Into The Underverse

Chapter 8

I slowly gained awareness after what felt like an eternity. Something was poking me, and it was highly annoying. I just wanted to sleep...

The poking stopped and a distant chuckle was heard. So you're not dead. That's good to hear.

Oh...you've got to be kidding me...why wasn't I awake yet...?!

I shivered a bit and weakly opened my eyes. I blinked a couple of times, trying to pull my brain into focus.

All I saw was darkness, but I could vaguely see my shoulder blocking my view of what was around me. I tried shifting it to the side, but the clinking of chains reminded me why I couldn't do such a thing. Ngh...

Nightmare chuckled somewhere off to the side. You're not going to get out of here that easily, human.

I have a name, you know... I muttered, my voice laced with the pain I was starting to feel. I had a harder time breathing as each breath made my neck hurt. My arm was still sprained, and I didn't believe my health to have healed from the 0.1 it was at earlier.

You're on the brink of death and you're more concerned with being called by your name? You are indeed strange...

I struggled onto my hands and knees before sitting back on my knees. I blinked some and looked around.

Dream was, for the first time since I'd met him, unconscious. I gasped. D-Dream...!

I crawled towards him but was stopped by a tendril in my face. Leave him be, human.

I slowly backed away and sat back down, glaring at Nightmare. What did you do to him...?

Not that much. He was on the brink of collapse, anyway.

I looked around some more. What...what happened to XGaster and...all the others...?

They were getting annoying, so I sent them back to where they originally were.

I frowned. I know I said I preferred fighting you over spending any time with that group, but I honestly prefer none of the above...

Nightmare chuckled. You don't really get a say in the matter. Not when you're here.

I felt another moment of weightlessness and noticed my body phase out of existence for a moment before recollecting back in place. I shook myself slightly, blinking. I need to wake up...just leave us alone, Nightmare...

Would you really want to leave Dream as he is?

As you said, I don't particularly get a say in the matter... I just want to go home...

We both looked at Dream as he made a small movement on the ground, groaning in pain. Look who decided to join the world of the living.

I mean, he was already alive, just unconscious... I muttered, glancing at Nightmare.

No one asked for your sass.

And no one asked you to hold me hostage here...

Nightmare looked highly unimpressed which made me shrink back a little, nervous.

"Ugh..." Dream muttered, shaking his head and struggling to sit up. He managed to do so, swaying slightly from dizziness. He held his head. "What...?"

Are you okay...? I asked quietly.

"Not really...are you?" He asked, looking at me with a bit of a daze in his eyes.

No...it hurts to breathe and I'm pretty sure my arm is sprained...