The Secret

by Hermes187

For a long time, Error and Ink have battled each other in an endless dispute between creation and destruction. But after certain events occurred, the new experience they both had together caused a new relationship to be born between them. And so, a secret was created.

Introduction

For a long time, Error and Ink have battled each other in an endless dispute between creation and destruction.

But after certain events occurred, the new experience they both had together caused a new relationship to be born between them.

And so, a secret was created.

In an alternate universe called ButtonTale, the Skeleton brothers became orphans after the death of their father, Gaster. As a result, Papyrus being the older brother as he was, was forced to take on a father figure role as he focused all his time on working to support both himself and his younger brother, Sans. By being exposed to such responsibility even at such a young age, this eventually turned Papyrus into someone who was always busy, tired and stressed, thus hindering the brothers' relationship that was already not good after the loss of Gaster.

Due to this situation of not having a father and an absent brother most of the time, Sans grew up as a lonely and depressed child, especially when moving to a new house where he was unfamiliar with the new neighborhood. But eventually the little skeleton discovered a secret door in his new home, a door that led him to a world where everything was seemingly perfect. His father was still alive, his brother had all the time in the world to play with him, and the new neighborhood was fun and friendly. There was only one thing though, they all had buttons for eyes.

Inevitably Sans discovered that this new world he discovered was not so perfect, and those who lived there were not his real family and friends. Secrets began to be uncovered as other children who also lived unhappy lives were drawn into this strange world, only to never return thanks to the actions of a creature that controlled this prison disguised as paradise. And in confronting such a creature, a game was begun.

The wager would be, should Sans succeed in finding what was lost, namely his brother and the eyes from the children who had failed before him, he would win and could then return to his world. But if he lost, then he would be forever trapped in this dimension and would have the same fate as the ghost children who had buttons for eyes. And that would be the standard story of this alternate universe with several different timelines.

In some timelines, Sans defeated the strange creature and managed to escape with everyone safe, while in other timelines, the little skeleton failed in his mission and became another victim. But in one particular timeline, the events that would determine whether this world would have a happy ending or not were still in progress, but both the strange creature and Sans did not know that while their game was being played, an even more important battle was taking place far away.

Four individuals who could be considered the most famous in the multiverse were in the midst of a frantic and tense combat as this was a battle where allies were becoming enemies as the fight progressed.

Dream being the guardian of positivity aims to save as many alternate universes as possible from tragic endings, not only the universes themselves but also all those living in the respective universe. His job here was to help Sans win the game and return safely, as well as having the assurance that this world would survive.

As Dream's ally, Ink, the guardian of the AU's, also aims to save this universe, but the artist did not share his colleague's concern for saving the inhabitants of this place. Although Ink cares about the alternate universes made by the creators and aims to keep them safe, those who inhabit these same universes are just a detail without much priority in the artist's eyes. So helping Sans win the game against the strange creature was only a minor detail.

This clash of ideals was always a matter of discussion between the pair, Dream was ready to sacrifice the universe in exchange for the safety of the natives living there, while Ink is the exact opposite, someone who would without hesitation sacrifice all the innocent lives of a place just to save the universe itself. In this battle, they started out as allies, but now invisible sparks were caused whenever their gazes met.

Confronting the duo of the Star Sans was Nightmare who wanted to create his kingdom based on negativity and therefore needed to make sure that the main events that make up the history of an alternate universe have the worst possible ending. The King of Nightmares was the first to arrive in this ButtonTale timeline intending to cause Sans' defeat in the game he was currently playing, where the little skeleton was oblivious to the whole mess. But he was soon interrupted by his brother, and things only escalated from that point on.

Last but not least, Error was the simplest to have his intentions understood. The glitch sought nothing less than the complete destruction of this universe and all the anomalies that existed there. The end result of the game that Sans participated in did not matter to the destroyer, since he planned to destroy both Sans and Papyrus and the strange creature with buttons instead of eyes, as well as everything that existed in this timeline.

In many circumstances in the past, Nightmare joined forces with the destroyer to ensure that his brother Dream would not succeed in saving some alternate universe, but like Ink and Dream, this troublesome duo often had a conflict of ideals. Although Nightmare sought to cause suffering, humans and monsters needed to be alive for this to occur, so working together with a maniac who wished for the extinction of any life form that he deemed unworthy of living got in the way of his main goal, and Error had the view that virtually the entire multiverse was a pile of filthy glitchs that should be exterminated. Because of this, these two were not exactly allies in this battle and could hit the other in the back at any time.

The standard for moments like this tended to be the classic combination in battle where Dream would face his brother and Ink would fight his arch enemy Error, but for every rule there is an exception. Currently Error was floating in the air as he was leaning on his strings while firing attacks at Dream, who in turn fired back with shots from his bow but soon changed to a more aggressive approach with his two daggers into which his golden staff could also transform. Meanwhile Ink and Nightmare fought each other in a short range fight, Ink moved with speed and grace in his trained movements against the tentacles of the guardian of negativity, who in turn became increasingly irritated whenever his opponent's ink hit him, because of the special conditions of his body the ink was not able to cause him considerable damage, but served to slow him down and prolong even more this battle that lost its value every minute.

At one point, Nightmare paid attention to all the destruction around them, and as a result of this fight that had been going on for some time, several victims perished amidst the crossfire, mainly because of Error who somehow still managed to find time to control his strings to the surroundings and eliminate anyone who approached them. Annoyed by this, one of Nightmare's tentacles grabbed the foot of the glitch that remained in the air with the help of his strings, and with all the strength he could muster, he hurled Error against the ground, fracturing a few bones in the process. A small laugh from the artist erupted as he witnessed this scene, but it was ignored by everyone.

- Enough of your petty destruction, you may have forgotten but only those who are alive can suffer. - As soon as he said this, The King of Nightmares turned his attention back to Ink, thus ignoring the fallen destroyer next to him.

Incomprehensible glitch noises came in Error's voice as his vision was blinded by the "Error" messages appearing in his eyes, but such a state only lasted a few seconds. After standing up, the destroyer decided not to pay any more attention to his former opponent and focused on his new target. Blinded by rage, numerous Blasters appeared and without hesitation attacked the guardian of negativity at once, destroying much of his defense provided thanks to his extra limbs, thus opening an opening for Ink to make a more lethal attack with his red ink that caused burning effects. Dream also decided to take advantage of this moment and changed his target to his brother, by quickly shortening the distance between them, the guardian of positivity hit him with his two daggers wrapped in his aura of positivity which caused a great damage to his opponent, hindering his regeneration thanks to the aura of positivity sheathed in the blades. Regaining his rationality as he calmed down a bit, the glitch realized that this was probably the best opportunity to take one of the players off the game, so the destroyer joined the Star Sans duo in attacking Nightmare from a distance while mocking him.

Being shot at from all sides, Nightmate's patience had reached its limit, but thanks to the sudden surge of hatred within him, he had enough strength to regenerate completely and with that, he violently attacked with his four tentacles blindly in an attempt to gain some space to escape. When it finally managed to gain some distance between itself and its attackers, The King of Nightmares muttered something incomprehensible before disappearing wrapped in its black goo substance. Even for Nightmare, a single timeline from a single random alternate universe wasn't worth that much effort.

But before Dream had a chance to celebrate, blue strings wrapped around his mace-shaped soul and forced him to fight his colleague, Ink. As much as the guardian of positivity tried to resist, the control coming from the glitch's fingers through the strings was not something Dream could fight against. Having danced this fight together several times before, Error knew how to control his newly acquired puppet in a safe manner so that his strings would not be hit by Ink's magic and thus nullified as had happened so many times in the past. Once again the battle found itself at a stalemate as the artist focused more on defense through his ink shields.

A few minutes later, all three monsters gained several new injuries and were panting from the exhaustion provided by a long fight, especially Dream who was suffering even more from all the negativity generated in this AU. Eventually the guardian of the AU's finally managed to free his ally from the destroyer's strings, but Dream was no longer in a condition where he could continue fighting due to the countless injuries on his body.

- Dream, I'm sorry but there's nothing more you can do here, you better back off now. - Said Ink as he knelt down beside his wounded companion. Although the duo didn't always have the same goals, it didn't change the fact that they were still allies.

- But what about you? - Making an effort to change his gaze to Error who was approaching the two, it was possible to see a malicious smile of superiority that disgusted the guardian. - Are you going to be okay alone against him?

- Don't worry, how many times do you think we have fought each other? The most important thing is that you recover now. - And not wanting to waste any more time with a useless argument, the artist created a puddle of ink on the floor and pushed Dream through it before he had a chance to protest further.

- And as always, in the end things always come down to just the two of us. It would be poetic if you didn't always get in the way of my work. - Pulling new strings from his eye sockets, the destroyer assumed a battle stance with a smile that exuded pride.

- I could say the same glitchy, with the amount of times we cross paths even with a multiverse as large as this one, it seems like you are stalking me. It would be romantic if you didn't try to kill me almost every time we see each other. - His words didn't sound like he was complaining about this fact, quite the contrary in fact. You could see excitement in Ink's eyes as he enjoyed this moment more and more.

And without further ado, the battle resumed, but this time with only two members. The already destroyed scenery expanded with new craters, the results of the destroyer's Gasters Blasters, as well as the entire environment was stained with puddles of paint and blue strings that lost their magical effect.

As they attacked, taunts could be heard from both of them and considering their expressions, it was undeniable the fact that they were having fun in their own way. Unlike the battles between negativity and positivity of the guardians of emotions that always made the two brothers tense, the confrontations of the destroyer against the artist had a very different aspect. Between destroying and protecting, there was something else in the eyes of the two responsible for this deadly dance, some kind of desire that only appeared to be understood and possible to be satiated by each other. However, it was inevitable that fatigue would take its toll at some point and interrupt the pair from continuing their strange relationship.

- I think that's enough for today glitchy, you can barely stand up. - Even though his condition wasn't much different, Ink still liked to pick on his opponent.

- Making excuses to run away Inky? I still have the strength to destroy this useless and worthless pile of codes you call the universe. - And with a gesture of his hand, a portal with the source code of the AU they were in is opened, but before Error could do anything, a figure appears right behind him.

Using one of the several puddles of paint scattered on the floor as a means of teleportation, Ink emerged with his brush in hand and quickly wrapped his enemy in ropes made of paint, thus immobilizing him. With one swift movement a portal made of ink was created on the ground and the destroyer was thrown through it unable to even react. The last thing that could be heard was some swearing involving rainbows, but the artist paid no attention to this last part.

- The bogeyman has been defeated, the sensitive boy is not here to lecture me, the grumpy boy has been stopped for the time being, and the AU is safe. My work here is done, even though this place is a little damaged everything should be fine. - Said Ink, amidst the hundreds of dust piles of monsters that perished amidst the chaos and countless debris of the destroyed city. The next scene was of the artist disappearing through another of his portals.

Sans was still trapped in the other world playing a game of survival against a strange and terrifying being, but regardless of whether he won and then gained his freedom or lost and remained trapped in that world, his universe would forever be marked by the battle of four individuals whom Sans didn't even know existed. And his adventure that could cost him his life, was nothing more than a tool for some, entertainment for others, and a huge mistake of creation for a certain glitch.

In any case, the final outcome of ButtonTale was going to be decided in a natural way without the intervention of third parties. But far away from there, in an AU forgotten by almost the entire multiverse, a continuation of the events that unfolded in this universe was taking place.

In a certain genocidal timeline from UnderFell, the underground became a completely empty place devoid of life thanks to the actions of the murderous child. But this AU was never going to reboot and return to normal since the human's soul was captured by the destroyer and confined forever in the Anti-Void, but unlike the glitch's usual behavior, he didn't proceed to finish his work and then destroy this world. He just walked away, purposely leaving this empty AU untouched, and there was a reason for that.

Currently at the home of the now deceased skeleton brothers, Ink was sitting on the couch in the living room as he used some of his small paintbrushes to heal himself from the injuries that came from the recent battle. All his attention was focused on finishing repairing his body so the artist barely noticed when the door to the house was opened and Error entered the house.

Under normal circumstances, when these two monsters are in each other's presence, a fight immediately breaks out, but this time Error just limped over to the other end of the couch where the artist was and sat down. For the next few minutes both did not make eye contact or utter a single word. The only sound that could be heard was the light, small brush being used by the guardian of the AU's. When he finished healing himself, Ink finally decided to break the silence.

- So, you want me to patch you up too? - An amused smile could be seen on the artist's face, as if he already knew why Error waited patiently.

- Make it quick. - Said the destroyer as he extended his fractured arm from Nightmare's blow to Ink, but even then he still refused to make eye contact and just stared at nothing as he waited for the work to be done.

Despite the rude and cold response, Ink didn't seem to mind and soon began his treatment with the help of his brushes. And although Error still acted like a sulky child, the physical contact didn't seem to bother him to the extent that the destroyer just silently accepted the artist's gentle touches.

- I should be used to this by now, but I can't help thinking that this is always an unusual scene. Imagine what the others would think if they saw me treating you, I would pay to see Nightmare's reaction. - Laughing as he imagined this scene, Ink accidentally pressed a little too hard on Error's bruises, causing the glitch to spasm slightly from the pain and reflexively punch the artist in the face, but Ink was quick enough to deflect and then return to his task as if nothing had happened.

- Well, that would destroy his image of me probably. - Confirming that Ink wouldn't try anything funny again, the destroyer settled into his seat once more. - But the same goes for you, how would the dream boy react if he saw two rivals, one of them being a close friend, relating in this way?

- A friend? Maybe, but close? Never, I could write a book of things he doesn't know about me, our relationship would be just one item in a long list.

- You are a horrible person, do you know that, Inky?

- Coming from the greatest murderer in the multiverse, that's a compliment, glitchy.

There was a short pause of a few seconds between the two, where both did not speak and just stared at each other defiantly as if they were teasing each other in a contest of who would look away first. But in this little contest they both lost when they started laughing at the same time, and soon after Ink went back to his work of healing Error but this time moving to the other arm, in which the glitch gave in without showing any resistance.

And once again silence fell between the two, but just like before it didn't take long for one of them to speak up, this time being Error who decided to start the dialog.

- Do you remember how this started? How it all started?

- Are you referring to when we first met? Although my memory is bad, yes I remember. When I met you, Error, it was...

- Hate at first sight. - They both said at the same time.

- I mean, I went to so much trouble to help and encourage the creators to create that AU and suddenly you came along and destroyed it like it was nothing. And this has been repeated how many times? - Despite the annoyance in his voice, Ink this time did his best to control his strength and not hurt Error during the treatment.

- The feeling was mutual, it was not pleasant at all to meet one of the people responsible for all the garbage scattered throughout the universe. And old habits die hard because even today you try to protect these stupid anomalies.

- Honestly, for a long time we couldn't live together without throw in each other's throats. Until that day in OuterTale. - Chuckling softly, any trace of the annoyance in Ink's voice that he had been feeling until just now disappeared and was replaced by a slight euphoria. - Never would I have guessed that the AU's destroyer liked to make little dolls.

- They are puppets, not dolls. - Error corrected in a tone of indignation, as if to say that he made little dolls was a slander and an attack on his person. - I finally had some peace on my own without Nightmare or that damned parasite bothering me, and then who comes along? The culprit for me going to so much trouble to eliminate the filthy glitchs scattered all over the multiverse.

- Even I like a break now and then to put my thoughts in order, but I usually do this in HavenTale, I don't know why I chose OuterTale that day. It is strange to think that a choice as small as that, if it were to be changed then it would result in us no longer being here together now. - Shifting his target from the glitch arm to other parts of his body, the artist continued. - I almost attacked you the moment I saw you, thinking you would destroy that universe, but to my surprise, there you were, peacefully creating something.

- And my peace ended the moment your interrogation started. But it was an interesting experience, it was the first time we had been together for so long without fighting. But until then I still hated you. - Ink found the forced expression of annoyance that Error was making cute, as if he was watching a child who was doing his best not to laugh. But he decided not to say anything and let the glitch keep talking. - It was only after a few encounters like this that I decided that it was not impossible to live with you, even though I know that on certain issues we will never agree.

- Ha glitchy, so you mean you love me now? - Ink's provocation earned him a middle finger from the destroyer, but it was worth it because of the rare sight of Error blushing at something the artist said. - You know I gain and lose interest in things quite often, but for some reason I could never lose interest in you because I was always learning something new. Because inside this grumpy monster who always seems to be in a bad mood, there is actually someone with feelings. - Ink paused when he noticed the irony in what he said, since he was someone who always seemed to be smiling and happy, but himself had no real feelings, and was thus the complete opposite of Error.

- We have already talked about this Inky, you do feel emotions, in a different way than the others, but you do. If you were really someone totally devoid of emotions, you wouldn't even care about this. - If there was a prize for the most unfeeling Sans, Error had a good chance of winning the competition, but even someone like him didn't like it when Ink acted despondent because of his special soulless condition. - And most importantly, if you were someone as empty as some think, you wouldn't have risked your life to save me from that incident.

Even without Error saying in detail which incident he was referring to, Ink knew very well the situation the glitch was referring to. There was a time when the destroyer made the mistake of trying to eliminate Geno's life inside the Save Screen, a place where it was not possible to kill someone, and Error learned from this in the worst possible way. For as a result of his actions, the most broken and insane Sans in the multiverse was born, Fatal Error, and one of his greatest desires was the complete elimination of his creator, Error the destroyer of AU's.

That was a battle that should have ended with Error's death, since not all his battle experience and tricks seemed to be able to save him from the most fearsome Sans he had ever seen in his entire life, and the only reason he didn't perish that day was because of some help from someone the glitch never thought he would receive, Ink the guardian of the AU's. Although they had some peaceful encounters in the past, it didn't change the fact that they still fought daily always putting their respective lives on the line for what they believed was right, so having the help of the one who was supposed to be their greatest enemy left a deep mark on Error's soul.

That day, destroyer and guardian fought side by side against a common enemy, a code-shaped aberration that could barely be called Sans, and in the end the duo emerged victorious. Because of this event, Error and Ink's relationship changed forever and had a great impact on the scene currently taking place where both were sitting side by side in a situation where the artist slowly healed someone who constantly hindered his role in protecting the alternate universes.

- After that day, things between us got... a little strange.

- Strange is our last name Ink. - Error's comment made both of them laugh a little, but Ink continued with a serious expression right afterwards.

- Yes but I mean, our peaceful encounters have become more frequent but otherwise we continue to fight with the intent to protect and destroy as if nothing happened. - Once again, Ink shifted his focus to another part of the destroyer's body with the intention of healing it, thus almost finishing his work. - And I think this is where things got more serious because, well Error...

- I couldn't stop thinking about you. - Again, the pair of Sans spoke at the same time, but this time they both blushed a little.

- We probably had, or still have, the strangest relationship of friends and enemies. - The glitch tried to disguise his nervousness in his voice and look as he tried once again to avoid eye contact, an action in which he failed miserably.

- Yes, although I wouldn't use the word "friends" but something else. - Said Ink as he paused briefly in his treatment to examine Error's body. Looking at the shapes the artist's eyes took, it was easy to imagine the kind of desire he was feeling, which the destroyer pretended not to have noticed. But such a moment only lasted an instant as he regained his focus on his task and continued to speak. - Nothing like a life-and-death battle to bring people together, I guess.

- Ink, why did you save me that time? - The artist expected some further comment from the glitch after the question, in a futile attempt to find a loophole to dodge the questioning. An opportunity that never arose.

- Would you be satisfied with the answer where I just say that it seemed like the right thing to do?

- That it seemed like the right thing to do to help the person most guilty of the headaches you feel while doing your damn job of protecting the AU's? No.

- I figured... - Scratching his head, Ink tried to find the right words to express what he felt at that moment. - I don't know, Error, we were still in a stage of our mega-strange relationship where I was still discovering new things about you. So to see you die so suddenly... just the thought of it, bothered me deeply. In short, I didn't want to lose you glitchy. - Not long after saying this, the artist finally finished his work and stood up as he put away his equipment. - And this is why I don't like questions like this, because of the awkward atmosphere that always arises soon afterwards.

- It's just that this is a question that always pops into my mind from time to time. Sorry to be a little clueless about this kind of thing, you know that socializing is not my strong point.

- Clueless is our first name. - Referring to what Error had said earlier, the pair managed to relieve some of the tension of the moment with a slight laugh. - Now that we no longer look like two cracked skeletons, what do you want to do in the meantime? By the way, nice choice of AU for our dates, never that someone would find us in a forgotten timeline like this.

- Honestly, I just wanted to have some time alone to rest with you. - It took a considerable amount of time for Error to get comfortable with Ink's touches, but even then the artist made sure not to overdo it and make sure the glitch knew when he was going to be touched. So to witness Error initiating physical contact by holding his hand of his own free will was a pleasant surprise. - It's already getting dark, let's go upstairs.

Obediently, Ink followed Error with their hands clasped together to the stairs and from there to the bedroom. Once there, still a little hesitantly, they both lay down on the bed next to each other, comfortably feeling all the tension and fatigue in their bodies slowly fade away as they found the position they liked most.

- This is much better than sleeping on the floor in the Anti-Void. - Commented Error.

- Just for the mattress or also for who is with you? - Turning his body to get a better view of the destroyer, once more Ink's eyes sparkled with a certain desire.

- Both.

Then, a scene that would make the entire multiverse gape with open mouths occurred. Two monsters that couldn't be more opposite and were endowed with a great rivalry in which they were in constant life-and-death fights, began to exchange caresses with each other willingly.

- Enemies by day, lovers by night? - Commented the glitch again, this time smiling as he experienced the pleasant physical contact with the only individual in whom he could bear such action.

- I couldn't put our relationship in better words. By the way I am proud of how well you are overcoming your phobia, I remember the first time I tried to kiss you. You...

- I rebooted for almost an hour, yes I remember, mostly because you never let me forget it. - Error retorted with a light stab to the artist's forehead, which earned a few laughs from the guardian. - At such times that your memory should fail, it doesn't, you bastard.

- Hard to forget anything that involves you.

And once again, the caressing began, but this time it didn't stop so easily as Error positioned himself above Ink. The night was just beginning and no one would seek these two out so quickly after the confrontation that took place in ButtonTale, giving the couple all the time they needed to enjoy each other in an almost forbidden relationship.

For Error and Ink at the moment, the rest of the multiverse ceased to exist and all that mattered was their partner's satisfaction. The war to control over the AU's involving positivity against negativity or even their own intrigues between destruction and creation were totally gone from the minds of the lovers sharing the same bed. Destroyer and guardian only had eyes for each other in this instant.

And in this timeline from UnderFell whose fate doomed to never have a happy ending, a small fragment of happiness could be found in the arms of two rivals who completed each other in their own way.

A few days later in a newly created AU, a monster covered in glitches was causing chaos by destroying everything around it. Its laughter could be heard amidst the cries of the innocent, cries that failed to cause any hint of a single trace of mercy in the mad destroyer. But his actions were interrupted when through a portal made of paint, a new monster appeared with star-shaped eyes.

Quickly this new intruder in this alternate universe collided against the culprit for all the destruction that was striking this place.

- You are not allowed to have fun without me Error. - Ink shouted as he swung his big brush firmly at the glitch strings that were holding hostage several innocent people nearby, thus freeing them.

- You're late damn squid, I'm almost done eliminating the anomalies from this filthy place. - The destroyer showed no annoyance at having his genocide interrupted. On the contrary, he smiled as if Ink's arrival was what he had been waiting for all this time.

With just a glance, both decided to let their actions do the talking instead of their words, and so another one of the countless fights between them began.

The relationship that Error and Ink shared was made of ups and downs, being composed of many intense moments, whether on the battlefield or in the comfort of each other's arms within the four walls.

This was a secret that only the duo shared with each other, and that was all they needed and wanted. This was the life that the guardian and the destroyer chose.

Observations

For those who don't know, ButtonTale is an AU created from the mixture of Underswap and the book Coraline (which also has a movie). This is one of my favorite alternative universes, so for those who are more interested in it, below is tumblr and a video to get a better idea of what it is about:

watch?v=weFr9q1Xvow

What gave me the idea to make an action scene involving Error, Ink, Nightmare and Dream was the image of this video below, so I think it's only fair to post it as well:

watch?v=7t_Lypvp_CU

This was the first fanfic involving a ship I've ever done, and it will probably be the last too. Ship is not exactly something that calls my attention but I decided to make an exception this time because I thought the concept of "Enemies by day and lovers by night" was really cool, I thought it fit well involving Error and Ink in the middle of it. Although I'm not sure if it's was good.

Well, I'd like to thank those who read this story and follow me since the first fanfic I wrote, "A New Creator". I have an idea for another fanfic, which I have no idea when I will post it, but if you like my stories so far, please stay tuned until I post the next one.