Chapter Text
Error's destroying a universe again, as per usual. Nightmare watches him, taking in all of the negativity, a smile on his face.
Nightmare usually does this, before Ink and his team come to defend the universe he's destroying. Why, he doesn't know.
But he doesn't care that he’s being watched, as long as he doesn't interrupt him. Not because he likes doing this, but because that would make the progress much slower. Making the progress much slower, would cause much more pain.
He's expressed enough that he doesn't want that.
So, Nightmare hangs from a tree, almost no effort being put into keeping from falling off. It's like he's done this millions of times before.
Knowing him and his… background, he probably has.
He twirls around effortlessly, becoming invisible as he moves into the shadows. Before Error knows it, Nightmare is right behind him.
"Oh Error, how have you been? Enjoying your so-called duties?"
Error ignores him. He needs to focus and get this done.
"Hm, ignoring me? Well, I'm not one to judge. You're clearly wrapped up in what you're doing. But it's a bit rude, isn't it? I'd like to talk to my favorite destroyer."
He grumbles. "You just want to fuck with me . Like you do to everybody."
Nightmare twirls around him, nearly making Error miss one of his attacks. "What makes you say that? Maybe I just want to talk."
"That's because it's a trend with you, Nightmare. You take in people who you see are broken, then you break them more until they dust."
"Hm. Well, I still would like a chance. It'd be rude not to, wouldn't it? I'd hate to have to use force on my favorite glitch."
Error stabs a final bone through his opponent's chest, and breaks their soul into two. "You aren't going to leave me alone if I say no, aren't you? Fine. Take me to where you want to go, because you and I both know that we can't stay here."
"Glad we could agree on this." He swirls around him, and in a goopy blob, takes him to his universe.
A fancy table in a fancy castle. The vibes around the two skeletons are horrid, to say the least.
Nightmare pulls a chair out for Error. "Take a seat. I promise you, nothing is going to hurt you here."
He cautiously takes a seat. Huh, nothing's booby trapped or anything. It makes a bit of sense, since it seems like Nightmare is trying to seem trustworthy. For now. He knows it's only for now, for this occasion specifically.
Whatever the occasion is, he doesn't know.
"So…" He starts, taking his seat.
Somebody Error doesn't recognize walks up to Nightmare, and is whispered to by him. To do what, another thing he doesn't know.
He's uncomfortable. But it's not like he would've stopped asking if he hadn't agreed to come.
"I'd like to make an offer with you, Error. We are both very powerful beings. And I hate to admit it, but I can tell you are more strong than me."
Error sighs. "What do you want ? I can tell that you're trying to flatter me, so please stop."
"I can say what I want, glitch. Besides, what's wrong with a little bit of praise?" He smiles at him.
"The fact that it's coming from you."
Nightmare jolts up, sharp tentacles pointed at Error. "Listen here, Error . We are in my domain, so I expect at least a little less of an attitude coming from you. Do you understand?"
"Yeah, fine." Error shrugs. "I'll be nice. You haven't hurt me yet, after all."
"Continuing our conversation…" He sits back down, and softens. "I'd like you to work with me."
"Wh-"
That person from before brings two drinks to the table. Nightmare takes a sip out of his cup.
"Now now, before you shout about me 'breaking' people, I can assure you that this will be different. As I already established, the two of us are on nearly equal ground. I could not kill you if I tried. I said 'with' not 'for', after all. You would be free to do whatever you need, as long as it does not negatively affect me. We would be partners." He asks. "Now, do you accept?"
Error pauses, and stares. Stares at him. He's shocked that he would ever, ever ask him of this. "Why?"
"Hm? Take your time."
He sighs, holding back his anger. Don't make a scene. Do not make a scene. "No. Fuck no."
"...Why not?"
"I don't want to hurt people. I've already established that, but it seems like you haven't gotten that through your head yet. I don't have a choice in what I do, despite what everybody believes."
He gets up from his seat. "I'm leaving. Don't ever think of asking me about this again."
Before he can leave, Nightmare swirls in front of him. "You really think you can refuse me?"
"Yes, and that's what I'm doing. I don't want to fight you right now." He tries to push him aside.
"I offer you my power, my assistance, and you say no?" Nightmare glares.
Opening a portal in front of him, he glares back at him. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. Now go."
Swirling in front of him to block his way, Nightmare looms around Error. "Do you really wish to do this?"
"Yes means yes. Now let me go."
Shadows start to loom around Error, unknown to him. Nightmare sighs. "I really do think that you will regret this."
The shadows surround him from all sides, but he is still too focused on leaving to notice. "And I really don't want to fight you. Now... Let. Me. Leave."
Taking a step to the side, Nightmare unblocks Error's path. "Go, then. Let's see how well off you do without my help."
Error begins to take a step forward, but a wave of drowsiness fills him. "I… will do… just… that…"
His glitches slowly begin to slow, like a computer booting down for the night. Legs shaking, he tries to take another step forward but…
He promptly collapses to the ground instead.
Nightmare looks down at him, smiling.
"Oh my. That was easier than I expected."
Picking him up, he walks off to another place in his castle.
Aftertale. Geno is hanging out with his brother and Sans. He doesn't know what they're doing though, but the question of what doesn't come to mind.
He's happy, and that's all that matters to him.
"Whxt'x xp, Gxnx?"
He rubs the back of his skull. Nothing, really. It's peaceful. The sun is shining above them, a bit blinding, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Geno is happy.
He blinks and is no longer home.
The sun and sky and everything else have been replaced with a blinding white. His family is no longer with him. He is alone.
Where are they? Where is he? Why did he take the determination? Why was he so stupid? Why is he so stupid?
He wants to go home. He doesn't recognize himself anymore.
Step by step, he walks and walks. Sometimes he thinks he sees somebody, but nobody is there. Static fills his brain, words partly being able to be made out within it.
Falling to his knees, tired from his long trek into nowhere, he curls up and sleeps. Sleeps and sleeps and sleeps…
Eventually he opens his eyes. He hears people shouting at him, calling him insane. Calling him a murderer. Calling him soulless.
He doesn't see who is making those assumptions, static filling his eyes. He isn't insane, he just…
He just is doing what he's forced to do.
Why are things like this? It's not necessary, he knows that for a fact. But he still questions himself.
Is he sane? He lost his family and life long ago, because of his own choices. Because of his own stupidity. A sane person wouldn't do that.
Is he even a person?
His body, as if responding to that question, gets up as if it had a mind of its own. He can feel his blasters and bones being summoned, not by his own command.
He hears cries of innocents, begging not to be killed. Begging for mercy. He tries to stop, to unsummon his magic, but his body doesn't seem to agree to that request.
Weapons are fired, and the sound of death is heard. No, stop. Please stop. He doesn't, doesn't want to do this.
He isn't insane. He isn't a murderer because he wants to be. They'll all die if he… if he…
"Errxx, plxxsx! Xtop! I thxxght wx wxrx frxxndx!!!"
He recognizes that voice. A voice that sounds like many others, but one he cares about to know exactly what differs it from the others. Starshine…
No. No, no, no. He can't be doing this to him. He's the only person he's got. He's…
Oh stars, his body isn't stopping. It isn't stopping.
He hears the sound of bones shattering, soul breaking, and he knows. Knows he's gone.
And then he's alone again. Like he always will be.
Forever.
Error jolts awake in a cold sweat. Where is he? It's cold. It's dark, but not enough to where he can't see. Still, it's dark enough to where he can still see a faint glow coming from himself.
That dream… no, nightmare.
Nightmare.
He did… What did he do?
Remembering what had happened before, Error realizes that Nightmare must've made him collapse into a nightmare of his own.
How did he do it, though? He doesn't exactly know how his magic works.
It doesn't matter, anyways.
Now he's here in this stupid dark place. He looks around. His leg is chained to a wall, but with a hard yank he quickly breaks the chain. All around him are brick walls, minus for the bars in front of him.
Nightmare put him in this stupid cell, gave him the worst nightmare he can remember, and for what? Not wanting to be a murderer like he is?
Stars, the universes. How are they doing? Hopefully none of them are dead. But he doesn't, can't know for certain right now. It might've been hours since he's been stuck here. Might've been days. Might've been weeks… Stars, please don't let it be either of the last two. That would be way too much destruction caused without him to keep it at bay.
He hears footsteps. Of course. Nightmare must've noticed he was awake.
Well that's one thing that's good. He wasn't going to just let him off easy about what he did. What he'll do to Nightmare, he doesn't know yet.
But it'll be something.
Step, step, step. Nightmare's footsteps approach Error's cell. Soon he's right in front of him.
"Greetings, glitch. I assume you had a nice rest?" He asks him.
Error promptly responds with the kindest response he can think of. "Fuck off."
Nightmare sighs, annoyed but expecting disrespect towards him. "You do realize I could do what I just did a few days ago to you again , right?"
"Days???" Well shit, that confirms it. He fucking kept him in here for days . Bastard.
He laughs. "What? With your amount of negativity, I was honestly expecting it to be longer. You got lucky, you broken program. But that brings up something that got me very, very curious."
"Just get it over with. They died, didn't they? That's the only thing I could think of you bringing up that involves me, you disgusting fuck."
"If 'they' means 'the universes' then you'd be correct, yes. What intrigues me is that you, the only one in the multiverse I know of who has the power to destroy, were absent. And I have a feeling that you would know the reason why they died."
Error glares at Nightmare. "I do, and it's what I've been saying for years now. Will you listen if I tell you? Because every single other time, you've laughed it off like I was insane."
"Perhaps."
"I would be more content with a 'yes' but I guess that will do."
"Get to the point." Nightmare commands.
"Fine. To summarize it, this multiverse only has enough space for these gods called 'The Creators' to have what universes they want to be able to exist. Despite their name, they can't create anything stable. So Ink has to create for them, but he decided that he also wanted to create his shit too. And our multiverse can't take that, so it starts to collapse. So I have to destroy Ink's universes, along with the universes already collapsing, before our multiverse breaks completely." Error explains.
Silence, then… a laugh from Nightmare himself.
"That sounds like nonsense." He states.
"You and I both know that if it was nonsense, those universes wouldn't've died in my absence." Error growls.
Nightmare sighs. Error has some sort of point. But there's still something odd. "You're telling me Ink has been lying to everybody. Including me."
"He's an asshole, Nightmare. I guess you both have that in common."
"I guess there isn't any other explanation, is there?" He chuckles. "Alright, I'll believe you. What you're saying does line up with what has been happening. And I assume I don't have a choice. I will let you out, only because you seem vital to this multiverse's survival. If this were any other situation, I would undoubtedly keep you here until you rot."
He opens the bars, letting Error free.
"Before I leave, I need to ask you something. Which universes died, and how many?"
"Why do you need to ask me? You could just check yourself."
He glares at him. "Because I want you to say them with your own disgusting mouth."
"Fine then. Hmm… there's Glitchtale, Xtale, Endertale, a few redesign verses of Undertale, and let's see… Aftertale are all dead."
Error stares at Nightmare, his angry position turned into a shocked one. That last one, he must've misheard it. Yeah, that has to be the case.
That's his universe, it can't be dead.
"Hm? What's wrong? You seem upset."
"R- Repeat that last one."
He smiles at him. "Oh, that last one? Aftertale." He notices Error shake and glitch, the other's emotions intensifying into something beautifully awful. "Aftertale. Does that one mean anything to you?"
His breaths pick up, and Nightmare laughs in response.
"Oh, so it does. That's lovely. Maybe, since you care about that place so much, you'd learn some respect for me. You don't want any other place you care about collapsing, would y-"
Before he can finish, Error throws the hardest punch he can muster into his face. It's clearly a lot, as Nightmare stutters back and hisses in response.
"Y- You dirty glitch!" Sharp tentacles point at him, ready for attack. "You think you can defy me? You think just because you're stronger, means you're above me in every single way, don't you?!"
Error does not respond. He summons several sharp bones, and strings his strings around Nightmare in a web only he knows how to move through.
He begins weaving through the pattern, stabbing at Nightmare as the other struggles to move through with as much efficiency as Error.
But despite his struggles, Nightmare can still dodge due to his goopy consistency. Still, he struggles to land attacks on him due to the unrecognizable web.
He remains strong though, fueled by the other's negativity. Neither of the two concede, one too stubborn to lose, and the other too angry to give up. They keep fighting, dodge after dodge, miss after miss.
Untill, Nightmare gets a hit on him. A hard one, at that. The web losens, struggling to keep standing due to the maker's weakening form. It's unstable enough to where he can slice the strings in half.
He approaches Error, who is now on his knees. "I'd suggest you leave this place, before I kill you myself."
He looks up, glaring daggers back at him.
"I assume that you don't want any more universes to die, yes? According to you, that won't happen unless you leave. So go. I'm sick of you."
Error, knowing that is true, teleports back to the anti-void.
"S- Stars dammit…" Error stumbles, breaths heavy.
He grips his head, static filling his brain. "H- He was just fucking with me, right? That place- it isn't dead, yeah?"
Unable to get his thoughts together, he collapses to the cold white floor. "How did he know, then? How? He couldn't've known. He wasn't around back then . W hy…?"
He tries to check if it's still there. He can't. He can't even focus enough to make a damn portal. "Did that ink stain tell him? No, no, he doesn't know either… does he? He… might. Fuck…"
The Creators, their voices chattering, doesn't help. Doesn't help him focus. He still has stuff to do. He still has to destroy those universes so their corruption doesn't spread. Why… he just wants control. Control over his damn life.
He's always, since he became this, had to be doing something for them. "It's not our fault," they would say. "It's his fault," they would insist. And he would say the exact same things about them.
Get him out of this hell.
His vision is going hazy, on the verge of a crash. Stars, he already was asleep for a few days. He has to deal with those universes…
Those universes. Why do they get to be happy when he doesn't. He fucked up once, and now all of the responsibility is on him.
"Why should I bother?" Error asks to nobody. "Why should I care? My home is dead, so why do the others get to be alive? I should just… just… just…"
Error lets out a laugh. He's really going through it, huh? He shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. But they're inescapable.
The Creators shout at him that this isn't right. He can hear them. But they don't understand, do they? No, they've never understood anything. Neither has their dear child, Ink.
Neither has his friends, his dear team. He doesn't even think Nightmare is capable of understanding.
Starshine… he doesn't know what he'll think of him. But it's too late now.
He's broken…
And he can't be fixed.
He tries opening a portal to Aftertale. Maybe Nightmare was lying, maybe it is still alive. But he gets nothing. Nothing appears, no portal or anything. And this time, he knows it isn't his fault.
Fuck all of the universes that get to be happy. Fuck everybody living in ignorance of the fragility of this filthy multiverse.
It all should burn to the ground.
He should burn it to the ground.
Fuck what the oh so glorious creators say. Fuck what the oh so honest Ink says. Fuck their oh so beautiful creations. Fuck what anybody else says.
"I'm destroying this place, no matter what anybody says."
He's finally got the control he's asked for. He's finally making his own decision. He finally has taken a grip over his own life.
And it feels so great to finally do something that he wants to do. Things are only going to get better from here, he thinks.