Dream is very curious about this strange babybones and educates them about 'Strings'.
Karma reaches his breaking point, just wanting to be safe for once.

——-

S̷̲͗ṯ̶̇̅ringVerse

Dream was tired and let out a breath of relief when he entered a safe AU. It was the perfect place to replenish his magic and all the positivity he sensed was a balm to his SOUL. There was no crisis that he was needed for so he decided to wander around and perhaps grab some lunch.

He did love spending time with Ink and Blue but it could be so tiring expending so much magic to defend the multiple AU's. It was rare to have some time for himself, so he always made sure to come to this AU when he could. That it also was a staggeringly positive one, that could keep out his counterpart, was a large bonus.

Of course he always made sure to change to less conspicuous clothing when here, as he didnt want to get mobbed by any monsters. Dream truly loved for his role but he sometimes missed his quieter life in his birth AU. Shaking those useless thoughts off he started to walk, quietly watching the scenery and the many monsters going about their daily lives. He smiled at the scene, knowing that this is why he continued his never ending job.

Dream was passing by another couple when he grimaced at sensing a spike of negativity. He stilled in order to pinpoint its location and made his way over to it, shocked at seeing the Destroyer here. He knew they wouldn't do anything here, as it was a true neutral space but was still wary.

He was a tad puzzled why they were here, as Ink often told him that the Destroyer was crazed and only driven by carnage. Dream was a tad sceptical of the claim as he could sense many other emotions in the Destroyer but he found no point in arguing with Ink when they were set on something. He decided to get close to them and was surprised to see a child next to them.

"- Give me your hand"

Dream was wary when the child did so and was shocked at the potency of magic formed on the child's wrist. How did the Destroyer know this child and why did he sense fondness?

"If you are unwell I will be alerted but you can break it to catch my attention. Do you still have Moon's number? Good. Call them when you are done and they will come and get you. Hopefully i won't be long"

He shuddered when he heard the name he used to call his brother. It must be a coincidence as he knew eating the apples had killed Nightmare and had only left corruption in its place. Ink had repeatedly told him this and while heartbreaking he still resolved to purify the remains of his brother's body, so they could rest easily.

Still, he couldn't leave this alone and without realising it he soon found himself following the babybones. He didn't recognise their features but the red and black striped clothing was reminiscent of UnderFell. Not to mention the monster dust coating them that they seemed rather oblivious to, even if the inhabitants of this AU were not.

Ink must have made another AU and had forgotten to tell him, which wasn't that unusual. With how often they made something he was surprised the other had time for daily life. He watched the child curiously and chuckled at the starry look they gave all the chocolate they bought. It was nice to see that their AU hadn't managed to destroy all their innocence yet.

When he saw them sit down on a bench he decided to go over. He was thankful this area was empty as he wanted privacy for this conversation. When Dream sat down the babybones wings rose above them and they snarled at him. He didn't bother using his magic to calm them. as he knew from experience how paranoid some Fell monsters could be.

It didn't take long before the child must have concluded that he wasn't a threat, as they looked away and munched on a chocolate bar but still kept an eye on him. He would expect nothing else from a Fell but it was still rather sad to witness this behaviour in one so young.

"I'm sorry for startling you, i was just curious as I haven't seen you around here before"

Dream was glared at but the child made no move to reply, only continuing to watch him with increased wariness.

"I'm called Star. I can show you some places that have great sweets, as an apology"

His grin grew at seeing recognition from the name, a nickname his brother had given him when things were far less complicated, and it made his SOUL spark in hope. Maybe his brother was still alive somewhere but he squished that thought, when the child shifted to full face him.

He hid a flinch at how much dust was on their scarf, realising that it was actually a dark blue and not the pale blue he initially thought it was. He was pretty sure that was a claim in a Fell AU's but he would need to refresh his knowledge, if he planned to meet them again. This was the first potential clue that his brother was still alive and he knew the Destroyer would never help him, so he only had the babybones.

"..there are more shops?"

"Yes! They are on the other side of town, so only the locals or frequent visitors go to them"

"...fine. Show me?"

"Of course"

Dream hadn't imagined his day would go like this but he wouldn't say he regretted it. The babybones gradually warmed up to him and he was even given their name. 'Karma' was a very odd name to have in an UnderFell AU but he was sure with their magic and sharp features it hardly mattered.

Their magic felt unusual but when he tried to examine it he quickly pulled back, as he realised they could sense what he was doing. The smirk they gave him only reinforced this and it almost made Dream fear they realised who he was, even with his disguise. His outfit was as bland as possible and he even took off his circlet. Changing the colour of his eyelights had taken a lot of effort but he was so pleased when he achieved it, as it allowed him so much freedom to explore.

The majority of skeletons looked very similar to each other so it was easy to blend in and pretend to be part of some obscure AU. Ink had thought it was hilarious but let him be and even Blue had been impressed by the change. He was glad he has such understanding friends.

"Do you want to check anything else, Karma?"

"I don't think so...Do you think they have a-"

Dream watched as Karma took out a rather battered looking phone before typing something in.

"Sorry Star. I have to go"

Dream knew they couldn't stay like this forever but he was still startled by how anxious he was for the other to not leave.

"Wait! Would you be willing to meet up again? I-I haven't shown you everything here yet"

"..ok? Should we share numbers then?"

Dream smiled in relief and happily shared his number, looking forward to their next meeting. He hadn't heard more about this 'Moon' person yet but he was sure it would only take time.

-

Between his usual fights against the Bad Sans and the Destroyer, Dream still made sure to come to the AU he met Karma in. They weren't always there but he still found the place relaxing.

Ink had also been acting rather strange lately. They had insisted on fighting the Destroyer by themselves in the last few weeks, which gave him even more free time. He had tried to parse out why but Ink had been tight lipped. He had managed to overhear them talking about 'trusting mother' but he had no idea who that could be. He didn't even know Ink had a mother!

It had taken many meetings but Dream was pleased at how calm the babybones was around him. They no longer startled when he brushed past them and even showed their back to him multiple times...even though they still growled at him at random but it was progress!

Their emotions were still rather jumpy but he flaked that up to their AU, so wasn't worried. Therefore he decided it was safe to try and ask more personal questions.

"So Karma. I have a question"

"Yes?"

"Who do you usually stay with? I don't think i have seen you with anyone here"

Dream was not going to mention the Destroyer in the first meeting but this was one thing he worried about. Karma looked too young to be allowed to explore an AU by themselves.

"I mainly stay with Grillby or Moon. They have tough jobs but still find time for me, which is a surprise"

"Are they nice?"

Dream cringed as soon as he said that word, knowing how it could be viewed as weakness in Fell AU's. Thankfully Karma didn't seem to mind and Dream was getting even more bewildered at the mixed emotions he was sensing from them. Even their actions did not always coincide with what he expected but perhaps due to their young age and the time spent away from their AU, was the reason?

"Yeah! Grillby is usually quiet but Moon will play with me more and even reads me stories. They know so many!"

Dream smiled but internally was unsure why their emotions blanked when talking about Moon. He shook it off as just children being annoyed with their caretakers and continued on.

"That's wonderful"

Dream knew what the majority of Grillbys were like but from all the conversations they have had about Moon, he just couldn't seem to place a face with it. He assumed Karma was an orphan, as the one time he had asked about their parents their gaze had blanked and they simply stated 'away'. Not to mention how turmulous their emotions became.

He was still no closer to finding more about his brother but at this point he was enjoying spending time with Karma. It was nice having a monster not know who he was and merely talk about everyday things, without worrying they wanted to abuse his powers. It also meant he grew worried when he realised the magic from the scarf was from the Destroyer, fearing what the babybones had done to attract the maniacs attention.

Looking them over he had a rather alarming thought.

"How old are you, Karma?"

"..no idea. Why?"

"Do you know what your Strings are at least?"

The blank look was not promising and made his opinions of their caretakers plummet. While he might have had an..unusual childhood even he knew what Strings were. The elder of the village had made sure to sit both him and Nightmare down and explain when they had reached the suitable age.

It might be a personal subject but children were encouraged to ask questions about it.

"Let's sit down for this"

Dream felt tired and infuriated that he had to be the one to enlighten them. He took a deep breath to calm himself and once they sat down he slowly started to speak, trying to remember what he had been taught long ago.

"Have you heard the concept of the 'red string of fate'?"

"Yes"

"The saying was born from the first magical users able to manifest these bonds. There are multiple 'Strings' on each beings, that connect to others and they help our SOUL to be healthy"

"Healthy?...Why is it so important?"

"You should already know that monster SOULS are much more open than humans but this also means that bonds are much more vital for us. The bonds are connected to our SOUL and we gain energy from them. A monster with no Strings is unheard of and would be a very miserable existence"

"...Is this like a parental bond?"

"Exactly! That is just another name for a certain String, as they all come in different colours, depending on the type. You can even have them between friends or lovers"

Dream explained what the many colours symbolised and waited to see if they had any questions.

"So that is all the colours....There aren't any more?"

"No"

Dream was unsure why Karma felt disbelieving but he knew this could be a lot to be told in one go. Trying to lighten things up he took out some small treats from an AU he had recently visited, always happy at the pure joy he sensed each time he did so. This conversation did give him an idea for the next time they visited though.

-

Karma was following Star, looking forward to the surprise they had for him. He enjoyed spending time with the Positivity Guardian and it was such a surprise to meet a fun one. He rarely spent time with this alternate lately, so he was glad to meet a kind one.

"We are here. I'm so excited! I've never been able to take anyone before"

Karma had looked around in confusion but it was when they pointed towards an odd metal structure he paled. He started to observe it intently and spotted multiple magical lettering scattered at the base with colours etched into the metal frames. It looked like a metal cave and the looming entrance was not very comforting.

"This will. help you to observe your Strings! I can come with you in or-"

Karma took a step back as soon as the idea of stepping inside it came up. He had already dealt with that metal arch with the Daemons and the end results had hurt. Who knows what this one would do to him! His magic begged to be let out and his anger was raging. He needed to leave!

Grabbing his pin he wished to go to his safe place, relieved when he felt the magic do its work.

~~~~

Dream: I think things are going well. They must really trust me!

*Karma snarling and snapping at Dream whenever they try and touch him*
-
Dream: Telling them my old nickname was genius. They shall never know who i truly am!

*Karma who knew who they were straight away, thinking they just prefer the name 'Star'*
-
Dream: *Shows off machine that reveals 'Strings'* Isnt this exciting?!

*Karma having flashback to metal arch in Daemons multiverse*

Karma:..Nope! *Teleports away*