Locked After Midnight

Chapter 6

Blue turned around immediately as Dream said the word 'understand'. He didn't know how to respond...or how he felt in that moment in time.

He was the reason your brother died, Blue~

If it wasn't for his feud with his brother, none of this would've happened...

He will never understand the pain you've felt until he loses someone...something special...-

* Understand? You don't understand ANYTHING. This is all YOUR FAULT. My brother would not have been killed by your ENEMIES if it wasn't for you.

* Blue I'm s-

Blue's eyelights went a dark blue as he glared at Dream.

* I HATE YOU DREAM, DON'T TALK TO ME. GET OUT OF MY ROOM, YOU FUCKING BITCH!

Blue pushed Dream out of the room and slammed the door shut. Dream could hear Blue crying in his room. He stayed at the door, listening to Blue's sobs and it broke him slowly. Blue was right. Eventually Blue stopped crying and Dream went to his room.

Minutes before midnight...

Dream sat up in bed, still shaking. He wasn't afraid or cold but he still felt as if something will dragging him down.

(* Hey, you okay?)

Dream was in one of those horrible nightmare-reality phases again. Shattered tapped him but he didn't respond. He closed his eyes and went into his mind.

* I-I'm sorry...

Dream was apologising over and over again at wounds caused by guilt appeared around his body. Every time he felt an ounce of more guilt a new, deep, painful wounds appeared. He wasn't even crying; his arms were tied in front of him very tightly.

( * Dream, it's just a nightmare, wake up! )

Shattered watched as marks appeared on his body too. He grabbed Dream quickly.

( * If they want to hold grudges, let them, that doesn't excuse the fact that it's not your fault. Nightmare's actions were HIS choice, not yours! )

Dream went silent and looked into Shattered's eyes.

( * It's not your fault... )

Dream blinked and they were both away. He smiled, giving Shattered a reason to be heavily concerned.

* Not my fault?! Then who's fault is it! Well, it's surely not Blue's fault, and it's not Ink's!

Dream burst into laughter.

A dangerous kind of laughter.

( * Dream...Dream calm down. )

He wouldn't stop laughing, he wouldn't even look at Shattered.

( * You've got to be kidding me. )

Shattered touched the closest mirror to him and entered it. He has this - pretty peculiar and rather incredible - ability to move around by mirror. He was a sort of...reflection of Dream, in a way. He went to Ink's room but saw him having a movie night with Error. Blue wasn't an option. He went to Amelia's big mirror and watched as she filled her room with pink magic.

Was she casting a spell?

He sighed before knocking on the mirror, immediately alarming her.

( * Calm down! I come in place, I'm- )

"You're the dark aura I felt from Dream when we saved him...aren't you! You better stay back before I end your existence!"

( * I'm not a bad guys, at least not in this timeline. Dream needs your help, like now. )

"...Help?" She asked, slightly confused.

( * Just go to his room, you'll understand what I mean.. )

She rushed to Dream's room and opened the door to see Dream laughing, tears falling down his eyes. It was as if he wanted to stop, but couldn't.

"Dream? Dream try saying something."

He grabbed her arm and squeezed it tightly as if he was begging for help. The laughing didn't stop. She stayed with Dream, sat by his bedside, trying to use magic to calm down. An entire hour passed before Dream slowly stopped...exhausted.

"It's ok, I'm here for you Dream." Amelia hugged him tightly, feeling so bad for him.

* ...M-make it stop...

* Please m-make it..stop...

* C-Can't...sleep...

"Dream you need to rest, I'll stay here all night, I won't go anywhere."

Dream tried to stay awake but he couldn't...he had no energy left, not even an ounce.

Amelia cast a spell, entering his mind. He immediately hugged her tightly as she watched the tree of feelings darken and Nightmare's magic turn and twist Dream's mind. They were on a hill and villagers were charging up towards Dream, with weapons and threats. She was shocked.

"Stay here."

She let go of Dream and went invisible. He hesitantly turned around and watched in fear as the villagers came faster and faster.

But this time it was different.

His eyes widened as the villagers began to gasp for breath, all turning into stone before reaching him.

* W-wh-

"As long as I'm here, they won't and can't hurt you." Amelia said.

She clicked her fingers and changed the dream into a comfy room with two beds. There were snacks, blankets, even pictures of good events of the past. Dream felt energy he hadn't felt in a long, LONG time.

* How...how did you override Nightmare's magic?

"He may not realise it but when he weakens you, his magic gets weaker with it. Every magic source has a counterpart 😉"

They sat and talked, ate, watched movies, got to more one another and eventually fell asleep...in Dream's dream in a dream....

Until morning came of course.

Dream woke up feeling stronger than he had felt in a very very long time. Amelia had woken up before him but he didn't mind. He heard music playing and the cheerful voices of Amelia, Ink, and Blue. Dream smiled, feeling - for the first time in a long time - positivity radiating in heavy amounts. He got ready and opened his door...maybe he could get Blue to warm up to him a bit.

But he still felt bad...

He slowly went downstairs but turned the corner so they wouldn't notice him. They were in the kitchen so he went to the living room. Today, Dream was planning to get his magic working again. He could feel the negative timelines in distress but didn't worry.

This was his job after all.