Snow has already threatened to write an alternate epilogue if this don't go well... i haven't even written the epilogue yet.

The invisible countdown was over.

To think, in the end it would come to this.

A battle in an AU that corrupted and fragmented around them, with many chunks having already disappeared, eaten by the eternally hungering void.

Yet...

Error felt something relax inside him.

This was it.

The end.

No more second chances.

No more silly plans.

His last lines of code had yet to run, it was time.

A smile split his face, he was ready for his final script to activate.

With that last thought on his mind, he leapt forward, strings already flying.

OoOoO

Ink leapt forward to meet Error in battle, paint flying with every swipe of Broomie.

He had felt out of it since their last meeting.

He barely noticed Dream joining the battle, and avoiding Blue's rather OP hammer.

Or how they were edging away from them.

Or the fact neither were actually there to fight.

This was it.

What it was, he didn't know.

OoOoO

"They haven't even noticed we aren't fighting anymore, have they," Dream asked dryly, moving to avoid a falling of the large chunk of land that had begun vanishing out from under him.

"Nope," Blue said cheerfully, tapping his hammer on the ground.

The soul-infused hammer created quite an impressive crater with the blow, barely needing any power behind it. Dream didn't even want to imagine how much damage it could do if Blue was actually trying.

"The corrupted tree of feelings is a nice touch for a final battle, creepy though," Dream said sadly, his mind going back to his long lost AU.

"I wonder what the Sans of this AU did to keep the AU going so long, usually when they become this corrupted they end up vanishing within minutes," asked Blue, his insatiable curiosity rearing its head.

"It was a Blessedtale Sans, those guys are weird," Dream said. He sighed, the Blessedtale Sans always seemed to find the universe hilarious no matter what age they were. They really were crazy, probably because they saw and knew far too much for a mere mortal.

"Time to move again," Blue said quickly, moving twenty feet to the left. Right on cue, a paint attack hit where they'd been only milliseconds ago.

"We probably should evacuate really, we're (read: Blue is) more in danger of being dusted by their missed attacks then the actual collapsing AU," Dream said worriedly.

"Not yet," said Blue. "I'm staying as long as I can. Both are my friends, and I want to see the end."

Dream could see the unhappiness on the other's face, and he understood why. After all, in the end, Error would cease to exist, and Ink would be whole.

Dream didn't leave either.

OoOoO

It was strange, but Ink found himself smiling.

Every attack was met by attacks of equal power.

Everything was balanced.

This was how it should be.

Oh... he was crying.

Why was he crying?

His body seemed to be on autopilot, leaping and jumping around at speeds he rarely went.

Mostly because of... incidents.

There might've been a wall involved.

And maybe going through a whole building...

Dream still reminded him of it on occasion, just to mess with him.

He fixed the building, so could the guardian of positivity just stop reminding him of that incident already!

Error was smiling as well, but not the mad grin that sent armies running for the hills. It was a softer, sadder one.

Ink had never seen that smile before.

It reminded him of his own smile, when his paint vials allowed him to be happy.

"Why won't you stay down? You just won't die!" Ink called through the fighting.

Error actually laughed.

"The only way I can die, is if you take it back," Error said bitterly.

"Wait... take what back?" Ink asked, bewildered.

The two were still fighting, but they slowed down, Ink staring down his other part with heterochromatic question-mark shaped eyelights.

"Just take it back," Error replied with a smirk. "Then it's your win."

"Fine, I'll take it back!" Ink yelled back, annoyed.

The world exploded into golden light.

Dream grabbed Blue and fled through a portal of his own.

"Goodbye, Error," whispered Blue sadly as the portal closed.

OoOoO

He didn't run.

He didn't fight.

There was nothing to cause a fight or flight response.

The gold light was warm, and it seemed to be radiating from inside Error.

Error sighed and smiled at the other as Ink floated in the light, looking truly at peace for the very first time.

"Error?" Ink asked, confused as tears slipped down his face.

"I'm sorry, Inky. I would have preferred to live, but neither of us can continue to exist," Error said.

Ink blinked. "Error, your voice..."

"Is yours," Error replied, continuing in his non-corrupted voice. The AU was gone now, all that was left was Ink, Error, and the unending golden light.

"What now? That light... won't allow us to fight?" Ink asked, utterly bewildered.

"It's time, time for what was lost to be restored," Error said, and somehow walked across the area between them.

As he walked, his glitchy body seemed to break away, leaving only a smaller golden figure standing there. A soul taken its true form. It was his own face looking back at him, his own soul staring him down.

"I'm sorry," Ink whispered.

"It's okay," Error... his soul said, and gently kissed him on the forehead.

The golden light exploded.

OoOoO

Across the multiverse, the Sanses staggered. Moments later, every AU Reset.

Then...

It was quiet.