(Error)

He squeaked, "A-A date?!"

Chuckling, I flipped over and walked up to him. He paid nervous attention to my actions, still shocked by my proposal. It was adorable, the way his eyes lit up with a colored question mark and colored exclamation point.

"Y-Yes, a-a-a daTe," I repeated, "Wha-wHat do You-yOu s-S-say?"

"B-but we only just met! You're supposed to be my enemy!" he tried, shaking his head as a rainbow blush began tinting his cheeks. "You kidnapped me and tied me up! We can't go on a date!"

Rolling my eyes, I undid the strings on his entire body and took a step back. The strings holding his brush captured came down and dropped his large paintbrush as his feet. He stared at me, still in the chair, now shocked beyond words. He looked from his brush to me several times, as if gauging whether or not I would let him grab it. He crouched warily, still flicking his eyes to me. My hands remained in my pockets as I watched him bend, wishing I was standing behind him. He set a hand on his brush while staring me in the eye, slowly standing up with it in his hand.

As expected he brought it up in an attack that I dodged easily. He went after me a few times while I dodged, before stopping and staring at me, panting slightly. He looked more confused than before.

"Are you seriously letting me go?" he asked, disbelief in his voice.

I nodded, shrugging, "Yeah-ah, b-bUt I wo-Won'T sTOp."

"Won't stop what?" he asked warily, pointing his brush down.

"DesTRoyinNg tHe-the gl-gLitcHes."

He looked outraged, going stiff as he glared at me. "You have the gall to ask me out and then continue to destroy my art?!"

"I'll on-oNly sTOp if-iF yoU go-Go on-n A d-dAtE Wi-wiTh me-e."

He stopped dead in his tracks. I could see his mind reset, though he continued to glare at me. He finally settled on annoyance.

"You're going to blackmail me into going out with you?"

Shrugging again I smirked at him, "If it-it get-Ts me a-a daTe, sUre."

He looked very annoyed and confused, a rainbow gracing his features. He shot one more glare at me before painting a portal out of my realm. I only smirked at him as he prepared to leave.

"SeE ya-ya s-soOn~!"

(Ink)

He's just a jerk! I fumed silently, sitting cross-legged in the middle of nowhere. Knocking me out, tying me up, asking me out...stupid, stupid jerk!

"Error..." I tried to growl the name but I couldn't. I had a name to the face now.

Sighing, I pulled out the picture I drew of him a while ago. Even though I had folded it carefully, it was slightly crumpled. But his face was still as clear as I made it in the first place. Every time I pulled it out I studied it. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Even when he had caught me I couldn't take my eyes off him. He didn't look like some monster destroying my art, even though he was. He looked like someone just as clueless as to their origin as I was. He had an urge and a 'duty' and he fulfilled it. I wanted to create, bring life and color to the blankness I woke up in, that I am.

His broken soul...that had something to do with his 'duty'. Like my lack of a soul: I filled everything with life and color because I lacked something.

He was broken. Everything from his soul to his voice was broken. So seeing complete things, created things...he must feel they need to break them so he had something in common with something, anything.

We're both just alone...

...Is that why he wants a date?

...To stop being alone....?

"No, Ink, you can't give in that easily!" I told myself, folding the paper and putting it away. His face remained in my mind.

"He destroys your creations. He knocked you unconscious," I tried to stay angry as a few tears fell, "H-he threatened your art. He hates you. He h-hates you...he's...your enemy..."

"He-he's the only one watching you...h-he knows your every move...he fights you..."

"H-he's going t-to break you..."

I hugged myself, the picture clutched in my fist as I shook. "He's going to break you. So you'll be broken. As broken as he is," I whispered into nothingness.

Hanging my head I curled up, laying my forehead on my knees, "He's not your friend...He's your enemy."

"Your...only...enemy..."

...And you like him...

(Error)

True to my words, I destroyed an AU every day. Ink refused to speak to me. His reaction times slowed as he waited for me to finish before repairing the AU. He avoided me as much as possible, teleporting away every time he saw me.

Part of me, a small part, somewhere in my soul, felt bad about blackmailing him. Destruction just felt so...satisfying. It was my nature to break things, crack codes, hack worlds, break people.

He's either made of tougher stuff than I thought...or has given up on himself.

Eventually, I grew tired of his silence.

I went to his favorite world, UnderSwap, the home of his friend. Taking my strings I made my way down the path of the Child, starting in the ruins and slowly destroying things. Panic seeped through the Underground, causing everyone to evacuate to the city center. I killed a few codes in order to ensure Ink's presence.

The Sans of this world confronted me. The little blue skeleton stood his ground until I wrapped him in my strings. He became my puppet and I pulled him along as I continued my destructive path. Nothing was enjoyable about my task. I was just plain tired of Ink's silence. Annoyed and angry that he doesn't even have the guts to tell me yes or no, if he's even considering it.

The blue skeleton complained and cried as I destroyed his world. I stopped killing just to get him to shut up for the most part. He still yelled at me to stop but at least he quit crying.

I reached the end of snowdin, where I would normally confront the blue skeleton and left a calling card.

"C-come fi-fiGHt me-me, Ink! I'lL be-e iN THe JudGeMent-T HAll-lL." I called into empty air, knowing he was watching. It echoed slightly as I continued on my way, spreading more fear and panic in Waterfall with the skeleton squirming in my strings.

I didn't feel like traveling through Hotland so I left, destroying a few paths just for fun before I teleported to the Judgement Hall.

The blue skeleton's brother was waiting for me. He leaned on a pillar and came out to the sound of footsteps.

"Okay, bud, I gotta say- bro?" he froze as he saw his brother standing there. I watched in amusement as I made the little skeleton approach the taller, my strings invisible.

"P-Papy, run..." he said weakly as I forced him forward. He fought me with every step, though his struggle appeared internalized to outsiders.

"C-coMe anD-aNd re-Re-reScuE yoUr-r pr-pRecIOus B-Blue, Ink-ky..." I muttered into the code, only for Ink's ears.

"Bro, what're ya doin'?" the orange skeleton asked.

"Papy, p-please run!' Blue said, crying as I made him raise his arm. The orange skeleton took one step back, eyeing his brother in surprise.

"Sans, what're ya doin'?" he repeated.

A Gaster Blaster formed behind Blue as he cried, "Papyrus, please! Run away!"

The orange skeleton did nothing as the Gaster Blaster charged, "Sans, what's going on?"

"Please! Don't make me do this!" Blue cried, talking to me now. He tried to turn but I forced his head forward.

"Make you do what? Sans, what's happening?!"

The Gaster Blaster finished charging and Blue's starry eyes widened, "PAPYRUS, RUN!"

I released the charge on the orange skeleton as Blue screamed.

(Ink)

I heard the charging as I entered the Judgement Hall. Darting forward I painted a block for the charge as it shot at Underswap Papyrus, who stood in dumbstruck shock, his arms up uselessly against the attack.

Blue's scream rang in my ears as the charge wore out and the Gaster Blaster disappeared.

"Papyrus!" he wailed, falling on his knees as blue strings left his body.

The smoke cleared to reveal Error standing behind Blue, smirking at the shield that melted with clearing smoke. Blue hiccuped and looked up, shaking as he expected to find his brother's dust.

His eyes lit up as he saw his brother, "Papy!" He ran forward, unhindered by strings now. He tackled the taller, crying in excess relief.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he mumbled into his brother's hoodie. US Papyrus stroked his skull, murmuring to his brother as he glared at Error. Before he could do anything, Error chuckled.

"Y-You fiNAlLy d-d-deCIded to-to sHow up-p," he said to me. I nodded slowly, feeling stiff anger at what he just tried to do.

"How dare you, Error," I growled, "You know you can't kill a Papyrus or a Sans. They are integral to the core coding of my Universes."

He chuckled more, cocking his head at me, "It-it wAs thE o-onLy w-wAY to-to get-t yOur at-atTentIOn."

"You could've ask-"

"You-u'Ve bEen-n aVoiDinG m-me, Ink. Don-n't pREteNd th-tHaT I cOUld'vE a-a-aSkEd yo-Ou f-for aNyTHing-ing. Bec-cAusE I've tried."

Silence fell between us as he glared at me knowingly. I couldn't deny it. I have been avoiding him. In truth, I haven't been able to stop thinking about his advances. About him. I couldn't accept his offer without accepting the fact that he blackmailed me into it but I couldn't tell him no because I was interested. We were both alone in the Multi-Verse. The only ones who understood each other.

After a while, Error cocked his head at me. He flicked his wrist, teleporting the skeleton brothers out of the Judgement Hall as he approached me.

He sighed, looking at the floor. I looked around at the minor glitches in the Hall.

"I'll have to repair this now..." I said softly. Error sighed again, looking me in the eye. He pulled out a hand and I flinched, but he pulled up something. It was the running numbers I could sometimes make out in the glitches.

"What is that?" I asked him. He looked at it, then at me.

"ThIs-s is tHe-thE cOd-DiNg of-of UndErSwap," he looked at me, "UsE yoUr-R-r bRUsh And-anD sWIpe-Pe o-Over it-it. The WOrld w-WiLl hEAl cOMplEteLy-y."

"What?" I looked at Broomy. How could my brush paint over the code?

"T-trUSt me-me foR-r onCe. I'm noT-ot lYiNg," he said solemnly.

Giving him a skeptical look, I held up Broomy and swiped over the weird numbers. The world blinked white and I stumbled at the sudden teleportation. Error caught me and made me stand, angling me to look at where we were.

We were in UnderSwap still, but now we stood in Snowdin. It was whole and unblemished and I stared it in shock.

Error shook his head slightly, shaking off something, "S-s-sEe? I wASn't lIYng-ing. N-nOw..."

He looked me in the eye, "Will-ll YoU-u go-go oN a d-dAte witH me, yEs-es Or no-o?"

After what he just did? I was inclined to say no.

But I sighed...

"Yes, Error," I looked him in the eye, "I'll go on a date with you."

(Error)

Holy crap that worked... I felt giddy as I grinned at him.

"MeEt me-me iN-n thE AnTiVoid-D-d t-toMoRRow. B-buH-bYe, InKy~"

"Bye, Error," Ink said, a soft smile tugging at his mouth. I vanished into a portal and pumped my fist. I've got a date! With a really cute skeleton, too...

Setting foot in the Anti Void I had a very sudden, daunting realization...

I have a date...

WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO?!

------

I looked at the smoking remains of some random Mettaton at my feet. Why had I gone to one of them for advice? It took maybe five minutes for me to run out of patience with his attitude. Maybe three to grow infuriated. And less than one to turn him into a pile of scrap metal.

All in all, it's been less than ten minutes since I made an impulsive decision I regretted.

Nudging a bit with my foot I sighed, seeing my red slippers. Dragging a hand over my eye sockets I groaned, opening a portal and sending the scrap god knows where. Taking my hoodie off I dropped and sat down heavily, rubbing my skull.

Twenty-three hours and forty-eight minutes until my date with possibly the cutest skeleton in the whole damn multiverse. And yes, I kept track of the time. I have a countdown on my watch.

Falling onto my back I let out a huff of frustration. Why must my life be so difficult?

You're the one who asked him, stupid... some part of me says, You made it difficult for yourself...

"Ugh..." I groaned, knocking my skull to the ground, Where am I even going to take him? What does Ink like?

Hmm.... creating things, making things, colorful objects, shiny objects, sugar, flowers, art supplies, shiny objects, sparkly objects, colorful sparkly objects, dangly objects... I listed them to myself, trying to think of a place that matched anything, The sky, the stars...man, he can study the stars for hours...

The stars... his eyes are so pretty when they reflect the stars...

It hit me like a comet striking earth: OuterTale. Ink loves OuterTale. It's one of his favorite places.

Smiling, I sat up. Now all I have to do is get dressed... Looking down dismally at my attire, I realized that Ink might just care enough to dress in something other than his everyday clothes. Since I asked him out, I should probably put some effort into looking nicer.

Sighing, I stood up, wondering where on earth I was going to get some new clothes.

A mischievous smirk crept onto my face as I opened a portal.

I'm sure he won't mind if I 'borrow' something...

(Ink)

Now that I had a date...I felt really nervous.

Staring at my wardrobe, I wondered why I had never thought about making 'date' clothes. Nothing I owned seemed to be right. It was all my size and style, but none of it seemed right...

Why do I care so much? I wondered, staring aimlessly at my nicer clothes, He blackmailed me...

"But he's alone, and I'm alone..." I wondered aloud, "Maybe...maybe his intentions are good..."

"He just...doesn't know any better..."

Sighing heavily I went to my 'dressing' easel and put a new canvas up. If I didn't have any good clothes, I'd make some.

It took me a minute or two, but eventually, I just let my hand guide itself on the canvas. I didn't really know what I was making. All I knew was that it felt right...

"He's just as clueless as you are, Ink..." I said to open air, "He probably couldn't think of any other way to get you to agree. I mean, how could the guy hurting your art convince you he's good?"

"He still hasn't...he blackmailed me..."

"Yeah, but would you have agreed otherwise?"

A small tear fell down my face and my hand fell, "Should I really be doing this?"

I had the thought, what if I just didn't go? What if I stayed home? What if...

...I stood him up?

The very thought put a sour taste in my mouth. I could never do something like that to someone. Especially when the image of his disappointment, his anger, his...rejected feeling... It hurt me just thinking about hurting him.

He blackmailed me. So? He did what he thought he needed to. He's a Destroyer, for crying out loud. The look on his face when he was hurting UnderSwap...it wasn't happy. He was waiting, patient, and determined, but he wasn't happy.

Sure, he still had that little grin on his face I've noticed a few times but it was toned back, not as large as it normally was. It vanished when he almost killed Papyrus.

Wiping absent tears from my dry face, I looked back at my picture. It was almost complete and I let out a small laugh. Even when I'm deep in thought, I still do what I love. Painting calms me down. It always has.

Seeing my picture, I smiled at it. It was perfect, simple yet nice. It was...right...

Standing up as I wrapped the painting in magic, I smiled to myself.

All of this is right. The date, the preparation, the feelings...oh, the feelings...

Admitting it to myself felt right. I felt something for Error. Even though I only really met him once, I feel something for him. And it wasn't pity...it was something akin to understanding.

Both of us were alone in this massive world.

With a sweet smile, I thought at last; It's time we were alone together.

(Error)

Chuckling to myself, I looked at my new attire. I had 'borrowed' a few things from MafiaTale Sans to wear. Nothing too flashy, nor anything he'd really miss. Just a decent looking button-up shirt and some dress pants. I'd never wear a full suit. That would be too much for me. And for a first date that wasn't even in a fancy place.

I wore a pair of sneakers for once, too. I waited in the AntiVoid for Ink to show, growing more anxious as each moment passes.

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of my soul. Who am I kidding? Why the hell would he show up?

"Aft-ter e-e-everything-ing I-I've d-done?" I punched the ground, "I'm-I'm sur-surprised-d he-he even-en bo-bother-ered to-to lie-e to me-e-e..."

"I didn't lie," said a soft voice and I turned around. My jaw dropped as I gaped at Ink. He was here! He was actually here!

And he looked incredible. He wore a long-sleeve gold shirt under a white vest splattered in black ink splotches. He wore tan dress pants and shined shoes. A rainbow bowtie was tied at his collar and he had a brown velvet beret on his head.

I stared at him for a while. He blushed a faint rainbow and gripped one arm tightly.

"Wh-what are you looking at?"

A small smirk twisted my face as I stood, "Thought-t-t that-at was-as o-o-obvious..."

"I'm-m looking-ing at-at the hottest-est guy-y-y in-n the-the Multi-tiverse-se-se."

The rainbow grew very bright and he ducked his head, letting out a nervous chuckle as his eyes changed to a few different shapes in the span of a few seconds.

"Hehe, I'm n-no match for a-a Grillby..." he said and I chuckled, approaching him and looking down slightly. He wasn't that much shorter than me: just enough for me to peek down at him.

"No-o," I agreed, "You-you out-t-t match-ch all-ll of th-them..."

One might as well as have pushed his face into a color wheel, the depths of his blush were so vibrant. He ran out of comebacks, just standing there avoiding my eyes.

"So, uh, where are we going?"

I blinked. I'd gotten so lost in watching his mesmerizing eyes I'd forgotten why he was here.

"Oh-oh, it's-s a s-s-surprise-se..." I smirked, "Y-you're go-gonna ha-have to-to close-e-e your-r-r ey-eyes and-and t-trust me-me."

He looked me in the eye, still holding himself, before nodding and sighing.

He closed his eyes and held out his hand, "I trust you, Error..."

(Ink)

His hesitation made me doubt my decision. All doubt was erased when his fingers closed over my hand, interlacing them together. I actually smiled softly.

The swish of a portal opening didn't faze me. Neither did being dragged through an opening into fresh, clean air. I had complete faith in Error. He wouldn't go through all this trouble just to mess with me.

If he wanted me dead, he would've killed me a long time ago.

He continued to lead me onwards and I dutifully kept my eyes shut tight. I loved surprises. And sparkles. And confetti. Surprise parties are one of my favorite things...

Error stopped suddenly and I ran into him, lost in a train of thoughts on what I like about parties.

"You-u c-can o-o-open your-ur eyes-es now-now," Error said softly. Smiling, I opened my eyes slowly, noting how less glitched he sounded now that we started this crazy venture. A gasp escaped me as my hand shot to my mouth, my eyes landing on what was above me.

Stars, as far the eye could see. They were everywhere, gleaming brightly in galaxies and planets and everything bright. It was OuterTale, but it was a part of OuterTale I'd never been to. I could see unfamiliar constellations.

"They're so beautiful..." I said breathlessly. No matter how many times I saw the stars they still took my breath away.

"Yeah-ah, y-you a-are..." Error said softly. I glanced over to see him looking at me and blushed warmly, looking away and down. On the ground before me was a picnic spread on a patch of mossy ground, surrounded by pretty echo flowers. A bouquet of bright, various flowers nearly every color of the rainbow lay on the picnic blanket, in between two tall milkshakes, tiny desserts, and a plate of french fries. Error bent and grabbed the bouquet, smiling awkwardly for once.

"I d-d-didn't know-ow what-what k-kind to-to get-t-t you-u, so-so I-I got-t y-you so-some of-fo e-every-rything-ing," he said, offering me the flowers.

"It's my favorite!" I said excitedly, taking them and sniffing the mixing aromas.

"Which-ch o-o-ones?"

"All of them!" I said, bouncing slightly. My enthusiasm curbed and I smiled bashfully, "I...I can't pick a favorite. They're all so pretty...So I just like all of them..."

"Oh, huh, hehe...g-g-good to-to know-ow..." He looked away, rubbing the back of his skull nervously.

"Thank you, Error," I told him, my face still stuck in the bouquet. Mostly to hide my own rainbow among the bright petals. "This is really quite sweet of you."

For once since I've met him, he looked dumbstruck. His natural, confident-bordering on cocky-attitude vanishing and leaving a...boy with a crush. Yes, he's a boy with a crush and doesn't know what to do.

Is that why I feel like a kid in love? Heck, I don't know if it's love but I'm starting to feel like this is more than me agreeing to blackmail. A part of me, growing larger the longer we stand here, wants this to happen.

And another feels like...it's already happened. Somewhere, someplace, somehow, we've happened. It just...restarted. Like...like the resets...

"I knew it!" I said aloud, dropping the bouquet and thoroughly startling Error.

"Kn-knew what-at?" he said shakily and I cocked my head at him.

"Did you just stutter?" I asked, completely forgetting my epiphany.

He almost glared at me but he looked away, blushing a faint yellow. "My-y voice-oice is-is gl-glitched-d-d. You-u kn-know th-that..."

I smiled at him, playfully poking him in the arm, "Somebody's blushing~ You aren't lying to me, are you~?"

He flinched from the contact and gave me a small, half-hearted glare. But he didn't say anything. Which means he can't deny it. I wiggled my brow bones at him, waiting for a reply. But all he did was glance away.

"So-so, you-u-u knew-w what-t?" he said instead and I pouted before remembering.

"Oh, yeah! Do you know about the resets?" I asked him, my fist clenched in excitement.

"Those-se odd-odd a-a-anom-malies in-in your-r-r AUs? Y-y-yeah, why-y?"

"Well, I never really knew why I included them. Why not just make a story? But I threw them in, an element that affects everything and everyone!"

"And-d...?"

"They even affect memories. No one except the Sans' and the Charas remembers them. Sometimes not even Frisk remembers them. So..." I waited for something like realization to cross his face but he just looked confused.

"S-so...?"

"So, don't you feel it?" I asked him, some of my excitement dying down, "Don't you get this almost deja vu sense that this has happened before?"

He cocked his head at me and I felt deflated. I let out a sigh, hanging my head.

"Look, the idea had to come from somewhere, right?" I explained, feeling foolish, "What if we were somehow reset...but not entirely..."

"What if, the reason you were so desperate to get me to like you, go out with you, why you're so interested in me...is because we used to know each other?"

Error had gone deadpan and I sat down heavily, crossing my legs and picking at the ground.

"Don't you feel like we belong together, Error? Isn't that why you set this all up?" I absently picked at my sneaker laces, "Aren't you tired of being alone? Aren't you tired of feeling incomplete?"

He said nothing, just stood there, so I hung my head, sighing.

"Am I really the only one that feels like I know you from somewhere? As if we met before? As if...we used to be closer, all the time, that we made each other whole?"

"A piece of me has been missing since I started all this...And I think you're the answer. We just got lost somehow and now it's like something is trying to bring us back together..."

"Before we met...before you kidnapped me...I felt like I knew you. I knew that there was something out there destroying my creations, yet there was a resonance that rang within that destruction that I remembered. It wasn't always for destruction...I remember it was used for protection, for care...as if whatever caused it cared for me..."

Error remained silent. At his lack of response, I sighed and made to get to my feet. Two hands gripped my shoulders and I looked into the eyes of Error, glinting with something I couldn't identify.

"Care...Protect..." his voice sounded mechanical as if repeating...commands? "Action...SAVE...Mercy..."

He shook me, putting his face closer to mine. He grit his teeth, the glint fading for a moment, "Remember..." he grunted before the glint returned.

"Action...SAVE...RESET...CONTINUE...Mercy..." he said, that same robotic, mechanical, repeating tone.

He looked desperate as his hand dug into my shoulders, "Action...FIGHT...RESET..."

"Action...SAVE...protect...SAVE..."

He gasped, his fingers digging painfully into my shoulders, "Action: SAVE INK...Override...RESET."

It clicked in one painful moment and I gasped, my eyes welling with tears as the memory flooded back. I grabbed Error with the same desperate grip he had on me, looking into his eyes.

~Memory~

I ran in panic, crying, tears of fear, stress, and grief in my eyes. In my arms rested a child, wailing at my rough rocking as my arms moved in my desperate flight.

"Hush, hush, Mommy's here..." I tried to say calmly but he continued to wail as I ran.

Footsteps sounded behind me and I sped up, gasping at the effort of running. They caught up with me and I was going to lose hope before Error grabbed my arm and tugged me in a direction.

"Come on! This way!" he yelled, running slightly diagonal to my random flight. The child let out another cry, terrified as his parents ran from danger.

"Error...I...can't..." I gasped, panting, stitches in my ribs as I painfully brought in air.

"Ink, stay with me! We're almost there!" he yelled, pulling me forward.

I stumbled a little but kept my feet, clinging to the child tighter. Error ran into a dark cave without hesitation. After running through the darkness for a while, we came upon a well-made lab in the cave center.

Error dashed over to a machine, leaving me to nearly collapse on a chair, rocking the child as he finally started to calm down. We had a moment to breathe before a loud crash sounded behind us and Error cursed, working on the machine furiously.

More crashes sounded from the cave opening, growing closer. I stood on shaky legs, walking over to Error in his work.

"Error..." I choked out, feeling him turn at my voice.

The evil child who'd been chasing us, Chara, was staring there, bloodthirsty grin and all, at the entrance to the cave. Error swore again, standing and opening some capsule. He shoved me inside, much to my surprise.

"Stay there," he commanded before turning around, locking the capsule before he went towards Chara.

"Error?! Error, no!!" I cried, banging on the door. The child in my arms started crying again and I rocked it, hushing it.

"Shh, shh, PaperJam, it's okay, Mommy's here..."

Error threw random parts at Chara, working at a keyboard as he kept the child at bay.

I felt betrayed. This world was supposed to be safe. I made it safe for us. How did this happen? Why are we running for our lives? Why can't we be happy?

Soon, Error grinned in sick triumph as he finalized his work. He pulled up a hologram of a button: RESET. But it twitched oddly, as if it wasn't normal. He grinned and glared at Chara.

"Good luck making it back after this, demon," he growled. He pushed the button, a loud alarm going off as he darted back to the capsule. He unlocked it and was about to pull himself inside when he yelled in pain and fell forward. A knife was sticking out of his back and I cried out.

"Error?!"

He hauled himself up, collapsing on the floor of the capsule. "Lock the door..." he grunted, shaking in pain. I did as I was told, locking the door of the capsule. Something hit the window, the force cracking the thick glass and I gasped.

Chara was throwing objects at the capsule, growling in animal anger, going absolutely ballistic.

Hugging my son and crouching by my husband, I held his hand as the alarm grew louder, the ground shaking.

Error gripped my hand tightly and smiled at me hopefully.

"Just remember...I always loved you..." he said in an eerily final tone. Tears fell down my face and I pressed his hand to my mouth.

"We're going to be okay," I said as light filled the air.

"We're all going to be okay..."

~End of Memory~

Error collapsed on top of me as I fell back. Both of us were panting hard. We recovered together, the memory replaying in our heads.

The date was forgotten as Error trembled on top of me.

"It worked..." he said breathlessly. We both froze in surprise. The glitch in his voice...it was gone.

"What worked?" I asked, both of us sitting up. Error laughed in a release, looking at me, overjoyed.

"The machine! It worked! Well, not entirely...we forgot each other..." He said, looking away before leaning forward and grabbing my face in his hands, "But you're safe. You're alive. And that devil is gone for good. That entire world is gone for good."

We both just stared at each, basking in the new flood of happy memories. We did know each other. We were opposites, yes, but we were best friends and lovers and counselors and a million other things.

We were a family...

"We were a family, Error..." I said. We both froze again, the name of our son ringing in our minds.

"PAPERJAM!" We both shouted at the same time, leaping to our feet and looking around wildly, as if he was in the vicinity. Error looked panicked and I felt that oddly maternal instinct scream out to find my son.

I grabbed my brush and went to go looking through the AUs when Error grabbed my hand, stopping me. I actually growled at him, the noise deep and threatening, but he didn't back off.

"I think I know where he is," he said and I froze like a deer in the headlights.

"WHERE?!?" I demanded.

"First off, calm down," he said, "Second, you probably don't remember our babysitter, do you?"

I blinked, "Babysitter?"

Error chuckled, releasing me, "Yeah, babysitter. Come on, let's go get our son."

Without a word he grabbed my hand and jumped through a portal into one of the brightest and most vibrant places I've ever made: FreshTale.

I blinked around, seeing everyone that looked like they came straight out of the eighties, and had the brief moment, Was I high when I made this place?

As if he read my mind, Error chuckled again, "Inky, you've never even had a beer in your life. You most certainly were not on drugs to make this place..."

"Then how in Mt. Ebott did I ever make this place up?"

"You discovered eighties music and had a little fad about it for a while," Error explained, leading me to a very, very neon house.

He knocked once on the door and stepped back, looking apprehensive. "God, I hope he's here..."

Error gripped my hand tightly for reassurance and I gripped back, leaning on him. If PaperJam didn't survive the reset...I don't think I can manage without him.

The door opened to reveal a gaudy looking neon-dressed skeleton with a SWAG chain and YOLO shades.

"Wazzup, dawg, howzit-" he froze, seeing us standing there. He blinked once under his shades, purple mist floating from behind the plastic.

His smile twitched, "You're finally here..." he said. He didn't sound disappointed, or angry, or betrayed. He just seemed to be feeling that sad kind of happy, like when someone is going to lose something but for a good reason.

"Fresh, what's going on?" asked a voice that made all three of us freeze.

"Who's at the door?"

A black, inky skeleton made his way into view, squeezing past Fresh to see who was there. He smiled, his bright starry eye and other colored eye glinting happily. He studied us as we stood there. Has it really been that long? PaperJam had been no older than three in the memory. Here he stood, maybe thirteen. He grew up without us...

PaperJam let out a happy cry and tackled us both in a massive hug, "You're alive! I knew it!"

Fresh grinned as PaperJam released us. He bounced up and down, looking at Fresh admiringly.

"You were right! They found me! Thank you, Fresh, thank you thank you thank you!" He crushed the skeleton in a big hug. He squeezed him tightly, bouncing excitedly. "Thank you thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Calm down, Jammy," Fresh said, pulling the small mass off of him, "Letz get 'em inside and show 'em how fantastically awesome you are!"

"YES!" he turned and grabbed our hands pulling us inside, "Mom, Dad, I love you so much!"

He pulled us into a hug again, still bouncing, "I missed you both so much! Fresh said you'd disappeared for a while but that you'd be back eventually. He never doubted that you'd come for me. He kept my hope alive that I'd see you two again! And you're here!"

"We can be a family again!"

------

(And...the end.)

(That took a wild turn, didn't it? TA-DA when my brain decides to work and go 'WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED')