Yeah I'm just going to stop with the POV things y'all have brains and can tell the difference

Also...Iforgothowoldpaintissupposedtobeforthischaptersoitookcreativeliberties

"Hey, Dad?"

Error looked up from his knitting. "Y34h?"

"I'm hungry."

Error blinked. Then he sighed. "7hr33 y34r5," he muttered, "4nd 1 571ll f0r937 7h47 n0rm4l b31n95 n33d 70 347."

I really wish Error would eat. But he says he doesn't need it, so I guess it doesn't matter.

I can believe it. I mean, Horror can only eat meat, and Cross can only eat tacos and chocolate.

But I like to eat a lot of things. So I get hungry a lot.

"Wh47 d0 Y0u w4n7 70 347?" Error asked.

"Skittles!" I said.

Error laughed. "Y0u c4n h4v3 5k177l35 4f73r. 1'm pr377y 5ur3 175 lunch 71m3, 50 y0u n33d 70 h4v3 59m37h1n9 47 l3457 k1nd 0f h34l7hy."

"Aww...okay..." I thought. "Can I have some pizza?"

"5ur3." Error opened a portal to a place. I saw a sign that said 'Welcome to Pizza Hut!'.

He reached in and pulled out a small cheese pizza, just for me.

"Thanks, Dad!" I pulled off a slice and started to eat it. Good thing it was in a box so we didn't have to put it on the floor.

"N0 pr0bl3m, k1d."

Dream sighed, looking up and the sky from the grassy fields of Haventale.

Nightmare had been so inactive, and Error hadn't really done much. Every time Dream did notice him destroying an AU, it was too late, and today was one of the in-between days where the Destroyer was guaranteed to not do anything.

So he was bored as hell.

"Hey, Dream!"

Dream sat up. Blue?

"Hey, Blue. What's up?"

Blue shrugged. "Nothing much. I was going to hang out with someone today, but something came up and he's busy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Dream said. "Can I ask who?"

Blue gave him a sideways glance. "Why?"

Dream blinked. Was that resentment coming from Blue?

"I'm just curious," he said. "Besides, you're brother will have my skull if he thinks I'm letting you hang out with someone 'of bad influence'." He put the last part in air quotes.

Seriously; Stretch was even more controlling than Blue realized. And he lived with him.

Blue relaxed slightly. "He's not a bad influence," Blue promised. "I mean, I can understand people saying that, but he's pretty cool."

Dream heard the fondness in Blue's voice. Who could he be talking about?

"Who-"

"Lust," Blue said simply.

Dream blinked. "You're hanging out with him?!?"

Blue chuckled. "Jesus, Dream, don't sound so shocked. He's not everything you think he is."

Dream stared at him.

"I-"

"If you tell Papyrus I'm going to follow you around with my swear jar," Blue warned.

Dream gulped. Blue was the only person besides Ink who had heard him swear, and he knew that if the Swap Sans followed him around he'd be broke within an hour.

"Not a word," he promised, "but why-"

Blue smiled mysteriously at him. "You can't judge someone based on their origins or their actions. Sometimes people act the way they do because they don't know how else to. Sometimes it's because they're scared to show weakness. And sometimes it's to protect others."

Dream sighed. "Aren't I supposed to be the one giving sage advice?"

Blue grinned. "It's not my fault I'm more magnificent!"

It's wasn't...entirely a lie.

Blue was friends with Lust.

But he'd actually been planning on hanging out with Cross, and Nightmare had needed him for something.

He'd decided to see if Dream had any hints of the whereabouts of Ink; in case he needed to warn the others that Dream was on their trail.

"Anyways," he said, changing the subject, "Have you found anything about Ink?"

Dream's smile fell.

"I did," he said quietly.

Blue tilted his head. His friend sounded heartbroken.

"Well?" He prompted. "What did you find?"

Dream closed his eye sockets.

"I...I found his brush and vial sash."

Blue had been wondering where those had gone.

On the other hand, he knew that Ink, as Ink, would never leave those anywhere.

He pretended to be horrified. "Oh god," he said hoarsely. He realized just how good and actor he was after all those years trying to get Stretch to leave him alone. "Is he-"

"I can't say for absolute certain," Dream admitted. "But...Why would he leave them somewhere? E-especially in such a dark lab, where he wouldn't ever even think to look for them again."

Blue blinked. "L-lab?"

Dream rubbed his face. "Somebody said they saw Ink going into the True Lab in their AU a few weeks before Ink was officially missing. I searched the entire complex. Those were all I found, in a puddle of some weird liquid and broken glass. I think whatever it was fell on Ink's head and..." he trailed off.

Blue put his hands over his mouth. "I hope you're wrong," he said. "I really hope he's okay."

Dream nodded. "Me too..."

Blue gave his friend a hug. He knew this was hardest on him; Dream had had a crush on Ink for a while before all this started.

He even confessed to Ink.
Spoiler alert: Ink laughed at him for being in love with an emotionless being. Jackass.

After a few moments, Dream pulled away. "Th-thanks Blue," he said. "I...I'm alright."

"It'll be alright," Blue said softly. "I'm sure that wherever he is, he's safe. He's resourceful and clever; he can take care of himself."

Dream opened his mouth to say something, but Blue's phone went off.

That was Error.

He muttered something about his bad luck and read the text.

"Paint learned how to make paint with his magic and is threatening to cover the entire anti-void in sparkly pink stuff send help and cleaning supplies"

"...I, uh, have to go." He tucked his phone in his pocket and gave Dream an apologetic smile. "It was nice to hang out for a while."

Dream waved him off, smiling back.

If only he could trust Dream enough to tell him about Paint.

"GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

Paint cackled from the strings above their heads. "Never!"

Nightmare tried to grab him with his tentacles, but the kid swung away like a monkey. He shot some paint around with a small paint brush he'd gotten a hold of.

"K1d," Error said, trying to stay calm, "1 c4n 9r0und y0u."

Paint stuck his tongue out at him.

Error's eye socket twitched.

"That's it," Nightmare growled. "Come down here, or I'll make sure you don't get skittles for a month."

That got Paint's attention.

He froze, and looked at Nightmare with scared eye lights. His entire face said, Y-you wouldn't really...r-right?

Underneath him, Blue appeared from a portal with an armory of Swiffer mops.

He looked around at the paint puddles and sighed. "Not as bad as I thought it'd be," he admitted. 

"Five," Nightmare said firmly.

Paint blinked.

"Four."

Panic filled the child.

A feeling most kids are familiar with.

That, Oh crap they're serious I'm about to be grounded feeling.

Paint immediately dropped to the floor, rolling to reduce the impact.

"Thank you," Nightmare said. "Now help us clean up, alright?"

"Yes Uncle Nightmare," Paint mumbled.

Blue handed everyone a Swiffer. Nightmare, having tentacles, got extras.

"Shouldn't take too long with all of us working together," He said cheerfully. 

They began mopping.

In about half an hour, they were done.

It helped that Nightmare's tentacles could each hold and operate a swiffer.

"7h4nk5, Blu3," Error sighed. Paint was looking rather glum, leaning slightly on his mop.

"Maybe don't try to paint the entire Anti-Void again, okay?" Blue asked. The kid nodded.

Error was glad he had their help. Cleaning the Anti-Void was a long and difficult task; four pairs of hands and five tentacles made it much easier.

"Oh...by the way," Blue said. "I need to talk to you two. About the thing."

Error frowned. Blue seemed pretty relaxed, so it was unlikely anyone had found out about Paint. He wouldn't have brought it up if it was nothing, though.

"What thing?" Paint asked curiously.

Error hesitated. What was the appropriate way to tell a kid that it wasn't any of his business?

"9r0wn-up 57uff," he said, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about.

Behind Paint, Blue gave him a thumbs up, which was not helpful.

The child pouted. "But I am a grown-up! I'm already nine!"

"Being a big boy and being an adult are two different things," Nightmare said.

"When will I be an adult?" Paint asked, his eye lights becoming a sad blue tear drop and a curious green question mark.

Error looked at Blue, as did Nightmare.

Perhaps the 'age of adulthood' or whatever you call it had changed in his lifetime. 

"When you're 18," Blue supplied. "Don't worry, you're halfway there!"

Paint looked happy with this. "Can I have a cool weapon like you guys when I grow up?" he asked, meaning the Bad Sanses's weapons.

"W3'll 533," Error chuckled. "Y0u m1nd h4n91n9 0u7 w17h Du57 wh1l3 w3 74lk?"

"Okay!"

Error opened a portal to Nightmare's castle, and his adopted son skipped through.

He and Nightmare turned to Blue.

"Wh47 h4pp3n3d?"

"Dream found Ink's sash of vials and brush."

Nightmare folded his arms, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Wait...didn't he need those vials for emotions?"

Error frowned. "Y34h...h3 d1d. Bu7 h3 h45n'7 n33d3d 7h3n 51nc3 h3 b3c4m3 P41n7."

"Dream said he found them in an AU's True Lab after someone told him they saw Ink go in there."

"...1 7hr3w h1m 1n70 4 5h3lf 0f ch3m1c4l5," Error recalled. "w3 w3r3 b0th 1njur3d, 4nd 1 7hr3w h1m 4w4y fr0m m3 70 35c4p3."

"It was several years ago, and it hasn't worn off, so I'd wager exposing him to it again wouldn't make him an adult," Nightmare said thoughtfully.

"1 7h1nk 1 m4d3 h1m h17 h15 4kull h4rd 3n0u9h 1n 7h3 r19h7 5p07 7h47 h3 f0r907 3v3ry7h1n9," Error mused. "3v3n 50, F473 5h0uld'v3 91v3n h1m h15 m3m0r135 b4ck."

"Why are things getting more complicated as time goes on?" Blue sighed. "Well, whatever. Hopefully he won't get his memories back, and he can still create."

"H4v1n9 50m30n3 70 4c71v3ly h3lp m41n741n 7h3 b4l4nc3 w0uld b3 r34lly h3lpful."

"And you could hang out with us more without having to worry about anything," Blue said, grinning.

Maybe something good would come of this after all.

"Why did you encourage them?"

Destiny turned to face Karma

The deity sighed.

"You of all people should know. It's easier to feed their ego and work behind their back than to argue."

Karma sighed and rubbed her face.

"You're right; I know that. But now they're bragging about you being on their side for once, and it's giving me a migraine."

Destiny chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I have a plan. One that might finally teach Fate their place."

"Oh, please let me help," Karma begged. "Please. There are so many things I've been wanting to help with resting on this. Please."

Karma suddenly perked up, and snapped her fingers. Somewhere in the House of Gods, a loud tHU-THU-THUMP came, followed by Fate's swearing.

"Also, Luck has been helping me 'help' Fate down the stairs," Karma grinned.

"You two are going to be the death of us all," Destiny marveled.

HEY I UPDATED IT ARE YOU HAPPY NO WELL GUESS I'LL GO EAT CANDY