multiverse oneshots

dustberry - found

(EV!Dust x EV!Blue)

(art unrelated, but by @/6Agentgg9 on tumblr)

Written: Dec. 5, 2021

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Dust walked tiredly through the woods, a tiny sliver of fear ever pounding at the back of his mind. The tall pines around him loomed overhead, the shadows disappearing and leaving a trail of blood for the moonlight to see. The atmosphere was silent and tense, the forest itself holding a foreboding feeling about it.

The Border Forest was not somewhere Dust was supposed to be. Especially not at night. And definitely not with an injury. And absolutely not alone.

What if someone found him? What if Ink, or Reaper, or Geno found him here? Surely they would take the chance to turn him in to Dream. The thought, though he hated to admit it, terrified him. Not so much the possibility of imprisonment or torture, but more so the possibility of Nightmare's anger if and when he found out.

Dust pushed the thoughts from his mind's view and leaned his shoulder against a tree, sucking in the cold air as he winced. Wrong shoulder-

He pushed himself away from the tree and slumped to the ground, letting his head rest against the thick trunk. His hands lay tiredly against the soft green grass, his vision becoming more and more hazy as he sat still. His breathing went from staggered to still, evening out and returning more or less to normal.

Once he felt the dizziness subside, he looked to his left arm.

He felt his metaphorical stomach churn, his good hand flying to his mouth to suppress a gag. His shoulder was cut with a deep gash, blood trickling steadily down the length of his arm. His radius (top forearm bone) was cracked clean in half and poked through the hastily wrapped bandage around it. Dust looked up, following where he had walked, and saw a trail of blooddrops and disturbed grass.

I...I've lost too much blood...i-it hurts so...so...BAD-

Dust winced, biting his lower lip to keep from whimpering at the overwhelming wave of pain that struck him like a brick. His head pounded, every single real noise around him disappearing.

And then he felt it.

Overwhelming cold.

He was cold, so cold, he couldn't even think. Fear, nothing but fear surrounded his mind as he fought to stay awake. The cold was sinking into his very bones, grabbing at them, their iron grip not budging when he tried to pull his coat closer around his body. He couldn't go unconscious, it was too dangerous here, he couldn't face the nightmares, he couldn't face the people, he couldn't face it, he didn't want to risk it, he-

"...!"

In the distance, in some far away, warm place, Dust...heard a voice. A loud and concerned voice. A boisterous female voice. Dust forced his eyes open, though was only greeted by a blurred figure crouched in front of him. He didn't move. Not an inch. He didn't make a sound and tried to keep his expression as emotionless and unreadable as possible.

The blue-clad person spoke again. "Dang, you got beat up preeety bad, huh buddy?"

Dust said nothing.

"...Do you... want some help?"

Dust couldn't help his brows furrowing in confusion. He blinked a few times, trying to make sure he wasn't just sleeping. If he was sleeping, he'd either wake up dead, or someone would come through and kill this kind person - or the person herself would kill him.