Chapter 8

When he got there, he saw Sans yelling at Piko. "You could have killed him!" Sans yelled. "Doggo attacked ME. I simply defended myself." Piko explained. "By BREAKING his ARM?! And headbutting him?!" Sans yelled, furious.

Dream came to a halt, his breath hitching at the sight of Sans yelling at Piko. He stood frozen, his eyes wide as he took in the scene.

"Piko..." he breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper. He wanted to rush to her, to defend her, but he was paralyzed by shock. He had never seen Piko act violently before. She had always been kind and gentle, even when she was upset.

As he watched, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He had known something was wrong, but he hadn't pushed hard enough. He hadn't been able to help her, and now she was in trouble.

With a heavy heart, Dream began to approach the pair, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what to say. He had to make things right, for Piko and for himself.

Piko's head snapped to him when he approached. Dream saw her eyes glowing even more than last night.

Dream swallowed hard, meeting Piko's gaze head on. The glow in her eyes was intense, but he refused to look away. "Piko," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm here to help."

He glanced at Sans, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. Then, he turned back to Piko, his heart pounding in his chest. "Piko, I know you're upset," he said, his voice gentle. "But hurting others... that's not like you. We need to figure out what's going on, and how to fix it. And I'm here to help you through this, okay?"

"...Help? I'm fine Dream-" Piko started to say.

Dream cut her off, his voice firm. "No, Piko. You're not fine. And that's okay." He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "It's okay not to be okay, Piko. But it's not okay to hurt others, or to push away those who care about you."

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I'm here for you, Piko. No matter what. And I want to help you through this. But you have to let me in. You have to talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"Alright. Doggo challenged my strength. When I declined, he attacked. And so I... restrained him."

Dream's eyes softened, a sense of relief washing over him as Piko finally opened up. "Thank you for telling me, Piko," he said gently. "I'm sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve to be attacked."

He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "But Piko, there are other ways to handle situations like this. You're stronger than you know, and not just physically. You didn't need to hurt Doggo to prove that."

He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, his gaze steady. "Let's work on this together, okay? We can figure out a better way to handle things, a way that doesn't involve violence."

Dream heart sank a little as Piko stepped back, avoiding his touch. He quickly withdrew his hand, respecting her space. "I'm sorry," he murmured, looking down.

He took a deep breath and looked back up at her. "Piko, I really want to help you. I mean it. But I can't do that if you keep pushing me away. I won't force you, but please... let me in. Let me help you."

His voice was sincere, his eyes pleading. He just hoped that Piko would finally let him in.

"...Dream. Worry about yourself. Shouldn't you be on your afternoon shift?" Piko said coldly.

Dream felt a pang in his chest at her cold words. Still, he didn't let his disappointment show. He knew she was struggling, and he couldn't blame her for pushing him away.

"You're right, I should be," he answered, his voice steady. "But I'm more concerned about you right now, Piko."

He gave her a small, sad smile. "But if you want me to leave, I will. Just... please take care of yourself, Piko. And remember that I'm here for you, whenever you're ready to let me in." With that, he turned and slowly walked away, his heart heavy with worry.

But as he walked away, he thought about Piko's eyes. The colored part was glowing red, yet he could see a small ring of blue. Of Piko's usual eye color. She was still in there.

The thought gave him a glimmer of hope amidst the worry. Piko was still there, underneath the anger and the glowing red. There was still a chance to reach her, to help her. He just needed to find the right way.

As he walked away, he made a promise to himself. He wouldn't give up on Piko. No matter how much she pushed him away, no matter how much she insisted she was fine, he would be there for her. He would find a way to help her, to reach the Piko he knew was still in there.

"Dream," he whispered to himself, "you must be her beacon of hope."

As Dream watched Piko and Papyrus spar, he couldn't help but worry. Piko's movements were aggressive, her eyes still glowing a threatening red. Every now and then, he saw a flash of blue but it was quickly swallowed up by the red again.

Papyrus, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Piko's changed demeanor. He was laughing and joking as usual, completely unaware of Dream's concern.

Dream's mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan. He needed to find a way to bring Piko to Toriel without arousing suspicion. He needed to help Piko before she hurt herself or someone else.

As he watched the sparring session, Dream couldn't shake off the feeling of dread. He needed to act fast. He needed to save Piko.

"Come on Papyrus! Stop pulling your punches! Stop thinking of me as a friend when you fight! Put some power into it! You're the son of a boss monster! Act like it!" Piko said. Papyrus flinched at her tone. "But... I don't want to hurt you." He said, committed to defending himself instead of knocking Piko down. "Come on! If this is your maximum power, Your attacks won't even scratch me!" Piko said.

Dream's heart clenched as he watched the scene unfold. Piko was pushing Papyrus too hard, and he could see the confusion and hurt in Papyrus's eyes. Piko was becoming more aggressive, more desperate, and Papyrus didn't know how to respond.

"Piko, that's enough!" Dream finally intervened, stepping forward. His voice was firm, but there was a hint of desperation in his eyes. "You're going too far. Papyrus isn't your enemy. You're letting your anger control you."

He turned to Papyrus, giving him a reassuring nod. "Papyrus, you did good. You're not here to hurt anyone, and you should never feel forced to."

Then he turned back to Piko, his expression softening. "Piko, we need to talk. This isn't like you."

"What do you mean? I'm just challenging him." Piko said.

Dream sighed, running a hand through his hair (That didn't exist). "Piko, you're pushing him too hard. You're letting your anger take control. That's not like you."

He took a step towards her, his eyes filled with concern. "You're hurting, Piko. And you're trying to hide it by being tough and challenging everyone around you. But it's not working. It's only hurting you more."

He paused, trying to find the right words. "You don't have to do this alone, Piko. Let us help you."

"I'm not alone. I'm NEVER alone. Even when your not around." Piko said.

Dream's heart ached at her words. "Piko, I know you feel like you're alone, but you're not. You have me, Papyrus, Toriel... we all care about you. We all want to help you."

He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to lightly touch her arm. "Please, Piko. Let us in. Let us help you through this. You don't have to face this alone."

She pulled away. "Who told you I was alone? I just said, I'm NEVER alone, even when you're not there."

Dream's heart pounded in his chest as the realization hit him. She meant it literally. There was someone—or something—else with her.

"Piko," he began slowly, cautiously. "Who... who is with you when we're not?"

The question hung heavy in the air. Dream could only hope that Piko would trust him enough to answer honestly. He could only hope that he could still help her.

"...Myself. I'm enough for me." She said, deflecting the question. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have sparring to do."

"Wait, Piko," Dream called out as she turned to leave. He knew she was deflecting, avoiding his question, but he couldn't let her walk away. Not when she was in this state.

He grabbed her arm gently, turning her back to face him. "Piko, please. I'm worried about you. We all are. You don't have to face whatever you're going through alone."

His voice was soft, filled with concern and sincerity. He hoped that she would see that he genuinely wanted to help, that he cared about her.

She stared at Dream. Her red eyes pierced his soul. He noticed that her breathing had gotten faster, and was all the time. "Tch. I'm going to grillby's." She broke his grask, and walked away. Dream knew that there was one person who could help him now. It was Alphys.

As Dream watched Piko walk away, he felt a pang of worry. Her red eyes, her quickened breathing, her aggression- all signs that something was terribly wrong. And she wouldn't let him help.

"Dream," he whispered to himself, "you can't give up now. She needs help, and you're the only one who can give it to her."

And so, he turned and headed towards Alphys's lab. If anyone could help him understand what was going on with Piko, it was her. Alphys was smart, experienced, and had a deep understanding of monsters and their behaviors. If anyone could help him save Piko, it was Alphys.

As he approached the lab, he steeled himself for what was to come. He had to help Piko, no matter what it took.

"D-Dream? What are you here?" Alphys asked.

"Alphys," Dream began, his voice weighed down with worry. "It's about Piko. Something's wrong, and I don't know what to do."

He went on to explain everything - Piko's aggressive behavior, her red eyes, her quickened breathing, and her insistence that she was never alone. He told Alphys about his concern, his fear, and his desperation to help.

"I don't know what's happening to her, Alphys," Dream finished, looking to the scientist for answers. "But I need to help her. I can't just stand by and watch her suffer. Can you help me?"

Alphys eyes widened at the story. "I-I-I-I D-d-don't know. B-b-but I d-do know about the part about her not b-being alone."

Dream's heart pounded in his chest as Alphys stuttered out her response.

"Alone? What do you mean, Alphys?" Dream asked, his voice filled with urgency. He leaned closer, desperate for any information that could help him understand what was happening to Piko. "What do you know about it?"

"I-if you have enough LOVE, It's possible for other ghosts with more or the same amount of LOVE to communicate with you. The person would have to be dead, and human, unless a boss monster." Alphys explained.

Dream's heart sank as he processed Alphys's words. Piko had been communicating with spirits. But why? And what did they want with her?

"I... see," he said quietly, his mind spinning. He knew he had to find a way to help Piko, but he was at a loss. How do you help someone who was communicating with spirits?

"Alphys, is there anything we can do to help Piko?" he asked, his voice filled with desperation. "Is there any way to break this connection?"

She shook her head. "As far as we know, as long as they either have or HAD that LOVE, they stay in communication. So until she dies, she'll keep hearing the ghost, LOVE or no LOVE."

Dream felt a cold chill run through him at Alphys' words. The thought of Piko being stuck with this connection until she died was terrifying. But he knew he couldn't give up on her. There had to be another way.

"Then we have to find a way to help her cope with it," Dream said, determination burning in his eyes. "We have to help her understand what's happening and how to handle it. Maybe if she learns to control this connection, it won't affect her as much."

He turned to Alphys, his gaze pleading. "Will you help me, Alphys? For Piko?"

"I-I can try. But as far as we know, the only way to cure it is to extract DETERMINATION from her. So if you can get close enough to her SOUL, just use the needled I gave you to extract the DETERMINATION, and immediately get it to me." Alphys said.

Dream nodded, taking in Alphys' words. Extracting DETERMINATION from Piko would be a delicate task, but Dream was willing to try anything if it meant helping her.

"I'll do it," he said with conviction. "For Piko. I just hope she'll let me close enough to do so."

Taking the needle from Alphys, he looked at it with determination. This was his chance to help Piko, to possibly free her from the torment of her connection with spirits.

"Thank you, Alphys," he said, pocketing the needle. "I'll do my best."

With that, he turned to leave, his mind already focused on the task ahead. He would help Piko, no matter what it took.

"And Dream?" Alphys said before he left.

Dream paused, turning back to look at Alphys. "Yes, Alphys?" he asked, his expression serious as he waited for her to continue.

"You have to be prepared. Because if she knows what your trying to do, then her LOVE will increase, and she WILL try to kill you. When she is, her soul will show wither you get the needles close to it or wither she brings it out."