After half an hour they seemed to be tired out, but both were persistent and kept going. The noon sun was hot on their necks. Cross took off his coat and left his shirt on since Nightmare started to scold him for nudity. "I can be nuder than this," Cross smirked.

"Just—leave your shirt on." Nightmare looked away. To imagine that just almost taking off Cross's shirt would make him stop fighting. But they continued afterward. A continuous back and forth it seemed. Cross and Nightmare clang weapons, Nightmare used his shield many times. Cross got an idea that he knew would make Nightmare furious.

Nightmare kicked Cross's legs, causing him to fall down with him. Cross teleported and Nightmare looked around in confusion.

He got up and looked around the arena. Suddenly, he gets hit in the back of the head. He blacks out for a second and he's on the ground, "Hey!" He turns to Cross, smirking smugly, "That's unfair!"

"What is fair in our world anymore?" Cross asked. He taps the end of his knife to Nightmare's chest. "Do I win?"

Nightmare sighed, "I suppose so." He looked up at Cross, he seemed to tower over him. Cross held out a hand to help him up. Nightmare seemed to look confused to Cross. "Unexpected." Nightmare mumbles under his breath. Cross heard it.

"I'm not an asshole. Just because I don't fight the traditional way doesn't mean anything, really." Nightmare took his hand, and Cross pulled him up with ease, "I mean, you fight so repetitively, it's so easy to know what you'll do next. It's like clockwork."

"It's how I do things, patterns, daily routines," He noticed how close they were, he took a step back, "You have no direction, probably the reason why your fighting style is so all over the place."

"You have no fun."

"Fun? What do you mean?"

"When was the last time you actually did something fun?"

Nightmare thought for a moment, "I read a book last night—" He heard a 'psssh' from Cross's direction, mocking his idea of fun. "I think reading is fun! Oh, and what do you do for fun?" He crossed his arms, feeling like a child as he did so.

"Well," Cross took back the space between them, "Last night, I went to the castle's roof." He watched as Nightmare's face grew curious. It made him smile, so he continued, "I watched the stars, and before that, I snuck into the town's bell tower and rang it early." Nightmare went to scold him again but Cross resumed quickly. "But it wasn't that eventful, I've done better." He shrugged.

"You mean worse?"

"I mean," Cross took Nightmare chin and tilted it up so that their eyes met, "We should go somewhere." Nightmare pulled away and went to protest but Cross interrupted him again, "Please? I promise it'll be funner than reading a book." He smiled.

"Funner is not a word."Nightmare wondered what this was about. He was wary of whatever motive he had. He could lead him somewhere isolated and kill him. No, it was stupid. He couldn't risk being in potential danger. He shook his head and watched as the smile fell from Cross's face. "I can't trust you. Don't take it personally." Cross saw a hint of sadness mixed in with all that professionalism.

"It's fine," Cross said quickly. "I wasn't expecting you to say yeah anyways."

Nightmare felt a small amount bad, "Well," Nightmare cleared his throat. "I suppose I had...fun...sparring you." He shyly shrugged. The smile came back to Cross's face, but not fully.

Nightmare was in the library. He thought that Cross had left right after their spar. Cross actually didn't. He explored the area, marking every room, door, and hallway. Every entrance and every secret. He had a great memory, it helps sometimes. Photographic probably.

He saw Nightmare pulling out a book from the shelf on the wall, seemingly preoccupied with the contents of the book. Cross grinned, as it was the perfect time to spook him."Raah!"

Nightmare let out a shriek, turning to see Cross wheezing with laughter, "You scream like a little girl! Ha! The King of the Darkness—afraid of little ol' me.~"

"Shut up."

Cross looked over at the book, "What does it say?"

"Catch." Nightmare tossed the book to Nightmare. He caught it and looked at the cover.

"Uhhh, What does it say?" Cross looked at it confused. Nightmare turned to him, just as confused. Cross squinted at the cover and then flipped through the pages, "How the heck do you understand without pictures?"

"You...read it? It's a book." Nightmare looked up at him.

"Oh," Cross handed the book back to him. "I can't read." Nightmare looked like he just got stunned, "What? It's not like everyone goes to school. And no, I didn't just not go. I never had the chance. So don't go assuming I never wanted to go to school." Cross snapped unexpectedly, but it didn't phase Nightmare as much as the fact that so many probably never had the chance to go to school.

"Why did you not ever go?"

Cross chuckled, "In your world, school was probably something that came to you as naturally as death. In my world, school wasn't deemed necessary, so I never went."

"Oh," Cross felt him take his book, "I'm sorry."

"Heh, it's not your fault. Besides, it doesn't slow me down too much." He presses his palms together and then parts them to form a dark ball of red energy. "I've got magic." He noticed during the battle that Nightmare barely used magic. All skeleton monsters had a lot of magic though, so why didn't he use it? The rumors about him were probably fake so then he must just be secretly weak.

"These in this section are spellbooks, I have forbidden, dark, and ancient spells. Anything really." He was proud of his collection. He's memorized some spells. "It's better than magic for me."

"Can you do one?" Cross asked excitedly like a child. Nightmare looked at him and sighed. He put the book down with a thud and flipped through the pages. He cleared his throat and spoke. It seemed like an ancient language he was speaking in. He snaps his fingers and black fire swirls around him, "What happened?" Nightmare's pinpricks we're gone. Leaving him blind to the world around him, but wide-eyed to the spirit world.

Nightmare looked around, "This one is to see the dead. There are quite a lot around us if you did not—" Nightmare was looking in Cross's direction, looking confused. Cross looked at him, his soul pounding.

"What?"

Nightmare was silent, and his pinpricks came back, "Nothing." He shook his head hastily. "I just saw a few spirits, that's all. But yes, and that is just a simple one. You can get in touch with spirits and catch them with this book. It is all about necromancy and such."

"Could you raise the dead too?"

"Well, they would be practically zombies," Nightmare laughed. "But, yes. Yes I can."

"Huh," Cross looked through the book. Pages with drawings of plants and animals to dissect and chop up to make in a potion. "That would literally be the only reason I would learn to read now."

"You can still learn."

"I don't think it would help me either way now." Cross realizing that it got dark out looked out the window, "You don't mind me sleeping on the roof, yeah?"

"Fine, just do not ring that goddamn bell at the ungodly hour you woke up."

"Exactly four in the morning darling." He smirked.

"Do not call me that if you want to keep your tongue."

Cross chuckled, "Oh ho! Feisty.~" He stepped up on the edge of the window, "Bye darling." He disappeared quickly to not meet Nightmare's glare. Nightmare shook away the embarrassment on his cheeks. He looked out at the dark sky. He realized exactly what time it was and rushed down the halls. Left, right, left, left, towards the bedroom.

It began to throb at his head. He felt dizzy as he almost passed out at his door. He threw open the door and slammed it shut, locking himself in. He looked out into the night. Coughing up a syrupy black tar.

It's happening again.

"Good that he didn't see you," Cross said.

"Hehe! Yep! Then we would've had to kill him!" Cross heard their voice giggle. He shuddered at the thought of being possessed again. "Awww, what's wrong Cross?"

"Nothing,"

"You feel for that skeleton don't you? Like compassion or sympathy." It took them a second, but then when it hit them their face splits into a smirk and they throw their head back in a cackle. "You...You...care about their wellbeing! Ha! And what has he ever done for you? Blackmail you in taking a position? Please Cross, get serious."

"Chara, just leave me alone."

"Whatever, but anytime you need a killer—hehe." They disappeared. Leaving Cross thinking to himself, but not without them poking at his brain. He didn't want to, but he wanted to protect him, it reminded him of...

He shook his head free of the thought crawling around his mind. Chara was right, he shouldn't try to get close. He was the king of this land after all. He was dangerous to him, and technically, everyone was. He was known—he was feared.

He was one of the greatest assassins of his time. He did not need to keep him alive, and if anything should just kill him!

He stopped. No, of course, I could never do that. He pulled his hood over his head and pulled up his scarf. He climbed up the castle's shingles and into the tower with the bell. He fell over the ledge and into the tower. There were two hay bales in there and it made a perfect bed. He laid down, his hands behind his head and looked up into the stars. He found the North Star and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

A/N: (I have 5 chapters pre made lol just wanted to put two out there)