You've Convinced Me

Chapter 6: That Darned Crystal

Nightmare sunk into the floor, pulling along a shocked Dream along into the sludge. It wasn't that Dream hadn't seen him do it before, but rather, he was not expecting to ever experience it. The trip through the negativity made Dream feel queasy.

They find themselves on a nicely tiled floor, shiny and pristine. This was definitely Sci's laboratory, and he was busy in the corner, not noticing the new arrivals. Unfortunately, Dream couldn't stop the tar that expelled from his mouth, onto the now sullied floor. Nightmare was also making the floor dirty just by standing there, so it had been an unavoidable consequence.

But that wasn't what was important right now. "I'm so sorry about the floor, Sci! But I need your help." Dream shouted to Sci, jogging over to where he stood. Nightmare didn't move from his spot.

Sci spoke while still examining the papers in his hands, "Yes, that's what you all say-" before he turned and spotted Nightmare in the distance, becoming panicked. "W-what's Nightmare doing here?!"

"D-don't worry! He's not going to kill anyone!" Dream reassured, turning back to Nightmare for confirmation. "Right?"

Nightmare didn't say a word. He held his hands behind his back, giving a smirk that could only be described as devious.

"Nightmare!"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." He said nonchalantly.

Dream decided that was the best he was going to get, so he turned back to Sci, who wasn't looking assured at all. Dream didn't really think Nightmare would do anything, not as long as he needed the other. He was just having fun with his scares.

"A-as long as he doesn't come any closer, alright?" Sci re-adjusted his glasses, taking a quick glance at Nightmare who indeed didn't move from his spot. "So what did you need me for?"

"Remember that purple shard I gave you? The one I wanted you to find out more about."

"That crystal? From around two months ago?" He waved his hands in the air. "It seems to be solidified negativity, it's rather potent, in fact. I have been curious as to where you've gotten it from."

Around two months ago? Nightmare had been keeping him for at least a month?? He wanted to get angry, but it was too late to be frustrated now. He needed to focus on the task at hand. "Nightmare said he made it."

"How? I've never seen emotions become crystallised before. Didn't think it was possible."

"I don't know."

"Can you ask him?"

Dream nodded, shouting across the room. "Nightmare! How did you make those crystals?"

He didn't seem very pleased. "Why would you need to know? Is it necessary?"

Dream turned back to Sci, who nodded. But with the way his eyes sparkled and the surge of curiosity, it seemed to be more of personal satisfaction than actual need. Dream allowed it, telling Nightmare that yes, they absolutely needed to know.

"Well fuck you, I'm not telling." Nightmare crossed his arms, facing away from Dream.

"Please!" He begged. "Please, Nighty?"

"Don't call me that! I don't understand how they formed either! It was an anomaly that only happened there."

"Very interesting." Was the only input Sci gave as he listened. "However, that can't be the only thing that brought you here, is that right?" He said, glancing at Nightmare before making eye contact with Dream. Dream didn't really want to admit there was something wrong with him. But that was what he was here for…

Noticing Dream's hesitation, Nightmare spoke up instead. "Yes, there's something wrong with him, and he might be dying. He's been throwing up black matter. Similar to what you see on myself."

"I see." Sci seemed to consider, "To be frank, I've always been curious about the sludge that flowed from you. May I have a sample?" Nightmare didn't look like he wanted to, but he took a look at Dream and decided.

He used a tentacle and slid it over the tiles, staining them. "Here." It was right next to where Dream had puked. "Now you have both samples, so you better do good on your research." He hissed.

"T-the thing is, Nightmare wasn't always like that, he wasn't always covered in this sludge." Dream spoke softly, looking guilty. "This corruption-"

Nightmare slapped a tentacle over Dream's mouth. "Shut up. That is not something he needs to know."

"But the more information he has the better chance we have with figuring this out, and fixing this!"

"There. Was. No. Need. To. Bring. That. Up." He growled, tentacles curling around Dream's neck, tightening. Dream struggled, fingers clawing at the sludge, trying to loosen the hold.

"S-sorry to interrupt, but! F-from what I am getting, this sludge is a a side effect of a certain corruption? And you suspect that crystal has something to do with Dream's ailment?" Sci'd glasses were falling from how sweaty he was getting. "But I'm sure you didn't come here to find out how this happened. You want to know how to undo it, right?" He pushed his glasses back up.

Nightmare tossed Dream to the side, sending him flying to the floor. He towered over the trembling Sci, "If you weren't so useful, you'd already be dead. We're not here to play around. Do you know anything about how to reverse it?"

"I will n-need some time to examine the samples, and figure out the root of the problem."

"Whatever. We will be back. You better have some answers ready, or else." He strode over to where Dream was, grabbing at his cape and pulling him along.

"I'm so sorry!!" Dream apologised, before he was dragged away in the sludge again. Sci didn't deserve this.

Dream coughed again, as he emerged on the other side. This time, he could feel something dripping from his eye sockets as well. He quickly wiped it off with his gloves, those of which were no longer bright yellow. It was the true victim here, forever stained in black.

He was back in Nightmare's home universe. The purple skies ever looming and foreboding.

"Things of the past should stay in the past. Don't go speaking of useless things, Dream." His voice was level, but there was a certain tenseness. "I'm only helping you because I don't want to die."

He knew that Nightmare wouldn't be pleased with him, but it was important that Sci knew about the sludge not being the natural way negativity was supposed to manifest. It would definitely help in figuring out the mess.

He was dying for all he knew. Who knew how the corruption would affect him, a positive being?

Dream didn't give a reply.

-----

It had been a full day since visiting Sci.

He didn't want to further perpetuate any tension, so he hadn't spoken with Nightmare about his worries. They haven't said a word to each other ever since after Nightmare told him not to bring up the past.

His condition had gotten much worse over this single day. His leaky eye sockets were comparable to Killer's, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He furiously wiped off another wave of liquid rolling down his cheekbones.

Truthfully, he was afraid. That month ago, he had been so willing to give it all up, to reduce to nothing. But now when confronted with the chance again, he had become such a coward.

With how he managed to earn himself looks of pity from the bad Sanses, it only showed how deep of a pit he was in.