#tsamskillcode

Moon sat up first, looking around. The place they ended up was dark but he could see bolts of color here and there.

Namely purple.

He kept looking around until he saw a nearby pile of yellow and hurried over.

"Sun? Sun are you ok? You awake? Answer me!"

Moon was met with a groan.

"I don't...know about fine...I'm awake though."

Moon helped him sit up, noticing a faint tinge of purple creeping into his eyes.

"What do you meanby "I don't know about fine"?"

"I...I can feel Wither Shards. I can feel so many in every direction, they're literally everywhere here."

"That might not be good then." Moon said as his body scanned the area before he looked around, pulling Sun up with him.

"C'mon we gotta hide. Something's coming."

"W-what do you mean something-" Sun was cut off by the distant sounds of snapping branches.

"Ok never mind. Hiding now...where, exactly?"

"I don't know, just somewhere. I'm picking up...shit, two signals?...Oh fuck-" Moon risked an upwards glance behind him as they ran, spotting two rer, piercing, beady eyes following from three tree tops, one of which was accentuated with a purple scelera.

On the ground Moon saw red eyes swirled by purple on the right side and black on the left, chasing just as close as the ones in the trees.

"Fuck, keep running, there's a building ahead and two things after us!" Moon shouted as they sprinted.

For a brief moment, then, the sounds of running behind them stopped.

Then Sun went down with a loud yelp, making Moon slide to a stop and whirl around to him.

"Sun!?"

Sun kicked and struggled against what had tackled him down, feeling hands at his arms and shoulders.

"Why do you fight us, Sol?"

The recognition of the voice was followed by silence, then a low growl.

"This is not our Sun."

He heard the grin in his voice, and felt claws tap against his back.

In a moment of panicked thinking he released a wave of electricity across his body to stun Bloodmoon.

Then he heard metal hit metal and felt Bloodmoon's weight leave him and he quickly got up with Moon's help.

"Are you ok?"

"Uh yeah I-I think so? Where'd he go?" Sun grabbed hold of Moon and looked around for the blue and red animatronic and froze.

"Uh...M-Moon, I think we're in worse trouble..."

Moon looked to Sun and where he was looking and stared.

"Oh fuck."

Standing over Bloodmoon, who had gotten back up, was a huge lanky figure crouching over Bloodmoon, big red eyes piercing through them.

A chill ran through Moon's system.

Even from another dimension Moon didn't think he'd ever forget that face.

Killcode.

Killcode took his gaze from the two, reaching and picking up Bloodmoon, examining the faint scuffs on his body and dent in his face plate.

"Moon? Do you...I think he's distracted, should we try to run?" Sun whispered lowly to Moon to not alert either animatronic before them, as well as trying to contain the way his voice trembled.

"I don't think it would matter. Killcode is huge and Bloodmoon is fast. They'd catch up and kill us before we could blink." Moon whispered back to him.

Suddenly Killcode looked to them and started reaching for them, Bloodmoon now tucked and settled under his hat like a blanket.

Sun and Moon stumbled back a bit as they were grabbed and picked up, held surprisingly gently, and began to walk.

Moon was muttering to himself, going over every piece of data his system haf compiled about the dimension, keeping one hand on Sun's wrist.

He could hear his panicked mumbling and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Try to calm down. I'm not gonna let us die here."

"Moon. Do you see the size of this thing? Not to mention the both of them are like...drenched in Wither Shard energy...oh my god I think I can feel star power in Bloodmoon too."

"Yeah? Fuck that isn't good then..."

"Yeah no I don't think it is...I think I feel worse, Moon..."

Moon looked over at Sun to see him slightly swaying. With Killcode's current gait the way he swayed wasn't caused by the walking. Looking closer he saw the purple creeping into his eyes more.

He remembered a similar thing happening when they encountered Solstices' dragon for the first time.

"Sun? Hey, Sun stay with me now, c'mon." Moon gently shook Sun to get him back in his own head.

"Sun, come on, wake up damn it!"

Sun jolted and blinked, shaking his head. "Ugh what are you yelling for?"

"Sorry, but you zoned out again. Like you did with the dragon?"

"What? But why? There's no dragon here is there?"

"I don't think so, no. But it may be the energy coming off of these two that's affecting you instead..." Moon ran a quick diagnostic on Sun.

"Hm...yeah. After the dragon thing I upgraded the systems to pick up on negative star power or Wither Shard Energy, mostly to keep track of it, and make it easier on you for us finding them. System says it's settled inside you. Not a lot to really do anything, but we should try to not be around these two that much if we can."

Above them, Killcode softly growled, which they took as a warning to finally shut up.

It wasn't long before they reached a large, dark building.

Killcode set Sun and Moon down.

"You stay."

He then carefully took Bloodmoon from his hat and set them away from the two.

"You. Blackout. Go."

Bloodmoon looked up at him, then Sun and Moon and growled.

Killcode responded with a low warning growl of his own.

Bloodmoon huffed and turned to leave, then suddenly turned and jumped at Sun and Moon.

Sun jumped himself and nearly fell if not for Moon catching him.

Bloodmoon cackled before running off on all fours.

Behind them, Killcode had shrunk down to a far shorter height, but still stood over the two.

"Inside."

He stepped past them through the door.

"Follow."

Sun and Moon looked at one another before they followed Killcode.

As they walked Sun kept a hold on Moon, looking around.

There were photos hung here and there of a woman that looked like Earth but with short hair, a Moon, Sun, Eclipse with horns, Bloodmoon and Killcode. The photos were shot like family photos- mostly Halloween ones but also a few Christmas ones too.

Odd to see in a world like this, but maybe that was a common trait among Earths,, trying to be happy with their family no matter how messed up things were.

Killcode finally led them to a set of double doors and knocked. When a voice called from inside, they entered.

"Gaia? Found...guests." Killcode said, going up to the woman- Gaia, not earth, Moon presumed- in a taller height than he was before now, still smaller than their first encounter.

Gaia smiled and pat his cheek, offering him a chunk of something red.

"Thank you, Grimm. Here, have some lung as a treat."

Grimm (seems everyone here had a different name) let out a happy little growl and snatched up thr meat into his mouth, making Gaia giggle slightly.

"Easy now, remember our talk? You almost took my fingers off that time." She then turned to Sun and Moon and paused.

"Oh...you are...definitely not of this dimension."

Moon stepped up, keeping Sun behind him out of habit.

"Uh yeah, ending up here was an accident. If it's no trouble we'd like to get out of here, no problems."

Grimm tilted his head.

"No problems? Harmed Erythros."

"Oh?"

"That was purely for self-defense. Also we've been attacked by a thing that looks exactly like them a lot so it's kind of a self-preservation habit at this point."

"Hm, I see. Where are they now?"

"Blackout."

"Alright." She came around to them and ushered them from the room.

"How about we go somewhere more suited for having guests? Can I get either of you anything? A drink, snack?"

"Uhm...do you have any tea? Maybe green?" Sun spoke up, hesitation in his voice.

"Of course! And no need to be so nervous, I don't bite. Also, even if you don't plan to stay long," As they entered a room with a fireplace, tables, chairs and bookshelves, Gaia grabbed a small box and took out two small bracelets, each black with purple crystal.

As she put them on the two, Sun found himself just stating at his, Moon's voice suddenly oddly distant even though he swore his brother was right next to him.

Though the distant, out-of-body-experience type of sensation wasn't nearly as strong as it was before, he assumed due to the bracelet.

Sudden shaking pulled him from his stupor, and he looked at Moon.

"Seriously, we gotta find a way to stop you doing that."

"You'll want these to help regulate the energy here. Although it seems like it already affects you. Perhaps I can ask why?"

Moon shrugged.

"It's a complicated thing that even we don't know why it happens. I started teaching him magic, like a day or so later he's sensing these Wither Shard things. No idea how or why, if it was the magic or something caused by his killing a baby Wither Storm or what."

Gaia sat some tea down for them, then herself.

"Hm. That is interesting. I believe Soleil has a similar ability. One person may have an answer but none of us are particularly fond of him. Us and him are always fighting." She sighed.

"It's like a never-ending battle with him..."

"Yeah, we've been there more times than we can count. So far our longest issues have been Eclipse and the Creator, but the Eclipse issue's sorted itself out finally. He moved to a new dimension, and by then he was less of a threat and more of a slight nuisance. Mostly stayed out of our lives by then. Anyway you said someone might be able to help? Even if you don't get along maybe we can talk to him?"

Gaia shook her head. "I don't know. Everything we know about Nexus tells us he isn't a kind or patient man, especially to strangers."

Moon was the first to choke on his tea.

It took Sun a moment to process before he choked too, clearing his throat and hit Moon's back to clear his, looking at Gaia.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" He took hold of Moon's hand loosely, just in case he...had a reaction again.

"Nexus? He isn't a man that just gives his help...or any for that matter. Why?"

"God why is he here too...?"

"Oh? You've met him before?"

"Sort of? Not the one from this dimension. We've been dealing with our own for a while now. It' a long story but to keep it short, he really hates us. Almost killed Moon and our sister, nearly kidnapped me. He wants my Wither Shard sense ability."

"Yeah...his existence is basically my fault. I quote unqoute "died" a year ago, and Nexus was my reset version." Moon hugged himself a bit.

"He wasn't the way he is now at first though. I think what really made him spiral was Solar' death cause he just...fell apart after that. Breakdown and all." Sun said, looking away and he couldn't stop the guilty feeling creeping up inside him.

"Even if it isn't the same one and he doesn't know us I don't think I- we could handle seeing him again." Moon said, trying to keep his voice from shaking too much.

It was hard not to be scared of Nexus in any dimension now. He almost died to one, after all.

"I see. Well, in that case you don't need to go see him if it'd be too much." Gaia said, sitting back in her seat.

"And even if they aren't the same person, it seems we have a common enemy. Would you, perhaps, be open to a deal? The matter of getting you home isn't part of it, we can help with that whenever you're ready. But if you're willing, perhaps we can help each other with out Nexus problems. What do you say?"

Moon and Sun hesitated, whispering between themselves.

"What do you think Sun? She doesn't seem immediately dangerous. I mean she's offering us help to get home and help with our current problem. I'd say we take it. I mean better than going around for months or even years just to make a little progress. I mean all we have right now is the star shells and Lunar. We don't even know where Nexus exactly is yet."

Sun thought to himself for only a moment. "Yeah...yeah you're right. Y'know I wonder if there's an Earth out there that's actually evil. Like doing what she does just for her own benefit, no one else. I mean even dictator earth is doing her mission to make everyone happy...whether it's willing or forced but still. Anyway, it might be a good idea to take her help, yeah."

They sat back and Moon took her hand and shook it.

"We have a deal."

Gaia smiled.

"Wonderful. Now let's get to work."