A Tiny Error

Chapter 30

Ink summoned his paintbrush and began recreating Error's clothes. Error looked back at the scene of the fight as Ink worked, sighing in guilt as he spied Encre lying unconscious next to an exhausted Fallacy. Finally, Ink handed him the clothes, and he quickly put them on. The creator then sprinted over to Nightmare, who was bleeding profusely from the wound in his back.

"Nightmare!" Ink knelt next to him, pulling out a small paintbrush and conjuring green paint. He carefully lifted the king's shirt and lightly swiped the paintbrush across the injuries. Nightmare hissed, opening his eyesocket as he felt the paint creep into his wound. Ink sighed as he finished.

"I'm sorry, Nightmare," he said as he helped Nightmare sit up. "I'm no healer, you know. But, that'll keep you alive until we can get you to your brother."

"Y-yeah, wh-whatever," the king muttered. He glanced at Error, who seemed to staring off into space. "Hey, asshole! You better explain yourself!"

Error shook himself out of his thoughts and pulled his knees to his chest. Ink glared harshly at the king, then went over to pull Error into a tight hug. "Don't worry, Error. I know you were just doing it to protect me."

Error scoffed softly, turning away. "H-how could you possibly have known that? I... I hurt you. I was too weak to stand up to that stupid parasite...." He didn't even bother trying to stop the tears as they pooled in his eyesockets. "I was afraid he'd take you, o-or any of the others, a-and I couldn't- I couldn't let that happen. I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ink. I'm sorry, Nightmare."

Nightmare's expression softened as Error covered his face with his hands, shoulders shaking from crying. Ink pulled the glitchy skeleton to his chest, rocking him slightly and rubbing his quaking shoulders in an attempt to sooth him. Nightmare shook his head, sighing and wincing from the sting simply breathing gave him.

"Ok, I forgive you," Nightmare said, rolling his eyelight at Ink's warning look. "But you'd better not try something like that, again. If you've got a problem, talk to one us about it. Don't try to carry the entire multiverse on your shoulders. It doesn't work, trust me; I've tried. And I sorta don't regret it. But, at the same time, Dream and I would maybe not have been on not so friendly terms, heh." He winced again and took a shaky breath. As much as he appreciated Ink's efforts to heal him, he needed proper medical attention.

While they were talking, Suave had kept silent, watching the strangers. He had seen everything, from Error turning into a skeleton from a dog, to Ink's attempt at healing the goopy monster that was the King of Negativity. He looked down at the vampire prince passed out in his lap, grimacing slightly at the purplish bruise forming just above Jasper's right eyesocket. Suave gulped, then looked up. He carefully laid Jasper on the ground, praying he would be alright without him, then bravely walked up to the strangers.

Ink tensed when the butler approached, recognizing the face of Fresh as Error once did. He growled and stood up, making Suave flinch back a step.

"Fresh," he hissed through gritted teeth. Summoning his paintbrush, he positioned himself to attack. Error, though, noticed Ink's hostility, and quickly got between them, holding his arms out.

"Ink, don't."

"But Error, he could hurt someone!"

"This isn't the same guy! We're in a different multiverse, Ink. I'm surprised Destiny didn't tell you that."

Ink hesitated, but lowered his paintbrush. Standing it up next to him, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Fine. What's your name?"

The butler cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back. "Suave, sir."