The Stage is Set

A Means of Contact pt.4

The second figure stills and then moves closer to Nightmare, but he can't see anything below their hips. It's all part of the paint on the floor, and their skull moves to face up where Nightmare's face is. It's then Nightmare realizes that they're on all fours. "You... know us?"

Nightmare gulps before squatting down, Dream tightening his hold on Nightmare's hand. "Yes." Nightmare watches in pained confusion as the other moves back to Ink and moves the two of them back over to the twins. Nightmare stares at Ink with a sad smile. He's happy to even see Ink again. "Hello, love."

Ink lets out a pained whine as his eye pip focuses on Nightmare's face. It drinks up the sight of Nightmare, committing every last detail to memory. It brings him so much joy to see Nightmare here, so much comfort. It's shameful that he feels ashamed that Nightmare is here, yet he knows he can't do this alone. Not this time. Knowing that the others are alive is more than enough to convince him he needs to get back to them. Ink still has to come back to his home. More tears fall, and the paint level rises slightly as they rush from his sockets. He leans forward, and the twins notice his arms are stuck in the paint. Ink leans too much to one side, and a rib barely slides against the surface of the paint before he screams in pain. He leans backward into the other and cries harder.

They're so close, and he can't even touch them.

Nightmare reaches out, swallowing down his horror, "Hey, hey. It's okay. We're here, Ink. We're here, and we want to help."

Dream lets go of Nightmare's hand before moving closer. The other figure glares (at least, they assume it's a glare) at him before a whispered whine has him softening his posture. Dream feels tears welling up as he looks at his friend. "Ink, we're here. We want to help Blue, and we want to help you." He looks around before making eye contact with Ink, "We want to help, but we don't know how to. Please! Help us figure out how to help you."

Help him? Help him when he doomed them all? No. They can't. They're in over their head. He wants them to leave him, to survive and get out of this hell. To go and live their lives. Dream is supposed to be getting married. Blue and he are going to start a beautiful family. Cross and Epic would move in together, slowly falling in love with each other as they realize their feelings. Sci and Outer would stop dancing around each other and notice how they look at each other. Nightmare, Killer, and Error would be happier without him; they'll live together and be happy.

The thought brings tears to his sockets.

How shameful has this creator been? How shameful has he been for so long? To yearn for things that are not his to take. To be so selfish to love others who would not live as long as him. To yearn for a family he isn't allowed to have. It's not fair to the others. They always get dragged into his punishment with him. This is where his selfishness has led him. He's gotten himself into this mess, and he has to be the one to get himself out. Ink's code is now complete as well. His connection to Creation is completely intact once more. Tainted has returned to him. He can do this on his own; Ink has to. He can't involve the others. Not anymore.

It's far too dangerous.

Ink shakes his skull with another whine. The other figure frowns before turning towards Ink. "Ree, they're trying to help us. Let them help us. Please?" They sniffle as they look in the direction of something that the others can't see, "I want to go home. I want to rest with my kids. I want you to be safe. I want you to live in a way that I haven't since we split." They rest their skull against Ink's and the twins' sockets widen in realization.

It's Tainted.

Ink leans into the touch and whines softly at Tainted. Tainted nods gently. "I understand, Ree. I get it. I want my people to be safe too. I wouldn't want them to go through this either. But we can't do this alone." Ink shakes his skull. "Ree, we can't collect our pieces alone. Touching them is a death sentence as we are right now. We'll both be lost to the tide of time and memories they each carry." Tainted gently holds onto Ink's skull, "We're thinning. Our paint is so thin. It's stretched so thin between everything. Creation is trying their best, but they're still holding this Multiverse together. I don't want to wait anymore. We're so close to being free."

Nightmare and Dream look at each other at the reveal. Ink's been holding this Multiverse together?

Tainted sighs as he slowly collapses into the paint. "I miss my pups. I miss my kids. I missed out on so much with them," He points in the direction of the twins, "Let them help so this can end. So I can go home. So you can go home to your pup." Nightmare blinks, hoping that he misunderstood Tainted. "Please, let them help."

Ink stops, and his tears slowly fall as he sits there with his sockets closed. He takes a deep breath before slowly nodding. He turns to the twins with a soft rumble.

Tainted smiles softly as he also turns toward the two. "Thank you."

Nightmare nods before settling on his knees. "What do we need to know?"