Wait... I'm Nightmare!? I Thought I Died!?

•Chapter 18•

Hehehehehe

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Year 1

The 4 skeletons in your gang have come accustomed to sparring with each other now and then. After a few months of knowing each other, they have warmed up a bit to each other and some playful fights have broken out in the castle, causing broken furniture and some holes in walls. Which you have to scold the 4 for (Mostly Killer though, it seems that he's the main trouble maker).

Error would be in the castle from time to time, sometimes trying to figure out why you couldn't fight for so long which also rings the confusion of the gangs when they see you not joining them every time they go out on an expedition, the stars have been getting confused and suspicious too. Every month, you have been going to Haventale to expose your soul to slow the process down but you can still see some change, it seems that every year (beginning from this one) one of your soul shards would turn an unhealthy gray with black spots. Right now, you have 4 left. You hope that it would sustain you until Dream awakens, you don't want to be on a rampage and destroy everything you worked for.

You're also starting to get irritated a little more easily but you don't act on it.

You visit Ccino a bit more times and it seems that Ccino had taken a liking to Melon and said that his work load had become a little easier to manage now that Melon was helping him. He was also a bit more happier. It seemed that Ccino took your suggestion of getting a therapist for his depression. There was only so much you could do to keep his negative feelings away. As well as it seemed that Melon was helping Ccino in the process as well which made you happy.

You thought about the changes in the multiverse than the original. You remembered that Killer from the original multiverse had his emotions sealed away since his feelings were too much for him and he didn't like them, and Dust was more quiet, hostile, and reserved. Axe went with you almost immediately, believing you basically on a whim where you're pretty sure it took a bit longer for Nightmare from the original universe to recruit him.

Blue confronted you, spotting you once, out of sight of the battlefield. He asked if you were ok. Real nice, really. But you didn't talk to him. Just simply nodded and left.

Year 2

You found yourself getting snappy a bit more often. You talk with Ccino again and he lightens up your mood along with Melon. You really hope that you can last out until Dream gets free. To be truthful, you are scared.

You keep filling out your diaries as usual, too.

Some playful fights and banters have now come out between the 4 in your gang. They are like siblings, fighting over everything. The gang is a bit brighter, too, usually they'd be awkward around each other and just not talk but automatically, they just melded together after a bit of time.

They're a good bunch.

Year 3

Getting closer and closer to the deadline, the time makes you more nervous than ever. And your exhausted, taking out your soul in haventale, constantly not trying to use magic, you have gotten weak. You've been starving yourself of most negativity since the corruption thrived off of it, even the small things now exhausted you now.

Even though starving for magic, for negativity, that was around you constantly in your realm, you kept on stopping yourself from taking it in.

Nightmare was worried, even though Corrupt wouldn't show it, he too was worried.

They saw the effects, what you were trying to do to not go berserk. It was self-destructing.

And because of that, you slept more, also cooping yourself up in your study to do paperwork and other things.

You almost had an outburst too but were able to keep yourself calm. You were starting to get more mean, stoic, dark, even. But you still tried to act like your usual self. That worked, mostly.

Instead off the goop being as sludgy as usual, due to the magic helping you keep most shape, it became a little more runny and harder to keep under control. No one knew yet, so you think that you could keep going for 2 more years.

You.. can do it.

You beleive in yourself.

Year 4, 11 months

1 month left

You fret a lot and now barely see your gang unless to open a portal for them for a new mission.

Nightmare proposed to bringing Dream to the castle but you turned him down. There was negativity, fatal to Dream and this was your realm, so it was full of negativity. You couldn't.

2 months before the 5th year, you left Error to do the missions as you just holed yourself in your room.

1 month before Dream goes free, you're panicking. The gang had caught on that something was wrong, they were at the door right now.
Error was in the Anti-void right now, unaware of everything for now.

You were surprised that they hadn't caught onto you earlier, but then again, sort of relieved they didn't.

You heard knocking on the door, you were in the passive form, not even wanting to turn corrupt, you had 1/4th of the soul shards left before going berserk.

As it was slowly corrupting, you were panicking, Nightmare and Corrupt by you, trying to calm you down while madness was seeping into your mind, slowly but surely, as well as anger, a lot of anger. You didn't want it to end like this, you didn't! You tried so hard!-

"Boss?! Boss! We know you're in there! You've been in there for months! Why!?" Spoke Cross, worriedly, "It's time to get out, what is wrong!?"

"Nothing!" You bark out hoarsely, still panicking.

The corruption was spreading fast. 1/5th now left, come on, come on! Just 30 more days soul shard! Come on!

"Chara! Please check what's wrong!"

"Boss, what's happening!?" Spoke Killer, Axe and Murder posing the same question.

"Oow! Shit!" You heard Chara curse, "Cross there's some kind of barrier!"

"Fine," Cross growls, "Sorry boss, but I'm breaking in!" You heard te wood of the door creaking and splintering as every thud shook it. 1/8th now.

You had no choice.

"EVERYONE RUN," you yell out, causing the thumps to come to a short stop.

"..What!?"

"YOU DOLT," you shout, "I ORDER YOU TO RUN NOW! CALL ON ERROR, HE'LL BE ABLE TO HOLD IT BACK!"

"What do you mean!? Hold back what!?" You hear Cross's frantic voice.

"I GAVE YOU AN ORDER!" You roared and you hear scrambling on the other side.

As your mind was going blank, you wrote a note.

When the stone statue in Dreamtale awakens, Dream, bring him here, he'll know what to do. If he is already awake, he'll be bright and positive, like gold.