God of Balance

Chapter Four

     The portal closes right behind him. Alloy is scared and confused, not wanting anyone to follow him. He yelps out of shock when his foot finds nothing but empty air. Alloy expects to go plummeting down to the ground. Instead, a feeling a weightlessness grabs onto him. Alloy flips around slowly in the air and spins end over end. A smile creeps back onto his face, and he laughs out loud. His voice echos loudly in the large space.

Once he stops spinning, now floating mostly on his back, Alloy takes the chance to look around the room. A countless number of pages float around in the air just like him. Many have slightly different designs. Out of the ones that are the same, one will have a shiny coating. Looking at them, Alloy is struck by a strong sense of protection. He's meant to protect them all.

     This is the Doodle Sphere. Home. No one can touch Alloy here. He winces in pain and looks down at his arm. The long crack runs all the way down his radius. Blood is starting slowly well up out of the cut. Pain is a new feeling. Alloy's hands move on their own. He reaches up with one hand to his right eye. He pulls down on the tear stains under his eye. They come away as thin, black strands connected to all five fingers. The strings begin to shift and change color until they're glowing a bright green. Alloy narrows his eyes in concentration as he nimbly wraps the strings all up his arm. He pulls them tight and the rips the thread off his eyes before tying the ends. One bone in his forearm is now completely covered in bright green string.

      With his injury taken care of, the skeleton turns his attention back to the different AUs around him. Alloy isn't sure what to do now. The council's reactions have him very confused. Dream makes him confused. Alloy was happy and terrified to see him all at once. The Monster with sharp teeth attacked him. None of them were happy to see him. They were all upset about two people named Ink and Error, but Alloy doesn't know who they are. Does this brush really belong to Ink? The right thing to do would be to give it back, but Alloy's come to love this brush. Ink will just have to get a new one. This brush is his now, and that's that.

He nearly drops the brush when it starts beeping again. Alloy stares at it accusingly. Last time he followed a beacon, it didn't end well. His arm hurts whenever he moves. Still, the light on his brush isn't red anymore. It's blue. There's no meeting, but someone else is calling him. Alloy looks around again at the Doodle Sphere. Besides all the pages, it really is an empty place. Alloy hates being alone. Maybe this time will be different. Still full of doubt, Alloy swings his brush and dives through another portal.

The other side opens up a good ten feet above the ground. Gravity is a thing in this world. Alloy shouts as he falls and lands face-first in a snowbank. He sinks a foot into the powder. Alloy bursts out laughing and sits up on his knees. Childishly, he scoops up a handful of snow and throws it up into the air so that it rains back down on him. His attention is torn away by someone clearing their throat.

Alloy's head whips around so fast that his neck cracks. Another skeleton stands calmly on a path where the snow has been trampled down. Alloy slowly looks them up and down. They're a lot smaller then he is, with a cute blue bandana tied around his neck. Alloy has had mixed emotions with everyone he's met. Now, though, he's nothing but happy.

     "Hello! Didn't I seE you at the meeting thingy?", Alloy asks with a wide smile. He plants his hands on the ground and jumps up to his feet. The snow all over his clothes doesn't seem to bother him.

     "Oh, Yes! My name is Blue! I'm so sorry about that happened in Dreamtale".

     Blue didn't expect Alloy to act so friendly. He didn't even think the stranger would show up after what happened last time, and yet, he's smiling down at Blue. Everyone in the council seems convinced that Error has somehow taken over Ink's body. Blue doesn't think that can be true. Alloy doesn't look like either Ink or Error. He looks like both and neither of them. Blue doesn't think anyone else has the patience to know find out more but himself. So, he waited for his brother to leave, then activated his personal beacon while not telling Dream.

     "My name is Alloy! I'm the God of-", he hold his out to shake Blue's hand, but Alloy stops talking abruptly like he's forgotten what he was saying. Alloy's face scrunches up in confusion for a moment, but then he focuses back on Blue. The small skeleton takes the offered hand. Alloy seems to realize his mistake too late. As soon as Blue's fingers brush his hand, Alloy jerks away.

"n- No, um, sOrRy, plEase dOn't toUch me", Alloy seems confused at his own reaction. Blue can't help but notice the glitchy effect that Alloy's voice takes on as soon as he's uncomfortable. Blue just happens to know another Monster that has a glitchy voice and hates touch. He also knows a skeleton that introduces himself to every AU with a handshake.

"It's okay, you did nothing wrong", Blue gives a reassuring smile, "Come on, let's go inside my house to talk. I promise that I'll do my best not to make you uncomfortable".

     Alloy nods his head without much consideration. He's blindly trusting, and has nothing but positive emotions when he thinks of Blue. Alloy wades out of the snowbank to stand next to his new friend. Up close, Blue is nearly a foot shorter. Alloy is a about a half foot taller then the average. He happily follows Blue out of the forest and across another packed down road. Alloy looks all around at the towns and houses. This is all new to him. After waking up in the Anti-void, any bit of color makes him smile.

Blue opens up the front door to his house so Alloy can walk in first. He's jerked back when the ends of his paintbrush catch the doorframe. Alloy smiles sheepishly before ducking to get through. His eyes eat up the room hungrily.

Blue is confused when Alloy immediately begins to investigate the room. He walks over to the couch and pokes it, watching his fingers sink into the material. Alloy then sinks to his hands and knees in front of the TV. He spins the knob to change channels even though it's not on. Blue can't help but giggle a little. Alloy acts just like a child who's seeing everything for the first time.

"Do you want anything to eat, Alloy?", Blue asks politely.

"Oooo, yes, please!", Alloy's head pops up from his examination is the coffee table.

The earns another laugh. Blue starts humming as he works. He's not sure of everything right now, but it's obvious that Alloy doesn't have any ill intentions. Blue uses a glass plate to heat up some tacos in the microwave. As soon as it beeps, he opens up and grabs the plate. Blue jerks back with a hiss of pain. The plate was unexpectedly hot. Alloy is suddenly at Blue's side. He reaches up to his face and drags down his strings. Blue is fascinated to watch them light up in a green color. Green for healing. Without touching him, Alloy wraps his green strings around Blue's fingers that had been burned.

"That's amazing, Alloy! You're a healer!", Blue gasps in awe. Not many Monsters have the magic to heal without healing items.

"I guess it is kinDa neat", Alloy smiles a little. His gaze slips to his arm. The strings there have faded down to a dull glow. Alloy tugs at them until they come loose. The crack on his arm is now nothing more then a short scratch.

Soon enough, the two of them are sitting down and eating tacos. That's another unique trait for Alloy, Blue notes. Error never eats, and he's only ever seen Ink sip water to be polite on special occasions. Alloy eats like the tacos are the best thing he's ever had.

     "So... Alloy? Do you mind answering a few questions?", Blue asks quietly.