Undertale, perhaps one of the most popular games to have come out in the year 2015. Starting as a small project in need of, at the very least, $5,000 to get started, ended up growing enough popularity for people to have donated up to more than $50,000 on its Kickstarter. The game turned out to be a success and Toby Fox had become a memorable name among indie gamers and Youtubers all across the globe.
The game had created its own family, in a sort of way. Players and fans alike came together online to show their love for the game's wonderful characters, compelling gameplay and its incredible story. As of this chapter's draft and release, Undertale will turn 5 years old on September 15, 2019. Other newer games have come out since Undertale's release, namely popular titles such as Bendy and the Ink Machine and Cuphead, as well as Undertale's sister game, Deltarune. Those who have been in the Undertale fandom have no doubt moved on to other games or shows. Some of us might've even come back to the fandom if only for a while because of the nostalgia pulling us in again.
But when you thin it down to the point, we, as a family, are falling apart. Dying, as we term it on the internet. In a few more years, maybe only a handful of us will remember to come back. We'd come back to relive everything, pretending to forget what we already know. We'll pretend to forget who created what AU and we'll pretend to forget what happens at the end of every possible route. We'll forget to forget the tune to our favorite melodies and what secrets lie in the game's files.
And perhaps, we'll stop fueling the game's popularity until only one person remembers it.
Let's think about this situation in terms of our lovely creations. Undertale, in its entirety, is commonly known as the Original. So long as it exists, the plentiful alternate universes live on as they are. Throw Ink into the mix. We'll officially start from right here.
His head was pounding... Where was he? Why was it so bright? Ink opens his eye sockets only to squint right after. He had to look at his surroundings through his fingers before he'd become adjusted to the light.
He was in his Doodle Sphere. The golden color was unmistakable.
"Ugh, how long was I out for?" He sits up, rubbing his skull where his temples would be with great force. There was a sudden slam, like a door being closed angrily.
"Oh, you're finally awake. I was beginning to think this job was getting too easy." A familiar glitchy voice was heard on a distant island. It was Error, another Sans copy hellbent on destroying every filthy anomaly in the multiverse. From the looks of the island, he had just stepped out of the "PJ's Daycare" universe, binding its door shut with his strings.
"That doesn't answer my question, Error." Ink stands himself up with a huff. It felt disorienting, like he hadn't been on his feet in ages.
"Well, I didn't hear your question." The color-inverted skeleton retorts with sass. With a snap of his fingers, the island was reduced to ashes, leaving only the souls of the monsters who lived in that AU. They were all white in color, the majority of them being small since most of the monsters were "kindergarten" versions. They were all tied up in similar strings.
"How long was I asleep for? And what do you think you're doing?!" Ink adds on his second question after getting past his dizziness, finally realizing what his proclaimed nemesis was doing.
"To answer your first question, how am I supposed to know? It's not like time follows through with logic's rules around here." Error scopes the Doodle Sphere for more inactive universes to dispose of. "And I'm doing my job, what's it look like?"
"But we had a truce, didn't we?" Ink hasn't moved from his island and is instead watching Error go along with his business without trying to stop him.
"Sure, in some other timeline or story. Honestly, do you even know what we do anymore?" Even though he had phrased the question rhetorically, it was also a genuine one. It's been forever since he and Ink had to be involved in anything potentially "dangerous".
"Has it been that long? All I've been doing is... nothing?" Ink scratches his head. Was he missing something? Or was Error not going to tell him something?
"Pretty much. Everything's been boring, so I've gone back to work. So many of these are going unchecked, I was getting suspicious. You would've at least done something to keep these abominations active and interesting by now." Error floats over to his next island, "Nerd and Jock".
Ink watches Error open the door which oddly looked like a school locker, step in and come back a few seconds later. The door was encased in strings, the souls being sent off to Error's part of the anti-void. "See? Like that one. You would've inspired the creator to continue with their shipping fest of a storyline..." Error pretends to gag, remembering the teenage-centric versions of other Sanses.
"Wait," Ink perks up like a puppy finding bacon on the floor. "Repeat that last part."
Error rolls his eyes. "I know you have a short attention span, but this is getting ridiculous."
"Just say it again."
Error repeats himself through gritted teeth. "You would've inspired the creator to continue with their shipping fest of a storyline."
Ink blinks for a few seconds, his eyes changing shape and color while he did so. "They stopped...?"
Error looks at him with an obvious look. "Like I said, some of these worlds of yours have been long dead. Any more questions you want the clear answers to?"
"I'll be right back." Ink swipes at the ground of his island with his large paintbrush, jumping through the pool of paint into the Original Universe.
"Wha-"
It wasn't as bad as he had thought, but it could've been better. The world of Undertale seemed to have gone gray, like it was covered with dust after being left on a high shelf for who knows how long. Ink continued to tread along with caution. No one has spotted him yet, which might have been a good thing had it not been for the unsettling quiet atmosphere. Where were all the monsters? Was this a pacifist timeline and everyone was simply on the surface?
Teleporting around proved to be more unnerving. It was eerily silent from the Ruins to Hotland. Every puzzle and challenge was shut off, like there wasn't ever any intention to use them.
"What happened..." His voice came out a whisper.
"You done playing around, Smiley? What're you still doing here?" Ink freezes in his tracks. A monster's voice. Flowey's. "What's with the dumb get up? You and Frisk playing dress-up again?"
Ink tries his best to deepen his voice, cursing whoever thought it was a good idea to give him a slightly higher voice. "Hey Flowey. Shouldn't you be with the others on the Surface? It's just through here, if you're lost." He and Flowey were talking by the entrance to the barrier.
"Very funny." Flowey spits. "And what do you mean, 'on the Surface'? We've all been stuck at a PAUSE for almost five years now. Well, almost everyone's stuck. Naturally, you, me and Frisk are the only ones that don't apply to this game's rules." Ink pictures Flowey's face curling into an awful smile.
"Is that so? Thanks for reminding me." Ink's voice wavers, just a little.
"Did you really forget? Man, must be all those reset memories getting to you again." The flower mocks. He's had his fair deal of reset memories, but knowing him, he's too far gone in his own insanity to be affected by them.
"Flowey?" A most recognizable voice was heard from behind. It was deep and sounded tired.
"Huh?! But I thought-" Flowey looks back and forth between the two skeletons.
"Who are you?" But before the question could be answered, Ink had already left.
...
AU hopping was never an easy thing to do, but the adrenaline rush was enough to keep him going for a while. From universe to universe, everyone was stuck in time. Worlds stuck on hiatus or just simply left unfinished. There were alternates where there was simply no one but a Sans and the occasional Papyrus.
Gztale, Reapertale, Echotale, so many other universes going missing. So many dying or being erased. Is this what happens after five years of doing nothing? He never had to transport back to the Doodle Sphere so quickly in his life.
Teleporting back dropped Ink into the middle of a stringy battlefield. Error had been cleaning up around the place, no doubt. Looking up towards the "sky", Ink finally notices the slowly growing hole painting a small portion of the Doodle Sphere an uncomfortable white. It brought back biting memories he had kept locked up a long time ago. The headache was starting to come back...
"Back already? I'd ask you if you had fun, but you don't seem too happy at the moment." Error chuckles. The anti-void was beginning to look like a well decorated tree on Christmas Eve with how many souls he had been collecting.
"No, I'm perfectly fine!" Ink waves his hand by his face as if to shoo away Error's negativity. "I'm just a little alarmed at how quiet everything's become. I didn't know five years went by so quickly... I'm more bored if anything." Ink stands up, joining Error by his current island, an obscure AU that even he didn't know existed. "Let's have some fun, Error! Cause some trouble!"
Error backs up, suddenly startled by Ink's closeness and strange behavior. "Woah, back up. You, Ink, Protector of AUs, wants to cause trouble... why?" He points a finger at the skeleton questioningly.
"I'm bored!" Ink whines, dragging out the word "bored". "It's been basically five years since we've done anything interesting and I'm itching for some action!" Ink gives Error the best puppy dog look he can manage.
Error sighs heavily. "Fine, if it'll get you off my back afterwards." He looks over to see his nemesis with bright, starry eyes. Another sigh. "Stop doing that. Where to?"
Ink smiles. "Undertale. They already spotted me, so there isn't much of a point in hiding!"
From then on, the plan was hatched.
Side by side, the two skeletons walked around Undertale's True Lab, discussing whatever came to mind and interacting with the amalgamations. There was no need to be secretive when no one was around.
"So, you understand what's going on now right?"
Error nods. Ink had held a conversation with him longer than they usually would, so of course, he planned on listening this time. "Everyone's in a PAUSE because the creators stopped doing a bunch of stuff. That means your Doodle Sphere's dying. And... you aren't worried about that?"
Ink's face brightens up, jumping in front of Error excitedly. "Nope! Because I've come up with a solution! It'll be my biggest project yet."
"And that would be?" Error grimaces, thinking about how messy this project was going to be. It's going to take a lot out of him to get rid of it.
"Well, I haven't thought it up all the way yet, but I know I want to do something big! Something everyone will enjoy!" It felt unnatural for Ink to not have an idea in mind. Maybe it really was the lack of enthusiasm from the creators.
No matter! The author will surely think up of something. They just have to.