15 Red and Black

The club instantly went into disorder.

Screams wrecked the smoky air, and panic movement zapped in all directions, skirts, and coattails flying everywhere. Bonbon screeched high pitch as she dropped to the floor and pulled me with her.

More gunshots flew over our heads.

My ears suddenly rang. As many feet rushed around my face, I rubbed at my ears to ease the ringing, but they wouldn't clear; the chaos of the club muffled into a fuzzy noise of sharp gurgles as though I was trapped underwater.

Nemo's voice came and went, a gurgling cry of agony.

"Will!"

I pushed up and saw the spotlight still there, still glowing over Nemo as he bent over his friend's fallen body. No blood, but his body faded fast.

"What's happening?!" Nemo shouted, but his friend vanished from his arms, leaving him holding only air.

Bonbon pulled me with her as we burrowed over to Nemo. He started sobbing in his hands.

"He's not dead! He just woke up in Middle Land," she told him urgently.

Nemo's hands fell, his glowing tears caking his cheeks.

"Wha?"

I kept my eyes peeled for the one with the gun, only to find more of them coming at us.

"But we will be if we don't leave!" I cried, shaking Nemo's shoulder.

"Get up! We have to go!"

But Nemo clenched his teeth and rose high, his eye darkening as he scanned the Dreamers cornering him. They came as tall, grey stones in the crowd of filmy rainbows, holding guns that glistened under the chandeliers. Their eyes started turning red.

"No! Not until I kick the bastard in the teeth!" Nemo cried, and he raised a fist.

Whistles blew.

Bonbon and I huddled together and saw coppers swarming the scene. They brought in their blue uniforms and bats, blowing into their silver whistles with cheeks puffed and red. Dreamers were swatted, even the ones without guns. They didn't want to chance it.

"Enough! Wake up!"

But many retaliated. More shots were fired. I screamed into Bonbon's shoulder right after the first sight of blood.

Stunned at how the night unfolded, Nemo wobbled backward until his back bumped against the stage.

"I don't get it," he breathed, still highlighted under the high beams of two spotlights that he recently shared with his lover. The horror on his face glowed, creamy white skin that lost all its hard lines when it seemed to be melting off his trembling skull. More guns fired in his direction, but luckily, Bonbon snatched his coat and yanked him out of the way in time.

"Nemo, out of the light!"

Holes appeared on the stage.

Nemo stumbled drunkenly and shook his head.

"No! I won't run away!"

He stood and threw a punch at a Dreamer with a big gun.

"I'll pop you!"

His knuckle crunched the Dreamer's nose, tipping his cabbie cap off his bald head before his body vanished. No gun, no hat, nothing. He woke up in Middle Land, probably exasperated.

It was a war zone, nothing compared to my last excursion with Vince on the borders of Nightmare Land: too many guns, too much blood, too much screaming. My head started to feel fuzzy. Soon, images of demonic beings falling from the sky took over, leaving me paralyzed on the floor.

"Princess!"

A copper approached and shook my shoulder.

"You shouldn't be here!"

But then he screamed. His blue chest opened in red, blood oozing down his coat and onto his perfectly polished shoes. Eyes left open, the dead copper fell forward, almost landing on me. Still, I couldn't move.

The screams. The smell of blood. The panic. It all brought me to that nightmare: the screams may as well be coming from the young knights as they are snatched and lifted into the darkness. The blood between the demons and humans smelt the same, and the fear was the same.

My lips wouldn't stop trembling. I started gasping, and then my body went numb. First, it happened in my hands, frosting my fingers, and then my toes. Soon, my whole body began to cramp up, and I no longer knew where I was.

Bonbon was too scared, sobbing behind me with her face buried in my back. Her tears felt like flames.

Nemo got caught in the fight, throwing a fist or stumbling. He broke a glass bottle in half and jammed its sharp ends into a Dreamer's face, ending his sleep.

Coppers waved their bats or fell to their deaths.

Drinks were spilled, mixing with the blood on the dance floor. I could barely register the colors, seeing blood swirl with champagne to dilute it over perfect square patterns of light polished wood. My hands stayed on the floor, feeling the spill take up my cold fingers until they chilled even more.

I began gasping.

And then Bonbon screamed.

"Noooo!"

I felt her being torn off me. I woke enough to turn my head and see her being taken by more disturbed Dreamers. They started ripping her dress.

I couldn't move. Why couldn't I move? This had to be a dream. Please, let this be a bad dream. Please, Galof. Just pop out of a corner and tell me this was all a huge prank to scare me. Please?

Like dead tree branches, more hands took hold of my arms and started to yank at my hair. How strange that those hands felt like sharp claws. In a blink, a world of red eyes surrounded me. The sound of fabric being torn cut through my ringing ears, but I couldn't stop hearing Bonbon's screaming as I began to cry. My face turned wet. More of my muscles were cramping until my hands started curling, becoming stiff.

Screams turned into growls, and I couldn't tell where I was anymore, in Nightmare Land or the dance club.

Vince.

I needed Vince.

"Vince," I was able to squeak, and I shut my eyes tight as I pretended to manifest him into this hell magically.

Maybe there are gods beyond Father's control. Maybe Mother was listening from her heaven, or a wish-granting fairy heard me.

Whoever started tearing at my dress, the attacker began to choke. Claws were pulled off, peeling away at my hair and dress with howling rebellion. A gunshot fired, then the sound of something being sliced clean, and bodies fell around me.

Or maybe Vince was secretly my guardian angel.

"Camille."

My ears were still ringing, but I could've sworn I heard his voice. Too bad I was too scared to open my eyes, too afraid to move. Too frightened to do anything!

His voice came closer.

"Camille."

Cold hands touched my scratched shoulders tenderly.

"Breathe. I need you to breathe nice and slow. Pucker your lips and breathe out slow like blowing out a candle."

I shook as I tried to pucker my lips like I was ready for a kiss of death. My breaths shook, broken into short gasps.

"That's it. Keep trying that. Stay here, and keep working on blowing out the candle. I will be right back."

Hands disappeared, and Vince's voice twisted with an unforgiving scream through my damaged ear drums.

"Kill all of them!"

I stayed curled in my place, refusing to open my eyes, and tried to breathe like I was blowing out a candle, even when I tasted the salt of my tears and inhaled metal and blood. Behind the darkness of my eyelids, I felt the floor vibrate, many bodies falling. I ignored the smell of blood, focusing on breathing out with a tiny tunnel around my lips to keep from blasting the air with more of my breath.

The screams faded.

The chaos dispersed.

Either the ringing in my ears grew worse, or the club went quiet.

Footsteps came at me slowly.

Leather whined with stretch. Armor clanked. There was a hint of that sour, amber liquor smell. A hand fell on me carefully and squeezed my shoulder. The ringing faded, and I heard him clear as crystal.

"Camille."

I opened my eyes.

Through the blobs of tears, I thought I was dreaming. I blinked to clear my vision, and there, taking a knee, Vince peered down at me. A mix of dim chandeliers and distant spotlights gave him some shadow, making him appear dangerous, but upon reading his face, his eyes weren't lifeless. For once, they expanded and held in a hidden light, glowing warmly when he looked at me for a long time.

His armor was covered in black and red blood, splatters on his cheek, and his dark hair a sleek mess. A few strands dripped in black blood, making his hair appear greasy. He may look a mess, but I saw him as the most beautiful thing in all our worlds.

Vince's dry lips opened, and he spoke delicately.

"Are you hurt?"

I did it without thought. As soon as he spoke, I lunged forward, falling into his arms, and sobbed severely.

"Vince!" I wept, spreading tears across his cold, silver chest plate, smearing blood that could or couldn't be his. I buried my face under his arm and took hold of his waist, never wanting to let go again. My fingers dug into his cape, clawing it until I imagined there were holes in the velvet. I won't let go. Never!

Arms settled over my back to shield me from the awful world outside of my castle.

"It's okay. You're safe now," Vince whispered, and he wrapped me with his body for a long minute until my muscles stopped cramping and my wails turned into hiccups and gasps.

His hold tightened, resting his head against mine.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," he whispered, and his whole body tensed.

"How?" I croaked, unable to make complete sentences yet. My face smashed into his hold, smelling the blood and leather off him.

"Something tipped me off that you were out here, somewhere," he answered grimly. I felt his head jerk up, looking for someone.

"Good thing I came and brought some of my men. So then…" he sucked in a deep breath.

"Why the fuck were you three here?" He seethed, his body rattling.

Bonbon sniffed.

"We didn't know…" she whimpered, and she started to sob softly.

Vince then latched onto Nemo, and so much darkness bubbled in his blood he couldn't hold his anger.

"Of course, it was your idea," he hissed.

"It was fun at first," Nemo protested.

I didn't want to let go, but Vince started pushing me back, my hands slipping away from him. More tears fell. He cupped my cheek, and his thumb pushed those tears aside.

"Tell me what they did to you," he demanded darkly, ready to kill again.

I shook my head, feeling stiff, and rubbed my eyes hard to get the goop and tears out.

"Nothing. Nothing yet," I struggled.

He stood, and last, his hand slipped off my shoulder.

At Nemo, he growled through his teeth, "Fun?" That word dragged over his tongue as a growing curse, ready to seek revenge.

I opened my eyes more, seeing how the club's dance floor transformed into a messy crime scene. Dozens of the Royal Guard and a few coppers stood in the room, taking notes or whispering in small groups. At their feet, bodies of coppers and goblins lay limp, their blood mixing into a dark tint of a metal-smelling foul mess across the wood floor, along with broken glass and tipped chairs and tables.

I blinked, not understanding where the goblins came from, and turned around, ready to ask Vince, but stopped short when I saw how aggressively he marched up to Nemo.

He threw a punch, socking him on his only good cheek. It sounded like a bone cracked, and Nemo tumbled down at his feet, tears in his eyes. His mouth twisted, body shaking with suppressed rage as he stayed on the floor, but Vince grabbed his collar and pulled him back up to face him.

"You fucking idiot!"

Vince slammed Nemo's back against the base of the stage, causing a few string instruments to rattle, and he spat in his face.

"Do you have any idea how stupid this was?!"

Nemo looked away from Vince's rage, limp as a noodle. The only thing keeping him from melting back to the floor was Vince's stronghold on his wrinkled suit.

"Dreamers are just as unstable as Nightmares! Didn't you see them turn?!"

Drops of his spit landed on Nemo's bruised cheeks, and the boy had enough of it, shoving Vince away.

"Fuck off! You aren't my Father!" He screamed and held up his fists, glaring at Vince. He was breathing hard those his nose, ready for a fistfight, but swiped the air hard with one of his hands.

"I didn't know, okay?!"

Vince punched him again, his knuckles hitting his cheek where it was already swelling and dark, a throbbing ache to add salt to the wound. The hit turned Nemo's head, but he sizzled and threw a counterattack, his fist flying. To his dismay, Vince dodged with a twist of his head and threw another hit square in the gut. Nemo arched forward and expelled a long gasp until he wheezed, his saliva splattering on the floor. He cradled his busted stomach and fell on his knees, gasping at Vince's feet.

"Vince, please, don't kill him," Bonbon sobbed.

The mad knight kicked Nemo at his side, causing the boy to roll on the floor and curl into a ball. He started coughing up blood.

"I won't!" Vince threw in the tense air. He turned around sharply to stare at the many eyes on him, knights and cops shifting uncomfortably as they watched his outburst. He simmered down and sighed, looking at a dead goblin on the floor.

"When Dreamers behave darkly for a long time, they turn into Nightmares. Eventually, they die in their beds in Middle Land and turn into this-!"

He kicked a goblin's body away with his boot and marched past it.

"The balance starts to tip," he hissed, throwing his half cape over his shoulder.

He stopped in the middle of the mess, took another look at my pathetic state, and dropped his furious gaze.

"If we hadn't shown up…" he closed his eyes and dug his fingers into his eye sockets.

"Fuck," he sighed.

Bonbon helped me up, but I leaned heavily into her, my legs too wobbly. I wanted to fix my dress but quickly learned much of my skirt had been torn off. My lazy sleeves were gone, ribbons untied.

"Here."

Vince approached, swooped an arm around my waist, and pulled me up. The chill of shock quickly evaporated as soon as I was against him, laying a shy hand on his back.

"Come on. There's a ride to take you all home," he mentioned, softening.

He lent Bonbon a hand, but she clasped into prayer and looked over at Nemo, still groveling on the floor.

"What about Nemo?" She asked.

"Well, I can't just leave him here," Vince mumbled.

Nemo slapped his hands on the floorboards, his head low, and he grumbled something baffling. Vince set his cold eyes on Nemo and asked, "What did you say?"

Nemo burst from the floor and threw his head up to throw Vince a furious gaze.

"I said, 'fuck you' you fuckin punk! I will pop you someday! One of these days, I will be stronger than you!"

Everyone held their breaths.

Vince kept staring at Nemo as he shifted closer to Bonbon.

"Here."

He guided me into Bonbon's arms so that he could walk towards Nemo with his head high, a deadly look in his eyes.

Bonbon and I stiffened, ready to bite our nails. Very slowly, Vince stepped into the spotlight towards Nemo, his boots taking each step as a menacing countdown to the end of his life.

The bitter knight took a knee and reached. He grabbed Nemo's jaw and pulled his head up, his face scrunched with discomfort from the pain that he was enduring from having his bruised cheeks squeezed like that. He squinted at the bright light above as though Vince was a guardian angel about to lay judgment. The dark angel leaned his head in, smiling wickedly, and whispered, "I hope after tonight, Morpheus will come to his senses and dump your ass back in that shit hole you call home." His eyes squinted down at Nemo to give one final slash of venom, the under shadows giving him a threatening look.

"If there were no witnesses, I would've killed you already."

Nemo shook with rage, throwing a hateful glare and clenching his teeth as Vince's hand slipped away. He rose, standing tall in the spotlight, and looked down at Nemo one more time with loathing.

"You'll never beat me," he spat and spun away sharply, his cape smacking Nemo's face.

He walked away, leaving Nemo groveling on the bloody floor.

"Clean this mess up," he ordered his men, and they saluted. "Sir!"

...

We rode away in an elegant carriage, six white horses pulling us from the city with casual grace.

I stayed bundled in blankets, sitting between Vince and Bonbon while Nemo sat beside the driver. He didn't talk the whole ride, his eyes straight ahead.

Bonbon bit into her manicured nails until they bent and broke into little knives.

Vince looked out the window, leaning his cheek into his hand while his elbow rested on his door. He seemed lost in thought, breathing quietly, but his eyes swam in exhaustion.

Did he wake up in the middle of the night for this? How did he feel when he heard the trouble happening in the city? Was he reluctant to go at first, thinking it was the job of the cops? Or did he go willingly, bringing twelve of his men? Too many questions flooded my thoughts, but none were willing to come out, my lips glued shut.

Vince's eyes wandered until he noticed me watching him. I gasped and looked down.

"What?" His tone told me he wasn't in the mood for chatter. None of us were.

I swallowed and closed the blanket around me a little tighter.

"Nothing. Just wanted to say thank you," I whispered. For saving my life again…

Vince blinked and looked away, his cheeks burning slightly. He said nothing else until we emptied in front of the palace.

"I will have a talk with Morpheus," he informed, waiting on the steps.

I was dragged out of the carriage, my arms hanging low and feeling heavy. Servants were already waiting, taking Bonbon with open arms. She started sobbing again.

A servant softly took my hand and told me a bath was ready.

I stayed quiet, glancing at Nemo only to find him silently sulking as two servants helped him up the stairs. He winced as he walked, a hand holding his stomach in. With each step, he hissed. Blood dribbled from his nose, adding dark stains to his military jacket.

I then looked at Vince and caught his careful stare until he looked away urgently. He turned and marched inside the castle alone, straight to Father.

…

Without Bonbon, I was quiet while taking my bath. The kind servant gave me a hot towel when I stepped out of the tub, and I turned into a blob on the bed, hiding in the warmth. She asked me what happened in the city, but I gave vague responses or just shook my head, not desiring to discuss it.

A plate of gooey chocolate chip cookies sat on the table, and a set of pajamas were laid out on the bed for me. A warm breeze blew in my room, the curtains open to let the sinking crescent moon peak inside. It then hit me that it could've been the moon that shared my location, the only spy in the sky capable of knowing everything that happened at night. She might've told a star, and that star fell and reached Vince, probably from a window. If it weren't for the moon's intrusive spying, I wouldn't be here, safe in my cozy room, lying on my bed in my soft, warm towel.

I rubbed my face against the towel's soft fuzz, its warmth telling me I was still alive. My face settled in, sighing through the fabric as its fibers tickled my cheeks. Soon, my sighing faded, and I froze until the first tremors rocked my shoulders. Tonight's trauma replayed repeatedly, taking it piece by piece to try and understand every second. I became a detective, searching for clues and deciphering the bits that didn't make sense, but I was still shaken. I started to cry when a hard knock suddenly came at the door.

I gasped, jolting my head up with only a tear or two globbing around my eyes while I stared at the doors with dread. Who would come at this hour? Was it Bonbon? It wasn't like her to knock firmly. The kind servant had a hand to her bosom as she inched close to the double doors and opened one of them a crack.

"Yes?"

"I need to speak with Camille." It was Vince.

I gasped, ready to retreat under the blankets. The servant saw my frightened face, and she turned to the doors.

"I'm sorry, but it is late! The princess is-!" She couldn't finish, Vince was already pushing the door wider, and he forced his way in.

"I need to speak to her, NOW!" He fired at the poor servant. She trembled in her acrobat skirt, her dolled-up face wrinkling at him.

When she didn't move, Vince blinked down at her and hissed through his teeth, "Leave!"

She scampered away before he could shove her.

"King Morpheus will hear about-!"

He slammed the door behind her, silencing her threat, and rolled his eyes.

"Piss off."

"Vince," I growled with disapproval, and I quickly retreated under the blankets to hide because my towel wasn't enough. Only my head was free, and I watched him look at me hard as his filthy boots walked across my clean floor, his uniform still sticky with old blood.

"You aren't allowed in my room," I reminded him. He stopped at the side of the bed just a few feet from me and glared.

"What were you doing out in the city? Especially at night?" he barked.

I recoiled, frustrated at his manners. Did Vince intrude to lecture me?

I pulled the blanket closer, ensuring I was covered, and glared at him.

"I told Nemo it was a bad idea, but-!"

"But what?!"

I looked away from the flames in Vince's eyes.

"I didn't know how bad it would get. We were having fun, but then…"

Flashes came. The first was Nemo grumbling to me, "Vince loves you."

Heat boomed in my chest, touching my cheeks until I had to hold myself tight to savor the warmth.

Another flash, and Nemo was kissing his friend.

How did it escalate after that?

"But then Nemo saw a Dreamer he knew, and well, it got worse after that," I put it simply.

Vince hissed as he crossed his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, his back to me. I breathed through my teeth, hoping blood won't get on my covers.

"I told you the city was dangerous," he began.

I played with the bundles of blankets lumping around my lap.

"Yeah, but I didn't know they could KILL us. I didn't know they could turn into Nightmares," I argued.

Vince dropped his head.

"Well, now you do. There are many reasons why your world is here in this palace or with me fighting Nightmares."

My cheeks tingled from his last few words. My world was here or with him.

I swallowed hard and squeezed the blanket.

"I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused," I whispered.

Vince shook his head, keeping his eyes on the balcony's doors. With a warm breeze, the curtains danced inside, leaving the night open to see a few stars from my bed.

It was quiet for a while, Vince thinking until he was done being in parent mode and switched to friend mode.

"How are you?"

From his waist, he turned around and nervously looked at me.

I stared at my hands busy over the blankets, my thoughts fumbling and words a garbled mess.

"I…." I sighed, unable to sort anything. I gave up. "I don't know…"

Vince looked away and stood up, a fist at his side.

"It's okay not knowing. You've been through a lot tonight."

I wrinkled the blanket tight between my knuckles and closed my eyes, wishing to be groggy enough to sleep.

"I spoke with Morpheus," Vince brought up.

"And?" I inquired, waiting to hear the rest without looking up.

"I told him what happened. He's glad you're okay. A bit upset, but it wasn't your fault, not entirely," he answered sternly, still eying the balcony, possibly at the moon glaring at him: No boys are allowed in my room.

"How does he feel about Nemo?" I asked. Maybe Father will ground Nemo, too. Or better yet, send him back to Middle Land.

Nemo kissing his friend came back to the surface. He would want to go back to be with his lover. Nothing would make him happier.

Vince turned on his heel, facing the doors. He hissed, "That will be determined tomorrow morning," and started walking away.

"Get some sleep. I will check on you tomorrow during the morning intervention with Morpheus," he said before touching a door knob. But before he opened the door, he turned around to give me one final look and said, "Good night." He paused.

I shyly looked at him, noting that tender look hiding behind the curtain of his dark bangs.

In my head, Nemo's voice rang once more.

Vince loves you.

I found my hand clutching to my heart without thought, feeling it thump hard while holding onto Vince's steady eyes.

I'm not a fool, Camille. I've seen the way he looks at you.

How? How does Nemo know?

"Vince…" I breathed without meaning to. I wanted to look away, but his gaze held me firmly, like taking a hand to my chin and lifting my face high to pull me towards him until all I could see were his eyes.

A small fire began to burn in my lower belly, and my hands squeezed the blanket tightly.

Vince dropped his hand from the doorknob and turned fully to me.

"Witnesses say you tried to leave the club, but Nemo refused," he said.

I pressed my lips together and looked away, the look on my face more than enough for him to know the truth. He sighed and sank his eyes in his hand. Dark shadows sprouted from his inner demons, cloaking his moral judgment.

In a broken whisper, he said, "Camille, I wanted to kill him so badly." He kept his eyes hidden in his hand to hide the shame of such a thought. "I should've finished him in that ballroom."

I was, too, ashamed. Vince was sharing the disturbing truths of his inner turmoil, but I didn't recoil in fear nor squabble to tell him not to say such things.

I only wanted to hold him.

"Nemo's brand new here. If stumbling is his way of learning the ropes of Slumberland, then that's how it goes, Vince. He'll get…." I paused. "…better." Not at all sure if that will happen.

"Bullshit. He doesn't want to be here and is fussing about it. If he catches fire, then he wants us caught in his flames," Vince spat, already figuring out the Middle Land visitor's ways. He rubbed his hand over his hair, sighed at the ceiling, and looked at me again. His eyes flashed a world of inner hopelessness that may have been inside him for a long time.

"People died tonight. Most of them innocent cops mixed in that mess. The others were in Middle Land. They were corrupt anyway, but still, ten men worldwide died in their beds, never to wake up again. And twelve cops won't go back to their families. It's a black-and-red mess. You can't tell me your night out wasn't the cause of that," he drilled, back in parent mode.

More guilt stabbed me, and I smashed my face in the blankets to hide from Vince's wrath, expecting more slashes from his sword-cutting words.

"I know…"

"Nemo needs to know the consequences of his reckless behavior. Knowing Morpheus, he will probably lay all this as a lesson for him. It will make him a better fucking king someday," he added with sharp sarcasm. "Hopefully, he will come to his sense and send the boy back to Middle Land!"

"Vince…" I whimpered, done with his attacks, but he had more.

"Camille, I know you were stuck with his boy, but that didn't mean he should have put you in danger like that. You and Bonbon! She's damaged from this-!"

"Vince!"

"You could've been raped or killed tonight!"

I jerked the blankets back and threw my face in the air to scream at him, "Vince, stop! No more!" Fresh tears fell off my chin and made tapping noises on the blankets.

Vince then held his breath, unaware that he had been stuck ranting. Meeting mine, his eyes shrank, his face paled, and the whole world paused. I couldn't tell if he was even breathing; Vince was steady as a stone in a pond under the moonlight.

His eyes started dampening.

"I…"

He turned his back to me and rubbed his eyes. "Fuck. I…" He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to shout at you."

A fist curled at his side, and he hissed, "I wish…."

But Vince finished with only a shake of his head. "…Never mind." His hand reached the doorknob. "I must go." He opened the door, and there was a high-pitched wail from the other side.

I got on my knees to get a better look, and there, just behind the door, Bonbon fell, her ear on the floor.

Vince blinked down at her.

"Spying, are you?"

Bonbon quickly sat up and fixed her nightgown and hair. "N-No! Not at all," she squeaked.

Vince closed his eyes and turned his head away. "Whatever. I don't fucking care." He left, leaving the door open on his way out.

Bonbon was fanning herself, staying on the floor much after he was gone, and waited until his weighty footsteps faded. When all was quiet, she blew out an exaggerated breath and landed a hand over her heart.

"Holy moly, he's a storm," she gasped, eyeballing me across the room.

"But I wondered what he wished for. He didn't finish." She snapped her fingers. "Darn, it!"

I couldn't stop smiling at her, pleased to see her here.

"Bonbon," I choked, ready to cry again.

Immediately, she jumped on her feet and climbed over my bed. She hugged me hard, the blanket squished between us.

"I was so scared," she choked. She started to tense, and tears leaked, soaking my shoulder. "I was so scared," she repeated, sounding smaller.

"Bonbon…" I held her tight, feeling how frail she was as she shook like a startling infant.

"Let me sleep with you tonight," Bonbon squeaked.

"Of course," I whispered. My fingers stroked her head, falling to the start of her long braid.

We lay in bed together, my hand never leaving hers, and we fell into bouts of sleep and whispers. I was tired but not enough to fall asleep, so I lay on my side and smiled at Bonbon. The nightlights gave a hint of glow to her face farthest from her pillow when she, too, turned to look at me.

"Did Nemo ever mention having someone close to him back at Middle Land?" She asked.

Under the covers, I shrugged.

"He did say he had someone back at home, but I thought nothing of it," I replied, thinking back to when Nemo questioned Father about his future here.

"I wonder how he's feeling right now?" she whispered.

"Probably feeling terrible," I muttered, though I didn't know what happened in Nemo's head.

A stretch of silence, and then Bonbon had to say it.

"It looks like you and Nemo are in a similar bind, then."

"What do you mean?"

"He's in love with someone else. You're in love with Vince."

"I'm not-"

"And now you two have to work this out. For Slumberland," Bonbon finished, not wanting to hear my protesting.

For Slumberland…

She then asked a big question that didn't cross my mind before.

"Why couldn't it have been Vince?"

A flashback came, one of me arguing with the Trine council.

"Politics," I concluded, sighing.

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

I scooted closer to her and settled my head above hers, sharing the same pillow.

"Do you hate Nemo even more?" Bonbon asked.

I thought about that as I held her, wondering the same thing. After a long thought, I could only say, "No more, but no less. I still don't know how to feel about him. He's all over the place."

"Yeah…."

I closed my eyes for a while.

"Vince was so scared," Bonbon whispered. I opened my eyes and looked at my mobile of stars above us. They whirled silently, that cracked star still there among the others.

"Vince doesn't get scared; he gets angry. And he wanted to blame me," I sulked.

"No, that wasn't it. He was scared," she argued lightly.

"I hate this," I groaned, done talking about Vince and Nemo and the crazy night. I closed my eyes again and shifted to get comfortable.

"Good night, Bonbon," I forced, pretending to be ready for sleep when I knew I was hardly going to get a wink.

Bonbon was quiet, ready to protest, but then her little voice whimpered, "Night," with little energy to argue. Seeing her bright and bold soul shrivel after tonight was scary, and I wanted my strong-spirited best friend back.

I squeezed her hand hard, knowing she was still in there, somewhere. She returned the squeeze, and we lay together, falling in and out of sleep with little snippets of words here and there. I must've fallen asleep at some point because, Little did I know, someone was waiting for me in my nightmares.

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