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In Dream’s castle, in a well furnished room, Ink sat alone in the dark on the cold hard floor. He mindlessly moved his hand tracing the floor tiles with a finger tip as he stared off into space.
It had been three days. Three days since it had happened. Three days since the multiverse had been brought to peace. Three days since Ink had killed Error
The memories flashed in his mind vividly, causing him to freeze. Error begging. Ink destroying. Blood everywhere, whose blood he didn’t know. At the end of it, Dream had found Ink laying next to Errors dust in stunned silence. Since that day, he had been caring for the protector.
The door leading into the room creaked open, letting a stream of light in. It was Dream. “Ink?” He called out timidly “I’m here to check on you.”
Bustling around, Dream picked up things and carefully stepped around Ink who had started tracing the tiles again. “I brought you dinner if you’re ready to eat” Dream told him placing a platter of beautifully prepared food on a table. “It would do you well to eat something…” he commented.
Ink had zero response, his white pinprick eyes drowning in empty black sockets showing no emotion.
Dream sighed and picked up a tray that had been from the previous day. The food on the tray has been untouched, but was spoiled due to being left out for hours. “I’m going to throw this one in the trash, ok?” Dream told Ink.
Moving to leave the room Dream looked over his shoulder. It broke his heart to see his friend like this. “Whenever you feel ready to talk, I’ll be here for you.”
The door shut with a soft click. Ink looked upwards to the door. Moving his hand into one of his deep pockets he pulled out an object.
A thick bundle of blue strings. Error strings. They had been wound into a heavy cord and bound up in a loop. Why he had saved these, he didn’t know…
Inks hands began to tremble looking down at the strings so he slipped them back into his pocket. Standing up carefully, he looked around.
His eyes caught sight of Broomie, his beloved paintbrush. Approaching Broomie he picked it up. He ran his hands along the handle, feeling all the niches, nicks, and dents it had amassed through the years. Setting Broomie back down, he turned and faced the door.
Taking mindless steps, he walked to the grand wood carved door and opened it. Heading out, he strode down the hallways as if in a trance.
Walking all the way till he was outside the castle then heading out into the woods.
It was dark, and rainclouds began to cover the sky, blotting out any potential moonlight.
The creator wandered in the trees for a while, thinking, pondering, reliving excruciating memories.
Suddenly he stoped near the edge of the woods close by to the castle.
There were two trees. One lush and living, it’s strong healthy branches supporting many leaves. Next to it was the stump of a dark pine tree. It looked so sad and barren next to the deciduous tree that was flourishing right next to it. Why was the leafy tree living when its brethren was dead? Didn’t the pine deserve a second chance? Maybe destroying was the only way the pine had ever learned before, and didn’t know how to change its ways? Maybe the leafy tree didn’t understand the pine? Maybe the leafy tree deserved to die too…
Looking upwards at the leafy tree, Ink once again pulled out the bundle of Errors strings, and set to work.
As he worked, the clouds began to shower down rain, as if the monotoned sky was weeping. The cold droplets soaked Ink.
His knotted creation was finished. A long thick rope with a loop on the end. Just big enough to go over his head. Using magic, he tied the rope to the end of the leafy tree’s sturdy branch. Climbing up onto the tall pine stump, he slipped the noose around his neck.
Up in the castle, Dream had noticed that Ink wasn’t in his room, and had decided to to wander the castle calling for the protector.
“Iiiiinnnk!! Ink! Ink!Sans where are you?! Ink-?”
He cut himself off, as he caught sight though one of the large arched windows, a dark figure standing upon a stump with a rope around their neck.
Ink looked up to the sky, the raindrops showing down on his face.
The thunder clapped. He took a step. A motionless body swinging in the storm.
A wailing scream. A broken-hearted friend. A sense of crippling grief.
The loud sound of mindless silence…