I immediately call Dust. I kneel down to the scarf in a panic and check for dust but find none, luckily. Dust didn't answer. I call him again. And again. This time he picked up.

"Error, I'm busy looking! Stop calling! I-"Dust orders

I applaud his determination and work ethic, but now's not the time to be stubborn and isolated!

"DuST! Get t0 HumAnTaLe n0w! I fOunD BlUe's sCarF!"I snap back at him, opening a portal for him to come through

"What? Oh my stars! I'm coming!"Dust exclaims, then hangs up

I then see Dust run through the portal.I show him the scarf and he held it tight. He seemed worried. Dust began searching the ground for dust particles, seeming about to cry. I knew he gets emotional with situations like these. Therefore, I stop him by pulling him back up.

"I alReAdy sEaRcHed aNd dIdn't fInD aNy. MeAnInG hE's sTiLl aLivE. It's oK, DusT. It jUsT mEaNs tHat we'Re oN thE rIghT tRaCk. ThIs iS tHE AU wE mUst SeARcH."I explain to him

He nods.

"I hope he's okay."Dust says

"As dO I, DusT. N0w, whIlE yOu wErE sEarChinG fOr yOuR nAme, I fouNd a CluE. LooK!"I say, pointing to three trails of footprints

"This is humantale, that could be anyone's footprints."Dust states

"Ya, bUt cHeCk ThE mIdDlE tRaIl. ThErE's wRiTiNg! Do y0u kNow aNyOne eLse tHat sAyS mwehehehE wHeN tHey LaUgH?"I point out, gesturing to the written 'mwehehehes' beside the middle trail

"Good point. Let's go find them!"Dust cheers, a smile coming to his face again.

Dust and I carefully follow the trials but then the trails split. The possible Blue's trail kept going forward, meanwhile the other two trails circled his and made a sharp right, fading into the distance. I decided to stick with Dust and ensure Blue was okay. We followed what was left of the middle trail, but they stopped. We look around, no other sign of Blue besides this trail. Trees towered over as and Dust seemed uneasy.

"BluE? YoU oUt tHeRE? It'S ErRoR aNd DuSt! HeLLo?"I shout, cupping my hands over my mouth to make it louder

Then we heard it. Footsteps.

"Over there!"Dust shouts, pointing to where the footsteps were coming from

We approach the noise. Dust suddenly stops just as the footsteps do as well. I look at him and stop as well.

"I think I see him."Dust says, his gaze at a tree

I put my glasses on and look at the tree for a few moments, then manage to see a figure peeking out from behind it. But there was no clear way of telling.

"DuSt wAiT-"I begin

The figure hid behind the tree again.

"Blue!"Dust shouts, sprinting toward the tree

I facepalm and groan. He could be scaring a member of the AU or getting into danger! I then sigh, shaking my head. He sure does care for Blue. I lower my hood, feeling safe in an AU full of human versions of characters. I think about what could be going on or where Ink could be. I was taken out of my thoughts when I felt a hand grip my arm. I look and it seems to be a human Blue, except he didn't have his scarf.

"Error! Thank the stars you're here and okay! Where's Dust? Is he ok?"Blue asks

"I'Ll aNsWeR yOuR qUeStIoN wHeN yOu pRoVe iT's yOu aNd nOt a pArT oF tHis AU or TrIcK."I state

"I'm a member of Underswap and am your friend! Like you, I was turned human, not created in this AU!"Blue says

"OKaY. DuSt's oKay, hE's jUst oVer tHerE...WaIT! If yOu'Re hEre, whO's hE rUnNiNg tO? WhErE eVeN wErE yOu?"I reply

"Oh, I was on a tree branch high above ya!"Blue says

Dust came back slowly, still looking over his shoulder.

"False alarm, it was just a bird or something."Dust says, which answered my first question I guess

"Dust!"Blue cheers, running up and beside him

"B-Blue? Is it you?"Dust asks, his head shooting around.

Blue crosses his arms and smiles. Dust did too, but that was to hide the fact he was holding Blue's scarf.

"Yep! It's good to see you're both okay! How'd ya know to come here of all AUs?"Blue cheerfully says

"I could say the same about ya, Blue. It's glad to find you're okay."Dust sighs with relief, leaning to Blue with his face slightly lit.

"He wAs wOrRieD aBoUt yA. We fOuNd yOuR sCaRF aNd tHen yOur tRaIl oF fOotPrInTs. He sTiLL hAs iT."I say

"Error!"Dust snaps

I saw Blue's face light up.

(drawn myself)

"Aww, Dust! Fear not! You don't have to worry about me, silly! Besides, it was Ink who came up with that idea for you to at least find me! He told me to put the scarf down to signal you were in the right AU while we were running from the troublemakers!"Blue exclaims

My eyes widen and I grip my scarf.

"InK? WheRe's InK? Is hE oK?"I ask

"I dunno. Ink distracted the troublemaker and led them away from me. He told me to hide and only come if you guys come or contact me. I'm worried for him, so let's go!"Blue explains

We nod and head back along his trail until we reach where the trails had split. We follow along the other two trails. Blue and Dust were whispering to each other while they trailed behind me. I then began to find bone attacks, holes in the ground and ink or paint on the ground and nearby trees. I began to worry. It looked like a battle went down. 

Then, there was a spot where it looked like someone had laid there recently. There was a print of a body with a scarf and the print of a brush laying beside them. There were bits of ink in the center. Bone attacks surrounded where the print of the body laid. One trail of footprints ended at the body, another continued past it. I froze, terrified. I knew whose print that looked like and the scene being put together here was not one I liked. 

Blue and Dust caught up, quickly seeing the scene remains. Blue dropped to his knees, shocked and breaking into tears.  Dust was frozen in place, his eyes looking for any other clues to what happened. I pull my hood back up and lift the scarf back up. I turn around and take some steps away from them.  Soon, I was leaning against a tree, a good distance from the scene, deep in thought. Ink couldn't be gone again, could he?

I felt my phone buzz. I take it out of my pocket and see it's from Ink. I narrow my eyes, this could be a trick. But at the same time, it could be Ink calling for help or something. I answer.

"HeLlo? InKy? Is iT y0u?"I ask

"Glitchy!"A familiar voice cheers from the other end

"InK! It'S yoU! ThAnK thE STARs yOu'Re okAY! WaIt, ARe y0u oKaY? WhErE aRe yOu? ArE yOu hUrt? In tRoUbLe? ArE yOu trApPeD? Are yOu-"I rattle questions off worriedly

"Glitchy, calm down. You're gonna crash if you don't. I'm okay. A little wounded but mostly ok....I think I'm safe for now. I'm not trapped. I'm in...hm, let me see."Ink assures me

"YoU dOn't kn0w?"I ask

"You try blindly teleporting to a safe AU during a fight! Hmm..."Ink snaps

"I'm glAd yOu'Re oK, InkY."I sigh

"Heh, yOu toO, GlItChY."Ink chuckles

"One sec."I say, then put the phone to my chest so he can't hear

"Hey, gUyS! InkY'S okAY! He'S aCtUaLLY OkAy!"I shout to Dust and Blue

Blue leapt to his feet with joy. He claps, hopping up and down, stars in his eyes. Dust smirks. But then Blue tugged Dust down by the collar and I witnessed them kiss, for real. Blue quickly released him and Dust fell backward into the snow, his face bright and eyes shut. Blue actually managed to make Dust faint!

"Oh my stars! Dust! I'm sorry! The excitement got to me!"Blue yelps, kneeling down to check if he's okay

Dust was silent. He really was out.

"AnD tHaT's a T.K.O frOm BlUe!"I tease

Blue ignores me and tries to pick Dust up.

I lift the phone back up to speak.

"CoNgrAts, InKy. The nEwS aBoUt yOu cAusEd tHe fIrsT kIss bEtwEeN BlUE anD DUsT tHat waSn'T cAuseD bY hOlIdAyS oR tAcOs, JuSt BlUe'S exCiTeMeNT!"I chuckle

"Aww! How adorable! My ship may sail after all! Also, I figured out that I'm in OuterTale!"Ink cheers

"Ok, we'Re oN oUr wAy. HaNg iN tHere."I say

"K."Inky agrees, then hangs up

I open a portal and I lead Blue, carrying Dust, through but freeze.

"Wait, BlUe, You'Re huMaN noW! YoU neEd aIr! Y0u cAn't gO t0 spaCe!"I exclaim, yanking Blue back with Dust in his arms before he could go through

"Oh right! What shOuLd wE dO?"Blue asks

I see Blue's scarf in Dust's unconscious hands. I take it and quickly tie it around his mouth securely. That may work and give enough air. I then spot a helmet-like empty jar just laying by a tree. It had a label saying donations but I tore it off and placed it over Blue's head. Perfect fit. That should help give him plenty of air.

"What about you? You're also a human now!"Blue says

"I hAve tHe sCaRf aNd Ho0d, plUs tHe gLiTchEs cAn hElP. I'll bE finE."I assure him, tightly wrapping the scarf around my head under the hood, compacting air into it. 

Then, we step through. I look around nervously as I shut the portal. We seemed to be okay when it comes to surviving in space right now. Dust soon woke up and Blue set him down, where he leapt to his feet. I went to the cliff which had a good view over OuterTale. If I could spot Ink from anywhere, it'd be from there. I gaze across OuterTale, searching for Ink. As I was searching, Dust was wandering with Blue. I then spotted him. He was on a small piece of land, pacing. His back was to me so I couldn't tell much from this distance. I knew it was risky but I yell in that exact moment.

"InKY!"I yell

Ink's head went up and he began to look around. He turns around and spots me. Panic then hit me. He was human as well. In the space of OuterTale without anything to give him air. His face had lit up wth the rainbow. He smiles and looks at me with his usual sly expression. He held his brush to support himself it seemed. His eye were bright but had a shine that showed that he knew this fact. 

(drawn myself with the help of ibis Paint backgrounds)

I leapt down and ran to him as fast as I could. I look over my shoulder to see Blue and Dust were at the cliff now. Blue had just noticed Ink and seemed panicked. Dust was still gazing around. I nod and fix my gaze on Ink up ahead again. I soon reached him and quickly hugged him close, not caring for my Haphephobia. I look down at him to check for any injuries, but didn't find any that I could see at least. He gazed right back up at me, smiling with his cheeks a rainbow. I felt my cheeks warm up.

(drawn myself)

He didn't say anything, nor did I. Didn't need to. The look in his eye told me that he knew if he dared say anything, it may be the last thing he ever did. His gaze also told me he was happy and feeling safe again. I look around, making sure nobody was attacking. Ink placed a hand up on my cheek. His gaze had a hint of worry. He felt the bandage or patchment that Dust put over my eye. I rub his back and smile to assure him I'm ok. I then scoop him up before hopping across tiny pieces of land, asteroids, etc, back to Dust and Blue. I use my strings to lift us back onto the cliff. I quickly get away from the edge.

"Ink! I'm so glad you're okay!"Blue cheers

"Ya, good to see you're okay, bud. Now let's get you three outta here before you lose air."Dust says, aiming his hand to the side 

A blast came from it and a portal appears. I was curious. Since when was he able to make AU portals?

"Wowie, Dust! How'd ya do that?"Blue asks

Dust shows his hand to show a device strapped to it, kinda like how the whoopie cushion was strapped to UT! Sans' hand.

"Got a little tool from Science. Though it takes time to cool before being used again and can take a bit to set a destination. Now let's go."Dust replies

Dust held Blue's hand and began to walk with him to the portal. But then a ray of a Gaster Blaster cut them off. Dust quickly pulls Blue out of the way but Blue stood in front of Dust protectively, even though he's shorter than Dust. I set Ink down and protectively block him from where the blast came from.

"No, no, no! This is all wrong! You're not supposed to be finding each other and getting along! You're supposed to be lost and hurt and apart! Guess I have to try something else.."A voice yells

I look and it was the masked person from before. They were standing on some floating rock. I look at Dust and nod.

"We don't care what you think is right or wrong, we're sticking together and you're going down!"Dust snaps

He and I summoned Gaster Blasters, firing them. At this point, Dust's portal had closed. I open a portal and signal Ink and Blue to go through. Dust was too distracted going on a full-on attack on the masked opponent. Ink went through, though gave me a worried gaze before he did. Blue came running over to enter it. Then, I felt something hit me, rougly knocking me off the edge.

"Error!"Blue yells

"Er-?! You little brat!"Dust growls, most likely to the enemy, followed by Gaster Blasts

That was the last thing I ever heard. I quickly try to summon something, but fail. Not again! I then felt myself hit something. Error signs clog my vision, but then disappeared. Odd. I quickly sit up and look around. I feel myself for injuries, but other than my patched eye and arm in a sling, there wasn't much. I look around, I was in some kind of anti-void. Was I safe and home? No. This one didn't have any of my strings anywhere. Or my puppets. Or the clock. Just....Blank.

"Hello? Anyone?"I shout, but froze

My voice...It's different! It isn't glitching! Now that's something scary. My phone rang. I quickly took it out and answer it.

"HeLlo? ErRor? Y0u tHerE?"A voice says

"Who is this?"I ask

"It'S DuSt. I sEe y0u gOt chanGeD aS WeLl jUsT By hEaRiNg YoUR vOiCE. Y0u dIdn't hApPeN tO bE kNoCkEd iNto aN AnTi-V0iD toO, bUd?"the voice says

He sounds as glitchy as me! The heck?

"Ah, okay. Ya, I did, and it's very blank. Definitely not my place. What about ya? Where's Blue and Ink?"I tell him

"I'm iN s0me blAnk spAce wIth 0nly A sIgn sAyiNg SpAce 14-C5. I caN oNly gUeSs tHe sAmE fOr BlUe aNd InK. AftEr thE bRaT hIt yA, ThEy kNoCked BlUe wItH a sImIlAr AtTaCk, thEn InK cAmE BaCk aT hEaRiNg BlUe yElL. ThE bRaT KnOcKeD HiM oUt aNd rEpEaTeD wHat tHey dId tO yOu aNd BlUe. ThEY then tHreW sOmE liQuId at mE anD I wOkE uP iN tHe bLaNk spAcE. "Dust explains

"Ok, let's try and round us up again. Attempt number two. This brat can't keep splitting us up and playing around with us!"I state

"Ok, I hAve a cAlL fR0m ScIeNcE cOmInG iN. I aSkEd hIm t0 iNveStIgATe The SiTuATi0n. ByE."Dust notifies me

"K."I say, then he hangs up

I look around, wandering around the space. Then I find a door out of nowhere. Something was banging on it, but I circle it and nothing was by it. I press my head against the door. I heard crying. I heard muttering next and I recognized the voice. I creak the door open and I see Blue, he was a skeleton again! But he seemed really sad, a dark expression on. I could see tears in his eyes and his eye lights shaking. I look around, his space was as empty as mine was. I step in and shut the door.

(drawn by me)

"Blue?"I call

He looks at me, startled. He then ran up and slaps me across the face. What a painful greeting.