Cross looks anxious as he wrings his hands "I am not... sure.... I didn't even know divine magic could do this type of damage?! Well I knew but I never thought I would need to treat it!"

Nightmare, who is still laying on his front on the couch chuckles "I do supose your church would want to make people believe that. That divine energy is not able to hurt those with good souls." He hisses as he rolls his shoulder.

A bit more blood drips off the wing.

Another clear show of evidence that Nightmare is still very much an angel. His blood? It is a beautiful shining gold. It is even gleaming and reflecting light as diamonds...

Dust has never heard of anyone or anything else that has that type of blood. the only creature coming close to having such clear divine blood are unicorns and their blood tends to be a neutral grey that gleams as metal.

Dust frowns as he inches closer. Carefully moving around one of the many wings that now take up all the space in his small apartment, even with everything having been pushed to the side. His apartment isn't even big enough to fit the wingspans of Nightmare. But it isn't like they can go anywhere else.

Dust ends up on the table as he frowns.

Cross is searching his own notes, probably from his church training, as he speaks "Is there anything we can even do?! Would healing magic work on you?"

Ngihtmare doens't move his shoulders as he just raises a brow at Cross "Normally, yes. But not on my wings... The divine... well. You see what they did to them." He turns his face back to the couch. Groaning slightly as a breeze of the wind makes one of the feathers move. "You do not need to panic and should rest yourself. You hit your skull harshly." Dust glances at Cross as Cross rubs his skull where the bandage is located. Dust tried to treat the other but doubts it is as good as Cross himself could have done. But Cross had been more worried about the metal angel wings.

Dust thinks they are metal at least, the feathers that is. He didn't touch them and he is happy he didn't. It is clear it is highly painful for Nightmare already and he is an angel. No wonder he never summoned them...

It was... a sight however... Seeing his tentacles form together before spreading out into the shape of wings before seemingly solidifying... The black goop made way for sharp and beautiful metal feathers. gleaming in the light.

Nightmare had used those wings to form a shield and made the magic spell they had used to hurt Killer immediantly useless.

Sadly using the wings seem to have done more damage to Nightmare himself than anything they could ahve done to them combined...

But as they are all fragile... Much weaker than the angel could ever be. They had needed protection.

Dust frowns as he gets up silently. Cross is still speaking with Nightmare about what he would need to heal, which Nightmare just says rest as his wings will heal and once they are healed he can desummon them, before reminding Cross that he should be resting himself. Dust makes sure to check on Killer but Killer is still laying in that rolled up blanket. Perfectly comfortable as he rests and slowly recovers his own energy. Horror is nearby to keep a sharp eye on him and Horror nods to him.

Dust nods back and glances back to him "Mind keeping watch? Need to get something."

Horror tilts his head but nods "No problem. Stay safe?"

Dust nods and raises his invisibilty charm. It will hide him completely. He just never uses it as it can't hide Ash or any of the others. And when he uses it they all can't see him either, which causes them to get worried.

Horror nods and concentrates back on his fellow spirit, who is still loopy as he snuggles into the blanket muttering about it smelling nice.

Dust will not let himself think about that as it is his blanket.

Instead he goes to Ash and while Ash is unhappy his brother accepts him going alone as soon as he sees which charm he is taking with him.

Good.

Because Dust thinks there is one person who may have an idea on how to help Ngihtmare.

But he is going to need something special for that.

-------------

Dust returns not too long after that. A box in his hands. He goes towards his fridge and moves some of the empty shelves in it around to create more space. With that done he takes one of the items out before putting the rest in the fridge.

He waves the other curious looks off as he goes towards his bedroom.

Error is staring at the small TV and doesn't bother to look up "Hello Priest. I am busy."

Dust moves until he is next to the old beat up TV "What is the deal with Ngihtmare's wings?"

Error snorts "He is a Fallen. Obviously."

Dust nods "What can be done to help with those?"

Error laughs as he shoots him an amused look "Just because you are my Priest doens't mean I will tell you something that sensitive. Ask Nightmare himself"

Dust hums "He isn't telling."

Error grins "Shame. Then you won't get your answer."

Dust makes a show of sighing "I see... Then i guess I will have to give Cross the chocolate I got as payment for answers." He turns towards the door and he takes half a step.

"What kind?"

Dust slowly raises his arm holding the bar. Making sure to show it to Error. The god will be able to see it from a distance clearly anyway.

A long silence.

"Is... That...?"

Dust grins a tiny bit "Dark chocolate, 90% cacao. With cinnamon stripes and hot pepper flakes..." He turns back and waits. The chocolate was expensive and burned through more money than he is usually comfortable with spending but this is necessary.

Error's eyes have gone from the normal slit like eye light to full blown saucers as he stares at the chocolate.

Error glances at him and huffs "It isn't often an... angel falls... the divine doens't like to make them fall as it reflects badly to them. Why would an angel betray them after all! So it is a rather extreme measurement... Falling pretty much means that their ability for flight is taken away but as you saw. Nightmare? Very much still an angel and divine in nature. They can't change that. What they do. Is change their wings into something that harms them when they are out. They change the normal soft and light feathers into these sharp divine weapons."

Dust frowns "So his wings under those feathers is still his normal wings... but divine weapons can harm anything, including divine beings..." which is why it is cutting his own limbs apart!

Error nods.

Dust frowns "Is there a way to fix it?"

Error looks annoyed "It is one bar!"

Dust raises a brow "I got a full box of these. Twenty in total. And a smaller box wiht a few experimental flavours, ten differnet options." as he mentioned before, it was expensive.

Error eyes the door before crossing his legs. He stares at him. Dust raises a his phone and shows the picture of the box he got for this specific moment.

Error huffs "Angels usually take a lot of pride in their wings. They show how much magic and energy they have. Two wings are actually normal for angels to have. four is rare. Six? Lets say that Nightmare spend a lot of time and effort on his divine magic, energy, power and his wings. It is part of how they relax. When angels are stressed they will groom their wings. To bond? They groom their wings." he looks at his own claws "The problem is. Those new feathers? When Nightmare is agitated they will flare outwards. Making them sharp, which means they will cut Nightmare, which in turn will just make his wings stressed and agitated, which will cause the feathers to flare again." he makes a motion with his hand "Rince and repeat. You have angels who had their wings as biggest pride and joy and the ability to fly taken from them and instead get wings they can't even groom safely anymore."

Error must see Dust's confused look as Error explains "The angels are divine. They use their own fingers to clean those feathers. Now it would be like you trying to clean your knives with your bare hands and nothing else."

Dust frowns "and because he can't groom them they don't calm down and relax..." which is why they were as sharp as they were.

Error nods "You want help him? Try finding a way to make those wings relax. Now. Where is the chocolate?"

Dust rolls his eyes "Fridge obviously."

Error grins "Such a good priest." and he is gone.

Dust frowns as he thinks it over. He eyes his laptop and joins the other in the living room. He opens the search engine and starts to type.

'what to do if your bird can't groom its wings anymore?'

The first option is a vet giving answers about what to do when a bird has a broken wing and he opens the link.

The first thing it says to do is to call a vet for help...

Yeah... Dust doubts he can show up with Nightmare at a vet's place... Foremost Nightmare would be so insulted, or maybe amused? and he doubts a vet would know what to do with an angel...

He continues to search.

He eventually finds a few pages and he reads through them. Taking notes on each site before checking the different lists he got and what they have in common. It is best to have multiple sources after all.

It takes a while but he writes everything useful he reads down.

~~~~~~~

Washing/grooming the wings

Lurk warm water is a must.

Misting for cleaning?

Precise feather trimming -> Work out details later .

Air drying without any direct sunlight or any fans. Can cause irritation <- Which would just agitate the wings and cause more of those feathers to flare up. Going to have to make sure the curtains are closed. After air drying use a soft towel to clean with firm strokes.

Soft bristle brush, this is for normal birds. Stronger one for the metal wings?

Only clean the wings after trimming the wings!

Before trimming going to need to remove the old feathers, if there are any and if Nightmare is molting (can Angels molt?) Check for new feathers just in case.

Feather Trimming!!

Cleaning the wings.

Styptic powder to help disinfect the wounds. Maybe combining those with healing powder for Nightmare's injuries?

Metal wings. No normal scissors will do the work. Metal cutting scissors will be needed. Needs to be sharp to make sure it is fast and there is no pulling or tugging on the wings.

Take note of feather type. For different trimming is necessary. -Primary feathers are for flight -secondary are for lift -tail feathers are for balance (Does Nightmare have tail feathers? He should but no tail... Maybe hidden along his wings? Make note if he has those and where. Make sure they are even across his wings on both side for balance.)

Healthy feathers are smooth and glossy. (Probably still shining and reflecting okay? Smooth edges and no sharp edge? Look for dull feathers and edges. That is probably bad. Look for spots with the most blood as that is where it hurts him and is going wrong. Healthy feathers should not hurt. Look for spots without blood for the healthy/correct feather position. Note down differences.)

Clip both wings for balance. There is no way I can do all six wings at the same time. Normally done to enable bird to keep flying. Nightmare is already taking it easy. Hopefully he won't mind me doing one at the time or not doing it mirrored on both sides.

COVERT FEATHERS HELP FEATHERS REGROW!! These!! Take priotity! Find these first and make sure those are healthy!! hopefully this way new feathers will be growing in healthy and give better chances for him in the future! (if there are no covert feathers it probably means no regrow. Still check for those little pin feathers. If those are there but no covert feathers there may be something more that heaven did to hurt him. This is the first step before any maintainance and grooming.)

If there are new feathers. DON'T CLIP!! There is more blood vessels. Should be obvious by the black and pinlike shaft with blue at the base (probably won't be blue but goldish? Look for ones with different base)

~~~~~~~

Dust stares at his notes and nods as he looks up the anatomy of wings and starts to make a few very quick sketches. Then he looks up the anatomy of the different feathers and how to spot the differences. And just to be sure he looks up those blood quills compared to the normal adult feathers.

By the time it is evening his notes cover multiple pages and his web-history is going to ruin the webs advertisements for the next few months for him.

He taps his notes and rereads them just to be sure. He is going to need something to trim those feathers and make sure he can clean them. He has no idea if anything is stuck underneath and hidden.

Worse is that he needs protection as he works with metal and-

Dust blinks and just searches up about metal working gloves. And as he expected. Those are many... He would have to either enchant them to be able to channel divine energy or...

Dust looks up and sees Cross... Maybe Cross can bless them? That should work?

Dust starts to place a few orders at the hardware store. Maybe this won't be so bad?

He is happy he still has his small emergancy-fund. It isn't a lot but he hopes it is enough if he is careful.

--------

Dust left his bed early that morning. Early enough to be at the shop right when it opened to pick up his order. All his orders in matter of fact.

After that he spend time in his van to prepare the tools. Best to have everything ready when he offers his idea to Nightmare. After everything he put his items into a crate and carried it back to his place.

And now he is standing before the others as he waits for their reaction to his idea.

Nightmare looks most shocked "Grooming?"

Dust nods "Seems that wings are stressed. Being stressed causes pain as they spread out. Getting hurt causes stress..."

Cross, thank the stars he is in his own body as he may be able to help him bless stuff as he works now, looks hopeful "And you hope by trying to get the wings to relax they will not do that! So. Grooming!"

Dust nods "Error said that helps angels relax."

Nightmare's socket narrows as he glances over the couch "Did he now?"

Error looks like a dear in headlights as he has a bite of his bribe in his mouth ".... I plead the fifth." and he is invisible.

Nightmare glares.

Dust frowns "If you... don't want to that is okay... It just... Maybe it helps your wings heal faster?"

Nightmare frowns.

Dust rubs his arm "I get they are hurt and well... vulnerable... and it is cultural a like social thing?" he doesn't want to push.

Nightmare's frown disappears as he shoots him a look that... Dust still doesn't quite know the meaning of. Nightmare sighs "That isn't the problem. The feathers are sharp. What if you hurt yourself touching them?"

Dust very slowly raises the metal working gloves. And after that the welting gloves. "I charmed them... and enchanted them. And I was going to ask Cross to bless them as well."

Nightmare stares before chuckling, which causes him to hiss in pain and freeze "Just... careful. You hurt yourself you stop."

Dust nods as he takes his crate closer. He sets things ready as Cross gets to work on blessing the tools. Dust feels nervous "I am going to try and clip the bad parts ot the feathers. Like any bad and too sharp edges. I... I am not sure... If i mess up."

Nightmare chuckles sadly "I can't fly as they are either way. It can not get much worse. At least if they are clipped they are less likely to cut each other and my wings."

Dust is still unsure about it but nods. He puts the gloves on and starts to study the wings and feathers first. Making notes on how they are turned and located and trying to see if he sees different shapes of feathers. It is hard to see as the feathers are seemingly just small sheets of pure metal and packed very closely together but as he looks closer and watches the way the light reflects off of the feathers it seems like there is a certain curve and shape to them. Sligthly different between certain feathers.

It is... difficult. But Dust already trained himself to have an eye for detail for his rituals and runes.

Good news!

It seems that Nightmare is growing new feathers! These feathers are still easy to see as these seemed less one sheet but still obviously have different little barbs like normal feathers! Wait does that mean the others just have so many barbs he can't see it?

With that in mind he carefully tests one of the older, adult, feathers with a covered finger. Touching the underside and following the direction towards the feather tip to see how the feather reacts.

It still has different barbs! Just many more and so tightly packed it looks like a sheet of metal!

Dust nods as he searches where the new feathers are and if old feathers seem to be in the way.

He spots one of the feathers that look like it is a bad one. There are new ones growing all around it. The metal seems dull and the edges are sharp. When he tests to see the different barbs it seems all melted together and one piece. He nudges the base and has to give it a tug but the feather plops off!

There is a long silence.

Dust's throat feels tight "Did... did that hurt?"

Nightmare is still laying with his skull on the couch and is facing away from him "The tugging on some feathers did. As you said you were looking closer to the base of the wing. But after that nothing aside from the usual discomfort."

Dust nods as he looks at the feather in his hand "I... I think I just pulled one of the bad ones out." he hands it carefully to Nightmare and watches in slight shock as Nightmare moves and twists it around without once cutting his own hands. The skill and confidence... It... it is obvious he had tried to groom these wings before... Maybe he was even successful for a little while before the wounds to his hands from the feathers got too much?

Nightmare hums "I am unsure myself. As I never quite managed to have the time to familiarise myself with these feathers... but... It seems to have a similar behaviour as my old feathers did. When those feathers needed to be plucked and removed they would melt near the edges. As wax or molten gold." He hands the feather back.

Dust can't help but grin. That means! Stuff that is melted needs to be removed for new feathers! Stuff that is just dull but still functioning may just need a small trim to give it room to move!

Dust notes down these observation and Cross reads over his shoulder "That... that seems logical? It is about flying after all. Melting wings you can't fly with and stuff that is dull is like hair that grows too long or nails that grow too long and start to hurt..."

Killer hums and nods "Like claws that need trimming." he waves his own slightly clawed hand "I don't need it anymore obviously but when it gets too long you need to trim them or they risk hurting yourself."

Dust nods "Yes." He gets to work on searching for any melting feathers first, and making sure to disinfect the spots where he pulls the feathers from. Maybe overly cautious of him but better safe than sorry.

He decides he will start with one wing but even that may seem too ambitious for him. He is slow and it is hard to spot the differences between feathers that are melted or just oversharp. It takes so much time and effort and the hours slip away as the feathers never seem to end.

But the amount of melted feathers he removes. The way they are always near the worst bloody spots. The way Nightmare seems to shiver and shake sometimes before sighing a sigh of relieve as Dust gets a very stubborn one out.

It is well worth the effort.

Dust had been working near the base of the wing, slowly making his way outwards. It takes almost the whole day to remove all the melted feathers. Than it is time to carefully trim the too far grown feathers. And if Dust thought finding the melting feathers had been a pain it is nothing compared to trying to find every feather that needs to be trimmed. The feathers seem perfectly camouflaged between the others and after he manages to trim one he needs to be careful to actually remove the piece that was clipped off before it could disappear between the others and still cut Nightmare.

Seems like the original idea of getting maybe two wings done was very ambitious. At this point getting one propperly trimmed already seems too much.

He hears the clocktower in the distance and by the counts it is three in the night now. But he can proudly say he thinks he managed to finish one wing.

He is exhausted. His spine aches from sitting in the same spot for this long. His hands ache from the repeated movements and how difficult it is to clip the wings.

Dust glances around and sees that Cross is passed at the table. Dust's backup gloves by his side as he had been working on enchanting and blessing them for the fifth time.

Dust has had to switch between the different gloves many times as the protective charms and the divine protection of both wore off as Dust worked on the wings.

Dust glances around and sees Horror watching over Cross. Killer is by his side and seems enchanted by the box that is now full of metallic feathers.

Dust sighs "Sorry it takes so long... but I think I am done with your lower left wing. I may need to recheck it tomorrow- euh, later in the morning with more light in case i missed anything but that is one. How does it feel?" He is terrified. What if he made it worse somehow? These wings are important for angels...

Nightmare is silent. He shifts the lower left wing and seems to freeze. His whole body still as he just stares at the wall. At an angle which makes Dust unable to read his face.

Oh no. He made it worse. Why did he think he could do anything good? He always makes things worse or uses bad magic or curses and-

"It feels... better... lighter. Thank you." Nightmare's voice is still very monotone. He keeps staring at the wall.

Dust feels his throat lock up as he rubs his arms "Oh. that... is good?" maybe? "If you want... I can try to work on another one tomorrow?" Now that Nightmare actually experienced it. Maybe he hates it? Dust wants to give him an out. Just in case.

"I would. Appreciate that... a lot... Thank you..." his voice grows more silent near the end of his sentence.

Dust nods and smiles "That is good. I will... clean this up tomorrow." he moves his tools back to his crate and rises to stand up, his spine gives a few pops as he stretches with a groan. Next to picks up his tools crate and just, moves it to the kitchen and sink. There. That is fine. Next he walks to Cross's side and nudges him "You shouldn't sleep here."

Cross just mumbles and hugs the glove he is using as a plushy closer.

Dust manages to drag Cross's arm over his shoulder and groans. He looks back to Nightmare, who is watching them from the corner of his socket, his face is still unreadable "I will jsut drag Cross to bed. He can't sleep at the table." with the couch being used to let Nightmare rest Cross had actually been sleeping, with permission this time, in Dust's bed with him.

Fuck his place is way too small.

Nightmare gives a small nod and wishes them good night.

Dust returns it before adding "Take it easy okay? Maybe tomorrow I can make more progress on your wings." he drags Cross with him to bed. Dude is exhausted.

Probably the skull injury combined with using so much magic to cast divine magic, even lower levels of the divinity is exhausting to use.

Dust lays in bed and finally lets himself smile as he closes his eyes. He actually managed to help Nightmare. Grooming wings is still a large task but Dust has a game plan and knows much more now. He can hopefully finish at least the grooming part by the end of the week, then he can ask Nightmare how it is cleaned and work on doing together with the fallen angel.