No peace at all.
I should have known.

I open my eyes and find myself back at my old hated nightmare plane.
The ground is something between orange and purple in color.
A gaze upwards confirms that I'm indeed on the second planet and not the first one that is looming above me.

So I've got again transported here.
At least, I'm growing used to it.
This makes it easier.
It's just more of the usual.

 

"Iori?" (S)

...

"Whaaaa..." (I)

"This... This is a strange place." (S)

"What are you doing here?" (I)

"Shouldn't you be the one telling me? And where even is "here"?" (S)

"Okay, okay. I think this is another plane. Or dimension. And at the same time a dream." (I)

"Sorry, could you please explain this?" (S)

"I think it was like when you dream you are traveling to other worlds. Real worlds! We are truly here but at the same time lie sleeping in the bed. Well, you do. Probably. I'm not so sure, especially if you include me." (I)

"This isn't making any sense. I don't remember any dreams like this." (S)

"You wouldn't be aware. It all would be muddled when waking up. Also, this is no place you would normally enter while dreaming. In general, you dream your own worlds. That's at least what Zika said. But, but... We shouldn't be here together. I don't understand!" (I)

"My best guess then would be that it is related to your current looks!" (S)

"Oh... right." (I)

"You said that this place is dangerous, right?" (S)

"Yes, you are right. But usually you would even if you die just wake up. Without remembering anything that happened that is. The reason why I always had problems with sleeping." (I)

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry for you. If I would just have been able to help you." (S)

 

It's nice that she cares this much but I think we should focus on the part that we are in deep trouble.

 

"No. You don't need to. It's not like you could have done anything." (I)

"This... This is all so weird." (S)

"Exactly what I thought when I've got here the first time." (I)

"Here? You were at this place before?" (S)

"Well, yes. Here that, whatever happened to me happened. To be more precise, it wasn't directly here, but more there." (I)

 

I point at the purple planet above us.

 

"There..." (S)

"It is no nice place." (I)

"My dear!" (S)

 

She gives me a small hug.

 

"Mum! We really should get away here." (I)

"And how do we do this?" (S)

"Maybe I can transport both of us back." (I)

"Can you?" (S)

 

I try to concentrate while holding mum and do my "wish-me-back-home-trick".
And...
Am back home!

I look around fast and find mum.
However, she lies sleeping on the bed.
And I'm not lying next to her.

Shit!
Shit, shit, shit, shit!
I haven't transported her with me!
Directly I move to her and try shaking my mum awake.

 

"Hnngh!" (S)

 

This is all I get out of her.
All my efforts go to waste and I cannot do anything to wake her up.
And that means mum is still there.
I need to get back to her.

 

"I wish me back to the creepy looking horror world!" (I)

 

Despite my lack of longing for this place in general, I notice the shifting of the world around me I have whenever I switch planes.
It is a little bit like strange blinking.
When I regain my vision...

 

"Gruuuuhh!"

 

What?!
A monster!
No!

Panicking, I watch in the direction and see in shock how a maw-monster closes in on my mum.
She already started to back away.
But despite its peculiar frame, this monster is quite fast.

 

"NO, YOU DON'T!" (I)

 

My voice reverberates in the environment.
With all I have, I rush to my mother's side.
At first, I believe I'm running with my strange legs but then it feels like I'm flying.
But I don't.
I simply left my lower body behind and like a giant extending snake rush from this point out at the monster.

It comes too close to be comfortable to mum, inducing me to double my speed.
After a short moment, I crush into it.
In a blink, my body, acting on instinct, grows a giant maw, and all kinds of unpleasant horrors form.
Hooks, spikes, claws, and who knows what else.
All of them directed at this thing and as soon I land on the ground the monster is already gone.
I grow new legs, while my old ones are sucked inside me through my back, along with the rest of a giant flesh snake.
Only then I am able to gain thought again.

 

Mum!!!

 

I look in her direction and only see how she badly tries to cover absolute shock with her hand.

 

She has seen!
God, she has seen!
What do I do now!

I don't want her to think of me as a monster!
I don't want!
I don't...

 

"Waaaahhhh! Sob!" (I)

"Iori!" (S)

"Sob! Hick! Waaahh!" (I)

"I-It's okay! I'm still fine (S)

 

I can feel the touch of her hands around me.

But, but...

 

"Nothing's alright! I'm a monster and you hate me and this is completely understandable! Everything's my fault!" (I)

"No! I don't! I was just surprised. Please calm down!" (S)

"You just have problems because of me! I'm making everything worse! If I just wouldn't be there!" (I)

"Iori! Stop this, please!" (S)

"I'm just wrong! A mistake! A cosmic joke!" (I)

"Iori!" (S)

"Everyone will just fear me or want me gone! And they are right! I am just a horrific thing that shouldn't exist! It would be better if I was gone! If I could just die! I need to vanish! Everything would be better without me!" (I)

 

"Slap"

 

What?!

 

"M-mum?" (I)

 

Mum hit me!
She never hit me!
So she really despises me?

The horrors want to retaliate but I can restrain them.
Even if she hates me, I couldn't do something to her.
I mean...

 

"Never..." (S)

"Huh?" (I)

"Never say that again!!!" (S)

 

What!?
Wh-why are tears streaming down your face?

 

"Never again say that you shouldn't exist! You are my daughter! As if I could hate you! And never let anyone tell you different! You are you! And you are wonderful as you are! Never forget this!" (S)

"R-really? Sniff!" (I)

"Really! Don't ever let someone tell you different!" (S)

 

Urgh! She presses me so hard that I have a hard time explaining my body that this is not another attack.
It's good that I don't need to breathe.
Mum holds me for quite a while until I calm down.
She as well is extremely shaken and I believe this was really hard on her.
I know that she forces herself to stay collected
Finally, my mind settles so I can talk again.

 

"So Iori, what was that?" (S)

"I-I've seen you in danger and, and my body kind of panicked." (I)

"Did this happen because we are in this dream here?" (S)

"N-no, I think I could do this in the real world as well." (I)

 

If you think about it, this is kind of a real world.

 

"However, you better abstain from it. Could cause trouble." (S)

"Yes, sure." (I)

"And now? Where were you?" (S)

"Back home. You are sleeping soundly in your bed." (I)

"When you teleported there was some strange distortion in the space. I even approached it. But aside from a strange feel nothing happened." (S)

"That means I can't just bring you with me." (I)

"So how do I get back then?" (S)

"I only know that people wake up when they die here. But then everything you experienced since you slept would be erased and you would feel exhausted when waking up. And I... really wouldn't want to see you die." (I)

"Okay, but is there any other way?" (S)

"I really don't know. Last time it didn't work out for me." (I)

 

I contemplate if maybe this black liquid of mine could help, as it got me last time out of here.
But I fast dismiss that thought.
Remembering the hellhounds, I know that things that aren't me get eaten by it.
Also, it brought a bunch of other problems.

Having no other plan we decide to get going in one direction.
Suddenly I notice something above us.
It was easy to notice, as the sky is always an empty black void.

 

"What the hell is this?" (S)

 

We both see apparently a strange mix of a giant whale and a jellyfish.
Taking the distance into account it could easily be a celestial body.
If that thing decides to attack us, I couldn't protect mum.
At least it might be difficult to shield her from the resulting splatters.
Fortunately, it ignores us completely.
Slowly drifting after a while it vanishes at the horizon.
Mum grows quiet for a while.
Yet suddenly she speaks up.

 

"Iori, I don't think this will work." (S)

"What doesn't work?" (I)

"This walking! I believe this place is much bigger than we think when such big beings fly around here. Finding an exit when we don't even have a direction cannot work." (S)

"But what then? I cannot... No! No, no, no, no, no, no! I won't let you die here!" (I)

"I see no other way. As long you have no other solution there is no other choice if your friend was honest." (S)

"How would I?! As if I have the slightest experience with any of this!

Wait! I! I have no idea!" (I)

"You've got something?" (S)

"I... I think so. Yet someone won't like it." (I)

"Huh?" (S)

 

I get some distance to mother, prepare myself, and shout with all I've got!

 

"ZIIIIKAAAAAHH! ZIIIKAAH! ZIIKAAH!" (I)

 

Didn't know I had that much voice in me and my tone reverberated strangely.
My mother is holding her ears, while I look around.
Abruptly an eye opens up and gives sight at a severely confused demon.
As soon she spots me she panics.

 

"Ieehk! Sorry, I'm sorry! It wasn't ill intent! Please! You, you don't have to do this! Don't leave me here!!!" (Z)

 

She seriously believes I would punish and send her to this hell here, for the incident with my mother.
Well, at least she is indirectly responsible for this situation.
So I can make demands.

 

"Fine, but then help out." (I)

"Help out? With what?" (Z)

"Get my mum out of here!" (I)

 

I point at my mother.
She gives a light, awkward wave, which is returned by Zika.

 

"Teleporting doesn't help and I'm out of options!" (I)

"Naturally! She is no dream or nightmare. She cannot exist at the same place like her body. But you are a goddess. You are never out of options." (Z)

"Then fill me in about what I can do, if I cannot teleport her out here!" (I)

"You could simply kill her." (Z)

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. So please a real advise!" (I)

"Uh, Okay! You could either go to the sleeper and forcefully rip her avatar back, with the body as a medium. This is rather unpleasant and very violent to the dream persona. But it works!" (Z)

"I cannot do that to my mother! Especially as I would leave her alone at this place! Do you know how dangerous it is here?" (I)

 

She gives me one of her "seriously"-looks.

 

"I am well aware, that's why I want to get away." (Z)

"Then tell me how I get my mother out here!" (I)

"Now, the only other possibility would be..." (Z)

"Yes?". (I)

"You could devour her." (Z)

"Did you lose it? I already said I wouldn't kill her!" (I)

"Who said killing?" (Z)

"You! You just said I should eat her!" (I)

"Yes. But never that she would die." (Z)

"How shall that work?" (I)

"You are simply taking her in. Just, try not to dissolve her spirit. Then you bring it back to her body or make a new one. But I would suggest the first as otherwise two mums might wake up for you." (Z)

"And, and this works?" (I)

"Sure." (Z)

"And she, she won't get hurt?" (I)

"As long you don't make it hurt." (Z)

 

This... This would be a solution.
But, can I really do this to mum?
At least I should ask.

 

"Mum?" (I)

"Yes, I've heard. It sounds rather disturbing." (S)

"I don't think she lies. So, what now?" (I)

"I was ready for death. So we should try, right? It won't hurt, won't it?" (S)

"I-I try not to." (I)

"Uhh, then go ahead!" (S)

 

I try to have absolutely peaceful thoughts and tell all of me that she shall not get hurt.
Then I give my mum a hug.
A moment later I feel my insides shift, then my torso opening up.
Mum has a shrieked expression but I need to push forward, to make this end for her as soon as possible.

Thousand tendrils erupt, overgrowing mother until I cannot see her anymore.
My body volume increased drastically so that she easily fits in.
I feel myself growing over her and as soon she is completely encased I shrink down.
Please, don't let that last movement have been her struggling.
It felt like I muffled her last vain efforts down.

I concentrate on myself.
Truly!
There is some pulse!
And it feels pink-violet!
Mum!!!

Okay, okay.
Calm down and do something.
Fast I turn to Zika with a rather flustered mind.

 

"You really ate your mother." (Z)

 

In the darkest way possible I glare at her.

 

"Yes, yes. Now just teleport home and put the avatar inside the body!" (Z)

 

I immediately do so.
Teleporting has now become a rather simple act to me.
At least much easier than eating my mum.
When I'm in the bedroom again mum still sleeps and it still is night.
With an eye I catch a certain demon emerging through some space distortion into my room.
As instructed I go to mum's body, touch her, and concentrate.
Then I focus on mum's pulse and will it to my hand.
There it nearly effortless passes into her body.
And she opens her eyes!

 

"Nngh! Well, that was certainly a trip." (S)