Disclaimer: The following is NOT a sanscest oneshot. Well, it's got sanscest in it but- eh, whatever.

Kuro is an alternate Cross that is written very ooc.

Essentially he eats a single negative apple and it FUCKS OVER his personality, body, mind, and soul.

This is his origin.
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It was dark here. The feeling of being there was awful. A horrible pressure that could shove a normal monster or human to their knees, one could barely breathe.

And then, a small light. A door had opened, and the air seemed to alleviate. It was breathable now. "Sir."

A deep, rumbling voice spoke in response, "Cross. What is it? You seem troubled." The figure in the doorway was visible now. They were clad in black and white, with a golden locket hung around their neck, and a red scar.

"These nightmares are out of control, sir. If... if it's my negativity you want, please, anything else is preferable. Lack of sleep leaves me weaker, and less useful to you." Cross answered. A piercing cyan light shone from the dark, and with a snap of unseen fingers, the darkness lifted. Nightmare was there, sitting in a throne. Light filtered in through large windows. It was just the two there, with Geno off to the side.

"Cross,"

"Yes, sir?"

"I haven't been giving you nightmares. You haven't had a single dream nor nightmare in weeks."

The soldier seemed to stiffen, "That's not-"

"That's not right, yes? Cross, are you doubting me? Do you. Believe I would waste my time with such a trivial white lie?" Nightmare's voice seemed almost teasing, amused, but despite that, Cross was shaking.

"No, sir..." Cross went to leave, but Nightmare stopped him.

"Answer me this, Cross. Do you think you're special?"

Cross was scared of Nightmare. That was a fact. "... No, si-"

"You are to address me by my title." Nightmare spoke, cutting off the trembling soldier that stood before him.

"... No, N-Nightmare, I do not think I am special." His voice quavered. Nightmare grinned.

"Then, what are you?"

Without missing a beat, Cross replied, "A tool, Nightmare."

"Now, bearing these facts in mind, Cross... Do you think a tool could ever grasp my plight? The suffering I've endured? I've had enough of it without your meddling. Do you think you, a mortal, could even begin to understand the pain and such I've taken?" Nightmare hissed. Cross shrunk down, flinching lightly. Nightmare had broken through his training, leaving him a shaking, flinching mess. He looked pathetic. He was pathetic.

"N-no, s-...N-Nightmare." He was on the brink of tears, and the king could tell. He loved it when the other cried. Such a rare sight, seeing the stoic face broken and sniveling. But, Nightmare didn't care to see it at the moment.

"Leave my sight." Cross nodded, scrambling to get out of the throne room and back to his own room. He got there... and cried. Sobbed, loudly. He felt so useless, so broken.

"He'll n-never... I'm t-too weak for him to c-care!" Cross sniffled, feeling so weak. He hated that feeling. He hated it, hated it. He wanted to leave, to be out of here.

...

White. White, white, white... Just like his dreams. He teleported, he realized. Where was he...? It was blindingly white. "No... No, no, no, let me- Let me out, I hate the white-! Ugh!" He groaned, furiously wiping at his tears. He needed to ground himself. He grasped for his locket, breathing erratic. Yet, as soon as he grasped the cold, worn metal, he calmed. It was soothing for him. He was okay.

He look about. There was nothing, save for a single withering tree. He approached it, and sat on the stump. Thinking.

He pondered, looking about. Why was this place... somewhat familiar? His eyelights landed upon something black, and it struck his curiosity. He picked it up, and it struck him.

It was a black apple. Sparkling and a beautiful midnight hue.

He was tempted. "... What if? I'd get it. I'd be useful!" He grinned. He was starting to convince himself, talking himself into it. "Maybe he'd even love me..."

He grinned. This was it. He grasped the apple, opened his jaws, and took a bite.

Soon after, he screamed.

He was determined to continue. His soul summoned, white and red, glitching, and the red was glowing. He took another bite even as he screamed and began to cry, even though nothing seemed to be happening. His body was glitching, breaking, his voice corrupting with echoes overlapping layers of his own screams.

The apple core was tossed off, and Cross' soul shattered.

Though, there was something odd... Cross didn't dust. And his soul shards, didn't vanish. He was glitching so much, muttering quickly, "I won't give up, I am filled with determination, I won't give up, I refuse, I won't give up, this can't kill me, I am stronger!" And surely enough, each word he spoke, came true. His body broke and dust was pouring from him, yet he would glitch right back. Unable to die, his eyes, mouth, nose, and other crevices within his body instead began to drip black.

Cross was sobbing the liquid negativity, it was everywhere. But he forced himself to stand, though shakily, and fall once more as his body summoned two, long, writhing tentacles that dragged on the ground. No longer were his clothes white, they only remained as black.

Cross opened a portal, stumbling back through.

He searched, though he didn't need to look for long. Nightmare's angered voiced boomed throughout the castle. "CROSS!!" And this time, instead of fear, the corrupted soldier only felt... ecstasy.

He turned around to meet Nightmare, who had stormed over, and he grinned, "Nightmare!"

"What, have, you, DONE?!" Nightmare roared, tentacles flicking and hitting the wall near Cross. The other gulped,

"I gained your attention-" Nightmare froze. He was livid, and his expression showed it. The king panted, then growled, tentacles sharpening behind him.

"Cross. By the time, I am finished with you, I assure you, your determination will be a curse you'll need to bear as you beg for *death." And with that threat, Nightmare quickly shoved a protesting Cross to the ground, cracking a few ribs and the tiles themselves.

"O-ow, please, st-stop!" Cross begged, trying to free himself. But he couldn't move. Nightmare had him thoroughly pinned. Fear, was what Cross felt. He should have known better. "Please, I- I'm s-sorry-!" His apology was cut off with searing pain, and he could only scream to express it, though that didn't do it any justice. It was the worst pain he'd ever experienced, burning and electrocuting him. He couldn't even tell where it hurt, he just knew that something was hurt.

Cross soon managed to pinpoint the pain, realizing what happened as he did. Nightmare had pierced his tentacle, and the end was writhing on the floor. Cross was choking on his own breathing, unable to cry or scream. "Now, Cross... If I see you, ever again, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

"Y-y-yes N-N-nGhh! S-sir!" Upon Cross' agreement, Nightmare stood up, and tossed Cross out, through a portal. Nightmare didn't care to check where, but Cross saw that he was thrown in front of an elegant castle. He was blacking out, crying weakly for help, and the door opened just as he did.

Shattered. But, he didn't seem happy. He was smiling, but that grin... was a grin of sadistic glee. He looked sickeningly happy. "Cross? Are you awake?" Even his voiced, honeyed with sugar on top, yet he held just about ever horrible and evil intention behind it.

Upon Cross' silence, Shattered hummed, and dragged him in.

Things went rather nicely for a while. Cross became absolutely infatuated with Shattered, seeing as they held common ground regarding their corruption. Shattered helped Cross heal, but the tentacle didn't regrow. Shattered often commented on the spiral within, and Cross liked that. He liked spirals. Dizzying, eternal, spirals.

Cross didn't like his name much anymore, feeling as though it didnt fit him. Black. Void. Kuro. Kuro! He liked that. He was still a nerd, so of course it was a Japanese name.

He learned that he screamed, a lot; he typically only did it in response to extreme emotions, such as joy or fear. Kuro also found that he had wretched mood swings. But, Shattered was willing to help him. So it was okay.

It wasn't until Kuro was allowed on a mission. That's when everything went wrong. They spoke before it, reviewing the plan.

"I have it around my neck," Kuro began. Shattered nodded.

"He won't expect it. Now, just to make sure, you're prepared for the consequences?" Shattered asked once more, expression serious. Though, inside, he grinned. It was wonderful that Kuro was so willing to do this.

"Yes! I'm absolutely sure!" He giggled. Shattered smiled,

"Good. Make sure to pull the pin once you're on him."

Kuro nodded, "Yes, sir!" and held onto the grenade around his neck.

"Remember, Kuro. You're strong. Stronger than Nightmare takes you for. You'll be able to withstand the blast just fine." Shattered spoke, charging up his magic. Kuro nodded, tucking the grenade under his loose shirt.

"Yes, yes! I know! Hehe, this'll show him~" Shattered grinned, opening a portal. Nightmare was waiting, looking irritated. He spotted Kuro, and scoffed,

"Cross." That set him off—Kuro went to hiss and attack Nightmare, but was held back by one of Shattered's tentacles. It squeezed him lightly, reminding him of the small, compact bomb hidden in his shirt. He calmed, but still glared at at Nightmare.

Shattered opened with an attack, and while Nightmare was distracted, Kuro ran up to him. Shattered immediately withdrew until he was a safe distance away. Nightmare went to block, seeing as he expected Kuro to have a knife, but instead... Kuro was latched onto his torso... with a pin in his mouth. He grinned, and Shattered followed suit,

"Checkmate, sir." The grenade exploded.

Nightmare and Kuro screamed. Nightmare shoved Kuro off of him and made his escape, all while Kuro began to cry. Shattered snapped, running towards him and reassuring him that he did well. Shattered swore—why did he care so damn much?

He carefully tended to Kuro with an expression he used to fake. One of care, and a gentle nature. He picked up Kuro carefully, walking him through a portal. Setting him on a beg, Shattered began to tend to Kuro's burns. It was hard, and lasted hours. Kuro cried through most of it.

Shattered finished, and stood. Kuro weakly asked if he did well, and Shattered felt his heart be stabbed. He pulled on a shaky smile and told Kuro the he did wonderfully. The soldier seemed to smile at that, and laughed lightly. Shattered left the room, and Kuro fell asleep.

The next few weeks consisted of Shattered fussing and spoiling Kuro. Kuro liked it, but kept asking when his next mission would be. Shattered avoided that question, and so the tension would build.

Kuro kept pestering Shattered, until he snapped and yelled, "I'm scared you'll be hurt again!" Kuro froze. He was silent.

"... Why? Didn't you say that-"

"Kuro, damn it, I didn't care then! But I care now, and I need you to be okay! For more than just- Just- missions! I need you okay because I can't imagine going back to that crippling loneliness, Kuro..."

"I- I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't realize..."

"Kuro?"

"Yes, sir?"

"If it doesn't bother you, would you... call me Shattered?" Kuro froze at that. It sounded exactly like Nightmare's command. He couldn't- he couldn't do that, it was too close.

"... No :). I won't. But! I'll TOTALLY find a nickname for you!"

Shattered laughed, "Okay. That works too."

And that was that. They fessed their love later, Kuro calling Shattered "Bee" because, "Bees are cute, yellow, and black! And YOU'RE cute, yellow, and black!"

But, there's always a shadow looming in the background. Waiting. Planning.

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1,970 words

~Bery