A Destructive Family-Sequel to Errormare Story

Chapter 49: Liberation at a Cost

Meanwhile, Nightmare's POV

By now I have updated the others and have tried to hunt down those that I can.  While souls cannot be tracked, I know one person that I can track by aura. My brother of course. 

I find Cross and Dream building a home together, their eyes completely hidden behind a black bar. They're acting so casual as if it is another day which is strange. But their movements are so rigid as they build that it's obvious that they are hacked, almost as if they're robots. I watch them sit on a couch, their smiles fading as they lean on each other. They say things I cannot hear from outside. 

What are they saying...? What did those viruses do to them to make them come to this random AU and make a new home? In fact, where are these items responsible for this mess?

I search the room with my gaze to spot anything unassuming enough for them to pick up at random that could contain a virus. Unfortunately, that describes a lot of items around them. I watch as through their conversation they smile again, seeming to cheer each other up. Dream even kisses Cross on the cheek.

Wait...Is this like the fantasy incident? Is the virus making them act out something they desire? Or at least my brother? I know he has had feelings in the past for Cross..Not sure about now or if it is returned, but this seems odd to be forced into. This could just be a coincidence that Dream got put into.

Now I am watching them dance in the living room together. A waltz to be exact with soft music playing. Then they pause and turn to the table in front of the couch. Dream picks up a broken picture frame while Cross picks up a book of some sort.  Each item radiates a dark black that runs up their arms until they set it down as if recharging a battery. They go back to dancing and I kick the door open. I march over and my tentacles rip the items apart. Within seconds their eyes return and they blink as if trying to regain their conscious awareness of the situation. Their faces turn into blushing messes as they realize their position, Cross holding Dream close by the waist with a hand on his skull protectively from the alarm of my intrusion. 

I smile at the sight that Cross' first reaction even when being hacked is to protect Dream.

"B-Brother! What's going on? Where are we?"Dream asks, seeming okay with staying in this position

For obvious reasons, I bet. Cross hasn't pulled away after all.

"Some asshole hacked you both to go through scenarios without choices or consent. The sources are unassuming items that I broke. There are search groups for our family while Paps and Buffer are trying to break down the coding."I tell them

Then I see a portal open outside with Blue getting dragged through by half a dozen animals. How did I beat Blue here? Eh, doesn't matter.

"Nightmare! Have you found anyone?"Blue asks

"Yep! Come in before they drag you in!"I say

Blue enters and sees Dream's position. He smirks.

"You two seem to be enjoying themselves."He says

"Sure did seem like it. I witnessed him kiss Cross but that WAS before they were freed from the virus."I say

"WHAT?"They exclaim, seeming to become even worse blushing messes

"Glad to know that they weren't in trouble or harmed. We've made more progress! Now we just need to find Horror, Killer, a-and..."Blue says, his joy switching to concern.

"Aaaw...Blue...Come here."Dream says, breaking away from Cross

Dream hugs Blue, gently rubbing his skull and back to soothe his worries about those he is closest to. Come to think of it, Dust and Glitchy could be hurt the worst depending on what the virus decides to put the scenario as.

Then my phone rings with a call from Outer.

"What's up, Outer?"I ask

"Hey...I found the pair but they don't seem to be in the best place. Dust is carving rocks into headstones and Error seems to be writing on them. I'm keeping a distance since they don't seem approachable and I don't want the viruses to set something off in them..Sending you the location.."He says quietly

A ding on my phone says that I received the location.

"Alright. We're coming."I say, opening a portal.

He hangs up and we go through. I see the pair surrounded by at least a dozen headstones, as in the grave kind, that they place flowers on.   

Oh...The virus took them to a dark place...

They kneel down, bowing their heads quietly.

"Oh...I see what happened...While in that...conditioned trance or whatever, we were led to believe that they lost everything and had to start over. This must be their reaction."Dream says

I nod, walking over to the pair. Error's fists clench, hearing me get closer and Dust turns to glance at me. I dunno if he could through the black bar.

"It does look like Dad. It's as if he is alive since he doesn't look like the spirit of his Paps. He even has the rings on. Let him closer. I'm sure it's safe."He says

Error nods, allowing me to sit between them and they lean on me, seeming to savor this time with me as if I'm about to disappear. They don't even mind my tentacles wrapping around them to search their pockets. I feel something burning my tentacles and snap the items to pieces until they stop burning. I see their eyes return and they lean against me, their shoulders slumping with relief. I turn them away from their crafts, my tentacles crushing the remains of the dark scenario. I smile as our group gathers around the two of them who hug me closer. 

But before the relief could set in or explanations could be given or plans to locate Horror and Killer, Outer gets a call. He smiles, saying that it's Farmer and he answers to hear the update. I watch as his face darkens to a look of horror and the next words of his mouth make us all freeze in shock.

"What do you mean Killer is in the hospital?!"

TBC