Can't You Listen?

Chapter 19 Can't be escaped from

There was a huge explosion that blasted everyone away. Everyone's ears were ringing and some were having trouble staying awake if not already unconscious. If monsters didn't dust, they would have been thought dead.

Ink must've hit his back because the air was knocked out of him. It felt so weird and he began gasping for air while grasping his chest. It was scary. When he opened his eyes he expected to see even more piles of dust, but no, his eyes met a slipper. It seemed to have no owner and he wondered who would wear such a thing here when they were fighting.

Then again, a lot of the sanses wore slippers so who knows, maybe it's easy to fight in?

Ink finally evened out his breathing and sat up to see what remained. He is relieved no one has died from that explosion, he doesn't know how he'll feel if so. He grabbed the slipper and turned it in his hands hoping to find some sorta clue to identify who it belonged to.

Right when he flipped it over it, for the lack of better terms, popped. It popped into a bunch of small blue particles that swarmed together till it formed a single short strand of blue string. Odd, it seems so familiar. Who uses strings?

He thinks for a long moment before he remembers that he should return to everyone's home while they are unconscious. Better to have them think that this is a dream to not cause major panic.

He stood and walked around, wondering where Error was. Did he make it unscathed like he mostly did? Is he awake? Alive?

The wind picked up and carried the snow. Why couldn't It have done this earlier when the battle was still going? Could have turned the tides, even by a little. He sighed and headed back to the others so he could get them home.

Home sounds nice, when can he go to bed?

He hears a hiss of pain from his left and heads toward it, thinking it was an injured comrade. He walked uncertainly towards it to not step on it.

The wind seemed to have calmed and the snow gently fell to the ground. He saw who made that sound and was about to leave them be. Leave them and deny ever seeing them. Except he heard them hiss again as they tore off what remained of their sleeve.

Error looked at his arm and tried to remember what he did to fix this. You're not supposed to apply cold water directly on a burn, right? Or do you? He can't think straight for the life of him, he blames it on the one too many times he was hit in the head.

Speaking of head, he's pretty sure his right eyelight is messed up. It's even more blurry than it already was and some dust got in them. Disgusting.

The throbbing pain in his arm brings him back and he scoops up some snow. He hates red paint with all his might, he truly does. He slaps it on and lets out some curses at the stinging, although is disappointed to find it feels even worse. He looks at the hand of that arm and tries to flex it.

Well, he can still feel it which means it doesn't need to be broken off like a lizard tail. Maybe he should do that as a quick fix for his injured limbs. But it takes such a long time to regenerate!

Immortality is both a blessing and a curse.

He curses again when he tries moving his arm again. Should take a few hours if he lets it have proper rest. He summons his greenish strings and quickly wraps the arm and head up. He heard snow crunching a distance away and looked.

Ink stood in front of him and he watched. Was he coming towards him? What should he do? He gauges how much magic he has and curses that he's focusing it all on healing.

Ink towers in front of him and he observes Ink's posture. He seems relatively calm. Ink says something and Error does everything he can to concentrate on the words and not pain.

"What are you still doing here?"

Error stares.

"I see you got hurt."

"..."

"Why'd you do this? I thought you said you'd help me!"

I am, Error thinks, but not how you want. Was it such a bad thing that he wants to help, even if it's bad in other's eyes? What started as a selfish desire now found a place in his soul to save them. Help them. Protect them.

Ink kneeled before him and grabbed his shoulders, ignoring his obvious protest of the action. He's had this talk so many times he bets his life he knows what Ink is gonna say next. Something along the lines of 'Please stop destroying. I can help you.'

"Why are you like this, Error? Why destroy when it causes so much pain? Just stop, please." Error hangs his head. What can he do?

"Error, look at me, and tell me!"

Error looks into his eyes and says "It's sad to know history repeats itself, you know?"

He pushes him away and thinks maybe, just maybe, he can finish this. He's so done with this job! Put him in that place for all of eternity, he doesn't care! He quits once he finds out how to-

"I can't remember much about my past. I do know that I was replaced." He looks Ink dead in the eye.

"Wanna know something, Ink? You think you're doing good by creating all these AUs but it's freaking torture! I watched so many wish death because they can't escape! I know better than anyone what it feels like to watch your friends and family die so many times and never be free!"

He takes in a deep breath and tiredly says "Is it that difficult to understand that I want to stop? But I can't! It's not a won't! I just want you to understand that."

"What kind of lie is that? I've heard kids that tell better lies than you, Error!" Ink shouted in retaliation. Surely all of that is a lie?

"You never listen so of course you don't believe me, Ink!"

He rushes through a portal when Ink reaches for him. He is done with this job and can't take it anymore. He didn't think about it before- didn't want to -but he could simply stop it all. He's gonna destroy forever, people are gonna die by his hands forever, and he will just be in pain forever.

He laughs as if he didn't realize it before. God, he is such an idiot.

"You knew this, didn't you, Fate?"

They don't answer and he stares at the semi-ceiling above him. He can end everyone's suffering here and now, easily. He can be free for once and not care anymore. Let it all go.

He raises a hand and a screen pops up.

"Free Space"

Error smiles and slides his hand up, scrolling through the options. He read in the journal one day and found out there were multiple options. That reminds him, he wouldn't need to write anything since it, hopefully, wouldn't matter anymore.

"Reset"

He scrolls again.

"Delete"

His hand lingers above it and wonders if he would fail everyone if he selects it. Geno and Fresh would probably be happy he's happy. The Gang would be sad but understand. Ink would be upset, understandably. Everyone else wouldn't matter. He's doing this for everyone, not just himself. End all suffering and give them salvation. He was ready.

He selects it and is given the 'Are you sure?' question.

And it's that question that shakes your resolve. You've prepared and selected that option, but it's always that question that makes you doubt. His soul skips a beat and he stares at it.

Just select it and be free. Select it and no more pain. Hit yes with no regrets.