Chapter Text
George hit the water hard, pain rippling across his back. Sinking through the desolate sea, his tail a flag of shining blue floating above, George spun around, his stomach throbbing in protest. His eyes acclimated to the water as the familiar feel of his tail weighed him down in the water. What should have been comforting filled him with dread as he turned, searching fervently for a glimpse of anything in the shifting blue around him.
A swish of water crested against his skin and he whipped around, a cry of "Dream?" already leaving his lips.
"Sorry," A rumbling voice scoffed and George's blood froze to ice, sending a startling spike of fear ramming into his heart. "Your Prince Charming is rather… preoccupied."
Green and red glinted at him through the cool waters, vibrant and manic, widening above the curling grin winding Schlatt's lips up.
The vibrancy of his stare caught George off guard. He could see the faint greens of kelp swaying on the sandbanks below, but the color was muted and deadened. Similarly, the dull reds of fish floated by, but the colors didn't hold a candle to the hues flashing in Schlatt's eyes.
"Get away-" George shuddered, salty tears springing to his eyes and pooling into the suffocating seawater surrounding him. "Please, just let me go, I- please !" He screamed, feeling his resolve fracture.
Schlatt's scaled arms shot out, latching onto him like a viper claiming its prey. His grip on George's arms was pure steel, his lips twisted like metal bars caging him in. George felt like he was dying- the pain in his chest was magnifying with every passing second as more blood coursed out of the wounds. The water around him was turning an unsettling black, tinged dark with the springy clouds of blood seeping out from his stomach. George was dying.
"None of that, George." The hands on his arms yanked him through the water and George groaned as his wounds twisted, pain sinking its merciless teeth into his abdomen. "You remember the deal, don't you? You work for me now." Schlatt's voice carried his smile, making George's stomach churn.
The ocean was a blur around them, a swarm of twisting hunks of coral stretching over him like elongated fingers reaching for him, ready to pluck him from the familiarity of the water. His found colors of purple reefs, blue currents, orange fish, and yellow sand flew by like afterthoughts in his living nightmare.
"Someone!" George screamed, shoving the cry from the clutches of his throat with all his might. "Please, help me. Help me!" The words bubbled out of his lips in hysterical hiccups, piercing the shallows with his agonized pleas.
"No one is coming George!" Schlatt laughed, pulling him towards the gaping maw of a cave, shrouded in threatening darkness. "You’ve used up all your lifelines. Who do you think will save you now?”
His answer came in the form of a low blare that echoed against the rock walls of the cave, rebounding against the stalactites jutting down over the opening. George spun around in shock, twisting his neck to catch the source of the sound- that incredibly familiar sound.
That low, wailing noise that rumbled through the castle walls every monumental occasion, those conch shells wielded by the royal guards, the comforting swell of the low notes of home .
Schlatt's grip tightened around George's arms, but it was too late. A brilliant grin broke out across George's lips as he heard the blare of the conch shell once more, feeling a heady sensation overtake his delirious brain.
The cavalry had arrived.
A spear sliced through the water, missing Schlatt's serpentine tail by mere fractions. George looked up and tears of unadulterated relief flooded his eyes as he watched a familiar figure propel towards him.
A shimmering black tail accented with red splashes and those heart wrenching warm eyes met him as Bad swum forward, barrelling through to him.
A soldier followed him closely, a warning hand placed atop Bad's shoulder, holding him back from Schlatt's barely restrained wrath. The guard's skin glowed warmly in the midst of the ocean, the swoop of his wavy black hair masking narrowed ochre eyes.
Jovial music swelled in George's ears in the form of a dazed memory. Bad, his cheeks pink and his lips twitching into a gentle smile as he was led out onto the dance floor by a gentle hand, a curved grin. Skeppy, his mind supplied him, as he watched the guard hold Bad back.
"Hey! Get away from him, you muffin!" Bad yelled, his hands raised at his chest, curled tight into shaking fists.
Schlatt's eyes widened momentarily at the insult, before a confused look struck him, dragging his dark eyebrows low over his blazing eyes.
"Bad-" George called out in warning before a hand shot to his throat, shoving his jaw up to face the gleaming surface. He coughed harshly, squirming as Schlatt's claw tightened around his neck, digging his pointed nails into his paper-thin skin.
"How infuriating," Schlatt growled, his face thunderous as he examined the surge of guards circling them. "All this effort, for you?" George cowered under Schlatt's scrutinous stare, feeling smaller than ever before.
A cluster of lemon-yellow sparks drew George's eyes to two small figures standing close, shielded behind a row of guards.
Tommy and Tubbo looked nervous, visibly restless from their position behind the armed palace guards. George couldn't help but smile at the two, mouthing a feeble thank you to the two boys. They had saved him.
Too young to be caught in a war, and too young for such pain, George thought with remorse as he watched Tommy clap a supportive hand on Tubbo's bowed shoulder, aiming a strong nod at George. Children should never have been involved.
Unfortunately, George realized as a deep growl hummed through the electric air, he wasn't the only one to notice the appearance of the two boys.
“Tommy, Tubbo. What do you think you’re doing?" Schlatt ignored George's writhing as he gripped onto the Prince mercilessly, glaring daggers at the young boys.
A demented laugh erupted from Schlatt's chest as he stalked forward, ignoring the guards as they swung their spears low, brandishing the deadly tips at the horned man.
“Don't tell me," Schlatt flashed them a deranged grin, taking pleasure in the way the boys shivered. "You’ve been conspiring with those, those idiots. Those tyrants!”
"I don't-" Tubbo stammered, his voice wavering.
“You know what we do to traitors, Tubbo?"
The question hung heavy and sharp in the air, filling George with unrestrained rage. His eyes flitted to Tubbo, whose eyes were blown wide in fear, fixated uncertainly on Tommy, whose eyes were wide in a shell-shocked look.
Schlatt's red eye burned in the dull waters as he stared down at the boys with a death-dealing glare. "Nothing good.”
"Schlatt!" The name echoed around the barren shallows, reverberating with earth-shaking anger.
George's eyes widened as shock burst within him, giving way for hope to bloom. He knew that voice- He knew that voice, he-
"Step away from my son."
King Philza stared down his glowing trident, his vivid cobalt blue eyes ablaze with the force of the seven seas. His hair was suspended around him in a halo of gold, a radiant crown dripping in emeralds held high atop his head. And he was looking directly at George.
"King Philza," Schlatt spat, malice coating his tongue in a thick poison. "How are you?"
"Let go of him," Philza spoke evenly, but his voice brimmed with a fury that brightened the seas, scaring even the shadows back into their hiding spots. His trident thrummed with growing energy, charging the air with the undeniable prickle of magic.
"No can do, Philza, he's mine now. We made a deal," Schlatt grinned, his crescent smile glowing in the water.
"I'm sorry-" George cried, whimpering as Schlatt's nails dug into his skin, piercing the fluttering flesh of his throat.
"What do you want, Schlatt?" Philza asked, his brows pulled low over his blazing blue eyes.
"You know me, Philza! Ever the businessman," He laughed, his fingers tapping against George's neck idly. "You know I love a good deal. And the son of the great Sea King! What a commodity," A dangerous smirk curled into Schlatt's tone, as he set his eyes on the glittering crown nestled in Philza's hair. "Though, I might be willing to make an exchange, for something much better."
A terrible silence overtook the ocean floor as the prospect hung over them, toying with their minds.
"Now, do we have a deal?"
George shook his head, ignoring the pain shooting down his back in paralyzing jolts. "Don't-"
"You're my son," Philza whispered, his face contorted with pain. "I- I can't-"
Schlatt grinned wide, crowing even when faced with hate and death. And at that moment, George knew. Schlatt thought he had won. The arch of his chin, the height of his nose, the curve of his grin too strong to be restrained - Schlatt's confidence would be his downfall.
George caught his father's eyes, watching the careful intelligence glimmer behind Philza's emotion wracked gaze.
Do it .
Philza's jaw set, and George knew he understood.
"Okay, Schlatt. You win." Philza conceded, his trident falling to his side, the prongs dancing over the sand beneath his whirling emerald fins. The guards stood down in synchronized practice, their spears twirling back to their sides. George bit down a frown as he watched Bad cry out, dragged back by Skeppy behind the row of guards. Holding his head high, he swallowed thickly as Schlatt's grip on his neck loosened considerably.
"Hand it over."
Philza glared at the horned mer, but his hand went to the glittering crown atop his head, his thumb swiping over the cool facet of the emerald gems. He lifted the gold and Schlatt inhaled quickly into a growing smile.
Hesitantly moving forward, Philza clutched the crown in his steady grip, meeting George's gaze once more as he stretched his hand out to Schlatt.
George gave his father a concise nod. Philza smiled back, that familiar, loving look that never failed to fill George with unbelievable warmth.
Then, all hell broke loose.
Philza swung his trident up in an almighty swing, the prongs exploding in a supernova of light that engulfed the trio.
"You bastard !" Schlatt shrieked, lunging forward blindly, his hands scrabbling for the crown.
His claws collided with the twisted metal of the trident, sending another shockwave coursing through the currents, pushing everyone back from the epicenter.
"George!" He heard Philza exclaim in panic as he was thrown through the water, sliding across the rough ocean floor until he came to a stop on the gravelly sand beneath him.
Philza darted towards his son but had no time to dodge as a black blur slammed into him, sending the King hurtling through the water towards the lightening surface.
Schlatt howled wildly as he clawed for the trident, holding onto the metal with a vice-like grip. His features were caught in a sinister snarl, blotches of heat crawling up his neck to his cheeks. His long tail beating against Philza's emerald scales, Schlatt fought like an animal, a raw sort of anguish haunting his face.
The two fought for the weapon blindly in the rush of water around them, masked by the clouds of bubbles frothing up around them.
George shoved himself up, ignoring the searing pain that shot through his body, leaving him hunched over and breathless. He had to help his father - he had failed their kingdom too many times, he couldn't do it again.
He pushed his body up with shaking arms, cursing through gritted teeth as blood rushed to his head with the overwhelming pain. His head was the sky, stuffed full of cotton clouds, dulling everything around him. Was that blood in the water or the shadows of his broken body? He couldn't tell.
A horrible cry reached George's ears and he looked up frantically, searching wildly through the mass of bubbles masking the fighting figures above.
Glimmering red and jubilant green stared down at the King, a malevolent grin spread wide across dark cheeks. Philza's eyes were screwed shut, his chest rising and falling heavily, a hand curled around his throat. George's heart squeezed suddenly in his chest as a frail cry escaped his lips. Three pronged tips, sharper than diamond, scratched against Philza's chest, Schlatt's toying fist scraping the weapon against his skin.
Unhinged screams careened through the waters as Schlatt gripped the trident tighter, pulling Philza in further. George's throat was raw with agony, his ears ringing uncontrollably. Horror seeped into his body like ice, shaking his fingers as he watched the prongs dip down into his father's chest. Philza's mouth fell agape in silent agony, his pain lost to the bombs exploding in George's head.
He was going to kill him.
Schlatt was going to kill Philza.
Schlatt was killing his father.
At the last second, Schlatt shoved Philza away, turning the trident's hungry blades to the soldiers charging below. Philza sunk back, wisps of blood trailing from him like smoke rising to the sky as his hand gripped his chest, considerably weakened by the fight.
"This was almost too easy."
With a single swipe of the smoldering trident, the soldiers fell back with choking gasps, their hands scrabbling at their throats in an aberrant attempt to breathe. Pearls of air escaped their blue lips as bright milkiness took over their eyes, obscuring any remaining humanity left in their convulsing forms.
George watched in horror as the soldiers fell to the ground, their skin a murky turquoise cracked with chips of green and blue scales. Zombies of the seas, his brain murmured in a hushed whisper, too scary of a thought to be uttered out loud.
Growing up, Wilbur had called them the Gurglers in his many stories, but most knew them as the Drowned. Stay too late out beyond the protected barriers of the Kingdom and they would show up in packs, moving through the water in silence spare for their perverse breathing. The choking gurgles that infected the calm of the ocean were enough reason to run, as all children were taught to believe growing up. George had never seen a Drowned in the flesh, never staying out late enough into the dangerous nights to spot one up close. Now, as his stomach recoiled at the sight of mangled water-bloated flesh and bile shot up his throat, he wished it had stayed that way.
They turned to George all at once, as if they shared one brain, one body, one purpose - kill him.
"What, George? I warned you didn't I?" Schlatt's voice boomed, his words echoing around them with a new weight. With the trident, George knew Schlatt would be almost impossible to stop. But he knew he had to try. For his kingdom, family, and friends. For Dream, he thought with startling clarity.
Dream's pale face flashed in his head, a blade scattered by his knees, knocked down onto the solid ground. And before George knew it, he was moving.
"You won't win this, George! Give up before I kill you!"
"Shut up!" George screamed, his mouth filled with the hot, thick taste of iron. His eyes tracked over the ocean floor, catching the flash of something bright beckoning to him. His hand shot out to the side, fingers curling around the solid hilt of the heavy object. George felt realization strike him like a bolt of lightning as his eyes danced over the length of sparkling diamond hidden away in the depths of the sea.
Inscribed on the glittering blade was a royal insignia, one that George had seen before on wavering flags that flew high above the castle spires. A jolt hit him as he realized where he'd seen the blade before- gripped tightly in Dream's hand. How it had ended up at the bottom of the sea, George didn't know. But as he lifted it, he saw green eyes reflected in the cool facets of the diamonds.
The thought sent fire curling up his fingers, burning his fingerprints into the frozen hilt of the sword. George caught the flicker of panic hit Schlatt's eyes as he thrust his hand up, a blood-curdling cry bursting from his chest.
The blade swung heavy and true, slashing up through Schlatt's face. It cleaved into his skin with sudden ferocity, snapping his head back as it curved into his eye. George gagged at the feeling, his hands shooting to his chest as Schlatt reeled back with a roar. Schlatt's hand knocked the sword away, but the damage had been done - the diamond had torn into his eye, which flared a beaming, blinding green behind the protective cage of his fingers.
Something popped in George's ears as the world dulled around him. An unexplainable sense of loss hit him hard, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. His eyes blurred painfully as if they were lenses readjusting to a sudden switch. The faint, barely-there glow of green kelp vanished entirely, tarnishing into burnt yellow and brown. Schlatt's eye snapped into grey, the green simply fading into nothingness. A star exhaling its last breath of life, a drop of rain smattering against the sodden dirt, a whisper lost in the whistle of the wind. Green was just… gone.
Schlatt screeched, hunched over in a murky bubble of growing darkness spewing from his eye into the waters around them.
George wasn't focused on the gruesome sight.
The cool glint of gold caught his eyes as he watched the trident fall from Schlatt's grasp, turning over and over again in the darkness of the water. George flung himself at the sinking weapon, his shaking arm outstretched, closing the short distance between his fingers and the trident.
"Come on," He groaned as his fingers brushed against the metal. His hand clamped onto the spear and a rush of adrenaline hit him. His heart thundered in his ears as he yanked the trident to his chest. The twisting prongs pressed against his collarbone, biting him with the freezing touch of metal, but George could barely feel it through the heat consuming him.
The strong call of power coursed through his veins, electrifying his blood. His hands trembled with the trident's magic, feeling overwhelmed and disoriented. How did Philza manage to contain it? The shimmering purple of the trident's magic crept into his brain, filling his mind with the incessant whispers of possibilities.
A yell brought his attention to the hulking figure before him and George swung the trident down low at Schlatt's chest.
The diamond sword was lying dejectedly on the sand below, dark clouds of blood clinging close to the sparkling blade. The horned figure bared his teeth, his breath hissing out from lips pressed close together.
"You're going to regret that," Schlatt breathed, his nostrils flaring.
His hand hovered over his eye, barely visible through the veil of black blood. Furious red burned in his remaining eye, threatening to consume George in its intensity.
"So, so much."
A black whip cracked into George's body, sudden and violent, and he gasped as the water blurred around him. Schlatt's tail slammed into him like a bat, sending him tumbling upwards in a flash of blue scales. He could barely muster enough strength to keep a firm hold on the trident as pain erupted from the contact.
George flew through the thick water, pushed back skywards. The currents swept him in their tight embrace, billowing around him as he shot up, up, up, hugging the trident close to him. His ears swelled with the call of the surface and his limbs wavered in the tug of the water, leaving him disoriented.
He could see shadows brimming beneath him, stretching their grisly arms up to his legs, curling around his ankles with malicious intent. The glinting white eyes of the Drowned flashed at him from the depths as they slowly dragged themselves up from the sandbanks. Two horns emerged from the dark below and shot to him.
George squeezed his eyes shut, knowing this was it.
I'm sorry Bad, I'm sorry Eret, I'm sorry Wil, I'm sorry Phil, I'm sorry Dream, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I failed.
Warmth engulfed him from behind, like feathered wings shielding him from the shadows below. George let out a shuddering breath as his back collided against a wall of billowing fabric, the strange yellow flowing around him like sheets of silk.
Two arms wound around his waist and the flutter of feet kicking behind his knees brushed against his curling tail. George's eyes shot open at the familiar feeling, turning his head slowly, his thought speeding by too quickly to grasp.
The grip of warm hands on his arms, hands on his hips, hands curling around his chest and heaving him through the water. The murky surface above glinting like fractured glass shards. A pale circular face grinned at him from where it hung against hips, connected to legs that tore through the waters to get them to the safety of the forest. Grey eyes flooded with worry as vile acid pooled in his lungs, coughed up wetly on the fanned leaves of the forest floor. Dream's arms holding him tight as he ran through the woods, a smiling moon winking from above.
Dream's face looked back at him, his eyes trained upwards as his golden-brown hair floated in an ethereal halo around his head. His arm, held around George's ribs, pulled him up roughly, grounding George in the endless water around them. Dream's hand stretched high above, his fingers breaking the surface of the sea and pulling him into the world above.
Wind sliced his cheeks open and George gasped in the sharpness of the night, his hand shooting out to latch onto anything - any lifeline he could grasp in the roll of the sea.
"Hey." A hand gripped his tight, leading his trembling body. The length of the trident was pressed against George''s chest, his hand clenched so tight around the handle he was sure he could never let go.
"George," They gasped again and George lifted his chin up, breaking down in the fragile moonlight.
Dream looked down at him, illuminated softly by the gracious glow of the moon. One arm wound tightly around George's waist, Dream's other hand was trailing down his cheek, scooping tears from his face like he was plucking wet gems from the cracking earth.
George's eyes flew over Dream's pale jaw, the slope of his nose, his cheeks darkened with a rosy flush he couldn't quite see. And those eyes. Dream's fiery gaze sucked him in, burning his cheeks, melting his heart, leaving him completely and utterly breathless.
"You're okay," Dream spoke, somehow in both realization and reassurance.
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in George's throat and he nodded, his hand cupped Dream's face, his thumb smoothing the skin of his forehead, the dent between his brows.
"Come on," Dream spoke, clearing his throat as he gripped George's free hand. "We have to get to the boat, Schlatt is-"
" Furious ," A chilling growl struck them and George whirled around, gripping the trident in trembling hands.
"Schlatt?" George called as Dream shouted, "Stay back!"
The trident thrummed in George's hands, emitting a shifting glow of shimmering indigo as it swelled with hidden strength. The water seemed to react around him. The waves quelled and the sea winds stalled, everything coming to a stop in a flash. The entire ocean seemed to breathe in anticipation, watching with careful eyes as George faced the horned figure before him.
Blood ran down Schlatt's face from his dull eye, painting his cheek and lips in a gruesome portrait. His red eye flickered dangerously, an unhinged flame ready to set the world ablaze. With the sun fighting to break the horizon behind him, Schlatt was cloaked in darkness, his horns casting winding shadows down on the water between George.
"All of you fools, you mortals , are beneath me." Schlatt spat, his hands curling into fists in front of his twisted mouth. "You wanted to be a hero, George? Good. You'll die as one." Schlatt lunged forward with the words, his clawed hands stretched out for George's heart.
"Wrong!" George screamed, the hum of the weapon in his hand almost too much to bear. It called to him, chanting in his brain, set it free, set it loose, use it, use all of it, kill, kill, kill -
He plunged the gilded trident into the water, gasping as the shifting blue waves spun into woven sheets of sparkling gold. Dream's hand clamped down on his shoulder as the ocean acknowledged his call, coming to life around him. The water surged up, smashing into Schlatt in an unbelievable wall of gold.
Something deep in the sea beckoned to George, sparks flying up his fingers as the trident's prongs dipped down into the water. It was as though his brain was wired to the water. Everywhere the water was, he was there. Everything the water held, he could command. The feeling was dizzying, but the tight grip on his shoulder held him down, clearing the edges of his fuzzy vision.
Following his instincts, George pulled the weapon up, forcing a spray of seawater into the air. Almost immediately, the shining length of a blade pierced through the water, flipping through the air. He realized with a gasp that it was Dream's sword, long since forgotten on the ocean floor.
George could sense Schlatt's presence in the water, tearing through the water. His eyes leaped to the sword, which arched through the air before it pointed down, beginning its sharp descent into the sea.
"Dream!" George yelled, but Dream was already surging through the water, his hand outstretched for the weapon.
The trident flared in his grip and George plunged the head forward, both of his hands flying to the handle to steady the weapon.
A rolling wave carried Dream further, lifting him above the sparkling cerulean waves into the indigo sky and pushing his feet up on pedestals of the sea. A breath passed, and George watched Dream leap for the sword, his shadowed silhouette a ghost in the night. The moon illuminated him as his hand swung through the air, clasping onto the sword securely.
George's breath left him in a rush as Dream dove into the water, the trident's whispers assuring him he was fine.
"George-" Dream gasped, his free arm clinging to George's waist in a desperate hold.
"Schlatt!" George yelled, his voice shaking the ocean floor. "Show yourself."
The trident glowed, reflecting in George's dark eyes until his gaze was molten. The water shone a startling gold, forming a path.
At the end of the golden swarm, Schlatt stared up at them, sodden and wide-eyed in the face of the two princes. Anger flashed across his visage and he bared his teeth, the moonlight catching his grimace in a brief second before something fragile crashed through the snarl. He turned his neck to the side, but George was there, brandishing his trident at Schlatt before the other could even consider escape.
"Give up, Schlatt," George spat, venom coating his words. "You're done, you hear me? It's over for you."
Dream's hand curled in his and George squeezed back, feeling his heart jump in his chest. His head was too heavy and his arm shook with the weight of the trident, but he held his ground, looking down his nose with as much spite as he could muster.
Schlatt looked down, his warped horns dipping down, almost brushing the water. He breathed out, his shoulders squared, and George tensed, his fingers on the trident tightening until it was almost painful.
The mer looked up and George sucked in a sharp breath as he saw the telltale shimmer coating his eye.
"Please, don't-" Schlatt shuddered, his voice breaking with the weight of tears heavy in his throat.
George blinked, his brows pulling low down over narrowed eyes as he set his gaze on the trembling mer in front of him. What? Why did he look…
Schlatt peered up at him with his one eye, a shining, wet red. "Please, George, you don't understand," He gasped, wincing as Dream scoffed. "I- I can't go back to that cave," Schlatt murmured, his clawed hands scratching into his shoulders, leaving his skin raw and bare.
"Schlatt-" George started, his hand dipping low, letting the trident bob against the sea.
" Please !" He screamed, words dissolving into a mess of cries. "Have you any idea? Not being able to see in the ocean-" Schlatt collected himself, his tone thick, his eyes filled with deep loathing. "Being blind in the sea is a death sentence. The only way I could survive was if I locked myself in a cave, living on the brink of starvation. God, the loneliness ," His voice cracked painfully, and Schlatt tore his gaze away in shame, dread dripping from his tongue. "I forced Tommy and Tubbo to obey me. I made them think I was strong, a leader they could depend on. God, what a joke," He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound.
"George," Dream spoke quietly, though his eyes blazed with angered disbelief as they trailed over Schlatt as if he expected Schlatt to lunge at them. "You cannot be falling for this."
"I-" George's throat was filled with lead, his heart a thundering mess in his chest. Dream's hand tightened around his and he swallowed thickly. Setting his shoulders, he lifted the trident. "Schlatt-"
"Do it," The mer gasped, a smile cracking his lips as tears slipped over the indents of his cheeks. "Do it now, kill me." He laughed, a wheezing, hopeless thing. "Kill me, George. Save me, please. Don't you see? He wants you to-" Schlatt jerked his head towards Dream, who frowned, his lips twisting in something George couldn't read. "They all want you to," Schlatt grinned, pulling his arms to his sides, dropping his head down.
"Schlatt-"
" George . If I can't see," Schlatt ground out, his teeth still squeezed into a grim, clattering smile. "Then I don't want to be alive."
His heart thundering in his chest, George raised his arm. Dream's hand fell from his grip and George turned to him, biting his lip at the conflicted grimace the other held. He turned his gaze to Schlatt, who watched him with wet jewels brimming in his eyes.
"Thank you," Schlatt smiled, closing his flaming eye. His twisting horns fell as he ducked his head, feeding the ocean with the thick remorse that dripped from his nose.
George swallowed thickly, closing his eyes as he brandished the trident. The wind blew quietly over them, winding the smell of salt and iron around them. George's eyes flicked down to the trident in his grasp, frowning as he waited for the sea to come to life at his fingertips.
Yet nothing happened.
The metal in his arm was dead, the hum of magic silenced by the truth, George thought.
Looking at the trembling mer in front of him, it was hard to picture Schlatt as the villain.
In the stories Wilbur used to spin, the Villain never begged for mercy, they never cried . Villains were supposed to be evil and cruel, to the very end. They didn't have feelings, they didn't experience sadness, or fear, or loneliness. He knew Schlatt was the bad guy. So why didn't he feel like one?
"George?" Dream spoke softly, and George shook his head, the trident falling lame at his side as a growing realization sprouted in his mind.
He didn't want to kill Schlatt.
"Leave."
Schlatt jerked his head up at the command, his crimson eye tracking George's face with wild confusion.
"What?" The mer shuddered, the word falling from his blood-stained lips breathlessly.
"Leave, Schlatt, and never come back." George raised his head, giving him a firm nod.
A frown cleaved down Schlatt's face as he shook his head, mumbling, "No, no, no, I- I can't live any longer without sight George, just kill me, I-"
"I'm not killing you, Schlatt," George spoke shakily. Warmth sprung up to his fingers and down his back as Dream clasped his hand once more, entwining their fingers together in a tight grip. "And I'm not taking your sight back either."
Schlatt's jaw fell open, confusion flashing across his face like a strike from a whip. His eye scrutinized George, narrowed in suspicion, but the careful expression dropped in the silence that followed.
George looked away, keeping his eyes trained on the horizon. He watched the fluffy wisps of clouds highlighted with hues of orange in the steadily dawning day. Specks of stars flicked across the brightening sky like freckles on a fresh-faced child, beckoning in the rise of a new day, and along with it, the rise of a new ruler.
"Why?" Schlatt was
"You're not the Villain here, Schlatt," George sighed, looking to Dream. "None of us are."
The prince - King now, George realized - returned his gaze. His face was weary and worn, dark circles evident under his eyes, a little more blue than purple George noted faintly. A dark streak that may have been blood marred his cheek, but George was more focused on the growing smile peeking out at him from under the cut.
Dream drew his hand up to his chest, bringing George's palm to rest on his heart. Under the cloak of vivid yellow he wore, George could feel the light dance of Dream's heart fluttering beneath his fingers.
His eyes flickered up, catching Dream's gaze in a dizzying moment. Green was gone, George knew, and his chest ached at the thought that he'd never really see Dream's eyes. The thought disappeared almost as quickly as it had come, however.
As the sun rose steadily over them, painting them in the first rays of light, George realized with a wide-eyed smile that Dream was a beautiful, breathtaking gold.
Dream's lips quirked back at him, and George couldn't stop his eyes from trailing over his smile. A hand curled under his chin, raising his eyes to Dream's liquid gold gaze.
A single breath passed, and then they were falling into each other, lips crashing together like waves hugging the shore, stealing the breath from George's lungs.
It was like the final puzzle piece slotting into its spot, like the secret whisper of words spoken in the dead of night, like the first snowflake of Winter spiraling down onto soft pink lips.
George couldn't feel anything but Dream, his hand trailing across the small of his back, leaving blossoms of heat blooming across his burning skin. His fingers slid into Dream's hair, falling slowly through sandy brown locks. A gasp escaped his lips as Dream's hand pressed him in close, his body curving towards him like planets pulled into each other's orbits.
His heart was squeezed so tight in his chest he had to be dying. The kiss was softer than anything he'd felt before, like the blushing petals of a newborn rose or the breath of an angel fanning across marble cheeks. Fireworks exploded in his stomach, filling him with sparks and colors, melting him from the inside out.
Frigid air filled his fiery lungs as they parted and George stole as much of it as he could away from the sky. His eyes were weighed down by pleasant warmth, his heart drumming in his chest. Dream held him close, dropping his head to his shoulder. A shuddering sigh left George grinning as Dream's frozen nose nestled into his neck, his arms twining around George's waist.
Catching his breath in the break of the day, George laughed, loud and high in the middle of the golden sea. He could feel the curve of Dream's lips against his neck as they clung to each other, red-faced and gulping the salty air down, failing to quell their singing hearts.
George looked back out at the sparkling sea, heat coiling around him in the still waters.
Schlatt was gone.
…
George watched with bright eyes as Tommy and Tubbo spoke with Wilbur animatedly, bouncing with energy in the cerulean shallows. Wilbur groaned, trying to hide behind Eret's frame, who laughed deep and mirthful, entertaining the two younger boys as Wilbur hushedly cursed them.
Sapnap and Skeppy stayed by the shore, exchanging war stories with equal energy as Bad watched with amusement, hanging onto Skeppy's arm tightly as the other gesticulated wildly.
The summery wind made its journey down to the beach, wrapping around them briefly before it made its departure once more.
George breathed in the crisp air, letting it balloon in his lungs until he thought his chest might burst. Sitting atop a wide rock, his sapphire scales draped over the side, he watched his family as they laughed, the first real sounds of joy he had heard in a while. Snowy white bandages hugged his chest tight, a grim reminder of the night before.
After Schlatt's retreat, Dream had dragged George onto a small rowing boat - the one that, George found out, he had used to boat out and find him. By some small miracle, George had held onto the trident, using what little strength he had left to flip it safely into the boat.
He found out later from Philza that the Drowned soldiers had all reverted back to mer as soon as the sun's rays broke the night, leaving many of the guards with splitting headaches and no recollection of the events.
Dream and George had stayed in that rowboat, huddled close under the flame of a small iron lantern with Dream doing his best to tend to the wounds stretching across George's stomach. How he didn't bleed out, George didn't know. He had been convinced that the ocean was a mottled purple from his blood, but Dream told him through a mess of wheezing laughter that he was overreacting.
His eyes had never really left George's tail, though.
Not even after the countless kisses they shared in the boat, desperate and running on adrenaline and relief. The memories sent a rush of heat to George's cheeks and he shook the thoughts away with a sheepish smile.
"Hey Gogy," A familiar voice called out, husky from laughter, and George scoffed as he turned with a brow already raised.
"Not you too," He groaned, but a grin twitched on his lips as Dream scaled the rock, sitting down with his legs dangling out over the water. "Sapnap's getting to you."
Dream shook his head with a small wheeze. "Sapnap corrupted me a long time ago, George."
"And you love it!" Sapnap called out to them in his brash voice from where he lay on the beach, a roguish smirk clear on his face.
Dream shook his head good-naturedly before looking back at George. His eyes fell to the shimmering tail dipping into the clear waters below and George watched with pained eyes as his smile faltered.
King Philza, however hard he tried with the trident, hadn't been able to grant him legs. Convincing his family to let him change in the first place hadn't gone over particularly well, with Wilbur and Eret denying him vehemently. Surprisingly, it was Philza who had shifted the argument. His father had taken him aside, and with a heavy heart and a watery smile, had told him that he knew what George wanted.
"How could I ever claim to be a good father to you if I didn't give you room to fly?" Philza had uttered thickly, a hand cupped on George's cheek. "I need to set you free."
But it could never be that simple. The type of magic required to change forms was too ancient, long since lost to the tenacity of time. And George knew this, but the truth was hard to swallow. Dream knew it too but hadn't spoken of it. He was pretending like it didn't hurt, which made it all the more painful, George thought.
"You'll come visit?" Dream whispered, his lip caught between his teeth, his eyes pure as freshly fallen snow.
George smiled softly, shoving down the growing ache in his chest as he lifted a hand to brush against the curve of Dream's cheek. He trailed his thumb down the King's lips, softer than the fluff of the clouds hanging over them.
"Of course," He whispered, and Dream nodded, leaning forward against George as the chatter of their friends came to a slow halt around them. It was time, George thought sullenly, knocking his forehead against Dream's.
They had been reunited with their families, they had sent Schlatt away, they had survived the night - it was the best outcome. Logically, it truly was. So why did his world feel like it was a snowflake plunging into the Summer sun, whispering its last wishes? His whole heart was fracturing, and he didn't think it would ever get better.
"Um, sorry gentlemen - this is a little awkward, um, Big G?"
He couldn't help the exasperated smile that spread across his lips.
"Yes, Tommy?" George called, giving Dream an apologetic look while the young boy swam up to the rock, gripping something in his hand.
"I think you're going to want to take a look at this…" Tommy trailed off, lifting his hand up to George. A round glass bottle with a longer neck sat in his palm, a cork holding the shifting liquid securely inside. The liquid was a myriad of blue tones, ever-shifting like the sea's colors. It sparkled demurely, winking at George with a mysterious charm. The bottle was labeled with a simple message scrawled onto a small tag, written in scratchy letters.
Thank you .
"Oh, Schlatt," George murmured, taking the bottle carefully from Tommy's outstretched hand. Turning it over in his palms, he looked for any additional information, but there was none. Just those two words, looking up at him in earnest.
"It was floating towards us," Tubbo supplied, tugging anxiously on a lock of his fluffy brown hair. "We didn't see anyone in the area, but… I think we all know who it's from."
"George," A warning voice uttered low, paired with Dream's distrustful eyes. "This is Schlatt we're talking about. I know we let him go, but-" He cut himself off, his worried gaze flickering to the blue potion. "I don't know…"
George inhaled slowly, cradling the bottle in his shaking hands. Flashbacks of the day before hit him roughly, creating a torrent of memories that surged through his head. Schlatt's tear-soaked grin as he told him to kill him echoed through him.
He felt a heavy gaze on him and turned to meet King Philza's eyes, a bright cobalt blue against the pale sky. Philza held his eyes for a moment before he nodded once, his lips curved up as he met Dream's eyes.
"Take care of him for us," Philza spoke softly, but the winds carried his voice high. Dream gave him a firm nod, placing a hand on his chest in a silent promise. Philza smiled in approval before jerking his head at George.
An elated smile broke George's worries as he handed the bottle to Dream. Slipping into the water, he swam to Philza in a flash, throwing his arms around his father tightly. Philza hugged him back, his grip gentle around his bandages, but filled with fierce love. Wilbur and Eret joined the hug, encompassing the family for a long, heart-wrenching moment.
Wiping tears from his eyes, George looked back at Dream. The potion was slipped into his trembling hands and he uncorked the bottle, lifting the brew to his lips. In one go, he downed the sweet liquid, closing his eyes as it ran down his throat.
King Philza brought his trident up, waving it through the air in a fell swoop as George clung to Dream, watching as sapphire scales shifted to skin. The promising weight of silver appeared on George's forehead as a crown materialized in his hair, dripping blue jewels down his countenance. Cloth wrapped around him, courtesy of the King's magic, and George watched with bated breath as the water around him spun to blue and silver robes, cloaking him in regality.
Dream slid off the rock, splashing beside him into the water, and George couldn't help but laugh as he threw his arms around George, hugging him tight in the shallows.
"It worked," Dream gasped, beaming as he cupped George's cheeks in his hands, knocking his legs against his in the water.
"I do not know what Schlatt had to sacrifice to make that potion," Philza muttered, shaking his head with some semblance of sympathy crossing his face.
"What do you mean?"
"That sort of magic doesn't just come from nowhere. All creation requires destruction. In order to brew something of that level, he'd have to suffer large losses."
The words hung heavy in the air, no one sure of what to say.
George looked out towards the still seas, to the colorful ocean floors, filled with the bursting colors of coral blooming from the sand. If he looked hard enough, he wondered if he would see a horned shadow peering back up at him.
Warm hands on his face brought him back to the present and he looked up at Dream, his eyes filled with the vibrant yellow of his cape.
His heart swelled with all the unsaid. He had spent his whole life searching, trying to fill this inexplicable hole in his chest. Looking at the boy in front of him, George had never felt more complete.
"Hey," Dream whispered close, his voice brimming with fervid emotion.
"Hi," George laughed breathlessly, his hands bunched up in Dream's cloak.
Blue and Gold in the strong sun and surrounded by everyone he loves, George had never felt more at home.
…
End