Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dandy paced around his bedroom.

He had promised Astro he would go see him today, but after an incident in the garden, he had been ordered to stay in his room for the rest of the day.

Dandy stopped for a moment, feeling a small muzzle poke at his legs. He kneeled down, taking the little dog into his arms with a soft chuckle, his tail swishing behind him.

“Aw, Pebs, I know. I was excited for our walk today, too, but her majesty has decided otherwise..”

Pebble gave a shrill whine, and attempted to wiggle out of Dandy's arms. Dandy rubbed the pup's ears to calm him, but Pebble clearly had other plans. He scampered over to the window, looking back at Dandy with an expectant bark.

Dandy paused, nibbling his lip in thought.
Huh. Maybe that could work. He'd only snuck out the window at night…but he couldn't keep his dear friend waiting.

He walked over, giving Pebble a quick kiss on the forehead before opening the window and peering out. No witnesses in sight. He eased out of the window, with an apologetic glance at Pebble.

“Sorry, bud, but dogs can't exactly climb walls. And I would definitely break both our necks trying to carry you down.”

Pebble chuffed in annoyance, walking away from the window. Dandy grabbed a vine, lowering his foot onto a piece of wall that stuck out just enough to put weight on. He managed to get himself onto the windowsill below from there, and he continued this process until he was low enough to hop onto the grass.

He was lucky his ‘mother’ didn't see the point in clearing up the vines and imperfections from the castle walls.

The first time Dandy snuck out, it was almost midnight. The crisp night air bit his skin as he edged off the windowsill, grasping onto the vines for dear life. Unfortunately for the young flower, being hesitant wasn't the best idea when slim vines could snap under your weight any second. The more he waited, the more the leafy plants strained, until they snapped. The breath was stolen from Dandy's chest, his mind going blank as he desperately clung to any crevice or stray flora on the wall.

Some kind of angel must've helped him that day, for his claws found a large crack to dig into, and although it was a long process, he got down without breaking any bones. His claws hurt, though, and he was pretty sure he scraped his paw pads.

Scarcely believing his luck and filled with adrenaline, Dandy took off towards the beach.
It was a long walk, so Dandy tried his best to hurry. Eventually, he got to the surface of the cool water, panting softly. The moon reflected in the ocean, the area seemed to almost glow with moonlight. He reached down to wash off the ichor crusting his paws, and winced with a small hiss as he was reminded seawater was salty.

Dandy wasn't sure what made him want to visit the beach so strongly that night. But when an unfamiliar face rose above the water, he knew he was somehow destined to be right here, right this moment.

They didn't look too different at first. The only thing really odd about them was the mark on the right side of their face, and the absence of an eye in that same place. Yet there was something about them that drew Dandy in.

They seemed to feel the same, for they simply stared at Dandy for a while, until Dandy found the courage to speak up and introduce himself. They spoke normally, too. He introduced himself as Astro. He liked to “come up” to see the stars at night. He’d “seen humans before, but nobody like Dandy.”

Dandy wasn't sure what he meant by all of that until he came out of the water, and some kind of blanket thing slipped off of him.

Dandy had also never seen anybody like Astro. He had two extra arms, and his body melted into one of an animal Dandy vaguely remembered only seeing in books, six strange deep blue appendages with glowy spots. They looked rubbery, slimy, firm yet squishy. He was strangely beautiful, Dandy thought.

But Astro quickly pulled the blanket thing back on with an embarrassed squeak, dipping back underwater.

Dandy tried to coax him back out, but it seemed his new friend was done interacting for the night. Dandy went home, scrabbled up the wall, and the little flower fell asleep.

He would return to visit Astro many times after that fateful night.

Chapter Text

The beach was often busy at this time of day, but that was fine. It meant nobody would be paying attention to Dandy, but he still made sure there wasn't anyone watching him as he made his way to the east side of the beach. He stepped through the shallow water where the sand fizzled out until he met a large wall of rock which he climbed over.

The air felt different in the cove. Maybe it was just the excitement, the feeling of enjoying something secret.

When Astro first took him here, he was honestly a bit nervous. He'd never followed him anywhere, and he was always told he shouldn't follow people to places like this.

But he didn't need to worry. Astro was a friend.

He picked up a small, shiny shell, and dropped it into the water. Soon after, a familiar face popped out of the water, smiling softly when he saw Dandy.

Dandy smiled back, and Astro handed the shell back to him, and Dandy put it back in its usual place.

As usual, Dandy was the first to speak, but he didn't mind.

“Good morning!”
“Morning..”

Astro swam out of the water a bit more to pull Dandy into a warm embrace, which Dandy gladly returned. He giggled as Astro nuzzled into his neck, stroking his hair softly in return.

“What's got you so cuddly today?”
Astro blushed slightly, pressing his face into Dandy's neck to avoid his gaze.
“Just missed you.”

They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying eachother’s presence. Dandy picked the sand out of his paws, despite knowing they would just get more sand stuck in them anyway. The gritty feeling was just too hard to ignore.

Astro watched him closely. A little weird. But Dandy was used to people being weirdly interested in anything to do with his paws. Part of being different. And he couldn't deny he was very interested in Astro's tentacles in the same way.

Astro slowly inched closer before reaching out and taking one of Dandy's bottom paws in his hands, starting to brush the sand off. Dandy initially stiffened, his face flushing, but he couldn't help but melt into the touch as Astro managed to get the sand out from the deepest crevices between his toe beans. He was surprisingly good at that. Dandy stretched out in relaxation, letting out a small purr.

Astro chuckled softly, squishing Dandy's paw pads gently. Dandy wiggled his leg away, his leafy tail lashing in embarrassment.

“Alright, you're having too much fun.”

Astro pouted, but held back from the urge to pull Dandy's paw back.

Dandy stretched again, flexing his claws with a yawn. That was the last straw for Astro. In one sudden motion, he pushed Dandy down, restraining him with his tentacles. With a triumphant gaze, he grabbed Dandy's arm and started playing with his paw again.

Dandy blushed deeply, trying to squirm away, but he was completely trapped.

“Hey-this isn't fair!”

Astro ignored him, now trying to make his claws come out like before. Dandy huffed, opening his mouth to protest again, but one of Astro's free tentacles moved to cover it. Dandy felt something stir deep within him, holding back a whimper.

Satisfied with his exploration, Astro took his tentacle off Dandy's mouth and released most of his limbs. Not before tickling his paw pads, though.

“Stop that!”

Dandy laughed, trying to push Astro off, then struck back and tickled Astro's side to get him to stop. Astro finally stopped, collapsing onto Dandy as the two erupted into a fit of giggles.

The sun began to set, and Dandy had to go home. He gave Astro one last hug and a goodbye before climbing back over the rocks and leaving. Astro slipped back into the water.

Pebble was still upset. He wouldn't even look at Dandy, and he moved away every time Dandy tried to pet him. Eventually, Dandy grabbed the treat bag with a sigh. That got Pebble's attention. Spoiled dog.

Early the next morning, Dandy decided to take Pebble on a walk to make up for yesterday. Astro was usually Pebble's favorite part of the walk..but hopefully a regular walk would suffice. He clipped his leash onto his collar and they were off.

Pebble eagerly sniffed at all the plants and random objects he could find. When they walked past Bobette's store, he gave a longing whine. Dandy half sighed, half chuckled and knelt down to ruffle his ears.

“I know, bud. They'll be back in winter, mkay?”

Pebble gave a small yip, licked Dandy's cheek, and they continued on their walk. Only a minute or two after they'd walked to the main plaza, Pebble freezed in his tracks and started barking wildly, and something huge and furry smacked into Dandy from the side

“OH SHI-I am SO sorry dude I did not see you there.”

A bit dazed, Dandy turned to look at the source of the voice.

He had no idea what he was looking at. Bright yellows, pinks, and blues that just hurt his head more than it already was. And it was huge-or maybe he was just short. No, they were still pretty tall. They were like a centaur-but slimmer and more wooly. Oh, wait Looey was behind them!

Looey gave a small wave. “Hey, Dandy! Sorry about Yatta, she doesn't always look where she's going.”

“It's okay! I'm fine.” Dandy looked over at Yatta, about to greet her, only to see Pebble snapping at her ankles while she did some kind of tap dance with her hooves that seemed to aggravate Pebble greatly. He pulled Pebble back by his leash.

“Well..nice to meet you, Yatta?”
Yatta smiled widely, “Yeah, nice to meet you!! Anyway, I've gotta put props and stuff away!” She then picked up a few bags she'd presumably dropped and trotted away. Pebble made an attempt to follow her, but Dandy kept a firm grip on his leash.

Looey stepped over to Dandy, scratching the back of his head. “Really, I'm sorry about that.”

“Really, it's fine.” Dandy chirped with a small laugh. “You performing tonight?”

“Yep, with Yatta.” Looey paused, looking away shyly, before continuing. “You coming?”

Dandy nodded with a small tail swish, taking a step closer, “Of course! I'm already looking forward to it.”

Looey's smile softened, instinctively leaning forward, but before he could respond, Yatta yanked him back. “Hurry up, I already put down all our stuff!”

Looey gave Dandy one last apologetic smile before leaving, Yatta speaking up once Dandy was out of earshot. “You were totally making goo-goo eyes at him.” “shut up.”

Chapter Text

After Dandy was gone, Astro would usually find some unsuspecting fish to catch, but he didn't feel that hungry. He picked some fresh kelp as a snack, though.

Maybe he could look for something to gift Dandy. To show his appreciation.

He searched all over the area near home, but there wasn't anything good..

There wasn't anyone around. He could venture just a little into Viewdom. He would stay near the edge, nobody would see.

After a while of no luck there as well, he went to go back. Until he saw the flash of a tail, the shimmering golden scales impossible to miss.

Was that the queen!? He ducked under a rock, his heart pounding. If she found him, he would either be killed or trapped here in the underwater kingdom.

Why would she be out here!? Maybe she could sense intruders..but wouldn't she just send a guard or two?

..nothing was happening. He peeked out from under the rock, seeing her swim to the surface..wait, that wasn't the queen. Too small to be her. He let out a sigh of relief, and quickly swam back to his home territory.

Golden scales, though..that was a royal trait. Huh, must be one of her kids or something.

He sat in his cave for a while, trying to get to sleep. He felt..lonely, though.

Astro tries to be grateful. Dandy goes out of his way to visit him, even risking getting in trouble. He knows he can't expect Dandy to visit him all the time. But he wants him to. He wants to see him every day.

It's selfish, unrealistic..but he can't reprimand himself into feeling differently. Maybe one day he could drop by one of Dandy's dreams. But he needed a deeper connection for that, to be able to pick out someone's essence through the cosmos was quite the task.

Tonight was a clear night, few clouds staining the sky. He could read the stars tonight. He rose to the surface, looking up and simply enjoying the constellations as he waited for the water to still. The ocean reflected the sky perfectly.

He lifted a tentacle and he gently drew lines through the water, connecting and studying the starlight until he could make sense of the patterns.

Polaris shone especially bright, that could mean new travels or paths in life. Castor was visibly offset, disruption of balance..? Hopefully that didn't mean trouble.

There seemed to be two constellations that were more noticeable than usual. After identifying the first one, the second was clear. Andromeda and Perseus..

He stiffened, looking again with confusion.

That could only mean one thing, relating to his situation at least.

The universe had to be messing with him, some higher power toying with his feelings.

Though, the galaxy had always been truthful in the past..No. He shouldn't get his hopes up. He sighed, laying back on the surface of the sea.

Looey's circus act was entertaining as always, and even better with the new edition. He and Yatta worked really well together. Once it had ended, Dandy stepped away from the small crowd, Pebble following close.

What time was it? Dandy wasn't anywhere near a clock so he had to make an estimated guess..when was the last time he checked the time, and about how long had it most likely been since then?

The leash slowly got tighter and tighter until it pulled. Dandy blinked, looking over at Pebble to see him sniffing at Looey and trying to put his front paws up on Looey's leg. Looey looked back at Dandy with a sheepish chuckle, and Dandy walked over to them.

No longer held back, Pebble jumped up and licked at Looey's pant leg, his tail wagging furiously. Looey reached down to pet him and Pebble practically leaped into his arms. Looey stumbled, but managed to catch him and not fall over. Pebble began to lick Looey all over his face, Looey trying to hold him back but failing.

Dandy took Pebble from Looey with a small laugh, his tail swishing in amusement. Looey gave a sigh of relief, Dandy taking a moment to get a good hold on Pebble.

“I guess Pebble's decided you're his friend now.”

Looey smiled, “I guess.”

Dandy moved closer, shifting Pebble into one arm and reaching out to touch Looey’s shirt. “I like the new stage outfit! It looks nice on you.”

Looey froze for a moment, a nervous laugh eventually escaping him. “Thanks..I got it custom-made from this girl I met.”

Dandy quieted, but forced a smile. “A girl, huh?

Looey jolted, his face flushing. “Ah-yes, she's a friend!”

Dandy moved even closer, not noticing Pebble trying to wriggle out of his arms. “A friend?”

Looey leaned in unconsciously, his face only a few inches from Dandy's as his eyes met his, swallowing nervously.
“Yeah. She's just a good friend of mine.”

Pebble pushed between them with a loud bark, and they both backed away a few steps. Dandy gently pulled at Pebble's leash, smiling softly at Looey.

“Looks like Pebble wants to go home now. I'll see you another time?”

Looey nodded, and Dandy left to return home, Pebble turning back to give Looey a gruff look.

Ouch. Seems he decided Looey wasn't his friend anymore.

It was very early morning, so Astro could safely get out of the water outside of hidden areas like the cove. Astro moved along the shoreline, looking for anything possibly useful or just visually pleasing. A necklace with a small red jewel caught his eye. Jewelry was a rare find.

There was a lock of white hair attached, which he examined before removing. Too long to be Dandy's, a different shade of white, and Dandy didn't wear jewelry. He tucked it into his little bag he brought with him, and was on his way.

Chapter Text

Dandy hadn't visited in weeks. Weeks! Astro felt sick just thinking about it. Dandy wouldn't just abandon him like that, what if something happened to him? Every sunset with still no Dandy in sight felt like jabbing a wound deep in Astro's chest.

Scavenge, eat, wait, then Sleep. Maybe a little bit of magic thrown in every once in a while, but Astro didn't have the heart for spells anymore. His feelings just made them come out sloppy anyway.

After one long night of sitting on the shore hoping for Dandy to show up, Astro just couldn't take it anymore. He slammed a tentacle into the sand in frustration, tears escaping his eyes.

The small shell Dandy always dropped in the water to let Astro know of his presence fell off it's rock with a clink. Astro crept over, swallowing the lump in his throat. It shone in the moonlight, practically taunting him.

He bit his lip, picking up a rock.

He wasn't entirely sure of what he was doing. He wasn't thinking, overcome by emotion.

He brought the rock down onto the shell, shattering it into tiny pieces.

As if snapped out of a trance, Astro blinked, his eyes softening. He trembled, dropping the rock and scooping up as many pieces as he could.

He stared down at the shards mixed with sand in his hands, filled with regret.

He was never going to see Dandy again, was he?

Astro had retired to his cave underwater. He felt like crying but the tears wouldn't fall. He pulled his blanket tighter around himself. The water felt colder than usual.

The next morning, he pulled himself out of bed. He had a small breakfast, unable to stomach any more than a few anchovies and some kelp.

He didn't want to scavenge for any trinkets today, but the only other option was..

Going to the surface would be stupid. It would just be reopening the wound, he had to move on.

But he couldn't stop himself. Couldn't stop himself from waiting for Dandy like a lost dog. He wondered if Pebble ever felt like this. He missed Pebble too.

A few hours passed. Deep inside, Astro knew this was where this had to end. He had to let it go.

Just as he was slipping back into the water, a voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps.

“Wait! Wait, just one moment!”

Astro turned, looking over at the stranger curiously yet cautiously.

She was covered in a long dark red cloak, long white hair poking out from the hood. Astro felt overheated just looking at her. Who wears that stuff out in the sun?

She lowered her hood, her voice lowering as well. Astro could barely hear her, she was so soft-spoken.

“I’m so sorry to be a bother, but I’ve lost something dear to me..I’d give anything to get it back.”

At Astro’s silence, she continued, trying to speak a little louder. “It’s a necklace, silver with a red gem..it was given to me by someone special, it's been gone for weeks and I can't find it anywhere! I'm just devastated..”

Wait..a necklace? With a red gem? Like the one he found?

Astro gathered up the courage to speak up, looking away. “I think I might have it. I picked up one that matches that description a few weeks ago. I’ll be back in a moment, let me go fetch it.”

“Ah-really!? Thank you, thank you!”

Her voice faded into the background as he went underwater. Gosh, he was a hypocrite. Taking notice of her soft voice when his was barely any louder. It was just because he hadn't talked to anyone new in a while, he told himself.

He rustled around his bag at the cave, easily finding the necklace. It was a little rusted..but oh well. He returned to the surface and extended a tentacle, holding out the piece of jewelry.

Ginger gasped, immediately recognizing it, and reached out to grab it. Her hand paused, flinching back for a moment before carefully taking the necklace from Astro's tentacle.

“This is it, it's really it! Thank you so much, how can I repay you?”

Astro shifted awkwardly, giving her a small smile. “It's fine, you don't need to.”

“Well, I want to! You've done me a huge favor, of course I have to return it. Is there truly nothing you want?”

Astro thought for a moment..maybe there was something he could ask of her. If she wanted to help him so badly.

“I suppose..there is something. I have this friend who hasn't visited in a while, and I'm worried about him. Maybe you could..check on him for me?”

Ginger brightened up, her eyes sparkling. “I could..but I could also do something even better. I could make it possible for you to check on him yourself.”

Astro stiffened, bewildered. “You..what?”

“You see, I'm a witch, and I can enchant objects. I could make something for you that gives you a human form, I've done it tons of times before. For family, friends and other merpeople all over the continent. It's completely safe, and the spell won't wear off the item for years.”

Astro was confused, nervous, and very hesitant to trust this random woman's spells. But he was also filled with a new determination. He had to take this chance, if he wanted to see Dandy again.

“..Alright. I'll try it.”

Ginger's smile widened in excitement. “Okay, great! I just need something small of sentimental value to you, to link the spell to you specifically. It doesn't have to be anything too important, just something that you have feelings connected to.”

Astro looked around. He could go back and search through his cave..but he couldn't remember anything he had any strong feelings about..

His eyes landed on the shell shards by the rock. He made his way over, sorting through them and picking the biggest piece. Maybe this shell could help him meet with Dandy once more, even after Astro's mistake.

He gave the shell piece to Ginger, and she was sent on her merry way.

He only hoped she would come back. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to recover from another person ghosting him without a trace.