||Bleeding || Underverse Fanfic||

Chapter 3

Stood before Ink was the apple tree; one half was a sickly, dark violet growing the sooty black fruit and the other side had a sparkly and warm hue to it; growing crisp and golden apples which fell onto feathery tufts of grass holding the tree's roots in place. This was the tree that Nightmare and Dream protected. Ink's left eye socket glittered a dark red whilst the other glowed in a vibrant orange. He must find a way to destroy it. The artist knew that nobody would expect this from him; they'd never suspect a protector to destroy something, hell, even for himself, this was so out of place it was unbelievable, but he must do it. Ink swirled his hand and summoned a cloud of ink, he continued whirling the ooze around until the splatter grew larger. The artist walked wistfully towards the tree. With his magic swirl of black ink, he pressed his gloved hand against a bulging root. Much like a wildfire, it spread, leaking into the earth and tinting all of the other roots the sickly black colour. Ink felt his mouth twitch into a macabre grin.

"Ink! What are you doing here?" A voice hissed.

The 'protector' whipped around and saw a tall, black figure creep out from the shadows. Nightmare. The dark skeleton which was in charge of the darker side of the apple tree, also, a close ally to Error. The oozing being approached with a somewhat calm glimmer of rage in his one eye. Ink guessed he had seen everything. But he kept his cool.

"Nightmare," he murmured, "I was just checking on Dream."

 "Don't play dumb on me!" Snarled the dripping skeleton, his tentacles began lashing fiercely, "I saw you. What are you doing by the Tree of Feelings? What did you do to it?"

Ink narrowed his scarlet glare, "nothing." he growled bleakly. 

The taller sans suddenly lunged forward. There was a flash of movement, and he had the artist tight in his tentacles. Ink lashed beneath the tar-like liquid, but there was no luck, he was stuck.

"Tell me." Nightmare demanded.

When the protector didn't reply, his grip tightened until Ink was sure his rib cage was going to shatter. The pain throbbed and leaked through his whole body. Finally, someone came to his silent calls for help.

"Nightmare! Let go of him!" Dream called as he approached. 

Surprisingly, the evil skeleton listened to his brother's orders and slammed Ink against the floor, whipping his tentacles back into place with Ink's black blood dappling a few of them. 

Ink easily revived himself and was soon on his feet.

"What were you doing to him?!" Dream snapped, before turning to face Ink, "and what are you doing here?" 

"Ink claims he came here to visit you. But I saw him, he put something into the roots of the Tree of Feelings. Look at it." Nightmare growled.

He gestured to the apple tree's roots. Ink smirked, it was taking effect. The roots were sickly and lined with a taint of black, it was slowly reaching up the branches and was soon to take over the whole tree, killing it. Dream gasped. 

"What's happening to it?" he breathed.

The bright skeleton drew his hand against the trunk, concern lined in his breaths. 

"I told you! Ink's poisoning it!" Nightmare lashed out, once again, grabbing Ink with his tentacles. The artist gritted his teeth. 

"No, Ink wouldn't do that... Would you." Dream turned to look at Ink. 

The broken skeleton didn't meet his gaze, digging his face deep into his scarf with his eyes still on the tree's roots,

"No." he whispered simply.

"Liar!" Nightmare boomed, his grip tightened fiercely once again and the breath was dragged out from Ink's body.