A chair appeared right behind Morpheus and he sat down on it. He lifted his hand towards the lady, still with doubts. The lady grabbed his hand, without letting go of Somnus'. It was like suddenly she had the energy to race to the end of the world, if it meant to see Morpheus again and hold him.
"You came," she sobbed with happiness; her eyes were wide open now.
"I didn't know you waited. Or I would have done this faster," Morpheus said tearing up more.
"You did well. It was only your crazy mother who could try and do this. But, you proved me wrong," the lady said, laughing lightly.
"I didn't come all the way to prove you wrong mum. But, to meet you. I missed you… even when I never had you," Morpheus said.
"You always had me my baby. We went on journeys together and you don't remember. But we did and you did great," the lady said.
"What's the point when I don't remember?" Morpheus asked.
"We could have done this only in your mind. As you can see, this is my state since a long time," the lady said.
"What happened to her? What did you do?" Morpheus screamed at Somnus.
"All I did was try and keep her alive," Somnus said.
"What do you mean?" Morpheus asked.
The lady disappeared and Morpheus turned and tried to search for her. He gasped through pain and was shook that she just disappeared all of a sudden.
"Where did she go?" Morpheus asked, still looking around every corner of the room.
"Morpheus," Somnus said in a low tone and put his hand on Morpheus' shoulder.
"What did you do?" Morpheus asked, and looked at Somnus furiously.
"She has been gone for a long time," Somnus said.
"You lied!" Morpheus screamed.
Morpheus got up pushing Somnus' hand away, and kicked Somnus, which sent him flying into the air and he stopped as he hit the far wall behind him.
"Where is my mother?" Morpheus asked still full pissed.
Somnus got up coughing. "She has been gone since a long time. I did what I felt was right!"
"You did wrong!" Morpheus screamed.
"Calm down Morpheus," Somnus pleaded.
Varun knew this would go sideways and ran up in between the both. Morpheus looked at Varun with rage and groaned.
"You… move away!" Morpheus said to Varun.
"This is not right man, calm down," Varun said signing Morpheus to stop.
"Yes it's not. That is why I must end him," Morpheus said.
"No you don't," Varun said.
"This is not you Morpheus," WOD said joining Varun.
"Oh, you don't know me," Morpheus said.
Morpheus pounced upon the two and pushed Varun away. WOD unsheathed her two swords (which looked almost like Kara's) and slashed it towards Morpheus; he held them both and pushed her away. Jiant and Aria held both his hands from behind as Maaz and Adam kicked his legs down, making him stumble down to the ground. Fara kicked him down as he fell to the ground and groaned. Jay got upon him and held his hand out as a warning.
"Stay down man," Jay warned, still with his fist up.
Morpheus head bashed Jay, Jay just backed away. Aria and Jiant pulled both his hands as he groaned and Maaz and Adam pinned his leg to the ground.
"What do I do? What do I do?" Fara asked without knowing what to do.
Morpheus pushed the four away, as they fell to the ground and he faced Fara.
"Kids!" Morpheus breathed out.
"A swine," WOD said pushing Morpheus away from Fara, as Fara took a sigh of relief.
"A big fat one!" Varun said.
Varun appeared right in front of Morpheus and punched his face sideways. Morpheus just barely flinched and looked at Varun again. Varun punched Morpheus' gut using both his hands and Morpheus without even caring for it, grabbed Varun. He threw Varun towards WOD, making them both fall upon each other.
"Stay down!" Morpheus hissed.
"Morpheus," a soft voice came from behind him.
Morpheus turned to look who it was and just stopped. Varun got up and helped WOD too and looked at who it was, it was Morpheus' mom again.
"Don't do this," the lady said.
"You died… he killed you," Morpheus said, half crying and full-on angry.
"He loved me… and I love you. I don't want you both against each other," the lady said.
"You don't even know what I went through," Morpheus said.
"I know… you told me. I thought I helped you, but seems I didn't," she said.
"THOUGHT…" Morpheus scoffed. "Thoughts can be a funny thing. We THINK we help them. We THINK we are protecting them. We THINK it's for their own good. You just THINK the person is alright. Because you THINK what you did was right and enough for them."
The lady, who was looking into Morpheus' eyes, bent her head at that.
"But the truth is the horror you are unknown to. You help them on what YOU know of. You protect them from their own WONDERFUL thoughts, which YOU just THINK is wrong. The things you did, just prevented their life from being better. And the person is NOT alright. Because your THOUGHT of right, was not the actual right thing and it was enough for them… to make them cry every single day… of their whole life," Morpheus said, almost breathlessly. "Your THOUGHT may be KIND, but the perspective is definitely only YOURS!"
"I know I couldn't be there to protect you all this time. And even now I can't," the lady said and placed both her 'hands?' on Morpheus.
"Oh you can't," Morpheus said nodding his head.
"But in this world, one thing that can still help you is what I can give you," the lady said.
Her hands shined, blinding everyone but Morpheus, he just stared right into it. Varun couldn't see after that and when he could, he found a huge man in shiny armour. Morpheus just looked at himself and then at his mom.
"I couldn't protect you. But this will against the world's horrors," the lady said.
The armour was glittering in the shiniest of whitish-grey. It was a pretty peculiar armour. Its back looked like they were wings sprouting out from Morpheus' back and covering him by folding themselves to the front. The wings' edges then spread downwards, covering him below too. The 'feathers?' seemed to spread and form just a thin layer upon Morpheus' arms, forming gauntlets.
That not being all, he had a helm above his head in the same way. Wing-horns from his head's two sides, bent down to his chin after folding backwards above his head, to cover his scalp. Ahead of his face was a transparent glass-like piece.
"Everyone keeps getting armour man," Varun sighed to himself.
"You choose your path son. But just remember there will be consequences to it," the lady said.
"You could have considered the sentence yourself," Morpheus said.
The lady laughed softly. "I did what I could. And I'm sorry that you don't understand. If you do want to side with Rahambose, just remember, he would kill his own if it came to it," the lady said.
"But the armour is the finest, son. It'll be enough to protect you I would say. As of course it is one of my precious possessions," Somnus said, proudly.
"YOU!" Morpheus said turning towards Somnus and tried to go towards him.
The lady appeared again in front of Morpheus and Morpheus stopped.
"Please don't do this," the lady said.
"You could have told him that," Morpheus said.
He continued onwards, as the lady just disappeared again, bending her head down. Somnus just stood there, without flinching, and bent his head down to the floor, as a tear dropped from his face. It looked like he was accepting his fate, to whatever would come next. Morpheus just grasped Somnus by his neck and Somnus gasped, as Morpheus continued choking him.
"Just so you know…" Somnus said trying hard to get his words out. "You have some who would protect you, even when I'm gone."
"How many lives will you leave in my hands?" Morpheus questioned.
Somnus just smiled at Morpheus one last time as he knew it was coming… the end. Somnus just stopped moving completely finally… not that he was resisting his death, but he had reached it now. Morpheus just dropped Somnus to the ground and stood there for a moment.
"Try and come at me again," Morpheus said without looking back at the team, but it surely was to them.
The portal (just like the one at the gate) appeared in place of Somnus, as his body now had just gone away, even as an imagination. Everyone just stared as Morpheus went through the portal.
"We… we need to go," Aria suggested, sniffling.
"Yeah, we don't know how much longer the portal will hold," Jiant said.
"Yes, everyone come," Adam said.
Adam ran into the portal and Jiant did too. Jay looked at the others and went next into the portal.
"Come… Fara," Aria said.
"That name sounds kind of weird now that I think of it," Fara said.
Aria and Fara went away into the portal as it was just Flint, Maaz, Varun and WOD left there. None of them seemed to be attempting to move.
"We… we need to go," Flint suggested finally.
"Yeah, Varun come," Maaz said.
"You guys go ahead. I'll be there," Varun said.
"You best come… or I'll haunt you as a nightmare after I sleep," Maaz warned.
"Count me in on that too," Flint said.
"I have no plans of staying. Just give me a moment please," Varun smiled.
Maaz just pat on Varun's back as Flint gave him a smile. Both ran into the portal together. WOD just looked at Varun; he didn't speak a word or look at her as a few 'minutes?' passed by.
"You know, your story wouldn't be so good if you just stayed here. You will turn just like the queen," WOD said.
"Yeah… what even had happened to her?" Varun asked.
"Probably turned into a HIRY," WOD said.
"How do you know it now and not before…?" Varun asked.
"You have questions and I just collect best possible answers to it," WOD said.
"You know, turning into a HIRY doesn't sound so bad," Varun said, folding his hands.
"Oh come on, really? Don't tell me you are even thinking of that," WOD said.
"What? It sounds easier, don't you think? No prophecy, and just live on forever this way," Varun said. "With you."
"But is that what you really want?" WOD asked.
"Yes," Varun said, without thinking twice, and looked at WOD finally.
"No, you-you just think so. Prophecy makes things harder than easier, yes. But you can't just give up. You choose your own path. In the normal world. Not become someone's dream," WOD said.
"Becoming someone's dream sounds legit," Varun said.
"Oh, I bet it does," WOD laughed. "Nothing is perfect. Just because a prophecy tells you do it. Doesn't mean that you do it alone, you know. There are people who care for you… and way stronger than you are… You know it, Varun."
"Yeah, but I feel it's too late for that," Varun said.
"Then start anew. It's never too late if you feel like starting all over again, you know," WOD said.
"You know, you said no one is perfect. But, you are," Varun said.
"You know it's because you think of that certain person and their qualities. So you THINK it's perfect," WOD said.
"I want to know who you are properly. Who is it that I think is this way? Who is actually the girl behind that helm?" Varun asked.
"Yeah, and you want to make this easier?" WOD asked.
"Right," Varun sighed.
"Now go, before I have to just push you away," WOD said.
"Why not come with me? You said you would come, remember?" Varun asked.
"I'll find you when you need me. Now is not the time, trust me, though it is the last thing you would do," WOD laughed.
"Thank you," Varun said.
"In advance for the push…? Sure thing," WOD said and grabbed Varun.
***