Strange Days

Bad Dream had made it back to the cave only to find Tragedy happily dusting the Light Globe. She rode a top one of the smaller Nightmares and sang a song by Bryan Ellis softly;

"Monsters climbing up from under your bed, Fires burning in your head, Stars exploding in the night, Constellation suicide. In the fever, I let you go, But you're bringing me back, To li~fe. It's an evil, You should recognize."

Humming she dusted more around the sides.

"Strange days, Water color dripping, For your love I'm sunk in so many ways. Strange hearts, In the sea we're swimming. For your love I'm sunk in so many ways."

The Nightmare sat her down on the ground and she patted its mane, tears rolled down her face;

"Time is coming up so they say, Hours and people pass away, Glass house living it for the day, Take my chances and swim instead. All my friends are killers! Sleeping underneath the stairs. All my love is steady giving up,"

She paused grabbing a sheet, then the Nightmare carried her back up to cover the globe.

"Now we're drowning in it," She hummed a few lines, "Now the page is ripping. For your love I'm sunk in so many ways, Strange!"

She belted out the last word so Bad Dream knew the song had ended. He applauded and when she blushed he took Kōri from the Nightmare he took with him and handed her to Tragedy. "She was in the North Pole, hiding in the Sleigh! I couldn't believe I would meet the first Nightmare," He patted the small horses head, "She isn't what she used to be but after being around her mother a few days she will be good as new."

Tragedy let the tears fall as she pressed her chin to the horses, a small nightmare of her death appeared before her eyes. She pulled away and sighed, "letting Kōri get her fill of the fear that poured from her. "Thank you!" Tragedy spoke in a soothing voice as tears rolled harder.

"Don't thank me yet," Bad Dream sighed, he knew he had to tell her but it would be hard, "I kind of met Jack Frost," he looked in her eyes and they were full of hope and fear, "he helped me find Kōri because the other Guardians were being stubborn," Bad Dream laughed running his fingers nervously over his purple hair. "I had him feed Kōri by watching the Nightmare," now, when his eyes landed on Tragedy fear struck him so he couldn't look away. "He saw how you reacted after he died and I told him you were my boss and that you were Tragedy and Jeannie. He freaked out," Shut up, he thought, she will kill you a second time if you don't just shut up! "He said he has to destroy you in a way so he doesn't lose himself. He said he would kill you a second time," Well, there it goes. I told her, now I will die, Jack won't need to find out how to do it because Tragedy will do it first, he shook as he saw fire build behind her eyes.

She calmly sat Kōri down on a clean table, "So, my brother, the only person I have left from my old life, wants me dead? To the point of never coming back?" she spoke without taking her eyes off Bad Dream, he could feel his body heating under her gaze. "Am I right? I mean, I bring you into my home, give you a purpose, and this is how you repay me?!" She started screaming at the top of her lungs, fire shot from her red lips, and her red dress started burning into a charcoal black, her hair stood, and flames covered her fingertips. "How dare you come back after that! How dare you! How dare you!" She started walking toward him. She looked like a dragon demon ready to devour him.

He ran for the exit but he saw Daydream running in, his first instinct was to hid her behind him, must protect her. He pushed her behind him and told her to stay, trying to be brave even though he shook.

"What'd I miss?" she asked trying to peer over Bad Dream.

"Nothing really," Bad Dream sighed as a Nightmare licked him, "Tragedy is just going to kill me because I made Jack want to kill her."

Daydream jumped at his words, "You did what? Poor Tragedy! How could you!?"

Bad Dream stared at the tiny woman yelling at him, the one he had thrown himself in front of without a second thought. "I was trying to make Jack realize that his sister was still alive but I messed up. I really want to right my wrong but…" he looked at the direction Tragedy would be coming from, "If you remember how horrifying Tragedy looked the first time you saw her, she looks like she ate that monster in one bite and laughed about how not scary she was."

Day Dream started to say Bad Dream was exaggerating but Tragedy floated around the corner on a wave of fire. Her brown hair had been burnt black, like her dress which had started to turn to flames where the dress did not cover. Blue flames shot from her red eyes and finger tips pushing her towards them. Her teeth had grown into sharp fangs, which she stretched her lips over to smile. "I know how I am going to fix this," she spoke in a rough voice, "I am going to eat your soul Daniel, then I will feel better."

Bad Dream and Daydream screamed and held each other tightly as warmth stretched over them.

"Wow," Tragedy sighed rubbing her eyes.

Bad Dream and Daydream looked up and saw their normal red dressed, brown haired, straight toothed Tragedy. "Wha?" they asked in unison.

"I am angry, I wanted to scare you for doing that but I am afraid I scared Daydream too," Tragedy blew a stray hair from her face. She didn't know where that power came from but she imagined it had to be her anger finding a way out of her, "Bad Dream, from now on leave the talking to me. Now, be a good man and go put away your Nightmares and tend to Kōri," she patted Bad Dream's shoulder. She knew that scarring him didn't make her feel better. She just wanted someone to be as afraid as she was, "Good night Daydream, Bad Dream," she walked to her small room where she could get some much needed sleep. She didn't know why she slept but once every new moon she got so tired for some reason. She crawled into her bed and pulled the covers up over her head. She quickly threw them off and looked under her bed, she didn't know why but she hoped it would prove important. No eyes met hers, just darkness so she started singing to herself;

"Monsters climbing up from under your bed, Fires burning in your head, Stars exploding in the night, Constellation suicide. In the fever, I let you go, But you're bringing me back, To life. It's an evil, You should recognize. Maybe you, Maybe you don't,"

"Good Night, Tragedy. Live to die another day."