Book 1: The First Fallen Human

Whole World

Ink poked his head into the AU. He stared around at the blank whiteness until his eyes caught a shape. There he was! And it looked like he was alone. Dream or Nightmare hadn't come to visit him. Ink couldn't figure out why the two seemed infatuated with Cross. Ink stepped into the AU, allowing the hole behind him to close. He started forward. He loved hanging out with the homeless skeleton. That is, after he decided to stop destroying universes. Cross seemed, at the very least, okay with his white void. Ink approached him to find that Cross and their Chara were in the middle of a game of Go Fish, with the cards Ink had given them during his last visit. Cross was leaning against his gigantic red blade. Something crossed Ink's mind. Did they even know who Scooter was? Who... who Scooter IS... He shook his head, confused on why he'd used past tense.

"Heya!" Ink greeted both of them cheerfully. Both Cross and Chara looked up at him. Cross seemed significantly more happy to see him than Chara did. Ink was one of the few who could actually see Cross' human doppelgänger. Cross smiled and placed his cards down, standing up. He wore his black and white scarf and a large, white fluffy hoodie. Multiple X-shaped straps adorned his body and black shorts. He wore boots.

"Hey!! The game's not over yet!" Chara said, seeming annoyed. They donned a simple white T-Short and black shorts with white shoes. Cross shrugged. Ink blinked and told him it was fine if he wanted to finish their game.

"It's fine." He said nonchalantly. He shrugged again, giving a smile. "They were cheating anyway." Ink snorted as Chara began to rant and protest. The ghostly child seemed irritated and huffed, floating over and disappearing behind the knife, probably to sulk. Cross sighed and looked at Ink. "So, why're you here?"

Ink crossed his arms and tried to think of a good way to explain this. He decided to start with what he'd actually come here to ask. "You haven't seen Nightmare or Dream lately, have you?" He loved asking about the two to Cross. Immediately, Cross's cheeks tinted purple and he looked down.

"Well, Dream was here yesterday, but Nightmare hasn't visited for a few days..." He mumbled, rubbing his arm awkwardly. Ink tipped his head. It was amusing to him, to see these emotions in others, even if he didn't fully understand them himself. He gave a teasing grin.

"C'mon, Cross, get a hold of yourself!! Aren't you a Royal Guard?" He teased. Immediately, Cross's entire face lit up purple and he glared at Ink. Ink laughed, covering his mouth. Cross sighed and crossed his arms, seeming annoyed.

"Did you just come here to make fun of me or is there a reason you're here?" He said, scowling. Ink giggled and apologized, wiping his eyes. He nodded, slowly composing himself.

"I need you to ask Nightmare something for me. And I guess I can't tell you not tell him it's from me, since it's something that you clearly didn't know about. At least... I don't think you do...?" Ink seemed unsure as he studied Cross. It was quiet for a moment before Cross spoke.

"Well, you might want to tell me, so I can tell you if I know." He pointed out. Ink blinked in surprise before laughing.

"Oh! Right! Sorry!" Ink wasn't afraid to admit he was a bit scatter-brained at times. He tapped his cheek before looking at Cross. "Do you know who... Scooter... is?" He asked, his voice becoming serious. His doubts were confirmed as Cross snorted and rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Can't say I do... Is it another new AU Sans?" He guessed, tipping his head. He seemed to think about it. "Honestly, it sounds like someone from Underfresh." He laughed quietly before noticing Ink, who was in deep thought. Ink was trying to figure out how to explain this tragedy of a glitch to him. His smile faded. "Oh... sorry if it's something serious... I was CROSSING my fingers that it wasn't!" He laughed again and even Ink snorted a bit. They both heard Chara groan from behind the knife.