Book 2: The First Fallen Human

Flock Together

The golden-tinted, goo-covered skeleton let out a bubbly hum as his tentacles waved behind him. What a beautiful day. He grinned to himself as he thought about the fear and betrayal in monsters' eyes right before he tore out their SOULS. Oh, gorgeous. He'd been limited to a small space in the Omega Timeline. A small area of black, similar to the Save Screen, but much, MUCH more restricted.

He wanted to get out. He wanted to move. He let out a strangled growl that echoed around the space. His tentacles twitched. He didn't like being alone. Twisted. Broken. Shattered.

Shattered Dream's single golden eye roamed over the empty space. He wanted out. He wanted to destroy. With his brother. His brother... Why had his brother looked at him like that?? Why had he been so horrified? Shattered Dream didn't understand. Wasn't that what Nightmare had wanted??

He was curled up in a black ball in the corner of the room. "Isn't that... what you had wanted??" He giggled out through gritted teeth. That corrupted apple's taste still stained his mouth. He could taste it. It was bitter. His tentacles flicked impatiently. He wondered where Nightmare had gone. What had they done with him??

Where had Ink put him?? Had he locked him up too?? Shattered Dream twitched. "I'll be good now. Please let me out." He stated in a shaky voice. His voice carried through the room, but fell on deaf ears. No one was listening.

Shattered Dream continued to smile. Even though it hurt like hell and he wasn't happy, he continued to smile. The black goo dropped down his body. Another impatient flick of his tentacles. He hugged himself tightly.

Shattered Dream closed his eyes, screwing them shut. He quivered violently until freezing. A soft tapping noise echoed through his area. One. Two. Three. Four taps. Shattered Dream unfurled himself. It was a knock. A soft echo.

Shattered Dream pushed himself up with his tentacles attached to every wall until he was crouched against the ceiling. He rapped quietly. One. Two. Three knocks. He waited. His body rippled in quiet excitement. Shattered Dream shrieked as there was a loud bang.

He allowed his tentacles to release him and dropped back to the floor. He stared up as sudden cracks of light began to appear in the ceiling of his little dark space. One crack. Two. His tentacles flicked again.

He blinked as the light became red. No... wait... Something red was pouring through the cracks. Shattered Dream blinked as a glowing red puddle appeared in front of him. A figure began to rise out of it. Shattered Dream recognized it as it materialized, but he hadn't seen the human in DECADES.

"Scoot! Scoot Scooter!" He giggled out. It look like her, clothes, freckles and all, but its eyes flowed vividly and its glowing hair drifted around, like gravity didn't apply to it. Shattered Dream tipped his head, tentacles showing clear interest as they swayed side to side.

The figure blinked at him. "You aren't Scooter! Hello, hello! Welcome to Hell!" Shattered Dream bowed, giggling to himself. The figure continued to stare before it twitched. Shattered Dream yelped as four, glowing red tentacles shot out of the shapes back, mimicking his own. They flicked around, a dark red liquid dripping off of them.

Shattered Dream stared at the figure before twitching another grin. "Beautiful! Beautiful!" He circled the other, gliding around it. It focused on him quietly. Shattered Dream tipped his head as he leaned forward. "Do you speak?" The shape tipped its head and Shattered Dream did the same. He blinked.

Shattered Dream lifted his hands and used his fingers to stretch his grin. "Smile!" He encouraged. The shape lifted its hands and seemed to copy him, using its fingers to stretch its mouth into a ghastly grin that glowed a vivid red. Shattered Dream was delighted. "What a beautiful smile!!"

Shattered Dream chuckled softly. "Say... can you help me?? I wanna get out. I wanna find my brother." He said, swaying back and forth. "It would be a real DREAM if you could help me out!" His tentacles waved and he noticed the shape watching them and mimicking his movements. Shattered Dream let out a dark chuckle that escalated into a wheezy, loud laugh, echoing around the small space.

Shattered Dream backed up against the wall and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "Come with me... and you'll see..." He sang softly. "A world of pure imagination..." He sang the song brokenly, not even remembering where he'd learned it from.

He blinked as he heard soft gurgling. The shape approached him and seemed to be trying for a humming of the song. He chuckled and hummed louder, guiding the shape's noises. He spun quietly, his tentacles forming a circle around him. He looked back at the shape before grinning. Finally, he twitched and looked up towards the cracks in the ceiling.

He screamed at the cracks, putting all his frustration and agony into that one chilling screech. He kept his head tipped back. The shape seemed to understand and looked up. They shot off the floor and used the wall as a launchpad to attach themselves to the ceiling. Shattered Dream jumped as the ceiling exploded, along with a sound that was similar to a million rifles firing at once.

Shattered Dream stared up at the open ceiling, his grin frozen. There it was. He could see the ceiling of the Omega Timeline. He could get out. He blinked as there was a loud gurgling and the shape leaned over the edge. One of its tentacles snaked down, glowing.

It wrapped around Shattered Dream, who was shaking in excitement as the shape lifted him up out of the dark space. He crossed through the hole and was set on his feet. Shattered Dream didn't know what to do for a moment. He stared around, his eye wide before his tentacles started to twitch and wriggle. He blinked as the shape came up next to him, its own tentacles thinner than his, but mimicking his movements.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He whispered, breaking into laughter and spinning the shape excitedly as he held its hands. The shape blinked, its own hands squeezing his. It hummed. Shattered Dream nodded. "Oh, yes, yes, a world of pure imagination! Brother!!" He turned his head to face down the endless void of AUs. "BROTHER, I'M COMING HOME!!"