Oneiro has a nice 'friendly' chat with Eclipse and is very happy how it goes.
Eclipse terror only grows as he realises the true insanity he has to deal with now..

((Happy New Year! 🎊))

——-

?? Multiverse

"Really? Everyone is there?"

"Of course, little raven. I even have your small bitties friends as well. They have missed you a lot~"

"Even Nova?"

"...yes. Even Nova is going to be there~"

Eclipse was feeling a mixture of emotions right now.

On one side, he was glad he wasn't the only one dealing with this new monster, even though X looked like a feather could knock them over with how shaky they were. They were also far too pale for his liking and whenever this 'Oneiro' even glanced at them, they wilted like a flower without sunlight.

While thankful to no longer be restricted to the WingVerse with that crazy Creator, he was still baffled and highly wary why he was allowed to finally go, as this new place didnt seem much better in his mind.

He could clearly sense the magic saturating the air, guessing it had been claimed by Oneiro a long while ago. It was kind of stifling but he refused to show any weakness right now, mainly focusing on the one bright spot which was Karma.

They had been a beacon of positivity since spotting their dad and it soothed a deep part of him...but at the same time, he was now in the same place as his most disliked variant.

That this one seemed somewhat sane only put him further on edge, knowing just how dangerous they could truly be. Even his mind kept helpfully pointing out that a parental bond, which he could clearly sense was present between the two, was a two way street. Both parties had to want it but it was still disturbing to see such an odd version of his brother be so gentle with a child.

His gaze wandered to the new area, the heavily forested environment deeply comforting and reminding him of his childhood before things got overly complicated . In the not too far distance he could sense they weren't totally alone in the AU but no one felt overly hostile, even if quite a few individuals didn't exactly come across as sane to his senses.

..at least the babybones was thriving, sensing they were happy and even accepting of this SwapDreams magic, while it made his own corruption want to burst out in response, as if to defend himself from a threat.

He was so annoyed he was struggling to control it, as this Dream hadn't even done any overly threatening actions towards him!...Apart from their pointed words of course, which had been very much expected, especially when it was revealed he had been near their kid monsters with children were truly terrifying to witness .

"X? Would you mind coming over here for a second. I just have a very simple task for you~"

Eclipse wasnt an idiot and neither was X, the 'request' was more of a demand and phrased far too politely most likely due to the babybones presence .

They all knew who had the true power here and they would both be fools to forget it.

"Now, little crow. I want you to stay with X for a bit. They will take you to where everyone else is waiting~"

He grimaced at the words and tensed up, having a feeling he wasnt going to enjoy what was going to happen next.

"But why, dad?"

"I just need a little chat with your new friend is all. I would like to know them better and thank them for taking such good care of you~"

Oneiro smiled softly at Karma, nuzzling them and completely ignoring the emotions coming off the other two adult monsters. They were not his main concern yet , his child far more important and wanted to make sure they understood what he was asking of them.

"You have been here before, little crow. There is no need to worry and you should be able to sense Ordeal by now. I'm not leaving you~"

He said soothingly, the large building coming into view right about now. He couldn't remember how he had obtained this place he was a tad more insane in those days but it was still a very useful location, not particularly wanting to go back to his own multiverse.

He would have to ask his brother later how their multiverse was looking, considering the damage he had done to it over the years, truly uncaring if it collapsed or not. He had everything he needed outside of it now, carefully handing over Karma to X, once his child was calmer after his many reassurances.

A few days spent here would be perfect for them and with all the familiar monsters around, it should only build Karmas confidence even higher.

They were doing excellent and he was ever so proud of them, leaning down to nuzzle them again.

The 'guard dog' was sweating rather heavily and he bet they were just overjoyed to be seeing Nova again, smiling sweetly at them and relishing in the full body shiver they gave.

It might not have been completely their fault they lost Karma but that hardly swayed him, still annoyed they had lost Karma in the first place.

..he could perhaps admit, that the barriers he had put up the Dreamtale in WingVerse were rather vicious to any he did not approve of and he was frankly impressed X was still alive, guessing that the magic he had put on them to make sure they obeyed had most likely saved their life.

Not to mention how protective Opal got of anyone coming near their Tree of Feelings but he didnt care for excuses even if they were good ones . He wasn't exactly known for his forgiveness anyways, as his brother could attest and he was feeling rather petty right now, planning to continue messing with X until satisfied.

That Nix was already doing it just amused him further, giving a warning glance to X when Karma wasn't looking. 

If they messed up this simple task, not even Karma would be able to keep them alive that was a lie, as he was weak to his child's puppy eyes but he could dream. .

Oneiro patiently waited until Karma was nowhere in sight, X having wisely sped off as soon as he gave permission, before turning his full attention onto his real target.

Not waiting for them to speak he teleported in front of them and tightly gripped their neck, before slamming them against a nearby tree.

He watched passively as they tried to loosen his grip but he knew it wouldn't budge, as he was far more powerful and far more used to using his magic to its full capabilities, unlike this Eclipse.

Eclipse gasped in shock at the sudden move, his fear rising as Oneiro let their true madness out, no longer trying to hide how they truly felt about him right now. Their look was reminiscent of his twin in their later years, his anxiety only rising as their other clawed hand came to rest on his cheek, in a gesture of faux care.

"Why so on edge, Eclipse ? We are just going to have a little chat like I said and you are going to answer a few questions for me. I do hope you don't disappoint, as I would hate to have to change clothes so soon. Monster dust truly is a pain to clean. Such an inconvenience~"

His breath stuttered at the genial tone, it contrasting far too much with their manic glee at his fear.

"Now now! There is no need to hide anything between us. We are friends , right?~"

Oneiros smirk grew unhinged, summoning magic to his hands to prod the corruption inside of Eclipse, not allowing them to pretend it didn't exist. He chuckled when they became coated in corruption, so pleased it had been such an easy task to fulfil.

"Much better. No need to be ashamed. This is still part of you after all. Now, lets get onto the important topic~"

Eclipse felt this was the most thorough interrogation in history, far too startled by what they had done to even consider lying right now.

Not that it would help with Oneiro being an empath and he was currently far too unsettled to be able to hide his own emotions efficiently right now. He could feel his corruption all over his body, his tentacles stiff behind him, not moving like they usually did in accordance with his emotion.

He felt more like prey trying to avoid a predator's attention, hating how weak he felt right now.

"You should really give up. I'm not like that pathetic twin of yours. You do know he let you win, right? The power difference between you two was too wide, even with the slight disadvantage of their insanity~"

He felt a bolt of rage when they mentioned him , snarling as his tentacles instinctively lashed out behind him, briefly forgetting whohe was dealing with or how they even knew this information.

Oneiro was reluctantly impressed, coldly measuring the power of the monster in front of him and deeming them adequate,eventually deciding that they were unlikely to dust if put against another monster.

Sure, they were nearly powerless against him, their control of their magic truly pitiful in his opinion but it was something he would resolve, if they answered his questions correctly.

He knew he wasn't what most would deem a 'kind' monster or sane but he didnt care for his lessers opinions.

He was selfish and would do unimaginable things , as long as it kept his child safe. He cackled in deranged delight as they started to fight back, his smile growing truly unhinged.

Now the fun could truly get started.~

-

Eclipse was truly terrified of this monster.

How they could switch between the kind and caring parent to this, was almost unnatural. He grit his teeth as the hand around his necks tightened, none of the loving monster from before to be seen, only an unhinged demon who would have zero hesitation in dusting him, if it caught their fancy.

The worst bit was that this didnt even feel personal, more like an exterminator logically thinking through on how to deal with a pest.

He never knew insanity could be tempered like this, like a sharp surgical blade. He truly had thought he had seen everything the omniverse had to offer, suddenly realising why Opal had laughed at him when he insisted he could look after himself, realising for the first time how small he was in the grand scheme of things.

"Now let's get onto the harder questions. I do hope you won't disappoint me~"

-

Oneiro whistled happily, walking beside the slightly shaking Eclipse as they made their way towards the large mansion, the talk having been a major success in his eyes.

He had even been so kind as to help fix a small fault in Eclipses' Code, just imagining how many issues could occur later on if left alone. He might have been a tad rougher than needed, mainly focusing on finding the issues as quickly as possible and not much else but its not like he was that fond of Eclipse.

He had gotten everything he needed at least and was content they weren't a danger to his child, which was his main goal in the end. It hadn't even taken that long, generously allowing Eclipse to hide their corruption once again, as they got near the front door.

Some may call him overprotective but he called it practical!

He refused to let another incident like 404 happen again and while he knew his child now had more options available to defend themselves if the worst happened, that didnt mean he wanted them to be forced to have to use it.

That was the parents job after all and he didnt care if he was labelled as a heartless monster for what he did, he would ensure Karma only had the best in life.

He snickered as he heard crashing sounds when he opened the door, guessing Nova had spotted the Ink variants he had invited. Nova was so easy to mess with but he was expecting everyone to at least not go too far, especially with a babybones close by. 

He smirked as Eclipse rushed into the building at the noise, amused at how protective they already were of Karma. Hopefully this one would be a better guard dog then the last, his child's talent to attract such odd monsters truly intriguing but it worked well for him in the end.

Arriving at the living room, he spotted the couch now upside down across the room with Nova wrestling one of the Ink variants. He was glad they restrained themselves, Eclipse the only one panicking and X but they did that with everything , with even Karma cheering on the 'play fight'.

What a fun new 'pet' he had found. Perhaps they could even keep his brother company so they didnt get lonely when he left, hopefully even replace the pets his brother insisted on keeping around.

Either way, he saw Eclipse being very useful in the future, his child truly finding such interesting monsters.

~~~~~

*Karma purring as he cuddles dad, happy they are together again*

Eclipse and X: *Shivering at the wrath coming off Oneiro and praying they survive this*
-
Oneiro with Karma: 😇🥰

Eclipse: *Very confused* This doesn't feel like a SwapDream at all..

Oneiro when Karma isn't in sight: *Insanity unleashed and ready to make your day much worse* 😈

Eclipse: *Dearly wishing Karma was here* I was greatly mistaken! 😨
-
*After a long 'chat' between Eclipse and Oneiro*

Eclipse: *Even more terrified of Oneiro and in shock he is still alive* Thank god that is over with..

Oneiro: *Smiling sadistically* Wait until you meet 'big brother'. Im the less dangerous one~

Eclipse: *Fear renewed and paling drastically*...what?!
-
Oneiro: *Watching Eclipse like they are an animal at the zoo* I wonder how Karma keeps attracting such odd monsters?~

Ordeal: *Overhearing and sighing at his brothers obliviousness* You do realise that you count as one of these 'odd' monsters, right?