Book 2: The First Fallen Human

Cast Aside

Night shrieked and ducked as Shattered Dream hurled another chunk of the castle's wall at him. He flinched as he heard it crash behind him. The duo had begun to, quite literally, tear Dream's castle apart. The entirety of Dreamtale even seemed to shake.

Night gulped and held his staff at the ready. He lashed out, slicing apart two of Shattered Dream's tentacles as they jabbed at him. He turned his attention to the other side of the room, where Glitch was trying his damndest to make sure the red human couldn't reach Dream.

Bright blue strings ensnared the red human's entire body. The strings even spiraled out to cover its wings too. Glitch struggled to hold the red human back. Even with razor-like strings cutting into it, it didn't seem to deter the red human. It continued to wrench itself towards the staircase that X had disappeared up with Dream.

Blood spewed everywhere and Night gagged as he saw the strings start sliding through the body. He ducked behind a piece of rubble. He was shaking. He blinked. Oh shit!! He fumbled for a moment before pulling out the neon yellow button Ink had given him.

Night quickly pressed the button and it lit up before disappearing. He hoped to hell that he'd done something that would help them. He was jolted once again as one of Shattered Dream's tentacles exploded out from the solid rock next to him.

Night grabbed his staff and dismembered the tentacle with a single slash, causing Shattered Dream to scream and recoil. Night glared at him. "SHIT!!" He heard Glitch scream. He turned was greeted with the most horrific sight.

The strings had effectively cut the red human into several pieces as it pushed against them. The red human still wasn't stopping. The strings were about three-quarters of the way through its body. Blood was spreading along the floor in a fast-growing pool. Glitch flinched and cast out a new string, this one wrapping around the base of the red human's wings. He yanked backwards and there was a horrifying screech.

Night flinched. He watched as Glitch sent out another string, this one wrapping around the red human at the knees. He yanked again and the creature was effectively immobilized.

Glitch released his strings for a moment, allowing the sliced up body to drop to the ground before pinning it under thick, bright blue strings. Night whipped around and managed to fend off Shattered Dream's attacks.

He shrieked as a vial of black liquid was suddenly thrown and exploded at Shattered Dream's feet. The liquid blew up into a constricted cage, forcing Shattered Dream inside. "Hey!" Ink yelled as he landed next to Night. Night gasped in relief. Ink was wide-eyed, taking in all the damage. "I thought I told you guys to bunker down!!"

Night blinked and nodded breathlessly. "Uh, yeah... yeah, you did." He said. Ink let a snort before turning. He saw the struggling red human under the net and his gaze moved to its severed wings. Glitch was struggling to hold it down, the red human threatening to push itself up through the strings again.

"Stars, what the hell happened?!" Ink exclaimed, spinning to survey the situation. Night was resting for a moment.

"The... the red thing wants to eat Dream... I think." He said. Ink's eyes widened in shock and Night nodded. "Cross is with him upstairs somewhere." Ink nodded. He stared around. He quickly pulled another black vial from his sash and threw it down, using the freed black liquid to fully encase the red human, trapping it to the floor.

Glitch released his strings with a sigh of relief. He dropped back, panting. He was shaking. Ink glanced at Night. "Go find Dream. Make sure he's alright..." Night told him, hunched over with his hands on his knees. Ink nodded and quickly disappeared up the staircase.

Night blinked as Glitch came staggering over. He dropped next to him. They both froze at an unsettling giggle and shot glared at Shattered Dream, who grinned at them from inside his dark cage.

"So... do you feel like you've won? Do you feel like it's over...?" The black skeleton questioned them in an almost mockingly sweet tone. He giggled again. "How terribly ignorant... My friend... Oh, my friend has been leaving their mark..." He gestured to the dried black lump that held the red human to the floor.

Night shared an uneasy glance with Glitch. That didn't sound good. What did that mean? "What are you talking about?" Night hissed at him. Shattered Dream let out another demented giggle, leaning against the blackened bars.

"It's left... pets... behind..." Shattered Dream drawled slowly. Night felt his spine prickle. He hated the sound of that. Shattered Dream grinned maliciously at them. "The pets will lay waste to whatever AU it left them in." Glitch and Night stared at him. What was this psychopath talking about???

All of a sudden, Shattered Dream's eye fixed on Night. "Your brother is here, isn't he?" It was more of a confirming statement than a question. "Maybe your brother will meet one of the pets. Oh, he'll have such a good time!" Shattered Dream giggled again, it turning into drawn out, cackling laughter.

Night gulped. As much as he disliked his brother, he was the embodiment of positivity. They couldn't risk to lose him. A world without hope. A world without positivity. A world without dreams. The thought made Night freeze up and his eyesockets went dark for a moment. He couldn't allow it.

"Where are the pets?!" He demanded quickly. Shattered Dream seemed surprised before beginning to giggle. Night growled. "Don't LAUGH!! Where are they?!" He was heated with fury. This creature thought the destruction of whole worlds was so funny?! He rattled the bars of the cage, his eyes burning. "Bastard!! Tell me where they are!!"

By now, Shattered Dream had exploded into full-blown laughter. Night hissed in fury and Shattered Dream slowly began to calm down to a soft chuckle. He signaled Night closer with a smile.

"I don't know where they are." Shattered Dream whispered to Night with a huge grin. "But you know who does..." His voice was song-like as he pointed one, gold-tinted, black finger bone.

Night blinked and felt his body grow cold, not even sparing a glance to the ink-encased, red human.