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Chapter Text

Nightmare was always seen as the “evil twin” despite having the kindest of souls.

He would never yell, would never fight, was always nice to adults and respected others.

Yet for some reason the villagers thought he was evil.

He wanted to pretend he didn’t know why but it was quite obvious when the villagers said it in every mean and hateful sentence the spewed at him.

“He’ll corrupt the positive apples!!”

“Those negative apples are causing all of our problems!”

“We need to get rid of those negative apples to save the positive ones!”

Was all he would hear when he would walk through the small town they made a few ways away from the tree.

He didn’t go there often, only to get new books from the local library and whenever Dream would coarse him to come. 

They would always say mean things when Dream was out of earshot, like they knew Dream wouldn’t approve what they were saying but they still kept going. 

He would always stick closer to Dream whenever he went into town but sometimes he had to go in alone. 

He would walk in the village without a single bruise or scratch on him but would leave running for his life with scars and bruises. Eyes filled with tears as he ran with a limp. 

People chasing behind him and some laughing from a distance. 

He would sit in his mothers branches for hours hiding away from them anytime they pulled that stunt, sometimes Dream would come along and ask them what they were doing only for them to say:

“Nothing, Dream. We just wanted to play but I guess your brother isn’t up for it!”  And go back to the village. 

It angered Nightmare but he didn’t voice this to his twin. Fearing that if he got involved then the villagers would take their hatred out on him..

So he suffered in silence..

From the ripe age of 5 when the villagers first came, to 13 in present day..

Over the years they picked up new ways to torture him. From petty things like pulling his hair when he was little to tying him up with ropes and beating him till he was black and blue when he was older..

Of course Dream expressed his concerns whenever Nightmare got new injuries every time, but Nightmare would always brush it off. Telling him to pay no mind to it and he was just clumsy..

And over the years..his brother wouldn’t comment on them anymore, deducting his younger brother was just clumsy.

Good, that’s what Nightmare needed him to think..

Due to the villagers getting creative he did have to hide parts of his body from his brother’s attention. His brother might think his clumsy, but one look at his right eye would show that’s no wound from falling from a tree, but from his eye being almost gouged out..I guess being immortal does have its perks..

It’s also why he started to grow his hair to cover it. White locks with purple highlights would cover it as best it could. Blending in with the pearly white bandages he stole from the villages shops..

Switching from short sleeves to longer ones as the villagers found his arms as a worthy canvas.

Putting his feet on his mothers branches when he hide on them as the villagers found hearing the screams of his ankles being fractured was laughable. 

Most, if not on all days after the beatings and endless torture, he wanted to tell his older brother what was happening. He wanted to cry in his harms and hope his brother would make them stop. For him to call upon his magic and make them disappear for good!- 

But he promised he wouldn’t get his brother involved..to afraid that the hurt they would give him would be too much. That by him being selfish and wanting to cower behind his big brother would cause his brothers demise..

He wouldn’t- No, he couldn’t let that happen. He would stand strong like he had been doing since he was little, showing them he would be by his brothers side till the end..

If only that were true…

Chapter Text

The sky was dark with rain clouds forming above. Dream had went to the village early in the morning, not bothering to wake his brother up to tell him, although when Nightmare woke up he had already assumed that’s were he was..

The day before was painful. With just a glance to his arms and legs showed proof.

The villagers had been more creative then ever, including words.

You would think from the way they talked and abused Nightmare it would fuel him..but in a twisted way..they enjoyed every bit of it. 

From the hateful words, torture, beatings, and touching, they enjoyed Every. Single. Moment..

From sadistic to malicious, there was always positivity when it happened. Which further pushed Nightmare to the edge..

Glancing back up from his body, Nightmare saw villagers heading his way from down the hill. From his brother’s journeys from the village to the villagers coming to the tree created a path in the semi tall grass, in which it was easy to see movement. 

The grass never reached the tree though, stopping farther down the hill in a weird way.

As much as he didn’t want to come down from the tree, it was his job to protect it. He knew their main focus was him but the small thought in his head would always push it back to them wanting the golden apples..

Reluctantly, he pushed himself up right from his mothers branches and jumped to the ground. It did hurt his leg but he didn’t mind it at the moment, putting all his attention on his abusers.

“If it isn’t the crybaby~” a villager with blond hair said as her and her group came closer to the tree. 

“Aww look, he’s already in the Verge of tears! HAH!” Another villager said but this time a bunny type.

“What do you want.” Nightmare said in a flat tone, giving a glare to the 3 of them.

“What do we want? Hah, we want you to be dead already!” The dog villager said, stepping forward a bit and puffing out their chest.

“Are you guys so dumb as to have forgotten I’m immortal, I can’t die.” Nightmare bite back in a louder tone, hoping this would get them to back down..

But it never works

“You might not be able to die, but you can be beaten beyond recover, that’ll make you wish you were dead!” The blonde human spoke with a chilling expression on her face. 

“Looks like he’s getting cocky, why don’t we teach him to stay in his place?” The bunny suggested, looking at both villagers with dark smiles on their faces..

 Nightmare knew what he was getting himself into by acting the way he did towards them, he needed their attention to be on him, not the apples..

Even if it means getting beat..

“Just crow over and DIE!”

Even if it means he’ll never have a happy life..

“Dream would be better off without you being here!”

And even if it means he could and would never be loved by anyone or anybody the way other people are..

“Everyone is just waiting for the day you croak..”

He’ll always be happy in Dreams shadow, even if it means he couldn’t be by his side like they should be..as long as Dream was safe..

All he had to do was hold on a little longer..

But how long can you hold on if everyone around you wants you dead?

Chapter Text

It had been 3 more years of the endless struggle of trying not to fall. Trying not to let them win..

Trying not to fall into despair..

But being told you’re useless, unwanted, and being bombarded with death threats and heinous comments on your body since you were little-

You start to believe some of those things are true.

Nightmare was sitting at the base of the tree staring at the storm clouds. He was much like the clouds in a way. He was just doing his job. He never meant harm, he’s merely just existing.

His mind kept wandering to his wounds. His bruises were now apart of him; as for them never being healed properly. To cover up more of his eye he’d grown his hair even longer; it started to reached his collarbone..give it a few years and it’d grow to his elbows.

He’d also ditched his old short sleeved shirts and made some new long sleeved ones with the help of Dream. 

Although Dream was quick and kind enough to give Nightmare the materials and even help him with the sewing, Dream couldn’t help himself when it came to be curious.

***

“Why do you need longer sleeves? It’s quite hot out and fall isn’t for another couple of months.” Dream said while pinning some fabric down with a needle. Sewing along the pattern Nightmare had drawn out on it. “So what gives?”

“Nothing..just wanted to be prepped since I don’t really have a long sleeve shirts.” Nightmare said back sheepishly, choosing to avoid Dreams eyes as he sewed his part of the fabric, opposite to Dream. 

“What about the pants? You usually only wear shorts like me so..why switch?” Dream said back, stopping his sewing to look at the younger. He honestly just wanted to know why Nightmare was making changes out of the blue like this. He knew his brother was freakishly smart so he could trust his judgement, 

but switching from short to long sleeves in the dead of summer was to weird, even for Nightmare!

“Just a change in fashion I guess..?” Nightmare said back, also stopping his sewing as he stared the older back. 

“Nighty let me repeat myself.. It’s the dead of summer and your switching from short to long, why?” Dream repeated, having a stern look on his “Like I said it’s just a change in fashion, calm down.” Nightmare replied back.

“Nightmare, I’m not dumb so just tell me!” Dream yelled and stood up to the shock of Nightmare.

Oh crap

Nightmare knew he needed to get Dream off his case, but the question was how?

Clearly his main excuse wasn’t working so maybe..

“Fine you got me.” Nightmare said, looking saddened as he looked at Dream. “There’s been a rise in mosquitos lately and they’ve been getting on my nerves, so to not bother you as much I thought I’d just wear longer sleeves and pants..” Nightmare finished, refusing to look Dream in the eyes any longer.

“Oh Nighty..” said in a small voice, “You’d never be a bother to me! You could have asked and I’d help you no matter what!” He cheered as he jumped onto Nightmare, giving him a big hug.

“Well always be brothers so that means you can always count on me to help you, no matter what! Now come on, we have clothes to finish!”

***

Nightmare was glad he had someone like Dream in his life. Someone that saw him as more then just the negative apples, but as a person. 

Even if he and Dream weren’t related, he guarantees that Dream would have treated him no different than now..

Thunder clapped, bringing Nightmare out of his day Dream. The rain started to pour even more harder as the seconds went on. All those happy memories and thoughts got drowned out by the storm he now faced.

The rain started to fall harder, drenching Nightmare as he sat beneath the tree, his thoughts started to become lost in the relentless cycle of pain and hopelessness. 

He tried to bring his thoughts back to Dream, only to realize he hadn’t seen Dream since morning! He forgot Dream left for the village that morning-

He knew the quiet was to much of a mercy..It’d been quiet all day in fact..

 But that silence shattered when he saw the villagers approaching again, their expressions filled with malice.

 They moved as one, like a dark cloud creeping up the hill, their steps purposeful and threatening.

Nightmare stood, his body screaming in protest as he faced them. He knew why they were here, knew the hate they carried for him.

But today, something was different..There was a look in their eyes that sent a chill down his spine, a twisted glee that he hadn’t seen before.

“Look at you,” sneered a blond-haired woman, her voice dripping with disdain. “Pathetic as always, hiding under the branches of a tree like a coward.”

“What do you want?” Nightmare asked, though he already knew the answer.

“We’re tired of you, freak,” a bunny-eared villager spat, stepping closer. “You’re nothing but a stain on this world, dragging everyone down with your negativity. We’re going to end this today!”

Nightmare’s heart pounded in his chest, his gaze darting toward the golden apples that hung from the tree above him. He had sworn to protect them at all costs, to keep their light safe from those who didn’t deserve it. 

But the villagers’ eyes weren’t on the golden fruit—they were fixed on the dark, twisted apples that grew on the other side of the tree. The negative apples. His apples.

Before he could react, the crowd of villagers closed in, shoving him toward the base of the tree. 

Nightmare stumbled, his back slamming against the rough bark, the pain shooting through his already battered body. He tried to push them away, but they were relentless, their jeers echoing in his ears.

“You think you’re so special, so untouchable,” a dog villager growled, forcing Nightmare’s head back to face the dark apples. “If you love those wretched apples so much, why don’t you take a bite, eh? Show us what you really are!”

Nightmare struggled beneath their grasp, his vision blurring with tears. He could feel the pressure mounting, the weight of years of torment crashing down on him.

 He glanced desperately at the path leading back to the village, hoping to see Dream running toward him, but his brother was nowhere in sight..

He was alone.

“Eat it!” one of the villagers shouted, slamming Nightmare’s head against the tree. “Prove you’re the monster we all know you are!”

Nightmare’s gaze shifted to the nearest negative apple, its dark, pulsating surface almost inviting him, whispering promises of release from the pain, the hatred, the endless struggle. Maybe if he just took one bite, it would all stop. Maybe then they would leave him alone. With a final, desperate gasp, he reached out and grabbed the apple, pulling it from the branch.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The villagers watched with anticipation, and Nightmare hesitated, the apple trembling in his hand. 

But then, with all the anguish and fury he’d bottled up for years, he sank his teeth into the bitter fruit.

The transformation was immediate. Darkness surged through his veins, corrupting every part of him. 

His body twisted and contorted, his form melting into a grotesque, goopy mass of black sludge. He could feel the negative energy consuming him, feeding on his pain and amplifying it a thousandfold. 

The villagers screamed, scrambling back, but it was too late. Nightmare’s new form lashed out, tendrils of darkness striking everything in sight. 

The grass withered beneath him, the once-strong branches of the tree of feelings began to rot, and the sky seemed to darken to a crimson red more further as his fury unleashed itself.

Nightmare’s mind was a blur of hatred and sorrow, his senses overwhelmed by the sheer power of the negative apple. 

He didn’t just want the villagers gone—he wanted everything gone! He wanted to erase the world that had rejected him!

Amid the chaos, Dream appeared at the edge of the clearing, his face pale with horror as he watched his brother—no, this monstrous version of his brother—destroy everything in sight. 

He knew he had to act, but he didn’t know how to reach Nightmare through the anger and despair that had taken over.

“Nighty, stop!” Dream cried, his voice barely audible over the sound of destruction. “Please, you have to fight it! What ever this is you have to fight it off!”

But there was no response, only a guttural growl that shook the ground. Nightmare was gone, lost to the darkness that had consumed him. 

Desperate, Dream ran toward the tree, his eyes fixed on the last remaining positive apple—a shimmering beacon of hope amid the ruin. If he could just get to it, maybe he could still save Nightmare.

Dream ran to what was left of the Tree Of Feelings, dodging bodies on the ground left and right while trying to point those who were still alive to safety. 

Once to the tree he grabbed the golden apple, feeling its warmth spread through his fingers. He raised it to his lips, hoping its light would be enough to reach his brother. 

But before he could took a bite, the magic within the apple reacted violently. The positive energy, too pure and too protective, clashed with the overwhelming negativity surrounding them. It surged through Dream’s body, replacing his soul with itself. But instead of giving him the power to stop Nightmare, it turned against him.

Dream’s movements slowed, his limbs stiffening as the apple’s magic fought to protect itself from the onslaught of negativity. 

He looked up at Nightmare, reaching out one last time, but his voice was trapped in his throat. His body began to harden, his golden skin turning to stone as the apple’s magic sealed him away, protecting itself from the darkness that Nightmare had unleashed.

Nightmare turned, his monstrous form pausing as he stared at the statue of his brother—frozen in place, eyes wide with fear and sadness. The sight was like a dagger through what remained of his soul. 

He tried to reach out, but his form was no longer his to control. He could only watch, trapped in his own twisted creation, as the last person who had ever loved him was turned to stone, forever out of reach.

The storm raged on, but the world beneath it was silent. 

Nightmare, now a being of pure darkness, roared in agony, but no one was left to hear his cries. And the tree of feelings, once a symbol of balance and unity, stood broken and barren, its apples—both positive and negative—reduced to dust..

The sky, forever stained crimson red with black rain clouds, a permanent reminder of what he did..

He finally got the quiet life he’d always dreamed of after all those years.. Just not the way he expected..without the person he always dreamed it with..

He was now forever trapped in a plain devoid of any life besides himself. 

Falling to his knees he finally regained control of his body. His hands in-front of him while hunched over as he cried out long sobs..

Sometimes people truly are dealt bad cards in life..

But you can’t get rid of them if you don’t play them, right?