When people think of the word dream, normally it's that of a story your mind has made up. Creating odd scenarios for you to experience, dreams were often good and sometimes even forgotten after waking up.

But if you asked anyone in any of the undertale au's besides the main one, as well as certain timelines after all time was complicated, who dream was they'd tell you he was a star sans. Always wanting to do good and help those who can't help themselves. Just because he wanted to help not for any prize.

Dream was a good feeling personified and no one really takes the time to quite realize how he is as a person, because they're so hung up on his brother nightmare. They were the sun and moon. For once though dream wasn't having to clean up a mess from nightmare or save another innocent soul from his brother's cruel clutches.

Error was normally ink's problem, and the fact that ink couldn't even touch him this time around was troubling. What's more troubling was his other friend's involvement. If CORE Frisk has talked to you then there's something really bad lurking around the corner and Dream didn't want you to be involved if it could be helped.

His mind was wandering, unable to stay focused as he came back to underswap feeling as if he was choking under the negativity in the air. He had to measure his words carefully or nightmare may notice the intensity of the negativity in this timeline.

"DREAM!! YOU'RE BACK!!" Blue was the first to greet dream, excited and radiating positive energy lunging for a hug from the valiant prince who's just trying his best. Dream laughed a little and returned the hug before parting ways seeing papyrus leaning against the door frame with crossed arms and a pointed gaze.

What's that look for?

Dream scrunched up his face a bit disliking the negativity radiating off papyrus, but he guessed he didn't blame him especially with how ink behaved earlier. Papyrus didn't say anything and parted from the doorway letting dream walk inside to see ink doodling with chara on the floor. The two of them laying down and kicking their legs. (Only difference was ink was smiling and resting his chin in one hand and chara was fully focused on what ever they were drawing.)

Well at least it was a good distraction for chara. The kid's been through enough. Dream didn't even need to say a word to catch inks attention. The colorful eyed skeleton looked up and grinned at his friend before waving.

"You should see what we're drawing!" Ink hummed and by this point chara had lifted their head to see dream. Their red eyes widened before looking disappointed. After all no (Y/N).

"I'm glad to see you two trying to make the most of the situation but," dream paused shifting on his feet, "I think we have more of a situation than we originally thought."

"What do you mean? What's wrong? Is my sister okay?" Chara sat up now signing hurriedly with tears wielding in their eyes. Dream had to ignore the pain in his chest. He felt weak, but he knew it was because he was surrounding himself with sad emotions. He forced a smile.

"She seems fine, lucky for us error has been treating her okay, it's just something else." Dream looked at ink hoping he'd take the hint, all ink did was stare at him.

Dream motioned with his eyes that he wanted to talk privately and at this point ink was sitting up cross legged holding on to his ankles with a confused smile.

Ugh ink come on.

Dream wanted to shake his head at his friend's obliviousness. Ink just continued to stare with a confused smile and shrug still not getting it.

"Can we talk some where private ink?" Dream finally had to spell it out, and ink just widened his eyes and hopped right up.

"Oh yeah! Sure." Ink laughed a little stretching as he did so looking at blue who seemed like he was debating about something.

"Can I listen in too? I want to help the eldest human!" Blue nodded his head determinedly and Dream just heaved a long breath. He didn't want to get blue involved but he guessed there was no other way.

"Of course, lead the way blue." Dream motioned his hand for his friend to walk in front of him following after the two of them up the stairs to the hallway leading to the bedrooms. At first dream thought they'd stop there but blue continued leading them to his room with a wide smile.

"This is the safest place to talk! After all it is my own room with my own race car bed! Mewhehe!" Blue laughed as he ran in ahead of ink and Dream.

"Honestly I gotta say the race car bed is my favorite. I really should consider having one." Ink placed his hands on his hips gazing at the blue car in the corner of the room leaving Dream to gently shut the door with a heavy breath. The atmosphere felt tense to him even if his friends were chatting contently.

"I don't think error is our only problem." Dream finally spoke on the serious manner and made his way to stand in the center of the room clasping his hands together.
"I don't know who else is but I fear that something else is wrong and rescuing (Y/N) isn't going to be as simple as we thought."

"Pfft, please! Just because I lost to error once now doesn't mean it'll happen again! I mean come on what's the worst that can happen? This is all apart of our game!" Ink waved his hands around carelessly seeming like he really didn't care about the situation.

This was how he always was, so cocky with this little game as he called it between him and error. Dream truly didn't understand it or why ink thought of it all as a game but as long as he was doing the right thing dream didn't mind too much, for now.

"I think we can do it! If everything is going well for her then maybe we could try talking to error to let her go!" Blue was always so hopeful but dream couldn't help the doubts that sprouted inside his mind.

He knew not to mention CORE frisk to his friends, dream wasn't sure how ink would feel about a safe haven for the destroyed au's seeing as he sees everything as some sort of playground. He took his duty to life around him seriously even if he wanted to tell the others why this was so dire. Dream just smiled clutching his hands together tightly with stiff shoulders trying to seem chipper.

"Well perhaps in the past error doesn't always seem so negotiable but things could be different I was only able to find (Y/N) in outer tale because of her positive emotions. She was happy, so maybe he's happy too." Wishful thinking, dream knew it but his friends weren't going to listen to him he may as well play the cards he's been dealt.

"Error happy? He's nothing but a grumpy cat, I'd be surprised if he was happy!" Ink laughed at the thought looking somewhere that wasn't to either dream or blue. (Dream wasn't sure what he was doing, ink just seemed like he was looking at some invisible camera as if acknowledging other people in the room with his "joke.")

"It doesn't hurt to try! Error isn't as bad as he seems!" Blue proudly beamed nodding his head with certainty but all dream could do was continue to feel that strain in his soul. He felt like something was off. Maybe he should just find CORE frisk and ask them what's going on instead of putting his friends in danger.

There was a moment of quite chatter as ink and blue talked back and forth planning what they'd do to surprise error and rescue chara's sister, but dream was else where with his thinking. His bright eyes looked up towards the ceiling with a sense of foreboding overwhelming him.

"Dream?"

"Hellooo anyone home?" Ink and blue called out to him, ink of course waving his hand in front of dreams face while blue just looked worried.

Dream just blinked back to reality looking down to see his friends and just gave them his regular smile. Why worry them?

"I'm here I was just thinking, sorry about that." He laughed lightly rubbing the nape of his neck feeling the relief of his friends in the room.

"Good! Okay right back on track! Operation get chara's sister back plan B is a go!" Ink gave the team a thumbs up with a wide smile and closed eyes seeming satisfied with what ever plan him and blue had been chatting about. All dream knew was that this felt like a bad bad idea.

But what more could he do than go along with his friends? After all there wasn't too much dream could do when ink had his mind made all up.

He felt distant as he left Blue's room curtly shutting the door behind him watching the way ink slid down the banister of the stairs and blue skipped. They were so hopeful. Why couldn't dream be the same? He didn't feel negative emotions a lot, and it was very rare at times, but he was feeling something right now that he just can't explain.

There was something wrong in the universe but he just couldn't say what. Truthfully that drove him a little crazy not having the answers. He watched as chara gave blue a giant hug signing words of good luck to him, dream watched as papyrus patted blues head asking again if he really wanted to go only to get a determined nod in reply.

"I have to brother! The eldest human needs me and as captain of the Royal guard it is my duty to bring her back safely!" Blue was so proud as he spoke and all papyrus could do was give him a relaxed smile even if his eyes glimmered with anxiety.

"Okay bro, you got this." With one last pat to the head for good luck, papyrus stood back with chara as the three star sans's waved their goodbyes.

Dream figured it was more of a see you later for blue as he bounced up and down waving while ink splashed the ground with paint. He wished he could be more hopeful but, he knew that there was more to this than just what met the eye.

But that was that wasn't it? Dream didn't question anything following his friends jumping into the puddle of paint that remained even as they left for chara and papyrus to clean up.

Dream just knew to expect the worse. And be there for the best. Though he's not sure if that made sense to anyone else but himself. The anti void was different feeling than before. It felt fuller, happier. It was vast in here and easy to get lost so dream knew better than to wander as ink led the way.

I really hope I'm wrong.

Dream pleaded in his own mind, but again that was just wishful thinking.