Chapter Text
“Night Hunter.” Hunter turned around to see Luina holding the child in her arms. “When you do free the Nightmare king give him this.” She held out the green stone. “As my old friend please take it.” Hunter looked at the stone and then Luina. “What is it?” “I have made 4 stones for the 4 newest dream chasers. The stones will send the Nightmare king back to the prison dimension, they wont free him but they will capture him.”
Hunters eyes widened and he snatched the stone. “Why would you give this to me? Why tell me at all?” Lunia smirked. “Can’t make is easy for him.” She said looking at the child in her arms.
She woke up and found herself outsider her house with the baby in her arms. “Melodie?” Lunia called into the house as she entered “Luna? Your home late.” Melodie said. She was sitting at the kitchen island with a glass of wine and an empty bottle.
Logan didn’t know where he was or who was holding him. But he knew it wasn’t in his dad’s arms and that was not okay. Logan began to cry. “Luna?” Melodie finally turned to her wife. They were silent. “I couldn’t leave him Mel.” “Where did you find him?” Mel asked as she walked over to her wife and the child. “The bus stop.” Their eyes met. “We have to take care of him.” “...I trust you Luna.”
From then on Logan had a pretty good childhood. His mommy Melodie was his favorite. She always played with him and took care of him. But Mother Luna was at work all the time. And Logan felt like she didn’t like him much. But then he turned 3 years old.
Logan had gone to bed but woke up in a grand castle. There were little mushroom people running around and tall stained glass windows with a women on them. She looked just like Mother but with blue skin.
“Logan.” Logan turned around to see his mother. She was floating, her skin with blue and she had on a long white dress which was a great contrast to the business suits she normally wore. “Mother!” Logan ran over and hugged her legs as she touched the ground. “Where are we?” He asked. “This is Castle Nocturnia. And I am the dream keeper of the dream realm.” “The dream realm?” Logan asked as she picked him up. “Yes. It is the place you go when you sleep. Let me show you.” Lunia flew out of the castle and Logan was amazed by the dream world. Floating island made of fantasy and candy. Video games and technology. Everything you could image was there! Dream beings waved to them as they flew over them. “This is beautiful mother! Will I come here every night?” He asked but Logan received no answer. He finally noticed they where flying into a dark area. The sky was black and the earth was rotten under them. Lunia landed on a tall stone and put Logan down.
“Do you see Logan?” Lunia looked to see Logan's hands were in his mouth, chewing on his nails. “Don't! Cover your eyes!” Lunia grabbed his arm and lifted him up. “Look at this!” Logan looked around and the scary world. “This is the Nightmare King's domain! He is fighting to come back here and turn everything into nightmares!” She yelled. Logan felt tears prick his eyes. But if he knew anything it was don't cry infront of mother. “Logan. It is your divine destiny to train a team of dream chasers to kill the Nightmare King.” “K-kill?” “Yes. Kill him. So he dies and never has the power to come back. From this day on you will come here every night and we will train. You will learn yourself how to kill so you may teach the dream chasers.” Logan was trembling under his mothers gaze. His arm hurt as he hung from her hand.
“Will you do it?” She asked him. But it wasn’t a question. “...Yes, Mother.”
And that was the moment Logans childhood ended. Also any restful nights where a thing of the past. Physically Logan was a very capable fighter. In and out of dream world. But his lacked the creatively required to be a dream chaser.
He could draw anything with out looking at something. He couldn’t creature anything of originally. Not to mention he couldn’t dream craft.
“Your only 5 Logan. And you don't have an hourglass. Give it time.” Lunia told him.
He wasn’t let outside of Castle Nocturnia with out Lunia and often she didn’t let him come with her. So Logan became very close with the dreamling's who took care of the castle and the guardian Phil. “Logan. Your density is so special. Once you complete it believe me. She’ll be so proud of you.” The manticore would tell him.
Mommy never noticed. She never noticed how tried Logan was during the day. Or how uninterested he was in school. When he did go into school he had no interest in it. He completed all his school work with straight a’s because of Lunia’s tutoring but never rose his hand to answer questions. And he never reached out to make friend or play with kids. He would sleep during recess which was actually him training. But then when he as 7 years old he made his first friend. Or well he was given his frist friend.
Lunia came back to Castle Nocturnia one day with a girl. She wore her hair in long purple dred locks and was in black sweats. She came with a large creature that Logan could only describe as a cross between and owl and a cat. “Logan this is Zoey. She is the frist dream chaser in your prophecy.” “I need to train her to kill the Nightmare King?” Logan asked. Logan saw a flash of panic in Zoeys calm cool and collected eyes. “No. I have done some research and found a way to kill the Nightmare King without shedding blood.”
Logans world froze. He didn’t know if he should feel relief or anger. But he keep those feelings down and listened to his mother. “The dream stones are keys to a prison dimension. There are 4 stones and you must find them. But they only glow for the dream chase who have the power to use them. That is your mission. The two of you must find the stones. You will only be able to take Zoeys stone but it is good to know where the other stones are to help the other dream chasers find them.”
Logan smiled. “I can leave the castle?!” “Yes but you must be with Zoey. She has just experienced an attack by the Night Hunter that has left her in a state.” Lunia explained. Zoey looked like she was a few years older than Logan which made Logan feel a little weird leading her. But he had his frist mission! And he would not fail!
Zoey got on the Owl cat thing and helped Logan on. “What’s this things name?” Logan asked. “...Zian.” Zoey mumbled as they took off. “Let’s start in the candy realm! I bet the pink ones there!” Logan giggled. Zoey nodded and flew in that direction. “Sooo tell me about yourself. Mother says that each stone connects with each dream chaser so if i know a bit more about you I might be able to find your stone.” Logan asked nervously. Logan didn’t have any friends. He was really forced on his destiny so he didn't think he needed them. But Zoey was part of his density so maybe they could be friends! “I dont know.” “Oh… um, do you like food?” Logan asked. “I guess. But I can’t cook.” “Okay um, do you like fantasy?” “...I like music. And Video games.” Logan perked up. “I've never been to the music island but there is the cyber realm! It’s full of all sorts of video games!” “Cool.”
Zoey was closed off. She had just lost her own mom and Logan had two! Not to mention she mothers song had been taken from her by the Night Hunter. And she was going to get it back no matter what.
They didn't find anything in the candy realm. Or in the beast realm. But then they finally found one at pillows peak! They landed on the top of the peak and found the sand mans cave. Logan had meet the snad man many times, trying to figure out why Logan couldn't dream craft so it was no surprise he recognised Logan. “Hey! Your Luina’s kid.” “Hey sand man! Do you know if any of the dream stone’s are here?” “Oh you mean that little pink thing in the wall?” The sand man pointed over his shoulder at a pink crystal in the wall. “Yes! Zoey, let’s see if thats your stone!” Logan grabbed Zoey’s hand and dragged her over. “So what do I just stand here?” Zoey asked. “I think you touch it?” The Sand man said. Zoey reached out and touched the pink stone but nothing happened.
“Well, at least we know where one of them is!” Logan said. “But how do we know this is it?” Zoey questioned. “Belive me. It is.” Sand man said as the left.
Next they where off to the fantasy realm. When they arrived Logan took action and explored the realm while Zoey stayed with Zian. “HEY! I found one!” They had found the red stone but it didn't react to Zoey. “Well at least we found it!” Logan cheered as they went back to Zian. They took off to the cyber realm.
“Burrzerker!” Logan called in to the arcade like world. “Do you know if you have a dream stone!?” A floating tv with a body appeared in front of them. “Logan! Wonderful to see you! Your mother isn’t here is she?” Burrzerker asked looking around worried. Zoey noticed but Logan definitely didn’t. “Nope! Im on my first mission to complete my prophecy! Mom even found the frist dream chaser! This is Zoey!” “Oh, lovely. Yes I have the stone but you have to play for it!” A wall of game options came up in front of them. “Pick one! And if you win you can have the stone!”
Zoey was about to speak up for baking papa but Logan chose a fighting game. They where in an area. They faced 4 bots. “In this game you have to get the stone from the castle. You both have 3 lives.” A count down showed up on gardiens face.
3…2…1 GO!
Logan quickly jumped to action, funding off the bots. “Zoey! You have to be the one to get the stone!” Zoey look of running but a bot saw her and chased after her. “Zoey!” The bot got Zoey and she appeared at the start line with 1 less life.
“Hold on! Im coming!” Logan was fighting off the bots with hand to hand combat. “We can touch them but they cant touch us.” Logan told her. “Use your legs to try and fend them off, keep your fists to your chest.” Logan said as he showed her what to do. Zoey followed and was able to fight them off somewhat. Had Logan not been protecting her she would have lost another life. Once they made it to the castle Zoey ran up the steps. She almost was too the top when Logan yelled- “Zoey! I only have 3 here!” Then Zoey found herself at the start with one less life.
“UGE! LOGAN! It’s right there! Why cant you get it!” Zoey yelled. “Because it’s your stone! I'm only supposed to help you! I'm not the hero!” “STOP! JUST STOP!” Zoey screamed and the game froze.
“Why did you stop-” Zoey cut off Logan as he walked towards her. “I don't know Logan! I don't! Look, I just lost my mom! And now I'm a part of some stupid prophecy for you to full fill a destiny where you kill some guy! What happens after that!?” Zoey screamed. The 7 year old trembled in front of her. “No, no, I don't kill him. You and the other dream chasers need to kill him, with the stones-” “Why! You don't even know if he’s going to be freed! This could all be for nothing!” Logan fell down as Zoey walked up to him. He held his knees and hid his head. “No, no, no! This is my density! The prophecy-” “Logan, have you ever even seen the prophecy?” Zoey asked.
Logan just cried into his knees.”Im sorry mother.” Zoey sighed. It was clear, Lunia wasn’t a savior. And Logan was her weapon, not her son. Zoey walked over and sat next to Logan. “...Im sorry I yelled at you.” Logan was trembling. “Im just…scared.” “Your scared?” Logan asked. “Yeah, I’m lost and I don't know what to do.” Logan looked up at her. “Please help me fulfill my destiny. I've been training for it since I was 3. Mother says it’s my destiny to lead a team of dream chasers to the death of the Nightmare king and after I will be rewarded.” But with what? Zoey wondered.
“...Logan I swear I will help you complete your destiny. Even…” Even if it was pointless.
“Let's finish this.” Zoey stood up and gave Logan her hand. Logan wiped away his tears and took the outstretched hand. “Lets make a plan before we go back in. We wont always be able to make a plan but for now lets do it.” Zoey said as she put up her hood. Logan nodded.
Once the game unpaused Zoey jumped onto a piller and climbed up while Logan kept the bots away. But then Zoey disappeared and Logan didn’t know where she was or how to protect her. But then the game stoped. Logan looked at the castle and there Zoey was with the stone.
The stone was glowing bright. As the teal light faded a brighter light came from above. Logan easily recognized it. “Good job Zoey. You have proven yourself to be one of the dream chasers of the prophecy.” Zoey began to float as her body glowed teal. “You are now the dream bandit, robin hood of the dream world. May you serve the dream world as you seem fit.” Zoeys hair was now purple with teal streaks in it. Her sweats had turned into teal leather pants and a matching vest with a long purple cape.
This was the first step in Logan following his destiny. And the fact that all these years of training seemed pointless was welling up inside Logan and soon enough, it would have to get out.
