~ 𝙳𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 ~ [𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑥 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟]

Chapter 15: Closer

Dream took a deep breath. Finally. "Yes," he breathed, barely believing his luck. "Yes, I desperately want answe—"

"To what?" Quetzalcoatl interrupted, tilting their head to the side. Flowing opal locks fell in their face.

He huffed, slightly irate. "If you'd let me finish—"

"To what specifically?" The life guardian continued, holding up a finger. "If you'd let me finish, you'd know that I can't answer all of your questions. I'd hate to disappoint you."

"Ah," Dream blushed, embarrassed. "Apologies. I just want to know if you could possibly..."

He trailed off, fiddling with the tips of his cape. Quetzalcoatl's bright eyes softened. "You're concerned for them, aren't you? Both of them."

His skull snapped up and he nodded fast, swallowing hard. "Yes. I... I want to know if you know what I can do for them, or if you could see into the future or something..."

The opalescent guardian laughed, plucking a small pearl of life from the tree. "When you've been alive for as long as I have, you'll be able to notice patterns in time. Things happen over and over again, and it's only a matter of time before the cycle will come full circle. Whether it takes a thousand years or just a moment, events will repeat themselves to no end." They tossed the pearl from hand to hand, inspecting it. "You and your brother, however, are a different case."

Dream's breath hitched. "What-What does that mean?"

"Simply put, there's never been something like you before, and may never be again. Nim created you to be original, the first of your kind. There was no cycle to follow before you existed—not in this multiverse, anyways," Quetzalcoatl said, rolling the light from one arm to the other. "There's no way that I can tell what happens in your future. Hell, the three of us—Nim, Ionine and I—are the oldest beings alive. Were. Even with Ionine's magic and my life reading power, its impossible to see how your stories end."

His heart sunk. Then it rose as he remembered a vital piece of information. "I can feel him."

Quetzalcoatl looked up at him from the orb cradled in their arms. "Oh?'

Dream inhaled deeply, SOUL pounding. "Once, when I gave (Y/N) the tiniest fraction of my power, we went to a place in the mindscape. It was really dark and murky, and there was someone else there. When we pulled out, there was magic everywhere. It... It really was something. I recognized the trait as soon as it appeared. It... It was him." Nightmare.

The guardian of life smiled serenely, letting the orb float back into the tree. "I'm glad to hear that. It does bring a message of hope, does it not?"

Dream nodded, smiling. "I think... I think I may actually have a chance."

"Mmm. And you're also concerned about (Y/N), are you not?" Quetzalcoatl gravitated a teal and green orb into their hands—your SOUL. "Don't bother answering. The a see's yes anyways. As far as I can see, they'll be fine."

His heart rose, and he smiled widely. "Thank you! Thank you so much—"

"I did nothing, child," Quetzalcoatl cut in, raking a hand through their rainbow locks. Their other hands tossed the orb between one another. "You've done everything you could to keep them safe. And now, you are reaping the fruits of your labor. Well done."

His chest swelled with pride, and he caught your SOUL when they threw it to him. "Oh, thank the stars. I was worried that... don't you have any other kind of news?'

Quetzalcoatl chuckled, "Do you mean bad news? Because I've got plenty of that."

Dream froze. His hands went cold. "...What?'

Leaning back, Quetzalcoatl started counting off on their fingers. "The darkness that is possessing your brother won't be destroyed so easily. It may just drag Nightmare along to the fiery pits of hell with it. Also, separating the two may cause Nightmare to die, or if he does survive, he may do something drastic. Surely you've seen what some players do after a genocide run, mmm?"

He nodded, holding you closer to his chest like you could hear this and he could block out the sound.

"They often feel horrible guilt and self-loathing. Now take that emotion, and multiply it by the number of AUs that Nightmare's destroyed."

Dream closed his eyes, trying not to imagine it.

"And not only that, but (Y/N) may not survive."

That got his attention. "WHAT?" He shouted, sitting upright.

Quetzalcoatl shook their head, sending tiny beams of light into the sky. "This journey was not for a human, or any kind of being other than you and your brother. This war between you has lasted a century. It's close to impossible that they will only complicate things—not to mention that (N/N) may take this war to all the AUs at once."

Dream massaged his temple, thoughts racing like crazy. "So... it's not totally impossible for them to survive, is it?'

The guardian of life laughed again, swinging their legs off of the tree. "No. They can survive, although there is only the tiniest window that they could fly through. You'll have to tread carefully. Your decisions may just bring about their demise."

Before he could say anything else, Quetzalcoatl's face darkened. They cursed lowly as they looked into the sky. A dark splotch had appeared. Dream pushed himself up onto his feet, holding your SOUL close. Quetzalcoatl took you out of his hands, placing you in a safe spot near the center of the tree. Then they whirled around. Their bright cloak whipped behind them as they summoned a double-edged sword.

"You must leave," they commanded, watching as a bolt of black lightning fell from the sky. Where it landed, the ground withered and disappeared into lines of code. "Now."

Dream made no hesitation in summoning a portal. Inside of it, he could see your room, and you safely resting on your bed. Quetzalcoatl looked over their shoulder and smiled when they caught sight of you. "(Y/N), huh? You've made a wise decision. Protect them, child. If that's what you truly strive for, then protect them. And let them know you feel them."

The dark spot had spread, and a tiny black hole appeared in the middle. Dream took a step, standing beside Quetzalcoatl. "There's no way that you can fight that thing alone."

The ground shook as a figure suddenly appeared in a lightning bolt of darkness. A deep pain suddenly shot through Dream's chest, and he stumbled backwards.

".uıɹɹoɔ"

"Get out of here!" Quetzalcoatl shoved Dream gently backwards, sword glowing with pure light. "GO!"

He flew backwards into his portal and could only watch as the clouds descended upon the tree hungrily, like a cat looming over a helpless mouse. Dream slammed into your bed frame, reaching out as if he could still help as the portal closed. The last thing he saw was Quetzalcoatl's face, smiling radiantly down at him.

"Mmmmph..." Dream perked up, swiftly getting to his feet. You were just rubbing your eyes awake, and was seemingly surprised by his appearance. "Dream? What are you doing in my room?" Your (H/L) (H/C) hair was still slightly messy, and your beautiful (E/C) eyes were shining with curiosity.

He blinked before turning around, flushed. This is it. This is your perfect opportunity.

Seize it.