Don't have much of a choice... But strangely I feel more in control this way.
[And he's not sure what to make of that. Is that a sign that if he accepts everything he can better control his dreamotion and nostilium? Part of some internal struggle? Is this a good thing that transforming clears his mind more than when he was still a young boy? Maybe it is some kind of reflection... But this isn't the time to dwell on it.
Once Tifa is on, he'll move to face the darkness beyond the invisible barrier where the starflowers still trail ahead of them. Perhaps this barrier is enother construct of this nightmare based on other lingering fears and regrets that may never ever disappear completely. But that doesn't mean he can't get through them.
Feeling more of his usual self returning, he steadies himself before leaping into the air to fly straight through.......
.......
And there is nothing impeding them. They pass through as if nothing is there, but they will feel a blast of snow and ice as if to prove that something did exist there and remains there, a swirl of black fog and icy storm that is now more visible now that they are on the other side.]
[After a warm, even proud smile, she slams her eyes shut and he'll feel her hold around him tighten as they take flight, expecting to be met with the same barrier that they had been before. Instead, they just fly right through and are greeted with ice and snow that batters them on the other side, making her cheeks sting, but she manages to open her eyes against it, her right one feeling like it's been healed.]
Huh? What happened to the barrier...?
[Slowly, she sits up on his back so that she can get a better look around, except there isn't much to look at between all of the fog and ice that swirls around them. Even the starflowers on the ground below are nothing more than a dim cloud of light through it, but at least they can still see them. A small comfort that their light hasn't been snuffed out by the storm.
And in her search, it strikes her that she is no longer the small girl she had been before, nor is he the baby lindworm that he was. Instead, here he is, in all of his glory, as Tifa looks back at the long, wispy tail behind her and the thick mane in front, and she can feel her own strength returning.]
[But this was a nightmare and if this had been something his mind or the nightmare created... Perhaps there is no sense to it. But then his head lifts slightly.]
[Oh? There's a ripple of surprise as he turns his head a bit and realize his body is longer and bigger. Should he try changing back then?
But he can feel that ominous presence and the sense they are still being watched. It feels too...real to be just part of the nightmare, like another entity entirely. But feeling that chilli g grip of the nightmare loosening, he nods.]
Hold on... We're going home.
[Out of this dream space and into reality.
And with that, he flies forward into the darkness, following the trail of starflowers.]
[Just as she thought, that trail of flowers leads them right to where they need to go. She holds on, her fingers curling gently into his mane, noting how it's so much softer than she remembers it being, and she lowers herself close to his body as he flies through the darkness, over the flowers that start to turn that familiar shade of blue the further they go.
She, too, can feel a presence lingering, like eyes watching their backs as they move, but she ignores it for now. At least until they have made it out of her and back to the waking world...
At the end of it all is a soft blue light that flickers, beckoning to them, almost like a field of starflowers waiting to take them home. The closer they get, the warmer she begins to feel, that cold slowly being chased back. And right before they collide into it, she leans down and presses a soft kiss to the top of his back, against a small patch of blackened scales...
That will be when she finally stirs awake, the distant sound of dogs whining becoming closer and clearer in her head. Her face scrunches with sleepiness before she moves, trying to pull herself free from her daze and into consciousness.]
[There's a groan from his end as he stirs but still has yet to fully awaken. The flight through allowed his head to clear, but he still felt something dragging along with him, as if it had latched onto his underside and wouldn't let go. And now, while that ominous ice and frost that had started form on the sheets are gone, his arm still retains some of that black ice around it. It's lessened considerably, and when he finally does move there's a loud hiss of pain as instinctively reaches over to grab it.]
[It's that sound that he makes that finally snaps Tifa awake, and there's a chorus of barks from Valo and Melody, as well as a few of the other dogs that have come in to check on them. Eria sits at the foot of the bed, watching them both through her icy blue eyes, and Tifa glances at her and then at Eustace, her hand going over his. He'll feel a warmth trickling over his skin, the caress of a flame that tries to soothe the pain.]
[He hears her voice and it helps pull him awake, but—
For some reason he hears another voice.
One that seems...familiar. His younger siblings? No... Maybe? Or is it his own? It just...sounds like a child...?
But he can't stay any longer as he feels as if this is more like a trap to suck him back in, and the warmth of Tifa's fire helps pull him the rest of the way out with a gasp, nails digging into the ice that cracks from the force.]
[She says his name gently, calmly, but on the inside, she is terrified. Her eyes say as much should he look at her, and her fingers tremble as she wraps them around his arm, her other going around his shoulders to help stabilize and ground him.]
[She reaches over quickly for the glass of water at her side of the bed and holds offers it to him when he's ready to take it, her other hand now rubbing at his back.]
Take the time you need...
[But she is going to have to ask now sooner than later—]
Are you... feeling okay?
[The obvious answer would be no, and she already knows that, but she wants to ask regardless.]
[Once he feels his body no longer shake, he'll carefully take the water to drink it down, only now realizing how parched his throat is. And after a moment...
...]
Better.
[That's the "best" answer he can give...]
Compared to what we've been through before... It's not the worst.
[The dogs all whine around the bed, with Melody hopping up and into Eustace's lap with a whine, her little black nose sniffing at his face before Eria growls quietly at her in warning to give him some space, and she sits politely instead, waiting. Bri and Aerona lift their paws up onto the bed, and Ivor and Valo sit behind them, watching.]
It was pretty bad.
[Not the worst, no, but it's definitely up there.]
... Think this has anything to do with what happened in Orkili?
[Despite the warning growls, Melody continues to whine and giving Eustace little licks, gestures of affection that Eustace can't help but soften and gently pet her head as if in reassurance before he reaches over to first run his fingers through Eria's fur and ears, the wolf finally letting a low whine through before he pets the others.]
I wouldn't doubt it...no, I'm certain of it. They treated me well, but I'm not surprised that there were some lingering effects... It happened before last time.
[She gives him a moment to greet and reassure all of the dogs, hearing how worried they are, as her hand continues to run along his back, and her head falls to rest on his shoulder. She's trembling like a leaf, but she tries to hold it back for his sake, not wanting to show him that she's as scared or as worried as she is.]
[With the dogs appeased, he can now focus on her. Try as she might, he knows better—how knows how terrified she had been, he could feel it in the dream. So with his arm around her, he rests his head against hers as he holds out his still afflicted arm. It...seems to be recovering, the ice no longer there, but there are those scales again...]
[He can only look at her with some helplessness before he leans in and kisses her gently on the lips.]
I meant what I said. You've already been helping me...you help ground me, remind me that my past is the past and that I have something new and beautiful here. So long as I have you, no matter what happens to me I'll always have a reason to fight back through it.
And a reminder that I don't have to deal with any of this alone. Even... [A small sigh.] Even if I wish you didn't have to, either.
[He gently strokes her arm, but as he thinks back...]
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[And he's not sure what to make of that. Is that a sign that if he accepts everything he can better control his dreamotion and nostilium? Part of some internal struggle? Is this a good thing that transforming clears his mind more than when he was still a young boy? Maybe it is some kind of reflection... But this isn't the time to dwell on it.
Once Tifa is on, he'll move to face the darkness beyond the invisible barrier where the starflowers still trail ahead of them. Perhaps this barrier is enother construct of this nightmare based on other lingering fears and regrets that may never ever disappear completely. But that doesn't mean he can't get through them.
Feeling more of his usual self returning, he steadies himself before leaping into the air to fly straight through.......
.......
And there is nothing impeding them. They pass through as if nothing is there, but they will feel a blast of snow and ice as if to prove that something did exist there and remains there, a swirl of black fog and icy storm that is now more visible now that they are on the other side.]
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Huh? What happened to the barrier...?
[Slowly, she sits up on his back so that she can get a better look around, except there isn't much to look at between all of the fog and ice that swirls around them. Even the starflowers on the ground below are nothing more than a dim cloud of light through it, but at least they can still see them. A small comfort that their light hasn't been snuffed out by the storm.
And in her search, it strikes her that she is no longer the small girl she had been before, nor is he the baby lindworm that he was. Instead, here he is, in all of his glory, as Tifa looks back at the long, wispy tail behind her and the thick mane in front, and she can feel her own strength returning.]
We're...?
[Back.]
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[But this was a nightmare and if this had been something his mind or the nightmare created... Perhaps there is no sense to it. But then his head lifts slightly.]
What is it?
[He can't tell.]
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[She finishes that sentence, looking down at her hands and flexing her fingers.
Which feels like a weight being lifted from her shoulders. At least now, if anything happens, she can defend them a little easier, she hopes.
He'll feel the warmth of her palm press to his back, in contrast to the cold air.]
You've got this.
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But he can feel that ominous presence and the sense they are still being watched. It feels too...real to be just part of the nightmare, like another entity entirely. But feeling that chilli g grip of the nightmare loosening, he nods.]
Hold on... We're going home.
[Out of this dream space and into reality.
And with that, he flies forward into the darkness, following the trail of starflowers.]
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She, too, can feel a presence lingering, like eyes watching their backs as they move, but she ignores it for now. At least until they have made it out of her and back to the waking world...
At the end of it all is a soft blue light that flickers, beckoning to them, almost like a field of starflowers waiting to take them home. The closer they get, the warmer she begins to feel, that cold slowly being chased back. And right before they collide into it, she leans down and presses a soft kiss to the top of his back, against a small patch of blackened scales...
That will be when she finally stirs awake, the distant sound of dogs whining becoming closer and clearer in her head. Her face scrunches with sleepiness before she moves, trying to pull herself free from her daze and into consciousness.]
...Eustace...
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Wake up.
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For some reason he hears another voice.
One that seems...familiar. His younger siblings? No... Maybe? Or is it his own? It just...sounds like a child...?
But he can't stay any longer as he feels as if this is more like a trap to suck him back in, and the warmth of Tifa's fire helps pull him the rest of the way out with a gasp, nails digging into the ice that cracks from the force.]
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[She says his name gently, calmly, but on the inside, she is terrified. Her eyes say as much should he look at her, and her fingers tremble as she wraps them around his arm, her other going around his shoulders to help stabilize and ground him.]
It's okay. It's over... The dream's over.
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Tifa...
[His voice is strained and a little breathless, but...]
I'm fine...just need...a moment...
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Take the time you need...
[But she is going to have to ask now sooner than later—]
Are you... feeling okay?
[The obvious answer would be no, and she already knows that, but she wants to ask regardless.]
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...]
Better.
[That's the "best" answer he can give...]
Compared to what we've been through before... It's not the worst.
[But no less unnerving or worrisome.]
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It was pretty bad.
[Not the worst, no, but it's definitely up there.]
... Think this has anything to do with what happened in Orkili?
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I wouldn't doubt it...no, I'm certain of it. They treated me well, but I'm not surprised that there were some lingering effects... It happened before last time.
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Have you been having a lot of nightmares lately?
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[With the dogs appeased, he can now focus on her. Try as she might, he knows better—how knows how terrified she had been, he could feel it in the dream. So with his arm around her, he rests his head against hers as he holds out his still afflicted arm. It...seems to be recovering, the ice no longer there, but there are those scales again...]
This was the first time since.
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I wish... I wish there was more I could do to help...
[Her voice cracks a little at that, a held back sob of worry bubbling up in her chest that she swallows down.]
I hate seeing you like this.
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You've already done more than you should have needed... Without you who knows how long I would have stayed trapped in that nightmare...or worse.
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[She chews on her lip, her brows furrowing together.]
I want to stop it from happening at all. I thought they treated the nostilium, so why's it coming back?
[And so badly, too?]
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I don't think it can go away completely. Nostilium is just another form of dreamotion... There will always be some there.
It could just be a late side effect.
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[She doesn't mean for her voice to rise slightly, but she's so tired of having to watch him suffer through this over and over.]
This happened last time, too... in that dream...
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I could try and get myself checked again, just in case something was missed.
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Why does it always have to be him? Why is it that every time something bad happens, it's always him? Why them? Why anyone, for that matter?]
I... I hate seeing you like this. I don't want you to have to go back, Eustace. Is there nothing we can do? That I can do?
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I meant what I said. You've already been helping me...you help ground me, remind me that my past is the past and that I have something new and beautiful here. So long as I have you, no matter what happens to me I'll always have a reason to fight back through it.
And a reminder that I don't have to deal with any of this alone. Even... [A small sigh.] Even if I wish you didn't have to, either.
[He gently strokes her arm, but as he thinks back...]
...It does seem strange, though.
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❤️💙 fin.