Showtime (A Sanscest Story)

The Unspoken Deal

Cross suddenly pushed himself back in the chair from the cold feeling he was getting from Nightmare. He let out an uncomfortable noise. Nightmare's eye lit up all of a sudden and Cross was unable to suppress his yelp, snapping his mouth shut.

"Tell me your name." Nightmare stated. Cross blinked. Oh yeah, Nightmare didn't even know his name! He could tell by the way Nightmare said it that it was rare for the Ringmaster to ask for a newcomer's name.

Cross cleared his throat. "My name is Cross." He said quietly. Nightmare rumbled and his tentacles flicked around. He repeated the name softly to himself, as if to remember it.

Cross gulped. "I'm not wrong, am I? You... feel things... don't you, Cross? More than... usual monsters?" Nightmare's voice was soft. Cross gulped and sputtered. How did he...?! Nightmare sighed. "Is that how you knew... the very first time you met him, you knew Dust was in pain?"

Oh. That's why Dust had been there. Cross gulped. Had he freaked Dust out by knowing? "Tell me what was wrong with him." The command was quiet and Cross looked down. His skeletal fingers gripped the edge of the chair.

"H-His arm was splintered." He said quietly. Nightmare let out an intrigued rumble and his voice remained soft and curious. He nodded, confirming that Cross was correct. Cross shivered, his eyes wide in horror as the cold feeling became choking.

"Do I... unnerve you?" Nightmare's voice rumbled quietly, though it seemed like it was echoing to Cross. He gulped. He couldn't read anything else from the other except for that cold feeling. Nightmare sighed, his tentacles waving calmly behind him.

"You can be honest with me, Cross. I won't get upset. I promise." Nightmare blinked at him again, his glowing eye fading. Cross inhaled sharply and nodded. "Can you describe the feeling you receive from me, Cross?"

He could feel his soul pounding and Nightmare seemed to notice. His tentacles waved quietly. His voice was still soft. "Relax." Cross looked down. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.

"It's... not a good feeling... it's... cold... and dark... like a... like a secret that has yet to be exposed... or one that already has been..." He whispered. Was that good enough or was he being too vague? He opened his eyes and Nightmare was staring at him, seeming shocked. Even his tentacles had stopped moving and for a brief moment, Cross feared that he was going to be killed.

"How could you... possibly be able to feel that?" He asked, seeming slightly threatened. Cross managed to gave a helpless shrug. Ever since his father had started hurting him and experimenting on him, he'd become hypersensitive of others. The way they felt... their pain became his.

He looked down and rubbed the abrasions around his neck. "Can you always feel what others do?" Nightmare questioned lightly. Cross clasped his neck, seeming nervous. He often did that.

"I-I can feel it if it's a very strong feeling. Like you... earlier with Killer... But, I always feel the pain." Cross blinked as one of Nightmare's tentacles suddenly reached out, guiding his hands away from his neck. His neck was now a pale purple. The darker sighed.

"You're certainly special... What do you mean... earlier?" He asked, seeming curious. Cross gulped. He gathered together his courage and looked down.

"W-When you were talking to Killer... and it gave me a really uncomfortable feeling... like, a bitterness between the two of you..." Cross was slowly becoming aware of a growing coldness. He shivered.

All of a sudden, the coldness seemed to dampen with amusement. He looked up as Nightmare started laughing a little. Cross was momentarily alarmed. Why was he laughing?? Had he read the feeling wrong?? He went bright purple and looked down.