Ghost Stories (A Sanscest Story)

A Heartless Art

Ink was shaken. Cross didn't answer him. Instead, the other turned his head back down to Nightmare. He continued to heal him, remaining silent. He turned to Dust, who twitched, muttering to himself as he held his head. "Dust!"

The skeleton snapped open his eyes, transfixing him with the glow. He was trembling. "Where's Killer?" Ink asked again. Dust stared at him with an almost expressionless look before slowly speaking.

"He's dead." The crazed skeleton answered. "None of us could stop it. It was so fast." He trailed off and finally curled into a ball against the side of the couch. He pulled his hood over his face. "None of us could stop it."

Ink had frozen up. He turned his gaze to the mirror. Reaper stared back at him. His eyes were dull and he raised his hand. Something appeared in it and Ink felt chills shake his spine. He had Killer's target-shaped SOUL in his hands, but it had been sliced in half. He had reaped him.

"E-Error, Geno, can you get Nightmare and everyone into bedrooms or something??" Ink's voice was shaking. He knelt next to Dream, who's aura was still weak. He heard Geno beginning to instruct people. He watched as Dust picked up Horror with his magic and managed to follow Error.

They all disappeared down the hall, leaving Ink alone with Dream and the Reaper. Ink stood up, meeting Reaper's gaze. "I made the right choice by doing nothing... right?" He asked shakily, breaking the silence. He moved around the side of the couch and approached the mirror.

Reaper stared at him for a moment before lowering his gaze. "Do you believe you made the right choice, Ink?" He asked. His scythe tapped the inside of the mirror restlessly. Ink felt his bones lock up.

"They'll all be free, won't they? They no longer have someone threatening them. They'll no longer go to prison and be locked up." Ink's voice was quiet. "They won't be experimented on." No doubt they would've been.

Error and Cross would've gotten the worst of it, seeing as they had been formerly dead. Reaper nodded. "Dream's lover suffered the consequences." Reaper stated. Ink felt another cold chill go through his bones.

"Would it have changed if I tried to stop anything? I thought doing nothing would be the best course of action. It isn't my business..." Ink was trying to protest now. Defend his actions. He trailed off. "Will he come back? As a spirit or something?" He asked quietly.

Reaper's doubtful look gave him a pit in his chest. Reaper sighed. The tapping became more agitated. "When someone is meant to be a ghost, their SOUL is unable to be reaped." Reaper held up his hand again. "I'm afraid this wasn't the case for Killer."

Ink was dismayed. Dream would be heartbroken. "I thought he loved Dream." He said, rubbing one of his arms. Reaper blinked.

"There's no doubt that he loved Dream, Ink. The problem was himself. Killer was not a good monster. Monsters like him, who have done the things that he has, they don't usually get second chances." Reaper lowered his hand and the broken SOUL faded.

Ink stared at him. "Everyone else will be okay though. They'll be free and unharmed. If I had done something, they would've been taken." Ink said firmly. Reaper stared at him through the glass.

"Are you trying to convince me? Or convince yourself?" Reaper asked after a moment. The questions shook Ink to the core and he found himself unable to speak, let alone answer. Reaper was quiet for a moment. "You may have to convince someone else."

There was a shuffling noise and Ink whipped around. Dream's teary golden eyes met him from the couch. Ink froze up. He'd never seen that look on Dream. He could even properly identify it now, having experienced it firsthand.