A Nightmare's Honor

Ancient Enemies

Author's ([Sky]'s) Note: This chapter mentions blood only once (not even in a descriptive way), but I felt the need to warn for that? Anyways, don't be dangerous when high in the air :3

ON WITH THE STORY!!

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{???} ???ERROR??? POV:

A voice cut through loud static, difficult to understand. "...What in Origin's name...crater...offline...crystal...blood..."

The static altered, occasionally overlapping with harsh screeches of broken sound technology. "Ca-...-ear me? S-O-S..."

The temperature began to drop significantly. An explosion sounded, followed by a rise to normal temperature.

[Too many...leave...] a robotic voice spoke, as if to the previous voice. The words were just as choppy and cut-out as the other voice had been.

"S-O-S...missing...explosion...back-up requested..."

[Professor...advise...evacuate...]

Another robotic voice boomed suddenly, overcoming the noise of the static. [UNFAMILIAR LIFE SIGNS DETECTED. BIO-RESULTS: RED STEVE. NAME: UNKNOWN. AGE:-ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ER-] A loud clunk resounded as the robotic voice silenced.

"Cursed machine," the first voice spoke sharply. The static was gone.

[Professor, this area is too dangerous. You must evacuate immediately. I sense Darkness entities nearby-]

"Yes, yes, now hush! I need you to locate the Red Crystal, and make it snappy!"

[The life form sensed by the scanner has energies identical to the Red Crystal.]

"The what has the what, now?!"

[The life form sensed by the scanner has energies identical to the Red Crystal. The scanner identified the life form as a Red Steve, but my sensors have different results. A Darkness entity may have gained control of the Red Crystal.]

"Impossible!! Any Darkness would shrivel away instantly if it came into direct contact with any of the Chromatic Crystals!"

[My sensors have never been wrong previously, Professor. Perhaps the Darkness has grown stronger. A significant amount of your recent research has proved that and gives reason to suggest my hypothesis.]

"We are very, very dead if what you're saying is true."

[Your life signs are normal, Professor, and I am abiotic. I do not understand-]

"It's a figure of speech," the first voice cut off the robotic one sharply.

"Hello, Professor," a new voice spoke. The voice was strange, ever so slightly unnatural in how it sounded. "I've been looking for you~!"

Another explosion sounded, followed by lightning and a sudden drop in temperature.

"You are stalling, Catalyst," yet another voice spoke. "Find the human and KILL HER."

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{M} M/Red Apprentice POV:

After the Yellow Scouts were sent out to gather the Apprentices or other like individuals in charge of their respective kingdoms, all we could do was wait. The Nightmare King had gone onto the balcony, watching the sun rise with an oddly cheerful attitude. Quill had had to stop him a number of times from leaning over the railing too far, and it was a miracle that the Nightmare King hadn't plummeted the many stories down to a painful death.