Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away lived a king and his queen.

They were very happy together.

However, they had always felt as if something was missing from their lives - a child.

They tried and tried, but could not conceive.

Forlorn, the royal couple set out on a journey to find a mage who could grant their wish.

Eventually, they met a kindhearted, old witch who (without much persuasion) promised them a child.

She prophesied that they would give birth to a healthy, beautiful daughter.

A princess.

The king and queen were overcome with joy, and began to celebrate.

The witch put an end to their rejoicing with much haste, however, for she was not done telling her prophecy.

This child's birth came with quite costly a price.

The young princess would indeed be kind of heart and beautiful of face.

She would be so enchanting, in fact, that many would come from afar - ladies and lords alike - to court her.

One of these suitors would be a king who ruled over a kingdom not too far off from their own.

His proposal (like many others before his) would be rejected.

But this king would not take 'no' for an answer.

So overwhelmed with rage, the king would soon thereafter carry out a nefarious plan.

A plan to steal away the poor princess.

And he would succeed.

Now stricken with fear and grief, the king and queen fell to their knees.

'Is there a way we can possibly protect her?' they asked, desperate to defend what they had worked so hard for.

The witch shook her head sorrowfully, her heart overflowing with pity for the royal couple.

'I'm afraid her kidnapping is inevitable.'

...

'Even so, there will be a way to save her from the wicked king's clutches.'

They lifted their heads with hope, tears still rolling down their cheeks.

'Two twin brothers living amongst the commoners shall be her saviors, if they dare to take on the challenge of vanquishing the king.

One brother, the younger of the two, shall be weakened by his gentle and kind heart, unnerved by the notion of harming any of their enemies.

The other, eldest brother, shall be the braver, yet more reckless of the two.

Let the younger go alone, and he will be immediately slaughtered by his own unwillingness to stand up against the threat of danger.

Let the eldest go alone, and he will surely be drowned in his own arrogance.

Together, these two will be stronger than any army you could possibly send.'

The king and queen thanked the witch, then made their way back to the land in which they ruled.

Just as the witch had predicted, a young daughter was born to them months upon months later.

Though it might have been regarded as a time of mirth and merrymaking in the beginning, this was not without misfortune.

The queen had died tragically in childbirth.

All in the kingdom was deathly silent.

The king, hearing this news, fell ill from heartbreak and was confined to his room.

He, too, would never get to look upon the face of his sweet baby girl.

The servants and staff of the castle, still disheartened by the death of their gracious rulers, feared for the fate of the kingdom.

'Surely the infant princess won't be our new queen.'

'What are we to do?'

'Who will lead us?'

The castle was panicked, unsure of how to go about raising the newborn heir.

Suddenly, a hand was raised, calming the storm of worry and distress.

The hand belonged to that of Sci, the king's right hand man.

The last to have spoken with him before his demise.

'Everyone, please, remain calm.

The late king has appointed me as head of the castle until our princess comes of age and is eligible to assume the throne.

Until then, we are to work together to raise the child and teach her how to be a just and admirable ruler, just as her parents were.'

This appeased the crowd of maids, butlers and other servants alike.

Only one question still lingered in their minds.

'What is the child to be called?'

Sci put his head in hands, pondering on the question.

'A name is an important factor in one's identity.'

He looked down at the baby cradled in his arms, swaddled in the most expensive silk and dreaming peacefully amongst all that was going on around her.

He thought and thought, then smiled tenderly as an idea crossed his mind.

'I say we name her in honor of the queen.'

With no objection or sign of disapproval in sight, Sci smiled even wider and looked back at the child in awe and wonder once more.

'Then it is settled.

Welcome to the world, Princess (Y/N).

You have quite the future ahead of you.'

~

Chapter Text

 ~

     The sound of birds chirping about as they perched in the weeping willow echoed throughout (Y/N)'s ears as she drummed her well-manicured fingers against the tabletop.

     White, shimmering rays of light gleamed through the tree's cascading leaves, hitting the spot where she was sitting and heated her up to a point where she began to feel nauseous.

     She tilted her head, closing her eyes as she attempted to avoid the direct spotlight.

     She didn't want to keep her eyes pressed shut. As a matter of fact, she loved looking about the garden, admiring all of the hard work the castle's gardeners had put into making it as gorgeous as it was.

     She had always appreciated their work, wishing she could join them in planting hyacinths and watering rose bushes.

     She never could, though. Not that it was an issue, it's just that she had so much work to do these days.

     She was nearing her eighteenth birthday, which meant she would be old enough to be crowned Queen.

     There was a lot of work to be done, preparing to take on the throne.

     It was so nerve-wracking, the idea of being held responsible for anything and everything that went on in the kingdom.

     Feeling the intense warmth shifting off of me as the Sun made its journey across the sky, she peeked out of one eye, ensuring her safety before letting them both flutter open as she came face to face with the stone wall that the garden table sat in front of.

     She quickly turned from the wall as she closed her eyes once more, shielding herself from the one thing in this garden she hated - the picture wall that foretold the prophecy.

     Along the wall there were multiple stained-glass windows. In each of them were pictures of people, telling a story that she dreaded with every fiber of her being. A story that made waiting to turn eighteen all the more anxiety-inducing.

     Just as her mind started to retell that story for what seemed like the billionth time, the sound of a porcelain tea set loudly clinking together as it was being carried on a tray took her out of it.

     She shot her head up as if being awakened from a horrible nightmare, seeing her caretaker placing a silver tray down in front of me and the seat on the opposite side.

     Sci hummed pleasantly, softly smiling as he always did when thinking to himself, even when thinking of things that weren't so. It was always difficult to determine what was going on in that head of his.

     Smiling his way through everything was his way of coping, though. I guess you could say that seeing him so calm and collected even in danger was very much reassuring.

     Sci was a good leader in that way, keeping everything cool when something very much wasn't. One day, (Y/N) had decided to ask him how he managed to keep everything under control with a look of hope and peace on his face.

    "If I ever lose it, I want it to be over something worth losing it over," he said, chuckling lightly to himself.

    The scholarly skeleton sat down, shooting her a friendly, comforting smile as he took the ornamented teapot and carefully poured the rose tea into the two matching teacups.

    When the two cups were filled just under the brim, he sat the teapot back down with a little less caution, as it was lighter and less likely to topple over and spill. She nodded her head to him in thanks, taking her cup and pressing the beverage to her lips.

    Rose tea was her favorite. It tasted just as sweet and as fresh as a rose smelled, and the warmth of it washing down her throat always soothed her, especially when she was upset.

    "How are you doing?" asked Sci, his word gentle and understanding.

    (Y/N) shrugged her heavy, weighted shoulders. She quietly looked back at the glass panes to her right, then to him again.

    "I could be better," She finally said, taking another sip of her tea. She looked down at the ground, her mind swimming all of her thoughts.

    Though she wasn't looking, she felt Sci's comforting fall for a second. Before she could look up and see, the smile had come back as quickly as it had left.

    "We knew this day was coming, (Y/N)."

    "Oh, I know. It's just...hard. It's all happened so soon, and now that it has I'm just anxiously waiting for the next part."

    Her body began to shake, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

    "Sweetie, please don't cry-"

    "No, no. I'm fine." She paused for a second, catching her breath. The tears sank back to where they had come from, rather than flowing down her cheeks.

    "It's not what happened." Her throat started to swell, her words growing hoarse. She took a drink of tea once again, the golden pink liquid healing her almost instantly.

    "I knew he was going to snap. The prophecy did say he would. I just didn't expect it to be so...aggressive? That sounds silly, I know, but..."

    "It's not silly at all," Sci said. He took a drink of his own tea, his face twisting in disgust. It made her giggle. He was not a fan of herbal teas like she was. He must have been drinking it just to make her feel better.

    "As a matter of fact, how quickly he escalated made me flinch, too."

    They both laughed at each other. Not awkwardly and solemnly as they were before, but as if they had heard a good joke.

    Settling back down, they were now left with true smiles now that they were reminded of their unity, and how they were both being affected.

    The problem at hand didn't directly involve him, sure, but she could see why he would be struggling. Raising a child, as well as running a whole kingdom with so little experience must be exhausting.

    It must be far worse when you know all of your hard work will eventually be fatefully ripped away from you.

    She looked at him, now sporting his peaceful, calming smile as she reached out to take his hand.

    "Hey. We'll make it."

    He smiled back. "Of course."

    He paused. "Actually, no. We still haven't found them."

    She raised her eyebrow in question. "Them?"

    "The brothers, remember?"

    "Oh, yeah. I must have forgotten about them. I guess I was so focused on everything else."

    "I don't blame you. Now, how do you think we're gonna find them?" He put his head in his hands, leaning on the tabletop. Abruptly, his head shot up.

    "I've got it!" he exclaimed.

    "So soon-"

    "We'll throw a ball! A nice party where all of the commoners can come in. There, we can keep an eye out for the twins in question."

    His plans were always foolproof on the first try. Sci was the leader for a reason, always being quick-witted and clever.

    "Sounds good to me, but when? We have a time limit now. Sure, we don't know when exactly it's all going to happen, but we now know it'll be soon."

    "Not tonight, we don't have the time to plan a party for tonight. Tomorrow night, however, will be perfect.

    We'll have the time to inform the kingdom of the event in question, as well as plan it all out as if it was truly what we wanted."

    (Y/N) took one last drink of her tea, which had now cooled from sitting around. Letting the torn tea leaves sit at the bottom of the teacup, she rose from her seat and smoothed out her silk skirt.

    "Excellent. What do I have to do?" Sci stood, crossing over to her and engulfing her in one last consoling hug.

    "Just be yourself. Oh, and I'll get Blue to sit outside your room, just for extra protection."

    "You're the best," she said, Pulling back the leaves of the weeping willow they had been sitting under.

    "Oh, I know."

~

Chapter Text

~

Harsh, yet refreshing sunlight shone throughout the village square that afternoon. What seemed like hundreds of commonfolk had decided to come out into the marketplace, seeing as it was the first nice day they had had in a few weeks. The spring had been a rainy one, so any chance to get out and stretch was taken. 

Ink took in a deep breath of the fresh air, enjoying second as he caught the scent of newly baked bread and the flower cart that carried the most beautiful assortment of the kingdom’s local flora. 

He may not have been living there for long at this point, but if he could get days like this often, he could really learn to love his new home. 

Coming back to reality, Ink looked back down at the long list of groceries and other necessities his brother had given him to get while he was out on the town. 

He thought back to earlier that day when he had received the piece of parchment.

“I’m more than happy to run some errands for you, Dream, but why do I have to go out and do this alone? I think we’d have fun going out and shopping together!”

“I know. But we’ve been living in this house for two weeks now and we still have a bunch of unpacking to do. If you’ll do this for me it’d save us both a lot of time.”

“But Drea-”

“No buts! Don’t worry about a thing, Ink. Who knows? You might make yourself a friend! Then you won’t have to bug me about sticking to your side like glue.”

The skeleton rolled his eyes to himself. He knew if Dream wasn’t so persistent on him staying home to unpack, he would have followed him out in a heartbeat. His short, brightly dressed brother wouldn’t have typically made such a comment about Ink getting on his nerves.

Still, he was right. 

He glanced back down at the list, reading off the first few things to himself so he would know where to start. 

Eggs, Milk, Bread, Fish, Bananas….

Great. Off to a boring start.

Ink let out an inaudible sigh, folding the paper back up and shoving it back in the pocket of his overalls, rejoining it with the friends it had made with the pocket lint and spare change that had been abandoned in the corduroy abyss so long ago. 

He stood in place, scanning across the crowded space for some vendor that may possibly have some of the items he had been on the hunt for. He was instead met with the backs and heads of all the other peasants in the square.

Many of Ink’s friends teased him for his short height throughout his childhood, to which he would always respond to boasting that he was actually average height, standing at a good five feet and eight inches. 

Besides, Dream was much shorter than him, being five feet and two inches tall. He never was picked on for it, though, seeing as his height matched his personality so perfectly no one had ever bothered to point it out.

Ink, however, liked to act a lot bigger and tougher than he was built. Out of the two brothers, he got into the greater amount of fights. Not that he was a fan of getting into fights, but other kids weren’t as willing to sit and talk about the problem at hand as he was. 

He would much rather try to communicate with his opponent about the conflict, but before he could get the words out of his mouth, his face would quickly be met with the sharp, hot feeling of a fist colliding with his face.

That’s when talking would fly out the window. 

Hey, he wasn’t just gonna stand there and take it.

He did, of course, usually lose. He had the passion to fight, and sure, he was nowhere close to being bad at it.

Ink was just always given the short end of the stick.

The artistic skeleton snickered to himself at the pun he had made at his own expense. Having taken a break from recounting his life story in his mind, he found himself in front of a cart selling fruits and other hand-grown goods. 

Ink greeted the middle-aged turtle monster woman running the cart, making small talk about the weather and all those sweet pleasantries as he inspected the bananas laid out on the cart, checking for brown spots and the green ones that had not fully ripened yet. 

As he picked out the perfect bunch, he looked back up over at the turtle woman to find that she had her small child with her. Judging by the way the child was hiding behind her mother, it didn’t seem she was much for making conversation with Ink.

He tried anyway, asking her about her name and complimenting the small, delicate doll she had cradled in her arms.

The girl became even more flustered, burying her head deeper into the side of her mother’s leg.

“Oh, don’t mind her,” said her mother, patting her head gently to calm her down. She leaned closer to his face, lowering her voice to not embarrass her daughter any further.

“She’s getting to that age where she thinks boys are cute and hasn’t able to look any young man in the face.”

Ink felt his face flush a little bit as he laughed. “Oh no, I get it. I was a mess at her age when it came to talking to other kids I thought were cute.”

He looked back down at the girl, catching her peeking at him. He flashed her a genuine smile, hoping to show her he didn’t mean any harm. She smiled wide and hid in her mother’s dress, her giggling muffled by the fabric. 

Ink giggled at her behavior, dropping a few coins into the merchant’s hand before thanking her for the fruit and walking back out into the crowd.

Ink had always loved kids. He loved the way their minds worked, being so imaginative and happy. No one had bothered to tell them about the standards society would hold them up to as adults, so they were completely free to be who they wanted to be.

He had always thought about having a kid or two in the future. The idea of having a child to call his own, to play with outside in the warm, summer air, or cuddling up on the couch as they read from a book together always brought a smile to his face. 

He would raise them to not let the world change their ideas or opinions, to not judge others based on things they don’t understand, to treat others with kindness and respect.

Ink stopped his thoughts in their tracks. 

Slow down, Ink. Find someone to raise a child with first.

He sighed at his own thoughts. He was right - whether he adopts or falls in love with a nice girl, he has to find someone who would want to take that kind of step with him. Who was he kidding? He would make an awful dad if he tried to raise a kid by himself.

Ink got lost in his jungle of thoughts. He felt as if he was hacking his way through them with a machete, like an explorer finding his way to a lost temple to recover an ancient artifact. He became so isolated in his own mind that he almost didn’t awaken from them when he ran into the tall, thick wall behind him.

...Hey, since when did walls wear clothes?

“wAtcH WHerE YOU’rE gOing, ShOrtSTacK.”

Or talk?

….Oh. Not a wall. A monster….maybe? It was so difficult to tell, the thick black cloak the figure was wearing was so dark it masked their face. 

Ink laughed to himself in the back of his head.

Kind of a poor outfit choice on a day like this.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going-”

“Oh, I kNOw. yOu KNow, iF YoU keEp YOur eYEs OpEN, yOU CAn AcTualLy sEE.”

Monster, human, goblin….whatever this thing was, sure was mean. 

“Hey, I get it. No need to be so cruel.”

“WHatEveR. i dOn’t haVE TimE To wAStE oN PEASANTS ToDAy.”

They spat the word “peasants” out of their mouth as if it were venom, meant to strike Ink down and render him defenseless.

The dark grim reaper lookalike shoved Ink over with their bulky shoulder, as if to get revenge on him for the earlier incident. He watched as they walked away, once again finding himself snickering at their words.

“No time for peasants, huh?” He muttered lowly to himself. “And who do they think they are? Royalty?”

~

Error didn’t even bother to spare the peasant skeleton a glance as he walked away. He didn’t even deserve a disgusted glare from him, that would only make the peasant think he had some kind of power over his feelings, which he certainly didn’t. 

Dwelling on this thought, he thought back to an hour or so earlier that day. He had gone out of his way to leave his kingdom under the control of his younger brother, Fresh, so that he could make a day-long journey out to the neighboring kingdom to introduce himself to the so-called “beautiful princess” he had heard so much about. 

And, boy, were the rumors true. He expected her to be at least okay looking, but beautiful was far too much of an understatement. (Y/N) was gorgeous. Ethereal. Absolutely stunning.

Error felt his heart melting as he thought about her again, only for the warm, gushy feeling to be replaced with a hollow emptiness. 

Being so taken by her, he decided to get to know her. Sure, she was a lovely girl, but Error was by no means shallow.

Much to his surprise, she wasn’t all looks. (Y/N) was smart, had a very compassionate and loving heart, and a good set of morals that he could follow.

She was perfect. He was so sure she would be thrilled when he proposed that they get hitched. Join kingdoms, start a family.

He shouldn’t have been so quick to jump to conclusions.

Error growled a bit under his breath. He couldn’t pinpoint what exactly about the situation had infuriated him so much. 

He knew she meant no ill will by rejecting him. As a matter of fact, she was so gentle when letting him down. It was soft and sweet, like though she was rejecting him, she was doing so while cradling him and singing him a lullaby.

No matter what she did, he always felt so at peace around her. 

So why did he lash out at her so aggressively.

It wasn’t like Error couldn’t take no for an answer. His mother had taught him how to treat a woman. Such a creature commands respect.

Maybe it was just….the heartbreak? They hadn’t talked long, but as far as he could tell they were a good match. He really liked her, and she didn’t seem even the slightest bit put off by him and his intimidating appearance. 

Error finally made his way out of the square, adjusting his hood as he continued down the path back to where his carriage was waiting for him. Sure, he could have spared all of the walking by pulling up to the front of the castle. 

As a matter of fact, he would have loved to do so. He would have absolutely fed off of the feeling of the commonfolk gazing at him in awe as he made his way up the shining, white steps of the castle. 

He would have loved to show them all who was really in charge.

Unfortunately, the kingdom had a bit of a taboo around royals being seen arriving at the castle if at all possible. Apparently any royal seen walking into the castle so confidently became a spectacle for the peasants. 

It was strange, sure, but Error only liked the attention when it was love and admiration being poured on him. Too much hatred and he would explode. Besides, he wanted to make a good impression on (Y/N), even after all that work went to waste after he….yelled at her.

Error slowed his walking a bit, guilt picking at his chest like a vulture. He still had the image of the tears pricking the corners of her eyes etched in his mind.

 She looked so scared. Who could blame her? He had snapped so suddenly, she must’ve thought he was going to attack her.

The end of the road met his feet as he looked up, coming face to face with the carriage he had rode in there. Two big, ash-toned stallions pulled the black, baroque carriage, both of which had been named by Error’s son.

A smile crept on his face, thinking about how his sweet, innocent little boy had named his terrifying, large horses “Toto” and “Leonard”. 

Bride or no bride, he always had Paperjam to keep his life interesting.

Error was brought back by the clap of a thick book being shut. He snapped his head to look in the permanently open windows of the carriage, seeing his most trusted lackey- uh, knight, Horror, looking back down on him. 

“Hey. How did ‘t go?” he said, arms crossed on the open window as he looked down at his friend and boss with an ever-sly cheshire grin on his face.

“hOrrIBlE. LEt mE In.” 

Shocked by the not-so-nice response, Horror moved his arms off the window, letting Error into the carriage. He scooched over, allowing him to sit on the padded seat across from him.

 It was awkwardly quiet as he leaned out the front window and gave his coachman the word to start the way home. After a moment or two of nothing but the sound of horseshoes clopping onto the pavement filling the air, Horror decided to make conversation.

“Do ‘ya wanna talk about ‘t?”

“....mAYbE.”

“Welp. I can’t help ‘ya if ‘ya don’ start yappin’.”

Error glared at him, warning him not to continue using such a sardonic tone with him. Horror seemed to take the hint, letting his back hit the back of the seat. The glitching skeleton took a deep breath, rubbing the temples of his skull before starting his sob story.

“ThEY wERe RiGhT.”

Horror smirked. “So she is cute?”

“ShE wAsN’T ‘cute’, sHe WAs bEAutIfuL! It wAs LIkE loOkIng At aN AngEL.”

Horror crossed his arms over his chest, amused. “Then what’s tha big deal?”

Error’s face flushed yellow, cringing at having to relive it all. “i GOt a littlE CARriEd aWay taLKinG To hEr…”

“...An’?”

“...I pROpoSed.”

“Like marriage-”

“YES, liKe MarRIAge! aNd SHe SaId NO! WhiCH iS finE, BuT i gOt UPsEt AnD yELlEd aT hEr LikE An aNiMAl!”

The coachman, a cat monster, turned his head and slightly eyed Error. Taking notice, Error blushed again, waving his hand in the coachman’s face.

“No oFfENcE, FEliX.” 

The cat monster let out an exasperated huff, lighting a cigarette before bringing it to his lips and puffing it a couple of times. When he was sure his king wasn’t listening, he quietly mumbled to himself.

“I don’t get paid enough for this bull.”

Horror, having heard him, let out a sigh, pinching his nasal bridge. He looked back up at his friend, who had his hands on his knees as he hunched over and pouted at the ground, puppy dog eyes on full display.

“So whatcha gon’ go about ‘t?” 

“ReSPecT hER anD GivE hEr SpAce.”

He grinned, this time with a shadow of sympathy falling on his face. 

“Alrigh’, if that’s how ya feel. Now, ya, just gotta live an’ lear- STOP!”

The carriage stopped abruptly, a horse whinny being let loose into the air as the cat coachman pulled on their reigns.

Horror’s train of thought had been quickly derailed by the young woman just outside the carriage, who was putting up a flier on a nearby bulletin. 

Sure, what she was doing was by no means inherently distracting, but something about the words on the page and the colors….

….was very….eye-catching. 

Curse propaganda.

“HorRor? hEy, hOrRor, I'M TalKING tO YoU, boneHEAD- ” 

“Holdon a secon’, willya?” He leaned out the window, squinting his eye sockets. 

Man, he really needed to go see someone about his eyes. Ever since one of his eye lights went out, he had become partially blind. 

When the words had settled in his field of vision and had become crisp enough to read, he started mumbling the words aloud as if his thoughts were trying to escape through any hole they could find in his head. At least, that’s what it felt like.

Error, still confused at his friend’s sudden change of focus, watched him mutter to himself with interest. One of his browbones instinctively started to sloat upwards, him cocking his skull to the side at a slight angle. 

Horror pulled his head back into the carriage, looking back at Error with a patient expression. 

“...WeLL?”

“Wha?” said Horror, now mirroring Error’s expression.

The king growled lightly under his breath in frustration. 

“wEll, you STOPPEd the WHolE carRiAGE So yOu CoULd REad the NEWs. WhAT WaS tHaT aLL aBOut?”

“Oh….oh!” he started, snapping back to reality. “ ‘S nothin’. Said tha princess is holdin’ a ball ‘r whatever.”

Error leaned back in his seat, groaning a little as he was even being reminded of her. 

“i wisH THErE WAs sOMeTHInG i CoUld do tO Fix It aLL.” He stopped, taking a breath to rub his temples once again, still massaging at the minor headache he had given himself from shouting so much earlier. 

His own cruel words started to bounce around his skull again, echoing throughout his head as he cringed. He leaned over, cradling his head in his hands.

“eVen IF i don't GET tO BE wITh HER. i caN'T BelIEve I leT THAT BE The imPreSSioN of me i leFt Her wITh.”

“Then ya know what ya do?”

The glitch looked up at him, his skull still laying in his palms. 

“cReaTe A maChiNe to mAKe HEr foRgET EVeRYthInG i did tO Her TO MAKE HeR FoRGET AbOUt mE so ThaT i Can hAvE A sECOnd ChancE?”

“...No. Please, don’ ever do that.”

Error huffed, crossing his arms. “TheN WhAt?”

“Jus’ apologize. It takes a big person to admit they’ve done somethin’ wrong. She’ll recognize that and maybe even give ya’ another shot.”

Error shot his head up, almost excited. 

“AnotheR...shOT?”

“....Yea?-”

“ANd tHeN ShE'Ll see wHaT A BIG pErSON i am aND MaYBe evEN ReTHInK MaRRyiNG me!”

“WOAH, I DIDN’ SAY-”

“-the BAlL! we'Ve GotTA StAy IN toWN so wE CaN go tO the balL! I cAn APOlogIZE tO heR AnD win HEr oveR TheN! HoRroR, YOu're a GeNius!”

Horror froze, taking a minute to decide how he should respond. Sure, Error was wrong and whatnot, but...he’d never been called a genius. A small smirk slid up onto his face, a telltale sign of how flattered he felt. 

Genius….it rolled off the tongue just right. Horror, the genius.

“Error…”

Error looked at him with excitement and pure joy in his eyes. It was face Horror just couldn’t let down.

“Yer absolutely right. Let’s git a hotel room and stay there ‘til tomorra night.”

Grinning from….uh, cheekbone to cheekbone, Error turned back around to Felix. 

“SoRRY, fELix. LooKs lIKE We'lL Be STayING a COUPLE days LONgER. WE'LL GO HoME ThE mORnINg AfTer tOmoRrOw.” 

The cat monster sighed, flicking his unfinished cigarette onto the ground.

“Whatever.”

Normally, Error would’ve shouted at him for using such a tone with him, but the pure adrenaline running through his bones was blocking out everything he wouldn’t regularly want to hear.

“tHEn WhAt ARe We wAiTiNG For? LeT'S gO gET tHat pRiNCEss!”

He ran out of the carriage, pulling the hood of his cloak onto hid head to hide himself from the public once more. Horror watched as he jumped out, beaming like a ray of sunlight. He grimaced, a magnetic-like force causing him to slam his skull into the wall of the carriage.

The things he did to see his friends happy.

~

Chapter Text

~

"HUMAN PRINCESS! HUMAN PRINCESS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT IN THERE? YOU'VE BEEN AWFULLY QUIET!"

(Y/N)'s eyes snapped open, her back shooting off the back of the tub. Soapy bathwater sloshed around with the sudden movement, her hands rising above the water and rubbing at her heavy eyes.

She blinked, looking around the bathroom rapidly and cautiously. 

"I'm up! I'm up! I'm-"

The girl's sudden state of panic was interrupted by a loud, exhausted sigh coming from the other side of the door. 

"YOUR HIGHNESS, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE SLEEPING AROUND! WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME TO GET YOU READY FOR THE BALL TONIGHT," scolded Blue. He was the captain of the royal guard that had been put in charge of watching over (Y/N) ever since the incident. 

It was her turn to sigh, her eyes rolling back into her head ever so slightly, as she was only slightly annoyed.

"Yes, Blue, I know. I just dozed off a bi-"

"NOT TO MENTION, IT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS FOR A HUMAN TO FALL ASLEEP IN A BATHTUB FILLED WITH WATER! YOU COULD HAVE DROWNED HAD I NOT AWAKENED YOU!"

"Yes, Blue." (Y/N) propped her elbow up onto her leg, her head lightly resting in her hand.

"DON'T YOU KNOW THE SHOCK AND HORROR THE KINGDOM WOULD BE IN IF YOU WERE DISCOVERED DEAD?"

"Yes, Blue." She yawned, her eyelids falling ever so slowly as the feeling of drowsiness overcame her once more.

"VERY WELL. I SHALL LET YOU CARRY ON WITH YOUR BATHING NOW. BUT, PLEASE, BE MINDFUL OF THE TIME!"

"Yes, Blue." She rubbed her eyes once more. Of course, she was still tired. Blue was still right, however. 

She let out one last, exasperated sigh as she leaned forward and pulled the plug on the drain. Bubbly water flowed down the drain in a hypnotizing whirlpool, leaving a sleepy (Y/N) in a trance. 

Spacing out, her mind wandered back to the night before. The poor girl had only slept for a good two hours before Sci snaked into her room and calmly shook her awake to start the day.

After the long day she had faced, she found herself lying awake in bed, her mind only able to focus on the occurrence from that morning. Harsh yelling and aggressive words echoed throughout her head, berating her and growing louder the longer she dwelled on the thought.

The moment was so ingrained in her mind, yet it still felt like a blur. In all honesty, she was having trouble even recalling what the man looked like. He was a skeleton, yes....his bones were....what color? Black - no, they were blue. No, she was sure they were black....

(Y/N) shook her head, grabbing her temples as she tried to steady the dizziness she was feeling. She shivered, looking down to find herself in a now-empty bathtub. 

Grabbing the fluffy, yellow towel sitting on the small table by the tub, she stepped onto the freezing tile floor of her bathroom. Her teeth chattered as she wrapped the towel around her arms and body like a blanket, hugging it to her form to keep warm. 

She looked up into the white, standing mirror on the other side of the bathroom. Her hair was tied up, still dry as she had washed her hair the day before, and was not in need of another one. Water drops like small, round crystals dotted her body, stuck to her skin. 

(Y/N) lowered the towel off of her arms, wrapping the fabric around her body like a short, not-so-stylish dress. A gown was hung on a clothing rack next to the mirror. 

Her fingers ran over the expensive, silk fabric. She felt almost guilty wearing a dress so lavish. Even though she was royalty, (Y/N) opted to wear more simple dresses only a bit pricier than that of a peasants dress. It made day-to-day life so much easier, not having to wear such heavy clothes as she constantly moved about, doing princess things.

Yes. A jumper skirt, frilly blouse, and a gold-toned cameo brooch that belonged to the mother she had never met. 

Throughout the day, the princess would delicately run her fingers over the woman's portrait engraved into the brooch, a small way she liked to pay homage to the late queen. The girl had only a single painting that gave her an idea of what she had looked like.

A young, beautiful woman who was seated upon a throne of velvet. Her kind eyes looked out beyond the fourth wall, looking upon her audience with a gentle smile. The painting always made (Y/N) smile.

Even though she had never met her mother, she very much aspired to leave a favorable legacy the way she did. To be depicted with such elegance and grace, and to be remembered for being so good-hearted.

(Y/N) lifted the dress from the rack carefully, as if she were carrying a pile of money in her arms as she walked across a tightrope suspended over a cavernous ravine. When she felt it was safe, she grabbed the dress by the bodice. 

It was an off-the-shoulder dress. The sleeves were shiny and built to keep their shape. They were a nice, creamy white that meshed well with the rest of the dress' colors.

The dress was a pastel, light blue that reminded (Y/N) of a brilliant sky in spring. The bodice was decorated with lacey appliques that looked like white flowers sprouting off of the silk, base fabric. 

The skirt was a made up of panels that had been cut and loosely sewn together, giving it the ruffly, yet effortless look that was fit for a girl of her stature. 

It was luxurious, but not over-the-top. Sophisticated, but not gaudy.

(Y/N) snorted to herself. Did she really need to take so much time to describe the dress to herself? She could see it perfectly fine with her own two eyes. It's not like there was someone present who needed to know every detail of the gown.

She started to slip the skirt over here head as-

"HUMAN PRINCESS? YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO PUT THAT DRESS ON YOURSELF, NOW ARE YOU? BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER PERSON TO HELP YOU INTO THAT THING. I'LL GO GET MUFFET, IF YOU'D LIKE."

Oh, yeah. There were multiple steps to put this thing on.

"I would like that very much if it isn't too much trouble."

"NOT AT ALL! DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"

(Y/N) listened as a pair of tiny feet scurried out the room, followed by a door slamming shut. 

She giggled, thinking about the miniature skeleton bursting out of her room. He had much more energy than he probably knew what to do with.

The princess looked back into the mirror, wrapping a robe around her body as she prepared to be stuffed into seven pounds of fabric. 

She only hoped it wouldn't be much of a hassle to wear throughout the evening.

~

Dream took his brother by the collar of his jacket, flattening the collar out, making it neat and presentable. 

"Oops! Good thing I caught that. We need to make ourselves look presentable for her royal highness." He giggled, looking up at Ink, who only looked back down on him with an unsure, awkward, gaze.

"I'm all for parties and all, but do we really have to wear these monkey suits?" he said, tugging at the collar Dream had just fixed, promptly messing it up once more.

Dream huffed. He grabbed Ink's collar once again, folding it over into a more acceptable state.

"Of course we do! We absolutely have to look out best. If we get a chance to meet her majesty, we need to make the best first impression we can! I can't even imagine how foolish we'd both look if we showed up in our regular day clothes."

"I feel so trapped in here," Ink whined, his skull rolling back. "It's going to be so hot. Couldn't I at least wear a shirt that's not so....ruffly?"

"Nope! You'll just have to suffer in silence and die of heat exhaustion!" Dream joked, poking a finger into his brother's rib. Ink let out a giggle, both from the comment and the finger tickling him as it prodded him. 

"Whatever. I don't need anyone's opinion, but if it means so much to you, I guess I'll let it slide."

Dream smiled brightly. The stars in his eye sockets seemed to grow, twinkling with joy. 

"That's the spirit! Now, go put on your cravat so we can leave."

"Another layer of clothing?!"

"Oh, please, Ink? It means so much to me!" Dream said folding his hands together as he leaned into his brother, a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

Ink grumbled, turning around to go and find the dreaded article of clothing. Dream's smile stretched into a victorious smirk, his hands behind his back.

"Thank you.~"

~

(Y/N) smoothed out the skirt of her gown with gloved hands, which was now layered on top of a petticoat that Muffet had picked to best fit the skirt's shape. She gave a little twirl, showing herself off for Blue and Muffet, both of who were silently watching in awe.

"YOU LOOK LOVELY, HUMAN PRINCESS! I THINK THE COLOR BLUE SUITS YOU VERY WELL! MWEH HEH HEH HEH!"

(Y/N) held back a little "awww" at her guard's adorable laugh, pressing a fist up to her smile. 

"Indeed," agreed Muffet. "It brings out the color in your eyes, dearie!"

"Thank you, guys," (Y/N) said, the words coming out smooth and elongated to prove her genuine gratefulness.

Blue and Muffet only nodded in return as Sci slipped in through the door as if on cue. Everyone's eyes shot over to the new presence in the room as he quietly shut the wooden door behind him. 

"How's everything going in here?" 

He stopped in his tracks once he saw (Y/N), who had become distracted by her reflection in the mirror next to her, twirling lightly to watch the dress flare out. 

"(Y/N)?" he said, attempting to grab her attention. She turned towards him, shooting as smile as if to acknowledge his presence. 

Sci smiled back warmly as he approached his adopted daughter, before wrapping her in a hug. 

"That dress looks stunning on you."

(Y/N)'s smile grew a bit as she closed her eyes, her head on his shoulder. 

"Thank you, Sc-"

"MWEH! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I SAID! IT APPEARS MY TASTE IN FASHION IS QUITE EXCEPTIONAL!" said Blue, breaking what was once a tender moment.

"Exceptional indeed, Captain," said Sci, not turning his head away from (Y/N). That way, only she was able to see as he playfully rolled his eyes at Blue's remark.

"Blue, would you mind if I take a moment to speak with the princess in private?" 

Blue's eyes widened a bit, him nodding in understanding as a wide smile stretched across his face.

"WHY, OF COURSE! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEBERRY WILL GO AND STAND OUTSIDE THE DOOR TO KEEP WATCH AS YOU HAVE YOUR PRIVATE AND UNDISTURBED CONVERSATION!"

"That would be great, thank-"

"NO INTRUDER WILL BE ABLE TO GET PAST THE DOOR WITH ME IN THE WAY! NO SIR, I WILL KEEP WATCH FOR ANY POSSIBLE INVADERS!"

"Yes, yes, that would be wonderfu-"

"IF ANYONE EVEN TRIES TO SO MUCH AS LOOK AT THE DOOR, I'LL MAKE MY MEAN FACE AT THEM AND SAY, 'HEY! YOU CAN'T COME IN HERE, THE PRINCESS AND SCI ARE TRYING TO HAVE A PEACEFUL, UNINTERRUPTED CONVERSATION! I'M AFRAID I'M GOING T HAVE TO ASK YOU TO-'"

"Leave?!" Sci cut him off, with just enough bite in his voice to get the message across while still keeping his peaceful demeanor.

Blue blushed, only just then realizing the tangent he had drug himself out on.

"O-OH. RIGHT....I'LL BE ON MY WAY NOW!" 

He quickly scurried out of the bedroom as if unbothered by the interaction, though it was obvious from the way he stumbled out of the room and winced at himself that he was embarrassed. 

Sci chuckled to himself, turning back to (Y/N). His eyes became more serious, his ever-present smile faltering slightly as he lowered his voice.

"I came in here to make sure you were doing okay. I haven't seen you all that much since noon yesterday."

(Y/N)'s own smile fell a bit, her mind flashing back to the instance in question. She had been having so much fun getting ready with Muffet that she hadn't really been thinking about it. Blue's fun stories and cute banter with Muffet had taken her mind off of the whole thing. The two were so fun to watch, seeing as they were so close from spending so much time working together in the castle.

"I'm fine." She paused. "Though, I didn't sleep too well last night, if I'm being honest."

She looked up, met with an expression that made her heart freeze. 

For what seemed like the first time in forever, Sci wasn't smiling.

As a matter of fact, he looked almost as if someone had shot his best friend in front of him. He didn't appear as if he was going to cry, though; it was more like a frown, just with more shock and a bit of what seemed like pity.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Sci, it's okay-"

"No it's not, (N/N)! You don't deserve to go through this."

"It's a small price to pay to get to live a life such as this one."

"A small price?! This is worse than any curse that witch could have put on you! Why couldn't you be like some other cursed princess and turn into an ogre at nightfall or something like that?"

"Sci, she didn't curse me. This was my destiny, all she did was foretell it."

He lifted his head a bit. His browbones were furrowed upward in a heartbroken expression. Still, Sci kept as cool as he could, and no tears fell.

"I....I just wish you didn't have to be taken away. Heroes or no heroes, I wish you could just....stay."

(Y/N)'s look of concern and anguish softened. Quickly, she got on her tiptoes, her soft hands on the sides of his skull. Leaning his head down, she softly pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

"I know."

Tears began to cloud her vision, one runaway tear rolling down her cheek as a light trail of mascara marked its path. 

Sci took notice of the mark on her face. He laughed lightly to himself as he took a handkerchief out of his coat pocket, lightly dabbing at her face as she giggled in realization.

"There," he said softly. "Just because we're a mess doesn't mean the whole kingdom has to know."

(Y/N) flashed him a comforting, close-mouthed smile. 

"Then maybe we should get out there and fool everyone into thinking we're put together."

"Oh, don't worry. We still have a good half hour before the gates open-"

Sci was cut off by the sound of a creaking door. Both of their heads turned to the source of the sound, seeing the short captain of the royal guard peeked his head out from behind the door, similarly to that of a turtle poking its head out of its shell.

"U-UMMM....I'D HATE TO INTERRUPT, BUT THE GATES OPENED FIVE MINUTES AGO AND THE ENTIRE KINGDOM IS AWAITING YOU BOTH IN THE BALLROOM-"

"WHAT?! Oh, dear me- guess I lied, hehe," said Sci, grabbing (Y/N) firmly by the wrist as he started to lead her out of the bedroom. 

"Sci- Sci, wait!" 

His feet skidded to an abrupt stop, his head whipping around as if to get the point across to her that they had simply no time to waste.

(Y/N) rushed up to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders dramatically in one last hug.

"I love you....dad."

Sci's look of panic melted away. He froze, looking down at the top of (Y/N)'s head before slowly snaking his arms around her waist.

"I....I love you, too, dear."

~

"You kNOW, FoR a KInGdOM thAT's TalkEd abOUT With SUCH REspeCT and aDoraTIOn SO oftEn, You woULD EXpEct THe pRIncESS and heR leECH of a right-HaNd maN TO Be on TImE TO thEIr OWN SOcIAl EVENt," said Error. His foot impatiently tapped against the marble floor of the ballroom, even though the rest of the room seemed to be quite content with the inconvenience.

Not that it shocked the king. Such commoners were probably thrilled to even get to stand in such a luxurious, high-class room. The peasants would have been lucky to be serfs living under such a roof, nonetheless be welcomed there as guests.

"Aw, r'lax, Error. 'm sure I don' hafta remind ya of all the times you've been late."

"QuiEt, HorroR."

"As ya wish, my liege." 

As is on cue, Sci and Princess (Y/N) made their way through the large doors that opened up from the left side of the room. The ballroom erupted into applause as they walked across the floor, the princess giving shy, awkward waves to the crowd as they cheered.

Upon seeing her, Error immediately became less irritable, finding himself applauding for her just as the rest of the room was. Taking notice of his boss' abrupt change in mood, he quietly laughed and rolled his eyes before bringing his hands together himself.

Sci raised his hand and quieted everyone into silence, a talent he seemed to have as he had been witnessed doing so frequently. 

He cleared his throat, before going on and on with greeting everyone. Error had tuned him out for most of the speech, as his big "welcoming speech" was much more of a way for him to communicate to the peasants that they were to be grateful for such an opportunity as to rub elbows with the elite.

The king found himself staring off into space, pretending to be interested in all that the dorky, glasses-wearing cretin had to say. Error wasn't much of a fan of him. From the moment Error had entered the castle the day before, Sci had glared him down, studying him as if he were a bug under a microscope.

He would've liked that, wouldn't he? Freaking nerd.

Error didn't even really need his stupid speech. The wall behind his big, ugly head was much more interesting than him anyway. They were glossy, a very creamy off-white color. Every now and then, the wall would split up into a window that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, leaving much of the garden behind the ballroom to be visible to the eye, almost as if it were right in front of them.

Well, it actually was. Maybe that wasn't the best analogy.

His pupils wandered a bit more, taking in even more details. The nice, silky, gold-toned curtains that were pulled away from the windows. A couple of porcelain vases that held an arrangement of lilies, hyacinths, and other flowers that seemed quite expensive. Sci's eyes glaring right back at him.

...

Wait, Sci's eyes-

Oh no.

Error jumped, being awakened from his trance by withering gaze from the steward. He was still giving his speech, but his eyes seemed to stab into Error's soul like he was judging him for having the audacity to even show his face in his castle a second time.

It was like he knew exactly why he was there.

Sci quickly concluded his speech, encouraging everyone to, "let loose and enjoy the night!"

Error knew that invitation wasn't meant for him though. 

Frankly, if Sci had the gull to call him out in front of such a crowd, the only thing he would've invited him to do would be to pack his stuff and leave. 

The crowd of clueless commoners broke into different directions, some heading straight for the snack table, which was lined with cakes, pastries, seafood, and other fancy-looking finger foods. Others made their way to the center of the ballroom as the band started to strike up an elegant waltz, couples pairing off and dancing amongst each other. 

Error turned to his henchman, only to find him having gone off with the snack crowd, already piling a plate with shrimp and cupcakes. 

Typical.

The king looked back up at the platform in which Princess (Y/N) and Sci stood. Sci was holding his adopted daughter by the arms, whispering to her as her once pleasant look fell from her face, immediately replaced with a look of terror. 

The two discreetly looked in his direction, trying not to alarm him or let him know they were onto him. Error quickly glanced away, looking off into the crowd of dancing peasants that surrounded him as if it was his intention all along. He watched as they glided in a big circle, spiraling across the ballroom floor. 

He found himself in a daze as he spun with them, observing. The dancers twirled around with each other, flowing in an ever-rotating circle. They were planets revolving in a solar waltz, and he was the sun.

Error snapped out of his thinking, looking back up to the platform only to see that the leech, known only Sci, had disappeared, leaving (Y/N) alone with only a single guardsman by her side.

Before he could turn away again, her head moved ever so slightly until her eyes met his.

(Y/N) appeared taken aback by the sudden staredown. She seemed afraid, like maybe she thought he would lunge for her throat like a bloodthirsty wolf. 

But Error? Oh no, he wasn't about to back down. He was lapping up her undivided attention like a thirsty dog, and he wasn't about to trade it for anything. 

Two brightly saturated red eyesockets stayed locked in with two (E/C) eyes as he felt himself involuntarily make his way up the steps toward her. 

(Y/N) shuddered under his stare. She took a few steps back, the guardsman looking back at her with confusion. 

Finally, he made his way up the last step. It really had felt like it was taking too long, he was so desperate to even be near her. The steps seemed to repeat themselves over and over again as if they were trying to keep the young princess out of his reach. As if they wanted to keep him from achieving his goal.

Like they were trying to protect her from him.

(Y/N) straightened her back and fluffed out her gown, her hands folded so meekly in front of her. She refused to break eye contact, though Error knew it was only a ruse to trick him into thinking she was brave enough to face him.

They were face to face now, only about a foot apart from each other. The princess forced a polite smile onto her face as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Y-your majesty-"

"oh, pLEASE, (y/n), WE're boTH of THE Same statuS. pLeASe, CALl mE BY naMe."

He would've said she could say his name if she'd like, but he knew very well she would choose not to say his name if he had given her the option.

She swallowed her pride, and she swallowed it hard. A shaky breath followed the gulp, her frail little body lightly trembling with fear.

"....H-hello...."

A beat. She had paused to gather up what little dignity she had left.

"....Hello, King Error."

A sly smile crept up his face. The girl had spat his name out like it had tasted bitter in her pretty little mouth. 

Of course, he wanted her to like him. He just couldn't help how cute he found her when she was trying to be disrespectful.

"hello, dArliNg. I wAS hOpinG The two of us Could HaVE a mOmENt Or TWo Of prIVACy. THERE IS SoMethiNG I'D LiKe To tALk To you AbOut PersoNally."

~

A knot formed in her stomach, fear clearly evident on her face. She knew it was obvious, or else that....creature wouldn't have been giving her such an evilly aroused look. 

He knew she was scared, and he was eating it up. 

"I'm sorry, your majesty-"

"paRDoN?" 

She sighed. He really wasn't gonna let her off easy, was he?

"....King Error." 

Why did he love it when she said his name like that so much? Did it give him some kind of feeling of power? Of dominance over her? It was despicable.

"I really can't step away with anyone alone right now. I have to stay with a guard at all times."

"sAys WHO?"

"Says Sci. It's for my safety-"

"fuNnY eNougH, i cOULDn't givE a dAMn aBOuT wHat Sci sAys."

"Then I say I need a guard by me as well."

"(y/n)....yOU'rE beinG dIffiCUlt."

Error started to slowly stalk towards her, making the girl visibly nervous. Before she could say anything else, the tall guard stepped in between the two of them, safely hiding the princess behind his back.

"EXCUSE ME, SIR," said the guard, looking down on Error with a dopey grin in his face. "BUT I'M AFRAID YOU'RE MAKING THE PRINCESS A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE."

Error growled in annoyance, staring down the goofy skeleton guard with anger in his eyes.

"moVe iT, TaLL-Ass. We wERe HaVINg A pRiVATE COnVERSaTiOn."

"NYEH? SUCH LANGUAGE SHOULD NOT BE USED AROUND SUCH A LADY! SIR, IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY, I WILL HAVE TO ESCORT YOU OFF OF THE PREMISES!" 

The growl grew into an angry shout. Now clearly pissed, the king roughly shoved the guard out of the way and to the ground, grabbing (Y/N) by the wrist and teleporting away with her. 

Water flowing off of a water fountain echoed throughout the garden, a light breeze blowing through (Y/N)'s hair. She grabbed her arms, rubbing them as the night air chilled her exposed flesh. 

Panicked, the princess began to hyperventilate. She frantically looked around, trying to recall the place he had taken her.

"Where are we? Where did you take me?! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH ME?!"

"Hey, hEy, calm doWn. OkaY? RElaX, pRInCesS. wE'RE oNLy iN YoUR GArdEN," said Error.

The way he said it....it was like he was genuinely concerned about her panicking, not just trying to keep her quiet. What was this guy playing at?

"Wait....you....y-you didn't kidnap me?"

Error took a step back and cocked a browbone like it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"um....No? wHy Would I-"

"Oh, thank the stars! So you actually have something to say?"

The king froze again, this time a bit more surprised than confused. It took him a minute, but eventually, it looked like it had hit him.

"WaIt, YOu weRe scArED To BE aLonE wiTh mE BeCause YOU tHOUGht I was GoInG TO SteaL YOU awAy?" he asked. Shyly, the princess nodded her head.

Error exploded into a fit of glitchy laughter. He bent himself over, holding his sides as tears began to prick his eye sockets. Raising a phalange, he wiped a tear away as he attempted to calm himself. 

Still feeling a little awkward, (Y/N) joined into the laughter, adding her own little "haha"s here and there to ease the tension. 

After a few minutes, Error was able to pull himself back together. He smiled quite genuinely, his eyesockets holding a sincere look.

"(y/N), PleASE! I WOulD NEver KidNAP YOU! I'm TRyINg to Get you to LiKe ME, ReMEMbeR?"

She giggled to herself, actually letting herself ease into the situation.

"Yeah, I guess that would defeat the purpose of what you're trying to do here."

~

Kidnap her? KIDNAP HER?!

Geez, no wonder Error loved her so much. This girl was a riot! I mean who even comes up with that kind of stuff?

"actuAllY, IF yOU'Ll AlLOw me to gEt to THe poiNt- i waNTeD to aPOlogizE FOr My bEHaviOr YEStERDay."

Her face softened even more, buying into what he had to say. She raised her eyebrows, clearly interested.

"THE WAY i blEw up At YOU wAS CompLetEly inapPrOPRiatE. You HaVe THE rIgHt To feEl hOwEveR yoU WaNT aBoUT mE, whETHeR thaT Be As a friENd, An ENemY, OR....WeLl, A loVEr." 

A smile grew across her face. It was working, his apology was charming her.

"I'm hOPiNg we COuLD staRt All oVer AnD DEvELop a real rELaTIonsHiP anD MAYBe, sOmEdaY...." 

Error grabbed her gloved hand, holding it up to his teeth in a romantic gesture. On the inside, he was shuddering quite a bit from the physical touch, but Horror had taught him to hold her close in an attempt to win her over. Usually, he would have opted to use his strings, but he thought they might scare her rather than make her swoon.

Leaning in close to her face, he put his mouth next to her ear as he felt her tremble in his touch.

"YOu'lL give ME a SeCOND CHanCe?~"

He pulled away, surprisingly still managing to hold onto her hand without freaking out as he looked to her face for any clear answers.

She was frozen in shock, her putting up her free hand up to her soft, pretty lips. (Y/N) was clearly flustered.

"E-error...." she cutely stuttered, her cheeks growing pink.

A smirk stretched onto his face. He hummed, already able to hear the next words coming out of her mouth.

"Of course! How could I have been so blind? You're so handsome and strong and charming....I say we get married tomorrow night! You're the only one I want to be with!...."

"....No."

~

Ink held his skull in his hand, straw stirring the little tea leaves at the bottom of his cup. He was sitting at his table, watching his brother make conversation with another monster commoner. Dream usually wasn't much for talking and meeting new people - it was Ink who liked to do the most talking.

He didn't get it. Was it just different in this village? Did the two of them walk through some kind of magical force that swapped their personalities upon arriving? Or was Ink just tired? 

It was most likely the latter. 

Ink huffed as he took another look around the room. Guards were circling around the ballroom in what he could recognize as a bit of a panic. Apparently, the princess had disappeared with some strange man and they were having trouble finding them.

Wherever she was, Ink hoped she was okay. He would help by keeping an eye out for her, then at least he would have something to do. Then again, he hadn't the foggiest idea what she looked like since he and Dream had arrived considerably late and didn't arrive until after the big welcoming speech.

Good thing they did, though. Rumor had it it was insanely boring. 

Rubbing his temples, Ink stood, pushing his seat away from him. If he was bored, he decided he would go try to make his own fun. The garden seemed to be open, maybe he could go out and sketch some of the flowers they had growing. 

Supposedly, there was a wall of stained-glass windows that was made for the princess' fifth birthday. Maybe he could check that out, too. He loved himself some good gothic art.

Just as he was about to turn away, Dream noticed him getting up.

"Ink? Where are you going?" 

"Hm? Oh, I'm gonna go get a bit of fresh air, it feels a bit crowded in here."

"Really? But I thought you liked people?"

"Oh, of course. I guess I just like breathing better."

He winked at that last part, passing it off as a joke, though he fully felt that way.

Dream just went along with the joke and giggled. 

"Alright. Please, hurry back soon? I want you to make a friend or two before the end of tonight."

"You got it, Dreamy."

With that, Ink was off. He felt around in his coat pockets for his sketchbook, making sure he had brought it with him. Sure enough, he felt the small, rectangular booklet down in his pocket, along with a small pencil. He grinned to himself, making his way through the door and out into the garden.

The cool breeze caressed his face as he breathed in, finally feeling as if he could move around properly. Knowing now that Dream couldn't keep an eye on him, he took off his brown, decorated jacket, folding it over his arm. 

He was left in only his ruffly white undershirt, making him feel like some sort of swashbuckling pirate. Or the heroic love interest in a romance novel.

Oh yeah. He was feeling himself.

Ink laughed lightly at his own thoughts, making his way through the flowers and other vegetation. 

Just as he had expected, everything was well taken care of. Must've been because they could afford to hire the best gardeners. Ink had to admit, it made him a little jealous. He wished he had such a nice garden. But he didn't have money or gardening skills, so he was kinda screwed. 

He was met with the sound of light water trickling down as he turned to see a tall, marble fountain. There was a statue sitting atop the fountain of a winged goddess dressed in a light cloth that seemed to barely hold up on her skin. It was such a shame the poor thing didn't have a head. Or arms.

Ink threw his tanned jacket over the rail on the side of the fountain, looking up at the statue a bit more. Droplets of water from the fountain fell lightly onto his face, keeping him cool on the considerably warm spring evening. 

Visions of himself taking up sculpting began to flood his mind as he stared up at the goddess. It seemed like a fun art form, though he was sure it would take a lot of concentration and patience, neither of which he really had. Ink had always been easily distracted. It was a trait that paired well with his not-so-great memory.

....Wait, what was he just thinking about before that?

Maybe it was the flowers. He had talked about the flowers, right? Man, did he wish he had a garden-

"E-error, please!"

Woah.

Rude, that feminine voice just interrupted his train of thought after he had got it back. 

Anyways....oh wait, what was he talking about just a second ago? 

Oh, the statue! How he wished the poor creature had arms-

"WhAt, aM I JuST not GOod eNOugH FoR you?!"

Oh. Ink had a feeling he was in the middle of some personal business-

"Please! Y-you're hurting me!"

Or maybe he could go make sure that feminine voice was okay.

Leaving his jacket on the fountain railing, Ink made his way around the fountain to meet the source of the two voices.

The male voice was a skeleton a good half-foot taller than him, wearing a dark, navy blue cape over some expensive-looking clothing that were a bit too dark to really see in the dark. He had black bones that blended into the nighttime atmosphere, and he would have gone completely undetected had it not been for the vibrant blue streaks that ran down his face, along with his bright red eyesockets and golden teeth that seemed to glow in the dark. His pupils were mismatched, one being a single white dot, while the other was made up of rings of yellow and blue.

The girl, however, was a young, human girl. She was much shorter than that of the male skeleton and was currently being held by the forearm in a tight grip. A tear started to run down her cheek as she tried so desperately to pull away from him. 

Ink watched as the skeleton did everything in his power to keep her close to him. He stomped his foot down onto her dress, keeping her from running. She started to scream but had her mouth covered by the skeleton to keep her quiet. 

"YOu'lL BE mIne, JusT WATcH! I'lL WIn You oVer oNe dAY, EVEn if i havE TO FOrCE yoU To loVe ME!"

Hmm. Maybe now was a good time to step in.

Ink leaped out from behind the fountain, making his presence known to both of them. 

"Hey! Let go of her, you creep!" he shouted, making the both of them freeze. The dark skeleton's angry expression deepened at the sight of Ink. He harshly threw the girl over to the side, his fists balling up as if he was ready to strike him across the face.

"YoU! YOu'Re the insuFfeRaBLE peAsANT thaT rAn iNTo Me at The SquARe yesterdAY!"

Ink took a step back, not quite sure how to respond to the accusation just throw at him. He didn't recognize the skeleton in the least.

He thought he'd play along, just for the fun of it.

"Uh....yes! It is I, the 'insufferable peasant'! And now I've come to spoil your plans once again!" he said, a proud fist to his chest. 

The skeleton gasped. "Oh, we'll see about that! I'll have your head served to me on a silver platter, you worm!"

Ink grinned devilishly. "How so? Worms don't have heads!"

The girl giggled at his little retort from the sidelines. He looked to see her watching, her hands folded to her chest as she watched him in enjoyment. 

Oh, yes. An enemy and a girl? What a night.

He shot the girl a wink, earning another sweet little laugh from her as she wiped her tears off of her face. 

Ink looked back at his opponent, who was enraged at the flirtatious interaction between the two of them. The poor guy would've had steam pouring out of his ears if he had any.

"WHY yOu lItTLe- I'LL END yOU!"

"So end me!"

"alriGhT Then, DRaw yOUR weAPON!"

Ink reached into his pocket, pulling out a small paintbrush as he held it up to his rival's face like a dagger, letting out a little "aha!" as we did so.

The enemy skeleton scoffed. "A PAIntbrUSh? wHat aRe YOU GonNA Do, PAiNt mE A pICture?"

Ink gave out a hearty laugh as he rushed to the nearest flat surface, and started to paint against it.

The rival looked down on him, a browbone cocked in confusion. He watched for a moment before bursting out into laughter.

"HA! O-Oh man, he's crazy! Hey, I was joking, you dimw-"

He was quickly cut off as Ink held up a sword to his face, ready to spar with the enemy.

"uH....wHERe did YoU even GeT tHat?" 

"I used my imagination. So....where's your weapon?"

The rival laughed back. "FEeling BRAve, Are we? WELl, Get REaDy, you'vE MeT yOuR mA-"

He paused, groping around his hip as if looking for his weapon. When it had hit him that he didn't have it with him, he groaned to himself in frustration.

"DId hORrOR rEAlly foRGEt My SworD aGaiN? that lITTLe....HEhe, HEy....MiNd If i bOrrOw YoUR Cool litTlE pAInTBrUsh fOr a second?"

"Hm? No weapon? Such a shame. And I was so excited to destroy you in front of your pretty little friend.~"

There was another soft giggle from the sidelines, distracting the enemy just enough for Ink to kick his legs out from underneath him when he wasn't paying attention. The dark skeleton fell to the ground with a thud. Quickly, Ink pointed his sword at the enemy, keeping him down on the ground.

"Let's just be safe and say I win this round. Whaddya say?" 

The skeleton erupted into a glitchy, screaming fit, little 'error's clouding his eyesockets until he suddenly froze. Ink furrowed his browbones in confusion, watching as a "reboot" bar floated above his head, loading up ever so slowly. 

"Uh....I think I broke him."

The girl ran out from the side, grabbing Ink by the arm. He blushed a little, looking down on her as she tugged on him.

"We must hurry! If we don't leave before he finished rebooting, he'll be even angrier when he comes to!" she said, a tone of panic in her voice.

"Now, hold on, what exactly is he going to do? He has nothing to fight with, remember?"

The girl stopped for a second, considering what he had said. It was true. What was he going to do? Yell again?

"Besides, that loading bar is taking forever. It'll be a bit before he wakes up."

"I guess you're right." She paused. "Thank you for saving me. That was very brave of you." 

Ink smirked. He saved her. He's a hero. 

Oh yeah. Everything was coming together.

"Oh, that? Pssh. He was nothing. You should see some of the real ugly guys I've fought." 

She snickered. "Whatever you say, mister....?"

"Ink. Pleasure to meet ya, miss....?"

"Hm? Isn't it kinda obvious?"

"Uh....no?"

"....The tiara?"

"....What tiara?..."

"The tiara right here on my head, sill- hey..."

Ink watched in amusement as the girl ran her fingers through her hair, looking for the tiara he was very sure wasn't even there in the first place.

"Oh, dear. It must have fallen off when Error teleported me out here. I'm sure it'll turn up. It's not what's important right now, anyway."

"Error? Is that the name of glitchy here?"

He gave the skeleton a kick in the side, earning a static-like groan from him. Quickly, the barely filled "reboot" bar shot back to zero, restarting the whole process. Ink grinned to himself as he laughed, kicking his enemy once more to watch his "reboot" bar shoot back to zero once more. Amused, he continued to kick him over and over, watching the bar reset over and over again.

"Yes, that would be hi- hey! Stop that!" she said, watching as Ink kicked her not-so-friend.

"What? I'm just having a little harmless fun."

"I don't want to get hurt too bad."

"Whatever you say. So, do you actually have a name? Or are you just gonna change the subject to some other blingy form of headwear?"

"You really don't get it?"

"I'm a little dim, you're gonna have to help me out a bit, love."

"Well, alright then." She took a step closer to him, curtsied, then looked him in the eye. 

"My name is Princess (Y/N). How do you do?"

~

Chapter Text

~

It was far past midnight. The band had picked up, three-quarters of the townsfolk who had shown up were already gone, leaving to wind down for the night.

So then where was she? 

Sci gulped to himself. Though his trademark soft grin was frozen on his face, his hands shook, clenched into tight fists. 

Yet he stayed so still. His still, calm posture could fool anyone, so long as you didn't look at his hands. 

Blue definitely hadn't noticed, as he stood next to his higher-up. He snacked on a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries as he bounced up and down as if his tiny little body couldn't contain the cheeriness coursing through his body. Sure, the princess was missing, but Sci just seemed so calm! Surely if he wasn't nervous about the situation, he shouldn't be, right?

(Y/N) had been teleported to asgore knows where almost an hour ago. No signs of her still being on the castle grounds had been found.

And the civilians were dancing. Laughing. Drinking. It was almost as if only Sci could see the guards running back and forth through the castle, searching through every nook and cranny in the palace.

For all they knew, (Y/N) was already in the next kingdom over, being locked away in some tower. 

They hadn't even found the alleged brothers. It was too late. They hadn't prepared enough for this. It was all Sci's fault. He would never see his daughter again, and their bond had just become the strongest it had ever been. 

How could he be so stupid? Did he really think this villain would give him time to prepare against his attack? 

Sci heaved lightly, light tears pricking the corners of his eye sockets. Taking in a deep inhale, he looked up slightly, pushing the stream of tears back away.

"SCI? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

He froze, craning his neck down to look at his short friend. Blue was a solid two feet shorter than the advisor, being abnormally small, not just for a monster, but for a human as well. 

Blue's records that were collected when he was hired as a guardsman state that he stands at 5'1", but looking at him, he seemed to be 4'10" at the tallest. He must've lied to make his height less shocking, though 5'1" wasn't much better in comparison.

"Hm? Oh, I'm just fine, thanks. This spring weather takes a hit on my allergies."

Blue simply nodded and returned to his joyful bouncing and strawberry-snacking, but not before giving Sci a calculated glance. 

Sci let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes to feel a light, wet sensation between his non-existent eyelids. 

This was really it, huh? She was gone. Never to be seen again. He considered for a moment calling off the guards and sending the remaining villagers home so he could return to his quarters and let out his bottled up emotions before he had to figure out what they're going to do about their endangered govern-

"Sci!" 

Oh, great. He was already starting to hear her voice in his head. It was almost like she was still there.

"Sci, hey!" 

....That one sounded....oddly realistic.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, silly!"

Sci turned his head towards the sound of her voice, his eye sockets being treated to the site of his lost princess running up to him as she dragged what seemed like some helpless, stunned skeleton behind her.

Without any control, the bookish skeleton broke into a sprint towards his daughter, arms open and ready to drown her in a hug.

She let go of her hostage, opening her arms in return to take in her relieved father. 

He glomped her, the weight of his surprisingly heavy body knocking her back a bit, his head resting on her shoulder.

"(Y/N)! I thought you were already gone."

"Nope!" She paused, her eyes rolling to the side as if she were rewinding her memories of the night like a VHS tape. "Actually, I don't even think he's come up with the idea to do such a thing yet."

"Well, tell me what happened!" Sci said. He had taken her by the shoulders, lightly shaking her to get the answers out.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?" 

"Uh, I'll take the short version now, but I expect to hear every microscopic detail later."

"Simply put, he took me outside to talk in private because he wanted to 'apologize', but it wasn't very genuine. He followed it up with another suggestion of us getting together, I declined. Shockingly, he didn't take it too well."

Sci snickered, catching his falling head in his hand. "Oh, dear."

"Heh, yeah. Things started to get out of hand until Ink came along and got rid of him!" She paused.

"Mostly. To my knowledge, he's still out there in the garden rebooting."

~

Horror stalked through the garden, grumbling to himself under his breath. When he saw the princess walk back into the castle, and without his glitching friend, he immediately knew his expectations for the night had become a reality. 

He really should have spoken up when Error hatched his awful plan.

The heavyset skeleton groaned to himself, before looking up and around the garden, taking in all the lovely little details. He had to admit, (Y/N)'s garden was so much nicer than theirs. If you could call it that. Error's dorky little brother, Fresh, had been taking care of all of the gardening ever since their old gardener moved to a nearby kingdom to get married.

He....wasn't very good at it.

Horror walked further into the center of the garden, searching everywhere for Error.

"Error? Errrooooooooorrr! ERRO- GAHHH!"

Before he could even think about it, the pavement came flying at his face. He put his arm out to break the fall, letting out a soft "oof!" as he hit the ground.

"What in tha-"

He turned around to look back at the rock he had tripped over with an aggravated glare, only to find Error sitting on the ground with his legs spread out, shoulders tensed and keeping him from falling over onto his back.

Oh no. He was crashing. Again.

"S'rsly? This is tha third time this week. You've gotta stop workin' yerself up like this."

There was no reply. Only static noises, and what sounded like faint, distant screaming.

"Righ'. Well, let's getcha home, buddy."

He stood up onto his feet, brushing off his clothes. Horror rubbed his hands together before grabbing Error by the underarms, lifting him up to his feet.

The sudden physical contact must've snapped him out of it, because Error conveniently woke up while Horror was still helping him stand up.

"WHaT IN thE HELl DO yoU ThInk yoU'rE dOiNg?!?! leT me go, yOU dolt!"

Horror shrieked, dropping Error to the ground. "I-I'm sorry! You were sleepin'-"

"WhatEVER. YOu'rE tHe lEaST of My proBLems rIGHT Now, ANyWAy."

"I take it didn' go so well?"

"DaMn rIght IT dIDn'T gO WELL!" Error threw his arms up into the air in frustration. "aND I coULd've pRoBably GoTtEN TO Her iF IT WEren'T foR....HIM."

Horror froze, giving his friend a judgemental glare. "Yah, I dunno who 'him' is, but I'm guessin' that's not really all that tru- "

"I WoN't leT Him stop ME! i'll coME Up With anotheR PlAn tO GeT tO HER! I KNOw it! i WOn'T stOp unTIL i hAVE HER For mYSe-!" 

"Error! Stop this! Whatever happened to 'giving her her space and respecting her decision'?" Horror yelled over him. 

Error's angered expression softened, his arms lowering in front of him. He closed his mouth, running a hand under his chin as he thought to himself. 

He let out a sigh. "yOu'RE Right. i'm sO soRRY for laSHINg oUT at yOu likE tHat, hORROr."

A genuine grin crept up Horror's face, his cheeks warmed. The two had always had a bit of a bromance. "Eh, it's whatever, man."

Error smiled back in response. "i guESS I'm morE cauGhT UP iN evEryThInG thaT HAPPeNed AFTEr that PeasANT sHoWed uP anD HumiliaTeD mE IN fronT Of HeR."

He thought back to the occurrence in question. Visions of a smug-looking skeleton taunting him as he fought him off filtered through his mind. He thought of the princess' face, how scared and confused she looked at him. His words echoed throughout his skull. He grabbed the sides of his head, trying to stop the vibrating thoughts from bouncing around. He cringed to himself.

"UGH, how cOULD I be So stupId? oF cOurse shE dOEsn't LiKe ME. I WoulDn'T waNT TO maRRY A GUY LiKE Me EitHeR." Error crossed his arms close to his chest, faint, yellow tears threatening to fall from his sockets.

"Don' say that!" Horror shouted, almost offended his friend would suggest anything of the sort. "You don' know why she rejected ya. She's a good few years younger than ya. Tha poor girl just migh' not be at that point yet."

Error sniffed, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his tunic. "yEAh, i Guess. lEt'S JUSt gO HoMe nOW. fRESH aNd PApeRjaM ArE PRObABlY wORRiED abOuT uS, us StAYInG IN ToWn An extra DAy."

"An' when we get home, I'm makin' ya a cup o' hot chocolate," said Horror with a heart smile.

"yES! yoU aRE The BeST HencHMAN EvER!"

"I know, Error. I know."

~

Sci shook his head. "Well, I guess we'll have to send some guards out to make sure he's left the premises."

(Y/N) simply nodded in response. Sci turned his head towards (Y/N)'s new friend, or "Ink", as he assumed.

"And is this the man in question who stepped in?" He asked.

"Oh, yes! Sci, this is Ink. He came in and got Error to leave me alone." She gestured towards him, Ink still staring off into space with worry.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ink!" greeted Sci, taking his hand into a handshake. The sudden touching was enough to wake him from his trance. He shook his head from side to side. His expression was once of fear and puzzlement, as if he had fallen asleep in once place and awoken in another.

"Huh? Oh, uh- nice to meet you, too," he responded, still trying to make out where he had suddenly been teleported to.

Sci chuckled. "I hear you saved Princess (Y/N) from that scoundrel, did you not?"

"'Saved' is kind of a strong word, don't you think?"

"Oh no! If it weren't for you, we don't know what that wicked king would have done!"

Ink let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, shucks....wait, did you say king-?"

"Indeed! Thank you for bravely stepping in!"

"Haha, yeah....it was nothing." 

Sci cocked his head, staring into Ink as if he were examining him like a bug under a microscope. An already nervous Ink gulped, put off by the judgy look Sci was giving him.

Clearing his throat, Sci turned his attention towards (Y/N), who was watching the interaction before her with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Your highness? May I pull you aside for a quick minute?"

"Oh, of course!" She responded, walking over to Sci as he took her gently by the arm, leading her a few feet away.

"Blue?" said Sci. "Keep our friend entertained while we talk, please."

Blue's eyes lit up with excitement as he put his hand to his forehead, saluting Sci. He and (Y/N) giggled, seeing as Blue took every on every little order like an important mission.

The small, energetic skeleton turned towards Ink.

"HELLO THERE, NEW FRIEND! MIGHT I OFFER YOU ONE OF MY STRAWBERRIES?"

It only took one look at Blue's strawberry-juice-and-melted-chocolate-covered face for Ink to silently gag to himself.

"Uhh....no, I'm actually quite full, thank you."

"SUIT YOURSELF!" exclaimed Blue, before going back to his plate of treats.

Ink let out a sigh. How could he have been so dumb? Of course she was the princess! She was more lavishly dressed than any other maiden at the ball. That, and the guy he had clowned on was a king. And now, that guy was going to send his own personal army to hunt him down and have him killed for humiliating him in front of her. If monsters didn't turn to dust after they died, he would certainly have his skull hung above his fireplace like a taxidermy trophy.

But the princess. He flirted with her, and shamelessly, too! If she was any other regular girl in the village, the night could have had a chance of ending with Ink getting her to let him take her to dinner or on a picnic, but she probably thought he was such a joke for thinking he even remotely had a shot! She was laughing at him, after all. Maybe her giggles were less out of encouragement and more out of pity.

Ink cringed, slapping his hands on his face as he quietly groaned. 

'It's okay, Ink,' he thought. 'You've hit rock bottom. Big deal. At least there's no way this could get any worse.'

"Brother! There you are, do you have any idea how long you were gone for?"

Both Ink and Blue turned in the direction of the new voice, Ink sliding his hands away from his face. Dream stumbled up the steps of the platform, his brown ones furrowed.

"Oh, hey Dreamy," Ink replied cooly.

"Is that all you have to say? You walked back in here with the motherloving princess on your arm!"

"ACTUALLY, IT WAS MORE LIKE HIM BEING ON HER ARM."

"Tomato, tomato. What was that all about?"

Ink's hands shot back up. "Ugh, I don't want to talk about it. The shame is too much to bear."

Both Blue and Dream looked at him with looks both different, yet similar to the other, displaying some kind of confusion.

Before either of them could ask what he meant, (Y/N) and Sci had made their way back over.

"It seems we've another new face!" exclaimed Sci. "What's your name?"

"The name's Dream!" he beamed. "I'm Ink's brother."

Sci's kindly expression immediately dropped. "B-brother?"

Dream's friendly smile remained on his face, his eye lights drifting to the side. 

"Uhhhhhh, y-yes?"

"As in, you both came from the same parents and share similar structures of DNA?"

Dream stayed silent this time, his face slowly falling into a grimace. It was Ink's turn to step in.

"Yup! Twins, to be exact. Isn't that right, Dream?"

Dream stayed quiet, but sheepishly nodded in reply. 

Sci folded his hands in front of his chest, bouncing up and down on the heels of his feet as he stuttered; "Then it really is true! You are the brothers we've been looking for all along!"

Both brothers looked at each other, their faces asking each other if they had any idea as to what the glasses-wearing skeleton was babbling about and why he seemed so happy about it.

"Pardon?" they both said, their voices matching up perfectly.

"Oh, the prophecy! You are the brothers from the prophecy!" Sci exclaimed.

"Prophecy?" This time only Ink spoke, Dream being unable to verbally communicate due to the utter shock and confusion was feeling.

It was Sci's turn to look at them both with bafflement.

"The prophecy? Don't tell me you haven't heard of the prophecy."

"We only moved here a few days ago, sir," said Ink.

"Well then, we must educate you! This prophecy is your destiny, after all! You must know it front to back!" said Sci. "Come, I'll lead you to the study. Blue, stay behind and order the guards to usher the remaining townsfolk from the building.

"Princess, you should get some rest. It's been a long night for you, I can only imagine your exhaustion!"

"Actually, I'd like to come with you to the study. This is my story, too," said (Y/N).

"Aren't you tired? These past couple of days had to have taken a toll on your mental health. You should get some sleep, and take the day off tomorrow." 

"I'll be fine. I want to come with you," she reassured him.

Sci shrugged. "Fine by me. Well, come along then. The night grows older by the minute!"

~

"So, let me get this straight," said Ink, hunched forward in his armchair, hands wrapped around a small teacup filled with black tea. The warmth of the liquid kept him awake through the now admittedly late hours of the night. 

The study was darkly lit, only the bright, hot orange embers of the fire in the fireplace providing any sort of light. Wooden, ebony bookcases lined the room, filled with books ranging in subjects from cooking, to arithmetic, to the arts, and to the names of countries of all of the mapped globe. A bay window sat at the end of the room, looking out onto the garden a story below them. Little, cream-colored cushions lined the window seat, assorted pillows resting on the top.

"The princess has been destined to be taken away by this 'Error' guy since the day she was born as foretold by the fortune teller-witch-lady who gave her life, and the only way to keep her from being doomed to live the rest of her life in a forced marriage is for my brother and I to go after her ourselves, but only if we work together?"

Sci held the cup up to his teeth, taking a delicate sip before setting it back on its little saucer. 

"Precisely."

"And we'd be heroes?"

"Saviors, even."

Ink grinned. "Cool."

"Easy for you to say," joked (Y/N), a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she sat crisscrossed on the floor in front of Sci's chair. She had turned away her cup of tea, which may have been a mistake on her end, accounting for her heavy eyelids.

"You don't have to be abducted by a psychopathic man because you don't want to marry him."

Ink snickered. "You got me."

The princess smiled back, hugging her blanket closer to her body.

"I don't know, this sounds kinda nerve-wracking, don't you think?" questioned Dream, who was also sitting on the floor, next to the fireplace. "If Ink and I mess up in the slightest, (Y/N) could be trapped there forever."

"Well, of course, it'll be no walk in the park. The oracle, however, did specify that the two of you together will be 'stronger than any army that could possibly be sent'. Surely, the two of you will succeed," said Sci. 

"If the two of you agree to work with us on this, we will house the both of you here in the castle. I will have Captain Blueberry train you out on the green where our royal guard trains. He will be the best of teachers, I'm sure." Sci paused, before giggling to himself. "He did have quite the mentor, that 'Alphys'."

Ink's browbones furrowed. "Why move us in here?"

"King Error could strike at any moment. He has proven to be quite an unpredictable adversary. If he attempts to strike here in the castle, we'll have the two of you ready to fire back. That is, we'll have the two of you walking with the princess when she leaves the castle. Sort of like bodyguards."

Sci grinned devilishly. "Do we have an accord?"

"Yes," Ink said with an eager, ambitious grin that matched Sc's, hesitation far from evident in his tone.

Dream, however, was not so ready to commit himself.

"N-now, hold on. As much as I'd love to be of assistance, we have to consider ourselves," he said. "I mean, we could die, right? This is quite serious stuff."

Sci sighed. "I understand your hesitance, Dream. Like I said, this task won't be easy. But you have no idea how much you two matter to the fate of this kingdom. If (Y/N) is taken, not only will we have a sad kingdom, but one with a corrupted and falling kingdom as well. She is the only heir to the throne, and even I am ineligible to take her place."

He took a break, taking another sip of his tea. "I assure you that if you both do this great favor for us, you will be rewarded in any way you can imagine."

Shivering, he looked down at the princess, who seemed to be deep in thought. Her eyes looked cold and drowsy, like she could sleep for days uninterrupted.

(Y/N) looked up at him, feeling his gaze on her. Tiredly, she offered him a reassuring smile, before turning her head and closing her eyes.

"At the risk of sounding corny....the fate of our kingdom is in your hands," Sci finished, putting his back against the back of his chair.

Ink looked down at (Y/N), a soft smile stretching across his face. She looked so peaceful sitting there, even in a time when she felt the most stressed. His mind flashed back to earlier in the night, when he had first heard her voice as she pushed herself away from Error. Though it hadn't really crossed his mind, he found it admirable that she tried to deal with him herself. 

He found himself start to get lost in thought once more. She had every right to be scared of him, and of what he could do to her, yet she fought him herself. She could have succumbed to him, agreeing to marry him to keep him from hurting her. Heck, she didn't even cry for help when he was physically restraining to keep her from getting away. 

(Y/N) had every right to give up. But she stayed brave and held on until the end. 

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ink felt something pounding in his chest. It wasn't his soul (he hadn't had one for years up until now). But somehow, this emotion didn't feel as passive, nor as artificial as they usually were.

He felt....passionate. A pulsing in him wanted to help this princess, no matter the cost.

He wanted to fight for her.

Ink looked back up at his twin brother, a pleading look in his eyes. 

"Dream, please," he said. "Not just for the fame, or for the money. I want to do this for her. This is her life at stake, as well as the kingdoms. And that includes us, now that we live here."

Dream seemed taken aback by Ink's sudden pleas. Only a minute ago he was caught up in the title of "hero". But one thing was for sure. If it could make Ink want to do something out of pure selflessness, it must be worth the risk.

"O-okay. Let's do it!" said Dream, jumping up off of the ground, fists balled up in front of his face. "Let's kick this bad guy's bad guy butt!"

"Splendid!" cheered Sci, standing from his chair, folding his hands neatly in front of him into a diamond. "Oh, (Y/N), can you believe i- oh, my."

The three looked down to the ground, finding the princess on the floor, her eyes closed and chest rising and falling. Her eyebrows were lifted into a peaceful expression, the shadow of a smile on her lips.

Sci rolled his eyes. "I tried to tell her. I'm so sorry, gentlemen. I'm going to have to find someone to get her to bed. The last time I tried to carry her myself, I nearly threw out my back."

He cringed. "I need to start working out."

Dream giggled at his remark. "Well, Ink and I have to get home. It's so dark out, the quicker we get back to the house, the less likely we'll get mugged. Right, Ink?"

His glance trailed over to his brother, though he looked as if he hadn't heard him. His eyes were still trained on (Y/N), who was now rolled up in her blanket similar to that of a burrito. 

"....Ink?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah," he said. His head turned in Sci's direction, but his eyes still would look between him and the princess. 

"Y'know, I can get her to bed before we leave, if you'd like," he said.

Sci's face lifted into a grateful smile. "Oh, would you? Thank you so much, Ink. Her bedroom is just past this hallway, towards the center of the castle and to the back wall looking out on the garden. The doors are rather large, they're hard to miss."

Ink grinned in response. "Alright. We'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Sure, try to make it here around lunchtime, there's no rush! Thank you again! And good night!"

Sci gave the brothers one last smile before walking out the door and down the hall.

"Good night," the brothers replied in unison. Ink looked back down at the princess.

"You can go if you'd like, Dreamy. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

Dream snorted. "As you say, Ink. I'll give you and your new girlfriend some alone time."

Before Ink could rebuttal with a "She's not my girlfriend!", or a "Stars almighty, Dream!", Dream dashed out the door, his adorable, high-pitched cackling following him down the hall, slowly fading as he got further away.

Ink merely rolled his eyes playfully before bending down to pick up (Y/N) bridal style. He wrapped her arms around his neck to support her body, before standing up and letting out a small grunt. 

She wasn't very heavy. Sci must've been really weak to not be able to carry her himself. Either that, or Ink was just incredibly strong.

Ink chuckled to himself. He flattered himself too much. 

Making his way out of the study, the lights of the hallway had been turned out. The castle staff was surely asleep at this point, as only small candles lit up the halls. Usually, the walls of the palace were brightly colored a welcoming, but with the candles ominously lighting up the castle, it was enough to make the atmosphere feel somewhat eery. 

Ink made his way through the corridors, coming across many doors that were labeled with names, presumably those of the servants who lived in the castle. Each door was closed, not a sound coming out of any of them. As he read off all of the nameplates to himself, he eventually came across the first open door, labeled "Blue".

Huh. Captain Blueberry must have had duties at night as well. 

Finally, Ink came across the pair of large doors that Sci had told him belonged to the princess in his arms. Sitting outside of the door was Blue, who was on a cushioned stool. He, too, was sound, asleep, little snores coming out of his mouth every few beats.

Ink giggled to himself, seeing the strawberry and chocolate still on his face. 

Lightly kicking the door in, he turned his back towards the door, slowly opening it. An elongated creak made itself known, making Ink grimace. He stopped, closing his eyes, praying he hadn't woken anyone. Luckily, not even Blue so much as tossed over the sound.

Ink let out a sigh of relief, before turning back around and into the bedroom. It was quite big, a massive, much-larger-than-king-sized bed sat on the right wall. A net cascaded elegantly down from the canopy, ready to keep (Y/N) safe as she dreamed throughout the night.

He made his way over to the bed, setting her down on the mountains of silky bedsheets that swallowed her form. A delicate smile made its way up her face, clearly satisfied with the comfortable bed. 

Ink bent down to her level, looking closely at her face. 

He felt so dumb for catching feelings so fast. After all, he understood that he had no chance with her. Princesses are meant to marry those of their stature, and he was far below her in terms of status.

Ink took the girl's hand in his, pressing her fingers against his teeth.

He couldn't help himself. She was just so....beautiful. Her eyes shined brighter than the most beautiful of stars, and he could catch a twinkle in them every time she turned her head. Her skin was so soft to the touch, silky just like her bedsheets. And her lips....ah, it didn't matter. Like hell he'd ever even get the chance to kiss them.

Ink shook his head. This was crazy. Princess or not, he had only known her for a few hours! He needed to get to know her first before he even let himself think of her that way. 

....She was so pretty. Looking at her, he decided if he couldn't kiss her lips now, he could settle for a peck on the cheek. Standing up, he fixed her blanket for her before leaning down, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. He looked back at her one last time, seeing that she had moved a bit in her sleep, her smile expanding as she held herself in a hug.

He smirked to himself, turning to leave the bedroom. Ink reached the doors, slowly closing them, being more cautious as to not let the hinges squeak.

Shutting the door behind him, he let out an exhale, satisfied with himself.

Regardless of his chances of winning her affections, he knew more than ever now that he had to fight for her.

~

Chapter Text

~

"Y'know, Dream, we're moving into the castle today. Do you really think it's necessary to keep unpacking?"

Ink panted, wiping beads of sweat off of his skull with his sleeve. They had been at this for a week now, and the brothers had just discovered they weren't going to be living in their newly-bought cottage for some time now. 

Yet, Dream insisted they unpack all of their things before making the big move. 

"Of course! We won't be staying forever, brother. It is most important that we finish now, that way we won't have to worry about it when we get back!"

"If what Sci says is true, we'll have to repack everything to move into a mansion with all of the money we'll have."

Dream snickered, pulling a set of porcelain plates out from a thick, bubble wrap cover. 

"What do you reckon we'd do with all that extra space?" he asked.

Ink put an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Live like nobles! Just picture it - parties every weekend, having more gold than we know what to do with, rubbing elbows with the elite-"

"Ink, look me in the sockets and tell me you'd actually enjoy living like that."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're the free spirit type! If we had to live a life conforming to the standards of the top one percent, you'd be a goner."

Ink stuck his tongue out. "Yeah, yeah. That's fair."

He turned back around to work on unpacking his box, which contained some of their kitchen decorations, like a couple of antique salt and pepper shakers that had belonged to their grandmother. 

Dream looked at his brother with a sly smirk as he pulled out the last of the porcelain dishes.

"Speaking of which, I never expected you to go for the....well, the princess type."

Ink kept unpacking his box, the words of his brother taking some time to process in his mind. As the cogs slowly started turning, he looked up at Dream, finding him staring back at him with a cheshire grin.

"I already told you, Dream. It's not like that!"

"Oh, is that so?" Dream cleared his throat, folding his hands together delicately by his head. He stood on his tiptoes, fluttering his eye sockets as if he were batting his eyelashes. His pupils widened, his eyes forming into a doe-like shape. 

"'Don't worry, Sci! I'll carry her to bed~!'" he mocked, his voice high-pitched and light like whipped cream. "'Oh, please, Dream! We have to protect her! Her life is at stake~!'"

Ink glared at his twin, unshaken by his comments. "I get that you're mocking me and all, but that last one sounded a little heartless. Her life is in our hands-"

"I understand the severity of the situation plenty! But geez, you really should've seen yourself last night in the study," he put the back of his hand to his head and fell back, pretending to swoon, "staring at her with that longing look in your eye~"

"I was tired."

"I bet you were. Now, let's get the last of these boxes unpacked! Only a few more before we can make our way down to the palace!" Dream giggled, using a small knife to cut open the next box. 

Ink only nodded in response, an unreadable expression on his face. Dream's smile faltered, his browbones furrowing into a frown. He put a gloved hand behind his neck vertebrae, rubbing it.

"L-look, Ink. I'm sorry. I was only teasing," he said lowly, keeping his eye lights on his box.

"Hmm? Oh, no, you're okay. I shouldn't be so uptight." He shot him a weak, close-mouthed smile in reassurance. Dream smiled back, nodding.

Ink closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath through his nose. He exhaled rather loudly from his mouth. 

"If I'm being honest, I'm just a little....well, unsure of how I feel." Dream put down his knife, turning his whole body towards his brother. 

"I only met her yesterday, Dreamy. I don't even know her. All I know is that she's nice and pretty."

Dream nodded. "So you want me to wait until you're sure you like her before I bully you."

Ink let out a loud snort, covering his face with the back of his hand. "Exactly!"

"Great! Glad to know," laughed Dream. Ink side-eyed him with a grin, before turning back to his box. 

 The two brothers continued unpacking their things, tucking them away into cupboards and cabinets. Soon, the late morning had melted into noon and the two were preparing to leave for the castle. 

Suitcases in hand, the two overlooked the house one last time, making sure everything was in order for their departure.

"Got everything you need, Ink?" said Dream, a suitcase in each hand. His back was bent over from the heavy weight of both bags, his arms desperately trying to hold them up above his waist. 

"Yep!" 

"Your toothbrush?"

"Check!"

"Extra pair of socks?"

"Check!"

"Your paints?"

"Che-" he paused. "Umm...."

"Ink! Seriously?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'll go get them!"

Dream sighed playfully, watching as Ink bolted back into his room to retrieve the missing paints. 

"Sometimes, I worry about him."

~

"DAD!" 

Error shot awake in bed, rubbing his head. Sitting by his side was none other than his six-year-old son Paperjam. He was wearing a pair of blue footie pajamas, white bunnies scattered over them in a pattern. In his lap sat the infamous Mr. Snuggles, a brown, plush rabbit Fresh had gotten for Jammy not long after he was born. The child immediately became attached to the stuffed animal, and would never be caught dead without it. 

"OH, HEy KiD," he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eye sockets. He looked over to his clock, groaning quietly to himself. Thanks to his son, he had only slept for about three hours. 

"Uncle Fresh told me you and Mr. Horror got back real late last night and that you were sleeping, so I came in here to see you!" he stated in a loud voice. 

Error snickered to himself. Paperjam must not have gotten the message when Fresh had told him that he was asleep to not bother him.

"YeP! thAt WOuLd Be corrECt," he replied. 

"And now that you're up, we can go play!"

"MAyBE NOt RigHt nOw, jaMsTER. i NeeD my REST."

"B-but....you were gone for so long!"

"i kNoW, bUT i Had A rEaLly RoUGH TRIp. give ME aNOTheR HoUr or tWO. THeN wE CaN PlaY."

Paperjam folded his arms across his chest.

"Why did you even have to go on that trip, anyway?" he whined, fiddling with the blue, tulle bow wrapped around Mr. Snuggles' neck. 

Error let out an exasperated sigh. He looked off to the side, trying to keep his mind off of everything that had occurred the past couple of days. 

"It'S....ADULT STuFf. LOok, i"m reAlLy SoRRy, JaMMY. i ProMise, tHe seCond i GeT up, WE cAN DO WhATEVER YoU WANT. juST leT mE geT SomE MOre SLeEP."

Paperjam's would-be bottom lip quivered. "Pinky promise?"

Error held up his pinky. "PInky prOmIse."

"You have to wrap your pinky around mine."

"DO I hAvE To Have tO?"

"HAVE TO have to."

Error shuddered at the thought. Though Paperjam knew about his father's phobia, he loved to show his affection through physical touch. Something about the locking between pinkies meant a world of sincerity to the young child.

"ANd If I dO THis, YOU'll Let ME be?"

"It's a pinky promise, dad. It means I really, really promise."

He took in a deep breath. "okAY..."

A smile stretched across Paperjam's face as he wrapped his tiny pinky around Error's much larger, thicker one. Error gulped, eyes clenching shut at the touch. 

Paperjam unraveled their fingers, seeing the discomfort in his father's eyes. 

"NoW You hAvE to HOLd up youR End Of The DEAL," Error reminded him with a condescending tone, brows resting with a serious look.

His son mirrored his look, child-like voice dropping to match his dad's. 

"And you, yours."

A smile crept up Error's face, hand to his chest.

"YOu'vE beEN WORkIng ON YoUr sNOTtY aTTITUDe! Oh, SOn, i'M SO PRoud Of YOU!" He beamed.

"I have been practicing," Paperjam replied, a magenta blush spreading across his face. 

"You ArE VeRY MUch My KID. Now, Off! I neeD mY sLEEP."

"Yes, dad!" Paperjam hopped off of his father's bed, Mr. Snuggles in hand as he scurried over to the door.

"i lovE YoU, SOn."

Jammy stood on his tiptoes, hand gripping the brass knob of the bedroom door as he looked back at his dad with a cheerful smile. 

"Love ya, too, dad!"

He quickly turned the knob, sprinting out the door with his little legs. Shutting the door behind him, Error could hear his cutesy voice giggling and calling for Fresh to come and play with him.

Error chuckled lightly to himself, laying back down in his bed as he wrapped himself in bedsheets. 

Some kid he had.

He snuggled his head into his pillow, yawning as his heavy eyes shut to go back to sleep.

...

"Cute kid you've got there."

His eye sockets opened up wide, adrenaline racing through his body. He sat up so abruptly, his head began to vibrate, the room beginning to spin around like a carousel.

"WHAT IN HEll-" 

Error grabbed his temples, closing his eyes as if to steady the rapid rotation of his bedroom. Ever so slightly, he opened up one of his eyes, looking around his bedroom.

There didn't seem to be any body to fit the deep, booming voice.

"wHo said ThAT?! i dEmand YOU shoW YoURSeLF!"

The voice let out an elongated, annoyed sigh. "Over here."

Error's head whipped back and forth, inspecting every inch of his bedroom. Still, nothing.

"In the corner."

His eyes shot over to the corner next to his door, still seeing no sign of anyone.

"Other corner."

Error groaned, becoming less scared and a bit more aggravated at the hunt. He turned over to the other corner. Expecting to see no one, he rubbed the side of his head again.

"LIStEn, I dON't..."

He froze. Out of the shadows stepped a skeleton unlike any other he had ever seen. He was even taller than Horror, and Horror was like a giant. He was drenched in a black, paint-like liquid. 

Or maybe he was made of it? Error couldn't actually tell, the goop being so thick and all. 

Four tentacles stuck out of his back, circling him as he stood there. He had one, glowing eye, the color of a bright sapphire. It pierced into his soul like a dagger, pinning Error in his place. 

White teeth grimly smiled back at him, looking him up and down as if to analyze him. 

And that expression he was giving him let Error know he could smell his fear. 

"Look-"

"wHo aRE YOU and hOw Did yOU get In my room?!"

The skeleton waved his hands, telling him to lower his voice with quite the passive look on his face.

"A friend, your highness. It doesn't matter how I'm here, but more why I'm here," he said.

"I tHINK iT mAtTErS PlEntY HoW YoU gOT HEre, yOu CreeP!"

He only laughed at Error's remark, still unbothered by Error's harsh remarks.

"So it would seem. Though, I think you'll find what I have to say holds more value than your inquiry."

"tRY me."

"Straight to the point. I respect that about you, your majesty." He stopped, adjusting a framed picture of Error, his brother, and his son sitting on his desk. Though he had touched the picture with his gooey hands, he left no trace of the fluids enveloping him on the frame.

"You seem to be going through a slump. You've been rejected, cast away, pushed aside."

Error's brows furrowed into a confused expression. "I BEG YoUr paRdon?"

"What does that 'peasant boy' have that you don't? You have your kingdom, your good looks, what's not to like?"

"I'm nOT folLoWinG you, sHADOw MaN."

"Your princess, Error. She dropped you like a hot cake. Twice."

Error rolled his eyes. "WOw, Thanks. I'Ve beEn tRyING TO blOCk ThaT MeMorY OUT of MY miNd, but I guESs thAT'S Out the wINdOw noW."

"Now, now. There is a simple solution to your predicament."

"SOLutION? THe onLy opTIoN I hAVe Is tO leT THE pOOr girl Go. She doESn'T WAnT mE."

The shadow crossed it's arms and snorted. "Is that so?"

"BOth HORrOR aND i AGRee." He pulled the sheets away from himself as he stood. "nOw if YOU'Ll ExCUSE Me, i haVe to gO FInD somE guARDs tO EScOrt yOu FrOm THE pAlAce."

Error made his way to the bedroom door. The shadow skeleton chuckled darkly, holding his hand out to block Error in his path. 

"Oh, Error, Error. Why take advice from an amateur like Horror, when you could be working with a pro?"

He reached into a pocket under his cloak, pulling out a small paper card. The man held his card out to Error, who took it from his hand with two pinched fingers, trying to avoid any contact with the other's hand.

Error flipped the card up to his face, silently reading the printed words to himself.

"NiGhTMaRe, rOyal AdviSor FOR HIrE? What are YOU plAyinG at?" 

"'Playing'? There's no 'playing', my liege. I'm here to help! Stick with me, and I can get you everything you've ever hoped for."

"'eVERyTHING I'Ve evEr HOpEd for'? wAIT, arE yOU OnE of thosE con artiStS thAt LIVE oVER BY tHe pUb? BECAuSE if yOU ARE-"

"No, no! Look, I sympathize with you, Error. I've been in your shoes. Rejected by the girl of my dreams, absolutely heartbroken. I hate seeing you in such a state. I want to help you."

Error snorted. "noT a coN-mAN, aY? okaY. gOT ANy refErEnceS?"

Nightmare huffed, putting a hand on his hip. "You want references? I'll give you references."

He reached a hand into his cloak pocket, digging around. Error leaned in, interested in whatever the skeleton was about to pull out. Quickly, his hand shot back out of his cloak and in Error's face, pointed in a threatening finger. 

"REFERENCE A, YOU'RE SO DESPERATE IT'S EITHER ME OR ETERNAL LONELINESS! WILL YOU SUCCUMB TO ME, OR TO THE CRIPPLING DEPRESSION THAT COMES WITH BEING A HOPELESS BACHELOR?!"

Error backed up, a look of disgust curling onto his face. "hey, BUb, i'M nOt DEsPErATE EnOugh tO HAVE YOu WaggiNG yOuR FIngEr In my faCe!"

Nightmare lowered his hand. His expression softened, his hand going behind his head as he rubbed the back of his head, letting out a chuckle.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Look, maybe I can't give you any proof that I'm not a con man. Okay? I confess! I'm lacking in experience. All I can give you a statement that I'm not. And I really am not." He took in a deep breath. "If you still don't believe me, all I have to say is this: Imagine for a second that your assumptions about me are correct. What've you got to lose? You're royalty! I can't rob you dry, you're too wealthy!"

Error looked off to the side. Was he actually contemplating taking his advice? He did seem real. He offered up a lot of good points.

Not to mention, he promised he could help him win over (Y/N). 

Nightmare grinned at him, holding out his hand. "So what do you say?"

Error grimaced at the sight of his hand, waving it away with his own.

"YEAh, YEah. yOu'Ve mAde yOUR pOiNt. NAME yoUr pRiCe."

"My price?" Nightmare put a hand to his chest in mock offense. "The only thing you can give me is the satisfaction of knowing I helped you."

"ThaT'S REAlLY iT?"

"Really really."

Error put a hand to his chin, making his final decision. As his phalanges tapped in concentration, he took one last deep breath, looking back up at Nightmare.

"okAy, YOU'RE Hired. But I ExPECT bIG tHinGs fROM yoU!" 

Nightmare grinned with a malicious look, his eye narrow like a cat. "Perfect."

He put two, inky fingers to his teeth, letting out a loud, high-pitched whistle. As if on cue, three other skeletons walked out of different nooks and spaces of Error's room, standing by Nightmare's side. 

"WhaT ThE- WeRe you GUyS HiDIng in here this wHolE tIme?!" Error exclaimed. 

Nightmare and his posse just ignored him, looking back at him. "Error, these are my men. This is Dust, Killer, and Cross."

He motioned to the three in order of their names. The first, known as Dust, had the appearance of every common-place thief Error had known. A hood draped over his head, near covering the face that lurked underneath. His pupils were red and purple, his eye sockets twitching with a deranged look in his eye. He donned a simple blue tunic but had quite an impressive belt around his waist, knives placed in each and every one of its slots.

Killer was the most stoic looking of the three, his calm expression hardly readable. He was giving his teammates irritated glances with his blank, blackened eyes. Goop similar to that of Nightmare's dripped down his cheeks. A red, floating target sat in front of his chest, following him with his every move. Killer wore a long-sleeved shirt with a lace-up vest over top, along with a pair of pants and tall boots. 

The look of him didn't sit well with Error. He seemed like such a stick in the mud.

The last of them was Cross, who seemed the most relaxed. In fact, when Nightmare had introduced him, he gave Error a small, awkward wave, which admittedly brought a small smile to his face. He wore a hood over his head, but his was attached to a cloak unlike Dust's, whose looked like it was attached to his tunic. The cloak was white and was lined with black fur. He kept two blades on both sides of him, also connected to a belt. Killer was the only one of the three who didn't appear to be armed.

"Think of them like added perks to my package. Now you have more than just Horror working as your personal henchman."

Error looked at them with an unsure look. "WhAt WoULD I even neED extRA hENCHMeN fOr?"

Nightmare turned away from him, seemingly avoiding making eye contact with his new employer. 

"Oh, you know, just in case you need them. But enough about them." 

Nightmare folded his fingers together into a diamond, chuckling to himself wickedly.

"Let's work on getting your princess back."

~

Chapter Text

~

Muffet's puce kitten heel pumps clicked against the wooden floorboards of the hallway, a set of jingling keys in one of her numerous hands. 

Earlier in the evening, she had been assigned to show the twins to their room after serving the group of five their dinner of lamb chops and roasted potatoes, which she had also prepared herself (the poor spider lady had to do most things in past years since the castle had become short on staff). 

Everyone's satisfied faces as they tasted her food was enough to repay her for all of the hard work, though.

Ink and Dream followed behind her. Papyrus, one of the royal guardsmen, followed along. He had kindly offered to carry their bags. 

He was rather tall and intimidating, to say the least, but his childlike tonality and goofy smile lifted the feeling of uneasiness either of the brothers had felt before. The guard's long legs marched behind them in a way similar to that of an oafish cartoon character, equally lanky arms swinging at his sides. 

Actually, he wasn't much different from Blue in terms of personality. The biggest characteristic separating them was Papyrus' ability to keep his voice at a volume that wouldn't make one's ears bleed, figuratively or literally. That, and the obvious physical distinction between the two. 

The brothers' eyes began analyzing the structure's every detail, taking in every aspect of the castle's ornamental architecture. Gold accents ran up the walls, curling in ways similar to a snake, The palace's late-baroque feel ensuring them they were in hands of the elite.

Muffet led them up the stairs, leading them past the study they had discussed their fates in the night before.

It was all so....surreal. They were living in a real-life fairytale, playing the part of the heroes, even. 

A shudder went up Dream's spine. In the past twenty hours, he had thought a lot about their newfound destiny. Something about agreeing to this didn't sit right with him. Looking back on the night before, he had felt somewhat pressured into agreeing to the whole ordeal. And for what? So Ink could indulge himself in his latest crush? Even the artistic skeleton himself had confessed to being uncertain of his feelings for the princess earlier that day! 

"What a mess..." he muttered to himself. 

Thankfully, no one had heard his quiet lament. His whispers must had been drowned out by the loud echoing clops of Muffet's shoes.

Maybe there was still time to escape. Yeah! He would grab his brother by the arm when no one was looking, and then they'd make a break for the door. Of course, they'd probably have to move and change their names to avoid the embarrassment of letting down the entire kingdom, which would suck considering they had just moved in. 

Dream looked up from the floor and at Ink, who appeared to be deep in thought as well. However, whatever was going through his mind was leaving him with a confident half-smile, determination evident in his eyes.

The younger twin exhaled, rubbing his arms. 

He couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when Ink was so ready to take on the approaching challenge. Deep down, he knew what was best was to support his brother, no matter the cost. 

He owed it to him, after all.

After treading through the massive castle for what felt like ages, the quartet made their way to their shared bedroom. 

Ink recognized the hall from when he had carried the princess to bed the previous night. As a matter of fact, they were right next door to her, the door to her left. 

Muffet searched through the keys, intensely searching for the one that matched the lock of their new room, her five eyes all squinted in concentration. They widened at the sight of a cutesy little key towards the middle, her fingers pinching it's sides and pushing it into the locked door. 

She turned it to the right, a soft click coming from somewhere inside the white door. Muffet turned the brass knob and opened up the door to reveal their room. The door's hinges were nowhere near as creaky as (Y/N)'s, leading Ink to the conclusion this room hadn't been used in quite some time.

It's interior was a fraction of the size of the princess', but was far big enough for the twin brothers who would be inhabiting it. The bedroom even came with a balcony, looking out onto the garden. 

"I hope everything is to your liking?" questioned a disembodied voice. Four heads turned to see Sci walking in from the opposite end of the hall, hands behind his back.

"Are you kidding? It's almost as big as our house!" said Ink, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm glad to hear it!" Sci replied. "You know, this room was the princess' when she was very little. We decided to move her into her parents' room not long after she turned ten, and we made her old room into a guest room."

Muffet nodded. "I remember when her majesty was but a child. She was always so cute in her little dresses. They were so poofy, they looked as if they were swallowing her whole. Now, look at her."

She paused to wipe a tear from one of her eyes. 

"She's all grown up," she said, her voice whimpering and shaky. "I'm so sorry!"

Muffet pulled a handkerchief out of her apron, her face falling into her hands as she began to lightly weep. Low "ahuhuh"'s escaped her fanged lips in whimpers.

Papyrus lowered one of the suitcases to the ground, offering Muffet a sympathetic pat on the back. 

Dream, uncomfortable with the sudden outburst, shuffled away from her with a wince. 

"Indeed," said Sci. He had been looking off into space, reminiscing about the past as well. 

"Thank you so much for the hospitality, Sci. It's an honor to get to stay here," Dream said in a hushed voice, his hands folded neatly in front of him. 

"Of course! Well, don't let me keep you. Go ahead and get yourselves settled in! If either of you need me for anything at all, my room is the door on the opposite side of the princess' room. You can't miss it!"

Sci gave both of the boys a quick nod before heading back in the direction in which he came. 

Muffet pulled the key off of the ring. She handed it over to Ink, who quickly gave it to Dream, knowing he would immediately lose it if he was left in charge of it. 

"Please be careful with that, dearie. It's the only key we have to this room," she explained, pointing a finger at both of them.

"Got it!" Ink replied cheerfully, his charming smile lifting her expression. She gave him a quick grin, before scurrying back down the stairs. 

Papyrus carefully put their luggage down in the entryway of their room, getting ready to turn to leave down the same set of stairs.

"Thank you, Papyrus!" Dream called after him. 

Stars flashed in his eye sockets. "NYEH HEH HEH! YOU'RE WELCOME, NEW FRIEND DREAM! I'M HERE TO ASSIST YOU WITH ANYTHING YOU MIGHT REQUIRE!"

"We'll be sure to let you know! Thanks again!"

Papyrus offered him a casual, relaxed salute before trudging back down the stairs.

"Where do they keep finding guys like Blueberry and Papyrus?" Ink asked, snickering.

"I dunno, but I'm loving the energy they give off!" 

The two brothers laughed with each other, bending over to pick up their respective suitcases. Before the two made their way into the bedroom, Ink's gaze was met with the sight of his newest interest making her way past them. 

Without much thought, he turned to Dream, muttered a quick "be right back!", dropped his bag, and jogged to catch up with her. 

Dream's browbones furrowed into a look of shock, freezing into place as watched his brother make a run for it down the hall. 

"Well alrighty then."

~

(Y/N) watched her feet move back and forth from her field of vision, putting miles of carpet past her. 

Her day had started so much later than usual, waking up right before Ink and Dream had arrived. When she awoke, she found herself still in the heavy ballgown from the night before, hair still styled, but unruly and messy. 

Not wanting to put too much effort into her appearance, she had spent her day in the castle wearing a comfortable, long-sleeved cotton dress which could have been easily mistaken for a nightgown. It was her day off, however, so no one could give her flack for wearing such a dress.

She had spent her day reading in the garden under the weeping willow which housed the wall of stained glass. Now and then, she would find her eyes once again wandering to the pictures foretelling her grim destiny. 

Though, looking upon the glass this time, she felt somewhat...at peace. Her eyes did not immediately tear themselves away in disgust as they had every time before. 

As she gazed upon the pictures, the darkened figures representing her friends became much more welcoming. Their shadow-like forms faded away, replaced by the bodies of her new companions. 

It was comforting. Her mind completely lost itself. The painted figures of glass leaped from the panels, wrapping their arms around her in a delicate embrace that reassured her everything was going to be okay.

Sweet whispers of wind caressed her soft, firm skin, singing her love songs as they brushed past her ears.

She needn't worry about being hurt by her latest foe anymore. Hope had finally arrived. 

A thick, brown book was held in her crossed arms, cradled like a baby of leather. (Y/N)'s fingers ran across its cover, tracing out the textured lines and creases. 

The story itself had been an interesting read. It was a tale of a young boy who finds a map revealing the location of pirate's treasure, and takes it to a squire and a doctor. They immediately start an expedition to go and find the gold, eventually realizing their crew is made up of cutthroat, bloodthirsty pirates!

(Y/N) put a hand to her chin, her lips crawling up her face into a smile as she recalled the doctor's character. He reminded her of Sci, being so cool and collected, fighting with his brains rather than his brawn. 

She giggled, lowering her hand back to the book. 

The soft thuds of feet running atop the floors of wood derailed her train of thought, her head snapping in the direction of the sudden sound.

"Good evening, your highness!" exclaimed the familiar, debonair voice of Ink, who had caught up to her after she had passed him in the second-story hall.

"Oh, you don't have to 'your highness' me, Ink. Just call me (Y/N)," she teased. 

"O-oh! Sorry....good evening, (Y/N)!"

She giggled. "Good evening, Ink. I see you and your brother are settling in?"

(Y/N) nodded her head in the direction of their room, Ink turning his head to look where she had gestured to. 

Dream's head curiously poked out from behind the doorframe, earning a laugh from both the princess and her friend. He could feel his face heat up in embarrassment, pulling his head back around and slamming the door behind him.

The two burst out into laughter at his action, letting out the occasional snort.

"I'm so sorry," laughed Ink, holding his side. "He can be a bit nosy sometimes."

"No worries!" she responded. Her hand subconsciously began to rub her tense neck, her eyes turning away. 

The silence between them grew more and more uncomfortable as they looked at the floor, avoiding eye contact. 

Butterflies started fluttering around in (Y/N)'s throat. Ever since the night before, she had felt a bit nervous with Ink around. In the good way, that is.

He had such a warm, friendly energy about him. Able to make fun, lighthearted quips and jokes without any effort, always earning positive feedback in response. Not to mention how kind he was to everyone. 

Yet, he wasn't overbearingly sweet or demure. Ink was able to be mischievous in a way not directly harmful to anyone. He could make polite small talk with Sci, while still having the sense of humor to heckle Error without giving a second thought to how others would react.

It was as if...he had come to her from a dream.

(Y/N) cleared her throat. "So...it must be nice having a brother, huh?"

Ink's head shot up abruptly as if she had interrupted an internal conversation. "Huh?....oh, Dream? Yeah, he's pretty cool. About as cool as a sibling can be, y'know."

"Well....no. I don't actually," she awkwardly chuckled.

"Oh....yeah."

Another unbearable silence.

"Um, so where are you off to?" asked Ink, continuing the perpetual cycle.

"The library! I finished a book today," she replied. "I thought I'd go and start a new one before I turn in for the night."

Ink grinned. "Can I join you?"

Her heart began to pound against her chest. "Join...join me?"

He hummed in response, muffling a quick "uh-huh!"

"I mean....sure! If you want to."

"Cool! Let's get to it then."

(Y/N) turned back around, leading the way to the castle library. It was a small, circular room down the hallway and to the left, overlooking the garden. The library sat adjacent to the study they had spent time in the night before. 

She pushed open the door, guiding Ink inside. A desk with six chairs lining its edges sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by an elongated, curving bookcase. A tall, rolling ladder casually laid against the side. 

The only natural lighting source was a set of windows at the top of the bookcase, letting a limited amount of light filter into the library. 

(Y/N) made her way over to the right end of the bookcase, slipping the leatherbound copy of "Treasure Island" back into its rightful place. 

"So...." she looked over to Ink, who was letting his eyes roam around the sizable library. "What kind of stuff do you like to read?"

(Y/N) smiled, looking back to the bookcase to start her search. "Anything that involves a long, grand adventure! The classic perilous journey, showboating villains..."

Her head slowly looked in his direction once again, only to find he had made his way next to her while she was speaking. Eyes locking, she jumped, but not to a point of alarming him. Yet, her eyes stayed fixed on his.

"...maybe a romantic subplot, now and then."

Ink appeared a bit taken aback by the last part, though (Y/N) couldn't place her finger on why that could have been.

He cleared his throat. "And that last book...was it any good?"

She nodded. "Very! I don't often read about pirates, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would."

(Y/N)'s fingers ran over many book covers, silently reading their titles to herself.

No...read that....read that, too...ah-hah!

She pulled out a thick, red book from the bookcase, holding the cover up to her face.

"'Grimm's Fairy Tales'! I remember when Sci would read me stories from this book before bed when I was a child!" she proclaimed, presenting the book to Ink.

"My mother used to read this to Dream and I when we were young, too!" He paused. "Wow, I'm only twenty and I already feel old."

(Y/N) giggled at his remark, opening the book and flicking rapidly through its pages. "Rapunzel", "Hans My Hedgehog", "The Brave Little Tailor"...

"Which was your favorite?" (Y/N) asked, leading him over to the desk as she laid the book flat on the table, looking through all of the stories held within.

Ink pulled out a chair from the table, sitting down beside her. 

"I always liked 'Little Red Riding Hood', though Dream wasn't as much of a fan," he said.

"You liked it? That story gave me nightmares!"

Ink snickered. "Seriously?"

"The wolf eats the grandma and the little girl, and the huntsman had to cut him open to get them out! What about that isn't scary?" Her arms flailed as she spoke, emphasizing her point.

"It's not that bad."

"How?!"

"It's not!"

(Y/N) shook her head at him, rubbing her temples as she quietly laughed to herself. Ink let out a few chuckles as well, smiling softly at the princess when she wasn't looking.

"Okay then, what was your favorite story?" he asked, browbone raised mockingly.

"'The Pink'."

Ink's jaw dropped. "You were scared of 'Little Red Riding Hood', but you liked 'The Pink'? (Y/N), the queen is framed for murder, dies of starvation, and then her husband dies of grief. The little girl is forced to murder her only friend. That's scarier than wolves!"

"It's not the wolf I was scared of, it was the gore!"

His shaking head fell into his hand, his elbow propped up on the desk. 

(Y/N)'s fingers fiddled with the hem of her dress, her smile faltering. 

"I just...related to it, I guess. I felt like the little boy."

Ink looked back up at her, brow cocked once again, but this time in a questioning manner.

"Think about it, Ink. He was a gift to the queen when she wished for a child, and my parents had to beg for me to be born. His mother died of sickness, his father died of grief right after..."

She took in a deep breath.

"...He's...well...he's kidnapped."

She pursed her lips at the sudden quiet. Nothing but the sound of faint thunder cracking from outside the palace walls could be heard, Ink's head whipping in the direction of the sound, then back at (Y/N).

"Oh. Yeah."

...

"I guess...that does make sense." Ink put a finger to his chin, racking his brain for what to respond with.

His eyes widened. A lightbulb flickered on in his skull.

"That only means you manage to escape, though."

(Y/N) looked up at him. "Pardon?"

"In the story. The boy is kidnapped by the chef after he frames his mother for murder, sure, but with the help of his friend..." He put his hand on top of hers.

"They manage to get away. Together."

(Y/N) felt her face start to get hot. She wanted to tear her eyes away from him, but she was frozen in place. Another crack of thunder. 

The pitter-patter of rain began rapidly bouncing off of the stone walls. 

"I-I....uhhh-" she stuttered. Ink looked lost, similarly to how he had been looking at her the night before. Not that she would have known that herself.

She squirmed in her seat, not knowing to do with the current situation. Surely he wasn't implying what she thought he was. 

Yes, the boy and girl in the story did get married at the end of the story, but perhaps Ink had forgotten that part.

Ink snapped out of his trance, looking down at their hands. Quickly, he pulled his hand off of hers.

"I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T- I WASN'T-" His face emitted a vibrant, rainbow glow. The shapes in his eyes rapidly changed as he groaned, hiding behind his hands. 

Ink stood from his seat, the legs of the wooden chair letting out a creak as they scooted against the floor.

"It's getting late! Dream needs help unpacking! I need to- umm..." he exclaimed, excuses shooting out of his mouth rapid fire. 

Ink became flustered, his blush growing darker before he shouted, "good night!" and darted out of the library and towards the direction of his bedroom.

After he had hit his head on the side of the doorway. 

(Y/N) stayed still, hand petrified on the desktop. Her eyes were rested on the doorway, brain doing backflips in her head.

"Well," she whispered to herself. She pushed out the chair from under her, standing to her feet.

(Y/N) took the big book of fairytales into her hands once more, inspecting it. Her lips tugged upwards into a sweet smile, looking back out the door.

"He is...something different." 

~

Chapter Text

Bonus scene? Of course. I owe it to you guys for being so behind.

Also, height chart. Yes, I understand lots of these aren't canon. Fresh was the only one who I made accurate to his real height. And obviously you're probably not 5'4". Don't focus on numbers too much, I made this chart for comparison.

Yes, canon Ink is 3'8". Yes, Mario has been speculated to be that height as well. But I know having a character that jarringly short might be off-putting, so as previously stated, TTFTSGW Ink is 5'8".

That's all. 

Happy reading!!

~

With a final huff of relief, Dream clicked his brother's empty suitcase shut. Putting the suitcase flat on the ground, he slid it under the bed with a light shove.

He stretched out his arms, groaning to himself as his back let out a satisfying crack. A vague grin lifted onto his face with satisfaction. Dream fell back onto his own bed, sinking into the mattress as if it were a cloud.

Two starry eyesockets stared at the ceiling, surveying every intricate carving and painted line of blue or gold. A small, golden chandelier lit up the room, basking every dim corner in a radiant glow.

Mind now vacant and opened up to any passing thoughts wanting to pay a visit to his subconscious, he found himself thinking about how abruptly his brother had left to go and follow the princess to wherever it was she was off to. 

He had decided to keep an eye on him from a safe distance to make sure Ink wasn't actively making a fool of himself, only for his assumption about his brother's social capabilities to be confirmed.

....And then they had caught him in the act. 

Dream felt his body muscles tighten uncomfortably at the memory, head rapidly shaking away the thought. 

Though, it did make him wonder where the couple had gone off to. Heck, Ink hadn't returned for quite some time now. Definitely much longer than it should have taken him to make trivial small talk with (Y/N). 

If he hadn't learned his lesson from the last time he attempted to snoop around, he would consider hunting him down to make sure he hadn't been brutally murdered on his way back down the hall. 

The temptation was admittedly strong. However, if he suddenly been jumped, someone surely would have noticed by now. 

...Yeah. Ink was a grown man. He could take care of himself. 

Mostly. 

Dream let out a breath, rolling over and planting his face into his champagne-toned satin pillow, skull melting into the over-glorified bag of feathers. 

Angling his feet off of the edge of the bed, he kicked off his boots, still not looking up from the bed. When he was done, he shifted them back over onto the mattress, letting himself succumb to the heavenly comfort of the luxurious bedding. 

He inhaled, taking in the rich scent of the fresh, soothing lavender the sheets smelled so similar to, his lids growing heavy and hazy. 

It was still the middle of the evening, sure. It was just that Dream hadn't slept all too well the night before, having stayed up so late to discuss the prophecy with the royal family.

He didn't allow himself to sleep in. There was still so much left to be finished and taken care of before he even thought about leaving the cottage. 

The brothers had packed a lot more than they needed to. Many of the knickknacks and novelties they had ultimately brought along were through the persuasion of Ink, who claimed there might be a time an empty hatbox could save them in a tricky situation. 

Much to Dream's chagrin, the hatbox in question was currently sitting out on their coffee table, showcasing a collection of small books.

As much as he wanted to tease Ink and call him a packrat, his creative brother always did find a creative way to upcycle what he would deem useless junk.

Nonetheless, all of the unpacking was done, and by the end of the whole dilemma, they would be walking into their home without a chore to care for. 

He only hoped he had remembered to hide away the one.

Airy, delicate snores began to escape his barely opened mouth, light fading from his vision as he felt himself floating away into his mini-coma. 

....

WHACK!

Dream jolted back away, rubbing away any sign of grogginess that might have remained on his face. 

"...Ink?"

The older brother stood in front of the opened door, his hand gripping onto the doorknob as if it was all he had left. His eye lights were shrunken and jittering, colors and shapes changing speedily and without any sign of stopping, like the small pictures on a casino slots game.

"Ink?" Dream repeated, this time in a quieter and more concerned tone.

Without a word, Ink stumbled over to his bed, spacing out at the bed's detailed sheets.

Dream's brows furrowed. "In-"

"You can make fun of me now." His usual silvery voice was monotonous and cold, completely void of any feeling.

The younger brother stiffened at his statement. 

"P-pardon?"

Ink didn't respond, only plopping down onto the bed and kicking off his own boots. Dream stared him down with worry, resisting the urge to walk over to him and feel his forehead for a temperature.

The artist laid down on his side on the bed, facing the wall in the opposite direction of his brother.

"Good night," Ink mumbled, stretched out on the mattress without making a single movement. 

Dream's disturbed look flattened into one of pure confusion. 

"You're still in your day clothes, Ink."

No response, but a weak shudder.

Giving him one last up-and-down look, he shook his head to himself, lowering his head back down onto his pillow. Ink must've just been exhausted from his chat with the princess. Whatever it was, Dream decided to leave it be.

At least, until morning.

"Good night, brother."

~

And now.... Let the real chapter commence!

~

"....'and so, the baby bird snuggled up close to his mother, knowing he had finally found her. The end.'"

The thin, green book's cover was closed with a soft clap, Fresh setting it neatly on the nightstand by Paperjam's bed. A thick, navy blue cover was pulled up to his chin, the comforter protecting him from all of the terrors of the nighttime.

"Wow. That story was about as sick as the first fifty times I had heard it, yo," said Fresh, tucking in his nephew one last time, making sure he was safely bundled in his blankets. 

He hummed in approval of his work, backing up in his rocking chair to look onto Paperjam's face, only to find him frowning in response.

"...was it something I said?"

Paperjam sat up in his bed. The sheets fell off of him, ruining Fresh's expert tucking-in. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Uncle Fresh?"

"Wassup, lil' bro?"

"Do I have a mother?" 

Fresh froze up, not expecting such a question to come out of the mouth of his kid nephew. Paperjam was no stranger to asking hard-hitting questions, but Fresh wasn't exactly sure how comfortable he was with tackling the subject of their family tree so late at night.

"Uh, well, yes..."

"Then where is she?" 

He inhaled sharply, looking for the right words to try and use to explain to Paper. Two big, innocent eyesockets looked back at him in wonder, light seeming to bounce off of the shaped pupils in his eye sockets.

"I think this might be a question for your dad, broski," he said, using his skeletal hands to gently push the child back down onto his bed. 

Paperjam shot back up, this time attempting to crawl his way off of the bed.

"We should go ask him!" His little feet hit the carpeted floor, him making a break for it in the direction of the door. Fresh held his arm out to stop him, picking him back up and putting him back in bed and ultimately thwarting his plans.

"Maybe some other time, brah. You've gotta get your rest so you can wake up in a radical mood, ya dig?" 

The comforter was pulled over Paperjam one last time, swallowing the small boy. 

"But Uncle Fresh..." he whined, furrowing his little browbones in frustration. 

"No buts. It's time for bed, lil' bro."

"B-bu-."

Mr. Snuggles was held up in front of his face, silencing his rebuttal. 

"You don't wanna leave your homie hangin', do ya?"

Paperjam huffed, reaching for the stuffed bunny. He took it from his uncle, tucking him under his own arms, hugging him close to his body.

"That's what I thought." Fresh raised from the rocking chair, leaving it creaking back and forth as we walked towards the door. A finger flicked off one of the light switches, leaving the room in total darkness, save the moonlight pouring in through Paper's windows, filtered by his sheer, blue curtains.

Paper jumped at the sudden darkness, trembling to himself.

"U-uncle Fresh?" he stuttered. He turned back to him with a raised brow, hand on the brass doorknob. 

"Could you leave the lamp on?"

Fresh smiled. "Anything, brah."

"Thank you."

"Yup." He reached over to the nearest lamp, turning it on with the single pull of a cord. "G'night, broski."

"Good night!"

Fresh closed the door softly behind him, letting out a tired sigh. His eyes looked up to the grandfather clock across the hall, rubbing his tired eyes from underneath his shades.

"Tsk. Seven-thirty and I'm already exhausted," he muttered under his breath, not wanting any undetected bystanders to hear his mild character break. 

Fresh pushed himself off of the door, walking back down the hallway. He had to admit, today wasn't as draining as usual. Error had come by a little after lunch to relieve him of his PJ duties, taking him to the courtyard to play catch. Fresh had then decided to leave to take a nap.

It appeared to be a regular day in the castle. Well, about as regular as it could be, considering all that had gone down with his older brother in the past few days. Error had come home early in the morning, absolutely wiped out from the journey home. He never slept in carriages, said they made him feel sick. 

Horror, however, was more than awake enough to fill him in on all that had gone down. It had appeared as if Error's lack of anger management had failed him once more, scaring away a potential love interest.

Fresh didn't want to admit it, but it was pretty on-brand for his brother to let his emotions get the better of him. Heck, they had even tried to get him a therapist to teach him how to cope with his aggressive outbursts. 

He had scared them away. 

It was like watching a separate, demonic entity take over him. He would transform into a hideous beast, ready to tear apart every limb of whoever had upset him.

The only person in the palace walls who hadn't witnessed this behavior, or was at least oblivious to it, was Paperjam. He was nowhere perfect, of course. No child was a complete angel. Yet he had somehow never pushed his father past his limit. Whatever beast was possessing Error never attacked the young child.

Fresh huffed, turning the corner into the grand entryway. Somewhere along the way, he had decided he had a hankering for a quick snack, like a pack of yogurt. 

Mmmm....yogurt.

Fresh felt his blank expression lift into a smile at the thought of the cold, prepackaged treat. His walking turned into speedwalking, the fastest he was allowed to go within the castle walls.

Again, the only one allowed to break this rule was little Paperjam. He was kinda spoiled, now that Fresh thought about it.

After such a journey, he had finally arrived in the kitchen. Fresh rubbed his hands together, ready to feast on a most-perfect cup of strawberry yogurt...

...only to walk in on an unknown man eating one of them himself.

The hooded figure's head shot up at the new presence, slowly pulling a spoon from his mouth, sticking it back into the cup to scoop another spoonful of the baby-pink substance.

"Uh....hi?" the new skeleton said, looking Fresh up and down. 

"...Bro, how did you get in here?"

"I walked in through the entryway."

"I meant how did you get in the castle, dawg."

The figure quietly chuckled to himself, sticking the spoon back in the cup. His laughter continued, gradually growing louder and louder. Fresh looked at him with a raised eyebrow, mouth agape.

"Dude-"

"The door!" exclaimed the skeleton, bending over and slapping his knee. Fresh remained quiet, watching with a look that could only really be described as stupor.

This hooded bruh had broken into his home, ate his food, and now decided he was going to mock him?

He couldn't even get mad or anything, he was just completely gobsmacked. Flabbergasted. Thunderstruck.

"Fresh? Who in 'ell are ya talkin' to?"

Fresh was relieved as a familiar face stalked over from the other entrance of the kitchen. 

"I don't know, brah. Dude, who even are you?"

Horror looked over to the new face, eye sockets growing wide in recognition. He put a hand to his forehead, squinting as he looked at him.

"Nah, nah wait. Error told me 'is name earlier. I got this, hold on...."

The hooded skeleton looked at him with a smile, anticipating his answer. 

"You're Killer, right?"

"Engh, wrong," he responded, shooting a thumbs down. "That's one of the other guys."

Horror grunted, hand now on his chin. "Dance?"

"Nope."

"Rusty?"

"You're getting warmer...." 

"....Rust?"

The man took a bite of the yogurt, pointing a finger to where his ear would've been if he had one. 

"Oh! Wait, I love charades, dawg! Lemme try!" yelled Fresh, excitedly running over to Horror's side.

"Disgust!" The man wagged his finger, holding it up in front of them.

"Ah, one syl'ble," said Horror. "Crust!"

"Nuh-uh."

Fresh began to jump up and down frantically. "Trust!"

The figure began to bounce with him, shaking his head. "Nooo..."

Horror shot both fingers at him, "Lust!"

"Ewww, no!" Groaned the figure, scraping yogurt from the sides of his cup.

"GAHH! Come on, brain, think!" Yelled Horror, banging his fist against his head. Fresh was slapping his head, racking his brain for answers.

"Dust! Come on, bro, it's gotta be Dust! I'm running out of -ust words!"

Spoon in his mouth, the man set his near-empty cup on the counter next to him, pointing to the side of his nose and nodding hysterically.

"IT'S DUST!" Both Fresh and Horror shouted, jumping up and down with gusto. They started shouting in rejoice, shaking each other and high-fiving. Dust took the spoon out of his mouth and set it aside, running over to join them in the celebration.

As they hollered and yelled at each other, a fourth man came speed-walking into the room, the familiar feeling of annoyance in the air.

"what are yoU tHree dunderHeadS ShoUtIng abouT IN herE?! 

They all became immediately silenced, looking back on the source of the glitched, furious bellow. Error was panting, bent over with his hands on his knees. He was scowling darkly at them, the small "error" symbols around him wildly hopping around him. The piercing glower made them all shiver, sending them stumbling backward.

Fresh gulped. "Hehe...sorry, bro. We were just-"

"welL stop iT, tHen!" He commanded, stomping his foot on the ground. His fingers were pinched in front of him, adding emphasis on the word "stop". 

The three frightened skeletons nodded rapidly, letting out quiet "yessir"s and "sorry"s. Error continued to breathe in deeply, catching his breath. 

"Did you just run a mile or something, your majesty?" asked Dust. Error looked up at him, smiling at him with what appeared to be a polite look, though the growling rumbling out of him made the gesture seem less so.

"WHY, yes, dUSt. yes i Did." His smile melted away, revealing menacing frown. "aS A MAtTer oF fact, I spRInteD HeRE as fAst As I cOuLd wHen i hearD YOu ALl fROM tHE oTHeR sIDE oF The DAMN CastLE!"

A line of sweat ran down Horror's head. "C'mon, that's not 'orrible or anythin'-"

"I was two fLoOrs ABOVe yoU!"

"....oh."

Error grumbled to himself under his breath, most definitely cursing the others under his breath with his arms crossed over his chest. Nightmare slithered up behind him, looking into the room as if he were cautiously checking around for a fire. 

"What kind of unholy demon was unleased in this kitchen? I could swear I heard the most diabolical screeching from my room." 

"iT's WhaT hAPpENS when MY HenChmeN mix wIth yOurS." 

"Oh, goody." Nightmare looked back up at Dust with a withering gaze, one that appeared to be a warning. Dust just smiled and wave with a wink, unshaken by the silent threat. 

"In other news, I was hoping we could all get together in the meeting room on the fourth floor. I'd like to discuss my plans going forward with our arrangement."

Error nodded. "WOULd You lIKe Me To SEND MY IdIOTS TO gO fIND youRs?"

"My idiots? Oh no, your majesty. This is a partnership. They're our idiots, now."

Horror looked between the two, a childish giggle threatening to escape his mouth. He put up a clenched fist to his teeth, trying to contain himself.

Maybe he could let a quick joke slip? A fast quip? Error often appreciated his dimwitted, immature sense of humor, he just wondered if now was the tim-

"Ugh. Might as well forget the princess, you two are already perfect for each other with that gushy shit."

Both Horror and Fresh's heads whipped in the direction of Dust's voice, a hand up to their mouths in shock at the shameless jab. He had his brow raised in a mocking expression, taunting his bosses with a challenging look.

Error only appeared to be a bit bewildered by his brazenness. Nightmare, however, shot him a threatening, sharp glare. He stomped towards him in a muffled rage, gripping his hand around his forearm. Yanking Dust forwards, the mischievous henchman only giggled in amusement, similarly to that of a defiant child who refused to act according to punishment. 

Nightmare growled under his breath, rolling his sapphire eye at his egocentric goon as he tightened his hold on him. Dust let out a soft yelp, tugging away from his clutches.

"Ay, ay! I'm not going anywhere."

"Silence, clod. Your highness, I request you and your friends head in the direction of the meeting room. I will meet you there as soon as I find Cross and Killer," he said, ignoring Dust's snarky remark. Dragging him behind him, Nightmare walked off to hunt down the remaining members of his ensemble.

Fresh walked over to Error's side, hands folded against his chest. 

"Does this include me, yo?"

Error glanced at him, offering a small smile. "iT's youR CHoICe. i BElIeve He wAnTS To taLk in coRRelAtIoN wItH tHe hEncHmEN."

He grinned, rubbing his eye sockets from under his glasses. 

"Sick. Imma go catch some z's then. Catch ya later!" 

And with that, he walked his way out the kitchen door and off to his bedroom. Error's eyes followed him out, watching as he disappeared down the hall. 

Horror stood behind him, drumming his claw-like phalanges against the top of a nearby counter. 

"Ready ta go whenever you are, boss." 

Error shot him a lazy thumbs-up in response, motioning for him to follow behind.

"CoMe on. LEt's Not KeeP MY 'BoyFRIEnD' WAItinG."

~

Chapter Text

"Here we go!"

~

"Dust- uh..."

A set of two-toned eyes shot up at the source of the voice, glaring at him through swollen eye sockets. 

Cross held in a snort as he continued to analyze the bruises and scratches inflicted on his colleague. 

"Did you fall into a woodchipper or something?"

"Can it," threatened Dust, shooting him a look of warning. 

"Or fight a grizzly bear?" Cross teased. "No, wait, wait, let me guess. 'I should've seen the bear', right?"

A smile slid onto Killer's face, a few light chuckles erupting from him. 

"Come on! It's not funny!" Dust shouted, clenching his fists on the tabletop. He looked towards the remaining of the four skeletons, begging them for help with puppy dog eyes (the best he could, that is, given the condition of one of his eyes, which was growing purple and shiny).

Nightmare held his head in hands with a look of contentment, grinning at his freshly beat-up henchman with pride.

"Hm? What's wrong, Dust? You look...embarrassed."

The cackling between the two henchmen grew with this remark, Killer's laughter reaching an audible level. Cross threw his head down on the table into his folded arms, body shaking with fits of giggles. 

Dust growled. "Shut up..."

"I'm just saying, Dust. It's an eye for an eye; You humiliate me, I humiliate you."

"You're a sadistic freak, you know that?"

"Golly, you flatter me." 

Dust crossed his arms and fell back into his chair, shooting his boss one last dirty look. A grim, white smile stretched across Nightmare's face in return, poking fun at him with knitted brows. 

As if on cue, Error made his way into the boardroom, sauntering over to his seat at the front of the table. To his left was the shadowed skeleton himself, looking to him with a grin less menacing than the one he had been giving to his insolent associate just seconds previous to his arrival.

"Your highness," He said, nodding to him in respect. Error glanced around the table, amusement written on his face. 

"WhAT wAs AlL THe LAughinG ABOUt In HeRe?" 

Horror followed shortly behind, giving questioning looks to the recruits. His pupils landed on a less-than-pleased looking Dust, who was pouting like a toddler. Horror flinched, throwing his hands up in front of his face.

"Gee, what happened to you, Dustpan?! Didja get run over with a lawnmower or somethin'?"

Dust's eye lights flared with anger, his fists slamming down onto the table. Coffee-filled mugs trembled with the shaking table. Enraged, negative vibes cut through the jovial air of the conference room.

"It's funking nothing, okay?!" 

Nightmare, Killer, and Cross looked at him with varying levels of shock and confusion, knowing their colleague was not well known for censoring his language. A tall shadow stretched across the table. 

Six heads looked in the direction of the doorway, Fresh standing there dressed in lilac, silk pajamas. A red toothbrush stuck out of his mouth, his arms crossed in front of him in disgruntlement. 

"Ay, yo," he warned, pulling the toothbrush from his mouth. "This fic is rated PG-13. We're tryin' to keep from havin' to list it under 'mature', ya dig? I don't wanna hear no more f-bombs from any of y'all."

They all sat in silence, staring him down in discomfort. 

"U-Uh...SOrRy, FREsh. WE'll try to keEP the lAngUAGE To a MINiMUm," stuttered Error, attempting to appease his younger brother. 

Fresh smiled in content, sticking his toothbrush back into his mouth and shooting him a pair of finger guns before walking away, back to where he had come from. 

Error let out an exhale, turning back to the other members of the meeting.

"SORRy ABOuT him, hE SpEwS THE MoST RAnDom NonseNsE sOMetImeS. He KeEPS tryiNG tO CONViNCe ME we're being 'CONTrOLLeD By a tEEnaGE gIrl sITtING IN HER Bed wiTH a lAptOp In THE lAte HoUrs of tHe nIght.'"

The men at the table politely laughed along with him. 

"rIGht? i meaN, wHaT'S neXt? DOes ShE rUn aN OnLiNE CulT WHere her fOLLoWERS rEfEr tO HER as SomE tYPe oF POPuLaR diarY proDUCT?" 

Error shook his head, quietly chuckling to himself. 

"i sWEAR, SOmetImEs it'S Like fREsh is aCTuaLlY A parasITe COnTroLlINg HiS BODY aND TRYing to MAke uS all beLIEVe he's ONe of uS. buT i diGResS."

Dust chuckled. "No kidding! That was so far off-topic, I can't remember what we were even talking about!"

"Actually," Cross lifted a finger, pointing it at his cohort. "We were talking about how you-"

An inky, black tentacle wrapped around his neck vertebrae, pulling him into the air, leaving Cross choking and sputtering. 

"How you were going to let your boss get on with the meeting so that he doesn't get impatient and ring your necks?" 

Cross shook his head and up and down, sputtering out a "yessir", "please put me down, sir", and a "Nightmare, I can't freaking breathe".

The dark skeleton groaned, dropping his goon back into his chair with a thud. 

"Right." He craned his head towards Error with a forced smile, hands gestured in an upside-down diamond. "Let's get on with it then, shall we?"

"uH..."

Error looked at Cross with a look of concern, mouth agape as the henchman coughed, trying to catch up with his breath. His eyes flickered between Nightmare and his partner uncomfortably, pushing himself back in his chair to keep a distance.

First Dust, then Cross? 

Error gulped, tugging at his shirt collar with a colorblocked phalange. 

"y-yEAH! OF couRsE. lET'S. go. LET'S dO tHiS! YEah..." 

Nightmare nodded, paying no mind to Error's nervous response. He stood up from his chair, walking to the end of the table where a whiteboard was concealed with a red, velvet blanket. 

"Your highness! Let me start this off by saying how truly honored I am to get to work with you. I believe you and I are going to make excellent partners! So long as you blindly follow my advice..." 

The last sentence came out in a hoarse whisper.

"WhaT WAs That?" Error questioned.

"I said 'we're going to get along nice...ly.'"

"oH. Go on." He waved his hand in the air, then propped his elbow on the table and laid his head on the same hand, now in a loose fist. 

"Right." Nightmare grabbed onto a loose end of the blanket, ripping it from the whiteboard where he had supposedly drawn out his first plan. 

"As you can see, I have carefully drawn out this complex and intricate diagram. This took me a numerous amount of hours to perfectly craft-"

"Pfft...."

Dust covered his mouth, muffling his uncontrollable giggles as Nightmare glared at him.

"What." The single word came off as more of a threat than an actual question.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Dust assured, waving his arms in front of him. 

"It'd better be nothing, or it's your other eye."

With no rebuttal from a terrified Dust, he shook his head in disdain before continuing with his pitch.

"Forgive me...as I was saying-"

More immature laughs came from not only Dust, but Error and Horror as well. A previously distracted Cross looked up, noticing the gag in question and joining in on the giggling. 

"Now what?!" 

Error cocked a browbone, pointing at the whiteboard behind him. 

Nightmare made no sound of shock or anger as he turned to see the crudely drawn mural of he and the king kissing at their fictional wedding, scribbled onto the board in blue marker. He fumbled around for the felt eraser, swiftly wiping it back and forth across the board as a soft, blue light beamed across his face.

"Dust!" He shouted, whipping his head around to glower at him as he cleaned off the blue lines with urgency. 

The henchman in question rested his arms behind his head, whistling innocently to himself. 

"Who? Me?" 

"I'll deal with you later."

"Don't keep me waiting too long.~"

Nightmare growled under his breath, slamming the eraser back down onto the steel plate under the whiteboard with vigor.

"Anyways," he started, still staring down Dust, who waved at him with a false flirtatious attitude. "I want to propose what I like to call to call my 'Simple Handbook to Absolute Marriage'. It's not a literal handbook, but I couldn't find any other H words that would make my acronym make sense."

Horror paused, rolling his eyes back to think to himself. 

"So itsa S.H.A.M.?"

"Shh, the mastermind is speaking. In this proverbial handbook, there is a set of approximately three steps."

He ripped the blue cap off of the dry erase marker, Writing down "Step 1:" in rather impressively neat handwriting. 

"Step one: Gather intel." The words slurred out of his mouth as he wrote it all down on the board. 

Error raised his hand, waving it slightly. 

"uH, niGhTmArE?" 

The gooey figure turned to face him, light reflecting off of the shiny ink as he looked in the king's direction.

"Yes, you! Handsome lad in the back."

He thought he had heard another childish laugh coming from Dust, but he wasn't too sure. 

"I'M TrYiNg TO ImpRESs a GirL, noT Attack aN EnemY KINgDOM," he joked, a bot uncomfortable with the two words scrawled onto the board that referenced his beloved (Y/N).

"Ah, ah, your majesty. In order to successfully carry out the S.H.A.M., we must look at the process of winning over your princess as a battle. After all, it is, in a way," Nightmare reassured. Error reluctantly nodded, falling back into his chair, placing his arms on the armrests.

"Next, we have Step two: Formulate plan of attack."

"thIs IS StaRTIng TO SOUNd ReAllY AGGreSsIvE-"

"But of course! We've tried gentle and persuasive, so now we have to come in hot!"

"I'm nOT aTtackING HEr."

"Well, no, you're not. They are," Nightmare said gesturing to Dust, Killer, and Horror. The latter flinched, jumping from his seat.

"Now wait jus' a minute. I'm not even on board with ya, shadow man! How d'ya expect to use me in yer plan?" He stated rather loudly, pointing a finger at him. 

Nightmare chuckled politely. "Well, I can't send Cross, he's quite the clutz with these kinds of missions."

Dust and Killer snickered quietly, stealing glances at a grape-toned Cross. 

"'THeSE KINdS of mISsIoNs'? WHat ExaCTly ARE 'thEsE kiNDS OF MiSSiONS'?"

"The ones that require stealth, I mean!" 

"nigHTmAre. stOp DANCIng arOunD THe qUestion. i'M gONnA giVe It TO yOU StraIgHt."

He leaned in over the table, scowling at the ever-grinning shadow he called his advisor.

"WhAt aRE yoU pLAnning On doING To (Y/n)?"

The room grew deathly silent. All eyes were on Nightmare, awaiting an expertly formulated reply. 

His friendly, cheesed-up smile became devilish and more menacing, his glowing eye narrowing like a cat. 

"Why, isn't obvious, Error?"

The glitch was taken back by the usage of his real name. Two dark, oozing hands folded into their signature diamond.

"We're going to kidnap her."

...

"are YoU OUt Of yoUR DAmn MIND?!"

Nightmare took a step back but showed no sign of fear, expression left unchanged. 

"YOU EXPECT 'ER TO LIKE 'EM IF WE STEAL 'ER FROM 'ER HOME?!" shouted Horror, slamming his hands onto the table. "IF SHE DOESN'T HATE 'EM NOW-"

"Gentlemen, please, lower your voices," spoke Nightmare sedately, motioning his hands downward. "After all, there is a young boy trying to get his rest just below us."

The yelling came to an abrupt stop, knowing the importance of the child to Error.

"Isn't that better?" He smirked, knowing he had tamed them. "Allow me to explain my reasoning."

They both sat back down without a fight, though frowns still dressed their faces.

"A girl, no matter how stubborn, will always recognize the great lengths gone to in order to obtain her affections."

"That's the most bullshit-"

"Horror, please. When she sees how much trouble you went through just to be with her, she'll be instantly flattered!"

Horror stared him down with a look of twisted disgust, eyeing him with disrespect.

"Error, listen ta me," he sputtered out, grabbing his friend's attention. "Please, trust meh when I say it's not gonna work. She'll only hate cha more, I can promise ya that."

The king looked at his friend, then back at his newest advisor.

"Your highness? If I may, might I remind you that giving such advice is my profession? I'm sure my word is of more value than that of your hick-accented friend."

Rather than giving the shadow man what he wanted by refuting his rude claim, he continued to stare into Error's eyes with a pleading gaze. 

"Have I ever steered ya wrong? Please. Trust me."

Error let out an exhale. He extended out his hand, firmly grabbing Horror by the shoulder. He flinched at the touch, shivering as he held his friend in the sincere gesture.

"HORRoR..."

His friend's eyes lit up with hope, unprepared for the gust of wind that would extinguish it with the next sentence.

"i reaLLY lIKE HEr."

Horror could only nod with uncertainty, placing his hand on top of Error's now quaking one.

"I know. Jus'...do what's right fer you. I can't stop ya from wantin' to go through with this, and I'll always be here to back y'up when ya need meh. But please, fer the love of...of, of whoever! Make the righ' decision."

Error inclined his tired skull, removing his hand from Horror's shoulder. He looked into his eyes with knitted brows. He pursed his would-be lips together, turning his attention to Nightmare, who was impatiently looking at the watch he didn't have.

"niGHtmARe?"

The skeleton in question turned to him, expectedly awaiting an answer.

...

"i WoUlD LikE tO carRY ThRouGH with YOuR Plan."

~

Chapter Text

*Mushu voice* I LIIIIIIIIVVVEEE

~

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Your body was a still statue, widened eyes taking in every detail of the scene that lay before you.

A small, isolated shop in the middle of a dense and foggy forest. You were standing inside, thankful that the shop's inside was much warmer than the outside, despite having the same dim and dreary lighting.

Luminescent potions were placed on rotted wood shelves in the most irregularly shaped bottles of glass. They lit up the ill-decorated room in fluorescent shades of multiple eye-catching colors. 

A long, antique desk sat proudly at the back of the shop. Yarn and strings danced together into the shape of a massive spider's web, draping themselves across the top. Behind the desk, a large book encased in bloody red made the two slender hands holding each of its sides look like those of a baby's. 

Two black, lace-up boots nested safely under the protection of the desk were the only evidence of the person hiding behind the oversized book, besides their sepia fingers grappling the book. A single boot tapped against the creaky floorboards to the beat of a vaguely familiar, yet eerie song; one whose crooked notes were being sung by a soft, girly voice. 

If it weren't for the unsettling location, you might have thought her song was somewhat sweet.

A sudden croak erupted from the corner of the room, startling you as you skittishly jumped into the air. The perpetrator glared at you with the dreary, grey bulbs protruding from its head, frowning in disapproval of your cowardice. Every few seconds, a white film swiftly expanded from below his mouth like a bubble, then drew back. 

The tapping stopped. Two small hands lowered the book, allowing two, bug-like eyes to peek out into scenery. She looked around both ways a few times, in a way similar to that of someone who had just been abruptly awakened from a pleasant dream. 

Landing on her stocky, amphibious friend, they smiled in surprise. She gently placed the book flat on her desk, exposing everything above her waist. Deep, purple velvet woven of graceful magic sat gracefully on her straw-like arms. The v-neck collar of her dress plunged to the top of her sternum, showing off her sharp collar bones. 

Golden joy laced her silk words as she cried: 

"Thornton! There you are! I have been looking everywhere for you, silly."

She rose from a stool cushioned with a water-stained pillow, extending her hands out to the shelf the toad colored of dead grass rested on. Thornton hesitantly attempted to hop into her thin hands, but with his added weight, it was more like a hobble.

The girl only grinned at him, shaking her head in pity. She looked up to you while caressing his bumpy back with a single finger.

"Poor thing's so big he can't leap everywhere like other toads. But that's okay! That only means there's more of him for me to love," she said, nuzzling his flabby skin next to her cheek.

"What brings you to my side of enchanted woods today, babe?" 

Gently patting his back before laying Thronton down on top of her desk, she bounced over to a shelf of potions, spinning a few unorganized bottles so that their display name faced the open shop.

"A new shipment came in just yesterday! I've got a surplus of snake's skin, an excess of eel's ears, an overindulgence of opossum's...well, no. Those sold out last week...if nothing in stock fits your bill, I can call in an order for you!"

She pivoted back to you, hands confidently resting on her hips as she waited for an answer with anticipation. 

Her beaming smile dimmed a bit when no answer came. A boot tapped against the floor, this time without much of a calculated beat. 

You held your hands up to her and shook them cautiously, a look twisting on your face as if to say "no thanks".

"Didn't come here to buy, huh? That's no problem! I personally enjoy the mood in here, so don't be shy to enjoy it with me!" 

You grimaced at her words but didn't have the heart to tell her you didn't actually like her dingy shack in the woods. 

Plopping back down at her desk, she hunched over the book's yellowed pages. Her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the haunting, umber print. Two wine-tinted lips softly babbled incoherent words as she lost herself in the world contained in the paper and ink once more.

You tiptoed your way over to her desk, careful not to let the wooden floor let out another wretched screech and crash her train of thought. Peering over the desk, you found yourself wanting to know what tales trapped her in such a hypnotic trance. 

The shadow of your head casting over the desk, her dazed eyes shifted back up at you with curiosity. Noticing her gaze of rusted gold, red hot waves of static-like heat flushed your cheeks in embarrassment as you sheepishly took a step backward. 

The girl giggled, running her fingers through fluffy, raven curls. 

"Would you like to know what I'm reading?"

Nodding rapidly, you pulled up a nearby stool and sat on it, your magnetic curiosity drawing you forward in suspense.

"No need to get so excited, hun. It's only a collection of some spooky short stories."

You tilted your head, placing your elbow on the mahogany desk and holding your cheek. 

"They're not all winners, but I do have my favorites."

She pinched a thick page between her fingers, flipping it to the other side as it rippled through the musty, yet somewhat pleasant air. Or maybe it was so much easier to breathe now that you had befriended the shop's friendly keeper.

"Hey, what if I read one to you? Come on, I already know just the story! Pretty please?"

Contrary to what her pleas suggested, you were more than comfortable with her reading to you. Her cheerful voice reminded you of shimmering summer rain and fluffy cupcake icing soft as wool blankets, and everywhere else you would rather be than the grim and sinister potion shop. 

So she would probably be your best choice for reading a scary story. Either way, it was her or Thornton, and the grouchy old toad didn't seem much for storytelling.

You nodded to her, earning a bunch of happy clapping and flailing in return.

"Yay! Let me just find the page...whoop!" She grabbed a handful of pages and tore them back to a particular pair of pages that had a crimson string laid in between them. "Bookmarked it! It may not be your favorite, but I love it!"

Smiling at her playful attitude, you rested your head in your arms, which were folded atop the desk. 

The shopkeeper stretched herself into a comfortable position, readying herself for the long story ahead.

"Now - this one's called 'The Day a Ghost Came to Stay at the Castle'."

Clearing her throat, she pulled the cork off of a thin-necked bottle of fizzing, green liquid. Raising into her lips, she sipped a small bit of it down. She let out a sigh of relief and set the still-open bottle of glittering emerald down, the glass hitting the table's surface with a bashful clink!

"It was a gloomy and cloud-filled day."

~

Dream had been wandering through the pristine castle all day, searching every room, nook, and cranny for his artistic twin. Shivers scurried up and down his spine with distress, his daisy-yellow gloves clenched tight next to his ribcage. 

On any day unlike today, the castle would emit a faint, white glow of elegance. Angels would tuck away in their undetectable hiding spots to fill the room with tranquil music from their whimsical harps, just to suit the mood. Radiant champagne sunlight drowned out every blood-curdling crevice and corner.

Today, the ethereal warmth that glistened on the palace walls had decided to take a vacation, leaving the walls decaying in drab tones of grey. The angels had been captured by villainous gargoyles who desired to play their own unnerving cadences on violins who wailed and moaned in agony at the slicing of their knife-sharp bows. Sun no longer confined the darkness to the corners. Shadows ran rampant through the castle, now free to snuff out any light or brilliance that dared oppose it. 

And unluckily for Dream, he wasn't too fond of the dark. 

"It's going to be okay, Dreamy," he whispered as he cradled himself in his arms. "A cloudy day doesn't mean anything! Everything is still completely fine. It's only a coincidence that everyone is missing. That's what Ink would say!"

Turning a corner, he stopped abruptly in his tracks at the hall stretching in front of him. Oil painted portraits of (Y/N)'s late relatives lined the walls, wrapped in frames decorated with swirls and floral shapes. 

Dream gulped down the knot that had formed at the back of his throat, timidly trudging down the hall. He forced his eyes to stare straight ahead of him, praying that he wouldn't catch the painted figures furiously following his every move towards the end of the hallway. 

Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of his feet below him, warily stepping forward with small shakes.

...Okay, they were big shakes. Trembles, actually. If Dream wasn't so obviously an adult, one would've thought they were witnessing a baby taking its first steps. 

"Maybe this is all just a dream. Yeah! This is all just an awful, horrible, no-good drEA-"

In one swift motion, an arm yanked the terrified skeleton into a concealed hole in the wall, the other muffling Dream's terrified crying. 

He watched with wide sockets as a vault door slammed shut in front of him. The rotating lock on the door tightened shut on its own. Horrified, Dream stopped his struggling. He was petrified in fear, growing as cold and unresponsive as a corpse. 

~

"That's funny, isn't he already a...y'know?" The shopkeep said between giggles. 

You flailed and pointed at the book, wanting her to continue with anxiety.

"Oh- right. Sorry! The two hands grabbed him by the shoulders, standing him firmly onto the ground as they desperately shook him..."

~

..."Dream? Dream, speak to me!" 

The voice's shouting rang in his "ears", lightly slapping his cheek to get his attention.

"Dream? Don't just stand there with your mouth gaping like that, say something!"

Dream groaned and rubbed his eyes, his body still locked up stiff. 

"Oh, good! You're not dead. Ink would have killed me if I had hurt you."

With a shake of his skull, Dream came face to face with Sci, who was still squishing both of his malleable cheekbones into his face. He was a little too close for comfort, his face close enough for Dream to feel his shaky breath on his face.

Pushing Sci away, Dream held his arms close to himself in repulsion.

"Where am I?! Where are we?! WHY- is it...so...cold in here?" 

With a huff, Sci reached up towards the ceiling, grasping a chain cord in his hands. Pulling it down, they both heard the whisper of a faint whirring.

Neon green lights slapped the two of them across the face. Dream clapped his hands against the side of his head and squeezed his eyes closed as beeping echoed in the cavernous room that had been dug into the wall.

As the chaos began to settle, he lowered his hands and opened his eyes, letting them look around in wonder.

Green glass windows lined every wall, showcasing white grid-like lines that had been warped into the shape of people Dream recognized, but couldn't quite name. One massive glass screen sat in front of a mechanical armchair, decked out in flashy buttons and colorful yarn of rubber. A black wand with a large ball on top was built into the right armrest, which would be easy to accidentally shove if you weren't careful.

"Wha-...at?" 

Sci chuckled, sitting down into the chair. With the push of a red circle, the main window flickered on. A white, flickering line scrolled across the screen, leaving matching letters in its trail.

"Dream," started Sci. "Have you noticed the castle's been sorta...empty today?"

Dream's eyes darted to the screen, then back at Sci.

"Uhh...y-yeah. Yeah....," he stuttered out, still dazed by all of the uncanny gadgets and gizmos.

Irritated, Sci snapped his fingers in front of his face. Dream jolted with his arms in front of him.

"Yes! Yes, I have, sir!"

Sci's brows furrowed menacingly. He looked down at the ground, pressing his finger and thumb to the corner of his mouth.

"I thought so." 

If the situation would have started more normally, Dream would have been taken aback by his sudden seriousness. But with every abnormal thing possible popping up one after the other, he didn't even bother to flinch at his tone.

"At first, I thought it was just quiet because of the weather and what-not. And that's how I went about my day. That is until I saw those." 

He pointed an unconfident finger in a direction over Dream's shoulder. The young skeleton quivered as he turned behind him. 

Behind him sat three paintings in frames similar to that of the earlier portraits, but these figures Dream could have picked out of any crowd.

Blue.

(Y/N).

And Ink.

Their terrified expressions had been frozen in time, the moment permanently captured in thick paint. (Y/N)'s arms were thrown over her face messily. Blue's balled-up fists were pressed to his teeth, his body turned away. 

And Ink....he hadn't moved an inch. His brows portrayed confusion and a hint of concern, but the tensed shoulders told the secret of his impending fear.

Opposed to the others, whatever had trapped him didn't offer him any time to pose for his portrait.

"What...happened?" 

"Take a gander over here, Dreamy."

He turned back to Sci, looking just in time to see him grab at the stick on his chair and nudge it to the side. As his armchair zipped around to the main screen, Sci reached for a board in front of him and let his fingers stomp around the blackened squares that decorated it. As Dream got a closer look, he noticed letters glowing off of clicking tiles.

"Fascinating..." 

"What was that?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing."

Sci let out a friendly snort, looking at Dream.

"You're wondering about my computers, aren't you?"

Dream's head cocked to the side.

"I assumed as much. Don't worry about it," he reached down to his side, grabbing a large rifle with glowing lines and more colorful lights. "I'll be sure to rid you of those pesky memories by the time we're done."

"Sc...Sci? Y-you're scaring m-"

"Ah, here we are!" Sci announced, gesturing to the screen. "Dream! Do you know..."

Click-click-click.

"What is that?"

The jittery stars in Dream's eye sockets intended to only glance at the 'computer' in question until he noticed an unsettling picture on the screen. 

It was like a photograph, but with the shading and values in all of the wrong places. Everything was displayed in tones of green, but it was as if all of the light was in the wrong places. Shadows were light, lime green, while the highlights were more dark and mossy. 

For the first few seconds of his investigation, the contents of the picture were foreign to him. The inverted coloring was swampy and unusual to Dream. It wasn't long, however, until the beds and suitcases in the room became familiar to him.

His and Ink's room.

Upon closer inspection, Dream discovered a new figure in the scene. If it weren't for his close eye, he would have dismissed them as a smudge on the screen. But it wasn't. 

In the seat sat a monster - a man. He sat like a translucent, gelatinous blob in the chair. He stared up at the screen as if he knew the two skeletons were watching. No mouth or hint of teeth indicated any sign of maliciousness, but the unfeeling, shining glints of eyes were enough for Dream.

"Is that-" 

"Yes, yes it is," Sci interrupted. "When I discovered those paintings, I thought maybe they were the works of your brother. But they were just so ominous, I couldn't imagine him painting works that invoked such a feeling."

A cold chill froze them both in place. Dream's hands gripped his arms, protecting both from the cold and the looming danger. 

"I...I saw that thing. And I just knew he had something to do with it-"

"So what do we do now?" The words broke from Dream's mouth before he had the chance to catch them.

A cryptic smile crept up Sci's face, shadows falling over his eyes.

"Oh, Dream. I'm so glad you asked."

~

"ME? WHY ME?"

His ribcage rapidly heaved in panic, head shaking back and forth in an attempt Sci this was all one big, bad idea.

Sci shoved him out of the secret den, Dream's heels scooting against the floor as he defiantly refused to budge. 

"Because, Dream! I'm getting old, my bones just don't move the way they used to. I need someone young and healthy-"

"On the contrary, I'd say you're more than fit enough! You're not elderly-"

"Dream, please! You're the proverbial hero here, not me!"

"B-BUT-"

"I don't want to hear it! You are going to catch that ghost and set everything straight again."

If it weren't for the hysteria flooding his mind, Dream would've noticed Sci's gradually agitated tone.

"You could have at least given me something more...effective to catch this guy!"

Strapped to Dream's back was a red, cylindrical bag. A hose of steel extended from it, rectangular funnel capping the end.

"Whatever do you mean?" Sci asked.

"Sci, I would never question your intelligence. But this is a backpack and a tube."

Sci huffed in frustration. 

"It's not a backpack, it's a vacuum. I've had it especially designed for this very occasion!"

"...What's a vacuu-"

"ENOUGH!"

Dream winced at his sudden shouting. Sci looked back at him, grimaced, then continued to frown as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Dreamy. I just...I would really appreciate your help."

His plea had uncertain aggression to it.

The golden skeleton looked at him with a pout, making one last futile attempt at convincing Sci not to make him go on with it. 

"...Please." It was apparent Sci wasn't asking anymore.

Dream closed his eyes. He let out a short breath. Weakly, he smiled up at him. 

"Okay."

"Splendid! Oh, and one last thing before you go." He reached into a concealed pocket in his coat, pulling out a small box. It had its own tiny screen, as well as a thin, metal stick poking out of the top.

"This device will allow us to communicate with each other as you go hunt that sorry sucker down. I'll keep myself stationed in my secret lab, and if you ever need my assistance, I'll be right there in the palm of your hand!"

"That's so cool!"

"I know, right? I'll be on my way. Now go catch that polter-goon! The sooner we capture him, the sooner we can find out how to get the princess and your brother back!" Sci exclaimed, giving Dream a pat on the back.

"Uh, Sci?" 

His smile remained frozen on his face, though it lacked the same hopefulness it had earlier.

"...And Blue, too."

~

"This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea. This was a ba-"

"Dream, if we want to catch that ghost, you can't let him know you're coming." Sci's voice was projected in a robotic tone through the static, scratchy-sounding speaker on his small screen.

The younger twin stumbled down the hallways similarly to how he had been earlier, but the clanging and crashing noises produced by the sucky-backpack-thing (or whatever Sci called it) were making his fear audible from the other side of the castle.

"I know, Sci. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"Well, could you maybe be nervous in silence? Just for now?" Sci groaned into the microphone, his tired expression displayed in tones of green on Dream's small box.

"O-oh. Okay. Sorry."

"No, no, that's quite alright. Now listen, my tracking device has just picked up on some irregular activity in the study. That should be our ghost. Lest there is more than one supernatural creature inhabiting the castle..." He paused, looking up to Dream, whose worried face was plastered up on a smaller screen to his right.

"Though I highly doubt that's the case."

The sigh of relief ringing from the computer's speaker brought a faint smile to his face.

"That being said, I would make my way over there as soon as possible. These ghosts can phase through walls, so you'd best catch him before he can vanish."

"Uh, Sci?" asked Dream.

"Yes?"

"How do I use this mechanical elephant anyway?"

Sci rubbed his temples in exhaustion. 

"Vacuum. Say it ten times fast, Dream."

"Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum. Vacuum. Va-" He paused, eye sockets fixed nervously on something Sci couldn't see on his end. "H-hey, what was that?"

Sci frantically grabbed at the microphone in front of him, holding onto it like it was all he had left.

"What was what?"

Dream's eyes narrowed. 

Then widened. 

Then narrowed again.

He leaned forward ever so cautiously...

"....Nevermind, it was just one of those fuzzballs that fly in the air sometimes," he said, tone much more confident and chipper.

A skeletal hand now gripping his shirt where his soul was, Sci panted. His browbones contorted in frustration, long over Dream's incompetence.

"Damn it, Dream! If I had a heart I would be dead from that heart attack you gave me!"

"I didn't mean to!" His rebuttal came out more like a wail. 

Face mellowing at Dream's cries, Sci extended a hand towards the screen.

"I know. I know. I'm sorry I keep yelling at you, I'm just..."

Dream looked down at the screen, tears flooding from his eyes and snot running from his upside-down heart-shaped nose.

"I'm so scared. I know it's not my fault that this happened, but...I miss my daughter."

A sniff sounded from the box in Dream's hand, drawing his attention back to Sci's face. He was clearly trying to hide his tears, but the shimmering glint in his eyes showed on the screen too perfectly. 

"I have faith that we can get through this. But to be honest? I'm always so on edge. I've been burdened with the knowledge that I can't protect her for nineteen years now. And I'm always trying to convince myself that everything's going to be okay...but I just can't stand the thought of losing her."

He took his foggy, wire-rimmed glasses into his fingers, wiping the glass clear with the sleeve of his coat. His hands shaking, he lifted them back onto his face, then pushed them back up his nasal bone. 

"She's all I have left."

~

Thunderous sobs racked the shopkeep's body, lines of black water trickling down her face and onto her desk. 

Concerned, you reached into your pocket and pulled out a flower-printed handkerchief. 

You held it out in front of her, waving it gently from side to side.

She looked up at your hanky, taking it from your hands. With a loud, gross snort, she blew her nose into your once clean square of fabric. 

With another moist sniff, she offered you a grateful smile as she handed it back to you. 

You waved your hands in front of her in opposition, then patted down the air in suggestion that she keep your now-dirtied handkerchief.

"For me? Aww...thank you. Sorry about that, I just always cry at that part. Heck, it's enough to make Thornton sad, too."

You stayed in the same position, but your eyes shifted down to check for any grief in the old toad. 

As expected, he glared back at you with distaste, then let out another deep croak. 

Yep. He's just been moved to tears.

"Let's get back to the story, shall we? Right..."

She lifts her drink of green back to her lips for another sip, clears her throat, then goes back to the story.

"Dream felt guilt washing over him..."

~

Sci had referred to (Y/N) as "the princess" or "Princess (Y/N)" so often... 

Dream had become so concerned with himself, it surprised him to find that Sci was much more terrified than he was.

Then he ever could be.

"Sci, I'm so sorry! I can't believe I had never realized how hard this all is for you."

Dream wasn't the bravest. He knew that. Everyone did. If Ink hadn't been trapped in paint, Sci would've asked him to hunt down the ghost, not him. 

Who could blame him? His brother had always been the courageous one. 

He was the hero. 

He deserved everything that was coming to him.

....So now was the time for Dream to suck it up and free him so he could receive everything that was coming to him.

"That ghost- is he still in the study?" Dream asked with a hint of nurturing sweetness in his voice. 

Sci smiled at him, his eyes sparkling with hope. As quick as his smile came it dropped, transforming into a frown of urgency and confidence. He zipped towards the main screen in his armchair, rapidly typing into his keyboard.

"Not anymore. He's relocated himself into the library on the other side of the castle. Y'know, the one right down the hall from our bedrooms?"

Oh, Dream remembered that library alright. He remembered watching the brother he loved so dearly follow the princess into that library like a lost, lovesick puppy. He also remembered witnessing his brother crashing into their bedroom a while later and confessing his feelings for her were real.

And when would he ever get to see something as cute as that again if he didn't face this phantom?

"Of course! I'm on it." Dream declared, stars in his eyes beaming with hope.

"Dream?"

He looked down at the small computer in his hand. 

The princess's father figure was smiling, which was no surprise at all. What made Dream's soul flutter was how he seemed so at peace. 

"Thank you, Dream."

~

Not even a second after Dream let himself into the library, haunting hums ringed through the walls, bouncing off of bookcases and back out the doors in which Dream entered. 

There he was. Slimy. See-through. And Chartreuse.

He was like a spilled cup of green tea that had become sticky against the unclean floor after aging for days.

Smelled that way, too. With a hint of lemonade.

"Psst, Sci." Dream held the handheld computer next to his face, whispering into the microphone.

In the lab, Sci backed up in his seat a bit, gawking at the unpleasant closeup he was getting of Dream's face on his monitor.

"U-UH-," he cleared his throat before lowering himself over his microphone, eyes not leaving the screen. "Yes, Dream?"

"You never told me how to use the raccoon."

"Raccoon? Raccoon...what ra- wait, do you mean vacuum?" 

Gold dust painted the area of the screen, flustered giggling obnoxiously blowing out the speakers.

"Yeah, sorry."

Sci chuckled to himself as he shook his head to himself.

"It's quite simple, actually. You'll notice there is actually a green button on the side of the tube. Press it, and the end will transform into a flashlight. This will stun the ghost, but only for a short amount of time. This means that you'll have to rapidly switch the flashlight back into the funnel and suck him up while he's frozen. Capture him, then bring him back to the lab. Then we can ask him how to get our family back."

He didn't know why, but Sci calling the trapped three "our family' made Dream feel fuzzy and warm. 

"Roger that. I'm going in!" 

Hooking the monitor onto his belt, Dream looked back at the ghost, who was casually sorting through bookshelves.

'Okay, think, Dream. What would Ink do? What would Ink doooo...' 

A quippy one-liner sounded about right.

Dream meekly looked down at his arms, trying to cross him over his chest in a way that looked more cocky and bold than his usual cowardice and fright. When he was sure he had got it right, he lowered his shoulders, lowered an eyebrow, and grinned before stating:

"What kinda book you lookin' for? One on how to escape ghost-hunters, perhaps?"

The ghost jumped, letting out a yipe! Books clattered down the bookshelves, the ghost turning to look back at him.

Sci watched the scene unravel from Dream's end of the monitor, confused at Dream's false deep voice and sudden smug remark.

Granted, his awful, awful smug remark, but a smug remark nonetheless.

The ghost raised his fingertips to his mouth, quivering in horror. Dream raised the vacuum's hose to him, pressing the green button with his gloved thumb. 

Out of the end came a black flashlight, one with a bulb as green as the ghost himself.

"Haha! Say hello to my little friend-"

Dream winced, squeezing his eyes close. Of course, his voice would crack now of all times. Why wouldn't it have?

He could already feel the judgemental sneer of the ghost. His mocking laughs would impale him like spikes. He would vanish once more, leading Dream on a never-ending chase-

"Please, Mr. Ghost-hunter, sir! I didn't mean any of it, really! Just don't hurt me...WAHH!!"

A beat of silence. The air went completely still.

Dream opened up an eye, peering out at the ghost.

The creature was sobbing into his hands, crouching in fetal-position amongst the fallen books.

And his voice...was somehow even softer and wimpier than Dream's.

"Are....are you serious?" Dream lowered the flashlight a bit, yet didn't let his guard down.

"I just needed a place to stay, honest! There aren't many abandoned castles left, and I have nowhere to live. Your castle was just so pretty, I couldn't help myself!"

Sci watched through the computer screen, mouth agape.

"This can't be real...," he muttered to himself, watching with close intensity.

Dream fiddled with the vacuum in his hand, now a bit ashamed of his harsh confrontation.

"Is that why you turned my brother and my friends into paintings?"

The weeping ghost only nodded, hiding his shining, ivory eyes behind his nubby hands. 

Cautiously, Dream lowered himself to the ground and onto his knees. He hesitantly crawled over to the ghost and began to pick up the books he had dropped.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ghost. I didn't want to hurt you! I was just hurt by what you did to my friends." 

After having neatly put the books in their respective spots, he sat back on his knees and placed a calming hand onto the ghost's back, only for it to faze through.

"Whoops!" He said, panic present in his voice as he yanked his hand back out of the ghost in a hurry. "Sorry about that."

The phantom let out an unexpected giggle, flinching and gripping his chest where Dream's hand had fallen in.

"Hey- haha! That tickled!" The ghost laughed childishly, playfully swatting Dream away.

A relieved smile crawled up Dream's face, and soon, he found himself laughing along.

Their fit of cheerful laughter lasted for a good few minutes, actually.

Harmless, well-meaning laughter.

Who would've known the apparition would be so docile? 

When their merriment began to falter, Dream wiped a tear from his eye with a single finger. He looked at the ghost with a solemn, sincere, smile, and made himself comfortable on the ground next to the ghost, back resting comfortably against the bookcase.

"Why are you by yourself, Mr. Ghost? Don't you have a family?" Dream asked with a faint pity in his tone.

The grinning ghost's smile faltered, his arms wrapped around the middle part of his phantom-tail as if they were his knees.

"I haven't got one. I don't know my real parents, and my mothers' are both still alive," he sighed, looking off to the ground.

"How old are you?"

"Well, it depends. I died when I was five, but I've been a ghost for three years. So...I guess I'm eight. In alive-people years."

A hand flew up to Dream's hands, a gasp escaping his teeth.

"So...that means you're still...just a kid?" The words shook as they left his mouth, his eyes growing hot and watery.

"Yeah. Guess so."

Without another second gone to waste, Dream stood to his feet. He adjusted the vacuum on his back, then looked to the ghost and waved for him to follow.

"Come with me! I know someone who can help," said Dream, star eyes passionately ashine.

The ghost looked at him, whimpering unsurely. 

"Please? I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."

With a glance and a deep breath, the ghost looked up at him one last time, looking for a sign of reassurance.

Dream squeezed the arm straps of vacuum in his fists with a determined huff. 

"That's a promise."

~

Hollow, yet bright, yellow eyes politely smiled at the bewildered (and admittedly a bit cautious) white pinpricks. 

"So, Mr. Ghos-" Dream paused. "Actually, do you have a name? Sorry, I know Mr. Ghost must be getting kinda old."

Dream rubbed the back of his neck timidly as the ghost turned his attention away from Sci, who was leaning forward in awe. 

The trio stood in the greyed ballroom, shadows growing evermore as seconds sifted by in the metaphorical hourglass. 

"Hm...I did, once. I just can't seem to remember what it was. They never tell you how much you forget about your mortal life in your first few years of living, haha," the ghost joked, fiddling with his thumbs.

"But I like Mr. Ghost! It makes me sound like a super-cool businessman...or something."

"You'd like Mr. Ghost?"

"Sure! It has a nice ring to it."

Dream clapped with excitement. A new name for a new friend! 

"Wonderful! I'm-"

"Not to interrupt or anything!" Sci interrupted, his hand out in front of him. 

The two new friends snapped their heads in his direction, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry. It's just...well, I was wondering what you could do about our friends? They make lovely pictures, but they're even better as actual people."

Mr. Ghost chuckled and snapped his fingers. 

"Oh, yeah! Sorry about that. Now..." He turned towards the petrified paintings, who were casually laid against the glass windows that overlooked the garden of unfamiliar muted and dull colors. Extending his hands, his eyes flashed pale blue, words mumbling and fumbling from his lips and onto the ground. 

They slithered across the floor, dancing and swaying in motion as they collided into the three framed artworks.

"kcor uoy siht gnidaer eruoy fi..."

The paintings levitated into the air gracefully. Bubbles of blinding white burst through the canvases with a heavenly radiance. 

Dream's eyes grew in wonder as the light washed over the castle's gloomy interior. Those shadows which ran amuck through the walls were overtaken by the brilliance once more, pushed back into their eternal prisons in their corners. The angels had ambushed the gargoyles, reclaiming their rightful places in the palace walls. Violins were set free of all torture, and harps played their melodies of rejoice. 

The blanket clouds which coated the sky parted without a moment to spare, and the sun was awakened from its prolonged slumber.

"WHAT TH- WOAH!" Thud. "OWIE!"

Dream looked back towards the paintings. Two still floated in the air, but one had gone missing. Looking down, he found the explanation for its absence.

Blue sat on the tiled floor, rubbing his side with a groan.

"HEY...WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" He looked between Sci and Dream, awaiting an explanation with a not-so-angry pout. "I WAS IN THAT THING FOR HOURS! I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED BEING A PAINTING WOULD BE A REAL PAIN IN THE NECK! MWEHEHEH!"

Sci and Dream laughed along with him, grinning to themselves in relief.

"W-wait a minute! I- ahhhh!- Oof!" 

They all looked to the source of the second painted prisoner, seeing none other than (Y/N) herself. She shook her head softly, scrunching up her nose like a rabbit to get rid of an aching feeling between her eyes.

"What...happened?" She paused, sniffing the air. "I smell paint."

"(Y/N)!" She looked up towards the voice but wasn't allowed the time to register who had said it before she was lifted into a firm, comforting bear hug.

"...Sci?"

"(Y/N)...I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried..."

With a soft, inaudible sigh, she threw her arms around him. 

"Hey, I'm okay...see? I'm okay now."

"You'd better be." A beat. "I never want you to scare me like that again."

Her breath stopped short, eyes widening a little before lowering in grief.

"You know I can't-"

"I don't care. I don't care, I don't care, I don't care. I'll beat that Error to a pulp myself if I have to."

She chuckled to herself but stopped when she saw the two short skeletons over his shoulder. Blue was mockingly mouthing sentiments of "how sweet" and "aww so cute". Dream only laughed and shot her a sarcastic thumbs up.

"O-okay, dad." (Y/N) wiggled a bit in his hold. "You're starting to embarrass me a little."

"Of course I am, it's my jo-"

"Son of a- nutter- butter! Gahh!" Thunk. "Ugh...my head..."

Mr. Ghost's eyes changed back to their regular yellow glow, his hands receding to his sides. Five heads looked in the direction of the last escaped victim. His head made small, dizzy circles. His colored pupils rapidly changed colors as if to process the scene around him. The golden picture frame which held his portrait was now around his neck, split in half across his shoulders.

Dream could've sworn he saw small, cartoon stars circling his head.

But he didn't have time to think about that right now. All he could do was run at his already dazed brother...

...and tackle him to the ground as if to give him another head injury.

"Ink! You're alive!" Dream cried, arms around his twin's neck.

"Well, I thought I was, but you hit me so hard I may actually be dying."

"Hm, at least I got to see you one last time then."

"...Dream? I'm so glad to see you, but I'd be happy to see everyone else I missed, too."

~

Dream lifted himself off of his brother, helping him up onto his seat. Ink slapped the side of his head a couple more times, hoping to knock the ringing from his non-existent ears. 

...Oh sweet asgore, he really was dying. Everything was so bright! And his vision, so cloudy.

He squinted, a foggy figure making its way over to him. Was this an angel, ready to greet him and lead him past the pearly gates and into a better place?

"Ink? Ink, are you okay?" A soft voice asked him, resting its soft, smooth hand against his paint-splattered cheekbone. 

No, he recognized that voice. It was an angel, alright. Just not one from heaven.

"HE MUST'VE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE WAY DOWN!"

Okay, that voice, not so heavenly. 

"No, no! I'm okay. I'm good. No worries!" Ink said, his vision finally clearing. In front of him was the face of (Y/N), who seemed to be checking his skull for cracks and dents. 

She pulled away, looking into his eyes with a pleasant surprise.

"Oh, good. I was starting to worry you had really hurt yourself," she breathed. 

Think brain. Come on, be so smart! Now's your chance!- Be smooth, be smooth...

He lifted a hand to hers, holding it in his tender, yet protective grasp.

"It hurt when I fell for you."

(Y/N) flinched, leaning back and away from him.

Mission failed! Abort! Abort!

"Down the stairs. Remember, the other day?"

"...No, no I don't think that hap-"

"Good times! Good times..."

Luckily, she let it slide with a giggle and a shake of her head.

"Geez, maybe I should be worried about you. You hit your head so hard you're remembering things that never happened!" she said, poking his cheek.

"If I'm hurt, would you take care of me?" He teased, winking at her.

"Would that make you feel better?" 

"So much better."

"Then I guess I have no choice, huh?"

"WE'VE BEEN STANDING HERE THIS ENTIRE TIME, YOU KNOW!" 

They both jumped at the booming voice, snapping out of their trances. Sci, Dream, Blue, and a familiar-looking ghost loomed over them with judgemental glances ranging from Dream's "get a room you two" to Sci's "Ink, you and I are going to talk about this later".

A bead of sweat formed on his head. How could that guy be so smiley and still so intimidating?

"Right. Um, what happened, anyway? And why do I have a picture frame for a necklace?" Ink asked, trying to change the uncomfortable subject.

Dream perked up at the question, fists balled and at his chest. 

"That's actually an interesting story! You see, Sci-"

"Our new ghost friend trapped you all in paintings because he wanted to inhabit our castle without anyone bothering him. So, I sent Dream out to track him down, and he was able to have you all freed using the power of kindness and understanding," Sci stated. "Very heartwarming, especially for a Halloween special!"

The three ex-prisoners all looked to Dream in astonishment, shadows of smiles on their faces.

"Is it true, Dream?" asked (Y/N), whose hands were folded against her chest. "You're the one who saved us?"

Dream blanked. "U-uh...oh! Yeah! That's me!"

She smiled. "That's amazing! You really are cut out for this prophecy thing, huh?"

(Y/N) nudged the short skeleton playfully with her elbow. He laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I guess so!" 

He shut his eyes as he continued to laugh to himself. He felt something soft press against his cheek, throwing him off guard. His eyes shot open, roaming to the side to see (Y/N) leaning down a bit to kiss him on his cheek. 

He could feel his face growing warm and golden once more, his hand cupping the spot where she had kissed him on the cheek. 

"I can't imagine how hard that must've been, facing the paranormal, not knowing what the outcome might be. I'm so glad it turned out alright, though!" She looked over to Mr. Ghost with a smile. "And you were kind enough to free my friends and me, even though the consequences were hard for you."

If anyone had been looking at him, they would've seen Ink's eye twitch at the word friend.

Mr. Ghost nodded politely, leaning down towards Sci. 

"Mr. Sci, what's a consequence?"

"The effect. Because you freed the princess and the boys, you won't be alone here anymore. Does that make sense?"

"Kinda. Hey, where am I supposed to go now?"

(Y/N) tilted her head at him. "Why not stay here with us? We'll treat you like a brother and you won't ever be alone!"

"Like...a family?" 

(Y/N) nodded, looking to the skeletons for their response. They all nodded along with her, except Ink, who was still trying to wrap his head around everything that had just happened.

Mr. Ghost frowned and began to fiddle with his thumbs again. 

"You guys are real nice. Really! You're the first living people to not scream and run away from me or chase me away. I would love to stay. But I can't. It's kinda looked down upon for a ghost to stay where they're welcomed."

"YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO?" asked Blue.

"Sadly. It's just a part of being me! But that doesn't mean I can't visit!"

Dream smiled up at him. 

"That'd be great, Mr. Ghost. Thank you for everything."

"Don't mention it. Enough of that, though! You guys know anywhere I could go chase some sorry suckers out of?"

A sinister smirk rose onto Ink's face, a menacing chuckle erupting from him.

"Oh, I know just the place for you."

~

"G-GET AWAY FROM ME! STAY AWAY! I'M WARNING YOU- AH!" Killer screeched before falling backward, frying pan still head securely between both hands. He scrambled up to his feet, following after the other two skeletons bolting down the hall.

"SWEET ASGORE, WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" Cross shouted, swatting at the ghost with a throw pillow he took from the living room. "DUST, YOU KNOW STUFF ABOUT GHOSTS, RIGHT? DO SOMETHING!"

Dust panted, throwing every obstacle he could between them and the ghost chasing them. 

"I CAN SEE MY DEAD BROTHER, BUT I CAN'T EXORCISE SPIRITS, DAMN IT! JUST KEEP HIM AWAY!"

They all screamed in terror, sprinting through the castle halls.

Mr. Ghost stopped in his trail, before giggling at their horrified expressions as they disappeared from his sight.

"Man, what was I thinking? These guys are so much more fun to mess with!" He cleared his throat, then held his hands up in front of himself like claws. "Ready or not, fellas, HERE I COME! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

He slid through the walls, ready to play more hide and seek with his newest victims.

~

"The..." she yawned, "...end."

Hand on the front cover of the book, she flipped it shut with a single clap, startling you awake from your drowsiness. 

"Great story, huh? I told you it would be."

You nodded and rubbed your eyes, head resting in your folded arms on top of her desk. Feeling the presence of another, you peeked an eye open.

Thornton sat proudly in front of you, his head towering your own. 

"Welp, it's about that time. Better start closing up shop for the night."

She stretched and cracked her back, rising from her stool. You followed, watching her as she stumbled past you to go switch the welcoming "we're open!" sign to a sorrowful "sorry, we're closed". 

As you looked back down at her massive book of stories, a delighted, mute hum left your lips. You felt you would miss the old book, with its spine-chilling red covers and weather-worn pages of yellow. 

You leaned over the book, hoping to catch the title and author. You were so entranced by the story she had read to you, you longed to know what else resided within its covers and binding. Maybe you could find another copy at the local library?

Alas, no title was written on the front. No problem! Perhaps it was written on the inside.

Grabbing the front cover with a single hand, you carefully flipped it to the side, hoping for a cover page with some hint as to what she was reading.

The first page was barren of printed text. Rather, three words were written therein burgundy ink:

"Property of

Minerva"

So that was the witchy shopkeeper's name? It was quite fitting, you decided.

Delicately, you flipped to the next page.

Blank.

Hm, maybe on the next page...

Blank.

Okay. It's got to be on this next one...

Blank.

Uh...

Blank.

Blank.

Blank.

Overcome with shock, you circled to her side of the table for a better look. You flipped through a few pages, then swung the book open to its middle.

Blank, blank and more blank.

You couldn't believe it.

This book...

There were no words. Not anywhere. This wasn't possible-

"What do you think you're doing?"

Your head shot up. That voice...wasn't Minerva's. It was deep. Velvet-like. Like a wise old man...

...like Morgan Freeman.

"Down here."

Down where? Where else but...

NO.

THERE'S NO WAY.

Head slowly craning down, you came face to face with none other than Thornton. There he was, staring back up at you with those hate-filled, bulbous eyes.

"Tsk, tsk. Lady Minerva absolutely abhors when nosy people like you touch her things. I should know. After all, look what she did to me."

If you had had the voice to scream, you would've. Frightened, you started to make your way towards the door. 

Minerva stood there, waiting with patience.

"Thornton...how many times have I told you not to scare my clientele?" She lifted him into her hands, scolding her with a single finger, wagging it in his face.

"More than enough, I suppose."

"Just as I thought." She looked up to you. "So, I see you've discovered the truth about my book?"

You merely nodded, her expression difficult to read. She offered a faint smile, taking the book up into her arms. The expanse of it's red-covered a great deal of her body, a grunt escaping her chest as she leaned back to compensate for the sudden weight.

"That's alright, dear. Yeah, that story wasn't so fake. Actually, this book allows me to peer into the lives of those whom I am allowed. Specifically other clients."

She set the book down onto a shelf, laying it down on its back rather than standing it upright.

"I've been keeping a close eye on them recently. They do have an appointment coming up soon."

She tilted her head, tapping a slender finger against her chin.

"Perhaps I should send them a reminder..."

Minerva paused, before shaking her head and laughing.

"Nonsense! I'm sure that Sci will tell them for me."

With another shake of her head, she looked back up to you with a closed-mouth smile. 

"You'd best get a move on, dear. It's getting remarkably late, and those woodland creatures tend to get mean at night."

With a nod and a smile, you waved goodbye to her and made your way towards the door. Her hands were clasped together beside her head, her golden eyes following you out the door.

"Good riddance," mumbled the rumbling voice of her pet toad, though it was loud enough for you to hear from across the store. So loud, in fact, you suspected he did it on purpose.

"Thornton, please!" whisper-shouted Minerva. 

The door shutting behind you barely cut off the beginning of a hushed lecture. Curious, you looked in through the window on the door. She stood there, hunched over her desk, and wagging her finger at him, hand clenching her hip.

A smile crawled up onto your lips. Turning away, you began your way back into the forest. 

Now, what was that she said about those woodland creatur-

A snarl halted you in your tracks. You jumped back clenching your heart.

Two glowing, red eyes illuminated just faintly enough for you to see foam frothing up at the mouth of a set of razor-sharp teeth.

...

Oh no.

~

Chapter Text

~

Multicolored grains floated to the surface of the milk, swirling around with the swift motion of a silver spoon. Sugar-coated letters of the alphabet bathed in the soft white pool in the orange ceramic bowl. 

Paperjam squinted as he leaned over his breakfast, attempting to spell words with the cereal letters. He wanted to spell his name, but the pour he got from the box this morning didn't give him an "m" and only one "a", though he needed two to meet his goal. Tough luck.

So there he sat, fishing for the last "h" he needed to complete his uncle's name. He knew it was in there somewhere, but the sugary purple letter wasn't making it easy for him.

He huffed, letting his back hit the back of his seat. His little pink eye sockets frowned at the unfinished "fres-" in his bowl, hoping that maybe the missing letter would float to the top, making his job easier.

"Good morning, squirt," said a less than familiar voice. 

Paperjam gasped, whipping his tiny skull around to look for the newcomer in question.

Another skeleton stood behind his chair, pulling a white hood from his head. A red, lightning bolt looking scar sat below one of his discolored eyes.

"Whoops, did I scare you? Sorry about that." 

He took the seat next to him, folding his arms on the tabletop. Paperjam studied him, clenching his tiny spoon in a just-as-tiny fist. 

"Are you new here?" He asked, his words coming out more rude than he intended.

The new guy flinched at the sudden harshness, but what else did he expect from Error's kid?

"Well, yeah. I guess you could say that." He paused. "Your dad sent me down here to keep your company while your uncle's out this morning."

"Where did he go?"

The skeleton shrugged. 

"Shopping, I suppose. Said he needed new gardening equipment... or something."

Paperjam snickered.

"New tools aren't gonna save that sorry thing," he said, turning back to his cereal. "Uncle Fresh doesn't have a very green thumb."

The skeleton laughed, putting his head in his hand. 

"You've gotta lot of attitude in such a small body."

"I'm just being honest! I didn't mean it to be hurtful." Paperjam took a bite from his spoon, hiding his face.

"Oh no! You're good, little man." The skeleton held out his hand. "I'm Cross, by the way."

Paper put his small hand in his bigger one, giving it a small shake.

"Paperjam! Nice to make your acquaintances's." 

Cross bit his tongue, trying not to laugh at his grammatical mistake. He was just as professional as his father, just in a first-grader's body.

"Nice to make yours." He peeked over the edge of his small bowl. "Whatcha got there?"

Paperjam looked into his bowl, giving the milk a good stir. 

"Just practicing my spelling, I guess."

"I see. You look like you're doing a pretty good job, but your cereal looks a little soggy."

He looked back down, seeing the letters ripping apart and almost melting. 

"That's okay, I'll just eat it later when I'm done!"

"OR You cOUlD eat IT nOw anD KeEP YOurSeLF ouT of ThE time-Out CORneR."

The two of them turned to look across the table where the king stood over them.

"But I'm doing my spelling!"

"YoU cAN do THAT lATeR, YoU HaVe yoUr claSsEs fOr THAt." He pat his son on the top of his head. "rIght NOW YOU NEed TO Eat YoUr BreAKfaST."

Error sat down in the chair across from his son, folding his hands together on the table, staring at him with a withering gaze.

Cross gulped. Was there a moment in the day this guy wasn't scary? 

"anD yOu."

He jumped, looking to Error with wide eyes. He shivered, stress weighing on his shoulders. 

Error's glare softened.

"HAvE YOu SEen nigHtMare? WE have pLANs To GO oveR WHIle The OtheR threE Are oUT."

Had he not been sitting right in front of him, Cross would have grabbed at his chest and sighed in relief. 

"Not since last night, sorry."

"dAM-" He paused, his pupils flickering to Paper. "DarN iT. Let ME kNow IF YOu see him, OkAY?"

"Yessir," he saluted, then cringed at his awkward gesture.

Error snorted at his expression. 

"thANK YOu. PapeRjAm, eAT yOUR BreakfASt, PlEaSE."

"Yes, dad," Paperjam sulked, hanging his head. 

Error gave him a pleased smile, before nodding to Cross and walking off. 

"Rats," the child cursed, scooping a green "v" out of the bowl and shoveling it into his mouth. 

He looked back to Cross, batting his eyes. 

"So what do you do, anyway?" He innocently asked, unaware of Cross's reasoning for working in the castle.

"Me? Oh... uh... I'm just here to help! Yeah..."

He didn't know for sure, but he didn't think Error would appreciate it if he told his kid he and his co-workers had been hired to take some poor girl hostage.

"Help with...?" Paperjam urged him on. He was smarter than he looked.

"Just 'around the castle' stuff! Nothing in particular."

That wasn't so much a lie. Cross wasn't stealthy enough to go stalk the princess like the others, according to Nightmare. So to keep him busy, his boss had made him into his and Error's personal assistant, just doing whatever extra work needed to be done.

Like babysitting.

"Whatever you say," Paperjam teased, giggling to himself.

Ugh. How he hated children. It wasn't like he wasn't trying, but this kid had some nerve. If this kid wasn't higher on the food chain then him, he would've already lost his patience with him. It wasn't any use, though. If he had even so much as tried to tell him off, Paper would have snitched on him to his father. 

Error yelling at him was the last thing he needed.

Cross's eye twitched.

"Right. What do you like to do for fun around here, Jammy?"

Paperjam tapped his spoon to his chin. 

"I like to color!"

Cross hummed, amused at his harmless response. He was halfway expecting him to say "overthrow empires" or something sadistic like that.

"Oh, yeah? Are you a good artist?"

"The best, pretty much," the little boy smirked, rolling his eyes at him.

Okay, he wasn't evil. Maybe a little cocky, but he was royalty. It must've been an inherited trait.

"Well, when you're done eating, maybe we could go color together?"

Paperjam inspected him again, looking him up and down.

"Hm, fine. Just don't tell anyone else about my charity work, 'kay?" He grinned, almost like he was doing this to please him.

Cross forced a smile onto his face, laughing in his throat.

"Wonderful."

~

The glass in the conservatory was cold to the touch today. The few days of warmth had passed over, and the spring's typical cloudy, grey skies had returned to blanketing themselves over the kingdom.

(Y/N) held a warm cup of tea in her hands, looking out the window into the training grounds. Blue and the twins had been up for hours, running through obstacles courses and pelting dummies with magic and other spells.

From what she had observed, Dream was very gifted with a bow in his hand, and the paintbrush Ink had used to summon his weapon in the garden nights before was good for more than just that.

In their time outside, he had created multiple weapons, a shield, and other things needed for combat. 

She tilted her head, wondering where he had attained such a paintbrush. It was clear it was how he performed his magical attacks, but she had never seen such a thing before.

A loud sip interrupted her thoughts. She turned to Papyrus, who had been sitting alongside her almost the whole time she had been there, acting as a bodyguard.

"How's your tea, Sir Papyrus?" 

"IT'S GOOD! TASTES AN AWFUL LOT LIKE FLOWERS, WHICH I WOULD NEVER THINK TO PUT IN A DRINK. BUT I FIND IT GOOD, NONETHELESS! NYEHEHEH."

(Y/N) took a sip from her teacup, nodding in agreement.

"Rose tea. It's very good for when you're feeling stressed."

Papyrus knitted his brow bones.

"I'VE NOTICED YOU DRINK THIS 'ROSE TEA' QUITE OFTEN..."

"It's a stressful time." She took another sip from her cup. "Sorry, that was unwarranted of me to say."

Papyrus winced. 

"NOT AT ALL! I..." His voice lowered. "I Just Hope You're Feeling Better Now That Things Are Looking Brighter Than Before."

"Hm? Oh, of course." She pressed her teacup to her chest. "Better than before..."

It wasn't the prophecy that was upsetting her. In honesty, it was more herself. She felt like such a burden on everyone, especially Ink. Heck, she couldn't have a conversation with him without throwing her predicament into it. 

It didn't make sense. She had already talked to Dream a few times, just about themselves and about normal life. Their friendship was growing, regardless of the situation. 

But with Ink? It was like she couldn't shut up about it. Sure, there was the library with him last night. But even then, she couldn't help but grimace when she thought about what she had said about the fairytale.

She related to the main character because he was stolen away? Really? There was more to her than that, so why didn't she say another story? 

Did she really only want him to think of her as an object of his pity?

At least he had played along with it. 

"They manage to get away. Together."

(Y/N) felt herself grow warm and red again, raising her teacup to hide herself from Papyrus.

Together.

Maybe he liked her more than she thought. Maybe, just maybe, he had already seen in her what she wanted to prove was there.

She desperately hoped that was the case.

"YOUR MAJESTY?"

(Y/N) jumped, looking up to Papyrus.

"Yea- Yeah? Huh?" she stammered.

"IT'S ONE O' CLOCK," he said, knowing she knew what he had meant by telling her the time.

(Y/N) groaned. 

"Does Sci really think now is the time for a science lesson?"

"Not today." Sci said, walking in through the door as if on cue. "I actually wanted to take today to make sure you were feeling better."

(Y/N) stood from her armchair, setting down her tea on an end table. 

Sci walked to her side, setting down a tray of crackers, cheese, and red grapes.

"Science and math are important things for a future leader to know, but mental health always comes first, I always say!" He beamed, motioning for her to sit back in her seat.

"Papyrus, would you like to stay? I'm sure we wouldn't mind your company," he asked, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses. 

"WELL, IF YOU'RE SURE I WOULDN'T BE A BOTHER, MY ONLY ASSIGNMENT IS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE PRINCESS!" Papyrus said, an orange hue coating his cheeks as he put a gloved hand to his mouth. 

(Y/N) could almost see the sparkles and flowers swirling around him like a cartoon character. She stifled a giggle, "aww"ing in the back of her head

"Splendid! There are plenty of snacks for the three of us, so don't be afraid to help yourself," Sci said, gesturing to the tray on the table. 

(Y/N) shimmied into her seat, pulling a blanket over her shoulders. 

Sci sat on the chair to her right, while papyrus sat on a couch to her left. 

"How have you been today, dear?" Asked Sci, who was already helping himself to a handful of grapes. 

Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders from the inside, (Y/N) nodded with a swiftness that said: "I'm fine! Nothing to see here!"

Sci exhaled, seeing right past her. 

"(Y/N), I'm making this time for you to really talk about your feelings and let loose. What's on your mind?"

"Well..." she started, fiddling with the end of the blanket. "I'm not all that scared of Error anymore. I've processed and come to terms with the fact that he's coming and none of us can stop him."

"That's a start!" muffled Sci, his cheekbones stuffed with grapes. He gulped them down, holding his mouth sheepishly.

"Heh... pardon me."

"YOU'RE ALRIGHT!"

Sci nodded to him with a closed-eye smile.

"Any negatives?" He asked, looking back to (Y/N).

(Y/N) pulled the blanket over her mouth, hiding like a turtle in its shell. 

Was it appropriate to tell Sci about Ink? Sure, it was appropriate! She just... wasn't sure how he'd react. He's expecting something serious, not a story about how she embarrassed herself in front of some guy, no matter how cute he is!

She blinked. What? (Y/N) shook her head. No, not cute... nice.

Yeah.

"I have something, but I don't think it's something you're expecting me to say," she murmured, reaching forward for a cracker and some cheese.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Sci. "It can be anything, all of your troubles are valid to this."

(Y/N) popped a chunk of cheese into her mouth, chewing to herself. She took a deep breath.

"Okay...here goes nothing. I guess... well. I feel like I'm burdening everyone with my problems, with the prophecy? I feel like I'm always making this all about me," she explained.

Sci held back a chuckle.

"Well, that's because it is all about you."

"No, it's not! I know I'm the one in danger, but everyone is being affected by all of this!" 

She gestured to Papyrus. 

"It creates more work for the guard." 

She looked to Sci.

"It causes you so much stress and worry..."

Her head turned to the window, looking out to Ink and Dream, who were currently struggling through a ladder of ropes. Without a second of warning, Dream let go, collapsing into the dirt below him with a yelp.

"And it's putting their lives in danger! And all I can seem to talk about is myself."

Sci crossed his legs up on the seat, hunching over as he looked at her with interest.

"I don't feel you've done that at all, princess. As a matter of fact, you've been great at staying calm with everything going on around you," he said.

"I AGREE!" said Papyrus, smiling widely. "IF I WERE A PRINCESS AND I KNEW MY FUTURE LOOKED SO... BLEAK, I'D BE A MESS!"

"I feel like a mess," snorted (Y/N), curling up into the blanket. "I even told Ink I relate to a storybook character because of it."

Sci shrugged.

"So? If it's the truth, then it is! You don't have to be ashamed about it."

"But it's like with him, I can't just be normal! If there's anything he thinks about me right now, it's that I'm nothing more than a variable in the prophecy. Just... the princess."

Sci took another grape into his hands, rolling one between his fingers. He squinted at her, turning his head as if to read her. 

"Are you?" he asked, putting the grape in his mouth.

"Sorry?"

"Are you just 'the princess'?" He asked again, giving her more to work with.

"I don't think so."

"Then there you have it! (Y/N), it doesn't matter what some guy thinks of you. You are (Y/N) (M/N) (L/N), and you know it. Who cares if anyone else thinks otherwise?"

"I care if he does, Sci!"

Sci froze. A sly smile crept up onto his face. He folded his hands in front of his chest, leaning back into the chair with a hum.

"Oh, I see."

(Y/N) blinked. 

"See what?"

Sci let out a quiet, evil laugh, raising a mischievous eyebrow at her.

"You like him, don't you?"

~

"WELP, I'M SORRY TO SAY IT, BOYS. BUT I THINK WE'VE TRAINED PLENTY TODAY! WE SHOULD CALL IT A DAY. I KNOW HOW MUCH FUN YOU TWO ARE HAVING..."

The twins let out a collective groan, laying like corpses against the grass. 

Blue giggled. He bid them farewell, then returned to the castle to go fulfill the rest of his daily duties, and relieve Papyrus of his.

Dream was the first to sit up.

"Man, for a little guy he sure is brutal," he said, rubbing his skull with the palm of his hand.

Ink stayed laying out on the ground, staring up at the gloomy sky. A low rumble of thunder roared nearby, warning the civilians of an oncoming storm.

"I'm gonna head inside - it looks like it's about to rain out here," said Dream, standing to his feet. He stretched, popping his back as he let out a groan of relief.

He looked down at his brother, shaking his head.

"Hurry in, I wouldn't want you to get drenched out here! I know Princess (Y/N) would just hate it if you were to track mud in the castle-"

"Just go already," Ink growled, still sprawled out on the ground.

Dream chuckled, turning to leave for the castle.

Ink exhaled sharply, rolling his head to look to the conservatory window. She was in there. She had nearly all day, watching them with a cup of tea in her hands. 

He already knew she was sitting there, judging him. She was thinking about how pathetic he was for dreaming of being with her, especially when he fights the way he does.

An awkward commoner who can't even fight? He must've been so entertaining. 

Not that he'd hate her for it. He'd be thinking the same thing if he were in her shoes.

(Y/N) had even given him a shot at a normal, friendly conversation, and he still made a move on her! And they were talking about fairytales! Did he think he was being smooth? 

Ink sat up, pouting to himself. How dare he think he was even remotely charming.

He lifted himself onto his feet, stumbling out of the grounds and back into the castle. The conservatory doors were wide open, letting Ink see inside as if it had nothing to hide from him.

Everyone had joined the princess and the others inside, circling around her chair and laughing at her as she buried herself in a thick blanket. 

For a second, her head poked out of the top. Her face was red, a smile spread across her face.

Should he invite himself in? Everyone in there was undoubtedly a friend of hers, and his relationship with her was a bit harder to decipher.

Before he could decide for himself, Sci caught him lingering in the doorway.

"Well, speak of the devil!" He teased, looking back at (Y/N) with a wicked look in his eye. She looked up to him, her red face now pale and free of color.

"O-oh, Ink-!"

Sci bursted out laughing, hiding his face in his arms, which he had folded on an arm of his chair.

Ink winced. They had been making fun of him.

Blue was the first to stand, motioning for the others to follow him.

"COME ON, GUYS. LET'S GIVE THESE TWO SOME 'ALONE TIME'~!" he laughed, leading three other giggling skeletons out of the conservatory.

"Wait, guys!- Please!" (Y/N) was begging them not to leave her alone with him, holding onto Papyrus' arm and folding her hands in front of her chest as she asked them to show her mercy.

It was worse than he thought - she hated him so much that she didn't want to be left alone with him.

On their way out, he earned a wink from Dream, an elbow nudge from Blue, and a threat from Sci not to hurt her on their way out. Dang, these guys were sadistic.

Pushing him in, the four skeletons laughed obnoxiously amongst themselves as they slammed the doors shut, trapping them in.

Ink considered his options. He could sprint back out the doors, hoping (Y/N) wouldn't hate him even more for avoiding her and her criticism of him, or maybe he could apologize for making her so uncomfortable and beg for her mercy?

The latter of the two looked like his better choice.

He cleared his throat. 

"(Y/N)-"

"Ink-"

They said in unison, taking the other back.

"Sorry, you go first," said Ink, watching as she stood from her chair.

"No, no. You first," she said. "I can wait."

Ink took a step back, his cheeks tingling as they burned a rainbow onto his face. With a deep breath, he continued.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior in the library last night. It was completely out of line, and I understand if you don't forgive me for how I acted." 

He took a step forward, forcing himself to look into her eyes. 

"I know my place, and that what I said to you was inappropriate."

She tilted her head.

"Ink..."

He flinched.

"...What on earth are you talking about?" 

"The library. You wanted to talk with me as a friend, and I said something that implied way more than that. I just hope you don't think I don't know that I am below you-"

"Wait, you mean the 'working together' thing? Ink, I thought that was sweet," she interrupted, walking forward. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Actually, I was the one out of line. We were having a normal conversation before I brought my problems into the mix, and I shouldn't have done that." She let out a sigh.

"I want us to be friends, and I feel like you only see me as some princess you have to risk your life for. If we're going through this, I want it to be together. Just like you said."

She laughed at herself.

"And here I am, going on about it again."

Ink frowned.

"But I do see you as more than a princess. You're so cool!"

He put a hand on her shoulder.

"When we first met, I actually thought it was so impressive how you handled Error by yourself. You knew you had people on the way and that you didn't have to fend for yourself, but you did. Anyone who let being a 'princess' make them who they are would've just let him do what he wanted and hoped someone would notice them in trouble."

(Y/N) sniffed, her eyes becoming glossier than they had been.

"But, I feel like I just talk about it so much-"

"You're going through a traumatic time, you have every right not to shut up about it," Ink joked, nudging her shoulder with a fist.

She giggled, sniffing away the would-be tears. 

He held out his arms, asking her permission to hug her. Without warning, she threw herself onto his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Ink stood in shock, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist. When he fully realized what had just happened, he smiled, resting his head on top of hers.

"If you're ever having problems, any problems at all, you come find me. Because I wasn't kidding when I said we could get through this together."

She exhaled, nestling her head into his shoulder even more.

"Thank you, Ink. And you come to me, too, okay?"

"I dunno, I'm pretty tough. But I guess if I need a good hug, I know who to look for."

Her breath hitched, her head pulling away from his shoulder. 

"I'm so sorry, we've been doing this for a long time-"

"I thought we could last longer.~"

(Y/N)'s face grew red, as she looked up at him.

"Oh- only if you want to!" He sputtered, hoping he hadn't ruined the moment.

Fortunately, she only smiled and laid her head back onto his shoulder. Ink smiled back, wrapping his arms back around her firmly.

He could get used to this.

~

A pair of binoculars watched them hug and cuddle through the window, its owner hacking and making sick noises to himself.

"Gross! This peasant guy Error told us to look out for has more game than we thought..." 

The binoculars lowered from his face, revealing his red and purple eye lights, shaded by the heather grey hood that sat upon his skull. He passed the binoculars over to Killer, who held them up to his own unique eye sockets.

"Yep. It's easy to see why. He looks like the debonair, princely type. Chicks love that stuff," he sneered, passing the binoculars over.

Horror took them in his big, claw-like hands. 

"Uh, I'm good. 've met the guy b'fore," he said, passing them back to Killer.

"Suit yourself, it's quite the spectacle. Dust, are you taking those notes I told you to jot down?" Killer questioned.

"Sure am, boss," Dust spat, scribbling different observations onto a small yellow notepad.

"Don't be so cold. You're just jealous because Nightmare likes me best."

Dust grit his teeth, rolling his pencil in his clenched fist.

"Just because he 'put you in charge' doesn't mean he 'likes you best', you pet."

"Oh? Surely you aren't implying you're his favorite?" Killer pushed, feeding off of his colleagues' reaction.

"I know I'm not his favorite! That's because I don't kiss up to him like you."

Killer gasped. 

"Take that back. Now."

"What are you gonna do if I don't? Tattle on me? 'Nightmaaaaare, Dust called me out for being a suck up to you!'" 

Before he could take in what was going on, Killer tackled him out of the tree and onto the ground, the two hitting the grass with a loud thud!

Horror looked down to the ground where they were wrestling each other, groaning with exhaustion.

"We're only on day one 'nd this is provin' to be a bad idea."

Taking the binoculars back into his hands, he watched as Ink and Error's love interest hugged each other.

He smiled, finding their romantic gesture adorable. 

How could he ever help Error tear them apart? He loved his friend, sure, but the two he was spying on were just too cute.

Horror's smile fell. This whole "kidnapping plot" felt even more wrong than ever, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Nothing, except keep (Y/N) safe the best he could.

~

Chapter Text

~

"ALREadY? bUt we hAven'T EVEN exEcuTED To FirsT PHASe OF tHE plAn."

"Weddings take time to prepare for, your majesty. The sooner we arrange it, the sooner the two of you will be married." Nightmare scribbled onto the pale paper with elegant handwriting. Heavy, rich, black ink spilled from the tip of his fountain pen as it dragged across the thin surface in a series of loops, crosses and dots. 

"Now, do you think she'd like a ring with pearls or diamonds?"

Error folded his hands across his chest, leaning back in his chair. 

"ThIs Doesn't FEEL RIght. I TooK A rISK AgreEINg To tHe 'foRceD MArriAgE' PLoT, BUt I DON'T wAnT TO do It aLL TOO SOon," he said, stretching in place until he heard a pop! from his back. He sighed in relief, his body limp against the velvet back of the chair.

Rolling his pen between a finger and his thumb, Nightmare propped his elbows onto the table as his brows fell into a flat line above his eyes.

"How odd. I thought you liked this girl."

"aT whaT poINT did I SAy i DIdn'T?"

"If you did, you'd leap at the chance to be with her. Besides, I wouldn't recommend holding it off for long. When her family realizes what's happened to her, they'll be sending people to go out looking for her."

He stopped briefly, examining the expression on Error's face, though the king didn't take notice of this.

"You never know." The corner of his mouth curled upward, eyes piercing into the eyes of the skeleton across the table. "That peasant may want to lead the pack."

He caught the laugh in his throat before it could leave his mouth as he watched Error wriggle in discomfort.

"That being said, if you are legally bound to her before they can arrive, there's not a thing they can do about it. You will reign the victor in this battle."

The blades of the ceiling fan sliced through the umber-tinted air above them, dispersing the scent of burnt firewood throughout the room. Their thoughts yelled at them, loud in their heads' amongst the silence of the room. 

Error cleared his throat, sitting straight up in his seat.

"PEaRLs."

Nightmare grinned in return, bending down to write out "pearls" in cursive under some lines he had drawn into a chart.

"Good." He scooted his chair closer, the golden legs screeching against the hardwood floor. "We should probably get to the guest list. Who do you want? Besides Fresh, Horror... your parents?"

"yoU CoUlD, if yOu wAnt To BE THe ONE to dIg tHeM uP."

Nightmare's hand stiffened, the pen slipping from his fingers as it hit the tabletop with a light tap. Error held his side as he laughed at the expense of his advisor, whose face was twisting as it questioned whether it was appropriate to laugh.

"I... am so sorry."

"Don'T wOrRy abOuT it, It HapPENED wHeN I wAs LIttLe. nO Big DEaL," he assured him, wiping at his eye with a finger. 

Nightmare chuckled to himself, scratching two lines onto the paper.

"No parents. Got it."

Error nodded, still beaming with pride at the reaction he got from the response. 

"aCTUalLY, I wOULD APprEciAte iT IF YoU iNVITeD somE OF HER FaMilY."

"I thought you said they hated you?"

"tHey Do. esPeCIAlLy scI. BUT i WaNT tO aT LEast InVItE TheM AnYwaY, i imAGiNe IT'D crush (Y/n) If theY coUldn'T be There tO witnESS Her GEttING MArRiEd."

"If that's what you want, I'll be sure to send them an invitation when the time comes."

"greAT. thaT's sCI, MuFFeT... HECK, iNVITE THe liTtLe BlUe One, too. They SeeMED ClOsE."

Nightmare wrote their names onto the pages, the sound of the pen's tip rustling against the paper filling the moment of silence.

She would like that, wouldn't she? Error's head dropped, a train of thought taking off into the open air. 

(Y/N) had told him all about her relationship with Sci the first day they met. About how he had taken on the role of her father, named her, and raised her with help from the staff of the castle. Over the years, many who had worked under her parents retired, overwhelmed with the grief brought about by the king and queen's deaths. 

Muffet, who had been working as the head chef, gladly took on the role as the mother figure in her life, even assuming the roles of those who had left over the years. She was a wonderful caretaker, feeding her, tucking her into bed, and dressing her before she knew how to do so herself. 

As wonderful as she was, the influence she had in her life was minimal compared to Sci's. Even as he worked himself to death as the fill-in monarch until she was of age, he never left her side. He was her teacher, showing her how to read, write, and do basic math. He taught her about the world and the science behind it all, and he taught her all she needed to know about ruling a kingdom. 

Beyond that, he was the one to keep her company. Reading to her, letting her dress him up in feather boas and plastic high heels. He would drink the tea she pretended to brew, sipping at the air as he drank from her porcelain teacups. 

Sci would put on an outlandish accent, over-exaggeratingly crossing his legs.

"Absolutely delicious, my dear! Though, it could use a bit more milk." 

The young princess would collapse to the floor, and she would laugh and laugh...

A faint smile found itself on Error's face as he painted the scene for himself in his mind.

The hardwood floor beneath him shook and rumbled, cracking as it revealed the soil beneath. Sprouts of green and yellow erupted from the dirt, growing up into tall plants before Error could process what was happening. The ceiling opened up, the dark walls of the meeting room lined with paintings encased in ancient gold toppled to the ground. 

Magically, the long wooden table he and his advisor had been sitting at for what felt like hours shrunk, curling its ends around into a circle. The wood from the table snapped into pieces, presenting its polished, white, marble skeleton. 

Grey clouds of rain and lightning melted away. The sun peeked out from behind them, yawning as it awoke from its slumber. Its warmth reached out toward him, delicately cupping its hand on his coal-toned cheekbone. 

Error breathed in the spring air, unalarmed. Flowers with silk petals of every color bloomed from the greenery, bidding him a good morning as they came to life. 

A soft breeze travelled through the air, taking the leaves of the great weeping willow tree to his right with it. One wall had remained, turning to cobblestone. The paintings which once adorned it were now rainbow-colored glass, casting different colors of light onto the dirt below.

Error turned to Nightmare, hoping to catch a glance at his reaction to the sudden change of scenery. For the first time in the enchanting transition, he felt himself surprised. Sitting at the seat across from him was not his questionable, ill-willed advisor, but her.

(Y/N) was looking back at him, smiling at him politely as she sat with her ankles crossed underneath the table in the garden. Her hands sat gracefully folded in her lap, her head tilted as if she was listening to him with interest.

He felt cold sweat dripping on his face, though he wasn't sure if it was from finding himself back in front of her or from his long sleeves absorbing the golden heat of the sun.

Should he say something? That look on her face... it was almost too nice. Maybe she was waiting for him to say something so she could interrupt him and scold him for his actions. 

He should just apologize. No hope for a second chance, no hope for a relationship. No catch. Just a sorry, and maybe she'd be content.

Error tried to open his mouth to speak, but she caught him off guard when her eyebrows fell and her lips parted. Like she was worried, or scared.

Though this face wasn't much better, Error felt himself relax the tiniest bit. He couldn't stomach the thought of her yelling at him, so this would be easier for him.

"Sorry." He jumped, looking back to her. She was sorry?

"That was a lot, I can be a bit of a chatterbox sometimes. I probably sound self-obsessed now."

She let out a short laugh, but she appeared embarrassed with herself.

"No! noT AT ALL. I LikE listEnIng TO yoU." The words spilled out of his mouth before he could feel them coming. He slapped his face in the back of his mind. He wasn't lying about that, but he didn't even know what she was talking about.

Her cheeks blushed pink, a hand curling up towards her face in retaliation, but they didn't cover her lips. It stopped, flattening itself across her chest daintily to mask her reaction.

Error grinned. That moment, her blushing... he knew where he was now. He couldn't forget it if he tried.

"Well, thank you. So what about your family? Do you have anyone close to you like Sci?"

"i GUESs I do. noT liKe a moTheR oR fAtheR FiGURE, BUt a close PerSoN I cOnSIder FAMiLy."

"Tell me! You have to now that I've dumped so much of my history on you."

"My fRiEnd, hOrrOR. hE'S beeN woRKinG FOR Me FoR as LONG aS i CAN rememBER, BUT wE'RE THE sAmE AGe. HiS parEnts aCtuALLY workED fOr uS, so I gREw Up aRoUNd hiM."

She smiled, dropping her hand back into her lap.

"THEy rEtIREd yeArs Ago WHEN tHEY mADE thE mOnEY they neeDed tO LIVe. They PLanned tO tAke hoRROr WitH HIM, BUT hE REFused to GO. i KnEW I HAD to REpay Him foR stICkiNg WITh Me, sO i MaDE him mY RIGhT-hand Guy. hE hAS BeeN sInCE I WAs CORoNaTEd Two yeArs ago."

"I bet your parents are very proud of your generosity," she said. Her eyes had caught a ray from the sun, sparkling in the pale light.

He exhaled, drawing swirling patterns onto the table.

"MayBE ThEY Would Be. THey paSSEd when I wAS A CHIlD." 

He watched her smile drop, her brows curling up in pity.

"It's OKay! I dOn'T MIss thEM mUCh."

"So who took care of you when they passed away?"

"EH, mYsElF. The pALaCe sTaFf HeLPEd, BuT i Had litTLE a cHIlDHoOD EVEN whEN THey WeRe StILl aLive, so i mANAgeD."

She nodded with understanding, letting her eyebrows fall back into place.

"I get it."

(Y/N) turned her head to the ground. Error looked down at her, watching as she concealed her still-standing frown. His chest fluttered, his breath shaky. Did he do something wrong?

"WhAt'S Wrong?"

"I feel guilty. I've always thought my childhood was bad, but yours sounds so much harder," she said. "I never knew my parents, and I still managed to talk about them for twenty minutes!"

Error crossed his arms on the tabletop, leaning toward her. 

"hAviNg DEaD pARentS iS Hard ON aNYONE, whetHer OR not yOU'VE met THeM. jUst BECAuSe YoU EvEr KNEw THeM DOesN'T MEAn YOU arEN't AFfeCteD bY it. ThAt'S A ToUgH ThiNG to GrOw up WITh."

"But you had it worse, didn't you?"

"I'd SAY wE hAd It thE SaME amOuNT, eveN IF It ISN't ObvIoUS." 

He stretched his arm onto the table, opening his palm up for her to take it. (Y/N) cautiously lowered her hand into his.

His fingers abruptly closed around her hand, earning a squeak of surprise from her. Error's face burned, the glow of his yellow blush in his peripheral vision. 

"THAT'S WHY people Like Us sHouLD sTiCk tOgether. I GET you; You GeT ME... I'D saY tHIS PAST HoUR wiTH yoU haS BEEN ONe Of thE BEST IN MY lIfe."

The king stood from his chair, kneeling to the ground in front of (Y/N), his hand never letting go of hers.

His dazed smile contrasted his thoughts, which were swirling around his head like litter in a tornado. Not long ago had he mentally picked up on where this was going. He wanted to stop, wake himself, or do anything to keep from reliving this moment. But his physical body had grown a mind of its own, forcing him to say and do things he wished he never had to do again.

"prInCesS?...(y/n). pLeaSE, i HuMBLy Ask FOr your HAnD. wE wOULD MAkE sUcH a gReaT TeAM, YOU anD i. We CoUld JOiN OUR KiNgdOmS TogETHeR and BEcoMe MOrE powerfuL ThAN Any OtHER EmPIRe tHAt cHAllENges uS. PLEaSE, MArRY me."

(Y/N) was as red as scarlet rose, her eyes wide and sparkling like a clear summer twilight. She was shaking, her lips quivering as she searched for the words to say.

"Error... I don't know what to say," she said, eyes never leaving him. 

He chuckled at her flustered response, confident she would accept his spontaneous proposal. Girls like (Y/N) liked the adventurous type, right?

"Maybe I could have some time to think about it?"

Had he not caught the out-of-place twitch her head did, he wouldn't have assumed what he did.

"I mean... I just don't know. I-"

"If YOu'rE Going to saY no JuSt dO iT."

His tone was dim and cold, spitting out of his mouth like venom. Error's mind cried and begged, desperately forcing himself to wake up.

(Y/N) smiled weakly, cupping her other hand around Error's.

"For now, I can't say yes. I'm so sorry, really, I am."

"No, yoU'Re Not."

A beat.

"...Yes, I am."

"NO, yOU'Re nOt!" 

He stood to his feet, yanking her from her chair. She crashed into his chest, her head aching from hitting the bones of his ribcage so hard. Error placed his hand on her waist, still clenching her forearm with the other. His fear of touch was the least of his concern at the moment, anyway.

"WHaT dId i Ever Do tO You? wherE diD i GO wroNg?" He was shouting, both in his head and out loud. In his thoughts, he was begging her to forgive him for being so cruel.

"Y-you did nothing wrong, Error! Really, I promise- ow!" 

He gritted his teeth, a red, passionate fire burning in his chest, a feeling like sandpaper scratching into his sides. 

"TheN Why do YoU HaTe me SO mUCH?"

"I don't, please, calm down so I can explain! Please, you're hurting me!" A tear rolled down her cheek. She thrashed in his grip, trying to escape. 

"WHy CaN't yOU loVE mE? sO hELp me, I wIlL FOrCe you to iF i havE tO!"

It was like the Earth had stopped spinning. (Y/N) had stopped thrashing, but she was far from being unafraid. Error's scowl faltered as he studied her face. She was petrified.

"It's you."

The short and sweet statement had come out as a whisper so soft he wouldn't have heard her had he not been so close to her face.

He raised an eyebrow at her. She didn't give him a second more to ask her what she had meant.

(Y/N)'s pleas for help for her steward were like white noise in his state of blackout. 

Error's subconscious had abandoned hope of waking up from his nightmare. His vision was blurry, the sight of Sci sprinting to pull him away from her was as hazy as a dream. His body was weightless, being dragged out of the castle by two guardsmen.

When he snapped out of his trance, he found himself back at the front of the castle, looking up towards the tallest tower of the cream-colored building of bricks and golden ornaments. Its peak was reaching up to touch a cloud soaring overhead.

Error shrugged, pulling the hood of some cloak over his head. 

It didn't feel like his head was in a rush to pull itself back into the meeting room with Nightmare, so he continued on with his recollection of the day's events. 

He took in the village's scenery, carts of flowers and fruits dragged by horses of no impressive stature or appearance. Monsters and humans of every kind basked in the rare sunny day. 

A group of small children kicked around a blue rubber ball, shouting and giggling in delight at the cheap thrill. Older civilians who appeared to be of Error's age were out shopping for groceries and other trivial novelties, like handcrafted jewelry and rugs woven of every color. 

Error came to a stop in his path, admiring the architecture of the village. Moss traveled through the cracks of the stone buildings, wiry cases of steel holding flowers that had been planted under the buildings' windows. 

He was entranced in the peasant's beautiful hub they called home. In fact, he had become so lost in his moment of awe, the people of the village disappeared, leaving him alone to himself.

Well, almost.

Another shorter figure collided with Error, having run into him when he was vulnerable. He snapped his head in the figure's direction with disgust. 

"wAtcH WHerE YOU'rE gOing, ShOr-"

The wretched peasant who had caused all of his pain up to this point looked back at him, a basket on his arm and a thin slip of paper in his hand. 

He smiled, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going-"

"yOU."

The sight of this fiend was enough for him to regain control over his body. He had broken the cycle, now that he had the power to bend his lucid dream to his will. 

Error grabbed the shorter skeleton by the collar of his shirt, dangling him above the ground. 

"yoU... yOu cOcky littLe bAsTaRD! do yOu HaVE ANy IDeA of all the ThingS I WAnT tO dO To yoU?"

The peasant skeleton snorted, laughing at him with his shrill, mocking little voice. 

"At least take me out to dinner first."

Error growled, grasping his other hand around his neck. The peasant gagged and gasped for air, now struggling in his hold.

"If you're really gonna do this, could you maybe not choke me? I'm not into that kinda stuff, and to be completely honest I can really breathe- ack!"

His hand tightened around his neck, strong enough to put him in pain but not enough to kill him. He wasn't gonna let him go so quick.

"YOU've TAKEn EvErythiNg FrOm me. (Y/n) IS MinE, Do YoU heaR Me? she BElONGS tO me! AND You Took heR AWaY FRoM mE!"

The skeleton winced, a frown settling on his face.

"(Y/N)? What do you mean?" He stopped wriggling, squinting to look at Error's face from under the hood. His blue tear-like lines glowed softly under the shadow of his hood, giving him away.

"You've got to be kidding me. Look, buddy, this is my dream, so I should be the one strangling you for doing all of this to her!" 

Error paused.

"youR dream? This is my dReam!" 

"Nuh uh!"

"YUh Huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"daMMIt! wHy am i EvEN WASTING MY TiMe wItH YoU?" 

He dropped the peasant to his feet, letting him gasp for air.

"Because I'm a threat to you, right?" The peasant smirked, taunting Error more. "I get it. You're jealous of me, aren't you? Because she's not scared of me?"

"ShE's Not sCaRED of me Either!"

"Oh yeah, keep lying to yourself, pal. It'll make you look so much better."

Error huffed. As much as he hated admitting it, the little gremlin was right. He knew (Y/N) was scared of him, and it was all his fault. 

"i dOn'T cArE, SHE'S mInE!"

"She's not an object, Error! You can say that all you want, it doesn't change the fact that she likes me, not you."

"oh, realLy? Did SHE tElL yOu thAt?"

"Well- uh, no..."

"so SHE DOEsn't LiKE yOu."

"Yes, she does!"

"AnD How Do yoU KNow THAt, bub?"

"I just do, okay! Give it a fucking rest. I'm done arguing with you about this."

Error sighed, putting a hand to his chest.

"you'Re rIght. aRguinG ovEr thIS iSN'T gETting Us anywhERe." 

His clearly faked sympathetic tone wasn't as apparent to his rival. He nodded, looking to the side and letting his guard down. When he wasn't paying attention, Error winded back his fist, punching the skeleton in the eye with as much force as he could muster.

The peasant went soaring back, hand over his eye socket as he stumbled to keep himself on his feet.

His back was to Error now, his body hunched over as he sniffed away a tear. The king had his hands on his hips, chuckling with malice.

Without warning, the peasant threw himself toward Error, hoping to knock out a tooth or two in return for his blackened eye. 

The glitch stepped to the side, dodging the incoming blow. In a flash, he summoned his neon blue strings, flinging them toward the sniveling pest. They wrapped themselves around his arms and legs.

Error threw him up into the air, yanking him down to the ground. He crashed into the dirt road, dust flying into the air from the sudden impact. 

Retracting his strings, he watched the peasant try and use what strength he had left in his body to get up and attempt a strike on him yet again.

"Ink!"

"Error!"

The two skeletons halted, turning their heads in the voices that had called out to them in unison. Looking back at each other, they watched as their physical bodies began to fade away.

"I...it..." Error looked to his rival, who was using his remaining consciousness to speak. "It looks... like we're waking... u-up."

"sO It DoEs," he replied, stalking toward the skeleton on the ground. Standing in front of his face.

"Ink, wake up!"

It was the foreign voice again. The other he had recognized as Nightmare, but this one was new to him. It knew this 'Ink', likely the same way Error knew Nightmare.

"INk, iS it?" he urged, looking down at his head.

He nodded weakly, eyelids slowly drifting shut as he became a translucent figure of himself.

With a snarl on his face, Error stomped on his back with his heavy, black boot. Ink sucked in a breath through his teeth, crying helplessly in pain.

The king bent over, applying pressure onto his back until he heard a light snap! 

He let out a guttural laugh at his pain.

"wEll, INK."

Error looked crossed his arms, leaning onto his bent knee.

"lEt'S Just BE sAFe aNd SaY I win THIs rOunD."

~

"Come on Ink! Wake up!"

One of his eyes shot open, head looking around for any danger. As quick as he sat up, he let out a gasp of pain, a searing pain in his back. Not to mention, his right eye was swollen shut.

Laying back down, he struggled to keep his eye open as he looked back up to his brother, who was standing above him with a confused look on his face.

"What happened to you? You've been asleep for hours!" 

Ink groaned, observing the room around him. Plants, a glass ceiling and big glass walls... he never left the conservatory.

"W... what happened?" he asked, trying once again to sit up. He let out a shout of pain, falling back onto the couch.

"You and the princess were hugging each other and you fell asleep in her arms. We tried to wake you for dinner but you wouldn't get up! Ink, I was starting to get worried."

The elder brother nodded the best he could, rolling his head over to look back to the ceiling. 

He really had been asleep forever. The stars were out, twinkling in the sky like dust from a shattered diamond. 

"Dream, I have a question."

"Yes, brother?"

Ink took in a breath, still collecting his thoughts on everything that had just happened.

"Can two people share a dream with each other?"

~

Chapter Text

~

The cool, damp cloth Muffet had kept pressed to his forehead was pulled away, leaving beads of water to mix with the sweat on his face. (Y/N) and Blue sat in chairs by the side of his bed, watching over him with varying levels of concern held in their eyes. 

Dream and Sci stood at the foot of the bed, mumbling back and forth about all that had just happened. His younger brother was flipping through a book they had found in the library. It’s cover was encased in a matted, dusty, yellow-orange velvet that he would describe as holding more of a resemblance to the rind of an old orange rather than gold.

“The Scientific Theory of Dreaming” was scrawled across the front in flakey white lettering.

Ink scoffed. It was an ugly little book. It was tacky-looking and poorly designed. Whoever had put it together clearly wanted it to appear to be an expensive project, when Ink could’ve made the same book cover with a shag rug and craft paint.

His rib cage crackled as he let out a deep sigh, earning an abrupt holler of pain from him.

(Y/N) flinched, holding her hands out to rush to his aid. Muffet bent over to him, waving her hands to get him to sit up. 

He did as he was told, his ribs still flaming with pain. Two lavender hands reached behind his back, grabbing the sides of his pale pillow. She wrestled with it, fluffing it at the end and beating it back into a more comfortable state. Setting it behind him once again, she told him to keep upright in a sitting position this time with his back against the pillow.

“I’VE GOT THE STEAK YOU ASKED FOR, MISS MUFFET!” Papyrus rushed into the brothers’ bedroom, a raw steak in his red gloves.

”Thank you, Papyrus.” Taking it from him, she handed the steak to Ink. “Hold this to that eye of yours, it’ll help with the pain.”

Ink shivered, pressing the ice cold steak to his eye as instructed. 

“Have you guys found out anything yet?” Ink asked.

Both Sci and Dream turned their heads, shaking them in shame.

“Science doesn’t prove the ability for two people to share a dream. Theoretically, you may have been able to, but the two of you would need to be very close to each other at the time you both fell asleep,” said Sci, arms crossed over his chest.

“Even so, the way you came out of your subconscious with the same pain Error inflicted on you is unheard of.” Dream shut the book, sitting on the end of Ink’s bed with his legs crossed over one another. “Sci and I believe some source of magic was the cause of the shared dream.”

Ink raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Like you?”

”Ink, you know I haven’t used those abilities in years.”

“I know that, but who else would have caused it? The last I checked, you’re the only one who has that ability.”

”I’m sorry to interrupt, gentlemen,” Sci said, dropping his arms to his hips, “but what exactly are you talking about?”

Dream looked to his older brother with a frown, furrowing his brows in frustration.

Ink stared back at him in anticipation, waiting for his okay to speak. 

“What? You’re the one who brought it up, just tell them,” Dream groaned, holding his hands over the sides of his head.

“Are you sure? I know you don’t like it when-“

”They want to know, Ink, so just tell them.”

”You don’t want to to talk about it yourself?”

”No.”

He kept his head down, keeping eye contact with the floral print is Ink’s bedsheets. 

The elder twin looked back up to everyone, whose eyes were either trained on him, who was still trying to piece his words together in a way that wouldn’t send his brother over the edge, or Dream, who was trembling with every break, apparent that he was reliving whatever bugged him so much about the story.

”Well....to put it short and sweet, Dream’s magic allows him to manipulate the dreams of others, hence his name.” The words fumbled out of Ink’s mouth, getting themselves out and into the open as fast as they could.

The others awed, looking back at Dream, who had balled up even further. He was now cradling his head.

”Dream, do you want to leave? We don’t have to talk about it anymore than you want us to,” Ink said, reaching his hand to his brother as much as he could without dislocating his bones again.

Dream sniffed, lifting his head up to look at his brother. Ghosts of tears were in his eyes, but they never rolled down his cheeks.

”No, it’s okay. I need to get over it.” His voice was muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

(Y/N) leaned forward in her chair.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why is this upsetting to you?”

The small skeleton huffed, controlling his hysteric breathing.

”I-it’s complicated. Nothing g-good has ever come o-out of taking control of others’ dreams, so I stopped.”

Ink pat his head with the tips of his fingers, arm raising and lowering in a movement he could only describe as robotic. 

“I actually can’t remember a time he did use them. The last time he used his ability was when we were five, and that’s around the time my memory actually starts,” he explained. 

(Y/N), Sci, Muffet, Blueberry and Papyrus looked between each other, asking each other if they understood what he had meant, communicating in a language of eyebrow twisting and shoulder shrugs.

Catching on to their confusion, Ink let of out a short laugh.

“Dream and our mother say I hit my head really bad as a kid. I lost almost all of my memory, save for my own name. I went to a doctor to improve my memory for years afterward, but it’s still not really great.”

They all giggled amongst themselves, familiar with such information, all of them having experienced it a few times.

“So yeah, that’s kinda the whole story. Dream says using his magic brings up bad memories, and I’ve never really made him tell me.”

Dream cleared his throat, folding his arms over his chest in annoyance. 

His brother let out another laugh, pressing his back further against the pillow.

”Okay, maybe I’ve tried to coax it out of him a few times.”

“Yeah. And you only stopped when I threatened to tell mom what happened to her wall if you didn’t stop!” 

“Ha! And to this day I’m still shocked she didn’t know it was me.”

Dream’s eyes grew wide. He held his hand to his mouth, snickering.

”Ink...she knew the whole time.”

“What do you mean? I never got in trouble for it!”

”Yeah, because you were new-.....to art. And she wanted you to express your talent. As a matter of fact, she was never even mad! Haha, yeah.”

”Ugh, so you just told me that to shut me up.”

”Pretty much, yeah.”

A pillow went hurdling at Dream’s face, barely grazing the side of his skull as it sliced through the air. 

Ink was smirking, stifling his laugh underneath his breath.

Dream frowned.

”You are so lucky you’re recovering from a beating right now.”

(Y/N), Papyrus, and Blue giggled at their childish behavior. 

Dream sighed.

”But yeah, I have the power to manipulate or observe anyone’s dreams. There’s only one other thing I can think of that could have caused Ink’s dream to mesh with Error’s, but it’s so unlikely it’s not worth bringing up.”

He turned to Ink, who had taken the steak off of his eye to examine it. Muffet guided his hand back to his face, the steak back over his bruised eye socket.

”Maybe...I did it by mistake? But I don’t know how- it’s just-“ Dream covered his eyes with a hand, massaging the bridge of his nose. “I just hope it wasn’t me. I don’t want to be the reason this happened to him.”

(Y/N) stood from her chair, rubbing comforting circles around his back.

”Even if that’s the case, we know you wouldn’t intentionally put Ink in danger.” She frowned, huffing in disgust. “It’s that brute who did this, not you.”

Ink chuckled at her twisted face, pleased with her feelings toward him being hurt. 

She made her way to the door, pressing a soft hand to the doorway. 

“I’m making rose tea, my muscles are tense from all of the stress. Does anyone else want some?”

Every hand in the room shot into the air.

She grinned, nodding to everyone with an amused smile before making her way down the hall. 

Muffet followed her, pacing to the door as her heels clicked against the floor in their short, quick steps.

”I’ll go with her. I’m not allowed to let anyone in the kitchen without my supervision, and she may need the company.”

With that, she clicked away in the direction the princess had disappeared.

Blue jumped from his seat, jogging to the door.

”AND ME! IT’S MY DUTY TO KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON HER, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT ONE OF OUR HEROES IS CONFINED TO HIS BED! MWEHEH!”

He ran down the hall, cheerful calls of “wait for me” faintly echoing against the marble walls.

Papyrus followed.

”AND I’LL BE THERE TO ASSIST HIM! NYEHEHEH!”

And he was off.

Sci, Dream, and Ink remained in the brothers’ quarters, standing alone in a displaced silence. 

Sci- well, sighed, taking the seat where (Y/N) had once been. To the right, and closest to Ink’s head.

His eyes were dead and serious piercing into Ink’s with a look that made his shoulders heavy with the weight of his sins. 

Ink gulped, looking back to Dream.

Without an announcement, the younger brother had disappeared on his own.

”Ink.”

He jumped, whipping his head to Sci. The steward’s hands were folded in his lap gracefully, his legs crossed.

The artist leaned back in his seat, careful not to crack his healing rib once again. Sci leaned forward with him, his eye contact not once breaking.

“So, how did it go?”

He had bounced back, smile on his face. His tone was merry and playful. It was polite. Too polite.

”Uh...what?” Ink didn’t actually know what he had meant with his question. There were a lot of things that he could have been referring to: his training with Blue, the dream...

”You know...with (Y/N)?”

Oh, that.

Ink smiled, recoiling back into his earlier position.

”Just fine! I was a little shocked at first, but when I told her she had nothing to be worried about it was fine from there,” he responded, matching Sci’s conversational energy.

”So, you said yes then?” Sci asked, adjusting his glasses on his face.

Said yes? He must’ve meant when she asked him if her venting to him about the prophecy was okay.

”Yeah, I did...?”

Sci reached over, gripping Ink by the sleeve of his shirt.

”You better have. I want you to listen to me, and listen to me good. I don’t care who the hell you are, Mr. Hero, because (Y/N) may not be my literal child, but she is like a daughter to me. And if you think I’m going to let you hurt her, then you’re damn wrong. If I see so much as a scratch on her, I will not hesitate to take a sledgehammer to your already busted rib cage and kill you instantly. Do I make myself clear?”

He couldn’t respond. He had completely shut down.

Sci growled.

”I said, ‘Do I make myself clear’?”

Ink nodded slowly. Sci grinned again, releasing his hold on Ink’s blouse.

”Great! I think the two of you will make a wonderful couple, just wanted to be sure you and I both knew the repercussions of your actions is all.”

His eyes widened, dropping to the floor.

”....C-couple?”

Sci’s head fell to the side, brows knitting quizzically at him.

”That’s what I said?”

”W.....what do you mean, ‘couple’?”

”....She didn’t confess to you, did she?”

W h a t.

Ink didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Sci wasn’t the type to pull on his leg like that, was he? Or maybe he was. Maybe he would say “sike” or something like that.

The princess didn’t like him. He was kidding.

”Oh...my stars,” Sci said, lifting himself from his seat. His head fell into his hands as he let out a pained groan.

”You know what? I think I can hear the others calling for me, they must need my help with the tea. T-toodles!”

With that, Sci bolted out the door, running down the hall in the opposite direction everyone else had left.

Huh. No wonder (Y/N) didn’t find him weird for hitting his head on the doorway last night in the library, Sci did that kind of thing, too.

The princess...(Y/N). As much as Ink wanted to, he couldn’t convince himself Sci was telling the truth. Even though he knew everything he had just been told was totally authentic, it felt so...surreal. 

He could already feel the blush glowing on his cheeks thinking about it. Surely, it was all just a fantasy. Maybe he was still in his dream. Maybe that’s why he had come back from his nap with the black eye and the broken rib.

He never woke up. That was it! There couldn’t be any other way to explain it. 

Because he was him. It wasn’t even about status, the moment in the library made him feel he had a chance, no matter how badly he had embarrassed himself. But he was Ink, the goofball who picked a fight with an evil king and got himself pulled into a mess because he wanted to...well, he wanted to impress her.

He was so hopeless. Had Error remembered to bring a sword with him to the ball, he would have run him through, ending his life for good.

Ink lowered the steak from his eye. He wasn’t a hero, he was just lucky that one time.

He couldn’t save her. He didn’t stand a chance.

”Ink? Are you alright?”

His eyes shot up. There she stood, glowing like a goddess as she always did. The tray consisted of two porcelain teacups, opposed to the seven he anticipated.

She laughed, noticing his questioning face at the missing cups on the silver tray.

”The others decided not to have a cup when they saw me put actually rose petals in the kettle. Well, except Sci. I saw him pacing around the halls like a crazy person, so I gave him his tea there.” She grimaced. “He chugged the whole cup of piping hot tea down instantly. I guess we all need the stress relief right now!”

His face glowed its iconic rainbow hue, still flustered from the sudden information.

She sat down in her previous chair, setting the tray down on his nightstand.

”Let me know what you think. I always find a good cup of rose tea soothes me when I’m upset.”

Elegantly, she lifted the tea into her hands, closing her eyes as she took a soft sip from her cup.

Ink imitated her, plucking the teacup from his tray. His eyes burrowed into her, studying her every move to please her. 

Her pinky finger gently lifted into the air, not jutting out and barely making its presence known.

Ink’s pinky stuck out awkwardly, straight and with way less sophistication. He raised the cup to his mouth, letting the rosy pink drink flow down his throat at its own pace.

Hot. Hot! HOT!

He gagged, choking on the tea, droplets spitting out of his mouth uncontrollably.

(Y/N) quickly reached over for a napkin, handing it to him. She giggled, cupping her hand over her mouth.

”Oh gosh, I’m so sorry! Is it too hot? I should’ve let it cool more before I let you drink it,” she stuttered, still trying to stifle her laugh at his expense.

Ink frowned, holding the napkin to his mouth in a clenched fist as he steadied his breathing. 

Dammit, could he ever not humiliate himself in front of her for once? 

There wasn’t a chance this girl even thought of him as a friend. (Y/N) must’ve been only keeping him around since he’s apart of the prophecy. She was only nice to him because she had to be.

How could she have a crush on someone like him?

”I can’t even drink a cup of tea without screwing it up!” He shouted, his grip on the teacup tightening.

The princess raised her eyebrow at him, her hand stretching out rest on his arm.

”Hey, it’s okay-“

”No, it’s not okay! I must seem like such an idiot to you!” He raised a finger to his blackened eye, leaning closer to her.

“He did this to me! The man I’m supposed to protect you from! And with his bare hands! Just imagine, had he brought a sword the night I met you, he would’ve killed me, and he probably would’ve run off with you slung over his shoulder!”

(Y/N) winced at the imagery he had created in her mind. She could hear herself crying and sobbing, that creep’s arm around her as he cackled at the sight of Ink’s body dusting on the ground.

A tear fell down her face, both from the thought and the fact that she had never seen Ink so angry.

Ink shivered.

”That guy...Error’s tougher than me. He could’ve ended me in that dream earlier if he wanted to. And he hasn’t a care in the world about Dream, it’s me he goes after. Because he only needs to get rid of one of us for him to carry out his plan. Clearly, he’s going after me because I’m the weak one-“

“He feels threatened by you, Ink! I can’t sit here and listen to you talk so lowly about yourself,” she interrupted, gripping onto his arm. 

“It’s the truth, (Y/N). Why would he ever be threatened by me?”

“You bested him that night at the ball. And I may not know much about Error, but if there’s one thing I do know, he hates when people are better than him.”

”But the dream-“

”It was a dream, Ink!”

”He beat me within an inch of my life with nothing but his own strength!”

”I don’t care! Listen to me, that fiend doesn’t go after the weak link. He likes to go after whoever’s blood will boost his ego. He has his vendetta against you because he sees you as a fair fight!”

She looked away.

”And, not to flatter myself, but you embarrassed him in front of me. Error is a vengeful monster.”

Ink let out a sigh.

”I guess you’re right about that. It doesn’t change the fact that he-“

”Caught you off guard in a dream? Yes, it does. You are strong enough and good enough, Ink. I don’t want to hear you say otherwise.”

His breath was shaky, brows furrowed on his face.

”Why are you doing this?”

”...What?”

”Why do you insist on me staying? I get that you need me for this whole prophecy deal, but I want once good reason why I shouldn’t walk out right now. There are other brothers here in the kingdom, maybe you just got the wrong guys.”

He wasn’t expecting what came next. 

She lunged for his arms wrapping her arms around him. Her face was wet with crystalline tears. Her cheeks puffed out, glowing red. Her chest shook up, sobs racking her body.

“Uh, (Y/N)?”

”Please don’t.”

Ink didn’t know where to go from here. Was he supposed to offer an equally as dramatic proclamation that he would never leave her? Or maybe a sympathetic pat on the back would suffice?

“(Y/N)-“

”I don’t want to replace you. I don’t care. I just want you to stay.”

”(Y/N), I’m not going anywhere.”

”B-but you said-“

”I know what I said, but I’d never actually leave you! Do you know what Sci would to me if I backed down now?”

Her familiar angelic giggle was enough to satisfy him. Scooting over on his bed, he patted and open spot next to himself. She sat down on top of his fluffy covers, holding out her hand for him to put his own into. 

He didn’t hesitate to meet her silent request. His fingers went between hers, waffling into a perfect hand hold.

“Ugh, so melodramatic. I said to give me a reason, not throw yourself at me,” he joked nudging her with his elbow.

She laughed once again, wiping at her face with her free hand.

”I’m sorry, I guess I just had that one bottled up for some time.”

She let his hand go, taking his hand with both of hers. Her smaller fingers played with his, her eyes studying the joints and crevices in his boney appendage.

”You know, this is our second meltdown we’ve had together today. I think it brings us closer together as friends.”

The exhale that erupted from his chest was sharp and rigid.

”Yeah...friends.”

She looked into his colorful, ever-changing eyes, face inches away from his.

”When did Muffet say you’ll be back in shape?”

”Tomorrow. She said if I drink her spider cider before I go to sleep tonight, I’ll wake up feeling like new,” he responded, watching her fiddle with his fingers some more with a loving look in his eye.

Without a moments warning, the young princess cupped her hand to his cheek, making him look her in the eye.

”Tomorrow night, we should sneak out into the garden for a midnight picnic under the stars. I haven’t had much time with you, and I want to talk with you more.”

All of the rainbows in the world could not have made up the blush that lit up his cheekbones.

”Y-yeah! Sure. If you want to? I’d love to.” 

(Y/N) raised and eyebrow at his confusing jumble of answers, before laughing it off. She stood from the bed, taking the tray and the half-full teacups from his nightstand. 

“Great! I’ll see you then?”

“Hehe, yeah...” Ink answered dopily, swaying back and forth in his sitting position.

Two lips delicately planted themselves onto his cheek. Pulling away, an even brighter blush beamed in their place.

“See you then.~” (Y/N) flirted, prancing out of the room, leaving Ink to sit and process all that had just happened.

Maybe she did like him, just a little.

~

Chapter Text

~

“Killer, do you have an eight?”

”Go fish.”

The hooded skeleton huffed in frustration, adding to his massive deck of cards. You’d think after seven rounds of having nothing to make into a pair, he’d have something to play with by now. 

“Dust, do you have an eight?”

His jaw dropped down to the floor. His amazement at his partner’s not so brilliant skill was laughable.

Horror grumbling mumbled some incoherent curse to himself, reorganizing his perfect hand of pairs and matches in his hand. Dust and Killer were constantly at each other’s throats, desperate not to win, but to beat each other. Though, it seemed Killer had the upper hand, being able to lie about which cards he had in his hand without Dust picking up on his cheating ways.

Dust forked over his eight, earning a snarky grin from his co-worker as he stacked the two eight of diamonds together onto the floor.

The two turned to Horror, who they had included in an attempt to befriend him and welcome him into their group of insolent henchmen. Not that Horror wasn’t already technically Error’s henchman, but when he was working with Error, he held a higher status than he did now.

Then, that Nightmare guy came along. The tarpit of an octopus had barged his way into their home, literally breaking and entering, and the only reason Error hadn’t given him the boot was because he made promises of the king ending up with some girl he liked. 

Not that he didn’t enjoy seeing his childhood friend happy, but he missed back when Error listened to him. When he felt like he could keep him from falling into all of the traps that tempted him.

Anyone could trick Error with promises of security. But only a true friend like him would dare to tell him what was and wasn’t attainable for him.

Horror reached plucked the two fours he had been saving his hand, laying the pair on the ground.

“Dang, Horror! You’re really good at this,” Dust exclaimed.

The giant skeleton just grunted and gave him a nod. Dust hadn’t given Horror a moment of silence in the past two days they had been working together. Maybe it was because he was trying too hard to make him feel included, though it may have been the skeleton with the mismatched eyes was naturally loud and obnoxious.

Judging by the looks he often earned from his much stabler partner, it was the second one.

Killer, compared to his friend, was much easier to talk to. He had much more self-control. Sitting next to Dust, he was so much more still than him that the hooded skeleton made him seem dead. 

He wasn’t all that likable either, however. Killer was a suck-up, never once questioning Nightmare’s orders when they were given. This lead to him being the bossier of the two, and more engaged fights between him and Dust.

Horror reached for a potato chisp, the typically noisy crunch of the chip drowned out by more bickering between his two partners.

”Horror!”

He turned his head, his best friend’s mini-me looking over his shoulder at his deck of cards, trademark bunny tucked under his arm.

”Oh, hey PJ. Ya need sumn’?” He said, patting the ground next to him.

The young boy dropped to the floor, crisscrossing his legs. 

“I wanted to see you. Uncle Fresh still isn’t awake yet, and I don’t want to hang out with that ‘Cross’ guy again,” the six-year-old explained.

”Why not?”

Dust let out a cackle.

”I wouldn’t want to either. Kid’s got a good head on his shoulders,” he said, silently celebrating to himself as he threw a pair of aces to the carpet.

Horror laid his head in his hand.

”Is there sumn’ wrong with ‘em?” 

“No, not at all,” Killer said, shooting a glare at Dust. “Dust and Cross have never really gotten along.”

”Nothing wrong with him? Kills, he’s a screw-up. Nightmare only let him into the gang because he felt sorry for him.”

Killer scoffed.

”Is that so? Must I remind you where Nightmare and I found you?”

Dust shot back at him with a growl. Killer only chuckled at his harsh reaction, knowing the skeleton knew he was right.

”Mr. Nightmare’s so cool!” Paperjam said, inserting himself into the conversation. “He showed me all of his super cool battle plans and stuff.”

“Dust, any threes?”

”Go fish.”

”Dammit.”

Horror scowled at them, threatening them if they used such language around the child again. He looked down at Paper, patting him on the back.

”Is that so?”

”Yeah! He’s really, really smart.”

“Heh, sure he is,” Dust snickered, tossing a handful of chisps in his mouth.

“That’s really great, Jammy,” Horror said, laying out a pair of kings. “You said Fresh was still asleep?”

”Yeah, dad says I wore him out yesterday. Whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

The giant hummed.

”Didja make ‘em play superheroes with ya again? That one always seems to tire ‘em out.”

”Yeah. Dad says we probably shouldn’t play that anymore because it requires so much running.”

”Figures.”

“Killer, any threes?” 

“Go fish.”

Dust grumbled to himself, drawing a card from the top of the deck.

Paperjam stood to his feet, brushing off his pajama pants.

”See ya later, Horror. I have to go ask my dad a question,” he said, Mr. Snuggles dangling in his right hand.

”Sounds good. Smell ya later, kiddo.”

”You’re so gross!” He yelled between giggles, turning to walk off.

”Not as gross as you!” Horror retorted, watching Paperjam disappear through a nearby door.

The kid’s joyful laughing could be heard as he ran through the hall. Horror grinned to himself, shuffling the cards in his hand.

Feeling two pairs of eyes on him, Horror glanced back up to find the source of the burning stares. Killer and Dust were smiling at him, exchanging looks between each other and then back with him.

”Horror, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you smile! I was starting to think you didn’t know how,” Dust teased.

His lifted smile and brows dropped into a flat frown, his gaze returning to his hand of cards.

“You should do it more often. It’s a nice smile,” Killer said, placing two sixes gently on the floor.

Horror tilted his head at him, examining everything about him, detecting any sign he was messing with him.

”Ya serious?”

”Of course I’m serious! In case you couldn’t tell, we’re trying to be your friends here.”

Horror hummed, flipping through the cards in his hold. 

“Well then, thanks.”

His head turned to Dust, who was whipping his head around to try and catch a peek at Killer’s hand when he wasn’t looking.

”Dust?” 

The skeleton jumped, a frazzled look on his face.

Horror laughed at his fearful expression, before pointing to the cards in his hand.

”Got any sevens?”

Dust’s tensed shoulders dropped, relaxing. A subtle smile cracked onto his face, a finger and a thumb reaching for a card in his deck. Pulling out a card, he held it over at Horror, seven spades decorating its face.

Horror took the card from him placing it onto the ground with a seven of hearts.

”Thanks.”

Loud stomps echoed throughout a nearby hallway, ripping the attention of all three skeletons away from their game.

Black tentacles followed behind the perpetrator of the loud stomping, who wasn’t too pleased to find the stares of the three on him when he entered the room.

His arms crossed over his chest, his fingers impatiently tapping against his arm.

”Boys? What are you doing?” Nightmare asked, a fake smile on his face as he spat his words through his teeth.

Killer was shaking, ready to jump to his feet and beg for his boss’s mercy.

Dust, the gutsier of the two, held his cards up to the skeleton’s face with a stupid grin.

”Playing go fish! Wanna play?”

Nightmare bent over, leaning into his henchman’s face.

”Oh, I’d love to Dust! If you three weren’t supposed to be spying on the princess miles away from here right now!”

He ripped the cards out of Dust’s hand, the end he of one of the cards cutting his finger,

”Now get out of here and do your job before I throw you back out on the streets!”

Killer and Dust leaped to their feet, scurrying out the door like mice run from a hungry cat.

Horror sighed, throwing his cards to the ground.

“I should catch up with ‘em,” he muttered, grabbing a satchel and stumbling out the door. “Tell Error I said hi.”

Nightmare tsked, rolling his eye as he left the room. 

~

Error’s eyes flickered around the room, his foot tapping against the floor anxiously. He chewed on the end of his pencil, the gritty taste of chewed up eraser flooding his mouth. 

Fresh stared back at him, his brows straight across the top of his eye sockets and his mouth slack.

”Error, bro, it’s not that hard...”

”BuT whAT iF i’m WronG?”

”How can you be wrong?”

”i Just dON’T kNow!”

“Brah, it’s not that difficult! Just answer the question!”

”I DON’t knOw THe aNSWer!”

“You can’t be wrong, dawg, just pick!”

”thIs Is So STReSsFUl...”

”What do you want Error?”

”i dOn’t kNOW!”

”Do you want yellow flowers or red?” 

“UGhHghhGh!”

Error fell back against the couch, the pen in his loose grip toppling over onto the floor, bouncing on the carpet twice before stopping at the leg of the coffee table.

Fresh just exhaled at him, shaking his head from side to side. He lifted his coffee mug to his mouth, taking a cautious swig of his overly-sweetened drink.

”I shoulda just stayed in bed.”

He sniffed, rubbing his leaky nose with the sleeve of his shirt. Fresh pulled his blanket over him even further, cold even with his warm coffee in hand and the beautiful weather outside.

Nightmare walked into the room, a clipboard in his left hand and a pencil in his right.

“Rough morning, your majesty?”

Error only groaned out in pain in response, flipping over onto his side.

”I see. Well, I hope you’ve got some energy in you because you and I have much work to do today.”

”Can’T wE take A BREaK? alL of ThIs PLanNinG Has ME sTrESsED ouT.”

”We are! I was actually hoping we could work on something else today.”

”Oh, yEAh? and That WoULd bE...?”

”I want you to work on your romancing skills.”

Error sat straight up on the couch, staring down the mass of black ink and blue light known as his advisor. 

Nightmare only raised an eyebrow back at him. He was serious.

”U-uMmMmmmmMm...okAy? HoW arE YOU waNTinG to dO ThaT?”

”Simple.”

He put two of his fingers to his mouth, turning his head to whistle at some mystery entity lingering outside the door. As if rehearsed, Cross waddled into the room, hiking up the front of the eggplant purple ballgown on his body. Fresh slapped his mouth with both of his hands, containing his hysteric laughter.

“I’ll do this date scenario with the king, but I swear, you’d better be paying me extra for the dress,” he groused. Cross fell down onto the couch to Error’s right, sending both him and Fresh bouncing with the cushions.

Looking back at an exceedingly uncomfortable Error, Cross wiggled his eyebrows, put on a corny smile, and said:

”Howdy.”

Fresh slammed his fist down onto the arm of the couch repeatedly, free arm wrapped around his gut.

”NiGhTMAre....You CAn’T bE SeRioUS,” Error complained, his eyes never leaving the purple monstrosity sitting next to him.

“I know this is a bit ridiculous-“

”A bIt?”

”-but it’s evident you need some practice with flirting. You and Cross are going to roleplay, him as (Y/N) and you as yourself.”

Fresh gasped for air, rolling off of the couch and onto his back.

“You know, this gown doesn’t look half bad on me.” Cross flounced his dress in his lap, playing with the sparkling fabric.

Error hacked in disgust.

”BuT wHy THe dREsS?”

”It’ll help you envision her sitting in front of you. We want you to feel like you’re talking to the real deal. Practice does make perfect, I always say.”

The king winced in frustration, looking back at Cross. He was waiting patiently for Error to strike up a meaningful conversation, hands folded in his lap with finesse. He batted his eyes, overplaying the stereotypical girl type he assumed his character was

The glitching skeleton cleared his throat, turning to the mock (Y/N). 

“H-hellO, pRInCEsS.”

“Hello, Error!” Cross spoke in a frequency only dogs could hear, throwing random giggles into his speech.

By this point, Fresh was flat on the ground, limp and unmoving.

”NiGHtMaRe-“ Error began to gripe.

”No, this is good, this is good! Keep going.”

He huffed turning back to Cross.

”aHeM- yOUr DrESs is...loVelY?”

Cross swatted at him with both hands turning his head away bashfully.

”Oh, this ole thing?”

”PlEaSe tELl me You DoN’T ACTUalLy thINk she TalKs Like tHAt,” Error criticized, hands on his hips.

Cross gasped, matching his rude energy with his hands on his own hips.

”What are you talking about? You don’t like the sound of my voice, Error?” Cross whined, still holding the high pitch in his voice.

“I doN’T lIkE YOU, cROsS!”

Cross stood to his feet, bringing his hand down across Error’s face in a hard slap. Fake crying, Cross picked up the end of his dress and ran back to Nightmare, the clacking of his heels echoing against the floor.

Nightmare held out his hands, taking Cross in a hug as if he were comforting the real (Y/N). He ran his fingers through his imaginary hair, shushing him and cradling him in his arms.

”It’s okay, sweetheart. Shh, I know, he’s a jerk.” 

The word “jerk” came out like a bark, Nightmare holding Cross close to his chest as he cried his crocodile tears. 

Error stuttered in shock, throwing his arms out as words of anger attempted to leave his mouth, but they all came out as meaningless gibberish.

Nightmare escorted the false princess out of the room, his arm wrapped around his shoulders. As they left, Paperjam dodged them, making his way into the room. 

“Woah, was Mr. Cross crying?” he asked, watching them leave over his shoulder.

Error sighed.

”nO, NoT rEAlLy.”

”Oh, that’s too bad!”

Paper ran up onto the couch, taking the place across had been sitting earlier during their charade.

”Eh, It’S noT lIkE ThIS Day caN gEt AnY wORse. YoU nEed soMEthInG, bUB’s?”

Paperjam nodded. He was sat on all fours, face directly in front of Error’s.

”Dad, who’s my mother?”

Oh look, the day got worse.

”uH...WeLl, yOU dON’t eXAcTlY HavE a MoM, JaMMy.”

”Uncle Fresh said I do.”

”WhEN dId hE Say ThAT?”

”The other night when he was tucking me in. He read me a bedtime story bird about a baby bird and his momma, and I asked him if I had a mom, and he said that I did, but that I should ask you. So I’m asking!”

Error scowled at Fresh, who was watching the scene play out from his spot on the floor.

Fresh gave out a nervous laugh as if to say “sorry ‘bout that, dude”.

Hesitantly, he picked his son up off of the couch, dropping him in his lap.

”SOn...hoW Do I pUT thIs? uM, yOU do haVE A MOtheR-“

”I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” Paperjam cheered, tossing Mr. Snuggles around in his hands, bouncing up and down. “What’s her name? Is she pretty? Where does she live? Why doesn’t she live with us? Is she a queen? How old is she? Does she like me? Does she like Uncle Fresh? Does sh-“

”jAMsTEr, pLEaSe, YOur HoRsES! HolD tHeM!” Error begged, holding him by the shoulders.

Paper stopped abruptly, looking into his father’s eyes and waiting with patience.

Sweat formed on the back of Error’s neck vertebrae. He wasn’t really planning on telling Paperjam about his mother for a long time - Error was still processing the whole story himself. The boy was only six, and Error knew that if he tried to tell his son what had really happened, he wouldn’t understand.

So, Error told him the best way he could.

By bending the truth the tiniest bit. 

“SHe’S a PrinCEsS fROm a NeaRbY KingDOm.”

Okay, so he was about to bend the truth a lot.

Stars twinkled in the little boy’s eyes. He leaned forward in Error’s lap, anticipating the rest of his story.

Error swallowed the lump in his throat, bouncing the leg he didn’t have his child sitting on.

”HeR nAMe is (y/N)....aND SHE wAs STolEn aWAy fROm Us A LonG tImE aGO.”

Paperjam’s smile dropped.

The words on Fresh’s shades spelled out the word “what?”, his mouth fallen into an upside-down crescent.

”What do you mean? Is she okay?”

”Of cOUrsE, SHe’S oKay, jAMsTEr. mR. NiGHtmaRe anD I hAve bEen woRKing toGEtheR To gET hEr baCk.”

”Really?”

”YeAH!”

‘We just have to kidnap her!’ Error winced at the voice in his head, taunting him for making up such a terrible story to his own child.

“Will we be getting her back soon?”

”sURe!”

”Really? When?”

”ToMorRoW!”

”Tomorrow?”

”Tomorrow?” Fresh shouted.

”Yes, tomorrow!” They all turned, seeing Nightmare back in the doorway. “Hell, let’s do it tonight! The boys just got back from collecting more intel. They really outdid themselves today, I think we have more than enough information about the castle and their living habits to prepare for phase two!”

”This is so-“ Paperjam started.

”Marvelous!”

”sHoCKiNG.”

”Vomit-inducing.”

”Awesome!” Paperjam finished, wrapping his arms around his father’s neck. “I’m so excited to meet her, dad! I can hardly wait!”

Nightmare smiled at the boy, placing a gentle hand on his back. 

“Indeed. I’m pleased to see you’re as enthusiastic about this as I am, Paperjam.”

Jammy nodded, hopping off of his dad’s lap, sprinting to the door.

”I’ve got so much to do to prepare! I should clean up my room, pick out an outfit...I should make her a card, too!” He exclaimed, millions of thoughts running through his little head. “Come on, Uncle Fresh! We have so much to prepare for!”

Fresh stood to his feet, his blanket still wrapped around his neck. Lowering his shades, he fixed his eyes on Error’s like laser beams.

”If the little broski finds out you lied about this, I’m totally not going to feel bad about it, brah.”

He pivoted on his heel, frantically exiting the room through a door, his blanket fluttering behind him like a cape.

Zoned out, Error could feel the ends of his bonds nipping; his limbs were falling asleep. Clouds of static began to fill his eyes, little black “errors” fogging up his vision. It was happening again. He was rebooting. 

The couch cushion to his left sank, and Error knew it was his newest advisor taking the seat on the couch next to him. Error wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say with him when he was done rebooting; likely, he was going to give him a piece of his mind for playing along with his fib.

(Y/N)....he wasn’t ready to do that to her. She had only had those two brothers living under her roof for a few days, they weren’t ready. Granted, he loved seeing Ink in pain, something about the fight he had in his dream didn’t feel fair. 

It was just a dream. Even though Ink’s claim that he was the one dreaming, it was just his mind playing tricks on him. As much as he hated to say it, his victory over Ink the day before was nothing but a dream. 

Nightmare made sure he was aware of that when he awakened him.

It was hard, having to listen to him as Nightmare shoved the fact that his win was “a fantasy and nothing else” down his throat, but he knew it was for the better.

The clouds dissipated from his eyes, his once-locked joints now free moving again. Error turned to Nightmare, who had been twiddling his thumbs as he waited patiently for his boss to come to.

”Ready?”

He only nodded.

”These notes that Killer, Dust, and Horror gave to me are highly detailed. They’ve managed to learn some interesting things that could aid us in forming our plan.”

“likE?”

Nightmare chuckled, flicking the pages of the notebook.

”Like, for example, Princess (Y/N) is to be in her room, ready for bed with a guard at her door by eleven o’clock. These rules were into place the night after the ball.” 

“sO wHAt You'Re SAYinG iS we hAVe nO WaY to GEt to HeR tOnIGhT, cORrEct?”

”On the contrary. It says here that Ink and (Y/N) have planned...a bit of a rendezvous.”

Error’s shoulders tensed at that, thinking of all the things Nightmare could have meant by that.

”WhAt dO yOU MEaN?” His question shot out of his mouth before he could catch it.

”Princess (Y/N)’s bedroom has two doors: one is guarded from the inside by the captain of the royal guard, and the other is a door that leads out to her balcony.”

Nightmare snapped the notebook shut, crossing his leg as he turned to Error.

”On a typical night, the princess would be instructed to keep that balcony door locked. But tonight, she’ll be using that balcony door to sneak out into the garden for a picnic with her friend and potential lover. To get back into her room...”

“...ShE wOUlD HavE tO lEaVe hER dOoR uNlOcKed.”

”Bingo.”

“tHIs iS JUsT all sO SudDEn. I Don’T tHInK i’m REadY.”

”Not a problem. We’ll send the trio to go out and do our dirty work for us. Besides, you and I still have wedding planning to take care of.”

Error fidgeted in his seat, a cold chill climbing up his back. He hated it, but Nightmare’s plan was perfect. If they didn’t execute it tonight, when else would they get a chance to sneak in and steal her without raising suspicion? 

“oKAy.”

Grinning, Nightmare stood from the couch.

”Meet me in the meeting room in ten. I can’t wait to tell everyone about our plan! I am fully confident this mission will be an undeniable success.” 

Error smiled back shakily, pumping his fist in the air.

“y-Yeah...wOOhoO.”

~

Chapter Text

~

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

Tick, Step. Tick, Step. Tick, Step.

(Y/N) wanted to hold the old book over her head like an umbrella. As he paced around the room, Sci’s footsteps kept in time with the endless clicking sounds that came every time the grandfather clock’s narrowest hand moved.

His lecture was muffled by the obnoxious sound, and it drove her to a point of insanity trying to understand what he was teaching her, no less block out the clock’s perpetual ticks.

The study was dim and dark, the thundering clouds of grey like pillows in the midday sky. Frigid cold air from outside somehow leaking in past the glass windows brought her shivers and chills as she focused all that she could on Sci’s chicken scratch handwriting on the blackboard.

Since the day she had turned four years old, Sci had kept a desk and a blackboard in the far right side of the circular-shaped room; the side that faced the training green. From here, (Y/N) could see three, tiny figures dressed in blue, gold, and brown skittering around the damp green grass.

Their voices were loud enough to be heard even from the high-up room in the castle in which she and Sci resided.

She held back a wide smile, the boys all laughing and shouting as the brown and gold specks fought between each other with magical spells and conjurings.

Dream had chosen a frightening, electric bow of blue light as his weapon. From his quiver, he would draw an arrow, drawing it back against the bow’s string. Letting go, the arrow whistled like fireworks as it soared through the air, crackling and hollering like a beam of lightning, its glow casting pale blue shadows against the cloudy sky.

Seconds later, a metallic clang screeched, its echoes jumping between the pristine, white walls of the castle that blocked off the massive square-shaped plot of land. Ink batted the arrows away with a shield, lunging towards his brother with a sword in hand.

Swinging it around, Dream rolled and somersaulted against the ground, dodging each one of the elder sibling’s attacks.

For only training a few days, she had to admit, they were getting good.

She turned her attention to the gloomy overcast sky, frowning at it with dismay. Hopefully, it would disappear after a quick rain, leaving the stars to stick around for the picnic.

”(Y/N)? Are you even listening to me?”

A phalange tapped against her desk, grabbing her attention away from her friends down below.

”Huh?” She breathed, eyes flickering back to him. She knitted her brows, breaking her eye contact with him, waiting to be scolded for not listening.

Rather, Sci frowned, looking up at the clock’s face, its little hand pointing to the four, the longer one on the fourth dash after the seven. He snickered, setting his book down onto her desk and pulling up a chair.

”I’m sorry, (Y/N). I’ve been going on a little too long, haven’t I?” He grimaced at himself, folding his hands in front of him. “I should’ve known you needed a break.”

(Y/N) gave him a pitiful smile. She couldn’t help but feel guilty, knowing her reasoning for drifting off wasn’t his fault, even if they had been going on a little longer than usual.

“I just can’t stop watching them,” she said, nodding out the window. “Ink and Dream have picked up on everything Blue’s taught them so fast.”

Sci tilted his head, peaking out the wall of glass at the boys down below.

“Yes, I suppose they have,” he nodded, rubbing his chin with a finger and his thumb.

(Y/N) stood from her desk, her heavy, hulking book under her arms. Floating over to the bookshelf behind her desk, she lifted the book onto one of its taller shelves.

“What’s on your agenda for the rest of the day, dear?” He asked, eyes following her every move.

(Y/N) blinked, looking off to the side as she recounted all of which she had written in her calendar, a small booklet she kept on her nightstand beside her bed.

”Nothing really. Well, I’m having Muffet fit that new dress to me today, but that’s it,” she recounted, now in the doorway of the study.

Sci cocked a brow bone at her.

“Dress fitting? Why today?”

She drummed her fingers on the door, her mind rolling around inside her head as she searched for an answer, seeing as making a diversion for Ink to sneak into the kitchen and prepare the food for the night’s activities wouldn’t be so much of an acceptable answer. That and the dress in question was perfect for such an occasion.

“I just like how it looks on me. I would wear it around the castle more often than any of my other, heavier gowns.”

She held her breath, awaiting his response. Her reasoning must’ve been believable, as Sci didn’t even pause to think over its validity before he smiled at her with approval.

”How nice! I find that a nicer outfit can make an average day enjoyable. It’d be good for you to have something like that in your wardrobe!”

He stood to his feet, meeting her over by the doorway. Reaching for the light switch, Sci pushed the small lever down, the lights in the room vanishing; all except for what muted, soft daylight poured in from the outside.

“Well, have a good rest of your day. I’ll be seeing you at dinner.” Leaning down, be planted a fatherly kiss onto her forehead, strolling down the hall and towards the stairway, whistling a jovial tune.

(Y/N) beamed, shutting the door behind her. By now, it was about 4:45 in the afternoon. That gave her fifteen minutes to rest before hunting down Muffet.

Hopefully, she wasn’t planning on cooking earlier than usual today.

~

It was... gorgeous.

Not the kind of gorgeous her gown from the ball was, though that dress was spectacular in its own right.

Lavender satin made up the first layer of dress, acting as some sort of overcoat to the blush-pink dress underneath it. The top layer tied like a corset across her chest, defining her waist.

What really made the dress, however, were the sleeves. Like the waves of the sea at dusk, waves of purple fabric cascaded from her arms, extending on long enough to reacher her knees.

Like a soft, purple angel.

Or a bird.

Silver accents ran along the hem of the top dress, adding an extra glow to the garment that you may not realize was there, but would definitely notice was absent had it not been sewn in.

The princess stood in front of the mirror, having a staring contest with her reflection as Muffet added the last couple stitches to a rip she had made in the dress while altering it to (Y/N)’s body.

She turned her head to look out past the balcony, watching as the sun lowered over the horizon of the castle garden. A pond towards the back of the castle’s property glimmered and sparkled, a pool of orange juice from the reflective orange light from the tired sun. Soft quacks could be heard from the distance, three dots on the water flapping their wings and ruffling their feathers.

”Alright, dearie. That’s about it,” Muffet said, using a hand to brush the satin on her back flat. “I’m still not too sure why you so heavily insisted on doing this right here and now, but I will say you look like a doll!”

(Y/N) grinned, taking the dress into her pinched fingers. She fluffed the skirt, turning to look at the train of the dress as it trailed behind her.

As they spoke, Ink was downstairs in the kitchen, a room Muffet never allowed anyone in alone. Since she had suggested the date in the first place, he had insisted it was only fair he take care of their food and drinks.

She pursed her lips, the wheels in her head-turning, determining whether or not it’d be safe to dismiss her to take care of dinner.

The fitting had taken a solid hour, making it six o'clock in the evening. Had Ink followed the plan, he should have been long since done with his secret mission. That is unless he had decided to prepare something intricate, though (Y/N) prayed and hoped he hadn’t got through so much trouble to do such a thing.

”Thanks, Muffet,” she said, caressing the soft, lightweight fabric under her hands. “It’s all thanks to you, though.”

Muffet’s cheeks dusted a bright red, one of her many hands placing itself against her cheek.

”Aww hush, you! Now, I’ve got to get going. Dinner’s not going to prepare itself,” she skipped over to the door, wrapping her head around the door as she closed it. “I hope you’re hungry - I’m making your favorite!”

The door clicked gently behind her, leaving the princess alone to twirl around the room in her new dress.

She wrapped her arms around herself, giggling childishly as she flew backwards onto her bed. Rolling around in the sheets, she smiled as she pictured her crush’s reaction to seeing her in such a dress.

Clenching her eyes tight, she scrunched her nose, taking in the crisp, pleasant smell of the passed-over rain from outside.

As her eyes fluttered open, she found herself staring into a vast expanse of pink, speckled with stars of shimmering gold rather than her bed’s regular canopy.

Her arms collapsed to her sides, gripping for the silk sheets she slept upon every night. Feeling around, her fingers brushed up against something cushiony, so comforting and soft she almost couldn’t feel herself laying on it.

Sitting up, she came face to face with a scenic, early-morning sky. Cotton candy clouds flew through the air at a cautious pace, all in no hurry to get to the destination they didn’t have.

The stars twinkled, sifting down into the clouds like golden rain. they landed at her feet, nesting themselves deep into the pillow-like texture of the cloud she had been resting on.

Breaking the subtle silence of the scene, a high, yet boyish humming filled the open air. Music notes drifted past her ears, lightly stroking her as if they were attempting to lull her to sleep.

Seated casually on the cloud soaring in front of her was Ink, dawning an outfit much more regal than she was accustomed to seeing him in.

He wore his usual ruffled white shirt and teddy bear brown pants. What was different was the suit coat he wore over it. It was adorned with gold and jewels of every color, epaulets resting on his shoulders. On his head was a crown, containing the gems found on his suit coat’s trim.

They were all so flashy, yet we’re kept so minimal he looked much more classy than he did gaudy.

Despite all of the sophisticated, expensive clothing we wore, Ink laid across the cloud-like Ink always would. With no intention to impress, but still coming off graceful and charming.

He was so photogenic sitting there, off in his own world as he sang quietly to himself. His eyes met hers, and he was broken out of his trance. The ends of his mouth curled upwards, head tilting curiously.

”What’re you doing all the way over there? Did you drift out to sea or something?” He joked, pulling his knees up to his chest.

(Y/N) jumped, whipping her head from side to side.

He let out a loud, yet pleasant laugh.

“I’m talking to you, princess.”

(Y/N)’s heart raced in her chest, pounding like it wanted to break out from her flesh. The way he said “princess” came out more as a pet name, rather than an acknowledgment of her position.

His smile was so kind, yet the way he raised her eyebrows at her mocked her for looking around for someone else he could be talking to.

“Are you gonna just sit there with your cute blush or were you planning on saying something?” He teased.

(Y/N) tried to shake away the oncoming warmth in her cheeks, but to no avail. The words were trapped in her throat, forming a lump she couldn’t conquer.

He just chuckled at her, standing to his feet atop the cloud. A hand stretched out in front of her, he leaned out towards her, expectantly waiting for her to place hers on top of it.

She looked down at the gap between their two clouds. (Y/N) had expected to see something below them, like a small village, or a field, or maybe even an ocean.

As her head craned down, she couldn’t see anything. It was an abyss of dreamy pink and shimmering stars, one that looked pleasant, yet hauntingly bottomless.

Looking back up at him, (Y/N) shook her head, stepping back even further onto her cloud and plopping back onto her seat.

Ink grinned at her, with a look that begged her to lend him her trust.

”Please... would I ever let you fall?”

(Y/N) flinched, looking back up at his face. He was pleading with her, longing for her to put her faith in him.

Her frown softened at him. She knew she could trust him, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind about that.

So why was she so afraid?

“Come on, (Y/N)! Don’t you trust me?” He barked, making her jump into action from the shock of his sudden harshness.

Where had such abrasiveness spawned from?

(Y/N) shook away the thought and stepped forward, hand out in his direction. Her feet were angled off of the edge of the cloud, her balance dwindling. She toppled back and forth, reaching out to him.

She stretched her hand out to him, fingertip ever so slightly brushing up against each other.

Ink frowned.

”You’re too far, you have to jump!” He encouraged, his feet also just barely on his own cloud.

“Ink, I’m getting scared!” (Y/N) whimpered, retracting her hand closer to herself.

Ink only smiled even more, holding out his other hand.

”Then don’t worry about anything, I’ll catch you!”

The princess’s shoulders relaxed, her locked-up muscles soothing.

She swallowed, nodding at him confidently. Ink’s arms extended even further, waiting for her to make the jump.

(Y/N) took in a deep breath, the crisp air flooding her lungs with a cool sensation. Exhaling, she bent her elbows at her side.

Before she could think about it, she was in midair, flying towards Ink and his outstretched arms.

His reassuring smile stretched out even further, his non-existent lips closing. His brows furrowed above his eyes, his kindhearted grin transforming into an evil snicker from his throat.

His arms fell to his sides, (Y/N) body falling through the space where his arms once were.

She shrieked, hands flailing out towards him. Her arms caught onto the edge of his cloud, dangling her above the trench of early morning atmosphere.

Her fingers clawed at the cloud, doing everything in her power to keep herself afloat. She hyperventilated, looking up to her lover, lip quivering and eyes growing wet with tears.

”H-help me! Please!” She cried, the faint glow from the stars reflecting in her irises.

Ink crouched down to her level, examining her weak expression.

”Damn, I can’t believe you actually fell for that! What a queen you would have been,” he taunted.

(Y/N) sniffled, still struggling to stay on the cloud.

”I-I don’t understand!”

“Face it, (Y/N). You’re a selfish, spoiled little brat and a sorry excuse for a monarch. All I had to do was gain your trust, and now look where you are, quite literally at my feet. At my disposal.”

He gripped onto her arm, phalanges ripping into her flesh. She yelped, a single year running down her rosy cheek.

“I thought we were friends! Remember?” (Y/N) pleaded with him, offering a pained smile to convince him to save her. “No matter the circumstance, we make it out together.”

Ink tsked, shaking his head.

”Poor thing, you’re so confused. Might as well put you out of your misery.”

With a shove, she went flying through the air, her dress flapping in the wind as she fell backward into the abyss.

Droplets of water leaked from her eyes, floating upwards like bubbles as she sobbed to herself.

Falling and falling, her eyes never left his face, twisting and cackling maniacally as she met her fate; one in which she would always fall, never to be granted the gift of an end to her torment.

(Y/N) flipped herself around in the air, arms tucking under her legs so that her dress wouldn’t flutter out of control. She studied the stars falling with her, at a pace that felt so fast and alarming, yet so serene and unrushed.

Situating herself, her brows came to rest above her eyes. Using her flowing, purple sleeve, she dabbed the tears from her eyes, sniffing and steadying her panicked breathing.

She couldn’t have been more angry at herself.

She wanted to be upset with him so much, despise him for using her trust as a fragment of his grand schemes. What was he to do now that she was gone? Had he developed a master plan?

Or.... perhaps he just hated her that much.

But deep down, she knew he was entirely right. Why wouldn’t he have abandoned her? How long would it be before she coaxed the truth out of the real him? This figment of her imagination alone showed no signs of remorse for revealing his true feelings for her.

Of course, he had only lied about caring for her. It was all an act.

Who would genuinely want to sacrifice themselves for someone as moronic as her, anyway?

Hitting a springing, familiar surface, (Y/N)’s weeping form landed on her bed like a meteorite.

A hand was on her shoulder, comforting her as she cried in her exhausted state.

”It’ll be alright, your highness. Please, wake up.”

The voice was soft and light, like whipped icing on top of a vanilla cupcake. It was sweet and definitely familiar, its touch like that of a mother’s.

(Y/N) looked out from behind her hands, discovering Dream trying to comfort her to the best of his ability.

Having gained her attention, he gave her an awkward smile.

”I saw what happened. I didn’t want to intrude, but my sense told me you needed some affirmation. I just couldn’t ignore what you were feeling,” he explained. “I’m so sorry I didn’t intervene, I just- well.... it...”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Dream,” (Y/N) said, wrapping an arm around him. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

He held her hand in his, massaging it delicately.

”Dinner’ll be ready soon. Do you want me to let you be for now?”

She turned her head to a nearby clock. 6:40. Muffet usually let dinner start at about 7:00.

“You can stay! I just want to change out of this dress before we eat,” she said, standing up off her bed.

Dream nodded giddily.

”I was going to say, you look astonishing in it! Is there an occasion you’re preparing for?”

Yes.

”No! I just had it fitted today, that’s all!”

The words had run out of her mouth much quicker than she had intended, not allowing her time to catch them.

Dream bounced on the bed, cuddling one of the princess’s pillows under his arms.

”Either way, it’s very flattering on you! You should wear it to your next ball or something.”

Walking back into the bathroom, (Y/N) shut the door behind her, undoing the corset in front of herself.

“Thank you, Dream. I like it a lot, too.”

When she had finished changing, (Y/N) stepped into her room, wearing the flowing, comfier chemise she wore around the castle, a corset around her waist for added style.

She sat on the bed beside Dream, taking another one of her pillows into her hold.

Dream scooted closer to her, never making contact with her eyes.

”I just wanted to say,” he said, voice somehow softer than it already was, “your nightmare isn’t true. Everyone loves you, princess. Especially Ink.”

He looked off to the side.

”Don’t tell him I said this, but I’m a thousand percent sure he would take a dagger to the heart he doesn’t have for you. You’re a very lovable girl - don’t ever let you convince yourself otherwise.”

(Y/N) pouted, lips curled upwards into a smile.

”Dream... thank you.”

She hugged him, earning a light pat on the back from one of his gloved hands.

Pulling away, she gripped the corners of the pillow firmly in her hands.

”How did you get to be so sweet?” she asked.

Dream held a hand to his face, cheekbone cupped in his own glove.

”I get told I have a very empathetic personality.”

They giggled together, continuing with their conversation with other trivial things and stories.

Five minutes later, Sci knocked on the ajar door, letting the two friends know dinner was ready.

Sliding off of the bed and tossing the pillows back onto the bed, Dream led the way out the door, shuffling in the direction of the stairs.

(Y/N) turned back around to look into her bedroom as she shut the bedroom door.

Her bones locked up, holding her stiff and frozen into place. A breath escaped her lips, chest vacant of air.

She blinked.

She shook her head.

She opened her eyes again.

And like that, It was gone.

Fazed, she cautiously shut the bedroom door until it clicked in the doorway.

She put a hand to her forehead, feeling around for the telltale warmth of a fever.

Nothing. She felt as fine as could be.

Whatever. It could have been the black mascara running into her eye from crying so much.

Besides, what were the chances she had seen a black tentacle out on the balcony?

~

Dinner that night was indescribably good. Muffet had outdone herself, just as she had every night. Well, rather than the night before, but you get the gist.

An extra seat had been set out for Papyrus, seeing as he got along with the princess and his captain so well. He was a great addition to the dinner table, his sense of humor and social skills matching up with the family’s perfectly.

Ink sat beside (Y/N) that night, using every chance he had to shoot winks at her or playfully nudge her foot with his own.

This made the princess turn pink with embarrassment, loving every bit of attention from him. Every joke he would make, his gaze immediately went to her, hoping he had succeeded in coaxing a laugh out of her.

The whole table had noticed their flirtatious behavior, even Sci enjoying the sight of the two pick on each other back and forth.

Ink took a bite from his food, thinking back to two hours ago when (Y/N) had distracted Muffet from the kitchen.

Hidden in a vacant cabinet, tucked in one of the back corners of the kitchen was a wicker basket he had prepared, a bottle of sparkling cider tucked in amongst a bunch of grapes, and two sandwiches. The top was covered by a red plaid blanket, one he planned to use for them to rest on as they went on their tryst.

Dinner eventually came to an end, the family of seven breaking up to go prepare themselves for the night.

Ink deceivingly changed into his pajamas. Pouring himself a glass of spider cider for the night, he gulped it all down in one go.

He picked up a small, drawstring bag from his bedside table. Inside were his paint vials, which he had found did him best to take at night so he wouldn’t forget by morning. Those he also downed rather fast.

Dream crashed right after crawling into bed, leaving Ink to carry out his scheme without interruption.

He laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling with anticipation. 10:30. That was when he would start to prepare.

For now, he sat up against his headboard, sketching doodles of him and the princess in a tiny sketchbook.

~

(Y/N) kicked her feet, sitting up on her bed. The dress Muffet had altered to her was back on her person, a crown of flowers she had made an hour earlier with her spare time gracing the top of her head.

Looking down at her clock, she scanned over the time. 11:55. Just five more minutes of suspense, and then Ink would be on the balcony, waiting to take her down the trellis and out into the garden.

Butterflies fluttered in her chest, her cheeks glowing as red as the castle’s prized azaleas. He was climbing up onto her balcony, just as the dashing heroes in her storybooks had.

She instinctively hid behind her hand, imagining Ink sweeping her off of her feet and down onto the grass below.

Maybe he would try to kiss her? It wasn’t very likely, though it was more than enjoyable to imagine.

His hands trailing up her waist, tickling her with the tips of his fingers as they held onto her sides.

She envisioned herself in his lap, hands sloppily draped over his shoulders and around his neck vertebrae. As things became more and more heated, he might even let his kisses trail down into other places, too.

(Y/N) facepalmed, mortified by her own fantasies. She was getting ahead of herself.

A gentle, quiet knock sounded against the glass panes of her balcony doors.

Out on the balcony was a bouncing Ink. Having grabbed her attention, he waved, pointing down at the doorknob with an excitable grin.

(Y/N) hopped off of the bed, floating over to the door. Pulling out a bronze key, she unlocked the door, opening it up to him.

”Sorry, I forgot about the door,” she said, walking out to where he was.

”No worries, I knew you wouldn’t leave me out here.” He watched her close the door behind her, tucking the key into a pouch around her waist. “Aren’t you going to lock the door again?”

”The door only locks from the inside, unfortunately,” she said. “I’m not worried. If Error were to come after me, he wouldn’t break in where I’m not.”

Ink hummed in understanding, nodding his head.

”You ready to get going then?” He asked, walking up onto the flat balcony railing of marble. “I already have the blanket and basket set out for us.”

”You left early?”

“What can I say, I was anxious,” Ink said, folding his arms over his chest.

(Y/N) shrugged her shoulders, stepping up onto the railing with him.

”I was, too. Thank you for doing that, though I could’ve helped you.”

Ink lowered himself onto the trellis, head still poking out over the railing.

(Y/N) looked down towards the ground, readying herself to climb down after him.

Her eyes widened in fright. Squeaking, she jumped off of the railing and back into the solid floor of the balcony.

Poking his head back up, Ink knitted his brows at her.

”Is something wrong?”

(Y/N) twiddled her fingers, looking back over the edge. Her breathing quickened, her chest rising and down nervously.

”That’s... high,” she said, shaking a little at the thought of slipping down the ivy-covered trellis. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Ink climbed back up, planting his feet on the solid wall of the balcony.

He stared back at the forbidden garden ladder, then turned his head to look at her.

“Um...” he started.

(Y/N) kept her gaze fixed on him, awaiting his response.

”I could.... carry you down.”

Her cheeks flushed red, hands threatening to fly up and shield her face. She kept them down, grabbing her right arm with her left hand.

“Only if you want! I could always bring the picnic to you,” Ink said, rainbow dust powdering his face.

(Y/N) rocked back and forth on her feet, turning her attention out onto the garden. It was a beautiful night. Her prayers about the rain had been answered, the sky was crystalline and clear. The moon was a pale goddess, overlooking the colorful flowers and plants that grew in the castle garden.

It would be such a shame to miss out on it.

”N-no! That’s okay,” she assured. “If you can carry me, that’s fine.”

His rainbow blush brightened at her stuttering. He went on smiling, attempting to conceal his rainbow humiliation.

”Okay, if you’re alright with it...”

In one swift motion, he scooped her up into his arm. She squealed, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

Ink took notice of her fearful expression, tilting her chin up to him with a finger.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’ve got you, you’re safe,” he said. “Would I ever let you fall?”

(Y/N)’s body went numb.

”W...what did you just say?”

”I said, ‘would I ever let you fall?’” He repeated. With a blink, his eye sockets morphed into a blue flower and a green question mark.

(Y/N) gripped into his shirt, pulling him closer to her than he ever thought was possible. Even with Dream’s confirmation her nightmare had been nothing but a negative byproduct of her imagination, she couldn’t help but be wary of him and his question.

Her eyes sparkled under the twilight as she looked up into his eye sockets.

”P...please don’t.”

Ink’s proverbial heart dropped into his stomach at her terrified expression. He cupped her cheek, doing everything in his power to comfort her.

Knitting his brow bones together, he whispered:

”Never. I promise.”

Her trembling calmed a little. Still, it was evident she wasn’t feeling well about letting him carry her.

He leaned into her ear, tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind it.

”I just want you to feel safe.”

Something about how cool he had said such a thing wiped the shaken look from her face away. She smiled at him, nestling her head into his chest and securing her arms around his neck.

He hopped off of the railing, locking his feet into the holes created by the trellis’ weaving pattern.

Not a wince or a scream came out of the princess, though she never let her face leave the folds of his shirt until he reached the ground.

Once both of his boots were planted firmly on the ground, he lowered her onto her own feet.

She kept her face buried in his shirt, unmoving.

”Princess? (Y/N), we’re on the ground. Uh... you can let go now.”

Her head snapped up, looking around at the garden around her. Pushing herself off of him, she smoothed out her dress with her hands.

”Right! Thank you, Ink.” She said with an uncannily stoic tone. He snickered at her, putting his hand on her back.

”No problem! You can cuddle into me anytime you‘d like,” he said, winking at her flustered frame.

(Y/N) let out a fake “hah!”, stomping ahead of him.

“Alright, Ink. Where did set up camp?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He chuckled at her change in tone. Admittedly, she was adorable when she resisted him.

After the night before, Ink had it confirmed in his mind what Sci had said about the princess having feelings for him was true. Now that the fog had cleared and he knew for certain she didn’t secretly hate him, it had become evident to him what she was actually feeling.

And, stars; did he love how it made him feel.

He just couldn’t confront her about it yet. He wasn’t ready.

”Camp be that-a-way, captain,” Ink played along, nodding straight ahead of himself. “Allow me to lead the way.”

Holding his arm out to her, she wrapped her own arm into his with a flustered giggle, her other hand also on his bicep.

By Asgore, she looked stunning. He had attempted to look more elegant than usual, throwing on the same ruffled shirt he had been wearing around the castle, along with his brown pants. This was the part in which he realized he didn’t have much else to wear, so dressing fancier than normal wasn’t so much an option for him.

Curse him and his cartoon character wardrobe.

Princess (Y/N), however, was the very definition of ethereal. Her dress reminded him of once worn by a goddess from an Italian Renaissance painting. With the flowers in her hair, she reminded him of Persephone, the goddess of spring. Like her, (Y/N) was tragically beautiful, destined to be taken away because of her looks and charm.

Intrusive prophecy-mythology comparisons aside, he led her down the pathway, reaching a path that was lined on either side with rose bushes.

”Where did you set up the blanket, anyway?” (Y/N) asked, breaking the silence between them.

Ink smirked.

”Hmm... it’s a surprise.”

”It seems like we’re walking toward the duck pond,” she scoffed.

“Fine. It’s on the bridge.”

(Y/N) perked up at the statement.

”That’s actually really creative, Ink. I wouldn’t have thought of that,” she said, looking out at the bridge as it came into view.

“I’m glad you think so, princess. It’s also on the far most part of the castle’s property, which means it’ll be harder for anyone to find us if they find out we snuck away.”

(Y/N) hummed, unlinking her arm from Ink’s. The two lovers made their way onto the bridge, sitting down on the blanket Ink had laid out.

He opened up the wicker basket, taking out the cider and a couple of glasses.

”Cider, m’lady?”

(Y/N) gagged at the nickname, but nodded at the sound of sparkling cider.

”Yes, thank you.”

Popping the cork off the top of the bottle, Ink poured the cider into the two glasses, one for each of them.

The blush-toned liquid glittered as it swam around in the tall glass, bubbling and popping under the glow of the moonlight.

Taking the glass from his hand, (Y/N) pressed the glass to her lips and took a sip. The drink was sweet and tasted of apples, smooth and fizzing on her tongue.

Ink reached into the basket again, this time pulling out two sandwiches, one for each of them. He placed them on two small, porcelain plates, setting (Y/N)’s plate in front of her.

”Voila! Bon appetit,” he said brightly, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

”Don’t you mean ‘bone appetit’-“

”Don’t you dare.”

(Y/N) snickered, biting into her own.

They sat there in a somewhat comfortable silence, enjoying the other’s company as they ate.

Even from far away, the leaves of the great weeping willow could be heard rustling and shaking in the light breeze. Flower petals from a neat peach blossoms tree danced through the air, delicately raining down to the ground. A few landed at their feet and in their clothes, freckling them with dots of pink and white.

”How was training today?” (Y/N) asked, setting what was left of her sandwich onto her plate in front of her.

“Pretty good, I’d say. Blue had us work on our magical abilities,” he said, before raising his glass and taking a drink from his cider.

(Y/N) tilted her head.

“I saw you and Dream with swords and bows?”

“Dream can summon his bow with his magic,” he explained. “I painted my sword and shield with my paintbrush.”

(Y/N) cocked her head. She remembered that paintbrush; he had used it the night of the ball when he defended her against Error.

”Where did you even get that paintbrush, anyway?” She asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

”I would say ‘since I was born’, but to be honest I don’t actually remember whether or not that’s true,” he joked. “I don’t know what I’d do without it, though. It’s helped me through the toughest times.”

He stuck his hand in his pants pocket, pulling the paintbrush in question out. He cradled it in his hands, holding it to his face.

”I don’t deserve her,” he cooed, rocking it like a small baby.

(Y/N) giggled, eating the small morsel of sandwich that remained on her plate.

”I’m glad you two feel so close to each other.”

Ink mocked her laughter, frowning at her teasingly.

“Okay, I’m attached to a paintbrush. Big deal.”

“No! Not at all, I think it’s adorable.”

Rainbow tint glowed on his cheekbones. Grinning, he hunched down towards the ground.

He planted the brush’s bristles onto the wooden floor of the bridge, looking back up to (Y/N) with a mischievous smile.

“Watch this.”

He dragged the paintbrush against the floor, blue paint spawning with every stroke. Ink created loops and oblong shapes onto the ground, changing the paint color every now and again.

(Y/N) watched him paint with interest, playing a mental game of charades with herself as she deciphered the image on the floor.

A few more strokes later, Ink sat back, putting the paintbrush in the picnic basket beside him.

A pretty, periwinkle butterfly laid against the bridge in the painted lines, white dots speckling its fragile wings.

His hand hovered over the butterfly’s picture on the floor, his eyes unwavering in concentration.

As he pulled away, the wings of the butterfly fluttered and flapped against the ground, peeling away from the bridge’s floor like a sticker.

Having emerged from the painting, it flew and hovered between the two. (Y/N)’s eyes never left the butterfly, watching it soar through the sky with awe. It bounced back and forth between them, demonstrating its new life.

“That’s incredible!” (Y/N) exclaimed, reaching her fingers out to the butterfly floating above them.

Ink kept his eyes trained on her, watching her dreamily attempt to gain the butterfly’s affection.

”Not as incredible as you,” he mumbled under his breath. The princess hadn’t heard his remark, her focus never leaving the small, blue butterfly.

She closed her eyes, giving in and letting the butterfly alone to do as it pleased. When she opened them, she found the butterfly again, now sitting on the tip of her nose, displaying its wings in Ink’s direction.

”Ink! Ink, look!” she yelled, shaking him by the arm.

He laughed at her, her eyes crossed and trying to look at the radiant insect on her face.

“Wow, it seems to really like you (Y/N),” he said. “I wish I had brought my sketchbook, then I could draw you.”

(Y/N) shook her head laughing. The butterfly fluttered away, off into the moonlight.

”Your magic is amazing, Ink. I wish I knew how to use magic. Alas, I am a human,” she said, tucking her legs under her arms.

“You don’t need it. You’re already pretty cool on your own!”

”I guess so, but you guys have such pretty magic. It makes me jealous.”

”I’d say fair is fair,” Ink said, a smirk forming on his face. “Everyone is jealous of you for your pretty face.”

(Y/N) flinched, erupting into nervous giggles at the unexpected compliment. Pulling herself together, she cleared her throat, adjusting herself back into a normal position.

“Thanks. And, uh- you’ve got pretty eyes,” she complimented back, stuttering her way through.

He shrugged his shoulders, unfazed. He blinked once, showing off the shape-shifting capabilities of his eyes once again.

”So do you.”

(Y/N) leaned backward, fiddling with the hem of her dress as she averted her eyes.

”W-well, you’re good at fighting!”

Ink only chuckled, resting his hand on top of hers.

”Thanks,” he said, leaning into her face, his own cheeks began to illuminate their iconic rainbow. ”I’ve been practicing just for you.”

(Y/N) winced, scooching back even further until she was sitting on the edge of the blanket.

”Ink.... this f-feels wrong,” she joked, pushing him away with her hand.

Teasingly, he shuffled even closer until he was keeping her on the edge of the blanket.

“Really? I thought this felt just right.~” He put his finger and his thumb up to his chin, winking playfully at the princess’ flustered face.

She groaned, putting more distance between them.

”Ink, stop!” She jokingly swatted at him, his face flying back as if the air caused by the swinging motion had blown the smug look off of his face.

He pouted a bit, crawling back away from her,

”Heh, sorry... I didn’t realize I was going too far.” His smile was weak and tapered off at the end of his sentence.

(Y/N)’s blush fizzled out, the corners of her lips dropping. She made her way back to his side, giving him his space but still close enough to him for him to hear her.

”So....” she awkwardly shuffled up next to him.

“Why did you move into the kingdom, anyway?”

Ink’s posture stiffened. He raised a hand to the back of his skull, wiping away the sweat that had secreted on the back.

“W-well... Dream and I wanted to have a place to call our own. You know? We were in our early twenties and still living with our mom, and she had hopes of selling our old house, anyway.”

(Y/N) cocked her head.

“Why’s that?”

He shrugged, patting the spot on the blanket next to him. She shimmied up next to him, studying his expression, which was actually quite difficult to decipher.

“I don’t know, actually. She said living there gave her ‘bad memories’, though she never specified what those memories were. It kinda rubbed me the wrong way, since I thought growing up there was great. But Dream... he seemed to know exactly what she was talking about.”

He exhaled, rubbing his arms with his hands to stay warm.

“But Dream and I tell each other everything. So there’s no secrets for me to worry about him keeping. It’s not like he could keep it, anyway.”

Ink chuckled, putting his weight on an arm he kept behind (Y/N)’s back.

”He’s always been terrible at keeping secrets. He’ll try, but in the end, the guilt always gets to him.”

(Y/N) smiled to herself, her memory going back to what Dream had said about his brother earlier.

“I can imagine.”

”What was that?”

”Oh, nothing,” she giggled, turning her attention back to him.

He raised his brow at her, but decided not to question her, nodding hesitantly in response.

The two sat in silence once again, this time much more uncomfortable than before.

(Y/N) looked around, helplessly looking for something new to talk about. Her frantic eyes looked around the garden, coming into contact with dozens of familiar flowers and plants.

That’s when she noticed the gazebo, which was settled on top of the water, in the middle of the pond.

“H-hey, why don’t we get up and walk around for a bit? Stretch out our legs?” she offered, avoiding eye contact with the skeleton.

Though she wasn’t looking at him, the princess could feel his uneasy grin looking back at her.

”Sure!- ahem, I mean, sure... if that’s what you want to do?” he replied in a weak voice.

”Of course, we don’t have to if you don’t want to-“

”Nonsense! It’s a great idea!” Ink said, standing to his feet. He dusted a few blades of grass off of his pants, leaving green stains in their path. He rolled his eye lights in annoyance.

”Great, just what I needed...,” he mumbled. Ink looked back down at the girl, holding out his hand for her to take.

”Ready?”

She only nodded, delicately pressing her hand into his. His phalanges clamped over her fingers, yanking her up onto her feet with fervor.

The princess gasped in pain at the abrupt tug, letting Ink pull her onto her feet.

”O-oh! I’m so sorry, are you okay? Nice work, Ink, that was real smooth-“

”Hey!”

(Y/N) cupped both of her hands on his cheeks, tilting his head to look at her.

”Look, I think you and I are both super nervous. You’re doing great, okay? I’m having a lot of fun,” she assured him, caressing one of his cheeks with her thumb.

Ink let out a breath he must have been holding, his shoulders dropping and his face softening.

”You’re right, (Y/N). I’m so sorry,” he said, taking one of her hands off of his face and into his own hand. “No more anxiety, no more worries. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company.”

He took her other hand, now gentle holding both in each of his hands.

“Now, where is it you’d like to go?”

A meek smile broke onto her face, face growing red.

“Actually, let me show you.” (Y/N) let go of one of his hands, leading him in the direction of the gazebo by the other. Ink obediently followed, not asking a single question about where she was taking him.

Watching her giddily bounce as she led him around, a loving grin graced his face. Ink blinked, his eyes transforming into a heart and a spiral. Careful not to step on the train of her dress, he stumbled around in the grass behind her, his gaze not once leaving her form.

(Y/N) made her way to the top of the steps leading into the gazebo, helping him after her. When they were finally both on the platform, she dropped his hand. She wasn’t so sure, but she thought she heard Ink quietly whine as she let go.

“Here we are,” she shyly announced, speeding over to one of the open windows. She crossed her arms on the window sill, taking in the view of the ducks on the pond.

Her head dropped to the side, catching onto her shoulder as she dreamily watched a family of swans paddle by.

A short shadow dropped next to her, two arms imitating her pose.

”It’s so beautiful out tonight,” Ink said, leaning his head into his hand. “You picked a good night to do this, princess.”

(Y/N) grimaced, softly drumming her fingertips on the white-painted wood of the gazebo.

”Hey, Ink?”

He hummed in response, casting his eye lights toward her.

”I was actually hoping you could stop calling me that. I prefer when you call me by my name,” she explained, her hands flipping through the air expressively.

Ink cocked a brow at her.

”Why’s that? You are the princess.”

”I know, it does make sense that you would call me that. But I like being addressed as myself, not my title. Does that make sense?”

Ink tapped on his chin, eyes changing shape and color with every blink.

”Okay, no problem.”

(Y/N) batted her eyelashes in relief, turning to look back on the water.

”But...”

Her head snapped back to him.

”I don’t know about calling you (Y/N) all the time. It’s kind of a mouthful,” he said. “I think you could use a nickname.”

(Y/N) scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

”A nickname?” She teased. “You can’t be serious.”

”Oh, but I can be. And I am. So I’m going to stand here and think of a nickname for you.”

She watched as his nose ridge crinkled in concentration, his eyes squinting out on the water. His eye sockets snapped back open, pupils taking the form of a star and an exclamation point.

“Got it!”

He nodded in satisfaction, looking into the distance with pride.

(Y/N) bounced in her spot, anxiously waiting for his answer. Ink never bushes, however, spacing out as he watched the birds wade on top of the water.

She held her hands out in frustration, tapping her foot.

“Well?”

Ink looked back at her, knitting his brows with a wicked grin that displayed how little her reaction surprised him.

”Well what?”

”Well, what’s my nickname?”

Ink snickered.

”That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

”You mean you won’t just tell me now?”

”Why should I? I really like it, but if you don’t you’ll bug me into not calling you it.”

”So what you’re saying is it’s something mean?”

”Not at all,” Ink joked. “I think it’s cute. That’s exactly why I won’t tell you.”

”Will I ever know?”

“In time, young (Y/N). In time.”

She giggled at his silly attitude.

One more silence drew on between them, this one the most comfortable of all. He enjoyed her company, and she, his. The stars danced I silver patterns against the waving glass surface of the water.

Blue and purple flower petals began to flick one by one into the pond, each one from a flower Ink had been tormenting for the past three minutes.

Under his breath, he had been repeating “she loves me, she loves me not” to himself in a low, cheesy voice that (Y/N) couldn’t quite hear or at the very least understand.

As he came to the last petal, a goofy smile stretched on his face. He threw the stem into the pond along with the flakes of cool colors he had abused.

”Ink! Look, look! Quick!”

He snapped out his trance, scooting closer to her.

”What is it!”

”The swans, Ink! Look at their heads!”

Out on the water were two swans, floating in the mirror reflection cast by the full moon. Their heads craned down next to one another, forming the shape of a heart with their slender, pale necks.

”Can you believe it? I’ve never actually seen them do that before, I thought they were just drawn like that in children’s picture books,” she exclaimed, her cheeks squishing upward and out of her hands as she watched with fascination.

Ink chuckled.

”It’s apart of their courting ritual. Dream went through a bird phase when we were younger, and he had a big book all about ducks and geese and swans and stuff.”

(Y/N) caught the stars in her open, widened eyes.

“No way...”

Shuffling closer to her, Ink took in a deep breath. He became deathly silent, alarming (Y/N). Before she could turn around to check on him, an arm casually slid itself around her waist.

She caught a gasp in her mouth, looking down to see Ink holding onto her and pulling her into his chest like he had when carrying her down to the ground earlier that night.

”It’s been a while, so don’t quote me on this,” he said, resting his head on top of hers the best he could. “But I remember reading that when two swans court one another, they mate for life. When a swan loses its mate, it can often die from a broken heart. They can’t stand to live without another.”

(Y/N) breathed out a “wow”, relaxing into his chest.

”That’s very... romantic of them.”

Ink laughed gently to himself.

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

Her hand crept up onto his ribcage, creating a comfortable space for her arm to rest.

Her feelings for Ink had been so unsure for the past few days. The more time the two spent together, the more she felt drawn to him, even with the ins and outs they had gone through in such a short amount of time.

But did she love him?

Her eyes dropped to the ground, studying the wood grain floor. Whatever she felt for him was undoubtedly very strong, yes. But these feelings were only a few days old.

‘Whatever,’ she thought to herself. ‘Love him or not, I could stand here in his arms like this forever.’

And that’s how they stayed, cradled lovingly in each other’s arms as they swayed back and forth.

“I almost wish we had some music,” Ink said aloud, breaking the silence. “This would be such a nice place to dance.”

(Y/N) lifted her head, her chin planted against his chest.

”Dance?”

He nodded, the swaying they had been doing becoming more intentional.

”Besides, I never got the chance to dance with you at that ball. It would be nice to dance together sometime.”

(Y/N) nodded, closing her eyes. A yawn erupted from her lips, her head burrowing back into Ink’s ribcage.

“We’ve been out here a bit. Maybe we should head back, you and I have a long day tomorrow,” (Y/N) said, pushing away from his chest.

”Fine by me,” he said, backing up and giving her some space to move and stretch. “Wait here, I’ll go pack up the picnic stuff, and then I can escort you back to your room.”

(Y/N) followed after him, slippers creaking against the wooden floor.

”Oh no, let me help-“

“Nope, I’ve got this,” he insisted. Gripping her by the hips, Ink lifted her onto the sill of the gazebo, careful not to throw her into the pond below.

She grabbed onto the wall, finding her balance as her cheeks flushed a light pink.

”O-oh-“

”You just sit here and enjoy the view, I’ll be right back!” He cheered, rushing off to the sight of the picnic.

She watched as he shrank in the distance, losing herself in her thoughts of all that had just happened.

Her pink cheeks deepened, burning into a crimson red as she thought about how his hands had felt on her hips. His grip was firm but gentle, careful not to dig his boney fingers into her flesh, though it wasn’t his delicacy that had left such an impression on her.

She kicked her feet into the air, making herself blush so hard she began to squeak at the memory.

(Y/N) had to feel it again. His touch was just so... addicting.

A rustling sound from a set of bushes that lined the side of the gazebo that touched the ground shook her from her train of thought, stealing away her attention.

Her first guess would have been a rabbit or some other small woodland creature, but these were large bushes and whatever was hiding in them was much bigger than any squirrel or bird.

It was a big rustle, like one that could be caused by a bear. But something about the behavior of the sound... it couldn’t have been a bear.

The rustle had been trying much too hard to go unheard for that.

Her heart stopped in her chest, her eyes piercing into the suspicious shrubbery.

”I-ink? Is that you playing tricks on me over there?”

The bush shook lightly this time, like whoever was in it was straightening their back.

She gasped, jumping off of the windowsill.

(Y/N) backed away from bush, stumbling in the direction Ink had head off. Her eyes never left the bush, staring down whoever was inside them.

When the bush didn’t move again, (Y/N) took the silence as her cue to run, bolting in the direction of her friend.

As she ran the other way, she swore she heard someone leap from the bush and at her, like it was ready to pounce on her. A short scream escaped her lips, her legs scampering away from the danger.

The light purple fabric fluttered between her legs and behind her, making way for her to run.

Ink’s figure finally came into view, where he was packing the folded picnic blanket into the basket. His sockets squinted out at (Y/N), using his hand as a visor.

”(Y/N)? What’re you doing-“

”We need to leave. Now.”

”What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

”I’m okay, but I think someone was watching me from those shrubs,” she said, taking him by the hand.

Ink peered out in the direction of the gazebo, scouting out for any unusual silhouettes.

He shook his head to himself, unable to find anyone lurking around.

”I don’t see anyone, but you could be right,” He said. “We need to get you back under Blue’s protection.”

(Y/N) felt her heart drop, now that she remembered Ink wouldn’t be with her through the night.

She winced at the thought. This again? What was wrong with her tonight?

“Come on, let’s go home.”

~

Her slippers met the wooden floor of her balcony, Ink gently lowering her onto the ground.

”There you are, pr- (Y/N). Hah, I caught myself there,” he laughed, rubbing at his eye socket.

“Ah, how lucky. I probably would’ve socked you for that,” she joked, nudging his shoulder with her fist.

Ink smirked.

”Oh really? I say you wouldn’t have the guts.”

”Ink, I’m the only one with guts.”

”Oh, yeah.”

She giggled, throwing her arms over his shoulders in a hug.

”Thank you so much for tonight. I had a great time,” she said, giving him a tight squeeze.

Ink wrapped his arms around her back, giving her a soft pat. She let go, taking a step backward.

”I’m glad I could take you. I had a lot of fun, too.”

He put the wicker basket back onto his arm, lowering himself onto the trellis.

”Sweet dreams, (Y/N)! See you in the morning,” he whisper-shouted, taking a step down the ladder with a final wave.

She hesitantly waved back, hopping uncomfortably in one position. Her eyes darted all over the place, unsure of her next move.

Oh, well. There was always her next life if things didn’t go as planned.

”Ink, wait!” She called, looking over the edge of the balcony.

His head popped up over the edge, looking back at her with an innocent smile.

”Yes, madame?”

She rolled her eyes, ushering him over with a single finger. He stood up onto the balcony, walking over in front of her.

”(Y/N)? What is it-“

Without a moment of warning, (Y/N) crossed her arms behind her back. Standing up on her tiptoes, she leaned over to his side, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

She returned in front of him. looking up at his rainbow-stained face and awestruck expression.

”I just wanted to give you a final thank you, that’s all,” she giggled. Rocking back and forth on her heels.

Ink’s blush soothed itself, though his gaze never left her face.

She tilted hers, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Ink? Was that too far?”

He took a soft step forward, sending her stumbling back.

”I-ink?”

His eyes flickered from her eyes, down to her lips, then back up at her eyes. Then down at her lips again. And they stated there as he kept stepping forward.

One of his hands connected with her hip, the other grazing her cheek with his fingertips.

“I.... ink...”

”Shh... just let me do this.”

He dipped down toward her face, hesitantly hovering above her lips.

Their breath was hot on each other’s face, brushing over their cheeks in rhythmic, yet heavy waves.

Ink blinked, his eyes opening up wider. His brows creased with regret, pulling his head to the side.

”Forgive me, I don’t know what came over me.”

(Y/N) backed away in confusion, watching as he turned away to leave down the ladder.

”W.... what? But-“

”I know, and it was inappropriate of me to even consider doing such a thing, your majesty.”

(Y/N) whined, shoulders dropping.

”I don’t understand...”

A solemn smile tried to push itself onto his face as he lowered himself onto the trellis once more.

“Good night, (Y/N).”

”Ink!”

In an instant, he had disappeared down the ladder, this time leaving for good before she could protest for him to come back.

(Y/N) felt her chest tighten, her cheeks growing warm and puffy. Piping hot tears streamed from her eyes.

The princess meekly slipped through the french doors into her room. She closed them behind herself, drawing the curtains shut tight.

Before she could register them, sobs racked her body. She threw herself onto her bed, her face planted into the cushion-like silk sheets.

What had she done wrong? Based on his reaction, he hadn’t taken issue with the kiss she planted on his cheek. Everything had gone so well, too...

A quiet click came from behind her, like someone had flicked on her bedside lamp. Funny. She hadn’t heard anyone come into her bedroom.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t in any mood to be around anyone else right now.

”Please, go away,” she choked out between sobs, still trembling into the mattress.

The response she got was the last one she expected. It was a deep, snarling chuckle. One that sounded unlike anyone in the castle.

”I’m afraid I can’t do that, gorgeous.”

(Y/N) squeaked, turning around as she threw her back into the side of the bed.

In front of her stood a skeleton, much like Sci, Blue, or any of the others. Though, he was a bit taller than most of them, probably about as tall as Sci.

Thick, black liquid ran from his eyes like tears, reminding her of the skeleton she had not one, but two unpleasant encounters with.

A red target floated in front of his chest, providing light in the sun bedroom. His grin was sharp and sinister like he was ready to attack her and rip her flesh out with his teeth.

”Who are you? You’re not supposed to be here,” she panicked, slowly standing to her feet as she kept herself pressed to the frame of her bed.

He chuckled grimly at her, not taking action, but watching her frightened form with amusement.

“Maybe not to you, but according to my boss’ orders, I’m in just the right place.”

A silver glint blinded her, sending her arms in front of her face. Looking down, her breathing grew rapid and panicked at the sight of the large knife in his grip.

He only laughed at her fear again, stepping forward.

”What, are you afraid of this little thing?” He mocked, holding the blade out where she could see it clear as day. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt you. That is, if you cooperate.~”

(Y/N) tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

”C-cooperate?”

He nodded, his smile turning into a sneer. (Y/N) took a deep breath, doing her best to put on a fall sense of confidence.

”My jewelry is in the locked drawer in my vanity. I keep the key in the empty vase right here, on my nightstand-“

His laughter shook the whole room. Though it was enough to frighten her, she was glad he had been less careful about keeping his voice down. Maybe, she could get him to speak loud enough to wake Blue.

”Oh, princess. I don’t want your stupid jewelry,” he bellowed, taking a step forward. (Y/N) fell backward into her bed, springing upward as her seat hit the mattress. He leaned down onto the mattress in front of her, propping himself up with his arms.

“You see, my buddies and I were hired to steal something much more valuable.~”

Her throat had swelled shut as she used her feet to try and keep distance between her and the intruder.

”Y-your buddies?”

He only chuckled, joined by the echo of another, slightly higher voice.

The mattress behind her dipped, locking her fear into place. (Y/N) tilted her head up, finding the skull of yet another skeleton.

”Hey there, angel.”

She squeaked, now trapped between two skeletons, neither of which look like they want to treat her kindly.

The new skeleton's features were shaded under a dark grey hood, though his glowing, two-toned eyes shined into the darkness.

He whistled to himself, tracing patterns on her now exposed shoulder with the tips of his phalanges.

”Damn... we were told our target was a ‘beautiful princess’, but we didn’t think you’d be this much of a sight for sore eyes.”

He leaned to the side of her face, whispering into her ear.

”If I wasn’t working for someone else, I would’ve stolen a beauty like you for myself.~” He flirted, hand gripping onto her hips.

His touch was nowhere near as sweet or protective as Ink’s had been. She shuddered.

”Stolen?” She blurted out in a whisper, leaning back toward the first skeleton. His hands latched around her arms, holding her down so she couldn’t run away.

”Oh come on, gorgeous. Don’t tell me you’re that oblivious.”

As the final puzzle piece clicked into place, she sat on the bed frozen into place, her mind racing for answers.

The second skeleton laughed at the expression on her face.

”Poor thing. She’s absolutely petrified with fear-!”

BLAM.

The princess’ slipper kicked him square in the teeth, resulting in an obnoxious holler from him.

She elbowed the skeleton holding her down in the gut, earning an equally loud grunt from him.

“I THINK THEE KNOCKED OUT MY TOOF!”

(Y/N) didn’t hesitate to leap off of the mattress and to the bedroom door, reaching for the knob.

Skeleton number one ripped number two’s hands from his mouth, and sure enough, he was bleeding from the gaping hole in his teeth.

“Killth? How doth it look?”

He only offered a shaky smile and a thumbs up.

”You look great, man. Now come on, we can’t let her escape!”

The door had been locked shut from the outside, guarded only by Blue, who was currently snoozing outside.

”Captain Blue!” she pleaded. “Blueberry! Blue, please help!”

”(Y/N)? What’s going on?”

She paused. The voice on the other side of the door belonged to none other than Ink himself.

(Y/N) mentally groaned, still upset with him for earlier.

“How are you already here?”

”I was walking back to my room, what’s going on in there?”

Before she could respond, a hand cupped her mouth shut, keeping her quiet.

The second skeleton put his face up to the door, clearing his throat.

”Oh, nothing at all!” He said, putting on a cartoonishly high-pitched voice. “I’m jutht having a tea party and playing dreth up with my thtuffed animalth! Ahaha.”

There was a stunned silence throughout the whole room, as well as from Ink on the other side of the door.

”Dust, if that’s what you think women do with their free time, it’s no wonder you’re still single,” said the first skeleton, still holding the princess in his arms.

A loud bang came from the other side of the door.

”Who the hell are you guys! Let her go right now or...or, uh- or I’ll bust down the door!” Ink screamed, the slumbering royal guard captain not even flinching in his sleep.

“You won’t!” ‘Dust’ yelled back, testing the new opponent.

“Dust!”

”What? He won’t.”

The first skeleton rolled his eyes, dragging the gagged princess toward the balcony doors as she kicked and screamed.

“Come on, princess. Be a good girl and maybe we’ll forgive you for what you did to my friend’s tooth,” he bartered, struggling to lead her out the door.

(Y/N) wriggled out of his grip, just enough to free her lips.

”Never! Let go of me!”

He growled, attempting to lift her into his arms (but failing miserably).

”I promise, our client wants to take real good care of you. And if you make this easier for me, I’ll make sure we do, too.”

She pulled her way out of his hold until all he had left of her was her right hand.

”Who do you work for?” She shouted, grunting and pulling away.

Before he could answer, her door flew off of its hinges and into her bedroom. Ink stood in the empty space, stepping through the debris caused by the destruction. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his tattooed forearms.

His eyes were both bright red, one shaped like the scope of a gun while the other was a plain circle. He was panting from breaking down the massive door, staring daggers into both Dust and the skeleton who was gripping onto my arm.

“I guess I wasn’t clear enough the first time.” Ink paused, rolling his neck around until he heard a soft pop! “Unhand her. Now.”

Dust took a knife out of his belt, lunging at Ink without a second to spare. As the two dueled, the first skeleton continued with his efforts to nab (Y/N).

”You know, you’re being a lot more stubborn than I expected you to be,” he said, giving a harsh tug to her arm. She yelped, losing her balance. (Y/N) was dragged up to his side, where he began to wrap her arms around his neck.

While he was distracted, she stomped down on his foot. He shouted, lifting his foot in pain.

With Dust distracted, the road to escape was clear and open. She sprinted for the hole in the wall where the door once sat, tears flowing down her cheeks in her path.

The rush had finally kicked in, and she was starting to break down from the fear. It was like toxic adrenaline pumping through her veins, weakening her heart as she tripped over her own feet to get away.

A loud stomp echoed throughout the room, a barricade putting itself in between the princess and the exit. She gasped, eyes shooting up to look at the subject blocking her route to escape in the eyes... or eye.

His skull had a hole in it, right above his single, glowing red eye. Though he frowned down at her, there was something about the look on his face that put her at ease. Like with him, she was safe.

He was the biggest skeleton she had seen so far, both in height and in width. He was stocky, carrying a giant battle axe over his shoulder. His frame was just below where her bedroom door stopped, making him nearly 7 feet tall.

(Y/N) took a step back, not once breaking eye contact with him.

He bent himself down to her level, crouching down to meet her face. She took a step back, holding her hands to her chest.

His brows furrowed with pity, looking her straight in the eyes.

’I’m sorry' was all he mouthed to her before throwing her over his shoulder with a single hand.

The other two skeletons she could handle herself, them being her size and easier to catch off guard. But there wasn’t a thing about the skeleton carrying her off now that she could use to her advantage. Unless Ink could stop him, she was a goner.

The tears flooded down her face like waterfalls, her vision completely blurred as she thrashed around in the monster’s hold.

”Put me down! Please, I’ll do anything!”

“Nithe work, Horror!” Dust shouted. “Now go, we can’t hold back the getaway carriage forever!”

The unnamed skeleton nodded, leading Horror out the door and stirring more panic in the princess.

”Ink! Ink, please help me!” She kicked around, punching at her kidnapper’s back.

Ink’s focus turned to her, furious eyes locking with her reddened, terrified ones.

He lowered his fist, halting his magic.

“(Y/N)! Hold on, I’ll save you!” He pushed past Dust, ready to take on the hulking monster stealing her.

”Oh no you don’t, printh charming.~”

One of the drapes that lined the princess’ bed wrapped around Ink, Dust using it to tie him to the bedpost.

Ink wriggled and kicked, shouting in his face to let him go.

”Come back with her! You can’t do this!” He barked, still kicking at Dust.

“Aww, ith that tho?” Dust teased, skipping toward the balcony door. “It lookth like we jutht did!”

Ink heaved and panted, exhausted as he sat tied to the wooden pole.

His vision faded, head nodding off to the side.

”Thweet dreamth, Ink.”

And for the first time in this story, he saw nothing but black.

~