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The sting on his cheek was unexpected but he couldn’t bring it in himself to flinch.
“Why?” His mother seethed from above him. “Why, Dream? Why’d you do it? Why’d you kill him?”
He stared at his mother, the woman who raised him, the woman who always gave him love, was there for him after long days of fighting.
His mother, the woman who turned her back on him
“Mum?” He whispered as he watched the woman step out of the portal with everyone else. Nightmare was inside him still, but even the Dreamon knew not to interfere with his host’s family affairs.
Puffy was the only boundary that Dream set, after all.
“Dream,” His mother greeted, voice cold and devoid of emotion.
“What...Why? What are you doing?” He questions desperately, limbs feeling weak.
“Dream…” Puffy utters softly, yet not genuinely. “I don’t know who you are anymore,” Dream takes a deep breath in.
Sometimes, Nightmare’s control over him was the only thing that kept him from breaking - the demon having a hold on his fragile heart, making sure it doesn’t break into tiny pieces after all.
“You aren’t my duckling anymore,”
After all, people can die from getting their hearts broken, can they not?
“ANSWER ME!” The shrill voice of Puffy snapped him out of the hazy memories.
“I didn’t do it,” He murmured as a wave of headaches assaulted him. He tipped his head back, hoping the headache passed again.
“Don’t try to lie to me! It says, right here, in the chat!” Puffy seethed, showing her communicator.
“I didn’t fucking do it,” Dream sneered back.
“You killed him!”
“I said, I didn’t do it, Puffy!”
“Bullshit! Why’d you do it? Is it because he’s free from your control now? Because he’s everything you were but never will be again? Answer me, dammit!”
Dream slumped, his shoulders drooping as exhaustion takes over his body. She was never going to believe him, even if he used to be her little duckling.
“He was like my son,” Puffy screamed, hurt in her voice.
“Duckling,” A voice cooed lovingly and Dream tamped down an excited squeal. He loved playing Hide and Seek with his mother, he always won since he could never be found!
He was so immersed in his thought that he didn’t even notice the footsteps coming closer - which is why he let out a surprised scream when he was suddenly lifted and his mother’s voice invaded his ears.
“Got you!”
Dream giggled, a sound so filled with happiness that his mothers’ heart warmed.
“Mama!” Dream squeaked happily, small hands squishing Puffys’ cheeks together. “How’d you find me?!”
“I’m always gonna find you, my little duckling,” Puffy explained fondly.
“You’ll always be my little Duckling,”
“AND I AM YOUR FUCKING SON!” Dream screamed, the hurt in his heart finally taking over. Puffy stepped back, eyes wide and mouth open. “Why don’t you remember that?” Dream asked desperately, feeling tears spring to his eyes. “Why don’t you remember me? I’m your duckling, I was your son! You raised me!” He shouted desperately, the tears finally escaping his eyes in rapid rivers.
“You did this to yourself-”
“It’s not fair,” He sobbed brokenly, memories assaulting his head - everyone making him the villain, the Dreamon finally taking whole control of him after 17 years, everyone blaming him for George kissing him, the argument with Sapnap and George, getting put in prison. “It’s not fair!” He repeated. “Tommy has everyone , on his side - I don’t- I don’t have anyone! I had Sapnap and George, and I had you and Sammy and Punz - but I don’t- I don’t have anyone now!” He shouts, clutching his hair.
“Dream-”
“I didn’t want to be the villain! Wilbur and Tommy were making drugs- I didn’t- It-It wasn’t right! And I just wanted everyone to be a happy family! But everyone made me out to be the villain!”
He sobbed, rocking back and forth as his scalp started to ache. “It’s not fair, It’s not fair,” He repeated, Puffy watching him from a corner.
My poor human
Nightmare.
Hello again
Why are you back?
Your heart aches too much, my dear human
...
They’ve hurt you for so long - yet they never noticed when it was me and not you
It...it wasn’t their fault
Dream… you’re so exhausted, this prison is draining you
...Won’t be too long until I fade, huh?
Let me take over, just for a bit
Just don’t hurt her
I would never
“...eam? Dream. Dream!” Puffy shook Dream’s shoulder, a few moments ago, the young boy had slumped and quietened.
“ Mortal.” Nightmare greeted Puffy, the voice making Puffy flinch.
“I- Dream?” Puffy asked, hesitance clear in her form as she stepped back.
“Foolish Mortal,” Nightmare seethed as he stood, frowning internally at the body’s unsteadiness. “I’m not your Dream, I am not your son,” He stated.
“What?” Puffy asked breathlessly, eyes going wide in slow realisation. “You… you aren’t Dream?”
“Dream… hasn’t been Dream for a long time,” he explains grimly. “I’ve been ‘Dream’ for a long time now,” He steps closer to the older. “And his own mother didn’t notice… how pitiful,”
“Don’t speak that way about Dream-”
“I never said I was talking about Dream, did I?” Nightmare boomed, anger clouding his voice. “Because - you see, I’ve been with Dream a long time now. We have a friendly relationship now, even at the start - when he would have random blanks in his memories and have arguments about events that never happened for him, it was all me,” He says. “He got so weak that he eventually just… succumbed to me. Though,” He steps closer to Puffy, watching the other gulp. “He always set the boundary that I wasn’t allowed to hurt you, for reasons I could never fathom,” He shrugged. “Sure you looked after him and raised him, but you so easily gave up on him, didn’t you?”
“I never gave up on him!” Puffy exclaimed, rage crossing her features. “It’s just- He… All his actions - he changed. I didn’t condone his actions, he didn’t listen to me,”
“YOU FOOLISH HUMAN! Have you not been listening to a word I’ve said?! It’s been ME all along, me! I started the wars, I manipulated that Tommy kid, I blew up Manburg! All Dream wanted was a huge family! It was me!” Nightmare snapped protectively.
“...What did you just say?” Puffy whispered brokenly.
“You know what I said,” Nightmare said coldly. “You all needed someone to blame so you look to the easiest to blame and it just so happened to be Dream.” He explained.
“No...no… I- that’s not true!” Puffy denied, tears springing up to her eyes.
“Who started the Dream SMP vs L’manburg war? Wilbur. Who threatened Dream? Tommy. He’s been the scapegoat of the server for so long! And not one of you stopped it!” He roared, fury evident. “You all were horrible to him that he wanted to take his own life!” Puffy let out a horrified gasp, tears flowing down her face. “Did you know heartbreak can kill a person?” He asked venomously. “Did you know, his heart is so fragile and weak from being beat for so long, for all the hurtful words that were thrown at him - all the pain that his heart went through. The only thing that’s stopped his heart from breaking was me! Not you, not his so-called best friends Sapnap and George, not his brother Tubbo, or Purpled - It was me!”
Puffy sobbed as she finally admitted her mistakes, realising the pain that everyone on the server put her Duckling through.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, God, I never knew!” She shouted, furiously scrubbing at her eyes.
“That doesn’t matter! A mother should never leave her child alone!” Nightmare screamed back, his own black, voideless heart aching for his brother in everything but blood. “I’m a fucking demon! A dreamon! But I’m the one that’s stuck by Dream for this long! Not you or anyone else! ME!” He shouted. “Now, get out of my sight and tell everyone in this godforsaken server to not visit unless it’s to grovel for Dream’s forgiveness,”
Puffy sobbed once more before she ran out.
Nightmare returned to a seating position and closed his eyes.
Sorry. I think I hurt her feelings a bit.
Thanks, Nightmare
I won’t let anyone hurt you from now on, I promise.
Really?
Yeah. We’ll be each others family from now.
...That would be nice