The Raven's Nightmare

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Raven and Nightmare waited patiently for Dream's return to the tree as the sunset dipped into the horizon; causing the young child to shuffle her feet nervously.

    "You don't have to meet him if your not comfortable."

    Her head snapped up at her skeleton friend while shrugging her shoulders and admitting, "He already trwied to tawlk to me while I was on my way hwere..."

    "He did?"

    Nodding her head in confirmation, Raven looked back at the sunset before whispering, "I dwidn't say anythwing to him becwause I'm mad at him... for always leaving you alone."

    Letting out a soft sigh, Nightmare kneeled to be eye level as he tilted her head so their gazes locked, "I understand where you getting at but Dream means no harm. It's just that he enjoys his role as the Guardian of Positivity so much that he becomes easily... distracted."

    Placing her hands on her hips, Raven narrowed her gaze at him, "Thwat's nwot a good excuwse and you know it!"

    Placing his hands on his face, the Guardian groaned out "I know! But his role is more important than mine!"

    Yanking his hands from his face, the young mage gave a scolding gaze at her friend as anger radiated off her in waves; causing the skeleton monster's eye sockets to widen in surprise, "Now you listen up and listen good, you wole is as equally as importwant as Dream's!  Dwon't forget thwat he is a Guawdian too and thwat he has the wesponsibility to pwotect the twee too! Nwot just you!"

    As harsh as it sounds, Raven is right. Maybe Nightmare has been too lenient with his brother? But he doesn't see how being the Guardian of Negativity could be equally as important as Dream's... No one wants to feel all those awful feelings that negativity produces! Then again... looking back at Batair and Salem's back stories, negativity brought them together in their time of suffering; thus helped Raven to be brought into existence. If it weren't for that, then Nightmare would have continued to be alone.

     Smiling warmly at the child, the skeleton moved the child's black bangs to get a good look at those minty blue eyes that he always gets lost in, "You're right. I'm sorry, Raven."

    Blushing at the sudden gesture, the flustered child stuttered, "Y-you should t-twake papa's advice! Women are always wight!"

    Nightmare let out an amused chuckle, "I'll keep that in mind."

    "𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿!"

    Their attention were brought to the attention of Dream finally arriving; waving in greeting with a bright smile on his face. Smiling back at his brother, he greeted back "Heya, Dream! How was your day?"

    "𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸! 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝘂𝗻!"

    Raven's hand gripped Nightmare's sleeved tightly as a low growl rumbled in her throat.

    'Thwis just proves my pwoint!'

    Clearing his throat, the Guardian of Negativity nodded in the child's direction as he introduced, "Dream, this is Raven; my best friend. Raven this is my brother, Dream. I heard that you two already met though..."

    Rubbing his neck sheepishly, the perky skeleton's only response was "𝗦𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀..."