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Second Chance

Chapter 3: "Confront the truth, Dreamer"

Summary:

In the most traumatic experience, guilt was born among many things.

And one of those things was a guardian that protects with what it considers best.

The only way to defeat it is to prove that you can overcome that experience.

Because in the end, its only purpose is to protect you.

And your guardian very much loves you, Dreamer.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

You were born after the incident happened.

Before you were the one you had to protect, a crying person, curling up as you looked at them. Instantly you feel a sense to protect him, it was an instant sense like you were created for this.

You look around; something has been created slowly and shortly. You don’t really know what is happening, but as you look at the person again, you feel compelled to give them a hand. They see it, they see the hand, and they take it, and then they disappear. You start moving on your own, but you don’t seem to mind, as you know it is them, simply merging inside of you.

It was clear what you were created for as you were given the knowledge of what happened and why this was made.

The Dreamer is who you have to protect, no matter what. You must repress the memories of the truth and everything that can lead to it must disappear completely. You know they are somewhere but you don’t know where. All you know is something must be created to distract the Dreamer more easily.

That is how Headspace was slowly created, firstly it was the Dreamer’s vast imagination that created most of it. You simply became a vessel for him to walk around and explore the places, you see other people that take the form of the Dreamer’s friends. Aubrey, Kel, Hero, and Basil were their names.

You even get to see the girl who was presumably dead, Mari, the Dreamer’s big sister.

The person he killed in that incident.

Over time, you slowly get more and more control as he slowly gives it out to you, rather than being the spectator on the adventures. You obliged.

It was inevitable something was bound to happen as time went by.

One of the “Three great creatures”, the wise Abbi has done something that has opposed the Dreamer.

It was unacceptable. She was banished into the Abyss, the deepest part of headspace, her prison. Her wisdom was stripped away by you.

In Headspace, remembering is unforgivable.

You can still see her tentacles around Headspace, trying to get you to apologize for her mistake, which you will never give.

Too wise for her own good.

You, the guardian of the Dreamer, will never let something oppose him, hurt him, or try to tell him the truth.

But it was inevitable that it would slip sometimes, and it was due to The Stranger’s many attempts to get to the Dreamer.

The Stranger’s goal is the opposite of you, trying to make the Dreamer face the truth no matter the danger it beholds.

You can never fully deal with him. The product of Black Space is hard to get rid of, just like those SOMETHINGS that pester Headspace and many more.

But each time it happens, you simply deal with it, making sure it doesn’t happen again. You know what is best for the Dreamer. This was one of the worst for him, he cannot face the truth, and he will not. It’s best for him to forget it entirely, and to not try to uncover it.

Each time it slips out, you adapt, you become better, but no matter what it will keep coming.

The years went by with so many times it leaked out, it just slowly became a bigger problem.

The prominent one was Basil who learned the truth, multiple times.

You don’t know how much time Headspace was reset due to this.

You don’t know how many Basil have you killed, you lost count.

You know it was inevitable he out of all people would know. The Stranger uses him as his form, and he is the person involved in Mari’s death with the Dreamer.

And what makes this even worse?

The Dreamer has slowly been taking a long time to come to White Space, and you slowly get anxious.

And once again, Basil has learned the truth. He disappeared into Black Space

The worst was slowly coming.

The amount of time The Stranger tries to get to the Dreamer is laughable. All those years and no sign of giving up have The Stranger show but you out of all people know he cannot do this forever. But you have one thing that is most dangerous for everything right now.

Basil.

You enter Black Space.

Welcome to Black Space, Omori.

After so much time wasted on Black Space, you finally caught Basil in the church of SOMETHING.

The moment The Stranger mentions the truth and how it is upon them all, it makes you know everything is slowly falling apart.

The Dreamer now wants to overcome and face the truth, but you cannot have that.

You cannot have that. You have to stop it, everything, if you don't everything will be ruined and you know that.

As Basil was found, trapped in the church but eventually he was dragged by red hands into the Red Room.

His beg, his cries for forgiveness. All those things that he says are just words and yells for you.

He has learned too much about the truth, about Mari, about everything you try to suppress.

You stabbed him, killed him on the spot, and then you defy the Dreamer, as you slowly go to your throne.

You were able to prevent Basil from telling the truth, prevent him from learning the truth.

You decide to defy him, this is to stop him from knowing the truth, the truth you blocked him from remembering, the truth that has been suppressed for 4 years, and the truth that has become this.

You simply sit on your throne, staring into you knowing where the Dreamer is looking at you.

You know this was simply dragging out, but this is your last ditch effort you know what to do.

One day left until the Dreamer leaves Faraway town.

As you look at him when he comes back to White Room, you don’t expect him to break the lightbulb, which causes him to be expelled from White Room and go straight to Black Space.

And after a while, when he comes back, you know everything comes up to this.

He has learned the truth, and he will try to tell them and face it.

And you cannot let him, you cannot.

You are the guardian, you know what to do.

You cannot let Sunny remember.

You take out your knife, as you prepare to battle against Sunny.

A fight for control.

And you won it, the fight was yours after your berates against him, the thing that made him remember and slowly stop fighting for control.

He loved him, they loved him, and he killed her.

He is useless, less than useless… He’s sick.

And he knows that he cannot hide or accept it. Never will he be able to face that.

The guilt that he built up, the self-loathing he caused, slowly ruined him.

And he gave up before you, as you took control.

The door was opened as your headspace friends greeted you. You go out of headspace…

And now the Dreamer was on the hospital’s roof, as you spectate, he stands near the edge, looking down. You gave him reassuring words that Headspace is waiting for him, and his friends are waiting for him.

Mari is waiting. Better not let them wait long.

As he takes a deep breath and he is about to jump…

The door was slammed, and his friends were there… how? How did they know? Even Basil is here.

They manage to stop him, they manage to make him more determined, they manage to stop him from giving up… And now he is back, determined, and cannot be broken by words you have tried to say.

Sunny broke the lightbulb again, as you stand there.

When he comes back, you take out the knife once again, ready to fight him…

You feel uneasy like you won’t win this.

You can feel the desperation in his actions, Omori is slowly losing his cool, doing everything he can to take you down and make you give up like you did in your first fight.

You won’t succumb to it, your friends are waiting, everyone is waiting. They did everything and now the least you could do is defeat Omori.

Take back control of your mind, and face the truth.

But the fight is slowly being drawn out, his attack doesn’t seem to pack a punch like it did before.

You don’t know the reason, but it seems more fair to you. His words don't affect you so he decides to plead.

“You can’t accept the truth, in the end, what would you do?

Do you think they can accept it? You know better than that.”

And yeah, you do.

You know for a fact the truth will be hard to be accepted by them.

You know that it will take years for them to open up and forgive you, and by then you won’t be in Faraway anymore.

But you know they deserve it. The closure of the truth, the real reason why Mari died. The reason for their suffering is that they had to endure for 4 years straight due to you.

Even if they don’t accept it, you are fine with that, you are fine with them hating you. All you want to give them is closure, facing them after 4 years.

All you have done to them is pain, guilt, struggle, and depression.

Hero, Basil, Kel, Aubrey… They deserve better, they deserve more than just your lies. You have tried to repress the truth for so long that you eventually forget about everyone around you.

Your mother didn’t leave like your dad, she stayed and helped you, even if you never went out of the room other than daily needs.

She is always here for you, always protecting you, caring for you. She has to work so much for you that you rarely see her, especially for 3 days before you both leave Faraway town.

She doesn’t deserve a dead son.

Your friends don't deserve a dead friend.

They deserve more than that, and you know it. The fact they were able to notice, the fact they ran like hell to the roof just to save you.

Even if they hate you after, you know you need to accept the truth for what it is, to overcome and to look forward.

That is what Mari wants, you know that.

She always loves you, even if you are the cause of her death. She always forgives, she always wants to help you, save you. She doesn't want to see you so fast.

You killed her, but she will always love you.

And that resolve was more than enough for you. The friends that are always there for you, even if you weren’t there for them for 4 years, the mother who sacrifices everything for you even if you don’t give anything back to her for 4 years, the sister that will always love you even if you are the cause of her death, even if it's your fault for her never being able to age up past 15 ever since that incident.

You are older than her now.

You look at Omori with a resolve bigger than he will ever have. Even if he will not succumb, even if he is stronger than you…

You will face him with that resolve, you won’t succumb.

You can feel your friends encouraging you during the fight, it gives you buffs on your attack and health.

Omori seems to be unable to do much, but you know he won’t succumb so fast.

But you know even if he was able to take you down, that wouldn’t be enough to stop you and make you give in.

How can he berate you, tell you how horrible you are when your friends prove him wrong?

But even then, you know that you have to do something about it also. You know just your friends are not enough to prove him wrong, you will give him concrete proof that will make him give up.

You will prove him wrong.

The moment he defeats you, he reaches out his hand to you, seemingly a friendly gesture knowing you won’t succumb so fast.

But you decline, you stand up on your own, and you stare at him with resolve burning so bright he cannot stop it. The fight for control has already given its victory. But you want to prove to him, you want to show him.

And you want to perform it, the performance that was postponed for 4 years due to the incident, the performance that ruined you and your sister, the performance that you will do with her right here right now.

You and your sister are on the stage, Mari sitting on the piano stool, getting ready as she looks at you. You are ready more than you ever are, you put the violin on your shoulder, then put the bow on the string as you look at the chairs in front of you.

Everything is empty, there is no one watching the play except for one person in the front seat, staring blankly at the both of you, ready to see what will happen next.

Omori looked at the stage, sitting still and focused on the play that was going to happen next.

You take a deep breath, as you focus, as you close your eyes, and begin to move your bow, as Mari begins to press the piano keys…

The duet begins.

Clap, clap, clap

After the duet’s play, claps filled the room. Sunny and Mari bow to the crowd who seemingly filled up.

Their friends, Aubrey, Kel, Basil, and Hero are there, being the ones who are clapping the loudest out of everyone there.

Their parents clap, tears rolling down their cheeks as they look proud of the siblings.

The Faraway residents, the people Sunny has met for 3 days before he moves are clapping for them as well, cheers and praises for them. The hooligans, Mincy, Cris, and many more.

And Omori, he clapped and slightly smiled from it. Seemingly proved wrong, but seeing such a beautiful act just to show him proof just cannot stop him from being happy seeing all of it.

Roses being thrown, the siblings wave and bow to every angel and everyone.

Sunny is happy about all of this.

The duet has happened.

And then, they are back at White Space, Omori and Sunny look at each other as they suddenly embrace each other in a tight hug. Omori’s knife has been dropped, but Sunny’s violin did not drop.

Omori gives up in this fight for control, and he succumbs to Sunny.

He knows now, after the berates, after his failure in their first fight, beaten down by the Truth for 4 years… He can face it, accept the truth, and forgive himself for that incident, the incident that ruined his life for 4 years and his friends. Everything that has happened is what is best for Sunny and Omori now knows that, and because of that he gives up.

The Dreamer no longer needs a guardian, the guardian was wrong.

The Dreamer is ready to face everything,

The Dreamer is ready to accept the truth,

The Dreamer is ready to overcome it,

The Dreamer is ready to move on.

The guardian no longer is needed.

As Omori disappears before Sunny, he steadies himself as he looks at the door in front of him. As he now accepts not only the truth but also Blackspace, he will live with them in his mind even if he keeps trying to repress them like he used to but he won’t repress them. He will live with it, he will accept and live with it.

Sunny accepts it.

As Sunny slowly walks to the door, he feels accomplished with what he has done after all that has happened. He does feel terrible for losing in the first fight but he will have to deal with it, that mistake alone almost cost his life if it wasn’t for his great friends.

He thinks about his friends, with him falling asleep in front of them they would probably go make his body lie down in the hospital bed again, looking after him as they await for him to wake up. He does a small smile at seeing his friends again as he grabs the doorknob.

He does feel uneasy a bit however, he will have to tell them the truth the moment he wakes up after all. That is the thing he must do for them, the comfort of the truth, knowing Mari didn’t suicide because of them, knowing that Mari died because of an incident with him.

You know that incident was both your fault, but your guilt was so big you consider it to be your fault only.

You know she loves you dearly and would… no, will forgive you.

You open the door and enter.

Welcome back to Faraway Town, your friends await you.

The moment you wake up you see all of them talking to each other, waiting for you to finally wake up. The moment Basil noticed you awake he yelled so loud a doctor came in thinking something happened, he had to explain to the doctor he was too excited before the doctor examined you before seeing that you were okay, he left the room so that you and your friends can have a talk together.

But it was an awkward silence, no one knew what to say, looking around and feeling shy due to what happened earlier is what you presume. But it was normal, you literally just pulled a very dangerous stunt, and is a miracle you are still here with them.

And you decide to be the one who spoke, you want to do it, the truth awaits them.

You can even see a glimpse of the Stranger around, maybe his saying facing it together is literal than you thought.

As you get ready, you look at them…

“I have something to tell you.”

They are silent, eagerly wanting to hear what you will say.

“Mari… the incident… um…” You can’t seem to get it out of you.

Suddenly, your hand was gripped by none other than Aubrey, who gave a bright smile at you, something that you wish to be there for you forever.

“Come on, breath, calmly tell us.” She says, as you take a deep breath to say it.

“...What happened that day, she… she didn’t kill herself.

I… she…

I-I killed her… I was mad… the recital, the practice… it hurts…

My fingers, it hurts, those practices… the anger she holds…

Everything…

I… threw the violin because of it… I wasn’t able to... C-control myself…”

With each word you say makes you more miserable, the truth even if you face it, is still hard. You feel tears in the only eye you have, looking down instead of looking at your friends, you grip Aubrey’s hand tighter.

“She was mad… she… yelled at me… we…” The tears get more, slowly they become cries as you try your hardest to get your words into this.

“We had… argument… I… I didn’t… I didn’t wanna continue it…

I tried to run… she held my arm… She didn’t want me to go… She… She said she wasn’t finished talking… But…” You want to curl yourself into a ball and cry until there are no tears, but you stop yourself from that thought.

“I didn’t… want to continue… I did everything for her… I tried… I failed… Yet I feel like…

I wasn’t appreciated by her… not once… Even though I know she… isn’t like that…

So I… pushed her…” Your body shaking, your one eye gone shut. You know how miserable you are looking right now in front of them.

“I pushed her… She wasn't able to… Her bad knee… She fall… she…” No longer are your words even audible as your tears won't stop, loud sobs and loud cries.

Yet you don’t want to stop.

“...Fall… She fall… Fall to the Violin… Her neck was…” Just thinking about it scares you.

“She died… it was my fault…

I… I ha-”

“You and I hung her because I didn’t want you to get in trouble.” Basil’s words cause you to look at him, he gives you such a soft smile that you can’t stop saying sorry to him, but you stop so he can continue it.

“It was my idea to turn it into a suicide. I did it for you because I wasn’t able to consider you to be a bad person at all. When you try to put her in her bed and make her rest, when you keep saying her name in hoping she would wake up…” Basil feels saddened thinking about it.

“I was the one who hung her, I tied the knot and put her there, you were there to help me carry her to the place.”

After Basil finishes, you cry softly and you don’t even want to look at others, thinking that they hate you a lot right now and accepting whatever they will do to you…

Only to be given a group hug to your biggest surprise. You open your eye and see your friends hugging you.

“Even though what you and Basil did was wrong, I understand it wasn’t out of hatred or malice or if you did it on purpose… it was an accident, an ugly one…” Hero says,

“What happened was terrible for sure, but you have endured so much pain for these 4 years now… It must be hard and painful knowing you made a terrible mistake… I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you more…” Kel says,

“I… we both have experienced pain, that incident... Hurt you as much as it hurt me, didn’t it?” Basil says,

“You remember when I pushed Basil? I… I understand it could have escalated so much worse if it wasn’t for Hero… But unlike me, you didn’t get lucky…

I understand how hard it is, even if… hanging Mari is very messed up, I still understand you and Basil… And I… And everyone here is willing to forgive you, Sunny.”

Just hearing Aubrey's words, her soft tone with her looking at you with so much love and care just… hurts.

You didn’t expect this, you expect a whole lot worse.

You cry even harder than you previously did as you hug everyone, you keep saying “I’m sorry” and “Thank you”. You are thankful for having them.

Outside the door, someone looks at them in the glass panel, with a heartfelt smile seeing how happy Sunny is.

Omori looks at them, as he looks at the Stranger, nodding his head.

The guardian gets to see it. The happiness of his Dreamer, who he always guards.

The Dreamer he loves dearly, who he always protects even if his ways aren’t right.

But he always tries his best if he knows what is best for the Dreamer, and to see the Dreamer prove him wrong.

He feels happy Sunny has shown him that he can face the truth, and overcome it.

He feels happy knowing Sunny has the best outcome possible.

And he is happy seeing it before he is gone.

Notes:

Well, that took way too long to make.

Truth to be told, I was almost done last week but I decided to redo it all because it wasn't up to my standard and I felt like I made Omori too shallow, sorry for that!

If y'all have any suggestions for the next chapter please do tell me and my co-creator beelzeebubs!

That's all, chapter 4 will either take longer, as long or shorter depending on me!

Special mention to graymouse and hanzo for the support, thank you for your comments and funny moments :D!

Notes:

This is my first attempt at writing an actual story, there will be problems and things that I might have not noticed.

Any criticisms are highly appreciated.

Special thanks to my best friend beelzeebubs and others for beta reading.