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nell0-0 · 5 years ago

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One day (you learn to let go) #2

Idea adopted from Firehedgehog's Idea Factory!

A very long time ago, Fate grabbed a Sans and twisted him into Error.

Every 25-100 years, Fate's magic wanes and Error transforms back into his past self. The only thing this Sans knows is that he seems to be skipping through time.

Ink, meanwhile, is the only one that knows what's going on as Error doesn't remember when his true self, Geno, wakes up.

Ink tastes freedom (Fate's magic wanes)

"And don't come back here!" shouted a Sans to Ink, who was grinning sheepishly while covered in head to metatarsal in paint and jumping through a portal to Dreamtale, headed towards Dream's house.

It was so not his fault that copy #34 of Sugartale didn't enjoy his suggestions in decorations, edible colors only lasted so long, it was better to use the normal ones if you wanted them to come out just right! It wasn't like it was poisoning... much. So what if it poisoned normal monsters to an extent, being extremely worse to humans?

He could create the item with the right colors and it being edible, but redecorating with pre-existing stuff was so boring to the artist sometimes. Where was the innovation? The curiosity to explore new possibilities in the world of art?

Ink sighed. Sadly, he knew it wasn't possible for him to do so in a new AU, Fate's forced rate of creation was too much. The constant rush, the screaming, the anguish. It was oppressing, his soul feeling like it would scatter at last. Then again, maybe even that wouldn't be enough to kill him, to free the Forced God of Creation from Fate's hold. Breaking his soul in fragments himself didn't free him at all. He didn't die, like everyone he knows would, so what would his soul fragments escaping like handfuls of sand from his own being do?

Would he end up as a puppet that deity would have full control of? A lifeless doll moved by strings invisible for everyone? Would he end up as a soulless being, accomplice of Fate's cruelty without having the ability to care about the people he knew?

Ink didn't know, and that prospect terrified him. So he always pushed himself more and more, because if he didn't, the white string from Fate surrounding the culmination of his being could snap and it would be so much worse. For everyone. For Dream, his trusted friend and companion. For Blue, who he knew secretly cheered up Error thinking no one noticed. For all the Sanses he knew, even the Bad Sanses.

Would he be able to stop if he didn't have his emotions? Stop before things got out of control? Ink didn't think so, being almost soulless was a complicated affair, he didn't want to think too deeply about the possibility of loosing what little emotions he still had.

And then there was Error, who only had the Bad Sanses and Blue on his side. But he didn't dare tell a soul about his friend helping the supposed foe. He knew that Error was just like him, in a sense. He had known it even all that time ago when both met for the first time, the imprint of Fate's presence painfully clear for both to see around them. Ink secretly cheered for the Underswap Sans every time he went away to meet with the Destroyer, even covered for him when Stretch started wondering where his brother was.

Hell, Ink once created a copy of Underswap and grabbed the Sans from there to pacify Stretch. Sure, he dusted the Sans afterwards so that copy of his friend couldn't tell anyone, but it was the intention what counted, right? And it wasn't like he couldn't get away with it, just a bit of adjusting and the AU didn't even notice something was wrong because they didn't have one of the key characters.

There! New AU! He was such a genius.

Ink was glad he could feel so many things. Anger, joy, sadness. Even if he knew the state his soul was in made him a bit of a weirdo, he didn't care. It was enough for him that he could care for his friends the Star Sanses and Error, his friends!

Because they were friends and Ink wouldn't accept any other option. He just had to manage to get that fact through Error's stubborn skull. The other had it even worse than him, being so hated through the Multiverse because of what they were forced to do and all that.

It wasn't like the artist didn't try to help. Every time he tried to shout someone to stop, to tell why they shouldn't attack the glitch, the words got stuck on his metaphorical throat and wouldn't pass his teeth. His movements became heavy, his thoughts shutting down and his soul felt numb. One time Ink even blacked out. Almost gave Dream an aneurysm with how much panic the other had in him that day.

It had been a long time since then, but that passing out incident was imprinted in his mind like it had been yesterday. Ink didn't want to think of the implications, but was avoiding every topic that made him uncomfortable any way to live? He had so many things to fear and angst over it was a miracle he wasn't just a lump on his sofa.

That day, instead of seeing black like everyone when passing out, Ink saw white. Just white. White hands, white face, white eyes. White background that melted everything together. Ink shuddered, remembering the memory. Next thing he knew, he was above a heavily injured Error, Broomie at the ready to give the final hit necessary to dust the other.

His hands trembled even now, when recalling that memory.

Error had looked genuinely scared of him, his expression... Ink couldn't give it a description, he didn't understand such complex emotions stirring through his counterpart's eye-lights.

The cheering Sans behind, the gold light surrounding him from below, the light cascading in the Judgement Hall... It reminded him too much of the Doodle Sphere, where he listened to Fate beating down the other Voice's into submission, only leaving alone the one's who went along with them. The yellow tint, the white i his vision, the voice of the Sans from behind him somewhere Ink wasn't able to see at the moment.

Ink had ended up throwing red paint at that Sans, dusting him instantly.

He felt his breath shallowing and gulped. He remembered standing there too, just breathing and backing away from the fallen Error, who kept staring at Ink with such complicated emotions.

In the end, Error had gone away, leaving Ink with inner turmoil and a stretched hand, as if reaching for the black-boned skeleton and explain that he wasn't himself. Something else, someone else, took hold of him and almost dusted his friend.

Trembling, he had looked at his shaking hands with something akin to horror. He could almost see the gray dust in between his phalanges, making them feel crusty and rubbing in his joints, the grainy substance eroding the bones.

He would never risk it again, he just couldn't. So he never attempted to speak up that much again, even if guilt stirred in him when Error's clothes moved in just the right way, letting him see the extent of the damage on his counterpart's body. And yet... That loss of control, the powerlessness and waking up in such a way...

Ink had feared white ever since.

White meant pain. White meant rushing everywhere, feeling the silent and controlling gaze upon him at all times. A continuous threat. White meant her.

White meant Fate.

____________________

Dream had ended up kicking out Ink. Again.

Which, rude! He just set the other's kitchen on fire once, it was progress when compared to other times. It wasn't like the time he set fire to the whole house just by burning toast because he forgot he put them on the pan. Or like the time he tried boiling a pre cooked soup with potato and left it there for three hours while he was playing a solitary game on the livingroom.

Dream didn't seem to agree with Ink on that.

At least Dreamtale had sunlight and fresh air, not at all like the Underground Ink could usually find himself in. It was a nice change of pace, he supposed.

It was a summer day, the heat boring down upon the Forced God of Creation. Bright sun, fresh air. Just like your usual Surface timeline, easy to get lost in its simple beauty and simplicity because of the freedom it offered when compared to the cavern system of the Underground.

He looked around, seeing the black spots where grass was burned years ago and vegetation just seemed too weak to grow on them. It was a testament to the twins' battle, the one that ended up with a feral Nightmare attacking everyone and everything and Dream as a stone statue.

Ink still hadn't gotten how that felt out of Dream. If he had more time, the artist would try to replicate the feeling by turning himself into a statue. Sadly, it would have to wait... forever.

Shame. Ink wanted to get stoned as well.

Ink sighed, such a shame. The rays of the sun shined on Ink's eye-sockets, distracting him. A bit annoyed, he tried to protect his vision with his arm and scrunched his face. When that didn't work as expected, he just turned to look at the broken remains of the Tree of Feelings, his back to where the sun was.

They really did a number on it, the poor spirit trapped there never stood a chance. Still, Ink thought this kind of AU was still a good idea. It could get away with so many changes and twists, so many possibilities when the world was an open field. Simple lives, simple rules that still managed to get off the rails. He would love to create another world like Dreamtale one of these days, maybe changing it up so it followed a completely different story instead.

Ink smiled, a flutter of nervous giddiness coming from his soul. Ink thought that was such a good idea. But he probably wouldn't be able to pull a stunt similar to Dreamtale anytime soon. A common AU, just for the sake of the rest of the Multiverse dwellers.

Maybe he would just try and avoid anything balance related, even if it could take a bit of the pressure on his chest off a bit.

That's when he felt it. A tug, a moment, a mere second, of what Ink could just describe as true freedom.

His heavily damaged soul felt lighter, the colors seemed more vivid and everything changed its tune, his tattoos humming with power he didn't know they could have, nervous and excited chatter from Voices he just barely remembered filling his mind. He stumbled, overwhelmed, and the moment passed.

... what was that?

____________________

"Error! Stop destroying this AU!" Ink shouted, annoyed at the Destroyer. Couldn't the other just have destroyed one of his older and half-assed worlds? This one was just finished not even two hours ago and he had actually put effort in it!

"Shut it, squid!" Error glared at him which, rude much? Now that Ink thought about it, all his friends seemed to be rude. Except Blue, don't forget Blue. Ink felt a burn on his shoulder, an intense pain he only barely processed. Curiously, he looked at the red bone that pierced his bones and poked at it.

He probably should stop getting distracted when confronting Error.

Ink whined. "But Error, can't we talk this over some chocolate? I brought your favorite!"

Error actually seemed tempted. Ink took out the chocolate bar to wave it in the other's face. It seemed to be working.

"C'mon, you know you want it!"

"FINE!" Error snatched the chocolate, grumpy. Ink just chuckled at the cute demeanor of the Destroyer.

With a flourish, he summoned the reset button of the AU and adjusted it to a True Reset, so no memory of this event or even the Multiverse would be left. He pressed it and grinned towards Error.

"Show off."

In the end, Ink directed Error to a timeline called Underfallen. Just an Underfell rip off where monsters where actually very nice and mushy on the inside. He clapped when Error crushed the codes, a bit of a sting on his body as it happened and one of his tattoos disappearing.

With a tug on his soul, Ink grabbed Broomie and waved good bye to Error.

Back to creating it was.

____________________

Time had passed in a blur of creating, battling and pestering Error with friendship declarations since that time when Ink felt that freedom, that intensity in color and excited chatter. He almost thought it had been an illusion or hallucination of some kind. How he managed to remember it after so much time had passed was still a mystery to him, it had to have been almost twenty years by Multiverse standards.

But when he was in the middle of creating a mix of Underfell and Dancetale, one where Frisk was really a genocidal maniac in disguise who manipulated the Sans, it happened again. Ink recognized the feeling for what it was this time.

Fate loosing control of his puppet, the Creator.

He quickly changed to world down to its very core, being inspired by kind Voices and ideas that didn't want the characters to suffer too much or go rogue for once. He not only took the base elements, but created a whole original backstory, building up the world from basically scratch. It was such such a freeing feeling, such intensity, that Ink couldn't help but let out a delightful laugh.

The colors swirled around him, condensing in a sphere and letting a small explosion that pushed other AUs apart. It had become an original AU.

Ink couldn't believe he had felt it again, he was so excited. He had to tell Error, he just had to!

Ink started to open the portal to the Anti-Void, when the feeling passed once again. Back to the blandness, the coldness... The almost emotionless.

The Creator let all his magic intent disperse, pouting. At least he knew what was going on this time around. Maybe he should be on the look out for that feeling. it was over almost as soon as it came, but it gave him hope.

Hope to escape from Fate's clutches once and for all.

____________________

"Hey Error!" Ink called to the Forced God of Destruction seated on a dark blue bean bag. He quickly went over his friend and foe, dragging a light brown bean bag he had brought last time. The fact that Error didn't throw it on a random AU promising for the artist's mind.

In reality, the other hadn't even tried because he knew how whiny and persistent Ink could get when it came to his 'quality bonding time with his friend Error'. In summary, not fun for the black boned skeleton.

Ink hopped on his bean bag, looking up at Error with big eye-sockets. The Destroyer grumbled, disgruntled at being interrupted in the middle of his knitting. At least it hadn't been Undernovela marathon this time around.

"What do you want know" he grunted at Ink, trying to focus even more on his knitting so whatever the other said would come in one ear canal and leave the other.

Ink pouted a bit but shrugged. Whatever floated Error's boat, if the other wanted to be a grumpy cat imitation made skeleton, it was fine by the Creator.

"You could be at least a little happier to see me, I bring good news!"

Error sighed exasperated. Seemed like he would have to pay attention it was something important this time around. He just hoped Ink wouldn't start another rant about relationships and feelings or something along those lines, it always made Error's head spin.

Facing the white bones skeleton, Error frowned and set down the sweater he had been working on.

"Then spit it out" Error grumbled with a bossy attitude. "I don't have time for your bull crap."

"That's a lie and you know it" Ink said, teasingly.

Besides, it was true. If Error truly didn't have any free time he wouldn't be resting on the Anti-Void, nurturing one of the hobbies Ink approved of. So many pretty patterns! And no matter how small, there were always differences on the stuff Error created, so new and creative.

"So? Your point?"

Ink huffed but relented. "Okay, okay. So, you know how Fate has us caught with their strings by our souls?"

Error tensed, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. It was obvious he wanted to forget that for as long as he could. It was easier to pretend they chose the paths they had because of choice, not a deity manipulating their every move, but lying to oneself only worked to an extent.

"Of course I know, idiot, I'm funking living with it every day" Error barked, before adding softly in an angry whisper "and you aren't making it any better."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" Ink waved the passive aggressiveness off. He was used to it and knew the other didn't really mean it, he was just moody. "My point is, haven't you ever felt that tight control waning?"

Error's face lost all his emotions, staring blankly at Ink. "If this is a joke, it's not funny, Ink."

"What? But-"

"Out" Error ordered, no room for discussion.

"Error, let me explain-"

"I SAID OUT."

Without a word, Ink left.

____________________

Time passed once more. Error had been particularly brutal after that exchange they had, so Ink didn't try to bring it up again. He was still curious about the feeling of freedom, since he got small flashes of it that were over in mere seconds or, if he was lucky, minutes. But he was unsure of what to do with it. He had been just creating and fighting for so long that it was like he had forgotten to just... stop, and smell the roses or some mushy stuff like that Dream always preached.

He tried it at first, to relax. But no matter how thoroughly 'Sans' Ink was, he couldn't bring himself to take a break. He used the free time to put markers on unstable AUs so Error would have an easier time doing his jobs, tormented Dream with his attempts at cooking (it was so hilarious to this point that Ink was thinking about just keeping it up on purpose) or wandering the AUs aimlessly.

Blue had sat Ink down on the Star Sanses base to give him a stern lecture after he had found the Creator walking on Underswap, looking lost on one of those occasions. Blue didn't want to say it out loud, but this behavior was worrying. He quickly called Dream to set up a sleepover, who agreed easily enough.

Ink denied the offer at first, Fate's hold still on the back of his mind, little bursts of freedom over too soon to properly do anything about them making him stumble and trip over his own words.

Blue used rope to tie Ink to a chair.

They had been enjoying themselves after Dream arrived, Ink getting lost on their antics and genuinely having fun when it happened once more. This time, the free sensation wasn't over in a flash.

Ink excused himself and went to his room as quickly as he could. He summoned his soul and noticed Fate's strings around his soul... waning.

This time, it lasted longer. Long enough for Ink to cry happily.

Yet it wasn't long enough for him to do anything about it just yet. He knew now, though. He needed to tell Error. But the other one hadn't mentioned anything about these episodes and had reacted so badly when he had brought it up...

The thought of Ink being free while Error wasn't... filled him with something akin to dread.

____________________

It had been another twelve years before Ink sensed it once more. There had been instances that came and went, too quick for him to process, so he didn't bother to count those, even if each one was cherished and hold close to his metaphorical heart.

Given his counterpart's reaction each time he had tried bringing up the topic, Ink had decided to wait until the next long episode to show Error what he discovered. With actual proof this time.

This was the day.

He went to the Anti-Void to tell him the good news while the effect still lasted.

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