It was just another supply run. They needed some more herbs that Horror didn't already have in their greenhouse, as well as some meat and other foods they were running out of. This time Sanguine and Dust were doing the supply run, they all usually take turns doing them, and sometimes all of them do it. They saved enough money from doing some odd jobs in AUs.
They were in two separate shops, but not too far from each other, it was Dust's insistence that they don't stray too far from each other. As much as Sanguine has gotten better at being in crowded places, he secretly admits he enjoys that his friends care enough to always be nearby on supply runs or just trips to other AUs.
He was looking through some produce when he felt... something. Something he hadn't felt in so long, or, rather, someone. He immediately whipped his skull around, looking for just a glimpse, enough to know that he wasn't imagining this feeling. It had to be his brother, right? He has to find him. He has to. He just can't let him get away again. He misses him so much, it hurts.
Just as Sanguine was turning the corner of the next aisle, he saw someone with a large cloak leaving the shop. But, looking closer, he noticed some feathers. Normally, that wouldn't be too weird, other normal monsters can be feathered and/or have wings. But, while he may not be able to tell whose feathers they looked like, he had this gut(or lack thereof) that was his brother. He started making his way to him, following him out of the store, produce forgotten inside.
"Hey! Hold up!"
The stranger jumped, turning around. Yellow eyelights met purple eyelights, for the first time in so long.
"Dis-"
Disper then started fleeing before Sanguine could even finish speaking, having panicked at seeing his brother after so long. He was scared that Sanguine still hated him, and while he sorely missed his brother, he couldn't help but to still fear that he'd hurt his brother. Even though he's had plenty of time to get used to the strength he gained from the negative apples, he still has the anxiety and self-doubt that he'd lash out against the ones he cares for.
Sanguine gave chase as soon as the shock wore off. He was going to catch him so they can finally talk. It hurts, to have his brother run from him as though he was going to hurt him. The fear he saw in Dispir's eyes in that short moment, why was he so afraid of him? Or was it something else?
They ran through the streets, several humans and monsters having to jump out of the way of the two. Sanguine tried calling out for Dispir to wait, he just wants to talk, but Dispir didn't listen and kept running. The only thing that kept either of them from taking flight was the crowded area they were running through. But Sanguine knew that at some point, it'd be clear enough that Dispir would likely start flying to keep avoiding him, so he had to catch up to him before then.
And, sure enough, after turning a corner onto a relatively clear pathway, Dispir starts unfurling his wings and takes off. Sanguine follows soon after, taking their chase to the air.
After a short while, Dispir weaves through the buildings and, when he has enough distance, opens a portal and flies through. It closes quickly after, which Sanguine just barely missed. He vaguely saw the other side of the portal, but not enough to know for sure where he portaled to.
Sanguine just hovers there, in shock and defeat. Did he just lose his brother again? Why was he so scared of him that he was trying to fly away so fast? Why couldn't he catch up to him? Did his brother really not want to see him anymore? Did he hate him? As his thoughts spiraled down, he didn't notice that he's been lowering in altitude, only vaguely noticing when he touched down in an alley.
Dust later finds Sanguine after he's collapsed on the ground crying, having noticed that he wasn't in the other store or nearby and went looking for him. He wished that Sanguine had a phone, especially in situations like these. They tried to recommend one, but he was reluctant to get one, not used to the technology since it confuses him. Guess that's what happens when you grow up in an AU that didn't have modern technology. They're still helping him acclimate to the more modern stuff.
Dust ran over to him, only somewhat relieved that he was not hurt, but became more concerned when he saw him crying and mumbling to himself. "Hey Night, what happened? I couldn't find you for a while there. I got worried."
Sanguine only continued mumbling, "I couldn't reach him. He was right there and I couldn't, couldn't reach him- why was he so scared?"
Dust was only more concerned, who was he- Oh. He kneeled down, "You saw your brother? Did you see where he went?"
Sanguine flinched, snapping his head around, apparently only just now realizing he wasn't alone. "Dust? When did you get here?" He tried wiping his tears away, but more kept coming.
"Not too long ago, bud. Heard ya mention someone being right there? If I am guessing correctly, you were talking about your brother? You saw him?"
Sanguine nodded, looking down again. His wings subconsciously wrapping around him and Dust, who was right next to him. Dust ran one of his hands through his feathers as Sanguine told him about how he found his brother and the chase that followed. At some point, Dust's wings were also spread a bit and one was in Sanguine's hands, being massaged.
It's something they all noticed about Sanguine, he had a habit of fidgeting with his hands when he was nervous or otherwise overwhelmed. And if they had their wings extended out to him, he would start preening or massaging them as he worked out his stress, and enjoyed others doing the same for him. It helps calm him when he's too overwhelmed by his emotions or doubts. All of them got used to this new habit, unintentionally building this habit for themselves when everyone's wings had finally grown in. Not that any of them were complaining, it was a very pleasant habit, and definitely better coping mechanisms that isolating themselves if they were having bad days. They gave each other their own space of course, but inevitably whoever was having the bad day would eventually come out and ask for it in their own way.
After finishing his story, Sanguine leaned into Dust, who put his other arm not running through the other's feathers around his shoulders. "I sure missed a lot, huh? Well, let's think of what to do next. Did you see anything through the portal he made?"
Sanguine, calming down, started concentrating, trying to recall any details about what was on the other side of his brother's portal. "... There was snow, I'm pretty sure it was a Snowdin? I saw the banner, but not entirely sure cause I didn't see much before it closed."
"Okay, that's not much to work with, but it's a start. But that would also be assuming that he either stays in that AU or even frequents it. Was there anything else?"
"I think I saw that there was a Muffet's? It looked different than Grillby's, at least."
Dust thought it over, going over the AUs he remembers them visiting. They haven't visited a lot of them, there were the regular visits to the AUs that they got supplies from, then there were the ones they looked for Sanguine's brother. There was one AU type that had a Muffet's in place of a Grillby's. What was it called again...?
"Oh, I think it was an Underswap universe. Or maybe one of the Fell variants..."
Sanguine perked up, "Oh? Well, I guess we have a lead, if he stays in one of those, anyway, but it's something rather than nothing. But there has to be so many of those. How will we even narrow it down?"
"We'll figure it out. One step at a time, though. Let's go back and get what we need and head back home first. As much as I know you want to immediately go and find him, rest is important, too. As you've been telling us," Dust added cheekily.
A chuckle escaped Sanguine at that last remark. "Alright, alright, I guess you're right. Let's go, then."
~Much later, after looking through many different Underswap AUs~
Sanguine opened a portal in the woods close to Snowdin, and entered with Horror, who insisted on coming with, and Killer, who Dust shoved into the group. Dust has a headache, only aggravated by Killer's seemingly endless energy, thus why he shoved him into the others and stayed home. Cross stayed behind to keep an eye on things, and is generally quieter, which is good for Dust's headache.
They kept their wings closed and tucked into their coats, more or less trying to blend in a bit. Horror has his hood up, too. They wandered a bit in Snowdin, just trying not to draw too much attention to themselves while looking for any sign of Dispir being there at all. Killer split off to look over at the Snowed Inn and shop, while Sanguine and Horror explored around the other side toward the skelebros' house.
As they got closer, Blue exited his house in his usual dramatic flair. What got Sanguine's and Horror's attention more than that, was the feathers on Blue's back. It looked almost exactly like when Sanguine's friends started growing wings. Although, it didn't make too much sense to Sanguine. His friends started to grow wings and such because of them being outside their universe, right? Could it also be from his presence? This is unknown for now, and has to wait until later.
Blue noticed the two upon exiting, and especially noticed their staring, but it didn't bother him, he was the Magnificent Sans! But they also weren't from here, he could tell. He could also see the feathers on their faces, and it reminded him of Dispir. He waved at them, and greeted them.
"Hello! I am the Magnificent Sans, who might you two strangers be? Would you like to come inside? I can make hot chocolate!"
Sanguine and Horror were a little hesitant, but Sanguine answered, "Hello, this is Horror, and I'm Sanguine. We wouldn't mind, but only if you're sure? We don't want to intrude."
"Of course I'm sure, I wouldn't offer if I wasn't!"
"Then sure, we'll accept your invite. Thank you for inviting us. Oh, but if it's alright, we have a third person with us, he's back over there somewhere," he said while pointing in the general direction of where Killer was, "would it be alright if he came, too?"
"Oh, of course! I was about to go find my lazy brother, Papyrus, but I'm sure he's around somewhere, and will be fine waiting a bit longer, mweheh."
"Thank you, I'll go get him real quick, Horror, you can stay here if you want, I'll be right back." Horror nodded and stayed with Blue, who led him inside to start making hot chocolate for everyone.
When Sanguine came back with Killer, the hot chocolate was almost done, and they sat next to or near Horror on the couch. As they settled in, a portal opened up in the living room, startling them.
Dispir walked through the portal, not noticing them yet, calling out, "Hey Blue, I'm back! I know it hasn't-"
Sanguine, shocked but acting immediately, tackled Dispir in a hug, holding tight in fear that if he let go, he'd disappear. The action did make them fall to the ground, Dispir squirming to get out of the surprise tackle. Upon realizing who is holding him, he panics.
Blue comes back into the room to find Sanguine and Dispir struggling on the floor while Horror and Killer are looking ready to either join the pile on the floor or ready to jump behind the couch. Wings are flailing about and feathers are ruffled. "Hey! Let's calm down, now! Why are you two on the floor?"
Sanguine ignores him, but addresses Dispir while tears are running down his cheek bones, "Please calm down, I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to have my brother back! Please listen!"
Dispir doesn't register what's being said, but as Sanguine keeps holding him in place and repeating that he won't hurt him, just stop trying to run from him, he loves him. He starts actually hearing what he's saying, and slowly calms down a bit.
"You... don't want to hurt me?"
"No! I would never dream of hurting you! Why did you think that? Is that why you've been avoiding me all this time? I've been searching for three years, more or less." In a quieter voice, he admits "I thought you hated me..."
Dispir's eyes widened at that, "No! I don't hate you! I never did! I'm sorry, I never wanted to make you feel that way. I was just afraid I'd hurt you again." By this point they're facing each other, finally talking to each other ever since that fateful day.
Everyone else in the room relaxed more, seeing that the brothers have stopped semi-fighting on the floor. Deciding that they needed some time to themselves to sort out their feelings and misunderstandings that have been unresolved up until now, they moved to the kitchen. Blue made another cup of hot chocolate for Dispir, and served the other two their cups that he had finished making before the small scuffle. He then gave the brothers theirs afterwards, leaving them on the coffee table for them and going back to the others.
Both Sanguine and Dispir were in tears as they cleared up misunderstandings, and talked about the Incident(tm) and what led up to it. They both learned things the other had kept secret, and what they've experienced since. They both hugged near the end, but both of them hadn't stopped being in any kind of physical contact, especially Sanguine, who would never admit that he was clingy. His friends(might as well be family though) already know this, but they don't tease him for it. Except for Killer, but Sanguine knows now that it's all light-hearted, so he doesn't get too embarrassed about it anymore.
Eventually, they ended up falling asleep there on the couch, their emotional talk had drained them and just passed out after they finished talking. Blue got extra plankets and pillows, and Horror and Killer helped Blue get them comfortable on the couch. At some point Honey showed up, and before he could say anything, Blue motioned to keep quiet and pointed upstairs. So both of them went upstairs, likely so Blue and Honey could talk about the unexpected guests they suddenly got. Honey was fine with it as long as they didn't hurt Blue. Even if Killer and Horror seemed a bit sketchy, he wasn't going to turn them away.
Killer and Horror set up a spot on the floor to the side of the couch to rest with the extra blankets and pillows for them to nap there. They knew that they'd get a proper introduction to Sanguine's brother when they woke up, but for now, best to just stay nearby and let themselves rest. They did text Cross and Dust that Sanguine had found his brother and they managed to talk to each other. They fell asleep soon after, feeling happy for their best friend for finally reuniting with his brother.
It's here!! So glad to get this done, and I can finally show you all the art for Day 7!! It took so long due to a bit of writer's block and working on other things, but it's done!
Flighteningverse AU belongs to me
Dream and Nightmare belong to joku
Underswap belongs to p0pcornpr1nce(don't remember the correct spelling, forgive me if it's wrong)
Cross belongs to Jakei
Killer belongs to rahafwabas
Dust belongs to ask-dusttale
Horror belongs to horrortale comic on tumblr/sour apple studios(I was told they changed their name but putting both anyway)
Nightmare nodded, "Yeah, it is. I'm glad you brought me out here."
They were walking through a nature park, the trees a mix of oranges and reds and yellows and the few patches of green from the evergreens. The sun was low in the sky, as it was late in the afternoon. The air was cool with an occasional breeze that seemed to drop the temperature a couple degrees.
Geno had invited him out for a nice afternoon walk, and informed him of how nice the park was this time of day. Nightmare went, and here they were, in a forest of multicolored leaves that sometimes fell off with the breeze.
It was a beautiful day, and Nightmare loved nature in general. He ended up being too busy the last few weeks at his job to take a break to appreciate the change of the season, and also worried about Geno, who was recently hospitalized due to an accident that damaged his right eyesocket. Which is why he was so glad to be out with him today. He held Geno's hand as they walked, not moving too fast to allow Geno to keep up.
Geno appreciated it, even though he always insists he doesn't have to hold back just because he couldn't keep up with his normal pace. Having had multiple health issues throughout childhood had stunted his development and made him weaker than most, but he pulled through and didn't let it stop him from doing things. It did set him back, though, in terms of how much energy he had, and some aches and pains that are at least manageable.
Nightmare always assured him that he doesn't mind, that he won't leave him behind because he enjoyed being in his company.
"So, what's been up with you the last few days? Been handling things alright?"
Geno blinked, realizing he'd been a bit zoned out. "Oh, yeah. It's been alright. Still getting used to being half blind. There's still a bit of pain, but I took painkillers before I left."
"Yeah, that must suck. But at least the doctors stabilized your wound before it worsened. I'm sure the pain will stop soon, too."
Geno gently prodded at the large patch over his right eye, grimacing at the slightly higher pain the action caused. "Yeah, I know. I just hope there's a better way to cover it up when it's healed. I... don't think I want the injury to be visible. Or at least not as much."
Nightmare immediately knew where he was going with that, he was already feeling self-conscious about how he looked(or would look when the patch would be removed). He pulled him into a hug, "hey, it's gonna be alright. I'm sure we'll figure something out. Maybe we could look for something together? But don't feel like you have to hide it, at least from me. I will never judge you for it, nor will I think you're ugly because of it."
Geno hid his face in Nightmare's coat, feeling his face get hot from a blush that was no doubt spreading on his cheeks. He was happy, though, hearing Nightmare offer to look for something that could help hide his injury. It was sweet. He whispered a thank you as he clung to Nightmare a bit more, and felt him doing the same.
After a few minutes, they pulled away from each other. They then continued walking through the park, enjoying the weather. Nightmare did see a big pile of leaves off to the side, and, feeling a bit mischievous, suddenly picked Geno up bridal style.
Geno yelps, not at all prepared for this, and the blush is back. Nightmare starts running as fast as he can, all the while Geno is yelling in confusion. Nightmare jumps and twists around so he lands first as he lands in the pile of leaves, burying them both. As they popped their heads out, they started laughing from the silliness of the situation.
This is a new one, based more on a modern au than anything I've done before. I hope you enjoy it!
Nightmare had a plan: sneak over to Geno and pick him up. Why? He just wanted to surprise him. And hopefully he won't be too startled to summon his attacks.
He peaked his head around the tree to see if Geno was distracted, and saw that he was down in the field of flowers. Perfect. He knows that Geno always seems transfixed on the color and texture of the flowers and likely doesn't notice there's anyone coming up to him if they don't make themselves known.
Moving as quickly and quietly as he can, he made his way down the small hill the Tree stood on. He froze as Geno moved, thinking he noticed him coming and ruining his plan on surprising him. But Geno had only repositioned himself and had not noticed him. Nightmare relaxed, relieved that he was still in the clear.
He was right behind Geno now, and seeing that he was still not noticed, braced himself to pick up the slightly smaller skeleton.
He grabbed Geno from under his arms, yoinked him up, and, to his surprise, stumbled when he realized that it took way less effort to carry Geno than he thought. He nearly fell over, but managed to balance himself with Geno still flailing in his arms. The totally-not-a-girly-scream that totally didn't come out of Geno's mouth(he will never admit it) was hilarious. And no panic magic attacks. Score!
But now he's focused on how light Geno is, like, unhealthy kind of light. Dream is not this light, and Dream is only a half-inch shorter than him, and an inch taller than Geno. Of course, he has no other reference for the healthy weight of a skeleton monster(or a skeleton monster that is also a spirit being for that matter), but he can't help but be concerned.
Meanwhile, Geno is calming down from being picked up out of nowhere upon realizing it was Nightmare. He's about to fuss over being startled like that, but then he notices Nightmare's expression. Geno, now confused, "You okay?"
"W- Oh, yeah, I'm okay. But can I ask you a question?" He lowers Geno to the ground as he asked.
"Of course, what is it?"
"I have just now noticed that you are much lighter than I thought you'd be. Are you alright? Are you not getting enough food?"
Geno was a bit confused until he realized why he was concerned about his health. "Oh! Yeah, I'm okay, I promise. You guys are giving me enough food, and I am as healthy as I can be. It's not something that can be fixed, anyway."
"Oh... But then what caused this? I-If it's alright to ask! You don't have to if it's not something you want to talk about."
"Hey, you're fine. I think it'd be better if we were sitting down for this. Let's go back to the tree, alright?" Nightmare agreed and followed Geno up to the tree.
After sitting down, Geno tried starting to explain, but found it hard to admit how physically weak he was. He knew he said he would tell Nightmare, but a part of him refused to admit how vulnerable he really was, especially since he knows that, despite this, he can hold his own in a short fight.
". . . Are you sure you want to talk about it? You really don't have to if you don't want to."
"No, I want to talk about it. I'm just trying to figure out how to say it without my own stubborn mind fighting me on it... hmm, maybe..." Geno started mumbling to himself, quiet enough that Nightmare couldn't quite pick up what he was saying.
But then Geno looked at him with a determined glint to his eyelight. "I believe it would be better to show you, but I warn you, it isn't going to look pretty. Promise me you won't freak out?"
"Okay, I promise. What is it?"
Geno took a deep breath, and then lifted his shirt, revealing his ribcage. Or what was left of it, most of it looking like it was a touch away from falling apart. A few ribs on the bottom were completely gone, only jagged stubs remained on the part of the spine they would have been attached to. There was also what looked like the scar of a slash that went from the top right of the ribcage to the bottom left. Or at least on what was visible on the frail looking ribs. If Nightmare looked closely he could see that his spine also looked like parts of it had dusted off before stopping completely.
"Oh... oh gosh... does... does it hurt? How-"
"Hey, no freaking out, remember? And no, it doesn't hurt. Not anymore, anyway. It's pretty much tied to the situation with my right eyesocket. And also why I don't really react well to humans. So, remember that I told you about how my world worked? And how a human kid ended up with the ability to reset time?"
"Oh, yeah. It still doesn't make a lot of sense to me. You told me about them starting as a good kid but then started hurting and, uh, killing other monsters. What about it?"
"Well, that's how I got the injury that you can see, the slash. It would have killed me, but because I pretty much pumped myself full of Determination, a substance that pretty much gives you an extra boost and an ability to persist after death, I lived long enough to get myself into a place that I ended up calling the Save Screen. A downside to having too much Determination in me is that I had started melting slightly during my fight with the human.
"I had already lost a... bit of mass to my being, as I had started dusting before I got myself into the Save Screen, and that's why my ribcage looks like this. And why I'm quite a bit lighter than I normally would've been. So, that's why I weigh less than normal."
Nightmare took a minute to process all that information, some of which he kinda knew, but most of it was new to him. On one hand, he's happy that Geno feels comfortable enough with him to tell him this. On the other, it was so much. He knows what the Save Screen is from another time when Geno told him, and how he was able to watch what was going on in his world. And that he could only watch, not interact, not interfere with the goings on in his world.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you. At least you're alive, and here with me and my brother."
"Yeah... yeah, you're right. I have you guys here with me. Even though I miss my bro, and it'll still take some time before I can really feel like this is my new home, I'm grateful for the two of you. Also, I don't want you or Dream treating me like I'm made of glass for this, alright? I can still do most of the things you can do, even if a bit more caution is needed for certain things."
"I won't, and I'll be sure to not let him do that. Though, that does raise the question, do you want him to know about this? He might freak out more than I was about to, but I know he would be understanding of your situation."
"Yeah, I probably should. Later, though, I'm a bit tired."
"Alright then, how about we cuddle for a while?" And upon receiving a nod in reply, he leaned back against the tree. Geno followed his lead and leaned into his side. Soon enough they fell asleep under the warm sunlight that filtered through the leaves.
Later, when Dream returned from whatever stupid errands the villagers were tasking him with, he found both Geno and Nightmare cuddled up to each other for a nap. He decided to have a nap as well and sat against the tree a few inches away, not quite wanting to be away from his brother, but also not wanting to wake them by leaning against them.
This is one I hadn't intended to be as long, but then it got out of my hands. One of the ones that started as fluff, and went to angst, though not as angsty as it could have been. Also this is in the world of Glitched Apples. It happens at some point.
Nightmare nodded, "Yeah, it is. I'm glad you brought me out here."
They were walking through a nature park, the trees a mix of oranges and reds and yellows and the few patches of green from the evergreens. The sun was low in the sky, as it was late in the afternoon. The air was cool with an occasional breeze that seemed to drop the temperature a couple degrees.
Geno had invited him out for a nice afternoon walk, and informed him of how nice the park was this time of day. Nightmare went, and here they were, in a forest of multicolored leaves that sometimes fell off with the breeze.
It was a beautiful day, and Nightmare loved nature in general. He ended up being too busy the last few weeks at his job to take a break to appreciate the change of the season, and also worried about Geno, who was recently hospitalized due to an accident that damaged his right eyesocket. Which is why he was so glad to be out with him today. He held Geno's hand as they walked, not moving too fast to allow Geno to keep up.
Geno appreciated it, even though he always insists he doesn't have to hold back just because he couldn't keep up with his normal pace. Having had multiple health issues throughout childhood had stunted his development and made him weaker than most, but he pulled through and didn't let it stop him from doing things. It did set him back, though, in terms of how much energy he had, and some aches and pains that are at least manageable.
Nightmare always assured him that he doesn't mind, that he won't leave him behind because he enjoyed being in his company.
"So, what's been up with you the last few days? Been handling things alright?"
Geno blinked, realizing he'd been a bit zoned out. "Oh, yeah. It's been alright. Still getting used to being half blind. There's still a bit of pain, but I took painkillers before I left."
"Yeah, that must suck. But at least the doctors stabilized your wound before it worsened. I'm sure the pain will stop soon, too."
Geno gently prodded at the large patch over his right eye, grimacing at the slightly higher pain the action caused. "Yeah, I know. I just hope there's a better way to cover it up when it's healed. I... don't think I want the injury to be visible. Or at least not as much."
Nightmare immediately knew where he was going with that, he was already feeling self-conscious about how he looked(or would look when the patch would be removed). He pulled him into a hug, "hey, it's gonna be alright. I'm sure we'll figure something out. Maybe we could look for something together? But don't feel like you have to hide it, at least from me. I will never judge you for it, nor will I think you're ugly because of it."
Geno hid his face in Nightmare's coat, feeling his face get hot from a blush that was no doubt spreading on his cheeks. He was happy, though, hearing Nightmare offer to look for something that could help hide his injury. It was sweet. He whispered a thank you as he clung to Nightmare a bit more, and felt him doing the same.
After a few minutes, they pulled away from each other. They then continued walking through the park, enjoying the weather. Nightmare did see a big pile of leaves off to the side, and, feeling a bit mischievous, suddenly picked Geno up bridal style.
Geno yelps, not at all prepared for this, and the blush is back. Nightmare starts running as fast as he can, all the while Geno is yelling in confusion. Nightmare jumps and twists around so he lands first as he lands in the pile of leaves, burying them both. As they popped their heads out, they started laughing from the silliness of the situation.
This is a new one, based more on a modern au than anything I've done before. I hope you enjoy it!
"No, not yet. We're almost there, though, promise."
"C'mon, we've been out at see for a while now, and while I'm not complaining about the company, I admit I'm getting a bit chilled by the water and nighttime winds. It is quite late as well."
Geno reached back and patted Nightmare on the head. "It'll be worth it, I promise. I noticed this last night, and because it rarely appears anywhere near your place, I knew I had to show you this. Can you hold out for a bit longer?" He hoped Nightmare would like this, but if he really wanted to go home, he would bring him back.
Nightmare shook his head lightly, "I can, especially with how excited you are to show me whatever it is. Let's continue."
Geno swam for a while longer until he reached the area he found. He tested the waters by moving his hand through the waves, and seeing that it was still here, he turned to Nightmare. "Ok, we're here, you can take it off."
He lifted the blindfold, and was met by dark waters. He looked around, trying to see what Geno had brought him to see. He saw nothing but the back of Geno's skull, the vast ocean, and the clear starry sky.
". . . What... what did you want to show me?"
"Watch this." And with that, he started swimming with almost exaggerated movements. This made the water around them start to glow a beautiful blue/teal. This captivated Nightmare, who couldn't help but stare at the sight before him. He moved his hand through the water, watching how the water glowed against his bones as he moved them.
Geno looked at him with his one good eye and smiled at him, loving how mesmerized he looked in the glow of the algae. "This is so pretty. What is this?"
"It's algae, a kind that is bioluminescent. I come across this stuff occasionally, and I wanted to show you as soon as I came across this patch of them."
"It's amazing, thanks for showing this to me."
"So, worth getting cold and wet this late at night? . . . Wait, that sounds weird now that I said it out loud, is it weird?"
Nightmare laughed, "Nah, you're fine. I know what you meant. And, yeah, it was worth it." He maneuvered himself more so that he was still holding onto Geno, but now in the water. Before Geno could question what he was doing, Nightmare pulled his head down a bit and kissed him. Surprised, but happy, he leaned into it while holding Nightmare close.
After that, they swam for a little while longer until the water and temperature got too low for Nightmare's comfort. Geno swam him back to the shore closest to his home, where he picked him up. Nightmare had left a towel and jacket there for his return, knowing that it would be needed after leaving the water. Nightmare turns and waves goodbye to Geno, who waves back, and he wraps the towel around his waist and puts the jacket on. The only downside to this is that there's now sand in the joints of his bones, which is always a pain to get them out. Especially when there's little tiny spaces that the sand seems to always get stuck deep in, like his feet and between his kneecap andleg bones. Oh well, he's used to it. He'll gladly deal with it, he knows it's worth the minor inconvenience.
And the start of Aftermare Week has begun. We start with a continuation of last year's Aftermare story. But I'm doing something different this year. There is no continuous story this time, but instead I'm mixing it up with callbacks from different stories from the past(and a couple of new ideas). There will be art this time as well!
Warning: Blood, Self Harm(mostly mentioned, there is no act of harming oneself)
It was late at night, and he was heading home from shopping for the week's groceries. Ccino was tired as usual from a long day at the café and then shopping, which took longer than expected since he was having trouble finding something on his list. He just hopes that he won't get mugged or something. This city isn't a bad city. Mugging is a somewhat rare occurrence, but he knows that it can happen to anyone.
As he was passing an alley, he noticed something odd. His gut instinct tells him to ignore it because it could be dangerous, but his curiosity wins. As he cautiously peeks into the alley, he nearly drops the bags of groceries(one of them containing eggs) upon seeing a monster lying on the ground, unconscious. And, if he's seeing it right, also bleeding a lot.
"Oh gosh -" He put the groceries down before quickly going to check just how badly injured the monster was. The first thing he noticed was that they were a skeleton monster, and were covered in cracks. One of their legs was broken, with the other not too far behind it, their hands and arms(or at least what he could see, the jacket was covering the majority of their arms) were littered with many fractures and chips in the bones, and their skull was practically shattered from what he could only assume was multiple heavy hits.
'How could anyone hurt them so badly and leave them here? I'm glad they're still alive, but it's surprising that they haven't started dusting by this point. I'm just glad I found them, I might be able to help them.' He looked back at his groceries and back to the skeleton, and knew in himself that he'd rather ration his meals for a few days than leave the poor monster like this.
Had he been more well-rested and thinking on a more rational level, he would have remembered to call an ambulance. He, however, was running on about four hours of sleep from cleaning the café, which had taken longer than usual. He's been keeping himself going with coffee, and he is on the last reserves of energy, only boosted by adrenaline for this situation.
So he very carefully picks up the injured monster and carries him home, which he's very grateful that it wasn't too far. He's going to have to lock the cats in a room to keep them from bothering him while he works. It's a bit of a struggle to carry him, both because Ccino isn't very strong, and because this stranger is bigger than he realized. His main concern was the broken leg, he didn't have a good way to keep it from being jostled, so he just did his best not to sway it too much. He wished he had teleportation right now, but then he wouldn't have healing magic, so he just had to deal with being fast but careful.
He got to his place, but then faced the problem of getting in with his arms full. After a few short moments of thought and fidgeting to see if he can maneuver the unconscious skeleton so that he can get his keys out, and eventually managed to open the door with a small triumphant noise. To get to his living quarters, he had to go up a flight of stairs, though, so he now had to balance himself and his new guest up the stairs. He sighed, but started up the stairs slowly, careful to not sway too much to either side.
After what felt like an hour, but was likely only about ten minutes, he reached the door to his living room. After managing to open that door, he started feeling tired and his legs were threatening to give out from the added weight he's been carrying for this long. He pushed through it until he placed the skeleton on his couch gently(he'll probably have to save for a new one, considering how much blood was covering the injured skeleton(who was still bleeding!?), there was no way he was getting those stains out later, though that's not important right now.) He then collapsed to the floor on his knees, but he still checks him over from his position next to the couch.
He took stock on the injuries, noting in his head where the ones that were more severe were, and after forcing himself up again to go get his stockpile of bandages(not nearly enough for the large quantity of injuries on the poor guy.) He nearly tripped over his own feet when he remembered that he had to get all the cats into one room. Speaking of the cats, they started coming out of their hiding spots once they noticed that he was home. Some started moving to the other skeleton on the couch, but he called them to him, and got most of them into the spare room. He then corralled the last two into his room, closing the door.
Now that he doesn't have to worry about his cats, he continues to the bathroom to grab the bandages, some gloves, and the stuff that helps clean wounds, with some towels(that he was also going to have to replace if washing them didn't work at all.) He hurried back, and got to work. He started with the broken leg, getting himself ready to reset the bones. He counted to ten, and, before he reset the bones, apologized to them, then quickly moved the bones back into place. There was a hissing intake of breath from the monster, and Ccino worried that they would wake up and think he was hurting them instead of helping.
When the monster had no further indication that he was awake or even aware of what was happening, he sighed in relief and started using his healing magic to speed up the natural healing process. It was slower than he thought it would be, which worried him even more, it meant that either the monster's magic wasn't responding to the healing magic, or that there were much more wounds on them than what was visible. Either scenario wasn't good, it meant that they had to take longer to heal.
He used some bandages to help keep the bones in place and started to work his way to their skull. He then realized that he ought to check for injuries on his ribcage and spine and their arms, which meant getting their tattered, bloodstained, and worn jacket and shirt(or is it a sweater?) off. He started the slow process of slowly and carefully getting the jacket off, having to try to get the arms out of the sleeves. It was difficult, but after several minutes, managed to get both arms out of the sleeves, though he had to shift the other a lot. He hopes he didn't further damage any wounds that were most likely located on his ribs, spine, and arms. He definitely felt some more fractures along the other's arms, so he's not too confident that the ribs are any better.
He gets the jacket out from under them, and plans to try to save it when he washes it later. He doesn't know if they have any other clothes in their inventory, or if that jacket has any sentimental value to them, so he doesn't want to toss it. Sighing, he then removes the tattered scarf before he then carefully tries to roll up the sleeves of the sweater. When he realizes that the sweater is stuck because either the fabric is getting caught on the wounds, or is now stuck from dried blood, he knows he has to remove the sweater another way. He quickly gets up to get scissors, but accidentally trips on the discarded jacket. Groaning, he gets back up and makes sure he's not going to trip on the jacket again, then goes to get the scissors.
After grabbing them, he returns to the other monster. He is about to start cutting the sweater, just trying to calm his nerves before he does. He's feeling bad about undressing them without their consent, but knows that he won't be able to heal him when he can't see what kind of wound(s) are there. As he gathers his nerves, he looks at their face. They still look uncomfortable because of the pain, but it seems to be slightly less(?) than before. "I hope you don't mind that I cut your sweater up, I need to check the rest of you for more injuries." He's not sure why he's talking to the unconscious monster, but he continues, "I am sorry if this is your favorite sweater, but I have not done that with your scarf or jacket. I will replace it, I promise."
He waits a little bit, wondering if they will respond, but they don't. Ccino takes a deep breath, and starts to cut through the fabric of the sweater. It surprisingly puts up a bit more resistance than he thought it would, but he eventually gets it off. He was right, the sweater was stuck to the wounds on their arms from the dried blood. But the ribs were the worst he's seen. Pretty much all of them were fractured, some were broken, and a few were barely hanging on. There were blue, strings?, wrapped around some of them. Were those the monster's magic? If so, it seemed like they were trying to keep them together with the strings, but then the ribs were broken again. One of them was dangling on a thread. If anything, Ccino was impressed the other's magic was still there at all. Most other monsters' magic wouldn't still hold after being unconscious, let alone being near death as this one seems to be.
Ccino felt like he was going to be sick. He has never heard of someone being this hurt before, to the point they were falling apart, almost literally, and not dusting. He shook his skull, he had to stay focused. Heal them now, have breakdown later. He got to work putting the ribs back in place, healing and bandaging them as he went. It was draining on his energy, but he didn't care. The injuries on the arms were a range of pure concern from how they looked(cracks seeming to circle around completely, meaning they were broken off completely), to horrifying because of how clean some of them were(straight lines, signs of chipping and self harm, though healed, which meant not recent at least).
It took much longer than bandaging his legs, but eventually, he managed to bandage each broken and fractured rib. Looking at the clock, he notices that it's been approximately four hours from when he left the house initially. He knows he can't stop yet, though, he still has to take care of their arms and their skull. Which was littered in cracks as well, just like the rest of them. He reached for the bandages, but didn't feel any there. Looking around, he realized he ran out of bandages, to which he groaned in frustration.
He knew he was running out of energy, both for healing and his physical energy. All that healing was really draining on the amount of energy he had, too. He wouldn't be able to heal anymore tonight, but maybe he could get to the 24hr pharmacy around the corner and get more bandages and be back in a few minutes? He didn’t want to leave this guy alone when he could accidentally fall off the couch and get hurt all over again, but he didn't want to leave his head wounds open for longer than he had to. 'Could go for a coffee at this point, it'd keep me awake long enough for this, though I probably shouldn't.'
He quickly decides to use some of his older hand towels to cover his skull, as well as use as a pillow. Then, after making sure the other bandages were secure and holding up well, he made his way out the door. Once he bought a few more packs of bandages, he practically fled the pharmacy. He didn't remember that he was practically covered in blood, so he didn't realize that the staff was quite concerned about him. He started stumbling a bit, so he slowed down before he could fall. He still nearly fell when he arrived at his building, catching himself on the door. He took a few seconds to steady himself, he was really starting to struggle to stay upright now. He hadn't realized just how tired he was until now, but he couldn't stop now, he was almost done. Almost there.
He climbs the stairs again, but this time is more sluggish, as though he was carrying a boulder on his back. Or maybe this was his body's way of punishing him for carrying someone who was possibly almost twice his height. But thinking about it, the other was surprisingly light for his size. He hopes it's just his imagination or the fact the guy lost so much blood rather than what he is thinking. Finally reaching the top, he almost collapses in fatigue, but stays upright. He then starts stumbling to the couch where his guest is laying, unmoving except for the almost unnoticeable shift from breathing.
Ccino sits back down and decides right then to just finish up and then he can go rest. So that's what he does, he bandages what he can on the arms, unravels the towels, and re-wraps the injured skull with the fresh bandages. Upon seeing that all the injuries(or at least he hopes that's all of them) were completely bandaged, he sighed from relief and fatigue. One more thing before he can rest, cover them up again. He gets up to go to the closet he keeps his spare blankets in and picks out one that's light but soft. He'd give a thicker one for warmth, but he was genuinely afraid that it might aggravate the injuries.
He returned to the guest and carefully placed the blanket on them, tucking them in. He yawns, the fatigue growing stronger, and barely realizes that he's sitting down again. Before he can process that he's sitting, he passes out, slumping forwards against the couch. A bit later in the night, he would shift to a slightly more comfortable position, though his back and neck bones will protest from the poor position he's in.
And here it is! Ccino meets the new Error! But is also very tired from overworking himself. It feels good to finally get this out, and it's the first writing I have for this year! Hope to update my other stories soon as well.
Now, as for tagging, @jann-the-bean @dulceringo I know you guys were interested in this, but if you don't want to be tagged, let me know.
Aftermare Week Day 6 + 7: Perfect Match and I Will Always...
Previous
This was the day he was going to introduce his brother, Geno had agreed to meet him. But Nightmare had another plan for today, he had made something for Geno. He hoped it'd fit him, because he had no way of properly measuring the necessary proportions. Not without giving away his plans.
While waiting, Dream was making sand sculptures. Nightmare has no idea how he got so good at it, but he's happy for his brother. When a splash in the water was made, Nightmare turned back to the ocean to find that Geno was here.
"Hey, he's here." Nightmare put on the life jacket he brought and went out into the water as Dream stopped what he was doing to look. Dream saw who he assumes is Geno, considering his brother knew who he was, and stood up. He stayed back, though, wanting to let Nightmare introduce him. He was ready to put on his life jacket as well, for when he was gestured over.
Nightmare swam up to Geno and hugged him. "Hey buddy, how have you been?"
"I'm good. So, is the guy back on the beach your brother?"
"Yeah, that's my bro, hold on," Nightmare looked back at Dream. "Hey! Come on over!"
That was Dream's signal to go in, so he put on his life jacket and went into the ocean. As he got closer, he slowed down and smiled at Geno. "Hi, Geno, right? I'm Dream, Nighty's brother, though he told you that."
Geno smirked, "Nighty?"
"Dream! Oh my stars, I told you not to call me that in front of people!"
"Hehehehe, c'mon Night, it's not like you're strangers with Geno. Besides, I couldn't help it!"
Geno was amused by their interaction, knowing that Nightmare wasn't really mad at Dream. It almost reminded him of his brother and how he'd mess with him.
The two brothers had started splashing each other, and soon enough they were both laughing. Until they splashed Geno by accident. He looked shocked, but then he got a mischievous grin and disappeared under the water. Nightmare and Dream knew he was up to something, and were as back to back as they could be in the water.
Nightmare felt something grab his ankles and pull him under, causing him to flail a bit in surprise. He was met by a playful smirk as Geno started swimming around Dream in circles. He let go of Nightmare as he then did the same to Dream, who was a little more shocked by the game Geno was playing. He was honestly having fun, seeing as Geno wasn't doing anything that would be harmful.
After that little game, they relaxed for a bit. Nightmare and Dream let their life jackets keep them afloat while Geno only had the top of his skull out of the water.
Geno poked at Dream, and once he had his attention, told him, "You were the one who got me the help I needed a while ago, right? I just wanted to say thank you, I really appreciate the effort you made to help me."
"Oh, it's not a problem, really. I'm glad I could help, especially with how scared my brother was when calling me. I wasn't going to ignore him when he needed help, what kind of brother would I be if I didn't help him?"
"In any case, I'm still grateful for your help. It's nice to meet you finally, getting to see the mysterious brother of his is something I kinda wanted to ask him about. I only didn't because I didn't think I was ready for it yet, having only just recovered from an attack."
"It's alright, I understand. I've been wanting to meet you as well, but didn't want to just pop in on your meetings with Nightmare suddenly. I figured you'd at least want advanced warning before meeting someone new, and let him make the plan to introduce me when you both were ready."
Nightmare was glad they were getting along, he had been slightly anxious that they wouldn't get along very well, though he guesses he shouldn't have been. His brother always has a friendly attitude and is mostly easy to get along with. He remembered the thing he wanted to give Geno, and quickly made sure he hadn't dropped it when they were messing around earlier. He sighed in relief when he found it where he left it, 'good, it's not lost.'
"Hey, Geno, I wanted to give you something." He pulls out the necklace he made. It was made of a couple of wires and some string/rope that held together some small shells of varying types. He had spent quite some time putting it together, even having to redo it once.
Geno was surprised by the gift, it looked wonderful! But he felt quite flustered as well, he wasn't sure if Nightmare knew what this meant in his culture. Giving a gift was something that was considered a sort of intimate event, saved for when one was courting another mershark, though it was different for different species of mer and mershark.
Upon seeing Geno flustered, he was a bit concerned. "Is there something wrong?"
Geno shook his head, "N-no, nothing wrong. It looks great! It's just, well... I need to ask this first. What do you know about mer culture?"
Nightmare was confused, but thought over what he was able to study about mers. "Not a whole lot, unfortunately, there's not a lot about mers in general. Mer culture is even harder to come by. But, why do you ask?"
Geno's face might as well have been on fire with how hard he was blushing, knowing he'd have to tell him. Dream was watching this all go down, and though he doesn't know any more than Nightmare about mer culture, the way Geno is blushing is giving him ideas about what it might mean.
"Well, in my culture, gift giving is mainly for when, uh, two mers are picking a partner."
Upon processing the information Geno just revealed to him, Nightmare's skull erupted into a bright lilac blush at this information, realizing just what the implications of his gift means. Dream's face also blushed, but not as bad. He was thinking that it might be that and would have guessed it if Geno didn't tell them.
Geno was now concerned that he might have broken them, specifically Nightmare, his skull was almost completely purple. Did he start choking? He's seen drowning people turn purple from lack of air. He doesn't look like he's choking, though, and Dream had turned yellow a bit. So probably not choking.
While Nightmare was trying to calm his blush, he thought about what he wanted to do. He knew he still wanted to give Geno the gift, but did he want to do so with the intention to be partners, as Geno's culture regards the act? He decided he did.
"I don't see any problem with that, if you don't have an issue with it. Being partners, I mean." He extended the necklace to Geno, offering it to him. While still blushing, he was serious about this.
Geno was a bit shocked by his response, but not in a bad way. It would be a bit difficult, but it could work. He took it carefully, and looked it over with awe at how it was crafted. "I don't have any issues with this, either. I'd have to find something to give you as well, but I'll look later. Thanks for this, it really does look great." He put it on, and felt that it was a perfect fit for him.
"It looks amazing on you. Really makes the hours it took to make it worth it." Nightmare was so happy, his smile was practically ear to ear(if they had ears). Dream was so happy for his brother, he had a good friend and now a new partner.
Nightmare and Geno spend the rest of the day talking about how they could make this work, and promise each other that they will always be there for each other. Dream was quiet for this, save for an idea or two about ways they could keep in touch more often. They all went home once it was getting dark, very happy about the events of the day.
And the finale of the story! Dream finally officially meets Geno! And they learn a new thing about mers ;)
For anyone who's curious about what the necklace that Nightmare made for Geno, it looks kinda like this:
It was a week since Geno had woken up and been replaced in the ocean, and he'd noticed how tense Nightmare was ever since. He could tell that what had happened with those brats had shaken him pretty badly. He wasn't going to lie and say he himself wasn't affected by the attack, but he supposed he was a bit more used to the fact that he could be attacked. There were other, more powerful types of mers, other marine life that could still see him as prey, and poachers that could attack him. It wasn't something he considered to be abnormal.
But if he thought about it, Nightmare didn't have to face that every day. Sure, there were some people who would be mean to each other, but never hurt the other. But maybe he didn't know what the two-leggeds were capable of doing to one another, how far it could be taken. He had a biased opinion on them, but Geno was the exception, and maybe his brother, since it was his brother that called for the help that saved his life. He hadn't met this brother of his yet, but he didn't care too much if he did or not.
Geno decided that he wanted to show Nightmare something. He got him to get on his boat and follow him, and led him to an area of ocean that wasn't too deep, but wasn't shallow. He guided Nightmare to a specific area and asked him if he had a way to keep the boat there. Nightmare said he had an anchor, and dropped it in the water after making sure Geno wasn't in the way. Geno dived down and checked the anchor to make sure it was secure, then came up again.
Nightmare was getting more curious about what Geno wanted to show him. "So, what were you so enthusiastic for me to see?"
"You good for a swim? Come on in, we're here, but it’s underwater."
Nightmare nodded, getting his goggles and putting them on. He knew they looked a bit awkward on him, but they were just so he didn't get too much water in his skull. He wore them whenever he went diving or any underwater venture he went on. He hopped out if the boat, where Geno quickly grabbed him.
"Hold onto my shoulders, alright? Or my dorsal fin, either are good places to hold onto."
Geno nodded, and grabbed onto his dorsal fin, but sheepishly grabbed his hand as well. Geno looks away, fighting a blush, but starts swimming down. Nightmare was shocked at what he saw.
It was a large coral Reef that was teeming with life of all sorts. He even saw a couple of small sharks, he thinks that one of them is a nurse shark? He's still learning about some of the animals in the ocean, especially sharks.
"This is a place that's actually pretty special to me. Me and my brother used to visit this place all the time. I come here every now and then to relax now."
Nightmare perked up, but realized the past tense used. "You had a brother? What happened to him?"
"...Poachers. They got him when we were both hunting, and he saved me by taking the hit for me. It was that day that I truly realized just how dangerous people from the land could be. We both knew they could be dangerous, but he helped me to not think that every one of them were bad. Though his death had made me think otherwise, through time, I healed and gave two-leggeds the benefit of the doubt again. I still stayed extra cautious, though, mostly staying away from any boats."
"I'm so sorry for your loss, I really am. I never liked poachers, but that must have been horrible. I can't imagine losing my brother. I mean, sure, we have little fights, but it happens to everyone and the fights are never serious."
"Hey, it's alright, it happened a long time ago. It hurts not having him here anymore, but I know he'd wanted me to keep going. I eventually got better, but I do take the time to quietly mourn him on the day he died. Besides, I've been doing alright, and been doing better ever since we met."
They both stayed quiet after that, Nightmare was saddened at the knowledge that Geno's brother was killed, but also thought about what he said near the end. Just hanging around with him made him feel better? Nightmare always had a hard time making friends growing up, the bullying being part of it, but also the fact that he was a quiet kid in contrast to his brother. He never blamed his brother for being more outgoing than him, even if he was a bit jealous of him. But knowing that him hanging out with this mer made them feel better, it was warming to him.
"Thank you for trusting me enough to show me a place that's special to you. I kinda wish I could show you the same thing, but it’s on land."
"It's alright. Knowing you want to show me something you physically can't means a lot to me. Maybe you'll find something else you can show me that's just as important to you one day. No pressure to do so, though. I just wanted to show you this as a way to thank you for helping me, and just being there for me."
Nightmare shook his head, "You're the one who saved me, I wouldn't have been able to avoid the boat on time. But maybe we shouldn't try to one-up each other on who saveded who. We helped each other."
"You're right. Let me know when you're ready to leave, we can stay here as long as you'd like. I'll be swimming around the area."
Nightmare nodded as Geno started to slowly swim around the reef, showing the vibrant colors and the peaceful nature of the area. Fish were a bit anxious from Geno's presence, but it was natural, he was a predator.
They spent a while just relaxing there until Nightmare was tired. Geno brought him back to the boat, and he lead him back to land. They went home after that, Nightmare thinking about something else he could show Geno. Maybe he could introduce his brother? He's very important to him, and he's sure his brother would like to formally meet Geno. He had seen Geno when he was being helped, but never properly met him. Maybe he should ask first, see if Geno would want to meet him. Something to ask next time he meets up with him.
And Day 5 is here, nothing but fluff today. Geno decides he will help Nightmare relax a bit.
It was a few days since the rescue center had taken in Geno for treatment for his wounds. Geno was kept sedated for the first day while they were treating his wounds, and Nightmare wasn't allowed to be in the area where they were treating him. He supposed it was understandable, but he couldn't help but worry. His scratch was also treated, even if it still stung if he applied pressure. Geno had hit him pretty good, cutting through the bone of his lower ribs.
The last couple of days, he was allowed to be near the tank since they just had to let Geno rest for now while his wounds healed. Nightmare was glad to know that his friend was safe while healing, he would have been really worried about him if he wasn't willing to come with these people. Dream and the people here promised him that they wouldn't let the public know about Geno, which Nightmare was also grateful for. Last thing he, nor Geno he's sure, wanted was for a bunch of people coming to stare at the mershark like he was some kind of attraction.
Geno hadn't woken up yet, or at least not fully woken up since they managed to sometimes get him to eat a little bit. It looked too automatic, though, so maybe his body was acting on autopilot when it registered that he was given food. He wasn't sure either way. All he could do was wait, and he refused to go home, he wanted to be here when Geno woke up. He knew the mershark would likely panic if he wasn't there to let him know he was safe. Waking up in a different environment with no idea where you are or if you're truly safe there wouldn't be unreasonable to think after being injured badly and then sedated.
Nightmare was sitting near the edge of the tank, looking at the way the sunset reflects on the water. He hoped Geno was okay, he worried that the wound would affect him long term, though the people who were healing him assured him that Geno would make a full recovery.
Nightmare started falling asleep, the exhaustion of the last few days catching up with him. He had restless nights, nightmares of what could have happened and worse ways it could have gone. He decided that laying down and closing his eyes wouldn't hurt. He moved a bit further from the tank so he didn't risk falling in(not that he would drown, no lungs and all that, but it's uncomfortable for water to be in his skull). He grabbed the pillow and blanket that the workers had given him since he was adamant about staying here until Geno was okay again, and laid down.
He ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours, before a nightmare woke him up. He struggled to breathe, gasping for breath. It was almost pitch black around him, the only light the reflection of the moon and stars on the water. Unbeknownst to him, there was movement in the water.
When something wet touched him, he jerked away. But when he was able to make out who it was, he pulled him into a hug, despite the awkward position. "You're okay, thank the stars."
Geno hugged back, "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay. What about you, though? You were shaking."
"Heh heh, you're the one who was almost killed, why are you worrying so much about me?"
"Because I'm feeling better but you seemed really upset. Are you okay?" Geno brushed against Nightmare's ribs, which caused him to flinch. "You're hurt? Did the brats' boat hit you too?"
Nightmare shook his head, "No, no, they didn't hit me. You prevented that. Thanks for that, by the way. But, uh, the reason I got hurt was from when I was trying to bandage your tail. You ended up lashing out, and you got me pretty good in the ribs."
Geno was shocked, but as he remembered that hazy moment, he started to apologize, but was interrupted. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault. You were hurt badly, and were barely conscious at the time. I don't blame you for trying to protect yourself."
"But-"
"It's alright, I'm better now. I'm just glad you're okay. I was so worried for you."
"...Alright. Thanks for helping me." Geno held Nightmare's hand and squeezed it a bit. "I'm gonna have to deal with people tomorrow, huh?"
"Not if you don't want to, I can tell them that you'd only be comfortable with me interacting with you, if you need me to. But getting you back into the water would probably need the extra help. They've been busy healing you and keeping you healthy, so they seem trustworthy. Their job is basically wildlife rescue, and then they release the animal back to the wild after they treated its wounds and illnesses. And, no, I'm not implying you're just some animal. You're as much a person as any of us."
"I can play nice to you two-leggeds as long as no one is trying to hurt me. I wasn't gonna think you were implying I'm an animal, you've never treated me like one, nor given me reason to think you do. Don't overthink yourself. Enough about that, you look tired. Get some sleep." Geno let go of Nightmare's hand, intending on getting back into the water, when Nightmare reaches for him again.
"Please, stay here?" Nightmare pleaded, fearing that if he slept, this would have been a cruel dream and Geno wouldn't be there when he woke up.
Geno heard how scared he was in asking him to stay near, and couldn't say no. But he knew it'd be awkward to be partially out of the tank as he is, so he came up with a solution. "How about you sleep on my back? I won't let you underwater if you're uncomfortable with it, I can sleep on the surface if I need to. It'd be hard to keep myself like this the whole time, and this seems like a better idea."
Nightmare nodded, that would be fine, even if it would be a bit awkward. So he followed Geno to the edge of the tank, and with careful guidance from him, climbed on and laid down. He had to lie on his stomach, with his head next to Geno's bony spine. He never actually realized just how big Geno was compared to him until now, the length of his head to just above his knees was only how long it was from the dorsal fin to the base of Geno's spine.
Nightmare soon fell asleep again with the rhythmic swaying of Geno slowly swimming through the water. Geno found a couple of buoyant tubes and placed one under his body to make sure he stayed afloat enough to not submerge Nightmare, and the other he used as a makeshift pillow. He fell asleep soon after.
Geno recovers! His tail is currently bandaged up still, but will be off next chapter. That injury left one heck of a gnarly scar tho.
And yeah, two-for-one story here, couldn't figure out how to write for the individual prompts after the previous part, so I combined them.
It's been a month since Nightmare helped Geno get free of theat net, and they've grown closer as friends since then. Geno still showed signs of distrust, though Nightmare never held it against him, nor did he pry into why he was so distrustful of "two-leggeds" as he called people who lived on land. It took some time to get used to the term, but he had no issues with it.
They've been meeting in the same place each time, starting to think that this place was safe to meet up. That is where they are now, both swimming a decent distance from shore, Nightmare with a life vest on(skeletons don't float very well after all), having a good time. Until a couple of people, looked like teenagers, showed up on a motor boat. Geno noticed them, and his mood soured.
Upon noticing Nightmare and Heno, they slowed down their boat to see who was there. Noticing the mershark, they started freaking out until they noticed that Nightmare was calm around him. Then they started being annoying.
"Hey, what are you doing next to that thing, don't you know those things are vicious? Or are you a freak as well?" His friends laughed at his taunts, adding their own.
"He is not a thing, you have no right coming up to us just to mock us. Go away and mind your own business!" Nightmare might have been too quick to get angry, but he had to deal with bullying a lot when he was younger when his brother wasn't near him. His brother and him tried to tell the teachers, but basically nothing was done. He was not taking shit from bullying teenagers again. That, and he wasn't about to let strangers insult his new friend.
"Oooh, I'm so scared of a monster. What are ya gonna do, huh? You can't do anything to us. Our parents know people high up, so if you so much as touch us, you're done."
"Hey, why don't we make sure that the waters are safe, I'm sure no one wants to get attacked by a shark. Let's do something about the freak of nature."
As Nightmare processed what that meant, the teenagers steered the boat towards him and Geno, intending to hit them. Nightmare knew he wasn't going to be able to swim fast enough to get out of the way, buy tried to anyway. He told Geno to get out of the way of the boat, the propellers can really hurt him.
Geno, who had been very quiet during the whole thing, realized the danger they were in if the brats were serious. Instead of swimming away, where he would have completely avoided the boat but left Nightmare to get hit, he grabbed Nightmare and dragged him down under the water.
Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to get deep enough that the boat would miss them, and the boat hit Geno. The propellers caught onto his tail and nearly shredded the tail, blood spreading in the water rapidly. The teenagers then drove off in their boat, satisfied with themselves.
Nightmare had managed to grab the ends of Geno's scarf so that it didn't get caught in the propellers as well, that would have been worse. Nightmare was in shock over what just happened, but snapped out of it when he saw the blood in the water. Letting the life vest float him back to the surface, he kept hold of Geno, not letting him sink to the ocean floor. Geno was in immense pain, and let Nightmare drag him to the surface.
Nightmare fought to get Geno into shallower water, needing to call his brother to send help. After what felt like much too long with Geno losing blood fast, he finally reached the shore and, after making sure that Geno wouldn't drift away from the shore, he rushed over to his boat and grabbed his phone and the first-aid kit. It wouldn't be enough, but it might help stop the bleeding enough to preserve his life long enough for help to arrive and administer the proper help Geno needed.
Geno was barely conscious at this point, and when feeling something touch his damaged tail, lashed out in pure fear and pain. He heard a familiar voice cry out, so he stopped, realizing that it was Nightmare. He did not notice, however, that his lashing out had hit him. Nightmare didn't care though, he knew that Geno was very hurt and lashed out because of it. He wasn't going to blame him for that.
Nightmare prioritized bandaging up the tail as much as he could, and then called his brother, who worked at the local aquatic rescue center. That was when the adrenaline started to diminish, and he started shaking.
Dream picked up after what felt like minutes. "Oh, hello Nighty, what's up? Having fun over there?"
Nightmare's voice was shaky when he answered, "Brother, I need help, there were a couple of teenagers in a boat, and they tried hitting me and Geno with their boat. They missed me, but, but they-" He felt like he couldn't breathe now. He was panicking now, scared for his friend.
"Hey, hey, Nightmare, breathe! What happened!? Where are you? Is Geno alright? Are you alright? Come on, breathe, whatever it is, I can help, I just need to know what happened so I can do something about it."
Nightmare tried to take deep breaths, and tried again to tell him what happened. "They hit Geno with their motorboat, his tail was caught in the propellers. He's awake still, but in a lot of pain. I just finished bandaging it up best I can, but he lost a lot of blood and needs more help than I can give him."
Dream was immediately concerned hearing just how scared his brother was, and started to calm him. "Okay, brother, it's going to be okay, alright? I'm going to call some of my coworkers to go and help you. I'll pull some strings around here to have a spare aquarium for Geno. I have to know where you are, though."
Nightmare gives him his location, and Dream reassures him once more before hanging up to start calling his coworkers. Nightmare was more than grateful for his brother in this moment. But now he had to make sure Geno lived long enough for help to get there.
Nightmare checked on Geno, who was still barely conscious, and talked to him. "It's going to be okay, just hold on. Help is on the way. I know you don't trust a lot of people, but I had to get my brother to get help. No, I know, but I need you to trust me here. They help wildlife from the ocean, it's their job. They will help you get better, ok? Do you trust me?"
Geno, who had started panicking when Nightmare mentioned that there were going to be people coming, but listening to him, he calmed down. He nodded to show that he trusted him. He knows Nightmare wouldn't be able to help him enough, and he didn't want to die, so this was the best choice. Didn't stop him from being scared.
Nightmare saw how scared he was and just held him, trying to calm him while making sure he stays awake. He's afraid that if he falls asleep, he won't wake up again.
Some time later, a boat that had a portable tank that was large enough for large sea creatures came by, and Nightmare flagged them down. The crew pulled up and started hooking up straps around Geno to lift him into the tank for transportation. They allowed Nightmare to come aboard, and the whole trip back he was right next to Geno, who they sedated and better bandaged his tail.
Nightmare was staying near the shallow waters today, there was a bad storm last night, and he was lucky that he had firmly secured his sailboat to the pier, it would have been swept away if it was just a bit looser than it was. He was also grateful that there was only scratch marks from the boat scraping against the pier, which was very minor damage. He was mainly double checking everything to make sure the storm didn't break something that he might not have noticed on the first lookover.
As he was sailing the coastline, he saw a tangled up net over a creature that was beached. He set about parking the boat at a nearby pier, and, after securing it, he went to go see what was washed up on the beach. As he approached, he noticed that it looks like a shark.
He started approaching slower, not sure if it would be safe enough to save it, when he sees it move. When he catches sight of bones, he stops. It turns out to be a good thing he stopped when he did because the skeleton... mershark? had seen him and started flailing and thrashing in the net. Nightmare can tell that it's agitated by his presence, but he wants to help the mershark get free.
"Hey-" Nightmare flinched back as the mershark tried to lunge at him. "Hey, it's alright, I won't hurt you. I want to help you."
The mershark seemed to stop to listen, so that proves to him that mers are intelligent enough to recognize speech. He wasn't doubting any intelligence, but can anyone blame him for not knowing some things about mers? They're so rarely seen, so any information on them is limited.
"How do I know you’re telling the truth? That you're not just saying that to get me to let my guard down?"
"Well, I promise that the only thing I have on me is a knife, but I promise it'll only be used on the net." He opens his jacket and the knife, whose blade is no bigger than three inches, is seen poking out of his pocket. "I'll only cut the ropes of the net, and I'll stop as soon as you tell me to. May I come closer to help get you out of that net now?"
"..." The mershark studied him with suspicion, before slowly nodding. This prompted Nightmare to start moving towards the mer, but not moving too suddenly, slightly anxious that moving too fast would startle him(at least he thinks the mer is male, from what his voice sounds like).
Once he was close enough, he kneeled down and examined how tight the net was and where would be the safest place to start cutting. He carefully takes the knife out, and starts slicing some of the netting where it's not super tight. He wants to avoid touching the blade to the mershark, both to not accidentally hurt him, and to not get attacked by him.
As he was doing this, he decided to talk a bit, hoping to make this less awkward and tense. "So, uh, are you usually around this area, or were you passing by when that storm came in?"
The mer stared at him, contemplating whether to answer this strange person. "... I sometimes do hang around here, but I'm usually more careful about the waste you two-leggeds dump in the ocean. I was unlucky this time, though, it would seem."
"I'm sorry about that, not much I can do about it, but I can say that I haven't dumped any garbage off of my boat. Try to clean some if I find any, as well. I know it's not much, but I do care about the ocean and its inhabitants." He cut a chunk off from the tangled net, freeing the mer's right arm.
"If I'm going by your word, then you sound like one of the more decent ones." He watched as Nightmare continued slicing more of the net, feeling it loosen up bit by bit.
"Thanks, I think. I try to be decent, anyway. I know I wouldn't want trash just lying around in my home, so I apply that to the environment as well. The name's Nightmare, by the way."
"If only that was everyone's logic, then things like this wouldn't happen. As for my name, it's Geno. I suppose it is a pleasure to meet you. You're not bad, for a two-legged."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, too. Despite the circumstances that led to this. Should be almost done here..." He sliced the last bit that was tangled around Geno's tail, and then put the knife away. "There we go, now to get you back in the ocean. Though, do you have any other injuries? I have a first-aid kit on my boat, and though I'm not too sure any of it will hols underwater, it's worth a try."
Geno looked himself over, and shook his head. "Thanks, but the net was the only issue. Thanks for freeing me, not everyone would have done that."
Nightmare smiled at him, "No problem, I'm glad I could help!"
Geno looked away, covering his reddening skull in his scarf. 'Why was that smile cute?'
"So, do you think you could get back in the water on your own, or should I try pulling or pushing you in?" Nightmare knew that pulling or pushing him in would be awkward, but he had no other ideas for getting him in the water if he can't get in on his own.
Geno thought it over, and tested how hard it would be to drag himself into the water. He didn't moved very much due to the loose sand, which, to him, meant that he'd be stuck on the hot sand if he refused help. So, taking a deep breath and swallowing his pride, answered "Pulling me would probably be the best way to do it."
Nightmare nodded in response, contemplating the easiest and least harmful way to do this. Pulling on his arms would either hurt or be too uncomfortable, so that was out. Maybe if he had Geno grab onto his shoulders and he tried to pull by walking forward? He explained his idea, and Geno agreed to it, seeing that it was the best option available.
Nightmare knelt down with his back to Geno, and when he felt Geno grab his shoulders and was assured that he was ready, Nightmare straightened up and started moving towards the ocean. It was slow, Geno was a large shark mer, but Nightmare wasn't going to complain. He got a good amount of workout just sailing his boat, and does exercises with his brother regularly.
Soon enough, they got to the ocean, and Nightmare went a little deeper before Geno let go of him and swam a bit further to a safer distance from the land. Nightmare stood where he was, pretty much beaming that he helped him. Geno smiled as well, happy to be in the ocean again.
"You know, I might come back here again in a week. If you show up, we could hang a bit I guess."
"I'll see you again soon, then. I just hope you avoid nets in the future, I'd hate to see you in trouble again."
"I'll be careful, don't worry. Thanks again, but I gotta go now." He turned away to leave, but stopped. "Do me a favor, though, don't tell anyone about me. Understand?"
Nightmare nodded, but decided to ask one question. "Would it be alright to just let my brother know? He knows how to keep a secret, I just want to let him know what I'd be doing next week so he doesn't have to worry. I won't if you really don't want me to, I understand why you wouldn't want a bunch of strangers to know about what you are. Not everyone is kind, I understand that."
Geno could sense the truth to his words, and thought about it. "...Alright, you can tell your brother. But no one else."
"Understood. Thank you for your trust in me on this. I'll see you around." He waved at him, as Geno gave a small wave back, and disappeared under the waves. Nightmare turned back to head to his boat, sailing back home to tell his brother about the mershark, but in private.
And here's the actual start of the story! I am very happy with how this one turned out!
Now, this could have been avoided had he made sure to check what the weather was going to be like for the few days he planned on sailing the ocean. Unfortunately, he had assumed that, due to the pattern of clear skies for days, that he would be safe to sail. Well, lesson learned.
He was caught in a very bad storm, and the wind and waves were bashing at his small sailboat. He had doubts that the boat would stay upright, but so far it just veered from one side to another. He prayed it stayed that way and didn't capsize. This boat wasn't made for surviving storms.
As he was trying to secure some vital equipment to prevent them from getting swept off the ship, a huge wave crashed into his boat. He was carried off the boat, and then the panic set in. Nightmare tried to keep afloat, to no avail. He was tossed around in the ocean, flailing in the harsh current.
Before long, he ran out of energy and sunk, and he couldn't help but worry about Dream. He knows his brother would be devastated hearing he had been out in the ocean during a storm and never came back. He tries to desperately swim up to air, but he only succeeds in weakly pushing against the flow of the current. As he's about to black out, he thinks he sees a shark? He can't tell as he loses consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~
Geno was swimming, going along the currents while also staying deep enough to not get completely thrashed in the tumultuous waves in this storm. He was just finished hunting,so he was just wandering. He looked up and saw a boat being tossed around. "Someone picked a bad day to traverse the ocean."
After a while, he got tired of watching the boat being thrown back and forth in the water and started swimming away, until he noticed that something seemed to fall off the boat. He thinks he sees it thrashing? He can't quite tell since the waves are tossing it around. He started getting closer to it to see what it was, and soon enough he realized that it was a person! They were thrashing weakly now, likely having been fighting against the waves ever since falling in.
Now, Geno may not trust two-leggeds, but he'd feel pretty trashy to just let this one drown. He doesn't know if this one is a poacher or not, but there is a chance this one is innocent of that horrid act. They're too far from shore for him to just get him there in a short time. Which means he's gotta help him along for at least a few days unless they come across another boat.
Making up his mind, he makes his way closer to bring them back to his den. The two-legged, who he now sees is a skeleton monster, wasn't moving anymore, either because he exhausted himself, or because he couldn't breath. Though, skeletons don't have lungs, so it's most likely the former option. He grabbed him and started swimming towards his den.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Nightmare felt like he was floating. As he opened his eyesockets, he didn't realize where he was. He started panicking when he realized he was still underwater, and while he doesn't need to breath, he was certain he wasn't going to get back to his brother. He was however far from the mainland, he was who knows how deep(though the water pressure wasn't too deep, he would definitely be feeling how heavy it is or just not be alive right now), with many dangers between here and the shore.
It wasn't long until he saw movement, and froze when he saw what it was. A mershark swam up to him with a large fish in its arms and a smaller fish in its mouth. The mershark removed the small fish from its mouth, "Ah, you're awake now, good. You can calm down a bit, I'm not going to hurt you, especially not after I brought you to my den."
Nightmare was confused, he didn't know mers knew English, not that he's against it in this moment or at all, he just thought that mers had their own language. Maybe they did but some learned some of the languages that humans and monsters spoke? He can admit that he's not very knowledgeable of mers and what they're like. He knows that they're intelligent, though. He thought of what the shark said, and admitted to himself that he(?) was right, if the mershark was going to harm him, he would have done it already, especially since he passed out for who knows how long.
"Eat up, you were out ever since the storm, and it's morning now. You're likely hungry." The mershark had torn off some of the larger fish as he said that and offered the chunk to him.
Nightmare, upon hearing about how long he's been out and how long he's been without food, realizes just how hungry he is since the adrenaline wore off. He took the chunk of fish, and after hesitating cause eating a fish raw is unusual to him, takes a bite. The taste wasn't bad, but he finished it anyway. "Thank you, for helping me and giving me food, I really appreciate the effort you made to helping a stranger. Oh, pardon my manners, my name is Nightmare."
The mershark, mid-bite in his own meal, seemed to be embarrassed by his thankfulness. "It's... not a problem, you seemed like a good person, and I wasn't going to let someone starve. My name is Geno. Don't get too used to it, though."
"It's nice to meet you, despite the storm that almost killed me. Though, uh, how do I get home from here?"
"I'll get you to shore, but you'll have to let me know which one I should be getting you to. Wouldn't be proper to leave you stranded on a shore opposite of where ya need to go." Geno finished his food and looked over at him
"Oh, sure, it's the one near the Atlantic Reef, if you know where that is."
"Oh yeah, I know where that is, I sometimes stop by there. I can get you there."
"Thank you again, I hope I can repay you for all this help you're giving me." Nightmare was so relieved, he can go home! Too bad about the boat, though. Oh well, just have to save up for a new one.
Geno waved it off, "It's fine, you don't have to do anything. I wasn't going to leave you to somehow get to land on your own. Just be grateful you didn't get eaten by a more aggressive animal or mer. We're not all friendly, and I have my own reservations about you two-leggeds."
Nightmare could tell that there was a story behind that, but didn't pry. Geno moved to grab Nightmare, having to figure out a position that wasn't awkward to swim with. Finding that having Nightmare on his back was the most efficient way without hindering him, he started swimming towards their destination.
It took a few hours, but they reached the beach near the Atlantic Reef, where Nightmare could then go home. Before he went, though, he asked if they'd see each other again. Geno thought for a while, and, before swimming away, said that they might in a week or so. And so, they went their separate ways.
So here's the non canon first day! I didn't like how their interactions were in relation to their personalities that I wanted to portray, but I'm happy with this. Hope you enjoy!
In one of the bandits' bases, a group of them were discussing some stuff. "So the asset apparently, somehow, got the protection of at least one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse!?" "Yeah." "This isn't good, how are we going to get it back!?" Similar questions were asked around the room, with no answer to them. One of them, the one in charge of this group, yells at them to be quiet. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?"
"One of the ones it stays with seems to have a darker side to him, as he had killed the small group we had sent to scout and retrieve the asset." "Oh? Is there anything we can use about this information?" Another bandit spoke up, "Maybe we can make the darker side of him join us? He seems to have no problem with killing." "Hmm, that might work, go for it." With that, the meeting was dismissed, and they took to planning how they would go about doing this.
~A few days later~
Blue had gone on patrol again, staying wary because of that other time he was out and bandits showed up. Then he saw bandits coming out of the forest. 'Great, think of them and they shall appear.' What really surprised him was what they were here for. "Hey, buddy, what do you say you join us? It'll be worth your while." Completely caught off guard by that ridiculous offer, he stayed silent, trying to process just what in the heck they said.
"... Heck no! What makes you think I'd join your group!?" "Well then, what about that alter ego you have? That side of you clearly has no problem with doing the same things we do." Blue was a bit confused, but realized they meant his yandere side. "I am very sure my 'alter ego' wouldn't join you either." "Oh yeah? Not even to, say, protect your brother? It would be a shame if something happened to him."
Blue was angry, but he could feel the yandere side of him starting to stir at the threat to his brother. "Trust me, my alter ego wouldn't join you to protect my brother. It'd kill you instead." "Then what about that asset that you protect? I'm sure it wouldn't care about what happened to it." "He's not an it!! Hipno is a person who doesn't deserve what you did to him!" "But of course it deserves it, it disobeys orders and even ran away. We just want it back, you wouldn't have to deal with us should you hand it over."
That's all it took for his yandere side to take over. His eyelights turned red, and giggled. "Oh, you're going to regret this~" "Ah, there you are. Why don't you join us? I'm sure you will enjoy what we have to offer." "Now, you see, that's where you're wrong. What you do involves hurting what's mine. And I can't say I appreciate that, so now you have to die." He then launched himself at the bandits, giving no mercy to those who threaten the safety of his family and Hipno.
Hipno had decided to go on a walk, but when he heard the sounds of pain and struggle, he quickly yet cautiously made his way over to where the noise was. He made sure to hide in the trees as he approached, the sounds getting louder as he approached. Then he saw what the cause was, it was Blue, but something told him it was Yan!Blue. It was definitely the dead bandits that gave it away. Yan!Blue didn't notice that there was a new visitor until he was jumped on from behind. Hipno hugged him to his chest, and did his best to hold him there. He's learned through trial and error that having him listen to his Soul beat helps calm him.
Yan!Blue froze, hearing the familiar beat of a Soul. He started to calm down, focusing on it. But then, he decided to mess around. "I didn't know you were interested in me that much~" Hipno was confused, what was he talking about? "Wha-?" Yan!Blue then twisted around and hugged Hipno. "You have pretty eyes, did you know that?' Hipno stuttered, not sure what was happening. "Uh... th-thanks?" "You know what would be good right about now? Cuddling with you." Hipno felt his face heating up, what was going on? Yan!Blue was leaning closer to him, and since he didn't know what to do, just stayed still.
Just then, Blue was in control again. He was a bit disoriented, but once he became aware of where he was, he immediately blushed and backed away from Hipno. "Oh stars, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, but I could tell you weren't very comfortable there." "N-no, you're fine, I just didn't expect your yandere side to... flirt? I think that's what was going on." Blue blushed even more, embarrassed that he'd been flirting with Hipno.
Blue decided to change the subject and said that he was going to take care of the bodies, and Hipno remembered that Yan!Blue was killing people before he calmed him. He said he was going to go home and wait for him there. As he left, he gave a smile and wave. Blue couldn't help but find that smile cute. He went on with his task of cleaning the area and disposing the bodies, then went back home.
Here's more of this! I finished it last night. It was already in the works before Aftermare Week came up, so I put this on hold so I could finish that.
Hipno was running, scared out of his mind. He didn't have a destination other than away. He didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that it was terrifying. Standing still, with the distance growing farther from him, was Blue. He was standing above the dead bodies and dust of some bandits, blood and dust splattered on him. He knew what had happened, and he felt terrible that Hipno found out about it this way.
He had a yandere side, and it had been set off by these bandits. He's somewhat grateful that he's not aware when it happens, the results are quite gruesome. He was planning on telling Hipno about this, but he's been waiting until he knows Hipno was ready to know about it. Unfortunately, this happened. He won't try running after Hipno, it would only scare him more.
*10 minutes prior*
Hipno had decided to go for a walk in the forest. It had been a few weeks since he and Blue went to Nightmare's manor. Though he wasn't expecting to see Blue in the middle of mercilessly killing a bandit, with bodies surrounding him. He was scared, especially when Blue turned around and looked at him. His eyelights were small and red, and he had a crazed smile on his face. He looked terrifying, and Hipno froze in fear.
Blue blinked, vision and senses returning, and his eyelights returned to normal. The first thing he registers is that he feels the blood on his arms, telling him what happens in an instant. The next thing he notices is Hipno, terrified and breathing fast and hard. 'Oh stars, I didn't want him to see this side of me yet.' He took one step towards Hipno, preparing to try calming him down. It seemed to break the spell that kept Hipno in place, as he jolted and sprinted away.
*Present time*
Blue took a blood covered glove off and grabbed his phone. He quickly called his brother, having to retry only once more before Stretch picked up. "Hey bro-" "Hi, can you go find Hipno? I went yandere mode on some bandits that showed up, and he had seen the last bit at the least. He ran away, which I understand. I must've terrified him..." "Sure, let me go find him. Clean yourself up, alright?" "Of course. Good luck." He hung up and started cleaning up the area and burying the bodies.
Stretch teleported to the forest and started looking for Hipno. He came across tracks in the snow, and decided to follow them, hoping they were Hipno's. After a while of following the tracks, he saw a small crevice, it was too small for him, but it was just the right size for a small skeleton to fit in. And the tracks led to it, so he made the logical conclusion that Hipno most likely was hiding in there. He approached the crevice and looked inside.
True to his assumption, Hipno was in there, shaking and crying. Stretch knew he was going to startle him no matter how he went about this, kneels down. "hey there bud." Hipno snaps his head over to Stretch, eyesockets wide in fear. "it's okay, you're safe. i promise i won't hurt you. i know what happened, blue called me and told me." "He-he kill-led those people." "i know, i know. i can explain what happened, but i need you to calm down a bit first, okay?" "O-okay."
Hipno took some deep breaths, having learned it from Stretch and Blue. After he calmed down, he crawled out of the crevice and sat near the cave wall. "alright, so blue has these episodes, they're kinda random and he's completely unaware of what happens when he's like that. it can also be triggered by anyone threatening those he loves and cares about. we've been calling it yandere mode. unfortunately, we don't really know how long he's had it before it started happening, whether he's been born with it or if it's something that developed later. the important thing is, he won't ever hurt the ones he cares about in that state. we haven't tested it, but if the person he cares about is there and happens to be in the way, he just either moves around the person or stops in place."
"So, it's not something that he can control?" Stretch shakes his head. "no, he's told me that he can't move his body like that, and that it's like he's blacked out. we've just learned to live with it. truthfully, blue was planning on telling you, but wanted to wait until he thought you'd be ready to know, but it seems like it wasn't meant to be."
"I see. I think I understand, but I just know I'm going to have nightmares about this now." "yeah, probably. you want to go back home and see blue, or do you need a bit more time? by now he's cleaned himself up, but he'd understand if you still needed some time to yourself to sort out your thoughts on this." "I think I need a bit, but I do want to go home. I'll just stay in my room for the rest of the day, and sort out my thoughts." "alright, i'll give you food when it's lunch and dinner time as well."
Stretch teleported them both back to the house, and let him go to his room. Blue was in the bathroom, finishing up. He came out when he was done, and saw Stretch. "You found him?" "yeah, he's in his room. i explained what happened, and he said he needed a little bit to sort out his thoughts. i'll give him his meals when it's time for lunch and dinner." "Alright." Blue looked sad but understanding.
Later that day, Hipno came out of his room, and went looking for Blue. He knocked on his door, thinking he might be in there. "Come in." Hipno opened the door, and sat near Blue. "I thought it over, and... I'm okay now. I trust you to not hurt me during that state, even if it's going to give me nightmares for the next few nights." Blue smiled and hugged him, tearing up because he was somewhat worried that Hipno wouldn't want to be around him anymore. They hugged it out, and fell asleep like that. Stretch peeked in, and snapped a picture on his phone. He then went to bed himself.
@iinkxerror here's the next chapter! Blue is a yandere in this universe, though I didn't focus on it that much. Mainly due to not knowing much on how to write that kind of character.
When they all arrive in Blue's house, Stretch immediately went to collapse on the couch, falling asleep soon after. Blue couldn't complain this time, he knows his brother is exhausted from today's events. Blue went to the kitchen to start making tacos, leaving Hipno with Nightmare. Hipno, although grateful that Nightmare helped him and the brothers, was still uneasy around Nightmare. He wasn't sure what to think about him. Sure, he helped him and Blue, but he doesn't look entirely friendly.
Nightmare sensed his emotions, and went to lean against the wall near the TV. He wanted to give Hipno some space between them, keeping his hands visible and his tentacles retracted. "It's alright, I won't hurt you. I understand that you are still wary of me, and that is completely fine." Hipno looks away for a bit, but is grateful that he understands. He looks back at Nightmare when he feels ready to at least talk to him.
"I... I want to say thank you. For, uh, helping Blue and Stretch. And me. I don't know how to repay you for that." Nightmare waves it off. "You don't have to repay me, I helped because I wanted to help. Besides, Blue is my... friend."
Hipno was confused by Nightmare's hesitation when he called Blue a friend. "Why did you hesitate? Are you not quite friends?" Nightmare shook his head. "No, we are, I'm just not used to admitting it aloud. Especially around someone I don't know. But I'm willing to swallow my pride this once. Anyway, I suppose I should introduce myself properly. I am Nightmare, guardian of negativity and King of Nightmares." He said the last bit in a formal way, extending his hand out for a handshake.
Hipno hesitantly shook his hand, and was surprised how lightly Nightmare held his hand, allowing him to retract his hand if he chose to. "I'm Hipno. Nothing really special about me." Blue called out from the kitchen, "You are special!" Hipno jumped, not expecting that. Nightmare couldn't hold back a chuckle, but called back to Blue, "You kinda startled him there." "Sorry!" Hipno called over, but in a quieter tone, "It's okay, just didn't expect it."
Soon, Blue came out with a tray of tacos, setting it down on the table near the TV. "Alright, tacos are ready." Hipno thanks Blue for the food and grabs one, and Nightmare takes one as well. "So, Nightmare, how is everything back at the manor?" Nightmare shrugs. "Same as usual, I suppose. Had to replace yet another table, though. And repair the kitchen."
"The others sure like roughhousing, huh?" Blue laughed a little. Hipno was confused, though, what's a manor? Who are the others Blue is talking about? He wasn't sure if he should ask, somewhat scared that Nightmare wouldn't like him interrupting their conversation. He decided he'd stay quiet unless he was talked to, figuring that it was the safest thing to do in this situation.
Nightmare noticed Hipno's confusion, but wasn't quite sure what he was confused about. "Hipno, if you want to say something, it's okay to speak. I'm not going to judge you for whatever you want to say." Hipno, startled out of his thoughts, took a minute to process what he said. "I-I, uh, don't know what a 'manor' is?" Hipno mentally slapped himself for stuttering as he asked that.
"A manor is basically a large house, originally used by Lords who ruled over some land. I use it as a base for me and four to five other people. Would you like to meet them? They may be rough, but they're nice when you get to know them. They won't hurt you, either, I promise."
Hipno thought it over, and looked over to Blue. Blue nodded, "It's true, they won't hurt you, especially since you're with me. Plus, you'd be Nightmare's guest, which means they'll behave. Er, mostly." Blue remembers when he first visited Nightmare's manor, they behaved, but they were prone to annoy each other. That usually led to playful roughhousing, which could lead to unintentionally dragging others into it.
Hipno made a decision, trusting Blue's judgment. "Yeah, I'll meet them. I trust Blue, and I'm willing to try trusting you. We can go soon, I just want to rest for a bit." Nightmare nodded, "Understandable, take your time, this was a rough day for you." Hipno let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, having been a little apprehensive of his response. Blue had decided to carefully maneuver his brother's body so that he wasn't taking up the whole couch, providing room for two more people to sit on. "Hipno, there's space on the couch for you to relax." "What about you?" I'll sit next to you, unless Nightmare wants to sit?"
Nightmare shook his head, "I'm good here." Blue nodded, and he sat down, followed by Hipno. Hipno found he was more tired than he realized, and soon enough, he fell asleep leaning on Blue's shoulder. Blue slightly blushed, which Nightmare noticed and gave a teasing smirk. Blue just stuck his tongue out at him. Nightmare let out a light laugh, not loud enough to wake Hipno up.
*Two hours later*
Hipno shifted a bit before opening his eyes, only to see Blue relaxing on the couch next to him. He was awake, quietly talking with Nightmare and Stretch, who woke up a little while ago. Hipno was embarrassed that he was basically sleeping on Blue. Blue noticed he was up and looked over. "Have a nice nap?" He nodded, "Sorry for sleeping on you." "It's okay, I'm not bothered by it."
Stretch chuckled, which brought Hipno's attention to him. "Are you alright? You were pretty exhausted from earlier." Stretch gave him a thumbs up, "yeah I'm good, still a bit tired, but that nap helped. how're you doing?" "I feel a bit better now, actually." He was telling the truth, the nap helped calm his Soul down from earlier. He also didn't have any nightmares, which he was surprised about, but thankful for.
"Do you feel ready to meet my group? We can always do this another day if you changed your mind." Nightmare wanted to make sure he wanted to meet them, instead of being only a decision made while in an emotionally vulnerable state.
Hipno took a minute to answer, but said "Yeah, I'm good to go." Nightmare nodded, and created a portal to the AU his hideout was located in. Blue and Hipno get up, but before they enter, Hipno looks back at Stretch, who hadn't moved. "You're not coming?" "nah, I'm just going to chill here." "Oh, ok."
They went through the portal, and they came out in front of the manor. Hipno was in awe of how big it was, he never saw a house this big before! "This place is huge!" Nightmare chuckled at Hipno's amazement. Blue smiled at his unrestrained excitement Hipno was showing, looking around and with a pretty big smile. Blue was glad that he was comfortable enough to let him be himself.
Nightmare guided them to the door, entering in first in case one of his gang was roughhousing with one or more of the rest of the others. Seeing the coast was clear, he waved them in. Hipno couldn't keep his excitement contained when he saw how amazingly decorated the place was. He may not be an expert in interior design, but he could tell that this place was greatly cared for. There were even paintings on the walls! As he kept looking at the decor, he bumped into someone, and would have fallen if the person hadn't caught him.
"Woah, there, shouldn't ya get to know me before fallin' for me?" Hipno looked up, and saw a skeleton who didn't have eyelights and had a strange substance dripping from his eyesockets. He also noticed the bright red target in front of his chest. "S-sorry." The skeleton merely chuckled, and released him after making sure he wasn't going to fall. "It's fine, just messing with ya. You must be the new guest Boss brought over. Name's Killer."
Hipno was concerned over his name, but still trusted that he wouldn't be hurt, Blue said as much. "I'm Hipno." "Nice ta meet you, Hipno. You looked like you were admiring the place." "I am, I've never seen a place so big before. Or as decorated as this!" "Heh, yeah, Nightmare likes keeping this place looking nice. C'mon, I'll introduce you to the others!" Killer didn't bother waiting for a reply before pretty much dragging Hipno through the manor, giving him a tour as he went to find Dust.
Nightmare and Blue followed, amused that Killer had immediately decided to 'kidnap' Hipno. Nightmare sensed that Hipno wasn't panicked about it, so didn't bother stopping Killer. Hipno was kinda distracted as he was led through the manor, looking at all the decor. Eventually, Killer found Dust, who was playing a card game with Cross. They looked up from the game when they heard Killer come in, and noticed the new person Killer dragged in.
Dust waved, while Cross jumped up to say hello. Hipno flinched slightly, but he calmed himself, just didn't expect the sudden movement when he wasn't paying full attention. Killer noticed, and slapped Cross across the back of his skull. "Hey, what was that for!" "You scared him with your sudden movement, you remember what Nightmare said, don't you?"
"No, no, it's fine, I wasn't paying attention, you don't need to fight." Hipno didn't want to be the cause of a fight. Dust came up to both of them, "Stop, you're upsetting him." They both felt bad about it, Cross looked over to Hipno, "Sorry, it wasn't my intention to have upset you." Killer joined in, apologizing for upsetting him with his actions as well. "I-it's fine, I wasn't paying attention, and I don't really like violence."
"Anyways, I think it's time we introduced ourselves. I'm Dust, the oreo over here is Cross." "Hey! I'm not an oreo!" "Then why do you look like one Crossy~." Crosstown his hands in the air and walked a bit away. Hipno looked concerned about him, but Killer just said, "He's alright, just a bit embarrassed. We're just teasing him." "Okay, then. Uh, what's an oreo?"
They looked at him, shocked. "How do you not know what an oreo is?" The question was asked by Dust, though Killer was about to ask that. "I've never had or seen one, how would I know what it is?" Cross is the one to answer him, "An oreo is a cookie. It has two parts of a cookie that sandwich a creme filling. It's pretty good. We don't have any right now, though." Hipno had a rough idea of what an oreo is now, so he thanked them.
Horror came in not too long after, letting everyone know that dinner's ready. Hipno couldn't help but stare at the hole in Horror's skull. When Horror noticed, he went over to him. Hipno noticed he was staring, and looked away. "Sorry, didn't realize I was staring." "It's fine, I probably look pretty scary with my skull the way it is. I'm fine, the wound is old and as healed as it's gonna get. And it don't hurt, either."
"Oh, okay. That's good. What kind of food did you make?" "I made some pasta, does that sound good to you?" Hipno nodded, feeling hungry. They all ate at the dinner table, talking amongst themselves, but mostly asking Hipno about his life. What brought him to Underswap, how he met Blue, those kinds of questions.
They were very sympathetic for his story, and promised they'd help him if he ever needed it. After they finished eating, and Horror made sure they ate every last bit on their plates, he won't tolerate anyone wasting food, they all decided to relax in the living room. Nightmare soon left the room to go check in on his "guests", only to find they somehow escaped. He was angry, but trusted that his gang made sure that they were properly secured, which left the only option: they somehow found a way out. He couldn't sense them in the universe, so he figured they had left the universe somehow. He didn't have to worry about them finding the base, he had Error hide the codes and coordinates to this universe long ago. He wasn't going to tell Blue or Hipno about this, at least, not yet. He'll let them relax, they had a rough day already. He returned to the living room to relax with the others.
Error showed up in the living room, startling Hipno, but he went back to relaxing shortly after when the others greeted him. They all talked, Error learned of Hipno's story, and they kinda all ended up in a cuddle pile. Except for Error, who made a hammock with his strings.
And here's the next chapter! Hipno gets to meet the rest of Nightmare's gang. Hope you enjoy this! Here you are, @iinkxerror. Also tagging @jann-the-bean and @yuriyuruandyuraart because they are the ones who inspire me to write.
For the next two days, Hipno started getting used to staying with the brothers. He was still a little apprehensive, but he knew they wouldn't hurt him. They had made sure he knew that by doing little things, like not slamming doors open or closed, not moving too fast near him(Blue mostly, he's always been energetic but knows how to slow himself down when needed.) Stuff like that helped Hipno trust them more, and he had to admit he was getting attached to them. Nothing serious had happened since he escaped, but he knew they would track him down eventually. He has had better sleep since being here, but he still had nightmares about them showing up and hurting Blue and Stretch.
Blue and Stretch decided that maybe Hipno can come with them into the forest outside Snowdin. They knew he didn't trust any of the other monsters in town, so they weren't going to walk. Stretch would just take them through a shortcut to his station. They had to ask him first, though, to see if he wanted to. "Hey, Hipno? Do you want to go into the forest? No one's usually around there, too. It's okay if you don't want to, it's just something me and my brother thought you'd like to do instead of being cooped up in the house all the time."
Hipno thought it over, then decided to give it a shot. They were right, he wouldn't want to always stay indoors, he wouldn't feel entirely free. Sure, he's no longer in the black market's hands, but being locked away in a house, regardless of it being better than a cell, is like a new prison. "Sure. Are we going right now?"
"sure, we'll be taking a shortcut to my station. you might feel uneasy at first, but you might get used to it if you experience it enough. you'll have to hold my hand during it, though." Stretch put one hand on Blue's shoulder, and offered his other hand to Hipno. Hipno was a little confused about what a shortcut meant, or why he would feel uneasy, but was glad for the warning anyway. He put his hand in Stretch's, and readied himself for whatever would happen. "So, what n-"
Stretch had teleported before he could finish, and true to what Stretch said, Hipno felt uneasy when they got to their destination. After he felt a bit better, he took a good look around, kinda recognizing the place as where he entered this universe. He wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings then, so he took the time to actually check it out.
After a few minutes of Blue and Hipno playing in the snow, Stretch had the feeling they were being watched. He moved closer to his bro, looking warily at the surrounding trees. Blue, noticing his brother's wariness, said to Hipno, "Stay close to me, I think we have company."
'This was a bad idea, I shouldn't have come out here.' Hipno had a bad feeling that he knew who was here, he had been hoping against the bandits finding him. 'There going to get hurt because of me, they're going to make me kill them! I don't want them to get hurt, they didn't do anything wrong!' He started panicking, his breathing became shallow as his SOUL beat hard in his ribcage.
Some silhouettes were moving from behind the trees, and one of them came out into the open. He was a fox-looking monster, wearing a black, leather jacket with jeans. His hands were in the jacket pockets, it looked like there might be something in his hand in one of them. He spotted Hipno, and said, "I see you two have something that doesn't belong to you. I suggest you give it back, and no one gets hurt here."
Hipno trembled, he knew they wouldn't just leave the brothers alone even if they let them take him. Blue and Stretch looked very offended that they referred to Hipno as an object. "Hipno isn't an object to be owned, he's a living being that deserves to live his life freely! And he isn't going back to you, not EVER!! We won't let you hurt him anymore!" Hipno was happy Blue and Stretch were willing to defend him, but he was terrified that they wouldn't be able to do anything to stop them from taking him anyway. He really hoped they wouldn't fail, he didn't want to go back.
The bandit pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a phone which was open to a music app. "It's too bad you feel that way." He pressed play, and music started playing. Blue and Stretch felt their bodies move on their own, swaying to the beat. They tried fighting against it, but noticed that the bandits weren't affected. Stretch asked above the volume of the music, "how are you guys not affected by his aura!?"
"Oh? It told you about its aura, did it? Saves us the explanation, I suppose. As for how we're not affected, we invented a spell that makes us immune to its aura." Hipno had started crying, tears flowing down his face. He got up, wanting to attempt to fight the bandit holding the phone. "Ah ah ah, you attempt to fight us, and I'll turn the music up louder.~ You know what happens when it gets louder, don't you?"
Hipno's eyelights disappeared, stiff as a board as he recalled what happens when music plays louder. The louder the music, the faster others are forced to dance. Blue attempted to send bones at one of the bandits while he was dancing, but missed because he couldn't focus on his aim. Hipno started begging the bandits to leave them alone, but he was ignored.
Unknown to everyone there, far enough away from the effects of Hipno's aura, stood a figure in the forest. He was watching cautiously the events happening in front of him. He scowled at the bandits surrounding Blue and his brother, as well as the new person. He recognized him as the one in the nightmare he saw a couple of nights ago. He was watching Underswap for any new interest from other individuals in the multiverse, and keeping his lone eye out for threats. Underswap was under his protection since Blue became a friend ally of his.
After analyzing his best course of action, he decided to try distracting some of the bandits by extending the tentacles on his back and causing noises in the forest near the human bandit nearest him. The human heard some rustling behind him, and after the fox monster nodded for him to check it out, went cautiously into the forest. A female bat monster went with him as well, which only made Nightmare smirk at how simple his trap needed to be. He waited until they were a bit further away, while luring them a bit deeper into the forest with the sounds he made with the tentacles.
Stretch and Blue noticed the sound, and were confused and concerned about whoever might've made the noise. But, moments later, they heard a scream as the human was thrown against a tree nearby, hearing a SNAP as he hit it. The human landed on the ground, and sagged forward limply. The bandits looked at each other, wondering if they should go check out who or what threw him or stay put to keep an eye on Hipno and the brothers.
They didn't have to wait long, as they saw Nightmare appear from the shadows, slightly swaying now that he was in range of Hipno's aura. After watching what was happening earlier, he expected it. "So, you are the unknown bandits that are spread throughout the multiverse."
When Blue and Stretch saw Nightmare, they were shocked to see Nightmare here. Blue was more relieved to see him than Stretch, as he was ever wary of the King of Nightmares ever since Blue had admitted that they were friends, though Nightmare denied it and said that they were allies. "H-hi Nightmare. Not that...*pant* I'm not happy to see you,...*pant* but what brings you here?" He was starting to get a bit tired, and knew his brother was already breathing hard.
"Oh, I was just passing through, and happened to notice that these miserable creatures were causing trouble for you. So I decided that I would take care of them myself." He turned his focus to the rest of the bandits, "I suggest you all leave while you can if you value your pathetic lives." He brings his tentacles all the way up, evidence of dust and blood on two of them.
Hipno saw the blood and dust on his tentacles, and was even more scared, not knowing if this new monster was with the bandits. He had heard Blue talk to him, but didn't really know if they were friends or if this monster had tried to hurt Blue in the past. When he noticed Nightmare make eye contact with him, he curled into himself to make himself look smaller. He let out a muffled sob, afraid for his new friends, of going back to the black market, and afraid of this new monster that seemed to have no issues with killing others.
The fox bandit decided that this would require force and turned the music up louder, causing Blue and Stretch to dance faster. Stretch looked like he wanted to throw up, while Blue was more worried about how fast he was going. Nightmare had more of a bounce in his swaying, but otherwise in control of his actions. "As much 'fun' as this is, I'm going to have to cut this short."
Nightmare quickly stabbed his tentacle at the phone the bandit was holding. He missed when the bandit moved out of the way, but he didn't move fast enough to dodge the second tentacle. It went through his arm with his phone, causing him to drop it. He let out a scream, but tried to bend down to retrieve it, knowing that if he did, he'd be able to change the volume again. Before he could grab it, Nightmare grabbed his arm with the tentacle still impaled in the fox's arm, pulling him into the air. He used another tentacle to grab the phone, before anyone else had the bright idea to get it, and turned the music off.
Blue collapsed to the ground, having been twirling in place and was dizzy. Stretch collapsed because he felt sore in his bones. The other bandits were starting to get very scared of Nightmare, some were backing away. Nightmare didn't let them get far, sending his three other tentacles to round them up and threw them into each other. Then he slammed the fox into the ground behind him, which knocked him out, as well as breaking a few bones. He opened a portal beneath the bandits, which led to his hideout's dungeon, intent on dealing with them later. He knew Blue wouldn't want to see him thrash them, even if he knew what Blue thought of the bandits. He had felt Blue's anger toward them when Hipno told him and his brother about them. He was hiding in the shadows nearby, as he was curious about the skeleton whose dream he witnessed.
"Alright, they shouldn't be a problem for you anytime soon. Hopefully the events of today will prevent any further attempts." Nightmare said as he approached Blue and Stretch, retracting his tentacles as they weren't needed anymore. He saw Hipno still curled into a ball, and crouched next to him. "Hey, the bad people are gone. I won't hurt ya, you're safe. You're under Blue's protection, so that means ya won't have to worry about me causing you harm." He was smiling softly, something he doesn't let most see from him.
Hipno looked up at that, "You won't hurt me?" He wasn't sure if he could believe him. He turned to Blue and Stretch, and saw how exhausted they were. "I-I'm so so-orry, I c-couldn't help you." He started crying harder, he didn't want this to happen. Blue was the first to get up, Stretch not having enough energy to try, but gave a wave of his hand to show he was alright.
"It's okay, it's not your fault. Besides, we're fine, see?" Blue stood up, and showed that he was unharmed. He turned to Nightmare, "Thank you so much for helping us, we all appreciate it. Would you like to stay for," he checked his phone, "lunch? I think we all need to unwind after that."
Nightmare thought it over, and decided that the bandits could wait a bit. "Hmm, why not? Just let me call one of the others to let them know to watch over our new 'guests'." He took his own phone out, and remembered the phone he took from the bandit. He decided he didn't need it, so he just crushed it in his tentacle and dumped the remains of it in a portal to the dump in a random universe's Waterfall. He then made a quick call to Horror to keep an eye on their new guests, and to make sure they didn't escape. Nightmare then grabbed them all gently, and teleported to Blue's house.
Yes! Finished this chapter last night. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This was a bit hard to write, mainly because this is the first time writing a fight scene(even if there wasn't much of a fight). And if you're wondering why Nightmare wasn't as affected as Blue and Stretch, @iinkxerror told me that Nightmare is able to resist Hipno's aura more than others, as well as a few others, but I forgot who.
Hipno belongs to @iinkxerror
Underswap belongs to @popcornpr1nce
Nightmare belongs to @jokublog
Tagging @jann-the-bean and @yuriyuruandyuraart because they inspired me to write.
