Omega groaned, pressing his hands into his sockets in aggravation.
"What do ya mean by all this? Makin' no damn sense."
"That's why we don't talk about it in the first place. It's just incomprehensible to those outside of the general experience." Reaper explained.

"I mean, it probably doesn't help that you've literally never known the experience of being.. a regular person. Who doesn't exist well past their own body." GB pointed out.
"Aren't there gods here who used to be mortal? Maybe we can ask one of those?"
"Like Error? Who hates conversation?" The god of death countered.

"Look, it's worth a shot if we're going to be understanding any of this at all." Draco huffed.
"I guess that's fair." Reaper spread out his hands, smiling tiredly.
"I'm just wondering how you'll catch up and get him in the mood for talking. He was pretty upset when Unity ran."

"Why aren't you worried about that, anyway?" Omega asked.
"Why would we be? Error knows that he's just currently possessing Blue, and he'd never hurt his friends. Unity's just scared because of what Error is. Destruction is one of his few true weaknesses, and he's never really been anything but a pacifist." He elaborated.
"..Huh." Omega had nothing to say to that.

Draco then shuffled awkwardly in place, glancing at the currently very silent and still Life.
"You hear that?"
"What?" Omega looked up even as Reaper paused.
"The thumping. Or really weird rumbling." GB told him, squinting as he cocked his skull to the side.

After a long moment, Reaper straightened. "What is he doing?" He questioned no one in particular, looking back the way Error had gone after the insectoid deity.
Everyone else quickly followed his gaze.

Something dark red was weaving through the enormous trees, it's own size frightening to behold as it's indecipherable edges rippled with it's bewildering movements.
"The fuck is that?" Omega demanded, not getting an answer for a good minute.

"Is that.. Error again?" GB squinted.
"What?" Draco regarded him quizzically.
"That is Error.. but I do not know why he has gone back to that form." Life confirmed somewhat uneasily.
"Okay what form??" Omega insisted, stepping forward.
"That's what I'm wondering about!" Draco exclaimed, not taking his lights off the shape.
"How is that thing Error?"

By now the rumbling was impossible to miss, the figure revealing itself to be gigantic indeed as it made its way through the trees, glimpses of vibrant blue and charcoal grey revealing themselves in between masses of red and red-black.

They all stared as the figure gradually became clear, the grey revealing itself to be a massive, broad skull full of black teeth and beset with heavy, frontward curling horns. The red was a strange body of numerous, undefined limbs that definitely included some kind of wings, the blue turning out to be an upturned underside. The red-black was still unclear, at least until it stopped a hundred yards off and stared at them.
Spines. It was covered in spines.

The tremendous creature then took off at a gallop, jolting the earth with each step until it was sliding to a thunderous stop with a taloned foot feet away. It towered over them, even taller than Draco, who had backed up and pulled GB back with him, leaving the pair of gods and Omega to stare at the beast as it heaved with an angry aura.

"Error, what are you doing?" Life asked.
The unmistakable red sockets squinted before the near iconic eyelights zeroed in on her.
A weight then pressed down on his thoughts, breaking into his mind without so much as a care for his concerns.
Little insect ran away. I wanted to talk but fine, fine, two can play that game. Ant wanna act like I'm a murderous spider? Fine, I'm a fucking spider. Where'd he go.

"Error.." The Toriel sighed into a paw. Reaper spoke then.
"That's basically the exact reason he's afraid of you. You're the spider to the bug. Destruction is his weakness, not to mention your various other advantages! This is not a good idea, for Unity's sake!"

Error threw up his raptorial arms, letting loose a guttural snarl that shook the earth in frustration.
What do you want me to do? He's possessing Blue and they've just been a thing the entire time I've known him? I'm a god, he's a deity. Why the hell is he scared of me?

"You are a very special case, Error." Life explained cautiously.
"Your relationship with Destiny and then Fate has given you advantages over deities that you have yet to comprehend."
Error stared at her.

He eventually bent down and planted his bladed limbs in the dirt to approach her.
If that's the case, a conversation would really be important, wouldn't it.
"You don't sound like you want just a conversation." Reaper noted drily.
Error snapped towards him.
I'm pissed, not murderous. I just need to understand what's going on between them.

"Then ask us! We can tell you! Just don't go traumatizing an already skittish-" I'm asking him directly. If he knows a damn thing about Blue, it's that I won't do shit to him.
Error turned around and started walking in a slightly different angle from where he came from.
Found him.

"Wait, Error, nO-"
The god of destruction teleported away.

. • ° ° • .

The peaceful quiet of the deities' gathering was abruptly broken by earthshaking hammering, the entire group jumping as they looked up to see a tremendous shape appear through the trees, bounding towards them.

Karma leapt to his feet, letting out a shriek as he skittered sideways and away from the figure.
Love honked in alarm and took off flying, managing to land on a low hanging branch of a giant tree as Curiosity screamed and raced up a tree, scraping off bark and leaving Unity panicking and running in circles before darting at the pegasus.

Error crashed into the clearing just as Cicállaé surged forward and between him and the ant-like one, braying.
𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔡𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤, 𝔈𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔯?

The other just snorted a cloud of blue angrily.
I wanna talk to Unity.
𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢, 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱. Nightmare continued.
Get out of the way, bird horse. I need to talk to them.
𝔇𝔬 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔰𝔢𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔢𝔡 𝔥𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔶𝔬𝔲?
Error pondered this for a moment.
..I don't really care. He's possessing Blue.
𝔅𝔶 𝔠𝔥𝔬𝔦𝔠𝔢, 𝔈𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔯.
Error glared down at the pegasus, clouds of blue wafting from his gaping nasal cavity as his bladed limbs twitched.

A new voice spoke from around the corner of another pine, a weasel head sticking out and looking up with intense, raspberry colored hawk eyes.
"Your current form comes across as a threat, Touched One. And you are not one any of us wish to fight. We lack even the strength to in our current states."

Error blinked at him, shifting his weight on his numerous legs in consideration.
You mean to tell me that you're currently weak?
Karma cast his eyes to the ground as another voice spoke from the trees, drawing Error's attention upward to the mostly avian creature perched there.

"We are tied to the balances, Destruction. It is, how do I say this.. our blood. It is part of us, it must remain healthy, or we will not be healthy. Even gods fall victim to the illness that is imbalance. You were weak and forced into becoming what you are now, and your main source of power became Fate's own control. You would not have been able to muster the strength otherwise." He looked away as Karma continued.

"But now that you have been torn from Fate's control with much of their power still within you, it has left you far stronger in this land so prone to ruin."

Error bent down to lean on his raptorial claws, staring at Karma. The weasel-bodied deity stared back, though his wings twitched in tension.
Life already told me what Fate did to me.
"But she often fails to explain details. It is her nature. I cannot be sure of how much you are aware of your own strength."

It was then that a terrible metallic screech tore through the air, everyone jolting as Error retracted the previously unnoticed hand, blue ant-like figure thrashing in glowing blow strands.
Cicállaé brayed and stomped, lashing out to grab Unity.
᭙ꫝꪖ𝕥 ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ꪗꪮꪊ ᦔꪮⅈꪀᧁ?! ρꪊ𝕥 ꫝⅈꪑ ᦔꪮ᭙ꪀ!

Error rolled his eyelights and took a step back.
I said I'm going to talk. And you guys are in the way.
ꫝꫀ'ડ 𝕥ꪮꪮ 𝕥ꫀ𝕣𝕣ⅈᠻⅈꫀᦔ 𝕥ꪮ 𝕥ꪖꪶ𝕜!
Too bad, I'll wait without you. He turned, much to the equine's outrage, leaping away to avoid a vicious swipe of a hoof, the ground quaking as he landed.
The pegasus brayed with the force of a train blast, but the massive spider legged one was already gone.

The winged horse began stomping in place, tossing their mane and huffing.
𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔡𝔬𝔢𝔰 𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔨 𝔥𝔢'𝔰 𝔡𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤? 𝓗𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓷'𝓽 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼. ꫝꫀ ᭙ꪮꪀ'𝕥! 𝓝𝓸!
With an enraged snort, their form began to change.

Abyss looked on from the treetops with wide eyes, a new form, lizard-like, watching the other transform into something even larger, dragonish even.

He saw it and a flicker of memory danced through his mind, one of the many unlocked from the depths of the world of crystal, memories of the Multiverse itself.
He understood then, what Cicállaé- Adfectus- was.

. • ° ° • .

The ant creature silently swung from the vibrant strings curled around the spots between his segmented body, limbs tucked in as his empty sockets stared out at the spidery beast watching lazily.

Error had his multiple legs comfortably curled beneath himself, raptorial claws tucked in as he benignly knitted with two much larger attacks than usual.
"..What are you going to do with me?"

He looked up, briefly taking in the details of the strange insectoid.
Are you going to freak out? He asked simply.
"... You're hard to understand."
That wasn't the question.
"..You didn't answer mine either?" Unity chuffed awkwardly.

Error glanced to the side, pausing in his work.
.. Nothing. I'm doing nothing. I'm pissed at you, but I literally just want to clear some things. I get that you're some decision of Blue's, I just need to understand. I don't strictly like you, but neither do I hate you. Just pissed I didn't know sooner. He huffed.

"Oh please don't be mad at your friend, it's my doing that he couldn't say anything- I- I made him promise not to, but we didn't expect to end up in a place outside the Multiverse! And I honestly didn't quite expect him to keep hanging on to that promise after the fact!" Unity stammered partway through under the intensity of Error's gaze.

Finally, the glitch blinked, glancing at his project briefly before dropping those arms.
I'm not really.. mad at anyone at this point. Just generally pissy. I get the promise thing, he takes some things so seriously… He sighed, pressing the joint of a bladed limb to his socket as his breath pushed Unity backwards and swinging slightly.

Just.. what is your relationship? How do I know who I'm dealing with all the time- and how come I can't normally notice you?
He leaned forward, propping himself up on those knife hands as his glowing sockets cast a faint red hue over the deity, reflected off his carapace as purple.

He clicked his mandibles nervously before his voice rose up.
"Oh I. Well. We had a lot in common, and I really hated the conflicts Fate kept going in the Multiverse, sooo.. I found a mortal in the thick of it with so much in common and!" He clasped his foreclaws together.

"I entertained the fantasy of bringing everyone together despite Fate's influence and he really liked the idea! And it worked! We were friends with everybody! Even if we weren't sure how to move on to the next step, the hardest one was over with! But then Ink made a rather rash decision that just kicked everything into gear! It was perfect! And- oh dear I've gone off track haven't I.." He recoiled from Error before the larger shook his skull.
No, it.. tells me something. He shrugged.
Keep going. I'm listening.

Unity wrung his claws, nervously chittering before he figured out what to say.
"Well in short, he's my Voice. I never really came out much because gee, can't have Fate noticing someone got close to her pawn, they might eradicate me!" He shuddered.
"So I guess I was just his mind helper. This is.. my first time really taking a shape in full with a Voice. And yesofcourseIaskedpermissionit'ssorudenotto-" He finished all at once, wincing.

Error had to blink to translate that mess. Then he shook his skull.
Fine. Whatever. How come I couldn't sense you before?
"Well, I mean, I was unconscious? I don't really know. What I know now is mostly from Blue's memories.." He wrung his claws.

That's fair enough, I guess. But how do I know- He cut short as another massive figure exploded from above the canopy, crashing into his side as both collapsed into the earth.
Life-?! Error questioned at first, thrashing as the ground jumped from the titanic creatures, one largely red and the other dark brown.

Eventually the god of destruction threw off the long bodied creature, crashing into a great pine with a snarl as his many legs left furrows in the earth.

Unity was shaking in the strings, unable to climb to the safety of the treetops as the stranger lifted their head and hissed.

It was shaped like a long dragon of the Asian descent, wingless with skin of bark and root claws, backside a mane of leaves with hues of gold and violet scattered between. It's belly was stained nearly black with streaks of green as it's leafy tail twitched, branches rattling.

The hell happened to bird horse?! Error cried in disbelief.
What was clearly Cicállaé hissed.
𝕣ꫀꪶꫀꪖડꫀ ꪊꪀⅈ𝕥ꪗ.
The hell is going on with you?!
The other simply leapt at him.

Error brought up his bladed limbs to bear, all four arms managing to catch and throw the other aside, body crashing with an earthquake.
Their tail thrashed, catching Error on the side of his face. He growled, low as it rattled the air. Unity was terrified, still held captive in strings.

Suddenly, a glowing red peacock flew in and landed on his carapace, blinking at him before pecking at the string in an effort to grab it.
𝕣ꫀꪶꫀꪖડꫀ ꫝⅈꪑ! Cicállaé barked again, shaking their head before lunging.

I can't do that with you attacking me like a wild animal! Error hissed back, the two engaged as the razor edges of his raptorial claws began to saw through the other's bark-like exterior as he struggled to hold them back.

Cicállaé managed to snake their head around and clamp their jaws around the base of his arm, only to scream as they got a mouthful of spines, jolting back. Error let them go, crouching as they shook their head with a rumbling hiss.

He blinked as their jaws began to emit a cyan glow mixed with yellow, molten gold bleeding onto the ferns. He took a step back, cautious.
Love's peacock finally managed to get a good grip on the string, pulling back and trying to get it over Unity's skull.

Suddenly, Cicállaé whipped their head up and spat spines back, glowing vibrant cyan with a yellow aura, oddly reminiscent of someone's arrows. Error impulsively shielded himself with a wing, the projectiles clattering harmlessly against the chitinous pseudo-feathers.

He had only a second to prepare as the dragonish combined twins yet again threw themself at him, destruction stumbling backwards from the force before snarling and making to throw them against the ground, yet emotion had already scrambled onto his backside, raking claws over his wings and scratching him between the chiton feathers.

Error snarled, then bucked, flipping and slamming his backside into a massive pine so forcefully it was partially uprooted, groaning as it tilted dangerously to the side. Cicállaé went limp, sliding off as multiple spines pricked and clung to them. The broken deity-twins bled purple and golden sap.

By now, a glowing plum colored eagle flew in, carrying a yellow tinted albino squirrel of equal luminosity as the pair of animals set to work on freeing Unity, who began to summon giant ants of glowing blue below on the ground, crawling up the tree he was hanging from, still shaking as the titans battled, miraculously not yet hitting him.

Cicállaé dragged themselves away from Error, who stood half crouched, letting out a continuous rumble of a growl, the deep sound rattling his spines and the needles of the trees around as well as the leaves that made up the combined twins' backside.

He abruptly cut short when something wrapped itself around one of his taloned feet. Looking down, he saw a bundle of gnarly roots sprouting from the earth, raining dark earth as they climbed. He yanked the leg free in surprise, only for the other seven to suddenly be gripped tight.

Error looked up in alarm, seeing Cicállaé stand up and shake the spines off, turning to snarl. His sockets widened as he saw his disadvantage, tugging at the roots frantically, wood cracking as he cut through the ones clinging to his front legs with the sawblade limbs, rapidly freeing himself as the dragonish beast gathered up for a pounce.

He grunted as he pulled free of the last root and threw himself to the side just as Cicállaé came flying at him, sailing over with an outraged bellow that cut short with a gagging noise.

The god of destruction heaved himself back up, blinking as he found his balance and stumbled back into the open space between trees. He peered at the combined, feral twins and immediately noticed the unusual tension and more importantly, strings trailing from their maw.

Multicolored eyes met his red sockets.
Error just stared, jaw hanging open.
Did you just-
Cicállaé jerked erratically to the side, retching and coughing up a squawking red bird that burst into mist before they slammed their head into the tree behind them.
Did you fucking eat him?! Error made a sound somewhere between bending metal and a whine as Cicállaé threw their weight against the tree with increasing frenzy.

Without warning, they launched upwards and clambered into the canopy with a disgruntled noise, twitching before jumping into the air.
Get the FUCK back here you just- SPIT HIM THE FUCK OUT! Error bellowed, jumping up and flapping erratically in the effort to gain altitude, snapping branches with his wings and shredding needles until he was off the ground in pursuit.

Cicállaé was spasming in the air, and he could only catch hints of noise that sounded much like wheezing as the other began to weave and twist in flight all over the place.

Error winced at a screech, then flew in close enough to clamp his jaws around the end of the other's tail with a dense snap, holding it in a vise grip as the other thrashed and screamed, dropping like a rock.

Error was abruptly carrying nearly twice his own weight when he could barely fly at his current size. It dragged him to the earth wrenched at his neck, forcing him to grab on with his other limbs and hang on as he began gliding at a steep downward angle.

Not once did the plantlike one stop straining to escape his grip, foaming a black and otherwise sticky fluid that smelled of sour apples.
I fucking swear, if you don't spit him the hell out I will cut you open. He warned darkly.
It didn't seem that Cicállaé could quite hear him, eyes rolling into their head as they hacked.

Error eventually managed to flap hard and stumble into a clearing with a small stream running through it, legs collapsing under him as everything previously in the clearing bolted at the presence of such giants.
Spit him out. He ordered one last time, still holding on to the seizing dragonic creature.
All he got was a weak whine in response.

. • ° GORE WARNING ° • .

With a snarl, Error threw them down and flipped them on their back, pressing one of his raptorial claws to their underbelly and pausing.
Their heaving gasps began to cut their own toughened bark skin against the blade, causing Error wince as it finally occurred to him.

Cicállaé was present, not mentally. It explained the erratic behavior and mindless screaming their minds seemed stuck in- though in hindsight he should have made the connection sooner.

Either way, it seemed he had to do what was essentially field surgery.
He grimaced, then sliced through their exposed belly, promptly hit with the overpowering scent of apples and sap as the fluid gushed out like water from a cracked fissure.

The wood cracked and he pulled the sides apart with a wince, trying to ignore the piercing shriek as he looked inside. He groaned as he realized he had no idea how nonskeletal biologies worked, and this was currently a plant animal hybrid creature he was 'operating' on. His bladed arms were getting sticky and the sap was reaching his taloned feet.

He glanced further up in vain hopes of seeing a sign of blue carapace, only to hesitate at the sight of his initial cut beginning to mend with a blue glow.
Shit.

Error widened the tear, holding one side down with a talon and the upper side with both raptorial claws, taking a breath before plunging his hands in the freakishly cool and sticky flesh oozing what felt like a gel. He rooted through the incomprehensible organs, many of which were bundled together by root-like cords until he encountered a sack of some kind emanating a dull blue aura.

He tried to gently tug on it, but winced when Cicállaé spazzed and it didn't budge. Error glanced at the rapidly healing wounds, then sighed explosively.
You're not going to like this, but fuck it.

He yanked on the sack, forcing a hoarse wail out of the other that immediately lost strength. Error quickly cut it open and recognized the currently blazing blue object that let out a startled eep, therefore giving away it's identity.

Error grabbed Unity and started shoving everything he could back in place, starting to panic as the healing began to slow.
What are you doing- what are you doing- He pressed the gaping wound shut.
You're not supposed to die combined. He hissed, mostly to himself.

"I was healing them!" Unity suddenly piped up, scrabbling forward and looking completely unharmed despite his unexpected ingestion.
He had dimmed down enough for his features to be recognizable, pressing his foreclaws to the wound that was many times his own size, the blue light spreading and speeding up the healing process.

You were literally.. inhaled and you're acting like nothing happened? Error questioned in disbelief.
Unity blinked at him. "Well I can't be hurt by such a thing. That's rather silly. I can heal Emotion better being at the center physically anyway! But, thank you for getting me out, I was a little stuck."

He couldn't help but stare for a long moment, processing the ludacrisy of the statement.
Finally Error leaned back.
What the hell is with you deities? What is wrong with you?!

By now there didn't seem to be any remnant of the long incision left, though Unity still remained, seemingly puzzled. He tilted his skull to the side, then looked up at Error.

. • ° GORE END ° • .

"I simply see nothing wrong with it." He explained hesitantly. "A body is just that; a body. It has its functions. It's supposed to. It houses the consciousness of mortals after all. Sometimes us. Hm!"

Error looked between Unity and Cicállaé's unusually still form. He then just gave up trying to understand the minds of deities.
Just.. what are you still doing. He rubbed a bladed hand to his sockets, inadvertently getting strips of plant-flesh and sap on his snout.
"I'm trying to help Emotion get a little more together again, this state is just unhealthy!"

He stiffened. What does that mean? Error questioned. Unity immediately picked up on the shift, crouching to look at him.
"Did I misspeak?"
No, I heard what you said, I just don't get what you mean. He focused intensely upon the ant-like deity.

"I. Well. Emotion used to be whole a terribly long time ago, and this is just the closest she's been in eons! And I was thinking of really quickly remedying- oh you are mad, you are upset, what did I d-" Error gripped him tightly in one hand, looking away for fear of snapping.

Taking a deep breath, the god of destruction slowly strode around to face the still faintly twitching.
Dream? Nightmare? You in there? He asked hesitantly, holding up the limp-leafed head with his raptorial claws.
You okay..? He could hear a silent, oohhh nooo it was that from Unity.

Tapping below the right eye, Error maintained some hope that it wasn't as bad as it seemed, or he might truly just snap and find a way to tear a deity out of a body and kill them.

He could barely restrain himself from gasping as the dull eyes slowly creaked open, vaguely taking in his features. Error tentatively reached into the other mind, visibly wincing at the sensation of silence, interrupted only by the distant thrums of voices that always accompanied the Twins' minds.

There was a weary squint before a familiar voice spoke, a little bit too singular, a hint unnervingly feminine.
ꪗꪮꪊ.. ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 ꪀꪖꪑꫀ... ꫀ𝕣𝕣ꪮ𝕣.
..That is my name. A faint breath escaped him.
And. What is. What is yours?

The other didn't reply, only the dull eyes glazed, colors indecipherable until they attained a faint violet hue.
..𝔐𝔞𝔪ă..?
Error blinked, not sure of how to respond.
Cicállaé tried to lift their head, but couldn't move any higher than an inch, something miniscule on scales such as theirs.

ꪮꫝ, ꪑⅈᥴꪊțꪊꪶ ᥴꪮșꪑꪖ𝕣.. The voice was weak, and the echoes of it's incomprehensible thoughts were fading fast. Error had no idea what any of it meant, not at all.
ℭ𝔲𝔪 𝔢ș𝔱𝔦 𝔞𝔦𝔠𝔦? 𝔈ș𝔱𝔦 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔱.
𝓜𝓪𝓶ă, î𝓶𝓲 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓽â𝓽 𝓭𝓮 𝓻ă𝓾. Î𝓶𝓲 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮 𝓻ă𝓾 𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓾 𝓬𝓮𝓮𝓪 𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓶 𝓯ă𝓬𝓾𝓽.

𝕥ⅈꪑρꪊꪶ ᠻꪮડ𝕥 𝕥ꫀ𝕣ꪑⅈꪀꪖ𝕥 ᥴâꪀᦔ ꪜ-ꪖꪑ ᠻăᥴꪊ𝕥 ρꫀ ꪜꪮⅈ ᦔꪮⅈ… The voice murmured, hardly even a whisper anymore.
𝓜𝓪𝓶ă, 𝓽𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓰, 𝓷𝓾 𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓪.
𝔄 𝔱𝔯𝔢𝔠𝔲𝔱 𝔞𝔱â𝔱 𝔡𝔢 𝔪𝔲𝔩𝔱. 𝔄 𝔣𝔬𝔰𝔱 𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔞 𝔪𝔢𝔞.

ꪀꪊ ꪖⅈ ρꪊ𝕥ꫀꪖ ᠻⅈ ꪀⅈᥴⅈꪮᦔꪖ𝕥ă ꪖᥴꪊ𝕫ꪖ𝕥 ρꫀꪀ𝕥𝕣ꪊ ᥴꫀꫀꪖ ᥴꫀ ꪀꪊ ꪖꪑ ᠻꪮડ𝕥 ꪀⅈᥴⅈꪮᦔꪖ𝕥ă ꪖᥴꪮꪶꪮ. The voice spoke sternly before seemingly beginning to split apart, the body before Error beginning to flake away in violet and gold dust. He panicked.
Wait, wait wait- don't you fucking die on me!

The twin voices began to keen, echoing out from a torn throat as Error backed away, terrified that his very presence was killing them.
Îꪀ𝕥ꪮ𝕥ᦔꫀꪖꪊꪀꪖ... ρꪖ𝕣𝕥ꫀ ᦔⅈꪀ 𝕥ⅈꪀꫀ. ρꫀ ꪑⅈꪀꫀ.
𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓷.. 𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔢 𝔡𝔦𝔫.. ρꫀ ꪑⅈꪀꫀ? It became disjointed, confused, straining until Error forcibly tore himself away, tugging at his horns as he whined.
The hell do I do? What do I fucking do?

A voice spoke from across the clearing, initially hidden by the growing cloud of glittering dust.
"Nothing. You do nothing."

Error looked up in bewilderment, then huffed to dispel the cloud.
Reaper stood there, not as a typical skeleton, but enormous. Pale, avian bones with a backside cloaked in gleaming black, iridescent feathers, spreading into wings that laid curled against his ribs, hanging off much like his cloak did.

"They're not normal, Error." Reaper explained calmly, his blackened beak parting slightly. "They were always the dismembered halves of Emotion in some way. It's what they are." He took a step out of the trees, into the sunlight. His taloned foot blackened the grasses upon contact as he settled.

None of it makes sense. Error whined despite himself, casting his gaze back at Cicállaé.
"And it'll continue to not make sense until you make some sense of it." Reaper replied easily, striding closer and lifting his wings impulsively.
The fuck kind of logic is that?
"The one that works."

He scowled, having no feasible response as the dust parted to reveal what at first looked like a small tree- then the leaves shuddered.

Both death and destruction looked on as Cicállaé shifted their branches to the backside, groaning and holding their skull.
…You're not going to drop dead or anything? Error hesitantly reached out to ask.

Multicolored eyelights regarded him, slowly recognizing his face.
A single voice spoke, lacking an echo of duality.
"What.. what did I do, Error?"
A lot. Do you even know who you are?

"Why is that your- y.." The treeskeleton paused, sockets wide as they found themselves unable to answer. Their hands went up to hold their skull, eyelights small.
"I don't.. I don't know."

"Are you one or two?" Reaper prompted, drawing their attention. Cicállaé blinked, gaze starting to drift past him before they abruptly bent over and hissed, reaching under their clothes that had spontaneously appeared upon their formation- that was actually kind of strange- and they were ripping out a vine covered apple that was blazing with green-yellow light, letting out a strangled cry.

Error leaned back, puzzled as Reaper flinched. The bronzish-green vines trailed back under their ribs, bleeding a thick, yellow-purple sap from the numerous tears created by the initial yank. Cicállaé bent over, gasping until they vomited a black substance that stank of unripe apples.

"Are you..?" Reaper didn't finish the question, setting the talon back on the ground with a look of concern on his face. Error though, was silent as he stared hesitantly beyond the god of death, at the indefinite orbs of light appearing through the trees, the pines creaking and groaning as they shifted around.

Cicállaé puked one more time, then tore out the rest of the vines with a scream, collapsing to their kneecaps and choking. There were black root-tips mixed in, woven in with the vines that curled around the fruit. The treeskeleton was shaking, bones rattling, leaves jittering as they held themself up with a hand, the leaves beginning to dissolve into golden-green glittering dust, coalescing around the fruit.

Looking away, Error glanced at the unusually silent deity he held in one hand, flinching when it was simply Blue, blinking up at him with teary sockets.

Oh fuck, did I hurt you?! He all but dropped the smaller on his feet.
"No, Error, I.. I just regret not telling Unity to stop. He can be blind to consequences. I should have been more aware. I am sorry." He dashed forward and wrapped his arms around the trunk of a leg, barely even reaching the sides with his hands.
It. You were conscious?

"..Yes." Blue mumbled.
Are you okay? Fuck Unity's idea of normal, that's not normal. He bent over to better look at his friend, glancing over at the Twins as they began to take familiar shapes.
"I.. believe so? I'm physically fine…. I think I will need time to process." Blue admitted.
Fine. I'm not okay with Unity's.. nonchalance over this shit.
"It's okay, Error. Today has been a lot to take in. I will have to mind Unity a little more from now on."

Why do you need to be that thing's minder? Should mind himself. He growled.
Blue smiled apologetically. "It takes a lot to resist one's nature, Error. He could only do so before because he was terrified of Fate. Alagaësia is basically the chance to let loose and he's entirely forgotten about repercussions."
…Fucking deities. Error settled upon saying, irritated.

Reaper snorted. "That's understandable." The god smirked.
Well you used to be one! Error pointed out.
"Technically speaking, I'm half of one." Reaper shot back. "And Samsara doesn't want to come back. I'm me from here on out, buddy."
Error scoffed. Fucking.. half deity dating my damn brother.

Now Blue was laughing.
"Is that what it is?" He asked, amazed.
I don't know, he's obsessed with Geno! He threw up his raptorial claws while simultaneously gesturing with his skeletal arms. Reaper was biting back his own amusement at the display.

The hilarity cut short from two different voices groaning. Everyone looked over to see the mostly familiar brothers drag themselves closer for a sort of hug, extra limbs twining together almost by instinct.

"Are you alright?" Blue asked, striding over. Dream was the first to look up, sockets half closed as lights a blurry mix of green and yellow regarded him.
"I.. think. So. Everything is so.. fuzzy? Aahhh.."
He then straightened, dragging a sleepy looking Nightmare up with him.
"Blue are you okay?! We- oh my goodness we-"
"Dream I'm fine. I just need time to really understand what happened."
"We- Unity- I- oh geez-" He was cut off by a
rootlike tendril shutting his mouth.

"Just. Give him time." Nightmare sighed wearily, rubbing at his sockets.
Error realized with a jolt that both of Nightmare's sockets were open and clear, eyelights a strange blend of icey blue and warm purple.

The glitch decided to retreat behind the treeline to change out of the ridiculously ungainly and oversized body he currently had. The others watched him as he thundered off into the shadows. Reaper glanced between the god of destruction and the rest gathered below, then dipped his beak in making the same decision.
"I'll be back." He informed them before turning and leaping away.

"..I didn't realize he had a bladed tail." Blue noted.
Dream just shrugged wearily, face still cradled by the black root. "Did any of us." Nightmare mumbled blearily, pulling his tendrils back. Dream shook himself, free of the clingy restraints.

"Oh my." Blue started, recoiling.
"What?" Both Twins asked, worried.
"Look at yourselves!" He proclaimed, grabbing their hands and hefting them to their feet.
They both stumbled and teetered before their respective extraneous limbs helped them orient.

Dream then glanced at his brother in confusion, Nightmare still blinking away a coming migraine. The lighter gasped, at first seeing the vibrant and stable eyelights. Nightmare then focused on him, recoiling.
"You were always a perfect little flower." He impulsively stated.
"Huh?"

A dark hand caught his and guided him to his face, where Dream discovered the flowerbuds. Dream gasped, tapping along the ring of vines lined with clusters of yet to bloom blossoms.

"Nightmare, you've hardly noticed a thing!" Blue tutted, then grabbed a thick branch and tugged it to the front.
"Blue, that was a little harsh of-" He stopped.
Dream was the first to cup the thicker clustering closest to him. "Oh my." He whispered.

"You were the blooming half." Nightmare muttered under his breath.
"Oh really?" Dream shot back, amused.
"Your leaves, Dream, they've.. receded?" Blue noted confusedly.
Both brothers paused to look.

Indeed, the leaves no longer covered most of his bones, the pale green vines having darkened to a golden brown, hardened like bark. There were many out of the way spots that sprouted off into clusters of buds.

"If that happened, why doesn't your goop recede?" Dream pouted. Nightmare held up a hand thoughtfully, and in a moment's time the black pulled back, revealing faintly stained bone. Dream gasped, but it quickly returned.
"I am not comfortable with that." Nightmare explained quietly, holding said hand.

"You're both still incredible!" Blue proclaimed with a grin, looking between the pair.
"Thank you! It still feels strange, though." Dream pondered to the side, vines shifting.
"Wait, your lower half lacks leaves." Nightmare pointed out in mild concern.
"I think I see where they went." Blue noted as the darker was turned.

Both blinked at him, and Blue pointed.
Now the brothers stared silently at the darkened leaves hanging almost limply near the highest points of Nightmare's tendrils.

"Step into the sun, see what happens." Reaper's voice startled all three, looking over at the god that smiled at them in faint amusement.

Nightmare, challenged, huffed and marched out of the long shadows and towards the patch of sun illuminating the undergrowth. Dream was quick to follow, stopping just as his brother stiffened, branches touching the sun.

Error stepped out of the opposite end of the tiny clearing of lengthy shadows in time to see the darker half burst forth in an amethyst glow, more leaves of dark green lifting up, pulling themselves free of the goop as it bloomed into purple in the sun, the branches lacking foliage instead gleaming silvery-blue.

"...I may be covered in flowers, but you look amazing, Brother."
Nightmare whipped around to look at him, disgruntled even as a pale blue dusted his face. After a moment, he ungracefully smacked Dream in the face with a now leafy branch, lighter twin bursting into laughter and nearly falling backwards at the action.

Blue snickered into his hand, Reaper grinning as he drifted around the group and glanced at the glitch that was simply standing there, clueless on how to even respond.

Before more could be said, a swan cry sounded and a red mostly avian creature swooped in for a landing next to their group, a weasel with hawk wings and front legs following shortly after, humming as his secondary, insectoid wings kept buzzing until he was on the ground.

Curiosity's form came bounding out of the trees, bouncing as his finned tail swept side to side until he slid to a stop nearby, never taking his eyes off of Error.
In fact, all the deities were watching Error nervously.

He ignored them, arms crossed as Blue glanced around.
Dream spoke up, hesitant.
"You.. wanted to talk, didn't you?"
"After you actually had a conversation with Sci." Nightmare added with a glint of recognition, staring down the squirrel headed one.

Curiosity recoiled slightly, whiskers twitching.
"I did! I did that. Not easy. Very hard. Thought we would be ended by Destiny's Chosen."
"I have a name." Error snapped.
Curiosity shrunk in on himself.
"I'm so sorry, Destruction." He whispered.
Error only scoffed, rubbing his face irritably.

"His name is Error. There's a distinction between his name and title." Reaper explained patiently.
"It's not a nickname?!" Curiosity perked up.
"Glitchy's a nickname." Dream supplied, earning a glare from the god.

"Oh! I never thought of that! Do you have other names I don't know?" He cocked his head at Error, who sighed. "No. Just a bunch of titles I don't really care for."
"Ah I miss Wisdom, she'd know what to say."
Curiosity muttered, shifting to impulsively groom his face.

"Wisdom's in Alagaësia somewhere, I've sensed that much." Reaper noted thoughtfully.
Life suddenly appeared, walking around Reaper from a flash of yellow-green.
"It is difficult to tell. Do any of you know the Voices of our friends we feel are here?"

"Why would you want to wake more of them? We have a war to deal with!" Error argued.
"But we will help." Love replied back, head tilted confusedly. "Is that not something you want?"
"I do, but you're hell to deal with and it's not even been 24 hours." Error answered honestly, annoyed.

"In all honesty, Error, a good part of this time you spent fighting the Twins when they weren't all there." Blue pointed out.
Dream winced and looked away in remembrance, Nightmare's sockets slowly widening as it returned to him in full as well.
"Eh, they count! All that.. becoming one deity tree business."

"How did we even turn into that..?" Nightmare breathed, slightly mortified.
"Beats me." Reaper shrugged. "I never even seen something like that before in relation to you or your mom."

The other deities all suddenly were looking at the death god.
"What?" He asked, not put off in the least.
"You remember Emotion?" Karma questioned.
Life stepped forward. "We remember."
"Oh my I thought the memory was lost forever!" Curiosity bounced up and down on stiff legs.

A voice spoke up from the grasses, previously unnoticed.
"A lot of memories were displaced because of Fate's manipulations."

The group took notice of the small gecko of light and dark blue stripes and a band of silvery white fur down it's spine as it clambered up Dream's leg. It flicked a brilliantly blue tongue before continuing.

"I swear it's all coming back. Most of it doesn't even feel like my own- I honestly don't even think it is. Why would I know anything about your childhood?" He regarded Dream from his shoulder, who put his hands to his face in shock as he glanced at Error.

"And I know I'm not supposed to remember who you used to be, but I do. It feels invasive."
"How the fuck is that possible." Error deadpanned, not so subtly horrified.

Karma barked out a laugh as Love shook his head.
"Why, he is Memory! A strange one as always. If there is a memory forgotten or yet to be made, it is your charge. You are the keeper. You do not know this?"
Abyss blinked.
"I guess I forgot." He said, aware of the irony of his statement.

"If that's the case, then theoretically you should know what happens in the future." Blue pointed out. Abyss turned to stare at him, bulging lizard eyes gleaming aquamarine as his gaze penetrated through him.
Blue was stock still as Abyss gazed into him.

After a tense and very silent minute, the lizard flinched and looked away, Blue nearly collapsing back from the unexpected experience.
"∂яαgση¢нιℓ∂ αℓινє, нє ωнσ ωσυℓ∂ υηιтє тнє ωσяℓ∂-" He choked and shook his head, falling off his perch.

To his luck, Dream caught his small form, Abyss blinking from the nest of leaves supporting his frame before sighing.
"Don't let me do that again. I hate it." He muttered as Dream pulled the vines back, keeping him in view.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't realized." Blue spoke in a muted voice.
"You couldn't have known." Dream reassured.
"Why are we still here?" Error changed the subject.

The gathering all shuffled around, considering the question.
"Why of course, it has been eons since any of us have been able to congregate in masse without fear of setting off Fate. Much less with Voices. It is a luxury we dearly miss." Karma explained easily.

"It should wait for when circumstances improve. You still need Oromis." Nightmare pointed at Blue. Said skeleton sighed. "I suppose. But as of this moment I would only be returning to the Rider's housing or the Varden to wind down for the day."

"Well the rest of you would benefit from finding common ground with your Voices." Life clapped, sounding what seemed to be the official end of their meeting.

Love fluffed up his feathers and shook his head in displeasure, Curiosity, hesitantly stepping away in disappointment. Karma leapt over their group, then into the air where his secondary wings began thrumming as his main set gave a tremendous flap and led him further into the sky.

Blue gave a wave and promptly teleported away just as Love vanished into a cloud of red. The Twins shared a look with each other and then Error before Dream flinched as the small lizard that was Abyss's current form launched at Reaper, the god blinking as he landed almost perfectly on his shoulder.

"We have somewhere to be." The lizard commanded, leaving the god surprised.
Life gave a soft smile, then walked through a portal of her own making.

"It can't wait, not when I remember." Abyss insisted, creating a fuzzy, watery portal on the ground that the brothers recognized before Error could.

As soon as they did, they gasped simultaneously and grabbed Reaper's arms and dragged him through without much more than a surprised yelp.

Error was left alone to his thoughts.
"... I'm going to have to start keeping them under control at this rate." He realized with growing horror.
"Why the hell am I left with the hard shit?" He asked the empty air around him.