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The Energy Novas had dimmed, signaling evening in the Ghost Zone. Despite the lack of any celestial bodies, an illusion of the moon hovered over a floating island—a massive cemetery. Here, on "The Graveyard," resided the Ancient Ghost of Death, Cronos, and his family.
Cronos was responsible for guiding souls to the correct afterlife, a task made complicated by the sheer number of afterlives across the multiverse. But tonight, he was away on urgent business, leaving his wife, Dreama, at home caring for their teenage son, Kai, who was bedridden with a particularly nasty case of the ghost flu.
Kai could be headstrong, and like most teenagers, wasn't fond of listening to his parents. Dreama tried to be patient with him, but when his stubbornness flared, she’d threatened to use her powers to knock him out if he didn’t take his meds and get some rest. Kai, wisely, took the medicine and fell asleep.
“What am I going to do with that boy?” Dreama muttered, hanging a beautiful, enchanted mirror—one of her many “dream mirrors.” The Ghost Zone was full of mirrors with various magical properties, but dream mirrors let her see into a person's dreams. Somehow, they’d even inspired the dream mirrors from the '90s Sailor Moon anime.
As she adjusted the mirror, a voice came from behind her. "Are you sleeping well, sister? You look a tad stressed." She turned to see her twin brother, Nocturn, standing in the doorway. The two looked nothing alike. Dreama’s luminous beauty was like something out of a goddess myth, while Nocturn was dark and nightmarish.
With her shimmering green hair flowing down her back, her flawless alabaster skin, and bright blue eyes, Dreama’s presence was mesmerizing. Her gown seemed to be woven from light itself, and her signature Moon Key necklace glimmered around her neck.
“Nocturn! I didn’t know you were coming by,” she said, feeling a bit flustered. “I would’ve made refreshments.”
He waved it off, summoning a steaming mug of greenish coffee out of thin air. “Already taken care of. I’m sorry for not calling first. I heard my nephew was sick and thought you could use a hand.”
Dreama sighed with relief, accepting the coffee. "Thank you. I could use the help," she admitted, taking a grateful sip.
Nocturn glanced at her, concern in his eyes. “Sister, you look exhausted! I knew Kai was stubborn, but it looks like you haven’t slept in a week!”
Dreama smiled tiredly, lighting candles on the coffin-shaped coffee table to brighten the room a little. “It’s been four days. This strain of Ecto-flu is relentless. And Cronos is off handling some mess with the Rainbow Bridge, the one animals cross to their hereafter.” She stifled a yawn.
“Just try not to wear yourself down,” Nocturn warned, taking a long sip of his coffee. “We both know what happens when one of us gets sick. A single sneeze could unleash Nightmare Mist on the whole zone.”
Dreama grimaced at the thought. “I’m doing my best to avoid that, believe me.” She levitated a tray of snacks over to the table, grabbing a cracker. “But every time one of us gets the flu, there’s a risk of it mutating into something worse—and you know what happens when Nightmare Mist gets out. Ghost Zone nightmares for weeks.”
They sipped their coffee in silence for a moment before Nocturn asked, “By the way, I noticed you’ve been dreaming about a surprise for Cronos. Want to tell me what it’s about?” His tone was careful, not wanting to pry too much.
“Oh, it’s no big secret,” she said, smiling. “I’ve been working on some new designs for this mausoleum to make it feel more like a home. Enough of this doom-and-gloom look. I’m working with a designer to bring in some color and warmth.”
Her brother chuckled, picturing Cronos’s reaction to any attempt at brightening up the place. “He’s the Ancient of Death, sis. I think gloom might be in his nature. But I get it—you want a real home.”
She brightened at his understanding. “Exactly. And I just hung this mirror to make communication easier while I’m here with Kai. I’d rather not leave him alone while he’s so sick.”
“Well,” Nocturn said, a bit sheepishly, “good luck with the renovations. And I hope you don’t mind, but I brought something up for myself, too.”
“Oh?” Dreama asked, curious.
He hesitated, then blurted, “I was thinking about joining Soulmate.”
Dreama’s eyes widened. “The dating app?” She laughed, unable to help herself. “You? On a dating app? I’d never have guessed!”
“Well, even I can’t conjure up my dream girl,” he said with a wry smile. “After a few thousand years, things get a little lonely, you know?”
Her laughter softened into a sympathetic smile. “Alright, alright, I’ll help you. I can’t promise success, but I’ll give you a few pointers on treating a lady right.”
“That’s all I need,” he said, visibly relieved. “Now, should we check on Kai?”
“Good idea, but let’s not wake him up. I just want to make sure he’s actually sleeping.” They floated up the stairs and peeked into Kai’s room. He was snuggled under his blanket, fast asleep.
As they turned to leave, Dreama paused. “What kind of dream did you just put in his head? It better not be anything weird.”
Nocturn put a hand to his heart, feigning offense. “You wound me! It’s just a family picnic by the Crystal Sea.”
“Good. That’s all he needs right now—no nightmares.” Dreama’s face softened as she remembered how hard it had been to keep Dan Phantom out of her son’s dreams. That monster had tormented Kai for months.
“You have my word,” Nocturn promised. “And you, little sister, should get some sleep yourself. I’ll stay the night.”
Dreama smiled, exhausted. She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, big brother. Love you.” And with that, she drifted off to her room, finally able to rest.