“Come on brother! It's just over the hill!”
Two brothers, twins, running through fields of flowers. The colors were a blur, all that mattered to them was each other. Two halves of a whole, souls intertwined.
“Wait up Dream!”
The younger ran ahead, always the first in adventure. The older, more cautious, lagged behind. A mistake he regrets every waking moment.
“Alright, I'm…here? Dream?”
Nightmare looked around. Nothing except flowers and…a forest. A grove of trees that had appeared between one moment and the next. The eldest walked towards the trees, with their swaying leaves and faint whispers.
“...Dream? This isn't funny…”
No answer. Never an answer, never will be an answer. And with a single blink, the forest had disappeared again. Taking his beloved away.
“No…no no no, DREAM!”
*SMACK*
Nightmare shot up in his bed, head whipping around wildly. His brother, the forest, it had been there, right there—
“Nightmare?”
A soft voice, one raspy and barely there. Turning to his left, he saw but couldn't comprehend. A skeleton, small as his brother but…
No, all wrong. This one was an adult, small as he seemed. And mismatched eyes of blue and red, not the familiar sunny yellow. And a veil…
“Dust…what…?”
“You were having a…well. You.” An attempt at a joke, if the faint twitch of the smaller's lips meant anything.
“You were yelling about Dream again. Your brother, right?”
Nightmare nodded, wiping a single tear that had fallen from his eye. Gods, what a weakling he must be, crying about something that happened over a decade ago.
“...apologies. Did I wake you?”
Dust shook his head, looking faintly concerned. He reached out, though Nightmare moved away.
“...is it morning already?”
“Yeah…want me to get someone to cancel your things for today?”
Nightmare shook his head, forcing himself out of his bed. The others seemed to have already awoken; he and Dust were the only ones in the room.
“I cannot afford to put off my duties. Besides, the…dream…meant nothing. I can handle it. I always have.”
Dust's silence spoke volumes. Nightmare pointedly ignored him, getting dressed for the day. Another day of being king, another day of responsibilities solely on his shoulders. Another day without…him to share it with.
A quiet sigh echoed through the room. It was going to be a long day.
YOU ARE READING
Poppies and Foxglove
FanfictionIt had been twelve years since King Nightmare had last seen his brother. Twelve years since the light of his life had mysteriously disappeared. Twelve years since anybody last spoke of Dream. Twelve long, grueling years as king. But, after so many y...
