Alpha and Ancients both have a slight change in instincts from the lower level of Nightmares, they are not so dive by there hunger and have gained enough to maintain their forms and Magic abilities, they have established a territory and foce more on maintaining power over it, and defending it from rivals or taking there territory and adding it to there's, this doesn't matter if it's a another Nightmare approaching on their territory or any other creature that threatens it

Nightmares are territorial but Ancients are extremely,
for example, (Skey RP )
Malice put out the fire Hiiro made both times at Cielo, and when Demise asked him why he replied saying
' Cielo will burn when I say it will'
this is because Malice's has claimed territory over the land of Dreams and will defend it and destroy it when he see fit, even though it was given to Demise by Soledormir (he did that on purpose to) Malice has challenged Demise on several occasions but he is unavailable to kill one another without Soledormir consent

Alphas in Ancients abilities

Both can awaken to a Nightmare strongest form a Tormented form and is why they are the high class.
(More will be explained about this form in the Tormented lore)

Wolf in sheep clothing:

Both alphas and ancients
Can suppress their Darkness in their alternate forms to the point they show almost no nightmares traits.
Both Alphas and Ancients appear attractive in there alternate forms, ancient more than Alphas, the older the Nightmare the more attractive they get.
This is partly due to them observing attractive things people favor and are ether higher valued in status, which is appealing to a Nightmare it can open up more opportunities for there own goals, which usually involves territory or hunting. They also known people usually don't feel threatened by someone who are attractive and they will let there guard down, making it easy to manipulate or hunt.

There's usually one small mynute thing that that the Nightmare cannot suppress and have to hide a different way.
Dreameater eyes still appear nightmarish even in his humanoid form and has to hide them under his hat.

Malice is the only one who can completely hide his nightmarish appearance in his alternate form except his black hair that no Nightmare can hide.

The picture of Malice humanoid forms is an example.

(Right)
Malice's has suppress his Darkness to the point where only his hair color is the only thing that a Nightmare trait, his black marking on his skin had completely disappeared, a long with his figment stone on his hands and feet, he lost his horns and chains, and his eyes look that of a Griffin even in his Human form when he hides his Darkness to.

(Left)
Malice's has black marking of a Dreamer on his skin, he also has figment stones ( death pearls) on his hands and feet. He has long horns on his head and chains from his back, and he has his Nightmare eyes, when Malice is not hiding his corruption like this, individuals who are sensitive to it can since his Darkness.

Note:
Even though they appear attractive, Nightmare still lack some emotions and understanding of them, so there interactions with other creatures can very on how well they can observe and fake certain emotions.

Both alphas and ancients have Barb's on the end of some of their chains, Alphas usually have only two as an ancient can have up to 10.

Barb's are sharp blades at the end of a nightmares chain, the chain itself will also appear different then the Nightmare usual ones.(for Malice they are his obsidian chains the ones with the spikes and hints of green on them )
Not only are the barbs can be used for attacking with their sharp blades, but they can be used to corrupt other things with Darkness by impaling their victims with the Barb's chains and using their dark magic on them, this can take a great deal of energy out of the Nightmare depending on the size and will of there victim.

Ancients are the only ones that can control what they corrupt, (the more intelligent of the creature the hard it is)

Malice is the only one who can control even intelligent creatures he has corrupted fully, but his power of control is more then that...
( Will explain more in lore of the Nightmare king)

When a Nightmare impels a Dreamer with there Barb chains they infect them with nightmare syndrome, depending on the Nightmare they will ether leave their victim and let the Darkness consume the Dreamer at it's own pace (that is still fast then if the Dreamers nightmare syndrome wakes up on it's own ) but the Dreamer Fairfin still has a small window to save there Bond partner or the Nightmare will keep there chains in the Dreamer making them turn at a much faster pace, with this there a 50-50 chance of the new Nightmare been killed in the process, the changes too fast and the Dreamer dies before the young Nightmare can take what it needs from the Dreamer to survive killing it to or the Nightmare survives but is nothing more then a husk.

The dark fog
Nightmare use a fog to hide themselves, this fog can be different color depending on the Nightmare themselves
(Malice has black fog as Cataclysm has red Fog )
This fog give off a creepy Eerie feeling when touched and can even play tricks on the mind if exposed to for long periods.
(Tormented fog is much worse and will be in that lore)

-

Alpha and Ancients both can shadow jump, this is the ability to melt and move through Shadows, bettas and Alpha's both use Forgotten to do this as a Ancient does not they have enough power and experience to move freelee thought Shadows and even travel through different realms, this is done with there wings in there true form.

Alphas and Ancient both have faster healing capabilities and adaptability to other species parts for repair.
For example: if a arm was cut off and it was a clean cut, the Nightmare could reattach it and bandage it to keep it in place for it to reattach in heal, this takes time and they can not shift until they are fully healed, now if the arm was to heavily damaged or no longer available to be reattached the Nightmare can seek out a new one, Dreamer or a another Nightmare are idea because they are the same species and can adapt and form to the Nightmare who stole it, but a Nightmare can use other species if they have to, because of Dreamer ability to change forms and copy other species as there young, a Nightmare take this ability to a new level and can use part's of other species to heal themselves if it a match.

For example: Malice has Crimson's eye, even though Malice's does not have a dragon form they both have a human form, and Crimson eye was stolen in his Human form and give to Malice in his Human form.

Note: it takes longer for a Nightmare to adapt and if they can change the another species part, the new part is usually weaker then the Nightmare original part that had to be replaced or it with out Magic.

The new eye Mal has isn't able to see in the dark like his Nightmare eyes can.

Ancient Nightmare though have the high healing out of the nightmare classes, scars can be completely heal and be nonexistent in less than a month.
Fun fact: Malice would look tore up if he wasn't an Ancient Nightmare, mostly do to what Soledormir did to him as a Dreamer, but he also has been in many battles in both his life's as a Dreamer and Nightmare. Malice has even lost a limb or two but has been able to reattach them (one of this occasions was in a fight with Omen when he got drunk....)

Alphas in ancient both If they sustain too much damage they will go into a hibernation mode to heal themselves, but like a high beta but better. An Ancient will generally have several layers we're they have made a healing pool to sleep in, as they hibernate it speeds up the healing process, and supposed to keep echoes from happening.
(I will most likely do a Lore on this )

(there was a lot to cover but I think that is all, there will be a separate lore on Tormented form and the Nightmare king )

So much awesomeness! Great job writing it all! (It's just amazing to think about how far you have gone in your writing skills since we first met you. ;u;)

Oooh, this is so cool to read about! And my boy looks sooo cooooolll ewe It makes me so happy <3

Edit: I post it on the wrong pic xp

Predator sense

Alphas and Ancients both have strong Predator sense and can pick up the aura of other creatures and track them down even long distance. This is what makes them so good at hunting.
Ancients can even since Darkness in other creatures this helps them maintain their territory in finding potential threats or rivals.

Note: there are creatures or individuals that a Nightmare can't since or are difficult to.
also its difficult for a Nightmare to since another nightmare that's suppressing it's Darkness.

For example:
it's difficult for Malice to since Dragons he can tell something there but not who or what.

Malice as the Nightmare king can sense Other Nightmare in the area even one that can hide there Darkness, but he can't tell who they are he just know it's another Nightmare.
(He did this back at Cielo he knew a another Nightmare was hunting the king candidates but he didn't know who it was )

All their doing is standing there & they still look hot.

you know... mal's horns in human form remind me of some moth antennae

he must secretly be a moth X"D

honestly, I like the antennae-y horns (of course I do because BUG), but if you don't quite like them/they don't line up with how Mal is supposed to look then I'd say go on and change em :o

but lolol there should be a joetroll about the horns... I can imagine Omen waving some lantern around, asking Mal why isn't he chasing the light since he looks moth-y XD