Sagaverse Fanfic - Tumblr Posts
Lucid Loneliness
Dream finds himself alone again at night after a long day of work. He wishes he wasn't so isolated, but he has to keep going. Who could even know what he's going through?
Credit goes to @sagaverse for the alternate multiverse
Dream belongs to @jokublog
Core!Frisk belongs to @dokudoki
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once again, Dream was alone. So very alone within the dusty, dark, and seemingly dreary depths of the abandoned warehouse he found himself in. Pulling one mattress up to the back wall, Dream made that corner as comfortable as he could for the night. Hours of weariness tugged at his sluggish limbs, but he pushed himself to gather a bit more for the barren space.
A couple fluffy blankets and a decent pillow from the boxes nearby made this corner feel a little less lonely. Closing his sockets, he could almost imagine curling up next to Neil or even his brother there. Tempting as it was, distant whispers and soft feathery impressions stated otherwise.
Slowly, he took off his dense circlet and unlatched his billowing cape from himself. Chilling as the quiet was, there were no screams nor stifled fears to indicate an attack would come any time soon. It was cold comfort when you were running for your life and the hope of others, but it was comfort regardless. This night paled to the anguish and suffering of many skirmishes before this point. Battles that left his bones bleeding at the marrow, and Nightmare's encroaching negativity making most of his options next to useless. His hand squeezed at the fabric of his cape to stop himself before thinking of the screams, be it his internal wails or those he heard around him. Try as he might, he could never quite distance his mind from the voices he heard. Some were desperate cries, others more enraged. The strongest of their innermost feelings made them so coherent as to screech their importance. Dream found it a miracle that he got any sleep at all with the constant commotion no one else seemed to hear or understand.
He hugged the fluff and fabric on him closer before turning to the moonlit window further off. So many souls needed aid, but he needed rest just as much now. If only a few people could do the same with him, but the lost guardian knew it wasn’t to be. What would they even say if they found out he was living like this? Without a friend, a home, or a hope, constantly running or fighting for his life, and having to mask all of this lest he feel even worse. That wasn’t even counting how selfish it felt. The guardian of positivity, breaking down in front of those he was cheering up. He would only involve more people in his life, and risk them falling to his brother just for the apple he now held. Shaking his skull, Dream closed his sockets once again. At least tonight, it would be no more than a grisly nightmare. It was time to head back to the meadow, the Tree of Feelings, Nightmare, and Neil most of all…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a clammy sweat, Dream jolted back up from his makeshift bed. His wavering eyelights darted around the warehouse in search of anything coming toward him with only the grey light of early morning illuminating the space. There was something here, and its aura seemed to creep in everywhere. Ever-changing, always watching, and yet eerily calm. Whoever or whatever it was, it was getting closer and closer to his bed. Whether it wanted to use him or just approach him, Dream wasn’t going to take any chances. Frantically, he summoned his staff into his shaky hands. Balling it tight, Dream held it close to himself, prepared to ready his shield if needed.
From the corner of his socket, he saw it come out of the shadows. Two dark, gaping sockets seemed to follow him as it came allegedly out of nowhere. This being having a personage comparable to the morning’s shadows and light didn’t ease his anxiety much either. Bracing himself for the worst outcome, he raised his staff upward. He wasn’t going to keep positivity alive shaking in his boots after all. Steeling his throat as best he could, Dream declared. “Whatever you came here for, I won’t let you stomp on their hopes or get the apple!” Just as he swung down his staff, its body dissipated from where it was. As quickly as it disappeared, it reemerged on the opposite side of the bed. Before he could so much as turn, it extended its hand out instead. With a soft smile, the being calmly replied. “You defend both valiantly, but I came for something else. You’ve been alone for some time, haven’t you?” Dream froze even more, if he hadn’t already from the shock alone. Out of all the sounds that could come out, a composed response was the last thing he expected. Taking a moment to process what even happened, he lowered his staff. This seemed far too strange to be real, but they didn’t seem dangerous. He looked up again with disbelief and confusion. “H-How could you know t-that? I haven’t s-sensed or seen you before. Who even are you…” Unperturbed by his questions, they hopped onto the bed to be closer to him. Their own sockets held a bit more warmth if that was even possible. “I’m Frisk, Core Frisk if you need to address others about me. I’ve witnessed all things in the multiverse, but I’m not always physically present. You’ve likely overlooked my presence many times.”
His staff disappeared as he leaned closer. Gently, Dream took their hand into his to shake it. “You must know who I am then. But I still don’t understand why you’re here. If it’s not for the apple, then what?” Core Frisk clasped his bony palm in turn. “Dream, you’ve thought about this for some time. But I’ll ask you this. Do you have somewhere to go back to?” At the question, he shrank into his collar. This was getting more and more apparent that his silent pleas had been heard. Even so, he didn’t want to get his hopes too high. It could mean something else entirely. “No… not anymore. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t stay there safely. It’s been like that for a long time.”
Core got off the bed and walked past multiple crates and shelves of unused product. Quickly grabbing his cape and circlet, Dream rushed after them in bewilderment. “Why are you walking out here?” After a while, the two of them stopped in front of the warehouse door. Core Frisk’s hand stretched to grab the knob. “I can show you a place where you can go. You don’t have to be alone anymore, Dream. You never really were to begin with.” He turned back towards the warehouse for a moment. This still seemed too good to be true, even his brother could attack the place if he knew. “What if that puts you or anyone else in danger? Many people still want me to keep themselves happy, or to drown the multiverse in misery.” They placed a hand on his shoulder before clutching his shirt firmly. “They can never truly reach me, and I’ve kept it a secret to most. You’re not selfish for receiving what you need. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.”
Dream adjusted his cape and circlet, then he turned to the door. He kept a hand on his shoulder though. “Alright, you’ve convinced me. I hope this really can work after all.” With that, Core paused for a moment before opening the door. In place of the cold, dreary street was an endless white expanse that stretched on forever. Blue clouds drifted overhead, and lush grass lined a stony path. A rush of different feelings and new echoes caught Dream by surprise. Quite a few people were inside that one plane, he could feel it. He took his first step inside after the grey child. They held Dream’s gloved hand with a tender smile across their face. “It may work more than you realize with some time. There’s plenty of people for you to meet, some that would appreciate seeing you. Welcome to the Omega Timeline, Dream. I’m glad that you’re here.” He returned the smile and looked at the path ahead. “As am I, thank you again. Let’s go meet them then.” Dream ran across the stone with excitement filling his marrow. His heart hadn’t felt this light in a long time. Perhaps this time around, he could truly find new beginnings. While the darkness of the past will dwell, Dream still had plenty to look forward to.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Starting over is an acceptance of a past we can't change, an unrelenting conviction that the future can be different, and the stubborn wisdom to use the past to make the future what the past was not." -Craig D. Lounsbrough
"Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born." -Dale Turner
I hope you all enjoyed this one-shot. Even if this past week has been rough for you, it doesn't have to be faced alone. There's plenty to do next week and beyond as well. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
-Levi