Dream Thief

Alrighty. I'll make your wish come true.

What's that girl doing?

You just LOVE taking walks, don't you, Momo?

Why are you staring at me like that? Do you wanna pet Momo?

Heheh yeah, I get it. Isn't Momo just the cutest cat you've ever seen?

Cat?

Go on. Momo said it's okay with her!

Um...

Isn't she adorable? We've been together since before I was even born.

(I don't think she's trying to pull my leg here...)

Y-Yeah. She's really cute.

Right? She's brave and kind, and she always has my back. I'm so lucky to have her!

Huh? Momo, wait! Where are you going?

She must've gotten embarrassed at you calling her cute. Well, see ya later!

Hmm... It didn't seem like she was lying, but that only makes this weirder. I think I should follow her.

There you are, Momo!

Oh, it's you!

There she is.

She's with Mighty?

She's with...someone who looks almost exactly like Mighty. A look-alike, maybe?

Who's she with?

So? Having fun with Momo?

You bet! She even slept in my bed last night!

That's sweet of her. Night's a time of rest, but there's something sad about the finality of it.

Aren't you a good girl, Momo? Protecting our friend from bad dreams.

(Wait, so there's something there after all? I just can't see it for some reason...)

Wha...

(Shh. Not now.)

Huh?

I'm so glad I took your advice, Mighty! Otherwise, she might never have come back home!

What does that mean?

Oh, it's you again! You must wanna pet Momo pretty bad if you followed us all the way out here. Y'see, she actually went missing a while ago. But I did as Mighty said, and she came right back to me!

(But I can't see a thing...)

Why don't you go play with Momo for a bit? The two of us need to have a li'l chat.

Somethin' on your mind?

Is there really a cat there? And if there is, why can't I see it?

What do you call something only visible to those who believe?

Is this some kind of riddle? Um...

C'mon, think harder! Time's a-tickin'! Lock in your final answer in 3...2...1...

A-A ghost?

Nope! Womp womp! The correct answer is...a dream!

The girl is in a waking dream.

What does that mean?

Where did that voice come from? What am I saying? I don't have time for that now. I've gotta get to the airport!

The airport, huh? See, this is the problem with dreams...

Just stay behind me, Momo. Don't come out no matter what, okay? I'm gonna be the one to protect you this time. Wait... "This time"?

Over there!

Oh, it's you!

Come to us!

I can't! I've gotta protect Momo! I...I...

We're never gonna convince her. It'll be quicker to just bring down the drone.

Are you hurt?

Momo... She's gone...

I...I remember now... Momo...died...

Yeah, afraid so...

That day, I...I disobeyed Mom and snuck outside. But Momo protected me... She died protecting me!

......

I killed her... I killed Momo... My poor Momo! She's dead! And it's all my fault!

Looks like it was a mistake to choose this dream.

You must be tired after all you've been through. Sleep now, kiddo.

Look into my eyes... "The sun is setting. When night falls, good kids go to bed and rest their sleepy heads..."

What did you just do?

She was confused, so we used our powers to put her to sleep. Now, let's take her back to town...

Before that, tell me what's going on. You said just now that it was a mistake to choose this dream. Does that mean you were the one who put her into it?

Huh. You've got pretty sharp ears. But you're right. That was all the work of a Nightmare. We use dreams to trick and deceive people.

But we should split before another drone shows up. I'll tell you the rest on the way back to Elzion.

Okay, we're back.

Hngh...?

What happened? And Momo... I...

......

Phew... Time for a break.

Could you tell me what happened?

Momo died a month ago. Y'see, I can walk through dreams. And while I was on a stroll, I came across her mom. She was in rough shape.

Told me through tears how her daughter was so heartbroken, she hadn't left her room for a month.

So you let the girl dream that her pet cat was still alive?

Right. But a dream is just a dream at the end of the day. The tiniest thing can wake you.

So tell me, what would you do? Would you make her accept the reality that her cat is dead? Or would you let her keep on dreaming?

I...

Momo...

Oh...right... I killed Momo...

That's not true. Momo loved you and wanted to protect you. She wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself for what happened. So even if it's hard right now... I hope one day you'll be able to thank her.

......

Oh...

Dreams always come to an end. No matter how lost she feels now, she'll get over it eventually. You made the right choice. It's just a tough lesson for a kid that young to learn.

Seriously? She left me behind? She's such a meanie like that.

Cats are fickle creatures. She's probably just curled up on your bed, all warm and snug.

Yeah? Then I'd better not keep her waiting! See you!

Was that really the right thing to do?

Hard to say. In a way, it's just delaying the inevitable.

On the other hand, it's cruel to force a kid to run before she can even walk, especially when she's hurting. Dreams might be poison, but the sweetness is a nice distraction from the bitterness of reality, at least until our wounds heal.

In any case, I hope she gets a sweet nightmare this evening.

Despite what I said to him, I do kinda feel bad about it.

Why, though? It's our job as Nightmares to give people sweet dreams.

Don't lie, Mare. You make it sound like we're good people. Those "sweet dreams" are a poison. A false hope that rots into despair the moment they wake up. We're monsters, feeding off the pain and suffering of others.

Teehee. And her guilt was sooo delicious! Bring me another tasty little treat next time, won't you, darling?