So, just a thought I had, wrote, and wanted to share.
Warnings: mild description of injury
Word Count: 1,789
So, this came from a thought of mine, where all of the dsmp events happen as they do, and Dream is in prison.
Well, he's an admin, and admins have access to incredible powers that normal people don't. Well, this group of people over here decide that hey, they want those powers, so they manage to break into the prison and kidnap Dream. He fights them, though, because he's been good, and Sam said that he might let him into the courtyard if he stays good, and he...he would really like to feel something other than obsidian and lava again.
Unfortunately, Dream is weak from malnourishment and from the 'interrogation' that Quackity regularly puts him through, and they easily overpower him. His limp, unconscious body is rather cumbersome, though, so they pull out this new, cool, semi-permanent shrinking potion, and douse Dream with it.
Sam runs in as this happens, and sees them drag a comatose Dream down into their break-in tunnel just before the potion takes effect. This makes him slightly suspicious, because he had heard the sounds of Dream fighting them, and he's not sure what this new faction wants with the admin.
Of course, he calls an alarm, and everyone gathers up to go recapture the prisoner.
Dream's kidnappers use many torture methods to get the now-tiny Dream to use his admin powers for them, but Dream is kinda desensitized from everything Quackity put him through. Which is a good thing. Admin powers are not something to use lightly, which is why he never used them in his escapades around the dsmp.
Well, Sam's hunting party, consisting of Sam, and the people who were present during Dream's cannon prison break, finally catch up to the kidnappers. They're away from their camp, though, and Dream isn't in sight. Then the kidnappers loose their spiel about how they want to use Dream's admin powers, and that makes everyone realize that this wasn't actually one of Dream's plans. So, a few of the hunting party split off to find where Dream is being kept, while the rest take care of the kidnappers. Sapnap finds the camp first, and here we are!
...
“Do you know how much power admins have?” Sam shifted, angling his sword towards the man's throat with narrowed eyes. He knew. There was no way he couldn't know. But what the guy was on about… it was a line even they wouldn't cross.
"You guys aren’t utilizing his power, just leaving him to rot in prison!” The man threw his arms up angrily, scowling at the group.
Meanwhile...
Dream panted. His limbs were shaky, weak, his right leg was broken, practically useless in assisting him, and the innumerable bruises and cuts and little stinging pains littering his body burned, but he had finally, finally managed to break out of the cage they had kept him in. He had to get away, as far away as he could, before he passed out from pain and exhaustion.
...
Where was he? They had to have kept him bound to the camp, or something! Sapnap's eyes glazed over a small, slightly busted cage in favor of scanning for any clues as to where Dream might be.
Then, he spotted something, something green, moving, something that should've been impossible.
Sapnap’s jaw dropped as he took in the sight of Dream, absolutely miniscule, haphazardly staggering away as he stared up at Sapnap's massive frame. The fact that Dream wasn’t wearing his mask almost didn’t register until he saw his panic-stricken face.
"Wait wait wait wait Sap-Sap, Sap- Sapnap-I didn't escape, I didn't escape– they kidnapped me–" Dream’s breathing picked up as the impossibly huge fireborn stomped towards him.
"I know, Dream."
Colossal boots thudded down a mere foot away from him, crushing the grass with ease. Dream shuddered, stumbling backwards with a muffled whine. The whine grew into a bitten back scream when the bones of his fractured right femur ground against each other, sending him tumbling harshly onto his back.
An enormous, armor-padded knee came crashing down not a second later, mere inches from crushing Dream’s already battered, broken body.
He stifled a yelp, dragging himself backwards with his elbows and one good leg. His right thigh screamed at him, but he ignored it in favor of the impending, looming threat of, of Sapnap. Sapnap, who had promised to kill him if he ever escaped.
Sapnap dropped down onto one knee and reached for his tiny friend? Enemy? He didn't even know at this point.
Dream full body-flinched as the huge, callused palm rocketed toward him, jerking his arms protectively in front of his unmasked face and cowering back, pressing his small frame into the loamy soil beneath him.
Sapnap paused at Dream's reaction for half a moment, before moving more slowly towards the tiny man. Dream whimpered–whimpered! Sapnap almost couldn't believe that this was his old, fearless friend–as the hand drew closer, curling himself into a tight ball and scrunching his tiny eyes shut.
Dream shivered uncontrollably as the huge shadow enveloped him, and suddenly there were enormous fingers surrounding him, digging slightly into the soil as they scrunched in and hooked around his quivering body.
He was curled loosely into the huge fist and lifted, up, up, away from the small illusion of safety the ground gifted him. The fist suddenly flipped, dropping him chest-down onto the callused palm. Dream pushed down the slight feeling of nausea at the movement and curled onto his side, pulling his knees to his chest, despite the pain of his leg, and clasping his hands over the back of his neck.
He tried to calm his breathing. With his kidnappers, at least, he knew what to expect. They just wanted him for his admin abilities. They would only go so far in–in torturing him. It was the same with Quackity, and the prison. He always knew, the basic lineout, at least, of what was going to happen.
But Sapnap? He didn’t know. He couldn’t read his friend, not anymore. They had both changed too much.
Sapnap’s promise echoed loudly in the back of his mind.
Dream held back a whimper and shivered. He didn’t want to die.
The abnormally hot flesh pressed against his body, warming the air around him, making it somewhat muggy when paired with the slight dampness of Sapnap's palm, and it was almost a relief when the fingers opened up, letting in a whoosh of cooler air. But, then, another, different breeze washed over him, inexorably warm and smelling slightly of sulfur. Sapnap's breath, Dream realized. He curled tighter as another rolled over him, ruffling through his clothes and tussling with his hair.
“...Hey.” Sapnap frowned at the tightly curled figure in the middle of his palm. He reached up with his other hand, hesitating only for a moment, before nudging at the tiny back. Dream’s only response was a shudder.
Sapnap frowned, tapping at his trembling shoulder blades. “C’mon, Dream, stop ignoring me.” He moved his thumb, working to wedge it in between his curled limbs. Ineffective, almost imperceptible struggles pushed against his efforts, to no avail. Sapnap pushed the pad of his thumb against Dream’s stomach, rolling him onto his back. He left his thumb lightly resting on his torso, effectively pinning Dream to his palm, despite the almost frantic writhing he was doing.
“Dream, stop. I’m not gonna hurt you.” An unspoken unless you make me rang in the back of Sapnap’s mind.
He pushed down just the littlest bit. Dream froze for a half-second before belting out an almost animalistic, pained shriek, wildly shoving up at Sapnap’s thumb. Sapnap jerked it away, immediately concerned.
He noticed the odd angle his right thigh was bent almost at once, and alarm flashed through him. Was…was that me? Did I do that to him? Did I just break his leg?!
Dream's breathing broke into a staccato keen while his miniature fingers scraped along the skin of Sapnap's palm, digging into the grooves as he tried to ride out the pain.
"D-Dream, hey, shit, um, hey-" Sapnap gently reached to nudge Dream's shoulder with his thumb, unsure of what to do. The touch actually seemed to help, what with the little guy's frantic breaths eventually evening out. His scrunched-shut eyes blinked open, and he met Sapnap's own with a shuddery inhale.
Sapnap gave him a small, half-grimace smile and tapped at the tiny shoulder once more.
"...Hey," he muttered lowly, raising his hand up a little closer. Dream's maskless visage caught his eye. He had never seen Dream's face before. Dream seemed to realize what Sapnap was so focused on, raising a shaking hand to clutch at his bare features. He turned away, yanking his hood up and pulling it far, far over his head until his entire face was in shadow. Sapnap blinked, pulling his head back a little with a guilt-ridden frown. He didn't even realize he had breached the admin's privacy until it was too late. Oops, he supposed. There wasn't anything he could do to take it back now
"...So, what now?" The weak, tiny voice almost on the edge of his hearing snagged his thoughts back on what he was supposed to be doing, and his frown deepened.
"I, I gotta take you back to Sam, I think." Sapnap shifted, pushing himself to a stand. "He's got your kidnappers held up right now, and they'll probably know how to undo...this." He ran his thumb over Dream's still-trembling arm. The small admin seemed to try to hide the way he leaned into the touch, fighting with himself for a moment, before giving up and drooping against the enormous digit.
"After that, you'll probably just be put back into the prison." He started walking in the direction of the hunting group. The others could deal with the kidnapper's belongings.
Dream tensed, for a quick, brief moment, before slumping down with a nigh-imperceptible "Okay."
Sapnap's insides quivered uncertainly. This-this was not the Dream he knew. Dream was never this meek. Or this agreeable. Something-something had to have happened to him. Something bad. He doubted it was the kidnappers, though. They didn't have Dream nearly long enough to do anything permanent.
Sam, though...Sapnap would be having few words with Sam before he gave Dream back. Just to make sure what he was suspecting wasn't true.
After all, no matter what he told himself, no matter what he did, no matter what he said, Dream was still his friend. And Sapnap would make sure his friend was safe.
