𝙾𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙸 ~ 𝟷𝟶 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂

a dream?

"...What is this..?" I murmured, running my fingers gently over the text. It had dried and began to peel off of the half-mounted illustrations. Statues were in shards. Paintings had been split in half. And, those simple phrases began to repeat themselves across every wall, written in something hot pink. It looked like somebody had snapped. But, the footsteps got louder and louder, so I needed to hide. I dodged behind one of the pillars, slapping a hand over my mouth and taking in a sharp inhale.

"...I'm saying I want those little BRATS GONE, AM. I. CLEAR?? They're out and about again, and they're probably going to cause nothing but trouble!! If every drop of blood in their puny bodies isn't coating the dungeon floors by sunrise, I will not be so merciful, alright?" A familiar voice screeched. "They're going to ruin my life, just like they did ten years ago! Their tiny corpses should be rotting below the dirt by now!! How could this happen, they were all so... so..."

I peeked over to see Sweetheart, standing and staring at a sprout mole that was cowering in fear. Well, at least, at first I had made the assumption it was Sweetheart, due to the fact she looked insanely different. The first thing that had changed was her hair. Rather than the pink pigtails she used to wear, it was a light brown and tied in a plait, with white flecks intertwined although she didn't look a day older than when I last saw her. There was a golden spiked crown on her head, and her outfit had changed from a fluffy pink dress to an orange, brown and black gown. The last changes I had noted were her eyes were an anger and hatred-filled gold, and there was eyeliner streaming down her freckled cheeks, presumably from tears. She looked different, less of a jelly filled donut and more of a... cinnamon donut. She had changed, just like my tastes.

"We'll have everything sorted, my lady-"

"They were all so skinny before!! On the verge of dying!! They became so hopeless after that Omori kid disappeared, they wouldn't have been able to survive unless..." She paused, and my eye widened slightly as I shook in sheer terror. "...Omori. Look. I want you useless piles of plant matter and blood to split up and find him as soon as those troublesome kids are dealt with, or else I will rip you apart with my own two hands, got it?"

"Y-yes, my lady."

"Ohohoho, wonderful! Now scram, I have more important things to do than just chit-chat with lowly moles.'

"Yes, my lady!"

A set of small and fast footsteps got quieter and quieter as she tutted under her breath. The clacking of Sweetheart's heels echoed around the destroyed room, implying she was wandering closer. My breath hitched in my throat as I held my mouth tightly shut, peeking around the corner to see her walk closer to the broken paintings, picking up a shard in her hand. I got a glimpse of it. It wasn't one that was in that room originally. It was... The Final Revelation, by Rococo. One of the paintings we had commissioned. I saw my young self, with one arm raised and the other holding the steak knife that still was in my pocket.

"Omori... Omori. Made my life a living hell, just like he did!!"

She pitched the shard at the wall and it bounced off, landing on the opposite side of the room. She sighed heavily, slumping to the floor and whispering the same phrase. "I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill him..."

Shit. That was not a good sign. But, she'd notice if I snuck out while she was still there, so I stayed hidden. She continued to talk to herself. "Sweepheart... That's not my name, that's not my name. That's what I was named, who I was forced to be in that wretched whale! I would have never had to be there if I just got along with my wedding, but no! Omori and his... stupid little kids had to interrupt me! They gave me hope, they gave me hope just for a bit, and look at me! I'm a failure!"

I looked at the ground in what could only be described as slight pity. She appeared to have lost her mind since our fight. But, I noted the open door. She was sobbing into her hands loudly, meaning there was a chance I could escape. I shuffled out of the room as quietly as I could, stopping a bit before the door to pick up a scrap off of the ground that I was... slightly drawn to. I didn't know what it was, I couldn't see well enough, but I knew it was of some importance. I held it close and darted out of the room.

And, then, I did what I knew how to do in that situation:

I ran for my life.

I had barely any idea where I was headed, all I knew was that I had to move. If I was caught, I'd be thrown into a dungeon and beheaded, and I could never forget how half of that felt. It was cold, it was scary, it was dingy, and it smelt like Aubrey's cheap old perfume that she wore when we were kids. Although I was running, I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know where I'd end up. But, I felt like there was someone, something behind me. Chasing me through the halls.

After a while, my pace was getting slower. My heart was beating loud in my chest and ringing in my ears. There was something so strenuous about running from nothing. But, no sooner had I stopped, someone gripped onto my forearm, pulling me forwards. I didn't get to see their face at first, but their skin was paper white, just like mine was on one side. I staggered a little. I had no clue who was holding onto me, and I didn't want to take chances. But as I looked up, a surge of anxiety rushed through my body.

The monochrome version of Hero held onto me tightly... and he smiled.

Woo he's alive ig; the plot thickens yet again
First of all, thank you all so much for your constant support on this fic! It's not as popular as the scenarios, but all the feedback I've received has been wonderful, and I'm so glad you all are liking it so far :)
Secondly, it's time for the classic ritual of thanking you all, this time for 1k reads! Love you <3
And, finally, I'm a simp for Sweetheart, so p r e p a r e .
That's all for now! Catch you on the flip side, trash gremlins!
- Trashbag