The moment was here. The moment I dreaded. Time to tell them everything. 

When I woke up Nightmare was already there. Either he was here while I was asleep or he showed up to make sure I didn't run away. Or both. 

He already gathered the others except for Gradient. He was leaving it up to me if the kid will know the truth as well. As much as I would like to leave him out of this, I can't do that. He will find out one way or another and I'd rather he know from me instead of from others later on. I don't want him to think I didn't trust him or that I wanted to deceive him.

I woke up Gradient explaining that I needed to talk to everyone and he wordlessly followed me to the living room area. I kinda wished he asked questions to help with stalling but I guess I wasn't so lucky. Everyone was definitely present once we arrived, everyone that lived here that is. I gestured for Gradient to sit down and he chose to sit by Dust and Scoundrel.

"So what is this about? You usually don't call for all of us like this." Scoundrel said as he scooted over a bit giving Gradient some space.

"This is actually Error's call, not mine," Nightmare said before walking over to standing behind everyone. Now everyone was looking at my and I could just feel the pressure starting to build up.

"What's up? You still injured?" Scoundrel asked having been given a brief update on what's happened.

"No I'm fine." 

"Did Ink tell you something while you two were missing." Cross asked next trying to guess why they were called.

"No... maybe- not the point. Thats not it."

"Do you have another secret child and Gradient is an older brother?" Killer looked a bit excited at the idea of another smaller skeleton around, I wasn't.

"No! I hope not, I'm not ready for another one. That's not it either." 

"....I don't have any guesses." Dust said after realizing that no one was saying anything. I took a deep breath and started.

"Well... how do I put this? I haven't been entirely honest with you guys about who I am."

"I don't think you can be anymore straightforward about being a destroyer Error." Killer said leaning back to get comfortable in his seat.

"No, well yes but no. Dust, remember when we met and I told you about.... ya'know... that." 

"Yeah I remember, why? Is there something else?"

"What? What thing?" Cross asked now looking lost. During this Horror has been just quietly staring. 

"I'll explain in a second Cross. Well I was only telling half of the truth Dust. Well that did happen I also met my end through other means." 

"Wait what?!" I heard multiple voice exclaim in alarm and shock but Dust sounded more surprise. 

"I'm only going to say this once so dont interupt me until I'm done." They piped down after that and I looked past them at Nightmare who was watching expectantly.

"I'm a human, or to be more accurate was a human. I met my end through an accident that I don't want to relive but to put it short a knife at the throat and drowning. At the same time, or around the same time a Sans, Error, was pushed to a breaking point and he jumped into the void to end it all. In the Void he found my soul floating around and brought me to him, or himself to me it's been awhile."

I clutched at me arm feeling the nerves really start to surface but I had to keep going.

"Using his strings he held my soul together and managed to fix it enough for me to form. With nothing but void around us we started talking. He eventually made me an offer, a chance to live again using him, a way to merge. He wanted freedom and I wanted to live. When I agreed we became one being, kinda. He has long been gone but I can still feel him sometimes."

I placed a hand at my chest and hesitated. I figured showing my soul would be convincing but we would get sidetracked if I did. Keep going.

"I found myself in the Anti-Void and tried to make sure I learned what I can do and where I was. If I was an Error in a multiverse where Error already existed that would be a problem. If I was in Error's old multiverse I would've been attacked. I was in a different multiverse free to make the choices I wanted."

I felt a smile creep up when I remembered my times in the Anti-Void and other places before meeting Nightmare.

"I can see this as two different things depending if I want to feel better or worse about myself."

"What version makes you feel better?" Dust asked breaking the silence that was settling in. 

"That multiverse messed up so bad that the universe decided that adding someone else couldn't possibly mess it up more than that."

"And the other?" Horror asked.

"....the universe wants to see how badly I can screw this up and change lives with the knowledge that I have. I feel a bit bad even though that Error gave me a new life. I don't know if I've been living to his expectations, I can't ask him."

"So... did he control you?" Killer asked suddenly surprising me.

"What? Who?"

"The old Error, did he ever control you?"

"No-"

"So you've been doing everything on your own. No one pulling strings secretly?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"I just wanted to make sure I've been hanging out with someone who wants to and isn't being forced." He said with a shrug effectively stunning me into silence.

"So that's what you meant? Makes sense now," Dust said having to information sink in as he referred to our first interaction. 

"You guys aren't... mad?"

"I'm a bit annoyed at best," Scoundrel said not really trying to sugarcoat anything.

"So you know.... how much do you know about us?" Dust asked realizing something else.

"Well for some I don't know much or anything at all really. But for others I know the basic information that most can learn. For some...." I trailed off looking at Nightmare and he seemed to get the message.

"I see," he spoke up causing some to jump forgetting that he was even there.

"So....." I heard from Gradient making me tense. "You haven't been faking it.... right?" 

"Not once have I faked any reactions, choices, or anything else. Everything I've said and done has been me..... except that one time I was agitated I think... but other than that everything has been genuine. I promise." 

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the puppet I snagged back in the Anti-Void. It was my second Gradient one, the same trick I did to the first has been used on this one. I held it out to Gradient.

"It's up to you if your ok with that. I'm still me, you just know more about who I was before meeting you." 

He didn't hesitate to get up and retrieve the puppet which lifted a huge weight off of me. 

"I still have questions, but I want to asked them later."

"That's perfectly fine with me. I'll answer them." He seemed pleased and went back to his seat. I took a deep breath feeling a small bit of guilt that just wouldn't let go. 

"I would also like to apologize for how your lives ended up. I didn't do anything directly but I could've probably changed some. Instead I stayed back and let things run its course. I know I talk about the balance but I can't help but feel guilty for not doing something to help out." 

"I don't blame you," Horror said before anyone one else could. "Undyne was still going to do what she did. If you had stepped in she would know about the multiverse. Maybe things would've gotten worse. If she left then someone else would just take her place." 

"Yeah, you didn't know the human in my au was going not show up anymore. I don't blame you for that," Dust said. 

I could feel tears wanting to bubble up but I held them back. Not well enough though. 

"Aww, is the big bad destroyer of worlds going to cry?"

"Killer I will hurt you."

"No you wont." The atmosphere lightened up with that.

"I don't think the universe sent you here to screw up as you put it." Nightmare said causing everyone to look at him. 

"I don't know what things were like here with the other Error or how things were like without you but, what I do know is that no one here wants you to change or leave."

"He has a point," Cross said looking a bit embarrassed to admit that. 

"Heck because of you we met this little guy," Killer said reaching over and placing a hand on Gradient causing him to protest. "I can't imagine what the other Error would be like but something tells me this guy would be here." 

At that Gradient looked at me and I could only nod. "He wouldn't have brought him here that's for sure. Among other things." I didn't want to go into details but I knew Error's reaction would've been... less than ideal.

"So we done here? You are you and just had a confusing past?" Scoundrel said making me sweatdrop. 

"When you put it like that-" 

Eventually we all just sat around talking. Sometimes a question would be thrown my way but they mainly talked about what they've done and who they have met. Really trying to get to know each other better. Gradient was at my side while Cross had move to sit on the other. He lowered his voice so no one could hear easily.

"Are you going to tell Sci about this?"

"That's a good question. Probably yeah, maybe a few others to but definitely Sci." 

Cross just nodded not questioning who 'others' were.

Eventually I will tell others but for now I was fine with what I've managed today. I'm still here no looming death threats and no anger. If I had kept a secret from my parents and they found out it would've been game over for me. But these guys made me realize that I was welcomed here despite having secrets. 

I was grateful as I felt the last of the dread I held slip away.