One-shots [Reqs: 5]

Best Friends

Error took in a deep breath, carefully tying the silky red ribbon into a fat bow. He tucked the loose ends underneath the lid, taking one last look at the rose-gold chain. The diamond-encrusted charm, a tiny red rose, gleamed, and he smiled shakily.

With a gentle hand, he put the gift in his pocket and took his gloves. Tugging the soft mittens over his bandaged hands was a task that made his eyes water, but when it was done, his fingers tingled, the magic-laced fabric already at work. He'd pumped his strings full of healing magic when he made them, and now that he needed them, he was glad he did so. Error flexed his fingers, wincing. They still hurt. Shaking his head, he picked up another magically enhanced clothing item, a coat identical to his typical one, and pulled it on. The ache in his body was soothed, every burn and chip hurting much less than before.

He wrapped his scarf around his neck, put on his shoes, and opened a portal.

-

"Are you serious?" Blue's glare was venomous, his furious shaking making Error take a step back out of fear. He covered it up though, holding up his hands placatingly. "B-B-Blue please-ease.." Error couldn't stop himself from flinching back as Blue's magic washed out in a wave, electrifying the air and canceling the healing magic in Error's clothes. All the pain hit at once, knocking the breath out of him. He gulped down air, ribs aching as they expanded. "If you think that some cheap, dollar store, hell, probably stolen, necklace is going to fix anything, you're so-" Blue started to pull on the necklace, snapping it, "-very-" Error's eyes filled with tears as all of his hard work was torn to bits in front of him. "-wrong."

Blue threw the chain down, along with the box, the ribbon laying sadly in the dirty snow. Error stared down at it with blank eyes, his throat feeling thick and heavy like something was stuck in it. "How hard is it to just say sorry!" Blue continued to snap, unaware of how hard Error was struggling to stay composed. Barely there, unable to be heard through Blue's growling, Error's voice came out in a whisper, a soft croak that betrayed his dejection. "I-I-I ma-ma-a-ade that-at for-r-r you..."

It was his apology. His pride, damn that thing, wouldn't let him utter the words. Even if he could say it, Blue hadn't even let him try.

Blue's voice became muffled, white noise filling Error's skull. Glitches buzzed around him, swarming his bone and biting into him mercilessly. He knelt, collecting the broken necklace with trembling fingers. His legs creaked, the damaged bones complaining as he stood back up, holding the pieces in his cupped hand. He couldn't see anymore, nor could he hear, his eyes full of errors, his hearing filled with static. His bones had lost feeling. Error only felt cold, weightless.

He blindly opened a portal, shaking his head at himself. How fucking stupid he was. A horrible person. He backed into the portal, stumbling away from it. He collapsed. A dial-up sound filled the empty void Error called home.

-

Error woke up lying on his side. He sat up with a groan, rubbing his skull. "What-at hap-p-p-p-pened-ened?" He went to stand, only to freeze as he found himself staring at a broken chain. Oh. That's what happened. He lost the only friend he had left.

Staring at the necklace, Error felt his soul shake, something bubbling up and bursting out before he even knew what it was. His laughter broke the silence, growing louder the more his soul hurt. Another sound cut through it-- a pained noise --and then he was crying. His fingers, shaking and hurting, dug into his skull. Error pressed his face onto the ground, glitched sobs flowing out.

-

He was cold again. Error trembled, another chill shooting up his spine.  He stood up, hesitating, before opening a portal to Outertale. Warmth seeped through the hole, beckoning. Tension left his body, his shoulders slumping, and Error stepped through. His usual spot had gathered dust. Frowning in disgust, he sent his strings out, a hammock forming in seconds. He climbed up into it, curling on his side. What was great about being a glitch was that his strings didn't need anything but code to latch onto. A weak smile formed, faint, as he took in the stars. It'd been a while since he'd left the anti-void.

-

"-ROR?!!" He sat up with a silent shout, spinning around in  f̶e̶a̶r surprise, tearing strings from his eyes. "ERROR, IS THAT YOU?!" He looked around, trying to find whoever was yelling at him. "HEY! HEY, ERROR!!" A wet shlap- Ink. Error sighed, slumping back down, turning his back to the squid. Go away, he wanted to say. No doubt, Ink was making something so he could somehow reach Error's spot- "It is you!" Error jumped, startled again, throwing a glare over his shoulder. Ink's everchanging eyes were wide, stars bright in them, his grin wide and relieved. "Glitchy! Never thought I'd say this, but I've missed you, man." Error raised a brow. Ink snorted, "Yeah, I know- why aren't you talking??" Error shrugged. His voice was stuck. He just couldn't speak, no matter how much he'd tried. So he'd given up. "Yikes. Might wanna get that checked out, bud." Error sighed, laying back down. He waved his hand at Ink, silently telling him to leave. "I'm not leaving! It's been years since I've seen you!"

Error shrugged again. So what? Ink should've been overjoyed that he'd been gone so long. "You know, things really mellowed out when you left." There it was. Error didn't want to hear about how things were so much better without him. Ink droned on though, and Error let out a breath. Damn it. "Nightmare stopped wrecking things a while ago. Like, two months after you vanished. He attacked us directly a few times, demanding to know what I did to you--" Error's interest skyrocketed. What? "--which is ridiculous because there's no way I could kill you--" True. "I told him to buzz off, but then I started thinking, what happened to you anyway?"

Error's brow wrinkled with amusement. He'd gotten the guardian to worry about him. Wow. "To make things more interesting, Dream got really worried because he said he couldn't sense your emotions, and neither could Nightmare, so those baddies went into a panic and started searching the entire multiverse for you." Ink snickered at something only he knew, ignoring the surprised expression Error wore.

"I spent a few weeks trying to get into the antivoid after people started demanding it, but it was closed off for some reason. And then, after an entire year, Blue had this huge breakdown. He was talking about how he's a horrible person, how he probably ruined everything with you and whatnot. Man, Nightmare was pissed, too. He got all spooky, doing that hissing thing, basically screaming at Blue to tell what he did." A red skull swirled in Ink's socket. "He was hysterical. Blue spilled the beans-- blueberries--" Ink snickered, "-- and said you'd brought him a gift and he'd been so mad that he broke it and threw it at you. Dick move."

Error shook his head, opening his mouth to defend Blue, trying to tell Ink that he'd done something awful to Blue, but his voice still didn't come out. Ink still seemed to understand anyway, and to Error's surprise, he scowled. "Don't defend him, man. Even Nightmare agrees that he'd gone too far. Even with what you did." Error tried to deny it. Blue was the better person. He had a right to what he did. Ink moved on before Error could try. "But eventually we forgave him and we've spent the last four years looking for you. Where've you been???"

Error opened his mouth again, only to scowl in frustration. Ink snorted, holding a hand up. "Hold on, I can fix this." A minute later, Error was holding a whiteboard and a marker. He stared down at it blankly. No. Absolutely not. He went to throw it, but Ink stopped him. "What, do you want a black one? Use it."

Error sighed, and started scribbling down letters. In Error's, frankly horrible, handwriting, it said 'antivoid.'

-

Error took in a shaky breath, smoothing down his shirt and double-checking the recently repaired necklace. He put on a smile, stepping through a portal. "-re going to love it, I swear. And no, it's not another mannequin. Trust me-!" A knock on the door, and Error quietly opened it, peeking out meekly. Nightmare and his gang, Dream, and Blue all stared at him. Blue was the first person to react, letting out a high-pitched sound. "ERROR!!" He started forward, pausing as Error threw up his hands, holding out the rewrapped gift. This time, a little note dangled from it, the words 'I'm sorry' written in Error's messy scrawl. Blue's eyes watered, his lower jaw quivering. "Error.."

Error pushed it out, silently insisting Blue take it. The shorter sans took the box, opening it with a muted sob. He covered his mouth at the sight of the same necklace. Error snapped his fingers, holding up a chalkboard(he did want a black one, apparently). I made it myself, for you. Blue plucked the chain out of its box, putting it on immediately. "I love it, Error. And I'm sorry. I am so, so very sorry." Error shook his head, offering him a smile as he made one of the only signs he knew. Hug? Blue tackled him, openly crying as he crushed Error in a hug. "I missed you."

Guess they were still best friends.

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I felt sad so i made sad, but with some happy