Nightmare's form continues to shift and contort, until it finally begins to recollect itself, going from a magical black ooze into Reaper's fear. It's...

No. It couldn't be.

Nightmare mimics my greatest fear, with powers scaled to mimic its power at his level of strength, which is just below the Classics.

It's me.

He blocks my way with a mad grin. We both grip our scythes and await the other's first move. Each prepared to strike the second the other lets his guard down.

I look into Reaper's eyes...

They are full of fear.

"Reaper?" I ask.

"Mine," he speaks like a man possessed, as if an entity has hold of him, but in his eyes, I still see Reaper, the man I love, hidden behind the pain and fear.

"Mine?" I ask.

"My fear," he replies, "my fight."

While I'm distracted, Nightmare melts into darkness and disappears. I grip my scythe and follow suite, trying to find him. I constantly look back as M.S., who turns metal and is perfectly capable of defending herself, but I look back anyways, my desire to protect an all consuming purpose. A mission I refuse to fail.

The town is decorated for Halloween, the trees have been stripped of their leaves, each one planted thirty feet of each other and the air is chilled, but pleasantly so. In such a way a warm hug would not be unwelcome and a jacket or a cloak is more than a fashion statement. Decorative bats and skeletons line the shops in the windows and hang from lampposts.

I hear the sound of a scythe being drawn, the metallic sound sending a chill up my spine as I turn in full swing, causing our scythes to clash, sending sparks into the air. He blasts me with intense winds, pushing me back, but I manage to keep my footing, sending me sliding across the concrete. He blasts me with an intense bolt of darkness that I counter with a blast of flaming stone. We end up locked in a stand-off, each blasting the other with magic, waiting for the other's will to falter, but neither giving up, and both of us slowly draining mana.

 I sneak behind a tree to get closes to Nightmare. He doesn't notice me and continues to focus on Reaper.  I sneak closer, hiding behind a mailbox as the embers from the flaming stones block Nightmare's vision. I inch ever closer, hiding among smoke and debris until I get close enough to strike. I grab Nightmare's head and with my super-human strength, rip it clean off, killing him.

...

Damn. OK. 

"Thanks," I smile, "but I told you, this is my fight."

"Why did he become... you?" M.S. asks as I take Nightmare's soul.

"Cause I'm afraid," I sigh, "I'm afraid of hurting you guys."

"How?" M.S. asks, "the only thing you've really done to hurt us is refuse our help. If you don't want to hurt us, let us help you. Let ME help you."

"No," I sigh, sitting down, "I mean, like, summon I.T. If I do that..."

M.S. sits next to me, a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Your goal is to protect," she smiles so sweetly, "right?"

"Yeah," I reply, "that's my job."

"Then," she sits closer to me, calming my fears with her sweet sweet smile, "you'll just have to think about us if you're ever thinking about doing that. At least promise me you won't lose sight of your motives. If you're going to really go through with this, please, at least keep your heart in the right place."

"I promise," I reply.

"Good," she kisses my cheek lightly and gets up, "now come on, there's another aura in this town."

I get up and we walk side by side. She smiles at me, and I can't help but smile back. I look at her hand, dangling freely at her side. I take her hand in mine. She smiles at me, and I smile back as we proceed towards our next opponent, and for the first time since Christmas...

I feel at least somewhat happy...