Prompt: No, come back! Rating: Teen, Mentions of death and violence.
Summary: Kendra has a terrible nightmare, but she won't wake up.
A/N: A collection of drabbles/ one-shots for Fictober! I own nothing! Enjoy! :)
Kendra kept her nightmares a secret, no matter how hard it was. She wouldn't let anyone worry about her, it was the way people got hurt. So she trained herself not to scream, though it didn't always work. Some were just too terrible, and this was one of them.
Kendra thrashed in her sleep as the nightmares threatened to overtake her. Flashes of some of her greatest fears, whether they happened or not. Bracken, shirt turning silver from the wound across his chest, staggering to face an opponent too strong for him well Kendra could do nothing. Seth gravely injured from taking an arrow meant for her, which then pierced his chest.
Everyone around her was dying, well she couldn't move. She was watching them fall, one by one. Everyone she loved and even the ones she barely knew. She even saw her cousins, who she had only seen twice but whom she instantly loved.
Gavin Rose, taunting her for being weak. Being so soon to trust, so soon to love. What happened because of her. Warren in the knapsack, with only Yahtzee and a cranky troll for company. Her mistakes. Her choices.
Warren, trapped in the knapsack, slowly starting to go insane. Vanessa back at the Inverted Tower, so beat up only the sands could heal her, which were now broken.
You failed me, they whispered. You failed me.
She didn't know she was screaming until she was shaken awake by a strong pair of arms. "Hey, calm down Kendra!" The voice said, but Kendra didn't hear it. She saw a demon thrashing her, telling her all her faults well everyone died at its feet. She thrashed at the figure, but they held strong, withstanding every blow.
"Calm down!" It winced, "You're alright."
Kendra could see it wasn't the demon now, but she still couldn't trust it. She couldn't lose anyone else because of her judgment. Not until she knew.
"Go away!" She cried, her eyes still not opened, "Leave me alone!"
"No!" The voice said, "Come back! Come back to me, Kendra! You have to resist! These are no ordinary nightmares and you have to come back!"
"Why?" She whispered, "Who do I have to come back to? They're all dead!"
"I'm not dead!" The voice said, "It's me! Bracken!"
"Bracken," she whimpered, "Where are you, Bracken?"
"I'm right here," he insisted, "Kendra, these are no ordinary nightmares. If you don't wake up, you'll be trapped in them forever! Please, wake up!"
"Why?" She repeated, "You're not Bracken! Bracken died," she had silent tears streaming down her face.
"I'm not dead," he insisted, putting both hands on her arms, "I'm right here. Just open your eyes!"
"It's a trap," she whimpered, "Another person will get hurt because of me. I can't fall for this again, show me your true form! I will not open my eyes, I won't let anyone get hurt! Show me your true form, don't hide behind his anymore! You can't fool me again!"
"It's really me!" Bracken insisted, "We battled demons together, I'm a prince, I have silver hair, I care about you and your family, I'm a unicorn!"
"An enemy could know it too," her eyes squeezed shut, "Go away!"
"No!" Bracken repeated, "I will not go away! Come back to us and open your eyes! Come see your family!"
"My family is dead," she said, "But I want to see them again so bad."
Bracken flinched at himself saying it, but he did, "Then come." He said, "Open your eyes and you can join us again."
"I'm coming," she said and she opened her eyes, "I'm coming."
Reality flooded back to her as the nightmares lost their hold. All of her emotions came rushing back to her at once and she couldn't hold it in anymore. She sobbed into her boyfriend's shirt and he held her close.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Bracken said gently, "These nightmares were a curse from a demon, they're called demon's wrath. They would have trapped you there for eternity."
"I didn't know," she whispered, her tears slowing, "I didn't want to worry anyone."
"You should have told us," Kendra flinched at the hardness of his tone, which then softened, "If I hadn't been here," he trailed off.
"I'm sorry," Kendra sniffled.
Bracken sighed, "It's not alright, but I won't tell anyone about this."
Kendra was grateful, which was sent to Bracken through their touch who smiled sadly.
"How did you know?" She hiccuped, "It was a curse?"
"I'm a unicorn," he smirked playfully, "I know these things. I just can't believe I didn't see it sooner, I could have prevented it all!" He was clearly beating himself up about this.
Kendra put a hand on his arm in a reassuring way, sending the message that it was not his fault through her emotions. He sighed in reaction, though Kendra could tell he wasn't convinced.
"You're a great unicorn," she comforted, "You helped me when I needed it and that is what counts if it is anyone's fault, it is mine."
"And Kendra," he said, "One last thing."
Kendra stiffened, knowing this would be hard.
"Promise me you will continue to live your life," he said, "Even if everyone else you know is gone."
"I promise," she said.
Kendra did her best to use her energy to keep her head up after that but failed miserably as it dropped back into Bracken's shoulder.
He chuckled, "It's time to go back to sleep," he laid her back down.
"I won't be able to sleep," she insisted after yawning.
"I'll keep the nightmares away," he promised as he pulled up a chair next to her bed.
"You need to sleep too," she insisted, losing herself to the dream realm.
He smiled, "Unicorns can go weeks without sleep. I'll be fine, you need to sleep more anyway and I will not take no for an answer."
Kendra wanted to protest but didn't have the energy. She fell asleep to soft hums and ancient chants, but with a smile on her face.