Fallen (ErrorInk)

Chapter 27: Or So He Thought

-=No One's POV=-

An stiff silence washed over the area, quiet sobs being the only sound. Error stayed kneeling on the ground, still limply holding Ink close. He felt all previous determination draining away, defeat and misery taking it's place.

Eventually, his sobs dissolved into quiet, and tears no longer ran down his face. But he stayed there, listening to his rapid soul beat and Ink's shallow breathing.

Ink was still alive, but for how much longer, Error did not know. He knew he should have kept running, trying to find help, but he just couldn't. Knowing that he probably wouldn't find help in time was enough to kill his hope and make his exhaustion ten times worse.

The sudden rustling of foliage broke the silence, and Error immediately looked up. His eye-lights scanned the area, alert.

The rustling noise grew closer and louder, before abruptly stopping. Error tensed before a figure pushed through the thick greenery.

Error stared at the figure in shock. It was—

~10 Minutes Earlier~

"Remind me again why your house is so far away?" A tall skeleton asked his shorter companion as they pushed through dense foliage of the forest.

"Because I decided to go to a school that was 10 towns over." The shorter skeleton replied, gracefully jumping over a fallen log, "That and they brought us to the middle of nowhere."

"Good point." The taller said, following suite of the shorter, "Anyways, how much further do you think we have to go?"

"Well, we've been traveling for about a month, so it shouldn't be that much farther." The shorter skeleton guessed.

"I hope." The taller responded, "By the way, have you thought of a way to explain, well.."

He gestured to himself, then to his shorter companion.

"All of this?"

The shorter skeleton shook his head, "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it-"

Abruptly he stopped, the taller of the two nearly ramming into him. The taller went to say something, but was quickly shushed.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear wha-"

The shorter held his hand up as a faint cry rang through the air, "That."

"Yes.. and now that you mention it... I vaguely sense souls nearby. I think there's one? Or.. two?One's flickering-" The taller was cut off when his companion grabbed his hand.

"C'mon." The smaller skeleton said, weaving through thick greenery as he quickly made his way forward.

The pair followed the screams for help, the desperate pleads growing nearer. As they drew closer, something started nagging at the shorter skeleton. The voice was so familiar, nostalgic in a strange way, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the owner of it.

And then it clicked.

The skeleton sped up, letting go of his partner's hand as he made his way through low hanging branches and sharp vines. But then the calls fell quiet, and the skeleton stopped, eye-lights searching his surroundings in vain.

"Why-" The taller tiredly panted for breath as he caught up to his shorter companion, "The rush-"

"I know that voice.. I know the person.." The smaller of the two responded quietly, still closely listening.

Suddenly, one last call for help sliced through the air, and the shorter skeleton quickly pursued it, leaving the other behind. Finally, he caught sight of the owner of the voice. Ripping free of one final bramble, he burst into the sight of the dark-boned skeleton.

~Present Time~

-=Error's POV=-

"G-gEnO..?" I asked, staring at the white-clothed skeleton standing in front of me

How is this possible..? Geno's dead! This can't be real... He looks so different..

"E-Error!" He said, a slight quiver in his voice, "Why are you..."

Before I knew it, my brother was kneeling in front of me, hugging me tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Im sorry.." He repeatedly mumbled.

I couldn't say anything. Too much was happening too quickly. It was difficult to register.

A second skeleton pushed through the foliage. He wore a dark black cloak, a stark contrast to the pure white clothes my brother was wearing.

"Oh.." Geno said, slowly breaking away from the hug and looking up at the newcomer, "Error, this is Reaper... Reaper, this is Error...."

"One of your brothers, right?" Reaper asked.

"Y-"

"C-cAn YoU hElP uS?" I interrupted quickly, "P-pLease.."

Geno looked back to me, wearing a confused expression before he noticed Ink laying in my arms. His expression turning distressed, his eye's silently pleading for an explanation.

"I-I wOuLd LoVe eXpLaNaTiOnS, b-BuT hE nEeDs Help..."

"Can I see him?" Reaper asked, crouching down next to me.

I nodded slowly as Reaper carefully took Ink from me. I pulled my knees to my chest and watched him wearily as he stood back up. Geno looked at me pitifully, all questions or confusion pushed aside. I sighed heavily, the ache is my soul mixing with other, confused feelings.

Then we heard it.

"I THINK THEY'RE OVER THIS WAY!"