Inky Path

2

Ink was somewhere new, and it looked like Outertale with some slight changes. Was the sky brighter?

"Whoever wanted me, surprisingly, didn't put any restrictions on me. My weapon is still here too. Are they underestimating me?" Ink sat. The sky was somehow brighter in this part of Outertale.

He couldn't feel a breeze in the place. There were marks of monster life. Maybe it was a genocide run, or perhaps the monsters decided to hide from him.

'That guy at least did his job correctly this time.' Ink looked at the stars. They were smiling and dancing for someone. 'Since when have the stars had such a bright glow? The last time I was in Outertale, the stars were dying.'

Not focusing on his surroundings, Ink closed his eyes, just feeling the vibrations of the sounds. 'Boss will take a while to find me in that state. I only have to wait enough time until Nightmare causes trouble and he and Boss meet.'

"Hello there." It was a new voice. Ink recognized that voice. It was familiar, but he was unwilling to open his eyes.

"Greetings. May I know if I caused any trouble?" Ink couldn't put his finger on where he remembered that voice. Not that it mattered much to him.

"Since when are you so formal, Ink? I almost didn't recognize you in that clothes!" Ink finally looked at the figure. It was Outer, but he was different. He didn't know what had changed, but he knew something had changed.

"Excuse me? I do not remember being informal or close to you at any given moment. I don't see the need to be casual with you." Outer was confused, but so was Ink.

"Ink, did you forget again? Yesterday when we met, you were so carefree and childish, but now you are so formal. What happened?" Outer sat at Ink's side, looking at him in the eyes.

"I do not remember meeting you yesterday. There was no reunion for the Justice Reigns for me to meet or talk to you." Outer tried to give a smile, but both weren't on the same page for sure.

"I think we were thinking of a different yesterday."

"..." Ink looked at Outer, was Outer lying to Ink? 'Is he lying? No, this guy isn't one to lie to even Blue or me.' Ink looked at the stars again, making small theories.

"Ink..? What are you doing here?" What Outer said took Ink off his short theory time.

"I almost forgot about it. Outer, did you see any skeletons here other than you and your brother?" Ink looked at Outed again.

Outer looked at Ink for maybe 10 seconds and chuckled.

"Huhu, no, I didn't. I only saw you looking at the stars. Why do you ask?" This time it was Outer who looked at the dancing stars.

"I see. Then don't bother being here with me."

I looked at the horizon with Outer, both were having a relaxing time. Until the sound of a portal was heard.

"OUTER!! WE HAVE WONDERFUL NEWS!" The voice was the same as Ink's voice but happier.

"Uh? Ink..? But how? You were just at my side..." Outer looked at his side and saw Ink

"What do you mean? Oh! Hello there! Where are you from? What is your AU name? Do you have an AU? What is your name? Did you come to Outertale to see the stars?" The Ink said happily to Ink.

"Greetings. My name is also Ink. May I know why we have the same name?" Ink got up and looked at the supposed Ink

"I don't even remember how I got my name! I remember having this name since I could think!"

Ink started to observe his copy, it was pretty well done. The difference only being the clothes and the personalities.

"Is that so? I guess that we have no choice then." Ink tried to smile, but it looked like an evil smirk from the many criminals that The Justice Reigns captured.

"Do you want me to teach you how to smile? Maybe Swap can teach you! His smiles always make others smile too!" Ink smiled brightly at Ink, who came to a simple concussion.

' I'm in another Multiverse, aren't I? How lucky am I to have such thing happening to me?' Ink looked at Ink. 'Wait, how will Boss localize me? We don't have a multiverse machine. Sci broke it and refused to repair it.'

"Hello? Are you there? Multiverse to Ink!"

"Maybe we could get a new name for me in the time being?" Ink's eyes quickly turned into stars. 'I like my name, but it would confuse others quite rapidly.'

"WOULD YOU LET ME NAME YOU? PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE! I SWEAR IT WILL BE A WONDERFUL NAME!" Ink was on his knees, almost crying without reason.

"Why not?" Ink returned to his neutral face, not caring about his new name.

"OK, OK! SO HOW ABOUT PAINT? OR QUILL? LIKE INK AND QUILL! NO, WAIT EVEN BETTER. HOW ABOUT CANVAS?!" Ink got up and started to make weird poses to show off the names he had created to Ink. "So! Which one did you like the most?" Ink's smile only got bigger and bigger with every passing second.

"Outer will choose for me." Outer, who was sneaking away from both, looked at Ink.

"haha... The last one..?" a worried and nervous smile made its way to Outer's face.

"Canvas it is!" Ink, or for his stay in this multiverse, Canvas nodded his head in a yes motion.

"So, Canvas, what is your AU name? Do you have an AU?" Ink smiled at him, grabbing Canvas's hand in a way to shake his hand.

"Well... No? Kind of? But not anymore."