Book 1: The First Fallen Human

Song For The Dead

Ink continued to move about the Doodle Sphere, trying to locate Scooter. Error was helping as best he could without touching anything, checking every piece of paper that held an AU. Finally, Ink collapsed on the ground, exhausted. He sighed. "Where IS she?!" He groaned. He knew she'd last been in Storyshift, no matter how much Chara and Asriel denied that she'd been there at all. But then her trail went absolutely cold turkey! He blinked as Error settled next to him. It had been days since Scooter had disappeared once again. Fresh hadn't reported seeing her in the Omega Timeline.

Ink was quiet. There was nothing but his breathing and the fizzling sound of Error's body glitching in and out of existence. Ink sighed and glanced at the other. Error blinked back at him before a slight yellow glow lit up the black skeleton's cheeks and he looked away. Ink shuffled quietly. "Do you mind if I-" He stopped as Error gave a soft huff and nodded. Ink smiled and laid his skull against Error's shoulder. He let out a breath of relief as he closed his eyes, scooting himself closer to the other. It was quiet for a few moments.

Then, they both heard it. The noise was quiet at first. It was a simple sound at first, but Ink knew exactly what it was. He waited as the music soon evolved. Into a soft, complicated tune that drifted down from above them. Both of them lifted their heads to see the music itself drifting down like snow from the top of the Doodle Sphere. The tune was sad and slow. A tune of grieving. Ink knew exactly who it was, and what it was for.

"Reaper and Toriel are mourning for Scooter. Today must be her day." Ink murmured. He was unsure of which day. They only played this song for Scooter on two occasions. Once, for the day she died, and the second for Scooter's birthday. He watched as the peaceful, sad tune flowed around the AU's. The song would affect the AU's. In fact, when it was played, all VIOLENCE would cease for that time. It was like none of the AU's knew what it meant, except for the fact that it was a song of grieving.

There were no words. It needed no words. The tune itself was powerful enough as it was. Ink blinked as he felt tears in his eyes. He sneaked a glance over at Error to catch him also wiping away tears. Error seemed both saddened and baffled. Then, the first drop of wetness hit him. Ink blinked and looked up. It had come from Outertale. Slowly, but surely, more drops began to rain down around them. The drops were not regular water. They were tears.

Every AU. Every monster. Every human. They were crying for Scooter. Crying for an immortal being, who wanted nothing more but peaceful death. Ink watched, tears pouring down his own face. The tears continued to fall. Underswap, Chesstale, Dusttale. Tears were even falling from Horrortale.

The tears pattered around them like a soft rainstorm. In the rainstorm, the song continued to play quietly. Ink sighed as he stared up, near the top of the Doodle Sphere. That's where Reapertale was. He watched as the golden music notes hit the ground of the Doodle Sphere and fizzled into golden dust. Ink closed his eyes. It was one of the few times he was able to imagine what having a soul was like. This. This was sadness. This was pain. This was to grieve for a close friend. To experience the death of a cared one.

Ink sighed, hearing the ending notes of the song. Slowly, the tear drops became less and less until the soft rainstorm had subsided completely. Ink watched as the AU's slowly came back to life, returning to their daily routines. The time of grieving was over. Ink slowly sighed as the last music note fell. He reached out and watched as it crumbled into golden dust in his skeletal hand. And just like that, the song was over. It was quiet in the Doodle Sphere once more. Ink glanced over at Error and was surprised to find that the other had buried himself in his scarf.

"It's okay if you cry, Error. Everyone cries when they hear that song. It's your first time hearing it, so I understand." Ink tried to comfort the other. He watched as Error was still for a moment before slowly poking his head up out of his scarf, revealing teary eyes and bright yellow cheeks. He wiped his eyes and gave a glitched sigh. Ink turned his body to face him. "You okay?" Error gave a nod, continuing to rid himself of the last of his tears. Ink couldn't help but smile and blush lightly. The other looked so cute.

Error seemed to notice him staring, which only intensified the other's yellow blush and Error scowled, looking away. Ink smiled and turned back to sit and look up through the Doodle Sphere. Even though there'd been so many tears, none of the papers were wet. Ink loved that about the Doodle Sphere. He remembered how baffled and alarmed he'd been the first time they'd played that song. He blinked as a new feeling suddenly flowed through the air.

It was electrifying and fuzzy. The Doodle Sphere itself seemed to glow a little brighter. Ink stared up. That was a feeling of gratitude. A feeling of thanks. Scooter was still here. It made the Doodle Sphere warm, even if it was only for a few moments. And just like that, it was gone. Ink sighed, feeling relieved that Scooter was still around, but at the same time, the thought pained him. He huffed and stood up, continuing to stare up. She had to be in one of the older AU's, then. Try as he could, he couldn't see any abnormalities in any of the papers. Ink huffed. Why was this so difficult?!

Ink jumped as Error glitched to his feet next to him, seeming to have finally gotten rid of the last of his tears. Ink returned his attention back towards the top of the golden dome. "Might want to visit..." He murmured to himself and pushed off the ground, floating up. He looked down to check if Error was following and he was. Ink turned back. Where was it? Ah!

"There you are." Ink said, smiling. Reapertale. One of the first AU's. He definitely wanted to visit them. Mostly because he was curious about which day the song was being played for. He took out his brush and turned to Error. "Now, remember to be RESPECTFUL. These two ARE gods." He reminded Error.

Error grumbled, seeming incredibly unenthusiastic about that. Well... when wasn't he unenthusiastic about an AU?