Chapter Text
“It’s really nothing,” Ink said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Seriously!” He had just won a brief spat with Error, saving a Dancetale copy. He loved his job, and he rather enjoyed fixing the AUs after winning against Error, but the crowding afterwards? Not so much. Especially when the Sans of the AU was aware of the multiverse and spread Ink’s reputation. At this point, Ink had to pray that the timeline he jumped in wasn’t aware of him or his role as the ‘protector of the multiverse’. Everyone loved him a bit too much.
There were more survivors than normal this time, seeing as the fight between the two Outcodes had been short with few casualties. While the fight was active, the residents of the AU had hidden and evacuated with Alphys, but after the fight? They all took it as a welcome to come and bother Ink while he was trying to fix the world for them.
Ink tried to push his way out of the mob of monsters to no avail. It didn’t help that he was shorter than a considerable amount of the monsters present. At least they were friendly. Some Underfell copies and similar AUs would be hostile even after Ink proved himself to be on their side. Then again, there were very few survivors in those worlds, considering that they always tried to fight back against Error themselves before Ink even had a time to arrive.
Looking around -- at least as much as he could see beyond the wall of monsters -- he surmised that he didn’t have much more fixing to do and decided to just leave. Ripping a portal open, he took a step through, looking back and waving one more time with a smile.
Landing safely in the Doodle Sphere, Ink finally let himself relax for a moment. The peace didn’t last long though, as he noticed a commotion in another AU. The paper fluttered and twisted aggressively; something big was happening. Floating over to the paper, Ink took it into his hands, peering into the AU. He relaxed slightly seeing that it was just Dream and Nightmare at it again, but his curiosity was piqued by another member in the party. Killer Sans, if he was correct. Ink frowned. What was happening there? Glancing around once more in the Doodle Sphere, Ink assured himself that there were no more pressing issues that demanded his attention, then he hopped into the world to assist Dream in his fight.
Dream and Ink’s relationship was… complicated. Dream was amicable, willing to lend a hand when needed, but he always seemed a bit… aloof. Ink figured it was because of their clashing views on the AUs. After Dream had learned that he had no care for the inhabitants of the AUs, they had an… unpleasant disagreement. That was one event that Ink remembered despite his goldfish-level memory. It was also written on his scarf in case he ever forgot.
Landing in the fluffy snow, Ink looked around the trashed AU that Dream and Nightmare had been fighting in. It was indistinguishable from any other AU’s Snowdin, and Ink had already forgotten what AU they were in. Oh well. Didn't matter anyway. A short distance away, the twins were fighting. Teleporting over, Ink blocked an incoming tentacle for Dream, startling both Dream and Nightmare.
“Ink? What are you doing here?” Dream yelped, jumping as bone from Killer narrowly missed him. “Not that your help is unwelcome, but-” Dream didn’t get the opportunity to finish his sentence, as he was thrown against a tree.
“Look who’s here.” Nightmare cocked his head to the side with a grin. “Killer, go hold off Dream.” In the corner of his eye, Ink saw Killer streaking behind him towards Dream, who was already back up and standing.
Holding Broomie out in front of him and taking on a loose defensive stance, Ink gave an overly sweet smile.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t mr. octopus himself! What are you doing here?” Nightmare’s grin became something more sharp, aggressive.
“I could ask you the same myself,” he responded. Ink shrugged.
“Oh you know, the usual. Just trying to save my friend and figure out who the new guest is,” Ink said, rolling his eyes. “I’m hurt that you haven't properly introduced us yet.”
“Oh, how rude of me. Ink, meet my newest… associate , Killer,” Nightmare said with a sweeping motion of his arm towards Killer and Dream, who were busy trying not to die. His gaze landed on the two, his eye following Dream’s movements. Killer’s knife was interlocked with Dream’s staff, and they were both pressing against each other.
Ink hummed his assent. Associate? Probably not quite willingly. But then again, Killer wasn’t turning on Nightmare, so maybe there was something in it for the other skeleton as well.
“Now, the curious thing is that I can’t tell what you’re feeling. In fact, I can’t feel anything from you at all,” Nightmare continued, his eye gleaming with malicious intent. He was prodding, searching for something to use against Ink.
Ink fought to keep his composure, keeping his body relaxed and his expression neutral.
“Oh really? How peculiar,” he hummed. There was no way that Nightmare knew he didn’t have a SOUL. Dream and Error were the only ones who did, and he knew that Error didn’t tend to socialize much. In fact, he rather hated Nightmare. The two of them were at some sort of uneasy truce, a ‘ you don’t bother me, I don’t bother you’ sort of deal. After all, with Error destroying the worlds that Nightmare corrupted and fed off of, they were bound to butt heads sometimes.
“Yes… peculiar .” Nightmare’s eye flicked up and down Ink’s form, stopping on his vials. “You know, every time I’ve seen you before, you haven’t used those while fighting. What are they for?” Ink bristled at the question, unable to stop himself.
“None of your business, Nightmare,” he spat, glaring. “Now, are we going to continue this QnA, or are we going to fight?”
“As you wish,” Nightmare responded. Less than a second later, Ink had to lunge sideways to prevent a tentacle from spearing through his head. Snapping his fingers, he summoned a barrage of bones, forcing Nightmare to jump back as well.
And the fight began.
Ink’s one mistake was getting distracted. He heard Dream yell something and hesitated for just a second, sparing him a glance.
But a second was all that Nightmare needed.
Ink was briefly aware of flying through the chilly air before smacking a tree.
Then he blacked out.