Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It wasn’t always so nice. Foolish had to remind himself, it wasn’t always nice like this. It was a cruel thing, to tell himself. That this was nice. But he had to if he wanted to live through it. Realistically, he knew it wasn’t nice. It wasn’t nice wearing heavy golden shackles, matching the hue of his skin. It wasn’t nice to have a magical device wormed into his throat, keeping him from speaking aloud. It wasn’t nice to be the plaything of some rich noble, who bought him off the black market to impress her friends.

None of it was nice.

But it could be a whole lot worse, so Foolish told himself it was nice.

If there was something nice about this, it would be the fact that he wasn’t alone. He had a friend and wasn’t always left at the mercy of his owner and her group of rich noble friends. There were times where the two could sit quietly, daydream about escaping and running in the grass and the sun and the sea.

Oh, how Foolish missed the sea. It had been so long since he’d been able to swim, he ached for it. But he would probably never see the ocean again, let alone swim in it. That didn’t stop them from daydreaming, though.

Eret was an odd sort of hybrid, Foolish had never seen someone like Eret before they met. Eret wasn’t restricted from speaking, probably because their voice wasn’t as loud and brash as Foolish’s was. They looked almost like a human, really, except for their eyes. They behaved like a human, too. Except for the way they could link together minds, letting people talk even when they had no voice left.

Foolish was glad, for that. Glad that he could communicate in a way other than expressions and hand gestures, if even to one person. 

The only other strange thing about Eret was the fact that every few months, they would wake up and stare at Foolish like they had no idea who he was.

Because they didn’t.

They would ask questions he didn’t have the answer to. ‘Where was Tommy? What happened with Fundy? Why hadn’t anyone come back for them?’

Foolish didn’t know who those people were. He explained to Eret what he knew about their owner, who he was, and how long he’d been there. Eret had come along about a week after Foolish was bought, and they’d been shunted together as the noblewoman’s… playthings. He wasn’t sure if she had any other hybrids, or if she did how many there were.

But he would patiently explain to Eret what he knew, first through scratching words slowly onto the stone floor and miming, and Eret experiencing their situation first hand, and then through the link, Eret forged between their minds.

Eret had said they only dared connect to a mind that they trusted when they forged it.

They believed him a lot sooner, about what he told them after their minds were connected.

So, when one day Foolish woke up to see Eret staring around, eyes wide and a bit more empty than usual, he sighed and sat up.

“Eret.” the other hybrid’s head swiveled, and they narrowed their eyes. “It’s okay, it’s me. It’s Foolish. We’re friends.”

“Wh…” Eret rubbed their forehead, scowling. “I… where’s Quackity?” ah, there’s another name Foolish didn’t know.

“It’s been about a year since I met you.” Foolish explained through the link. “We were bought by the same noblewoman, and you keep forgetting everything.”

“Our minds are linked,” Eret said softly, still speaking out loud instead of silently.

“You did that a few months ago…” Foolish tapped the emerald collar on his neck, the one attached to whatever cursed magic device was keeping his voice trapped. “I’m not allowed to talk out loud.”

“Oh, gods…” Eret’s face fell to one of dismay, one Foolish had seen before. “We… I’m really back here, then. I… they caught me again.”

“I suppose they did.” Foolish shrugged. “She’ll usually collect one of us after breakfast, make us stand, and ‘entertain’ her and her friends for a few hours. If they drink wine they’ll touch you more, but if it’s just tea they’ll probably just play with your hair and fawn over you.”

“Okay…” Eret let out a slow breath, shaking themselves a bit. “How long did you say we’d been here?”

“I’ve been here a few more weeks than you,” Foolish replied. “But about a year. I can’t exactly keep good track of it, I’m afraid. But there’s been one full set of seasons.”

“Why…” Eret rubbed their forehead. “Why haven’t they found me?”

Foolish had no response, so he didn’t try and give one.

As random as ever, Foolish was the one roughly pulled out of their small room after breakfast. It was probably for the best so that Eret could have time to recover from their latest bout of amnesia. That didn’t mean that Foolish would be having any fun, as he was dressed in soft clothing and placed in a corner of the office upstairs.

So it was a business type of day. That made sense, then, picking Foolish. People saw a hybrid with golden skin and immediately, his owner would seem more wealthy and therefore ‘better’. It also meant that the different options of what might happen to him today were drastically different, and hard to track.

He might be ignored completely. The visitors might glance at him, impressed. They might spend minutes to an hour fawning over him, running hands through his hair and over his scales. They might do other things, but that was much less likely. Being a decoration and being a plaything was never usually combined, that had only happened at dinner parties, while he was owned by this woman.

Foolish resigned himself to aching joints and painful feet, standing in the corner while his owner (he’d never learned her name) went through various business meetings. It felt like hours later when something happened that he found odd.

At first, it seemed normal, with a well-dressed man trailed by a hybrid servant walking in, taking his seat across from the noble.

The other hybrid was what took Foolish by surprise. He looked rough, and not very pretty. Foolish of course didn’t really care, it was just odd seeing as they were in such a high-class meeting.

It wasn’t even that the hybrid was ugly , just that he had scars marring his features. One of his eyes was fully blind, that side of his face slashed with healed injuries.

And this hybrid made very deliberate eye contact with Foolish. Any hybrid who’d been trained enough to be let into an estate like this should know that wasn’t going to fly. But no one said anything - Foolish couldn't, and wouldn’t if he could - as the hybrid looked at him, brows furrowed.

The conversation between the man and Foolish’s owner seemed normal, though he wasn’t paying much attention. He was too distracted worrying about Eret and trying to keep from leaning on the wall, and wondering why this other hybrid was still trying to meet his eyes.

And then the noblewoman took out a book, one that Foolish had only seen thrice. It was her ledger where she recorded the buying and selling of her hybrids. There was no way on earth she was buying that boy with a scar on his face, and Foolish felt his stomach sink.

What would Eret do when Foolish didn’t return to their room tonight? They’d only just been told the basics, they hadn’t had enough time to get used to it again. They would be alone. 

“He’ll obey you.” the noblewoman said, flicking her hand for Foolish to walk forward. 

He did so, standing a few feet away from the desk now. The human man glanced at him -and Foolish couldn't read his expression - and nodded.

“We’ll take our leave. Thank you, madam.” he bowed his head, and Foolish did the same, avoiding her eyes as she smirked.

...just how much money did this strange human have? Foolish knew he’d last been sold for… gods, thousands of dollars. 

Despite his fear and confusion and grief, Foolish knew better than to ignore his new owner. He followed the man and the other hybrid down through the large estate, to a sleek dark car in the driveway. 

Strangely enough, the human stepped aside and the other hybrid climbed in first, and then the man looked at Foolish expectantly.

Perhaps he was worried that Foolish would try to run.

Foolish inclined his head, slipping into the car next to the other hybrid, and then the human got in and the door was shut.

A few minutes after leaving the estate, the energy changed completely.

“Call ahead to the others, Q. I have no idea what all they’ve done to him, this is…”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s sickening. I know, genius.” the other hybrid rolled his eyes. 

Foolish tensed, waiting for the inevitable punishment for attitude. It didn’t come. The human took hold of his wrists, and Foolish watched him through narrowed eyes as he tried to pry the golden cuffs from around them.

“I think he’s at least partially shark and dehydrated by the looks of it.” the human reported, while the hybrid pulled out - a phone? This Hybrid was permitted to have a phone? What on earth was going on here? “Have them get the pool ready-” and then the human met Foolish’s eyes, and Foolish froze. “Are you more inclined to salt or freshwater?”

What? Foolish blinked a few times, brows furrowed.

“Ah, right,” the human slapped his forehead. “Yes or no questions. Will salt water kill you?”

Foolish tentatively shook his head. He thrived in saltwater, though he could clearly live without it. He had no idea what was going on right now, and he was much too terrified to try and ask. He couldn't speak even if he wanted to.

“What if that collar thing electrocutes him?” the hybrid asked, holding a hand over the phone speaker. The human grimaced, leaning in to inspect Foolish’s neck.

“This looks more magic than electric.” he hummed, prodding it with a finger. “We’ll have Sam check it out when we get home. What’s our ETA?”

“Ten minutes, it’s not too far.” 

Ten minutes? The only thing this close would be other large estates and mansions. Foolish knew that much, at least. Of course, he knew these people were rich, but the way they acted… it just all felt so foreign.

“Thanks, Quackity. Keep on the line with them while I check for injuries, just in case we’ll need something immediately when we get there.”

Wait… what? Foolish’s head swiveled to the other hybrid, eyes narrowed. Quackity. That’s the name Eret had asked about, today. Was it the same person? It couldn't be a common name. He opened his mouth to ask, only to be painfully reminded that he couldn't talk. The jolt of magic surged through him, clamping his mouth shut again, and the only thing that escaped was a faint whimper.

“Ah, bloody hell.” the human whispered, seeming aghast. “It hurts you when you try to talk?”

Foolish didn’t respond, not through a nod or shake of the head. He didn’t know what was going on, but he was exhausted and worried about his friend. If only the mind link worked when they weren’t in the same room, he could ask Eret if the Quackity they missed had wings and a scar. 

But he would probably never see Eret again. Which meant he would most likely never be able to actually talk again.

The thought made tears prick at Foolish’s eyes, and he pulled himself away from the prodding hands of the human, curling up in his seat.

The human, for whatever reason, respected that and stopped inspecting him. The other hybrid stayed on the phone, stammering as he explained Foolish’s condition to whoever was on the other line.

“He uh… he can’t talk, he’s stopped responding to us so I don’t really know what’s up. He’s gonna have scars on his wrists and ankles if we don’t get the cuffs off and treat it right, and I have no idea what kind of magic is in that collar, but it can’t be good. How’s that saltwater pool coming along?”

Of course, Foolish didn’t hear the person on the other end, but Quackity made a few sounds of acknowledgment as the car pulled into the gate of an expansive estate. Possibly even bigger than the one Foolish had just left, which was honestly a bit ridiculous.

He wanted to be left alone, to think and grieve the loss of Eret. But that didn’t seem to be on the schedule, today.

He was hurried from the car into a large kitchen, sat in front of a massive, terrifying hybrid. This guy had to be a creeper or something along those lines. Shaggy green hair, dark empty eyes… but a very gentle disposition.

Foolish sat as still as possible as the man introduced himself as Sam, and explained that he knew a lot about magical technology like the collar. That didn’t exactly make Foolish feel better, but after a few minutes, Sam decided that being wet wouldn’t make the collar electrocute anything.

Foolish could have told them that if he could talk. 

Another thing he noted, as he glanced around after deciding Sam wasn’t a threat, is that the human who purchased him had vanished.

The only people around were now hybrids. Another winged man - though his wings were larger and blacker than Quackity’s - Sam, and a young fox hybrid who burst through the doors, nearly making Foolish have a heart attack.

“The pool is ready!” the kid announced. “Puffy double-checked the salinity and said it’s safe for shark hybrids!”

“Want to go for a swim?” Sam asked, helping Foolish stand up. Foolish stared at the floor, not really sure what to do. He couldn't talk, and he had no idea what was going on. What were the rules, here? Was this a test? Would they actually… would he really get to swim again?

The answer to that was yes.

There was a large pool outside the kitchen, one part of it had been divided and sectioned off with a glass plate. He could smell the difference, one half being regular water and the other… salt. 

“Go on, then.” the older winged hybrid laughed, gently pushing him toward the edge.

It was all he could have done to resist jumping in, so when it was clear that he was allowed to, Foolish took a few hesitant steps before diving down to the bottom, mind-clearing with relief as he was surrounded by water again.

It had been so long since he was actually able to swim. He could stay in this pool for the rest of his life, and he almost wanted to. Even if he didn’t, though, he could surely spend a few hours in the water?

Sam shook his head, watching as the new hybrid swam laps around the bottom of the pool, fins seeming to sprout from nowhere on his golden skin.

“Well, would you look at that?” Phil laughed, hands on his hips. “He’s certainly responding now, I’d say.”

“That collar worries me.” Sam grouched. “There’s powerful magic in that. He’s a powerful hybrid, too. Shark is rare enough, but I’ve got no idea what else this kid is.” not only that, but there was a strange sense of magic around the kid. It was almost familiar, but Sam couldn't place it.

“Wilbur’s pretty concerned about that, and the cuffs.” Phil nodded. “He plans on making himself sparse, while the kiddo settles in.” Sam nodded. If they wanted to convince this newbie he was safe, having the man who bought him around certainly wouldn’t help.

Suddenly, the shark hybrid breached the water, head poking up as he pulled himself partially out of the water, making direct eye contact with Phil. Sam and Phil both froze, as the hybrid hesitated to open his mouth, before thinking better of it.

Instead, the hybrid reached out a wet finger and traced letters onto the pavement.

Wilbur, Tommy, Fundy, Quackity.

“What?” Phil crouched, down, shaking his head. “Those are some of my friends, mate. A few of them are my kids. I’m Phil.” 

The shark hybrid tilted his head as if considering something. Sam saw the fear in his eyes soon enough to know that whatever this guy was thinking, he wasn’t about to really spill the beans so soon. 

“Can we at least get your name, mate? So we know what to call you?” Phil asked, also seeming to sense the fear.

The shark flipped back, splashing them with salt water as he dove beneath the surface again.

“Guess he’s not ready.” Phil frowned. “Tommy’s not here, is he? And I know none of us have said Fundy’s name in the half-hour we’ve been here either. Is he a mind reader?”

“I… maybe?” maybe that was the weird magical aura Sam was getting. It didn’t seem quite right, but what else could it be? “That would be weird for a shark hybrid, usually any magic they have is more element-based.”

“We don’t know what else he is.” Phil reminded him. 

Sam shrugged, looking back at the pool as the new hybrid swam a few more figure eights along the bottom. Phil did the same, sighing softly.

“We need to take a look at his wrists and ankles, get those cuffs off,” he mumbled. “But I hate to take him from the water, it looks like he needed it.”

As if on cue, the kid swam up to the edge of the pool again, pulling himself out halfway. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Sam chuckled. No response, but he didn’t know what he expected. “Would you be okay heading into the infirmary, so we can take a closer look at your injuries? We can come back out here after.”

Silence, as the shark hybrid locked eyes with Sam and stayed like that, head slightly tilted. After what felt like a few minutes, but might have been just one, he pulled himself the rest of the way from the water to stand next to them.

“D’you want a towel, mate? Or no?” Phil asked, leading the way back toward the house. Of course, the shark hybrid only responded with silence, but once they reached the doorway inside, he hesitated.

“We don’t mind water on the floor,” Sam said once he realized the issue. “If you don’t want a towel, you don’t need one. You’re dehydrated as it is, probably best you stay wet.”

The kid locked eyes with him again, lips pursed into a thin line. Maybe he was a mind reader or at least some kind of empath? Whatever he was, he seemed to believe what Sam told him and stepped inside after Phil.

“We can get a paper and pen for you since you know how to write,” Phil said as they made their way to the infirmary. “That way you can at least communicate if you want to, yeah? We need to be careful about removing the collar since there’s magic and all that.” 

The hybrid nodded his head slightly, and that was more of an acknowledgment they’d gotten for a lot of things, so Sam thought of it as a win.

The infirmary was a little offset from the rest of the house, to give the people resting there some privacy. No one was there right now, of course, other than Ponk. But it was Ponk’s whole area, since he had the best medical knowledge here, so that was normal.

“Ah, there you are!” Ponk beamed when they walked in, the new hybrid trailing behind them. “Took a detour to the pool, I see how it is.”

“Would you rather he was dehydrated as fuck while you looked at the injuries?” Phil asked, gesturing for the hybrid to sit on one of the beds, which he did. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Ponk waved his hand, shooing them away. “Give him some privacy, yeah? It’s been a long day!”

“Whatever you say, Dr. Ponk.” Phil rolled his eyes, but he ducked out of the room, and after a meaningful look from Ponk, Sam did the same.

He couldn't shake the way the kid had been looking at him, though. Like he had so much to say, but couldn't. What on earth could he be trying to tell them that he couldn't let himself write?

“I’m Ponk!” Foolish stared uncertainly at the person before him. He didn’t know if this guy was a hybrid or not, but he was missing an entire arm, and something about how he walked wasn’t quite as human as Foolish had first expected. “I know you can’t talk, but I’ve got a notepad for you to write. If you don’t want to, that’s okay. I would really like to know your name, though, so I can be respectful when I talk about you?”

Foolish picked up the notepad and pen, clicking it a few times against his leg. That was fair, if these guys really did want to ‘be respectful’ he might as well tell them what to call him. Better than them just deciding on something and forcing him to go with it.

So he wrote his name. His handwriting was horrible, but Ponk didn’t really seem to mind.

“Foolish?” he grinned, nodding. “That’s a good name! Well then, Foolish, do your wrists and ankles hurt at all? Those cuffs are pretty tight.”

Foolish shook his head, glancing down at the cuffs. They’d hurt at first when they were put on. They’d even bled a little bit. But over time, the gold in his body and the gold in the cuffs fused together. That was one reason he wasn’t pleased when they talked about removing them, he had no idea what would happen.

“Hmm.” Ponk took Foolish’s hand, leaning close to inspect the cuffs. “What the… is this a part of you?”

Foolish grimaced, tilting his other hand back and forth. It probably shouldn’t be part of him, but it was now.

“It’s not natural,” Ponk gathered, thumb running across the indentation of where Foolish’s scales met the metal. “But… you’re actually made of gold aren’t you? It’s not just color, it’s… holy shit.”

Foolish nodded, shoulders slumping slightly. That was the realization that would get him sorted as a decoration, a toy, something that only rich nobles would have in their home to gush over. 

“SAM!” Ponk tilted his head back and yelled. Foolish flinched back, yanking his hand away from the strange person. “Oh, sorry! I’m sorry!”

“What is it, Ponk?” Sam hurried in, looking between the two of them. “What happened?”

“He’s gold.” Ponk said, pointing a finger at Foolish. Foolish scowled, lightly pushing the hand away.

“I can see that.”

“Not the color, idiot!” Ponk shook his head. “He’s made of gold, Sam. No way those cuffs are coming off now, without hurting him a lot!”

“Wh- wait, hold on.” Sam shook his head. “You’re made of the actual material gold?”

Foolish rolled his eyes but nodded. So they couldn't take the cuffs off. That meant they probably couldn't take the collar off for a while. 

“What am I supposed to do, Sam? This isn’t my area of expertise!” Ponk threw his hand in the air. “The only person who knew a lot about golden people, or… or magic-”

“They’re not here,” Sam said irritably. Foolish flinched back, pressing against the wall.

“Have you even been trying to find them? Huh? I know they did a shitty thing but-”

“Of course we’ve tried.” Sam groaned. “You think we’re not trying? Of course, we’re trying! It’s not easy for Wilbur to go and fucking… buy a person! He can’t do that daily, financially or emotionally!” 

Wilbur was the name of the man who bought him? Foolish frowned, trying to work out just what was going on. He was really confused, and he didn’t understand why these people were so different than all the other people he’d ever met. 

The only human here seemed to care about them, and the hybrids just did things and made decisions all on their own. It was baffling.

“Well it would be a lot easier if we had them here to help, that’s all I’m saying.” Ponk sighed, turning back to Foolish only stop when they locked eyes. Foolish tried to get a bit closer to the wall, away from the two others. “Ah… Foolish, I’m sorry. No one’s mad at you I promise! It’s gonna be fine.”

“Foolish?” Sam echoed.

“That’s his name.” Ponk gestured to the notepad. “We’re gonna make sure you’re alright, Foolish. Do you know if you have any allergies?”

What the hell was allergies? Foolish shrugged, deciding that the argument was over, and relaxing a bit. 

“Does any food or medicine make you sick?” Ponk asked. 

Foolish shook his head. He was pretty sure that wouldn’t happen, though it had been ages since he had anything with gold in it to eat. Hybrids weren’t… good enough for gold. Even if it was an important part of his diet. But he hadn’t died yet, so maybe that wasn’t really true. Maybe it was just something his parents had told him so he’d eat his dinner. 

“Well, we’ll definitely need to do some research on golden shark hybrids.” Ponk mused. “And you and Bad will need to be the ones in charge of that collar, I have no clue where to start with that.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s already looking into it.”

How many people lived here? Foolish was starting to feel exhausted, as the last of the water air dried itself leaving him just barely damp. 

“For now, I want Foolish to rest. He needs to be sitting or sleeping or swimming.” Ponk decided, then turned back to Foolish. “When you swim, try to take it easy. I don’t want you to collapse from exhaustion in the water, okay?”

Foolish nodded, picking absently at the emerald collar. 

They wanted to take it off. Even after seeing it was magic and complicated.

Why would they want to take it off? Clearly, this wasn’t a normal situation, and they all seemed to care a lot.

… did they actually care about Foolish, and want to hear his voice? 

These people were weird.

Eret didn’t know what to do. That other person… that other hybrid, Foolish. He hadn’t come back, and it had been almost a whole day. He had barely explained anything to Eret, before being taken. All Eret knew was that they apparently had been captured again, over a year ago, and no one had come to save them yet. Not Phil, not Fundy, nobody. And they apparently trusted Foolish enough to mind-link with him, which was absolutely insane.

And now Foolish wasn’t here, and they couldn't even remember exactly what he looked like. He’d said that Eret was always a bit out of it, the first few days from an ‘episode’. That must be what this is.

Eret buried their head in their hands, trying to push a headache away.

Why hadn’t anyone come looking for them yet? They couldn't be that upset about… about what had happened. Could they? It’s… it’s not like Eret hadn’t apologized. It’s not like Eret hadn’t regretted it immediately. They… everyone there was too kind-hearted to leave Eret at the hands of hybrid smugglers. 

So why wasn’t anyone here? Why was Eret so terribly, terribly alone?

Was no one ever going to come to find them?

Chapter Text

Foolish woke up in the infirmary. He must have fallen asleep after talking with Ponk and Sam. The room was empty when he woke up. But the door was wide open, and a set of clothes very different from what he was wearing was placed on the bed next to him, with a note.

He wasn’t very good at reading, but Foolish could understand the note well enough that he knew the clothes were meant for him.

He glanced at what he was wearing, what the noblewoman had dressed him in the day before. It… it was soft and skimpy, but that was normal. Especially for a hybrid like him. The clothes that these new owners had left for him were more like… clothes. They would cover him, almost too big.

He pulled the top on over the clothes he was already wearing, tucking himself deep into the hood with a smile. The pants… looked very annoying and scratchy, so he left them where they’d been placed. 

Maybe disobeying these owners would get them to do something other than act like they really cared about him.

He stayed on his infirmary bed, fiddling with the strings on the hoodie. Why had they left him unsupervised, with the door open? Had something bad happened? Was this some kind of test? Foolish wasn’t sure.

After a while, he heard footsteps coming down the hall and his head jerked up. Panic suddenly made Foolish wonder if he really had been allowed to put on the different clothes, but when Ponk entered and looked at him in surprise, he didn’t see any anger there.

“You’re awake! That’s good, how do you feel?” Ponk asked, walking over to his desk. “Er… you can write, or we can go by a number system. Ten fingers means you feel better than you ever have, one finger means you feel like you’re dying.”

Uhhh…

Foolish frowned, not sure what to say. He definitely had felt better, back when he was a kid and lived in the ocean. But that was decades ago. And he also didn’t feel like he was dying.

So, he settled for six fingers.

“I see. Anything in particular causing you pain?”

Foolish shook his head. He hadn’t tried talking, recently, so no.

“That’s great! Do you think you’d be up for eating something? They’re making lunch in the kitchen, you need to get your strength up.”

Foolish nodded hesitantly, pulling himself from the bed to stand next to Ponk. It was phrased as a question… but he wanted to make these new owners happy. And he was pretty hungry.

“Here’s your notepad,” Ponk pressed the object into his hands. “The kids can be crazy, but they know to be nice to you.” kids? “Let’s go! I hope you like sandwiches.”

The kids, apparently, were a gaggle of much younger hybrids. A goat hybrid, yet another winged hybrid, and an enderman hybrid. 

“WHOA!” the goat yelled as soon as Foolish stepped in. Foolish winced. “He’s actually made of gold! That’s awesome!”

“My ears.” the enderman said softly, sending a fond glare at the goat.

“Ah, Foolish, you’re awake!” ah, thank god it was Phil. Foolish recognized Phil. Something familiar. “Be polite, Tubbo. And please don’t shout in the kitchen, it echoes.”

“Sorry.” the goat - Tubbo - shrugged.

Foolish glanced around at the rest of the hybrids, trying his best not to make eye contact. Quackity was here, the fox hybrid was here, Sam and a demon hybrid were in a corner, hunched over books and a computer.

“What kind of sandwiches do you like, mate?” Phil asked as Foolish tentatively found a seat near the end of the table, closest to the exit and to where Sam was sitting. 

Was he a sucker for familiarity? Yeah, he was, so what?

Oh, Phil was still waiting for an answer.

Foolish hesitated, looking down at the paper and pen in his hands.

He could eat basically anything… but it had been ages since he ate any gold nuggets. Would they have those, here? He decided against it, simply shrugging in response to Phil’s question.

“Can I ask you some things?” the demon hybrid leaned over and Foolish jumped, then nodded when he glanced at the books on his and Sam’s table.

They were researching rare hybrids, it seemed.

“You don’t have to, it’s only your second day here.” Ponk protested slightly. Foolish shrugged.

“Do you know what kind of hybrid you are?” Bad asked, gesturing a helpless hand at the books. “Like, clearly you’re a shark but I haven’t ever seen a hybrid made of gold. Like, is that a natural part of you or were you cursed?”

Oh. Foolish turned, locating one of the thinner books on the stack. 

He couldn't read whatever language this was.

He ignored that, though, and thumbed through the pages. It had illustrations, and that would work for now.

There, at the very end of the book, there was a sketchy drawing of a totem. Man, it was pretty simplified, too. It was more like their inanimate version, that humans had made centuries ago to try and harness their magic.

Even so, it was a totem. So Foolish tapped the page, handing it back to the demon.

“Foolish, that’s-” the demon scowled, looking between the page and then Foolish. “This is a book of fairy tales, it’s not even… I didn’t even mean to bring it.”

“What did he find?” Sam asked as the conversation in the kitchen chattered away, tickling the back of Foolish’s head while he tried to focus.

“A totem. Which…” the demon laughed nervously. “Yeah, there used to be, like, living totem god things, but that was a really long time ago. They’re extinct, and there’s never been a hybrid.”

Extinct? Foolish sat back, brow furrowed. Yeah, it had been a while since he was in the ocean with his family, but there should be hundreds of them.

“Well, it’s a place to start. Maybe there are records of hybrids we don’t know about.” Sam shrugged. The demon looked skeptical but turned back to the computer anyway. 

Foolish watched them work for a few moments, and then a plate was set on the table beside him. He looked at it, waiting for the scent of poison or tranquilizers to meet him. It wasn’t there. And to be honest, he was hungry enough that he would have eaten it anyway.

He munched on the food, idly listening to the conversation around him. This sandwich really could use some crunchy gold… but it was good anyway. 

The group of kids finished eating, leaving as a pack out to the yard past the pool. Phil sat down with his own food, talking with Ponk about Foolish’s condition.

“He should be alright, I think. As long as we keep him hydrated and find a way to get the collar off, and figure out how best to accommodate for whatever kind of hybrid he is.” Ponk listed, leaning back in his chair. 

Foolish sighed, glaring at the paper on the table next to him. He was a shark-totem. That wasn’t… it shouldn’t be too hard to understand, right? He couldn't be the only shark-totem ever seen between hybrid smugglers. 

He also still wasn’t sure what was really going on. He glanced up at Quackity, who was listening to the conversation silently. 

Eret had said Quackity’s name just yesterday, trying to figure out what had happened.

If Eret trusted Quackity, then Foolish probably could too?

Foolish picked up the pen, frowning as he tried to spell out what he wanted to say. He really needed to learn how to write, if this is how he’d have to communicate.

Do you know a hybrid named Eret? It was messy and misspelled, but that’s what it was meant to say. Foolish pushed the notepad over next to Quackity, watching him intently.

Quackity looked at him curiously, then squinted down at the notepad.

“What the fuck?!”

Foolish flinched back, holding up his hands when Quackity stared at him. The conversations around them fell silent.

“...what’s going on?” Phil finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Foolish… do you know Eret?” Quackity asked, pushing the notepad to Phil and Ponk. Foolish nodded slowly, not really sure why Quackity would be angry. “How?!”

Well, he couldn't talk. Foolish just stared at the other hybrid, then gestured vaguely west, to where he’d been living until the day before.

“Wh- what about Eret?” Sam and the demon abandoned their research, moving to sit at the main table.

Everyone was looking at Foolish as if he could give them some kind of explanation.

He thought of the way he could barely read common, let alone anything else. The way his handwriting and spelling were awful, and he could barely write simple sentences. The way he couldn't talk, and just had to gesture with his hands.

He felt so stupid. This was ridiculous.

Foolish opened his mouth, fully expecting the surge of magical agony that plunged into his jaw and neck.

“Ah, shit-” Ponk was next to him in an instant, holding him upright when Foolish nearly fell over. He was trying to scream in pain out of reflex, but that just kept it going. “Foolish, I need you to focus okay?”

Focus. Right. He clamped his mouth shut, trying his best to not try and make noise. Eventually, the pain faded away and he stared at the table, dejected.

He wanted to help Eret. But he could hardly get his point across right now. 

“Yes or no questions, alright?” Ponk said gently. 

“Eret… Eret was with you at that woman’s estate?” the demon hybrid spoke up when no one else seemed to want to. Foolish nodded. “Are they still there?” Foolish shrugged, then nodded. “Probably?” he nodded. “Okay, that’s good to know.”

“They told you about us?” Quackity asked. “They told you our names?” Foolish nodded, then did a so-so motion with his hand. All he knew is that Eret was waiting for these guys to find them. “They told you our names.” He nodded. 

“Sam, Bad, when do you think you can take off the collar?” Phil asked.

“It’ll be really exhausting for Foolish, so we wanted to wait…” the demon hesitated. “But we can do it today if he wants us to.”

“I don’t want him too tired out.” Ponk protested. “Foolish, you need to get stronger before they do any magic stuff to you.”

They… Foolish looked between the people there, baffled. They were giving him a choice, on this. He looked at Sam, chewing the inside of his lip. 

“You want us to take it off anyway?” Sam asked softly.

Foolish nodded, bracing himself for some kind of impact. But Ponk didn’t hit him. Ponk sighed, stepping back.

“Yeah, alright. If you want it, okay. But you’re gonna feel like shit afterward.”

They brought him back to the infirmary so that when he inevitably fell asleep he would have a place to rest. Foolish sat cross-legged on the bed, tugging on the hoodie strings anxiously.

“I’m gonna have to use magic,” Bad said. “And Sam’s going to have some pliers near your neck, but it’s just for the collar. Tell us immediately if it starts to hurt in your spine or head, okay?” Foolish nodded.

“Let’s get this over with.” Sam sighed, pulling out a pair of what looked to be wire-cutters, gleaming with enchantment. 

Foolish tried to sit still, watching as Bad started mumbling, creating glowing runes in the air beside him. He knew what magic was, he used to be able to use magic a long time ago. It felt familiar, like an old friend. 

“Okay, start,” Bad said. Sam nodded, and Foolish felt the pliers slip between his neck and the collar. 

Would he really be able to talk, after this? Foolish didn’t even know what all he’d say, beyond giving them the information to save Eret. But that was important. 

“Oh my god…” Sam sucked in a quick breath. “Do not stop, Bad. If we stop right now…”

“Any pain, Foolish?”

Foolish shook his hand trying to say no, and Bad seemed to understand.

“What is it, Sam?”

“They… part of it is in his neck,” Sam mumbled. “I can get it out, but Ponk will need to have gauze on it like, as soon as we move the collar.”

“On it.” Ponk moved over from his desk, a wad of gauze in hand.

“Okay, Foolish.” Sam took a slow breath, then let it out. “Don’t move at all, okay? You’re gonna feel this be pulled out and it will probably feel really weird, but you can’t move. Can you sit still for me?”

Foolish gave him a thumbs up, then stopped breathing so he would be perfectly still. He could go without air for a good ten to fifteen minutes, one of the perks of being a totem.

Sam was right, it did feel really weird. But it definitely felt better than when they jammed the device into him, with little to no warning.

They said it would be exhausting… but as soon as Sam pulled away the collar and put it in a box to the side, and Ponk pressed the gauze to the front of Foolish’s neck… he felt invigorated. Like he’d only been able to access a fraction of his energy before now. 

“I’m gonna bandage your neck, okay?” Sam said, grabbing bandages and moving to stand next to Ponk. “Don’t try to talk until Bad gives us the okay on the magic side.”

“Minimal residue,” Bad reported from the other side. “Minor permanent damage, don’t talk for too long at once or scream for a few months while it heals. Surprisingly, though, it didn’t mess you up too much.”

“So he can talk, now?” Ponk asked, stepping away to wash golden blood from his hands as Sam finished the bandages.

“Yeah, he should be able to.” Bad pressed his hands together, ending his spell. “Any first words, Foolish?”

“They forget things.” Foolish whispered, too focused on helping Eret to really care that he could now speak. “Eret. Every few months, they… they forget me. They think they’re waiting for… for you to find them.”

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy,” Ponk begged. “We’ll help Eret, I promise, Foolish.”

“But-” Foolish sighed, shoulders slumping. Even talking, he felt like an idiot. He was never good at talking with people, but it was at least better than writing or miming it out. “I need Eret.” 

He could hardly even explain what he meant. But even without needing the mind link to talk, it still tugged at the back of his head. He wanted to be with them. He needed them to be safe. 

“Wh… they mind linked with you.” Bad realized voice tinged a bit with horror. Foolish frowned. Why would that be a scary thing? “We need to go get Eret now .” The demon declared. “Foolish, you rest. Ponk, stay here and make sure he does. Sam, we need to talk with Phil.”

Foolish watched the two of them leave, feeling hopelessly lost. He wanted to help.

“Damn, Foolish… how are you not passed out man?” Ponk chuckled sadly. Foolish shrugged, sinking into his hoodie. “Get some rest, they can take care of Eret.”

He sure hoped so.

“Eret mind linked to Foolish,” Bad said, bursting into the kitchen. “We need to get them in the same space as soon as possible. You guys know what happens when a mind link is spread out too far for too long.”

“Ah, fuckin hell.” Phil groaned. “It’s a miracle that kid is still standing, did you at least get the collar off?”

“Yeah, and he immediately started talking about Eret.” Sam shook his head. “I don’t think he can focus on anything else unless Eret’s closer, or in eyesight.”

“We can’t go in with a ruse again, she won’t sell her other hybrid,” Quackity warned. “We are gonna have to, like, steal them.”

“That’s fine with me.” Phil shrugged. “Should we call up our friends in low places, for help?”

“Dream’s the reason we’re in this mess in the first place.” Quackity protested. Bad sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Dream and his group are the best shot of getting Eret out of there and back with Foolish, where they’ll both be safe and healthy. Can you put aside your differences for a few hours?”

“...yeah, fine.” Quackity sighed.

“I’ll get Techno, too.” Phil pulled out his phone. “Get ready, we’ll meet up and head out in thirty minutes.”

“Whatever you say, old man.” 

Phil groaned, and the rest of them chuckled, and Bad tried to keep the dread in his stomach from eating him alive.

Eret hurt. Everything hurt. They curled up on the makeshift bed on the floor, cradling their head in their hands.

How did they get here? Where… where was the alliance? Where was Phil, or Wilbur, or… or anyone? Did they hate Eret? Maybe they hated Eret. Eret was forgetting something.

What was Eret forgetting? It felt like an aching pull in the back of their mind like they were mind-linked with someone. But that was impossible, they were alone. They hadn’t mind linked with someone in months, maybe a year.

Where were they?

A loud clanging of metal in the hallway made them whine, head pounding. 

Had they just… been abandoned? Because of that one mistake, where they fucked over the entire alliance? Maybe they deserved that. Maybe… maybe they should be alone. If only their head would accept that no one was linked, or connected, or cared.

“In here.” a whisper leaked under the door, and a few clicking noises later, it creaked open. “Eret?”

Gods, their head hurt. Eret peered up, wincing when their empty eyes connected to Phil’s. They didn’t have their sunglasses, oh god… would Phil run again and leave them alone?

“Phil…?”

“I’m here, mate.” Phil nodded, hurrying over and wrapping his wings gently around Eret’s shoulders and back. “He’s in here, we need to get out now. It’s pretty bad.”

“Phil, I’m so sorry.” Eret stammered, gripping onto the avian’s shirt. “Please, please don’t leave me here. I’m so sorry for what I did, I… I really-”

“It’s forgiven, Eret,” Phil promised. “You’re struggling because of the mind link with Foolish, but it’s okay. We’re gonna take you to him.”

“Wh-who is Foolish?” Eret asked, and a sharp tug of pain made them yelp. “Phil, I said I’m sorry please make it stop-”

“Ah, bloody hell.”

Strong arms scooped them up, and Eret recognized Dream as the one holding them. Why was Dream here? What was going on?

“Foolish said they’d had amnesia in the past.” Sam’s voice reported. “That they’d wake up and just… think it was two years ago, that they were still waiting for us. They must not remember him right now.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Eret insisted, clamping their eyes shut so no one would look at them and run. 

“It’s alright, Eret.” Dream murmured. “Everything will be alright, I promise. It’ll just be a few minutes and then you’ll start to feel better, okay?”

“Please.”

True to Dream’s word, as they were bunded off in a car and started driving, the tug on their head eased up a bit. 

The alliance had come back for them. They were safe, they were with Phil and Sam and… and Dream for some odd reason. But they were safe.

So why didn’t it feel like they were safe? Something was missing, someone was too far away even as they drove to wherever the alliance was staying.

“How long were they separated?” Dream asked as Eret tried to focus on the conversation.

“At least 24 hours, I can’t believe we didn’t notice. Foolish wasn’t as… he should have been way worse off. I have no idea what’s going on with that guy.” Badboyhalo’s voice seemed stressed.

Who was Foolish? Eret’s head pounded.

“We’re here. Get them inside now.” Bad snapped, and Eret was picked up again and rushed through the afternoon sun. Sun. They missed the sun.

The tug finally eased, as they were brought into a sterile room, and placed on a bed next to someone else.

“It’s pretty bad.” Dream said once again, as a familiar hand pressed to Eret’s forehead.

“Damn, they’re really going through it.” Ponk stressed. “Can you hear me, Eret? Can you see me and Foolish?”

“Wh- who is…” Eret forced their eyes open, shielding them with their hand. 

Then they saw the golden hybrid beside them, staring with wide emerald eyes.

And they felt his voice through the mind link.

‘My name is Foolish, you’re Eret. We met a little over a year ago when you were bought by that noblewoman. You forget me, sometimes. I can’t- I mean… I couldn't talk, until today. So you linked our minds so I could communicate with you. I was bought by… by these people, who you know. And I told them about you, and they wanted to… to also buy you?’

“What the hell…” Eret rubbed their eyes. “You… you guys… how long has it been?”

“Two years, since we lost you.” Ponk said softly, handing them a glass of water. “We’ve been searching, Eret, I swear. You need to take it easy, your mind link was separated for over a day.”

Ah, shit. Why the hell would Eret mind link with… with a stranger? No, they wouldn’t. They must… they must trust Foolish a lot.

‘Are you… are you okay?’

“Yeah… Yeah, I’ll be okay.” Eret mumbled, leaning back on the pillows and closing their eyes. “Can… does anyone have sunglasses they could lend me?”

Foolish felt bad. Eret didn’t remember them, but they seemed to trust him after he used the mind link. He didn’t want to talk, either, which was weird.

It all just felt bad.

He didn’t know who these people were, or why they cared or gave him choices. He didn’t know why Eret wasn’t comfortable at all until they had sunglasses, hiding their pretty white eyes. He didn’t know what to do, now that he’d finally helped Eret. But at least Eret was going to be okay.

Somehow, Eret having forgotten him hurt a lot more than it usually did.

Foolish pulled himself away from the infirmary, even though it was the middle of the night, and made his way out to the pool. Half of it was still saltwater, for him. Ponk had said the bandages were waterproof, courtesy of Bad’s magic. 

He pulled off his hoodie and slipped in, letting himself sink to the bottom of the pool, fins unfurling from where they’d hidden under his scales. 

So much was going on, it was hard to keep track. The people here didn’t treat him like they were meant to, and he still hadn’t seen his new owner again after arriving here. That, and Bad and Sam seemed to think that a totem hybrid wasn’t possible, which just wasn’t true. The ocean was full of shark-totems, and… and the world itself was meant to be filled with other versions of them.

But maybe a lot had changed, in the decades since Foolish was first captured, when he was young. Maybe his entire family really was extinct or in hiding.

He’d already known he would never see them again… but he’d hoped that they would be alright without him. Maybe they weren’t.

The idea made him feel horribly depressed, and Foolish wedged himself in a corner of the bottom of the pool, hugging himself tightly.

Eret didn’t know who he was, and his family might be dead, and his new owners were incredibly confusing and they just let him do whatever he wanted? What the fuck.

And he could talk again, but he knew he would just sound like an idiot if he did so.

Foolish stayed under the water for hours, trying to let it relax him. He stayed under while the sun rose, and then while the mind link tugged curiously before giving up.

He stayed under the water until he saw a silhouette of someone else standing on the edge of the pool.

“Found him!” whoever it was called, turning back toward the house. 

Foolish grumbled, letting a few bubbles float up to the surface. A few more silhouette’s appeared, and he recognized Phil’s wings and Bad’s towering figure. He was pretty sure none of them were aquatic hybrids, so if they wanted to make him leave the water it would be pretty difficult.

And then someone he hadn’t met, who was definitely not an aquatic hybrid, jumped into the water and sank down next to him.

Foolish stared at her, baffled.

A sheep hybrid, who he’d only glimpsed a few times so far. She was holding her breath, and he was sure she wouldn’t be able to do it forever. That, and her wool would get wet and weigh her down.

What was she doing?

The sheep gestured upward, an eyebrow raised quizzically.

Foolish sighed, but grabbed ahold of her shoulders and kicked off the bottom, pulling her up with him and pushing her out of the water. He was tempted to just go back down, as everyone was watching him and he hated that, but he stayed, waiting for whatever they had to say.

“You doing alright, mate?” Phil asked. Foolish just stared at him.

What did they want from him? Did they want him to act… act like they did? Like they were full people, and weren’t owned by a human who didn’t care enough to show his face? Did they want him to mess up, so they could punish him? Why were they so nice? Was he stupid for taking advantage of their kindness, to help Eret?

“Foolish?” Bad prodded.

“Why are you doing this.” Foolish whispered, still not really used to talking.

“Doing what?” Phil asked.

“Where’s the man who bought me?” Foolish asked, turning around and staring at the water, instead of them.

“...Wilbur?” Foolish nodded. “Damnit, you think…”

“Did no one tell Foolish that Wilbur only did that to get him out of the trade?” the sheep hybrid asked indignantly. Foolish froze, not even daring to breathe.

What the hell did that mean?

“A lot was going on.” Phil sighed softly. “I thought they’d have told him in the car. Though, I know there were other concerns given his condition. But I… I assumed he knew.”

“Foolish, listen to me.” the sheep commanded. Foolish nodded once, chin splashing into the water. “Wilbur doesn’t own you. He freed you. He works in black market rings to save hybrids, not buy and trade them. We just want to help you recuperate and start your own life.”

That… would that explain all of it? Why they wanted him to have choices, why they treated him well and wanted him to be able to talk? Had they really freed him and he just didn’t realize, because he was clueless?

To be fair, he hadn’t had an ounce of agency in several decades. He hadn’t expected to ever be free. But it would be nice. 

He stayed silent, mulling over this new information in his head. He could feel the way they were all watching him, boring holes into his back with their eyes. They wanted him to live his own life.

That was just ridiculous.

“Foolish?”

“I…” his voice caught, and he almost thought the magic was back to keep him silent. But he cleared his throat and continued. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“We want to help you, Foolish. You’re important.” the sheep insisted. “You can always talk to me, or anyone here. We’ve made this job our life, to help people that got stuck.”

“It’s been a long time.” Foolish whispered. “I… I was just little. I was just…” he had only been fifty years old - the human maturity of a ten-year-old child - when the humans captured him all those decades ago. “I don’t know if I can.”

“That’s alright.” the sheep promised. “We can take little steps, okay? How about the first step is getting you some breakfast, and then we go from there?”

“What’s your name?” Foolish asked, turning around and looking at the sheep.

“Puffy. I’m glad to meet you.” Puffy smiled.

“My name is Foolish.” it felt weird to introduce himself with his own voice. “Thank you for telling me all this.”

“Of course, I’m sorry you didn’t know until now.” Puffy held out a hand, presumably to help Foolish out of the pool. Foolish stared at it for a moment, mulling over his options, but eventually reached up and took it, clambering out of the pool and scooping his hoodie off the pavement.

So he was free, then.

What the hell was he supposed to do with that.

“Where were you?” Eret asked later when Foolish rejoined them in the infirmary.

“Swimming,” Foolish said through the mind link, relieved that he didn’t have to actually talk in order to answer. “Sorry.”

Eret didn’t remember him. His shoulders slumped, and he sat on the bed next to them.

“I… you said we’ve known each other for a year.”

“I’ve known you for that long.” Foolish replied sadly. “You’ve forgotten me and restarted five times. Four with the mind link’s help.”

“What… five times?” Eret’s face fell. “I’m sorry. I know I trust you if that helps. I would never link with someone who I didn’t trust.” Foolish nodded. “They… Ponk said you saved me.”

“I wasn’t there.”

“But you told them where I was, you let them do a dangerous magical procedure just so you could get them the information they needed.” Eret insisted. “If you hadn’t… I don’t know what I would have done.”

“We’re friends,” Foolish said simply, this time out loud. He was supposed to be practicing using his voice. “You’re the only friend I’ve had in a hundred years.”

Eret laughed lightly, in the way that made Foolish think they assumed it was hyperbole. It wasn’t. He’d checked a calendar during lunch. It was just over a hundred years since he’d last been in the ocean, with his family, before the hunters found and trapped him. He didn’t explain this, though, instead, he just leaned back on the pillows next to Eret, staring at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember you,” Eret said softly. “I can learn about you again. I want to.”

“Why are you wearing glasses?” Foolish returned to using the mind link, too exhausted to try and actually talk.

“My eyes scare people. I’m a hybrid of something dangerous, and it’s usually bad luck to look me in the eye.”

“I look you in the eye all the time, and now we’re safe.”

“It took a year.”

“That’s not much, compared to the rest of the time I spent being owned.” Foolish shrugged. A hundred years. He wanted to scream at that. He’d been stuck being traded between rich humans for a hundred years.

“Well, you have the rest of your life to be safe, and free.” Eret offered. “That’s good, right?”

Oh, gods. Foolish sat up, feeling dread wash over him. He was going to outlive every single person here. If he stayed, he’d have to watch them die and waste away and… and then what? What if his family really was gone, and he had no one to return to? Where would he go, with a life that could only end to violence?

“Maybe it would be better if I died.” He hadn’t meant to say that to Eret, he was just thinking it. But he heard it echo along the mind link, and Eret sat up as well, staring at him.

“Don’t say that!” They protested. “I… if you say things like that I’ll make Puffy put you on suicide watch, you won’t be allowed to do everything you might otherwise. I don’t want you dead, no one does.” Foolish just shrugged. “... I feel like I’m missing something.”

“Ponk said you know a lot about hybrids like me,” Foolish said slowly, still keeping his mouth tightly shut, and using the mind link. He didn’t want anyone to eavesdrop, at least on his end of the conversation. “Odd ones, like me, that are made of gold?”

“You’re made of the material gold.” Eret echoed, brow furrowing. “That’s… that’s pretty odd, yeah.”

“I tried to tell Sam and Bad what I was,” Foolish said softly. “They said totems are extinct. They said there are no totem hybrids. Is that… is that true?”

“Wh- totem?” Eret pulled off their sunglasses, cleaning them of dust as they thought for a moment. Foolish watched, dread pooling in his stomach. “Totem hybrid. Shark-Totem hybrids… I mean, that’s definitely something that could exist. I never saw one myself, but in theory, it’s definitely possible. No one has ever recorded one, but there’s a lot of the world undiscovered including the ocean. Are you from the ocean?”

“Yes, I am.”

“And… and you know there were others? Like you, and you were called totems?”

“Yes.” Foolish groaned, burying his head in his hands. “There… there should be hundreds of us, Eret. We… we swim and we work with fishermen, and… and we don’t hide, Eret. We only… we only would hide when hunters and traders were looking for us and…”

“Whoa, wait, hundreds?” Eret frowned. “I… I would have heard of shark hybrids helping fishermen. I’ve been to a lot of places, I record everything.”

“Hundreds.” Foolish felt his hopes fade, and he felt even worse than before. “My… you’ve never heard of any of them?”

“...no, I haven’t,” Eret said slowly. “How… how long ago were you taken?”

“A hundred years.”

“Excuse me?”

“We age slowly. I’m about a hundred and fifty years old, fifty years is equal to ten human years.” Foolish explained softly. “They took me away when I was fifty years old.”

“Holy shit, Foolish.” 

“Do you think my family is extinct?” Foolish asked. 

“I…” Eret looked like they’d rather talk about anything else. “I don’t know. But… but I think it’s very likely.”

It felt like Foolish’s heart was ripping itself apart. He nodded stiffly and stood up to move to his own bed. 

“You can still… you don’t have to want to be dead,” Eret said, voice a bit desperate. “You can still live a good life, you can still be happy. You have us.”

“Yeah.” Foolish laid down, clamping his eyes shut. 

He knew, logically, Eret was right. He wasn’t literally alone, he had this house of strange people who wanted to help him.

But he felt so incredibly isolated, knowing he might be the only shark-totem left in the entire world, that it was hard to feel anything but hollow grief.

Chapter Text

“He won’t get up.” Foolish kept his eyes closed, listening to Eret’s distressed voice a bed away. “He… he said it might be better if he died, last night. I don’t know what to do, I… how are we supposed to help?”

“Did he say anything else about why he felt that way?” that was Puffy’s voice, and Foolish knew Ponk was also here.

“He…” Eret hesitated. “That… I don’t know if he wants other people to know. He wouldn’t say it out loud, just in my head. But it’s pretty… It's pretty bad.”

“Hey, Foolish, you with us?” Ponk asked, shaking the bed gently a few times. “I don’t wanna touch you if you don’t want me to, but I need to check on you to make sure you’re not infected, or anything.”

Foolish thought about ignoring him, but he didn’t want to get infected.

So he rolled over onto his back, opening his eyes and looking at Ponk. Ponk seemed pleasantly surprised.

“Can I move your bandages to check?” he asked. Foolish nodded, and Ponk gently pulled up the bandage, jaw falling slack. “What the…”

“What is it?” Puffy asked.

“He’s just… fully healed. At least his skin… scales… gold is fine. No… no scars, it’s not infected, it’s just…”

“Regeneration abilities.” Eret supplied. “Totem hybrids would have those, he said he was part totem, right?”

“But Sam and Bad said that’s impossible, he’s probably just confused.” Ponk said, parroting a direct quote from the demon hybrid.

“It’s not impossible,” Eret said. “I… Foolish, you’ve got to at least explain something to them.” Foolish scowled. 

“He deserves a secret or two, after everything that’s happened.” Puffy supplied. “If he says he’s a  totem, and Eret says it’s possible, we’ll go with that. So, regeneration. Quick healing. That’s good.”

“Also explains why he didn’t pass out yesterday after all that magic.” Ponk hummed, removing the bandage the rest of the way and putting it in the trash. It felt weird not to have something around his neck. “You up to move and eat, Foolish? At least try to eat, I can bring it here for you.”

“No.” Foolish sat up, pushing Ponk away and curling into his hoodie. “I’m not hungry.”

“Foolish, come on.” Eret sighed. The exasperation felt like a dagger in his heart. Eret was mad at him. Eret didn’t remember him, and Eret was mad at him, and… the link between their minds ached with betrayal, and Foolish buried his head in the hoodie sleeves. 

“...maybe you two shouldn’t be so close together, all the time,” Puffy said softly, a beat of silence following her statement.

“Wh- what?” Eret sounded terrified, but honestly? That sounded like a weight off Foolish’s shoulders. He cared about Eret, but the constant reminder that Eret didn’t remember all he’d done for them? It hurt a lot. Being a little distant while they worked on that might help?

“We’ve got one of the guest rooms set up for Foolish, the one with the big bathtub.” Ponk suggested. “I wanted to wait a bit but… would you want to leave the infirmary, Foolish?”

“Am… I can decide that.” Foolish whispered, struggling with that realization. He was free, though. He wasn’t owned by anyone anymore. 

“You sure can.”

“That would be nice.” he didn’t look at Eret, he couldn't. It hurt almost as much as staying here would hurt. 

“You’ll still need to be together for a few hours a day, because of the link,” Puffy advised. “But resting in your own space will help, yeah?”

“Okay.”

So, he followed Ponk and Puffy up the stairs, feeling the mind link tug at him to return to Eret. But he didn’t, and it hurt. 

The room upstairs was nice, with a real bed and a closet for… well, maybe he would get clothes? He wasn’t often given clothes, even as a child. Living in the ocean didn’t require it. But he would like to have some for himself. It had a bathroom attached, with a tub large enough to soak in.

“We can get it set up with saltwater,” Puffy explained, showing him around it.

“Okay.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat?” Ponk stressed.

“I’m not hungry,” Foolish mumbled, sitting gingerly on the bed. He was. But the idea of eating made him want to throw up. How could he eat, and try to live a life, knowing his entire family was probably dead? And that the one person he cared about other than that didn’t remember him?

“I’ll send some food up anyway, just in case.” Ponk said, looking away from Foolish to Puffy. Foolish glanced up, catching some kind of silent conversation through facial expression. “I’ll be back later, okay Foolish?”

“Okay.”

“Can we talk, kiddo?” Puffy asked as Ponk left. She sat on the other end of the bed, looking at him worriedly. Foolish frowned.

“Talk about what?” 

“You’re not acting like I would expect,” Puffy said slowly. “This whole time, you thought you were still a possession. And now that you learn you aren’t, you’re getting all droopy and depressed. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to, but I’d like to know what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“I…” Foolish looked away. “I can’t read. I can… I can hardly write, very well. And… talking is hard.”

“That’s okay.” Puffy soothed. “I can help you learn to read and write better, and you’ll get used to talking again.”

“You said I could live my own life,” Foolish said softly. Puffy hummed in agreement. “No one here knows that hybrids like me exist. You… you don’t realize what a life means.”

“Do you want to explain it to me?”

“We never die unless something kills us. Every fifty years to us, we age the equivalent of ten human years. I… I haven’t been to the ocean in a century. I haven’t seen my family in a century… and everyone says they must be dead because no one has ever heard of us.” Foolish blinked back tears, shaking his head. “And I’m going to live for a long time, and you’re all going to die because you’re mortal, and then what? How can I live for centuries without… how can I live?”

“Oh, gods.” Puffy ran a hand through her hair, and Foolish felt bad. How could she respond to that, really? How was anyone meant to respond to that information?

“So, I think it would be better if I died.” Foolish summed up. “But unless someone kills me, that won’t happen. Because even while you’re alive… even while everyone here is still alive, I won't be able to live. Eret doesn’t remember me, and I can hardly do anything. I don’t know how to do anything but… but stand still, and be silent, and be a decoration or a toy because that’s all I’ve been for a hundred years!”

A rush of electricity rushed through him as he burst out his fears, and he heard rain start to fall outside. What? He… he hadn’t been able to do that since he was first cuffed, back when he was captured. The cuffs were fused with his scales, how had he done that? His wrists burned slightly, but he ignored it.

“I’m so sorry, Foolish.” Puffy placed a gentle hand on his arm, and Foolish wanted to cry. “I… I’ll admit I don’t know where to start, a hundred years is a lot longer than anyone else here has had to deal with being captured. But I want to help you, and I know all the others do, too.”

“I’m sorry, I sound ungrateful.” Foolish mumbled.

“...would you want to go to the ocean, sometime?” Puffy asked. “In a few weeks, when you’re stronger and back on your feet a bit more?”

Foolish squinted, looking at her skeptically.

“It’s only an hour car ride away. Wilbur has a beachfront property, that’s where he stays after a mission where he has to buy someone. It helps him realign himself, and it helps to not have him around while we try to recover. But I know he’d let you visit, to see the ocean.”

“I want to,” Foolish said, throat tight as he tried not to cry. “I want to see the ocean again.”

“You’ll have to try and get yourself better, so Ponk lets you go,” Puffy warned. “Eat food, build up your strength. Stop saying you wish you were dead. That kind of thing.”

“I’ll try.”

“There are only legends of totem hybrids, fairytales,” Bad said curiously, scribbling notes as he sat across the table from Foolish. Foolish watched, baffled at his excitement. 

“...you’re a demon,” he said slowly. “You… you’ve got to be old, too. How come you don’t know all this?”

“I am a very young demon who reached maturity very quickly.” Bad shrugged. “I’m only like, fifty years old.”

“Oh.”

“And I’m only half-demon, the other half is uh… well, I can’t really say. Too powerful a name.”

“Oh.” Foolish knew about that, being so powerful that you can’t say the name without instantly dying. Okay. 

“So you can’t die unless killed, even after millennia?” Bad asked, looking up from his notes.

“Yeah.” Foolish pushed eggs around on his plate, not really wanting to eat. It had been a few days since he talked with Puffy, and she’d gotten him to open up a bit more about totem hybrids ‘in case they find another one’. He was really, really trying his best. It was just extremely difficult. 

“That’s crazy… how do you reproduce?”

“Bad!” Puffy protested, dropping her fork in disbelief.

“What?! It’s a question!”

“We’re eating, and you’re asking about totem sex!”

“Language!”

“Oh, totems don’t have sex to reproduce,” Foolish said blankly. Honestly, he only knew what ‘sex’ was due to stupid humans, wanting him for a plaything. 

“Really!” Bad turned back to him, interest apparently piqued. 

“You know what a totem of undying is,” Foolish assumed. Bad nodded.

“They’re super rare, but yeah.”

“Well, a powerful enough totem can bring one to life.” Foolish shrugged. “Throw it in the ocean, you get a shark totem. Throw it in a volcano, you get a blaze totem… etc.”

“They throw their babies into volcanoes?”

“Only some of them.” Foolish shrugged. “And some totems just… stay normal totems. Like humans, but with wings and made of gold.”

“Wh… a celestial,” Bad said, face dropping blankly. “Or.. or… what do you call them… an angel?”

“Maybe?” Foolish shrugged. “They’re not avian, they’re not birds.”

“But we know what- celestial hybrids are totem hybrids?”

“I don’t know.” Foolish sighed. “I… I’ve never heard of a celestial, okay? I’ve been… I’m out of the loop, I guess.”

“Ohhh, right!” Bad nodded, tapping his chin. “Well, I know we’ve helped a couple of them but they always leave as soon as possible, something about meeting up with their clan and letting everyone know they’re alright.”

“Maybe we could get in contact with them again?” Puffy suggested. “See if they’re totems?”

“Running on the assumption that they are…” Bad rifled through a book, seemingly hand-written by Eret. “Okay, so Celestial hybrids have gold-tinted skin, colorful eyes, wings, and elemental magic. They also have to supplement their diet with things like pure metals, like silver and iron and gold and stuff. Do you need that, Foolish?”

“Wh- I…” that sounded a lot like totems. Foolish tried not to get his hopes up but nodded slowly anyway. “I don’t know if I need it, I’ve lived a hundred years without it… but my parents said that I needed to eat gold regularly, so… maybe?”

“Ohh, okay, good to know.” Bad scribbled that down in his notes, sticking a blank piece of paper into the book as a placeholder.

“We should get you some gold, then,” Puffy noted. “Like, flakes or bars or what?”

“Just… just nuggets, I think.” Foolish shifted uncomfortably. “You don’t have to, it’s… it’s expensive I bet.”

“We can get some.” 

“Do you have any type of magical powers?” Bad asked. “Aside from regeneration, we know that comes from totem. Shark hybrids sometimes have elemental powers.”

“Uh… I don’t know.” Foolish said again. He... he might have used them, earlier. But that didn't make sense, as it was being repressed by the human's magic. But he didn't want to talk about that right now. “If I did, it’d be storms. Lightning, and rain, and stuff. Um…”

“Oh, interesting!” Bad beamed, seemingly fascinated. Foolish wasn't sure how he felt about that, to be honest. "I'll ask Phil if he can reach out to the celestials, and maybe if they're related to totems they can help you figure it out?"  Foolish shrugged.

“I’ll ask Phil if he still has the contact information for any of them,” Puffy said, pulling out her phone. 

“So… hold on,” Bad suddenly stopped, holding up both hands. “If… if we got you a totem of undying, Foolish… you could just bring it to life?”

“...uh…” Foolish blinked a few times, suddenly thrown off completely. “I… maybe? I don’t know, you have to be pretty powerful to do that.”

“I mean, you might be considered the most powerful shark totem on earth,” Bad said, scrunching up his shoulders.

“...yeah because everyone I used to know is probably dead,” Foolish said sourly.

“I mean, yeah, but still-”

“Bad, what the hell?”

“I’m just saying! What if Foolish could get a little baby? That would be crazy!”

“I might be able to,” Foolish said again, frowning thoughtfully down at his eggs. What would he even do with a baby? It would basically be in a coma for the first five or ten years, while it fully woke up, but… what would he do with it after that? What do people do with babies?

“Great, now you broke him.” Puffy sighed, throwing her hands in the air. “Good job, Bad.”

“I did not! He’s just thinking, he’s allowed to think!” 

“What would I even do with a baby?” Foolish asked, looking at Bad. Bad frowned.

“Wh- how should I know? Do I look like a father to you?”

“You did legally adopt a kid a few years back,” Puffy said. Bad squawked indignantly, and Foolish snorted, a smile breaking over his face. “So, kinda.”

“He wasn’t a baby! He was a full child! That’s not the same as if Foolish made a baby!”

“There is no baby, why are both of you talking about a baby! We don’t even have a totem!” 

“He’s the one that brought up a baby!” Foolish protested. “I’m just trying to eat my eggs! He’s the one interrogating me about totem hybrids!”

“It’s research, to further the understanding!” 

“The understand of what?”

“Of the world!”

“You are ridiculous. You’ll never understand the world, no one ever understands the world.” Puffy shook her head.

“That’s not true! You’re just jealous I’m taller than you!”

“Wh- that has nothing to do with this!”

Foolish munched on a mouthful of his eggs, looking back and forth as the two bickered. Of all the things to see today, this probably wasn’t it. 

“Why are people screaming.”

The bickering abruptly stopped when Fundy walked in, fur ruffled and shoulders slumped with exhaustion. A few beats of silence followed before Bad pointed an accusing finger at Foolish.

“Foolish wants to make a baby.” 

Foolish choked on his eggs, doubling over to try and clear his throat.

“WHAT!” Puffy screamed, jumping to her feet and punching the table.

“... never mind. I’m going back to bed.” Fundy left, and Foolish coughed a few times to clear the egg that he’d inhaled.

“I never said I wanted to make a baby!” he protested, eyes still a bit watery. “I don’t even know how!”

“Just… do the magic thing.” Bad shrugged. “I’m sure you’ve got this.”

“I need both of you to stop.” Puffy groaned, rubbing her forehead. 

“He didn’t have to answer the question if he didn’t want to, Puffy.” Bad shrugged. “Sorry, you couldn't handle it.”

Foolish smiled again, shaking his head. 

What would he even do with a baby, anyway?

“You seem happier,” Eret said softly. Foolish looked up from the book he was trying to decipher. 

“What do you mean?” Was he happier? It had definitely been a day where he’d smiled a lot, and it didn’t hurt as badly to be near Eret now. It did still hurt, but not as much.

“I don’t know… you just seem happier.” Eret shrugged. “I heard you laughing in the kitchen, earlier.”

“Oh, I was with Bad and Puffy,” Foolish explained. “They just keep bouncing off each other when they argue, it’s really funny.”

“Ah, yeah,” Eret smirked. “That makes sense.”

Foolish nodded, looking back at the book and scowling.

“Foolish?”

“Yeah?” he looked up again.

“Do you want me to remove the mind link?”

“Wh-” Foolish sat up, heart plummeting. “What?” he didn’t even know Eret could do that. Did Eret not like him anymore? It would make sense since Eret didn’t need to rely on him for memories and stuff. Maybe their friendship had been a necessity, and Eret didn’t really want to be linked.

“It… we’re recovering at different rates.” Eret shrugged helplessly. “You have regeneration, you should be able to go places by now, go on missions or trips with everyone else. But you can’t, because you have to be close to me.”

“I…” Foolish tried not to show how much it hurt, learning that Eret had put so much thought into removing the link. “Would it hurt you?”

“We both know it already hurts,” Eret mumbled, looking away. “Being mind linked with someone needs to be really really intimate, if we don’t know everything about each other, it’ll hurt.”

“Oh.” That... that stung. Who said Foolish didn't know everything about Eret? But... it was Eret's mind too. So Foolish shrugged. “I… if you want to, that would be okay. I don’t want to hurt you.” Eret was silent for a few minutes, and Foolish looked away to try and hide his emotions on this. He didn’t want it to hurt, either, but he wanted to know Eret. He wanted to be close with Eret, and keep Eret safe, and… and he wanted Eret to want him.

But if Eret didn’t, then… then that was that.

“It’ll hurt a lot for a couple of minutes,” Eret said softly.

“Wh- right now!?” Foolish’s voice cracked despite his efforts, and Eret nodded. “Okay. I… I’ll be okay. Do… do what you have to do.”

“Okay.”

Agonizing. The back of Foolish’s mind seemed to scream at him as the tether was pulled away, severed and dead and hanging limply. He bit his tongue to keep from making noise, not looking away from Eret as their face also twisted in pain.

And then it was gone. Foolish looked away, wiping tears from his face. His heart had been slowly mending, working on the idea of rebuilding itself, and now it felt like all that was gone. He felt so incredibly empty, and stupid. He always felt stupid, but now it was worse.

He really thought that Eret would want to stay linked, after all that. After it was obvious they’d done it out of panic, necessity. They didn’t actually want to be linked to him.

“I’m gonna go.” Foolish whispered, picking up the books Puffy had given him as a reading guide and hurrying to the door.

“Foolish-”

Foolish ignored them, closing the infirmary door behind him.

He barely made it to the pool, leaving the books in the kitchen, before he lost it completely.

The hoodie was discarded again, and he sunk himself to the bottom of the pool. Sound was different underwater, but he could still hear the strangled sobs that left his own mouth.

It hurt so much worse than it had before it was severed. He didn’t understand. Why would Eret do this? How could they say that they had to know each other completely when Foolish did know them completely? It wasn’t Foolish’s fault that Eret forgot him. He did his best, he wanted to help but how could he help Eret know him when Foolish had to become a whole new person anyway?

How could Foolish have been so stupid to believe that he might have something nice, someone who would be with him no matter what?

It hurt a lot more than Eret had anticipated. They could see the devastation written on Foolish’s features, the way he held himself as he scrambled to leave the room.

Had they read this all wrong? They could tell that their amnesia hurt Foolish constantly, and they didn’t want that. They wanted him to be able to heal and grow without being held back.

Besides that, Eret didn’t really know Foolish except that they had trusted him a lot, back when they were still in captivity. Foolish said he knew Eret, but… what version of Eret did he know? The Eret that Eret wanted to be, or… or some other Eret that was completely different?

So why did it hurt so much to sever that connection?

About half an hour after Foolish left, Sam slammed the door of the infirmary open. 

“What did you do?”

“Wh- what do you mean?” Eret lied badly, grimacing at a throb of pain in his chest.

“We can tell when magic stuff happens, Eret. What did you do?”

“I…” Eret looked away. “I… I severed the mind link.”

“Excuse me!?” Sam just stared at them, and Eret could tell they definitely fucked up, now. “Where is Foolish?”

“I don’t know, he… he left after I did it,” Eret whispered. “Sam, it was… I was hurting him just by being connected, Sam! Do you know what having a mind link with someone who doesn’t even know you can feel like? Every time he moved, I could feel a shadow of his pain. And he could feel mine.”

“Did you even ask him if he wanted to cut it?”

“He… he said he was okay with it, he said it was okay. It’s my mind too, Sam!”

“Jesus Christ.” Sam groaned. “You shouldn’t have done that without someone there to spot you, to watch and make sure the magic severed correctly!”

“It… it went fine,” Eret said, though they weren’t too sure about that. 

“So, what, you didn’t want to be connected to Foolish anymore and he didn’t want to be connected to you?” Sam asked with an eyebrow raised.

“I didn’t want him to keep hurting like that.” Eret nodded.

“That is not the same!” Sam shook his head. “You clearly care about him, and I’m sure as hell he cares about you! You severed a link between people who both wanted it to stay! You’re insane!”

“I… I was holding him back! He can’t recover fully if I’m constantly in his head giving him extra pain!”

“Yeah, and you ease up the pain by working with him and healing together! Not by abandoning him!”

“I…” Eret fell back into the pillows, pulling one over their head. “Listen, I already did it. Can you please leave me alone and check on Foolish?”

“This conversation is not over,” Sam growled, storming from the room.

Eret bit the back of their hand, thinking over what Sam had said.

They did still want to be connected to Foolish, didn’t they? They wanted to learn about him, know his ins and outs even if they forgot it all over again in a few months. They wanted to feel Foolish’s slow recovery, the way they had been the past couple of days. 

Gods, why did they always do this? Eret bit down harder, wincing in pain. Why did they always hurt people by trying to help? First Tommy, and now Foolish. They hadn’t even given Foolish a chance, really. As soon as Eret knew Foolish would have other people on his side, it seemed like the obvious thing to do. Create distance, so no one got hurt. But it seemed like both of them were hurt, instead.

And if Foolish… Foolish clearly hadn’t wanted the mind link severed. He’d agreed when Eret said that they wanted it. Because Foolish cared about them, but Eret knew he didn't want it severed,

Eret might have just made the worst mistake of their life.

They stood above the water for a few hours, trying to get him to breach the surface. Foolish ignored them the entire time, alternating between swimming and curling up in the corner of the deep end, shaking with sobs and pain.

It hurt so much. Even after the magical pain faded, the raw emotional pain remained. He’d been so vulnerable with Eret, he’d trusted Eret and he’d tried his best to keep Eret safe. 

How could Eret throw that away so easily?

Because they never really wanted it? Because they would never care about Foolish like that? Why?

Foolish ground his fist into the rough pool bottom, letting the bumps dig into his scales, pulling some of them up and twisting them. It hurt, and he didn’t care. The physical pain was at least a distraction from the emptiness inside him. 

Why did he still care so much after Eret had betrayed him like that?

Foolish slammed his fist back into the cement, pushing bent scales into his flesh and twisting a few more. 

The people above the water were bickering, he could tell just from seeing the way they stood and gestured at him. 

What did they even want? Wasn’t he allowed to grieve on his own without someone interrupting him?

He watched dark clouds gather overhead, and the water around him crinkled with electricity. His wrists and ankles hurt, burning as they seemed to fight the repression of his powers. The water felt like static.

He should probably get out now.

Foolish grudgingly swam to the side of the pool where no one was standing, and he pulled himself out just before the first flash of lightning cracked overhead. 

He wasn’t trying to make the storm. He really wasn’t.

“Foolish!” Puffy called, making her way around the pool.

“Don’t,” Foolish warned, voice deep in his chest as if it could fill the void there. Lightning flashed again, and he watched a miniature version of it flash between his fingers. “Please don’t.”

“We need to go inside, this storm is pretty bad…” Puffy trailed off, stopping a few feet away. Foolish scowled at her, every muscle tense as he tried to quell the storm. “Is the storm from you, Foolish?”

“It’s not on purpose.” Foolish whispered, looking away from her. “What do you all want? Why can’t I be alone?”

“You’ve been in there for hours, you…” Puffy hesitated. “Eret told us what they did, Foolish… that’s hard to recover from, you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Why?”

“You’re hurting yourself.” Puffy gestured to Foolish’s hand, the twisted scales. One of them had pulled out completely, and golden blood leaked onto the pavement.

“So?”

“So… you shouldn’t hurt yourself. You’re still trying to-”

“I don’t care!” Foolish snapped, clambering to his feet. Thunder rumbled, and the clouds seemed to get darker. “I don’t care, Puffy! There’s no point! Don’t you get that?! There’s no point in recovering! There’s nothing to recover for ! No one cares!”

“I care.”

“You-” Foolish sobbed, shoulders collapsing. “How am I supposed to believe that? Why should I even try to believe it?”

“Foolish, I know you’re hurting, I really do.” Puffy looked close to tears herself, and Foolish felt bad. “But I swear, I’ll do whatever I can to prove that you’re not alone. I care, Bad cares, everyone cares about you. We want you to be happy, Foolish. I want you to be happy.”

“I’m so tired, Puffy.” Foolish shook his head. “I… I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know how to use my own powers, it’s just happening! I thought I was supposed to live my own life, now? Can’t… can’t I choose anything for myself?”

“You can,” Puffy promised. 

“No, I can’t,” Foolish said bitterly. “I can’t choose what I want, because nothing I want is even… everything I want is either dead or doesn’t want me either. I would never… I couldn't just make Eret keep the link if they didn’t want it. I…” God, it hurt. “Why can’t something kill me, Puffy? Why do I have to wait for someone to hate me so much they kill me? How is that fair?”

The rain lightened, and the clouds started to wander away. Not because Foolish was done being upset, he still felt just as upset. But he felt like he was going to pass out. He was exhausted.

“I know it’s not fair, Foolish, I’m so sorry.” Puffy was suddenly right there, hesitantly wrapping him in a hug. He flinched back slightly, afraid he might shock her, but when there was no bolt of lightning he stopped, letting her hug him. “If there’s anything at all that I can do for you, I’ll do it. I might not… I might not be a crazy powerful hybrid, and I might not have any powers and yeah, you met me just a few days ago. But I want to be there for you.”

“Why?” Foolish asked, voice falling back to a whisper. 

“Because you deserve it, and I care about you. You deserve to have things that you want.” Puffy said firmly, hugging him a bit tighter. Foolish didn’t know what to do. He could tell Puffy was genuine, and he desperately tried to think of anything he wanted. His family was dead, Eret didn’t want him, he didn’t know what he’d even do with a baby, but...

“I want to see the ocean again.” He whispered, burying his head in Puffy’s shoulder and hair. “Please.”

“Alright.” Puffy soothed, one last rumble of thunder echoed overhead as the storm moved away. “We’ll go see the ocean, Foolish. I promise.”

Foolish really wanted to believe that Puffy would keep her promise.

Chapter Text

“Remember to munch on gold nuggets at least once a day,” Ponk said hurriedly, walking around him as Foolish prepared to go. “Don’t stay in the water all day, but get a lot of swimming time in. Puffy’s gonna call to check in and let us know how it’s going, so remember to communicate with her.”

“Okay.” Foolish tugged on his hoodie strings, looking over at Puffy.

They were actually going.

Unless this had all been an elaborate trap to destroy his soul and they were going to sell him again.

They were going to the ocean. Foolish trusted Puffy. 

“We’ll be okay, Ponk, don’t worry. Bad will be with us, too.” Puffy promised, punching Ponk playfully in the shoulder.

“Alright, alright! I just… I want to make sure you’re all okay.” Ponk mumbled.

“Wilbur’s expecting us in an hour,” Bad said, walking in with a duffel bag in each hand. “Let’s get going.”

“Drive safe,” Phil said, nodding to them as Puffy pulled Foolish behind her, to the car.

It wasn’t the sleek black fancy car they’d picked Foolish up in the day Wilbur bought him, but it was an older square-shaped car with big windows and a lot of stickers on the back bumper.

“Do you want shotgun?”

“Wh- a gun?” Foolish scowled.

“The front passenger seat,” Bad explained, pushing the bags into the last empty space in the trunk. “It’s called shotgun for some reason.”

“Oh.” Foolish looked at the different seats, then nodded. “Yes, I do.”

So they climbed in, Bad wedging himself into the back seat even though it was cramped for his big size. Puffy turned on music Foolish had never heard before - he’d hardly ever listened to music really - and… they drove.

An hour wasn’t very long, especially in relation to Foolish’s lifespan, but he had to say it was one of his favorite stretches of time ever.

Puffy and Bad did their usual bickering conversation, laughing loudly and singing along with the music. Bad occasionally asked hypothetical questions that Foolish either didn’t understand or made Puffy scream in annoyance.

‘If you had to eat someone in the car to survive, who would you eat first?’ and ‘what do you think would happen if someone tried to eat the moon?’ were a few of the ones that brought the most conversation. 

And then Foolish smelled the ocean. It was salt, water, sun, and fish. Puffy turned the car onto a bumpy gravel road, leading up to a beach house half the size of the estate. It was on a hill just past the sand dunes, overlooking the ocean.

Oh, and the ocean. It was beautiful. It just seemed to go on forever, so much space to stretch and swim and just… exist. 

“We’re here!”

Foolish was out of the car as soon as Puffy turned it off. He felt himself brimming with energy, and he resisted the urge to run straight into the waves and never return.

Instead, he helped Bad and Puffy move their stuff up the steps, and into the beach house after Wilbur let them in.

He was intimidated by Wilbur. He knew that, and he knew it would happen.

But… he was also very not intimidated.

The man seemed much smaller than before, drowned in a sweater and beanie with bent glasses perched on his nose.

“Thanks for letting us crash here for a bit, Wil,” Puffy said cheerfully.

“Oh, of course.” Wilbur waved a hand. “There’s too much empty space here, anyway. Whatever you need, go for it. Food in the kitchen, gold nuggets in the far right corner cabinet. Phil said you’d need them.” he said, meeting Foolish’s eyes for only a fraction of a second.

“Thanks.” Foolish probably would have been more frightened if he wasn’t so close to the ocean, to his home . Puffy laughed lightly.

“You can go swim, Foolish,” she said gently. “Just check back in, in a couple hours. Okay?”

“Okay!” Foolish darted away, leaving his hoodie on the railing to the steps. He’d gotten better clothes than the ones he took from the noblewoman, a pair of swim trunks currently. He wasn’t sure why, but everyone just seemed more comfortable when he had them on. He knew he wasn’t really up to date on cultural norms, so he’d accepted it as a necessity.

It took all too long, only a minute and a half but much too long nonetheless, to get to the ocean across the sand.

Foolish let out a whoop of excitement, launching himself into the waves as soon as he could. They crashed over him, definitely more rough than a swimming pool.

But it was home.

He pushed himself away from shore, out past the sandbar to where he could swim freely, without all the rip tides and currents. 

This was better than he could have remembered, after a hundred years. Foolish chased a school of fish but didn’t grab any to eat. They had food at the beach house.

The only thing that could make this moment better would be if there was a response to the signals he sent out, high-pitched echolocation. He knew it probably wouldn’t get a response, but the cold silence from the rest of the ocean seemed to taunt him.

Maybe he wasn’t alone, and there just wasn’t anyone from his clan nearby. Maybe they were all in hiding, and they were okay after all.

He wanted to believe that, even if it wasn’t true.

He spent a long time swimming along the ocean bottom, looping around and finding landmarks to make sure he didn’t get lost. There were the old remains of a shipwreck, a coral reef, and some caves he didn’t dare venture into today.

They would be here for a week, he had time to explore. He didn’t want to get too distracted and make Puffy worried.

He did, though, scoop up glittering shells and rocks to bring back with him, loading them into the pockets of his swim shorts.

He didn’t have a watch, and he’d always been bad at keeping track of time, so he really shouldn’t have been surprised to arrive back at the shore after the sun had already gone down.

“Ah, shit.” Foolish stumbled across the sand, hoping beyond hope that no one was angry at him for being gone so long.

The lights were still on in the beach house, and he heard soft music from within when he hesitated outside the door. Music, and quiet conversation.

He pulled open the door, poking his head in sheepishly when the conversation broke off.

“Am I late?”

“There you are!” Puffy sighed, putting a hand on her chest. “They were really trying to keep me calm, but I was about ready to get a sailboat and find you myself!”

“You’d need a submarine.” Bad pointed out. Puffy ignored him.

“I lost track of time,” Foolish explained, stepping inside and shaking water out of his hair. “I’m sorry.”

“You look like you had fun.” Wilbur offered with an amused smile on his face.

“I did!” Foolish beamed. “Did you know there’s a shipwreck a few miles off the coast? There are still skeletons in there and everything! And the coral reef, and caves! Oh, you should see it Puffy! It’s so incredible, I can’t believe I spent a hundred years without seeing things like that.”

“No wonder you were out there for seven hours.” Puffy chuckled. “Do you want a towel so you don’t drip everywhere?”

“Oh, uh… sure.” Foolish accepted it, still very distracted. “I brought you seashells, and some really cool rocks I thought you’d like. They’re still wet, do you want me to leave them outside?”

“Nah, they’ll dry out. Sit down, you’re gonna collapse if you don’t take a break.”

“I feel fine!” Foolish insisted. “Thank you for letting me go to the ocean, Puffy. Thank you so so much.”

“Hey man, all I did was drive here. You’re the one who decided to come.” Puffy said, shaking her head.

“Oh, right.” He was choosing things for himself.

He emptied his pockets into the towel and beamed when the others were impressed by the shells and rocks and bits of broken coral. 

“These are beautiful, Foolish,” Puffy said. Foolish nodded.

“There’s so much beauty in the ocean that no one ever sees,” he sighed. “You regular land-walking people just don’t understand the wonder that is our world.”

“What, you’re waxing all poetic now?” Puffy laughed. Bad just groaned.

“See, you say things like that but then you complain when I ask you questions so I can understand it better!”

“You asked how I would make a baby, Bad, that’s not the same.”

“Wh-” Wilbur choked on the water he was sipping, spitting it out onto the floor. “Excuse me?” Foolish laughed, shaking his head reflexively.

“Okay, you guys just pull that out of context whenever you want to make me look dumb.” Bad complained. “It’s not my fault you’re a weird, demigod…. Thing.”

“I’m not a demigod.” Foolish snorted. “I’m more like a demi-demi-god. There’s a step of removal, there, between me and the gods.”

“Yeah, well it might surprise you to learn most people aren’t connected to the gods at all,” Bad said sarcastically. 

“I know that already!”

“I’m sorry.” Wilbur held up a hand. “I know I’m, like, a human and you don’t know me… but you’re a demigod?”

“I am not!”

“You’re connected to a god?”

“Yeah…” Foolish shrugged thoughtfully. “I’m a totem hybrid. Gods made the first of us, and ever since then, the elder totems have been creating more. You know what a totem of undying is, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“All a powerful totem hybrid needs to do is uh… some kind of magic thing to make one come alive,” Foolish explained simply. “And Bad thinks I would be able to do that, despite the fact that when he met me I couldn't even talk.”

“Wh- okay, that wasn’t connected to how powerful you are, Foolish!” Bad complained. “That was because of crazy humans - sorry Wil - I bet you’re really powerful!”

“What would I even do with a baby?” Foolish asked once again. Puffy snorted.

“That’s what you always say when we get to this point, I’m starting to think you actually want one.”

Ah, he’d been exposed.

“What would I do with it!?” Foolish demanded again. “It’d be like, an infant for ten years! And I’d need a totem of undying, anyway.”

“I mean, do you want one?” Wilbur asked, sitting up a bit straighter in his chair. Foolish frowned, looking at him curiously.

“A baby?”

“A totem of undying.” Wilbur clarified. “I don’t just have babies in the attic, or something, geez.”

“This conversation has gotten weird.” Foolish declared, standing up and collecting his shells. “I’m gonna go to bed.”

“Get some sleep, kiddo,” Puffy said cheerfully. “We’ll make sure to get some gold in you tomorrow morning before you head back out, yeah?”

“Sounds good!” Foolish found his way to the first-floor bedroom, which they’d explained would be for him so he was closer to the water. Bad seemed to have deposited his bag there, and Foolish found a set of soft pajamas there, leaving the seashells on the top of the dresser.

He wanted to sleep, but he was also burning with curiosity about what Wilbur had said.

Wilbur was a human, and he knew he shouldn’t trust a human. But everyone talked about him so highly, and he’d been so kind while Foolish was here so far… what if he really did have a totem of undying? And what if Foolish really was able to breathe life into it?

They were at the ocean, he could make a little baby shark totem if he had enough power. 

What would he even do with a baby?

For the first time since asking, he tried to think of an answer. He could take care of a baby, and give it hugs. He could tell it stories, and name it, and keep it safe.

He would have someone to protect, to keep safe. Sure, he wanted to keep his friends safe, but he knew they’d be perfectly fine on their own. 

He could have another shark totem hybrid, he could teach it everything he knew about their culture. He could… he could be not alone. He could have some semblance of a family of his own species again. That would be nice. That would be really really nice.

The next few days, Foolish did his best to remember to eat gold with his food, and he would spend hours in the ocean. There was never a sign of more hybrids like him, just fish and the occasional dolphin. He also hung out with Puffy and Bad on the beach, and Wilbur even joined them once.

The whole time, though, there was something tugging at the back of his head. Other than the aching loss of Eret’s link, that is.

A totem of undying.

Wilbur had heavily implied that he had one.

And if Foolish had enough energy, and power… he could bring it to life. He could have a little shark totem baby… he could be a dad.

That was a really weird thought, one he’d never allowed himself to have before. But… but it was a really nice thought, too. 

A few days before leaving, Foolish found a time when Bad and Wilbur were both out doing something, and it was just him and Puffy.

“...do you think Wilbur meant it?” he asked tentatively. “About… about the totem?”

“Th- the baby thing?” Puffy looked at Foolish in surprise. He bit his tongue but nodded. “I think he was, yeah. But… I mean, are you serious?” she was asking genuinely, not out of shock or disbelief.

“I… yeah.” Foolish shrugged. “I don’t… I don’t know if I’m powerful enough, but I… I can’t stop thinking about it. I want to try.”

“I think Wilbur would definitely give you a totem, if you asked,” Puffy said. “I can ask for you if you want.”

“No, no.” Foolish didn’t think that having a middle man would be right, in this case. “I can… I just wanted to ask for your advice first.”

“I’d say go for it if you want a kid.” Puffy shrugged.

“Would… would Phil or anyone be mad?”

“I don’t think so. And if they were, I’d set them straight.” Puffy grinned. “Phil’s a dad, he’d understand.”

“Okay.” Foolish nodded, chewing on his lip.

So, the next day he found himself approaching Wilbur, chest tight with anxiety as he thought about what exactly he was asking for.

“Oh, hey there Foolish.” Wilbur smiled thinly, setting aside his phone. “Is everything alright?”

“Did…” Foolish swallowed thickly. “Did you mean it, when you asked if I wanted a totem of undying?”

“Oh.” Wilbur looked surprised. “Uh, yeah. I did. I have a lot of shit I don’t need, and there are a few totems included in that. Bad said it was all jokes, but like… if you want to try and animate a totem I’ll get it for you.”

“Really?” Foolish hadn’t expected to get this far.

“Yeah.” Wilbur nodded. “You wanna be a dad, go for it. Who am I to stop you?”

Uhh, maybe the person who legally owns Foolish? Foolish didn’t say that.

“I’ll go get one, sit tight.”

With that, Wilbur stood up and made his way up the rickety stairs toward the attic.

He really just, had a totem of undying in his attic. Foolish didn’t know how to feel about that, but a few minutes later Wilbur returned with something bundled in a length of silk.

“All yours.” he deposited the totem into Foolish’s hands, and Foolish had no idea what to do.

But, strangely, he also felt like it didn’t matter if he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Th-thank you.” he breathed, pulling the bundle closer to himself as he stepped back.

“Don’t mention it, better it’s with you anyway.”

“I… I’ll be back.” Foolish stammered, scrambling out the door and down to the beach, totem still in hand.

Holy shit. Holy shit! 

It felt like instinct as he waded into the waves. It was pretty calm, which was odd. But, as he pulled the silk from around the small totem, he ignored everything else.

All insecurity of whether or not he was powerful enough, of what on earth he would do with it, or how he would take care of a baby faded away. 

If you asked him later, Foolish couldn't tell you exactly what happened in the next few minutes. But he started the trek back to the beach house with a sleeping shark hybrid in his arms, tucked in close to his chest.

“I’m back!” He declared, stepping inside. “And I made a baby!”

“You WHAT!” Bad fell off the couch, and Puffy laughed, though she also looked surprised.

“I made a baby.” Foolish repeated, holding out the sleeping child. “See?”

“What the muffin!? What… what the heck!”

“Hey, congratulations.” Wilbur offered, sending a wink his way. “What’s their name?”

“Oh.” Foolish frowned, peering down at the little guy. Traditionally, totems didn’t get names until they started having a personality. But he could make an exception, due to the very non-traditional way this had happened. “Uh...Foolish Junior.”

“Ah, how original.” Puffy snickered.

“Oh, you think you can name a baby better than I can?” Foolish asked, smirking. “Why don’t you go breathe life into a magical totem, and then come up with an awesome name?”

“Yeah, okay, point taken.” she smiled, getting up and walking over to him. “Welcome to the world, Foolish Junior. I’m gonna be such a bad influence on you.”

“You’re angry at me,” Eret said, staring at the floor while Ponk was giving them a final once-over before they left the infirmary.

“Yeah.” Ponk patted their shoulder.

“I was trying to help! All I could see was that he was getting hurt because of me, how was I supposed to know he still wanted to be linked?” Eret groaned.

“Did you talk to him about it?” Ponk sighed. “Like, really talk to him? Cuz after you got back here, and rested, I didn’t see you talking very much.”

“I…” Eret frowned. “He… he’s not really the most talkative person, y’know.”

“I’m just saying, it was pretty obvious he was only hurt because he actually cares about you.” Ponk shrugged. “And you interpreted that wrong, for whatever reason, and now he feels like you betrayed him.”

“Yeah.” Great. Another betrayal. Why couldn't Eret just… stop betraying people? How did they make the wrong decision every single time? It was ridiculous, and it still felt like there was a gaping hole in their chest. They thought that would go away once Foolish wasn’t connected, but now it was just worse. Eret didn’t even know Foolish… but they missed him.

“You’re good to go, just take it easy.” Ponk said, walking back to his desk. “Your old room is still set up for you, and I’d recommend not doing any magic stuff until Bad can double-check on it when he gets back tomorrow.”

“Right.” Eret nodded, standing up and stretching. “Thanks, Ponk.”

“Don’t mention it.” 

It was a bit colder than usual, that statement. Eret wondered just how angry Ponk was about this. Sure, Ponk got angry easily, but… but he seemed legitimately upset. Eret could tell by the way some of the others looked at them, that Ponk wasn’t the only one.

They’d really messed this up, but it’s not like they could re-link their mind with Foolish. Foolish would have to agree, and Eret wasn’t about to ask him to do it after what had happened. They actually hadn’t spoken to Foolish at all, before he left to spend a week by the ocean.

In all honesty, Eret didn’t think that they’d be allowed to try and talk to Foolish, even if they wanted to. Well, they did want to. They just knew better than to try. Everyone in the alliance was… well, they’d all gotten shockingly protective over Foolish in a very short time. That wasn’t odd, really, but it was still a bit surprising. Especially since none of them knew a lot about rare hybrids, at least not as much as Eret knew.

They had books upon books of research, in their room. That’s where Eret went now, pulling down old journals and stolen library books.

Eret may not be able to talk to Foolish, to make up for the huge mistake they’d made… but they still wanted to help Foolish. So, compiling all possible information to give to Sam and Bad would have to do.

It’s not like Eret was good for much else, anyway.

“Ah, home again home again.” Puffy sighed as they pulled into the long driveway of Wilbur’s estate. 

Foolish hummed, holding Junior a bit closer to his chest. He wished it was possible to just go into the ocean, live there forever, and have things back to the way they’d been a hundred years ago. But he also wanted to be here, with Puffy and Bad and the people who had helped him.

That, and he had no idea how to take care of a baby and he wanted to be sure to have other people, in case he messed it up.

Was bringing Junior to life impulsive? Yeah. Did he regret it? No, not a chance.

“Okay, are we placing bets on when people notice you have a baby?” Bad asked, leaning forward from the backseat. “Twenty bucks on Sam not noticing until it’s pointed out.”

“Phil will know immediately,” Puffy added. “He’s smart like that.”

“I don’t know.” Foolish laughed. “And I don’t have any money, so I probably won’t bet.”

“Well, let’s head inside.” Puffy parked the car and turned it off. “We definitely need to get you stuff for this little guy.”

“He doesn’t need much.” Foolish hummed thoughtfully. “Probably will need to keep him in the bathtub for a while, it’s no tide pool but it’ll work just fine.”

“And you’re sure you won’t let me study your baby?” Bad asked. Foolish rolled his eyes.

“You know the answer to that.”

“Well, yeah I do, it’s just interesting!”

“Since when are you into research, anyway?”

“Since I learned there are hybrids that no one is an expert on.” Bad shrugged. “I’ll probably get over it in a few weeks.”

“Well, let’s go get that little one in the tub then.” Puffy laughed, making her way to the door. Foolish followed, confused by the spike of anxiety he felt by bringing the baby into the house. He… he trusted all of these people, more or less. This was the safest place for Junior… maybe the idea of someone else touching him was still pretty stressful. 

“We’re home!” Puffy yelled as they entered the kitchen. Phil was there with a cup of tea, and so was the piglin hybrid that Foolish had never really talked to before. Both of them looked up, and while the piglin just looked bored, Phil immediately looked at Junior.

“Is that a fucking child?”

“It’s Foolish Junior,” Foolish said, grip tightening a bit on the bundle in his arms. 

“You leave for a week and come back with a baby?” Phil ran a hand down his face. “Yeah, alright. Fair enough.”

“You… you aren’t mad?”

“I told you he’d be fine with it!” Puffy laughed, shaking her head. “How’s it been, quiet?”

“Not much going on, mostly just research for the next mission in a month or so.” Phil shrugged. “Techno’s been doing some scouting, trying to pinpoint the rest of the smuggling lines.” The piglin nodded, and Foolish figured he must be Techno.

“Well, I’m gonna go set Junior up to soak for a few months!” he chirped cheerfully, dodging around the table toward the stairs. 

“Months?” the piglin’s gravelly voice questioned, while Foolish ignored it and made his way to his room.

They’d gotten his bathroom - at least the tub - connected to the saltwater supply for the pool, so it wasn’t too difficult to fill it with six inches and nestle Junior in the corner, head peeking above the water so he could breathe just in case.

Foolish had just been a kid when he was taken, he had never really paid much attention to how the other totems cared for the babies. But this felt right, and there was some weird internal drive that made him sure this would work just fine. 

Still, the anxiety continued to creep through Foolish’s thoughts.

What if someone wanted to steal Junior? Hybrids like him were really rare… what if someone took him? Or… or not even that, what if someone walked in here when Foolish wasn’t here? Just the idea of someone else being in the bathroom made Foolish terrified. 

They’d respected his privacy so far… he had to trust that they would continue to do so.

“You’ll be okay, Junior,” Foolish promised, stirring the water with his hand. “You’ll be just fine, buddy. I’ll bring you some gold in a little while, okay?” Junior didn’t respond, but he was a brand new baby and asleep so Foolish figured that made sense. 

What else did he need for the pool? Foolish frowned, mulling that over.

A tidepool would usually have rocks and shells, maybe a hermit crab or a starfish living there, too. He hadn’t been allowed to take any living creatures from the ocean, not that he’d wanted to, but he did have the shells and rocks in his bag.

So, Foolish bounced his way downstairs, meeting Bad in the hallway.

“There you are, Foolish. You left your bag.” Bad held it out, and Foolish accepted it, grinning widely.

“Thanks, Bad!” He impulsively grabbed the demon in a hug before taking off again, depositing the shells and rocks around Junior and arranging them nicely.

After doing all he could to mimic the faint memories he had of nursery pools back with the clan, Foolish sat on the floor by the tub and watched Junior sleep.

This felt… weird. He was nervous, but mostly because he wanted Junior to be safe. It felt different, better. Like he was back with the clan again.

And maybe, Foolish pondered as he looked at the baby a few feet away. Maybe he did have a clan again, even if it was smaller and different.

“What happened?” Phil laughed, shaking his head as he watched the shark hybrid bounce away, leaving a surprised Badboyhalo behind. “He’s like a completely different person!”

“It’s pretty great.” Puffy laughed. “You should’ve seen him when he got to the ocean, Phil. It was like a kid in a candy store, the first day he stayed in the water for seven hours and brought almost the whole ocean floor with him in his pockets.”

“Well I’m glad we had a place on the coast, I guess.” Phil sighed. “How’s Wil?”

“He’s doing fine, said he might be back in a week or so.” Puffy’s mouth lifted in a small smile. “Foolish got along with him pretty well, especially after Wilbur gave him a totem of undying.”

“He did what?” Phil knew Wil was generous, but what did Foolish even need that for?

“Junior.” Puffy supplied. “Didn’t we tell you? Foolish can just… make a new hybrid if he has a totem of undying.”

“What the fuck.”

“Yep. He was pretty psyched about it, too. Today is actually the first time he’s let go of the kid since he breathed life into him, two days ago.”

“I will never understand everything about hybrids, will I?” Phil laughed softly. “First Eret and Bad are connected to… well, you know. And now there’s a hybrid that by all accounts shouldn’t exist, and he’s just making children out of inanimate objects?”

“Any luck in getting a celestial to visit?” Puffy wondered, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Foolish… he’s in a better mood but I know he’s upset he couldn't reach his family in the ocean.”

“The ocean is big,” Phil said half-heartedly, though he knew that probably didn’t matter. 

If the hundreds of Foolish’s family were still out there, someone would know. They’d have seen more hybrids like Foolish, over the years. It was incredibly likely that the only two shark-totems in existence were in this house.

“George and XD said they could stop by sometime this week.” Phil added after a few moments of sadness. “They were pretty intrigued by what I told them, but you know how they are.”

“Keeping secrets is how they’ve lived so long without being killed off.” Puffy sighed, nodding. “How’s Eret?”

“Ah…” Phil winced, glancing upward to where Eret’s room was. “Shut up in their room, as usual, I suppose. They’re pretty… well, they haven’t been taking the split well.”

“Is it wrong for me to say ‘karma’?” Puffy asked, scowling. Phil sighed.

“I don’t know. You… you remember how Eret is. They get so caught up in one train of thought, they don’t do well with thinking things over once they believe something. I’m pretty sure they thought severing the link was best until it was too late.”

“That’s dumb.”

“Maybe.” Phil sighed. “Did... Foolish say he would be storing that baby in his bathtub for months?”

“Y’know… I didn’t want to ask him.” Puffy laughed, face brightening. “You… he feels really alone, Phil. And I think he’ll be a good dad, all things considered. He’s kind, intelligent, and determined. If the baby needs to be in a bathtub for a few months, he’d know better than anyone else would.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Phil chuckled. “Thanks for looking out for him, Puffy.”

“You’ve got enough on your plate, old man.” Puffy scoffed. “And besides that, I really like him. He’s fun to talk to, and he gets along with Bad and basically everyone else… I kinda hope he decides to stay here once he’s fully recovered.”

“Yeah.” Phil looked toward the stairs again, frowning slightly. How long would it take for a person to recover from a hundred years of being a… a possession?

“Hey, Foolish?” 

Foolish jolted upright when someone knocked on the door. Panicked, he first turned to check on Junior and found him sleeping peacefully. Oh, thank the gods.

“You in here?”

“O-oh.” his voice was tired, and Foolish stumbled to his feet. “One second!”

He grabbed the blue hoodie - which really should be washed soon - and tugged it over his head before opening the door to his room just a crack. It was Ponk.

“There you are!” Ponk beamed.

“Is everything okay?” Foolish asked softly, not quite willing to open the door any wider.

“Dinner’s just about ready, and I wanted to check on you after your trip!” Ponk explained brightly. “But Phil said to let you rest, so I waited a few hours.”

“Oh. Thank you.” Foolish slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. 

“You were eating every day while there?” Ponk asked, leading him down toward the kitchen.

“Mhm.”

“And you had gold once a day?”

“Yes.”

“Any new pain in your throat, or wrists and ankles?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.” nothing more than the dull ache he’d had for a while. Had he ever told Ponk about that? It… was probably fine. He didn’t need to talk about that right now, at least.

“Good, good. That’s very good!” Ponk nodded vigorously. “You definitely seem to have more energy, after being at the ocean. I’m glad you were able to go, I think you needed it.”

“It was fun!” Foolish grinned, just remembering the week of salt air and swimming. “I wish I could bring some of you down there, but you can’t breathe underwater. It’s very beautiful.”

“Aw, man, that would be awesome!” Ponk agreed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll see if there’s any way to get scuba gear next time.”

Foolish didn’t know what that meant, but they arrived in the bustling kitchen, so he didn’t ask. It was loud and chaotic, and it felt like the ability to speak had once again been taken from him. The kids were all arguing over who the ‘favorite’ was, and Phil Quackity and Puffy were moving plates from the counter to the table.

Foolish ducked out of the way, finding his seat at the far end while he listened to the bickering younger hybrids.

“I’m clearly the favorite, hands down, I’m the biggest man ever.” the young avian - Tommy - explained loudly. “And I’m basically just like Phil, so he likes me better.”

“That is not true!” Tubbo complained. “Height means nothing! And besides, that would mean Quackity is also his favorite so you’d be tied.” Tommy made an offended face, as though being put on the same level as Quackity was horrible. Foolish snuck a glance at the latter, who was just rolling his eyes at the antics.

“I feel like as far as favorites go, it might have to be Wilbur?” the enderman - who Foolish still didn’t have a name for - mumbled. “I mean, he’s Phil’s son, isn’t he? That would make him a favorite I think.”

What? Foolish furrowed his brows, not quite sure how that would work.

“Oh, well if we’re doing that it means he’d like Fundy more than us too.” Tommy scoffed. Foolish didn’t know how that lined up, in all honesty. “I don’t think blood should have anything to do with it.”

“What would it take, then?” Tubbo laughed. “Money? If it was how much he spent, Foolish would win! He’s allowed to eat raw gold!”

“It’s a necessary part of his diet, you menace.” Phil laughed. “And I don’t pick favorites, I already said that.”

“And the money isn’t even Phil’s, it’s Wilbur’s!” Tommy yelled, only to be shushed by several adults. “Sorry.”

“There’s never going to be a straight-up winner,” Quackity advised them, washing his hands before finding a chair near Foolish. “Because even if he had favorites, the old man would never admit it.”

“I’m not that old!” Phil complained.

“Aw, yeah you are.” Ponk chimed in, earning laughs from most of the room.

Foolish, in all honesty, didn’t know what the hell was going on. Was it really expensive for him to eat gold? And how on earth would Wilbur be Phil’s son? Phil was a hybrid and Wilbur was human. Why did it matter who Phil’s favorite was? Was he more important here than the rest of them? That, at least, Foolish could believe. Phil seemed to be in charge of a lot.

“Does everyone have their food?” Puffy asked, setting a plate in front of Foolish before taking her own seat. “Yes? Good, now if you’re talking it means you aren’t eating so I expect it to get a bit quieter in here while we eat.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Tommy rolled his eyes, but the room did seem to settle down as everyone started to eat. Foolish glanced at the plate in front of him, filled with the casserole everyone else had along with a few gold nuggets. He needed to bring one up to Junior, but surely they wouldn’t be upset if he only ate two?

Light conversation did continue during the meal, which the younger hybrids inhaled in just a few minutes before running off into the house still bickering about who was the favorite. 

Foolish glanced around the table again, frowning when he noticed that Eret wasn’t there.

Were… was Eret alright? Surely someone would have told him if something happened to Eret? Maybe they were still in the infirmary. Maybe they’d been more injured than Foolish realized. 

Maybe they didn’t want to be around Foolish?

The thought made his heart sink, and Foolish tried to push it away. He was doing better. He… he would be fine. It didn’t matter if Eret didn’t want to see him, because Foolish had Puffy and Bad and Wilbur and Junior…

So why did it still hurt?

“A couple of celestial hybrids agreed to visit to talk to you, Foolish,” Puffy said, breaking Foolish from the spiraling thoughts. He looked up, surprised. Really? “You… you okay?”

Foolish nodded, munching on a bit of gold to avoid trying and failing to answer. He just… it wasn’t the same as it had been with the collar, he just couldn't talk. Or… didn’t want to? It felt like he was taking up too much space already, and he’d only stumble over his words anyway if he did speak.

“If you say so.” Puffy shrugged, though she still seemed concerned. “A few celestial hybrids will be here the next few days, since we wanted to see if you might be connected to them. I thought you’d want to know.”

“Thanks.” Foolish forced the whisper from his throat, and it didn’t really sound like him. This was exhausting, somehow. Being in this room full of people, even if he hardly interacted with them. It was exhausting. He slipped one of the gold nuggets into his hoodie sleeve and stood up, carrying his plate to the sink before ducking out of the kitchen.

Why was this so difficult? It hadn’t been hard to relax and talk to people at the beach house, and after coming home. Why was it so hard to sit in the kitchen and be normal?

Foolish laughed at that, slipping into his room.

Maybe because he’d never been able to exist normally, before. That might have something to do with it.

He ignored that, though, and went to the bathroom to find Junior was right where he’d been left, curled up peacefully in the corner of the tub.

“Hey, Junior.” Foolish knelt down, nestling the gold nugget into Junior’s tiny hand. “You’re gonna live better than me, I promise. No one is ever going to hurt you, as long as I’m here.”

Foolish wasn’t fond of promises, but all the gods in the sky would be dead before he broke this one.

Chapter Text

Foolish was pretty sure Eret just straight up hated him. He hardly knew any of the people here, but he still bumped into everyone except Eret at least once a day. But no, Eret was nowhere to be found. He’d heard Eret mentioned, and knew they were still here… but that was it. It was agonizing, to know that Eret was here and hated him so much they didn’t even want to see him.

What had Foolish done to deserve that? He’d done so much to try and help Eret, he’d known Eret for months… did that all mean nothing just because of some amnesia? 

Foolish knew it wasn’t exactly nice of him to think like that. If Eret didn’t want to see him, he’d never force them into anything. He wasn’t entitled to Eret’s time or affection. He wasn’t entitled to anything, really. Until recently, he hadn’t even been a full person and he still wasn’t sure what all that entailed.

That didn’t keep it from hurting, every time Eret crossed his mind. It did hurt a lot. But that just seemed to be part of life, whether he was a plaything or a person.

But it seemed that it hurt a lot more when Foolish did finally see Eret.

It was clear that Eret wasn’t intending to bump into him, from the mixed expressions on their face. They were leaving the kitchen late at night when Foolish had gone down to get another gold nugget for junior.

“Foolish.”

Foolish froze, chest tightening as he realized who it was. 

“How… how are you?” Eret asked softly. 

Foolish didn’t know what to say, he didn’t even really want to say anything at all. So, he didn’t. He resorted to stepping back against the wall, hardly daring to breathe. Upsetting Eret was the last thing he wanted to do, and maybe Eret would just leave him alone if he tried to be invisible.

“Foolish…?” 

Eret just looked concerned, now, and Foolish wanted to scream. Even though screaming would probably mess with his throat, still. Eret sighed, slowly moving to stand against the wall as well, a few feet away. Foolish scowled.

“You don’t have to talk to me,” Eret said after a few minutes. “I… I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Foolish wasn’t sure what to say to that. He knew that Eret hadn’t meant to hurt him. This, however cruel it was, had been necessary. At least it had for Eret, as far as  Foolish understood. Eret didn’t want another mind linked to their own, and that was understandable. Eret didn’t want to see Foolish, and while he had no idea why… Foolish would be okay with that.

“Severing the link should have been something we both wanted.” Eret continued, letting out a heavy sigh. “But I don’t think either of us wanted it, and that’s my fault for not communicating.”

Foolish frowned, pushing himself a bit further into the wall. Couldn't Eret just leave him- what? Why on earth would Eret have severed it if they wanted the link?

The urge to tell Eret to go away built up, but Foolish couldn't quite do it. Of all the people he’d ever feared, respected, or cared about in his entire life… he cared about and respected Eret a lot. As far as fear went… well, there had to be a reason he was hoping Eret would leave without doing anything but talk. If staying quiet would keep things from possibly getting physical, he would do that. 

“Are… Foolish, I’m sorry.” Eret said again, voice a bit louder. Foolish held back a flinch, staring blankly at the floor. “Can… can you at least give me something here?”

That was basically a direct request for him to talk. The deep impulse to obey brought Foolish’s head back up, and he looked over Eret’s shoulder instead of making eye contact.

“What exactly do you want from me?” he asked softly. 

Eret’s face changed, and they stepped forward. Foolish froze on instinct, fully sure in that moment that he was about to be slapped, or slammed against the wall, or worse. But Eret stopped short, hand halting a few inches away from Foolish’s face.

“What do you want?” Foolish asked again, taking a step back. “Just… just tell me, and I’ll do it. I… you don’t have to care about me. I can’t force you to care, I just…” Eret’s hand fell to their side, and Foolish tried to ignore the clear pain written on their face. “I just want you to be happy.”

“I… gods, Foolish…” Eret stepped back, holding up their hands and shaking their head. “It’s… I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose, Foolish!” Foolish just frowned at that, and Eret grimaced. “I thought the link would hurt you more, because of me.”

“I wouldn’t force you to keep it,” Foolish said blankly. He had no idea where this was going, or why Eret was suddenly okay with seeing and talking to him, or what Eret was trying to say. He was tired, and he just wanted this to stop. “I… what is even… what do you want ?!”

“I just wanted to apologize,” Eret whispered. “I caused you pain, and I took the easy way out instead of trying to understand you.”

“What…” Foolish blinked tears away, shaking his head. “Why are you acting like you care now ? Why… What is wrong with you? Am I just… are you bored? Am I entertaining for you?” he hardly noticed his own voice rising, high-pitched, and near hysterics. “I’ve been a fucking toy for a hundred years, Eret! If that’s what this is you can just tell me! But don’t try and talk to me because you got bored!”

“Foolish, that’s not-”

“What the hell is going on?” Foolish flinched back, pressing against the wall again when one of the doors in the hall swept open, revealing the young avian, Tommy. “What do you think you’re doing, bitch?”

“I’m sorry-”

“Not you, Foolish.” Tommy waved a hand, stepping between the two of them. “Why do you think you even deserve to talk to Foolish, after what you did to him?”

“Tommy-”

“We all know, Eret. You’re flaky, and a bastard. You’re trying to worm your way back into the family, and that’s fine.” Tommy snarled. “Some of the others want to give you another chance. But for me? I fucking know better.”

Foolish didn’t know what to do. He’d never seen the young hybrid like this before, and he certainly wasn’t expecting Tommy of all people to be on his side. Or… whatever side this was.

“Tommy, you don’t underst-”

“I understand that you’re hurting him just by being here.” Tommy snapped. “People aren’t entertainment, Eret, he’s right! What world do you live in, thinking that you can go back to him with apologies and shit and that it would just be okay?”

“I don’t think that.”

“Then walk away.” Tommy snapped. “I don’t want you here, and even if he won’t say it, it’s pretty fucking clear that Foolish doesn’t want you here either.”

Foolish bit the inside of his mouth, hugging himself as he looked at Eret. They had sunglasses on, so he wasn’t sure if they made eye contact or not. But a moment later, Eret nodded.

“Okay, I’m going.”

They stepped around Tommy, who moved along with them to stay between them and Foolish.

Foolish didn’t know what to think about that.

“Are you alright, bossman?” Tommy asked as soon as Eret was up the stairs and out of sight. Foolish let out a shaky breath, leaning on the wall. “Ah, hell, let’s go to the kitchen at least so you can sit down.”

Foolish followed Tommy into the kitchen, watching curiously as the kid busied himself with making tea.

“How do you feel about peppermint? It’s supposed to be calming, or something.” He said, peering at one of the boxes.

“Uh… I don’t know.” Foolish whispered. His throat hurt.

“Well, you can try it,” Tommy grumbled. “Did the fucker touch you at all?”

“No… Th-they probably wouldn’t, I think. I just…”

“Listen, big man.” Tommy turned to look at him, a concerned scowl on his face. “I don’t know what you're thinking, and I don’t know exactly what happened. All I know is that Eret has a habit of hurting people with their powers, and they made you feel like an object. At least right then, in the hall.”

“I… yeah.” Foolish stared at the table, heart sinking. “Did I wake you up?”

“I was already up, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Tommy waved a hand, turning to glare at the kettle. “Just… listen, yeah?”

“Alright.”

“Two years ago, when Eret was still a big part of the family, the alliance, whatever you call us, they decided to sever a mind link without even telling the other person, and it caused a rescue mission to fail, and one of us got captured again.” 

Foolish was dumb, but just from the way Tommy talked it sounded like ‘one of us’ meant ‘Tommy’. 

“The alliance got them back, of course, but Eret didn’t really seem to be sorry for what they did. And then they got themselves captured, and… well, it took a few years to get them back. You’re the one who got them back, and then they pulled the same mind link shit with you.”

Tommy pulled two mugs from the cupboard, pouring tea into each one. 

“Some of the group seems to think those two years make up for it… but I don’t.” He set the mug in front of Foolish, then sat down with his own. “I’m a kid, so maybe I’m allowed to hold more of a grudge, but… if you don’t want to forgive them, I don’t think you have to.”

“I…” Foolish wrapped one hand around the mug, letting the warmth spread through his fingers. “I don’t really…” he sighed softly. “They said that a mind link should be with people who know each other completely.” 

Tommy nodded silently. 

“But I… I know a lot about Eret. I’ve known them for a year. I… I know how to calm them down from nightmares, and I know they wish they could compile a complete history of hybrids and their cultures, and make a museum about it to help humans understand us. I know their favorite flower is something called a periwinkle, and I don’t even know a thing about flowers. I… they said they trusted me, and cared about me. I know every time they forgot me and what we’d been through, they immediately asked about you, and Fundy, and Quackity. They were afraid you were hurt, or… or they were afraid they’d been abandoned.”

Foolish shook his head, taking a tentative sip of the tea to find that peppermint was sharp, and he liked it.

“I do know everything about Eret.” He said softly. “When they asked if they could remove the link, I thought it meant they didn’t like me anymore. I couldn't force them to be connected to me if they didn’t like me, even if it hurt.”

“Holy shit, man,” Tommy said, after a few minutes of silence. “That’s a lot.”

“If they do like me,” Foolish shrugged. “Then why have they avoided me since then?”

“It kinda…” Tommy frowned, seeming to think over what he was about to say. “It kinda sounds like you love ‘em, Foolish.”

“Of course I do.” Foolish rolled his eyes. “I mean, I don’t particularly understand what ‘love’ exactly means, but I know I care about them more than I’ve cared about anyone else. Except for Junior, I guess.”

“Well, I don’t want to tell you what to do,” Tommy announced. “You’ve had enough of that shit, for sure. If you ever do just want to shit talk Eret, though, I’ll be the guy to listen and chime in.”

“Is it bad, that I care about someone who hurt me?” Foolish wondered idly. “Even after they made me feel like that?”

“I think it’s just the way it is,” Tommy grumbled. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad, or what. You should talk to Puffy about this, though. She’s good at emotions and shit.”

“Okay.”

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, and Foolish had never ever seen Tommy silent before. It was strange but nice.

“What’re you doing up, anyway?” Tommy asked after a few minutes.

Oh, that’s right.

“I was getting gold for Junior,” Foolish said quietly, not sure why he was embarrassed to say it.

“Awe!” Tommy’s face lit up at the mention of the baby hybrid. “He eats gold too?”

“Well…” Foolish laughed, smiling a bit as well. “Right now he just absorbs it, he’s still asleep and he will be for a while. But I think it’s important for him.”

“That’s so cute!” Tommy beamed, getting up and crossing to the gold cupboard. “How much does he need? Wil won’t mind, he loves kids too! Man, you should see the baby pictures of Fundy, it’s so wholesome!”

Foolish wasn’t sure what that meant. But he accepted the trio of golden nuggets Tommy had retrieved for him.

“I’ll probably go upstairs now,” he decided. “Thank you for the tea, Tommy. And…”

“Don’t even mention it, big man!” Tommy waved a hand, taking both the mugs and rinsing them out. “Get some sleep, though, Ponk will go nuts if he finds out you took an all-nighter.”

“Right.” Foolish chuckled, watching Tommy curiously for a moment before going back upstairs, tucking one of the nuggets against Junior’s chest.

He’d learned a lot tonight. Things he hadn’t known about Eret, and things he hadn’t known about Tommy. But he had learned that the loud younger hybrid seemed to have his back, in a different way than anyone had before.

Foolish didn’t remember another time where someone had so physically placed themself between him and a perceived threat. 

It hurt a lot that he’d perceived Eret as a threat. But Tommy didn’t seem to think Foolish was broken, or beyond help in that regard.

It had been an eventful night, and Foolish was exhausted. He kissed his fingertip, then pressed it to Junior’s forehead before standing up and moving to his bed, burying himself in the blankets.

Introspection on all of this could wait until morning.

“Niki, George, XD, this is Foolish.” Phil introduced, sitting down with his cup of tea. Foolish stared anxiously across the table, completely thrown off by what these other hybrids looked like.

He didn’t know what he’d expected, really. When Bad explained celestial hybrids as people with wings and colorful eyes… maybe he thought they would look more like a totem. But they just looked like humans. They didn’t even have wings… this didn’t make sense.

“Foolish!” Niki’s face lit up, and he finally saw a glimpse of magic as her eyes glowed a dull ruby color. “You have a traditional name! That’s amazing!”

“Tr- yeah.” Foolish stammered, not sure what to say.

“Are you most comfortable in your true form, too?” Niki wondered, tapping her chin. “That’s pretty dangerous, you can hardly go anywhere looking like that!”

“What?”

“Slow down, Niki.” Phil laughed. “We’re just trying to figure out if you’re similar hybrids, right now.”

“Similar.” XD’s voice echoed a bit, and Foolish jumped. “Similar is… how old are you?”

“I… one fifty.” Foolish managed to say, still completely baffled. “Are… you’re… I don’t really know what’s…”

“Wow!” Niki gushed, leaning across the table and poking Foolish’s hand. Foolish pulled back, feeling self-conscious. “You’re a full totem, that’s amazing!”

“Niki, shut up,” George said softly. “We can’t talk about that, you know this.”

“But… oh come on! This is why we’re here, we have to bend the rules a tiny bit.” Niki complained.

“Are…” Foolish’s spirits lifted a bit, and he sat up straighter. “So you are totem hybrids! We… they… you’re not all dead, I’m not…”

“Foolish,” XD spoke slowly, shaking his head. “We… we’re not totems.” Oh. “We’re the grandchildren of the totems, though. Sky totems, at least. Humans didn’t get to the skies as soon as they did the earth and the ocean.”

“I… what does that mean?” Foolish shook his head. “We… if you’re here, then surely…”

“The earth totems were erased first,” XD said softly. “Before they were able to save their heritage. Ocean totems lasted a bit longer, hiding in caves and out at sea. But you know as well as anyone that you can’t spend all your time out there.”

“Yeah…” Foolish’s heart felt like a stone, shattered and melted back together only to be held above solid rock, poised to break all over again.

“The sky totems lasted long enough to preserve at least some of our bloodline.” XD continued. “Part human, part totem. Then part human, part hybrid. Even the purest celestial is only a quarter totem if that.”

“What… but the elder totems.” Foolish insisted. “You… if… they could make more. Just… totems of undying, you can…”

“The creation of a new totem isn’t that easy.” George scoffed. “First, you would have to get an undying from a human without being killed. Then you would have to somehow get a chosen totem back from the dead, and then they could bring it to life.”

“Wh- what are you talking about?” Foolish shook his head. “They’re…” first of all, he didn’t know what a ‘chosen’ totem would be. He’d never heard of that before, even as a child with his family.

“This is sacred information,” XD said loudly, glaring at Foolish, then Phil. “If either of you breathes a word of this outside this room, even if you are a pure totem somehow on the earth, I will kill you.”

“What is a chosen totem?” Foolish asked, ignoring the baffled looks they were sending him. “I was only fifty years old when they captured me, I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Chosen totems are the only beings powerful enough to create new life.” XD sighed. “They were among the first to be eradicated by the humans. It’s why our ancestors resorted to having half-human children.”

“Foolish…” Phil said softly.

“Sh…. that’s ridiculous.” Foolish shook his head. “That… shut up, Phil. That’s… I can’t believe this. I would know if…” If what? If he was different? Well, he hadn’t been around another totem for a hundred years.

“What secret are you keeping, Foolish?” XD asked, voice still echoing, but somehow off. He was confused, or scared.

“I… my son,” Foolish admitted softly, heart pounding. “Wilbur gave me a totem of undying, I… he’s in a makeshift tide pool upstairs.”

“A son.” Niki echoed, ignoring the glare she received from XD. “You… Foolish, with a traditional name of a hundred fifty years ago, with golden scales and the ability to create life… that should be impossible.”

“Maybe you have the wrong information,” Foolish suggested hopefully. “Maybe… maybe shark totems are different than sky totems.”

“You know they’re not. You know better than that.”

“Well, I also know that there’s no way I spent a hundred years being a decoration for humans if I was one of the most powerful totems on the planet.” Foolish snapped. “You have the wrong information. There is nothing special or powerful about me.”

“If you showed how powerful you were they would have killed you.” XD insisted. “It was instinctual wisdom to keep yourself safe.”

“I was a child!” Foolish yelled, shoving his chair back and standing up. His throat hurt. “There’s nothing wise about a child realizing that they will never be seen as anything other than an object.”

Thunder rumbled outside, and he idly considered trying to egg on the storm. No, he couldn't do that. He might hurt someone he didn’t want to hurt.

“If you’re looking for someone to… to look at, or worship, or to re-build the totem civilization, look somewhere else.” He said, closing his eyes and trying to calm down, as the rain started to flood from the sky. A voice was echoing, either in the kitchen or his head. “Sacred information to you is not sacred to me, it’s my existence. If you think there’s a single sacred thing about me or my son, you’re wrong.” his voice cracked, and his throat was burning.

“Foolish-”

“Exactly.” Foolish opened his eyes again, glaring at the celestial hybrids, who to be fair looked very intimidated. “Foolish. A traditional name, describing my strongest attribute. I’m not wise, or strong. Why do you think my clan didn’t strike the boat that took me with lightning or push it over with a wave the size of a mountain? They could have, and they didn’t.” The deep insecurities he had forced himself to forget welled up, and it felt like he was full of electricity. He hated this. “They let me go to escape, and then they couldn't even survive a hundred years. What power do you think a totem named Foolish could have?”

“You’re going to hurt yourself, Foolish!” Phil yelled. Foolish looked down at him, confused. “If you pull yourself apart like this, who will be here for Junior? Focus, mate, you have to keep it together.”

That’s right. Foolish took a deep breath, focusing his thoughts on the young totem upstairs. The electricity seemed to escape him, though the anger very much remained.

“I meant no disrespect, Foolish.” XD’s voice was flat, the echo fully gone. Foolish looked back at the celestials, wincing when he saw how terrified they looked, heads bowed in respect. “You have my deepest apologies, I will not argue with you again.”

“I lost my temper.” Foolish rasped, sitting back down. Phil moved to retrieve tea, handing it to him. It soothed the pain in his throat, and he smiled sadly. “I know nothing of totem culture and how it changed while I was with the humans. I… I wanted to meet you because I thought you might be related to me, or my clan. You are, at least distantly. You gave me the information I couldn't get elsewhere, and I appreciate it.”

Despite his efforts, there was still a huge shift in the room’s dynamic. Foolish couldn't imagine he’d been too intimidating, still a bit scrawny from malnutrition, and with weakened powers due to the cuffs in his skin. The cuffs were burning, but he tried to ignore it for now.

“Is… is there any other information you might be looking for?” Niki spoke up, still looking frightened. Foolish frowned thoughtfully. “We… our library has the last samples of totem language, the final records found from every totem clan.”

“Library?” Foolish asked curiously. “What do you mean by ‘our’ and ‘we’? Just you three?”

“It…” Niki spared a timid look at XD, who just nodded. “Hybrids like us have formed into a protected clan again, convincing the humans we’re part angel. That's why you can’t tell anyone what we’re saying, it would endanger us.”

“Ah.” Foolish nodded, staring at his tea. “I won’t tell anyone. You have my word on that.”

“You could come stay with us.” George piped up hesitantly. “You… you can raise your son with what’s left of the culture, you can be around other totem blood. You can have a clan again.”

Oh.

Foolish looked at the three of them, sitting anxiously across from him. They didn’t seem to want to meet his eye and that hurt for some reason. Not only that, but what would Phil, or Wilbur, or Puffy think? What about… they’d freed him, he knew that. But legally he was still technically property of Wilbur, as far as he knew. Was he even allowed to leave?

“Would you want to do that, Foolish?” Phil asked. Foolish looked over at him, brow furrowed. “Generally after someone we rescue is recovered, we try to get them set up in a hybrid community of some kind, get their life reset. Only a few of them choose to stay here with the alliance.”

“I see.” Foolish pinched his lip, weighing the options.

He had a feeling that if he went to this clan, with the celestial hybrids… they would all treat him the way these three did. They would be afraid of him, they would think of him as some amazing, special, chosen totem. Not only was that not true, but he didn’t want that. 

If he stayed here, with Phil and Wilbur and Bad and… and everyone? They would treat him like a friend. They would laugh with him, and make him tea in the middle of the night, and recognize his failings. 

“I already have a clan.” He decided aloud, shaking his head. “I’ll be staying here, I think.”

“Wh-” George bit back his protest, head tilting in a bow. Foolish hated that.

“Are you sure, Foolish?” even Phil seemed surprised, and Foolish frowned.

“Do… do you want me to go?”

“I want you to be where you’ll be happiest.”

Well, that was… that was very nice.

“Then I’ll be staying here, and Junior will as well,” Foolish said firmly. “I appreciate the offer, though.” 

“You and Junior will always be welcome in our land,” XD said. “If you wish to visit, Phil knows how to contact us.”

“I appreciate that.” Foolish didn’t know what to do or say. This all felt so… Bad. He didn’t know what to do with these people who spoke to him like he’d once spoken to the humans that owned him before they stole his voice. “Thank you for taking the time to visit, and tell me what happened to my people.”

“I think it’s time to wrap this up,” Phil announced. Foolish shot him a thankful glance. “You three shouldn’t be outside the protected area for too long, there’s still smugglers in some parts.”

“Of course.” The three celestials were standing up immediately, nodding to Foolish before they made their way out with Phil.

Foolish stayed at the table, trying to stop his hands from shaking, trying to keep himself from screaming and falling apart again.

He hated all of that. He hated the fact that those people who should be related to him, who should understand him, stared at him like an exhibit. He hated that they thought he was special, and that they called him wise, and that they found him sacred. He wasn’t any of that. He wasn’t wise, or powerful, or sacred at all. He had never been any of those things. Even a hundred years ago, he hadn’t been.

It had been a very, very long time since he thought about any of what he’d told those three. About the clan, about how he’d been captured. 

“Foolish?”

He looked up, smiling sadly when Phil sat down next to him again. The avian looked more worried than Foolish had ever seen him, and he started to realize just why everyone called him old. The concern seemed to age him twenty years, Foolish felt bad for making him worry.

“Thank you for asking them to come,” Foolish said softly. “I’m… I’m glad to know what they told me.”

“Foolish.”

“What… What do you want me to say, Phil? Did… did you see how they looked at me?” Foolish’s voice cracked. “They don't treat me like everyone here treats me, they… I hated that. I hated everything about that. They looked at me like I was some kind of rare artifact like the humans always do.”

“I know.”

“And… and then they were afraid of me.” Foolish closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears that were already rolling down his face. “That’s how… that’s how I would look at a human owner when I was allowed to look at them at all. That’s how all hybrids would look at humans. I don’t want that.”

“I admire that.” Phil nodded. Foolish laughed, trying to keep from sobbing.

“What?”

“You… believe what you will, Foolish. But you are a powerful person. Despite that, you respect others as if they’re on the same level as you. Not everyone with power does so.”

“Why are you saying that?” Foolish asked, burying his head in his hands. “I’m… didn’t you hear a thing I said?”

“Yes, I heard it in a voice louder than anything I’ve ever heard, while you sparked with electricity and made a thunderstorm appear on a clear day,” Phil said dryly. “Not being able to control your powers doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

“I…”

“But you are right.” Phil continued firmly. “You were a child, and you still are a person who has been hurt, and you’re healing. You should only be treated in ways you want to be treated. And if you don’t want to be treated as someone with power, you shouldn’t be forced into that role.”

“My throat hurts,” Foolish said softly. “I think I may have yelled.”

“Yeah, a bit.” Phil patted his shoulder. “I’ll go get Ponk. You just get that tea in you, alright?”

“Yeah.” Foolish watched Phil leave, then drank more tea.

He’d said he already had a clan, and he’d said it very impulsively. But, really… The alliance was starting to feel like more of a family than he remembered the other totems being.

Chapter Text

“You.” Eret looked up in surprise when Ponk slammed the door to their room open. 

“Wh- did something happen?” they stood up, and Ponk just scowled. “Sorry…?”

“Foolish had a bad time with the celestial hybrids,” Ponk muttered flatly. “Hurt his throat, used powers on accident, and now he has a headache. My stuff won’t help. What do you know about totem hybrids?”

“Oh.” Eret scrambled through the papers on their desk, finding all the notes they’d been collecting in case something like this happened. “I’ve found some older restricted books, and I have a lot of stuff about accidental powers just in general. Sam told me what kind of magic they had in that collar, and what side effects he could have that they didn’t see immediately…”

Ponk silently accepted the papers, looking grudgingly impressed.

“Is…” Eret cleared their throat. “Is he okay? What… what do you mean by a bad time?”

“He’ll be fine.” Ponk sighed. “They just… he just had a hard time talking to them about stuff.”

“Ah… right.” Eret found the last of the books and notes that might help, hesitating when Ponk’s arm was full.

“Ugh… bring them to the infirmary with me, I guess.” Ponk groaned. “Foolish knows I’m asking for your help, but I don’t know if he wants to talk to you. So try not to put him in a worse state than he already is, yeah?”

“You won’t even know I’m there,” Eret promised, hefting the stack of papers and books as they followed Ponk toward the infirmary.

Foolish was curled up in a bed, facing the wall. Phil was sitting next to him and looked up when they entered.

“Do you think the main problem was the powers on accident or magic on your voice?” Ponk asked, nodding for Eret to put the books on the desk. They did so, quickly trying to sort them into easy categories.

“Foolish?”

“Lightning.” Foolish whimpered softly. Eret felt a pang of agony, hearing how awful Foolish was clearly feeling. “It's…”

“So your powers.” Ponk summed up. “Alright, sit tight buddy okay? We’ve got the best research on this kinda stuff, it should just take a minute to find the right page.”

“Lightning…” Eret mumbled, rifling through until they found the right thing. “Have-” remembering what Ponk said, they snapped their mouth shut and winced apologetically.

“If it’ll help right now, ask your questions,” Ponk muttered, grabbing an ice pack and moving back to Foolish’s side.

“Okay.” Eret cleared their throat anxiously. “I know you were young when your powers were stifled by human magic, so have you ever had control over them before that or now?”

“A… a bit. A long time ago.” Foolish mumbled.

“Okay, good.” Eret flipped through the journal. “And the cuffs that stifled your magic fused into you, right? That’s why they’re still there?”

“You already knew that.” Ponk snapped irritably. Eret ignored him.

“It’s like a magical immune system,” they announced triumphantly. “Probably ever since it started, your internal magic has been fighting against the magic in the cuffs. Now that your emotions have been heightened enough to try and use your powers, it’s pushing back more and more against the repression. Since you did end up using them, I’d say your power is stronger than the human’s magic and this ‘magical immune system’ has fully locked onto the human magic as a true threat, when before it was just passively wary about it.”

“What?” 

Eret found they were met with the blank stares of Phil and Foolish, though Ponk seemed to understand most of what they’d said.

“The human magic is like a virus, and your magic is trying to protect you from it.” Eret simplified. “It just hadn’t reacted like this previously because either your power hadn’t started to fully develop yet, or you hadn’t pushed the limit of actually trying to use the power before. Since it’s unintentional, it would be your subconscious trying to protect you rather than you actually using the powers.”

“If we’re phrasing it medically, how would I treat this?” Ponk asked, rubbing his face tiredly.

“The same way you would treat any infection.” Eret frowned. “Of course regular antibiotics won’t do the trick, so we’ll have to ask Bad if there’s any magical variants or specific spells. If it just gets worse… Well, a normal infection might end up requiring surgery to have the infected part removed, but since it’s on his wrists and ankles mostly I don’t think that would be safe.”

“Bad’s on a mission with Dream’s crew,” Phil explained. “He’s already on the way back, though.”

“Okay, good.” Eret chewed on the inside of their lip, all too aware that every second they didn’t have a solution, Foolish was in more pain. “There’s also probably a build-up of energy since it was electricity. That could be adding to a lot of the pain, if we found a way to conduct the energy bit by bit out of him, the headache would probably ease up. The conductor would need to conduct electricity as well as magic since it's elemental magic.”

“So what can do that? Do we have it?”

“Precious metals, maybe steel would work, but maybe not. And we would just need to direct that energy back into the universe, the ground, or the sky or something. We’re on the ground floor, so we only need a few feet of the material?”

“Sam’s bound to have some stuff.” Ponk got up, patting Foolish gently on the back. “I’ll be back soon, I promise. And once I get back, you’ll start feeling better.”

“I’m fine.” Foolish muttered. “S’just a lot.”

Ponk hurried out, and Eret turned back to the desk, awkwardly re-organizing the different books they’d brought down. 

What if they got it wrong, or a source was bad? What if they hurt Foolish more? That was just what they needed, wasn’t it? Another reason they would be the reason Foolish was in pain. Hadn’t they done enough to him?

“How d’you know all this stuff?” Foolish mumbled curiously. Eret paused, not quite sure if the question was for them. “It’s… it’s for your museum? You told me about that.”

Foolish… Foolish knew about the museum? How Eret wanted to get humans to understand, and see hybrids as equal. He knew that Eret wanted to make a whole museum, though? Eret… Eret never told anyone that.

“Yeah, I guess,” Eret replied softly. “I want to know enough to help people, but I also want to have it in the museum, compile all the research I can. Too many hybrids can’t get the medical help they need or the right kind of living situation or accommodations.” 

“Ohh.” Foolish hummed, cradling his head in his hands. “Th- that’s a good thing to do. I hope… I hope you do it.”

“I hope so too,” Eret said softly. They knew Foolish was pretty out of it, with all his energy focused on fighting this ‘magical infection’. It felt wrong, having a conversation with him when he was incapacitated like this. The confrontation in the hallway a few nights previous echoed in Eret’s head, and they turned away again. “You just focus on getting better, Foolish. Okay?”

“Will you stay?” Foolish tried to sit up and failed if what Eret heard was right. The mattress creaking, and the puff of his body hitting the pillows again. “Please?”

“I…” Eret glanced at Phil, who just looked stressed out of his mind. That was fair, honestly. He was the unspoken leader of the alliance, and he took it in stride. But when things like this happened… what could anyone really do? Phil just shrugged, frowning worriedly at Foolish. “If you want me to, I’ll stay.”

“Good.” Foolish closed his eyes, pulling a pillow over his head. “Stay.”

So Eret stayed.

There were really only a few things Foolish was aware of, at the moment. The first thing was the ticking clock, how long it had been since he checked on Junior. It had been several hours now. The second was the pain, though it was now a dull ache in comparison to the electric pulsing it had been just an hour previous, before Ponk had a silver rod connected to the ground, with Foolish’s hand wrapped around it. The third was that Eret was here. He remembered asking Eret to stay, he wanted to be around something familiar and Eret was the person he’d known the longest. He was just surprised they’d actually stayed.

“I’m sorry!” Bad’s voice said, sounding much too loud for this moment. The demon hybrid bustled into the room, and Foolish grumbled nonsense into his pillow. “I… I got back as soon as I could, what are- why are you here?”

“I have the most research on powers causing problems,” Eret said stiffly. Foolish wished they weren’t so stressed. “I’m pretty sure it’s a case of Foolish’s magic fighting against the repressing magic in those cuffs, with the symptoms triggered by stress that made him instinctively try and use it… you’re the only person who might be able to get some kind of magical antibiotic thing?”

“Right, right.” Bad let out a heavy breath. “Foolish, you with us buddy?”

“He’s pretty out of-”

“Hi, Bad.” Foolish rolled over, keeping his hand on the silver rod beside him. “I’m okay.”

“Yeah, of course, you are.” Bad smiled supportively, holding up his hands and mumbling a few words in a language Foolish didn’t know. “Just sit tight, Foolish. What I’m doing right now is giving you some extra fighting power against those enchantments, and then once the brunt of it is off your back, I’ll work on unenchanting them.”

“Alright.” Foolish watched sleepily as Bad twisted the runes in the air, that feeling of magic not quite as comforting as it had been the first time.

“Did we know the cuffs had enchantments?” Bad asked as he worked. Eret and Ponk glanced at each other, and Foolish wondered idly if that was something he should have told them. “I just… hmm. I think… yeah. Okay, so we didn’t know before because these enchants only trigger when Foolish uses his magic, so there was no way to tell until he did so. What I don’t get is how he was able to use his magic a few weeks ago for that storm, and then for Junior. Why didn’t… what happened there? Why didn’t it hurt then?”

“It did,” Foolish mumbled, trying to keep his eyes from slipping shut. “Jus… not this bad.”

“Ah, muffin.” Bad grumbled. “Foolish, you gotta tell us when magic stuff hurts. Or… or just when stuff hurts. We want to take care of you.”

“Awww.” Foolish smiled, rubbing his eyes. “That’s nice.”

The stress on his head was easing, really. And the idle burning in his wrists and ankles had started to fade for the first time since Eret severed their mind link. Oh, yeah. Foolish had forgotten about that. That was okay.

“Okay. So now I’m going to take these enchants off the cuffs.” Bad announced. “Unless we wanted to try and remove the cuffs completely, but you’d have a longer recovery time.”

“Noo that’d hurt.” Foolish grumbled.

“Alright, I’ll take off the enchants.” Bad laughed softly. “If you ever change your mind, we’ll probably be able to still remove them.”

“Okay.”

“Foolish, I need you to focus for a second.” Bad reminded him. Foolish pried his eyes open again. “If this starts to hurt, especially in your bones, or if it starts to feel like electricity, I need you to tell me right away. Can you do that?”

“Yeah.” 

It felt awfully similar to when they’d removed the collar, only there were no pliers right next to his neck this time, and Eret was already safe and sound.

Soon enough, Bad was clasping his hands together to end the spell.

Foolish was very tired, and the things he was aware of were on a slightly wider spectrum. He still mostly thought of how long it had been since he checked on Junior, and he was still idly confused by Eret’s continued presence, but he also felt the exhaustion from the conversation that had triggered all this.

He was, supposedly, some super powerful ‘chosen totem’. And Eret had also said a few minutes ago that his magic was more powerful than the human’s power. He might not really trust Eret completely anymore, but he believed that Eret was telling the truth. Or at least what they understood to be the truth.

Maybe he really was powerful, or special, or chosen. But if he was, he hated it. Because if he really was more powerful than the humans who hurt him, how could he have let them do it for so long without fighting back?

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long,” Foolish murmured, tucking a few gold nuggets into Junior’s hand. “I hope you didn’t get too lonely, waiting for me.”

As usual, Junior didn’t reply. But he did curl up a little tighter, holding the nuggets close. Foolish grinned.

“You’re an enigma, you know.” he wasn’t really sure what ‘enigma’ meant, but it was something along the lines of special, and unique. “Apparently, I’m not supposed to exist. So neither are you. We’re both little miracles, you and me.”

Junior breathed evenly in and out, still peacefully asleep.

“What do you think, though?” it was easy to ask the opinion of someone who couldn't answer. “Do you think I’m… some kind of special chosen totem? I know you haven’t known me very long, but I did create you.” He laughed lightly. “I guess to you, I am really special huh?”

He hummed, thinking over what the celestial hybrids had suggested. Teaching Junior the totem culture, the things he could find from it at least.

Did he want to give Junior a traditional name, in a few years? How would he even pick one? He’d never quite understood how the clan decided on which attribute to narrow down, to name someone. 

That, and… all of this talk about Totem culture was making Foolish re-think a lot of what it had been. After all… he had been put last as far as education went, they’d let him be taken, so the rest of the clan could escape. 

The celestials had acted like Foolish would know how to read the totem language, when he could barely even read common. How would Foolish teach it to Junior if he’d never been able to learn it himself? 

This was all awfully confusing, and he hated to think of his dead clan as anything but good. It was disrespectful, really. But… but he’d known before hearing ‘chosen totems’ existed that only powerful totems could create life, and he’d done that. If he was a chosen totem, why had the clan let him be taken like that? Had they known? How old would he have to be for them to know?

“I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?” he kissed the top of Junior’s head and stood up, shaking water from his hands.

He found Phil in the yard at a picnic table, watching as the kids and a few younger adult hybrids ran around, tossing some kind of ball back and forth.

“Phil?”

“Hey, mate!” Phil seemed surprised, but he grinned. “How are you feeling? I thought you’d still be out of it, Ponk is expecting you to sleep through dinner.”

“Oh.” Foolish hadn’t slept at all, after leaving the infirmary. “Uh, I… I feel okay. I… I wanted to ask you a… a favor.” A favor. Imagine a month ago, what would have happened to him if he asked someone a favor. He pushed the thought away, waiting for Phil’s response.

“And what might that be?” Phil leaned back, turning to watch as Tubbo tackled the enderman hybrid to the ground. 

“The… XD and Niki and George said they had some records of my people.” Foolish said softly, shuffling his feet. “I don’t want to go with them, I’d prefer not to talk to them if I’m being completely honest, but…”

“I’ll reach out, see if they’d mind parting with it for you.” Phil paused, a mischievous look over his face. “Would you mind if I used their opinion of you to… sway the decision?”

Foolish chuckled, some of the stress in his shoulders falling away.

“If you want to. If it’s more likely for them to let me at least see it.” he shrugged, leaning on the table.

“Are you wanting to try and raise Junior with traditional totem customs?” Phil asked.

“What? No!” Foolish spoke without even thinking, then winced when Phil seemed surprised. “I… I don't think so…”

“From what I’ve heard, they might not be the best for your self-image.” Phil offered, clearly choosing his words wisely. Foolish snorted.

“From what you heard, as in what I said about my clan back there?”

“...yeah.”

“You’re probably right,” Foolish admitted, feeling guilty just saying it out loud. “I… I don’t want to reduce Junior to one aspect. I want him… well, in a few years when he wakes up, I want him to be able to do anything. At least, here and in the ocean. I don’t think we can really go places in public, can we?”

“Unless you discover that you have the shapeshifting that the celestials have, I’d have to agree,” Phil said apologetically. “But you and Junior will always be welcome here, and at the beach house.”

“The more I learn about modern hybrids…” Foolish laughed a bit. “The more I realize that I’m probably the only person who was around a hundred years ago. I’ve been out of the loop that long… I barely know anything about the real world.”

“I don’t think you’re too out of place.” Phil shook his head. “You were still existing, and learning things over the years. The perspective might have been skewed, yeah, but you still know things.”

“I guess.” Foolish shrugged. “But the only shapeshifting I might develop would be size-based, and I’m pretty sure I won’t get that for another decade or so unless it’s different for…” he trailed off, still very uncomfortable with the idea of being ‘chosen’.

“For chosen totems?” Phil supplied, turning back to look at Foolish.

“Yeah.” Foolish sighed. “That’s… that’s kinda why I want to get the information from the celestials. If I’m actually… if my magical development is different than I thought, I think I should know.”

“It would definitely help.” Phil agreed.

“Do you think Eret has any information on totems, or… or things like this?” Foolish wondered. “I never got around to asking them.”

“Honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised, with all the books and journals they have in their room.” Phil laughed. “It certainly came in handy today, getting those enchantments figured out.”

“Yeah.” 

Foolish looked over at the kids, still squabbling over their game. He thought back to the conversation with Tommy, where the young hybrid had definitely held up a strong grudge against Eret, but upon hearing that Foolish cared about them he had just offered kind words.

“Do you…” he paused, tilting his head as he tried to think this over. Phil waited patiently, he didn’t even look annoyed. “Do you know why Eret stayed, earlier?”

“You asked them to.” 

“I know that.” Foolish groaned, rubbing his eyes. “But…” was there something Foolish was missing, here? Was he really just an idiot? “But why did they listen?”

“Ah, mate…” Phil patted his shoulder a few times. “I’d recommend talking to Puffy about it.”

“That’s what Tommy said.” Foolish groaned. “If you know the answer, can’t you just tell me?” Phil frowned, seeming to think it over.

“If I tell you, will you go talk to Puffy?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“They care about you, Foolish.” Phil sighed. “Eret is very bad at connecting with people and bad at showing how they care. But they do, and I’m pretty sure they’d do anything you asked them to do.”

“Can I talk to you?” Foolish asked, pushing open the door to the library, where Puffy was bickering with Bad, and a third hybrid he’d never seen before. “Oh… sorry.”

“Foolish! You’re up!” Puffy didn’t seem annoyed, and she beamed, beckoning him over. “You look good, too! Man, whatever magic stuff you did, Bad, it worked.”

“How are you conscious?” Bad asked incredulously, squinting at him. Foolish cringed away from the look, not really up to being stared at like an exhibit. 

“So this must be ‘your new friend’.” the third hybrid scoffed, putting hands on his hips. 

This hybrid was short, about three feet tall, and his skin was studded with what looked like diamonds.

“Foolish, Skeppy. Skeppy, Foolish.” Bed sighed, gesturing between them. “And you’re still my best friend, Skeppy. You know that.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Nice… nice to meet you?” Foolish offered a smile, and Skeppy grinned back.

“What did you want to talk about?” Puffy asked. 

Foolish looked back at her, hesitant to bring it up with more than just her. He’d heard how annoyed Bad was to see Eret in the infirmary, what if Bad would be upset the Foolish didn’t hate them?

“Uh…”

“We can go,” Bad said after a moment, getting to his feet.

“Oh, you don’t have to…” Foolish shook his head. “It’s not important.” It was important, but…

“Too late, we’re gone.” Bad grinned, tugging Skeppy along with him. “See you guys later!”

“Bye, muffin head!" Puffy waved cheerfully, then turned to Foolish once the door had clicked shut. “What’s up, Foolish? Everything okay?”

“People keep telling me to talk to you,” Foolish mumbled, sitting gingerly on the couch next to her. “About one specific thing, though… Phil made me promise before he would talk to me about it, too.”

“I’m all ears.” Puffy looked worried, and Foolish sighed. “What’s going on?”

“I… I’m confused about Eret.” He mumbled, staring intently at the carpet, now, so he didn’t see her expression. “I… I thought they didn’t like me at all, and… and that was going to be okay because of course, they don’t have to like me. But I… I still want them to be safe, and happy, and I still like them even though they hurt me.” 

Puffy didn’t say anything, so Foolish just kept talking. 

“Then they tried to… to apologize, but I was in a weird headspace and they sc- I was afraid of them, and then Tommy yelled at them and made me tea and he said I should talk to you about it.” Puffy snickered a bit at this, and Foolish sighed. “And… and then this morning I asked them to stay in the infirmary, and they did. I asked Phil if he knew why, and Phil said that Eret cares about me? I just… I don’t know what’s going on, but I’d like to know if they don’t hate me.”

“First of all,” Puffy said firmly. “I need you to know that no matter what Eret feels, you’re allowed to decide how much you interact with them and what you do in those interactions.”

“Okay…”

“Second of all…” Puffy shook her head. “Eret does care about you. They’re bad at showing it, they’re bad at relationships in general.”

“I… they’re not lying?” Foolish hardly dared to believe it. “They’re not just… they weren’t just bored when they apologized? I don’t… I don’t want to be some kind of entertainment…”

“I don’t think they’re lying,” Puffy promised. “Eret would never use you as entertainment. No one here would unless you agreed to it.”

“They said…” Foolish winced as he thought back to a few nights previous when Eret had tried to apologize. “They said they didn’t think either of us wanted the link severed.”

“Did you want it gone?”

“No.” Foolish sunk into his hoodie, hiding his face. “But… but they did. They… why would Eret ask to remove it if they wanted it to stay? I don’t understand why they would do that. They… they had to be lying, right? They were just trying… they were trying to make me like them again or something?”

“I don’t think they were lying,” Puffy said gently. “Listen, Foolish. You don’t have to trust me, but I want you to listen, okay?”

“I do trust you.” he barely whispered the words, and he wasn’t sure if Puffy heard them.

“I talked to Eret after that happened, and I was pretty pissed at them. They should have been more careful with your mind. They hurt you, Foolish. You deserve to be angry, I don’t want you to feel obligated to forgive them.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Foolish complained. Why wouldn’t anyone just give him a straight answer, on this? 

“Eret thought that severing the link would help you,” Puffy said in response. “It was misguided, but they saw the pain that their amnesia gave you and they didn’t want to watch you be in pain.”

“So they don’t hate me.” Elation, relief… and that horrible betrayal.

“Just because Eret cares about you doesn’t mean they didn’t hurt you,” Puffy said, resting a gentle hand on Foolish’s shoulder. 

“Why do you want me to be mad at them?” 

“I… Foolish, please look at me.” Foolish forced himself to do so, meeting Puffy’s eyes. “Eret was the first person you were able to care about after a hundred years, you told us that. Love can blind you, so you force yourself into situations that could hurt you. Maybe I’m wrong, and you won’t let that happen, but I care about you. I don’t want you to forgive Eret immediately if it will set you back on recovery.”

“I… you… I just…” 

Foolish shook his head, he wasn’t really sure what to think right now. He did still care about Eret, to an incredible amount. He wanted Eret to be safe, happy, and close. But thinking about being near them, after the pain he’d gone through when they severed the link… it terrified him.  

“I don’t think you can make any decisions based on this conversation,” Puffy said. “Not a conversation with me, not with Phil, not with Tommy or anyone else. If you want to try and understand Eret, you’ll have to talk to them. And you don’t ever have to, and you can do whatever you want to do about it. You don’t owe Eret anything.”

“I know I don’t.” Foolish grumbled. “I just… it might take a while to trust them fully again but I really like talking to them. They’re a good person, I know that. If they don’t… if they don’t hate me, I want to talk to them more.”

“Okay.” Puffy wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a quick hug that made Foolish’s eyes prick with tears. “I’ll be on your side, kiddo.”

“I’m older than you.”

“Irrelevant.”

Where the hell were they? Eret stumbled to their feet, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They… this was their room, at the estate. But… How did they get here? What happened to the mission? What happened to Tommy? Oh, gods, please. They had to have gotten Tommy back, there was no way Eret could live with themself if the mission failed.

How did they get back here? What happened? Why was their room such a mess? 

Eret tripped over a stack of books they didn’t remember collecting but ignored it to pull open the door.

The house was quiet. Where was everyone? How had Eret gotten back here, where were Tommy and Fundy and Quackity?

“Hello?” Why did their head hurt so much? What the hell was going on? They could finally hear other people, though, a murmur of voices from the kitchen. 

Everything felt off, and wrong and Eret knew they were panicking. It felt like they could barely breathe, and they just felt… weaker than usual? What in God's name happened?

“Ph-Phil?” Eret leaned on the wall for support. “Fundy! Wh-” was… was this intentional? Had the alliance decided to punish them for what happened? “I-I’m sorry, I swear to the gods, I’m so sorry…”

And then someone else was there, two people actually, though Eret only recognized one of them.

“Phil! Phil, what happened?” they scowled suspiciously at the other person there. A hybrid they’d never met before. “Wh… how did we get here? What… is… did we find Tommy? I don’t understand… I don’t know what happened.”

“Oh, mate…” Phil gently took hold of Eret’s arms, pulling them into the kitchen. “Sit down, I’ll make you tea.”

“Wh- Phil!” Eret cried indignantly. “This isn’t the time for… for tea! We have to… how did we get here?”

“Eret, it’s okay.” the new hybrid said, and Eret felt a horrible desire to believe and trust him. What the fuck? “You’re alright, you forget things sometimes…” the hybrid hesitated, glancing at Phil.

“You’re better at this than me.” Phil shrugged, guiding Eret into a chair. What? What did that mean?

“It’s been two years since your mission to get Tommy back.” the stranger said calmly. “During that, you were captured by humans. A year ago, we were purchased by the same noblewoman, and… and we’re friends.”

“Wh-what?”

“A few weeks ago, the alliance got us back out.” the other continued calmly. Who was this guy? What… what was going on? “You forget things a lot, from what I know. Every month or so I would have to remind you who I was, where we were, things like that. I suppose that’s what’s happening right now. Your memories re-set to the mission where you were captured.”

“Tea.” Phil set a cup in front of them, and Eret stared down at it.

“Did…”

“Tommy is safe.” the stranger promised, and the gut instinct to trust him returned even stronger. “I don’t know the details, but he’s safe. He’s here, he’s outside with the other kids.”

“Who are you?” Eret asked, after a long moment of silence.

“My name is Foolish.” 

“Foolish.” Eret echoed, brows furrowed as they tried to remember. “I…”

“I promise I’m not tricking you,” Foolish said softly. “Your name is Eret, and you love learning things, and you want to compile research to help humans understand us, put it in a museum.”

What? How did…

“You love periwinkle flowers… which I’ve actually never seen, but I’d love it if you showed me.” Foolish continued. “You miss the sun, and you miss those weird weather things where it's sunny but still rains somehow. You told me all of this, and you’re safe.”

“What the hell.” Eret slumped down in the chair a bit, feeling exhausted. Two… two years? Is that why their entire body hurt and felt different and much too tired? They forgot two entire years?

“You’re alright, mate,” Phil said. “We’re gonna try and figure out this memory thing, yeah? Things have been crazy, and we hadn’t really gotten the chance to look into it yet.”

“Why…” the hardly ever trusted people right away, even if they could tell Eret things about themself they shouldn’t know. But this… this felt different. “Why do I trust you?”

“Because we’re friends,” Foolish said softly. “You’ve never remembered me long enough to know me as well as I know you, but we’re friends.”

Eret didn’t know what to think about that. They weren’t exactly a good… person, or friend, or anything at all. At least they didn’t feel like it, and they definitely knew that they’d hurt all their friends badly in the past.

“Did you know about the bad things, before you decided to care about me?” Eret asked curiously, wincing at the pained look on Foolish’s face. “I… I don’t have a good track record with keeping friends.”

“I’m here whether you like it or not,” Foolish said softly, then smirked. “You’ll have to try a lot harder than amnesia and a dark past to get rid of me.”

Everything about this person made Eret want to trust him, and rely on him, and care about him.

It was absolutely terrifying.

Chapter Text

"I have to tell them," Foolish said softly, glancing sideways at Phil. "Right?"

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do." Phil shrugged. "Honestly? If it was me, I'd probably leave it alone. Focus on moving on from where we are now."

"I…" 

Foolish didn't want to disagree with Phil, even though he knew Phil wouldn't turn violent. But he did disagree. He sent a worried glance at Eret asleep on the couch. 

"That's… Phil, that's awful." He mumbled. Phil raised an eyebrow. "Not only would I be lying to someone I care about a lot, but it would completely… it would be like saying the hurt we both felt wasn't real. That's not fair."

"I suppose you're right." Phil laughed softly. "And it would cause more problems if we manage to get them their memory back."

"How would we do that?" Foolish frowned. "We don't even know why this is happening, there's an entire year that no one knows about before I met them…"

"There's probably something we can do," Phil sighed. "Once they wake up and you talk, I think Bad will need to suggest it."

"Alright." Foolish sighed, chewing on one of his fingers absently. "I should probably tell them what happened before anyone else interacts… huh?"

"Ooh…" Phil grimaced. "Yeah, probably. Having people act coldly to them with no apparent reason would be pretty bad." 

"Yeah…" Foolish sighed, settling further into his chair. He would be here when Eret woke back up.

And he was. Eret mumbled nonsense words, sitting up slowly and looking around. Phil had gone, by then, to give them privacy.

"Hi, Eret," Foolish murmured. Eret looked at him, and for a moment he was afraid they'd forgotten him all over again. But no, they smiled slightly and stretched.

"Foolish." They greeted. "You're still here?"

"I…" Foolish sighed. "I need to tell you some other things. Things you forgot, that are pretty important."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that," Eret said apprehensively. 

"It's… there's no way I can keep it from you and feel like I've kept to my own morals," Foolish explained. "It's… it's not very good, I'm sorry you have to relearn it."

"It's not your fault, I think." 

Foolish laughed at that, not really sure what to say. Eret adjusted their position on the couch, watching Foolish expectantly.

"When we met a year ago… I couldn't speak." He said softly. "The humans had done something to me to prevent it. You… It took some time, but we got to know each other as well as we could. And… and then you linked our minds."

"Excuse me?" Eret physically recoiled at the words, and Foolish tried to hide how much that hurt. Was the idea of being linked to him really that bad?

"I couldn't speak aloud, and you said you trusted me then." He explained, looking away. "We could communicate and it was… the first time I actually got words to someone in years . It helped you trust me sooner whenever you forgot me when our minds were linked."

"I…" Eret's voice shook. "I don't have an active mind link right now."

"You don't." Foolish nodded, heart twisting. "The… the alliance saved me, and you'd mentioned their names a few times so I realized they knew you. They got you back, and… and you'd forgotten me again."

Eret stayed silent, and Foolish hated not knowing what they were thinking. 

"You not knowing me hurt a lot, but not just because of the link." Foolish sighed. "I care about you more than almost anyone, and you said you didn't want to cause me pain through the link."

He paused, but Eret didn't fill the silence.

"I misunderstood, I thought you didn't like me. That maybe you'd only linked our minds out of necessity."

“I would never do something like that unless I trusted and cared about the other person.” Eret protested, though Foolish could hear guilt and uncertainty in their voice.

“I’ve been having a hard time… with most things.” he shrugged. “I don’t think it’s entirely your fault that I misunderstood, I hardly believed I was actually free. I… I’d been owned by humans for a hundred years until all this.”

Eret tilted their head, eyes narrowed slightly as they looked at him.

“Ah… man, you don’t know about any of this. I’m sorry,” Foolish groaned. “Basically I’m a totem hybrid, which are extinct except me. It’s a long… It's a lot.”

“You don’t have to talk about it.”

“But… yeah. You severed the mind link, and I thought it would make you happy. I was… I was going to be okay without you if you were happy. Maybe not right then… or now, still. But eventually.”

“I see.” Eret stared at their hands, flexing their fingers and scowling. “Why are you being so honest? I… for someone in a life like that for a hundred years… I can’t even imagine that. Why are you being so truthful?”

“Because you trust me.” Foolish shrugged. “At least, you did once. I would never want to betray your trust.”

“Oh.”

“And…” Foolish shifted unhappily. “Some of the alliance is pretty upset at you, for it. I wanted to tell you why they were mad, before they treated you badly. So you wouldn’t think it was something else.”

“...oh.” Eret buried their head in their hands, slumping into the couch cushions. “Who exactly is mad?”

“Uh… Puffy, Sam, Ponk, Bad…” Foolish felt worse as he listed off every name. “Tommy, though I think that’s from something kinda unrelated? I think they’ll be civil to you because you helped yesterday when some human magic made me sick, but…”

“How did I forget so much?” Eret asked softly, not removing the hands from their face. “I… Foolish, I shouldn’t forget things.”

“It’s not your fault.” Foolish insisted.

“Foolish… do you know what kind of hybrid I am?”

“Uh…” Foolish frowned thoughtfully. That was one thing he never really had learned, but he hadn’t considered it too important. “No, actually. Why?”

“I can’t speak the true name, but…” Eret sat up again, meeting Foolish’s eyes for the first time. “You might have heard of a Mindwalker?”

"...can I ask what you're doing?" Bad asked, slowing his step as he approached the library. Phil had pulled a chair in front of the door, blocking it while he sat and scrolled through his phone.

"Sorry?" Phil looked up, smirking a bit.

"...what are you hiding?" Bad narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "Did one of the kids put you up to this? What's in there?"

"Alright, calm down." Phil laughed. "It's nothing bad. Foolish and Eret are talking."

"Excuse me?" Bad scowled, moving to push past him. "Alone? Are you serious? Eret-"

"Calm. Down." Phil put a hand on his arm, and Bad reluctantly stepped back. Though his ears were now on alert, listening for any sign of trouble. "Just listen, alright? Eret's memory reset itself again."

"Wh… it what?"

"They woke up with the last memory in their head being the mission two years ago," Phil explained. "Foolish helped calm them down, even without the link Eret immediately trusted him, and was confused by it."

"So what are they even talking about alone?" Bad asked irritably, glaring at the door.

"Foolish is telling them everything that has happened since they were rescued." Phil seemed mystified by the statement, shaking his head. "He said he would never be dishonest with Eret."

"Really?" 

Bad knew that Eret had hurt the shark hybrid badly… but he also knew that when you trusted someone with everything it would take a lot to break that bond. Heck, how many times has Skippy hurt his feelings, or made him have a full breakdown? Too many to count, but he was still Bad's best friend.

“Any insight on why their memory went back two years, again?” Bad asked after a few moments, glancing sideways at Phil. 

It was odd, thinking of Eret as someone who would forget things. Before all this, two or three years ago, their memory had been one of the best in the world. Like any mindwalker, they had a lot of power over memories, and thoughts, and minds. Any moral mindwalker only used a fraction of their gifts, yeah, but Eret should be able to protect their memories better than this.

“I have no idea.” Phil sighed. “Eret doesn’t seem to know either… I was hoping you might be able to do some magic shit to see what you can see?”

“By magic…” Bad frowned, folding his arms. “Do you mean you want me to… to pull apart their brain and look at all the pieces, see what’s broken? That’s dangerous.”

“Less so since they’re the same,” Phil suggested.

“...maybe.” Bad scowled. “But that’s something I would definitely have to ask them about, and we would need Sam, Ponk, Dream… everyone with magic standing by in case I needed to be forcibly removed.”

“Right.”

“Only really powerful magic should be able to mess with Eret’s memories like this,” Bad added thoughtfully. “I’m sure they have some research on it upstairs, I can ask them that too. It’s possible they were looking into it while they kept themselves locked up in there, the past week or two.”

“I hope they took notes if that’s the case.” Phil hummed.

“Eret’s… smart.” Bad wasn’t sure that was the exact right word, but Eret definitely had enough common sense to take notes especially if it was regarding their own forgetfulness. “Even if they’re stubborn and an idiot sometimes.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Phil laughed, shaking his head. “If Eret agrees, would you be able to do it?”

“I’m definitely able to.” Bad frowned. He hated going through people’s heads, even if they agreed. “As long as Eret wants me to do it, I’ll be willing to. But I can’t promise results.”

Foolish was one of the strangest people Eret had ever met. But not in a bad way, in fact, Eret really enjoyed talking to him. He was funny, and smart even if he didn’t seem to realize it. And it was really clear that even though Eret didn’t remember him, they’d been very close friends before. Foolish knew them almost better than they knew themself.

“Do you want to go swimming?” Foolish asked now, leaning over the back of the couch. “Or… I know it’s not really your thing, but maybe it would be fun? I’m supposed to swim for a few hours every day since I was so dehydrated for so long. You don’t have to come, I just thought you might want to…” 

Eret smiled, amused as the shark hybrid trailed off sheepishly.

“Sure, why not?” they set their book to the side and stood up, legs shaking a bit. Foolish was next to them in an instant, one hand cupping their elbow.

“Moving will help.” He advised. “You’re always pretty shaky after an episode like this, not really sure why but it’ll fade.”

“Right, thanks.” Eret laughed, walking with him to the door of the library. Foolish opened it, stopping short when he saw Phil and Bad sitting outside, deep in discussion while they looked over a scroll.

“Oh! You’re up and about?” Phil noticed them a few moments later, wings shifting slightly. “Did you already talk?”

“Yeah.” 

Eret avoided Bad’s intense stare. Bad had always been very strict on what exactly they should use their powers for. Heck, even a mind-link would make the demon suspicious of any mindwalker. Consciousness was fragile, and it seemed Eret was very clumsy with it. 

“We’re going to the pool!” Foolish explained brightly. “Is… is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” Phil stood up, waving a hand as Bad put his scroll away. “We do need to talk, Eret, about what’s been going on. But we need to bring some others up to speed first, anyway.”

“O-oh?”

“The fact that you can’t protect your own mind is worrying.” Bad explained shortly. “You would have the power to reset other people’s memories if you were so inclined, but it shouldn’t be able to happen to you.”

“Oh… right.” Eret nodded. “We… yeah, I don’t really know why it happened?”

“It’ll take a few days for your head to clear up completely.” Foolish reminded them, looking anxiously from Eret to Bad. “it always does…”

“You two go swim.” Bad waved a hand, turning the other way down the hallway. “We’ll talk later.”

“Alright.” Eret followed Foolish down to the kitchen, where Foolish quickly shed the oversized hoodie he was wearing to reveal he’d also just been wearing swim trunks. Eret chuckled.

“What?” Foolish frowned. “I… most pants are scratchy, okay? They make my scales feel weird.”

“You’re fine,” Eret promised. “I don’t know what else I expected.”

“You should probably just put your legs in for now.” Foolish mused, guiding them out to the pool, which was oddly sectioned off by a glass plate. They frowned curiously at it, but Foolish didn’t seem confused. He went to the deep side, watching Eret out of the corner of his eye.

“I won’t slip. I’ll be fine.” Eret promised, sitting on the edge and rolling up the legs of their pants. “What’s with the glass?”

“I need it to be saltwater,” Foolish explained cheerfully. “Since I’m a shark-totem, chlorine and freshwater aren’t as healthy for me.”

“Would it hurt you?” Eret didn’t like the sound of something dangerous being so close to Foolish like this.

“No, I don’t think so.” Foolish slipped into the water but stayed by the edge to talk to them. “Humans have had me in tanks before, of freshwater, saltwater, and it never really hurt me. But it’s best if I have it salty. Well, it’s best if it’s the actual ocean but I want to stay at the estate with the alliance.”

“As long as you’ll be okay.” Eret dropped their legs into the water, splashing Foolish lightly. Foolish grinned.

“I’ll be great! Maybe we can go to the ocean sometime, too! Wilbur’s beach house is really pretty, I could show you the underwater caves!”

“I can’t breathe water, Foolish.”

“Oh yeah.” Foolish’s face fell, and he sank a bit into the water. “I forgot.”

“Ah, how could you?” Eret said dramatically. “I can’t believe you’d forget something.”

“Oh, very funny.” Foolish splashed water up at them, and Eret laughed. “Well, we can still go to the beach. Wilbur said I could go there anytime!”

“That does sound nice.” 

Eret tilted their head curiously when Foolish ducked under the water, taking a lap around the salt half of the pool. When he resurfaced, shaking water from his hair and beaming, Eret couldn't help but smile.

“You said you’re a… a totem?” they asked curiously. Foolish looked surprised, then laughed.

“Oh yeah! I’m… well, the closest you would know are celestial hybrids…” he boosted himself out of the water, sitting a few inches from Eret. “They… I only just learned about it recently, uhm…”

Eret felt bad, seeing the conflicted grief cross Foolish’s face.

“Apparently the humans killed most of the totems,” Foolish murmured. “I was just a kid when they took me, so I didn’t know until I talked with Niki and George and XD a few days ago. There were giant clans of Totems when I was a kid. Ocean totems, Sky totems, earth totems, etc. according to the celestials, the humans killed most of them off, and some totems resorted to having half-human kids, to preserve the culture a little bit.”

“Oh.” Eret’s heart sank, and they watched as Foolish frowned at the water. “Oh, gods, Foolish… I’m sorry.” 

And he just learned this a few days ago? With all the other stuff going on, and then Eret forgot him again? How was Foolish still able to smile as he did?

“You don't have to apologize.” Foolish sighed. “A lot happened that day. I found out that my family was dead, and I also found out I might be some kind of super-powerful totem? Only really powerful totems could create life in inanimate objects like a totem of undying.”

“You can do that?” Eret had never heard of that before. Foolish chuckled sheepishly.

“Oh, yeah… I forgot you didn’t know. I don’t think I even told you.” He admitted. “Wilbur gave me a totem of undying while I was at the beach… He’s a baby shark totem now. He’ll be asleep for a few years, he’s in my bathtub.”

“That's…” Eret couldn't help but laugh. “Okay, that’s a lot.”

“I don’t really know what to think,” Foolish admitted. “I never knew I was that powerful of a totem before now, but… but I was very very young when I was taken. I lashed out at the celestials, though. They were… they were treating me like some kind of special exhibit, or an object, and I just…”

“They can be very traditional.” Eret acknowledged softly. Foolish snorted.

“Yeah, I know. They were in awe of my traditional name, and then had the guts to say I was wise. I know they aren’t true totems, but they should think before speaking.”

“What do you mean?”

“A totem is traditionally named after their strongest attribute,” Foolish explained. “If I was wise, or intelligent, do you think the elders would have called me Foolish? I… I might be able to create life, but I don’t know about being called powerful. I wasn’t very powerful the past hundred years, after all.”

“Oh.” Eret didn’t really know what to say to that. 

“Phil’s asking them if they have any bits of totem culture in their library.” Foolish added. “I want to try and figure out why I never knew I was… I was a powerful totem before now. I feel like that’s something I should have known.”

“I don’t know anything about totems,” Eret said thoughtfully. “But I know a lot of hybrids develop differently than you’d think. Especially magical hybrids. Heck, Bad only found out he was a mindwalker like me when we met, and I could tell. He just thought he was part human, until then. And I thought I was completely human for years before my powers manifested.”

“Really?” Foolish looked over at them, eyebrows raised. Eret nodded. “What about… surely humans don’t have eyes like that? I’ve never seen one.”

“I didn’t used to have white eyes.” Eret laughed. “They used to be brown.”

“Oh.” Foolish squinted at them as if he could see past the sunglasses. “I can’t picture you with brown eyes. These ones suit you best.”

“Are you sure this is safe?” Foolish asked nervously, tugging on his hoodie strings, cross-legged on one of the infirmary beds.

“No,” Bad said, face serious. “It’s not safe. But this is as safe as it will ever get, so there’s not much else we can do.”

“Is… are you sure there’s no other way to figure this out?” Eret asked softly. Foolish wished he could be closer, but they didn’t want any risks with this. 

“If we don’t figure out what’s causing the amnesia, it will only get worse.” Sam shook his head. “From the timeline Foolish gave us, it’s clear that the time between each episode is getting shorter, faster. If we leave it be, you could end up forgetting everything daily, or worse.”

“Oh.” 

“We have all the precautions we can.” Bad insisted, gesturing at the group of magic hybrids in the room. “If anything goes wrong, they’ll pull me out of your head immediately. Dream will be keeping an eye on the magical signals, Sam is ready to force me out if it gets to that point, and Ponk is fully stocked on anything we might need physically.”

“How long will it take?” Foolish asked anxiously. Bad glanced at him, and Foolish could see he was conflicted.

“I’m not sure.” the demon admitted. “But Foolish, we do need to talk about where you’re going to be.”

“I’m gonna be right here,” Foolish said firmly.

“You’re still learning to control your powers, Foolish. From what we know, they’re very emotionally connected. If something starts to go wrong, and you get too stressed and lose control, I have no idea what could happen.”

“I… but I don’t have mind magic!” Foolish protested. “I have… I’m in control of storms, and lightning. I… I won’t lose control!”

“Magically, you don’t have a connection to minds.” Ponk spoke up. “But scientifically? Brains and bodies run on electricity, and too much of it could really hurt.”

“No one here fully understands totem magic,” Sam said gently. “There’s a protective barrier around the infirmary, though. You can be right outside, and if we need any kind of regeneration or if Eret needs moral support, we’ll come get you.”

“Th-That’s not fair!” Foolish complained, even though he knew they were probably right. “I want to help!”

“You’ve already helped,” Eret said gently. Foolish looked at them, trying not to cry. “You gave them more information than I could have, and information is incredibly powerful. Especially when we’re dealing with magic like this.”

“Will you be okay?” Foolish didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to Eret. Even if they’d hurt him, and it was a weird complicated feeling in his stomach when he thought about them… he still cared about them.

“I’ll be okay.” Eret nodded firmly. “I promise.”

“...alright.” Foolish sighed, slipping off the bed and crossing to the door. “I’m gonna be right outside, and you guys better tell me if something happens.”

“We will,” Bad said. Foolish nodded, closing the door behind him and sliding down the wall to sit.

Oh, gods… Eret better be okay after whatever they’re about to do.

“The magic I’m about to perform is extremely dangerous, and taboo in most places,” Bad said softly to the small group they had in the room. “Most mindwalker magic is. No matter what happens, we need to make it clear that no one in this room is going to sabotage or injure anyone else, regardless of past mistakes. Do I make myself clear?”

Everyone murmured in agreement, and Eret swallowed a lump of fear. Sure, they had used this kind of magic before - not in a good way, and they regretted that - but having it done on them? Especially when their mind felt so fragile? That was… terrifying. 

“The first thing I want to do is look at the memories around that mission two years ago.” bad explained, sitting on the bed in front of them. “Since that’s where they keep being reset to, It’s likely that whatever caused this happened soon after.”

“Okay.” Eret nodded, sitting up a bit straighter.

“Only Eret and I will be able to see what we’re looking at,” Bad said, turning to address the others. “We will probably be completely silent like we’re meditating. The only reason you should force me out is if one of us starts reacting to physical pain, or if physical injuries appear on our bodies. Understand?”

Again, the group said they did. So Bad turned back, and Eret watched him anxiously.

“Just try to relax, I’m really sorry we have to do this.” Bad murmured, placing gentle hands on each side of Eret’s head. 

“It’s alright,” Eret promised, not able to get out another word before Bad started the spell.

Strange vertigo made Eret nauseous, but only for a moment as they felt their consciousness sucked into the depths of some magical plane, where only a few select people had the power to access.

Bad was there, too, unlike all the times Eret had been here before.

It was like a void, darkness stretching out for eternity around them, only broken up by flashes of memory and thoughts. 

“Can you hear me?” it wasn’t an audible sensation, but they knew it wouldn’t be.

“Yes.” Eret breathed, looking curiously around the void. It was much more sparse than it should have been.

“Two years ago.” Bad hummed, and the flashes of memory sped up, reversing, and swirling around them. 

Then it stopped, and Eret could see the memory of that mission through their own eyes two years ago, could feel the thoughts and guilt and self-hatred they’d felt then. Bad could feel it too, but he didn’t comment.

“We were getting Tommy back,” Eret said as the memory began to play, showing the team sneak through hallways and shadows. “I… He was captured because of me. Because I broke the link without telling him.”

“You had no choice.” Bad chided. “He might not accept that, but Dream didn’t give you much of an option. That’s not why this is happening.”

“Right.” Eret focused back on the memory, watching as the inevitable moment came where the group had to split up, someone being a distraction for the smugglers. They volunteered, it was the least they could do.

“This is the end of what I know.” Bad reminded them. “Anything that happens after is what you perceived.”

“I know.” Eret didn’t remember this, either, until they watched it unfold before them. They were cornered, trapped, and electrocuted until their body gave up. And the humans had a prize much more valuable than Tommy, which allowed everyone else to escape.

“When did you wake up?” Bad hummed, reaching out to speed up past the dreams and nightmares that Eret had apparently suffered from after that attack. It skipped what must have been hours, or a day before the memories solidified into reality.

“ It’s one of those dangerous ones. ” a human said, crouched in front of Eret’s battered, bound form. “ We’ll need to get a failsafe on it before it’ll sell. Can you call the smith?” the memory grew fuzzy, but it was still here. Eret glanced at Bad, whose face was creased with concern.

“A failsafe.” the demon echoed. “The smith. That’s…”

They let the next few hours play out, speeding through but not skipping. Memories were so much faster than the actual event, it was strange. 

Eventually, one of the humans returned, accompanied by what looked to be a very old celestial hybrid, shackled and blindfolded.

“Who is that?” Bad muttered, half to himself. 

“It’s the smith.” Eret replied reflexively, wincing as they watched the celestial be forced to their knees in front of them. “they’re not any kind of celestial I’ve ever seen before, they’re part mind-walker.”

“ You know what to do, make it so this freak won’t be able to look in our heads ever again.” the human instructed roughly. The celestial hybrid reached forward, gripping Eret’s head and forcing themself inside.

Eret cried out in pain, both in the past and present, as white-hot spikes surged through their mind. The strange magic attached itself to their consciousness, carefully picking and choosing what it would affect. Whatever the reason, their attacker ignored the ability to mind link and focused on memory and offensive and defensive magical roots.

“Eret, you’re alright.” Bad’s voice cut through the memory, and Eret forced themself to focus on him. “It’s two years since then, we’re here to try and heal your memory and magic. I’m here, and the alliance has failsafes in case it goes wrong.”

“R-right.” Eret stammered, still shaken by the echoes of that pain, the mental assault they’d experienced at the hands of a distant cousin. 

“I’m going to speed up the memories now,” Bad said gently. “That seems to be the root, but I want to look through it all up to the point where you met Foolish, in case there’s anything else that happened.”

“Okay.” 

Eret let Bad scroll through the memories, watching silently as they were sold, and used as decoration and bragging rights and… and things like that. They watched themself wake up in three months, not knowing where they were or what happened. And then two and a half, and then two. The space between each bout of amnesia growing smaller, just as Sam said.

They watched as the scrolling slowed, as their past self was brought to a large estate, dressed in small silk garments, and brought to an office where a noblewoman sat, where a golden hybrid stood by the wall, emerald eyes dull and unhappy. 

“So it really was just the one hybrid who did this,” Bad murmured curiously. “That’s incredible power, and very dangerous. Especially since they follow the human’s directions with no hesitation.”

“W- wait,” Eret spoke up when Bad moved to start the exit ritual. Bad frowned, looking at them. “I… can… I want to remember Foolish.”

“Eret…” Bad looked conflicted. “The longer we stay here the more dangerous it is. You know that. I don’t even know how long it’s been in the real world.”

“But…”

“If we can fix this, and I promise I’ll do my best, you’ll gain access to these memories again.” Bad reminded them. “I know it’s not as soon as you’d like, but I… I can’t let you get stuck in reliving the past.”

“Please?”

“Foolish is waiting for you in real-time.” Bad insisted. “You know what will happen if you try to keep us here.”

“I do.” Eret looked regretfully at the memories, now playing through a night where they sat huddled in a corner, with Foolish watching them sadly, silently. “Okay, let’s go.”

“We’ll fix it,” Bad said firmly. “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to fix it.”

“I know you will.”

And the vertigo returned, forcing Eret back into their physical body, short of breath with a pounding headache.

“They’re back!” cold hands caught Eret before they could fall, lowering them down onto the pillows. “Gods, you two… do you have any idea-”

“How long?” Bad asked, already stumbling to his feet.

“A few hours, it’s almost midnight.”

“That’s more than a few, that’s like… seven hours!”

“We were worried.” The first voice said irritably. “Did you find what you needed?”

“I… yeah.” Bad cleared his throat. “Eret, you with us?”

“I-” Eret winced as their head started to pound. “Where’s Foolish?”

“He’s still waiting outside, he’s pretty worried,” Sam said, and Eret finally managed to look around, finding that Dream was the one above them, keeping them from falling off the bed. Ponk walked over with a glass of water and painkillers, which they accepted thankfully.

“Were there any anomalies?” Bad asked, drinking some water of his own.

“Only once, about halfway through.” Dream reported. “I was giving it some leeway, and planned to pull you out if it continued but it stopped.”

“What was it?”

“Eret yelled.” 

“Ah, yeah.” Bad nodded. “That… yeah.”

“Can… Can I-” Eret stumbled over their words, trying to sit up even though Dream wouldn't let them.

“Foolish can come in, I don’t think there’s any more danger with that,” Bad said, understanding even though Eret could hardly get a word out.

A few moments later, Foolish was sitting next to them.

“I was worried about you! What took so long?” he complained. 

Eret smelled the faint scent of ozone and watched curiously as lighting seemed to be reflected in Foolish’s eyes. They weren’t dull and depressed like they had been in the memory. He was standing taller, and less emaciated, and his scales were shinier and more healthy-looking.

“...Eret?”

“I’m sorry it took so long.” Eret sighed, recalling the twisting, painful intrusion of that other hybrid's magic. “I’m sorry for everything, Foolish.”

“Wh- you’re forgiven,” Foolish said instantly. “It’s okay, I… I know you didn’t mean to forget me. It’s fine.”

“Eret needs to rest, but you can stay.” Ponk said, heard only faintly as Eret closed their eyes in exhaustion. “Please try to stay calm, Foolish.”

“I… I promise. I promise I’m calm. I’m sorry, please let me stay!”

“You can stay, just breathe…”

Eret wished Foolish didn’t sound so scared, as they drifted off to sleep. They didn’t like it when Foolish was scared.

Chapter Text

He hadn’t meant to cause a thunderstorm. He really hadn’t - he didn’t even know how to do it on purpose. It had just been taking so long, and no one had told him anything about what happened… he was stressed! 

The others promised they understood, and that he hadn’t caused any problems by using his powers as he’d been past the protective magic barrier. But still, as the hours continued… he couldn't help but feel like it was his fault.

But it was over now. The storm was reduced to a slight drizzle, and Foolish was sitting quietly next to Eret’s bed, listening intently to their steady breathing. 

“I’d never seen magic like that before.” Bad was saying, discussing next steps with Dream Sam and Ponk. “A celestial-mindwalker hybrid… those parents had to have known how unstable and powerful the kid would be when they grew up. And now that hybrid is under the control of humans.”

A celestial-mindwalker? Foolish scowled. That didn’t make sense. From what he understood of the celestials, they tried to stay as pure to their lineage as possible. That, and he didn’t even know what a mindwalker was. The true name was apparently too powerful to be spoken aloud.

“How do we even fix it?” Sam asked. “I’ve never worked against celestial magic, it’s not usually medical. It’s elemental, external to the body.”

“It was mostly just super powerful mindwalker magic, fueled by celestial energy.” Bad shook his head. That’s right, most people still thought Celestials were part angels. They didn’t know it was a lie to protect the totem culture. Foolish had minimal knowledge of Totem magic… but he still knew a fair bit.

“What did the magic look like?” he asked softly, drawing their gazes to him. “Or… or what did the hybrid do?”

“I… they put a hand on Eret’s forehead, used mindwalker magic to get inside. The magic itself looked odd, all silver and golden and white. White magic is probably the root because that’s what mindwalker magic usually looks like.”

“Ah.” Foolish wracked his memory, thinking back to when he was a kid and would watch the other hybrids use magic regularly. 

“Why do you ask? Just curious?” Dream chuckled. Foolish didn’t know Dream very well, and he didn’t know what kind of Hybrid he was, but he’d helped Eret. So, Foolish trusted him a bit.

“Celestial is totem.” Foolish informed them. “XD said he’d kill me if I told anyone that, but I don’t really care since it will help Eret.”

“It- what?”

“Celestials are not angels. They’re what’s left of totem, mixed with human.” Foolish kept his eyes on Eret, not really wanting to see the confusion on their faces. “Totems are grandchildren of the gods, as the elders were created directly by gods. Every totem has an elemental root, but I know I saw others in my clan use raw magic, instead of an element. It would be gold or silver, depending on the hue of their scales. I’ve never used raw magic, as it’s very hard to master. The closest I got was bringing Junior to life, and that still had lightning and rain.”

No one said anything, so he kept going. It felt weird, to know things that other people didn’t.

“The strange thing is that I know the celestial's main focus is preserving the bloodline as well as possible, so it doesn’t make sense that they would mate with a mindwalker on purpose.” He frowned thoughtfully. “I do know that humans would occasionally force hybrids to breed, trying to make a child with a specific look or ability. I’m sure that if it really is a celestial and mindwalker, they were born into captivity.” 

Gosh, that brought up bad memories. Now that he thought about it, Foolish wasn’t sure if he might have blood relatives in the black market somewhere, raised in captivity. It made him feel sick to think about.

Still silent. Foolish finally looked up, finding the others were staring at him, mouths slightly open.

“Did any of that help?”

“You’re saying that the gold and silver was raw magical energy,” Sam spoke first, breaking the strange silence. Foolish nodded. “Gods… that can’t be healthy can it?”

“Depends.” Foolish shrugged. “I mostly saw it used to repair injuries, magical and physical. That’s where regeneration comes from, even though that’s innate and I can’t use it on purpose or stop it from happening. I haven’t seen it used maliciously.”

“Do you know what a mindwalker is, Foolish?” Bad asked, pulling a chair over and sitting next to him. Foolish shook his head.

“I’ve heard that the true name is too powerful, but I know a lot of names too powerful to say out loud. I understand the basics of your abilities since Eret explained them to me. But… I don’t. Is it important?”

“You said Totems are the grandchildren of gods.” Bad recalled. Foolish nodded. “Mindwalkers… I guess they’re similar in a way. A specific god, with a specific blessed champion.”

“I see.” Foolish frowned, thinking that over. It narrowed down the list, but not completely. “Can you write the name? Can you communicate the name to me at all? I… I know a lot about stories, it’s all I've really ever felt like learning. I’m not smart or wise like most totems, but I like stories.”

“You-” Bad broke off, shaking his head. “We can talk about that another time. The name… if you let me, I’ll put the name in your head. It isn’t too dangerous, and it’s not a full mind link. But it’s the safest way to tell you the name.”

“That sounds alright.” Foolish nodded, and moments later a name he hadn’t considered before popped up.

Herobrine

“Wh- He- sorry.” Foolish stopped himself from saying it out loud, but he was more confused than ever. “Are you saying that… that person’s name is now too powerful to say?”

“What do you mean?”

“I… I know him.” Foolish snorted. “Or, I did a hundred years ago. He was always causing problems, but he had great stories.”

“You know him!?”

“I thought he was dead by now, or… maybe it was a different demigod with the same name? That’s not likely, but… well, he was a messenger from the gods to the elders. And he also spent a lot of time on land, with humans and hybrids, and started wars and stuff. “

“Muffins, what weird magical information do you not know?” Bad laughed, shaking his head. Foolish shrugged.

“So you’re saying mindwalker magic is similar to… to his magic?” He guessed thoughtfully. Bad nodded. “Okay… that makes sense. He usually used his magic to communicate or start wars depending on his mood. Pranks that went too far, straight up malicious intent, things like that.”

“You… you’ve seen him use magic.” Dream said from across the room. Foolish glanced around, unnerved by the way they were all looking at him.

“...yeah.”

“Would you know how to reverse it? Or.. or work with it combined with raw magic?” Sam asked curiously. “Say if a prank went wrong, and one of your clan tried to repair it with their power?”

“Oh.” Foolish tapped his chin. 

That definitely happened, hell, he’d been on the wrong end of a prank in that exact way. The elders always said it had spoiled his brain, made him Foolish . The memory sent a spike of uncertainty through him.

“Uhm…” were they going to rely on him for this? He wasn’t smart, he just remembered strange little facts. 

“I… I don’t know.” all confidence seemed to escape him, even with Eret sleeping fitfully right there. “I’m not… I’m just me. I didn’t mean to...to interrupt you. I’m sorry.”

The others seemed baffled by this statement, and Bad tried to convince him that it would help, but Foolish didn’t answer. He was tired, and he was hearing the echoes of the elder’s voices as they mourned what he could have been, what the clan had lost that day… even though it was a decade before he’d actually left them.

He was Foolish, and he was a fool to think he might know something helpful.

Bad saw the change in Foolish’s demeanor immediately, as he thought about the combination of magic. It reminded him of when Foolish first arrived at the estate, with no confidence in himself. That, and he was refusing to say anything at all.

Bad left him be, gesturing for Dream and Sam to follow while Ponk watched to make sure Eret stayed healthy after the ordeal.

“What was all that?” Sam asked, eyes wide. “He… Foolish… I knew he was a hundred fifty years old, or around there, but he actually met…?”

“I trust him.” Bad hummed, brow furrowed. “I also think there’s some reason he immediately lost all confidence. I want to talk to Phil and Puffy about it before we decide anything.”

“You really just… stumbled across this guy on the black market?” Dream murmured curiously as they made their way down to the kitchen. Bad nodded.

“It took a lot of digging, but Wilbur was trying to focus on valuable or rare hybrids, to find Eret.”

“That dude’s like a walking museum!” Dream insisted. “He probably knows so much, you’ve got to be asking him stuff right? We need to-”

“Foolish is not an exhibit!” Bad snapped, stopping in his tracks to glare at Dream. “He’s not a museum, he’s not a book, he’s a person. He’s a person that was treated as an object for a hundred years, and you should be grateful your head is still on your shoulders after talking like that.”

Dream stared at him, then at Sam who just nodded grimly.

“You guys get attached too quickly.” He finally said, lowering his head a bit. “But I understand, sorry Bad.”

“And don’t treat him like an exhibit, either,” Bad added as they continued down the hallway, finding Phil and Puffy in the kitchen where they usually were when dangerous medical things were going on. They did it so if they were needed, they’d always be able to find them.

“How are they?” Phil asked, raising a brow at the tension in the group.

“Eret’s asleep,” Sam reported. “It went almost perfectly, but they need rest. The main issue is what Bad found.”

Bad relayed the information as efficiently as possible, along with what Foolish had said.

“As soon as I asked if he’d ever seen the magic combined, it was like he was back to the way we met him.” He groaned. “He said he was sorry for wasting our time, even though he was super super helpful. And now he won’t even talk. Again.”

“I’m surprised he talked that much about his old clan at all,” Phil said softly. “The last time  we did, I learned some… unfortunate things about traditional totem culture.”

“What?”

“According to Foolish, a totem is named after their strongest attribute, and their role in the clan is also shaped by that.” Phil summarised. Bad winced, instantly finding the issue with that. In general, that was horribly restricting. And with Foolish… Well, his name was Foolish.

“So, what… he buys into the fact that because of his name, nothing he knows is useful?” Dream asked, baffled. 

“When XD called him wise, he nearly sent a lightning bolt through the house.” Phil said dryly. “I think it’s safe to say that he buys into it quite a lot. Not to say he’d ever restrict anyone else's identity down to that, he told me he didn’t plan on raising Junior with totem traditions.”

“It’s more the way he sees himself than others,” Puffy said. “It’s hard for him to accept himself the way he would someone else, but we’re working on it… he really won’t talk at all?” 

“It’s ridiculous.” Dream groaned. “He’s actually spoken to the first mindwalker, and seen him use magic, but he won’t talk to us at all! Why would that be the thing he decides to stop at?”

“That bit is interesting…” Phil hummed thoughtfully. “But I don’t think pushing him on this will help, it would probably just make it worse for him. Especially after the storm this afternoon.”

“So, what, we just leave his incredible knowledge alone? He knows so much valuable-”

“I told you to never talk like that about him again.” Bad snarled, grabbing Dream’s shirt and slamming him into the wall. “In case you forgot, Dream, you're the reason Eret was captured in the first place. The only reason you’re allowed in this house is because you’ve helped us in a lot of ways. I’ll only say this one more time, do you understand me?”

“Y- yes” Dream rasped, scrabbling at the pressure Bad put on his throat.

“Foolish. Is not. A resource.” Bad hissed. “He is not a book. He is not an exhibit. He is not something for us to use . He is a person.”

“I-I know, I’m sorry, please-”

Bad pressed a fraction harder on Dream’s throat, eyes narrowed.

“I could kill you right now, and I swear to all the gods in the sky I wouldn’t regret doing it.” 

“Bad!” Puffy pulled at his elbow, and he growled softly, letting go and watching as Dream slid to the floor, eyes wide as he massaged his throat. “That’s… that’s enough. I think he understands.”

“It took him less than an hour to forget it since I last told him,” Bad said coldly. “I wanted to make an impact.”

“You made one.” She pulled him to a chair, and Bad reluctantly sat down. “Right now we need to focus on helping Eret, yeah? We can work on Foolish’s self-image over time, and we can deal with Dream if we have to. But Eret’s memory is a time bomb, and we need to help them.”

“Right.” Bad rubbed his face, exhausted. “From what I could tell on a practical level, the hybrid who did this left a… a virus of sorts? Like a magical, brain, computer virus. At random times, it’ll reset their memory, and it keeps them from doing anything more complex than a mind link.”

“So how do we get it out on a practical level?”

“We… we can’t do what we do with a computer, we can’t just wipe the hard drive or… or get Eret a new brain. I could hardly get them to leave the mind-space because they wanted to re-learn what they used to know about Foolish. There should be a way to get it out and give them all that knowledge back.” Bad groaned, shaking his head. 

“Once a spell is started, it has to end.” Sam piped up. “It’s not like, an enchantment on their brain is it? It’s a spell?”

“It’s definitely a spell.” Bad nodded. “I just don’t know what will trigger it to finish and leave them alone. Is it time? Will it stop at a specific time? Will it stop if they die? I have no idea.”

“We can get some rest, and talk with Eret about it in the morning.” Phil decided, standing up to rinse out his cup. 

“But-”

“It won’t do anyone any good if you’re exhausted,” Phil said sternly. “You’re going to have to be the one to perform whatever spell or ritual to get it out of their head, and you need rest. Dream, you’re welcome to stay in a guest room if you want to keep being here to help.”

“Thanks.” Dream’s voice was still rough, and he hurried from the room toward the guest rooms. 

“We’ll try and talk to Foolish in the morning,” Puffy promised. “Maybe Me or Eret will be able to get him to open up, okay?”

“I hope so.” Bad sighed. “Because right now? The only way I’d be able to get this spell out of Eret’s head is to erase it entirely.”

His brain felt all weird. Like there was a snake wrapped around it, squeezing and squeezing. He cried in pain, finding his way to the caretaker’s cave and complaining about the headache. Tranquil - a healer - scooped him up, cooing softly and shaking her head as she readied a spell to relieve his pain.

But then she stopped, eyes widening even though she never ever got scared or stressed. Before he knew it, he’d been brought to the elder’s cave and had several others inspecting him, murmuring softly so he couldn't quite hear.

“Herobrine couldn't have known a child would run into the trap.” one of them finally said, running a hand over his head. “We can remove the hex, but we would need to watch him carefully for a few days.”

“What of his mind?” Tranquil protested. “This one has just begun his third development, we were meant to name him in the next few seasons.”

A pause, and he cried out in pain again as no one spoke or tried to help.

“We will watch him.” the elder said again. “I do not know what Herobrine’s joke will do, but with a changing mind, it really is a mystery. I doubt even he understood what might happen.”

“Hold still, little one.” another elder soothed, holding him still as a few others gathered round. “The pain will be gone, you’ll be alright.”

He stared with wide eyes as the elders each put a finger on his head, and the snake split into a dozen different smaller ones, and he cried again as they slithered away, leaving his mind where the fingertips touched him. 

“There we are, youngling.” the first elder grinned, and he bit back a sob as the pain started to fade. The elder kept eye contact for a moment or so, face slowly dropping into one of horror, or disgust.

“What happened?” Tranquil pulled him back, holding him tightly.  “Are you alright, child?”

“That child will never fully develop.” the elder said softly. “He was meant to be chosen, and Herobrine soiled his magical roots. Now he will reach a point where he gets stuck, and cannot learn anything more.”

“Why was he even out of bed at this hour?” another elder asked, voice grating on his ears. “How foolish, to run around even knowing that the prankster was here.”

“It’s not his fault!” Tranquil protested. “He’s just a child, surely you can do something-”

“We can do nothing.” the first elder snarled. Tranquil stepped back, bringing him with her. “He will be Foolish, and if you wish him to learn you must be the one to try and teach him. You will not succeed.”

“Take him to bed.” another instructed, and Tranquil nodded, quickly carrying him back to the cave where the other children were sleeping.

“I’m so sorry.” She said, over and over as she lay him down, brushing hair from his face. He just stared at her, not really sure what was going on. “Perhaps they are right, though. It was very unwise to play after dark, Foolish.”

Foolish didn’t sleep. He sat next to Eret, listening to their breath as he went over the memory again and again. He was trying to remember what the elders had done with their magic, manipulating the hex into leaving his body. Unfortunately, the memory wasn’t a very clear one, and it was mixed with the dull understanding that he had been injured, apparently beyond repair. 

They’d given up on him after that. He didn’t really understand why, but Tranquil never did try her best to teach him. She must have accepted that Foolish was a lost cause, the way they all had. Maybe it was a relief when he was captured. They didn’t have to worry about him anymore.

He tried to focus, he really truly did. But every time he tried to revisit the moment, so he might be able to learn anything about the magic they’d used, all he could see was the disgusted look on the clan elder’s face when they realized what had happened. 

He tasted salt, and realized dully that tears had slipped down his face while he thought of the past. He didn’t move to rub them away, instead, he looked at Eret sleeping calmly. They’d moved and talked a bit in their sleep earlier, but now it seemed it had calmed down.

What if Eret woke up and once again didn’t know Foolish? He didn’t know if he could handle that, in all honesty. Not after the horrible day this had already been. 

He thought instead about Herobrine, the prankster demigod that was apparently more powerful than most. So powerful, even, that they couldn't speak his name? That was weird. Only certain gods held that much power, and Herobrine wasn’t even a full god. 

The room suddenly felt suffocating, as memories of the demigods' visits and stories and pranks flooded in, and then the feeling of being outcast, unteachable, expendable. 

“I’ll be back.” Foolish whispered, patting Eret’s hand gently.

He just needed to go outside, or something. Maybe swim. 

He wandered past the pool but didn’t slip into the water. He didn’t want to take off his hoodie or get it wet.

So, he wandered into the back orchard, still fighting the self-hatred that pressed in from around him, still letting the tears slip down with no obstacle.

What could possibly happen by saying Herobrine’s name? Foolish almost wanted to laugh at the idea of being afraid. Most cursed names would give you a bad fortune, or they would summon the deity to your location. Well, Foolish already had very bad luck. And it’s not like he hadn’t seen the guy before.

Foolish hesitated, thinking it over. His mind went back to the feeling of that hex, with a snake writhing around in his brain.

If that was anything like what Eret felt, he wanted it to stop immediately.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Foolish asked himself out loud, this time. He paused under a tree, looking around at the night. “He wouldn’t kill me, he never kills people directly. That's the whole point. And unless someone kills me directly, I can’t die.”

And besides, Herobrine had always been friendly to the totems, even when he pranked them. Sure, Foolish hadn’t seen him since he’d been hexed as the elders banned Herobrine from the ocean, but he wasn’t in the ocean now anyway.

“Herobrine?” he spoke softly, not wanting anyone to hear even if he was hundreds of yards from the house. 

Nothing changed, at first. Maybe landwalkers were superstitious, and Herobrine’s name truly didn’t do anything. Or maybe Foolish was allowed to say it with no consequence, and he wouldn’t actually get to talk to the demigod. 

“Herobrine?” he said it a bit louder, spirits falling. This wasn’t going to work, was it? He was still as stupid and useless as ever.

Then a rush of wind pushed past him, solidifying into the very plain, almost human person that he’d seen so often in his youth.

Herobrine grinned, turning glowing white eyes toward Foolish.

Foolish wasn’t really sure what he expected, but… it felt normal. Like he’d just swum past the coral reef to find the traveling messenger waiting for him. Nothing extremely magical stuck out as one would expect with a god or a demon.

“It’s been a while, you’ve grown,” Herobrine said, stuffing hands in his pockets. “Been a while since anyone needed me, too. Nice to be here, nice to see you!”

“You remember me?” Foolish wasn’t sure why he was surprised, but the demigod laughed lightly at him.

“Aw, of course, I do! I never did get the chance to apologize, seeing as your clan banned me from the water. But I’ve got to say they overreacted, there’s no permanent damage on your brain from me.”

“I don’t care about that.” Foolish lied. Herobrine snorted.

“Yeah, sure. Then why did you call me? You’ve got to need something, I’m only ever real when someone needs something.”

“A… one of your descendants.” Foolish cleared his throat. “A mindwalker hybrid?”

“Oh, hey! Yeah!” Herobrine looked around. “There’s a few of them around here, aren't there? Odd, I only ever made a hundred and most of them are dead.”

“They… they’re hurt by some of your magic.” Foolish stammered. “And… and raw magic, like my clans. But I don’t know how to help them.”

“Do they know you called for me?” Herobrine laughed. “I’m a sign of bad luck, Chosen one.”

“Don’t call me that.” Foolish snapped. “My name is-”

“Oh, think before you tell me that.” Herobrine waved a hand. “You know names are powerful, that’s why it took forty years to get yours.”

“Don’t call me chosen.” Foolish grumbled. 

“Yeah, alright. Whatever you say. Do the others know?”

“They don’t and they never will,” Foolish said firmly. “You’re a messenger, I need information.”

“Fair enough, sounds like a good trade.” Herobrine sat on the grass, and Foolish joined him. 

“What trade?”

“I get to be real for a while, and you get to help your friends.” the demigod shrugged. “It’s no deal, no handshake or contract. Just a trade between old friends.”

“Yeah, sure.” Foolish shrugged. 

“What information do you need?”

“There’s a hybrid that's part totem, part human, part you.” Foolish explained. “They used a mix of raw totem magic and your magic to leave a recurring curse or hex inside my friend’s mind.”

“Ahhh.” Herobrine nodded slowly. “Totem magic keeping it as a continual cycle, and my magic doing whatever mind-fuckery they needed it to do.”

“Is there a way to take it out without hurting them?” Foolish asked softly. “They’re also a mindwalker if that helps.”

“Man, that’s a tricky situation.” Herobrine hummed. “You’ve only used raw magic once, right? What for?”

“Wh- how do you know that?”

“I can tell, I’m good with magic stuff. You don’t have to tell me, but I need to know if you planned ahead or if it was unintentional.”

“Both?” Foolish shrugged. “I wanted to use it, but I wasn’t sure what I was doing even while I did it.”

“Do you mean what or how?” Herobrine asked. “Did you know what you were doing, what the end goal was?”

“Oh.” Foolish frowned. “I… I guess so.”

“You just don’t know how you did it.” Herobrine nodded. “Good, that’s definitely something.”

“Can you help?” Foolish asked, starting to feel a bit annoyed. He knew this guy was a trickster, but he needed to keep Eret safe and help them. 

“You never learned how to use magic correctly,” Herobrine said casually. “And that’s probably my fault, so… sorry about that. But in my defense, your clan was wrong about the hex. It didn’t do any kind of permanent damage to you.”

“Shut up about that.” Foolish groaned. He was pretty sure Herobrine was lying, trying to make Foolish like him. “And tell me how to help them.”

“Alright, alright.” the demigod sighed loudly. “Totem magic, raw magic, doesn’t have step-by-step instructions or actual spells. It’s instinctual and goal-oriented. As long as you can focus on what you’re trying to do, and you have the right kind of power to do it, it’ll get done.”

“Do I have the right kind of power?” Foolish asked skeptically.

“Oh, for sure! Totems are insanely powerful, I’m surprised more of them didn’t survive this long. The raw magic is what’s keeping the spell going, so you’ll want to remove it first. What does the spell do?”

“Uhm…” Foolish picked at the grass absently. “I’m not super sure on specifics… but it resets their memory every few weeks, and it used to have a month in between. I also think it keeps them from using defensive magic since they have power over mind and memories and should be able to defend themself?”

“Oh, man. That’s crazy.” Herobrine shook his head. “Well, that’s not too difficult. It’s the same kind of process since you’re a totem. You stay focused on the goal, which is removing the curse or spell. You’ll just kinda know what to do in your gut, and if you need help I’m just a word away.”

“I don’t know if they’d want you in the estate.” Foolish mumbled.

“Hey, probably not. There are only a few people in existence who can summon me without bursting into flames.” Herobrine sighed. Foolish stared at him. “What? Why do you think it’s a taboo thing? Magic is so diluted nowadays that summoning me takes up their whole life force.”

“Am I gonna die because of this?”

“Nah, of course not.” Herobrine insisted. “You’re a totem, you’re… heck, you guys were able to banish me. I still can’t go on a boat after all this time! You’re more powerful than I am, just with different magic.”

“Right.” Foolish snorted. “I’m more powerful than you.”

“You’re more powerful than basically anyone.”

“I wish people would stop saying that.” Foolish sighed. Herobrine just shrugged. “Where do you go when no one needs you?”

“Nowhere, everywhere.” Herobrine shrugged. “I mix together with all the rest of existence until I’m myself again. Thanks for calling me, it’s been nice.”

“Are you leaving?”

“You got your information. And unless you want to sneak me into the house, that’s all I can do.”

“Thanks.” Foolish stood up, reaching to shake Herobrine’s hand. He accepted, smiling widely. “I… I appreciate you helping me.”

“Don’t worry about it, Chosen One.” he grinned cheekily when Foolish scowled, already dissolving into the wind. “Take care of those friends of yours, will ya?”

Foolish watched the spot he’d been for a few minutes, then sighed and turned back to the house. He wasn’t really sure what he’d been able to learn here, but it sure felt like something. And hopefully, it would help Eret.

Chapter Text

“Hey, buddy.” Foolish looked up through the water when Puffy called for him. He sighed, swimming to the edge.

“Hey Puffy. How’s Eret?”

“They’re awake, but still resting. They were worried about you.” 

“They still remember me?” Thank the gods.

“Of course they do! I don’t think it would go down to just a few hours between episodes, Foolish. We have at least a week to figure this out.” Puffy paused, looking concerned. “Do you want to talk about last night?”

“What about it?” Foolish tensed. Surely no one had seen him talking to Herobrine? He’d been way into the orchard, he’d been alone.

“You got all quiet again when you and Bad and Sam were talking about magic.”

“Oh. That.” Foolish felt like an idiot. Of course, it was about that. “Uh… it was just a lot going on.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Is it possible you know something that could help, but it’s just mixed in with some iffy memories?” Puffy asked.

Foolish hesitated, thinking it over. If he said that Puffy was right, and explained the incident with the hex, and included what he’d learned about totem magic… it would make sense to everyone. Hopefully. It was his best shot, at least.

“I… I don’t know.” He said, pulling himself from the water. “Did… did I ever tell you about totem names?”

“Phil mentioned them briefly because he was worried about you,” Puffy said. 

“Oh.” Foolish sighed, shaking his shoulders to try and relax. “Well… then you know I’m not the brightest. But uhm… The thing is, I wasn’t always dumb.”

“Foolish-”

“Just… please?” Foolish sighed. “I know you guys all want me to… to believe in myself, or something, but can I please just…”

“Alright.” Puffy didn’t seem happy about it, but she gestured for him to continue.

“When he- when uhm… the first mindwalker,” he stammered, and Puffy nodded curiously, “A hundred years ago, he was… he was a messenger. He was around a lot, talking to the elders, bringing news from other clans and gods and demigods. He's a demigod.”

“Okay.”

“He… he plays pranks, mostly. With his weird mind magic. It’s pretty… it’s usually harmless unless your brain is already vulnerable. He’d prank the adults in the clan often, and it was simple to remove the hex.” The memory of those strange magic brain snakes made him shudder, but he continued. “When… when I was really young before I was named. I might have been thirty or forty years old? I was exploring after dark, when… when none of the adult totems could watch out for me. I ran into one of his pranks, it hexed me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was…” Foolish blinked back tears. “It hurt a lot, it felt like snakes inside my skull and I went to get help from a healer, but… but I was right in the middle of discovering my magical strong suit, and I guess it’s really dangerous to have mental magic cast on you when you’re like that.” 

He knew Herobrine said this wasn’t true, that he hadn’t been harmed at all, but… he was pretty sure it had been a lie. 

“They of course took the hex out, and everything. But… but they said I would never fully develop my powers, or my mind. That I’d never be able to actually learn things again.” He blinked away tears, staring adamantly away from Puffy so she didn’t see them. “When Bad asked about mind magic and totem magic mixing, it just kinda pulled up those memories, and I doubted everything I do know about it.”

“Gods, Foolish, I’m sorry,” Puffy said softly. “That’s… I’m sorry that happened.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Foolish sighed. “And… honestly, I’m alright with how I am. I don’t really want to be super powerful, or… or smart. I’m alright with how I’ve turned out.”

“Do you remember anything that might help Eret?” Puffy asked, though Foolish knew she wanted to argue about his intelligence outright. He appreciated that she didn’t, though.

“I remember how to use totem magic.” He shrugged. “And I remember how… how to remove hexes and curses, I think.”

“Would you be comfortable trying?” Puffy asked. “I know those memories aren’t the best, Foolish, I’m sorry we even have to ask.”

“Of course I would be comfortable trying!” Foolish nodded, rubbing the tears from his face. “Eret’s important to me, I want them to be okay. I… I was going to talk to Bad and Sam about it later today.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about… about the name thing?” Puffy asked softly. Foolish scowled, not really sure what to say.

“What… What would we even talk about? I am a fool, Puffy. Or at least I’m not smart.”

“No one here thinks that about you.” Puffy shook her head. “You’re very smart, Foolish. You’re good at understanding people, and communicating information, and understanding what other people tell you. Just because you can’t read, and you can hardly write, it doesn’t mean that you’re not smart. You’re working on that, and you’re improving. Nothing about you makes me think you’re not smart.”

Foolish didn’t really know what to say to that. She sounded very genuine, and that terrified him. If what everyone had been saying was true, and he was smart and powerful and ‘chosen’... then was it his fault that he hadn’t been able to escape the humans sooner? Should he have been able to get himself out, being smart? Should he have been able to keep the humans from putting enchanted things in his body, since he was powerful? Should he have been able to keep them from doing everything else to him too?

“You’re not stupid, Foolish. Even if you think you are.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Foolish decided, getting to his feet.

“Foolish, please, just-”

“I appreciate you trying,” Foolish said softly. “But please stop.”

Puffy didn’t say anything else, and Foolish went through the kitchen, ignoring all the people there while he retrieved gold nuggets for Junior.

Several people tried to talk to him - Phil, Bad, Tommy - but he just smiled sadly at them, leaving the kitchen as soon as possible and shutting himself in the bathroom with Junior.

“Hey, kiddo.” he knelt down, tucking a golden nugget into each of the child’s hands. He’d been absorbing the gold faster, recently. Foolish wished he knew everything about how to raise a totem, even if he was asleep for now. 

“Crazy stuff has been going on, y’know.” He informed the sleeping baby. “You’re missing it, but that’s alright. I know you need to grow before you do things.” he sighed softly, shaking his head. “He… he said just to focus on the goal, and that I could do it right. I wish there was a step-by-step, though. I don’t… what if I get it wrong and hurt Eret?”

Junior didn’t give him any advice, as usual, but Foolish hadn’t expected him to. He sighed heavily, leaning his forehead on the side of the tub.

“I’ve got to try though, don’t I?”

“Foolish thinks he can… he can do it.” Bad stammered, seeming confused and frazzled as he explained the situation to Eret. “I don’t… I think he’s had a really rough time with old memories, while he remembered how to use magic like this, but he says he can do it.”

“He can… he can undo whatever that hybrid did?” Eret asked, surprised. Bad shrugged.

“He’s not the most confident, but I don't think he would even bring it up if he thought it might hurt you.” he clarified. “And I’ll be here the whole time, but it’ll just be me and Foolish. He doesn’t want a lot of people around while he uses magic, for some reason. Probably makes him feel vulnerable, or… or it might have a flashback thing? But he wants me there, so I’ll be there.”

“Are.. where is he?” Eret asked, sitting up a bit further.

“He’s on his way, he’s just checking on Junior.”

Eret didn’t know who Junior was, but that was probably just from the amnesia thing. They’d probably remember once the spell was removed. 

Bad bustled around, collecting different salts and crystals, putting them on the side table. After a few minutes, Foolish slipped into the room. He looked horrible.

Eret didn’t say that, of course, but… it was true. Foolish’s shoulders sagged with exhaustion, and his eyes were a bit duller than they had been yesterday (but not as dull as they had been in the memory). He walked over to the bed, not quite meeting Eret’s eyes.

“Hey, Foolish.” They smiled, and he returned it stiffly. “Are… you don’t have to do it right now. We can wait if you’re tired…”

“I’m okay,” Foolish said softly, shaking his head. “I want to help you, I want to make sure we do it before you forget again.”

“Okay, what… What's the process here? What are we going to do?”

“Uhm…” Foolish let out a deep breath. “I… I need um… I need Bad to make sure nothing goes wrong. It probably won’t, but… just in case. And I… You just need to relax and try not to move too much. It should only take a couple of minutes, okay?”

“Okay…” Eret nodded. Foolish nodded as well, swallowing thickly. He was so incredibly nervous, Eret wished they could make him feel better. 

“It might hurt a little,” Foolish said, helping Eret lean against pillows and the wall, so they didn’t move as much. “And I’m really really sorry if it hurts. Uhm…”

“What kind of pain would be normal, and what kind of pain would we need to stop immediately?” Bad asked.

“Oh. Uh…” Foolish’s face twisted slightly like he himself was in pain and trying to hide it. Eret frowned in concern. “It’ll probably feel like… like there’s a physical hand or… or something in your skull. T-touch-touching your um… brain. That’s… I’m sorry, that’s the only way I know how to do it.”

“That’s okay,” Eret said, even though the idea of that sounded horrible. “I trust you, Foolish.” 

Foolish looked at them, seeming to brighten a bit at those words.

“Right. Uh, if you feel like something is hurting your spine, or… or if you start forgetting who you are or something, tell us.”

“Sounds good.” Eret could tell Bad was just as worried as they were, but Foolish clearly knew what he was doing. He just had a habit of doubting himself, apparently.

“Okay, close your eyes.” Eret obeyed, and Foolish’s fingertips touched the crown of their head. Not the way Bad had done it, or the way the other hybrid had cursed them. His palms were on the top of Eret’s head, cradling it almost protectively.

And then they felt the sensation that Foolish had described. Very, very gentle hands seemed to cup around their brain, and it made goosebumps raise on their skin. The hands barely moved at all, but they did move. It felt odd like their brain had been made into thin leaves of paper, and they were absently being flipped through.

It didn’t feel like the bad way, though. Foolish wasn’t looking at anything, he wasn’t taking memories or changing what Eret knew. He was looking for something specific, and respectfully ignoring everything else.

“How’re we feeling?” Bad asked tentatively. 

“It’s fine,” Eret said, barely whispering as they didn’t want to move their head. 

“This will hurt,” Foolish announced, as Eret felt those manifested fingers wrap around something that suddenly felt out of place. It squirmed in his grip, and Eret grit their teeth as white-hot pain shot from the front of their head inward. 

“Sorry, sorry, I’m really sorry.” Foolish whispered. Eret felt a hot tear fall onto their face from above, as Foolish continued whatever spell or ritual he was doing. “I’m almost done, I promise.”

The hands seemed to untangle some squirming, stringy something from the inside of Eret’s head. And it did hurt, but they could tell it was better it would be gone. 

The sensation of Foolish’s physical hands seemed to return suddenly when the ones inside Eret’s skull vanished. They felt the squirming curse find the spot inside their skull that matched where his fingers were, and then they vanished. 

A choked sob from above made Eret’s eyes fly open, dismayed to hear Foolish make such a sound.

Foolish stepped back, holding his hands out stiffly in front of him. They seemed to be empty, but Eret could all but feel the magic in the air around them. 

“...Foolish?” Bad stepped toward him, and Foolish winced. “Foolish, what happened?”

“I… I don’t know what to do now.” Foolish whispered. “It’s… I got it out, it’s out, but I… what do I do with it?”

“You… oh, gods, Foolish what the hell?” Eret tried to stand up, only to feel extremely dizzy. “How… you’re just holding a curse in your actual hands?!”

“Y-yeah…” Foolish whimpered slightly, face twisted in pain. “I… I need help.”

“Foolish, I have never seen- I don’t know how to help with this?” Bad looked panicked, and Eret had no idea what to do.

“Help… h-” Foolish stepped away, backed against the wall. “Herobrine, please help me…”

“FOOLISH!” Bad shrieked indignantly, only the room to fall magically silent, the lights flickering.

And a figure Eret had only seen images of before appeared.

“Long time no see, totem. What happened to not letting me in the house?” the spirit chuckled, no real barb to it. “Ah… yeah, you’ve got yourself a pretty nasty curse. I guess that’s the one we talked about?”

“You…  you said I’d be able to do it.” Foolish whispered. “That… You said I could do it right.”

“You did. You focused on your goal, and you accomplished it.” Herobrine glanced around the room, and Eret found they couldn't look away. Bad was frozen still, as well. “You focused on getting that out of your friend. Now, focus on destroying it.”

“How?”

“Not how, Totem. What. Focus on what you want to do.”

“I’m sorry, I… I told you I’m not-”

“Focus.” Herobrine snapped. Foolish’s mouth clamped shut, and Eret watched in awe as he took a deep breath, glaring at the empty space of magical energy in his hands. 

In an instant, the dark cursed magical energy of the room was gone. The tension left Foolish’s hands, and he sighed in relief.

The trickster spirit, however, was still there. 

The dark energy had apparently not been from the demigod, who was gently pushing Foolish into a chair. 

“Y’know when I said you were powerful enough, I meant when you were healthy. Not after a night of no sleep.” 

“I’m sorry.” Foolish choked out, staring at the floor.

“...excuse me…” Bad spoke up, voice a bit strangled. “But does anyone want to explain what the muffin just happened?”

“Your friend there should be recovering memories over the next few hours,” Herobrine announced, gesturing to Eret. “The totem should probably rest, he’s just used a lot of magic with absolutely no training. I need to take my leave, but you three have an excellent rest of your day!”

And then he was gone.

The room was silent for a moment as Bad sputtered, staring at where the demigod had been. Eret was watching Foolish, though, as his face crumpled and he started to sob into his hands.

“I… Eret, are you alright?” Bad turned to them, looking lost and confused. Eret nodded, still worried for Foolish. They looked at him, wincing when different images from different times appeared in their memory.

“I’m probably going to get a headache.” They said softly. “But I… I really feel good. Thank you, Foolish.”

Foolish didn’t answer, just continued to sob.

“I’m gonna go get… uh, Puffy?” Bad hurried out, leaving the door open behind him.

Eret tried a few more times to talk to Foolish, but it didn’t work. So they leaned against the pillows again, letting the lost memories slip into place.

They recalled finding out that Foolish couldn't speak and watching him scratch his name into the floor and mime to communicate. They remembered loving him almost instantly, with no idea why. He just seemed so trustworthy, so pure-hearted. They remembered asking him if he wanted to mind link, and then the beautiful connection where Foolish would tell them about the sky and the ocean, and they would tell him about Periwinkle flowers and sunsets.

They remembered waking up clueless, four or five times, and slowly growing to trust him again. 

They remembered everything, while the person who’d saved them over and over again sobbed a few feet away, and they could do nothing.

Foolish didn’t know what was wrong with him. He was so tired, and he had to be dehydrated by now… but the visceral horror of what he was doing, of how incredibly vulnerable Eret had been… how one mistake, one ill-intention, could destroy Eret’s mind forever… it made him feel sick and horrible, and if he’d eaten at all today he would probably throw up.

He never ever wanted to do something like that again. That was horrible, it… he hated it. He hated it just as much as he’d hated when magic was in his own head, slithering around and breaking things and… and what if he did it wrong? What if Herobrine lied, and Eret died? What if Eret would hate him?

What if they got mad that he summoned the demigod into the house in panic? Bad had screamed at him, what if they hated him? He couldn't live with himself if anyone hated him. Especially Eret, or Bad, or… or any of the alliance. 

“Foolish.” People were talking to him, but he could barely hear them. It had to have been over an hour, that they tried on and off to get him to respond. But he couldn't. He wanted to. He wanted to stop crying, and breathe, and explain what happened. But the raw panic and disgust at what he’d had to do… just thinking about it made him retch, and sob more. Whoever was there said something in concern, a gentle hand rubbing his shoulders. “Breathe, just breathe.” He did his best to follow the instructions, sucking in large shuddering breaths, and doing his best not to let them all out at once.

After another twenty minutes or so, he’d managed to calm down enough to perceive his surroundings again.

He was still in the infirmary, though he’d moved from a chair to the floor in a corner. Eret was on their bed, eyes closed. Oh, god, were they dead?

“Hey, no.” someone tapped his nose, and Foolish blinked. “Don’t you spiral on me again, Foolish. Eret’s fine, they’re asleep. They’re alright.”

“I-I-I’m sorry.” Foolish choked out, rubbing tears from his face. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” it was Puffy, and she kissed him gently on the forehead. “You did nothing wrong, you got the curse out of Eret’s head without hurting them. That’s really really good.”

“But I… I… oh, gods…” Foolish dry heaved again, curling in on himself. “I… I had… I had to… I had to look through their b-brain, Puffy! I… that’s not… that’s not right. They f- they felt my hands in their skull, I don’t… no one should… no one should f-feel that!”

“They’re not mad at you, Foolish, no one is mad or upset about what you did,” Puffy said calmly. “It’s not ideal, and I’m really sorry you had to do it. But you don’t ever have to do something like that again, alright? The curse is gone, and everyone is okay.”

“I’m so tired.” Foolish whimpered, trying to push himself further into the corner, but Puffy pulled him into a gentle hug instead. It was nice, he liked hugs. He didn’t hug people often, but this was nice. “I can’t… they… they said I would never be able to l-learn magic like that. I don’t… why was I able to do that? Why did I do that? I hurt them, I hurt Eret…”

“You didn’t hurt them, kiddo.” Puffy reminded him. “You helped them. And I’ve been trying to tell you, you can do crazy things. It doesn’t matter what your old clan said, you saved Eret and you destroyed a curse with your bare hands. That’s crazy stuff.”

“I didn’t like that,” Foolish said. “I hated that. I… I don’t want to be powerful, Puffy. I don’t want to do things like that, I hate it so much.”

“You don’t have to.” Puffy soothed. “I promise, you don’t have to. You never have to use magic again if you don’t want to, okay?”

“Thank you.” he felt relief wash over him, even though he still felt disgusted with himself, and all of his skin was crawling uncomfortably. “I… I’m okay.”

“I still think we should get you in a bed, get you some water.” Puffy requested. “We want to make sure none of the curse is still on you, okay? Sam and Bad have already checked Eret, and they’re completely free from it. But we couldn't get you to talk for a while, so they haven’t checked if it’s on you at all.”

“Okay.” Foolish let her pull him to his feet, and then over to a bed that was a lot more comfortable than the floor.

He wasn’t paying too much attention as someone gave him a glass of water, which he drank instantly. Bad and Sam checked his temperature, and Bed summoned several runes hovering over his head, heart, and hands before declaring him curse free. 

“There are no magical connections on you,” Bad added softly, closing his hands to send the runes away. “Except like, with Junior. But… but there’s no magical link to him so uh… I don’t really know what happened, but you’re safe from any kind of… of deal or something. At least magically.”

“O-oh.” Foolish shrunk in on himself. “I-I’m so sorry, I know… I shouldn’t have called him, I know you don’t want him in the house but I just-”

“Whoa, hey, I’m not mad.” Bad took both of Foolish’s hands in his. “I’m... we’re pretty confused about it, but it ended alright. So we aren’t mad. We don’t have to talk about it right now. You need to rest. He… he said you should rest, and who am I to argue with…”

“Okay.” Foolish finally managed to stop the sobs and hiccoughs, settling down in the bed. “I’m… that was a lot. And it was horrible.”

“I know.” Bad patted his shoulder. “But it’s over now, try and sleep. Okay? Eret will probably be out until tomorrow, too. It was exhausting for both of you.”

“You’ll keep an eye on them?” Foolish asked. Bad nodded.

“If you want me to stay here until you wake up, I will. You deserve some rest, and I want to make it happen.”

“Thank you.”

"Did… did you tell everyone?" Foolish asked, looking over to where Bad was sitting. Bad looked up from the book he had, eyebrows raised.

"Tell everyone… about him ?" He guessed. Foolish nodded, sitting up even though he was supposed to be asleep. "I did not."

"Okay…"

"The only people who know about what really happened are You, Eret, and me. I told Sam and Puffy that it was complicated… and they didn't press the issue."

"Oh." Foolish couldn't help but feel relieved, and he leaned back on the wall.

"If you don't mind me asking… how are you not dead?" Bad leaned forward curiously, and Foolish laughed a bit. 

"I knew him when I was a kid." He shrugged. "He said… he said that I was more powerful than him? At least… as far as the magical energy of summoning goes. I didn't really question it too much…"

"When did he say that?"

"I… I talked to him yesterday, or the day before." He frowned thoughtfully. "I needed information, he's a messenger spirit. So I figured I'd give it a shot."

"A messenger?"

"The pranks are a hobby. And… not safe for us mortals." Foolish winced at the thought. "I don't think he does them anymore, at least not often."

"So you can just talk to him whenever you want?" Bad shook his head in awe. "That's insane."

"He…" Foolish shrugged. “I guess so. But he’s a messenger, so I should only do it if I need information. I don’t think actual messages can be made, as no one else is able to call him.”

“You’re probably right,” Bad said mournfully. “So you talked to him last night, asking for help with Eret’s situation?” Foolish nodded. “And he’s like… just a guy?”

“I mean… he’s a demigod with connections to all of existence at once, but yeah.” Foolish chuckled at Bad’s expression. “He’s just a guy.”

“To you, I guess.” Bad chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’d be vaporized if I said his name out loud.”

“Oh yeah.” Foolish frowned thoughtfully. 

That was… weird. It was weird that he could do something that no one else could do… and knowing for a fact that no one else could do it. Like what had happened with Junior, and now with Herobrine. It was pulling at a thought in the back of his brain that he wanted to hate, the thought that maybe he really was powerful. The thought that he was more than the name he’d been given, and the things that had happened to him.

“You should be getting rest,” Bad said, sitting back. “You muffin head, getting me all curious about totems and gods. I’m supposed to be making sure you rest!”

“I am resting,” Foolish said, gesturing at the bed he was lying on. “I’m not moving, am I?”

“You only slept for a few hours, and… and he said you needed rest.” Bad insisted. “Aren’t you exhausted?”

“I mean… yeah.” Foolish gave in, lying back down on the pillows. “I just…”

“I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Eret,” Bad promised. “You can sleep. It’ll be okay.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, pulling the blankets further around himself. "Wake me up when they wake up."

"If that's what you need to go to sleep, then I promise." 

Foolish didn't like promises, but he found there was nothing in him that thought Bad was lying.

Eret didn't know what to think. Foolish had, apparently, been vague when he explained what happened. What Eret had done to him. When Foolish had told them the story, it had been bad. Eret felt guilty, even though they didn't know why they trusted Foolish. 

Now, Eret remembered it. They remembered knowing full well that Foolish didn't want to end the link, but doing it anyway. They remembered the betrayed, devastated look on Foolish's face. They remembered the thunderstorm, followed by a week where Foolish was at the beach house, and they locked themself up and did research.

They had… so much research. Research on totems, on sharks, on mind walkers memory loss and how to fix it.

They remembered seeing Foolish cower in the darkened hallway, looking at Eret the way one looked at something dangerous.

Foolish had been afraid of them, just days ago. A week, at the very most. He'd been afraid of Eret… and hadn't waited even a minute to comfort them when they had an episode. 

Not only that, but Foolish had driven himself to a complete breakdown, using magic he didn't know, just to help Eret? It was baffling, and Eret was horrified that they'd tried to abandon someone who trusted them so completely.

With all the memories, the recollection of the months where Foolish was their only friend, the many many times that Foolish had helped them after an episode… Eret knew why the urge to trust Foolish was so strong. 

Why were they so afraid to be close to him? Foolish had proven time and time again that he would do anything for Eret. Was that it? The fear that someday, Foolish would do something he couldn't recover from, to protect Eret?

Eret opened their eyes a crack, spotting Foolish on the bed next to theirs. 

Who's to say that he hadn't already hurt himself that badly, pulling the curse from Eret's mind?

"You're awake!" 

Eret jumped, turning to see Bad beaming at them. 

"Water." The demon helped Eret sit up, pressing a water bottle into their hands. "Any pain? I can call Ponk-"

"I'm ok," Eret said softly, sipping on the water. "Is… is Foolish going to be alright?"

"He…" Bad hesitated, looking over at the totem hybrid. "I don't know. I should wake him, though, since you're up."

"Let him sleep!" Eret protested. Bad shook his head. "Seriously?"

"He wouldn't rest at all until I promised to wake him as soon as you were awake." Bad shrugged, stepping to the other bed. "Hey, Foolish."

Eret frowned, watching as he shook Foolish awake. Foolish grumbled slightly, squinting around at the room until looking at Eret.

"Eret!" He was sitting up immediately and almost fell over as Bad caught him.

"Foolish, take it easy," Eret complained, heart tightening with guilt. "It's ok, I'm ok. I barely even have a headache."

"But…" Foolish looked conflicted, shoulders falling. "You're ok. That's… that's good."

"You did really well, you didn't have to do that," Eret said. "I… I don't even know how to repay you, or… or apologize for everything."

"I did have to do it." Foolish muttered, Accepting water and a gold nugget from Bad. 

"After what I did to you?" Eret scoffed. "You definitely could have just left me the way I was." 

Foolish pursed his lips but didn't say anything. 

"I don't think we should hash any of that out right now," Bad spoke up. "Both of you are really tired and still recovering. You need rest, and I mean real rest. Not sleep where you're both upset."

"Everyone keeps reminding me that I don't have to forgive you," Foolish mumbled, seeming to purposefully ignore Bad. 

It was probably growth, Foolish ignoring what was almost a direct order. But still... Eret frowned, and Foolish looked up, a strange glint to his emerald eyes. It was a strong contrast to the dull, defeated look they so often had in the past.

"They also keep reminding me that I can make my own decisions. No one is forcing me to care about you, I'm doing it on purpose." 

Somehow, that statement made tears spring to Eret's eyes. On purpose. What a strangely specific, perfect thing to hear. 

"You're the… you're really important to me. I told you it would take a lot more than this for me to not forgive you."

"You seem to have your mind made up." Eret laughed softly, blinking back the years. "I won't push you away again, Foolish. I'm genuinely sorry that I did it before, and I won't do it again."

Foolish nodded, the shadow of a smile crossing his face. 

"Am I allowed to go check on Junior?" He turned to Bad now, and Eret frowned curiously. Even now that they remembered everything… they didn't know who Junior was.

"Wh- you need rest!"

"I can rest in my room, with my son." Foolish rolled his eyes.

"Wh- your what? " Eret sputtered, eyes widening. 

The other two looked at them silently for a moment, and then Foolish laughed, eyes scrunching shut.

"I forgot you've never met him!" He finally managed to say. "Can Eret go upstairs, too?"

"I never said you could…" Bad sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, sure. But I'm walking up there with you and you have to sit or lay down once you're there."

"Deal!" Foolish got up, crossing to Eret's bed with a grin. "Want to meet a miracle of magic?"

Foolish completely forgot that Eret didn't know. After the beach, he'd held off telling them due to all the circumstances. But he wanted Eret to meet the baby, even if Junior wouldn't really see them.

"When did you get a son?" Eret asked as they made their way upstairs, with Bad hovering behind them. 

"Uhh, some totems can bring totems if undying to life," Foolish explained simply. "At the beach, Wilbur gave me one, and… now he's alive."

"Oh."

"He'll be an infant for a few years, he needs to stay in water which is why he's in the bathtub." Foolish gestured to the door, pulling Eret over. "I made it like a tide pool for him!"

"Oh… wow." Eret breathed, staying a few feet back as Foolish leaned down, tucking a gold nugget into Junior's hand. "That's… I've been trying to do research but I haven't heard of that at all."

"Yeah…" Foolish sighed, stirring the water a bit with his hand. "Apparently I'm like, a super special powerful kind of totem? I don't really understand, but… not every totem could do this."

"You don't sound too happy about that…" Eret trailed off, slowly coming to sit next to the tub with Foolish.

Foolish frowned, glancing back to see that Bad had left them be, the bedroom door almost closed completely.

"You know what happened back there." He said softly. "That's how it was everywhere, for me. What does it say about me that I had all this power, but I still let humans do those things to me?"

He'd never voiced it out loud before, and as soon as he did Foolish felt so much more exhausted.

"It doesn't say anything," Eret said after a few minutes. "I mean… I have magic based on mind and memory. Does it say something bad that I let someone take those away?"

"That's not…" Foolish frowned, thinking over that comparison.

He hadn't heard anyone say that Eret was weak, or deserved the curse, or let the curse attach itself to them on purpose. Even people who were mad at Eret, like Ponk and Sam. 

They all silently agreed that Eret didn't deserve or want that.

"Does… so no one here thinks I deserved it? Or that I'm weak?" He asked, voice cracking when he looked at Eret. They seemed devastated by the question, leaning on his shoulder.

"No one thinks that." They said sternly. "And if anyone says that, they'll have to deal with a lot of angry people who care about you."

"Oh."

It was a huge relief, like a heavy rock in his chest had been chipped away and was now so much smaller. They didn't see him as weak, or deserving of all that happened. 

"Are you alright?" 

"I'm very tired." Foolish hummed, closing his eyes. "But I think I'll be okay."

Chapter Text

Things were different after he removed Eret's curse. Everyone in the house seemed to listen more carefully when Foolish spoke, though they didn't treat him the way the celestials had. He spent a lot of time with Eret and Bad researching magic.

He hadn't used magic again since it happened, and he hadn't summoned Herobrine again. They hadn't even told anyone what happened, not even Phil or Puffy.

Phil had gotten some scrolls from the celestials, but Foolish couldn't read Totem. He was still working on common, and everyone seemed to think he was doing well. 

"I don't recognize any of these letters," Bad mumbled one afternoon, while he'd been trying to teach himself the old language. "I can't even tell what kind of language it is, how many letters there might be… I don't think anyone on earth would know this."

"I should." Foolish grumbled, shoulders falling. "I'm old enough to know, I just…"

"Don't be mean to yourself." Eret chided. "Puffy will be mad." 

"Yeah, yeah…" Foolish rubbed his eyes, suddenly thoughtful. 

He wasn't the only person who had been around this long. 

"... What if He knows it?" 

The question was met with stunned silence, and Bad slowly sat up straight, head tilted. 

"I can summon him for information." Foolish continued, shrugging. "He used to carry messages between totem clans and gods and humans… he might know how to read it."

"That's… that could work," Bad murmured. "Do you… are you okay summoning him?"

"Oh. Uh.." Foolish honestly hadn't thought this far ahead. "I kinda assumed you guys didn't want him in the house."

"As long as it's not dangerous." Eret shrugged. "It should be okay. You deserve to know any information about your people that you can."

"Okay, I could call him now." Foolish was glad for the break from trying to learn to read common, anyway.

"I'll close the door." Eret stood up, crossing to and locking the library door. "So no one freaks out if they walk in."

"So… you just straight up say his name?" Bad asked curiously. "And that's it?"

"Yeah, basically." Foolish leaned back, taking a breath. "Uh… Herobrine? You around?"

The rush of vertigo, and wind, swept through the room but didn't disturb any papers. Once again, Herobrine materialized a few feet away from the desk, beaming widely.

"Totem! It's been weeks, I was starting to think you weren't gonna call me again."

"Oh." Foolish didn't know what to say to that. "Sorry?"

"You apologize too much." The demigod waved a hand, looking over at Bad and Eret. "Hey, I remember you guys! Glad to see you both healthy."

"Uh… good to see you too?" Bad floundered, hands switching from book to book. Herobrine chuckled.

"I make your friends nervous, totem."

"Summoning you would kill them if they did it." Foolish pointed out. "We just had a question for you?" 

"Hey, sure! I don't mind existing for a bit, it's nice."

"Do you know how to read Totem?" Foolish reached for the old scrolls, and Bad handed it over. "The uh… I never got to learn back then."

"Oh." Herobrine looked surprised, then idly annoyed. "They didn't even teach you to read ?"

"You already know about all that," Foolish said. "Can you read it?"

"Yeah, I can." Herobrine gingerly took the scrolls, eyebrows raised as he read through them.

"Wow. This is stuff you should definitely know, being chosen."

"Chosen?" Bad echoed. Foolish winced.

"The special kind of totem I am. At least that's what the celestials called me."

"Why didn't you mention that?" Bad demanded, throwing his hands in the air. "Phrasing can be everything! Who chose you?"

"...I'm not sure I know what you mean," Foolish admitted. 

"This'll explain it." Herobrine cleared his throat. "Anyone ready to transcribe this into common while I read it?"

"Oh, sure." Eret grabbed one of their journals, readying a pencil. "Go for it."

Foolish listened quietly as they listened to the scroll. One was about the gods who created the first totems, the goddess of death and life. 

The second was about what happened when a deity took a liking to a mortal, and 'chose' them. Foolish hadn’t considered the fact that it was all mortals, like humans or other hybrids. 

"A lot of totems are chosen by the goddess," Herobrine added once he read through the documents. "A lot are chosen by other gods, or lesser spirits, to be their champion. All totems carry power from the goddess, regeneration, and the like. All chosen totems can create life, bestow immortality. Additional power and skills are pulled from the specific deity who chose you."

"That scroll said I should have carried conversations with whoever chose me," Foolish said, rubbing his forehead. This was complicated.

"Yeah, and you have." Herobrine looked concerned. "I thought you knew… I chose you."

What? Foolish scowled. That… what? When did that happen? Why was Herobrine saying this like it was obvious? 

"How would I know that?!" Foolish asked incredulously, shrinking in on himself. "I didn't even know what being 'chosen' was until recently!"

"I thought you knew you had a connection to me! Why else would you risk summoning me, knowing it could kill you?"

"I-" Foolish bit back the answer, taking a slow breath. "At the moment, I didn't care if I died or not." Silence. "I keep trying to tell you guys I don't know anything ." He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes to escape the looks on their faces. "Assuming I know anything about myself, or totems, or magic will be wrong. All I know for sure about totem culture is that I wasn't important to them, and now I'm the only one left. If you know anything about me, please tell me."

No one said anything, still, and the room felt suffocating. Foolish sighed, rubbing his face and standing up.

“I’m gonna go for a swim, we can talk about this another time.” He muttered, turning away as Herobrine silently dissipated from existence. 

“Foolish-”

“We’ll talk later,” Foolish said again, doing his best not to slam the door into the wall when he opened it. Neither Bad nor Eret said anything else, so he left. This sucked.

Eret found Foolish in the pool, which was expected. He wasn’t swimming the way he usually did, instead was just floating on his back and staring at the evening sky. Eret felt bad, even though they knew what happened wasn’t anyone's fault. Foolish had been trying so hard, and they knew it. He’d been trying to acclimate to life away from human captors, to having powers, to being able to even speak aloud. And he’d done a lot in a short amount of time.

So, they didn’t say anything to break the sullen state Foolish was in. Instead, Eret pulled off their socks and rolled up their pant legs, sitting on the edge with their feet in the water.

After a few minutes, Foolish spoke up,

“Why is this so difficult?” he asked, turning over to swim to the edge, leaning on it next to Eret. “Why can’t I just… get this?”

“No one can just ‘get this' right away,” Eret said softly. “There’s a lot of new information, and no one has really seen any situation like this before.”

“It was easier when I didn’t have to learn things.” Foolish mourned, resting his head on the concrete. “Or make decisions. Just… when I just had to follow instructions. It was easier.”

“Foolish…” the words broke Eret’s heart, but they didn’t really know what to say. Foolish was right, it had been more simple. That didn’t mean it had been better, but they were sure Foolish knew that. 

“That’s dumb, isn’t it?” Foolish laughed softly. “Obviously this is better than… than all that.” 

Eret hummed, still not sure what to say. Honestly? Maybe Foolish just needed to say things, and not have someone try to solve the problem. Eret could do that. 

“I really like knowing and learning things,” Foolish said, tracing shapes in water on the cement, circles and mountains and letters. “But whenever there’s something I don’t know, I just feel stupid. Like… like the elders were right back then. They said I would never be able to learn anything, that I would always be dumb and expendable.”

Eret tilted their head, fighting the urge to try and convince Foolish otherwise. Foolish wasn’t looking at them, focusing intently on the droplets of water he was pulling across the pavement. 

“But you’re right, I can learn things. I’m learning to read, I can read pretty well now. I… I learned a lot of things in the past hundred years, ways to read people, and how to tell when I’d be in immediate danger. I’m learning now how to know that I’m safe and if I can truly trust someone. I’m not broken like they said I was.” Foolish turned to look at them, and Eret figured that was their cue to actually contribute. 

“You’re not broken.” They agreed.  “I’m sorry they told you otherwise.” Foolish nodded, scraping his knuckles across the wet cement. Eret frowned.

“I feel like…” Foolish hesitated, shaking his head. “What’s… what’s it usually like around here? If nothing’s going wrong?”

“Nothing?” Eret chuckled. “I don’t think there’s ever a time where nothing goes wrong, Foolish. There’s always something.”

“Oh.” the way he said it held weight, and Eret frowned curiously.

“You’re not holding anyone back, or being a hassle.” They said, “The alliance’s entire purpose is to help other hybrids get back on their feet. Everyone here took months to get to a good place, you’re improving really quickly. Especially considering everything that's happened since you got back.”

“Oh.” Foolish cleared his throat, looking up at the sky. “I… Phil offered to let me go someplace else, a few weeks back. A place with the celestials, the very last of the totems.”

“Really?” Eret didn’t want to say how they felt about that. If Foolish wanted to go, he could. Foolish nodded.

“I didn’t realize I’d be allowed to leave…” he shrugged. “But even knowing I am… I don’t want to. I really really want to help people, get other people out.”

“Oh.” Now it was Eret’s turn to be surprised, relieved. “So you’re staying?”

“Yeah, of course.” Foolish beamed, though it was clear he was still upset. “I don’t really know how helpful I’ll be… with missions? But I want to help.”

“You’ll have to get approval from Ponk Bad and Sam if you want to actually go do things.” Eret reminded him. “You’re a lot healthier, but interacting with more humans will probably be very hard.”

“Oh yeah…” Foolish leaned backward, dunking his head underwater for a few moments before resurfacing. “Do you think Bad and… and Him are mad at me?”

“No,” Eret said immediately, then frowned. “Why would they be mad at you?” Foolish raised his eyebrows, and Eret winced. Yeah, that made sense. “They’re not mad, Foolish. Bad’s just worried, and… I mean,  I don’t know Him well enough to be sure, but he sure seemed worried.”

“Okay.” Foolish pulled himself out of the water, sitting with his legs over the side like Eret was. “So… so being ‘chosen’ isn’t just a totem thing?”

“Nope.” Eret shook their head. “Has no one else heard you use that specific word for it before?”

“Phil has,” Foolish said, shaking his head. “I don’t know if anyone else has… I don’t really like being called that.”

“Why… why wouldn’t Phil tell you about it?” Eret wondered. Foolish shrugged. “Well, you deserve to know things. Phil and Wilbur are chosen, as is Technoblade. Different gods,  but still chosen.”

“Humans can be chosen, too?”

“It’s rare, but yeah.” Eret nodded. “Phil and Wilbur are chosen by the goddess of death, your ancestor. That’s why they’re considered family, even if it’s not genetic. Techno is chosen by the blood god, the god of war and battle.”

“And I’m chosen by the messenger god of mischief.” Foolish summed up, kicking his feet in the water. “What a great group we’ve got. Full of good omens, good luck, all that stuff.”

Eret laughed, head falling back. 

“To be fair, a lot of people see your god as worse than just mischief.” They offered, still chuckling. Foolish shook his head. “I mean, he has power over memories, minds, and knowledge. That can be used pretty dangerously.”

“Well… I guess so.” Foolish frowned. “Does that mean I have that kind of power?”

“Not sure.” Eret tilted their head, thinking it over. “I mean… you definitely have power, you did even before you were chosen.” Foolish made a face at this but didn’t seem too upset, so they continued. “I know that as soon as I met you, I felt like trusting you. Which never happens, so maybe you being chosen by my ancestor contributed to that. You also managed to meld totem and mindwalker magic without any training, so there’s that.”

“I guess so.” Foolish sighed, shaking his head. “Is it… is it weird to feel like that wasn’t even real? Like, I know I did that but it’s still hard to… to see myself as powerful. I feel like if I have that power, I should hate myself. But if I don't… then what really happened?”

“Hate?” Eret’s heart broke at the words, and they frowned. “That’s… that’s a bit strong, don’t you think?”

“Maybe.” Foolish shrugged. “But I can’t help it. I know… we already talked about this!" He groaned in frustration, and Eret glanced upwards as the clouds darkened slightly.

"It's alright to struggle with things." They chided softly. "Everyone struggles, even powerful people. We might not have had a hundred years of it, but almost everyone here has been through the black market. Bad, Sam, the kids, even Phil. You're the only one who doesn't like you."

"I do like me." Foolish's shoulders fell. "But I hate that I let this happen to myself."

"Did they ask you if you wanted… any of what happened?" Eret scoffed.

"...no."

"Did you ask for anything that happened?"

"No!"

"Then you didn't 'let this happen'. It just happened, and it's not your fault." 

"That makes sense," Foolish said, tilting his head back. 

The clouds cleared, and Eret smiled at the sun's warmth. The two sat in silence then, and Eret wondered what Foolish was thinking.

"I…" Foolish laughed. "I told the celestials I already had a clan. I feel as safe here as I did in the ocean, as a kid. Maybe safer, it's been a while."

"You see us as your clan?" Eret's eyes grew teary at the words, and Foolish nodded.

"Is that alright?"

"It's excellent," Eret promised. "I'm grateful to be included in such a thing."

"You always will be," Foolish murmured.

"Phil, can we please talk?" Bad asked, stepping into the kitchen and scowling. Phil looked up from the paperwork he was reading, seeming surprised.

"Is everything alright, mate? What happened?"

"What happened ?" Bad stalked over, tail lashing. "What happened is that you knew Foolish was chosen by a god and you didn't think to tell anyone that we might be dealing with godly magic while working with him!"

"Oh." Phil grimaced. "Listen-"

"Nope, you listen." Bad sat across from him, pressing both palms against the table. "You also kept it from Foolish, what being chosen even meant. So that when that god came to see him, he was overwhelmed by the energy and cried for three hours. The celestials were here weeks ago! What were you thinking?"

"I… I was going to talk to him." Phil said weakly. "I was going to talk to him that day . Then he got sick, and then Eret's memory reset. And since then, he's been busy and overwhelmed and… there was never a good time."

"There's no such thing as a good time for that," Bad said. "Foolish should have been raised with this, slowly learning to control the power he had. He wasn't. But pushing it back later won't help him!"

"...the god came to see him?" Phil asked, rubbing his eyes.

"You think he just remembered out of the blue how to remove a curse from someone's conscience?" Bad asked incredulously. "It was weird before I knew, but I trust him! There was no way Foolish would've volunteered to do something he wasn't positive he could do. Keeping secrets from Foolish about himself isn't going to be a thing anymore. Do you have any other information we might have to tell him?"

"No, I do not," Phil whispered. Bad might have been a bit harsh, but honestly . Was it so hard for people to just be outright with Foolish?

"...look." Bad sighed, leaning back. "I know you have a lot on your plate, and we're going to have a lot more to do while we try to find 'The Smith'. But Foolish has to be in the loop, especially about himself."

"You're right." Phil nodded, gesturing at the paperwork. "Wil and I have been looking into that, starting with the people we know took Eret. It's a mess, but there are a few leads."

"We'll start grouping a team for this one, then." Bad nodded, instantly curious. "I think Foolish should be on it if he wants to."

"What? It's only been a few months…"

"He knows the most about this kind of magic, and he can combat it. I'll try to start training with him and… maybe Techno?" Bad shrugged. "He can also refuse, I haven't asked him yet."

"Well, that'll be a good place to start."

"You want me to what?" Foolish blinked curiously, almost sure he'd misheard the demon hybrid. 

"I was hoping you could be on the team to find the hybrid in Eret's memory." Bad repeated. "You too, Eret, if you're open to it."

"How am I supposed to help?" Foolish asked, glancing down at the book he was practicing reading. "I… I'm not very good at anything."

"Yes, you are." Bad sighed. "You've got a killer memory and a hundred years experience of the black market, how it works, people who might be there. If you don't want to, you don't have to. But don't refuse because you think I'm making a mistake."

"... okay." Foolish sat back, running his hands down his face. That was fair. He was starting to realize he had a skewed vision of himself.

So that begged the question, did he want to help find this other hybrid?

He wanted to be part of the alliance. He'd already decided that. He wanted to help other hybrids who were stuck and hurt. 

This was exactly what he wanted to do. If Bad thought he could help, who was Foolish to argue?

"What do you want me to do to help?" He asked, looking back at Bad. Bad seemed surprised.

"That was quick."

Foolish shrugged.

"I'm in," Eret said tentatively. "But I'm not sure if I want to be in the same room as the smith, at least as of right now."

"Right now our goal is tracking them down and training Foolish in self-defense and simple magic," Bad said. "The team to actually retrieve them hasn't been chosen yet."

"Self-defense, like fighting?" Foolish tilted his head. Bad nodded. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You don't have to. Self-defense training is to keep you safe. If you end up using it? That means someone else made the choice to try and hurt you or one of us. That's all."

"Alright." Foolish was still slightly skeptical, but it did sound like it would be nice to know how to protect him and his clan.

"You haven't seen the training center yet, it's on the other side of the estate." Bad stood and stretched, gesturing for them to follow. "Techno and Quackity want to help train you in physical self-defense, Dream and I will help with magic."

"We're starting now?" Eret asked, following a few steps behind.

"They're already working on tracking them, I want to be ready," Bad explained.

"...Techno is the piglin?" Foolish asked curiously. "And… he's also chosen?"

"Yep!" Bad nodded. "Did Eret tell you about that?" Foolish nodded. "Good, you deserve to know these things."

So, Foolish tried to remember the route through the mansion they took to the huge gym. It was massive, bigger than most rooms he'd ever seen before.

Half of the floor was covered in padding, where two familiar hybrids seemed to be fist fighting. The other half was a kind of obstacle course, made of different plywood and windows. The group of kids plus Fundy were there, pelting each other with foam bullets across the different hiding places.

"Techno! Quackity!" Bad cheered, leading them over to the fighting pair. "Couldn't wait to start?"

"He started it," Techno said, voice monotone as he stepped back, letting Quackity barrel past and trip.

"What, are you giving up?" He sneered, pulling his beanie back into place. Techno didn't seem to care enough to respond.

"... I don't know if this was a good idea," Foolish mumbled, glancing at Eret. Eret didn't seem too phased, and they smiled slightly at his words.

"They weren't really hurting each other, it's sparring. Practicing moves and reaction time."

"Oh." Foolish looked back at Techno, who was incredibly hard to read. But he seemed like he could kill someone easily. "If you say so."

"Have you ever had combat training before?" Techno asked, suddenly walking over and looking critically over Foolish.

"... underwater." Foolish mumbled. "As a little kid, and not much of it."

"That's fine, we'll start with the very basics." Techno stepped back, taking a stance with slightly bent knees, fists held to his sides. "Copy this."

"Okay.." Foolish glanced at Eret, only to find they were a few yards away with Quackity, practicing some kind of footwork. He turned back and copied the pose as well as he could.

"Stay like that." Techno stepped over, pushing Foolish's shoulder back firmly, making his balance falter. "Strengthen your core muscles, you want to stay up as much as possible. Being pinned is the worst-case scenario."

"Right." 

"Feet a bit further apart, a wide base means better stability."

"Okay."

And so the piglin walked him through the basic stance, occasionally pushing him and trying to tip him over. He only succeeded a few times, which Foolish thought was a win. 

"You're getting there," Techno said, voice still that flat tone. Foolish couldn't tell if he was being genuine or not. "Let's try a punch."

"Wh- I don't want to hurt you," Foolish said reflexively, holding up his hands. Techno laughed.

"First of all, you won't be punching me, you'll be punching the wall. Second, you couldn't hurt me if you tried."

"...the wall?" Foolish decided not to complain about the second statement.

"It's got thick padding, you won't break it or your hands. I'll show you how to drive a punch from your center to keep it strongest."

"I thought I was learning self-defense," Foolish said idly, following Techno to the padded wall.

"Any kind of combat will start with a stance and a punch. Style comes later, like what Eret's doing."

"Okay." Foolish sighed, standing in front of the wall. 

"Stance again… and then go ahead and punch the wall as hard as you can. Just so I can see where you're at."

Foolish did, and he couldn't help but feel stupid when his fist hit the wall, a dull thwap echoing slightly in the gym.

"That's pretty good, try punching from the hip, and driving it faster." Techno sounded bored, but he sounded the same as he had this whole time. So, Foolish did what he instructed.

It went on like that for a while, Techno giving him advice and Foolish punching the wall with alternating hands. He was idly aware of Eret and Quackity across the room, still practicing footwork and blocking. 

The kids had abandoned their game, watching the training session instead. He felt like he was getting better, slowly, as he continued to follow Techno’s directions. He could feel more power in the blows he sent into the wall. 

Foolish didn't want to be doing this.

The realization snuck into his head, and then it was all he could focus on. He could feel people watching him, he didn't want to keep blindly doing what Techno said even if the guy was chosen by a war god, and he didn’t want to be hitting things. He wasn’t sure how self-defense would need this much punching. 

He wanted to do something else. Anything else. 

The anxiety crept up his spine and arms, and Foolish knew a moment before it happened that this wasn't good. He drove his fist into the wall again, and a clap of thunder rocked the room, electricity filling the air around him.

"Foolish!" 

Foolish stood frozen, not quite sure why that had happened. He wasn't angry, he was just stressed and… and scared. Why was he afraid? He was safe.

"I think we can go ahead and take a break." A flat voice broke through Foolish's muggy thoughts, and he suddenly felt everyone's eyes on him again.

It made him feel so incredibly small, being watched like this. He didn't know why, but he wanted them to stop.

He felt the electricity sooner again, his heart plummeting as he pushed someone away just before another crackle of lightning spread across his skin.

"Foolish? Are you alright…?" That was Eret's voice.

"Stop staring at me," Foolish begged, barely able to hear his own voice.

"Let's clear out, kids," Quackity said firmly, and Foolish heard the gaggle of people leave, with only himself Eret and Techno left in the gym.

“Take it easy, man. It’s your first day.” Techno said. “We can take a break and start up again in a bit.”

That sounded like the last thing in the world Foolish might want to do. Was every training session going to be like that? Just being told what to do, over and over and over again? What was the point of being free if people were going to tell him how to do it?

“Whoa now.” Eret put a hand on Foolish’s arm, and he flinched only for a moment. “You were getting all tensed up again, Foolish. Sit down and get some water, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want, alright? Except, I guess we do have to hydrate even if you don’t want to.”

“Water sounds nice,” Foolish mumbled, following Eret over to a set of benches and a cooler, where Eret produced a few water bottles. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened, or no?” Eret asked, sitting next to him on the bench. Foolish frowned, staring down at the padded floor.

“Everyone was looking at me,” he whispered. “And… and he was telling me what to do, and I was just doing it. It felt… I felt like I was just back there again. I hated it.”

“Oh.” Eret’s face crumpled slightly. “Oh, Foolish, I’m so sorry.”

“It isn’t anyone’s fault.” Foolish figured, taking another sip of water. “It's a pretty specific set of circumstances we managed to create, anyway. Is there a way for me to help without having to learn to fight?”

“I mean, self-defense is important,” Techno grumbled from where he stood. Foolish jumped, having forgotten he was there. “But if you can get that electricity under your control, I think you’d be fine with focusing on magic. Dream and Bad were planning on working with you later on that.”

“Right.” Foolish’s heart sank. Magic. He hadn’t even attempted to use any magic on purpose since removing Eret’s curse, it made him feel sick. He hated rooting around in their head like that.

“Just your elemental magic.” Eret elbowed him gently. “You don’t have to use any kind of magic you don’t want to, it’s up to you.”

“But what if we need it?” Foolish wondered. “What if that hybrid curses someone else, and I’m the only one who can help?”

“Hopefully that won’t happen. I can’t imagine they’d curse someone trying to help.” 

“They were most likely raised in custody.” Foolish reminded Eret. “They have no idea what being helped actually means.”

“We’ll find another way.” Eret insisted. “It was two years before my curse got that bad, anyway.”

“You know that’s a lie.” Foolish scowled. He knew Eret remembered all the times they woke up, convinced they were in the past and failing their friends. The dozens of struggles to understand the situation again.

“Yeah… I suppose.” Eret admitted, letting out a sigh. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I don’t feel like I’m about to explode anymore.” Foolish shrugged. “So I guess I am.”

“The lightning from you, or your god?” Techno asked, sitting on the floor and grabbing water for himself. It seemed he’d accepted that combat training was over. Foolish frowned in surprise, eyeing Techno curiously.

“How do you know about that?”

“What, is it supposed to be a secret that you’ve been chosen?” Techno snorted. “I knew as soon as I saw you, I just didn’t feel like bringing it up.”

“... I only found out a few days ago what it really meant,” Foolish admitted. “And I’m pretty sure the lightning is from me, most totems or celestials have elemental powers.”

“That’ll make it easier to get a handle on.” Techno downed the water bottle in one go, and Foolish watched, a bit fascinated. This was the strangest person on the planet. “Who’s your god?”

“Herobrine,” Foolish answered instinctually, and Techno’s eyebrows raised as air swept through the room, and the messenger appeared. 

“Totem! How’re you feeling? I know last time it was… what’s going on?”

“Sorry.” Foolish buried his head in his hands. “I forgot saying your name would do that.”

“Wow.” Techno nodded. “Definitely wasn’t expecting that. I thought maybe the goddess chose you since you’re like her great great great grand-kid or something.” Foolish just shrugged.

“Man, you really know how to wear yourself out,” Herobrine noted, leaning on the wall next to Foolish. “What on earth have you been up to, stressing yourself out this much? You look horrible.”

“Thanks,” Foolish said drily, rolling his eyes. “We were doing self-defense training, sorry to bother you.”

“Hey, I don’t mind. Want me to stick around or Nah?”

“You don’t have to.” Foolish sighed. “Maybe I’ll want to talk to you later, though. I’m supposed to practice magic.”

“You know how to find me,” Herobrine said cheerfully, slowly dissolving into the air. Techno looked at Foolish curiously, finally showing some kind of emotion. Eret leaned against Foolish’s shoulder.

“Do you want to go swimming?” they asked. Foolish nodded. That would help calm him down enough so he could try to practice magic in the afternoon. Hopefully.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks were… difficult. Foolish tried, again and again, to go through with combat training, and Eret and Techno said he was doing well. That didn’t change the fact that he hated it, even when no one was watching or telling him what to do. He just hated fighting.

Magic was difficult, too. Not to mention Dream seemed to expect so much more from him than he had to offer, always seeming surprised or annoyed when Foolish asked clarifying questions. They practiced control, mostly. Lighting strikes at specific things, how to electrify his skin to escape someone’s grasp. That was good. They didn’t do much with mindwalker magic… which once again, Dream seemed annoyed about.

In all honesty, Foolish wasn’t sure what to think about Dream. He couldn't tell what kind of hybrid the guy was, and he was just… it just felt like he didn’t see Foolish as a person. It was irritating, but Foolish wasn’t sure if that was what was really going on, or if he was just struggling due to the past hundred years. Maybe since Dream seemed so human besides his magic, Foolish instinctually thought of him as one? Though… there was definitely some kind of magical energy around the guy.

“Just focus, you know you can do more than this.” Dream pressed during one session, arms folded and scowling. 

“I’m trying, I’m sorry, I just…” Foolish trailed off, shaking his head. “I’ll try again.” He wished Bad had been able to make it to this lesson, Dream was always nicer when Bad was around.

“Picture the energy surrounding your hands and arms.” Dream said, holding out his own arms to demonstrate. Strange green energy surrounded them, and Foolish tried to mimic that with lightning.

Sparks flickered, flashing between his fingertips and up the back of his hand. It was so much more exhausting than he expected it to be like just that small magic was draining from him as the lightning struggled to crawl up his arms.

“Is that all you can do?” Dream asked. Foolish couldn't tell if he was disappointed, or angry, or what, but he definitely wanted to change the tone of Dream’s voice.

“I’m sorry!” Foolish squeaked, grimacing as he pushed more energy toward the ends of his arms and fingertips. 

Dream wasn’t trying to be mean, he was just an abrasive guy. And he looked human, so that’s why he was so stressed. That had to be the only reason, he was friends with Eret and Bad and Sam.

“There we go!” Dream beamed, and his own magical energy seemed to glow so much brighter, as lightning coated the outside of Foolish’s scales. “Soon you’ll be able to do that over your entire body, to protect yourself.”

“Soon?” Foolish doubted that. He was exhausted just by this, and he was a ‘long boi’ according to Puffy and Eret. 

“You want to be protected, don’t you?” Dream raised an eyebrow. “Unless you want to keep doing combat training, this is how you’ll do that.”

“Right.” Foolish laughed at himself, sitting down on a bench against the wall. He needed a break, he was starting to feel dizzy.

“...I think we’ll be done, today.” Dream decided. Foolish felt suddenly like he’d let the other down, but he definitely didn’t want to keep on going. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and Bad should be back then as well.”

“Sounds good!” Foolish forced a wide grin, and Dream made his way out of the gym. Foolish sighed, shoulders falling as he let himself drop composure. He didn’t want anyone to think he was weak, or stupid. Dream especially, for whatever reason. 

He sighed, frustrated with himself for that. Dream wasn’t going to hurt him. He knew that. Dream had helped save Eret, and he knew a lot of magic, and he was safe. And a friend. And good.

Foolish just needed to get past his human appearance, that’s all. That had to be what was bothering him, even if he didn’t feel like this about Wilbur, who was actually a human. He tried to remind himself this, over the next few weeks as he trained with Bad, Dream, and both of them at once occasionally.  

It was still odd, though, how the discomfort just stayed or got slightly worse, instead of fading as he grew used to the man’s presence. It was a lot easier to be around Dream when Bad was there, and Foolish figured it was because Bad was so clearly not human, it helped him remember it was safe. It balanced things out. 

“What are you thinking about?” Eret asked, splashing water at Foolish’s face. 

Foolish blinked, rousing himself from the introspection. They were sitting in the pool after dinner, and it was getting dark. He could dimly hear the kids playing some kind of game in the orchard, but wasn’t sure what it was.

“You know…” Foolish trailed off. “Stuff.”

“Wanna share?” Eret looked concerned. “You looked kinda upset about it. Everything okay?”

“It's just my… my brain being weird.” Foolish groaned, shoulders scrunching up. “Everything here that I’ve found weird, or… or that I’ve been afraid of because it was new, or reminded me of what all happened… I’ve been able to get past it more or less. I know I still have to work on things… but time helps me adjust.”

“Yeah, I’d say that’s fairly normal.”

“So why can’t I just… do that with Dream?” 

“What?” Eret looked alarmed, which Foolish did not understand. Wasn’t Dream their friend? Heck, Dream had carried them into the infirmary when they got rescued. He knew Dream was friends with Eret.

“Whenever I’m around him I just feel all… weird. And I feel like he talks to me weird, and… and he stares at me sometimes, but everyone does. It's a habit, people look at people.” Foolish explained, getting frustrated all over again. “And I guess… I guess I feel like he expects a lot of me, and he gets upset when I don’t know something, or when I ask questions about magic even though he’s supposed to be teaching me about magic. I just don’t know why I can’t get used to being around him.”

“Whoa, slow down.” Eret put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Foolish frowned. “You’re allowed to feel uncomfortable around people, especially if they treat you in ways you don’t want to be treated.”

“But…” Foolish frowned. “He’s not… he’s not actually being rude or aggressive to me, though. We probably just haven’t communicated, or… or maybe I really am asking dumb questions.”

“Foolish.” Eret raised an eyebrow, and Foolish sighed.

“You’re taking this a lot more seriously than I thought you would,” he confessed. “I thought I was just… having some kind of trauma thing like Puffy said? Like when people watch me, or when people give me suggestions and I take them as orders…”

“I mean…” Eret grimaced, looking conflicted. “Maybe. But it seems like you’ve been trying to work through it like you’ve been doing with other things, have you talked to Puffy about this?” 

Foolish shook his head. Eret frowned, scowling up at the night sky. Why were they so concerned? He’d mentioned a few other things that bothered him the past few weeks, and Eret had always helped him logically go through the options and figure out what to do about it. Sure, they were always worried and wanted him to feel okay, but this was different. This was like… genuine concern. Concern that Foolish might be getting hurt.

“Why don’t I join you for the next magic lesson?” Eret asked. “I’d just watch, I might come in a little late so you guys can get started. But if it really is nothing, an outside eye can tell you that for sure.”

“You think?” That idea made Foolish feel relieved, that Eret would watch and give their opinion. 

“If you’re okay with it, I’d really like to.” Eret smiled. “I want to see how far you're getting, anyway.”

Foolish smiles sheepishly, shaking his head.

“It’s not very much… don't get your hopes up.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll be proud of you.”

So, the next day Foolish made his way to the gym. It was set aside in the afternoons for his magic practice, now, since it was both dangerous and uncomfortable to have people watch. Eret said they’d be coming in a few minutes, and Foolish was fine with them watching him. It wasn’t terrifying like other people were. 

“There you are.” Dream was already there and smiled when Foolish walked in. “Are you ready?”

“I guess so.” Foolish sighed, already feeling his stomach twist at the way Dream looked at him. He didn’t know how to explain it, really, it was just… weird. “Is Bad here today?”

“Nah, he’s still on that scouting trip until tomorrow.” Dream waved a hand. “We can work with just the two of us, though.”

“Right.” Foolish couldn't help but feel disappointed that Bad wasn’t there. Dream always got less angry when Bad was also helping.

“Let’s get started,” Dream said, stepping a few feet away. “Why don’t we work on the skin shield, first?”

It was clear, as they started practicing, that Dream was in a worse mood than usual. Foolish had been struggling to cover all of his skin with lightning, and Dream wanted him to have it for a longer period of time. First a minute, then five… It was exhausting. Foolish was so focused on trying to get it right that he didn’t notice when or if Eret arrived, and he was honestly glad if they didn’t show up. This was embarrassing.

“For crying out loud!” Dream finally snapped, stomping a bit closer. Foolish managed not to flinch, just looked at him expectantly. “This is ridiculous, Foolish! I know you can do better than this, why aren’t you even trying?”

“I am trying.” Foolish protested, but Dream ignored him. So it was that kind of day, then.

“The others said you created life just by standing in the ocean! You held a powerful curse in your bare hands !” Dream insisted. “You can clearly do powerful magic, but hell, you won’t even use half of your power! How do you expect to be useful to anyone when you can’t even do simple magic? It’s ridiculous and pathetic! Try again, and-”

“Excuse me?”

Dream’s eyes widened when someone pushed between them, and Foolish realized idly that Eret really had come to watch. His face flushed in shame and embarrassment. They’d seen him fail so badly…

“What are you even doing here? No one’s supposed to be here when-”

“Shut the hell up or I’ll make you.” Eret snarled. “How dare you talk to him like that! How dare you call him pathetic! You know the only reason you’re in this house right now is that Bad vouched that you’d changed?”

...what was going on? What did that mean?

“Eret, you have no idea what you’re talking about.” Dream sighed. “You got Tommy and yourself kidnapped, you’re in no place to be-”

“That was your fault!” Eret yelled. “ Not mine, and you goddamn know it!”

What?

“Sorry, was it my magic?” Dream scoffed. “It’s not my fault you weren’t powerful enough to handle what happened.”

“Not powerful enough?” 

Foolish suddenly felt like he was in the middle of a very personal argument, but he was too confused and frozen in place to stop listening.

“No one is powerful enough to grant you powers other than a god!” Eret yelled. “Of course I wasn’t powerful enough, you didn’t even ask if I was okay with it! What did you think would happen, trying to siphon off of my fucking soul? Of course, that would break my mind-link with Tommy, you’re lucky you didn’t end up killing me!”

“I didn’t kill you, I’m better at magic than that.” Dream seemed disgusted, scrunching up his face. “You know I’m better at magic than that.”

“I do not want to argue with you about this.” Eret snapped. “We both know you’re an asshole who almost got me killed, that’s not important.”

Foolish would beg to differ, but his mouth seemed frozen shut. If it wasn’t, if he wasn’t terrified by the anger in the room, he would be trying to rip Dream apart. He’d hurt Eret.

“What’s important right now is that you need to leave and never come back, and never even speak to Foolish again.”

“That’s ridiculous, Foolish and I are friends .” Dream laughed. “I’m helping him control his magic, Eret. Which is more than you can say, isn’t it? Aren’t we friends, Foolish?”

Now Dream was looking at him, with that same weird energy as always. Foolish couldn't force himself to speak, he just stared back, furious. Dream had hurt Eret, he was the reason Eret got cursed and sold and… and he was the reason Eret’s mind-link with Tommy had been ripped apart? And Tommy clearly had no idea, and… gods, Foolish felt sick and angry.

“Even if it was my fault you got kidnapped,” Dream suddenly laughed. “Foolish probably thinks it’s a good thing since he wouldn’t have met you if you weren’t. He’d probably thank me if he wasn’t so soft and nice.”

That. That’s what broke the paralyzing fear that held him back. He lunged forward, grabbing Dream by the throat and pinning him to the wall. He could feet his teeth sharpening, and hands gnarling into claws slightly. He knew that older totems did this when they hunted, sometimes, but it had never happened to him before.

“What the hell did you just say?” he snarled, ignoring the way magic flowed uncomfortably close to his skin, just underneath. “We’re not friends , Dream. We’ve never been friends. If I’d known before now what you did to Eret, I’d have spit in your face the minute I met you. You have five seconds to take back everything you just said.”

“What?” Dream was somehow still cocky, even as Foolish slowly choked him. “That you’re glad they got kidnapped again? Isn’t it the truth, though? That you’d still be a pathetic pet, following orders and letting rich nobles fuck you whenever they pleased? Admit it, I practically saved you.”

“Foolish, ignore him.” Eret was at his side, careful not to touch him. “Please, just ignore him. Phil and Wilbur will throw him out, that’s what they did before. He had two years to change, and he lied. Just put him down, we can work this out.”

Foolish heard what Eret was saying. He really did. He heard the words, he understood that Eret was right. But he couldn't do what they were asking.

“I am not pathetic,” he said, tightening his grip on Dream’s neck. “You have no right in hell or on earth to talk to me about what I went through, especially like that.”

“Foolish….?”

“And you especially!” Foolish ignored Eret’s confusion, too wrapped up in rage. “You especially have no right to decide how I feel about anything! If I had to live another thousand years in captivity, just so Eret wouldn't have been kidnapped, I would do it. There is nothing about what happened to them that I would ever be happy about, and so I’m asking you again, take back what you just said.”

Dream’s smugness had faded now, as he clawed at the hand around his throat. He choked out jumbled words, and Foolish quickly loosened his hand. He didn’t… he didn’t want to actually kill Dream, like this. 

“I… I take it back.” he rasped. “You… I’m… I take it back, everything I’ve said.”

“I could kill you,” Foolish said quietly. Dream flinched.

“Foolish, please calm down,” Eret begged. Foolish looked at them, feeling horrible.

“I don’t want to fight, or kill anyone.” he sighed. “I mean, I do kinda want to kill you, Dream. But I’d hate myself for it in the end.” he let go and stepped back, watching Dream stumble and massage his throat. “But if I ever see you again after today, I might take what Technoblade’s been teaching me and use it to make sure it’s the last time. Get out.”

Dream scrambled away, and Foolish’s shoulders crumpled. The magical angry surge within him calmed, and his hands and teeth returned to normal. 

“Foolish, are you okay?” Eret asked, gently pulling his hand, trying to make eye contact.

Foolish swallowed thickly, looking over at them.

“I meant what I said,” he said softly. “I… I am glad to know you, Eret. But if I had to choose between knowing you, and you never being hurt…”

“Oh, Foolish.” Eret pulled him into a hug. “I know that, I know he’s wrong. I’m so, so sorry. You shouldn’t have even been near him, and we left him alone with you for hours so he could teach you… I’m so sorry he treated you like that.”

“It’s not your fault.” Foolish sighed, feeling more tired than ever. He really… he really had thought that he was overreacting, when he first noticed how uncomfortable Dream made him. How was he supposed to do this if he couldn't even trust his own instincts?

Bad was nearly shaking with excitement as he got back to the safehouse, collecting his phone to call Phil. This was progress… this was more than just progress! Not only had he found where ‘The Smith’ probably was, but the team had uncovered another entire section of the black markets trading rings. This was going to be insane, and they’d need all hands on deck for it.

“Hello,” Phil answered, sounding wearier than usual. Bad frowned, glancing at the time. It wasn’t very late, why was he tired?

“Phil! It’s me.” He grinned, grabbing a bottle of water and sitting at the crooked table. “I’m at the safehouse up north, gonna head home tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank the gods.” Phil sighed. “How’d it go? We really could use your help here, with everything going on.”

“It went great! I- what?” Bad frowned. “What’s going on? It was super chill when I left.”

“Dream…” Phil said halfheartedly, and Bad’s stomach plummeted.

“What happened? What did he… oh gods, what happened?”

“I don’t know all of it,” Phil explained. “Just that Eret popped into a training session to hear him call Foolish pathetic, which obviously set them off. Ended up in a fight where Dream blamed Eret for a lot, apparently tried to blame Foolish for something along those same lines…”

“Oh no…” Bad slumped in his chair. “What… I’m so so sorry, Phil. I thought… he said he… I thought he was different. I thought he changed. If I knew he’d… I should have paid more attention. Is everyone alright?”

“Well, according to Eret it was iffy for a bit, once Foolish found out what Dream did two years ago. Threatened to kill Dream if he ever came back, so he’s gone. Not sure where. No one was hurt physically, though.”

“Oh, muffins.” Bad had never really seen Foolish angry unless you counted the concerned fear when Eret was hurt but that was less anger than a full-on death threat. “I… I’m sorry I vouched for him, Phil.”

“I trust you,” Phil insisted. “Dream manipulates, we know that. It’s not your fault this happened.”

“I shouldn’t be manipulated that easily.” Bad protested. Phil scoffed.

“By any normal person, sure. But you know Dream, he lives on being around other people’s magic, he can find cracks in defenses like that.”

“I guess you’re right.” Bad ran a hand down his face. “I’m still sorry, though.”

“How did your mission go?” Phil asked. “You seemed excited.”

“Oh yeah!” Bad’s spirits lifted, and he relayed the basics of the information, not going to specifics in case anyone managed to tap into the call.

“That’s good.” Phil seemed a bit less tired, and Bad could basically hear him thinking. “I mean… not good that there’s so many we’ve missed, but I know we can’t save everyone. It’s very good you’ve found this out.”

“Wilbur’s headed back a bit after me, or he’d be on the line too,” Bad added. “We’ll get you the rest of the details tomorrow when we’re home.”

“Sounds good, you get some rest,” Phil advised. “We can talk tomorrow.”

“Right.” Bad nodded, disconnecting after a moment and dropping the phone onto the table.

He felt horrible. Sure, he was still excited about what he’d found out on this mission… but he felt horrible just the same. He’d really thought that Dream had changed, that he was sorry for what he did. That he’d be nice. 

But he should have seen the warning signs when Dream first found out about who Foolish was. The way he clearly didn’t see Foolish as a person, then. But some kind of optimism made Bad ignore it, and assume it would fade out as Dream actually interacted with him.

Clearly, that was wrong. 

Hopefully, the others weren’t too angry at him, Bad didn’t think he could handle that.

Eret stared worriedly at Foolish’s door, but sighed and turned away anyways. They’d been with him for most of the afternoon, and he was asleep now. It would just be kinda weird if they stayed and watched him while he slept.

So much was going on… they didn’t even know where to start. Dream had definitely been cruel toward Foolish, but what if that wasn’t everything? What if he’d tried to sap Foolish’s energy away, without even letting Foolish know? Did Foolish even know what kind of hybrid Dream was ?

It was so easy to blame themself, even if Eret knew they couldn't have done anything to stop this. Maybe if they hadn’t trusted Bad or something. But no, Bad surely wasn’t part of this deception. He was too kind-hearted for that. It was clear that Bad had been just as lied to as everyone else.

“Hey.”

Eret’s head snapped up in surprise, finding that they’d wandered to the kitchen to find Tommy sitting there with a cup of tea.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” they stepped back, but Tommy shook his head.

“Don’t leave, dickhead. I’ve been waiting like, a year for you to come out of there.”

“...okay.” Eret knew why Tommy didn’t trust them. Really, they were glad. No one should trust a person who had torn a part of their mind away, so cruelly. They were also glad that the kid seemed to be sticking up for Foolish a lot, despite them not interacting much outside of that. “What’s up?”

“That’s what I want to ask you.” Tommy kicked a chair out from under the table. “C’mere.”

“Alright.” Eret sighed, taking the seat across from him. “What exactly do you want to know?”

“I want to know what happened with Dream,” Tommy said firmly. “I… I know he did something to Foolish, but I heard people say he did something to you. And… and to me? But I don’t remember him ever hurting me, I don’t even have magic for him to siphon from.”

Oh. Oh, gods. Eret’s mouth fell open, then closed. Tommy didn’t know, did he?

“Did… did no one tell you?” they whispered, heart aching.

“Tell me what?” Tommy asked irritably.

“The day… the day a couple of years ago,” Eret cleared their throat uncomfortably. “I was teamed up with Dream, do you remember?” Tommy nodded. “He uh… well, he cornered me and said he wanted to gain access to other people’s minds. He wanted mindwalker magic.”

“He can’t get it, though. I know that much.”

“Didn’t stop him from trying.” Eret chewed on their lip, just recalling what that had felt like. The feeling of all their energy being pulled from their body. “He tried to take so much magic, my brain panicked. I guess it shut off anything it had to in order to keep me alive, and…”

“And that included the link.” Tommy summed up, looking grim. “You didn’t… it wasn’t on purpose.”

“It wasn’t.” Eret hated this. Tommy thought they just… did that? On purpose?

“You don't hate me, then?” Tommy sighed, running a hand down his face.

“Wh- what?” Eret’s voice cracked and they felt a lump rise in their throat. “Of course not! I… I don’t hate you, Tommy. Did… did you think I hated you, this entire time?”

“No one would talk about what happened,” Tommy whispered. “No one would even talk about you , Eret. I… I knew you’d gotten captured trying to save me, but I didn’t know what really happened. Even Tubbo wouldn’t… he hates talking about it. I was… I was fucked up. I still am pretty fucked up, I get so many headaches, and…”

“I’m so sorry, Toms.” Eret buried their head in their hands. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have linked with you when I knew our lives were this dangerous. I…”

“Oh, shut up. You always wax all poetic about things.” Tommy groaned. “I’m glad to know the story, now. I… I still don’t really trust your magic shit, but… but I’m glad you don’t hate me.”

“I’m glad you finally have answers.” Eret nodded, rubbing a few tears from their face. Tommy didn’t comment, looking pointedly out the window at the night sky.

“...so Dream tried to take Foolish’s magic?” he asked after a few moments. Eret’s chest tightened with that anxiety, what they felt when they were worried and had no answers. 

“Honestly? Foolish hasn’t really said much on what Dream did.” that was the main reason they were so worried. “All I know is what I heard, which was Dream telling my best friend that he’s useless and pathetic. That’s all I really need to hear, to know he’s still a bad egg.”

“That guy sucks.” Tommy looked as troubled as Eret felt. 

“He does.”

“Bad and Wil are back,” Phil said from outside the door. Foolish’s head snapped up from where it rested on the side of the tub. He gently pulled his fingers from Junior’s hand, scrambling upright.

“How’d it go?” he asked, hurrying out and following Phil. Phil seemed surprised, probably because Foolish had been locked in there since what happened with Dream yesterday. But he cared about Wil and Bad, and he was glad they were back. “Where are they?”

“We’re having a meeting in the kitchen,” Phil said. “You alright, mate? You don't have to join us if you aren’t up to it. We might be talking about some heavy stuff, they found a lot.”

“I’m up to it,” Foolish said stubbornly. “Really, I’m okay. I want to see Bad and Wil, at least.”

“Alright.” Phil shrugged, and they made their way to the kitchen.

Sure enough, Wilbur and Bad were at the table with a few others. Skeppy, Puffy, Tommy, Sam, and Eret. They were all chattering excitedly, Foolish couldn't quite tell what they were talking about. He found a spot next to Eret, whose face lit up when they saw him.

“Foolish! You look better.” They said, even though they’d been in and out of his room the past day, and knew he wasn’t too bad off.

“I feel fine, you worry a lot.” Foolish scoffed. “I’m glad you guys are back! What did you find?”

The scattered conversations died down a bit as Phil took his seat, and everyone looked toward Wilbur and Bad. They’d been gone for over a week, trying to track down ‘the Smith’ or anything that might help find them.

“We found so much,” Wilbur announced. “It’s… I mean, morally this stuff is pretty bad. But it’s good we know because now we can go in and try and fix some of it. So prepare yourself… it gets rough.” 

Everyone at the table nodded or hummed in acknowledgment, and so the human continued.

“We managed to track down another circle of the black market hybrid sellers,” Wilbur explained. “Very secretive, very closed off. Luckily, since I’ve worked with some of their members before without knowing it, I was able to solidify an ‘in’. I have access to their next few auctions, one of which I want us to infiltrate.”

“I was also able to find the location of ‘the Smith’.” Bad piped up, glancing warily at Eret, who just nodded grimly. “The smugglers take the smith with them to most auctions or trades, so they can… well, so they can put a “failsafe” on any dangerous hybrids.”

“Fucked up,” Tommy muttered, glaring at the table. 

“Yeah, it is.” Bad agreed. “But now that we know all this, it’ll be easy to infiltrate the auction, and have a second-team break into the back to get the smith and anyone else kept mostly secret out. It’s a big operation, but we’ve done things like this before.”

“I’m guessing Wilbur and one of us is going to the auction,” Eret spoke up, scowling slightly. “Do we have specific team plans? And plans to getaway? It won’t be the same as just buying and leaving, we’re stealing this time.”

“That’s what we’re still working on, hopefully, today.” Wilbur nodded. “The next auction is just a few days away, and I want to do this as soon as possible.”

“This celestial,” Sam mumbled. “They’ve definitely got some kind of magical device on them, for obedience or to control their powers or something. I want to get to them ASAP in case it could hurt them or us.”

“So you’ll help head that team.” Phil nodded, scribbling it on a piece of paper.

“I can go with Wilbur to the auction,” Puffy suggested. “I haven’t been part of a scam in a while, no one will recognize me and get suspicious.”

“Are you sure?” Wil frowned, concerned. “I… I don’t have to bring a hybrid in order to be at the auction, you know. I hate having to treat you badly, even if it’s an act.”

“We need to keep any suspicions away. Most people like this will have a hybrid with them.” Puffy insisted. Wilbur sighed, waving a hand grudgingly. Foolish assumed that meant he was agreeing to the idea.

“If you’re open to it, Foolish...” Bad said slowly. “I’d like you to be with Sam and me, breaking out the Smith and anyone else we can.”

“Wh- Me?” Foolish frowned. He knew this was coming, it was why he’d been training with Techno and Bad and Dream these past few weeks. “Are you sure?”

“Only if you want to.”

“I want to help other hybrids.” Foolish insisted. “I just… are you sure I’ll be able to help you?”

“You are the closest thing we have to another hybrid like this,” Sam explained, clearly thinking over his words carefully. “We don’t want the smith to be terrified when we get to them and having someone who might be familiar will help.”

“Oh.” Foolish pondered this for a moment. If he’d seen another totem with Wil that day, would he have felt a bit better about being sold once again? He wasn’t sure. But Sam probably had a point, to some extent.

“I…” Eret bit back their words and Foolish frowned in concern. “I’m not sure I should be in on this mission, really. I want to, I really do want to help and have your back, Foolish.”

“You don’t have to,” Foolish said. “They… I mean, the smith…”

“You can stay back here, or you can help Phil with the car to get out quickly,” Bad suggested. “We need people everywhere, not just on these two teams.”

“I could help with the escape,” Eret said thoughtfully. 

“Wh- hey, wait.” Tommy protested suddenly, sitting up straighter. “Isn’t… isn’t this smith guy the person who cursed Eret? Why… what are we planning on doing with them? Why exactly are we focusing on saving this person?”

“Ah, right, you weren’t part of a few conversations.” Phil patted Tommy's shoulder. “The smith was most likely born into captivity, Toms. They don’t want to curse people, but they don’t even know anything but do what the humans instruct them. That, and we don’t want the humans to continue to have access to this kind of magic.”

“It was pretty obvious they didn’t want to be cursing me,” Eret added softly, picking at the table. “And everyone deserves a chance to try and be something more than what the humans see us as.”

“Oh.” Tommy seemed embarrassed, but Foolish was honestly just surprised he’d been concerned on Eret’s behalf. He thought Tommy hated Eret.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll be pulling more than one hybrid from this ring, too,” Wil added. “Whether I have to pay money, or we break them out with the smith, there are way too many hybrids still with these guys.”

The conversation dissolved into intricate planning, with Bad sketching out a rough layout of the place where these hybrids were being held. Foolish wasn’t sure he wanted to know how Bad had gotten this information, though he had a sneaking suspicion it crossed a few taboos.

After the meeting had ended so Phil and Puffy could start making lunch, Foolish was sitting in the pool with Eret when Bad walked over,  wringing his hands.

“Is everything okay?” Foolish asked, lifting himself partly out of the water. 

“I just… I just wanted to check on you,” Bad mumbled. “And say sorry.”

“For what?” Foolish wished he truly didn’t know, but he was pretty confident on what Bad was apologizing for even if he didn’t need to.

“I shouldn’t have had Dream help teach you,” Bad said. “I… I know what he can be like, and I should have been able to tell how he treated you. I shouldn’t have even vouched for him to stay, and I shouldn’t have left you alone with him.”

“It’s not your fault,” Foolish said, feeling a bit tired of saying that. “You guys are all hypocrites.”

“Wh- hey! What?” Bad frowned, clearly baffled.

“You all keep telling me not to apologize for things that I couldn't control.” Foolish explained, climbing up to sit on the edge of the pool. “And then as soon as something happens that you can’t control, you apologize for it.”

"... okay, yeah, maybe you have a point," Bad admitted, tapping his chin. "Then my apology is one of sympathy and friendship. I'm sorry that happened to you, and I'll be here for you if you need it."

"Alright." Foolish laughed, splashing water over at the demon. 

"You've been handling it pretty well," Eret noted. "aside from threatening to murder him."

"It wasn't a threat." Foolish protested. "I really will kill him if he comes back."

"He didn't try to use any magic on you, did he?" Bad asked. Foolish shook his head.

"I think I would have noticed that." He promised. "He was just… weird. And rude. And apparently hurt several of you in the past, and wasn't sorry about it. But I’m pretty sure he didn't use magic on me."

"That's good." Bad nodded. "I'm glad you're alright."

"So am I." Foolish nodded and found it odd. He was alright, and he was improving in a lot of ways he never imagined he could. 

Now he just wanted to give this opportunity to others.

Jack gasped, jolting upright as he forced his soul back into his body. Everything ached, and it was cold and damp instead of hot and smelling of sulfur.

He was alive. Again. Again again. How many times were these people going to kill him just for his own spite to bring him back?

"It's not working." One of the humans snarled, throwing the pocket watch against a wall. "You're fucking worthless!"

"D-don't talk to her like that!" Jack's voice was strangled slightly, and he stumbled to the cell door. Across from him, in the other cell, The Smith crouched in the far corner. 

"Shut up, boy, or I'll find a way to kill you for good." The human slammed a cattle prod against the bars and Jack flinched. "We're going to keep trying this until I can turn your life on and off at will, and you can't do a thing about it."

"It's not going to work." Jack had no idea if it was possible, but they were hurting the other hybrid by forcing her to curse him, tethering his soul to various clocks and watches with no success.

"Well, then I guess we'll be trying this for a long time." The human grumbled, turning away to storm out. "We're trying again in the morning, keep your traps shut because there's a visitor upstairs."

And then he was gone.

"I'm sorry." The Smith whispered. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"This isn't your fault." Jack sighed, sliding down to sit on the floor. "I'm not angry at you."

No, he was angry at the universe that let this happen to them. He was angry at the humans, the gods, and anything else who might be to blame. 

It felt like his anger was the only thing left, the only thing that pulled him back to his body every time he died.

He was angry, and he had no intention of letting that anger fade anytime soon.

Chapter Text

"What kind of hybrid is Dream?" 

Eret looked up, breath catching a bit. Foolish was staring at the sky, leaning back on his hands with his head fully back. He always did that, Eret found, when he was trying to act calm when he was upset. 

"He uh… he's a kind of demon hybrid," Eret answered. "A parasitic demon, they pull their life force and magic from the area around them. Usually, just the natural magic of the universe is fine, but if there are other magical hybrids, they can uh… borrow that energy."

"But not the actual powers and abilities," Foolish said, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah." Eret sighed. "He wanted to get the ability to look at people's minds, cornered me in the middle of a mission."

Foolish hummed, glancing over at them. Eret hadn't actually told anyone exactly what happened, before. They'd been too stressed getting Tommy back, and then being kidnapped.

"My magic kinda went defensive, pulling all of its energy into keeping him from killing me. So it pulled the magic from my mind link with Tommy, made him pass out and get taken." Eret brushed their hair back, copying Foolish's pose of looking at the stars. "I passed out, too, and Dream freaked out. He said he was sorry, but he also said that I agreed to lend him that energy. I… I hated myself for letting it happen, and told myself I would never mind link again."

"That's why you were always so surprised when you learned about ours." Foolish mumbled. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah." Eret shrugged. "It's weird, though, even without a mind link I still feel very connected to you."

"What do you mean?" Foolish frowned, finally looking at Eret. 

"Like… I don't know." Eret sighed. "The first time we met, I knew you'd be important to me, and that I could trust you. It's weird. It wasn't like mindwalker stuff, it was different."

"The first time we met…" Foolish hummed a bit. "The day she bought you?" Eret nodded. "I mean… you were the first person who was friendly to me in a long time? I'm not super good at magic or energy stuff… so I don't know."

"Hm." Eret frowned thoughtfully. "Y'don't think… maybe it's because he chose you? That I could tell you were safe, or kinda vouched for?"

"Maybe." Foolish's face fell. Eret knew he had complicated feelings about being chosen, but it had certainly gotten better recently. "Wouldn't Bad have felt the same kinda weird trust?"

"Wh-" Eret laughed, almost to themself. "You don't know Bad… he warmed up to you really fast. He liked you by the time I got here, and probably before that. I think it's a fair guess he felt it, even if he didn't realize it."

"Oh." Foolish flopped backward onto the grass, letting his hair get a bit messy. "This is confusing."

"You're not wrong about that." Eret chuckled. "Maybe you're just a really endearing person, and it has nothing to do with magic or souls whatsoever."

"Right." Foolish laughed. "Everyone just loves me for my cheerful disposition and calming presence."

It was sarcastic, but Eret nodded.

"Exactly."

"Let's go with that, then." Foolish decided, training his gaze at the stars again. 

"Sounds good to me."

A few nights later, Foolish found himself in a group with Bad, Sam, and Tommy sneaking through a warehouse basement, one that was horribly familiar.

He'd definitely been sold at an auction here in the past, but he didn't really know details of it. He’d been sold at a lot of auctions in the past.

"We've got an hour and a half to get them out," Bad said in all of their minds, something arranged beforehand to increase stealthiness. "Down these stairs are the cells, there are at least two powerful hybrids down there."

So they made their way down, and sure enough, the cells came into view. One held a celestial, the other was… well, Foolish didn't know. It was hard to tell with the way the kid was standing in the back, messing with the bricks.

"Sam, Foolish," Bad nodded to the celestial, and Tommy followed him to the other cell.

"Hey," Foolish leaned against the bars of the young celestial's cell.

Immediately, he was overpowered with the aura of fear, and magic. Totem magic. This hybrid was a little more than celestial, after all.

"It's ok, it's ok." Foolish soothed, while Sam started picking the lock. "We're gonna get you outta here, okay?"

The child tilted their head to him, blindfolded, confused. It was just a baby , by totem standards. Foolish knew this wasn't a full totem, but he felt the same primal protectiveness he did for Junior, sensing that this hybrid definitely aged slower than humans and most hybrids.

"Who are you?" The hybrid whispered, crowding itself into a corner.

"My name's Foolish." He answered, hearing the lock click and Sam nodded. "Can I come in?"

"... you're like me." 

The statement was followed by a pause, and then the young hybrid nodded. Foolish stepped into the cell, shivering a bit. But the door hung wide open now, and he knew Sam wouldn't lock him in.

"What's your name?" Foolish asked, crouching a few feet away from them.

"I…" they frowned. "I don't know. I'm not allowed to have one."

"Do you want me to take the blindfold off, so you can see me?"

"Yes." It was barely a whisper, but Foolish heard it. He closed the distance, gently untying the cloth from around their head. Bright green eyes blinked up at him, adjusting to the light.

Foolish's chest tightened, suddenly. He felt like he recognized them, but he knew for sure he'd never met any other hybrid this close to being pure totem.

"Did… did you buy me? Is that allowed?" They asked. "You're a hybrid too."

"We want to take you somewhere safe, somewhere better," Foolish said. "Can you walk? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"...my legs ache when I move." They said softly. "But if you give me a direct order, my body will listen." 

"I see." Foolish looked a bit closer, locating a collar similar to the one he'd worn, but clearly filled with magic for other reasons than keeping them quiet. "Is it alright if I carry you? I don't want your legs to hurt."

"You're like me." They said again, in slight awe. "But you do what you want to do."

"That's right." Foolish glanced at Sam, who was hanging back to give them space. "Once we get out, you can do the same."

"You can carry me."

Foolish looped his arms underneath them, and the child grabbed his neck and shoulders tightly. 

"You'll need to look at their neck at home," Foolish told Sam. "But I don't see any immediate injuries."

Bad and Tommy seemed to be having trouble with the other hybrid, who brimmed with strange energy Foolish didn't recognize. They'd gotten the cell open, but the young man clearly didn't trust them.

"We're trying to help." Tommy insisted. "It's okay to be scared, but we don't have a lot of time for arguing."

"Hey, put her down!" The kid saw Foolish with the other hybrid, finally agreeing to leave his cell.

"He's like me." The young totem said, making the other hesitate. "They aren't lying, I can tell."

"I'll kill all of you if this is a trick." The young man threatened. "I know how, I can do it."

"You won't need to," Bad said. "We'll need to stay quiet while we get out, though. We have a car waiting for us, but if we get caught things might get really rough. Are you able to walk a lot?"

"I can do anything!" The boy scoffed. 

"Alright then." Bad did a quick once over of the room, finding no other hybrids. "Let's go, I'll go first, Sam take the back."

"Sure thing." 

They filed up the stairs, and Foolish tried not to hold the child tightly enough to hurt. It was hard, he wanted to make sure they felt secure. He could feel a warm energy, silver and pulsing at the back of his mind.

"Are you using magic right now?" He whispered, barely even breathing it.

"...yes."

"I'll have to ask that you don't look into anyone's brain, at least apart from reading honesty," Foolish murmured. "It can be very hurtful to do so without permission. If you don’t know how to control it, that’s alright.”

The child just nodded, tucking their head into his shoulder. The feeling of magic faded, and he followed Bad out to the waiting car.

And then they were driving, Phil explaining that Eret, Will, and Puffy were already back at the estate with another rescued hybrid. 

They'd done it. Nothing had gone wrong. Foolish almost didn't believe it, but he had a young totem in his lap, and there was a suspicious strange hybrid beside him, and they were going home.

"What's your name, then, kid?" Tommy asked. Foolish snorted, as Tommy was definitely younger than this other hybrid.

"And why should I tell you?" The young man sneered. "How do I know this isn't a ruse?"

"I guess you don't." Tommy shrugged. 

"...hmm." a dramatic sigh and the boy relented. "Jack. And I wasn't lying about killing all of you."

"We didn't think you were." Sam chuckled from the front. "It's about a thirty-minute ride home, do you have any injuries? Either of you?"

"I am not bleeding." The child said, lifting their head. "I do not think anything is life-threatening for me."

"Ha! They couldn't hurt me if they tried." Jack laughed, folding his arms. "I'm perfectly fine."

"We'll still have Ponk check you over, make sure there's nothing minor," Phil said. "He's very good at medicine, and we have people to help with magical injuries as well."

"Jack has a magical injury."

"Oi! What're you telling them that for?" Jack turned to the child, irritated.

"It's true. And they're trying to help."

"Fair enough for you to say, you're the one who gave me the 'magical injury'. I only like you because I know you had no choice." Jack grumbled. "She can do weird shit, you know."

"Is it very dangerous?" Foolish asked, feeling alarmed at the idea of another curse. Both hybrids shrugged.

"I'd call it helpful, really, it doesn't hurt anymore," Jack added. "I'm not really sure what it is."

"We can take a closer look when we get back," Bad said, though they were all uneasy about that.

Soon enough, they were back at the estate and Foolish brought the child to the infirmary, where Ponk was already standing next to a sleeping stranger, presumably the hybrid saved from the auction. 

"You're back!" Ponk beamed. "And who is this?"

"I'm…" the child frowned. "You're all wanting a name for me."

"It's alright." Foolish set them on a bed, watching as Jack grudgingly followed. "We can get you a name later if you like."

"Maybe."

"I'm Jack," Jack said, seeming to accept the fact that they were going to look him over for injuries. Ponk did so and was soon frowning as he checked the boy's vitals.

"...you don't have a pulse." Ponk finally said, stepping back. Jack laughed. "D'you know why?"

"Yeah, it's cuz I died." Jack chuckled. "Went to hell, came back. Haven't had a pulse since."

"That's what I told you about." The child whispered to Foolish. "They… I had to um… connect him being alive to a clock, but I did it wrong I think. So he's just dead and alive. They were pretty upset..."

"Oh." Foolish wasn't sure what to make of that, really. He'd never heard of that before. 

"I'm gonna be honest, I don't know what to do with that." Ponk said, hands falling to his sides. "I really don't."

Eret picked anxiously at their fingernails, looking down the hall toward the infirmary.

"They've been in there for a while." They muttered anxiously. "What do you think happened?"

"Well, no one is panicking," Wilbur noted. "So I'd say it went alright, no one was cursed. They're probably taking a look at some magical control device like we guessed."

"Maybe." Eret grumbled, shaking their head. They were stressed. The person in that room had rooted around in their head, breaking things and cursing them. 

"The mission went well," Wilbur added. "We got three hybrids out, and no one got hurt. That's really good."

"I know, I know." Eret sighed. "I'm sorry, it's… they cursed me, Will."

"I know." Wilbur's face fell, but he offered a weak smile. "You don't have to go near them at all. I don't know if Foolish would even let you."

"Did you see how he acted towards them?" Eret asked. "It was like he was terrified to let go. I don't… I don't understand."

"You could ask him," Wil suggested. "I'm sure they don't need him in there, he'd come out if you asked for him."

"Probably." 

"...so what's stopping you?"

"I don't want to be someone who tells him what to do." Eret sighed. "He… if he didn't want to be in there, he wouldn't be."

"Ah." 

"But we got three people out." Eret shook their head. "We got three people out, and the ring doesn't even know you're part of why two were stolen. We can probably go to another auction and get someone else."

"That's true!" Wil looked tired at the idea but excited just the same. "In a few weeks, minimum. I want things to calm down first."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Eret nodded. "You're headed to the beach house tomorrow, I assume?"

"Yep." Wil frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder if Foolish wants to go… it might be a nice break after everything going on."

"You'll have to ask him." Eret shrugged. "But if he does, I'd love to tag along."

Foolish chewed absently on his finger, pulling up the scales there before smoothing them back down. It hurt, and that was really the only thing he could feel at the moment.

His head was muggy. Not magically, just… just like how it was. His foolish mind bringing up memories, making him connect dots he didn't care to connect.

'The Smith' was asleep, now, and so was Jack. Bad and Sam were finishing up their disabling of the magical collar, and Foolish… was just standing here. Thinking.

The child was so clearly totem, not diluted like a celestial. If he had to guess, knowing they were part mindwalker as well, he'd guess the youngling was still an adolescent, about twenty years old. But still a baby . Still so young, not quite developed enough to have used magic like they'd been forced to. 

"Foolish?"

Foolish jumped, looking up to see Sam's concerned face.

"You're hurting yourself," Sam said softly, gently tugging his hands from his mouth.

"Sorry." Foolish sighed, shaking his head. "Are… is everyone doing alright?"

"Yeah, once you go get something to eat." Ponk waved to the door. "Gold nuggets and protein, Foolish. You need a break."

"... okay." Foolish let Sam walk him out, and down to the kitchen.

"Did something happen?" Sam asked on the way. "You've been out of it."

"No, nothing… I'm not cursed or hexed." Foolish knew that's what he was worried about, and Sam did relax at that. "I've just been thinking. Sorry."

"Nothing wrong with thinking." Sam clapped him on the shoulder. "I think Will and Eret are still in there, I want to go help Bad dispose of that collar."

"Thank you." Foolish watched him leave, then sighed and ducked into the kitchen.

Eret was still there like Sam said. But they were alone, staring down at a cold cup of coffee.

"Hi, Eret."

It was good to be in the same room as Eret, Foolish relaxed a bit.

"Foolish!" Eret's face lit up. "How is everything?"

"It's…" Foolish grumbled a bit and went to retrieve a few gold nuggets, and grudgingly grabbed a jar of peanut butter as well. "Can… I know you don't like the Smith."

"I… I was traumatized by the Smith." Eret said slowly. "But I don't know what kind of person they are." 

"Eret…" Foolish sat unhappily at the table, shoving an entire nugget into his mouth. 

"What's wrong?"

"The Smith isn't celestial." Foolish whispered. "Not… not quite. They're totem. Totem and mindwalker." Oh, gods… was he really about to tell Eret what he was thinking?

"... okay…"

"They're really young." Foolish continued. "About twenty, but… if they were human? Maybe fifteen. They're just a baby , Eret. And I… I'm afraid they might be my baby?"

"...what?" Eret frowned, leaning back in their chair. Foolish stuffed another gold nugget into his mouth, scowling at the table. 

"You… you know what humans do with rare hybrids." He muttered. "They try to make more of them. I… gods, how many other Totems do you think are still alive? Zero, from what we know. So how on earth could a mindwalker hybrid have a half totem baby unless…"

"Holy shit, Foolish…" Eret's eyes widened. "I… I mean, twenty years is a long time, maybe…"

"A hundred years is a long time." Foolish refuted. "And do you know how many other Totems I saw during that? None."

He hated thinking. He hated knowing that the things the humans forced him to do created a person who was raised in pain and torture. 

"I… as soon as I was in the same room as them, I had to keep them safe." He whispered. "Like when someone else goes to visit Junior, and I get all… moody."

"I mean… from what you've said, a lot of totem stuff relies on instinct." Eret mused. Foolish nodded sullenly, unscrewing the cap of the peanut butter, dunking a nugget into it before eating it. "I'm… I don't know what to say, Foolish. How could we ever know for sure about this? Do you even want to… to know?"

"I'm sorry they hurt you," Foolish said, blinking back tears. "I… I wish I could change something about all of this, I just…"

"Foolish, the humans forced you to… you didn't even know it resulted in a baby. You don't know for sure…"

"Yes, I do." Foolish shook his head. "I know the same way I knew how to remove the curse. I just know. "

“I’m sorry.” Eret offered. Foolish felt bad for telling them all this, he knew how badly the child had hurt Eret with that curse. “I wish I knew how to help.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to.” Foolish sighed, shoulders falling. “I just… I guess I just needed to say it out loud, that’s all.”

“I mean… does it change too much?” Eret spoke up, wincing at their own words. “If… if the kid recovered and wanted to stay with the resistance… they’d be part of the family anyway. Right?”

“I… I guess so.” Foolish hadn’t thought of that, too frazzled by the mission, and then the memories dragging themselves back up. "Thanks for listening to me ramble… I guess."

"No problem." Eret took a sip of their cold coffee, raising an eyebrow as Foolish ate another peanut butter covered nugget. "Peanut butter?"

"It's good," Foolish said halfheartedly. "And Ponk said I needed protein."

"He probably meant, like, chicken or beef or something." 

"Probably." Foolish shrugged. "That's a lot of effort, though. I'm pretty sure peanut butter has protein."

"It does." Eret laughed lightly, and the room fell silent for a moment. "Are you planning on telling them? The… the kid?"

"I don't know." Foolish felt more tired than ever. "They can tell we're similar, they agreed to come with us because, and I quote, I'm like them."

"Hmm." Eret rubbed their forehead. "Do you plan on telling anyone else?"

"I should." Foolish wasn't hesitant about that. "Medically, Ponk and Sam should know that they're very close to being pure totem. Magically, Bad and Phil and Everyone else should know that their power is greater than a normal mindwalker or celestial."

"Medical history is important," Eret acknowledged. "I think you'll make the right decision, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

Foolish sighed, frowning slightly. Not many of his friends would say that, knowing the way he felt due to… everything. But even though they'd stopped trying so hard to convince him, he hadn't stopped thinking about it.

"Say… let's say you're right about that." Foolish leaned back, stretching. "What the hell am I supposed to do with it? I don't know how to… to be smart, or… or use what I know like it's correct. What am I supposed to do with it?"

"I don't know," Eret shrugged. "Whatever you want to do."

"I found a bunch of names," Foolish said, dropping a few books and scrolls on the end of the child's bed. "I… some are totem, some are regular mortal names… but you deserve one."

"Totem." They echoed, brow furrowed.

"That's what we are," Foolish explained. 

"Oh." She peered at the books, not recognizing any letters. "I… I can't read."

"That's fine, I'm no good at reading either." The elder said quickly, sitting and picking up a scroll. "But I can read them to you, see if you like any of them."

"Do… do you want me to have a totem name?" She asked, looking up at him. Foolish looked surprised and confused. "Is your name a totem name?"

"Uh… totem naming traditions aren't very nice." He finally answered, picking at his scales. They frowned, feeling the wave of insecurity from this other totem. "I didn't name my son with one, but you get to decide on this."

"Will you read me some names?"

"Yeah! Yeah…" Foolish cleared his throat, looking down at the scroll.

The names he listed were odd, like his own. These must be totem. Some were physical traits, some abstract concepts, but most were very positive unlike his. 

One did catch her attention, and they reached out to tap the paper.

"Huh?" Foolish looked up, then back at the paper. "Finley?" It wasn't as abstract as most of these names, but she nodded.

"Do you want to know the traditional meaning?" He asked softly.

"No. I just like it." She - Finley - smiled. "I like having a name."

"I'm glad you like it…" Foolish set the scrolls aside. "You can change it, later, too."

"So why don't you change yours?" Finley scowled. It was painfully obvious that Foolish didn't like his name, the traditions, and the meaning behind it. 

"Wh-" Foolish laughed lightly. "I don't want to."

"But you hate it."

"I-" Foolish sighed. "Finley, please don't use powers to tell what I'm thinking."

"Oh." It was so second nature, Finley had forgotten that not everyone could read surface thoughts so easily. "I'm sorry."

"Magic is super cool, and useful, but it can hurt." He explained. "Especially power over minds, and memory, and thought."

"I know." Finley felt the gnawing guilt in the back of their mind. "I'm sorry."

"We can teach you how to use it right, and when it's okay." 

"Did I hurt you just now?" 

"No, not really. Not very much at least. But some of my friends, here… they're really protective of their minds. It's always important to ask for permission before using magic on someone."

"I see." Finley shifted uncomfortably. "Is this why they kept me away from… from Jack? And the others…?"

"You're not being punished!" Foolish waved his hands. "They're getting their own rooms too, once it's safe for them to move a lot. Jack was pretty hurt and Michael… I don't know. It probably is a good idea to keep you in a consistent environment while we work on the magic thing, though."

"I guess that makes sense." Finley pulled their legs up to her chest, chin in her knees. "You're not as afraid of me as everyone else." Before he could talk, she hurriedly added something else. "I… I noticed that before you told me not to… to read people."

"It's okay, I know you don't want to hurt anyone," Foolish promised. "And as for… as for that, well… it's like you said. You're like me, our powers are just about the same."

Finley thought this over, not quite sure what he meant. He was definitely older than her, so his powers were probably more developed. He was stronger than she was, and… they'd never met someone like that before. 

"I'm glad to meet someone like me.”

“You look horrible,” Puffy said, sitting next to him with a cheerful smile. Foolish mumbled nonsense at her, scowling at the book in his hands. Reading was hard, it sucked. He hated having to learn to read. “Wow, you’re really going through it huh?”

“Sorry.” Foolish sighed, glancing over at her, if only for a break from the words and letters swimming in his vision. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to check in on you!” Puffy laughed. “You’ve been kinda quiet recently, since the mission. Talking to Sam, and the new hybrids, and Eret and that’s it. Have you even been sleeping?”

“I mean…” Foolish didn’t want to lie to Puffy. He respected her too much for that. “Some? When I’m with Junior, I get some sleep…”

“Uh-huh.” Puffy raised an eyebrow. “Want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

“I…” Foolish thought back to Sam and Bad’s reactions, the horror at what he’d had to endure. Apparently, not all hybrids, at least not everyone in this house, had been through the exact kind of things Foolish had. It made sense, really, that humans wouldn’t want more dangerous hybrids. Sam and Bad were both hybrids that were hard to control, demon and creeper.

He didn’t want to horrify Puffy, he was tired of people being hurt by what happened to him. She just sat patiently, kicking her feet a bit as he hesitated.

“I don’t… I don’t know the average experience.” He finally said, putting the book on the coffee table in front of them. “Of… of hybrids, of everyone else. I think that’s pretty obvious.”

“You’ve definitely had a much longer, more difficult go of it.” Puffy agreed.

“So when I finally think I know something that’s common knowledge, and just… say it casually, and it’s not… common,” Foolish shrugged. “The others were pretty horrified. I don’t… I know it was helpful, but I wish they hadn’t been hurt so much by it.”

“Well, I don’t really know what we’re talking about,” Puffy hummed. “But I think they were more upset on your behalf than hurt. Yeah, seeing you hurt is hard for us, but you deserve to have people be angry on your behalf. You deserve people on your side. Us being upset by what happens, it’s part of being a family.”

“Huh.” Foolish mulled that over, and it did sound about right. From what he knew of how family usually worked, even in totem society, having each other's backs was important. “Do you still want to know?”

“I want to be there for you, and if it’s keeping you up at night I want to help you work through it.” Puffy shrugged.

“I… the humans, when they find a very rare or powerful hybrid…” Foolish cleared his throat uncomfortably. “They try to make more of them, basically. I… I wasn’t sure what it would do, since pure totems are created through magic and that’s it, but it’s not like I could have told them, and if I had a voice they wouldn’t have listened to me.”

“Oh, gods…” Puffy’s face twisted into dismay, and Foolish cringed.

“But… but there’s no way Finley is as diluted as a celestial hybrid would be.” he summed up. “And I… I haven’t heard of any other totems in captivity, not in the last twenty years… it’s just been messing with my head, that’s all. Eret said it shouldn’t change much, since we wanted to help Finley anyway, and of course, I know that Finley would have been treated well by us either way. But…”

“It’s an extreme shift in perspective, for you,” Puffy said when Foolish couldn't find words. “You learned something that for most people, they would have known for years. You found out that a horrible thing that happened to you led to the creation of an entire person, who then went on to suffer just as badly. That’s a lot to take in.”

“Yeah.” Foolish was glad Puffy seemed to understand. “I… it’s like I feel guilty, or something. Even though I know I couldn't have changed this.”

“That’s sympathy, Foolish. Empathy. It shows you care about people, and you want them to be happy.” Puffy laughed lightly. “And, sure, it might be a bit of your habit to blame yourself and feel like a bad person, but you’re not. If you were a bad person, you wouldn’t feel bad for bad things happening.”

“Huh.” Foolish thought that over, and it honestly made a lot of sense.

“Not to mention, finding out that you have a family you couldn't protect, after what happened to you with your old clan? That’s gotta sting.” Puffy shook her head. “But you’re not like your old clan, Foolish. You’re so… you . I honestly think that talking to you will help Finley a lot.”

“I hope so.”

Chapter Text

“I wanted to ask you…” Foolish trailed off, not really sure where to start. Herobrine just waited, looking at him from across the table. It was fairly late, and Foolish was in the library after Bad and Eret had gone to bed. He’d been meaning to talk to Herobrine for a while, but things had been crazy.

“When… when we talked about me being chosen,” Foolish sighed. “You mentioned a few abilities that all chosen totems had?”

“Creating life, granting immortality…” Herobrine immediately listed, holding up a finger for each one. “Bestowing protection magic into handmade talismans, like the totems of undying. I believe you can also channel extra energy into your regular magic, but anyone who is chosen can do that.”

“Right.” Foolish nodded. “Back up, just… I knew I could create life and everything. Junior’s proof of that. But… but what do you mean by granting immortality?”

“Ah.” Herobrine nodded. “It’s not true immortality, I guess. It’s more like totem immortality. You can be killed, even if it’s difficult. But you don’t die of old age, it’s harder to get sick, things like that. Minor regeneration, as well.”

“And I can just… give that to someone.” Foolish frowned doubtfully.

“Essentially, yeah.” Herobrine nodded. “The person has to agree to it, and you can’t do it to a lot of people without hurting yourself. But one or two… yeah.”

“I see.” Foolish wondered if Eret would agree to becoming immortal. Or any of his friends, of course. He didn’t want to lose anyone. But of course, if he had to choose only a few to give it to… he’d want Eret to be there for him. But only if they wanted to.

“I’m sorry.” Herobrine offered, breaking the silence. Foolish blinked in surprise.

“For what?”

“I’m a messenger god, I’m supposed to be good at communication.” Herobrine shrugged. “And I did not communicate well with you.”

“That’s true.” Foolish laughed at the realization, and Herobrine seemed relieved. “But I couldn't use magic without hurting myself back then, anyway. I couldn't have done much, could I?”

“Honestly? I don’t think you’d have been able to summon me.” Herobrine admitted. “Without magic, or your voice…”

“Yeah.” Foolish sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Which do you think affected it more? If I had my voice, would it have destroyed me?”

“I would never let my own power hurt you,” Herobrine said firmly. “Not again. That being said, I don’t know if you’d be able to summon me without a bit of your own magic. So it was probably mainly that, keeping you from summoning me. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Would I be able to summon you without saying your name?” Foolish asked curiously.

“Yeah, I think so.” Herobrine nodded. “It’s about intention, remember? If you have enough energy to want me to be there and put any energy into it, I can show up. Saying my name is just the only surefire way because it already uses knowledge of my existence, which is intention, and energy for speaking it.”

“That’s good to know.” Foolish made sure to tuck that information into his head, hoping he didn’t forget it. There were times when he was stressed that he couldn't get himself to talk, and it was good to know he’d be able to get Herobrine if needed, in a situation like that. 

“I will tell you, going back to your first question,” Herobrine added. “That bestowing immortality is very taxing, it’ll take a lot of energy.”

“That makes sense.”

“I mean if you want to do it, you shouldn’t stay up all night stressing beforehand.”

“...right.” Foolish smiled sheepishly. “Are you telling me to go to bed?”

“It’s pretty late, but I was mostly telling you to be rested before you do anything crazy.” Herobrine nodded. 

“Alright, I’ll see you later then.” Foolish laughed, stretching and getting to his feet. Herobrine saluted him, dissipating into nothing once again. 

Now, how does one casually ask another person if they want to be immortal?

“How are they doing?” Foolish asked, peering toward the infirmary. 

He knew Jack was still in rough shape, with whatever life-preserving magic Finley had put on him keeping him from being directly killed. It was just about the opposite of anything Foolish would be able to do, and from what he knew, everyone was confused.

The other hybrid, Michael, hadn’t really… done much. He answered questions quietly, let Sam and Ponk tend to his wounds, but clearly avoided being around other people too much. He’d gotten his own room, and Foolish had only seen him a few times.

“Jack is probably going to get to his own room soon, instead of the infirmary,” Bad replied. “He’s healing pretty well. I think as long as no one kills him again, he should be fine.”

“That’s fair.” Foolish chuckled, munching on a gold nugget. “Has anyone gotten much out of Michael?”

“No.” Bad sighed. “I’m not even sure what kind of hybrid he is, he won’t talk to us. He can, he just… doesn’t want to. I’m not sure why.”

“Hm.” Foolish wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t know much about the guy either. “Maybe he’s just been heavily discouraged from talking? It’s not always safe to talk.”

“I guess that might be it.” Bad shrugged. “How’s Finley?”

“Ponk thinks she’ll be able to walk on her own soon!” Foolish brightened. “She’s still pretty scared about coming out here, it’s hard for her to stop from using her magic to understand the situation, but I think she’ll get there.”

“That’s good! It seems like once we figure out magic stuff, everyone’s gonna be okay…” Bad shook his head. “Kinda hard to believe we pulled off that mission. Saving three people, and them recovering fairly quickly? It’s not normal to have such good luck with this kind of thing.”

“Does it usually go pretty bad?” Foolish asked. Bad looked at him, eyebrow raised. Right… the whole thing with Eret and Tommy two years ago, and then with Foolish and Eret… “Nevermind, I see what you mean.”

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t jinx it or anything.” Bad chuckled. “How are you doing, Foolish? Don’t think that just because there are new people, that we’re not gonna check on you.”

“I’m fine!” Foolish protested though that wasn’t completely accurate. “I’ve been talking with Puffy, and working with you on my magic, I’m good!”

“You don't need to be so angry about it,” Bad said. “I just wanted to check. There wasn’t a lot of time between what happened with Dream and the mission, and then the stuff with Finley. It’d be alright if you weren’t totally okay.”

“I mean… Dream’s gone.” Foolish shrugged. “And learning magic with you isn’t anything like it was with him. I don't get as tired, I guess he just stressed me out that much.”

“Hmm.” Bad frowned in concern, and Foolish felt like they were about to enter an actually deep, important conversation. Aw, man. He almost went a whole day without one of those. “Well, that’s good to hear!”

Foolish could tell that Bad wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. The demon hybrid gathered his dishes, rinsing them off and depositing them in the dishwasher.

“I’ll see you tomorrow to practice! Don’t be late.” Bad said cheerfully, heading up to the library where Skeppy and Puffy had already gone. Foolish frowned, head tilted a bit as he wondered what that was about.

Was there yet another thing about Dream that he didn’t know? That… that would be odd. Eret was very upset about the fact no one warned Foolish about Dream’s past, they said they’d told him everything about it. Foolish trusted Eret. Maybe Bad was distracted by something else.

Foolish shrugged it off, returning to snacking on his ‘golden taco’. Really, he was eating a taco and gold nuggets separately. If he combined it occasionally, well, what was wrong with that? It was like multitasking.

On his way out, Foolish grabbed a few extra golden nuggets for Junior, before heading upstairs. Most of the others were asleep, or not home. He knew Wilbur and some of the kids were at the beach house, but he’d decided to stay for a few days to make sure Finley was okay. 

“Hey, Junior.” Foolish slipped his hand into the water, and Junior wrapped a fist around one of his fingers. Foolish grinned, resting his head on the side of the tub. “Aww, did you miss me, buddy? I’m sorry. I don’t want you to be lonely.”

Junior, of course, didn’t respond. But that was fine, Foolish didn’t expect him to.

“There’s a lot going on, little guy.” Foolish sighed, tucking a nugget into his other hand. “I hope your life isn’t as stressful as mine.”

Though, to be fair, things were starting to calm down a lot. Wilbur said they probably wouldn’t do another rescue mission for a while, to give the new people time to recover and settle wherever they were going to settle. Once Finley was a little better, they’d probably go to the beach house as well. He definitely wanted to show some of the ocean to Eret, and Phil said they’d be able to get some ‘scuba’ gear. Which was apparently something to let humans and some hybrids be underwater for longer periods of time.

But things were… calm. It was almost unsettling, really. Probably not for everyone… but for Foolish, he wasn’t sure what to do now. He’d been so focused on working on things, with Eret and himself and everyone else, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with the free time he kept finding himself with.

Puffy had already talked to him about that, though. As things started to chill out, she mentioned that it was common to feel lost when there was nothing to actively work towards. Tangible goals, at least. He still had things to work towards, and he did still want to help Finley get back on their feet. 

Things would be alright, it seemed.

“Can I ask you something?” 

Eret looked over, instantly concerned by the soft tone to Foolish’s voice. Was something wrong? Just from a glance, it was clear that Foolish was thinking hard about something, but he didn’t seem upset, exactly.

“Yeah, of course, you can.”

“Do… you’ve gotta let me finish before you answer,” Foolish said, absently biting a finger before frowning, and tucking it into the pocket of his sweatshirt. Eret was glad to see that, the scales on Foolish’s hands needed to heal from his anxious picking. “Cuz it sounds crazy, but like… I want you to actually think about it.”

“Sounds like a fair trade.” Eret was getting concerned now. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I… I think so.” Foolish sighed, shaking his head. “I was… I was talking to him , about… because he said that chosen totems specifically have some very rare, particular abilities, and stuff… like creating life. But there’s also some other stuff, and… and I can supposedly make other people immortal, like me. Like, you could still be killed but you’ll age slower, and you won’t die from age and you’ll be able to regenerate kinda like me…”

Eret tilted their head, waiting patiently as Foolish hesitated. They could tell that he wasn’t done with whatever this question was - though Eret had somewhat of an inkling - and they’d promised to wait. 

“I can’t do it without the other person’s permission, though.” Foolish finally said. “They’d have to agree to have immortality, or it won’t work. But I… so, if you wanted me to. If you were okay with it… I don’t know mindwalker lifespans but I know it’s not forever, and I…” his voice broke slightly, and Eret frowned. “I don’t want to watch you die.”

“Foolish-”

“Please actually think about it.” Foolish insisted. “You don’t have to… to agree, just because I’d be sad to lose you. This isn’t even foolproof, you could still be killed. I just thought there was no harm in asking.”

“Hey, it’s alright.” Eret laughed, splashing water at him playfully. Foolish frowned. “You’re getting all in your head again, breathe. I… that’s definitely something to think about.” 

Honestly? They so desperately wanted to say yes, right away. Foolish had said many times how much he cared about them, and Eret probably should have expressed the same. Maybe they had, but not as much as Foolish had. 

They knew how Foolish felt about the prospect of existing, losing everyone around him except for Junior as the years went by. Foolish wouldn’t like it, but that was important to this decision.  

Agreeing immediately would probably make it seem like they didn’t think about it, at least to Foolish. That much was clear by how insistent he’d been that Eret think.

“Believe it or not, Foolish,” Eret finally said, and Foolish looked back from where he’d been staring at the sky. “I don’t want to lose you, either. If you’re asking me to become immortal, then I’d say yes.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, really. I try my best to be honest.” Eret laughed. "I'd love to stay with you as long as possible, and this will help me with that. Is that not the answer you wanted?"

"Of course it's the answer I wanted." Foolish mumbled. "It's just not the one I expected. Why would I ask if I didn't want to do it?"

"Fair point." Eret grinned. "So how exactly will this work?"

"This is more complicated than a basic spell, like weather or curse removal," Herobrine warned. Foolish nodded.

"I know that. You already told me. I feel fine, I'm rested and I… I feel good. I can do this."

"Well then, the easiest way to do this will be with a physical component to the spell," Herobrine said. "Something organic,  and edible. Food. Or drink, I suppose. You'll have to be the one to make it, and you'll need to focus the whole time so it shouldn't be something complicated to make."

"So I'm gonna eat a magic snack," Eret said with a chuckle. "And then I'm gonna age as slow as a totem does?"

"I mean if you want to be simple about it." Herobrine rolled his eyes, but Foolish could tell he didn't really mind. "It's actually seen as a very intimate and sacred ritual, but Foolish is kind of in charge of totem custom nowadays so. I guess it's whatever you want it to be."

"I'm basically the king of totems." Foolish agreed, grinning. Herobrine looked exasperated but smiled anyway. 

"Was there royalty?" Eret looked curious, and Foolish laughed.

"No, there was never a totem king before." He admitted. "Just the elders and they were a council."

"A council? Of how many?" Eret's brow furrowed, and they seemed disturbed though Foolish had no clue why.

"Twelve, maybe up to fifteen. Why?"

"So- so a dozen people decided to just give up on you? None of them… there wasn't a single person in those twelve who thought you might be worth it?"

Ah. Foolish leaned back in his chair, balancing it precariously for a moment.

"I guess so." He finally shrugged. "There wasn't much argument after the eldest said his piece. I don't know how much of a council it really was, but I know that's what it was meant to be."

"Holy shit , that's infuriating."

"Doesn't matter now," Foolish sighed. "It was over a century ago, and they're probably all dead now." 

It was something he hadn't really thought about, before. The fact that so many of his clan members had given up on him just like that, as soon as anyone said he wasn't worth it. He wished he could figure out why the clan had ended up like that. Or if it had ever been any other way. 

"Doesn't matter now." He said again, shaking his head and pushing that to the side. "We're trying to do something awesome, let's focus on that."

"Right, right. Sorry." Eret still seemed upset, but looked back at the few scrolls of research on immortality. "What kind of food?"

"It'll need to take effort to make," Herobrine cleared his throat. "But not too complicated. You can't just grab an apple and put intention into it, you need to create something."

"That makes sense. Like pasta, or a sandwich, or something." Foolish nodded.

"This will also be extremely exhausting, for both of you," Herobrine warned. "Even if you can take a lot of magic, Foolish. It'll be more draining than removing a curse was, even if you're rested. You'll need to have time set aside for you both to rest, where you feel most comfortable. Your own rooms, probably."

"I'm sure we can manage that," Eret said. "Any danger of someone else eats the food? Or will I need to eat all of it?"

"You should only make about one serving, to conserve energy," Herobrine said. "But Foolish's intentions are to make you immortal, not just someone. So if anyone does get a bit of it, it won't be too bad. I'd try not to let that happen, though, just in case."

"We should also probably tell Bad and Sam about it," Eret said thoughtfully. Foolish frowned.

"Why?" Foolish hadn't thought about that at all, he wasn't sure he was on the same page there.

"If I suddenly have regeneration, even just a bit, they'll know something is up." Eret chuckled. "Are… are you okay with telling them?"

"I just…" Foolish grimaced. "I don't know… I don't know how I feel about a lot of people knowing I can do this? If… what if they also want to be immortal? I… I don't know if I want to have those conversations."

"No one here would pressure you into something like this," Eret said, face falling in some kind of dismay. "This is your choice as much as it is mine, Foolish. Everyone else will understand that."

"I… I know they won't pressure me." Foolish shrugged. "But if someone asks… especially someone I care about, I don't know how I could say no. I guess it's just… just a me problem."

"We can tell Bad first?" Eret suggested. "Demons live for a long time, and I bet he wouldn't even ask. Then he can brief Sam and anyone else who needs to know."

"That… might work." Foolish hummed, tapping the table a few times. "I think that will work!"

"I'm glad." Eret beamed, and Foolish couldn't help but smile back. "Want to start planning this thing?"

"How're you feeling?" Finley tilted their head when Foolish walked in, holding a plate of food precariously in one hand.

"I… I feel…" well, that was a difficult question to answer. 

Finley felt different than she'd ever felt before, but it didn't feel bad at all. Their legs didn't ache and tremble, and the pounding headache was softened to a dull pulse at the place the head met her neck. 

"I feel good." They hummed, accepting the plate from him. "It doesn't hurt as much."

"What? Were you in pain this whole time?" The elder seemed alarmed, only confirming Finley's theory that pain was bad.

"I thought it was normal." They answered, and Foolish looked devastated. "My head doesn't hurt as much, and my legs feel better. I walked to the window last night."

"You did?" The sadness faded quickly, and Finley nodded. "That's great! You should definitely try to swim, at some point. I'm not sure if- well…" he trailed off, but Finley nodded.

"If any shark attributes were passed onto me." She figured, taking a bite of the sandwich. Foolish frowned, brow furrowed as he stared at them. "Because… because we're the same." 

Finley wasn't entirely sure how this kind of thing worked, but they knew that people similar in the way she and Foolish were similar usually had a lot in common, and the younger would get those attributes from the older somehow. Just picking things up from what was said, it made logical sense that there was an organic transfer between generations.

Foolish just nodded, looking down at his hands.

"Yeah, you… yeah. Because we're the same."

"Did I upset you?" The urge to pry into his surface thoughts was strong, but he'd said several times that such a thing was forbidden. At least without consent. 

"No, you didn't upset me." Foolish laughed. "Just… I just wish I could have helped you sooner. That's all."

Even without magic, Finley knew this was a lie. But if Foolish didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't have to.

"How is Jack?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"He's getting better, I think. His body is able to recover since we're not killing him every day."

"Is… did I hurt him?"

"I'm not sure," Foolish said with a grimace. "You can ask Bad, or Ponk, tomorrow when they come to check on your progress."

"Aren't you coming?" Finley asked, feeling anxious about the prospect of a different person. She was sure they were nice people since Foolish trusted them, but… she was used to seeing Foolish. Not those other people.

"I'm doing a project with some others " Foolish explained. "It'll take a lot of my magic, and energy, and I have to rest for a while afterward. But I'll be back in a couple of days, and even then I'll just be downstairs."

"Oh." Finley nodded, but still felt unhappy. However, it was good that they had a warning. And that Foolish wasn't gone forever. "What's the project?"

"Nothing too special." That was a lie. Finley tried to stop reading him so much. "Just something with Eret, that's all."

"Eret." Finley echoed, feeling sick. They knew that name. She'd… the humans had forced her to hurt the person with that name. Badly. "Is… are they alright? I hurt them once."

"Oh!" Foolish sat back, running a hand through his hair. "Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, Finley. They're okay, now. I removed the curse, they're alright."

"That's good." Finley handed back the plate, even though most of the food was uneaten. "I am going to sleep."

"You okay?" Foolish frowned.

"I would like to sleep," Finley said, voice shaking a bit.

They didn't want anyone here, but they couldn't be rude to him like that. She wanted to cry, and hate herself for what they'd done to so many people. And they definitely didn't want anyone here to see that. Especially Foolish. 

"Okay." Foolish smiled, getting to his feet. "Get some sleep, kiddo. I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Goodnight, Foolish." 

He left, and Finley held back for a few minutes before burying themself in bedding and letting the tears flow.

How could people be so kind to a monster like her?

He ended up making Eret a cup of hot chocolate and coffee mixed together. They watched in confusion, but Foolish thought it was genius.

Caffeine and chocolate, he was a mastermind. 

Of course, he did his best to focus magical energy and intention into it as well, as he mixed the drink together.

"Here you go!" Foolish felt exhausted, somehow, even though it was a simple thing to create. Herobrine had been right, that took a lot of energy.

"Thanks." Eret chuckled, taking a small sip and looking impressed. "That's actually pretty good!"

"I know, I'm great." Foolish sighed, leaning on the table and watching as Eret drank the rest.

Part of him couldn't believe this was happening, but it was a very small part of him. More awe than disbelief.

Eret had actually agreed to become immortal, to stay with Foolish as long as possible. That was… a lot. He was exhausted, but his chest swelled in some kind of elation, adoration. Love, as Tommy had called it all those months ago.

He probably loved Eret, Foolish realized to himself. He'd never really loved anyone before, like this. Sure he cared about all his friends, and his kids… but this was different. This seemed to be the kind of love people called romantic, which really was a newer concept.

His old clan hadn't really had relationships, they were one group. He'd only started to learn about this kind of thing once he learned the common language, a few years into captivity. Stories, and the human's relationships. They were very different than anything Foolish had experienced, except for how he felt about Eret.

Interesting.

"Wow." Eret blinked rapidly, finishing off the drink. "There's definitely something to this. If I didn't know what's going on, I'd think you drugged me."

"Are you okay?" Foolish sat up, a twinge of fear in his chest.

"Yeah, yes. I'm good." They shook their head, breathing deeply. "That is… that is magic , dude. That's a lot of magic."

"We should probably go lay down," Foolish remembered, helping Eret to their feet. He was exhausted, too, but it seemed Eret was much more affected. That made sense, honestly. It was bound to be more overwhelming to suddenly gain a lot of energy than it was to lose it.

So, Foolish made sure Eret got to their own room before heading to his own.

“How do we know it worked?” Eret asked, stumbling a bit as they approached the door. Foolish laughed softly.

“It worked. Don’t worry about that, just get some rest!”

“Yeah, if you’re sure.” Eret laughed. “Bossy.” Foolish rolled his eyes.

“You’re really out of it, Eret,” he informed them. Eret shrugged. “Here we are, your home sweet home.”

He pushed open the door to reveal a cluttered, messy room. Books and scrolls were all over the shelves, desk, and even the floor.

“Wow.”

“I just have a lot of stuff,” Eret said dismissively. “It’s fine.”

“If you say so.” Foolish laughed, watching Eret collapse into bed. “See you tomorrow, okay? Get some sleep.”

“Bye, Foolish.” Eret looked up at him sleepily. “Love you!”

“I-” Foolish laughed, face flushing as he stepped back. “Yeah, I… I love you too, Eret. I’ll close the door on my way out.”

He did so, shoulders sagging tiredly once he was out of Eret’s sight.

He was very tired, and then there was the conundrum of trying to figure out what exactly Eret had meant. Foolish had just realized the past few days how much he actually cared about them, how was he to know the extent of Eret’s feelings?

A few minutes ago, he’d been in awe and overjoyed at discovering what that kind of love felt like. Now it was just confusing and frustrating, though he was sure it was better that he felt it than not.

Still, he was sure he could ask Eret about it once they were both feeling a bit more like themselves. Who knows, maybe Eret wasn’t even sure what they were saying right now.

Foolish slipped into his own room, completely ready to just collapse onto the bed.

But there was already someone there.

Foolish froze, eyes flickering from the intruder's face to the bundle cradled in their arms.

“Cute baby you have here, Foolish.” Dream said with a wide grin. “Sure would be a shame if anything happened to it.”

Chapter Text

“Dream…” Foolish felt like sobbing. He was exhausted, and now he was completely petrified.

“Ah ah ah.” Dream waved a finger. “It’s not that hard to drain the life force from someone, Foolish. I can restrain myself, but with a person as tiny as this… even a magical one, well, we wouldn’t want any mistakes to happen here would we? You make one wrong move, or call for help… I’ll drain him like a juice box, and it’ll be on your hands.”

“Please put him back.” Foolish whispered, sinking slowly to his knees. He couldn't do this right now. There was no way he’d be able to fight back, let alone actually kill Dream the way he so desperately wanted to. And worse yet, he truly did have Junior cradled in his arms, wrapped up in a silk blanket that Puffy had gotten him.

“I don’t think I will.” Dream said, leaning casually on the bed. “I think we need to talk, Foolish. Somewhere that we won’t be interrupted.”

“I-I’m not going anywhere with you.” Foolish’s throat felt tight, and it was hard to get the words out. Dream just smiled, seeming amused.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine.” he laughed. “I bet I’ll get a whole lot of money for a baby totem, don’t you think? How old were you when they first made you serve them? Do you think they’ll let him wait that long, or will some stubborn human get impatient? Oh man, he’s not even awake right now to resist, is he? Isn’t that how totems work?”

Oh, gods. Foolish felt sick. He knew Dream was right. There were enough humans out there that didn’t care at all about age, or consent, or anything like that.

“If I go with you…” Foolish took a shuddering breath. “Will you leave him here?”

“Hmm no can do, Foolish .” he said the name like an insult, and Foolish tried not to show how deep that cut. But it did. “This little guy here is my ticket to controlling you, so I’d better hold onto him for now.” 

“He’s gonna get dehydrated,” Foolish begged, trying his best not to cry. “You could really really hurt him, Dream. He’s never hurt you, he’s just a baby.”

“And you’re supposed to protect him.” Dream scoffed. “So you better get on board real quick, don’t you think?”

“What do you want?” Foolish tried not to let the feeling of defeat leak into his voice, but it definitely did. Dream beamed.

“We can talk this over once we get out of here,” he said, getting to his feet and holding out a hand. A shimmering green rift appeared in the air, some kind of teleportation spell? Foolish didn’t know much about actual spells. “Hurry up, then. Wouldn’t want this kid to dry out too much.”

Foolish numbly stumbled over, and Dream shoved him through the rift onto rough concrete before following, and closing whatever demon portal he’d created.

“Wow, that was so much easier than I expected.” Dream laughed, kicking Foolish roughly in the side. “What’s going on with you? There’s usually so much energy around you I don’t even have to try and take it.”

“I’m tired,” Foolish said through gritted teeth.

“You just performed some kind of ritual, huh?” Dream kept talking, seemingly ignoring his response as he crossed the dim room. Foolish watched him deposit Junior in some kind of tank, filled with saltwater. Thank god, at least he wasn’t going to watch his son dehydrate and shrivel up.

He wasn’t sure that would happen, but he didn’t want to risk it.

“That’s not exactly your business.” Foolish tried to sit up, only for Dream to be right back next to him, kicking the balance from his shaking arms.

“Stay on the floor, idiot.” he sneered. “If you want that kid to live, you’ve got to do everything my way. Sounds like a plan?”

“What do you want?” Foolish demanded again, vision blurring slightly. He was supposed to get a full day of sleep after that ritual, that’s what Herobrine had said. It was taxing to do what he did, and they’d set aside a full 24 hours where no one would bother him.

That realization made Foolish’s stomach freeze.

No one was going to notice he was gone, were they?

“I want a few things from you.” Dream leaned on the wall a few feet away. “I want to become immortal if you please. I also want to take your energy daily, though… I can skip today since you’re clearly in no shape to do that. Other than that, well… we’ll figure it out.”

“Are you serious?” Foolish asked, struggling to keep his eyes open. He was so very tired, but he couldn't let himself just… fall unconscious right now. That was the worst thing he could do.

“Dude, your magical energy is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” Dream’s voice rose to a giddy level, and he leaned forward with a grin. “You can handle so much more being taken from you, too. I was more powerful than ever around you, and you weren’t even at your limit yet! Imagine what I can do when I take everything but what you need?”

“You’re insane.” Foolish realized aloud, head dropping onto the concrete.

“Something like that.” Dream laughed, holding up a hand. Foolish watched it glow with that green energy again. “Get some rest, Foolish. You’re gonna need it.”

And with a snap of Dream’s fingers, Foolish’s eyes slipped shut.

Foolish knew things were pretty bad, as he woke up to feel the restraints on his hands.

Rubber, and probably enchanted with something. Not only could he not use magic, but even if he could this wouldn’t conduct electricity. That, and they pulled his arms back at a painful angle, leaving him all but dangling from them if it weren’t for his feet touching the ground.

He scrambled to a better upright position, letting some of the weight off his shoulders. They were still pulled back tightly, but at least it wasn’t supporting him fully anymore.

Junior was still asleep in his tank, across the room where Foolish would definitely not be able to reach him.

The worst part, though, was probably the muzzle.

Made of the same thick rubber as the restraints, the texture was horrible and suffocating, covering almost the entire bottom half of his face, along with a bit of rubber that for some reason went in between his teeth, forcing his tongue down flat.

This was horrific. Foolish knew he’d been through worse, before, but… but he’d gotten used to being safe and free . This was the exact opposite of that. 

The hoodie he’d gotten so used to having on him was gone, leaving him incredibly exposed in only swim trunks. 

Dream was nowhere to be seen… for about five minutes.

“Well well well, look who’s awake!” Dream beamed as he walked in, slipping through the door in a way that Foolish couldn't see the other side. “Do you feel rested, pet?”

What the hell did Dream just call him? Foolish glared murderously at the demon, but Dream just smiled.

“I can definitely feel your energy now, that’s for sure.”

How long had he been out? Surely, someone at the estate had noticed he and Junior were missing by now. They would find him, and get Junior and him home, and take care of Dream in whatever way they had to.

But how long would that take? He had no idea.

“First things first, though, immortality.” Dream kicked the back of Foolish’s knee, making him stumble, putting the weight back onto his aching shoulders. “Don’t.” Dream snarled when he tried to regain his footing. “Remember, pet , one wrong move, and your kid is as good as dead.”

Gods, Foolish wanted to kill him. He let himself drop, grunting in pain as his shoulders stretched too far.

“You need to give me immortality like you gave to dear sweet Eret back at the alliance’s Estate.” Dream said, seeming pleased that Foolish had obeyed him. Foolish wasn’t sure how to communicate that he couldn't, that it was a limited resource, and that he needed to rest up to get the energy for it again.

Dream sighed, rolling his eyes as he reached forward and pulled the muzzle down around Foolish’s neck.

“What’s the holdup?”

“I… it’s a difficult ritual.” Foolish’s voice was barely legible, even to himself. It felt like he wasn’t able to talk like usually happened when he was too stressed. “I… I can’t right now, and… and I would need my hands free.”

“You think I’m going to fall for that?” Dream smirked. Foolish had the feeling that Dream knew very well it was impossible for Foolish to give him immortality right now. The thought made him feel sick, realizing that Dream wanted to be able to make good on one of his threats. Why else give an impossible task?

“Please don’t hurt him,” Foolish begged, struggling slightly as Dream shoved the painful muzzle back into his mouth. 

“Well, since you said please…” Dream didn’t seem too put out, and Foolish was quick to learn why. Some kind of harsh magical energy filled the restraints and the muzzle, forcing pain into every part of him it touched. It overwhelmed him almost instantly, and he could feel himself trying to scream past the muzzle, though it sounded like almost nothing.

Dream stepped back, looking pleased with himself.

“I’ll leave that set to random intervals,” he said to himself. Foolish wasn’t sure what that meant, but it couldn't be good. “You have fun now!”

And just like that, the bastard left.

A few minutes later, Foolish found out what exactly had been set to random intervals. Oh, this was really going to suck.

He was just… gone. Eret didn’t understand it. Both Foolish and Junior had simply vanished. The last thing Eret recalled was Foolish helping them to their room after the ritual, and the next thing they knew? Everyone was panicking because no one knew where he was.

“He didn’t tell anyone anything, or leave a note, or… or anything!” Puffy was near hysterics, and Eret didn’t have much to say to help calm her down.

“Wil says he hasn’t heard anything, so I don’t think he went to the beach,” Phil reported.

“He shouldn’t have gone anywhere!” Eret insisted. “We were both exhausted after the ritual, I know he was trying not to seem tired but there was no way to cover that up. He should have just passed out in his room, no way he got Junior and then took off for whatever reason.”

“Nobody saw anything, I… I don’t know how nobody saw anything.”

“Are you sure he didn’t say anything that might explain where he went?” Sam asked, turning to them. Eret frowned.

“I...I don’t think so! He was mostly worried about me after the ritual, it was really taxing. We went upstairs, he made fun of my messy room and we said… we said goodnight. Then he left. He said he would see me ‘tomorrow’ but that meant yesterday...” Gods, they had intended to talk to Foolish about what they’d actually said. They didn’t want him to be embarrassed, or awkward. Eret had just been so tired, it was hard to filter.

“We don’t even know when he vanished because we weren’t supposed to bother him.” Puffy looked sick to her stomach. “And Foolish would never move Junior out of the tub, he’s supposed to be in the water for months, if not a year.”

“Is… is Junior in danger being out of water?” Eret felt the blood drain from their face.

“I don’t know, I don’t think it’ll kill him, but… but Foolish was sure that it was healthy for him to be in water.” Puffy shook her head. “What… what are we supposed to do here, Phil? Nothing like this has ever happened before.”

That could be said for just about everything about Foolish. This time, though, that was not good.

Phil didn’t seem to have an answer, and the kitchen fell into a terrified, grim silence.

Eret felt sick to their stomach.

Was this it? Was this the one thing the alliance couldn't battle through and fix?

Was Foolish gone for good?

Foolish was more exhausted than he had ever been before. Dream stood up from where he’d been sitting, siphoning energy away from him. It felt awful, like some kind of straw, or vacuum had attached itself to his very soul and was pulling energy out of it. 

“Holy shit.” the bastard grinned, eyes glowing a dull green. “I’m going to become a god.”

He can’t become a god. Foolish scowled, unable to say anything but still unimpressed. This guy was legitimately insane, it made Foolish more worried every moment that he and Junior weren’t getting out of this.

“You’re pathetic.” Dream laughed, turning an amused gaze back to Foolish. Foolish sighed, closing his eyes in some weak attempt to block out those words. “You… you have all this power at your fingertips constantly, yet you refuse to use it? You could have killed me in that house, even before I hurt your son. But you didn’t, how stupid. It’s almost like you wanted to come with me.”

Gods, Foolish wanted to rip Dream apart.

“Is that it? You missed being a plaything? A little toy to be used and thrown away?” Dream sneered, slamming his knee into Foolish’s sternum. Foolish gagged, choking on the rubber in his mouth and dry heaving against the muzzle. He heard a sickening pop, and the pain in his shoulders got so much worse. Dream chuckled.

“Ridiculous. Hold on…” and in a few swift jerks, he’d pushed the joint back together. Foolish clamped his eyes shut, even though his face was already soaked in tears. He was going to get dehydrated. Better him than Junior, he supposed.

Right on cue, the torturous magic in the restraints came to life and Foolish screamed, though it was so muffled by the muzzle he had no idea if his vocal cords even worked anymore.

He was going to die here.

He had no way to use magic, and no way to speak, and no way to get any kind of message-

Foolish’s thoughts screeched to a halt, and he managed to get his breathing back under control to see Dream leaving again, brimming with the energy he’d drained from Foolish.

Just days ago, or… or maybe a week ago depending on how long Foolish had actually been here, Herobrine had given him tips (though not intended for this kind of thing) on summoning him if he couldn't talk.

The restraints didn’t stop all his magical energy, or Dream wouldn’t be able to siphon it. It just stopped the elemental magic from taking form. But Foolish could probably still draw upon the magic… the only problem would be summoning him without being able to talk.

He’d never done it before, but Herobrine said it was possible.

Another short burst of pain wracked through his body from the restraints, and Foolish choked on a sob. He needed help.

Herobrine.

He focused as much energy and intention as he could, willing the god into existence.

There was a rush of wind only Foolish could feel, and a bout of nausea that certainly didn’t help the situation.

“Totem! How’s it- oh fuck.” Herobrine knelt in front of him, and Foolish felt his face flush in shame and embarrassment.

What if Herobrine thought he was pathetic? What if he agreed with Dream, what if it really was Foolish’s fault and everyone knew it?

“Hey, hey, shush that.” Herobrine scolded, fingers fumbling as they tried to solidify enough to take the muzzle off. “You’re fine, you’re alright. Here we go…”

“I-” Foolish’s throat burned and he grimaced, stumbling a bit on his legs, which he could hardly even feel at this point. “He had Junior…”

“Shit,” Herobrine followed his gaze, nodding. “Okay, okay. I… I can’t physically move you, totem. I’m all about head stuff, information, messages…”

“C- can you find Eret? Tell… no one knows wh-” Foolish screamed harshly when the magic surged again, and Herobrine looked stricken. “I don’t know where I am.” he sobbed, collapsing on his arms again once it ended.

“I can tell them, I know how to get them here,” Herobrine promised. “We’ll… I’ll get them here as soon as possible, Totem. Are… gods, are you going to be alright until then?”

Foolish had no answer to that. Herobrine seemed to understand the silence and nodded.

“I… I don’t want to put this on you,” he said, hands fumbling with the muzzle. “How often does he come in here?”

Foolish wasn’t sure. He wasn’t even sure how long he’d been here, he was just exhausted. Herobrine sighed heavily.

“Can… will he hurt you more if he finds this removed?”

“Oh, most definitely.”

“Alright, Totem, sit tight.” Herobrine grudgingly put the muzzle back over his face, and Foolish felt his eyes well up with tears as the god turned away. “We are getting you out, no matter what.”

He really wanted to believe that.

Finley didn't hate Sam and Ponk. They were very nice, even if they seemed distracted and upset whenever they checked on her. Finley just wished that Foolish would come back and visit her, it had been more than a couple of days now and they still hadn't seen him.

She'd asked, but Sam had just shaken his head and left, and Ponk told them not to worry, that everything would be ok.

Finley tried so extremely hard not to use her powers on them. She wanted to make Foolish proud, and they wanted everyone to be safe and happy.

So, she stopped themself from trying to read their minds about where Foolish was. 

But it felt bad, having to wonder why he was staying away.

Was he hurt, or sick? Maybe he was tired of Finley, or he hated them because of what they'd done to so many people. 

Really, that made sense. Finley wouldn't want to be around herself either if they had a choice. 

"Hey, Finley!" Ponk rapped on the door. "Got some lunch, can I come in?"

"Yes." Finley sat up from staring at the ceiling, and Ponk brought over a plate of food.

Even without trying, Finley could feel the overwhelming stress Ponk was experiencing. She frowned.

"Is… there's something wrong." She said uncertainly. 

"Aw, what do you mean? The food okay?"

"I'm trying not to look at people's minds," Finley said, not willing to back down this time. "But I can tell something is wrong, what's going on?"

"Ah… kid," Ponk sighed, sitting on the end of the bed. "You haven't snuck into our heads and found out already?"

"I… I don't want to hurt anyone." Finley shrugged. "I… I try not to when people don't know."

"Alright, alright." Ponk nodded. "I get that." 

He paused, and Finley fidgeted impatiently. She wanted to know what was going on.

"Foolish is missing." Ponk finally said, looking at his lap. "He just… vanished. We aren't sure what happened, but everyone is trying to find him. That's why it's so stressed, around the house."

"Missing?" Finley felt relieved, but also horrified. That meant Foolish didn't hate her… but it was very bad. 

"We're going to find him, though. I promise." Ponk smiled, though it was clearly forced. 

"Can I help?" Finley didn't even know what they could do, it was still hard to even walk too much. 

"The best way to help is to keep doing what you're doing." Ponks smile turned genuine, and he pushed the plate towards her. "Practice walking to the window, eat all your food and make sure to keep ahold of that magic of yours. Foolish would want you to be okay, right?"

"I suppose." Finley nodded, finally accepting the food. "Thank you for telling me."

"Thank you for respecting those boundaries, and sorry I underestimated you." Ponk chuckled. "It's gonna be alright."

Yeah, this really really sucked. The one positive was probably that Dream had kept to his word, leaving Junior alone in the tank across the room. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Foolish tugged weakly on the restraints, wincing as his shoulders throbbed.

He’d figured out a few things, so far. 

One: Dream was a psychopath. That had been his first observation.

Two: There was at least one other hybrid here, in the room past the door Dream entered through. Foolish didn’t know if they were here by choice, or if they’d also been kidnapped. He didn’t know if they were working with Dream or what, but he knew they were there, he’d heard their voice(s?). He wasn’t sure if it was more than one other person, the sounds were too muffled where he was.

Three: Wherever they were, it was underground. There was no way this place was anywhere but a basement. It explained the lack of windows, the chill, and the dampness in the air and walls.

Four: he didn’t know how long it had been since he managed to contact Herobrine… but he felt like someone should have found him by now. Not really an observation, but he spent a lot of time worrying about it.

Unfortunately, none of that really helped him in any way. 

Foolish winced when the sound of arguing bled through the wall. It was always on and off, and Dream would usually storm inside afterward to take it out on Foolish, or take energy from him, or both. 

This time, though, it was different.

When the door opened and Dream slipped inside, he pulled another person in behind him. Whoever it was didn’t seem happy.

“Wh- oh, come on! I told you, I’m not gonna be part of this!” it was a blaze hybrid, and Foolish wouldn’t be surprised if he had a fraction of totem in him somewhere. Strangely enough, Foolish thought he’d seen a picture of this guy in Bad’s room back at the estate.

“Well, you’re a part of it. Or do I have to remind you who it was that helped me get in?” Dream sneered. The blaze frowned, casting a worried glance back at the door. Interesting, but maybe not helpful. “Do you want him to be okay or not?”

“I… Dream, of course, I do. But does it really look like this guy’s in any condition to do magic? Let alone… let alone this?”

Okay, now that was curious. Foolish frowned, glancing back and forth between the two.

Dream ignored the other, storming over and pulling the muzzle down around Foolish’s neck. Foolish took a few deep breaths, better than he’d been able to for a while now. 

“You can fix memory problems, can’t you?” Dream asked expectantly. 

“I-” Foolish’s voice caught in his throat, raw and stinging from his own screams and dehydration. “M-maybe? It… it depends? Not… not if you keep, uh… not if you keep taking everything.”

“Holy shit, Dream, what have you been doing to this guy? He looks almost dead already! What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

“Shut up Sapnap!” Dream snarled, spinning and glaring at him. Foolish raised an eyebrow. This was the guy Bad had ‘practically adopted’ a few years ago? What was he doing with Dream of all people? “Would you rather it’s Karl, instead of him? We can arrange that, you know we can.”

“Geez-” Sapnap winced, glancing over and meeting Foolish’s gaze for just a second. “No… no, I… it’s… leave Karl out of this.”

Foolish wasn’t a mindwalker, or a mindreader, or an empath. But he also wasn’t an idiot. It wasn’t hard to see that whoever Karl was… he was leverage. Dream needed to keep Karl alive to keep Sapnap on his side, and he was asking Foolish for help on that. Well, he was demanding it, but… that was important.

“Wh… is… is he cursed, or hex-hexed, or what?” Foolish spoke up, earning a glare from Dream. “I… I c-can help I jus-I just need to know first.”

“And let me guess.” Dream rolled his eyes. “You’d need your hands free, and a whole lot of energy. I’m not stupid, you know.”

Foolish bit the inside of his lip, glancing from Dream to Sapnap to the floor. He did want to help, not Dream , he wanted to help whoever Karl was. Memory magic was nasty stuff, he knew that by now. But Dream was definitely not going to let that happen easily.

“Just… letting him get a bit more energy back can’t hurt can it?” Sapnap asked quietly. “I… Karl’s getting worse every day.”

“...fine.” Dream pulled the muzzle back over Foolish’s face, then reached to adjust something on the base of the restraints. “I will be back, Foolish , and you better not try and lie to me again.”

No one was really sure what to do, the days after Foolish disappeared. Obviously, they delved into some kind of research, but no one was quite sure where to start. 

It was painful. Almost physically painful, really. Deep in Eret’s chest and stomach, a twisting, stinging pain. Not like it had been with the mind link, no, that was magical. This was raw, new, emotional pain. They absolutely hated it.

Not only had they messed up, and told Foolish they loved him when they were both completely out of it, but now Foolish was missing . No one had a clue where to look, or who to talk to. There had been fewer people than usual even at the house since the kids were at the beach house with Wilbur. If anything, it should have been safer than ever at the estate with less foot traffic going in and out.

Yet, Foolish was still gone. 

They all knew he didn’t just leave. He wouldn’t do that, Foolish was smarter and more reliable than that. It was obvious that something bad had happened, but nobody knew what . 

“Just one foot in front of the other, I guess. ” Foolish had said it months ago when Eret woke with new amnesia and had no idea how to handle being captive again. “Bad days, good days, just focus on things you enjoy. Like the sun, or… the ocean. What did you like from outside, before they took you?”

“Periwinkles.” Eret echoed their own response, throat tight. Foolish still hadn’t seen periwinkles, they hadn’t gotten around to showing him what they looked like yet. “And… and sometimes, it rains even when there are no clouds.”

Oh, gods.

Eret buries their face in their hands, failing to contain the sobs that shook their shoulders. He was just gone . It didn’t make sense, it wasn’t even like if he died. He was just gone, vanished, and Eret had never felt so helpless before. They couldn't do anything to help Foolish, or even know what was going on with him. 

They cried like that for what felt like forever, sitting next to the pool as the sun sank lower and lower into the sky. Another day where Foolish was probably hurt, or scared, or worse, and they could do nothing. 

Eret probably would have stayed there all night, switching between trying to think of anything they’d missed and hating themself for missing whatever it was they couldn't think of.

Instead, they were drawn out of that state by a rush of strange wind, and a queasy feeling they didn’t recognize, and then a familiar voice.

“Hey!”

Eret’s head shot up, shocked.

“Heyyy it’s you! Perfect!”

“Wh-” Eret’s eyes widened, watching Herobrine clamber up from where he’d fallen on the concrete. “Y- hello??”

“Listen, kid, it’s super not easy to be here without my Totem guy.” Herobrine waved his hands a bit. “But he is, like, in super bad shape.”

“Wh- you know where Foolish is?” Eret scrambled to their feet as well, heart pounding. “What happened?”

“That guy named Dream somehow got a hold of Junior and ended up luring my boy away. I've got an address for you but since I’m just a messenger, I couldn't do a thing to help him.”

The god, strangely enough, seemed near tears. Eret didn’t know what to think of that. But… this was something . This was a lot.

“Hold on, we need to tell everyone else. Can you… can you come in?”

“He’s holding me together somehow, I have no idea. No idea how long I’ve got in the physical world, but yeah. Here…” Eret reeled back as a location was implanted into their head. “Just in case, so you can find them.”

“Ah… thanks. Warning, next time?”

“Right.” to be fair, Herobrine seemed out of it. If he really was being held together remotely just by Foolish’s effort, while Foolish was in bad shape, it was no wonder he was a bit off. 

Eret scrambled inside, holding up a hand to Bad and Puffy in the kitchen to holler into the hallway.

“PHIL! SAM! PONK! Get down here!”

“Wh- is that-”

“Herobrine!” Herobrine smiled, looking exhausted. “Here with a message from none other than my chosen totem! The message: Help.”

“Wow.” Bad scowled. “How useful.”

“We have a location,” Eret said, swallowing thickly. “Dream has them.”

Chapter Text

Everything hurt. Foolish was very, very tired. Dream kept asking to be made immortal, and how to remove curses and hexes and all that, but there was no way Foolish could do that especially with his energy getting drained every… day? Probably day, which would mean he was here for like, a week almost? Damn. That sucks. 

Dream probably knew he couldn't do it, too. He just wanted a reason to hurt somebody. If that somebody had to be Foolish, so be it. Junior hadn’t been hurt at all, except for the fact neither of them had gotten any food. He was hoping that the little guy could hold on a little longer.

"How're we feeling?" Dream asking, strolling into the room. Foolish glared, only for his eyes to widen when Dream walked to Junior, instead of him.

He tried to yell a protest, but he wasn't sure it would be legible even if the muzzle was gone. His throat burned every time he screamed or swallowed. He was pretty sure Ponk had told him not to scream too much, in case the damage from that human device got brought up again. 

"Oh calm down, he's fine." Dream rolled his eyes. "You're just wasting energy at this point. I wouldn't hurt him, you've been keeping your end of the bargain."

Some bargain, this was bullshit. Dream might not have taken any energy from Junior, but he'd kept food from him and kept him in the dark. Not to mention that Dream's so-called bargain hadn't included the literal torture Foolish was going through. 

Sure enough, magical pain pulsed through his arms into the rest of him, making his breathing stutter. He needed to stay calm, preserve energy. The others were coming, they had to be. Herobrine had promised he'd get out of here. 

"What, no screaming? Lost your voice?" Dream sauntered over to stand above Foolish. 

Usually, Foolish was taller than Dream, but he'd given up on trying to stand a few days ago. Dream just threatened to break his knees if he stood when Dream was around. Foolish had regeneration, yeah, but knees still took a long time to heal. And with Dream siphoning energy, Foolish wasn't sure he could regenerate anyway. 

"I might leave you alone for a few days," Dream said thoughtfully, grabbing Foolish's hair and forcing eye contact. "Let you build up more energy before taking it away." 

Honestly? That would probably help. If Dream kept from draining him for a day or two, Foolish might be able to regenerate a bit and be less weak.

“Hmm… Nah.” Dream laughed, and the horrible feeling of his energy being sapped caught Foolish off guard, and he yelped. It was muffled, but Dream evidently heard it and just grinned.

“Y’know, a part of me was really afraid that those idiots at the alliance would come after me to save you,” he said. “Guess I was wrong, they must not care about you at all. Not that I blame them, you’re illiterate and too weak to even use your own magic. Why would they want to save you?”

Foolish knew that Dream was just being cruel, trying to make him give up. But he was hitting every one of Foolish’s insecurities, and it was already overwhelming at the moment. 

“At this point, I could sell the kid and you’d still have no choice but to stay, you’ve had five days to get free and you haven’t managed anything. Maybe you were just always meant to be a piece of property, ever think about that?”

Yeah, every day for a hundred years he’d thought about that. Foolish grimaced, trying not to show how terrified he was that Dream would make good on the threat of selling Junior. 

He tried to track back the time since he’d spoken to Herobrine. It had been over a day, maybe a full week. Surely… surely the alliance was on the way. 

“I wonder… since you won’t give me immortality if I could get it myself.” Dream’s face darkened, grin wide. “What do you think would happen if I pulled every last bit of energy from your soul, Foolish? Do you think you’d become a vegetable, the only thing more useless than you already are? Would it kill you? Do you think I could pull your immortality out and take it for myself?”

Honestly? Foolish wasn’t sure what it would do. But he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be good for him, no matter what Dream got from it.

“Maybe I’ll do that, sometime. Shame your kid will grow up without his dad, maybe he’ll turn out better than you did. He might even be better off without you, who wants a weakling father?”

Dream was really going for it, huh? Foolish’s stomach twisted at the thought of Junior being alone. 

Was he taking more energy than he usually did? Foolish squinted up at Dream’s face, watching the green glow brighter every moment. Well, that wasn’t good.

Foolish felt his eyes slip shut, despite his effort to keep them open.

Was Dream killing him? Could Foolish even die this way? He’d always been told that weapons, physical injuries were the only thing that could kill a totem. That’s why it was so hard to die, because of the regeneration. 

“Ah, well, I guess you’ll never get to find out.” Dream hissed, grip tightening on Foolish’s hair.

This… this could not be it. Foolish didn’t want to die, not anymore. And especially not like this. Everything felt so numb, so detached. He wanted his friends… he wanted Eret. It was through very dim awareness that Foolish felt himself fall from Dream’s grip, nearly pulling his shoulders out of place again when all the weight fell on them. 

Well, he definitely wasn’t dead. Probably. Honestly, Foolish didn’t know what being dead would feel like. Maybe this was it? But that didn’t seem right.

There was a lot more noise than usual, in this room. He couldn't make out any of it specifically or get his eyes open, but he could tell there were more people in the room.

The magic in his restraints activated, and Foolish dimly felt his body react to it, and even through the haze, he felt the pain in his throat as he screamed.

When someone grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up to relieve them of supporting his entire body, Foolish felt it very clearly.

He wasn’t dead, then. He definitely wasn’t dead.

He did flinch back, upon recognizing Dream’s rough treatment as the restraints were disconnected from the wall. Someone yelled, and Foolish tried to pry his eyes open. He managed to squint at the floor in front of his face, getting just enough to see the bright green glow as Dream pulled open another rift and pushed him through. 

That was when he recognized one of the voices as Eret’s, as he hit the ground on the other side of the portal and his eyes slipped shut again. 

The alliance had come for him after all.

So why was Dream the only one who followed him through the portal, before it closed?

“No!” Eret slammed a fist into the wall where Dream’s portal had been as if that would get it to open again. When had Dream even learned to make portals? When was that a thing that demons could do?

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Puffy sounded as devastated as Eret felt. “He’s gone, again?”

“Coward didn’t even stay to fight.” Techno leaned on his ax, then frowned across the room. “Hey, uh… I think he forgot something.”

“What?”

All eyes turned to the dim corner, where Eret finally noticed a large tank filled with water. And a small totem curled up on himself a little tighter than usual.

“Oh gods,” Eret felt sick, but they got to the tank just after Phil, who only beat them because he started out closer. “Is-”

“Let me see,” Phil gently pulled the child out, seeming to relax as he found a pulse and watched the baby curl toward his chest, whimpering slightly. “Well, he’s alive at least. Definitely hungry, and definitely cold.”

“I’m gonna kill him.” Eret hissed, glaring once again at the wall where Dream had vanished, taking Foolish to who knows where. “I’m not even going to use magic to do it, either. I’m going to rip him apart with my bare fucking hands, I swear to every god in the sky-”

“Hey, man, breathe.” Tommy was in front of them, hands on Eret’s shoulders. “We’re gonna get the guy back, alright? Dream was surprised, we’ll surprise him again. Now that we know who’s got him, it’ll be easy.”

“He- Wh- did you see him?” Eret tried to keep from yelling, but they probably failed. They weren’t really hearing things correctly, at the moment. “He- did- he’s-”

Foolish had looked almost dead when they arrived. He hadn’t been, but gods… it was bad. Eret really, really hoped that Dream needed him alive for whatever reason, even if it meant he tried harder to stay hidden. Foolish had finally been doing well, and… and now this. It made Eret want to scream, and never stop screaming.

But that wouldn’t help Foolish, and that wouldn’t help Junior.

“Right now, I think we need to get this little one home.” Eret knew from the way Phil said it that he hated it just as much. “And we’ll look through everything here to try and find where else Dream might go. There’s a lot in the other room, we can leave a group here to start going through it while some of us bring Junior back.”

The next few minutes, it was decided that Sam, Techno, and Quackity would stay behind and start looking through the things Dream left behind. The rest of them - Phil, Bad, Eret, Tommy, and Puffy - would bring Junior back and make sure he was alright, update the others, and gather more supplies.

Eret hated not staying, but they would also hate being separated from Junior. 

Foolish had, according to Herobrine, only gone with Dream to keep Junior safe. That made sense, Foolish would do just about anything to keep Junior safe. If Foolish couldn't be here to watch over the kid, then Eret would try their best to do it for him. 

Until Foolish got back, of course. Because he was going to come back, they’d find him and bring him home. That wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when. Hopefully, they’d get him back soon.

Foolish didn’t know where he was, or how he’d gotten there. There was a gap in his memory, which shouldn’t have been all too alarming except that he considered himself to have a very good memory. Sure, he forgot things and events that weren’t important, but this felt different. Maybe it was because he knew he was in such a bad situation, that the loss felt more terrible.

Then again, maybe it was what he realized when he woke up that made him feel so stressed.

He was still held in the rubber muzzle and handcuffs, but it was fastened with rope behind his back, instead of the elaborate, torturous setup that Dream had him in previously. He was fairly sure this was a basement as well, but it was a different room. 

Junior was not in this room. 

With that realization, Foolish tried to look around the room and confirm it. Maybe he was just… hidden, or out of the way. No, after a few minutes Foolish was positive that his son was not in sight. That was… probably very bad. 

There was also an unconscious hybrid across the room, on a mattress shoved in the corner. This was much less impactful than his missing son, no matter how pale and distressed this other hybrid looked. 

Dream took much longer to arrive after Foolish woke up this time, leaving him with what felt like hours of panic, desperate theories on why they’d left, where Junior was, and what was going to happen next.

None of what Foolish remembered gave any reason they might have moved unless it was completely necessary to help whoever Karl was. Was that the hybrid across the room? Maybe. But it didn’t make sense for Dream to get rid of Junior before Foolish helped him, Foolish should have had more time to keep Junior safe. 

When Dream finally did arrive, he seemed to be in a particularly bad mood. 

“Oh, look who’s awake.” he crouched, grabbing Foolish’s chin roughly. “Pleased with yourself?”

...what? What could Dream possibly be talking about? Foolish just looked back in confusion, and Dream rolled his eyes and loosened the muzzle.

“Got anything to say, pet? Or are you too stupid to explain yourself?”

“Wh- what?” Foolish’s throat hurt a bit less than before, how long had he been allowed to rest? That didn’t make sense. “Wh- Dream… where’s Junior, why did… what happened? Where are we?”

“...you don’t remember.” Dream’s face slowly split into a grin, and he pulled Foolish’s face a bit closer to his own. “You have no idea what you did, do you?”

“Wh- what?”

“You tried to escape, idiot.” Dream sneered. “You thought you’d call my bluff, well it didn’t work. Junior’s dead, I’m afraid. Completely preventable, but you’re just too stupid to have realized that before.”

“Wh-” no, gods, no. Foolish had been afraid of that, but he thought that surely…

“You’re so pathetic, you couldn't even handle remembering the death of your own son.” Dream laughed cruelly, shoving Foolish’s head back, knocking it on the cinderblock wall. “You better hope you can help with what I need to be fixed, or I’ll just sell you right back to where you belong.”

Foolish felt his throat close up, even as he tried to find any words that could help in this moment. He couldn't, and even if he knew what he wanted to say… he probably wouldn’t be able to.

Did he really get Junior killed? Why else would Junior not be here, Dream loved to have the child to hold over his head and threaten him with. No way Dream would have just given him up, not before Foolish did what he wanted. He must have made Dream absolutely furious to make him actually kill Junior…

“I’ll be back some time.” Dream tightened the muzzle again, a bit tighter than before so Foolish felt the rubber digging into and between his scales. “Let’s hope you’ve got enough energy by then to heal whatever it is messing with Karl.”

And then he left. He left without even draining Foolish’s magic or hurting him. He left, with horror and grief and denial spinning through Foolish’s mind worse than ever.

Soon enough, after Dream was gone, Foolish was unable to stop the tears from spilling over. He was already dehydrated as it was, but he couldn't really get himself to care that much in the moment. 

All he’d wanted was to give Junior a safe, happy life. Instead, he’d gotten his son killed.

Maybe Dream was right, and he wasn’t good for much other than being someone's pet.

“Surprisingly, I don’t think Dream really touched this kid at all.” Ponk finally said, lowering Junior back into the bathtub, a gold nugget clutched in each hand. “He was probably just a way to control Foolish, stop him from fighting back.”

“I’d love to call that good news,” Phil mumbled. “But that just means Dream will have to try harder to keep Foolish in line, now. That will definitely not be good for him.”

“We know how Dream works,” Bad spoke up. “It was easy to track him down once we knew it was Dream, we’ll find him again in no time.”

“Yeah, but apparently Dream can open up random portals whenever he wants,” Eret said, though they did hate being pessimistic. “That’s probably how he got in and took them without us noticing.”

“The weird thing about that is it shouldn’t even be possible.” Bad pointed out. Eret knew he was right, but they’d all seen it. “Like, not without a ton of extra energy. Like the kind he could get from Foolish.”

“Well that explains him being able to do it at his place,” Phil shrugged. “Maybe he got in here some other way?”

“What other way is there?” Eret asked, shaking their head. “This place is like a fortress, Phil. Him using those portals is the only thing that makes sense , except it doesn’t make sense at all because he didn’t have a source for that power.”

“Well, Maybe…” Ponk cut himself off, seeming to regret whatever he was about to say. They all looked at him expectantly, and Eret felt a pit open in their stomach at his words. “There’s got to be a few other hybrids as powerful as Foolish, right? Maybe… maybe he got the energy from, like… someone else.”

“Knowing him, it’s a possibility.” Bad didn’t seem very happy, acknowledging this. “That’d be really bad, though. I have no idea what kind of limits a hybrid like Dream has, how much energy he can harness at once. He could destroy himself and the people he’s taking it from if he’s not careful.”

“All the more reason to find him as soon as possible,” Eret said. “Even if he doesn’t have another person, we don’t want Foolish with him any longer than necessary. Does he still work with Antfrost and Sapnap and all them?”

“I think so.” Bad frowned thoughtfully. “I haven’t actually heard from Sapnap in awhile, I’ll try and get in contact to see what he knows.”

“Alright, and hopefully the group with Techno will have found something we can use.” Phil sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “And as much as I hate to say it… we can’t just stop working with Dream, after this. We need to actually do something.”

“I don’t think anyone here would let him get off very easy,” Eret muttered, glaring at the ceiling.

“Oh, I know.” Phil laughed. “I just want to add that disclaimer to our rule on avoidable deaths. Dream is exempt, anything you do to keep him from hurting people again is fine by my books, I’ll take care of it with any authorities.”

Shit. Eret’s eyes widened a bit. Phil had always been very harsh about this rule, as he did have to interact with external regulations that allowed them to help crush the black market. If he was actively telling them it was alright to take out Dream, and not just implying that accidents could happen… he was serious.

Oh, Dream was so fucking dead now.

“Have you decided to help, pet ?” Dream sneered, crouching in front of Foolish and grabbing his hair, forcing eye contact. Foolish winced, glancing from Dream’s face to Karl huddled on his mattress across the room.

“Y-yeah, I-I-I’ll help.” talking was so incredibly difficult, nowadays. He was dehydrated more than he’d probably been with the humans, as he hadn’t even been able to drink something for a few days. 

He had tried his best to get a read on what could be hurting Karl, and without getting close or being able to actually touch the guy’s head to feel it, the best guess he had was some kind of magical infection similar to what he’d gotten from the human’s restrictive magic. Foolish had never healed something like that, but he had to trust that he could funnel his energy into that kind of healing magic if he wanted to.

He could also tell, even from a distance, that the guy was in really bad shape. Like… life-threatening. Dream had probably known the guy was sick for a while and only cared now that he might lose him.

“I thought you’d come around.” Dream smiled, patting Foolish’s head condescendingly. “I’ll let you have one hand free, but I’ll be right next to you the whole time. If you try to escape or hurt me or anyone else, well, let’s just say it would be a bad idea.”

Foolish nodded, he was honestly shocked that Dream allowed to loosen the bonds even a bit. He’d been preparing himself to try and heal the guy with just intention, but that wasn’t likely to work very well.

Dream pulled him roughly across the room, pulling one of his hands from the rubber shackle it had been stuck in for… awhile. However long it had been. Foolish wasn’t sure.

“Get started, idiot, or I’ll think you’re trying to trick me.”

Foolish nodded quickly, pressing his fingertips gently to Karl’s forehead. Almost immediately, he felt the pressure of built-up energy push against them.

Oh. Shit. This was… Foolish swallowed thickly, throat burning. This guy had so many remnants of… of random bits of magic in his head, it was no wonder he was struggling.

“Wh-what… what kind of magic has- what does he do?” Foolish couldn't help but ask, as he tried to figure out how to siphon away the excess energy. This wasn’t something Dream would be able to do, this wasn’t natural . None of this energy was meant to be inside of Karl’s body, or soul. 

“Hmm.” Dream raised an eyebrow but seemed to accept that this was a necessary question. “Our friend here can astral project, you see. He’s been… helping me learn things I need to know. Why?”

“He-” Foolish’s throat caught, and he winced as he struggled to get the words out. Dream just looked at him, eyebrows raised impatiently. “There’s… other people’s mag-mag- magic is… it um… I think it latched onto him uh… while he projected? I’m not… not completely sure.”

“Well, are you gonna do anything about that?” Dream asked, seeming bored. Like he didn’t even care that this was most likely his fault. Of course, he didn’t care, that was stupid. He was a crazy person, he didn’t care about anything.

“I… I c-can try.” Foolish looked back down at Karl, thinking this through again.

They’d gotten the idle energy in him out with precious metal, giving it a path of some sort back into the universe. That worked for totem magic, but… but a lot of this magic was different. It was fire, life, memories… it was bits and pieces of everything.

It was begging him for an escape, too. The longer he tried to understand it, the harder it was pushing to escape Karl’s body through Foolish.

And… that might work. 

Foolish took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Looking at it practically, all he had to do here was… let the magic do what it wanted. It wanted to leave Karl’s head but needed some kind of conduit. He was, well… maybe ‘willing’ wasn’t the right term but, he was resigned to the fact that he could do that.

So, he forced the defensive wall on himself to drop, and the hundreds of tiny fragments shot through his fingers, seeming to assault his mind. It wasn’t like the hex, or curse, really. It was more chaotic, less malicious. 

“What are you doing?” Dream asked, voice suddenly uncertain. “What is that? What are you doing?”

“I-I-I’m…” Foolish whimpered, trying his best to keep the connection secure as more energy escaped from where it had built up. “I’m r-relieving th-the pressure…”

“What the fuck…” Dream waited a few more moments before shoving Foolish away, breaking the connection. “You’re gonna kill yourself, dumbass. You don’t get to do that.”

“S-since when d-do you care?” Foolish asked incredulously, grimacing as the foreign magic continued to flow through him, searching for a way back into the earth. 

“I choose when you die. I own you.” Dream snarled. “What’s your plan now, that you’ve got all that magic in your head?”

“I…” Foolish struggled to sit up, only for Dream to kick him back down. He really liked doing that, huh. “I don’t k-know.”

“Ridiculous.” Dream chuckled. “Did you even help Karl, with that?”

Right on cue, the guy groaned, reaching up to rub his forehead. Foolish glanced at him, then back at Dream.

“...Karl?” Dream ignored Foolish for that moment, leaning over to talk to the other hybrid. “You feeling better?”

“I… yeah? I’m not sure… the headache is gone? Where’s Sapnap, where are we?”

“Well, would you look at that, you really are good for something?” Dream laughed, leaving Karl to his confusion to pull Foolish’s hand back into the rubber restraints. “I hope you figure out how to help yourself, though. That’s some pretty nasty stuff.”

“Dream… please…” Foolish choked on a sob, shaking his head as if that would get the invading energy out. Dream ignored him, fastening the muzzle over his face again before leaving to go back to Karl.

Gods, Foolish just wanted all of this to end. He was trying his best to be optimistic, to help these fellow captives (?) as much as he could. But he hated this. He wanted to be able to grieve Junior, he wanted to be able to heal or at least just stop feeling anything at all. But no, he had to stay and endure whatever it was Dream wanted to do to him.

It was getting increasingly difficult to focus, as Dream helped Karl up and the two left, and Foolish was alone once again. All the different sensations were just… distracting. It was overwhelming, for sure, and he was starting to get a headache… but it didn’t feel invasive. Not like an actual curse or hex would be, just… a lot. No wonder that Karl guy had been so out of it, dealing with this for so long.

It didn’t bode well for Foolish, now that he thought about it. He had no idea how to get these out of his own head…

He wanted to go home.

Chapter Text

“So, Ant hasn’t heard from Sapnap or Dream in like, a month,” Bad said, slipping into the kitchen where most of the others were sitting, researching, and pretending to eat. “I… I helped him and Red check out some of their usual places, but I couldn't find him. I… I’m sure he would never help Dream do something like this, I-”

“Bad,” Puffy stood up, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Breathe, man. It’s okay, maybe Sapnap’s just gone off somewhere.”

“I… that’s not very likely, but…” Bad groaned, rubbing his forehead. “What did you guys find out? Has Techno called yet?”

“He said it was best if they came home with what they found.” Phil sighed. “Which, to be honest… doesn’t sound great. They should be getting home in a few minutes. Sit down, get something to eat.”

“Right.” Bad cast a glance at the table, where several people had sandwiches or pasta, barely nibbled on. Even so, he got himself a bowl of leftover noodles and sat down, listening to the tense silence, feeling sicker every second.

Every minute they spent here was wasted time. Foolish had already managed to get them information, summoning a god to help even as he got the energy and life sucked out of him by a madman. And what had they managed to do? Nothing.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair. They’d found Foolish, and Junior. They just hadn’t managed to save him before Dream took him to who knows where. But still, they needed to bring Foolish home as soon as possible.

“They’re back,” Phil said, sitting a bit straighter as the sound of car doors outside confirmed his statement. “I hope they have something we can use.”

Techno, Sam, and Quackity tracked into the kitchen, Sam’s arms full of various objects and papers and a few books that must be from Dream’s base.

Bad winced as he recognized Foolish’s hoodie in the bundle, as well as one of Junior’s blankets. 

“Oh, good, you’re here.” Sam dropped the things on the table, turning to Bad. “Sap’s definitely with him, Bad.”

“Wh-” Bad’s heart froze. “What? He- Sapnap would never do something like this! You… no, there’s no way-”

“No, no,” Sam waved his hands a bit. “I mean… do… is Sapnap engaged?”

“...not that I’m aware of.” Bad frowned. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“Letters, and a signed agreement,” Quackity muttered, gesturing to a bundle of papers. “Apparently, Dream has a habit of taking hostages.”

“Oh, Gods…” Bad felt sick.

“From what we can tell,” Sam cleared his throat. “Based on my readings of the magic in the base, and the stuff we found in those letters, there’s a very powerful hybrid with astral projection powers that Dream kidnapped. Name’s Karl, and is apparently Sapnap’s fiance.”

“That’s not great,” Phil muttered.

“The signed agreement is a contract between Dream and Sapnap, that as long as Sapnap doesn’t fight against Dream, he won’t take all of Karl’s energy completely. There is a bit about Sapnap not agreeing to actually do anything bad for Dream, but… well, you know how Dream is.” Sam sighed, slumping into a chair. “This is a lot more complicated than we thought.”

“Dream also happens to have correspondence with some black market traders,” Techno growled, holding up a few envelopes. “Apparently, he’s had a fair share of hostages before that he got tired of. Sold them, the bastard.”

“Oh my gods,” Puffy sounded near tears, though she had also tasked herself with untangling Foolish’s hoodie from the bundle. “I… hate him.”

“No rules when it comes to Dream,” Phil said, presumably for the benefit of the three who had been absent the first time. “I’ll take care of any legal problems.”

“Damn right.” Techno snorted. “You ready for our good news, then?”

“Oh, there’s good news and you decided to start with the horrible news?” Bad asked. He was trying his very best not to cry, but he’d never been great at containing his emotions. 

“Send us off with somethin’ sweet.” Techno shrugged. “Sam knows how to track the astral projecting dude.”

“And how to tell when someone is projecting nearby,” Sam added. “So I know we aren’t being spied on currently. I can work on a way to defend against it, but for now, I can keep an idle watch on the area. By… say tomorrow or tomorrow night, I’ll be able to track down where the projector is. Hopefully, Dream’s keeping them all in the same place now since we found where he had Foolish. Either way, we’ll find Dream.”

“Thank god.” Puffy sighed, burying her head in her hands. “We need this to end.”

This was a lot. Foolish’s vision felt fuzzy, and he blinked rapidly trying to clear it. He was… tired. Yeah, tired. Exhausted, even. Dream hadn’t come in here for a while, but he was still exhausted. Much too exhausted to try and escape.

It didn’t exactly hurt, though he was definitely in pain somewhere. It was mostly just incessant sensations, sensations of everything. He could hardly think to process what was going on, or what had happened, he just… felt so much. It was a lot.

The door opened, and someone slipped inside. Foolish didn’t look over to see who it was, he didn’t move at all. That sounded like far too much work.

“...hey.” the person crouched in front of him wasn’t Dream. It was… it was that guy. Sapnap. Bad’s son. 

Foolish peered at him curiously, wincing as he tried to tear his attention away from the shards of magic inside his head. They were much more annoying when he didn’t give them attention.

“You… you helped him.” Sapnap glanced at the door, licking his lips anxiously. “You didn’t have to.”

Foolish was muzzled and wasn’t sure what he would say if he wasn’t.

“And… gods, you just… you just took whatever was hurting him, and now you’re getting hurt. You don’t even know him, or me. What the hell…” Sapnap sighed, and Foolish was numbly surprised when he pulled the muzzle down around Foolish’s neck, pulling a bag of crackers from his pocket. “I… he doesn’t know I’m in here. I just…”

Foolish found he was unable to speak, even with his mouth free. That was… well, he didn’t have quite enough awareness to process that. But it wasn’t great. 

“I’m sorry I can’t help you,” Sapnap said, awkwardly putting a few of the crackers in Foolish’s mouth. 

After Foolish once again failed to reply, Sapnap seemed to give up on the conversation. But he did give Foolish all the crackers he had, before putting the muzzle back on and leaving. It wasn’t a lot, but it was definitely something.

Foolish shook his head, though he knew that wouldn’t help to clear the magic away. He was just tired, he wanted a break from it at least. But no, there was no good way of getting this magic out of him. Most of it wasn’t even magic he knew how to use.

He wanted to… he wanted to not feel like this. He needed to focus, he needed to be able to think. He… he knew he’d gotten Herobrine to tell the alliance where he was. But then… a few days later, he woke up here to the news that Junior had been killed in an escape attempt.

Had the alliance found him, and that’s what happened? That was the only thing that made sense. Except one would think that the alliance would have managed to actually save him.

Foolish winced, focus dropping as his head started to throb. Ow. Ow, that was… that was painful. It hurt to ignore the magic, that was odd. It was like all these tiny pieces needed to be noticed like they were alive . Foolish knew they weren't alive, but magic was a weird thing. He let the feeling of them rushing around his head take back over, and the pain faded away. 

Foolish wasn't sure how long he just… sat there. Experiencing all those sensations, emotions, fragments of intentions.

Hah, intentions. That was all he needed to get help, to get a friendly face and voice. He just needed to put a fragment of energy into inviting Herobrine to exist. 

"...Totem, I'm so sorry." The voice barely got through Foolish's hazy thoughts. "T-totem? Are… can you hear me?"

He tried not to focus on the voice, he didn't want his head to start hurting again and he didn't want to deal with Dream right now.

"Foolish!"

Someone grabbed him, and Foolish jumped a bit, looking up to see it wasn't Dream or even Sapnap. It was Herobrine. He must have summoned him accidentally.

"Oh, gods… what did they do to you?" Herobrine fumbled with the muzzle, but Foolish still couldn't speak. He could hardly focus enough to understand, and his throat was killing him.

"Are… you'll be okay, Totem," Herobrine said, looking frantic. "I'll go back to the alliance, they said they would get you. They promised me you'd be safe, I'll go back and help them. I…"

Foolish rested his head back, against the wall, and let the magic inside it drown out Herobrine's voice. He was too tired for this… what if the alliance didn't even want him back? This was a whole hassle, they had other hybrids to save.

"Don't think like that! They care about you, Totem! I'll be back, I promise we'll be back. Just hold on a little while longer, we'll get you home."

Foolish didn't hear, or at least process, anything else Herobrine said to him. But he knew the god reluctantly muzzled him again, hugging him gently before he floated off presumably to the alliance's estate.

Huh. Interesting.

Herobrine felt devastated. Sure, he'd had to glimpse bits of Foolish's life as a possession before, he'd hated not being able to help. But this… this was a whole new ball game.

Firstly, Foolish had been out. He'd been safe and learning how to connect and use his magic. He'd finally, finally been okay .

Second… Herobrine had no idea what Dream could have done to cause this. Foolish was nearly catatonic, and Herobrine could feel the foreign magic beneath his skin, all fighting for attention. 

None of that magic belonged to Foolish, and none of it belonged to Dream either. It was just… fragmented existence. There should be no way for that to get inside Foolish's head. 

Herobrine struggled to keep himself present, existing in the physical world as he teleported to the kitchen of the alliance's estate. He kept the location in mind, so he could get it to them, and materialized in the midst of an argument.

"Of course I'm going with you!" Badboyhalo shrieked. "He has- he has Sapnap and Foolish both! No way I'm staying behind!"

"We can't have people act irrationally, we need to focus on finding them and you're way too invested-"

"We're all invested!" The demon interrupted Phil. "I- holy muffin."

"You… what happened?" Herobrine rasped, finally real enough to speak. "You said you'd find him, I… I gave you his exact location! What… how did…"

"We did find him," Eret spoke up, voice hollow. "Dream can create portals now, he got away before we could stop him."

"I… Do you have any idea…" Herobrine's physical form glitched slightly, and he winced. "My… Dream is doing things that shouldn't even be thought about, let alone attempted. This isn't like some… some ignorant human who wants something pretty, he's going to destroy Foolish from the inside out and you're here arguing about petty things!"

It wasn't often that Herobrine got angry. The last time he had, he'd started an entire war a decade or so ago. 

"We're trying our best here!" Phil protested. "We can't risk losing him again if something goes wrong, we want him back just as badly."

"I don't-" Herobrine shuddered. "I can't exist for this long, you… I'm going to start breaking reality, I… please please don't fail him like this. He deserves more, you know he does."

"Give me the info," Eret said firmly, and Herobrine complied. "Next time we see you… we'll have him back. I promise you that."

"I'm not the one you should be worried about." Herobrine hissed, then let go of the thin grasp he had on reality. 

Then once again, he felt himself fade to just an idea. An idea with grieving, twisting guilt.

"We had it narrowed down correctly," Eret said, breaking the thick silence. They circled one of the two locations they'd had left. "He's there, in a room off the kitchen."

"It'll take a few hours to get there." Phil noted. "but everyone is on standby, Bad-"

"We just got yelled at by a god for focusing on stupid things." Bad snapped. "I'm going, let's get everything together and head out."

The bustle of gathering papers, calling people from the gym and backyard, and loading first aid equipment into the two vehicles they'd be using took over. Eret let themself be swept up in it, but they were distracted by the other information Herobrine had left in their head.

It may not have been intentional, it may have been a punishment for failing the first time. 

Along with his location, Eret was haunted by an echo of Foolish's thoughts, of grief and betrayal and self-loathing. Self-blame . The thought that no one was coming, the thought that Foolish deserved what was happening.

It made Eret feel sick, but also so much more determined. Foolish was going to get out, and he was going to get out today. They were going to bring him back tonight, and Dream was going to be dead.

It was a much more violent thought than Eret usually had, but they couldn't find it in them to care. Herobrine was right - Foolish deserved better, and the alliance as a whole had failed him.

"Hey, idiot." 

Foolish's attention was grabbed when Dream yanked him forward. He wasn't sure when Dream got here, or if he'd said anything before this, but he was here now. The focus made his head pound, but Dream didn't let him space out again.

Horrifically, Foolish was flattered that Dream wanted him to be so present.

He pinched tightly on one of the scales on Foolish's face, which was already twisted and painful from the muzzle. Foolish let out a strangled sob when he pulled it out, smirking cruelly. 

"There you are, I thought you'd died or something." He sneered. "How're you feeling after that stupid stunt you pulled?"

Bad. He was feeling very bad.

But he was oh so glad to not be alone, to have this torturous distraction from hating himself. He was… glad that Dream was back. He felt sick.

"You don't think about things, that's what makes you so stupid ." Dream sighed. "That's why your son is dead, it's why all your supposed friends abandoned you with me. That's why you're in this mess, you never had a chance to be anything but a toy. "

Every few words, Dream located another twisted scale and pulled it out. Foolish felt blood trail down his face and neck, and Dreams' eyes followed it.

He was smiling… was this finally something he liked about Foolish? His golden blood? At least there was something he liked.

"You're so clearly a showpiece, pet . Even your blood is pretty, it's a shame your voice is so ugly that people have to find ways to keep you quiet."

Well now that was just hurtful, and maybe it was true but still. Dream truly just wanted him to suffer, didn't he?

"And you're so… delicious." Foolish's entire body spasmed when Dream started to drain energy from him again, and Foolish screwed his eyes shut. 

"That idiot, Bad, got upset when I treated you as a resource. but Foolish, this is all you're good for. You're so useful to me, as a pet. Much more useful than you could be anywhere else."

That… that wasn't true. Foolish knew that, and he held onto it as tightly as he could. He wasn't meant to be useful, no person was meant to be useful. They were meant to exist, and live, and learn. Life was sacred, and not just a resource to burn through. He knew that and Dream couldn't convince him otherwise. 

So why was there a sick pleasure in being wanted, plaguing the back of his mind?

"And where's Bad now, hmm? He abandoned you, Foolish. They all did. Eret got immortality and didn't need you anymore. You're stuck, just accept it."

That didn't sound like his friends. Foolish scowled, and Dream pulled out another scale on his cheek, making Foolish's eyes water. 

"You're so… weak like this." Dream chuckled, finishing his ritual of taking Foolish's energy and shoving his face against the ground. "So many people would pay good money for this, Foolish. To have a pretty totem that couldn't fight back if he wanted to. Maybe I'll start up a new business, keep your power and get money from giving you more purpose."

Honestly? Foolish didn't doubt that Dream would do such a thing. He tried to sit up, but Dream slammed his head into the wall, making his vision stutter, and the magic there protested loudly, distractingly, overwhelming him so much that Foolish started to sob, almost silent from the injuries in his throat. 

"Pathetic." Dream scoffed. "It's your own fault, that one. You invited that magic, you have to live with it. Maybe if Karl gets some stuck again, you can get some more."

Oh, gods. The idea of more magic being shoved into Foolish's body was horrible. He shook his head weakly, and Dream reached forward and scooped up a bit of the blood from his face before smearing it back on, chuckling at Foolish's disgust and pain.

"Maybe I won't rent you out," he hummed. "I kinda like the idea of having you all to myself, pet. You regenerate just enough that I can cause pain with little consequences… I love watching you in pain."

Oh, gods. Foolish knew what was coming as soon as Dream said that, roughly flipping Foolish onto his back on the floor.

He'd already been robbed of his hoodie, days or weeks ago when Dream kidnapped him. The swim trunks he was wearing were grimy and worn out, but still offered that protective layer from the outside world.

Dream was quick to rid him of that comfort, and Foolish's head throbbed as physical pain kept him from spacing out and giving the magic the attention it wanted. 

Dream continued pulling out scales, making a trail of blood down his neck and chest. 

He really got off on pain, Foolish thought numbly. Dream was fucking insane , and Foolish was stuck with him.

He knew Dream was talking, taunting him, and insulting him. Foolish just… couldn't hear it. He couldn't process it, not with the barrage of sensation in his head, across his body. 

Foolish knew that he was partially so disconnected due to this magic, but he also knew he’d experienced this feeling many times before. Other times, when other owners would violate him in similar ways. Puffy had said it was called dissociating, that it was common in this kind of situation. Foolish hated it. 

Harsh pain in one of his knees brought Foolish’s attention back to the present, back to the floor he was lying on, and back to what Dream was doing. 

“Just because you’re an idiot doesn’t mean I’m going to let you ignore me.” Dream snarled, twisting Foolish’s leg further, threatening to pop it out of place or break it. Foolish wasn’t sure how knees worked, actually. “If you try to do that again, I’ll shatter it. You know I will.”

Foolish believed that. Dream had gotten close enough to breaking a bone before when Foolish did something he didn’t like. So Foolish fought to keep his attention in the moment, despite the fact that he desperately wanted to be anywhere else.

It was difficult, more than it should be, to pay attention to what was going on. Dream continued to put the pressure on his knee, grin widening as Foolish’s face twisted in pain.

Before Dream did anything else, however, there was a loud clatter from the next room over. Dream froze, brow furrowed.

"What the hell…" he glanced at Foolish and smirked, suddenly slamming his leg down in a way it definitely shouldn't go, and a scream ripped from his throat as Dream stood and kicked him into a heap against the wall.

"I'll be back, pet. I'm not done with you."

Dream didn't know what was going on, but he was pissed. It had taken weeks to get Foolish to a point where he wouldn't fight against this, and now what? What was so important that Sapnap and Karl had to interrupt?

He slammed the door open, then stopped and stared in surprise to see a good amount of alliance members coming his way.

The noise had apparently been from a box falling over, where Bad was hugging Sapnap tightly near where Karl was restrained.

"Dream." Eret stopped a few feet away, Techno and Sam looming behind them. Dream rolled his eyes, lifting a hand to send them flying back… only for nothing to happen.

"Wh-"

"Afraid to fight without your powers, Dream?" Techno drawled, picking his ax up off the floor.

Dream finally spotted the cursed device on Sam's belt, a radius of stifled magic. Goddamnit, that bastard. 

"You want the pathetic totem back this badly?" He laughed, stepping back into the room where Foolish was. "You're all more stupid than I thought."

"I'm going to kill you!" Eret snarled, surging forward and taking Dream by surprise. 

Eret had never been violent, they used magic. Dream wasn't expecting the dagger they drew, forcing him to stumble backward. 

"Oh, come on. I simply want what he has to give." Dream said, dodging the blade narrowly. "Don't tell me you're different, you took immortality from him first."

"He offered it!" Eret yelled. "And you're taking so much more than that, you bastard!" Their steps faltered, and Dream knew they'd spotted Foolish in the corner where he'd dropped. The hesitation should have been an opening, but Dream surged forward only to feel the blade of Eret's dagger skewer his chest.

Everything stopped, all at once. Dream gasped for breath, hands shooting up to the wound.

"I'm not a liar, Dream. I said I'd kill you." Eret hissed, twisting the weapon before pulling it out. "You're the scum of the earth, and any day you continue to breathe is a day I hate to share with you."

"Wh- c'mon." Dream stumbled back, dizzy, vision fuzzing. "Y- no one cares about a toy this much."

"He's not a toy," Eret said darkly, surging forward and stabbing him again. "You're just a sick bastard with no real friends."

That was the last thing Dream heard before he felt his consciousness dissolve as his body slumped downward.

The next thing he heard was a voice thick with tears, pure white eyes stabbing into him.

"You're in my world now, demon. And you've got a lot to answer for."

Eret had seen Foolish dissociate before. Never this badly, but considering what Dream was doing when they found him Eret wasn't surprised that Foolish was looking for an escape.

What was really concerning was that in the past ten minutes, they hadn't gotten Foolish to respond to them even when they moved him, and surely jostled injuries.

"Foolish, you're gonna be okay." They said for the hundredth time. "You're gonna be fine, we're going home, Foolish."

"His legs are… Dream definitely did something to his legs, I don't know if he can walk right now." Sam reported, gesturing to the ugly bruises across Foolish's knees. One if which was bent at a sickening angle, either broken or dislocated. "Foolish, can… do you want to let me check out your arms?"

Foolish didn't give any hint that he heard Sam's request, sitting huddled in the blanket they'd given him and staring blankly at the floor.

"Foolish, I'm gonna pull on your wrist okay?" Sam said despite this, gently pulling one of Foolish's arms from the blanket, stretching it out. Foolish was chillingly pliant, not resisting the control. 

Eret felt increasingly ill as Sam frowned, running a gentle finger across the scales of Foolish's arm. They were a dull gray, maybe faintly silver at some points. 

"That's… probably not great," Sam mumbled. "Can you feel me touching your arm, Foolish?"

Eret didn't know why he asked, as Foolish hadn't been responding to anything at all. Sure enough, Foolish kept looking blankly ahead of himself, seeming oblivious to their concern.

"I don't know what… I don't know what to do here." Sam seemed lost, looking at Eret as if they'd know anything more. 

"Is he going to be alright?" Eret glanced across the room, to where the two other captives they'd found were sitting with Bad and Phil, getting checked over for injuries. "He… he didn't have to help, he shouldn't have. Dream said- it was pretty bad…"

Eret looked at Sam, eyebrows raised, and the creeper hybrid stood and crossed the room, asking Sapnaps fiance what he was talking about.

A timid hand brushed their shoulder, and Eret's head snapped back to Foolish, who was looking over at them, expression still very distant. Almost like he was looking at something no one else could see or something. 

"Hey, it's me. It’s Eret. I'm here, you're safe." Eret promised, resisting the urge to grab Foolish in a hug. Foolish seemed ready to cry, glazed eyes skating over the scene in the room.

"He's dead, he can't hurt you," Eret promised.  

Foolish grimaced, a strangled, horrible sound of pain escaping his lips as he grabbed his head with one hand. His other hand shot to the ground, almost as if he wanted to get a handful out of the concrete.

"... Foolish?"

Foolish didn't speak, but he almost didn't have to. He opened his eyes to meet Eret's, the distance fading just for a moment as he did so. Eret felt that flash of emotions again, that Herobrine had shown them. 

Pain, frustration, acceptance, and of course the overwhelming feeling of guilt.

"This isn't your fault, Foolish," Eret said firmly. Foolish blinked a few times, expression dropping as he became distant again. "You're gonna be okay, it's not your fault."

Foolish was numbly aware that someone was carrying him, and it should have been much more stressful seeing as he didn't have any clothes. But he knew he trusted this person, his hulking form and green fuzz. Sam. It was Sam, he trusted Sam.

Sam carried him up out of the basement he was in, to a waiting car that Foolish thought he should recognize. 

Eret stayed close, for which Foolish was glad. He knew that as soon as he got a moment to process anything, he was going to fall apart. 

Even knowing he was safe, Foolish still felt like he'd lost everything. Dream had taken it from him. His safety, his hoodie, his very life force, his son… everything. 

Dream was dead, though. He'd seen the body, which was being dealt with by a scowling Technoblade and Quackity. It was awfully chilling, to see someone who had affected him so much become a corpse.

"We're gonna get you clothes as soon as we get back," Sam murmured. "We didn't realize… I'm sorry, Foolish. We left in a hurry, forgot to grab any."

Foolish wished he could tell Sam it was okay, he knew they wouldn't do anything. The blanket was enough for the trip home. But he couldn't talk, so he just nodded his head against Sam's chest.

His head hurt. Really, his entire body hurt. He didn’t have enough energy for regeneration, so the bandages slowly tinted gold as the bleeding continued, before scabbing over. He could barely feel his feet or hands, which was probably bad- ow, magic. Foolish let his attention drift away again, letting the sensations take over even though he wanted to be where he was, now.

He wanted to be with his friends on the way home. Safe. But to focus on that, he would just make everything worse. 

“We’ll figure this out,” Eret said. Foolish heard their voice as if it was in water, or through a door. They briefly leaned over, brushing shoulders with him. “It’s okay, we’ll figure it out soon.”

Did they know what was going on? Foolish wondered idly, letting his gaze drift around the vehicle. There had been more people than this, maybe they took two. He remembered seeing Sapnap and Karl, seeing them with Bad as everything wound down. 

Maybe the two of them explained what Foolish had taken from Karl’s head, about the remnants from his astral projecting too often. Maybe they knew how to fix it and just needed to get home. 

Foolish missed home. He missed the pool, and the library, and drinking coffee and hot chocolate in the kitchen. He missed when Tommy would show up in the middle of the night, and make tea, and talk about things Foolish didn’t understand but he listened anyway. He missed learning about magical history with Eret, and he missed sitting in the bathroom and telling Junior about his day.

Oh, gods, Junior…

Foolish’s thoughts were forced back to reality and he choked on a sob, it tore at his throat and he grimaced, trying his best to hold them back.

“Foolish?” Eret leaned over immediately, gently taking one of his hands in their own. 

Junior was dead. He’d gotten his life force cruelly sucked out of him, gods, Foolish hated himself for it. He should have done something, he should have figured out a way to keep him safe.

“Foolish, you’re alright. Everything’s alright.” Eret whispered bracingly, squeezing his hand. “I… I know it’s a lot, I’m sorry we couldn't get to you sooner.”

How had no one realized yet, that Junior was gone? Foolish didn’t understand, and his head was screaming at him to pay attention to the magic, but…

“I-” even trying to speak made Foolish feel like he was dying, the way it pulled at his throat. He whimpered miserably, burying his head in Eret’s shoulder.

“Foolish…”

“Is there anything we can do right now, Foolish?” Sam asked gently. “To make you more comfortable, anything painful we can deal with right here?”

Foolish shook his head. He knew they were trying to help, he knew they hadn’t abandoned him and probably wouldn’t blame him for Junior’s death. But… but it was his fault, wasn’t it?

“We’ll be home soon.” Eret offered. “You can sleep in your own bed again, see Finley and Junior and everyone.”

That broke him.

Foolish let out a miserable cry, all too aware of the blood he tasted in the back of his throat. Why would Eret say that? They had to know that Junior was gone. Maybe it was a mistake, they hadn’t meant to include him, but it still hurt more than Foolish would have imagined.

“Wh- is that not okay?” Eret stammered. “Do you want to go somewhere else, is there someone specific you don’t want to see? I… I’m so sorry, Foolish. I didn’t mean to make you more upset.”

“...is it about Junior?” Sam asked, and Foolish curled in on himself to try and prevent the painful sobs. He nodded. “Do… Foolish, do you remember our first rescue attempt at all?”

….what?

Foolish lifted his head, peering through the tears at Sam’s face, finding him deadly serious.

“We found you, and we got so close to saving you,” Sam whispered, looking heartbroken. “But Dream pushed you through a portal, we were just barely too late to get you. We did, though, get Junior home safe. Dream didn’t have time to take him.”

Oh, gods. Foolish stared at Sam, trying to figure out if this was some kind of cruel joke, a lie to get him to calm down, anything but the truth. Sam looked back, still looking devastated at this conversation.

“Junior is okay, Foolish. He’s been getting the gold he needs, and he’s been in his tub. Puffy’s made sure the salinity is perfect for him.” Sam insisted. “Dream didn’t hurt him, I promise.”

Foolish sobbed again, but this time out of shattered relief.

“Oh, Foolish…” Eret whispered. “Did… Dream said something horrible, didn’t he?”

“I-I…” Foolish ignored the pain, forcing himself to speak. “He’s… I didn’t get him killed?”

“Gods, no, Foolish. He’s alive, I swear on my life.” Sam promised. “You helped him, you got Junior out of there by contacting us with… with you know. I’m so, so sorry we couldn't get you out at the same time.”

Foolish collapsed against Eret’s side, and Eret wrapped him in a gentle hug.

All the grief, the terror and hatred, and grief that had stirred inside him was a lie. It was relieving, and devastating all at the same time. He’d been so terrified, so crushed by Junior’s death, he never considered that it was another one of Dream’s cruel lies.

But he trusted Sam and Eret, and they said he was alive. What's more, Foolish had helped him get to safety.

So why did he still feel disgusted with himself?

Chapter Text

Once home, Sam bundled Foolish up in the blanket again and carried him up to the infirmary, where he got a clean pair of swim trunks and a hoodie - though it wasn’t his favorite blue one. That one Dream had taken, and he didn’t know where it had gone. It was bright pink, though, and it was very soft. 

Ponk seemed very concerned about Foolish’s legs, arms, and throat. Foolish wasn’t paying too much attention, preoccupied with the sensations from the magic in his brain. He was given a healing potion that Bad had made, and it did soothe his throat a lot. 

The ease of the pain just made it easier for Foolish to slip away, however. No longer forced to feel as much reality, he found his senses overrun by bursts of thought, ice, flame, water… everything. 

It was all so overwhelming, he just let himself go numb again. He was barely aware of the people around him, as Ponk examined his arms and legs and wrapped compression bandages around his knees. There was a horrible moment as they had to set the broken bone on his left, and Foolish nearly passed out from the pain. The bandages on his ripped scales were replaced with clean ones, and someone held a glass of water to his lips to help him drink.

Were they annoyed that he wasn’t very present? Foolish didn’t think he’d be able to get out of his own mind, for awhile. It was all just so much, he didn’t need external stimuli making it all worse. 

At some point, they got him laid down on an infirmary bed and he was vaguely aware of Eret leaving, and his chest stung with disappointment. 

It could have been minutes, it could have been an hour, but then Eret was suddenly back, a precious bundle in their arms that they rested on Foolish’s chest, helping him wrap his arms around it.

It was Junior.

Foolish was pulled out of that fog, slightly, and he gripped Junior as tightly as he could without being afraid of hurting him. 

He could feel Junior breathing, even and deep. He was alive. He was right here, he was alive. He’d be alright out of the water for a bit, and Foolish was glad. He never wanted to let go of his son again, not after what happened. 

"Get some sleep, Foolish." Ponk said. Foolish barely heard him through the chaos in his head. "We're gonna try and help you more tomorrow, we're getting some help with the magic aspect."

Foolish didn't know if he slept, but he let himself disconnect from reality to ease the headache.

He was finally home.

The energy of the house had shifted drastically, the past day. Finley hovered by the door, debating whether or not she should open it.

Ponk said she was allowed to leave the room, go to the kitchen or the library as long as their legs didn't hurt. 

The idea of that freedom was paralyzing, but Finley wanted to see what was happening. 

She wasn't prying into the energy, but on the surface level, she could sense that it was that of frantic hope, optimism, relief. Still fear, and concern, but… but it was a lot more good than bad.

Finley took a deep breath, slowly pulling the door open to peer into the hallway. Her room was close to the kitchen, a kid named Tommy had recently moved upstairs, and then she'd arrived and received this room. 

The kitchen was full of people, but they were relaxing more than she'd seen in a while. Quackity and Puffy were there. 

Puffy spotted her first, standing awkwardly in the doorway. The sheep choked on her coffee, seeming surprised.

"Finley! You're up and about, do you feel alright?"

Finley was confused by the warmth, the kindness, as Puffy got up and guided her to a chair. They weren't in trouble for leaving their room… that was nice.

"Did something happen?" Finley asked. "I… I promise I'm not trying to use magic, I just… the air feels different." 

"You know what's been going on, kid?" Quackity asked. Finley nodded.

"I know Mister Foolish went missing." She listed. "I know you were trying to find him, and the first time went bad. Ponk told me, but he said I didn't need details."

"Hah, yeah… the details are no good." Quackity nodded thoughtfully.

"We found him," Puffy said, putting a mug of something warm in front of Finley. "He's in really bad shape, in the infirmary. But he's safe, and the person who hurt him is dead. You probably won't be able to talk to him for a little while longer."

"I see." Finley squinted down at the drink, it smelled very good. "Everyone is okay, then? Or… or we're safe?"

"We're safe," Puffy promised. "No need to worry, Foolish will get better." 

Finley nodded, thinking all this over while she tasted the drink, finding it wonderful. 

"How are your legs, I didn't realize you were doing so well?" Puffy's voice had an odd lilt to it, but Finley didn't pry.

"I can walk pretty good, but they still hurt some of the time." Finley shrugged. "Mister Foolish told me that pain isn't normal, at least with just walking."

"He's right." Puffy had a pained expression on her face. 

That made at least three people who were sad when Finley mentioned thinking pain was normal. She thought this over, drinking in silence with the two older hybrids. 

They were sad that Finley was wrong, maybe. Or… on her behalf? Sad because they were so used to something that was, apparently, bad. That was odd. Maybe Finley was misunderstanding their expressions? Expressions were hard, especially when she couldn't just read their minds.

This was a mystery that Finley wouldn’t solve in a day, they finally decided. Finley finished the mug and went to the sink to rinse it out, listening idly to the murmur of voices, soft enough she couldn't hear what they said. They were tilted with concern, but she forced herself not to pry deeper, instead making her way back to the bedroom.

Foolish was home, that was good. Finley had missed him.

“I’m not sure what this magic is.” Bad finally said, dropping the runes from around Foolish’s bed. “It's… it's almost alive or something. The same wheelhouse as a hex or nasty curse, but… but it’s different.”

“I don’t think it’s something that was supposed to ever exist,” Sam muttered, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Are… Karl, are you okay with us asking questions that might not make sense?”

“Huh?” the guy looked up, Sapnap following suit from their spot in the corner of the infirmary. “S-sorry, I… what did you say?”

“Do you have any idea what this thing is, that he took out of your head?” Bad asked, gesturing to Foolish, asleep. Karl grimaced, shoulders hunching. “We just want to figure out how to get rid of it, especially in case it happens again.”

“I… I don’t think it will happen again.” Karl murmured. “You… well, he’s dead.”

“Figures, Dream had something to do with this.” Sam groaned. “He got into a nasty habit of messing with magic that shouldn’t be messed with.”

“He wanted a way to monitor my astral projections,” Karl explained softly. “To learn things, y’know. Spy on people. He didn’t trust me to tell the truth, so… he put some kind of connection to him in my head?”

“That sounds like a mindwalker thing, but Dream isn’t a mindwalker,” Bad murmured thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s been trying to mimic it? I mean, we know he wanted that ability because he tried to steal it from Eret years ago, even though that’s impossible.”

“What would happen if someone knew how to make a mind link, but didn’t have the right kind of magic?” Sam asked thoughtfully. Bad shuddered, just thinking about that was… yikes.

“Honestly… probably something like this,” he admitted. “Magic doesn’t like being forced into a role it’s not meant for. It wants to do its thing, not some other thing. That’s why raw magic like Foolish has is so powerful. Dream has something similar, but it’s just harder for him to get enough power to actually do anything.”

“So, he somehow got enough energy to create this.” Sam summed up. Bad followed his gaze to Sapnap and Karl, both pale and exhausted looking. Wasn’t too hard to guess how Dream got that. “And put it in Karl’s head?”

“It was killing him,” Sapnap said, voice rough and quiet. “He… he I think it went wrong? Dream was frustrated, but he still made Karl start to… to project, and spy on you, and then…”

“I wasn’t able to go back into my body, with that thing there.” Karl finished. “And then the totem guy showed up, and somehow pulled it into his own head.”

“Dream was pissed, but I think he actually liked to watch him suffer,” Sapnap mumbled. “He’s such a freak, I… I’m sorry, Bad.”

“It's not your fault,” Bad said firmly. “You were trying to keep Karl safe, I understand that. You guys just rest, okay? We’ll… we’ll try to figure this thing out.”

He pulled Sam out to the hall so that hopefully the three injured hybrids would get some rest and stop thinking about all this, even just for a little while.

"This isn't good," Sam said, shoulders slumping. "What… how do we fix something like this?"

"I don't know, I can try a curse removal ritual but it's risky." Bad grimaced. "I've been studying them since what happened to Eret, but I've never removed a curse before. Especially not one like this, I'd need help from other magical hybrids."

"Well, most of them are either incapacitated or the person we need to help." Sam sighed. "Do you think the celestials would help?"

"Ugh," Bad didn't know how to feel about that. "I mean… they probably would. You heard how they felt about Foolish, they were practically ready to worship him."

"Yeah…"

"I just don't know if Foolish would want them here." Bad sighed. "But… if we can't find anything else, I don't know if we have a choice but to ask them."

Foolish had tried to pay attention as they explained what ritual they were attempting, to pull the foreign magic from his head. It was difficult, but he tried. His entire body ached, and the head pains were making his vision go blurry. 

He did know that Eret was not here, they were taking care of Junior. He honestly didn't want them to see him like this, not when an unknown spell was about to be cast on him.

"Are you ready, Foolish?" Sam asked gently, drawing Foolish's attention back. Foolish nodded, closing his eyes and huddling a bit deeper into his hoodie. 

He dimly heard Bad start to murmur something, and the two celestials that were helping (George and Niki), rested their hands on Foolish's shoulders.

That's when he thought something might be going wrong.

The magic hated what was happening. It attacked his mind, feeling all too similar to the hex he'd stumbled upon as a child.

"Stop- Bad, stop!" 

"Wh- I'm not… that shouldn't happen. I don't-"

Their voices faded out, and Foolish idly wondered if he was dying. After everything, after finally making it home, was this it?

When all the pain vanished, and he felt a cool dampness in the air around him, Foolish assumed it was. He was dead. 

"You're not dead, love."

It was a new voice, soft and booming and it echoed around the… cave? 

Foolish opened his eyes, finding himself sitting in an underwater grotto, legs dangling over the ledge. Next to him sat a woman he knew he'd never seen, but she felt familiar anyway. 

"I…" it didn't hurt to talk. Foolish looked around, then back at the woman. She was tall, with a round face and soft arms. She looked like she gave great hugs. "Who are you?"

"I'm who you call the goddess." She laughed, and Foolish smiled. "But my loved ones know me as Kristen, call me that."

"I- my… my lady…" Foolish knew who she was, now. This was the goddess who created the very first totems, she was everything . "That's… I'm dead, right?"

"Foolish…" she smiled sadly. "The illness you invited into yourself is unique and deadly. An abomination. By doing such a thing, you traded your life for that of Karl Jacobs. A stranger to you."

"It… it was going to kill him," Foolish said softly. "I… life is important."

"Yes." The goddess looked at him, mouth tilted upwards in a smile. "Foolish, you may have been claimed by just one god, a minor one at that. But Herobrine was right to do so. You're precious and powerful, and you make the world a better place."

"Oh." Foolish didn't know what to say to that. 

"The universe itself adores you, Foolish. The actions of individuals within it… that doesn't reflect what it feels for you. You are more than what people have done to you."

Foolish tilted his head, baffled. He really didn't know what was happening right now.

"The invention of a magical disease, like the one forced into Karl Jacobs' mind, wasn't something of the universe." Her voice darkened, and Foolish shivered. "It was the creation of a power-hungry mad man, and you had the misfortune of catching his eye."

"Dream." Foolish guessed, and she nodded. 

"Your death, if it happens here, would be against the universe's very intention and design," Kristen explained. "It would be cruel, devastating to all of existence."

"Why?" Foolish shook his head. "I'm… I'm just me ."

"You understand life, existence, love… to a greater extent than almost anyone else." Her voice filled with passion, adoration , and Foolish felt overwhelmed. "You have the potential to bring a race of people back from the brink of extinction, you can find the remnants of your clan and improve the culture of my legacy."

"...there's others left?" That was a lot to unpack, but the goddess seemed to gloss over it.

"The universe won't allow you to die from something it never wanted to exist," Kristen said firmly. "The man who created this illness is dead, being punished for eternity. He wanted eternal existence from you, and he'll be plagued by it in his afterlife."

"Oh." Foolish had almost forgotten that Dream was dead. 

"You will not die." The goddess put a hand on his shoulder, and Foolish felt a shadow of his physical pains back in… reality? Weird. "Your body will need to recover, I can only banish the abomination of a curse from your mind. Magical wounds that weren't meant to happen, I will mend them. The physical, emotional damage inflicted… you must heal from that without me."

"Okay." Foolish felt oddly content with that. He knew it would be bad, his knee was broken, his throat ripped apart, and god knows what else. But he didn't want to die, and he didn't want to live with that magic in his head.

"You'll remember this when you get back," Kristen told him. "I want you to remember what I told you, how loved you are."

"I… I'll remember." Foolish hadn't really processed that bit yet. This was a lot. 

Kristen smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

And then he was gone.

"I don't know what happened!" Bad said, fighting back tears as they tried to rouse Foolish from unconsciousness, all magic banished from the area. "That's never happened before!"

"The magic in his head is something I've never seen." Niki offered. "The results couldn't have been expected."

"Well is he going to be… is he going to wake up?"

Muffin, Bad didn't know . But the idea that he might have killed Foolish, after everything they'd done to keep him safe, after the way he'd improved everyone's lives here… he couldn't live with that.

"It's not like his pulse stopped." George offered. "He's… asleep." 

"You think everyone is asleep," Niki said.

"That just doesn't make sense."

"What do we do, how… how do we help him?" Sam asked. Bad blinked back tears, looking down as Foolish slept calmly. It was almost chilling, the lack of emotion on his face. 

"I don't know." He stepped back, feeling his mind spiral a second before he followed it. "I… I don't know what I'm doing here, Sam! No one knows what that thing was he invited into his head, not even Karl knew! This might have helped, but maybe I killed him! I don't know!"

"Hey, calm down." Sam scowled. "Freaking out won't help anything."

"I am perfectly calm!" Bad hissed. "I-"

"See, he's waking up. He was just asleep."

"What?" Bad turned back, elated and relieved to see Foolish's eyes fluttering open. "Foolish!"

"Wha-" Foolish winced as his voice came out strangled, and Sam scrambled to get a notepad and pen for him. 

"How do you feel?" Bad asked anxiously. Foolish's hand shook as he wrote, but the message was legible enough.

Lady of Death says I'll be okay, magic's out of my head. Am Hungry.

Oh, well that gave Bad a lot more questions.

“Well, I can’t say that your injuries magically disappeared.” Ponk said, frowning down at the bruises on Foolish’s shins and knees. “You’re definitely in better shape than you should be, thanks to the regeneration, but it can’t do everything. The knee will take a while.”

Foolish nodded, though he was disappointed. He was used to not really worrying about smaller injuries like bruises and bumps. Though, these were a bit worse than that.

“I assume it’s not just on your legs, are you okay with taking off the hoodie or at least letting me check your chest?” Ponk asked, waiting patiently for Foolish to respond.

Foolish thought for a moment, tugging on the sleeve of the hoodie. He reminded himself that he’d get it back, that Ponk was helping and not hurting. It was still a bit unnerving to take it off, but he did.

“Hmm.” Ponk frowned, glancing at the pattern of bruises on Foolish’s sternum and ribs. “Does it hurt to breathe at all? In your chest, not your throat, I know your throat hurts.”

Foolish thought for a moment, taking a few deeper breaths than he had been. He hadn’t realized he was breathing shallowly until now, but it certainly hurt to breathe any deeper. He nodded, feeling an inexplicable flash of shame. He was supposed to be able to take care of this kind of thing, heal himself. Why wasn’t that happening?

“You’ve probably got some broken ribs, or at least bruised.” Ponk concluded. “Not much to do for them but take it easy, rest. No combat training, probably no magic training. All your energy is going to try and focus on regeneration for a while, and you should let it do that.”

“So nothing physical, really.” Eret summed up from beside him, where they’d been sitting quietly until now.

“Well, that’s the thing. You need to swim, we know that by now. I’d say nothing physical for a few days, just sit in the pool and soak instead of swimming. Once the bruises on your legs heal, I want you to start swimming a bit more every day. Think you can do that?”

Foolish nodded. Honestly? He knew trying to swim would just exhaust him right now. Sitting in the water sounded perfectly fine. 

“Can I see your hands?” Ponk asked. Foolish pulled the hoodie back over his head but rolled the sleeves up to expose the gray scales. Ponk poked the back of his hands gingerly. “Can you feel that?”

Foolish nodded.

“Does it hurt at all, or like… feel weird?”

Foolish shook his head, feeling curious as Ponk shook his head.

“Well, this confirms our guess that the gold fully fused to your scales, because it lost just as much color as your original arm did.” He finally shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure what all this is, my best guess is that your body was shutting down extremities first to keep you alive, and drained literally everything from them to do that.”

That didn’t sound great.

“Obviously, your arms aren’t fully dead because you can still use them, even if it’s shaky. So maybe over time, the color will come back, but maybe not. I’m also not sure what this will mean for you using magic, but we aren’t going to do anything with that until you feel a lot better.” 

Foolish nodded, though he was starting to get frustrated with not being able to speak. 

“As for your throat…” Ponk put his notepad down and grabbed another, one marked with various runes in Bad and Sam’s handwriting, along with Ponk’s chicken scratch. “Hot drinks, like tea and coffee and hot chocolate. Bad also wants to do semi-regular healing rituals, just to make sure it starts healing right, help you out with regeneration to ease the struggle. Don’t talk too much, I know that’s annoying but at least until it's easier to swallow I want you to take it as easy as possible.”

Foolish nodded, picking absently on the sleeve of his hoodie again. He hated this, he wanted to skip to the part where he was actually feeling better. He knew it was going to happen, but until it did… this was just going to suck. He was supposed to be practicing magic, and helping Finley learn to control her own, and… and just existing. He was supposed to be existing without people treating him like a resource, the way Dream had. It was infuriating, not being able to do that.

“All in all, except for when Bad does his spell, you just need to take it easy and let your body recover as naturally as possible.” Ponk summed up, stepping back. “Remember to eat, and spend time in the water, and rest.”

Foolish gave him a thumbs up and nodded, and Ponk smiled.

“I’ll see you guys later, let me know if any pain gets worse alright?”

So, Foolish walked (hobbled, really, leaning on Eret’s shoulder) down to the side of the pool, where they sat on the edge and dropped their feet in.

He'd been… weirdly calm, the past couple of days. Half of his mind was still trying to process everything Lady Death had said, trying to comprehend what those things really meant. 

It wasn't a bad kind of distraction, not like the abomination that had been in his head. If he wanted and had enough to do, he wouldn't even be thinking about it. But he couldn't really do much, he couldn't walk on his own or speak, so he had a lot of time to think it over.

Foolish knew everyone was worried, he hadn't really explained what happened that day. Phil had seen it was to do with Lady Death, said it was all okay, and since then the others had stopped trying to ask him about it.

But he knew they were worried, and… that meant a lot. Sure, he still heard Dreams' voice in the back of his head, and he still woke up in a cold sweat the night before now, but he knew he was safe. That was a lot, in a very good way.

"I'm sorry," Eret said, drawing Foolish out of his introspection. Foolish frowned, raising an eyebrow. "I… we took so long, Foolish. You got so much more hurt than you would have if we were faster."

Foolish shook his head, annoyed that he couldn't talk. 

Dream had been, as much as Foolish hated it, smart. He knew what was going on, he'd forced Karl to astral project and spy and he knew exactly when the estate was most vulnerable. It was nobody's fault but his, that this happened.

There was the echo of Dreams' voice that said it was Foolish's fault, but he pushed it away.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Eret rolled their eyes, and Foolish smirked. "You're probably trying to say its Dreams fault, talking all logically like that." 

Foolish nodded, and Eret laughed.

"You're right, I just… I hated not being able to help."

That… that made sense. Foolish hated to think what he'd have felt if Eret was the one Dream targeted. Just imagining it made him want to cry.

"You sap." Eret snorted, seeming amused. "No need to get sad over what didn't even happen…" their voice trailed off, a puzzled look on their face. Foolish frowned curiously. 

Did… how did Eret know what he was thinking?

"Are… you're definitely not talking out loud," Eret said, rubbing their forehead. "This… this isn't me, I didn't link to your mind again without asking, I wouldn't do that!" 

Foolish frowned thoughtfully, thinking back over the past few days. What could have caused this connection to suddenly appear again? He knew Eret wouldn't do this. The raw, unsafe rift in that tether had faded to simple background noise.

Unless…

"Magical wounds that weren't meant to happen, I will mend them"

Isn't that what Lady Death had said? And… hadn't the rift, however intentional, been something they didn't actually want to happen?

He pushed that bit of memory, those words from the goddess, towards Eret's mind. Their eyes widened.

"What? So… so the goddess of death fixed what… she connected our minds again." 

Unless there was some other explanation, Foolish would guess that was true.

“That’s… Foolish, I’m sorry.”

What would Eret need to be sorry for? Foolish frowned, shaking his head.

“You… The last time we had something like this, I betrayed that trust. We shouldn't be connected again until we really, really talk about… about everything."

Foolish understood what Eret meant, but… they'd already talked so much. They'd worked on things, and Eret could hardly be blamed for what they did with a nasty curse in their brain. 

"And how are we supposed to explain this to everyone?" Eret asked, face paler every second. "Half of them still basically hate me for what I did to you, what do you think they'll say when they find out?"

Did… did anyone else really have to know? Foolish tilted his head. Eret frowned at this. 

"I… I mean, mind links are extremely personal." They murmured. "If you don't want people to know, I'd never tell them. Are… are you sure? I won't be able to tell them what you think, or what you're wanting to say. It'll still be a few weeks before you can talk, I'm willing to let them hate me if-"

No, no. Foolish grabbed their hand and scowled. He had the notebook, he would be fine. He didn't really want to talk too much, anyway. If he did, everyone would want to speak with him and that sounded overwhelming.

"If you're sure…" Eret nodded, still looking uneasy. "We won't tell anyone, at least for now." 

Foolish could live with that.

He was supposed to be sleeping. Foolish stared at the ceiling, trying to fight the anxiety and unfounded fear racing through him. Ponk said he needed as much sleep as possible, so his body could recover and start regenerating normally again. He knew that, and he was exhausted anyway so sleeping sounded great.

And he had fallen asleep earlier in the night. The problem arose when he found himself back in that place with Dream, back in his own personal hell. He’d felt his life draining away, he’d watched as Dream stole the soul from Junior’s body, he’d been forced to hear the things Dream sneered at him all over again.

He’d felt the strange satisfaction, the horrific pleasure, the thankfulness that Dream found him useful. It was sick.

So now he was awake, and he was terrified of falling asleep again.

Not only would he have those nightmares, but he wouldn’t be able to stop anything bad from happening in the waking world. What if Junior needed him, or someone broke into the room? 

Logically, Foolish knew he wouldn’t be much help anyway with shaking hands and a broken leg, but being oblivious to it would be worse. He hated the idea of being asleep when something happened to Junior, or Eret, or even himself. He knew Dream had continued some beatings while he was unconscious, and he’d been so out of it when Junior was rescued that he hadn’t even realized Dream was lying about that.

Foolish didn’t want that to happen, he didn’t want to be weak. So, really, staying awake was the only reasonable solution.

He knew it was stupid, that he was safe and needed sleep.

But he didn’t feel safe. He’d gotten by with less sleep than this in the past, he would be fine. Just until everything calmed down a bit more, he would skip some nights of sleep.

Foolish sighed, giving in to the self-destructive reasonings, and sat up. No sleep, then. He would work on reading, he could do that and still technically be resting. So, he grabbed one of the books Puffy had given him to practice with, pulled the blankets tighter around himself, and accepted the fact that he was still going to be exhausted in the morning.

Chapter Text

Eret honestly wasn’t sure what to think. So much had been going on, trying to get Foolish back and then the mess with whatever Dream had done to him. But they kept thinking back to the snippets of memory Foolish had shared, trying to explain why the mind link was suddenly re-created.

The goddess had said something about magical injuries that were mistakes, not intended to be made. They could tell it had an underlying meaning, that specific entities decided what was meant to have been done. Foolish hadn’t shared the whole conversation, and Eret would never ask or expect him to, but they couldn't help but wonder what else had been said. 

Foolish had been lost in thought a lot, recently. Not like he had been with the abomination, not distracted and overwhelmed by everything at once, just… introspective. Sure, the totem had always kept some things in his head for a while, working them out and thinking, but he seemed to be doing it a lot more.

That had to be expected, Eret reminded themself. They glanced over at him, frowning at how exhausted Foolish seemed, as he sat with one hand in Junior’s tub. Foolish had been through a lot, thanks to Dream. He’d nearly died, he’d been told he got his own son killed, and… he’d ultimately been the one to get himself free. 

Yeah, the alliance broke in and found him and drove him home, but… it would have taken so much longer if Foolish hadn’t been strong enough to get a message to Herobrine. It drove Eret crazy, thinking of that. Of how utterly useless they’d felt, trying to figure out what had happened.  Dwelling on it didn’t help, and they’d promised Foolish they would try and stop, try to focus on the present. But it was difficult, especially when they were both just sitting here together.

Eret looked back at Foolish for what must have been the hundredth time. He was peering into the water, chin resting on the edge as he held Junior’s hand. The look on his face was something between devastation and relief, he was probably thinking about what Dream had said, once again.

Eret had no idea what that must feel like, believing wholeheartedly that they’d gotten someone, let alone a child, killed , and then find out that the person had been safe for the whole time they’d thought it. It broke their heart, knowing that Dream had been able to convince Foolish of that. What else had Dream said, that Foolish took to heart and still thought about? Just from what Eret knew, the way Dream called him a pet and a toy and had been in the middle of raping him when the alliance showed up… Foolish must feel a lot worse than he seemed to be.

Because he did seem to be a lot better. He still looked exhausted, but he’d been able to eat and swallow more solid foods without his throat hurting, and occasionally was able to whisper without much pain. It had been about a week since he got back, though, and Eret wasn’t sure if he’d slept much at all.

Foolish was always awake, reading, or just staring at the wall and ceiling whenever Eret went to help him down to breakfast. He’d nodded off a few times during the day, but never for long. He always insisted that Eret go to their own room, before falling asleep at night.

Eret glanced down at their hands. Around their fingernails was still stained dark from Dream’s blood, even though they’d washed their hands a million times trying to get it all off. A part of Eret was glad, pleased to see the proof that the bastard was dead. The rest of them was disgusted, horrified to have ever talked to or touched the man, let alone have his blood stain their skin. 

What’s wrong?

Eret looked up in surprise, finding Foolish had leaned away from the tub and was looking down at their hands as well, brow furrowed.

“Nothing, Foolish.” Eret laughed softly. “I’m just thinking. Still kinda processing stuff. Y’know?”

Foolish looked at their hands a moment longer, then back up at them.

Yeah, I know.

“How are you feeling?” Eret asked, stuffing the hands into their jacket pockets. Foolish hesitated, and Eret could feel the confliction emanating off of him. A few moments later, though, he replied.

I’m… I’m tired, Eret. There’s a lot to process, it would be a lot even if I was physically healthy.

As soon as he admitted it, Foolish’s body seemed to sag with more exhaustion than he’d let show before. Eret frowned.

“You haven’t been sleeping,” they said. Foolish laughed softly.

Is it that obvious?

“I dunno, maybe.” Eret shrugged. “I’ve been around you the most, maybe I’m the only one who’s picked up on it.” Foolish looked skeptical, and Eret winced. “But… the others probably know.”

I’m sorry . Foolish looked near tears. I know I’m supposed to be letting my body recover, and I can’t do that when I don’t sleep, I just…

“Hey.” Eret shook their head. “It’s okay, Foolish. I’m not surprised you’re having trouble sleeping, anyone would after something like that. Is there anything you think I could do to help?”

I don’t know. Foolish looked away, seeming suddenly interested in the bathroom floor. Eret frowned. I… whenever I fall asleep I just… I’m just back in hell. And the idea of sleeping, of leaving Junior alone like that, or myself so vulnerable… I just can’t.

“Oh, Foolish…” Eret wrapped one arm around his shoulders, trying to be gentle as they were still sore from those restraints. Foolish sank into the touch, resting his head against Eret’s. “I’m so sorry, Foolish. I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”

Better me than anyone else.

It was in a lighthearted tone, Eret knew that. It was something Foolish had undoubtedly told himself a hundred times, to make the situation seem better. But they scoffed out loud at it.

“No, Foolish. It’s not better it’s you, it’s horrible it happened to you. You’re allowed to… to be upset that this happened.” Foolish didn’t reply, just curled a bit closer to Eret’s side. “You, of all people, Foolish. You are allowed to be absolutely furious at what the world has done to you.”

The world didn’t do this to me. It was the most sure and confident he’d seemed to be all day, and Eret blinked in surprise. People in the world did this, but the world isn’t to blame. The people are to blame.