Shadow Slave

In the Night Garden’s dream, it was a tree. A towering tree that stood upon the surface of a calm sea, bathing in starlight and caressed by warm winds. Millions of leaves rustled on its branches peacefully, echoing the distant murmur of the gentle waves. Far away, storm clouds were gathering with the promise of a cleansing rain.

Nightmare appeared on a wide branch of the titanic tree, surrounded by shadows. Sunny glanced around and remained silent for a while. An odd expression appeared on his face.

”Well, that is... odd.”

Jet, who seemed quite uncomfortable atop a horse, let go of his waist and jumped down. Touching the weathered bark of the enormous branch briefly, she looked up and asked in an incredulous tone:

”What? Traveling to the dream of an ancient living ship?”

Sunny shook his head.

”No? That’s perfectly normal.”

He paused for a few moments, casting his shadow sense far and wide, then sighed. ”It’s just that when I follow Nightmare into someone’s dream, it is usually... you know, a nightmare.”

Relaxing a little, Sunny dismounted and patted his tenebrous steed on the shoulder. ”Full of horrors, peril, and nightmarish things. It’s very rarely that I encounter a dream that is so... peaceful.”

The dream of the Night Garden was indeed tranquil. Considering what the ancient vessel had lived through and witnessed, Sunny was fully prepared to face unimaginable horrors — hideous depth dwellers, devastating calamities, and perhaps even an angry god or two.

But instead, there was nothing but a stunning night sky and a calm sea. No horrors were hiding beneath the waves, and nothing too monstrous to describe was watching them from above with alien eyes. He hesitated for a little while, studying the towering tree they were standing upon.

It was far taller than the Soul Devourer had been in its last moments, but nowhere near as colossal as the World Tree. If he had to compare it to anything, it would be the giant tree growing at the center of Ariel’s Game.

Still...

It was interesting to see that the Night Garden saw itself as a tree, at least in its dreams.

A thriving tree, at that.

There were some parts of it that seemed diseased, with grey bark and rotting branches. But largely, the Night Garden seemed to be full of vibrancy and life.

The branches were brimming with young buds, ready to sprout new leaves and flowers. Here and there, succulent fruits could be seen, bathing in the starlight.

Jet glanced around as well, her gaze eventually landing on the largest and most delicious-looking fruit, which hung not too far away from them. It had a bluish sheen to it, emanating a cold air and surrounded by ethereal wisps of smoke.

Her expression changed subtly.

Sunny hesitated for a few moments.

”You are not planning on eating it, are you? These are not real fruit. They are simply a dream... so, they won’t satiate you.”

As much as Sunny wanted to believe that eating a mystical dream fruit would grant him some kind of power, he knew that it was wishful thinking. This was a mundane dream after all, even if a mystical being was dreaming it — not a Nightmare created by the Spell.

So even if he had received the Soul Weave by eating a fruit in a Nightmare, eating one in this dream would not benefit him in any way.

And since the Night Garden was dreaming peacefully, there was nothing here for Nightmare — the Shadow — to battle and subjugate here, either.

There seemed to be nothing for him to earn in the dream of the Night Garden.

Jet remained silent for a while, then slowly shook her head.

“No. It’s just that...”

She hesitated for a bit, then pointed to the stunning fruit.

”I think that’s me.”

Sunny blinked a couple of times.

”Pardon?”

Jet nodded.

”Yes. I think that this fruit is meant to represent me.”

Sunny’s expression only grew more incredulous.

*Is she... comparing herself to a beautiful, succulent fruit? What is happening?*

Jet scoffed.

“I don’t know what you are thinking about, but please stop. Instead, think about what the Night Garden sees itself as.”

She raised her hand, gesturing to the branches of the great tree that surrounded them.

“For us, it is a mysterious vessel that shelters us, and which we control. But as far as the Night Garden seems to be concerned, it is a tree. What does that make us, its passengers, then?” ṟἈꞐȫΒЕŝ

She smiled faintly.

“I believe it thinks about us as parts of itself — which it must protect and nurture. Well, I suppose the Night Garden can’t actually think. So, saying that it feels that way about us would probably be more correct.”

Jet pointed to the rustling leaves.

”Each leaf represents a person living on the Night Garden. While some of us, those who are of higher Ranks, are represented by the flowers and the fruit.”

Sunny glanced around, bewilderment apparent on his face, then looked at the biggest, most beautiful, and most delicious-looking fruit.

”So... what you’re saying is that the Night Garden likes you the most?”

Jet coughed, then offered him a nonchalant shrug.

“Naturally. Because I’m the captain.”

Or perhaps it was simply because the Night Garden had a soft spot for her. Sunny would not be surprised if it did — Soul Reaper was quite a likable person, after all. He could attest to that fact himself.

He remained silent for a while, contemplating. If Jet was correct and the titanic ship considered its passengers as leaves, flowers, and fruit that grew on its branches and had to be nurtured...

Then it must have been terribly lonely for all these years, including the short span of years when only the members of the House of Night populated its spacious decks and cavernous holds. Not to mention the time when the only being aboard it was Mordret. The dreams of the Night Garden must have been far more wistful back then.

*It’s nice that the ship is content now, I guess.*

In any case, that information was of no help to him, as far as searching for the traces left behind by Weaver was concerned.

Unless, of course...

Suddenly feeling paranoid, Sunny gulped. ”Hey, Jet... you don’t think that we’ll find a giant, rotten fruit infested by repulsive maggots somewhere in here, and that would be how we learn that some dreadful, detestable horror has been hiding aboard the Night Garden the whole time?”

Jet gave him a long look.

Then, she turned away with a deadpan expression.

”You know, Sunny, you should really learn to keep some thoughts to yourself. I don’t know if we’ll find such a fruit, but if we do...” She smiled darkly.

”I will definitely be blaming you.”