Book 2: The First Fallen Human

To Be Dark

Nightmare blinked as he stared through the portal he'd created. "I'm sorry?" He said, confused. And it definitely showed. Horror was trying to frantically tell him something.

"It ATE Gyftrot!! The shape!! It had Scooter's body and face!" He said, his eyes wide. "It was! It was, it was, it was!" Horror kept breaking off into muttering and staring around, like he was expecting to be attacked. "It... it..." He trailed off, his fingers dug deep into both the hole on the side of his head and his empty eyesocket.

Horror was breathing heavily. Then, without warning, Horror ended the call. Nightmare's tentacles pricked in shock. His henchmen knew better than to hang up on him. Either Horror had finally lost it, or this was something extremely serious.

Nightmare stood in the center of the room, pondering the conversation. A red shape with Scooter's appearance had attacked and eaten a monster? Nightmare blinked. You couldn't even eat a monster, it would turn to dust! What-? He scoffed quietly. "Starving bastard's finally lost it." He muttered quietly.

He left the room and moved down the hall to a bedroom, where he'd left Killer. He pushed open the door, seeing the other skeleton laid in the blankets. He already knew what was wrong with Killer. He was traumatized from Scooter. And from the looks of it, so was Horror. That meant, considering if Error had some sort of trauma from ACTUALLY killing Scooter, the only person he'd be left without mental scarring from Scooter was Dust. And Dust was a nut job and a half, himself. Dust had enough mental scars for the whole Underground.

Nightmare couldn't believe it. What he'd seen and sensed from Horror, was pure fear. Nothing he'd ever seen in Horror before. And stars, what about Killer? Nightmare had found him barely alive and halfway through dusting. No wonder he'd been so freaked out earlier. Nightmare sat next to Killer's bed, his tentacles pulling up a chair. He thought quietly to himself.

From what Killer had told him, Dust had referred to Scooter as his friend. And Scooter had communicated directly to the nut job's "dead brother." As if a ghostly Papyrus had actually been floating around Dust's head... What a ridiculous thought... Nightmare's tentacles prickled uneasily.

And what of Error? No doubt he and the AU Guardian would be running around together. Nightmare had noted the shift in their relationship almost immediately. True, they didn't seem to act any different towards each other, but something had definitely changed. Nightmare was sure of it.

Nightmare sat quietly for a bit before deciding he would visit Cross. The homeless skeleton amused him to no end, especially with how squeamish he was. He got up and left a note for Killer, telling him that he had left and would be back.

Nightmare slipped into the floor, emerging silently behind Cross' blade in the AU formerly known as X-Tale. Nightmare grinned. He slipped one of his tentacles around the blade and slipped into the top of Cross' coat, brushing his neck.

There was a girly shriek and Nightmare chuckled as he emerged, pulling his tentacles back behind him. Cross stared at him with wide eyes. "What's the matter? Not happy to see me?" Nightmare rumbled. Cross sputtered for a moment before looking down awkwardly. What??

What in the hell was he supposed to do?! Dream had JUST left! He couldn't get a break from the brothers. His heart was racing. He gulped and blinked. Maybe...? He didn't know if he wanted to know THAT badly, based on Dream's reaction. He jumped as one of Nightmare's tentacles brushed his chin and forced him to look up. "Something on your mind?"

Cross blushed vividly, his bone cheeks glowing red. "I!" He screwed his eyes shut. "Can you answer my question...? Because Dream wouldn't." At the mention of Dream, Nightmare's tentacles slid away. Nightmare tipped his head.

"Depends on the question." He said quietly. Cross blinked and fiddled with his scarf. Nightmare waited patiently as Cross gathered to courage to ask.

"What happens when two SOULS touch?" He blurted, gulping and hoping that he would get an answer. Nightmare paused, his tentacles stopping mid-wave. Cross blinked in shock as a tinge of bright blue appeared on Nightmare's face. Nightmare hummed.

"You are sure you want to know the answer?" The other asked quietly. Cross blinked before furrowing his brow and nodding. Nightmare settled next to him in a crisscross position. Cross turned to face him, confused. Nightmare's tentacles settled on the ground behind him.

Cross blinked as Nightmare gestured for him to take out his SOUL. Cross nodded and held his hand out, the uneven SOUL appearing in his hands. Nightmare revealed his own SOUL, the faint purple glow still evident in the middle of all the black sludge. Nightmare blinked. For a moment, Cross was greeted by something he'd never seen before.

Nightmare actually seemed hesitant. Finally, he nodded and tipped his hand towards Cross. Cross blinked and did the same before the SOULS pressed together.

Cross was jolted into what seemed to be a tunnel of memories. They weren't his. He saw a skeleton with pale ivory bones and purple eyes being beaten and scorned while a familiar golden skeleton tried to help him. It showed the anger which led to the corruption of Nightmare's SOUL. He even saw the first meeting between Nightmare and Scooter, so long ago.

Cross yanked himself out of the tunnel of memories, panting and shaking. His SOUL was still pressed against Nightmare's, who still had his eyes closed. To Cross' shock, the goop on Nightmare's body began to retreat into his SOUL.

Within a second, Cross was facing the skeleton he'd seen in the memories. He was in awe. He jumped as Nightmare opened his eyes and they were a beautiful dark purple. When he spoke, his voice was smooth and soft, not growling and deep. "This is me. I am Nightmare." He said quietly.

Cross stared at him. He reached out with his free hand. He brushed Nightmare's cheek, checking to see if he was real. He accidentally tipped his SOUL closer and both of them blushed. Cross couldn't believe what he was seeing. He reached up and gently leaned Nightmare's head forward before pressing his forehead against the other's. Nightmare was stiff for a moment.

Finally, Cross felt the other relax and they both sat in peaceful silence, their eyes closed.