Chapter Text
Nightmare dodged a surprise attack in time, which was aimed at his soul. From behind him, a loud sound was heard, something exploded. He felt dust in the air, monster dust and building dust. Which, the building was falling one by one like dominoes all over AU. At this point, this Au he was in, was very fragile and didn't look like it would stand for long before begin destroyed. Even the sky, once blue and clear, is now eternally dark like a night with no moon or stars. In the sky, cracks form like white cracks. Big chunks of stones fall from the sky and hit the ground like boulders, causing more disasters all over the AU.
In front of Nightmare stood the monster which had created all this chaos, all around. The one in which, no one can remain calm or safe in the entire Multiverse. This monster made an entire Multiverse a war zone and where everyone just fights to survive.
Now the roles are reversed, because now the so called hero in front of him stands with his hands dirty with monster dust and the blood of humans and monsters. The smell of death could be smelled wherever he appeared. His arrival only heralded death. Everyone wanted to survive, even if there was no way for them to live. But they being monsters and humans, they had hope that someone would save them and that they would live again those days when they could see the light of dawn.
He stood there, watching Nightmare with a huge scowl on his face devoid of any feeling. From his empty, lifeless eyes, paint dripped down his dusty, bloody cheeks. His face looked like he had once cried for hours until the colored paint dried on his face leaving permanent tear tracks. He picks up his weapon, once a brush that brought life, now brought death to anyone who saw it. Error's scarf fluttered around his wrist, waving wildly at the speed of the wind created by this monster. He was covered in dust and blood all over his body from the millions of battles he had fought and the millions of lives he had taken. The only thing left intact on this monster was that scarf in a vivid blue color, wrapped around the monster's wrist. It shows that that scarf was the only thing he cared enough about in these dark days.
His eyes stared coldly with two silver orbs at Nightmare. He didn't say anything, just looked like he was thinking. Thoughts that no one really knew what they might be about. Nightmare remained on guard, watching this monster's every move. The fight between the two was long and tiring enough to make him weary. If it weren't for the negative energy throughout the Multiverse, perhaps Nightmare would be dead. Nightmare could actually feel his own dust and magic in his mouth at how exhausted he was. He was trying to raise his tentacles, or what was left of them, menacingly towards his attacker. His only reason for not giving up the fight was his anger and hatred.
Nightmare would never forget when he saw the members of his team fall one by one. They were so easily killed by this monster, no matter how well they were trained. None of them could defeat him. The dust of his family now lies in the hands of this monster. He will never forgive him for killing them without them even being able to fight him. If he thought he was a soulless psychopath before, well, now that proved that he hadn't seen until now exactly what could happen when this soulless monster really is serious about a fight.
Thinking some things didn't make sense to his genius mind. Nightmare couldn't find an explanation for what had awakened this monster to become a killing machine. If he hadn't killed Error or his team, Nightmare might have tried to convince him to join his team. But since all that happened, all he wanted was to eliminate this god monster or whatever what stars made up names people give him. He just knows that this massacre started the day Error was killed. He knows that the Protector of the Multiverse and the Destroyer have no relationship and no connection to each other or positive feeling for each other, because he would have known. So in conclusion, Error's death is not what started all this. Then what was it?
After a few difficult moments that felt like an eternity, the monster in front of Nightmare just turned his back and prepared to leave. Nightmare looked up at him, cringing deeply and growling at him. This wasn't the first time this monster had tried to leave in the middle of a fight. He really couldn't understand why he never finished what he started with Nightmare. He'd had so many chances to kill him so far, but never had. Why does a killing machine never hesitate to kill a single monster, but never finish the fight with him? Even if Nightmare thought he could match him in battle.
"So you're running again? I don't remember saying I was done with you!" He yelled at the monster menacingly, taking a step forward, trying to still stand, totally ignoring how his body was weakened.
The monster stops, but doesn't look at Nightmare. He just stood there motionless. At least Nightmare had time to breathe a few times now before the monster to decide to answer him.
"I still need you." Was the monster's reply before he created a portal of black ink.
Before he managed to disappear in a puddle of ink, Nightmare tried to attack him with one of his tentacles, screaming in anger and frustration. But the monster managed to dodge the attack and hit Nightmare hard in the chest before he jumped into his portal.
Nightmare growls and gasping on ground and trying to get up. He tried to ignore the pain he felt throughout his body. He beat him badly enough, but Nightmare is too proud to even consider that he couldn't match his enemy's strength. He refuses to admit that he was weak compared to his opponent. He even considers himself stronger than Error if you asked him, even though Error could have easily killed him if he wanted to.
That monster that had once been called Protector was out of control. You can't even call him a monster anymore after all he's done in the last few months. The only name he could give it was demon because that's all that's left of Protector, a demon.
He needs to get out of here, this AU won't last long. Nightmare was trying to seek out any source of energy, negative or positive. He's looking to sense if there is any other Aus in what's left of this Multiverse. All the signals were so weak. All the Aus that were left were on the last phase: Self-destruct. If he went to another Au or stayed here it was the same, he had nowhere to run now. He growled, he didn't want to accept defeat. He didn't want to die either. He hated being helpless. The words of that monster were on his mind. He didn't understand what he meant when he said he still needed him. For what? Everyone here was better off dead now.
He still keeps trying to look for some negative energy to give him some strength. He refuses to die here and now. Breathing heavily, he feels a familiar energy source full of negativity. Nightmare fed on it and was relieved, but at the same time, surprised by the familiarity of the aura he felt. He knew whose aura it was. That was ironic to think that this person who was supposed to be all smiles and glow, supposed to be the most positive creature in the universe, right now had such a consistently negative aura. He was almost tempted to go to him, but at the same time, Nightmare hesitated.
He hadn't seen Dream since their last battle, which was before Error's death. After Error died, Nightmare could sense from Dream an unspoken fear and a deep sadness. Nightmare knows that this reaction was not provoked because of Error's death specifically. Dream and Error had no connection, or so he thought. He was sure that Error would have told him that he had befriended Dream, since he had told him about his friendship with Blue. Since Blue disappeared on the same day as Error, Nightmare assumes that Blue's disappearance is more the cause of those emotions in the positivity guard.
Eventually, Nightmare makes his own decision. After all, he had nothing to lose. He makes a portal and goes to AU where he finds his opposite: Dream.
Between times Dream was sitting on a balcony in one of the buildings that still stood. He looks up at the grey, dense sky that blocks any source of light, leaving all the residents of this AU to sit in darkness. Thinking that this AU was also in danger of dying at any moment, all still seemed quiet. But this was deadly quiet, not a sound could be heard. Everywhere you went you heard nothing, no singing, no laughter, even the rivers made no sound. All the locals were in their houses, scared to death, waiting for the end or for someone to save their lives.
Dream could feel the corruption and desperation in this AU and he hated it. He wanted it all to stop! He could already feel how he would hear the screams of the people of this AU. Dream shuddered at the thought of hearing those screams again and he could do nothing. He hated feeling so helpless, especially after what had happened.
For months, all what Dream had heard were screams of terror, trying to implore him to come save them. Well, Dream did try to help most of them, but he couldn't save them all. Omega-Timeline may have been the safest place in Multiverse, but after an accident many years ago, Core disappeared along with Omega-Timeline. That was a foolish hope to think that Core would still be alive after so many years without a sign.
Dream was just one person, while the people who needed him were billions of people coming from billions of AUs. At least, the pain seemed to get easier to bear the more AUs died or the faster they were destroyed. Dream was desperately trying not to think about it or become relieved when the pain became less, which meant someone had died usually. He hated that. The screaming wouldn't stop until he did something or they died. At least he could console himself by thinking how his brother didn't have to suffer like that. There's a lot of negative energy here after all.
"Help!"
"Please, can anyone hear me? Please! Please!"
"This is the end! Help! Somebody!"
It's starting again.
Dream tries to ignore those poor people's voices. He didn't want to hear that again. He didn't want to hear how they were screaming in desperation for help and he couldn't be there to help them. He wanted to help, but now it just wasn't possible. Dream's hands were tied. They were all going to die anyway. The worst thing about the screaming was that it was hurting him mentally, but Dream really couldn't do anything.
"I'm sorry." Dream muttered, trying to calm himself.
"That's ironic to even see the positivity guardian so helpless. So it really does mean the end of the world is coming."
Dream flinched at the sound of the familiar and dark voice. He took a deep breath. Dream really didn't want to deal with Nightmare right now. He didn't really want to fight him now. He was already too tired from before with all the fighting and the whole thing with the war between them and between Error and Ink.
"That's not funny." Dream replied trying to keep his composure, thinking he couldn't. He looked up into Nightmare's cyan eye that glowed faintly in the darkness. "Humans and monsters die out there and there's nothing I can do to help them."
As he spoke, a small frown appeared in his features. Nightmare also didn't seem to be in a good condition. Even though it was semi-dark, he still noticed Nightmare trying his best to hide the pain in his body. Not to mention he looked damaged, he looked like he could turn to dust any second at how injured he looked. The worst thing was that Nightmare's injuries were visible, and Dream could tell that Nightmare was doing a good job of ignoring his own pain.
Nightmare came closer to Dream, noticing Dream's gaze on his wounds, but he ignored it. Looking at Dream, he noticed yellow lines under his eyes. That didn't surprise him. He had even remarked that he hadn't felt Dream in the dream world before, thinking that Nightmare himself didn't often go there. Dream was also in bad shape, full of bruises and scratches in his bones.
"It's not as like Error didn't warn you about the balance of the Multiverse." He said sharply as he looked at Dream. "Error clearly told you about balance and what might happen! And what did you do? Did you listen to him? Did you attack him without even giving him a chance? Who caused the destruction of the Multiverse? You or us?"
Dream listens to every word spoken with anger and spite coming from Nightmare. He just frowns at Nightmare. What he said really bothered him, that wasn't right and it wasn't true. What right did he have anyway to say that, to blame them for Error's death? Should we add that those people didn't really know about balance? Besides, no one in their right mind would believe or listen to a murderer if he said what he did was for balance! Even he didn't believe that at first until Blueberry explained it to him. Speaking of Blueberry... Dream tries not to think about him, what happened to him will follow him his whole life.
"That's not what happened!" Dream speaks harshly back to Nightmare, his golden eyes glowing in anger. "I didn't let this happen! I tried to talk to them and stop this from happening! The council really didn't want to believe him and I'm not really surprised by that! Also, Ink just wasn't saying anything! I couldn't do anything to change their minds!"
After Dream finishes explaining, he just continues adding more anger and frustration to his words. Tears of frustration held for so long running down on his face begin to stream down his cheeks.
"You also didn't make things easy for me! Considering Error's words, you and I, are part of a balance of negativity and positivity. You don't care about the balance between us! You cared about our balance as much as Ink cared about his balance with Error!"
After he finished saying all the frustration he'd had on his soul for the past few months, he looked at the expression on Nightmare's face. He looked at Dream thoughtfully at what he had said. He could read in his one good eye that Nightmare wasn't moved by Dream's accusation, but something about what he had said bothered him. Dream already felt sorry for what he had told him, he didn't even want to yell at him, even if he was corrupted now, he would still remain his Nightmare, his brother, and the most important person in the entire Multiverse, his family. He looks away, his eyes full of guilt.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you." He mutters.
To Dream's surprise, he hears a laugh full of amusem*nt coming from Nightmare. He looks up at Nightmare confused, seeing him grinning at Dream.
"No, you're right." He said as he approached Dream's words. "I've never generally cared for any balance in this Multiverse. More accurately, I never cared about this Multiverse. My joying was to send this whole world to my hell. The only thing I really cared about was making sure my boys stayed on their feet. The only person who's upset the balance of the Multiverse is your precious Protector."
Dream didn't say anything for a few moments, he frowned softly, looking away and not into Nightmare's good eye. He still felt guilty for the accusation he had thrown at Nightmare, even if it meant nothing to him.
"I... didn't know what Ink's intentions were." He murmured sadly. "For the hundredth time, I've only proven myself a horrible brother. I just wanted to do the right things. Maybe if I'd done something else, maybe we wouldn't be here..."
Looking at him with a deep frown, Nightmare grabbed Dream's chin forcing him to look into his good eye.
"Stop blaming yourself for the mistakes of others." He murmurs harshly looking into Dream's golden eyes.
"But-"
Dream didn't manage to say what he wanted to say, he was immediately cut off by a loud sound coming from above them. They both looked up, not quite realizing when the sky turned so black, the sky was now covered with a pile of black and white cracks and large heavy boulders start to fell. A strange white light bolt came out between the craters illuminating the AU that now stood to be destroyed by the falling sky over the trees, the towns, and the ground all were crumbled with huge stones.
Nightmare, without thinking or waiting for a second, immediately took Dream in his arms and jumped away from where they had stood. Right where they once had been, a large boulder from the sky struck, completely destroying the balcony. They really needed to get out of the building before the building or the sky fell on them crushing them alive. As Nightmare ran he used his tentacles and his own body to protect Dream, who was clearly too weak to even run or defend himself. In spite of all the fighting the two of them had had, Nightmare had never seriously wanted Dream dead completely, even though he had told him so a thousand times in the past.
While protecting Dream from the blows of rocks fall from the sky or the stone walls that were beginning to fall on them, a boulder hits Nightmare in the head hurting him worse. This made Dream let out a panicked scream for Nightmare's well-being. He watched as the goop on Nightmare's face began to drip off his face from how weak he was now. Immediately, Dream checks the wound on Nightmare's head, this was a very ugly and large scratch in his skull. Not the same as Horror's, but it could become if he took one more hit in that spot.
Nightmare stopped in pain, and let out angry growls trying to ignore the pain and move again. If it wasn't for his stubbornness and his pride, and if it wasn't for Dream being there to see him, Nightmare would have just fallen down defeated. He was trying as hard as he could to muster all the energy he needed to start running again. Dream was his only source of negativity at this point. Every other life form was already dead. The two of them were the only ones living in this Multiverse now.
Dream stared at the crack in Nightmare's head. He cringed seeing the white bone of his brother's skull. His wounds were more visible now that there was no goop or covering and hiding from them. Dream wanted to heal his wounds, but he didn't have the strength since only they were alive now. He was drained of positive energy. Dream's hands desperately clutched at Nightmare to keep from accidentally falling off. Dream was too weak to do anything. Even for his brother.
When at last Nightmare began to run again, Dream made a startled sound and pulled himself tighter against Nightmare. Dream was surprised and shocked. He didn't really expect Nightmare to still have the strength to take another step, but to actually start running again.
"Night, you're hurt!"
"Shut up!"
After that Dream didn't say another word. He just holds on tight to Nightmare and hopes for the best. As impossible as that sounds, Dream still prays to the stars that he and Nightmare can still make it out alive. Nightmare continues to run as fast as he can, trying to protect himself and Dream using his tentacles. Whatever it is, he has no intention of stopping, even if their end was the more certain thing to happen. They were still fighting to the end to survive.
Nightmare ran with Dream in his arms until finally he stopped. Nightmare looks down seeing nothing but void. They've reached a dead end. They couldn't go forward from here. Maybe they could turn around and take another road. But when Nightmare looked back, all he could see was the land beginning to disappear into the void. Nightmare growled at the sight, standing in one place. Now there was no escape for the two of them.
"This is the end of the road." Nightmare growled in annoyance.
"Night, can't you teleport us away from here?" Dream suggests, looking into Nightmare's good eye. Now this one was glowing half purple and half cyan now.
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Of course if I could do that, I would have by now!" It was his stern reply.
"Sorry."
"Stop apologizing." Nightmare growls annoyingly. He feels more of the ground beneath his feet begin to disappear. Nightmare tries to remain still. "It's too late for that now. We'll be dead any moment."
Dream looks down at the void. Nightmare was right. At any moment the ground above their feet will be destroyed and they will fall there. He tried not to think about it. He held in Nightmare tight, trying to pray and hope for anything, creators, stars, gods didn't matter, he just will lied to himself that someone would save them. But that was a beautiful lie after all. He needs to stay positive... optimistic... Dream's eyes filled with tears, but he ignored them completely.
"Night, I really need to tell you this." Dream looks up into Nightmare's eyes, deciding it's the right time to tell him that. Either way, they're going to die and Dream wishes he'd at least told his brother that at least once. "In Dreamtale, I wish I had done something. I wish things had worked out differently. I wish to have the future that you and I planned when we were children. The villages, the apples, the war, I wish all that didn't exist."
Nightmare looked at Dream thoughtfully, listening to every word he said. He growls softly in response.
"Dream, in those days, we were just kids. You couldn't have done much."
"I know."
Dream and Nightmare felt their bodies getting weaker. With no positive energy in this Multiverse, Dream felt the life draining out of him. Dream felt his own dust in his mouth. Also as long as Dream lived, Nightmare lived, they could both feel their life beginning to drain out of them.
"Night? I just... I want to remind you that…" Dream was trying to muster up all the energy to speak. He stares into Nightmare's now purple eye. Dream felt himself crying more, seeing his brother. He was there, he was always there. "I love you, brother... always have."
Nightmare pulled Dream closer to him in a tight embrace. Nightmare's tentacles, or what was left of them, wrapped around them as well. This was the first time in many centuries that they had embraced. Nightmare and Dream tried not to think about how this would be their last moment together before they died.
"I know." Nightmare murmured closing his eyes. His purple tears just rolled down his cheek and fell into the Void.
That was the last words the two heard before their bodies turned to dust and then that fell into the void.
...
...
Dream's soul and Nightmare's soul were saved...
They are safe now in the Doodle Sphere...
A monster with a blue scarf wrapped around his waist button a screen full of codes
He looks at the two souls with a look of relief...
That was close.
After that, a golden star appeared in his palms and he absorbed it.
Just after it the Multiverse was completely destroyed.
Reset?
*Yes No
