#shatteredmare

This world follows Nightmare reborn as the child to Shattered and Passive. Dream is also reborn as his twin. (Note, Nightmare is an incredibly unreliable narrator)

Nightmare hates being a baby and a child. Luckily, he is reborn with his goop, tentacles, and two purple eyes. Unfortunately, Dream is reborn with him.

Dream seems exactly the same as he was in their last life. They died in the multiverse. They killed each other and are reborn here.

Except, Nightmare doesn’t believe (or rather tries to deny) Dream has his memories like him (unfortunately, Dream is just living his best baby life and not taking his second chance for granted, he is going to enjoy life with his brother stars damn it!)

Growing up with a parent that looks like his child self as an adult is disorienting. But “Passive” is kind and tries his best to raise him. Now the abomination Shattered is astounding in a bad way, it’s like Dream’s worst traits (obsessive, stubborn) and more personified.

As a baby, they’ll rave on and on about how Nightmare looks just like Passive and Dream looks like a mix of both. Which made no sense to Nightmare who like Shattered had goop and tentacles.

///

It was official. Shattered would marry Passive the next spring. Shattered could barely contain himself. How would Pas look in a suit? With a thin white veil and a crown of flowers? Would he be able to wait until the end of the ceremony before being able to touch Pas again? Kiss him again?

“Prince Shattered?”

A polite cordial knock follows, cutting his daydream short. Shattered can’t be too mad though, it’s just Cross after all.

“Come in Cross,” Shattered beckons with a grin. Of course Cross would at the wedding, his right hand man ever since they were young. Shattered remembers fondly compelling Cross to pull pranks with him on unsuspecting nobles as young children.

The door closes with a click and Cross steps inside. He seems tired, withdrawn; nowadays he always seems like that.

But after the wedding things will get better. Passive will officially be able to sign off on documents, rather than having to go through Shattered first. Less work for him and Cross. Passive was star sent, truly.

His kingdom is changing, and Shattered couldn’t be happier that Passive has been driving this change.

Cross stands at attention, always so formal even now. “What brings you here?” Shattered smiles, Cross fits in the wedding perfectly. Waiting with him up at the alter, calming his nerves as he waits for the love of his life, his partner for the rest of eternity. Yes, there is no one better to be his best man-

“Please reconsider the marriage.”

Cross gets down on one knee, and pleas.

(Shattered is so smitten with Passive. Cross is not, rather he's smitten with Shattered, but he's not important)

Snip-bits:

/// Non-canon, but they originally had each other’s name.

“Dream, come here!” Passive claps his hands twice before holding them out. Dream turns his head, stands up, and waddles as fast as he can to Passive.

Shattered and Passive burst out laughing. “See! They don’t know who they are!”

Dream collapses in Passive’s arms, showing off the carved wooden duck he brought with him. Passive nods. “Very cool, Nightmare.” He picks up and places Dream in his lap. “But I was calling your brother.” Passive tries to keep his snickering to a minimum while Shattered is free to laugh.

“To be fair,” Shattered starts, “Dream wouldn’t come if you called him.” He sits next to the two and calls Nightmare to him, “Dream, Dream, come here Dream.” Beside him, the son he and Passive agreed to name “Nightmare” starts screaming.

“Shattered, stop that! You’re disturbing Nightmare!”

Nightmare whips his head towards them from where he was sitting. What were they doing?

“Sorry, sorry, he just doesn’t like me!” Shattered argued. Dream clings on tightly to Passive.

“They don’t know who they are, he thinks you’re calling him.” Passive lets out a breathy laugh at the end of his sentence. He pats Dream on the butt in consultation. “It’s okay Nightmare.”

Oh, are they still on about that? As Nightmare got his comprehension back, because stars forbid a baby have a fully functioning brain the moment they´re born he guess, he realized he got named: Dream.

Of course, the proper reaction to that was Fuck no! He was not going to be called Dream in this life or any life. It was good that the other one took a liking to the name, responding to it instead of Nightmare. Eventually his dim-witted “parents” would catch on and switch what they called them.

“Nightmare, come here!” Shattered calls instead.

What was he a dog? But as Passive and the thing in his arms joined in, it was the best course of action to go to them.

To silence the cacophony which was his family, he lays down, rolls to his side, lets his tentacles push him to his stomach again, and repeats until he reaches the three.

They laugh, Nightmare knows they’re mocking him. He had tentacles! So what if he can’t walk or crawl yet (which the other one excelled at)! He had four appendages on his back, it was hard to balance! Plus, they weighed him down while crawling.

It’s nothing new, Nightmare. They would benefit him in the long run. When he’s grown, the tentacles will be an asset, not a burden. He just needs to bear with it.

Shattered coos, and picks him up with his tentacles. He could do this.

(He was wrong.)

“Hey Dreamy,” Shattered waggles his fingers towards him and Nightmare knows, no, he could not do this.

Nightmare starts bawling.

“Oh no.”

He was a strong supporter of never show weakness, but this was different. As Shattered hands him off to Passive - “Sorry baby, sorry,” - it confirms it, yes, this was manipulation. Only a baby could masterfully control the actions of those in power through crying. Alas, the effect changes once one is grown.

But that thing, his wretched companion from the womb, joins in.

“Shat!” Passive lightly bounces them while he laughs, “you’re scaring them.”

///

Nightmare and Dream’s second first fight:

…?

???

Where was his book? Nightmare scans his half of the room. He’s back on the soft, carpeted. floor after his nap, but his book was gone.

Usually, the cleaners put it back on the low shelf for Nightmare to grab, but it was empty.

It’s not where he left it either.

Where could- that no good unscrupulous piss baby! Why! That thing could barely see, let alone read.

But there it was, he flipped through the pages as if he could actually comprehend it. Sure, it was this world’s basic alphabet with accompanying pictures, but it was his!

Nightmare drops to his side and rolls to the non-footie pajama wearing freak.

He slams, as much as a baby could, into its back. It turns and upon processing, beams down at him, making Nightmare actually squint.

“Ny-ny-ny!” It babbles, like the unintelligable freak it was. Not that Night could talk either, but that wasn’t the point.

The point was he needs his book back. Using his superior motor skills, he grabs the wooden pages, pulling it out of the other’s lap.

It honestly couldn’t care less.

(Apparently baby wrestling isn't new with me ☠️☠️☠️☠️)

/// ///

Nightmare’s a reader. He’s familiar with all types of genres. Rebirth, reincarnation, and royalty was no exception. He’s delved into worlds filled with war, political fiancés, and plans to overthrow the government. He’s read stories with cruel aristocrats, kind thieves, and tyrant kings.

But from all the novels Nightmare had ever read about royalty, he had never expected this. His vast collection of books about medieval times and kingdoms, non-fiction or otherwise, never depicted royals as loving, especially not to this extent.

Where was the infighting!? The treacherous plots, the unloving spouses!? Nightmare’s favorite stories are ones where the main character climbs their way to the top no matter what duke or queen or whatever had to say about it.

So why?! Why?!

“Good morning,” Coos a goopy yellow eyed skeleton from above him. “Did I wake you up?”

He smiles fondly down at him. His singular eye softening like melted butter. “Your papa’s not awake yet, but I just had to see you before I went to work.”

He gently puts his arms under Nightmare, supporting his neck and holding his other side up by the butt. He places a chaste kiss on his forehead and Nightmare wants to drop out of his arms to the floor and die.

He cries instead, but if only…

“OH, you’re okay, you’re okay. I’m right here. Are you hungry?”

He can’t even talk, so he keeps wailing until the guy gets the hint. Instead he lightly pats his bum as if that would help.

Nightmare squirms, struggles, waggles, whatever he could to get out of this man’s arms. He was not starting the day like this.

On the other side of the room, a similar wails rings out. Except it’s twice as annoying because it was his.

“Oh no.”

Shattered rushes to the other side of the room, picking up the other baby. Yellow pinpricks, white as porcelain bones, and screaming like a pterodactyl.

“Shhhhh. You’re both okay, see? Daddy’s here!”

They both keep crying because they hate this man. Their screams instead summoning the other one.

“Ah, Passive, what brings you here?” Shattered starts. He poorly smiles, a mix of a grimace and an apology.

Passive just offers his arms and both babies instantly latch onto the other, quieting. He’s only in dress pants and a dress shirt, the rest of his adornments not yet put on.

“If I said I found them like this…”

Passive fondly rolls his eyes, “I’d know you’d be lying.”

Shattered tentacles flop limply in regret. Passive takes pity on the man and turns his head so his cheek is reachable above the babies in his arms. Shattered is quick to place a few pecks on his cheek and one on each of his kids heads as well.

“Sorry, Love.” One last peck to his husband and he amends his statement, “Sorry, Loves.”

Passive rocks the twins gently. “We’ll forgive you if you join us for breakfast.”

Not true. He will never forgive this man. That rage will build with each wrong-doing and when the time is ready to strike, revenge will be as sweet as the smiles he gives his family.

“Okay,” with one last parting kiss to his husband and fond head-rub on each of his children which the yellow-eyed one loudly protests to. He leaves. It can’t have been longer than ten minutes, but finally.

Nightmare starts squirming again because this one is only slightly better than the goopy one. His tentacles aid him in pushing away from the purple-eyed skeleton. Passive indulges him and puts him back in his bassinet.

The other baby still clings to him, preferring to be with him than apart. “It’s morning time you two,” Passive sing-songs, before starting their morning ritual.

Passive is quick, well-practiced after three months of caring for the twins. He changes the two’s clothes. Nightmare can grudgingly admit the clothes are nice. They should be for an aristocratic family.

He gets fluffy little socks while the other gets shoes. Because it can stand already. At 3 months old. If it wasn’t for how stupid it acted, Nightmare wouldn’t think it was a baby, but some foreign growth infiltrating the mansion.

///

He couldn’t deny it any longer. His twin, this world’s unconventional birth partner, was Dream.

Dream laughs and cries at the same time, curling into Nightmare.

“Haha,” it peters out into a sob, “I knew it was you.”

Yeah right.

“Stars, you were such a bad baby! You read everyday, babies don’t do that!” Dream gently thumps Nightmare’s chest while making his point.

“What about you! You practically walked out of the womb!” Nightmare pinches his side and Dream grabs his arm in retaliation.

“Hey, babies can walk from very early ages. You didn’t walk until you were what? Two?” Dream pins Nightmare’s arms on both sides of his head.

“That was a conscious decision, I have tentacles coming out of my back!”

“Oh, so is that why you needed to roll around everywhere.” Dream laughs, Nightmare’s face burns, but he can’t refute it.

“It was just as effective as walking. Especially when I needed to chase down a thief.”

“Hmm, maybe I should have stolen more of your stuff if it made you come to me.” Dream moves his leg over to Nightmare’s other side.

“As if you could actually benefit from using my stuff.” Nightmare’s jab at Dream’s reading skills doesn’t land, his face becoming softer.

“Yeah,” Dream hums, releasing one of Nightmare’s hand and using the back of his own hand to stroke Nightmare’s face. The goop follows briefly before pulling back. “All I needed was you.”

Nightmare scoffs, but he can’t ignore how Dream straddled his hips. He’s not exactly pinning Nightmare down, but one immobilized hand didn’t mean much.

Dream leans down, but Nightmare turns his head pulling Dreams head down with his free hand. The combined force of Dream leaning down and Nightmare pulling him down gives Dream a mouth full of grass and dirt.

“Hey!”

Nightmare makes a non-commital sound, resting his hand on Dream’s head. His arms is still held down, but Dream’s grip loosens, interlocking their hands instead. Dream settles down, sinking into Nightmare and returning home in the crook of Nightmare’s neck.

///

There's other stuff like Shattered and Passive falling in love (not incest srz 🥲), Shatteredmare revealing they knew their children had the souls of beings beyond their stars, and Nightmare's climb to glory, and Dream trying to make out with Nightmare everywhere, and Nightmare -- as Shattered's mini me -- following him around and learning the ropes of aristocracy

Although it´s probably a result of one of my favorite Shatteredmare and Shight dynamics

Dream who has finally had enough. Pushed to his limit and his only option is to eat the last apple of negativity. This way he can feel his brother´s pain, be worthy of his brother again. Maybe once he does this they can take the next step into healing.

Then he does, he shatters.

Nightmare´s reaction? Nothing special.

Disappointment, maybe.

Indifference, just about.

Amused, a little.

Really, Dream? How can this compare? One measly apple compared to hundreds?

Where were you even going with this?

Dream’s never been enough. It’s never going to happen. Especially not now.

In the end, his brother’s Shattered now, and Nightmare steps on his broken pieces and leaves them there to scatter, remaining broken forever.

Maybe, Shattered could work for Nightmare as a foot rest, that’s all he’s worth for anyone now. Especially in his current state.

But Shattered takes it, he grasps at whatever he gets and if it’s being his brother’s foot rest he’ll take it.

Obviously, Nightmare’s finally off-put by this. But he’s never been one to turn down an opportunity.

Cue Nightmare turning Shattered into his best servant. Because he wants to be close to his brother again, right? He wants to be useful, right? It’s not like the multiverse will accept a fallen guardian anymore.

Nightmare’s side is the only place that’ll accept him anymore.

And Shattered would rather be no where else.

He’s with his brother again. He’s going to make up all the pain his brother experienced. He’s going to make everything up to him.

Overtime Shattered gets rewards???

He gets to talk!!

He gets to lay at Nightmare’s feet!!

He get’s to be Nightmare’s bodyguard!!

Nightmare laughs at him!!

Nightmare touches him!!! Small flicks with his finger! Tentacle grabs! Grabbing his face!

They even banter??????? WOAH!!!!!

Eventually, Shattered gets to level up to bed warmer but that’s very far in the future (and complete takeover of the multiverse by Nightmare) and Shattered needs to work SO hard for it.