Killer's POV

I charge through a portal at Color, putting a knife to his neck.

"What did you do to my Nighty?"I growl

"Gave him karma."He says with a grin

"CONTEXT. NOW!"I snap

"He corrupted you and ruined your life, so I'm simply returning the favor. He is trapped in a tall tower with no way of escape or ability to open portals. He will stay there for at least 50 years. He will be surrounded with things he hates like children and bullies that I revived in his AU. And every minute he is there, his soul will be corrupted like yours. By the time he gets out, if he gets out, he will be a shell of himself and unable to do any harm. Perhaps by then you will be free from his influence."He says

I wanted so badly to kill him but that will just worsen things for Nighty or make a reason for Color to continue in his mind. So I beat him up a bit and left him instead, hoping to locate Nighty sooner than 50 years. But I know time isn't on my side.

Nightmare's POV 9 years later

My chains rattled, being the only noise I could hear. I was trapped with my thoughts. And after a while, my thoughts went to darker topics or times. I could feel my soul getting painfully getting reshaped, which reminded me of my mistakes. I did this to Killer. I hurt him with his soul. This is terrible pain to be put through. I should've never done it. I could hear footsteps coming closer. I see my former bullies return. Yeah somehow Color brought them here.

"What? Here to beat me up again?"I say, losing the ability to care

They nod but then a crobar slams each of them on the heads. The bullies fleeA few kids run into my room and break me free from the chains.

"We got you Unclemare!"One says

"Unclemare?"I say

"Oh right, you probably don't know us. Well come with us and we'll keep you safe. We are trapped here just like you."He says

I take his hand and he leads me away to another room down a spiraling staircase. The bullies followed us but then got swarmed by a crowd of kids around me.

The boy who spoke to me pulled me back as they all began yelling and charging at the bullies. I didn't have a clue who these kids were or why they were helping me but I was grateful to them. One boy grabbed the bullies with tentacles and threw them out the window. That's a long drop.

After that, the boy that called me Unclemare introduced himself as Palette, a nephew of mine in another timeline. Then he introduced over three dozens of other children that were also nephew and nieces like Lux or Faith. Others were a ton of alternate of kids I had with various people like Crescent, Ghastly, Radier,Ordeal, Vision, Navy, etc.

"We were all thrown in here by that Color guy and we don't have a clue why."Radier says

"Well I know he sent me here as a punishment....for past mistakes."I say

I went into another room once hearing a baby crying. I find a baby there.

"Who is this?"I ask, scooping the baby up and soothing them

Ghastly, Palette and another kid come over to soothe baby too.

"That's Magnus, Ghastly's brother. Color took him too."Palette says

"Is he alright?"I ask

Palette nods.

"You don't seem so mean.....What kind of Nightmare are you?"He asks

"What do you mean?"I ask

"You don't seem like the type of Nightmare who is pure evil. You seem more like the misjudged type."He says

"Well, I've been trying to change so I dunno where I'd fall on the spectrum. Who gave you that beanie?"I ask, noticing that he put on a brown beanie

"It's from my best friend Goth. Nobody has a clue that I'm here."He says

I nod, understanding.

I step back and sit in a chair. The kids come, circling around me and chatting. They told me their stories, how their lives go and how their family behaves. Some didn't have good relationships or had to put up with horrible parents. Even violent families. I told them that they could always come to my home when we get out of here if needed to. Like a visit or to escape their troubles. I told them that I'd protect them as my own. Some were skeptical.

"Do you even have kids?"One asks

"Yes, I have an adorable son named Triton."I say, showing a picture that I keep in my pocket

That convinced them and they thanked me, considering the offer.

"So...How do we get out of here now that we found everyone?"Radier asks

It goes silent and all of them glance at each other, seeming uncertain.

"Well, knowing Color, he'd probably assume that people would try complex and daring escapes with magic and stuff. But that means he probably didn't guard or cover for the simplest of ways out. Perhaps, given that assumption, we should just go to the bottom floor and walk out the door."I suggest

"Ya know that does sound reasonable."Crescent says

"Yeah, a wise person did say that the best solutions are the simplest but unexpected."Palette says

"But that's a lot of stairs!"Another kid whines

I feel a pain in my chest and then overwhelming agony take over me. I shut my eyes and when I opened them, my body was taken over with goop. I was in my other form but not willingly and couldn't summon tentacles. I now had an emptier feeling within me. It was like I was losing myself. I am lacking the ability to care but now starting to lose my emotions. Thoughts went through my mind without a care or feeling attatched to any of them. I shake my head.

I won't break! I won't lose myself again! Color won't win this! I will not return to those ways! Things are sure to worsen, but I refuse to let it take me down!

"Are you alright?"Palette asks

I get taken out of my thoughts to see him and the other kids looking at me with concern.

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine! Let's take the fun way down then!"I say, handing Magnus to Ghastly

I lead them to the staircase and hop on the railing.

"Come on!"I say, then slide down it

The kids followed my lead and we reach the bottom within minutes. Sure enough, there is a door and we got through it to the great freedom of the outdoors.

"All of you go to your homes. I'm sure someone is worried about you."I tell them as soon as we got out, knowing that given my conditions they could be in danger

They all nod, thanking me and leaving through portals. Except for Palette, who seemed even more worried now.

"Unclemare, I am not going anywhere no matter what you say. I will get you to YOUR home and ensure that you get help. Clearly something is wrong."He says

"I appreciate the worry but you really should go. You'll just put yourself in danger for someone you hardly know."I tell him

"I don't care! You clearly are not okay! You are a good Unclemare and a good person, I can tell! I won't let you get hurt if I can do anything about it! Now tell me what is wrong."He insists

"O-Okay.....Color is making my soul change which is having an impact on me. I'm losing the ability to care or feel. He is making me into a soulless or emotionless monster, which could put others in danger and would make me fall under the evil Nightmare category. That's why I sent everyone to their homes. I don't want that to happen."I say, showing my soul

He looks at me in even more concern. It is extremely out of shape, shaped like an apple core.

"Well I'm getting you to your home, Unclemare. We're going to find a solution."He says

I felt a spark of hope or determination. I nod.

"Let's go then....And thank you....For staying."I say

We march away from the tower through a dark forest. After a while we were just wandering since we had no clue where to go or how far we were from my home. We would chat and he took care of me with the pains and shifts in my soul. We'd sit at night to rest for a while under the shelter of some trees.

A few nights later we woke up very early and kept moving forward, knowing the clock is ticking and my soul could fall apart if Color wishes for it to eventually happen. The sun slowly rose, showing that time is passing. Then a voice calls out. One I hardly recognized after my soul was manipulated so much.

"NIGHTY!"The voice yells

I glance around and see Killer coming right towards me. My soul pounds, alarmed and not expecting to see him. What was I supposed to tell him? Soon enough he was right in front of me with a hand on my cheek, his eye-lights glowing dimly on his grim face. I started crying as soon as our eyes met.

"K-Killer! W-What are you doing here?"I ask

"I've been searching for you. Color said he trapped you for an intended 50 years, how are you out?"He asks

"H-He left the door unlocked. Once some bullies were handled, it was a simple exit."I say

"What did he do to you, Nighty? Why do you have eye streaks like mine?"He asks

"Killsy, he is trying to make me pay for everything I did. He is reshaping my soul like I used to do with you. This is simply part of the change. Killer, I am so sorry I put you through this pain so many times. You wondered why I would love you but the real question is why do you love me? After everything I put you through, why do you love me? I don't deserve it Killer! I love you but I don't deserve it! I don't deserve anything for what I did to anyone!"I tell him, weeping

He leans in closely, kissing me. I saw his cheeks redden but I hardly felt anything. He held me in the kiss for a few minutes, as if waiting for a reaction. But it did not come. If anything, I only cried more. He breaks away and smiles a bit.

"Because you said it yourself. That wasn't you. You weren't in the right mindset or state. You weren't yourself and I helped bring you back. Nighty, you don't even realize how great you are. I love you because you are very special to me and I can't see myself losing you. You deserve everything I give you. Don't try to deny that. I don't care what others say or think, you are my precious Nighty and nothing will change that."He tells me

"Awww! this is the sweetest timeline I've seen for you, Unclemare!"Palette coos

I look at him and see him smiling, his eyes large hearts as he watches us.

"Unclemare?"Killer repeats

I felt a pain in my soul again. I knew it was bad.

"This is Palette. He was a nephew from another timeline. He as well as other kids were stuck with me and saved me from the bullies that Color somehow revived. Speaking of Color, Killsy...This won't end well. Color is messing with my soul and changing it to punish me for what I did to you, probably thinking that he is defeating me. But by doing this, I am losing myself again. He is making me into that version of myself again. The one that was cruel and careless and hurt you as well as others. If this continues, I'm going to lose myself again. But I REFUSE to let myself hurt any of you. Go back home, round everyone up and evacuate. And I mean everyone. Triton, Xavior, Dream, Blue, Error, Ink, all of them. I am not putting anyone at risk and that will be the first place I will go when I lose control. And don't go to predictable places like your AUs or something because that will make it easier for me to catch you guys. Please, I love you guys too much for something bad to happen. I don't want your blood on my hands."I tell him

"What? There has to be another way! Another scenario! Right?"He says, his eyes pleading for another answer, possibly a better one

"It's either that or he has my soul break apart. He certainly has that ability at this rate. Chances are obvious with it resulting in my death, but that means all of you will be safe. Let's face it Killer, Color won't simply undo it if we ask nicely."I say

"Let me see your soul. Maybe I can fix it."He says

That got my face to burn. There's only one other time he truly messed with my soul as much as he is implying. Like with how he pleasured my soul in the tavern. I'm going to mentally and emotionally fall apart if he does. He gives me a pleading look. I glance at Palette and he grins. I look back at Killsy and show him my soul. His eye-lights shrink at the sight of it.

"Nighty...."He says in disbelief

"I read a note when I was trapped from Color saying that he will keep tearing it apart until I have nothing left but a soul to remind me of how useless I am...."I say, bowing my head

He grabs my soul within a few seconds. I flinched from the sensitivity. He pulls me closer and tries to morph my soul back to normal. My soul races and my face becomes a blushing mess. I grip him tightly, muffling myself by pressing against his shoulder. Then, I felt the worst pain I've ever felt. I peek at my soul to see that Killer stopped touching it but it was crippling and breaking.

"K-K-Killsy...."I whimper, everything turning black

But my soul didn't seem to break. I could hear everyone and everything.

"Palette! There you are!"A voice says

"Gothy! H-How-?"Palette begins

"I've been looking for you! I-"Goth begins

"NIGHTY!!!"I hear Killsy yell in pure pain and heartbreak

I could tell he was crying. I open my eyes, finding that I was in a spirit form that nobody else could see. Obviously with how I was right in front of Palette but he had no reaction. I look at Killer and he is on his knees, crying his eye-sockets out, weeping out words that could hardly be understood. He was tightly clutching onto something in his hands.

"What's wrong with him?"Goth asks

"I met a nice Unclemare that he's in love with. A mean Color Sans manipulated them, leading to Unclemare's death."Palette says

"Hmmm, what was the shape of his soul beforehand?"Goth asks

"An apple core, why?"He asks

"I think I can work with that."Goth replies

Goth approaches Killer.

"Do you have his soul in those hands of yours?"Goth asks

Killer looks at him and unfolds his hands to reveal the pieces of my soul looking like a crushed apple core. Most of the soul was fading. Goth picks up the smallest but longest lasting piece that was shaped like an apple seed. He surrounds the piece with some magic, then puts it in the ground. He covers it with dirt and pats it gently.

"What did you do?!"Killer cries

"Life, a friend of my father, taught me a trick. A soul that is shaped like a naturally grown food like fruit or veggie, can be planted with a special spell and it will grow like the food does but brings the soul's owner back. They will be encased in the crop to heal, but when the time is right, they will be freed to continue their life."Goth explains

Killer looks at the ground.

"This isn't too far from your home, is it?"Goth asks

Killer shakes his head no.

"What am I supposed to say to his son?"He whimpers

Goth and Palette look at each other.

"We'll come with you. He may like some fellow children around after getting the news."Goth says

They each leave.

A lot of time seemed to pass. I couldn't go anywhere with my soul in the dirt. The skies rained, snowed,shined, thundered, and twinkled over a routine of time. Eventually a sapling began to grow out of the ground. I hear a familiar whistle of a good friend of mine. I see Horror stroll by but stop once seeing the new sapling. I know that he has a new hobby of gardening. He smirks, then runs off excitedly. He returns with gardening supplies. From that moment on he would come by everyday to water, fertilize the ground, prune the sapling, scare off any animals trying to dig it up, and care for it until it grew into a big healthy apple tree bearing various apples. It also held me inside with the seed-like piece of my soul. He'd smile proudly once this was done, sitting against the trunk and just talking to himself for a bit. I doubted that the tree would grow if it were not for him.

I learned that I could control the tree in little ways. I could decide what makes the apples, when the leaves drop, stretch the roots and move the branches. I decided one day to test something. I made a special set of apples grow in the tree one spring evening and Horror arrived minutes later. He gazed up in confusion, clearly seeing the purple apples hanging in the tree among red apples. I lower a branch down to his reach, allowing him to pluck one off. He sniffs it, examining it, then dared to take a bite. He fell backwards, holding his head and I know exactly why. I ensured that apple was filled with all the memories he and I shared. He sat up quickly.

"No freaking way!"He says, leaping to his feet

He presses up against the tree, as if trying to see in.

"Nightmare is that you in there? Give me a sign!"He says

I have a branch pat him on the head, the smaller twigs extending from it acting like the fingers of an actual hand.

"Well that surely is new. The sign! Nightmare! It is you!"He cheers

A realization seemed to hit him and he ran off with the apple.

But after that day he returned frequently, sitting against the trunk and just talking. He gave me updates on things or told me random things. I enjoyed every minute.

"I'm sorry I haven't told anyone but they'd probably find me crazy if I told them. Well, crazier. Are you healing in there? Are you coming out anytime soon?"He tells me

I have the branches sway towards the left, a signal we made that means that I understand. I lower a branch at tap his skull, signaling yes to his questions.

"Awesome! We all miss ya bud! But....Your son doesn't have a clue. He got stuck in the crossfire of one of Xavior and Fell's fights before Killer came with the news that Color did something to you....Before your considered death....He's just a soul that Error is restoring with his son's help. Everyone took the news hard though.....Dream and Killer have both isolated themselves seperately...."He says, his smile fading

He fell silent. Then he got up.

"You better come back. Or I dunno what any of them will do in their states."He says

He leaves. He didn't visit me for a while. By the time he returned, 90% of my soul had recovered as if it grew back. I signal to him that I may be free from this tree soon. He smiled widely. Then he got an idea. He left and returned with a basket.

"Maybe it's time for them to know as well."He says

I grin. I lower a few branches with four apples. the first branch had memories with Xavior, Triton, Error, and Gradient. The second had memories with Dust, Fell, X!Chara, and Dream. The third had memories with Palette, Killer, Blue, Ink and Outer. He plucks them off the branch and tucks them in the basket. He asked which is which and I did my best to signal each one. He grins, noticing Cross was left out and understood why.

"I'll get these to them."He says, then runs off with a basket full of apples

He did not return the next few days. My soul finished healing and the tree basically shoved me out of it when this happened. I look up at the tree to see it now was rapidly growing apples of various colors. I noticed a blue one and curiously took it. Then I bit it. I got hit with a ton of Blue's memories. I smiled, realizing that the tree that I was in has now become a tree of memories. And this was the first time I saw what I was wearing. I had this long purple scarf that acted like a cloak on with a lavender shirt underneath. I had navy blue pants with indigo boots. I glance around, checking my soul again. It is back to normal. I notice one of Horror's baskets laying nearby and pick it up. I know there isn't going to be an apple for Goth at home since I didn't make memories with him but he saved my life with his trick. I look up at the tree and notice a special apple. It had a mix of colors between yellow and green on one half and red with white on the other. I pluck it off the branch, examining it. I saw for a moment the words Palette and Goth appear on it but then fade. I grin, placing it in the basket. Maybe giving Goth memories he has or shares with his best friend will be a nice sign of thanks.

I'm finally coming home.

I close my cloak around myself and pull up the hood. I stroll down the path Horror usually takes to get back home to the castle. Soon, it came into my sight. I run towards it as quickly as I could. I then realized that I don't have my keys. So, I knocked and just had to hope that amongst all the chaos that usually happens inside that someone comes to the door. I leaned against a wall beside the door after a little bit. Nobody answered. I knock a little harder and louder but didn't get much as a result. Then of course it starts to rain. A storm was brewing.

"Hello? Is anyone awake in there?"I call out

No answer.

The storm was getting worse and I noticed windows on higher floors were shutting due to this. I shake my head. They take the time to shut windows for a storm but not answer the door.

"Guys?"I yell over the storm

The door finally opens. Horror. He looks at me in alarm.

"Oh stars, how long have you been out there?"He asks

I shrug.

"Around as long as this storm has brewed. I didn't have my keys so I knocked."I say

"Uuugh, the others suck at checking on entrances! Color has nearly intruded this place 3 times in the last few days by coming through windows! I am so sorry Nightmare that they didn't check sooner."He says, pulling me inside

I shrug.

"Didn't really surprise me. I know how chaotic things in here can get."I say as he shuts the door, locking it

I take off my now soaking wet cloak and hang it up to dry.

"On another note, they will be so happy to have you back and you know it!"He says

"Did they eat the apples?"I ask

He shakes his head no.

"Only Triton and Palette did. But I still have them lined up and labeled for anyone who wants to try it. Both of them were amazed and enjoyed the so-called memory apples. Speaking of which, what do you have there?"He replies, noticing the apple

"After I got out of the tree, it grew with triple the leaves at least. But they weren't just my memories, they were happy memories of anyone I've come in contact with. This is one with Palette and Goth's memories. I thought since they saved me this could show my thanks.Well, along with you. Thanks, Horror."I say

"How did they save you? How did I help?"He asks

"Well, Palette got me out of Color's trap and tried to get me home before Color's tricks got worse. But when they worsened, making my soul break apart, Goth planted a piece of my soul to bring me back. Color's mistake was making my soul like an apple. You helped by coming along and making the sapling grow. Cause I doubt it would've survived if it weren't for your care. So thank you, Horror."I say with a grin

He hugs me tightly. He actually broke down crying and speaking things that I could hardly understand.

"It's so good to have you back."He says

I soothe him and comfort him until he calmed down. He goes upstairs to rest, already having tried to tell the others about my return but unwilling to be called a liar again. I see the apples lined up on the counter as Horror said they were. I set the apple down and put a paper in front of it to label it. I hear running footsteps.

"Mama!"A voice yells

I look over to see Triton running towards me. He doesn't look like he aged a day, let alone a decade! He runs toward me and hugs me.

"You're back! You're okay! I am so happy! It's so good to have you home, Mama!"He cheers

I smile at him.

"It's good to be home."I say

"Can we snuggle?"He asks

I nod. I carry him upstairs but heard the sounds of doors and floors creaking. Then dead quiet. Within seconds I was tackled back down the stairs and thrown to the couch. I hug Triton tightly, my eyes shut. I slowly open my eyes to see I was surrounded by my friends. Dust, Error, Blue, Ink, Fell, Xavior and Palette. I look at them and see they are looking at me with joy.

"Nightmare! You're back!"They cheer

I nod with a grin.

"YOOO! Horror was right! In your face, Cross!"X!Chara could be heard yelling

Goth comes over with a grin.

"Goth, thank you for what you did."I say

Everyone echoes the thanks to him.

"I brought an apple full of memories for you."I mention to him

"Memory apples?"Dust says

"Yeah, Horror brought some here too. The tree grew apples with memories inside."I say

Goth goes to the kitchen to check it out while the others snuggle Triton and I. Some of them were crying and I was trying to comfort them.Goth returns with the apple, already taking a second bite out of it. His face burns up. Palette gets up and hugs him.

"Are you okay, Gothy?"He asks

Goth nods. Palette takes the other half the apple and takes a bite. He looks at Gothy with a small grin.

"Gothy, you are very special to me."He says

Goth faints and Palette scoops him up. He looks over to me. I smirk. Clearly there is more to the story with them. More than just friends.

I grin as the two head upstairs, Palette having a big grin on his face.

"I'm off to snuggle him!"He says

I grin.

"Wait! Uncle Dream! Let's go tell him the news!"Triton says, tearing me out of the group snuggles

He drags me upstairs and happily breaks the door to Dream's room open. He was asleep but jolted awake, looking over. His jaw drops. His hands flew to his face and tears filled his eyes. He ran to me, hugging me tightly. He cried and I sat down while comforting him. I was just taking in the feeling of hugging him again, something I thought I never would do again. He eventually settles down and looks at me.

"You need to see Killer. I'm worried about him. He hasn't taken the loss very well."He says

"I thought you didn't like him."I say, shocked that he is concerned about Killer

"But I saw how much he genuinely loved you and how hard he worked to find you. He really needs to know that you're okay before he does something stupid."He tells me

I nod.

"Now...Triton. Let's chat."He says

I head down the hall to Killer's room. I find the door locked and even barricaded on the other side. I could feel the weight against it.

"Killsy? Are you in there?"I say

No response.

"Killsy, I know you're in there. I've heard from the others how you isolated yourself. They're worried about you. Can I come in? I want to see you."I tell him

Silence.

I lean against the door.

"Goth's trick worked, Killer. I'm back. You can thank Horror for taking care of it. Let me see you and I can prove it to you."I say

Nothing. I sigh and try to think of a solution. I recall another secret way into his room and smirk. I go next door to my room and walk through my closet. I shift some bricks on one wall to reveal another closet on the other side. I simply walk through it and pop out of the closet, now in Killer's room. I find him curled up in his bed, hugging a pillow with one of my jackets and shirts on him. It was what I would wear in my hostile form often so it was huge on him but to me he looked adorable. He had the hood over his head and the collar of the shirt lifted up over his nose as if to take in a scent. Tears were still in his eyes as he seemed to rest. I come over to him, checking his soul. I see that it was mishaped, looking like a flat and bent tin can. it has been bent and disfugured horribly. I see his hand was squeezing it to cause this. I grab his wrist.

"Killer, what do you think you're doing?!"I snap at him

He jolts at the sound of my voice and opens his eyes.

"N-Nighty?"He whimpers

"Answer me Killer."I order, seeing how he trembles in pain

He looks at my clothes on him.

"I-I-I l-like wearing-"He stutters

"NOT the clothes! Your soul!"I snap

He looks at my hand holding his wrist with his distorted soul.

"I wanted to learn how to fix a soul in case I ever had to help yours again....Nighty...I...."He says, breaking into more tears

I pull him close and rub his back gently. He looks up at me, pulling me close and I wipe his tears gently as I slip my boots off. His face gets dusted with a red shade.

"Nighty..."He says softly

"I think someone needs a reminder about love and self-care.~"I say, wrapping my arms around him

He looks up at me, his face now a brighter red. His hands were shaking as he rested against me.

"W-What are you going to do?"He asks

I lower the collar of the shirt from his nose so I could access his mouth. I tug at it, pulling him into a kiss. I gently grab his soul, reshaping it to a proper shape while his noises are muffled by the kiss. It glows brightly once fixed.

"Treat yourself with love and care because you are loved too much to go through pain."I say

He wraps his arms around my neck and pulls me back into a kiss. It quickly deepens and he was very passionate in it, pulling me as close as he could to hold me in a loving kiss. My soul races and face burns. I felt him pulling my clothes off. What the?! He is escalating this!

My face was burning extremely as he ends the kiss and I find that I'm naked.

"K-Killsy?"I say as he slowly, gently strokes my bones like my ribs and spine

He looks at me and smirks. He pins me down to the bed, positioning himself over me. He could see how flustered and vulnerable I am in this position. He slowly slides his finger down each bone of my body, sending tingles throughout it. He had me hold onto his neck and he was on top of me so I couldn't move my legs.

"Killsy....Where is this going?"I ask, trembling and somehow extremely sensitive to his touch

He notices this and leans close to my face, his eye-lights flickering on and shining as he stares at me.

"I'm just reminding you how precious you are to me. I've missed you so much, my little moonlight."He coos, picking me up

"W-W-What are y-y-you-?"I begin

"You're very stiff, probably from being trapped for so long. I'm just going to give you a bath so your joints could loosen up."He says, putting me on a toilet in the bathroom attatched to his room.

He starts to fill the tub with water and even fills it with bubbles. Then he gently sets me into it. My body instantly relaxed and I sank into the water. He watches me with a gentle gaze, smiling. He tried to gently bend my arms or legs to loosen them and he softly sprinkles kisses on my face. Then he left to check on everyone else, curious about noises outside his room. I finally got some time to think and take in what happened. It was so relaxing to be back home.

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TBC