Dreams and Nightmares

Dreamland. It was yet another name among the sea of many. A world that once existed and perhaps still does. Though the mention of it seemed somewhat… serene, even when simply reading the name from a useless piece of paper. In fact, it was probably a little bit questionable as to how this piece of paper managed to find itself in Noheme’s hands. She was merely going through one of the many cities of Fiore, this one named Rose Garden when a rather shady individual approached her. His face mostly covered signified that he didn’t want his identity to be revealed so easily, yet he claimed to be simple messenger who was looking for the goddess. Right, simply really the word that should be used in connection with this one tailed girl. After all, she was very much something that you should consider out of the ordinary. And what was she doing in Rose Garden in the first place? Well… not much, actually. She was simply going for a walk, something that seemed pretty out of character for her. Yet, she fell in love with the magical charm of the place, especially once the night reclaimed the skies. All the lacrima light would illuminate the streets, the magical adornments and pieces of art decorating the streets, different smells and sounds everywhere from the shops and restaurants that were all over the place! It was indeed nothing short of magical, reminding the goddess as to why she set out on her quest to understand humans in the first place.

She wanted to understand their culture, their behaviour and reasons behind their actions. It had to be something very unique and creative if it managed to form such a beautiful sight, even for a god that had plenty of experiences with things that others would consider beautiful. Or perhaps it was exactly because of that? After all, everything could become mundane for you after you spend enough time living alongside it. It was why humans loved to travel the land, visit different places. Because even if they lived in the prettiest piece of land in Earthland, it would be a norm for them, something they see every day and they’re sick of it. For someone like that, even the more ugly things could become miraculous. A concept that was for once not alien to the goddess. With a sigh of mild annoyance, she seated herself on one of the many benches, a street light shining upon the letter in her hands with a blue hue. It was a rather pretty envelope that she receive, black in color with golden adornments and trim. A crimson red seal was keeping it together in the middle, a symbol on it that the girl didn’t recognize. So it wasn’t from anyone she personally knew, what a shame. At least then she would be able to tell them off for being annoying like this. But instead, she had to reads words written by probably a complete stranger to her.

While it was quite pretty on the outside, it was quite useless like this. So despite the careful choice of pretty outside looks, Noheme had to rip the envelope open to reveal it’s content. A carefully written letter scented by something that smelled like lemons. The writing was rather neat and very tidy. There was no doubt that the person who wrote this took a great care that it would be pleasing to the eye from the first look, and the fox girl certainly appreciated that. After all, she was a goddess and one should do their best to please a god! Thanks to that, the writer already had her attention, her eyes quickly darting over the individual words and sentences. What was written in it, it was… quite unexpected, honestly. And to sum it up, it was a job request. Job that was so difficult that it was labeled as a 100-year one, the greatest challenge any mage could face. How interesting. Well, it was only natural that people in dire situation such as this one would turn towards powerful beings like Noheme. That was precisely what was going on here after all, whoever wrote this letter made sure that the girl would read it and then accept it’s offer. Well, it didn’t provide much information to be honest. It was rather vague in all descriptions, explained by the fact that anyone could steal the letter and try to interfere with the already prepared plans. So instead of putting all the vital info into one letter, it simply mention a location and time where she could meet her employer for this new adventure.  

Honestly, it placed a smirk on the girl’s face. Something like this meant that people were finally starting to notice the goddess that walked among mere mortals, her goal was finally getting at least a little bit closer. And after a job of this magnitude would be finished by her, there was absolutely no way she would not be recognized across entire Fiore. Yes, that was the other part of her mission in this mortal realm. As she was to learn about everything, she also wanted to gain new followers and worshipers, people that would recognize her anytime, anywhere. Was that something selfish? Probably. In the eyes of most humans, it surely would be considered as such. But for Noheme, it was her very purpose. After all, what was a god who did not have any worshipers. That was what made a regular being into a higher power. The fact that others would believe in them. That was the ideology that the fox girl followed her entire existence. God slaying magic was not any more effective against her as it would be against a regular human. That was because she simply wasn’t a god in a literal sense of speaking. She was merely selected to be one, as several Joyans in a certain tribe started worshiping her as the two-faced goddess of the Moon, all only because of chain of lucky events.

Or perhaps some even higher and omnipotent power arranged it all. Those worshiped as gods having their own gods, it was a twisted and never ending road to the heavens. Because no matter how hard you would try, there would always be someone stronger than you. That was simply how reality itself worked, not even this world. A topic that anyone could think about until the end of days, even Noheme. But she decided against the idea, simply letting it all slip away from her mind. After all, she was meant to enjoy this night in Rose Garden, not think about the purpose of life. And the meeting with her employer would be in few days, so there was plenty of days to waste. It merely meant that she should not go on any long-lasting adventures until it was all done and said. Not really a problem, considering she had quite a bit of action behind her. Even someone who loved action and battle such as herself needed a moment of respite every now and then. The body she had was still a mortal one, no matter how much it would get infused with Noheme’s divine powers. That fact was just something unchanging and she had to remember that, plan accordingly and be careful not to overdo it. So for now, she just stretched at the bench, looking around for anything that could be fun at all. Plenty of distractions in a tourist trap like this. Even exploring throughout the whole night would not bring the girl anywhere remotely close to knowing every nook and cranny of this place.

And that was a good thing, something that would place away the goddess’ fear of perfection. As odd as it sounded, that was in fact something she was afraid of. Becoming perfect, it would mean that the whole world would become extremely dull and boring. Once you try everything, you also lose everything. Being the strongest, not having anyone who could even remotely put up a fight against you, it sounded just terrible. A fate that the fox girl wanted to avoid, even though it seemed almost impossible in the first place. But with her infinite lifespan, perhaps it was not actually unachievable. Some would probably argue that she could then move onto a different world and explore that anew, but… for some reason, Noheme was tied to Earthland. While she had her own dimension that she ruled, she was unable to explore other worlds as freely as this one. It was strange and really, there was no concrete answer as to why that was the case. Even the one she called ‘Creator’, the one who seemingly gave the girl life in the first place didn’t provide answer to that question. And if he could not provide it, then who in the world could? Noheme was not interested in chasing phantoms and fairy tales that did not exist in the real world. So instead of thinking about it, the girl jumped up onto her feet and started walking towards the nearest fun-looking thing that she spotted, ready to let some steam off.

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Several days passed with the goddess not really doing anything worthwhile. She simply relaxed and enjoyed her life for a bit, having Ai Eden on her side for whenever she was feeling a bit lonely. And the servant was always glad to please her in any given situation, any given time. And finally, the day would come. The day when Noheme was meant to meet with this employer of hers, see about this ‘extreme’ job she was supposed to do. It really wakened her curiosity, as a normal job of this class would be something people should take care of immediately, lest the whole world would suffer the consequences. But apparently this one wasn’t quite like that, as there was no issue with waiting several days just to get the info about what she was supposed to do. It seemed a little bit strange, making the girl question the nature of this job in the first place. And soon enough, she would find herself standing in front of the gates that marked territory of Neutral Grounds. A place that was filled with technology, the air humming with the melody of running engines and pipes nearly bursting with the steam that was running inside of them. A place highly reminiscent of Motor City, place that the girl already visited in her past and even saved it from a total collapse.

A machine that took 4 500 lives in total, and would many more if not stopped. She had a little help from a dog demon back then as well, Cirven. He was an interesting fellow to say the least, and his power something others should fear. But of course not as strong as the goddess herself. She was the strongest one after all, an unstoppable force of nature. Nature… something that this place somewhat lacked. The landscape was destroyed and shifted around to make space for the metallic and concrete structures, run by soulless machines that would make work easier for the humans. Noheme was not a human, but she could understand the desire to make one’s work more simple and less energy consuming. But the fact that it was at the expense of everything around felt a little wrong. But at least she wasn’t one of those nature obsessed gods, so it wasn’t like she would curse these people just because they wiped out few forests from the face of the Earthland. Walking on the cobblestone streets filled with people, she started looking for the place where they were meant to meet. It was some sort of scientific station as far as she knew, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Though everything here looked futuristic in one aspect or another, so perhaps it wasn’t as easy as she first imagined it to be. Other people too were rushing to places where they were supposed to be, children standing on the corners and giving out newspapers to those that passed by. It really was a busy place, driven by the engines of industry and stress of daily life.

Noheme could hardly understand half of it. Not that she was really trying to be completely honest. She wasn’t all that interested in local culture, as it appeared somewhat wasteful to her. Despite her quest to learn about humans and their customs, she didn’t have to learn about every little thing she came across, right? Yes, it was her own task and her own goal, so why not alter it slightly from time to time, just so it could fit her situation more. Thankfully it was not really needed for her to be outside like this for too long. The place really was quite easy to find once she got into the correct part of Neutral Grounds, spotting the building with white sheets covering it rather swiftly. Upon entering, the atmosphere changed rather drastically as well. Something that could remind her of laboratory expanded in front of her, several operating tables that were re-purposed around along with a single, pristine white table in the middle. And behind it, a fairly short girl with brown hair in a ponytail and glasses staring back. She was dressed in a white lab coat, though it was already stained by oil and grease that was pretty much everywhere in this place. And her expression quickly changing to smile when she spotted the goddess enter.

"Miss Noheme! So you really came, oh thank goodness. We might be saved yet! Please, come here and sit down. I’m sure you have a lot of question in regards to your mission, and I’ll be more than happy to provide all the answer you seek. Oh, let me make us some coffee as well, it’s a long story se it’ll be for the best if we have something to moist our throats first!" With a bit confused and uncertain look, the fox girl would indeed come over with a cautious step, eventually sitting in the pretty comfortable wooden chair and leaning her hands on the table in front of her. It took a minute before the rather energetic girl came back with two cups of coffee and a bowl of dark chocolate, placing it all down onto the table. Sitting down across Noheme, she offered a gentle smile before taking a sip. "Alright, so you’re the one hiring me. You clearly know who I am and quite a bit about me as well, it seems. Who are you though? I have no problem working with shady people, but I’d like to at least know how to call you.” It would sound a bit rude to call her four-eyes just because she had those thick glasses on. ”Ah, my apologies! Call me Athene, pleasure to meet you Ms. Noheme. Though I’m afraid you won’t have to use that name all too often in your task.” A much more serious look engulfed the girl’s expression as she pushed up her glasses a little bit, looking straight at the goddess of moon in front of her.

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”Long ago, this world that we call Earthland was quite different you see. It was a combination of two different realms actually, one of humans and one of spirits. One being the Earthland just slightly different from the one you know, while the other one was called Dreamland. When these two worlds were connected, humanity and spirits, along with other beasts lived in complete and perfect harmony. It’s not known how something like that was achieved, especially among so many different sentient beings, but that’s not really of that much importance right now. What is important is the fact, that the two worlds are no longer connected. As time passed, humanity started to advance while the other life forms stayed true to the ways of old, never changing. Because of this, everyone slowly started to grow apart. And eventually, the two worlds would be divided, humanity able to visit dreamland only in the state of dreaming and spirits able to visit humanity only when they were asleep. We believe that this was also caused by an entity that calls itself the King of Dreamland. We are not quite sure what that being truly is, but we do know that they are extremely powerful. They wanted this change, but other spirits and residents of Dreamland started to miss their mortal companions. And because of that, the King decided to use drastic measures. He set some sort of powerful magic into motion, causing humans to fall asleep and be consumed by horrid nightmares, one by one."

"The process is slow, but it is there! Even as we speak, many humans are falling asleep and being consumed by their horrible dreams that will hold them in Dreamland for reasons we do not understand. Yet, we must not rush this… others laugh at me, but I am certain of this danger! Which is why I’ve send for you, Ms. Noheme. You are a deity from Joya, are you not? A higher being that decided to walk among mortals. I won’t ask why despite my curiosity, but I must beg you! Only someone like you can help us now, lest we will all succumb to the endless sleep. It would be the end of humanity itself! We do not know what the King plans to do next, but it cannot possibly be anything good. You have to stop him!” Honestly, Noheme didn’t care much for the entire story. But it seemed important to the girl, so she kept on listening. And only once they reached the end of that tale she smirked, smashing her fists against each other with aura of confidence engulfing her. ”So I just have to go to this different world and beat the King up, right? Sounds simple enough, so you can count on me!” The researcher’s eyes literally lit up with hope as the goddess spoke those words, though she did cough a little bit at the end. There was a little thing she had to mention, something Noheme would not quite like.

”Dreamland is different from Earthland. Much like an actual dream, all that happens there does not quite happen in reality. Which means that… well… direct violence is not an option. You cannot hurt anyone in Dreamland and no one can die in Dreamland. It is possible to feel pain in there, but that’s about it. It will not linger at all.” Hearing those words did freeze the fox girl in place for a moment, dumbfounded expression adoring her face. ”Haaah?! What the hell am I supposed to do then? I thought you called me because of my amazing powers that have no match in this mortal realm!” This was quite the back and forth where the lab girl had to make sure Noheme would not just get up and leave them in peril. She had to get this stubborn goddess on her side somehow. ”That is precisely why I called you. With power like that, you will surely be able to affect even the Dreamland! So please… you have to wake others from their nightmares and then face the King himself, along with his guardians. It will not be ease, but… if someone like you cannot accept this challenge, then who will?” Yes, that was the world. Challenge. If she was to refuse something like that, how could she call herself the strongest and bravest? She would be nothing more than a pathetic scaredy cat who can’t even prove herself to her own worshipers.

Slamming her hands into the table and nearly breaking it, which would result in all the coffee spilling, she stood up with a serious expression on her face. ”Aaah, fine! I’ll stop that stupid King or whatever, then everyone will be saved, right? The girl nodded and stood up as well, adjusting her glasses once more before pointing at one of the weird operating tables that were scattered across the room. ”I repurposed these devices and constructed magical enhancer that will strengthen one’s connection to the Dreamland. You will fall asleep, but instead of falling into the nightmare directly, you’ll be able to retain your control and confront whatever will await you.” With a mild sigh, the goddess would approach one of them and hop on it, lying down without questioning anything. The sooner this would be done, the sooner she would be praised as the one who saved everyone, right? So it was worth doing. Before she would be hooked up to the machine, Noheme looked at her one hand and smirk.  ”Alright, let’s give monster’s life a use!” The girl looked at the moon goddess as she said that, some strange semblance of sadness suddenly in her eyes. But she didn’t stop with the startup sequence. The machine would start humming as the glow inside illuminated the room… and soon enough, the goddess would feel far too sleepy to keep her eyes open. And everything faded into darkness.

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Anyone in situation like that would expect some sort of a dream, or perhaps short darkness before waking up several hours later. But nothing like that happened this time. Noheme simply continued to exist, as if she never fell asleep in the first time. A strange state, where she simply stared forward into nothingness without even realizing it. But once she did, her body shook violently as she suddenly adapted to her standing stance in the completely new environment around her. It was… very bright and white. In fact, it almost looked as if there was no world around her at all. Only endless field of energy with silhouettes in the distance, walking the plains of dreams. Suddenly, the ground beneath the moon goddess grew green in color, slowly changing to grass. And even the space itself would tint itself in that shade. It was almost as if she was standing on nothingness, moving through a fog or nebula. Beautiful in it’s own sense, yet terrifying at the same time. Even a god such as herself did not experience something like this in her long lifetime. It was a perk of traveling between different world and experiencing them all, something that she would envy sometimes. She was merely bound to Earthland, it was the only world she could visit freely. Even despite her divinity, she was unable to properly leave her own domain and could only visit one single world with ease. The rest, she would have to go through the same procedure as all other mortal and immortal creatures.

Quite sad all things considering, but now she was here, and she could enjoy it. Space that was shaped by her own being, wherever she would step, grass in the color of her magical energy would grow in the place of the solid white void. Noheme didn’t even realize it up until now, but she didn’t even feel anything. There was no cold or warm in this world. The air was neither moist, nor dry. And indeed, there was no pain from living at all. She tried to pinch herself, and she would indeed feel it. But it was quickly so gone, that it actually didn’t feel like pain at all. So strange, yet somewhat comforting. It actually managed to bring a smile onto the goddess’ face. She liked this placed a lot, it’s serene nature… even though she loved battle and the thrill of things, she felt as if she could simply lie down here and drift into the dreaming, not have to worry about a thing in the world. But there was work to be done, so she had to move on ahead, not stopping for a moment. Clenching her fists, she would prepare for what could await her ahead and started walking. And while looking around, she spotted what she would probably have to eventually face. Dark shadows that roamed among the white wants, the dreaming space around them corroded and nightmarish. They were manifestations of the bad dreams that people sometimes have. They were the literal nightmares incarnate.

She wasn’t exactly looking forward to facing them, but there was no choice. She had to figure a way out of this sticky situation without the ability to resort to her actual power, the magic that saved her far too many times to count. Walking some more in a single direction forward, Noheme started feeling as if she was lost. Well, it was only natural. The space all around her was the same, only shaped by her own imagination. So there was no real direction or landmark that she could use for her own sake, and for all she knew, there was a good chance that she was going in circles the whole time. With a sigh, she would look around some more before realizing it. The place was shaped by dreams, by one’s imagination. Closing her eyes and placing her fingers on the temples of this mortal vessel, she imagined a road in the meadows, maybe surrounded by some architecture as well that could serve as a mark. And once she opened those emerald green eyes of hers, it was all there. She was suddenly standing on a road, traditional and humble abodes around her. Cottages made out of wood and stone, even a tall windmill that you could probably see from quite some distance away.

Beyond that, the grass was once more slowly fading into the white, but this was enough. A road of her own mind, one that could lead her to the destination that she was seeking. With a smirk, she had to give herself a little pat on the back. Surely not everyone would realize something like this, and it wasn’t like this girl was exactly the smartest one around. Humming a happy melody, she would start running down the cobblestone road that she formed with her own thoughts until it would lead her somewhere. And it actually did! After sometime of moving, she would be stopped by a giant door standing right in front of her. And that was it, there was no structure that the door would be part of, nothing that it could possible lead into. Yet, she got the feeling that this thing was very important and would allow her to progress. It was a lime green door and a small symbol of a flower bud adorned it’s center. A strange sense of familiarity overwhelmed Noheme when she approached it, yet at the same time, it was as if that feeling was not her own but someone else’s. Someone who was tied to the moon goddess but was not present for this adventure. Ah, that was right. The energies of Eden were now stored inside of the fox girl. So then… that feeling belonged either to her sister, or one of her spirits? It was entirely possible, but did not explain a thing. Still, there was no other way forward. Gulping out loud, the goddess’ clawed hands would be placed on the door as she pushed, slowly opening then only to reveal a wall of blinding light. And without further worries, she entered.

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The scene changed drastically the moment Noheme’s gaze came back! Instead of the white plains with lovely road and buildings that she created, she was now locked inside of a dimly lit room with no defining features at all. It was uncomfortably small and the longer the girl stared at the plain walls, the more it felt like they were closing in on her. The floor was made out of crude wooden plans and there was a single pillar in the center, along with a hanging light that could barely illuminate what was around the pillar itself. There was absolutely nothing as of right now, so the fox girl decided to investigate the scene a little bit. It felt… wrong. Yes, something was most definitely up with this place, but she couldn’t quite but the finger on it. It felt eerie and the stench reminded her of prison. With seemingly nothing in the middle of the room, it was only natural that she would try to investigate the walls. But the moment her back got turned towards the central pillar, the moon goddess felt a presence. Alarmed, she turned around prepared to defend herself. But it was nothing that could attack her at all. Instead, something like a shadow was sitting against the pillar, it’s hands tied to it behind it’s back. Examining it closer, she finally noticed. It was a person… yet their features were obscured in shadows and instead of their face, she could only see and endless abyss that stared back at her. It was unsettling to say the least, making even someone like Noheme gulp and sweat a little.

It took a little bit, but she noticed that it was a girl who was tied to the pole, and the moment she did, the shadow girl looked up at her. In that moment, the already weak light flickered as if this was some scene from a horror movie, screeching could be heard from behind the walls and the whole room shook for a moment. ”Tied, bound, enclosed and enslaved. Why would you do this? Why would you take my freedom away? I’ve done nothing to deserve this, I’ve wronged no one! Why do you torture me so?!” The voice clawed it’s way into the goddess as she was forced to back away for a moment, gripping her own head. It was strange, why would things be like this? This was work of the King of the Dreamland, wasn’t it? The great nightmare that was pulling others in. Something horrid and messed up. Noheme did not know this girl, but she knew that others in this world would not act like their usual self. She just had to free this girl of her fears. ”Alright, yeah… guess we’re at this part now. Prepare to be saved, princess!” Thankfully it was fairly obvious what was plaguing this soul. It was bound in this tiny room, she had to get her out. Or alternatively, maybe she could bring her comfort while remaining in here. For now, she tried jumping behind her and see about cutting whatever was tying her to the pole with her claws. Even though she was told that violence would be useless in a world like this, she still hat to at least try.

But alas, it was completely hopeless. Even when coating her hands with the energy of darkness that she wielded, it did not help one bit. The ethereal rope that was binding the young woman to the pillar was simply far too far too much for magic, far too strong. In this world, different rules applied to even the most mundane, and the moon goddess was forced to follow them obediently, even if she did not want to. With sight, she scooted back over to the front and tried to face the girl once more. It really was difficult, with no face and only a black hole covering the entire face. Simply looking at it felt as if the fox girl was being drawn into the endless abyss of nightmares that this character was experiencing. But there was no other way, so she had to steel up her feelings, grabbing the shadowy figure by her shoulders and shaking her lightly. ”Hey, come on! Don’t give up your hope! You don’t like being bound here, stuck in this stupid room, right? So fight it! If that rope is what’s restricting you, then just tear it apart with your power, say no to it. You have a choice to face your fears instead of being consumed by them!” The words did indeed get through to her, but it wasn’t helping just yet.

The sleeping human was far too consumed by the nightmare, not confident in her own abilities. ”But… I’m too weak for this. My magic is too weak to face it all.” And to that, Noheme only smiled, surprisingly gently and with confidence filling her eyes that were shining with the flames of life. ”Maybe so. Everyone starts off weak, but… you have me here, right? And I can assure you that I’m definitely far from being weak! So just try, rely on my power and we’ll get through the binds together!” A strange glimmer of hope, a light that filled the shadow as her black color started slowly fading away. And the rope that was holding her hands in place suddenly snapped, forming a shock wave that quickly knocked down all four walls of this room, not even affecting the fox girl herself. Suddenly, a beautiful scenery was revealed all around them, a quiet forest with flowers dancing in the sea of grass to the warm rays of a morning sun. Accompanied by the energetic chirping of birds, Noheme offered her hand and helped the girl stand up, only so that she could realize that she was free to do whatever she wanted in her own dreams. Fear of being bound and enslaved, truly one of the more horrific ways in the land that can shaped to your own desires in any way you want. A door appeared where one of the walls was standing before and it was time to move on. Leaving the now happy imagine of a girl named Zoey, Noheme headed through a golden door that had a mark similar to a firework rocket.

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Once again, the scenery took on a drastic change. Or perhaps not quite as drastic as last time, for Noheme found herself in a fairly ordinary room with plain walls and wooden flooring. But this time, it actually looked like a place where someone could live. Furniture, albeit old looking and dusty, was everywhere you would expect along with even few rugs. The size allowed for some breathing room now as well and the whole place was illuminated by sun shining in through a big window. And in front of the window… well, there they were. A wheelchair in which another shadowy figure was sitting, presumably yet another person consumed by the nightmare. And around them, a strange transparent figures were floating in the air. Were those meant to represent ghosts? It instantly made the girl recall her time in that stupid haunted mansion where she just entered and keeled over dead. Had to spend the rest of her journey as a weird ghosts and repair her mortal vessel afterwards, a real joy that was. But that was time of the past, now was something a bit different. For one, she wasn’t the victim of this nightmare so she was completely free of anything too unpleasant, unless she would get herself in that situation by her lonesome. Approaching the figure in the wheelchair, she noticed that this one was female as well. Not bad, as she somehow felt better about helping cute girls rather than boys.

It was strange that no one labeled Noheme a sexist yet, a real miracle. The poor woman’s arms and legs were both rather skinny, which was visible even through her ornate clothes. Unlike the previous situation, it wasn’t quite clear what the dominant fear here was. Well, maybe except the floating ghosts that weren’t exactly all that effective at scaring anyone. Well, whatever the case, she tried to approach the seemingly young girl in the wheelchair. Honestly, it was really difficult to tell how these people actually looked because their bodies were completely covered and only slightly transparent shadow, their faces gone and replaced by that weird abyssal hole. A solemn melody started playing from a music box nearby as the lady was approached, her head twisting and turning to face the moon goddess. ”Forgotten again and again. Even the one who loved me abandoned me after this happened, after I could no longer stand by them in the action. All because one single moment, all paralyzed. And now, lonely, I sit here all by myself. I can’t even run from the ghosts of my past.” And with that, her head turned back to face the window, watching other figures pass by in pairs. Teams of mages that would tackle the dangers of the outside world together, standing side by side. So that was the fear hidden in this helpless figure. After of being struck down and abandoned, too weak to espace ghosts and other horrors that could chase her. It brought quite a worried look to the girl’s face, as she looked over the sitting figure again.

Nearly everyone was afraid of failure. Noheme too was embraced by a fear like that. What if her quest would fail? What would become of the goddess then? Well, this fear was a little bit different but the origin connected. With a sigh, she would take few steps back and lean her back against the wall in-between some shelves and a wardrobe. This was a little sticky situation… before, she knew what she had to do right away. She knew how to give courage the someone else so that they could escape their fear, overcome it and walk forward with their head held high. But how can you do something like that for a broken person? Well, the real mage who was sitting in front of her was probably nothing like this false shadow formed by the nightmare. Surely the girl was bright and cheerful, that was the impression she got just from looking at the figure and feeling her aura. And then something struck her. A little idea that made the goddess’ eyes widen along with her smile. Surely that was it! Yes, there was no doubt, she had to try. Quickly rushing towards her again, she payed no mind to the ghosts at all and grabbed the shadowy figure, throwing her on her back before starting to run away. The room suddenly started expanding into an endless hallway, the never ending struggle to get anywhere with disabled body. But something like that could hardly stop someone like Noheme. Yes, she only continued to smile and increase her sprinting tempo to the maximum as the sleeping girl rested on her back.

”So who cares you’re disabled like that! Will you really let that stop you? Even in state like that… you can still continue! Others won’t leave you just because you went through a tragedy that you couldn’t have avoided! You said you have a loved one, right? Hell, if the world could accept the Lusus Naturae that I am, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about!" As those words echoed down the infinite hall, a sudden light, almost like the end of a tunnel started shining in the distance. And in it, a black figure of a young man who extended his hand. It was then that the girl consumed by nightmares would wake once more, able to see her own future and grip it with her hands, no matter her condition. She was the one to always shine brighter than others, so one one wanted to see her in that state. Somehow, that was what Noheme thought just now. And as she entered the light, the corrupted dream became pure again. With fireworks going off everywhere, the fox girl found herself in front of yet another door, the one named Summer freed from the King’s grip and free to dream about her romantic adventure with a blond-haired gentleman. Somehow, it made the moon goddess slightly jealous. An innocent and pure relationship of two lovers… she wondered if it was possible for her to understand the concept of human love, if she could ever experience it herself.

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Sighing gently, she shook her head and looked at the door in front of her. It was light green in color, almost blue and had a musical note as it’s symbol. Placing her hands on her hips, Noheme stopped for a moment before opening it and entering like she did twice already. She felt as if she knew the two people that she saved already, possibly because of the Eden’s goddess’ essence inside of her body. Yes, Leila probably met those two girl at some point in her life and that created the aura of familiarity. But this time, there was nothing. She was about to free someone that neither she nor her sister ever met. Well, it was fine. Surely she will find a way out of it one way or another. And at least she could be proud for freeing two souls already. Especially the last one, that was tricky. But she figured out that bonds between humans were really strong, so even if the mage would really end up like that, her friends and loved ones would make sure she would get carried through to the end. But it was still a little depressing, so there really wasn’t much of a need to think about it. Pushing the doors open, Noheme stepped in. And only to feel a wet sensation on her feet. Little worried, she looked down and spotted what looked like water. She was in a new world that was nothing alike the two she was in previously.

Those both represented a regular room of a house. But now, she was standing in an endless sea that was thankfully only as high as her ankles. Not that it was a problem, with her perfect movement ability, standing on water proved to be no problem. But there was something else about this darker world, something much more unsettling. And that was the sound, or rather the lack of anything at all. A completely and perfect silence. Somehow, that was almost painful to the moon goddess. Just being in a place like this was proving quite difficult for her. So she tried to hum a melody, break the deafening silence. But nothing happened. No sound would escape the fox girl’s mouth, no matter how hard she tried to exhale. Was that part of this world’s fear? She yet had to find the dreaming one, which forced her to look around some more. And finally she saw it. A small birdcage that was hanging from a single bend tree in this expanding scenery. Quickly running over, she noticed the shadowy figure resting inside of it, crouched down so that her body would even fit the cage. It looked… wrong. People were not meant to be in spaces that small. And yes, it was just a shadow that represented an actual person who was in reality just sleeping somewhere, but still. It was not a great sight to behold, no matter how hard you would try. But before the moon goddess would attempt anything, she stopped for a moment to think about the situation. Since that was all she had to do in her previous problem, she could figure it out.

And honestly, with her acrobatic skills and flexible body, the way up there was pretty straight forward. Jumping onto the trunk of that withered looking tree, she managed to repel herself further and get on the one singular branch that was holding up the ornate prison. And looking closer, there was actually some sort of a note attached to the golden bars, begging Noheme to grab it. And so she did, looking at it only to see very neat writing. “Imprisoned for losing”. Was that really the only reason this shadowy figure was inside of a birdcage? Because she lost once? Did she bet her freedom or something? Many questions, yet no answers. Well, whatever got her in there didn’t really matter. This was but a nightmare of whoever was represented by the shadow after all. The reason wasn’t always there, illogical actions taking place all the time. It was all simply about overcoming one’s fears and being able to move on freely. And this was no different. Only there was a little problem… in this soundless world, the fox girl’s voice could never reach another individual. And strike the golden prison with her claws did nothing at all, just like when she tried to cut those ropes in the first room she entered here. So how exactly was she going to free this person? That was probably the true puzzle of this world.

For now, she jumped onto the cage itself, as if she was some sort of monkey instead of a fox, examining the figure within and even the cage itself. And then, the moon goddess got an interesting idea! It was true that violence would not get her far in this place, but what about spells that were not quite designed to simply hurt someone or break something? Yes, even she had a spell like that. One that could be used for different purposes, though there was usually ill intent behind it anyway.  But now she could try to use it differently. Moving her hand between the individual bars, she extended her hand towards the shadow as a third eye opened up in the middle of her palm. And a sudden connection was established between the two feminine figures. It felt… strange to say the least. Probably because who she was connecting to wasn’t a real person right now and only a representation of someone. And the memories within it were simply fabricated. But they were still memories that held value! The girl was afraid of silence, of imprisonment and of encountering someone stronger than herself. All of these elements formed this world and her prison. And Noheme knew what she had to do, despite thinking that it would not work beforehand. Jumping back down, she used all of her power to attack the tree, focusing everything she got! And hold and behold, it actually chipped, the whole withered tree eventually falling to the ground. The cage itself shattered upon impact, evaporating the whole sea that they were standing in, revealing a pleasant sand underneath that felt nice to bare feet.

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She wasn’t able to conquer the fear of those that were stronger, something like that was simply impossible for Noheme. But she broke her free of the cage, and with the tree falling down, even the soundless barrier was broken by the chaos that she caused. It was a fresh feeling to hear noise once again, as yet another door formed behind her. Still, it felt as if this world was somewhat incomplete. But perhaps that was only because the moon goddess, not the Eden goddess knew this female that was trapped by the King of Dreamland. It created a big gap between them, one that she could not jump over unfortunately. But it was fine… doing what she did was enough to wake the girl from her nightmare and keeping her last fear was only natural for humans. After all, they would become a dull, boring husks of perfection if they were to get rid of all their fears. Though the fox girl was sure this wouldn’t actually rid them of their fears in the real life. Still, it was nice to be thinking that way, looking at this from a more rewarding perspective. Turning around, she faced the new door with confidence. The door was deep blue now, a symbol of an oriental sword on it’s center. Looked rather oriental, perhaps a katana. Not wanting to wait any longer, she would enter this new nightmare, prepared to face whatever impossible situation this world could throw at her. It felt as if her eyes got closed every time she entered one of these, making her adjusting to the new light and scenery around only all the weirder. And this time, she was in fairly regular looking woods with a hut in the middle.

It was a homey looking place, somewhere a family could live a humble but fulfilling life. As of right now, this looked more like a paradise rather than a nightmare of someone. Though that would soon change of course. So the girl took it all in before that would happen. For some reason, she didn’t get to move much in the nature of Fiore, as she was too busy exploring the towns and other places that were filled with social life. Those were the best sources of information regarding humans themselves, the goal of the girl’s quest. But in the process, it made her neglect other important parts of the mortal lands, those that she herself loved so dearly back in her world. The nature that was ruled by no one, something that belonged to the Earth itself. There was an undeniable beauty in it all, that was for sure.  And this peculiar world reminded her of that, making her make sure that she would explore some once out of this place. Yes, it was yet another goal on her bucket list of things to do. It was getting longer and longer for sure. At this point, she didn’t even know what to do first. Well, it was actually quite obvious. She had to make sure that everyone here would wake from their nightmare and that the entire Earthland would not be taken away by the Dreamland.

Suddenly, cries could be heard right in front of the moon goddess. She was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot to pay attention to the scene right in front of her eyes! Just from looking at it all, it appeared that a young boy made out of shadows was being tormented and bullied by a bunch of older figures, every single one of them looking like a female for some reason. It was a little bit of a strange sight, but there wasn’t much time to actually observe it and study it. Quickly jumping in the middle of the fray, Noheme would defend the boy from all the sticks and even sharp, metallic objects that the other kid shadows wielded. ”What are you doing you fiends! Get lost before I get angry and actually use my power to sweep the grass with you all! I am S-ranked wizard and a two-faced goddess of the moon, you brats!” She was unsure if it was because of her aggressive introduction or because of the fact that the kids could feel her magical energy, but they quickly started running away and leaving the boy alone for now. Sighing, Noheme would turn towards him and keen down so she could have a better look at him. Of course, it was yet another figure made out of shadows, his face replaced by the opening to the abyss itself.

And somehow, she got the feeling that she knew this one as well. That was good… probably. Though he looked frightened still. ”What is wrong little buddy? They hurt you so bad you can’t even stand up or something?” It didn’t look like that was the case, but you never know. At least the boy managed actually answer this time instead of just sobbing and covering in fear. ”N..no. But every time I try to run away from the strong girls, the door to my home gets locked and I can’t escape. It’s scary… you’re strong too, are you one of them?” Those words actually made the fox girl chuckle.  ”No, I’m not. So you don’t have to worry, I won’t chase you anywhere. In fact, I might be able to help you. Instead of running, I’ll teach you how to fight back! So you don’t have to fear anyone, female, male or anything in between. Got it?” The boy nodded. And suddenly, the world around them would change to resemble more the practice room of a dojo. The boy was now taller, wielding a katana, and so was Noheme. And just like that, they trained together. They trained for as long as he needed, so he would gain confidence to move forward. And just like that, the nightmare fell apart, revealing a new door. The boy became a man named Terith, though he preferred to be called Torian. And he was destined to become one of the best swordsman in all of Fiore.

Word Count - 8698 / 17000

There wasn’t really much point at remaining in this world now that it’s problem was resolved with surprising ease. Yet, the girl felt like staying and spending some more time with the man that she just trained. Of course that was not possible, in fact, it was strange for her even. She didn’t exactly like men. Of course that didn’t mean she hated them or anything, but she would rarely get a feeling like this, something that would come from deep within her. Was this once again because of her sister? Most likely yes. Who really knew what the Eden goddess’ relationship with this man was. But by the looks of it, they were very good friends. Heck, now that she was thinking about it properly, there was another thing she realized! This man, he looked exactly like the figure that waited for her other victim, the one that was disabled and could not move at all. So the two of them were probably together in the real world. Somehow, that realization made the moon goddess jealous. She still wasn’t able to understand the concept of love and it infuriated her. But now was not the time to be thinking about stuff like that, or even sulking because of it! There was more work to be done in the plains of this world. Many more people to be saved as well. Looking at the next door, it was rather similar in color to the previous one. But the symbol was slightly different. Actually, it was completely different. This time, the door was adorned by symbol of waves beneath a pirate ship. Seemed quite interesting, was she about to be dealing with a pirate? That would be a new experience for sure, so she just went ahead and opened the door. Sure enough, she found herself on a ship just as she thought.

But she definitely wasn’t expecting a rocky ride, as the tides suddenly made the ship go into the air, nearly making Noheme fall over as there was nothing to hold. Thankfully her claws were enough for the fox girl to keep her footing at least somewhat. Now to take a look around and find whoever was piloting this vessel, see about their fears. But as the moon goddess started walking forward, the floor itself became hazardous as well thanks to a sudden rain that made everything wet. If the weather here was part of the fears themselves, then Noheme would have to pull some serious bull here! She finally saw the shadowy figure in front of the ship and decided to make a mad dash for them, only stopped as soon as she would be right next to them. Upon closer inspection, it showed that it was another female, a well endowed one for that fact. ”Alright darling, what’s bothering you? And now, I have no idea how to pilot a ship if that’s somehow a part of your problems, so let’s hope we’re not screwed here!” The shadow woman turned her faceless head to face the goddess’ and responded in quite the commanding voice. She was clearly the authority here, someone you should not really mess with.  ”Those creepazoids invaded the ship! I’m not leaving this place until they are completely dealt with girly! You should go take care of it, because I will not move an inch!”

Well, that was her job for this one it seemed. But what exactly did she mean by creepazoids, she had no idea. At least for a moment, she soon learned what that was by simply watching the deck. It was suddenly crawling with all sorts of bugs, ranging from spiders to centipedes. Was that what the tough ol’ captain was afraid of? That was somehow really funny, though there was no time for laughing in this storm! Thankfully the goddess had absolutely no problem touching bugs and insects, so she just ran into them and started stomping around. True, it was not exactly the best thing to do with completely bare feet and on a slippery floor, but what else she was supposed to do? She kinda lacked spells that would affect larger areas, so she had to eliminate the enemy one by one. At least she was still in Dreamland which meant that none of these could lethally poison her in the process or anything. It took quite some time, but she eventually managed to stop and squeeze dead the last of them, her body falling to the messy floor with a sigh. That was surprisingly lot of work. Lot more than she expected. These fears were getting stranger and more mundane as she went along, yet she somehow needed to work harder and harder to break them all apart and cancel out the nightmares. But at least it looked like that was the only real problem in this particular world, so she tried to claw her way back onto her feet before going back to the captain.

”Have you dealt with the pests? I am not leaving this spot until they’re ALL gone for reasons completely justified, so you don’t even need to hear them!” Yes, if this woman was actually as powerful as she looked like, then a fear like this was somewhat embarrassing. But it was done, so there was no need to drag things out too much. ”Dealt with every single one of them captain! Now, I would not mind a little kiss on the cheek as a reward~” Unfortunately, as soon as she said those words, the weather cleared up and the shadowy figured disappeared just like the rest did. And once more was the goddess without her sweet reward. She would simply have to wait for someone in the real world, even though it seemed like it would be easier to receive a kiss in the dream rather than in reality. But it was what it was, looking around, there was yet another door in the middle of the ship. And now that the weather was calm and fresh breeze was caressing the girl’s skin, the whole place actually became rather pretty and nice to be in. It was a shame that she had to hurry up and continue on forward, since the King of Dreamland probably started working faster now as well that he had an intruder. But at least she was now half-way there!

Word Count - 9762 / 17000

Approaching the door, Noheme noticed it was crimson red in color, just like the glow her darkness would give off. But since it was used a main color in this case, she kinda doubted the land inside would have much to do with dark itself. And the symbol that adorned it, a mighty flame. So she was probably entered the nightmare domain of a fire king or something. At least the moon goddess wasn’t afraid of flames, as many mortal and even immortal creatures were. A strange fear to have, as fire was great source of energy and life itself. Without flames, humanity would surely perish, no doubt about that. And so, without further hesitation, the girl opened up the great door and entered, leaving the calm sea behind her. And how quickly she was proven wrong, as the world she suddenly found herself in was nothing but darkness itself. There was no sun that would illuminate the way ahead, making it hard to even see your own nose. And upon taking a single step forward, the fox girl stumbled as she nearly fell down some sort of hole. This place was dangerous and there was no way she could just get through like this. Thankfully, there was one little trick she could have tried. Though she was unsure if it would actually work… but in the end, there was really no point in not trying. Extending her hands forward, she concentrated her magical energy as a mist of black magic surrounded her palms. Not that any of that was actually visible in this darkness, but she felt something gently forming on her skin. And with a smile, she listened to a sudden caw that echoed through this seemingly empty world.

”There you are Cornix, dear. I’m in a bit of a pickle, would you mind walking the path of nature with me, hand in hand? For lost in the darkness itself I am, your light is what I desire.” Her strange speech resonated within the crow that she held in her palms as it’s appearance started shifting, the center of it’s body turning white in color as different foliage started growing in the creature. And soon enough, small yellow orbs would bloom, shining greatly as a beacon in the middle of the night. The crow would fly from the girl’s hands onto her head where it seated itself, working as omnidirectional lamp. ”Alright, that’s better. Now… where is the victim of this nightmare?” With the new light and company, she was finally able to see what this world actually was. A whole bunch of small platforms, connected only by a thin plank of wood that looked like it could give out at any moment. The darkness wasn’t making things exactly any easier either. It was kinda funny how the door to this place had a symbol of fire on it, yet it was so dark that the fox girl would probably fail without the help of her surreal companion. For now, she had to find whoever was at the core of this nightmare and help them. Her guess was that they were probably afraid of heights and dark, a pretty interesting combo.

These worlds would be absolutely insane if Noheme herself was afraid of these things as well. But thankfully, her fears lied elsewhere, which made her able to move through this world with quite the ease. Especially given her athletic expertise, moving across these rotten planks of wood wasn’t much of a problem for the goddess. Though the discomfort of knowing that some of them could collapse under her weight didn’t disappear yet. She wasn’t even aware of what would happen if she were to die in this world. Would she herself then fall into the nightmares? Or would she simply wake up in the lab, her mission failed? Well, there was no point in thinking about it too much. After all, failure wasn’t an option for someone like the moon goddess. She could only succeed and nothing else! As she thought about these things and moved forward, she suddenly heard a faint voice. With her enhanced hearing, it wasn’t a problem to find the place where the noise was coming from and head there. With Cornix’s light becoming a bit stronger over time, she eventually saw them. Another shadow that was wondering the this place aimlessly.

”So dark, so tall. It’s nothing to fear, yet it all feels like so much. I can’t go on, the darkness is far too thick. The height is far too great. Even with my strength, I can’t… no flame…” The muttering of a nightmare, it didn’t sound like anything that an actual human being would say as usual. All these cryptic messages were kinda annoying the fox girl at this point, but since there wasn’t much she could do about it, she just swallowed and headed forward to help. Landing on the platform in front of the shadow, she extended her hand. ”If you can’t light the way yourself, then just rely on someone else! I have a light, see? Just grab my hand and we’ll get out of here together.” Her words were serious, yet masked by a gentle smile, little flames burning in the girl’s eyes. Just looking at that, it seemed to fill the shadow with confidence as it grabbed the girl’s hand. Carefully and step by step, they would move forward with the crow focusing it’s light forward, helping then find the right way. If she found the shadow in the core if his nightmare, then they should reach the end by simply moving in one direction, right? And so they did, the shadow losing it’s confidence with each step. ”Don’t give up yet, dammit! Just by being near you, I can feel it. You’re strong! Don’t let such a small obstacle block your way… I’m sure there are people out there who are relying on you, so you have to stay strong for them!” Hearing those words, the shadow reacted, lifting it’s head to the sky that slowly started peeling away. ”Infinity… Hydra…” And just like that, a flaming sun appeared above them, illuminating the entire world with ease.

Word Count - 10795 / 17000

Sometimes, a little reminder was all a person needs. Just like in this case, the shadow remembered his role in the world and that people rely on him. A small fear like this could no longer stop him, as the figure disappeared into the air, leaving Noheme alone with a new door appearing right in front of her. The man known as fire king has awoken, ready for his duties once more, bringing smile to everyone who followed him without question. It reminded the moon goddess of herself in the past somewhat. The fact that she was worshiped by many, that she was a leader of a tribe. She too had responsibilities of this kind, yet she left her people behind in Joya and ventured to this place in order to study humans and their culture, becoming like them in the process. It was somewhat saddening, but she could not stop now. She had to press on and see to others, free them all from their fears. The door now standing in front of her was similar in color to the previous one, but even deeper in the red. Almost like a solid blood, it even beared the same symbol on it.  ”Some sort of a blood freak, huh? Well, you can’t win them all.” Mentally preparing herself for whatever could be on the other side, the moon goddess opened the door reluctantly. It was a surprise when she found herself in a forest once more, though this one was far more dark than the one in the world where she saved the small boy. Shouting could be heard from the distance, along with flickering flames between the trees, moving at high speed.

At least she knew where to go right away this time, so that was a lovely plus. Springing between the thick trunks of trees, Noheme would find herself not too far from strangely clothed shadows that were moving through the forest, shouting and yelling. They looked kinda like hunters, only wielding crossbows instead of regular bows. And by their hips, blades were suspended and shining in the moonlight. One looked was enough for the girl to recognize was they were made out of. Silver, so that was the nature of this world’s sleeping prince or princess.  The fox girl only read about vampires, never really meeting one personally. But apparently they were beasts that loved blood of other living beings and generally feared silver. So that would make these guys into vampire hunters, as they were following their prey, trying to bring it to it’s ultimate demise. It was their purpose in life, and it was only natural that the beast would fear them. What a shame though, these guys would never be able to fulfill their mission now that a god was standing in their way. Still, it would be rather reckless to just approach them without caution, not even knowing where the one she had to protect is. So instead, she simply would follow the hunters in the shadows, hiding behind trees and other foliage. It was fairly easy to do, as the hunters appeared to be regular humans, not exactly capable of being all that fast without enhancement to their abilities.

Eventually, they would all reach a burning house that was in the way, a female looking shadow standing in front of it. That was probably her, the vampire that was having this nightmare. ”No, so many… I can’t… I don’t want to…!” A voice of desperation came out of the young lady, prompting Noheme to leave her hiding and sneak up behind the hunters that were in the back, efficiently knocking them out with a strong strike to the back of a head. Though there wasn’t much time, as the rest slowly approached the poor girl, the swords glimmering as they held them high. And their prey covering in fear, unable to escape of the nightmare’s grasp. When she would open her non-existent eyes again, she would only spot several laying bodies on the floor, those of the hunters with the tailed girl standing among them, extending her hand towards the shadowy figure. Perhaps it was because of her actual strength, or perhaps it was merely because of the nature this place was following, but the defeated shadows quickly disappeared and the burning house calmed down, flames dying out.  ”I got rid of them all. Now you no longer have to live in fear of pursuit, be free and do whatever you want to do. The life is yours only, not theirs to take. Not one of them will have the courage to approach you now.”

Hearing those words, a great relief came across the vampire, her figure slowly fading away as the moon was replaced by sun shining down on them all, revealing a new door in the wooden walls of the no longer burning house. She was able to escape and break away from the nightmare, but the reality wasn’t shaped after this world. It was shame, but the moment she would wake up, the fear of being hunted down would return to the girl named Kaya, something that the goddess could not prevent. Still, she managed to break apart her bad dream and weaken the King of Dreamland once more, placing herself closer to her final destination and the victory. It was a good feeling, helping others like this even if they would disregard it all as a simple dream, or maybe not even remember this at all. Perhaps this was what it meant to be a goddess after all. The invisible force helping others, doing her very best to fulfill their desires and using her power to seemingly cause miracles. Something that many people would never see and appreciate. A strange phrase entered her mind.  ”The roots below the earth claim no rewards for making the branches fruitful.” The sad truth about the world around them, but Noheme did not ask for anything anymore. She had her worshipers back in Joya, and that was enough for her once she realized her own world. It was but one of many steps the girl had to take before she could realize her goals, her dreams. But she was on the right path if nothing else. An achievement on it’s own.

Word Count - 11844 / 17000

Moving slowly towards the next door that was embedded in a wall for a change instead of just randomly existing on it’s own, the moon goddess was quite astonished by it’s design. A silver color, giving it somewhat noble appearance along with a mark of an animal. It was a bit hard to tell which one from how small the symbol on the door was, but one could argue that it was a panther. Suddenly, a terrible flashback ran through the goddess’ memory, forcing her to stumble back while gripping her head as if in pain, an unpleasant sounding growl escaping from her. Was this the real challenge prepared by the King of Dreamland? Being forced to help those that invoked emotions of hate and disgust in you? With heavy breathing and sweat pouring down her body, the girl would clench her fist and open the door, walking inside. And just as she was afraid, what stood in front of her was a shadowy figure with long hair and pointy ears. Even without many defining features, there was no mistaking this person who’s image was unwillingly burned into Noheme’s mind. ”Haha… the man you hate with passion, is that right Leila? Why the hell did I have to receive that portion of you as well, it’s unfair…” She personally had nothing against the man, in fact, she didn’t even know him. She merely saw him once and left immediately for the very reason of not having to interact with him at all.

Yet, here he now was, causing all of the girl’s negative emotions to surface. But she had to help him no matter her own feelings, for the greater good and all that nonsense. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she attempted to calm herself down before looking at him once more. He was walking around in a circle, right in the middle of the room that was bare save for two buttons on one of the walls. ”Alright… what’s going on here?” As she spoke out loud, the shadow turned to face her, that abyssal face still scaring the hell out of the fox girl. ”I have to choose! But I can’t, you can force me to make a choice like that! I knew it... but… I forgot! I knew which choice was the correct one, but I forgot! And now you’re forcing me to make that choice, just like that? No way, I’ll definitely get it wrong, most definitely! Please, don’t make me…” Mixture of anger, confusion and despair, it was all right there in his voice. For some reason, the girl enjoying hearing those words, even though she knew this shade wasn’t actually the real person. But it was the small victories that counted in life, or at least that was what she said to herself. And even seeing an imitation of this person suffer like this, it was satisfying to a certain degree. Especially since his fears seemed really stupid and trivial in the grand scheme of things. They were very much real fears for human beings, but still.

Making decisions was something you would have to face day after day, on every moment and with every single one of your breaths. Trying to avoid it because choice is scary, having someone else choose for you instead… that was almost like giving up on your life completely in the goddess’ eyes. ”If you’re forgetting shit that’s this important, just write it down! Oh my god, you suck! What does she see in you…” Her composure broke down completely in manner of seconds as she approached the uncertain figure and grabbed one of it’s hands forcing him to the wall where the buttons were. Her expression was filled with anger and even a little bit of wrath, her fang-like teeth clenching together. If this shadow was actually real, then there would be no doubt that their hand would be left with a proper mark of the girl’s hand in better case or a completely shattered bone in the worse case. Thankfully, the shadow was still just a shadow, representation of the sleeping person in their sleep. ”Alright you stupid cat! You don’t want to make a choice? Then let me show you something real neat!” Still with the hold of his hand, she would also grab his other hand and force them both towards the two buttons. ”No, no, no! Don’t make me… the choice…!”

In panic, the panther tried to fight back, but the power difference was far too large. And soon, he would be forced to press both buttons at once. Nothing at all happened. Upon letting go of him, the poor shadow fell to the ground, panting and in complete shock. ”There you go, you made a choice. If you don’t like any of the options, just choose one at random. Or if you have the balls to do it, which you clearly don’t, then press on and forge your own path! Don’t be bound by the world around you, create your own choices and do everything in your power to gain happiness for yourself and those around you. It doesn’t matter if you forgot something or not, you can never know what effect your actions will have on the world. You just have to do it and hope for the best. Or rather, make sure to make choices that will have positive effect!” That was all she had to say. There was really no need to say anymore to be honest. The choice was made and it could not be reversed. Was that a good or bad thing? She would not get an answer to that question, but one thing was clear. Freed of the need to make a choice he forgot the solution to, the soul could rest now. As the room turned into a white space, everything disappeared and the man named Marschal was freed. Another door was now waiting, but Noheme had to sit down for a moment, take a breather. Suddenly, she felt tired beyond belief and not only because she was now in the depths of the nightmares.

Word Count - 12867 / 17000

It took a minute, but the moon goddess was eventually able to get back up on her own two legs. She wasn’t at the end of the road just yet, and she felt that things would only get more and more difficult now. She managed to free a good chunk of mages that were feeding the great nightmare, but that only meant the grip on those that were remaining would be stronger. With an audible gulp, she walked towards the black door that had four different symbols on it. That was certainly something unique and new. Though every single of these symbols was nearly the same… four faces, each bearing a different expression. A haunting memory, another flashback that would strike through the goddess’ mind. Once more, her gaze would grow dark as she placed her hand on the door. ”I see how it is. No matter… looks like even higher beings can succumb to the temptation of dreamland and get stuck in the eternal nightmarish sleep. Still, how unlike you. I thought you would be able to pull through anything…” With this words, she pushed and opened the door, a bad feeling rising in power inside of her body. Steeling herself, the girl walked forward and found herself in a different world, one that did not look alike any other. A black scorched ground made out of brokenstones, shadow people all around her. A giant crowd that was chanting, some holding pitchforks, other torches. With an unpleasant click of her tongue, the fox girl jumped atop one of them to see what was going on. And as she saw it, her eyes widened in horror.  

”Commence the witch hunt! Burn the spawn of devil! The girl made a deal with a cursed god of wrath and became one of them, bringing misfortune upon us! The flames will cleanse her of her sins, just like they cleansed the man who slept with the wench, his body now charred and given to our gods for judgement! Light the pyre!” Without even being able to blink in that amount of time, the fire would engulf a crucified figure in the center of the crowd. Clenching her fist, Noheme would jump back down and start pushing through all the shadows. And when that proved not very efficient, well… she resorted to raw force, directly shoving everyone to the side only so that she would have a path forward. But as she got to the center, the flames engulfed her own body as well. ”Wha-” ”The witch has an ally! You too will be burned by our holy flames and judged by god, a proper punishment assigned to you for your sins! Do not resist the embrace of holy flames!” It burned… a terrible pain, but just as Athene said before, it was strangely not as bad as it would be in reality. Simply standing there for a moment, the flames scorching her body, the goddess turned towards the crowd with crimson gaze. Her blood was boiling as her appearance shifted slightly, the green and golden hair now more in the gray area, as well as her eyes that shone with bloody gaze.

”How dare you… I am the god here!” An explosion of energy that pushed everything and everyone back, reducing the flames to nothingness. The crucified figure was saved, but that was not the end of this nightmare. Somehow, Noheme felt as if she was part of all this instead of simply being an outsider looking into this situation and trying to help someone else. ”You dare to treat us like this? Even after all that we do for you… how ungrateful. Not only as gods, but as witches and wizards, mages and magicians. Every single day, we work so hard that we’re bleeding and sweating when the sun finally starts setting behind the horizon. And this is how you repay our kindness?! Monsters is what you all are! Nothing more and nothing else!” The moon goddess was still covered in flames. But they were different from those that were just taken out. These were black in color, seeping with unholy energy. They were flames of Noheme, the two faced moon goddess. They were her power and her judgement. And with her anger, the crowd would slowly start getting consumed by those very flames.

Screams and wails would echo through the air, mortal beasts begging for mercy as their skin melted away. A horrid show of freaks, a scene worthy of a true nightmare. And it would not stop until every single of those shadows would be reduced to ashes. The girl knew that they were not really, that they were simply created by the Dreamland to support the nightmare itself. But she could not help it, thinking of this whole mess as a reality that was actually happening. Surely, somewhere in Earthland, things like these were indeed happening. After all, why would one fear something that could never come to pass? It was scary indeed. The fact that something you do for life and for the sake of others would devolve into something like this. Returning into her regular appearance, the fox girl had tears in her eyes as she removed the ropes and helped the bound girl to the ground. It appeared as if the shadow was unconscious after what happened. And perhaps that was for the best. Even though it was not known if the dreamer would not see all of this when their shade was in such state, but the goddess liked to think that indeed, the girl named Jiyu was now having a more pleasant dream than this hellscape. Slowly, the melted ground would start transforming into a lovely meadow, far away from the flames of despair. ”Safe from all harm, dance through the grass barefoot. And then, we can dance through the dangers together. I’m sure that’s what she would have wanted… for you to be safe and continue on happily.” Offering few more words, Noheme would let go of the shadowy figure, watching as she sunk into the ground. End of a nightmare and start of a pleasant dream filled with gods and deities that had no worries.

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But Noheme was not yet allowed to dream pleasant dreams. Another door awaited in the middle of the meadow where the cross was before. Looking at it from distance, it had a clear purple color and symbol of a dog head on it. Similar to the panther symbol from before, but slightly different and more defined. Somehow, it looked very familiar to the goddess. For some reason, she couldn’t really wait before entering. And so, she entered the door to the final dreamer, someone she knew quite well. A laboratory, large and metallic space. The moisture in the air was quite high and different lab equipment adorned the place. Though most of it looked smashed, there was also a lot in pristine shape. Lab coats hanging on one of the walls as well as vials with strange glowing green liquid on one of the tables. And in the middle of the room, a shadow figure that was holding something while sobbing. It was a strange scene and in contrast with the scene and limited light in the room, almost horror-like as well. But that very atmosphere changed rather drastically the moment Noheme made few steps forward. ”C..Cirven?” Indeed, the sobbing figure was a shade of her first friend and teammate, the dog demon of absorption. And what he was holding was another body, torn apart by his very own hands. The girl had a pretty good guess on who that was. A sudden aura of sadness washed over the goddess as tears started pouring out of her eyes, the goddess not even realizing what reaction her body had.

She could not stop it and what was right in front of her, the last moments of her friend’s family, it was far too tragic to watch. Facing your fears and being consumed by them, that was one thing. But being forced to relive possible the worst moment of your life for all eternity? A torture beyond the wildest imagination. It would lead the goddess to voicleslly curse the King of Dreamland who ordered this to happen, the one being that was responsible for this whole mess. Once again, the negative emotions inside of her were boiling, bubbling to the surface where they could show themselves to the whole wide world. Anger ruled it all as she clenched her firsts, her eyes turning crimson red again. But only for a moment, as they swiftly returned back to their original emerald green color. There was no point in being angry over this situation. That was a very wrong emotion considering what she was looking at. Falling to her knees right in front of the already kneeling figure, she would place her hands on the man’s shoulders. She wanted to say something, anything. Words of encouragement or comfort, but nothing would come out of her. It was as if a stone was stuck in her throat, not allowing her voice to move forward. It was one of the worst feeling she came across in her entire immortal life. A cruel sadness.

So instead of speaking at all, she merely clutched those big shoulders and move her own body forward, embracing her partner. She was not capable of returning life to the dead despite being a goddess, neither was she good enough to become a substitute for what was lost. But she still had her feelings and wants. And what she wanted right now was to help her partner to wake up from this nightmare. This cruel scene that he was forced to relive again and again. If she were to not accept this job, then this man would be stuck in place like this forever. It made the girl feel rather silly for even considering not accepting at the beginning of this journey. Yet, she didn’t even know what she should do now. She was able to help everyone so far, but right now, she was absolutely clueless. She could only kneel there, hugging her partner until the whole world would start falling apart. ”Even though you’ve lost so much, I will not allow you to lose me. We’re partners… and we will conquer this world together, you better remember that! There is no one capable of stopping us! So… let’s walk forward together, alright?”

Peeling away the facade of a disgusting Tor Corva laboratory, a black exterior would be revealed. This time, it was not comforting at all, not like the white dream that the Dreamland is supposed to be. She was finally at the core of the nightmare itself… but the aura that shielded the duo was stronger that some stupid dream, giving them warmth and comfort they deserved. Sometimes, a big hug was all that a person needed to get past their worries and fears. Noheme wasn’t able to make Cirven resistant to his fears or memories, but she was able to give his sleeping self the confidence to look and walk forward, cherishing all those memories and holding them close to his heart, but not letting them control his actions and emotions. It was important to never forget, but that didn’t mean you should be stuck in the past. Surely, his little sister would not want that. She would want him to continue and find his own happiness, live out his life for her as well. As time passed, even the shadow that she was embracing would start withering away, disappearing into the infinite space of this world. And in the end, the moon goddess would be left completely alone, facing the core of the corrupted Dreamland, a place that the King of Dreamland ruled and wanted to use to control Earthland as well. Something like that could never be allowed. Not to mention all that he did, what pain he caused. The only comfort being that those who would wake up after this whole ordeal would disregard all that happened or forget the pain they had to go through. They would go on with their lives as if nothing at all happened and the peace would continue to exist. Only the girl herself, along with the researcher that managed to get here to this place would truly remember.

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”Alright… I say it’s about time we end this, what do you say King of Dreamland?” Instead of getting a direct reply, a giant door would form right in front of her. A door that was made out of all the colors you could imagine, bearing no insignia at all. A blank door that did not belong to anyone who was trapped in this place. It lead somewhere where the King himself and his trusted knights could even reach to Noheme herself. So even an outsider was vulnerable in these spaces, making it the most dangerous place in Dreamland itself. But it had to be done… if the girl were to simply walk away now, nothing would change. More people would succumb to the darkness of this horrid nightmare and all the work she did up until now would be nulled. And the moon goddess certainly did not like the idea of that. Mentally preparing herself for the unexpected, she would place her hands on the door and push it open. Much heavier than the other ones, it took her few seconds before the gap was big enough for her to squeeze in without getting stuck by her chest. But once it was, she would slip in right away, expecting just about anything. But what she found was nothingness… a black abyss all around her with no way out. There was nothing to her left, to her right, up or down. The door behind her no longer existed and forward was the nonexistent road to the black. It was an utterly empty world, devoid of life and sound all around.

Only the voices of nightmares echoed through the corridors of seeping black.  ”The girl actually made it. Perhaps she indeed is a god as she says.” ”Do you think she is? Perhaps she merely got lucky while freeing those pests.” ”There is a special air about her, but I would not say that she is a god. After all, she is powerless in this world!” ”Yes, she is quite powerless indeed. Now girl, succumb to eternal sleep like everyone else. It is for the greater good.” The four counts of the King. They were nothing more than voices in the dark, yet they brought certain uneasiness into the air. However, the girl’s spirit would not let go. She entered this world in order to help everyone and she was not willing to fail. She had a long road after her and in front of her still. And she learned many things during her time in this world. While helping others, they also help her. Facing your fears alone was something not many could do. But when you had someone that you could fall back onto, someone that would support you no matter what… it helped. Perhaps that was the only reason she was able to help anyone. Because she was never alone. The person who needed help was always there with her, every look reminding her of who she was helping. Someone that would not leave her that easily.

It probably sounded absurd with her doing nearly all the work, but breaking every single one of those nightmares was a teamwork and nothing less. And as she helped these souls, she realized her own fears. They were among those that she helped conquer. And she was only capable of doing so because of everyone’s effort and hope. She already broke apart her own fears by going through this world and getting this far. No matter what the counts would throw at her, she was already free. Of course, that didn’t mean that her fears disappeared completely and would never come back. That most definitely was not the case at all. But right now, the confidence that she was feeling along with the warmth of her chest… it was all clear to her. Those that she freed from the nightmare were all standing behind her and supporting her on this journey. Even if they were not physically present, their energies fused with Noheme herself as she helped them. And now, they were radiating even brighter than ever before.

”We are done playing games. Earthland and Dreamland may have been one at some point, but those times are long gone. We all have to accept that and starting moving forward instead of desperately trying to bring the past back. So even if you try, no matter how hard, I will not give in. I can’t hurt you here… hell, I don’t want to hurt you! But this has to stop… you have to leave my friends and the rest of humanity alone! I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve her, but it’s not worth the sacrifice you have to pay to get where you want to be. You have your own world and I have seen how beautiful it can be! So instead of focusing on retaking the Earthland back, why don’t you focus on making your own home a place where the spirits could live in peace, without complaining? You are the counts! Along with your king, you should serve those that are below you. Not the other way around…” Silence. No reply would find it’s way to the moon goddess as the counts were speechless, unsure of how to respond or what to do. Indeed, their tricks would no longer work. The girl’s fears were conquered now. For once, they were backed into the corner. But there was still someone that had power in this world, someone that did not intend to listen to reason anytime soon. ”My counts, standing afraid of a simple girl from Earthland. I did not think a day such as this one would ever come. But alas, one should expect the unexpected. This nightmare will never and, as I will deal with you personally. The abyss of dreams will be your final resting place, for all that you have done to the Nightmare I created. Disgracing it is like disgracing my name itself, simply unforgivable. Now… sleep.”

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As his words rang through Noheme’s ears, the girl suddenly started to feel rather strange. How odd, she was full of energy just a little while ago, what happened. As the spark in her eyes slowly started fading, those big emerald eyes became dull like a milky glass. And slowly but surely, she would start falling into the abyss. The whole around her became blurry as a faint laughter from the King of Dreamland could be heard. But it felt as if nothing mattered anymore. She was free to ride the carousel of her own agony. Would tomorrow even come? Would she make it through the night? Strange thoughts started infecting her mind like a hungry parasite. Slowly forgetting what is white and what is black, even a god could succumb to the nightmare. A sweet dream of pain that would never end, a punishment for freeing others and halting the progress of their plans. Pain and joy melding together, the girl’s body started turning black. Was she nothing more than a featureless shadow without a face like the others? It was all fading into black as her body slowly started falling apart. Like petals of black roses, her skin would peel away only to reveal a terrible shadow. A deformed figure reminiscent more of a walking terror, a creature hungry for flesh rather than a human being. Noheme’s divine form, it was everything but divine. Ah, now she remembered. There was still one more fear that she did not see in the nightmares of others. The fear of others seeing her like this. How she looked outside of her mortal vessel.

She was so afraid that she would not even show her loyal subjects in the Astral realm. She was the nightmare itself, twisted and mangled limbs, several sets of crimson red eyes and teeth sharper than professionally made blades. She was sure that if others were to see her in state like this, they would quickly change their mind about her. The beautiful mask she was wearing, nothing more than a facade. Yet it became the face that others loved and adored. Her worshipers called her the goddess of beauty, as they had no idea of this appearance of hers. It was strange. Rather than fearing right now, she felt calm and serene. Her body was lost, revealing her true nature, yet there was none around that could witness it. She was free of those piercing gazes, she was free of cruel voices. She was free to sleep for all of infinity, not caring one bit for the reality and what would happen to it. With all desires fading away, why would she even have to care or try for those that did not care for her? She was all alone, a pitiful existence born from the magical mist between worlds and molded by a demon that gave her the power of gods. No… she herself was nothing more than a demon who called herself a god. But in reality, she was only a god in a sense of having someone to worship her. There was nothing divine about her, only rotten and vile. A demon formed to bring about the end of all. She tried to deny that purpose of hers, but she failed here.

A pleasant and uninterrupted sleep. Or was it? A faint voice, one that did not belong to her enemy. One that she recognized quite well. Strangely, she could not quite place it. After all, Noheme was melting in her abyss, all her desires becoming one, as well as her fears. She was no longer capable of anything, she was defeated. Or at least that was what she thought. But it appeared as if the voice was thinking otherwise. Opening her many eyes, the demon was terrified to see a shapeless being in front of her, yet a familiar one. It was her loyal servant named Ai Eden. Astral spirit that was given life by Noheme’s world creating power and one that followed the goddess out of her realm when she started her quest among mortals. A lovely girl that stuck with her through many hardships and fun moments. Why was she here. Why was she watching the demon? Why would she still support her after she saw her true form? Why… did there have to be a reason? ”No. Love is the only reason I need, master. Even though I know you will never be able to return that love to me because you’re destined to end up with someone from Earthland… I mean, that is the point of your quest, right? But this is not about that… master, you have to fight! If you don’t, what will others think? Do you really want to disappoint them like that? You are their goddess, not a demon. And a goddess like you would never disappoint her believers, right? You would never back away from a challenge, right?” A simple smile and a big hug.

Sometimes that was all a person needed to get through, right? With her eyes wide open, she suddenly started clawing her way out of the black abyss. The pond of black that she was drowning in because of the King of Dreamland. This was not the end of her journey, there were still many pages to be filled in the book of her life. Just because of her own insecurities… there was no way that would be the reason for her own end! The pitch black world would start falling apart beneath the weight of god’s determination, surprisingly even the great force that was behind this all.  ”How? You were already consumed by the nightmares, you can’t possibly-”  ”Expect the unexpected, right? I think you should stick to what you say a little bit more, pal!” A rotten crimson heart. The core of the nightmare that was formed by the corrupted forces of Dreamland. It was something that was not meant to be! And with her very own hands, Noheme would squeeze all of it’s remaining power out to the melody of King’s screams of defeat. It kinda looked like an anti-climactic ending that would benefit from more action and emotions… but the girl was happy with it. The white around her embracing every little last bit of it… she found this to be an acceptable ending. And with her emerald green eyes opening once more, she stared at the white ceiling of Athene’s lab to the sound of excited cheering and congratulations.

Word Count - 17016 / 17000