Confession Time

Garden Awakening

Hatchet, Dust and Killer have been working for Nightmare for decades. While working for the Lord of Darkness wasn't what any of them thought that they would be doing with their lives, it wasn't so bad. Dust and Killer were free to maim, terrorize and even kill anyone stupid enough to piss off the Boss - but they couldn't play with the fuckers who lived in this AU unless they did something stupid. But they couldn't instigate anything - and boss knew if they tried. Hatchet had more noble reasons - he was trying to keep his people fed. It was safer for them to keep behind the protective barrier than deal with the humans above ground - who were just as vicious and dust-hungry as the monsters who thirsted for the humans' blood and flesh below.

There were some monsters who had moved to Boss's world - Crooks being one of the first, along with most of the non-guard members of Snowdin. They'd settled in one of the previously abandoned little mountain villages, surrounded by seemingly endless snowy forests, filled with animals to hunt and land fertile enough to grow any crop that they so desired. With land to roam and a night sky with stars to look at, Hatchet and those who had moved here - some of the aquatic monsters of Waterfall finding either fresh or saltwater lakes and oceans to live and be where it wasn't cramped and awkward... Not going after the other sentient beings in this world seemed more than fair.

Other minions came and went - some either dusting in battle or thinking that betraying Nightmare would end in anything but their death (after they watched as Nightmare tore apart their AU, the monsters and/or humans alike dying screaming, pleading in mercy, terribly confused as to why the eldritch creature who had been aiding them suddenly turned on them,) laughing with a manic grin as he tore their minds and bodies apart. Not that every monster and human from such AUs were killed, the survivors allowed to live in other worlds, traumatized and telling the stories of what happens if one ever attempted to cross Nightmare.

The three of them were currently trying to find Nightmare. Several Toriels and Asgores had just arrived at the castle, wishing to speak to their ruler. Give him the time of day, and dark and often mysterious benefactor it was probably in the Forbidden Garden. As far as the three of the new, and as Hatchet had been working with him for over a hundred years, no one but nightmare was ever allowed to be in the large and expensive Gardens near the castle. From what they could tell there were beautiful flowers, shrubs, and even trains. There were fruit trees and berry bushes, even nut trees from every Au that nightmare had ever visited. They knew that their boss grabbed any unique plant, particularly if it was flowering or put give food that was edible. They also knew that there were herbs and spices that grew in certain sections of the garden. The only kind of fruit that was noticeably absent the gardens were apple trees. No matter how beautiful or unique The Apple Tree, nightmare seem to purposefully leave even the smallest and easiest sapling in the area that came from. Whether that was because he hated apples for some reason or because he was allergic to them and didn't want something that could make him sick in his home AU... As there were no apple trees anywhere within Nightmare's home timeline.

They reached the edge of the gardens, and if they squinted, the three of them could see a distant dark figure, standing still, touching the Mysterious Statue. Hatchet sighed. "We'll tell them that Boss is busy. None of the visitors said that they needed his attention urgently, and we're not allowed to cross into the gardens."

"But... He's just... Standing there. Hatch, do you know what that statue even is? I've seen him wander over to it like... At least twice a week since I started here thirty years ago. None of the Dark Papyri either know who the statue's supposed to be... Or if they do, not even tickling them with my knives will get them to tell me? He spends like... Hours just standing there two, sometimes even three days a week." Killer asked curiously, glancing at the taller Sans curiously.