How Dream became the monster named shattered. Karma did not things could get any worse.

——-

Shattered Dream Multiverse

Dream considered himself an optimistic monster by nature. Even in his AU, he had tried to be kind and see the best in all beings. The first major crack in how he saw the world was when he spotted bruises on his brother's bones. He would constantly ask where they came from but the other insisted it was from being clumsy.

Nightmare was actually the more nimble one out of the twins, so the excuse always rang false. It didn't help that he could feel slight guilt from the other, every time a new excuse was given. Dream might portray himself as a positive being but it didn't mean he was naive or couldn't connect facts.

This new bout of clumsiness coincided around the same time the villagers learnt what type of Guardians they were. He was furious at the possibility of what he discovered but he couldn't act too rashly. Who knew what the others would do to Nightmare, for 'corrupting' the innocent being.

He kept silent even as he watched the cycle continue, till the point his own brother obviously thought that he was that naive. It hurt to realise he wasn't seen for who he was but he moved on and hid the pain. If this is the image that NIghtmare preferred, who was he to ruin the bit of happiness in his twins life.

When Nightmare ate the apples, he felt the peaceful illusion shatter. The violence was horrific but he managed to save two apples. He ate the Golden one and hid the other, In case there was ever a need.

Being turned to stone was surprisingly peaceful and the years went by quicker than he thought.

When he awoke he discovered new worlds and even made friends, who didn't want him for his aura. He helped Ink defend against Error and later his own brother. The fights were consistent but his brother had drastically changed from what he remembered. There was no longer the sweet monster, who always asked him how his day was. Now the other seemed to thrive on throwing hateful words and thrived in his suffering.

Time passed and this new routine continued, but he wasn't truly happy anymore if he ever had been . He now felt the need to wear a constant mask of optimism, as the worry he was faced with otherwise crushed him further. It seemed the whole multiverse now only saw Dream as the positive protector, who never gave up. He was no longer seen as a monster but more a symbol for others to look up to.

The pressure grew and his mind felt fragile, from the crushing expectations. He wasn't sure what was said but he knew after the battle with Nightmare, he wanted to give up. He was tired of being surrounded by fakes and pretenders and just wanted to be able to be himself.

That is when he remembered the last apple he had hidden. He wasn't sure what exactly it would do to him, but he was sure it couldn't make things worse. If he ate it in front of his brother the other would finally understand he actually cared for him, no matter what he looked like he also secretly wished to be free.

He remembered every part of the change his body went through, as soon as he bit into the apple. The pain was excruciating and he felt his body get covered in golden liquid. Soon the pain faded and all he could think of was how funny this was. Opening his sockets, his laughter grew, at seeing his brother now looking like a normal skeleton.

"Dream? Brother? Are you ok?".

How odd. He assumed he would have been overjoyed at hearing his brothers old voice, but all he felt was apathy and rage. Why did it take this for the other to start to pretend to care. He was done with this fake.

" I'm not Dream, idiot. Call me Shattered. I'm going to go have some fun. See you later, brother ".

He felt a lot more comfortable in this new form. There was no need to hide what he thought and all his darker impulses easily rose to the surface. He felt himself start to calm down, when his brother kept trying to stop his judgement in AU's.

Did the other not know of the atrocities some of these monsters did? Did Nightmare want to defend the true Monsters and allow the innocent to be victims?

He sneered at how his brother truly had become that in which he hated. The drivel that came out of their mouth had been amusing, till it just wouldn't stop.

"Dream stop! I can help. Let me talk to you"

What a joke. As if he was falling for even more lies. In his mind his brother was dead and he felt freer for that fact. While he enjoyed his new life, not all went to plan. It seemed Ink and Blue disagreed with the punishments he dolled out. He could understand Blue, as he was a truly ignorant monster at times but Ink? The Creator was notorious for playing god in the lives of others. His rage grew at their betrayal, especially when they refused to acknowledge his new name.

In some misplaced faith or perhaps forgetfulness, Ink had not locked him out of the Doodle Sphere. He made sure to show the error of their ways and attacked them. His new power allowed him to easily twist Blue's emotions, to make him useless in the fight. Ink had been so worried for the other he didn't pay attention to any of his attacks.

He kicked them out of his new place and decorated them to his own taste. He was enjoying his life but he did notice slight issues with his form. His emotions could change rapidly and it was only years of living that he held onto control so easily. He doubted the others noticed, as they seemed to want to see only the worst in him.

Another problem was time seemed to randomly jump or stop for him. He knew he didn't actually have this power, so he assumed his mind was trying to cope. The stress from years of suppression along with his new power was a powerful combination. It got better as years passed but he could tell the others eventually noticed. It only seemed to persuade them that he needed saving more.

After a particularly dull day, Shattered decided to have some quiet time for himself. The idiots seemed to find him whenever he left the Doodle Sphere but he knew they never went to Dreamtale. Maybe they assumed his memories of the place would keep him away but he actually found it calming.

While this is where his brother ultimately decided he longer loved him, it was also this incident which let him meet people who cared, or at least he thought they did. He missed Blue and Ink but he refused to hide who he truly was, not anymore. He moved towards where his mother was and paused at seeing another monster there. He knew Nightmare had killed all the residents, so who was this?

Getting closer he admired their wings and how they almost seemed to glitter in the light. He walked even closer and watched as their eyelight focused on him. He felt his breath catch at the being finally facing him. For a second it felt like he was in the presence of an ancient God, watching over the mortals in sheer apathy and boredom.

He shook away this unbelievable thought and focused on his senses. He felt no fear but only curiosity coming off the monster. He may enjoy this form but he knew it struck fear in others.

He crouched to get to their level and even lifted his hand, to settle it on their cheek. He would feel any small emotion much easier like this.

" Who are you? Far away from your flock aren't you? "

"I'm called Karma. What's your name?"

That must be a lie. He doubted anyne hadn't heard of the poor protector, falling from grace. He moved to hold their face in his palms and made sure they faced him directly. He even added some of his magic, to make them more agreeable.

" I'm called Shattered. Have you not heard of the big bad bogeyman? ".

He watched as they shook their head and sensed their confusion grow, at what he was asking. Looking closer he noticed something odd. Why didn't his magic change anything?...maybe this was a sign? An innocent who had no clue who he was or his past.

They clearly weren't from his multiverse in that case. He would have to keep them away from the others, to stop them from tainting this new monster.

He got up and made a portal straight home. He would get them more comfortable and in a safer space.

" Come, this place is not suitable for living in, anymore ".

His break might have been short but he didn't regret bumping into the other. Turning around he noticed they were no longer following here. Looking around he saw them about to touch one of his AU's.

He grabbed them with a tentacle and pulled them away from further temptation. Who knew what his direct magic would do to them? It had taken him a while to fully soak those 'papers', so it was especially potent. He was always careful when touching others monsters with his magic, even the annoyances. He might not like them but he didn't want them dead. At least not yet.

" Come along, litte birdy. You can look around later ".

He was amused how they didn't notice they were being lifted above the couch. When he dropped them, he smirked at the little squeak they released. Such a cute little monster but it was also odd having someone in his space again. He wondered how long this positive interaction would last.

His skull suddenly moved, when he sensed something strange. It felt like one of his claimed AU's was being tampered with. Even when he wasn't doing anything, they just had to ruin his good day.

" Stay here. I have pests to deal with ".

He teleported away unimpressed at being faced with his brother, along with his idiots and old friends. He almost laughed at seeing all of them having to fight off the locals. His magic did somewhat loosen inhibitions and violence was a core trait in Underfell. His brother hadn't spotted him so he lunged, almost able to break the others arm in surprise.

" Didn't mommy teach you not to play with other toys? Oh wait, you killed her didn't you? "

The anguish he felt from this comment was perfection. He was glad he could finally get some payback, without being berated for 'going too far'. Blue was such a stick in the mud, he much preferred when it was just him and Ink. He tilted his head, in order to avoid a bone attack from Blue.

" Tut tut little Blue. Such violence. What would your brother think? You did tell him what you do when you aren't there, right? ".

He knew for a fact they didn't. Blue's brother was very much in the dark about the dangers Blue got into. It was a little hypocritical of the monster, who preached about honesty, to lie to his closet family.

" Is little Inky tired? You had plenty of energy to cause many messes for me before "

The fight was slow and he saw no openings, till Blue tripped. It was always a bad idea to let mortals fight against higher beings. It just wasn't a fair contest. He pinned them on the ground and felt his tendrils sharpen, in anticipation of violence.

He wouldn't have dusted him but some casual torture was surely fine. He however faltered, when he thought of the new monster he had left behind. How long had he been here? He wouldn't treat the babybones as if he was a second thought. Not like the others had done to him.

" No....i won't do that. He deserves better than that ".

He was loosening his hold, when his loudmouth of a counterpart spoke up.

"Brother, please. Let us help".

Why did they keep lying to him? It was probably to get his guard down but he hated how it made his SOUL squeeze in pain. His tendrils started to clench unconsciously and he heard a slight crack from below him. Whoops.

"I'M NOT YOUR BROTHER! You made sure to remind me of that many times before. You aren't growing senile like Ink, are you?".

He felt his mind pulse at the conflicting emotions and his agitated magic didn't help. He left before he decided to just kill them all. They weren't worth the effort. He somehow got to his living room but he was too focused on trying to contain his magic. It was so annoying this still happened but it had been a few years since the last time.

"Shattered? Are you ok?".

His eyelight sharped on the voice and he felt magic build up in preparation, but he somehow knew that voice. His new limbs reacted before him and dragged the voice closer to him.

" I'm here now, it's ok i won't leave you. You don't need to be useful, it 's ok. Don't leave me. I'll be good, big brother ".

The words just spilled out of him with no control of his body. It was like a dam had been opened, releasing all his stress. Pulling them out of his arms, he smiled at the babybones.

" Let's go have some fun! You must have been so lonely being here for days".

It was very irresponsible of him to leave them alone for so long. They must have felt so stifled. Outside would help them relax. He kept them in his grip, making sure they knew he wasn't leaving them behind. He didn't pay attention to where he opened the portal, only that it was an AU that the monsters were on the surface. Some light could do soem good to the rather pale monster.

"RUN! The Golden demon is back!"

"He has a hostage!"

"Call the Protector! He will save us!'

....He kind of forget this is why he didn't go outside often. Mortals were so sensitive to the oddest things. He was pleased when the area cleared of most of the residents and he started getting to know the babybones more. He enjoyed the blunt questions and even the truly bizarre things asked.

" Now birdy. You can have all sorts of fun with others. I enjoy playing with their emotions and sometimes driving them insane "

"I don't really like crowds. Can we get some books instead?"

He pushed back the memories of when Nightmare and him were still brothers, the other asking a similar question.

" Of course! I can tell how happy that thought makes you "

He should do this more often. He was pleased at the happiness that the babybones was giving off.

"IS THAT A BABYBONES? WHAT DID YOU DO, DREAM?"

He snarled at not only the interruption but at the vanishing positivity of the child. Maybe he should have dusted them when he had the chance. Looking over the pests he realised they looked exactly the same from the last battle...he must have gained time again. He would have to be more careful to not do it around the child. No need to worry them about his state of mind.

He could feel a fight ready to break out at the first move, when the child still in his tendrils spoke.

"Shattered? I can't see Dream anywhere. Is he hiding?"

Now what to do. Lie or tell the truth?..... Option C looked like a great solution!

" You see I was called Dream but then...something happened and then I became Shattered. No one accepted me after that"

It wasn't a lie, while keeping the harsher truths out.

"THAT WASN'T QUITE I-"

" Shut up, Blue "

Why was Blue trying to interfere? He was saving the other from looking bad as well. Some appreciation would have been nice. He looked over at the babybones, waiting for their judgement.

"Ok...what now?"

He let out a startled laugh, at the looks on the others faces. He should take the kid with him more often. The 'fight' after wasn't really a challenge. He had placed the kid by the side and had gone straight into attacking the annoyances.

He was sure he could deal with them quickly, then continue the day he had planned but of course Nightmare ruined it again. He had been so focused on the monsters in front of him he hadn't noticed when his brother had snuck behind, heading towards the kid.

" DON'T TOUCH HIM! You know you ruin everything close to you, don't you dear brother "

He easily pushed back his counterpart, surprised at the tears in the others eye sockets. He was getting good with his words, it seemed.

-

Karma was not sure why Pale thought he would learn how to be happier here. When was the last time the other had even looked at this weird multiverse? All he was learning was words can be even more vicious than fists, which he already knew. If anything he was more upset at being here than with Pale.

He did get cared for by Shattered but he was still quite isolated from others as he was with Pale. He had also observed how they had a tendency to lose track of time and needed consistent reminders. It had gotten even worse lately, with Shattered convinced he had been living here for years.

One thing he found odd was how Shattered never used his name, almost as if it would break some illusion they had created. If he had wanted to be treated like this he would have never tried to hide away in his birth multiverse.

There were some positives though. He did enjoy the calm period in the evenings, which often took place in the living room. The other often laid with him on the sofa, while he read a new book Shattered had obtained for him.

This was the calmest he ever saw the other and he enjoyed how their tendrils gently stroked his arms and skull. They felt nice and cool and made him purr in happiness.

He also loved fiddling with his scarf in the companionable silence and had been surprised, when one day Shattered had offered some beads to add to it. They were pure gold with black dots and were a great addition. When he felt them he was pleased at how malleable they were in his fingers, compared to his harder trinkets.

If every day had been like this perhaps he could have seen himself grow to care for the other more. The thoughtful actions and care for his interests was pleasing but he knew the universe was never so kind, especially to him.

He watched the latest battle and was unsure what was going on. No real communication was occurring and neither side looked particularly pleased to be here. It almost felt like watching a scripted show, with little variation occurring the next time it repeated.

He was sure he would be stuck watching the same thing happen over and over, till he finally dusted, but changes started appearing in Shattered. Their paranoia increased and they had started checking on him nearly every hour of the day.

Today he had managed to have some alone time, in his assigned room. He was slowly starting to drift off for a nap when he was startled. He let out a chirp when he was suddenly picked up and taken further into the Doodle Sphere. He had seen Shattered cover more of the AU's in his magic lately and was wary of what was happening. When he saw them start to drain and ultimately destroy some AU's, he was very confused.

He however wasn't surprised when Shattered opened a portal and threw him in it, telling him to be good. His dread skyrocketed when he landed on a monster that looked too much like Reaper. The look of dread mirrored back did not make him feel better at this situation.

~~~~~~

Karma: You know, this isn't too bad. It surely can't get worse

*thrown in a portal and lands on a Reaper*

Karma: Wow. The universe truly exceeded my expectations