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——
People didn’t scream as the Void consumed them. It was unlikely they even realized that they were being taken by its dark grasps. Even as monsters and humans alike were gobbled up by the spreading darkness, the Omega Timeline was silent.
The Void spread like tendrils through the safe haven, licking at the feet of people before it threw them into its clutches. White pixels added to the glitched and fading look to the city of refugees, swirling along with the darkness and shadows.
You’d expect people to have run from the Void, but they didn’t seem to notice it, minding their own business as others around them were taken right in front of them before they too were swallowed alive.
The Void acted like a living thing, seeming to laugh and cackle as it took and destroyed homes and parks. Lush green meadows were smashed like old buildings against the force of a wrecking ball. Houses and apartments tumbled to the ground, exploding and snapping under the weight of the very Omega Timeline.
Parks that had once been filled with people laughing and talking now resembled wastelands, their grass having been withered and water dried into nothing. All was eaten by the Void. Nothing escaped. Nothing had the ability to leave or flee. Trying to run to other AUs would be useless.
They too had already been killed by the spreading destruction.
Only a few realized what was happening. Only a few could realize what was happening.
The only thing that seemed to still be standing was the core building of the Omega Timeline. The very place the destruction was coming from…
Nine skeleton piled into the small room that monitored the center of the multiverse and as they watched the Core’s readings explode off the charts. Fire and sparks licked at their feet as it raged on. The flames engulfed anything that came too close, be it machinery, tools, or people. Though, that last one wasn’t as accurate due to the fact most if not all the people besides the nine in the room had been taken by the Void.
Cross held his coat to a heavily bleeding head wound muttering and wincing as he did his best to keep the blood at bay. It wasn’t his own, however. No, the severe injury was one that belonged to Ink whose skull dripped with dark ink that replaced the Protector’s blood. Pieces of their bone were scattered across the tile floor, smeared in blood as it pooled.
The guard let out an angry curse as he watched their greyed eye lights blink in and out of view. Their limbs barely moving as explosions and roaring flames drowned out anything else that could have been making sound.
The Dream stood near by, his face twisted in helpless fury as he watched the Core. His arm burned due to the fact that it had pieces of scrap metal jammed into it, his black sleeve torn due to the shard of flat steel. He ignored the pain however as he did his best to lift a large object that was currently trapping his teammate beneath.
He loomed over Blue who was pinned under a large metal grated, his grunts of pain were awful to hear as Dream, with the help of Horror, tried to lift it off of him. Despite his large size, the gang members struggled under the weight of the grate. He might have asked his boss for help, but he was currently preoccupied with holding up the thick glass wall that separated the Core and those inside the room.
Nightmare was an impossibly strong monster, but even he struggled against the force of the walls around him. His tendrils trembled due to the earthquakes shaking the building as they passed themselves against the walls of the small room. He hated the fact he had to struggle to do this, but, then again, this was the very Core of the Multiverse.
Killer, Nightmare’s second in command, has positioned himself between the Core and one of his four (brothers) coworkers, Dust. Toxic determination dripped from Killer’s eye sockets, his target soul flashing from a heart and back as glared at the Core like that would do anything to stop it. Dust was positioned at a large monitor, his fingers flying over the keys as Error too did his best to hold the wall together with his strings.
The Destroyer grunted as he held the wall up, his blue thread along with Nightmare’s tendrils being the only protection between his companions, and the blaze center of the multiverse.
He clench his teeth and he held his hands out, the strings wound around his phalanges. His glitches were wild and erratic as he struggled to keep his footing. He stubbornly held his ground, because, like most, he hated to lose.
“Come on, stay awake you fucking asshole!” The Cross snarled at the Protector as the blood gushing from their head continued to pour. Their eye lights flashed from grey to white as they stared at nothing.
The Star Sanses had been directly beneath the grate when it fell atop Blue, Dream having of course getting the piece of metal in his arm while this idiot had to get a steel bar knocked into their skull.
This idiot wasn’t about to die on them. They needed Ink to fix this. If they died, so did the Multiverse… thought… it seemed the Multiverse was already doomed.
Blue, still stuck under the grate coughed, specks of blood bubbling from his mouth. “Leave me! Get out of here!” He pleaded as his friend and the gang member continued to struggle at the grate.
“No! You are not pulling some self sacrifice bull shit on us, you’re coming!” Dream snapped back as he continued to attempt to move the metal off his teammate, ignoring the pain in his arm. Golden blood streamed down his sleeve as he strained at the grate along with Horror.
The Protector finally seemed to suck it up and get a grip as they whipped up, knocking the Cross off them. They didn’t hold their footing long as their injuries caused them to collapse. They struggled against their own body as they sat up, still lain out on their stomach.
they reached out their hand, their inky black magic sputtering to life and joining Error’s strings and Nightmare’s tendrils. The paint shook just like the hands that held it there, but it held strong and gave them a fighting chance.
Blood continued to flow from their head, the coppery substance getting in their eyes. Dust let out a loud swear that sounded more like a plea, slamming his fist down on the keyboard in frustration. He seemed to immediately regret the decision as flashing red lights filled the room.
He let out an even louder curse as the flames continued to rise, the purple colored fire beginning to crack the glass.
Dream whipped his head toward Cross who had simply been standing and watching the fire grow larger. “GET OVER HERE AND HELP!” He snapped, not really caring about being polite at the moment.
Pain was etched into Dream’s face as he turned and continued to strain against the metal, Cross immediately moving to help them remove the grate from their companion. The guard’s coat still lay next to the Protector, stained with blood but left untouched. It wasn’t important at the moment.
Ink seemed to be fading as they lost more and more blood. It pooled under their head and drenched their clothes like dye. The Destroyer stumbled, his strings disappearing momentarily as he attempted to regain his balance.
This seemed to prove too much for the Protector as they went limp. Their skull hit the tile floor, black blood gathering beneath them.
The glitch let out and ferrous curse as the paint melted away to vapor. Nightmare likely would have finished the Protector off himself if he hadn’t been trying to keep the room from crumbling. Error continued to cure Ink out as he felt the full force of the explosions hit him yet again as his magic straining against his body. His glitches were going haywire as he kept up his defenses.
With the added help of the extra gang member, they managed to finally get the grate off the Blue, Dream reaching down and snatched his teammate out of the rubble.
He looked over to the Protector’s unconscious body lying in their own blood and felt his soul skip a pound. His teammates grunted in his arms, holding his stomach as he kept his eyes shut in pain. Blood soaked through his shirt, leaving a large red stain that only grew larger.
Cross stumped over and lifted the Protector, holding them to his chest in some attempt to hide them from the heavy flames. “WE NEED TO GO!” He shouted, his voice horse as smoke began to spill into the room. Error whipped out a hand, a glitching portal opening at his command, letting all of them pile through.
All of them piled out of the portal, Error exiting the escape last. The room collapsed in on itself just as Error’s glitching portal finally slammed shut with an audible bank.
They all watched as the world around them crumbled and collapsed into bits of codes. An explosion rocked the AU and Dream fell to his knees as be held his husband to his chest, Blue softly hushed him.
Cross watched as Ink’s fingers began to dust. They were directly connected to the worlds around them. The Multiverse was dying, and so were they…
His face twisted as he too collapsed due to an earthquake. He landed next to Dream, his arms still holding the slowly dusting Protector. At the sight of Ink’s exterior, Dream’s face became even more pain. He rematch over and grasped one of their dusting hands, rubbing his thumb against the top of their fingers.
Error glared at the crumbling worlds with distain as he too settled next to Dream (not touching the guardian, obviously). He excepted this fate the moment the Core exploded. Dust’s fingers dug into his scarf as he scooted closer to Killer and Horror.
They all nodded to each other before joining the growing huddle circle. They tried to cover Ink’s fading form with theirs. Killer closed his eyes and chuckled. His eye lights flashed into view, actual tears joining the toxic determination. Horror hugged his found brothers as Phantom’s ghostly being huddled next to Dust.
Nightmare took the final place, covering the whole party in his dark tendrils as the world finally collapsed around them…
——
“MOTHER!”
A dark, glitched skeleton stood on the floor of the Void, glaring fiery eyes up at the “sky” above him. He clenched his fists, one balled hand clenching a ball of what seemed to be blue strings hanging from his tri-colored fingers.
The strings were attached to a much smaller, crumpled skeleton, the threads wound around their torso. Their normally watercolor eyes were now a dulled grey as they stared off into the darkness of the Void. Their scarf lay in tatters about their neck and dark blood dripped down their skull, a piece of sharp, flat metal stuck in their cranium.
The skeleton seemed to have a paint splatter stained to their cheek, the mark having grown friends due to the staining of the Protector’s blood. The sash of vials was still secured to their chest, but the paints contained inside had been dried out and taken away the moment the CORE exploded.
The thick dark ink blended in with the Void’s darkened flooring, the substance pooling beneath them and staining their clothing a deep ebony. Their breathing came in shallow gasps as they stared lethargically at their arms splayed out in front of them.
The darker skeleton shifted his red and orange eye lights between the “sky” and his wounded sibling. He made a stress sound as he tried to hurry up the goddess he was calling out to with his thoughts.
A crimson red and a sky blue pair of eyes appeared, both staring directly at the Destroyer that they called their son. Error glared at them with pure rage as he did his best not to crash due to his emotions.
He clenched his fists tighter, stiffing his body against the whipping pixels covering his body. His scarf flapped against the force of the glitching, the sound being the only one in the world it seemed other then the Protector’s breathing,
The Destroyer pulled up a blue code window that matched his threads, violently tapping through slides and codes as he growled under his breath. He needed someone to make sure his sibling stayed continuous until he dealt with these assholes. If the Protector died or Fell Down, then there would be nothing to stop the Void from taking over.
His sibling was directly connected to the multiverse itself. If they died, it died. If it died, they died. At the moment, both were happening.
The two eyes watched him with mild curiosity, not seeming all that concerned about the skeleton bleeding out not far from the other. Both eyes had a mind of their own as they glanced at each other or tilted to the side to convey their confusion.
The Destroyer finally got a hold of what he was seeking via the codes and harshly yanked a third skeleton from the window.
The skeleton was dressed mainly in black and white, his short, black tipped scarf flattering as he was thrown from the window. His cheek was adorned with a red zigzag scar and his white eye lights squeezed shut as he slammed into the ground.
Cross skidded against the “floor” of the Void, acting as though he had just been thrown out of a terrible dream. He came to a halt not far from where Ink lay, still tangled in Error’s strings. The Destroyer gave the Ex-Guard a venomous snarl as he pointed stiffly to Ink. “Don’t let that asshole fall unconscious.” He growled before turning back to glare daggers into the two eyes whom he was being spectated by.
Cross looked absolutely bewildered as he whipped his hazy gaze between Error and Ink, trying to comprehend what had just happened. The guard shoot himself out as he peeled off his coat, scooting over and tucking the fabric beneath Ink head. In all honesty, he had no idea what to do here.
The Protector didn’t seem to realize Cross was there or that they themselves were even alive at the moment. Cross was quite certain that the only reason Ink was still breathing at this point was due to pure spite as opposed to say something like Determination. Ink refused to die because if they did, they lost and that was not something they would allow to happen.
Ink hated losing and made it their only goal to win at whatever possible. That and protecting their AUs.
Cross didn’t understand why they did it. He had just about told the Multiverse to go fuck itself the moment he entered it, and was still in the same mindset. He didn’t care for any of the AUs by themselves, but he could sort of tolerate a few of the people who took residence inside of them.
As Cross continued to do his best to “encourage” the Protector to remain conscious, Error had his own personal agenda to attend to…
“FATE! DESTINY! YOU BETTER ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW YOU BITCHES!” Error snarled up at the two eyes that beat down on him and his soul. The red eye, FATE, seemed to take the lead as she drifted down a ways to be only a few feet from Error. The Destroyer too stared his “mother” down, his hands twitching and pulsing against his glitches.
“Yes, my child?..” Fate purred as she watched her son through her slitted pupil, studying him as if trying to understand every small line of data that made up his very codes. She of course had no need to do that because she already knew everything about what contributed to his entire coded makeup.
“What did you do?” Error snarled at the red eye floating down towards him. FATE laughed at him as SHE tipped her halo to the side. “I did nothing, child.. it was your sibling who failed, am I incorrect?” She hummed as SHE narrowed her eye.
Error squeezed his hand into fists as he felt his soul go hot at the implication. “Ink did not fail. You promised to let them rest and what do you do? Let the Multiverse be destroyed!” He snapped back at her, his fingers digging into his palms as he glared at his Creator with fury.
FATE let out a glitching laugh that started Cross. She gave Error a pitting look as SHE came a little closer. “Oh so it’s my fault? Wasn’t this your goal, Destroyer?” She purred as her pupil slitted into a red line. Error went stiff and his eye lights went dark. “My goal was to keep the balance.” He growled.
FATE cackled yet again, leaning forward and letting the strings of her halo dangle just above Error’s head. “Now, now my child, no need to be so condescending… we know you loved the feeling of destruction… yanking and strangling souls until they shattered between your strings. Beating your pathetic little “sibling” over and over and over and over until they tried to throw themselves into the Vio-“
“SHUT UP YOU BITCH.”
Even FATE seemed startled by Error’s sudden outburst. The Destroyer’s breathing was heavy and his glitches were going haywire as he stared down at the ground. “Unlike you,” He started with a snarl, “I at least stopped Destroying…”
FATE tipped HER eye to the side in amusement. “My, child, so you do still have a bite?.. I thought you had lost it after going so soft?” She purred, coming closer to Error and staring him down.
Error glared right back at her. “I didn’t go soft. I let myself get help. There’s a damn big difference between the two.” He drawled, his magic bubbling just below the surface of his bones.
“That is not the point, FATE. You said you’d give Ink and I a break, and you lied. Now you and your sister are going to fix this mess.” Error growled through clenched teeth. He might have been terrified to ever even look either FATE or DESTINY in the eye while he was still under THEIR control, but now that he was free, he didn’t care.
Fate seemed to consider him a long, long moment before floating back up to HER sister without another word.
——
“Well sister, what is to come of our creation?..” FATE curled her way in front of HER sister as SHE narrowed HER eye at DESTINY. FATE’s red pupil slitted further as the thread like halo surrounding her rotated to the side.
“I’m unsure, FATE… it’s truly unfortunate how early it ended… I hoped for a little more entertainment at least” DESTINY sighed, the chains of her own halo scraping against each other as SHE too seemed disheartened by the collapse of her Multiverse. This one had gotten so far into the story, having gone on for nearly five million years or not longer.
“As did I..” FATE hummed as SHE exhaled “,well, I suppose we should do as our child asked, should we not? We still require the Multiverse and its energy.” SHE continued. DESTINY got a sour look to HER posture at the mention of her child. The Destroyer was so disrespectful. The other one seemed either unconscious or Fallen.
The thing was as useless as ever, lying in a pool of their own blood when they should have sucked it up by now. There seemed to be another skeleton… this one was not THEIR child… no, but SHE would allow him in HER domain. He seemed as though he was attempting to comfort the useless child while speaking to the disrespectful one.
DESTINY had always loathed the Protector and Destroyer, though FATE thought of them as toys more than anything. The two equally wished they could control the Multiverse without needing the two beings, but alas, it was not possible.
DESTINY turned her head to her sister, training her angled pupil upon the second goddess. “Well… I suppose..” SHE drawled, letting her halo slip to the side seemingly as in boredom, the chains rattling against each other as she did so.
“You do not wish to remake the Multiverse?” FATE purred the question, the two stings hanging off HER halo folding behind her. SHE narrowed her eye, studying her older sister.
DESTINY seemed to think a long moment before answering. “No, no I do… it is just… I’m a little bored you could say..” SHE loved her Multiverse for it was her Creation… but…
FATE’s eye widened a small bit before it returned to its narrowed state. “My, my sister, whatever do you mean by that?” SHE seemed amused by her sister’s words, for DESTINY had never said such a bold thing before. Was SHE truly bored with HER multiverse?
“I suppose I just am simply no longer interested in the story..” DESTINY hummed in disinterest, glancing away from HER sister and to the Void next to her. “Now what have you done with my sister?..” FATE drawled in mock confusion, her eye tilting in “sympathy”.
“Don’t be foolish, FATE.” DESTINY snapped, seeming to shut the younger of the two up. DESTINY settled back a bit looking as though she were in deep thought…
“Well.. it feels repetitive… I want something… refreshing… every Multiverse feels as though it follows the same exact pattern with only a few differences.. we have the ability to create and warp the story however we wish… why not have a little… fun with our power?..”
FATE tipped her eye to the side, considering her sister’s idea with a slow hum. “Hm… I do understand that… well, I don’t see why we shouldn’t?” SHE agreed, her lower lid tipping upwards in excitement.
“So… what shall we do, sister?..”
“Well.. I had a few things in mind..”
——
“How are they?..” Error grouched as he settled a few feet away from where Cross sat. The guard had Ink’s head cradled in his lap as they stared up at the Void’s “ceiling”.
Cross glanced down at his charge and winced the smallest twitch. Ink’s eye lights were still so dull they seemed black as they laid there. The head wound hadn’t gotten worse, but it also had yet to get any better.
Their skull was still wrapped up in one of the sleeves that Cross had torn off his coat. It was soaked in blood and starting to leak down their cranium again, signaling he’d likely have to do the same with the second sleeve. “The same..” he mumbled under his breath.
“Better than Fallen..” Error grumbled as he pulled his legs to his chest and rested his arms on top, burring his face in his folded arms. Cross nodded in agreement as he reached over to his coat lying a foot or two away from where he and Ink were positioned.
Ink made a small noise that sounded similar to a whimper mixed with a grunt as Cross moved, but didn’t try to escape or leave. This was probably the longest he’d ever seen them stay still for anything. The guy didn’t seem to understand what the word “rest” meant by how little Cross saw them do it.
He was pretty positive that it was more than the head injury keeping them from attempting to go back to work… the Multiverse was in some kind of limbo from what Cross could put together, on the very thin line between collapse and creation.
The fact Ink hasn’t Fallen Down yet was surprising to say the least. They weren’t low on paints (he’s force fed them to the Protector to see if that would help them heal at all) and they’d survived way worse injury without Falling, so he had a feeling it was something to do with the Multiverse.
Cross finally pulled the coat into his lap, grabbing one of his knives and slashing the second sleeve off the other side. He threw the knife up into the air where it disappeared before it could hit anything as he lifted the torn sleeve and tossed away the coat.
He very slowly peeled away the old sleeve turned bandage to once again see the injury on Ink skull. It was on the opposite side from Horror’s and more towards the back than the front. The look of it still made him queasy but he shoved it down in order for him to focus.
He silently wrapped the second sleeve around Ink’s head, making sure it was secured before letting their head rest back into his lap. They didn’t react at all to the changing of them bandage as they continued to just… stare…
It was hard to tell if Ink was actually conscious or just passed out with their eyes open. They had been so quiet and still it was hard to believe it as actually Ink who had been lying there. Error let out a slow sigh, pulling a blue string from his eye socket and letting it slither over to Ink’s hand. He tied it around one of their wrists since most of their fingers have dusted away by now.
It seemed the Void had stopped the dusting process, but they were still missing. At least it wasn’t getting worse…
“I didn’t know you two were siblings..” Cross said slowly, not looking up at Error as he kept his hands over the sides of Ink’s head in support. Error glared away from him but did respond. “We only found out about it when we learned we both had the two Bitches in our heads.” He drawled lowly,
Cross seemed to expect that Error didn’t want to talk about it further and fell silent.
——
Years.
Time moved faster in the Void, but still, it was years before FATE and DESTINY agreed to remake the multiverse. Ink had since Fallen Down and run out of paint. Error was eager for the two to bring his sibling back…
How naive…
——
——
Sowl…
The entire continent seemed as though it had gone to sleep. Stars blinked above in the night sky like little dots of light against an inky black canvas. A soft breeze swept its way through the thick trees of the forest, moonlight reflecting against the lush landscape.
The wood smelled of damp, stone filled dirt, the wind managing to rustle the leaves. Crickets chirped and hummed in the darkness of the night, adding enough sound to drown out the silence.
That, and the footsteps of two, young skeletons…
One was perhaps a foot taller than the other, seeming to be the older of the two. His cheek was marked with a bright violet zigzag scar with two other straight scars on either side. His eye lights were glowing a dulled red, the right having an oval of violet that matched his mark.
His clothes were mainly black and white, the fabric looking patched up and a bit raggedy. His sibling, the smaller of the two skeletons, seemed to be in a similar position to their brother.
They stumbled next to him with a limp, their eye light was a mint-ish green color that matched the tunic they wore. One of their eyes looked to have been melted over, destroying the socket and leaving the young skeleton with nothing but a charred burn scar that resembled something of a paint stain. Their cheek on the opposite side of the scar appeared to have a similar injury, but was in fact a birth mark and not a scar.
Blot’s bandaged hands dug into the fabric of their older brother’s tunic as they used the older skeleton as a support. They still weren’t used to missing part of the lower half of their leg, and the pain was enough to make them light headed. It was dark, and the thick underbrush of the forest, mixed with their single leg made tracking through the trees near impossible.
Their older brother, Slash, silently helped them along, being sure to go at a slow pace so his sibling could keep up. He hummed gentle encouragements to them, knowing they were likely still extremely startled from the… event… that had transpired… He knew he himself definitely still was.
It hadn’t even been two weeks yet, however, time seemed to have gone on at a bullet’s pace as he and his sibling struggled to understand how any of this had even happened. It was so sudden. It made no sense, really. Slash shoved his head back into reality as he continued to creep through the underbrush.
He abruptly stopped and froze, listening a moment before dragging his little sibling behind a thick tree. He put a boney finger to his lips as he positioned them against a tree. They looked at him in utter confusion, not hearing anything that their brother may have picked up, but remaining silent. If he said there may be danger, they would comply.
The older then took and hid himself behind a different tree, peaking out occasionally and digging his sharp fingers into the bark of the tree. His whole body was sore and aching from both the walk and the… event.. he was exhausted and hungry, but stayed hidden as he continued to listen to the sound that had prompted his and his sibling’s sudden need for cover.
The sound of loud footsteps echoed off the trees as a fish like monsters and heavy gleaming armor emerged from the brush. Her cyan scales and yellow eyes shimmered against the light of the moon, giving her a terrifying look to her. The red fans on her head lowered to the sides as she scanned the area before waving someone into the clearing.
A tall, goat monster followed behind the guard. She looked important, and Blot would know. They’d seen many important people during their journey in the circus.
The goat like monster seemed to be some kind of ruler from what the long purple robe and way she held herself had anything to say about her occupation. Blot couldn’t help but stare as the two rummaged through the underbelly of the forest. They looked as though they were looking for something or someone… the smaller skeleton shifted a bit in an attempt to get a better look, instantly regretting it as they heard the sound of crunching leaves beneath them.
The guard suddenly whipped towards Blot’s direction, her yellow eyes falling in the tree they hid behind. They dug their fingers into the bark and felt their soul stop. They couldn’t see very well because, for one, it was night, and for two, they only had one remaining eye.
They what gone so still and quite that they hadn’t even noticed the guard approaching… she abruptly grabbed them by the collar of their thick brown scarf. Blot's eyes widened in stunned startlement as the guard's grip tightened around their scarf, pulling them forward.
They let out a small gasp, their bandaged hands grasping at the guard's arm as they tried to break free. Slash, sensing his sibling's distress, emerged from behind his tree, his eyes fixed intently on the guard. He took a step forward, his voice sharpening and very panicked. "Let go!" He snapped as he shifted his glowing red eye lights between the armored monster and his siblings who was still attempting to escape her grasps. The guard, however, didn't flinch at the skeleton’s words, her grip on Blot's scarf remaining firm.
She turned to the goat-like monster, who was watching the scene unfold with interest. "Your Majesty, I've found something," the guard said, her voice dripping with malice. The goat-like monster raised an eyebrow, her eyes flicking to Blot before returning to the guard. "Bring it here," she commanded, her voice firm but curious.
Blot kicked their legs attempting to get out of the guard’s hold. Slash immediately jumped out in front of the guard, summoning one of his small, purple knives. The blade was dull in sharpness due to the skeleton’s young age, but he obviously knew how to use it by how he was holding onto the handle. It was his former act after all, though most of the fights he had been in were all heavily scripted and for the purpose of entertaining viewers as opposed to battling actual threats.
Guard pushed past the child and stepped up to her Queen, showing the goat monster the squirming Blot who was trying their hardest to get back to their brother.
Slash’s face fell into one of panic as he watched the Queen study his sibling. She didn’t look like she wanted to hurt Blot, but you could never be too careful. The Queen's emerald eyes narrowed as she examined Blot, her gaze lingering on the bandages and the charred burns that marked the child’s face. She seemed to be taking in every detail, her expression unreadable as she did so.
After a moment, she turned to the guard and spoke in a low, melodious voice. "Where did you find this... creature?" She questioned quietly to the other, folding her paws in front of her. The guard hesitated, her eyes flicking to Slash before responding. "They were hiding in the underbrush, Your Majesty. The other one" - she nodded towards Slash - "was with them." The Queen's gaze shifted to Slash, her eyes lingering on the small knife still clutched in his hand.
A faint smile played on her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "And what do you propose we do with them, Guard?" Slash shoved his panic aside as he tried to calm his sibling. He would attempt to attack if there wasn’t a chance he could accidentally hurt Blot.
He carefully pushed his anxiety away and cleared his throat. “*Blot, sit still.. I’m going to help you, I- I promise.” He breathed in WingDings, trying to reassure his sibling that he had it under control when in all reality he had not the slightest idea what he was doing.
The Queen tilted her head at him, seeming caught off guard by the odd skeleton language. Blot still looked terrified, but they went still. The Guard, seemed perplexed by the odd sounds that Slash had made, narrowing her slitted yellow eyes farther. Slash glared at the Queen and the Guard, his gaze occasionally shifting worriedly toward Blot.
The Queen's eyes sparkled with interest as she listened to Slash's WingDings, her head cocked to one side seeming to be trying to decipher the meaning behind the strange sounds. The Guard, on the other hand, looked increasingly uneasy, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword and her fans resting against her head. Blot's stillness seemed to be a fragile thing, and Slash's glare only added to the tension.
The Queen held up a hand, her voice calm and soothing. "Wait, Guard. Let us not be hasty. I think these... creatures may be more interesting than we initially thought." She took a step closer to Slash, her eyes locked on his. "You, little one, seem to be trying to communicate with your... sibling. Tell me, what are you saying to them?" Slash hesitated to tell her. He didn’t exactly want to tell this obviously very powerful person that he’d told his siblings she wasn’t going to eat them or something.
“That’s.. none of you for know...” He said slowly. He was far more fluid in WingDings than he was in the common language. He had a feeling some of those words weren’t the right ones, but suspected he got his message across. He’d been raised on WingDings and only ever used the common language to talk to guests at the circus.
Slash was in charge of lighting and his act of “attacking” his cousin who played the role of the silly jester whom was to defeat Slash, the “stone-faced guard”. He didn’t engage with the audience very often except for opening and closing.
Slash shoved his memory away as he continued to glare at the Queen and her Guard. The Queen's expression remained calm, but a hint of amusement danced in her eyes. "Ah, I see. Well, in that case, let us focus on more... pressing matters. You and your sibling appear to be in a rather... unfortunate state. I propose that we offer you shelter and medical attention in exchange for your... cooperation."
She paused, her gaze flicking to Blot before returning to Slash. "I must admit, I am curious about your... unique abilities. The sounds you make, for instance. Are they a form of communication?" Guard Undyen shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting between Slash and the Queen.
She seemed to be waiting for some kind of signal, her hand still resting on the hilt of her weapon. Slash seemed a little slow, as if he was trying to put together what the words meant. “Talking..” he said slowly, still holding his dull purple knife. That was the correct word he was pretty sure…
The Queen nodded before turning her attention back towards Blot. She now noted the lack of a fibula attached to one their legs, the injury on full display due to the string keeping their pant leg from rubbing against their leg. The young skeleton, who still looked like they expected her to gobble them down or something, stared up at her with a small eye light.
They shifted a bit and spotted Slash. They looked even more panicked at the sight of a weapon in their brother’s hand because If Slash had a weapon, that meant he thought these people were dangerous.
Slash made eye contact with his sibling and his eye lights faded. “Give sibling.” He demanded, in broken common language, pointing to the smaller skeleton still being held up by the Guard. The red circles in his eye sockets glowed more intensely as he glared daggers into the goat like monsters.
He didn’t want these people hurting his already very injured sibling.
The Queen's eyes narrowed slightly as she took in Slash's defensive posture and the intensity of his gaze. She seemed to be sizing him up, weighing the potential risks and benefits of pushing him further. While he wasn’t very big, especially for a skeleton, he still possessed a weapon.
The Guard, on the other hand, looked like she was itching for a fight, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. The Queen raised a paw, forestalling Undyen's potential attack. "Wait," she said, her voice calm and measured. "Let us not escalate the situation. We mean you no harm, little ones." She took a step back, her eyes never leaving Slash's face.
"We will provide you with food, shelter, and medical attention. But first, you must trust us enough to let us help you." She paused, her gaze flicking to Blot before returning to Slash. "Will you let us help your sibling?" The Queen’s Guard slowly lowered Blot to the ground, though she herself hadn’t noticed their missing bone of their leg.
The small skeleton staggered to keep their balance. Slash abruptly snatched them away by their wrist and hid them behind him. The huddled against his side, staring wide eyed at the Queen and her Guard as their hands once again dug their way into their older brother’s tunic.
Slash hesitated on answering the goat monster… was this a trap? Would she actually help them? He looked down as Blot who was trying their hardest to practically merge themselves with their brother by how tightly they were hugging his side.
They looked exhausted. Their eye light made the bag under their socket look even deeper as they shoved their face into Slash’s ribs. He had give the last of their food reserves to Blot the night before.
He didn’t want to keep them out here… Slash's gaze lingered on Blot's exhausted face, and for a moment, his tough exterior faltered. He looked vulnerable, worried, and scared. He took a deep breath, his eyes flicking back to the Queen and Guard duo. He seemed to be weighing his options, trying to decide what to do next.
Finally, he nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Food... medical... help." He swallowed hard, his eyes locked on the Queen's face. "We need... help." Blot's grip on his side tightened, and Slash wrapped a reassuring arm around them, holding them close. The Queen’s face softened slightly. She knelt down to look at the two, her brown eyes glowing amber in the moonlight. “Very well.. what are your names?” She questioned.
“Slash..” he said slowly, pointing to himself. “Blot” he continued, pointing at his sibling.
“*Is she going to hurt us?*” Blot whimpered, their eye lights shrinking. Slash winced when he realized Blot didn’t know the common language and only knew WingDings. “*no.. she’s.. wanting to help..*” he explained softly.
The Queen's eyes sparkled with interest as she listened to Slash's explanation, her gaze flicking to Blot as they whimpered. She seemed to be trying to understand the WingDings language, her expression intent. After a moment, she nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "I promise, little ones, I will not hurt you. My name is Queen Tori, this-“ she motioned to the guard beside her “- is my royal guard, Undyn, and I will do my best to help you."
She paused, her eyes locked on Slash's face. "Can you understand me, Slash? Can you tell me what happened to you and your sibling?" Slash was quiet a moment… “Fire…” was all he managed to squeeze out. Queen Lyra's expression turned somber, her eyes filled with a deep understanding of the pain that Slash and Blot had likely endured.
She nodded slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. She had just about placed together what may have happened to the two children considering the younger’s injuries. "I'm so sorry, Slash. I'm so sorry, Blot. No one should ever have to go through something like that." She paused, collecting her thoughts before speaking again. "We will do everything in our power to help you heal, both physically and emotionally.” She smiled at them.
“You are safe now, and you will be protected." She looked at Slash, her eyes locking onto his. "I promise you, Slash, that we will do everything we can to help you and your sibling rebuild your lives."
“Welcome to Valle.”