---

Killer walked up to Mr. Night as he finished giving medication to the three-legged cat. Killer giggled as the kitty hissed and spat at Mr. Night before walking over to Killer and purring. “you should be nicer,” Killer scolded while petting the kitty. “mr. night is only doing that because you need the medicine.” Tri, the kitty, did not like the scolding but accepted it from Killer with a questioning ‘murr.’

“Killer, should you not be with the others?” Nightmare asked as he put the bottle of medicine away.

“i told lyra that i needed to tell you something important. i told her about how one of the chickens laid two eggs and how cool that was and how you should know,” Killer explained.

“Well, now I know,” Mr. Night replied as he picked up Killer with a tendril. The tendril moved Killer closer to Mr. Night, and Killer stretched his arms out to the goopy skeleton. As gently as his dad would, the dark skeleton took Killer into his arms, and Killer snuggled against him.

“but that wasn’t what i really wanted to say to you,” Killer continued, “that was just the excuse i used to ask you something very, very important.”

“Oh, I see, very crafty of you,” Nightmare mused as he walked out of the cat feeding room.

“uh huh!” Killer puffed himself up, looking rather pleased with himself after that praise. “me and the others-”

“The others and I,” Nightmare gently corrected.

“the others and i decided we wanna thank ms. lyra for helping you and being so nice to us. none of us know what having a mommy is like, and i think, if i had a mom, she is what i’d want that mommy to be like,” Killer explained.

Mr. Night paused and looked at the floor in silence for a moment. He then looked up as if looking at someone on the ceiling while muttering, “Give me strength.” Then, after that, Mr. Night looked at Killer. “That… sounds very nice, you wanting to thank her for helping.”

“and being like a mommy!” Killer announced happily.

“Ah… yes, how could I forget that part,” Mr. Night mumbled.

“you’re silly, mr. night!” Killer giggled.

“Between the two of us, I do believe you are the silliest,” Mr. Night said while poking Killer’s cheekbone. That made Killer giggle and squirm in the arm Mr. Night was holding him in. “Now that has been clarified, what were you four thinking of doing?”

“oh! we wanna have a picnic, with flowers, and, and, and games! oh, and pie! and we want her to just relax and play with us and… and… give hugs, and we wanna make her cards,” Killer said the last parts quietly.

“Hmmm, except for the relaxing part, does she not do most of that already?” Nightmare asked.

“yeah, but she’s the one who does eeeeeeeeeverythiiiiiing for that. we wanna do it so she can have a day off, but we’re too small to do all of it and were wondering if you could help,” Killer said, finishing his reason for coming to Mr. Night.

“I suppose that will work. And what day were you four thinking of doing this?” Mr. Night asked.

“mother’s day!” 

“Oh…”

---

Oh, indeed…

Nightmare worried that such a celebration on Mother’s Day would drudge up bad memories for the guardian. It would also encourage his feelings of having a new family. Just as he felt that pang of longing when Killer first announced Lyra was like a mother to him. But that is beside the point. The focus was on Lyra, and he was about to convince the boys to choose a different day. But he then considered it a chance for her to make new memories. Albeit… with four hooligans that Lyra would not want to be the mother of. 

Although, if that were true, she was showing the opposite.

She was always eager to care for the boys and their pets. It was sweet watching them interact with each other. Every morning was so soul-warming as he watched them happily greet her for the day. Even Dust was starting to warm to her and was not always clinging to Nightmare. They all excitedly go to her after she returns from tending to her duties as a guardian, begging her to tell them how things were outside their home. 

She truly was being motherly to them.

So, if she is filling the role, he might as well help the boys celebrate her on a day meant for beings like her.

He helped them, one-on-one, during moments when she was busy or away to make their cards and start preparation for Mother’s Day. For the most part, there was no evidence for her to suspect something was going on. But, on the rare occasion, the Guardian of Balance would notice something. “Killer, how did you get this glitter all over your hands?” “Cross? Where are you going with that stack of blankets?” “Horror, is that flour on your shirt?” “Dust? Oh, there you are… Please do not wander off without telling me.”

Nightmare should have known he could not have hidden everything from a momster. Still, he luckily was around to save the boys from interrogation each time. “Ah, we were considering an art project, but he quickly reminded me how that stuff gets all over everything. I guess I failed to wash all the glitter off.” “Ah! Thank you for getting those for me, Cross. These were used last for the nest during the boys' movie night and should be washed.” “I do believe that is my fault. He was nearby when I spilled that flour while looking in the cupboard.” “Ah, sorry, Lyra, I am equally to blame. He followed me to my office after I got my drink. I should have sent him back. But… well…”

That last one resulted in some light-hearted teasing from her at how soft he was with the boys. It was embarrassing, but he would admit it was true.

It took careful planning on the days leading up to Mother’s Day. The tendency for immortals to lose track of time helped him, as Lyra was not carefully watching a calendar like Nightmare was with the boys. Finally, the night before arrived. The boys assigned him one task: make sure she sleeps so she is rested for tomorrow and in place for a surprise breakfast in bed. 

Nightmare let her get the boys ready for bed, which will be her last bit of work before relaxation begins. While she was away, he cleaned up the toys and mess in the entertainment room and set out some candles while turning off the lights.

While he was not an avid movie watcher, he did enjoy the few he has watched. Especially if he read the book first. Sure, the movies were often different, but as long as they held to the spirit of the book, he honestly didn’t mind that much. Nightmare might grumble a little when scenes he enjoyed in the book did not show up or were not portrayed accurately enough to his liking. But, in the end, he acknowledged it was a movie and had limits to how much and what it could show.

The mind will always be the greatest movie theater.

All that aside. Shortly after starting their… relationship, Lyra and Nightmare formed a sort of “book club.” It was mostly them taking turns reading aloud a book together. He discovered that one they particularly enjoyed for its wit and humor had been made into a movie. They had picked the book since it was set in a “fantasy” setting in the time period he preferred, and it was a romance. It is not precisely Nightmare’s favorite genre, but this was enjoyable with the action and parts of revenge, war, and trickery. With the boys in bed and it being the night before celebrating Mother’s Day, well… might as well have a date night. Once the movie is done, he will have Lyra go to bed.

“NightStar?” he heard her say, and he looked over at her. 

She looked around the room and smiled while placing her hands on her hips. “I thought you said you had a lot of work to do,” she said.

“I did,” He chuckled as he lit the last candle. “It was a lot of work setting this room up for something other than child care.”

“I was going to help you with all that paperwork you claimed to have from the latest alliance,” she argued. “Will this momentary distraction mean we will have more work during the next few days?”

“I may have exaggerated how much I had to do in order to secretly plan tonight,” And tomorrow, but she didn’t need to know that part yet. Instead, he walked over to her and held out his hand. “M’lady, if you would join me?”

“How could I say no?” She asked while extending her hand and letting him take it.

Which he did. While taking her hand, he bowed to her slightly and lightly placed his teeth on the back of her hand, against the white fur, in a skeletal kiss. He then looked up at her with a grin as he saw the hint of pink appearing on her face where her fur was the thinnest, such as around her nose. However, he could feel the warmth on his own face, telling him he was blushing as well—not that he cared at the moment.

With that, he stood straight and guided her to the sofa. “Sit, and re-,” he started. The sound of flatulence filled the room as she sat, and both were startled by it. The silence that shock caused was broken when Nightmare sighed, and Lyra burst into hysterical laughter as she fished the whoopee cushion out from under herself. “I would ask you not to laugh since that would only encourage them, but they are not here to witness. I must have missed that one while cleaning up.”

“Indeed,” She wheezed as she tossed it onto the stand beside her. But she continued snickering, and Nightmare could not help but find that… endearing in a way.

“You truly found that so funny? Typical Toriel behavior. You may act mature, but deep down, you enjoy childish things,” He teased.

“Oh hush, you old fuddy-duddy,” Lyra taunted with a grin.

Nightmare mock gasped, placing his hand over where his soul was and acting offended, “Me, old?”

“Honestly, Nightmare. That is the part that offended you the most?” Lyra teased.

“Naturally! The notion that I am old when we are both immortals is insulting,” He said while turning his head to look away to feign indignation.

“Well, if you act the part,” She chuckled.

“Fine, then. If I am old, I will act as the grandparent and spoil the four with sweets and whatever they wish. Then, once they are a rowdy and unmanageable lot, I will pack them back over to you to tend,” he replied with a grin.

It was Lyra’s turn to mock gasp, though hers was in faux fear, “How devious! I take it back. You are still youthful! But a fuddy-duddy all the same.”

“I suppose that will do,” he said, rolling his eyelight. He then smiled at her, turning their focus back to the matter at hand. “Though, I think that banter will be a good segway for the movie we will be watching tonight.”

“Oh?” She tilted her head.

“Romance and humor… though this also has sword fighting, drama, and action,” he said while putting the movie in the DVD player. He won't claim to be great at using the player and TV, but he was proficient enough to complete the task.

They sat together, holding hands, as they watched the movie about Princess Buttercup and her true love, Wesley.

It was nice… especially when the movie ended and she gave him a kiss on the cheekbone. He then followed up with a kiss on her nose, which then turned into a true kiss… one that he hoped she enjoyed as much as he did. 

This was still all so awkward and new to him. Yet, feeling her lips on his teeth, their magic meeting with the physical contact, and the love they shared for each other being accepted and reciprocated was almost intoxicating to him. The fact that she seemed happy enough to keep this kiss going told him that she was enjoying it enough not to stop anytime soon. However, the sad fact of life is that all good things must eventually come to an end. If the boys were going to wake her up with a surprise breakfast in bed, then she needed to be in bed and sleeping.

“Lyra,” He said, finally pulling away, “as much as I am enjoying this. One of us should sleep while we have a chance. I will tend to everything else tonight and in the morning. It is your turn to rest.”

“Is it? I thought it was your turn,” She said with a frown.

Nightmare shook his head, “No, I rested last. Remember, we both had a chance to sleep last week, and I was the last one to sleep. So, you need to go to bed, rest, and get ready for another busy day tomorrow.”

“Hmmm…,” She hummed as she coaxed one of his tendrils to curl around her hand and arm as she often does. “That may be true, but I am not sure I am tired yet. Or done being around you.”

“Ah, yes,” He felt flustered by that. He wasn’t truly done being around her and would love to wake up cuddled with her again. But, he reminded himself he had his standards to hold to. Rules of propriety that may be ignored by some, but keep him in a moral code that made him who he was and not like the other cruel Nightmares off in their own multiverses. It might not seem that important of a rule. Though breaking one purposefully, as that one time was an accident brought on by mutual exhaustion, will invite the idea of breaking others. 

“Well, as true as that may be, you should take this chance while you have it,” He said as he turned his attention to the TV. 

The menu screen for the movie was playing on repeat in the background; during the kissing, he blocked the noise out. Now that he could turn his mind to other things, he had to admit the repeated short song was starting to become annoying. When the screen turned black, it darkened the room further, though that never bothered him. Nightmare can see easily in the dar-

Nightmare clapped his hands over his mouth as he struggled to hold back the sound wanting to emit from his mouth. A sensation he had not fully felt in centuries nearly forced him to laugh. In shock, he looked at Lyra, who looked back at him with equal shock and slyness. The tendril that felt the tickling sensation was no longer being tickled but still squirmed in a failed attempt to flee her. But no luck; she was not about to let the limb go.

He watched as she turned her attention back to the tentacle. Her fingers started moving over the limb in an oddly delicate yet aggressive way. Lyra leaned closer as Nightmare again struggled to hold back laughter, “My, my, what is this? The King of Negativity is ticklish after all?”

He wanted to deny it, but he didn’t dare utter a sound for fear he would burst into laughter. A snort did escape, but he held strong. No, he would not give in to this.

“I warned you, did I not?” She said with a mischievous grin on her face.

And yes, she did warn him about testing her theory that he was ticklish, but that was about four months ago. It had slipped his mind completely.

“You are so quiet, not even a retort?” She teased. “But not a laugh, either.”

Behind him, the remaining tendrils curled tightly as if trying to hide from her tickling fingers. He needed to will them to act, to push her away. It was a struggle, as his main focus was on trying not to burst into laughter. Still, he started to get them to respond, but they could not reach her to push before she pounced.

Those deft fingers moved to each side of his body, aiming for the tender area under the arm. Nightmare made the most undignified of sounds as Lyra continued this childish assault on areas he long since thought were no longer ticklish. With that, he could no longer hold it back any longer. Laughter, unlike any laughter that has burst from him in centuries, poured forth. He struggled, mid-gasps for air, to beg her for mercy.

What shame he would feel… if this wasn’t her. Indeed, if he were to display such vulnerability and weakness, it might as well be to one who has been doing the same towards him. Spending every day together caused him to shed his wall of defensive pride when around her. Still, his tendrils finally obeyed and spared him as they worked together to push her away.

“And here I thought you said you were not ticklish,” Lyra taunted with a giggle as Nightmare leaned back against the sofa arm, catching his breath.

“To be fair,” Nightmare wheezed, “No one has dared to test that theory since I was a child.”

“I suppose that is true,” Lyra replied. “But now, you look more tired than I do. Perhaps you should be the one to sleep?”

He shot her a glare and then sat up. “Winded from that ridiculous display of frivolity you coaxed out of me, sure. Tired? No. It is your turn. Do not make me carry you off to bed like I do the boys.”

“Would you tuck me in?” She teased.

“You are an adult who has tucked in more beings than I ever have. I think you can manage,” He taunted in return.

“Not even a goodnight kiss, then?” Lyra said with a “sad” pout.

“You have already had a ‘goodnight kiss,’ multiple even,” He replied.

“Oh, have I?” She said while looking off at nothing as one does to recall a memory. “I am not sure I remember.”

Of course, she remembers. He sure hopes she did. Still, if she was going to play that game, he would give her a kiss she would not likely forget anytime soon. He leaned forward and drew her attention back to him as his hands moved to her face. Fingers moved through her soft fur and touched the skin beneath. Nightmare called on his magic, his love, and his emotions for her while he kissed her as if he were trying to smother her in affection. She gasped, shocked by this display from him, but then hummed contentedly back at him as she returned a kiss.

It now was a contest of wills to see who could pour out more love and affection for the other in this single display—one he was determined not to lose. Digging down deep, he pulled on his past emotions, converting them to magical energy that she could interpret but shared through a kiss. 

How they once were enemies, and at that time, he truly did despise her and how she interfered with his plans. And yet, even then, there was admiration for her doggedness to stop him and protect those weak mortals he had, at that time, no respect for. How his anger for her only increased when she seemed to disappear. When it was then Dream who was upsetting the balance. Then, the shock of how she stood up for him… Aided him and the boys, which sparked something in him. It was not love at that time, and it was more than admiration. It was the growing seed of an alliance. As time went on, he took that feeling and formed a bud of friendship. That bud grew and blossomed as they worked together for peace, and as she showed the same kindness to his boys he showed them. He… liked seeing her show off her motherly side to them. When most hate his boys and find him revolting, she showed nothing but kindness and friendship. And oh, how that confused him.

Nightmare had tried to push her away for her own good. But just as before, when they were enemies, she was too stubborn to leave. She shared her love for him with him, and he relented to that confirmation that he was not alone in those feelings. And now, here they were. This time together, tending the boys, drawing them closer and closer, deeper and deeper into love. And he was devoted to her. If he were her “NightStar,” guiding her on the ocean of life as the stars guided the sailors, then he would do his best to keep her safe and direct her back here, to her home.

And with that, she surrendered, pulling away and gasping. Hints of blush were now visible through her fur over her whole face. He won, and he grinned while watching her catch her breath. Sitting back, he let a little smugness change his grin. His tendrils flipped contentedly from side to side as a display of playful superiority. “Now who is looking tired, hmm?”

“You say that with such confidence, but your face is covered in that lovely teal blush,” She teased back. “But I give… my sweet Night… we will need to discuss this kiss another time, as… I think you,” She looked at him for a moment, and he started to frown, tilting his head. “We will discuss this ‘goodnight kiss’ another time. For now, I will go to bed. Good night, my love.”

“Good night, Lyra.”

And with that, she stood and left.

---

Nightmare stood outside of the cottage, permission to be in the OmegaTimeline given by Core when Lyra asked. It was a surprise visit. One that Lyra set up without telling Dream that he would be there. Also, without telling the positive skeleton there were four tiny skeletons with them.

Not that Dream was unaware of the condition of his... his sons... But the Guardian of Positivity was not informed on how they went from henchmen who acted like sons to just... sons. Nor, were the children aware they had an uncle. An Uncle that Lyra was insisting the children needed to get to know.

She knocked on the door as Nightmare shifted, unsettled about being here after... well... that day. Each tiny skeleton child with them was held off the ground and protectively by a tendril. He could feel Dust's subtle breathing as he slept, Killer's excited wiggling, Horror's stillness as he passively watched, and Cross's hand as he gently petted the limb holding him. Nightmare was about to back down when the door opened.

"Lyra," Dream greeted with a smile, but he then paused as he looked at Nightmare. "And Nighty... I will be honest, I did not think I would see your... well... them again."

Nightmare folded his arms and frowned, "I had not planned on you seeing them either." A light elbowing from Lyra made him sigh and add, "But I know I can not hide them away forever... And as my... as they are mine, Lyra has reminded me that they also become part of your family." After a moment, Lyra nudged Nightmare one more time, and he knew what she wanted him to say. With a long-suffering sigh, Nightmare finally added, "And... they may benefit from having their... Uncle Dream in their lives."

Dream's eye sockets and eyelights grew, stars forming within as he struggled to contain his aura as he was filled with annoying positive emotions. "I'm an uncle?" He asked, excitedly, then quickly moved, "I am sorry, please, come inside."

---

As the children play with Blue and Stretch, their self-declared cousins, Nightmare would explain what happened. Dream would have the scientists he knows there look into finding a cure too, but no luck. They reach the same conclusion as Sci.

Still, Dream is more than happy to watch the boys for a while... just a while. They are a handful! An adorable handful, but no wonder Lyra and Nighty bring them over now and then. One, they are trying to build a relationship and need to have a moment to themselves now and then, aka date nights (Dream hopes he is invited to the wedding). Two, at times, the two need a chance for a good long, sleep. A good rest in which they don't have to worry about kids waking up before them and getting into mischief.

---

What had been the “entertainment room” now looked more like a playroom, with toys and games in easy reach of the boys. There were some movies and video games, but only a scant amount, considering they had been adults before who preferred watching more grown-up movies and shows. They didn’t care; the boys enjoyed playing board games together rather than video games alone. This was true even if they chose to break the rules so they could somehow all win.

Actually, it wasn’t breaking the rules so much as coming up with their own, occasionally midgame. Lyra didn’t mind since they were all having fun, even if she honestly had no idea what was happening most of the time. Killer and Cross were definitely the ring leaders in all of this, and Horror, though he seemed older, just seemed to enjoy following along in the chaos.

After a while, Horror moved over by her and leaned against her side with a yawn. Placing a hand on his back, she looked down at him. “Are you done with the game?” He gave a tired nod, and that was when she noticed the tears in his sockets. “Is your head bothering you?”

The child sighed, then looked up at her. “i try to ignore it…” his voice was quivering, and she scooped him up.

“I know you do, but you do not need to,” She stood up. “Killer, Cross, can you both play quietly until I return?”

“uh huh!” Killer replied.

“i wanna color!” Cross announced, and then he waved at Horror. “g’night!”

“night,” replied Horror, who then cuddled further into her chest—the poor dear.

She walked to the kitchen, where she knew she saw a bottle of pain pills safe for someone so young. She dosed out some and gave it to him with a glass of water. “There you go. Now, do you want to stay up a bit longer or go to bed?”

“bed, please, mrs. lyra,” Horror replied.

“Of course. How could I not help you to bed when you ask so nicely?” She answered as she picked him back up and carried him down the hall to the room Nightmare had picked out.

She entered the room and approached the bed. Before she could set him down, he asked softly, “where is dust? i thought he was sleeping.”

“Oh, well, he asked to sleep with Mr. Night,” She explained.

“oh…,” He said quietly. And there was continued silence. Part of her had a feeling she knew what he wanted to ask.

“Horror?” She started, and the child looked up at her. “Do you want to sleep with Mr. Night, too?”

Then the child looked away momentarily before turning back to Lyra and nodding. “but… i should be sleeping alone, aren't i?”

“It will be alright,” She said, and she turned around to leave the room and made her way to Nightmare’s room.

Opening the door, she listened and could only hear the soft breathing of sleeping. Her soft paw pads made her walk across the old, wood floor silent as she made her way over to the bed. Dust was still cuddled up to Nightmare, but she could see that the guardian now had an arm around the child. She set Horror down, and he crawled closer. She helped him under the covers so he was on the other side of Nightmare, cuddled up to his side.

Not long after she finished tucking the child in, she noticed the covers move as a tendril curled around Horror. Happily, the child wrapped his arms around the limb and hugged it like one might a teddy bear. Still, Nightmare was asleep, and this action was done unconsciously. This made Lyra smile as she moved a paw to her mouth to hold back a giggle.

Oh, how she will tease him once this ordeal is over. For one so adamant that he is not a father, he has taken to a fatherly role so naturally, he even fathers the boys in his sleep. Content that everyone was comfortable, she made her way back to the other two.

Cross and Killer were coloring near each other to share crayons. She walked over and smiled at them, “May I join you?”

“sure!” Cross replied as Killer moved over to make space for her, even if there was plenty of space already.

She thanked Killer for being so polite before joining the two on the floor and picking a coloring book. Opening it, she found a picture of a castle with a dragon with four hatchlings. It was labeled “A Mother Dragon And Young,” but nothing about the dragon made it male or female. Lyra decided that she would change this picture to fit her narrative for the image.

As they colored, Cross and Killer took turns talking about their days being here with Mr. Night and the others. “sometimes, i take my coloring book in, and i color in mr. night’s office. i always ask if i can help him, and sometimes he tells me he has a paper that needs some colors or drawings to make it nicer. so i make it look as colorful and nice as possible! mr. night always tells me i did a good job, and he pats me on the head before setting the paper aside,” Cross explained.

“he lets me help him wash up after dinner sometimes!” Killer said happily. “mr. night lets me dry stuff, and then he uses his tentacles to pick me up so i can put some of the stuff away!”

“It is so nice that you two are willing to help him,” She praised.

They continued to color until she had almost finished her picture. She was rather pleased with it and the edit of crossing out “Mother” and writing “Father.” It was then she noticed how quiet it was, and she looked up to see Cross was sleeping. Killer’s coloring had become lethargic while his sockets drooped, meaning he was ready for bed, too.

“Alright, I think it is time for bed for you two,” She said as she carefully picked up Cross. The youngest clung to her and nuzzled his face against her neck. Killer sat up and stretched his arms up to her. Sweeping her free arm over, she scooped up the last little skeleton.

As she made her way to the bedrooms, she glanced down at them, “Now, Horror and Dust are sleeping with Mr. Night. Is that where you would want to sleep too?”

“can we?” Cross asked, opening his tired sockets as he asked.

“please, oh please!” Killer said while he started to wiggle in her arms.

“You can if you two promise to be quiet and sleep. Remember, Mr. Night needs his sleep, so you can’t be noisy,” She insisted.

“we will,” Cross said.

“i’m going to be super quiet, i promise!” Killer said loudly.

Well… time will tell.

Before long, she was setting Cross on one side of the bed and Killer on the other. Cross was curling up near Horror when a tentacle embraced him. He smiled at the limb and started to pet it softly. Then, as his sockets closed, his hand stopped when he drifted off to sleep. 

Killer wiggled around near Dust, who grunted in annoyance but did not wake. Dust did yawn before he snuggled closer to Nightmare. Rolling so his back was toward Dust’s back, Killer then scootched back until they touched back to back. This also meant he wiggled his way under Nightmare’s arm, which was still over the smaller skeleton child.

Luckily, Nightmare did not wake, but like the others, a tentacle curled around the child, and Killer hugged the limb while nuzzling it. At least Killer was being quiet.

Killer reached out to her then, and she tilted her head. “i need a goodnight kiss,” he whispered.

Lyra smiled softly, then leaned down and placed a kiss on the tiny skeleton’s skull. Killer smiled back up at her before he started to settle into sleep. With that, she took a moment to admire the little family before her.

With a pleased smile, Lyra left the little family to sleep. Now, to finish tending the animals.

---

Nightmare sat in the shadow of his mother, reading a book silently to himself. It was a pleasant afternoon, not too hot, but not cold either—just the perfect temperature. Dream was away, as usual, helping the villagers. So, Nightmare was left to entertain himself, and he did so by reading.

That is until he noticed a lost child approaching him. Nightmare was a child himself, but this one was clearly younger than him.

“Hello? If you are here for the golden apples, my brother is away, and I am not to touch them,” Nightmare stated.

“n… no… i just… i don’t know where i am, and i…” The child was trembling as he looked around. The child was wearing a shirt with a sloth and matching bottoms. Odd clothing, really. He had never seen anyone dressed like that before. He looked around, clearly confused, with red eye lights, though the left eye had cyan blue in the middle.

“Where did you last see your parents?” Nightmare asked.

The child stiffened and looked down at the ground for a moment. He fidgeted with his shirt hem for a moment before finally muttering a question so quietly that Nightmare could not understand him, just the inflection of his voice.

“I am sorry, but what did you say?” Nightmare said with a sigh.

“what… what does ‘parents’ mean?” The child asked quietly, but at least this time, it was loud and clear enough for Nightmare to understand. But the question startled him.

“You do not know what the word ‘parent’ means?” He clarified, but that appeared to be the wrong thing to do. The child quickly turned and ran, but Nightmare jumped up and followed. His taller body meant longer legs, and he quickly caught up with the small child and grabbed him in a hug. 

The small boy was crying. He kept repeating that he was sorry. “sorry, i…i… shouldn’t have bothered you. i’m sorry… sorry that i… i’m stupid and a failure.”

“Shhh? Now, when did I utter such words?” He asked, and the child shivered in his arms. “A parent is the mother and/or father of a child. Or caregivers of a child who considers the child theirs.”

“oh…,” The small child looked up at Nightmare, tears in his sockets, but spoke with a happy tone, “i just learned about moms and dads!” The child then looked down and muttered the word ‘parents’ a few times as if committing it to memory. If he just learned about mothers and fathers, then this child is likely an orphan from an early age. One that has not had kind guardians. “mr. night is watching me for… the doctor. but he says i don’t have to go back to the doctor. i don’t think mr. night is my parent though… but he is nice… i mean, he’s not nice! he’s mean and horrible! oh! and very scary!”

Yeah… Nightmare wasn’t believing that last bit. The child seemed way too happy talking about this ‘Mr. Night.’ In all likelihood, this Mr. Night was some hermit who just didn’t want a bunch of people coming around by putting up a front that he encouraged this kid to perpetuate. Nightmare will gauge how ‘nice’ this Mr. Night is when he finds this child.

“Come with me, then, sit under my tree beside me and wait for Mr. Night to find you,” Nightmare said as he finally released the child from a hug before taking his hand and guiding him back to his mother.

I do not think this is wise, my child. A mortal is a mortal, even when small. His mother said. But Nightmare could not just leave this little child to wander around alone. He knows firsthand how cruel the village can be. And as much as Nightmare loves nature… a child so small would not last long alone. Saving his spot, he flipped back to the beginning of the book and started to read aloud.

After some time, a voice called out, “dust!” And Nightmare looked up to see another child approaching. The poor thing! His skull was cracked and he had… “dust! you’re here too?” The child wore a white shirt, fur-lined hoodie, and black shorts with a white stripe.

… Horror… Dust…

As the children talked, Nightmare remembered that he was no longer a child, that this was a dreamscape made by his tired mind that he drew these children into. Even in exhaustion, he seemed to want these mortals near, it seems.

How interesting that their minds choose to dress them in clothes they wear as adults…

“i am waiting here for mr. night,” Dust explained, and Horror nodded.

“okay, can’t miss this tree, so it makes sense!” Horror said as he sat down next to Dust. Horror then looked at Nightmare and smiled, “hello, mind if i stay here too?”

“No, you are welcome to wait here as well,” Nightmare replied, then continued the story after Dust explained what was going on so Horror understood.

Cross quietly walked up with a wave and sat next to Horror. Much like Dust, he wore pajamas, though they were pajama bottoms, with his favorite ‘anime’ themed t-shirt. Nightmare smiled at Cross, who waved at him before listening intently to the story. Mother chided Nightmare for keeping such mortals around. He… didn’t like the things she said about them. He could understand some of it, as he will admit, they were not the best ambassadors for mortal kind. Still, they were his, and that was all that mattered to him. He hated ignoring her, as she was his mother, even if this was a dream.

Thankfully, Killer’s boisterous entrance did drown out those hurtful things she said. The child, dressed in his regular clothes, white shorts, black sweater, and hoodie with a fur-lined hood, dashed forward and pounced on Dust. The smaller yelped out as Killer loudly proclaimed “tickle fight” before mercilessly assaulting Dust’s ticklish areas. Dust yelped and squeaked before giggling away. Horror was the one to come to his rescue, grabbing Killer and tickling the babybones, who squealed with laughter.

Dust scurried over and hid behind Nightmare as Cross faced a decision. Who does he back up? After a moment of debating, Cross jumped up and started to tickle Horror. Horror started to turn to defend himself when Killer sprang up to get the larger of the three back.

“Oh dear,” Nightmare said as he closed the book. He glanced back at Dust, “It appears the odds are against your friend. Two against one.”

Dust frowned for a moment, then looked up at Nightmare. “I am sorry for disturbing your peace, but I need to help horror.”

“That is quite alright. You do what you need to do,” Nightmare said with a smile. That was all Dust needed before running forward and tackling Killer. The two rolled around in the grass in a fit of giggles as they tried to tickle the other. That gave Horror the opportunity he needed to grab the youngest and tickle him until he surrendered.

Once the giggling died down, Nightmare stood up. “Care to join me for a walk?”

“sure!” Cross said, and Horror helped him stand.

Killer looked up at Nightmare briefly, then smiled big, “yeah! let’s join him!” Killer stood and pulled Dust up onto his feet.

With that, he led the children to the forest that he often played in with his brother, away from the ominous village and the insulting words of his mother. Once in the shelter of the trees, he helped them climb and explore…

… He almost didn’t want to wake up.

Almost… for a dream is just that, a dream. What matters more is the events in the waking world.

---

---

Lyra folded her arms as she looked at the other guardian, who looked back up at her with an eyelight so fuzzy it could barely be seen. Nightmare sat on the bed, the boys surrounding him and clinging to him protectively. They could sense she was angry. She shouldn’t be angry, but she was. 

Actually, no, she had the right to be angry about this. It was wrong to deny that she should feel this way when she could have prevented this. They had agreed to start dating, to begin forming a relationship, yet he still would rather act independently to the point that he looked like a wilted plant. Nightmare clearly did not understand how it hurt her to see him like that.

There was no reason for him to look so tired and run down when she was just a phone call away. No. When she could have been here all along! There were so many things she could and wanted to say if the children were not here in the room. She would even grab him by that coat, pull him onto his feet, and plant one kiss he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon if it would make him understand that she cares! Unfortunately, that would be highly inappropriate to do around children so young.

Besides, she also needed to understand this was all still so new to Nightmare. The dark guardian was still adjusting to having someone he could turn to for help. He has had allies before, but not in the role of Lyra. Her help had no strings attached; no deals needed to be made save for being there when she needed him. Which… was something she was not used to as well. Remembering she had not called on his help yet did act as the water to cool her anger. Considering that he is not used to this, she was just as much to blame for his condition by not being more insistent or checking in on him.

That was it; she was putting her foot down.

“I am not going to be leaving when this is done,” She stated flatly, glaring down at him.

“Lyra,” Nightmare started, and Lyra had enough.

“I do not want to hear it. I know that they are your…,” She looked at the children who stared up at her in their fuzzy pajamas. She needed to be mindful of the words she used around them. “Responsibility. But, I am insisting, no, demanding you let me help.”

“Thank you,” Nightmare signed and smiled at her, and that surprised her.

“No argument this time?” She asked while tilting her head.

“I was going to ask you to stay,” Nightmare said, then stood and looked at the boys. “I admit defeat. They are indeed my responsibility, but it was one I will now accept that I was not ready for.”

He looked back at her, and she sighed, feeling her anger settle further. Well, at least that is sorted out. “Good… Now, to bed with you,” She said.

“aren’t you going to give him a good night kiss?” Killer asked with a big smile. She suspected that one knew what he was doing at this point.

“I do not think that will be,” Nightmare started, but no, Lyra would not let this moment slide. Now, she couldn’t place the kind of kiss she wanted with the young audience they currently had. But she could get away with a nice little peck on the head.

Leaning over, she gave Nightmare a small kiss on the top of his skull and grinned as he froze. His face got that adorable blush she loved so much. “There, now, bed.”

“Be good for Lyra,” Nightmare said quietly to the boys while staring at the floor. Oh, who would have suspected that the dark guardian, who was so bold and confident at most times, could be turned into someone so bashful with a single kiss? It will be a secret of his she will keep, as it is actually a sorrowful testament to how unaccustomed he is to affection. 

Once he could, he looked up at Lyra, “and… thank you.”

“we will!” Replied Killer.

“don’t worry, mr. night! we will be on our bestest behavior!” Cross added.

“It is just best, Cross. Best means that you will be excelling and unable to do any better,” Nightmare gently corrected before yawning. He made his way out the door, tendrils dragging on the floor behind him. The poor dear truly was exhausted, and yet, here he was, still doing what he could for the boys. It was rather endearing how devoted of a father figure he was, even if he will deny it.

Dust was becoming fidgety as he watched Nightmare leave. Thankfully, Ferrous walked over, and the small boy started to pet the dog. It seemed to calm Dust enough that he looked back at her without so much nervousness. 

Lyra looked at the group and hummed. “Alright, I am about to make dinner. Can I trust you four to play quietly in here while Mr. Night sleeps?”

Cross raised his hand, and she chuckled at how cute that was. Killer’s hand shot up shortly after, and she nodded. “Alright, Cross first, what is it?”

“can i help make dinner?” Cross asked.

“me too! that’s what i wanted to ask!” Killer added.

“wasn’t it your ‘helping’ that made mr. night call a babysitter?” Horror asked with a frown.

“that’s because i was helping by myself. this time, she will be there!” Killer answered.

“Alright, why don’t you all come with me instead? You can either help or play quietly in the kitchen while I work on dinner,” Lyra replied. That seemed to appease them, and they followed her as they left the room. At one point, she glanced back to do a quick head count… Killer… Cross… Horror…

Looking further down the hall, she saw Dust standing still as he stared in the direction of Nightmare’s bedroom. Lyra stopped and turned fully; the others stopped and followed her gaze back to the little skeleton clinging to his dog while staring at Nightmare’s door. “Wait here,” she told the others as she made her way to Dust. She knelt down near the young skeleton and asked, “Child, what is wrong?”

“if i say i’m not hungry, can i go take a nap with mr. night…?,” There were tears in the boy’s sockets. Nightmare had said that Dust, as an adult, tended to hang around him more than the others, especially on ‘bad days.’ Considering the child’s past and the peace and safety Nightmare has likely been providing Dust’s younger self, that shadow behavior appears to have turned into clinginess.

“I think Mr. Night would like you to have dinner to keep your body strong and healthy. Do you not agree?” She asked.

Dust looked at the ground and nodded.

“How about this? Since we both know Mr. Night would want you to have dinner, you come with me and eat first. If you are tired after you eat and promise to be quiet and sleep, I see no reason why you could not go nap with him,” Lyra compromised. “Does that sound fair?”

That seemed to do the trick, and the child nodded. “ferrous, too?”

“Ah…” Oh dear… would Nightmare want the dog in his bed? “Well, we will see. Maybe Ferrous will want some outside time after dinner instead.”

“oh… okay,” Dust replied and looked at the dog as he petted him.

Lyra stood and offered a hand to Dust. He looked at the hand for a moment, then reached up and put his tiny hand in hers. Together, they walked over to the others and then down the hall. Killer insisted on holding her other hand, which led to Horror holding Killer’s free hand and Cross holding Dust’s free hand.

Once the children were all gathered again, they continued to the kitchen. Along the way, she had asked them what they wanted for dinner. After some discussion amongst each other, they had decided on tomato soup and grilled cheese, or three out of four did. Dust was quiet and just shrugged when asked if that was okay. Based on things said, they had tomato soup once already, so he knew what that was. But the complaint from Killer about how long it had been since he had a grilled cheese hinted that was why Dust was so quiet. It may be new food for him, but it shouldn’t be too hard on him if he still has some sensitivity after all this time.

She had each child help make their sandwich after she had doctored the canned soup, so it was the best it could be. They stood on the stool two at a time and flipped their sandwiches when she said so. Then, once the food was ready, she plated the grilled cheeses and poured the tomato soup into mugs while telling the boys to go sit. They sat at the table and ate, looking as pleased as possible.

“thank you for helping, ma’am,” Horror then said.

“You are welcome,” Lyra smiled.

“mr. night was very happy to see you! i think… we caused him too much trouble,” Killer sighed and looked down at his crumb-filled plate. “we didn’t mean to be trouble, ms. lyra.”

“I know you did not, and so does Mr. Night. I warned him, though, that four children is a lot of responsibility for anyone to take on without prior experience with raising one,” She picked up a napkin and handed it to Killer. “I am sure he was doing well for a while there, but now he has me to help him.”

“he came home hurt a few times,” Dust said quietly, and that startled her.

“Hurt?” She asked.

“uh huh, and we don’t know why, ms. Lyra,” Cross confirmed, then frowned. “he would go out to buy groceries or something but reappear later and say that he will try again later. he said they didn’t have what he was looking for or stuff like that and for us to play quietly. but we could see he was hurt.”

Nightmare… why did you wait so long? But she knew why. It wasn’t just stubbornness but the fact he was not used to turning to others for help. Sure, he had his henchmen, but they were not usually so dependent on him. Still, he does care for them and sees them as his responsibility.

He forgets she is willing to share in that, even when they are rambunctious adults.

“ms. lyra?” Dust spoke up, and she looked over at the child. “may i go take a nap now?”

“Are the rest of you tired?” She asked.

“nu-uh! i’m not ready for bed yet!” Killer replied.

“can we play for a while longer?” Cross asked.

“i’m not tired yet, either,” Horror added.

“Alright, wait here at the table. I will be right back,” she said before scooping up Dust. The child clung to her and nuzzled his face against her shoulder. In silence, they made their way to Nightmare’s room, and she quietly knocked. When there was no reply, she walked in and over to the large bed, one clearly made for a king. 

That was Nightmare, a fan of the finer things in life.

It appears he had changed into pajamas but didn’t get any further than opening his covers and lying down before passing out. Nightmare was sleeping on his stomach, which made sense with the tentacles attached to his back. One of which was hanging off the bed and touching the floor. With care to not wake the sleeping guardian or disrupt Dust in her arms, she used her foot to lift the tendril up part of the way, then reached with a hand to grab it and place it on the bed.

She then placed Dust on the bed next to Nightmare. The child crawled closer and snuggled up to Nightmare’s shoulder. The dark skeleton shifted a little but did not wake. The tentacle closest to Dust moved and curled around the child protectively. Lyra smiled before tucking them both in under the blankets. Leaning over, she gave Dust a kiss on the head, then gave one more “goodnight kiss” to the sleeping guardian. With them settled, she left the room so they could sleep peacefully.

She now had three others to attend to, plus the pets. Ferrous followed her down the hall as she walked, reminding her with his presence of all the responsibilities she now had. Nightmare might have wanted her to wake him after ten minutes, but she wasn’t going to do that. It has been close to an hour, and he still needed rest. He can trust her to care for the boys and their animals, but if he genuinely believed she was going to wake him so soon, then he was sorely mistaken. Lyra was going to make sure he got the rest he needed.

Once he has his needed rest, then they can share this workload.

---

---

The mental, physical, and emotional drain on him could not be any more clear than how he slouched on the sofa. Nightmare was not one to sit in a slumped manner. The powerful and generally active tendrils sprawled out around him, one mustering what strength it had left to twitch now and then like the tip of an idle cat tail.

A week and a half. He had lasted that long before the thought of needing help crossed his mind as being something he could no longer avoid. Determined to prove himself wrong, he struggled through the rest of that week. It was now the start of week three, and he knew he was being a fool. That pride, which has been the cause of failure in others that he tried to keep in check, got him in the end.

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was time to start dinner. Before he could, he had to make sure the boys were occupied. If he didn’t, then there was bound to be a disaster within minutes of him leaving the room.

Cross was playing a video game, thankfully an age-appropriate one. He had quickly gathered up and put away everything that was not “child friendly.” Still, Killer has somehow been getting into the mature games Nightmare had put away. Naturally, Cross is too well-behaved for that.

Unfortunately, that is not true for them all. For example, Horror was about to sneak up behind Cross. Nightmare has learned that Horror, even while younger, enjoyed giving others a scare now and then. Considering Sanses and their pranks, the dark guardian understood why. Still, that does not mean the others appreciate being startled by Horror.

“Horror, what are you doing?” Nightmare asked, and Cross paused his game to look. 

Seeing his plan of scaring Cross was thwarted, Horror sighed, “nooothing….” He then shuffled over to play with toys while Cross glared at him. With that settled, though, Cross returned to playing his game.

Dust was curled up beside him, sleeping. Feeling the tiny skeleton’s negative emotions increase, he knew a nightmare was starting. He drew out some of those emotions while placing a gentle hand on the child’s skull. In return, Dust’s body relaxed, and he continued sleeping peacefully.

Wait… where was Killer? Nightmare quickly looked around the room, trying to figure out where the more active of them was.

A crash from the kitchen answered the question of where. 

“sorry!” Killer called out.

With a long-suffering sigh, Nightmare stood up and made his way to the kitchen. The child had flour and other ingredients all over him and the floor. A bowl was upside down beside him, and he was trying to pick it up the best he could. But it was a large bowl and likely too heavy for one so young.

“Killer…,” was all Nightmare could say.

“you looked so tired… i just wanted to help…,” Killer explained, a feeling of regret emerging from his soul.

That was it. The guardian surrendered to the children tonight. He had planned on doing this in the morning, but the dark guardian needed rest now. Nightmare was exhausted after watching after them, tending the animals, filling in for missions, and being in charge of chores. He needed a moment, a chance to close his socket and sleep. 

With that, he pulled out his cell phone and made a call. As he kept the phone to his head, he shuffled into the kitchen and picked up the bowl.

“Greetings,” said a soft, sweet voice. A part of him felt some guilt for this, calling her back to play nanny for him. But, he knew she offered and would likely not mind or see it that way.

“Could you come over in a half hour?” Nightmare asked Lyra. As he spoke, he grabbed the broom and dustpan, then set to work cleaning up.

There was a pause before the Guardian replied, “I can. Though, I must ask, are you alright? You sound different.”

“I just need to rest. If you could watch the boys for five… ten minutes?” Nightmare was ashamed he was pleading but was too tired to stop himself.

“you need longer than that!” Killer insisted, real tears in his sockets.

“Are you sure you don’t want me there now?” Lyra replied.

“I need to get the boys washed up… normally I would do dinner first…” Looking at Killer, Nightmare sighed.

“i’m sorry…,” the child said as he started to cry. Nightmare winced as he knew he would need to comfort Killer before Lyra arrived.

“we’ll be good…” That sounded like Cross, and Nightmare looked back at the doorway. There the other three were, looking into the kitchen with worried expressions. Meaning it would need to comfort all four.

“Let me give them a bath, as I need to talk to them anyway. Once that is done, they will be ready for you. All you need to do is watch them and then wake me to make dinner.”

“Night…,” Lyra started.

“Please.”

“Alright, I will give you time to wash them up. But I am making dinner, no exceptions,” Lyra said. “I will see you soon.”

“Thank you,” Nightmare replied as he relented dinner duty without any more fight. He then hung up and sighed as he looked at Killer.

“i’m sorry!” Killer then said before bursting into more tears. His soul had succeeded in changing back into the monster soul shape, which meant he could feel some of the emotions that had been cut off before. The poor thing was drowning in regret.

He wanted to pick Killer up in his arms, but Nightmare didn’t want to get covered in flour. Later, he will have to comfort the boy. Using a tentacle, he scooped the child up and then walked over to the others. “come along, bath time,” he said as he grabbed the others.

Walking was a kind way to put it. Nightmare shuffled down the hall until he arrived at their bedroom and set them down in the connected bathroom. There, he started to run water. Luckily, by then, Killer’s crying had calmed enough that Nightmare could speak. “I understand you wanted to help, Killer. I am not angry, just disappointed. You could have assisted me instead of trying to do it on your own. Your body is… you are small… and fragile right now. If you got hurt trying to do that, I would have been… very sad.”

Killer sniffled, “i’m sorry.”

“I know… now, come on, undress for a bath, all of you,” He said.

One by one, they each were placed into the tub to wash up. The bathroom was warm and smelled pleasant. The soft sound of them splashing around as they played in the water was calming…

“mr. night?”

Nightmare’s head shot up, and he blinked a few times. How irresponsible. With a sigh, Nightmare sat straighter beside the bathtub. He will have to do better about staying awake for their sake. Granted, skeletons don’t need to breathe and can not drown, unlike other beings. Still, now was not the time to doze off.

“Are you four ready to get out?” Nightmare asked.

Killer moved closer and stretched a hand out to pat Nightmare on the head. “can you please sleep longer than ten minutes? i… i don’t care if i have ta go to bed hungry! you’re too tired, and you need sleep.”

“we’ll be on our best behavior!” Cross added.

“And you will have Lyra watching you, and she insisted on making dinner for all of you. So, you will eat, and I will get some rest. Still, you are my responsibility,” Nightmare said, then yawned. “Ready or not, you are getting out. Lyra will be here soon enough.”

Nightmare got the towels and wrapped up each tiny skeleton. “Go get your pajamas,” He said as he walked with them into their room while holding Killer. “Thank you for caring about me, Killer. I forgive you, but please let me know next time.” He then set the child down.

Killer hugged Nightmare around the legs. “all right, mr. night,” the child replied.

“Go get dressed,” Nightmare urged, and Killer nodded before joining the others. Horror and Killer both do well at getting themselves dried off and dressed. Cross, being younger, and Dust, who is still learning, need a little coaching and help from him.

Finally, all dressed in PJs, they walked over and cuddled beside him. He could feel how sorry they were, and he wished he could say or do more. This guilt will be something they will just have to work through on their own, which is unfortunate but good for their development. 

Just as he felt like he was about to drift off again, there was a light knock on the bedroom door.

---