Multiverse Switch

Chapter 65 - Twilight

When Dream opened his eye sockets, the white void was replaced by a twilight sky.

The path an endless reflecting water and framing it was a grassy field. The sky seemed so ethereal. How the purple night gradually meets the orange morning peacefully. The stars littering the sky along with the clouds. It was beautiful.

He looked around and saw no one with him. The prince took a step on the water path but was surprise that it held his weight just as much as soil would. His footsteps causes ripple and sounds of pattering of the water. There's no other sound except for it.

"Was it too hard for you?"

Dream stopped at the voice and looked around. He jumped when a small hand touched his. The prince looked down and saw a small version of Nightmare who pulled him along to continue walking. A smile on that face and lavender eyes glinting with kindness.

It was Nighty...

His other hand shook as he lifted it. He wanted to touch the other. To stop and gave Nighty a hug. Dream stopped walking while the other pulled him as best as its tiny body could. Before he could utter a word, Nightmare had pulled away from his grasp and started running.

"Nighty-!" He shouted at the figure but it kept on running so fast. He heard the disembodied voice of his brother echo around him as if they were just close.

"It's okay, I'll teach you!"

"Night, wait, stop-" No matter how much Dream ran, his brother was so far.

He blinked the tears gathering in his eye sockets and when his gaze focused again, he saw a much taller version of his brother than the one he's running after.

"Ah... It's nothing. They just don't like what they don't understand..."

Oh, oh, poor brother. That was when he tried to push Dream away and he let him because he doesn't understand Nightmare back then.

"Nightmare, please..." he called out even as he tried to run after the figure.

"Hm? Be mean to them? No, Dream, hatred could only go so far... Hatred doesn't solve anything. It bleeds vengeance and war... It was ugly."

Running for so long weaken him making him trip over himself. He yelped as his bones hit the ground making the water splash around him. He got to his hands and knees and looked up then froze.

Bending in front of him was the newly-turned Nightmare after the incident. His face too close to the prince's skull. The menacing grin, the condescending gaze, the mocking gleam of the golden crown on his head.

"I had to do it, Dream. Don't you see? They want to hurt us but look, it's just us now. No one else... It's you and I against the world, brother."

Despite the voice, Nightmare's teeth did not move. Just fixed a gaze at him before standing straightly and offering a hand to Dream. He didn't want to take it but... this figure was blocking the path completely. So without much thought, he laid his hand on that icy one that turned warm in an instant. For once, Dream felt that same relief when he thought that his brother retained some of his humanity. That hope that maybe if Dream held on longer, his brother would return.

They started walking hand-in-hand. At first, the pace was a calm walk but soon, Nightmare seemed to walk faster and faster until he was dragging Dream along.

"Agh, Nightmare, you're hurting me-" It was futile to resist but nevertheless, Dream tried.

"Please refrain from wearing that circlet, Dream, and... call me brother in private... No, I'm not ashamed of you. I'm merely trying to protect you. I do not want others hurting you in revenge against me, dear brother."