Reborn as Error

85 - A Win. A Loss.

I go to step forward into the deafening silence only to pause. Now was my chance.

I suddenly ducked down before reaching back summoning bones from the ground behind 404. He was distracted from looking at Frisk's soul and was struck launching him, and the soul, over my form and into the portal's opening. A bit of an oversight on my end. I only had a second to summon a sharp bone and cut Ink free from his ties before I felt strings wrap around my arm and neck. The weight of 404's form caused me to get dragged and fall in as well.

"Error!" I heard before feeling everything come to a stop. I groaned feeling all the weight stop and settle on my arm and neck. It was a bit suffocating. Ink was grabbing onto my other hand trying to hold onto me as part of his torso was hanging over. 

"Ink! Let go! You're going to fall in!" I called out only for him to shake his head.

"I can't!" He said straining, this was the first time I believed his expression. He looked so panicked. I felt the strings tighten around my arm as 404 started either purposely tighten them or was trying to climb up. I could feel my own powers start to drain, pretty sure I heard something crack. 

"Ink-"

"Error! Please! I- I can't do this alone! There needs to be a balance remember! You told us that! There can't just be me!" Ink was straining holding the weight of two beings plus being injured a bit from fighting. 

I couldn't let both of us get dragged down.

"I'm sorry... but Gradient needs at least one of us around. The multiverse can survive." I said before  twisting my wrist a bit cutting his arm with the sharp bone that was still in my grasp causing him to let go. I kicked 404 down as I let gravity take control seeing him trying to summon a blaster or bones or whatever but no. I was taking him down with me ignoring the call out for my name.

It felt like we were falling forever constantly getting turned around unsure what was up, what was down, etc. 

I felt my body crash against something like a floor and only had a moment of peace before I felt a sharp pain rack through my body. I felt my form burn with intensity. It felt like I was being set on fire while being ripped into pieces. I was writhing in pain screaming, or that was just the sound of static filling my ears.

I could hear too much at once yet not enough to know what was going on. Eventually everything droned out and I could only hear myself panting as I was staring ahead at nothing. 

Was I alive?

Was I dead?

Was I alone?

I had no idea.

I tried moving, starting with my hands and feet working my way through until my position felt different. I think I was standing now. The Void is confusing to navigate.

"What did you do..... what... did... you... do!!" I heard before I felt a force hit my already burning body causing mr to lose balance so now I was on my knee. Looking over I saw a very damaged, pissed, looking 404.

"You fool! You've killed us both!" 404 was breaking apart as he had his furious expression. I could see Frisk's soul still together and undamaged thankfully. Then he noticed something.

"Why aren't you falling apart... the Void destroys monsters no matter how strong they are," he said and I looked at myself. It was weird that I could see myself despite there being no light source. He was right though, I wasnt chipping away or melting into the void. I stabilized myself as I looked down at him. 

"I can't fact check you on that... I don't know if what you said applies to all monsters... but I'm not all monster." I said before exposing my own soul next to Frisk's. His eyelights shrunk either in disbelief, horror, or disgust. I wasn't sure since his face was getting progressively more damaged. The monster part once again is being protected by the human part.