Shattered Souls [sequel]

Softly Singing

A few months later, Dream found himself in what used to be his home.

Now all that remained was a mass grave and the ghosts of the past.

The grass was yellowed with decay, and even the sky had turned a shade more bloodthirsty than should be possible. Somehow Dream took it in without breaking like he did the first time.

Though he had been here a few times - here in this place that wasn't quite home - each time felt like a new wave of agony and grief crashing through his soul.

But it was also the place he felt most at peace.

"I'm sorry" Dream whispered for the millionth time as he traced grooves running along the stump of the Tree of Feelings. "I- I wasn't strong enough."

With practiced routine, the little guardian slung his mandolin from his shoulder, placing it in his lap. Some of the strings were loose. It would have to be tuned.

When Dream finally did play, it was mediocre at best: he was self taught, building off the things he had heard from one of the villagers; a human named Talia.

Talia's resting place was somewhere in the field bellow the hill that Dream sat upon. Thank the Creators all the bodies were decomposed or buried by now.

The crunch of footsteps stayed Dream's hands over the strings. He knew what was coming next.

"Hello Shattered."

Hello Dream

"I haven't changed my mind about your offer. I saw what you did to my brother."

A grin so painfully familiar and painfully wrong stretched across Shattered's face. He wasn't real, wasn't tangible, but at this moment nothing seemed more deadly.

I did nothing to your brother. We've been over this. What will it take to convince you?

Dream merely scoffed. There was no way that something so evil and horrid could have been part of Nightmare. Shattered, or whatever it wanted to called itself, corrupted him as soon as he had eaten that apple. He was a liar and a trickster.

Fine. I won't push it further. So why don't we just have a nice chat instead?

"Nothing you do or say is 'nice', Shattered. Leave me alone."

But I brought snacks.

Dream looked down at the mandolin; he didn't want to see that stupid apple ever again. Instead he began to play a new song.

How's life out in the multiverse treating you Dream?

"Perfectly fine thank you."

Hah! Shattered laughed, And you think of me as a lair... The only reason I'm here is because of all that extra negativity. That's got to be hard on your little golden soul Dream.

"I'm dealing with it." But the problem was he wasn't dealing with it and he really needed Shattered to leave before he broke again and then who knows what would happen.

I don't think I believe you.

Silence.

I can help you Dream. With my power you can restore balance to the multiverse. Bring back people's joy! It's only fair. Nightmare had my help once, why shouldn't you?

"You'd turn me into a monster like my brother."

Shattered frowned. But your brother's happy. Happier than he ever was before Dreamtale fell to ruin. Happier than he'd ever been with you.

Okay. That was enough. "Leave Shattered. You're not welcome here."

Now that's just rude, this was once my home too, afterall. No wonder Nightmare's happier without you... That's quite the temper your hiding.

"You're lying. You don't belong here," Dream choked out over his hurt, hands tightening around his mandolin. This wasn't good. He wasn't supposed to get upset.

You know I'm not. They're better off without you. All of them. When's the last time your friends cared that you spend so much time without them now? When did they last ask?

It hurt because it was true. But Ink and Blue were just giving him space weren't they? They still cared. Right?

"Stop it Shattered. You're a liar." Dream felt magic crackle in his bones, one of the consequences of his magic being formed around feelings.

Then a new voice cut through the anger.

"Dream?"

Already on high alert, and with enough energy to cut down an army, Dream spun around and raised his bow towards the newcomer. An arrow sat neatly between the wood and the string, fizzing with blue magic.

Point right at Cross. Who, strangely, was not brandishing a weapon of his own.

"Woah!" the other skeleton raised his hands in shock, "I'm not here to fight Dream!"

Not lowering the bow, Dream said, "Then what do you want?"

"I- I don't know."

Dream lowered the bow. The arrow fizzled out of existence.

"Don't lie to me. I can read your intentions you know."

At that Cross tilted his head to the side. "No you can't. Nightmare told us about your magic Dream."

"I don't need magic to know you're here to talk to me."

"It's that obvious?"

Dream smiled, and the facade broke. "It's good to see you Cross. Sorry for almost impaling you on an arrow."

"You're telling me. I thought I was dusted for sure... You were talking to that thing again, weren't you."

It wasn't really a question. The little guardian cast his gaze to the ground.

"Dream. If it's really getting to you why do you still visit? You're putting your life at stake here."

"It's not that simple Cross," Dream sighed, "If I don't visit every now and then it's like it invades my mind. I can't sleep, I can't think properly, I see it in my reflection. There's nothing I can do."

Cross squinted at the horizon. "It's gone now right?"

"Yeah, left as soon as you came stumbling in."

"That's good..." Cross spotted the mandolin that lay discarded on the grass, "Can you play?"

"A little." Dream admitted, sitting back on the grass. Cross came over to join him.

He picked up the instrument, and gave Cross a sly smirk. "Can you sing?"

"A little." Cross echoed, "So maybe with two passable musicians we can make one good one- one good song that is."

"I think it's worth a try then."
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1065 words

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