The Sandman's Dream (Sandman Fanfic)

21

"It has come to an end now, it is time to say goodbye. Beautiful nightmare, couldn't survive on the battlefield. But now I'm start to heal, beautiful nightmare." ~Dead by April

DREAM

    The tremors in The Dreaming have become even more intense, everything was breaking, and I knew we didn't have enough time to stop Rose from destroying everything. Once full of green, the landscape was replaced with a snow storm that whipped its brisk air through me. Then I heard screams of fear as Eris and I rushed to its spot. I spotted Rose standing near the vacuum as her brother was swallowed within it.

"You have caused a great deal of damage. Nothing that we can not repair, at least at this stage." I replied, hoping that would give the girl some relief as Eris stopped behind me to watch the outcome.

"What happened to Jed? To my friends?" she asked I could see the pain in her eyes, she knew she was responsible for all of this, and she knew I had to be the one to stop it.

"They are asleep in their bed, but they are not safe. No one is. Not until the vortex is dead." I warned until a sharp pain hit my chest; turning my head, I could see Eris starting to feel the effect of the vortex. She dropped to her knees, clutching her head as I could see her nose beginning to bleed again, and her eyes looked at me. She was in pain, and I had to stop it as I turned to look at Rose, who must've noticed Eris' state. "Death is not always such a bad thing. You could stay here if you like. My raven was once a mortal."

"Wait! Sir!" Fiddler's Green shouted next to us as the small vacuum silenced, and I could hear Eris take a breath.

"Gilbert? What are you doing here?" Rose asked I looked at her; she didn't know who Gilbert was as my eyes turned back to him.

"This is Fiddler's Green." I introduced, watching her turn to him, which gave me a moment to check on Eris. When I turned, I saw blood streaming on her soft face that leaked like tears as I clutched her face. "My love...I will fix this...."

"But what would be the cost? The loss of young Rose's life? A brother orphaned? Any humanity you have being slowly chipped away?" she coughed from the pain as I felt my heart tighten into my chest. As I said, she had compassion for humanity and protectiveness for life. "You are my humanity, my love...and I need to do this. Or you will not be the only thing the world loses."

    "Then what's the point of a vortex? Why do we even exist?" Rose asked I saw Eris struggling to stand as my hands braced her to help her to her feet.

    "When a human is at the center of The Dreaming, is it not to remind us that we exist because humans dream, not the other way around?" Eris began coughing while I held her close to my chest.

"The miracle of humanity itself should always be more vivid to us than any marvels of power." Fiddler's Green added I saw Eris agreeing as I sighed, knowing that both of them were right.

"I cannot find it in my heart to punish you for leaving Fiddler's Green...you have done so much that I will be forever grateful, but it is time you took up your appointed position again," I exclaimed, watching him nod before turning to look at Rose again, she was still confused.

"What position? Who were you?" Rose asked, approaching the dream who smiled at her touching her shoulder tenderly.

"I was not a person...not like Eris. I was a place. And after your death, if you stay in the Dreaming, visit me. Walk in my meadows and my green glades. Rest beneath my trees and tell me your stories." Fiddler's Green explained to the young Vortex as Eris could now stand on her feet again. I didn't know how much longer that would be for. "Farewell, Rose Walker. It was a privilege being human with you. And Miss. Eris...take care of our master."

"Always Fiddler..." Eris smiled we watched him lift his hands into the air and be enveloped by the greens and flowers. He expanded his form across the snowy ground until we stood in a garden of green. Looking at Rose, I could see that she was still unsure of her fate, and I had to remind her, painfully I had to remind her of what was to come.

"I do not wish to take your life...but we all have responsibilities, and this is one of mine." I began clutching my hands together, seeing a small faze forming around Rose's head, and I knew she was about to unleash another vortex. Eris took a step back to allow me to handle the job I was tasked with. "I am sorry."

"Just do it...whatever it takes to save my brother, my friends, and the world...I'm ready." Rose exclaimed I nodded, holding up my hand at her, my powers pushed from my fingertips as I began to absorb Vortex's energy and drain the life from her.

"My lord, stop." Lucienne's voice replied, seeing her fastly approach an older woman as I stopped what I was doing. The older woman held a book in her hands as Eris stepped forward. "This is Unity Kinkaid."

"I am Rose's great grandmother...and according to this book, I was meant to be the vortex of this age. But because you were imprisoned and locked out of the Dreaming, that fate was handed down to my descendants." Unity explained I was confused; how would that be possible?

"I do not understand," I answered, seeing the older woman scoff at me, clutching the book firmly into her hands.

"Come here, Rose. I want you to reach down inside yourself and give me whatever makes you the vortex." Unity exclaimed, pulling her great-granddaughter into her hands. Rose seemed unsure, but she obeyed, reaching into her chest with her hand and then removing a glass heart containing the vortex's power. "Thank you, Rose, love. I'm the vortex, Dream King, as I should have been long ago. So leave my great granddaughter alone."

She took the heart as it slowly began to crack from the pressure she applied. The power soon erupted from the prison, then faded instantly as Unity collapsed, and I caught her arm with my hands.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice weary and weak as she looked at me for an answer.

"You died. So that Rose might live." I answered, watching her regain footing as she turned to a crying Rose. Eris stepped next to me, touching my shoulder and rubbing her thumb across it.

"I was meant to have died a long time ago, Rose. But I would have never met my golden-eyed man if I had." Unity began I felt my eyes widen, looking to Lucienne, and she matched my expression of worry. A golden eye man...that couldn't be? "We would never have had our beautiful baby girl, and you would not have been born."

"Wait, the father of your child had golden eyes?" I asked her watching Unity turn to look at me.

"I've never seen anything like them," she exclaimed I felt anger fill me because it all made sense now. Shifting my face, I knew that I had a problem to deal with, but first I had to deal with this. I watched Unity say goodbye to her great-granddaughter while she cried then she looked at me.

"You and your brother are children of the Endless...you have suffered enough. You may leave this place...goodbye Rose." I smiled softly, waving my hand in front of her, and sent her back to the waking world. Unity also disappeared, leaving just Eris, Lucienne, and I behind as my soft face dropped.

"You think they are responsible for what has happened?" Lucienne asked me as I nodded my head slightly to her answer. Eris' hand now slinked into mine as my fingers curled around hers. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll handle it...." I answered, watching her nod before returning to her library as I walked with Eris back to my castle.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following my swift stride into the castle, and we were heading to the sigil room.

"We will pay my sibling a visit for some answers," I answered, watching her nod and continue to follow me. If my sibling believed that I wouldn't have figured out what they were trying to do, they were about to get a rude awakening.

~~Ooooh snap looks like Desire is about to get some company.~~