Summary: It's a ghost - a cruel apparition of the one he failed to save - that haunted the Multiverse; Whoever they used to be was gone. Reaper knew this. He did. Really. But that didn't stop him from wanting to bring this ghost back to life.
Ghosts, spirits, apparitions, souls left to wander aimlessly- They were Reaper's bane. He loathed these ghastly images of the past, but at the same time, he was hopelessly in love with one. His ghost. The distorted remains of his precious Geno. Despite everything (the death, the destruction, the harsh words, the intense battles), Reaper believed his former lover was still in there. Somewhere hidden beneath those glitches and dark bones, Geno laid in wait. Waiting for his black-cloaked lover to save him.
And Reaper wanted to do that- to show the insane destroyer, Error, who he used to be. To save him from the madness dwelling in himself.
So the embodiment of death made his way to the one place Geno's shadow could be found without fail: Outertale.
Stars littered the surrounding deep purples, blues, and light azures. Some came together, creating intricate patterns and pictures. Ursa Minor/Major, Draco, Orion, Leo, Canis Minor/Major, and Andromeda to name a few. Those special moments spent stargazing and tracing constellations with Geno certainly helped him remember them. Planets of all shapes and sizes drifted in the vacuum; Each slowly following their natural orbit. Blue giants, red giants, white dwarfs, brown dwarfs, black dwarfs, red dwarfs, supergiants, black holes, pulsars- Reaper had no idea what most of them were but knew they existed in the vast skies.
Comet tails trailed in the distance. Shooting Stars chased each other across the horizon. The beautiful scenery was only broken by the deep blackness of the Void below.
Reaper stepped out onto the flouting rock he knew Error would be. It was the best place for stargazing, after all. And oh did his Geno enjoy staring up at those little specs of light while talking his nonexistent ears off.
"N-no. That-that one i-is Cassiopeia." It seemed the madness never quite got rid of that quirk, as the destroyer was lecturing empty space about the stars above.
His insane-driven lover almost looked peaceful at times like this. A light smile - not at all like the crazed grin worn while destroying Aus - laid on his jaws. The wild look in his eyelights was replaced by a gentleness unbefitting of a madman. Reaper could easily imagine Geno sitting in the destroyer's stead.
"Geno." The soft mutter made his presence known. Error jolted from his place at the rock's edge and whirled around to face the source. His posture was tense. Ready for a fight. Something the pair, unfortunately, did often. The dark skeleton glared - a disguise for squinting, no doubt - at him. Once the half-blind glitch realized who he was, he spat, "Oh-oh, i-it's you."
The virulence in his tone stung. It always bewildered the Death God. Geno loved him dearly. Error, on the other hand, hated Reaper with a passion; Every time they met, he did his best to make it known. Why? He had no clue. Perhaps it was Geno's cold nature kicking in. Or perhaps he had somehow wronged his lover's ghost in the past.
"Geno." Reaper pleaded.
Error glitched and ground out, "That-at is n-not MY NAME!"
"Yes, it is. If you give me a chance, I can show you that- who you used to be, how to live outside of the Anti-Void, the best places to stargaze at night, all the quirks I love about you, your family. Your Papyrus." Reaper dared to step closer and offer the other a bony hand. "Please, Geno, give me a chance."
They had had this exact conversation a million times before, and the answer was always, always the same.
Error sneered at the outstretched hand, then did something unexpected. Usually, he would curse at Reaper before vanishing into the Anti-Void. This time Error regarded him coldly, staring at him with an icy gaze that could freeze a flame monster. After a moment, he spoke. "If you really love me - Geno, whoever the hell you're after - take those feelings and let them die. I don't give an ever-living funk about anything or anyone other than myself. You're just wasting my time- time I could be spending ridding the Multiverse of filthy glitches." Error turned around, facing Outertale's extensive solar system. "Now go away! I'm not in the mood for your incessant chatter, you moron."
Reaper's resolve faltered. That was the most Error had ever said to him, and the words- they cut deep into his soul, like barbed wire digging into a fragile substance. It couldn't be true. His lover had to be in there; had to have the ability to care for others. Geno was a bleeding-heart. Literally. Though life brought bitterness, he cared for others more than himself. His universe, his friends, his brother- They were his world. And Reaper became a part of that world.
Error is lying. He has to be, Reaper thought. Geno would never lose that part of himself!
Words itched in his throat, but he refused to voice them. He knew better than to push this topic further. Error quite evidently did not wish to continue talking. The dark skeleton's back faced Reaper- a sign the other planned on ignoring the Death God until he left.
Any words would fall on deaf ears.
Defeated, Reaper respected Error's wishes and left.
Reaper shuddered, as a strange feeling sent chills down his spine. Something was... wrong? Off? Missing? That seemed close but not quite right. He shook his head and silently pondered. No, this was far worse than something being slightly off or missing. A grand event just transpired without a single soul capable of stopping it.
One of the Multiverse's forces - one as vital as Death itself, and on par with Creation - disappeared. Poof- just gone, as if it had fallen into the Void. Never to be seen again. And no good would come from its absence. The Multiverse relied on every single force to hold itself together, including the 'bad' ones. Darkness, Destruction, and Death were equally as important as Light, Creation, and Life. Neither could exist without the other (Well, they could, but not without dire consequences.); Together, they kept the Balance intact. Apart, the world crumbled around them. They circled each other for eons, unable to overpower their opposite.
I need to check on Gen- Error... I should check on Error. Just in case.
Reaper vanished through a dark portal, going back to the Outertale he came from moments ago- The sight awaiting him was one he wordlessly feared. Signs of a brief fight littered the flouting rock. Deadly blue strings laid limp, tangled like they couldn't catch their prey. Glitched bones spread across the battleground. An odd pattern formed from the collective attacks; It looked as though they meant to strike an incredibly speedy foe, and failed. Each attack lacked clear signs of impact- dust, blood, et cetera.
Both magicks were slowly deteriorating, as evident by the light blue particles slowly wafting into the air. Error was dead.
The black-cloaked skeleton stared in horror. First, he lost Geno. Now he had lost his lover's ghost as well.
S O M E O N E W O U L D P A Y .
And the few black strings would lead him to the poor soul.
After all...
No one could escape the ire of Death.