𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬

Control

Cross was holding onto Dream's hand as they both walked and talked to Shattered in the hand mirror. "And that's how Dream and I can switch places." Shattered concluded his explanation of how he and Dream can switch control over Dream's body. "Cool, can you do it now?" Cross asked wanting to see them transform. "No, I will only do it when necessary." Shattered glared at him and crossed his arms. "Awww, okay." Cross whined, but didn't force him to show his form.

They both sat down on a rock and continued talking to the mirror. Cross tried to make Shattered laugh by telling jokes, but fails dramatically. So Shattered laughed at his failure. "What are you even doing, loverboy?" Shiattered asked him. Cross scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "J-Just trying to gain your trust??" He smiled awkwardly and Shattered just facepalmed. "It takes more to fully earn my trust. So give it a rest. Also your jokes are terrible." Shattered insulted in a nicer way. "Alright, don't wanna Crack you up~" A smirk formed on Cross's face, Dream giggled while Shattered rolled his eye.

When Shattered was about to say something, a knife hit the mirror out of Dream's hand and it broke into pieces. "SHATTERED!" Dream cried out as he reached out for the mirror. As he was about to pick up the remains of the mirror, Cross took his hand and stopped him.
Cross's eyes went full alert as he saw Nightmare and his gang standing a few feet away from them. He summoned his knife and got into a protective stance with Dream behind him.

Nightmare had a crooked smile on his face as he saw how defensive Cross got over Dream. "What are you doing here?!" Cross growled at them while Dream hid himself behind Cross, trying hard not to look at Nightmare's appearance.
Nightmare glared at him. "How adorable, my worthless pathetic brother is cowering behind a traitor." Nightmare chuckled darkly. Dream's negative memories started flooding in his head, voices started screaming in his head. He clenched his head and dropped down on his knees.

Nightmare continued with his damn insults and Cross keeps arguing back. Dream paid no attention to them and only heard voices from the past. Until he heard something that snapped his mind.

"Cross doesn't care about you, Dream. He only wants your aura."

Cross said something to retort that statement, but it was all blurry. Dream could feel the goop flowing through his body, Shattered was gaining control. "Give me control..." He whispered faintly in his mind.
Dream thought for a second and agreed. His consciousness fell into a deep black void as Shattered took over his body.

Dream didn't care if what Nightmare said was true or not. All he wants was to forget about everything that ever happened to him or even die peacefully so no one can be bothered by him anymore. He was such a failure in life and as a guardian. He let himself plunge into darkness and went into a deep sleep with complete silence, not a single sound to be heard.

Cross looked nervously at the goop falling off Dream's body and got more frightened when he saw Shattered's right eye. The gang were also frightened by the sight and backed away from Dream. Nightmare was beyond shocked at what Dream has become.
"B-brother, y-you a-" "SHUT UP!" Shattered threatened him with his tendrils and wrapped them at the gang then flung them away. Only Nightmare and Cross were left standing on their feet. "I've had enough of you torturing him for decades!" Shattered growled at them. "And you!" Shattered faced Cross and threw him a few feet away, causing Dream's old journal to come out of his pocket. Shattered glared at it then stabbed it, shredding the papers inside it. "All that damn lovey-dovey thing was just an ACT to get closer to him, huh?!"

"It's not true!" Cross yelled back. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT'S TRUE OR NOT! YOU WERE NEVER THERE FOR HIM WHEN HE NEEDED YOU!" Shattered growled back. "What kind of boyfriend doesn't even acknowledge what their partner has been through until now?!"

"You're no fit to be with him!" Shattered finished. Cross felt his heart sink from that. He had to make it up to him somehow.

"Brother! Stop this!" Nightmare shouted as he was back in his passive form. "I am not your brother!" Shattered threw him off and teleported somewhere else.