/CONTENT WARNING: Possibly Disturbing/Violent Content/

To my ears, my every step sounded as loud as ice cracking. My footfalls left soft indents to mark the path I'd taken. It was cold, the powder I walked on, like snow. But it was space ash. I was in Outertale; the Alternate Universe where monsters were banished to the galaxies instead of the underground after the war. Westward bound, I headed away from Stardin town. My destination: the desolate meteor zone. It was equivalent to the frozen pine forest I used to patrol. Except, here, there were no trees, just stars, mangled asteroids, and empty space.

I could still sense my follower, and couldn't decide whether to be reassured or nervous. The plan would soon begin, and once I took that first step… there would be no going back. heh, I thought to myself, it's blueberry or bust. I grinned at my pathetic attempt at a space pun. Years ago, I used to have a nerdy tee shirt with those famous lines, "MARS OR BUST." Gaster had given it to me when I was 10, for Christmas, if I remembered correctly. It was one of my all-time favorites.

A slight crunch up ahead put my comforting memories on hold. Seeking cover, I hurried to an outcropping of rocks. Back against the stone, I forged onwards. Soon I could hear constant footfalls and hitching murmurs. Closer still. I ran out of rock. Peaking around the edge, I discovered the source of the noise.

Pacing agitatedly, muttering distractedly, was Error. For once, he wasn't here to destroy a world. Outertale—according to Ink—was the only universe Error tolerated. He seemed to enjoy the silence, hiding beyond the edge of the town to clear his head. Indeed, it seemed something was up.

Straining my ears, I tried to make out his murmurings.

"… cAUseD suCh A rApiD dEcLiNe?" A few words were lost in static. "…FeW dAYs. I'vE dOnE eVeRytHiNg. EvERytHInG! I seARcHeD EvEryWHerE fOr…" Unintelligible. "ThOuGHt tHAt LaSt hAuL WoUld hElP, BUt…"

I glanced around. There, a few feet away, was another chunk of asteroid. It would shelter me. Taking a minute to judge the distance and count Error's paces, I decided I might just make it. The problem was the noise; I'd have to run. Though not impossible, flying was difficult; the air here was too thin. Crouching low, I got ready for the sprint… waited for my opportunity… and… go!

I bolted, running as fast and quiet as possible. Safety was within reach, when—one of my steps crunched down a little too hard in just the wrong place—Error whirled. My soul seized up as our gazes met.

"WhY yOU LiTtLE…!" Error didn't bother to finish his threat.

In a flash, an enormous blaster formed and fired. I leapt out of the way, gulping at the gaping, smoking hole in the ground. Rolling under the outcrop, I braced for the strike. For a fleeting moment in time, there was silence. Then a spike of threads shattered the stone into a million sharp shards; I barely managed to deflect them from beneath my shield. The hastily summoned protection field was cracking. I abandoned it. Summoning attacks of my own, I raised my hand, but was forced to doge a barrage of bones before I could aim mine. They dissolved. More strings.

Up ahead was a ravine. The opposite side was slanted; if I could make the jump, I could slide down into the crevice, out of Error's range. I made a dash for it. Panic spurred my steps. A projectile impaled my footprints, barely missing me. Just a bit further…

I made it to the edge and leapt, desperately grabbing for the far ledge—threads lashed around my ankle. I was yanked down. Error narrowly kept me from cracking my head open on the ground by jerking the strings, flipping me back into the air. Falling up, I frantically tried to form a shield in hopes of slicing the strings. But even as the gold flickered before me, more threads wrapped my arm, fingers to shoulder, and coiled around my waist. The magic snuffed out, and I plummeted back to the ground.

Within seconds, I was completely ensnared. Error held me, writhing in terror, a few yards in the air.

"ink, dream—HELP!" I cried out. Error laughed at my antics, an elated grin spreading across his face.

"ThEy CaN'T hEAr YoU. DoN'T yOu KnoW It'S dAnGERouS tO TraVEL aLoNE?"

*Snap.

The wings snapped out. I struggled desperately, attempting to gain altitude in the thin air. Error frowned at my squirming, re-binding my kicking legs and tightening the grip across my shoulders. A spike of blue death formed. I cringed back as it came closer. The threads tapped my forehead, as if taking mark, drew back, took aim—

A distant yell split the silence. Error hesitated, snarling in the direction of the noise. Outertale Sans was coming, alarmed by the sounds of battle. My follower must have set him on my trail. Kicking harder, I opened my mouth to shout for help when Error whipped a cord around my neck.

"ScReAM aND yOU'lL nEvER sPEaK aGAiN," he growled. I kept silent, but continued to struggle. My slipper went flying. Distantly, I wondered if the spacey Sans would find it.

The sounds were coming nearer. Error turned a new gaze on me.

"ReMEmBeR tHe fIRst tImE wE diD tHiS sONG anD dANce… tOy?" I gasped to cry out as Error teleported me away.

The shortcut, thankfully, was brief. Terrified, I paused my thrashing to glance around. I was in Error's base in the Anti-Void. Blank, light-less white stretched in all directions. The floor was white, too, with nothing but vague shadows to show its boundaries. All about, primary blue strings draped from unseen heights. Hanging from many was an array of jackets, shoes, and sweaters.

Unspeakable dread filled my soul as my gaze reluctantly dropped to the ground. My eye lights were reduced to mere pinpricks at the sight of scattered bloodstains and piles of dust littering the floor beneath the ripped clothes, and I remembered—"I'm loOKing fOr a New toY; mY lAst onE bRokE."

Complete panic brought me new strength. I started thrashing around again. Error directed the strings to weave in with the ones hanging from above and let go. I fell slightly; the slack ropes made struggling sap my strength faster.

Error calmly watched me flail uselessly about and waste precious energy. The longer he stared at me, the wider his grin got. It sent my frayed nerves splitting straight down to their roots. Sensing the air was thicker here, I flapped my wings frantically, and gained about a yard in altitude before Error sent new threads around my ankles and waist, pulling me back down.

"YoU'rE qUiTE a FigHTeR, aRen'T yOu? QuiTE… DetERmInED. YoU'LL lAsT a LOnG tImE," Error said as he approached, drawing me a bit further down. I strained to lean away. He chuckled. "We'Re gOiNG tO hAvE LOTs of FuN. BuT…" I felt strings slowly coil around the wings at my back. I could feel it.

"no…" I breathed. "no, please, just let me go! please!" Error completely ignored my plea, and continued—

"… BuT I Can'T hAVe mY LiTTLe bIRd eSCaPe tHe cAge, nOw cAN I?" The strings went taught. It would be foolish optimism to deny what I knew was coming. My soul pounded frantically. I felt paralyzing fear. Error hesitated, thoughtfully tipping his head to the side.

"HmMm…" he murmured. Calmly locking gazes with me, Error asked—"To CrIppLE aN AnGel… dO yOu BrEAK hIs leGs…? OR HiS WiNGs—!" and yanked the strings.

My breath seized as the threads sliced through the blue matter, tearing it to shreds. The agony registered in my mind. I jerked rigid and screamed at the top of my voice, the pain spilling into the sound. Sobs hitched in my raw throat. Ultimately, the whimpers mixed with the cries, creating a mutilated, shrieking-weeping. Error evidently heard music instead of moans.

"ThAT wAS aStOUnDiNG!" he exclaimed, delighted. "I sHoULd hAvE OnlY dEsTRoYeD oNe; I'd LOVe tO sEe tHaT aGaiN." Pressing his fingertips together, he hopefully pondered—"PerHaPs thEy'LL gRoW bAcK?"

"s… sadist," I spat through gasps.

"ThAnK yOu," Error said, devoid of all sarcasm, genuinely flattered. He chuckled, coming closer. "NoW yoU'rE a fALlen AnGel." He laughed at his own sick pun. "DoEs tHaT mEaN yOu'LL tHrOW aWay YouR hAlo? WiLl yOu BaRtEr yOur lOYalTy aWay anD PatHEticAlly bEg fOr MeRcY, I wOnDeR?" Suddenly, his eyes flashed anew with excitement. "Or CouLD I dRIVe yOu tO soMeThiNG dARkeR?"

My quivering soul was pinged forward. He raised his hand, about to summon more strings, when—he stopped. Faltering, he frowned, and murmured "ALreAdY?" Through my blurring vision, I saw him step under me, ignoring my other fallen slipper. Stooping, he scooped up a handful of the dripping, weakly glowing, teal bits that were all that was left of the wings.

"It seEmS I'Ve rUfFleD sOme fEaTHeRs, aND NoT jUst yOurS," he explained, playing with the pieces for a moment. "I cAn't waIt to See hOw INk anD DrEam liKe tHEse sCraPs. ThEy'Re aLreAdy lOoKinG fOr mE." Turning, he cast a brief gaze to the void a few feet away; a glitching hole was torn open in the empty air. "WeLL, eNJoY yOur tIme iN thE wEb, lItTle faLLeN AnGEl."

And with that, he stepped through the rift and was gone.