#nightfrost

Nightmare stared at the crystal snow surrounding him. The cold that was usually so easy for him to overlook now seemed to sink its ice jaws into his soul. 

He shouldn't be here 

None of this was supposed to happen, yet here he was trapped in some AU covered in the blanket of a deep winter.

Nightmare had thought this was just some forest surrounding the Snowdin of yet another AU, but he soon disregarded that idea as the midnight sky could be clearly seen above the tall pines surrounding him. The trees were also different than any nightmare had seen before in any of the Snowdins of the multiverse. Though still Definitely Pines the trees seemed to twist and turn in unnatural ways there bark a dark matted black that seemed to swirl in strange patterns with small bits of muted cold colors that could be seen in the cracks the bark formed. The needles of these strange pines were a deep rich green with glittering silver snow that seemed to cling to each branch. The very smell in this forest was strange and spoke of a deep and bitter cold with all the beauty and brutality it entails. 

Nightmare came to a  particularly old Pine that had lost all its needles and now wore only the shimmering cold of icicles and snow on its branches and bark. Nightmare leaned on the wide trunk, his eyelight scanned the forest for a trace of firelight. But there was none. Nightmare has seen no other sign of life other than deer and rabbit tracks he had spotted a few times. 

The wounds from Dreams arrows stung without the proper amount of magic to heal them. All of nightmares magic was currently trying to keep him from freezing solid in the crisp air although even that was becoming difficult as any negativity nightmare might absorb from this AU was being used to keep him moving. Ice was beginning to form on the goop covering Nightmares bones only to crack and break with every movement. Nightmares tentacles have already completely frozen at the tips and two of the four had their tips entirely broken off when he had tried to move them too quickly. Nightmare was usually unbothered by the cold and had enough magic to keep him liquid but the last battle left him drained more than he would have liked to admit.

Nightmare sighed as he remembered Horrors concerns from that morning. Nightmare had been stressed and tired the last few days The Star Sanses had been even more active and it was draining Nightmare and the rest of the gang trying to keep up with them. Residents of the AUs had also started to fight alongside his brother making the missions all the more harder. The added assistance made necessary retreats and injuries all the more common. 

This morning had been one of those times that retreat was necessary. The day started out as any other work day, breakfast then preparation for the scheduled mission later. Horror and dust had noticed that nightmare had been looking more and more exhausted the last few days and horror had told him that it might be a good idea to take a break. Nightmare insisted that the mission was to go on as planned. This was a choice that Nightmare now regretted.

The mission had not gone very well. Dream had gained more stamina and magic with the large levels of Positivity, Ink had been even more energetic and chaotic in his attacks, and Blue was well Blue, strong and energetic. Dream gave his same speech about “How nightmare could break free of the corruption” and “he knew his brother was in there somewhere” Nightmare was understandably tired of the same speech over and over. He was starting to suspect Dream was starting to repeat it out of habit more than anything else. 

As the fight progressed Nightmare knew He and His boys Needed to call an early retreat. Frustration rose in Him as they had only spread a fraction of negativity he had hoped they would have accomplished. But Nightmare knew that staying here would only heighten the risk of serious injury as he could see Horror, Dust, Killer, and Cross where all starting to run out of energy and magic. So Nightmare had created a Portal back to the base and called retreat. This was when things started going very wrong.

Blue had been closer to the portal than Nightmare had realized and he was forced to close it before he could get through which meant now all three of the star sanses plus a few other monsters who had joined the fight were now focused on him as his boys were all able to get through the portal before Nightmare had closed it. It was probably around six to one and Nightmare was already exhausted. 

Nightmare had kept his own warding off attacks and dodging most of Dreams arrows until he had an opportunity to open a portal. Nightmare might have ended up being captured if not for one of the monsters, a fire elemental monster with gold and emerald flames had accidentally hit another one of the monsters helping The star sanses with one of their attacks. The confusion and concern disrupted the others long enough for Nightmare to flee and make a portal. But it was already too late. Nightmare had already used almost all of his magic and without enough magic to transport him back to the castle the destabilized portal had spit Nightmare back out in this frigid forest.  

Without enough magic to form a new portal Nightmare started to walk through the snow attempting to find somewhere he could rest so he could regain enough magic to get home. The level of Nightmare’s magic had already been low enough to make him feel a little queasy and it was soon apparent that it was also not enough to keep his goop from freezing. Nightmare could feel the ice forming in his very bones, a feeling of cold numbness spreading throughout his body. 

Nightmare knew better than to rest by one of the trees as there was a large chance he would freeze completely solid. So he walked, and walked, and walked. Hour after hour dragged by as Nightmare trekked further and further into the woods. Which brought him to the Ancient pine he was at now. 

Nightmare slid slowly down the rough bark into a sitting position despite the warnings his mind was sending him to keep moving. But Nightmare didn't listen, he was too tired to care. 

Nightmare gazed up though the branches of the tree above him. 

The stars were so bright here.

The moon was a soft silver glow giving the snow a crystalline white appearance.

The quiet still night is so peaceful

Nightmare glances down at his hands. They had an icey sheen to them, Stiff cold and unmoving.

“Was this what being turned to stone felt like?”  Sudden amusement at the thought made Nightmare let out a small weak laugh as he studied the limbs though a hazy half lidded socket. 

Small specks of white snow turned nightmares attention back to the stars above.  

“It really is. . . beautiful”

Nightmare stared at the small points of light making out faint color differences between them.

“Yes. . . so very. . . nice” 

Blackness started to consume the stars at the edges of nightmare’s vision. But he did not care 

As one by one

Each star 

Faded

To 

A

deep.

soft.

B l a c k.

1268 words