No Matter What (A Dreammare Fic)

Chapter 1: That Went Well

He was cut off by a chunk of ground a couple of meters behind Horror loudly fizzling into nothing. Where the snow and dirt used to be, only darkness was left. Horror, who had placed KIller and Dust on the ground during Cross' explanation, moved to investigate the out-of-place black section of Snowdin town.

Cross grabbed his hood and yanked him back, careful of the knocked out Dust and Killer on the ground between them. "Be careful!" Cross yelled with vigor, "that leads to the Void!" 

Horror growled as he struggled to get free of Cross' hold. "Let go." After being released, the butcher crouched down to investigate Dust and Killer's wounds. He looked up to ask, "so what does that mean in English?"

Cross pulled up the console and used some visuals to help him explain. "As far as I'm aware, it's like the Anti-void and Doodlesphere, but deadly. The code is inaccessible, there are no ways out--only in--and it doesn't just kill you, it erases you. Horror, even a reset wouldn't bring you back."

Nightmare rolled his eyelight. "As great as that is, what happened to the 'we could risk' part?" Nightmare glanced down at Dream, whose aura was weak enough to be barely noticeable, even at his proximity.

"Right," Cross agreed, closing out the console. "If we stay, we could risk falling in and being erased. It's possible we could spread the virus if it gets onto us, too." He paused for a moment. "Although I'm less sure about that." 

Certain that the boys were not in danger of dusting anytime soon, Horror stood up and leaned on his axe. He followed Nightmare's gaze, and asked the question he knew was on the Boss' mind. "What are we going to do with him if we're leaving?"

Nightmare hated what he was about to say, but knew what he had to do. "As much as I would like the idiot to suffer, this fight wasn't fair," Nightmare crouched down to Dream, "and the dumbass came here already weakened."

Horror connected the dots before Nightmare could finish. "He's coming with us, isn't he?"

Nightmare sighed as he stood to open a portal to his pocket dimension. "Sadly, yes. If he dies, I do too, and there's not really anyone else who can heal him," he clarified. "Cross, grab him. Mind his spine, it's fractured."

Cross grimaced, but complied. Horror walked to the landing platform last, carrying Dust and Killer. Nightmare kept the portal open a little longer, curious to see how this 'disease' worked. Finding nothing interesting, he closed it and gestured for the two to follow him towards their abode. Reaching the mansion entrance, Nightmare led the two towards the infirmary on the first floor. 

Throwing the door open, Nightmare stormed towards the head healer. "Ah! Is something wrong, my lord?" She questioned.

"No, everything's fine," Nightmare mocked, gesturing to his two limp tentacles and the three unconscious--and the two barely standing--men behind him. "Take care of them."

The healer straightened and turned to her three assistants. "Elize, Maria, Alex, prepare four beds!" As the three hurried to prepare for the bleeding skeletons, the head healer glanced at Nightmare. "And you, my lord?"

Nightmare sighed and gestured to Cross. "Grab that one. His spine is fractured, and he's on Reapertale's doorstep." She nodded quickly, concern flowing off her in waves as she grabbed a large medical bag. "Take him to the master guest suite." He turned to Cross as the healer took Dream from his arms. "Stay here."

Cross nodded, his posture noticeably slumping. "Yes, sir," He said before moving to collapse on one of the beds. Horror had already placed Killer and Dust on their beds and was sitting in a chair next to Dust's, despite Elize's insistence he lay down.