The Raven's Nightmare

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Raven looked at Nightmare with wide hurt filled eyes as tears formed from their corners.

    "W-why...? Why would you do that to yourself?"

    Slowly and painfully sitting himself up to face the love of his life, the Guardian gave a sad smile as more of the unidentified liquid poured from his eyes sockets as he explained "I-I thought that this world would be better off w-without me... that you wouldn't have t-to suffer a-anymore because of me..."

     Cupping the skeleton's cheekbones, the saddened woman shook her head "Nightmare... it's because of you that I continue to go on.. you're all that I have left after Mama and Papa-!"

    "It's because of me that they're dead!"

     Grabbing the collar of Nightmare's blackened shirt, Raven shouted out "That's not true! It was most likely bound to happened even if I hadn't met you! Just like you, I have been subjugated to the town's abuse and hatred!" Her gaze softened as she continued, "Besides, people can't live off of happy memories alone, Nighty! We need negative emotions to even know what it's like to truly understand each other!"

     He stayed silent as Raven looked at the scene around her, "What happened here? Why is there so many black apples?"

     Hugging his arms around him as the skeleton coughed up more of the dark goo that caused the shocked girl to steady him, Nightmare groaned out "When I grabbed a golden apple in my attempt to end my life, it became black as soon as I touched it; which was when the sky turned to what we see now. I-I became even more panicked when the rest of my brother's apples ended with the same fate as the first; causing me to take a bite without a second thought...! But instead of finding myself dying a quick death, I found myself in extreme pain... it became so unbearable that I kept eating them one by one; hoping that I would eventually die..", he gave a bitter chuckle, "But as you can see, it didn't work..."

    Raven narrowed her eyes in anger, "And I'm glad it didn't! I already lost my parents; you think that all my pain and suffering would just end if you killed yourself?!"

     The Guardian of Negativity looked down in shame as he admitted, "Yes..."

     "Well, you're wrong! Negativity will still exist with or without you! A point of being a guardian is to make sure that the balance doesn't become unstable and to fix it when it does! Just because you are made out of negativity doesn't mean that you can't feel positivity... if you were, you wouldn't have fallen in love with me.. or was all that we had a lie?"

     Nightmare's sockets widened at the truth of Raven's words as he frivolously shook his head; deeply regretting his actions, "N-No! I love you more than anything, Starlight!", purple tears mixed with black fell from his face as he wailed out, "O-Oh Stars! What have I d-done?! I-I'm so sorry, Raven! I was just-"

    He was cut off as the young woman kissed him on the teeth before pressing her forehead against his, not minding if she got the goop on herself, while gently reassuring "I know.. You were scared and hurt! Any normal person would react the same as you..", she glanced behind her in worry as the sounds of angry screaming could be heard drawing closer to the two, "Let's just hope that we can convince the others that this was just a simple misunderstanding.."

    Another horrid cough caused her to snap her head towards Nightmare as more cracks formed on his body and out his mouth. Holding him tightly against her chest, Raven started rubbing his back to ease her boyfriend's suffering.

    "It.. h-hurts so-o much.."

    The mage held in a sniffle as she chocked out, "E-everything is going to be ok, Nighty! Maybe D-Dream can help you!-"

    "What have you monsters done to the tree?!"

    The distressed woman's face paled at the familiar voice as her minty blue orbs slowly met with red ones. Terrence, followed by the whole town, stood before her with accusing and horrified stares; making the mage to tremble in fear. But she held her ground as Raven gave them a pleading look, "Please, understand! This was all a misunderstanding! N-Nightmare-"

    "Cut the bullshit!"

    "What have you abominations done to the Tree of Feelings?!"

    "You killed it!"

    "You destroyed everyone's chance at happiness!"

    "They need to be punished!"

    "𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁!"

     Everyone's attention turned to the Guardian of Positivity, Dream, as he took this moment to continue "𝗜-𝗜'𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀!", he locked his yellow eye lights on his brother, "𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?"

    Terrence narrowed his eyes and pointed a clawed finger at the two lovers, harshly snarling "I bet they did this because they were jealous of you!"

    Shaking her head in denial, Raven desperately shouted "No! We would never-!"

     "Liar!"

     While shouting this, the rabbit monster quickly conjured up a dagger with his magic and threw it at the woman; who summoned a green shield upon instinct and deflected the ATTACK.

    Frightened gasped echoed within the crowd as the townsfolk backed away in FEAR.

    "It's a mage!"

     "Stay back children, she could take your SOUL!"

    "Demon!"

    "I bet she brainwashed the Guardian of Negativity into destroying the tree!"

    This time it was Nightmare who denied the accusations, "No! She didn't!"

     Looking at his brother with desperate sockets, the purple Guardian begged "Please, Dream! You and I have known Raven long enough to know that she wouldn't do those things! I was the one who did this, not her! Raven came right after I ate the apples.."

    Eying Nightmare with wary eyes, the yellow Guardian asked "𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀? 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻."

    Snapping her head at her boyfriend, Raven asks "What happens to people who eat an apple without permission?"

     Nightmare hesitated before answering, "They are s-supposed to be k-killed."