The Stage is Set

Chapter 25: The Crying DayDream pt.2

Dream calls out to him, grateful that he's still alive, thankful to the creators that saved him. A pulse of toxic positivity forces Nightmare to recoil away from his brother in disgust and fear. The pure amount of gaslighting Dream is doing to himself. He doesn't know when it started, but he knows it's been there for longer than they all think. Nightmare feels pangs of shame and rejection from his brother. Pushing away, pushing out all the negative thoughts he has. It makes Nightmare wonder if his brother is ashamed of him. For being the opposite of what he is. For being Nightmare. For guarding negativity. Nightmare looks at his staff as more shame bubbles in his soul. Is that what he is? A disgrace that even his brother doesn't want to admit? To the point of poisoning his emotions with toxicity? He shakes his skull, no, Dream would want him to think that way. Dream loves and adores his brother.

Nightmare just needs to have more faith in his brother.

"Nighty!" Dream sobs his name like a prayer as he tries to keep up mentally. How long has it been? What is time? Does it even matter here? Dream peers up, his aura curling in a way that makes him lose half of his skull. The flames of positivity slowly die down. "Please! You're okay!"

Dream gets as close as he can to Hallucination with a whine of pain. His aura sparks back to life with hope. With joy and gratitude that his brother is still alive. Hallucination turns, looking over his shoulder with a snarl painted on his face, the face of Nightmare. Dream recoils as if he's been hit. His brother... hates him? It hurts more than having him be stripped of his body. More than having half his soul stolen from him. Hallucination walks away with a scoff, judging Dream as if he was nothing more than trash. Nothing more than a burden. Tears collect in Dream's eyes and he can't figure out what he did wrong. Why is his brother walking away from him? Was he not kind enough? Not helpful enough? Not sweet enough? Is he just a disgrace? Is his brother ashamed of him? Is he too clingy?

Dream glances up to see his sweet twin, innocent, his bookworm, and his other half being beaten in front of their old home. His twin's marrow and magic bleed into the grass. A home that no longer feels like a home. A tree that held no feelings for them. A tree that gave them a duty not meant for children who didn't know any better. Dream cries out as he drags himself to stand, his legs shaking under the weight of everything. While he has no body, he still can feel every injury he has. He screams at the villagers, the ones that took advantage of him, the ones to stole from them, the ones who hurt them. Hurt his brother.

Dream stumbles before falling onto the grass, one wet with marrow, with a yelp of pain. Pushing away from the ground, he tries not to think about the cool liquid staining his hands. He looks up to see the mangled body of his younger twin. His skull was now half gone, legs mangled, bones crushed and broken, and corruption dripping from his mouth. He watches as Hallucination tosses a stone before catching it, again and again. He winces as Hallucination throws the rock at him. He feels it fly through his form, yet the pain flares as it flies through his eye and out his skull. Dream curls against the ground with a sob. Why is his brother doing this? Isn't he enough? What does he have to do?

How can he atone for his actions against his brother?

Hallucination walks toward the downed figure of Dream. He lifts his boot with a sadistic smile before kicking Dream where he's the most solid. "They call you crybaby, crybaby." Hallucination snarls at Dream, picking him up by the vertebrae. He glares at Dream with so much hatred, Nightmare nearly cries. Dream smiles sadly at his brother, tears falling as he stares at his brother with silent submission. His brother could never be wrong, not in his eyes.

And the silent confession makes Nightmare cry at his own weakness.

"But you don't fucking care." Hallucination slams Dream back into the ground with echoing laughter. The grass is gone, and once more is replaced with solid ink. Dream takes it all, and he smiles. He won't care. He only cares for his brother. If his brother needs to do this, then Dream will take it. His brother is more important. Why can't anyone see that? Negativity is truly beautiful. Without it, Dream has no worth. So why should he care about himself? Himself will never be enough. Never. Hallucination stomps on Dream's spine as he chants, "Crybaby, crybaby!"

Dream smiles, slowly losing himself to the toxicity of everything. Losing himself to the hallucinations. He hears the giggles of his brother and he smiles. His brother must be having fun, so he is too. Even though he's hurting so much, Nightmare is having fun. That's all that will ever matter to him. Everything he does will be for his brother. Nightmare has always been important. So important, and no one realizes it. He's always wanted his brother to be there with him. To hold him. To smile so brightly. To smile as if he was the moon in the sky above. So bright and awe-inspiring. He wants to live up to his brother's thoughts of him. He wants to be the best for his brother because his brother only deserves the best. He doesn't want to be forgotten by his brother. Not when Nightmare realizes just how worthless he is. Not when Nightmare goes and starts his own family. No, he doesn't want to be forgotten. But if Nightmare asks him to disappear from his life, Dream will do it with a smile. He'll forever be devoted to his brother. Through his tears, Dream smiles. So you laugh through your tears. Then he starts to laugh. He ignores the way his soul hurts. He ignores the way that Hallucination makes him feel.

It's all for his brother.

Not him.

Never for himself.

Hallucination continues the beating, barely getting any noise from Dream. No fighting back. Nightmare looks in the other direction with an empty gaze. He feels his brother's emotions. Feels the acceptance. The joy. The love. The devotion. Tears of despair and horror fall from his sockets. 'Crybaby,' isn't that what he was called too? Nightmare scrubs the tears away. Willing that they don't fall onto the floor. Willing that the wall hides the sound of his soul breaking. This isn't love. That will never be love. It never made sense. This doesn't make sense. This devotion. This love his brother holds for him. It isn't what love is.

When did his brother's love change to something so vial?

Where is his brother? When did this hollow shell replace him? Why didn't he notice? Is his brother so unafraid to be himself? The sun to his moon? The one that gave his magic meaning. The one who made him worth something. The one that promised times of fun, of games, of stories. The one with a bright yellow cape. The one he loves with all his soul. The brother he's supposed to walk down the aisle. The brother that he'll watch grow old with Blue and all the ankle biters they have. The one that will watch over all his kids with a smile. The brother that has picnics with him, and the one that watches dreams with him. His brother who would sit with him until dawn rises again listening to the books he would read, when did he leave?

Nightmare glares at Hallucination with all his might. Nightmare knows that his brother was gone before Hallucination and Shattered ever became known to them. He knows, but he needs to blame someone else for now. Until he's ready to apologize to his brother, he feels his aura spike, but he beats it down before anyone can notice. He prays that the suppressor in his crown doesn't fail now, not this close to danger. The others look sick, and Nightmare glances down at his spear. They have no idea of what to do, he has no idea what to do. What can they do against Shattered and Hallucination? Nightmare turns to Error with a silent question of what to do next. They all look toward Error for the next move. Error flinches from the attention before looking away. Error is tempted to ask Creation for ideas. Nervous about what to do next. What could they do next?

Not yet, Champion. Give me more time, a remedy shall be made with time. Just hold on a little longer.