come-down-that-tree

[come-down-that-tree]

lil' post-story bonus from 3 years ago I promised myself to add here

A tiny tiny halloween writing to go with a drawing of Vivid in a witch costume òwó

The day had started far earlier than usual.

In fact, his sleep had been cut short by his daughter... As the ball of energy had decided to come jump on their bed at 5 a.m sharp. 

Her little feet had kicked his sensitive ribs under the warm blanket. 

Her high-pitched voice had resonated in the almost bare room while she had shouted about: “hollow-win”, “goat-party” and “tricky candy”. 

He wondered where she even learnt about halloween, the monster had no memories of anyone explaining it to her. The loud child had been finally driven off by the promise of a colorful breakfast if she left them a few minutes alone to properly wake up. 

That was then that he had noticed his partner, who slept through the ruckus or just faked sleeping, cracking open an eye. 

“Did Vivid leave yet, Geno.”

The fake sleep theory definitely sounded like the right answer.

Geno ignored the question and yanked away the blanket from Nightmare without a word. The other desperately tried to reach for it as it flew away but he wasn’t fast enough. His unique arm flopped down on the bouncy mattress as he shot a nasty glare to Geno, who was shamelessly smiling. The skeleton then reached for his scarf neatly folded under his cushion and secured it around his neck before jumping out of bed, (somehow) full of energy. 

The wooden door of the closet creaked open under his eager fingers, Geno wasted no time and started rummaging through haphazardly stacked boxes. 

Nightmare’s eyes tingled his neck but he ignored the negative spirit who was probably just wondering about the very unusual burst of energy. He softly blew away some dust from the box between his hands before opening it. Shiny fabrics coming in various hues of black, purple, red and white greeted him. His only functional eyelight brightened at the sight. That should be enough! 

He glanced towards the still sitting-in-bed guardian.

“Could you distract our stubborn strawberry the time of a breakfast?”

Nightmare blinked at the question but didn’t answer otherwise. 

He should be able to do that. Geno saw how much he improved at cooking with one arm recently. Refocusing on his box, he all but ignored the shuffling noise of someone coming closer.

“What are you doing?”

His answer only came after he picked up a silver needle and put a sparkling string through the eye.

“Vi seems interested in halloween, the least I can do is to try to sew her a costume…”

A warm smile settled on his partner’s face.

“Fine! I’ll go feed our little terror,” Nightmare brushed his hand against Geno’s shoulder, “good luck with that.”

He sighed but left the room with a lightness in his steps that Geno knew only was meant for when his darling was happy. 

It was going to be a great day!

*******************************************************

Geno belongs to loverofpiggies Nightmare belongs to jokublog

Happy Halloween 🎃

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Epilogue

Deep inside a forest, if you follow a thin river south for a while, you may fall on rocks positioned in special ways, creating zones for different uses.

If you walk through bushes and trees, following a path that was paved by feet over years of walking on the dirt, you may find a circular clearing with a young tree bearing peculiar fruits, a strawberry plant with a barrier surrounding it and one old wooden house.

And there, you may encounter a family of four, happily living their day isolated from most of the world.

Not that they did not engage with people once in a while.

In fact they often exchanged goods and services with traveling merchants that had the habit of setting up their camp just outside that particular forest.

They came carrying foreign objects and exotic food and stories that sounded like made up legends that animated talks around the fire during long nights of rest before they all scattered again to do their job.

“Did you hear about the village in the east, the one just 4 days away if you walk fast?” one would whisper over shared drinks and salted meat.

“That one? Someone told me an ancient evil burned their joy away and stole their knowledge for the faes. No business to have there, they’re barelly capable of living without someone holding their hand.” would answer another.

“I heard it was a punishment for chasing out the queen of the fireflies, she was noisy and they threw her out!” would add a third.

“So many people left the place, it made room for ghosts and if you stand under the moonlight you may have the honor of watching their monarchs dancing together around a fountain made of stone so white you can go blind from just watching it,” would exclaim the last one.

And then they would turn their heads to their guests, the two of them, sometimes one, never the three at the same time, and ask “you, who live not so far away, do you know which is true?”

One would answer a different one each time.

The second would smile politely and divert the conversation.

The last one would argue they all were wrong and tell a tale that was so preposterous that the travelers would all laugh so hard, some would always fall from their seats from the sheer absurdity.

And after, they would part ways, without ceremony, confident they would see the residents again, next time they roamed in the region.

And the family would go back home, sort their newly acquired supplies and go to sleep.

During the day, shouts and laughter sometimes tore apart the tranquility of the wood, disturbing the wild life who despite the ruckus stayed close.

One particular shout could be heard at any hour. Be it day, be it night. It seemed that it was used at least once a day and bore no real effectiveness on the matter it addressed.

Open your ear and you might hear it.

Here it is.

“VIVID! COME DOWN THAT TREE!”

The true end-

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont <3

mmmmm Here it is... CDTT ends here...

I, uh, dunno how to feel about it XDc

I posted the prologue the 3rd of june 2021, 3 years ago.

But if we go by when I first wrote the whole plot (and posted it, there was no surprise for who was around and read it at the time XDc), it was in february of this same year I went down the rabbit hole (with some great company ;3).

And if we talk about the day I got interested by the ship? The 31st of january 2021 because of one ask from Cyan anon (everybody claps for Cyan without this fic would not have existed). I was not even supposed to be online XDc I was on a study hiatus but I kinda broke it down to talk about the rarepair pfffft uwu

My reason I latched that hard on the ship? I feel like it's a chill one and I liked that. They're quiet and just vibing for me.

I'm not much of a ship person in fact, contrary to some of my online friends (simps all of you), a story only focusing on romance tend to bore me so writing a shipfic? A challenge.

I also never finished a longfic before. Be it original of fanfic.

Only one-shots or short stuff (3-4 chaps) have been ended somewhat properly.

The doc containing CDTT is 112 pages long, removing the summary and other worldbuilding stuff would only shrink it down to like 110.

I think that's pretty big.

Not huge, I've seen far longer.

But big.

I would not have managed that without you all' comments and tags pushing me forward.

So, truly, thank you for reading :D

(special thanks to AC and Drag')

Goodbye (for now)

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

/!\ ALL ALARMS BLAZING, THIS CHAPTER WILL BE VIOLENT, BE AWARE OF THAT

Warnings in the tags to not spoil

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 22: Does it really matter how many times we fall down if we can count on someone to help us up?

A horrible feeling was swirling inside him as Geno hurried to the village. What if something happened again? What if he hadn’t arrived in time last time?

What if he didn’t arrive this time ?

If something happened, it could be nothing, his mind supplied to him as a way to quench his anxiety.

It wasn’t as successful as he would have liked…

Because what if something did happen ?!!

The first houses came into view and he didn’t slow down one bit, cursing the fact he didn’t know the place enough to blip around easily. It would have cut down time. And he doubted he’d find Nightmare in the same small alley as last time.

Running through the dark was hard and he kept tripping over unidentified stuff, rubbish probably.

Geno hesitated for a second, weighing the pros and cons of summoning a blaster to act as a light. Slightly overkill but, again, what if something happened ?

A hand touched his shoulder on his blind side and he twirled violently, ready to stab whoever it was with a sharp tipped fast-summoned bone in his hand.

Yellow.

Dream.

"Sorry for the scare, follow me, I know around."

No jump, no startled shout, the guardian stayed unmoved and started walking, quickly fading back into the night.

Geno lowered his weapon and took a step forward, vaguely guessing the direction the other must have gone.

He must have guessed wrong because Dream soon reappeared on his left with a furrowed expression.

"I apologize, I forgot you probably can’t see much right now. We’re in the market street, almost only shops and public spaces. That’s why it’s so dark, everything is closed at this hour. No street lights on either on market days..."

The guardian finished his little ramble by putting two fingers in his mouth, as if to whistle, he blew hard, eyes-closed, without making a sound and soon some light started to filter through his clothes and between his bones. Opening his eyes revealed two fiery pits in the guise of eye lights. A warm colored storm with discreet accents of purplish blue swirling in the mix.

"Follow the light !"

And the fireflight took off again. This time followed closely by his darkened shape, chasing the warmth along turns and dashes through unknown paths and detours.

Was the way their erratic trip wiggled and grew made any sense to him ?

Not really.

But he was willing to trust the other’s knowledge on this matter more than his own, not finding the energy and will to debate and potentially slow down the quest.

Better focus on that shooting star guiding him somewhere he hoped Nightmare would be.

Hopefully unarmed.

Soon the chase came to an end in some back alley, far from the few lighted houses they came across in their mad run.

Dream stopped.

The candle was blown out and Geno turned confused at the other.

A gut-wrenching cry tore open the blanket of the night, making his sliver of a soul sending waves of panicked magic through his limbs.

Not a word was shared as they ran, again, to a scene that will join the specters haunting his dreams for many years.

Under the faint light of a summoned light ball laid a scene reminiscent of a past not so far in an uncanny way.

A group in an alley.

Some laughing.

One holding Nightmare.

One getting ready to deal a heavy blow.

One major difference was that the blow was clearly aiming to kill. A foot on the skull, pressing more and more. Nightmare’s face drenched in tears and pain and fear.

Body shaking.

A purple sleeve far too flat.

And dust.

One was blown away in a whiny blast of power, falling to dust before even hitting the wall.

The giant maw of his blaster bit down on another hard, their blood indistinguishable from the usual determination’s red drip along the fangs.

Two were impaled, pinned down like the bugs they were, feeding the stone of a vile mix of dust and blood.

One fled, without a sound, the eyes filled with death and the legs full of terror.

Geno didn’t care, not batting his only eye at the massacre he just caused and walked toward the now curled up shape on the ground.

The monster carefully picked up Nightmare who seemed barely aware anymore and folded the now-empty right sleeve on his lap.

His fingers brushed a damp cheek for a second before Geno turned to Dream who despite looking accordingly distressed by the- by everything, was still here.

« We need to leave, they’ll come back armed. And no doubt they’ll pin it down on Nightmare too. I’m not scared of dying but would you be able to protect your brother if push came to shove ? »

Dream’s eyes wandered to the wall and the ground, to the bits and rest, then fell back to Nightmare and ended up searching for something in Geno’s gaze.

"Dream, I killed these people. They were going to kill your brother. They will do it again. I am not saying I was justified. I’m telling you Nightmare needs to leave right now and I will, as well. What is your decision ?"

The other’s eyes shone with something hard as stone and he took a step towards him.

“We need to go back to the tree before anything.”

Geno couldn’t help but grin despite the grim situation and extended a hand while keeping a strong hold on his precious baggage.

“Thankfully, I know a shortcut!”

And while Dream looked confused, he took his hand and Geno turned a corner, letting the familiar magic wash over him. Next step, they were at the tree.

To his credit, the guardian only stood shocked for a short moment, opening his mouth and closing it several times before glancing at Nightmare and getting back his bearings.

"Put him under the tree and stay on the lookout, I just need some minutes..."

The monster delicately laid down Nightmare in the grass, making sure his head was supported by a thick root. He let his forehead touched the other’s briefly and whispered :

"Hang in there, I still have to say sorry for all the crap I did and said to you."

Once that out of the way, Geno took a few steps away to survey the area and focused on the few lights decorating the village, counting each again and again to make sure no new ones were lit.

He glanced a few times at Dream who was sitting on his knees, eyes closed, hands joined as if praying, the skull barely brushing the bark. He remained perfectly still, assuredly focused on whatever he was doing.

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

How had the day managed to slip away so atrociously between his fingers ? His eye fluttered on the ring still sitting innocently on his pinkie.

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

Why did he get so mad at Nightmare being hurt badly ? He could still feel his soul’s fragment squeeze and shake as if it still needed to pump more magic his way right now.

One light, two, three, four, five, six. 

Will Nightmare be okay ? He was down an arm but would he recover alright ? Why did he care that much, he thought he’d be less sensitive to people he cared about getting hurt after everything…

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

He cared ? Did he get that attached to the guardian ? Eye on the ring, again. He fidgeted with his scarf, comparing Nightmare to his former family.

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

No, it was not the same. Strangely, it didn’t feel any less deep or important than his love for them. Different however.

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

...Love ? Geno almost forgot that word had another meaning than « level of violence » and, a bit deliriously, the thought his LV increased earlier wormed its way in his mind.

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

Throwing that thought away, locking it with a key and making it melt, quelling the shaking and leaving that new burden on top of his problems for future late nights where sleep would evade him. Going back to the last thought right now !

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

This spectacular backtracking that left him swaying and unsteady landed him right back on Nightmare and… not violent love.

One light, two, three, four, five, six.

The word twirled in his mind for a minute before one sudden realization made him halt his counting, desperately trying to get the sudden warmth that rushed through him to lower before it boiled him or something.

He loved him !

And wasn’t that awkward to realize that now, when the other was unconscious and in pain ! Geno curled down under the kick of feelings, burying his face in the scarf and putting some of the fabric above his head in a makeshift hood (not even trying to untangle his real hood from under his scarf).

Well, that was plain stupid in his opinion. Realizing you like someone after he was put in mortal peril, wasn’t that corny and straight up something he could have found in thousands of cliche romantic novels ???

Could someone come kill his idiot self and let him stay dead this time..?

He did not want to deal with that. Not right now, maybe never if that was an option.

Geno stood back up, slapping lightly his cheeks with both hands, mindlessly noticing how his left  arm didn’t conjure as much strength as the other. Stupid lightning.

One light, two, three, four, five, six...seven, eight, nine, TEN and more and-

Geno wired back towards the tree, ready to shout at Dream that the situation was potentially escalating very fast when he stopped at the sight.

The guardian was crying, leaning on the bark, a bag swung on his shoulder and a hand holding onto Nightmare’s sleeve, trembling and desperate-looking.

Geno ran at Nightmare’s side and frantically checked what he could. Nothing changed except that some fresh tears had once again wet the drying bone of his cheeks. He was still out but he somehow had cried again. The relief that washed over him made him lean and plant a fast kiss on the salted surface and he declared softly, with the sheer hope he really was still out :

"My guy, you can’t die when I just realized I got a stupid crush on you. Do you wanna turn me into a ridiculous tragedy hero ? I love you, ok. Even if you will have all the rights to hate me for what I’ve done at your wakes… Better not have heard that though."

Once out of his chest, he turned towards Dream to at least tear him a new one verbally for making him fear the worst.

He stopped, again, because the other looked like a downright awful agonizing weepy mess.

"I… I know what to do… But it would-will leave us vulnerable and you might have to, » a breath and a sniffle, « like support me and carry Night’ ?"

A muffled clamor resonated its way up there and then, they both knew there was little room left to argue and plan.

As much as he hated those pesky villagers, he was not going to attempt murdering them all…

So Geno nodded and Dream started to prep whatever he needed for his plan.

He watched the other climb the tree, a yellow blanket in his arm, and reached for a dark fruit, carefully putting in the fabric, never touching it directly. He picked a golden one with far less ceremony, hastily burying it in his bag as if it burned his fingers to do so.

The guardian hopped down swiftly and put the bundle of fabric against the injured’s chest as the noise kept growing not so far away.

"Keep the apple there, try your best not to touch it but it should be more or less fine for you. It must absolutely not touch me however, that’s vital."

He hummed his agreement, he was out of his depth, better leave the lead to the expert.

"Pick him up and get back a few steps."

He did.

Dream picked up a lone branch and asked him with half-words getting loose in the wind.

"Could you put that on fire with your weird floating puppy heads ?"

What was he planning… ?

"I could, but that’d put a target on us, they might not have figured out yet we went back here ? Why ?"

He didn’t get any explanation or anything much else but what he got was a simple:

 "I trust you."

And how could he ? A gross killer like him that proved he was truly capable of the worst. With how often Dream was downtown, he might even have known these guys by name. So, how could he ?

But those weren’t eyes that lie. He recognized hurt and fear in there but it was hard to argue that it wasn't genuine trust binding the thing together.

The thin stick was held closer by an unsteady hand and a please hung in the air between them.

The blaster he summoned was as small as he could, half an arm of length at best,  and its maw opened and prepped a blast, the whine reverberating loud and clear in the not-so-still night. He soundlessly ordered it to hold and as he tried to take the branch to light it up Dream all but plundged it without hesitation in the heat himself.

He didn’t have the time to express his dismay before twig became torch and at that point, things started to accelerate.

He will remember it as a chaotic blur, clashing feelings and noises.

Feet pounding up the hill, loud and numerous.

Shouts of anger and hate, illuminated by torches and reflected on the glistening metal of hastily-found weapons.

The rush of wind dampening words that felt too heavy for something said so softly.

"I’m sorry, mom. Thank you."

Dream seemed as ablaze by his light than the now-burning tree behind him.

And then, everything crumpled.

Dream fell as his light dimmed, Geno’s blaster catching him.

The shouts turned to incredulous silence and everything seemed eerie and wrong.

For a single second, nothing felt more important than this burning tree with its fruits turning to slop and dripping on the ground. 

The world was falling at its seams and everything was ringing, again and again.

He couldn’t have been long but that instant was forever, the balance shifted and stood, fragile.

Dream howled a soul-tearing cry, Nightmare cried again in his arms and Geno stood there, lost and alien.

Dream asked him to run soon after.

He did.

Nightmare secured against his chest by his good arm, the weight barely registering as he dashed through the forest, jumping over roots and dunking under low branches.

Dream hurried not so far behind them, supported by the blaster. 

Geno didn’t trust his left arm to support anybody while running with its still lacking strength.

They ran.

They ran.

They ran.

Until dawn’s blood spilled into the black canvas, until the forest stopped and started again, until they couldn’t run anymore.

And they ran again some more to be sure.

They stopped at a spot near a river and collapsed on rocks.

The place seemed so peaceful it made Geno reel.

The calm noise of water flowing between the trees and the soft whispers of nearby animals just seemed out of place, foreign, displaced when all he could hear and see was this brazier they fled from.

Geno stayed there for long, just haphazardly trying to process the day.

It wasn’t a very fruitful attempt and he sat for long, Nightmare on his lap, his head against his shoulder, limp.

And later they’d trudge around and find a circle of grass void of trees, with an old wooden house someone must have lived in once but now stood empty and full of spider webs.

And later they would pick themselves up and the twins would bury the last two apples and from it would grow two plants who’d braid themselves into one new tree of feelings. It would be void of spirit but it would exist.

And later, after they recovered some, they would live and laugh again.

But right now, they sat there. Dream a puppet without strings, Geno a stone statue and Nightmare struggling to wake up to the aching world.

Whispers tickled Geno’s mind, close. 

Barely opened eyes looked at him without any trace of confusion, pained but true.

He held him closer and the now treasure-less guardian buried himself into his chest.

"I love you too."

And while they all sat there, broken and lost, that one tiny thing would allow them the will to continue.

Someone may call it naive or mushy but what better thing than some love to ignite hope anew in one’s soul when everything fell apart already?

One story may have ended but, from the ashes, another will find space to grow.

Always.

The end.

(go to epilogue?)

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

/!\ violence warning! I'm not kidding there, it is unfair, it is one-sided, no big graphics or gore but still, violence.

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 21:ومرة أخرى يتم دفعك على الأرض..

Nightmare dashed down the hill, trying his best to not trip in his haste (task that was certainly not aided by the fact he lost that shoe).

And that must be the silliest, clumsiest, stupidest little mistake he ever made.

How did he even manage that?

A laugh that sounded slightly too high and strained bubbled out of him as he ran (and stumbled) eyes strained on the ground, searching.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

The guardian almost ran straight into the first house’s wall, not noticing he had reached the settlement already. 

He zoomed through the streets, hopping over empty crates abandoned after the market ended. The place was almost quiet, most of the people already back home, eating and preparing for the falling night. The orange rays danced on the stone paths, breached by his moving silhouette.

No boot yet.

Nightmare slowed down once the place came to view and stopped to watch the fountain’s water for a moment. 

The light hitting the water made it shine and the droplets displayed tiny rainbows, barely noticeable to distracted eyes. And while the show was lovely and he couldn’t help but be tempted to take a break and sit there…, he still needed to complete his current shameful quest.

Would Geno enjoy the sight?

Putting the thought away, Nightmare continued his search, this time at a less hurried pace.

Walking with only one shoe was a bit strange. His right foot’s bones clinked on the stone while the sole of his leftover shoe made a thump noise.

Click-thump-click-thump.

Orange rays were starting to thin out and shadows grew everywhere, a faraway child’s laugh resonated one last time but the silence truly seized the place.

People had the habit of retreating early on market day, putting on bigger dinners than usual with earthy food and in the company of neighbors and friends. The only one out at this hour on such days were originals, lonely souls and lost drunks. Some wandered until the morning, barely acknowledging the rare passerby, melted into their own worlds.

Nightmare reached the stand where he bought the ring, while it had been cleared of all items, the table still stood there, looking out of place. And right next to it, a very familiar shoe with a paper half-buried in.

The paper was unfolded by curious fingers, his eyelights swinging left to right, reading the words etched on it:

“You forgot something, smitten bozo.”

Uh. Smitten… Bozo…? Was it him that paper referred to? Why would someone call him smitten? Wasn’t that reserved to describe doofus in love or something?

A little voice, very annoying, whispered he very much knew what that paper was referring to but he shut it down.

It was NOT like that, thank you very much.

Audibly grumbling and feeling the air warming up a few degrees, Nightmare put his boot back where it belonged (on his foot) and prepared to walk the way home.

Perhaps if he hurried enough, he would still be able to see some of the sunset over the hill.

That plan was thwarted down rather quickly when while trudging along the main street something made pain explode behind his head and his world dipped into shadows.

There was a fourth kind of person that could be out at this hour on such a day… ill-intention bandits…

Nightmare vaguely remembered his body being dragged on the ground for a while, pebbles scraping his bones and getting stuck between his joints, his mind swimming in and out.

Until cold water was dumped on his head and his focus came back with a startled cry.

The alley was so dark, the night having come at one point during the ordeal. The only source of light was dancing around the fingers of a thin, almost skeletal, hare monster. It was yet another purple hare and he was starting to wonder if that family had a special feud against him in particular. 

A group of five was cackling and pointing at him, still tucked against a wall, running his hand against the back of his head, feeling thin cracks under his phalanges. It hurted…

He sat there and took a moment to calm down, avoiding even glancing towards his current problem.

He was going to get beaten up, again.

“What were you doing in our town, demon?”

A woman, built like a mountain, spit at his feet.

Nightmare kept his eyes on the ground, trying to reign in the wetness starting to spread on his cheeks.

A hand harshly grabbed on his head and made him look up into big brown eyes he would have called beautiful if not for the blazing hate swimming inside.

“Where’s your manners, crybaby, don’t you know you should look when someone’s talking to you? I guess trees aren’t very good teachers, uh?”

A row of laughter erupted all around as he pushed down the indignation deep deep down. Do not show your weaknesses now.

The hand disappeared and he rubbed at his aching jaw.

Nightmare made the mistake of looking up and the pure well of fury and disgust in the group’s eyes told him something: it was going to end badly and, this time, those weren’t the usual little bullies looking for entertainment before leaving him ragged but alive, those were the eyes of killers…

Shaking, he watched the hare, which seemed to be the leader of the band, crouching in front of him, cocking their head and grinning with all their teeth.

“Tell me, your mad freak isn't here, is he? That guy did a number on both my cousins and I wasn’t looking forward to shaking hands!”

“He’s not a freak,” whispered Nightmare.

“Oh, look at who got a tongue, mind talking louder? My friend Barnie,” the hare pointed to an old man leaning on a wall, “he doesn’t hear quite well anymore you see?”

A boot found its way in his ribs not even a second later sending him splaying on the ground in a grunt.

“Didn’t you hear my man, speak.”

A panda monster he could only describe as average glared at him fiercely and he almost returned it before thinking about it again.

That rib was bruised at worst but it was still painful. Putting a hand against the ground, Nightmare pushed himself up and leaned against the well.

“I said, he’s not a freak.”

Silence. For a single precious instant. Before the panda frowned, the hare chuckled, the mountain guffawed and the old man rolled his eyes.

Only the last member of this joyful company kept their expression blank, a small person, maybe the youngest of the troup, covered in so many layers of clothes he couldn’t even guess what they were easily.

They tipped their head, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light and declared with a soft but deep voice:

“I hope you don’t mind if we don’t believe anything you could utter, prince of darkness.”

“Yeah, “guardian of negativity” or whatever, you’re just useless anyway.”

“We don’t need negativity.”

“Dream is far enough useful for two.”

Nightmare stopped following who was saying what, his alarm bells were all ringing high and lough and his knees felt so weak he had to focus all his will on them to not buckle under his own weight.

His own energy thrummed under his bones and scalding warmth traveled through his limbs.

“Hey, we could teach the incarnation of bad what’s a real nightmare? I bet we’ll be hailed heroes for that, not like ‘nybody would miss this thing.”

He was going to die. Just, die. In that alleyway, miserable and useless.

Arms reached for him, everywhere.

No escape roads.

He felt something wet and hot running along his hands and on instinct, the guardian slashed into the air. 

Startled cries of pain, a few arms backed away.

“WHAT ARE YOU ABOMINATION, A FUCKING SQUID? UGH IT BURNS”

To his immense surprise, it seemed that he did not imagine his boiling energy leaking out and that wide arm gesture had sprayed some on the others who did not enjoy the experience much. The purple magic was so concentrated it was almost black and he doubted it would be easy to remove that from clothes and fur…

His fusing thoughts were stopped by the mountain woman pinning him against the wall with all her weight and he squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden discharge of pain running through his whole rib cage.

“Hold him on the ground for me, Caramila.”

He didn’t have his word to say on the matter and soon his pinned-against-the-wall situation turned into a pinned-against-the-ground situation. Not much better.

He felt like he should be panicking right now. But his mind felt strangely calm and blank, his attackers movements seemed slow and far.

A boot hit the top of his humerus with the sickening crack.

Nightmare howled.

End of chapter 21... Go to chapter 22?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 20:Unu partì per piglià a so scarpa, l'altri dui parlavanu.

Geno had watched as the other looked absolutely flabbergasted at his bare foot. Understandable. How could someone go through their whole day without noticing they’re missing a shoe?

That was a show of incredible head-in-the-clouds behavior.

Not that clouds couldn’t be very distracting but that was certainly not the point he was trying to make.

Point was: Nightmare had been rightfully mortified by the ordeal and had eventually run off to search for the missing boot, shouting that he must have lost it on the way back.

And all of this led to his current situation: alone with Dream, a plate of untouched cake sitting innocently in front of him and a ring around his finger.

The last element made his mind twirl in a confused dance, hesitant on where to put his next step and if doing so would unleash a beast or a rose. 

The fluttering feeling spluttered out once a simple question was thrown his way.

“Do you like the cake?”

“Uh?”

“I said,”Do you like the cake?”, you barely touched it.” 

Geno hesitantly brought a piece of cake to his mouth, munching on it until it dissolved easily with a fizzy leftover taste (indicating it was at least partially monster food) and nodded in the other’s direction. 

“For my part, I think the berries are a bit young, it’s bitter than it should be.”

Another nod, it wasn’t like he was any good at baking himself. Baking With A Killer Robot was one of the only times he watched someone explain the process. Unsure if the dramatic poses and furious buzzsaws were an obligated addition.

Silence stretched for a minute.

They ate their piece.

He then spent a moment ogling at Nightmare’s gift and wondered about any implication with choosing a ring. 

Shaking his head, the monster chuckled at the thought. Mere coincidence! And perhaps a little cultural difference.

“Can I ask you something?”

Dream’s question was sharp, gutting the silence with a surprising precision.

He merely hummed in answer, eye still focused on his hand.

“Who are you?”

At that, he glanced up and met a serious gaze. He frowned.

“Mind elaborating? I’m Geno.”

The eyes didn’t blink.

“What do you want?”

“I’m calling you back when it’s relevant again. I don’t want anything.”

A stone statue peering at him, unblinking.

“What are you doing here?”

“I think I remember that it was you who dragged me here to be precise.”

Not a twitch, it was a bit eerie if he dared to say.

“Have you ever hurt Nightmare?”

A flash of something made the guardian's eyes shine for a second before it’s gone. Geno hesitated, waiting. Maybe Dream counted that as an answer.

“Willingly?”

And at that, he indignantly sputtered and before he realized what he was doing, he shook his head furiously.

A beat.

Another one.

A sigh and a rigid pose gaining back some fluidity.

“I want to trust you.”

It didn’t even occur to him that Dream could have been anything other than a trusting soul, maybe a bit naive. To his defense, the guy brought a stranger to the very treasure he was made to protect. 

“Allow me to think about it, alright?”

And like that, the tension disappeared fully as if nothing happened. Dream smiled and took another piece of cake before frowning jokingly.

“This one is thoroughly burnt.”

The monster chuckled and pointed at the blackened crust -pushing away the unease to think about at a later date, maybe never- and declared that as it was still possible to see the colors under the black, “it couldn’t be that burnt!”

And they bantered about failed cakes and if baking something at a high temperature could shorten the time efficiently (obviously it would but it would be worth some experimenting to determine the length it worked) and thus and that for a good while.

Above them, the blue of the day was blending out with a softer orange, making the clouds pink on the underside.

A black shape flew right above them, shrieking and startling them both.

“What was that?”

A thud resonated and something fell on the grass between them.

There, lying in all its fluffy glory, a whole bat. A whole confused creature who bonked hard on the tree’s bark. Somehow.

The event got two very different reactions out of them.

Geno bit out an incredulous laugh and Dream swiftly started fretting over the dazed animal, quickly pulling it into his lap to check it.

It had dark fur all over, except for some burned golden hue around its throat, and was roughly the size of a fast-growing pupper.

Geno watched, bemused, the guardian handling the bat with care, moving parts, observing stuff. 

“Do you do that often, you’re being very… efficient at the task?”

Without looking up from the small beast trying to sink tiny fangs in a thumb -which ended up not doing much beside getting a chuckle out of the spirit, bone can be heard to break- Dream hummed.

“Yes and no, I wouldn’t say it’s a very common occurrence but it is not the first time a bat bumped its head here,” he looked up, displaying an amused grin, “and now I’m starting to wonder if it’s not the same one as last time…”

Little screeches arose from Dream’s prisoner and the bat was released at last.

“Bye, little bat, please stop bonking your head against mother’s trunk.”

And, like that, they watched the chiropteran fly in a circle over them once before going away in the darkening surroundings.

Dream sighed once and they quickly fell back into silence.

The gentle wind played with the frayed end of his scarf and a lonely thought of days it blew without help idly passed his mind.

“Isn’t he taking a long time to find a boot?”

“He is.”

They both glanced at the village, with its newly lit lights, contemplating.

Geno wondered, face closed and pinched, if Nightmare was even capable of going down there without running into deep troubles.

“What do you mean by that? It’s just the village. A few folks there can be pretty rough -and most hard to please, ignore that I said that- but they aren’t bad!”

He said that out loud, curses.

“I’m sorry if you’re stuck in temland or something but I can’t say they made a good first impression on me and I’m pretty sure they had been making a lousy one on your brother for a while now.”

Dream kept quiet for a few seconds and idly, Geno briefly thought about adding more facts to the argument.

“...really?”

The voice was small and the eyes searching, searching for what? He wasn’t sure. 

He nodded.

They both glanced, once again, to the houses and streets, ant-sized people moving along and treading back home.

Geno swore and stood up.

“I’m going to go find him.”

The other did not follow but he felt burning eyes digging into his back all the way down the hill…

End of chapter 20... Go to chapter 21?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

That chapter is dedicated to @shinechermont! Happy birthday AC <3 🦇🎉💖

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 19: Mały prezent jako podziękowanie!  

Something poking his cheek was what tore Nightmare away from Morpheus’s arms. He blearily looked around while his senses came back to him one by one and then, only then, his sluggy mind figured out the offending object’s nature.

Dream’s foot.

His brother was asleep on a branch right above (which didn’t happen often but was not that unusual) and one of his legs was dandling right in front of his face.

“I would appreciate it if you put your toes elsewhere, dear brother…”, he whispered to the wind.

Dream grumbled in his sleep and, as if the words had somehow reached him, the leg was tucked away and he wiggled to get back comfy.

The guardian chuckled and looked at the sky.

Fiery red and purple were chasing the dark of the night already. Some light clouds were hanging out in a corner and very few stars were still in view.

The dawn was there.

He burrowed his fingers in the fresh grass and allowed his legs to stretch.

He slept well.

The day was quiet, the birds had yet to sing but a faint melody could be heard from the way the trees gently bent under the wind’s orders.

Nightmare stood up and gently ran his fingers over the wood, walking to the other side of the apple tree.

He glanced at the figure of the monster still sleeping, the face burrowed in his red scarf, for a second.

“I hope your dreams are nice.”

He didn’t dare raise his voice above a breath. 

Nightmare sat again on the ground, his eyes glued on one particular part of his mother’s tree.

They didn’t take the time to decorate it again.

After the accident, none of them were in the mood for the task.

His hands brushed against a satchel tucked between two roots.

The smell of slightly old and dry flowers tickled his nasal bone as he poured part of the content's bag on the dirt. 

He busied himself at the repetitive task that was removing the frayed petals from the bark’s hole to replace with fresher plants. 

They were a bit torn up, fragile.

He continued to fill the damaged wood until the wound disappeared fully behind the colorful shield.

Better.

Usually, that activity was shared with other’s hands.

But Nightmare enjoyed the unusual quietness of doing it alone.

Things had been slightly tense for a while between the three and he didn’t dare propose to do something that would remind them of why exactly.

Not when they were finally back to living comfortably along with each other.

Geno’s silent anger calmed down.

Dream never asked what happened exactly and took his distances for a few. 

Nightmare whistled to a bird that was jumping around nearby, nature was waking up now.

He didn't want to think about the fight. 

So he focused on the last few days.

Dream brought back strawberries from the woods and they had been tasty.

Geno showed him a neat magic trick where you distract the person to put something in their pockets (or really, anywhere) without them noticing. He had been very bad at it but it had led to a hilarious war of putting the strangest things in each over belongings.

Dream won by putting a sleeping frog in the monster’s left pocket, he was surprisingly good at it. Neither of them noticed a thing before the animal was accidentally grabbed and let out a shrill alarm that startled them.

The frog was released, unharmed.

So, the days were back to normal.

Nobody bothered them again.

Things were peaceful.

The rising sun flashed a ray in his eye socket and he squinted against the light, idly observing the warm paths of light slowly filling the field.

It was thursday. The village market was probably going to open soon.

He never thanked Geno for the save last time. What of the one before that..?

Groaning, he sat up and circled back to the other side of the tree, being mindful of not waking the sleepers.

Nightmare, then, quietly walked down the hill.

It was market day, he should be able to find something.

Some kind of thank you gift? 

Things had been so quiet.

Not many people came at the very beginning of the market, when people were still setting things up. He had at least half an hour before the usual crowd gathered. It should suffice for a quick outing.

And so, just like that, the guardian let go of his duty to find a surprise for their long-term guest.

As predicted, the place was still fairly quiet. Some merchants were doing small talks while they were setting up their wares. A lot of food and spices from faraway lands, rich unusual fabrics brought here by strangers and some other everyday knick-knacks were already decorating the tables.

Nightmare hummed quietly as he walked around, discreetly touching exposed clothes and taking in the nice smells.

Nobody really took notice of him, they had better do, and he relinquished the feeling.

He refocused on the task quickly, however, as he really wanted to avoid the big of the morning crowd. He observed the stalls, in search of some curiosities that would make an interesting present.

The search and the hushed sleepy conversations on his way drowned his thoughts in a comfy haze.

A child pointed at him and chuckled but he ignored that.

He felt great today, he won’t let anything bother him!

A shine made his eyes glanced in the direction of one street shop that was a little tucked out in a corner of the main street.

There!

Dashing across the place without a thought for the glistening fountain he ran next to, he soon reached the table and lost no time examining the exposed objects.

There are jewels and accessories, hour-glasses and stone figurines, music boxes and delicate papers… 

An ornamented music box caught his attention, at first. It was wooden and decorated with precise paintings of nature and played a sad song once open. Dream would have loved it. But he was not shopping for him right now, so he put the box down and continued to examine the things. 

After a while, he looked up to the merchant.

The tall man, covered in various jewels and unknown trinkets, raised a brow but stayed silent.

He got some money out of his pocket and put it on the table.

“Can you tell me what I can buy with that amount?”

The man took the gold and started counting.

Hopefully, he had enough for something, Nightmare didn’t have or need much money and what he handed was almost all he had at the moment.

“You can have anything that’s from that side”, the guy gestured to a corner, “the middle you can’t and those there you don’t have half what you’d need for it.”

“Thank you.”

Now with a smaller area to look into, Nightmare went back to his musings.

And, eventually, his eyes settled on a small ring. It had a black band, polished and shiny, and in the middle of it ran a line of some reddish stone. He picked it up carefully, and turned it around to observe it.

“The ring is made of black onyx and the colored line is sunstone.”

Startled by the unexpected comment, Nightmare nearly let go of the ring.

“It’s a nice ring, onyx gemstone like that is considered a strong protector from where I’m from. It’s associated with the night too.”

“And the sunstone?”

“Happiness and camaraderie, good health and love. It’s said to be connected to the heart -or soul I guess- and is a passionate and happy gemstone.”

Nightmare ran his finger along the curve and felt small etchings along the ring. Almost invisible to the eyes but somehow easy to distinguish from touch. A moon and stars on a side on the sunstone line. A long vine -or a snake? - on the other side. 

“Are you sure it’s in my price range?”

The stranger grinned and nodded. He did not answer the query any other way but Nightmare was now sure of a thing: it was absolutely not in his price range.

But… if the merchant was truly ready to sell it for less than its worth, who was he to complain?

He scanned the other’s face for a moment, trying to spot any signs of ill-intention.

He didn’t find any. 

So he bought the ring, thanked the sir and ran back the way he came.

“I HOPE THEY’LL LIKE IT!” shouted the man as he got away.

Strange guy.

Nightmare’s grip on the small gift bag was strong as he dashed in the street, tripping once or twice while avoiding the people who were starting to gather for the market. He hurried himself forward, on his little cloud, and ignored the stares and curious glances thrown on his way.

Soon, he was back at the tree, where Geno was still asleep.

Dream was awake, however.

Sitting on the branch he slept on, he greeted him with a smile, a wave and gestured to him to come sit with him.

The guardian complied and climbed to the sitting spot with an ease only years of climbing trees could give someone. Once sat, they started chatting in a low voice.

“Where did you go this early?”

“To the market. Did you sleep well?”

“I did, did you find something cool?”

“I did! Look at that!”

He proudly brandished the ring, holding it close to the other’s face. Dream didn’t make a move to pick it up but he awed all the same.

“It’s pretty indeed. Not really your usual colors…?”

“Oh, it’s not for me. I wanted to find something for Geno to…”

“To?”

“Well, to… thank him?”

Dream kicked his legs a few times in silence before adding anything.

“I wasn’t aware you’d have a need to thank him.”

“I do.”

“...”

“Do you think he’ll like it?”

His brother put his hand to his chin as if thinking hard.

“I’m sure he’ll do.”

“Dream, do you-”

“I’m going to leave now, see you later!”

Dream jumped down, perfectly rolling on the grass, before sprinting down the hill.

“...Dream.”

Once again, his twin left and Nightmare will wait for his return. Once again.

He hugged one of his knees up there as he watched the shrinking silhouette of the other, running away.

Geno didn’t wake up before the middle of the afternoon. And even then, he woke up slowly as if still half-trapped in sleepy-head-kingdom.

Nightmare didn’t mind much and let him take his time. He was nose-deep in a fascinating novel, waiting some more was something he could do.

Even fully there, the monster didn’t end up being very talkative. He still looked downward drowsy but not from tiredness sleep could fix. 

The guardian resigned himself that it must be a bad day.

Maybe his present could shake him up some? 

Glancing at Geno who was absent-mindely playing with blades of grass and studying insects, he wondered about the idea. 

Should he wait for Dream to come back? His brother might only come home late depending on what tasks fell upon his path this time…

The spirit closed his book and put it beside him. His hand lifted, ready to call for attention, when…

When a tiny shape appeared down the hill, climbing up with energy.

His hand fell back on his lap.

Dream returned.

He purposefully ignored the part of him that was disappointed and waved in his direction.

Soon he was up.

Soon they sat down.

Soon Dream talked about his day.

He had trouble focusing on how a donkey ran awok in the middle of the town as he idly fidgeted with the pouch in his pocket.

“...that’s why I have a homemade cake. I’m cutting the cake, meanwhile Nightmare don’t you have something to say to Geno?”

“Uh?”

What. 

Two faces looked at him, one eager one slightly tilted to the side. Curious? Confused?

“OH uh ahh I mean uh-”

The words escaped him, bubbly light, as his eyes darted anywhere except in front of him, his arms closing himself to the world.

It was just so sudden!

“Agh uuuuuuuuuuh. You see? I! Uhowgh-”

He must have looked ridiculous, wiggling like that, spouting out gibberish like that…

Two hands gently reached for the sides of his head and he was forced to dive into a single white dot observing him.

“Shush, calm down for a second. You won’t get anything out like that.”

Nightmare felt his whole body temperature’s rise up for a second before he froze very still against the colder hands squishing his face.

“What’s apple isn’t an apple?”

“Wh-.”

“Pineapple.”

It was so unexpected, Nightmare’s mind forgot it was anxious and he just laughed his confusion out, ignoring Dream’s small voice asking them what was a pineapple.

“It was- It was so bad, I hope you know that!”, he finally managed to utter to Geno after a last wheeze.

“I guess I should apple-logize then.”

“Stop that.”

“It was apple-solutely my bad, sorry.”

Geno winked at him and he didn’t bother hiding a groan at the puns.

“So, you had something you wanted to say, apple guy?”

At the remark, Nightmare reminded himself of why exactly he landed in this particular situation. Removing his face from the other’s grip, he threw a discreet glare in Dream’s direction -the traitor was giggling at the bad taste jokes.

“Well, I have something to give you,” he rummaged through his pocket and held the gift bag in his extended arm, “to thank you for helping a couple of times”.

The skeleton looked at him with a wide eye socket, staring at the small bag then at him then the bag again ect…

Once this behavior subsided, he reached for the pouch, handling it with the same cautiousness one bearer of a glass rose would.

Nightmare watched him open the bag and take out the ring.

He watched him quietly turn it in the air, observing it and making the sun shine on the embossing.

The ring was slipped onto a pinky finger, snuggly lodged against a phalange.

“Thank you, it’s a beautiful ring, Nightmare…”

Geno scratched his neck with a hand. Was he embarrassed?

“I’m glad you like it, that’s all.”

Before he could continue talking -if he found something else to say- Dream, which existence he occulted for a moment, abruptly piped in.

“All of this is very cute, truly, but I have a question and I can’t just wait more to have the answer.”

Nightmare and Geno both startled and looked at him quizzically, annoyed but curious.

Once the attention was gathered, Dream put his hands, palm against palm, in front of his mouth and sighed.

“Nightmare, why do you only have one boot on?”

End of chapter 19... Go to chapter 20?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter special:  Dream’s takeover!

HEY! YOU, YEAH YOU! I’m taking over this chapter, xoxo. Dream.

“Hello there~

You may know me as Dream! Or maybe “one of the guardians of feelings”? “The positive one”? “The ultimate helper around town”? 

I’ve been called many things: “Dreamcatcher”, “Sunray”, “hey you”, “Princess Sunshine”, “strong bony guy”… 

And my favorite, I do not get to hear it often, “brother” or “twin”!

Because I am a brother and a twin to the other known guardian of feelings (yes we’re two on the job), the very purple-clothed Nightmare!

Well, if you’re from around here, you probably already know that? 

Oooor maybe you’re from far away and still new to this?

Let me tell you a bit about me, this village and my other half!

I should start at the beginning.

You see, Night’ and me? We were fully aware of our duty right after our creation. Our mother barely had time to whisper the story before she fully fused with the tree we now guard! Why did she do that? It’s a bit of a gruesome tale, let’s leave that for now… 

So, we twins, were borned spirits, bodiless and so full of the apples’ energy (the tree of feelings is an apple tree, isn’t that funny? Why not a cherry tree? I like cherries a lot…), acquired our body in the form of a skeleton monster’s shape and got released into the world!

I learned later that babies aren’t supposed to already know how to walk and talk and had to wait a few years sometimes to be as tall as we started our lives as. But then, it was just the way it was. We aren’t built quite the same as others.

We’re guardians.

We met the first villagers five years later (or so Nightmare says, I was bad at numbers then) and it was a whole experience.

They approached us very carefully, asking permission to settle down down the hill, promising they wouldn’t touch our treasure and would show us things we never saw before.

They offered us food and clothes and stories and many other things we did not know the use of. You see, our inane vocabulary stopped at what our mother knew about and even then, we lacked any true understanding (and genuine interest) about most stuff we grew up without.

I was very wary of these men back then and let my twin do aaaall the talk. So more useless words spoken, incredibly worthless compared to shouts of delight running through the long grass, compared to the low song of the stars twinkling high and compared to the earable pressure of one hand in another when the sun rises…

I despised those men. They were loud, foreign and constantly disrupting the peace of the forest nearby. But Nightmare was fascinated…and kept reaching out, delighted by the new knowledge he could gain from chatting with some and in his new favorite toys, books.

So I reached out as well, once the first children came around. I appreciated having new friends to run around and learning new games was nice. The beginning was slightly bumpy when I realized none were that interested in the games I enjoyed before meeting them. 

But despite that, they somehow grew on me fast.

I liked that period. The villagers started to bow less and dropped the formal titles the kids didn’t wait to ditch. I played all day, sometimes with Nighty, sometimes without him, and when the sun set, we’d cuddle against the tree, my twin reading aloud a story book and I’d always fall asleep right through it, dreaming of half tales (when our mother wouldn’t lurk around my sleepy mind).

Books really always were my brother’s thing, isn’t it?

Thankfully, nobody snitched on the fact yet I’m still awful at reading anything more complicated than market panels… Nightmare would never let me leave without running me through horrible classes once again. 

I’m not study-smart, ok?

The switch in attitude happened somewhere between the second and third wave of travelers joining the rapidly expanding I think.

I didn’t notice anything. One day, we would happily run together around half-built houses… The very next, we started walking very different paths.

I was always running down the streets and he always stayed put at the tree, claiming reading was more interesting or that he would go later.

I didn’t notice how fast we drifted away. I never really knew if something somehow got between us or just if that was the fate of two brothers with divergent interests…

Ugh, maybe that void where a strong connection had once been was one of the reasons I had such a miserable phase of experimenting things with people they claimed would “make me happy” but we’re… not talking about that!

At this point, you might start to wonder why I’m telling you all this?

I just wanted to talk about something with you that happened recently in my life, in our life, that I have mixed feelings about and I believe some context was needed!

And that conversation stays between us! I trust you.

So…

A season ago or so (I never said I got that much better at numbers, do not look at me like that), I dragged a homeless unconscious guy back home. 

Now, it doesn’t sound very good, said like that, but how can someone fall on what looks fairly similar to your build, all passed out on the dirt and not think “I must drag him to my tree?”

I know I’m right, now next thing.

I’m an hospitable guy so when I see no one is going to give a stray a home downtown, of course I tell him he can put his butt in my spot of grass!

I didn’t really take into account that allowing a stranger in our home would upset Nightmare and, that, maybe is at least part my fault for dumping that poor guy here…

I think, however, that Geno was a needed change in our life.

Maybe a dangerous change, teetering along the line of good and bad ideas each day something happened…

But despite the fear and confusion after those few “accidents”, I can’t deny Nightmare’s true smile, I missed him.

I’m worried however.

No amount of aweing at surprising them sleeping close or sharing stupidly sweet moments can take away the fact, the village’s atmosphere is more… sour than usual.

Especially since the last (bad) event! 

Last verflor festival, I went with Nightmare in the village with the objective of making the most of the day and sweeping some flowers to redecorate our mother’s scar. It didn’t go as planned. 

I lost Nightmare in the crowd when I got swept away by the music and the playful offers of dance by the local children. 

Maybe the fact I got used to waltzing alone around there is the main reason it took me so long to notice the devastating absence. Or that old couple dominating the place with their dance was that good.

Regardless of the reason, I let go of his hand and wandered alone.

In fact, while I was a smidge anxious when I noticed… I thought he’d be fine and that he’d probably just go back to the tree first! 

That maybe he’d pout at me for leaving him and after some banter, we’d tell our day to Geno and all!

That’s not what happened.

And you know that, don’t you?

I searched around for a moment but I kept getting robbed into activities or helping (something that strangely did not happen when I was still holding Night’s hand).

The sun was already down before I managed to flee back home, energy buzzing at the thought of finding my missing brother).

I was right about one thing.

I did find him here.

Small and shaky, curled up in Geno’s arms.

I was welcomed by a hard glare from our guest and cruel silence.

They both refused to tell me what happened and I didn’t insist.

I felt guilty enough like that.

It’s been some time since then.

Things are more or less back to normal.

I’m not stupid however…

And I do not like the dots I’m starting to connect.”

End of chapter 18... Go to chapter 19?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 17:Ridire ann an armachd nach eil cho soilleir…

Geno woke up from his nap still drowsy. Did he sleep too long? He ate so much lemon bread it was indecent…

He stretched slowly, eye still closed, letting his senses awaken at their own time. There was no rushing a drowsy awakening after all.

The evening sun welcomed him once he finally decided to brave the light.

Ah.

So he did sleep for a while.

A bird landed right next to him, it was blue and white and puffy. It pecked at the ground for a moment, erratic movements carrying the automatic task.

The monster sighed but didn’t move, watching the small thing hop around. Was the life of a bird nice? Not wondering about what you needed to do, only worrying about your next meal and building a place to sleep warm.

The bird thrilled, picked a thin wood stick and flew away.

It rapidly became a tiny speck in the sky, almost indistinguishable from the thing. 

It bore just the right hues to blend in while flying.

Sighing once again, he started on a new task.

Standing up without slipping from tired bones.

One hand came to the ground and pushed, the other followed the bark’s lines while going up. 

He wobbled a bit for a second before adjusting and stretched slowly.

He felt old.

Was he? 

Did the time resetting not spare his soul from the true ache of living? 

Who knew?

Not him.

Now, it was time to assess the situation a bit more.

It was evening. He lifted two fingers towards the sun.

Not that late yet.

Geno turned his head right and left, listening to his surroundings. 

No twins in sight.

He could hear something however.

It danced, light as a feather in the air. 

Music. 

His eye focused on the not-so-distant village at the bottom of the hill. It was coming from downtown.

If he focused more, he could perceive some laughter and shouts and various lights bouncing around.

Something joyful was happening downtown.

Were the guardians down there?

It was unusual for them both to leave simultaneously but it happened a few times. 

Should he go see if they were downtown?

He scolded at the idea, Geno did not want to approach the villagers at a pole distance.

Leaning against the tree, he pondered while observing the fruits above.

He didn’t know when they left so he couldn’t tell if that was alarming yet.

He will wait for now.

Waiting felt second nature to him at this point and just watching and walking around was already pretty entertaining. 

He started studying the bark, counting the nooks and the roots peeking from the ground in places.

For the first time (and wasn’t that shocking it was the first time?), he circled around the tree to look at the back.

He glanced at a bag stuck under an overarching root. That must be their reserve. 

His fingers ran along the imperfections of the massive plant until a bit higher, just above his head, and stopped at a fully collapsed area, forming a deep hole that seemed to go almost all the way through the tree.

It looked almost painful, like something tore it open and it never fully healed.

He noted how it was decorated in so many dried flowers. Flowers that made a pitiful sight, all shrunken and lacking the vivid colors they must have borne once. 

The skeleton brushed a petal that disintegrated under the touch. That hole must have been fully hidden by the colors at one point. Did the twins do that?

He bounced a few times on his feet, thinking, before putting that information in a corner for later.

He went back to the front and stared at the village. If they were there, what could they be doing? Was it a celebration? Distantly, he thought back about gyftmas days in the underground. 

The monster had enjoyed the event in the past. The warm smiles and the thoughtful exchanges.

Was whatever going down there as welcoming as the festive days he had grown used to?

Geno shook his head. He needed to remember there were many humans there and none had proven they deserved his sympathy.

A little voice rang through his skull.

“You believed in Frisk enough to send him back and let them stay with your family. You believed in the surface people enough to let them bond with your people.”

He had too, there were no other options left.

“Is that the truth? Or is that a lie you’re telling yourself?”

Who cared? It wasn’t like he could do anything more now. All he had left was hope.

“What a feeble t-”

He squashed down the voice by focusing back on the missing guardians; they were incredibly bad at their job if they just decided to leave their treasure alone with him for such a long time. 

…Did they trust him that much?

He turned towards the magical fruits, raising his arm to almost touch a rotten looking black apple. It was the ugliest one he could see. 

And reach.

If he wanted to.

He backed away with a step. Betraying their trust like that was unimaginable.

Geno played with his scarf until it fitted proper and snug around his neck. 

Looking at the sky once last time, he concluded it had been far too long and let his feet carry him down his safe spot.

Next destination: the village.

To say the experience was unpleasant would be an understatement. The place was bonded and loud. 

People kept bumping into him.

Seeing so many monsters having fun with humans, seemingly treating each other equally, was incredibly jarring to say the least

Was it like that now in his former world too?

Geno kept his elbows close to his chest, his hands clutching his scarf to avoid making a mistake he would -perhaps- regret next time a running human appeared in his field of view. 

He had frozen for a moment looking at a group of children the size of his human playing with wooden swords. A small pig girl (that stirred a bit at his memories, didn’t he meet her somewhere?) had gotten accidentally hit by the weapon and was now crying on the ground, a blond boy giggling at her distress. 

But before his shaking hands could react, an adult came running, picked the little one up, shushing her softly and asked the boy to apologize. 

The situation now defused, he had willed his legs to carry him farther, not missing a wary glance the parent had thrown his way as he had turned away, shaky.

The monster was not going to last long here. He had to find the twins.

Picking at the different textures on the walls, stands and flowers along the way, he mused about asking around before simply deciding to keep walking until he found them. 

A highly inefficient method, he knew that, but he couldn’t stomach more.

The sky was darkening and the crowd was slowly starting to thin out to his relief. A young jay monster was fretting over the flowers, picking some up and down, grumbling at the damaged ones and marveling at the ones still holding their own. The youngest children were resting in their parents arms nodding off peacefully and the older were enjoying the space by zooming around one last time. An old couple of monsters was waltzing beautifully alone on the grand place, circling peacefully around a white stone fountain while the mismatched orchestra made its last round.

Geno huffed and released his arms, soaking in the softer ambiance. 

That was way better.

And he shouldn’t be able to miss the tell-tale colors of his missing friends now.

A very specific hue caught his attention before disappearing in an alleyway.

There!

He jogged in this direction, dodging obstacles as they came.

Reaching the alley, he followed its path to more and more windling down streets until he stopped, lost.

Pushing his back against a wall, he muttered about his unending bad luck.

“Where could he have gone? I don’t know the way around here…”

Resigning himself he was probably going to look for a while, he started to walk again at a more leisure pace.

He should arrive somewhere following those dirty slabs, he thought.

And he could watch around in the meantime.

He wasn’t even fully sure he saw that golden glint right.

Notes of music still reached him as he trudged farther and farther into that cold maze of stones, broken only by lone doors and closed narrow windows. 

That last song was stretching long. The musicians must have wanted to offer more time to the dashling elderly dancers.

A snickering laughter stopped his musings and made him swerve left at an intersection. He might as well check that.

Figuring the source was right behind the next wall, he cautiously peeked around the corner.

His sliver of soul stilled in his chest.

Nightmare was there, eyes squeezed shut, held up by a tall ursid monster covered in ivy to the mercy of a bloody-nosed human and a raggedy looking purple lagomorph monster.

The three looked young, not fully peeking out of their childhood yet.

But they also seemed ready to hit Nightmare with all they could.

So, Geno didn’t hesitate.

A bone erupted from the wall right next to them.

The shock made the three quiet, not budging at all.

He ignored the teenagers looking at him confused and watched Nightmare’s face scrunching up in confusion before the still-captive tentatively opened his eyes. His exhausted-looking eyes locked into his own and a moment of recognition made some of the tension melt from the other’s body.

Geno whistled to get the group’s attention back and summoned a sharp determination-dripping bone to twirl between his fingers.

“So are you guys gonna scram or do I have to start using these bad boys?”

And just like that, the three left in a hurry, throwing the purple lad in his direction, who he caught easily.

“Scaredy cats, I swear…”

The monster took stock of the other’s injuries: a few scrapes, some torn clothes… Nothing worrying, he concluded.

He picked Nightmare up in his arms.

“Up you go!”

The still dazed skeleton glared at him and weakly pushed his face away.

“Sorry bud, but you’re still shaking and I’d prefer to leave as quickly as possible. I kinda…uh…pierced that wall ya’ know?”

And just like that, they went back to the tree.

Geno carrying Nightmare in silence, Nightmare pointing directions to avoid the main streets.

And just like that, they went back home together.

End of chapter 17! Go to chapter 18?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Warning: unjustified violence against a sweetie and some paaanicking :(

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 16: Kutya pamutambo wemaruva

A week or so had passed since his little soul-to-soul with Geno and his injury…

While that arm was not fully healed yet, the other didn’t seem that bothered about it and even regained almost all of his limb’s mobility. He told them he got all of it back but Nightmare noticed how stiffly he moved it and how he favored his right even though it was obvious it wasn’t his dominant hand. 

Nightmare bit into his piece of pear pie. It was sweet and juicy. They didn’t have such high-quality snacks everydays, so he was planning to enjoy it.

How long has Geno been here now?

The weather had yet to turn cold so it couldn’t have been that long.

It felt like it however.

The guardian licked his fingers clean and glanced at the other two. They were silently sharing some lemon bread.

The village must be in a good mood, it was more and more frequent to see Dream coming back bearing a full basket of food and gifts. They even now had a spare blanket and an old cushion they decided to lend to their guest.

…Do you still consider someone who stayed for long at your home and wasn’t showing any sign of moving out as a guest?

Geno met his eyes and slightly inclined his head.

He averted his gaze to watch a random blade of grass.

Oh, a ladybug.

“Is the pie any good?”

Nightmare nodded in his brother’s direction, not feeling like talking just yet.

“Nice. I’ll keep my part for later.”

If the definition of “guest” was, as of now, outdated to describe Geno then…what was he? 

“I’ll put the basket away. You should go for an afternoon nap, Geno, you look tired.”

That was true the other had progressively slouched against his cushion during the meal and his dimming eyelight seemed to scream sleep.

He didn’t even answer the proposition and promptly klonked out.

That capacity to fall asleep fast and clean was impressive. 

Nightmare stood up, dusting himself off and calmly helped Dream cleaning the last traces of their meal…while keeping an eye on the sleeper.

He couldn’t help but be pensive about all that.

He couldn’t lie to himself anymore. He didn't hate Geno. He didn’t fear him either, even though he saw hints again and again of how volatile and dangerous he could be.

Nothing happened recently.

It had been quiet.

They talked a lot. About books. About the sky. About childhood adventures and stories.

It was… nice.

And if he often found himself slightly leaning against his shoulder to sleep at night, that was his problem.

Two amber wells entered his field of vision without warnings and startled him.

“What are you thinking about ?”

He caught himself with one hand against the tree before answering.

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

He couldn’t say any of his thoughts, he wouldn’t hear the end of it if he told him he was thinking about how he didn’t despise Geno anymore.

“Hmmmm, I’ll let that slide… For now!”

With that said, Dream all but jumped on him and he barely avoided falling again. Shifting his feet to stand steadier, he glared at his brother.

This one was making pitiful wet eyes and he knew -oh he knew…- that he was going to be asked something he wouldn’t like soon.

“Soooo, I was thinking…”

And there it was…

“What were you thinking…?”

The doubt and carefulness he tried to convoy didn’t seem to deter his brethren. Sadly.

“You noticed how I’ve been given more gifts recently…?”

“I did… I assume the village’s mood is high for some reason?”

He got shaken quite roughlessly by that overly excited puppy.

“YES! Today is the first day of the Verflor festival so place is absolutely decked out in flowers! And there’re food stands and dances and music and we need to go!”

Nightmare gripped his arm, focusing on the sensation of a fistful of fabric under his fingers.

“We…?”

“...Yes, we. Come on! It’s been ages since the last time you went down! You didn’t even go borrow books recently…”

Dream trailed off for a second before bouncing back into his plea with gusto.

“I know we’ll have a blast! I’m pretty sure the central bookstore said they wanted to put up a stand with newly arrived finds, you can’t miss that!”

Oh he could. But the offer sounded slightly less bad after that statement, somehow. He was still not convinced.

“I’m not su-”

“And don’t wake up Geno. Guy’s great but you spent so much time with him recently. Can’t I request some wholesome brother bonding time when I really feel up to it?”

Yeah, he was not winning against this one. Might as well give up, enter the village for five minutes, find a random excuse and go back right away. Easier than to argue now.

“...Ok, fine. We can go for a bit.”

He was promptly released as Dream twirled around, looking truly enchanted by the news. After a few seconds of this show, Nightmare was once again caught by the arm and pulled harshly enough to make him stumble (again). 

That day was going to be exhausting, wasn’t it?

“LESSSSS’GO!”

Surprisingly, the ruckus did not rouse Geno out of his food coma and they runned down the hill, clumsily, as they dug every once in a while their elbows into each other’s ribs.

And soon.

Sooner than Nightmare would have liked if he had a word on the matter.

They reached the village.

And, as promised, the verflor festival was in full display.

Fresh flowers -that kids must have collected early in the morning- were decorating every possible surface. Daylilies and bacopa pots were proudly displayed under each window. The mix of perfume was so strong that he wondered briefly how nobody fainted yet -as far as he knew. A bird-like teen was running around with a water can, making sure the heat was not getting to the vegetation.

That task must have taken all their focus as they almost bumped into him…and apologized without even looking.

The lean feathered guy just runned off to their next pot and fussed over a slightly damaged balloon flower.

“It’s been so long since the last time we went together to that event! How long has it been again?”

Nightmare pretended to think before giving his twin the answer he could have given in a blink.

“6 years, I think.We needed fresh flowers.”

“Ah yes I remember, maybe we should pick up some today as well?”

“...yeah, we should.”

Dream clapped his hands, looking satisfied.

“Then it’s settled! We look around, enjoy the event and pick up some plants -and maybe a book if you find something interesting?- before going home!”

And without waiting for an answer, Dream grabbed his hand and started energetically walking and making comments on how each display of flowers were installed and by who.

Surprisingly, he found himself infected by the other’s joy and quickly started truly appreciating the evening. Some people watched him curiously and some others were sending some rather nasty glares but he ignored all that and focused on his brother’s unending chatting.

They picked up some flowers and put them down their pockets, uncaring of if they’d survive the trip. A flower didn’t stop being pretty just for some bruises and missed bits after all. And both of them were now wearing flowers breaded firmly into their crowns, almost fully masking the glistening metal. Coreopsis, poppies and some treasure flowers for Dream. Delphiniums, lilies-of-the-Nile and some drooping verbenas for him.

The day was sunny and rays bounced across the windows, producing rainbows in water puddles.

The people were merry and colorful dresses and shirts were twirling around in every corner.

It was loud.

It was bonded.

It was so many things he usually avoided.

But somehow…

It was nice.

He could see a table set just down the street with books laying on. From here, he thought he could recognize a cover or two. That red one with the white handle casting a shadow of a knife’s blade, for example, was the cover of a story that was hard to forget…

“Dream, I want to make a stop at the book table just there!”

Dream didn’t answer and soon, he realized he wasn’t holding his hand anymore.

“He can’t be far, he was blabbering about some pie smell just a moment ago…”, he muttered as a self-reassurance.

When had he let go? Or was Dream the one who let go?

The streets suddenly seemed less welcoming. 

It was loud.

It was bonded.

It was so many things he usually avoided.

After getting bumped into a few times (and getting insulted for it), Nightmare scooted against a wall and fiddled with his fingers, keeping an eye on the crowd moving around.

He just needed to find Dream and they could leave that place and all would be well! There wasn’t any need for stress here.

Everything was swell.

His hands were pulling on any bit of fabric he could grab onto and he really hoped it wouldn’t tear from the abuse later.

Where are you?

People are staring.

People are judging.

They’re staring. They’re staring. They’re staring.

Calm down, Night’. Deep breaths. Happy thoughts.

His legs were shaking and he couldn’t afford being seen panicking so far from his haven.

They’re staring.

That guy is staring. The children are staring and giggling at his misfortune. That mother is mocking him.

Even that dog is against him.

He needed…out!

But Dream?

Why did he leave him here alone?

Why did he drag him there at all?

Did he…?

A glint of golden metal caught his attention and he dashed in that direction.

Dream!

Unfortunately, he lost the trace fast but he kept running through a few streets just in case.

He just couldn’t bear everything so he sped off into smaller and emptier streets until he was finally alone.

Then, he crashed in this tiny dingy one-way street that smelled of anything but flowers and wept on his knees for a while.

Why must he be like that? Five seconds alone in the street and he started acting worse than a toddler. No wonder he was hated around here… He must have been such an easy target that any aspiring violence couldn’t help but look his way and see a snack.

His pants were damp from his tears before he calmed down enough to close the watergates.

The guardian raised his head to look around.

It was a fairly narrow space but some could still stand up without being squished together.

Beside the walls, he could see the sky and even the top of their tree, merely a green stain dotted with warm gold and purplish black against the blue of the day.

So small.

Nightmare sighed and vowed to only rest a bit more before heading back home.

That corner was void of flowers and he relaxed in their absence. 

Wind was making dance two lonely leaves that swirled and twirled before being stopped by a wall then the ballet stopped until a new burst guided them to a new barrier and this, again and again.

Far away he could still hear some laughter and music but he ignored the background noise.

He ignored the distant steps, running and dancing, enjoying the celebration.

He ignored all those sounds to focus on the leaves, on the crown’s weight on his head, on the warm feeling traveling through his vessel of a body and some forgotten tune, he couldn’t name but felt soothing, flowed out of him.

He shouldn’t have, probably.

He shouldn’t have blocked out the rest.

Maybe if he hadn’t…

He could have slipped away in time.

Before the steps were not so distant.

Before the voices were right in front of him.

Before he was trapped with these three.

But he did, so when two monsters and a human showed up, he was taken by surprise.

After that?

There wasn’t much of a conversation. It had been a very one-sided ordeal.

They pushed him, making his thoughts rattle each time his back hit bricks.

Stay calm, they’ll get bored soon.

The purple hare tugged on his sleeves until they ripped.

He already went through this dance and song enough to know how to act to minimize dommages.

The plant bear clapped and hummed, not participating but enjoying it nonetheless.

Do not retaliate, it would only aggravate the situation.

“Ah that’s boring, let’s up the game a bit!”

He had been too boring, that wasn’t going to end well.

The last lanky teenager looked at him for a second before leaping towards his head.

“Give me that circlet thing! That’s too fancy for you!”

A scalding warmth spread through his bones at these words. And he dodged and let the guy crash against the bricks at his turn. 

That was where he drew the limit.

Nightmare winced at the harsh sound of flesh hitting solid and crouched down in an action ready. 

He wasn’t going to allow those to even dare touch his crown.

Soon, joyful expressions turned sour and he was attacked once again.

Some vigorous kicks made one tumble while another retreated.

One was on the ground, grumbling about stained clothes.

One was looking at him, calculating.

And the last…?

Strong arms caught him under the armpits and he was left wiggling in the air, captive by the superior strength of the bear monster who was towering over him by their sheer size.

 Ah. He had lost fast.

He squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation as his aggressors came closer.

Then…

Nothing.

Silence.

A tremor runned through his holder and he wondered…

What could have made them hesitate all of the sudden?

End of chapter 16! Go to chapter 17?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Warning: Geno being loopy for a while and discutable editing choices

Come Down That Tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 15: Audio, sed terra cur non plana est?

Geno wakes up not feeling quite all there.

His arm didn’t hurt anymore and he felt rested.

Something is amiss but who cares? Life is fun!

He felt very giddy for no apparent reason. The air seemed to vibrate.

He sits. Oh, he sits alright. With his butt on the ground. His back against the bark. His hands politely wait on his legs.

Geno felt like the universe rewrote itself slightly to the left just to mess with him.

Something makes a soft noise right to his left and he is suddenly very aware of a weight loafed against him.

It was Nightmare who was still asleep.

He shakes his arm to remove the weight.

The other started to stir awake, sleepiness still very present in his gaze.

Why does he wear so much purple? Like his eyes? He wears them prettily.

He moved around and watched Nightmare’s mouth articulate.

“Are you feeling okay? Your eyelight is big…?”

It is? He needs to see that.

Geno tried to reach his eye socket with his left arm but Nightmare stopped him for some reason.

“I know it doesn’t feel painful right now but it is still injured so try to avoid using it?”

Nightmare is too long of a name and Geno says so to him. He thinks.

“Oh your enunciation… It’s alright, the bigger side effects should fade out soon! It did for me…even if you don’t seem to react quite like me then… If Nightmare is too hard to say, you can shorten it to “Night” or anything that you prefer?”

He gazed into the two pale purple moons and attempted to test his balance by standing up straight. He failed.

The ground is green and he is floating above it.

He fell on the other.

“AH! Try to stay still for a moment, will you?”

Moonlight is so loud.

“I’ll try to be more quiet… If I dare to point that out, “Moonlight” is in no way shorter than “Nightmare”...”

The sound he makes is funny.

Geno flayed a bit to get back to sit against the tree without crushing anyone.

Moon is there but where is the other?

“Dream is down the village, you slept for a while.”

Mind Reading, what a powerful and useful magic…

He stared at him and the way his hands were freezed in the air, as if hesitant -he glanced at his face- and lost.

“You’re not aware you’re talking out loud, are you?”

Aware is certainly not the word here.

“We should get you out of these clothes… Dream went to seek some for you, it must be uncomfortable for you… wearing something that wet and heavy…?”

His sleeves make satisfying sounds when shaken.

The monster was drenched. Unlike Nightmare who seemed already dry and back in his usual purple trousers.

Geno knows a funny way to get dry much faster.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

With a firm but clumsy hand, he carries out his plan.

And soon, one giant animalistic skull was floating in front of both of them.

“GENO, please tell me you know what you’re doing with that terrifying thing!”

Feeling like some marbles were back into place, he answered the question truthfully.

“I don’t know what I am doing but I am doing it.”

Somehow, it did not seem to reassure the other who looked ready to leap at the first sign of something going wrong. The monster couldn’t care less at the moment and gestured for his blaster to open its maw…and charge a blast.

Somehow, once again, it seemed to inflict more stress on his companion. He then ignored all the pleading babbles that were just plain grating.

The inside of the blaster started lighting up with a fierce heat and he carefully sat between two sharp teeth.

“The’e, I will b’ dry inno time”, he announced to his gobsmacked-looking spectator.

Nightmare stayed where he was -even after he patted the space beside him in a silent offer- therefore he elected to ignore him, focusing on the almost scaling heat against his back. Why did he never do that before? It was quite a great way to accelerate things.

“Are you sure this is safe? Have you done that before?”

“I have never been lass sure of anything in me life but it seems to work a’right!”

The other scrunched his face in an expression Geno couldn’t decipher, not like he was that interested in trying but still.

After a moment of silence, the not-monster scooted slightly closer. He remained fairly far however.

“What is it?”

“mmmh m’blaster.”

“What? Can you repeat that?”

He giggled at the other’s ignorance.

“Big thing thaaat shoots and.. and bites!”

“Very helpful, thanks.”

He bowed, almost fell out of his seat, then miraculously balanced himself back up.

“M’pleasure to help, aways.”

“I thought you were starting to sound cognizant again but I see I was wrong there.”

“Always the bug words with you, eh”, he shrugged.

“Seriously, what is this thing? It was so impressive and -honestly- scary last time and now it just sits there, floating and warming your back without mauling you for sitting right next to its sharp and huge canine.”

Geno shook his head a few times to try once again to realign the realities. If the endeavor was any conclusive, he didn’t have a clue. He would have to continue riding the wave until it fully went away, he guessed.

“I use magic and fwoop big puppy here comes.”

He really couldn’t explain it any better.

“...Your magic seems far more powerful and advanced from anything I saw from monsters so far.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“What can you do besides turning into a nightlight at will?”

Nightmare grabbed his knees and started softly rocking back and forth.

“Not much… I can slightly worsen feelings on the bad side but I hate doing that. I’ve been told I turn the mood sour just by standing there so I might do it unconsciously sometimes.”

A frigid feeling finished chasing the daze away, leaving only a slight light-headedness and a dull pain in his left arm.

“Did the villagers tell you that?”

“Yes…”

“Then I wouldn’t trust that source.”

“Geno…They’re not all that bad.”

“Don’t give me that crap. It’s not about me there, they’re obviously mistreating you.”

The purple-clad skeleton hid his head in his knees and hummed, neither confirming or denying his accusation.

“Did you talk about that with Dream?”

Nightmare shook his head but stayed buried there.

“You don’t have to answer that but allow me to put an hypothesis out. The villagers don’t like you because they think your little guardianship here is neatly devised between “good and bad” and they’d be better off with only the positive and none of the negative emotions?”

A timid nod was all he got in exchange but it was enough for him to continue.

“1-I honestly don’t fully understand the whole tree and apples thing but aren’t you just a guardian and the sources of the feelings are the apples?

2-They’re plain stupid if they think they can live with only one side of their emotions. What are they, 5???”

To that, Nightmare lifted his head to look at him.

“Emotions are not a coin you can flip! They aren’t even always positive or negative? Some are neutral or mixed and why are they oversimplifying such a vague concept.”

“I don’t think I ever heard that way of thinking before.”

“You’re surrounded by idiots, no offense to Dream since I guess you didn’t broach the subject with him. Which is strange when you’re so fixated on “your duties as guardians of feelings”?”

“I’m starting to think I prefer you loopy.”

“How dare!??”

He let himself fall forwards, colliding with the other for the second time today but this time on his own volition. The blaster dissolved into the air as the air grew thick with shrieks and laughter as they play-fought on the ground. It ended very fast when something brushed weird against his arm and he all but hissed of pain.

“Oh no, did the pain come back? Are you feeling fine?”

The pain receded without fully vanishing so he answered it was alright enough.

They both laid down for a moment, looking at the clouds.

The faraway white puffs were a fascinating phenomenon to observe and he idly wondered if he would ever get used to it.

“I still think you should talk about it to your brother.”

“If I do that, he’s gonna want to help. We can’t just move the tree elsewhere if worse comes to worse. I don’t want them to hate him too.”

“You’re afraid he would get hurt for you? Or are you scared he wouldn’t do anything if he knew?”

“NO! I know he would- He’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. Of course, he would help or try to at least.”

“I see, you should still try to talk to him in my opinion.”

“...and what if you minded your own business?”

“Ha, I could.”

“Any particular reason you don’t?”

Geno sighed, a deep and heavy sigh that dragged for what seemed like an eternity.

“You somehow remind me of myself, just a bit, and a… situation… I went through. It’s a very, and I mean it, very different situation but I didn’t want to talk to my brother about it either. I did in the end, but let’s say it didn’t really stick, so just forget that.

Nightmare responded with a delay.

“You have a brother…”

“A little brother and despite everything, I’ll keep him close in my heart. Always...”

“Do you miss him?”

The answer was easy but somehow complicated.

“I do. Thankfully Papyrus does not.”

A long silence stretched after that.

A timid question stopped it just as steps approaching made their presence known.

“Would you mind talking to me about Papyrus more later?”

And strangely, Geno found he truly didn’t.

End of chapter 15! Go to chapter 16?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies

Nightmare and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

prologue previous

Come Down That Tree! (an aftermare story)

Chapter 14: Mä muxsa jaljaw sañ munäna ukampis kunatix uka waynax llijullijumpiw ch’allt’ata, ukatw mä juk’a amuyux mayjt’ayañajax wakisïna.

Nightmare slept fairly well, as he often did on such stormy nights. It was on these special nights he could almost feel the gentle touch of his mother.

He didn't know if it was because he slept squished against the bark and his brother, feeling thrumming energy coming from both or if it was the capricious screams of the sky somehow helping him ignore the rest of the world… therefore making focusing on the thin feeling easier.

Regardless of the raison, he relinquished the feeling. 

He knew he was safe and the tree was too. Nothing could pierce that warm bubble of safety.

He thought so at least.

Right in the middle of a peaceful lucid dream, the atmosphere changed.

He turns towards the dream version of the tree that stops its usual constant humming then, wordlessly asking what is the matter.

The only answer he has is a burst of wind that pushes him farther away rather suddenly. The light around dims and everything seems to try to make him leave. 

Why, he does not have a clue.

But after grumpily resisting for a while, he hears the tiniest sob he ever heard, right outside his safe space.

And once he spots the source...

A small and crumpled red figure, shaking on a burned flower patch.

He awoke instantly.

What greeted him was a world not yet fully awake, sun barely noticeable. Traces of the violent storm that must have lived through a good part of the night itched in the very earth.

He was truthfully soaked, cold water dripping from his clothes and from the branches above his head. The only warm source left being his twin, still huddled against his side and very much sound asleep.

Sleep was still slugging his thoughts but it did not stop Nightmare to notice something rather quickly.

Something woke him up.

And it was not a good kind of thing.

There was a strange "tower" slicing up his sight in two not that far from here.

There was a burned smell cloaking the air.

As calmly as a half awake mess could, he let his eyes follow the white-ish line pouring down the sky.

Until he reached the bottom.

Laying in a burned grass circle was something. 

Someone?

White and red.

Geno.

Time stopped and the daze vanished.

Nightmare sprang and ran to the other as fast as possible.

What happened? What happened? What happened ???

He skidded to a stop right next to the skeleton and confusedly stared at him.

The monster was unconscious, laying in a fetal position, all curled around his left arm. 

Arm that seemed… damaged.

His fingers were sprawled open, slightly shaking. The tips were blackened and rough. A red liquid seeping out of tiny cracks littering his fore-arm. 

What happened?

He carefully, oh so carefully, pushed him to rest on his back to assess the wounds better. 

Ice screamed along his back when he saw the cracks go up all the way to his chest.

Nightmare took a moment to steady his hands, which were shaking almost uncontrollably now, before pulling up the other's shirt.

He was greeted by the same mess as the last time he had bear sight of the ribcage. 

Looking at the holes made him feel near nauseous but he pushed past to observe if any new damage had been added when whatever happened happened.

The long crack line was barely here but it was here. Running along the thin ribs.

He quietly followed the path until it stopped right in the middle.

Nightmare sighed.

"It didn't reach his soul, that's good…"

His hands enclosed his skull for a second and a loud, loud, groan escaped him.

What exactly happened while he was sleeping…

A moment went by.

Full of hesitation and incertitude.

Until he decided against prodding Geno any further to try waking him up.

"Let's see how well it goes this time…"

He started by gently calling his name.

Then, when that didn't work, he carefully touched his good shoulder with the objective of shaking him awake, as gently as possible.

Now, that, that failed magistrally. 

But not in the way he thought it would. 

The grass was still wet and slippery.

And this whole situation made his movements a bit… hazardous.

His whole weight came to crush the poor injured man's rib cage, who, understandably, woke up screaming bloody murder.

Dream basically materialized right after, helping him sit back down on the ground and silently observing the situation.

They both stayed there, watching Geno curl up on himself and, for a lack of a better word, wimper. 

They wasted a minute to see if the other was conscious enough to not turn them into skewers.

He seemed so.

In fact, by the time the minute ended, the skeleton had calmed himself and was now sitting in front of them…calmly studying his damaged arm.

"Geno?"

He looked up, a lone eyelight, more red than he remembered, stared.

"Yes."

His voice was firm but weak.

Nightmare lost his words.

Dream chimed in for the first time of the day, shifting slightly closer.

"Can you move your arm?"

Nightmare watched with owlish eyes Geno raising his good arm to rub against the burned one.

He didn't answer besides a too large smile and a tilt of the head.

"Are you in pain?"

To that, he snorted.

"I'm in Spain."

"Meaning?"

"Super pain." 

The twins both winced before exchanging a glance.

"I know a guy downtown who could examine that if you would follow me there?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"It's noth' "

"Your arm is still shaking."

"Astute observer I see."

"Leaving it like that IS dangerous."

"I had worse and I'm still here."

"Do you actually have a good raison or are you going to continue wasting both of our time ?"

Even if the exchange had been full of calm and posed voices so far, Nightmare knew it wouldn't stay that way long with how it was going so he all but butted in rather ungracefully.

"Dream, brother, pal, do you remember that herb I chewed on that made me loopy for hours when we were kids?"

They had been exploring the neighboring forest at the wee age of 7 and found some "funny looking" herbs.

Nightmare decided it was his turn to taste test the new plant and he spent half a day feeling similar to the time he forgo sleeping for a week minus the tiredness and insensitive to most pains (they tested it).

Dream ignored him.

"I still remember where to find it and we both know our guest here won't go downtown without kicking, screaming and aggravating his wound."

If looks could kill…

His brother sighed before turning fully towards him.

"...fine. Go find some while I try to see what else we can do with what we have."

Nightmare glanced one time towards Geno, who showed no signs of interest in the current conversation and merely sat slumped on the ground, before breaking into a fast walk in the direction of the last known location of the loopy plant.

It didn't take him long to find some. 

The blue gray herbs that liked to grow under the berry bushes of the southern marsh.

Thoughts noisily attempted to scritch at the back of his mind but he skillfully tuned them and focused on the mindless task of tearing the herbs out of the ground, one by one.

Once the pile in his arms was big enough to last a few days if needed, he let his feet carry him back home.

The trip was over in a jiff.

Under the tree, rested Geno, his arm wrapped in clean white fabric. He had his eye squeezed shut, looking bothered.

Dream nodded once in his direction at his return and left without a word, to do who knows what downtown.

Nightmare didn't try to stop him and wondered if he would come back in a better mood.

"Geno, I'm back."

The monster nodded in his direction but stayed silent.

Nightmare held out his herbs and Geno looked at his hand warily.

"Eat, it will lessen the pain, I can at least promise that."

He watched the other's dubitative face but in the end, he shrugged and took the herbs.

The munching that followed was accompanied by such a grimace he couldn't help but chuckled.

"Come on, you drama queen, it's not that bad !"

"IT TASTES LIKE DIRT."

"Well…I mean… I didn't wash them so…"

Geno stared at him incredulously.

What. He gobbled so many down when he was a kid and he was fine. Others and their need for everything to be perfectly clean to be consumable. 

"You won't die from eating some dirt."

The injured guy just sighed and readjusted his position against the bark.

He sat beside him and let the other rest his head against his shoulder.

"It should start making effects fairly soon, bear with it for a moment.", he whispered.

A hum answered him but nothing more.

Geno was out like a light not even five minutes after.

end of chapter 14! Go to chapter 15?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno belongs to @/loverofpiggies Dreamtale, Dream and Nightmare belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

uh warning: if you have a fear of storm and lightning, this chapter may not be for you. Also there is a bit of body horror (no heavy gore description, just bits) in the dream part at the end (part is in italic), you can thank the bad influence of @diofasolia for that. Someone gets hurt.

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (an aftermare story)

Chapter 13:күк төшә

Water pouring down from the sky. 

It was nothing like Waterfall however. The steady but gentle strength of the constant rain, the powerful roar of the waterfalls ones should stay cautious of and the slippery rocks that he could navigate without tripping, eyes closed.

It was nothing like the tempests in Snowdin either. The almighty winds that drove everyone home and made the trees sing, carrier of coldness and snowflakes and making everything a beautiful pure white.

It was something else entirely.

The Twins were fast asleep, bundled under the only blanket they owned. They went to sleep after he assured them he would be ok.

Would he thought ? 

The sky was screaming. The ground was grumbling. Water was hitting him from all sides without giving him any rest. Dirt was trying to trap him. He could see the forest at the east dancing to a desperate tune; he ignored the steps, they creaked and plowed under unknown deities.

Geno was standing up there on the hill, paralyzed by the war happening all around him. 

He shook with each thunder and squeezed his eyes shut with each unexpected noise.

And those two were sleeping…

Unbeknownst to them, the end of the world was tonight.

Noises were crackling around him. Silence’s disappearance rattled his sliver of a soul. 

Under the tree, the sky’s furious tears were still reaching. The air smelled heavy and sour.

An horrifying shriek fell on earth not so far from here and orange and yellow made an apparition in the corner of his sight.

Was- Was that tree down the hill just suddenly burning?

Geno’s shorts were even more wet from the water-saturated ground.

When did he sit down?

Those two were sleeping and did not even twitch with each bang.

It had to be normal?

HOW COULD THIS BE NORMAL?

Did surfacers just accept the crazy concept of mother nature having a weird feud with tall trees once in a while???

Absolutely crazy.

The monster racked his hands and did his best to calm down his shudders. Thinking rationally was what got him out of many weird situations so he was going to do that.

Rain was annoying but it could only get stuff wet. They were on a hill, there was no danger of flood and potential drowning.

Wind was harsh and unforgiving. It could make things fall and bring objects at a dangerous speed.

Tall bones erupted from the earth, cutting the way to any large objects who dared coming this way.

A glance up to the strange apple tree assured him this one was not going to budge regardless of the chaos.

Now.

The electricity flying down the dark clouds to strike anything it fancied frying. 

The lightning, it started from high above in the clouds and seemed to try to get to the ground. The easier path was surely through tall elements… Or conductive elements…

He glanced at his arms. Bones were not a very good conductor but…

Branches loomed over him.

They were on a hill.

Under a tree. 

A tired sigh escaped him.

It was always just a possibility but…

Down the hill, an oak remained, split into two equal fuming parts.

Bones were dismissed and wind started to slap him anew. Not missing a bit, he got up and wobbled away from the apple tree’s protection. Rain seeped inside his skull, making his insides cold and heavy.

He trudged until he was far enough away and summoned bones once again. However this time it was not a defense but more of a glaring offense toward the sky.

It went high.

High above the tree.

High above anything.

Geno grunted from the sudden effort, making bones giant were not his speciality.

He watched his work with a careful eye. It should drive away any luminous and powerful threats from the easy that was a lone tree up a hill. 

His hand found its way to the rough surface as he stroked it, pensive.

A lightning struck it.

Geno screamed.

Liquid fire spread through his entire body in a matter of seconds, lighting up pain sensors in every part of his body. Pops and cracks filled his non-existent ears. The world turned white and grass welcomed his sizzling body for an unplanned nap.

Firecrackers. They fizzle. They bloom between his joints. The sun is glaring into his socket but he does not look away. It makes an itchy nest between his ribs, unbothered by his small soul whimpering for space. The lake lap at his fingers gently but burning his toes. Soft touch cradles his thoughts that make bubbling meaningful sounds.

It is hard to be whole.

An arm lays there, away from his reach.

Away from his sight who is running, running away from an owl. The bird picks it up, admiring itself in a mirror before exploding in a myriad of bloodish little parts who fly towards him fast. 

A corridor. He’s standing, he’s sitting, he’s running.

The exit is in front and behind him.

He reaches towards it and it swallows him whole. 

Everything is soft and green, tickling his nose. 

The pain is gone. His arm is translucent and he can see fish swimming inside. He reaches and puts his fingers in the cold water, reaping apart the limb with joy.

A purple mouse screams at him to stop but he doesn’t. He’s giddy and watches the liquid drip on the mirror floor.

In it, he’s the mouse and screams at someone who is holding their head so hard it seems it’s going to explode.

Purple eyes stare and, in a hurry, stretch and strangle him.

He’s happy. 

Something tingles and his feet are wet, wet, wet, wet like the moon. His brother is there but not.

Dreams fly down and make him tumble. Right onto a safe.

The door opens, the door closes. Inside is out, out is inside.

An old yellowish paper flies around, a soft melody escapes. He turns around huffing and puffing, trying to sleep in the small space.

But to no avail.

Time is a slug and reality a fly.

Both are on a bench talking about their family. 

The sky is a mixture of red, purple and yellow with a dash of overwhelming white.

It hurts.

End of chapter 13. Go to chapter 14?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno belongs to @/loverofpiggies Dreamtale belongs to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree! (an aftermare story)

Chapter 12: मंद-मंद बरखा तेज हो जाई

The twins laughed and bantered all the way back to the tree. It felt like ages since last time they had fun like that together. That fact alone almost sobered him down from this joyful energy if not for his very conscious effort to keep any bad thoughts at bay for now. So he tackled his brother, made him roll right back at the start of the hill they were climbing.

He giggled at his shrieking brethren tumbling on the uneven ground, pieces of grass and earth flying everywhere. Will the former exercise his right to revenge as soon as possible? Yes. Did he regret his actions? Never.

Nightmare however decided to walk a little faster (just a notch) when Dream seemed to conclude barreling in his direction was the right thing to do in retaliation.

Help.

He only escaped after a noogie and some mean tickles. 

And soon, they started to head anew towards their very home and duty.

“What do you think Geno did of his day with us away?”, he inquired.

Dream took an instant to straighten the folds in his outfit before leaning against his side, making the duo walking a bit lopsided.

“I bet he slept the whole day away.”

Nightmare chuckled and nodded.

The rest of the path was filled with meaningless chatter and soon they arrived at their place, the last of today’s rays of sun warming their backs. Where they could see their guest lying in the grass. 

They stopped right next to him and Geno all but lazily stretched and angled himself better to look at them.

“‘sup?”

The twins shared a glance before absolutely losing it, full on snickering at the probably confused and still drowsy skeleton. It seemed their assumptions were on point. 

Nightmare was so caught up in his fit of uncontrolled happiness he didn’t notice the lopsided smile on the other’s face. After he finally somewhat calmed down, he listened to Dream inquiring of the monster's whereabouts.

He instantly sobered down at hearing he had been visited earlier for some reason.

He kept quiet as Geno commented on a potential tempest tonight and only found back his voice when a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Ah, it's already starting to rain…"

Ah, rain! Obviously, it was raining! The guardian had absolutely no reason to cry after all. 

Nightmare sighed as a quiet drizzle started to fall on the three.

"And we just finished drying…"

His complaint seemed to fall into deaf ears as his twin decided to just enjoy the weather by twirling and doing cartwheels in the grass.

Geno was for some reason encouraging the endeavor, now propped on his elbows but still very much not up.

Was there something in the water making people lose their last marbles or something?

Nightmare took a few steps back to watch the scene and discreetly change to his pants again. The skirt flopped on the ground and he carefully folded it. It went directly back into Dream’s basket and he slided down the trunk until he was sitting on the dirt. The dirt was soft under his fingers.

Then, the guardian put his head against his knees and sighed softly. Joyful noises were all around him and it was… nice…

He listened to the leaves brushing together under the wind over his head, to the few brave birds chirping up there and to the other two being dumb and dumber.

Yes, it was very nice.

He could get used to that.

He sneaked a glance at the other two and grinned at their antics. The sky was starting to get very cloudy as luminosity declined and the still gentle rain was starting to really make itself known.

Nightmare liked the noise of rain, he didn’t fear rainy nights. Those were nights where they relied on the tree to protect them. It was nice to have the roles switched once in a while. He could fall asleep against the roots and think of his mother embracing them. The leaves were thick enough to stop a good part of the potentially pouring water and while, waking up soaked did happen, it was not that bad. They never got sick that way so far, he theorized their status as energy beings made them sturdier to that kind of stuff too.

Listening to the drizzle almost lulled him to sleep. 

Until a rumbling tore through the sky.

He startled awake.

Ah.

Right.

The tempest.

He forgot about that. 

A loud screech made him turn his head back to the others only to see a slightly panicked skeleton cross his eyes. Why was Geno looking so distressed now? 

He had his eye wide and shiny and his movements jerky as he looked around, as if searching for something. Worrying about whatever it was. He was going to ask what was this fuss about but the other beat him to that.

“What was that?”

Nightmare watched Geno pointing up to the immensity of the darkened sky, still agitated but calming down by the minute.

“...thunder?”, the guardian answered cautiously.

“Oh.”

The skeleton fiddled with his scarf looking pensive.

“What did you think it was?”

“A landslide.”

What?

“Why would you think that?”

Dream was making various confused noises in the background, he did not seem to want to properly join the conversation however. Conversation he would gladly quit as well if possible.

“It happens sometimes at home, it’s dangerous.”

And he left it at that, no more explanations. He couldn’t do this to him. Did he live on a mountain or something? But he said once he didn’t see the sky much wherever he lived before. And he would recognize thunder? Where did this guy come from? A cave!???

He mulled over this new mystery, promptly ignoring how Geno was still twitchling anxiously at each grumbling from above.

Dream tapped on his shoulder, getting his attention not a minute later. He leaned close to his head and mused something quietly to him.

“Shouldn’t we ask him to take shelter for the night?”

The hand touch disappeared before he could utter a single word and he watched his twin approach their guest. He watched him smile warmly and take his hands in his own hand before suggesting that he got down to the village for the night.

Something twisted inside Nightmare.

Geno was quick to decline the offer, boastering it wasn’t some background noise that would put him down for good. Each argument was taken down with strength and an absurd amount of confidence.

It seemed impossible to deter him.  

So he would stay right there. With them. Getting soaked to the bone. Did he even know what a tempest was? 

All he could do now was to hope that the tempest was going to be mild at worst.

Water started pouring down with a fierce energy, as if to prove him wrong, the very next instant.

Drat.

End of chapter 12

Go to chapter 13?

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come Down That Tree ! (an aftermare story)

Chapter 11: ከትንሽ ልጃገረድ መልእክት

Geno took a breath in and pushed any remaining bad thoughts away.

He breathed out and runned the red fabric against his cheeks to remove the last of the wetness that could have lingered there.

He was there, he was alive. 

He would go along with whatever the universe had in store for him for now. Enough moping around.

 He stayed still for a moment longer, merely enjoying the gentle sun and his grass bed.

The situation was pretty good after all. He had spent much of his time so far lazing around and neither of his benefactors complained about it yet.

They were letting him stay in their “home”, giving him food and company. Despite all the troubles he brought with him.

Shouldn’t he give them something in return… to thank them? The skeleton hummed, deep in thoughts. 

But what?

He owed very little. Rummaging through his pockets only confirmed this statement: he found nothing he could use to pay “rent”. 

Just a few candy wrappers. A weird shaped key. A buzzer. A torned up tissue and a worn letter.

The letter…

He brushed his finger against the yellowish papier and silently put it back in his pocket.

His sigh rolled out in the air.

Not even one measly gold.

Should he try to find a job? He was confident in his capacity to take on any job if necessary. He did have a lot of small jobs back at home after all. 

The gentle noise of his fingers drumming against his leg filled his mind.

Where would he find a job around here? Down the village?

The drumming intensified.

That was a very very bad idea. The village had a lot of humans in it for what he understood… It would absolutely end up with him killing someone. While he couldn’t let go of his distrust of humanity, he could at least avoid doing something that would distress the twins. Like killing a villager, even if it was deserved. 

His fingers were creating a strange rhythm that was getting more and more mesmerizing as his thoughts swirled inside his skull.

There was no reset here. No need for human souls to free the whole kingdom. No past war to justify his grudge (as far as he knew). 

Only peace…

With dangerous neighbors…

His sliver of soul thrummed, following the entrancing music of bones against bones.

Ah. Where was he again? Who was he? 

Was he home?

What was home again?

A gentle smile. Red fabric he just sewed together. The warm embrace of tiny arms who grew big far too quick, without ever losing their kindness. The flutter of long forgotten black in the back of his mind.

Hmmmmm.

A light thug on his arm abruptly stopped his mental vortex. Reality rushed back in with enough power to make feel dizzy and he swung back and forth a few seconds while blinking rapidly.  

“Sir?”

A small voice made Geno look down, still a little frayed around the edges. 

A piglet monster was standing in front of him, eyes wide open and features settled on badly concealed curiosity.

“Sir, you hear me?”

The child was very small and wearing a dirty dress around her chubby body.

“Siiiiiir?”

A red ribbon decorated her neck as if she was a very strange present.

“Are you dead?”

Geno forced himself to stop his inspection of the unknown and locked his eye onto the greenest eyes he ever saw before answering.

“I was born dead, little lady, can’t you see I’m nothing more than a skeleton?”

He must have smiled too big or something because the young girl made a small jump backward as if badly startled. Aw, did he completly lose his social skills already? The child scrunched up her little face as if in deep thoughts for a whole minute then she shook her head very hard and stared at him fiercely.

“Is mister Dream here?”

“Use your eyes kiddo, do you see anybody, beside me, here?”

She didn’t even blink before shrugging.

“My mom sent me with a message for him but I wanna go back to play now. Give it to mister Dream when he’s back!”

Geno was really itching to mess with the kid but he kept the twitch in control and just nodded silently. Best not to worsen whatever impression the villagers must have had of him by now…

“The Frog announced a big tempest tonight, if mister Dream needs a shelter we can give him a bed.”

“Just for mister Dream? And what about mister Nightmare?”

“Mom said to tell mister Dream we don’t have enough bed for him too. But he’s not here, so we have lot of beds but mom and pop say the dark one is malfr- malfu- malfaisunt… He’s bad.”

"Oh… They said that?"

He crouched down to the girl's eyes level.

She rocked and twisted her fingers in the recoils of her outfit's fabric.

"Yes. Pop said to scream and run away if “that thing” was the only one here and it tried to come closer."

Geno didn’t even twitch despite the indignation wrestling in his soul. It had some advantages to have the best poker face around.

Maybe it wasn’t that good as he thought, however, as the girl suddenly got even more agitated, stuttered a few words of goodbye and dashed down the hill.

Well, that was something.

He plopped down on the grass here and there, absently staring at the blur of colors running away.

He scratched his neck.

Nightmare… was not well liked around here. He did have the sneaking suspicion it was the case. That was only the final nail on the coffin. 

He still was unsure why, however? How could that whole village hate him? He sure is one of the least threatening monsters he ever met… Spirits he never met? Was it because of the spirit thing?

The monster hummed.

People do tend to fear what they don’t know. But wouldn’t they be wary of Dream too then? It didn’t make sense to hate one twin and not the other if the matter was their very nature. Was it just because Dream was almost always at that village? 

What did Nightmare tell him last time? “They were created with positive and negative energy”. 

Were they both an equilibrated mix of negative and positive magic or did each tended more toward a side than the other?

Geno glanced up at the supposedly magic apples above his head. Golden apples on one side. They were pretty, he bet they tasted good. He chuckled at the idea of trying to eat one and the probably explosive reaction of the “apples guardian”. 

On the other side were dark purplish fruits. Far less tasty looking. But no less intriguing. That color theme strongly reminded him of the twins. And “Dream” and “Nightmare”.

It was fair to assume Nightmare was more associated with negativity and Dream with positivity…

If that made any sense.

As if anything in his life made sense.

Orange light over the distant forest distracted him from his tribulations. The sun was setting. His hand lightly scratched the back of his skull. 

“Agh, I once again spent the day doing nothing.”

The skeleton sighted loudly before sitting on the ground, exasperated.

“At least the sunset is pretty.”

Pretty couldn’t really encapsulate how amazed he was by the phenomenon but it would go for now. A real lightshow every night here. And it was never exactly the same. If only it wasn’t so short… Geno let himself sink into a more comfy position and let his mind empty as colors danced in the sky.

The sun had almost completely disappeared when the twins came back.

He didn’t see them at first but he heard them.

Loud chatter, screeching giggles and annoyed grumbling.

Geno propped himself up on his elbows to glance at the two climbing up the hill.

He vaguely saw their shapes moving towards him because of the distance and the lack of luminosity.

His sight wasn’t getting any better, was it?

The monster just plopped back down, he was just going to wait for them to be closer. 

And closer they got.

They stopped right next to him and Geno lazily stretched and merely angled himself better to be able to look at the two.

“‘sup?”

The two bursted into laughter at the comment for an unknown raison but he didn’t mind. They must have had a good day. 

If he spent a good extra minute observing Nightmare’s happy face, nobody would notice. Right?

He didn't know why seeing the glee in his half lidded eyes, the color tinting half of his face, the arms closed around his chest while he was doubling over…rendered him utterly speechless with fascination.

Tremors shook Nightmare’s frame as he struggled to get out of this fit of laughter, legs swinging back and forth making his skirt swirl in the same way…

…Skirt? 

The other was wearing a skirt somehow and not his usual purple linen pants. 

Unusual…

But not unwelcome. It was well made and fit him well. He hummed and a gentle warmth made itself known in his chest.

Cute.

“I hope you weren’t too bored alone here!”

Dream was now staring at him with a strange look in his eyes. Oh. He forgot he was even there.

“Meh, nope. Even got the visit of a sweet teeny thing.”

He yawned loud and clear before continuing.

“It appears that there’s going to be a tempest tonight.”

A rain drop landed right on his skull as if the weather waited for his words to be summoned.

Welp.

End of chapter 11

Go to chapter 12?

------------------------------------------------------------

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont

Geno!Sans belongs to @/loverofpiggies

Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale belong to @/jokublog

Lil' piggy kid is mine

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come down that tree ! (an aftermare story)

Chapter 10: Kamaʻilio kaikunāne me ke kaikunāne...

Nightmare silently watched Geno as he sobbed, lying in the grass. He waited an instant more, making sure it wouldn’t escalate any further than that.

Once reassured, he left, carefully watching his steps as he tiptoed farther away from the scene.

It wasn’t his business.

Spotting his brother down the hill, a basket under the arm. It was probably full to the brim of treats he gathered from the village. It was more and more of a current occurrence, leading him to believe his twin had reached the same conclusion towards the quantity of food their guest should be having.

Nightmare runned towards Dream, meeting him halfway.

While the positive guardian seemed delighted and gave him a warm embrace upon arrival, he watched as the other’s eyes darted across his face, asking a quiet question.

“Did something happen? You usually wait at the tree…?”

Nightmare rummaged the earth with his foot before looking straight into the other guardian’s eyes.

“Yes. No! I mean, I just wanted to talk with you. It’s been a while since our last “brother bonding moment”, don’t you think? We could walk to the blue rocks river? What do you think?”

His twin blinked and stayed relatively stoic as he studied his face once again, making him want to squirm under the intense stare.

A smile bloomed on Dream’s face as he nodded his agreement.

They left together, happily chatting along the way.

Nightmare learned all about the new litter of the mayor’s cat and how good at singing was a certain Marjorie while Dream listened to the plot of several books and the supposedly best way to whistle with a blade of grass. Feat never of them was able to achieve but was the cause of many giggles and groans.

Time went faster when having fun and soon…

Noise of running water indicated they were close to reach their destination and they fell in a comfortable silence. The river came into view, the water clear enough to see the rocks at the bottom, blueish from the sky reflection.

They sat down by the stream.

And removed their shoes to let their toes wiggle in the fresh liquid.

A dragonfly was making rounds above the glistening surface as they observed their surroundings. A few fish lazily swimming nearby. A duck cleaning his feathers. A frog enjoying the sun on its spot on a water lily. A faint wind adding ripples to the ones they were making with their feet.

It was a nice day.

The pleasant silence was finally broken by a sigh.

“Is there anything you wish to tell me, Night’?”

He didn’t answer and continued to look right in front of him.

“I was surprised when you suggested coming here… Happy but surprised…”

How interesting! Did he ever see that particular species of plant before?

“I’m the one to drag you away from the tree usually… And with our guest here, I thought you’d be even more wary to leave.”

The sad tone in his usually bouncy brother’s voice was tugging at his soul strings. He managed to worry Dream again, didn't he? He often forgot how observant he was…

It was his turn to sigh.

“I’m pretty sure Geno won’t try anything today, he shrugged, but I… do want to tell you somethin’”

His brother hummed and gestured to him to continue.

“I don’t think we should keep “our guest” here, he’s… dangerous.”

Dream did not comment but his smile slipped away.

“Don’t lie to me and say he isn’t, I know you saw the damage left by him! You heard him spout this heinous nonsense! WE’RE GUARDIANS, FOR FUCK’S SAKE! Could we start actually doing our job…?”

Startled eyes greeted him in answer to his sudden outburst but still silence. What does he want to hear him say?

Nightmare scratched the back of his skull and took in a long breath.

“Come on, you know I’m right…”

“You looked happy with him…”

“Uh?”

Dream’s eyelights wobbled.

“You always seem so lonely and you never tell me anything. “Don’t lie to me” you say. Who’s lying to who, here? Uh? Do tell me, please. What exactly happened to cause those “damages” then? You should at least be able to answer that, shouldn’t you? Tell me what happened and maybe, maybe I’ll consider your reclamations.”

His brother crossed his arms and stared at him. Well, that was one angry ranting for you… He couldn’t remember the last time he heard Dream’s angry voice. He had not shouted and somebody else would have ignored the subtil change in the smooth voice that could only mean one thing. Nightmare didn’t miss it. Dream was utterly pissed.

He gulped.

“Well I mean… You’re sure you wanna know? It’s kinda boring stuff…”

He rolled his wrist in the air while avoiding any eye contact. He had no illusion over the fact he wasn’t going to convince anyone like that but maybe he could push away the discussion for a little longer.

“Yes, do tell. Especially if it’s boring, I looooove boring stories.”

He wasn’t going to get out of it, or at least that’s what was telling the gaze currently trying to bare his very soul.

He wrung his hands, wondering where to even start and how to say what he wanted to say while avoiding talking about what he definitely didn’t want to tell.

Dream’s eyes seemed to soften after a while and the other sat criss-cross applesauce and scouted a little bit away as if to give him some place.

“We could start with the time I came to earth freshly returned and you had a hole in your collar?”

So he didn’t believe his lies that day. Great.

“Geno woke up panicked after what must have been one nasty nightmare and launched attacks to the one Nightmare he could reach. He missed but it was honestly terrifying.”

Truth was falling out of his mouth like if he just jumped off a cliff. Far too fast and with a rush of adrenalin.

“And the time Geno fainted and there were burn spots all over the ground?”

“I went to fetch a book and due to an… accident with some villagers I met when hurrying back, I ended up in the river. Geno chased off the villagers with two skull shaped magical constructs. He had that crazed shine in the eyes that made me wonder if he was going to kill them.”

“Why did you lie to me?”

“I’m not sure.”

He looked at the ground, not feeling like watching in front of him.

“Didn’t you say you wanted Geno out? So, why hide all this?”

“He looked sad. He’s lonely. He only attacked when spooked or believing I needed help. He’s rude, creepy, weird and secretive. He’s also caring, easy-going and lets me talk for hours without complaining. He puns a lot. Smiles and laughter suit him. I hate seeing him cry. He’s a danger, a strong ticking bomb, one crisis away to provoke a tragedy. He’s wary but smart and nice and… He sometimes looks in the wild, as if looking for something, someone in the distant sky. He’s hurt, has been hurt beyond anything I could imagine. I don’t hate him.”

He was on autopilot, leaving the control of whatever went out in a word vomit to an unconscious part of his mind.

“Do you really want him to go away?”

Nightmare put his head in his hands and whimpered.

“I don’t know what I want.”

Dream softly patted his back and hummed slowly an unknown tune.

“What if we told him to leave, what do you think would happen?”

The answer was easy.

“He would leave.”

“Where would he go?”

This one less.

“Somewhere, hopefully not the village.”

“Would he be okay?”

This one, he wished he didn’t know how to answer.

“I have no idea if this guy ever even be okay once in his life.”

“Would you be okay?”

No.

“…”

“Would you be okay?”

…

“I don’t know.”

“Does he show interest in the apples?”

“Aside from curiosity once in a while but not really.”

“Would he really cause trouble for our mother?”

He knew where all this was going but didn’t have the energy to stop it right there anymore. Make the right decision.

“No, not willingly.”

“Well, what about letting him stay a bit more? Wouldn’t he be more of a danger, to others and himself, out of our sight? We can still change our mind later.”

Nightmare groaned and defeatively glanced at Dream.

“I hate when you use logic against me!”

The mood instantly changed and tension he didn’t notice faded away as he surprised a playful spark in the other’s gaze.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It isn’t one, you devious sunshine.”

“What kind of insult even it-”

The rest of the phrase was cut short as water went splashing right into Dream’s face. He spitted out some water right on Nightmare’s shirt without missing a beat.

Oh, it’s on.

The two brothers started splashing each other more and more until they both ended up the butt in the river, soaked.

A big trout somehow jumped into Dream’s lap and Nightmare dissolved into uncontrollable giggles. The animal was freed from the knees and Dream waved it goodbye as it fled.

They got out of the water, shaking themselves like wet dogs in the vain hope it would miraculously dry off their pants.

“Great, now we can’t sit down without risking dyeing our pants green…”

He mentally counted how many clothes he had left and the answer was sadly “not enough to risk losing these pants to treacherous grass.

“I may… have something to replace our pants the time it dries in the sun?”

Oh?

“Well, what is it? Anything that could prevent us from having to go home pantless is welcome.”

“Gimme a second.”

He watched as his twin rummaged through the content of his basket. Was there something more than food in there?

“There it is.”

Yellow fabric covered in orange suns. A few layers of tulle made the fabric puff up. It looks a bit like a flower upside down… A skirt?

“Why do you have a skirt in there?”

The other guardian looked away, a slight blush illuminating his cheeks.

“Why is it so obviously designed for you?”

“It… It was a gift. I think it’s cute.”

Someone out there had made a skirt for his brother, and he hadn't heard about it?

Dream ditched his pants, throwing them on a sunny rock. He put the cloth on and immediately twirled. He looked very pleased and shot a glance at Nightmare, there was a strange shine in these eyes he could not recognize.

“Looks nice on you, I’ll admit.”

Dream’s excited little jumps showed him he thankfully chose the right answer.

However, he was still in danger of going pantless for an indefinite period of time. Maybe his no-longer-pantless-brother remembered that fact at the same time as he suddenly went back to search for something.

A sense of dread went up the long of his spine when soft looking dark purple fading to pink fabric emerged.

Nope.

Dream excitedly waved the long skirt he had between his hands.

“Here! I have one for you too!”

“Dream… I… Uh… Where did you find that…?”

“I asked the one who made my skirt to do one for you too!”

He was touched, really. But he wasn’t fond of… wearing skirts. It would probably look bad on him anyway… Dream was making that pouty face again…

Nightmare put on the darn skirt.

It was long, almost hiding his feet. The fading color made him think of sunset. Quite the contrary of Dream’s own. The overexcited ball of joy that was his brother insisted he tried making it turn and he complied.

He did not like the sensation.

While it was a fine piece of cloth, he felt naked each time a gust of wind played with the fabric.

He’d bear with it for now. He wouldn’t dare stop his brother’s fun by grumbling.

So he just sighed and observed Dream’s happy dance, making comments every so often.

He missed spending time with Dream.

End of chapter 10

Go to chapter 11?

------------------------------------------------------------

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont @zu-is-here òwó

Geno belongs to @/loverofpiggies

Nightmare, Dream and dreamtale to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come down that tree! (an aftermare story)

Chapter 9: Han kommer aldri til å se familien og vennene sine igjen, gjør han?

Nightmare was nowhere to be seen. It might be the best time to think over everything that happened recently…

Geno sighed and laid down in the grass. What he believed to be a butterfly lazily flew in and out of his sight.

How long has he been here?

It was so hard to count the days after having spent so long lost in the darkness. There, time didn't matter. Time was for people outside of this silent bubble of loneliness, and even there, time repeated again and again. What kind of use would he have to count the days then? As he still did when the resets had just started.

"Before", "now", "not yet".

"Before" the resets. Forbidden past he wouldn't dare think about.

"Now", the instant he was in. May it be inside the timeline or inside the save screen.

"Not yet". His fate. Death.

Those were the rules then. But everything was a mess now. Since that day, when he tried this dumb experiment and fell here.

Did he make the right choice? He gripped hard his ulna.

Who knows?

He silently rolled on his side, staring at a blade of grass.

He fell here. He survived.

What now?

He met the twins. Weird ones these two. Dream was all sunshine most of the time and always busy. Nightmare was generally quiet, broody and not doing much of his days except reading.

This one was a strange one.

Geno thoughtlessly grabbed onto his knees and played with his shorts fabric.

This guy saw him several times at his worst. No, not worst. But still bad. He almost killed him.

He threatened him, insulted and scared him.

And yet-

The monster shuddered at all he did since he came here. He hardly ever saw worst "guest" than him…

The dark twin didn't seem like he was going to kick him away anytime soon though. He had been temporarily mad, sure. But it was only after he insulted him of something he would have been utterly outraged to be called.

…

"Soulless".

That's what he called him.

Geno winced.

The dude definitely had more soul than him and his sliver of a soul. And he called the poor dude soulless.

He should try to apologize soon. That was the least he could do.

Geno pushed on the ground with his hand and looked at the blue immensity that was the sky.

The sun was shining strongly up there.

It will hide tonight…

Letting the moon borrow its strength.

A tear silently rolled down his cheek.

He closed his eyes and let waves of memories push against the wall deep inside his mind.

Red boots snow-socked drying in a corner.

Raw laugh behind sealed doors.

Enraged shouting as he hid from a fish's wrath in a kitchen's cupboard.

Big paws enclosing a steaming cup of tea.

The soothing noise of fire listening.

Groans from the last victim of his bad punning mood.

Each thought added to the spiraling crack decorating the bricks.

He opened his eyes to a blurred world.

Geno didn't bother to wipe his eyes, laying there, prey to his wandering mind.

He missed them. He missed them so freaking much.

His teeth gritted together.

Right now, even the sight of Jerry would be welcome. Not for long but he would… tolerate them.

A wet chuckle leaked in the air.

He missed them but they did not miss him.

How could they? "Sans" never left. He never disappeared. Geno made sure of erasing himself from the memories of the few who knew his story.

The stunt had given him a splitting headache from staring so long at the codes.

Geno sighed.

He had wondered several times if he really made the right choice since then. He could have given in to hope, waited for Papyrus to come get him as he promised he would. What if he had let his bro, Frisk and the other Sans keep their memories whole during this last run…? He won't ever know.

Instead he had given up, that's what he did the best. Not even the extra determination had been enough to stop that desperate impulse, fed by the belief that after trying to erase the timeline, to erase them all… he was undeserving of living peacefully in their company.

Maybe, he should have given his thought process a longer time to stretch before taking such a drastic decision.

…

Maybe.

Although they did seem better without him in sight.

The last run had been void of deaths.

They all reached the surface and gazed upon the sun together.

The monster put both his palms on his sockets, blocking out the external world.

He let them go.

He closed the window, flipped off Gaster and made the big jump.

And now he was here, in this mostly peaceful place.

So far from them.

So far from home.

Alone.

He won't go back, would he? He won't ever see them again.

His sliver of soul burned and a low whine escaped him. The dam broke, letting place to neverending waterfalls.

Emotions flooded him and he allowed himself to drown in it, making use of his temporary seclusion.

He obviously didn't notice two shiny purple orbs silently observing from afar.

End of chapter 9!

Go to chapter 10?

------------------------------------------------------------

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont @zu-is-here :D

Geno and aftertale belong to @/loverofpiggies

Nightmare and dreamtale to @/jokublog

[come-down-that-tree]

Prologue Previous

Come down that tree! (An aftermare story)

Chapter 8: Hindi ka pangit mahal kong kaibigan!

Something was tingling his nose. Nightmare groaned before cracking open an eye-socket and falling nose to nose with his twin's face, far too close to his. He somehow looked really smug and was holding a blade of grass, he probably used that to bother his nose and that's what woke him up.

"What…"

Dream instantly shushed him, smile going wide and body almost vibrating from barely contained energy. What was happening? The dark twin tried to remember the last time he was greeted from sleep in such a strange way. His fuzzy mind summoned some distant memory about a "really cute squirrel who somehow fell asleep on his lap and that should not be awakened" and he glanced to his lap. There was resting the snoozing head of their “guest”. Gears turned slowly inside his mind and due to an inability to properly compute any information so early in the morning, Nightmare just huffed and looked back at his brother as if everything was normal.

“You think you can get us something good for breakfast ‘m kinda hungry?”

Dream just nodded and went his merry way to the village but he still saw the shine in the goldenish eyes. That little-

He will let this slide because the other guardian finally looked happy again and maybe also because he was beyond exhausted. Maybe. He didn’t even remember falling asleep last night.

Now about his lap’s situation… Should he move him?

He didn’t move him.

What would be the point? All he risked was to wake the other up. When he was probably just as tired as him. What if he somehow woke up half panicked again? Would he be able to be left unharmed this time? There was no cute animal on his lap.

A menacing ticking bomb at best.

The future exploding engine stirred a bit and Nightmare tensed.

Do not move.

May the train of panic go back to its station without his passenger.

“I GOT DONUTS!”

Nightmare silently cursed his twin and surveyed the result of the shout with a wary eye. The sleeper uncurved from his asleep posture and gazed upon the surroundings.

Geno didn’t even seem to react upon realizing his position and just sat up against the tree, all while rubbing away the tiredness of his face.

Dream sat in front of them and started to share the various pastries stored in a basket he brought back from down the hill without a care in the world.

They ate together, ignoring for a blissful moment all the turmoil from the last days. Nightmare cut half of his sugary treat to nimble on it, pondering over his feelings over the whole situation. He could see on one side his brother eating far too quickly as usual -he was going to choke anytime soon now- and on the other side Geno treated the food as if it was something incredibly precious… Was he eating enough? Spirit guardians didn’t need that much food to go on. Honestly, a sunny day was almost as filling as a big meal and they only ate sometimes as a treat.

The monsters in his books seemed to eat at least once a day, unless they were on some sort of adventure. He eyed up and down their guest. Hard to say when a skeleton was malnourished. But his bones’ dull color and… “melted” eye socket didn’t offer him the image of a healthy individual…

A part of him refused to even worry about the one who scared and endangered him so much recently. How dared he call him soulless… It hurted. A lot. It wasn’t the first time he had been accused of such a thing and he would have lashed out -or fled- if not for the sad sight he had had before him. Geno had all but crashed down, unresponsive to the outer world. Memories of weeping down in a dark alley after a literal breakdown had made him do what he’d wish someone had done to him then. Get him back to reality, maybe a bit harshly, and ensure he calmed down fully before anything. His anger had dimmed along the ordeal.

It had disappeared completely when the other went back on his words.

Still, he was still waiting for a genuine apology. But confronting the other about that didn’t sit well with him. He will wait. He was sure now. Geno was strange, not mean.

A shiver on his neck made his head turn around. He caught Dream staring at him with a frown, some donut crumbs lingering around his mouth. His brother almost instantly smiled at him brightly as if the frown had been nothing more than a hallucination upon noticing him watching. Uh? Was something worrying him? Maybe a conversation will be needed later… He didn’t like the face he saw and liked even less what it could mean.

Later.

When he’ll no longer be so exhausted from all this touchy feelings stuff. Urg.

He’ll ignore it for today, just today.

Ignorance was bliss and he sure was yearning for some…

It was not as blissful as he'd hoped. Not for him. They stayed in an awkward silence for days!!!

Dream seemed to spend an awful long time in the village. Geno kept silent and Nightmare didn't know what to say.

Awkward. Silence.

The time suddenly felt so long. He was used to silence but not that kind. A heavy one. He tried his best to distract himself with books. Why couldn't he focus properly on the stories? He already read that line three times and that was one of his favorite books he specially went to pick up at the library -he also finally apologized for the wet book, thankfully the old librarian was one of the few to not dislike too much so his precious book's supply hadn't been cut off- in the vain hope it could distract him.

But no. He kept thinking about the other resting in the grass not far.

It was the 4th time he read that sentence.

"What are you readin' ?"

Geno was all of the sudden right next to him, glancing at the words he was trying to understand. The surprise made Nightmare let go of the book that hit the grass with a flap. The monster calmly picked it up and handed it to him. The guardian took it with much more precaution than needed and secured it against his chest before even thinking about answering.

“It’s “La nuit des enfants rois” by Bernard Lenteric…”

“Oh? I don’t know that one, what’s it about?”

He turned fully towards Geno and cocked his head on the side, wondering if the other genuinely wanted to hear about the book’s plot or was just… What?

“Come on, don’t be shelf-ish! Share with the class!”

“If you insist… Wait a second.”

The realization of the attempt at a book pun made him wheeze. It was bad! Truly! But he did not expect it and now he just. Couldn’t. Stop. Laughing! They ended up talking for a while about this book, then other books, then weird scientific experiments about waffles… Geno tried to pun his way through the whole conversation, talking faster and louder with each one succeeding in making the guardian react.

It had been… fun.

He glanced at Geno who was trying to tell a story with the more fish puns possible in it. The monster was grinning brightly. He sure was prettier with a smile on.

Geno suddenly dropped the smile and looked at him with a strange shine in his eyes.

"I'm no pretty."

Oh. Oh! He said it aloud. Warmth went up his face as shame flooded his system. Whyyyy!?

His bashful act disappeared as soon as he registered how serious Geno seemed. He stared at the other for a second before saying out loud and clear:

"You're not ugly either."

"No. I am."

"Why are you being so stubborn about it? Can't accept a little compliment, can you?"

At this point, Nightmare was just irked by the discussion and stopped thinking altogether about what he was sputtering about. He would think later about how utterly silly the argument was and maybe swallow a bit in shame once alone. But now what was important was winning the argument.

"Sure, you aren't a beauty princess but going as far as calling yourself ugly is stupid. Why are you doing that?"

“Hypocrite!” was shouting his mind but he pushed the thought away. Now was not the time for that.

Geno sighed and shaked his head. Was the fool going to argue such a dumb fact?

Nightmare squeaked as he watched the monster slowly lift his shirt. Nope. Automatically his hands flew to his eye sockets. Ah! He can’t see anything now. Not good if the need to run arised…

“What are you doing?”

…

No answer, nothing. Should he try a peek?

His fingers moved slightly to allow himself to see.

His hands dropped.

In front of him, Geno was looking away, a hand holding his shirt up, revealing a sight the negative guardian wasn’t prepared to see. Ever. He tentatively itched closer, not daring to turn his eyes away.

“Does it hurt?”

A shiver runned through the most damaged ribs Nightmare has ever seen.

“No. Not anymore.”, breathed Geno.

The bones looked like something all but gnawed on it right after stabbing it all over. What was strange was the absence of cracks. Almost as if, the missing bits had not been torn away but just decided to stop existing. What could cause such “wounds”?

“How did you…?”

“I rather not talk about it.”

And with these words, the fabric flopped down, cutting short the fragile conversation. They fall back into silence.

But with the thoughts raging through his mind, Nightmare didn’t feel really “quiet”.

He didn’t know what to say so he said nothing and went to sit a bit further against a tree, cracking open his book. Not once did he cross Geno’s eyes during the process.

It was the 5th time he read this sentence.

End of chapter 8!

Go to chapter 9?

------------------------------------------------------------

@dragon-tamer-1 @shinechermont @zu-is-here

Dreamtale, Dream and Nightmare belong to @/jokublog

Geno to @/loverofpiggies