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---Nightmare's POV----
"No." I growled. "For the seven billionth time. No."
Reaper sighed, his eyes looking me up and down boredly. I'm surprised that he's still persisting.
"Come on Nightmare. All these offers and the answers still the same? Weren't you ever taught to seize a good opportunity if you're offered it?"
I stared straight at him, my expression not changing. "Weren't you ever taught to take no as an answer?"
Reaper's eyes narrowed and he let out a soft hiss. "I don't understand you Nightmare. I'm practically offering you everything. And what do you do? Reject it for some pathetic land-living skeleton that probably couldn't fight to save his life. What's gotten into you?!"
"You wouldn't understand Reaper. All you care about is money and treasure."
"That's exactly what I'm going on about! There used to be times when we would go around together, killing people mercilessly, raiding villages, stealing treasure! But ever since we went our separate ways, you've changed...become more, soft."
I growled. "Nothing's changed about me Reaper. You're just too blind to see."
He smirked, stepping closer. "That's where you're wrong Nightmare. I know just what that curse did to you. It sucked all the happiness out of you, all the positivity, all the optimism in your soul. You became emotionless."
I growled, taking a step back. "You don't know shit about what that did to me."
"Oh yes I do Nightmare. We both read the warnings carved into that cave wall. It was you and I, Captain Reaper and his little cabin boy. A young white boned skeleton that ran off to sea so that he could escape his family, escape his home.
No one else had been brave enough to go in for that treasure. They were all far too scared of the legend. The legend of the curse protecting the chest. But you and I weren't. The two of us alone went into that old temple.
We read over those bloodstained warnings on the wall. The treasure is cursed. It warned. Touching it will result in your true potential breaking free. Your soul will corrupt, any positive thoughts or emotions will be ripped from you, only leaving negativity. Your body will mutate, turn you into a monster. We both saw that prophecy Nightmare."
I hissed, taking a step back. "Stop talking."
Reaper shook his head, taking a step closer. "You rushed ahead, just like always. You rushed right up to that treasure, laughing off the warnings completely.
I remember watching as you grabbed that chest without a second thought, only to be thrown back, an invisible force slamming you into one of the old ancient pillars.
I remember watching in horror as dark shadows shot out from the floor, consuming you. I remember your screams of fear and agony as they ripped you to pieces. Not physically, but mentally. They tore all the happiness from you, ripped the good intentions from your mind, and devoured any positivity in your soul."
"I said shut up!" I yelled, shaking my head rapidly.
"I'm not stopping until I've said everything I want to say Nightmare." He growled before continuing. "I had rushed to help you. Remember? Once all the the shadows had gone and it seemed safe I ran to your side, only to get thrown away. You screamed at me to stay back, to run, to abandon you. But I stayed. I stayed and watched as you started throwing up black slime. I stayed as the black goop consumed your body. I stayed as you screamed in agony, your ribs snapping as those four monstrous tentacles ripped out of your back. I watched you get made."
I froze staring right at him. "Made? You watched me get made?! Is that what you want to call what you saw?!"
Reaper glared at me, a look so cold that I shut up, my hands curled up into fists. I was practically itching to punch Reaper right in his smug face. It would satisfy me in ways I can't even describe right now.
"As I was saying...after you finally stopped thrashing about in pain and had gone limp, I managed to drag you all the way back to the ship, not about to leave you all alone in there. Everyone was horrified. They could barely recognise you any more. They all thought you were some sort of demon that I'd killed."
"Close enough..." I growled, wondering where the hell he was going with this.
"Sure. It was five days later you woke up, and I could already see that something was different about you. You seemed more distant, more aware, more...dark. You spent all your time hidden away, barely showing your face. Somehow you gained admirers, my own Crew started to respect you, my cabin boy, more than me, their Captain.
I tried to keep faith in you Nightmare. But then my worst fear came true. Mutiny. You mutinied my ship. You turned my own Crew against me and humiliated me. Fought me until I surrendered, down at my knees by your feet. Then you left me and five loyal Crew members on a desert island in the middle of the island to die.
I watched you sail off in my ship as the new Captain. My ship. The ship that I was Captain off.
I never saw you again..." His eyes narrowed. "Until now."
I rolled my eye, crossing my arms over my chest. "They realised I was more capable than you Reaper. That's it. I was better suited to be Captain. And I think you knew that."
Reaper hissed, taking yet another step closer. "I was stranded on that island for three months Nightmare. Three months!"
"Don't care." I muttered, glancing over to where Cross was to see how he was doing.
He wasn't there...
I instantly panicked, blocking out anything Reaper was saying.
"And– hey? Nightmare!? Are you even listening to me?! Hey where are you going!?"
I completely ignored him, vaulting over the mini-banisters and falling down to the main deck, my eye quickly scanning round the ship for Cross.
The barrels that he had originally sat down by were still there, but Cross wasn't.
"I should have stayed more aware!" I growled to myself as I ran across the ship, heading for the section by the front of the ship. Why didn't I keep checking on him?! He could have been grabbed by a crew member or something!
Muffled sounds from the distance caused me to immediately speed up, skidding round some crates of food before stopping abruptly at the sight in front of me.
Cross had Geno pinned down to the deck, a large knife held to his throat. Geno was hissing and struggling, a hand desperately reaching out for his dagger which had been kicked further away from him, just out of reach.
"Cross?"
Cross froze, glancing over at me slowly. "Uh...I can explain?"
Geno growled, suddenly thrashed frantically beneath Cross, his fingers stretching out for the dagger.
I went to shout a warning, but stopped myself as Cross stabbed the knife down into the wood, inches from Geno's fingers. "Don't you dare."
Geno let out another hiss, but went limp under him.
"That's better. Now stay."
Cross rolled off of him and got to his feet, walking over to me, the knife still in his hand. "Hi..."
I tilted my head to the side and went to say something, only to cut myself off, my eye widening as I saw Geno grab the dagger and scramble to his feet, throwing it directly at Cross.
"Look out!"
I managed to shove Cross to the side, trying to get him out of the way.
I wasn't fast enough. The knife hit his shoulder, stabbing deep into it.
Cross let out a surprised shriek of pain and then dropped to the floor, throwing his knife out blindly at Geno.
I didn't look, but the sudden cry of pain coming from near me confirmed that Cross' knife had in fact found its mark.
But by the time I looked up, Geno had already scrambled off out of sight.
"That piece of shit!" I hissed, quickly pulling Cross into my arms as he shook, his grip on me was weak. "We need to find Ink!"
I stood up, Cross in my arms bridal-style. "Don't worry Crossy...you're gonna be okay..."
He nodded wearily, wincing and whimpering in pain.
I quickly walked back to the centre of the ship, ignoring anyone that looked at us questioningly.
Just as I expected, Ink was with Error, they were both looking out at the ocean, lost looks on their faces.
"Error I'm taking Ink real quick. Thank you. Bye."
I wrapped a tentacle around Ink quickly, tugging him away from Error and along with me.
"H-Hey what are you doing?!" He yelped, struggling before he realised it was me. "O-Oh...sorry Captain."
I rolled my eye, pushing him over the boarding plank and to my ship.
Surprisingly enough it was fairly quiet. The yelling and chatting of the other Pirates on Reaper's ship had faded to nothing. Leaving us with nothing but the gentle swooshing of the waves.
"Wh-Why did you take me here Captain?" Ink asked nervously as I pulled him into my room, Cross still in my arms.
"Geno stabbed Cross. I need you to heal him...again..."
Ink sighed and nodded, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "Put him down here then..."
I nodded, placing Cross down.
"Take off your shirt and stuff please..." Ink muttered as he stretched, building up the magic in his hands.
Cross nodded and took it off, with some difficulty. I winced at the sight of the semi-deep mark just to the left of Cross' shoulder blade.
"I'm gonna kill Geno and Reaper one day..." I muttered, watching closely as Ink placed his hands over the mark, letting his healing magic flow.
Ink nodded, half acknowledging what I was saying.
I growled pacing the room. Why on Earth would Geno do that? Maybe Reaper set him up to it. Yeah that's the most likely answer.
Five minutes later and Ink was done.
"There you go..." He mumbled, taking his hands away from Cross' back. "You should be fine now."
Cross smiled weakly at him. "Thanks..."
Ink nodded, glancing at me.
"You can go now, Ink. Thank you."
Ink smiled, waisting no time to get back to his feet and walk out of my cabin, running across the deck and leaping over the boarding plank. He was probably just having 'Error-withdrawal symptoms'.
I sighed, glancing at Cross. "Is your back okay?"
Cross blinked and stood up, rolling his shoulders back to test. "Umm...yeah...it feels okay..."
I looked him up and down, admittedly staring at his still exposed chest. His ribcage was covered in scars and marks, and from as far as I could see, his spine and back was the same.
Cross noticed where I was looking and blushed, his arms quickly crossing over his chest, his face flushing in embarrassment.
His expression was so cute that something inside of me snapped, quite literally.
I suddenly started walking forwards, making Cross stumble back. I continued walking until Cross let out a small yelp, his back hitting the wall.
"N-Nightmare?" He squeaked, his face flushing purple as I pressed against him, our faces inches apart.
"Shh Crossy..." I murmured, placing a finger over his mouth. "We don't want anyone hearing us do we~?"
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1928 words?!?!?
FINALLY A LONG CHAPTER NSKSLSLMSLS
aaaaaaand guess what Next chapter is~?
>:3
:'D
Kill me now
-Jess-