Crystalla

Ruby climbed out onto the side of the once vertical building, she gave Ariel a hand to climb outside. They both marvelled at the building, which from their perspective was stood horizontally.

"We should move before they alter the dream again" Ruby said, as she grabbed Ariel's hand and started running down the side of the building. They darted towards the road which stood vertical at the foot of the building.

"I think I'm getting vertigo..." Ariel laughed nervously as they ran as fast as they could towards the road. A sudden shift knocked them both off of their feet as the world began rotating once more, but not in the anticipated direction...

The world seemed to turn upside down, and both Ruby and Ariel lost their footing and began sliding towards the sky.

"Oh shit!" Ariel yelled as she grabbed Ruby's hand, the two fell at an incredible pace as the blue abyss awaited them below. Ruby looked at Ariel and sighed.

"If this is it... thank you, for being my friend" Ruby forced a smile. Ariel nodded back and smiled.

"It was an honour being a friend to a dragon" Ariel replied, as the two flew from the edge of the building, into the sky below them, the fell for several hundred feet, before a swirling portal appeared directly beneath them.

As they fell through the portal, a glyph incantation was cast upon them to slow their speed in mere seconds, they landed on the floor in what appeared to be a mimicry of the Council Chambers, which they no doubt were still laid in, in the real world.

"Found you two just in time" Brannam sighed with relief.

Ruby stared at the ceiling in disbelief, as she saw a hand reach out for her, she grabbed the hand and stood up, to see Syl.

"You're aware too?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, no dream can fool me" Syl smiled.

"Well, it's interesting you say that" Brannam began, as Syl helped Ariel to her feet. "According to what I can gather, people are starting to reject the dream, slowly but surely, the citizens of the world are rejecting this perfect world that has been created for them" She continued.

"That makes sense" Ariel nodded, and shrugged. "A perfect world doesn't exist, only perfect moments. Everything we love, and cherish, is ultimately, fleeting. The bonds we create are strong, because they are what strengthen us in times of strife. If there is no strife, bonds wilt. A perfect world, a Utopia will always be doomed to fail, to devolve into a Dystopia, the two concepts exist beside each other, not apart. The sentient brain will always reject true perfect, as it is an alien concept, that has no place in the real world" Ariel explained.

"Yeah, what she said" Ruby nodded. Syl chuckled and ruffled Ruby's hair.

"Hubun Ruby is almost as cute as Dragonet Ruby" Syl teased. Ruby folded her arms and raised her eyebrow at Syl.

"Ariel is right" Brannam nodded. "The lack of perfection in the real world is what makes dreams special. Even dreams have imperfections, but having hopes and aspirations are character building qualities. A perfect world has no space for such concepts" She replied. Ruby pondered for a moment.

"Is Mum, I mean... Roisin aware yet?" Ruby asked. Brannam closed her eyes in concentration, before shortly opening them once more and sighing.

"Roisin is still deep in the dream, which is strange, given her personal strength, I would have expected her to become aware before even Ariel" Brannam explained.

"I know why" Ruby frowned. Brannam and Syl raised their eyebrows, but Ariel nodded.

"Roisin has been through a lot. Spending time here in this dream world is a welcome break for her, I imagine" Ariel thought for a second.

"But it's dangerous, the more she becomes attached to Jasmine, her dream daughter, the harder it will be to break her out of the dream" Ruby nodded.

"She has you, Ruby" Syl said, as he knelt down to Ruby.

"I'm just a dragon, though" Ruby gazed at the paved floor. Syl shook his head and put his hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"You are so much more to her than any of us. You are her real daughter, it doesn't matter to her if you are Dragon, Human, Hubun or Elvman, you are Ruby Luna, you are her daughter, and she loves you" Syl explained. Ruby looked at Syl and wiped away a tear.

"Do you really think so?" Ruby asked, in a hopeful tone.

"I know so, Ruby" Syl smiled.