Unwanted protection

Monsters in my memories (monsters in my head)

Ink, Dream and Blue were running.

They were running through the castle, frantic to get away. Dream couldn't even feel Blue's fright, that's how scared and panicked he was.

He could only feel Nightmare's oppressive aura, making him tired and breathless. His two friends didn't seem to have any problems, and kept running, but he was falling behind.

"Ink! Blue!" He called, but they didn't seem to hear him.

The corridor was becoming darker, yet darker, or was it just Dream's fatigue? And it seemed to turn longer and longer, and Ink and Blue were farther and farther away, and Dream couldn't see them anymore, but he kept running, because Nightmare was still behind him, he couldn't let himself get caught, he had to escape, run run run run run-

Dream tripped.

The empath let out a small shout, scrambling to get up.
"INK! BLUE!"

It was too late.

Just as he managed to get on his feet again, he felt himself being grabbed at the waist and pulled back. Nightmare's grip was unyielding, his goop drenching his clothes.
"NO! NO! LET GO LET GO!"

Dream tried to use his positivity against his twin, but two more appendages grabbed his wrists and pushed them against his chest, stopping him.

The empath started hyperventilating (even though he didn't need to breathe), struggling to free himself, but he couldn't.

"Dream."

Dream couldn't even close his eyes, he was paralyzed. He could only look at the corridor all around; only darkness stared back.

"I'm so very disappointed."

More appendages started wrapping themselves around Dream's body, a crushing pressure that left him breathless.

"Don't you know that I only want the best for you?"

Dream tried to shake his skull, to say that no, Nightmare just wanted what was best for him, but he couldn't.

"Why would you want to run away from your family?"

He could feel the goop hardening itself and locking him in place.

Making him a statue.

The positive Guardian wanted to scream, but even more appendages were covering his mouth, and they were starting to cover his eyes as well.

"I'm only keeping you safe."

The corridor was dark, almost an indistinct shape, but it was still something other than the complete darkness that would follow if Dream couldn't see anymore, he couldn't go back to that, when he couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't even feel, only be stuck and wait and wait and wait and wait-

Dream went blind.

=================

Dream awoke with a small shout, struggling against the person keeping him trapped.

"No no no no no!"
"Dream, it's me!"

Dream looked better at the figure snuggled next to him, and recognized his lover, looking at him with a tender expression.

Dream felt all of the fight leave his body, and burrowed himself into Cross's chest.

"Lux is still sleeping in her crib." Cross's voice was deep and calm. "Ink and PJ are down the corridor. Blue is in the other room with Stretch."

Dream let the reassuring mantra wash over him; it wasn't his first nightmare (the irony was not lost on him) and it wouldn't be the last, especially now that the three Stars had decided to start sleeping in different rooms.