My Friend Over the Phone

Chapter 20

The Apple brothers were quick to spread all of the good news about what had transpired just a few hours ago among the negative one's friends. They were all so happy, remembering how Nightmare always talked about missing his old home, other than the people inside. But despite that, they had questions about the future of their group. Without any more negativity to be spread, Nightmare didn't need them anymore, right? "Does...does that mean we have to go back to our own timelines???" Horror asked the question that was on everyone's minds, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest.

    Having to go 'home' wasn't ideal for any of them. It hurt to even think about such a thing. Killer and Dust's timelines were devoid of any life, the horrid smell of blood being their only company. They had both gotten rid of their human for good, so they were desperate for anyone at the time, good or bad.

    As for Horror, Nightmare, among the others in the group, had been generously giving him canned foods and other non-perishable items to give to his brother and whoever else he could spare food for once a month. If he was banished to his Universe, they would starve again. His body had gotten used to three meals a day, so it was uncertain if he could survive the burning lack of sustenance once more.

    Cross also had it really bad. His timeline was like Killer's and Dust's, except there wasn't even any landscapes to explore. It was completely empty. It resembled Error's Anti-Void, a daunting endless space of white with no walls or ceiling. The 'floor' felt like nothing, but it was still there, holding him up. He shuddered, remembering how lonely and desperate he was for Ink's company, or really anyone's, despite XChara being with him. It would be a little better than before, because they had grown to be good friends with one another, but it would still hurt to be abandoned after all of these exciting, truly wonderful years. Even if he could never get his true family back, it didn't matter to him anymore, because the ones standing next to him, worried over similar things to him, were his family in his sockets. To leave them and never see them again would be hell.

    Home. None of their timelines were home to them anymore. They were prisions, the bars being their choices and fatal mistakes, some of which were far out of their control. Their home was with Nightmare, and each other.

    When Horror asked Nightmare this, he froze. He felt everyone's thoughts and negative emotes hit him like a brick. Did they really think he'd dispose of them as soon as he didn't 'need' them anymore??? Looking at all of the problems in their world straight in the face with his new empathetic eye sockets made him truly resent the creators above for making such miserable worlds.

    "No! Of course not, why would any of you ever think that I could abandon you after all this time?!" They all looked up in surprise, then relief. Although Nightmare was like an uncle to them, and a lover to Cross, they still weren't quite used to the Nightmare who actually cared about them. They had met Nightmare when he was cold and corrupt. The transition from the two sides of Nightmare was so subtle and discreet that none of them had even noticed a difference at all. Even though they all knew that Nightmare wouldn't hit them for not doing their job, or abandon them for being useless to him, and that now he instead thought of them like family, they still expected it. It made them realize how judgemental they really were. Then again, Sanses are meant to be judges, so that means they're still following their programming.

    But all of their spirits were lifted at the salty reassurance of never being abandoned again. Dream was also using his aura on them, trying to lift the mood, despite not liking taking advantage and manipulating others like this. This was meant to be more like a celebration; the signal of the end of one of the biggest wars the Multiverse had suffered through, solved in the most peaceful way there was. And to boot, Dreamtale was no longer in its former state.