How did it get this bad?

How did it come to this?

"Nightmare." Cross stepped forward, his shoes crunching down on the dry, dusty terrain. The wind whirled past the two opposing forces as they faced each other. Cross took a few more steps, separating himself from the onlooking group behind him. Their gaze pierced through their only opponent, joined together and united into one unsettling force. Yet again, Cross continued forward.

In turn, Nightmare took two steps backward.

"Nightmare, listen to us. We're not your enemies-" Cross tried gently, offering an easy smile and an open hand. He withdrew when the other mumbled something. "What?"

"I said..." The dripping skeleton drew in a slow, long breathe before his voice suddenly shot out with a boom as powerful as thunder. "BULL. SH#T."

The group, unsteady, began to ready their weapons as Cross attempted to smooth things over after that outburst. "NIGHTMARE, LISTEN TO ME! YOU KNOW WE STILL LIKE YOU! YOU KNOW WE STILL CARE ABOUT YOU! BUT-"

Cross withdrew once more as a threatening tendril cracked a few inches away from his face, threatening to snap it in half. He summoned a small barrage of glowing red knives, both eye-lights flashing to targeting signs. Dust, Horror, and Killer all stepped forward until they were by Cross' side, holding their signature weapons.

Nightmare didn't understand.

Those three skeletons did nothing for them while he did EVERYTHING for them.

He took them in when they needed someone the most.

He nourished their talents.
He did so much.

So why.

WHY WAS HE FACING THE PEOPLE HE CARED SO MUCH ABOUT?

"Dream told us everything!" Cross called, his gaze softening. "We could still save you, Night. Just give this a chance."

"Listen to him!" Dust added on. "Your brother even said you could still be you! You just had to-"

Nightmare continued to step back as the four approached him. The feelings emanating from them were overwhelming, attacking him spiritually. Faith. Hope. It choked him.

It hurt so much. Why would they do this to him?

Didn't they understand?

DID ANY OF THEM UNDERSTAND?

He can't go back.

"You LEFT me." He managed to get out, tentacles whirling and slamming behind him repeatedly on the ground. His emotions- no- the emotions that he was receiving were causing distress in his body. He needed to leave. Now. "You LEFT me for- for HIM."

"Because, brother!" A delicate voice hollered. The fabled Star Sanses stood behind the former Nightmare sanses, watching the encounter. However, Dream could no longer remain silent. "They listened! They listened to me and considered a much better life than the one they were living! A life with no fear! A life where they could finally be welcomed!"

"Doesn't everyone want that? To feel safe? You can feel that too!" Swap yelled encouragingly. "You just have to come with us!"

"We'll take care of you!" Dream added, smiling. "We can go back to how we once were! A family... don't you remember?"

Nightmare was backed into a mental corner. He felt it. In the remains of his very soul, somewhere buried deep, DEEP down, something jumped. It jumped at the thought of going back to how things were. How simple and peaceful back then was. He could laugh again. He could be free again. It could be perfect. It WOULD be perfect.

No.

Nightmare found himself clawing at his skull as more and more tar dripped down his body. The tendrils began to hurriedly thrash the area in front of them, warding the oncoming group to stay back, far far back.

That reality wasn't perfect.

It was NEVER perfect.

"In fact..." he muttered to himself, his eye-socket wide and crazed. "Oh. OH-" he found himself laughing, laughing a sick, horrible laugh. Everyone froze as the sound shot at them like bullets.

"OH, WOW. YOU ALMOST GOT ME, DEAR BROTHER!" Nightmare cackled as he held his head high, scratching and scratching at his thoughts in an attempt to keep them straight. "USING THE 'BETTER TIMES' CARD, HUH? HOW MANIPULATIVE!"

Dream was taken aback, for he genuinely meant every word. He stared, puzzled. "Wha-"

"HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN? YOU HAVE, HAVEN'T YOU?" Nightmare stood a little taller, quickly regaining his composure and his control. "The past is the whole reason why we're here! WHY IN THE HELL WOULD I WANT TO GO BACK?"

The group paused, turning to their new leader with curious eyes. Even Dream's own comrades begin to give him side-glances. The golden skeleton was speechless.

"Back to that CRUEL HELL you consider better times!" The dripping skeleton was half-way convinced he won at this point. The look on his brother's face. Worth every horrid memory flashing through his head. Worth every word getting him there.

And, in all truth, Nightmare had indeed turned the tables.

Until Cross stepped forward once more.

"It won't be like that, Night." Cross looked at him. The look in his eyes pierced straight through the other. "You know we wouldn't let that mess happen again."

"You'll have us." Horror claimed, grinning. He gestured to the rest of the group which nodded along.

Now, here's the part where the so-called baddy would probably pause and consider this offer. His friends, his FAMILY was convincing him of a better life. There weren't really any downsides to that offer. He could stop and finally get what he always wanted. I mean, this deal was handed to him so easily, so peacefully, he would be a complete idiot not to accept.

But I guess no one is made perfect.

Without a response, Nightmare simply cocked his head to the side slightly, eyeing them.

So. That's how this was going to be. Alright then. Nightmare offered the most loving, convincing smile he could offer.

Cross matched that faithful smiled and reached his hand out.

How much did Nightmare love screwing things up?

As much as Error loves watching that trashy mexican show.

Within a heartbeat, Cross' arm was no longer there.

It took a few seconds for Nightmare to receive a reaction. Once he got one, he was perplexed with what he got.

Cross screamed out in pain as the weight of the wound finally caught up with his senses. With his only other hand, he clutched onto the wound, hot tears spilling from his eyes as he found himself on the ground.

You see, Nightmare didn't intend to do that. On the contrary, he was simply going to use a tentacle to flick him and say some edgy one-liner. It seemed perfectly harmless in his head. Afterall, despite the side-change, he still liked his friends. Still hurt when they betrayed him though.

Then he remembered that his tentacles were similar to that of an octopus in a way. In fact, his anatomy changed a bit after he turned. Not only did he possess the three hearts and blue blood of an octopus, but also the part where 'Yeah, every tentacle may or may not have a mind of its own. Literally'. So there may have been a miscommunication with the whole 'just flick him deal'.

As soon as Cross fell, the other three turned and lashed out: Dust summoned powerful bone attacks which pinned down two of his tendrils, Horror hacked off the other two with his signature axe, and Killer went straight in, getting up and personal with Nightmare. He was so close that Nightmare could almost feel his breathe. With the help of the other three, Nightmare was brought down onto the ground.

"You know, you're killing me right now." Nightmare hissed at Dream, which was standing beside him with a sad look on his face.

"I'm sorry." Is what Dream responded with.

"And you're also a fool to believe you could actually catch me." With that, Nightmare split apart into a collective bunch of goop, quickly fading into the ground.