PLEASE DON'T HATE ME AFTER THIS CHAPTER, ILY GUYS BUT THIS NEEDED TO HAPPEN FOR THE PLOT

also, listen to All I Want by Kodaline during this chapter, it makes the pain so much worse

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Tommy crossed his arms, looking between the goddess and me. "So how do we stop him from becoming a dark god?"

It baffled me how the teen was so nonchalant about this conversation. A few minutes prior, Tommy had no idea that Dream and I were higher beings in human bodies. And now, he was calm and collected.

Calm was rare for Tommy.

"Only gods can kill gods, if we want to put a total end to him," Noemi said, looking at me cautiously.

She knew that I had loved Dream and that he had been my whole world. But, she also knew that I had said goodbye to that version of Dream.

Noemi continued, "But if we don't want to go that far, there is another way."

I looked up at her, asking, "What is it?"

She half-turned, watching the never-ending sunset. "We would have to wait until he's at his climax of power. Even then, there is a chance of it not working."

Her amber eyes found my own again. "My magic combined with your own could be enough to destroy all the darkness. For good this time."

My heart felt confused and scared. If we didn't destroy Dream's power at his climax, what would happen to him and this world?

"How do we know when he's at his climax?" Tommy asked, drawing our attention.

"This may sound silly, but when a god totally loses themselves to their powers and becomes corrupt with darkness, their eyes go fully dark," She said, gesturing to her own light eyes.

I nodded, staying silent. I remembered when my own eyes had turned fully black and how Schlatt's eyes were constantly dark with power and darkness.

Until Dream reached his climax in power, we would have to continue our lives as before. Tommy and I would fight for his discs, Techno would try to destroy the government, and Dream would continue to hunt us.

"So we're playing a waiting game?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. You will have to go back to reality and try to hide from Dream as you were before," Noemi said with remorse.

The three of us fell into silence, turning to look over the cliff. The sun bathed the sky in pale colors as it stayed in its position behind the mountains ahead of us. This place felt so peaceful, but there was an air of anxiety now.

"Noemi, what happens if we do defeat the darkness inside of Dream?" I asked, facing her.

"He-" Her words were cut off as something in the distance caught all of our eyes.

The sun that never set, began to disappear below the horizon. Dark curtains of the night were falling behind us, but there were no stars or moonlight.

"What the hell," Tommy muttered as night fully devoured the world, sending us into almost complete darkness. The only light was the soft glow that shone from Noemi.

Every hair on the back of my neck rose with the silence that followed. The breeze disappeared and the soft bird calls in the forest went quiet.

Tommy and I pulled our arms tighter around ourselves when the temperature dropped. Noemi stepped closer to us, wrapping us into her sides for warmth. Heat encased our bones, trying to soothe the chills.

My magic began wrapping around the three of us, layered with Noemi's magic. It was just on edge as I was.

Something isn't right here.

"Y/n, stay close to Tommy. There's something here that isn't welcomed," Noemi whispered, her amber eyes scanning our surroundings.

I glanced at Tommy on the other side of Noemi, seeing the fear on his face. I shouldn't have brought him here, not when Dream is looking for the both of us.

My eyes darted towards the dark oak forest when my senses picked up on someone's footsteps. Noemi tensed as well, but Tommy couldn't hear anything yet.

"See, I knew you two were together," The voice said from the shadowy treeline. "Good to see you again y/n, after you got rid of me."

Aggression began to pour into my veins like rivers of magma. I moved so that I was standing in front of Tommy, shielding him from the man in front of the three of us.

Noemi stepped forward, her brows scrunched together in anger. A golden sword of light formed in her hand, shimmering in the darkness. "You aren't welcome here, God of Chaos."

There was a deep chuckle and Dream stepped out of the shadows. Unlike when I had just seen him earlier, he was real and full of color. His body was solid and there were no whisps.

"I was just joining the party." His split mask was fully over his face, only his sinister smile visible. His green hoodie was pulled over his head, and his netherite ax hung from his hand.

His face moved from Noemi, over to where Tommy and I stood. His smile only grew darker at the sight of us.

"Ah, hello, Tommy. I've been looking for you after you ran away from me in Logstedshire." His voice dipped and became gloomy. "You left me all alone."

"I-I'm sorry, Dream. I wasn't trying to upset you.." Tommy said, his face becoming upset.

"Tommy, you're coming with me back to Logstedshire. We were having so much fun before you left."

"But, I want to stay with y/n. I-I feel better with her," The teen said, looking up at me with a scared smile.

Dream took another step towards us, the fake sadness being replaced with seriousness. "Come with me now, both of you."

Tommy took a hesitant step forward, but I stopped him. I moved further in front of him so that I was in line with Noemi.

"We aren't going anywhere with you, demon," The name made him mad, so I continued, "If you go near Tommy, I'll slit your throat."

My hands became engulfed in navy fire, purple intertwined with the dark streaks. I bent my knees and raised my hands in a defensive position.

Dream's mouth pulled into a sneer. "I'm not leaving here without you two."

Noemi's soft glow grew brighter with her rising anger, bathing the three of us in light. She moved so that she was in the same stance as me with her sword raised beside her head.

"The Goddess of Power and Magic is right. You have no right in taking them anywhere," Noemi's soft voice became rougher with power. "Tommy is under the protection of myself and y/n."

Noemi's words just made Dream smirk. He kept his ax lowered at his side like there was no threat before him.

"Then I'll just have to get rid of you, won't I?"

His words sent a chill down my spine despite the warmth that radiated off of the woman next to me. How could Dream defeat a goddess more powerful than himself?

Faster than any of us could process, Dream ran towards us with his ax raised. I shoved Tommy behind my body and shot fire towards the masked man.

He dodged them with ease and changed his route so that he was running towards me. I didn't have my sword or a weapon that I could battle with up close, so I kept backing up with Tommy moving with me.

Noemi stepped in his path, swinging her golden sword towards his raised ax. Metal crashed with metal and orange sparks flew.

They moved in rhythm, faster than my eyes could keep track of. They were a blurry ball in the field as Noemi moved Dream away from the two of us.

But as they moved, I saw one of Dream's hands slip into his hoodie pocket. When he pulled it out, something shone in the golden light of the goddess.

"Noemi, move!" I screamed, running towards her without thinking. Tommy was on my heels, trying to keep up with my unnatural pace.

Her head snapped towards me, but it was too late. She had been so focused on Dream's ax that she didn't notice the dagger he had pulled from his pocket.

Golden liquid spewed as Dream plunged the steel dagger into the Goddess of Light's heart. My scream filled my ears as Dream pulled back, leaving Noemi staggering.

I instinctively flung my arm out, sending a burst of wind flying towards Dream. He wavered backward, away from the goddess, and fell into the foliage in the woods.

Noemi's golden sword fell to the ground from her limp hand and she stood, holding a hand to her injured chest. The light around her flickered and began to dull.

I reached her as she fell, catching her in my arms on the ground. My knees folded underneath my body and her head leaned against my shoulder with her body on my own. Gold blood instantly began to coat my hoodie.

Tommy's heavy breathing was faintly behind me, but I barely noticed as I pressed my hand to Noemi's chest and cradled her form against my own.

"No, no, you're okay," I whispered, trying to stop the blood flow. In the back of my mind, I knew that there was no saving her, but I ignored it.

I glanced up wildly at the sound of Dream rising, running towards us again. But a wall of people appeared and circled us of all different characteristics and powers. Some wore crowns and others were dressed in battle attire.

They were the good gods here to protect one of their own.

Dream was blocked from view as the gods and goddesses created a barrier. One of them unblocked the moon from the sky with their powers, and the moonlight poured onto Noemi's form.

A hand was placed on my hand that covered Noemi's heart. I looked down to see it was the goddess' tan hand, trying to draw my attention.

Tears were beginning to pour down my cheeks, dripping onto her dulling dress. It no longer flowed or moved, instead, laying limp in the moonlight.

"My dear, it's alright," She said in a weak voice. Her face was paling as she lost blood and the rosiness in her cheeks was disappearing.

Yet, her amber eyes stayed warm with light.

I cupped her face with a shaky hand. "You'll be okay. We can fix this."

I desperately pulled on invisible strings, trying to find my way into her mind. There was a barrier of light stopping me from healing her, and she moved her hand to my face.

"Y/n, it's too late for me," Her voice was solemn, despite the small smile on her face. Gold painted my face from her hand, but I didn't notice.

My heart couldn't handle losing someone else. Not now, not ever.

"But it's not too late for you. You must keep going, you must find the real Dream again," She whispered. Her body shook violently as she coughed, struggling to remain alive. "He's in there, fighting to get back to you."

I numbly felt Tommy kneel next to me, resting his hand on my shoulder. His wing wrapped around my shaking body, trying to comfort the goddess and I.

"No, I can't do this without you," My voice broke and more tears flowed down my face. "I'm not ready."

Noemi had always been there to save and protect me. She had been my guiding light for when the world got too dark and had been family to me.

She couldn't leave. I needed her.

"You've always been ready, I've just been here to support you. It's your turn to fly." Her words broke my heart. This was another goodbye.

"Please, I love you," I pleaded, begging for her to stay alive.

This made her smile grow a bit but it was still weak. Her chest was beginning to slow and I could hear her heart struggling to continue beating.

"I never told you, but there's a reason I was the one chosen to guide you," She rubbed her thumb back and forth on my cheek. "There's a reason you woke up without any memories of your family."

My heart doubled over in pain with the realization. The news would only make saying goodbye harder.

"I wish I had time to tell you about the memories you can't remember. You were the cutest toddler and your magic was so fierce at such a young age," Noemi muttered.

"It destroyed my heart when I had to send my only daughter into the real world to fight darkness," She whispered, watching me with her warm eyes. "But I knew you were so strong. Strong enough to save us all."

I ran a trembling hand through her wavy hair as it began to lose its color. "I wasn't strong enough to save you."

"My dear, I'll be okay. I'll see you again one day when you are old and withered with age." This made her laugh weakly, but it ended with another cough. "Finish what we have started, save your lover."

Sobs racked my body and I choked on my words. The fact that she was my mother, the family I had never known, made this so, so much harder.

"Promise me that you will heal and save Dream. Promise me that you won't break from this."

I leaned down and pressed my forehead to her own, closing my eyes as the tears took hold. Death was near, I could feel its dark and unwelcome nature wavering behind us.

My tears dripped onto her delicate face and mixed with her own golden tears. They sparkled in the moonlight and fell off her face onto the dark soil, where blossoms began to sprout from where they fell.

"I promise," I said in a broken voice.

"Protect those you love and keep them close," She whispered, unable to speak any louder. "You are my heir, and you will be the Goddess of Light now."

She gripped my wrist, trying to strengthen my weakening heart. "Be strong. You were chosen for a reason, so prove the darkness wrong. Beat it and save Dream. Save us all."

I pulled back, seeing a small smile on her almost lifeless face. "Send what was mine and now your light into this world. Shine as bright as the sun, my dear."

"And when you're lonely, look to the stars. I will be there," Noemi muttered, her hand dropping from my wrist.

The last thing she did was press a kiss to my cheek and then fell back into my arms. The life left her, leaving her limp with a loving look in her eyes.

Her light went out.

"No! Come back!" I screamed and pleaded, gently nudging her shoulder. She couldn't be gone, she couldn't.

A god came forward, dressed in all black and a solemn expression. He was pale and had jet black hair, Death.

He bent down and lifted Noemi's limp form from my arms, much to my dismay. I struggled to stand, but Tommy wrapped his arms around my shoulders, keeping me on the ground.

My body doubled over in pain and sadness as the two disappeared, Death carrying Noemi off to where she could rest. Wings wrapped around my body, trying to ease my pain.

Gold blood painted my face and hands, but I didn't care. Not when my heart was shattering for the mother I never knew. Tommy's faint comforting wove their way into my ears.

Even if it wasn't Dream in control of the body he was in, he had killed a goddess. The demon inside of him that possessed him had killed someone I loved.

Someone knelt down in front of the two of us, raising my head with their fingertips. It was a goddess, dressed in a pale green gown that had flowers intertwined with it. Her red hair was braided with a flower crown on top.

The Goddess of Nature.

Her bright purple eyes were warm with comforting as she sent some life into my features. I felt my eyes and face become less puffy, and my heart was wrapped in some bandages.

I may never heal fully from this, but I could grieve and learn to live Noemi's legacy.

The nature goddess whispered into my soul with her powers, Grieve and then heal. She will live on in you.

Her voice was soft as she spoke, "You are her heir, you are the new Goddess of Light, alongside your other title. The grief will become easier, but you must go back to reality."

My voice was rough with tears and emotion, uneven. "Is she at rest now?"

The goddess nodded and placed a hand on my cheek. "She would want you to live on and save the one you love. He needs saving, y/n."

I nodded and grasped Tommy's hand on my shoulder. He pulled me into a standing position and let me lean on him until I got my bearings.

"We must go now. You will have to run from the God of Chaos, but we know you will escape," The nature goddess said, pointing into the dark oak forest behind us.

I pushed myself off of Tommy and wiped a hand across my face to dry my tears. I needed to be strong now, so I could save Tommy and figure out how to save Dream.

I turned to the teen, who had some tears of his own in his blue eyes. My heart had survived worse, it could survive this.

So, I grabbed Tommy's hand as the gods and goddesses disappeared. And I ran like hell into the forest, hearing Dream's footsteps already chasing us.

Twigs whipped our faces and legs, leaving scratches and bloody lines. Thorns caught and snagged on our pants, but we kept running blindly through the forest. Moonlight broke through the canopy, helping us see slightly.

"Get back here!" Dream yelled, his voice sounding foreign.

We ignored it and wove through the dark forest, clinging to each other. Our steps quickened when there was an opening in the trees in front of us.

Our steps skidded to a halt once we broke through, coming up to a dead end. The soil turned into rock as the land jutted out into a cliff that sat over an angry ocean below.

"Shit, a cliff," Tommy swore, spinning around as there was a crash behind us.

Dream broke through the foliage, a greedy grin below his dirty mask. "You really think you could escape me? I didn't kill that goddess without reason" He shrugged his shoulders. "She always got on my nerves-"

"Shut up! You have no right talking about Noemi like that!" I shouted, anger and pain pouring out of my heart and into my words.

"Y/n calm down-" He tried to say.

I ignored him and turned to Tommy, side-eyeing the ocean. It was aggressive with crashing waves and deep tides.

"Do you trust me?" I said, trying to keep my voice even.

He nodded and tightened his hold on my hand.

"C'mon, let's go to Logsted-"

I didn't let Dream finish and instead ran towards the cliff edge. Tommy ran after me, his hand tugging behind me.

Techno always told Tommy to stay away from cliffs.

But instead of listening, I threw Tommy and myself off the cliff. I wrapped him in a hug as we plunged towards the ocean and Tommy cloaked us in his bright white wings.

Inches from the dark water, we closed our eyes and felt the world disappear around us.

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OKAY LOOK IM SORRY FOR THIS :( it makes me sad too

but I promise we will get some happier parts now, to make up for the sad parts

ily guys and hope you enjoyed this part as best as you could lol. have an amazing day and make sure to stay hydrated :)