Song lyrics picked: Innocence – Shaman
Songs listened to while writing: Dishi – Lumen, Skol’ko – Lumen



She stopped.

She stared.

Nightmare, in all his enraged, broken glory, was sitting atop the altar of the Ruins; just as he had done so many times before.

Save for the fact that a certain Magpie doe wasn’t sitting by his side, like a dog to its master.

She trembled.

It was her fault that this entire mess happened; it was her fault that things that she hadn’t quite thought about had grown to fruition. And here she stood, a stranger in her own world, a stranger to those she treasured.

He shifted slightly, perhaps picking up on her presence.

She jumped, carefully moving behind a tree.

Myu, in all her infinite intelligence, had decided to skip town, wanting time to herself, with no one running interference. However, such selfishness would prove to be her stepping stone to complete disaster.

Upon her unexpected departure, Nightmare flew into a seething rage, severing his bonds to all; with the exception of the Sins. They were the only ones he would place his trust in now; they were the ones that he gave the All Access passes to. Any other soul who ventured too close would find themselves trapped between the clamps that were his jaws, silenced all too well before their time.

And in doing so, he had effectively severed his bond with her, his knowledge, his memories of her erased. Gone. Poof. No more.

Myu had set off a series of events that could only be described as the perfect disaster. She was the epicenter for the ensuing results, she was the one whose selfishness awoke something that would have been better off comatose.



Myu did not wish to come back so early, but upon hearing of the destruction and pain released, she had quietly slipped her way back into the borders of the Forest, with only one name, one pictogram in mind.

Nightmare…

A low, bubbling noise spilled from his mouth, much like the gurgling of an unsatisfied stomach.

He heard her.

She whispered the name so carefully, so cautiously, yet the wind had other ideas, carrying it to Nightmare like a messenger pigeon, sending the words of a long departed lover. Not that their relationship was of that sort, but she’d be damned if they weren’t close to each other prior to this mishap in judgment.

For her, she wasn’t entirely sure how to describe their relationship; it was one embedded with darkness, mystery, and a certain feeling that carried no name. To call it “love” would be a lie; to call it “friendship” would be even more of a lie. Their interactions with each other had been a whirlwind of uncertainties, from Nightmare’s single tap on the ground, to the breaking of a promise upon the hooves of the Sins.

And now…?

Now it was one filled with animosity, something Myu never wanted. She had never once stopped to think of what could happen with a sudden departure, without so much as a backwards glance. It wasn’t until she heard of what had happened, had taken a step back, had decided to look at herself within the mirror…that she realized just how selfish she had been.

And she didn’t know what to do to mend it.

She heard a deep, rasping noise, and she flicked her ear, looking up to see Nightmare still sitting on the altar, simply staring at her.



Nervously, she began to walk towards him, her head low, carrying the looks of a child being scolded by its parents. Taking care to not get too close, she stopped at the stone slab nestled in the ground. She lowered her body to the ground, laying herself on the cool stone, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

She couldn’t recall the last time she forced herself so much.

She looked up into his fiery golden eyes, trying to remember the last time she felt safe within this beast’s presence.

Why, it was just the other day…

A snort escaped his nostrils, and she flinched slightly, not wanting to be there, but not wanting to let one chance slip away. She wanted to right her wrongs, she wanted to let him know just how sorry she was, she wanted…

To be able to sit near him again without a single fear, a single doubt.

Flattening her ears against her head, fighting back tears, shifting slightly, she began to speak, her voice steady, yet unsteady:

Nightmare, I…wasn’t…thinking right. I…left for my own reasons, for my own concerns. I…felt suffocated, depressed by everything happening…I searched again and again for happiness, for something to perk me up…and I couldn’t find it…

She paused, hoping that her words aren’t going through one ear and out the other. He didn’t move at all, still as a statue. She spoke again, trying to make her voice stronger.

I…never stopped to think what this could do to you and everyone else around me…it never occurred to me what could come of such a thing…I was selfish in my endeavor, not giving a damn about what happened here…and I was wrong to do so.



He still remained sitting, staring at her. She wondered if he had already made his choice, if he was simply waiting for her to shut up, so that he can do what he wished. But she didn’t allow herself to back down. She knew this was her only chance to say her piece before judgment was laid down on her.

I…am so sorry for what I have done, for what I have unleashed. I simply…did it out of selfishness, I was only seeking my own benefit in the end…I know, I sound like a broken record, but…I…

The tears came rather quickly, and she found herself sobbing, wondering if he would simply end it now for her. And yet, she got the feeling that this was only the start of the true horrors that were lying in wait, waiting to take her like sharks in a feeding frenzy.

And it was there that she did something she had never done before.

She rose, pawing at her face, as if trying to scratch an itch impossible to cure; within moments, a quiet “Pop!” noise was heard…

And her skull mask fell to the ground.

Now, her true face had been revealed underneath; a real faced doe, with pretty ice blue eyes.
This was her true face, this is what she had hidden under her skull mask for so long.

This was how sincere she was being. She had shed her mask in a moment of symbolism.



Still spilling tears, she spoke through a choked throat:

I know…it is not your nature to forgive…I will…do whatever is necessary to at least attempt to repair the damage I have caused…if you wish for me to leave, then I will leave and never return. If you want me to die, then I will do so, whatever means necessary. The only thing I can say now…

She lowered her head, guiding her feet to a bowing stance. She remained in this bow as she finished her sentence.

…is that I thank you for at least listening to me. And that...no matter what decision you make...I..will always care about you...

The only thing she could do was wait to see what Fate had unraveled for her.