Nightmare Fuel (Tales of Dawn)

Nightmare Fuel is the sixteenth episode overall in Tales of Dawn and the fourth episode of Season 3. In this episode, Sariel creates a serum that causes unrelenting nightmares to even gods. However, after an argument with Esa on who in the royal family to use it on, Pallas accidentally drank it. Now the young goddess is having a gain of nightmares and dark powers. Will her family find a cure?

Characters

 * Dawn
 * Leon
 * Pallas
 * Sariel
 * Esa
 * Triton
 * Savantia

Plot
The episode started off in Esa and Sariel's hideout, the former reading casually in a chair. All of a sudden, an explosion was heard from a connected room before Sariel, looking victorious as he held up an ebony-black liquid while covered in soot. Esa asked him in shock what he was doing, to which he explained that the liquid was a serum that he personally called nightmare fuel. He explained that this complicated concoction could cause nightmares to anyone, even immortals. Asking her if she wanted to try, she sarcastically remarked, "I'm already living a nightmare." He then introduced the antidote to it, claiming the best way they could get their lovers back was by blackmailing them with the cure, adding that the nightmare fuel would cause its victim's dreams to become unbearable to the point where they would do anything to get the cure.

Later on, they snuck up on Dawn, Savantia, and Pallas having a few lessons, a few drinks nearby for when they were thirsty. Sariel poured some of the potion into one of the drinks, which was blackberry juice, so its presence would not be identified by its color and cause suspicion. Esa immediately said that he should not put the potion in just any drink and that he should have put some in the queen's drink. Sariel looked confused and thought they would use it on Dawn, resulting in Esa nearly strangling him for wanting to do such a thing to her daughter.

However, as they continued silently fighting, they failed to notice the unfortunate Pallas taking the poisoned drink and downing it. When they finally saw her, Esa turned horrified, Sariel keeping her from screaming as they escaped.

Later on that night, Pallas admitted to her mother that ever since training ended, she felt strange. Savantia assured her a good night's sleep might take away whatever it was, and with that, the princess fell asleep. However, she began experiencing a nightmare based on what happened in the wasteland with Dawn and Leon, only with Triton and Savantia never showing up and allowing the ghosts to take them away, wanting their revenge. Before it could continue, Pallas woke up screaming, Triton bursting in with his trident in hand as he thought Sariel came in to hurt his daughter. When he saw that she only had a nightmare, he felt relief yet sympathy, soothing her and saying that what happened in the dream did not happen and let her go back to sleep.

However, Pallas kept on having nightmares each time she went to sleep at night until she finally decided to stay awake until morning. Everyone was quick to note her fatigue, the young goddess admitting that she had nightmares each time she went to sleep. Becoming concerned, Savantia suggested that they see a doctor. When they discovered that she drank nightmare fuel and what it did to her, they immediately placed blame on Sariel, who immediately appeared and said that he would only give them the cure if they gave him Savantia.

Leon decided that he and the parents find out the cure's formula themselves, while Dawn was given the duty to watch over Pallas. Unfortunately, while Pallas was having a nightmare, she discovered a side effect to the potion: it caused her to unleash dark powers in her sleep, inducing pain on whoever was nearby. In order to prevent her from hurting Dawn, she sang to Pallas while she slept, her nightmares only decreasing a little.

The family soon came up fruitless with a cure, wondering what to do to get the cure from Sariel. While Pallas was alone in her room when Dawn left to discuss with her family what to do, someone snuck into the young girl's room and dropped a small vial off. When the princess discovered it after waking up from another nightmare, she noticed a note attached to it, saying, "Here's your cure. Let this be our little secret.- E" Realizing who it was, Pallas hesitantly drank it before lying back down, her dark powers and nightmares vanishing.

Dawn was the first to discover Pallas doing better, the princess deciding not to show her the note, not wanting to ruin her growing trust with 'E' despite feeling awful about her dishonesty. However, she did say that someone left her the cure. Confused on who would give it to her but dismissing it, Dawn and the family were relieved that Pallas was doing well.

Meanwhile, Esa was seen sneaking into the hideout, staying cautious as to not alert Sariel. However, the merman caught her, showing her a half-full bottle of the cure. He asked her irately if she knew where the other half of it was, Esa looking at him in dread as he already knew the answer.

Trivia
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