Please, don't kill us, now... I think that it's time for us to run for our lives...

-------

"So, how are we gonna kill off Shades's Error?" Searcher asked, once he and Shades explained to those that knew the truth about them being Errors, what the next step in their plan was.

"I have an idea!" Solas spoke through the link.

"What it is Little Light?" Umbra asked.

"Do you remember that death in the medical drama that I watched?" Solas asked.

"SOLAS, NO!!" Umbra yelled.

"SOLAS, YES!!!"

-------

The Error was dying.

Fading.

The Final Journey.

His string had been cut.

Okay, not really, but Error was quite ready to play this role.

Searcher and himself had decided on how to take this self out of the equation, and the aspect that was Error, was ready to sleep and never resurface. Shades and Umbra didn't need him, the part of them that was the destroyer was no longer needed.

"ERROR!" A voice cried, Error winced from where his 'weakened' form lay on a beanbag.

Behind the running Ink, came Dream and Searcher, Searcher was using Solas's Light magic to appear as Shades.

"So.. you came..." He grasped out weakly.

He would never admit to having Umbra using his magic to make him look as if he was Dusting.

"Of course I came, I can't believe that you kept Gothy safe! It was so surprising when he just appeared and he told me that you needed me now." Ink sniffled, he was clearly a bit high, because of his paints.

Searcher was trying his hardest not to blow his cover, but to see his Counterpart Dusting like this, even it they were faking it... It still hurt....

"Error! Don't go! Please!" He rushed to Error's side, running pass Shades's Ink and Dream. "Who's going to teach me how to make more Dolls? And he is still out there, what if he tries to take me again?! You can't leave me Uncle Error!"

"Please, never ever call us that again!" Shades hissed through the link, which was still running, somehow, even without the jade necklace.

"All things end kid, and now... that it's... cough... been removed... my duty is over." Error said, his voice was a whisper.

"You know that your Dream will fall for any sob story Shades!" Searcher hissed through their link, even as he began to cry. "No, this can't be the end...."

"What's been removed?" Dream asked, gently hugging Ink, who was not taking the current situation well.

"I don't know..." Searcher whispered. "He said that without it, he would have died with his AU, when it destroyed itself."

"Long... ago... cough... The final Piece was hid here. It kept me alive.. cough... no matter.. what I wanted. Kept.. cough.. the Balance like it demanded. Umbra.. cough.. finally able to... hack... cough... gather the rest. I shall... finally.. sleep. Umbra.. Will.. look.. after the Souls." Error shivered, and at the mention of Souls, everyone looked up to realize that the strings and Souls were gone.

"They're staying in my vaults." Umbra replied. "Unless they're needed."

"Why did we use such a cheesy death?" Shades asked, he was already bored with this.

"Because Solas saw it on a medical drama and he begged us to use it." Umbra muttered.

Solas, of course, was smug and he was enjoying the drama.

The little one was happily eating some popcorn that his Mama got for him, watching everything.

Searcher sadly smiled. "I don't want to say Goodbye..."

"All... Things.. end. Even the Multiverse." Error said, coughing up marrow. "Ink.. go.. cough.. to Umbra."

Searcher sniffed, before more tears fell from his eyesockets.

"Umbra..." Ink squeaked like a mouse.

"Squid..." Error chuckled.

"Couldn't you just stay alive and tell me?" Ink asked, hopeful at the thought of avoiding Umbra.

"I feel lovvved." Umbra snarked.

"Don't worry, we love you Big Brother." Solas said. "But I won't share my popcorn."

"Sorry... Had to say.. goodbye... Stay strong Goth..." Error said, and his form shattered into Dust, leaving his blue scarf behind.

"ERROR!" Goth screamed, grabbing the scarf and holding it close to his Soul as he cried.

"No... Error, you're not allowed to Dust! Who else can give me good fights and fun?!" Ink cried out in dismay.

"Yes.. the fights." Umbra said dryly, having phased out with the 'Dusting.'

"That's all that you cared about?!" Searcher yelled. "Good fights and fun?! He was so much more than that, and now, you'll never see that..."

"Goth..." Dream said quietly. "Death isn't something Ink actually understands, when he dies, he respawns in the Doodlesphere. To him, it means that people vanish, he doesn't have a Soul to understand it."

"But..." Searcher began, before he made it look like he was so upset that he couldn't continue his sentence.

"I know that it hurts, but Ink's paints can only do so much. I knew that when I fell in love with him, when I had Palette with him... and being Soulless means... he just can't connect with those things." Dream replied.

"How could you have Pally if Ink doesn't have a Soul?" Searcher said. "Shouldn't Pally have half a Soul, instead of a full Soul?"

"I was just relieved that he had a full Soul, none of us could figure it out." Dream sighed, he turned to look at Ink.

"Error..." Ink pouted.

"Ink, we should honor Error's final request right away." Dream told him, and Ink flinched.

"Now?" He asked.

"NOW!" Dream said, flatly.

"Yes dear.." Ink sighed.

"Whipped." Umbra smirked.

"He'll be even more whipped after he gets his Soul back." Searcher silently giggled.

"Henpecked." Shades chirped.

"And crying all over the place." Solas ate more of his popcorn.

"Anyway... can we get this show on the road? The faster that we do this, the faster that I can watch Truth seduce Shades." Umbra cackled.

"Whhyyyyyy?!" Shades cried.

Searcher tried his best not to blush. "I think that Seeker is not going to let me leave his bed..."

"Goth, I'm going to take you home. Ink and I will see Umbra, your family needs you." Dream said kindly.

"Thank you Mr.Dream." Searcher sniffed.

"Aren't you glad that Mom agreed to this, so that you can sneak away afterwards?" Shades said brightly.

"Yep, and mine agreed to it as well." Searcher replied.

"We shall never allow them to meet, somehow, they'll dual ground us." Shades replied dryly.

"And I don't want to be dual grounded." Searcher nodded his head.

"What's grounding Big Brother?" Solas asked, he was confused.

"I'll explain it when you get older." Umbra replied.

"But Solas never ages." Solas said, bewildered.

"Yes, I know..."

"Mama?" Solas turned to Searcher.

"Nope, I am not gonna explain that!" Searcher told him.

"Awwwww....." Solas pouted.

Ten minutes later, a tearful Geno took Searcher into his arms, and Searcher happily hugged his Mom's counterpart.

"I can't believe that your idea worked, but those two are dense." Geno said.

Searcher laughed. "Yeah, they are."

------

Searcher frowned as he felt Solas shiver, he had just returned to his own Multiverse.

"Solas?"

"Bad Feeling Sans Mama!" Solas yelled and Goth frowned. How much trouble would he get into if he got rid of the Yandere....

Well, at least they had escaped Shades's parents when he told them that he did have to return his Ink's Soul.

'Do I need to go over there and murder that guy?' Umbra called.

"No, he's mine." Searcher responded.

'Have fun, I'm going to randomly set some pranks up since it's taking forever for my Ink and Dream to get here.' Umbra cackled.

'Ohh... sprinkles!' Shades cried.

That was the last thing that Goth heard from them as he entered Outertale, where everyone was waiting for him.

-----

Meanwhile, while Shades and Searcher and their alter egos were getting ready to fix the great Soul debate.... Two other beings met.

Fate met Fate, face to face, for the first time, after they had been separated into semi separated Fates.

"It's almost over." The Fate of Shades's side said.

"It's not over until both Fears are gone, one of them has been destroyed, and when the other one is destroyed, he'll be gone forever. The idiot tied too much of themselves to that mortal avatar." Searcher's Fate sneered.

"I wonder what it would have been like if the split had never happened." Shades's Fate was wondering about that.

Searcher's Fate gave her a 'Are you a nimrod?' look.

Shades's Fate blushed, right.. she could just peek into another Multiverse for that answer.

"Twenty Multiverse coupons on the other Fear using any back up plan that he may have." Searcher's Fate said.

"Deal!" Shades's Fate chirped.

A Hedgehog and a Temmie were facepalming themselves on the other side of the room that they were sharing with the Fates.

-------

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Gothy, what happened?" Palette asked, seeing the sad look on his face. Goth had been gone for ten minutes, tying up some loose ends, what had happened in those ten minutes?

"Shades's Error is dead, the essence of his Ink's Soul saved him so long ago, and since his Ink's Soul has been put back together, his Error died." Goth explained. "And now, his Dream and Ink are looking for Umbra, to get his Ink's Soul back."

Palette ran over and he hugged Goth, he was so happy that it almost over, and once his Dad got his Soul back, everything would be okay.

Palette smiled, before he wrapped his left arm around Goth's right arm.

Everything was going to be okay.

------

Seeker looked around when they reached the park, it was beautiful...

This was it, finally, they could end this... And Gothy could come home...

Searcher sent a quick message to Umbra, they were ready.

------

Searcher closed his eyes and light erupted from his Soul, taking on the form of a child that stood by his side.

Solas.

Solas put his hands together, like he was praying, and the world seemed to shimmer and fade.

It was like a curtain had been removed to reveal the stage.

Two worlds met.

Dream, Ink, Nightmare, Seeker and Geno gasped when another Dream and Ink, along with Umbra, appeared.

'I’m ready too.' He told Solas and Searcher.

------

Two Souls, two Counterparts, beating in harmony.

A Soul from the Negative Half, with a Child of Light.

A Soul from the Positive Half, with a Guardian of Darkness.

And at the same time, both of them pulled out the Soul that they had been taken to find.

A cycle was finally coming to an end.

"Are you ready?" Umbra asked everyone, with Ink's soul glowing in his hands.

"To be whole once more?" Solas asked.

"To learn what was lost." Umbra continued.

"To remember what it's like to Hope?" Solas continued.

"Will you take a risk that can destroy you, to learn how to create a better tomorrow for yourself?" Umbra said.

"And to create a better tomorrow for those that you love?" Solas asked.

"I have to chance it, I.. don't really understand many things because I don't have a Soul. I only know love, thanks to my paints, and I know that I hurt people, but I never realize it. I want to love Dream and Palette, really love him... if anything they deserve to know a Father, and a Partner, that can truly love them back." Shades's Ink finally said.

"Ink.." Shades's Dream said, smiling when he heard his husband's speech.

"And I don't want to feel empty anymore." Searcher's Ink said. "I want to mourn for everyone that I lost, I want to apologise to everyone that I hurt, and I want to give Dream all of my love! I don't want the false love that my paints give me, I want to know what love really feels like, and I want to do it with Dream. I want to be that proud Father that cheers my Son on when he does something special and unique, I want to love my family."

"Dad..." Seeker was crying, and his tears fell down his cheeks.

"Also, is this a belated birthday gift for Palette?" Umbra suddenly said, dry as heck.

Shades's Dream blushed, while Ink had a puzzled look on his face.

"Palette had a birthday?" Shades's Ink asked, bewildered.

'I'm just so happy that he won't be a forgetful idiot when he gets his Soul back!' Shades cried.

"And this counts as my belated birthday gift too!" Seeker yelled, making his parents blush.

“It's time.” Umbra said.

“Step forward.” Solas continued.

The Inks traded looks, and they stepped forwards, standing in front of Umbra and Solas.

“Will it hurt?” Shades's Ink asked.

“No..” Umbra replied. “It should feel like you're coming home.”

"At the end of a long journey." Solas said. "And this is the end of a long journey, a journey that began so long ago...."

Two beings, held up the glowing Souls that had been lost to their owners so long ago, one of them had been taken as a prize, by a cruel Being with a dark heart, while the other one had been taken, by a worried Mother, to protect it.

Gently, they released them, and Shades's Ink made a strange gasp, and he swayed as the Soul entered him, and Searcher's Ink fainted on the spot.

“Ink!” Searcher's Dream cried, rushing to his mate, followed by their son.

“Dream... I need to lie down.” Shades's Ink said, he felt like he was about to faint.

“Thank you.” Shades's Dream told Solas and Umbra, before he grabbed Ink and he portalled away.

Shrugging his shoulders, Umbra crossed over to Searcher's Multiverse.

“Palette, I’m taking your Dad home, will you be okay if I let you stay here?" Dream asked the teenager.

“Don’t worry, I’m good. I'll have Umbra and Solas to keep an eye on me and Gothy.” Seeker said with a smile.

Dream gave them one last look, and then, he left with the unconscious Ink.

“It's over, we don't have to worry about their Souls again....” Umbra said, before he switched places with Shades.

“You just want a Vacation.” Searcher said as Solas's form faded away.

“And?” Shades asked.

“I'm pretty sure that I’ll be taking a Vacation too, with my Pally.” Searcher replied, and with that, he ran towards his Date mate.

Seeker laughed as Searcher pulled him into his arms, before he reached up, and he used Searcher's red scarf to pull him into a kiss.

------

Palette smiled at Goth as he knelt down, and he reached out, cupping his friend's face in his hands, it was all over. They would finally have their happy ending.

Their lips gently meet in a slow dance, twisting and wrapping around each other.

Palette moved his hands to Goth's T-shirt and he held onto it as they kissed, and Palette closed his eyes, and he let this warmth wash over him, as he smiled into the kiss.

Goth smiled back when he felt Palette smiling into the kiss, but he didn't close his eyes...

And that was how he saw the figure that appeared behind Palette....

It all happened so fast...

Palette felt himself being spun around and he opened his eyes in time to see the light from the attack that hit Goth in the back and Palette gasped, even as he let go of Goth's T-shirt.

Goth smiled at him, even as his form started to slowly become transparent, and he fell to the ground, as someone walked towards him, and Palette gasped. "Gothy?!"

"Thank you Palette, for everything." Goth smiled, even as the figure grabbed him by a leg, and they began to drag him away.

Palette tried to reach for Goth's hands, but they were already far beyond his reach. Palette's hands only went through Goth's, and Palette screamed.

He could barely move, and out of the corner of his eyesockets as he slowly moved, he saw that Shades had been frozen.

"No! Gothy! You can't do this again! You can't leave me again!" He screamed as he tried to reach out to his Soulmate, he had to save his Gothy!

"It's different this time." Goth said. "Because this time, no matter what happens or how long it takes me, I'll find my way home...."

Goth's legs, and the one who was dragging him away from them, were gone now, even as Geno and Reaper tried to use Blue Magic to save him....

Goth smiled, before he cupped Palette's face in his transparent hands. "I love you Palette." He moved in closer for one last kiss, even as the rest of his body faded away.

Palette could feel Goth's lips fading away and tears started to steam down his cheeks, but he refused to look away, even as Goth faded away, leaving his scarf, along with Palette's, behind.

The two items of clothing were tightly tied together, they had been wrapped around each other, as if they were holding on to each other...

------

Shades swore, he had been unable to do anything, and he had been forced to watch what had just happened, right in front of him.

Seeker was crying, and he was trying to grab the bundle of clothing that had been left behind...

‘Fear.. our Fear just took Solas and Ser.’ Umbra said, he was not happy.

Suddenly, there was a popping noise, and the Magic that had kept both of them frozen, making them watch as that Fear took Searcher and Solas away from them, released them, and they could move again.

Seeker ran towards the items of clothing and he picked them up, holding them close to his chest as he cried. "No.... I just got him back! Gothy!!! Come back! Please! Don't leave me....."

“No.. I can’t.... This can’t happen again!” Geno cried, as his form started to flicker, in a very Fatal like way.

“Geno.. Babe, we will find him again, I promise." Reaper said, hugging his mate.

“Can you find him?” Seeker asked as he looked at Shades hopefully, and this made everyone look at Shades.

“No... I can’t feel, or find them anywhere, this has to be my fault...” Shades said, and he broke down, crying, because he’d always been able to find Solas, no matter what.

Geno gently hugged his son's counterpart.

“Shh... it's okay, it's not your fault.” Geno gently told the smaller version of the Dark Guardian.

Everything was not okay....