The Raven's Nightmare

CHAPTER ONE

"...and so the hero defeated the villain; saving his world and the entire universe. The end."

"M-mama?"

The said parent turned her attention away from the book and towards her four year old daughter; who was in hysterics with tears and snot dripping from her nose. With widened emerald eyes, the mother exclaimed "Why starlight! Whatever is the matter?!"

With little sniffles the little girl asked, "W-why did the hewo b-beat up the v-vilwain?"

"Well, the villain was trying to destroy everything, starlight, so the hero had to stop them."

With furrowed brows and twinkling minty blue eyes she huffed out, "But that doesn't mean that they have to beat the vilwain up! What if he was just weally sad and needed a hug?!"

The mother couldn't help but smile softly at her child's KINDNESS. Which she got from her mother but the child also inherited her father's PATIENCE. Causing her SOUL to be a unique minty blue color. But she also hopes that she didn't inherit her father's condition as well; with uncontrolled power like that her daughter could be put at risk. Scooping the child up onto her lap, the mother wiped off the leftover tears, "That's why, my little starlight, you don't judge a book by its cover."

The child looked at her in confusion,"What does that mean?"

Looking out the window of their little cottage, she gazed into the night sky; figuring the best way to explain, "Well, it means don't be quick to assume a person's personality by looks or actions alone, because they could be the nicest person you'll ever meet and you don't know if their going through some kind of pain."

"Even if evewyone else says otherwise?"

The mother looked at her with a raised eyebrow, causing her little starlight to fidget in her lap and wave her arms, "W-well there's the pewpurl gawdian that sits all alone at the Twee of Feelings a-and all the townsfolk said that he's evwil! But- but I don't think so! Cwause he always looks so sad! And I wanted to make sure that ain't trwue so I can go over and say hi!"

"Is that why you went to bed earlier than normal?"

With red tinted cheeks, the child avoided eye contact while slowly replying, "Noooo..." This caused her mother's jaw to drop as she bursted out laughing, "Oh my little Raven! You... are a terrible liar!" Smiling and shrugging her shoulders sheepishly, Raven blushed while mumbling out "Sowy..." Laying Raven in her bed and tucking her in, her mother kissed her forehead, "You can go see him as long as he gives you permission to do so. You don't let others opinions stop you from doing what your SOUL wants to do. You are your own person, Raven. Remember that."

"Oki doki mama!"

Raven's mother went to close the door but was stopped by her daughter, "Why do people create vilwains in stories?"

"To tell you the truth starlight, I'm not quite sure since anyone can be a villain; even heroes who are suppose to protect the innocent. But just keep this in mind Raven, every villain has a story to tell." With that said the child closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep; dreaming of villains and erasing all their suffering with a simple hug.

EARLY-AFTERNOON THE NEXT DAY

Tree of Feelings (Nightmare's side)

Nightmare was sitting at his side of the tree with his head in a book, like usual, while Dream was playing with the children; spreading positive energy throughout the town. Just like everyday when Dream left, Nightmare's bullies would come by and insult and throw rocks at him. But lately they haven't been coming around as much; stating 'that they have another freak to teach a lesson to'. Which didn't bother him at all; giving Nightmare more time to read. In fact, he was so into the book that he didn't notice the little pitter patter of feet coming up the hill which stopped a few feet away from him.

"Excuwse me!"

A squeaky voice brought his focus out of his book and onto the owner of the voice. In front of him stood a little girl, about four years old, with a big smile on her face. She had long midnight black hair put into two braids with her bangs almost covering her face and a purple clip attempting to hold it back. She had on a royal purple t-shirt and black overall shorts that stood out from her fair skin; her feet bare. But what truly stood out were her eyes which were a minty blue color that seemed to glow even in broad daylight. With her sparkling smile still plastered on her face she greeted, "Hi!"

"Uuuh..." Nightmare looked around for any sign of the girls parents; finding none he looked back at the girl, "Hi?" This caused the child's eyes to sparkle and her smile to widen even more, if possible, "My name's Raven! And I'm four years old!" She proudly held out four fingers and the Guardian of Negativity shifted awkwardly in place, replying "I'm Nightmare. Uh... where are your parents?" Raven tilted her head innocently, "Mama is at home collecting hewbs to make medicine while papa is out twapping and hunting! So I went hwere to ask if I can pway with you Nightmware!"

He couldn't stop the purple blush from forming; this child just radiated cuteness! But why would she want to play with him? Why not his brother? Nightmare narrowed his eyes at the girl suspiciously; yet he doesn't sense any ill INTENT from Raven. Even if the offer did sound nice; he couldn't really bring himself to trust her. Could you really blame him? Being treated harshly by people for so long, Nightmare developed trust issues. Besides he has the tree to protect since Dream is hardly around to do so. So as nicely as he could, as to not hurt the girls feelings, he replied "I can't. I have to protect the tree from anyone who would want to steal the apples. Why don't you play with Dream?"

Furrowing her brows and puffing out her cheeks, Raven pouted "But-but I don't want to play with Sparkles!" Nightmare eye sockets twitched, almost bursting out in laughter at the nickname for Dream, but held it in when what she said caught him off guard, "Besides I'm not weally fond of him..."

What? Did he hear that right? Someone actually doesn't like Dream? The Guardian of Positivity?

"Why?"

A blush covered her face as she avoided eye contact, "Pwomise not to laugh?" An amused smirk made its way across Nightmare's skull, "I'll promise to try not to laugh." Raven smirked back, "I guess that'll have to do!" She sat criss crossed on the ground; making herself comfortable, "Okay! I was doing an erwand for mama in the town when I walked passed him as he was tawking to a gwoup of kids and the sun, for some darn dwiddly reason, shined down on him! And it made him spawkle so mwuch that he tempowarily blinded me! Then- then the next thing I knew," she clapped her hands together causing Nightmare to jump, "I ran into a frigging wall and caused me a nose bweed!" She finished with a serious look on her face.

Nightmare couldn't hold it in any longer; he busted out laughing. Holding his nonexistent stomach as purple tears fell down his cheekbones; falling to his side on the grass, he wheezed out "So... so the... re-reason you d-don't like my brother.... is because he's too shiny?!" With her face glowing completely red, Raven frantically waved her arms around, "No! Not shiny! Spawkly! He was spawkly! I'm serwus!" But in the end, she ended laughing with him. After a few minutes of joyous laughter, the child looked at him with a kind smile causing the skeleton to look at her weirdly, "What?"

"You looked mwuch better with a smile than a frown on your face..."

A wind blew around them; causing Raven's bangs to move from her face as she looked up at the darkening sky. Has time passed that quickly? Nightmare's sockets widened while purple dusted his cheeks at the sight before him as she focused those glowing minty blue orbs on him, "I always see you hwere looking so sad and lownely. I don't have any fwiends cause evewyone here labweled my fwamily as fweaks and outcasts. Just bwecause we live in the fowest than the vwillage and like kweeping to owselves. But I get weally lownely sometwimes where it mwakes my SOUL ache." With misty eyes and a wavering smile directed at Nightmare she asked, "Since we're bwoth lownely, I was wondering if you want to be lownely togwether? Want to be fwiends?"

THU-THUMP

Nightmare clenched the area where his SOUL resided; letting out a shuddering breath he didn't know he was holding. Purple tears slowly flowed down from his sockets as he chocked out his answer, "Y-yeah... I want to be f-friends." Happy tears flowed down Raven's rosy cheeks as she smiled brightly at him, "Well then, hello fwiend!" What she didn't expect was her new friend tackling her in a hug as he allowed his tears to fall; finally feeling something other than pain.

HOPE for a better future.