Work Text:
3 months ago
Just two weeks after Nightmare's own birthday, the guardian had started to wonder. He knew the gang had birthdays. And he knew guardians had birthdays, he and Dream were proof of that. But did gods have birthdays?
He hadn't expected the answer Error gave him when he asked.
"H-honeStly, NigHt. I hadN't EvEn kNowN whAt b-biRthdaYs werE UntiLl tHe gAng t-tOld me." Error admitted, continuing to knit the scarf he had been making. "I doUbT I haVe A b-BirThd-daY, anYwAy. I wasN't b-BoRn, lIke the r-ResT of Y-you. I wAs c-CreaTed."
Nightmare decided not to tell him that Nightmare technically wasn't born either, and continued asking if Error really didn't remember anything. But no. His earliest memories were being trapped in the anti-void, and who knew how long the destroyer had been trapped there for.
It bothered Nightmare. And it bothered the rest, too. They wanted to celebrate the day their friend was created! Error deserved to feel special!
"Soooo... now what?" Horror sighed tiredly, leaning his skull against the table. The others thought.
"Maybe we could just give him a random birthday?" Dust suggested, but Cross was already shaking his head. "But that won't be the same as an actual birthday..."
Killer looked at Nightmare. "How about we assign the day you two met as birthday?"
"Won't work." Nightmare quickly denied. "Both of us were insane, we barely remember anything from that time, let alone keep track of the day."
All the Dark Sanses sighed, extremely annoyed. The only one not saying anything was Fresh, trying to come up with an idea.
"We could kidnap Ink and ask for Error's birthday?" Dust suggested. Killer looked annoyed. "Yes, Dust, because that is such a smart idea."
"Ink knows everything about his creations!"
"But who says Ink created Error?" Killer threw in. "I doubt Ink created him, why would he? We all know Error's creator is Fate."
"But maybe he knows things about outcodes and such?" Horror asked. Cross shrunk. Although they wanted to give Error a happy birthday, they didn't want to get Ink's help for it.
Fresh mumbled something under his breath, way too softly to be heard, but Nightmare noticed the skeleton was trying to say something. He silenced everyone else, before looking at Fresh, being gentle. "Something wrong, Fresh?"
"We.... we could check his codes for his birthday..." Fresh mumbled, playing with the strings on his jacket. "Codes contain everything about a person..."
"Thats a great idea, Fresh!" Cross smiled brightly, and Killer gently petted Fresh's head. "Good thinking, bro."
Fresh smiled, looking proud.
To say... finding his birthday, had been hard.
Fate had erased, changed and or glitched almost everything about Error, including his codes. Which is why checking his codes was almost impossible.
But, after days of searching, Nightmare finally found it. Error's birthday.
April 4.
The gang had cheered when Nightmare came up with the news- so exciting! Error did have a birthday afterall!!!
"I'll make chocolate cake." Horror offered, which everyone agreed to. "Me and Cross will decorate-"
"May I remind you his birthday isn't for another two months?" Nightmare reminded, to which the gang whined to. Right.
Oh well. Wouldn't stop them from planning.
Two months later... April 3
.....finally.
Finally, the destroyer's birthday had arrived. And god, the gang was excited.
The day before Error had been extremely confused with all the excitement around, but Nightmare just shrugged it off as being the excitement for a new episode airing of a series they watched. Error frowned. He got excited too, when a new episode of Undernovela aired.. but not that much...
Or maybe that was just Error?
"Oh, by the way.. could you please come over tomorrow aswel, Error?" Nightmare asked. He saw Error was about to protest, but Nightmare quickly interupted him, lowering his voice. "The boys have been starting to worry about you, Error..."
Ofcourse Nightmare had to play the parental card. Error couldn't resist that. He frowned. "N-niGht.."
"They're worried." Nightmare repeated. "You don't want that, do you?"
...
"Y-yoU'rE meAn.." Error huffed, and Nightmare smiled in victory. Call him mean all you wanted. He just needed Error here tomorrow.
From the hall, the gang silently cheered. They tried not to show their excitement, but failed miserably.
The moment Error left, Nightmare turned towards his gang, looking unimpressed. "I said, act normal."
"We did act normal!" Horror argued, and Nightmare rolled his eye. "You asked Error if he wanted milk or pure chocolate cake, Horror. And Dust asked if he likes confetti. Do I have to continue?"
"Exactly." Killer huffed, crossing his arms. "Ya'll are horrible at keeping secrets."
Nightmare knew better. "You asked Error on a scale of one to ten, how excited he was for tomorrow."
Killer blushed, while the other four burst out laughing. "Whatever.."
"The only one who actually kept it a secret was Fresh." Nightmare said, and Fresh chuckled. "Honestly, bruh... we're all Sanses, I thought I would be the most obvious.."
"Proven wrong by the amazing Fresh once again." Cross declared. Before everyone started setting up the house. This birthday had to be perfect.
The next day: April 4
. . .
"WAKE UP, YOU USELESS GLITCH!"
"SOMEONE IS HERE!"
Fate's voices did not fail to wake up the destroyer, his eyesockets snapped open and he shot up, quickly trying to find his glasses to defend himself. The moment he put his glasses on, Error looked around... but there was no one. Were they teasing him again?
Error frowned, extremely annoyed, before he looked down. Below him, was... a cake...?
Yes, a chocolate cake had been placed in front of him... how had Error not woken up?!
As Error kneeled down, he also noticed a note, written on a yellow paper, a couple bees drawn in the corner. He picked it up, reading it.
Happy bee-day, my glitchy friend! Hope there are many more years on your path!
There was no name written, but Error assumed it was for him, as it said "glitchy". But.. birthday? Error didn't have a birthday? Who would leave this note anyway? No one could get into the anti-void unless Fate allowed it...
Confused, Error sat down, inspecting the cake. It.. looked good. It didn't smell bad, either.
Error checked it.
A chocolate cake. Pretty boring.
It... wasn't poisonous... it seemed safe.
Screw it. It was not like Error could die from food poisoning. He took a bite. It.. tasted like Nightmare's cooking... had Nightmare left him a cake? Why though?
After finished the cake, Error flinched as the plate and note just disappeared into nothing. Huh...?
The destroyer frowned, before, he noticed something else. Fate was... unusually quiet. How so? Why? He didn't feel any pain either, not even from au's being created... something was wrong.
Although Error was suspicious, he got up, opening a portal. He promised he would come early to the hide-out, and intended to keep his promise.
The portal closed behind him as Error arrived in his room. His room had decorations..? Why?
"H-heLlo? NiGht?" Error asked, opening the door, looking around. There was a confetti trail on the floor, going from his room down the stairs, into the living room. Huh?
Confused, Error walked down the stairs, into the living room-
"Happy birthday, Error!!!!" The entire gang boomed out, making Error flinch, looking shocked. He froze for a second.
Originally, they had wanted to yell, close the lights and jump out when Error turned the lights on- but Error didn't like surprises or loud noises, and they did not want to risk Error having a panic attack.
"....b-birThdaY?" Error frowned, noticing how the room was decorated, the party hats everyone was wearing, and the cake. He felt confused. "I-i doN't haVe a BirthD-day.."
"Wrooooong~" Dust sang, a huge grin on his face as Nightmare walked forward, smirking. What was he planning?
Nightmare's smirk just widend when he stopped in front of the god, before holding his hand out, opening the codes. Error looked confused, reading what it said.
It had his personal information, such as weight, height, powers, warnings, and...
Date of creation: April 4, ××××
........April 4?
Error's eyelights went out in shock, turning to the gang, who's smiles just brightened, watching as realization sunk in. April 4. His birthday was April 4. Today was April 4. He actually had a birthday.
Slowely, a smile spread across his face as his eyelights returned, and he chuckled. "O-ofcOurse yoU FouNd My b-bIrthdA-ay..."
"Thank Fresh, he came up with the idea!" Cross said, and Fresh blushed. "I.. barely did anything, really.."
"Nonsense. That was an great idea, none of us could have come up with that." Horror replied, making the oldest two chuckle. Before Nightmare grabbed Error's arm, dragging him towards the table. Error frowned. "N-niGht?"
"We're gonna sing." Dust replied dead serious, already filming Error as Nightmare dragged him towards the couch, making him sit down. Before litting up the candle on the cake. It was just one candle.
"No idea how old you are, so we just put one that looked colourful." Nightmare shrugged. Error looked at Dust. "You arEn't actuAlly g-gOnna-"
"Happy birthday to you-" Dust began, looking dead serious, looking Error dead in the eyes, which made the others laugh, before joining in. Nightmare chuckled, before he was forced to join by Cross.
"Happy birthday to you!~"
Aaaaaand Error became as yellow as was possible, pulling his hood over his head. Whyyyyyyyyyyy... like, what was he supposed to do now?
At the end off the song, everyone laughed at Error, who was trying to hide. "YoU h-haD To r-rUin iT..."
Fresh smiled. "Make a wish, bruh!"
Error removed his hood, looking at the candle, before looking at the gang.
......he didn't want to wish for anything, really. There was just one thing he wanted, so, he blew the candle.
"I wish that those I love will always be safe."
Everyone clapped when Error blew out the candle, except for Dust, who was too busy recording. "Welp- you ain't leaving today, glitchy." Nightmare smirked, a tentacle gently wrapping around his arm. Error frowned. "WhaT iF I n-neEd To deStrOy?"
"Then Fate can go jump into the void."
"Oh- that reminds me- we haven't given Error his gifts yet!" Killer reminded, and the others froze, brightening up. "We'll be back really quick!" Cross quickly added, and all off them teleported away. Error froze. "....y-yOu goT Me gIfts?"
"Yep." Error looked up when Nightmare pressed a small box into his hands, wrapped neatly in colourful wrapping paper. "Open it."
When Error opened the gift, he found a golden locket, similiar to the ones the Chara's and Asriel's usually wore. Opening it, he found a picture of himself, along with the gang.
....
He smiled, hugging Nightmare, who was quick to hug him back. "T-thaNk You, n-Night."
Nightmare hummed, letting go, watching as Error put on the necklace, before hiding it under his scarf. He would cherish it forever.
"O-oh. ThAt reMindS me- did Any Of y-You bRinG mE a c-Cake?" At Nightmare's confused look, Error quickly explained. "S-soMeonE leFt a C-choColAte caKe I-in tHe anTi-Void, wiTh a nOte, t-that WishEd me a H-hapPy bIrthDay."
"Huh... nope, we didn't." Nightmare frowned. Then who...?
They had no time to worry about that, as everyone of the gang appeared again, each having lots of gifts for the destroyer in their hands. "We wanted to get more-" Dust started.
"-but we didn't want to gain too much attention." Horror finished. Error smiled softly. "D-doN't worRy... ThiS is p-pErfeCt."
Earlier...
...
...
...
The whitness of the anti-void was broken when a colourful portal was opened, before, a skeleton dressed in brown, a huge paintbrush on his back, appeared, walking through. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses, in attempt to block out the white. Still, he shuddered when the voices spoke.
"Look who's back!"
"What is that freak doing here?"
"Are you finally going to kill him?~"
The skeleton ignored the voices as best as he could, walking towards where the destroyer was sleeping, feeling bad. Why did Error have to stay in the anti-void...? There were so many empty au's, without Fate's voices! Did Error even know where these voices came from, or did he think it was all in his head?
Ink sighed, taking very deep breaths, before taking off his sunglasses, flinching at the white around him, arms shaking. Better make this quick...
He kneeled down in front of the destroyer, before grabbing a small paintbrush from his shash. Praying he wouldn't wake up, Ink painted a plate, a chocolate cake, before quickly putting the note down, and getting up again. He took a second to look at Error, smiling a bit. "Happy birthday, my friend."
Before he turned around, and as fast as he could, ran through the portal he had made.