Man, if angst is like story seasoning, then this AU is ✨ S P I C Y  ✨ >:D

I made four prompt chapters in that book with this AU, so you probably get the AU's concept already, but just in case here's a short timeline for the beginning of it:

- Sabre and Time return to RQ

- After a few weeks, Sabre heads outside the village one evening to take care of something

- Little does he know that Dread Steve (yes, THAT guy) has been revived by [insert thing the claimer decides] and has decided that he wants a look at his trauma

- Sabre doesn't return to the village after that night, and being worried, the village people start to search for him

- They eventually find Sabre just leaning against a tree, the upper half of his face being covered by a purple substance

- Panic ensues

- Someone gets the Professor, who freaks out at the sight of it

- More panic ensues

- Professor carefully takes Sabre back to the lab and basically puts him on life support because he has no clue how long this is gonna go on for

- Sabre is being re-traumatized as everyone tries to figure out what to do >:D

- Professor Red convinces the Blue Leader to let Dream Steve out of the World Beyond for a while so he can fix it (this could be changed if the claimer wants)

- The Steves helping Sabre get traumatized by seeing Sabre's trauma

So ye. ✨Spicy✨.

I already have an idea of what those fears could be (which I am happy to share with whoever claims this), but the claimer can also come up with their own. The basis of them though is some relate to a very extremely harsh past of Sabre's, and some are fears that came true through the trauma of what went on during RQ (Abandonment, loss, losing control of his mind, being outcasted, being a puppet of Darkness, Shadow killing people, etc). They can be 50/50, there can be more of one than the other, it don't really matter because either way it's gonna be suffering all around.

Another important plot point is the Steves seeing Sabre's fears, seeing that some came true because of what they did to him, and realizing that they kiiiinda weren't the nicest to him. Lots of regret, lots of extra angst :3

The Sky People join in too, if the claimer wants! After being 'silenced' when Sabre was first corrupted, they all retreated into his mindscape and started acting like antibodies of Sabre's mindscape. They do things like keep negative thoughts out and repair damage to the mindscape, so when Dread does the thing needless to say we're all panicking everywhere. It takes a bit for most of the Sky People in the story to trust the Steves with being inside, before that if they'd ever them they're like 'The heck are you doing here?!' and try to kick them out.

Here's some funny things with the above timeline in mind:

—

(Everyone looking at the memory where Sabre was outlawed during the second Darkness Arc)

Dream: (motioning to the view of the memory) ...What is this?

(M, Time, and Green staring at the others like 'what the heck' while they look nervous.)

O. Leader: ...In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best thing to do-

Dream: YEAH NO SH-

—

(Insert the Professor having PTSD flashbacks when he sees Sabre infected with the corruption.)

—

Steves: We weren't that harsh on him, he's fine.

(Sabre gets corrupted by Dread and like half of his fears came true because of the Steves)

Steves: ...oH. Oh no.

—

(Dream and Time talking)

Time: I used to have a brother too, actually...

Dream: Oh, I know, Genesis slapped him and said 'What the heck were you thinking' as soon as he got to the World Beyond.

Time: Wh- He's still my brother, don't do that-

Dream: Oh don't worry, Genesis got scolded by the Judge soon after.

Time: Who?

Dream: I'll explain later.

—

(Dream gets revived, and sees that Dread is up to his old tricks.)

Dream: ...Aw crap, here we go again.

—

Here y'all go, one very angsty AU :3