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Two brothers were created to protect their mother the tree of feelings, Dream, the guardian of hope and positivity and caretaker of the golden apples. Nightmare, the guardian of pain and negativity and the caretaker of the purple apples. The brothers were as close as can be, growing up with no one else until the village started to form around them.
The people of the village admired the golden apples and the friendly and optimistic guardian, and while most would state they understand the importance of the balance, rumours flew unbound.
“Isn’t he evil?”
“What if he hurts Dream?”
“He never talks to anyone else.”
“Why else would he be called Nightmare?”
Dream wasn’t blind to the hate his brother experienced, he tried his best to help him, to get him to talk.
He was always just so sad. So closed off. So hated.
So painfully negative.
When Dream looked up to his apples, he felt pride swell within himself every time he cared for them, they were beautiful, they made people happy. The other apples didn't make anyone happy, not even his brother.
He was told that positivity couldn't exist without negativity but did they need so much of it? If he could just get rid of a few…
No.
Everyone believed in him, he’d do the impossible, he’d free everyone.
He’d free his brother, he wouldn’t feel sad or lonely, he couldn't be hated. If Dream got rid of negativity, his brother wouldn’t have to guard it.
But he wasn't strong enough on his own.
The taste of the apple was indescribable, it was powerful and it was addicting. Dream was barely even aware of himself biting into the next one and another and another. The ever-present pride in his chest grew to an unbearable amount before bursting out his back in a horrifyingly beautiful magical display.
Power pulsed within him, he finally had enough to live up to everyone's expectations.
He could do anything, shape the world however he wants.
Dream was a god.
With just a snap of his fingers, pure light enveloped the dark apples one at a time.
Nightmare stared up in horror as he returned, moving before he could think. He grabbed the last purple apple to stop it from getting destroyed. The creature that was once his brother stared him down. Dream demanded the apple from him, his tone softening for just a moment, ensuring him that this was for his own good.
Nightmare knew he couldn't win this and in a desperate attempt to keep the fruit safe, he consumed it. It bonded with his soul and as Nightmare collapsed, black liquid staining in tear streaks. Dream was frozen in surprise, he could destroy the apple now that it attached itself, not without killing his brother.
There goes his easy way out, but Dream wasn’t giving up. If he had to erase every piece of negativity in the multiverse he would. He’d start here.
Dream raised one arm, his new magic flickered to life, blazing lights, like small suns. They shot out. Chaos erupted out across the village as the screams of the burning filled the air. Dream suddenly lost focus as metal slashed across his face.
His eyes turned back. Nightmare's hand gripped a crescent-headed scythe, his eyes finding a new determination even as purple tears streamed from them.
Of course, he can’t see it. Dream couldn’t have him interrupting his quest.
He watched expressionlessly as stone encased his brother’s panicked face. He’d be safe until he is free.
He wasn't just a Dream anymore, he is nothing of earth. He was a heavenly being, utopia incarnate, Celeste.
Celeste couldn't let any more apples grow. He snapped his fingers, fire consumed the tree. He watched the branches crackle and burn, ignoring the tears leaking from his eyes. He turned to a multiverse that needed his help.
Nightmare awoke, staring at the devastated AU around him. Discovering what his brother is doing and it was his job to stop him.
He always hated his name, being named in comparison to someone else. Well, if Celeste was going to change his name then why should he have any attachment to his own.
Crescent always loved the night, the sky and the moon.
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Woo, other headcanons,
As you can see, Celeste actually cares about Crescent and believes he can ‘free’ him. Getting rid of all negativity would actually just kill him and Crescent knows this and is trying very hard to get that through his brother’s thick skull but Celeste is way too idealistic to listen to that.
Celeste does occasionally help people with things like cutting off toxic relationships, he also will kill anyone he considered ‘too far gone’ sometimes entire AUs like the Leaderless neutral ending
Crescent is just a therapist that yells ‘let people be sad goddamnit’ he helps people process emotions and improve.
Some of Crescent's abilities are reminiscent of Nightmare’s, he does have control over the liquid hatred that leaks from him as opposed to it controlling him.
I imagine the Cs run in the same area as Pale and Template (by unu-nunium) Celeste is fine with Pale since he’s an emotional net-zero on the multiverse and useful for disposing of ‘too far gone’ AUs. Template a storyteller and respects the importance of suffering and negativity (given his need for a Destroyer) and that's the second person Crescent's ever met that felt that way and he immediately got attached.
I’ll add the drawings of the Cs if anyone shows interest