An ebony portal was opened in the middle of snowdin forest. Nyx and Erebus both stepping out onto the snow covered ground. They found themselves in a large clearing, leaves from the trees surrounding them scattered across the ground. 

There was something more peaceful about these snowy woods, and no one would be coming nearby to watch. Erebus began to remove the snow and leaves from the area. Leaving only a circle of the lush grass which was hidden underneath. Something much more comfortable than the icy snow above. 

It was already late when the two arrived in this forest, by now it was becoming darker.  Bubbles of negativity began to float off of Erebus, before bursting into a cyan flame. Encircling the area cleared from snow. The area was illuminated in a blue glow, granting a surreal feeling. Each of the hovering lights bobbed up and down, spinning slowly around the ring of grass.

The usual preparations were completed, the only thing left was for night to fall. Both Erebus and Nyx were beings of the night and darkness, it was only fitting that the ritual must be completed at such a time. Just a little while longer before it is completed. 

In the center of the grassy circle Erebus sat alone, Nyx being seated under a nearby tree. Watching the leaves fall from the branches. 

"Come join me," Nyx's quiet voice cut through the silence. "We have a few minutes, it's peaceful over here."

Erebus walked over and sat next to Nyx. "You're right, it is rather peaceful here. Makes you almost tired, just watching the leaves sway."

"It's always the small things that are the most tranquil." A gentle smile found itself onto Nyx's face as he closed his eyes.

"Tell me, how are you always so calm during this?"

"Because for me it's always over so quickly, you really think about it as more than this really is. I'm simply becoming a part of you again." 

Erebus seemed to contemplate this for a bit, "I suppose that's one way to think of this, still it's easy to think of this so harshly." He leaned against the tree a bit more. "I really am a fool, getting us both stuck like this."

"You were just trying to help, it ended up having dire consequences. We simply have bad luck, there was no way this could have been expected."

"That may be true, but it's still hard to believe this is how it would turn out." With a sigh Erebus closed his eyes. "I think it's time, the forest is completely dark." Erebus stood up, holding his hand out to Nyx. 

"It appears it is, it was nice being able to talk with you like this." He grabbed the darker skeleton's hand, and stood up.

They walked together to the center of the circle, before Nyx lay down enveloped in the soft grass. With a deep breath, Erebus sharpened his tendrils to a point. Lifted them high above his head, then plunged them directly into Nyx's sternum. The smaller skeleton let out a sharp scream that echoed through the forest. Bright blue blood flowed out of the wound. Before he went quiet, limp on the ground. Yet he did not dust, he couldn't. 

Erebus picked up his dead self, before essentially consuming him. Each inch of the skeleton was painstakingly slowly absorbed into him. He could feel the bones take place in his own body with every sickening squelch as they found where they belonged. The once shattered sternum pieced itself together inside the goop that made up Erebus' main body. 

All that was left was the skull. The pain Erebus already felt made him hesitant. Unwilling to finish, but he had to, he was almost done. Carefully he placed his own head onto the skull, liquid negativity poured out of the empty sockets. A splitting headache erupted within Erebus, the pressure of absorbing the skeleton cracking their brittle bones.  

Spinning ever faster around Erebus, the floating firefights burned continually brighter. Stinging his eyes as he finished remerging with Nyx. Panting, he nearly collapsed to the floor. Just barely managing to catch himself on his knees. 

"Damn it Nyx, you make it sound so easy" Erebus whispered to himself. "I shouldn't have been so stupid, yet I was. What a god I am, unable to bear the consequences of my short-sighted actions."

He was now alone in the forest, surrounded in black and blue grass. Stained by Nyx' blood and the goop that flowed off Erebus nearly in waves. Though technically whole again, Erebus felt empty without his counterpart by his side.

Gradually, the forest became darker as the firelights dimmed into non-existence. Everything was quiet, aside from the low sound of breathing. Time simply crawled along for a little while. The lone god sitting at the center of it all, falling deeper into his own self deprecating thoughts.

~~~~~~~
Shakily, Erebus pushed himself to stand. There is still something that must be completed. Monsters are still trapped in his maze, and the others are sleeping just a bit too peacefully for the troupe's last day. 

Melding into the shadows, Erebus left the forest empty. Reappearing in newhome once again. In the center of the city he settled, taking out only one of his violins. Tonight that is all he will need. Bow in one hand, he began to fill the mountain caverns with a somber song. Granting dreams of sadness and loss. Not the inescapable terrors of the night before, but being crushed by grief little by little. Similarly to the maze, time is slowed to a halt in the dreams. Like they spanned for weeks on end, each minute an hour.

The maze was in a similar situation, timeless and inescapable as ever. Little did everyone know that by the dawn they would be free. Not into a good situation but free all the same. In the morning, they would all be dropped off in the center of newhome. Wherever it is they belong can be figured out from there. It mattered little to Erebus.

Hours of the night continued to lapse, the melancholy music continued as it started. Low baritone notes, the crawling tempo in sharp contrast to nights previous. Winding down as day approached. 

 At the break of dawn, a portal from the maze opened. One by one, dazed looking monsters wandered through, the portal shutting as soon as the last one left. Stumbling unbelieving that they were out. Most simply stood there, looking around to know they were truly back. As soon as everyone was released from the maze, Erebus walked into the shadows disappearing back to his manor to fall into unconsciousness the rest of the day. Finally sleeping properly. Those trapped in their sleep finally allowed to wake when the time came, oh so many hours later.