Aconitum

Nexus

Nightmare preferred to think his life began with his freedom. It hasn't though. His life started with misery. It was only fitting that a god of negativity was drenched in it. Despite the obvious nature of expectations he did not

He always broke his life into parts. Specifically due to that unfortunate part. It was a more positive that way. He might even refer to it as healthy if he was asked. The parts were simple. His time in the village, Dream being stone, him moving on, and living.

During his time in the village he was miserable. Obviously no one wants to feel remorse or pain or anything Nightmare stood for. Not that it was his choice to stand for them. That doesn't mean the villagers didn't treat him badly despite his protests to his purpose.

It wasn't even gradual how they treated him. One day they were civil, the next they openly hated him. The violence was gradual of course but that wasn't happening in his early existence. In his early days the worst he experience was verbal hostility.

That changed, but he didn't notice at first. It started off small. Some child threw a rock at his face. Nightmare didn't even question it in the moment. The children of the village didn't have much in the way of toys so the kids would make toys out of rocks and sticks. He just assumed that he had walked between the kid and some sort of target.

That's what he told Dream when he asked as well. What type of brother wouldn't question a giant bruise? And why would Nightmare lie about what he genuinely thought happened?

Well he would lie, a few weeks later when he experienced real danger. He was off to the villages library when he was interduced to the first person to openly be violent to him.

He went home without any books and with a broken nose that day. When Dream asked he said he tripped. Nightmare was convinced that if he told Dream he'd destroy his brothers  optimism. (In reality that was another lie, except this time to himself. He deep down knew that Dream would not believe him.)

Nightmare lived in the village for what mortals would consider a long time. It was long enough that the people of the village had grown old and weary and their children took over the older generations beliefs. Including those regarding Nightmare.

Doesn't it make sense that he snapped?

Nightmare didn't plan on killing any villagers, quite the opposite actually. When he grabbed one of the golden apples he intended to die. When he was made he understood that if he ate one of Dreams apples he'd die. The same went for Dream.

There was no appreciation for his existence, so he felt no need to continue it. Why exist for people who had no wish for you to do so? So yes, he was trying to die. While he didn't feel he had earned it, he wanted to die happy.

It was selfish, but he wanted his last moment to be a good one.

When the golden apples turned black like they were rotten Nightmare felt like the universe's cruel knife had been turned on him. He was already to far though. When Dream eventually got back to the tree he would hate Nightmare. He had ruined his brothers apples, the one reason the villagers adored him.

So Nightmare bit the apple despite how unappealing the idea seemed. Death would come either way. This way was more fair. He'd die as he lived, miserable.

And it certainly hurt.

Nightmare didn't die despite the pain though. His back was ripped open and he gained new limbs but he lived. He didn't feel the same, he didn't feel weak. Not anymore.

Is it such a surprise he killed the people who made a culture out of hating him?

After Nightmare had wiped the village off the map Dream confronted him. There were tears are shouting, but it was clear Dream didn't know who Nightmare was and in the moment that pissed him off.

He didn't know Dream would turn to stone when he grabbed him. Just like how Nightmare didn't know how bad his actions hurt himself. When he saw his brother turn into stone the wave of pain finally caught up to him.

The weight of what he did caught up with him, and it would be lying if he said he didn't cry. That he wasn't afraid, that he wasn't full of regret and despair. Maybe that desperation to get away is what made him teleport for the first time.

The place Nightmare ended up was cold and empty. He looked like a mess and nothing like himself. He didn't feel  like himself. Despite his (self brought) loss though, he felt free.

----

Geeze I could not figure out the pacing for this chapter. Forgive me please, first chapters are my kryptonite.

Also this is meant to be written like Nightmares going over the events in his head and blocking out some stuff (like Dreams concern). Similar to how Olenader is tinted by whoever is the main character is that chapter.

What can I say, I love propaganda. >:3