Archive of Our Own ^beta

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The ERROR blinks, there was someone in the darkness trying to sneak up on him and doing a very poor job of it too. 

Walking over, reaching for his glasses as he went, he places them on his face and stares down into the bushes... there was Ink, flat on his back holding leaves over his face.

"*The element of surprise." Ink mumbles out softly, he peeks out of the leaves and stares at Error, "Be one with nature."

"*moron." Error snaps at the Artist and spins around, marching away with a huff- for some reason, he could not bring himself to kill him today. 

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"*I love you!" Ink calls from across the river, completely ignoring the fact that the Destroyer of Worlds was holding the resident Sans up by his SOUL. 

Error blinks at this strange behaviour, last mouth Ink was claiming how much he hated him and wanted him out the way. 

"*is this a joke?" Error shouts back, then looks to the Sans for answers, "this is a joke right?" the Sans shrugs in his bounds, "this has to be a joke."

Error hated Ink. And Ink hated Error. 

Mutual feelings of hatred since the moment they met.

And that was just how it has always been... 

Error opens his jaws to tell Ink to go to hell, "*i love ya too!" he shouts in return... the ERROR blinks at his own words, even Ink looked completely shocked, "what?" he looks to the Sans, "what did i just say?"

"*you said ' i love ya too'." The Sans answers with a grin, "can you just kill me now."

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"*ink!" Error roars and chases after the laughing moron, "come back here and let me kill ya!" 

The ERROR ran past the confused Dream and Nightmare, who actually paused to look their way and then stared a questionable gaze at each other. 

Ink stops abruptly and turns with his arms spreads out- Error tries to halt in his tracks, to keep from crashing him but it was too late and the mega-glitch went right into the rainbow moron's hold with a static scream.

"*Error!" Ink cries out happily, making the ERROR look up and see two hearts of dark pink that were lined in red, glowing in those deep black sockets. 

A strange glitch went down Error's spine the way Ink said his name. 

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"*I can just see the love reflecting in your eyes." Ink told the ERROR as they sat together in Outertale, he leans closer, pushing his luck. 

"*that's lv. not love." Error growls at his new parasite that just would leave him alone anymore. 

"*Oh well!" Ink replies with a bold grin and the ERROR snort loudly. 

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Error blinks at the Artist's back, rainbow-coloured wings had burst from their back and wrapped around him, giving him the comfort he needed. 

DEATH, his old mate, had found love again with another version of himself when he was a Genocide Sans. 

"*why... the wings..." Error sniffs loudly, pulling away slightly to see them, they were so strangely colourful that he could see them without his glasses... or he could just see them clearly for whatever reason. 

"*I thought you liked wings." Ink told him with a small smile, "I painted them on. Do you like them? You seemed to like Reaper's wings..."

Error laughs a little and ran a hand over them, "*i love them."

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The ERROR knew some intimate knowledge about Ink that he felt he should not know. 

Like how Ink did not like anyone handling his Paints and yet Error know just how to make Ink's morning Paints. Ink likes to spoon him while sleeping and Error had never slept around the Artist to know this. Ink loves the feel of Error's glitches. Ink likes tongue wars. And there was a place on Ink's neck had makes him melt into his arms. Ink likes to drink tea in a greenhouse on warm summer days-

Error did not know why or how he knew this stuff about his greatest nemesis... and why he was not questioning it fully, because it meant all just be in his mind. 

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Ink dragged the Destroyer of Worlds to his home universe, or rather, his fathers' home universe. Although the Artist was very alert, he could tell. 

Ink kept wiggling a finger in his face, telling him to behave and how he wanted to leave a lasting impression. 

Error who loves to prank others took those words out of context and stuck the ground in front of the two shocked Gasters. He turns to Ink with a mad grin- the Artist's eyelights were ablaze with red.

"*look. i made a lasting impression." Error told him proudly, waiting for the FIGHT to begin. 

Instead, those red eyelights changed to green swirls... then he laughs like crazy. 

The Gasters sigh in relief and inviting them both inside.

The ERROR followed behind with Ink hanging onto his arm, both giggling at the dumb joke. 

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Blue eyelights filled Ink's sockets, he stares up at Error with a bogus hopeless expression. 

"*Do you even love me?" Ink questions sharply, he sobs bitterly bowing his skull down and holding his hands over his face, "Error? Please. Tell me you love me."

Error stares down at the rainbow moron... and kneeling down he stares at the tears he knew was fake but his heart and SOUL went out to him. 

"*i love ya. of course i loves ya." Error answers making Ink pause mid-sob, he turns to look at the ERROR as if waiting for something.

For some reason, Error knew what Ink wanted and reaching down, gently held onto his chin and guided his jaws up to meet. 

"*INK!" Dream roars from somewhere in the background, ruining the moment for the pair, "Unhand him you beast!"

That made the ERROR snort into the kiss. 

Ink wraps his arms around Error's neck and drags him into a paint wrap. The paint was red- the paint warps were a reflection of Ink's current emotions. 

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Error was wrapped in a warm embrace from Ink. 

Somehow they made it to the Doodle Sphere and spend the night together, where they did the deed, even when they had not declared each other as mates. 

Ink utters something in his sleep and snuggles closer to the glitching Error... 

It was strange, the Destroyer had been trying to make it into here for years and now here, he did not want to do anything but lay down with Ink.

However, there was something that was very odd. Error firmly believed that Ink would like to spoon him in their sleep. And yet, Ink had not done that.  

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Outertale was the place that Error loved the most out of all of the known universes. And he wanted to keep it even after he destroyed the multiverse. 

That goal seemed to be getting further and further away the more time he spends with Ink. 

"*i'm yours forever." Error mumbles to the sleeping Ink, feeling like he had said these words before... he kept running a hand over the Artist's skull trying to work out this strange feeling of wrongness bubbling inside of him. A feeling that he just could not explain. 

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The next step was dragging the ERROR out of the Anti-Void and forcing him to live in the Doodle Sphere with the Artist. 

Error growls at the moron's determination to get him to leave his home.

Actually... Home felt like being with Ink. 

But, this Ink was different from the one he imagined over the few months of Ink flirting with him. And while he wanted to be with Ink now, he was longing for that Ink in his mind. 

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Error sat inside his nest that he had made for himself whenever he wanted some alone time from the hyperactive Ink.

While he loved spending time with the moron, he did also liked being alone to work on his little project or just laze around watching AUs. 

Ink appears out of nowhere and settles down in Error's nest in the sky, he closes his wings and flops on the ERROR's beanbag that was there. 

'*ok. i admit it. i love him.' Error thinks grumbly to himself, rolling over to pushes the Artist off his beanbag. Ink just laughs, gets up, and flops across Error's lap. 

Moments like these were beautiful treasures to the ERROR- again this was not something he would admit out loud.  

Because it was the dream Ink he kept thinking about and not the real one in front of him.

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Error's sockets slowly open. 

He blinks. 

And realizes. 

That he had died. 

That he had yet again eaten another ERROR's SOUL. 

However, it had not been Ink's doing this time. Because his mate had died alongside him. So who?

No wonder his static had slowly gotten louder as the two SOULs formed pointers for each other's memories. 

So Error had Static and Planet fused and now... whatever Error this multiverse would be called. Overall, he would still be known as Static since it was his name first and many knew him as such once he returned home.

Error had a second chance at... 

'*wouldn't this be a third chance?' Error thinks and frowns deeply... but then again, was this even his Ink? The Chernila Ink. 

Now that Error's memories had returned he felt like he was just being played with. 

Yes. Ink was playing with him. 

And yes, this was not his beloved Chernila Ink. 

The more he thought about it the more it made sense. 

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The ERROR did the only thing he could think of and that was to kidnap Blue and asked him outright what was happening. 

It had been Dream's plan. 

...of course...

Get the Destroyer of Worlds a mate, make him happy, control him and make sure his focus was not on destroying things. 

"*yeah. this makes sense." Error told Blue who stared at him in surprise, "what? think i'll go on a rampage like i normally would." 

"*WELL YES! YOU CHANGED! PERHAPS DREAM'S PLAN HAS WORKED!" Blue cries out hopefully, looking pleased.

"*ya aware that this is all fake. right?" Error replies to that with a frown.

"*BUT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF LOVE!" Blue told him firmly, balling his hands into fists and looking excited, "SOMETHING EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU! YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BE A GOOD MONSTER! LOOK! YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT!"

Error blinks... this multiverse was a lot different from the others he had. Back as Static and Planet, he had a role to fulfill and he was needed as the Destroyer. 

Here the ERROR was not needed because the multiverse had its own built-in balance. Error was just a crazed madman who once was known as DEATH's Lover, the Genocide Sans, who got trapped in the Anti-Void by pure chance.

'*if this world doesn't want me.' Error thinks coldly, 'then i'll just leave.' he looks to Blue, "*it's all just pretty empty words." he opens two gateways and points to it, "go through. ink and dream are on the other side."

True to his word, Ink and Dream rush through and looked ready for a FIGHT.

Error snorts and turning around, he walks through the other portal closing it behind him. 

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Error knew by some data Errotic ERROR gave to him, how to open up the hole- the built-in balance had sealed it up after he came through it seemed. 

The ERROR was very interested and impressed with this system that he was not planning on leaving any time soon. He wanted to install all the data he could about it, investigate and analyze it. 

"*then i'll return." Error vows to his mate, who no doubt would not remember him at this point in time. 

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The ERROR researched on the Multiverse which he named 'Correctverse'. He named the Ink here Correct Ink and the Error, False ERROR- of course this did not matter anymore. It was now displayed for Visitors to see if they passed by. 

Feeling like he had done all he could, he starts making plans to leave. And for that, he needed over a hundred universes to destroy to blast a hole in the walls of the Multiverse. 

"*it's now or never..." Error utters to himself as he leads into his beanbag, he had left the warmth of the Doodle Sphere and was back in his Anti-Void. 

However, there was one big problem. Since it had been patched up there was no way of retracing his steps and getting home. Meaning he could be searching for a way home for all eternally. 

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"*I love you Error!" Ink mocking calls to him, standing beside Dream and Blue; it seemed that they were waiting for him to return to this place.

"*Destroyer. This is not truly the Doodle Sphere." Dream spoke loudly for him to hear, "These universes have no inhabitants. You would only be destroying blank universes."

Error gazes around, there must be over thousand useless blank universes in this fake Doodle Sphere. 

Error gives them a sweet smile, "*thank you." he told them, catching them by surprise, "by giving us just what we wanted." they were suddenly on guard now, ready to attack. They were still universes that contained the core data he needed to blow this place right open. 

The ERROR was prepared for a battle this day. Here and now, he would give them hell. 

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Error held them onto his chest, it was dropping of blue blood. The Destroyer could handle the three Star Sanses but suddenly Nightmare and his gang, that was not called the Gloom and Doom Boys here, and the tides soon turned in their favour.

Ink was slowly following the limping ERROR, who was reaching for each blank universe's pages- he held them close to his chest and they were soaked in his blood. 

Acting insane had saved him. 

Dream and Nightmare who had put their differences apart to fight against the Destroyer had suddenly pitied him, allowing him to collect the pages. 

It was a hard task. 

Like chasing butterflies. 

Some were too high to reach and even Ink got them for him. 

They thought that he was dying... and he was. 

Error did not know what would happen if he died outside his home Multiverse and he knew that he does not RESPAWN in this one. 

"*this." Error speaks as he turns to him, "this is enough."

"*Well done Destroyer." Dream told him softly, pulling back his bowstring, "Rest now." 

Error grins boldly and drops to his knees, then rolls away, he summons a gateway and took one last look at Ink before vanishing. 

The ERROR did not have time to wait, he grabs the butterscotch pie from his inventory and ate it, bringing his HP back to full and his heavy wounds healed to light ones. 

"*it's time for us to go." Error told himself with a grin. 

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The ERROR blinks. 

He had never traveled through the tunnel as they had been forming, only ever heard it from his mate. And Ink had been right. It felt like a million years to go through it, although he knew that going through from Blankverse to Blendverse only took a matter of hours. 

Raising up, he stood in this new Anti-Void and stares around, wondering where the ERROR of this Multiverse was and should he eat this one.

Error could feel his emotions gone. 

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Much to the ERROR's amusement, this new ERROR was a swap named Reboot, who was the Guardian. 

The Ink was named Eraser and was the Destroyer. 

And Reboot had a crush on this version of Ink. 

' Had '

Static ERROR had Planet ERROR and False ERROR on his side and they completely overpowered Reboot ERROR's thoughts and feelings. It was a little sad to do. But Error knew that no good would come from becoming mates with this version of Ink. They had a cruel streak that they did not like. 

Error decided to choose a new name for himself, although he knew back home he would still be known as Static. System ERROR. 

Much like how Blank, Blend and Inky was called Chernila Ink when talking about them as a whole. 

Error blinks. He had no chance to discover the new abilities that the VIRUS was meant to have given him. So while he decides to wait and see what happens in this Multiverse before moving on, he would learn just what they are. 

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"*go home. ya drunk!" Error snaps at his best friend who was leading on him, he pushes Ink off him, "ink! ya moron!" 

The drunk skeleton stumbles backward with a laugh, falling against the wall of the building they were walking past. 

Error sighs and looks to the stars of the night's sky above them. 

This was a strange Multiverse he had found himself in; The ERROR had come when his counterpart was very young but was also dying under a mudslide and calling out for help- but no one came. He had saved his younger skully self by eating him and becoming like a newborn once more. Of course, being so young there was not much useful data from him.

Memories once again were locked away and he lived a normal life up until he became a skeleton where the dreams started. And slowly he remembered. 

It was a Multiverse that had all alternate characters living there in one large universe, meaning that Error had to find another way to make the hole that he needed to escape this Multiverse. 

No humans existed, merely a part of a fairytale, like what elves were to the humans. Existing only in stories- so he could not count on gathering their SOULs as an alternative power source.

And the most shocking thing of all, Ink had a SOUL. Error actually wanted to capture it and take it to his Ink... it was the reason he became friends with him when they first met.

"*Lovely!" Ink screams loudly, his loud voice echoes throughout the empty street, "The stars are so bright tonight!"

"*moron!" Error hisses out and grabs for his friend, "shut it." he tugs him along, "hurry up. let's go."

Ink laughs behind him.

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Error stares at his hand- there were no glitches. There was no sound of static, his voice did not lag or skip, did not change pitch, tone, or volume at random. When he walked, there was no strange echo or dripping sound of his broken walk cycle audio. 

When his memories first came together and formed a timeline in his mind to make sense of everything, the first thing he noticed was the lack of static following him. 

The silence kept him up at night. 

It was weird... being a normal monster. 

Doing... normal things. 

Error blinks, he stares down at his bills... then sighs. Having to pay out for everything.

This life was such a pain. 

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"*I love him!" Ink cries out overdramatically, flopping over Error's coffee table. 

"*then why are ya tell me this?" Error growls at him, he had managed to move his drink away at the last moment, "go tell this to dream."

Ink with a SOUL was deeply in love with Dream. 

And it made Error wonder what his own Inks would be like. He knew Blend Ink had chosen Dream in his Multiverse. Even Error himself had fallen for a Dream as Planet ERROR. 

"*Yeah but! Dream is dating Cross!" Ink sighs out sadly, sitting up now and looking at him, "Who would you date. Error?"

"*i'd rather date myself." Error snaps at him, "i'm trying to do stuff here ink." he points to the paperwork his friend was sitting on, "get off."

Ink got up and sat on the floor, "*I thought you would go to university like me. When we became skeletons."

"*some of us don't have rich fathers who will spend the ridiculous amount of money on a university program." Error growls at him, giving him a glare, "do you know how many monsters try to get into that university? it's one of the most sought out universities this side of the city. and ya going to it."

Ink stares at him for a moment, "*But you're so good at studying. How did you not get in?"

Error felt his socket twitch, his friend was a rich little brat who did not understand the concept of 'no money'. They became friends by chance when Error worked his heart and SOUL to get into the same high school as Ink was in. 

Many monsters thought that the only reason Error tried to be friends with Ink was because he was so rich. It was actually what most of their friend group was like. 

Error stares at the paperwork, all common colleges applications. 

Error had used up all his resources on going to that high-end high school and did not have the heart to explain to his family that he could not get into the university due to lack of funds, not when they kept sending him stuff to help him live through those tough times. 

"*have ya even been to your lectures yet?" Error questions with narrowed sockets, the sweat building on Ink's skull told him all he needed, "get out."

"*But Error-" Ink stops from whatever he was about to say and bows his skull, "Sorry. Sorry. I'll leave."

Error blinks, he had to remember that the emotions this Ink makes were real- that sadness was real. And he wanted that SOUL... he could not lose this chance for his mate. 

"*i'm sorry too." Error told his friend's back and suddenly Ink turns around with a hopeful gaze, gripping his coat in his hands, "fine. come back."

"*Great! Can I buy some pizza!" Ink cries out happily, rushing back over and settling next to Error.

Error realizes he was not going hungry tonight and nods. 

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Error's jaw drops. 

Cross had come out of nowhere and punched Ink so hard upon his cheek, that the smaller skeleton fell out of his chair, landing hard on the ground. And this was not the overpowered Ink the ERROR once knew, so blood easily came from those broken bones.  

Dream rushed over to Cross, trying to stop him but he bulldozed through him and bending down, he sat on Ink's chest, grabbing hold of his neck with one hand, he brings the other behind him ready to beat the artist an inch from his HP. 

Error blinks.

Error was now holding Cross's fist tightly, the angry skeleton slowly turns to him, looking ready to kill. 

Error glares at him. 

Even if this Ink was not his mate, he still was his friend. 

"*ya have a death wish buddy." Error hisses out darkly, the ERROR had his power, the power of millions of years worth of LV running through his SOUL and he could crash this Cross like a bug. 

Error took a step back and pulls Cross to his feet, dragging off Ink- he spun around, still holding onto the white and black dressed skeleton, and threw him into the food count's tables behind him. 

There was a loud cry behind and Error still felt something in his hand; looking down he sees that it was Cross's arm. Error had ripped the thing right out of its magic socket. 

Turning, he sees Cross holding his shoulder, gasping in pain- in any normal timeline of Undertale, skeletons could freely remove limps without any pain or discomfort. This world was weak, most of the limited magic went to normal bodily functions.

Error felt Ink lean against him, so he wrapped his free arm around his shoulders. 

Then threw the arm at Cross, hitting him in the skull. Someone screams and the whole food count went crazy and started running around like headless chickens. 

Chapter Text

Error sighs hard, he now had a criminal record and that university he wanted to get into, did not all those who had one in as a student. 

"*Error!" Came a voice, he looks up from his place against the wall and sees Ink holding the bars; behind his friend were Ink's two fathers. 

They were not happy. 

"*ink?" Error mumbles and standing up, he quickly goes over, "what are ya doing in this part? i didn't think monsters were allowed here."

"*My Dad got us through." Ink told him trying to sound happy but his voice was rough and Error could see that he had been crying, there was a crack on his right orbit and his cheek was darken and discoloured from a bruise, "We're getting you out of here!"

"*huh? getting me out?" Error repeats as he blinks in confusion, "why? i mean. that's not ya responsibility."

"*But you saved me!" Ink explains with a bold grin, still trying to be happy and upbeat, "And you're my best friend! I wanted to do something to thank you!"

"*...i made the choice to step in. even when it was not my business. best friend or not." Error grumbles out darkly, "i hate o-" he was cut off by Ink's raised hand.

"*Please let me do this for you." Ink said in a strange bagging tone that Error had never heard. 

Error looks to the two unhappy fathers behind and sighs, "*fine whatever."

Ink beams brightly. 

"*Great!" Ink cries out happily, "Cross has dropped all changers. And all the witnesses have been taken care of!"

"*i don't like the way ya said that. ink." Error says with a deep frown; suddenly someone was there opening the doors and he steps out, getting a hug for Ink, "ya made it sound ya part of the mafia or something."

Ink froze against him and slowly moves away, then stares at him with a SOULless expression. Error blinks not understanding why his friend had gone silent.

"*what's wrong?" Error asks he reaches up and brushes against the sensitive cheek, "whoa. got ya good. didn't he. are ya ok?"

Ink stares for a little longer and then leads back...

"*ugh. weirdo. come on. i need to catch up with the shows i've missed." Error snaps at him and pushes him lightly off, he nods at the two fathers as he passed by. Ink laughs loudly and quickly follows him. 

"*Hey! Error! Do you love me?" Ink questions as he links his arm through Error's. 

"*what? no. i could never see myself with ya." Error told him as they walked along, he was getting glares from everyone they walked by. 

"*Good. 'Cause I like you being just my dumb friend." Ink told him with a strange hint of emotion in his voice that Error could not determine what it was.

Error stops walking and looks down at the shorter skeleton, growling darkly, "*did ya just call me dumb? want to die little glitch?"

Ink stares at him for a moment and then just laughs, he reaches out and hugs him once more.

Chapter Text

Error did not understand the rich. 

Because suddenly, he was the best man at Ink and Dream's wedding. 

It was a shotgun wedding- Ink was brewing with Dream's offspring. And from what he overheard from some of the guests, the two families almost went to war over this. 

Error was actually excited with this because it seemed like something out of one of his dramas. He was sitting back and enjoying the mad ride and was glad he was not at the centre of it all. 

Error was a gossip queen back high school, getting all the petty drama that went on. Anything that happened outside school ground he cared little about. He could not lurk around this time, too many monsters were around but what he did hear made him want to log it all down and study everything... it was something he did with the gossip he got. 

"*Error!" Ink calls from somewhere, he gazes around but could not see the rainbow moron anywhere, "Up here!"

Error blinks and slowly looking up- the grand hall that they in had a floor overlooking it, sure enough, Ink was there waving his arm. 

"*Come up here!" Ink shouts to him, he actually had a serious expression on his face, "I've got something I want to talk about with you!

Error nods and looks to the staircase, he hurries over wondering what his friend wanted. As he came to the top of the stairs, he sees Ink and his two fathers standing behind him. 

It was becoming a familiar sight that Error did not like. 

One of the tall Gaster... they were not known as Gasters anymore, just tall skeletons. Error wonders why no longer ever calls out that the taller skeletons gain those cracks or was it something that everyone believed to be normal. 

The Gaster, Top, he thinks, waves him over and then starts walking towards a door. Ink and the other father called, Zephyr, walked slowly behind, letting Error catch up. 

They walked through the door and there was a tea party-like setup. 

Error did not care, because when he became mate with his Ink, the Gaster he knew had done the same thing whenever they met. 

"*something wrong?" Error questions as he took a seat that a butler monster took him over to. 

"We understand you want to go to the same university as our son." Top says as he waits for the tea to be served, he did not once look Error's way, just watching the butler. 

"*yeah. been trying for the last couple of years." Error confirms with a nod, he looks at Ink who was humming and leaning against Zephyr in his seat.

Top finally looks over at him.

"*And you became friends with my son in high school correct." Top continues with a deep frown, "Your family is very poor and you managed to get into such a school."

"*my family has been saving up for years." Error explains with a huff, "there's three of us. one of us needed to go. and i was the smartest. i think the school only allowed it because of how smart i am."

Error blinks and frowns, he was only 'smart' because of the many lifetimes he lived. And he was a scientist original. And that was what he was planning to study since he needed a lab to discover a way out without destroying the whole Multiverse while doing so. 

"'Smart' huh? Just how smart are you?" Top says darkly as he sips from his teacup, watching over the rim. 

Error did not like this, he was becoming a part of whatever story this was and just wanted to be a background character.

"*...depends on the subject." Error admits with a glare, "i'm great at science and math."

Top seemed surprised and Ink snickers loudly. 

"*shut it." Error snaps at his friend, then looking back at Top, "what do ya want? i was trying to listen to gossip downstairs." 

Ink laughs outright. 

"*ya want to die?" Error yells as he stood and slammed his fist on the table, "shut it. ink!" It only made Ink laugh harder, "ugh... why do i put up with ya?"

Ink finally stops laughs and stares at him like he was trying to look into his SOUL. 

"*I don't know. Why do you put up with me?" Ink questions sharply, his sockets narrowing, daring him to say something. 

Error grins boldly, taking the challenge.

"*ha! because despite ya being a moron! ya my friend!" Error told him honestly; he sat back down in his seat, "why do ya think i'd risk my own damn life saving ya. moron. i wouldn't stand by and just let my best friend get beaten. even with the consequences."

Ink stares and finally smiles, a true smile.

"*You... you'll always be my friend. No matter what?" Ink asks softly, blushing like he was a school girl with her first crush. 

"*well. i don't know what the future holds." Error told him with a huff, he sees Ink stiffen at these words, "look. one day. i'll go my own way. we might lose touch and even forget each other. but right here and now. i'm ya best friend and this fact ain't changing just yet."

Ink stares at the table and then grins.

"*Thanks Error." Ink utters out, "For being truthful."

Error blinks and looks to Top and then to Zephyr, they both seemed a little calmer but still appeared to want to say something. 

Zephyr finally spoke up, "How would you feel about becoming Ink's nanny?"

"*...what?" Error manages to say after a minute of letting those words sink in- Ink laughs loudly. 

Chapter Text

"*don't drink the punch." Error warns his friend, he held onto his arm and guided him away from the long tables that held the cakes and drinks.

"*Why not?" Ink asks with a frown, he held onto Error's arm and looks behind him. 

"*taste like battery acid." Error growls darkly, "i bet someone has spiked it."

Error had been wanting a drink for ages, so when he saw the punch coming out, he went right to it and drank a whole drink without pausing. 

"*it has a weird effect." Error admits as he rubs his sockets, "i'm starting to think it's poison rather than alcohol."

Ink stops walk, causing him to pause too- he watches his friend signal to someone. And blinks as Killer of all monsters came over. 

"*Check the punch. And find out who spiked it." Ink growls at him, "A where is my mate?"

"*dream is with his brother." Killer answers and then walks quickly away. 

Ink starts dragging Error along. They came to a door and he pushes it open and hurries through, together they walked across the room and found Dream, Nightmare and Cross. 

Cross glares at Error. 

Ink stares at this for a moment, then pushed Error down next to Dream. 

"*Heal him." Ink demands without greeting them, he was glaring at his mate.

"*Heal?" Dream questions and looks to the totally looking fine Error.

"*the punch was spiked." Error explains with a huff; Dream frowns and reaching out, starts healing him. He felt better moments later, "thanks."

Dream and Nightmare had an abnormal amount of power. And many monsters wanted to study them. Error did not think it was abnormal, rather, he felt it was average.

Ink sits down between Error and Dream, then gazes over at Cross with untrustful sockets. 

"*I didn't do this. If that's what you're thinking." Cross growls at him, then sighs and looks away. 

"*I heard you refused." Dream suddenly changes the subject, looking to Error, "You refused the Cosmic Family's offer. Of becoming Ink's nanny."

"*i don't want to be tied down to an offspring that's not mine." Error snaps at him, "even if i'm ink's friend. i ain't no babysitter. i'll only help out now and again. but no more than that."

"*My father was actually impressed you refused." Ink told him with a smile, "Even after he offered you the chance to go to my university."

"*i'll get there with my own power and ability." Error told them and then frowns at Nightmare and Cross, they were leaning a little too far onto each other, "are ya two mates. or something?"

The hurt expression on Dream's features confirms it. 

"*wow. that was quick." Error says in a mocking manner, "what do they call ya. bullet?"

"*Shut it. OR you might really get a bullet through your skull." Cross yells out to him, looking like he was ready to reach for something in his jacket but Nightmare stops him. 

Error blinks and looks to Ink, who appeared to be outraged. 

"*Cross had no choice." Dream suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to turn to him, "The Apple Family wanted the Marks Family to join. But ...Ink wanted me... So the Cosmic asked for the Apple to give me over."

'*apple family... is dream and nightmare's family name. right?' Error thinks with a hun, and gazes over to Cross of was Cross Marks. Ink was Cosmic, 'such a weird life this time.' 

Chapter Text

Error finally got into the university; it took him two more years and now had been studying for three. True to his words, he and Ink drifted apart when he started studying full time. 

Error moved further away to earn more money and pay less rent. It was also in a gang zone. The openly admitting Mafia family that was called Death. 

And Error just knew who belonged to that family group, even when he had never seen it. 

Actually, Error wanted to set him his older brother, Geno, who invited him to live in the tiny apartment. 

Geno was ill in health and needed to pay out a monthly bill for medicine. The money he earned from the small jobs went to this bill, giving him next to nothing for other things.

Fresh was paying for everything else with his own job. 

It was not long before Fresh joined them. They had a king-size mattress that was on the floor to the only little bedroom. Their clothes were all paired neatly along between the mattress and the wall since they had no place to store them. 

The mattress was shared by the three brothers.

Error rarely sleeps anymore, anyway. Days he spent at the university and nights he spent washing office buildings as a cleaner. It paid well. 

Error only got about two or three hours sleep every few years. And was banking on his older powers to keep his body moving. 

But tonight. It was time to have a little break and have some fun.

Geno was dressed up and so was Fresh. They were going into a secret club that Error had overheard about in his class and managed to get the whereabouts and codeword to get them in. 

"*ya ready?" Error asks his brothers who smile and nod, "then let's go."

Chapter Text

'*oh. this is owned by the death family.' Error thinks in surprise, feeling better now that he had some kind of connection to finding Reaper, 'maybe i can meet reaper and get geno to meet after.' 

Error gazes around to look for his older brother... Fresh he knew where he was because of loud a certain part of the club had become. 

Error moves through the crowd, heading towards the walls, that was where Geno liked to go until he felt like he could dance. 

The former Destroyer stops and blinks- Geno was leaning against a wall with Reaper standing over him, one hand pushed against the wall past Geno's skull. 

Geno spots Error and smiles strangely at him, he says something to Reaper and walks away. When Geno reaches him, he grabs his hand and then turns to give Reaper a little wave. 

Error blinks at the death glare Reaper was giving him. 

Error bends over, getting close to Geno's skull and asks over the sound of the booming music, "*a friend?"

Geno smiles when he pulls away, then leans closer as he did to him, "*no. he's no one. come on. let's dance!"

Geno pulls him towards the dance floor and he allowed him to do so. 

Chapter Text

Error sat up, glaring at the end of their mattress. To his right slept Geno completely visible, and to his left slept Fresh, hidden under the covers. 

Geno slowly at up with a soft yawn and jerks in surprise when he noticed.

"*ink." Error growls at him, gripping the covers in front of him, "the hell ya doing here? how ya get in?"

"*So Error does have a mate!" Ink cries out in mock surprise, "Wow. Why didn't you tell me about him?"

Error blinks, he knew he never mentioned anything about his family before. And he had not spoken to Ink for over a year and had not seen him for over three years. 

 "*You're my best friend." Ink says with a strange smile, "And you don't even tell me these things."

Error gazes to the doorway, Reaper was leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest, just staring at Ink was kneeling down. Then he glanced to look between Error and Geno.

"*you piece of trash." Geno growls in anger towards Reaper, "how dare you come into our home. do you want to die?"

Ink frowns at those words and Error knew why. 'do ya want to die?' was something Error would say. 

Suddenly Fresh sat up and stares at everyone...

"*There's another one!" Ink cries out, pointing at Fresh. 

'*really. this life is so dumb.' Error thinks with a heavy sigh.  

Chapter Text

"*what's there to understand?" Geno growls out glaring at Reaper. 

Error and his brother had moved to the tiny kitchen where not everyone could fit in, so Geno and Fresh sat on Error's lap while Ink and Reaper took their normal place. 

There were others in the doorway that were just looking in. 

"*so. ya have two mates." Reaper says darkly, staring toward Error and then Fresh, "can ya not ditch them and come to me? i can promise ya a better life than what ya living."

"*error. fresh and i. are doing well for ourselves." Geno snaps at him, slamming his hand on the table in front of them, "and error is studying are one of the best universities in this kingdom. one day. he'll be a great scientist able to care for all of us. i don't care of our struggles before then."

"*thanks for believing in me. geno." Error utters out softly, he buries his face into Geno's scarf and then peeks out to look at Ink, who was just staring. 

"*I wanted to make you another job offer." Ink spoke up with a sigh, "I met Reaper on the way. The Cosmic Family and the Death Family don't get on well. But we are trying to make an alliance."

"*death family?" The sleepy Fresh who was leaning and drooling on Error's shoulder says, "ain't that the gang that controls this area?"

Error blinks. 

Geno blinks.

Error knew but was pretending not to, he was sure that Geno was not aware of this. 

"*what? death family?" Geno questions and looks to Reaper, "are you a member of the death family?"

"*i'm the heir." Reaper confirms with a bold grin.

Geno hums in thought and Error suddenly knew what his brother was thinking. 

"*ok. i'll be mates with you." Geno says easily, making both Reaper and Ink frown. 

"*ya throw ya mates away just for my wealth? haha. i thought ya were different." Reaper responds with a glare.  

"*for the sake of my family. the queen family. i'll make myself your mate." Geno told him with a smirk, "i'm the heir. but i'll happily give the title to my younger brother."

"*give it to fresh. i have no interest." Error spoke up darkly, feeling all eyes on him now he glares at everyone, "what? ya ain't figured it out yet. we ain't mates. we're brothers." 

Reaper's jaws parted slightly and then looks to Geno. 

"*reaper. meet my little brothers." Geno says smoothly, seemingly very amused by the whole thing and by the way he was acting Error was sure that the night at the club was not the first time the pair had met, "error." he points to him, "and fresh."

Reaper seems to sigh in relief. 

Chapter Text

"*why am i watching a naked mud wrestling match?" Error questions his old friend, he turns to look at Ink who was chatting on his phone to his newly formed skullies. Error had missed their whole shinhood. 

Ink turns off his phone and looks to the match.

"*why am i watching a naked mud wrestling match?" Error says again, a little louder this time. 

"*Oh! Because this is a part of your job!" Ink told him with a bold grin, "Act like my best friend."

"*that's not a job if it's something i already am. just because we didn't see each other. doesn't mean i disowned ya." Error replies with a huff, then look back to the match where the humans were fighting in the mud. 

After Geno became mates with Reaper, they moved into a large manor and Ink sighed a contract with them stating that the alliance would be formed due to Error being his best friend.

The two Families were willing to make this contact and it seemed like they were just looking for a reason. 

Error stares dully at the naked humans rolling around in the mud. 

Error did not know they existed and to the mass population, they were just a fairytale. Underground bosses had control over the remaining ones. 

But this is good for the ERROR. 

"*i want a few hundred human souls." Error spoke aloud, he leans over to Ink who had not turned away from the match, "how would i get them?"

Ink grins and looks to him, "*By being friends with me."

Error blinks and then laughs. 

Chapter Text

"*Pff-Hahahahaha! Human stupidity at its finest!" Ink cries out happily, spinning around in the middle of the room. 

Ink fathers were smiling at the chaos, their grandchildren running around them, laughing along with their father. They were lesser skeletons now. 

'*how time flies.' Error thinks in amusement, he stood by the window, watching the uprising of the humans. The ERROR now had money thanks to his friend- he had not wanted to take it but Geno talked him into it. Error made a secret lab of his own and now that the humans had escaped, he had the perfect excused to capture them. 

Error had a plan. 

Catch the number of SOULs he thinks he needs and then fake his own death once he knows this would work. However, he needed the red SOULs of the humans. At least in theory. 

"*Human hunting. This will be so much fun! Just like monsters of the past!" Ink says as he comes to stand next to him, "Dream was saying that we need to protect humans. What do you think?"

"*i'm joining the hunt." Error told him with an evil smirk- he already thought that the underground bosses all had something to do with this strange event, "as long as my family is safe."

"*Of course!" Ink answers loudly, "Reaper took care of your older brother! And the Queen Family has stepped into the limelight! Fresh is doing a great job! Quickly becoming a first gen Boss!"

"*and what gen are ya? how long as ya family been going?" Error questions with mild interest, his focus was more on the humans below.

"*I'm the fifth-gen! I might not even become Boss. It might go right onto one of my offspring." Ink explains with a laugh, he gazes over at his lesser skeletons, "It's a shame. I really did love Dream."

Error blinks, then frown deeply, "*are ya not in love with him anymore?"

"*Nope! Found someone new!" Ink answers with another laugh and leans against the window, "Their name is Lust."

Error almost choked on his own tongues. 

Chapter Text

The ERROR had done it. 

He had found a way to make the human SOULs act like universes. And he always discovered that he needed every colour of human SOUL pre red one he thought he needed. 

So he spent a good few years gathering them up himself and putting bounties on ones he needed. 

Error had earned the nickname of Soul Collector. 

All in all, he needed over eight hundred SOULs. Plus spares just in case something happened.

Everyone who knew he thought he was crazy and ... that was correct. The ERROR was completely insane. 

Chapter Text

It was time. 

The ERROR had made his choice for the future. 

That was, traveling the Omni Void, ripping tunnels through it, connecting the Multiverses until he found his Ink.

Error took one last look at his friends and family. 

Ink and Lust were cuddling up together. Lust was brewing their first brew. 

Geno was chatting with his own offspring, Goth. He had been a lot happier since becoming mates with Reaper. Not only did he have the medicine he needed, Reaper was also pouring money into research with the different foundations that were looking for a cure.

Fresh had his own mate now, named Deccan. His younger brother was shining at being a Boss. 

'*time to leave tho.' Error thinks and smiles at the corner of the room where the humans he asked to come hid. Error had disguised himself as a human and walked in with all the information needed to attack this party where lots of Mafia bosses attained with their families.

They thought that he was a hero for going undercover into the lion's den. 

Error explained that 'Error Queen' needed to die. Not only was he linked to four different families, he also was the dreaded Soul Collector and was well known to the humans. 

The roar cry sounded and Error turns to meet the human who was planned to kill him- the short sword went right through his sternum with ease. 

But only because there was a hole there, that Error made himself. There's no way that this weak human would be able to pierce his bones. 

The ERROR smiles as the lights go out and he uses a skill that no one had in this world- a portal. Pushing the human off him, he screams out in 'pain' and dropping the dust on the ground, opens a gateway and exited into his lab. 

From there he watches through his windows at the sad scene that took place. 

"*the last act is coming up." Error says with a mock sniff, "oh well." he sits on his beanbag and grabs the popcorn he had prepared and observers everything that played out. 

Chapter Text

Error blinks at the sound of the Voices. 

The new Anti-Void was very loud. 

"*does it bother me?" Error repeats what the Voice said, then answers, "no. not really. i only want to find ink. my ink. the one i fell in love with. ...however. if this is also happening what him. then things might change."

Error pauses at the next question. 

"*well. different sets of memories and life experiences can transform our thinking." Error explains to them, "i am static. planet. false. reboot. and now whatever error that was. i titled the multiverse families. so ink where would be fam ink. and the error. lies error? yeah. that will do."

Error walks a little way before pausing.

"*no. no. together. we are system error. that's our name as a whole." Error told them and grins, "didn't i mention this before?"

Error gazes around the Anti-Void, he had been walking for a while and saw no sign of the ERROR.  

"*huh? yeah of course. the virus that i am will eat away at my emotions." Error told them as he pats his chest, "well. it's hard to explain... oddly enough. when we eat the new error. we obtain their body. and the memories of the past errors get locked away for a time."

Error blinks, he could see the outline of the strings in the distance and took off running, no longer desiring to talk with the Voices. 

Error stops at the sight of the broken ERROR. 

Blood and dust were everywhere. 

Those red sockets were filled with ERROR signs and he glitched like crazy. 

Error blinks, this was the ERROR he would become. However, he knew that Static ERROR was the most dominant out of all the ERRORs once they remembered. 

"*here we go. are we ready?" Error says with an unsure grin, ripping at his sockets he pulls his strings down and sends them to the new ERROR. 

Chapter Text

Error sat alone in Outertale, scared that someone would discover him there again. 

Being the Destroyer was hard work now, so different from when he first started and went around silently. It had all started with that Swap Sans. If he had never had taken him, he would still be unheard of. 

Ink never showed him any mercy no matter how he begged, how he pleaded and how he tried to explain. 

So why did he think he was in love with the SOULless Creator?

"*why am i letting this happen to me?" Error growls darkly suddenly, slowly stands up, and looks down at his torn clothes and broken bones; a few moments ago, he honestly thought he deserved this. 

Something was shifting inside up, new pointers for his memories were forming. And he blinks. Not understanding.

The ERROR opens a gateway and wanders through, found a Toriel who was just finished baking a pie. 

"*hiya." Error calls his voice glitching and the sound of static becoming worst- she spun around and looks him up and down, "mind if i have that." he points to the pie. Without a word, she hands it to him and looked as though she wanted to help but at the same time, seemed to scared to move, "heh. thanks."

Error left that world going back into Outertale, munching on the pie with his tongues as he went. The healing effect happened almost instantly. 

"*well now." Error purrs darkly, "we seem to have let this go on for far too late." he opens a few windows and drags some stuff through and places it in his inventory, "it's time to show what the destroyers of worlds really can do. when they actually fight back."

"*ERROR!" Came the voice of the angry Artist, turning he sees red glowing eyelights focused on him. Behind him were Dream and Swap. 

"*such a common pattern." Error told them in a bored manner, an arrow came flying at him and he easier sidestepped it, "i've grown tired of this. ink. it's time."

The ERROR summons hundreds of Blasters behind him- it took a lot of power for a normal Sans to summon one; by showing them this many and having the Blasters powering up in front of them, he had displayed only a small percent of his true strength.

A glitchy laugh rang out in the silent space.

The beams fired without mercy. 

Chapter Text

"*so weak." Error says as he held up Ink by the neck. The Artist was gasping while kicking at his chest and clawing at his arm, "the only reason ya kept losing to us. is because we let it happen. remember this ink. because ya nothing but a weak fool."

He threw Ink towards his friend, Dream managed to catch him before he slammed into the cold ground. 

It had been twenty-one years since Error decided to fight back. And during that time, he realized that he was so overpowered it was not even funny. And it was true, the only reason that the ERROR kept getting beaten down was that he was sane enough to recognize that he killing others, even if it was for the greater good. 

The ERROR only had Nightmare and his gang as his only friends. 

However, since going on a non-stop rampage for the past twenty years, they had backed away from him. And the Destroyer did not blame them. They had taken Dream and Ink's side, thinking that he had gone insane. 

Error really did not take a break. Just used the Anti-Void as a battery for a limited time and went right on destroying it. So he could see why they thought this. 

And it was almost time. 

The new Destroyer would be born and Error could leave this Multiverse... he had regained his memories some ago and quickly set up a way for him to leave without making this place go without a Destroyer to keep the numbers down. 

Out of all the Multiverse he had gone to, this one was the worst in the way of the sheer number of universes. 

"*oh? there it is." Error said with a grin, he looks to those gathering below him, "we have to go now. but we have left you a little gift to play with."

A glitchy portal opens behind him and the new Destroyer with everything installed in him, walks through. 

The ERROR grins. 

Bluerror stood there, glaring at them. 

The shock on their faces was priceless. 

Chapter Text

"*oops." Error says standing at the skeletons that had followed through his quantum leap. It was Dream and Nightmare, "ya not might to be here. this ain't ya place."

"*This is not yours neither!" Dream told him firmly, "Jumping into another Multiverse! Why?"

"*because we're looking for our mate." Error explains with a sigh, "look. we're a virus error. we are called system error. we go through the different multiverse and eat the errors. in order to keep our heart. mind and soul." 

"*so... what of our error?" Nightmare finally spoke up looking like he was going to cry, "my friend."

"*we are have called your multiverse. weakverse. we marked in the map as that. and normally. the inks take on the multiverse overall name." Error explains with a smirk, "so. weak ink."

"*what does this have to do with our error!?" Nightmare demands his tentacles flying towards him, the ERROR caught them and snorts loudly. 

Then tosses them away from him, he reaches for his sockets and kept ripping at them again and again. 

"*we're getting to that!" Error snaps at him and threw the many strings he had gathered at Nightmare, completely covering every single one of his SOULs and forced them into one- then he wraps it up and overpowered the curse. 

Pure Nightmare stood there now, his silvery bones seemed to shine even in the white Anti-Void. 

Dream drove at Nightmare hugging him close. 

"*so anyway." Error continues on as if nothing had happened, "that error is called soft error. and has become a part of us." then he seemed to think about something, "oh yeah. the map. we made a program ages ago that charted out the multiverse we went to."

A large black screen appeared, it held what looked like shining stars. 

"*this is the omni void. the home of the multiverse." Error told them with a smirk, that quickly fades as he cut the map in two, "they did not join up. because the multiverses we have been to are not close to our home."

Error points to a starpoint and it zooms in.

"*this is the starting point. when we first woke out and realized that something was not right." Error explains with an angry growl, "however. that multiverse had a built-in system where it did not need a destroyer. handle right. it even healed the hole that we came through. and with it. the tunnel that leads to our home."

Error turns to them and glares; the golden skeleton was still holding onto the silver one, crying softly.

"*so. we have to go to a different one. the blast goes in any direction at random." Error continues on, walking over to them, "and there's no way to control it. however. the tunnels are always connected back. so ya can go home. it'll take a few hours. see."

Error points to the map. 

"*we can return to any multiverse we had been to before." Error says pointing to the Multiverse he had named, "see this. if others come across them. they will not that they've had a visitor."

"*Error! Will my brother stay like this?" Dream question quickly, looking at him in worry, "When you're gone. Will he still be able to..."

"*yes. nightmare sure be able to control. at least when this happens once." Error snaps the golden skeleton, annoyed that he had not paid attention to anything that had been said, "also ya can't tell ink. this still between us. or we'll kill ya."

Nightmare nods his understanding, while Dream just mumbles something he did not catch. 

"*whatever. let us take ya back to the tunnel." Error grumbles out as he walks over to them and opens a gateway, "hold onto us."

"*will we ever see my error again..." Nightmare asks sadly, looking at him dead in the sockets.

"*ya don't seem to understand. he ain't dead. he just became part of us." Error explains with a sad smile of his own, "night. we'll be friends forever. never forget that."

Chapter Text

System ERROR found the next ERROR. 

...well... not quite yet. 

This Multiverse was very young with only a small number of AUs and hardly any copies of them. The only copies were of Undertale itself. 

And this Multiverse' ERROR was still just a Genocide Sans. 

There was not even an Ink Sans yet!

Error sighs heavily, he had lost a lot of his emotions already. But he did not want to take the Genocide away since they were very happy with DEATH at the moment. 

So while this Multiverse was still young, he started picking it apart and realized it had only two maintenance. So Error decided to play with the code, wanting to install the data from that built-in Multiverse so that this place would never need a Destroyer or Ink. 

He also discovered one of his new abilities that the VIRUS let him gain. Error could 'pause' the Multiverse. The ERROR always had this skill but never dared use it; since it came with a massive penalty and he could be punished greatly for it. Plus there was never a time when he thought he would risk the penalty to actually use it. 

Many years passed and Error reached the next maintenance date- funny enough, at the same time, Genocide got trapped into the Anti-Void.  

"*well hello there." Error says to the newly formed ERROR, "we have been waiting for ya."

System ERROR walks over and grins boldly at the shaking ERROR.

"*we're gonna call ya. new error." Error told them and reaches for their SOUL, "and together. we shall find our way back. back home. and back to our ink."