Suffocating Joy {Nightmare x Reader}

Two ???'s and Your SOUL

~???~

I watched them, you know? I watched them make connections once. I watched their world get an overhaul. I watched them lose a month of memory. None of it was enough. He wasn't satisfied. He had done this before, to others. He made the others suffer. One was a lab rat who was sexually assaulted. Another was broken hearted and numb, wanting nothing more than to be loved with no conditions.

This one, this "(Y/N)"...this one was different. They were traveling like no other ("Y/N") had. They were loved by a God incapable of love. They were loved by someone who had another God in his hands, but tossed the other God away. For...a mortal. Not any mortal, though. A mortal who had access to the Liminal's Files. The Files that pulled back the metaphorical curtain and showed them Him. The one who caused the suffering because He was ignorant.

He never wanted to hurt them, to hurt any of the (Y/N)s. But He couldn't help it. So, while one of the "(Y/N)"s were unconscious, He struck. He struck with the worst fate He could imagine. He put them into a simulation, of sorts. A simulation like a skeleton from a world that had ended, and specifically, what came After. 

He forced them to watched the God that loved them die. Die over, and over, and over again. Then, He made them watch the Guard die, too. He made them believe they needed to run away. To hide. And what better way to hide...than to kill them? Kill them and have them be buried, before letting someone else find them. Me, I would find them. But I'm not a skeleton, not a Sans or Papyrus.

I'm a Chara. Specifically, a Chara from a timeline of Outertale. The timeline of Outertale that was affected by the X-Event. I'm a Chara who eyes have been ripped out. I can't see. Well, not physically. I can see the outline of people and monsters, and I can see their SOULs. There is one other like me, a Chara from the Underfell timeline that was corrupted by the X-Event. We both sit here, in a space we can't see, and we watch. Watch (Y/N) suffer. We can't do anything. Well, we couldn't.

Technically speaking, we weren't alive until this piece of the Liminal Files became known to the (Y/N). To you, (Y/N). You weren't even aware of your own suffering. Pretty aggravating. But you're completely powerless. You're going to go on in this world, puppeted around by Him. We have little time left, Underfell Chara and I. At least, in this data file. But you, (Y/N), you can help us. Why would you? Because we're freeing you. So please, find it in your SOUL to show MERCY.

~(Y/N)'s POV~

I jolted upwards, surprising Nightmare. Wait, Nightmare?! "(Y-Y/N), you're-" I wrapped my arms around his neck and began tearing up. The memories of that awful place returned to me, and only worsened with my physical connection to the God. He rubbed my back and held me tightly, shushing me. "Nightmare, I-I thought...Where's Cross?!" As I spoke, the Guard stormed in, his eye lights gone, purple tears coming from his sockets. "(Y/N)!" His arms wrapped around me as well, even with Nightmare there.

"What happened?" "You...were unconscious...for three months." "Three-" "We were so worried, (Y/N)!" I allowed the embrace to continue, but my mind was occupied. The last things I saw- two figures holding their hands to me. I don't understand- who were they? I shouldn't tell anyone. Last time I mentioned something that I saw while I was in a sleeping state, it led me to a dead end. Just a waste of time, I'm sure of it.

"(Y/N)? Are you listening?" "Um, no, sorry..." "We said we wanted to take you to Lust; he's the best healer we have." I nodded, not knowing who Lust even was. Cross and Nightmare let me go, but Cross picked me up. I sighed and just let him, not feeling energized enough to fight back. I was carried into a bedroom, one that looked like it should belong to Horror. To my, not, surprise, Horror was sitting on his bed, reading. This Lust person was sitting on the edge, watching some stupid TV show.

"Lust. They're awake." Lust and Horror both turned, offering smiles. Cross set me down and walked out with Nightmare, Horror following after a gentle pat on me head. I'm not a fucking kid, I'm 18. "So, (Y/N), uh...I'm Lust!" "Cool. Look, can we get this over with? I feel like shit." Lust's smile dimmed and he retreated a bit before nodding. He quietly reached towards my chest. Naturally, I smacked the shit out of him. "I-I...was going to check your SOUL..." 

"Right. Sorry. Not used to people invading my space. Oh wait, yes I am. Constantly." Lust made an awkward smile and pulled my SOUL out. It was nearly white with a dark pink tint. Lust's face paled. "U-Um, guys?" Not a second later, the three were back in the room. "What?!" "T-Their SOUL...you said it was dark pink, yes?" "Yeah, Dream told me it was when we sparred..." "W-Well...it's turning white. As in, reverting into a blank SOUL, like how most children are before their personality develops." 

"That shouldn't be possible, unless..." "Unless someone's draining their lifeforce! But how?" "I-I don't know, you should ask S-Sci...he's smarter than I am," Lust said, turning back to me. He pulled up some weird thing with backwards te- Oh wait, I guess its normal from his side. "(Y/N), what are your stats?" "My what?" "Your LV, HP, DF, and AT?" "...huh??" "3, 28, 14, and 10." Nightmare said, raising his eyebrow. "T-They're listed at 6, 28, 20, 11...That shouldn't be possible! Even if their LV increased to 6, their HP should max out at 40!"

"I'm aware...is it 28 out of 40?" "No, it's 26 out of 28..." I sat there, confused and a bit angry. "Look, if you're gonna talk about some fake ass numbers and acronyms, I'm gonna go read or something. I don't care enough." Lust's mouth opened. "Their...LV increased...to 7...the rest of the stats did two, except HP again." Nightmare came closer, doing what Lust did earlier. His face was both intense and concerned. My SOUL turned a darker shade. "It decreased...in front of me. Odd. It's almost as if whatever is taking their lifeforce needs them to be emotionless...like..." 

"Like what happened in my X-Event."

Date: 10/11/2 22:22

Word Count: 1077