CreaseTale 0.4 (ErrorInk ~ Undertale AU)

Run

Ink dropped from Shadow's spine, his knees bending to absorb the impact, before studying over to inspect the fallen structure.

His eyes squinted against the haziness of the horizon, and Ink crouched, picking carefully through various stones and pebbles.

Briskly, Error sauntered you beside him, yet didn't bother to bend down. He opened his mouth to see something, when all of a sudden—

Behind them. A noise, like bones scrabbling against concrete. A yelp of surprise from Shadow. A gasp of pain.

Ink flew to his feet and spotted Nightmare, trying to make a run for it. The fool dashed over the wreckage, cursing to himself in a low tone. Shadow could've ran and got him easily, but...

The beast was shaking. His bones were rattling like leaves on a tree, and he... was backing away. Flashing Ink a warning look - run. Now.

No wonder Nightmare had taken off. He was already too far away for Ink to catch up to him quickly. Still, Error didn't seem to care as he began to launch himself into a run after the skeleton.

Grabbing the ends of his sapphire blue scarf, Ink held him back, dragging him away from Nightmare.

"It's no use," he told Error, who let out a long sigh and gave up.

Shadow whined.

He whined.

That was when the ground began to rumble.

...

Error steadied himself, allowing Ink to grab onto the folds of his unzipped hoodie and cling on for dear life, if only because he felt like doing the same to Ink.

Groaning like an old man, the ground shuddered and shook, trembled and tremored.

A monster of salt-white bones and electric yellow slitted cat-eyes, a monster of fear and horror and of destruction and death, rose from the ashes.

Once again, Error found himself positioned between Ink and the threat, unintentionally becoming a shield for the skeleton cowered behind him. As soon as Ink realised that he was indeed hiding behind a body shield, Ink stepped forward bravely, tossing a wink in Error's direction... as if to say: I know you care about me, but I can fend for myself just fine, thanks.

The dark skeleton returned a look of his own. Have it your way, Squidward.

Ink let a wry smirk show, his tongue pinched between his bared canines almost playfully.

Shadow let out a howl of distress, and Ink whirled away from Error, his solid gaze locating the source of the help call.

Meanwhile, Error was left up front to protect his back, staring at the second, bigger, scarier problem that had sprung from nothing but a pile of rocks and concrete.

It was huge. This demonic creation... this skeletal, magical beast, was almost twice Shadow's size and much, much more frightening. It's glimmering fangs weren't much shorter than Error himself, it's talons sharper than any knives or daggers or splintered bones.

Those highlighter-coloured eyes locked into Error, and he swallowed nervously, the knot of dread in his rib cage tying itself over and over again.

The second gaster blaster beast - the one with an almost identical skeleton and skull to Shadow but just bigger, spikier, and a different shade. It prowled closer; size only growing with the distance it crossed.

"Uh, Ink?" Error mumbled. "We have a problem."

Ink faced the monster head on, a pained, strained grimace flashing through that mask of confidence. Through his teeth, he whispered, "We'll make it. We have to."

Error only noticed the slight limp in Shadow's step; the marks in the bones on his long legs, when he watched the beast try to escape.

This being, this awful, petrifying being, had hurt Shadow.

Because Ink just had to get here.

To wreak revenge.

Take deep breaths, he told himself. "Should we just—"

"RUN!" screeched Ink, already racing over the cragged ruins of the rectangular concrete building.

So he ran.

Error moved as if his life depended on it - which it probably did. The one time he regretted wearing slippers - as one fell off and was lost far behind in the wreckage, while the other was just a pain. It flapped against the rock, his broken sole slapping loudly with every step, and threatening to slip off of his bones to the point where Error couldn't even run properly.

He ran

and ran

and ran

and ran.

...

In the distance, Ink squinted and was able to make out a black figure in the wreckage.

He aimed for it - it had to be Nightmare. Yet he was still so far away, and the beast behind them was gaining on them swiftly with long, racing strides.

Error, a few steps behind, kicked off his second slipper, and was now sprinting at top speed barefoot. Briefly, Ink glanced down at his own shoes - brown trainers with tiger stripes on the side - and was glad that he didn't wear slippers like the other Sanses.

All of a sudden, Ink spotted a second figure amongst the rubble, beside Nightmare. It was white, gold and a pale mint green.

Dream.

If Dream had been freed from that awful dark curse, then how come Nightmare was still a monster, despite all the attempts to save him?

And if Dream was truly still alive... Had Cure made it too?

Ink swallowed the thought, along with the knot in his throat. Now wasn't the time to think of any of that, now was the time to run.

He wished, over and over again, that he could teleport or use his powers or make a portal in this dimension, but he couldn't even use his paintbrush. The only magic that still worked was the magic inside his vials, giving him emotions - mostly just fear, though.

That was when he noticed the swirling black portal.

That was when he noticed Nightmare and Dream's shadows disappearing.

That was when he noticed Nightmare had betrayed them.

And left them behind.

Stuck.

In the space between worlds.

With no hope.

...