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(Obviously, I don't own the rights to either of these songs.)", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Tonight is finally the night of the Golden Sands Social, and what this fateful dance has in store for Cobalt will change everything.
(Also on AO3)

The songs used for lyrics in this chapter are 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' by The Mamas and the Papas, 'Shut Up and Dance' by WALK THE MOON and 'Sparks' by Overseer. (Obviously, I don't own the rights to either of these songs.)", "writing": " “You okay?” \n Cobalt kindly held his hand out toward the blue and black heeler boy that was crying all alone on the beach. He appeared to be about the same age as himself - around 6 years old - and curiously looked quite a lot like his dad.\n “I… I am now… thanks,” the blue heeler said as he held his hand, feeling himself being pulled up as he wiped the wetness out of his eyes. “I’m Biscuit.”\n “Hey! Wanna go build a sand-castle?” Cobalt asked excitedly, his tail wagging behind him. “Actually, we could make it a contest!”\n “What’s the point…” Biscuit sighed, “You’ll probably disappear soon too, anyway.”\n “Why?” Cobalt asked, confused.\n “You’re dreaming. Any minute now, you’ll wake up… and probably forget all about me.” Biscuit looked down, kicking at the sand with his foot in frustration.\n “Well…” Cobalt rubbed the back of his head. “I’m a pretty heavy sleeper, so I probably have another 30 minutes, at least. But even if we only have a little bit of time, wouldn’t you rather spend it having some fun instead of moping?”\n “...Okay, why not,” Biscuit said, a smile returning on his face.\n “Let’s build some sandcastles.”\n\n “What game did you say this was from?” Biscuit asked as he watched Cobalt placing large square blocks of sand on top of one another to finish up the wall before removing large square chunks of sand from the beach to make a moat.\n “Cube Caves!” Cobalt replied, looking back with a big grin on his face. “It’s the best game ever! I play it all the time with my half-sister, Sapphire - when Mum and Dad let me, that is. Have you really [i]never[/i] heard of it?!”\n “I, uh… don’t really get ‘out’ much.” Biscuit turned away, hiding his frown as he focused on building his castle using his own methods. Holding out his hands, he shifted space itself to distort the sand in such a way that arches and battlements began to form on the walls he’d constructed, moving at several times the efficiency that Cobalt was with his block-building method. \n “It’s so cool to be able to do this for real life!” Cobalt said, floating upwards and sideways at will as he placed more blocks to build his walls higher and higher. \n “This [i]isn’t[/i] for real life, though,” Biscuit sniffled quietly, wiping his eye. “...And it never will be.”\n “I know, I know, this is all just a dream, but you know what I mean!” Cobalt chuckled innocently in amusement as he crudely made a giant toilet from blocks of sandstone. “Look, look, Biscuit! The king’s ‘royal throne’!”\n Unable to stay sour for long around his new playmate, Biscuit couldn’t help but let out a laugh.\n\n “Wow, Biscuit! Yours is [i]definitely[/i] better-looking than mine!” Cobalt said in awe as they looked up at Biscuit’s creation, a towering and intricately-detailed fortress of glittering sand.\n “Thanks, but yours is great too, Cobalt!” Biscuit replied, acknowledging that while Cobalt’s was smaller and more rudimentary with its cubic pieces, it had just as much care put into it than Biscuit’s, if not more so. \n “Thanks! Can you show me around inside yours?” Cobalt asked, eager to get a tour.\n “Well, I guess so, but it’s kinda plain on the inside. I just spent most of my time on how the outside looked,” said Biscuit, but before he knew it Cobalt had already grabbed his hand and practically dragged him inside. \n “That’s okay! I still wanna see!”\n The two walked through the entrance down the main hall, with Cobalt’s eyes lighting up at the marvelous sights of the castle’s interior. True, it was rather empty just as Biscuit had said, but it was still impressive nonetheless, with ornamental sconces on the walls and ceilings seemingly as high as the stars themselves.\n Eventually, they reached the throne room, with four chairs forged from golden sand in the middle.\n “Four chairs?” Cobalt asked curiously. “Why four?”\n “Well, the big one’s for me, of course,” Biscuit pointed at the central chair in the middle, which was indeed the biggest. “And the two on the outsides are for my mum and dad. Then I thought maybe the chair next to me could be for… you.”\n “That’s so cool, Biscuit! Thanks!” Cobalt said happily, running up to the smaller chair next to the bigger one and having a seat in it. \n “So, um, Cobalt…” Biscuit began shyly, walking up to him. “Are we… friends?”\n “Of course we are, Biscuit!” Cobalt hopped out of the chair, giving Biscuit a tight hug. “This is one of the best dreams I’ve ever had! I wish we could be together like this for real life!”\n “I’d like that too, Cobalt,” Biscuit said, wrapping his arms around Cobalt’s back affectionately. “I’d like that very much.”\n Suddenly, a static began to creep around Cobalt’s body as his mind began to slowly awaken.\n “Stay with me,” Biscuit begged, squeezing Cobalt’s body tighter, “Please, don’t go! Don’t leave me!”\n “Sorry, Biscuit,” Cobalt said sadly, “I have to go now, but I hope I dream about you again someday.”\n “NO!” Biscuit growled as he forcefully pushed Cobalt to the ground and refused to let go, pinning his new friend’s wrists to the floor. “STAY WITH ME! [i]PLEASE!”[/i]\n As a show of dominance amidst his anger and frustration of being alone again, Biscuit began humping Cobalt with his hips. There was no penetration, but Cobalt began to feel intensely afraid regardless. \n “Biscuit, let go! You’re hurting me!” Cobalt cried out, kicking his legs out in vain.\n “No, you’re just gonna leave me like everyone else!” Biscuit snarled, leaning in and biting down on the skin of Cobalt’s neck as he thrusted his hips harder into his friend’s pelvis. Tears ran down his muzzle, dripping onto Cobalt’s cheek. “Stop [i]struggling!”[/i]\n Cobalt could only reply with sobs and weak punches at this point, his pleasant dream having quickly turned into a nightmare as Biscuit sexually-assaulted him. He finally gained enough strength to grab a tuft of black fur on the side of Biscuit’s cheek just in time before evaporating into thin-air.\n Biscuit yelled out angrily as he clutched the sand below, having now lost his one and only friend. After what he’d done, Cobalt would likely never want to see him again. That was, if he even remembered his dream at all. He held the sore spot on his cheek where Cobalt had grabbed at him, only to realize something that could change everything.\n\n The tuft of fur had been ripped out… and was nowhere to be found.\n\n Cobalt rubbed his eyes as he opened them wearily, his tears having stained the pillow beneath his head.\n [i]‘That was weird… was that a dream… or a memory?’[/i] he thought, the image of a younger Biscuit on top of him burned into his mind. But before he could think on it any further, he heard the screams of someone down the hall that made his blood run cold.\n “Bandit? BANDIT?! Wake up babe, please wake up! Please, NOOO!”\n Cobalt frantically jumped out of bed to see what was the matter, running down the hall to find his mum hunched over Bandit, who was still in bed.\n “Mum, what happened?!” Cobalt asked, too concerned to care about last night’s events.\n “C-Cobalt, honey, y-your dad… Bandit, he… he’s [i]dead!”[/i] \n “What…” Cobalt felt his eyes swelling up with tears as he stepped back in shock, the room suddenly spinning around him as his knees trembled.\n “He had a weak heart, and after what you said last night… that you didn’t love him anymore, he… he must’ve had a heart attack in his sleep!” Chilli cried, burying her face in her deceased husband’s chest. “Bandit… no…”\n “No… no, this… this can’t be…” Cobalt whimpered, his lungs struggling for air. This wasn’t what he wanted. He had been furious with his dad for what had happened, but he never wanted him to [i]die.[/i]\n Cobalt backed out of the door, but felt the fur of someone standing behind him. He turned his head around slowly, seeing someone unexpected.\n “...I tried to warn you,” said Biscuit. \n\n “You couldn’t handle the truth.”\n\n Cobalt’s eyes shot open, finding himself back in bed. His heart was pounding. Ha sprung out of bed, sprinting to his parents’ bedroom.\n “Dad! Dad!” Cobalt shouted, slamming his parents’ door open.\n “Mh, whassit? Cobal-” Bandit, who was very much alive, sat up tiredly - though startled - as did Chilli, before he shut his mouth again and looked down somberly while avoiding eye-contact with his son as he remembered the events the night prior.\n Cobalt took a moment to catch his breath, admittedly relieved to see his dad still alive. However, his gratitude lasted only for a brief moment before his memories of last night caught up to him as well, a dark scowl returning to his face as he left the doorway in silence. \n [i]‘I’m glad he’s not dead, but that doesn’t change anything,’[/i] he thought. [i]‘He’s still a vile, disgusting puppyfucker, and with Bluey of all kids.’[/i]\n Cobalt returned to his room and picked up his phone, seeing several new messages left by Sapphire last night.\n\n [i]9:23 PM: ‘Hey where did u go?’[/i]\n [i]9:41 PM: ‘Are you in the toilet? Hope ur ok lol, those curried sausages were kinda iffy’[/i]\n [i]10:06 PM: ‘I guess yuo headed to bed early, see [/i][i]you[/i][i] tomorrow for the dance Cobe’[/i]\n [i]1:55 AM: ‘...luv ya bro <3’[/i]\n\n Seeing her messages, and knowing the feelings he felt for her in his heart, Cobalt began to wonder. Was he being a hypocrite for his explosive reaction last night? After all, he was in love with his half-sister, so was it really any worse for Dad to be involved with Bluey?\n [i]Yes,[/i] yes it [i]absolutely[/i] fucking was, Cobalt reassured himself without a hint of doubt. \n Having a crush on a sibling of his own age was one thing, but an adult dog having a sexual relationship with his underage daughter… that was objectively far, [i]far[/i] worse. The two situations were practically incomparable, in fact. It was never the [i]incest[/i] that horrified Cobalt about the truth, but the fact that his dad had committed an act of [i]pedophilia[/i] - and his mum [i]encouraged[/i] it[i].[/i] To know that what Biscuit had shown him was true all along. Had Bandit and Bluey started their relationship well into Bluey’s adulthood, Cobalt might’ve been more willing to accept it; but to know that Bluey was practically just a puppy when all of this began… the mental image alone made him want to vomit.\n [i]‘Mental image…’[/i] Cobalt thought. [i]‘Fuck, now that I think about it, my dreams are already back. My [/i][b][i]imagination[/i][/b][i] is back. And that probably means my daydreams are back, too.’[/i]\n Trying not to stress about it too much on the day of the dance, Cobalt set his phone down and headed for the bathroom to get ready. \n\n He managed to resist the temptation to take care of his ‘masculine needs’ during his shower, instead distracting himself by taking the time to thoroughly groom his appearance and plucking the faint ‘mustache’ that had been just barely growing out of his upper lip. It looked far better to be clean-trimmed than to have a couple of stray teenage whiskers, anyway; those wouldn’t be convincing [i]anyone [/i]of his manliness any time soon, at least not until he could grow a full one.\n When he emerged from his shower, he saw a new message on his phone.\n It was from Bluey.\n\n [i]‘Hey Cobalt… please please PLEASE can we talk about last night? Mum and Dad were really torn up about it after you went to your room. Please, give them a chance. They deserve forgiveness.’[/i]\n\n Cobalt rolled his eyes, ignoring the message and putting his phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’; or at least, he did for a moment, before turning it back on again - just in case Sapphire texted him.\n Which reminded him, he still hadn’t replied back to her messages from last night.\n\n [i]‘Luv you too, sis <3 yea sorry about last night. Wanted to be well-rested for the dance.’[/i]\n\n That was a lie, of course. But as much as it pained him to keep this family secret a secret, he convinced himself that it was for the best in the long run - he didn’t want to burden Sapphire with the knowledge of what their dad had done to Bluey.\n Thinking it over for a minute, he sent her another text.\n\n [i]‘Hey actually is it ok if I come over? Or we could hang out anywhere in town instead before the dance if thats ok too. I’m just feeling suffocated in this house yknow?’[/i]\n\n Just then, he heard a knock on his bedroom door, and for a second the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Without a word from the other side, a note slipped under his door.\n\n [i]‘I made breakfast for you if you’re hungry. I’d like for us to have a calm family discussion about what happened last night, if you’re willing.[/i]\n [i]We love you with all our hearts.[/i]\n [i]-Mum’[/i]\n\n “Gimme a break,” Cobalt scoffed under his breath, crumpling up the paper and tossing it in the garbage can dismissively. His parents were in [i]no[/i] position to be making a peace offering this quickly after all their dirty skeletons had spilled out of the closet, so to speak. A short moment afterward, his phone buzzed.\n\n [i]‘Morning Cobe! I’d super love to hang out, believe me. But Mum is already fussing over me and my dress first thing in the morning, so maybe it’s best if you’re NOT here to see this LOL she’s probably gonna be like this all day. I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do though. See you tonight! ;)’[/i]\n\n [i]‘Damn,’[/i] Cobalt thought. But she was right, he’d find something to do. [i]Anything[/i] to get him away from his parents.\n He grabbed his backpack and stuffed it with anything he thought he might need for the day - his wallet, phone, a portable phone charger, sunglasses, deodorant, anti-perspirant, his drawing notebook and pencils, headphones, and of course, his folded suit for the dance. Sure, it might get a tad wrinkled in his bag, but he was confident that Sapphire wasn’t one to care about that kind of stuff.\n Cautiously, Cobalt opened his door and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He could see Chilli and Bandit looking at him expectantly as they sat at the table with breakfast in front of them, but he actively refused to acknowledge their existence as he silently opened the fridge to pull out a bottle of water before immediately leaving the kitchen and out of the house.\n “...He’s gonna hate our guts for the rest of his life, isn’t he?” Bandit sighed once the front door shut, resting his head in his hands. “Not that I can say I blame him…”\n“Just give it time, babe, he’ll come around…” Chilli said quietly as she tried to encourage him, patting his arm.\n\n “...I hope…”\n\n Cobalt got on his bike and decided to return to South Bank, which was almost always a bustling tourist spot to keep his mind off any negative thoughts. He took a seat on the bench at Streets Beach, deciding to use this opportunity to get his artistic mojo back now that he was no longer on medication. Remembering that his background practice still needed the most work, he simply spent the day drawing the view all around him in one long panoramic still - with breaks in between to get a bite to eat and use the toilet, of course.\n This was already coming along to be his best background yet, he thought with pride; though of course, in his opinion, it obviously would’ve looked a lot better if Sapphire were the main subject again. Once he finished the shading, however, he noticed something he hadn’t before looking at the entire work in full: he appeared to have unintentionally shaded in the subtle outline of a dog standing in front of the bench that looked eerily familiar…\n “B…Biscuit?” Cobalt whispered as he got up, looking around. “...Are you there?”\n The world around him shifted to grey, and the scratchy sound of an old song from a slowed-down record player could be heard echoing loudly in his head.\n\n [i]“...Say ‘nighty-night’ and kiss meee…[/i]\n [i]…Just hold me [/i][i]tiiight[/i][i]… and tell me you'll miss [/i][i]meee[/i][i]…[/i]\n [i]…While I'm [/i][i]alooone[/i][i]… and blue as can [/i][i]beee[/i][i]…[/i]\n [i]…Dream a little [/i][i]dreeeam[/i][i]… of… [/i][i]meee[/i][i]…”[/i]\n\n “Biscuit?! [i]Biscuit!”[/i] Cobalt shouted, swinging his arms around defensively into the empty air. “Why the fuck are you doing this to me?! Leave me alone!”\n [i]“Leave you alone?”[/i] Biscuit’s voice said in his head. [i]“But I [/i][i]don’t[/i][i] abandon the people I care about, Cobalt…”[/i]\n Cobalt felt an icy chill on his spine, as though Biscuit were clutching directly onto it through his back.\n[i]“...I’m not like [/i][b][i]you.”[/i][/b]\n “BISCUIT, YOU SON OF A-!”\n The word around Cobalt returned to normal as he took a swing, with dogs all around him staring as he’d apparently been making a schizoid fool of himself in front of everyone.\n “Is that dog okay, Maw?” a little orange beagador pup asked, tugging at her mother’s arm as she pointed at Cobalt. “He was shouting ‘biscuit’ a lot, he must be really hungry.”\n “Don’t look at him, sweetie. He might be on drugs…” her mother whispered as she cautiously pulled her daughter further along down the sidewalk in a hurry.\n Wanting to avoid any further unwanted attention, and since it was nearly time for him to be heading to the dance anyway, Cobalt quickly gathered his things into his backpack and went to his bike, making himself scarce as he headed for his high school.\n\n Once he arrived at the high school, Cobalt checked his phone as he headed to the restroom to tidy up and put on his attire for the dance. \n\n [b]Dad: [/b][i]‘Please be safe tonight, and have fun. I love you.’[/i]\n\n Cobalt scrunched his nose in disgust, shaking his head and leaving him on ‘read’ before selecting the next message. \n\n [b][i]Bluey:[/i][/b][i] ‘Please, don’t tell Judo about what you saw… I know I have no excuse for betraying her like that, but dad and I hadn’t been involved with each other like that in years. It was a moment of weakness. Emotions were high, and… if you knew what dad and I had, maybe then you’d understand. Just know that I truly do love Judo, Cobalt. And it’ll never happen again. I love you, little brother.’[/i]\n\n Cobalt shook his head. Truthfully, he [i]had[/i] considered reaching out to Judo at some point, but decided not to, so as not to stir up even further drama. After all, whether or not Bluey kept her word on remaining faithful to Judo didn’t affect him in the least. If Bluey ever admitted to her fiancee about what had happened, that would be her decision to make. He left her on ‘read’ as well, opening the last new message.\n\n [b]Sapphire:[/b] [i]‘On my way, Mum’s dropping me off in about 10 minutes if we could meet at the main entrance’?[/i]\n\n Cobalt checked the time of the message - 5:45 PM. Then he looked to the top right corner of his phone to check the time - 5:52.\n “Three minutes!” Cobalt yelped, quickly putting away his phone and throwing on his white button-up shirt, black vest, blue jacket, and white bowtie before briefly looking in the mirror and flattening out any wrinkles as well as straightening his hair. He then rushed to his locker nearby, stuffing his backpack into it and slamming it shut before heading down the hallway to meet Sapphire at the front entrance of the auditorium. \n \n Cobalt made it just in time, but just barely, greeting Sapphire at the front steps as he bent forward and struggled to catch his breath.\n “Am I really that [i]breathtaking?”[/i] Sapphire giggled facetiously, twirling around in her dress to show it off for her date. When Cobalt looked up and finally took notice of it, she was indeed breathtaking. Just as she had before in his dream, she was wearing a glittery sleeveless orange and black dress that was clearly inspired by a monarch butterfly, and she was wearing her signature butterfly pin in her hair to match. “So, what do you think? My mum’s quite the seamstress, isn’t she? That’s why she was fussing over it all day, said she kept finding ‘mistakes’ she made that I honestly don’t think were ever really there to begin with, but-”\n “I get butterflies… every time… I see you.”\n Sapphire stopped abruptly at her brother’s words between his heavy breaths, her mouth curling into a flustered smile as her cheeks were burning up.\n “I-I, er… s-same here, Cobe,” she said with a chuckle, trying to play it off casually. “You look… good. Now come on, let’s go inside!”\n She held onto his arm once he regained his breath, and together they walked in to where the dance was being held. At six o’clock on the dot, with most of the students in attendance, the principal went up to the DJ’s booth to make an introductory announcement.\n “Good evening, students and chaperones! Welcome to Rainworth High's annual high school dance! I’m Principal Retriever, and I’m thrilled to see so many of you dressed to impress and ready for an unforgettable night. Tonight, we’re celebrating not just the end of another fantastic school year, but the amazing spirit that makes our school so special. Whether you’re here to dance, socialize, or just enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, I encourage you all to make the most of this evening. Just remember to have fun, be respectful, and make memories that will last a lifetime. A big thank you to our student council and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event possible! So, without further ado, let’s kick off this ‘Golden Sands Social’! Enjoy the night, everyone!\"\n Once Principal Retriever left the booth, the DJ took over on the microphone.\n “Aaalright everyone, let’s heat things up a bit by starting with an oldie - but a goodie!”\n\n [b][i]‘Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me,[/i][/b]\n [i][b]I said you’re [/b][/i][b][i]holdin[/i][/b][i][b]’ back, she said,[/b][/i]\n [b][i]Shut up [/i][/b][i][b]and dance[/b][/i][b][i] with[/i][/b][i][b] me!’[/b][/i]\n\n As the song began and several other students began to gather on the dancefloor with their dates, Sapphire grabbed Cobalt’s hand and dragged him to the center; he resisted a little at first, still feeling a bit self-conscious in front of all their peers, but couldn’t bring himself to refuse Sapphire insistence. \n Dancing was the whole point of a dance, after all.\n Cobalt only moved his arms awkwardly at first, admiring his half-sister’s confidence as she danced like no one was watching. \n\n [i][b]‘Oh, we were bound to get together![/b][/i]\n [b][i]Bound to get together!’[/i][/b]\n\n As Cobalt eased into the rhythm and set his inhibitions aside, a smile found its way onto his face again as he began to match Sapphire’s energy. He’d been so focused on his stress, all the shit he’d been through during these last 24 hours, but when he was with Sapphire… he felt like everything might just turn out okay after all. \n\n [b][i]‘She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened,[/i][/b]\n [i][b]We took the floor and she [/b][/i][b][i]saaaid[/i][/b][i][b]!’[/b][/i]\n\n Cobalt suddenly grabbed Sapphire’s hand, twirling her in place before suddenly dipping her back. He pulled her up again, now brimming with confidence as they resumed dancing together. In her presence, Cobalt felt no anxiety. No fears.\n Only joy… and love. \n\n [b][i]‘This woman is my destiny,[/i][/b]\n [i][b]She said, ooh-ooh, shut up and dance with me!’[/b][/i]\n\n “Dang, Cobe! Where’d you learn to dance like that?” said Sapphire as she caught her breath when the song ended, and another one began. “I wasn’t expecting to be the one having trouble keeping up with you!”\n “I dunno,” Cobalt shrugged, grinning with pride that he’d actually impressed her with his moves. “It just came naturally to me when it was with you.”\n “Oh?” Sapphire asked in a teasing tone, leaning in a bit closer to him with a smile. “Cobalt Heeler, are you actually [i]flirting[/i] with me? Your own half-sister?”\n “N-not so loud, please,” Cobalt blushed, looking around.\n “Oh relax, the music’s so loud that I can barely hear [i]myself.[/i] So… are you?” she repeated the question inquisitively.\n “N-nuh, I-I mean, um, well, th-that’s…” his lips trembled as he fumbled his words, taking a breath and clearing his throat. “...Would it be bad if I was?”\n “Gee, I don’t know…” Sapphire tilted her head and smiled at Cobalt, beginning to move her legs and arms to the beat of the music again as they resumed dancing together.\n \n “...Would it?”\n\n The Golden Sands Social went on as normal, and after over an hour, the DJ finally played the first slow song of the night. An ethereal melody accompanied by a light jazzy snare drum and cymbals filled the auditorium as everyone paired up with their respective dates, holding their partners closely - or at least, as closely as they could get away with without a chaperone spotting them - as they swayed gently back and forth to the beat. Cobalt and Sapphire were no exception, with Sapphire resting her hands on Cobalt’s shoulders as Cobalt placed his hands shakily on Sapphire’s waist. A few piano keys started the first verse, followed by the sound of a female singer’s voice that gave the both of them an eerie sense of deja vu.\n\n [b][i]‘If I keep moving, I could hold off the pain…[/i][/b]\n [i][b]Just gotta keep moving… further, further away…[/b][/i]\n [b][i]If I start talking… the sparks are going to fly…[/i][/b]\n [i][b]So I'll just keep walking…[/b][/i]\n [b][i]Just keep… quiet…’[/i][/b]\n\n “Cobalt…” Sapphire whispered, looking deeply into her brother’s eyes. “What do you… think of me? I know I asked you this once before already, but… I never really got a straight answer. I want- no, I [i]need[/i] to know where we stand. Please, Cobe. Let’s be honest with each other.”\n\n [b][i]‘Look at me, I'm half the story…[/i][/b]\n [i][b]I don't know where my story goes…’[/b][/i]\n\n Cobalt’s hands held Sapphire a little tighter without him realizing, his entire body shivering slightly against his will. As he looked back into her eyes, he felt in his heart that there was no more running away from this tormenting secret he kept under lock and key for so long. If not now… then when?”\n\n [i][b]‘I just feel [/b][/i][b][i]liiike[/i][/b][i][b]… you’re [/b][/i][b][i]drifting[/i][/b][i][b] [/b][/i][b][i]ouuut[/i][/b][i][b]…[/b][/i]\n [b][i]Could I keep this tide from turning…[/i][/b]\n [i][b]If I scream, and I shout…?’[/b][/i]\n\n “Sapphire, um…” Cobalt pulled her a bit closer as he gulped, feeling her warmth against him. “You’re not just my sister… you’re my best friend.”\n “Oh… I see…” Sapphire sighed preemptively.\n “I’m not done yet, Sapph,” Cobalt whispered. “You’re so, [i]so[/i] much more to me than that. You’re just… the [i]best,[/i] period. What do I [i]think[/i] of you? When do I [i]not[/i] think of you? I always look forward to seeing a simple text from you every day. When I go to sleep at night, I [i]dream[/i] about you. Whenever I’m not with you, I wish I could be. You’re… my whole world, Sapphire. My whole [i]universe,[/i] even. I’ve been getting the feeling that maybe you might feel the same way for me as I feel about you, but we’ve been doing this back-and-forth for too long, so… I’ll be the one to say it first. And I don’t mean this as just your brother, or as your friend. Sapphire… I…”\n\n [i][b]‘If I start [/b][/i][b][i]taaalking[/i][/b][i][b]… these sparks are going to… [/b][/i][b][i]flyyyyyyyy[/i][/b][i][b]!’[/b][/i]\n\n With tears welling up in his eyes, Cobalt leaned in and pressed his forehead to his sister’s. Whatever happened next, there was no going back now.\n\n “...I love you.”\n\n Sapphire moved her hands from Cobalt’s shoulders up to his cheeks, wiping his tears with her thumbs as her eyes started creating tears of their own. Even so, her smile was uncontainable.\n\n “...I love you too, Cobalt. I love you so much.”\n\n Cobalt’s heart was nearly about to burst with joy from her words, praying that this wasn’t just another daydream. \n “Am I dreaming?” he asked.\n\n [i]“Nope,”[/i] said a familiar voice in Cobalt’s head.\n\n The music stopped, and everyone but Cobalt froze in time as the dancelights all shifted to a deep shade of blue. Biscuit slowly stepped out from directly behind Sapphire, his calm smile raising the hair on Cobalt’s neck.\n “That wasn’t a dream. Congratulations, Cobalt. You finally got what you always wanted. For real life. I’m happy for you. Really, I am.”\n “You… back then, when I was a kid… you raped me, didn’t you?” Cobalt growled.\n “Hey, I was just a kid too myself, and I meant nothing by it,” Biscuit replied passively. “I’m definitely not attracted to you or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. That said, I deeply apologize for how I acted back then, I was just so…angry. Upset. You don’t know what it’s like, living all alone in Bluey’s head… as nothing more than an [i]afterthought.”[/i]\n “What do you want from me?” Cobalt asked, “Why are you tormenting me like this?”\n “I already [i]told[/i] you what I want, Cobalt. You know now that I was telling the truth about everything, don’t you?”\n Cobalt remained silent as Biscuit continued.\n “All I want is… to be real. That’s it. And you’re my best chance to make that happen. You finally got what [i]you[/i] always wanted. Now please, give me what [i]I’ve[/i] always wanted. Cobalt… please... I’m [i]begging[/i] you.”\n Biscuit got on his hands and knees, breaking down into tears. \n “...Urgh, fine,” Cobalt conceded. “I’ll [i]try,[/i] but I can’t guarantee anything.”\n Cobalt grabbed Biscuit’s wrist tightly, focusing hard to bring him with. The dream world and the real world began to distort and glitch around them, simultaneously fusing together and splitting apart. They crossed back and forth between one and the other, faster and faster until…\n Biscuit became real.\n “W-what the-! Who are [i]you?”[/i] Sapphire said in surprise as Biscuit suddenly appeared before her out of thin air. As Cobalt looked around, it was clear that something was very, [i]very[/i] wrong. The auditorium was still rapidly fluctuating back and forth between fantasy and reality, and everyone else in attendance was taking notice as well.\n Suddenly, what appeared to be a large rip in space tore in a downward motion in front of the DJ booth, and it was pulled apart at the seams by a large pair of clawed hands emerging from it. From beyond the obsidian void of the portal stepped out a large and menacing monstrosity that was all too familiar to Cobalt and Biscuit, followed by other similar portals opening up beside it.\n “Y…you’re seeing this… right?” Cobalt asked Sapphire, who was clutching onto his hand tightly as everyone at the dance looked on in horror.\n She nodded.\n The first creature stood tall and sniffed the air for a moment before looking down at the crowd below, its twisted limbs crunching loudly like dried-up wood with every subtle movement it made. It seemed to stare directly at Cobalt as it opened its large mouth filled with needle-like teeth, hunching forward and bellowing out a deafening guttural roar.\n\n [b][i]“WRAaAaAaAH!!!”[/i][/b]\n\n If dreams could come true…\n Then so too could night-terrors.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "            “You okay?”
            Cobalt kindly held his hand out toward the blue and black heeler boy that was crying all alone on the beach. He appeared to be about the same age as himself - around 6 years old - and curiously looked quite a lot like his dad.
            “I… I am now… thanks,” the blue heeler said as he held his hand, feeling himself being pulled up as he wiped the wetness out of his eyes. “I’m Biscuit.”
            “Hey! Wanna go build a sand-castle?” Cobalt asked excitedly, his tail wagging behind him. “Actually, we could make it a contest!”
            “What’s the point…” Biscuit sighed, “You’ll probably disappear soon too, anyway.”
            “Why?” Cobalt asked, confused.
            “You’re dreaming. Any minute now, you’ll wake up… and probably forget all about me.” Biscuit looked down, kicking at the sand with his foot in frustration.
            “Well…” Cobalt rubbed the back of his head. “I’m a pretty heavy sleeper, so I probably have another 30 minutes, at least. But even if we only have a little bit of time, wouldn’t you rather spend it having some fun instead of moping?”
            “...Okay, why not,” Biscuit said, a smile returning on his face.
            “Let’s build some sandcastles.”

            “What game did you say this was from?” Biscuit asked as he watched Cobalt placing large square blocks of sand on top of one another to finish up the wall before removing large square chunks of sand from the beach to make a moat.
            “Cube Caves!” Cobalt replied, looking back with a big grin on his face. “It’s the best game ever! I play it all the time with my half-sister, Sapphire - when Mum and Dad let me, that is. Have you really never heard of it?!”
            “I, uh… don’t really get ‘out’ much.” Biscuit turned away, hiding his frown as he focused on building his castle using his own methods. Holding out his hands, he shifted space itself to distort the sand in such a way that arches and battlements began to form on the walls he’d constructed, moving at several times the efficiency that Cobalt was with his block-building method.
            “It’s so cool to be able to do this for real life!” Cobalt said, floating upwards and sideways at will as he placed more blocks to build his walls higher and higher.
            “This isn’t for real life, though,” Biscuit sniffled quietly, wiping his eye. “...And it never will be.”
            “I know, I know, this is all just a dream, but you know what I mean!” Cobalt chuckled innocently in amusement as he crudely made a giant toilet from blocks of sandstone. “Look, look, Biscuit! The king’s ‘royal throne’!”
            Unable to stay sour for long around his new playmate, Biscuit couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

            “Wow, Biscuit! Yours is definitely better-looking than mine!” Cobalt said in awe as they looked up at Biscuit’s creation, a towering and intricately-detailed fortress of glittering sand.
            “Thanks, but yours is great too, Cobalt!” Biscuit replied, acknowledging that while Cobalt’s was smaller and more rudimentary with its cubic pieces, it had just as much care put into it than Biscuit’s, if not more so.
            “Thanks! Can you show me around inside yours?” Cobalt asked, eager to get a tour.
            “Well, I guess so, but it’s kinda plain on the inside. I just spent most of my time on how the outside looked,” said Biscuit, but before he knew it Cobalt had already grabbed his hand and practically dragged him inside.
            “That’s okay! I still wanna see!”
            The two walked through the entrance down the main hall, with Cobalt’s eyes lighting up at the marvelous sights of the castle’s interior. True, it was rather empty just as Biscuit had said, but it was still impressive nonetheless, with ornamental sconces on the walls and ceilings seemingly as high as the stars themselves.
            Eventually, they reached the throne room, with four chairs forged from golden sand in the middle.
            “Four chairs?” Cobalt asked curiously. “Why four?”
            “Well, the big one’s for me, of course,” Biscuit pointed at the central chair in the middle, which was indeed the biggest. “And the two on the outsides are for my mum and dad. Then I thought maybe the chair next to me could be for… you.”
            “That’s so cool, Biscuit! Thanks!” Cobalt said happily, running up to the smaller chair next to the bigger one and having a seat in it.
            “So, um, Cobalt…” Biscuit began shyly, walking up to him. “Are we… friends?”
            “Of course we are, Biscuit!” Cobalt hopped out of the chair, giving Biscuit a tight hug. “This is one of the best dreams I’ve ever had! I wish we could be together like this for real life!”
            “I’d like that too, Cobalt,” Biscuit said, wrapping his arms around Cobalt’s back affectionately. “I’d like that very much.”
            Suddenly, a static began to creep around Cobalt’s body as his mind began to slowly awaken.
            “Stay with me,” Biscuit begged, squeezing Cobalt’s body tighter, “Please, don’t go! Don’t leave me!”
            “Sorry, Biscuit,” Cobalt said sadly, “I have to go now, but I hope I dream about you again someday.”
            “NO!” Biscuit growled as he forcefully pushed Cobalt to the ground and refused to let go, pinning his new friend’s wrists to the floor. “STAY WITH ME! PLEASE!”
            As a show of dominance amidst his anger and frustration of being alone again, Biscuit began humping Cobalt with his hips. There was no penetration, but Cobalt began to feel intensely afraid regardless.
            “Biscuit, let go! You’re hurting me!” Cobalt cried out, kicking his legs out in vain.
            “No, you’re just gonna leave me like everyone else!” Biscuit snarled, leaning in and biting down on the skin of Cobalt’s neck as he thrusted his hips harder into his friend’s pelvis. Tears ran down his muzzle, dripping onto Cobalt’s cheek. “Stop struggling!”
            Cobalt could only reply with sobs and weak punches at this point, his pleasant dream having quickly turned into a nightmare as Biscuit sexually-assaulted him. He finally gained enough strength to grab a tuft of black fur on the side of Biscuit’s cheek just in time before evaporating into thin-air.
            Biscuit yelled out angrily as he clutched the sand below, having now lost his one and only friend. After what he’d done, Cobalt would likely never want to see him again. That was, if he even remembered his dream at all. He held the sore spot on his cheek where Cobalt had grabbed at him, only to realize something that could change everything.

            The tuft of fur had been ripped out… and was nowhere to be found.

            Cobalt rubbed his eyes as he opened them wearily, his tears having stained the pillow beneath his head.
            ‘That was weird… was that a dream… or a memory?’ he thought, the image of a younger Biscuit on top of him burned into his mind. But before he could think on it any further, he heard the screams of someone down the hall that made his blood run cold.
            “Bandit? BANDIT?! Wake up babe, please wake up! Please, NOOO!”
            Cobalt frantically jumped out of bed to see what was the matter, running down the hall to find his mum hunched over Bandit, who was still in bed.
            “Mum, what happened?!” Cobalt asked, too concerned to care about last night’s events.
            “C-Cobalt, honey, y-your dad… Bandit, he… he’s dead!”
            “What…” Cobalt felt his eyes swelling up with tears as he stepped back in shock, the room suddenly spinning around him as his knees trembled.
            “He had a weak heart, and after what you said last night… that you didn’t love him anymore, he… he must’ve had a heart attack in his sleep!” Chilli cried, burying her face in her deceased husband’s chest. “Bandit… no…”
            “No… no, this… this can’t be…” Cobalt whimpered, his lungs struggling for air. This wasn’t what he wanted. He had been furious with his dad for what had happened, but he never wanted him to die.
            Cobalt backed out of the door, but felt the fur of someone standing behind him. He turned his head around slowly, seeing someone unexpected.
            “...I tried to warn you,” said Biscuit.

            “You couldn’t handle the truth.”

            Cobalt’s eyes shot open, finding himself back in bed. His heart was pounding. Ha sprung out of bed, sprinting to his parents’ bedroom.
            “Dad! Dad!” Cobalt shouted, slamming his parents’ door open.
            “Mh, whassit? Cobal-” Bandit, who was very much alive, sat up tiredly - though startled - as did Chilli, before he shut his mouth again and looked down somberly while avoiding eye-contact with his son as he remembered the events the night prior.
            Cobalt took a moment to catch his breath, admittedly relieved to see his dad still alive. However, his gratitude lasted only for a brief moment before his memories of last night caught up to him as well, a dark scowl returning to his face as he left the doorway in silence.
            ‘I’m glad he’s not dead, but that doesn’t change anything,’ he thought. ‘He’s still a vile, disgusting puppyfucker, and with Bluey of all kids.’
            Cobalt returned to his room and picked up his phone, seeing several new messages left by Sapphire last night.

            9:23 PM: ‘Hey where did u go?’
            9:41 PM: ‘Are you in the toilet? Hope ur ok lol, those curried sausages were kinda iffy’
            10:06 PM: ‘I guess yuo headed to bed early, see you tomorrow for the dance Cobe’
            1:55 AM: ‘...luv ya bro <3’

            Seeing her messages, and knowing the feelings he felt for her in his heart, Cobalt began to wonder. Was he being a hypocrite for his explosive reaction last night? After all, he was in love with his half-sister, so was it really any worse for Dad to be involved with Bluey?
            Yes, yes it absolutely fucking was, Cobalt reassured himself without a hint of doubt.
            Having a crush on a sibling of his own age was one thing, but an adult dog having a sexual relationship with his underage daughter… that was objectively far, far worse. The two situations were practically incomparable, in fact. It was never the incest that horrified Cobalt about the truth, but the fact that his dad had committed an act of pedophilia - and his mum encouraged it. To know that what Biscuit had shown him was true all along. Had Bandit and Bluey started their relationship well into Bluey’s adulthood, Cobalt might’ve been more willing to accept it; but to know that Bluey was practically just a puppy when all of this began… the mental image alone made him want to vomit.
            ‘Mental image…’ Cobalt thought. ‘Fuck, now that I think about it, my dreams are already back. My imagination is back. And that probably means my daydreams are back, too.’
            Trying not to stress about it too much on the day of the dance, Cobalt set his phone down and headed for the bathroom to get ready.

            He managed to resist the temptation to take care of his ‘masculine needs’ during his shower, instead distracting himself by taking the time to thoroughly groom his appearance and plucking the faint ‘mustache’ that had been just barely growing out of his upper lip. It looked far better to be clean-trimmed than to have a couple of stray teenage whiskers, anyway; those wouldn’t be convincing anyone of his manliness any time soon, at least not until he could grow a full one.
            When he emerged from his shower, he saw a new message on his phone.
            It was from Bluey.

            ‘Hey Cobalt… please please PLEASE can we talk about last night? Mum and Dad were really torn up about it after you went to your room. Please, give them a chance. They deserve forgiveness.’

            Cobalt rolled his eyes, ignoring the message and putting his phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’; or at least, he did for a moment, before turning it back on again  - just in case Sapphire texted him.
            Which reminded him, he still hadn’t replied back to her messages from last night.

            ‘Luv you too, sis <3 yea sorry about last night. Wanted to be well-rested for the dance.’

            That was a lie, of course. But as much as it pained him to keep this family secret a secret, he convinced himself that it was for the best in the long run - he didn’t want to burden Sapphire with the knowledge of what their dad had done to Bluey.
            Thinking it over for a minute, he sent her another text.

            ‘Hey actually is it ok if I come over? Or we could hang out anywhere in town instead before the dance if thats ok too. I’m just feeling suffocated in this house yknow?’

            Just then, he heard a knock on his bedroom door, and for a second the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Without a word from the other side, a note slipped under his door.

            ‘I made breakfast for you if you’re hungry. I’d like for us to have a calm family discussion about what happened last night, if you’re willing.
            We love you with all our hearts.
            -Mum’

            “Gimme a break,” Cobalt scoffed under his breath, crumpling up the paper and tossing it in the garbage can dismissively. His parents were in no position to be making a peace offering this quickly after all their dirty skeletons had spilled out of the closet, so to speak. A short moment afterward, his phone buzzed.

            ‘Morning Cobe! I’d super love to hang out, believe me. But Mum is already fussing over me and my dress first thing in the morning, so maybe it’s best if you’re NOT here to see this LOL she’s probably gonna be like this all day. I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do though. See you tonight! ;)’

            ‘Damn,’ Cobalt thought. But she was right, he’d find something to do. Anything to get him away from his parents.
            He grabbed his backpack and stuffed it with anything he thought he might need for the day - his wallet, phone, a portable phone charger, sunglasses, deodorant, anti-perspirant, his drawing notebook and pencils, headphones, and of course, his folded suit for the dance. Sure, it might get a tad wrinkled in his bag, but he was confident that Sapphire wasn’t one to care about that kind of stuff.
            Cautiously, Cobalt opened his door and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He could see Chilli and Bandit looking at him expectantly as they sat at the table with breakfast in front of them, but he actively refused to acknowledge their existence as he silently opened the fridge to pull out a bottle of water before immediately leaving the kitchen and out of the house.
            “...He’s gonna hate our guts for the rest of his life, isn’t he?” Bandit sighed once the front door shut, resting his head in his hands. “Not that I can say I blame him…”
“Just give it time, babe, he’ll come around…” Chilli said quietly as she tried to encourage him, patting his arm.

            “...I hope…”

            Cobalt got on his bike and decided to return to South Bank, which was almost always a bustling tourist spot to keep his mind off any negative thoughts. He took a seat on the bench at Streets Beach, deciding to use this opportunity to get his artistic mojo back now that he was no longer on medication. Remembering that his background practice still needed the most work, he simply spent the day drawing the view all around him in one long panoramic still - with breaks in between to get a bite to eat and use the toilet, of course.
            This was already coming along to be his best background yet, he thought with pride; though of course, in his opinion, it obviously would’ve looked a lot better if Sapphire were the main subject again. Once he finished the shading, however, he noticed something he hadn’t before looking at the entire work in full: he appeared to have unintentionally shaded in the subtle outline of a dog standing in front of the bench that looked eerily familiar…
            “B…Biscuit?” Cobalt whispered as he got up, looking around. “...Are you there?”
            The world around him shifted to grey, and the scratchy sound of an old song from a slowed-down record player could be heard echoing loudly in his head.

            “...Say ‘nighty-night’ and kiss meee…
            …Just hold me tiiight… and tell me you'll miss meee…
            …While I'm alooone… and blue as can beee…
            …Dream a little dreeeam… of… meee…”

            “Biscuit?! Biscuit!” Cobalt shouted, swinging his arms around defensively into the empty air. “Why the fuck are you doing this to me?! Leave me alone!”
            “Leave you alone?” Biscuit’s voice said in his head. “But I don’t abandon the people I care about, Cobalt…”
            Cobalt felt an icy chill on his spine, as though Biscuit were clutching directly onto it through his back.
“...I’m not like you.”
            “BISCUIT, YOU SON OF A-!”
            The word around Cobalt returned to normal as he took a swing, with dogs all around him staring as he’d apparently been making a schizoid fool of himself in front of everyone.
            “Is that dog okay, Maw?” a little orange beagador pup asked, tugging at her mother’s arm as she pointed at Cobalt. “He was shouting ‘biscuit’ a lot, he must be really hungry.”
            “Don’t look at him, sweetie. He might be on drugs…” her mother whispered as she cautiously pulled her daughter further along down the sidewalk in a hurry.
            Wanting to avoid any further unwanted attention, and since it was nearly time for him to be heading to the dance anyway, Cobalt quickly gathered his things into his backpack and went to his bike, making himself scarce as he headed for his high school.

            Once he arrived at the high school, Cobalt checked his phone as he headed to the restroom to tidy up and put on his attire for the dance.

            Dad: ‘Please be safe tonight, and have fun. I love you.’

            Cobalt scrunched his nose in disgust, shaking his head and leaving him on ‘read’ before selecting the next message.

            Bluey: ‘Please, don’t tell Judo about what you saw… I know I have no excuse for betraying her like that, but dad and I hadn’t been involved with each other like that in years. It was a moment of weakness. Emotions were high, and… if you knew what dad and I had, maybe then you’d understand. Just know that I truly do love Judo, Cobalt. And it’ll never happen again. I love you, little brother.’

            Cobalt shook his head. Truthfully, he had considered reaching out to Judo at some point, but decided not to, so as not to stir up even further drama. After all, whether or not Bluey kept her word on remaining faithful to Judo didn’t affect him in the least. If Bluey ever admitted to her fiancee about what had happened, that would be her decision to make. He left her on ‘read’ as well, opening the last new message.

            Sapphire: ‘On my way, Mum’s dropping me off in about 10 minutes if we could meet at the main entrance’?

            Cobalt checked the time of the message - 5:45 PM. Then he looked to the top right corner of his phone to check the time - 5:52.
            “Three minutes!” Cobalt yelped, quickly putting away his phone and throwing on his white button-up shirt, black vest, blue jacket, and white bowtie before briefly looking in the mirror and flattening out any wrinkles as well as straightening his hair. He then rushed to his locker nearby, stuffing his backpack into it and slamming it shut before heading down the hallway to meet Sapphire at the front entrance of the auditorium.
 
            Cobalt made it just in time, but just barely, greeting Sapphire at the front steps as he bent forward and struggled to catch his breath.
            “Am I really that breathtaking?” Sapphire giggled facetiously, twirling around in her dress to show it off for her date. When Cobalt looked up and finally took notice of it, she was indeed breathtaking. Just as she had before in his dream, she was wearing a glittery sleeveless orange and black dress that was clearly inspired by a monarch butterfly, and she was wearing her signature butterfly pin in her hair to match. “So, what do you think? My mum’s quite the seamstress, isn’t she? That’s why she was fussing over it all day, said she kept finding ‘mistakes’ she made that I honestly don’t think were ever really there to begin with, but-”
            “I get butterflies… every time… I see you.”
            Sapphire stopped abruptly at her brother’s words between his heavy breaths, her mouth curling into a flustered smile as her cheeks were burning up.
            “I-I, er… s-same here, Cobe,” she said with a chuckle, trying to play it off casually. “You look… good. Now come on, let’s go inside!”
            She held onto his arm once he regained his breath, and together they walked in to where the dance was being held. At six o’clock on the dot, with most of the students in attendance, the principal went up to the DJ’s booth to make an introductory announcement.
            “Good evening, students and chaperones! Welcome to Rainworth High's annual high school dance! I’m Principal Retriever, and I’m thrilled to see so many of you dressed to impress and ready for an unforgettable night. Tonight, we’re celebrating not just the end of another fantastic school year, but the amazing spirit that makes our school so special. Whether you’re here to dance, socialize, or just enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, I encourage you all to make the most of this evening. Just remember to have fun, be respectful, and make memories that will last a lifetime. A big thank you to our student council and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event possible! So, without further ado, let’s kick off this ‘Golden Sands Social’! Enjoy the night, everyone!"
            Once Principal Retriever left the booth, the DJ took over on the microphone.
            “Aaalright everyone, let’s heat things up a bit by starting with an oldie - but a goodie!”

            ‘Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me,
            I said you’re holdin’ back, she said,
            Shut up and dance with me!’

            As the song began and several other students began to gather on the dancefloor with their dates, Sapphire grabbed Cobalt’s hand and dragged him to the center; he resisted a little at first, still feeling a bit self-conscious in front of all their peers, but couldn’t bring himself to refuse Sapphire insistence.
            Dancing was the whole point of a dance, after all.
            Cobalt only moved his arms awkwardly at first, admiring his half-sister’s confidence as she danced like no one was watching.

            ‘Oh, we were bound to get together!
            Bound to get together!’

            As Cobalt eased into the rhythm and set his inhibitions aside, a smile found its way onto his face again as he began to match Sapphire’s energy. He’d been so focused on his stress, all the shit he’d been through during these last 24 hours, but when he was with Sapphire… he felt like everything might just turn out okay after all.

            ‘She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened,
            We took the floor and she saaaid!’

            Cobalt suddenly grabbed Sapphire’s hand, twirling her in place before suddenly dipping her back. He pulled her up again, now brimming with confidence as they resumed dancing together. In her presence, Cobalt felt no anxiety. No fears.
            Only joy… and love.

            ‘This woman is my destiny,
            She said, ooh-ooh, shut up and dance with me!’

            “Dang, Cobe! Where’d you learn to dance like that?” said Sapphire as she caught her breath when the song ended, and another one began. “I wasn’t expecting to be the one having trouble keeping up with you!”
            “I dunno,” Cobalt shrugged, grinning with pride that he’d actually impressed her with his moves. “It just came naturally to me when it was with you.”
             “Oh?” Sapphire asked in a teasing tone, leaning in a bit closer to him with a smile. “Cobalt Heeler, are you actually flirting with me? Your own half-sister?”
            “N-not so loud, please,” Cobalt blushed, looking around.
            “Oh relax, the music’s so loud that I can barely hear myself. So… are you?” she repeated the question inquisitively.
            “N-nuh, I-I mean, um, well, th-that’s…” his lips trembled as he fumbled his words, taking a breath and clearing his throat. “...Would it be bad if I was?”
            “Gee, I don’t know…” Sapphire tilted her head and smiled at Cobalt, beginning to move her legs and arms to the beat of the music again as they resumed dancing together.
 
            “...Would it?”

            The Golden Sands Social went on as normal, and after over an hour, the DJ finally played the first slow song of the night. An ethereal melody accompanied by a light jazzy snare drum and cymbals filled the auditorium as everyone paired up with their respective dates, holding their partners closely - or at least, as closely as they could get away with without a chaperone spotting them - as they swayed gently back and forth to the beat. Cobalt and Sapphire were no exception, with Sapphire resting her hands on Cobalt’s shoulders as Cobalt placed his hands shakily on Sapphire’s waist. A few piano keys started the first verse, followed by the sound of a female singer’s voice that gave the both of them an eerie sense of deja vu.

            ‘If I keep moving, I could hold off the pain…
            Just gotta keep moving… further, further away…
            If I start talking… the sparks are going to fly…
            So I'll just keep walking…
            Just keep… quiet…’

            “Cobalt…” Sapphire whispered, looking deeply into her brother’s eyes. “What do you… think of me? I know I asked you this once before already, but… I never really got a straight answer. I want- no, I need to know where we stand. Please, Cobe. Let’s be honest with each other.”

            ‘Look at me, I'm half the story…
            I don't know where my story goes…’

            Cobalt’s hands held Sapphire a little tighter without him realizing, his entire body shivering slightly against his will. As he looked back into her eyes, he felt in his heart that there was no more running away from this tormenting secret he kept under lock and key for so long. If not now… then when?”

            ‘I just feel liiike… you’re drifting ouuut…
            Could I keep this tide from turning…
            If I scream, and I shout…?’

            “Sapphire, um…” Cobalt pulled her a bit closer as he gulped, feeling her warmth against him. “You’re not just my sister… you’re my best friend.”
            “Oh… I see…” Sapphire sighed preemptively.
            “I’m not done yet, Sapph,” Cobalt whispered. “You’re so, so much more to me than that. You’re just… the best, period. What do I think of you? When do I not think of you? I always look forward to seeing a simple text from you every day. When I go to sleep at night, I dream about you. Whenever I’m not with you, I wish I could be. You’re… my whole world, Sapphire. My whole universe, even. I’ve been getting the feeling that maybe you might feel the same way for me as I feel about you, but we’ve been doing this back-and-forth for too long, so… I’ll be the one to say it first. And I don’t mean this as just your brother, or as your friend. Sapphire… I…”

            ‘If I start taaalking… these sparks are going to… flyyyyyyyy!’

            With tears welling up in his eyes, Cobalt leaned in and pressed his forehead to his sister’s. Whatever happened next, there was no going back now.

            “...I love you.”

            Sapphire moved her hands from Cobalt’s shoulders up to his cheeks, wiping his tears with her thumbs as her eyes started creating tears of their own. Even so, her smile was uncontainable.

            “...I love you too, Cobalt. I love you so much.”

            Cobalt’s heart was nearly about to burst with joy from her words, praying that this wasn’t just another daydream.
            “Am I dreaming?” he asked.

            “Nope,” said a familiar voice in Cobalt’s head.

            The music stopped, and everyone but Cobalt froze in time as the dancelights all shifted to a deep shade of blue. Biscuit slowly stepped out from directly behind Sapphire, his calm smile raising the hair on Cobalt’s neck.
            “That wasn’t a dream. Congratulations, Cobalt. You finally got what you always wanted. For real life. I’m happy for you. Really, I am.”
            “You… back then, when I was a kid… you raped me, didn’t you?” Cobalt growled.
            “Hey, I was just a kid too myself, and I meant nothing by it,” Biscuit replied passively. “I’m definitely not attracted to you or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. That said, I deeply apologize for how I acted back then, I was just so…angry. Upset. You don’t know what it’s like, living all alone in Bluey’s head… as nothing more than an afterthought.”
             “What do you want from me?” Cobalt asked, “Why are you tormenting me like this?”
            “I already told you what I want, Cobalt. You know now that I was telling the truth about everything, don’t you?”
            Cobalt remained silent as Biscuit continued.
            “All I want is… to be real. That’s it. And you’re my best chance to make that happen. You finally got what you always wanted. Now please, give me what I’ve always wanted. Cobalt… please... I’m begging you.”
            Biscuit got on his hands and knees, breaking down into tears.
            “...Urgh, fine,” Cobalt conceded. “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
            Cobalt grabbed Biscuit’s wrist tightly, focusing hard to bring him with. The dream world and the real world began to distort and glitch around them, simultaneously fusing together and splitting apart. They crossed back and forth between one and the other, faster and faster until…
            Biscuit became real.
            “W-what the-! Who are you?” Sapphire said in surprise as Biscuit suddenly appeared before her out of thin air. As Cobalt looked around, it was clear that something was very, very wrong. The auditorium was still rapidly fluctuating back and forth between fantasy and reality, and everyone else in attendance was taking notice as well.
            Suddenly, what appeared to be a large rip in space tore in a downward motion in front of the DJ booth, and it was pulled apart at the seams by a large pair of clawed hands emerging from it. From beyond the obsidian void of the portal stepped out a large and menacing monstrosity that was all too familiar to Cobalt and Biscuit, followed by other similar portals opening up beside it.
            “Y…you’re seeing this… right?” Cobalt asked Sapphire, who was clutching onto his hand tightly as everyone at the dance looked on in horror.
            She nodded.
            The first creature stood tall and sniffed the air for a moment before looking down at the crowd below, its twisted limbs crunching loudly like dried-up wood with every subtle movement it made. It seemed to stare directly at Cobalt as it opened its large mouth filled with needle-like teeth, hunching forward and bellowing out a deafening guttural roar.

            “WRAaAaAaAH!!!”

            If dreams could come true…
            Then so too could night-terrors.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Dreams of a Radiant Red - Chapter 9 - Sparks", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/png", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "2", "views": "699" }