George POV
Dream's chest rose and fell gently as he slept. George shifted against Dream, entirely wrapped up in his body. George's head was tucked under Dream's chin, and he felt his eyes grow heavy listening to the strong thump of Dream's heart.
George fell asleep faster than usual, snuggled into Dream's warmth. As he slept he felt strangely aware that he could still think clearly. Not this again...
Opening his eyes, he found himself looking at a familiar stream. Sunlight danced on the softly rushing water, reflecting onto two figures. The figures were bickering affectionately. One was a tall man with massive white wings and a muscular body. He was standing on a stone in the stream. The second was slim, shorter, with a pretty face no matter how you looked at him.
George suddenly realized he was watching the same scene, only from outside the body that looked identical to him, excluding the color of one eye. Glancing down, he noticed his own hands were transparent. Lush green grass was visible through his fingers. He was standing at a distance from the winged man and other "him", just barely close enough to hear their voices.
"That idiot."
George startled at the sound of his own voice close by. Turning his head, he locked eyes with an equally transparent version of himself. This "George" had one blue eye, one brown. A red cape with white spots and tiny mushrooms of the same color sprouting from the shoulders was clasped across his chest with a sapphire stone. A mushroom hat shaded his face from the gentle sunlight.
Heterochromatic eyes watched the sashes around the winged man's hips dance in the breeze with a look that could only be described as fond. "He's always been so annoying."
George stared at the transparent "him", and then the scene on the stream. He turned his eyes back to those heterochromatic eyes. "What is going on?"
He wasn't expecting an answer, shocked when his voice replied.
"I needed to speak with you."
George stared at the person who was too real to be a dream. "Who are you?"
"I'm you, but a different version of you. My name is George404."
The revelation hit George like a punch to the gut. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Every human on Earth is born with a God version of themselves that lives in an alternate universe. I am yours." George404 seemed almost bored explaining himself, tugging his blue sleeves absentmindedly.
George swallowed hard. His mind was spinning.
George404 ignored his internal struggle. Instead he pointed a hand at the winged man. "That is my Dream, DreamXD."
George turned his eyes to the winged man, studying all the ways he was so Dream, before looking at himself. His mind flicked to the bloody images, the dark pull of death. "Have you been the one making me dream about this?"
"Yes," George404 watched DreamXD with a soft look of love and grief. "I was also the one who saved your Dream from that monster's venom. I don't have much energy left in my soul, it will be gone after tonight. I won't the able to communicate with you anymore."
"Why, then?" George glared at himself in irritation. "Why waste it?"
"He is awake." George404's eyes clouded. "And he's not the same."
There was only one person he could be referring to. George remembered the pain in DreamXD's eyes as he held the bleeding, dying body of George404. He didn't doubt that would fuck with anybody's head.
"I want you to understand him, and know what happened. Because we are the same, our souls have a connection. That makes it easier to give you my memories. I also used Dream's connection to his god counterpart to give him DreamXD's memories."
George met those heterochromatic eyes, still struggling to believe any of this was happening. "What do you mean the last of your energy?"
"The souls of gods work differently than mortals." George404 raised his hand, golden threads of smoke-like light curled around his fingers. "When our connection is strong enough, or we have unfinished business, our soul will remain among the living with a small pool of powers. I have been sending you dreams to prepare for when DreamXD woke up."
"Why not use your powers to speak to him yourself?"
"His mind is too corrupted for me to enter." George404's voice dropped sadly. "I've tried, many times."
"What does he want to do?" George asked.
"That's what I am here to show you." George404 straightened. His eyes glowed, enhancing his already beautiful irises. He held out his hand engulfed with golden light.
George stared at George404's hand. "What will happen to you? When you lose all your soul energy?"
"Nothing, but I won't be able to interfere anymore. I'll just be a spirit on my way to the afterlife."
George stared hard at that all-too-familiar face. He couldn't help but feel like George404 was hiding something from him. In the distance, he could hear the laughter of the two gods as the memory replayed itself over and over again.
"Look," George404 sighed. "I know none of this is believable, but I need you to trust me. Please."
"And Dream will see what I am seeing?" George pressed.
"Dream will be given memories from DreamXD. Some memories you may share, others not."
"How can you share memories from a mind that isn't yours?" George was suspicious.
"The dumbass is my soulmate and lover." George404 was beginning to look irritated from all the questions. "Gods exchange soul threads when they find their soulmate, so naturally I can pull those threads to give the memories I need to his human version."
That is fucking confusing. George was beyond lost. As George404's words sank in, the ground shifted beneath him. Soulmate? Lover?
George was suddenly aware of the pain, fear, and desperation hidden in blue and brown depths. He'd suspected the men from his dreams were in love, but that fact felt all the more real to him now. He thought of his own Dream, of the deep love he already felt for the man.
Without a second thought, George reached out to grasp George404's hand. Memories flooded his mind in an instant.
George404 POV
Sunlight washed the green forest with gentle light. Lush grass peppered with flowers in assortments of every color blanketed the ground. Large white-and-red mushrooms sprouted at the base of massive trees. Specks of glowing purple light floated soundlessly in the air.
George404's boots stepped carefully through the flowers, watching the vines of the trees sway lightly in the breeze. Above him he could hear the distant laughter of gods with the gift of flight playing some dumb game above the clouds.
George404 bit his lip in irritation, wishing they would shut up. He was a young god, only sixteen, and he spent most of his time in his enchanted forest. He loved the way the forest life flourished in his presence.
He smiled when a bird with long wisps of a tail and rainbow-tinted white wings swooped through the trees. George404 reached into his pocket, removing a handful of seeds. Approaching the beautiful bird, he held out his hand. The bird changed course, making its way to George404's outstretched arm.
A loud yell made the bird startle, flying rapidly away.
"Those fucking idiots." George404 waved his arm, using his plant-controlling ability to part the branches of the trees to reveal the sky.
A boy around his age with white wings was plummeting from the clouds in a green-cloaked blur. One of the magnificent wings was bent at an odd angle. George404's eyes widened in shock, taking off in the direction the boy was falling. He held his hands out, gold light flashing.
Roots curled out of the ground, tree branches parted, and a net of entwined roots and vines gently caught the falling god. The winged boy cried out as his broken wing was carefully held with soft green stems.
George404 urged the forest life to lift him into the air. Roots emerged, forming a hard net beneath his feet, growing upwards. Raising to the boy's level, George404 was shocked to see his fellow god's face.
That was because he didn't have a face. A white mask with an X etched over a D perfectly concealed his face. Dirty blond hair ruffled messily. His green cloak had fallen open, showing off his black crop top and muscular abs. Kneehigh boots matched his black pants, hips wrapped in green silk.
George404 had heard of him. DreamXD, the God of Mischief.
Who is ready for backstories?! The next few chapters will alternate between DreamXD and George404's point of view. We'll be back to our beloved Dream and George once the flashbacks end.
To clear up any confusion: Both George and Dream will be receiving memories in their sleep, thanks to George404. Lots of things will be revealed and cleared up next chapters so buckle up!
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