Dreamtale Oneshots

Loyalty

Brush your teeth before you cross the road

accomplice - a person who helps another commit a crime

Nightmare hadn't left Dream. Instead, he'd repeatedly switched from sitting beside his brother to looming over him with his arms outstretched as if he was going to strangle the sleeping guardian. He'd convinced himself that he wanted to do this- he wanted to kill his brother. The only reason he couldn't do it was because Dream absorbed the last golden apple and he couldn't risk harming it with killing his brother. 

He wanted to kill Dream.

He wanted to.

Nightmare growled lowly, flicking the few tentacles that had erupted from his back during their battle angrily like an annoyed cat. He didn't really need the apple. He was already incredibly powerful- the only thing the last apple could grant was immortality. He wanted to kill Dream. He could kill Dream. He will kill Dream.

Nightmare paused his frantic pacing that he'd started, glowering down at Dream and aiming the pointed tentacles down at the sleeping guardian.

"Nightmare?"

Nightmare snarled, turning around to face whoever had called out his name. Ink stood there, staring at him with a look of confusion and fear.

"Night, what are you doing?" He asked, trembling and taking a few steps back.

Nightmare eyed him. He never liked Ink. There's something sinister about the artist- he knows there is and now it was more prominent than ever.

"What are you doing here?" Nightmare barked, grabbing Ink with one of his tentacles and yanking him forwards.

The artist stumbled slightly and winced, surprised with the sudden aggression. He narrowed his eyes that were rapidly changing shapes and grinned somewhat.

"Something didn't seem right in your universe, I needed to make sure everything was alright." Ink answered slowly. "Clearly everything is not alright, though."

Nightmare glared fiercely at Ink, tightening his grip on the artist. Ink seethed quietly in pain and momentarily glanced over at Dream.

"Stay out of this." Nightmare hissed, gathering up some strength before throwing the artist down the hill he stood upon. He rolled his eye in exasperation before turning around again.

"I don't think I will."

Nightmare screeched in surprise as he came face to face with Ink. Hadn't he just tossed him aside?

"What the hell?" Nightmare mumbled. His eye twitched at the sight of the artist before him. Ink simply smiled and laughed softly. He turned away from Nightmare, completely ignoring him and stepped over towards Dream.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nightmare yelled, watching the other however making no move to stop him.

Ink hummed, glimpsing at Nightmare for a second. 

"Well, I can't let you kill Dream so soon. That wouldn't be any fun." He chuckled, scooping Dream up and carrying him in his arms. "Adios, Night!" 

"Wait-" Nightmare started however was abruptly cut off by a familiar humming sound and Ink jumping through a freshly painted portal. 

"Oh, you can have this." Ink suddenly said, emerging from the portal and pushing Error out onto the dampened grass before leaving again. Nightmare scowled and grumbled something distasteful under his breath. A small groan caught his attention and Nightmare switched his focus onto the glitchy skeleton that laid sprawled out on the ground tangled in his own blue strings.

"How?"

"Ink did it." Error hissed, fidgeting and trying to break free. He'd managed to snap a few of the strings but some of them he couldn't reach and it was driving him insane.

"He's the reason for all of this mess- me and Dream would probably have been able to prevent all of this if that stupid artist hadn't interfered!" 

Nightmare twitched. Ink did this? Well it didn't matter, he has more power than ever imaginable- he can easily take care of him. He should be grateful for the artist. Nightmare grinned toothily, trudging over towards Error and cutting all of the strings with a single flick of a tentacle. Error sat up and rubbed his aching arms while the 'ERROR' signs around him spasmed before settling down.

"I'm really sorry I wasn't able to stop this." Error sighed, gesturing towards Nightmare's new form. Nightmare raised a non-existent eyebrow and shrugged, smiling widely.

"Oh it's fine- I'm stronger than ever now. I'll show all of those villagers what they've done to me and make their lives a living nightmare."

Error frowned. This probably wasn't good.

"Maybe we should focus on tracking down Ink and getting answers out of him." He suggested, voice shifting from a high to a low pitch on each syllable. Nightmare still found it humorous. 

"I don't care about that." Nightmare declared, folding his arms and eying the other skeleton.

Error narrowed his mismatched eyes and copied the other's movement, folding his arms.

"But he's ruined your life- he's ruined Dream's life."

"I don't care."

Error glowered though didn't say anything more.

"I don't want to kill you." Nightmare decided. "You will be my accomplice."

Error stuffed his hands in his pockets, switching his line of sight onto the ground beneath him while thinking about what Nightmare was on about.

"I'm not going to help you kill the villagers."

"I don't want you to, that's for me only to do." Nightmare replied with an edge in his tone. "You just have to make sure none of them escape."

Error huffed, closing his eyes and picturing the screaming villagers desperately trying to find an escape while Nightmare slaughtered them all. That's probably bad.

"No."

Nightmare growled, towering over Error and glaring with a malicious glint in his eye.

"You will help me or I will not hesitate to kill you right now!" he barked, grabbing Error by the hem of his hoodie and shaking him violently. 

"Hey- quit that!" Error hissed, lifting his hands up and prying himself away from his best friend's grasp. He managed to break free and let out a breath that he didn't realise he'd been holding.

"Fine, I'll help you." He grumbled, one again stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "Not because I want to. Just because I promised I'd never leave your side."

Nightmare faltered and for a moment the memory of being in Outertale with Error flashed in his mind. He swallowed thickly, shaking the thought away and cackling. 

"You're loyal." He mused aloud. 

Error shrugged, recalling his promise to Dream.

"Yeah."

Nightmare observed Error, noting the distant look in his eyes however brushed it off.

"Well, let's get this started." He chuckled, beginning to walk towards the village however abruptly halted as if he'd remembered something.

"Oh, but first."

Error watched Nightmare with an uneasy look. The corrupted guardian approached the Tree of Feelings and ran a hand over the bark before sprouting another tentacle out of his back and with one swift jolt, severing the trunk. Error's eyes widened as he could only watch as the tree crashed down onto the ground.

"Why did you..." Error started, unable to finish his words. Wasn't that technically Dream and Nightmare's mom?

Nightmare grinned widely, turning away and beginning the trek to the village. Error stayed paralysed in shock for a few moments before taking a deep, sharp breath and trailing after the corrupted guardian. 

This certainly isn't good.

--End--