Little Shadows

Sweet Dreams

The skeleton raised a brow.

I continued. "So, what brings you back here, Lord Stabby Murder, the traitor? Had enough of the brilliant Sans of the Stars? Come to torture the King of Nightmares?"

"What? Traitor?" His eye sockets widened. "Lord Stabby Murder? What kind of name is that?"

I grinned, sneaking a glance at Dream, who had somehow vanished behind a dark plant. Then I looked back at Killer. "That's your name."

Killer snorted, pointing his knife at me. "My name is Killer," he pointed out. Then he fanned out his fingers but still held onto the knife in one hand. "Say it with me: K-I-L-L-E-R. Killer!"

"Killer. Okay, whatever, doesn't change the fact that you betrayed the Gang."

Killer stepped closer to me, glanced around swiftly, and then pinned me against a wall. More goop cascaded from his empty eye sockets.

"You little..." he said, poising his knife in the air.

"Oh, this feels familiar," I chirped. "Remember when you tried to kill me?"

Killer stabbed the wall next to me. "What are you even talking about?" he demanded. "I don't even know you!"

I blinked. Okay, so he obviously wasn't the same Killer from before. I put my hands up. "Fine, fine, you win! You clearly don't know me."

Killer sighed and let me go, less goop falling from his eyes. He retrieved his knife, but he didn't put it away.

"And I'm not a traitor," he murmured. "I would never leave Nightmare." His voice got even quieter and he looked at the ground. "Not after all he's done for me...for all of us."

There was a small silence, and a shift in the plant nearby, which caused Killer to throw his knife in that direction. I heard a small yelp from Dream.

"Get over here, Dream. I know you're there," Killer hissed. "You can't hide from me."

Dream stepped out of the ferns, sweat rolling down the side of his skull. He said nothing as he stood next to me.

Killer glared at him, then me. "Who are you, human?"

"Your worst nightmare," I replied, fetching the frying pan from my bag and holding it menacingly. Killer put a hand to his forehead.

"Oh my goodness," he groaned. "You sound like the Boss, except you're not at all scary."

"I can be if you want me to."

"Shut up," he snapped. He looked like he was about to turn and walk away, but there was a very sudden aura of negativity. It had always been near, but now it was the strongest it's been. Nightmare shaped out of the shadows, a look so menacing on his face it could scare a deer right in it's tracks.

"I sensed Dream...but I wasn't expecting you, Killer," Said Nightmare directly behind Killer. His tendrils were waving behind him.

If Killer was nervous, he sure did a great job hiding it. Dream, on the other hand, was clenching his fists and had a very determined look on his face.

Nightmare walked around all three of us slowly like a vulture and I felt his gaze burning into my soul.

He was definitely acting different. Or maybe he's always been like this anyways...

"Killer," Nightmare suddenly growled. "What are you doing here?"

Killer stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I live here. Why ya freaking out so much, Boss?"

Nightmare lashed a tentacle and smashed it into the wall. Dust crumbled everywhere (the matter, NOT the SKELETON).

Killer didn't even flinch. Neither did I, but I really wanted to. Nightmare is stronger than hurricane Katrina!

"Nightmare--"

"SHUT UP DREAM. I'M TALKING TO THE TRAITOR."

Killer softly growled. "I'm not," he said dangerously. "A traitor!"

Nightmare scoffed. "Yeah, okay. You left with that pathetic skeleton with nothing but stars in his brain!"

Killer bristled. "No, I didn't!" he insisted. "I'm sorry, okay? I got held captive by someone and it took me five months to come back."

Nightmare was silent. In fact, all of us were silent. We all stared at each other awkwardly for about five solid minutes. I tapped my fingers on the bottom of my frying pan.

"Captured by who?" I whispered quietly, and I realized it wasn't in my head when Killer glared at the ground.

"Ink," he spat. "He took me just for the heck of it. That disgusting squid...he made me do all his dishes and clean up his disgusting puke."

Nightmare's eye twitched. "That little son of a--"

"Nightmare. No," I said, pointing my pan at him. Nightmare narrowed his eye at me. I could have sworn I saw his eye flicker violet and his cheekbones dusted with a very faint cyan. He made a weird growl-sigh noise, turning his head away and lashing his tendrils in frustration.

"Fine," he grumbled, turning to Killer. "Then if you weren't here this entire time, who was the other Killer?"

Killer's face went blank and he looked as though he'd seen a ghost. "I don't know, Nightmare."

"Hmm...Dream, you've been awfully quiet, and it's not because I told you to shut up. You look concerned and distant," Nightmare hissed, inching closer to Dream, who's eye sockets were narrowed and slightly glowing yellow. "Do you know anything about the 'Imposter Killer'?"

Dream didn't reply. He didn't move. He didn't make a sound. All he did was keep a steady, intense gaze on Nightmare.

Killer took a step back like he was going to flee to the FCR or something. Nightmare stepped closer to Dream. His dark aura seemed to be stronger, and Dream looked like he was going to pass out.

"Answer me, Dream," he seethed. "I don't know how or why you're here, but if you have something to do with any of this, I will--"

"Nightmare! Brother. What a pleasant surprise!" Dream said suddenly, a grin blossoming on his face. "I had nothing to do with Killer, of course, but it might have something to do with a shapeshifter. Perhaps they were illusions."

Nightmare growled, flinching back. Dream was radiating positivity and beaming like there were five suns.

I, on the other hand, was very concerned about Dream. How was he able to be super quiet like that and then burst into joy? Was he feigning it? Thoughts whirled in my head. I was so confused, sparks of flames lit up in my hair, and some of the flames surrounded my hands.

The flames went from crimson to a light blue. Then the atmosphere began to flicker with whispers and voices, the shadows danced, and my flames grew bigger. This was more than confusion.

"Killer, get out of here. Go to your room," Dream whispered, retrieving his bow. "Tell the others not to come into the throne room at all, please and thank you."

Killer frowned, but then he disappeared.

Nightmare hissed. "Dream! What are you doing? We're not going to fight in here!" he snapped. "My favorite tapestry is on that wall. And the human is here."

Dream tilted his head to the side, sneaking a small glance at me and looked at Nightmare. A small smile formed on his face. "Oh, dear brother. I'm not going to fight you, not now at least," he chirped. "(Y/n) is."

A dizzying banana-pinkish colored mist filled the air, and I could hardly even think. The mist swirled around me like a small twister, and it blocked my sight. All I could see was pink and yellow, and a small outline of a confused Nightmare.

"Sweet dreams, my friends," Dream whispered.

Everything became a very sudden cloud of darkness and I could see no more.