"I think this is my favorite flavor yet!" Soul chirps, munching on a Nicecream.

"YoU got tHat kinD lasT time," Error mumbles, picking at his own chocolate cone.

"Did I?"

Error doesn't bother to mention the fact that Soul gets the same flavor every time. Error himself always gets chocolate. It would be surprising for something to change now. There's a comforting familiarity to it.

Over the last week of visits, Error has been experimenting. Soul either hasn't noticed or doesn't care to point out any strange behavior. It's hard to notice, but now that Error's been paying attention, he's realized that the strength of Soul's magic fluctuates wildly without any input. The magic is low and practically undetectable when Soul is playing his role. The aura gets stronger as he acts out and goes haywire when abandoning the AU's story. Completely leaving the AU seems to be the worst. The aura's potency is getting stronger. Even in the last week, Error has noticed the lows aren't quite as low. Error once had to forcefully reset an AU when he noticed literal Death lurking in a shadowy corner.

The Storyshift AU that the two are is rather convenient. Soul doesn't have much of a part to play until the end. Even so, Error has his own destructive aura dialed up higher than usual. He'd rather be noticed than let someone track Soul. It's rather surprising that Ink hasn't come to chase Error out yet. Ink being late is a bad omen.

Lost in thought, Error glances idly at his companion. Soul is fidgeting with the clasp of his cape. The shoulder plates make him look much bigger than he is, and Soul eventually discards the entire cape and drops it unceremoniously into the dirt. The crown is skewed on his head. Error almost snorts. The amusement dies quickly when Error remembers the point of this particular meeting. He's caught off guard when Soul breaks the silence first.

"Oh! There's something I wanted to ask you," Soul speaks up abruptly. "I know it's super important, but I just can't quite remember, and what even is the bal-"

Error has to physically silence Soul by slapping a hand over his mouth. Soul jumps in surprise, staring at Error with wide eyes. "YoU caN'T aSK me tHat." Error looks around nervously for a moment. When intimate doom doesn't come to snatch him away, Error takes his hand off Soul's face.

"I'm sorry," Soul splutters. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You diD noThiNg wrOng." Error balls up his fists. It's already miracle enough that Soul knows anything at all about the balance. Error doesn't know why he's so agitated over the fact that he can't explain it all to Soul. Already in a sour mood, Error decides to get on with what he really wants to talk about. "How long have you stayed in one body?"

The quick change in topic makes Soul pause. He takes a moment to think before responding. "The longest? Three, maybe four days?"

"YoU speNt leSs time loCkEd up tHan thAt."

"Yes, but that was different. I think..... I think Cherry's body knew that I didn't belong."

"YoU sAid it huRt?"

"Yeah....... like in Candytale, but slower."

Error doesn't want to make Soul uncomfortable, but Error needs to know as much as possible for what he's scheming up. "YoU saiD yoUr faVoriTe AU was UndRrswap?"

"Yeah?"

"I coUld stiCk yOu in a bOdy perMenEntLy."

Error can't create like Ink, but he certainly could destroy part of something. Error has spent some of his free time studying the collection of souls in the Anti-void. If he broke a few pieces off, the same bits that Soul has left, Error is sure that he could get the fractured pieces to fuse in act of self-preservation. Soul would be quite fragile for a while until he got used to it. Error can already picture it: a tiny swap Sans running around Nightmare's mansion and terrorizing the 'Murder Trio'. There would be silly little games and an absurd amount of collected toys piling up in the Anti-void, and Error would grumble about it, but secretly not mind.  No more time limits. Error would make sure that Soul wouldn't have to live through another genocide route. No one would ever be able to hunt Soul.

Error finally turns to read Soul's expression. Even as he daydreams about the possibility, Error knows it can never happen.

"Error....... I-I can't just...... take someone's life," Soul looks away.

"I kNoW," Error sighs. He stands up, discarding the rest of his food. "LisTen cloSely, Soul," Error begins, "If I'm nOt WIth you, yOu nEed to folLow the AU's story eXactly, okay? YoU wilL do aNd saY evEryThing that yoU're supPosed to."

"Alright," Soul nods slowly. He's not sure exactly why Error seems so jumpy, but Soul trusts that Error has a good reason for asking. Soul doesn't usually do anything strange without him, anyway.

"OKay tHen." Hesitating for only a moment, Error turns away to open a portal and leave.

"See you soon?" Soul interjects.

"........ Yeah. SEe You sOon."

************************

Soul didn't feel the need to be worried for quite a while. His memory is too bad to realize that Error has been visiting daily for the last month. It's difficult to even remember the AU that they last met in, but Soul does remember what he promised.

No matter the AU, no matter the genocide route, Soul does everything that he should and nothing more. He doesn't put up any protest like he did in UnderFell. He fights within his host's limitations in the judgment hall and dies to the human. Nothing about it is enjoyable, but Soul is used to it. The method that he uses to make it through is to throw himself fully into the role he has to play. Soul forgets that he even exists for long periods of time, unintentionally making his memory worse.

In a moment of lucidity, Soul realizes a disturbing fact: he can't remember the order of colors on Error's hands. It's a small detail, but it bothers Soul deeply. Are Error's fingers tipped with yellow or red? It has to yellow. No, red? Are there two or three bright blue lines under his eyes? Other details also begin to deteriorate. Soul is having a hard time differentiating Horror, Dust, and Killer in his mind, and forgets Cross's name. Was it Dream or Nightmare who helps Error?

It takes a while for Soul to realize how much he is forgetting. When he does, he becomes quite scared. Soul wakes up in an AU one morning and panics. He rallies his magic and tries to call out for Error. Has something happened to him? Is Error alright? Soul waits for a response. Nothing comes back. A million terrible possibilities run through his head, but Soul dimly recalls something from their last interaction. Didn't Error snap at Soul? Was it something Soul said or did? Error's avoided Soul like this before.

Error will come back, right? Soul will wait for as long as it takes.

After another brutal death, Soul finds himself back in that strange space between AUs. The handful of glimmering lights around him cast light in the otherwise dark void. Soul isn't exactly sure what this place is. He's not quite alive here and feels as if he might fade away if he lingers. Soul reaches out to an AU but pauses right before touching in.

Someone is calling out to him. It's definitely not Error, but someone familiar all the same. Soul is confused as to how someone could reach him here. The cry comes again, desperate and tugging at Soul. The pull feels like it's about to yank Soul right into the darkness and away from the shinning AUs. Soul hesitates. He's not sure what will happen to him if he goes along with this. The cry comes again, but weaker. Soul squares his shoulders. He steps away from the AUs and allows himself to be pulled into the darkness.

************

The void bends and warps around Soul. He's yanked forward by a point on his chest and stumbles over his own feet. By the time Soul has regained his footing, he's standing on bright green grass. A warm summer breeze blows past his bones. Soul finds himself standing on a grassy hill in front of a massive tree. The scene is already weird, but Soul can instantly tell that none of it is real. Magic swirls in the air all around him and holds the scene together. As beautiful as the scene is, the magic feels shaky and ready to fall apart at any moment.

"Soul?" A hand comes down on his shoulder.

Soul jumps in surprise and whips around. A Sans, taller than average with a thin build, stands behind him. Soul can't identify them at first. "Uhh....."

The Sans looks nervous and a little scared. He looks down at his own hands, clenching his jaw. "I hate the dreamscape," he growls, "Why do I always look like this?"

Soul studies the stranger's purple outfit and golden crown. He jolts when he finally recognizes something. Soul saw this monster in a photo. "Nightmare?"

Nightmare nods with a frown. "This place has an annoying tendency to display one's 'truest' self." As Nightmare says this, he looks Soul up and down. Soul has completely white bones, outfit, and eye lights. He looks like a blank canvas waiting for color.

"I-um- Were you looking for me?" Soul asks, "I wan to help if I can, but I didn't think that you even like me-"

Nightmare winces and clutches at his chest. The entire landscape around them trembles as the magic holding it together deteriorates. Nightmare takes in a shuddering breath and tries to stand up straight. "I do need your help," he speaks quickly, "I know Error has been avoiding yo to keep you safe, but Ink is-"

"Error's doing what?" Soul interrupts.

"He didn't tell you?" Nightmare curses to himself, muttering about stubborn male-ware before composing himself. "I don't have much time to explain. I've been rendered unconscious. Ink got a bunch of the original AUs together to ambush Error. I thought I could rush in with my boys and get Error out, but they were ready for us. I'm down, and I don't know how the others are fairing, and you're the only person I can think of who might care-" Nightmare is trying to keep himself under control, but he's obviously getting scared of what's happening to his little makeshift family.

"Let's go! They need us," Soul interrupts. He holds out his hand.

Nightmare doesn't even pause before taking the offered hand.