Loyal Servant (Crossmare) (Rewrite)

Back From The Dead

A/N
I opened asks on my Tumblr. That is a thing now. You can send them anonymously.
...

Being able to travel just about anywhere without being in danger was almost peaceful. It would be, if it weren't for the crippling loneliness that came with the only two people being able to see him... Cross tried not to let that drive him crazy as he followed Paperjam beyond the comfort of home, and out into the anti-void.

Despite knowing he'd be completely useless if Paperjam ran into trouble, he still wanted to keep an eye on them. At the very least he'd be able to get a message back to the other's if something went wrong. Afterall, the anti-void was a very dangerous place to be at the moment. No one knew just where within it Fatal Error may be lurking. Worst case scenario, Paperjam bumps right into him on their way to meet Fresh.

So far things were quiet, the anti-void locked in a state of eerie serenity. Especially where they currently walked. Paperjam had found a giant island which held a field of grass and wildflowers. When a mysterious wind brushed by, the grasses rustled and sang. What a beautiful place. Cross let himself feel at ease as he stopped within the field, though he wished he could actually brush his fingers against the blades of grass, smell the drifting pollen, or feel the wind wash over him. Maybe I could convince Nightmare to bring me here once Fatal is defeated.

He looked back towards Paperjam, finding them making their way towards a single oak upon the slanted hill nearby. Through the swaying green leaves, Cross caught sight of bright contrasting colors. He hurried to reach Paperjam's side, and he easily recognized the skeleton who lazed upon one of the oak's sturdy branches. Fresh currently had his focus on what looked to be a faded old book. From the handwritten cover, Cross assumed it was maybe something Paperjam had written. The writing looked rather similar to the Book of a Thousand Souls.

Paperjam smiled and crossed their arms as they came to a stop at the base of the tree. "My old manuscript? Don't you know a lot of that information is speculative?" They asked, causing Fresh's glasses to flash a handful of explanation points. Paperjam pulled the actual book out from his jacket, flaunting it in a near taunting manner. "Wouldn't you rather read the real thing?" He asked.

"Yoooo!" Fresh exclaimed, swinging himself down from the branch in a soulbeat. Cross instinctively stepped back to avoid the fall of loosened leaves. "PJ! My bestest pal! I haven't seen ya around since forever," Fresh said, using a hand to tussle the wisps of ink hovering over Paperjam's head. They didn't seem to mind too much, chuckling for a moment before Fresh snatched up the Book of a Thousand Souls. He instantly began flipping through the pages. "Dang! Look at dis! You've been holding out on me, dawg? I ain't ever seen dese updates!" He said, tapping the later pages of the book.

"Yeah. It doesn't quite feel the same gathering information without you though," Paperjam told him, watching Fresh study each of the new pages. They leaned against the tree, letting Fresh look all he wanted. "We used to sit under this tree for hours trying to summarize all the crazy things we ran into out here in the middle of the anti-void," Paperjam recalled, their pinpricks turning pink and blue. Perhaps they considered the memories to be bittersweet. "Ink hated that."

"Nah, your dad hated me. Not da adventure," Fresh corrected.

"Yeah, maybe," Paperjam replied with a small huff. They watched Fresh's glasses shift and change into different words while he skimmed through Paperjam's documents. Pretty soon Fresh paused on a specific page. Fresh's smile faltered for a split second. "What is it?" Paperjam asked with a tilt of their head.

"I know dis guy," Fresh replied, tilting the book back towards Paperjam. Cross had to stand between them in order to get a look for himself. Fresh had found Fatal Error's page, and it didn't seem he was all that fond of the sight. "He tots ain't rad, I'll tell ya dat much," Fresh told them, though by now Paperjam was well aware of that fact. "He tried deconstructing me, yo. Not cool. He also called me a parasite! Way to double down on ruinin' the vibe, dude!" Fresh complained, slowly shaking his head while the word 'LA-ME' covered his glasses.