Summary: The hare in the moon.

A/N:  I've really had this sitting around for 2 years- 2 years, and I've only just now gotten to it! It was originally going to be an Inktober story during 2022 but I never got to finishing it :')

As the warm hues of sunset gave way for night to arrive, the new moon left the sky dark and chilled with umbra laden across the entire landscape. Only a single building bore light across the darkened territory: a castle surrounded by twisting briars and arching thorns. Most were typically asleep by the time the moon reached its peak. However, the building's allotted residents found themselves enamored. Much to their target's dismay.

Nightmare - guardian, lord, and unfortunate keeper of four idiots - was more than steaming from the ears as his followers cackled, staring down at him. He should have locked the door. Alas, it had grown too late by the time the dark lord had managed to escape Horror's mandatory dinner.

It proved something no skeleton could flee from after their extended mission. "Good food is required before a good rest," apparently.

Had he not gotten distracted from the new moon's curse, the Guardian of Negativity would have been curled up in the safety of his office- like all previous nights afflicted by the celestial body. Instead, to his terror, the most private and weakest form of himself was on full display for his followers to ridicule.

Nightmare hated it.

No, loathed it.

The symbol of weakness that solely made itself present when he should be at his most powerful amid the darkness: his animal form. Like most guardian spirits, the dreaded state only forced itself upon them - akin to a werewolf's curse - when their aligned element rose to its peak. And the dark lord's left much to be desired. It made him everything he despised, everything he'd desperately tried to escape. Weak, defenseless, and... small. A far cry from the image of fright he should be.

A fact painfully reminded to him as he glowered up at the four skeletons snickering at his pitiful form.

"Cease this mutiny at once!" Nightmare demanded, stomping his paw against the cool brick flooring.

Despite attempting to maintain some semblance of his authority, the order went ignored.

"Aw! 'mare, when were you going to tell us you can turn into a bunny? You're so wittle and floofy!" Killer cooed, reaching down to ruffle the dark lord's black floppy ears.

A dull-clawed paw slapped the offending hand away. The large bundle of fluff, unfortunately, attached to the dark guardian's rear twitched in irritation whilst he warned, "All of you are treading a thin line. I suggest you cease, lest you face my wrath upon sunrise."

"Why?" Dust chimed. The hoodie-clad murderer leaned against Horror, who gazed down at Nightmare with sparkling eyelights. "If you're like this, then next time we can just kill our enemies with cuteness!"

The Guardian of Negativity snarled and fisted his paws together, snapping, "Because I'm weak!"

"My brother can turn into a lion. A creature which, at the very least, can hunt and fight. But me," He snarled, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut before admitting, "I can't do anything useful like this. It's pathetic! And none of you should have even been here to see this!"

His followers promptly fell silent. With the newfound vacuum, the words seemed to echo along the stone walls and taunt him.

The four Sanses shared glances and varying looks until Cross got pushed forward. Against his will, if the brief, soured expression that crossed his skull was to be believed.

"Uh, I..." The swordsman nervously rubbed the back of his neck. It took a minute, combined with a jab in the ribs from Killer, for the other to find his words. "If there's anything I learned while living here, it's that weakness isn't always what it is made out to be. Everyone here has gone through something or another that makes other monsters think we gave in to the poor stack of cards we were dealt. But we survived- and now we're together. With you. This doesn't change who you are or anything you've accomplished."

Horror nodded. "We're... a team 'cause we cover for everyone else's... weakness. You're no different."

"Fools, the lot of you." Nightmare scoffed and glanced away. "A faith founded by idiocy is doomed to fail."

Dust shrugged, offering, "I guess we'll fail together then."

"Yeah!" Killer agreed. He paused to ponder and then stated, "One question, though."

Nightmare sighed. "What."

"If I chopped off one of your feet, would it grow back later?" The target-souled skeleton asked, earning him a round of jabs from his associates. A gasp subsequently left his jaws. "Better yet! Can you infiltrate the Star Sanses like this? There's no way Ink wouldn't see you and put you in his pocket!"

"Killer!" Cross shouted, aghast. "What if they hurt him?! Don't you remember Ink's last pet?!"