(Requested by Textrap)

(~ = smut)

(OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY TO ALL OF YOU!!!)

(I've been in a bit of tech issue lately. One after another my laptop and my phone died and only recently have I gotten both back and fixed. Updates are returning and I'll let you all know about a new schedule as soon as I can.)

(Again, I am so, so, so sorry. I wasn't ignoring you, as my RP friends and requesters know. I was just unable to write and post properly.)

(I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!)

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(Cross)

Gripping my jacket closer to my body I shivered in the icy winter chill. Chara, my half-brother, scooted as close to me as he could, his hands bound by chains in front of him.

Another gust of wind tore at my scarf and I whimpered. Chara leaned next to me, sharing what warmth he had.

"I'm so sorry about this, Cross," Chara said morosely as I buried my head into him.

"It's not your fault, Chara..." I said, trying to bring in some brightness as the sunset gleamed coldly in front of us, "We just got stuck on the bad side of the Draw."

"No, it is my fault. This isn't the Draw...this is my punishment," he said darkly, "All I ever wanted to do was protect you, like I promised Mom, and now look at us: two sacrifices to some stupid demon."

He sounded sad and angry, so I hugged him, "At least we're together! It won't be so bad so long as we're together."

"How are you so positive? After everything that happened?"

Shrugging, I hugged him more, "I have you. All I ever needed was you, Chara. You're the best!"

"The best..." he trailed off. I shivered again and curled up next to Chara, feeling sleepy.

"We'll be okay, Chara..." I yawned and felt Chara go stiff under me, "So long as we're together nothing bad will happen..."

"Cross, don't close your eyes..."

"Hmm?" I hummed sleepily, drifting off, my body feeling slightly warmer than before.

"Cross, don't sleep! Stay awake!"

"But...I'm so...sleepy...Chara..."

"Cross! Stay with me! Cro-"

(Chara)

Using my bound hands I tried desperately to wake him up, feeling my guilt consume me.

"Cross, wake up, please!" I shook him, feeling his body slump against me. His bones, normally having a slight buzz with magic, had gone still.

The sun had gone down and I felt tears fall from my eyes. It was only going to get colder. He needed to wake up now!

"Cross! Cross!" I cried, "Cross, please..."

This is all my fault. I did this to him. To us. I shook my head, curling around Cross to try and warm him up, feeling my ice cold chains grate against my skin.

Something snapped in the woods surrounding us and I jerked, looking around. The crunch of snow beneath heavy boots echoed against the trees, making it hard to identify where, who, or what was approaching.

Gripping Cross tightly, trying to hold him protectively, I looked around, panting. My eyes landed on three shadows approaching. I growled, my lips curling into a snarl.

"Stay back!" I shouted as they emerged in the little clearing we were abandoned in.

Three skeletons peered down at me, all of their eyes glinting with an odd insanity. The tallest, wearing a pale blue hoodie, walked up to me and looked down, cocking his head. His eyes flicked from the chains on my wrists and legs to Cross's unbound body. They roamed to the weird collar they put on Cross and the brand on my arm, marking me a criminal.

"Hmm," he said, crouching in front of us. Gripping Cross's hoodie tighter I scooted away from him.

He nodded at Cross, "Is he dead?"

I shook my head, sort of confused. Why weren't they attacking? Claiming us as the blood sacrifices demanded by the Demon of the Mountain?

The skeleton sighed in relief and stood up. He waved to his fellows and they approached. My growl renewed as they got close.

"Stay back!" I repeated, trying to pull Cross's limp form away from them.

"Do ya wan' 'im ta die or not?" growled a gruff looking skeleton with a hole in his skull, cherry red eye glinting.

"Calm down, Horror," the tall one said. He crouched in front of me again, made of composure.

"My name is Dust," he said evenly, "This is Horror and Killer," he waved at his fellows, who nodded when their names were mentioned.

"Not really reassuring," I spat and he chuckled, half-amused.

"We aren't going to hurt you," he said, "We're here to collect you. I'm guessing you two are from the Draw?"

I scoffed, "No Draw this month. I'm a criminal and our judge is lazy. He's using the sacrifice as a way to get rid of me without executing a kid."

"Not surprising. You ain't the first," the one with black tears staining his cheeks, Killer, said, "But it's been a while."

Dust pointed at Cross, "What about him?"

"He's my brother. He freaked out when they tried to take me, so they grabbed him and got rid of us both. Two birds, one stone," I said. Dust sighed, nodding sadly.

"Could've guessed," he said absently. He looked back at me, "We aren't here to kill you. That isn't how this works. We're here to take you to the castle."

"Castle?"

Dust nodded, "The Demon of the Mountain's castle. Believe it or not, he doesn't want blood. He needs you alive."

"For...what?" I asked suspiciously.

Dust shrugged, "Various things. Cleaning, company, fear-fuel, that sorts of stuff. You'll become part of his court if you play your cards right."

"So you can save Cross? Protect him?" I asked. Dust looked at me strangely but nodded.

"You'll both be taken care of."

A huge sigh of relief left me and I slumped back. "Please, please wake him up," I said, "I can't live with myself if he dies."

Dust nodded. Killer and Horror came forward and picked Cross up, hefting him onto Horror's shoulders. Dust helped me to my feet but I fell forward, my legs numb with cold. He didn't complain, just scooped me up and carried me off, following Killer as he led the way through to woods to a warm-looking carriage. Horror got inside with Cross and Dust carried me inside. Dust sat with us as Horror joined Killer on the driver's bench and the black horses, huffing mist into the winter air, started off at a jolting pace.

Dust pulled out a key and undid the shackles on my wrists and legs. I rubbed them with relief, renewing blood circulation.

"Thank you," I said. Dust nodded mutely and put the keys away. As we rode on, I noticed his eyes would flick from the thin white collar on Cross's neck to me before returning to staring out the window.

As I rubbed Cross's shoulders and arms, trying to warm him up, he started to shiver slightly but didn't wake. I grew concerned, worried that the shivers were precursors to death.

"He'll be okay," Dust said softly, "The King is very powerful. He won't let him die."

"You never say his name," I noted and Dust looked at me, tearing his eyes from the window.

"What?"

"He's just the Demon or the King. Doesn't he have a name?"

Dust stared at me for a moment before looking out the window again, "You don't use his name unless you have a deathwish."

The rest of the ride went on in silence after that.

(Nightmare)

Waiting on my balcony, I looked up at the bright moon. The Winter Solstice was close: I'd require the proper sacrifice this month. It was the first full moon of the month. Dust, Killer, and Horror were out collecting this month's sacrifices from the clearing.

Hopefully, the idiots in the village had learned from the last few Solstices that I needed the collar on the proper type of creature, monster or human, to be pacified. Otherwise, I was not satisfied. And they were made well aware.

Ugh, I hate it when leaders change... I thought, frowning slightly, They have to be taught all over again.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of jangling harnesses and hooves on cobblestone. Looking down, I saw the carriage pull in and stop in front of the steps. Horror hopped off the driver's bench and opened the carriage door. Dust came out carrying what looked like a human. Horror went in and came out with an unidentifiable second person slung over his shoulder. Killer drove the carriage off as Horror and Dust climbed the stairs.

Turning around, I made my way to the dining hall. I entered and sat down just as the doors on the other side of the room swung open to admit Dust and Horror.

Dust set his load on the ground, helping the sacrifice to limp over to a chair. Horror strode past all the chairs and set the second sacrifice on the ground.

"'e's gone inta tha' cold sleep, m'lord," he said, looking up at me, "Can ya wake 'im up?"

Standing, I crossed over to where the sacrifice, a young looking skeleton, lay shivering slightly but completely unaware of his surroundings.

Crouching by him I ran a hand humming with magic over his body. His shivering ceased and he calmed down, a peaceful smile growing on his face as the dark purple magic warmed him slowly, reviving him.

I growled at how dim his soul had become and Horror flinched.

"You almost let him die," I said in a low tone, glaring at Horror as I ran my hand over the skeleton a few more times. I noticed the collar on his neck and paused, my gaze flickering to the human and to Dust. My hand curled into a fist and I stood, sending a tentacle out to grab Dust and bring him to me.

"Was he like this when you found him?" I asked Dust in a low tone, my grip tightening on his body. Dust nodded, still collected despite the crazy, worried glint in his eyes.

"His brother, the human, was trying to wake him when we arrived. He wasn't asleep for long but in the cold and with convincing the human that we weren't going to kill him or the other we lost valuable time. Killer pushed the horses to their limits and we made haste."

Growling slightly, I uncurled my tentacle from his body and set him on his feet.

"Take him to my second chamber. Dress him in a tunic and keep an eye on him. Make the fire large and let him rest. He is not to be left out of sight until I come for him, is that clear?"

"Yes, my King," Dust said, bowing slightly, "And the other...?"

"I'm going to talk to him and decide what he shall do. Once I have made my decision I'll direct you to where he is going to stay. Now, leave us alone."

Dust nodded, bowing slightly. He and Horror picked up the skeleton and put him in Horror's arms. Dust passed the human and whispered something to him, making him slump in relief before bolting in alarm. Dust clapped his shoulder, glancing at me before leaving with Horror.

The human watched me in curious caution as I made my way to a chair across from him. With a snap of my fingers, a handful of servants brought in a steaming hot meal and set out large dishes in front of him.

He stared at it for a moment while the servants left. We sat in silence for a while, neither of us moving.

"Please, eat," I said. The human eyed me and I rolled my eyes, sighing in frustration.

"I thought Dust explained that I am not going to hurt you," I said evenly, "Please, eat. You look hungry and cold."

"Where did they take Cross?" he said suddenly. I blinked.

"Who?"

"My brother, they took him," he nodded to the door, "Where did they take Cross?"

"The skeleton is your brother?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"Half-brother, but I'm in charge of protecting him," he stood up, leaning on the table for support, "Where did they take him?!"

"They took him to my chambers, where he will remain until I am done with him," I said boredly.

"Why? What are you going to do to him?" the human sat down.

"You must be curious why he wore the collar," I said, "He is special."

"Are you going to hurt him?" the human narrowed his eyes at me.

"It will hurt a little but I will not torture him or cause him intentional harm," I said thoughtfully.

"What are you planning on doing to him?"

I sighed, "Both of you belong to me now. I do not have to explain myself to you. Now, do you have any skills?"

"Besides murder?" he hissed. My eye widened slightly but I kept my composure.

"Murder? You are just a child," I looked him up an down, "I cannot think you are much older than fifteen."

"I'll do anything to protect my brother," the human glared at me, "even kill some crazy rapist who went after him."

"He was raped?" the collar is a lie.

"Almost," the human looked away, "Some predator was following him. Cross doesn't even know how close he came to being raped. I never gave that pedo a chance to even talk to him."

"How long ago was this?" I asked slowly. The human rolled his shoulder, glancing at me before staring away.

"Less than a year," he showed me a brand on his arm, one I recognized well. The mark of a criminal, "I was under close observation for that entire time. Almost seven Draws passed before that idiot judge worked up the nerve to send me and Cross out here. During that time, our uncle died. He was the one taking care of us when our mother passed away. Once he was dead and we were on our own..." the human sighed, "It was only a matter of time before they came for me."

"Did you ever attempt to run away?" I asked. The human shook his head.

"I thought about it, but I would never be able to sneak away with Cross. He's too innocent and it makes him rather careless when you're trying to be stealthy. And I couldn't just leave him...I promised our mother I'd take care of him. He's the angel of the family, and I did what I could to keep him that way."

"Hmm..." I cocked my head at him, considering. I noticed he still has not touched the food.

"Please, boy, eat," I insisted, "I'll not have a member of the court starve himself out of stubbornness."

"What?" the human turned to me. Nodding slowly, I shoved a steaming bowl of stew towards him.

"As a member of my court, I hold you to the highest expectation of physical and mental well-being. While I cannot undo your past, I can make your future better. Now, eat."

"What do you mean by 'member of the court'?" the human asked, warily sliding the bowl closer to himself. I slid a loaf of bread his way as well.

"You have potential and a drive I rarely find in my other sacrifices," I explained as he took the bread as well and began to eat. He tried not to eat too fast but I knew he was hungry, "From what you've told me, I've gathered you have certain skills I find useful. And since your brother is so special to me...I'd like to ascertain that he is happy in all ways possible, and making you a member of the court will most certainly keep you both happy."

He eyed me warily but did not question my motives. Why should he?

"By the way, what is your name?"

He swallowed, still eyeing me, "My name is Chara."

I smiled. Standing, I nodded at the table, "Please, Chara. Eat your fill. I'll send Dust to take you to your quarters when you are finished. Servants will prep your room and a bath, as I also require cleanliness in my court. New clothes shall be provided post-haste. If you require or wish for anything, feel free to ask. Tomorrow morning we will discuss what exactly you shall do here and what you would like training in. But eat and get rest."

I turned to make my leave when I remembered something. Turning back to Chara I called his attention, "I have very few rules here. Feel free to do what you like, but know this: you must not go past the castle grounds. You cannot go beyond the black fence. You have free reign within the castle except for my study, which you can only enter when I call upon you."

"What about Cross?" Chara asked before I left.

"He will be well cared for. Do not worry," I told him.

"Can I see him when he wakes up? He'll be scared."

I sighed, "I'll send for you when he wakes. Otherwise, stay away from his chambers."

"Thank you...my King."

(Cross)

Groaning, I shifted, feeling around for Chara beneath me. When my hand sunk into something soft and silky, not Chara's roughspun leggings, I sat up. A warm, silk blanket fell off of my shoulders and I looked around in alarm. Where is Chara?

"Chara?" I asked warily, sitting on the edge of a very large, extravagant bed. A skeleton came into the room, a gaping hole in his skull making him look fierce and murderous.

"Good. Yer awake," he said gruffly, coming towards me.

His sharp teeth glinted and I screamed, backing away and crawling to the other side of the bed.

"Chara!" I called, hoping he was nearby. The skeleton rolled his one good eye and started walking around the bed towards me.

"Come 'ere, kid," he said. I shook my head, eyes darting around the room. They landed on a door and I bolted, ducking under his outstretched hand.

"Oy, kid! Get back 'ere!"

"Chara!" I called once I was in an unfamiliar hall. I chose a direction and ran, panting and scared. Where is he? Where is he? We're supposed to be together!

"Chara!" I cried out, feeling like breaking down and crying. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve only to find I wasn't in my jacket anymore. Mother's scarf and my friend's locket were missing, too.

Choking, I kept running, screaming for Chara.

"Chara, where are you?!" I called, running around corners, listening to the heavy footsteps of the bad skeleton behind me. "Chara! CHARA!"

Dashing around a corner I ran face-first into something large and black and...soft? Looking up, panting madly, I saw a thing from nightmares in front of me. His was large and intimidating, black goop dripping from him but never landing on the floor. Large tentacles writhed behind him like living things and he looked down at me with one dark blue eye.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice dark and echoic. I screamed and scooted away from him, gaining my feet and running away.

"Chara! Help me!" I cried out, sobbing as I ran. I was so alone, so afraid, so lost. Something grabbed my ankle and I tripped, sobbing harder as I was dragged backward. I thrashed and kicked, crying. "Chara...!"

"Boy, calm down," said the dark voice. It only made me cry harder, shaking in fear.

"I want my brother..." I cried, feeling myself be lifted up and embraced by something warm.

"I'll take you to him. Just calm down, Cross."

I was carried like a child somewhere, just sobbing into the thick black softness. The embrace was calming and soon I was reduced to small coughs and sniffles, still crying but no longer frantic. Something rubbed my back soothingly and I calmed down even more, snuggling into the shifting warmth.

We entered a large hall and there was a clatter as someone scooted a chair back loudly.

"Cross!" Chara's voice brought my face out of the comfy warmth. I saw him and grinned, wiggling to be let down. The nightmare creature put me down and I ran to Chara, hugging him tightly.

"Chara! I was so scared you'd left me..." I sniffled, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Never, Cross, never. Soulmates, remember?" he said and I laughed, nodding.

"Soulmates," I agreed, sighing in content as we hugged. I could just stay here forever...

Something pulled my shoulder slightly and I looked at the nightmare creature, made of inky blackness. He seemed curious and concerned. He placed a hand on my head.

"No fever," he said. He glanced at Chara, "He's recovered well."

"Recovered?" I asked and Chara nodded.

"You almost died of hypothermia," Chara said, "The King healed you, saved your life."

"I almost...died?" I asked, my voice small. Tears pricked at my eye sockets and I hugged Chara, surprising him. "I'm so sorry, Chara! I almost left you all alone!"

Chara chuckled, "Don't worry, Cross. It's not your fault. I forgive you."

I whimpered, still hugging him. He pat my back and I sniffled, "How long was I sleeping?"

"Almost a day," Chara sighed, "I got worried but the King assured me you were okay. You broke out in a fever a while ago and it only just recently broke. I'm so glad you're okay..."

"You have a strong soul for someone so young," the monster commented, "How old are you?"

"I'll be sixteen the day before the solstice!" I said cheerily. I hugged Chara, "and Chara just turned fourteen!"

Turning to Chara, I frowned, "Who is the King you keep talking about?"

The nightmare creature chuckled, "That would be me."

Blinking, I blushed and ducked my head, "O-oh...sorry, your, uh, Highness..."

(Nightmare)

He has a cute blush, I thought, looking down at the pale lavender spreading over his cheeks. It made me wonder what his soul and his solid magic looked like in the open. I'd seen its light while healing him but had not looked at it.

Reaching a hand forward, I stroked his cheek, feeling the flushed warmth intensify. Chara eyed me as I touched him but I was the one in charge. There was nothing he could do.

"It is quite alright, Cross," I said, "You have only just woken. I would not expect you to know who I am or who my court members are, one of whom foolishly chased you down." My eyes landed on Horror, who seemed unconcerned about it and shrugged at me. I scoffed internally. He'll get his comeuppance soon enough.

For a sixteen-year-old, he was immensely innocent and childish. He was older than Chara, yet Chara was most definitely the mature one of the pair. He is quite the perfect match for my winter Solstice sacrifice. Chara may be angry, but fate is a fickle creature to have thrown this wonderful monster my way. A skeleton, no less.

"Chara and I were just discussing what he would like to learn. I was just about to inform him of Dust's offer to teach him blade craft. Is there anything you wish to do or learn?"

Cross nodded slightly, very bashful. He leaned next to Chara and whispered something that caused the boy to giggle. Cross blushed more and pouted at Chara, hiding behind him slightly as he glanced at me.

"Cross would like to," Chara giggled, "Learn how to read."

That caught me off guard, "You cannot read?"

Cross shook his head and Chara shrugged, "We weren't taught. I know my numbers and my name. That's all I'll ever need in life. Cross has been dying to know, though. He hates being told what's on a list or a letter."

"Well..." I cleared my throat, "I can teach you. I have a full study and library at my disposal."

Cross's eyes grew wide, "Really? You can teach me how to read?"

I nodded, "Unless you'd prefer a different tutor-"

"No, no!" Cross became bashful again, tapping his fingers together, "I want you to teach me...Please?"

A small, barely seen smile was ripped from my composure at his meek attitude, "Of course, my sweet."

The blush reached full intensity at the pet name but I turned and left.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while. Eat breakfast. I'll send in Dust and Killer to take you both to your studies. And, Cross, my sweet?"

The skeleton looked at me curiously, "We begin at noon. I'll see you in my study then."

(Chara)

'My sweet'? What the hell have you got planned for my brother, you oily, gooey, son of a- A high-pitched squeal interrupted my thoughts and I turned to see Cross bouncing on his heels.

"CHARA THEY HAVE CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST!"

I watched as my brother piled a plate high with puffy chocolate pastries and found a glass of chocolate flavored milk that was to die for. I'd already had three glasses myself.

His enthusiasm flushed my thoughts away and I laughed as he dug into the pastries, smearing chocolate on his pearly skull. He ate fast and I walked over, still laughing.

"Slow down, Cross. You'll get a stomach ache," I said. He swallowed.

"Sorry, Chara," he apologized and I rolled my eyes.

"What am I going to do with you?"

He perked up, missing the sarcasm in my tone, "Well, you could come learn to read with me! Or we could play tag or maybe hide and seek. This place is huge so you'd never find me-"

"Let's eat, okay?" I stemmed his rant, "You haven't eaten properly in a while." The guilt flared at my poor treatment but Cross beamed at me.

"Oh, yeah! What would I do without you, Chara?" he took another bite and spoke with a half-full mouth, "You always take such good care of me!"

His face fell slightly, "I wish I could take care of you..."

"Hey, Cross, it's okay," I sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder, "You are the good thing in my life, the bright spot. That's all I need from you."

"But I'm older. I should be responsible for you-"

"You're special, Cross. You don't mature like I do," I smiled, "Mom said so. You'll mature slower than me but will probably outlive me."

"Outlive you?! I don't want that! We're supposed to be together forever!" Cross whined.

"It'll be okay Cross. Remember what uncle said?"

"...Mom never really left us?" he said experimentally.

"Yeah. So I'll never really leave you. But that's a long time away. We won't have to worry about it now."

"Okay..."

"Now, did you see the chocolate spread for the toast?"

"WHAT?!"

--------

Dust led me out to a large courtyard-like area with hard-packed dirt. He reached a short half-wall and took off his hoodie. He also took off a cream-colored sweater, leaving him standing there with his pants on and ribs exposed.

"I won't make you undress," he said without looking at me, "But I'll warn you that if you want to keep that shirt, you might want to take it off."

"How exactly do you plan on training me?" I asked him. He looked at me this time, a small glance, before fixing a belt with two knife sheaths on his hips.

"The only good training is practical experience," he explained, "So, there will be no books or papers or written tests. Everything I do," he flipped a knife and caught it by the tip, "Is action."

"So, you're just going to show me how to handle a-whoa!" I ducked as a knife whipped over my head. Turning back I had to sidestep a downwards slash on my left and stumbled, falling on my side.

"Lesson one," Dust said, his ever-present composure smooth as stone, "Never let your guard down."

He stood and offered a hand to help me up. Eyeing him carefully, I accepted it and took an immediate backstep as a knife went to gut me.

The composure remained, "Good job. You can learn."

"Been told I'm a quick study," I said. Nothing. Dust handed me the handle of a knife.

"First, I'll teach you how to use short blades, knives and such," he said, "Then we'll move on to the longer stuff."

"I don't think you have anything longer than me," I smirked. Amusement sparkled in Dust's eyes while his face remained passive.

"Oh, I'm certain I do."

(Cross)

The skeleton named Killer led me down the winding halls. He'd glance back at me every now and then but I was fascinated by the art on the walls. Huge portraits of battle scenes and other things lined the walls. Some contained a skeleton wearing a gold crown and gold clothing, but these were always overshadowed by darkness and depictions of the King.

I paused at one picture that was titled 'Nightmare's Rebirth'. The plaque was dusty and had been scratched as if the person didn't want to read it. Half of the image had been torn away and hung in tatters but I looked at the right side of the image, which remained intact.

It was the King, standing wearily as if he was tired, facing a small skeleton. It was the one in gold and he was crying in the picture. A tree sat between them bearing one single golden apple. One of the King's tentacles was heading for the apple.

Curious, I lifted one part of the tattered picture and saw another small skeleton. He was dressed in purple and dark blue, with a gold crown. Black goop dripped from his mouth and eye sockets, consuming his body slowly. He looked like he was in extreme pain. The lighter skeleton in gold was kneeling beside him, looking concerned and not afraid like he did in the other part of the picture.

I went to lift the other part of the picture when a hand gripped my wrist and I looked over to see Killer's face in my own.

"Don't touch," he said.

Bringing my hand down I ducked my head, abashed, "Sorry..."

He said nothing more and we walked on in silence. I kept my head down, not wanting to look at the other pictures in case Killer got mad at me again.

We reached very large black wooden doors. Killer knocked on a large knocker, the bang echoing in the empty hallway. Moments later, the doors opened of their own accord and we entered. I gazed wide-eyed at the shelves upon shelves of books. I've never seen so many books. I've only seen the lists in the market, the occasional notice, and the handful of books my uncle kept out of reach.

"Wow..." I said.

Without my noticing, Killer had left. The bang of the doors brought me back to earth and I jumped, looking back at the closed doors.

"Cross," the word was soft in his voice and I turned, seeing the King standing by a desk. A large fire roared nearby, next to two wingbacked chairs and a large white fur skin rug of some large creature. A bear, maybe?

I walked over to him, still giddy at the sight of all the books. He pulled out a chair at the desk and motioned for me to sit down. I did and he sat next to me. A large roll of parchment, classic quills with black inkwells, and a thin book rested on the desk.

"I figured, since you cannot read, you cannot write. The two go hand in hand and I find it much easier to understand a word if you can recognize the letters," the King explained.

"You going to teach me how to write, too?!"

He gave me a sideways glance, "Of course. I'll not have you have half a skill. Once you can read, feel free to use the library and take any book you want. History, science, magic, fiction: I have it all. You can also use my supplies and write whatever you wish, be it letters, notes, or even poetry."

"Really?! That's so nice of you!"

"Now...to begin, we'll start with your name," the King pulled a piece of parchment over and handed me a quill, "When you can write your name, I'll teach you the alphabet. Every hour, we'll switch from writing to reading and I'll show you various words from this book of poetry I have here," he tapped the book.

The King flattened the parchment, which was lined, and wrote something on it with curvy, twisting lines. He tapped it and said, "This is your name in cursive. We'll build up to that, but I wanted to show you the type of penmanship you can achieve with practice."

He wrote something again, but this time I could distinguish the symbols.

"This is called print," he explained. He wrote a single symbol and said, "Copy that in the best print you can manage."

Raising the quill, I went to write when he stopped me, "You need ink, my sweet."

"Oh, yeah..." I blushed slightly and dipped my quill in the ink. He grabbed my hand and guided the actions to tap on the side of the inkwell and onto the page at the angle to write.

Then I copied the symbol as best as I could, which he told me was a 'C' and he asked me to copy it more. Eventually, I copied it and they almost matched. They both looked like a 'C' apparently. I could recognize it.

We repeated the process for an 'R', an 'O', and an 'S'. I pointed out that there were five symbols, called letters, and he smiled at me.

In big letters, he wrote my name again. "There are two 'S's in your name, Cross," he said gently.

"Ooohh..." Squinting at the letters, I copied the order below them, saying the order.

"'C'...'R'...'O'...'S'...'S'..." I said as I wrote them. Looking at them, I said the order again, writing them down, "'C'...'R'...'O'...'S'...'S'..."

The King watched me in silence as I did it over and over, growing more confident.

"C-R-O-S-S..." I said. Smiling at it, I turned to the King, "Cross! I can spell Cross!"

He smiled at me, "Yes, you can."

"I can read my name!" I said, looking at the page. I pointed at the word, "Crrrro-ssss..." I read slowly, "Cross! I can spell my name!"

Without thinking I flung my arms around the King's neck, feeling him go stiff beneath me, "Thank you so much!"

There were happy tears in my eyes when I let go and I looked at the paper with my writing, my letters, my name. I hugged it to my chest, looking at the King, "You have no idea how much this means to me..."

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

Sniffing, I wiped my eyes, smiling as I hugged the paper, "My mother used to read to me when I was little...before she died...She would show me words when she read them, and I can still sort of recognize a few..."

"What words can you recognize?"

"Um..." I had to think about it, "Uh..."

Focusing on what they looked like, I copied what I thought the letters were. Once I was done, I had a handful of words that sort of looked right.

"I think those are right..." I said.

The King took the page and looked at the words. He wrote beneath them what he thought they were.

"Does that look familiar?" he asked.

I looked at what he wrote. It looked better than mine and right.

"Yeah..."

"So you know the words 'moon', 'back', 'I', 'you', and...'love'..." he tapped his chin, "Maybe this..."

He wrote down a whole line of words, "Does that look like what she read to you?" he asked softly.

"Yeah..." Although they were in the nice penmanship of the King's writing, they looked like the same words in the book Mom would read to us. "Um...what does it say?" I asked in a small voice.

"'I love you to the moon and back'," he said and I blushed.

"What?" I said. A faint midnight purple color graced a small part of his cheeks.

"That's what it says. 'I love you to the moon and back'," he pointed to each of the words as he read them.

"Oh..." a small sense of disappointment welled up inside of me. But I didn't know why. The King was just being nice to me. So what were these feelings?

The King cleared his throat and spoke, "Now that you can spell your name, let's move on to the alphabet. Then I can show you the first verse in my poetry book."

"Okay," I agreed.

He began by writing another letter on a new piece of parchment, "This is the letter 'A'..."

(Nightmare)

We worked until supper. Cross managed to copy every letter of the alphabet, though he found difficulty with differing letters like 'I' and 'J' or 'V', 'W', and 'Y'.

At the end of the lesson, I gave him a leather-bound journal.

"I want you to practice in that. Write what words you know, what letters you struggle with, and maybe even some words you want to try and spell."

"Thank you, my King," he said, "This really means a lot to me. How can I repay you?"

A small chuckle made its way out of me, "You do not need to ever repay me for anything, my sweet. Everything that is mine is yours. Including my knowledge."

"...Do you treat all your sacrifices this way...?" he asked, his voice barely audible as he shifted his gaze.

"Why do you ask?" I inquired.

"My friend was called in the Draw a long time ago..." his hand went to his chest only to close around nothing, rubbing a spot just below his throat. "She gave me her locket as a good-bye gift. I thought she died...that's why I was okay when we were taken. I could be with Mama and Frisk again..."

"This locket?" I held up the necklace he'd been wearing. Horror had taken it off when he changed Cross's clothes and instead of leaving it nearby had dropped it. The maids found it and brought it to me, as it was made of gold and anything of value was reported to me unless previously claimed.

His eyes went wide and he snatched it from my grasp, clutching it to his chest. He gave me a sad glance and relaxed slightly.

"I-I'm sorry. I thought I lost it..." he apologized. He opened the locket and showed me the picture. It looked slightly like his brother, only feminine and with lighter colored hair and a bright smile.

"Frisk was Chara's cousin," Cross explained, "From his dad's side." He looked at the image, then at me, "Is she here? With you?"

He showed me the picture. She did look familiar...

It clicked and I straightened, "Follow me."

Walking briskly out of my study I heard him struggle to catch up. So I picked him up with my tentacles and carried him along.

"Where are we going?"

"Just wait."

He made no response. His accepting, trusting silence astounded me. Almost everyone would demand to know where they were being taken. But I just felt him curl into my tentacles, apparently comfortable. He went slightly limp, relaxing in my grasp, so I curled my tentacles to better carry him.

We entered a bland hallway, the one leading to the kitchens. All of the staff were surprised to see me as I rarely ventured down here. Once I assigned someone to where their talents fit best I left them to their own devices. Unlike Cross and Chara, most just became staff members. There were a few who became court members but sometimes they died or grew bored, so I would see what they liked to do and either assign them a new job or just leave them be. If they attempted to escape, well...no one made it past the black fence and lived. Not because I had anything to do with it, but because I had a border for a very good reason.

We reached the kitchens and I set Cross down to retract my tentacles enough to go through the door. The friendly chatter in the kitchen died away instantly as I looked around.

I spotted the girl and beckoned her over.

She approached and I asked, "Is your name Frisk?"

She curtsied, "Yes, m'lord."

I turned around, stepping to the side to admit Cross. His eyes grew wide just as Frisk's filled with tears.

"C-Cross?" she said, her voice shaky.

"Frisk!" Cross bounded happily over and hugged her. I found it odd that he was taller than her. "You're alive!"

Frisk looked absolutely stunned, too shocked to even hug back, "...why are you here?"

He held her at arms' length and beamed, "Who cares? I get to see you again!" he hugged her tighter this time, "I missed you so much..."

"You still have my locket..." she noted numbly and Cross nodded, not letting go.

There was a small murmur in the kitchen staff and I caught some part of it, 'he has the collar' and 'he's the new one'...A small growl shut them up but Frisk had heard them. Cross, it seemed, was still blissfully unaware.

She pulled him off and looked at his neck. She paled and looked at me, gripping his shoulders almost possessively.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell Chara that you're here! He'll be so happy!" Cross bounced, bringing Frisk's attention back to him.

"Chara's here as well?"

"Yeah! We were taken together!"

"Were you both in the Draw?"

Cross shook his head, "No, they just took us away. Chara said it was his punishment for something. But I found you! And we're all still together! It's all okay!"

Frisk looked dumbstruck. In the awkward silence, I cleared my throat. Everyone looked at me as I did.

"Frisk...Cross and Chara are both members of my court. You, as Cross tells me, are a family member. If you wish, I can take you out of the kitchens and make you a lady of the court."

Cross beamed, "You'd do that? For us?" He turned back to Frisk, "What do you say, Frisk?"

There was a tense silence in the room. Everyone knew this offer did not come very often.

"That is..." Frisk paused, looking from me to Cross and back, "Very kind of you, m'lord, but if I may...I would like to decline."

"Oh?"

She nodded, "As tempting as it is, I love cooking. Since I've arrived here I've learned so much and it has become a part of me, more so than it used to be. If it is alright with you, I would like to remain as a humble cook."

"I must admit, as much as I am surprised," I smiled at her, "I'd hate to not wake up to those wonderous pastries you make. And yes, I know it is you who makes them," I added at her stunned look, "Do not think I am unaware of what each member of my staff is capable of. I love your pastries as much as I love Eldra's venison stew and Frederick's honey-glazed vegetables. I know what each of you handles, just as I know what rooms every maid and butler clean or who keeps my gardens."

The awkward silence filled with surprise at my introspection. It was true, I remembered each and every one of my sacrifices. Including those who died, aged, ran away, or locked themselves in rooms for their hobbies. While they do not occupy my mind each and every hour of the day, when asked I can call upon them.

Cross pouted slightly, "Can I at least come and visit?"

"You can stop in here anytime, Cross," Frisk smiled, "After all, as a member of the court you have full reign of the castle. No one can stop you."

Cross beamed and smiled. But his smile was directed at me and I felt a twinge of emotion I hadn't felt in a long time. Clearing my throat again, I backed out of the kitchens.

"Cross, I'll leave you to your reunion but I do hope you join me for supper."

"Of course, my King! Anything for you!"

I chuckled, "I'll see you soon, my sweet."

(Chara)

Dust was merciless. He was brutal and cunning, using his swift speed and longer reach against me. He taught me how to duck and dodge. He has not yet taught me to strike. Some part of me figured that in order to cast a blow one must be able to avoid or take it.

Every little word of banter we shared caused a spark of amusement to flash in his insane, intelligent eyes. But his face remained composed, his posture calculated. He'd even snarl at me sometimes and I felt a real threat from him. Yet not a single blow hit me. His command of strength astounded me and he was right: my shirt was in ribbons but not a single scratch was on me.

I stumbled into my massive room, bigger than the house we used to live in, and fell onto the huge queen-sized poster bed. The room was huge and felt like it should be shared but I had no one to share it with. Cross had been taken to another room entirely, and I had a sneaking suspicion that has been growing that it was connected to the King's room. He had called it his 'second chambers' and I remembered from mention in the village by those who worked at the castle that the king's wife had separate chambers...but with a hidden door connected to his room.

The white collar on my brother's neck hasn't been removed. He wore a tunic and it was so odd not to see him in his jacket or scarf. That jacket was the only thing he had of his father. The scarf was left to him by our mother. And the locket...it belonged to my cousin.

My thoughts stewed with suspicion and an old anger burned. I worried about Cross. That Demon had plans for my brother. Like hell would I let him near him.

During my training with Dust, I felt the soul bond that I had with Cross pulse. It had distracted me and I wound up on my butt in training, yet I had felt concern. It wasn't in pain or fear but an emotion Cross has never felt.

The door squeaked and I looked up in curiosity. Cross came bouncing in, his usual happy self, but he wore his locket again. I sat up completely just be tackled on the bed.

"Chara guess what?!" Cross shouted in my face.

"What?" I said, shaking my head to get rid of the ringing.

"LOOK!" he turned and we both looked at the door. In the doorway in a chef's frock was my cousin, Frisk. She was supposed to be dead.

"Y-you're a-al-" I couldn't say it, couldn't believe it.

She walked in, graceful smile as always, "I missed you, cousin."

(Nightmare)

Preparing for supper didn't take me long. Dust returned from his session with Chara. It had gone well, according to him. I watched him sharpen a blade, absent-minded as the physical memory took over his actions. He has been with me the longest. He was my first 'sacrifice', my first ally.

When the Demon in the Mountain first arrived, I didn't even demand anything from the village. They shoved Dust, an unwanted criminal, a disposable monster, to me. When I first met him I believed him as cold and heartless as the village claimed he was. But it was all a mask.

Dust had faced me, bound and helpless, cool and emotionless, prepared for death. There had been no fear in his eyes, only acceptance. But I wasn't going to kill him.

He was useful, talented, and cunning. Even at the age I received him at, the ripe age of thirteen, he'd killed his own father and brother.

I sat him down in my large estate, a meal made by magic before us, watching him in curiosity. What would a murderous child do to a demon?

We said nothing for a good half an hour. Then I grew bored and I asked him what he liked to do for fun. He said nothing and we sat in silence a little longer.

So I asked him what his biggest regret was.

In his composure, some would call him cold. But his eyes flashed with shock before a burning sadness crept into them. Even as his face remained still, a violet tear fell down his cheek as he muttered.

"Not telling my brother to run," he whispered. The first words I heard him speak.

Dust was not heartless, despite being a skeleton. His brother's death was his fault because their father beat them. Normally Dust took the blows to save his brother but one night he wasn't around in time. He killed his brother out of mercy because he was too beaten to survive. He murdered his father in revenge of everything that had happened to him.

He chose to be cold, composed. It helped keep him sane.

But right now, after years of being near the composure, the chill, the persona known as Dust, I could tell he was fighting his emotions.

"Dust," I said, as softly as I would allow myself. He knew better than most that I did not show emotions often.

"I don't want to talk, Nightmare," Dust looked at me, his violet eye flashing, his sharpening pausing, "Not until I figure it out."

I sighed. Dust was the one who insisted I not tell those who came here my name. Names had power, and being known as 'The King' or 'Demon' would give me an edge. They were respected names.

I was about to speak again when Killer ran in, looking around wildly.

"Your Majesty, come to the foyer! Horror found someone lurking near the border!"

I rolled my eyes, "Someone trying to escape again?"

"No," Killer took a deep breath, "He was outside the black fence. He was trying to get in."

"What." Not a question, a growl. Only three people could wander the land outside the black fence without fear, not including myself. Two of them lived far, far to south in another kingdom. The other...

Killer swallowed down a gulp of air, "You best come see, my king. He did not fight us, did not retaliate. He wants to be here."

Pushing past him I growled. No one, not even Dust, knew the truth about the corruption beyond the fence. Only me. And those three others.

The damned fool...the damned, damned fool...

---------

Treading down the stairs I found Cross and his brother gawking at the visitor in the dining hall.

The visitor wore a simple cloak with a hood over his head. There was something tied to his back, a pack perhaps but he had not taken it off. Horror stood nearby, swinging his axe just to remind the visitor it was there. Even with the hood, he was smaller than Horror or any of us.

With the cloak he could pass as normal, hidden amongst others. But I snarled as he turned his head to me, the cloak shadowing his face. No one knew who he was. No one knew why he was here.

Except me.

Waving my hand I commanded Dust and Killer to remove Cross and Chara from the room. Chara tried to protest but Cross just gave me a curious smile before obediently leaving.

Horror looked at me for orders but I just stared down the intruder. He met my gaze evenly.

He pulled down his hood as I asked, "Why are you here?"

"Well, I missed you, too, brother," Dream said tiredly.

Snapping my fingers, Horror grabbed his arm. Dream didn't even flinch.

"You're coming with me," I growled, before storming out of the dining hall.

We traveled up to my chambers and I had Dream thrown in the cell in my room. Why I had a cell in my room? Because I wanted one. To keep an eye on prisoners like Dream.

Horror left and I just glowered at Dream, who was working on untying the thing from his back. His silence was annoying. Normally he'd just talk. At least then I had something to ignore. Silence could not be ignored. It just created more silence.

"Say something!" I snapped and Dream actually glared at me.

"Hush," he said, carefully laying the thing from his back on the thin mat for a bed that was in the cell, "I don't want to wake him."

"Wake who?" I questioned, no longer snapping but not happy.

Dream gave me a look and shook his head sadly. "You really haven't gotten my letters, have you..."

"We parted ways, Dream. I told you I didn't want anything to do with your life. Not after our truce," I spat. He sighed.

"I thought maybe you'd at least keep in touch, brother. You're my last living relative."

"At least, you were..." he stroked the top of the weird pack lovingly and I peered at it.

"What is that?" I asked, sneering slightly.

Dream sighed again, "Your nephew, Nightmare."

I reeled back. Dream. Little, precious Dream. Sweet, innocent, positive Dream, had a child?!

"Why'd you bring him here?" I asked, trying to sound bitter.

Dream glanced at me, "I wanted to talk to you before the Winter Solstice."

"That doesn't answer my question," I told him.

On his knees, he looked up at me, "I know that they're getting worse. Getting stronger. And I know about your practice. As much as I hate it, you think you're doing what you need to. But I needed to tell you; it's time you found a mate."

I blanched, sneering at him, "I don't need a mate."

He stood up, talking hurriedly but hushed, "You do, brother. The heats are getting worse because we're the last of our kind and you know it. You're getting older and your magic is desperate for procreation. Just getting it over with isn't enough anymore-"

"Silence!" I snapped.

Almost instantly there was a wail as the pack shifted. Dream crouched by it, picking up a young skeleton to rock. It was about three or four years old, possibly a male.

"Who did you even find to fall in love with?" I asked, my voice level. Dream glanced at me, still rocking the child as it slowly fell asleep again.

"My husband is an artist, a powerful being like me but in another way," he said fondly, stroking the young skeleton's skull, "I sent you letters about him. Then about my pregnancy." He looked up at me with sorrowful eyes, "I even sent you one of the first pictures of Palette we took."

"Palette?"

"My son, your nephew," he looked down at the child in his arms, "My heats were getting worse as well. Finding a mate eased them. Having Palette calmed my magic since it knew it would survive-"

"Quiet," I growled.

"Brother-"

"I said enough, Dream," I growled, stepping up to the cage. Opening it, I took the child from him to look at it. He gasped and tried to stop me but I shut the cage in his face. My tentacles cradled the child, which was a male, so he wouldn't wake.

"Please..." Dream whispered desperately.

Walking over to my bed, I put the slightly shivering child on my bed. Staring at it curiously, I laid a blanket over it. Dream stared at me in silent apprehension.

"Brother, why?" he whispered. I glanced at him.

"I may not be happy at your intrusion, brother, but I won't have a child die in my castle," I looked down at the peaceful being, "He'd freeze in that cage. Now, until you gain sense and the solstice passes, you will remain in that cage unless I say so. The boy can wander about as he pleases. I don't imprison innocents."

"But I have done nothing! Why do you imprison me?" he asked softly.

I sighed forcefully, "I cannot have you running around with my name. None of my staff nor my court knows my name besides Dust. If you value your life and the lives of your family, you will stay here and deny any connection to me. I am not a fool: I use fear to rule the villages and they do not like me for it."

"Brother-"

"Dream, enough," I turned around to face him, my face deadpan, "Here, I am not your brother. I'm the Demon of the Mountain, a King. If ever I let you out, address me as such."

"But what about my son?"

"He'll be given a royal treatment," I ensured him, "I am not heartless anymore, Dream."

Dream looked at me sadly, like a puppy, "Only another reason you should find someone-"

"Speak no more of that topic," I hissed, "Or I'll lock him out of this room."

Dream shut his mouth. He would not endanger his son. Just as I knew he would.

Walking to my door I turned, "I'll have some food sent up for you and the boy," I glanced at the sleeping child, "Does he have any favorites? I might accommodate them if you cooperate."

"He likes sweet things. If you have waffles or something, he'd be pleased."

I nodded shortly, "We'll see."

(Cross)

Days passed. My birthday neared. The stranger was never explained, though his son ran about in curious energy.

The King continued to teach me to read. I was improving and I began to chase those fleeting smiles, the little praises he'd give me. I don't know why I sought his approval so much but it made me feel...something when I had it. And not just his odd little nickname for me. Other things that I earned. He made me happy.

Chara trained with Dust daily and he seemed determined to do something but he wouldn't tell me what. It was a little frustrating how he hid things from me but he told me he had reasons and I trusted him.

Practicing in my notebook became my nightly routine. I started to try and work out certain words to spell them.

I noticed a pattern these recent days. I kept trying to spell 'My King' and I think I almost had it. The King never asked to see my notebook but asked if I practiced in it. That being said, I still practiced a sentence I was working on in the back pages so he wouldn't see them.

Today we were working on reading a troublesome poem from his book. The young boy Palette had stopped by for a children's book, which oddly enough the King had, and the King had been slightly... distant since.

He didn't mutter the little encouragements as I read like he used to. Distracted by my reading I didn't notice whatever he watched but he seemed preoccupied.

"'I-in m-my dis-ta-tant he-hear-heart; I c-ca-all f-fo-for y-you. Th-tho-thog-though we p-pl-play e-ea-each a di-di-differ-fer-en-ferent p-pa-part; I l-lo-long f-for y-you,'" I sounded out carefully, peering at the words in concentration, "'L-li-ike the m-moon t-to the n-ni-ight; y-you b-be-belo-long in m-my e-em-embr-bra-brace. Li-like a p-pri-prince-inc-cess w-wi-with h-her k-kn-kni-ight; y-you be-belong in m-my em-embrace.'"

I looked up at the end of the section to find my King watching me intently.

"'The walls between us are no more; Fate has given us to each other. We are one, together forevermore; eternal and immortal, my sweetest lover,'" he said softly. I stared deep into his blue eye, seeing the depths of him he tried to hide.

He glanced down at the poem, "I know it by heart. I have read it so often. You're doing well, Cross. Do you think you can try and write down the last four lines? As you read them?"

"Sure, my king," I said, looking back down at the final four lines of poetry.

"'N-nei-eith-ther the d-dep-epths o-of d-de-des-p-pa-pair; n-no-or h-hei-eigh-eights o-of the h-hear-eart. W-wi-ill b-be st-stro-stron-ong-ger th-tha-an u-us, I sw-swea-ear; f-for I pr-pro-mise w-we sh-sha-all n-ne-ev-ver b-be ap-apa-part.'"

I finished and sat back with a little smile, "Did I do it right?"

My king read my scrawly print, smiling lightly, "Perfect. Your penmanship has improved a lot."

I couldn't help the little squeal I let loose as I flung my arms around his neck, overjoyed.

"I can read!" I grinned. Without thinking I placed a kiss on his cheek, like my mother use to do when she was happy or proud of me, "Thank you so much, my king!"

I released him, blushing a faint lavender hue at my zealous reaction. Clearing my throat I stared at my paper, feeling the King's eyes on me.

"Cross..." he said and I hesitantly turned to him.

"Y-yes, my king?" I asked. Did I upset him? Overstep my bounds?

He leaned close to me, "Call me Nightmare," he breathed before kissing me.

Surprised and inexperienced, I tried to kiss back. This felt right and it made me all fluttery inside. My arms wrapped around his neck again as he pulled me from my chair, hugging my waist tightly. He kissed me strongly and I wondered if all kisses were like this.

He stood and I heard the sound of clattering, shuffling, and shattering as he cleared the desk and set me on it, still kissing me all the while.

His hands began to roam my body and I squirmed, confused and uncomfortable. My king, Nightmare, growled and held me still. I whimpered. What is he doing? What's going on?

He started to tug at my tunic and pants and I broke.

Trying to get him off me, pushing at him without hurting him, I begged, "N-Nightmare, st-stop..."

He only growled in response and pressed me into his body, leaning over me as I sat on the desk. I felt afraid. What is he doing to me? Whimpering again, I felt tears build up but Nightmare didn't notice. His lack of attention hurt for some reason even as he moved from kissing my lips to kissing my neck. He was panting, letting out occasional growls as he gripped me tightly.

"Pl-please, stop it," I begged but he'd gone deaf. He started to pull down my pants and I mentally screamed, too scared to actually call out as I thought, Chara, help me!

(Chara)

Chara! Help me!

Ducking my head I looked around from where the pulse, the call came from. The knife swept over me and as soon as it arched away I stood and turned, starting to run towards Cross.

"Chara, what are you doing?" Dust called but I really didn't hear him. Cross was afraid, I could feel it, his soul pounding in fear and confusion. Right after a burst of the feeling he's never had; love.

CHARA! The mental scream echoed in my head, my soul bond pounding. Footsteps sounded behind me as Dust sprinted after me but my panic gave me speed.

I wound through the halls, heading for the study. I had to save Cross. He was scared. He was in danger.

"Chara, stop right now!" Dust commanded but I ignored him.

Rounding the corner I sprinted to the massive doors of the study. Throwing one open I growled at the sight.

Cross was on the desk, crying silently as he tried to get away from the King. The King kissed him, his neck, face, collarbone. He'd ripped half of the tunic open for access to Cross's ribs and Cross tried to hide himself but the King's tentacles slowly pried his arms away from his body.

The bang of the massive door got their attention and the King's head whipped over to me, something wild in his eyes as he gripped Cross to keep him still.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I screeched, sprinting for him. He growled, not an intelligent sound but a feral one, animal almost. My training knife still in hand I sprung forward and went to stab him, just to get him off Cross.

His tentacles reacted to protect him and wrapped around me, flinging my knife away and pinning my arms down. But they had released Cross and he scrambled off the desk, hugging himself tightly as he stared in confusion and fear at the King.

Dust followed me, barely panting, and took stock of the situation. His ever-composed features betrayed none of the emotion in his voice when he said, "Nightmare, stop."

The King's head snapped up, his panting apparent. The wild look vanished from his eyes at the stare Dust gave him and he gulped, looking at Cross. He slowly set me down.

"Cross, I-"

Cross let out a small sob as the King approached him. He backed away, shivering. The King looked torn. He tried again to reach forward and comfort him but Cross backed all the way into Dust, who stepped in front of him and stared down the King.

"Nightmare, enough," he said as Cross hid behind him. The tentacles left me and I rushed to Cross's side but he wouldn't even let me touch him. He shied away from me, hugging the torn front of his tunic to his chest and staring at the King.

"Cross..." the King sounded downright helpless.

Cross didn't say anything. I went to touch him, hold his hand but he flinched away. He looked from me to the King, gulping.

Then he ran with a loud, echoing sob. His footsteps sounded in the hall long after he left, the King and I staring at the door. But Dust just stared at the King.

I turned a feral snarl on the King, figuring out his name.

"You fucking bastard," I snarled, bringing his attention to me, "What were you trying to do to my brother?!"

He turned a snarl on me, "None of your business," he snapped.

"Don't try that shit, Nightmare," Dust said, surprisingly angry for how calm he looked, "What happened?"

"It was noth-"

Dust was on him in a flash, slapping him hard enough I heard it and almost felt it. Nightmare jerked to the side.

"Cut the crap, Nightmare! You scared him with your stupid problem!" Dust shouted, his face barely twisting in the fury of his voice.

Nightmare rubbed his jaw, looking mildly remorseful, "He kissed me on the cheek and something clicked," he rolled his shoulder, "Then I started kissing him and I...I lost it. I needed him."

"You were actually going to fuck my brother?!" I screeched. Nightmare looked at me and nodded slowly. "WHY?!"

"Why else do you think he wears that collar?" Nightmare spat, "It was the entire purpose of his presence here. He's the Solstice Sacrifice: a virgin for my pleasure."

"So that's the only reason you treat him so well?! You don't actually care about him! You just want him happy so he'll play your whore!"

"Chara, now is not the time for this," Dust tried to get me to settle down but I shrugged him off, glaring at Nightmare.

"No wonder he was so confused!" I shouted, "You scared him by trying to rape him!"

"I was going to be gentle. I don't want to hurt hi-"

"YOU BLOODY IDIOT! HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SEX IS!" I screamed at him, enraged, "HE HAS NO CLUE WHAT YOU ALMOST DID TO HIM! YOU MOLESTED HIM AND HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!"

Both Dust and Nightmare stared at me in shock. Fuming, I had a few final words before Nightmare spoke.

"He loves you and he doesn't know. But now he's not going to trust any of us. So, congratulations, King Nightmare: you just broke my brother."

(Nightmare)

With a roar, I burst into my room, startling Dream and Palette as they played some riddle game.

"Idiot!" I roared, smashing a few vases with my tentacles, "Fucking idiot!"

"Language!" Dream snapped, flicking his eyes to Palette pointedly.

Dragging a hand over my eye I glared at Dream, "Can he leave us for a moment? I need to talk to you. ALONE."

Dream gave me a half-smile, then turned to Palette, "Go down to Frisk and get yourself a snack, Pally. Your Uncle and I need to talk."

The boy nodded and stood up, glancing at me before looking back at Dream, "Mama, iz Uncwel Nighty mad?"

Dream gave him a soft smile, "Just a little, dear. Now go."

Palette nodded then turned to leave. He paused by me and gave me a hug, startling me.

"Don be mad, Uncwel Nighty," he said in that sweet, innocent voice that reminded me of Dream. Then he skipped out of my room, not a care in the world.

As soon as my door shut I locked it with a tentacle before turning to Dream. I hissed at him.

"Damn it, damn it all," I muttered, shaking my head. I pointed a finger at him, "You put these thoughts in my head, gave me these feelings... what is your game?"

"What's wrong, Nightmare?" Dream asked, too nice, too softly. I hissed at him again.

"Was this your goal? Break me down, make me screw up? Ruin my perfect system because you didn't like it?"

"Nightmare, I swear I did nothing," Dream tried but I snapped my head to the side, jerking and angry.

"It's stupid. So stupid. To think I had a chance..." I muttered. I slumped down against the wall, holding my head in my hands.

"What happened?" Dream asked.

"My heat, Dream... it's bad, so bad..." I rubbed my skull, "I probably just blew my only chance at that stupid fucking mate you wanted me to have..."

"What did you do, brother?" Dream asked. He wasn't accusatory or angry. He was just... my brother.

"I thought I was doing something good for once," I said, shaking my head, "I thought I was doing what love wanted me to do... but it was just my bloody fucking heat."

"You didn't..." Dream sounded shocked and I chuckled.

"I came close. So, so close to making the second biggest mistake of my life," I said.

"What was the first?" he asked.

I looked up at him, real regret in my soul.

"Laying a single hand on him."

(Cross)

I sobbed, shaking, in the massive silken bed. I had locked the door. I didn't want to see anyone.

Why did he do that? Why did he touch me? Why did he try to undress me? Why didn't he say anything? Why, why, why wouldn't he listen?

What was happening?

I thought he loved me, I wondered, whimpering. That was the strange, new feeling. It was love. I loved him. I love Nightmare. And... and I thought he loved me, too.

But what he was doing... it didn't feel like love. I don't know what it felt like. He had been gripping too tightly, forcing me to move how he pleased. It had hurt, in more ways than one. If he had just listened... it might have been better.

A sob wracked my body as I twisted in the soft silken sheets. I wanted my hoodie, my scarf, and my locket with me. They made me feel safe, secure...feelings that had been taken away when Nightmare touched me.

Someone pounded on my door before I heard Chara, "Cross, open up!"

Another sob shook my body. I ignored him, just crying harder. I didn't want anyone nearby. I didn't want anyone to talk to me.

"Cross, talk to me!"

No.

"Cross, c'mon!"

NO.

"Cross, please, tell me what happened!"

"NO!" I shouted, my throat raw. Chara went silent.

"No..." I sobbed.

Sobbing into my pillow, I vaguely heard him leave. I cried and cried and cried into my bed, wetting the silk with purple tears. Eventually, I fell asleep.

-------

I woke up with a sore throat and sandy-feeling eyes. I was still in the ripped tunic.

Getting up slowly, heavily, I made my way to the dresser, wishing I had my hoodie. Ripping the tunic the rest of the way down I found a black silk shirt and pulled it over my head. Turning around I squeaked in surprise and shock, backing into the wardrobe.

Nightmare stood in my room, looking forlorn. He carried a silver tray. He set it on the chest at the foot of the bed, letting go and taking several steps back.

Swallowing air I stood up shakily. Was he going to touch me again? Pin me down?

"I brought you some breakfast," he said in a soft, apologetic tone, "I figured you would want to stay in here and not be bothered."

I swallowed again, watching him warily. I still felt that odd feeling, that love that made me want to hug him and be close, but I couldn't trust him.

He sighed, a little forcefully, "You do not need to report for lessons today, or tomorrow. Rather, not until you're ready. If you are concerned, I could hire you a tutor like I first offered."

He... he was offering to stop teaching me? Does he hate me now?

"D-do you..." I gulped, "...do you hate me now, Nightmare?"

He looked at me, sorrow in his eyes, "Never, Cross. In fact, I am truly very sorry for my behavior yesterday."

Taking a breath, I stood and watched him curiously. Unbeknownst to me, I started to come closer to him, just to feel that snuggly warmth he radiated.

Nightmare seemed very emotional, "I never, ever intended to scare you like that Cross. I... I thought you knew what was happening. I was blind, blinded by my own need." He put a hand to his head, sighing again, "I never wanted to hurt you, Cross. And I am sorry if I did. When I lose control... I can be very forceful. I forget my own strength."

I stood feet from him. A few steps would close the distance. But if I closed it, would he touch me again?

Did I... did I not want him to touch me again? Not want to feel his warm hands again? Not to be in that embrace I've come to crave?

I didn't want him to hurt me. I didn't want his hands going places they shouldn't. But I wanted to be close again. I wanted to hold his hand, hug him, feel his tentacles embrace me to carry me off on some little adventure.

"Nightmare..." I said softly, looking at him shyly, "Are you... are you going to touch me again?"

"I won't ever do what I did yesterday to you again, Cross. Not unless you know what's going on and tell me it's okay. If you never wanted to come near me again... I'd understand."

There was a brief silence while he met my eyes, hopeful, regretful, and sorry.

Launching forward I hugged him tightly, feeling his odd, shifting, comfy warmth seep into my bones. Sighing in content I nuzzled his chest, feeling him hug back and keep his hands only on my back, not trailing down my waist to my hips like yesterday.

"I forgive you, Nighty," I said happily.

Nightmare released a loose chuckle of nerves, "Where have you been all my life..."

(Chara)

With spitting rage I let out a yell, attacking Dust. He dodged like the damn expert he is but it didn't stop me from using this sparring session to work out my anger. We expressed none of our usual banter, my face screwed up in anger while Dust remained as composed as ever.

That damn composure... it was starting to annoy me.

I just wanted to see some emotion. Like the emotion in his voice yesterday when he snapped at Nightmare, when he slapped the fucking King for touching my brother.

So I started to attack relentlessly. We had just only begun how to attack because he finally taught me how to take a hit, but I tried every way I could think of to land something on him or make him snap.

As per his suggestion, we were both shirtless. I wore some hunting pants and boots but I didn't want to lose another shirt to him.

I could see the sweat drip down his skull as we fought. It was hot today, the sun bright above us. The dust was dry and provided traction but it clung to our boots as they became wet with sweat. I had tied my hair back because it was long and I didn't give a damn whether it looked boyish or girlish or elvish: I liked it long.

I managed to close our distance and we became a tangle rather than two forces. Dust tried to pin my arms so I couldn't wield my knife but as he came chest to chest with me I kneed him where it hurts and his knees buckled slightly. He let out a grunt but it was the only indication I'd hit him. Using his slight off-balance with buckling knees, I shoved him back. He still held onto me and we fell to the ground together, rolling as I growled and Dust panted lightly. He rolled on top of me when his back hit the dirt but I lifted a foot under him and flipped him over my head. There was a slight rush of air and I had a second to get on my front and pin him down. Using my short legs I pinned his legs down and grabbed one wrist before he came back to his senses. He whipped his other hand, the one without the knife, towards my face but I caught his arm in my knife. His hiss was the only indication of pain.

Using my knife as leverage I pushed his arm down and soon had both arms pinned next to his head. I leaned over him, panting heavily, sweat-drenched snags of hair dangling from my head that had freed themselves of the rope tying them back. I met Dust's eyes, seeing him pant, waiting for him to struggle, to shove me off, to call the sparring over, anything.

His violet eyes met mine evenly and for a second, just a second, the composure waned. Then he did something I never expected in my life.

He kissed me.

I was so shocked my hold slackened as I just stared at him, not kissing back, not pushing him away, just feeling the oddly cool air of magic aura press against my hot lips from panting and the sun. It was slightly refreshing if not so... odd. His eyes had closed when he kissed me and remained closed for a heartbeat when he broke away.

Then the violet eyes snapped open, the composure returned, deadened emotion blanketing his face, hiding what was broken, the broken part of him I saw for a blink.

I rolled off him without complaint as he sat up. He didn't look at me as he got to his feet and offered me his hand. Hesitantly I took it, expecting a trick. But he just pulled me to my feet before releasing my hand as fast as possible. He turned his back to me, picking up our abandoned knives.

"The lesson is over," he said stiffly.

Over? "But we just start-"

"The lesson," he said firmly, "Is over. You have the rest of the day off."

I stood in silence, angry, annoyed, confused, and slightly hurt.

"Dust," I said firmly as he hung our knives up, refusing to look at me.

"Dust, look at me!"

He paused, standing stiffly, not meeting my eyes as he stared at the weapons rack.

"You have the rest of the day off. I suggest you enjoy it."

"So you're just going to say nothing of what just happened?"

His silence infuriated me.

"That's great, just fucking great," I said, sarcasm lacing my voice like venom, "You steal my first kiss and you can't even bother to look at me."

His head hung slightly, turning, almost facing me. But I still couldn't see his face.

"I..." he sighed, "That was a mistake on my part. My emotions got the better of me. Do not make this more than it is, than it should be."

Growling, I marched forward and grabbed his shoulder, whipping him around. I slapped him so hard I heard his neck pop and left a mark on the bone. He turned to look at me, the stupid composure still there, and I growled again. Hooking my fingers under his mandible I pulled him down and kissed him again. Then I shoved him back into the weapons rack, snarling at him.

"You're an idiot, you bastard," I snarled.

(Dust)

Chara turned on his heel and left me to recover my balance as I knocked half the weapons off the rack. Inside I was raging. Not angry, but there was a storm inside I could barely quell.

There was a whistle and I turned to see Killer, smirking at me like an asshole.

"Never thought you'd be one to go for humans, Dusty," he said, chuckling slightly. He glanced at the way Chara had left, "Though you seriously need to work on your game. That was rough."

"What are you after, Killer?" I asked, reorganizing the weapons rack, "Our time isn't until next week."

"I'm not looking for a lay, Dust," Killer rolled his eyes, "I'm trying to help you."

"I don't want your help."

"But I'm your partner," Killer whined, "It's my job."

"We're not partners. We're not even lovers. We just have a deal to keep us from going cock crazy."

"I mean, I'm your teammate. Me and Horror: we're your teammates, whether you like it or not."

"Go away, Killer, before I shove one of these up your tight ass just to hear you scream," I growled, showing him one of my longer, more jagged knives.

"That almost sounds like fun," he said, "But seriously, you wanna hook up with the half-human? Let me help."

I ignored him, putting the weapons on the rack. But Killer didn't seem to think I was done with this conversation.

"He's trying to get a rise out of you," Killer said, "And we both know it damn near worked. He's pissed off at life and he wants to see other's have emotions. Hell, he just broke down enough of your walls for your impulse to shine for half a second."

"Impulse causes regret, as you just witnessed."

"The only thing you regret is having a soul to feel with," Killer said, "You'd murder all your emotions just like you murdered your dad so you wouldn't have to feel regret ever again."

"I'm serious, Killer," I turned to him, my eyes flashing, "One more word and one of these winds up in your skull."

"Did you ever consider maybe the reason you can't move on from what happened is that you have no one to share it with? Chara is the age you were when you killed. He's killed and he killed for the same reason you did: for his brother. The only difference is that his brother's alive and you talk to yours in your sleep."

I could say nothing.

"Think about it: you two are almost parallel," Killer strode over to me, "You were given to the King as a sacrifice because no one wanted you: Chara was given up because he was a murdering orphan no one wanted to help. Both of you were forced to make tough decisions at very young ages for the ones you loved. Neither of you believes in the world because at every turn it's been against you. The only differences now are that Cross is alive and Chara has no self-control. He lives off his hate; you bury yours. He just wants to see what's under the mask, Dust."

"I can't let my emotions rule me," I said. Killer sighed, annoyed at my stubbornness.

"Yeah, well, maybe you need to."

(Nightmare)

Gently locking the secret door to Cross's room I turned back into my own room. Dream eyed me warily, curious as to what I was up to. Palette was sleeping in my bed, as I had not been able to sleep at all and offered it to him.

Sighing, I went and slumped to the floor next to Dream, rubbing my eye sockets.

"Are you alright?" Dream asked softly.

"He forgave me," I said, "I don't know why or how but he did. He even hugged me. He was afraid that I was angry at him, that I hated him. He should be the one hating me."

"Maybe you still have a chance," Dream told me, "Maybe this will work out. If he forgave you for the... accident... then maybe you can explain what you were doing, why you lost control."

"Even if I can work it out with him, his brother won't let me near him again," I growled a little to myself, "His brother is hotheaded and overprotective. I so much as look at Cross he'll be on me like a beast on prey."

"It is Cross's choice who he loves and who loves him. If he really loves you like you said he does, he won't let his brother have his way."

"Why are you always so damned rational?" I snarked sarcastically at him. Dream gave me a look and I rolled my eyes.

We stayed silent as Dream continued to give me a look and I ignored him.

There was a soft tap on the secret door and both Dream and I looked at it curiously.

The knock came again, followed by, "Nightmare? Are you in there?"

Cross? Getting up I went to the hidden door, unlocked it, and opened it to see Cross standing there bashfully. I had returned his scarf and hoodie. Now he looked incredible; strong, resilient, covered in fluffy black and white.

"What is is, my sweet?" I asked softly. He flashed me a smile and I sighed internally. I wasn't sure if the pet name would still be okay.

"Well, I just remembered: it's my birthday," he said, smiling again, "I'm turning sixteen today."

"Oh, well then...I'll have to throw a party, I guess," I smiled at him, "Not to mention get you a gift."

He blinked, looking surprised, "Why would you throw a party? Or get me a gift? You really don't need to."

It was my turn to be surprised, "Have you never celebrated your birthday before?"

Cross shrugged, "Mama would get me a sweet, normally a small bit of chocolate, but we didn't do much. We..." he looked at his feet, blushing in embarrassment and, I believe, humiliation, "...we were too poor to afford much. Mama would save for months just to buy me a sweet, even though I said she didn't have to. And... we never had a party for anything."

"Then I shall throw a ball fit for a king!" I commanded, "Tonight shall be one of festivity, all in your honor!"

"You really don't need to," he blushed some more, "I'm... I'm not worth it..."

A small growl ripped from my throat and Cross looked up at me, "Nonsense. If anyone deserves this, it's you."

"Well...don't throw a ball, please. Just a small dinner and some dancing. Like I saw in the village for weddings and such. Please? Nothing too big."

"Whatever you wish, my sweet," I said, agreeing. Anything to keep him happy, "We'll have a gathering in the gardens with lights and music and dancing."

"That sounds perfect," he leaned up and gave me a swift kiss on the cheek. I kept my hands to myself, though I had to tighten my fist and fight back the urge to kiss him again.

I was about to turn and shut the door when he stopped me, "Wait! I have something for you!"

He pulled out a small folded piece of paper and handed it to me, "I've been practicing this for you..."

Unfolding it I was confused before making it out. It wasn't as neat as my own but obviously developing cursive.

"'I love you my king to the moon and beyond.'" I read aloud, looking at Cross when I finished.

"You know, the moon is far away and beyond it is an endless sky, because my love is boundless," he said, fairly poetic for someone just learning to read.

"Cross, I..." for the first time in a long time I felt my soul pulse strongly, "I have no words..."

"I do!" Dream chimed, "That was very beautiful, Cross!"

"Silence," I hissed at Dream, who beamed at me. Turning my attention to Cross I gave him a small smile.

"I'm very proud of you, Cross," I told him, "And...I love you, too."

"Y-you do?" Cross asked uncertainly.

"He does!"

"SILENCE, DREAM!"

---------------

Sighing, I looked in the mirror. Do I regret what I look like? Dark, dripping, evil, a living embodiment of fear? The very definition of a nightmare?

Sometimes, on extremely rare occasions, I do. Yet, in preparation for Cross's party, I don't.

Cross loves me and he doesn't even know what I'm supposed to look like. He fell in love with the evil, the fear, the goop. He fell in love with the nightmare before he even knew my name.

Sighing again, I turned to Dream. Palette was showing him what he'd drawn and I felt another odd tug in my body. That tug, that wish, that I was playing with the child, that Palette was my son and not Dream's. It had hit me hard the other day when I assaulted Cross. It made the heat bad. It made me lose what little self-control I maintained.

Dream caught my eye and gave me a sympathetic smile. I growled slightly, walking over to him.

"Hey, boy," I addressed Palette. He turned to me, his starry eyes sparkling. For a child of his age, his art skills were admirable.

"Yes, Uncwel Nighty?"

Ugh, do I really want him there? "Would you like to go to a party?"

I ignored Dream's shocked stare as Palette bounded to his feet.

"A pawty? Weally? Can Mama come too?"

I gave Dream a look as he stared at me in surprise and confusion, "Wouldn't be a party without him."

"Yay!" he turned back to Dream, "Mama we get ta go to a pawty!"

"Hey, Palette, I need to talk to Mama for a bit," I told the boy.

"Okay! I'm gonna tell Fwisk!" He bolted out of my room, giggling.

Turning to Dream I sighed again, finding him on his feet. He stood still as I unlocked his cage, opening the door for him to step out.

"Is something wrong, Nightmare?" he asked me softly.

I gave him a serious look, "I need a watcher, Dream. Someone who knows me like he knows his own heart. I don't want to hurt Cross again and this party is a huge risk. If you see me losing it, I need you to get Cross or me out of there. My heat comes in full force at midnight and I don't want to have any casualties."

"What about your team? Those..." he glanced away, "Gah, I don't want to call them criminals but you told me that they are in fact convicted murderers and you say you have no friends but minions sounds so demeaning and I don't want to demean them because they do mean a fair amount to you whether you admit it or not-"

"Dream, enough rambling," I snapped, "I just need you to watch me. Dust, Killer, and Horror will be on guard but Dust has been distracted and they will overreact if I do anything. I need you to watch me so you can catch me before it escalates. No one knows me like you do...brother."

Dream's gaze softened, "I will, I promise, your Highness."

I nodded curtly before turning to leave.

"Wait, I have one question," Dream insisted.

I sighed in annoyance this time, turning to face him, "What?"

"You use those collars to bind your sacrifices to be your...helper every solstice. Is it a magic collar? How do you manage your helpers if not any of them fell in love before?"

His question made sense. I completely forgot about the collars. They are magic. They make it easier to control my sacrifices, bend them to my will when I need them. It takes away the will to say no. And it activates on the solstice.

I would tell Dream none of this. My mouth remained shut but I looked at the ground.

"Your Highness? Nightmare?"

"Just be on the lookout, Dream."

(Cross)

I watched with curious excitement as the staff prepared the simple lights in the gardens. Nightmare had sent word through the castle that all were invited to come to the celebration in the gardens this evening. The staff chatted excitedly about it. For some, it was the first celebration like the village did in a long time. Frisk beamed at me when she saw me, waving as she set up tables.

Chara came to stand next to me, acting grumpy. He has been upset all day and he won't tell me why.

"Happy birthday, Cross," he said, giving me a wane smile, "I'm sorry I never could do this for you. I suppose I should thank our King for making you feel special when I couldn't."

"Don't be like that, Chara," I turned to him, finding him much shorter than me than before. I didn't grow, did I? "You were always there for me. We didn't have parties or celebrations or anything like that because I always had you."

He looked at me with a funny emotion in his eyes, "Did your voice get deeper overnight or something?"

"What? Why? Is it bad?" I had noticed I sounded a bit deeper, huskier even, but I thought it was because I cried myself raw.

"No, no, but..." he looked me up and down, taking a step back, "It's like you transformed or something. You're taller, your voice is deeper and your little belly," he poked my stomach area, finding the magic to be stiffer and flatter than before. It surprised both of us, "Is gone."

A small grin tugged at his mouth, "It's like you hit puberty or something. But Mama said you wouldn't mature normally..." his mouth made a thin line in consideration, "Then again, this overnight transformation isn't normal. Maybe..." he looked at me, "Maybe this is how you're supposed to mature."

"Do I...do I look bad...?" I looked down, suddenly feeling... self-conscious? yeah, self-conscious.

"No, you look awesome," he grinned at me, "You finally look like a growing man than a too-big child. You filled out."

"You really think so?" I glanced at him, gulping, "Do you think...that Nightmare will like it?"

He rolled his eyes at me but nodded with a shrug. "I suppose he will. Hopefully it doesn't make him go off on another molestation attack."

Molestation. That's... that's when someone is sexually touched without consult. Like Nightmare did the other day. But I forgave him and...

Do I really not want that intimacy?

The thought shocked me into still silence. I've never had such thoughts. I barely knew what intimacy was until I looked it up this afternoon, along with 'molestation'. I wanted to know why Nightmare had been acting so... lustful. Lustful was the word.

I felt something stir inside and found my hand hooking a finger around the collar. A small spark traded between my hand and the thin leather. In a flash I knew every enchantment placed upon it with such certainty I wondered why I never suspected it before.

Reaching up to take it off got Chara's attention.

"Cross, what are you doing?"

My finger found a minute clasp and worked to undo it. It came undone with an echoing click and I pulled it off, holding it in front of me. Chara stared in wide-eyed amazement.

"How did you do that?"

"Simple counter-lock spell," I said. The technicality and reality of what I just said struck both of us.

"No. Fucking. Way," Chara muttered and I frowned at him.

"Do you have to swear?"

"Yes. This is...just too fucking shocking."

"Why?" I asked, even though I think I knew the answer.

"You're not supposed to be able to take that off," Chara pointed at the now harmless-looking collar in my hands, "Dust said so. How? Only Nightmare can take it off!"

"It...really wasn't that hard..." I said, looking down it. Gripping it, I felt a pulse of magic in my body and the collar flashed with such bright heat Chara and I averted our eyes.

When we looked back, the leather was charred and ruined. The collar was useless. No enchantments remained upon it.

"I don't believe it..." Chara muttered. He looked up at me, looking me up and down, "You have grown. You matured. This is... this is mom's power, her sorcery. You harnessed power that I... I can't even encompass. I'm too young."

There was a hint of... sadness in his voice.

He looked at the ground, "...you don't need me anymore."

"Chara, that's not true!" I told him and he looked up at me, eyes shining.

"Why does Nightmare want you to himself?" he asked suddenly.

"He wants to take care of his heat. He uses people like me because it is the most satisfactory way to him to take care of his desire," I clamped a hand over my mouth. Since when do I know that?

But I can smell it. I've smelled it since I arrived. Only now has it clicked.

Chara tossed his head, looking away, "You see? You're not the Cross I knew anymore. You've grown and...and you can protect yourself."

"But I'm still your brother and I'll always need you, Chara. We take care of each other, like family is supposed to."

"But what happens now? What are you going to do now? You've reached a level of rational you never even knew existed overnight and I doubt you'll listen to any of my stupid deflections like you used to."

"Chara..." he held his hands up and I stopped talking. He looked at me, sadness and hurt in his eyes.

"You have abilities I can't comprehend anymore. My once rock-solid foundation is crumbling under me, Cross. You're changing, my future is uncertain, you're in love with someone I hate and I'm falling for a murderer twice my age. Nothing I knew is the same and... and you deserve a better family than me."

"I have no better family, Chara," I said firmly, surprising both of us at the stiffness of my tone. It was adult. I didn't add anything, but instead drew out our souls. He let me, watching me with now dull red eyes.

They both pulsed brightly, half red, half white. The barely visible resonance bond beat steadily between them. I had a level of connection with my brother than ran further than family ties: our mother made sure of that.

"We're always gonna be the strongest family each of us has," I told him, making the bond shine brightly, "Mama made sure we'd always know when each other was in trouble. That's how you knew to come find me the other day when Nightmare acted up. It's how I knew you were in danger when they tried to take you away. It's how I know you're angry about being in love. It's how I know that you're realizing you're too young to be in charge of the responsibilities that weigh you down."

He looked up at me, that stubborn attitude of his glowing as bright as his soul, "You don't know that."

"Chara, you need to understand that no matter what, I'll always be your brother. But now I can pull my weight. Stop acting older than you are: it's hurting you. Let go of some of the guilt inside and feel. Let that love bloom. Let me be my own person. Act your age, Chara, and be a silly teenager for a while." I looked up at the decorations, "Tonight, and just tonight, try letting go. I won't stop you, and you don't need to worry about me."

Chara sighed, looking and slumping. So I hugged him, grinning, "And remember, I'll always be your best friend! Whenever you need me, talk to me. Quit bottling your emotions and let the dam break."

"Really, Cross, swearing?" I could feel the smirk on his face.

"First off, I wasn't swearing. Second, I'm allowed to freaking swear if I dang well want to."

"My, my, such language."

(Nightmare)

The sun was setting. I overlooked the gardens, seeing the pale white fairy lights and little laterns. A table full of large dishes of traditional food rested on the edge of a large open space. Flowers bloomed despite the winter solstice. Part of the magic in my realm: nothing really acted like it was supposed to. The staff was immensely pleased at the simple decorations. The mere thought of a party boosted their spirits and I wondered why I never did this before.

Oh, I know: I used to be cold, not caring. Everyone who passed through my halls never knew me. I was the King, aloof. I didn't care about boosting morale.

I have not seen Cross since he gave me the note. I didn't see him among those putting the finishing touches on the little celebration.

Dream walked up beside me.

"When's the last time you went to a party?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Uh...Before our truce, I believe," I said and Dream turned to me aghast.

"That was years ago!"

"Your point?" I turned to him and I guess my gaze quelled his curiosity. Huffing, I turned back to looking at the gardens.

"I know it's been a long time, Dream. But don't mention that to anyone, alright? I just want to enjoy myself this evening and hopefully win over Cross again."

"Do you really need to win him over?" Dream turned to look at the gardens with me, "I think he's already so in love with you that you really don't need to try hard. I mean, he forgave you for the incident. What more could you ask for?"

"I..." hearing it spelled out like that, Dream was right, "I don't know...nothing, I think."

Dream rested a hand on my arm, "If he loves you, Nightmare, just give him some time before you try anything. Love takes time."

I sighed, looking down, "What if he doesn't love me anymore, Dream?"

"I doubt that, Nightmare. Now, let's get down the gardens. You have a party to host!"

(Chara)

Sighing, I looked up at the wizened old man who'd discovered me sulking in the corridors. Why an old man was put in the draw astounds me. But he smiled goodnaturedly at me as he handed me a small vial.

"Your heart troubles you, lad," he said, his voice gravelly and low with age, "This will help you carry your burden, make it lighter."

"How, old man?" I said, looking at the shining blue liquid.

"I've seen you around. I know your heart is torn in many ways," he said sagely and I looked at him, suspicious, "While no potion can mend a heart, this shall lead you down the proper path."

"What is it?" I asked. My minimal skills in magic and alchemy could sense very little in the complex little vial.

He wrapped my hand around it, "It will make your love sensible. Trust me, lad."

Then he just left. He turned and vanished down the darkened corridor back to whatever hole he came out of.

"You should trust 'im, kid," Killer walked up next to me, hands in his pockets.

"And why is that?"

"'e's the best alchemist I've ever met," Killer explained, smirking slightly, "Makes some wicked aphrodisiacs."

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes then looked down at the vial in my hands, turning it over.

"'e's pretty smart, too," Killer said, his voice more serious, "'e gave you that, for free, for a reason, Chara. I suggest you take 'is advice."

Looking at the vial, I frowned. Ease my burden...Make love sensible...

"To hell with it," I said, popping the cork. Killer watched me as I downed the liquid.

It was like drinking ice that burned. Coughing, I dropped the crystal bottle with a clatter and leaned on the wall. Icy cold tore through my veins while my flesh heated up and I gasped. I fell to my knees, coughing as my throat constricted.

"Chara, you okay, kid?!" Killer crouched next to me as I coughed and heaved, leaning on the wall. My vision blurred and my bones felt like splinters stabbing me from the inside. I felt a rush of fear, followed by anger, despair, bravery, desperation, ending in an odd euphoria. It was my hormones overloading as I felt my body grow denser, almost.

I fell to my elbows, throat open at last as I heaved in air. The ice left my blood and my body cooled down to normal temperature. Everything returned to normal and I blinked a few tears from my eyes caused by the pain.

I thought everything was fine until Killer went, "Woah..."

I looked up at him, seeing shock on his bony face. He helped me to my feet, slackjawed as he just stared at me. I reached my feet and blinked. I wasn't nose-to-sternum with Killer anymore. I stood...almost five inches taller. We both blinked.

"Holy shit," Killer drew out, a grin crawling up his face, "That's fucking insane!"

"What?" I paused. My voice had lowered substantially. I looked down at my hands, then my arms. I was toned, fit, muscled. Not a soft-bodied, hunger-thin kid. It was exactly like Cross's overnight transformation. Only...this was more than maturity. I felt older, like I had actually aged.

Looking up in the direction of the wizened old mn, I ran after him. I was faster, with a longer stride, and I actually reached him sooner than I thought I would.

"Hey, you, old man!" I called after him. He turned, an amused smile on his face.

"Yes, lad?"

"That potion..." I panted, bending over, "What did it do to me?"

"It gave you the years you lacked, the years you yearned for. You are not a child anymore, Chara; you an adult."

"But...how? How can you just age someone?"

"You cannot just 'age someone'," the old man shook his head, "I traded years. I gave you six of my years. You are six years older, I am six years younger, since you cannot speed up or slow time down."

"But...you're still old."

"Oh, dear lad," the man smiled, chuckling, "I've been old for a long time, and I'll stay old till I die."

Then he just turned around and continued down the corridor. Leaving me processing all of this.

Six years...I'm six years older... I'm twenty. Physically, emotionally, mentally. He gave me a slice of his wisdom in those years.

"I...I understand, Cross..." it clicked. I had to let him be.

"Chara!" Killer had followed me and I turned to him, unused to this new size.

"Killer..." I said, sort of numb.

"Chara, you have to find Dust," Killer said, "That old bastard gave you the age and sensibility you need to go after him."

"But..." I looked down, clenching my fists, "He doesn't want me. He made a mistake; you saw, he said it himself."

"I- wait, you knew I was there? You know what, doesn't matter. Just go get Dust and slap some sense into him."

"Like, talk to him...?"

"No. Go smack that son of a bitch like you mean it."

(Cross)

Frisk grabbed me in the twilight, pulling me under the lamps with a giddy smile.

"Dance with us, Cross!" she said, twirling me around. I spun and grinned, looking around.

"I want to wait for the King, Frisk," I said, trying to pull away.

"You can wait and dance Cross," Frisk pleaded with me.

"I don't want to have fun until he's here. He threw the party, I want to enjoy it with him."

"He threw it for you, Cross. What better way to show your appreciation than to dance?"

"But-"

"Just one little song, Cross. Please? For me?

"Fine. Just one song."

Frisk laughed jovially. She grabbed my hands and showed me the steps. Soon enough we were dancing to fiddle music and clapping people. I grinned and laughed, losing myself to the warm, bright fun. I hadn't danced in ages. Not since I was young.

Soon I had it down and we both just had bright, happy fun. Forgetting where we were or why we were there. In the back of my mind I kept my plan in order but I allowed myself a bit of fun to enjoy the party. I was matured and it was the solstice. We were happy. Not prisoners or sacrifices. We were just a group, a family, enjoying a celebration.

The song ended and I stopped, breathless. I saw Nightmare and beamed, excusing myself and going over to him.

"My king, thank you!" I said, hugging him tightly, "This is wonderful. Everyone's so happy."

"I am glad you are enjoying yourself."

"Join me, please? I want to dance with you."

"Um," he cleared his throat, "I'm not much of a dancer, Cross. I prefer watching you. You're so...elegant when you dance."

I frowned, then bit my lower lip and glanced around. I leaned close to him, whispering, "Fine. You don't have to dance with me. But meet me in the study after midnight, okay? I have a surprise for you."

He gave me a skeptical look, but relented, "Very well. Go enjoy yourself and your party. I'll be right here."

I smiled and kissed his cheek, "Thanks my king."

I turned around and joined the festivities again. We danced to the fiddlers, laughing and letting loose. Nothing formal, nothing bad. Just joy and smiles and laughs galore. It was wonderful and the happiest I'd ever been.

(Dust)

Standing on the edge of the party, I sighed. Chara had been avoiding me and I felt bad. But we couldn't get into anything. He wasn't ready...

Some random worker came up behind me and I paid him no heed. That is, until I was forcibly dragged away form the party, the lights, the laughter, everything. His hand was over my mouth and I tried to fight him off. But it was as if he could read me and dodged every hit I tried to land. It didn't click until I was forced onto a wall and slapped so hard my neck popped. I looked back at my attacker, the growl in my throat dying as I saw who looked back at me.

"Chara...?"

The eyes, the hair, set of his jaw: all the same. But he was taller, older looking, even with a bit of stubble. He was even fitter and stronger.

"Hey, Dust," he said casually before leaning forward and kissing me roughly. This time, I froze. But a moment later, I kissed back.

To hell with it all...

(Nightmare)

At the end of the party, Cross vanished. It was already past midnight and I told everyone to go to bed and clean up in the morning. Everyone needed rest.

With great apprehension, I made my way to the study. I was worried; my self control was already waning and I could smell everything. My behavior was sharper and my actions tense. Being close to Cross in this state, I might hurt him or worse.

Walking in, I smelled him before I saw him. It was dark and I saw his silhouette in front of the fire. He sat on the fur rug and it took all of my restraint not to pounce on him. He was wearing his fluffy hoodie and turned when the door shut behind me. I could see his smile and he waved me over wordlessly. I went over to him.

"Cross, this is dangerous. I don't want to hurt you," I told him as I approached him.

"It's okay, Nightmare," Cross said softly, turning to me, "I'm not afraid or confused this time. I know what you need..."

He stood and I noticed he had no pants. I blushed slightly, panting as my body grew exponentially hotter. He held his jacket over his body and didn't meet my eyes.

"...and I'm prepared to give it to you..."

"What?"

Cross nodded. He opened his jacket, revealing his nude bones in front of me. I reached out, my tentacles coming to life. But I brought it back, looking away.

"P-put you jacket back on, Cross. Y-you d-don't know what you're doing..."

Cross approached me, dropping his jacket, "I do, Nightmare. I know you're in heat. I know you need to mate to cure it. And I don't want you to suffer. So please, Nighty..."

He stopped in front of me, grabbing my hands, "I want you to do what you need to. I don't care what you do to me, so long as you feel better..."

I was panting roughly, using all of my paper-thin restraint. His eyes held no lies and I saw his collar was gone. I didn't know how or why, but I looked at him. This was Cross talking, not the stupid collar. He...he really wanted this?

"Are you..." I swallowed, squeezing his hands, "Are you serious? Do you want this?"

Cross gave me that melting, soft smile. He kissed me softly before pulling away and whispering words that made me snap.

"I want you, Nightmare..."

A small growl escaped me and I grabbed him, shaking as the vestige of my restraint waned. I looked him in the eye but before I could say anything he leaned forward and kissed me passionately.

My hold relaxed and he wrapped his arms around me. We walked towards the fire slightly until we fell onto the thick fur carpet, still kissing passionately. Cross let out a little grunt as we fell but only wrapped his legs around me.

We kissed for a while, Cross opening his mouth willingly for me to explore. I found all his sweet spots, making him melt and moan. He tasted incredible.

My tentacles came alive, helping me strip as I kissed him. Then they explored his body, finding and attacking spots that made him moan louder. Despite his change, he was still new to all this and mewled out in pleasure. But his noises were delectable and I knew not even a new virgin would be better than him. I knew for certain I loved him.

We broke away, panting. Cross's eyes were full of lust as he continued to moan. My tentacles did their work as I growled possessively.

His magic lit up, a beautiful purple color. He formed a male ectobody and his size was sort of big but not as big as mine. Only suitable for my little Cross~

I pulled away, leaving him panting and drooling on the floor. My tentacles tipped his head up, "Are you ready, Crossy~?" I purred.

He nodded quickly, squirming under me. He accidentally ground on me and gasped, repeating it needily as his length rubbed on my leg. Chuckling deeply I ground on him and he gasped again, mewling out, "Nightmare~"

I lost it.

Using my tentacles, I lifted his legs as he mewled and moaned in blind need. Keeping him still, I pressed my length to his rear entrance and he paused. He stiffened as I pressed into him, whining in pain.

"N-night..." he panted, whimpering.

"Wait..." I murmured, kissing his face. I pressed all the way inside and massaged his back, hips, and legs with my tentacles to ease the discomfort. He whimpered and whined, trembling slightly as a few tears escaped his eyes.

"H-hurts..." he looked at me, needing comfort. I nuzzled him, kissing him lightly. He squeezed me, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"I know, I know..." I said softly, nuzzling him more, "It'll go away soon..."

Cross nodded, clinging to me tightly. He panted as he adjusted, his face contorting in pain sometimes. Soon he relaxed somewhat and nodded.

"Y-you can g-go now..." he said breathlessly.

I nodded and gave a small thrust, hearing a responding gasp and stopping.

"N-no, no, please..." Cross was trembling but okay, "D-don't stop...i-it'll get b-better..."

"Okay..."

Carefully, I gave small, short thrusts, earning short, breathy gasps of surprise and pleasure. He slowly relaxed under me, melting and beginning to moan. As he relaxed I slowly sped up, gaining my normal rhythm.

His moans got louder and his spine arched, "Nightmare~"

For once, as I let my heat loose, I felt like I was making love. It was rushed and impassioned and needy, but there was still love here. It felt better and more incredible than anything I've done before and I wanted it and only it for the rest of time. I only wanted Cross.

Soon I was going at a quick pace. Cross was drooling and moaning, nearly screaming as we made love. His member was hard and dripping precum, an enticing sign at how pleasured Cross was.

At a new angle, Cross screamed, "NIGHTMARE!"

Hitting that spot repeatedly made him lose his mind, arching so much it looked painful. His breathing was short and gaspy, his eyes rolling back.

I felt myself grow close and grunted, speeding up into that spot.

Cross shut his eyes, "N-nightmare~ S-someth-thing's g-gonna b-burst!"

Not long after that Cross's voice cracked in a massive scream. His length released onto his chest between us and his entrance squeezed me so much I gasped, seeing stars. I released inside him as he trembled, riding out my orgasm slowly.

Slowing down to a stop we both panted heavily. Cross's eyes were still closed as he caught his breath. I kissed his face slowly, letting him catch it as I caught my own.

"Night..." he said softly, opening his eyes. He caught my face and kissed me softly, pulling away and smiling. He pet my cheek, "My King..."

He closed his eyes and his breathing calmed. It became even and smooth. He had fallen asleep.

Chuckling, I pet his cheek, pulling out and standing. I lifted him with my tentacles and kissed his cheek, "Goodnight, my love..."