Thank you everyone for the support I received with the last chapter, you all honestly left me speechless when I started reading through them, so thank you, so much.
The notes at the end are going to be somewhat important this and next chapter, so look out for that!
For the past month I've been considering an... idea, for something to do with this fic. I need more time to think, but I'll explain it at the end of the next chapter, and it may end up happening.
Compared to the dark look of Snowdin, Underfell's version of Waterfall looked near-identical to the original. Surrounded by echo flowers, Classic lightly snoozed as he relaxed in an upright, seated position. Slowly opening his sockets, he looked off to the side.
"So, you decided to follow me, huh?" He questioned before his sockets widened, and his smile turned into a frown.
Standing beside Classic was not Fell, but CORE!Frisk.
"Look who's decided to get involved." Error scoffed, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands into his pockets.
"And you're not doing the same?" Core's expression still had that all-knowing look to it, though it was now accompanied by a hint of smugness as they turned to Error.
"I'm retired."
"So you say." Core hummed as Stretch snorted in the background.
Retired, as if that would ever last. Whether Error wanted it to or not, peace would not last.
The multiverse would become too dull that way.
"When he is distracted, you can attack him and try to get your soul back." Core informed Classic, their expression like the void.
"Don't help him." Chara hissed, tempted to grab a pillow to throw at Core. Would no one be on their side but a fun fish octopus?!
"That way, you can release other souls corrupted by the X-event." Classic blinked as Core continued speaking, their voice soft and empty. "I'm sorry, THEY involved you in this. It's THEIR fault, not yours."
Stretch tried hard to keep the incredulous look off his face as his eyelights darkened. But seriously, how many of them knew about this event?
It was ridiculous.
Ink knew, Error knew, Core knew, Bloody Fresh and Dream probably knew. Admittedly, none of them knew now, but the future versions of them did.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Stretch tightened his grip on Outer.
He wasn't going to let this event destroy them.
"HEY!" Classic turned away from Core at the sound of Fell approaching, and turning back, he discovered that was all it took for them to disappear.
Dream quietly lchuckleed, a fond look in his eyelights. Core would never change, would they?
It was nice, sometimes, a small piece of familiarity.
"Huff... finally found ya," Fell growled, walking around the corner with a disgruntled look. "I don't have any choice but to stay with you, weirdo." He justified and flopped down onto the ground beside Classic.
"Whelp, I hope this won't be a problem because we have to stay here until Ink returns."
'It's their fault, not yours.' An echo flower repeated Core's words. 'It's their fault. It's their fault. It's their fault.'
"Ominous." Fresh snickered as he wiggled his fingers at Dream and Chara, the latter reaching over to suffocate him with a pillow and a vicious grin on his face.
If he couldn't throw a pillow at Core, he'd just use one to suffocate Fresh.
"GAH! MERCY! MERCY!" Fresh dramatically yelled as he tried to push the pillow away from his face. "HOW CAN WEIRD GHOSTLY PHANTOMS BE SO MEAN!"
"Chara!" Dream squeaked out as the two almost crashed into him.
Whatever entity brought them here obviously didn't think about the sort of idiots it was leaving the multiverse to.
The flowers kept repeating as the two skeletons sat in awkward silence.
Classic grinned and leaned towards Fell. "Knock Knock"
"Not now."
Classic gave the other a cheeky grin. "Knock Knock"
Fell looked exasperated as he turned away. "...Who's there?"
"Daww" Outer giggled, for some reason, he found this scene adorable.
"Boo"
"Boo who"
Classic winked. "Hey man, don't cry. It's just a knock-knock joke."
Fell's eye socket twitched as his eyelights fizzled out of sight.
'Knock Knock' ' Boo' Who's there?'
The echo flowers repeated as Fell slammed his hands to the sides of his skull.
"Hah!" Outer and Stretch laughed, the others looking on with varying degrees of amusement. Not all puns were terrible.
Classic glanced at the flowers, gleeful smile falling as he recalled his previous encounter.
Core frowned. Maybe their methods weren't always the best way to get what they wanted. But at least they left an impression?
In another part of the multiverse, Ink idly swung his legs and shifted in the strings that kept him suspended in mid-air.
"...You can untie me now, Error..."
Not a second later, Error descended to be eye-level with Ink, casually using his strings as a makeshift chair.
Outer and Error perked up as the glitchy skeleton was shown on screen, and Stretch rolled his eyelights.
Stretch was willing to bet money that Error used his strings as a swing, fucking anti-social man-baby.
"I can see our last encounter didn't affect you as I expected." Error started casually. "...You can't learn anything from this, can you?"
Strings dissipating, the two skeletons being placed onto the ground.
Fresh narrowed his sockets behind his glasses. That place was the place the two had met up before. Well, less met up and more... eh.
"I'm really impressed, Ink. You're putting Classic Sans' life at risk to stop that stupid anomaly." Crossing his arms, Error smirked. "Are you afraid that you can't do it on your own? Or do you just wanna play those weird games you learned from that guy."
Stretch twitched. Error knew, confirmed. Great, just great.
Ink, ignoring Error's question, jumped closer to the retired destroyer. "ARE THOSE NEW CLOTHES!?" Tugging the others arm closer to himself, Ink continued. "Heheh, you're like a hobo. Looks so comfy!"
"AGH! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?" Error screeched, yanking himself free from Inks grip.
The three sprawled out on the ground giggled to themselves.
Chara couldn't believe this was the ass that stole their soul. Then again, he also couldn't comprehend that they'd lose to a flipping slipper.
"...LET'S CUT THIS STUPID MOMENT. I'LL GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT." Error growled as Cross and XChara's soul descended to float between the two, wrapped up in Error's strings. "I should have destroyed this thing a long time ago... but I haven't yet for just one reason."
Chara's eyes darkened, hands gripping the material of Dream's cape tighter. He'd almost forgotten why he hated the windows vista.
"Ah, so that's why you're still around." Core chimed, voice oddly light-hearted considering the circumstances. After all, determination shouldn't last as long as it had for the XTale duo, especially considering the fact it was keeping them both alive and using magic to both get to Undertale and defend themselves... That was a lot.
"We made a truce, Ink. no more creation, no more destruction . "
"Did we make that?" Ink let out a laugh that echoed in their surroundings. "I don't remember that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chara snapped at the other, the cape in their hands straining.
"EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL YOU MET A NEW AU AND YOU STARTED BOTHERING ME AGAIN!"
"Such good times." Ink smiled happily, seemingly oblivious to Error's current mood.
"NO! YOU STARTED TALKING TO ME ALL THE TIME ABOUT YOUR NEW FRIEND AND HIS STUPID INTERESTING GAMES. AND AFTER THAT DISGUSTING WORLD WAS CORRUPTED, YOU JUST DECIDED TO PROTECT THAT ANOMALY CALLED CROSS!
Outer blinked as Stretch tensed beside him, feeling the other's grip on him tighten. He didn't mind. Everyone needed something to ground them. At least this way, he knew he had someone who wouldn't hesitate to comfort him during these strange events.
"I know! We can be scarf pals now!" Ink continued his previous train of thought.
"Oh. I'm talking about your soul. What else would I be speaking of?" Core tilted their head, suddenly in a talkative mood after remaining silent for so long. "Your alive because your soul wasn't shattered. But at the same time, the fact that your soul is unique is both leaving it in a constant state of attempting to kill you and keep you alive. Factoring in your determination, that's why you're working on borrowed time. If anything, I'd say something else is also-"
"Write an essay while you're at it." Error cut in, stare sharp. "If you're suddenly going to start talking like you know anything again, then I won't hesitate to silence you my way."
These anomalies were annoying enough, but now they were distracting him from his obviously cool and significant moment on screen. Unacceptable.
"You're scheming something, aren't you? That's why I've decided to intervene." Error calmed himself, unwilling to rise to Inks bait and let himself remain distracted. "I don't think you are with those anomalies just to stop Cross." Error grinned and pressed further as he watched Inks smile fall. "You're doing this for something other than a Heroic Act."
"Hmph, as if." Core muttered under their breath, grimacing as they registered their own actions. They were getting too relaxed around this group.
"Hey, you're stuck in a physical form. I can do what I want." Error told the other with a hint of pride before turning back to eagerly watch his future-self act the best. Well, not as good as present him, but his future-self got second place in the rankings.
"If you're thinking to make more Anomalies... YOU'LL REGRET HAVING BROKEN OUR TRUCE. I SWEAR TO YOU." Error raised his arms in a grand gesture, grin turning smug. "I could easily take EVERYONE as my puppets, erase EVERYTHING forever..." Error formed two portals behind himself. "but I wanna-"
"FRESH!" Error's voice boomed in their small surroundings, face flushing in embarrassment as the parasite made a small cameo in one of the portals Error had opened.
"When I discover-" Fresh pointed finger-guns at Ink through the portal as Ink tried desperately not to laugh at Error's ignorance.
YOU BALLERINA-!" Error screeched before his voice cut off. 'REBOOTING'
"You're amazing, Fresh." Chara snorted, high-fiving the parasite.
"I'm surprised he didn't crash sooner." Dream sighed, blinking as Outer wiggled out of Stretch's grip to sit on the ground near Error's couch.
Stretch frowned, unsure how to act. While he did hate the destroyer, Outer had likely never met Error before now. He probably didn't hate him as Stretch did. Still, it didn't get rid of the growing need to keep the two far away from each other, similar to his urge to get Chara and Cross' soul back to the odd duo. Stars, Stretch sighed.
He couldn't believe he was growing attached to this lot. They were all idiots.
"Get out of my sight before you puke on me or something." Error opened a portal for Ink, letting him return to Underfell. As Ink walked off, he turned to gaze at Cross and XChara's soul, contemplating something.
Now back with Classic and Fell, Ink painted over Fell's torn clothing, making it look brand new.
"Alright. Now you look like you were just painted, heheh!" Ink laughed as he stepped away from Fell. "Well, now you can hide away from your brother for the rest of your life."
While being Ink's friend could be great, moments like these were when Dream wondered if the other actually thought through at least some of what he said and did.
"Uh... actually... I don't..."
"Edgy-me wants to come with us." Classic cut in, voice raised for the other two to hear him as he was seated on a rock further away. "He's afraid of being alone, and he wants to give Cross a kick in the butt for humiliating him."
"HEY!"
"R-really? WOAH! GREAT! WE'LL BE LIKE A TEAM!" Ink's smile widened impossibly, and his eyes watered. "I THINK THAT... I THINK THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED RIGHT NOW! "
Watching Ink's eyelights flicker, Classic dramatically called out to Fell. "Oh no, he's gonna throw up-" Right on cue.
"Ink..." Dream trailed off, reaching over Chara to use some of his pillow-cape to hide his expression. Did Ink miss the days they'd been a team? He'd admit that despite the circumstances, it had all been fun. Maybe one day... no, like Ink and Blue would ever agree. It was his fault it had all ended in the first place.
"What the heck is wrong with you?!" Fell turned away from Ink.
"You'll get used to it." Classic snickered as he walked over to the two. "Hey, Ink, where are we going now?"
"Cross must have returned to his world along with the Snowdin from this place."
"WHAT? What do you mean by that?!" Fell shoved his firsts deep into his pockets. "I saw how he destroyed everything!"
"It's not like that. Cross actually took Snowdin's code and transferred it to his blank world. I understand everything. He'll take fragments from every AU to rebuild his world because..." Ink trailed off awkwardly as his mind went blank. "Wait, what were we talking about again...?"
Core tugged at their puffy sweater as they thought. So far, it seemed as though things were going to get worse and worse.
Glancing at their companions, Core wondered if they should start evacuating worlds when they get back to the Omega timeline. There were enough monsters in there that if they could get someone to open a chain of portals, they could do a mass evacuation of the multiverse at a moment's notice.
Would that be a good idea? They could... they could...
It wasn't impossible. But there was a reason their location was a closely guarded secret from those outside the Omega timeline.
Classic continued the conversation for Ink with a small smile. "If Cross is there, then we should surprise him before he goes to another AU."
"It's not possible. It's a completely huge and empty world... so finding Cross and Snowdin would take us too much time and..." Ink looked away, his concerned look growing. "We simply can't risk ourselves like that. You only have half your soul."
While Fresh could tell Inky brah wasn't tellin' everything, his explanation made more sense to Fresh than Classic. Fresh knew the rules when it came to his hunting. Acting in areas others were overly familiar with was dangerous enough, but a blank world with no end in sight? Cross and Chara, the ultimate chocolate tag team, would win, no doubt. Hah! They'd screw with anyone that came into their domain.
"Hey. I don't have all day." Fell grumbled as he moved between the two. "Are we going or what?"
"..." Ink crossed his arms, thoughtful. "I don't know which AU Cross could head to..."
'I do.'
Ink perked up, eyelights lighting up as he relaxed. "Dream? Is that you?"
"If I can't go with you, then I'll look over Cross and my brother as an advantage." Dream responded, keeping his voice quiet as he watched Cross from behind a tree in X-Tale.
"Do you have some telepathic ability?" Outer asked quietly, unsure if his voice would affect Error's rebooting. He was not used to any of this stuff.
"It's hard to explain." Dream hesitated, twisting his hands into his clothes. "I can explain it later?
"..." Outer's smile fell slightly, unsure if he'd hit a sensitive topic, or Dream was naturally nervous when explaining his abilities. "Okay!"
'Dream... Thank you...' Ink's voice held an unidentifiable emotion as Dream refocused his gaze back on Cross. 'Please. Tell me everything you know.'
Dream nodded, a determined glint entering his eyelights.
UNDERSWAP
"You have got to be kidding me." Stretch deadpanned, hiding his shaking hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
This, was not good.
Can someone please tell me if Dream can actually use telepathy? It's in Underverse, but I can't find anything that can explain how he uses it, if he can Link others, use it on multiple people to make a group chat. What's the guys range? (frustrating me to no end)
Question: should the next part be 'Come Back'
While it is a very short video, I can probably work around that and just have more to do with the characters interacting, like Error actually rebooting and Stretch's thoughts on his world being next.
So, less reaction, but more development? If that makes sense.
Hope you enjoyed this part!
I tried very hard to have enough fluff and angst to satisfy, well, me.
