Work Text:
500 years ago;
Dream awoke early with the sun as he always did, stretching his aching bones. Rubbing his eye sockets he looked at his self-proclaimed big brother, still sleeping peacefully. He smiled softly and slipped the banner they used as a blanket over him. He carefully untangled himself from Nightmare, hoping not to wake him. He silently pulled himself up without disturbing Nightmare.
He grinned happily and got started on his chores. He pulled any weeds near their mother, carefully as to make sure he got the whole root. He cut the green grass. (how? Don’t worry about it) After that, he grabs the bucket they used to gather water for their mother and walked down to the stream a little ways off. The river’s water was crystal clear untainted by the village just north of The tree of Feelings.
Dream enjoyed these beautiful mornings away from the village. The village itself was an abomination to nature. The way they disregarded nature’s many gifts was sickening to the small guardians, but they decided against their better judgment to allow them as long as they are staying 5 miles away from the tree, an agreement quickly backfired as they expanded. The villagers themselves were odd to Dream. How they have favored him over his brother, but they had fun games and toys. Dream always made sure to pick up books for Nightmare.
Nightmare would get quiet every time Dream brought them up but refused to say why. Dream could tell something was wrong but what could he do? Nightmare wouldn’t tell him and would distract him anytime he brought it up. Also maybe he was just misreading him. He did that often. It was hard to read people’s voices sometimes. Nightmare said it would get better with practice.
Dream hoped so.
Dream giggled softly, getting an idea for a prank on Nightmare. He filled up the bucket and made his way back, his mind wandering off on random things, jumping from topic to topic on a thread. When he got back it was deep in the morning and Nightmare was still asleep. Dream grins beginning to water the back roots, having to make another trip to the river to refill the bucket. Then he watered the front, Nightmare’s skull included. Nightmare jolted from the sudden cold wetness accidentally hitting his head on the Tree. Dream laughed at Nightmare’s misfortune.
“What- Dream!!”
“WAKEY WAKEY!!”
Nightmare scowled at his ‘younger’ twin. Dream laughed harder. “Is your skull ok?” He asked, taking a few breaths. “Yes… meanie…” Nightmare huffed. “Aww don’t be mean!” he whined. Nightmare laughed at his Brother's face. Dream stuck out his tongue childishly. “Aww, I’ll read you a bedtime story tonight.” Nightmare promised. “Yay!” Dream giggled unaware that would be the last time they would laugh like that…and that bedtime story would never come...
Current time
Dreams' boots pitter patter as he ran toward the wall that separated him from the outside world. The flour prank would only distract nightmare for so long. He had to get there before anyone realized what he was planning. He had the crescent moon circlet in hand as he ran so as to not lose it, and his cape flowing behind him.
Dream ran through the woods causing the leaves to crunch underneath him. His eyes widened as he got close enough to see the base of the castle walls. His barrier to the outside world. He grins rushing over to the wall. His eyes searched the walls for any way up.
Lost in thought he was unaware of the Dark figure popping up behind him. The figure watched him cyan eye lowered in displeasure. A black inky tendril slowly slithered toward the child before quickly wrapping around the child waist pulling him toward the figure.
Dream yelped as he came face to face with a pissed off King.
“H-hey n-nightmare!” Dream smiled sheepishly. “Hello… little one, might I ask w h a t A R E Y O U D O I N G” nightmare growls. “I-uh…. G-going for a walk?” Dream lied, his body curling into himself trying to be as small as possible, as if he could avoid Nightmares ire if he made himself too small see.
“Oh?~ Outside the palace walls? Where you know you’re not allowed to go?” Nightmares' voices dripped with sickly sweet poison. Dream gulped. Dreams mind raced for ways to get out of this situation, only to come up with nothing. He was caught red handed, so he might as well be honest.
“B-brother… I-“ Dream bagan. “You directly disobeyed me. You even made a distraction so you wouldn’t get caught.” Nightmare cut him off, voice hard and accusing. Dream whimpered softly, his voice dying in his throat, tears starting to burn his eyeshockes. Nightmare’s cyan eye was angry and full of restraint. He’s holding himself from snapping, Dream realized.
“Why.” Nightmares' tone made Dream flitch. “Why what? ” Dream stuttered out, even though he had a good idea of what he was asking. “Why did you try to leave?! You know my biggest rule is for you to stay on this side of the place walls! So why can’t you just follow that one rule! It’s so fucking simple! I-“ Nightmare cut himself off staring at the weeping child in front of him.
Dream trembled, his lip quaking as the tears fell from his eyes. Nightmare was silent, seemingly frozen. He slowly reached his hand out, wiping his cheeks. Despite the hurricane of negative emotions that filled the tiny skeleton, he leaned into his brother's warm touch.
The tendrils brought him to Nightmare who wrapped his arms around him holding him close. Dream nuzzled into his brother's chest wrapping his arms and legs around the bigger skeleton. Nightmare getting rubbed his back with an unreadable expression. He took some deep breaths before teleporting them both to Dreams room.
The room was big, filled with books and toys, and an army worth of stuffed animals. The walls had been painted yellow, with a nice dark oak floor that had a few bright throw rugs upon it. There was a twin size bed in the corner, with a canopy (?). Of course the room was a mess. It looked like a tornado ran through it. Toys and clothes scattered everywhere with little rime or reason.
Nightmare silently gripped onto dreams shirt seemingly unaware he had. Dream whimpered softly causing Nightmares to loosen his grip immediately. Nightmare's face was kept passive with an unreadable expression on his face. Dreams weeping had lessened into sworefull hiccups.
A tendrils wrapped around a small teddy bear, with a sun emblem sewn into their stomach. Nightmare gently sets dream onto the bed, slipping the stuffed animal into dream's arms. Dream hugged it tight, trembling as he slowly locked eyes with Nightmare. Nightmare stared blankly at him, a tension rose, silent and suffocating.
After what felt like hours through it was probably only a few minutes, Nightmare spoke up, “Stay here, I need to calm down.” He ordered softly. Dream whimpered nodding. Nightmare teleports off leaving Dream alone. Dream nuzzled the stuffed bear, before looking at the golden circlet. The gold was dented and slightly misshapen. Blackberry had offered to reformed it, but Dream had turned down the offer.
He didn’t want the past to just be erased like it never happened, and it made him feel better about his scars. He was like the circlet, in more ways than one.
Dream loved everyone here. He really did, he was happy here! However he still was wanting to see what was over the wall, it was partly childish curiosity and a desire to be treated as older then he was. Nightmare and him used to be completely equal, in different ways, but still equal.
After the event… they were far from equal. Not only did Nightmares’ power rise over him, not only his status, but his knowledge and experiences. Something that was supposed to always be equal, was 500 years apart.
For Dream it had only been a few days, he still smelled the… He forces himself not to think about it. Either way What had been weeks for him had been 500 years for nightmare.
Dream took a deep breath, nuzzling the stuffed animal. He turned away from the bent up crown. His eyes landed on the window that exposed what his home had become. A once bright and happy place, now dark, overgrown, and dead. The woods That surrounded the grounds before you got to the wall were full of a mix of dead and alive plants.
Dream frowns a dysphoric, out of place feeling rising in his chest. Everything had changed so much, and he hadn’t. It was almost like he had been frozen in time. And it showed, He didn’t understand the others' way of speech, though he did his best to mimic it. All the new technology made his head hurt.
There was so much he had to catch up on, he was alway 7-8 steps behind everyone, in more ways than one. Nightmare treated him like he was a child… and he was one. But he hated it. They were supposed to be equal, but they weren’t and will never be.
Nightmare teleports back in and picks dream up holding him close. Dream clung to his shirt, trembling. “Dream, please never do that again. I swear, everything I do I do for you. Besides, there’s nothing out there for you . “Nightmare tendrils wrapped around dream. “I’m sure you remember what happened last time you left my side, we don’t want to go through that again.”
Dream whimpered “But it might be different!” He hopeful whimpered. “No dreamy it will only be worse, ok? Just stay with me” Dream sobbed softly the memories filling his head. He clung to nightmare as nightmare rubbed his back unaware of Nightmare eye glowing dimly.