God of Restoration

Chapter Eight

Dream, Blue, Cross, Reaper, and Scales wait patiently on the ground. They can't see much of the battle from here, but if 404's cry of......... disgust?, is anything to go by, Alloy's still kicking. Scales smiles. He knew his brother could do it. It just took some time for the God of Balance to remember himself.

404 scrambles away on all fours like a crab. He lets out an audible sigh of relief when Alloy closes his mouth, the god giggling. What is that thing? 404 is sure now that Ink must have tweaked Alloy's puppet strings since their last battle. 404 stands up and pulls more string from his eyes, more wary this time. Alloy nods when he realizes that his opponent is ready for more. He switches weapons and takes Broomie in his hands instead.

Hesitating to use his strings again, 404 instead sends a barrage of bones soaring through the air and at the god. Alloy jumps and whips Broomie underneath himself, creating an awkwardly shaped object that's hit by the bones instead. Alloy land back on top of it and jumps off towards 404, swinging his brush. The outcode leans back so it swings right over him. 404 then tries to jab his elbow forcefully into Alloy's face. The god twist just a little in mid-air, dodging the blow, but landing awkwardly on the ground. He recovers just fast enough to throw himself out of the way of more bones.

"Heh, I'm doing a little better than last time. That's gotta be good!" Alloy smiles gleefully, proud of himself. He's still very childlike.

"So what!? Error could barely beat me, and you'll never be anything like him with Ink tightening your collar," 404 snaps back.

"Rude. You still don't realize what you're up against. And by the way......." Alloy points down at the ground. When 404 looks down, black paint surrounds his feet. Black strings that had previously been hiding in the liquid suddenly flare to life in a bright color.

Dream was nervously twiddling his fingers when a spear goes flying in front of his face. He yells and lurches back. Phinigan digs into the ground while trailing string behind it. Alloy comes flying off the top of the AU with something bundled under one arm. Broomie is in his free hand along with the end of the rope. When he gets close to the ground, Alloy whips his brush around so that it strikes the ground first and takes the force. The god then allows momentum to tilt the brush and land him on his feet.

"Alloy! Are you okay? Did 404 get away?" Dream gushes, worried.

"Nope! He's right here. I didn't want to hurt him to badly, so I figured this was the best way to bring him along," Alloy beams. He drops a squirming 404 from underneath his one arm. He's tied up from head to toe in purple strings, rendering him immobile. All he can do is squirm around and growl through his gag.

"Good going bro. You've really got him this time," Scales chuckles. It's fun for him to see 404 wiggling in the dirt like a worm after the harm he caused. Blue smiles, happy for Alloy and the fact that he solved this problem without serious injury. Reaper looks at 404 quizzically. This Monster can rip out a god's soul? Cross looks down at 404 and receives a snarl when he pokes the other with a foot.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate this all later," Alloy bends down to look 404 in the eyes, but the other just glares, "Anyway, I suppose we should be getting along to the Anti-Void now." Alloy uses his brush to quickly draw a circle around 404 in black ink. A portal opens up beneath him and 404 falls in with a muffled yell. He's fine. The god opens up a regular portal for them to walk through normally.

"Whoa........... all of Error's puppets are still here." Blue smiles happily has he gazes at the 'ceiling' of the Anti-Void. Hundreds of handmaid puppets are strung up above with blue strings. Each is incredibly unique, and Error would sometimes gift one to those he cherished most. Blue has one of himself on his nightstand in Underswap.

"Huh.......... I'm gonna have to make one of myself now. My collection isn't complete......." Alloy mumbles to himself, but it's loud enough for the others to hear and giggle at. Alloy wants nothing more than to drop conversation this and go for his knitting needles, but he's sure Scales will have his hide if he tries it. He shakes his head to bring his focus back to the present.

"Do you need me to get my brother and the gang?" Dream offers. A dozen or so yards away, he can see Error 404 laying uncomfortably on the ground. Dream's not sure why he has to be here, but if it's this important, Nightmare must come even in his weakened state.

"I'll just rip a portal into the living room. Someone should see it," Alloy grins a little. He uses Broomie to tear one open, and then leans on the brush to wait.

Like he said, the rippling doorway to another dimension is quickly noticed. It's appeared right between the couch and coffee table in the living room of the mansion. After a moment, a bewildered Horror sticks his head around into view. Some sort of half eaten animal dangles from his jaws. It falls to floor with a sickening splat when he sees who's standing on the other side of the pile.

"Alloy?" Horror tilts his head. He's never been one for many words, and has very strange ways for expressing his feelings, but Horror sees Error when looking at Alloy. Error never once cringed away or called him a monster.

"Hey, big guy," Alloy's smile softens, "Do you mind grabbing the others? We've gotta have a family meeting to discuss a few things."

Horror nods his head rapidly and runs off out of view on all fours. There's a loud crash from somewhere in the house, followed by distant yelling. Alloy smiles. He's missed all the commotion of home.

"Let go of me! I can walk on my own god dammit!" Dream perks up when he hears his brother's voice, even if it is full of venom. "What's so important that you had to-"

Horror walks back into view, the large Monster easily toting Nightmare around in his arms. The King of Negativity is struggling, having gotten some oh his fire back, but he would of escaped by now if he were at full strength. He's still only halfway corrupted. The two magics can't decide. Killer and Dust both follow behind after hearing the commotion. Nightmare falls quiet when he catches a glimpse of the group standing on the other side of the portal.

"Hey Nightmare! How's it going?" Alloy chirps as if he hasn't been practically dead less than an hour ago.

"Down."

Nightmare's voice goes so deep and chilling that Horror doesn't hesitate, following his animal-like instinct to flee. He quickly puts Nightmare down on his feet. To his credit, he only hangs onto Horror's shoulder for a few seconds before letting go and taking a step. He can't quite stand straight up. That doesn't stop his vicious aura from leaking ahead of him. Alloy shivers in a cold sweat. He's in for it now. Nightmare walks shakily through the portal and continues to face the young god. Nightmare has always been taller than Alloy, but he looks a little more lanky without the layer of black ooze, and his two long tendrils curl elegantly high above. Nightmare doesn't stop until he's standing inches away from Alloy, looking slightly down at him.

Nightmare's one uncovered cyan eye light goes up and down as he looks Alloy over. He then buries his head into the god's shoulder and hugs him tightly. Alloy squeaks, but quickly smiles and hugs back. Nightmare's always been a big softy under that tar. He looks after the rejects of the Multiverse.

"Idiot. Why do you always do the most careless things?" Nightmare grumbles.

"Love you too."

The problem with Nightmare's corruption is that he's never wanted it to go away. He's never wanted to feel the pain of rejection again. He doesn't want to be weak. The corruption is his protector. Then he had his gang. Then he met Error. They've shown him that it's okay to feel something other than bitterness. When Nightmare finally steps back, the corruption covering one eye is gone. The tentacles on his back dissolve, and his aura lightens to something hardly noticeable. The magic isn't gone, but now a bit more stable. Nightmare is passive. His eyes are mismatched, cyan and an old dark purple: a relic of times past. Dream cries.

"Told you so!" Alloy giggles and turns playful, "I told you it was possible, but no, you won't listen to little old me, a god of the Multiverse." He pretends to be offended.

"Is that so? A shame, really. Our Lord and Savior can't remember to tie his own shoes," Nightmare snorts. Alloy looks down. Nightmare smacks him upside the head.