💛𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓮💜

💛Chapter 6💜

Nightmare's pov

I slowly opened my eyesockets. I could barely open my right eye. It feels broken. As a matter of fact... my entire body feels broken. What even happened to me...? Oh yeah. That's right... some people hurt me in the alleyway last night. Their words hurt the most.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT WE FEEL THIS WAY!!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS RELATED TO DREAM!!"

"YOU DISGUST ME."

What did I do to deserve- no. I know what I did. My existence brings negativity. I just don't get it... negativity is needed just as much as positivity...! This isn't fair... it's not fair at all... I want to be loved too...

Hey... where's Dream...? Oh... he isn't here.

Then, I began to feel something wet splash onto my skull and my torn clothes. Is this... rain? Yeah... it is. I smile. Dream may not be here for me... but at least I have the rain.

Pitter patter... the rain splashes against the now-wet grass, creating a fresh scent.

The rains soaks me, but I don't care. The cold wet droplets feel nice on my wounds. The sound of the rain... it's so relaxing.

I sigh and look up into the grey sky. I feel slightly lonely. I want to hear Linda and Neil's voices again. I want to go see them... but I can't move my body. I'm stuck here alone and injured. At least the rain is here for me. I close my eyes, listening to the comforting rhythm of the rain. I've never seen rain before... but I know for sure that this is DEFINITELY my favourite weather. Sure, the sun is nice, but... I don't know. The rain just... feels absolutely perfect to me.

I wonder what Dream is doing right now. He's probably with his friends. Dream... please come back soon. I need you. Oh, who am I kidding. He's not gonna come back. He's probably having too much fun... but that's okay. I'm happy for my brother no matter what.

I slowly tilt my skull upwards, and look at the apples we're supposed to be guarding. Dream should be here protecting the apples... what if someone tries to take one? There's no way I can defend the tree in this shape... Dream and I BOTH read some of the book... he KNOWS we're supposed to be protecting the tree... so... why? Why did he leave? Does he... not care...?
No. Dream cares. Of course he does. I KNOW he does. He's just excited to hang around with someone else other than me. I was probably getting boring anyway.

The rain continues to fall. It's been a few hours now since I woke up. At least, I think it has.

I'm beginning to feel really cold. My body feels numb. It's so cold and lonely... I want my brother back... Dream... please stop leaving me... those people hate me... it hurts... why can't they love me too... Linda... Neil... please help... don't leave me too... my eyes slowly closed.

Linda's pov

Huh, the rain is sure coming down hard today. Neil and I are currently sitting together in the library reading. However, it still doesn't feel... right without Nightmare here.

Wait... if Nightmare is always guarding the tree of feelings... does he have a shelter to stay out of the rain?! I shoot up out of my chair, and Neil looks at me, surprised by my sudden movement.

"Nightmare."

I say to him, and his eyes widen. It seems he understands. He grabs his umbrella, and we both put our rain jackets on.

"Do you think he's okay? What about his brother?"

"That's why we need to hurry. They could catch a cold- or even worse- get hypothermia! Even though they're skeletons..."

I muttered the last part.

"I don't know how to get to the tree of feelings..."

"I do. Just follow me."

I said, walking out the door and into the cold, damp rain. He nodded and followed me. We exited the town, still speed walking. I can't run, because I'm in high heels. We soon arrived. And what I saw... was horrible.

"Oh my gosh..."

"What the..."

There was Nightmare leaned against the trunk of the tree, soaking wet and unconscious. There was a big crack on his right eyesocket, and tears in his clothes. Where the tears were, cracked bone was visible. We ran to the tree and I suffered as I ran-

"Nightmare?"

Neil tried gently shaking Nightmare awake. His eyesockets didn't even flutter. Neil took off his jacket and put it over the guardian of negativity, then slid his arms beneath him and lifted him. Then we both ran all the way back to the library. My feet died, but I don't care. We burst into the library and set him down near the fireplace. The fire crackled with life.

Oh gosh Nightmare... PLEASE be okay...

Neil grabbed a towel and began to dry the guardian. Bone marrow seeped into the towel, and Neil looked at it with shock.

"I forgot he was injured...!"

Neil muttered.

"Try using your healing magic on him."

I told him. Neil nodded, and placed his hands above Nightmare. Green healing magic began to flow through his fuzzy paws, sealing the cracks in the bone and getting rid of many of his injuries.

Neil moved his hands to Nightmare's right eyesocket, and healed the large crack but a dent was leftover. Nightmare's bones still had small hairline cracks and dents in his bones that would last a little while and hurt, but he was okay nonetheless.

"Where do you think Dream is?"

I asked Neil. He shrugged.

"I'll go and find him. You stay here with Nightmare, okay?"

I nodded, determined to protect this chi-... no. Let me rephrase that.

I nodded, determined to protect my child.

Sure, he still belongs to Nym, but him and Dream need someone to look after them. So for now... I will act as their mother figure.

"I found him!"

Neil burst through the door, with a small skeleton dressed in a sky blue tee shirt with periwinkle coloured pants, yellow gloves and boots, with a golden crown similar to Nightmare's.

"My brother! W-where is he?!"

Dream stuttered out, clearly very worried about his twin brother.

"Over here hun."

I said gently. Dream rushed over to Nightmare and sat on his knees.

"N-Nighty? Night? Nightmare...? W-wake up!"

"Hey, he needs to sleep. Please don't wake him."

"B-b-but is he okay?"

"Yes, he will be fine."

I smiled at Dream. His big eyes still look so sad.

"Hey, would you like to play a game?"

He blinked twice.

"A game?"

"Yeah! I'll go get it!"

I went into the storage room and grabbed a board game called "Home". I walked back to the small positive guardian and sat down in front of him. I placed down the box and opened it. I pulled out the board, the pawns and the cards. Dream eyed everything, curiosity sparkling in his golden eyelights. I set everything up then I looked at Dream.

"To play this game, you have 4 pawns, which are those pieces right there! To move out of the starting space, you have to..."