{ Erlebnisse } - { Kingdom!Dreamtale }

Effigy

Effigy - a sculpture of model of a person

{Dream's POV}

I awoke to sounds of screaming, sobbing, and fire crackling. I wondered what had happened and then it all hit me, the apples, Night's pain, him knocking me out. I really, really, REALLY messed up.

"What have I done...?" I whispered, streams of tears falling down my face, I looked around at the destruction. Houses were burning, broken corpses were littered around on the ground, broken arrows, orphans, blood. What had happened to everything I had once known and loved? Me. That was the correct answer, I made Night into the nightmare he is right now, a monster. I felt my breathing become labored as I breathed in smoke and ash, I started coughing, "N-night?" I called out quietly, "Night?" I got up shakily, "NIGHT!?"

I couldn't see him anywhere, then I turned around to look at the tree, it was still in perfect shape, except for one thing. All the apples were black, black as the darkest night at midnight, except for one. I reached up and grabbed the last golden positivity apple before the darkness could reach it, the apple seemed so bright and positive compared to the masses of destruction behind me. I cupped the apples in my hands and released my aura, a question was burning at the back of my mind. Were the apples really cursed? Was Night telling the truth and that's why he got turned into the beast he is now? I breathed in, putting the yellow apple up to my face and taking a bite. It tasted sweet, too sweet, a suffocating sweet taste. I kept eating and eating until I felt like I wanted to throw up, I dropped the remains of the apple, which wasn't much just the core and a few bites left, my aura had grown significantly larger. I felt stronger.

"Hello Dream," I squeaked in surprise and turned around to see the mass of tar that used to be my brother, his aura was painful, I saw his eyes flicker with excitement as I summoned a glowing staff. I looked at the stick in my hands, it wasn't offensive, more defensive, I didn't want to hurt Night. I watched his smile grow larger as he stabbed his tentacle at me, I parred with the staff, watching him flinch back at positivity. He chuckled, "I see you've saved the last positive feelings, but it won't be for long!"

I backed up, keeping my staff raised in case he tried to strike again. I watched Night's new cyan eye stare at me with loath, I deserved to be struck and killed by him, but I wouldn't back down, not if the sake of the positive feelings were at hand. I dodged as he struck again, we were circling each other now, parrying and striking, I didn't want to die. Night's smile kept growing larger as my negativity grew inside, he seemed to know and want to tell me something, something I didn't want to hear.

I took a deep breath in, keeping my eyes fixed on his tentacles, wondering which one was going to strike next. I backed up slightly farther and took a running leap at Night, sailing over his head and landing behind him, this surprised him, giving me enough time to get in between the tree of feelings and him. I was going to protect it, and find a way to turn it and Night back to normal, I was going to fix my mistakes. I watched Night's gaze turn colder, anticipating my next move.

"Give up Dream," He snarled angrily. I could see that he wanted to destroy the tree, destroy Nim, destroy our purpose. I wouldn't let him though, I was going to protect what I was made to protect. I narrowed my eyes, my gaze flickering to each tentacle trying to see what his next move was. We started parrying and striking at each other again, I didn't want to die or hurt him, and he wanted me to die or at least get hurt.

I could sense that he was stalling for something, he probably wanted me to attack him by striking first, but I didn't want to hurt him, I just wanted my brother back. I was running out of breath fast, dodging and parrying was taking a lot of my unused strength I'd never had to use before, I probably should've gone to training instead of skipping it everyday, but how would I know this would happen?

I fixated my eyes on Night and breathed out my response, "No, brother! I don't want to lose you!" I tried giving him a smile, "We could still be happy, you don't have to do this, what about Mom and Dad? We all could still be a family even if you're like this!"

"No," I watched Night's eyes darken, he smiled maliciously, "No we can't, you know why?" I shook my head no, he cackled and yelled the response at me, "THEY'RE DEAD DREAM! I KILLED THEM!"

I caught my breath, my hands loosened and dropped my staff, it dissolved on the ground. I felt tears spring in my eyes, I felt defeated for that moment. And for that one moment that I was defenseless, that I couldn't focus. Night took that as an opportunity to strike. I felt his slimy tar tentacles go straight through my chest, I choked up some of the tar that covered his body.

"Look at how slow you are brother," He took a few steps towards me as I was lying on the ground, scooching away from him to try and save myself. I could tell that he wasn't the brother I knew anymore, that person was gone. I let out a choked scream as he kneeled down next to my hurt body, I looked down at my legs, they were turning to stone.

Soon my legs were stone, then my cape, it felt stiff, cold, and painful. I breathed in and out rapidly, looking at Night's eyes he looked shocked, not knowing what to do. Soon the coldness reached my chest and stiffened that, it was getting hard to breath.

"B-brother..." I breathed out, the stone was covering my mouth now, I reached out my hand for him to help me. I couldn't breath as my nose was covered and then my eyes, my entire world went black. I stretched out my fingers as my arm was turning to stone, I heard the muffled scream of Night, no, Nightmare, and suddenly I couldn't feel anything at all. My mind lost consciousness, like I was dead, forever.