In which the timeless nature of the Anti-Void enables an unusual meeting.

_____-_-·—·-_-_____

In a rare moment of distraction, Error had left his Anti-Void undefended.

Ink had actually stumbled over the unlocked state of his enemy's home by accident. He'd been traveling through his paint, aimlessly angling for a place to scout for a new AU, when he'd sensed the yawning emptiness that was the Anti-Void, tugging on his essence.
He'd never been to the place much. Either he got there during fights with Error, or he snuck in through the wards, but was usually found and kicked out soon after.

The important part was that Ink knew for a fact that Error was currently chasing Fresh through Asylumtale. Stretch and a few other Sanses had volunteered to handle them, and since Ink was still 'grounded' from fights, what with his weakened magic from some accidental poisoning, he was forced onto light duties.

(Someone had mixed alcohol into his paints as a prank and it hadn't worked as intended at all.)

Not that that deterred him any from seizing the moment.
With Error occupied and the Anti-Void unlocked, this was a golden opportunity!

He stepped out into the white plane with liquid grace, his eyes taking a second to adjust to the overwhelming brightness. This called for excitement! He sipped a bit more of his yellow and orange, took out his phone, and called the topmost number. The call had barely connected when he was already excitedly shouting.

"Dream! Dream! Guess what!"

"For the love of- Ink, I'm not in the mood to entertain your ridiculous need for attention. I'm currently trying to heal people!"
Ohh, Dream must have been pretty stressed. He always got snappy when he felt people were depending on him.

"It's an emergency!"

"For creation's sake. I'm busy, even if Error is no longer here. Unless he's after you now, I haven't got the time! There's still injured to attend to!"

But Ink wasn't giving up. Dream was so fussy when it came to helping others! They wouldn't die. They had more than enough healers in the Omega Timeline to cover for him.

"There are others that can do your job, Dream, they won't suddenly drop dead without you. And this has got to do with Error. Please!"

"...Fine. At least do me the courtesy of providing a portal."

All too happy at that victory, Ink slashed his brush across the ground with a flourish, leaving a black stain against the white floor. Rather like ink against paper. Huh. There was that calligraphy thing he'd been wanting to try...

No, he didn't have time for that. Right! Should probably focus.

He kneeled and reached a hand out to the paint, then into it. The sensation was cool, like water flowing around his bones, but also permeating them. As soon as he felt something grasp his hand, he braced himself and pulled.

Dream emerged gasping and shuddering. Ink knew he'd never liked this way of traversing the multiverse, but with Ink's artificial emotions, it would be impossible for the guardian to directly teleport to him using positive ones anyway. Not when there was no one else in the Anti-Void.

Dream drew a few more shuddering gasps, before looking at his friend.

Ink was giddily jumping up and down, impatient to share with his companion. "Look! Error's void!"

Dream blinked. Looked around. Realization dawned.

"You called me here for this!" he hissed, rounding on the other.

Ink was unrepentant. "When will we ever get the opportunity to be here again, without Error to interfere?"

Dream looked at Ink exasperatedly, but the creator just gazed back, supremely unaffected. Guilt trips were for those with souls to perceive it!

Knowing he was outmatched against his friend's stubbornness, Dream eventually pinched his nose ridge and nodded.

"We should scout the place for anything useful, you're right. Perhaps something we find will give us an edge against Error the next time he shows up."

Ink agreed enthusiastically. He was thinking more along the line of finding a way to prank Error, but that was a good reason, too!

They began walking, but without Error to follow directly to his lair, they were left wandering aimlessly among the monotone landscape. Not even those strange blue strings could be seen, which was frustrating since it left them surrounded by sheer empty white. Dream could probably sense Ink's discomfort with it.

"This isn't working," observed Ink helpfully.

Dream, frustrated, snorted. "Yeah. Let's get out of here. We should cut our... losses..." he trailed off. Actually, he suddenly seemed pretty freaked out.

"What is it?" asked Ink curiously.

"There's... a person," Dream revealed, slowly. "They have almost no positive emotions, but I can sense them." He looked quite puzzled. All too right, they'd never encountered anyone besides Error in the Anti-Void. That could only mean one thing!

Ink gasped. "A prisoner! We must rescue them!"

He took off running.

"Ink, wait-" and Dream went off in pursuit. "You don't even know where they are!"

"Oh yeah," Ink skidded to a halt. He turned around to dramatically point at Dream. "Lead the way!"

Dream, for his part, swallowed an aggravated sigh. He was still far too tense from the earlier battle and worried about the injured members of the council that he'd left behind. Ink wasn't helping at all, but he also wasn't the direct cause, so Dream endeavored to reign in his annoyance. He would save it for the next time he encountered Error.

The things he did for his friend, honestly.

"Follow me, and please keep pace with me this time," he decided.

"Okay!"

Now that they had a direction, it wasn't long before something about their surroundings changed.

It was... noise. A faint, high-pitched noise.

The closer they got, the more distinctive the sound became.

Clearer and clearer, it quickly became obvious that the sounds were drawn-out, agonized shrieks.

Simultaneously, they began running.

Soon enough, they found the source: A skeleton in a ragged mess of white cloth, of average size but curled up so tight they were nothing more than a bundle on the floor. Only the back of their mottled grey-white skull was visible, yellow-grey flecked hands clamped over where the ears on a human would be. Occasional glitches flickered over their form. They were trembling, and not even taking breaths between their ear-shattering shrieks.

Dream felt his strength drain from the sheer amount of negativity. Despair, hopelessness, an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

Crouching down next to the poor monster, Dream attempted to comfort them by laying a hand on their back.
They reacted like he'd struck them instead, flinching, writhing, and scrambling back, screams cut off in the motion. Dark eye sockets set in a blotchy white-grey face came into view, and two hazy eye lights flickered, seemingly not quite able to focus on either Dream or Ink.

Chest heaving and still hunched defensively, they called out: "Who are you? Are you here? You can't be. I'm alone. Don't come near! Other people can't be here. Who are you?"
The incoherent ramblings worried Dream greatly. How long had this skeleton been alone here, to have that effect?
"Shhh," he attempted to comfort the other, "We're not here to harm you. We can help you!"
"No. No! This is a trick, you're not real, not real, real, real-"
Nothing Dream did could console the distressed being.
They shied from his touch and words.
Until, finally, Ink spoke up.
"Here!"
A heavy blanket was dropped on the monster, who stopped their mutterings and blinked at the heavy fabric around their shoulders.
Dream started, having almost forgotten about his friend, so focused on helping as he had been. He hadn't noticed Ink create the blanket either and was honestly surprised at the thoughtful gesture. Miraculously, this method seemed to work. The skeleton calmed down more and more, and those eye lights focused into something more stable.
Dream's astonishment only grew when the monster fumbled with something in their pockets, withdrawing- a pair of glasses! They were big, round, and the frame a crimson color. Putting them on made the skeleton look honestly adorable, and Ink squealed at the cuteness, Dream not far behind.

"It's alright. We're here," Ink said.

The skeleton sniffed, focused intensely on the creator. Their demeanor was so confusingly innocent- how old were they? They didn't seem that young, but then again, skeletons could age weirdly.
They spoke, voice horribly thin. "I've never... you're real, right? M' not making you up?"

"I promise, we're real. You have that blanket, haven't you?" Dream soothed. They blinked and brushed the blanket in question, seeming to settle down after that.

"What's your name?" Ink asked, driven by the excitement over a never-before-seen occurrence, no doubt. Ink could be so childish when it came to these things.

...More childish than he already was.

Dream was about to scold his friend for not giving the being more time, but said being just croaked and answered in a sad tone: "...I don't know."

Dream felt for them. Not knowing your name was tragic, but sadly nothing unusual when it came to Outcodes. And this was clearly an Outcode, if they hadn't been one before, they were definitely one now. Luckily, this one would have their help from now on, instead of being left to fend for themselves like most others.

"That's alright, we can help you find it. Or get you a new one."

"Oh! Oh! like Blotchy, for your appearance!" the creator cut in.

"Ink, no."

"Awww, but it's an adorable name!"

"They're not a pet! They deserve to name themselves!"

"I've named plenty of skeletons before."

"Nicknames don't count, you know that-"

Dream and Ink paused their bickering when they heard a low giggle.
Turning their attention back to the skeleton, they saw them in a more easy kneeling position, eyes peering at them through the glasses with the tiniest of smiles.
Dream relaxed more, feeling the tentative mirth they exuded.

"You're weird," the skeleton declared.

"Huh? I guess we are."

"I don't think I could make up someone so weird. You're really here, aren't you?"

Dream smiled. "Of course we are," he said, "and we'll help get you out. Did... you meet anyone else before us, by the way?"

The skeleton shook their head. "I've never met anyone else here before. And I don't remember anything but this place."

Huh. Interesting.

Dream leaned towards Ink and muttered: "I don't think they remember Error dragging them here, either. Let's try not to mention him, might bring up bad memories, ok?"

Ink nodded, serious for once.

"Alright," Dream continued in a louder voice, "I'll just call us in and we'll get you out of here. You'll be among people again in no time!"

The skeleton inclined their head at that.

Taking his sleek black phone from a pouch on his belt, Dream tapped into his contacts, only to come up short.
"Strange. I can't seem to get a good connection- even though it should work anywhere in the multiverse. It works in the Void!"

Ink checked his phone for the same results. "Me neither. Maybe you need a different spot? Wandering around for better reception usually works for me."

Dream frowned but nodded. "You stay here with them," he ordered Ink with a stern pointed finger and left.

"Looks like it's just you and me, buddy," Ink cheerfully stated.

Sitting down, he reclined on a quickly drawn pillow but kept the skeleton - Blotchy? - within his sights the entire time.
Wouldn't want his phobia to act up from staring at too much white too long. It was fine if he was moving, doing something, but inaction left him... vulnerable, and the colorful monster was the perfect distraction. The being in question stared back, studying him with a quiet intensity that felt vaguely familiar. He had a feeling they'd make an interesting Outcode for sure.

He was insanely curious where they'd come from. Had they just appeared her, like Error had? Had they any special powers? Had Error dragged them here? That did seem to be the most likely...
But with the little guy not remembering anything, he had no way to know. And it wasn't like they'd wait around for Error to show up and tell them. That would probably just result in fighting and death threats... Error was so difficult to talk to.

"What's that on your back?" they - frick it, he'd just call them Blotchy - asked at least.

Automatically, Ink found himself reaching back to grip his brush. "Oh, this! This is Broomie. He's my oldest companion! He even talks to me sometimes! Normal people can't hear him, but I can." He leaned forward like he was sharing some scandalous secret. "He's a brush of few words."

They just looked at him, but there was amusement in their gaze.

"Why does he look like that? Why do you look like that, too?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"He's all... dark? But different dark. And almost-white."

"You mean... brown? You don't know what brown is?" How could anyone not know what brown was?! This was an affront to his very identity as an artist! Ink puffed out his chest, prepared to give the outcode the lecture of his life!

Blotchy shrank back, and Ink deflated and hastened to reassure him. "No, no, it's ok! I just wasn't expecting that. See?" He laid Broomie in his lap and pointed at the wooden part. "This is brown." Next the metal bands. "And this is gold. It's more of a metallic mix of yellow and brown and other colors if you look closely though-" he cut himself off when he noticed Blotchy look overwhelmed. "Anyway. Do you know any other colors? Those are colors."

Blotchy shook their head.

Ink promptly spent a good while naming all sorts of colors on the only two examples available- him and Blotchy. Then he created more things in different colors, and named those as well when Blotchy didn't know what they were either.
By the end, Blotchy was enthusiastically naming them on his own. Ink found himself, strangely, having fun. Somehow, seeing someone take joy in such simple things was uplifting all on its own.

When they ran out of things to describe, they fell into content silence.

"You know, I was once in a place much like this one," Ink said into the quiet.

"Really?" Blotchy asked.

"Really. It was all kinds of awful. But it didn't stay like that, luckily. Eventually, I discovered that by just using my magic, I could create anything I wanted! I could have any colors I could think of, and even bring whole universes into existence!"

"Wow." The skeleton's eyes practically sparkled. They scooted closer to him, yet not quite touching. "Do you think I could do that?"

That... threw him.
Of course, Ink had had plenty of encounters with people that admired his ability to create, some even that could do similar things, but none had asked him with such genuine innocent excitement before. It was... unsettling? Something was swelling in his chest, and he wasn't even sure what paint combination that was. He'd have to ask Dream about it later.

"Well," he hedged, "If you have the right magic. But even if not, you can still be creative! Anyone can do anything with the right medium. You can, uh-" he fumbled around his pockets, coming across some loose notes and a tiny length of yarn. Good enough!
"Here!" He dropped the yarn into the other's lap. Then scolded himself, because what kind of things could you do with just a ball of string? Hastily, he conjured ink to turn into a crocheting needle.

Blotchy didn't seem to care at his blunder. On the contrary, they seemed to lighten up more, looking at him with big eye lights and clutching the yarn and needle to their chest, reverently. "Thank you!" they chirped and beamed, and Ink had no choice but to smile right back. The hollow in his chest roiled.

He'd decided. He would take them under his wing once they got out of here. Naming something meant you got to keep it, right?
Ink knew that Dream at least would object- he was always saying that Ink wasn't even responsible enough to care for a cactus. But it hadn't been his fault Spiky had perished! The plant had simply ended up in one of those ever-changing rooms of Ink's abode, and he'd only found it months later-

Anyway. He'd created countless worlds, playing guardian for a while would be a breeze!
Perhaps it was the fact that the other had, by the looks of it, been in this white space for a long time, just like Ink. He found he could relate to the little confused being. And just like those colors had shown him his feelings, he could show Blotchy the wonders of the world!

"Once you're out of here, we can introduce you to the council," Ink told Blotchy.
"They are what protects the whole multiverse. Not as much as me, obviously, since I'm the original creator. But I can't be everywhere all the time! They help me, so everyone can be as safe as we can make it. And there are certainly a lot of worlds to cover. But we are up to the task!"

"Can I see them? Those... worlds I mean?"

"Sure! As long as someone's with you, or when you learn to protect yourself. There are many bad guys out there too, and those you have to be wary of."

The little skeleton's brows furrowed. Then they declared: "Then I'm gonna be the baddest! No one's gonna mess with me if I'm stronger than everyone!" They said this with all the conviction of a child deciding they wanted to be president when they grow up.

Pfff.
It was honestly endearing?
Even if it wasn't quite correct. Ink would have to read up on some guides on how to handle kids in situations like this.
"No that's not how it works," he tried. "Look- you don't need to be the strongest if you have me and my friends to protect you, right?"

"I guess," Blotchy pouted. Adorably. It brought out those big eye sockets behind those childishly round glasses-

"You won't ever leave me, right?"

The question startled Ink. For all that he fashioned himself as a guardian and protector... truth was, he did most of his work from afar. He had a few close friends he saw regularly, and worlds he patrolled. But he'd never... actually taken direct responsibility for someone before. And suddenly, it felt strangely daunting, like there was a weight to holding another's life so close, so completely.
He found himself wanting to reassure them. Tell them that whatever happened, he would be there.

"Of course not. I promise to look out for you from now on, alright?"

"Alright!" They smiled again, so hopeful and sweet.

Oh dear Fate, he needed a distraction or he'd throw up ink again. That would surely freak them out, and he strangely found himself apprehensive of doing that. "Oh, over there! Dream's coming back."

Indeed, the golden skeleton was walking up to them, phone held loosely in his hand.

"I couldn't actually get it to work, no matter what I tried. We'll just have to try our luck and hope no-one jumps us for bringing in an unregistered entity." Oh man, signature verification was such a pain! Nevermind the fact that it was a measure intended to catch those that thought they could force a member of the council to teleport them in.
"Oh, don't worry. Once they see me, they'll back off. There's nothing the amazing Ink can't handle!"

"You've been hanging out with Blue too much. Soon you'll dress in just armor and bandanna."

Ink snickered at the good-natured teasing. Sounded like Dream was ready to forgive him for dragging him away from his patients!

He stood up, dismissing the pillow and stretching 'til satisfaction. Then he turned around and held out his hand to Blotchy. They looked at it wearily.
"What's the hold-up, little buddy?"

"... I think touching hurts," they mumbled.

Huh... "Then we can just do it this way." Ink took Broomie from his back, flipping the brush and offering the handle first. They bit their lips, but grabbed hold of the wood and let themselves be lifted.

He directed them to clutch his shirt, getting a last look at their trusting eyes looking up at him and feeling his chest twist. He swung his brush, spreading his inky portal on the floor once more and gathering Dream to his side.

They jumped-

the world jumped-

the world heaved-

-----

YOU SHALL NOT PASS

IT IS NOT THE TIME

NOT TIME YET

THIS IS NOT HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO GO

DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD GET AWAY WITH IT?

----

Through a jumble of stinging pain, white glitches obscuring his vision, Ink found himself spat out onto the hard floor of the Anti-Void.

He groaned. For a moment he contemplated just laying there until the feeling of bruises on in his bones went away.

Then he remembered- Blotchy!

He leaped up - there was Dream, a bit worse for wear but moving - no Blotchy.

He whirled around, searching- but the skeleton stayed gone.

He whirled back, only to come face to face with Error.

Ink stood frozen, and Error seemed equally surprised. He made no move in any case.
But Blotchy-
He growled at the only one who could possibly be at fault.
"Error! What did you do! You freaking heartless murderer-"

"Ink?"

"Dream, stay back!"
His friend gathered himself, standing up warily. Ink moved to shield him. His bones burtn with an unfamiliar urgency.

"What happened, we were just with the little- oh. Oh dear."

"Yes, 'oh'. Error did something to Blotchy! We have to-" "Ink! Stop." Dream rushed closer, firmly grasping Ink's shoulders.

What the heck? What was Dream playing at? He twisted in the grip.

"Dream, let me go!"

"Ink, for as many of your problems as he's responsible for, this is not one of them!"

"What do you mean?! The little one was right there one moment, poof, vanished the next. He must be responsible somehow!"

"Normally I would agree! But there's nothing we can do here. I don't want to believe it either, but I figured it out."

"Figured out what?"

"Ink... just- That skeleton... wasn't just anyone." It seemed like it actually pained Dream to say this. Ink frantically glanced between him and the bewildered-looking Error. "We must have somehow gone back... the Anti-Void has always been strange... we must have landed too far back in its time-stream."

"What the heck are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

"What I mean to say, Ink... That skeleton..." Dream hesitated, then: "He was Error."

White-hot shock swirled in his chest.

Ink didn't comprehend.

"Ha. Haha, that's not a very funny joke, Dream!"

"Ink..."

"No. No! You can't tell me that- that that innocent skeleton is Error, of all people! He didn't look fit to harm a fly!"
A jerk, and finally he was free. Ink stumbled- away from Dream, away from Error.

"And yet, his magical signature is the same. His emotional aura was not as developed, but it was there. Ink, you spent time with him. You must have realized-"

"No! I don't believe what you're saying!"

And yet.

Deep in the yawning pit that passed for his soul, Ink knew it to be true.

He was a god of creation. Now that Error was there, he could see the way he was built, the glaring similarities in their make-up.

He choked.

Oh god. He'd sympathized with Error. He'd sat with Error like it was teatime with friends and he'd even let him touch Broomie-

No. That wasn't right either.
Error hadn't been Error.

Not as he'd known him.

There was an unfathomable gap between the murderous glitch he knew and the- the child that had stirred his feelings so. Missing pieces, untold eons of actions and memories.

Error before he was Error.

Ink just didn't know... how?
How had it happened?

What would cause Blotchy to become so completely lost? He seemed nothing like that merciless killer-

It hurt. It twisted his whole being somewhere deep, somewhere he'd thought too dead and nonexistent to ever be touched.

The knowledge that it was his fated enemy that had once been so docile and sweet, made the pain only worse.

All those little parallels.
The poor eyesight. The blotchy bones, already on their way to that distinctive coloration. The fear of touch.

He should have realized it sooner.

The skeleton he had found camaraderie with... was undeniably Error. A version of him from who knew how far in the past.

And he had never encountered him again until their first fight.

Oh...

...

Perhaps that was the hardest part to swallow.

The knowledge that his casual promise of protection and company, made in good faith, had been doomed to be broken with no chance given.

They could never have been friends. Everything had already happened: Ink and Error had been enemies for eons now.

It had all been just a cruel lie from the start.

Ink fell through a paint portal and fled.

_____-_-*"-—"*-_-_____

Current Error is very confused, for the record.
And yes. Dream is now stranded with him. Have fun explaining that, Dream...

Other relevant information: In my version of the fgod-multiverse, Ink never encountered Cross in his destroyed AU. So this is the first time he finds someone like that.

This was surprisingly difficult to write... I hope you liked it anyway.

Also, blame real life for the long wait.

Next oneshot is another part of 'Showing true colors'! Some more shenaningans to combat all this angst :P