From Murder to Dust

SD - 1 - Shatter

Nightmare chuckled a bit. "All right, you've got me there. I'm going to Dreamtale."

"Your old home?"

"Yes..if I'm remembering correctly, there shouldn't even be anyone there..negativity shouldn't exist."

"Huh..weird. Good luck, Dad!"

"Thank you, Dust. Go play now."

"Okay, Dad!" I lowered myself from the wooden table, heading for the door.

"Watch that hip!"

"I will!"

Walking to the living room was a bit slow, and I doubted that Killer would have been dragging me around for a while..but I would heal eventually. When I reached the living room, I found the rest of my family playing various board games; Killer eyed me eagerly with a backgammon board in front of him.

I was not getting out of that.

~~~~~

Nightmare, because Dust being crushed in board games isn't relevant to this.

~~~~~

As soon as my son left the hospital, I created a portal to my old home, Dreamtale. Stepping through it, I noticed that the grass was as dead as I had left it, and the sky was still a gloomy gray. The events of that day crossed my mind cruelly as I tried to locate the negativity surge; it was nearly overwhelming even me. I did regret eating those apples, but there was nothing I could do to take it back now..I could only hope that everything could have somehow turned out fine in the end. I sighed, knowing that my hope was almost pointless. I noticed that the negativity was next to where the tree used to be..odd. Without too much questioning, I teleported near the tree, finding a familiar figure crying under it: my brother. For a moment, I considered leaving; I had to keep up the illusion that I wanted nothing to do with him, or he would have been intent on helping me keep the balance..I didn't want him to have that sort of responsibility. Of course, I couldn't have just left him; that would have been bad, even if I had found it in my soul to hate him..I didn't. Instead, I made up my mind to speak to him, hopefully cheering him up..I didn't like seeing my brother sad.

"Dream?" I tried not to use a soft tone; that would have been suspicious. "Why are you crying?"

"Why would..y-you care?" Dream hadn't turned. "It's none of y-your business.."

"Negativity is my business." 

"J-just leave me alone.."

I sighed. "You've been getting weaker in battle..does this have to do with that?"

"Go away." Dream was holding something..

"What do you have there?"

"Didn't you hear me?!"

I flinched; my brother had never raised his voice like that..something was wrong..terribly wrong.

"I..can see that this isn't a good time.." I honestly had no idea what to do.

"It doesn't take a genius to realize that." Dream scoffed. "Just go."

"...All right.."

"Wait." Dream seemed to be having a change of soul..did he want me to stay, now?

"Yes?"

"Brother, I shouldn't push you away like that..I'm sorry. You can stay, if you want. I guess I am doing this for you, after all."

"Doing..what?"