0 hid in her room as soon as they got home. She didn't want to be followed by the others but she was anyway. 7 and 9 kept apologizing the whole way home but what did they have to apologize for? It was her fault Nightmare was unleashed upon the world.
"0, who was that?" 7 asked.
0 wrote in the ground slowly NIGHTMARE.
3 and 4 clicked quickly to each other.
"We can't let her be taken by him!" She heard 3 say. She finally understood him but the rest of the sentences were lost.
"What does he want?" 9 asked them.
0 shrugged. "I wish I knew." She clicked knowing full well 9 didn't understand her.
7 spoke loud to be heard over the clicking of 3 and 4, "We won't let anything happen to you guys. We'll figure out how to beat him."
This calmed the Twins but it didn't calm her. She turned to 3 and 4 and forced a grin. "I guess their date was ruined today. We'll have to do it another time."
Even though their main concern wasn't 7 and 9's "date" they grinned anyway.
"Sometimes I wonder what they talk about," 7 folded her arms and leaned against the wall.
"I think sometimes we're better not knowing."
Late into the night, 0 was lying down on the bed with 3 and 4 next to her, watching the window cautiously. She was determined not to sleep. Her arms tightened around the Twins. This was her fault. Why should they have to suffer for her mistake?
Slowly, so as not to wake the Twins, she got up from the bed and watched them until they settled back into a different position. Out in the hall was 7's spear, which she grabbed before heading outside.
The moon was hidden behind clouds but it's light was still visible. Every now and again there was a break in the clouds that allowed her to see everything around her. Where would she even find Nightmare? The only place she could think to look was the gramophone.
0 walked blindly into the night until she came across the gramophone. She remembered when had Nightmare appeared she hid with the Twins and hoped that he wouldn't find them. He never did and she was grateful for that.
Nothing had been touched since the meeting. Slowly she turned to take in the scene. It would have been a magical night for 9 and 7 if Nightmare hadn't shown up.
The sound of a flute made her jump and her mouth flew open to scream but none came out. When she turned she saw the gramophone playing and on top of it was a silhouette. 0 held the spear in front of her but she was shaking.
"How can you expect to fight me when you're shaking like that?" Nightmare demanded before jumping between her and the gramophone.
The song was slow and almost like a lullaby. Something in her spirit was calmed but also at attention. It made her shake more. Nightmare started walking toward her.
Stay back, she tried saying. 0 jabbed the spear in his direction until it nearly came in contact with his throat but for some reason she couldn't get it through. It was like an invisible hand was stopping her from doing it.
"You won't hurt me. You don't have it in you. You never did." He grabbed the end of the spear and jerked it toward himself. 0 had no choice but to let go or be dragged toward him with the spear. "This is nicely made for someone with limited abilities."
0 started walking backwards but something stopped her. She was afraid to turn around. It couldn't have been a rock it was much too soft for that but it was too hard to be a plant.
While Nightmare ignored her, he was too distracted by the spear, she quickly turned to come face to face with her adversary. It was made exactly like the stitchpunks but it was bigger and far stronger. Another break in the clouds let the pale light shine on it. It looked almost exactly like 8! If 0 could gasp she probably would have.
"Meet Knight 8, or K8 for short." Nightmare's voice was almost pleased. "He's here to make sure you don't go anywhere."
When 0 turned around the tip of the spear was right between her eyes.
"Why didn't you die the first time?" He growled at her.
Why didn't she die? She remembered what 9 told her about the Scientists planting something that would force a shut down and made her fake death for hours.
She clutched at the bone necklace and imagined each spirit she thought she was freeing from the mirror talisman.
"It doesn't matter now. We'll find out when you die this time." Nightmare pulled back to stab.
0 ducked underneath the spear and scrambled in a blind direction but before she could get far the K8 grabbed her ankle and jerked her back. K8 had a hole where the spear went through. Why didn't he die?
"Hold her down!" Nightmare demanded.
She struggled underneath the strength of K8. She wriggled and kicked but nothing would make him let go. He was able to hold down her torso. She kept punching and struggling and wriggling but nothing would free her now. From the heavens a knife nearly took off her head. She was close enough to see the startled reflection of Nightmare and her own startled reflection. The knife forced K8 to let go of her.
"Get away from her!" 9's voice yelled.
While the two were distracted 0 scrambled away and cowered behind 9. What was she thinking coming out here alone?