I'm too tired to sleep

500 Years

It's time. Are you ready?
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Nightmare stumbled, slightly panicked, into the AU he used to call his home. The sky was dark and cloudless. Midnight was approaching, and thousands of stars twinkled in the sky. It was supposed to be a peaceful night.

The voice had somewhat calmed down, but Nightmare could feel its tension like a snake curled at the back of his skull. It was a low, buzzing energy.

The hill on which the tree of feelings used to stand was the same as ever, and Nightmare felt his eyelight glide over the stump that it was now. Still charred-looking and dead. It was as if some part of him still hurt to look at the tree. But there was nothing that could be done - it was gone forever.

Good riddance.

After a moment of scanning the horizon, Nightmare could see nothing amiss. Everything was just as it had been when-

As Nightmare's gaze slid back over the stump, he noticed someone sitting against it. Nightmare was instantly filled with unexpected rage at the sight, followed by a storm of curiosity. What being could stand to be in an AU so dead, so full of negative energy, that it was practically palpable?

And them he noticed the scarf. The notebook in the skeleton's lap. Ink was here in Dreamtale, right by Dream. Nightmare raised his tentacles threateningly, and prepared to face Ink.
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As night crept closer, Ink began to wonder if he'd made the wrong decision by staying in Dreamtale, the statue was probably just old and crumbling. Apart from the first barrage of cracks, the deepening of said cracks had been slow. Ink took a chug of his paints - just to keep topped up - and grimaced at the sudden  vulnerability to the negative energy in the air.

But now as Ink sat, notebook in hand, something interesting was happening. Nightmare was here, and he looked livid. "Hey Nighty! How's it hanging?" Ink giggled, as if he were just a friend passing by. Nightmare continued his march over to Ink and when he was fairly close he said "Get. Away. From. That. Tree"

Ink paled. He wasn't really scared, but his emotions felt more 'real' right after he drank his paints. Nightmare's voice was twisted and vile, as if he could crawl into Ink's mind and bring his darkest fears to life. Ink scrambled away from the tree stump and closer to Dream.

"Uh... You okay there Nighty?" Ink laughed nervously. He could see Nightmare was a little surprised - Ink never got scared after all. Somedays Ink could take a knife to the arm and still come out smiling. It was one of the benefits of thinking of everything as a game, and not having a soul (didn't really help for friendships though).

Nightmare did not respond. Well, unless you count hurling a tendril forward to attack Ink as responding.
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Dream's soul pounded wildly. It was not giving up.
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Nightmare and Ink fought, but Nightmare was sloppy with anger. He lashed out too hard to one side, or struck to hard as Ink dodged gracefully.

Just get some backup. Don't be a hypocrit Mr 'I can admit my weakness'.

A portal opened beside Nightmare and he reached out with two tendrils. When he pulled them back, Ink saw Killer and Axe being dragged through the portal and it closed behind them.

As Killer stumbled through a portal into the cold of the night, he questioned his job once again (though he'd never really regret it). Axe stood on the other side of Nightmare, looking equally confused. After a beat, Killer realised that Nightmare must've called them to fight Ink. But Ink alone. In a dead AU. Huh.

But Nightmare knew where the skeletons' loyalties lay, and soon Killer and Axe assumed fighting stances either side of Nightmare.

Nightmare could see Ink beginning to falter. Usually, Ink was pretty capable of holding his own in a fight, but his movements were slightly stiff and he had to fight three opponents at the same time.

Ink narrowly dodged a barrage of knifes only to watch an axe swing at him from the side. What ink didn't realise was that the attack was just a distraction. Now Ink was busy regaining his footing, Nightmare reached out to deliver a fatal blow.
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Dream's soul was frantic now. It would not - could not - stay in this prison any longer.
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With a manic smile, Nightmare attacked and expected to feel bone break beneath his tentacle. But it didn't.

Nightmare looked up, into the fierce, golden eyelights of Dream, his brother.

Without a word, the two begin to fight. But it wasn't really a fight - it was a dangerous dance that both of them knew by heart. The other three skeletons paused in awe of the pure energy radiating from the two guardians as they battled back and forth. The tree of feelings brought and kept those two little guardians together a long time ago. How poetic that its death would split them apart.

Killer muttered, "Damn, Nightmare has some real family issues" and the spell was broken. Without Nightmare, Killer and Axe were almost evenly matched with Ink, and the two parties continued thier dance beside the guardians'.
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Without words, Nightmare understood the pain he saw in Dream's eyelights and the golden tears pooling in his sockets; he'd seen it - caused it even - countless times before, after all. But this pain with mixed with fury and betrayal. Nightmare almost laughed; after 500 years, Dream still didn't know who was the one at fault? Instead he snarled, and pushed his attack farther.

Nightmare didn't expect Dream to dart backwards and hold his staff out in front of him. The staff was consumed in light, and morphed before Nightmare's into the shape of a bow, but no arrows?

Dream touched the string of the bow and after a crackle of electricity a blue arrow sat in the string, drawn back and ready to fire. Dream closed one eye-socket and took aim. The arrow hit its mark, and for a moment Nightmare didn't know what was happening and then pain exploded on his shoulder, practically immobilising his left arm.

An arrow of positivity. Can't you feel the energy radiating from it? Tactical retreat might be our best option for now.

Nightmare scoffed. Any fool knew tactical retreat was just another way to admit defeat, but the voice had a point. Nightmare had been fighting all night but Dream - well, Nightmare wasn't really sure what happened with Dream as he was supposed to be  a statue - Dream was at high power, boosted by his emotions and had yet to grow tired. He signalled to Killer and Axe, the latter of whom opened a portal back to Nightmare's castle.
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Ink saw what Nightmare was trying to do, and made to stop their retreat, but suddenly Dream was by his side. "Don't" he said softly. It surprised Ink how clear Dream's voice was considering he hadn't used it in 500 years.

Ink watched as Dream stepped forward.
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"Brother, " Dream called.

Nightmare paused but did not turn to face him.

"See you around"
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How about that huh, it's over. I think I've got two more chapters planned for the aftermath (one for Nightmare and one for Dream) so stick around for those.

I can't really ask for theories cause ya'll probably know the story so... Got any headcannons about the characters?

Sincerely, me