"Don't forget to straighten your legs." A woman's voice rang out to me.

"Ran faster, you need to stay to shape." A male voice called out afterwards.  

These two voices kept saying things, they were so familiar I just couldn't place it. It was getting louder and I had to cover my ears with my hands while shutting my eyes.

....

....

....

Why was it so warm?

"Y/N!!!" 

I snapped my eyes open to see that I was frozen in a doorway. My parents staring at me not too far with a less than pleased expression. 

"Don't zone out right now. You need to meet with your coach and stretch. We didn't drive all the way here for you to stand there like a statue." Oh, I was in a competition right now? Which one? I don't remember which one this was. I was going to be late though. 

"Coming," I muttered before walking at a quick pace past my parents. At a certain point all around me were others like me, gymnasts. All happily chatting amongst each other or with their coaches. 

"Y/N, get over here." I heard a different voice call out and saw it was my coach. 

"Glad you made it, put your bag down and start your stretches." This was pretty normal. Everything happening was normal..... why did it feel off then? I let my gaze wander around a bit and was pretty much zoning out. There were many other stretching as well, I remember most from past competitions. I had to do a double take though when I saw someone young wearing an orange and white outfit attempting to bend backwards to reach the ground without help.

I didn't know him, yet it felt like I did. The person next to them looked too young to be a couch, maybe a sibling?

"Y/N! Come on, we need to practice while the floor is still open." My attention snapped back to my coach and I had no choice but to get up and follow since they started to walk away. 

After awhile I excused myself to the restroom since I felt a bit dizzy but figured a splash to the face will help out. I haven't felt dizzy since... huh, I can't remember. I must've not been paying attention again since I bumped into someone. 

"Oh! I am so sorry!" I noticed a pair of sunglasses and a cap on the ground. I reached down and grabbed the cap as another hand grabbed the glasses.

"Aye, no problemo! Accidents happen all the time. No one got hurt, pretty rad if I had a say in it." 

"Yeah, I guess..... wait, what?" I looked up in confusion and saw the person had put their glasses on which were opposite to his bright outfit.

"Ha! Not many are used to my kind of lingo." He held out a hand and made a small gesture making me realize I still had his hat. Quickly I handed it over and he plopped it onto his head.

"It's was nice bumping into ya dude but I need to get all up out of here. I'm late meeting up with some friends, laters!" He ran off leaving me stunned.

".....I need to cool off." 

I made it to the bathroom after that confusing moment and went to the sinks. I started splashing water on my face and once I felt cooled down and grabbed a paper towel to wipe. Looking up at my reflection I didn't see my face. I saw a dark skeleton with red eye, multi colored eyelights, blue streaks on their cheeks, and a frown. They had cracks on their head, er skull, and it looked like they were barely holding it together. They were glitching as well.

"...Error," I muttered before the lights flickered and he was gone. Feeling a bit freaked out I left and hurried back to my coach. I felt multiple eyes on me and I refused to look around to see who it was. 

Why was I in a competition? I can't remember signing up for it. Next thing I knew I was up to use the bars and felt dread when I looked at them. This one my parents really harp on me for when I mess up. I got up the first bar, then the second, then I suddenly stop. It felt like I couldn't move. The people dissappeared, it was just me.

I heard cracks and looked down seeing the ground open up below me. There was nothing but darkness, I was just hanging above nothingness. I wanted to move so I could sit on top of the bar but I couldn't. The moment I looked up something grabbed my leg and harshly tugged causing my hands to slip free. I screamed as I fell before strings shot out and grabbed me, it felt familiar.

I was a bit panicked as I noticed my hand changing from my skin and flesh to a boney look covered with fingerless gloves. It kept switching back and forth. Memories flashing in and out of my past, of my current life, of old fights. It kept going. Until a sudden chill started to slow things down. 

My heartbeat got quieter allowing me to hear my own breathing. The strings released and my arms dropped before I found myself sitting on my knees. The coldness dragged away from my body and I heard footsteps before seeing someone kneel in front of me. 

Nightmare.

I felt a tug at my chest and shivered a bit when a chill went through my core.

"Breath Error."

I looked up at noticed a soul hovering over his hand, my soul. A dull slightly pale red heart with the soul of a monster in the middle.

"Nightmare, I don't- I mean I know this looks- I can-"

"I knew you were hiding something. I know when you lie. I can sense emotions, some of yours weren't adding up."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember the first time you had chocolate with Horror?"

He was nearby during that?

"Yeah?"

"Most would just have the joy of eating a treat but you had a sadness when you first looked at it and a longing. When you ate it there was a lot of positivity, probably satisfaction. I found the reaction a bit odd." 

"I.... guess-"

"Also when you first brought Gradient here I sensed something. You had fear and that could be chalked up to you becoming a parent but it felt more than that. When Horror talks about his brother you feel sad and I know you've never stepped foot into his au."

"How do you-"

"Am I wrong?"

It's true, I've never went to Horrortale and I've never observed it for long periods of time like I did with other aus.

"....no"

"Your emotions give you away. Though I didn't know what they meant. But now..." He looked at the soul and reached for it with his other hand however the monster part did not like that.

We found ourselves both entangled in strings. Nightmare seemed to actually struggle a bit and it made me wonder how his powers differ in dreams than in reality. If this was reality he would've easily slipped through. 

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. I was ok, I was fine. I'm not in danger. I felt the strings loosened before going away and my soul seemed to go back to a calm state.

"Seems like these two souls have definitely merged and become one. Trying the separate them is not possible. The monster part is the core and the human part protects the other." He stared at it for a bit before reaching to me and having it return to my body. 

"You go by Error now but who were you before?"

"Y/N L/N, a normal human who had a not perfect life and died in an accident just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. My parents were strict and I had very little, if any, control of what my life was but I didn't complain knowing it wouldn't get me anywhere...... I don't know how long it's been since then."

"....you feel guilty."

"Well yeah. You all think of me as this dark colored Sans that has a very specific set of skills and such. Yet you don't know where I come from or my past or..."

"The others don't know about the past you because they don't care. Were you faking anytime at all when you helped Dust?"

"No, I wanted to help him."

"Did you fake being interested in watching TV with Horror?"

"No."

"Did you fake caring for Gradient?"

"Of course not!"

"Did you fake being concerned about myself and that young Papyrus when we ended up in the Anti-Void?" 

"Still don't know how you remember that, but no. I didn't fake it." 

"Did you pretend to like or dislike anyone that you have met so far?"

"....no. I've been cautious at best but no." 

"That enough for me to believe you're just the Error that I know. Not some faker."

I... guess he had a point. I never pretended to like or dislike anyone. I liked Fresh as a character but I was cautious because I knew what he was. I like Blue but I know I have to be careful. I liked multiple characters yet I didn't let my personal opinions cloud my judgement. I dont do things just because I can, I know that my actions would effect something. I also dont act like Error did because thats not me. Kinda. I'm free to act the way I want instead of the way expected of me.

"Are you going to tell the others? I won't force you but I would at least like a whole story."

Was I?

".....yeah, I'll tell."