Chapter Text
George was practically asleep, his head resting comfortably in Sapnap’s lap as the Ember Angel spoke excitedly about… something. George honestly has no idea beyond it being some Earth sport involving a ball (which seemed like almost all of them). But his friend’s excitement always made him smile and even with their third absent, he felt warm and safe which inevitably made him sleepy.
Speaking of: “Hey, Sap, where is Dream?” George asked.
The interruption clearly took Sapnap by surprise before the black haired man looked down at him. “I don’t know. Honestly I thought he would have gotten here already. Maybe the Council needed to speak to him after his last mission?”
“Hm. Probably.” George agreed. And maybe it was just because the three of them were almost never apart, but something felt wrong. It was when Sapnap gently grabbed his wrist that George noticed he was rubbing at his shoulder blade.
“You’re feeling it too?” Sapnap asked quietly, sounding far more serious than he had only moments ago. And that was when George realized there was an iciness spreading through his nerves from the rune on his shoulder blade. Sapnap’s wings, that looked almost gray to him rather than the vibrant reds and oranges Dream described them as, curled around them both protectively and George sat up as Sapnap’s arms pulled him to the younger’s chest.
“He’ll be okay, Sap. Come on. It’s Dream we’re talking about.” George insisted and Sapnap nodded, but it was obvious the other didn’t believe him. George wasn’t sure he believed it either. He’d never felt iciness through the runes before. Heat for when Sapnap was in danger, absolutely, and while George didn’t feel it, he knew the others felt pins and needles on the handful of occasions he was the one in danger. But they’d never felt cold chills in the years they'd spent connected.
When there was a knocking sound, both of them jumped. Sapnap got up quickly and moved towards it, putting himself between George and the door with one hand tucked behind his back. George could see sparks flickering in the Ember Angel’s fingers as Sapnap opened it. “Yes?” Sapnap greeted. It was obvious he was feeling nervous too, with his large wings puffed up to block the view of the room which meant George couldn't see who was there. He doubted it was anyone they knew though or Sapnap wouldn’t have reacted that way.
George quickly stood up, stretching out his smaller baby blue wings before he approached Sapnap’s back. It felt wrong to be apart from him in this moment. The sparks faded from his fingers as George got closer and when Sapnap reached back George took his hand. “The Council is requesting you and George immediately.” An unfamiliar voice said.
“We’ll head right there.” Sapnap answered and closed the door. His wings dropped and he looked so lost and afraid when he glanced over his shoulder at George. It was moments like this that he was reminded how much younger Sapnap was than him.
"It'll be fine, Sap. Dream wouldn't let anything happen to us." George insisted.
"It's not us I'm worried about." Sapnap answered softly and George just squeezed his hand because he understood. The iciness was getting stronger and the worst part was George could feel Dream trying to stifle the connection. To keep them from knowing he was in danger when it was his magic, his research, his idea to connect them. Whatever was happening wasn't good.
“Let’s go. The sooner we speak to the Council the sooner we can find out why Dream is in danger.” George reminded. Sapnap took a breath and nodded. They left the house together and Sapnap shook out his wings before he leapt off the balcony. George watched him for a moment. Even if the color was grayed there was a shininess to Sapnap’s wings in the sunlight that George thought was beautiful.
When Sapnap stopped gliding and looked back George quickly leapt off the balcony to join him in the air. The younger angel flew close underneath him. It would be risky if they hadn’t been flying together for years, but both Dream and Sapnap liked to position themselves between him and the ground. Sapnap usually flew above because the two of them were overprotective and liked to bracket him but George barely had to think to adjust when Sapnap did.
They made excellent time flying over the clouds and passed a couple of houses in the distance before they finally reached the large quartz structure where the Council held its meetings. George was almost shivering from the cold chills by the time they landed. Sapnap’s wing wrapped around him, radiating warmth, and George let the Ember Angel pull him closer. Sapnap was waiting on him and George offered him a weak smile before he started walking.
The other stayed close enough for George to be wrapped in warmth but they had barely entered the lobby before an angel came running up to them. He were young, evident by his still white wings, but very tall with pale skin, dark hair, and heterochromatic red and green eyes. George knew who it was; Dream’s potential apprentice Ranboo.
“George, Sapnap, this way. Quickly.” Ranboo sounded scared and was hurrying off before they could say a single word. George shared a look with Sapnap and they almost sprinted to catch up. Whatever was happening was really not good when the usually calm Ranboo was panicked.
That feeling was only confirmed when Ranboo led them to a long hallway with a single door at the end that sent George’s heart into his feet. The door itself was ominous; a large ornate double door that was white at the top fading to a pitch black at the bottom. It was the only place in the Council’s legislative building with black, making it unmistakable. Ranboo was lingering with his hands on the door handles, looking at them anxiously. Sapnap took hold of and squeezed George's hand briefly before pulling his hand and wings back. George missed them immediately.
He took a breath and put on a blank face. “Open the door.” He directed and Ranboo did.
Even with the new distance between him and Sapnap, George could feel the other angel reeling at the sight that greeted them. He just felt numb. Completely and utterly numb . Dream was on his knees next to a gap in the clouds that led to nothing but blackness. Two guards in full armor were on either side holding his arms and worse, standing on Dream’s wings. According to Sapnap they were white with vibrant green tips, but they looked yellow to George. They were Dream's pride and George hated thinking of how many broken feathers they were going to have to preen. But there was something off; blackness had begun to overtake the bottom part of Dream's wings.
Dream had a snarl on his face that gave way to something neutral when his eyes landed on them. The other angels wouldn’t see it but George could; there was fear in his eyes. And that was more terrifying than anything because Dream didn’t get scared. Sapnap took a step forward, past George and towards Dream when a new angel stepped between them.
The tall brunet was familiar to them both. Wilbur, the Council's favorite spokesperson, with silvery wings that served as a reminder of his silver tongue. Not that all Angels of Eloquence were terrible, Quackity was an old and very dear friend, but Wilbur… He liked his role with the Council a little too much and wasn't afraid to stretch the truth on their behalf.
"Thank you for coming promptly, Angel of Embers Sapnap and Angel of Slumber George." Wilbur greeted them with a small formal bow and George desperately wanted to take Sapnap's hand again.
"What's going on, Wilbur? Why is Dream…?" George couldn't finish the sentence and Sapnap flinched at what he didn't say. Dream made some kind of call-out that was silenced with a pained sound before it could become a proper word and it took every ounce of willpower George had not to look away from Wilbur. Sapnap did, however, and a weak almost whimper left the Ember Angel's throat.
Wilbur had a soft, compassionate and sad smile on his face that George hated the fakeness of with a burning passion. "Dream is under suspicion of falling in love with other angels. The both of you, to be precise." Wilbur explained gently.
That snapped Sapnap's attention back to the Angel of Eloquence while George could barely process his thoughts were moving so quickly. This was bad. That kind of accusation and for them to go so far as to bring Dream to the Fracture meant they already had enough evidence to believe him guilty. Chances of getting out of this unscathed were slim at best.
"I don't know what you want from us, Wilbur." George finally said and Wilbur hummed in a way that had George's heart sinking.
"So you do love him back. Isn't that interesting?" Wilbur finally stepped away from them both and George wanted to sprint past him to hold Dream. There was blood on Dream's face now from his nose, probably from when he'd been silenced.
"We won't let you do this to him, Wilbur." Sapnap interrupted the tense silence, sparks in his fingers, when abruptly George was grabbed. Despite his yelp, another guard had time to grab hold of Sapnap before he could do anything. The Ember Angel struggled unrelentingly with little success while George very quickly gave up. He was not a warrior angel like Sapnap, Dream, or the guards and had no hope of breaking free with pure strength alone.
What confused him was that despite the both of them being grabbed and now under suspicions like Dream, George didn't feel any warmth through their bond that would mean Sapnap was in danger. Just those awful chills. Wilbur turned towards Dream, whose defiant expression had returned.
"I told you, Wilbur! I…" Dream glanced at them looking apologetic before he quietly admitted; "I enchanted them. I fell in love and wanted them to love me. I told them the runes were for protection. George's is on his shoulder and Sapnap's his hip. Please, Wilbur, don't punish them for my deeds. They've done nothing wrong."
And George might have bought the whole story. Would have gotten angry and might have even believed Dream had done that to them because it was perfectly believable. Except for one fact. George had realized years before the runes, years before they'd even confessed , that he loved the two angels he lived with. Dream's runes had nothing to do with it.
"You made that very clear before they arrived, thank you. What I still don't understand is why you would confess to it." Wilbur crouched down to look Dream in the face while George could hear Sapnap panting hard as he finally stopped struggling.
"Because I love them. With everything I am, I love them, and I would never forgive myself if they were hurt or cast out because I was selfish enough to want their love in return." Dream sounded desperate and it hurt George's heart even as he finally realized what Dream was doing. He was trying to take the fall for all of them. "The rune on my hand is what binds the love spell."
Wilbur pulled the glove from Dream's left hand, revealing a rune George had never seen before carved into his friend's skin. It was Dream's work; there were no other angels capable of using runes and casting spells like him. But something about it felt wrong and after a beat George realized why. The rune was firstly carved into Dream's skin, where usually he would use ink, and because it was carved it was clear, at least to him, the wound was fairly fresh. Dream must have used magic to carve and heal it when he'd been arrested. But Wilbur wasn't likely to notice that.
"You know the punishment for falling in love with another angel." Wilbur said and Dream nodded. "You've fallen in love with two and enchanted them. I cannot give you any relief."
It took George only a moment to realize what Wilbur meant and he screamed "No! Wilbur, please!"
The Angel of Eloquence gave him that same sad smile he'd worn the whole meeting. "The rules are the rules, George. I cannot change them." He said before he stood and looked at Dream. "Dream, for your crimes you are sentenced to be cast out. You will have your wings ripped from your body and will never be allowed to return to heaven. May your soul find redemption in its next life."
Wilbur stepped away and the guards on either side of Dream moved. One took hold of Dream's arms, pulling them forward, while the other went to Dream's back and George could hear Sapnap screaming as the cold from the rune enveloped him entirely and left him numb. He could do nothing but watch as the guard grabbed one of Dream's wings (and George was certain that just like the rune carved into his hand Dream had done something to make his wings look tainted to give Wilbur even more evidence) and pulled.
There was blood, so much blood, as the wing was ripped from Dream's back, but despite their third's mouth being open his scream was silent. When the wing finally came free George nearly threw up at the sight of tearing flesh and the guard tossed it aside. Dream looked dazed and sick, tears running down his cheeks and blood pouring down his heaving back.
Sapnap was screaming curses and threats and from the sounds of it was struggling hard, but George couldn't look away from Dream's face. "Please." George whispered to no one as tears of his own fell. The guard holding onto him was less restraining and more keeping him upright now. Of course nothing stopped.
The guard grabbed Dream's other wing and George saw his friend brace for it. This one took longer and George had a feeling the guard was doing it intentionally. The worst part was when abruptly Dream's scream cut through the tense almost silence in the room and George realized Dream had been using his magic to stop it from being audible.
That didn't make it any less heart wrenching. It was a sound that would haunt him for years and Dream kept screaming until it gave way to sobbing and repeatedly whimpered "please". Thankfully the guard finally ripped the wing free with one last strangled cry from Dream. The other guard also let him go and Dream crumpled the short distance to the floor.
He curled into a trembling ball still whimpering and George yanked free from the guards to run to his side. "Dream. Dream, I'm here. Oh god." George ignored the blood that was all over Dream's back, the floor, and now his clothes. All he wanted was to hold the blond and when George pulled him into his lap, the younger angel weakly wrapped his arms around George's waist, his face hidden against George's body. He could feel his shirt getting damp from Dream's tears and was pretty sure he was crying too.
George gently hushed him, running trembling fingers through the soft blond hair in a familiar motion and wishing he could do anything more to help. A moment later Sapnap was at their side, wings wrapped around them both creating the illusion of privacy and a bubble of warmth that had Dream reaching for the youngest of them. Sapnap scooted closer and took Dream's hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Both their hands were shaking.
"George, Sapnap, I need you both to back away." Wilbur directed and both of them ignored him. Dream needed them. He was pale and trembling hard, gasping for air he couldn't seem to get, and there was nothing they could do besides hold him.
When someone grabbed George under the arms and yanked him up, he screamed. It was enough even to get Dream's attention and he reached him with a hand he could barely lift and a pained weak whimper that George was never going to un-hear. Another guard had grabbed Sapnap and both of them were dragged back, but the Ember Angel pleaded "Wilbur, please let me cauterize the wounds. Please . He's going to bleed to death!"
Wilbur hesitated for a moment before he nodded once. Sapnap was released and George watched as he sprinted back to Dream's side. He was murmuring something to the blond before sparks lit up in his fingers and Sapnap ran his hands gently over the wounds on Dream's back. Dream whimpered but the sound hurt less because at least this time Sapnap could comfort him even if George couldn't.
When the wounds were sealed Sapnap was yanked to his feet and dragged back. The guard who had pulled Dream's wings out was motioned forward by Wilbur. He lifted the blond, stepped to the edge of the Fracture, and without ceremony dropped him. George heard a scream and didn't realize right away it was him making the agonized sound.
Dream fell like a rag doll and George's knees gave out completely when he disappeared into the abyss of the Fracture. The name felt all too appropriate given the way George's soul was fracturing. The guard that had been holding him back was holding him up instead. It was Sapnap screaming furiously that pulled George back to the ground and he looked at the Ember Angel.
There were two guards on him, in the process of wrestling him to the ground though Sapnap certainly wasn’t making it easy for them. The guard holding him had such a loose grip it was easy for him to pull free and he rushed over Sapnap, shoving the other guards back. Sapnap was crying and melted against him when George pulled the younger to him, letting him hide his face.
They were left alone because Wilbur motioned for the guards to back off with a wave of his hand. “Sapnap and George, you are both required to see Callahan as soon as possible to have the runes removed.” Wilbur stated before he left the room along with the guards.
"Shush, Sap, it'll be okay. I promise. We'll get to Earth as soon as possible and find him. Dream knows how to look after himself in the meantime. And I have you to keep away the chills until he's back by our side, right?" George offered quietly and Sapnap pulled back, wiping away his tears.
His normally fiery eyes were lacking their spark and George reached forward to wipe away the wetness on the Ember Angel's cheek. Sapnap leaned into the touch as he nodded. "I know, but… His scream, George…"
George swallowed hard as he nodded. He understood completely, but the Council was going to do everything it could to keep them from moving freely until they were no longer under suspicion. Dream would just have to survive without them until then.