(Logan's P.O.V.) - A hour before sunset-
I don't know if I was screaming when I woke up from my nightmare, yet I was panting and sweating furiously...I looked around frantically, calming down as I saw most of my friends helping out the remaining two donkeys and our horses, and I saw the dwarves fixing up dinner over two separate campfires.
I frowned lightly as I couldn't find Jasmine, and I got up from my sleeping bag, regretting the decision to take a late afternoon nap after the morning I had, and headed over to one of the campfires, asking Dopey. I still can't believe he can talk in this world even after living with him for almost 3 months.
"Dopey. Have you seen Jasmine?", I inquired worriedly. Dopey smiled at me reassuringly, "She's at the river with Zuri. She wanted to learn how to fish.". I nodded softly with a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Dopey.", leaving him, heading over to the little river half a mile away from here, wondering if Jasmine or Zuri caught anything yet.
I soon felt the sensation of my amulet warming up against my chest, and I hear Esmeralda's voice in my head, "Logan, are you all right? Power feels guilty from having been involved in creating the simulation mental test.".
I muttered quietly, "Please, Esmeralda, I just want to be alone on the way. It's not you or Power...Not his fault...I chose to go through with it...". I heard a sigh through my head, and I felt the emotion of weary acceptance from both Esmeralda, and Power, through I can somehow sense a question of confusion on why I am going to the river.
I shrugged lightly in answer, not wishing to say anything more to my inanimate companions, and my amulet went silent, and I felt that the sensation of Esmeralda's voice is leaving my head, figuring that she has gone back to sleep or privately talking with Power.
After some minutes while unfortunately thinking of that nightmare, I made it to the banks of the river, and smiling softly as I saw Zuri teaching Jasmine how to hold a fish by the tail as Zuri helped take out the hook, and I saw her grimace slightly at Zuri's action of stunning the fish after it was switched between hands, noticing the stick of strung up fish nearby.
I laughed softly, "You will get used to that, Jazz. After all, the water feeds the fish, and we eat the fish. It's the circle of life.". Jasmine and Zuri looked up at the sound of my laugh, and Jasmine shrugged lightly, "I suppose so. I caught two of them, and Zuri caught the rest.".
Zuri smirked softly, "Two out of six. You've done good, girlfriend. With more practice, you're sure to be a pro like me and Pippa!". I raised a eyebrow, "You forgot about Haku.". Zuri chuckled lightly, "Okay, he's an alright fisher, but I and you know that he'd prefer to make water balloons than fishing, anyway.".
I snickered softly, "Fair enough.", before clearing my throat, "Jasmine, would you stay here with me? I...I had a nightmare, and you're someone I could trust with telling about it...no offense, Zuri.". Zuri nodded in understanding, "Hey, Logan, I don't blame you. Hakuna Matata.", before picking up the stick of fish, "Jasmine, good job today. See you guys in awhile.", before leaving me and Jasmine.
Jasmine looked at me in concern, "You had a nightmare?". I spoke softly, "Yeah...". Jasmine blinked in thought, and glanced around before smiling wryly, "It's not the same tree or spot, but we could talk under there.", gesturing with a hand, and I looked in her direction, seeing a flat boulder with a tall, strong aspen tree at the edge of it.
I smiled warmly at the thought, and I walked alongside her, walking up and getting over the small crevices, and sitting upon the flattest section, looking over the river and surroundings. I sighed softly, "Thank you for offering me privacy, Jazz.".
Jasmine smiled softly, "I thought you'd like some familiarity, Logan. Are you now able to gather your thoughts to tell me of this nightmare?". I glanced at her, and spoke quietly, "You remember me telling you and the others about the tests, explaining some of the action?".
Jasmine nodded softly, "You didn't tell all of it, did you? I had a feeling that you were leaving something out of your story...". I bowed my head tightly, and closed my eyes momentarily as the memory of the nightmare flashed thorough my mind, and opened them to look straight at Jasmine. I whispered tensely, "I was put in a situation, surrounded by people, mostly men who were far worse than Jafar, the goblins, and Gaston put together...".
Jasmine looked horrified, giving out a gasp of shock and fear, "But there are no bruises or anything of the sort on you!". I sighed heavily, "It was the mental test. It was meant to feel real, but it wasn't all real...It...was like a illusion of sorts...".
Jasmine breathed out, her eyes wide, "By Allah...", moving slightly, looking like she's wanting to give me a hug, but I tensed up, avoiding her as I moved back, cursing that involuntarily reflex, seeing that her eyes had a flash of pain momentarily before clearing up, "You got pushed into my situations, were you?".
I nodded somberly, "I walked in your steps, Jasmine. Now, I truly understand where and what you saw, felt, heard, and dreamt...I fought back for I knew I had to get back to my friends...and you. You were the light of my tunnel. If you survived it, I had to survive it too.".
Jasmine looked at me with horror yet awe, "You were beaten, spitted on, struggling to avoid rape?". I shivered lightly, "They broke me! They stripped me. They chained me. They starved me. And I couldn't stop them from raping me!", breaking down in sobs, feeling Jasmine wrap her arms around me, adjusting her body to let me rest my head on her lap with a blurry view of the riverbank, feeling her hands brush and comb through my hair.
I hear Jasmine's murmurings, but I couldn't listen as I felt so numb to everything...Then I hear it...Her voice singing, and I lean closer to suddenly listen to it.
Everyone is sharp sometimes.
One minute you're here and the next you're struggling.
You're looking at the lonely hope.
Everyone is beautiful sometimes.
One minute you're here, and the next you're silent.
You're looking at the sunlit sky.
Sometimes I look at you and I look into your eyes,
I notice the way you think about respect with a smile.
Curved lips you just can't disguise.
But you think it's family making your life worthwhile.
Why is it so hard for you to decide which you love more?
Family or...
Respect?
I've been hearing storms.
I'm the lonely one.
But if you're lonely too, then we're lonely together.
Standing on a mountain, we can look out for each other.
Dreams or nightmares, let's help each other through it all.
Everyone is sharp sometimes.
One minute you're here and the next you're struggling.
You're looking at the lonely hope.
Everyone is beautiful sometimes.
One minute you're here, and the next you're silent.
You're looking at the sunlit sky.
Sometimes I look at you and I look into your eyes,
I notice the way you think about respect with a smile.
Curved lips you just can't disguise.
But you think it's family making your life worthwhile.
Why is it so hard for you to decide which you love more?
Family or...
Respect?
I've been hearing storms.
I'm the lonely one.
But if you're lonely too, then we're lonely together.
Standing on a mountain, we can look out for each other.
Dreams or nightmares, let's help each other through it all.
I exhaled shakily as I calmed down, the song somehow resonating within me, and one moment, I am blinking away the last remaining tears, the next moment, I felt a touch, a touch I've wished to feel ever since I discovered my feelings for Jasmine, her soft lips just at the hairline, upon the side of my forehead. I feel warm, happy, surprised, awed, and safe.
I hear her voice call out softly, "It's okay, Logan. You're safe. Are you feeling better?". My love for her just doubled, and I instantly knew that she's my destined mate...I love her so much...I'll tell her one day soon... I exhaled slowly, "Can you sing that again, Jazz? I'm a little better now, but I want to hear your voice...Please...".
I hear a sigh of relief, and I feel her hand caress through my hair once more, "There you are, Logan. Of course, anything for you...anything...", hearing and feeling her take a deep breath, and she began once again, singing, not for her, but for me... I finally smile genuinely which feels like a long time ago since, and I close my eyes, realizing that there was no flash of memories, but just serenity and darkness.