Dream left the campsite, George in his arms, and wandered through the white forest.

He walked for hours through the night, the cold chilling him down to his bones. He shivered and hugged George closer to him. Dream eyelashes were frozen, his once-damp cheeks now long since dried.

He stumbled in his step, cursing. Sitting down to catch his breath and hopefully warm up, he hated to admit that he missed the warmth of Sapnap's fire. But it was too late now; Dream was long gone from their camp.

Dream shivered, his teeth chattering as the cold seeped through his pants. Was it delusional of him to hope that George was warm?

"Hello? Who's there?"

Dream sat up at the voice, recognizing the strong female accent. He called out, "Minx, is that you?"

A hooded figure appeared between a pair of trees. The female figure was clothed in layers with fur lining and dark hair appeared from under her hood. She stepped forward, asking hesitantly, "Dream?"

Dream sighed in relief, swaying as he stood up. "I need your help."

Minx pulled her hood back to reveal her face. Her kohl lined eyes narrowed at the body in Dream's arms, but when she looked up to Dream, a smile split her face. The witch turned and motioned for Dream to follow, saying, "Follow me, my place is this way."

Dream stumbled after her, relief and adrenaline pumping through him. George was okay. Minx was going to bring him back.

Minx led him into her small cottage, stomping the snow off her boots. After removing her boots and telling Dream to do the same, Dream relaxed as his cold limbs were greeted with the warmth of the cozy home.

Minx shrugged off her layers of coating and led Dream into a living space. "Would you like something warm to drink?"

"No, thank you," Dream replied, not making a move to take off his layers. He glanced at George and asked, "I need you to heal him."

The witch's eyes darted to the figure in Dream's arms. "How badly is he injured?"

Dream hesitated and Minx noticed this. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she led Dream into her work room. Potions and herbs lined the shelves on the walls and a cauldron sat in the corner. Mix motioned to a table and Dream gently laid George down.

Minx froze, looking at Dream with confusion and horror. "He's dead."

Dream nodded, an expectant look on his face. "I know. You can bring him back, right?"

"Are you crazy?!" Minx exclaimed. "This is dark magic, I don't mess with that. Who knows what could happen."

"Minx, please," Dream insisted, "it can't be that bad."

"It can't be that bad?!" Minx repeated hysterically. "Dream, I could bring back a demon in his body. Or he could come back worse than before. I don't know what happens after death, he could be gone."

When the witch didn't seem to budge, Dream turned desperate. He pleaded, "Please, Minx. I need him back, he― he means everything to me."

Minx's expression didn't change. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Dream, but I don't want anything to do with dark magic. I will not revive your friend."

Dream walked around the table to get closer to Minx. Minx's eyes were wary as she took in Dream's desperate expression. He grabbed George's hand and said, "He's more than my friend. I love him." He paused before he whispered, hanging his head, "It's my fault that he's dead."

Minx said nothing and Dream continued with tears in his eyes, "I promised to protect him... look at him now. Minx, please help him. I'll do anything."

The witch sighed and nodded reluctantly. A wave of relief washed over Dream's body and he walked back to the other side of the table. Minx approached George and asked, "What is his name?"

"George," Dream replied instantly, using a gentle finger to brush a loose strand of George's hair across his forehead.

"And how long has he been dead?"

"Nine days," Dream answered, his eyes never leaving George's face.

Minx was quiet for a long moment and Dream looked up, seeing her expression of uncertainty and mild horror. She questioned, "Nine days? Dream... that's a long time."

Dream just nodded silently and Minx asked, "How did he die?"

He pointed to the cloth on George's neck. The witch lifted the fabric, her face blanching. She dropped it immediately and looked out her window. "You're lucky that it's winter, otherwise there wouldn't have been a body to bring back."

Dream swallowed and asked, "How long will it take?"

"To bring him back? I have no idea," she answered truthfully. "I've never done this before."

Dream pursed his lips and looked back at George. Minx said quietly, "Dream― if I fail..."

"You won't."

Minx tensed, her wary eyes studying Dream. She sighed. "There's a price to revive someone."

Dream looked up. "How much? I'll pay anything."

"Not money, Dream. To bring someone back, there is an exchange that has to happen."

"Anything, I'll give you anything," Dream said again with no hesitation.

Minx frowned. "I'm not the one receiving anything. It― it's the realm of the dead that wants something. You can't just bring someone back without a price. Necromancy isn't cheap."

"What's the cost?"

"I don't know," Minx replied hesitantly. "That part of the exchange is revealed after the soul is brought back."

"Okay," Dream said easily, surprising the witch. "Let's do it."

Minx paused, her kohl lined eyes observing Dream. After a long moment, she nodded and held out her hand. "Give me your hand."

Dream took off his gloves and handed his hand to her. Minx pulled out a dagger and said carefully, "Are you ready for this? It won't be pleasant to watch."

Dream nodded, watching as Minx sliced open his palm. Blood dripped out and she told him to squeeze his hand over a bowl. He did so and when the blood had slowed, she did the same to George's hand.

She instructed Dream to grab his hand, pressing their bloodied palms together. Dream gripped George's palm tightly, anxious for what was about to happen.

Minx uncovered George's neck and Dream had to look away from the torn flesh. She covered his neck in a paste, chanting under her breath. After wiping her hands with a cloth, she hovered her hands over George's neck.

Her eyes rolled back as her reciting grew louder. Dream didn't recognize the language, but her words faded as he watched the skin on George's neck sew back together. After a minute, all that remained was a long, thin line stretching across his lover's throat.

Dream swallowed and looked at Minx, who was now holding her hands above George's chest. She continued chanting and soon a dark smoke-like shadow appeared from under the witch's hands. A tint of purple was inside it and Minx pressed her hands fully to George's chest. Her fingers glowed a goldish purple.

Dream's own hand glowed where it was holding George's. He squeezed George's hand desperately, but his hand grew weak. His insides started twisting and he felt his muscles grow weaker. He looked up to Minx, panicking as he asked, "What's happening?!"

But Minx was in the middle of her incantation and Dream's question went unheard. Dream felt as if his soul was being drained from him. His head spun as he struggled to stand up and his legs gave out. He fell into a chair, his head resting on the table next to George and his hand unable to let go of George's hand.

"Minx," he slurred, "I-­I don't feel too good."

Dream's vision grew spotty and he heard a voice say sadly, "I told you, there's a price."

Dream blacked out seconds later, unable to respond.

~

Dream sat up, gasping for air as he looked around. He was sitting in an open meadow, surrounded by tall grass and flowers.

The air was warm and welcoming, so at odds from the winter he was just experiencing. Dream blinked, realizing that this was not where he was supposed to be.

He looked at his hands, studying the thin slice across one of his palms. The scar was very prominent and Dream was surprised that he even scarred at all. He couldn't remember the last time his skin had scarred over something so little as a cut.

Dream's eyes shifted to the fabric on his wrist, his brows furrowing in distant recognition. Out of nowhere, a name popped in his head. George.

Dream's muddled brain struggled to remember the owner of that name. He faintly recalled brown hair and different colored eyes with a soothing accent to match it all.

His head snapped up at a sudden laugh. Heart stopping, Dream's chest squeezed at the familiarity. He stumbled as he stood, drawing towards the young girl's laugh.

As he stood above the tall grass, green eyes met a pair of identical ones. Dream choked out a sob and a feeling of relief and disbelief consumed him. There stood his sister, mouth wide in a smile and hair in the same braid that he always remembered her wearing.

The girl ran up to Dream, embracing him with no hesitation. She breathed into his chest, "Clay, you're here. You're home."

Dream sucked in a breath at his name, his heart aching at the familiarity. His eyes lifted to see a house in the distance, breath hitching again. His home stood among the pastures of cows and goats. A field sprawled out behind it with a familiar Fae male driving the horse driven plow.

Father. Dream looked back to his sister, tears in his eyes as he swallowed. She pulled away, grinning up at him as she said, "Mother is baking again, would you like to help?"

Images of sugar covered hands flooded Dream's vision, accompanied by the soothing song of his mother's voice.

Dream nodded eagerly, at a loss for words. His sister laughed and ran to the house, his home. Dream stumbled after her, running past the cows and chickens.

He opened the door, expecting the welcoming arms of his mother to greet him, but the house was empty. The door handle slipped from his fingers, thudding against the wall.

The aroma of fresh bread was all he could smell, a scent that used to lull him to sleep. But where Dream usually saw his mother at the stove was now empty.

His heart fell in confusion and sorrow. Dream looked for his sister, calling out for her, but no response was given. As his heart started to race in a panic, he ran to the window, expecting to see his father out on the plow, but there was no one, just a horse attached to a plow with no driver.

Dream ran out of the house frantically, shouting, "Mother! Father!"

He spun in circles, but all he saw were cows and chickens. His heart fell, but a quiet wind picked up, ruffling through his hair and a whisper murmured into his ear, "Clay, my darling, you don't belong here."

Dream searched for the owner of the sweet voice, desperately looking for his mother. His mother spoke again soothingly, "You don't belong here, go back."

Tears fell down his cheeks as he shouted, "What do you mean!? This is my home. Mother, where are you?"

The gentle wind caressed his cheek, feeling similar to a motherly hand. She whispered again, "Oh, sweetie, your home isn't here... you belong somewhere else, with someone else."

"Who?" Clay asked, his voice croaking.

But there was no answer, just another warm breath of wind that comforted his panicked. Who? Who does he belong with?

"Clay," a painfully familiar voice spoke.

Dream gasped, his heart squeezing as he turned around. Green eyes met bright brown ones. Tears filled his eyes as he whispered, "Fundy."

Fundy nodded tearfully and Dream stumbled towards him, grabbing his shoulders and searching his eyes before pulling him into a hug. Fundy returned the hug, his tears wetting Dream's shirt.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Dream whispered, holding his former lover impossibly close.

"I know, my love, you have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

"I missed you," Dream breathed, closing his eyes as he inhaled the familiar scent of Fundy.

Fundy pulled back, lifting his hands to cup Dream's cheeks and wipe away his tears. He murmured, "I missed you too, but..."

"But what?" Dream asked, pressing their foreheads together. "Why is there a 'but'? You're here, that's all I need."

Fundy's eyes were sad as he looked into Dream's eyes. "No, Clay, you don't need me anymore."

"Of course I do!" Dream responded, pulling Fundy's hands from his cheeks to hold them in his hands. Oh, how he missed Fundy. "I always need you."

Fundy's face softened, eyes full of love and wistfulness. "You have someone else now."

"Who?"

"Can you not remember?" Fundy asked. When Dream shook his head, Fundy whispered, "Let me show you."

Fundy swallowed, drawing Dream's eyes to the nonexistent scar on his throat. Where Fundy had been cut open, there was no longer evidence of Technoblade's ruthlessness. Dream didn't get a chance to think of it further because Fundy lifted his hands from Dream's and cupped his cheeks again.

He closed his eyes and Dream felt nothing at first, but then a wave crashed over him as he remembered.

Two eyes, one brown and the other blue. Soft hair that was dark enough to almost be black. Lips that never failed to catch Dream's eyes. A smile with a laugh so rich that Dream's heart felt full every time he heard it.

And a name; George.

Dream closed his eyes as he remembered.

Name calling, bickering, arguing throughout their first days together. Curiosity, questions, conversations about who he was. Soaring through the sky on a Pegasus, discovering hidden feelings. Nightmares soothed by a calm voice and gentle fingers. Kisses under the sun and flowers showered in their hair. Fights about their future and what was bound to happen.

He remembered it all.

George, George, George, his heart sang, pulling him towards the person who had come to mean everything to him. Dream's heart seemed to be one with George's like they were the center of each other's worlds.

A soft smile grew on Dream's face, but soon the memories were gone and his eyes were opening. He met Fundy's gentle gaze and said, "I­― where is he? Is he here?"

Fundy's smile was sad as he replied, "No, he's where he belongs... you belong there with him. Clay, you need to go back."

"I want to," Dream admitted quietly, looking away. His eyes darted up to meet Fundy's and he asked hesitantly, "Are you mad at me?"

Fundy laughed quietly and shook his head. "Of course not. My love, I'm more than happy for you. You found someone who makes you feel better than I made you feel. Who would I be if I were to keep you here?"

Dream leaned into his touch, his eyes full of tears of gratitude. He kissed Fundy's hand and whispered, "I will never forget you."

"I'm not worried," Fundy replied softly, "just go back, be with him. You belong with him, okay? Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

Dream nodded tearfully. "Thank you."

"You deserve to be happy," Fundy murmured, pulling his hands from Dream's face. "Now go. Go and be happy."

Dream's cheeks were streaked with tears and he watched Fundy walk away. Fundy walked and walked until he reached the forest line. His former lover turned around and waved before walking into the forest and disappearing.

Dream sighed shakily and looked down to his wrist. He ran a finger over the bracelet and whispered, "I want to go back. I want George."

And just like that, his homeland faded from around him and everything went black... and then he woke up.