Hello again 💜
This thing got pretty long, plus we are kind of changing the subject here, so I decided to send a new ask. But before we get to that, I'd like to say that I'm so very flattered to know you like this interpretation of mine! Although I would never suggest that this one might be even partly true for original Dreamtale. That would be... Wow. I don't know, every time I get too embarrassed to think about it properly (x
Now to the main subject, which is your little idea ✨ First off, I'd really like to hear more about this, if you don't mind sharing! Here or in DMs, everything's fine by me. And, secondly, I do have my own headcanons on that matter! As I mentioned, I believe both corrupted Nightmare and Shattered Dream's bodies get completely broken after them eating the black apples. The way I see it, that's because the negative energy either twin absorbs is much more than they can take. Imagine this. We have a jar that can contain a litre of water (and a little bit more, as any jar in existence). That first jar is Dream's skeleton body, and that litre of water is Dream himself, a light being of pure positive energy. We also have a jar that can contain a litre of acid (and a little bit more, too). That second jar is Nightmare's skeleton body, and that litre of acid is Nightmare himself, a light being of pure negative energy. Let's stop here and emphasise that acid, though not as welcome everywhere as water, has its own use and is very important, while water, while being vital, can also be extremely dangerous.
When we add a bit of acid to the second jar, it's fine, but when we add so much it could destroy the whole Multiverse, of course it destroys the jar, even though it is supposed to contain this exact acid.
When we add a bit of acid to the first jar, it breaks in a moment, for it was never meant for said acid.
What remains in both cases?
Acid.
End of this huge metaphor. Now let's remember that acid meant negative energy. And that is what I believe to be true: corrupted Nightmare and Shattered Dream's bodies are made of pure negativity and nothing else. Its concentration is just so high it actually can be seen and touched in the physical plane of existence.
So the energy doesn’t need an exit anymore. It is the only thing left. With the remnants of either twin's memories (that's how I explain to myself why corrupted Nightmare doesn't remember himself pre-corruption, only feels the need to take revenge; and doesn't that remind you of what I've already said about his mother before?), but that's another matter. Physically, there is only this searing, all-consuming, absolute negativity.
Okay, now I'm questioning if all of this even makes sense. I mean, it should, but is my choice of words ok?.. Guess I'll have to wait for your reply to know that. So nervous again...
Anyway, I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this! It will certainly be super interesting!
Hugs,
anfie.
Hi anfie╰(*´︶`*)╯
Thank you for your ask! Indeed, it's better to start it with a clean slate x) And don't you dare underestimate yourself! (òwó) You never know how well-aimed the idea can be ☆
I'm so glad to hear you liked that little idea of mine <3 To be honest, that rhetorical question was the completion of my thought which you successfully developed on your own!
The metaphor with jars is great, and the parallel between Nightmare and Nim does make more sense now ;3; So all thanks to you! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)
- Though I believe that positive, that is water here, is not weaker than negative, which helps it hold on / mix with the negative, preserving a part of itself anyway ☆
Take care *hugs* ♡
Hello again! I've been meaning to continue this discussion for a while, and now I finally have some energy to do so!
It just really bothers me that I made it sound as if acid were more powerful than water. I even know how it happened and why; mostly because we were talking about corrupted Nightmare and Shattered Dream, and therefore my focus was on the negative energy (and the way it breaks and twists the positive one) only. But that doesn't mean that either is stronger or weaker! I just didn't have any need to mention that it also works the other way round. Now though, I do have both opportunity and reason! Since you mentioned it yourself.
Okay, so. I was pretty decent at chemistry, but that was a few years ago, and now I don't remember much. Certainly not how the chemical reactions work. But let's just remember that it is a metaphor, and acid and water are actually negative and positive energies respectively, which means it isn't likely to be realistic chemistry-wise.
With that said, let's get to the point.
So what do we know? There are two jars that look identical to each other (and to any other jar, but that's not entirely true), one of them has water and another has acid. Neither jar has a cap, for there is too much acid/water in it, so it pours into the world and affects it (the twins' auras). There is a source of water and a source of acid. The acid jar can turn water into acid, and the water jar can turn acid into water.
All other jars, bottles, jugs, barrels, etc. always have some water AND some acid inside. Sometimes acid causes burns and meltdowns, but sometimes it helps a lot; sometimes water is used to grow, sometimes it floods and overwhelms and destroys. That's how it is.
It's obvious what happens when all acid in the world and almost as much more (500+449, right?) goes to the acid jar. The jar breaks.
That's also true for the water jar. If it suddently had almost twice as much as the whole Multiverse, it would totally break.
But then, there are cases that break the rules. Like when the water jar makes contact with a bit of acid and that bit doesn't change. How would that even work?
Well, here's the way I see it (so much for "getting to the point", I'm only doing it now, awkward ^^")
Finally I'm trying to explain the timelines with Shattered Dream via this metaphor! But before that, I didn't mention all those other containers just because, you know. I'd like to hope my choice of words is pretty precise. All those "other jars, bottles, jugs, barrels, etc." aren't monsters and humans but their SOULs. (Have to pause here and say that I really don't remember whether corrupted Nightmare has a soul canonically; if not, then it's my headcanon.) So corrupted Nightmare is like a tiny jar with both acid and water in the middle of endless acid (also that's how I explain why and how Nightmare stays alive: he gains a soul!), and Dream is like a tiny jar with both acid and water in a bigger jar filled with water. So when Dream finds and eats the black apple? He is doing it not as a guardian of positivity he was initially created but as a being with their own soul. That creates a paradox so powerful it makes the twins something like communicating vessels (hope I googled that term right, oh stars, now I'm going into Physics, why me), and, since water didn't change acid into water as it was supposed to, it reversed, and the eaten apple's "acid" turned Dream’s initial "water" into "acid". Plus all that Nightmare had went to Dream too, hence the communicating vessels. And we already know that this much of anything makes any jar break.
I do hope that makes sense. At least that's pretty much how it works in my X-stra Dark Cream fic. Not all of this will be explained in the story itself, plus this dialogue really felt unfinished, which bugged me an awful lot. And recently I've been under too much stress for my own good as it is, so I decided to get it out of my way as soon as I felt I was able to. Which is now.
Sorry if there are any mistakes, and feel free to ask and/or correct me about anything! And of course, that's still merely the way I see this matter, it's alright to disagree!
Anyways, thanks for listening, and take care🌻
Hi anfie╰(*´︶`*)╯
Thank you for your reply! I saved it in my drafts before you tagged me, though I couldn't answer you right away since I wanted to do it properly so, thank you for waiting ♡
And oh— now it's much deeper than it initially seemed! I like the way it helps to better understand their essence (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)
- To be honest, I was going to catch you at your word, to "find out" what are positive emotions for negative itself (which Nightmare, being a completely negative being, still used to experience before) and vice versa (which Dream also experienced, though the stronger aspects like hatred were completely unknown to him). But then, you labeled the jars as SOULs within, and that was a balm for my soul, heheh <3 That's it ☆
Remember that you did amazing already, so please, don't hesitate to take your time, and take care of yourself ♡