Chapter Text
Dream hadn't left the room he'd been assigned to in a week. Once he'd woken up from his nap that first day, he'd made a choice; he would just wait to be rescued. His friends would come to save him in no time!
...
Well, he'd tried to wait, at least.
Nightmare's castle was located in what was likely the most negative universe in the entire multiverse, which made Dream's abilities..practically nonexistent. Dream needed positivity to do just about anything, including to survive without food, and..he didn't have any positivity. The only possible source of any kind of positivity in this place would have probably just been something sadistic, and Dream always felt off after absorbing anything akin to that; it felt wrong..it felt corrupted. But it had been a week without food or positivity of any kind, and Dream needed something to hold him over! He only had three options: trying to find a source of positivity that would more than likely be tainted, abiding by his brother's rules and calling one of the castle's workers to bring him food, or sneaking to the kitchen to steal some food.
The second option was out of the question. Dream wasn't the type to have things in life handed to him, and he wasn't going to give in to his brother's way of doing things; he did things for himself! He could do things for himself! He wouldn't let Nightmare manipulate him. Once that was settled, Dream discarded of the first option; he didn't want to start a search for something he wasn't guaranteed to find, and he didn't think he wanted to resign himself to feeding off positivity that wasn't pure. That left the third option: stealing. Maybe once, Dream would have taken a moment to consider the moral implications of stealing food, but, honestly? He'd lived too long to do that now. He needed food to survive, and he'd taken the less-than-moral route many times before because of it - it had been a hard few years before Ink had found him and taken him in. With his decision made, Dream stood up from his seat by a window and looked towards the door, his gaze drifting over the room once more.
The room was perfect; he'd thought it at first, and he still thought it. The bed was just the right amount of soft and firm, and the blankets on it were thick to accomodate his constant coldness. The room had adjustable heat, though, and it was already at the perfect temperature to make him feel comfortable despite the fact that the magic coating his clothes had worn off a few days ago. He glanced over at the small screen by the door, letting out a small hum; it was 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Celsius. It was perfect. He really didn't want to leave; Nightmare kept the rest of his castle cold. It had been cold when Dream's magic had coated his clothing, and he really didn't want to know how cold it would be without that protection..but he needed food. His magic was running out, and soon, he would probably turn to dust if he did nothing. He needed to survive; he needed to make it out of this.
So Dream opened the door, and the cold air of the castle halls hit him like a truck, thoroughly convincing him to shut the door.
It must have been nearly cold enough for water to freeze.
Dream shivered, returning to his bed and crawling under the blankets. That had been a bust. He sighed, looking down at his clothes; they were thick, but they weren't enough to withstand temperatures this cold! No wonder everyone in this castle was negative; they had to live in that! Once Dream had warmed up, he walked over to the closet in the corner of his room. Nightmare had gathered all these outfits for him to wear, and they all looked way too distinguished for his tastes, but if something here was warm..
There weren't any jackets in there. All that was in the closet was something he would have expected a prince to wear; that was what Nightmare saw him as, wasn't it? Dream shook his skull, closing the closet door; he'd just have to brave the cold.
Part of him wanted to grab one of the blankets off the bed and wrap it around himself, but that would have drawn too much attention; stealing food was something that one tended to do in secret, not while wearing a giant flashy neon sign. Instead, he simply took a few deep breaths before opening the door to the hall again. The cold was bitter, but the threat of hunger was more important than the threat of freezing. He stepped into the hall, forcing his arms down to his sides; he had to project calmness and comfort. He couldn't do that with his aura now, leaving him with just visual impressions! What a world. Dream closed the door behind him and started for the main stairwell, starting to descend. Truthfully, he had no idea where the kitchen was, but he would probably find it eventually! It was probably on the ground floor, right? Dream couldn't imagine putting a kitchen anywhere but the first floor. So he went to the first floor, and he looked around for anything that might have indicated a kitchen area.
After about half an hour of opening random doors that led to various different workrooms, Dream finally found it: a kitchen. There was a cafeteria connected to it, where a few dozen castle workers were sitting scattered about with meals that looked..less than appetizing. But if it was all that was available, Dream would gladly take it.
And then Dream realized what a cafeteria meant.
He could have just come down here the whole time and asked for food..he felt like such an idiot. Well, there was no going back; at least now he was hungry enough to eat anything, and whatever everyone else was eating..definitely looked like anything. Well, except for the drinks they had; those smelled good - was that hot coffee? That would definitely help with the cold! Dream let himself show a small smile as he walked up to the counter, mentally kicking himself for not coming down here sooner.
His smile fell when he saw the prices.
Five G for a meal..he had none. He didn't have any money; he never had money! Guardians of the multiverse didn't get paid! They were paid in shelter and housing and free meals because everyone knew that Blue was the only Star Sans who ever had any money! And that was because he got an allowance from Error! Error had no need for money, after all, and ever since Blue had brought up the fact that he was constantly broke, Error hadn't taken no for an answer. Wait, Dream was getting off topic..he needed a way to get money to get food; he doubted meals would be free just because he was Dream here. This was Nightmare's castle, after all - the land of negativity and unfairness.
"Um. excuse me.." Dream spoke up, getting someone's attention.
"Yes?" The other turned around, and-
"Ccino?" Dream blinked, staring at the other.
Ccino's cat cafe had once been one of the most popular coffee shops in the multiverse; it had been one of the Star Sanses' favorite places to visit, and others had locked there as a result, too, but..Ccino had gone missing three years ago, and all his cats had disappeared, too. His cafe had shut down as a result; no one had ever been able to find him. Had Nightmare tricked him? Had he been forced to work here? Why? How?
"Oh..Dream." Ccino offered his old friend a nervous smile. "Funny seeing you here.."
"This is..how did..?" Dream didn't know what to say. "I..we all.."
"Nightmare tricked me." Ccino shrugged. "Same old story you'll get told by everyone else here. I assume the same rings true for you, too?"
"..Yeah." Dream sighed. "I..wow. I didn't expect to see you here."
"A lot of people who go missing out there end up in here, unfortunately; you'll find a lot of familiar faces."
"I see.."
"Well, is there anything I can do for you?"
"Uh..between you and me, I'm starving." Dream admitted. "Do you know a quick way to get any money for food?"
"..No." Ccino shook his skull. "Salaries are paid at the end of each week, and it's Monday, so.."
"..Right." Dream was going to die here.
"Were you assigned to any job?"
"Nope.."
"I wish I could help you, but I can't give out food for free..I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Dream nodded. "I wouldn't expect you to risk yourself for me. Do you know where I can get a job?"
"Well, your best bet would be down the hall, five doors down on the right; it's the laundry room, and, boy, is there a lot of laundry in this place. They need help all the time over there, and If you're lucky, you'll find some G - check the pockets."
"Thank you, Ccino." Dream smiled gratefully. "Hopefully, I'll be back later."
"Good luck."
With that, Dream left the cafeteria and walked down the hall, finding the laundry room just where Ccino had said it would be; there were rows and rows of washers and dryers, and about ten people were working in the room sorting, washing, drying, and folding the clothes before leaving to deliver them to their owners. Dream would have thought it would be better if everyone just did their laundry individually, but he wouldn't argue; he needed this.
"What do you need, Dream?" One of the workers approached Dream; he didn't recognize them, but they obviously knew him..that tended to be the case, across the multiverse.
"Uh, can I help?" He requested. "Please?"
"..One moment."
The worker left the room, and Dream stayed, beginning to feel..off. He felt as if he should have started running, but before he could decide whether or not to act on that instinct, a dark aura swept over the vicinity..Nightmare.
Ah, great..the worker had called Nightmare.
"And just what do you think you're doing, Dream?" His brother spoke, his voice coming from behind Dream.
Dream turned to find his twin, who was leaning against a shelf of unsorted laundry baskets; he looked quite smug.
"I was offering my help here." Dream informed. "Is that a problem?"
"I told you, Dream - you are not to continue your self-sufficient lifestyle here." Nightmare reminded. "You are not to offer your 'services' anywhere in this castle unless it is for recreational purposes; what part of that didn't you understand, exactly?"
"Nightmare, I've been working my whole life! I don't care what plans you have for me, but I'm not going to give up my way of life just to please you, so just get that through your thick skull - I'm not a toy."
The workers in the room were dead silent; it was obvious that no one else ever dared to stand up to Nightmare around here. Well, Dream would definitely change that! Nightmare was quiet for a moment, before beginning to chuckle lowly.
"Oh, Dream, I do love you." He smiled. "You're a worthy brother to the future ruler of the multiverse. But..I must change you. I was on the right track by breaking your legs before; I just need to stop myself from healing you so soon."
Dream should have shut his mouth after that - he should have kept quiet and resigned the silent battle before he could do more damage. But, honestly? After a week of no food, the hunger was gnawing at him, and the sheer cold in this room was despicable. It had been getting on his nerves ever since he'd stepped out of his room.
"Really?" Dream clenched his fists. "You think that's going to do anything? Wow, go ahead and try; I'd love to see it! Make my life worse; I dare you! You think a little more suffering is going to make a difference? You think a couple broken legs is going to deter me? Nightmare, I am well acquainted with suffering; you don't know a thing about it. Broken bones, huh? Try being conscious for five hundred years stuck in a stupid stone statue! Try being emotionally manipulated for two whole years just to find out that your brother is exactly who everyone else warned you about! Or maybe that's too big for you; how about you try not eating for a week? I haven't! And speaking of being uncomfortable, what kind of psychopath keeps the temperature at, what, freezing?! It's frigid in here! It's absolutely insane! You're insane! I..I.."
Dream let out a shaky breath, realizing what he'd just said. Stars..this was just great. He'd just had an emotional outburst..in front of about a dozen people, one of whom was his brother. His sadistic, evil brother. Nightmare waited a moment before speaking, looking at Dream with a stupidly-caring smile.
"I'm really going to enjoy this." He said, simply, before walking over to Dream and grabbing his wrist; his touch was even colder than the room!
Dream tried to pull his wrist away, but Nightmare's grip stayed firm. "You're freezing! Let go of me!"
"I'l have you know that this room temperature suits me perfectly, Dream." Nightmare informed. "Much like I ensured that your room suits you. But, of course, you are right; you should have proper protection from the cold - that was an oversight that I'll be sure to fix while you're in time out."
"Time out?" Dream gritted his teeth. "I'm not a toddler!"
"Perhaps not, but you're my younger brother; that counts for something. Now hold on - I'll be taking you to your room now."
Nightmare didn't give Dream any time to respond before teleporting the duo directly into Dream's room. Dream quickly pulled himself from Nightmare's hold, exhaling as his body warmed up to just the right temperature. Nightmare, curiously, let out a shudder as the temperature affected him; he must have been telling the truth about himself before.
"..This is too hot for you?" Dream let out a hum. "Guess we really are opposites.."
"I thrive in the cold, and you thrive in the heat; let's not delude ourselves of that fact." Nightmare shook his skull. "Neither of our preferred temperatures suit anyone else very well."
"But you're more than willing to impose yours on everyone who lives here." Dream remarked.
"It's my home."
"You forced your home on them."
"Perhaps.." Nightmare shrugged. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you haven't eaten since before you came here; why not?"
"Other than the fact that I don't have any money?"
"Dream, food for you is free; the only requirement is for you to use the bell."
"I'm not going to use the bell."
"Why not?"
"Nightmare, you've taken everything else about my life away; you could at least leave me my self-respect and allow me to walk down a few flights of stairs to grab some food on my own."
Nightmare sighed. "You know..I would have relented, if you'd only asked me first. Instead, you chose to go behind my back and defy my requests. But, for your sake, I'll agree. You may use the cafeteria to get your food from now on..once your legs heal. Until they do, you'll use the bell; I'll put it on the bedtable so it's in reach."
"..I hate you.." Dream glared.
"Predictably so. I'll have the castle's tailor come by in a few days to fix your clothing problem. And, if your legs don't heal by the time your new wardrobe is complete, I'll heal them myself; I'm still unsure as to whether your body even can heal, in this environment."
"I wonder who's at fault for the purely negative atmosphere." Dream deadpanned.
"Don't forget, Dream - you have permission to spread little bits of positivity to give yourself a boost. Take advantage of it."
"..I don't really think I have a choice, now, do I?"
"You don't. Now lie down; this will hurt."
"How kind of you to warn me."
Dream sighed, climbing into the bed he'd been given and lying down. To ease his mind, he stuffed the corner of a blanket between his teeth; it wouldn't make the pain more bearable, but at least he wouldn't chip a tooth.
"Are you ready?" Nightmare asked, as if he were just the nicest guy alive.
Dream groaned, waving Nightmare on with the intent of getting this over with as fast as possible. He wished he could summon his bow or his daggers, even if only to threaten Nightmare for a split second, but he just couldn't..he was as powerless as he possibly could be, here. Just as it had happened in the dungeon a week ago, one of Nightmare's tentacles constricted around Dream's lower legs, and the bones were snapped. Nightmare, like the manipulative jerk he was, sat next to Dream and ran a hand down his brother's skull in a soothing motion, wiping the tears away with his other hand.
"That's it, little brother." Nightmare offered comfort, despite being the one to have hurt Dream in the first place. "It's all right; they'll heal eventually."
Nightmare stood up and walked to the door, while Dream shook as the pain wracked his body; was Nightmare seriously going to just leave him like this? For better or worse, the answer was no, as Nightmare returned a moment later with the two bells that had previously been just outside the door. He placed them on the bedtable.
"Well, Dream, I must be going now, but before I do, I want you to ring the bell." Nightmare instructed. "Remember, the black one is for me, and the gold one is for anything else. And, Dream, this is a practical lesson; you may use the gold bell to request anything your soul desires, from plush toys to medical assistance. Any type of food or drink, and anything else you may want; if we don't have it, someone will get it for you. Now, ring the bell, and I'll leave."
Dream wanted nothing more than to fight and yell, but before he had the chance to try, Nightmare laid a tentacle over Dream's broken legs - the weight pressured his broken bones enough to make him scream again.
"Dream, don't test me." Nightmare warned, wiping away the new stream of tears. "Just obey me; it isn't that hard, is it?"
Dream wanted to fight; he wanted to..but that wasn't an option. Nightmare had full control of this situation, and the longer Dream stayed like this, the more of his life he forfeited. So he complied, grabbing the golden bell and shakily ringing it, although he dropped it when the pain in his legs spiked again.
"Good." Nightmare smiled, picking up the bell. "Now that we've gotten you past the first hurdle, we shouldn't have much trouble with the next ones; I look forward to them."
With that, Nightmare left, and Dream laid his head back, realizing something for the first time:
He had no idea what he was in for.
~~~chapter end woot~~~
Dream bean is not having a good time!
Thanks for reading my hungry writing!
Bye!