The Raven's Nightmare

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

   "What...? But... but that's barbaric! You two are brothers! You wouldn't kill your own brother, would you Dream?!"

     The said skeleton cringed at the mention of killing Nightmare as he loudly defended, "𝗡𝗼! 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁! 𝗜'𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀!"

    Terrence looked at Dream in shock before yelling out, "But they destroyed the sacred tree! Plus she's a mage! A danger to this town! I bet her damn parents are too!"

     Raven gritted her teeth as RAGE flared through her body, "You leave my parents out of this, Terrence!"

    "𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆?"

    The young woman looked at the Guardian of Positivity with fresh tears cascading down her cheeks as Nightmare held her closely, "Y-yes... they were."

     Tilting his head in confusion, Dream echoed "𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲?"

    Looking down in shame and remorse, Raven hesitated before stating the truth "T-they died yesterday. I-I lost control a-and in the p-process, killed them-but I d-didn't mean-"

    "You killed your own parents?!"

    "Murderer!"

     Nightmare's grip on his girlfriend tightened as she started to shake from FEAR and grief, growling out "She didn't mean too! She lost control due to-COUGH!"

     The purple Guardian started coughing up chunks of the dark substance that has been increasingly pooling out of him; distracting his brother and the mage as it caused the perfect opportunity for Terrence to summon multiple knives and launch them at the unsuspecting couple. Upon seeing the ATTACK, Raven pushed Nightmare away and used her body to shield him as the magical weapons pierced her abdomen and the area right where her heart was located.

     Silence.

       Nightmare locked gazes with those minty blue orbs that he loved as Raven gave a wobbly bloody smile as she shakily whispered out, "N-Night...m-mare..." before stumbling back.

    "R-Raven!"

     Catching her before she hit the ground, the traumatized skeleton attempted to stop the bleeding as he covered her fatal wounds with shaky hands, desperately reassuring "I-It's ok... everyt-thing is going to be f-fine...!"

     The dying girl placed a pale hand on her love's cheek; forcing a small smile, Raven whispered "I-I'm so h-happy you're ok..."

   "Don't talk..! Save you're strength...!"

    Nightmare snapped his attention to his brother in desperation as purple and black tears cascaded down his face, begging "Dream! Please save her! S-she's dying!"

    Yellow tears poured down the Guardian of Positivity's sockets as he quickly shut them and faced away from his heartbroken brother; knowing there was nothing he could do to help. Betrayal and anguish welled up within Nightmare as a broken sob escaped his throat while bringing Raven closer to him as some form of HOPE that she was going to live through this; even though deep down within his cracking SOUL he knew she won't.

    "N-Night...mare...?"

      Looking down at the paling woman, the skeleton couldn't help the few black and purple tears landing on Raven's cheeks. Letting out a few rattling coughs, the mage breathlessly wheezed "C-can you p-promise me... s-something?"

     "Anything for you, Starlight..."

     "C-can you... COUGH... promise m-me to continue l-living for me? E-even after I-I'm gone...?"

     Nightmare's breath hitched at the question; knowing that living was going to be nigh impossible for him without his Starlight. But if it's something that she's asking him to do; he doesn't have the SOUL to say no.

    "Y-yeah.. I promise..."

     Tears gracefully streamed down Raven's cheeks as her breathing became labored and her heart started slowing, "N-Nightmare... I-I l-love-"

     She was cut off as the anguished skeleton placed a kiss on the mage's bloody lips that was filled with longing, passion, grief, and love. Gingerly grasping his shirt, Raven kissed back with equal devotion before her body became limp as her heart finally came to a halt. Noticing the lack of movement from his best friend, his starlight to his night sky, Nightmare started to gently shake her while calling out, "R-Raven...?"

    No answer.

    "Starlight...?"

     Silence.

     "N-no... nononononono! P-please wake up, Raven!"

    ☽NIGHTMARE'S POV☽

    She's gone...

    I've lost her...

    It's all their fault...!

    They're all going to pay with their lives!

❣︎AUTHOR'S POV❣︎

Nightmare's eye lights disappeared from his sockets as he gritted his teeth in anger; bringing the corpse of the only person he cared for into a protective embrace as her head limply leaned sideways. Her glowing minty blue eyes lifeless and dull, her fair complexion now an ashy grey, and her midnight colored hair sticking out from its braid. Black goop dripped from the cracks littered on the Guardian's skull onto Raven's lifeless frame, some of the substance getting into her wounds, as the skeleton shakily brushed the girl's bangs from her face.

"Don't worry Starlight, I'll make them pay."

Dream tensed at his brother's change in voice; it was deep and echoey. All he sensed was ill INTENT from Nightmare that sent shivers up his spine. A gasped escape from the positive Guardian as Nightmare let out a rumbling growl as he steadily lifted his skull to glare daggers at the group in front of him.

CRACK

SQUELCH

Before the terrified skeleton could process what happened, a tendril erupted from the enraged skeleton and struck Terrence through the stomach. The rabbit monster let out a pained gurgling scream as he was lifted up in the air and brought in front of a sneering Nightmare. Wide fearful red eyes locked onto empty sockets as the skeleton hissed out, "You'll be the first to die."

CRACK

Another black appendage sprouted from his back and wrapped around the rabbits neck and pulled.

Separating his head from his body.

Terrified screams could be heard from the townsfolk as they made an attempt to escape but they were quickly struck down with a SPLAT as a third tendril joined in the chaos as Dream just numbly stood there as he witnessed his brother become a true NIGHTMARE.