Reversed

A Hopefully Good Plan

Nightmare took the first-aid kit from Dust and was tending to Error's wounds as Dust told his wild story to Killer, Horror, and Cross. They politely let him tell it, even though they overheard it the first time.

Having successfully stopped Error's bleeding, Nightmare delicately moved his friend from the kitchen to the living room.

"We have to do something about Yan, Shattered, and whatever Ink's calling himself now." Nightmare said, placing Error on the couch. "Our multiverse could be over if we don't do some balancing."

"Not to put out a bad idea," Killer started. "But it seems like they've simply switched sides. Maybe we have to also. "

Killer did not get approving looks. "And how do you pray we do that?" Cross asked. "We're murderers, Killer. Nobody would want our help with anything."

"I might actually have a solution." Nightmare said. "Nobody else knows of my original form."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, you could probably change a bit of how you look, and the multiverse will think you're completely different Sanses."

"What will you be doing?" Horror asked.

"Error, Dust, and I will be looking for a way to turn them back."

"What makes you think they didn't do it intentionally?"

"It's all the resistance in the stories we know that clued it in for me. There has to be an external cause."

"Okay, Boss. Good luck," Killer said.

"uGH..." Everyone turned to watch the Destroyer wake up. "whAT... whAt HappEnEd?" Error sat up slowly.

"Don't you dare," Nightmare hissed. "You'll open the wound."

Error froze and laid back down. He was not about to go against Nightmare's order. "sO, whAT hApPeNEd? yoU'Re iN yOuR pASsiVe foRm."

"You missed a few things, Error," Dust said. Error gave him an inquisitive look. "Both Blue and Dream are different now. It was like they flipped a switch, and they've gone mad."

Error stared at the ceiling. "InK is... alSo gOnE. hE'S caLlINg hImSElf 'COrRuPT' nOw."

Dust sighed. "That'll go with Dream as Shattered and Blue as Yan."

"What color are Ink's eyelights now?" Nightmare asked.

"solID rEd oVaLS." Error explained the whole encounter to his friends. During his retelling, he slowly sat up. The wound was nothing now, or he did not feel it anymore. As he finished, Nightmare gave him a quick rundown of the two other Stars. The rest of the crew talked amongst themselves.

"If Horror, Killer, and I have to take the Stars' place to keep balance, then does that mean we need a team name?" Cross asked

"The Sparkle Squad." Everyone stared at Killer. "What?"

"Definitely not," Horror said.

"The Meme Squad!" Cross was subject to the laughter of the three others.

"What kind of stupid name is that?" Killer laughed.

"It was still better than yours," Horror said.

"Well, wise guy, what do you think?" Killer huffed.

"The Interstellar Sanses."

"...That's a good one," Cross said.

"Okay Interstellar Sanses!" Killer threw his arms around Cross and Horror. "Let's go balance the multiverse!"

"Killer, nobody's gonna trust us when we look like this," Cross said.

"Costume change!" The three were teleported away, probably upstairs, to see if there was anything they could pull together for an 'I'm not dangerous, I swear!' getup.

Dust shook his head and joined Nightmare and Error. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Simple," Nightmare said. "Error has access to the codes. We should be able to see what's wrong from there."

"Don't you need to be close to someone to look at their codes?"

"nOt NEcEssAriLy," Error said. "i hAVe tO bE iN thE sAMe AU As thEm, tHoUgh."

"There has to be an easier way to do this." Dust sighed. "I don't think I'm making it out alive of any AU Yan's in."

"i gET iT, buT thIS iS oUR bEsT oPTiOn tO fInD oUt whAT hAppENed."

"We'll have to find some other way." Dust and Error looked at Nightmare in disbelief. "It's too risky. I don't need you two dying."

"What about them?" Dust pointed at the ceiling, where a distant argument echoed through the floorboards.

"You think I'm playing favorites?!" Nightmare yelled. "This entire thing is dangerous! We don't need to be making desperate decisions when there's certainly a better one somewhere else!"

"NiGhTmaRe, We'Ll bE fInE," Error said. "trUsT uS!"

"I still don't think this is a good idea."

"oF COuRse iT iSn'T, bUt wHaT oThER cHoiCE dO We hAVe?"

Nightmare sighed. "I guess you're right. But both of us go with you, deal?"

"oF cOurSE," Error laughed. "i dOn't KnOw whAt tHey'Re cApABLe oF. iT wOuLd bE uNwiSe tO gO AlOnE."

"We're all in this together, Nightmare," Dust chipped in. "We'll figure this out."

"I hope so," Nightmare sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No."

"buT—"

"You can't help them."

"plEasE?"

"I said no."

"yOu'Re nO fUN."