NEXT DAY
Raven was wondering through town in search of her tormentors. Usually, the small child would try to avoid them if possible but today would be different. She was a girl on a mission and she was determined to accomplish it no matter what. The minty blue eyed girl knew if those three agreed to her deal, that there was a chance she won't be able to survive it. Yet it would be worth it if it meant that she would be able to protect and keep Nightmare away from those goons for a good while.
Raven knew if he found out then the Guardian would be extremely upset but it was a good thing she found out that her father had 'talked' to her bullies parents or she wouldn't have concocted her plan in the first place. Sure, her father's action probably would have stopped Raven's tortures but not Nightmare's. She wasn't blind to how the townsfolk treated the Guardian of Negativity; she was aware the moment she started watching him from afar. It might sound creepy at first but she didn't mean any harm in it; it was just that she was too shy to try and introduce herself to the quiet skeleton. As far as she can understand, Nightmare has most likely been bullied way before she was even thought of. That's why she's taking advantage of her father's 'talk' so that no one becomes suspicious if Terrence and his goons automatically start to leave him alone.
'It's a gwood thwing mama is intwent on teaching me hwealing mwagic..'
After witnessing Raven produce a 'Kindness Sheild', Salem has been nagging at her to practice her magic more than usual; that's why she wasn't able to play with Nightmare the other day since she was training. Which the young mage doesn't mind as she can use her healing magic for her plan. Looking around the empty streets of the town of DreamTale, since it was early morning, the child finally found the three people she was looking for.
Eyes widening in slight panic as the child realized they were heading in the direction of the Tree of Feelings, Raven ran up to them while shouting "Terrence!" Snapping his head towards her, the said rabbit monster snarled "What do you want, brat?!"
❤︎RAVEN'S POV❤︎
I almost coward in fear at his tone but stood my ground as I narrowed my eyes at him, "You lweave Nwighty alone! Huwrt me instwead!"
"Why should I? You're stupid father is just going to tattle to mine if he see's even a scratch on ya!"
I clenched my fist in anger as I yelled out, "My papa is nwot stupid! He is a grweat hunter! Bwesides, he's nwot going to fwind out!"
He leaned down to my height as he sneered out, "Oh yeah? How?"
I gave him a sneer back, "Mama's a hwealer, so I know a thwing about using hewrbs."
Tilting his head to the side, the stupid rabbit hummed out "Hmmm... I don't know... what do you think guys?"
I peeked around Terrence to see Diana and Kyle as they looked at each other questionably.
"I'm fine with it. What about you Diana?"
Giving me a vicious smirk, the cat crowed "Having our own personal punching bag? Hell yeah!"
An amused look appeared on the rabbit's white furred face as he turned to me, "I guess there you have it. So, you better meet us here at this time everyday for your beating or..." I let out a yelp as he harshly grabbed me by my black hair as he brought me up to eye level while my hands gripped his "we'll be paying good ol' Nwighty a visit in your place."
Blinking back the tears that threaten to spill, I stayed silent.
"I'm glad we came to an agreement. Pleasure doing business with ya, friend."
I landed harshly on my butt with a loud THUD as I watched the trio walk in the opposite direction to do who knows what. I guess that they decided to show MERCY just this once? I bet they're saving energy for my beating tomorrow...
I felt a shiver run down my spine at the thought of tomorrow; I better start practicing more on my magic if I want to hide the oncoming injuries that I'll receive.
"𝗛𝗲𝘆! 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?"
I flinched at the sudden bubbly voice as I turned to see Nightmare's brother, Dream, running up to me. Only giving a nod in confirmation, I stayed silent as he questioned "𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗲?"
I was starting to feel uncomfortable around him as I tried to inch my way around the bubbly skeleton while whispering, "Yes..."
There was an awkward silence for a moment before he commented, "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁, 𝗵𝘂𝗵?"
I stayed silent just to prove a point as he finally relented while giving a nervous chuckle, "𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿? 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻!" With that said he ran off as I gave an annoyed huff.
I don't care if he's the Guardian of Positivity! That doesn't give him the excuse to leave Nightmare to protect the tree alone! If Dream was with Nightmare more often, he would finally know how everyone treats him! But instead he continues to be irresponsible and oblivious and goes around to spread positive energy where ever the townsfolk leads him. I can't help but feel disappointed in the bright Guardian since he doesn't seem that bad of a person. Shaking myself out of my roaming thoughts I start to jog in the direction of my friend.
As soon as I reached the top of the hill, I was greeted by the welcoming face of Nightmare. I couldn't stop the bright smile forming on my face as my jog turned into a full on sprint until I tackled him into a hug. I nuzzled my face into his clothes as his familiar smell of old books, crisp apples, and the cool night air began to calm my beating heart.
He chuckled while he greeted, "Hey, Starlight! What have you been up to?"
I only shrugged as I replied, "Nwothing mwuch..." I looked up at him as I then apologized, "I'm sowy I wasn't hwere yestwerday, Nwighty! Mama had me trwainimg my mwagic..."
His purple eye lights turned into stars in excitement, "Oh? How'd you do?"
Jumping in place from my own excitement, I rambled "Mama said thwat I am doing quite well fwor a begwinner! She started to tweach me the bwasics of hwealing mwagic! Now I can mwake my hands grow gweener much....longer..."
I slowly looked down at my hands as suddenly I started to see flashes of purple liquid run down them like when I held... Nightmare's... head... that time...
Before I knew it my breathing became labored and it got hard to breath...
☽NIGHTMARE'S POV☽
"Raven?"
I leaned down on one knee to get to her height when I noticed that her hands were shaking and her breathing became labored; she was starting to get into a panic attack! I quickly grabbed her hands as I coaxed, "Raven, look at me!"
She slowly looked up with wide dilated eyes, I continued "What ever you see, it's not real! I'm here and in one piece! So breath with me, ok?!"
With a shaky chuckle she stated, "B-bwut you're nwothing bwut all bones! S-so you twechnically don't nweed to bweath..."
I couldn't help but let a small laugh escape me; trying to lighten the situation with humor...
"Well, I heard this helps. So repeat after me... breath in through you mouth..."
We both breathed in.
"Now out through your nose..."
I was the only one to do this while the little Starlight did a mixture of exhaling and a held in laugh that made her face contort into an odd grimace.
...............
I barked out a laugh as I tried to get out, "W-wha-at was t-hat?!"
Laughing along with me she explained between giggles, "I-it's just thwat...! Pfft! You don't have a nwose, Nwighty! So oxygwen just gwoes right through you!"
I raise my finger as I try to find a retort for that... but I can't.
Cause she's right...
So I did the only thing that came to mind...
I jazzed hands while mysteriously saying, "Maaagic~"
"Bwut I have mwagic...?"
"Uh... monster... thing?~"
We broke into more fits of laughter until we finally calmed down. I looked back at the young mage with concern, "Raven, are you ok?" The said child looked down as she bit her lip; I can sense a lot of negativity from her:
Sadness
Guilt
Self loathing
Rage
I'm getting more concerned with the last one since Salem told me to keep an eye socket on it because of the 'condition' of her SOUL. But, it's not much to be worried about since it's mixed with the other emotions.
"It still bwothers me..."
"Huh?"
She looks back up at me with narrowed eyes, "It still bwothers me thwat thwey huwrt you!" She spat the words like venom in her mouth as I sensed more RAGE bubble within in her. So in order to calm her down, I swiftly picked her up bridle style and walked to my side of the tree; sliding down the trunk so Raven can sit on my lap. I started to undo her braids and redo her long black hair as I reassured, "I'm fine now, Raven! If it weren't for you, I would have turned to dust by now! Plus, your dad talked to their parents! So they should leave us alone now!" Or more specifically her since I know they will never leave me alone...
She hesitated for a moment as a felt another wave of guilt from her... why is she feeling guilty for?
"I know... it's just thwat I wished I mwade it to you sooner... thwen mwaybe I could have stopped thwem..."
Oh... so she's feeling guilty from that? Understandable but unnecessary.
"But, Starlight... you could have gotten hurt as well! Then we'd both could have been put at risk!"
She let out a sad sigh, "I know..."
A sigh of my own leaves my mouth as I try to find another topic to keep her mind busy until I ask the question that's been bothering me, "Raven?"
"HHmm?"
"Why do you wear the same clothes everyday?"
She looks up at me from my lap, forcing me to pause my work on her hair as she gives me a knowing smile "It's becwause my other clothes are all dwesses! I wather go nwaked than wear a dwess! I've dwone it before!"
Wait... she went running around naked before?!
I couldn't stop my face from turning purple in embarrassment as I groaned, "Of course you would do something like that! Let me guess, your mother tried to put one on you and you retaliated?"
She gave me a proud smile while chirping, "Yup!"
I shook my head in disbelief while chuckling, "What about shoes?"
"Oh... I dwon't like thwem either! They're too constwicting! Bwut mama said she's mwaking something spweacial for the winter! It's with one of the furs papa gwot from his hunting twip!"
As if to prove her point, a cold gust of wind blew through us; causing Raven to let out a shudder. All of a sudden, she let out a sharp gasp that made me jump in surprise as the bubbly child that I call my friend turned to face me as she started to pull my cheekbones, squealing "I almost forgwot! There's Gyftmas, too! I gwot to fwind a gwift for you! Bwut we gwot plenty of twime for thwat since we got All Hollows Eve coming up!"
All Hollows Eve?
Grabbing her hands to stop her attack on my face I asked, "What's All Hollows Eve?"
Raven gave me a look as if I'd gone crazy before letting out a sound of understanding, "Ooohhh! Thwat's right! Papa did say nwot many people celebwate it anymore! Okay! Listen up!"
Then, the little Starlight went on a whole lecture about the holiday that her and her parents celebrate; explaining that it usually lands on the Harvest Moon where the moon gets big and bright with a red tint to it. That they usually prepare a huge feast and to give their thanks for a good harvest; how they dress up in animal furs and dance around a bonfire to ward off evil spirits. This holiday seems kind of fun!
"And it's an aaaallll nwight thwing! That's why your coming, Nwighty!"
"Wha?"
Giving me a determined stare with a bright smile, Raven confirmed "Ya heard me! You're coming either you lwike it or nwot! Thwat's why I'm tweaching you the steps to the dwances!"
Shaking my head frivolously, I denied "Nope! Nope! Nope! I can't dance!" She completely ignored me as she grabbed my hands and yanked me off the ground.
This is how I spent most of my day; being taught how to dance by a four year old.