Chapter Text
All Dream had ever known was the Faerie realm. He didn’t know his parents, nor did he care. He had himself, the baker that let him live with her, and his few friends. The Winter Court wasn’t always ideal, but it was enough for him. Years of helping bake, deliveries, and wandering never seemed to satisfy him though, he needed something new.
That something new came when he was granted his own ring, in a forest near a village. It was a small ring, just large enough to pace, but it was a new opportunity for Dream! He jumped at the opportunity to explore the other realm, agreeing to a small ring for now in hopes that he could expand later on. Talia made him promise to still help around the bakery, not wanting to lose her friend to the human realm so quickly. Dream had no issue with promising this, baking wasn’t the worst and it gave him something to do when the human realm got boring (plus he liked Talia, zey had taken him in and they had become good friends). And so it was done, a ring of flowers and mushrooms grew in the forest overnight. It wasn’t in a clearing like most others, instead in the trees which Dream was fine with. Trees provided a place to hide if anyone dared to go near. Talia could barely get Dream to sleep the night, the flaps of excited wings echoing throughout the small house.
“Dream, if you go to sleep you’ll get to go sooner.” Zey tried to convince him, watching as he hovered in the kitchen.
“I have too much energy Talia, I can’t.” As excited as he was zey could still hear the frustration in Dream’s voice, he knew he needed sleep he just couldn’t. Sure he could try but he’d just be tossing and turning all night. The idea wasn’t exactly thrilling to him.
“How about we try some warm milk and chess? That made you sleep when you were young.” Talia stifled a yawn, moving around the hovering man of green to make them both a glass. Dream took the cue to go set up the chess board, still with his feet off the floor. It was a habit of his, losing the ability to walk when overexcited. He tugged the face mask up a little as he searched for the chess board, listening to Talia bustle about in the kitchen. Zey always added honey to their warm milk, hopefully the sugar would help rather than hinder. The box was sat on top, a little dust having gathered. They hadn’t played in awhile, he hoped he was still good at it. The game was carefully laid out on the table, stone pieces sat on a wooden board. He took his time to dust each piece off, green eyes taking in the small details. It was a human's chess board, Talia told him zey got it years before zey became a baker. Dream had loved it ever since he refound it during a light night exploration of the house. Dream continued to hover around the chess board, waiting for his ward to return. It didn’t take long thankfully as zey walked over with two glasses of warm milk, laughing quietly at the sight of Dream still fluttering about.
“Dream, you’re a butterfly not a bee, please stay in one place.” Zey put a glass on either side of the board, on wicker coasters. Dream, to zeir relief, fluttered in one place on the black side whilst zey sat down on the white. The game was chill, regular sips of warm milk interrupting a turn but other than that it went smoothly. No one talked, enjoying the quiet peace and gentle thumps of stone hitting wood. Dream eventually locked his concentration on the game instead of the next day's events, finally sitting down rather than flying. It took three games for them to finish their drinks, and two more for them to finally agree it was time for bed. Talia waved Dream off to go to bed, insisting zey could clean up by zeirself. Reluctantly he went down the hall to his small room, ready to try and sleep now. The blankets were warm as he curled up underneath, letting sleep claim him for the night.
The light shone through his curtains, causing a very unpleasant awakening for the man as he tried to get more sleep. He was still tired from going to bed so late, his limbs felt like lead. With a dramatic groan and a loud sigh he got out of the comfortable bed, getting ready for the day as quickly as his mind would allow. He tucked his wings away for safety, and to prevent himself from hovering again, before making his way to the kitchen. There in all zeir glory was Talia, waiting for him with a smile and a gift.
“Morning Dream, ready for today?” Zey handed him his breakfast first, watching as he sat down on the table with it.
“Ready as I’ll get to be. What’s with the wrapped thing?” Talia grinned proudly, letting him eat as zey wicked up the gift.
“Food first, then this, then you get to travel.” Another dramatic groan left Dream as he tried to finish eating as quickly as he could. Talia only laughed at his antics, spending the small amount of time to grab the bag zey had prepared for him earlier that morning. To no one’s surprise the sound of an empty plate hitting the countertop filled the room, followed by footsteps as Dream rushed over to his friend.
“I’m done, now tell me.” He grinned as he was handed the gift, head tilted as he took it in. It was an odd shape, rather large. With no clues as to what it was he ripped open the paper, eyes landing on an incredibly well made mask. It was white with a black smiley face, a perfect addition to his ensemble.
“This is amazing!” He kept turning it and sinning it, looking it over from every angle. There were no imperfections, chips, nothing. It was perfect for him.
“Try it on, I wanna be sure it fits before sending you out.” Talia was a wild mixture of smug and proud, watching as Dream carefully put his new mask on. As soon as it was tight enough he tugged the other face mask off. To his surprise he could see clearly, as if there wasn’t a mask at all. It was incredible, and his noises of joy were clear proof of such.
“That looks great, what do you think?” Zey gently moved Dream about to check it fit well, as well as covering his face like it was supposed too. Dream happily moved for zem, trusting zem to tell him if it was showing anything it wasn’t supposed too. He’d always had issues with showing his face to people, for reasons even he wasn’t entirely sure of, so the mask was a welcome surprise.
“Thank you, Talia. This means a lot.” He stopped zeir inspection with a tight hug, smiling wide as he was hugged back.
“Anytime Daydream, you stay safe out there okay?” Zey looked up at him, eyes watering as zey held him close. “You better come back soon mister.” Dream laughed softly, nodding quickly.
“I promise to come back safe and sound, you can’t lose me that easily.” He laughed much louder as he was punched by the smaller Fae, lovingly but still amusing.
“Go, before I change my mind and keep you locked in the kitchen.” Zey were obviously joking but the two still made their way outside together, Talia watching as Dream disappeared for the first time to the human world. Zey knew it was coming but it was still emotional, zeir boy had grown up so fast.
Dream was very dazed as he stood on fresh grass, holding his head as he adjusted to the new realm. Everything around him was green, dark as trees blocked the sun. His green outfit allowed him to blend in quite well, only his mask and hair really standing out. The air was thicker here was the first thing he noticed, Dream taking much deeper breaths in an attempt to get used to it. It was also darker, everything was less vibrant around him. Just as promised he couldn’t move much, confined to a small ring but it was enough. He could see, he could pace, he could exist somewhere new. It was small but to him it was amazing. A large cheer escaped him as he looked around, trying to see as much as he could within his confines. Some things were the same, okay most things were similar enough to be counted as the same, but some things were different! Everything was so much more compact, less lived in. Everything he could see was wild, untouched by humanity. He leant down to touch the grass, letting the damp blades slide through his fingers with a bright smile. Things were just regular enough to pass as the faerie realm, sure a more rural part maybe but still! It was like a home away from home, what more could he ask for?
He stayed there for hours, swapping from pacing to sitting regularly. There wasn’t much to do within his ring but he’d make do just looking, talking to himself, listening to the animals around him. All he had been told was there was a human village nearby, so he was excited to learn about the forest and it’s other inhabitants. To his disappointment however nothing happened, he sat there all day and not a single person or creature passed by. It was just him, but that’s okay! He got to have some alone time for once, that was a rarity in the bakery even if Talia and him tried their best to give each other their space.
The trip home was just as disorientating, the faerie needing a second to ground himself before heading home. It was dark out at the time, leaving him tripping quite often as he made the familiar path back to the bakery. Talia was waiting for him by the door when he got home, all tension leaving zeir body as he came into view.
“Dream, welcome home.” Zey hugged him briefly before dragging them both back inside, warmth enveloping Dream once the door closed. “How was it?” A warm drink was pressed into his hands, coffee was his guess as the smell hit him.
“It was fun! Not a lot to do but oh well, I’ll just have to wait for something to come by.” He moved the mask slightly so he could drink without much issue, watching as Talia sighed loudly in relief.
“Oh thank Prime, I was worried you'd be disappointed.” Zey made zeir way to the living area, collapsing onto one of the large chairs. Dream followed with a chuckle, sitting down with far more grace so as to not spill his drink.
“Not disappointed in the slightest, don’t you worry.” He leant back as he drank, eyes tracking zeir every move. It was a habit he’d never bothered to break, he didn’t feel the need too. Talia knew he did it, zey could always feel his eyes on zem, but it didn’t bother zem.
“So, tell me what you saw!” Zey sat up finally with an excited grin, watching him closely. Dream hummed softly in thought, taking one last sip before setting his half-gone drink on the table.
“Well, it was really mostly trees. I couldn't even see the village they told me about, but oh well. I enjoyed the plant life, and maybe if I go enough I’ll see some animals too!” Dream leant forward, adjusting to be sat cross legged on the chair.
“Well if you’re patient enough maybe the King will let you spend some time out of the ring?” Talia remembered how zey once got to explore wildly, it was fun. Zey knew Dream would love it.
“I’d have to impress Eret to be allowed that.” Dream sighed at the thought, ideas of exploring with no boundaries filling his mind. That would be fun, he’d love to see everything.
“I’m sure Eret will be easy to win over, just give it some time.” Zey got up to ruffle his hair fondly, disappearing into the kitchen. “I’m gonna make some food, even if it’s late we both need to eat.”
Most days passed by the same, baking, deliveries, pacing around his ring, and repeat. Dream grew bored once again, the need for new experiences and entertainment overtook his every waking moment. Everything was regular again, even the novelty of the human realm wore off when all he could do was pace and sit. He knew what he was getting into when he was given a small ring, he agreed to the long process of growing the ring overtime, but still he wished he had the space to explore now. It was overwhelming, seeing new things that he wanted to learn about, to explore and see, and yet he couldn’t do anything about it. He craved something new, he’d do anything to get it. It started with doing small jobs for other shops, then watching in on guard’s training, then joining that training (only to leave again once he learnt all he needed), and then nothing.
He started to stay in the human realm more, pushing the limits of his ring. He’d try stepping to the very outer edge, leaning to try and touch something on the other side, calling out in warped voices to try and tempt something near. The last one was fruitful. First it was animals, attracted to the mournful cries whether to protect or to scavenge. Dream started bringing food for the animals, feeling guilty for tricking them with his tricks, but that’s when it hit him. If he could warp his voice enough could he attract a human near? Tricking a human was sure to be fun, he’d heard of how they were fun to mess with. This was the cause of his bedroom sessions, practicing warping his voice to sound more human. He started with adult humans, the closest thing to his own voice. Getting it to sound feminine was a struggle, he wanted to ask Talia but zey were already suspicious enough of his new found interest. So, he just kept practicing by himself, in his room with an echo flower. Even when he thought he had it the flower would repeat him, showing him he was close but not quite. When he got frustrated he’d try a teen’s voice instead. The higher pitch would surely help him with the feminine tone. Talia did ask him what he was doing some days, when they were baking or playing a game, but rarely got an answer. Dream always brushed it off as a new hobby, practice for the future, always curving around the truth the best he could. These were moments when he wished they could lie, if only to reassure Talia that all was okay and he wasn’t doing anything.
What he was doing wasn’t frowned upon, it was just considered dangerous. Humans knew of the Fae of course, so who knew what could happen if Dream attracted the wrong person. He could get hurt, tricked, taken from his ward and Court. It was a risk that Talia would insist he couldn’t take, he was sure even the guards he talked to would call him crazy. This just spurred him on, to perfect himself so he wouldn’t fall into harm's way. If not for entertainment but to reassure everyone he cared for that he wasn’t being reckless.
It took weeks for him to try his warped human voices in the human realm. He had thought about it many times but always got too scared, instead morphing it into an animal’s call. Finally though he decided he would, he had too. He had spent so long learning this new skill he’d be an idiot not to use it someday. Dream left early in the morning for the human realm, dressed in some nicer clothes with his hair down. He tried to look human, even despite his ears and height and open back clothes and just overall inhuman aura. It was an attempt at the very least, he’d give himself that. With as many Fae traits hidden as he could manage he appeared in his ring, looking around. As regular as ever. He stood beside the tree next to his ring, looking around.
“Hello?” His voice was lighter, a kinder tone than his usual mischievousness. He tried to be loud, wanting his voice to carry throughout the forest. The trees could only help carry it so far, he had to put in some work too. “Is anyone there?” Dream kept an eye out cautiously, ready to duck out of view if by some miracle he succeeded. He tucked some hair out the way of his ears, listening for anything. He could hear animals running, birds flying, and footsteps. They sounded heavier than the regular animals nearby, and they were coming directly towards him. He quickly hid his ears with his hair, ducking behind the tree the best he could within his confines. Into sight came a human child, they couldn’t be much older than twelve. Short, brunette, and obviously curious as to who was talking in the forest.
“Hello? I heard someone near here!” The little boy, Dream assumed, started to look around for the source of the voice he had heard. Slowly, so as to not startle the boy, he came out of hiding to sit on the ground. Dirt clung to his clothes as he settled, a brief cough leaving him to gain the others' attention. The child spun around to see the man, eyes widening at such a beautiful creature just sitting there.
“Hello child, what are you doing all the way out here?” Dream had learnt his ring was a fair distance away from the human village, hidden closer to the centre than most. He continued to use the fake voice as the boy approached, smiling with closed lips even if the boy couldn’t see his face.
“I was looking for my Ma, she disappeared here a bit ago. Have you seen her?” Clearly the child was clueless to the Fae and their ways, careless with his words.
“I may have, it’s a rather large forest after all. Who knows where she could be?” He leant forward slightly, appearing more relaxed than he actually felt. The words came naturally to him even if he had never been great with them before.
“Could you tell me where she is? We all miss her greatly!” A desperate child begging for his mother, Dream almost felt bad for what he was doing but he couldn’t give in now. He had come this far.
Right…?
Dream bit his lip under the mask, watching the obviously hopeful boy in front of him. Even he had a heart, full of silver sure but a heart all the same. With a reluctant sigh he decided on just diverting the boy rather than taking him, he always had next time.
“She may be rightways, or maybe she’s leftways, just don’t go backwards.” He waved his hand as he spoke, rings shining bright as they caught the sunlight just right. Guilt still pooled in his stomach as the boy lit up, immediately scampering off to the right.
“Thank you, Mister!”
This was definitely going to be harder than he thought. It was easy to attract a human it seemed, but the sight of such a sad child was enough to melt his resolve. He really couldn’t tell anyone that his first attempt at tricking someone went so terribly wrong. Dream reluctantly went back to the Fae realm after that, the boy would be coming back for whatever reason he knew it. He couldn’t bear to be there when he did.
His next attempt would be weeks later, after practicing his fighting skills day in and day out he finally felt strong enough to try again (even if the strength was physical and not mental). Again he dressed nicely, tidying himself up, before heading to the human realm. There next to his ring was a gift, some honeycomb wrapped in paper with twine and a note simply saying “Thank you”. Dream didn’t pick it up, didn’t check for a name; he just ignored it. He knew who it was from and that was enough for him. He sat silently for a bit, using a stick to push the gift away from his ring for safety. It was a nice day, he knew it was going to rain soon which would be a welcome change from the never-ending sun. It was Autumn, he knew they would be getting their time soon but it still felt like it wasn’t soon enough. Dream took a deep breath before clearing his throat, allowing his voice to grow wispy and bright.
“Is anyone there?” This voice was harder to push but the child-like appearance was sure to attract someone. He just hoped the trees would carry it far enough to be heard, that was if anyone was even in the forest. He sat silently for a bit, shuffling around until he settled on sitting by the tree. He rested back until his back hit the tree bark, closing his eyes. Again he tried, pushing his voice to be louder this time. He was sure to sound hoarse the next day.
“Hello! Anyone out there?” With his eyes closed he could almost pretend it was a child speaking and not his own trick, his own warped voice filling the air. It felt thick in his throat, unnatural and wrong but still his in some way. His head snapped up as he heard footsteps nearby, eyes flying open to look around for the source. It was a man this time, an axe in hand. Dream assumed he had been gathering wood when he heard his fake cries. The man was clearly stunned at the sight of him, holding his axe tighter as he approached the Faerie.
“What are you doing out here?” His voice was gruff, suiting his appearance he supposed. Dream grinned under the mask, standing up calmly to approach the edge of his ring.
“I’m just having a day in the forest, what are you doing here?” He had to bend down slightly to meet the others eye level, silently cursing his unnatural height in that moment. The man's eyes only widened more as the near ethereal man approached him, stepping back to gain some space between them.
“I’m just here for wood, I heard a child’s cry from this direction.” A truthful man, a dangerous way to live. Dream shrugged as he linked his hands behind his back.
“What do you plan to do about it, Mister….?” It couldn’t be that easy, there was no way this would work.
“Mr Jacobs, just call me Kalob. And I want to help the child.” Well damn, it was that easy. Dream’s eyes lit up, the green shining under the mask. The power of the name went through him, settling comfortably in his bones leaving him feeling rejuvenated.The man clearly had no idea what he had just done.
“Well, Kalob, truth be told there never was a child.” Dream turned to the man again, holding a hand out. His fingertips brushed against the edge of the ring, fuzzy power keeping him from moving much further. “But now, your name is mine and so are you.” The man looked confused for a bit, staring him down. It wasn’t until he saw sharp nails and pointed ears that it clicked. His face went white as realisation set in, his eyes meeting the mask.
“Wait, no! This isn’t fair, I didn’t know!” Dream sneered at the pathetic begging of the human, keeping his hand out for the man to grab. He would be patient, but this man would be his; well as much his as he could be with all humans being sent to the Royal family to serve there.
“Ever heard of the phrase Don’t trust strangers?” He used his natural voice now, sharp words smoothened with a false polite tone. To his delight the man gave up quickly, all hope leaving his body. The Fae weren’t merciful creatures to all, if any, so Dream wasn’t sure why the Man was so sure he could get away. “Let us go then, your new life awaits!” From anyone else it could sound fun, exciting even, but from Dream it sounded horrifying. A warm calloused hand grasped a much colder one, Dream’s nails digging into his skin as he grasped back tightly. The man was pulled into the ring and the two left to the Fae realm, all that was left behind being a worn axe.
Dream was praised for his work, it felt great, but it wasn’t as great as the feeling of a successful trap. He was sent back to the bakery pretty soon after, Talia greeting him with open arms and some hot drinks to talk over as always. It was an eventful day and he had plenty to share, the rest of their time filled with laughter and stories. Speaking with Talia always helped Dream calm down, adrenaline fading away to leave a nice hum of energy coursing through him. He wasn’t sure what would happen to the man from then on, maybe eternal servitude, maybe he’d be pitied and sent back to the Human Realm on behalf of the Fae. He probably would never know, and that was fine with him. He didn’t need to know. Dream’s need to be entertained had been fulfilled for that day and that’s all he cared about, knowing he’d be able to sleep with ease that night. Or so he thought.
By the time he went to lay down that night the itch for power had returned. With the man no longer under his control the power left fairly quickly, replaced by the regular gift of power from nature. If nature was sugar Kalob was honey, his name alone enough to make Dream feel like he could take on a whole army. He wanted that feeling back, it was addicting.
And so it was so. The next day he helped Talia set up the bakery before returning to the human realm. The plan was simple: gain another person's name but don’t take them back to the Faerie realm, that way they’d stay under his jurisdiction. No one had to know, it could be his little secret. The games began, with Dream adapting his voice to attract new people to his ring. Some days he even mimicked the voice of those he’d stolen, drawing closer the desperate families longing to find each other once again. No one knew what was happening, why so many adults were going missing, and yet any child that entered left with just as much ease. Dream was ecstatic with how well it was going, the constant rush of power allowing him to do so much more. Some days he even saved up enough to exit the ring by himself, exploring for a small amount of time. He didn’t keep the humans per say, not even bringing them into his ring. Instead he marked them, a smile somewhere on their body, before sending them off to bring more people to the village. Some were sent through the forest, some overseas, but none were allowed back to the village. It felt incredible, to have so much power over himself and others. Nothing like what nature could do for him. He supposed this would be his downfall in the end, it couldn’t last forever, but Prime did he wish it could. After months of doing this, of capturing humans for his own selfish deeds, he was brought in. Guards surrounded him as he went to go back to the human realm and he was brought to the castle. Dream was only mildly confused; he knew they knew he just wasn’t sure how or why.
There on their throne was their Ruler Eret, her co-ruler evidently missing. Puffy was nice, Dream had always thought they were closer than he was to Eret. He knelt in front of them politely before standing tall, his mask sat firmly on his face.
“Dream, do you know why we brought you here today?” Eret’s voice carried through the room, causing Dream to freeze. Nothing about that tone suggested he was going to get out of this scot free.
“I fear I may have an idea, care to enlighten us your highness?” Dream tried his best to sound confident, maybe even a little cocky, but that was hard considering how many armed guards there were around. He had a sword, they had armour and weapons to choose from. His odds weren’t great, even with what little power he still had stored up.
“We have been alerted of your escapades in the human realm, I’m sure you know what I’m on about.” They sounded almost disgusted as they spoke at Dream, sitting up straight to watch his every move. “You have been abusing your privilege of being allowed in the human realm to further your own agenda whatever that may be, and quite frankly I cannot allow this to continue.” Her voice was strained, she was obviously trying not to yell. They were known to be kind, understanding, but apparently Dream had messed up real bad this time.
“I understand.” Dream thought he was just going to be on house arrest for a bit, maybe an even smaller ring, but this was a million times worse.
“You are to never return to the Human Realm, your ring will be wiped from the forest, every human you’ve enslaved will be freed.” Dream could only stare wide eyed at his King, mouth slightly ajar. If Puffy had been here he was certain she’d look incredibly disappointed. She got him his ring, a gift for all his work to teh community and he had effectively thrown it away.
“Your highness, I pray you reconsider this decision. It was one slip up-” It was useless to argue but he tried anyway, his body tense as he glared at the now standing Eret.
“I will do no such thing, now unless you wish to be imprisoned too I recommend you leave.” This was clearly said out of anger but Dream wasn’t about to find out how far Eret would go. With as much dignity as he could find he spun around, leaving with his head held high. He had lost nearly everything because he wanted a little power, that didn’t seem very fair to him. He couldn’t let go of the Human Realm, not when there was so much left to see and do. He marched all the way back to the bakery, ignoring the many looks he got as he made his way to his room. His tears of frustration, fear and something else fell down his face, hidden by his mask thankfully. Everything he needed was grabbed, packed away into a small bag. Some clothes, any mementos he couldn’t bear to leave, jewellery, just anything he deemed
necessary. He wouldn’t give up the Human Realm because of some King’s opinions on how he got his power. More casual clothes were thrown on, the bag on his shoulder and sword on his back. He was ready to go, he just had one last thing to do. He took a deep breath, taking his mask off. The least he could do for zem was let zem see his face one last time.
Talia was downstairs in the kitchen, having let him go upstairs alone. Zey had assumed he needed space, but when he came in dressed like he was leaving for good, zey wished zey had followed.
“No…” Zey rushed over, holding his cheeks with flour covered hands. Dream didn’t mind as he leant into her touch, both of them crying by now. Goodbye’s always hurt the most.
“I’m sorry, I have too.” Dream could only whisper, one of his hands covering zeir’s. Zey hugged him as tight as zey could, crying into his chest. Dream held zem tightly, wishing zey would come with him. It was a fruitless thought, he knew zey couldn’t leave zeir court like he could.
“I don’t want you to go.” Zey were sobbing into his chest, his hands rubbing zeir back comfortingly.
“I don’t either, but I have too. I need this.” He pressed a kiss on zeir forehead, smiling at his ward with watery eyes. “This isn’t goodbye, I promise. Think of it more as ``I'll see you later?” He sounded so broken, so choked up, as he spoke. Talia wiped at zeir tears frantically, nodding as zey looked at zeir son figure.
“You promise I’ll see you again? Even if it takes years, decades.” Zey tried swiping the flour off his face, admiring the scars as zey went.
“I promise. I swear to you Talia I will see you again one day, even if it kills me.” He smiled at zem fondly, gently bumping their foreheads together. “Thank you so much for all the things you’ve done for me, I will never forget your kindness and undying love.” They shared one last hug, Talia slipping him a pack of food zey were going to put in the bakery the next day. It was still warm in his hands.
“I’ll see you later, Talia.” He gave her one last smile before putting his mask back on.
“I’ll see you later, Dream.” Zey waved him off, tears falling again rapidly.
And so Dream set off, green blending into the dark before disappearing with a flash. He was going to the Human Realm, except he no longer had the option to go back. This was his life now, he made his choice and boy did it hurt.