Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a rainy day at “Home”, Melody had programmed it to be as normal as any world could be. Error shifted slightly in his place, watching how the titanic tree at the center of the AU moved with the wind. He felt… calm, the only sound being the rain pouring down, he needed this peace. Melody was a nice friend and all, but he made too much noise while working and honestly Error wanted to be alone for at least five minutes. 

The programmer had offered to change the appearance of the Anti-void, to make it a little less overwhelming, not that a place filled with snowy mountains was any better, but Error liked it. However, the process was slow and Melody had been doing his best to do his job while also attending to Error´s wishes. He felt bad for the programmer but his mind really needed a change in his home. 

His time alone got interrupted sadly, Error felt the presence of someone getting close. No music was being played, so Melody was not around. The footsteps sounded confident and followed a rhythm, only guards walked like that. 

Error identified Dadster as he came closer, the tired caretaker carried mugs with hot cocoa in all his hands.

- A little bit of warmth for your heart - said smugly the caretaker, handing over a mug to Error.

Dadster was… not a bad abomination according to Error´s standards. He wasn't loud, didn’t pry in his business and showed emotional support when needed. Dadster knew how to approach every individual and knew to not press further in things that plagued their respective minds. A nice father figure. 

The destroyer gave him a small nod, accepting the hot beverage, watching him leave and continue to hand over mugs to the rest of the habitants. “Home” was a big place, but compared to the omega timeline, it had few people. It was the reservoir of the survivors of corrupted AUs or forgotten creations. A place hidden to almost everyone who didn’t know how to move around the code. At least CORE, Ink and the rest of his crew didn’t know about it.

Nightmare and the rest of his mafia-like gang didn’t know about it as well. So Error felt good while visiting the small but cozy AU. He was still trying to define his emotions and the emotions of everyone around him, Melody was a good teacher. Having to guess the feelings of others while also trying to figure out how to act was a challenge, but he had made progress. At least now he knew how to react to someone crying. 

Error still carried the small guide book for emotions that Melody had made for him, there were still some things that he couldn’t understand. Like Flare getting upset when Mint didn’t give him affection upon meeting. Love was a very hard concept to comprehend. 

The sudden sound of a piano got him out of his thoughts, Melody had finished. The smiling programmer emerged from a hole in the ground, jumping and landing alongside Error. His prosthetic hands gave him a thumbs up.

- Everything’s ready! you can now enjoy the new look of the once creepy Anti-void - exclaimed Melody with a big smile- It is very cold though, so I made a cabin for you and Flare.

Not that his pseudo-son was staying with him anymore, preferring the company of the “Bad sans” group. Still, he will inform him of the change later. Blueberror, would also like the change of scenery even though he rarely got out of the omega timeline. 

Error knew it´s location for a very long time. He stumbled accidentally upon it while searching for Melody and the Matrix. In fact, he had been there to visit Blueberror a couple of times. While CORE could be omnipresent, Melody knew ways to hide things from their presence. Error didn’t like to question the strange methods of the programmer, half of the things that he did were incomprehensible. 

Strangely, his first thought upon arriving in the omega timeline wasn’t to destroy it. Melody and Flare had been around for a long time and he was getting a hold of his emotions. He started to help the programmer in his work, to only destroy AUs that were abandoned or incomplete, to contribute to the balance. 

Nowadays, Error didn’t destroy everything on sight. Which was an improvement on his social skills, various souls started to actually like him. Like the entirety of “Home”, especially the kids for some reason. Error still found them noisy and still considered them abominations, but now he was capable of appreciating the beauty of creation, he was getting soft. 

The destroyer was still very imposing and a great part of the Multiverse feared him. Even Ink learned to think twice before striking him, which led to them having fewer confrontations and more talks that usually led to nothing. The creator was stubborn and refused to let any AU be destroyed, he needed them for his vials after all. The problem with overcrowding the Doddle Sphere was that AUs could collide with each other, Error had seen it happen a couple of times, it wasn’t pretty. 

In fact, that was the job that Melody gave him. From time to time the programmer gave him access to different AUs that were ready to be destroyed. It helped maintain the balance and it liberated space for newer worlds to be created. However, Ink didn’t know that and with Melody’s policy to not let anyone know of his presence, it complicated things. 

Ovelia was also an active threat. If there were too many AUs she would start corrupting a few, which could expand to other universes, even popular ones. Melody’s job could be exhausting at times.

Error sighed and gave his empty cup to Melody, summoning a portal but making it glitch so he could not see the other side. 

- Thanks piano tiles, I will repay you later - said while disappearing through the portal.

The last thing he could hear was Melody´s loud laugh. 

Chapter Text

Cross was getting tired of being alone.

He had left Nightmare’s group, not peacefully thanks to Killer, because of his own sake. Even the Lord of negative feelings identified that Cross was having trouble managing his PTSD and dumped him to his brother, not wanting to deal with more unstable minions. Dream thought that being surrounded with positive emotions would help him with his trauma so he brought him to the Doodle Sphere. 

The Knight still felt uncomfortable around Dream thanks to their unspoken feelings, Blue was always trying to help every AU, Ink was constantly on the move and CORE was creepy. He didn’t talk to Lust, Classic or Red, so he felt left out and Epic seemed to be busy as well. So it wasn’t going great. 

He still kept in contact with Dust, the only one who was sane enough to ask Cross about his whereabouts. Horror was also very empathetic but he didn’t know how to use a phone and, after days trying to teach him, everyone gave up. Killer was unstable so it made his interactions with him complicated and Flare didn’t pay him much attention, preferring the company of Error and a colorful skeleton named Mint. 

So while there were positive emotions surrounding him, he still felt the same as being in Nightmare’s castle: total garbage. 

He tried not to mope around while trying to clean the stains of what he supposed was ink from the couch. The Doodle Sphere had a little house in an isolated corner, it was created by the “Protector” and it was built to be undetected. Not that it mattered much, Error and the rest of threats that might exist couldn’t access the Doodle Sphere anyway. 

A loud noise interrupted his thoughts. It sounded like blasters being fired and that put Cross on edge. If he recalled correctly, no one was going to visit the house in the next few days and, even if they did, Ink, Dream and Blue didn’t have gaster blasters. They sounded far away and for a moment Cross considered just leaving it be, it wasn’t his problem anyway, he wasn’t a member of the Star Sans. But a good part of him still remembered the X-Event and he wasn’t gonna let another lunatic have control over the Multiverse. 

So he tried to teleport as close as possible to the sound. The good thing about the Doodle Sphere was that every AU was depicted as an island with their respective environment portrayed, so it made Cross’s work to hide much easier. Being this close to the sound made him realize that there were voices too, it sounded like a discussion.

- Ok, I know that you are angry and confused right now. But destroying everything ain’t gonna make you feel better! - said a high pitch voice, it didn’t sound familiar to Cross but it sounded desperate

- Maybe not, but it will suffice! - however, Cross did recognize that voice, it was Error’s

- I’m sure that Ink didn’t mean to break it! We can fix this, we can take it to Geno and-

- NO! I’m tired of your pathetic excuses, I just want it back the way it was! 

It sounded like the destroyer was suffering? He never heard Error like that before, he never showed much emotion besides disgust. Another blaster was fired.

- He’ll learn not to mess around with my things - even though the blaster definitely hit something, Cross couldn’t see what it was

- Error, you are my friend, but I will not allow you to destroy this ones, not right now, not like this

- Move or you shall be moved

Cross felt it first before he could even react, the radiant heat of the blaster. 

- Oh FUCK

It was the last thing he heard before everything turned black.

- HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE WAS THERE!

- If you didn’t start blastin’ your way through the Doodle Sphere, maybe we could have noticed!

- You are terrible at your job

- Don’t give me that shit, you know how much it hurts to tolerate your blasters?

- You could have moved and let me destroy the fuckin’ islands!

- Oh shut the fuck up Error, you are hurting my intelligence just by being here

- You are not that smart peanut brain, just yesterday you fell down the stairs THREE times because of your stupid sleeves

- I THOUGHT YOU PROMISED TO NEVER MENTION THAT!

- Promises are made to be broken anyways

- I never felt the need to hit someone but you are earning it real fast

- Shhhhh I think he’s waking up

Cross’s eyes felt really heavy but the need to protect himself from whatever was happening was way stronger. Relaxing was not something he could do nowadays. The Knight slowly opened his eyes, thankful that there wasn’t much light in the room. He tried to look around, finding that he was in some sort of cabin and by his side were two skeletons. He already knew Error, but beside him there was someone unknown.

They were tall and lanky albeit they clearly resembled a Sans, they had a white hoodie with a strange symbol on it, combined with black pants and black shoes. His sleeves had a white and black pattern on them and they looked huge.

The stranger got closer, inspecting Cross with a worried sight.

- You ok buddy? Nothing feeling, erm, corrupted?

- You are really smooth Melody

- SHUT THE FUCK UP ERROR, I’M PANICKING RIGHT NOW

If Cross wasn’t fully awake yet, he was now. He tried to be calm, using the magnificent coping mechanism of asking a lot of questions. 

- I’m, ok? What the hell happened? and who are you? and why am I here? and-

- Ok, this is surpassing my social limits, I’ll be outside destroying things - said Error while moving towards the exit - The previous problem still needs to be resolved Melody, I wanna tear apart that stupid place

- I’ll think of a solution Error, don’t worry - said the stranger with a tired smile on their face

Soon after Error left the cabin, the stranger continued to examine Cross’s wounds.

- The name’s Melody just like you heard, I’m very sorry that you had to get a blaster on your face, that one was directed at me - murmured Melody with shame - The good thing is that I think that you didn’t get corrupted! Maybe… I hope

Cross was very confused but something about the tall skeleton was soothing somewhat. 

- Alright, that's a relief? Can you tell me what is going on? A moment ago I was cleaning a couch and now I am covered in bandages sitting in an unknown bed in an unknown place, I’d like some context before freaking the fuck out

- That sounds reasonable - said Melody, finally focusing his gaze on Cross’s face - However, my presence is supposed to be unnoticed, so I’ll appreciate if you could keep this as a secret

Rather this skeleton was joking or he was extremely naive. Cross couldn’t decide, in the eyes of Melody there was nothing but seriousness despite the big smile on his face.

- You are now in the Anti-void, Error felt…at least I think he felt a little bad that he had hurt you so we brought you here. You are really strong! Few would survive the blaster of the Destroyer himself. 

Cross only scoffed, amused.

- I was trying to stop Error from trashing the Doodle Sphere, you see, I think Ink ripped apart one of his dolls? Geno said that it was an accident but it triggered Error really bad. We are still trying to work on his emotions.

- I thought no one without Ink’s permission could enter the Doodle Sphere - said the Knight, trying to focus on the important information

- There is no lock that can’t be picked! Error is a glitch after all, he will eventually find his way around the entire Multiverse

So basically, Error knew the location of the representation of AUs, that was…not ideal.

- May I ask what is your role in all this? I’ve never seen you before - asked Cross with curiosity, still trying to gather enough information

Melody stayed quiet for a few seconds, contemplating the possibility of just joking his way out of the situation. He wasn’t supposed to be seen and yet, he had already made so many friends…Perhaps one more wouldn’t hurt, the “Code” didn’t care about Melody’s doings as long as he did his job.

- I’m…the Programmer, while Ink takes care of the creativity process of creation, I do the technical stuff and try my best to keep it working

- You don’t seem like the tech guy…- said Cross, eying Melody’s outfit

- Of course not! As I understand, each individual chooses their own form of expression, so I made music my form - if he could, Melody would have made stars with his eyes - Besides, is not like the “Code” cares about what I wear

- The..code?

Hesitance covered Melody’s eyes. Talking about the thing that gave him life was always a complicated subject. There were a lot of tangled feelings that he rather not disclose, more to himself than anyone else, but Melody decided to swallow his feelings, he would have time to think later, he was more concentrated now in making a new friend.

- The “Code” is what keeps everything running. The engines of the machine, the software of a computer, the pencil needed for a drawing. Without it, there is no order. It used to be auto sufficient, way back when there were so few timelines and almost no AUs

“The original creator, the one who made UNDERTALE, didn’t expect for his work to become so big. The “Code” was only made to handle what was originally created to. But when more worlds and more timelines started to appear, it overwhelmed it. 

So it began to mutate, to gain conscience, to make judgments trying to maintain the basic order that it was made to do. Suddenly there were so many worlds that the “Code” couldn’t recall what it was supposed to protect.

I suspect that it may have been the original creator’s fault. Accepting all of this and encouraging it, the possibilities were infinite. So maybe it was him who finally made the “Code” decide to protect all of it.

It still has a preference though, as it knew that if UNDERTALE were to be in danger, the rest would disappear. But it started to sustain other AUs as well.

That much work is overheating even for a machine and with worry that something may escape its gaze, it created me. Born from the basics of a Sans, the “Code” gave me the job to constantly look for mistakes, viruses or potential threats, as well as supervising and helping the creation progress of AUs”.

- It is not a funny job, there is always something to do and little space for breaks - finished Melody with a tired tone.

Cross was left with no words. Trying to process everything. 

- I know it can be a little too much, part of the reason why I decided to keep my presence unknown. Sometimes it’s best if you don’t know how the magic trick works

There was a couple of minutes of silence, the faint sound of Error’s grumbles could be heard. 

- Why…why trusting all this information to someone like me? - was the main doubt that plagued Cross’s mind

- Why not? I already analyzed you and deemed you not a threat - said Melody, trying to hide the fact that he was yearning for a new friendship - Besides, even though I’m not supposed to, I can erase your memories if the situation needs it

And that was the beginning of Cross’s road to recovery.

Chapter Text

Being the big brother was not an easy task.

Fresh always refused to take orders, even if they were for his own safety and Error was a ticking time bomb waiting for something minimal to happen for him to explode. They weren’t doing it on purpose, they were born that way, but it did make the task of taking care of them a lot harder. 

Geno didn’t even know why he continued to do it. Something inside of him, a feeling almost maternal, made him act on impulse every time he saw them sad. Perhaps it was the comfort of someone understanding what it was like to see others interact, always being behind a screen. Perhaps it was all that time he spent without Papyrus and the weird feeling that he didn’t belong on the surface. Perhaps it was something in his small soul that called for Geno to protect. 

Whatever it was, it seemed to be mutual. The three of them agreed to be brothers without even saying a word. A silent vow. 

So it did hurt him seeing Error in a panic attack. 

It really was an accident. Ink had come to check up on him, he regularly did that to the universes that Error frequently visited. Geno left the things that his brothers piled up in his house just the way they left it, in case he would damage something. But he didn’t count on Ink just casually bursting from a portal on the ceiling. 

His reaction was too late. Much of the damage went to Fresh’s stuff, however, Ink ripped one doll of Error. The worst thing is that it wasn’t any doll, it was THE doll. Nobody knew why the Destroyer held so tight to that one, ever since they met he had always in his pocket or his scarf the handmade doll of a classic Sans. 

Melody said that it maybe was an object of comfort, after all, Error did like soft things and hated rough surfaces. The doll was never lost, nor was it ever dirty, Error took care of that thing more than himself. He never left without it, except that day. 

He went to do some favors to Melody when it happened. According to the Programmer it would be quick, three minutes maximum. It took a lot of convincing, but Error gave out eventually, really paranoid. Geno facepalmed with agony once he realized that the Destroyer was going to be pissed, Ink left fast when he noticed the damage, disappearing in a puddle of ink with a nervous smile on his face. 

Coward.

So Geno prepared for the chaos that Error would eventually make. What he didn’t expect was the look of utter sadness and desperation when the Destroyer saw the ripped doll. His glitches spread fast across his body, more than when someone touched him without permission, the blue marks on his face leaked strings of blue all the way to the ground and it seemed that Error was having trouble breathing, a painful rattling sound coming from his throat. 

Melody was the one who reacted first, pushing Geno to the side and shielding him. 

- Error, easy now, this could be just an accident - said the Programmer with a soft voice

The protective feeling inside Geno became so strong that he ignored the fact that Error would probably push him aside and probably hurt him if he tried to hug him, so he went past Melody, still in his defensive stance, and embraced the Destroyer tightly, applying as much pressure as necessary. 

And for a moment, it worked. While Error didn’t hug back, he started to breathe steadily and even allowed a hesitant Melody to inspect the damage on the doll, his blue marks slowly returning to normal.

The dark skeleton seemed to not be paying attention when Melody started questioning Geno, staring into nothingness, but a reaction definitely was earned when the big brother revealed that it was Ink’s fault. 

He had never seen Error so angry and hurt at the same time. 

It had already been two hours since he left, blasting portals here and there in an attempt to reach the Doodle Sphere, Melody following closely and blocking any deathly attacks. 

Geno tried to clean the disaster left behind, but he was growing anxious about the two outcodes' absence. Fresh popped up when he was cleaning, sharing the distressed feeling once Geno told him what had happened. The colorful skeleton left soon after, promising to bring them back. 

It was at times like these that he could use Reaper’s help, the flirty skeleton would definitely take Geno anywhere he asked, but the God had been absent for a long time, claiming that work was strangely piling up. Melody did mention that a lot of AUs were spontaneously corrupting, so that cleared a little of the doubts forming inside the permanently wounded skeleton. He wasn’t the jealous type…He believed. 

The big brother decided to make dinner, best to greet Error with warm food to try and calm him down. 

- This is not a radical situation brah

Fresh arrived just as Melody finished dropping off Cross back to the Doodle Sphere. His shade glasses were in the pocket of his jacket and he looked concerned. 

- …Are you ok, second big bro?

Error honestly didn’t know what to say. He was pissed and still wanted to make Ink feel the same pain of something precious being torn apart. But at the same time he was tired as hell, the idea of just laying down and curling into a ball was really appealing. So he only responded with a grunt. The radical skeleton turned his attention to Melody, searching for answers. 

- I managed to wear him off before arriving to the Doodle Sphere, that and with this Cross incident, he ought to be tired

- You also look like a used punch bag my brah

- Thanks…someone needed to stop Error’s attacks - mention Melody while getting out his prosthetic hands and opening what appeared to be a tab - I will make sure that no one else takes notice of this incident, you two should get back to Geno

Fresh only gave a thumbs up before creating a portal, its appearance looking like the vomit of multiple unicorns. 

- One more thing - said the Programmer, focusing his attention on Error - Geno gave this to me way back when you two first started to interact - from the tab that Melody was fidgeting, he pulled out a doll modeled after Asgore, although it seemed new, it appeared as if it was the first time someone made something like this, a little bit worn and torn around the edges - He made it with the intention of being a present but decided to trash it out

Melody gave the fuzzy doll to Error, who took it gently, his mismatched eyes examining it with wonder.

- I kept it, just in case. Maybe it’s not like the old one, but I can guarantee you that it was made with a lot of care and love

With that being said, Melody disappeared with a soothing piano tune. 

- We are back!

Just as the portal was closing, Error runed to the kitchen, finding a startled Geno with a pink apron. The big brother examined him with worry, taking into notice the tiredness that Error seemed to carry. The Destructor fidgeted with his hands, wanting so bad to iníciate a hug but not knowing how. It honestly made him feel ridiculous.

After some silence, the middle brother decided to approach slowly.

- Melody gave it to me… the uh, the doll you made…- said Error, nervous and fearing rejection

Geno let out a surprised gasp, he thought that Melody had thrown away his poor attempt at a plushie. Examining his brother closer he actually noticed the small doll secluded in Error’s scarf. Geno smiled, almost tearing up. 

- Ok, bring it on - said Geno while extending his arms - You too Fresh 

The radical skeleton lifted his head from the place he was hiding, eavesdropping. While Error couldn’t tolerate physical contact, multiple therapeutic sessions with his brothers guarantee a group hug of at least one minute. The brothers hurriedly embraced each other, the rage inside Error calmed. Not that he gave up on the idea of getting revenge but now he would think of something else to destroy besides the Doodle Sphere. 

- Welp, who's hungry? - said the big brother

Chapter Text

He saw this coming. The constant fights, whispers, nightmares and attacks that Cross seemed to have being the flaring warnings. He tried to convince Nightmare, hell, everyone tried. But his boss wasn’t in the mood to take care of another broken toy, not anymore. Something had changed about the Lord, he looked more tired and annoyed, like he hated being with them and the thing that they represented. 

Killer was angry. At Cross for leaving. At Dust, Horror and Flare for giving up so easily. At Nightmare for not trying hard enough. At himself for not expressing his feelings better, for insulting Cross when he left, instead of saying how much he wanted him to stay. 

They were some sort of family…right?

And while Killer would admit that thinking that was delusional, he needed to believe that. He needed…

What did he needed?

He threw another knife at the wall, landing in the head of an image of Cross. His thoughts spiral into despair. It also didn’t help that Nightmare’s aura was so suffocating.  Like drowning in a cold, deep ocean.

- You good?

A deep broken voice got him out of his self pity. Horror stood in the entrance of his room, carrying cookies on a plate. They seemed just baked. 

- Flare was hungry, so Horror made cookies - said the skeleton with the cracked skull

- Thanks, I’ll…I’ll eat them later - Killer managed to say without stuttering

With a shrug, Horror left the sweets on the bed, getting out of his room at a slow pace. Before he left, Killer thought he heard him say something. 

- Black goo on Killer’s face again - said in a soft whisper 

Killer just continued to throw knives, letting his black oily tears drench his clothes. 

This couldn’t continue. Cross left because his problem became a nuisance for Nightmare, what will happen to the rest of them? They were all broken in a way or another, if they were pieces that could be easily thrown away, Dust wasn’t gonna let them crash even more.  

Because they all knew that Killer would be next. Nightmare had begun to exclude him from missions and to seclude him to his room, just like he did with Cross. And while Dream had defended the Knight, managing to take him from the heavy hold of the Lord of negativity, the rest of them weren’t so lucky. 

Nightmare would tear their souls apart and Dust wasn’t gonna allow it. 

Their poor sanity depended on them taking care of eachother. Monsters bonded by the shared pain. Cross absence had already shown problems, making Flare more quiet, Horror having more craving attacks and Killer being more aggressive. Dust himself was smoking four times more than normal. They were drowning in anxiety. They had to leave. 

The only problem with that was that Nightmare wouldn’t let them. 

There was some sort of pride in collecting sociopaths and making them do his work. Nightmare didn’t see them as companions or employees, he saw them as things. Dust still asked himself what Dream traded in order to get Cross the hell out of there. That was how the Lord worked, eye for an eye, soul for a soul, AU for an AU. 

The sound of footsteps made him throw away his cigarette. Horror appearing from a corner, trying to avoid the branches of dead trees (a garden according to Flare). 

- Killer is gooing again - said the taller skeleton - Dust…Horror thinks that this is not safe anymore

This had to stop, they couldn’t continue this. Even if Dust needed to sacrifice himself, he was going to get them out. 

- Gather everyone, I’m going to face the bastard - said Dust, swallowing his fear

- Things?

- No, bringing luggage will only make us go slower in case we need to escape. Stay close to the entrance, If you feel his shitty aura get stronger, run away without me

 It was time they had a fucking break. 

Traitors. They were all traitors. They had promised to stay and now they wanted to escape? No one would leave him, they would have to perish first if they wanted peace. They were HIS, he had already lost Cross, he couldn’t let another one go. Not anymore. 

- I will not allow it, Murder. You are tied to me - said the Lord, not even bothering to look at Dust, focusing on the window instead

- We aren’t your fucking pawns, when we accepted to help you it was because you offered peace of mind. You broke the deal first

Deal? As if they were equal to begin with. They were easily bribed with promises of death and despair. The fact that they started to play pretend and be a family wasn’t his fault. 

- You are naive if you think that was a deal instead of an order. You have no freedom, even if you leave, who would want you?

The bicolor eyed stayed quiet. 

- Wherever you go, my presence follows. Everyone will hunt you down for your sins and, even if you manage to hide, you are filled with hatred, you will tear each other apart. 

Dust didn’t want to believe that, there had to be a way. 

- You were made to suffer and to cause suffering, the only place that you will ever be yourselfs is with me. You need me. You belong with me

No, they didn’t deserve this. Even if they weren’t saints, they also needed closure. They had each other, they could work this out, they could be a family. 

- There is no happy ending for the likes of us

Happy ending?…Dust suddenly had an idea. 

- What if we do a deal? Our freedom for something else 

What was he intending?

- Cross left because Dream offered you something, right? Certainly we can do the same - a loud laughter interrupted him

- And what can you possibly offer me?

- Silence 

Like if I needed their silence, even if they divulged his plans, the Star Sans were too weak to even try to stop him. 

- Not about your stupid actions - said smugly Dust - Silence about Ccino

That made Nightmare hold Dust in the air with one of his tentacles, choking him. 

- How do you-

- You think I didn’t notice? Your sudden prolonged disappearances, the lack of your negative aura, the AUs that you avoided. It was all connected to him. A pathetic, useless, traumatized Sans working in a lame cafe. A nobody

- DO NOT REFER TO HIM LIKE THAT

- Who could say that the Lord of negativity can fall in love? I wonder what the rest of the multiverse would think about this. I wonder what Reaper could do…

The God of painful death had been looking for a certain soul who should have been recolected a long time ago. Every time they met, it was getting harder and harder to avoid the subject. Trying to hide Ccino from Dream and Ink was hard enough, he couldn’t imagine what would happen if death arrived to the door, once again, to the one that he loved the most. 

- I could just kill you right now to avoid problems

- Nah, I don’t think that will work, the rest know too and they are ready to leave as soon as you shatter me

Is this the price of feeling? Being threatened by a low being?

- What do you say, Nighty? His safety or our suffering?

This fucking motherfucker son of a-

Nightmare released Dust, making him fall and crushing him to the ground, causing him to break an arm, leg and a few ribs at least. 

- You have one minute to get the hell out of my AU, if you are still here after that, I will make your souls fill with the most horrible pains of all and you will be the last to witness their suffering!

Dust teleported immediately after those words. Feeling a throbbing sharp pain of something in his body bent in an unnatural way. He couldn’t even breathe correctly. The image of the concerned members of his family greeted him after a few attempts of getting his magic to obey him correctly. 

- Dust, you-

- No time to spill bulshit, OPEN A DAMN PORTAL FLARE

The skeleton had smoke coming out of his cracks, visibly shaken, but managed to obey the command. Choosing a location of comfort. 

In less than a minute, Nightmare was left alone. 

Chapter Text

- So, you stood up to Mr. Tentacles and won? - said Mint, kinda not believing what he was hearing

- No no no no - interrupted Dust - I stood up and got my ass kicked, but at least now we are free 

Flare had opened a portal to Sweettale, right above Mint’s house, who was obviously perplexed to see his boyfriend and three psychopaths on his roof. Normally they would call Mint to whatever AU they were trashing to control Flare, this was certainly a surprise. It also relieved him, nor Flare or Error had shown up in days and that made him extremely worried. 

After a few scratches, Mint got them inside the house and did his best to patch up Dust. 

- I ain’t no healer, so you will still feel like shit - said the sweet skeleton

Right now their main concern was to hide somewhere safe, Nightmare may have let them go, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t hunt them. A deal was made for their freedom not their survival. Staying in Sweettale couldn’t guarantee their safety, much to Flare’s despair, so that was a no no. CORE wouldn’t receive them in the Omega timeline after all the chaos they made across the multiverse. They wouldn’t ask help from the Star shits, they weren’t that desperate, although seeing Cross would make them happy. So Error and the Anti-void was their best option. 

- You sure you don’t wanna change clothes? - asked Mint with hesitation on his voice - No offense but y'all look like orphan homeless children 

- We will think about commodities once we get out of danger - muster Dust, standing up with the help of Horror, pain visible in his face. 

Flare prepared to open another portal, one leading to Error’s location. He was pretty tired emotionally and physically from the entire ordeal, so summoning his magic while trying to control Hope was getting exhausting. Mint hugged him, reaching out to hold his hands and tried to give him a little bit of his magic. 

- Take care, I will visit as soon as possible - were the words that Mint whispered against Flare’s neck, praying for the safety of his lover and his family. 

If they weren’t worried about being hunted, Flare would have stayed with Mint. 

Melody clicked furiously with his artificial fingers on multiple open tabs. The wind being the only thing that could be heard in the AU. Actually, all that was left of the AU. Besides the remains of dead monsters and humans, there was nothing else that could be seen, a light blue color evolving everything. 

Nothing in the bitacora of the AU explained the sudden corruption. There were some pieces of outside code that didn’t match and records of souls disappearing, aside from that, everything seemed normal. Well, that and the evident shadow of suffering written all over the AU. 

It was clear that whoever corrupted this universe, did it with the intention of causing harm. 

There were no signs of an OVERWRITE, so he could rule out XGaster. The lack of blue strings and disaster also made Error innocent. The emotions of the AU were still untouched so Nightmare hadn’t visited this place either. There were no implications of something new being created over this universe, so Ink’s involvement was also impossible. And Parasites couldn’t wipe out an entire universe. What the hell happened then?

- Another one? This just keeps gettin’ worse by the second - the sound of a velvety voice made Melody look away from the mess that was the universe’s code. 

Reaper stood beside him, looking around with awe. Besides from the few souls that were stolen, the rest were here expecting release. The entire universe pleaded for release. 

- Give me five more minutes to make sense of what happened here - pleaded the Programmer

- You have two minutes, I wanna see Geno soon 

Ovelia came to Melody’s mind for a second. She certainly enjoyed eating souls and corrupting universes, but the balance was somewhat stable and the Virus didn’t like others suffering. So she was also discarded. It honestly seemed that this universe simply erased itself all of the sudden. 

…

Oh no.

- Reaper, get all of this souls as fast as possible and leave this AU - said the Programmer in a hurry

- I also need to-

- I know! But I can’t give you this universe, I’m putting it on quarantine 

If the AU erased itself, it meant that the “Code” was making mistakes. It meant that Melody wasn’t doing his job right and that thought paralyzed him. 

- Mel-

- From now on, ignore all the calls referring to souls needing to be collected, I’ll do it and run a background check on all of them

- Wait-

- Also, warn all the outcodes, if less people are traveling all around the multiverse it’ll help me get this done easily

- MELODY! - screamed the God, stopping Melody’s rambles - Relax, we are your friends, we will help you with this, so stop panicking and start trusting

Friends? …Right, Melody had friends now. He sighed, tired and anxious. The sudden feeling of multiple characters moving from universes made him panic again. 

- I will quarantine this AU nonetheless, don’t touch anything else that aren’t the souls. I have to take care of something else now

- Good luck - said Reaper, concerned - see ya in Geno’s house

If the concerning thought that Melody was doing a terrible job wasn’t enough, seeing the Bad Sans sitting on the floor of Error’s house almost made him lose his mind. 

The Destroyer was knitting a sweater, sitting on a bean bag. Horror, Killer and Flare already wore the oversized clothes that Error was making. Killer was even holding a napkin, replacing it every once in a while to not dirty the sweater with his tears. On the sofa laid an agonizing Dust, his pain made Melody almost jump into action. 

- Ah, you finally decided to show up - said the Glitch, not really paying attention - I don’t care about their pathetic existence, but they are precious to Flare, so heal the bastard…please

- I…might need a more solid explanation…

- Who the fuck are you?

- You’ll need to rest for a couple of weeks - explained Melody to a numbed Dust, while poking in the code of Killer, trying to make his tears not stain his new clothes - I recommend not moving at all, it is going to be painful even with the meds

The group was tired, Melody could see it. The way that they all tried to fight sleep was becoming pretty obvious by the second. They needed a new place to stay, somewhere peaceful so Dust could heal properly. Somewhere safe so Killer could have his murderous attacks without actually hurting. Somewhere Horror could eat and cook everything he wanted, where Flare could invite Mint over without fearing for his lover’s life. 

And the truth was that Melody could give them that place. But it wasn’t going to be easy. 

Error appeared from a corner, carrying plates with strawberries, handing them over to everyone. The Programmer finally finished the changes to Killer’s code, standing up and giving his plate to Flare. Error looked awry at him. 

- I can’t send them there - defended Melody - That place wasn’t made to be open to every soul

- My son and his kindergarten group need a place to stay and you so happen to have a hidden universe 

- I didn’t create “Home” to be another Omega Timeline

- They will not be accepted anywhere else 

- I’m sure that some timelines out there are hidden well enough from Nightmare

- And would you allow that? Would you allow them to stay out of your sight?

- If they are no danger to anybody then yes!

- Knowing Killer, knowing Flare’s problems, ya think they are no danger?

The room stayed quiet. 

- This isn’t supposed to be happening - Melody murmured, getting more anxious by the second

This was getting on his nerves. First, random universes started corrupting and now characters were straying from their path.

Where did I go wrong? I double checked everything that gets done, I hold control of the majority of Error’s destruction, I even keep a part of the corruption safe in “Home”. 

Error recognize the early signs of a panic attack in Melody. He rapidly put on the gloves that he tidily kept on the pocket of his jacket and held the Programmer’s face with his two hands. 

- Nah bitch, you can’t panic attack your way out of this, that is my move - said Error, without venom in his words

The Multiverse code was changing, and change made the Programmer uncomfortable. He tried to focus, nothing happened without something causing it, he tried to remember when things started to change so rapidly. His gaze eventually connected with the Bad Sans group, all cuddled around Dust, eyes filled with uncertainty.

Fuck, my only weakness. Orphan homeless characters with issues.

Melody let out a heavy sigh, gently removing Error’s hands from his face but not letting them go. 

- I will consult with Dadster the possibility of letting them in - said in a low tone of voice, defeated - 

The Destroyer smiled faintly and Melody remembered again how good it felt to have friends. 

Chapter Text

Corruption is a natural phenomenon. All universes are bound to corrupt at one point or another. It occurs sporadically, triggered by actions that generate a lot of inputs inside the code. Normally, the universe itself has ways of stopping the malfunctioning. But corruption can also spread from AU to AU, from character to character and sometimes it is too much to control. 

Melody still remembered when the Multiverse was much smaller. When his tasks weren’t as boring or as tedious. When he was alone, sitting in the Matrix waiting for something to happen. The cold and dark space still managed to make him uncomfortable, the constant feeling of floating above water, even silence seemed like screams in that place, no space for thoughts. 

He still remembered encountering corruption for the first time, the damage and helplessness that he felt, even now. The suffering managed to mark his hands permanently. Destruction is necessary for progression, Melody tried to remember that, but seeing others in such agony managed to make him act impulsively. 

So he started testing the limits of the “Code”. It was small actions at first. Getting out of the Matrix, interacting with other universes, developing hobbies. The “Code” didn’t flinch, so he tried more extreme measures. He started messing with the corruption, messing with the destruction and creation of universes, maybe there was something that could make it act furiously. 

It didn’t. 

It only cared about maintaining a balance and keeping UNDERTALE safe, although it always leaned on the negative side, so when Melody started saving AUs that were meant to be destroyed, the “Code” responded with more corruption. 

That was the moment where Melody realized that the problem came from within. It was a natural phenomenon that could be triggered if the “Code” wanted it. But the Programmer had too much sympathy for those unfortunate individuals. 

Melody started to do everything in his power to avoid having the “Code” resulting in using corruption. It appeared to catch on to Melody’s actions, but didn’t make a move, accepting the Programmer’s intrusion as long as everything was in order. 

“Home” then, was made to be a sanctuary for corruption. A hidden universe from everyone, even the attentive eyes of the “Code”. In it, Melody managed to study corruption on a deeper level. He started collecting the remains of universes that were supposed to be deleted by him. And that included characters. 

His first one was Dadster. He could’ve made a way out, all Gasters were incredibly talented when it came to cheating the system, but he stayed. Melody hated to admit it, but Dadster was extremely helpful when it came to research. With him, the Programmer managed to save a lot of souls from dying in corruption. He also didn’t need to worry for them, the Caretaker saw them as his children, which was problematic when it came to experiments but Melody could trust him to keep them safe. 

The main problem of bringing other souls that weren’t corrupted into “Home”, was that there existed a high possibility of them catching it. Corrupted souls could only take three paths: death, indifference or destruction. Error was the main example of two of them. So it was risky letting others that weren’t tainted into the AU. 

Despite their brutal nature, none of the Bad Sans, except Nightmare, were corrupted. Flare was getting real close to it though, outcodes were more susceptible to it. So trying to accommodate them into Melody’s AU was going to be a tough challenge. 

- Absolutely not

- Dadster!

- They would not only cause chaos here, they will spread it everywhere as well!

- I have an idea

- No offense Melody, but you suck at proposing good ideas

- No offense taken 

Convincing Dadster was the main objective right now. With him on his side, they could invent a way to make harmony with corruption possible. 

- They need it - pleaded Melody

- You want to kill yourself helping others, but not everyone needs help

- …I can feel it…their pain… it’s screaming…

Those words managed to make Dadster focus his attention on Melody.

- They strayed from their path - said the Programmer in a serious tone - The Multiverse is changing, I need to know why and I need the less amount of trouble I can get

- Is it the only reason?

- That and the fact that their suffering is really loud in my head 

Dadster let out an incredibly loud sigh. 

- …If we create a containment zone and do regular check-ups, it is probable that they could live here

- There you go! Two brains better than one

- More like one brain and a peanut 

- I will ignore that you say that for the sake of this partnership 

Saying it was easier than actually doing it, but Melody liked working himself to death with the excuse that it was for the best interest of the multiverse. 

They had experimented with the possibility of corruption not expanding to healthy individuals. Four of their test subjects could leave “Home” without dying instantly and their interactions with their environment seemed normal. However, that was on a smaller base, for the Bad Sans to coexist with the rest of the inhabitants, they would need a stronger immunity. 

For now, it was better to keep them in a secluded place. 

- I know that this is not a lot - said Melody with an apologetic smile - But Dadster and I are doing our best for you to get out of this bubble soon! 

Not that the group cared about what Melody was saying. “Not a lot” was actually ten times bigger than the space they had back at Nightmare’s castle. A manor stood in the middle of their containment zone, from the outside it looked just like a big blue bubble. 

- This will do - murmured Dust, being carried bridal style by Horror

- Horror thinks it’s pretty!

- It is pretty but it’s also giving me uncanny valley feelings - mustered Killer

It all appeared normal but it was blatantly obvious that the AU was missing some key details. There was no grass or clouds, no flowers or even wildlife. Melody laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and focusing his attention everywhere except the group. 

- I’m a programmer not an artist. Ink is the one that can make all the pretty looks in an AU. But I can guarantee you that everything works alright! - after a brief pause, he regained his composure - I coded this place so that you can’t get out of here, as a precaution. Dadster and four of my subjects will try to make you feel at home

- Subjects?

- Ah… I mean, three monsters and a human. They are very nice, so I trust that they will cause you no trouble!

Another laugh wanted to escape Melody’s mouth, but a sudden urge to cough interrupted him. For a moment, he felt like air was missing from his nonexistent lungs. The group looked at him, all confused from the sudden change in the Programmer. Before they could mention something, Melody played it off, focusing everyone's attention back at the manor.

This was just getting more troublesome.

Chapter Text

- You are terribly slow, grandpa! - mocked Killer while standing atop a tired Flowerfell Sans, defeated on the ground

- My thing ain’t hand to hand combat - complained the other, sweating profusely 

Killer was a hyperactive individual, he needed constant feedback, especially when one of his murderous attacks were triggered. Dadster had trusted Fell and Flamey to keep them at bay, to entertain and make sure that the group didn’t cause much trouble. Not that they could stand a chance against Melody’s programming, but extra precaution was nice. Frisk and Rookie started visiting them later as well, providing aid.

- Try not to break my husband please - joked Flowerfell Frisk while changing Dust’s bandages

- Try not to break the entire house, Melody doesn’t come often here if it isn’t work related - argued Flamey, helping Horror to make dinner 

Killer was going to protest, but was interrupted and knocked out by a flying Flare.

- This is fun! Bring it on, punks! - exclaimed a very hyped up Rookie, not apologizing for nearly breaking all the furniture when she threw the skeleton

- Could you not?! - screamed Flamey, being obviously ignored

- I can get used to this - murmured Dust, watching his family shenanigans with a small smile on his face

Frisk tried not to laugh at the mess that was the living room, she liked the energy of these monsters. It had been a while since “Home” hosted new inhabitants, Melody had brought more remains than souls. 

- Excuse my curiosity, but how the fuck can you see? - question Dust 

Frisk’s eyes were covered with golden flowers, yet she seemed unfazed by it, managing to assist Dust almost perfectly while being able to react to the mess that was now a fight between Killer and Rookie.

- She can sort of see through my eyes - said Fell while rubbing his arm and limping his way to the sofa - My vision gives her vision, it does need constant magic, so it’s a bit tiring 

- Heh, most of us also use constant magic

- I can feel that - mustered Frisk - That must be why your recovery is taking so long

- Can’t help it 

A sudden crash was heard. With their calming conversation Dust had lost sight of the three battle buddies, the living room being empty.

- I AM GOING TO RIP YOU APART - a loud scream coming probably from Flamey was heard and three figures passed running through the front entrance - COME BACK HERE 

A drenched Flamey chased the troublemakers with a Horror following suit with a small towel in his hands. 

- Fell, honey, call Dadster, I have a feeling that we might need him - the smell of something burning suddenly filled the room - Right now!

Someone was in pain.

Not that it was an unfamiliar feeling to Dream, with how vast the Multiverse was, there had to be some constant suffering. This one was different though, he couldn’t recognize the owner. The Prince of positive feelings always kept track of every single living being, even the ones that were in the making or soon to be made. 

This monster’s pain, however, seemed fresh and new. It wasn’t physical either, leaning more to a mental or sentimental kind. He could sense it growing every second, it was driving him mad, he wanted to help. 

- It’s rare to see you with a frown - exclaimed Blue 

Dream remembered where he was suddenly. It was going to be this Underswap Papyrus birthday in a few days, Blue had asked the Star Sans to help him prepare a surprise party. Ink had to decline, something about a new universe being drafted, so Blue could invite Error without the need of a huge fight ruining everything. Dream had brought Cross along too, hoping that the Knight could socialize a bit. 

- Is it someone out there? - wondered Classic, already familiar with Dream’s absence of mind 

- Indeed, there seems to be a new source to me that is in a lot of pain

- A new source? That’s weird coming from you, there’s no one who can escape your gaze - murmured Red

- It must be an outcode - Blue gasped with excitement - Perhaps another friend?!

Error stiffened. This whole situation already had him pretty nervous, too many people for his liking, but now that they were talking about someone unknown being in pain, he remembered Melody. The last time he saw him was a few weeks ago, the Programmer seemed tired and his voice was sore, he brushed it off, blaming it on the efforts put in to making a space for the Bad Sans. When he didn’t appear for their weekly “doing nothing together alone time” however, Error entered full worried parent mode. 

Melody never missed their gatherings, not even when the Multiverse was falling apart, not even when they fought, not even when one of them already had company, not even when desperation ripped them apart, he never failed to assist. Error immediately contacted Ovelia, the Virus denied knowing anything about her sibling. In fact, Error’s panic made Ovelia panic as well. Now there was a virus and a glitch searching all over the Multiverse, none of them could find him. Reaper joined them soon after. More worried about his job rather than the well-being of his friend. 

- It does feel like an outcode, but it is strange - mention Dream - Their presence is unknown to me, yet, they feel oddly familiar. Like they had always been there

Fuck subtlety and fuck Melody’s shitty rule of remaining unseen, Error wasn’t going to deal with this bullshit anymore.

- Can you track it? - The room felt quiet after Error spoke. Almost surprised at the desperation of his tone.

- I… - Dream stuttered - Their presence is foggy but I can try to track them down as accurate as I can 

- Do it - Threaten Error all of the sudden, pulling his strings and making everyone in the room, except Dream, incapable of combat

The Prince summoned his bow, ready to attack. 

- You say “please” and “thank you” when asking for a favor, Melody didn’t teach you that, Error? - mocked Cross 

Confusion filled the room

- This doesn’t concern you, anomaly 

- Perhaps not, but I cannot stand your tone of voice directed to the Prince - A dark blush covered Dream’s cheeks and a choir of “Ohhhhhh” could be heard in the background 

- Damn you feeling individuals - cursed Error - I don’t have the patience for this. Dream, could you take me to the unknown source of pain… please?… thank you?…

…

- You are supposed to say “thank you” after the favor is done… but I will take your… politeness? - mention Dream, doubtful of his words and of the entire situation - Follow me

Before anyone could protest, both disappeared in a bright yellow light.

Four sulking figures were sitting in a corner, looking at the wall. 

- Your penalty is of two hours - growled Dadster while commanding his floating hands to clean the living room, filled with ashes and burned furniture - And be thankful that Melody finds your presence amusing enough to protect you

- It’s been a while since we’ve had this much disorder - commented Frisk while carrying the leftovers of what was supposed to be their dinner - I kinda like it

Dadster could somewhat agree with the blind human. Things had been a little bit boring lately and that was a relief, a boring life is a peaceful life. But the majority of them came from AU’s that needed their characters to fight in order to survive, they missed action sometimes. 

- Horror will eat that - said the cracked skull skeleton 

- We know you will - mustered Fell while helping Dust settle on a not-so-destroyed single chair 

A soft rumbling was suddenly felt throughout the entire universe. Flamey made a motion to stand up but a floating hand grasped him by the collar of his sweater and lifted him up off the ground, almost face to face with the Caretaker. Dadster’s gaze suddenly turned dark while he barked orders towards the young one.

- Find Melody immediately and bring his ass back. Now

A portal then was opened in the middle of the room and Dadster hurriedly but gently pushed Flamey inside, not listening to complaints. 

- What 's going on?! - mustered Flare, trying to maintain his balance now that the entire AU was shaking violently.

- Nothing good! - exclaimed Frisk, holding Dust in place

- The Code is changing, if Melody doesn’t come back soon, it will discover this place - groaned Rookie 

They were in the Doodle Sphere. The Destroyer of Universes was in the Doodle Sphere with him. He knew the path. Why wasn’t Ink aware of this?!

- Don’t worry, if I haven’t destroyed everything yet, it means that I don’t plan to… for now - claimed Error, when Dream was still losing his mind

The source was somewhere inside one of the more negative charged universes. Dream tried to locate the general area, Error following in a creepily calm manner, the Prince had never seen the Destroyer like this, besides the few moments that Blue managed to catch his attention. 

- It’s around here 

Error looked around. There were no ripples, meaning that Melody wasn’t in the Matrix, a good sign. All of the AUs in this corner of the Doodle Sphere were quite distressing. A few genocide routes and neutral ones. But now that Error focused his attention solely on this place, it was apparent that there was something missing.

- That intelligent bastard - murmured Error - Of course we weren’t able to locate him, he fucking locked himself and the AU!

- H-Huh?

Error focused his gaze on a particular empty spot. Anxietytale, of course the Programmer would go to an almost neutral universe to hide. It would have been impossible to find him if it weren’t for the empathic skeleton at his side. 

- Ink is not going to like this - mention the Destroyer with a smirk, knowing how apprehensive the Creator was with his space - Too bad for him I guess 

With a swift motion of his hand, Error managed to cover the invisible AU with cobwebs of his strings, breaking the programming that Melody put in order to stay hidden. The Creator had probably felt this change however, they had limited time. 

- Come with me, let’s see what bullshit the piano tiles is pulling this time

Dream couldn’t even protest before he was forced with blue strings to tag along. 

Anxietytale could pass as a terribly normal AU, if it were not for the fact that it moved constantly between good and bad energy. This was a rare feature in creations, most of the universes were evenly distributed in order to maintain balance. Depending on the emotions when created, it will lean on positive or negative, then they would naturally gravitate towards different sides of the Doodle sphere. Which created a positive corner, a neutral one and a negative. 

Even if a positive AU experiences a genocide route, it will not move from it’s corner. The pacifist energy surrounding the universe is powerful enough to sustain multiple rounds of negative feelings. The same could be applied with the negative AUs. Unless a devastating force causes a disaster (like Nightmare’s or Dream’s influence), the universe will always regulate itself.

But Anxietytale managed to move around the Doodle sphere. One of Melody’s favorite universes was this one, precisely because of that. The Programmer will always adore the abnormalities in the multiverse, even if his job was to eliminate them. He also used it as camouflage, if the AU was always moving, it would keep his emotions partially hidden. However, even if this universe was Melody’s favorite, he rarely visited it. In fact, Melody rarely visited any AU, if he wasn’t annoying Error in the Anti-void, he was attending business in the Matrix or investigating at “Home”. 

The moment they set foot in the AU, Dream felt a throbbing headache. The emotions that he had felt, back at Blue’s place, weren’t physical, so why had it escalated this quickly? 

- Whoever you want to find, he is really beginning to suffering right now - Dream manage to muster through the empath pain

Error groaned and began to walk at a fast pace towards Snowdin. It was unusually quiet and empty. 

- He has started to affect this place 

- Eh? - Dream honestly didn’t expect any explanation from the Destroyer, however it seemed that his worriedness made him really talkative

- There is no one around because he is keeping them, the less characters and assets are, less is his pain…But it isn’t working anymore

Error was now almost running towards this Sans house. 

- Who is the one you are looking for?

- …A, emm…A friend. His name is Melody and he is just as intelligent as he is stupid. Thinks that he can solve everyone’s troubles and insist on working himself to death in order to achieve this

- How come I never heard of him?

- Because he is a motherfucking antisocial, like me 

When they arrived at the house, Error didn’t even bother to knock, he immediately obliterated the door and ran upstairs. Dream saw a figure sitting on the corner of a worn sofa, the moment Error entered, the figure hid under a table. 

- P-please s-s-stop breaking my doors! - it squeaked 

The Prince decided to follow Error, mostly out of curiosity, so he shouted an apology before heading upstairs as well. 

He almost regretted doing that. 

The air was heavy, hot, suffocating and an incredible aura of negative feelings surrounded the narrow hall. No, it wasn’t negative feelings, Dream found himself disoriented, not exactly knowing what this emotion was or even if it was an emotion at all. Through the fog now covering his vision, he saw Error using his strings and Blasters to destroy a simple door. But it didn’t budge. 

- STOP HIDING YOU MONOCHROME CLOWN! OVELIA ALREADY KNOWS THAT YOU DISAPPEARED AND WILL NOT BE HAPPY TO SEE YOUR PITIFUL CONDITION!

No one answered. 

- YOU CLAIM TO BE MY FRIEND YET YOU DARE PULL THIS SHIT?!

Though his haze, Dream could tell that the Destroyer was now venting, it almost felt wrong to see a side like this. Dream had never seen him… vulnerable. 

- I WAITED FOR YOU, I WAITED AND WAITED AND WAITED. WHEN YOU DIDN’T SHOW YOUR STUPID SMUG FACE, I DESPERATELY SEARCHED EVERYWHERE FOR YOU. I EVEN FUCKING ATTENDED BLUE’S CRAP GATHERING AND FORCED MYSELF TO BE NICE WITH THE PRINCEY

He was near a panic attack.

- YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD TELL ME EVERYTHING. YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T HIDE ANYTHING AGAIN AND I BELIEVED YOU

All of the sudden, the attacks stopped, eerie silence settled then. Dream could now only hear Error’s ragged breathing. And a soft weeping sound, muffled by a door. 

- …I still idiotly believe you, you stupid ox, motherfuckin’ dumbass, shitty friend. Open the door or I will destroy Anx’s house already

A soft click sounded and the door opened slowly, only a few inches. Error finally averted his gaze to acknowledge Dream, giving a silent indication to enter the room. The heavy atmosphere became more manageable once Error managed to make the other open the door, so Dream was capable of tagging along behind Error. 

The room was dark. Error rudely flipped the switch to turn on the lights and strode towards a bundle in the bed. 

- I’m going to remove the blankets - announced the Destroyer, his tone of voice now extremely considerate and his movements delicate

A total of seven fluffy blankets were removed before Dream could see the skeleton, at least he now knew that it was a tall Sans. 

- I brought princey, can he touch you?

The curled skeleton gave a small nod. Error gave a silent indication and Dream reached to the skeleton’s hand, it trembled when they made contact and a small sense of fleeing filled Dream, it wasn’t his emotions however, they were Melody’s. The hand had sharp claws and it was burned and scarred in some places. In less than a minute, the Prince learned his name and general situation through his empath link and the information that Melody was willing to share.

- It appears that he is sick 

The destroyer sighed heavily but wasn’t fully surprised. 

- Strange…His emotional distress comes from within, but his physical pain comes from somewhere else…like…the being who was supposed to be hurt diverted his suffering into Melody

- …Then that means that the Code is about to re-order the Multiverse