Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Tap

Tap

Tap

Normally, Nightmare was not one to bring his stationary out from his office. Yet here he was, sitting at the dining table, waiting for Horror to bring out breakfast while tapping a fountain pen against a blank notebook page, ready to be stained in ink.

"Nightmare?"

Speaking of Ink.

Nightmare turned to the child who had decided to sit beside him. He had been quiet thus far. Silently waiting for Horror, even as Cross—who sat himself on Ink's other side—tried to speak to him.

It was a feeble attempt at first. Cross was still shaken from this morning's…earlier events. And clung to Ink's side the second Horror brought him to the kitchen after his nap. The simple fact that Ink had spoken to Nightmare had both of them glancing at each other over Ink's head. Cross only shrugged,

"What is it?" Nightmare asked, considering the current state of Ink's soul. Mostly muffled by the cold apathy brought about with trauma that such a young soul couldn't possibly process, but there was curiosity, a spark of warmth in the cold waves of shock, one that latched onto Nightmare and apparently decided it wouldn't let go.

"I don't have anyone else!" He sobbed "You're all I have left so please, please—" Ink's hands desperately clung to the darkness, as if he would fall if he dared to even think of letting go. "Don't leave me too…"

Truthfully, Nightmare thought it'd be harder to get Ink to form some kind of attachment to him. It's not as if Nightmare was the 'friendly' type, he couldn't imagine anyone would look at him and think he was a safe and approachable monster. But Ink was a strange one, so perhaps this would be easier then he imagined. Even if it it was still a bit off-putting having a child in the castle.

"What are you doing?" Ink asked, his faint pink eye-lights locking onto Nightmare's notebook and pen.

Nightmare considered the child, and then the lack of words written down. "Compiling a list."

"Of what?" Ink asked yet again, meeting Nightmare's eye.

"Of things you will need in your room, and otherwise."

"Why?"

"So that you have what you need."

"Why?"

"…Because people need things?"

"What do I need?"

Nightmare felt his eye twitch, "Additional bedroom furniture, clothing—seeing as you can't wear Dust and Horror's clothes forever—"

"Why?"

A deep sigh. "…because you will grow older and taller."

"Why?"

It took all of Nightmare's willpower to control the grip on his pen. "Enough questions, it's my turn. What do you want?"

"Why?"

As the end of his pen ripped through the paper, Nightmare wondered if this would in fact be harder then he imagined.

From behind, a skeletal hand laid on Ink's head and another placed a small bowl of oatmeal in front of him, drizzled with honey."Why have you become so chatty?" Horror asked, with two more plates floating by his head with red magic.

Ink didn't reply to that, instead he returned to silence as he blankly stared at his warm bowl.

Horror raised a brow at Ink, Cross watched him with concern, but those two were quickly distracted with breakfast ready.

Horror's magic placed a plate in front of Cross first, who's eyes shimmered at the food before him. Next was Nightmare, then Horror sat besides his King and set his plate down. Ink was the only one with oatmeal this morning, Horror was worried that he wouldn't be able to eat anything much heavier,so oatmeal was the next best thing. Meanwhile the rest of them had plates with golden brown toast, perfectly dark red and crunchy bacon, small sausages, and an omelet cooked with an assortment of veggies and cheese as it's filling.

From beside him, Nightmare noted how Cross began to relax as he took his first bite. It's warmth spreading comfort through his soul and melting away his anxieties and concern. While it wasn't entirely washed away, as if hiding in a mental corner to be revisited later, the warm meal seemed to keep it at bay nearly as well as any control over the emotional spectrum would have. Sometimes, it made Nightmare wonder in jest if Horror had any hidden power over emotions as he did.

Though, when Nightmare turned down to his plate, strangely enough he did not feel as if he had the appetite for it.

"I'm not hung—" Nightmare stopped himself when Horror's calm disposition suddenly shattered, and his single eye locked onto Nightmare, daring him to finish that sentence. On Nightmare's other side, he could feel Cross's anticipation as he watched his King nearly doom their morning meal. So with a sigh, the King of Negativity resigned himself, as he so rarely did. "…I'll eat what I can."

Horror narrowed his eye at Nightmare, then stood from his chair, and strode into the kitchen with purpose.

Nightmare and Cross watched him leave curiously, glancing at each other once again, then turned to their respective tasks.

Nightmare opted to narrow his eye at the ripped page, then turn to a fresh one. This time though, instead of trying to decide what Ink would need, he began to write down tasks that needed to be done.

Take Ink to Sci — This afternoon

Buy Ink's necessities.

Find another world to get supplies from.

Nightmare paused, eyeing his plate of food, so he reached for his fork, cut off a piece of omelet and brought it to his mouth. It was good, as Horror's cooking always was. Warm, filling, and cozy.

Deliver supplies.

Speak to Dust and Ki—

A sharp hissed escaped between his clenched jaw as pain suddenly blossomed within Nightmare's skull, cold and blinding, causing his smooth writing to twitch and splatter ink over his words, as well as his fork to fall out of his hands and clatter against the glass plate. With his hand free, he pressed it against his head, as if that pressure would put his thoughts back in order as he slowly breathed in and out.

In and out.

In…and out..

In…

The pain was piercing, sudden and intense, yet steadily retreating, fading into a distant ache within seconds. Nightmare only opened his eye when warmth caressed his face and filled his senses with the scent of soothing chamomile.

…fuck.

Nightmare glared at the teacup, cursing the stars above and beyond that he didn't notice this sooner. That he hadn't put the pieces together. His headaches, his growing temper. It wasn't a constant headache from stress, the ache beginning to cling to his bones wasn't from facing that cursed thing he found in Ink's 'original' world. This was worse, far worse, something he did not have time to deal with. Not when he had so much to—.

"Nightmare." Horror's steady voice broke through the static, his hand waving in front of Nightmare's face.

"What?" Nightmare snapped, leaning back in his chair to cross his arms.

"…I called you three times." Horror said, his brows knitted.

Nightmare was silent. Ink and Cross watched from their seats—Cross practically halfway out, unsure whether to move or not. While Ink was concerned, but remained still.

The ache in his bones, in his head, still lingered. But Nightmare ignored it the best he could and forced his tense posture to relax. Yet before he could speak, Horror did. "Drink you're tea."

As Horror rounded behind Nightmare's seat, Cross sat comfortably back in his chair, trying to appear like he was focusing on his meal again, but continuously stole glances Nightmare's way.

Nightmare resisted the urge to shake his head and turned to his teacup. It was beautifully decorated, one Nightmare had purchased handmade in one of his many worlds. Adorned in patterns of lavender petals and silver swirls, as elegant as the curves of the handle. The tea was warm inside, and refreshing…he did not remember asking for tea.

As Horror sat, he set down his own red mug of coffee in one hand, and with his other he pulled out a small clear bottle, then set it down on the table. Next, with a wave of his fingers glowing with red magic, the long black curtains of the dining rooms windows matched the glow of his magic, then threw themselves open, revealing the arched windows lined with black elegantly curved trim, sunlight shone through the clear glass and brightened the crescent moon shape crowning the top center of the windows glass pattern.

Nightmare narrowed his eye at the windows, his tentacles tense.

"Relax, your not a vampire."

A limb snapped at the air, but Nightmare made no other complaints as Horror nudged the bottle he now recognized as painkillers.

"You shouldn't be using your magic if your getting another migraine." Nightmare suggested, but Horror gave him a strange look, annoyance prodding at his soul.

"Their not for me."

Nightmare stared blandly at Horror, then the bottle, then back to Horror as he pushed the bottle back to him. "I don't need them."

Horror's strange look remained, one that read less as a question of 'please' and rather 'are you serious?'.

Instead of acknowledging Horror's foolishness, Nightmare turned back to his notebook. "I am considering what Ink would need, it wouldn't be proper if I left him in hand-me-downs. After Sci, we should go to one of the shops in—."

"We can't" Horror interrupted, letting his expression fall with a sigh as he grabbed his mug.

Nightmare blinked, torn between annoyance and pride. "You have developed a habit of interrupting your King."

"I have." Horror replied simply before he took a sip of his mug, then lowered it."Taking Ink to Sci is already pushing his limits. Taking him to a store so soon will overwhelm him."

Nightmare weighed Horrors words, and remembered that from the moment Ink had arrived he had been consistent in caring for the child. It was not a development Nightmare expected but a useful one either way. His level headed perspective, and attention to detail had always been useful to Nightmare, though he never expected it'd become this sort of useful.

Meanwhile, on Nightmare's other side. Cross had finished more then half his plate of food. Ink on the other hand, played with his spoon in the bowl. Turning the oatmeal around till the previously obvious honey on top was fully mixed in. Cross felt a bit awkward, but tried to coax Ink into taking at least one bite.

"You have a point…sometime after then? Without Ink." Nightmare offered turning back to Horror.

Horror hummed, "Maybe…but, are you sure—"

"I'm fine." Nightmare snapped, raising his teacup. "…Just the usual headaches.

Horror wasn't offended by Nightmare's curt tone. "I know what a usual headache is like. You don't get headaches. You get—" he made air quotes. "'Headaches.'"

"it is not—" Before Nightmare could continue, he startled when little arms grabbed one of his tentacles and held on tightly. Refusing to let it go. With the grip, a spike of fear and anxiety pulsed in his soul, in Ink's soul. In the soul that was quietly apathetic mere moments ago.

Nightmare blinked down at the child, who trembled as he hid his face against the tentacle and made a desperate little sound.

Nightmare looked up to Cross, "what happened?"

Cross tensed and shook his head. "I—I don't know. He just started crying, then jumped to you."

Nightmare glanced at Horror—who watched expectantly—then turned back to Ink.

Fear, anxiety, an impending sense of doom.

Ink lost everything only yesterday. His family, home, a piece of his soul, everything he knew. And now he was in a household with a group of strangers. One of which had threatened him just this morning.

Nightmare let his tentacle relax into Ink's hold, even wrapped it's end around his wrist to siphon the negativity out.

Ink held tighter, "don't go…" he whispered, desperate. Nightmare had made no motion to leave, or spoke of such…other then the store. Though he imagined Ink was worried about another form of abandonment.

Nightmare swirled the tea still left in his cup, enjoying it's warm aroma, "Didn't I tell you that I wouldn't?"

Ink kept his eyes closed tightly as he pressed his head against Nightmare's limb, but after a moment, he nodded.

"It was a promise, and I do not offer those lightly."

"You and every other San's in the multiverse." Horror interrupted before sipping his mug.

"You are not helping." Nightmare said as he turned a glare to the other. With Cross watching from the other side.

"and you didn't help bathe or feed him yesterday."

There was no true resentment in his voice, Horror spoke calm and even, but souls revealed what the voice wouldn't. Horror knew that as he freely let a spike of bitterness wave through him.

For a moment, Nightmare studied the monster before him. The monster with a sharply cracked open skull, with shadows lining his sockets nearly akin to the tired wrinkles of flesh. The monster that arrived in Nightmare's castle oh-so long ago, with bones so frail they would snap if the wind blew wrong, only working eye-light bloodshot and thin, covered in blood and dust as the last of his sanity crushed beneath the cruel weight of Horrortales long lived abuse.

Horror had changed quite a bit since he first arrived. Since Nightmare was able to coax his sanity back to the surface with a stable home and steady supply of food. His bones now stood thick and sturdy, his eye light emitting a healthy glow, his mind pieced back together into calm sanity.

Nightmare was not soft, neither was he gentle, he would never consider himself as such. He was hardened by thousands of years of war, by growing up being abused and berated. He would consider himself desensitized to all hat the multiverse had to offer.

Yet sometimes, Nightmare found a part of himself melting, as he looked into Horror's only working eye. A face he watched grow from sharp and desperate, to gentle yet firm and content.

It was a feeling he still grappled with every now and then, when he watched trust glimmer in Cross's eyes, when Dust would remove his hood in the quieter moments, when Killer…

"You're   recklessness, immature and   stupid   impulses. Impulses that have threatened to   ruin   my carefully laid out plans countless times!"

Killer scrambled to push himself away from Nightmare as he stood from his chair. Just as he realized he could try and stand, Nightmare's tentacle grabbed him by the wrist and painfully held it up while another limb curled under Killer's chin. Killer grabbed at the limb but couldn't pull it away.

"And let's not forget that volatile soul of yours." Nightmare hummed, scanning over Killer as if he pitied the poor helpless little creature. The faux pity was thrown to the side, just as he threw Killer against the floor and straightened his posture. Looming over the smaller skeleton with his dark tentacles elegantly swirling behind him.

"You are in no position to question me." He snarled, fangs bare as he watched Killer stand to his feet "I will do what I see fit with the child, do not interfere."

Nightmare bit the inner part of his cheek.

Horror nudged the bottle with his finger.

With locked eye contact, Nightmare grabbed the bottle of painkillers and wondered if the other skeleton knew and took advantage of what little power he and the other recruits had on him at times. While opening the bottle, he noted the pride that pulsed in Horror's soul, as if he had won some sort of silent game.

"First you interrupt me, then you develop the audacity to order me around?" Nightmare hummed.

A smile pulled at Horror's lips as he swirled the coffee in his cup with gentle tilts. "And you're bold to bring a child to our team, then blatantly try to hide your suffering."

Nightmare rolled his eye once again and leaned slightly to Ink's side "Do you hear how he speaks to me?"

Ink looked up at Nightmare and Horror, now instead of hiding his face, he pressed his cheek against the limb. "He sounds like a mom."

Cross snickered besides Ink and Nightmare smirked. When he turned back to Horror, the other had leaned his head into his hand and rubbed his forehead, Yet despite this, amusement and fondness prodded at his soul.

"He's not wrong." Cross added, only to earn a stern finger pointed at him.

"Don't—don't encourage this." Horror said, pulling away from his hand. "And you."

Nightmare politely sipped his tea, "And what of me?"

"I think he want's you to finish your food? I don't—I'm confused."

Nightmare hid his smirk behind his cup at Cross's comment, while Horror let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Fine. I tried, don't blame one of us if you lash out again."

Nightmare nearly cracked his teacup. "Cross and Killer, especially Killer have acted beyond reckle—"

"Two in one week. Two."

"I…spoke to Cross afterwards, he is fine."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine—"

"Our collected, calm and intelligent leader exploded at two of us just in the past two days—"

Nightmare suddenly reached his hand out for the bottle, poured two capsules into his palm, shoved them into his mouth, poured the remainder of his tea down his throat and then slammed the cup onto the table.

"There! Happy now?!" Nightmare barked.

Horror let out a mocking noise."Make that three ladies and gentlemen!"

Nightmare shot to his feet, "how about four?!"

Horror matched his action, standing up and meeting Nightmare glare for glare, though Horror held a smirk that Nightmare didn't. "Go ahead, I'd love to see you set a new record!"

As Horror and Nightmare stood eye to eye in a glaring match, Cross gripped onto Ink's chair. "…guys?"

Nightmare raised his twitching hand as the ends of his fingers sharpened into claws and he let out a mocking chuckle "Here's an idea for a record." the clawed hand suddenly grasped the front of Horror's shirt tight enough to tear. "how far I can throw you out of this castle!"

Horror laughed in turn, his eye brightening dangerously "Not far you stubborn bastard! With that fuckin' headache of yours you couldn't send me past the castle walls!"

Meanwhile, Cross sighed as the two argued, and summoned a bone attack no bigger then his pinky. Ink looked at it curiously but made no comment otherwise.

"If I'm stubborn, then you—" The bone attack bounced off the side of Nightmare's head, successfully distracting him.

"You both should finish your breakfast before you go visit Sci."

Nightmare turned to Cross, Horror looked over Nightmare's shoulder.

"I-I mean—Sir—uh—"

Horror chuckled and pat the hand holding his shirt, "He's right, you should finish your breakfast."

"I was not joking about throwing you out of the castle." Nightmare said, his voice calmer as he released Horror's shirt."You'd survive it perfectly."

Horror adjusted his chair, "and get glass all over the food I slaved over, after such an eventful morning?"

Nightmare watched Horror sit in his chair, not moving to sit in his. Instead with his back to Ink and Cross he pulled his tentacle away from Ink then made an order. "Cross, get Ink ready for his appointment."

Cross tensed. "Yep. I'm goin', c'mon Ink." then pulled Ink up into his arms and swiftly left the dining room.

With the door's closed, and no one but Horror and Nightmare at the table, The latter sighed and sat into his chair. "After the next supply run."

Horror hummed, finally taking a bite out of his omelet.

"I'll handle it after our next supply run."

Horror swallowed his food and began to cut more pieces out of his omelet. "Third times the charm I guess. You gonna tell the others?"

Nightmare leaned his elbow onto the table and leaned his chin on his hand. "From that conversation, Cross already knows."

"I don't think so, probably just thinks I'm dogging you like I do the others over eating real food."

"He's not stupid."

"I never said he was."

Nightmare's tentacle snapped at the air.

Horror glanced at it, then back to Nightmare as he reached for his coffee. "Don't stress over it. It's nothing we haven't done before"

"We didn't have Ink, before."

Horror froze, hesitated, then grabbed his mug. "And there was a time you didn't have Killer, or Dust, or me, or Cross. If anything it's easier these days. He'll be fine."

Nightmare tried to sit back in his chair, and pull his tentacles closer to his back, but one of them caught on something. When Nightmare turned, he glared at one tied around the handle of the chair Ink was just sitting in. A foreign emotion nipping at his soul.

Would he be though? Nightmare needed Ink, He needed his powers. As much as he hated to admit it, until he knew more about that creature's capability, Nightmare was vulnerable to something. He needed Ink here.

Dust is antsy, anxious, guilt ridden and ready to snap if the wrong thing triggered him. Killer was almost entirely unpredictable, wild and trigger happy. They are not sitting at this table this morning for a reason. Horror and Cross are capable of protecting Ink from them, but if they have to protect Ink from—.

Nightmare took a sip from his tea.

Spiraling will fix nothing.

He will make sure Dust and Killer are calmed. He will make sure the proper supplies are delivered. He will make sure Ink has what he will need. He will made sure Ink his healthy. He will made sure Inks soul does not…alter his usefulness.

And then, only then, his problem will be dealt with.

"It's almost like you people are allergic to self care." Horror mumbled into his cup. Only for Nightmare's tentacle to steal a piece of bacon from Horror's plate in one swift moment. Nightmare dropped it onto his plate and ignored the offended noise from Horror.

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

Horror usually said that eating something would calm your nerves, that with something filling in your stomach, your anxieties would ease, your fear would shrink, and you could think all the clearer.

Dust could think perfectly clear thank you, It wasn't like Papyrus was here at the moment, whispering mixed messages into his ears. So he was perfectly sane, perfectly fine, and perfectly calm.

He was calm as still waters as he slammed his fist into a punching bag, sending it swinging forward. Dust let out a tight breathe as he prepared his stance for the bag to swing back.

He wasn't crazy. So maybe he was right to think that dragging a seven year old into their bullshit wasn't…right. Then again, who was he to say what was right and wrong.

Dust's mismatched eyes locked onto the bag as it closed in, he swung and sent it flying higher then before.

Who was he to try and do anything justified or morally right. His LV was far higher then any 'justifiably moral' monsters should be. Maybe he was just a fucking hypocrite for being sickened by his Boss's latest choice of raising a goddamn child soldier.

As the punching bag on his chain swung back towards Dust, he clenched his fist so tight he could feel them scratch painfully into his palm even through his gray gloves.

He didn't want a stupid kid running around the castle. One day, he'll find the poor thing dead in a hallway because one of them snapped, and he got in the way. Or what if someone else got to them, and used the kid against them, payback for everything they've done.

Dust's mind screamed that he was a hypocrite.

"I'm not!" He screamed back, throwing his fist into the incoming punching back. The force snapped the bag of it's chain and sent it flying into the far wall of the training room.

"You are going to pay for the chain to fix that."

Dust turned, glaring his red and blue eye at the tall figure standing in the doorway. The training hall was big, with light gray brick floors, and dark stone walls. Tall arched windows allowed sunlight to peak through and illuminate Nightmare, fully dressed for the day in his usual trench coat, sweater and dress pants. He scanned Dust over apathetically, at least it always seemed that way. With that endlessly bored eye, and still expression. Nightmare only ever had three expressions, angry, entertained, or uncaring.

Maybe he was a hypocrite, to point that out. Dust was often told he had one expression when his face wasn't hidden in shadow

Dust glared at Nightmare, silent.

At the silence, Nightmare stepped forward, his footsteps and voice echoing in the training hall. "You are uneasy."

Dust scoffed, fully turning to face Nightmare, "Me? No, I'm fine, perfectly fine." then gestured to himself. "Isn't that obvious?"

Nightmare's cyan eye glanced behind Dust, he figured it was at the punching bag currently leaning against a cracked stone wall.

"You cannot lie to me." Nightmare took another step towards Dust, his voice calm and dull. Maybe even bored. "Especially not so blatantly obvious."

Dust repressed an annoyed growl. Couldn't he just…punch his problems away? There's still a job to be done, he could probably go on his own, kill a couple of unsuspecting assholes, get the supplies and finally be done with it. More blood and dust on his hands sounded far better then whatever lecture he was about to get.

Dust shrugged and turned back to the punching bag. Hunched pitifully over itself as it sat limply against the wall. "I forgot."

As Nightmare finally approached, a dark tendril curled over his shoulder. "Of course you did."

Dust stepped away before the limb could so much as brush his bare bone. "Oh yeah, yeah of course I did. 'Course I forgot…" he mumbled, his eyes scanning over the floor. Nightmare stepped in front of Dust. With his head downcast, likely covered in shadow, he eyed how Nightmare's tentacles twitched. Like they wanted to act. While Nightmare's expressions we're often…lacking, it was almost funny how reactive his tentacles were, almost like a tail. "You need the room?" He asked annoyed, pulling his head up once again.

Nightmare's cyan eye light was round. "No, I am here to speak with you."

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Dust hid himself further into the shadows of his hood. Into the safe, cool, and dark shadows. "About the kid?"

"About you." One of Nightmare's tentacles twitched, but before Nightmare could continue, Dust ran his mouth. Which was rare, usually Killer did that.

"…yeah, sure."

Nightmare and Dust locked eyes, and for a moment, there was silence between them. Silence where Nightmare's analytical gaze felt like sandpaper on his bare spine.

"Doesn't trust you…"

Dust hissed and waved his hand dismissively, "Whatever, just keep the damn thing away from my room."

"Your not obligated to agree with me Dust…" Nightmare turned down, inspecting his hand. "But I expect you to remain loyal, reliable…and sensible."

"Eventually they will betray you."

Dust chuckled darkly, something twisting in his chest painfully."Sensible? Yeah, everyone knows to go to the crazy bitch for sense."

Nightmare's eye snapped back to Dust, almost scary fast. "You're not crazy."

Dust scoffed and threw his head back, letting his hood hang off his head and reveal his face from the shadows. "Don't fucking kid yourself. Cross is the only one in this castle I would consider sane, and even he has his moments."

Even looking away, Dust caught the moment Nightmare's hand reached out for him.

"Don't—!" Dust flinched and stepped away, panic suddenly heightening his senses. Then he let out a nervous, unsteady laugh as he shook his head. "Don't try that—that emotional bullshit on me."

"He's stronger…He could kill you."

Nightmare did not lower his hand, but only held it closer to himself. "Let me calm you—."

"No!" Dust snapped, his voice suddenly rising to a yell. After a beat of silence between them, Dust spoke again, his voice unsteady…but quieter. He shook his head, taking a shaky step back "You…You and your fucking powers. Just have the answer for everything, don't you."

Nightmare made no movement, only quietly watched Dust spiral. Neither hand nor tentacle reaching for him. "I have to."

Dust's hands we're shaking, Nightmare was so much more powerful then him…he could choke Dust out here and now, could turn him to dust in mere seconds…yet he just had to test his King's tempter with a mocking noise from deep in his throat. "Oh? Okay good! Great! Then you can answer my questions." Dust spoke with his shaking hands, his feet shifting as his breathing grew more intense. " What about when we come home covered in blood and dust, how about when one of us is half dead after a fight?"

Dust didn't know why he was testing Nightmare so boldly, when he could just easily keep quiet, let things run its course. If he was wrong, then whatever, good for them, if he was right…then he wouldn't have to deal with the problem anyways.

"I got another one!" Dust smiled brightly, his voice sickeningly joyful"What if someone gets into the castle, finds a helpless kid, uses him as a hostage? Or when we eventually drag someone into the dungeons?! You gonna let him watch?! That sounds like a great play-date!"

Nightmare held no answer.

Dust let the faux joy fall, in both his voice and expression. Instead it deepened, lowered into something far more disturbed. "What about when he grows up? Ey Boss? The Omega Timeline will see him with us, will see him as one of us. Even if his LV is lower then ours, even if it's one." The shadows in his hood returned, dark, cold, calming…yet suffocatingly empty. "He'll just be another bloody murderer, because he's with us."

His King was unmoved, unwavered. "Ink made his choice—."

"He's seven!" Dust snapped once again, frustration painfully rippling over his bones. "Why is that—why is that so hard to get through you're fucking skulls?! Why am I the crazy one for seeing that he's a pintsized little shit, who could easily have a normal life somewhere else—!"

Finally, one of those few emotions flashed through Nightmare's eye-light, as the cyan shape thinned and sharpened. "He can't."

Dust stepped back, magic flaring in his soul.

Something cold, something familiar brushed the back of his neck. "Before he gets you. Before any of them do."

Dust was suddenly very aware of his breathing, of the way Nightmare's tentacles curled behind him, of just how powerful the only other soul in the room was…

Yet he just kept pushing. "why? Why can't he go somewhere else? Because his soul's messed up? He can just go meet all the other monsters and humans in the multiverse with fucked up souls."

Nightmare narrowed his eye, and Dust watched how the ends of Nightmare's tentacles went from dull and round, to sharp. Threatening.

"…Scared."

Dust's considered igniting his eye—

"He's scared."

Dust straightened his posture.

"There's a new phenomenon in the multiverse. There was a world protected from my senses so securely that it remained hidden from me, but a creature made of blue crystal managed to completely shatter it's defenses and I became curious. I thought the one that broke through defenses like that could be useful to me, instead I only found the mindless creature surrounded by death and destruction"

"What are you scared of?"

Only yesterday, Dust saw true fear in his Boss's eye. True, paralyzing fear as he cradled Ink close. Now, he could have sworn he saw that same fear reignite. If only for a moment before it melted away into that initial bored, if not somewhat frustrated, expression. But it was a lie. A mask, desperately trying to hide what he had let slip

"You are spiraling."

"What, are you scared of?"

Nightmare looked Dust over once again, his tentacles snapping at the air as he let out a sigh far too tense to be truly relaxed.

As Nightmare was silent, red flickered in the corner of his eye. Like smoke caressing his cheek. "You don't need him, or any of them…only me. Only strength."

Papyrus's voice echoed clearly in his ears. Dust didn't know whether to be upset or weary at his arrival. Nightmare faded to the background in Dust's vision as he watched the red smoke curl over his shoulder, stretching down to the floor, then circle Nightmare's shoes.

Papyrus floated higher, his detached hands hovering over one of Nightmare's tentacles, without so much as a flinch from the King."So much…EXP, ours for the taking."

Dust's magic had already risen to the surface, it begged to be set free. Especially as Phantom Papyrus's voice became clearer, as he was finally fully aware of his brother's presence.

But Nightmare wasn't.

Suddenly Dust was reminded that maybe he was crazy, and he just had to accept that. Accept it as he watched the ghostly decapitated form of his brother inch over Nightmare's shoulder. Nightmare, who could sense souls miles upon miles away, did not react to the ghostly presence. A malicious ghostly presence, his grin nothing short of blood thirsty.

"Take it Sans, before they do. Before they kill y—"

Dust jumped as a cold sensation wrapped around his ankle, when he looked down Nightmare's tentacle had wrapped around it.

"Let me—"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"Dust interrupted while a bone shot out of the stone ground, impaling the tentacle but Nightmare showed no signs of pain. Dust hastily stepped away from Nightmare, backing up as Phantom Papyrus dashed through the air to Dust's shoulder. His voice like fuel to a sparking fire.

"Before they kill you."

Nightmare held his head high, and Dust internally dared him to move again, dared him to act, to speak, to do something.

When Nightmare didn't. Dust forced his magic down.

Phantom Papyrus scoffed. His smoke fading. "Coward."

Dust then turned on his heel and stormed out.

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

Nightmare left the training hall once he sensed Dust had walked far enough away that it wouldn't seem like he was following him. He knew Dust was spiraling, he was on the verge of an episode, a bad one. One that Nightmare could help with…if Dust just let him.

Nightmare closed the door behind him with a resigned sigh.

"Not workin' out huh?"

Nightmare gave Killer an unamused look. The other leaned his arm against the wall as he spun a knife between his fingers.

"I do not have the energy for you."

"But you have some for Dusty's crazy bullshit~?" Killer grinned, his soul sparking with defiance.

"He didn't hold Ink over a rooftop." Nightmare growled, glaring down at Killer.

Killer chuckled, eyeing the spinning blade. "Oh I'm sorry, I thought that's what liabilities do? You know? Fuck everything up?"

"You're recklessness, immature and  stupid  impulses. Impulses that have threatened to ruin my carefully laid out plans countless times!"

…Nightmare considered speaking. Yet every word felt foreign and painful on his tongue, his mind defying anything he could say as the rage from this mornings 'stunt' resurfaced at the sight of Killer.

That, and maybe, a much more silent part of him worried. Worried that he'd say something that would only make this worse.

So Nightmare said nothing, and only turned away from Killer to walk down the hallway.

Killer didn't call after Nightmare, or mock him. Nightmare once again caught an attack with his tentacle, this time from behind, in the shape of a black knife.

Nightmare didn't turn. Only listened to furious footsteps stomp away, as frustration, and another muffled, deeper emotion swirled in Killer's soul.

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

"Log number four. My new blend between coffee beans and magic, has proven to be effective over the course of forty-two hours. So far, I have not experienced any adverse side effects but I suspect they will emerge around the seventy-two hour mark. Until then, the energy from my new coffee and magic blend has allowed me too—FUCKING NIGHTMARE!"

Sci shrieked and jumped back when he turned around and saw Nightmare and Horror stepping through a portal into his lab. He nearly dropped his coffee mug, instead the dark brown liquid splattered on his white coat and blue sweater.

Horror placed his hands on the side's of Inks head.

"No thank you." Nightmare said simply.

Sci froze, picked up the voice recorder sitting on a desk and raised it to his chin "Log number five, Nightmare, The King of Negativity, has a sense of humor."

Nightmare rolled his eyes at the scientists comment as he closed the portal behind him "Funny" He said, lacking any real amusement "I have something for you to do."

Sci shrugged and set down both his recorder and mug on a desk with papers and folders piled on it "You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

Nightmare's gaze snapped to Sci, his glare sharp and bright but Sci did not meet it, "I am at your service." He bowed his head. Not low enough for a full bow, but enough for formalities ."Does it have anything to do with…Your~?" Sci trailed off as his eye lights glanced over Ink then Horror, then returned to Nightmare with a raised brow. Hesitant surprise, curiosity and wariness prickling at his soul.

"He's not mine—"

"Of course not!" Sci blurted out as he leaned against a desk. "But this visit is about him, isn't it?"

Nightmare turned to Ink and horror. Ink watched Sci curiously, wonder swirled through him as his gaze lingered on every little thing in the lab. Meanwhile Horror remained wary, his red eye-light watched Sci like a tracker, keeping his breathing slow and controlled while his body stood tense. Ready to move at a moments notice.

Not that Nightmare could blame him, Sci was a curiously strange monster.

An ally at best, and an unpredictable asset at worst.

Even calling him an ally was a bit of a stretch. He was mostly a neutral party among the multiverse. One who many agreed was too valuable an asset to let go of. So while his neutral status was…frustrating at times. Most would rather tolerate his neutrality then lose him.

It was a rare arrangement to have, but a necessary one. Sci made it very clear he would willingly work with Nightmare as long as the King did not tamper with his world. Although, sometimes Nightmare wondered if safety was the only reason for their deal.

Sci wasn't mad—most of the time— he wasn't dangerous—to most—but he had morals. Lines he would not cross. He would never experiment on the unwilling, much less children. He made it a point to remain neutral amongst the Multiverses 'politics' and did his best not to step on any one sides toes, or show favor.

Even so, most of the time he offered his services out of curiosity as to what his customers could offer him of the Multiverse. Whether it be knowledge, or of something especially unique. As long as you did not threaten him, or his world, he was happy to work with whomever knocked on his door.

His only rules being that he would not experiment on someone, or create any sort of tool to help one side overcome the other.

He was trusted by Nightmare solely based on his well known confidentiality, he has proven to the King that whatever is said within the walls of this lab, stays in the lab. And unfortunately, he was the only one Nightmare could go to for specific services. Such as this one.

"It is." Nightmare stated. He stepped forward, approaching Sci as his tentacles twisted and swayed behind him. Elegant, yet sharp as blades.

But just because Sci was usually trusted. Ink was an entirely different matter. A much more important matter at the moment…

So a little fear never hurt anyone.

Sci's eye-lights locked onto the sharpness of Nightmare's tendrils. He shuddered as the latters negative aura pierced into him, yet his eye-lights glimmered at the sensation and lips stretched into a shaky smile.

He met Nightmare's eye while curiosity burst through his soul like a spark igniting into a flame.

Nightmare could bring the scientist to his knee's with his aura, he could make Sci beg him for mercy as Nightmare's suffocating aura filled him with the purest form of dread.

But unfortunately, Nightmare needed a coherent and functional scientist, so as much as it annoyed him that Sci's curiosity overcame Nightmare's intimidation tactics, he couldn't reasonably inflict fear into this mortals soul as much as he would have liked.

Boring.

Nightmare lowered his tentacles, but his glare remained sharp "You will not tell a soul."

Sci slapped a gloved hand over his chest "I've never let a single word of you're visits slip to anyone. He turned his head away in obviously feigned sadness "You doubt me now?"

Nightmare was not amused when he arrived, he certainly wasn't now. In fact, if he could be, he was even less amused then when he arrived. Negative amused. Fitting.

"His name is Ink." A tentacle pointed at Ink, Sci's eye-lights shimmered before he rushed past Nightmare without a second thought.

Horror held onto Ink a little tighter.

"Hey little guy!" Sci greeted with a bright smile as he adjusted his red half rimmed glasses. "Anything hurt anywhere?"

Ink stared at Sci for a moment, then he glanced at Nightmare who nodded before returning his eye's to Sci "…My chest." Ink's voice lowered as anxiety waved through him "a-and my stomach" He all but mumbled.

Sci straightened his posture and hummed with a hand under his chin "Anything happen recently?"

Ink's eye-lights went out instantly.

Horror's breathe hitched at the reaction and gently pat Ink's cheek to bring him back to reality. Sci kept his hand under his chin, but it twitched. The slight bounce in his movements—likely from that overdose of caffeine mentioned earlier—stilled.

Sci's curiosity still roared like a fire, but alarm had spiked beside it and tamed the fire into calm concern.

Sci approached one of the desks and grabbed a jar of paper wrapped candy. He opened the jar as he approached Horror and Ink, then pulled out one of the candies.

"You have a favorite flavor? Mine's coffee."

Horror glanced at the candy, then glared at Sci. The corners of his mouth twitched, like he was prepared to bare his teeth at the shorter skeleton, but a small black and white hand carefully reached over between Horror and Sci.

"Strawberry…" Ink mumbled, his faint eye-lights returned as he struggled to reach the candy.

Sci smiled and handed the candy to Ink. "Don't have any strawberry. so I hope you like vanilla"

Ink nodded as he unwrapped the candy, it was a small round chewy type Sci liked to keep around. Apparently, Ink liked it at well, as the second he tasted it, his weak eye-lights shimmered and Nightmare could have sworn he saw Ink almost smile.

Sci stepped away from Horror and Ink, then placed the candy back on the desk. He motioned his hand to the other side of the lab. "There's a door down there on the right with equipment for this kinda stuff." he didn't face any of them as he spoke, instead he searched the desk and moved notes around before switching to the next desk "Wait there while I look for a notepad."

Horror turned to Nightmare before he did anything. Nightmare motioned his head in the direction of the door, and Horror nodded. He glanced at Sci for a moment but then quietly made his way to the examination room.

When the door closed behind Horror, Nightmare approached Sci.

"You are going to check more then just his health."

Nightmare carefully held onto Horror's emotions, watching them for any sliver of alarm or shock. Nightmare could not let him hear, not yet at least.

"I figured." Sci said, pulling out a pen from the mess of notes. He scribbled it on his hand for a moment before he sighed and dropped it unerringly. "Why would Nightmare bring a random kid to a scientist?"

Concern still lingered through Sci's soul, but it didn't seem directed at Nightmare. "You are not wary of my intentions." He stated more then asked.

Sci pulled out another pen and seemed satisfied with it then snapped his fingers "Not really." A yellow paper notepad floated down from the shelf with cerulean blue magic "I would be if he wasn't so attached to you guys. Kid is shell shocked, and appears to feel safe enough with Horror to hold onto him like his last lifeline" then let the notepad fell into Sci's hand.

"So no, I'm not."

Nightmare watched Sci stride past him without a care in the world despite the dark circles under his sockets and how the King of Negativity waltzed into his lab with demands as if he owned the place.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's just another stray you picked up."

A tentacle flicked in annoyance "He has abilities I want you to examine, you will not say a word of them to Horror if you find anything." Nightmare added.

With his back to Nightmare, Sci's hand motioned a salute and then fell lazily to his side "We talkin' special soul magic? Unique magic systems?"

"…Code."

Sci froze in front of the door.

It was still a stretch. A far one at that. Yet…the idea remained in Nightmare's mind since the moment it appeared. Perhaps he couldn't be too careful. It wasn't like this was the first time Nightmare had picked up someone with code abilities.

Sci's curiosity almost sputtered out entirely before reigniting, yet not as bright.

"I can work with that" Was his only, bland and somewhat strained response before entering the examination room.

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

"Coward."

Phantom whispered that word into his ear like a mantra. Listed off his sins as if they were simply a grocery list. Uncaring and matter-of-factually.

Phantom Papyrus was a curse. One Dust carried willingly—as if he could actually be rid of Phantom. The ghost of his brother, long dead hundreds of times over. After everything he did to his world, to his home, the demeaning voice of his brother was the least that he deserved.

So Dust sat in his room, on the floor, back against the side of his bed.

At first he stormed in here and slammed the door shut behind him. Threw almost anything not bolted to the ground and barely restrained himself from shooting a blaster through the wall. The he paced the room, panicking, spiraling as Phantoms words egged him on. As Phantom tempted him to slaughter the others in this castle, take their LV and move on to the next world.

After a panic attack, or two, or three…who knew at this point, Dust found himself sitting where he was now. Curled up, pulling his hood over his head as far as it could go. Hiding from the world as the only voice that he heard was the spiraling one in his head, and the cruel words of his ghostly hallucination of a brother.

Until it wasn't

Until the door clicked open, and Dust jumped, sending a bone attack at the intruder.

Cross caught it in his hand.

"Hi." He said, holding the bone.

Dust panted, staring at Cross confused.

Cross lowered the bone, and walked in. "Boss and Horror went to Sci with Ink."

Dust clenched his fists at his side, nearly growling. "So what? They tell you to babysit me?" besides his harsh tone, he dispersed the bone attack.

Cross was silent to that, until the door clicked shut. "They didn't tell me to watch you."

Dust watched in silent confusion as Cross leaned his back against the door, then with a sigh, slid down and sat on the floor. Directly across from Dust.

"I don't need a babysitter." Dust hissed, pulling his legs closer to himself.

Cross met Dust's eyes. The only ones in the castle with two working eye-lights, the only ones with heterochromatic eyes. Yet still, they couldn't be more different.

Though, he supposed that killing everyone they loved in a fit of madness was a similarity.

"Do you want company?"

The question caught Dust by surprise, and for a moment, it looked like it caught Phantom by surprise as well. He glared at Cross, floating by Dust's shoulder. Yet he remained silent.

Dust didn't reply. He found his mind too taken aback to form any coherent sentence.

Cross was a curious one, had been since the day he arrived.

Before Cross. Dust was used to interacting with the quiet, withdrawn personalities of the others. He had grown to enjoy Horror's company more then the rest. Yet their tempers and flaws always clashed, like metal blades just waiting for the right moment to strike each other and spark a flame from their conflict.

But then this young soldier arrived. Clearly broken by an outside force, much like the rest of them. Angry, vengeful and withdrawn at first, Dust once feared Nightmare brought a hothead to the team.

But as time passed, as Cross grew more comfortable in this strange mess that was their home, he mellowed out. He showed a side that wasn't entirely about tearing apart code for his own gain, or spiraling about the slaughter of his friends and family

He liked chocolate, and tacos. He asked Dust about the books he read. He loved Horror's cooking and so far held the record for the most plates anyone in the castle had eaten in one night. Killer loved teasing him, and sometimes it was entertaining to watch how much simply went over Cross's head.

And his eyes.

They held a spark that Dust couldn't find in the others. Not even Horror, who rivaled Cross for most mentally stable in the castle.

It was hope.

A naive, youthful, and stupid sense of hope.

Hope that he could fix everything, that he'd get his world and family back.

Hope that he'd be okay, in the end.

It was stupid.

But…he supposed at times, it was endearing.

The crinkle of paper pulled Dust's attention away from the floorboards. When Dust looked back at Cross, he had pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket.

"…I thought we were out of chocolate?"

Cross paused, mid-unwrapping. His eyes wide as a smile pulled at his lips. He then shrugged. "Got it from the kitchen."

Dust raised a brow. "The kitchen your banned from?"

Cross nodded his head, smiling at the unwrapped end of the chocolate bar.

"For stealing chocolate."

Cross paused mid bite. Then looked at Dust and pulled away. He glanced between the two, chocolate bar, then Dust, and waved said bar at him. "Want some?"

There was a day, that Horror compared Cross to a dog. A Siberian husky.

Honestly? With the monochrome color's Cross dressed in, his unwavering loyalty to Nightmare and…his surprisingly animated quirks—at least compared to the everyone else here.

Dust could see it.

"Sure." Dust said, opening his hand for the other.

Cross smiled as he broke off half of the bar. "Just don't tell Horror."

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

Sci leaned back in his swivel chair, one elbow rested on the armrest and two fingers pressed against his temple while the other fingers held a pen. He stared down at the notes he held—eye sockets wide in exasperation— with his other hand and without raising his head, his eyes snapped up to Nightmare.

Nightmare leaned against the wall of the lab with his arms crossed.

Nightmare strictly kept his tentacles close to him. He could already feel his headache and exhaustion resurfacing. The check-up did not take long, only about an hour, but that was enough time for his little issue to poke it's ugly little head out once again.

It was fine. This was almost over. He was a King, he could handle keeping his composure for a bit longer.

Ink did well during the check-up. Nightmare hovered outside by the door to keep an eye on Sci, but there had been no issues. Ink only began to panic when it was time to examine his soul, and even then as long as Sci kept his hands to himself and did not directly touch Ink's soul, he remained calm.

Afterwards, Sci offered a TV on the other side of the lab to entertain Ink while the adults talked. Horror had intended to join them, but Ink insisted that Horror sit with him and watch. The TV wasn't close enough that Horror was directly involved in the conversation, but he could still hear what was being said.

"Okay—" Sci sighed and sat up in his chair "Other then a couple of scrapes and minor bruises, physically Ink is healthy. It's nothing that time won't heal perfectly fine." He flipped through a page "Now, his soul on the other hand…" Sci's soul flickered with anxiety, so he pulled his pen down and bit the end.

It wasn't often that Sci was nervous, not when it came to new information, new scientific discoveries. His curiosity always overcame any distress dangerous new discoveries could bring.

But whatever Sci saw in Ink…It worried him.

Nightmare had a feeling deep in his soul that Ink was something special, something new. He would not reach Nightmare so easily otherwise.

Cross used to hold the power to CUT code from it's source, and place it somewhere else. He had used stolen code to attempt to restore his broken world once upon a time.

Until that ability was lost to him.

It was powerful, part of the reason Nightmare wanted Cross on his team. Creator's only know what Dream or that damned Omega Timeline would do with that sort of power. Especially against him.

Code was a truly mystifying brand of power. Whether it be minor, as Cross's had been. Or a major ability, such as Error's multiversally known destruction, and Core Frisk's watchful eyes. The power to warp reality, to reshape it to your truest desire…it was the type of power even Nightmare, one considered God-like, could only dream of having.

Despite how long it had been around, the ability was arcane and cryptic. Very few could use it, much less understand it.

It was a stretch, truly, asking Sci for such an analysis. Risky, with Horror so close by.

But Nightmare had to know if Ink's ability's had anything to do with that strange power.

If not, Nightmare wouldn't be too disappointed. If anything he was being hopeful at the idea. Perhaps after Cross, he had gotten a bit too ambitious on finding someone with the ability to tamper with code.

There were other factors that could cause a warped CHECK anyhow, Ink's damaged soul being one of them.

Even so, he decided to consider all options, lest he missed something crucial.

Ink was connected to Nightmare in some way, there was enough evidence for that. He wasn't sure if Ink was another form of Guardian, multiversal God, or perhaps just a special little monster. No matter what the result, Nightmare knew what he saw in Ink. What he's seen in all of his recruits.

Potential.

Potential he will not allow to be wasted.

He's been right so far with the others. What's one more?

Sci glared at the notepad for a moment before he pulled the pen out from between his teeth "It'd be one thing if it was cracked, or even just a sliver taken, but he's missing at least two inches of his soul. Nearly half of it, the average soul is five inches tall and wide. So—" He flipped another page "He only barely missed the mark for more serious damage. He could have…" Sci glanced over to Ink, who was sat in Horror's lap completely distracted by the cartoon on the TV. It showed a friendly walking turtle with his other animal friends.

Horror had been focused on Sci's words, but when Sci had turned to Ink he gently and carefully placed his hands on Ink's shoulders. When Ink didn't startle, Horror raised those hands up to the sides of Ink's skull.

At the touch, Ink leaned back and raised his head to meet Horror's eye.

Sci didn't hesitate "He could have dusted"

Ink's faint eye-lights brightened happily. Relaxing in Horror's gentle hold.

"I don't know how he got away from—whatever happened—with so little damage. He was only missing a few HP points, but his HP Stat…it's fractured. When his soul was damaged, it not only did damage, but actively took away points that will never be recovered"

Horror lowered his hands and instead wrapped his arms around ink's torso to pulled him close. Ink happily leaned into him and turned back to the TV.

"When he's fully grown, he'll be a few points sans of what he should have" Sci let out a light but almost pained chuckle "Ironic, huh? Least he won't be at 1 HP. I mean, we're a tough lot anyhow but…" Sci cleared his throat "A-anyway, Ink won't even miss the HP since there are a lot of way's to lengthen it, he'll be okay as long as he stays relatively physically healthy. I'm…" Sci trailed off, he adjusted his glasses as his eye-lights glanced up to Nightmare then scanned the floor.

Nightmare raised a brow at Sci and his tentacle flicked in annoyance.

Sci let out a strained sigh "I'm concerned about how it happened, I'm not trying' to make it my business but—"

"I don't know" Nightmare blurted out.

Both Sci and Horror's full attention snapped to him.

"I found Ink in a unique world, where no underground resided. Only Ink's family, and their home"

Horror's hands jumped up to Ink's skull again.

"But even as far as my senses could stretch, the only living soul I sensed in that world was Ink. Everyone else had been killed, and left Ink kneeling under a tree. I do not know how Ink's soul was damaged, I only found out it was when he showed us hour's later"

Ink raised his hand near his chest and faced his palm up. Horror tensed as they all watched pink, white, and black magic emerge from Ink's chest and swirl around his hand before shaping itself into a soul.

White, with only the faintest pink undertone. An upside down heart. 

With a large V shaped chunk missing from it's right side.

For a moment, Ink was not a child. He was not distraught or vulnerable as his eye-lights focused on his soul. Nightmare did not need empathetic abilities to sense the furious determination blazing within him.

Nightmare pulled himself from this thoughts "…What about the pink? Monster soul's should be purely white"

"You're soul is a black dripping apple." Horror interrupted with his arms hugging Ink.

"I mean—" Sci flipped through his notes "He doesn't have any Determination in him, he might have some in the same way Undyne's do but as far as I can tell that bit of pink is likely a natural result of something from his original world" Sci expectantly looked up at Nightmare.

Nightmare shrugged "Take a look at his CHECK, there's no AU listed."

"I saw it, just wondering if you knew anything…" Sci turned back to his notes and turned the pages "Now, with his soul as damaged as it is, I can conclude that the damage has caused Ink to develop a soul related Chronic Injury as Well as PTSD" Sci adjusted his glasses and Met Nightmare's eye-light.

"I expected as much" Nightmare said plainly.

"Yeah" Sci hummed as amusement gently pulsed in his soul "Nothing you lot are unfamiliar with, seeing as both of which are apparently 'requirements' for being one of you're recruits"

"They are not." Nightmare responded curtly.

Sci raised a brow "Then name one of your recruits that doesn't have one, the other, or both…including yourself" Sci added the last bit hastily, as if the last second he figured Nightmare would suggest he was exempt from these 'requirements'.

Truthfully, He knew better then to say otherwise. So he only narrowed his sockets

Sci dropped the topic and continued "I'll go into further detail about his mental state soon, but first his soul. Whenever his body tries to activate a part of his soul that isn't attached to him anymore—"

"Wait" Horror interrupted "That…'attached' suggests it's still out there"

Ink did not move. His focus remained on the TV, but interest and hope blossomed in his soul and tore through the shadowy fog of grief clouding him.

"Theoretically? Yes, logically no. To be honest, unless I know exactly what happened I can't tell you whether the other piece is still in tact or has shattered by now. Either way, you won't be able to retrieve it, since the only way it's still in tact was if someone absorbed it before it shattered"

Anguish plunged deep into Ink's soul and shattered that hope like glass. He whimpered in Horror's hold and turned to grasp his shirt. Horror mumbled a small sorry and adjusted his hold on Ink.

"ah—sorry" Sci apologized "anyway—whenever his soul tries to activate a part of itself that isn't attached to him anymore he has a 'malfunction' which causes a direct reaction, his memory fails him and he will experience an episode of minor amnesia. Whether it be through magic use, or even just…randomly in the day."

If Nightmare had a dime for every Sans he recruited with a tampered soul…

"Horror told me about yesterday's memory incident, and Ink mentioned it had never happened before, and with the other data I got, it's definitely an issue linked to his soul. Now, I wouldn't go as far to say he is anywhere near soulless. He will still feel emotion as normally as any other monster would. The damage won't alter his capability to feel. His memory issues though…it's—" Sci stuttered for a moment, struggling through his explanation "I'd need more time to fully determine it's affects, but as far as I can tell, it's nothing extreme or permanent, it's almost like short term memory loss. His memory will return after a short moment, or if something trigger's the memory to snap back into place"

"Will that change as he gets older?" Nightmare asked.

"Maybe," Sci replied "He's still in a very early developmental stage, any side affects could change, intensify or even disappear as he gets older. As far as I can tell, as he grows, his soul should adapt to it's new state and react accordingly. For now, it still need's to stabilize itself." Sci tapped his pen. "There are other side affects to his damaged soul that will manifest with time. You'll have to watch him for unstable magic, stunted magic development, and some abilities he'd have with a full soul might not develop at all."

A tentacle by Nightmare's foot twitched.

"Since the wound is still new, magic will leak out of the soul unwillingly. So keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn't use any magic until the wound closes." Sci let out a sigh and flipped to another page "Injuries aside, Ink's mental state is another important aspect to his health right now. It will take time for him to recover, a very long time. Not to be blunt, but he might never fully recover from what happened. The trauma will follow him for the rest of his life."

Ink could join the club. He'll fit in perfectly with everyone else.

"Physical side affects will and have manifested from his mental state, he will experience headaches and stomachaches that seemingly have 'no cause'. His eating habits will be limited and he will sleep more then expected. He will also experience episodes of extreme energy and extreme depression."

Finally, Sci stood up from his seat. Horror and Nightmare watched him, but Ink was perfectly distracted as the cartoon animals played in the woods.

As Sci continued professionally, he clicked his pen, flipped to a blank page of his notebook and began to write. "Be patient with him, make sure he feels safe in the care of whoever is watching him, and assure him that the experience was not his fault. Help him find healthy coping habits. If the subject of his experience comes up, don't push, go at his speed. Make sure he eats something, even if its just one small meal a day and…"

Sci ripped the paper out of his notepad and held it out to Nightmare. Uncertainty swirled in his soul, but so did a sudden blossom of resolve.

"You two are his new guardians, his caretakers. I don't know about the other's back in you're castle, but whoever Ink becomes attached to as he lives with you will have a very important role in his current state."

Nightmare reached for the note, but only managed to pinch the paper between his fingers before Sci pulled on the note and met Nightmare's cyan eye-light with his unwavering white.

"He is depending on you entirely, Raising—" Sci spoke with emphasis on that one little word "—him will be difficult, he's traumatized but will not react the same way your grown recruits do. He will be far more delicate and impressionable. You're every word, you're every move, will have an impact on how he grows. It's up to you if that will be a good, or bad thing"

Nightmare scanned Sci's eyes and soul.

Wavering in uncertainty. Yet bright, alight with hope.

Sci was a curious one. In the face of danger, he thrived with the possibility of a scientific breakthrough. He would stare down the barrel of a gun if it meant discovering the answer to all that was.

He would stare down a god, and all but threaten him to be a good guardian.

Sci let go of the paper before Nightmare replied, and smiled "So!" He clapped his hands together "Any questions?"

Nightmare inspected the note Sci had given him and noticed he in fact had two papers between his fingers. Nightmare folded the paper's neatly and placed them in his pocket "I have none, you have been thorough." then turned to Horror but he shook his head.

The uncertainty in Sci's soul dimmed as curiosity brushed it instead, he then turned so his back faced Nightmare and took off his white coat "Come back in a month, he'll need routine check-ups on his soul until the wound closes up and stops leaking so much magic." Sci hung the stained coat on a rack, turned back to Nightmare and leaned against a desk with his hands behind him flat against it's surface.

"You know where to find me if you have any questions before then." Sci's eye-lights brightened "Oh! Can I call dibs on being his local doctor?" he asked with wider smile.

Nightmare almost rolled his eye "It's not like there's anyone else."

Sci was satisfied with the answer, as minimal as it was.

Meanwhile, Horror also seemed satisfied. His wariness about Sci had calmed. He was more relaxed then he was when they arrived and did not argue against him being Ink's doctor. Not like it would be any trouble, since the scientist was practically the Gangs doctor anyhow.

"Is Cross still taking the med's I gave him?"

Speak of the devil.

"He is." Nightmare answered.

"What about Killer—" Sci shut his mouth when Nightmare let out a frustrated huff and a tentacle snapped at the air "—I'll take that as a no." then he turned to Horror "How about you buddy? You okay? How are those headaches?"

Instead of replying, or even facing Sci. Horror kept his eye on the TV and only threw a quick thumbs up in the air before the hand lowered back around Ink.

"Good good." Sci turned to Nightmare. "You need—?"

"Same answer as always. No." Nightmare denied before the subject could even be brought up.

Sci shrugged, "can't blame a guy for trying" he sighed. The energy faded from Sci's smile at the answer, but through his senses Nightmare could determine it was from a dip in physical energy rather then any emotional distress.

For his help, Nightmare brought Sci coffee brands across the Multiverse that he would find difficult to acquire otherwise. Between his lively curiosity and rather concerning relationship with caffeine, Sci always appreciated the gesture and continued to happily work for Nightmare.

A happy subject was a loyal subject after all.

But not if they had killed themselves through extreme caffeine intake.

Sci had a habit of replacing the need to sleep with enough caffeine to kill an elephant. It seemed as if every time Nightmare visited with a new demand, the scientist had yet another caffeine experiment. Whether it be injections, pills, strange new blends, stickers, or—in this case— magic.

One thing that remained consistent were his lows. Caffeine could only do so much when you evade sleep like a mortal enemy. Sci could act normally for hours, even if he was still a bit jumpy and wired. But after enough time, he'd start to crash right before chugging down another glass.

"If you do not get real sleep soon, I will 'tattle' on you to that Underfell Sans"

Sci's smile fell at Nightmare's words.

"…like. Attack—?"

"No, you have been loyal. I will not harm you're rowdy little boyfriend." Nightmare waved off, then kept his gaze on the back of his hand as if he was inspecting his nails. In truth, he was watching Sci's emotions closely "But if he knew you were here, with me. Oh I don't think he'd ever let you leave Underfell."

Shock crashed into Sci and grew into uncertain panic, almost entertained by Nightmare's threat yet more annoyed by the sudden command to sleep and disbelief that he would stoop so low.

Nightmare could stoop lower. He could give Sci no choice in the matter, he could bring the man down with a single touch, but alas, Subjects like to have free will. So he will just have to resort to other ways.

Overhearing their conversation, Horror predicted what would come next and adjusted the skeleton resting in his arms then stood up.

"If that's all, we will be on our way." Nightmare continued as he approached Horror. "We will be in touch with any questions, and to organize the next appointment." Nightmare opened a portal and after Horror stepped through he turned to he met Sci's insulted eye-lights with a rather prideful glint of his own "Rest well~"

And with that, Nightmare stepped through the portal and closed it before Sci could compose himself and throw back a witty reply.

Close you're mouth before you catch flies. Sci imagined Nightmare would say if he knew how long Sci stared at the space where the portal had once been.

Then the shocked stare twitched into a smile as Sci laughed. He knew the King of Negativity was sassy but that was brutal. Brutal in the sense of…mostly harmless instead of violently disruptive.

And it was damn funny too. Sci chuckled to himself and shook his head. Then pulled out his phone and opened the contact 'Red❤️'

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

"Hey buddy? How did it go?" Cross asked Ink, greeting the three the moment they stepped out of the portal.

When Ink spotted Cross, he wriggled out of Horror's hold and rushed to his side.

"It was okay." Horror commented watching Ink suddenly hug Cross's leg.

"ohp—Really?" Cross asked, glancing between Horror, Nightmare and Ink.

"The Damage in his soul is considered an open wound." Nightmare said, his eye watching Ink before pulling out a piece of paper and reading it over. "As long as Ink doesn't excessively use his magic, it will heal over. He will…mostly be fine."

"Mostly?" Cross asked, with a tilt of his head.

Nightmare then handed Horror the paper. "Everything important is written down, otherwise, Horror heard the rest. For now, I'll be in my office."

Cross blinked, but stepped aside for Nightmare to stride past him. His hands held in his pockets and an air of heavy silence blanketing him. Leaving Cross concerned, but not too curious. In a sense, he's learned that's just how the Boss can be at times.

Though when Cross turned down to Ink, who tugged at the end of his shirt for attention, he wondered if it was truly like all the other times Nightmare appeared to hold something to himself that held a heavy weight.

"Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross. Cross—" Ink only stopped tugging when Cross placed a hand on Inks head with a tight lipped smile.

Oh stars. their actually keeping this kid around. Their actually gonna have a growing, little kid living in the castle. He'll have to get used to this.

"Yeah kid?"

Ink bounced on his heel. He wasn't smiling, and Cross internally wondered if he'd ever see Ink smile. "Can you train me now?"

A silent beat passed.

"Now?" Cross blurted out, anxiously glancing between Ink and Horror who seemed confused but with his raised brow at Ink he seemed more contemplative of the matter. "Didn't Sci say to like, take it easy or somethin'?" He asked, picking up his leg only for Ink to hold on tighter and get lifted off the ground.

Horror hummed and took a closer look at the paper Nightmare gave him and began to read it off. "Regarding Ink's damaged soul, do not let him use too much magic until we determine the wound in his soul has closed. Otherwise his magic can and will be overactive and uncontrollable, or not react at all. It could also put too much strain on his soul."

Cross cringed in worry at that, could his soul experience more damage? That…it already looked so bad…

"The wound isn't in danger of getting worse but its better to be safe then sorry. Too much strain could also result in pain or a longer period of recovery. As long as he doesn't use his magic yet, and is monitored for a while, physical activity is okay and encouraged. "

"I can train." Ink pointed out, still attached to Cross's leg while he hopped on the other one.

"He can." Horror nodded, earning an uneasy grunt and look from Cross.

"Now?" Cross asked, now grabbing onto the back of Ink's oversized shirt to try and pull him off. Ink didn't budge, instead he closed his eyes and held Cross's leg tighter.

Oh star's what have they gotten themselves into?

Horror shook his head, scruffed Ink by the back of his shirt and pulled. Ink almost immediately let go and Horror held him in the air between the adult skeletons.

"Tomorrow." Horror decided, while Ink slowly spun while held up. "How's that sound kiddo?"

Ink blinked. "Okay."

Then the both of them turned to Cross. Who now realized had yet to agree to any of this.

Cross placed his hand atop Ink's head "Alright, Then I'll teach you the basics when we have time."

As excitement grew in Ink's soul, so did the size of his eye-lights.

Cross met that same look now, as Ink begged Cross with his eyes. No smile, only the big round eye-lights with the faintest pink shade.

Just to be careful. Cross pulled out Ink's CHECK with a ding.

• INK

• HE/HIM

• HOME UNIVERSE: [ DATA NOT FOUND ]

• LV*

• PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE…

…what?

Okay yeah, the 'please' was excessive, and Cross mostly just wanted to see if Ink really was healthy enough for something like this. His HP looked fine all things considered, and his CHECK didn't say anything too drastic…

but what's with his AU info? Even Cross, who's world was…left a blank nothing, still had the name in his CHECK.

and then…his LV…

"Cross?"

Cross snapped out of his thoughts when Horror's voice broke through them. "Oh, uh…hey, did Sci say anything about Ink's CHECK?"

Horror gave Cross a confused look, then turned to Ink.

Cross waited in the silent moment, and watched the exact second Horror's confusion eased. "Oh, yeah it's been like that since he arrived." 

Another silent beat passed, Cross wracked with confusion before asking again. "Did...did Sci say anything about it? That doesn't look-uh...right." 

Horror thought for a moment, but shook his head. "He didn't, but we can ask him next time." 

"Does Nightmare know?" Cross asked.

Horror rolled his eyes. "Probably, he was the one to bring up the AU thing."

"It could be because of his soul?"

Horror gave a small nod, the idea making sense in both of their minds. Yet suspicion still lingered.

Killer's words echoed like a haunting warning.

"I only know what's obvious." Killer stood to his feet, toxic DT dripping from his sockets "The little rat has something, and it's something the Boss wants. He isn't a charity case, he doesn't do something for nothing. If you idiots can't see that, then that's you're own damn fault."

"it's probably that." Horror sighed, pulling Ink higher over himself, over his head, then let Ink settle on his shoulders.

Cross knew that wasn't the end of this, he knew Horror knew that. But there wasn't anything they could do right now. So, until they can, they both settled for handling what they could in the now.

Cross nodded with a small smile.

Horror was always good at that sort of thing.

∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘

Nightmare pressed the second paper between his fingers. He had pulled it out the second he had closed the door to his office behind him.

Coding capabilities are very hard to determine from this age. But I'm Sci, not some average run of the mill multiverse scientist. ;)

Coding capabilities are likely. I can't determine to what degree yet, both bc of his soul and age. Could be smthn like what Cross had, or something else entirely. Even I don't know much about code powers.

Be careful. Don't let the Omega Timeline find out.

Nightmare shoved the paper back into his pocket with a huff.

Nightmare tried not to get his hopes up…but now that it was likely.

He couldn't help but think that Inks connection to him, ability to reach a powerful being such as the King of Negativity across the multiverse, and to ease his pained soul when that creature had sent waves of burning pain through him, had something to do with this.

As the paper crinkled between his fingers and the fabric of his coat pocket, as the click of his heels echoed in the office room, Nightmare let the information settle.

Nightmare sat himself in his plush office chair and rested both of his arms on the armrests. He considered his role in the multiverse, his power, his title of King.

How most even considered him a God.

Nightmare smirked as he rested back into his chair, his tentacles curling pleasantly in the air around him.

Maybe the Creator's were real. Perhaps there truly was a force out there, watching over the multiverse and its goings.

Because there was no possible way, that Ink just so happened to fall into his lap like this. So Perfectly.

Righteous pride swelled within Nightmare. Darkness pooled at his feet and spread over the the office, though this time, instead of suffocating the air, or snapping at nothing. The darkness slithered and curled, elegantly blanketing his office in black as Nightmares deep chuckle echoed to no one but himself.