The Glitch Phenomenon

Chapter 4-I'm Sorry...

What did the Stars have that the twisted Night did not, some neutrals might ask. Empathy. Familial bonds. An actual relationship that was stable.

Yes, the Creator, the Positivity, and the Kind that made up the three mighty Stars appeared perfect, but internally they housed none of those virtues.

Could-Would the Stars ever reveal to their grovelling subordinates that they were not the vision of perfection, because that couldn't possibly exist?

No.

They were satisfied with pushing the blame. Even the reformed meteor had once done a heinous deed like the rest of them.

After all, stars will implode, meteors will burn up, legacies will fall, but the endless void of the night will remain eternal.

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Nightmare staggered into Outertale, covered in bruises and gashes that had happened when he had stumbled into a party consisting of Dream and Color.

At least they hadn't managed to follow him.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Error sitting at his favourite cliff, thankfully far from the edge.

Nightmare approached Error slowly so as to not startle him, then spoke quietly. "Err-Bear..?" He used the special nickname he knew was Error's weak spot.

"H3y, N1gh711gh7. W4nn4 517?" The destroyer's tone unnerved, almost scared Nightmare. It was like Error had become a whole new monster. His voice was clearer, though still glitchy, and it was... Depressed?

The smile that graced Error's scarred mound of features was one that Nightmare had never seen. It was reluctant, yet freeing. It was guilty, yet reassuring. It was sad, yet content.

And in the moment that he took a seat on the ethereal grass, the second Error scooted slightly away, Nightmare understood.

The black-boned, pixelated skeleton took a flying leap over the edge of the cliff, trying to plunge into the unfettered Void.

Just in the nick of time, the King grabbed ahold of Error's wrists and attempted valiantly to hoist him up. Despite his withered frame, Error proved sufficiently heavy to be unable to be carried.

Nightmare's Negativity started to melt off of him, on the side where his other eyesocket was usually covered.

He cursed himself–why now of all times that he had to change back to his old, weak self? Even worse, he was crying. Pathetic.

"N1gh711gh7-" "No! Don't “Nightlight” me! You can't just-..." Nightmare broke into sobs. He let the pain creep into his voice, knowing that it would do nothing to help him.

"Please... No... This can't happen! Don't do this!"

Nightmare had turquoise and lavender liquid magic building up in his eyesockets, fearful of what could happen- What was happening. Dismay was written all over his face, but Error just looked up, heterochromic spheres latching onto frantic lilac ones.

"We love you, and you have a reason to live, please don't please-"

"N1gh7m4r3."

The King of Negativity stopped begging, and listened.

"1 h4v3 70. W17h0u7 m3, y0u'11 83 1355 0f 4 74rg37, 4nd 1f y0u 574y 1n y0ur d1m3n510n, y0u'11 83 54f3 fr0m 7h3 Mu171v3r53'5 c0114p53. D0n'7 807h3r. D0n'7 c4r3. 137 g0 0f y0ur 3m0710n5."

"17'11 83 f1n3."

Nightmare couldn't believe Error, nor could he let him go.

"But I can't-"

"1 10v3 y0u, N1gh7m4r3, 4nd K1113r, 4nd Cr055, 4nd H0rr0r, 4nd Du57, 4nd 81u3. 1 10v3 G3n0, 4nd 3v3n Fr35h. 7311 7h3m 1 541d 7h47, 4nd un1355 7h3y 45k, d0n'7 7311 7h3m 480u7 my d347h 4nd h0w 17 h4pp3n3d. 1 7ru57 y0u."

With those final words, Error prised Nightmare's phlanges off of his scarred wrists and fell, leaving Nightmare in his half passive form, shocked to silence.

The tears that had welled up in his eyesockets now fell freely, streaking down his face as he whimpered.

He had failed.

Nightmare was so indulged in anguish that he hadn't heard Dream shoot out of a portal moments before Error's death.

His golden boots trampled on the glowing weeds that blanketed the rolling cliff, jaws agape.

From his point of view, his idiotic, self-preservating way of viewing life, Nightmare had turned against the worst thing in the Multiverse. Had killed him. Had changed for the better.

"Oh my Fox." Nightmare heard Dream gasp. In his moment of weakness, he didn't even bother to defend. Nightmare yearned for death; he would seek out Reaper if he had to.

"You did it! You changed back, you repented for your sins and you were fixed-and you helped to kill the Destroyer too! Wait till Ink hears, he'll be so happy he'll let you stay with me and-you killed that evil thing! I'm so proud of you for being better!"

Nightmare stood there, open jawed, as Dream blathered on about how his brother was a war hero. What in the name of Fox was he going on about?

It was only when he raised his hand to strike Dream, that he realised that he had fully become his passive form.

Suddenly, the waves of tidal exhaustion and grief swallowed the King whole. Error was gone, and never coming back.

The always starry sky of Outertale smeared across his vision and he felt himself getting dizzy. Nightmare forced the nausea away.

If he fainted right now, Dream would take him and the gang would be alone. Unlike the murderous front they kept up, they were just like little kids.

He couldn't leave them. Not even if Error had.

But he had no choice.

"Oh shit..." Those were the last words that Nightmare heard himself say before he blacked out.

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Dream heard a thump and turned to face the source of the onomatopoeia, and gawked at the limp figure of his brother motionless.

"Night! Nightmare!" Dream searched for a soulbeat in a way one could assume to be frantic.

He sighed when he found one and dialled Ink.

"Ink! Guess what, Nightmare killed Error and turned over a new leaf! He's back to how he was before the accident where he decided to eat the apple for fun. He can come? Great!"

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At this point, she was seething with broiling rage.

1.) Nightmare had not killed Error.

2.) Nightmare had always been able to switch forms, it was just that Dream had never noticed.

3.) Nightmare had been forced by the villagers to swallow the apple; they had literally shoved it down his gullet and choked him half to dust.

4.) Nightmare was not “allowed to come”, he was going to be tortured and interrogated.

Irene's love, why was this naive fool the one in charge of guarding Positivity?