//------------------------------// // Master Plans // Story: The Nightmare in the Corner // by Kaffeina //------------------------------// The crack of thunder startled the small group of people standing in the room momentarily. Perhaps fitting for the circumtances involving the meeting, the room they sat in was dark and barely lit, and the occupants were just as shadowed, their forms not giving much into their appearences, though they knew who each other were. The table in front of them wasn't in a fantastic condition either and creaked each time the thunder shook the room. Deep brown word, covered in cracks, and the objects on it were as miscellaneous as they came. A pen, a stick, a book, a cross, and salt. However, most notable was the book. It crackled lightly and seemed to absorb the darkness around it. The cover even in the dark was very legible to those around it, and seemed to be the focus of their intense gazes. A light flashed, the occupants of the room properly revealed momentarily. On one side, two men were flanked by another. The third seemed to do the opposite of the book, rejecting the darkness and becoming somewhat visible. The young boy and girl on the other side were just as typical looking, aside from the girl's attire. A large cloak and hat, she blended better to the dark. "Lumos," the girl's voice said, and the stick on the table shone at its tip with light, allowing a reasonable visibilty to the room. A second later, the man from the other side of the table grabbed the book off the table and opened it, scoffing as he read while the rest of the occupants began to talk. "Demon hunters, and their angel friend?" the boy asked, his orange shirt easily readable in the new light. 'Camp Half-blood'. The men simply nodded, "Yeah, the family business, actually." The boy nodded, "I understand that." The girl merely frowned, "Demon hunters?" "I'll explain, Dean," the longer haired man answered, "Our father hunted demons back home and did it for soem time before one killed our mother," he answered. The girl shook her head and the man looked a little smug. "You'll have to tell me more next time, right now, we have one of these demons to hunt." "It's not a demon," the man holding the book said, "Just seems to be its nickname, 'Tantabus, The Nightmare Demon,' is the most prevalent use for its titles in here, and it certainly looks a bit like a stereotypical demon for humans, but not like what we've seen." The others nodded, "It's called itself a god," the boy spoke up, "Almost like its prideful of being more disgusting than any of the ones I know," he almost spat. The girl once again looked at him skeptically, but they all remained silent, "Needless about its power," she said. "We need to come up with a plan for this... thing." Before anyone could react, the next clap of thunder stopped and a being much similar to the one they spoke of appeared in the room, looking mostly charred and beat up. Before they could rise to their feet, it collapsed and the thunder resounded. --- Some Time Before --- Dave glared at the entity before him, his 'brother'. Like polar opposites, and they were, the entity was almost reversed of Dave himself. Dave prided himself on his skills involving Hope and his teamwork with Luna to prevent bad dreams in Equestria. This being prided itself on its ability to turn even the happiest of dreams into a horror fest, alone. Dave rose up and summoned his feelings of Hope, causing himself to brighten slightly. "Let's do this, you nightmare," the being merely grinned in response and raced at him. The entity's fist was raised and Dave decided a pity hit before destroying it, at least, thats what he was going to go with. However, when it connected, he was sent slamming through a wall. The stunned Hope Incarnate lay on the ground shocked and heavily injured, just staring skywards in shock. 'Like a piece of the night sky fell down and decided to walk in the form of a man' he remembered those words from somewhere and instantly regretted the pity hit. A figment of the sky, it punched hard and with weight. "Atlas held the entire sky up, through his Titanian strength," the entity answered, "And I am a part of that original sky, as I like to say," it chuckled, "Something a normal person would blow off, right?" Dave couldn't respond, as the shadows lifted him from the ground and brought him face to face with the entity, and Dave was jolted with fear. Despite the unfamiliar feeling the face gave, dark and the eyes were soulless, and seemed to suck everything in, like a black hole, there was something else extremely familiar in it as he struggled to free himself. A slow grin turned those eyes crimson and another hit slammed into his gut, causing him to nearly throw up at the force behind it. "Or rather, most people wouldn't know and get the chance," it said, a chuckle following as it spoke, "But, that means you're special, so..." The tendrils began creeping around Dave, "Enjoy your future, brother," the tendrils swallowed Dave whole and he blacked out. Meanwhile, the entity just smiled as it spoke to no one else in particular, "This will be so very fun, my other half." Dave's mind reeled in shock as he realized what had happened in the darkness and he shook his head, the darkness suddenly clearing, "Dave?" a regal voice asked, and Dave flinched towards it, "What's wrong?" Dave blinked, realizing it was Luna who spoke and as he opened his mouth to speak, something faded from his mind, leaving nothing more than a crimson grin. "Nothing, Lu," he shook his head once more, "Its nothing. What's up?" "I can say the same, though, I do wonder why you're looking so dark today," she answered from the other side of the room. Her bed? He frowned, he had never been here before. Dismissing it, he looked at himself. His coloring had changed? "I'm not quite sure, Lu," his feet began moving forward, Dave tried stopping himself, Why was he approaching her? As he approached, everything darkened, very slowly, leaving just her. "Dave? What are you doing?" she asked. "I don't-fear," Dave coughed, "I-fear me," Dave froze and his mouth began moving of its own accord. "Nothing Lu, just trying to get a hug." NO I'M NOT, WHY AM I SAYING THIS!? he screamed internally. The Lunar Princess smiled, "All you had to do is ask," she held up her arms for a hug. "Right," his face forced itself into a grin and he grabbed Luna in a hug, and his arms squeezed her. "Dave, you're hugging too tight. Dave," his arms squeezed, "Dave!" Her chest popped, "DAVE!" His arms suddenly slammed together and Luna coughed and blood splattered him. "ITS JUST A HUG, LU." He said, Dave screamed internally, "So, just enjoy it," The tendrils snapped at her and Luna's eyes closed. Dave screamed as everything went black again. When he next opened his eyes a group of people stood above him, fuzzy in his vision. "What the hell. What's wrong with him?"