Webs and Bones

Return of the Guardians

Dream couldn't believe that he let things get this bad.

Never before had he sensed so much fear, so much panic, so much negativity in the Omega Timeline.

Just ten minutes ago, he and Ink had been in a completely different multiverse. They were in a place known as the Nexus of All Realities, learning about only some of the many stories that the Spider-Verse (what he called the other multiverse) held. Dream had never seen Ink so genuinely happy before.

The Guardian of Creation had been absorbing every bit of information that the Watcher gave them. He kept asking questions that the fifth-dimensional being was more than happy to answer, if only a bit annoyed that his narration kept being interrupted. For a moment, it almost felt like he had an actual soul. Dream figured that the Doodle Sphere was going to experience a Creativity Boom very soon.

While the Watcher told the story of one of the Spider-Verse's many deaths and rebirths (WHAT?!?), during which a man by the name of Victor von Doom gained powers beyond gods, a man that Dream and Ink had never seen before appeared.

He was dressed in dark reds, purples and gold. His facial hair looked very sharp and there were heavy bags under his eyes. A more sinister-looking version of Sorcerer's cloak fluttered behind him. And his soul was filled with more pain and grief than Dream had ever sensed in a single person before. Not even Genocide Run survivors whose AUs were destroyed could compare.

"Ah, welcome Stephen," the Watcher greeted the man like he was a friend. "What brings you here today?"

"Nothing good," Stephen answered. "The skeletons need to return to their bodies. There's an emergence in the other multiverse."

"Oh," Ink sighed in disappointment. He obviously wanted to hear more stories and Dream would be lying if he said that he didn't also want to hear more. However, there were more important matters at hand.

"What's going on?" he asked the sorcerer.

"A creature by the name of Nightmare is attacking the Omega Timeline with an army of corrupted souls. You will return there immediately along with members of the Council to assist the forces already there. The others will follow you as soon as possible."

That was how Dream found himself here, facing his brother once again.

He tightened his grip on the twin swords in his hands.

Nightmare released an angry sound that was like a mix of a cat's hiss and a dog's growl. Dream didn't need his empath abilities to tell that his brother was not pleased by his presence.

"YOU!" he growled. The tentacles on his back shook violently while the slime he was made of quivered with rage. "Why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you have stayed in whatever hole you had dragged yourself into where you couldn't bother me."

Dream sighed. "My responsibility is to this multiverse, Nightmare. My duty is to maintain its balance between Positivity and Negativity." Dream raised his swords as he prepared for the battle ahead. "Nothing's going to change that, especially seeing what you're doing here."

"So be it, brother."

...

"Wait, what do you mean 'this multiverse'?"

A blast of mystical energy struck Nightmare's form. His body was sent flying back as a few pieces of it were splattered around.

Dream turned to look at Sorcerer. When the Spider-Man noticed his gaze, he simply shrugged and said, "What? We can't let him ask these kinds of questions."

Dream sighed. At least he wouldn't be fighting him alone this time.

"Follow my lead."

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