Mysterious Nightmare

The **Mysterious Nightmare** is one of the main antagonists of *Mary Skelter 2*. It is responsible for the destruction of the Liberated District and the Dawn that happens at the beginning of the game and serves as a constant threat to the group. Despite its immense strength, it runs away when Nightmare Jack appears.

## Profile

   The Mysterious Nightmare is a large, grotesque being with a muscular, purple body. Its covered in pulsing, fleshy, red webbing around its chest, arms, and head. In the center of its chest is a large, yellow eye. It has a multitude of weapons and other objects lodged into its skin, such as its gun-like teeth, gears, and spikes.

It possesses the ability to speak, but it can be difficult to decipher what it is saying. Most of the time, it simply references destruction or death.

## Story

### Chapter 1

The Mysterious Nightmares first appearance comes when the group, including the newly found humans, arrived at the Liberated District. They are shocked to find it completely destroyed, with the Mysterious Nightmare in the middle of killing Towa after having disemboweled Haru and dismembered Miko. Enraged, Otsuu tries to attack with Hameln soon joining her, but they are swiftly tossed aside by the Nightmare. Nightmare Jack soons appears to try to help and seems to scare off the Mysterious Nightmare. Little Mermaid rushes to Towa's aid to try to help, but it is too late, as Towa dies beside her.

As the group settle into the New Liberated District, they begin to speculate as to the identity of the Mysterious Nightmare. While Snark is thrown around, the majority of the group dismiss the idea.

### Chapter 6

As the group defeats the O. Nightmare at the Art Alley, the game shows Mamoru and Hikari chatting at the entrance to the New Liberated District as Mamoru stands guard. However, their conversation is cut short by one of Hameln's familiar dropping dead in front of them. Soon after, the Mysterious Nightmare appears and Mamoru tells Hikari to warn everyone inside while he buys time. Hikari objects at first before running away. The Mysterious Nightmare attacks, injuring Mamoru's legs. Before it can finish him off, Hansel rushes in to take it on.

The player gets to briefly control Hansel and Mamoru in a short battle against the Mysterious Nightmare. After the battle ends, the party comes back and Nightmare Jack's presence sends the Mysterious Nightmare running once again. Unfortunately, the battle had left Hansel fatally injured with no change of survival due to his core being destroyed. He dies, giving Nightmare Jack his final request to protect everyone.

### Final Chapter

The party makes it to the top of the Jail Tower and find the Mysterious Nightmare waiting for them at the top. It is here that the player must answer the questions about the Mysterious Nightmare's identity to unlock either the Bad Ending or the True Ending.

#### Bad Ending

If the player answers any of the questions wrong, Gretel will remark on how Otsuu had guessed wrong before Red Riding Hood decides to rush in to attack it herself. A battle ensues with the Mysterious Nightmare. Once it is defeated, the Jail Tower will begin to crumble. The Mysterious Nightmare will run away and Nightmare Jack will follow it, much to the chagrin of Otsuu. After the party escapes the Jail Tower, they say that they will find Nightmare Jack and a way to the surface some day.

#### True Ending

The player must answer the questions in the following order: Blood Maiden, Alice, and Right Hand. It is revealed that the Alice that had joined the party is a Marchen copy of the real Alice, similar to Cinderella's Mimics. After she had attacked Jack in Blood Skelter and sent Otsuu, Little Mermaid, and Jack into the Underground Cavern, Alice became distraught thinking that she had killed Jack. Similarly to how Jack became a Nightmare because of his desire to protect, Alice became the Mysterious Nightmare out of her desire to destroy everything because of Jack's apparent death. Sensing that Nightmare Jack was the Jack she had known, the Mysterious Nightmare would run away whenever he would appear to avoid hurting him. The biggest clue to the Mysterious Nightmare's identity was the hair clip embedded in Nightmare Jack's hand that the current Alice had in her hair, which would be an impossible occurrence if she was the real Alice.

After Otsuu explains all this, Gretel will agree with her having already come to that conclusion. The Mysterious Nightmare will begin to fuse with the core. The party, not knowing what to do, watch in horror. Nightmare Jack, torn between wanting to protect the real Alice and wanting to protect the party, rushes to the Mysterious Nightmare and fuses along with it, his two desires manifesting into two versions: a copy of the original Jack and the Love Nightmare.