A conversation

(Non-glitchy version) One small detail changes everything

“You don't care about me!” Ink yelled. “You won't listen! I try so hard to talk to you but you've never given me a straight answer!”

“Ink, I-” Error coughed, choking on blood and guilt. “I can't just s-stop. You keep creating more universes.”

“I only create them because you destroy the ones I already made! I put in so much effort-”

“But the Balance is-” Error stopped, not wanting to talk over Ink. He sent him an apologetic glance, which was ignored. “I- I'm willing to bargain,” he pleaded. The offer felt like he had bared his SOUL and Ink was holding it in his hands.

Ink turned away, crushing it. “I tried to bargain with you for years. You never took it.”

Error had wanted to. Always wanted to. “Please,” he nearly begged. “Just one more time. It can work out. I don't want this to continue.”

“Then why has it?”

Hurt rang through Ink’s voice. Error felt another pang of guilt.

“It-” His voice died out. “I don’t-”

Ink stood with his back turned, waiting for Error to find his words. Error took a deep breath.

“The Balance,” he forced out.

“What balance?”

Error paused. He wasn't sure how to word it. He felt like he only had one chance to get it right. “The Balance of Creation and Destruction,” he said. “Too much of either is... bad.”

Ink considered this, and frowned. “I never felt that,” he said, somewhat accusingly.

“YoU..,” Error started awkwardly, “don't have a SOUL, so it's harder for you to feel…”

Ink stared at him, unimpressed and a bit offended. Error knew he was losing his chance.

“But you can feel it,” he added hastily. “You feel it shifting when I destroy universes.”

“Yes,” Ink said coolly. “It hurts.”

Error winced. He hadn't realized it hurt Ink too. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I didn't know.”

The genuine regret in his voice seemed to throw Ink for a loop. “You- Huh?” He struggled for words. Error, as Ink had just a minute before, waited patiently.

Finally, Ink managed to get his thoughts in order and blurted, “You're sorry?”

Realizing how that came out, he hastily waved his hands and tried to take it back, but Error only glanced up at him with an unreadable expression.

“It hurts me too,” he said softly. The words hung like shadows in the air, silencing the conversation.

“Oh,” Ink whispered, expression falling apart as the implications caught up to him. “Oh. I-” He fell silent, not sure what to say. “I'm sorry too,” he managed. It felt empty to him, falling flat against the enormity of the situation.

“No,” Error said. “It's not your fault. I didn't tell you.”

“I didn't tell you either,” Ink defended.

“It would have been stupid to tell your greatest enemy how to incapacitate you,” Error said. “You didn't know what I would do if I knew.”

Ink swallowed. “Is that why you didn't tell me?”

Error glanced away. “No,” he said. I didn't think you'd believe me, he wanted to say, but that was a conversation for another time. “What do we do now?” he asked.

Ink blinked. “Now?”

“That we know about each other's reasons.”

Ink thought for a moment. “Well, you mentioned a bargain you wanted to make. What is it?”

Error stumbled over his words a bit. “It's- I need to think about it, a lot of things will be different. I don't know what I should change.”

“Tell me when you're ready then,” Ink said. He smiled. “I'm willing to listen.”

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Just something I wrote when I was kinda feeling down. I like to think about them talking. It makes me happier.

602 words