arplenoon

-Manically, the creature writhed, grabbing its head before focusing on Killer again. "Now... You and Horror and Dust get to live a normal, happy life! Isn't that soooo precious! Oh wait? Nooo? If that's true, then how are you back here, tangled up right between my roots? Well, I'll tell you!"

Leaning in close, Nightmare whispered, wheezing in Killer's ear. "You... don't... Have to die... For me to replace you. Keep running! Keep escaping all you like! Make it a game for all I care! How many Killers can you make escape me!? But every time you do..."

Nightmare's hand gripped Killer's jaw, the hatred on his bones burning the skeleton where it touched. "You'll come right back here. It's a fifty-fifty coin toss if your consciousness remains in the free body... Or... If you come right back into my loving embrace... And each time you escape me... You will remember how you failed."

Frozen in terror, Killer's sight was locked with Nightmare's. Of course. Of course, they should have known. Unable to think, unable to feel, Killer smirked, then laughed. He laughed louder, and louder until his voice began to crack.

This caught Nightmare off guard until his brow furrowed in annoyance, grabbing at Killer's throat with his hand. "What's so funny?"

"I knew it! I knew it... You would come back for me! You would always come back for me!" Killer smiled manically. "I'm... so... happy... You still want me..."

Apparently, this is not what Nightmare wanted to hear.

Lifting Killer into the air, the force of Nightmare's roots slammed him down on the ground. The air knocked out of him, Killer stopped laughing as he felt his spine sting like fire. The roots burrowed under his clothes and around each of his joints, preparing to torture him further.

Squinting in pain, and yet... he couldn't wipe that stupid grin off his face. Was he really happy this way? Well, the grin seemed to think so. Everything was right and everything was wrong all at the same time.

As Nightmare arched over his "loyal" companion, he placed a finger to the top of Killer's nose. "If there's one thing I want you to remember next time you try to leave, next time you try to disobey or disappoint me, let it be this: Cross is never coming back. Cross is dead because of you. And Crescent... My Crescent... is also dead because of your foolishness. Never forget what you've taken from me, Killer. Their demise was because of you." -

This final segment for Dreamtale Emanipated, in which Nightmare is being mutated by his overwhelming emotions, I see being said with the same tone as AM's hate monologue: