Chapter Text
“Ribbon, we need to talk. There’s more than one reason I needed your help. Don’t forget the streamers.” Nightmare spoke as he handed the bag over.
Ribbon peered inside and took the bag of red and silver paper. He was in the middle of decorating the living room. He had the balloons and lace table mat up. Nightmare told him to help him with decorations. It was a surprise for Horror’s birthday. He waited until Nightmare’s tendril picked him up to pin the streamers to the wall. Dust, and Killer were keeping Horror distracted in a corrupted AU. As soon as the streamers were up, Ribbon asked Nightmare, “What is it?”
Nightmare set him down. He set up two bouquets of dark red flowers. He checked the checklist again before talking. The frayed edges and yellow paper made it look older than anything else in the room. Almost. “The baby. I want to have our heir. A year is enough time to prepare, correct?”
Ribbon paused as he stared at the pretty red petals. He guessed Nightmare was right. It had been over a year since they got married and they only ever talked about a baby. Nightmare reminded Ribbon that the process was just a spell, but it still scared him. It’d hurt. “Mm hm. I- I don’t think I’ll be good as a mom. And we have a lot of time! We have hundreds and thousands of years! I think so. Right?”
Nightmare removed a decorative skull sticker and set it on Ribbon’s nasal bone. He twitched it, making Nightmare smile and cup his chin. “Sweetie, I know, but I’ve been waiting so long. And I’d prefer to do it before Killer, Horror, and Dust’s mortal souls pass. I’ve given you so much time. It’s just one, for now. Could you please do this one little thing? For me?”
Ribbon blinked up at him. He looked at Nightmare’s fingers waving under the table, messing with his emotions. He did it so often that Ribbon didn’t mind. Nightmare’s grip tightened on his wrist. It was how his powers worked. “Okay . . . I guess we can have a baby. If you want it, I’m ready.”
Nightmare pat him on the head, lightly scratching the top. He looked at the room. “Well, we’ll create the soul tonight. The Murder Time will be back in about a half hour, be sure to have everything ready by then, okay? I’m going to pick up the cake.” He turned around and left Ribbon alone by the table.
Ribbon stared at the fireplace and hugged himself. Did he have any idea how to raise a kid? No, not at all. But Nightmare probably did. He would tell him what to do. Even if he didn’t want something, thinking about Nighty always made it better.
When the MTT came back from their mission and Nightmare came back with cake, the party started. Horror blew out the candles on his birthday cake. Nightmare chose to frost the brown cake with red and silver frosting. He inspired it after his ax. Ribbon kept glancing at Nightmare, hoping he did a good job. Nightmare noticed his gaze and kissed his forehead.
Cross pushed a box over as soon as Horror blew out the last candle. It was wrapped in red wrapping paper with silver tape. “Killer picked it out for you.”
Horror opened the box, tearing off the tape without even trying. Inside was a butcher kit in a case. He opened the clasp to four knives in different sizes. He touched the blade of the largest butcher knife. “Hm . . . thanks, Kills.”
“No problem!” Killer fell back onto Cross’ lap. He kissed the mind-controlled skeleton on the neck.
“Not again . . .” Dust buried his face in his hand with a groan. Ribbon couldn’t help but giggle. Nightmare shielded his eyes with a tendril.
“How pleasant.” He glanced down at Ribbon. His eye light glinted with anticipation. He leaned against him. “I want to start the process. Now. We can always come back after. It should only take . . . about a half hour.”
Ribbon looked up at his husband. He nodded, looking at Horror to see if he would notice. He didn’t give him his gift yet! Nightmare smiled with satisfaction as he stood up.
“Apologies for the late announcement. Ribbon and I have something to attend to. Don’t attempt to kill each other while we’re gone.”
Cross glared at Ribbon. His hand was laced with Killer’s. The doll wondered if he still hated him through the spell like Dream could. He hoped not, but he could always tell Nightmare if he was. He’d fix him!
Nightmare lead Ribbon away to his office. He shut the door behind the two. Ribbon sat down and watched Nightmare sit on the other side of his desk. He took Ribbon’s hand in his own, pressing a kiss on the knuckles. “This may put you to sleep. I’d rather have you unconscious than in pain. It’s a different process from other monsters or humans as we lack organs. Organic organs of course. It’s also more painful as it grows in the ribs. Skeletons combine their love and special attacks into a single soul. Now, take out your soul.”
Ribbon nodded, though it only made him more scared. He took his soul out of his chest and handed it over to him.
Nightmare took his soul and removed his black apple one. He pressed his soul against Ribbon’s and a shiver ran through his body.
Ribbon’s soul burned and he gasped. “Ow, ow! It hurts! Nighty!”
“Almost . . .” Nightmare glanced up. He held out his one remaining hand and set it on Ribbon’s head. Summoning sleep magic, he lured him to sleep.
Ribbon’s mind turned into a blur as he fell unconscious. Nightmare carried him and tucked him into his bed. Ribbon awoke with an aching in his chest. His head swam in circles as he opened his eyes, then looked down at E̶r̶r̶o̶r̶’̶s̶ his soul. Huh, nothing looked like it changed . . . He placed his soul back into his chest.
A faint glow at the edge of the room caught his attention. Ribbon sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. In Nightmare’s hand, a purple soul floated in place. Lavender, but close enough. It was smaller than his palms and much smaller than a regular soul. Nightmare had the soft smile he only ever gave to him. He pet the top and the soul shivered.
“Ooh . . . did it work?” Ribbon felt the question was obvious, but it still came out.
“It worked wonderfully. You did such a good job.” Nightmare flicked two of his fingers and Ribbon slipped off the bed. Nightmare caressed the soul again.
“Skeleton babies and human babies don't grow the same. They only take three months to develop compared to nine. It will be your job to tend to the soul in its youth. By the next month, we’ll learn if we’re having a son or a daughter. Would you like to hold it?” With his nod, Nightmare passed the soul onto Ribbon.
The soul twitched and tugged in his grip. Ribbon panicked. He was determined not to drop it. It wouldn’t be good for it or Nightmare. He struggled to hold the soul in one hand and pull his string with the other. “What do I have to do to take care of it?”
“You must keep it warm, keep it away from sharp surfaces, give it affection, and feed it liquid magic. I’ll get you some. This pillow isn't going to stay here either. I'll keep it in my room, I simply wanted to surprise you." Nightmare chuckled.
“Got it!” Ribbon took in all the rules and kissed Nightmare. It didn’t seem too difficult. He’s done harder things. Ribbon pet the soul. He could do this.
As soon as that first month passed and a soft hum began to play from the soul, they began work on the nursery. Apparently it meant it was a girl, but Ribbon had no idea how to tell the difference. That might’ve also been because he hadn’t had a soul until last year.
“What do you think?” Ribbon held the soul of his future daughter on a pillow and spun in a circle. Ribbon did all the wall painting, he chose a light blueish-purple. He didn’t know the name of the exact color. A crib rocked by the window with a mobile, colorful stars, the sun, and a moon.
The soul made another hum, so Ribbon took that as she liked it. Ribbon couldn’t wait to see what she’d look like born. Ribbon sat back on a wood rocking chair. He took the soft blue blanket that was behind it and wrapped the soul in it. The vibration and the hum told him she liked it.
“I wonder if you’re going to be more like me or more like Nighty . . .” Ribbon thought out loud. It didn’t twitch as much to one name or the other. He held it up and kissed the top, earning a loud hum in return. "Oh, are you hungry?"
Ribbon stood up and grabbed a bottle of glowing blue liquid from the white cabinet. He took a syringe too. The needle always freaked him out. Does it hurt? Would she even remember by the time he asked? Ribbon pressed the needle against the middle of the soul, pushing in gently. The soul glowed every few seconds as if swallowing.
"Good baby, good little soul!" Ribbon beamed. He couldn't tell if she liked the attention, but it seemed so.
The next two months were similar. Ribbon adjusted his routine so he spent a decent part of the day taking care of the future baby. It grew a little bigger every day, but not big enough to escape his single hand. Killer, Horror, and Dust sometimes checked in, played with, or even helped with the little soul. Cross didn't seem to care, or like it. But Nightmare was the most in love. He was the one who tenderly held Ribbon and rested his head against the crook of his neck. He was the one who put her to sleep when Ribbon was too tired. And he was the one planning every step of her future. He said he was going to homeschool her and teach her to be a powerful ruler like him. Ribbon didn't need friends to live, so why should she?
One morning, Ribbon woke up and noticed something changed. The pillow they usually kept the soul on grew twice as large. Nightmare never told him something like this would happen. What if it was sick?
"Come- oh, shoot. Come here." Ribbon fumbled with his pull-string, trying to pull it and pick the soul up at the same time. He dashed out of the room, looking around for his husband. He didn't have any meetings today, and he didn't have any missions that he knew of. Why would it be so early anyways? Why couldn't he sense where others were at all times too? The first place he decided to check was his office.
"Nightmare?" Ribbon opened the door. He wasn't at his desk. The soul twitched and kept trying to flee. Ribbon looked down at it. "Calm down, Mama's going to get you help!"
The doll left the room and continued to search. He ran into Killer, who was just walking through the gothic hallway.
"Easy, dollface! What's the matter?" Killer asked. He looked down at the heart in Ribbon's hands.
"Something's wrong with the baby! I need Nightmare!" Ribbon panicked. He worried that if he didn't get help in time, the soul would explode. Probably wouldn't happen, but he didn't know better. "Where is he?"
"Library last time I saw him. Shi- I mean, that doesn't look good. Come on." Killer gestured over his shoulder. Ribbon knew Nightmare hated it when anyone swore in front of his face. They dashed down the hallway. Ribbon whispered encouraging words to the soul to keep her steady. He couldn't mess it up now!
They found Nightmare in the library as Kille said. He stood on a ladder, dusting off one of the shelves and humming a song. Either hearing him walk in or sensing his aura, Nightmare looked over his shoulder and down at Ribbon. He seemed less pleased about Killer. “Good morning, my sweet little lamb. I wanted to complete some work since I had no other plans, which is why I let you sleep in.”
“Nightmare? Something wrong with the baby! What do I do?"
With a sudden look of concern, Nightmare climbed down the ladder. “How so?”
Ribbon held out the pillow and showed him the trembling lavender soul. “I don’t know how it got like this. I woke up and it started shaking! Is it bad? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry!"
“Hmm . . .” The dark king’s fingers brushed against the soul. He flicked one toward him, but the soul didn’t stable. Nightmare tried harder and Ribbon tensed at the movement. The soul tried to hold onto him like a magnet.
“Fascinating,” Nightmare said to himself. “I can sense a strong amount of negative energy inside it. The baby is ready to be born."
The doll wasn't sure whether to be relieved or more anxious. Part of him assumed that could be the case. It still felt surreal. The build-up was there, but the payoff seemed like it would never happen. Killer scrunched his face. “And how is that supposed to work?
Nightmare took Ribbon's hand and sat them both down on the ground. “Well, I'll show you. I'll need your assistance. Bring me a bucket full of warm water, some blankets, and the pair of pajamas on Ribbon's nightstand. In my room, not his room."
Killer dashed off, not one to disobey Nightmare's orders. Nightmare turned to Ribbon. His tendril removed the arm
but wait here and allow me to check something.”
Ribbon cleared off the main table in the library, the one between the armchairs. He set the books and notepads aside. Nightmare used his tendrils to put everything back in its proper place. One of the books Ribbon picked up was on baby care. He flipped through the first few pages in case it was useful. As always, the words swam around and letters turned to mush. But the soul began to hum, almost a scream this time, so Ribbon grabbed it instead. He curled up into a little ball and held the soul close.
Nightmare paused in the middle of brushing off a shelf. He seemed pleased with Ribbon's instinct, though he stayed quiet. Killer made it back to the room with all the right items, yelling over his shoulder. "-shut up, Dust! It's for boss! You can see it in a minute!"
"Dust knows?" Nightmare walked back to the center by the table. He lay some of the blankets down and set the bucket on the floor. The pajamas lay next to the blankets.
"He knows. He was wondering why I was dragging in a giant bucket." Killer shook his hand off to help the feeling of the weight. "So, now what? Are you putting the soul in the water?"
"That would be correct. Stand back and be quiet, both of you. I've spent the last month researching this so every move is perfect." Nightmare took the shaking, squealing, growing soul and set it in the warm water.
Ribbon didn't want to be near the water in the first place. He sat on his knees on the armchair and looked down at the water. The soul glowed so bright it made the water look purple. A shell of bone overtook it and that bone stretched out. Two stubs on the sides became arms and two more stubs became legs. One stub cracked and grew out of the top, rounding out. Her soft small head. The baby covered up so much space that Ribbon had a harder time seeing. He looked as high as he could.
"What in the . . . look, I knew this was coming, but this is still so weird. I knew skeletons grew in test tubes, but not whatever this is." Killer's tone was a mix of disgust and extreme curiosity. He rested his head on his hand. The bucket began to shake. Ribbon tensed up. Oh no . . ."
"It's an odd process, that's for sure." Nightmare said. The bucket of water began to cry and splash. Water stained the carpet and the table and chairs. Ribbon jumped back in fear as a splash landed an inch away from his wrist. Nightmare picked him up with a tendril "Ribbon, it's okay. They're small splashes. Close your eyes for a moment if it makes you feel better, and to keep it a surprise."
"Okay! I just don't wanna get wet! I can't break." Ribbon did as he asked, squeezing his eyes shut. His soul beat with excitement and anxiety. It was happening, it was really happening! He listened as Nightmare removed something from the water and wrapped it in blankets.
The Lord of Negativity lowered him back down and now held a crying bundle of blankets in his arms. He stood in front of him, kissed his cheekbone, and handed them over. “You did so well, my little doll. Aurora is adorable.”
Ribbon lit up at the praise and looked down at the newborn skeleton, taking her in his arms. Her teeny tiny arms reached out and gripped the air. She wore the stiched button pajamas he made for her. Nightmare had to get him thr rough measures, but they seemed to fit well. Both of her eye lights were white. Her soul was a mix of lavender and pink. She blinked up at him and stopped crying. Ribbon tickled her neck and she clenched her fists around his finger. I made this thing. She’s perfect!
Nightmare smiled. “Aw, she seems to have a fond attachment to you. But that is expected. You’re the one who took care of her these last three months. Her soul learned you were her caretaker so she’ll want you by instinct."
The doll fumbled to grab his string as the baby in his arms blocked him. This might be easier than he thought if one of the only things he had to do was be there. He got it, and the baby tried to bite it at. “Oh . . . that’s neat! Did you say her name was ‘Aurora’? Hey, no biting!"
Nightmare rubbed the baby’s skull, pulling her away from the pullstring. “Correct. I named her after the aurora borealis. I can tell she will be powerful, the child of two guardians. It’s never happened before. There’s been offspring from one guardian, but never two. Even more interesting, you aren’t a true one.”
Ribbon looked back at their daughter. He felt a powerful protective urge over Aurora. He hugged her close to his chest like one of his teddy bears. He wanted to keep his little baby safe and happy. Nightmare was right, he was good at this. He was always right, why did he ever doubt him? "I love her! I love her so much!"
Killer watched as Ribbon snuggled with his new baby. He gave Nightmare a side glance; Ribbon recognized that look. "Quick question, what would happen if you left the soul shaking and didn't drown it in water?"
Nightmare smiled at him nonchalantly. "Miscarriage."
Ribbon fed Aurora her bottle. He rocked her in his lap, humming a slowed version of a song to make a lullaby. He couldn’t figure out where he heard the tune before, but it sounded familiar. Probably because a flute played it. He still played the flute, but not too much anymore. He did it for Nightmare. Aurora finally stopped crying after having some milk. Poor thing was hungry. Nightmare didn’t like listening to her cry, that wasn’t perfect like a daughter should be.
Her little hands gripped the plastic until it was all gone. Ribbon took a cloth and wiped off the remaining milk on her chin. He laid Aurora back in her crib and gave her her stuffed bunny. Ribbon made it out of a captured soul and it was white with a green stomach and stitching.
“Go to sleep, sweetie. Mama loves you.” Ribbon kissed her head. Now what to do after this . . . maybe dust out the library? Nightmare would like that. He yawned, exhausted from dealing with a needy baby, but he couldn’t nap. Nightmare wouldn’t like that, he needs his little doll! He shouldn’t be complaining in the first place, he was never asked much of. Ribbon began to walk out, but not before something caught his senses.
Aurora squirmed in her crib. Her hand wrapped around her crib bar, tangling up in her blankets. Her eyes narrowed. “Mm-a . . . ma . . .”
Ribbon gasped and turned back to Aurora. She babbled more noises and made grabby hands. Ribbon took one of her hands. “Come on, say mama!”
“Maw . . . ma . . . mawa . . .”
“Almost there!” Ribbon smiled. He wished Nightmare was here and not at his mafia meeting.
“Mamwa . . . mama.” Aurora looked pleased with herself. She squirmed in her blankets and cried, “Mama! Mama!”
Ribbon grinned and kissed her head. “Good girl! You did it! Aw! Mama is so proud of you! Now go on, take your nap. Papa is going to be so proud . . .”
Ribbon rocked Aurora’s cradle until she fell asleep, though his energy was right back. He waited until nightfall when Nightmare came back in. He had a hand pressed against his face. Ribbon pulled his string in excitement.
He spoke fast. “Hi, Nighty! I missed you! You never could’ve guessed what happened today! Aurora said her first word! She said mama!”
Nightmare’s stoic face softened. He looked Ribbon over and let out a quiet chuckle. “Is that so? Hopefully she can learn to say papa next.”
“She will. She’s going to be as smart as I am, I know it.” Nightmare smiled at the baby. Ribbon could tell from his gaze that he had a lot of plans for her.
Nightmare woke up in the middle of the night to a strong negative aura. It wasn’t a first. His team had frequent nightmares, especially when they started, about their previous trauma. Nightmare would then sit down and listen to them describe their dreams or traumas. Sometimes all they needed was a listening ear, sometimes sleep magic. Or sometimes they needed their negative emotions drained before they could rest again.
This aura was too small to be one of his boys though, in addition to Killer and Cross being on a trip. It left it to be only one of two souls. And one was more likely than the other.
He glanced over at Ribbon. The living doll was still asleep. If someone had told him a century ago that he would enjoy the domestic life, he’d scoff in their face. Perhaps even strangle them with a tendril. Pressing a kiss to her head, Nightmare slipped out of bed and crept through the hall.
He opened the door to his child's room and found the poor Aurora shivering in a ball. Her purple and blue blankets lay in messy piles across her bed. Her night light sent a white glow across the room. The designs were of several crescent moons. He turned on a lamp. He assumed he would need the extra light.
Nightmare crouched by her side and ran his hand down her skull. Aurora jumped and Nightmare had a glimpse of her dream. Aurora was trapped in the middle of a storm. Dark clouds covered the sky and lightning cracked in blinding light.
Corrupted swarmed in droves. Their faces and bodies melted and distorted, gazing with empty eyes. They fought against soldiers with silver armor and golden sun symbols. Unfortunately, Nightmare recognized some of them. The one in the front was the most stable. He held dual pistols, or more accurately, they melted into his hands. Aurora ran away, running in place until someone grabbed the back of her shirt. She screamed and kicked. The person holding her was Dream.
Dream turned around to block her from the war. “Please, listen to me. My name is Dream Joku, former Guardian of Positivity, leader of the Star Sanses, and your father’s brother. You need to help me and my friends. I don't have much time before I go back." Dream looked up as a growl sounded from the sky. A Corrupted tackled Dream, biting him on the shoulder and making him scream. He threw Aurora an unnatural distance, straight into a horde of amalgamations.
The creatures swarmed around her. Aurora stood up and tried to run, but she was shoved right back down. She wailed. "Mama! Papa! MAMA!"
Nightmare snapped out of the vision by pulling his hand away. It took several blinks to regain his focus. It was the first time he experienced her magic.
Aurora woke up completely, shaking. “Papa! I’m sorry! I had a bad dream!”
The dark king rubbed his eyelight, looking back down at his six-year-old daughter. He took her magic-suppressing bracelet off her nightstand and attached it to her. “It’s fine. You’re not the only one with nightmares in this castle. I’ve had to help everyone else at least once.”
Aurora’s shoulders relaxed. Nightmare looked at her with question and concern. “How often have you had this dream? And does it happen to feel . . . realistic? Plausible?”
“I’ve had it a-a few times, I don’t know, sometimes it feels real and sometimes it doesn’t. There’s this big battle and you and Mama always get hurt. Then the castle falls apart, then Uncle Dream rescues me before it falls on my head-”
“Your uncle isn’t like that, he doesn’t love you in the first place.” Nightmare snapped. He noticed Aurora’s flinch and sighed. “My apologies, I’m just worried about you, firefly. I’m still not sure how much of a guardian you are. I don’t know if your dreams are prophetic.”
“I don’t think so . . .” Aurora whispered. She hugged her stuffed bunny, remaining quiet. Nightmare was still proud of Ribbon for mastering that spell. “Um, Papa? Can I ask a question?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“How did you and Mama meet?”
Nightmare bit his lower jaw to hide his expression. It was unclear if Aurora had inherited the ability to sense emotions. She learned to control her illusion magic, but even then it wasn’t mastered.
Nightmare chose his words with caution. It would be difficult to say, I abducted, tortured, and brainwashed him to be perfect and lovable. He knew Ribbon’s fake backstory by heart now. “Well . . . I found your mother abandoned in an AU. I sensed her negativity and found her damaged, her AU was never finished and she was injured. I took pity on her and brought her to my castle where I healed her. She began to thrive and fight my cause. At one point, she was taken by your uncle and his teammate and tortured by them. I rescued her, but she's still shaken. That's why I'm so protective, I don't want her in battle where she could get hurt."
“That’s awful!” Aurora gasped. “They were called the Star Sanses, right?”
“Correct.”
“And if Mama was part of them . . . how did you get her out?”
Nightmare chuckled at her clueless tone. “I distracted them in a battle with help from your uncles. I took her back to the castle, cleaned her up, and started to work on her. The poor thing was a mess after a mere few weeks. I had to be gentle so as not to frighten her. It took work, but he healed and became the person she is today. I will admit, I made some foolish mistakes along the way, but for every fault, two more successes came out of it. For example, we made you.” He pet her head. “I became so much happier with her in my life. I wouldn’t want to change a thing.”
Aurora smiled, though she still looked scared. A thud from the hallway, a footstep, made her jump. Nightmare looked toward the door and saw Dust looking in. Aurora hid under her blanket, only with her purple eye lights peeking out.
Nightmare stood up. "Dust, what are you doing at this hour? I thought you overcame your insomnia a long time ago. Don't tell me you're experiencing nightmares too."
"I'm not, and I've over the insomnia. I was gettin' a glass of water because my nonexistent throat was dry." Dust rubbed the bridge between his eye sockets. The bags under his eyes never fully went away. "Bad dreams again?"
"Yes. Now she doesn't want to sleep because she's scared." He gestured to Aurora, who relaxed seeing it was Dust and not a monster. “Give your niece some advice on fighting. She’s afraid of being attacked. It's good for her to learn."
Dust groaned and sat on the bed, setting his water glass down. He looked down at the little girl. “Look. Your dad has control over the whole multiverse. You shouldn’t be scared of anythin’. But the trick is to go for their emotional weakspots. Break em' from the inside, your dad knows enough about that."
Nightmare hummed. "I agree with everything he said. Remember that you're the daughter of the God of Negativity. You have so much untapped power inside you. You can fight anyone. I'll keep you safe from anyone trying to manipulate your mind. Now, do you feel better?"
Aurora listened intently, absorbing all the information, then she nodded. Her eyes lit up with fire as if something clicked. "Yes, Papa. A lot better."
"Good, I'm goin' back to bed. Night." Dust half-heartedly waved and left. Nightmare shook his head with a partial smile. He tucked Aurora back into bed, fixing her messy blankets.
"You should go to bed too. Little princesses like you need their beauty rest." Nightmare kissed her head and pressed his palm against it. His magic helped guide her to sleep. He looked forward to when she was an adult and could rule properly. She could take Dream's place, or better yet, Core could break their truce and give Nightmare a reason to kill them.
And Aurora could take everything they built.
==============================================================================
Snow blew in the wind as Core ran across the rotten terrain, panting. They carried a massive black bag full of medical supplies over their shoulder. They had to move with caution so they didn’t step on the puddles of malice that covered every surface. This AU also had sharp emeralds embedded in the ground they had to keep from stabbing them in the foot. When was the last time they’ve seen a nice sunny day? The weather was always dreary, frostbiting, and miserable. Damn it, Nightmare! What do you have against sunlight?
Core paused and listened for sounds of movement or the growling the Corrupted was known for. Teleportation was too risky. They were already close to where they had to go and they didn’t want to teleport somewhere close to a Corrupted. It’s happened once before and they were left with a nasty scar across their forehead. They finally heard a scream close by and ran to it. Their ropes and gear were ready.
Core sent a team to rescue the survivors of an AU called Undergem as they’ve been for the last five years. Five years, four months, and twenty-one days to be exact. Rescue missions became common practice. They started sending out teams with magic because there were so many souls in need. They finally caught a distorted growl in the wind. Core Frisk touched the side of a tree and looked down from the ledge they stood on. Two Corrupted bit and snapped at the small rescue group they sent out. From looks alone, it looked like the shopkeeper and Undyne. Stage four from their best guess, their bones were definitely cracked and malformed. Blood and malice splattered the ground. They were hungry.
Core narrowed their gaze and dug through their bag as fast as possible. They pulled out two gold bottles, which they made with help from Underswap Undyne at camp. Positivity may have been what these things were attracted to, but it was also their key weakness. They figured that out the hard way; the memory made their head scar ache. They followed a path carved into the side of the rocks.
Core did their best to stay out of the monsters’ sight. Their pale blue cloak helped out as it covered everything but their face. Even that had a gray gas mask to keep from inhaling the sludge. Poppy, the head of the rescue group, fired her soul projectiles to fend one off. Her attack dug into the melted bones of the Undyne. It created a distraction so Fell fired a Gaster Blaster. The monster screamed and melted into a malice puddle. Core grinned and took their chance to throw one of the vials. Smashing against the storekeeper, he clutched his eye. The vial stained his eye with a nasty golden burn.
“Get out of here!” Core shooed them off with one of their arms. They looked at the group, scanning for injuries. The group of four turned into seven, so the rescue was successful. They weren’t too worried about Poppy. Both of their souls were too unstable for the corruption to thrive, making them immune. Core’s soul being shattered across space and time and Poppy’s being a doodle. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be hurt, weakened, or killed. “Is everyone okay? Did anyone get infected? Any stains, bites, or scratches?”
The group exchanged glances with each other. Fell checked something under his sleeve, catching Core’s attention. They approached the battered skeleton and stared him down. “Fell, show me. It could be life or death.”
The edgy skeleton tightened his grip on his arm, but then he gave up. He groaned and rolled up his black jacket sleeve. As they expected, a deep blueish-purple scratch bled across his entire forearm. The Undyne’s sharp claws were the most likely cause. The corruption made them as physically dangerous as it did mentally. Fell cringed at his own wound, but he hid it under a scoff. “Fucking thing scratched me when I wasn’t looking.”
“How long ago were you affected?” Core talked as they waved their hand and opened a portal. They didn’t pay attention, but they could hear the refugees fleeing. They stuffed their relief deep down, fearing the emotion would attract more monsters.
“I don’t know. Somewhere between two and five minutes before you got here?” Fell scowled, but his voice cracked at the end. He covered his cut back up. “Do you have to?”
“We do, we still have time. I don’t like it either.” Core looked through their bag and pulled out a roll of bandages. They kept their knife at their side in case they needed a quick attack, but they kept another one in their bag. The last thing an injury would need is a whole other infection in the wound. They rolled up Fell’s sleeve. He pulled back by instinct, but Core held him in place. The blackened scratch bubbled like boiling water. An eye opened sideways from inside, the parasite. “We have to make this quick. Three . . . two . . .”
Core sawed Fell’s arm with the knife, trying to make it as fast and painless as possible. The cries of pain always made them guilty. If only they had whatever the cure was. Fell’s arm fell off. Core pulled a toll of bandages from their bag and wrapped them around the bone.
Core pulled a lollipop from their bag, holding it to Fell. They kept them around to comfort young souls if they found them. “Want a treat?”
Fell scoffed, but he took the lollipop, stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He gazed into the portal. “Let’s get out of this hell hole.” He trudged over to it. Before he could enter, Core felt a vibration on their chest.
“Shoot. Stay behind me.” Core paused as their necklace glowed and buzzed. They created it with magic to sense the four fallen souls. The one good thing about Nightmare making them hate each other was that they would never attack at once. They held their necklace in their hand. Epic’s white and purple heart glowed. They hovered it around until the glow was the strongest, at a set of giant boulders. They cautiously stepped closer and spotted a tripwire extending between the two points. Core grabbed a rock and threw it on the wire, triggering the trap. A net sprung from the ground and tied itself at the top. “Found you, Epic. Again.”
“Oh come on, bruh! You’re no fun.” Epic teleported down and rolled his eye lights. Core stopped feeling sick whenever they saw them. They still didn’t know how to break Nightmare’s spell and no, slapping them really hard in the face didn’t work.
“I’m trying not to get people killed. There’s still approximately nineteen point-seven percent of the multiverse left. You’ve taken everyone else.” Core held the left flap of their cloak close to their body. “What does Nightmare want?”
Epic zoned out for a moment and his voice deepened in pitch. His brash smile turned into a cold scowl. “What I want is for you to stop sending these little ‘rescue missions’ into my AUs. I want you to stay out of them unless absolutely necessary.
“I’m not damaging your land or taking the souls you already have. I’m helping those who remain.” Core scrunched their face. Calling the Doodlesphere Nightmare’s always left a bad taste on their tongue.
Epic/Nightmare rolled his eyes lights. “I suppose you have a point. But you’re also you’re scaring my Ribbon. I will keep my deal as to not attack you directly, nor will I invade your citizens, wherever it is. As soon as you step over the line, I’ll make you watch everything you built burn down. You won’t be the first to die.”
Epic’s voice turned back to normal, or as normal as it could get when you’re mind-controlled. “Whatever he said, plus you’re pissing me off, bruh. I’m just screwing around and you’re getting stuck-up about it.” Epic took out his rubber chicken and squeezed it. Even after he developed a new fondness for grenades, he didn’t give up his weapon of choice.
“Stuck up? There’s a difference between pulling a prank and turning thousands of souls into zombies. There’s an even bigger difference between a prank and murder.”
“So?”
“I’m done.” Core waved their hand once more to form the portal home. They didn’t want to escalate a battle while Fell was missing an arm and in pain.
“How about I beat his ass before he scurries off again?” Fell rolled up his sleeve. His magic eyes flashed red.
“Bruh, you only have one arm left to use. I could wack you one time and you’re done for-”
Fell fired three Gaster Blasters at Epic. He dodged the first one, but the second caught his arm. Fell shot a bone to push Epic into the third blaster. When the light and dust cleared, Epic was half unconscious against a boulder. His rubber chicken, by some miracle, suffered no damage. Fell laughed, wincing at the pain the sudden movements caused. “Don’t need an arm to do that!”
Core Frisk crouched down to his body and hovered his soul out of his chest. Still black like a chocolate covering over a truffle. They hesitated to touch it. Their hand traveled to their belt and they uncorked another positivity bottle. Epic wasn’t corrupted normally like the other monsters were. It was only his soul. Could this work? Or would it kill him? Core poured a drop onto the soul.
A hiss sounded from his soul. Epic woke up from his stupor and screamed. The part they poured the soul on melted, sending panic through Core’s soul. “Dang it, dang it! Fell, we have to go. When he returns to his senses, he’ll want vengeance.”
“Ugh, fine.” Fell followed Core through the portal. They shut it quickly. The snow faded into a pure white sky, sandy ground, and a fair amount of trees. A giant chain-link fence with an extra layer of backing steel made a rectangle. As soon as they were stable, Fell walked up to the nearest storage bag and punched it with a yell. It drew the attention of monsters and humans walking and hanging around. A monster parent pulled their child closer.
Core crossed their arms behind their back and leaned forward, looking up at Fell. “Do you think your brother would like to see you this miserable and angry?”
Fell didn’t answer for a few moments. “No. He would say something like, ‘Sans, you lazybones! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to work!’ The corner of his mouth perked up before it fell once more. “But I don’t get it. Why does the shit stain the one who gets the happy ending? He got everything he wanted. Power, control, money, his castle, his family, his ‘wife’,” Fell punched the wall, “while we have to suffer! Never liked my bro that much, but when he became one of those things . . .”
Core stood on their tiptoes and patted his back. Fell didn’t like hugs, and they were honestly scared to try. He didn’t seem to hate the pat though. “I know, I don’t like it either. If I could beat him up, I would. We can’t directly attack each other because of our deal. But we can still try. It might take years, but I’ll find a cure for the corruption and bring the multiverse back to normal. Or I’m going to die trying.”
“Sure you will, kid.” He tried to whisper, but Core had good hearing after needing it to survive for years. Fell stormed off to join the remaining Underfell monsters. They seemed either shocked, bored, or laughed at his missing arm. He punched Underfell Mettaton in the face for mocking him. Core let out a quick laugh. Then the reminder that they were all doomed made them quiet.
They walked through the rest of the refugee camp. They had a population of two thousand, a fraction compared to the Omega Timeline. Beige tents lay in clumps and the spiked, electric, chain-link fence surrounded them. Core made a pocket AU so Nightmare couldn’t find them, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The storage bunker was in the northwest corner and the medbay was right next to the entrance. They waved at some of the monsters and humans they passed.
Core entered their tent. They had the largest of the encampment due to being the leader and head researcher. It was beige and separated into three rooms, heavy quotations on rooms. The one on the left was where they slept and stored personal items. The one on the right was a mini lab for testing corruption before handing it to the scientists. If it was too dangerous for them to handle, Core’s immunity would protect them so they’d know. And finally, the main tent was a little mix of everything. A Doodlesphere map lay on a chest beside the wall, marked with black and yellow squares, mostly black ones.
They fell back onto their mattress taking deep breaths and trying to relax. But how in the world were they meant to relax? The former royal guard swore a personal oath that he would protect them.
Epic/Nightmare never specified when they were supposed to meet him; they only had to be there. And it was going to be at night, his meetings were always in the evening. Nightmare was dramatic in that way. Core could rest and plan during that time.
They learned one thing today. Direct positivity on the soul didn't work.
In fact the more they thought about it, none of them ever seemed to die. They've watched other fighters attack the monsters hundreds of times at this point.
Where was Reaper? Where were any of the Reapertale gods? Core closed their eyes and focused. The lavish waterfalls and forests were still there, but puddles of malice coated it. Their powers flashed through different areas. They found the God of the Skies, an Asgore, along with a few others but some were missing. One of the missing happened to be Reaper. That wasn’t good . . .
Core Frisk hesitated as they tried to decide whether or not to enter the portal. They shut the portal, deciding against it. Common sense told them they needed a better plan before wandering into a corrupted zone unprepared.
They snapped their fingers and teleported their journal over. Yes, they stole the idea from Nightmare. Cross and Epic told them about it while they were in the dungeon together. Core used theirs more like a pseudo-research guide instead of a torture scrapbook. They crossed off the idea of spilling positivity on their souls. That was a no.
Soul drainage? Failed, only made the test subject weaker.
Hypnotizing music? It had a bit of an effect on Blue, but it didn't last long and he didn't snap out of it.
Hitting them in the head? Knocked Cross out, but no.
Kidnapping a Murder Time Trio Member, Ribbon, or their daughter? Too risky, especially the latter two. Yet some residents still wanted this idea to happen.
They had a few others, but they were starting to doubt themselves. No, they couldn't give up. There had to be some kind of loophole, another solution besides killing Nightmare. Core read through their list of ideas until they settled on a golden apple sketch. That was a plan to locate Dreamtale and take remains of the gold apples, or the tree bark. They had to have some magical properties that remained. The personal connection to Nightmare must be worth something too . . .
Well, what did they have left to lose? And the were too stressed and worked up to be tired. Core Frisk readjusted their cloak, grabbed a basket from near the door, and left the tent. They looked around for their second-in-command.
They found Poppy by the food supplies, looking into the dark bunker and taking notes. They heard their footsteps as soon as they approached. "Captain?"
Core Frisk waved. “Poppy, I need you to make sure the guard is armed and prepared for next week on the fifth. I won’t be here. I'll be in Dreamtale looking for golden apple remains. Can you do that?"
Poppy nodded with a determined smile. "I got it, captain! You can count on me. Also, we're starting to run low on water. Just thought you should know!"
"Thank you, Poppy. And I will refill stock." Core nodded, touching their sealed head scar. Something . . . something had to work. They'd get their friends back, save the Doodlesphere, and defeat Nightmare and Ribbon once and for all. And even if it took a century or more to find, they'd find a cure.