The world was a black void. Sounds and sights began swirling around eerily; his mind couldn't figure where he was. Then, like the rush of a waterfall, he was thrust into a solid world, a world at war.

He raced around the translucent corridors, wondering where the cacophony of shrieks and clanging came from.

The battle found him first. The hallway had suddenly opened up into a great hallway crammed with faceless soldiers shredding each other with swords. They all looked the same, except that some had vaguely pointed ears.

Adding to the bloody din, thunder roared in some distant place. One of the ghostly soldiers fell by the window, letting him see the raging waves in the bay far below.

As soon as the battle had started, all sound clicked off, as if one of the unknown warriors had rendered him deaf.

He closed his eyes, thinking he had actually died. In some forgotten time, he heard someone talking to him; a woman's voice it seemed to be.

"Stay," she kept repeating.

"Who are you!?" he demanded, hoping the voice would show itself.

"It's alright; Nana's here," the voice anwered.

"MOTHER!?!?" he shrieked, eyes flying open.

He suddenly realized he was no longer at the gory pavilion, but instead in a warm, cozy room littered with toys, clothes, and overturned blankets. Before him stood what appeared to be a water spirit with its vague features and flowing blue robes.

"Who are you?" he whispered in shock.

"Ask your brother," the woman's voice said softly.

"Brother? Wait—Elros, what are you doing here?"

His brother shrugged his shoulders. Apparently, his twin was as dazed as he was.

The feminine figure floated out a window that suddenly appeared, and the world swirled back into darkness.

Elrond bolted out of bed drenched in cold sweat. "Ros! Elros, get up!" he called.

"Ron?! Oh, wait, it's you," Elros groaned, staring right into his brother's eyes.

"What just happened?" Elrond squeaked.

"Dunno! I had the scariest dream—and you were there!"

Elrond cocked his head, trying to logically sort things out. "I had the scariest dream too, and you were there!"

"How? We can't dream the same thing at the same time—right?" Elros panted.

"One way to find out," his brother shrugged, "whatcha dream about?"

"Some big palace in the middle of a battle, and then a lady kept talkin' to us," said Elros.

"Same as me!" Elrond gasped.

The boys heard a rap on the door.

"Twins? Are you alright? I heard you down the hall!" Maglor shouted from without.

Since the children didn't answer, Maglor softly opened the door.

He found the twins huddled together whispering between themselves.

"I heard shouting," Maglor whispered kindly and sat on the edge of the bed.

"We had a dream," Elros peeked out from under the blanket.

"The same one at the same time," Elrond added.

"And our Nana was there," both finished.

Maglor tried to pretend his mind wasn't reeling.
"I—I'm sure it's nothing. I really don't know much about dreams. I'm a deep sleeper. Your Nana—well, I can't explain that." He wanted to add, "Wait, you remember her?" but this was not the kind of flame he wanted to fan.

"But we've never had that dream before. . ." Elrond sighed.

"Exactly," Maglor murmured to himself.

"Why now? Why both of us?" Elros crawled out and tugged the sleeve of his father's nightshirt.

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe it's time I made the history lessons less detailed?" Maglor suggested to himself.

"How bout none? It's summer in two days," Elrond shrugged.

"Not yet. You two need something to keep you sharp besides riding Snowborn every day," smiled their inwardly desperate foster-father.

"Like what?"  asked the boys.

Maglor blew out a sigh. "Start with a decent rest. We'll talk about the dreams tomorrow." He winked and added, "Probably going to talk about that pause in lessons too."

The children nodded eagerly, wriggling back under the sheets. Maglor stood up and watched them get comfortable. Love poured out of his ironically icy eyes, but full knowledge of the past kept him from holding his boys and tale-telling them back to sleep. "May Irmo guard your dreams," he half-smiled. He hurried out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Maglor's heart was racing faster than his feet. He scrambled through hallways and up flights of stairs until he reached the master wing of the palace, the only remaining evidence that his older brother was a crown prince.

Maedhros's door always remained ajar. Maglor inched it open just a bit more and slid in.

"Neylo," he said to the mound of copper hair and moth-eaten linen.

"OUT, FIEND!!" his brother jumped up with a shriek.

"Put down the dagger, Maitimo; it's me!" Maglor flattened himself against the wall.

"Great Mandos, I could have killed you," Maedhros growled, running his one hand through his tousled red strands.

"We need to talk about nightmares," his younger brother sighed.

"You've known about the dagger under the pillow for centuries. It really can't get worse," Maedhros smirked with no emotion.

"Not you. I  mean the twins."

"Almost-ten-year-olds don't have nightmares. Especially the kind that require consulting an emotional wreck," Maedhros scoffed.

"Neylo," Maglor looked his brother squarely in his tired green eyes.

"Oh no, I smell one of Ami's lectures coming!" sneered the redhead.

"About a month ago, you admitted to letting the boys tag along with you for sword practice. Correct?"

"Yes? They loved it—begged me to teach them, even. You know very well why I don't and won't teach them," Maedhros crossed his arms.

"But they could see you," Maglor looked out the room's window in thought.

"Kano, I'm not a dunce; they aren't blind. What on Arda are you getting at?"

"It's not a coincidence. I think—no, it can't be that! It mustn't be that!" Maglor groaned.

"Spit it out, little brother," Maedhros arched an eyebrow.

"I think watching you practice unlocked a new hall in their mind palace," Maglor murmured.

"You're overreacting."

"They dreamt the same dream at the same time—don't you get it?!" Maglor suddenly shouted. "If their dreams keep getting more detailed—if their connection somehow deepens—if it stems from their Maia ancestry—"

"Kano, calm down, you're ranting," Maedhros warned.

"I COULD LOSE THEM!"

Maglor staggered back against the wall, panting and swirling with emotions. He calmed down a bit and whispered, "We could lose them. . ."

"I'll do whatever you think is best. You're a worried father and I'm a proud uncle, " Maedhros got up and reassuringly shook his brother by the shoulder.

"But I don't know what to think," Maglor admitted with his brow knitted in frustration.

"Just a spoonful of ANGST helps the chapter go down!" Hope you like this bittersweet feels trip. You know what? I'm gonna coin a term like the greats did: Tangy Fic! Get it? Because it combines sweet (fluff) and angst (bitter/sour). But in all seriousness now, comment what you think!