True Infinity

A golden portal shimmered into existence within the snow-covered forest, its edges glowing with a faint red hue. Dream stepped through, his body tensing slightly at the surge of negativity in the air. Despite this being a True Pacifist timeline, Underfell's negativity was always more potent than most other AUs.

Ink followed with a grin, stepping lightly into the new world. This was the fourth alternate universe they had visited in their search. Both gods quickly realized they had no clue where Infinite was hiding, forcing them to hop between realities, chasing any thread of Nightmare's influence.

Dream exhaled heavily, scanning the area. They'd never seriously tried locating his brother's domain before—too occupied with helping others and hindered by Nightmare's ability to cloak his palace.

"Ink," Dream said, his voice strained as they passed over a narrow bridge, "we've been searching for nearly a week, and we still haven't found a single lead. We need someone who can gather information on a larger scale."

"Aw, come on, Dream! It's been ages since we've had a chance to visit other AUs. Besides, with Error laying low after that mess in the Outertale timeline, what's the rush?" Ink's grin widened as he lazily crossed his arms behind his head.

Dream quickened his pace to keep up. "That's exactly why I'm worried. Error's been too quiet. It's not like him to go so long without wrecking something. We don't have much time before we need to get back to work, and instead of wandering—"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOIN' HERE?!"

The shout made both gods freeze. Turning, they saw an irate skeleton stomping toward them—Underfell's Sans, better known as Red. His sharp scowl and glaring eyes made his irritation crystal clear.

Ink waved. "Oh, hey, Red! Been a while, huh? Another reset, I see. Your Frisk sure is persistent."

Red's sharp teeth ground together as he grabbed Ink by the scarf, yanking him forward. "Don't you 'hey' me, you bastard! The last time you were here, it was a fuckin' disaster. You've got ten seconds to explain why I shouldn't kick your godly asses out right now."

Dream stepped in quickly, waving his hands in a frantic attempt to de-escalate. "Red, please, there's no need for violence. I know your AU suffered from that incident, but Ink did everything he could to stop Error."

Red growled, still gripping Ink's scarf, before shoving him back. "Fine. I'll let it go this time, but only because it's you, Dream. I've got no love for this asshole." His gaze softened slightly as he crossed his arms. "Now, what the hell are you two doin' here?"

"We're looking for Infinite," Ink said, straightening his scarf. "A True Anomaly. Showed up about a month ago. Dream wants to help him, so I'm tagging along."

Red narrowed his eyes at Dream, who shifted uneasily. Originals like Red always carried an intimidating weight. Sure, Red wasn't strong enough to challenge Dream, but his gaze alone was enough to rattle most beings. An aftereffect of something Ink did when creating them he believes.

"Tch, pansy. If that's all you're here for, why didn't you just go to Core? You two aren't really runnin' around like headless chickens, are ya?"

Ink and Dream exchanged a nervous glance, confirming Red's suspicion.

"Oh my god... You are. And you're supposed to be the multiverses' protectors?" Red scoffed. "Pathetic."

"We were getting there!" Ink snapped defensively. "You interrupted us right before we—"

"Yeah, sure," Red cut him off. "Look, I don't care. I just want you two gone. The kid's been lucky this time around, so maybe—just maybe—they can convince 'edgy-buns' to work with them this time. Don't screw it up."

Dream literally glowed at the news. "Really?! That's fantastic! If they succeed, this AU will finally get the happy ending it deserves."

Without hesitation, Dream grabbed Ink and opened a portal. "We've got a job to do. Goodbye, Red, and good luck!"

Ink struggled as Dream dragged him through the portal. "Hey, wait! That jerk assaulted me, I wasn't—!"

"Goodbye, Red!" Dream called back, waving as they vanished into the portal. Red waved back, a grin creeping onto his face. "Crazy bastards... but fun crazy bastards."

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Nightmare's Palace

Infinite had been training with Killer, Dust, and occasionally Horror for the past few days. He hadn't advanced much beyond the basics of red color magic, but he had started incorporating it into his attacks.

Today, though, was different. He was locked in a brutal duel with Horror. The skeleton, a towering brute of raw power, was a nightmare to deal with. Despite Infinite's best efforts—his beams, his sword—Horror shrugged off everything he threw at him. Infinite's red magic barely left a mark on the monster.

Horror's attack patterns were erratic—wild, unpredictable swings of his axe, coupled with jagged bone spikes erupting from the ground. Each move lacked precision but made him dangerous nonetheless.

Infinite dashed at hypersonic speed, his sword clashing with Horror's axe, only for the sheer force to buckle his arms. He gritted his teeth. Monsters weren't supposed to be this physically strong—Horror was an anomaly, even among the powerful.

Focus.

Infinite backflipped as the axe crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater. Before Horror could react, Infinite spun, landing a roundhouse kick to the skeleton's head. The hit barely phased him.

What is this guy made of?

Dodging another slash, Infinite conjured dozens of red cubes, each one launching various attacks at Horror. Spikes, beams, blades—all useless. Horror simply walked through them, the scratches disappearing as quickly as they appeared.

Infinite's eyes narrowed. Immense strength, durability, and regeneration—what was Horror? He knew Horror was essentially undead, but this was absurd.

He raised his sword, unleashing a massive red energy wave, only for Horror to split it effortlessly. Infinite's usual tactics weren't working. He needed something more.

Heat. Fire. The same fire that had started his journey.

Infinite channeled his power, summoning an inferno that roared to life. The ground beneath Horror began to melt, and the flames intensified—white-hot and compressed into a single, devastating beam. Horror stumbled, having briefly struggled to withstand the onslaught.

"It's not enough... More," Infinite growled, pushing himself to the limit. As the fire turned blue, the heat became unbearable, warping the air around them.

Horror felt the heat intensifying from the blue flames as they licked his hand, smoke curling from his charred bone. His grip tightened on his axe, and with a furious swing, he unleashed a crimson slash that cleaved through the beam of fire. The attack hurtled toward Infinite.

Infinite's eyes widened in surprise, but instinctively, he willed a towering metal wall into existence just before the slash could reach him. The impact obliterated the wall, but Infinite remained unscathed. He blinked, his mind racing. Did I just imagine that? The realization hit him like a lightning bolt. The Phantom Ruby wasn't just manipulating energy—it was turning his thoughts into reality.

This is more than I ever imagined. Could it really transform my imagination into existence? If that's true... then why didn't Eggman ever unlock its full potential?

He had always assumed the ruby could only manipulate energy and space-time in limited ways, just enough to give the illusion of warping reality. But this... this was something else entirely. If this is true, I could... His mind whirled with the possibilities.

As his thoughts raced, the battlefield around him responded. Massive icicles formed in the air, their edges razor-sharp. Multi-colored crystal spires erupted from the ground, towering over them. The wind howled as lightning tore across the sky. Motes of light and darkness floated around them like ghosts. Horror, now slowly advancing, glanced around in confusion. What the hell is going on?

Infinite's lips curled into a manic grin. The sheer power of the ruby's ability overwhelmed him. To reshape reality itself—there's nothing I can't accomplish with this power. One day, I might even be able to create an entire universe with a thought.

Suddenly, his vision swam, and he staggered. The strain hit him all at once, forcing his reality warping to dissipate. The storm of energy, the crystals, the ice—all of it vanished, leaving only the bleak battlefield. Damn, Infinite cursed under his breath. It takes too much mental energy to maintain this... for now.

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In the shadows, Nightmare watched silently, his gaze fixed on Infinite. "So, he's finally discovered the ruby's true potential." His voice was low and measured. "Two months since he acquired it... I wonder, is that fast or slow? Either way, it's a problem."

Before Nightmare could intervene, Core!Frisk appeared, their presence marked by the subtle hum of the Omega Timeline's power.

"I've returned with some... intriguing information," they said calmly.

"Don't keep me waiting." Nightmare smirked, stepping closer. "What have you uncovered?"

Core!Frisk sighed. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but a deal is a deal. Not that you'll be able to use it to its fullest extent."

As the Leader of the Omega Timeline and the King of All Negativity talked, various topics of interest came up. They delved into their findings about the Chaos Emeralds, seven powerful artifacts that balanced positive and negative energies.

"These emeralds possess incredible abilities: energy manipulation, matter manipulation, complex space-time control, and resistance to similar attacks. Gather all seven, and you can achieve a super form—granting vastly enhanced physical attributes and a degree of invincibility."

"Fascinating, sounds like some interesting abilities. I'm assuming then that the Super Sonic mentioned is Sonic in such a state, yes?"

"You would be correct, Sonic has used the emeralds more so than anyone else in his universe. This has given him a unique connection to them, though he's unaware of it. His connection to them is very similar to the connection between Knuckles and The Master Emerald."

"The Master Emerald? Given the name I'm assuming it possesses some kind of relation to the Chaos Emeralds, perhaps as a controller?"

"Indeed. The Master Emerald acts as the master of the Chaos Emeralds, ensuring their powers cannot be abused. This often manifests itself in the form of various limits and suppressions forced upon the emeralds. It's also the reason why the emerald's powers have always been widely inconsistent. These restrictions are lifted only in the most dire of circumstances, though that's only happened twice now."

"I see, then its power surpasses that of the other seven emeralds combined. Interestingly, to act in such a manner would mean it has a will of some sort. Anyway, tell me about the various instances when this super form and the emeralds related to it were utilized."

"The first time it happened was when Sonic was dealing with a structure known as the Death Egg, a small-island-sized structure of metal that fulfilled various functions. The next major usage occurred with Chaos, a former guardian of The Master Emerald who was driven mad by the echidna's greed and arrogance."

"Sonic used the super form's positivity to purify Chaos after it achieved its perfect form, restoring sanity to the maddened guardian. They, along with the spirit of the priestess who sealed it, were both sealed back within the restored Master Emerald."

Nightmare listened, his expression shifting between amusement and disdain. "Chaos, purified? What a waste. Madness would have made it far more interesting." He sneered at the thought, the darker side of him appreciating the missed potential for chaos.

"Roughly two months after that there was an event involving the release of Shadow, The Ultimate Lifeform-"

Nightmare snickered slightly at that, much to Core!Frisk's annoyance. "Oh no, don't mind me. Just found that funny is all. Ultimate Lifeform, how absurd. That arrogant fool isn't worthy of such a lofty title, not with such glaring weaknesses."

"As I was saying, Shadow was released by Eggman who deceived him into helping him gather the Chaos Emeralds to unleash the power of the Ark Colony upon the planet below. The Ark was a large space station designed by Gerald Robotnik, Eggman's grandfather. It doubled as both a research lab and a super-weapon."

"In the end, Sonic and Shadow both went Super and teleported the Ark away to prevent it from crashing into the planet. Drained of all energy by the act, Shadow seemingly sacrificed his own life to protect Sonic. This would later prove to be untrue."

Core!Frisk went on to explain the takeover of Neo Metal Sonic which had occurred nearly a month after the events of the space colony Ark.

"You're telling me that this robot, having achieved control over such a powerful empire and the ability to copy the abilities of nearly any opponent, chose to willingly make himself such a massive target even though his power hadn't even really increased that much?"

"Yes, despite seemingly being a good idea the Metal Overlord form had a great many flaws. Frankly, Neo would have been better off sticking to his original form. It would have been more tactically sound in the end, though it wouldn't have changed the outcome much."

Then Core!Frisk came to what they considered both the most interesting and most convoluted part of that universe's timeline, the catastrophe revolving around Soleanna. This grand event occurred roughly 4 months after the Black Arm invaded the planet, which itself had happened 6 months after Neo's defeat.

"Then Mephiles became Solaris, turning into the single most powerful being anyone in that universe has ever faced. Its sheer presence caused all of space and time to begin to collapse on a universal scale. It was the first time anyone would see the full power of all seven Chaos Emeralds."

Nightmare hummed at that, a being with such power would prove an actual threat even to someone like him. Or it would, if it weren't for the fact that only positivity-based attacks could even do real damage to him.

"Then the two hedgehogs, one of the past and one of the present, shattered the Time Eater into pieces. This act restored the stolen pieces of history and repaired the frayed space-time fabric. That would be the second time the emerald's full power would be unleashed."

Wait, what? Where did that come from? Such a sudden shift in the timeline's history. Nightmare narrowed his eyes at Core!Frisk. "What exactly are you playing at? You don't honestly expect me to believe nothing of note happened in between such a long stretch of time?"

Core!Frisk nodded at that. "I'm aware it's hard to believe but there was over a year in between the Time Eater and Solaris. While there are a few minor events that occurred briefly in between, the super form wasn't involved in any of them so I chose not to mention it."

"And you expect me to believe that the doctor left them alone for that long despite him having proved how foolishly tenacious he could be. Are you lying to me, Core?"

Core!FRISK looked particularly irritated at that. "It's Frisk, NOT Core. And yes I do. After what happened with Solaris, Eggman had been in a very severe slump. He believed that after such an incredible showing of power, there was simply no way for him to ever truly win. His discovery of the Time Eater, who possessed abilities close to that of Solaris. Combined with his ability to control the thing is what ultimately changed his mind."

Nightmare frowned as he stared intently at the monochromatic child, trying to sense their emotions. He was conceptually tied to all things related to negativity, he would know if someone tried to lie to him. Though the being in front of him had always been notoriously hard to get a read on. Finally sensing nothing amiss he dropped his line of questioning. Guess he was wrong.

Nightmare shook his head, trying to orient himself after that. "Even when they wield the emeralds' full power, those fools still fail to recognize its potential. They should have secured the Chaos Emeralds from the start, denying their enemies every advantage. But no, instead they fumbled."

"To be fair neither version of the doctor or the fox had been aware that the emeralds were truly responsible for the restoration rather than the hedgehog's speed. They simply had no way of knowing that the two Sonic's had been subconsciously tapping into their latent chaos abilities to restore localized space-time."

Nightmare rubbed his forehead. "Such ignorance from supposed geniuses. It's laughable."

Finally, the conversation shifted back to something Nightmare was more familiar with, the events that led to the War to Take Back The Planet. Most of it was just a revision of what he already knew, with only a few new minor things being added on. The conflict occurred roughly 2 months after the Time Eater's defeat and lasted nearly an entire year.

"That is how Infinite ended up in his current situation, also how Eggman messed up at every important moment multiple times."

"Hilarious, truly. Honestly, how is that man still a threat to that world much less the universe? Such a combination of stupidity and intellect should be impossible." Nightmare stated while kneading his forehead with his fingers.

As the conversation came to an end, Core!Frisk offered one final observation. "Aren't you worried about the super forms' natural advantage against you?"

Nightmare sneered, his eyes gleaming. "As if. The Chaos Emeralds are composed of both positive and negative energy. While they only tap into the positive side in their super forms, the negativity within them remains. I control all negativity—so even if they try to use the emeralds against me, I can forcefully bend them to my will. Their super forms would be worthless against me."

Core!Frisk tilted their head. "You really believe it'll be that easy?"

Nightmare responded while walking towards his study's exit door. "The emeralds are powerful, no doubt, but those hedgehogs don't even know how to unlock their full positivity. If they did, maybe they'd present a challenge. Anyway, I have things to do, so leave. "

As Nightmare opened the door to leave Core!Frisk smiled at them in a very creepy manner. "Oh by the way Nightmare, don't forget about your promise alright?"

Nightmare scoffed as he left. "Of course not, I doubt you'd let me. I'll be in the Omega Timeline within the week. I'll use my darkness to hide it away, as promised."

Core!Frisk nodded as the king finally left, upon which they disappeared. Unknown to any but the shattered child, however, a faint prismatic sparkle showed just before they left. Remnants of something, HYPER.

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(Somewhere else)

Wheezing echoed through the dimly lit corridors as Eggman stumbled into one of his long-abandoned underwater bases. He had scrapped these facilities years ago for reasons he no longer cared to recall. But one of his old contingencies had been set up here, forgotten until now.

The mad doctor coughed, a spatter of blood dripping from his lips as he gritted his teeth. Damn that arrogant hedgehog, he seethed. A creation of my grandfather's, yet he dares assault me like this. His hand tightened around the glowing yellow spear embedded in his chest, and with a grimace, he yanked it out. The Chaos Spear dissipated into nothingness.

Shadow's attack had pierced his left lung during his hasty escape, leaving him on the brink. The pain was excruciating, but he pressed on, fueled by sheer willpower. A raspy chuckle escaped him as he reached for a large syringe filled with a glowing green fluid. Without hesitation, he jammed it into his arm.

Miraculously, his wounds began to heal before his eyes. Muscle fibers and skin knitted together in rapid succession, erasing all signs of injury save for a small patch of blood. Eggman admired the result, a smug grin on his face. One of my many marvelous, ingenious inventions.

Before him, bathed in a dark blue glow, sat one of the Chaos Emeralds. He had secured it early in the war, and now it radiated ominously in the chamber, surrounded by several canisters, each filled with dozens of golden rings.

Robotnik's eyes gleamed with manic excitement as he pulled a small vial from his coat. Inside, a pulsating green shard lay—a fragment of the Master Emerald. "Finally," he muttered, his voice dripping with anticipation. "I shall be able to execute the greatest plan I've ever devised. I had long since given up on achieving it, but now... now I have the means."

He gazed at the rings, then at the shard. "With these rings, and the power of the Master Emerald shard in my possession, Plan Apotheosis will finally be realized. Once it's complete, even those foolish hedgehogs and their precious super forms won't stand a chance."

A maniacal grin spread across his face as his laughter filled the chamber.

"OHOHOHOHO!"