As Dream exited his portal, he felt something roll out from under his feet. His arms reached out to catch him before his skull met the snowy ground. He fumbled back to his feet quickly and checked his surroundings. The fall that met him immediately after stepping out from his portal didn't help his nerves, knowing his soon-to-be battle with the feared destroyer of worlds. Blue stepped out of the portal, avoiding the offending object that had caused Dream's close call. Remembering that he had tripped over something Dream turned to see what he'd tripped over.

The sight of a blue spear really shouldn't have brought as sharp of a gasp from Dream as it did. However, the knowledge that an Undyne shouldn't be in Snowdin forest, much less with an attack, already painted a bad picture in Dream's mind's eye. Blue, who'd followed Dream's line of sight saw the spear. Dream watched as his face hardened with a determined look.

With a shared look they both left the area and made their way to the road cutting through Snowdin Forest. 
    
    
Ink hadn't moved from his place in the chair he'd been shoved to sit in. How could he? There was no way he could sleep knowing his friends were fighting the literal destroyer of worlds. Neverminded the fact that his bones were still stinging with the feeling of a dying world. He really wanted to help, but he knew better than to argue with Dream. He understood Dream and Blue's reasoning, but it still didn't make it easy to just go to bed.

Dream and Blue were strong, Ink knew this, he trusted them, they'd fought side by side numerous times before like the great team they were. However, they've never fought Error without Ink by their side. Ink and Error were equal in skill and magic when they fought. Blue and Dream, however, as painful as it was for Ink to admit, were no where near as strong as Error. The very thought of them fighting him had his nonexistent stomach twisting into tight knots.

Ink exhaled shakily, fists clenching tightly as his morbid thoughts descended into imagining the horrible ways Error could be toying with them like he did with most of his victims. Ink shook his head hoping to shake away the horrid thoughts, but was ultimately unsuccessful when they made their way back into his skull slowly like a leaking faucet. 
   
   
   
Ink tried to make himself stay put, he did, really! But when he felt the stinging in his bones increase and a bad taste fill his mouth he couldn't take it anymore. So here he was, sitting in a tree expertly hidden from sight, watching as Blue and Dream stood farther down the road hiding in the tree line on the other side of the road, seemingly trying to make a plan if the hand gestures and whispering were anything to go by.

Ink inwardly screamed at them to attack instead of make a plan while they still had an element of surprise. Error can sense their souls, he could very easily get the drop in on them before they get the chance to. However before Ink could make his way over to them to warn them he feels a destructive presence come from far down the road. Error had sensed Dream and Blue long before they had realized he knew they were there. 

Blue glowing strings made of pure destructive magic shot at Dream and Blue, wrapping around their ankles and waists', then with a sharp tug they fell to the ground. Destructive magic permeated through the air around Error like a deadly cologne. Blue and Dream were roughly pulled backwards, towards where Error stood. Their skulls scrapped across rocks as well as sharp twigs as they were tugged across the snowy forest floor.

Error laughed as Dream and Blue pulled at their ankle bindings as they were dragged towards him. Dream and Blue summoned their attacks and quickly went on the defensive.

"Error, leave this AU alone, before we make you." Dream said bravely despite his current situation at Error's mercy. Error laughs again like that was the best joke he'd heard in years, but Dream doesn't sense any happiness from it. 

"You do realize the position your in right now, right? What makes you think you can defeat me, guardian? Not even the protector can stop me." Error snapped back with a large grin spreading across his glitching skull.

Dreams face hardened in resolve as he, quick as a flash, summoned his bow and shot an arrow at Errors skull. Error flinched back hard and retracted the strings keeping Blue and Dream captive, using them to instead stop the arrow from piercing his skull, as he wouldn't have been fast enough to bring his phalanges to his skull to make more.

Dream and Blue quickly stood and teleported a fair distance away from Error. Dream hardened his glare more than it already was and tightened his grip on his weapon. "Don't make me repeat myself, destroyer." Dream responded gruffly.

Error's smirk widened before a look of realization crossed his face. "Where is the squid?" Error says searching for him in the surrounding foliage.

"He's on vacation, and while he's away, we, the magnificent Star Sans' will be taking up the mantle of protector!" Blue exclaims courageously, standing beside Dream with a long bone summoned in his hand.

Error deadpanned at the two stars before regaining his smirk and cockily saying, "Well, at least this will make my job easier." Error brought his phalanges to the blue marks on his skull, and extend the blue strings that appeared at the touch away from his face, tangling in his phalanges. "After I'm done dealing with you I'll destroy this pathetic AU, and after that, the stupid squid." He says humor in his tone.

Error quickly wrapped the two skeletons up in his strings again and lifting them several feet in the air before slamming them into the ground. Bringing out a long groan from Dream and Blue at the impact. Dream fumbled to summon another arrow because his first one was knocked away. However, before Dream could even nock the arrow on his bow. Error used his slacken strings to lift them again and slam them into the earth below. This continued for some time, leaving Dream and Blue badly beaten. They only escaped the vicious cycle when Blue had managed to land a bone attack in Error's shoulder, giving them enough time to squirm their way out of his strings.

Ink wanted to go out there and help them, they were no match for Error. He was just toying with them, like a cat would toy with a mouse. Only then did it dawn on Ink; Error wanted to see if the two skeletons were lying. He wanted to see if Ink would come to their rescue. Ink wanted to help them, he really did, but he couldn't, Error would see his tail and he didn't want his enemy to find out about his situation. What could he do?

When he heard a pitiful scream sound from Dream, Ink knew he'd have to help them, whether Error saw his tail or not. Ink quickly, hurriedly, tucked his tail into his long loose pair of pants, it didn't hide his tail nearly enough for Ink to be certain nobody would see it, but he hoped Error would be more focused on him and his attacks; not on his new tail.