The sky was dyed red.

The air heavy with dread. 

She's gone to bed.

Gone to bed.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone-

Screams.

Wails.

Cries.

Cries for blood.

For Vengeance.

The Mortals shall pay.

The Mortals shall pay.

The Mortals shall pay-

[Al!!]

Everything shifted.

No longer could Al hear the grieving shadows. It was just darkness. Absolute Darkness.

For one reason or another, Al looked directly infront of him, he saw two tiny floating orbs off into the distance.

Then, the caw of a crow. 

__ __ ___ __ __ _ __ __ __ ___ _ ___ __ __ __ ___ __ __ _ __ __ _ _

Al woke up, drenched in sweat.

No.

Looking around, he realized he wasn't in the real world. 

He was within the Inside Out, the absurdly blue piece of sky he awoke to gave it away. 

Blue.

Al always liked the colour blue-

[Al?]

He turned to the source of the sound. 

The silhouette of someone young came into view. 

It's voice sounded young. That of someone only a few years older than Al himself. 

He couldn't exactly see what it was, but he thought the silhouette wore a uniform of some sort. Al could also tell the uniform was probably battered and torn. If he tried hard enough, he could even picture some blood on it. Though the tie would probably have been worn loosely. 

[The gate is loose again. A group of your memories got to the Dream Room. 

Meaning you're gonna have to tighten it again with the key.] Voice said, giving him a high five. 

Ohh.

That explains the nightmare.

Al was sure he had locked that memory away. 

But wait, wasn't he forgetting something. A crow flashed into his mind for some odd reason.

And then, Al just forgot.

Anyway. 

Al sat down.

Breath in.

Breath out.

'Center yourself.' Al recalled Lady Nana's lessons on meditation.

Abruptly he appeared in front of a gate.

It looked worse for wear but was heavily fortified on all sides. The metal was a shade just short of being silver. 

The tips at the top of the gate were pointed, he knew. But they were so high up he couldn't even see them. 

Extending far past the levels of his comprehension.

There was barbed wire around the gate and a trench of vast emptiness surrounding the sides for the particularly stubborn memories. He called the pit Abyss and it had a horrible personality.

Also. 

There was no bridge.

But that wasn't an issue.

'Don't look down,' he thought as he began to walk over the emptiness. The abyss, displeased at not getting a free meal, mumbled angrily.

Al ignored it and continued walking. 

Reaching the other side, Al looked on.

He saw a group of memories trying to sneak their way back into the gate. A tiny crack in the lock of the gate was all the space they had. It was also all the space they would need though.

Huh. 

They were probably just returning from the Dream Room.

And looking at the mass of sentient screams, they were also probably responsible for ruining his sleep. 

Al grumbled in annoyance before saying:

"You know the rules, guys. Everyone of you get back into your rooms. 

Your grounded. 

And whoever opened the gate cannot go to Cake Island for the Weekly Hula. 

Now back to your rooms. 

Yes. 

Even you, new guy."

The new memory, which was the source of his current nightmare, sighed exasperatedly.

It went back into the gate. 

Followed by the rest.

"Wait, who let you out of the gate."

The mass of screams and crying wails, together with the rest of the memories pointed out to one particular memory sliver. It was trying hard to hide amongst the crowd. 

It turned to him. 

Saw him. 

And bolted right back into the gate.

"Hey!! Get back here!" Al shouted before running in after it. Pushing past the Cake Dragon. 

Ignoring the two signs at the front of the gate.

Reading:

Do Not Enter

And:

Memory Lane.

 _ __ ___ __ __ __ _ __ __ ___ ____  __ __ ___ _ ___ ___ __ _ ___

Al wound up on a road ascending upwards.

Every stop at the road was filled with a memory of Al's. One he had either locked away. Or one he had just simply forgotten. He didn't have the brain power to process all of them so he just left them be.

The was another road descending down Memory Lane. That one was reserved specifically for Voice. And after having a glimpse inside, Al was sure he never wanted another glimpse again. 

He shuddered slightly.

Unfortunately. 

The blue sky was replaced by smoke. It seemed Al had just missed the conductor. He would have to have a chat with the mustache twirling man. 

Al needed more good ideas. 

Maybe more shower thoughts. 

And definitely less pervy ones. 

Wait.

If the conductor really was just here...... 

Shit. 

That would mean more intrusive thoughts. 

Putting his worries aside, Al saw the memory sliver run up the road, completely ignoring the laws of common sense.

Well.

Two could play this game.

Al reached into his pocket.

He pulled out a bomb.

No. 

A speedometer.

What was he gonna need that for. 

Cake.

He took a bite out of it. 

Delicious.

But no. 

A dragon made out of cake.

Go back to your room. 

But still no. 

A bra.

Maybe later. 

He put it back into the pocket. 

A sword.

Excellent.

Turning the head of the sword, it opened. He threw the blade away. Then he pulled the head of a pen out of it. Already full of black ink.

Turning to the ground, he drew a large black circle on it.

Satisfied, he then jumped into the circle.

The young memory sliver was nearing the peak before Al suddenly fell towards it from somewhere.

The two tumbled down the road for a bit.

Nearly reaching the base of the road. 

Al held the young memory in his grasp, however, it pulled a frying pan from behind Al's ear and whacked him in the face with it. 

Then again.

Then again.

Then again. 

Until the outline of Al's face, together with the two scars, was carved into the metal. 

Dazed, Al dropped the memory by mistake. He was seeing stars. 

It sprung into action, it untied Al's shoe laces before it tied them back together this time. It also made sure to give Al a little present. 

Then it let out a wolf-whistle. 

And from the corner, Bunny Girl appeared. The young memory crawled up her legs before hiding within her bowtie. 

She hit the road running.

Al, just recovering from the frying pan attack, took the stars floating around him, and chucked them at the escaping memory. But Bunny Girl was just too fast. Al tried to run after them.

He tripped.

And fell down.

Rolling down the road.

Before crashing into a random stall. 

Dazed yet again, Al stood up, angered by the actions of the tiny memory. 

Had he taken the time to carefully untie his shoes, he would've seen the fuse for the bomb also tied to his shoe go off.

*Explosion*

Al now singed and barefoot, saw red.

Getting up, he held the stall owner by the collar, demanding a finishing line tape and a scope. 

Receiving it in his hand, Al let out a war cry. 

It summoned Bunny Girl's long time rival and ex boyfriend, Slow War Turtle. 

He pulled the bra out of his pocket and fixed the scope onto it. Taking aim with the scope, Al shot the tape at the very peak of the road, using the bra as a sling shot.

He held onto the 8 foot, humanoid turtle's shell, right in time for said turtle, now enraged at the sight of his ex girlfriend with a young memory nearly reaching the finish line tape, to speed off.

They moved at absolutely insane speeds, judging by the speedometer Al found in his pocket, which now read absolutely insane.

Sighing, Al rubbed his temples to soothe the headache he was gonna suffer later with the Speed Governor for breaking the speed limit.

Slow War Turtle was now catching up to Bunny Girl. They were almost at the Peak.

Slow War Turtle tackled Bunny Girl and Al tackled the memory sliver, crossing the finish line tape.

They were now at the Peak.

Al looked down.

He saw the young memory that fit into the palms of his hand.

"Well.

We're here anyway. You might as well show me why it is you decided to ruin my sleep." Al told the sliver before putting it down.

It slithered across the ground before reaching the Altar at the Peak of Thoughts.

It inserted itself into the slot and the whole of Memory Lane shifted.

Al watched a younger him jump over the table, slashing at his father across the chest.

"Haha. I have beaten the evil dragon, now to free the princess." Young Al spoke, untying the loose garments that had been used to 'bind' his mother.

"Why thank you, Great Hero. I reward thee with true love's kiss." She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Young Al blushed slightly.

Before his father tackled him from behind, holding him in a vicious hug, saying:

"You should've gone for the head." 

"No!!!" The Young Al screamed out.

His mother just giggled, watching the two just tossle about in her kitchen floor.

"I didn't forget about you either, Fair Princess," and with that, he pulled her over as well into a tight, group hug.

The memory ended with the distinct sound of his mother's laughter.

Al looked to the young memory sliver. It had a smug impression on it's almost faded face. He had nearly forgotten the memory. Was that why it was so small?

However.....

"What are you being so smug about?" He asked as he gave the tiny sliver a good spanking.

It cried out but Al wasn't gonna be having any of that.

He continued relentlessly.

After what felt like hours, he finally left the poor sliver's tush alone.

"Come on. I'll take you to your room." Al said to the young memory.

It nodded it's head and began to follow him down the road. After a bit of time, the two stopped. The memory looked to Al, curious. They weren't even that far from the peak, very far from the sliver's room.

"This is your new room now, little guy.

I know. I know. It's against the rules to have memories shift their rooms, but who cares."

As he spoke, the young sliver's room began to appear just to the side of the road.

"It's also a reward for not using Voice's memories. The nightmare from the new guy did well in waking me up but if you used one of Voice's cursed images, I would've been livid and scared shitless. Just the thought of Nyadolf Hitler or even worse, Michael Jackson without make up....."

The two shivered at that. 

"Your gonna have to tell me how you got new guy to Dream Room on the opposite side of Memory Lane, by the way."

The sliver blushed sheepishly at that. 

"And done. 

Your new room is ready. You still have to ask permission before using the Altar," Al spoke as the memory nodded it's head excitedly.

"And your still not allowed to go to the Weekly Hula on Cake Island this week." The sliver stopped nodding at that. 

It got on it's knees and begged. 

But Al raised his hand, ready to give it another round of spanking. It shivered and stopped, fearing for it's still stinging tush. 

"Don't worry, I'll save you a slice of cake." Al said as he began to walk down the road. 

He continued until he reached the gate. 

Turning his hand, which had morphed into a key, he locked the gate. 

Walking over to the trench, he accidentally looked into the abyssal emptiness of the trench. It smirked, knowing now that Al wouldn't be able to walk over it. 

Giving it his family's secret technique, a large toothy grin made it's way to Al's face. The abyss scoffed at him, before turning it's head away from him. The trench closed itself up and Al walked right over it. 

Heh.

Worked like a charm. 

Returning to the Sky Room, he returned the key to Voice with a high five.

And returned to the normal world.

Al woke up with a start.

He was slightly drenched in sweat. 

And the night still covered the sky.

Phew.

He would still get some time to sleep.

Snuggling into the blankets, he tried to get some sleep. He was in an Inn in the Royal Capital. The Dreams had gotten him here in time.

Al touched his moist face, and realized, he had been crying.

Sigh.

He wouldn't be getting any sleep, it seemed.

Getting up. 

He walked on over to a dusty old book near the window on a desk.

The Exam was in three days, so he might as well begin practicing. Al's personal project was almost complete. Hopefully, this would get him into the academy.

He began to read his notes.

And after a 30 minutes, Al fell asleep, right there at the table.

Pleasant dreams of easier times, accompanying him.