shipper_Icewolf: Here's your request in the same day, lol. Hope you enjoyed.

Error stands in the massive and empty AU, holding his ribcage together with his hands, his strings moving to the worst of the injuries and beginning their work. Error's soul races in his chest, the good sanses surrounding him for the final attack.

Error allows his gaze to meet and linger with Ink and Blue's gazes, Error glitching out slightly.

"D4mn it...I..." (Damn it...I...) Error mutters softly under his breath, Ink tilting his head and stepping closer to the shorter Error, who instantly tries to step away from the taller creator, his eyes wincing as he turns his gaze down.

"Before we kill him...maybe we should get an answer." Everyone halts, with Blue seeming the most...happy...with this situation. Ink steps even closer, kneeling slightly so he is eye-level with Error.

"Please...tell me why you destroy..." Error shivers, tears pricking in his eyes as the oppressive power of Fate dares Error to speak.

"I-if...I t311 y0u...I'11 g3t hurt...4nd y0u 411 wi11 pr0b4b1y h4t3 m3 m0r3 wh3n I c0m3 b4ck..." (I-if...I tell you...I'll get hurt...and you all will probably hate me more when I come back...) Ink tilts his head.

"What? Someone is forcing you to destroy or else they hurt you? Is that what you're telling me?" Error's entire body is instantly drenched in the feeling of ice water, his soul halting in its beat.

"T-t-t-th4t i-i-i5 m-m-m05t D-D-D3FINIT31Y N-N-N0T th3 c-c-c453." (That is most DEFINITELY NOT the case) Blue rushes forward, gently hugging the smaller destroyer who's glitch bars are rapidly increasing with the stuttering of his speech.

"Can we talk about his purpose later? And preferably somewhere we can't be overheard by higher beings...." Death steps forward.

"Reapertale is designed to be neutral in the realm of higher beings." Ink nods.

"Later, but I won't be forgetting this." Ink, as a sign of his resolve, instantly pulls out his small pen and writes 'find out Error's purpose' on his scarf. Blue nods, breathing deeply and a goopy portal opens up beside him and Error.

"We'll be back later, so don't wait up. Reapertale. Be there, okay?" With that, Blue steps into the portal, dragging Error through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ink taps his foot, silently thankful they are meeting in Life's garden. A goopy portal opens, an unrecognizable skeleton stepping through. A gasp pulls Ink's attention to Dream, who walks over to the new skeleton, mumbling out a name.

"Night..."

"Ah. Let's not discuss this." The newly dubbed 'Night' states, his left eye cyan and his right eye purple.

"We're here to talk about Error's job."

"We?" Dream asks, and Night nods, stepping to the side to reveal Blue, who smiles as Fresh and Geno step through the portal, with the topic of the meeting following them through, hiding behind the much taller parasite.

"We, as in me, Blue, Fresh, and Geno. Error is here to correct us, but he will not be talking unless necessary." Dream looks at Ink, who shrugs.

"Fair enough. What's his job?"

"It's the totes unrad destruction of the multiverse, brah." Ink sighs softly.

"So-"

"Don't jump to conclusions, Inkstain." Geno mutters, his one eyelight shimmering with bright determination.

"Yes, Error's job is the Destroyer, but just as Reaper and Death are the Reapers, and Nightmare is the guardian of Negativity, Error's job is forced upon him by a higher Fate." Ink grips his head, a dull ache forming.

"Fate? I feel...like I recognize that name..." Night nods.

"You probably do. Because Fate is your mother. She crafted you to be the perfect creator." Dream looks at Night in confusion.

"Night...how do you know that?"

"Because Error told me his story." Error steps forward, tugging the sleeve of Blue, inadvertently catching everyone's attention.

"I 5upp053 I 5h0u1d ju5t t311 th3 wh013 5t0ry...but I d0n't w4nt t0 h4v3 t0 r3p34t my531f." (I suppose I should just tell the whole story...but I don't want to have to repeat myself) Ink smiles, gasping and grabbing a mini-brush painting and creating a video camera, connecting it to Sci's Lab in the Meetinghouse.

"Everyone will be able to see and hear your story." Error nods, taking deep breaths and sitting in front of the camera. Once he's comfortable, he begins telling his story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the end of the story, Dream and Ink are pale as can be, and the group can easily assume that the others on the other end of the video are in a similar state.

"So....now what?"

"Well for one," Blue begins, sending his gaze right at Ink, "No more endless copies right? Try to make every AU unique and count, since there is limited space." Ink nods, writing on his scarf.

"For two brahsephs," Fresh continues, "There's na reason ta unfairly judge brahs before hearing the full story."

"For three," Geno speaks, looking at the video camera, "There will be apologies."

"And finally," Night speaks up, smiling softly as the goop covers his entire body, everyone seeing the transformation, "You all should learn to accept reality as it is. If you'd so easily welcome Death into your embrace and toleration, why is Negativity and Destruction given the shaft? If I were to cease in my job, all the positivity in the world would be meaningless, and your lives would become empty and you'd see no reason to care about those suffering. To be fair, you already don't." Nightmare sighs.

"Perhaps my request is simply to say that there are balances to everything in life. Even 'bad' things can be okay or good in moderation." Nightmare opens another portal, Fresh, Geno, Blue, and Error following him through.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ink splashes paint down, heading to the one location he doesn't enjoy. The reason for this visit is simple. Error hasn't been outside the Anti-Void in a few weeks and Ink has gotten worried.

Ink lands in the white space, looking around for a moment.

"Error?!" Ink calls out, hearing a whimper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Error grips his head, the voices lashing out.

How dare you tell Ink about your job!

Now he isn't creating anymore! He's upset and it's all your fault!

The only thing you're good at is ruining everyone else's day.

I bet they wouldn't even miss you if you killed yourself.

Why haven't you killed yourself yet? After all, no one really loves you.

Error kneels down, whimpering softly as tears streak down his cheekbones.

"I 4-4-4-41r34dy kn0w I-i-i'm 4 f4i1ur3....I kn0w I 5h0u1d ju5t di3...I d0n't 3v3n kn0w why I'm 5ti11 h3r3..." (I already know I'm a failure...I know I should just die...I don't even know why I'm still here...)

"You're still here because some good people died for you." Error freezes, Ink's voice cutting through the fog.

"W-wh4t?" (What?)

"You are still alive because some good people died for you. Don't throw away their lives over things that don't exist or matter." Ink pulls the small destroyer into a hug, smiling down at Error, wiping away his tears.

"Let it out, then let it go." Error shudders, crying against Ink's chest, releasing loud sobs into the taller creator's shirt. Ink remains there the entire time, keeping Error company. Once Error had cried himself all out, he sighs softly, tiredly turning around so his back is against Ink's chest and he begins to knit. Ink watches the smaller knit, smiling.

"You're good at knitting."

"Th4nk5." (Thanks)

"You know I could never get the hang of knitting. Found it really boring."

"R3411y?" (Really?) Error responds, the tired voice having a hint of defensiveness.

"But watching you knit...I understand the appeal for knitting." Error blushes slightly at Ink's gentle compliment, sighing.

"Th4nk y0u...f0r h31ping m3..." (Thank you...for helping me...)

"Of course. Why wouldn't I when some of the torture you experienced was my fault?"

"W0u1d y0u d0 th3 54m3 if I w45n't th3 victim 0f y0ur m0th3r'5 tr34tm3nt?" (Would you do the same if I wasn't the victim of your mother's treatment?)

"In a soulbeat." Error laughs slightly, sighing softly.

(1269 words.

Hope you enjoyed, shipper_Icewolf, and as always, see you in the next one.