Author's note: To be honest these weeks I've been lazy with chapter titles.

I was able to get some sleep, thankfully. I was going to be grumpy other wise. I didn't fear that flying Swapdream menace in terms of strength. I'm pretty sure with my soul and powers I am able to overpower him. My issue was his unpredictability. I knew next to nothing and he was rather fast. He seemed to be the type to enjoy the chase. 

Not a good thing.

It appears that Night was quite eager to leave since he woke me and had me slip out with him before the sun rose. I didnt even disagree,  just silently followed him. A bad habit of mine that seemed to not be going away. Off into the unknown with not much of a plan.

There was not much for conversation either. We just walked at a speedy pace in the darkness before the dawn. Night really was just a version of Nightmare but still similar none the less. We didn't need to talk much to understand what had to be done. When we were headed away from structures and towards the outer open area I had a suspicion of where we were heading. 

"I apologize for this." I said as I reached over and grabbed his shoulder before using a shortcut to end up at the ravine. I remember that is looked like a recent disturbance so figure it was worth a shot guessing. I kept my hand in place when Night swayed a little only letting go when he steadied himself.

"Was that necessary?"

"Do you want to go home faster?" I asked in reply and he went silent before walking ahead.

"This way."

"Thought so," I muttered as I followed him. He walked towards the edge of the ravine and looked down. He might've been debating how to get down and I summoned a glitchy blaster. Easy way is the best way. Night looked at me surprised and I just sat on the boney skull. 

"Now or later, up to you. It's safe." I muttered and he was quick to get on without a fuss. I had the blaster float down into the ravine, keeping a hand out to control the skull. We floated through the ravine before arrived at a spot the was more flat and dirt than rocky. 

"I'm pretty sure it was here." 

"Excellent," I said as I got off the blaster. I heard Night get off as well and wasted no time getting to work. I reached back and my strings grabbed him before tugging him to be in front of me. I spread out the strings and he was effectively held in place.

"What are you doing? Is this necessary?"

"Very much so. I don't know how much of a discomfort this will be for you, you make lovely bait strung up like that, and I find it easier to work when others can't move. Time is not our friend right now, all I can do is say my sorrys and pardons but that's all you're getting from me right now." 

With that I shot another string to his chest and carefully felt what I was looking for before pulling out his soul. He could only stare in slight shock and I snapped my fingers in front of him to make him blink.

"I know this is all sudden but I'm going to need you to not zone out. Other times I would used my magic normally but I don't have the time to be acting patiently." With his soul in front of me I opened up a screen next to it reading off the information. 

"Let's see. Au... Swapdream... status stable, lucky you. Hmm, alright." I was muttering to myself as I looked over the aus information. Now normally I couldn't figure out the aus I traveled to that had the patterned golden borders. But I wasn't trying to find out this au, I was finding another. 

The sky was beginning to lighten and I put his soul back inside him as I stared at the screens.

"...How often do you do this kind of stuff?"

"Enough, that's all you need to know." I said almost tempted to mock his situation by patting him. Almost. It's not often I felt certain in messing with Nightmare, rarely. 

I figured that I found what I was looked for and went to open a portal but pause feeling a shift. I adjusted and reached for my idle blaster and had it fly towards movement I saw in the corner of my eye. I heard a combination of fearful sounds and saw this au's Nightmare, Error, and Cross. They were pinned up against a large rock by the blaster that looked like it was glaring and angry with its dark colors and glitches.

"What are you guys doing?"

"What are we doing?! We should be asking you that- please don't shoot!" Nightmare said being fast to register his situation. I rolled my eyes.

"Relax, I'm not going to shoot you. I thought you were the menace Dream for a second." I had the blaster pull back and I saw the other me place a hand to his chest relieved.

"So what are you doing to him?" Cross seemed just kinda there, not giving much of a positive reaction. 

"I need people to stay still and if you're going to be here then do me a favor and do be in my way. Be lookouts or something." 

"Can't you untie the other me?"

"I could. I won't. This guy is my bait in a way. I'm not sure how his Dream operates, if he hates his brother or loves him to be protective but either way this will get his attention."

"Bait? Seriously-"

"Less chit chat more lookout." I interrupted as I turned my back to them. Trying again, second time. I still had my screens up and opened up a portal. A really small one. I reached in opening a new screen to pull up the information of the space and checked that information matched. I would hate to send these guys to the wrong place and have them deal with themselves. 

A mess for sure.

"What are you doing?" I heard and looked over seeing the other me. I was a bit uneasy but answered. 

"I'm just checking that the place he comes from and this place my hand is in match. To my luck they do." I said before pulling my hand out and closing the portal. 

"Well, I was actually more curious about the screens. I didn't know that was possible." He said looking at the data presented.

"Oh? Uh... yeah it's something I figured out on my own. It's rather useful." I saw him nod in agreement.

"I can imagine. Do you use it just for finding aus?" He asked touching at the screen. It gave little resistance but didn't move when he tried touching it.

"No, in my home I used them to check everything. Aus, entities, stability, etc. There's a lot of uses. I used it once to find someone by checking there information and getting a brief description about their situation." I said remembering when I looked for Frisk during the 404 incident.

"How did you manage that?"

"It was like a riddle-"

"Hey. I hate to be that guy, great you're being glasses buddies, but I'd like to get home sooner." Night said and I cleared my throat as the other me adjusted his lenses and looked away.

"Sorry." We both said. I didn't even realize I was just talking and lost focus. I loosened the strings on Night. 

"Anyways I'm pretty sure I found your place and now we just need to get that menace to go through it."

"Are you going to keep calling my brother that?" Night asked and I nodded.

"Yes, his official title is too long."

"Flying entity!" I heard Nightmare call out and tense up as a blur of yellow zoomed down but quickly came to a stop landing gently on the ground looking very disapproving of what was going on. Dreamswap.

"Oh, wrong golden brother." Dream barely glanced his brother before wandering towards me.

"Where were you? I went to check to see if you wished to speak in the morning and you weren't present."

"Their fault," I immediately pointed towards Nightmare and Cross causing Dream to stop and look at them. I wasn't afraid to blame others. 

"Hey! It was an accident!"

"A dumb accident," Night muttered hearing his other self's response.

"Regardless, you're fine. That's all that matters. Now what exactly are you-" He trailed off looking at everything and shook his head. 

"Nevermind, whatever is going on is helpful to our issues I'm hoping?"

"Yes, don't question me."

"No need to be defensive. What exactly is the next step of your plan here?" Dream asked.

"Get the other you over here and trick him to go back. Simple."

"Simple isn't the word I would use. I can find him and bring him here at the very least to assist. Me and you are talking later," Dream said towards his brother before taking flight again. Mostly likely to find the other flyer. He wanted to get this over with as much as the rest of us. 

I had the others get out of the way and stand to the side as I stayed into the middle of the space with Night. I knew Night wouldn't be enough and I was going to have to perform some quick maneuvers to pull this off. But since I was done with my strings I did let Night go but had him stay in place. 

Time felt slow and fast, a commotion caught my interest. They were on the way.

"Here we go...." I saw a tangle of feathers and yellow crash to the ground. Dream was above Swapdream, Swad for short, clashing his weapon against his other self.

"This is not your place!"

"Do you think I care?!" Swad said as he managed to kick Dream off and shifted his position spotting myself and Night.

"Siding with my brother? Well that won't do. I'll just deal with you both!" He exclaimed and I moved my lone blaster in front of us. I couldn't let it be too easy for him to get to us or else he'll suspect. I fired the skull and was not happy to see his blue weapons slice at my blaster, breaking it with ease. 

Night bared his own blades and I was swiped towards Swad with my strings. He managed the slice through and Night stepped up blocking his brother's weapon. 

"Stop this nonsense!" Night said with some strain and Swad's grin just grew.

"Out of the way brother, I'll deal with you after I get that glitchy pain out of my way." They pushed against each other. Dream was able to swoop in and knock Swad away giving Night some breathing room.

"Dream, guard the others." I spoke quiet enough for him. He nodded and backed off before I spoke again. 

"Night! Let's go!" I opened a portal as I called out, like I was panicked to flee. I saw Swad spread his wings and turned to run with Night.

"You got this?" I asked Night and he nodded in confirmation as we stepped through the portal.

"You're not getting away from me that easy! Come here you glitch!" I heard and looked back to see Swad speeding to us. I went right and Night went left.

Once Swad was in I closed the portal, he didn't realize to engrossed in trying to get to me. I ducked his strike, rolled from another, used bones to block a slice, summomed bones from the ground, launched myself over him, and whatever I could to defend myself. Eventually, I got a hard kick at my side when he quickly moved around evading my bones.

Just what I needed. That kick knocked me a good distance.

"Good luck, Night." I said before opening a portal under me to the only place I can flee to. Swad noticed and realized what I was doing a bit too late. I saw him rushed but I already fell through and hit the ravine ground with a groan quickly closing the hole. It was silent besides my breathing. After a bit I sighed in relief and laid on the ground. I was quick enough.

I did it.