in the past. They took a breath at the same time, before each one curtseyed without taking their eyes off the other.
Nightmare delicately reached out his hand to his brother in a natural and refined gesture.
This gesture made Dream smile and he had this pleasant shiver, this impression of going back to childhood, of redoing the same ritual as before. He accepted the hand with joy, slipping his phalanges into the outstretched palm, smiling more at the gentle warmth that invaded his body and his cheekbones.
The master of misfortune gently pulled his brother against him, and after they had exchanged a knowing glance, they began a waltz under the amazement of their comrades.
Comrades who couldn't believe their eyes, stunned. Neither of them expected such a spectacle, that the dreaded ritual was actually a princely dance between the two brothers, a dance that the twins mastered without the slightest problem, linking fluid movements, movements they knew by heart and that came naturally to them.
Dust found himself drawn in, hypnotized by their dance, the gold and black moving in perfect harmony, seemingly wanting to blend into one. The skeleton was so concentrated on this spectacle that he didn't notice the sky changing colour. The light and the darkness seemed to come alive through the crackling magic in the air, and finally it was as if the sun and the moon came to unite over the two brothers as they continued their dance, as if cut off from the outside world, enclosed in their bubble of intimacy.
The two twins, who continued their waltz without turning away from their objective, held their breath without paying attention to it, while they noticed a slight glow floating around them, that supernatural glow they had observed many times in the past.
Dream recognized the familiar sensation of a soft warmth, a tender warmth that enveloped and cajoled him, alleviating his apprehension, grabbing his negativity in small sips, pushing him to close his eyes and savor the well-being that took place inside him. This well being that almost made him purr as he let himself go more against his brother. ...
Before you get hit hard, smash into a tree.
His spine cracked on impact. Dream uttered a muffled scream, pain twisting him as he collapsed to the ground, troubled, a furious pain forcing him to curl up on himself while he felt his well-being being erased with a wave of his hand, as if it had never existed.
"DREAM!"
Nightmare's scream barely reached him, the pungent taste of blood filled his mouth, and he felt his consciousness sink into negativity once again.
[The ritual failed, you can't even do it right!]
He squealed, he didn't want to think that, HE DID NOT WANT TO THINK THAT!
He didn't have to think... He was too terrified to do it. Terrified by a voice, by this new individual who overhung him in a morbid sneer:
"It's late Dream. Did you know that broken dreams happen in the night?"
The young guard raised his head with difficulty, with tears in his eyes:
"...Shattered…"
The smile of his double widens to the understanding of his name. Before suddenly tensing up, and stepping aside to dodge the appendix that Nightmare projected towards him.
"Don't go near him!" scolded the master of misfortune whose ice-blue pupil glowed with fury.
The order made Shattered laugh, whose tentacles were shaking:
"Or else what? You gonna kill me? You'd still have to be able to do it."
Nightmare scolded, prepared to attack him, but petrified when Shattered suddenly grabbed Dream by the collar before putting it right in front of him, like a shield.
"You wouldn't dare hurt your brother, would you?" questioned the broken dream. Oh, but how stupid of me! Of course you are! You've got the time to do it!"
The nightmares turned pale and cold sweaty, as Dream tried in vain to struggle despite his confusion. Shattered would have laughed about it once more, but he was interrupted by wires thrown in his direction, which he dodged with a skillful teleportation, to reappear a few meters further and face Error who shot him with his eyes.
The corrupted dream uttered a sneer, watching the skeletons that came to stand beside the Destroyer to fight him:
"The Destroyer and the Creator, and the bad guys without... Shattered enumerated. You've surrounded yourself well, Dream. Surrounded by all those who will eventually stab you in the back!"
Dream swallows, his throat dry, his body becoming more and more painful with each passing second:
"The-the ellipse…" he articulated with difficulty.
Making his executioner giggle again... until Ink beamed behind his back, and the violent brushstroke he received in the ribs.
Shattered uttered an exclamation of suffering, turned round sharply to kick the Creator, who dodged it without harm. But the shattered dream did not miss the reddish pupils of the Artist, and as he dodged a second blow, his smile became even worse than before:
"I can't believe you're capable of real emotion."
A spike that made Ink shudder, unsettling him for a moment. A moment that was enough for Shattered to hit him head on with a tentacle, propelling him several meters backwards without the slightest difficulty.
Error was petrified when he heard the howling of his companion, and without the slightest hesitation he once again drew his sons towards Shattered. Shattered used his appendages to protect himself, wince at the sight of them being disintegrated by the Destroyer. And to make matters worse for him, Horror and Killer threw themselves at him in turn, drawing axe and knife to slice their enemy.
Shattered owed his survival only to Dream, which he always held firmly against him. Thus, his opponents found themselves hesitant, refusing to hurt their friend in order to touch their enemy. Especially since Dream was getting weaker and weaker: a single blow could finish him off.
Nightmare and Dust stayed back, waiting for the right time to intervene. They couldn't afford to throw themselves into the fray now, at the risk of touching their comrades. And damn it, even though Shattered was in trouble, he didn't let it show any flaws!
Meanwhile, Cross had teleported to Ink to support him. Luckily, the Creator was only a little stunned and had no trouble getting up. But if he went back into battle, the swordsman preferred to stay behind. Out of fear? Yes. Out of fear that Dream's soul - which he always had in his possession - might be hurt. And it was that same fear, that same apprehension, that caused him to suddenly open a portal to another UA.
[BROCKDOWN]
Shattered gnashed his teeth, cornered on all sides, and holding Dream only made his movements more difficult.
[ SHIT ]
He felt his soul pulsating with panic, anguish and terror flowing into his body and accompanying the cold sweat that ran through him.
The usual. He was all alone. Him against everyone, against the whole world.
He used to.
Yes ... He used to... ahah. Ahahah. ...Ahahah. ...
[HE KNEW VERY WELL HOW TO GET OUT OF IT]
He stood still.
Horror and Killer, in the heat of the moment, took this as a mistake, a moment of weakness for their opponent. Dust thought the same thing, believing he had finally found a loophole, and accompanied his friends who threw themselves at him with the same fury as before ... before fainting at the crazy smile of the broken dream.
The next moment, they didn't know how their wrists were imprisoned in anti-magic bracelets. All they captured was a vivid teleportation sound, the icy bite of metal, and the sudden disappearance of Shattered ... who simply reappeared behind Horror and Killer, pushing them into a portal out of nowhere. A portal leading straight to a precipice.
Time stood still for a second. They each felt as if they were floating above the void for a long, long, long time ... but it was only an illusion, a hope came, before gravity took over, tipped them backwards, fell straight to certain death. Faraway screams, those of their friends, resounded loudly, came crashing into their souls without the slightest sweetness. Only then did the information reach their consciences, and terror gripped them brutally.
They were falling into the void. They were going to crash down.
Killer was the first to scream, soon followed by his friend. But their voices ceased at the same time, replaced by a hiccup of stupor as their fall came to an abrupt halt, their arms being held tightly, wrenching a sharp pain out of them that was far less than their fear.
Dust had thrown himself towards them without thinking, had desperately grabbed an arm from each of them, before bending and ending up on the ground, his body on either side of the gate, his two friends hanging in the void.
"Shit... !" weighed down the skeleton of dust, which was already beginning to tremble under the weight of his comrades.
He wasn't strong enough to wind them up, barely strong enough to hold them up, and the damn bracelets kept the three of them from teleporting.
Nightmare became livid, took a step towards his henchmen to help them, but Shattered's wild laughter made his head spin, and he had no time to dodge the tentacle that threw him into Error. The two black-boned skeletons screamed, and were thrown from the battlefield with unheard-of violence, and their race was stopped only by a huge oak tree, against which they collided, their breathing being cut off instantly.
Shattered teleported himself to them, laughing again, before grabbing Dream's chin and turning his skull towards the two wounded men:
"So, Dream, what do you think? Isn't it thrilling to see them like this at our feet? »
The guardian of dreams, his eyes bathed in tears, shook his head, drawing on his strength to try again to struggle:
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! How did you... How can you do this? How can you enjoy it? Y-You hurt my friends... you're gonna kill them, take them away from me…"
The words, though spoken softly, with sadness, were like a masterful slap in the face to Shattered, who blamed the shock, teeth clenched, despite his shaky body.
"Are your friends saying... ? Have you forgotten... ? Have you forgotten what they... what they…"
Dream whimpered in pain as Shattered's grip tightened around him. And the shattered dream, which seemed to lose more reason, released a sudden wave of energy, a crackling energy of rage and resentment:
"WHAT THEY DID TO ME! IT'S THEIR FAULT, IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT ! I ALWAYS DID EVERYTHING FOR THEM, I TURNED INTO A MONSTER FOR MY BROTHER ! AND HOW DID THEY THANK ME ? THEY ABANDONED ME, THEY ALL ABANDONED ME ! "
Dream widened his eyes, not only because of the words of his double ... but because a sob had escaped Shattered. Shattered, who no longer seemed as proud and evil as he made him seem. Shattered who seemed just... sickly jealous. Jealous that another Dream had found people he could rely on.
"Shat…"
His voice died in his throat. He froze at the same time as Shattered, to turn his head towards Error ... who had taken advantage of their inattention to charge a Gaster Blaster.
Nightmare turned pale, the words of Glitch coming to mind.
- As soon as I considered him a danger, I'd shoot him. –
Error shot.
It was not one of his scenes where death came in slow motion. On the contrary: everything happened so fast that Dream had no time to grasp the situation. A strident noise, a stifling heat, a dazzling flash followed by a detonation, an earthquake, an explosion that knocked him down with Shattered. A cloud of dust.
But not death.
Not THEIR dead.
Dream didn't understand what he was doing ashore. He didn't understand why he was still alive... until the dust cloud fell. That he stopped breathing, horrified by the vision that presented itself to him.
Error lacked glitches, his pupils disappearing, accompanying the terror that had also assailed him ... when he realized that Ink, his sweet Ink, had come between the Blaster and the two Dreams.
"SHIT!"
Dust weighed down for the umpteenth time as sweat began to bead on his forehead as his phalanges began to shake more and more. He tried again to pull his friends, to lead them up, but his body hardly moved, refused to react properly.
This deep sense of helplessness made him want to cry. He was literally holding Killer and Horror's life at arm's length, and no one was coming to help them. This last information made him even more anxious: if their friends didn't come to give them a hand, it was because Shattered was even tougher than expected!
Dust thought of Dream, the poor little keeper who was being bullied from all sides. Couldn't he finally have peace, he who had been living in hell for so many years? Dust had hoped that everything would work out, that the little dream would be reconciled with Cross and Nightmare, that he might join the bad guys without and that they would all live quietly in the castle!
But by now, Dust should have got used to the fact that his hopes were only utopias.
In spite of himself, he felt the tears coming up in his eyes.
"...shit... !"
He squeezed even harder his friends' hands, which he felt slowly slipping away.
"... Dust, you can't pull us up…"
He jumped. Horror was speaking for the first time since their fall. And Killer, who was just as excited, agreed:
"We'll take you with us if you don't let go…"
Dust widened his eyes, his soul coming to strike with force at the rib cage:
"Are you nuts?! I won't let go!"
Horror and Killer didn't want him to let go, of course, but the reality was there: if it dragged on, the three of them would go under. And Dust was also aware of this.
"M-Maybe the others will be here soon…" stammered Killer with little certainty, however.
Dust wanted to believe it, he wanted to believe it so badly... But Horror's sigh shattered his hopes.
"No... replied the cannibal. On the contrary ... they surely need help as much as we do …"
He looked down:
"... Dust... ...you can't bring both of us up... but you can bring one of us up."
The man concerned had a high heart, realizing what he was getting at:
"...you're asking me to let you go to save Killer... ?
- NO! cried the madman to the cannibal. Out of the question!"
Horror expected such a response. Of course his friends would refuse, but was there any other choice? He felt himself on the verge of tears.
No, there was no other choice. There wasn't, no matter how much he wanted it. No matter how much he wanted to go back to the castle with his friends, keep cooking for them, bicker with Dust and watch movies with Killer. No matter how much he loved his new family. No matter how much he loved his new home, the castle, the chess games with Nightmare, the laughter, the bickering, the bickering, their everyday life in general. It didn't matter how much he wanted to see Plum again, how much he loved him like crazy, how much he wished he could have continued to hug him, to embrace him, to be one with him. It didn't matter what kind of future he had imagined for himself, a future where he saw himself happy with everyone.
It didn't matter, because it all ended today.
"... Dust, coward m-
- SHUT UP!"
Horror startled. It wasn't Dust who screamed... it was Killer. A Killer with watery eyes, who could hardly hold back his sobs:
"I'm the one who needs to be let go!"
The cannibal cried:
"Don't bullshit!
- What do you mean, "bullshit"?! You're the one who's talking crap! What are we going to tell Plum when we see him? 'Oh, sorry, the man you wish to marry is dead as a doornail!"
Horror looked at him without believing it:
"W-What? He wants to marry me?
- Of course he wants to marry you ! He's been planning his fucking proposal for weeks! And he turned it down again because we were taking care of Dream!"
Dust had a knot in his throat:
"... It's true, I do... He decided to propose to you... the day we went to Underlust with Dream.
- ...B-but... what... ?
- When he saw the state of Dream, he didn't dare to do it... He wanted to wait a little longer…"
The Cannibal felt a huge weight shatter his shoulders as his spirit returned to Plum. Plum who had always been so patient with him, so passionate, so tender...
He was the first to crack, to let bitter tears run down his undone face:
"I-I don't want... I don't want to leave him ... But I don't want to give up on you either... !
- What about me?! exclaimed Dust on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Do you think I want to let you go? You're asking me to choose between you, you're asking me to abandon one of my two best friends?!"
Killer closed his eyes in shame, shaken with shame:
"S-sorry, but we don't have a choice... it's... it's either one of us or all three of us... ! It's my turn to fall!
- Probably p-
- Think! I-I've wanted to leave the bad guys countless times... ! I-I'm stupid, scared, I can't even commit to Color... ! You're better than me! S-So…"
Dust pesta:
"If I had the chance, I'd hit you! Shut the fuck up!"
Could they understand that no matter what their arguments, Dust was not going to let them go?
But their hands became clammy, their strength diminished, and the sword of Damocles hovering above them seemed eager to fall on their skulls.
And he fell down, dry and mercilessly.
Dust dropped them both.
He had done what he could, with his silences and the rest, with his fears, his anxieties, his childlike cries, his sobs that he had so many times repressed. He had done what he could, always, as much for his world as for others. He had destroyed Alternative Universes for the sake of the original. He had stopped this insane destruction for Ink's sake. He had maintained balance with the one he cherished only to make him happy, to show him that he was able to change, to change for him, for their bond, for their love. He had done what he could, and he had done it from the very beginning, in this great bath of cruelty that was their multiverse. In the outbursts of disappointment and lies. In violence. In the violence of the time that trampled on his dreams.
He had done everything for Ink.
And Ink was now collapsing in front of him, hit hard by his attack.
Error remained static. Livid, with an empty gaze, emptied of all emotions, of all common sense. Until he became aware of the situation, realized what had just happened. Bugs made him crackle, terror almost made him vomit, and as the world around him disappeared in his eyes, he uttered a scream so terrible that Nightmare himself trembled.
Dream remained mute, barely hearing the distress of the Destroyer, too focused on Ink's unconscious body. This body that was cracking, crumbling, slowly turning to dust.
The body of his best friend.
He just perceived Error throwing himself on Ink, taking him in his arms, hugging him, screaming, crying his throat out. But the sight of the guardian of dreams became blurred, the treacherous tears obstructing his view.
"...why... ?"
Dream was startled, and turned to Shattered who had spoken. Shattered, whose wide-eyed eyes testified to all his incomprehension.
"You had a fight... you made it clear you weren't friends... so why would he... he... ?"
Nightmare also perceived Shattered's second state, and though Error's screams and negativity hurt him deeply, he did not forget his objective and straightened himself up sharply, to teleport himself to the broken dream he hit hard.
Surprised, Shattered barely came to his senses, gnashed his teeth and felt the rage flooding back into his entire being. He pulled out his appendages, Nightmare imitated him, and a tentacle fight began while Dream was still on the ground nearby.
This was the moment Cross chose to intervene, suddenly teleporting himself into the battle to seize Dream and win several meters back.
"I-Ink... ! I've got to... I have to go to him!" sobbed the guard as he clutched the swordsman.
Cross swallowed, turned his head towards the Creator whom Error was desperately trying to keep alive, using his magic to wrap him in a cocoon of care and gentleness.
"Error takes care of it Dream... you have to stay in...
- NO! No, I have to do something, I have to... !"
He was interrupted by yet another explosion, and Nightmare was forced to retreat as Shattered attacked him with even more power. The broken dream gave itself body and soul in this fight, thinking only of destroying all those who were in its path.
Cross frowned on the arcades. He would have liked to help his superior, but Dream's protection came first... didn't it?
That's what he thought. But if Shattered's rage multiplied its power, Nightmare was starting to wear him down.
All it takes is a simple, tiny moment of inattention.
Cross straightened up suddenly, horrified:
"NIGHTMARE!"
It's too late for that. The Nightmare Keeper hiccupped, stunned by the cold metal that closed around his throat.
In just a second, he felt all his strength disappear, his magic slip through his fingers as his appendages collapsed to the ground.
Anti-magic collar. Shattered only had to give a simple blow to smash Nightmare's face against the ground, before kicking him in the belly for his greatest pleasure, then using his tentacles to hold him down.
Dream and Cross freeze.
"RELEASE HIM!" cried Dream, using his last strength to get up. But he felt so weak, and the corruption did nothing to help him get better ... he fell to his knees again, suffering, looking helplessly at his wounded twin.
Cross put one hand on the scabbard of his sword, ready to intervene, but the threat to Nightmare prevented him from making the slightest move.
Shattered had a broad smile:
"You're outnumbered. I single-handedly defeated your pathetic team. So do you really think you two have a chance?"
The monochrome tensed up more. Shattered sneered:
"Come on, enough playing... Cross, I'll make you a deal!"
The swordsman frowned on the arches, suspicious, shooting his opponent with his eyes. But he became even paler when a tentacle came to stand near Nightmare's soul.
"Cross, Cross Cross Cross... You could kill me, it's true. But the slightest suspicious move... I'll finish off little Nighty!"
The threat paid off, Cross took a step backwards.
"It's Crossy, all right! Now throw that ugly sword away, will you?"
The person concerned gritted his teeth, hesitant, shifting his gaze from Shattered to Nightmare. Nightmare trying to shake his head, whispering a "No". Except that Cross really couldn't take the risk...
He threw his sword further.
Shattered went on with this adorable voice, overflowing with false pretences:
"Now, imitate Dream and kneel down."
Cross executed himself against his will, mad with rage, while Dream looked down shamefully, overwhelmed by the guilt of not being able to help.
"Now... Give me Dream's soul."
Time stood still. Cross opened his frightened eyes like the twins.
Shattered's unhealthy laughter echoed in this desolate atmosphere:
"I know you have it in your possession. That poor, fragile little soul... Which is pretty stupid, by the way, don't you think, Nightmare? You wanted to do the ritual to heal Dream... but how did you expect it to work without his soul?"
The two brothers hiccuped, struck by reality. They hadn't thought about it at all. So even without Shattered's intervention, their plan was doomed to failure... ? And the ellipse that was taking place ...The passing of time, preventing them from doing anything...
"Come on, Cross. Dream is fucked now, but Nightmare is not. Wouldn't it be stupid to sacrifice him for a pathetic dream keeper? You've always preferred Nightmare anyway, we all know that!"
Harsh and hurtful words, which snatched a sob from poor Dream who was reaching his limits.
Cross remained mute, empty-eyed. It was crazy how ironic life could be. He was only trying to help, to make those around him happy, but ended up messing things up, making things worse. He couldn't understand why... Dream had forgiven him. He was the most miserable being on the multiverse, the one who least deserved to be happy. He'd given up on Dream without realizing it, but then he'd hurt his willingly. He had hurt him only to make Nightmare happy.
And now they were there?
Cross had a poor laugh accompanied by a bitter smile, a downcast look. He raised his head feverishly, without daring to look at Nightmare or Dream.
He made the little soul seem thrilling.
- Dream became livid -
He held it out gently in front of him.
- Nightmare froze -
Shattered had a broad smile. His tentacles sped faster than the wind, violently grasping the soul they brought back to him. He sneered:
"Ahah, Cross, I knew it! I knew you were just a stupid dog! But a deal is a deal!"
He propelled Nightmare in his direction. Cross, in his last strength, managed to catch his master awkwardly, almost collapsing.
Except Nightmare pushed him away even though he was falling to the ground. He glanced at him with a hateful, icy look as his tear-fogged eyes mingled with his hoarse, raging voice:
"You bastard... HOW COULD YOU?!"
If he had not felt so weak, he would have killed Cross on the spot, stabbed him in the appendixes, subjected him to a thousand tortures! But instead he looked away, dragged himself to Dream, which he came to seize with force, blaming the sobs that his frail twin was letting out.
Shattered exploded with laughter, spinning completely, reveling in the crying and screaming, the very despair of all the people around him, the ellipse that was taking place and would not happen again for a long time, the last chance to save Dream that was slipping through their fingers.
Despair itself.
The despair of Dust, who watches the precipitate without being able to believe it.
Nightmare's desperation that couldn't help his brother.
Error's despair as he watches his lover die in his arms.
[ Everyone screams as they fall - even when you jump on purpose ]