The Immortal Stargazer

Too Late

In the Unstable Multiverse....

Nightmare paced in agitation outside the medical bay in the Dreamtale mansion, where Inky lay unconscious, but alive. Dream was a strong healer, and he had been working all day and night to keep the creator from bleeding out. The positive guardian finally walked out with a tired smile on his face. Nightmare went up to him anxiously.

"How is he?"

"Ink will live," Dream heaved a weary sigh, turning to his brother. "I did my best to heal him, but there will be a scar. He'll... probably carry it the rest of his life, though with his tattoos, it's not as noticeable."

Nightmare let out the breath he'd been holding. "Ok. Good job, Dream."

The positive guardian beamed with pride. That's the first time in years Nightmare had complimented him! He could feel a burst of energy zip through him, and he put his hands on his hips with a satisfied smile. "Thank you, brother! You can go in and see him if you like!"

Nightmare nodded and went in. Inky lay on a bed shirtless, his ribs bandaged up to make him look like a mummy. He was sleeping peacefully, and the negative guardian kept quiet to avoid waking him up. Nightmare sat next to Inky, slipping his hand into the sleeping creator's hand. He squeezed it, then sighed.

"Thank the stars, you'll be ok, Ink. This was a disaster. I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to get you out of danger, but I swear, when I find that destroyer, I'll make him pay."

Inky stirred, his eyesockets fluttering open. When he saw Nightmare, he smiled weakly. "H-hey, Nightmare."

"H-hey, Inky- I MEAN, uh- um," Nightmare looked away, his face flushing a bright blue. The creator giggled.

"You're funny, Mare Mare." He snickered at the glare he received, knowing Nightmare wasn't actually mad at him. His own blush spread across his face, and he tried to sit up. He hissed as his injured ribs moved the wrong way, trying to push through the pain. Nightmare carefully pushed him back to a lying position by his shoulders.

"You shouldn't be moving, Ink," his expression darkened, and he growled. "You shouldn't even be hurt in the first place! What made you think that glitch would willingly surrender?!"

Ink lowered his eyelights and gulped. "I-I thought... I thought this time, he would've been willing to listen. But... I was wrong. I-I'm sorry, Nightmare." Large, translucent tears of rainbow spilled down the creator's cheeks, but the negative guardian was quick to wipe them away. Tempering his voice to a soothing whisper, Nightmare held Inky's cheek gently.

"It's fine, really it is. I'm not mad at you, Ink. But Error-! When I find him...." He growled, his eyelight glowing brightly.

Meanwhile, Dream was busy cleaning around the mansion. Cleaning helped him relax and clear his head, though it hasn't been as effective as of late. He had tried to distract himself from the situation at hand, but with Inky being so badly hurt and the failed attempt to get rid of the destroyer, Dream's mental stability was strained. They had no idea what had happened to the destroyer, but they still assumed he was alive. Knowing Nightmare, he'll be preparing a multiverse-wide manhunt by now, aiming to find the destroyer and take him out. Dream doubted they'd find the destroyer soon, but that was no surprise. Error's probably lying low, licking his wounds and waiting for an opportunity to keep killing.

Dream dusted under some vases, his thoughts wandering. Error had never hurt Inky this badly, before. It came as a surprise to everyone that the creator had nearly been killed, considering the destroyer usually retreated after such a brutal beating. Perhaps Error was in fact the bad guy, and nothing could be done to convince him to stop hurting people, However, he hadn't killed Blueberry.