p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"emuspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Chapter 28- Invisible Ink (The Memory Scarf)/span/u/em/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"After the perilous portal ride, I hardly ever saw Ink. Once Dream saved us from kicking the dust-bucket, the Artist was gone, relentlessly searching. Dream tried to keep me company, but he was also busy hunting down threadbare hopes those last days. Often, I was left alone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was fine. Truly. I was thankful for the hours of silence as I sat in the Doodle Sphere or some secluded corner of a quiet AU. It took a while for the truth to sink in: I was never going home. I'd lost Papyrus, forever. I'd never laugh with Grillby, or theorize with Alphys, or spar with Undyne. Ever again. I'd be here for the rest of my life. And not only that, but soon, I might lose Ink, as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhy had I doubted him? Why had I questioned his sincerity, even briefly? Why had I listened to the taunts of a twisted, wicked Destroyer, when Ink had been nothing but kind to me?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI felt indirectly responsible. But, deep down, I knew there was nothing I could have done to prevent Ink from reaching this dangerous decision. It was just… the sort of thing he would do. Risk everything for a friend. Oh, how I loathed myself for emever/em doubting him, however briefly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI couldn't come to terms with the injustice of it all. After everything that had happened, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"this/em was the ending? It wasn't worth everything we'd suffered. It wasn't fair!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk blamed himself for Blue's capture, but really, it couldn't possibly be his fault any more than it was mine. Yet, he'd volunteered to pay the ultimate price for a crime he didn't commit. I'd seen what gruesome horrors Error was capable of. Should Ink fall into the Destroyer's hands, he would surely meet a fate far worse than death./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd, what about Dream? He was positively devoted to the Artist. I couldn't imagine seeing the friends parted. They were the only family they had left, and I knew how devastating it was to lose someone that dear. Plus, without Ink, Dream would be left alone to battle Error, and Nightmare—em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"his own brother/em—for the rest of his life, emalone/em. I wasn't age-immortal like they were. I'd die long before them, leaving Dream behind, too./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhy was I here to witness all this? Would I have to sit around and watch the remnant of the Star Sanses fall into despair? Was I truly helpless to change their fate? It left me absolutely enraged. I hadn't felt genuinely angry in a long time. I'd been too apathetic and selfish to feel passionate about anything. But this was too much to bear. I had to do something. I had to save them! But the longer I pondered the problem before me, the smaller I felt. I was practically powerless to fix this, and I knew it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSo, I invested the last bit of hope I had and asked for help. If the Maker cared about us, He'd have to prove it; I needed a miracle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI waited. For something. Anything. For a sign, a hint, a push in the right direction. And despite the insurmountable odds, slowly, I found myself filled up with hope as Raven's words tumbled around and around in my head: em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;""you seem about as determined to write your own happy ending as the humans are." /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"And so, I decided to do just that./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI spent those long, lonely hours pacing the empty floors of the ethereal art room. I reviewed every detail of every second of my adventure. I reobserved each fact I'd learned and every skill I had. Even if it killed me, even if it was within an inch of impossible, I'd try anything to save Ink and Dream. They were worth it. Deep down, I was sure there was a way. I just had to find it within 72 hours./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was nearing the end of the second day. Time was running out. I'd not slept since Ink hauled me from the portal. Instead, I worked my mind feverishly, desperately searching for a solution. I'd reviewed Error's attack in UnderSwap, the portal pendant, and the nature of paint magic. After about an hour of pondering protection bubbles, I hesitated on the thought of sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOne moment I was thinking about a nap and the next I was waking up. Initially, I was furious with myself for selfishly wasting precious time. But then, I remembered what I had dreamt… and a flicker of foresight filled in the details. I scrambled up. It could work. This was it. This was the solution! I had to find Ink!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFinding a needle in the proverbial haystack would be easy compared to trying to locate Ink in the Multiverse, let alone the Anti-Void. If he was in there, I'd never catch up to him. But if I couldn't find him fast, time would run out, and there'd be no chance my plan would work…!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJust as I was considering calling for Dream, there was a faint warbling behind me. I whirled. Ink. He'd come back. The portal closed behind him as Wigglers rushed to greet him. He hardly paid them a glance and a sad smile as he dug through a bag for a new AU sketchbook to search through. He found what he was looking for, opened a portal nearby—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wait!" /emI cried out, dashing towards him. Ink turned, startled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Serif?" he asked. "What is it? Are you okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"i'm fine," I assured breathlessly, then warned— "but there's not much time." Ink gave an uneasy frown./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I, uh… I know. Which is why—if everything's alright—I'm gonna go keep looking?" he explained, pointing at the portal, obviously hoping for permission to leave./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"no, listen," I insisted, shaking my head. "i know how to find blueberry!" The portal snapped shut faster than a mouse trap./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Seriously? How?!" Ink exclaimed, hope flickering in his tired eyes for the first time in days./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"first," I insisted, holding up a hand to stop him, "you can't breathe a word to dream. this stays between us, alright? promise you won't tell him." Ink's frown returned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's a concerning conversation starter," he murmured. I sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"please?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well… alright, I guess. I promise," Ink agreed hesitantly, the allure of a solution sealing his allegiance. "But, why?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"things will go smoother if he doesn't know the truth. and, if everything goes wrong, he doesn't need to know why." Ink's eyes widened in alarm. He was probably already regretting his promise. "just hear me out," I requested. "it will work, i'm sure."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough Ink's expression remained unchanged, his eyelights flickered through a range of telling symbols as I laid the plan out for him, down to the last detail. I finished my explanation and waited. There was a heavy silence. Ink didn't speak. He didn't even move./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"so?" I eventually prompted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's way too risky," Ink murmured, a shocked quaver in his voice. "We'll find Blue another way." He opened a portal beyond me and promptly started towards it, evidently trying to escape the conversation. Suddenly deeply frustrated, I flash-teleported in front of him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"there's no time, ink. we have to try!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No," Ink declared firmly. "Look, even if it worked, you'd get dusted too fast for it to do any good."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"wow, thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "your faith in me is flattering."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Seriously, you don't stand a chance," he insisted shakily. "You don't need me to tell you that. Just, emno/em." The Artist side-stepped me and started briskly on his way, but came to a stony halt as I said—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"look, we don't actually em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"know /emi need them to survive… so i'll try my plan with or without your help." Ink whirled. His resolved expression melted when he saw my own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You wouldn't," Ink balked, dismayed. I didn't answer. His eyelights shrank. "Serif, no. You emcan't/em…em!/em"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSuddenly, I was yanked to the ground. Ink had engaged accelerated gravity on me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can't let you—I emwon't!" /emInk exclaimed, panicked. I struggled to push past the weight of the magic. "I'll keep you here. It's safe, here!" A band of hardened acrylics wrapped around me and reset my progress. "This isn't your battle. You don't have to fix it." I snapped out my wings, shattering the paint restraints./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, stop!" He didn't seem to hear me. I wasn't sure he could even see anymore, not now that flickering splatters of chaotic colors clouded his sight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I can't bear the thought of knowing I sealed your fate." I managed to roll through a narrow shortcut and teleport out of the range of the gravity magic. "…to have your dust on my hands and conscience forever…!" More paint dripped up from the floor, forming a protection sphere around me. I pinged the walls and shoved. The bubble shattered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, you're overreacting! calm down. you can't always keep me safe—!" My demand was cut short as Ink pinged my soul, yanked me face to face with him, and exclaimed—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can't lose you too!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk appeared as surprised as I was by this outburst. A choked expression flashed across his face. There was a dumbfounded pause as his eyelights cleared. He evidently read the concern in mine; he carefully set me down back on solid ground, walked a few steps away, and sat with his back to me. It reminded me of my bashful brother's childhood pouting habits./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm fine," he announced, answering my unspoken question./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI felt… something. I don't know how to describe it. It wasn't the feeling I got from the script. It wasn't my own intuition. It was like a wordless whisper in my soul. All I knew was that I was supposed to do, well, emsomething/em. It was just like what I'd felt when I'd pinged Cherry: a concerned, aching empathy deep inside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut, Ink didn't have a physical soul for me to ping. I wanted to help him, but how was I supposed to use my golden hope magic? Then, I recalled listening to Dream's story. I remembered how much a mere word of affirmation had lifted his spirits. I reconsidered who I was talking to, and smiled. Ispan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" didn't need magic for this./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"a name="_Hlk123557741"/aspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, your sketchbook looks like a photo album; your drawings are so realistic. but that obvious emlie/em was about as unconvincing as a finger painting." I saw his shoulders heave with a huff. I made my way over to my friend. "you don't have to pretend everything's alright," I continued. "like you said, this trial may not be my battle. but, that doesn't mean you have to fight it alone." Sighing, Ink glanced at me as I sat beside him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I was afraid you'd do something, no—that," he murmured, a little irked, a little sad./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"do, what?" I asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"thing/em, the sad-sensing thingy you do. Comes with the gold-stuff power." Based on how tangled his words were, I guessed Ink was far more distressed than he was letting on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ah," I said simply, unsure how else to respond. There was a pause. "what's wrong, ink?" Ink thought for a moment, then murmured—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Everything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"is that all?" I joked lightly. "okay, then. out of everything, what's the worst part?" There was a long hesitation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nobody's safe," Ink declared hesitantly. "Everyone's endangered, lots because of me. I can't protect anyone."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"you can't keep em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"everyone /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"safe,/span but you do protect many people," I pointed out. "no one could ask anything more of you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"But em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you're/em in danger. I never shoulda let Error see you. He's set on killing you because he knows we're friends. And now you're stuck here, because of me. I didn't try hard enough, and now it's too late. I failed to get you home…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"really, don't worry 'bout—" I couldn't finish my assurance, because Ink wasn't done spilling the truth. It all came gushing out like one of his paint fits./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And, Dream! What if Nightmare manages to capture him again? He's gotten real close, so many times, lately. Dream emstill/em refuses to fight back, even when his life's at stake! I always have to step in or drag him away to safety. What if I mess up, one day? What if I can't save him? I don't think I could live with myself! And I won't be here to protect him if I don't find Blue, and Error… actually kills me… And! And emBlueberry! /emOh, it's all my fault!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk leapt up and began pacing agitatedly. Shocked, I watched him trek tight loops across the floor as he rambled on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I had no idea Error'd target him. What if I coulda predicted it? What if it was somehow emmy /emfault?! A bunch'a people said it was. They thought I'd betrayed Blue. But I'd sooner die than endanger him! Carrot emhates/em me, now. Well, I mean, he never liked me much, anyway… But if he loses Blueberry, he'll be all alone!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk's eyelights flickered in overwhelming distress as he considered this outcome. His hand went to his chest nervously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I don't want him to be alone, too. Carrot was right. About me. I don't have anything left to lose," Ink admitted hoarsely. "Everything's already on the line. Dream, and Blueberry, and Carrot, and you, Serif. Sure, like Carrot said, I don't have an emactual/em family. But… but, that's what you guys are, to me. And if I fail… there'll be no one left..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThen, as his pupils shrank, I overheard the breathless whisper— em"Please, don't leave me here alone…"/em and he numbly dropped back down to the ground beside me. Ink reconsidered the river of worries he'd described and shook his head. "Like I said," he summarized mournfully. "Everything's wrong."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHis fear struck a familiar chord in my soul. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;""Please, don't leave me here alone." /emI understood those words intimately. Plenty of times, I'd cried that plea into the dark. I'd begged time to reverse and bring my brother back to me, or to restore Gaster, or even resurrect my parents. But I realized, in that regard, Ink couldn't relate to me… could he?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI recalled his phrase, em"i can't lose you too."/em The word "too" implied that he'd lost someone close to him before, didn't it? What if this wasn't about Blueberry? emno, /emI chided myself. emit has to be about blueberry. he's just scared of losing him for good. /emThen, bafflingly, from within, I heard foresight's faint whisper:/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"Do it. Ask him."/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, why…?" I hesitated, and the Artist threw me an expectant glance. "has it always just been you, here? why don't you have a family?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk stared at me. His expression relayed his surprise, which he was evidently too startled to voice. There was a long, dumbfounded silence. Just as I was convinced I'd asked the stupidest, most insensitive question imaginable—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"In your world," Ink began quietly, turning to nuzzle into the folds of his old scarf, "what did you do when the human killed your brother?" I decided that, in light of my question, this was fair game./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"well… i confronted them in the golden hall. fought till they killed me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Before that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"uh, i focused on avoiding the townspeople, i guess. just kinda kept to myself."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Before that." I hesitated, forcing an even expression. It was unsettling to recount the traumatic memories, but I pressed on for Ink's sake. Surely there was a point to this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"before that would be… right after it happened?" This time, Ink was silent. I sensed I was getting closer. "well, there was usually a snowstorm. i went to the side of the river and… found the dust pile." I caught my breath, forcing the welling tears down. What was Ink trying to get at? "cried for a while. first few times, grillbz had to come drag me away. i always brought pap's scarf with me. wore it from there on out, and—" My words caught as the realization hit me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe scarf./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSure enough, Ink had bunches of the brown cloth clenched in his fists. He pressed the fabric close to his face as it absorbed the rainbow droplets slipping from his sad eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I write things on this scarf so I can remember them," he confessed, his muffled voice quavering. "But, what I really want to remember is the scarf itself. Why?" he whispered. "Why do I wear one? In practically all the worlds I've seen, the only time a Sans perpetually wears a scarf… is when it belonged to his dead brother. I've had it for as long as I can remember. But, there are a lot of things I can't recall. And I can't shake the feeling that it didn't always belong to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe stood unsteadily, swaying slightly as he gave into his nervous habit and started pacing once more. The wandering laps were wide and aimless, and his eyes flickered through distressed, chaotic symbols. Between each sentence was a hyperventilating gasp. As he spoke, his words started coming faster and faster, leaving my mind reeling to keep up. He seemed to forget I was even here./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"emDo/em I have a brother? Where is he? I've been all over the Multiverse. Why haven't I heard of him? Does he even know I exist? Is he looking for me? Does he even miss me? Or, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"did /emI have a brother?" Ink's hands clutched at his chest as his eyelights shrank. "Is he dead? B-because of me…?! What if it's my fault, and it was traumatizing and forgetting is some sort of coping mechanism? Is emthat/em why I can't remember? What if it's—!?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe Artist's panicked rant was cut short as I stood and he walked right into my outstretched arms. A moment later, I felt him start quivering./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"t'sall gonna be alright, ink," I soothed gently. "i promise."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How can you know that?" he sniffled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"well, i don't know what the future holds. i can't be confident things'll work out how we want. but if i've learned anything, it's that hope only dies when you do. there's still hope. for blueberry, and carrot. for dream. and your brother. there's hope for you too, ink, and i won't let you forget it. 'cause you won't embe/em alone; i'm here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spana name="_Hlk123564339"/aInk tried to respond, but merely stammered. I tightened my embrace. He clung back and wept. His reaction made me wonder if he'd ever shared his deepest fear with anyone, before. I hugged him tighter still, suddenly fighting tears of my own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk123564339;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDespite everything that had happened, as impossible as it'd seemed, my suffering had been transformed into something good. My own trials had equipped me to empathize with Ink's. I'd despaired of my very life, but now, I knew beyond doubt that it was valuable. My homegoing had failed, but, I was still needed here. Nothing was wasted, after all. So, maybe there was still a happy ending waiting ahead./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"once i prove to you i'm safe here," I started, "and once we make sure dream's outta trouble, we can go look for your brother. we'll find him, for better or for worse, emtogether/em—just as soon as we save blueberry. alright?" After a shaky sigh, Ink withdrew from my embrace and nodded, smothering a sob into a mere sniffle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Alright," he agreed quietly, pulling his sleeve across his face. He lifted it to meet my gaze. "Serif, if even one detail goes amiss, the plan will fall apart. You'll emdie/em." I smiled softly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"i know. but if it works, it'll save emeveryone/em. it's a risk i'm more than willing to take."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk searched my eyes a moment more, still horribly torn. Then, he nodded. Slowly, reluctantly, he reached for his paintbrush, unlatched it, and brought it around./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Alright. If you're sure… let's do this."br /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"After the perilous portal ride, I hardly ever saw Ink. Once Dream saved us from kicking the dust-bucket, the Artist was gone, relentlessly searching. Dream tried to keep me company, but he was also busy hunting down threadbare hopes those last days. Often, I was left alone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThat was fine. Truly. I was thankful for the hours of silence as I sat in the Doodle Sphere or some secluded corner of a quiet AU. It took a while for the truth to sink in: I was never going home. I'd lost Papyrus, forever. I'd never laugh with Grillby, or theorize with Alphys, or spar with Undyne. Ever again. I'd be here for the rest of my life. And not only that, but soon, I might lose Ink, as well./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhy had I doubted him? Why had I questioned his sincerity, even briefly? Why had I listened to the taunts of a twisted, wicked Destroyer, when Ink had been nothing but kind to me?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI felt indirectly responsible. But, deep down, I knew there was nothing I could have done to prevent Ink from reaching this dangerous decision. It was just… the sort of thing he would do. Risk everything for a friend. Oh, how I loathed myself for emever/em doubting him, however briefly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI couldn't come to terms with the injustice of it all. After everything that had happened, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"this/em was the ending? It wasn't worth everything we'd suffered. It wasn't fair!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk blamed himself for Blue's capture, but really, it couldn't possibly be his fault any more than it was mine. Yet, he'd volunteered to pay the ultimate price for a crime he didn't commit. I'd seen what gruesome horrors Error was capable of. Should Ink fall into the Destroyer's hands, he would surely meet a fate far worse than death./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd, what about Dream? He was positively devoted to the Artist. I couldn't imagine seeing the friends parted. They were the only family they had left, and I knew how devastating it was to lose someone that dear. Plus, without Ink, Dream would be left alone to battle Error, and Nightmare—em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"his own brother/em—for the rest of his life, emalone/em. I wasn't age-immortal like they were. I'd die long before them, leaving Dream behind, too./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhy was I here to witness all this? Would I have to sit around and watch the remnant of the Star Sanses fall into despair? Was I truly helpless to change their fate? It left me absolutely enraged. I hadn't felt genuinely angry in a long time. I'd been too apathetic and selfish to feel passionate about anything. But this was too much to bear. I had to do something. I had to save them! But the longer I pondered the problem before me, the smaller I felt. I was practically powerless to fix this, and I knew it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSo, I invested the last bit of hope I had and asked for help. If the Maker cared about us, He'd have to prove it; I needed a miracle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI waited. For something. Anything. For a sign, a hint, a push in the right direction. And despite the insurmountable odds, slowly, I found myself filled up with hope as Raven's words tumbled around and around in my head: em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;""you seem about as determined to write your own happy ending as the humans are." /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"And so, I decided to do just that./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI spent those long, lonely hours pacing the empty floors of the ethereal art room. I reviewed every detail of every second of my adventure. I reobserved each fact I'd learned and every skill I had. Even if it killed me, even if it was within an inch of impossible, I'd try anything to save Ink and Dream. They were worth it. Deep down, I was sure there was a way. I just had to find it within 72 hours./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt was nearing the end of the second day. Time was running out. I'd not slept since Ink hauled me from the portal. Instead, I worked my mind feverishly, desperately searching for a solution. I'd reviewed Error's attack in UnderSwap, the portal pendant, and the nature of paint magic. After about an hour of pondering protection bubbles, I hesitated on the thought of sleep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOne moment I was thinking about a nap and the next I was waking up. Initially, I was furious with myself for selfishly wasting precious time. But then, I remembered what I had dreamt… and a flicker of foresight filled in the details. I scrambled up. It could work. This was it. This was the solution! I had to find Ink!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFinding a needle in the proverbial haystack would be easy compared to trying to locate Ink in the Multiverse, let alone the Anti-Void. If he was in there, I'd never catch up to him. But if I couldn't find him fast, time would run out, and there'd be no chance my plan would work…!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanJust as I was considering calling for Dream, there was a faint warbling behind me. I whirled. Ink. He'd come back. The portal closed behind him as Wigglers rushed to greet him. He hardly paid them a glance and a sad smile as he dug through a bag for a new AU sketchbook to search through. He found what he was looking for, opened a portal nearby—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wait!" /emI cried out, dashing towards him. Ink turned, startled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Serif?" he asked. "What is it? Are you okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"i'm fine," I assured breathlessly, then warned— "but there's not much time." Ink gave an uneasy frown./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I, uh… I know. Which is why—if everything's alright—I'm gonna go keep looking?" he explained, pointing at the portal, obviously hoping for permission to leave./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"no, listen," I insisted, shaking my head. "i know how to find blueberry!" The portal snapped shut faster than a mouse trap./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Seriously? How?!" Ink exclaimed, hope flickering in his tired eyes for the first time in days./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"first," I insisted, holding up a hand to stop him, "you can't breathe a word to dream. this stays between us, alright? promise you won't tell him." Ink's frown returned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"That's a concerning conversation starter," he murmured. I sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"please?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well… alright, I guess. I promise," Ink agreed hesitantly, the allure of a solution sealing his allegiance. "But, why?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"things will go smoother if he doesn't know the truth. and, if everything goes wrong, he doesn't need to know why." Ink's eyes widened in alarm. He was probably already regretting his promise. "just hear me out," I requested. "it will work, i'm sure."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough Ink's expression remained unchanged, his eyelights flickered through a range of telling symbols as I laid the plan out for him, down to the last detail. I finished my explanation and waited. There was a heavy silence. Ink didn't speak. He didn't even move./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"so?" I eventually prompted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's way too risky," Ink murmured, a shocked quaver in his voice. "We'll find Blue another way." He opened a portal beyond me and promptly started towards it, evidently trying to escape the conversation. Suddenly deeply frustrated, I flash-teleported in front of him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"there's no time, ink. we have to try!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No," Ink declared firmly. "Look, even if it worked, you'd get dusted too fast for it to do any good."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"wow, thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "your faith in me is flattering."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Seriously, you don't stand a chance," he insisted shakily. "You don't need me to tell you that. Just, emno/em." The Artist side-stepped me and started briskly on his way, but came to a stony halt as I said—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"look, we don't actually em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"know /emi need them to survive… so i'll try my plan with or without your help." Ink whirled. His resolved expression melted when he saw my own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You wouldn't," Ink balked, dismayed. I didn't answer. His eyelights shrank. "Serif, no. You emcan't/em…em!/em"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSuddenly, I was yanked to the ground. Ink had engaged accelerated gravity on me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can't let you—I emwon't!" /emInk exclaimed, panicked. I struggled to push past the weight of the magic. "I'll keep you here. It's safe, here!" A band of hardened acrylics wrapped around me and reset my progress. "This isn't your battle. You don't have to fix it." I snapped out my wings, shattering the paint restraints./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, stop!" He didn't seem to hear me. I wasn't sure he could even see anymore, not now that flickering splatters of chaotic colors clouded his sight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""I can't bear the thought of knowing I sealed your fate." I managed to roll through a narrow shortcut and teleport out of the range of the gravity magic. "…to have your dust on my hands and conscience forever…!" More paint dripped up from the floor, forming a protection sphere around me. I pinged the walls and shoved. The bubble shattered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, you're overreacting! calm down. you can't always keep me safe—!" My demand was cut short as Ink pinged my soul, yanked me face to face with him, and exclaimed—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can't lose you too!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk appeared as surprised as I was by this outburst. A choked expression flashed across his face. There was a dumbfounded pause as his eyelights cleared. He evidently read the concern in mine; he carefully set me down back on solid ground, walked a few steps away, and sat with his back to me. It reminded me of my bashful brother's childhood pouting habits./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm fine," he announced, answering my unspoken question./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI felt… something. I don't know how to describe it. It wasn't the feeling I got from the script. It wasn't my own intuition. It was like a wordless whisper in my soul. All I knew was that I was supposed to do, well, emsomething/em. It was just like what I'd felt when I'd pinged Cherry: a concerned, aching empathy deep inside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBut, Ink didn't have a physical soul for me to ping. I wanted to help him, but how was I supposed to use my golden hope magic? Then, I recalled listening to Dream's story. I remembered how much a mere word of affirmation had lifted his spirits. I reconsidered who I was talking to, and smiled. Ispan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" didn't need magic for this./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"a name="_Hlk123557741"/aspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, your sketchbook looks like a photo album; your drawings are so realistic. but that obvious emlie/em was about as unconvincing as a finger painting." I saw his shoulders heave with a huff. I made my way over to my friend. "you don't have to pretend everything's alright," I continued. "like you said, this trial may not be my battle. but, that doesn't mean you have to fight it alone." Sighing, Ink glanced at me as I sat beside him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I was afraid you'd do something, no—that," he murmured, a little irked, a little sad./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"do, what?" I asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"thing/em, the sad-sensing thingy you do. Comes with the gold-stuff power." Based on how tangled his words were, I guessed Ink was far more distressed than he was letting on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ah," I said simply, unsure how else to respond. There was a pause. "what's wrong, ink?" Ink thought for a moment, then murmured—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Everything."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"is that all?" I joked lightly. "okay, then. out of everything, what's the worst part?" There was a long hesitation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nobody's safe," Ink declared hesitantly. "Everyone's endangered, lots because of me. I can't protect anyone."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"you can't keep em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"everyone /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"safe,/span but you do protect many people," I pointed out. "no one could ask anything more of you."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"But em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you're/em in danger. I never shoulda let Error see you. He's set on killing you because he knows we're friends. And now you're stuck here, because of me. I didn't try hard enough, and now it's too late. I failed to get you home…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"really, don't worry 'bout—" I couldn't finish my assurance, because Ink wasn't done spilling the truth. It all came gushing out like one of his paint fits./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And, Dream! What if Nightmare manages to capture him again? He's gotten real close, so many times, lately. Dream emstill/em refuses to fight back, even when his life's at stake! I always have to step in or drag him away to safety. What if I mess up, one day? What if I can't save him? I don't think I could live with myself! And I won't be here to protect him if I don't find Blue, and Error… actually kills me… And! And emBlueberry! /emOh, it's all my fault!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk leapt up and began pacing agitatedly. Shocked, I watched him trek tight loops across the floor as he rambled on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I had no idea Error'd target him. What if I coulda predicted it? What if it was somehow emmy /emfault?! A bunch'a people said it was. They thought I'd betrayed Blue. But I'd sooner die than endanger him! Carrot emhates/em me, now. Well, I mean, he never liked me much, anyway… But if he loses Blueberry, he'll be all alone!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk's eyelights flickered in overwhelming distress as he considered this outcome. His hand went to his chest nervously./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I don't want him to be alone, too. Carrot was right. About me. I don't have anything left to lose," Ink admitted hoarsely. "Everything's already on the line. Dream, and Blueberry, and Carrot, and you, Serif. Sure, like Carrot said, I don't have an emactual/em family. But… but, that's what you guys are, to me. And if I fail… there'll be no one left..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThen, as his pupils shrank, I overheard the breathless whisper— em"Please, don't leave me here alone…"/em and he numbly dropped back down to the ground beside me. Ink reconsidered the river of worries he'd described and shook his head. "Like I said," he summarized mournfully. "Everything's wrong."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHis fear struck a familiar chord in my soul. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;""Please, don't leave me here alone." /emI understood those words intimately. Plenty of times, I'd cried that plea into the dark. I'd begged time to reverse and bring my brother back to me, or to restore Gaster, or even resurrect my parents. But I realized, in that regard, Ink couldn't relate to me… could he?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI recalled his phrase, em"i can't lose you too."/em The word "too" implied that he'd lost someone close to him before, didn't it? What if this wasn't about Blueberry? emno, /emI chided myself. emit has to be about blueberry. he's just scared of losing him for good. /emThen, bafflingly, from within, I heard foresight's faint whisper:/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem"Do it. Ask him."/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"ink, why…?" I hesitated, and the Artist threw me an expectant glance. "has it always just been you, here? why don't you have a family?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk stared at me. His expression relayed his surprise, which he was evidently too startled to voice. There was a long, dumbfounded silence. Just as I was convinced I'd asked the stupidest, most insensitive question imaginable—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"In your world," Ink began quietly, turning to nuzzle into the folds of his old scarf, "what did you do when the human killed your brother?" I decided that, in light of my question, this was fair game./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"well… i confronted them in the golden hall. fought till they killed me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Before that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"uh, i focused on avoiding the townspeople, i guess. just kinda kept to myself."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Before that." I hesitated, forcing an even expression. It was unsettling to recount the traumatic memories, but I pressed on for Ink's sake. Surely there was a point to this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"before that would be… right after it happened?" This time, Ink was silent. I sensed I was getting closer. "well, there was usually a snowstorm. i went to the side of the river and… found the dust pile." I caught my breath, forcing the welling tears down. What was Ink trying to get at? "cried for a while. first few times, grillbz had to come drag me away. i always brought pap's scarf with me. wore it from there on out, and—" My words caught as the realization hit me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe scarf./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSure enough, Ink had bunches of the brown cloth clenched in his fists. He pressed the fabric close to his face as it absorbed the rainbow droplets slipping from his sad eyes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I write things on this scarf so I can remember them," he confessed, his muffled voice quavering. "But, what I really want to remember is the scarf itself. Why?" he whispered. "Why do I wear one? In practically all the worlds I've seen, the only time a Sans perpetually wears a scarf… is when it belonged to his dead brother. I've had it for as long as I can remember. But, there are a lot of things I can't recall. And I can't shake the feeling that it didn't always belong to me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe stood unsteadily, swaying slightly as he gave into his nervous habit and started pacing once more. The wandering laps were wide and aimless, and his eyes flickered through distressed, chaotic symbols. Between each sentence was a hyperventilating gasp. As he spoke, his words started coming faster and faster, leaving my mind reeling to keep up. He seemed to forget I was even here./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"emDo/em I have a brother? Where is he? I've been all over the Multiverse. Why haven't I heard of him? Does he even know I exist? Is he looking for me? Does he even miss me? Or, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"did /emI have a brother?" Ink's hands clutched at his chest as his eyelights shrank. "Is he dead? B-because of me…?! What if it's my fault, and it was traumatizing and forgetting is some sort of coping mechanism? Is emthat/em why I can't remember? What if it's—!?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe Artist's panicked rant was cut short as I stood and he walked right into my outstretched arms. A moment later, I felt him start quivering./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"t'sall gonna be alright, ink," I soothed gently. "i promise."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How can you know that?" he sniffled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"well, i don't know what the future holds. i can't be confident things'll work out how we want. but if i've learned anything, it's that hope only dies when you do. there's still hope. for blueberry, and carrot. for dream. and your brother. there's hope for you too, ink, and i won't let you forget it. 'cause you won't embe/em alone; i'm here."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spana name="_Hlk123564339"/aInk tried to respond, but merely stammered. I tightened my embrace. He clung back and wept. His reaction made me wonder if he'd ever shared his deepest fear with anyone, before. I hugged him tighter still, suddenly fighting tears of my own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk123564339;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDespite everything that had happened, as impossible as it'd seemed, my suffering had been transformed into something good. My own trials had equipped me to empathize with Ink's. I'd despaired of my very life, but now, I knew beyond doubt that it was valuable. My homegoing had failed, but, I was still needed here. Nothing was wasted, after all. So, maybe there was still a happy ending waiting ahead./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"once i prove to you i'm safe here," I started, "and once we make sure dream's outta trouble, we can go look for your brother. we'll find him, for better or for worse, emtogether/em—just as soon as we save blueberry. alright?" After a shaky sigh, Ink withdrew from my embrace and nodded, smothering a sob into a mere sniffle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Alright," he agreed quietly, pulling his sleeve across his face. He lifted it to meet my gaze. "Serif, if even one detail goes amiss, the plan will fall apart. You'll emdie/em." I smiled softly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"i know. but if it works, it'll save emeveryone/em. it's a risk i'm more than willing to take."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanInk searched my eyes a moment more, still horribly torn. Then, he nodded. Slowly, reluctantly, he reached for his paintbrush, unlatched it, and brought it around./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 182.05pt;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Alright. If you're sure… let's do this."br /span/p