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He had lost all care, all the regrets and all attachment to anything.
Even to another part of himself.
‘Come on, look where you're in right now’ His voice but not quite himself, XD's, is loud and clear in him head, ‘Just admit that you failed to do the job. You goal of eventually true peace can never be achieved with lies and manipulation.’
“I'm not losing, XD, not yet” The dreamon grumbles, hugging himself a little tighter to fight against the cold obsidian walls.
‘You're so sure huh?’ XD says mockingly, but his voice is light and without any venom in it, ‘The only thing that is keeping you and the body alive is your claim of being able to raise the dead.’
“I CAN raise the dead.” Nightmare grits his teeth, “Both Friend and Henry are alive, are they not?”
‘Well’ XD starts, ‘I can't say that they aren't, but I know you know that things may not be the same when you do it to humans. Things are not going to your plan, you are facing the unknown and you're scared.’
“I'm not scared, and you're just mad that I found a way to tiptoe around your three lives rule without your power.” Nightmare smirks behind his half broken mask, his left eye exposes to light, the mischief in it as clear as any day.
Nightmare blinks and there is a white blob floating in front of him, even though the face remains the same, unmoving XD, it radiates an aura of disappointment.
‘I am not mad.’ XD moves closer to where Nightmare is sitting on the floor, but still out of reach, ‘I am more concerned, there are rules here for a reason Night. Three lives to live and the other three.’
‘No killing, no griefing-’
“No going into the End” Nightmare finishes before XD could.
‘No going into the End’ XD comfirms, moving closer. Now at eye-level with Nightmare he speaks, ‘The first two were broken way to many times I don't think none of us can enforce it anymore’
Shaking fingers reach out to hold XD in his hands, his touch's surprisingly gentle while Nightmare voice is full of confidence, a little harsh, like most of the time he wanted people to see it that way, “If none of them stepped in that day, it should have been restored! If I had full control of everything, then I could stop all the killing and all the griefing, hell I could even keep people out of the strongholds. We'll finally be happy, and I'll finally prove it to you that my way works.”
XD lets out one distressed chirp, but in his head there's Dream's voice, ‘Night it's not going to work, people have their own mind, thoughts and beliefs. They aren't your toy, or your puppet to play with and take control, not even to me.’
‘We are supposed to protect them, keep them safe and happy in our land.’
“And how do you suggest we do it then? The all knowing, all seeing god of the land?” Nightmare interrupts and doesn't wait for an answer, he already knew it from his memories, back when him and XD were one and the same, “That's right, you don't know either, we have our deal XD, let me do it my way, at least let me TRY something. You know we both want the same thing, you may not agree with how I did things, but if it pays off I know you will eventually.”
Silence falls over the small containment, Nightmare's bright peridot eyes never left XD's small, pristine form. Secretly holding his breath. Unsure how XD would respond.
‘One life’ XD says quietly, ‘If you fail to create your utopia and die, I'm coming back to the body. You will no longer have full control over everything, it's going to be the same as before, we'll be his voices and let Dream decides the future of this server by himself.’
Thin, cracked lips pull back into a smile, too much teeth, “That's the spirit! Now go, thought you have portals to guard? Places to keep people out like a good house dog?” He jokes light-heartedly, already feeling a little better knowing XD will keep the deal going even if he's imprisoned right now, he still has time, he still has his plans.
If XD could bite Nightmare's finger off, he might, ‘If you call me a house dog again I'm killing you with a command myself.’
Nightmare is chuckling when XD bangs his head against his hand, “Sure thing buddy.”
‘Night.’
“Hmm?” He hums, throat a little sore since he hasn't drink in a while, he does have a water bottle given to him every day, he just doesn't like the taste that much. So most of them are being ignored in the very same place they were given.
XD chirps.
‘Don't let any of them die again, please?’
Nightmare sighs, thinking about Wilbur and Jschlatt, Phil showed up and killed Wilbur wasn't part of his part, Schlatt succumbed to all internal damages from his bad habit wasn't either. He blamed himself for not planning about that, to handle the unexpected.
So he became more planned, more careful. Him making sure to activate his tnt machine when no one was too close to the impact point, him switching between attacking Tubbo and Tommy to let them heal without them noticing, him giving in as soon as people wanted to back the duo up and fight him. All of that was part of the plan. He didn't want to kill any of them, they were people, HIS people.
He may not be able to pursue his goal without his wicked plans, but he's sure that he also can without anymore blood on his hands.
“You know I wouldn't let them.” is Nightmare's replies. XD nods his head, at least seeming satisfied with the answer.
‘Stay safe Night, you know I care about you the most.’ but as part of the deal, XD cannot intervene, at all, he can only watch how things turned out. All he can do and have been doing for a long time is enforcing the third rule since Nightmare doesn't have the power to do it.
Nightmare just nods back, then he blinks.
The warmth in his hands disappeared.