The Stage is Set

22: That Deepest Desire From So Long Ago (pt 3)

It's been so long - (remix) CG5

"Surprise, surprise! Look. At. You." Blue's magic runs cold as he stares down the barrel of the gun. A manic smile stares back at him from beyond the mirror. "Little baby Blue. All alone now..." Blue stares into those dead eye pips of the other. He gulps as he watches the finger move to the trigger. "Your strength is mine!"

The gun goes off.

***

Dream wakes with a scream. It feels like he's being pulled apart. Torn in half. He opens his sockets to see nothing but tall pillars covered in ink. He whimpers as he feels chains and cuffs wrap around his wrists and ankles. He looks down to see wisps of positivity slowly form to become hands. Dream cries out in worry before hearing a chuckle. His chains pull him to his knees and he kneels before someone. He tries to glance to see who's approaching, but can't. Their heels click against the unseen floor. Clicking louder as the person approaches Dream. Dream can't help but shiver as the aura of the person makes him sick.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Dream gaps as he feels himself almost lose his form from fear. "A little DayDream? Oh~ Look at you. Wingless." Dream struggles to get free. "Powerless." Dream kicks out his legs as he struggles. "And halfway to soulless!" Dream freezes. He stares up at the being. The being that separated him from his body. The one that took his body. The one who took half his soul. "Such a gift. I shall savor your soul for a long time." The purr from the being makes Dream want to scream.

Stone is better than this.

***

Killer rubs his sockets, trying to piece together what exactly happened. He remembers watching the beast plunge its hand into its chest. He remembers the scream that filled the room. Layered and divided. A scream of anger, fury. Another of confusion and pain. And a scream of pain and hate. The way ink gushed from the wound as if it were blood. The metallic stench of marrow. The way the beast threw something at Error. He looks over at Dust, who's holding the dolls close to his body. Killer hurries to help Dust get a hold of his bearings. They have to protect Leo and his family as well. They have no idea what is going to happen next.

Error blinks. He stares with wide sockets at what he holds. Feeling his half pulse in worry and fear. Why is he now holding his other half? Why did the beast throw it? Why does Error now have Ink's half of the Multiverse soul? He feels tears rise. Is this all that is left of Ink? Just half of the soul they share? Nothing else? What about the others? What happened to them? Did Ink sacrifice himself? Did he just kill himself to let go of guilt? What about their happy ending?

Cross and Nightmare stare into the wasteland of ink, tears in their sockets. Cross takes a deep breath before gripping his skull. "What do we do? What do we do?!" His purple tears fall as he starts to pace. His breaths come heavy. "Stars above! Void below! What the fuck do we do now?!"

"Cross, you need to calm-"

"Void below! What do I tell Reaper?! 'Hey brother, Ink was taken and somehow destroyed his soul, but I don't even know if that is Ink because it was a huge fucking beast of something that wasn't our brother. And now the beast disappeared and so I don't know where he is or if he's still even our brother!' I can't tell him that!"

"Cross, please. Stressing this much isn't going to," Nightmare is cut off.

"Stars above! How are we going to get out of here?! Where even are we?! We've been in that box of a room for so long! How long has it been?! Hours? Days? Weeks?!" Cross bites back a scream as he tries to calm himself, only furthering his spiral.

Nightmare stands up, "Cross! Get ahold of yourself!" He smacks Cross upside the skull before placing his hands on Cross's shoulders. "We're all a little freaked out right now, but you need to calm down! Spiralling isn't going to help, okay? We need to think this through to help find the Stars!"