I didn't sign up for that shit

A Fire raging for Love

“What have you done?” Growling, Dust scowled at the two bitties that had been sitting on Killer's chest. His hands were closed around them both in warning, so far exerting little pressure on their bones.

"We didn't do anything," the Nightmare Bitty with the stained bones tried to interject, but Dust didn't believe it. Killer wouldn't have fallen asleep that easily, not without him being really exhausted and without them being at his side. None of them could sleep without the others by their side. But that. That was magic. Those bitties did something to Killer and now his magic was surging uncontrollably, his soul constantly changing shape.

“You need a more convincing lie.”

No matter how much the Nightmare Bittie's sigh reminded him of his Nightmare, there was no room for such sadness in Dust. His bones burned with anger, with fear, with the need to protect Killer from what the Bitties did to him.

"Maybe you should calm down," whispered the small, half-corrupted Nightmare, who was sitting in his hood and resting there. “Your bones are burning again…”

"Yes!" the Dream joined his brother's statement with that damn word - Reset - in his eye socket. "If you keep letting your magic burn like this, you'll trigger your mutation prematurely too!"

"What?" Dust's anger didn't just dissipate, but it was briefly overshadowed by surprise. He can trigger his mutation prematurely? Why is this the first time he's heard about it? Also ‘too’?

"That's why we let Killer fall asleep," explained the winged Dream in his hand, the Bitty slowly seemed to get warmer and warmer. “All that training makes your magic flow through your body faster. That alone doesn't trigger a mutation, even if it makes your body better prepared for it. However, if you also use your magic excessively - and Killer did this by secretly training himself every evening - then your body can trigger the mutation prematurely. You already have the right magic level. You're basically shouting that you're ready."

"And that's why you put him to sleep?" No matter how logical that might sound, Dust didn't really trust it all. Every time he thought he finally had all the facts, something new about this multiverse would be revealed. He tried to embrace all the changes, he really did. But one of the others was always getting hurt somehow. Error in particular got hurt all the time. Dust can't even imagine the pain the other skeleton must be in all the time. He would take all the pain away from him as soon as that option presented itself. But instead he had to watch Error suffer and now Killer too. Why weren't they given a break? Why can't they just be kids and grow up first before the multiverse makes them go through hell again. Don't they deserve this?

God, he hates it. Hates that there was still someone guiding their path. Because that's what the multiverse did. It didn't let them be children, forcing them to grow up too quickly. What would happen next? After their mutations, would their secondary gender reveal themselves prematurely? Make them fully adult? He hates that they still dance to other people's will, that they are still chained to a certain path. They had been able to forget about it with Nightmare, where they were safe from such influences. No one there forced them to do anything they didn't want to do. But here? Here the chains were so thick that Dust felt like he couldn't move of his own free will. He wanted to destroy these chains, melt them down and make them weapons against that which tried to mold them into a different image. He won't allow that. They will not fill gaps.

“DUST!”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Frustrated growls echoed between the lines of the multiverse's code. A figure sat in the white nothingness, surrounded by an infinite number of zeros and ones. In frustration, a thick, armored white tail with a venom-filled stinger hit the ground. The spike would certainly disappear into the ground if there were a ground. Another sign of frustration was the clicking of the pliers, the sound almost echoing through this white nothingness. Four hands wandered over different keyboards, his fingers almost entirely wrapped in blue thread. In general, many threads ran over the body and especially the tail of the monster, almost seeming to glow and pulsate. Almost obscured the many small rows of zeros and ones hidden on the bones and armor plates.

"This child!" hissed the monster's slippery voice, his gaze on one of the many windows that showed the code of this multiverse. “It burns its way through the code with this damn determination.”

The fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, trying to repair the damage this child burned into the code and prevent further damage. That's why he hated this goddamn determination. It doesn't follow any of his rules and just does what it wants. And in doing so, it always ruined the code to the point where it was a total mess. His threads connected him to the code, keeping him anchored there. That's why he felt it most when someone with determination manipulated the code. Although it was the first time someone with determination had burned the code - it almost burned a hole in his bones.

An amused, almost reassuring pulse flashed through his threads into him and it only made him growl even more. Of course, this stupid multiverse would find it more amusing if someone destroyed it than actually helped it. It would rather let that stupid king and his minions destroy it just because it thinks the whole thing is funny! Unfortunately, 404 still has a say in the whole thing. And he would prefer that his home would not be destroyed again. Not after using some coercion to give Balance this new idea, this new way to knock this troublesome king off his throne.

"If only you would do what I want once," he grumbled as he was finally able to repair the damage and also dampen the child's magic. However, it is not his problem if the child gets his mutation too early as a result. That's not his job either. It's enough that he has to constantly adapt their code because they still cling to their old multiverse. Although hopefully that stops when Balance is finally done with the surprise for them. He's tired of taking care of them.

(They are not Mistake or Balance.)

Something like sad understanding ran through him, almost making 404 cut his ties to the multiverse. Because the last thing he needs is pity from a multiverse that allows his (children) students to get hurt and die over and over again. That's why he hates this multiverse, wants to destroy it so that it can feel the same pain that he has to feel again and again. But he can't destroy it. Not when it's his only chance to see his (children) students again. To give them another chance at a better life. And the multiverse knew this, flooding him with love and affection whenever he thought of them.

The multiverse worships 404 children. Works to give these interesting entertainments the reward they deserve. Even if it knows it won't be in this life. But it will keep trying, no matter how long it takes, to give these two the peace they deserve.