A/N: DUDE. THIS CHAPTER WAS SO HARD TO WRITE. I am so sorry I hadn't worked on this story for a year. Like.. writer's block happened and I couldn't get past the hurdle that was the first part of this chapter. I even thought about rewriting the part. But I finally got it done, and sadly it's like... only 1,472 words but IT'S PROGRESS! CAN'T ARGUE WITH PROGRESS!

Now, lemme reply to those I couldn't reply to :D

Milkshake and Cookies: Awww.. sorry this broke your heart.
Yeah I have no idea what King's smile looks like but it's probably not a good smile.
Heheh yus it has, but I'm just gonna focus on this one till it's over.
Thanks, and thanks for the review! (Though I'd love longer reviews still. Seems as if it might be short chapters for a bit.)

NotSweetSkills: Haha, thank you. I think that's what I was getting at tbh. I can't quite remember it's been so long. Thank you!

Oooo: Thank you!

sacke110: Thank you for your reviews!

EmeraldTyphoon47: I'm not sure if I replied to you over PMs so I'm doing it again. THANK YOU! :D
Yeah, that's one thing I wanted to make clear. The trauma is still very much there, even though it's been two years since it happened. Ooh, that's an idea..
Also yeah, my bday was great. :3

Random GurL: :D THANKS!

.perez: LOL yeah it kinda was and wasn't? but I'm writing this in March 2022 and saying so far, it's been a great year. :3

And now that that's over with, read on! you deserve this! :3

Another Form, Another Time
Chapter Fourteen: ..?

The dream.. was elusive for most of that night. For different reasons other than simply wanting to, King hunkered down to sleep right then and there, and Luz went off to busy herself with Dipper's books and Mabel's fabrics on the other side of the room.

His dreams were hazy at best, chaotic at worst. But he didn't stop trying. Until finally, he found himself in the fuzzy blue space again, but something was terribly wrong.

Only a small bit of it was blue, and suddenly King knew what that meant. He wanted to back up from the chaotic, ugly yellow and red, but immediately stood his ground, determination filling him.

He was doing this for Luz.

He was doing this for himself.

It didn't take long before the mockery finally came to him, looking even less like King. And yet even more like him at the same time. "What brings you back here, hm?" he spoke with a flare of condescendence. "Reconsidered the offer?"

The demon shook his head firmly. "No. We need to talk. I'm not gonna let you run amok within my head anymore! I'm through cowering!" he jabbed a finger at his own chest. "I'm the king of demons! and that means you're beneath me! now I command you," and jabbed the finger at his clone in turn, "to leave me and my friends alone!"

The even crueler visage simply stared, and for a moment King thought he'd done something. Until the other demon simply rolled his shoulders back in a shrugging motion. "Tch.. cute.." He chuckled.

"Weh?" sweat started beading on King's skull, as he backed up, only for the mockery and the crude colors to approach a bit closer, as it began to change even more. It seemed to grow taller, more monstrous. The visage started to laugh a nasty laugh, and it echoed around an increasingly terrified King.

"It's cute," he then grinned, the cackles still reverberating around, "how you still think you're the one in control!"

And that's when the color blue completely faded to the hideous yellows and reds of the Nightmare Realm.

King's eyes shot open, and he looked around. He trembled, still feeling absolutely wrong. But now it also felt right. He saw Luz, and smiled, getting up and practically throwing himself off the bed. "Luz, I did it!"

The tall girl looked up from the book she was currently reading, and grinned. "I knew you could!" she then offered him a seat. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've never been better," there was that odd gleam in his pink eyes again, and he waved Luz off. "Hey, do you know where Sixer is? I need to talk to him again."

Luz frowned a little, thumbing at the page. "Come again?" it wasn't like she didn't hear. She was just.. really confused. Why would he want to talk to Ford after what happened?

"Maybe things will be better now," he reasoned, standing unbelievably still. He raised his arms slightly and seemed to smirk, "I'm better now, Luz."

This whole thing was so weird to her, and her lip twitched. "Um, would you like more hot chocolate, King?" she asked carefully. She really didn't feel like things were okay.

His eyes widened slightly, gaining an excitement she'd seen on him before. Before it quickly faded and he looked off again. He shrugged. "Meh. I guess one cup will suffice."

Luz smiled and pat his head slightly, to which there was no reaction whatsoever, got up and headed downstairs, putting the book in her pocket as she did. King didn't follow just yet, starting to pace. This wasn't right at all. And yet it was? he was more confused than ever now. Even now he was fighting, despite his mindscape having been ravaged by the yellows and reds of nightmares. And he didn't understand why.

He placed a hand on his collar, brow ridges furrowed. Perhaps he was tougher than he thought. Perhaps he was weaker. And oh how King hated to be weak. He clenched his hand around the gold and squeezed. Try though he might, it refused to crack. But why would he want to?

Why would he not want to? Eda had thought him a pet. And that's why this collar existed. He hated being seen as beneath anyone. As weak. But his claws shook as he attempted to break it. Trembled, even. So he left it, grumbling and soon resumed pacing.

Luz sighed as soon as she reached the kitchen, grabbing the milk and other ingredients for the hot chocolate she was about to make. She couldn't even begin to imagine what King must be going through right now, so she'd hoped some hot chocolate would help ease it. Because she was more perceptive and observant than she might look, she couldn't help noticing these things.

The girl trembled as she made the hot chocolate, careful not to spill the milk on her or anywhere else, but a loud "Who's in the kitchen?!" almost made her make quite a mess. She yelled, eyes widening.

"Oh, it's just you, Luz," the voice sounded tired but relieved. Soon, its owner came into view. Grunkle Stan. "You must like hot chocolate."

"Oh no no no, this isn't for me," Luz smiled at him nervously. "It's for King. Though yes, I do like it, when.. lactose-free!"

Stanley chuckled a moment, and then reached into his pocket and procured some chocolate bars. Luz blinked at this. Does this man just freely carry chocolate bars in his pockets?

"Never know when ya might need em," the man said, smiling. "Even though it, uh, makes a mess sometimes.." He frowned a bit. "Tell King," he pursed his lips, gathering what he wanted to say. Sorry wasn't hard for him to say. Why was it so difficult? "Tell King that.." his brow furrowed, but Luz patiently waited for him to finish, staring attentively. He rubbed at his forehead. "Ugh.. just tell 'im he's a good person and sorry for makin him feel like he wasn't."

"Oh," Luz seemed a bit surprised, before she smiled. Mabel must have talked to him. "Well, thanks, Grunkle Stan. I'll be sure to relay it to him."

Unbeknownst to them both, King had made it down the stairs and was now watching them and eavesdropping, hidden. Stanley walked up to her and placed the chocolate bar on the counter for her to take. "He can have this too."

"Gracias!" Luz returned to making the hot chocolate as Stan stepped away, back into the living room. King was initially just going to sneak off but after hearing that, his gaze had softened. He clenched at his head, screwing his eyes shut, and scrambled back up the stairs.

The teenager was soon finished brewing the chocolate drink, and, having grabbed the chocolate bar, made her way back upstairs. The demon had repositioned himself by the bed, arms crossed. As soon as Luz made it upstairs, he glared her way.

"Took ya long enough," he slightly growled, Luz walking over and handing him both chocolates. He gazed at the chocolate bar and then looked up at Luz, narrowing his eyes. "I didn't ask for this."

"Stan and I think it might help," the girl knelt, still holding the hot drink and the bar toward him. "Speaking of, he told me to tell you that you're a good person. And that he's sorry for making you feel like you weren't."

He scoffed, hiding how much that meant to him. "But I said I was fine."

Luz wasn't giving up. "Why not be finer than fine?"

His mind stopped working then, only for a second, and he finally took the items. "Meh, thanks."

King started on the chocolate bar first, eating it whole, and then took a sip of the hot chocolate. Even with that sip, the warmth quickly flooded his body, and his mind felt just a little clearer with the intake of these chocolates. Wanting more, he started chugging it.

"Woah, slow down, King!" the girl chuckled, watching with a smile.

He didn't listen. He slammed the cup down onto the floor and sighed. "Finer than fine feels great!"

Her smile turning satisfied, Luz got up and headed to the bed to read more, grabbing the book from her pocket. And all the while, King felt himself slipping away from the waking world, the chocolates lulling him to sleep..

There was only one King standing now in the blur. He stared at his claws, his hands, shaking. Torn between an evil smirk and a scared, sad face, he just stood. Unmoving. Seemingly just waiting for something to happen.

And then slowly, he clenched his claws, placing them on his head.

"What's happening to me?"

A/N: Now.. we've got some fluff, we've got some angst. UNGH, FLANGST. I'm really excited to finally be writing this story again! also, I'm gonna need your help with the title of this chapter. "..?", "A Nightmare Come To Life?" or "A Nightmare In Reality?"
I'm leaning towards the question mark as of now, but I'd like your weigh in on things. :3
And as usual, take care and I'll see you in the next update! :D