For You, I Live

Ch.2 Turning Point

1st Pov

I yelled at them. How could they hurt my brother. He was innocent. It wasn't his fault he was a negativity spirit. There was a balance for emotions. You can't have positivity without negativity. That they should be ashamed of themselves. That I wouldn't share my positivity with them if they kept hurting him. That's when the first rock was thrown. Then another. And another. Soon I fell to the ground and was covered in cuts and bruises. But, I stayed strong. Then I had an idea. If they were busy hurting me, then they weren't hurting her brother. So, when they finished throwing stuff at me. I got up. Looked them in the eyes and told them I would keep helping them and they could even hurt me, in return they would stay away from my brother. If not I would take away their positivity. I didn't know how to do it with magic yet, but I knew it would happen if the tree corrupted. Which is what would happen anyways if they continued to hurt Nightmare. So they were screwed anyways. Luckily they didn't call me on my bluff.

And so the path to the beginning of the end was set. I would wake up, go to town, help heal people, spread positivity, get beaten up, clean/heal myself, go back to the tree, spend time with nightmare, and go to sleep. This continued for five years. How Nightmare hadn't figured it out was pure luck. There were a few close calls, but I managed. I wanted to tell him. To cry and scream about the cruelty of the villagers. I could tell I was depressed again, but then I would remember that in other Dreamtales Nightmare was the one to get beaten, and his self loathing and loneliness is what caused him to eat the apple. I didn't want Nightmare to die. So as long as Nightmare was happy I would try to happy. I had to stay positive for Nightmare. I was a guardian of positivity, so it shouldn't be to hard. Even so, I set up a fail safe. I got 2 boxes and put 3 of each apple in each box, careful not to touch the negative apples, and placed them in my inventory.

Then came that hateful day. I was doing my rounds spreading positivity, then out of nowhere something hit me in the face. Hard. I was knocked on my back. Then came the beating. Something hit my spine. I couldn't see what was going on! I couldn't see at all! I felt bones break and magic flow. This was the worst beating yet. I couldn't heal myself fast enough to keep up with my injuries. Then as quickly as it started, it stopped. Then I felt someone begin to drag me. I couldn't tell where. Everything was fuzzy. I was having a hard time thinking straight. After what felt like an eternity they dropped me. I heard Nightmare. Oh no, I heard Nightmare! They're were going to hurt him! I can hear them yelling. What were they going to do to him? Then I hear coughing. It was wet and thick. That's when I knew what was going on. He ate the apples. I forced myself to crawl over to where I sensed his negativity. No one stopped me.

"Nightmare, Nightmare please don't leave me. I love you, please don't leave me alone." I said in a quiet, raspy voice.

"It'll *cough* be ok Drea- Dreamy *cough*. I'll pro- *cough* protect you like you *cough* protected m-me *cough* all th-this time. *Cough*. Just remem- remember *cough* who I was *cough*," were the last words Nightmare said before the loud sound of bones shattering filled the evening. Then the screams. I couldn't see what was going on but I knew Corrupted Nightmare was killing them all. I tried crawling to the tree, which was so far untouched, when I felt something bump into my hand. It was an apple. And, a golden one by the feel of it. It must have fallen off the tree in the chaos. I can tell the tree was becoming more negative by the second. The balance was tipping. So I did the only thing I could think of. I ate the apple.

It was delicious. Like if you took the world's most delicious apple and multiplied that by one thousand. Then you might have an idea of how good it tasted. Then I felt the overwhelming positivity of the multiverse. It was both like a warm embrace and getting hit by a truck at the same time. I felt more powerful then I had in my entire existence. Like I had the multiverse at my fingertips. I used that power to heal myself. Quickly, bones snapped back into place. Cracks old and new healed. I could feel my face burning. When I brought my hands to my face I realized why I couldn't see the entire top of my skull was missing. Though it seemed to be growing back. Literally, before my eyes. Soon it was fixed. Finally, I could see again. I immediately regretted it. The sky was red. Bodies were scattered everywhere. Blood, dust, limbs, and organs were splayed out all over. Nothing was left untouched by the carnage. The village was in shambles. I may have felt they deserved what they got, but it was still a horrible sight. By the time I snapped out of it, the screaming had stopped. I sat up and tried to sense where Nightmare was when a puddle of thick black ooze materialized on the ground. Slowly it grew upwards I until it took the form of Corrupted Nightmare in all his gloomy glory. I couldn't feel Nightmare's magic. And when I looked into that cyan eye I knew this wasn't Nightmare anymore. So I cried. I cried for my failures to protect my brother. I cried for my pain and suffering. I cried for the beings of the multiverse that would suffer at Corruptions's hands. I knew my pain would only give him strength, but I had reached my breaking point. I had suffered and lost, only to have suffered and lost again. So I did the one thing in both lives I refused to do. To end my suffering.

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*You asked for the MERCY of death, but he REFUSED.

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He said my pain was deliciously sweet and he wanted to taste it more. Just as he begins to reach out for me I feel myself quickly becoming stiff. Starting from my legs and up my arms. When I look down, I see that I'm becoming stone. My suffering may not be ending, but at least I could rest. The last thing I see is Corruption seething with anger. As of the very wind was whispering to me I hear, Rest now my child, heal your weary soul. Then all I know is darkness.