Shine flew down from the window and rested next to the little dish. He tilted his head and began to pry the lid open with his beak.

“No, no, don’t peck at that.” Dream pulled his bird off. His hands wrapped around the bird’s black wings, though he failed to stop him from squirming. As annoying as his new pet could be, it was better than the awful silence that filled the castle.

Dream let go of Shine and picked up the dish instead. Shine flew onto his golden shoulder pad instead. “I can’t let anyone find this. It’s for me only and . . . “Fine, you can share too. Stop pecking me.”

“I can’t keep it in this dish much longer either. Blood dries up. My magic . . . the memories are blurry, but I remember they never last long against negativity. I don’t know how else to preserve it.” Dream pressed his back against his sorry excuse for a bed. “I should have time to come up with something, Shine. Nightmare won’t be here for another month. And . . . and I’ve been on mostly good behavior. He hasn’t harmed me in a long time, so he shouldn’t be paying attention to me.”

Shine stared at him, ruffling his feathers in anticipation. Dream wanted to scream at him to talk to him, but he knew it wasn’t his fault. It was his if any. Or Nightmare’s, but his mind wouldn’t let him settle on the thought.

Dream groaned and stood up. He always despised work, but he would need to put it first. Would Nightmare realize he has a secret plan from not disposing of a single body? Likely not. But it would lead to him investigating him, which would lead to the truth of his hands, which may lead to the bloody positivity . . . that wasn’t even considering what he could do to Shine since Dream didn’t believe he could have a pet.

Not wanting to lead the addictive magic, the king looked back at the dish. Sudden inspiration struck, and with a quick twist of his fingers he opened the locket around his neck. Would this damage the pictures? It didn’t matter if Cross’s face was destroyed; no, of course not. He just hated cleaning up imperfections.

Dream removed the locket from his neck and opened it against the nightstand. Then he picked up the dish and poured it in the locket like it was cake batter pouring into a mold. When he filled it so full that it began to leak, Dream closed the locket. He held the locket over to Shine so he could peck at the few bits that dropped. Every bit counted. The pure touch of positivity caused Shine’s body to shake. Then he screeched. Dream cursed as he didn’t even consider the idea of a non-sentient creature inhaling raw magic. It was like inhaling straight alcohol.

“Shine? Shine?” Dream shook his bird. The crow’s feathers ruffled and he shook his head, collapsing into Dream’s lap. His soul skipped a beat—great, genius, idiot guardian. The one time he has anything good, he kills it.

But then Shine began to shift. Dream kept his hands wrapped around his wings and lifted him up. The tips burned gold. Shine screeched as black feathers fell to the ground and bright yellow ones grew in their place. He had to shield his one working eye from the light, which sent him back to being eleven years old and eating the golden apple. Dream thought the crow would explode from the energy, and it would be another mess to clean. Would the burst of positivity attract Nightmare too? Oh stars above, how could he have been so stupid!

Shine thrashed in his hands and Dream dropped him. His whole body glowed gold for a split second, then it faded back into natural colors. The mark of a sun took over his entire head. For a long moment, Shine remained motionless on the ground. Dream almost didn’t care. The magic, combining Shine’s untainted life force, flooded the room with positivity.

“Shine?” Dream whispered, struggling to keep his voice soft. “Shine, are you okay?”

Shine ruffled his new feathers and cocked his head, letting out a caw like nothing happened. His heart swelled with relief and he sighed. “Oh thank the stars, you’re fine. Good, you better be. I’m not spending any more time alone.”

Dream grimaced when Shine nestled against his neck. His feathers seemed softer than before. “Mmm, stop that. Stop trying to get me to smile.”

He didn’t listen. Shine pecked against his neck. Dream pressed his lips together so he wouldn’t smile, struggling to ignore the tickling. The positivity radiating off Shine’s body didn’t help. Shine realized it wasn’t enough and decided to peck at the source of his sadness. He hopped a little lower, talons clinging onto his cloak. He pecked against his chest, pulling against the gold plates underneath. The movement urged his rotten soul out of his chest. Shine began to peck away at rotten pieces of the apple, stabbing Dream with pain and causing him to rip it away.

“No! Bad bird! It hurts!” Dream snapped, sending his soul back into his chest. Shine chirped an apology. “I won’t harm you. Just . . . come on. I need to see what that magic could’ve possibly-”

The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees. The boards that made up the blinds slammed shut, turning the already dark room pitch black. Black ooze seeped from the walls, a sight that made him sick. Even Shine, the warm ball of joy in his hands, stopped snuggling against him. Dream acted fast and wrapped his whole body around Shine, hiding his positive aura with his negative one. How could he possibly explain this to Nightmare, knowing the consequences of such a display of weakness and empathy?

But then, to his surprise, the cold vanished. Dream remained in place, expecting a shock or sneak attack from Nightmare. Yet, the oppressive silence that followed was more unnerving than any attack. It stretched on, leaving Dream on guard and afraid of making a sound. There we no voices in his head. No pulls on his soul. The room even began to heat back up, a subtle warmth that mirrored the slow thawing of the ice in Dream’s own chest. Dream remained frozen for a moment. Realizing he had been holding his breath, he doubled over, coughing. He doubled over as the viscous, negative liquid that clung to his soul spewed from his mouth. The sudden sickness startled Shine, causing his new positive aura to drop.

“Nightmare?” Dream whispered. He didn’t know how much it would accomplish.

It couldn’t have been just a warning. Nightmare chose to nearly freeze him or send him electric shocks if he did something wrong. Something would had to have distracted him, and the only people who took priority over Dream were one of his team members, Core Frisk, or Ribbon. The thought of any of them in pain would’ve made Dream smirk if he bothered with sadistic joy. Shine’s aura didn’t indulge his negativity.

But whoever was hurting, if they were hurting, wouldn’t be in pain forever. Nightmare was never one to forget a task either. He would return and detect Shine’s presence almost immediately. He didn’t know how much time he had. It could be ten seconds or ten days. He had to run.

Securing the locket around his neck, and retrieving his swords from the top of dresser, Dream scooped Shine into his arms. He picked up his heavy cloak from the bed, fastening the gold chains and epaulets. He hesitated as he set his locket over his neck. The infected would be able to sense the positivity, along with the sickly townspeople.

Shine nestled under his cloak, talons digging against his shirt. The warmth that radiated off his body almost comforted Dream. Almost.

He fled the sorry excuse of a bedroom, fighting the urge to break into a full sprint. His legs trembled uncontrollably, threatening to buckle beneath him. His legs shuddered, fueled by an energy and motivation he hadn’t felt since . . . likely since he was first forced into this dictator position. His gold-clad boots clanged against the stone floor. The echo, though caused by himself, sent a shiver down his spine, a stark contrast to the usual suffocating silence. Two guards stationed near the mail hall, the same hallway he needed to pass in order to make his escape. Adding insult to injury, they were the same guards who had fumbled the execution and expected him to fix it. Dream pressed his back against the cold, damp stone wall, his mind racing as he reconsidered his plan. His single gray eye darted between the two guards as their hollowed-out eyes began to melt down their faces. Their mouths frothed at the feeling of positivity. Food, Dream realized with a jolt. They sensed Shine.

“‘Shh,” Dream whispered, his voice tight. “It’s okay, Shine. I’ll protect you.” Dream tucked his locket back beneath his cloak and took a deep breath, channeling all the hate and bitterness he felt toward the world. Nightmare, Cross, the townspeople, himself, even the idea of hiding his own element — it all fueled his hate. It even soothed his soul to be negative. Dream stormed ahead with a cold glare. Despite his hope that if he didn’t make eye contact, he’d be ignored, the guards noticed something was wrong as soon as he crossed the archway.

“Your Highness?” The left one asked. “Where are you going?”

Dream struggled to come up with an excuse. His thoughts were muddled under their ravenous gazes. Sweat mixed with the dried blood on his skeletal hands. The execution shot through his mind again.

“I’m looking for a way to kill traitors properly without Nightmare getting involved, and I’m leaving the castle to do it.” Dream snapped. “And don’t you dare say a word to him about this. I was a guardian too. “Resist me, threaten me, and I’ll have your heads whether you’re dead or alive.” Do I make myself clear?”

The guards saluted, then stepped aside. Dream slowed down his pace. No other guard stopped him. They were all in other parts of the castle. In order to avoid them, he slid into his secret tunnel. It was faster to escape into the vast void than to travel through the town square.

The cold stale air blew into his face. Was it always this cloudy outside? It was, but he paid more attention to it. The lack of sun would’ve made it difficult to navigate. Even with his innate sense of direction, Dream had no clear goal as to where to go. With no one watching, the pent-up energy finally broke into a sprint.

The Omega Timeline was infinite. It was created in a space in the void to host as many lost souls as possible. It wasn’t a solid white void. There was land, along with the occassional soul, though its edges, stretching hundreds of miles away, were empty. His ideal plan wasn’t to go any farther than ten miles. He may have not been able to teleport, but transportation wasn’t too hard. The southwest was the least populated, with anywhere outside the town square being scarcely populated. When Core first stole away a hundred or so citizens of the Omega Timeline, they mostly lived in the center of the AU. It made it easy to evict those living outside from their homes and force them near his castle, where it was easy to keep an eye on them.

How could I be so calm saying this? I hurt them.

Dream realized it with wide eyes. Simultaneously, Shine pressed against him, sending more positivity into his aura. His soul ached as it tried to refuse the magic, but it couldn’t. The forced acceptance gave him the strength to continue walking forward.

Even while still weak and vulnerable, Dream never wandered far. The garden and forest behind what used to be the Star Sanses clubhouse were enough for him now, though a small part of him longed for the days he could run and fire arrows at targets, or spend nights sleeping on the large branches. But his bow was confiscated from him due to the positive magic it required, and he didn’t want Blue or Ink back. They were nothing but distractions, mistakes. He would be in a much better place, unburdened and free, if it weren’t for them.

Speaking of distractions, Dream was so lost in thought that he didn’t pay attention to where he traveled. Journeying down a gray cliff, his cloak caught under his boot, causing him to trip. Dream couldn’t stop himself from falling to the ground with a loud curse. Shine took advantage of the opportunity and flew out of his cloak. He flew a few feet ahead, disappearing from sight. Perhaps looking for help as his left palm was freshly cut open. The blood seeped through the bandages and touched the dead grass. It purified the foliage, turning it a fresh spring green.

Dream ignored it to gaze up, half in worry and half in irritation. “Shine! You foolish bird! Get back here! I don’t need anyone to see me like this!”

The fallen guardian ran ahead, keeping a better eye on his footwork. The grass turned into an abandoned crop field. Traces of corn littered the ground in the form of husks so fragile that one small movement caused them to snap. Dream narrowed his eye lights to a large ranch about half a mile away. Surprisingly, no zombies wandered around the gray fields. The rest of the fields shared the same distance to the barn. From where he stood, no regular citizens were visible either. He recalled this was Farmtale land.

Shine flew back from that ranch. Dream narrowed his eye light and held his arm out. The bird landed and Dream buried him under part of his cloak, cradling his feathers.

“Is that farm empty? I . . . hm, don’t know what I did to the owner. Caw once if yes and stay silent if no.” Dream said. He turned to Shine, who almost immediately squawked. Dream sighed. It was something going easily for him. That meant fate would betray him. “Then stay with me”.

Dream strode ahead to the ranch. When he arrived, he tightened his grip on his swords as he opened the barn, kicking off the latch. The first thing that hit him was the enveloping stench of rot. A creature, or creatures, died in here, and it seemed dead for a long time. Whether an infected soul or an animal, it didn’t matter to him. He was used to cleaning up the sorry excess of bodies.

The door groaned as Dream pushed it all the way open. Shine buried his head under the fluffy hood of his cloak, shuddering like a child in front of a haunted house attraction. Dream hesitantly pet his side. Caring for others still felt foreign. He stepped inside, boots cracking against the wooden planks and stalks of hay. Insects scrambled around

The barn was split into three sections, sans the hayloft above their heads. The opening room and middle were massive. Shine’s body glowed to help spread light into the dark space, but Dream created extra light with his magic. Dust clouded so many surfaces that the wooden beams looked far older than they actually were. The stalls were broken. Skeletons of fallen animals littered the ground.

Dream attempted to recall what happened to this Toriel. Farmtale was a boring, nothing AU that was hardly worth his memory and attention. She must’ve been devoured by one of the infected. The infected looked so similar. At least she wouldn’t interrupt his work.

Something made a noise like a wooden wheel against a gravel path. Dream’s attention locked in on a pretty gold mare on the opposite end of the barn. She had a blonde mane that hadn’t been cleaned in some time. Her ribs were poking out from under her coat. Dream lingered, then he lifted his hand to brush aside the mane from her eyes. He could tell just by looking at her that she was an old soul. He wasn’t familiar with horse ages, but she seemed to be around a senior. Fifteen? Eighteen?

“Shine, give her to me.”

The bird listened and flew off his shoulder to land on the fence. He pecked at the rope holding her inside the pen. The horse whinnied at the sound.

Meanwhile, Dream searched around for any kind of nameplate, something to help him find a name to call this pony by. It would be far either to control if it knew what to respond to. Yet after shuffling through dusty binders, he found nothing.

“You’ll be named . . . um . . . Dandelion. Serve me, and I’ll . . . not kill you.”

Dream facepalmed. His apple soul ached at the comment. He wasn’t as good at the evil speeches and threats as his brother was. It was easier when he was frustrated and there were proper people. Threatening a helpless animal wasn’t the same. And when his soul wasn’t fully rotten.

Dream opened the old wooden gate as Shine finished tearing apart the rope. The horse slowly trotted out of the pen, slow and weak. Dream reconsidered his options seeing her ribcage through her skin and fur. Shine cawed to get Dream’s attention, then pecked at his locket.

“What- no! I can’t give up more positivity! This is limited. I’m not continuing to cut into my palms for anyone but myself!”

Shine continued to caw, acting as if Dream still had his ability to understand them as words. Dream tried to silence him, but he didn’t stop. Dandelion took an interest and nudged against him. He gritted his teeth together.

“Oh, curse you animals . . .” Dream growled as he opened his amulet back up, staring at the golden liquid inside. He didn’t even consider how much more his hands would need to bleed. At least excessive blood loss would knock him unconscious. That was a form of sleep. He offered the positivity to Dandelion.

Dandelion seemed to know what to do as Dream began to pour from the amulet. She licked up the positivity from the locket, shivering as it traveled straight into her animal soul. The horse’s body was much larger and stronger than the crow’s, so she didn’t shiver and shake like Shine did. Her mane refreshed with strands of gold. The same sun mark burned onto her forehead.

After watching so many people become negativity-filled zombies, it was rather refreshing to feel someone overflow with positivity instead. Shine flew over and tore at a bow wrapped around a package tucked in the back wood corner. He pulled it open and used his talons to move the dark green packing aside, revealing hay.

Dandelion lit up at the sight of food and walked up to it. She leaned down and took a massive bite of hay. Shine cawed and chirped as if trying to have a conversation. Dream knew well that animals could speak to each other. He just missed being able to understand a single word of what they were saying.

Meanwhile, he made sure the rest of the barn was boarded up. The entrance was the only space with any opening. Dream estimated the width of Dandelion’s body to make it. It was far easier to keep an eye on one opening over a dozen small ones.

Dream jumped into defense after something wet nuzzled against his shoulder. He swung around only to see the horse against his shoulder. At least he had never been able to speak in horse, so he wasn’t missing anything. Dream pushed Dandelion away from him, though not as harshly as he did with his infected guards or the Omega Timeline citizens. There was something about a vulnerable, helpless creature that still had hope, that still trusted him even though he had done every kind action with aggression. Or it might’ve been as simple as the increase of positivity blinding him and he wanted more of it. Either way, when Dandelion nuzzled against his face again, he allowed it. She smelled like alfalfa.

“Come here, both of you,” Dream muttered. He reached over to a hook and removed a weathered bridle. It took him a few moments to figure out how to put it on her, but he slid it over her muzzle. Shine flew and grabbed onto the edge of the strap instead. Dream encouraged her out of the farm and into the less-than-fresh air.

Shine pecked at Dream’s hand, between his fingers, where he held the bridle. He avoided his self-inflicted wounds. Dream let it go, and Dandelion began to gallop around the barn. Paranoia filled his mind about her running off and ending up dead, but she stayed close to him.

Dream took another look at the barn. It was neglected, but still sturdy, far out from the rest of society as he wanted. The chipped paint didn’t matter to him as much as the security. Perhaps he could tear down some of those buildings he evicted- no, no that would hurt those people more if they couldn’t even go home. Stars above, he couldn’t stand caring.

“Well . . . I’m not an interior designer-”

Shine cawed in agreement.

“Oh shut it. I was saying I’m not a designer, but I can make this sorry excuse of a farm into someplace safe. It’s not as if I have anything else to do. This much positivity will attract Nightmare . . . and the infected. You two will stay here and continue to be the one source in the multiverse and heal my soul.”

One source . . .

Dream set his hand on his chest and removed his soul. The blue strands were as tight as ever, but the thick black coating lightened. More patches of positivity were visible. His soul throbbed. The moon on his cheekbone glowed. He covered it. It was cold, and made him worry if Nightmare was nearby. He crouched under the shadow of the overhang. As he considered bringing in his new steed, his gaze settled onto the crushed daffodils on the edges of the barn. Before, they blended it with the rest of the destroyed foliage. Maybe it was due to his affected soul, but it caused him to think, think of a memory he hadn’t had in years.

With his brother, and with the man he chose not to think about, he used to perform a spell on plants or the golden apples on the tree. It was something he learned from Nightmare’s library books regarding magic: Healing. Before he ever tried it on a human or monster soul, Dream taught himself on flowers. His twin, and begrudgingly Cross, thought it was the most wondrous thing. Not only would the long-dead plants thrive as if they were reborn, but they would be enchanted to possess part of his aura. He could control how much the positivity affected those he healed now, but he couldn’t with plants.

His focus switched to the cuts on his palms. The thought of slicing into his bones and bleeding again, for something that could be pointless, felt like a waste. His magic blood was finite. It took this long to find traces of positive magic, and he was going to waste it and put himself in danger to improve the lives of others?

But they were in pain too. They couldn’t end their sufferings like he could and wanted to since nothing could die. He could only imagine how horrible corruption was when you couldn’t control your mind, and your body was both a slug’s and a panther’s.

He glanced up to the sound of Dandelion’s neigh. Her newly golden mane brushed over her forehead as she grazed in the few remaining stacks of hay. Shine made himself comfortable by perching on a crate near the grain mill. They were both so helpless. They didn’t deserve to live in these times. If they were to be kept safe from the zombies and the dictator, he would need to do more than board up a barn.

Dream fixed his cloak, then crouched down. The faster he completed the process, the sooner he’d heal, the sooner he could begin building the barn, and the sooner he would have Nightmare off of his back.

Ever so delicately, he removed his gloves, then his bandages on each hand. He took the edge of his heart locked and shoved them deep into the wounds, drawing fresh blood. He pressed his palms onto the dusty dirt. His golden magic caused the roots to glow with a soft amber, like sun rays in the morning. His hands turned orange as they overheated. His golden locket warmed against his neck.

Shine rested on the right side of his body, curious as to what his master was doing. Dream flinched when he pecked his cheekbone, and his hands wavered. Regardless of the glow through the dirt, they didn’t grow. His soul must’ve been too far gone. Nightmare, when attempting the same spell, killed those flowers. He had to be the same as his brother under-

But as he thought it, a sprout broke free from the dirt. Each inch grown from the green stem seemed to take an hour. Ten more shoots followed in its path. Dream sighed in relief, though he didn’t dare stop providing power. He narrowed his eye so intensely that it was practically closed.

Breathe . . . just breathe . . . there’s finally a petal there . . . almost done.

Dreamwobbled and fell over, but not before Dandelion lay down and kept him from hitting the ground. He could feel her ribs underneath her pale yellow coat, yet it was warm and comforting. He glanced back at the fruits of his labor. Each new daffodil had petals appearing as glittery gold silk. His gray eye light lit up as it reflected the same shade of yellow he used to have.

“No, no, don’t bite.” Dream mumbled to Dandelion as she leaned forward. He reached his fingers inside the pods, inside the petals, and removed a handful of black seeds. He worried about his negative energy staining the petals, but his thick gloves and bandages prevented it. He didn’t have any pockets, so he clenched the seeds between his hands. He had seventy-two total. More remained, but it would be far too much to carry safely. Standing up, he took Dandelion’s reins to encourage her to do the same.

“Okay . . . Dandelion, Shine, we’re leaving here. We will return and I’ll begin fixing this to be your home. How stable are you . . .”

Dream climbed onto the horse. Despite her withered state, she managed to hold him. He pulled on her reins and encouraged her to move forward. Shine perched on his shoulder. Dream made sure his fur hood covered his head and face as much as possible, if the sight of a living animal in these conditions wasn’t shocking enough.

The ride, luckily, was still calm. The few infected that did cross his path were stabbed with Dream’s swords. If he missed one, Dandelion bucked, and Dream held on for dear life. It didn’t kill them, but it scared them enough to leave the travelers alone. He was more afraid of dropping a single seed, cursing himself for not checking the barn further for saddle bags. Dream couldn’t remember the last time he rode on a horse. The positivity in both Shine and herself kept Dandelion trotting, even though she was starving, parched, and exhausted. Dream would tend to that later.

The overbearing blanket of negative energy alerted Dream to where they were. They wandered towards rows and rows of customized doors, seeming infinite in each direction. Out of hundreds, thousands even, it was difficult to count and decide which to use. They were once designed for each AU, honoring their most distinct traits. Locations, special powers, items belonging to important characters, and their names on the door plates. Now, every surface was the same. Incomprehensible clumps of malice, riddled with parasites.

“Stay here. Alert me if there are infected threatening you.” Dream walked back to the Field of Doors, carrying the seeds close to his chest. Which AU should he send these to?

It would be satisfying to burn Epic. He would be one of the only in the multiverse with any conscious reaction to it. Core Frisk escaped and abandoned them; it wasn’t worth sending it to them if he even knew where they were located. Scattered AUs would be the best choice. Nightmare wouldn’t be able to discover a pattern. Dream kept his distance, though the extreme infection made him reconsider his plan. This was pointless, this will lead to nothing, he shouldn’t invoke Nightmare’s wrath, his brother was so much better than him at- no, stop that. He had gone too far to spiral.

Every tenth door, Dream opened it and threw one seed inside. He couldn’t tell which was which; all that mattered was if there was soil for them to grow. AU doors tended to open to Waterfall, or whatever area was the equivalent. Each time his blind spot faced the door, he expected a zombie to magically crawl out of it and snap at him. Nothing did. They were too mindless and lost to know how to open doors without clawing the wood apart.

Sending the last seeds into an obscured door, Dream let out a breath. It was done. From his prior experience and the conditions, it would take a few days to grow. But they would be decent distractions for Nightmare. Something to irritate his parasites and keep him away as he was so close to purifying himself. Freedom.

Dream walked faster than he liked to admit to his pets, his companions. The weight lifted off his chest, and he smiled. He wrapped Dandelion’s head in a hug, being careful not to poke her with the edges of his thorn crown.

“It’s done. You are safe under my protection now and I’ll provide you with the best home I can. I’ll order my guards to find you more water.”