Chapter description: A familiar door appears in Dave's dream. What will he find once he goes in?

Tags for this chapter:

Lucid Dreaming, Violence, former teacher & student Reconciliation

12. Can't Break Our Spirits

An amusement park, bathed in the warm, orange glow of sunset. Hand in hand, did Dave and Billy wander. Much needed was this, due to recent stress factors. A day of fun, devoid of worry.

"Oh, you know what?" Glancing at his partner, Dave suggested, "We should go and stargaze!" Pretty to look at, despite not being real.

"And, perhaps, touch the skybox?" Added Billy.

"Absolutely!" It was tradition. The first time was easy to remember. Nervous was Dave, but he trusted Billy to not drop him from so high up. The ceiling almost felt like plastic. The Webspace was but a big box, and this only sealed that fact.

Back to the present. Billy nodded next to him. "Looking forward to it."

The two began to leave. Dave leaned his head on Billy's. It was funny, that he was a shy bit taller. Usually, he had to look up at him, because of his wheelchair.

Huh? What sense did that make?

Nearby, a door appeared. As if it were from his school, it was brown, but adorned with a shiny, diamond knob. Stopping, Dave stared upon it. "Say, what is that?"

"That," Responded Billy, knowingly, "Is Dia's door. He's dreaming, too."

Dreaming? Too?

"Wait, how could that be?" Pondered Dave, growing confused. "Those don't appear in the Webspace; that's absurd! It's only when I'm-" His words stopped in that instant, overcome in a realization. "Nuts. I'm asleep, aren't I?"

"That's correct," Though, Billy needed not answer. Yet, immediately after, Dave lost balance, the other steadying him. It was all adding up. Of course. This wasn't even the real Billy, either, but a manifestation from his own mind. "Also correct."

With a sigh, Dave asked, "Well… Now what? I'd much rather continue this if it were in the real world."

"Or if I too could dream with you?" At the question, Dave shook his head.

"Tempting, but no. That's not up to me. Besides, things would get too… Complicated." Just the idea was daunting. Hard pass.

"Understandable," The fabricated Billy glanced at the door again, then back to Dave. "You could go check on him."

All it took for Dave to get his wheelchair was thinking about it. He settled in, considering the option presented. "I… Wouldn't want to snoop…"

"We both know you're not intending to. You're making sure he's okay. Isn't that how it is?" Pretty hard to argue against your own brain. Everything he said was true. "Then, go for it. Just remember: Once you leave, you're limited to only what you are actually capable of."

Yes yes, Dave knew. Though… It'd been quite a long time since he last dreamhopped. He was rusty, but he started to wheel over to the door. "Right, then, I'm off."

The Billy made no reply, as he took hold of the shiny knob, opening the door.

Track meet day. Sunny, cloudless sky. Nervously confident, Dia and the other students did their stretches. Surely, he'd wipe the floor with them, but it was a challenge to not be anxious.

Here to cheer him on, was everyone! Those from his original game, even Spike, who Dia hoped wouldn't ruin this for him. Side by side, were Billy and Dave. His newer friends, Ruby and Gold, who were carrying signs he couldn't read. With them all sat Kelly, bearing a gentle smile on her face, her willowy frame fitting in easily with the rest.

She had managed to pull away from nursing school just long enough to be here. It was so hard to believe. Then, another person arrived.

"Hi! I'm not late, am I?" Oh gosh! Baldi! Leaving his position, Dia ran to him, arms open. The two hugged.

"Professor!" Replied Dia, suddenly feeling quite a bit better. "You made it! No, you're just in time!"

"That's great!" The professor was relieved. Pulling away, he added, "Hm… Do you think we have time for something?"

"Like what?"

"A rematch, of course!" Baldi's arm swept around the track. "One lap. Whoever finishes first, wins! What do you say?" Man, did that sound fun. Forget the actual competition, defeating Baldi not once, but twice, was the real deal!

"You're on!" Invigorated, the young gem turned back to the starting line, the professor following.

"Alright! But I'm not going to go easy on you like last time!" Oh. He's just asking for it! "On the count of three…" He spoke the numbers, and the race began. At a full sprint, Dia went, quickly reaching and clearing the turn. Looking behind him, the professor was nowhere near.

"Huh?" He vocalized, then shrugged it off. However, upon a second check, Baldi was gaining on him, and fast. Not from another lane, but directly behind.

And he looked different. Legs were blurs of red, an arm contorted into a long blade. His expression was

Evil.

Closer, and the young gem realized his eyes. The pupils were thin slits of black.

"You'll have to do better than that!" The voice that came from his mouth was all wrong.

Still, Dia ran, until he ended up somewhere else. A city street, in the pouring rain. Nothing in his inventory but a purple umbrella. He veered into what looked like an alley, but ended up right back where he was.

And soon, despite all his willpower, his speed was almost none. Close by, he could hear the steps of his pursuer, slow, casual. In no time at all, was Dia turned around and lifted by the front of his hoodie.

A short yell uttered, he shook in terror. "Al… Aldurra? W-Why are you here?! What do you w-want from me?!"

His captor, with his big, wicked grin, let out a laugh. "Oh, I'm someone far, far worse than that disgrace. But hey, don't worry! I'm not gonna kill you or anything. No no no." His blade waggled like an overgrown finger. "I'm just trying to draw him out."

Him? Who? Then, Dia heard it - the telltale sound of motorized whirring from Dave's wheelchair. It was of its high pitch, meaning that he was speeding towards the two of them. While difficult, Dia broke his gaze to see.

Just as he thought. His former teacher was charging, large wrench in hand, and he was undeniably furious. "If you know what's good for you, you'll release him this instant! GENTLY."

In response, Dia's assailant just turned impish. "And that's my cue. Thanks for the help, kid." He, however, did as was asked, and the young gem tried once again to escape. He could only crawl, but he managed to reach the sidewalk, under a building's overhang, out of the rain. From there, he watched on.

Dave slowed to a stop, face to face with the interloper. The latter giggled. "Hey there, Dave! I don't believe we've formally met! I'm-"

"Shut it, Alex," Dave cut him off, frankly not in the mood. "Everyone knows who you are. Anyway, you've gone too far this time. Even so, if you leave now, I won't have to hurt you." Never in all this time did Alex deserve that chance, but he couldn't help himself.

Alex's eyes squinted, clearly upset about the interruption. "Not seeing the prediction for what it is, huh? Are you even the real Dave, or a figment of Diamond Man's imagination?" Prediction? Dave… Didn't know what he was going on about. Was it because he was in a Baldi form right now?

In fact, why did a Baldi appear in the first place? Was that based on the pictures Denied showed Dia? But it was as if the two knew each other… Nevermind. Later would have to do.

"Yes, I'm 'the real Dave'! Now get out!" Alex didn't. He was shaking his head in disappointment, not believing him.

"But nobody came." He murmured. The demon went for him. That does it. Dave tightened his hold on the wrench, doing the same with a battle cry.

When they clashed, Dave was immediately disarmed, but it somehow threw Alex off. With the weapon being too far behind him to reach for, he promptly roved in reverse, picking it up. But clearly, he was going to need more tools on-hand. While still moving, he swapped to his toolbox, dumping various pieces of equipment into his main inventory.

A hammer, box of nails, screwdriver, loose planks of wood & metal, and his welder's mask, which he equipped. As much as he would've liked including his power tools, they weren't cordless, and unless Dia suddenly became lucid and interfered, that would not change.

To survive, he had to get crafty.

The monster was advancing upon him. From his metaphorical bag of tricks came the box of nails, throwing the contents out onto the road. A double edged sword, but so long as his body didn't touch them, he would be fine. As promised, Alex had to swerve to avoid the sharp objects, but not without a pained yell.

Now back to the wrench, Dave went forward again, keeping away from his freshly-laid trap, weapon raised to strike. But unlike before, he didn't swing when Alex did, instead dodging. Once he had an opening, he put all his efforts to hit the side of the demon's torso, sending him right into the bed of nails.

Staying on his trail, Dave pulled his legs into a tight cross-legged pose, entering. Bracing himself with the back of his wheelchair, he messily ran him over, using his free arm to shield his body the best he could. And again, this time backwards, but it was strangely empty.

Then he was grabbed right off his seat, by said arm. Alex was laughing, with a sneer. "Okay. I see how it is! Twinkle boy's version of you likes to play dirty! Well guess what, I can do that too! Watch this!"

Faster than Dave could blink, Alex swapped his grip onto one of his legs, causing him to flip upside down. Even while disoriented, he tried to focus, but never fully did. A fearful, then utterly painful scream escaped his mouth as Alex swung him into the nail-covered pavement. It was here he realized that it'd been an absolutely terrible idea.

He struggled to move, but the stabbing pain enveloped him all over, except his protected face. However, Alex forced him upright. "Aw, c'mon! Don't die yet! You'll miss the best part!" Walking around the parts of the trap, the demon approached Dave's wheelchair, as though he was never wounded. Without thinking, Dave tried to throw more items at him, first the hammer, then the screwdriver, and finally the wood and metal. Anything to stop him.

But everything missed, or didn't go far enough. Possibly from the intense agony ruining his aim.

Helplessly, Dave could only watch as his opponent stopped in front of what he'd just tried to protect. He was lifting his leg. Oh God, wait, don't

Alex smashed it to pieces with his foot. He unleashed another bout of laughter, this time triumphant. "You stupid motherfucker! As if a mere Dave could beat me! No matter how many little toys you use!" He snorted at the thought. "Kinda wish I could eat you, but it wouldn't count. What a damn shame."

Dave should've been filled with despair, but something from within prevented him from falling apart. Hissing from every ounce of pain, he bore it as he made himself crawl out of the nail bed, using the wrench to sweep stray ones away. "Your words… Can't hurt me."

"Still projecting that boldness…" The demon walked back to him. Once more, Dave was pulled off the ground, this time by the neck. Alex's tone became disgusted. "What a pathetic specimen." As Dave's hands instinctively tried to free himself, he winced as he felt the dull side of Alex's cold blade slip between his mask and face, easily prying it off. It clattered to the ground.

"Even if this was the true you, your fate was sealed the second you came here," He continued, then in a low growl, added, "Death." He didn't wait for a reply, or even for Dave to process the statement. Instead, he launched him as high into the air as possible.

Dave wanted to release a yell, but nothing would come out. He did his best to gather his bearings, and was able to, even in this situation. That something from moments ago was holding him together. Looking down - and dear lord was he high above ground - Alex had jumped to catch up to him, scythe reeled back. If that hit him, it was over. He didn't know if dying in a dream meant the same as back in reality, but he could not afford to risk it.

He needed to be there for Dia. So he can help him FLOURISH.

So, with both hands, Dave wielded his wrench, like a baseball player at bat. A sudden orange glow appeared in his peripheral, but he had to focus. As that cursed beast got close, he mustered everything he had into his one shot.

"STAY. OUT. OF OUR DREAMS!" Dave bellowed, the last word echoing. His strike was so powerful, that Alex was cast off into the skybox, faster than the speed of sound. A hole of void appeared as he crashed through it.

At last, the area was safe.

But then, he remembered that he was in the air, rationality kicking back in as he fell toward and hit the ground, his panicked cry finally being released. Luckily, it wasn't in the nail bed trap. Even so, the impact hurt, and he groaned out a, "Ow…"

He heard Dia approach, immediately trying to right himself again, wrench returning to his toolbox as well as his other items. "Y-You… You okay?"

"Yes, I'm alright," Dave assured as well as he could. "What about you, Dia? Are you okay?" He inspected him, not finding any visible signs of cracking or breaks. The young gem nodded.

"Did… Did you say, 'dreams'? Am I dreaming?" He turned skyward, shielding his face with his arm. "... That'd. Explain a lot. If this were actually happening, the- the others wouldn't be here. Especially not… Her." He wiped at his eyes with his already wet sleeve, and Dave was sure he was trying to cover up his tears. Around them, the rain stopped at last, but Dave had grown so used to it that it was somewhat surprising.

Anyway, he tenderly took hold of Dia's shoulders, fighting through the pain. "I'm sorry, but yes. We're both asleep." The other didn't reply, only emitting a whimper. Dave brought him into an embrace, not caring how it'd potentially exasperate his wounds. As if on instinct, Dia sat on his knees, clinging to him.

Oddly enough, neither hurt.

"I! I hate this! Why was she there?! I don't care about her! I don't! Hell- Heck, I don't even wanna see her face again! Not anymore!" He listened to his former student vent and sob, neverminding the verbal slip-up. This was his dream, after all.

"But you knew her," Dave carefully explained, "And some part of you remembered that. That's just how it works - reflections of your experiences, curated into a disjointed, bizarre mess of people and places." He paused, letting it sink in for Dia. "Maybe you don't miss her, maybe you do. It's okay to feel like that."

"... Do you?" The question made him take a deep breath.

"All the time. Ever since I left. It's not so consuming now, but it still lingers." Silence.

"Then… I guess I do, too. I was just-! Just so mad!"

"I know. I think we all were, in our own ways."

"You don't just fu- fricking disappear like that! You don't…!" A sniffle. "She was like a big sister to me, and she…! Did she even care?!" Gracious. Dave began to remember the event that ultimately led him to where he currently was. So far, he had told Billy, Sam, and Denied. Now, however, he'll share it with Dia.

"Of course she did. Two weeks after you all left, I got to see her one last time. She truly, deeply regretted not doing anything to prepare us for her absence. She was the one who told me to go. To 'find something better'."

"I'm… I'm still mad. But I miss her, at the same time. It doesn't make a-any sense."

"It sounds like it wouldn't, but it does. You can be angry at someone, but want to see them. You can be upset, but still care about them. Both feelings are valid and normal." After a short while, the two pulled away, and by this point, the pain had absolved.

"So I'm. I'm not crazy?" The young gem still looked and felt like a mess, but he was at least more calm. Dave gave him a patient smile, shaking his head.

"Not at all." As if noticing something, Dia hid the nervousness in his next question, by wiping off his face again.

"If this is my dream, then, uh… How do I… Do stuff?"

"Just think about what you want," Immediately following Dave's answer, a wheelchair appeared next to them, out of thin air. The kid caught on real quick. "Oh! Thank you, Dia!"

"Y-Yeah, no problem. I mean, Alex trashed the other one…" He trailed off, then added, "How many of him are there?" Oh, boy. This wasn't going to be fun to explain.

"Two," Dave said, as he finished settling in, and as his former student got up, "There's Aldurra, who you met on your first day of school, and he's not usually so… Hostile, where we're concerned. His primary focus is normally on Alex - the one that was just here. He has beef with that guy." Later is now. Time to inquire. "Though, I can't help but wonder… Why Alex looked like a Baldi, let alone… Dia, may I ask about that?"

The young gem suddenly looked away, a guilty expression on his face. Uh oh. Trying to assure him, Dave added, "You're not in trouble or anything, I'm just curious! But if you don't feel comfortable talking about it, that's fine!"

Instead, Dia gave a response, but his voice was low. "I-I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but I thought you'd n-never believe me. When I came to the Webspace, I… Was with a Baldi."

Dia woke up. The first thing he saw was his room's ceiling. What… The fuck was all that just now? He lay there, expecting most of the experience to fade away from memory, but this one didn't.

It was getting hard to tell how much he'd been in control of. He did begin to feel more like himself when his former teacher mentioned that the two were dreaming. But to open up as much as he did, to reveal something so secretive… Too mushy to be real. It had to be.

Dia flopped over to his side and shut his eyes, dismissing it. Just a disjointed, bizarre mess of people and places. … Like the Dave from it said.

It couldn't have meant anything.

There was a soft knock on his door, halting his drifting off. Man, really? It was three in the Goddamn morning, can't it wait?!

"Dia? Are you awake?" Dave was asking, voice barely audible. Without a word, Dia buried himself in the covers. But the other must've noticed, because he added, "May I come in?" Curse his Baldi-like hearing.

Baldi…

He never left, did he? Where was he now? What could Dia do to help, if he managed to see him again? Maybe show him the exit, if he can't find the person calling for him - Dia knew the Webspace well enough now. He could be useful…

"Please? It's about… The dream," Oh shit fuck. Wait. What?! Before Dia could panic, Dave began to change his mind. "Ah, no, I get it. Perhaps later would be best? I'm sorry, I didn't realize the time. I'll let you get back to sleep, okay? Goodnight, Dia-"

Throwing the covers off, Dia blurted loudly, "YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT ALL THAT SHIT WAS REAL?!" Silence filled the air.

"... Language." Fucking Goddamnit. But it didn't stop the young gem, who haphazardly left his bed, tripping over what was left of the sheets in the process.

"THE ALEX? THE FIGHTING? THE- Ow, fuck!" This time, the swear was reduced to a quiet hiss.

"Language," Dave repeated, more firmly this time. Nothing got past him. Then, he softened again. "Are you okay in there?"

Quickly, Dia checked for cracks, and there were none. "I-I'm fine! But wait, that means… That means I… Uh…" He struggled to say anything more.

"Yes, that's… Actually what I want to talk about. But if you'd rather wait, I completely understand."

Regardless of that option, Dia still felt cornered. The only excuse he could pull was, "I was lying."

"... Dia, you don't have to hide things from me," But Dave saw right through it. "I know we were separated for quite a while, but we're here now, and I want to be there for you. Like I should've from the beginning. I'm sorry I took so long to see that." He paused. "You can tell me anything. It's alright."

The words were just as comforting as in the dream. Frankly, Dave's original eagerness of taking him in began to make more sense. Despite the decision to go with him, Dia had remained cautious, wary, whenever he had the sense to. Just to be on the safe side. And so far, he'd found him to be unusually lax about many things.

Playing hooky a lot was the main exception, but that much was reasonable. Even so, the reactions weren't at all like he'd been used to in the past. Instead of only getting frustrated, his former teacher wanted to understand why.

And of course, there was the aforementioned swearing issue, but that too, like now, was met with a reminder to quit it. Not until he's eighteen, he was told. He briefly recalled his plans for that day: Shout "FUCK" as loud as he possibly can, and Dave can't do shit about it. He tried to not laugh. It would be very weird, in his current situation.

But ultimately, Dia had to face the facts - Dave really has changed. Maybe losing everyone was his wake-up call. And maybe… Dia could allow a mushy, gushy feelings jam. Just this once. Probably.

"Dia?" Dave called once more. The young gem was ready to answer.

"You can come in."

More info:

- Back in the day, everyone in Dave's game was given the ability to dream, however Dave used it predominantly. When others were dreaming at the same time, he could "dreamhop" via doors with symbolic knobs (Dia's being made of diamond, and so on), provided he gained lucidity. The others could do so as well, if desired
- However, for a long time, there were no other places to go to, as they were severed from each other. Only if they're in the same location can the doors spawn
- Dave also began to regard the action as being too nosy, so he's more hesitant
- According to others' experiences, Dave's doorknob is sky blue with clouds. But his dreams always had a 'down-to-earth' feel; never about flying, outer space, or other sci-fi elements

- FLOURISH is Dave's elevated PURPOSE. The base one is not yet known
- Stems from his care and love for those around him, and his desire to see/help them reach their full potential and happiness. When that is threatened, it activates. But once in this state, Dave has no control over it
- Therefore, the color is orange
- The base PURPOSE was hindered for a long time due to his flaws. It's more prominent now
- Dave did not seem to have a weapon to kill protagonists with in his games. Was he supposed to just… Run them over? Brutal…
- Anyway, have a wrench! And other tools! Many, many tools

- I'm not sure how canon this is, or where the source would be, but apparently Diamond Man likes track? Regardless, I gave that trait to Dia too
- If not obvious, the crowd who shows up for him represents his ideal situation. Aside from Dave, it'd be next to impossible for him to admit it
- He does end up telling Dave that he "lied about lying". Dave figured that from the start. When asked to, he promises not to tell anyone about Dia knowing Baldi, let alone that the sightings aren't a hoax. Not even Billy; that was stressed. At least, until Dia feels comfortable sharing all that more widely

- Among Alex's many terrible skills, interfering with dreams is unfortunately one of them
- He does not actually have a Baldi disguise. Instead, he physically possessed and used him like one
- Genuinely thought he was only fighting Dia's dream version of Dave, and not the actual, lucid Dave who hopped from his own dream to Dia's… Ack, so confusing to explain
- Had he responded to the "prediction" thing, it would've led to a different conversation, one possibly without violence. A warning of sorts. But Dave was just not having it