Broken Souls

Chapter 2

=Gardens Nightmare's Castle=

Dust watched as Killer and Fresh trained with Blue glancing at the silent mansion worried that Nightmare wasn't back yet. He couldn't deny it anymore, he was worried about Nightmare. None of them had been the same, sense they lost Error, but Nightmare had never recovered even a little. To be honest it made Dust feel guilty that the rest of them were moving on when Nightmare was still hurting so much, but Error would have wanted them to live the best life they could.

Practice immediately came to a halt when a golden positivity laden portal opened. Blue and Killer immediately moved to protect Dust. Fresh just kind of stood there not really standing with them but not completely out of things either.

None of them was prepared for Dream to stagger out backwards dragging an unconscious tear stained Nightmare. "A little help here, he isn't exactly easy to lift."

Blue hesitated while he would normally be the first to help. What if it was a trap he had a pregnant mate to protect. "What happened? How are you here? How do you know where here is?"

Fresh shrugs and walks over helping pull Nightmare through the portal. "Sorry homeslice but the radical Blue has got a point or three."

As soon as the portal closed Dream fell backwards on his tailbone, panting. "You do know this place is in DreamTale right about a hundred miles from where our tree was. I have always known Nightmare lived in our old AU all I had to do was aim for the only spot of positivity in the AU."

Killer gives Blue an apologetic look and rushes over to check on Nightmare. "That doesn't tell us what is wrong with dad."

"He passed out. I think he hasn't been taking care of himself." Dream struggles to lift Nightmare enough to get up but gives up with a sigh. "Look I am sure Error is his soulmate, but I thought I had to be wrong because he is still alive. I finally got around to cleaning out Ink's room. It just wasn't a priority with everything else happening. I found some of Error's string in one of his desk drawers."

Blue sighs and moves to help Fresh and Killer to lift Nightmare off Dream and onto one of the benches around the practice area. "That doesn't explain why you are here or what happened to Nightmare."

"He was in OuterTale again. He goes there every day. I went there to talk about what I found. It got very intense and then he fell apart when I showed him the strings. He ended up crying till he passed out." Dream gets to his feet sighing. "I am just glad I found the strings and got to him in time."

"What do you mean in time?" Dust glares, but hurries to Nightmare's side.

"Dust if Error is Nightmare's soulmate there is a high probability of him trying to follow him. Most monsters that lose their soulmate fall down unless they have children. Then they fall down or commit suicide soon after the children are old enough to survive on their own." Blue frowns at Nightmare cursing softly. "I should have suspected but like Dream said he survived."

"Dad has us and we depended on him to keep our crazy asses alive." Killer hugs one Nightmare's tentacles.

Dream just nods, "but without all the fighting you have all healed a lot." Dream frowns at Nightmare. "I lost Nightmare once I am not losing him again."

Dust sighs and takes out his phone texting Cross and Horror. "Dad took care of us, we will take care of him. You are more accepted. Dream you are going to have to find science types if we are going to find Error with just a small sample of his magic."

Dream nods watching Nightmare, "I wish someone could get into the anti-void to look for more samples. I need to keep the one I found to use in finding him."

Fresh hummus rocking back on his heels. "My rad self could take a looky-lu haven't been ta that unrad place sense Error jumped."

They all looked at Fresh in surprise, having not known he could get into the anti-void.

"I didn't know anyone but Error and Ink could get into the anti-void." Killer frowned at Fresh.

Fresh looks away twitching, "I don't talk about that unrad place. Only went there to bug Error into storming out."

Surprisingly it is Dream that stops things from derailing with hurt feelings. "Understandable if it is unpleasant enough to make Ink avoid it then it isn't someplace I would talk about to someone I care about either. The important thing is can you look for more samples of Error's strings for us to find him with and to help Nightmare?"

Fresh just nods, "shouldn't be too hard if his strings are still around broskie made himself a kinda sky with them and determination souls."

A portal like a cut in the air opens, Horror and Cross hurrying out. "Dad!"

Dream tries really hard not to be weirded out by the former Bad Sanses all calling his brother dad. "Sci didn't make it but his AU originally branched off from Classic's so maybe Classic could help?"

Dust nods, the only one paying attention to what Dream is saying while the others decide on how to carry Nightmare inside. "You should probably check AU where Sans is a kid for Gasters too."

Dream rubs his face and sighs nodding, "HavenTale and LittleTale for sure. Maybe UnderFell and AfterTale believe it or not Geno and Red both have science backgrounds."

Blue snaps his fingers summoning a large blaster, "guys this is pointless Nightmare has too many limbs for the four of us to carry just roll him onto the blaster worked for moving Stretch on my own when he was passed out drunk. They make excellent floating stretchers."

Fresh quietly disappears once Nightmare is on the blaster.

Dream watches worriedly and pulls the tangle of glowing strings from his inventory looking from it to Nightmare. "I want to leave this with him but I may need it to convince anyone to help."

Dust tilts his head, "go to Classic first then come back and untangle it before he wakes up? There may be more than one strand."

Dream smiles, "thanks Dust I will hurry." Dream made a portal ready to rush off with no more plan than that.

"Dream wait!" Blue takes Dust's hand. "I think it would be better to get Geno first."

Killer nods, "Sorry Dust but Blue is probably right. If we are going to get Error back we need to present it to the council as a united front, us and the neutrals. Besides, Geno is family."

Dust hesitates then nods, "okay but I still think if we convince him the rest will follow, he has basically led the council between naps since the fall."

Dream closes his portal and opens a new one, "I will get Geno then call a meeting."