Chapter Text
Nightmare didn’t want to open his eyes today. To see Dream leaving again to go to the villagers while he stayed at the tree again? No thank you. He really didn’t want to wake up, curiously it was warm where he was and soft too, so different than his mother branch. Not that he would complain about his mother's embrace, it was just that the softness of wherever he was was so nice.
He would have stayed like this way more time if he could but something was wrong. He couldn’t feel his brother's or mother's energy. He tried to focus on the link he shared with his twins but it was too weak like Dream was really really far away from him. That made the guardian uneasy, Dream promised that he would never leave him and that they were always together. So where was he? Why couldn’t he feel his energy or his mother’s?
The little guardian decided to open his eyes only to discover a totally new and unknown place. Just where was he? It looked like a room but the room of someone really important. He could tell by the number of decorated furniture and books. He loved books but it was an expensive object in his village, people had to write them by hand and it was usually noble artifact. Dream would bring him one when the villagers from the high city lent one to him and Nightmare would read it to him, both of them having a good moment.
“Focus Nightmare” Now was not the time to remember good memories with Dream, he had to find his brother and get out of there wherever it was.
Did he get kidnaped? Why would anyone kidnap him, the apple maybe? No nobody wanted his apples but if it wasn’t for the apple what could they possibly want from him? Perhaps he was just the ransom, maybe they want Dream apples! Nightmare shivered thinking about what those people could do to him. Then he noticed it.
Something was moving in his back! He turned trying to see what it was before he let out a scream. Just what was this thing?! What did those people do to him?
His whole body was covered in some weird dark goo, it wasn’t sticky or leaking on the ground but it was like a really thick liquid maybe sap? But sap wasn’t dark like that! In his back were four tentacles made from the same substance that was covering his body. It felt really heavy, his back wasn’t used to those new appendages. They were moving like a cat's tail. A little as if they were connected to his emotions, the movements were jerky and lively.
Nightmare was startled when he heard the noise of footsteps behind the door. Damn him he must have alerted his kidnappers when he screamed. He run to the window hoping for a way to escape his pursuers but it was way too high and there was no tree around so he could climb.
“Boss?! Are you okay? I’m coming in” Said a weird voice that Nightmare didn’t know. Just about who was the stranger talking about he was alone in the room.
****
Killer was just carving something in the leaving room waiting for the others to get back from their mission. Nightmare gave his directive last night before they go to sleep and he was still grounded. Just because he went too far in a mission the guardian kept him locked in the castle for a whole week. A whole week!!
Killer was beyond boredom, he just wanted to get out. It had to be his chance that Nightmare always knew what punishment was the worst for them.
So here he was carving, well until he heard the scream coming from Nightmare’s room. He knew it was his boss. Just what could have afraid the king of negativity that much? Welp he didn’t care, it was something and he was too bored and curious about it to pass the occasion. A little worried about the guardian too but he won’t admit that not in front of the others at least.
“Boss?! Are you okay? I’m coming in” Said the murderer when he reach his boss room.
Nothing could have prepared Killer for what he saw. The all-mighty and intimidating king of negativity was shaking like a kid, his tentacles were curled up like they were trying to hide from him. His boss looked like he was having a panic attack, he was breathing heavily and was constantly taking deep breaths as if the air couldn't get into his lungs, well what they used to breathe as skeletons.
Killer tried to slowly move closer to the little guardian but it made him shriek in fear so he stopped. Just what was he supposed to do? Obviously, the guardian was scared to death of him, his behavior was erratic almost like a surrounded animal.
“Okay okay calm down Boss. You’re okay there is nothing to hurt you here.”Tried to say Killer with a reassuring voice. He sat down thinking that perhaps if he show Nightmare that he wasn’t a danger the guardian would calm down.
The dark skeleton looked at him without understanding what was happening. He was at the tree with his brother and then he was in a new room covered in some kind of weird goo with a stranger claiming him to be his boss. He calmed himself a little when he saw the other skeleton sitting down, he said that he wasn’t in danger there but how could he trust his kidnapper?
“That’s right boss, you’re okay here. Maybe you can tell me what happened right? So I can help you.”
Nightmare gulped, it was clear that the stranger was misunderstanding him with someone else. Would he hurt him when he will discover that he wasn’t the Boss that the other skeleton was barging about?
“I-I’m n-not your boss…M-My name is Nightmare…”
Killer froze when he heard the guardian speaking. When Nightmare spoke it was strong, the guardian was always so sure of himself, and even if he wasn’t the nicest person that Killer know he loved that in him, the confidence the guardian had. This Nightmare wasn’t like that, at all. He was shaking, stuttering and he looked at Killer like he was going to kill him for saying that.
“Boss…”
“DON'T CALL ME THAT!!”
Killer jerked on when the negativity being spoken like that, it was more like the Nightmare he knew. But when he raised his head the guardian was already back into a panic attack repeating how sorry he was over and over again. Just what was going on?
When Killer approached to help him Nightmare curled on himself muttering about how he was sorry and pleading for mercy. It was too much for Killer, no matter how Nightmare could be he still saved him when nobody even thought of him when he was alone and in his worst state of mind.
Softly he took the guardian’s hands and gently press them. Not saying a word and just rubbing the other’s hands Killer waited for him to calm down.
“I-I’m sorry I’m N-not him I’m j-just Nightma-re”
“It’s okay Nightmare. Just tell me what’s the last thing you remember, okay?”
This shouldn’t be hard for him thought Killer. What could have caused this mess? Was it something that their enemy did? They couldn’t exactly go to ask Sci for help like the Stars did every time. Error maybe? No, it was too dangerous for now, going to Error would be their last option, for now, Nightmare wasn’t in shape to deal with the Destruction god.
The guardian seemed to have calmed down, pfew. Killer couldn’t keep handling him when he was panicking like that.
“I was at the tree with Dream b-but now I can’t feel him or mother. I can’t feel any of them!”
Tree? Mother? Since when Nightmare had a mother? He never spoke about that or a Tree. Honestly Killer thought that he had just popped into existence like Error or Ink since they were all gods.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Nightlight. You never told us about a tree or your mother.”
Nightmare looked uneasy when Killer said that like it was common knowledge that he didn’t have.
“The tree of feeling it’s my mother. It’s a giant apple tree and Dream and I keep it from any danger. it’s been like that since forever… Everyone in the village knows it! A big apple tree with gold and black apple.” Said the guardian as if Killer would suddenly remember about it. How could he remember something he didn’t know?
“I don’t know about the tree but your soul is one of those dark apples so it must be linked to it.” Said the murderer still processing the fact that his boss's mother was a damn tree.
He must have said the wrong thing because Nightmare just summon his soul in front of him. Damn doesn’t he know that it was private?! A little blushing Killer turned away from the sight before another panic attack hit Nightmare, was it something recurrent with him before?
“Nononononono it can’t be! That’s not supposed to be-I can’t just-I-”
“Oh shit. Calm down boss uh Nightmare! Come on it’s not that bad! You have a pretty soul you know! Not like I’m looking at it! Like uh you know it’s rude and private stuff but I’m sure it’s pretty! And not bad!”
Killer’soul was twitching, he wasn’t used to that many emotions. Usually, it was Nightmare who handle them but right now he was a mess come on Killer think did Nightmare already speak about a tree?
“I’m sure your tree-mother is fine you know! And uh when you find her you can ask her or whatever you did with her to have more info! Right? We can find her for you! “
Damn, he was a mess too now, that tree better be fine because if it’s not then Killer would make that tree regret it. Perhaps a hug would help the guardian? People hug to feel better!
Nightmare tensed when he sensed the other wrap him in his arms but he calmed down when he noticed that the other wasn’t doing anything that would hurt him.
“Yo-you would? Help me?”
He wasn’t believing it, nobody ever helped him before. He wasn’t worth it since he was evil incarnate. But that person wasn’t from the village he never saw him, he would have remembered a skeleton with pure hate leaking from his eyes. Besides Dream and he were the only skeletons there.
“Yeah sure, Come on boss I know that you forgot us but still have more faith in me and the others!”
“The others? Forgot you..? I don’t understand…”
Killer sighed, it was going to be difficult to explain that but he know that his old boss hated one thing more than another and it was lies.
“It’s complicated and I don’t really understand either but yeah you’re our Boss but it’s like you forgot everything. But you save us Nightmare, you took us in when everyone rejected us and for that, we pledged our loyalty to you for the rest of our lives. Like Criss cross like to say we’re your knight ready to save you and help for whatever you want.”
Well this seemed to have calmed the guardian, he looked amazed and Killer couldn’t help to find it cute. He was going to take care of this version of his boss so much even if it was the last thing he will do in his life.
“My name is Killer, by the way, I think you deserve to know the name of your most trustful knight, right?” Said the skeleton while kissing the other’s hand turning him into a blush disaster. That would be something nice to tease him about that later.
Nightmare felt his face becoming really hot for a moment while his new tentacles gently bowed behind his back, there was even one who tenderly took Killer's hand. The other smiled at the affection and even kissed the tentacle which made Nightmare blush more and more. He wasn’t used to affection like that especially when it wasn’t from Dream or his mother in her own way to show it.
“Now come on we have to find the others!” Said Killer taking his hand and him out of the bedroom.