Chapter Text
Blood spattered the walls of the corridor, red covering the gold pillars. The ceiling was filled with blue strings, some covered in blood, or with colored ink. The two opponents, an artistic skeleton sworn to protect the Multiverse, and a glitchy skeleton swore to destroy it, go in a one-on-one match, seemingly for life or death. The creator, Ink, struggled to keep up with the destroyer, Error. Error kept launching his strings at Ink, ripping his limps off of him. Ink staggered back, struggling to stand, only his left leg and his left arm, tipping his balance. He was holding his paintbrush, which he calls "Broomy", as he launched a flurry of purple paint at the destroyer. Error couldn't dodge in time, and he was covered in the paint, turned to chains, and pulled him down. He struggled in the chain, breaking some fragile bones he has gained from the fight. Ink smirked until he bent over in pain, blood coming out of where his right limps would be. Error continued to struggle in the chains, but could at least reach his eyes to pull out more strings, striking at Ink while he was vulnerable. When could this fight end? He thought to himself, and he grabbed Ink in his strings. He smirked as he ripped Ink's left leg out, Ink screaming in agony as he fell back, not able to stand now. Error knew he won this battle.
He dragged Ink down against the pillar, before attempting to break the chains, managing to after a while as the ink couldn't hold its form any longer. He walked over to Ink and took his brush away from him, then placed it down somewhere nearby so Ink could grab it and heal himself later.
"THAt wAs FUn." Started Error, looking at Ink's weak state as the latter glared at him. "WeLP, sEe You sOOn." He turned and was about to open a portal to his home when Ink spoke.
"W-Why?" He grunted in pain. "W-Why not kill me?" Error turned back at Ink, staring at him in disbelief.
"So yOU waNt tO dIE?"
"What? No, of course not!- But you always hated me, you wanted to kill me. So why not do it now?!" Ink tried to look at Error, but he kept flinching in pain.
"...ThE sAMe wAy I DOn't DEstRoy alL oF THe AUs." Error said simply like it was obvious. Ink could only stare in confusion.
"B-But you destroy AUs every day! You don't give mercy, you don't help lives! You don't feel any regret when you kill those AUs, cause you don't care about anybody else!" Error looked at Ink angrily.
"I'm jUSt fIXinG yOUr mIStaKeS." Error's glitching visibly got worse.
"Fixing? Fixing?!" Ink glared at him, trying to pull himself up with the collum, almost forgetting about his lack of legs. "You're killing lives Error! How is this fixing?!"
"CAUse yOu CaN't kEEp yoUr SiDe oF ThE BaLANce InK!" How much of an idiot could Ink be? Error thought, rolling his eyelights.
"Balance? What balance?" Ink tilted his head, one of his eyelights changing to a question mark.
Wow, a huge one. Error started laughing, thinking Ink must be joking. He laughed like it was the best joke in the world. Ink could only look at him in confusion. "W-wOw InK, yOU rEaLLy tHiNK I wOUlD buY tHat?!" Ink's confusion could only grow. After a while, Error stopped laughing and then saw how Ink's confusion only grew. "YoU dON't kNOw aBOuT tHE bAlaNcE?" Ink shook his head, and Error glared at him. All the work I did, and he didn't even know about the balance?! He thought. He took a deep breath in and tried to explain.
"ThE BaLAncE oF tHE AuS. THEre cAN't bE crEAtiOn WiTHouT deSTrUctiOn." Error tried to explain.
"But y-you destroy for fun, don't you?" Ink questioned.
"INk, yoU aRE a cOMpLetE idIOt." Error spat. "It StaRTed oUt tHAt waY, YEs, bUT aFTeR I fOUnD oUt aBOuT the BAlaNCe, iT bECaME aN aCTuaL jOb." Ink still didn't understand, like the fool he is. "InK, yOU prOTect AuS, heLP cREate thEm. BUt, tHErE's tOo muCh iN tHE mULtIvERse." The destroyer said.
"What? There could never be too much!" Exclaimed Ink, not wanting to believe Error's words.
"ThErE's alwAYs A LiMIt INk. AnD yOU wenT paSt it-"
"No!" Ink cut off. "Y-You destroy just because you could, n-not because it's some job! You're just a mistake in the Multiverse, you should have never existed!" Error's anger boiled. This would normally not hurt the destroyer's feelings, but the thought that Ink isn't choosing to believe he is hurting the Multiverse, set him off. Error tightened his fist.
"DoN'T yOu rEaLizE wHaT yOu CoUlD dO? EvErYoNe wOuLd bE dEaD- yOu wOuLd bE dEaD, aNd It'D bE yOuR fAuLt."
"Liar. T-That's all you are!" Ink glared at him. Error walked q bit closer, close enough to kneel to the creator's level. Ink tried to move away from him, but knew he couldn't, taking deep breaths.
"YoU kNOw wHAT? FiNE. I'Ll sToP DestROyInG." Error formed a glitching portal, getting back up and walking to it. He was about to go through until he stopped and turned back to Ink.
"Just don't call me when the Multiverse suffers because of you." He spat, his voice not glitching for the first time. Error wasn't able to see Ink's reaction as he stepped through the portal and closed it behind him.
He took a deep breath and thought about the events that just happened. He couldn't believe Ink. He sighed and looked around to see where he was. All around him, except the rocky ground, were stars. Hundreds of thousands of stars. His favorite AU, Outertale, was always a place that brought him some comfort. He walked over to the cliff, sitting at the edge, and looked at the stars. He smiled as his mind was cleared, and relaxed. He suddenly flinched as a sharp pain came to his left arm. He forgot about his injuries and broken bones and assumed that was the case for the pain. He shook his arm a bit and it certainly hurt. He shrugged though, he could heal it later. For now, he just wanted a break from everything. He kept looking at the stars, as they slowly glided across the sky. He smiled, staring as they slowly grew larger and smaller, swirling and separating.
He started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. His body started to lean forward, trying to rest the top half of his body on his legs. What is going on? He thought, the stars still moving in strange ways. He shut his eyes a bit, taking a deep breath, leaning forward still. Error was about to fall out of the cliff, he didn't even realize before his hood was suddenly tugged back and dragged away from the edge. Error took a moment to realize still, opening his eyes back up. When realized that the figure was holding on to him, he immediately tried to get out of the person's grip, his haphephobia kicking in.
"WhO aRE YoU?! LEt mE Go-" He started yelling, trying to struggle before they figure out their hands around his neck, choking him. Error struggled, panicking as his glitches intensified, moving to his sockets. It was blinding him, and he didn't feel as strong as he was, the figure's hands unmoving. He teared up a bit, the glitches almost fully blinding him at some point, while Error couldn't get much breath before the figure just- let go. Error gasped, taking deep breaths. He tried to get back up, the figure pressing something around his neck, almost choking him once again. Error tried to get it out before he froze.
He felt somewhat calmer suddenly, taking deep breaths still. His glitches were slowly going down, the figure in view as they stared. They had a cloak on, but he could tell that they were a skeleton, a Papyrus it seemed like. He wasn't from Outertale however, Error could tell that. There weren't any features that could tell him who they were from, at least from what he could see from his blurry vision, the skeleton just smiling.
"My my! You should be more careful there! Lucky I was there to save you, mh~" The figure's deep voice said, as Error went to sit up. The figure placed his hand on his chest to force him back down, and Error did. He didn't flinch when they touched him, staring at his hand. Why am I not reacting? He thought.
"WhO..." He mumbled, looking back up at the figure as they plucked something out from Error's arm. A small dart, Error's eyes widening, opening his mouth before the figure shushed him softly, no sound coming out of Error's mouth now.
"Don't worry Error, I'm only here to help! You've been through quite a lot..." The figure rubbed their gloved hands over Error's head. Error flinched at that and tried to get his weak body to move.
"Shh, relax Error, relax..." The mysterious figure kept repeating their actions until Error stopped moving and relaxed, closing his eyes again. This feels...nice. Error thought. He wasn't sure why he was reacting the way he was, why he was quickly trusting of this person, despite what they did just moments before. He just knew that his body didn't hurt more anymore, no more soreness. The mysterious figure eventually stopped, in which Error responded by becoming tense. The pain came back again, Error opening his eyes. The figure grinned, rubbing his skull again, Error relaxing again. He hummed a bit, content.
"Error, I'd like for you to come with me. I could heal you and get you cleaned up. How does that sound?"
Error could only mumble, the figure chuckling. They stopped again, Error about to protest before the figure sat him up, sitting down with him and making Error lean on them. Error looked up at them, the figure smiling as he rubbed his shoulder.
"I could also let you rest. Being a destroyer must be hard work, isn't it?" Error gave a small nod, resting his head on the figure's shoulder.
"...I'm NoT wOrKiNg aNyMoRe..." He mumbled, his conversation with Ink popping up in his mind. The figure's eyes widened a bit before smiling softly.
"I understand. You've been through so much..." Error nodded, sighing softly. "If you'd like, I could give you a new life...you'd love that, right? So no one would bother you... no one to hurt you..." Error looked back up at them. All his life, he's been constantly tormented, constantly hated for doing his part. A chance to be away from all that? He smiled softly.
"I'll take that as a yes, I presume?" The figure asked as they moved their hand to rub his head again. Error, his eyes half-lidded, gave a small nod. The figure smiled as they grabbed something from their cloak's pocket, a small slip of paper. Error didn't see, only feeling a small tug around his neck, looking down. There was a small pouch around his neck, the figure gently opening it a bit. How long was that there? The figure gently moved Error's head so they would make eye contact. They cupped his hands over Error's cheekbones, rubbing his softly. "Are you ready?" They asked. Error leaned against his hand, nodding. "I need your words Error. Are you ready?" He repeated.
"...i'M...I'm ReAdY..." Error mumbled. "ThAnK yOu...VoId..." He didn't know where the name came from, and he didn't care. Void smiled, giving Error a small nuzzle before slipping the paper into the pouch.
And then Error screamed.