DD/: TheENDtale (Undertale AU Fanfic)

DD/:TheENDtale/ Pumpkin Vines

Ink stood amongst the endless vastness of color. Small islands littered the expanse with rivers of glistening paint and ink flowing through the spaces like rivers. He sighed resting in the grass of a small floating island, staring into the complexity of patterns created by the influx of light of multiple worlds.

For days now, he felt like something was off.

Like the calm he felt was a lie lulling him into a false sense of security. It was like an annoying hum in the back of his head, like a word on the tip of his tongue. He closed his eyes, but the action was preformative. Sleep was something he could never grasp and its rest could never bless him with the peace he craved.

He sat up staring into the islands around him, wondering if something was wrong with the AUs, like he missed something, anything.

Something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what. Until his hand caught something strange. A small curled vine, that softly held his hand. Thin, soft, and delicate, the vine reached for him. When he pulled away it almost seemed hurt, like it was self-aware.

He leaned down to follow the vine and noticed that it branched from an island above, blooming beautiful yellow bell-shaped flowers that spread out in the shape of gentle stars.

He lifted the vines gently, wondering if they intended harm or maybe it was a sign of a new AU.

His curiosity guided him to investigate the mysterious plant growing between worlds.

Taking Broomie he created a puddle of ink and stepped through, falling into Horrortale.

Once there, he looked blankly at the gory mess before him, quietly walking through the scene with cold calculation. He tilted his head at the sight of a pumpkin patch, their golden flowers blooming in a magnificent sight despite the cold snow that surrounded them.

It spread out into the dense woods, curling up trees, and winding around rocks. But despite this invasion, Ink couldn't see problems, the vines didn't feed off the pants or animals. It simply existed among them like it didn't belong but also didn't mean any harm.

Like analogas clip art plopped into a scene where it didn't quite fit.

Looking back to the gore, he wasn't sure if it was simply the brutality of the AU or the pumpkins, but he was wary all the same.

Walking among the vines he found footprints, small ones that always seemed to be a bit different, that ranged in the hundreds. As he looked at them he felt thousands of eyes watching him.

That creeping chill ran up his back, he stood suddenly breathing deeply, at the ready to grab Broomie if necessary. But the watching eyes did nothing....

After a few tense minutes he continued on but he knew something was wrong, at least more so than normal for this specific AU. Following the prints he came to a clearing, a field of sunflowers swayed to no wind. The snow around them refused to touch the field.

In the center was a door, a knarled mess of roots and vines that formed vague impressions of the reality it represented. The door itself was made of wood panels with a symbol for its window.

Ink approached cautiously, the flowers looking up at him with equal curiosity. Once at the door the roots and vines shifted, lifting a giant form that leaned above the door, its gorgeous bloom opening to a cascade of eyes that all stared at him, judging him. Its leaves used as hand, leaned down to him to get a better look at the small skeleton.

Stepping back Ink looked up at it. None of this belonged here, none of this was ever in the AUs. Something had started corrupting the multiverse and Ink had to figure out what it was and if they posed a threat.

At the ready to fight the beast it simply looked at Ink with joy, opening its mouth it licked him with a massive tongue covering him in spit.

Ink groaned in disgust and tried to shake the mess off his hands and body.

"Ok, sooo you're not going to attack me..." Looking up at the creature "Can you speak? Are you able to tell me what you're doing here and why?"

The creature nodded and pointed at the door, motioning for him to enter.

Tilting his head he approached the door and opened it, falling through the blackness.

Stumbling to the other side he fell onto a beanbag with Error glaring at him.

"UG YOU TOO?! What is with everyone bothering me today?!" Shoving Ink off him. "GET OFF ME INK STAIN!"

Rolling onto the floor he was confused. The door connected to the Anti-void, specifically to Error. Looking up at the mess of blue strings Ink noticed something else, a woman cocooned in string, sleeping peacefully with a pumpkin creature glaring at them.

"Error.... What is that?"

Looking up lazily he huffed. "I don't know... She stumbled through the door and ran into me, so I tied her up and hung her up."

Even more confused Ink stared at Error blankly. "You didn't kill her?"

Error hid his mouth in his scarf. "Yeah."

Ink looked up at her. "Is she a Frisk or a Chara?"

"Neither"

Ink's jaw hung open not knowing how to react to this. He stood up, brushing himself off, he looked at Error and sprang into trying to reach them. Creating bones made of Ink he leaped his way to them but Error used his strings to grab his ankles, pulling him back down.

"Don't touch my stuff." He gruffed as he stood up.

Ink was now even more confused. "I don't understand Error, why keep them? You had a chance to kill them, to string up their souls like everyone else, but why not them?"

Ink's eyes widened as he tried to understand the situation "Error what are they?"

Error simply stared at Ink.

"They're mine... That's all you need to know." With a soft step he wrapped up Ink in his strings and let him fall through a small portal he glitched into the ground.

As Ink fell through he broke free and was able to land safely but his mind was reeling.

Quickly he sat down and wrote furiously onto his scarf, getting in as much detail as he could. He drew small pictures of the girl and the pumpkin, detailed Error and his strange response. He didn't want to forget, he didn't want to lose these important fragments.

Something was wrong and he had to make sure he remembered.

Error stared down at him as he frantically wrote and drew, he closed the portal and looked up at their hanging bodies.

"Error..." Ghost said softly.

He glanced at Ghost and pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth. Walking to the beanbag he laid down and closed his eyes.

Ghost watched him quietly and then looked to Hannah, softly taking her hand. With Ink gone, he relaxed as Error fell back to sleep.