Our Pen

Chap 22

(I FINISHED THE STORY IN MY DRAFTS! THERE WILL NOW BE REGULAR UPDATES EVERY SATURDAY !!)
*Y/n POV*

I smile and lead the others through the guest room portal, before nudging Dream at Nightmare. He looks at me, confused, but I mouth, 'This is your chance!! Take it before he gets away again!' He nods and turns to his once-brother.
"N-Nightmare?" He stutters, before mentally cursing (much to your inner amusement). "What?" The other asks coldly. "C-can.... Uhh I- uh." "Spit it out already, Dream." Nightmare hisses with such venom, that Dream takes a step back. 

The star gathers his leftover bravery, and says loudly, "I'd like to apologize!" Nightmare raised an eyebrow as his used-to-be-twin started to ramble.
"I'm sorry that this happened, and that I didn't understand before. I'm sorry I didn't try harder to understand. I'm sorry for not trying to resolve conflict instead of escalating it. I should've- I'm--"

*Nightmare POV*

I'm hit with a sudden onslaught of guilt. I never told Dream that I was getting hurt by the villagers. I just blamed him for 'not helping', when he didn't even know what he was supposed to be 'helping' me with. I was unfair. The fact that he knows he's done something wrong in my perspective and apologizes even though he doesn't know what he's being neglected for sends a pang through my soul. Slowly, I approach my brother.
His eyelights trace the area for escape routes, meeting with Y/n's (they do nothing but give a thumbs up, which set something off in me [something good, if you couldn't tell {you probably couldn't.}.]. I didn't know if it was for him, or me, but it doesn't matter now). I pull Dream in with the two sets of extra 'arms' on my back. He squeaks, and almost starts trying to fight me off, before realizing that I'm hugging him.

I feel water on my shoulders, but I don't move. He sniffles a little, and I can feel my own tears rising from unknown origin. I'm not sad; he is. Why am I crying? Why does this feel familiar? 
There's a small nagging feeling in the back of my mind- something I can't quite pick up. I make eye contact with Ink's human version and remember the painting in the room from before.

T̷͙̹̜̹͓̜̗̦̎̀̓̐͐̽͒̔h̸̛̙̘̙̆̿̓̅̀͌͑ë̷̟͔̥́̀̉ ̵̭̤̘̜̩̯̥̫̪̄̈͆͆́͐̈̓͠p̷̛̘̐̈̉̊̉̆͑͝͝ḁ̴̮̤̞͖̫̃̅̕̚i̴͚̩̠̞͂͋̊̎͑̚̚n̷̥̯͔̞̺̱͕̓́̾̽̅̊̓͊ṱ̷̢͈̱̮͈̩̙͊̑͛͊̕͠i̷̢̢̛̩̯͎̗̦͐̋͋̒͌͊͘n̶͈̤͇̰̞̙̜̥̐̌̍̽̀͜͜g̸͓̼̺͓̻̙̳̗̠͒̾̌͝.̵̱̞̬̜̊.̶̭̺̩̱̥̰̖͙͓̏͜.̴͔͇̪̙̟͇̭̩̟̇̿́̃̿̾̄ͅ

T̷͙̹̜̹͓̜̗̦̎̀̓̐͐̽͒̔h̸̛̙̘̙̆̿̓̅̀͌͑ë̷̟͔̥́̀̉ ̵̭̤̘̜̩̯̥̫̪̄̈͆͆́͐̈̓͠p̷̛̘̐̈̉̊̉̆͑͝͝ḁ̴̮̤̞͖̫̃̅̕̚i̴͚̩̠̞͂͋̊̎͑̚̚n̷̥̯͔̞̺̱͕̓́̾̽̅̊̓͊ṱ̷̢͈̱̮͈̩̙͊̑͛͊̕͠i̷̢̢̛̩̯͎̗̦͐̋͋̒͌͊͘n̶͈̤͇̰̞̙̜̥̐̌̍̽̀͜͜g̸͓̼̺͓̻̙̳̗̠͒̾̌͝.̵̱̞̬̜̊.̶̭̺̩̱̥̰̖͙͓̏͜.̴͔͇̪̙̟͇̭̩̟̇̿́̃̿̾̄ͅ