Whisper [Undertale Multiverse]

Ch3 - Dreams

Whispers POV

You knew that you were dreaming, that this place was not something you were seeing within the waking world. This place held no light, just an endless black in every direction you looked. Somehow, though, your body was perfectly visible, the white of your clothing creating a stark contrast to the darkness around you. It looked almost as though you were casting a dull glow, though with nothing for that light to reflect upon, it was difficult for you to know for certain.

You gazed at your surroundings, completely lucid in this strange dreamscape, unsure of what exactly you were doing here. Was this truly just a dream? Something told you it was not, but you didn't know what else it could be. Taking in a deep breath, you let one hand grip the top of your cloak, clinging to the fabric to keep you grounded and calm. As you took a step forward, the blackness beneath you shifted, rippling like water. It didn't feel like you were walking through water, though.

If this was a dream, and you were aware of it being as such, perhaps you could control it? You weren't too sure what you wanted to see, so instead, you tried to focus on what you wanted to feel. Safety, warmth, calmness. You just wanted to find something positive, so you kept that in your mind. Soon, the endless black seemed to ease, revealing a new environment.

This place was formed in a way that made it appear like a slice of life contained in a giant bubble. It was circular in diameter, with pitch black contrasting with the grass, no transition or blurring between the two. Curious, you ventured closer, eyelights forming stars at all the beautiful flowers that lurked within the grass. There were so many pretty colors, and though you couldn't see any animals beyond the small butterflies and bees moving from flower to flower, it looked peaceful and lively.

The centre of this bubble was a tall hill, a large tree sitting atop it with branches extended towards the skies. It was lush with beautiful leaves of gold and purple. Something made you feel connected to this place, to the tree, like it had some kind of meaning to you. But why would a tree have that sort of feeling? Wrapped around its trunk was some sort of banner, the combined symbol of a sun and moon detailing its centre. Briefly you wondered if somebody else had been there once, had wrapped it there, or if it was just.. how it was formed to be.

You took a single step forward, boots silently hitting the grass as you crossed the threshold. Instantly, the sort of nothingness from before became more like the waking world, so much more alive. Whilst the tree you saw bore no fruit or flowers, you could smell the undeniable aroma of sweet apples. The wild flowers also smelled beautiful, mingling with the apple-scent.

A small breath escaped you. Despite your anxiety, this place seemed so calm and nice, as though it had an aura of its own, pulling you in with its reassuring pleasantness. You could feel a soft breeze brush against your bones. If you couldn't still see the black behind you, you might have thought this was a real place, that this was the waking world, but then again, there was this sort of feeling to it, a feeling you couldn't quite describe but one that you knew would always be there in this place of dreams.

"Brother? Is that you?" a gentle voice called out, startling you. It was androgynous, though vaguely closer to the masculine side of the spectrum.

You quickly took a step backwards, no longer within the boundaries of the little island, instead back within the dark. You stayed just behind the borderline, though, not moving further back. Somehow, instinctually, you knew that the blackness was safe, that this stranger would not be able to reach you if you didn't want them to.

The other hadn't particularly said anything alarming, but you weren't sure if you were meant to be here, if you would get into some sort of trouble or be in some sort of danger. This was certainly not a situation that you were familiar with. You'd been alive less than a day! How were you meant to navigate such a strange situation?

The silence lingered, and just as you began to wonder if you had imagined the voice, you heard it once more. "...You aren't Nightmare, are you?" There was no anger, no animosity, no sense of danger. If anything, they sounded confused, and perhaps a little curious. Nightmare? Had they mistaken you for somebody else, then? You couldn't tell if that was a bad thing or not. The name certainly wasn't familiar, if it even was a name. "You don't have to hide away. I'm not sure how you got to the Dreamscape, but I'm not mad. I just want to know who you are..."

Whoever was talking sounded so genuine and sweet. You could feel them, their aura, so light and warm and gentle, but you were afraid. If this person was real, then they would be the first person you had ever met (you could hardly count Reaper since you'd been borderline unconscious when you met them).

Your gaze turned to the tree once more, to the figure in gold and white who stood beneath its looming branches. Had he always been standing there? Did you really not notice the unfamiliar skeleton with gold eyes?

A soft whimper escaped from you, and you turned, running away from the strange bubble that held the tree. The dream seemed to shift and change as you did, and somehow, you understood that the further back you moved, the closer to the waking world you reached. You were okay with that. You wanted to wake up, to leave this scary place.

"Wait! I just want to talk! Please?" The other called out, their tone more pleading than it had been before but the dream was rapidly fading and you had no intention of turning back.