Merry Christmas Eve!
Goliath had volunteered next to stay behind to watch over his Second while Hudson assigned patrols.
He sighed softly as he watched the sick Brooklyn sleeping there, wheezing softly, beads of sweat on his forehead. Goliath took a towel and wiped the red one's forehead, tears coming down his face.
I wish you can be with us again, Brooklyn. And understand how much we miss you… the lavender gargoyle thought in sorrow. But then, he tensed when Brooklyn weakly opened his eyes, seeing his leader looking down at him with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Brooklyn." He said softly, though Brook thought he could hear his voice crack a bit. Brooklyn reached out for Goliath's hand weakly.
"I really do wanna get better, Goliath," he whispered croakily, sounding like a hatchling with his small voice. Goliath took his hand gently and rubbed it.
"Yes, I know. We're doing what we can, my friend." Brooklyn felt his eyes water and he curled up, feeling sleepy again.
"Feel tired… hot…" he mumbled. Goliath massaged his shoulder. "I can go get you something until you wake again," he told Brooklyn, who nodded, eyes closing, while Goliath lulled him to sleep with stories about his adventures with Hudson as his mentor. Brook ended up laughing gently from some funny moments he mentioned.
His voice sounded very tired and woozy when speaking before falling asleep, coughing in exhaustion from his sore throat.
"Wish… I can return… to… childhood…" he mumbled woozily; eyes drifting shut completely. Goliath nodded in understanding.
"As do I, Brooklyn." He replied quietly, getting up to go have Broadway make Brooklyn something since he, Hudson, Bronx and Broadway were the only ones there right now.
….
Brooklyn was having another fever dream; trapped within a maze inside an old castle in his dream. He ran around, trying to find his way out of there, until he bumped into someone.
Coldsteel smiled sinisterly in greeting. "We meet again, Brooklyn. How nice of you to dream of me again…" Brooklyn just jumped up immediately, eyes round, running in the other direction.
"Agh! No! Stay away!" He shouted in pain and sadness. Coldsteel suddenly got a hold of him, and Brook writhed and cried out.
"Your soul is mine, Brooklyn. You should've just accepted my control; you then wouldn't have to have been poisoned. Why not allow me in now, hmm?" He sneered. Brook turned about, eyes glowing, scratching his abuser and wiggling free.
"No! Never!" He screamed, still running until suddenly the scenery changed; and he was in the Cloisters, Coldsteel right behind him, and red eyes suddenly showing, revealing Demona now.
Brooklyn couldn't understand what was happening. He never had two enemies appear in his previous dreams before. Sweat poured down his face.
"No! No!" He wailed in sorrow and desperation dodging her and his hypnotized leader. Coldsteel joined them in chasing their victim.
"It will still give us and your family such pleasure to see you dead. It is only a matter of time…" sneered Demona. Brook blocked their taunts from lowering his ears, the scenery changing yet again, now on the old Castle Wyvern.
Thailog then quite suddenly showed too. Brooklyn dodged him, running up the stairs. Tears were stinging his skin, not sure how much more of this he could endure.
….
Brooklyn in the waking world had again begun to sleepwalk, sleepily wandering the hallways, crying again, experiencing another night terror episode.
He had tripped on a chair but pulled himself back to his feet in his sleep, body wandering towards the balcony. Since Brooklyn was still trapped by his nightmare, he didn't realize he was outside.
Goliath went to see if Brooklyn was awake yet and had a tray of lunch with him. But what he saw was only an empty bed. Concern radiated through his whole body, setting the tray on the nightstand; worried now that Brooklyn was sleepwalking once more.
He ran around trying to find his Second but couldn't find him, until his scent led him to the balcony.
…
Brooklyn was leaning up against the balcony in Castle Wyvern, tears and sweat coming off his face, the villains closing in around him.
Demona moved in close, tracing her talons along his shoulder. Brooklyn used his tail to get rid of her, gripping the edge of the balcony. Coldsteel folded his arms.
"Why not jump? Perhaps a quick death for you can be painless than dragging along your pain…" he sneered harshly. Brooklyn wrapped his wings around him, staring down at the emptiness in his dream. Could he commit suicide in a nightmare? It would be nicer than struggling to wait for a cure. He glanced about at each of his enemies and stared at the hypnotized Goliath. Tears came.
"I know I'll get better. You're all not real. You're just visions," Brooklyn said shakily, pressing against the wall.
Demona smiled, tracing her taloned hand along his face and chest. "We may be visions here but not when you're awake." She sneered. Thailog nodded.
"All of us will continue to be in your fevered dreams before you perish, to make you recall your painful memories…" Brooklyn's tears flooded down his face, stumbling.
"No, just… just leave me alone…" he begged before they all suddenly charged him. Brook screamed for mercy when he stumbled and fell into darkness...
….
Goliath ran over to the balcony where Brook's scent was leading. To his surprise and fear, his Second was sleepwalking and crying again, cowering against the balcony.
"No… leave me alone…" he wailed quietly, now starting to lean in too far over the edge. Goliath made a move forward, ready to save Brooklyn, until Brooklyn's feet suddenly slipped; and he fell off while still out.
He gasped in horror and quickly acted, taking to the air and diving down after the red gargoyle.
Brooklyn was still asleep while Goliath flew down towards him, reaching out and finally catching him by his arm. Brook shifted in his sleep and opened his eyes, finding himself hanging from Goliath's hand, right above the streets of the city.
Utter fear flooded his body and Brook shrieked in terror from waking up suddenly in a confusing situation, writhing in Goliath's grasp then losing his grip and falling again.
"HELP!!" Brooklyn screamed, unable to use his wings very well because of how weak they had been since he couldn't go out gliding so much. Goliath was able to snatch him up again this time, getting his whole body and holding him close.
Brooklyn trembled furiously, still confused at what happened and where he was but grateful for Goliath's timing, holding onto his leader for dear life, unable to stop crying. Goliath glided back to the castle and landed gently onto the balcony. Brooklyn had cried the entire way back, and Goliath began to try calming him.
"I got you, Brooklyn. It's ok. I got you," he murmured, feeling his Second's body quivering terribly, looking traumatized from waking up from the nightmare so suddenly, coughing from his sore throat and still looking sick.
"What… where?! What was I doing? How did I get here?!" Brooklyn sobbed, looking around in fright. Goliath wrapped his wings securely around his friend, to warm him and comfort him.
"You had a nightmare and was sleepwalking. But I was able to get you before something worse happened." Brooklyn looked up at his leader with grieved eyes before burying his face into his chest, crying hoarsely from his sore throat. He couldn't speak nor could he move a muscle, since he was too scared.
Hudson and Broadway saw what had happened, surprised at seeing Brooklyn looking so utterly terrified from his near-death experience.
"What happened to the lad?" Hudson asked in concern, a gentle hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. Brooklyn just gave a throaty sob, coughing and feeling hot and dizzy, unable at the moment to get over his terrifying experience. Goliath rubbed his back in gentle motions.
"He had fallen off the balcony in his sleep. When I caught him, I awoke him from his nightmare too unexpectedly, so now he's feeling trauma from it all," Goliath said sadly, resting his head on Brooklyn's. Hudson then helped Goliath get Brooklyn safely back inside and put him under the covers again so he could relax better.
Broadway even brought some hot peppermint tea to soothe Brooklyn's throat since he had started dry heaving from his panic attack. Hudson helped the young one drink, who stared at him in sadness and fear. After that, they also helped him eat lunch too.
"Yer ok now, lad. It's all over. Perhaps maybe you can try to sleep again?" But Brooklyn instantly shook his head, holding Hudson tight.
"No, don't… don't want any more nightmares…" he whimpered, trembling. But then Hudson began to hum again, rocking Brooklyn gently, to relax him. Brooklyn gave a small hiccup, but Hudson's singing had begun to relax him a bit, allowing Hudson to place him back onto his pillows. It was almost sunrise and the others had returned. They came in to say hi to Brooklyn before turning to stone, worried for the aftermath of Brooklyn's health because of him waking from a nightmare before he could calm down.