Mac awoke from what he guessed had been a deep sleep,he slowly opened his eyes and peered around his surroundings in a mazed state,as to what was going on.He tried to move his arms,but found his arms,legs and waist were all in shackles.

"What's going on?"He probed a figure lurking in the shadows nearby warily,not wanting to take any chances.

The person didn't seem to notice Mac at first,but after a few seconds flew by,he started to somewhat acknowledge he knew Mac was present.Although he didn't say much,what he did say gave Mac some hint as to where he was.

"I...I'm not sure.But I do know I've been here for a very,very long time.I just remember waking up here one day a long time ago and here I was!I have no memory of my past or knowledge of what goes on beyond the walls here.They who run my life good to me however,but I never see the light of day.Yes,the light,something I want to see one day."

"Well..."Mac tried to think of something more sensible to ask this creature,he supposed they were locked up in some chamber by the dankness and darkness of the place;plus the shackles.So,he asked again,but this time more mildly,"Sorry,uh...who are you and uh...what are you?"

"Well,they call me Buster.And as for who I am,I don't know that either.The Nightmare Bandits are the ones who put me here and that's all I know.I never see them,but they are dark."

Mac didn't really listen to that last part,his mind and the thoughts in it were else where.Like,where was Bloo?And...his son,Nicolas and everyone else as well.He didn't want to think about it,all he needed to think about right now was getting out of his dungeon in one piece.He thought he could here somebody or something,chattering in low,strange voices outside some door and then someone opening it.

"Mac;creator of the choosen one Bloo,"The creature inquired Mac in a familiar hissing note,it's red eyes pierecing straight through the darkness,as the metal door creaked open,"You are needed to help the Choosen one to activate the Anti-verse.You will come with me immmeeeddddeeetttllyyy."

With a fearful shudder,Mac waited paitently as the Nightmare Bandit drifted over towards him and started to unshackle down the numbers until the ghostly ghoul had completely realeased him,Mac did something he never thought he could do.He grabbed the creature by the arms,thrust him againist the wall and shackled him up.Then,turning to Buster,he came over to unshackle him as well and the two of them made thier way out into the hall.

"Wow!Light.Thanks a bunch,friend."Buster told him gratefully,in dimly lit hallway,Mac could make out a red and blue striped grinchish-looking creature,"By the way,who are you?I should know of the person who saved me from near eternail darkness and suffering,shouldn't I?"

Mac chuckled slightly at that,"Mac.Does this seem familiar?"

"Nice to meet you,Mac Does This Seem Familiar!"

"Nevermind.Do you know where they keep all the Imaginary Friends Buster,it's really important I find them soon."

Buster pondered for a moment but then shrugged.And Mac realized,with a great deal of dissapointment,that Buster didn't have a clue where anyone (including himself) was.But just as Mac was about to say something else,he felt himself get knocked in the back of the head with something.The next thing he knew was in a cage,Buster on his left side.

"Mac,one of the most creative thinkers who ever lived."Another cloaked individual was only about 5 feet from him,but it's cloak was a deep ebony and it's voice was so low and sinsiter,Mac couldn't make out if it was a female/male.

"Who are you?"Mac asked him faintly,then with a sudden blunt shout,"And what have you done to my friends!"

"The unworthy ones are in a different cell.They aren't important at the moment,but you and Bloo are."With a sickeningly smug grin,the creature who's cloak drapped to the ground and appeared to walk,stepped a little closer to Mac,"After recent studies,you are in deed the most purest imaginative person ever to create an Imaginary Friend.Bloo is a work of art,a true blue personality and wonderful form of a friend.No off key extras added,no flaws,perfect.Like you are almost,but I suppose you want to know what this is all about,don't you?What I plan to do with the two of you."

"First,"Mac told him firmly between gritted teeth,gripping the bars of the cage angerily,"I want to know.Is everybody okay?Like my son,if you harmed him in any matter,you'll be sor-"

"I don't no such harm to the lad or any of them.But,interesting you should bring the subject of you're son up.He proved to be quite intellgent and 'thoughtful' as well.But his friend was not the choosen one,one whom I replaced a few months ago with a spy of mine,just to see what he could scrape up."

"Tell me where my son and friends are!"Mac shouted impetusly,glaring fiercely at the Neocromancer he assumed.

"Well,moving on,"The Neocromancer never skipped a beat,"I've found that by turning Bloo into his anti-version,which is a Nightmare of course and making him travel into his creator's aka'you're' head,it will somehow unlock the pathway in to the Nightmares world and I can spread Nightmares to all childern in the whole world.Giving them the meassage that Friends are no good and that only one is perfect.And that one would be..."

The Nightmare Necromancer was intreupted by the groaning and moaning of someone off to thier right.They all looked and saw Bloo in a cage just about 7 feet away from Mac.He looked exhausted and completely lifeless,just sort of slumping againist the back of the cage,looking like something the cat spit up.Mac's rage quickly turned to worry,as he examined his friend growing more weak and quiet by the second.

"Bloo...Bloo,can you hear me?"Mac tried to speak to him urgently,"Bloo!Come on,buddy.It's me,Mac!Wake up,pal."

"Ma...Ma...Mac?"Bloo gingerly lifted his head up,looking directly into Mac's eyes,"Hey,I thought we were fighting still."

Mac instantly felt bad for what had happend between them.Here they were,Bloo had been searching for Mac for all the years he hadn't been there and Mac had spent them selfishly not even bothering to try and contact him or any of them for that matter.He thought back to that last day,the last day he had been there.He had kept his promise to Madame Foster by returning one day when he was only 13 years old,but now they were here again.And from the looks of it,they weren't sure what to think of each other anymore.

"Fighting,"Mac repeated to himself quietly,he could feel his eyes starting to glisten with unshed tears,"Us,Bloo?Never."

"Now you will enter..."The Neocromancer cackled manically,shooting some sort of stream of dark energy over the two of them,Mac was only vaguely aware of what was going on and the words he heard.The only thing he could see was Bloo weakening more,but that smile that Mac so rarely saw,that smile that was so pure and true,that almost never formed on Bloo's blue features,crossed his face slowly but sincerely,but then everything blacked out for Mac.The last thing he swore he saw,was the Neocromancer lowering it's hood and the wrinkled face of Duchess grinning wickedly at him.But that was,only for a brief moment before everything went out and he couldn't know anymore even if he tried.

Well,the next chapter will obviously take place in Mac's imagination!Will Bloo really turn out evil after all?Is it really Duchess?And what kind of name is Buster,anyways?C ya!

Lavenderpaw