Chapter Text
13,000 years ago
The universe was in flux.
Dream paused as he felt the Dreaming surge and relax under his control. It seemed too soon for it to end. Humans had only just begun to adapt and settle the Earth in a manner that allowed for them to thrive and survive... but something had changed. Diminished.
He found some of his answers within the nightmares of others. Images of a flaming sky and massive floods. Screams of loved ones unable to make it to safety. The horror should have dwindled off as those who survived this natural calamity came to terms with their loss and began the process of healing... but if anything, the nightmares rose. Nightmares of choking smoke and persistent blazes.
The world was on fire.
And nothing was putting it out.
"Dream!"
Morpheus jolted at the sound of his sister's cry. It wasn't often Death came to the Dreaming and almost never did she sound so anxious - so weary. And never had she done it without following protocol before... He moved to the gates of his realm with a swiftness a river would envy, "Sister? What is it?"
"We need your help."
He frowned as he caught sight of just how drained his sister appeared. He had never seen her exhausted before, "We?"
"Destruction and I. You know how Destiny can't be bothered to interfere." Death lamented as she reached for her brother's arm, "Come on."
"Death. What -?" Dream asked befuddled.
"The fires. Surely, you're not so unaware of what is happening in the Waking World." Her fingers dug hard into his forearm and before he could protest, she yanked him from his realm and to the crest of a mountain. Swirls of smoke filled the air, blocking the sight of the world below.
Dream stepped back with a frown. The intensity of the heat was strange and otherworldly, "Is this not Destruction's doing? I had seen the nightmares of the humans, but I had assumed this would pass. His duties are usually brief."
Winds shifted and the lumbering form of his little brother came briefly into view. He made Dream pause as he noticed the strain Destruction was under as he tried to control the flaming chaos.
"He's been at it for weeks. Even Despair is exhausted from all this despair." The voice of his younger sibling drawled from his right and Dream turned to find Desire lounging upon a cluster of rocks, "I've done what I can to remove that little one's desire, but all that child wants to do is burn. She's not listening to me."
"At least you tried." Death muttered, "I've tried to take her to the Sunless Lands, but she merely keeps reviving. I don't understand."
"She?" Dream felt like he had been dropped into a middle of a conversation and he was only getting a quarter of an explanation.
"Mother..." Desire began slowly with a bitter smirk, "Decided to give a gift to our dear brother, Destruction, in the form of a woman... well, a girl. I think this is her way of saying she desires grandchildren. It's hard to say really."
Dream blinked at his sibling, "A girl has caused all of this?"
Death sighed, "She is the remnant of a falling star – a comet really. A construct that mother didn't particularly think through it seems."
"Does that make her Endless then? A new sibling?" Dream queried as he tried once more to peer into the smoke for his little brother, but the plumes had grown too thick.
"I don't think so." Death said, looking off into the distance. The fires had spread, and she was being called to duty, "She's not mortal. I think she was meant to be used as a tool, but Destruction has had limited success in controlling her."
Desperate screams were beginning to reach all of their ears and Dream could only imagine his little sister hard at work in whatever village was nearby, but he was at a loss. He was the ruler of Dreams and Nightmares- he was not meant to have a direct effect on the Waking Realm, "What would you have me do?"
"Anything, Brother." Death said, already disappearing into the distance, "Anything to get her to stop."
"Put her to sleep if you can." Desire offered. They suddenly looked as weary as Death, "Every time I think she's ready to burn out, she flares right up again. I'll even push a desire to sleep at her if you can take it the rest of the way. Almost the entire world is begging for a break."
Dream hesitated a minute before nodding. It wasn't often his younger sibling was this willing to help any of them. It was telling of how bad things had become, "Where is she?"
Desire gestured in a vague direction, "Over there somewhere. Destruction is trying to keep the winds from shifting the course of the blaze too much."
Dream held in a sigh but trekked to the side of the mountain away from his younger siblings. It was only then he realized the mountain he stood upon had once been solid ice. The entire area had been covered in snow and cold, but now...nothing but blackened earth and rivulets of mud.
In the dusky haze, he kept himself mindful of the flickering flames as he neared the inferno. The heat bothered him little, but it could still harm him if he wasn't careful. He pulled his pouch to his side and flung sand over the blazes nearest him. It was a test to see how much the flame withstood his interference and he was somewhat relieved at how easily the fire went out. It was only as he came close to the rapturous roar that he noticed the flames had changed. No longer was he looking at dancing amber and canary hues but glistening whites and azures. This fire was much too hot.
That was when he saw her.
She was a little thing, enwrapped in her fire and wavering about like a nova fit to burst.
Dream supposed, somewhat dispassionately, she was a nova. Bright, fiery, beautiful, and dangerous.
"You must stop, Little One." Dream said calmly, his voice no louder than a whisper.
She heard him all the same as eyes that were at once dark and bright suddenly latched onto his form. She squalled fearfully and the flames around them rose.
"I will not hurt you, but you must stop." He continued in his slow soft cadence, drawing forward at a snail's pace lest she tried to burn him.
She was like a wild animal, watching him warily – suspiciously. She did not heed his words. Not that he was sure she understood him.
His fingers dug once more into his pouch and felt the tiny granules brush and scrape the creases of his hand like a soft blanket. Without warning he blew the sand in her direction, eliciting a startled cry from her once more. Yet, the flames on her went out once she became covered in the dust. Stray sparks licked from her hands and hair- peeking out from where his granules failed to cover. Now only the flames outside of their little circle remained.
In this position, Dream could see that she truly was a child, barely out of her infancy. Soot covered her from head to toe, and under the beige hue of his sand, her wild mane flickered and altered color as she continued to spark. In one moment black, another ash-grey. She was like a forgotten coal in a campsite fire – an ember with hidden life.
And now she was angry... and frightened.
Destruction fell by his side as he finally gained control of the wild blaze and steered it from the nearby villages. The amount of carnage this little ember had caused would keep him full and busy for some time.
"Thank you, Brother." Destruction wheezed, looking not terribly unlike the fiery creature a few feet away.
Dream shook his head, "Don't thank me yet. I've merely upset her."
As if she understood his words, a distraught shout echoed from the little girl's lips, and she flung herself to the ground in a tantrum. Destruction breathed a sigh of relief as it looked like her ability to draw forth fire was gone, but Dream stiffened. He could sense something else at play.
She no longer sparked, but he could detect a definite glow beneath her dust-dressed form.
Then slowly, so slowly, the flames on the mountain began to go out. One by one, sinking into the ground as if they had never been there before – even the smoke seemed to disappear... but she grew brighter – at least her eyes did. Twin flames in a dark face.
It was then Dream realized that it was night. She seemed to draw the darkness to herself almost as much as the light.
His brother looked around in confusion and even Desire sauntered down to join them. Their gaze, like Dream's, was locked on the child, "Well, this is terrifying."
Dream could only hum in agreement. He had made nightmares less unsettling, "She's taking the life of the fires back into herself. I think that's why Death could not keep her in the Sunless Lands. Her power is...incredible."
The dust on her skin began to melt to glass as her body burned from within –it wouldn't take much longer for his sand to disappear completely and lose its effect.
Destruction froze in place as he studied her, "She's going to erupt again."
"Continue to push a desire for sleep on her, my sibling." Dream murmured as he dug his hand into his pouch.
Desire nodded and as they willed that desire, Dream flung his sand once more.
The girl wavered, what looked like angry tears rising to her eyes. The exhaustion of a toddler layered her limbs before she finally collapsed to the ground in a doze.
"Now what?" Desire asked nonplused, "She wakes again, and we'll start this game all over."
Against his better judgment, Dream sighed, "I'll take her to the Dreaming. She seems unable to combat the power of my sand. I can give her a place to wear herself out until we get some answers as to her purpose."
That was all Desire needed to hear as they turned heel, "Have fun with that."
Destruction nodded, looking uncertain, "Mother said she was sending me a gift. I could only assume she meant this little one. Are you certain you'll be okay with her in your realm? After seeing what she did here..."
"I'll keep an eye on her." Dream promised as he knelt next to her slumbering form and tentatively placed a hand on her back. She was warm to the touch, but not burningly so, "If she becomes too much of a burden then I'll call for you and our other siblings. I merely ask that you find out if she is Endless. Father has been diligently trying to garner Mother's favor again. It would not surprise me in the least that she be our newest sibling."
Destruction nodded, "She certainly has the drama for it. But of course, Dream, I'll see what answers I can find. I'll call on you soon."
Dream did not bid his brother farewell but kept his attention on the child. Sand raised up around their forms as he pulled them both into his realm and waited.