(Above art... is something I have saved but cannot remember the source of, and I haven't been able to find it through image searching either. If anyone can find the original artist, please tell me!)

(Note for Swap: I usually give him his original/canon personality [from before his AU was disowned by its original creator and left in the hands of the AU Community] with slight modifications, and this fic is no different. Basically: Think UT!Papyrus with a couple Sans traits [so he still likes puns, for example]. I'm like this about all the Underswap characters [or at least I try to be)

(Also: get ready to see some character relationship stuff. I decided to have some characters you don't normally see in these fics [at least not in a major role] appear. This has resulted in some unique character relationships)

"...I guess I'll think about it," Swap said, trying to avoid eye contact.

Dream supposed he should've expected something like this, considering the recent events with Error.

"Ok, I get it, I just... hope you'll come to a decision soon," Dream said with evident sadness, "...please be careful. Any universe could be at risk... including yours... I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I'll be careful. I promise."

"...alright."

Dream didn't have much else to do but leave. He had done everything that he could. Trying to persuade Swap any further may end up coming off as too persistent. He just had to give him time.

He supposed he'd at least pay a visit to US!Asgore (also known as Biscuit) in the Ruins before leaving. Perhaps they could have a talk over some tea. The two were decent acquaintances, so Dream felt like taking the opportunity to at least say hi, and possibly to warn him about the current situation, assuming US!Papyrus ("Stretch") hadn't told him already.

However, suddenly, he felt someone push him from the side, causing him to lose balance and fall down. He sat up... and then backed up against the tree when he saw who it was...

A certain individual he knew all too well

...Holding a bat...

"U-Uh, N-N-Nightmare?!" he said with a trembling voice. "Wh-Why are... wh-why do you have that-"

"Don't move, moron," Nightmare said with evident anger, "all you've ever done is be a fucking nuisance. You've gone too far this time. First there's how useless you were back when I was being beaten up every single goddamn day, then there's all the stuff you and those other bastards did to Error, and now... now you disrespect me."

A sadistic grin grew on Nightmare's face.

"Someone's gotta teach you a lesson, y'know."

"Wh-wh-what are you-"

"You deserve this..."

Swap had been struggling to come to a decision. He didn't want the multiverse to end, but he still felt bitter about the way everyone had treated Error over time. While Swap had never known his reasoning for destroying universes (as Error had seemed uncomfortable with the subject when asked), he believed that Error at least wasn't the heartless monster that most saw him as. He had been surprisingly kind to him after kidnapping him, and willingly let him go when his time in the Antivoid started to take its toll.

He had also been quite bitter about the recent reports of Error having been killed, though he had been trying not to let it show (which pretty much failed right on the day he got the news, as he had started crying). He had refused to talk to his brother for a while after, until he accepted that, regardless, Stretch had good intentions (even though Swap disagreed with his actions).

However, he at least felt the need to ask for a few more details about the current situation. Which AUs had gone down?

...but, when he caught up, he was greeted with a shocking sight:

Dream lay seemingly-lifeless in the snow,

Cracked skull, bruised, bleeding...

He appeared to be unconscious.

"WH-WHAT!?!?!"

For a moment, Swap stopped thinking about the current situation, about the past arguments, and even about Error. They all slipped his mind.

This was someone likely on the verge of death.

He knew he had to do something to help. He couldn't just leave someone, anyone like that.

But what was he supposed to do? He didn't have healing magic. He could fight and all, but he couldn't heal. No green attacks, no nothing.

...he could make food, but feeding an unconscious person by mouth probably wasn't the best idea.

"D-Dream!! A-Are you ok?!"

Swap realized how stupid that was to ask. Dream was clearly not ok. He facepalmed at himself.

Swap knew he'd have to find someone who could help.

He didn't want to risk Biscuit not being home, so that option was out the window (besides, giving an unconscious person liquids was likely just as bad as giving them solids).

He didn't know who in the Underground who'd be willing to help would have green attacks or any other means of healing.

...that left him with one option...

"*sigh* Alright, Dream, guess I'll have to go to the council anyways..."

Swap knew that he'd likely be able to find someone there who could heal Dream. After all, that's where people across the entire multiverse gathered. There had to be at least one person there who could help, or someone who knew someone else who could.

He carefully picked his (ex-?)friend up bridal-style (quite easily. Swap was quite strong and Dream didn't weigh much). Dream winced. At least he was still alive (though not having turned to dust already made that evident).

Dream woke up in the infirmary room of the Council's meeting house, usually used when someone had been harmed in a way that their own universe couldn't solve, or when someone without a universe had been hurt... or for Dream since he got injured quite often.

He sat up, panicked, noticing the bandages wrapped around parts of his body.

"Wh-What happened?! I-I'm-"

"DREAM!!!"

Suddenly, Swap ran up to Dream and hugged him.

Swap had previously been pacing around the room, waiting for Dream to wake up.

It had been a day, but Swap had refused to leave without seeing if Dream would be alright.

He hadn't even slept the previous night (though he didn't exactly sleep much in general. He was the kind to stay up extremely late yet still wake up early).

It was simply in his caring nature to get extremely concerned over such a thing as this.

"Are you ok???"

"...I-I don't know..."

"Do you know what happened to you?? You looked pretty beat up... did someone attack you?"

Dream tried to think back to what had happened, to the point when he blacked out...

However, he found himself overcome with a feeling of terror as he did.

It was a black spot of pain and fear in his memory that his mind refused to recall. All he knew were the feelings from then, as he couldn't even focus on it enough to tell what had happened to him.

Swap noticed that Dream had started trembling, tears starting to trickle from his face.

"Uh, nevermind!" Swap said, letting go before attempting to wipe his friend's tears. "Y-You don't have to try to remember if it makes you uncomfortable or anything!"

The two stopped talking when they heard the sound of the door opening.

Someone entered the room...

Undertale Toriel (whom most AU folk had dubbed "Butterscotch").

"Oh, hi Other-Toriel!" Swap said with a wave. "Dream's up now! Don't think he remembers what happened to him. Think he's ok?"

"W-Wait," Dream interjected, "i-if Undertale Toriel's here, then..."

Normally, Butterscotch wasn't the one who came to represent Undertale. Whenever Classic (Undertale Sans) was too lazy to show up (which was often), it would usually be Asgore (who was given the nickname "Gold") instead.

Every time Butterscotch had come, it was when all the "most important residents" of Undertale were called in times of serious crisis, as Ink believed they were the most important people to know the opinions of...

Which meant something horrible likely had happened.

"D-Did something bad happen to an AU?..."

"...I'm afraid so," Butterscotch said, "but do not worry for now, dear guardian. You need to rest. Though my magic has healed your HP, your wounds were very serious and have most likely not completely healed yet."

"Yeah Dream," Swap said, "you were hurt pretty bad when I found you. Thank goodness I got here before the meeting started. If Other-Toriel wasn't here-"

"B-But I need to know what-"

"Please..."

Swap put his hand on Dream's shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"You can worry about that later. Just... get some rest for now, ok? Don't worry, I'm gonna help Ink and the others figure out what's going on..."

"R-Really?..."

"Yeah."

"Th-Thank you so much..."

Swap smiled.

"No problem."