"wake up, my darling."
In which Lord Morpheus receives a mysterious message from the Waking World, forcing him to embark on a dangerous journey to retrieve what's rightfully his own.
And maybe meeting some familiar faces along the way who don't hav...
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THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS
Morpheus showed Hob all around his realm, his castle and even some of his precious works the Corinthian didn't belong to anymore.
He was still keeping him inside the ruby, not wanting to recreate the Nightmare until his quest for the violin had come to an end.
But sometimes, Morpheus found himself thinking about the Corinthian and how he had turned out to be.
He had been a monster, a mere thing than a man who just wanted to be understood.
Who just wanted to be free, who just wanted to be loved.
A creation which had abandoned its master, which had felt no empathy or grief towards others.
Except for that one time with Jed, but that didn't count.
The Corinthian had been very bad, had killed thousands of innocent humans, had infected their minds with his gruesome schemes.
And for this display of pure evil, he had to be punished.
But not by killing him this time - Morpheus would make sure of that.
Meanwhile, Hob just couldn't take his eyes off the utterly enchanting landscape of the Dreaming, shaking all over with pure excitement.
"This is all yours, then?", the Immortal said, his heart pounding rapidly inside his chest.
"I am so sorry for not believing you...this is fucking brilliant, all those magical creatures and - oh my god, is that a unicorn?"
The Dream Lord nodded, waving at his latest creation which slowly approached them, kneeling in front of its maker.
Stroking the horses' snowy white fur, Morpheus replied:
"This is Cherub, the first ever Dream in my vast collection. I created her for a pair of siblings who always wanted to ride a unicorn, but unfortunately they're not real - so, both of them came every night. In my castles' library, there are thousands of books, filled with all Dreams and Nightmares any Sleeper ever had...maybe, there's even a copy of your Dream History!"
Hob shrugged, tapping his feet on the solid ground.
"You wouldn't really like to know my Dreams. But hey, if you're the Sandman, do you really put the kids to sleep? Do you tell them stories every night? There's even a song about you by the Chordettes - "
"I do know about that song!", Morpheus interrupted him, bowing to Cherub as a sign of respect.
"Listen, Hob. It might seem a bit overwhelming for you, but there's another reason why I've brought you here. Another reason why I need you to help me. But let's just start with the beginning!"
THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS _
THE CASTLES' LIBRARY
Morpheus cleared his throat, telling his friend everything - from their first meeting in 1389 where Death had granted Hobs wish to live forever, to the Dream Lords' capture in 1916.
He told Hob about his everlasting duty to serve humanity and he told him about the Corinthian who once had caused such a mess in the Waking World.
He told him about his tools, the sand, the ruby and the helm which had been traded away, forcing the Dream King to get them all back while searching for the Corinthian.
He told him about his dysfunctional family and his lost sister called Passion, now finally being reunited with him.
And Morpheus told him about the violin which had been stolen from him during his capture, now being still missing.
Hob didn't even try to shut him, quietly listening to the whole story from start to finish.
He finally realised that he had treated him not so well, back then.
That he had been angry with him, for not being there when he needed his friend the most.
Hob finally understood why Morpheus hadn't been around in 1989, now feeling regret about merely everything he had said a few hours ago.
He finally understood the truth about him, that mysterious stranger who had accompanied him through all those centuries, even if Hob hadn't expected him to be.
And Morpheus himself was feeling sorry too, for not wanting Hob by his side anymore, back in 1889.
But now, both of them wanted each other.
They wanted each other so badly that it hurt.
"Well, maybe we could meet again in another hundred years!", Hob broke the silence between them, Morpheus shook his head:
"No. As soon as I get my violin back, I'll be there. I'll be there, Hob Gadling!"
"And it'll not be a hundred years until then. I promise!"
The Immortal smiled, as warm as the morning sun.
"If you say so, Mister Sandman...may I know what your Dream is, by any chance?"
