"Wh-What? No, that's... that's not..."

Dream stood with Cross at his side, eyes wide. Dream's hands were raised a tad, trembling.

"You're lying... Tell me you're lying. This has to be a joke..." Dream stepped backward, accidentally bumping into Cross who caught him and steadied him from behind. The young prince wasn't reassured by Geno and Reaper's grim faces.

"I wish we could," Geno said quietly, "But this isn't a joke."

Dream felt hot tears sting the brim of his eyes. "You're lying!" He shouted even though he knew it was true. Golden tears made their way down his face involuntarily. "Cut it out!!" He turned around and buried his face into Cross's chest, desperate to hide himself from the news Reaper and Geno brought. The bodyguard wrapped his arms around Dream, gently patting his back. Cross's eyes were pupilless and downcast though no tears were evident.

"We can let you be," Reaper said softly, but Dream shook his head, accidentally getting Cross's chest damp with his tears.

"N-No... No... I need to see Error. I..." His voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Geno and Death exchanged glances as Dream slowly pulled away from Cross though he still didn't look directly at anyone.

"A-Are you sure? I don't know if he's... mentally stable, at the moment.." Geno sounded uncertain but Dream shook his head slowly.

"Right now...? Who could be mentally stable?"

Geno paused. Dream had a point... and Error was most likely too emotionally drained to control whether or not Dream could enter his void. Plus, with Dream looking so broken, clutching Cross's hand as if his life depended on it...

What choice did Geno have?

With a sigh, Error's older brother nodded and stepped aside, forming a portal.

"After you two," Geno said, all of the sudden growing aware of his fingers which were still intertwined with Reaper's. His face went a little red, but he didn't dare pull away. Having Reaper here for him through all this... he wouldn't admit it aloud, but it was comforting.

Dream led Cross through the portal, followed by Geno and Reaper.

Error must've felt that someone unexpected entered his void, because his gaze flitted to Dream's direction before he even saw him. The glitch stood up quickly, hostility coming off him in waves through his glitches.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, trying to turn his sadness into anger. Dream only gave a tearful smile.

"He really did believe in you, y'know..." The younger prince said quietly, making Error's narrowed eyes loosen considerably.

"You should have seen the amount of papers he had, covered in notes on how to maybe get you to open up a little... and guess what?" Dream's smile quivered, as did his voice, as he went on, "This scenario was in his notes, too."

Dream closed his eyes, trying to keep any more tears from flowing.

"He accepted the possibility that he may have been killed by you. He even shared these notes with me, telling me that this might happen... Told me to prepare for if it did..."

At this point, Error's expression had gone from hostile to shocked. Dream pulled in a shaky breath, opening his eyes. Behind him, Geno and Reaper looked as surprised as they did sorrowful.

"I don't even want to know how this happened... I'm... not ready for that yet. But... Error..." Dream met Error's eyes, his voice cracking violently as he said, "Ink had so much hope in you... More than even I did. He really thought..."

Dream's words trailed off. He couldn't go on. He turned and buried his face into Cross's chest. The bodyguard again wrapped his arms around Dream.

Error covered half his face with a hand. He was wrought with guilt. Ink had tried so hard... he'd even accepted death... All for Error. Ink had been willing to give up everything to help Error. He prepared for the chance that it would take his own death just to help Error. That's what got the glitch the most.

There was no one else in the entire multiverse even remotely similar to Ink. No one willing to give so much to help their rival see the world through a new light. At this point, Error could only think to wonder why.

Why would Ink want to help Error this much? It was crazy. Insane. And no matter how many times he may have asked Ink those exact words in past battles, he'd never gotten an answer.

You're insane, Error would shout, You shouldn't want to help me this much. It's crazy. Why do you care so much?!

Every time Error would bring it up, he'd expect Ink to come back with some smart aleck remark. But every time, Ink always replied with the same words:

We're all a little crazy, though, aren't we?

Now, Error thought about that. Ink never said anything if his words didn't have some kind of meaning. He'd never blindly mumble something. He thought before he spoke. So if there was some kind of deeper meaning to saying everyone was a little crazy, Error wanted to know what it was. But he couldn't do that with everyone here in his void.

Error didn't know what to say. He felt such guilt he almost couldn't say anything at all.

If it weren't for his pride, he would've apologized by now. But now was no time for pride... So he let his own down.

Bowing his head, Error quietly said, "I'm sorry... I didn't... mean for... I didn't want this... It..." He had more to say but there was no way he would've been able to get anything else out without shedding a tear... or more. So, putting on a cold stare, he looked at the ground and told Dream, "...Just... leave... I don't... just... please. Get out of my void. Go mourn where I can't see you."

Dream perked his head up, looking at Error with such a hurt and offended expression the glitch felt even guiltier.

The prince's eyes were laced gracefully with tears and he let out a small sob, covering his mouth.

"He made a mistake believing in you so much," Cross stepped in quietly, giving Error a disgusted look. He took Dream's hand. "You're lucky I've got Dream beside me or else I'd have torn you apart limb from limb by now. Have you got no heart, you soul-thieving, murderous son of a..." Cross hesitated, not wanting to curse in front of Dream. He only sighed and stepped back. "Let's go, Dream... Your positive aura's fading."

The speechless, hurt young prince nodded slightly and the two of them teleported away. Geno was left standing next to Reaper looking pissed off.

"'Get out of my void'?" Geno said in disbelief, "'Go mourn where I can't hear you'?!"

Error flinched. Geno yanked his hand away from Reaper and stepped toward Error. The brothers' glitches just got worse from their tension.

"We're all in pain here, Error!" Geno shouted, "Stop being so... so..." The glitch's fists were clenched and shaking in anger. "You're being so stupid! Stop acting like a heartless child, because if anything, I know that out of all of us here, you are the one with the most emotion, good and bad, bottled up!"

Geno harshly poked Error's chest.

"I told him I didn't want this! I even apologized, Geno!!" Error snarled, "What more do you want from me?!"

"I want you to drop the FUCKING act!! You--"

Geno was cut off by a fit of coughing. He knelt to the ground, throwing his elbow across his face to mask his hacking.

With wide eyes, Error took a trembling step backwards. Geno was still sickly? Error thought Geno had long recovered from his childhood illness. Reaper looked surprised as well.

"G-Geno...?" Error's voice was small and almost pleading as he watched his older brother cough up blood. It was as if they really were children again, save for Reaper there watching.

"D-Damn it- Agh-!" Geno was trembling. One hand clutched his chest and the other covered his mouth. "I'm f-fine... Stop looking at me like that..."

Reaper glanced at Error then floated over to Geno, saying, "Hey... You okay, Gen?"

He lowered a hand, about to rest it on Geno's shoulder, but the glitch smacked him away, growling, "I'm fine! I just... forgot my medicine today! This isn't the point!"

"Are you sure you're--"

"NO ONE is okay right now, Death! Ink's dead! And as a cherry on top, Error's offended literally everyone he's come across today!"

Error's eyes widened even more. "I-"

"Just- don't, Error. I'm going back to the Save Screen to calm down and take my pills. Just stay here or whatever, I don't care." Geno pointed to Death. "And you-" he poked the god inn the chest, "You leave me alone until at least tomorrow. I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I'm going home-" he glared daggers at Error, "-where you can't hear me mourning."

"Geno, wait-" Error and Reaper said simultaneously, but Geno was already gone, a small puddle of blood laying where Geno had knelt coughing up a storm only moments earlier.

Reaper bowed his head. "I'm going back home for a while... I... need some rest."

Error looked away as Reaper melted into thin air, teleporting away and back to Reapertale.

Error stumbled backward and fell to his knees, finally letting all of this set in.

...He murdered Ink.

Ink was gone. Forever. Never again would Error -- or anyone -- see his passionate, determined, kind, and all-around adorable smile. Never again would the multiverse feel safe while Error Sans, Destruction himself, was on the loose.

No longer would any AU have complete trust in someone as utterly strong and brave as Ink.

And all of it was because of Error.

"F-Fuck..." Error breathed, feeling hot tears roll relentlessly down his face.

He couldn't believe the pain he was feeling. For half of his life he'd been telling himself he wanted Ink dead. They were complete opposites, and with Error's resentment toward the AUs, their rivalry was perfect. Ink and Error. Creation and Destruction. Good and Evil. Light and Darkness.

But now that Ink was actually gone...

...Dear God... What had Error done?

---END OF CHAPTER 16---

A/N:

Sorry this chapter took so long, guys ^^; I got comments and DMs asking if I was okay or when the story would continue, and frankly, I have no excuse for the long wait... I had this all written down in my notebook for a good week and I just got it all finished on the computer today...! I guess most of it was just a bit of a lack of motivation but I promise I'll try to make sure this won't happen again!

Next chapter we're going to focus solely on Abyss and Nightmare! Woo! Fortunately they don't know about Ink just yet so we have one more happy chapter until shit hits the fan~ Good luck coping. ;)