𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟 ☬ℑ𝔫𝔨𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔢☬ ☬𝔈𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔨☬

chapter 34: Broken Souls

(slight warning: there will be a little bit of errorink in this chapter but I promise it's for the sake of this book. And also a tiny spoiler that I think no one is surprised about is Nightmare is still throwing his temper tantrums)

~No One's PoV~

Ink and Nightmare were really happy about being an official couple! They made sure that the balance wasn't tipped to one side too often and they always made room in their schedules for each other. The only thing was aus we're being destroyed one right after the other...

They had originally thought that it was Error since he was the only one with the kind of power to destroy aus, and especially at that rate. The Star Sans' confronted the glitchy skeleton but he denied destroying a single au since the King of Negativity and the Protector of Aus started their relationship.

As time slowly went by of getting no where, Ink was getting really stressed out, with the Creators, Corrupted Creators, other Sans' and the monsters of the aus being on his back constantly he had no time for his boyfriend. Nightmare was getting sick of everyone coming to Ink for answers but he wasn't sure exactly what to target all his anger on. He was extremely overwhelmed with the negativity he's constantly absorbing and the stronger his powers are, the stronger his emotions are as well.

~Nightmare's PoV~

'Ugh, I'm sick and tired of this! Why can't they just deal with their own problems since Ink clearly had his schedule full! I mean, he doesn't even have enough time for me, what makes them think he has enough time for them.' I paced around my room, blowing off steam.

This whole situation is making me annoyed, angry and I'm hating it with every fiber of my being! I'm not sure if this is how angry I am or if it's just all the negativity but I don't want to blow up on my gang if they come knocking on my door. I opened a portal to a random au and walked through.

I ended up in a Undertale timeline, looked like a pacifist timeline. I sat down at the sentry station and put my head down, trying to think of something to get my mind of of...well, everything.

"Dear Asgore, why can't I ever just have a stable relationship with someone..." As I trailed off I heard a footsteps in the snow. I pretended not to hear to see if they would come near me or just leave. They kept walking closer, and closer.

I sighed before grabbing whoever it is with one of my tentacles. "What do you want." I said without looking at the miserable creature, but tightened my tentacle.

"...night-... I can... Can't breathe..." The voice strained to get those words out but I quickly dropped him and snapped my head towards him. I went over to Ink and dropped to my knees and started to check the damage while praying to Asgore that I don't cry. "Oh my Asgore, INK! Are you ok?! I'm so sorry!" He caught his breathe and held a hand up to stop me before looking up at me. "I'm alright! I probably shouldn't have snuck up on you like that anyways, with all that's going down and everything.."

I hugged him and he hugged back without hesitation. "Actually, Nighty, there's something I wanted to ask you. And you have to be 100% honest with me please." I looked at him and nodded. He stood up and I followed after him, concerned about why he needed to talk to me.

"It's not easy to ask this but, Nightmare do you know anything at all about who or what has been destroying the aus? Please tell me." I got upset that he would think that I hadn't told him everything about that already. "Ink... You already know that everything I've said to you is true, so why do you even bother asking this? Why do you bother to question me?"

He nervously scratched his arm before looking at me once again. "Look I know it may seem like I'm accusing you or something but-" "no. I KNOW you're accusing me because your precious aus are more important than your boyfriend apparently. You spend all your time dealing with this and not taking a single break, not even when I ask you to, because you think that the aus depend on you 24/7. Why can't you see that there are sometimes more important things than just your job?"

I tried to stay calm but it had been frustrating to me that he spent all his time taking care of this and pretty much no time at all with me! "Nighty, I already told you that it's not just about my job! If I don't find out who or what's been destroying these aus then more innocent monsters are going to die! It's my job and I need to do it myself, that's why I was made, that's why I exist, that's my purpose for being here! If I don't do that then I have no purpose, there would be no reason for me to exist anymore."

"Ink, please, you exist for more than just protecting the aus! If you take a break then I'm sure Dream could cover for you or hell maybe even Error could watch over for them while you take a break but you don't have to over work yourself just because some monsters don't want to die!" I said it harshly but he needed to hear it. He looked at me with a angered face and I looked back at him with an equally mad expression. "I guess, maybe it was too soon to get into that relationship. I think we need a break Nightmare, at least until this is sorted out and we can talk properly."

As soon as he said that it felt like my soul shattered. He opened a portal with his paintbrush and hopped through. I tried to grab him, to pull him out and hug him and tell him I'm sorry but he was gone before I got the chance. Tears poured down from my sockets as I kicked at the snow and let my frustrations out. My tentacle swung around dangerously, might've even knocked down a coue trees. I just know I should've stayed in my room.

~Error's PoV~

I was adding more details to a puppet I made earlier on. He had changed his style and I needed them all the be close if not the exact same as the Sans themself. The squid came out of a portal and fell down right in front of me. "H£¥ $¶u!d? Wh@|©h@ |h!πk ¥∆u®£ d∆!πg h£®£?" I heard quiet sobs escape the artist and I called out his name a second time. He finally said something as he tried to dry his tear but they still flowed."It's nothing, stupid even. I just had a fight with Nightmare is all..." "∆h... !m $∆®®¥ |h@| h@99£π£d !πk..."

He shook his head at me. "Don't be sorry, I shouldn't have surprised him in the first place. If I hadn't maybe I wouldn't have said we needed a break." He sighed as he wiped his tears away. Before he did though, I put my thumb on his cheek and wiped them all away for him. He sniffled and looked at me and smiled, I smiled back before pulling my hand away, and looked at it. I was genuinely surprised my phobia didn't kick in and make me glitch out of reality or something.

I looked back up at him and hesitantly pulled him in for a hug. This time my phobia didn't act up either. Ink buried himself deeper into my coat and sweater. I slightly rocked and ran my hand over his skull. "I|'\\ b£ ∆k !πk¥, I p®∆m!$£." We stayed like that for a little while before his phone buzzed and he checked to see a text from Dream. He opened it and replied quickly before looking at me and leaving a kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you Error, that really helped a lot." I just nodded, unable to speak and watched as he opened a portal and hopped through it to wherever he needed to be. I touched my cheek and blushed slightly. Sighing, I wandered if my feelings are alright, considering my best friends, I guess current ex boyfriend just kissed me on the cheek! I looked at the puppet I was using before Ink arrived and had my strings put it back where it was.

I sat on my beanbag and thought to myself what was going to happen next. I contemplated stopping the destruction myself but I need it to get what I want. But at the same time I don't know if what I want is really what I want anymore. I fell asleep pondering these questions.