Chapter Text
Palette woke slowly, sleep clinging to his bones weighing them down as his eye-lights blearily traced the ceiling of his room. The early morning sun shone through the window weakly, still bright enough to rouse him from slumber as he stared up at his ceiling, the room slowly warming and brightening.
He heard Cross, pots and pans clinking quietly together as he puttered in the kitchen through the walls. Soft footsteps as Lux and Starcross followed him out into the kitchen, voices mumbled through the walls.
Palette didn’t feel tired anymore, but he didn’t want to get up yet. So he continued to stare at his ceiling, his mind stuck in a daze. Faintly, he smells pancakes, a familiar comfort. Today’s Thursday, is Dad really making pancakes?
It didn’t matter. He still felt like he could barley move. Like the life had just been sucked out of him. Like he was a doll, just laying on the bed, forgotten.
Soft footsteps made their way from the hallway, and he perked up. He recognised the sound, his Mum, and quickly pushed himself up. “Palette?” she asked, before the doorknob turned and she peaked through the crack in the door. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, he smiled, rubbing at one of his sockets. Dream slipped through, the door clicking shut behind her “Just a bit tired I guess.”
Dream crossed the room, sitting at the edge of his bed, “That’s, that’s good, but it’s alright if your, not alright as well” they quickly add, eyes shifting towards the door, before landing back to Palette. “You went through a lot yesterday,” a pause, Dream’s frown deepening. “I was, so worried for you, I still am.”
Its reassuring to hear, even If Palette knows it already. He doesn’t want to cause her worry, not to his Mum or his Dad.
He was Fine. He was healed, at home safe in his bed. He had nothing to worry about. “It was a bit scary, , but I’m just glad Starcross and Lux are alright” he looks down at his lap, twisting his digits together.
He finds himself frowning, looking back to Dream. “Nightmare he said,” he cuts himself off, looking back to his Lap. Clenching his hands together tightly. “He said he could, sense them.” he told her yesterday, but this was too important. “I know, I know you and Dad are worried, but, Even if he takes them and not me-“
“That’s not going to happen.” Dream is stern, and Palette shrinks back at the tone. “All three of you, we are going to find somewhere to Hide you. XGaster will take you, and If he doesn’t, we won’t go there.” Palette wanted to say how he could hide, how Lux and Starcross were in so much more danger than he was.
Nightmare didn’t sense him, but he could find Lux and Starcross. With XGaster still holding onto a fragment of the OVERWRITE power, they didn’t have to worry about Nightmare finding a way in. Nowhere was truly off limits for either twin, the different AUs simply enhanced or diminished their powers.
Eventually, with enough grit Dream could enter a world plagued and infested by negativity, the same way that Nightmare could enter a world full of Positivity.
But with OVERWRITE, XGaster could rewrite the rules. Nightmare, even if he did despite the odds, slip through and enter, would be weakened, harmed even, by an influx of positive emotions. And Palette knew XGaster would do it for Starcross and Lux, to make sure that they were safe. That no harm from Nightmare could befall them.
Dream lays a hand on his leg. Looking up, Palette sees he’s smiling at him. “Cross is making Pancakes, why don’t we worry about this after breakfast?” she suggests. Palette returns the smile, nodding.
“Alright” he agrees.
Dream leaves to get changed in her and Cross’s room, the door shut softly behind her, and for a moment, he stares at the door. His smile drops from his face as he sits in bed, mind full of fuzz as he sits in the silence of his room.
Eventually, he swings his legs over the edge of the bed, standing up to get changed for Breakfast.
From the hallway as he leaves his room, he Hears Cross and his siblings in the small kitchen.
Breakfast was being served without much fuss, pancakes, something dad usually reserved for weekends, served hot out of the pan and onto plates.
Lux went with her usual toppings, a range of jams from a variety of Jars. Starcross went with the classic syrup and sprinkle mix, though the pancakes had been soaked with syrup until they were little more than mush on the plate, and a generous serving of sprinkles that made the whole experience more akin to eating sand than pancakes.
He smiled as his Dad placed a fresh hot pancake onto a plate, holding it out for him.
Taking the plate, he joined Starcross and Lux at the counter, sliding one of Lux’s Jam containers out of the way with his plate. He was a bit boring in the Pancake department, he usually had them plain, or if he was feeling adventurous, with a thin layer of watercolour spread over the top.
Taking some utensils which had been left on the table, he cut into the Pancake, steam rising as he brought it to his mouth. Hot, sweet and soft he felt himself perk up at the comforting familiar taste. Maybe getting attacked Isn’t so bad. It’s only Thursday so the day after tomorrow we can have them again!
Palette finished his Pancake, watching as His Mum and Dad shared a moment near the stove as Cross continued to make more Pancakes, ensuring that the five of them didn’t go long before another Pancake was slid onto their respective plates.
Starcross looked up, plate empty as another Pancake cooked in the pan, his previous pancake, drowned and coated in syrup and sprinkles, still half chewed in his mouth. “So what was it like getting attacked by Nightmare?” he asked as he chewed.
Palette stopped chewing, looking over to Starcross with a nervous smile. Awkward tension filled the room as he briefly thought back to that moment, the terror he felt, worried not just for him but for both Lux and Starcross-
“Not good!” he decides on.
Lux chokes, as Dream and Cross turn towards the situation, Dream walking up towards Palette to lay a hand on his shoulder while Cross leans forward over the counter towards them.
“Maybe we should think about that after breakfast?” Dream quietly suggests, squeezing his shoulder. “Palette did have a long day-“
He can’t worry his Mum- “No I’m fine!” he smiles, looking up towards Dream. She frowns, hand loosing its grip on his shoulder. “Really, I mean, yeah it was a bit scary, but uh” he thinks for a moment. Everything turned out fine? It really didn’t, the only reason I’m still alive is because of Ink! Not to mention he knows we are here, and he can Sense Lux and Starcross! What if in the future there isn’t anybody there to protect them, he’s too strong-
“Nobody got too hurt, and I mean, well, it could have been worse” he slowly trails off, staring at his plate. “At Least, at least now we know, and nobody died” it sounds hollow, despite it all. It was only luck that I picked that tube of paint up. That’s all it was.
Cross sighs, heavy as he drags a palm down his face. “You still got hurt” he points out. That’s something I already know-
“Yeah, but I’m totally fine now! Ink Patched me up, besides its not the first time I’ve been hurt like that.”
Lux kicks his leg from underneath the tower, and he kicks back. “Stop” Cross orders, both of them lowering their heads as Cross places his hands onto his hips. “This, this is something we should talk about.” He looks towards Palette, before his eyes drift towards Lux and Starcross and then back again to Palette. “I know we have been, taking you with us, but If, If Nightmare can find out where you are,” He didn’t sense me, he only stumbled across me. Lucky me. “Then we need to be taking you three to places he can’t access”
Dream Nods, hand dropping from Palettes shoulder as she makes her way round towards Cross, laying a hand on his chest. “Theres only a few AUs that Nightmare cannot access. Player isn’t able to keep him out of the OT, and we still,” Dream grimaces, a pained look crossing her face for a moment, before she quickly schools into a neutral expression. “We still need to maintain the balance, unless?”
The question hangs in the air as Dream towards Cross. He shakes his head. “You can’t fight them all on your own.” he takes her hand as his voice softens. Palette looks down at his plate. “I want to help you.”
Dream could fight Nightmare on her own, if Nightmare was only alone. Sadly, unlike yesterday, Nightmare would always bring at least one of his ‘employees’. This didn’t just add another foe to fight, but someone that Nightmare could use as a living battery, increasing their negative emotions for his own Power up.
Their Fights usually landed them outside of major population centres, and without someone in close proximity, Dream would be at the disadvantage. He had seen the aftermath of these fights before Cross had joined Dream.
And despite her concerns, Cross refused to back down. Palette respected that about him, how despite his pass, he pushed to make the multiverse a better place. To help others where he wasn’t helped. A true Hero of the people.
A Hero to Palette at the very least.
Breakfast, and then straight to Grandpa’s.
Palette stepped out of his Dad’s glitchy portal, Lux and Starcross following a moment later. He watched as Dream stood by Cross, a steadying hand on his shoulder as they looked out across the field of grey towards the Castle where XGaster lived.
Palette hated coming here. Not just because XGaster hated him, he cared little for the man. Thankful, yes, for his help in granting Lux a body, but beyond that he rarely wanted to meet the man.
No, the reason he hated coming here, was apart from the odd spark of colour, Purple and Yellow, Red occasionally, everything was monochrome.
The grass, the Trees. Flowers usually had some spark of colour, but staying too long in XTale made him feel unwell.
With a fwoop, XGaster arrived, behind them of course. The man liked his dramatics. Palette turned with the rest of his Family, Cross and Dream stepping to the front.
“And what brings this little family outing to XTale?” XGaster asks, looming over the shorter skeletal family. His eyes dart straight towards Lux, then Starcross, before settling back on Cross. “I seem the remember you-”
“This isn’t about that,” XGasters eye sockets squinted at being interrupted by his son. “We need to talk.”
XGaster sighed. “And here I thought you only wanted to talk to me through the mail system.” The older Skeleton relaxed slightly, eyes flicking between the group. For a moment, XGaster and him locked eyes, before he turned away with a slight grimance at the sight of him. “Still though, something happened didn’t it?”
Dream looks back towards him, just a moment, as Cross grits his teeth and clenches his hands. “Yes.” Is his Dads replied. He looks over his shoulder, eyeing the three of them from where they stand behind him. “Alone.”
XGaster stares for a moment, before relenting. Straightening and looking back towards the Castle. “I suppose The princes and your brother will be glad to see them.” he muttered. “We will talk in my office, this way.”
The reached the Castle grounds, passing XPapyrus as he was training with XUndyne, quickly overpowered by the distraction.
“We will be leaving these three with you” XGaster told his son as XPapyrus quickly jumped to his feet. “Let the Princes know, they’ll be thrilled.” He deadpans, XPapyrus eyeing Cross warily as he and Dream followed XGaster further into the Castle. “We will be in my Office.”
And with that, the three of them were left with their Uncle.
“Soooo What Was That About?” XPapyrus asks, setting his hands on his hips as he watches them disappear. “Also Wow, You Three Have Gotten Even Bigger!” He says, turning towards the three of them with a grin.
“Palette got attacked by Nightmare” Starcross points towards him, and he finds XPapyrus locking his gaze onto him and the feeling of a CHECK being performed.
“Really?” he sounds surprised, eye sockets wide as he looks over Palette. Palette smiles weakly, embarrassed at the attention as XUndyne comes over.
“You mean your other Uncle? The Goopy one?” she asks, putting her weight onto one foot as she looks at Palette. She leans down, Squinting at him. “You seem to be in one piece anyway.”
“Thats, quite possibly not good at all” Xpapyrus mutters, looking back towards the Castle briefly.
Lux slips an arm around his shoulders, and Palette does his best not to get a facefull of Lux’s Hair-Fire. “Yeah, he like, totally got beat up!”
“Hey!” he complains, cheeks burning.
“It’s true! Ink had to patch him up again!” Lux lets go of him to throw her arms up into the air in exasperation. She sighs, folding them across her chest. “I mean, Apparently he could also sense us, so uh…” she trails off, turning towards the Castle.
“Right!” XPapyrus agrees. “Welp! Why Don’t We Get Your Mind Off Of All that?” He asks, “Why Don’t We Find the Princes' And Go To The Market.”
And with that, XPapyrus started to lead the three of them on the hunt for the Three princes of XTale. But through it all, Palette could barley feel intune with the world around him, barley focus on the search as he looked around the monochrome world. Gaze wandering towards the Castle as he wondered how his Parents were going with his Uncle. A part of him wished he only allowed Lux and Starcross to stay, he would agree it would be for the best.
After all, being here was one of the rare things he hated.
“Piñata!”
PJ groaned, sinking deeper into the beanbag as Inks way to cheerful rang through the apartment.
“Whose that?” Hitoshi asks, turning around on the couch. He had invited Hitoshi over, for him to draw or play games and for Hitoshi to study for his upcoming UA exams.
“My Father.”
“Oh, there you are!” PJ turned around, looking towards Ink as he made his way into the Living room.
Spotting Hitoshi, Inks eye lights changed shape in a pattern PJ recognised as confusion. “hi Again!” He greeted, as if before this point they had already met.
Hitoshi blinked in confusion, as Ink quickly turned their attention back to him, grabbing his scarf and reading one of the notes on it. “It’s PJ.” They deadpan, Ink Nodding as his eye-lights scan whatever message he wrote.
“Right, Right, PJ thats right” he agreed, waving his hand dismissively. PJ felt the strings in his tomach twist and turn, knotting together as his hands stayed clenched against the bean bag. “By the way, are you alright if your brother Palette comes here?” he asks. He continues on before PJ has any time to think about this Palette Character. “He sorta got attacked by his uncle Nightmare-” Dream of all people had a child with Ink?
Is that why he started getting called Palette all those years ago?
“- So I was wondering since I doubt XGaster will let him stay in XTale and since, well” he trials off, turning back towards Hitoshi. Hitoshi is staring at Ink, looking quickly back to PJ in confusion as Inks rambling cut to a close.
“Uuuh” Ink brings a hand to his mouth, and PJ grits their teeth, shoving aside the fact that apparently Ink had another Bastard in order to cover their tracks in front of Hitoshi.
He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t do anything I don’t think, but I can’t risk it. Gradient would probably kill me. Gradient would kill him.”Whatever, I don’t care” they turn back away from Ink, looking down at their console in their hands and shifting through the options on the save screen. “You don’t even use the room here to sleep, you just throw all your junk in there.”
Ink laughs, rubbing the back of his skull. “Yeah, I guess I don’t really stay. Well thats good!” he sets his hand on his hips, as he looks around the room.
He waves, and PJ grumbles, unpausing the game. “Welp! I’ll you you Later PJ. Probably you again too” he adds, looking at Hitoshi, who nods nervously.
He hears the sound of one of Ink’s portals opening, and Hitoshi leans forward on the couch towards PJ, his books being pushed out of the way. “Dude, your Dad is so weird.”
PJ sighs, pausing the game and throwing their head back to the ceiling. “Tell me about it.”
Hitoshi laughs, leaning back on the couch as PJ turns their head so they can see him better. “I mean, I thought if anyone he could probably ask Gradient, since he’s the one that runs this place.”
PJ shrugs, fiddling with their console in their hands. “He’s got memory problems, probably forgot Gradient existed again.”
“Shit, really?”
PJ nods, shutting off their console for a moment. It was nice, shit talking about Ink to someone other than Gradient who refused to even think a mean thought about him. “Yeah! I mean he used to label me when I was a baby, full name on anything I wore.” Hitoshi laughs, and they crack a grin. “Better than some of the other names I’ve been called.”
Hitoshi laughs, flicking through one of the text books. “Yeah, I suppose so. Still though, first time meeting him, and he sounded like some sort of stalker.”
He is, in a way, but PJ doesn’t mention how Ink would watch what people do from random locations, or even how Ink can read where a persons Script will take them, the choices they will make, the choices that they are able to made. “If you walk up and act like you know him, he will assume he just forgot your name.” she explains instead, reaching upwards towards the table where Hitoshi’s supplies were laid. They retract their hand with a grin as Hitoshi hits their hand with a book.
“Thief!” he accuses, and PJ laughs.
“Come on, you are going to let little old me starve?” they ask, leaning back to look at Hitoshi upside down.
“You’ll live, you got your own food-” they cut him off with a groan, thankful for the distraction as Hitoshi lifts the book again.
Seeing he’s returned to his study, PJ sits up, heading towards the table half stacked with stolen objects, art supplies, half finished art, and the odd nick knack from Ink’s travels. Grabbing one of the many Boxes of Oil pastels, they opened the box, making their way back towards the couch and his beanbag as his mind raced.
Another Bastard from Ink.
Plopping his oil pastels into his mouth, he wonders about this new kid. He almost regrets bringing Hitoshi over, if they were alone he could ask what the hell Ink meant by another child.
It makes sense for him. Why wouldn’t he want to make another child, but why would Dream choose Ink. Don’t they have their little guard dog Cross?
Guess I’ll have to let Gradient know when Hitoshi leaves.