What if thinks went just a little different when Error fell?
What if someone really loved him?
What if he loved someone even with all his positive emotions stolen?
Dream dropped to his knees under the flood of rage, hatred, pain, and grief pouring out of Nightmare. Unabout to even lift his head to look at him. "You're Right! You're right Nightmare, I was stupid, weak, naïve, and easily manipulated. I always have been. I am a follower not a leader. I have never been a good guardian. I failed you, I abandoned our balance, I more than failed Error. I failed as a friend to Blue. I abused my position to do harm for my own benefit, but please let me try to help you. Please this is killing you I can feel it. I can't just stand by and let it happen, not again brother."
Outer watched the confrontation from the shadows under the trees just as he had watched Error for so many years as he watched the stars, talked to Ink, fought with Ink, knit or crocheted, picnicked with Blue, or Nightmare and his gang. He felt something drip off his chin and reached up to touch his face only to realize he was crying. Crying for the friend he could have had, and the brothers whose bonds had shattered so long ago. Most of all for the monster who had spent the past six years grieving like his best friend and the love of his life had just died and he couldn't accept it. Outer had seen more than a few suicides over the years and resets. Talked some down, lost others. He knew from the aching in his SOUL that Dream wasn't going to succeed, not when Nightmare didn't trust him, and not with that much pain driving him. All his loose ends had been tied up unless he had something to anchor him he was going to follow Error and he didn't know of one thing stronger than the love and pain Nightmare had shown during these past six years. But apparently Dream did because he held up a fistful of glowing blue strings.
"Please brother, let me help you find him."
Nightmare gasped and staggered forward reaching with a trembling hand, dropping to his knees as teats flooded his sockets even dripping from under the goop that hid his damaged socket.
Dream stumbled to his feet making his way to Nightmare and pulled him into a hug. Golden tears dripped onto the brother he had failed so often. "We will figure this out brother."
-DreamSwap #3 JR Gardens-
-6 months earlier-
Grail took a deep breath just grateful to get a break from endless paperwork. So he was comely stunned when a swirling crackling hissing onyx portal burst open for a moment destroying his golden roses and dumped a body almost at his feet sealing with a sonic boom that almost swept him off his feet.
Meláni hearing the commotion in the garden rushed out gripping the absurdly large paintbrush he used as a weapon. "Boss?"
Grail looks up at him with blank sockets from kneeling next to the body, his wings automatically mantling protectively and glowing fiercely. Every instinct screaming to protect.
Dropping his brush Meláni backed away frantically waving the guards away. He had seen this once before a long time ago when Efiáltis was mortally wounded in battle. It was pure survival instinct that had saved them all. Grail had been unable to leave his twin until he was healed and unable to recognize friend or foe. That time it was Láthos who had saved them all by literally crawling to Efiáltis to heal him enough for Grail to think. He still didn't know why Grail had ignored him when he had practically crawled under him to get to Efiáltis. They had dropped all execution plans for the Meme Team that day when it became obvious that Grail was too deeply linked to stay sane if the link was broken. Grimly Meláni took a picture and sent it to Sravrós whatever set Grail off they needed the Meme Team.
Cyan showed up before the Meme Team did just leaning back against a wall and recording with his phone. "Why exactly doesn't the bOss's brother live here again?"
"Because we would have to capture him? The Meme Team are still wanted criminals even if we can't risk execution," Meláni shrugged.
Cyan snorts, "yet you have them in your emergency contacts list and neither of us doubts Efiáltis will show up when Grail needs him."
"Didn't say it made sense just that it is how it is." Meláni flips Cyan off while looking over his shoulder at the sound of a screaming engine as the Meme Team's much abused van plowed through a hedge and skidded to a halt.
The van wheezed hissed and died as Efiáltis, Stavrós, and Láthos scrambled out like it might blow up. To be fair they once had one catch fire after Efiáltis parked it.
Meláni sighed, already tired and they had just arrived, the boss's brother and his group were entertaining but exhausting. "Hey Stavrós." Meláni just points at the problem.
Stavrós froze then backed up to join Meláni and Cyan at a supposedly safe distance while Efiáltis and Láthos continued forward at a slower pace trying not to startle Grail. "What happened? We thought this only happened when Efiáltis was in danger of actually dying?
"Same here. I heard an explosion and when I came to investigate he was like this." Meláni shrugs.
"I caught it on the security cameras. Grail was having some alone time in the gardens when a really weird portrait opened taking out the roses and whoever that is, fell through. The explosion was the portal closing. Grail moved to check them and suddenly went into feral protective mode." Cyan tilts his head watching.
"This can't be good. We are almost sure the only reason Láthos was able to get past Grail last time was because he is Efiáltis's soulmate. Grail might attack this time." Stavrós hissed at them angrily.
"I don't think he can attack Efiáltis in that state." Meláni watches with more interest as Efiáltis waves Láthos to a stop and approaches Grail alone.
"Grail? Brother, can you look at me?" Efiáltis eased to his knees beside them gently pushing one of Grail's glowing wings out of the way. What he saw and felt took his breath away.
Grail blanched cupping his wing around Efiáltis focussing better with him there to neutralize some of the powerful negative energy pouring out of the horribly injured skeleton monster before them.
"Brother we should get them to the JR clinic. This is going to take more healing than we can do in one session even together." Efiáltis wanted to puke seeing what was clearly a version of his mate in such terrible condition.
Grail shuddered and carefully scooped up the dark skeleton monster visibly flinching when a rib tumbled out of their tattered shirt. "Efiáltis?"
Efiáltis picked up the rib standing slowly, "I am here Grail we will figure this out."
Cyan and Meláni straightened up when Grail picked whoever it was up and stood still looking kind of out of it.
Stavrós cleared his throat, "maybe you should call ahead to the clinic or something that looks like a lot of blood on the ground and getting all over Grail."
Cyan snorts, already having his phone out. "You think? Meláni, clear a path we don't know how Grail will react to anyone holding a weapon."
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