I'll Make You Mine

Rainbows Over Shadows: Dream

(Content Warnings: Death, body horror, disturbing imagery, mind control, serious Cream/Xunshine angst because I can't leave Dream alone.)

Catching him off guard, Dream felt a shudder down to his bones. He was simply walking through the Omega Timeline, on a calm quiet day, before it struck. Another Code Purple happened somewhere in the multiverse and it needed his help. He sighed, holding his hand to his face for a moment before creating a portal and dashing through. They didn't bother telling Core because they didn't believe there was time. Something inside him knew this one was more serious than the ones prior, more dangerous. Something changed from the period Nightmare didn't attack at all.

Dream arrived in the Doodlesphere faster than the feeling spawned in his chest. He jumped from island to island until he spotted the signature signs of corruption. Dark clouds, purple and black liquid on the ground, cracking, and a strong negative feeling. The original portal had four sets of wings, four on each side, and they dripped with malice.

"Birdtale . . . oh, Aviar! Aviar, no!" Dream would've gone closer, but he couldn't. The smog was so thick it blocked the entrance like a wall. His hand wouldn't even phase through it. None of the AUs, none of the twenty-one AUs infected by this curse, forbid his entry. Dream shot a positive arrow at the door, but it did nothing.

The pollution entered his nonexistent lungs and he choked, but he wasn't going to give up. Dream pressed his nails into his palm as he tried to think of a new plan. He wasn't going to let them die. He could sense the sheer terror emitting from the inside.

"Havin' some issues, brah?"

Dream screamed and turned around with his bow. He lowered it once he saw who it was, Fresh. He was almost twice as tall as they were, excluding the heelies and propeller. His jaw worked on a piece of bubblegum.

"Yes. No. I don't know anymore." Dream sighed, pointing at the portal. He could hear the screaming of innocents in the back of his mind. His bones chilled him. "I can't go in. Innocents are dying and I have to help! Can you help me break it down?"

"I could give it a shot. Move outta da way." Fresh swung his baseball bat at the entryway and it barely cracked. He tried again. Still nothing. He snapped his fingers and formed a Gaster Blaster, firing it to break the black.

Dream watched the corruption spread from where the blast hit. He summoned a bit of his positivity magic on it. Sparks exploded like a firecracker, but the negative shield didn't budge. Fresh stepped back and snapped his fingers to rid the Gaster Blaster.

"What? What is going on here . . . ?" Dream narrowed his eye sockets, staring at his hand. They looked back up at the corrupted arch. Part of the entrance was still open, a blue swirling portal darkening more by the second. He had a chance. Dream readied his dual swords and made a run for it.

"Broski! What d~a heck are ya doin'? Duck!" Fresh caught Dream's arm and pulled him away from the portal.

"Fresh? What was that for-!" Dream gasped and dropped to the ground. A bolt of teal magic shot at him. If Dream had continued his path, the lightning would have incinerated him on the spot.

From the bolt, it started another phase of corruption. Liquid malice seeped from the bottom of the door. It crept up the stone archway, turning the gray stones black. The blast of negativity sucked the air from Dream's nonexistent lungs and he crumpled to the ground. Well, almost. It felt as so. Fresh jumped back as a tendril of negativity tried to grab him by the leg.

"Oh . . . thank you then. I'm sorry." Dream took a breath, looking at Fresh.

The parasite blinked at the destruction and kept an arm around Dream so he wouldn't try running again. "Listen . . . I know ya not gonna be chill with dis, but ya not gonna help anyone by tryin' and failin'. You're trippin' if you think ya gonna try and go there. So come on and let's bounce."