Oscura

Before he could protest, the group had already passed through the portal to get back home. Nightmare stepped through the portal and saw that they had already taken over the dining table and begun carving. Nightmare simply sighed, walked to the table, and slowly and carefully began to carve his pumpkin.

Cross started by trying to carve a simple scary face but decided to add a bit of flair, a messy, crooked grin with wild, crooked eyes. He turned around, and all of a sudden, he heard something heavy fall. Cross turned back to see that his pumpkin had disappeared. Chara then showed him that it had fallen off the table. Cross quickly went for it and noticed that now there was a big sunken part. He looked at Chara, then at the pumpkin, then back at Chara; they both shrugged and continued carving.

Dust sighed as he fished out the innards of his own pumpkin, tossing some seeds at Killer. Killer tossed some back at him, making Dust chuckle. He then started to carve his pumpkin, deciding to make a scary face, one where the mouth was very wide with a smile while the eyes looked angry. He and Paps agreed on it. As he was carving, he pushed the knife a bit too low and cut the eye, which made it look like a mad pirate, giving it a goofy appearance. Paps laughed, and they decided to keep it like that.

Killer took out his knife and started carving his masterpiece. He had something in mind that would truly be out of this world; he was carving the being that scared him the most. He smiled and continued, making sure to add every little detail. As he was carving, he didn't see Error behind him. Error let out a chuckle, causing Killer to jump and swing his knife at him. Error quickly moved away. Killer frowned at him and apologized, then went back to carving. Error only chuckled and left a very focus Killer to his carving.

Error didn't want to carve something completely scary. Surprisingly, he wanted to create some art. He decided to carve an owl. As far as he was concerned, he was doing amazing. He made sure to add as much detail as possible. He smiled and applied a little more pressure on the knife, yet as he tried to move, he found that his knife was stuck, and right in the middle of the owls head. He tried to take it out, but unfortunately, if he removed the knife, then the drawing would get messed up. Error sighed and simply left the knife there, grabbing another knife to continue.

Nightmare was surprisingly relaxed; he was starting to enjoy this activity. He was carving the face of the monster that had come out in one of his books. He remembered when he used to be afraid of the monster, but now he only felt shivers at how well the author had made the monster come out. He leaned away to see his creation, and if you asked him, it was coming out well, in his opinion. He looked away for a minute, and in that time, his tentacles had some fun decorating the pumpkin. Once Nightmare turned around, he saw the goop slowly trailing down the pumpkin. He sighed and cleaned it up, upsetting his tentacles.

Horror wasn't sure what to carve; he had so many ideas, but none of them seemed good enough. He had already left some sunken spots on the pumpkin from where he had grabbed it a bit too hard. Horror sighed and looked up. He saw Cupcake, the gang's house pet. Horror smiled and started to carve a kitten strolling, or at least he made it sort of look as if the cat was walking. He smiled and continued carving, leaving another sunken spot in the process.

They finally finished and displayed their creations proudly. Cross's pumpkin looked like a wannabe scary face, with a really big bump on the side. Dust's pumpkin resembled an angry pirate, complete with a big slash across one of its eyes. Killer's pumpkin had the face of one of the gang's members, everyone chuckled at the carving, well, except for Nightmare, whose face was on the pumpkin. Error's pumpkin was a bit scary; it was a beautifully carved owl but with a knife sticking out of its head, creating an eerie feeling. Nightmare's pumpkin was the truly scary one; no one knew what the monster was or what it represented, but just the graphic view of it gave them the shivers. Horror's pumpkin was the most wholesome; the cat didn't quite look like it was on a walk, but it did look cute, well except for the several sunken spots.

Now they had a problem: how were they going to decide who won?

Killer - *excited* “Let’s have Cupcake decide!”

Since no one else had a better idea, they went along with it. Killer placed Cupcake in front of the pumpkins.

Killer - “Go on, Cupcake, choose the best one!”

Cupcake looked at everyone, then back at the pumpkins. She just blinked and walked away.

Killer - “Wait, come back!”

Killer went after Cupcake while Cross and Dust just laughed. Horror and Error relaxed and took their pumpkins. Nightmare simply sigh and follow Horror and Error.

They ended up putting the pumpkin on the coffee table in the living room. They were now sitting and watching several scary movies. Sometimes they would throw pieces of popcorn or candy at each other, but they stopped when they saw Horror's frown. In the end, they all ended up in a cuddle pile, candy wrappers around them, pieces of popcorn on the floor, and soda and juice cans left on the table. Nightmare turned off the TV and lay down. He then closed his eyes and relaxed.

Curiosity got the better of Error, making him move towards Ink, stopping just close enough to get Ink's attention without crossing any boundaries.

Ink - *glancing at him, then back at the water* “Leave me alone.”

Error - *curious* “Wħ¥ ąrę yǫū hēre ĭnštēăd ơf bēįng ĭn thę Šphëŕę?”

Ink glanced up, his eyes meeting Error's with a look of annoyance.

Ink - *annoyed* “It’s none of your business.”

Error - “It mă¥ nơt bę, bµt yǫū ąrę dęstrŏ¥īng thę ątmosphěrë wĭth yǒur ąttĭtŭdę.”

Ink - “Can you go somewhere else? I'm trying to think.”

Error - *crossing his arms, smirking* “Fīrst tįmę?”

Ink scowled. He was about to say something but simply sighed instead.

Ink - “You wouldn’t get it, Error. I’m just ... trying to make sense of a few things.”

Error knew what was bothering Ink. Horror had confessed to Night and Error that he had interacted with Dream and even revealed the real goal of the 'Bad Sanses.' Nightmare had gotten mad but forgave Horror in the end. Error hoped that Ink wouldn't get angry or throw a tantrum, like he had a long time ago, but now he saw that this time it had a different effect.

Error - *tilting his skull* “Ārę yǭū dęcįdįng whëthër tŏ stā¥ or dīsāppėár? *glāRįng* Ōr mā¥bę yǒū'rę fįnāll¥ rēālīzįng thăt whāt yǭū cāll ‘jŭstįcę’ īsn’t sŏ gŏŏd ąftęr ąll?”

Ink flinched but didn’t answer right away. After a pause, he spoke.

Ink - “You know, Error, ... maybe, just maybe ... the way you all handle things is actually doing something good ... I ... I’m just not sure if I can accept it ... I don't want to just sit around while you guys destroy AUs ... I just ... can't agree with any of you.”

Error - “Lŏŏk, Īnk, wē ąll hąvę ą wą¥ tŏ dęąl wīth thę mūltįvęrsę. Yǫū dęąl wīth ĭt wīth tŏŏ mŭch rāįnbŏws. Thę ǒnl¥ thįng thŏsē rāįnbŏws cāusę ĭs ądd mŏrę prėssŭrę, whįch wę hęlp cŏntrŏl sŏ thąt thę mūltįvęrsę dŏēsn't cŏllāpsę. Yǭū nēed tŏ ąccępŧ chāngę ĭnštēăd ơf thrŏwįng tąntrŭms.”

Ink - *lowering his head* “I'll think about it ... about everything, Blue, Dream, the others. It’s just ... they act as if they're fine with you guys running amok. But I don't know anymore. I ... I need to think about it.”

Error studied him for a moment, the quiet turmoil written across Ink's usually cheerful face.

Error - *sighs* “Lęt’s wąlk thrŏugh thę fęstįvąl; yǭū cąn thįnk bęttęr thąt wą¥.”

Ink nodded and followed Error through the festival. Error felt pity for him and bought Ink some candies and food, Error didn't like the sad puppy look Ink had.

As they walked, a loud crack echoed through the square, and both of them looked up to see small fireworks going off. A group of kids started cheering, chasing each other with creepy masks. One of those kids almost bumped into Error.

Error - *grumbles* “Ągh, kįds”

Ink - *chuckles, smiling* “Don't you already have like four kids with Nightmare?”

Error quickly looked at Ink and glared at him, making Ink laugh. Just then, Outer reappeared, holding a caramel apple and wearing a cardboard witch hat from the costume contest.

Outer - “Hey! *noticing Ink* Oh hey, Ink! What's up?”

Error - *smirking* “Lēävę hįm ąlōnę; hę īs thįnkįng.”

Outer - *confused* “About what?”

Ink - “Things”

Ink looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. Outer simply smiled at him, not asking more questions. He had an idea of what it was.

Outer - “Well anyway, there's going to be a firework show. I heard the fireworks will show Halloween shapes. Come on, let's go!”

They headed towards an area where they could sit down and watch the fireworks. They each engaged in different conversations, talking about their hobbies, likes, and dislikes. Soon the show started. The crowd went quiet as a firework shot up, bursting into the sky with multiple colors. Different fireworks showcased different shapes; one formed a pumpkin while another formed a spider.

The three skeletons watched the display together. Ink let out a content sigh, the spark in his eyes returning.

Ink - “I … I think I'm done thinking.”

Error nodded and smiled. A rare peaceful moment settled over them as they enjoyed the fireworks lighting up the night.

They made their way inside, greeted by dim lights, cobweb-covered walls, and a spooky ambient soundtrack echoing through the hallways. Flickering lights cast shadows on the walls, creating eerie shapes that moved as they walked past. Both looked around, amazed by the decorations; they weren’t scared until they rounded a corner.

Shatter Dream - *appearing out of nowhere* “Well, what do we have here?”

Killer and Color screamed as Shatter Dream simply grinned menacingly from the shadows. Color and Killer quickly looked at each other.

Color - “You were the one who screamed first!”

Killer - “Noooooo, it was you first!”

Shatter only looked at both of them, unimpressed.

Shatter - “Both of you screamed at the same time.”

Killer - “I didn't! I screamed one second later … wait, what are you doing here?”

Shatter - *smirking* “I'm here to cause a little chaos, scare some of the guests, just like I did with both of you.”

Color - *smirking* “Well, how about if we team up?”

The three nodded, determined to make this the scariest haunted house.

They moved through the haunted house, scaring anyone in their path. Guests? They got a jumpscare. Staff? They also got a jumpscare.

As they ventured deeper into the haunted house, the trio reached a narrow hallway lined with mirrors. A distorted reflection of Shatter stared back at them, warped and eerie in the dim light.

Shatter - *grinning mischievously* “I’ve got an idea.”

He phased through the mirrors, his form melting into the glass. Killer and Color smiled and positioned themselves along the hallway. As unsuspecting visitors entered, they were met with Shatter’s ghostly image appearing in every reflection.

Girl - *whispering to her friend, scared* “D-did … did you see t-that in the m-mirror?”

Friend - *scared* “Y-yes!”

Killer, hiding behind a statue, let out a loud scream while Color snuck up behind them and touched their shoulder.

The girls screamed, quickly running away and tripping over each other in their rush to escape. The staff soon were informed and rushed to the room, yet minutes later, they also came out screaming and running.

The group decided to move rooms, wanting to scare more people. They came upon the main attraction: a terrifying clown actor waiting to give the guests a final scare. They all smirked and quickly got to action.

Killer and Color quickly hid while Shatter dissolved into a puddle of goop. They all moved across the room, making sure to throw things and make creepy noises. The actor looked around, scared; he had heard that the house might truly be haunted, but he didn't believe it. Yet now, he was reconsidering.

The boys soon surrounded the clown, making sure the actor knew he was trapped. Killer popped out, screaming and wearing a creepy mask, which they had found in another room. The clown, caught off guard, stepped back, frightened. He screamed and backed off, only to bump into something. The actor turned around and met another creepy mask. He screamed and ran toward the exit door, only to find it jammed. Shatter Dream took this opportunity to sneak up behind the actor, silently appearing just over his shoulder.

Shatter - *whispering* “Boo.”

The actor let out a loud, but very loud scream. He dropped his fake knife as he turned and ran away, heading toward the entrance instead of the exit. The room was filled with the laughter of Killer, Color, and Shatter.

As they finally exited the haunted house, they found many people scared, some recounting about what they had just experienced. A staff member noticed them and walked over.

Staff Member - *worried* “Excuse me, did you guys experience paranormal things inside the house?”

Killer - *grinning, trying not to laugh* “Nope! It was the best haunted house we’ve ever been to!”

Color - *snickering* “You really went all out. We’ll have to come back next year!”

Shatter Dream just nodded, a satisfied grin on his face as he watched the staff exchange uncertain glances.

As they walked away, Color looked at Killer.

Color - “I still won!”

Killer - *grumbling* “No, you didn't!”

Shatter Dream simply smirked as Killer and Color continued to argue with each other over who had screamed first.

The trio headed off, leaving the haunted house behind as the staff tried to piece together what had just happened. Killer and Color finally came to a tie and were now walking toward another haunted house. Killer looked to the left and saw a festival, like one of those in anime, but this one was Halloween-themed. He was about to go, but Color dragged him back, saying that they had a mission to complete.

Blue - *startled* “Oh! Dust! *quickly smiles* What brings you here?”

Dust - *rolling his eyes* “Why are you moping here?”

Blue - “I'm not —” *interrupted*

Dust - “You are.”

Blue stayed quiet for a minute, then looked at Dust again.

Blue - *looking down, playing with his fingers* “Well, Dream and Ink had a bit of a disagreement... Something about ‘not letting the gang do whatever they want’ and ‘but they are doing good in the multiverse’... I don't really know what to think of the matter ... the thing is, I didn't take Ink's side, nor Dream's, but Ink took it worse and got mad. And well Ink walked away ... Me and Dream just ... left too to cool down and think things through.”

Dust - *muttered* “Typical. *speaking normally* Everyone knows Ink doesn't like changes; it's an open secret around the multiverse.”

Blue - “I know, but ... well, all of you ...”

Blue stayed quiet, unsure which side to take or how to proceed with this dilemma. Dust sighed, having gotten his answers but not knowing how to help Blue. He looked somewhere else, his 'eyes' landing on another skeleton.

Dust - “Well, if you want to apologize, Ink is over there.”

Blue quickly looked and saw Ink, or at least someone who looked like Ink.

Blue - *smiling* “That's not Ink; that's Fallen Ink, the other version of Ink.”

Dust - “They're all the same.”

Blue chuckled and stood up, wanting Fallen to join them too. After all, he didn't like how Fallen was all by himself. Fallen Ink sat alone, locked in an intense stare-off with a calm, unfazed cat.

Fallen Ink kept his unblinking focus, his gaze mirroring the cat’s calm detachment. Dust watched as Blue grabbed the cat and Fallen, dragging them both to the table. Fallen and Dust greeted each other with a simple nod while Blue placed the cat in Fallen's lap.

Suddenly, the dog made a wild dash toward the door, barking frantically and accidentally nudging it open, almost like something out of a cartoon. Like a floodgate, every other animal suddenly perked up and darted out after it, streaming into the street in a chaotic flurry of fur and feathers.

Blue - *smiling, quickly standing up* “Come on, guys! Let's go and bring those animals back!”

Dust - *groans* “Why us?”

Blue - *grinning* “Come on! Dust and Fallen! It’s going to be fun!”

Dust shot him an annoyed look, but before he could argue, Blue had already ran out the door, chasing after a pair of rabbits. Fallen and Dust both got up and went after a pair of puppies.

The town quickly came alive with the sounds of scampering paws and flapping wings. Dust found himself sprinting after a trio of mischievous kittens who were weaving through legs, disappearing under tables, and leaping onto ledges.

Dust - *grumbling* “Of all the animals, why do I get the runners?”

Meanwhile, Blue had taken on a different challenge, a turtle who seemed perfectly content to walk at a snail’s pace. He crouched, waving a carrot in front of it.

Blue - *smiling* “Come on, buddy! Just a little further *looks at the carrot* do turtles even like carrots?”

The turtle ignored him, determined to go anywhere but in the direction of the carrot.

Fallen Ink went after some ferrets, he silently picked them up, the ferrets had managed to wriggle under a fence. The ferrets snuggled up to him, and Fallen blinked before starting to pet them as he headed back to the others.

Dust - *panting, walking towards Blue, carrying the kittens* “Having fun with the turtle?”

Blue - *serious* “This guy’s got a mind of his own.”

Fallen Ink approached, holding a couple of calm-looking doves that perched obediently on his arm, while still holding the ferrets in his other arm. He raised an eyebrow at the turtle, then gave it a light nudge with his foot, sending it slowly back toward the café.

Fallen Ink - “Problem solved.”

Blue - *looking at Fallen, shocked* “Hey! Be careful!”

Dust - *eyeing the hyper dog now zooming toward the fountain* “Guys, let's fight the final boss”

The dog was bounding up and down by the fountain’s edge, barking enthusiastically at its reflection. Just as Dust lunged to catch it, the puppy darted away, sending him splashing into the shallow water.

Blue - *worried* “Dust, are you okay?”

Dust - *dripping wet, glares at Blue* “What do you think?”

Dust got out, and they continued the chaotic chase, rounding up animals one by one, dodging startled townsfolk, and narrowly avoiding a vendor’s stand that a group of curious raccoons had somehow climbed onto.

At last, Blue spotted the dog, who was now eagerly chasing a butterfly through a nearby park.

Blue - *yelling for the others* “Guys, I found the dog!”

Dust and Fallen headed towards Blue, but not before putting the animals in a bone cage. Blue looked back at the dog and noticed that it had started to run away again, so he quickly followed after it. Fallen was right behind Dust and Blue, following at a leisurely pace, not really trying to capture the dog. Dust and Blue darted left and right, trying to corral the dog, but every time they got close, it changed direction, leaving them grasping at thin air.

Finally, Fallen Ink crouched low, making a quiet whistle that instantly caught the dog’s attention. The dog trotted over to him, tilting its head in curiosity.

Fallen - *calmly petting the puppy* “Done.”

Dust - *exhausted* “Why didn’t you do that from the start!?”

Blue - *chuckles* “You're good with animals, Fallen.”

The three of them, carrying the animals, made their way back to the café. Dust was still dripping slightly, and Blue was humming happily. Suddenly, the dog started running again. Blue was about to go after it, but Fallen stopped him.

Fallen - “Leave him. We need to first return these animals to the café before going back to chasing the dog.”

Blue nodded, and they all continued walking. Dust sighed, completely worn out. He heard some screaming and turned around. He saw a few people in costumes running away from a haunted house event. Dust sighed again, ignoring the constant screaming, but he did wonder who was making everyone, even the staff, scream in horror.

Ccino quickly closed his café, and Nightmare, with no choice, followed him. They arrived at an AU and started heading toward the venue until Nightmare noticed a certain skeleton. He grabbed Ccino and dragged him toward the skeleton.

Nightmare - “Hello, Reaper.”

Reaper - *quickly turns around* “Oh, hey guys!”

Ccino - “Are you also here for the game night event?”

Reaper - “Nah, I'm just about to clock out.”

Ccino - “Do you want to come with us?”

Reaper - “Sure!”

And so all three headed toward their destination. Once there, they noticed a lot of creatures and they quickly started exploring the place. Even though they didn’t know half of the games available, they still enjoyed trying them out. But all good things come to an end.

A monster accidentally bumped into Nightmare. Not only did the monster start yelling and blaming Nightmare, but it also challenged him to a game duel.

Now Ccino and Reaper were cheering for Nightmare.

Nightmare - *grabbing his controller* “Why do I have to do this? If I wasn't the dumb one …”

Reaper - “Come on, just enjoy it!”

Ccino - “It's okay if you don't win.”

Nightmare - “No, I'm going to make him regret ever challenging me to this dumb duel”

Ccino and Reaper looked at each other, surprised, while Nightmare smirked. The two contestants were ready; the monster had a confident smirk on his face, while Nightmare just rolled his eyes and got comfortable.

Soon, both started playing, and to everyone’s surprise, Nightmare was the one winning. After three rounds, it was clear, Nightmare had won, having destroyed his opponent without mercy.

Monster - *shocked* “W-what! This can't be!”

Ccino - *getting close to Nightmare* “I thought you said you didn't know how to play video games”

Nightmare - *smirks, shrugs* “Guess I lied.”

Reaper - *eating some popcorn* “Wow, how are you so good?”

Nightmare - “Killer and Dust are ruthless.”

Ccino chuckled. Reaper looked at the monster and noticed that he was glaring at Nightmare.

Reaper - “Uhh, Night, I think someone’s glaring at you.”

Nightmare - “You think?”

Nightmare had noticed the glare since the game finished, but he didn't care. He stood up, ready to leave, but was stopped once again, this time by someone who looked like the monster's friend. The monster had challenged him, yet he was defeated in mere minutes, just like his friend. The monster and his friend ran away; Nightmare could have sworn he saw tears running down their faces, but he wasn't sure.

Nightmare sighed and stayed seated, gripping the controller again, his expression clearly unamused. Ccino, seeing an opportunity, leaned closer with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Ccino - *smiles* “How about we make this a little more fun?”

Nightmare - *raising an eyebrow* “How?”

Ccino - “Let’s all play three matches, and the winner gets the satisfaction of ordering the other two around.”

Nightmare - *immediately* “No.”

Ccino - “Please! Okay, only for like five minutes.”

Reaper - *smirks* “Come on, Night, let's do it! Besides, you already showed that you can play video games, and it’s only five minutes.”

Nightmare - “Alright, but you guys will regret it.”

Reaper - *grins, cracking his knuckles, sitting down with a controller in his hand* “You’re on. Just don’t cry when I wipe the floor with both of you.”

Ccino - *smiles, also sitting down* “We'll see about that.”

The three skeletons settled into the game, controllers ready. They were instantly immersed, fingers flying over buttons as they battled it out in a competitive brawl game. The intensity in the air was thick, with each of them shooting quick glances at each other.

After the first round, each had won one, leading to the final death match. All three started strong; Reaper used his special move and was able to grab Ccino, making him fall. Yet, Reaper received a quick hit from Nightmare, causing him to fall down as well. Nightmare turned back to Ccino, who was trying to jump his way onto the platform.

Suddenly, Nightmare was attacked by a furry ball. A dog had gotten in and was now licking Nightmare's face.

Nightmare - *trying to push the dog away* “Stop!”

Nightmare glanced at the TV and saw his character falling, ending with him dying.

Nightmare - *annoyed, finally managing to move the dog* “That's cheating”

Yan let out a startled scream while Epic just chuckled and tried to cover himself. And that's how a paint war started, with others joining in.

The only thing that could be seen was both monster and human children, some adults, and the three culprits throwing paint at each other. Cross threw white paint at Yan, but in the process, he got hit by a splash of purple, while Epic got splashed with blue.

They continued enjoying themselves until their paint ran out. Unfortunately, due to their paint war, they were asked to leave. They were about to go to Epic's home to clean up when Cross had an amazing idea.

Cross - “Guys, wait! How about we go through the AUs painting everything in purple, white, and blue?”

They all smiled and quickly went to the store to get more paint. Thus, they started their little adventure. From one AU to another, they painted everything, even splashing some unfortunate residents.

Fell Sans was resting when suddenly he felt something hit his face. He quickly stood up and touched the liquid, realizing it was purple paint.

Fell - *confused* “What the?”

When he heard laughter, he looked up and saw the three skeletons quickly running away, leaving Fell to curse them out.

Sans was just lying down in his booth when he opened his eye and saw that his booth was now painted.

Sans - *looks around* “Huh?”

From the corner of his sockets, he saw the three skeletons running away while laughing. He just chuckled and lay back down.

While the skeletons were passing through the AUs, they stopped when they saw a big wall. They looked at each other, nodded, took out their brushes, and started creating art. They obviously didn't know how to paint very well, but they were having the time of their lives. As Yan was painting a little flower, he noticed someone next to him. He looked and saw a little kid who was also painting with their tiny hands.

Yan looked around and saw that many humans and monsters were either watching them or had decided to join in on the little painting project. Cross and Epic didn’t mind and just continued drawing a bunch of memes.

They had finally finished. Not only had they painted every corner of every AU, but they also completed their wall art, which made them really happy.

As they were walking through their gallery, Cross stopped. He noticed a place where a lot of monsters and people were gathered. He looked through the window and saw it was a gaming competition. He smiled and was about to enter when Epic grabbed his hand and dragged him somewhere else. Now, they were going to paint some stands at the nearby festival.

Lust - “Yeah, you see, I've been wanting to go with a friend and I'm not good with puzzles”

Horror - “Don't worry, neither am I”

Lust - *smiled* “Then let's help each other out.”

They went to the alternate universe where the event was being held. As they entered the venue, decorated with Halloween-themed decorations, they saw an unexpected sight.

Dream was there, though he looked sad. Both Horror and Lust approached him.

Horror - “Dream, are you okay?“

Dream - *surprised then smiled* “Oh! Horror, Lust! H-how are you two?”

Lust - *worried* “Good, but what about you?”

Dream - “I'm great”

Lust - “You also came to for the escape rooms or something else?

Dream - “Yeay I just wanted to experience an escape room, see what's about, *sighs* I've never been to one”

Horror - “Why are you alone?”

Lust quickly glanced at Horror, then back at Dream. Horror ignore Lust's glace he was more concerned about Dream. He wanted to know what had made him sad. Dream's smile faltered for a second but quickly returned.

Dream - “Yeah, the others are a little busy. *whispers* Well, more like Ink is busy being mad at us”

Lust - “Why is he angry?”

Dream -“Oh, uhh ... *changing the subject* what do you guys think of the decorations? Pretty spooky right?”

Lust and Horror exchanged a concerned glance. Dream looked down, clearly not wanting to discuss it further.

Horror - “Do you want to join us?”

Dream - *surprised* “Can I?”

Lust - “The more, the merrier!”

Dream nodded, and they all went to the designated room.

Once there, they began playing and solving puzzles, but what they didn’t know was that the escape room they chose wasn't just about solving puzzles.

Dream was happily solving some puzzles near a door while Horror and Lust were in another room, working on a different puzzle. Dream suddenly felt someone behind him, he turned around happily, thinking it was Horror or Lust. Instead, he was met with a bloody woman with a screaming face.

Dream - *scare* “Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!”

He immediately ran away, turned a corner, and bumped into someone, making him scream again. He quickly looked up and saw it was a confused Horror.

Horror - *worry* “What happened?”

Dream - *scare* “There, w-w-was a, a uhhhh, something—a woman!!”

Horror tried to calm Dream down when they both heard a scream. A few seconds passed, and Lust appeared, screaming and running. He quickly hugged Horror, this cauded for Dream, to also clung to him, both acting as if Horror were a big teddy bear. Horror smiled gently and tried to calm them down. He looked up and saw someone dressed as a bleeding woman with a screaming face.

He waited for the person to do something, but they just quickly turned around and ran away. Horror was confused but didn’t pay it much mind.

They all worked on the puzzles together after that, with Dream and Lust unable to do it alone since they were still pretty scared. Finally, they escaped the room, but not before being chased by a man with a chainsaw. Both Dream and Lust immediately dragged Horror with them, quickly passing through the exit.

They found themselves in a café, eating donuts they received as a consolation gift and drinking some nice hot beverages. Now, Dream and Lust were happy—still a little startled, but otherwise content.

Dream - *looks at Horror* “How come you didn't get scared?”

Horror - “I've seen worse”

Dream - “Oh right, your name isn't Horror for nothing”

Horror nodded, glad that both of them were feeling better now.

Lust - “Next time, I'll triple-check all the information for the escape room”

Dream - “Oh, you didn't know?”

Lust - “No, I didn't check everything, so I wasn't expecting there to be people scaring us”

Horror - “It's okay... we got donuts,”

Eventually, they arrived at a café that was beautifully decorated.

Epic - "I think this is the bruh place! What you think, bruh?"

Cross - "I think so too, dude"

They decided to go inside. As they walked in, they began to enjoy themselves, chatting with other guests and engaging in friendly conversations. While they still hadn’t seen the others, they didn’t mind; after all they had free food, although they noticed that it was a bit too fancy. Dust grabbed one of the snacks and bit a tiny piece.

Dust - *scowled* "We are at the wrong place."

Geno - "How can you tell?"

Dust - "This isn’t Horror’s cooking."

Killer and Cross tasted the food and nodded in agreement. They all began to look around.

Cross - "Dudes, where exactly are we?"

Geno , "Everyone calm down. First, let’s just lea—" *interrupted*

Geno couldn’t finish his sentence, as everyone suddenly began to clap. They all turned around to see what everyone was looking at. On stage stood a human and a monster: the human was a woman in a white dress, while the monster was a man in an elegant suit.

Everyone - *shocked* "We are at a wedding!!!"

Dust - *looking at Epic and Cross* "How did we end up here?!"

Epic - "We all decided to enter, bruh; don’t be blaming us, bruh!"

Geno - "Everyone, calm down. Let’s just get out of here."

Dust - *listening to Paps* "There’s a problem."

Cross - *listening to Chara* "We are trapped!"

Paps and Chara had gone to check the exit and noticed guards stationed nearby. They concluded that they were locked in, which in turn sent everyone into a panic, and suddenly the situation went into chaos.

Killer and Color dashed around the wedding venue, panic mode activated. Meanwhile, Cross and Epic remained frozen near the food area, paralyzed by the chaos unfolding around them, though they were ready to attack with their rubber chickens in case of anything. Dust and Geno were desperately trying to find an exit, but every time they made a move, they were stopped by another guest wanting to chat.

The bride radiated happiness as she basked in the joy of her perfect day. However, as she caught sight of the six skeletons running amok, her smile began to fade, replaced by a sense of annoyance. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that her husband's family was different and that she just had to endure their antics for a little longer.

The groom, on the other hand, found the skeletons amusing. He had no idea who they were, but he thought they must be friends of his bride, and he was more than happy to enjoy the entertainment they provided.

Dust and Geno regrouped with Cross and Epic, clearly frustrated.

Dust - “What the hell is wrong with this place!? There are no other exits!”

Epic - “Bruh, calm down”

Dust took a deep breath, while Cross started to eat some of the food, making some crunch noises.

Geno - “Well, we need a plan,”

Cross - *mouth full* “Like, *munch* what?”

Just then, a loud crash interrupted them. They turned to see Color sprawled on the floor, a puddle of champagne below him, meanwhile Killer stood near him. He tried to help Color up, but Killer slipped and fell backward, accidentally knocking over the wedding cake. The bride let out a scream as she was engulfed in frosting and cake layers.

The groom rushed over to uncover his bride, while the skeletons hastily moved to assist Color and Killer.

Bride - *covered in cake, glaring, furious* “I. Want. Them. OUT!!!”

Epic - *looks at the groom* “Bruh, those anger issues be major red flags, fr fr”

Bride - “SHUT UP!!”

Epic quickly step behind Cross, using him as a shield.

Groom - “Love, calm down. There’s no need to get mad at your friends,”

Bride - *confused, while a piece of cake falls off her* “Aren't they your family?”

Groom - *looks from his bride to the skeletons, confused* “Who are you guys?”

The group exchanged glances, then nodded in unison, deciding on the most logical course of action.

Everyone - “RUN!!!!”

They bolted toward the door, where the guards stood ready to block their escape. However, in a moment of sheer desperation, they all teleported outside and continued running.

Once they reached a nearby park, they collapsed onto the grass, laughing as they processed the absurdity of what had just happened.

As they settled down and began to chat and enjoy each other's company, Killer's phone buzzed with an incoming call from Nightmare.

Nightmare - “Where are you guys?”

Killer - *looks around* “Uhhh… in a park,”

Nightmare - *sighs* “Alright, well come to the cafe. The food and everything is ready,”

Killer - “Well, we got a little lost, soooo can you come get us?”

Killer heard a heavy sigh from Nightmare before the line went silent. A moment later, black goop appear below all of them, startling everyone, yet no one reacted fast enough and fell through the goop.

In an instant, they were all teleported to the party, where they found, Horror looking worried and Ccino leaning back, relaxed, while Nightmare just sigh and shooks his head.

Horror - *looks at them, smiles* “You guys, .. are back! Quick, come eat”

Everyone grinned and rushed to the food, their earlier chaos forgotten as they dove into the delicious buffet. Nightmare couldn’t help but wonder why Color, Epic, and Geno, were with the other three, though he decided to let them enjoy the moment. After all, they had made it to the party, and that was what truly mattered.

Killer continued to hold onto the ball, seemingly unconcerned. He turned around and spotted more toys, quickly heading in that direction.

As the group walked further down the food aisle, Cross noticed a variety of chocolate and hurried over to choose the best one. However, he was faced with so many options, he struggled to decide.

Dust was gradually falling asleep; he had spent all night talking with Paps and watching movies that Paps wanted to see, leaving him quite tired. With each step, he grew slower until he finally lay down in the middle of the aisle.

Killer emerged from the toy aisle and looked around, finding no one in sight.

Killer - *hugging a plush toy* “Oh, oh”

Feeling scared, he quickly returned to the aisle.

Cross finally chose a chocolate, but when he turned around, he realized the group was gone.

Cross - *confused* “What? Where’s everyone?”

Chara - *smirked* “They left you.”

Panic surged through Cross; he didn’t want to be alone again. He quickly tried to move to another aisle to search for them but was stopped by Chara.

Chara - “Relax, I’m joking! They didn’t leave you; you just got separated, okay? You stay here, and I’ll look around the store to see if I can find them, alright?”

Cross nodded, and Chara floated away while Cross sat down in the candy aisle.

Paps was at a loss for what to do; his brother had fallen asleep right in the middle of the condiments aisle, a condiment aisle! He understood why and if they were being honest it was Paps fault. Dust was so tired, but they hadn’t known there was going to be a party the very next day. Had they known, they would have rescheduled their movie night. Now, Paps floated around, throwing things at anyone who got too close to make them go away.

Paps - *grabbing a bottle of ketchup and mustard* “I’ve got to protect my brother!”

Killer still hadn’t moved; he was planning to build a toy fort but didn’t want to make too much noise and risk getting kicked out. At the end of the aisle, he saw a strange multicolored light that changed every second or two. Intrigued, Killer quickly ran toward the light. Turning the corner, he saw another skeleton. This one had a broken skull on both the right and left sides, from which a type of rainbow flame flickered. The skeleton quickly got into a fighting stance, surprised by Killer’s sudden appearance.

Killer - *turning around, unfazed* “You are no salvation light”

He returned to his aisle, with a pout. The other skeleton looked at him in confusion, remaining on guard and close to Killer, just in case he did something.

Cross was like an unmoving statue, as numerous humans and monsters passed by him, without a second glance. He closed his eyes, attempting to calm himself. Suddenly, he felt someone sit next to him. Opening his eyes, he saw a figure next to him, they were wearing a black and purple jacket, their hoodie obscuring their face.

Cross leaned closer and realized it was indeed a skeleton. He returned to his previous position, closing his eyes again; he didn’t want to cause any trouble. He sensed something getting closer, he opened his right eye, only to find a plastic chicken with its mouth wide open. The creature suddenly emitted a horrible noise, causing Cross to jump back. The skeleton burst into laughter, leaving Cross feeling somewhat dumbfounded.

Paps was doing everything he could to keep his brother safe, but he was beginning to get tired. Moving things took a lot of energy, and he had been at it for quite some time. He floated over to Dust and lay down next to him. Just before closing his eyes, he spotted another skeleton turning the corner. With his last ounce of strength, he threw a bottle of black pepper, but the skeleton caught it effortlessly. Exhausted, Paps floated down and, without warning, fell asleep.

The skeleton noticed Dust lying in the aisle and cautiously approached him. Upon realizing that Dust was asleep, the skeleton gently picked him up and carried him towards the pillow aisle.

Killer could feel the other skeleton staring him down, he didn’t like it. So, he got up, grabbed a cow plush, and left the aisle. However, the skeleton followed him, causing Killer to feel creeped out. In an attempt to lose him, he started making sharp turns. The skeleton noticed this and accepted the challenge; soon, they were engaged in a playful game of hide-and-seek.

Cross began playing with the rubber chicken that the skeleton had given him as an apology for scaring him. He glanced over at the skeleton and noticed he was looking the variety of chocolates on display. Cross got up and began helping him choose.

The skeleton constructed a little fort for Dust. He had heard about Dust and the others through Reaper, but being next to a member of the Bad Sanses was quite the experience, even if said member was asleep. He could sense that something was watching his every move, he concluded it must be Dust, to see if he could truly fall asleep with him nearby. The skeleton relaxed and sat next to Dust, also ready for a little nap.

Killer and the other skeleton were now hiding from the employees. They hadn’t been very quiet, and now they had to make their escape. The two skeletons were hiding among the clothes, trying to blend in. When an employee peered through the racks, they both jumped out, laughing, and running away together, scaring the employee in the process.

Chara returned, having found no one in the checkout area or anywhere else. Upon his return, he spotted Cross with another skeleton, both immersed in selecting various chocolates, both had at least 20 chocolate bars in their arms. Chara noticed an employee approaching them. Suddenly, the skeleton: turn around, pulled out a rubber chicken, squeezed it, making it emitted a horrible sound, the skeleton laugh, the skeleton grabbed Cross's hand and ran away, leaving the employee utterly dumbfounded.

The skeleton and Dust were peacefully sleeping. Paps had recharged and was ready to protect both of them. He was currently doing just that. Some employees had discovered the fort and attempted to dismantle it, but every time they tried, the fort “magically” rebuilt itself. This only frustrated the employees, who had to put in more effort to take it down, but Paps was determined not to let that happen.

Unfortunately for all the skeletons, they eventually got caught. Killer and his companion were thrown out with a warning, but Killer managed to keep the plush. Cross and the skeleton were also asked to leave, but they complied without hesitation, though they payed for the chocolates before heading out. Dust and the skeleton were roused from their slumber, leaving without fully grasping the situation; they were simply too sleepy to realize what was happening.

Once outside, they all spotted each other.

Killer - *smiling* “Hey, guys!”

Cross - *looks at Chara* “I thought you said no one else was here?”

Chara - “And he wasn’t! I don’t know where he came from!”

Dust - *yawns* “Paps get some rest, *yawns* did we all got separated?”

Killer - “Yup, but that’s not important right now. Look! *shows off his new friend* This is my new bestie westie! His name is, uh… *looks at the skeleton* What’s your name?”

Skeleton - *chuckles* “Color,”

Killer - “His name is Color!”

Cross - “Well, I also got a new friend. *looks at his own companion, smiling* What’s your name?”

Skeleton - *grins* “Name's Epic, bruh”

Cross - *smiles brightly* “That’s so epic, dude!”

Dust - *rolls his eyes, yawning* “He’s Geno, Reaper’s boyfriend.”

Geno - *blushed, quickly turns around* “He is not my boyfriend! We are only friends!”

Dust - *almost falling asleep* “Yeah, .. sure,”

They all continued chatting when, yet again, another employee approached and told them to leave.

Reaper was happily eating his cookies while drinking some tea with Life. He hadn't given an explanation; he just sat down and started to eat, which didn't bother Life. She knew that Reaper was happy, and that was all that mattered. “I should visit Night more often if this is what I'm going to eat, though they are too chocolaty,” Reaper thought as he quickly drank some tea to appease the invading chocolate flavor.

Shatter prepared the table; he had invited the others in. Ink and Yan appeared almost at the same time. Shatter smiled and gestured for them to sit down. They did, a bit hesitantly. Once seated, they enjoyed the cheesecake while Shatter tried to make conversation, and to his luck, the others joined in. Even after they finished, they continued to talk the whole day. “I should bake something for Dust and the others as a thank-you gift,” Shatter thought as Yan shared some gossip he had heard from various AUs.

Dream was munching on the muffins while at their clubhouse. He was very happy. He was glad that his brother hadn't forgotten the special dessert they had once enjoyed together. Ink and Blur entered the clubhouse, and once Dream noticed them, he put down his muffin. “It's now or never, and I need them to know,” Dream thought, encouraging himself, as he sat them down; he definitely needed to talk to them.

Ccino was eating some of the brownies while drinking hot milk. His little cats were around him, some trying to eat a piece of the brownie, though he didn't let them. He was enjoying his time reading a book that was given to him by Nightmare. He smiled, “They surely have come a long way. I just hope that one day everyone sees what I see,” Ccino thought as he raised his hand, making the kittens' mission, a failed attempted.

Meanwhile, the guys were each happy with their deserts.

Cross – *eating the cookies* “These are perfect!!”

Everyone – *eating their deserts* “Agreed!”

Nightmare – *shocked, a bit nostalgic, looks at Horror* “How? How did you know?”

Horror – *eating cinnamon rolls* “I got help from a golden apple.”

Nightmare looked at the muffin, then he smiled and continued eating.

Error – “Thïs chëesëçâke îs gøød; ît's thë bësṭ øne Î'vë èvër hâd.”

Papyrus – “Yay! He did like it!”

Killer – *eating his brownies* “Who would have thought that you liked something that doesn't contain chocolate?”

Error – “Î’m nøt Crøss.”

Cross – *offended* “Hey!”

Chara – “It's true, though.”

Chara earn a glare from Cross.

Error – *looks at Killer* “Dîd yøu … dìď yoʻû lîkë thë brøwnîës?”

Killer – “I loved them! They really hit the spot.”

Error smiled; he hadn't been so confident as before, but now he was glad Killer liked the brownies.

Cross – *looks at Horror* “What about you, Horror? Oh, you're already done, guess they were good”

Horror smiled and nodded. Everyone continued to enjoy their delicious desserts.

Lust looked at Cross, a little confused, but he shook his head, and they both got to work, with Cross following Lust's instructions since he knew more.

Lust – *kneading the dough* “So, why are you doing this?”

Cross – *doing the same* “Well, the others and I decided to bake for each other, and I got Horror. Since he has a sweet personality, I immediately thought of cinnamon rolls.”

Chara – *wondering* “Wouldn’t that be cannibalism?”

Lust – *surprised, steps back* “Wait, you’re part of the Bad Sanses?!”

Cross – “Um, yes. But like I said, today we aren't destroying anything; we’re just baking.”

Lust – *confused and a little scared* “And you said this was for that big, scary skeleton? I heard stories of how-” *interrupted by a loud bang*

Chara – “Oh, oh.”

Cross – *his fist on the counter, looks at him, angry* “This is my only warning: don’t talk bad about Horror. He may seem scary, but he has a kind and sweet soul. I don’t want you to judge him or say anything negative about him, just like I didn’t judge you when you were acting like a… *sighs, calming down* like a flirt. So I ask that you do the same.”

Lust stayed quiet. He hadn't realized that maybe those “monster” could be actually nice. He looked at Cross and smiled.

Lust – “Sorry, you’re right. I acted like a jerk. Um, can you, .. can you tell me more about your friends?”

Cross – *smiles* “Yeah, I have tons of stories. You see, a week ago, Dust—” *he continues talking.*

Cross spent the time telling Lust about their shenanigans.

Killer used Stretch's folded arms as a stand to read the baking book. He had found the perfect recipe.

Killer – “Alright, so we are making a carrot cake.”

Killer quickly got to work, searching through the kitchen for the ingredients. Meanwhile, Stretch was curious, did Killer really want to bake and not cause any trouble?

Stretch yawned and looked up at the excited Killer, who now had all the ingredients on the counter. Stretch grabbed the book and started to read the instructions. They both got to work; Killer made some changes, but Stretch made sure to quickly fixed them.

Stretch – “So, what kind of poison are you going to put in the cake?”

Killer – *whisking* “Love!!~~🎶🎶”

Stretch – *chuckles* “For whom is it?”

Killer – “The most difficult one, Dust.”

Stretch – *raises an eyebrow* “He likes carrot cake?”

Killer – “Nope, he hates it. It's too sweet for him, but that's why I added less sugar and changed a few things.”

Stretch – *about to eat some of the mixture* “Wait, that's what you were doing? Oops.”

Killer – “Why 'oops'?”

Stretch – “Well, I saw you making the changes, but I thought you didn't know, so I added the rest of the necessary ingredients.”

Killer – *looks at him expressionlessly* “... *smiles* Ha ha, alright, thanks for having my back. But now we’ll have to make another batch. *looks at the counter* Good thing we still have enough ingredients.”

Stretch – “For a moment, I thought you were going to kill me.”

Killer – *making another batch* “Ha ha, what do you think I am? A killer? … Don’t answer that.”

Stretch – “I never imagined Nightmare would let any of you do activities like this.”

Killer – “Oh, he lets us do more than just this. I know his reputation is bad and all, but all he wants is peace and balance.”

Stretch – “Mmm … can you tell me more stories about your little activities?”

Killer – “Sure! You see, barely yesterday, Cross and I—” *continues talking.*

Stretch listened to Killer's stories about the shenanigans he and Cross had gotten into, reminiscing about the times he and his brother had done similar activities, though that had been a long time ago. Both continued to make the cakes.

Reaper watched as Nightmare grabbed all the ingredients while reading the book.

Reaper – “So whose idea was this?”

Nightmare – *measuring the ingredients* “Error's.”

Reaper – “Wow, I didn't take him for the baking type … How have you been?”

Nightmare – “I'm alright. It doesn't hurt anymore.”

Reaper - “What about him? Is he ok?“

Nightmare - “Yeah, … he left a long time ago, ... he is finally at peace”

Reaper - “… That's good, he deserves to finally rest”

Both stayed quiet, Nightmare continued adding the chocolate chips to the batter.

Reaper – *sees the large amount of chocolate chips* “Woah, who is this for?”

Nightmare – “It's for Cross. He likes chocolaty things, and he usually complains that cookies don't have enough chocolate chips, so I'll make sure these have plenty.”

Reaper – *taking the bag away* “Yeah, and that amount is enough!”

Nightmare chuckled as Reaper hid the bag.

Nightmare – “Alright, can you pass me the eggs?”

Reaper – *giving him the eggs* “Have you … have you talked to Dream?”

Nightmare – “No, I've been thinking about it, but I don't know what to do.”

Reaper – “Yeah, but I think you do need to put some sense into them.”

Nightmare – “Why?”

Reaper – “They asked me to stop doing my job.”

Nightmare – “What!? That's dumb. They should at least know that life and death need to be in harmony.”

Reaper – *shrugs and continues making the cookies* “I don't know what they were thinking. Though they stopped when Life (Deathtale Toriel) told them that my job was necessary.”

Nightmare let out a groan of frustration but then relaxed.

Nightmare – “Forget it. Let them do whatever they want. I only have one job, and that is to keep the negative feelings alive through the AUs, not to babysit them.”

Reaper – *smiles* “Alright. *sees the huge chunk of mixture* What is that!?”

Nightmare – *looks at him, confused* “The cookie.”

Reaper – “Nooo, a cookie is like this.” *shows his little cookie ball.*

Nightmare – “No, that won't do. This is for Cross, and he likes very chocolaty and big cookies.”

Reaper – “You are going to give him a stomachache.”

Nightmare – *chuckles and smiles* “That's the whole point.”

Reaper looked at him in shock, while Nightmare could only imagine the happy face of Cross.

Shatter got all of the ingredients ready while Dust measured everything.

Shatter – “Alright, so what type of cheesecake, cold or hot?”

Dust – “What? There are two types?”

Shatter – “Yes, one is placed in the cooler, and after some time, it's ready. The other is baked in the oven, then cooled, and then it’s ready.”

Dust – “Well, umm, maybe we could do the cold one.”

Papyrus – “Brother, I think it would be better to do both. That way, he gets one, and you get the other!”

Dust – “Right, thanks, bro. *looks at Shatter* How about we make both?”

Shatter – “Alright, well, we first need to make the pie base with crackers.”

Both started baking. Shatter showed Dust how to do everything while Papyrus looked around.

Papyrus – *coming back to the kitchen* “I haven't seen the others.”

Dust – “You are right. I only saw the one that was here before, but I haven't seen him since. *looks at Shatter* Where are the others?”

Shatter – *sighs, a little sad* “Don't know. Don't care.”

Dust – “Woah, what happened?”

Shatter – “We had a… small argument, and well, we haven't talked in a while.”

Dust – “Mmm, I get it.”

Shatter – *raises an eyebrow* “Have you ever fought with the others?”

Dust – “Half the time, but we reconcile quickly.”

Shatter – “How?”

Dust – “Well, I don't know. I guess we are just really close, so after cooling down, we talk with each other again.”

Papyrus – “Tell him to invite them to eat the pie!”

Dust – “After we’re done, you could give them some of the pie.”

Shatter stayed quiet for a bit and then nodded, a smile on his face. Both continued working in comfortable silence.

Dream was able to convince Toriel, and now both he and Horror were getting the ingredients ready. It was more of Horror doing everything, while Dream provided emotional support.

Dream – *looking at him work* “I thought you said that the whole reason everyone got partners was because you guys didn't know how to bake?”

Horror – *whisking* “Hmm? Oh no, .. I do know how, but they said we .. had to do it with a partner.”

Dream – “Oh, … I want to ask something.”

Horror – “What’s, wrong?”

Dream – “Well, I can tell that you are kind, but why do you and the others destroy the AUs?”

Horror – *stops for a bit and looks at Dream* “What Nightmare, .. told us was that it, was to keep, .. the balance.”

Dream – *confused* “Keep the balance?”

Horror – “Yes. You see, .. to maintain a good balance, between the AUs, there needs to be both negative, .. and positive feelings. We cause despair, .. you guys cause hope, and that keeps, the balance.”

Dream – *looks down, a bit shaken* “I—... don't … I—... Night … *whispers* sorry” *starts crying*

Horror looked at Dream in surprise; he hadn't expected him to cry. Horror stopped what he was doing and went to hug Dream. Dream hugged Horror back, unable to believe that his brother was holding such a responsibility. He had thought that everything was because of the corrupt apples. He felt ashamed of himself. He had heard and seen monsters and humans talk bad and even curse his brother, yet he hadn't done anything, thinking that his brother deserve it. But now he understood—Nightmare just wanted to protect the universe in his own way.

After a while, Dream calmed down and let Horror continue baking.

Dream – “What are you making?”

Horror – “Apple, cinnamon, muffins.”

Dream – *stops and looks at him, surprised* “Is it for my brother?”

Horror – “Yeah, this is one, .. if not the only dessert he, eats and enjoys.”

Dream smiled. Truth be told, before everything happened, before they got separated, Dream used to bake apple cinnamon muffins for Nightmare on special occasions, and Nightmare always enjoyed them, giving Dream a big smile. Dream was glad that his brother still liked the dessert he had personalized for him. Dream saw Horror starting to put the mixture into the tray.

Dream – *smiles and gets close* “I recommend putting some pieces of sour apple in the batter.”

Horror – “Hmmm? .. Why?”

Dream – *cutting some Granny Smith Apples* “He liked the chunks of sour apple in the muffins.”

Horror smiled and nodded as they both continued baking.

Ccino and Error got everything ready; Error had wanted to bake some fudgy brownies.

Ccino – *measuring the ingredients* “Alright, well, to make this is quite simple, so don't worry, we will be done very soon.”

Error – “Ît døësn’t mâtter; wë dØn’t hâve â tîmër.”

Ccino – “Oh good, then we can make it even more perfect!”

Both got to work while Ccino told Error some stories that had happened in the café, and Error shared some of the shenanigans the others would get up to.

Ccino – *stirring* “Oh, I forgot to ask, for whom are these?”

Error – “Før Kîllër. Î sâw hîm wâtchîng sømë vîdëøs øn h0w tø mākë brøwnîës, and I could see drool falling from his mouth”

Ccino – *smiles* “So that's why you chose this activity.”

Error – *shrugs, smiling* “MâYbë.”

Ccino – *looks down* “I'm glad all of you are happy together.”

Error – “Yëah, ât fîrst ît fëlt wëîrd, bût n0w ît fëels lîkë ân ëvërydâÿ thîng … h0w dîd yøu mëët Nîght?”

Ccino – “Well, it's a bit of a long story, but to make it short, he came into the café one day. He looked very tired, so I treated him like any other customer. Though I’m not going to lie, he did scare me a bit. But as I got to know him more, I discovered that he was a gentle skeleton, one who worried about everyone even if he didn't show it. That's when I decided to be his friend, and well, the rest is history.”

Error smiled; he knew what Ccino meant. The first time he had met Night, Error had immediately attacked him. Yet, even after taking a few hits, Night didn't fight back and instead helped him relax. That allowed Night to convince him to join and be part of the family.

Ccino – “I know what a huge burden he must carry, so I was planning on throwing a mini party for him to appreciate everything he’s done, oh but not only him if not for all of you too.”

Error – “Whÿ üş?”

Ccino – *smiles* “Nightmare is not the only one with a burden; all of you share it. Like you— you have to destroy a lot of AUs that Ink creates. It's not because you are evil, but because you don't want anything to happen to the universe.”

Error blushed, embarrassed. He didn't think anyone noticed his efforts or how he protected the universe. He knew Ink would forget that there needed to be a balance, so he had decided to take the responsibility of destroying some of the AUs to maintain that balance, he had decided to act the role of the villain.

Error – *blushing* “Thânks, bût thëre îs nø nëed.”

Ccino – “Well, I think it's important to recognize your achievements.”

Error – *whispers* “Thânks.”

Error turned around, still embarrassed, while Ccino smiled and poured the batter into the tray.

Everyone finally finished, and they returned home, but not before thanking their helpers and leaving half of what they baked for them.

Skeleton - *Smirking* “I've never seen a cutie like you before~~. From which AU do you come from~?”

Cross remained silent, deep in thought. “Hmm, maybe the portal brought me here because he knows how to bake … Alright! I’ll trust the portal's choice,” he mused with a smile, making the skeleton a bit uneasy.

The skeleton opened his mouth, about to speak, but Cross was faster.

Cross - “Do you know how to bake?”

Skeleton - *a bit surprised* “Umm, well yes *smirking, flirty* “I know how to bake very well~”

Cross - “Alright then, umm... can we bake at your house?”

Skeleton - *Surprised* “Umm, yeah, .. follow me~”

The skeleton, who later introduced himself as Lust, guided Cross to his house. However, Lust had a strange feeling that this baking session might involve actual baking.

Killer had arrived in a pacifist AU. Of all the AUs, he thought this one would be his best shot, even if it wasn't exactly neutral. As Killer wandered around, he felt a powerful aura behind him.

Killer - *Smiling and raising his hands as he turns around* “Hey, I’m not here to fight—” *interrupted*

Stretch (Swap Papyrus) glared at him, never lowering his guard.

Stretch - *threatening* “What do you want?”

Killer - “Just a little help—” *interrupted again*

Stretch - “Well, you’d better go somewhere else; no one here will help you,”

Killer - *Annoyed* “Stop interrupting me! Besides, you don’t even know what I need help with.”

Stretch - “Probably something evil,”

Killer - *smiles* “Yeah, I need help baking an evil cake.”

Stretch - *confused* “Evil cake?”

Killer - “Well, no, it’s actually a normal cake”

Stretch - “Why do you need to bake a cake?”

Killer - *With a bright smile* “I’ll tell you if you help meeeeee!”

Stretch sighed and nodded. Killer did a little dance of happiness.

Killer - “Oh, but we’ll have to make it at your place,”

Stretch - *Immediately* “No.”

Killer - “Yes! Everyone has to be in different places”

Stretch sighed and teleported to his kitchen, with Killer right behind him. Stretch remained suspicious of Killer's true motives and planned to keep a close eye on him.

Nightmare didn’t have many people he could “hang” around with, mostly due to his reputation. Even some neutral AUs avoided him. “Maybe I should do it alone; after all, I already sent Error to him anyway,” Nightmare thought as he continued to pass through AUs. He stopped when he felt a deathly aura.

Reaper - “Wow, how surprising it is to see you without a book”

Nightmare - “Well, I’m a bit busy to be reading, and I do have a book”

Reaper - *smirks* “Going to destroy another AU? And without your gang? Wow,”

Nightmare - “No, not today. Today is a baking day,”

Reaper - *Surprised* “You know how to bake?”

Nightmare - *Taking out the baking book,* “No, but now I do.”

Reaper - *Chuckling* “Let me help you.”

Nightmare - *Raising an eyebrow* “You know how to bake?”

Reaper - *Smiling* “No, but now I will.”

Nightmare - *Rolling his eyes* “Alright, just don’t add any of your death scent.”

Reaper smiled and followed Nightmare to his castle.

Dust teleported to a specific AU after getting the hang of Error's magic. He quickly blocked an attack and looked up to see the skeleton he wanted to bake with.

Shatter Dream – *ready to attack again* “What are you doing here?”

Dust – “Calm down; I'm not here to fight.”

Shatter – “Just to make it clear, I won't build another treehouse. I’d prefer to fight than do that ever again.”

Dust – *chuckles* “Well, it’s not exactly building a treehouse.”

Shatter – “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Dust – *chuckles* “Nah, it’s nothing too bad. Just baking.”

Shatter – *smiles brightly, lowers his tentacles, and quickly teleports near Dust* “Why didn't you say so!?”

Shatter quickly teleported Dust and himself to his kitchen, surprising Yan.

Yan – “Whoa!”

Shatter – *teleports Yan away* “Alright, now what do you want to bake?” *uses his tentacles to grab several baking books* “We can bake bread, cakes, cookies, pies, and so much more.”

Dust – *perplexed* “Whoa, I didn't think you liked to bake.”

Shatter – “It's just a little hobby.”

Dust – *counting the books, surprised by how many there are* “A little!?”

Shatter – *chuckles* “Well, what do you want to bake?”

Horror was pacing through AUs, unsure of where to go. He knew Saejun (Farm Sans) was very busy; after all, it was harvest season. As Horror wandered, he found himself in a park and sat down, watching the ducks. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the skeleton beside him.

Skeleton – *tapping his shoulder* “What’s got you so worried?”

Horror quickly moved away, surprised to see that it was Dream.

Dream – *putting his hands up* “Calm down, I won't attack you.”

Horror sat down again, though he kept his guard up.

Dream – “… So, what’s got you so worried?”

Horror – “Well, I need to bake, something .. with a partner, but my friend is busy, .. and the others also have, .. to bake.”

Dream stayed quiet, he wanted to help but unsure if Horror would accept his offer.

Dream – “Well, I may not be a very good baker, but I can help you if you want.”

Horror – *smiles, a little surprised* “Really? .. You’d like, to help .. me?”

Dream – *smiling* “Yes.”

Horror – “Alright! Oh, but umm…”

Dream – “What’s wrong?”

Horror – “We need to, use another kitchen; .. after all, Night is .. going to use the castle's, kitchen.”

Dream – *surprised, whispers* “Night? … *talks normally* Well, don't worry. We can use the one in this AU. I'll just ask, and we can get to baking.”

Horror nodded and followed Dream toward Toriel's house.

Error arrived in Flufftale, knowing exactly who to ask for help. He entered the café, and the skeleton behind the counter gave him a warm, calm smile.

Ccino – “Hello, Error! The same as always?”

Error – “Nø thåńks; Î çâme tø reqùëst sømëthîng.”

Ccino – “Well, anything for a friend.”

Error – “Yøu sēë, wë ârë båkîng fòr ëâçh øther, ând sîncë sømë øf us døn't knøw h0w tø båkë, înclùdîng më, wë dëcîdëd tø gët pârtnërs. Î thøught, ümm, yøu cøùld, ümm, hëlp mè…ønlÿ îf yøu wånt tø.”

Ccino – *smiling* “Oh, of course! I'll help! Come over here.”

Ccino opened the little door for Error to pass behind the counter. Error followed Ccino to the kitchen, feeling happy that his request had been accepted.

He could still remember their first meeting as if it were yesterday. Nightmare had decided to visit the café, he likes to enjoy a black coffee while reading. Since Error didn't want to be involved in the others' shenanigans, he accompanied Nightmare.

Error had been surprised by how relaxed Nightmare was in the café and how chatty he became with Ccino. Error felt a bit weird and curious about what Nightmare saw in that particular skeleton. So, he visited repeatedly, and slowly he began to understand why, Ccino was a calm and understanding skeleton, someone you could consider a big brother or a good friend.

Error was just glad that he had received Night's hints to come here. The truth was that Night had sent him here, knowing that Error was uncomfortable or, to put it nicely, not accustomed to interacting with others. Therefore, before they left, Night had nudged Error to visit Flufftale, and Error had deliberately taken the bait.

Dust - *angry* “Killer and Cross are eating all the pie without leaving anything for anyone, including Horror”

Horror - *pats Dust's back* “It's okay”

Killer - *finishing his third slice* “Well, how can you blame us? Horror's baking is delicious.”

Horror - *smiled* “Thanks”

Error - “Stîll, yøu gùys shøuld lęarn tŏ cøńtröl yøuršęlvęs. Âftër âll, yøu knöw h0w mùch wørk Hørrør pùt íntø thât pįę ând âll thę øthër båkëd gøødš hę hâš mādë.”

Killer and Cross looked down, with puppy eyes. Error sighed; he didn't enjoy reprimanding them, especially over food. They always had enough, but he knew Dust was right: they couldn’t just hog everything without leaving some for the others. He glanced at the nearly devoured pie and suddenly an idea struck him.

Error - “Î’vë gøt ân îdëâ.”

Everyone - “Oh no.”

Error - *smiles* “Ît's nØthîng bâd. Î prøpøsë thât âll øf us, înclùdîng mè ând Nîght, båkë sømëthîng.”

Cross - “Like what?”

Error - “Ânythîng Thë pøînt ís tø båke sømëthîng fòr ânøthër skëlëtøń. Før ëxâmplë, Î’ll båkë sømëthîng fòr Kîllër, Kîllër wîll båkë sømëthîng fòr Crøss, ând Crøss wîll båkë sømëthîng fòr më.”

Dust - *smiles* “I like that idea… *listening to Papyrus* Papyrus says we should draw names to see who we’ll bake for, since we could accidentally end up with the same skeleton.”

They all nodded, and Killer got up to go to Night's room to share the news.

Horror - *nervous* “I'm a bit, worried.”

Dust - “Don't worry. If you don't like what someone makes for you, you can always give it to me or someone else.”

Horror - “It's not, that; .. I just... well...”

Error - *smiling* “Yøu’ré wørrîëd thât wë’ll bûrn d0wn thë kîtçhën, rîght?”

Horror - “Yes. I know, all of you can handle, .. yourselves, but none of you, .. have cooked alone before.”

Cross - *finishing his slice* “Well, how about we get someone to cook with us? Maybe skeletons from neutral AUs? That way, we can cook in their AUs, and the chosen skeleton won't know what the others are baking.”

Dust - *scowled* “Ugh, I—” *pausing to listen to Papyrus* “Yeah, he could work ... *looks at everyone* alright.”

Killer entered, looking happy, while a grumpy Nightmare followed behind him.

Nightmare - “What’s this about baking?”

Error quickly explained the situation to Nightmare and summarized what had been discussed. By the end, they all agreed to draw names. Once that was done, they went their separate ways, with Nightmare being the only one allowed to return to the castle for obvious reasons.

Nightmare and Error shared some of their power so that the others could navigate through AUs. Since Killer was accustomed to Night's power, he had no problem, but the others faced challenges. Horror was being careful, trying to avoid glitching into a dangerous AU or somewhere he wouldn't survive. Dust struggled to contain the negative energy but still managed to pass through the portals safely. Cross, on the other hand, found himself falling through AUs unexpectedly; sometimes, portals would open beneath him without warning and drag him in. Eventually, he just gave up trying to control it.

Nightmare raised the pet transporter he had been carrying. Shatter, Fallen, and Yan could see a white cat with brown spots happily sleeping inside.

Killer - *realization* “Ohhh, was today her vet visit? No wonder I didn't see her around.”

Nightmare - “Yes, and I had to go since you were so busy with your games.”

Killer took out the cat and began petting her.

Nightmare - “I still don't understand why they *pointing at the Fallen Stars* are here.”

Error - "Â fūšïon hàppëned, ând wëll, sîncë bôth grōūps wërë âbōut tô stârt fîghtîng, wë dëcîdëd tô hâvë â cômpeŧîtîon tô sēë whô cōuld bùild thë bësť trëëhôusë."

Nightmare - *looks at the treehouses, whispers* “With those houses? I don't think none of them will win *Sighs, normal voice* alright then, continue. I’ll go back to my room.”

Killer - *smiles* “Oh come on Night, wouldn’t you like to know who wins?”

Nightmare - “No.”

Error stepped in front of Nightmare, and they engaged in a brief staring contest, which ended with Error winning. While Nightmare and Error examined the houses, everyone else patiently awaited the verdict.

Error - "Âlright, nów we ârë gōîng tô chōōse sŏmēōne, wîthōut bëîng bîâsed, tô bë thë wînner ând këep thïs ÂŪ."

Nightmare - *surprised, confused* “Wait, what!?”

Error - *smiles* "Âlright, lëť’s stârt!"

Error quickly explained to Nightmare what was happening. Though he was not happy about it, Nightmare played along. Both skeletons inspected the houses carefully and finally arrived at a decision after two seconds.

Error - "Ťhë wînnërs ârë thë Fâllëń Stârs!"

Killer - *angry* “What!?”

Cross - *looks at Killer* “Why are you angry? You weren’t even the one who built it! *looks at Nightmare* And why did they win!?”

Nightmare - “They have a beautiful railing.”

Cross and Dust were left speechless, while Horror was happy that it had finally ended.

Fallen - “I guess fighting the whole time worked out well.”

Shatter - *raises his tentacles, ready to attack* “Yes! Now we receive our prize!”

Nightmare - “Yes, your prize is being able to leave with your lives. Now get out.”

Nightmare quickly fixed the AUs without giving the Fallen Stars a second glance. Everything returned to normal, though one of the treehouses remained—the one the Fallen Stars had made.

Killer - *still petting Cupcake* “Well, at least we have a treehouse.”

Dust sighed, grabbed Cupcake, and left for the castle, ready for a nap. Everyone else followed, including Killer, and they all enjoyed a nice deserving rest.

Horror - “Okay, we need a, .. strong tree that, is healthy, .. and has a good, base. Hmm, .. I think one of the, apple .. trees would be, good.”

Cross and Dust nodded, quickly researching for a sturdy apple trees.

Yan - “So what type of tree do we want?”

Shatter - “Considering it has to be strong and healthy… I suggest a maple or a nut tree.”

Fallen and Yan nodded and began searching for one. Both teams found their trees and moved on to the second step: designing the house.

At this stage, both teams felt a bit lost and undecided, which made some of them a bit annoyed.

Dust - *annoyed* “Killer, I swear, I'm never letting you choose anything related to building unless YOU are doing it!”

Yan - *chuckled silently, looks at their designs, and groans* “Guys! I thought I mentioned that I wanted stairs!”

Fallen - “It does have stairs.”

Yan - “But not the ones I want! I want a staircase!”

Shatter and Fallen sighed and began redesigning their treehouse. Once both teams were finished, they moved on to step three: gathering materials.

Cross - “Okay, so what materials do we need?”

Dust - “We need wood.”

Cross - *glares* “No crap, Sherlock, what type of wood? Maple? Pine? Walnut?”

Dust - “That I don't know.”

Horror - “How about, we check .. the options at, the stores?”

Dust - “Good idea! I knew I could count on you, you are intelligent unlike Cross”

Cross glared at Dust, earning a chuckle from the skeleton. Killer opened a portal for them, and they all passed through, laughing and teasing Cross.

Shatter opened a portal, ready to step through, with Fallen right behind him.

Fallen - *reading the list* “Alright, we are getting oak wood and stained glass.”

Shatter stopped abruptly, causing Fallen to bump into him.

Shatter - *turns around quickly* “What? No, we are getting tinted glass and cedar wood”

Yan - *standing behind Fallen* “Nooooo, we are getting redwood and obscure glass!”

Shatter - *glares at him* “You don't even know what 'obscure' means!”

Yan - “Yes, I do!”

Killer - *frustrated* “Guys, go for your materials!”

They all passed through the portal, still arguing. Soon, both teams returned with their materials, ready for step four: building the platform.

Cross - “So, are we doing a rectangular platform or a square platform?”

Horror - “Rectangle. That way, .. we have enough, room.”

Dust - “Right, but how the hell did the employee say we should do it again?”

Cross - *reading his notes* “They said to use the TAB, and—” *he continues to read*

While Cross was reading the instructions, Dust and Horror efficiently built the platform. Meanwhile, the other team was experiencing some difficulties.

Shatter - “You shouldn't have cut the wood like that!”

Fallen - “You said to make it rectangular”

Shatter - “No, I said to make it in a semicircle, and then grab the other pieces of wood and cut them into squares!”

Yan - “Guys, I think we bought the wrong screws.”

Fallen and Shatter quickly turned to look at Yan. After some trial and error, both teams managed to finish their platforms without falling from the tree, though they were a bit wonky. Now, it was time for step five: constructing the walls.

Dust - “Okay, so four separate walls.”

Horror - “Let’s do it, .. like the platform, but higher.”

Cross & Dust - “Yes!”

They all started working on the four walls, while the other team was a bit confused.

Fallen - “We need to make them on separate platforms.”

Shatter - “Or we could do it faster and make them all together.”

Yan - “But Killer's instructions said we need to do them separately.”

Shatter - *frustrated* “Well, do whatever you guys want!”

Fallen - *sighs* “Come on, Shatter, don’t get angry. That’s just how it is, and besides, we don’t exactly have a timer.”

Shatter groaned, and they got to work.

Killer - “Oh, but remember to leave openings for the windows and door!”

Shatter & Dust - *annoyed* “You should've said so earlier!!”

Both teams finally finished and put up their walls, screwing them to the platform.

Killer - *reading aloud* “Uhhh… Oh! Now, with your magic, put the walls on the platform and screw them.”

Yan - “Why with magic?”

Killer - “Well, if you guys want to do it the hard way, then be my guest.”

Both teams quickly placed their walls on the platform, moving on to step six: adding the roof.

Killer - *mumbles as he reads* “Uhhhh, okay, it says here that uhhh, it's recommended to use a simple slope design, but use whatever you guys want.”

Error - *looking up from his knitting* "Tô bë hônëst, thë hôusëş ârë cômîng âlông quîte wëll."

Both teams began working on their roofs.

Cross - *grabs a part of the roof* “Okay, Horror, now let's put it together. Dust, you screw them together”

The two skeletons followed his instructions, efficiently assembling their roof. As for the other team, surprisingly, there were no problems this time.

Shatter - *using his tentacles* “Alright, Fallen, now screw them together while Yan puts the other materials on.”

Both skeletons nodded, and both teams got to work, finishing faster than in the previous steps. Now it was time for step seven: adding the floor.

Dust - “Wait, didn’t we already put down the floor?”

Killer replied, “Nooooo, ummm… it says here that the platform and the floor are different. Mmm, the floor is added to give it a solid structure—” *interrupted*

Dust - “Ok, shut up, I don’t actually care.”

Killer glared at Dust while Error and the others chuckled. Once they calmed down, they started on the floor. Surprisingly, this step was the easiest and most peaceful. Once they were done, they finally began putting on the final touches.

Killer - “Now guys, put in the ladder, stairs, or whatever. Also, put in the windows now too!”

Both teams quickly got to work, excited that they were almost done. As they finished the last touches with their paintbrushes, they suddenly felt a strong negative aura.