Summary: After eons of keeping a vital secret, two monster Error never intended to tell come across it by mere chance, and now the destroyer is caught in the crosshairs of these love-stricken fools. Every step he takes, every corner he turns, every place he visits ends with one haunting him.
If only he could figure out for himself what it is that they are trying to accomplish.
(Warning: This particular tale contains a multi-ship between Error, Reaper, and Nightmare.)
Secrets. Everyone had secrets- from big to small and minor to earth-shattering. Some examples being: Blueberry's deep loathing for Dream. The surprisingly well-hidden knowledge that Ink, the Multiverse's creator and guardian, had not even a sliver of a soul in his body. Nightmare, a Sans labeled by the ignorant as evil incarnate, loved his brother. And perhaps a cartoon containing a certain equine dreamwalker. The 90's virus terrorizing AUs was deathly afraid of Furbys. Sci believed extraterrestrial lifeforms or humans were trying to kidnap him. (As if the paranoid scientist didn't already sleep with one eye open. Monsters from everywhere in the Multiverse sought his vast knowledge and expertise; some more than willing to kidnap him to obtain it.) And, of course, Cross convinced himself that cheese was a conspiracy invented by cows in order to mind-control the populace. Weird? Yes, but a secret was a secret no matter how strange.
Speaking of abnormal secrets, the Muliverse's own Destroyer of AUs kept an arguably dangerous one. One that not even his closest allies knew about or even dared to consider. One that could put a target on the back of a reputable yet reclusive monster: Genocide.
He and Geno had a unique relationship. No, they were not brothers like some silently suspected. Their bond was much more complicated, much more connected. While both appeared to be drastically different - one a seemingly cold-hearted criminal and the other a moody but caring recluse, they shared many similarities; Like the same body and the same soul. In simpler terms, the two were not separate beings but, in fact, the very same person. That was Error's most coveted secret.
He lived a double life.
Half the time, he spent his days as the God of Destruction, eliminating any broken, corrupted, or virus-infected AUs; Managing the code in core AUs to prevent a collapse from occurring. Ink, unsurprisingly, did very little to keep them stable despite being their protector. Thus, leaving Error with an extra task. Not that the dark skeleton minded too much because, this way, he could better ensure the health of Aftertale, Underswap, Outertale, Undernovela, Reapertale, and Haventale (Nightmare's residence).
Aside from the aforementioned tasks, he took some time to hang around his fellow miscreants and aid them in their chores around the Multiverse. The Guardian of Negativity and his ragtag team of rejected Sanses were Error's favorite to visit. They knew when to be serious and when to have fun; And were far easier to get along with than 404, Fresh, or Infected. The glitch may not admit it, but he rather enjoyed Nightmare's company in their downtime and on the battlefield. Plus, operating with them worked in his favor more often than not. Together, they spread negativity and destruction in half the time it would take if they acted alone.
When work slowed and little needed completed, he wore a guise of his former self and returned to where monsters and humans knew him by a sole name: Genocide, the second Sans of Aftertale and bloody glitch of the Save Screen. He could relax and move about fearlessly during these times. Essentially, doing whatever he wanted (within reason) without being attack by righteous fools or framed for any crimes. It was like a break or vacation from his job. But, of course, being a known figure in the Multiverse, Geno had to make regular appearances to avoid suspicion from those closest to him. Especially from Reaper, who often came to visit the glitch after their first meeting. After (his second half), on the other hand, hardly visited as he and Geno did not see eye-to-eye on specific matters- i.e., condoning the destruction of timelines.
Currently, the God of Destruction stood on a cliff's edge surrounded by colorful novas and burning stars set in multi-shaded skies. The purple, light blue, and pink hues of which were an eye-catching wonder. No matter how many times Error saw them, his eyelights never failed to fixate on the expanse with never-ending awe. Behind him sat a dense forest of pine trees. Their close proximity to each other and far-reaching branches created a thick canopy of shadows perfect for hiding in. He would know, as the living barrier concealed his favorite stargazing spot and kept Outertale's residents from spotting him; only a select few knew the location existed. Stardin's citizens rarely ventured into the forest in fear of getting lost or tumbling off the very edge of their small, little world.
The Void was not something to be trifled with, after all. Once fallen in, one could not "fall" out. They were forever doomed to traverse an amaranthine space alongside those who had come before them.
As for who did know about the quaint, stargazing nook: Aside from Error himself, there existed solely three other souls that knew of the location and the magnificent view it overlooked. Those three being monsters the destroyer dared to hold close to his heart- Blue, Reaper, and Nightmare. The accursed trio wormed their way into his life - and into his withered soul - before he had a chance to stop them. Because, by the time he realized he held the slightest inkling of care for them, it was already too late. They became a friend/ally.
Not that he could get rid of them if he wanted to. The three skeletons shared an aggravating trait, stubbornness. Something that Error himself was very guilty of possessing. And expressing. Regularly.
Cosmic winds skimmed across the floating islands. Its stardust-carrying current brushed against his black bones and littered them with little sparkling specks that clung to his clean (-ish) attire as well. The fine powder sparkled like stars on his deep blue scarf as it fluttered in the breeze. Error silently cursed the AU's natural glitter. It was the sole downside to visiting Outertale. Stardust always found its way into hard to reach places and refused to be easily cleaned up. Regardless, it did have a certain charm in specific situations. For example, the times the substance got caught in Nightmare's sludge, making the dark lord shimmer like a mini galaxy, or when it stuck to Reaper's cloak and created a vast starscape on canvas as dark as night. Those instances were some of the destroyer's favorites. But it was less enjoyable when the tables turned. Especially after the time he went on a destruction spree and got made fun of by Ink for being "a ball of angry, glitter yarn."
Though, in the past, Reaper once stated that he looked fetching with stardust glistening in his blood. When in his Genocide form, of course. Receiving such a compliment from the death god as Error would bring a myriad of different feelings.
Speaking of the handsy old bird, it was high time he paid Geno a visit. The black-boned skeleton heaved a sigh; Using a hand, he opened an interface displaying an intricate calendar system. To the top left laid a circular gauge with two lines cutting it into four separate areas. Each portrayed a different symbol. In order, they showed a pink flower, a yellow sun, a brown oak leaf, and a white snowflake. Every area, excluding the one containing the oak leaf, was darkened. Meaning the AU was presently experiencing autumn. Positioned underneath it were a thermometer, clock, and weather forecast bar. Nearby, sperate tabs containing the names of his most frequented AUs floated atop a seven-by-six table. Dates lined each section while the matching weekdays sat on their own row above. Unused cells remained blacked out.
Error pressed the tab labeled "Aftertale." Through a series of ones and zeros, the calendar transitioned over, and the seasonal gauge changed to a snowflake. Mismatched eyelights scanned the data for relevant information. Soon they came to a halt on a specific date. The highlighted day contained a shorthand note telling him that Reaper would be visiting the Save Screen sometime that day. Thus, confirming his suspicions. The destroyer's eyelights flick over to the clock. According to the display, he still had a little bit before he needed to change and go to the endless dark space; the sooner, the better given Reaper's habit of enforcing impromptu visiting hours.
With the wave of a hand, the calendar became ones and zeros before completely vanishing. In its place, a new interface popped up, displaying a long series of tabs and lists and tasks. A quick check through the digital logbook showed that no other work needed to be complete for a while. Though, he did have a meeting with Nightmare scheduled within the upcoming week, which the black-boned skeleton silently looked forward to attending. He waved the log away and pointed his eye sockets toward the colorful, star-laden sky. It was still as breathtaking as ever. Perhaps he could stay for a short time? The Save Screen's bleak scenery paled in comparison to Outertale's visible novas and galaxies; Error could only appreciate the darkness for so long before it became boring. Not to mention, watching the ongoing (repeating) events in his AU was less than an enjoyable pastime. Despite numerous attempts, he failed to alter the universe's storyline or convince After to go through with his utterly brilliant plan. But, until that day, he would keep their AU alive.
"I-if only you'd lis-is-isten to my-my absolute ingenious p-plan." The destroyer stated, gazing out into the bottomless expanse below the stars. He basked in the moment- pondering what was, what could have been, and what had yet to be discovered. Of Outertale's qualities, its most impressive one had to be the way it caused people to think and consider possibilities, even if those thoughts carried little positivity. However, the silence and peace were more than enough from Error.
Shortly a cacophony of voices broke the quiet.
Your plan's not that great.
I think it could work. Just keep trying, and one day he'll give in to your devilish charms!
After!Classy and Geno together? Isn't that a bit weird?
'S not Aftermath, but I ship it!
Are we sure we want to give Error these thoughts? It may ruin his relationship with After more than it already is.
What would the Multiverse look like if Blue had a Lust variant?! Wouldn't that be-
Error groaned and buried his face in his hands before dragging them down, scowling the outlines of entities no other could see or hear. Of course, they chose now to invade his quiet moment in Outertale. Despite leaving him alone for a solid two hours.
Way to kill the moment.
Huffing, the dark skeleton turned away from their ethereal forms. All Error wanted to do was enjoy the serenity of his favorite space-themed AU before preparing to get his nonexistent ears talked off by a chatty death god- Reaper and his stupid, intriguing stories. Why couldn't he quit beating around the bush and tell Geno (Error) how the story ends? Was it a crime of passion? Did the Duchess secretly poison the Archimage out of jealousy? Or, perhaps, the Queen and Judge murdered him to remove a witness of their affair?
The God of Destruction stomped a foot on the ground and roared, "A-A-GH! T-the suspense-ense is k-k-killing me-me!"
SUSPENSE!
It was the potato all along!
I bet - someway, somehow - Ink is to blame.
Dreamboat did, didn't he?! He got jealous that no one wants to love the Guardian of Positivity.
Actually, in the end, it was Archimage himself who-
"T-th-that's it- Y-you are-are all b-ban from talking to-to m-me!" Error spun on his heels and scoured the area with narrowed eye sockets. Only trees, rocks, and snow-like stardust registered in his poor field of vision. Mentally shrugging, he thought, This is as okay a place as any. There's no chance of Ink or Fresh popping up behind me mid-transformation, either.
A flurry of white square/rectangular glitches encompassed the destroyer's feet and slowly worked upward until they obscured his entire body. They dispersed moments later, leaving behind a red scarf-wearing, white skeleton. His lab coat fluttered along with his neckwear in the glittering breeze. Not a sound echoed across the space- mental or otherwise. The sheer nothingness vibrating through the air was quickly broken by soft static radiating off the glitch's glitches.
Geno smirked, victorious.
Peace at last. Or until someone else decides to bother me- like Sci and his hour-long sessions of sharing scientific notes and discoveries.
Unknown to the God of Destruction, two skeletons bore witness to his lackluster transformation. (Blue - the only monster trusted enough to keep this secret - was very disappointed when he first saw it, stating that it was "nothing like the epic costume changes in the animes me and Alphys watch.")
And, fortunately for him, neither belonged to his ever-growing troop of enemies.