Scorched Rainbow

Escape from the Silence

Ink stared out across the distance from his dizzyingly high perch atop the Mountain, panting from exertion. It had taken him a very long time to climb here, and it was well worth it.

He had never before felt so close to the stars, not even the Space AU could compare. He was proud of what he had done. He wished someone else could see what he was seeing.

The nowfamiliar pang of loneliness passed through Ink. He sighed. He reached up, up, up, trying to touch the stars.

When he still couldn't touch them, Ink just breathed; adding his own stars.
The little colored embers danced into the eternal night sky.

Nothing about this place ever changed. Most of the landscape around all looked the same, due to the only plants being that one Red Fern and the neverending grass. There was no sun, and yet the land around was always lit up like early morning.

After a while it started to drive Ink a little mad, so he figured he should do something. So began his ascent of the Mountain.

Ink could only guess how long it had been. He hadn't seen Error again, and both Alyss and Eris were silent, no matter how much he pleaded.

He had even cursed them in occasional fits of rage, just wanting to know why they were now ignoring him.

But now, Ink stood atop the peak, meditating on the stars.

Crunching footsteps startled Ink out of his euphoria. Alarmed, he focused on the direction it came from. A black skull entered his view. Then the rest of Error appeared. The darker skeleton saw him, and froze.

They gawked at each other in mutual shock.

"How.. how long has it been?" Ink asked slowly. Error's​ gaze drifted to the sky before he formed a cohesive response.

"I don't know. Some time... I wasn't expecting to see you again."

"I forgot you were here. It was so lonely. This place is too quiet."

"For you. I'm just glad for the peace of mind. No more voices..."

"Voices?"

"Yes, voices. They would scream.. endlessly. They made me destroy. They would.. hurt me if I didn't...
I haven't heard a peep from them since coming here."

Ink had never known that. They lapsed into silence. The stars twinkled above them, so close yet so far away..

Error sat down on a ledge below Ink, a little to his left. They stared at the stars for some time, not used to talking and noise as they had been in the past.

Error broke the quiet first. "My glitches are gone, too."

Ink stared at the ethereal lights above. "I haven't needed... I haven't needed anything since coming here. I can't remember things. I don't remember how we got here."

Error hefted himself on to the same slab of stone Ink was perched on. "I miss Blue." Ink faced him.

"I miss Dream. I can't remember what he looked like." Error was despondent.
"This place feels like a kinder version of the Anti-Void."

Ink had no response to that. "How do we get out of here." Error shrugged. "Who the fuck cares."

They stared into the space for what felt like hours.

"Did you ever wonder about the land below this Mountain? Reaching it?"

"I tried to. This Mountain is floating above it in midair. I got about halfway down on my strings when a blast of wind nearly threw me into the edge of this island."