April 13th, 2021: Earth
Napstablook slipped out of the house, their form shimmering as they kept low to the ground. Night had fell...and most nights were peaceful as of late, but the ghost couldn't help checking again and again.
They wanted it to be safe, and they had been doing well. The police had snagged most of the criminals, and…
Napstablook paused.
Wait.
They turned. "Jennifer, I know you're there."
There was silence in response, but it seemed they had caught her off guard, for they could still see her incorporeal form attempting to hide behind a tree that was not nearly wide enough to conceal her.
"...Jennifer, unless you can hide your soul, you really can't sneak up on me…" The ghost floated back over. "It's nearly midnight, what are you doing following me? You should be in bed…"
The girl peeked out from her cover, looking down sheepishly in response to the question.
"I… umm...was just… walking my dog?" she managed lamely.
"Jennifer...I'm sorry, you need to go back."
"Why? What have you been doing?" the girl asked defensively. "You keep leaving late at night…"
"It's okay," Napstablook soothed. "I've just...been looking around."
"Then why can't I come along?" she asked, staring defiantly at him.
"Because it's late, your father would be upset, and I would worry."
"Why would you worry? The safest place I can be is with you!"
Napstablook shook their head. "I'm sorry, Jennifer, I need you to go home. I'll be okay, but I don't want you going."
The teen crossed her arms over her incorporeal chest, her gaze practically daring them to try and stop her.
"Jennifer, I really don't want to argue with you, but I can't let you come. Please, don't make this difficult. I can, and I will take you home if I have to..."
A heated glare was sent the ghost's way, and Jennifer turned briskly, wishing she could stomp her foot for emphasis.
"Fine!" she choked out, emotions warring for dominance in her tone. "Go see your secret friend! See if I care!"
With that, she flew off, rising above the roofs and beelining for her home.
"Jennifer!" The ghost zipped after her, contemplating on using their magic to slow her down. "I'm not seeing anyone!"
She slowed to a stop, but still faced away from Napstablook, her form quivering a little at the emotional barrage.
Napstablook stilled a few feet away. "Jennifer...I'm not sneaking out at night to see anybody… I'm…looking for people-yes, but, not like that..."
"Then what? What's so secret that you have to keep it hidden? That you can't even tell me? I thought…"
She swallowed, not finishing her sentence.
"Because I didn't want you to worry...I...didn't realize you knew… It's just...it's not dangerous, but…it's not appealing either."
"Don't you trust me?"
"I do," Napstablook insisted. "I just…"
"If you trust me, then why do you need to keep secrets from me?" Jennifer finally turned to him, grief and fear written across her face. "I tell you everything!"
"...because I didn't want to bother you with it…but I guess I still did. I'm sorry."
The girl stared at them for a moment, before lowering her head.
"But you're still not going to tell me, are you?"
Napstablook gave a long weary sigh. "I'm...patrolling, I guess is the word…"
"Pa...trolling?" Jennifer asked, raising her head in surprise.
They nodded. "Since I can sense souls from a distance, I've been looking for Human souls with magic...there aren't many here in your world, and even fewer are friends. I find them...I call them in."
"So you're just… looking for the guys that took me?" Jennifer asked cautiously, searching Napstablook's gaze.
They nodded. "Ghost monsters are the best ones to do it-at least on my side…"
"Oh…" Jennifer lowered her head again, though this time it seemed to be more out of shame than anything else. "I'm… sorry…"
"Jennifer...what's wrong?" the ghost finally asked. "You're...acting a little out of sorts-but I don't think I have a clear view as to why…I'm sorry...I don't mean to pry..."
"I… I just…" she began wringing her hands together nervously, refusing to meet their gaze as her form dimmed.
"I've had… some people… break trust before," she mumbled. "I was worried that…"
"Jennifer, I would never lie to you," Napstablook promised. "I know I haven't told you everything, and have been doing stuff without your knowing, but...I wouldn't lie."
A tiny laugh escaped her.
"That's… maybe not as comforting as you might think, Napstablook."
She turned away again.
"I'll go home," she promised. "And… I won't bother you about this again."
"...I promise, I'm safe, all right? And...I'll try to at least avoid this kind of misunderstanding?"
Jennifer bobbed up and down for a moment, then she flew off, heading back to her home.
Napstablook shimmered with relief. They would talk to her more later, but not here in the night...besides, there were things she did not need to know.
The ghost was no liar, but they had their secrets.
The night had been mostly quiet, though the ghost went far, leaving the city limits and continuing onwards-
Come first light, Napstablook picked up on another Human soul that contained magic. They flew down stealthily into the hills-miles away from any given civilization. A small camp greeted them.
If Napstablook was to call and do nothing…
There was a scout keeping watch. He'd know hours ahead if anyone was approaching.
Napstablook could knock them out-but there was no promise that they'd stay that way…
The ghost stirred angrily at the Humans who sat there-Humans who had harmed friends and family.
Humans who left them to die, Humans who had done so much damage for years…Napstablook was a kind, and patient soul. It usually would have taken so much more to anger them. But that was before… They shook their form as it dimmed, their eyes glowing.
These people had nearly taken their cousin-nearly turning Neo into a simple weapon. They cherished Neo with every bit of their being, their soul and emotions. Neo was nearly all that had ever supported them, and only Neo had done as much as he had. Sure, others had supported them, but...Neo had been the strongest in that regard.
They had kidnapped Frisk, stolen their friends away, and taken several others to the brink of death.
One did not trifle with family, without answering the wrath of other members.
And the gentlest souls could house a rage fiercer than any storm.
The air grew colder, as if winter had suddenly fallen upon the camp-as a Nightmare suddenly emerged from the darkness.
The full moon was hidden in the clouds-but the scout saw the shadow. An alarmed cry filled the camp-humans quickly rising to the thing-that-
That Nightmare.
It towered over them, making them seem small and of insignificant. It came forward-only specks of light giving them small ideas of what they were up against.
An appendage shot out, wrapping around a human and dragging them toward the shadows. They cried out, a gun fired... and harmlessly passed through the thing.
A terrifying maw opened, and a chilling breath came forth. It was as if this thing was the soul of Winter, housing the source of all cold within its core. The human cried out as it breathed in, feeling all strength leave them, as if it was taking the essence that allowed them to live.
Their vision faded to black-and they fell to the ground with a thud. Only under close inspection, would one find that they were still alive.
The Humans screamed in horror-none staying to fight the Nightmare. They fled, but….they were up in the mountains, with no help for miles.
This haven had turned into a hunting ground. The Nightmare let them run in a panic, and slowly, they were picked off, one by one. For how could a Human outrun such a massive creature that could outpace them? Its claws raked the earth as it climbed ledges, but when it wasn't clambering about...one could hear something sliding across the ground.
And no Human could hide from a creature that could see their souls. No tree nor stone could hide them.
Its dangerous paws would fall upon them.
Appendages would wrap around them, yanking them from their hiding spots in the trees.
It would drag them close, and then, the Nightmare would do what it did to all of them.
Hours later, there was a call to the nearest police station...but no one spoke on the other side.
And upon tracking the cell phone, they found only a pile of bodies on the outskirts of their city. All of them were breathing...but none would stir.
They wouldn't wake anytime soon.
They may never wake again.
This was one of those other nights, and a reason to keep Jennifer away. For on other nights, there was no ghost on patrol.
There was only a rampaging Nightmare. A well-guarded secret that only one other knew.