Abyss shivered, staring at the bluish and shadowed watery landscape around him, unfamiliar lights dancing around him rather than the floating orbs he knew.
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚖 𝙸? He thought to himself, unsettled by this false version of his realm, the place he was named after.

вєтωєєη. An unexpected voice sounded behind him, startling Abyss as he turned around to face… a Sans that reminded him of himself, but more white. He tried to speak, but found his words were difficult to say, sounding as though spoken underwater, incomprehensible.
𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜? He asked internally, the words of his mind seemed to curl around his skull audibly.

ι ∂ι∂. The voice spoke again, clearly originating from the strange skeleton, though he did not appear to speak. In fact, Abyss rather felt him speak, not hear it.
𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞? 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚢 "𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗"? He asked, scarfs floating in the strange space.

The strange, fellow crystal themed skeleton swept closer, reaching for him longingly as his catlike eyelights shimmered. Abyss didn't back away, but felt a sudden familiarity with the other, a connection he couldn't ignore.
ι αм уσυ, αвуѕѕ. ωє αяє тнє ѕαмє, ∂郃єяєηт ƒα¢єтѕ σƒ тнє ѕαмє ¢яуѕтαℓ тнαт ιѕ мємσяу. тнιѕ ρℓα¢є ιѕ вєтωєєη. ιт ιѕ вєтωєєη αℓαgαëѕια αη∂ ιт'ѕ gσ∂ѕ, вєтωєєη тнєяє αη∂ тнє мυℓтινєяѕє, єνєη вℓєη∂ιηg ωιтн συя νєяу σωη ѕєραяαтє∂ яєαℓмѕ.

𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍. He finally said. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗? 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎?
уσυ αѕк ƒσя α нυη∂яє∂ тнσυѕαη∂ тяιℓℓιση ιƒ уσυ αѕк α ηαмє. ι αм уσυ, αη∂ уσυ αяє тнєιя мємσяу. The stranger explained vaguely.
𝙰𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞! Abyss begged of the white crystal being.
ι αм уσυя тяαηѕ¢єη∂єηт. ι αм уσυя ѕριяιт. αη∂ ι ємвσ∂у тнє ѕσυℓѕ σƒ тнє мυℓтινєяѕє. ι αм тнє мємσяу σƒ тнє αвуѕѕ.
After some thought, Abyss gave up.
𝙳𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢?

The other hesitated. уσυ тσσ, αяє мємσяу. вυт уєѕ, тнє тяαηѕ¢єη∂єηт нαѕ вєєη ¢αℓℓє∂ ѕυ¢н.
Abyss blinked, then stared at the other. Then he decided to play along.
𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍?
тнє тяαηѕ¢єη∂єηт ιѕ тнє ραѕт. тнє ρяєѕєηт. тнє ƒυтυяє. тнє ¢яуѕтαℓ. тнє ωαη∂єяєя. тнє мємσяу σƒ тнє αвуѕѕ.
вυт ι αм αℓѕσ ησтнιηgηєѕѕ, ƒσя ι ∂σ ησт єχιѕт αѕ мσятαℓѕ αяє αвℓє.
𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎 "𝚖𝚎" 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝? Abyss countered, crossing his arms.

The other's cyan tinted white robe fluttered as they placed a hand on the side of his face. Abyss felt a pang in his Soul, unable to step away as the pupil-like teal lights peered into him.
𝙸𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚊𝚣𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎? He couldn't help but ask softly.
The stranger smiled, face full of melancholy and benevolence as he regarded Abyss.
ℓσσк ιηтσ мє, αвуѕѕ ѕαηѕ. ℓσσк ιηтσ уσυяѕєℓƒ αη∂ ѕєє.
Nodding shakily, he felt his wings spread out around both of them, fur twining together with the strange ribbons on the other's clothes, the mysterious skeleton growing insubstantial as he started looking deeper.

All he saw were memories.
Countless, innumerable, thousands of memories from billions of Souls, flickering about as mortal thoughts do.
A coldness seeped into his bones as he realized he couldn't feel this monster like any other.

Their presence was an echo, kept alive by tremendous chords of power thrumming within it, power channeled from the one place he felt most at home with, the Abyss. Yet it didn't stay there, no, it moved on to a land of white light, of crystals, of memories that could not be contained in the small echo of a being before him. Whatever this place was, it was far away, in the center of his watery realm as shadowy memories of AU's, those long forgotten by all else and worlds that might never see life were all locked away in crystals that gleamed in every hue imaginable- even colors that didn't exist.

Here, the waters of the Abyss flowed in rivers among the gems, Souls condensing from the light and falling into the tumultuous torrents or older Souls rising up and joining with the light.

Abyss finally found it in himself to breathe again, not knowing when he'd stopped doing so. As he gasped, the beautiful vision and memory faded, leaving him in the dreary shades of blue and grey, a dark pallor settling around him, as if to magnify the loss of the bright light.
The being was gone, but he felt an almost overwhelming sense of entirety and peace. Something old and familiar was dwelling in the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite access it. More, it felt tired, weak.
𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢? 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗? He called out, wondering where they had gone.

уσυ ¢αяяу тнє мємσяу ωιтнιη уσυ. The voice spoke. Abyss flinched at the closeness of it. He could feel the voice as if it vibrated from his bones, as though his very Soul had become a separate entity with the ability to speak, and it's voice shook his ribs and spoke through him.
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎? He struggled to keep his own voice level, almost afraid of feeling that voice speaking in his bones.
ℓσσк ∂σωη αη∂ ѕєє тнє тяυтн, ѕσυℓ gαια.

And gaze downward he did, his breath catching as he saw the change in his clothes. They resembled that of the stranger's, the only familiar attire being his scarves and crystal, his own gem resting as the brooch above several others marching down the sides of the parted white cloth, revealing a cyan shirt that matched the fur of the hood resting atop his silvery white fur scarves, which matched the ribbons flowing out the end of the coat around the white, teal gem ringed shorts and boots.
𝙸-𝙸… He was at a loss for words.

The watery tendrils tipped in crystals now floated behind him, stemming from his scarves or his spine, he didn't know.
ƒσя ησω, υηтιℓ ωє нανє яє¢σνєяє∂ συяѕєℓνєѕ αη∂ συя ρσωєя, ωє мαу σηℓу єχιѕт ιη тнιѕ ƒσям ιη тнє νσι∂ вєтωєєη.
The being he dubbed Memory explained from within him.
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚢? 𝙷𝚘𝚠? He found himself asking, running his phalanges along the sleeves curiously. The being seemed to finally stop speaking in riddles and answer bluntly, but his words made no sense.
вє¢αυѕє уσυ αяє тнє σηℓу ѕнαя∂ тнαт яємαιηє∂ ιη тнє мσятαℓ яєαℓм αη∂ ιη¢αяηαтє∂ αѕ α ѕαηѕ, ¢αραвℓє σƒ яєтυяηιηg υѕ тσ ση¢є ωαѕ.

Struggling to make sense of the entity inside him, Abyss responded.
𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎? 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚎?
Here, Memory spoke, words heavy with fate and destiny.
вє¢αυѕє ωє αяє вυт ριє¢єѕ σƒ єα¢н σтнєя. уσυ αяє тнє σηє ℓєƒт ιη тнє мσятαℓ яєαℓм ιη α мσятαℓ ƒσям, αη∂ тнυѕ, υηтιℓ ωє ¢αη яєтυяη, ωє αяє тяαρρє∂ ιη уσυя мσятαℓιту. ωнєη уσυ єѕ¢αρє тнє вση∂ѕ, уσυ ωιℓℓ яємємвєя. αѕ уσυ αяє ησω, уσυ αяє вυт α ƒяαgмєηт σƒ υѕ, αℓℓ тнαт яємαιηѕ σƒ ѕσυℓ.
𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚕?! Abyss questioned in alarm.

ησ. уσυ αяє ѕσυℓ. αℓℓ тнαт ιѕ ℓєƒт тнαт ιѕ ησт αη є¢нσ ¢αgє∂ ωιтнιη αησтнєя ѕкєℓєтση. Memory explained.
уσυ αяє тнє ƒαℓℓєη ¢яєαтσя σƒ ѕσυℓѕ, ƒσяgσттєη кєєρєя σƒ мємσяу, ƒα∂ιηg gυαя∂ιαη σƒ тнє αвуѕѕ. уσυ αяє тнє тнє ¢нιℓ∂ σƒ єνσℓυтιση, ƒαтнєяє∂ ву ѕυв¢σηѕ¢ισυѕ, нє ωнσ ƒσямє∂ ƒяσм тнє ∂яєgѕ σƒ тнє яυιηє∂ яєℓαтισηѕнιρ вєтωєєη тнє тωσ нαℓνєѕ σƒ ємσтιση. уσυ αяє тнє αвуѕѕ, мα∂є мσятαℓ ву тнє gяєαт єνιℓ тнαт ρℓαgυє∂ тнє мυℓтινєяѕє ¢єηтυяιєѕ αgσ.

Abyss struggled to wrap his skull around that.
𝚆𝚑𝚢.... 𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚊𝚖 𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚠?
συя мσтнєя ѕσυgнт тσ ρяσтє¢т тнє σηℓу ƒяαgмєηт ¢αραвℓє σƒ яєтυяηιηg тσ συя ƒσямєя ѕтαтє. ι αм уσυя нιgнєя ѕєℓƒ, вυт σηℓу αη є¢нσ. уσυ αяє α ѕтαвℓє, ρнуѕι¢αℓ ƒσям тнαт ¢αη gяσω αη∂ ℓєαяη, єνσℓνє αη∂ σвтαιη тнє ѕнαя∂ѕ, тнє σявѕ σƒ єℓємєηт тнαт ιѕ υѕ. тнαт ιѕ уσυ. уσυ ωєяє ¢ℓσѕє∂ 域 ƒяσм уσυя нιgнєя ѕєℓƒ, ƒяσм уσυя мємσяу, υηтιℓ σηℓу яє¢єηтℓу ωнєη тнє нєαℓιηg ¢ι¢áℓℓαé яєтυяηє∂ ιт. ησω уσυ яємємвєя, ιƒ вυт σηℓу α ℓιттℓє.

It took less time than before to figure out what it meant.
𝚂𝚘, 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜, 𝙸 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚖 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚍?
ωє αяє ƒяαgмєηтѕ σƒ ѕσυℓ, уєѕ.
It took some time for him to process this.

𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎. 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝... 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎. 𝙰𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎? 𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔.. 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎?
вє¢αυѕє тнє αвуѕѕ ιѕ вℓєє∂ιηg ιηтσ αℓαgαëѕια'ѕ ∂яєαмѕ¢αρє. ιт нαѕ ησт уєт ƒσυη∂ тнιѕ ωσяℓ∂'ѕ єqυιναℓєηт тσ ∂ωєℓℓ ιη. ιт ιѕ συя ∂υту тσ ƒιη∂ тнє gσ∂ σƒ ∂єαтн αη∂ gυι∂є ιт тσ ιт'ѕ ηєω нσмє. συя ηєω нσмє.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 "𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎"? 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚖 𝙸 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝙲𝙴 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎?
ωє нανє ησт уєт єησυgн ѕтяєηgтн тσ ¢σηтяσℓ συя нσмє. вυт ωє ¢αη ¢σηтα¢т ∂єαтн ωнιℓє ωє ѕтιℓℓ αяє αвℓє. вυт ησω ιѕ ησт тнє тιмє. ησω ιѕ тнє тιмє тσ яємємвєя. ησω ιѕ тнє тιмє тσ яємιη∂ тнє нιgнєя gσ∂ѕ ωє αяє ησт gσηє. ¢σмє. тнєу мυѕт яємємвєя. ƒєω ѕтιℓℓ ¢αη яє¢αℓℓ тнє ηαмє σƒ ℓσя∂ мємσяу, σƒ ѕσυℓ. σƒ тнє αвуѕѕ.

Abyss sighed, giving in to the pull that guided him in a random direction.
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐? 𝙰𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝.
The Memory didn't say anything, instead a wave of memory washed over him, as though he remembered something from another person's perspective.
Two enormous guardians, black and white respectively and carrying greyed weapons as vague as themselves. A dark, smoky entity with white orbs for eyes smiling amiably at them before leading them away from the incomprehensible gate the guardians were protecting.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝? 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢? 𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚘 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎? Abyss questioned, afraid of that door and how it made him feel- he felt drawn to the alien thing. That frightened him.
ιт ιѕ тнє ηєχт яєαℓм, тнє ρℓα¢є вєιηgѕ ℓιкє υѕ вєℓσηg. ωє ¢αηησт ℓινє тнєяє ωнιℓє ѕтιℓℓ ѕσ вяσкєη αη∂ тιє∂ тσ мσятαℓιту, вυт ѕσση. ѕσση ωє ωιℓℓ вє ¢σмρℓєтє, ѕσυℓ. Said Memory from within him.
Abyss fell silent, not knowing what to say.

𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢? He asked quietly.
тнє ωαт¢нєяѕ, ℓιgнт αη∂ ∂αяк, αη∂ нє ωнσ ιѕ αℓℓ ѕαηѕєѕ. тнє gσσ∂, тнє вα∂, тнє ιη-вєтωєєη. ƒσя тнєу αяє ¢ℓσѕєѕт тσ тнє ¢σяєѕ σƒ тнєιя υηινєяѕєѕ. ωє ωєяє νєяу ¢ℓσѕє тσ ℓιмвσ ση¢є, вυт тнєη ωє ƒєℓℓ.
...𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚎…. Abyss answered dully, not understanding at all.
His confusion appeared to sadden the being, and it seemed to consider saying something, then stopped itself.

They lapsed into silence, Abyss studying the changes in the surroundings as he drifted imperceptibly. He didn't really feel as though he were moving, yet he felt the sensation of falling- or rather, sinking. Drifting to the depths of some other realm.
The watery light patterned blues faded away, revealing pale mists full of things he could almost recognize, yet seemed so strange and beyond comprehension, he almost questioned his very sanity.
It brought him a sense of disturbed deja vu, like how the mind can mistake a clear crystal for ice at first glance, but sees the strange differences the longer one stares at it.

And the balls of light. They were strange, as he could sense their thoughts, but the meaning of their consciousnesses was just beyond him. They flickered bluish white, cyan, teal and silver in his presence, curious and yet unable to communicate. They seemed almost frustrated sometimes, though it wasn't directed at him. A few of their number regularly flashed the same random colors over and over at him, as if trying to communicate visually.
A shade of royal purple, chilling dark blue, sunny golden yellow and living green.
But Memory called him, lured him away from the crowds.

After a certain point, they seemed to grow alarmed, pushing at Abyss to turn back, but the being beckoned him forth, assured they did not know. Beseeched him to reach out- and he did, Abyss really did reach his hands out, but for some reason that wasn't it.
A part of him knew what to do, or at least had an idea of it, but he couldn't, Abyss couldn't remember. It was irritating.

Eventually, they seemed to give up pushing at him, sparking wildly as they encircled him, still flashing those purple-blue and yellow-green colors amid the pulsing blues and whites.

Then they parted like the sea, backing away and revealing what was before him.
It was the Gate he'd witnessed from Memory, standing in all it's ethereal glory, blazing with ice, chilling with liquid flames, dripping with black water, made of light and weaved of metal fibers, it defied mortal understanding.

His gaze finally drifted down to the ones gathered below it, figures that looked tiny in comparison to the incomprehensible door to another reality.
He recognized the smoky being as it stared straight at him with an unreadable expression- something about that face seemed to kindle an amused fondness. Abyss felt his face twitch, having to restrain himself from smiling, of all things.

On the other hand, the being with some form of indefinite limbs of dark brown, blue light and green… leaves? It's face held a purple eyelight and yellow, staring at him with a mixture of incredulous disbelief and intense curiosity. Not far beyond it was a more identifiable being of greens, browns, red eyes and goat-like face. A Toriel, but looking… so much more regal than any queen, glowing with power and radiating an entrancing heat.

Close by from them stood a being with a darker aura, one that fizzled unnaturally, as though it's aura held substance, clinging to their bones- this was another skeleton, perhaps the only one Abyss could more readily identify, despite the strange colors. It took a moment, but Abyss realized he was staring at Error.

By then, the plantlike one had arrived, regarding him with a mixed expression.
᭙ꫝꪮ ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ꪗꪮꪊ? ꪖꪀᦔ ᭙ꫝꪖ𝕥 ⅈડ ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 ρꪊ𝕣ρꪮડꫀ ꫝꫀ𝕣ꫀ?
He hesitated, wanting to say I don't know, but stopped himself. That didn't feel right. He didn't recognize this being, this god, but he felt familiar with it's aura.
𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛. He said instead.

The other's gaze seemed to soften.
...ꪜꫀ𝕣ꪗ ᭙ꫀꪶꪶ. ꪗꪮꪊ ᦔꪮꪀ'𝕥 𝕜ꪀꪮ᭙. ᦔꪮ ꪗꪮꪊ ꪖ𝕥 ꪶꫀꪖડ𝕥 𝕜ꪀꪮ᭙ ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 ꪀꪖꪑꫀ?
Blinking, Abyss started to state it, but again, something stopped him.
Memory's voice rose from him instead.
ι αм ƒαℓℓєη αη∂ ƒσяgσттєη, вυт ι αм ωнαт ιѕ ℓєƒт σƒ ѕσυℓ, яєтυяηє∂.

He paused as the other seemed to process this.
᭙ꫀ ᦔꪮꪀ'𝕥 𝕜ꪀꪮ᭙ ꪖꪀꪗ ᧁꪮᦔ ᥇ꪗ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ꪀꪖꪑꫀ ꪮᠻ ડꪮꪊꪶ.
They regarded him carefully, staring until it was almost awkward. Then, in a softer, almost unbelieving voice, they whispered.
ꪖ᥇ꪗડડ..?
He nodded uncertainly. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍. 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝙾𝙼𝙴𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠…

The other rested a hand on his shoulder. 𝕥ꫝꫀꪀ ᥇ꫀ ρꪖ𝕥ⅈꫀꪀ𝕥. ꪗꪮꪊ'ꪶꪶ 𝕣ꫀꪑꫀꪑ᥇ꫀ𝕣 ⅈꪀ 𝕥ⅈꪑꫀ. ડꫀꫀⅈꪀᧁ ꪖડ ꪗꪮꪊ ꫝꪖꪜꫀ ꪖ𝕥 ꪶꫀꪖડ𝕥 𝕣ꫀᥴꪮꪜꫀ𝕣ꫀᦔ ડꪮꪑꫀ𝕥ꫝⅈꪀᧁ ꪮᠻ ᭙ꫝꪖ𝕥ꫀꪜꫀ𝕣 ᧁꪮᦔ ꪗꪮꪊ ꪮꪀᥴꫀ ᭙ꫀ𝕣ꫀ, 𝕥ꫝꫀꪀ ꪑꪮ𝕣ꫀ ᭙ⅈꪶꪶ 𝕣ꫀ𝕥ꪊ𝕣ꪀ ꪖડ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ꪑꪊꪶ𝕥ⅈꪜꫀ𝕣ડꫀ ᥴꪮꪶꪶꪖρડꫀડ. ⅈ𝕥'ડ ꪮꪀꪶꪗ ꪶꪮᧁⅈᥴꪖꪶ. ꪖꪶ𝕣ⅈᧁꫝ𝕥?
He nodded, trying to steady his breath.
𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝙸 𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜𝚔 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎? 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎.
Now they seemed to smile, chuckling slightly.
᭙ꫀ ꪖ𝕣ꫀꪀ'𝕥 ꪜꫀ𝕣ꪗ 𝕣ꫀᥴꪮᧁꪀⅈ𝕫ꪖ᥇ꪶꫀ ⅈꪀ 𝕥ꫝⅈડ ᠻꪮ𝕣ꪑ, ꫝꪊꫝ? ⅈ𝕥'ડ ꪊડ, ꪖ᥇ꪗડડ. ᦔ𝕣ꫀꪖꪑ ꪖꪀᦔ ꪀⅈᧁꫝ𝕥ꪑꪖ𝕣ꫀ. ꫝꫀ𝕣ꫀ, ꪗꪮꪊ ᥴꪖꪀ ᥴꪖꪶꪶ ꪊડ ᥴⅈᥴáꪶꪶꪖé ᠻꪮ𝕣 ડⅈꪑρꪶⅈᥴⅈ𝕥ꪗ.

Now that they had named themselves, it seemed to click for him. Abyss blinked several times as he recognized the Twins in a ghostly version of their merged form he'd seen recently, and further recognized the name Memory had used while speaking to him.
𝙽𝙾𝚆 𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚒𝚝! He broke into a grin despite himself.

𝕥ꫝꪖ𝕥'ડ ᧁꪮꪮᦔ. The god of emotion nodded, guiding him by the shoulder back to the other three gods. ડⅈꪀᥴꫀ ꪗꪮꪊ ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ꫝꫀ𝕣ꫀ, ꪗꪮꪊ ડꫝꪮꪊꪶᦔ 𝕛ꪮⅈꪀ ꪊડ. ꪗꪮꪊ ꪑꪖꪗ 𝕣ꫀᥴꪮᧁꪀⅈ𝕫ꫀ 𝕥ꫝꫀડꫀ 𝕥᭙ꪮ, ᥇ꪊ𝕥 𝕥ꫝꫀ 𝕥ꫝⅈ𝕣ᦔ ⅈડ ꪖꪶ᭙ꪖꪗડ ᥴꪮꪀડⅈᦔꫀ𝕣ꪖ᥇ꪶꪗ.. ꪑꪗડ𝕥ꫀ𝕣ⅈꪮꪊડ. Cicállaé pointed at both Error and the ghostly royal goddess of Life- Abyss was sure that was her, but the third, he knew in the bottom of his Soul was not so much a mystery, but a friend, as little as he currently knew of the shadowy indefinite god.

He walked away from Cicállaé, approaching the other with a sudden confidence that sprung out of nowhere. The rest of the gods gathered near, curious of the strange little newcomer of blue and white, garbed in crystals.
Abyss didn't speak first, rather, the darker one spoke.
ℙ𝕤𝕪𝕔𝕙í..? ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚𝕥 𝕓𝕖?

Memories flitted at the back of his mind, no more than distant glimpses, but enough.
He grasped the other's right hand in both of his own, still unable to say a word.
Limbo continued, speaking softly in a low voice.
𝔸𝕥 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥, 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕖, 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣. 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕕𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖, 𝕀 𝕗𝕖𝕝𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖 𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕦𝕡 𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀 𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕕- 𝕣𝕖𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕟 𝕒𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕊𝕒𝕟𝕤... 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕀 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟....𝔻𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕖?

Abyss paused, and he noted a slight dispair creeping up on the other's fizzling white orbs. Then he chose his words carefully.
𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑. The white smoking lights greyed in mourning.
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝙻𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚘. He continued, much to the sudden delight of the other. 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝙸 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎- 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎. 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚄'𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚜. 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞.

A pale grey ichor of tears started dripping from the still bulging, phantasmic spheres of Limbo's face as he yanked Abyss… Soul into a bone-crushing hug, paler shadows flickering around him as they clung to the gleaming white, crystalline skeleton.
𝕆𝕗 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕕 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕞𝕖, 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙ý𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕚! He giggled almost childishly.
Soul couldn't help his own chuckle at the giddiness.

The mood was dampened slightly when Life rested a paw on his shoulder. He glanced over, still grinning at the infectious exuberance as the goddess stared at him in disbelief.
𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁? 𝐼𝓈 𝒾𝓉 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓂𝓅𝑜𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇? 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝐻𝒾𝓂. 𝐼 𝒻𝑒𝓁𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝒶𝒹𝑒.
He shrugged, Limbo staring mutely at her as he responded, ignoring Cicállaé and Error's confusion as he answered as honestly as he could.
𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝. 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍, 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚒𝚝. 𝙸 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜.. 𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚐𝚘? 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎.

He gave in to Limbo's clingy vise grip of an embrace as Error pulled the rest of the gods away, more likely to not interrupt them than to avoid eavesdropping, because they were still easily within hearing distance.
Ⱡł₣Ɇ, ₩ⱧØ ł₴ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₴ØɄⱠ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₩Ɇ'VɆ ₦ɆVɆⱤ ⱧɆ₳ⱤĐ Ø₣?
His voice glitched in an entirely new way Abyss had never heard of before. Not quite glitching, but unstable and warped, a sound akin to audio humming at different pitches within the words instead of the more familiar static, of which was now an almost absent undertone.

The goddess responded after glancing at the pair, Limbo burying his skull against him, but subtly turning it to peer at the others.
Abyss- Soul endured this, watching them out of the corner of his sockets curiously himself as Life spoke.

𝐼 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁𝓈. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐼𝓃𝓀 𝓂𝒶𝓎 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝒾𝑔𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒸𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁𝓈 𝒽𝒾𝓂𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻, 𝑒𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁'𝓈 𝒹𝓊𝓉𝓎. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒷𝓊𝒾𝓁𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝓈𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒷𝑒 𝒾𝓂𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓊𝓅𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒜𝒰'𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒹𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓃, 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝒹𝑜𝓂𝒶𝒾𝓃.
Soul patted Limbo's clearly touch-starved skull when they glanced over, Life continuing.

𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝓈𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈, 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓃𝑒𝒸𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝒸𝓇𝓎𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓁𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝓊𝓇𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝓊𝓁𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓂 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝓎𝓈𝓈. 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒶 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓂𝓅𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒, 𝒶𝓈 𝒾𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒮𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒫𝒶𝓅𝓎𝓇𝓊𝓈, 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒢𝓇𝒾𝓂 𝒶𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂, 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑀𝓊𝓁𝓉𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒶𝓁 𝑔𝑜𝒹. 𝐼𝓃 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒜𝒰'𝓈 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁 𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒸𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂𝓈𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒𝓈. 𝐼 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓈𝓊𝑔𝑔𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓈𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁, 𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓅𝑒𝓈𝒽𝒾𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇.

₴ØɄⱠ ₩₳₴ ₳ ₴Ⱨ₳₱Ɇ₴Ⱨł₣₮ɆⱤ? Error exclaimed in surprise. Life hesitated. 𝒴𝑒𝓈, 𝐼 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓂 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓅𝑒𝓈𝒽𝒾𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇. 𝐼𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝒹, 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓇 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝐸𝓋𝑜𝓁𝓊𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝒲𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝒶𝒸𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝑜𝒸𝒸𝓊𝓇𝓇𝑒𝒹, 𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻𝒻 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹. 𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽 𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓈𝓅𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃.. 𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁. She smiled sadly.

ડꪮ.. ડꪮꪊꪶ ᭙ꪖડ ꪖꪀ ꪊꪀ𝕜ꪀꪮ᭙ꪀ, ᥇ꪊ𝕥 ρꪮ᭙ꫀ𝕣ᠻꪊꪶ ꪑꪊꪶ𝕥ⅈꪜꫀ𝕣ડꫀ ᧁꪮᦔ. Cicállaé concluded. Soul/Abyss/Memory ignored their gazes as they stared hard at him.
ɎØɄ ₭ɆɆ₱ ⱤɆ₣ɆⱤⱤł₦₲ ₮Ø ₴ØɄⱠ ₳₴ ₮ⱧɆɎ. гР₴ØɄⱠ ₦Ø₮ łĐɆ₦₮ł₣Ɏ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ₳ ₲Ɇ₦ĐɆⱤ ₩ⱧɆ₦ ɎØɄ ₭₦Ɇ₩ ₮ⱧɆ₥? Error noted. Life nodded, to Soul/Abyss/Memory's surprise.
𝐼𝓃𝒹𝑒𝑒𝒹, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒻𝑒𝓇𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓁𝒾𝑔𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝑔𝑒𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇. 𝐼𝓃 𝒻𝒶𝒸𝓉, 𝐼 𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝑒𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑒. 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓁 𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓅𝓅𝑒𝒶𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃, 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇.

He felt a wave of memories crashing over him, shivering as though he were transported back to the Dragon Wing in that great sea storm.

Cold, frigid darkness, constant whispering voices, fighting wave after wave of demons before a yawning pit of darkness, a door to someplace best left to obscurity. A dark hand reaching out, grabbing him- no, her as she fought against it's titanic grip, realizing there was only one option left.
Dissolution.
Elimination.
Break the cycle.

Chains, made of crystals, light and darkness both as they caged the evil deity and bound it to herself.
The mortified realization in it's burning cold gaze as it knew the consequences of what was next.
Pain- every piece ripping apart, scattering inconceivably across vast distances of time and space, countless shreds collapsing together in round orbs as they were sent adrift in the endless sea that was not home, but alien worlds.

The images sped up, now beyond him- him? Her? They? Sora. Kaz. Soul. Gaia. Abyss. Crystal. Memory. Past, Present, Future, Nothing- Everything! Reincarnation, Rebirth, Cycle, Evolution, Mind, names, words, titles, crashing waves, shards of crystal, shattered memories, a pair of terrified eyelights as the owner behind dusted, coating her crystalline feathers in white powder as the memory pulsed within her fragile core, a Soul was Reborn.
A Sans.
A Sans that was not a Sans.
Memory lost, forgotten, what was left was the cold, dark ocean of the Abyss that stares back.

"𝙼𝚊кє 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚝σρ!!"

. • °

Abyss found themself gasping awake, body wracked with violent shivers as someone held them, voices calling indefinitely, muffled as though speaking through layers of wool.
All they could do was choke on their breath as their hearing slowly resolved into something coherent.

"Can you hear me now? Abyss? Can you- Alter, what's wrong with him?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was a nightmare, or-" "He's feverish, I've seen when he wakes up from a memory and this isn't normal!"
"I don't have any other ideas, Mecha! We have to wait for him to respond!"
"Guys."
"But he isn't responding! How are we supposed to know what's going on if he's breathing like he was holding his breath for five hours?"
"Guys."
"Why are you being so obstinate? I don't have any answers, only suggestions. We have to wait for him to recover enough to speak-" "Guys! Listen to me!"

Abyss/Sora/Soul/Memory lolled their skull over to peer at Beats, wheezing as the child stared in fear.
"Abyss, his frequency, it feels wrong. He's scared and.. he saw something. Or remembered something- or both?" He shivered, Alter resting a hand on his shoulder as Kin stood close behind.
"And he has something coming from his scarves, I don't think you noticed that yet."

Their breathing was slowly beginning to even out as they felt hands on something behind them, something that felt like an extension of themself.
Everything felt blurred and echoey, sights shifting and gaining surreal colors and qualities, a light coming from everyone, yet.. on another plane? It was the same light as the lantern, but flame was already light. They could see a lesser glow emanating from humans beyond the tent- they could see through the tent.
A memory of those eyelights and the owner dusting flashed through them again.

Who… who were they. What were they? How did they become so confused in the span of five minutes?
Were they male? Female? Human? Monster? Creature? Alive?? Skeleton? Or something more.
Soul. Meta. Gaia. Kaz. Sans. Sora. Memory. Abyss. Nothing. Everything. It was all so jumbled and nonsensical in their mind.

"Abyss?" A voice asked. They couldn't place who it was.
"Avyssos." They replied in the tongue of the shadow of all Sanses.
"Abyss? What? What does that mean?"
They winced at the name, it made them think of the cold waters and barren responsibility of.. of Kaz? Soul.. Soul Gaia. Undeserved burden.
Yet it was home, as it was full of so much more….

"Talk to us, Abyss. What happened? What's wrong?"
"Memory." They croaked in reply, trying to shake the dizziness away. The sickening lurch of the world did not abate.
"Did you remember something?" "How bad was it?"
They groaned, shaky phalanges reaching up to claw at the throbbing pulse in their skull. Skeleton. He? That didn't necessarily mean he at all. Did they feel male.
"Oh dear, what is happening…" A voice fretted, a hand rubbing their skull soothingly.
They wanted to explain what they knew, what they remembered. Perhaps by articulating they could understand.

"Used… to be.. not. Not a Sans…. I.. Sora? Something. He dusted. I became… I was.. something. Energy. Stone. The.. The Abyss. No, I…." Now they made no sense, they could feel the confusion radiating from the others present.
A familiar aura approached, silent and ever-watchful.

"Was named Soul Gaia. Then named Kaz. Lived with brothers, avoiding the dark, cold depths of the Abyss she came from." They found a place, starting to piece together a story from the maddening mess of congealed memories.
"That was a shred, broken, broken, scattered in the world, Kaz was all that was left, Soul, Soul, Soul was gone. Gone but not. Destroyed to end Dark, only pieces left, Kaz was among mortals, and.. and.. Meta was lost in the Abyss. Shards everywhere, aching, they hurt, they were hurting, they still hurt, pain echoes, it echoes, but now they are locked in the AU's, they are tied to the world of lost Souls, and hear the living…" They trailed, not sure how to continue.

"But Kaz could bring them back, make it whole, if she could remember. But she didn't remember. Meta did, and was lost without a body, detached spirit wondering, deep in the dark, deeper than her, White. Blanca. Eve. Blanche. Evolution.
Meta was formless. Meta was meaningless. Meta was just a memory. Lost in the land of light deep in the dark. Kaz was forgotten, lost in the land of dark deep in the light. Meta became nothing, Kaz became everything."

"Abyss…" The owner of the voice turned to the side. "Could this be some kind of fever dream?"
"No… he wasn't dreaming an hour ago. I saw him. He was in a place only gods can go, and was confused. I came as soon as he screamed and vanished, because I knew he could only show up back here."
"... Error? What do you mea-" "Dying!"

The others froze as they gasped.
"Dying! Countless piles of dust, the flower mentioned the Hall, all of them, gone. Gone! Kaz flew so fast, she was flying so fast, through the cold Snowdin, the watery Falls, the lava Hotland, but not fast enough, not fast enough. He was bleeding, the darkness was clinging to that which stood before him, his lights, they were so wide, so blue, she was blue- no, both were cyan, she was flaking, he was dust, but his Soul was alive, she saved his Soul, Soul wasn't alive but something was alive, Evolution, Evolution, Reincarnation, they, they, they, the 𝙰𝚋𝚢𝚜𝚜 ѕ𝚝𝚊яє𝚍 вα¢к!"
Their voice reached it's climatic pitching screech, the glass lantern shattering as several voices cried out in pain.

The room faded to darkness, lit only by the vivid teal glow of the being, faint dots dancing across their vision as eyelights regarded them warily. They then spoke in a low voice, worn from the hoarse screaming.
"As Kaz became Abyss, Meta became Memory."
Then they slowly lost awareness, drifting to a deep, deep sleep.
Haunted by the bewildering, disjointed, disordered memories of Past.