Andlátkyn; Vandr Sanses unin Alagaësia

Leaving Farthen Dûr

It was half an hour before dawn when everyone showed up at Tronjhiem's north gate. They chatted quietly, knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to very soon.

Geno was petting Snowfire, the horse fidgiting, having not been ridden in a week. Fresh was grinning, as usual, but even that seemed a little strained. Blueberry was talking up a storm with Error, not wanting to leave his friend behind. He kept obsessing over his new hammer, the blue gems imbedded into the bluish white and silver metal. The glitch was happy to engage in conversation with him, knitting as he listened.

Nightmare saw this and felt a smile twitch across his face. But nevertheless, he approached Fresh. The parasite glanced up at him, stiffening slightly but giving no other sign of seriousness.
"Fresh." He addressed him quietly. "Yeah, broski?" The 90's reject casually replied.
Nightmare slid down, sitting cross-legged across from him. "How are you holding up?" He subtly mentioned the Soul. Fresh's face fell a little, sunglasses blank.

Orik was approaching as the parasite spoke in a surprisingly subdued voice. "I gots like… a year or so, broski. Ya gave me a year. But you gotta understand, Nighty brah, I don't feel like that'll do nothin'. I feel like.. somethin' is gonna happen, mate. I feel it.. heck, even my host feels it."

The fear was rolling off of him in waves. Nightmare leaned over and gripped his shoulder as Fresh hugged himself.
"You're going to be alright. Even if your host dies, which I see he'd be grateful for, we will find a way for you. Understand, Fresh?"
The parasite hesitated, unsure of himself. Then he gave a big smile. "You got it, kingly boss yo!"

Nightmare frowned at him. He could actually see the sweat from the other. He reached over and pulled off the sunglasses, pulling back faster than Fresh could grab at them. He caught a glimpse of a cracked Soul and waving magenta purple tentacles before Fresh's hands flew up to the socket. The tentacles within the other side retreated into the skull, hissing faintly.
"Why'd ya do that?" Fresh whined as a purple-tinted eyelight appeared in the right side, staring hard.
"I need to see it." Nightmare said calmly.
"Why, though?" Fresh asked, notably more serious. Nightmare gave him a look. The neon rainbow one tensed up a little,
"Fresh."

"A'ight, I get it, I get it." He whispered, loosening the hand over his left socket. Nightmare sighed, grabbing his wrist and pulling it away, only for the parasite itself to hide it from view. "Fresh, let me see it."
"Let him see it." Another voice caught them both off guard. Fresh flinched and hid his true self deeper in the eyesocket as Nightmare glared at the owner of the voice.
It was XChara.

The ghost flickered, crossing his arms as he stared at the parasite intensely. Nightmare huffed. "He doesn't feel safe with you staring, fool."
"I saw you give him an Apple just as much as Cross did. I care about him, too. So open up parasite, so we can help you."
Fresh glared at the ghost child, actually glared angrily.
"You up and spooked us. Don't you haunt me, X." The last part he dropped his lingo entirely.
"We don't have the time for this, none of us know when Arya's going to show up. Just show us the Soul."

Fresh squinted, his true self hissing. Then he relented, dropping his shoulders and barely suppressing a shudder. "Fine." He peeled back his own hand, visibly shaking as tentacles waved from the inner recesses of his host's skull.
Then he went slack, hands falling to his sides as the purple creature heaved a little more of itself out into the open, shaking.
XChara's eyes went wide, the spirit drifting backward a little as Nightmare cupped his hand beneath the parasite. It wrapped several appendages around him and let out a soft, reedy whine. It's yellow eyes kept looking back at the rest of the Wyrdaí Islingrya a little ways off, blissfully unaware of what was happening here.

"Fresh, you didn't have to leave your host." Nightmare stressed as it plopped fully into his hand, shockingly heavy. The creature whined, glaring at him as it writhed. Then it sort of stood on four tendrils and it's face opened up, revealing a mouth with something glowing whitish purple inside. XChara looked like he was going to be sick, then steeled himself as the creature coughed, flailing several tentacles in his host's direction.