*But Something Changed

Dusttale by Ask-Dusttale

Outertale by 2mi127

Underfell by underfell

okay so I’m gonna use most of brain energy for the tags and junk uh. Was gonna say more buttttttttt tired lol. Was also gonna shade more and just make this look better in general but oh noses that’s not happening. It looks fine now at least.Take this away as I go to my slumber chamber ye

First, I'd like to talk about the school Cross attends. In my mind, it's a place where people from all across the multiverse can study. Most of the students are either people who can't attend school in their own universe due to personal circumstances, or people who no longer even have a universe to return to.

Because of that, I think the school wouldn't be particularly strict about verifying where people come from, and its administrative procedures would probably be fairly relaxed as well. There are plenty of people who simply can't prove their origins at all. That doesn't mean there aren't concerns about it, but I imagine the belief that children should still be given an opportunity to learn would ultimately outweigh those concerns. In a way, it's a school built on the kindness of many people despite the chaos surrounding it.

Maybe because of that, I think the atmosphere of the school itself would be fairly positive. Not every student would be perfectly well-adjusted after everything they've been through, of course, but there would be dedicated teachers working there who haven't forgotten the purpose behind the school's creation. They would try not to pry too much into the children's pasts while still giving them plenty of care and attention. If necessary, they might even connect them with child psychologists or counselors.

That's exactly why Nightmare chose this school for Cross. Cross knew he wanted to complete his education, but he didn't know much about the multiverse itself.

Nightmare's attention was drawn to several aspects of the school: its somewhat lax administration, the fact that most students came from complicated backgrounds and therefore weren't pressed too hard about their personal lives, and the fact that individuals optimistic to the point of foolishness occupied most of the important positions. They also had a strong dislike for those who advocated strict background screening. Because of that, Nightmare concluded that even if Cross raised a few suspicions, they would be far more likely to protect him than investigate him.

Cross agreed immediately after hearing Nightmare's list of advantages. Nightmare hated positive things. If he described something in such an unflattering way, it usually meant it was probably good news for someone normal like Cross. Of course, Cross probably would have agreed even if Nightmare had somehow managed to pick the worst option imaginable.

Unfortunately, those same qualities also made it difficult for Cross to maintain a cold and distant image at school. Cross was the type of person who got lonely easily and craved attachment, and the teachers always treated him with understanding and offered him sincere praise. They worried about his stiff attitude and lack of social connections, and sometimes carefully asked questions about his guardian. Almost as though they were worried he might be living in an abusive situation.

Cross didn't completely dislike that attention, but it made him uncomfortable as well. The thought that their kindness could easily lead to a serious problem frightened him. Nightmare didn't treat them cruelly enough to raise obvious concerns, but everyone in the castle knew what kind of "games" he usually played outside with Killer.

Interacting with other students was difficult for Cross as well. Most of them had experienced some kind of tragedy in their own universes, and whenever he heard those personal stories, he couldn't stop wondering how many of those disasters Nightmare might have contributed to.

Still, Cross felt relieved that his boss never had to hear the blunt criticism that often accompanied those stories. Even if Nightmare wouldn't care in the slightest—or might even enjoy hearing that negativity—Cross still didn't want him to hear those things.

Cross was an emotionally sensitive person, and because of that, school was stressful for him in a lot of ways. To be completely honest, he seriously considered dropping out more than once. Nightmare wouldn't care either way. But Cross didn't want to quit something once he'd started it. He had always been the kind of person who stubbornly pushed through things out of sheer determination. Besides, studying suited him well enough.

That's also why this particular incident affected Cross so strongly. The bottled-up emotions, the outburst, being called into the office, and now even a guardian conference—it all hit him at once.

After the previous incident, Cross had calmed down for a while, but as the day of the conference approached, he found himself becoming anxious all over again. He was even shaking his leg during breakfast. It got so bad that Killer eventually kicked him and told him to cut it out. Being scolded for fidgeting by someone who could never sit still himself was honestly a little humiliating, but Cross was far too nervous to get angry about it.

Cross had been vibrating like a phone on silent until Nightmare finally appeared to accompany him to school. Half of it was an effort not to embarrass himself in front of his boss, and the other half was simple surprise.

Nightmare looked completely different from usual. He had taken the form of a beast-like monster covered in black fur, dressed in something close to a clean and stylish suit. His pointed ears stood tall, and his long, glossy tail moved naturally as though it were real. He was only slightly larger than usual, seemingly by design. Standing beside him, Cross still looked young, but not so small that he appeared helpless.

Cross almost mistook him for a completely different person at first, but the familiar cold eye turning toward him was enough to bring him back to reality. Nightmare asked if there were any features he should emphasize more, and Cross quickly searched his memory for a few careless comments he had made in the past. Nightmare adjusted his appearance several more times based on those descriptions and checked again to make sure everything matched.

Watching the process, Cross found himself feeling a strangely childish sort of curiosity. At that moment, it genuinely felt like Nightmare would transform into absolutely anything if Cross asked him to. Cross kept reminding himself that this was the sort of thing Killer would do, not him, but he still couldn't stop sneaking curious glances in Nightmare's direction.

Nightmare seemed to notice what he was thinking and rolled his eye, but chose not to comment. Cross wasn't Killer, after all. He had no desire to create a second mortal who spent every spare moment causing trouble.

Even while they were traveling, Cross kept glancing over at Nightmare with obvious curiosity. Every time their eyes met, though, he would flinch. Most of that came from the fact that Nightmare's new appearance looked far more intimidating than his usual one. The bright teal eye visible beneath that form was almost frightening, and after noticing Cross's constant nervous reactions, Nightmare eventually changed his eye color to purple. The calmer shade softened some of the intimidation, and only then was Cross finally able to meet his gaze without startling.

Anyway, after a number of small complications, they eventually arrived at the school. Curious stares followed them wherever they went, and for someone who had always been a model student, simply showing up at school with a guardian felt embarrassingly conspicuous to Cross. At the same time, though, there was a subtle sense of excitement mixed into that embarrassment. Maybe it was because, for once, he didn't have to keep hiding his guardian from everyone around him.

Guardians and children being from different species wasn't unusual at this school. Nobody particularly questioned Nightmare's presence, but there was still something about his appearance that made people instinctively shrink back. When he entered the conference room alongside Cross, Cross's teacher briefly studied him as if trying to gauge what kind of person he was before politely beginning the conversation. Around that point, Cross started to realize that the intimidating appearance had probably been chosen deliberately to establish a sense of control from the very beginning.

The conference itself went surprisingly smoothly. What began as praise for Cross's usual behavior and academic performance gradually shifted toward concerns about his recent actions and careful attempts to learn more about his home environment. Cross shifted uncomfortably in his seat whenever he noticed the teacher directing another concerned glance his way. His boss had succeeded in taking control of the conversation, but in some ways it felt like he had only made their worries worse.

Even so, Cross wasn't particularly worried. He had already reported every detail of the incident to his boss, and aside from that, he had never really caused problems at school. His social life might be a different story, but Cross was fairly certain that was the one topic his boss cared the least about.

What interested Cross far more was the fact that his boss was answering the teacher's questions completely normally. He was somewhat blunt, but not cold, and he calmly explained what Cross was like at home.

Nightmare explained that frequent business trips kept him from spending long periods of time with the children, and that Cross had naturally matured early because he had several younger siblings to look after. Cross had complained about his troublesome housemates often enough before, and even to him, the explanation sounded surprisingly natural.

On top of that, Nightmare casually listed various habits Cross showed around the castle without needing to think about them at all. Things like always being the first one to arrive at meals and setting out the dishes, quietly tidying up anything left lying around, or going for a run whenever he felt stressed.

He clearly knew a great deal about Cross, but he never spoke in a way that suggested constant surveillance. Instead, he sounded like a guardian who paid steady attention to a child despite being busy, without crossing the line into being overly controlling.

Cross gradually realized that Nightmare was carefully controlling exactly how much information he revealed. Killer often came back from outings with the boss talking about how entertaining Nightmare could be when he decided to talk, but Cross rarely participated in those situations himself. In fact, this was probably the longest conversation he had ever heard Nightmare carry on. He had to consciously stop himself from staring and maintained perfect posture instead. Even if he couldn't help, the last thing he wanted was to ruin whatever his boss was trying to accomplish.

Thinking about it, Cross had almost never spent time alone with Nightmare before. Since being brought to the castle, this was probably the longest period they had ever spent together without anyone else around. Because of that, he paid unusually close attention to Nightmare's behavior, and gradually realized that every gesture, every expression, and every word was being chosen with incredible care.

While he was so focused on analyzing Nightmare's speech that it almost felt like studying, Cross suddenly jumped when he heard someone call his name. Looking up, he found his teacher watching him with concern. Fortunately, the concern seemed to stem only from the fact that he'd drifted off, and there was no sign of any deeper suspicion.

When Cross looked up in confusion, the teacher politely asked if he could step outside for a moment so they could speak privately with his guardian. Cross didn't particularly want to leave, but reluctantly agreed and started to stand.

At that moment, Nightmare said, "Sit down, Cross." Cross obeyed almost immediately on reflex and fixed his gaze on his boss. Remaining seated as if nothing had happened, Nightmare continued looking across the table and said, "If it's something I can hear, then I see no reason why my child shouldn't hear it as well." The teacher seemed briefly surprised, but eventually accepted it as a form of respect toward the child and nodded.

After that, the teacher expressed concerns about Cross's relationships with his peers, but Cross barely heard any of it. His entire attention was focused on what his boss had just said.

There had to be a reasonable reason for it. Most likely, he simply wasn't interested enough in this matter to set aside separate time for it. He had no intention of involving himself in Cross's school life, so he probably thought it would be better for Cross, the person actually involved, to hear everything directly. Maybe he simply couldn't be bothered to pass along the conversation later. Boss had always valued efficiency, and this probably wasn't anything special to him at all.

And yet, it felt incredibly special to Cross.

Rationally, Cross knew he was interpreting his words far too kindly. Even so, it genuinely felt as if Nightmare trusted his judgment, and feeling strangely embarrassed by that thought, Cross couldn't bring himself to raise his head for the rest of the conference.

By the time the meeting was coming to an end, everything seemed to have been resolved. Cross's punishment had been settled as a week of light cleaning duty, and the concerns the teachers had about his home life no longer seemed like a problem. His guardian was somewhat stiff, but attentive, and the calm, intelligent way he spoke contrasted sharply with his intimidating appearance. It was the sort of contrast that naturally encouraged relief, leaving people with the reassuring impression that he wasn't nearly as frightening as he had seemed at first glance.

Cross understood that every aspect of Nightmare's chosen appearance and manner of speaking had been carefully manipulated, but he also had to admit that it was effective. In the past, he would have imagined what someone with those skills might use them for and felt uneasy about it, but now, he even felt a faint sense of pride. Calling Boss his guardian still felt strange, but at the same time, the fact that he was under Nightmare's protection was beginning to feel a little more real.

The worst villain in the multiverse, a being who enjoyed bloodshed and slaughter, a truly terrible existence who embodied negativity itself, had come all the way to a parent-teacher conference for the sake of managing a single Cross. Cross couldn't help thinking about how unusual that really was.

Cross was still afraid of Nightmare. He didn't want to participate in Nightmare's games, and he wasn't even sure he could ever hand over all of his values to him the way Killer had. He couldn't think of the castle as home the way Horror did, and he couldn't calmly accept everything the way Dust could.

Cross was still stubbornly rebellious, and he could never truly settle down unless he examined things through his own standards and came to his own conclusions. Maybe his decision to attend school in the first place had been an extension of that rebellious streak. But he was always questioning, always afraid, always anxious, always angry, and at the same time, unable to let go of his attachment no matter how painful it became.

At one point, Cross suddenly thinks that he's completely doomed. Deep down, he had looked down on Killer's dependence, Dust's indifference, and Horror's simplicity, but in the end, he wasn't really any different. The form was different, but all of them were completely tied to Nightmare, and even if the entire process had been manipulation on Nightmare's part, that wouldn't change the result.

Even so, after the conference ended, they exchanged polite farewells, and under the teacher's warm gaze, Nightmare's hand came to rest against Cross's back as if supporting him. The sensation was different from the usual hand made of nothing but bone and liquid, but Cross still felt the same sense of stability.

On the way back, Cross felt strangely awkward. That morning, it had felt as if the world was about to collapse, but now it almost seemed as if nothing had happened at all. Walking around in his school uniform at a time when he would normally be in class felt strange. So did the fact that he was walking beside his boss rather than behind him.

Maybe that was why. Cross slowed his pace awkwardly and couldn't seem to keep his hands still, fidgeting as if pretending to be distracted. When Nightmare sensed his emotional unrest and glanced at him, Cross hesitated for a long moment without even being able to meet his eyes before carefully speaking up. "...Can I get ice cream on the way back?" When Nightmare didn't answer immediately, Cross shrank in on himself a little more and added as if making excuses, "...Um, it's just... Killer kept bragging that Boss bought him some before. ...So I thought maybe."

Nightmare studied Cross for a moment. The narrowed look in his eye was almost suspicious, as if he were genuinely concerned that Cross might start turning into Killer. Cross immediately regretted bringing it up, but after a moment, Nightmare seemed to come to some conclusion and relaxed. "Keep it a secret from the others. It seems Killer isn't very good at keeping secrets." At the unmistakable permission, Cross looked up in surprise, but Nightmare was already looking away. Still, the direction he was walking had changed.

As he hurried after Nightmare with steps that had unconsciously become almost a run, Cross found himself unable to hide how excited he felt. Even while grumbling that he didn't want to be compared to Killer, he walked beside him with an almost childishly embarrassed smile.

Afterward, Killer would take one look at Cross being suspiciously cheerful and immediately figure out that he'd gotten ice cream, then proceed to complain about it endlessly... but, well, that's probably a story for another day. Unfortunately, Cross isn't exactly good at hiding things 😌

The atmosphere ended up a little different from what I originally had in mind, but it was still a fun story to think about. Cross is always someone who worries about a lot of things, and this younger Cross is around that awkward teenage age, so I felt like his thoughts would be especially complicated. Following the way he thinks is always interesting.

Somehow, this ended up becoming more of a story about Cross's mindset than the actual incident itself. Still, I think I like stories like this quite a lot... they're always fun to write.

AHAUAHHEGEHEHHEEEEEE IM SO HYPED!!! Doodle :3