Fresh New Antivirus

Ch. 18 - Angsty Loner Boi (Error)

Error and Ink were ... complicated. No - not in the 'romantically involved secret lovers' way. But in the way that 'things weren't always like this.' The broken bones ... and broken promises.

Let's go back a little.

Once upon a time, Ink knew about the balance.

Error and Ink were friends. Brothers even.

Sure, even back then they butted heads a lot, but that was fine - all brothers do. It never changed how they felt about each other.

And even though back then Ink was still an infuriating soulless child, he had a big heart. He just had a little trouble with more complicated emotions. His memories were ... better. Not perfect, but better than they were in current times.

The biggest fights were over whether or not Error should destroy an original when the creator gave up on it. Or sometimes even when they asked Error to get rid of it, which was his job back then. Ink still wanted to protect them, but Error was told to destroy them. Error would have to remind Ink that it was Error's job and he didn't like it either.

Ink usually got a little huffy, but wouldn't actively stop Error, knowing he's right.

Back then there were only a few copies, depending on what was asked of them from the Creators. Some things were just more popular. The swaps, fells ... and Outertale.

But popularity doesn't always make a creator happy.

Flowerfell was one such AU where the creators just asked for more. More romance. More flowers. More angst. More ... touching. Just more. More than the original creator was comfortable. And so they asked Error to destroy it all. And he did. Months of Inks collaborative work gone.

After the Flowerfell incident, Ink even complained about how unfair Error's job was for him to his ... mum.

Bad move. Destiny would have been the better choice. She always listened and would let you come to your own conclusions. Gave options. Freedom to express. A little absent at times, but at least she wasn't a helicopter mom.

Fate, of course, blew things way out of proportion taking it to mean Ink hated Error because of his job. Rather than comfort her son, she wiped his memories of the balance, Error's role, and locked Destiny out of the Anti Void, taking her place. She also blocked out the creators so they wouldn't fib on her. All so that Ink wouldn't feel guilty about becoming enemies. She took his choice. And Karma made her pay.

She had even tried to make Error forget - and for a while, he did. But it came back. Slowly. In disjointed flashes. He's worried Fate may take them away again if she found out. So he keeps to the villain role.

Error doesn't blame Ink anymore.

He blames Fate.

From Ink's perspective, Error was the bad guy. And for a while, that's all he was - just as Fate had wanted.

So Error loses. And loses. And loses.

Sure he can win the fight's at times - barely - but in the end? He loses.

He wishes that Ink would proudly show him his latest sketch, bouncing up and down like he was on a sugar high again. Drag him into his latest adventure with silly little monologues about princesses but ...

There was only anger in Inks eye light's now.

So when Ink suddenly took a break in the middle of creating another copy, Error knew something must have caught his attention - that something probably being a crazy strong pulse of magic.

Pausing, Error had opened a small portal to check it out.

Just in case. Not that he was worried or anything.