Showtime (A Sanscest Story)

The Static Void

Cross could see the first of the black liquid poke through the top seam of the tent flaps and stream down the thick wall. It was like a line of pure darkness opening up against yellowed ivory. The moment it touched the ground, there was a sizzling noise that drowned out all the others and Cross watched as a circle of grey spread from the contact, consuming the floor and climbing the walls of the tent. It didn't seem to be liquid, more like a shadow that was being cast all around him. He could see faint pixels at the corners of it as it grew, climbing over everyone around him. It swallowed Reaper and Geno first, both freezing in place and drained of color. It continued to the others and Cross felt his heart leap to his throat as it approached him and he squeezed his sockets shut.

He felt nothing. Well, "nothing" wasn't exactly correct. Physically. Physically, he felt nothing. Internally. Internally, it felt like he was being compacted into a tight little ball, his soul screaming out in a way he couldn't get himself to vocalize. Unable to stand any longer, he collapsed to his knees, his jaws parted and gasping for breath. The very air felt like he was choking down smoke and he could occasionally pick out what was surrounding him. Grief. Anger. Regret. It was all boiled up into one toxic vapor that threatened to kill him where he kneeled. He managed to lift his head as he heard sizzling. Through teary eyes, he watched as the thin black line that escaped inside the tent started to stretch out across the ground towards him.

It was a clear, straight line, nothing breaking off of it or streaming away. It stopped in front of him, a puddle of darkness beginning to appear. Cross wasn't sure how much longer he could take it and his sockets were starting to fall. A silhouette was in front of him and he vaguely recognized it, the shape bringing a sort of twisted comfort to his dying state. Right before he was about to drop, there was the sound of a snap. He air around him suddenly cleared and Cross nearly fell on his side, dragging in breath. He had to lay there for a few moments to recover, his soul still rattling his ribcage. He finally managed to look up. The shape lowered its fingers, its hand falling to rest at its side. The... the shape was familiar, but what laid within it was not. "...Ringmaster?" Cross' voice was strangled and uncertain. It seemed like Nightmare, yet at the same time, it felt so different.

The shape in front of him looked like it had been cut from reality with only one bright cyan glow where its head was, the color seeming ti resemble an eyesocket. The tentacles behind the shape were twisted and gnarled like the branches of a tree, all ending in sharpened points. Cross pushed himself up, his body shaking as he reached out to the shape with trembling fingers. Immediately, the shape moved backwards. It didn't seem to take any steps, dimpling gliding back away from him. Cross faltered as he stared at it. He forced himself to look away from it and allowed his gaze to move around the tent. Everyone was frozen, Killer holding a frantic-looking Dream against his chest, the other's tentacles curled tight around Killer.

Cross turned his head back to the shape. It seemed to be staring at Dream too before the majority of the glow settled back on Cross. Cross gulped before speaking again. "Nightmare?" Though nothing seemed to change outright, Cross could feel that gaze sharpen on him. He didn't dare look away, pushing himself to his feet. "Nightmare. What are you doing?" He didn't expect an answer to his question, but he also didn't expect to see the other's silhouette flicker. The edges of Nightmare's form almost seemed to pixelate and Cross reached out again, Nightmare once again gliding backwards from him. "What's happening to you?" He couldn't stop the pained and frightened tone that crept into his voice. He stepped forward and Nightmare moved back again. "Nightmare, please... Please just let me-"

His words died in his throat along with his breathing as all the crushing atmosphere seemed to come rushing back in, dropping him to his knees once more. Do you know what this is? What you're feeling right now? Nightmare's voice was cold and it pained Cross more than the air that seemed to be sucking the very life from his soul. He managed to shake his head. He didn't want Nightmare to sound like that. He didn't want him to sound like when they'd first met. This is negativity, Cross. This is what I am. Nightmare's voice seemed to soften as he glided around the side of Cross, continuing his unblinking stare. Cross let out a choking noise, tears running down his face. Nightmare rose his hand and snapped his fingers again. The crushing sensation left across once again and he dragged in fresh breaths of air. Nightmare watched him for a few more moments before turning away.

"N-Night..." Cross barely managed to whimper and the other paused, his edges pixelating once again as he looked back at him. "W-We can still-"

We cannot fix this. Nightmare's tone was curt and it made Cross flinch. Nightmare was heard sighing before he spoke in a softer tone. The one that Cross was much more used to hearing directed at him. Let me rephrase. You cannot fix this. Nightmare turned away again, heading towards the Ring. Cross quickly pushed himself to his feet, stumbling after him. He passed Error and Ink, both frozen and open-mouthed. Nightmare entered the Ring and, even in the greyed state reality seemed trapped in, the lines still lit up. They were black. Nightmare approached the stump in the center, the pixelating around his edges only seeming to become worse.

The stump had remained unaffected, even through the dissolving of the rose that had once stood upon it. "What are you doing?? Nightmare, why won't you answer me??" Cross' voice was shaking as he watched him. That cyan eye seemed to close and Nightmare was heard letting out a heavy sigh before the eye opened again. He turned to Cross. "This is your Circus, right? Y-You worked so hard for it. Did unspeakable things for it. Why are you doing this??" Cross' tone was dipping in futile desperation and more tears escaped down his face from his socket. "You can just stop this. You can stop this and we can figure out something! Please!" He flinched as Nightmare slammed a fist down onto the top of the stump, it cracking. The cracking was accompanied with a fizzling noise and Nightmare's shape seemed to bristle.

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! His voice roared in Cross' head and he squeezed his eyes shut. Nightmare pulled his fist from the tree, his arm seeming to shake. He moved around and started to approach Cross. Cross opened his eyes and winced backwards. He hadn't felt the need to run from Nightmare in a while and it scared him. He couldn't feel anything from Nightmare. He couldn't feel anger or sadness or anything and it scared him. He squeezed his sockets shut as he heard Nightmare stop in front of him. Suddenly, he felt hands cupping his cheeks. His eyes opened and Nightmare's thumbs wiped away Cross' tears. The other was reforming from the black liquid until Nightmare himself was standing in front of Cross like he would any other day, all of his features returned.

Nightmare gave a heavy sigh, Cross' hands shakily moving up to cup the ones on his cheeks. "Cross." Nightmare spoke in a quiet tone. "I was under the impression... that if I couldn't have this Circus, no one could. But taking a life... is not as easy for me as it used to be." He glanced over at the tent flaps, his tentacles lowering. Cross could almost hear the faint jingling of belt buckles, but he forced the pain in his throat down, trying to focus on Nightmare once more. "I can only assume that it is you who brought this change upon me. I have never had anyone change me. Not even him." He glanced over at Dream, who was still frozen. "I thought I had it all until you came into my life, but you know what I realized?"

Cross stared at him weakly, shaking his head. Nightmare stroked his thumbs over his cheeks once more, that cyan eye filled with tired warmth. "I didn't have anything I wanted. Nothing here would fulfill me. With you, I felt like I had something." Cross teared up and trembled as Nightmare leaned forward, pressing their teeth together gently. "That's why I have to fix this." He whispered, pressing their foreheads together. Cross blinked before asking if they could go back to how they were in a weak voice. Nightmare stared at him quietly before sighing. "What you feel around you now. The very thing I am barring from you is what I am. The negativity that rots me to my core and will taint you every moment you spend with me, as it's tainted everyone else." He slowly pulled his hands from Cross, moving backwards. Cross said his name in a desperate voice and Nightmare shook his head, returning to that featureless silhouette.

I cannot allow that. Cross knew that tone and it sent chills down his spine as he said Nightmare's name again. He started to go after him but that crushing air swept back in and dropped him to his knees. He watched through tearful eyes as Nightmare moved to the cracked stump, placing his hands on it. The fizzling noise from the stump was no longer a mystery as he saw pixels climbing Nightmare's arms. He let out a raspy scream of Nightmare's name, hunched over. Nightmare's eye seemed to soften and there was warmth as he spoke. I love you, Cross. The fact that I am even able to utter those words astounds me.

Cross tried to crawl towards him on his knees as Nightmare's entire body was consumed in pixels, buzzing and crackling. The world around them suddenly began to splinter, showing numbers and letters moving in rigid lines beneath. Nightmare flickered back to himself for a moment and gave Cross a small dip of his head as the pixels started to consume the edges of his vision.

"Cross."

There was a pause and nothing but the fizzling of pixels for a moment. Nightmare's voice was choked.

"Thank you for your time."