He realized something was very wrong with Nightmare when he checked up on him during his time in his office. He didn’t look very… in the moment. His cheekbones were flushed a cyan blue, and he was swaying side to side. His eye-lights looked hazy and his eye-sockets were half-lidded.
“How’d… the food raid go…?” croaked Nightmare.
“It went fine, we got all the supplies we needed,” answered Dust.
“Good. You are-” before he could finish his sentence, a loud sneeze echoed off the walls. Nightmare sniffled, rubbing at his nasal bridge.
“Bless you…” said Dust politely.
“You are dismissed…” sighed Nightmare.
Dust turned on his heel, and as he was about to twist the doorknob and exit, he paused. “...Are you sure you’re alright, Night?” he asked bluntly.
Nightmare nodded sluggishly. “I’m just a little... under the weather,” assured the goopy skeleton.
The mismatched eye-lighted skeleton grunted in response before he left the office.
He decided it would be better if he kept his worry thoughts to himself for the time being. He didn’t want to overwhelm Nightmare. If he told the rest of his teammates, they’d fret over him and not give him any space. They’d be hurting him more than helping him.
As he stepped into the kitchen, he was met with Axe baking cookies. He considered telling him and went through with it. He could confide in him. Axe was more quiet than the rest of the gang, he didn’t have a blabbermouth like Cross and Killer.
“Axe, do you have a minute?” he asked.
The gigantic skeleton turned around. Axe’s singular and piercing eye-light darted up at Dust. He had just finished baking cookies, letting them cool off on the tray.
“Yeah…?” he replied slowly.
Dust took a seat on the kitchen chair, beckoning Axe to sit beside him. He complied without a second thought. The hooded skeleton leaned close to his friend.
“I think Nightmare is sick,” he whispered.
Axe blinked, staring at Dust as if he had two heads. “But… he’s practically immortal…” protested Axe.
“I know, but his soul is in a mortal body. He’s still prone to illnesses like the rest of us,” explained Dust.
“...I’ll make soup...” Axe stood up and quickly gathered a few ingredients to start the chicken noodle soup.
“And I’ll get some medicine. Monster candy would help, too,” said Dust as his magic twirled around him, teleporting away.
The two skeletons stood outside of Nightmare’s office, contemplating whether they should go in.
They knew no matter what, Nightmare would be angry at the intrusion. But he needed help, so they’d ignore their worries for the sake of their dad leader.
The pair stormed in without knocking, making their way to either side of Nightmare. The goopy skeleton blinked several times, staring at the two of them blankly. He was really out of it.
The two realized in front of Nightmare were his paperwork. The page in front of him was empty, with no words on it. He held a pen, but his hand wasn’t moving.
Axe hoisted him up, picking him up easily. Nightmare argued at the sudden movement by groaning. His tendrils flopped to the floor, dragging against the wood as the three exited the room.
Dust made sure before they left to check the hallways in case Killer or Cross was present. Luckily, the other skeletons were busy sparring in the training room.
Neither skeletons teleported to Nightmare’s room, although it would’ve been easier. Nightmare may not react well if they teleported on top of his sickness.
Thankfully, the three skeletons made it with no trouble.
Axe tucked Nightmare in carefully. He objected the complete way through, whining about the work he needed to finish. He mumbled incoherently as Dust rushed to the bathroom that was attached to Nightmare’s bedroom, grabbing a washcloth before dunking it into the sink water.
Once he finished, he rested the washcloth on Nightmare’s forehead. Axe handed him a monster candy.
“Eat it…” said Axe.
Nightmare turned his skull, pouting like a child. “‘M not hungry…” he mumbled. Axe rolled his eye-light in response.
“You need to... eat to get better…” retorted Axe firmly.
A cough racked Nightmare’s body. He felt terrible.
He took the monster candy, chewing it in his mouth. He rested his head back on the pillow behind him. His eye-sockets slowly shut as his breathing evened out, indicating he was asleep.
Axe and Dust sighed with relief at their leader’s sleeping figure.
The hooded skeleton turned to his friend. “Can you watch Night? I need to distract Cross and Killer, it’s better if they don’t know,” said Dust.
“They’ll… find out… eventually…” remarked Axe.
Dust sighed before he nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll just tell ‘em,” huffed out the hooded skeleton as he exited the room. “If there’s a problem, text me,” he finished.
He found the other skeletons watching the television in the ‘living room’ of the castle. He greeted them.
“I was wondering where everyone ran off to, where’s Night and Axe? I haven’t seen Nightmare all day,” commented Killer.
“He’s sick in his room. Axe is watching him right now,” replied Dust calmly. It was better to keep a nonchalant composure than to panic.
Killer and Cross stared at him as if he had two heads.
“Sick?!” exclaimed Cross in a worried tone. He stood up from where he sat on the couch, fiddling with his skeletal hands nervously.
Killer’s grin tightened. “How long has he been sick for?” asked the eyeless skeleton.
“I’m not entirely sure. While you both were sparring, Axe and I took him to his room,” explained Dust.
Anger flashed on Killer’s skull as he swiftly rose from the couch, storming towards Dust. He poked his ribcage, seething with rage.
“That was almost two hours ago. What? You just weren’t gonna tell us?” he hissed.
“I figured it was better if I didn’t, considering you both would overreact,” deadpanned Dust.
“Overreact?!” barked Killer.
“The King of Negativity falls down because of an illness and we’re not supposed to freak out? What if the Star Sanses take advantage of that, huh?” snarled Killer.
“They don’t even know where our hideout is,” replied Dust.
“They could figure it out,” snapped Killer.
“We should spread some negativity to speed up the healing process,” interjected Cross.
“I dunno if that’ll work, considering his mortal body is working off the illness,” said Dust.
Killer sighed deeply. “So what’re we supposed to do, then?” asked the eyeless skeleton impatiently.
“There’s not much to be done when a monster’s sick. You can only do so much.”
“Less talking, more walking. I need to see Nightmare myself,” gritted out Killer as he stepped forward, making his way out of the room.
Cross and Dust followed behind him. As the three made their way in the hallway and towards Nightmare’s bedroom, Cross noticed something.
Dust’s hands were trembling.
Killer waltzed into Nightmare’s room, leaving the two skeletons alone. Cross tugged on Dust’s sleeve. The hooded skeleton turned his skull.
“Why’re you shaking?” inquired Cross.
“It’s cold,” lied Dust.
“We’re skeletons and we have no skin. We can’t feel temperatures,” said Cross emotionlessly.
Dust scoffed, reeling his arm away from Cross’s grasp. “I’m fine, Cross. Worry about Nightmare, not me,” dismissed the hooded skeleton.
The monochromatic skeleton crossed his arms. He arched a brow-bone. “You don’t have to tell me, but you’re worried too, right? It’ll be okay, Dust,” assured Cross warmly.
Maybe Dust was worried that Nightmare might die due to the sickness, although it was unlikely. He’s suffered greater injuries and pulled through. He didn’t want the monsters he cared about the most to end up like his dead brother.
Dust shook his skull. “I’m aware,” he replied with sass before he entered the room with Cross hot on his toes.
Nightmare was still asleep with Axe beside him on the bed, resting a fresh washcloth on his forehead. A bowl of soup was left untouched on the night table. Killer had a chair beside the bed, nervously playing with a knife in his hands.
“How’s he doing?” whispered Dust as he pulled up a chair. Cross closed the door behind him with a soft thud.
Suddenly, Nightmare’s eye-sockets shot open, blinking blearily. All the other skeletons in the room paused, staring at him. His one eye-light scanned his surroundings. A cough escaped his teeth as he hid it in his arm.
“...H-How’d I get here?” his voice was thick with sleep and nasally.
“Axe and I took you back to your room. I realized after the food raid you weren’t looking too well,” uttered Dust sympathetically.
He propped his arm on his mattress, blinking several times. “I...I need to wo-” a sneeze left his teeth. Axe quickly grabbed a tissue box that was on the bed and handed him it. Nightmare thanked him before he ripped one out, blowing harshly into it.
“There’s no way in hell you’re working in the condition you’re in,” snarled Killer.
Nightmare scowled at him darkly, trying his best to look intimidating, but cooped up in the bed wasn’t working for him.
“How do you feel?” asked Cross gingerly.
“How do you think I feel? Like a truck has run me over,” snapped Nightmare bitterly.
He flopped back down on his pillow, glaring daggers at his boys.
“Don’t any of you have anything better to do?” sniffed Nightmare.
“Then to look over you? Nope,” Killer popped the ‘p’.
Nightmare rolled his eye-light before he turned on his side. He yawned. “I’d appreciate it if you all left me in my chambers, so you don’t catch what I have. Although, it’s not like you’ll listen to me. If you get sick, that’s on you,” remarked Nightmare.
He shut his eye-sockets again, drifting off to sleep.
“I think… he’s having a nightmare…” said Axe in a concerned tone.
The three other skeletons perked their skulls up. Killer was still playing with his knife, Dust was busy with a book in his hands, and Cross was viewing Nightmare’s large bookshelf beside the door.
They all dashed towards Nightmare, inspecting him nervously.
His skull shook from side to side as he muttered incomprehensibly. His teeth were drawn to a frown and his brow-bones were knitted together. Axe gently shook him awake, muttering soothing words into the air.
The King of Negativity woke up with a startle, his bones rattling. He stared wildly at his boys for a moment.
To his subordinate's surprise, cyan tears glazed down his cheekbones.
Axe was the first to embrace him, with Cross rushing on the other side of Nightmare, joining in on the hug. Dust was next, then Killer, albeit reluctantly.
The goopy skeleton didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know if he should usher them away or cave in. His mind was muddled with the sickness he was in. Against his better judgement, Nightmare’s tendrils wrapped around his boys, shoving them all on his bed in various positions.
Axe and Cross, who were on either side of him, nuzzled close to Nightmare, closing the gap between them all. Dust didn’t fall too far behind as Killer (eventually) cuddled with them as well.
Nightmare relaxed, his shoulders drooping down instead of being hunched over. He inhaled, then exhaled.
Now, with his boys around him, he could sleep with no trouble.
#Transformationtuesday! One year ago today on top, today on the bottom 🎉🎈🎉🎈 Happy birthday mama mare! #mamamare #maremare #lovemymare #happybirthday #growingup
