Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs." - John Spence

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Cold. It was too cold.

Why was it so cold? Where am I? It felt strange, like I knew I wasn’t supposed to be here. For some odd reason. Breathing was difficult. I groaned as I tried to push away whatever was on me. I opened my eyes to gather information about my surroundings, but that turned out to be a very bad idea. I was blinded by the sheer lights that flooded into my eyes. It was so overwhelming to the point that I had to close them again. Ouch. That felt terrible. 

It took a few minutes for me to regain my composure by breathing in and out, trying to calm my racing senses. What was happening to me? I attempted to open my eyes again, this time more cautiously, slowly peeling them open. Gradually, I started to adjust to my surroundings and looked around to identify where I was, but to no avail. I had no idea. I realised that the items I had pushed away were various branches, leaves, and snow that had somehow fallen on me. How did that happen? I tried to remember anything about how I got here, but nothing came up. I continued to look around. This place did not look familiar to me at all.

Snow surrounded the entire area. My jacket and pants were all soaked to the bottom from who knows how long I've been lying here. I decided that sitting here wasn’t helping me, so I used the tree that I was leaning on to push myself into a standing position. I dusted any snow that was still stuck to me and tried to figure out what I should do. The trees were all wrapped up in lights and sparkled through the night. That was what likely blinded me when I first opened my eyes. 

My best solution right now is to follow the lights, which hopefully would lead me to somewhere I could get help. So that is what I did. I began to walk but stumbled and nearly tripped as dizziness overwhelmed me. I instinctively grabbed a nearby tree for support to regain my balance. Suddenly, an indescribable pain struck the back of my skull. Okay. Alright. That was happening, I guess. I grunted in pain as I waited for it to subside. It was probably just a really bad headache from all the bright lights, or like lying in the snow, so I pressed on, trying to ignore it. This place felt so strange. Every tree I passed was adorned with flashing lights in different colours: green, red, blue, and more. What could this all mean? It was so confusing. As I reached the end of the path, I started to see people, no, wait, humans and monsters? They were mingling and conversing with one another. Again, this did not bring any familiarity whatsoever. Why can't I remember anything at all?

I shook my head. There was no point in asking any questions if I was never going to get answers in the first place. My headache was still present and getting worse by the second. A couple of times while making my way here, my eyesight started to fail me, and everything began to look blurry, which probably wasn’t a good sign. I tried to distract myself by taking in the stunning scenery around me. All the surrounding buildings looked homey and decorated to match the trees with the sparkling lights. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying their time. As I looked more closely at the monsters nearby, I noticed that they all had wings. All different in shapes and patterns. Some sparkled in the night, while others had sharp, clear forms. They were all beautiful. I was so lost in the moment that I stared for too long, only realising it when another person began to look at me oddly. I quickly shifted my gaze and continued walking.

The next time I focused on my surroundings, I had entered a completely new area. Unlike the previous place, this area was open for both humans and monsters to traverse freely. No buildings were present to block the way, just trees and a few benches. I had no idea how long I had been standing in this area, but it must have been quite a while since the snow had significantly decreased and most of the humans and monsters had left. My thoughts felt woozy and confused; I needed to sit down fast before I faceplanted into the snow. 

Seeing a nearby bench, I sat down and let out a sigh of relief, grateful I didn't have to worry about collapsing. I couldn’t recall it ever being this painful to have a headache. Then again, I realised I haven't been remembering much of anything lately. I pulled my hood up, the cool air getting a bit too much for me at the moment. 

I sat there, feeling completely lost about what to do. I had woken up in the snow, leaning against a tree, well, more like sprawled next to it, with branches and a pile of snow on top of me. My head hurt severely, and the pain seemed to worsen by the second. To make matters worse, I didn’t remember anything at all. I couldn't help but bring back all the questions. Like, who was I? Did I have a family? A past? People who loved me, people who hated me? Or maybe I had a future, a future that allowed me to do the things I always wanted? Maybe... 

Life was just complicated like that. I stared at the few people who were still walking through the place. They had nothing to worry about but getting to their destinations. Kids laughing, parents chatting, siblings teasing their siblings. I wish I could be this carefree. Even though I can't remember things, somehow, for some odd reason. I just knew that my past wasn't a great one. Eventually, the area began to look empty, and I started to drift off into consciousness. I had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually I woke up with the feeling of being watched. It was uncomfortable. I'm just more confused about how I even felt that? Before I had a chance to search for the source of the danger, something glowing shot through the air beside me. When I looked back, I saw that a spear had nearly pierced my skull. I quickly jumped up and dodged the next spear that was aimed at me.

"Don't you fucking dare move!" A menacing voice said to me.

I froze. doing exactly what the menacing voice had told me. I turned around to see a monster family staring at me like I had offended them. My eyes locked with the fish lady holding a spear, the same spear that had almost skewered me. She was probably the one who told me not to move. I was about to speak my thoughts and ask what was going on and why I was getting attacked, but before I could even get a word out, the fish lady started to shout again.

"What the hell are you doing back here again?! You know you're not supposed to come here, not after what happened last time!" The fish lady shouted as she prepared another attack.

I did not want that attack to be thrown at me again. I also had no idea about what she even meant. Not after last time? Did I do something here that was bad? Why didn't anyone else stop me then? I was about to tell them that I had no idea what they were talking about, but I was cut off again.

"You know, I didn't think you guys would be this crazy to come back again. You know Error's surveying this AU like a hawk. So, just cut the crap already, where's all the other lackeys at?" The look-alike added.

This made me even more confused. I waited to see if anyone else was going to add anything, but they were all glaring at me like I had done something incredibly wrong. Assuming that I wasn't going to get interrupted, I finally spoke my thoughts out loud.

"I-I'm so sorry. I t-hink you might h-have the w-wrong g-guy, or a-t l-least I think y-you hav-e. I h-have n-never been h-here b-efore, c-come to think o-f it, I-I don't e-even know where h-ere is? W-Well, I think. I'm s-sorry. I-I don't remember m-much of a-anything l-lately. Yo-u s-said someth-ing a-about Lackeys to r-right? I-I'm pretty s-sure t-that I came here a-lone." 

My voice sounded extremely broken, as if I hadn't spoken in years. I could not stop stuttering. I touched my neck, thinking I had damaged it and didn't know, but there was nothing. Then how was I stuttering? When I looked back at the family, the look-alike of me appeared just as confused as I was. His eyes widened comically, and he took a step back, clearly shocked. The same couldn't be said for the others; the fish lady looked even more murderous and, unlike the look-alike, she took a step forward. She scoffed.

"Heh. Do you really think we'd believe that? Not after what you guys did the last time you were-"

Suddenly, she got cut off by my look-alike. He was still staring at me, strangely, and lowered his voice as he started talking with the others. I was extremely uncomfortable. I shifted my feet and looked anywhere else but at the family. This was really awkward. The glowing spear eventually dissipated, and the look-alike brought me back to his gaze by speaking up.

"Hey there. Sorry for freaking you out and all. You were right, we thought you were... Someone else. Sorry if we got on the wrong foot. The name's Sans by the way. Sans the skeleton. What's your name?"  Sans said with an almost sheepish grin.

Well, at least I don't have to keep calling him the look-alike. 

"I-it's ok. M-My n-name is...I-I... I actua-lly don't remember m-my na-me? I d-d." 

"Oh. Heh. Right you did say something about not remembering things." Sans said, looking embarrassed at even forget g that information.

The other family members looked concerned. They stared at one another before facing back to me. The goat lady stepped forward and started talking to me.

"That is quite concerning. I'm so sorry to hear that. My name is Toriel. Would you like to create a nickname for now, as we try to figure out how to help you?" She said in a calming tone.

They want to help me? But why would they want to do that? Just a few minutes ago, they wanted to hurt me because I looked like someone they hated.

"Y-you want to h-help m-e? W-why? I l-look like s-somon-e tha-t you d-didn't like, w-wouldn't that b-e m-more of a r-reason not to h-help me?" I said, generally surprised. 

"I’m very sorry about that. At that moment, we panicked and didn’t think before acting, and I know that’s no excuse. Yes, you resembled them, but now we realise you are not them by the way you act. Plus, you said yourself that you don’t know where you are or who you are. I believe anyone would want to help someone in your position. We’ve lived here for quite a while, and we know a lot about this place. We can help you regain some of your memories and provide you with a place to stay while we figure things out. Now, about that name?" she replied sincerely.

That was really nice of them to do that. To be honest, if the fish lady hadn't tried to hurt me today, I had no idea what I was going to do after finding this bench. I started to smile at my strange predicament. 

"T-thank you f-or bei-ng so k-ind to me. Y-ou g-guys d-didn't nee-d to do that.” I said. 

They all just smiled.

“That is alright, my dear. Now about that name?" Toriel said with a smile.

Oh. Yeah, name. I began to look at myself to try to recall anything about myself. I noticed I was covered in dust. Although it wasn't immediately noticeable, I could feel it. I considered the name Dust or Dusty, but neither felt quite right. As I studied my hand more closely, I saw multiple tiny cracks and chips throughout. "Chip" seemed like a fitting name, albeit a bit morbid. However, if no one asked about it, I figured it would be fine.

Y-you can j-just c-call me Chip." I told them. 

“It's settled then, you are coming along with us! I'm Undyne! It's nice to meet you, Chip. Sorry about trying to kill you earlier! That was my bad! But maybe I can make it up to you by inviting you to dinner! We were just about to eat dinner before we met you. So, let's go!” The now named Undyne shouted and picked me up. I yelped as I was hoisted up onto her shoulders. I grabbed my hood so it didn't fall off.

"Let's go, punk!" She shouted again.

Punk? Who is she calling Punk? Then I noticed a human zoom out of nowhere and started running with Undyne. Where did they come from? I didn't see them when we were talking. Suddenly, I heard from a distance someone screaming, "WAIT FOR ME!"

We- or well, more like Undyne, the tall skeleton and Punk continued to run to the dinner place. I was just confused. Just minutes ago I was being attacked by them, and now they are going to take me out to eat. Was this a normal occurrence?

We eventually arrived, and Undyne set me down. The tall skeleton started to introduce himself as the great Papyrus, realising that he hadn't properly introduced himself yet. We spent a few more minutes talking while waiting for the others, who were taking their time. Unlike Undyne, Papyrus, and Punk, they didn't rush here. Just as Punk was about to speak to me, the rest of the family finally arrived, interrupting the moment. They got the attention of a human, told them how many of us were sitting and led us to the back corner where everyone started to sit down and proceeded to chat about what food they wanted. 

I just stared at the page, getting more confused by the second. Some of the foods on the list were unfamiliar to me. Well, not really some of them. More like all of them. There were only like 3 things I could figure out what it was, and the rest was just words on a page. This was too much for me. I didn't know what to do with this information. There were a lot of options. Like a lot a lot of options. I glanced up to see what everyone else was doing, and it appeared that they were all in conversation about their food choices. I felt my heart race; I realised I had been taking too long. They were probably wondering why I was taking so long. I couldn’t continue this if I needed to figure out what most of the dishes even were. I was about to panic even more when Toriel addressed me.

"Chip dear, would you be ok with eating spaghetti? We usually always get it if it's on the menu. Papyrus here, Sans' brother, loves spaghetti and is always trying to find the best-tasting one." She asked with a warm smile.

I sighed in relief. I smiled at Toriel. At least spaghetti is something that stayed in my brain.

"S-sure, that i-is fin-e." I told her, and she replied with a smile and nod, asking the others what other food they wanted.

My attention was now directed to Punk? They were waving at me. I waved back. They looked really excited, bouncing up and down in their seat. I guess Punk can finally talk to me without the interruption.

They started to move their hands in rapid succession. I just stared. Not knowing what to do. I had no idea what they were even doing. They frowned at my confusion but then perked up.

"S-So, Chip! You don't know what a sign is?" Punk started to speak.

Was that what they were doing? Sign?

"I-Im s-sorry. I don't k-know what t-hat is."

"Oh. It's how I mainly communicate, since I don't really talk often." Punk said with a big smile.

So, I wanna know. What do you remember?" Punk looked at me with fascination in their eyes.

I blinked, slightly taken aback by how interested they were in my situation. I wasn't even sure how to answer their question. How do you explain remembering nothing?

"I-I don't r-remember anyth-ing. N-nothing at a-all." I said.

They smiled at me.

"It's ok! We will get back your memories, just wait! I'm Frisk, by the way, I don't think I'd ever told you." Frisk said, still smiling.

I really thought their name was Punk. 

"Thank y-ou Frisk. T-that reall-y me-ans a lot t-to m-me." I told them sincerely. " T-Though I t-thought y-your n-name is punk?" I said in confusion.

Frisk just laughed and explained that "punk" was an expression Undyne liked to use. I didn’t know that, and my face must have looked strange because then another unfamiliar voice spoke up.

"Ehh, yuck. Why are you so pitiful, like, jeez, come on. At least the other one of you was useful." A voice next to Frisk budded in.

Looking at the voice, it was a flower. He looked and sounded like he would rather be anywhere else but here.

"Hey, bud, maybe you should close your mouth for a second. Sorry Chip. Flowey here hasn't had his daily water intake, he's a bit grumpy when he doesn't get it." Sans said, rather smugly.

"Oh, Fuck off, trashbag, Ha, I'm not wrong, he looks like a walking targe-"

Before Flowey could finish his insult towards me, Toriel cut him off.

"Flowey! Language, and that's enough. Food will be here very soon. You have been very well-behaved today. Could you just last a few more hours? I'll even let you stay in the garden longer." 

"Ooo, bribery. I like it." Sans chuckled.

I watched as the flower hissed at Sans before quickly retreating back toward Toriel. I tried to see where he went, but he was nowhere in sight. I noticed Toriel silently mouthed a thank you, presumably directed at Flowey. Shortly after, Sans began to make puns about the whole situation, transforming the tense atmosphere into a more friendly one. As conversations began to unfold at the table, the orders soon also began to come. Undyne and Papyrus had the most expressive gestures I had ever seen. Their passionate tones when sharing their various battle techniques and what I assumed were past stories they had experienced were truly captivating. I could feel a surge of excitement as we chatted about all kinds of topics. The spaghetti was also delicious. Honestly, the best thing I had ever tasted, especially considering my memory had been somewhat wiped out. While I enjoyed my spaghetti and listened to the conversations around me, I realised that Undyne had an undeniable coolness about her, radiating confidence and enthusiasm. I could sense the same vibe from Papyrus as well. I finally learned the last two names from the group: Asgore and Alphys. According to everyone here, Asgore loves to take care of gardens, especially flowers of any kind. He is also the ruler of the monsters and manages many legal matters. They mentioned that ever since they arrived on the surface, there has been a lot of communication with human leaders, which helps maintain peace between humans and monsters. Alphys is the royal scientist and serves as the main representative who discusses what monsters are and their history. She also enjoys watching anime and is dating Undyne.

Our conversation flowed easily and was filled with playful banter, and I also surprisingly learned a lot about everyone else. For instance, Sans loves to joke around and tell puns, while Papyrus, on the other hand, despises them. We also discussed how Toriel started her own school for both monsters and humans. Forty minutes slipped by, and we found ourselves full, leaning back in our chairs with satisfied sighs. Toriel stood up and began to walk away. I just stared at her, confused.

"A-ah, Toriel just w-went to go and p-pay." Alphys explained as she saw my confused expression.

I must have made an expression that told her I understood her, as she smiled, albeit shyly, turned away, and began to speak to Undyne. The others also continued to chat among themselves, but I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wander. This was a strange yet comforting experience. I had just met these people, mind you, who treated me like I was one of their own. Even though I looked like someone they probably hated, considering their initial reaction, and well, despite everything, I felt… safe.

Toriel returned shortly after, clapping her hands together. “Alright, everyone! Shall we head out?” She warmly stated.

“Oooo! We shall, indeed. Frisk, didn’t you want to ride the rides? We could buy another pass for Chip over there so that he could join us on this adventure!” Papyrus shouted out his response.

Frisk nodded enthusiastically, jumping up and down.

"Yes, yes, yes, Chip! You'll love it on the Ferris wheel!" Frisk cheered, taking my hand and eagerly guiding me toward what I assumed was the area with all the rides. I could hear Toriel calling out for Frisk to slow down, but Frisk was too excited to pay attention to her instructions and didn’t stop.

"I know you're excited, kiddo, but you just ate. We don't want you to get stitches," Sans said, appearing out of nowhere.

I jumped. How did he do that? Where did he come from?

"Whoa, Chip, I'm really sorry about that! I didn’t mean to startle you so much. Paps, Dyne, and I are going to join you on your adventures. The others wanted to do something else, so it’ll just be us. Paps and Undyne are buying your ticket right now, and they'll join us later. Hey, kid, how about we try out some of the other rides before we head to the Ferris wheel?" Sans said.

I looked over at Frisk, who was deep in thought, with their hand covering their mouth as they contemplated whether to go along with Sans' idea. After a few seconds, Frisk perked up and, with a big smile, agreed. She looked at me, still smiling. She was radiating positivity, and I felt inclined to smile back, so I did.

As Undyne and Papyrus finally joined us with my ticket, we began our journey and started going on the rides. Throughout the night, they took me on as many rides as they could, from thrilling twists and turns to smooth tracks, and even something called the Haunted Mansion, which was filled with jump scares. Unfortunately, I couldn't go on many of the scary rides that Undyne wanted to experience due to my height. So I stayed with Sans while Undyne, Papyrus, and Frisk went on the rides instead. Eventually, Papyrus left us to go shopping for cool things with the others.

We also had the chance to go on the rides in the kids' section, which I enjoyed as it provided a breather from all the other rides. Everyone was having fun, and I was glad to see that. However, I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt every time I went on a ride or laughed and hung out with the others. I didn't know why I felt this way, and as the night went on, my headache gradually returned. Sometimes, I would space out, and one of them would have to snap me out of it. I sensed that they were growing fond of me, as I could feel them looking at me with concerned expressions more often as the night continued.

As night was about to fall, Frisk insisted on one last ride: the Ferris wheel. She said I had to go before we left because she was certain I would love it. As Frisk, Undyne, Sans, and I approached the Ferris wheel, my hood blew off due to the increasing wind. I didn't mind, so I didn't bother to put it back on. I chose to sit by the edge to get a better view of the scenery. Frisk was right. I loved it. It was simply astounding. I could hear the others starting to laugh.

"Enjoying the view, huh? You know, the first time monsters came to the surface, the Ferris wheel industry was bustling. They were surrounded by monsters eager to sit and take in the vast space the surface had to offer," Sans said aloud.

"R-really." I was amazed.

I wanted to see what more it could offer, so I turned around to get a better look. We had just reached the top, and from here, I could see everything: the snow falling from the sky, the trees scattered about, and the humans and monsters walking by. It was all so beautiful, and I wanted to savour this moment.

But then a gasp brought my attention to the others.

“HOLY SHIT, What happened to your skull!?” Undyne screamed.

I looked back at the others and saw Frisk looking horrified, their hands cupping their mouth. Next to them was Sans, staring at me with a blank expression, his eyelights completely out of sight. My skull? What was wrong with my skull? I reached to the back of my head to feel for what had happened. I was searching for the problem, but... There was nothing. Hollow? I moved my hand up. It can't be hollow. I heard Undyne speaking, but I wasn't listening. It can't be hollow. It can't be hollow. Why was there nothing? There can't be nothin-

*Chip

Oh...Now, that was a bad idea. Suddenly, I flinched so hard that I fell sideways, causing the cart to tilt. It stung badly. I tried to control myself, but I only made it worse, resulting in my head hitting the wall. Everything went white. I could feel the wind rushing past me.

Nothing was making sense, my vision was turning black, and I heard distant yelling and shouting, but couldn’t process it as everything went completely black..

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It’s completely black—just black. I can't see anything at all. Is this a dream? Wait! Am I supposed to know that? Maybe not... Perhaps if I scream, someone will hear me and help me escape this dark, gloomy place.

*You called for help.

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* And someone answered.

Suddenly, a figure, a blob? Yeah, a dark, goopy blob was slowly coming in my direction... No speeding in my direction, and I could see their face.

And, well... They didn't look so happy.

Chapter Text

“With endless time, nothing is special. With no loss or sacrifice, we can’t appreciate what we have.” - Mitch Albom

Everything was going great. Never better, actually. We were able to capture more of the resistance when they were out doing who knows what, probably disturbing the peace that I painstakingly built. Well, that's not really a concern at the moment. I made sure to bring them to the dungeon so I could question them, and of course, they wouldn't tell us anything about their base, which is just so stupid. Like, do they understand that they're life is literally in the palm of my hands? They're at my mercy? I mean, I could dust them with a click of my hands, or better yet, reset them and kill them all over again, you know, for entertainment. That would be fun. 

Anyway, enough about them. I’ve also made sure to check up on the Aus. Apparently, one of the lower guards told me that there were some neighbouring Aus that were having some discourse about my authority, my ruling and how I’m oh soooo terrible, blah blah blah. It's funny. Lower guards never tell me information like this so easily... Unless they wanted to be in my good graces or, better yet, betrayal. Now, why would I let an opportunity like this go to waste? So, I was curious enough to take him with me to see how it turned out, and lo and behold, it was at its finest, a flat out back-wrenching betrayal. It was amazing to see how furious the other side was. They were just screaming and shouting at him. At one point, they even turned to me and told me that he was in this, too. They told me that the only reason this lower guard joined was to burn this whole system from the inside out. Laughable right? What made them think that it could happen? I wasn't even mad at the information because he probably also came to that conclusion a long time ago. He apologised to me for thinking such nonsensical ideas right there in front of his so-called "family", and all I did was smile. I promoted him right there; now that was a feat that I could reward. They were devastated, but I couldn't care less. After all, they were spreading rumours about me, which is not nice at all. That's why they're all in the dungeons or put to work. It's not freedom for them. Don’t worry. My guards will beat this thinking out of them. I'll even be making the promoted guard do some of the beating as well. Teach them a lesson that they messed with the wrong person.

I'm just the best person ever. If not everything is centered around me, then what’s the point of living? Hey! Even the higher-ranked guards think so, too! 

My project is almost finished as well. One of my scientists told me it’s in its final stages, which is making me excited. I’ve been making this machine for a good solid 4 years. This will make my life so much easier. I would be able to track everyone here, no matter where people hide or what universe they're from. It’s perfect. So, it doesn’t matter if the resistance refuses to tell me where their base is, as I would know all of their dirty secrets when it’s done. After all. Everyone has codes. It would just be a matter of time until I found them. Just. You. Wait. 

E-excuse me, I-Ink, the machine is ready for testing. We stabilised all the parts and made sure that the magical signatures were aligned. It’s ready for you.” One of the scientists broke my thought.

“First of all, how dare you interrupt me? This is ridiculous. You should have just passed it to a higher-up guard, and they would have told me. You should know better, and if it wasn’t for me needing you for this particular stage right now, I would have thrown you to the dungeons myself. I hate giving people second chances without any sort of punishment, so consider you’re self the luckiest person to be alive.” I made sure to elaborate on all my points. This is so wrong; I shouldn’t be doing this. Giving someone a warning? Uhh, I blame Dusty. He’s making me grow soft.

“I’m sorry. I hadn’t slept right in ages, and m-must have forgot m-my manners. It’s just working on the machine has been really hard on me a-and you kno-” 

I cut him off. I really don’t want to lose another scientist because they did not listen, but right now, it’s really hard not to kill them. 

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence. You know, you’re really pissing me off, and if you want to live, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.” I told him with the widest grin I could muster.

“Well then, let’s go, shall we? I’m going to get Dusty, 'cause I really want him to see this!” I said, as I didn’t even look back to see if the scientist was following.

I haven’t taken Dusty anywhere recently. He hasn't been particularly good, which is partially why I haven't taken him out. The other reason is that he had his yearly meeting with Error just three weeks ago, which ended up disastrous. You would believe Dusty would know what to do and not do by now with how many years he has lived with me and the amount of time I had to teach him a lesson. It's a shame that he would not listen to me when I said he had to leave. Error probably said something to him. I can't do much to Error with being immortal and all, but what I can do is minimise his time to see Dusty. After all, Dusty is mine. 

Anyways, since that incident, Dusty's either been in my room, or one of the guards will take him. 

That’s why today’s so special! I’m going to share the news with Dusty. He's gonna be so excited! 

As I got to my room, I called his name.

"Oh, Dusty! I'm baaaccck! Today's been such a good day! We found more of the resistance and captured them for questioning. They were really giving me mixed feelings, hahaha. Some were terrified of me; I could see them shaking from the next room over, and some were angry with me. Why are they angry? It's crazy, right? I've been trying to make this multiverse better. Honestly, they should be thanking me. Oh, oh, oh, we also found some universes that were questioning my authority. Ha, can you believe that?! I know; it's insane. Don't worry, I gave them a choice: either join me or just get sent to the dungeons. Most of them picked the right answer, of course. I'm just so generous. Now, what was I doing here? Oh, right! My machine is in its testing phases, and I want you to come with me! You haven't been out with me recently and I think you have been so well behaved. Don't worry, you'll love it!" As I finished my rant, I stared at Dusty, who was staring at me, too, while feeding his dust bunnies.

“M-must be a productive day.” Dusty finally answered me. I smiled.

“It was indeed. Now put back your bunnies; it’s time to go! I have to see my creation.” I said as I thought about how useful my creation would be for me in the near future.

“C-can I bring my Hope?” Dusty asked as he placed his dust bunnies back.

“Sure, whatever. If I didn’t let you bring it, you’d probably cry, and I’ll have to punish you for that, and I’m not in the mood to do that right now. Just put it in you’re pocket. Now, come on, we’re losing time here?” I didn’t even let Dusty reply as I grabbed him by the arm and rushed out of my room. 

"Remember, Dusty, be right by my side. Don't touch anything, and don't talk to the scientists, and we should have no problem with this outing." Nothing today will ruin my day.

As we reached the room, I let go of Dusty and walked up to the other scientists. 

"Ink. You're here. I believe the machine is built to your liking, and we did not want to proceed until you gave the all-clear. The only thing left to do is to test it, but I do have some discourse around the way we were going to spread it across the whole multiverse." One of the Gasters said.

"Perfect! Even the suggestions I told you a few weeks ago?" I completely ignored his worries about spreading it. He'll probably tell me later when we are ready to do testing.

"Yes, everything."

"Wonderful!" I said as I turned to Dusty to tell him how amazing my machine was.

"I-I've... I-I've never been here b-before." Dusty said, unsure of himself.

How crazy is that?! Is he really thinking that he's never been here before, like, I've taken you everywhere, I don't think I messed up your head that much.

"Oh, don't be silly. Of course, you've been here," I said confidently.

"I-I really don't t-think I hav-" 

"Don't play with me." 

A sickening crack reverberated across the room as I slammed Dusty into the wall. Dusty yelped out of fear or pain; still hadn't decided yet, but either way, it made him tear up. He just had to make it difficult. Why can't I have one good day without something ruining it? I shouldn't have jinxed it.

"Dusty, please. Just co-operate. I gave you this opportunity to improve, and show me that I have done a good job disciplining you. That the four weeks are not just a waste of time. Do you understand me? I was having such a good day; why must you ruin it? Also, you are just wasting my time, too. I don't have time to punish you cause I really want to start the process."  As I finished my rant, I shoved Dusty back against the wall one more time just for closure. I heard another crack and let him slide down the wall as I let go of him.

Dusty was curled up as I heard soft smiffles. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the scientists. They looked pretty nervous.

"Alright, you can proceed now," I said as they just stared.

One of the Sans cleared his throat, "R-Right, as previously stated, it's in the testing phase. I-I know that you want to spread it now, b-but I don't think that would be a particularly good idea. The magic stored in the machine is really powerful, and just the slightest overload could have massive consequences. I believe the best solution to go about this is using one source." He stopped and looked at me. This was all too confusing.

"What does that mean? I thought we were just gonna turn it on and let it do its thing. Can't you go bit by bit?" I was getting annoyed, like just turn it on, It can't be that hard.

"We could just turn it on, but like I said, that could be dangerous. If the machine were to overload, it could cause something out of our control. The multiverse could be at risk. We were thinking, instead of it having access to the whole multiverse, it could maybe latch onto someone like a tether between the user and machine that can reduce the workload." The Sans finished up.

"So, will it still work to its best ability like before?" I'm not really into the logistics of the machine; the only thing I want to know is if it will still work or the same.

"Yes. Actually, it might work better than what we were originally planning. Cause the machine is tethered to you; having the information will be ten times easier."

"That's what I like to hear! Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's do it! Dusty, stay there unless I say so." I was so excited that I hopped all the way to the machine as all the scientists scattered about doing who knows what. 

One of the Sans' told me to sit and started to attach wires to my head and hands. He told me that the machine's magic would need to flow through me in order to connect with my own magic, creating a link to the other AUs since all AUs have a bit of my magic in their codes, with me being the creator and all.

"It should not hurt you at all. You should only feel a floating feeling around your head and like a ticklish sensation in your hands. That's about it."

"It better not. Hahah, or else I would need to send you to the dungeons." I said as I started to laugh. Imagine that, they hurt me through this machine, all my higher up guards would be here in a heartbeat.

The Sans just awkwardly laughed with me as he looked anywhere else but me. They didn't give me any other instructions, so I just sat there, watching them prepare. Some were typing who knows what into the computers that were connected to the machines, and some were looking at the machines and adjusting stuff. Dusty was no longer crying and just sitting there watching absolutely nothing in front of them. What a weirdo. I felt lonely, so I called for Dusty.

"Dusty, come here. I need company." I expected him to crawl over as soon as I asked, but instead, nothing happened. He stayed there, with no intention to move. I sighed exasperatedly. Dusty would always listen to me as he didn’t want to get into more trouble than he already was, which is confusing as to why he isn't listening at this moment.

“Dusty, come now.” Still no response.

“Dusty, you would listen if you know what’s best for you.” Silence. I was starting to get really angry. This pathetic monster just thinks he can ignore me. Well, I beg to differ.

“You just made yourself a very lucky skeleton. You’re the winner of my competition, and for that, you’re repayment is red paint!” I said with the most cheer in my voice, yet also being sarcastic at the same time. Apparently, the fourth time was the charm. He flinched so hard I heard another crack from him hitting his head in the wall as he fumbled to crawl his way to me.

"Oh, so you are listening." Again, no comment for a solid 2 minutes until he spoke.

"N-no p-paint. N-no red p-please."  He whispered as he pleaded for mercy.

"Well, you should have thought of that before you ignored me. I swear it's like we go one step forward, only for you to plummet all the way back to the start. HA, like how do you manage that?!" I was hysterical. How does Dusty do this?

When he was about to reach me, I kicked him back away from me. He didn't deserve to be that close to me. He rolled twice before stopping completely, his back facing towards me. 

I blinked once, then blinked twice. Yeah, okay, maybe it wasn't completely his fault for not responding to me sooner. I did a number on him. The back of his skull was almost completely cracked, with a pretty big hole in the center of it. I would need to heal him when I got back to my room. But still, it's still Dusty's fault. If he had told me sooner, I wouldn't have blamed him so hard. I still need to punish him for all the emotions I endured and how long I had to wait to start going through the testing stages. I'll be merciful and heal him first. Anything for my Dusty.

"Alright, it's all set. Are you ready, Ink?" The Gaster said, standing next to the start button.

I didn't even realise they had finished. I smiled, forgetting about Dusty for the moment. This is what's important right now. If Dusty dies, it's ok, I'll just bring him back.

"I'm ready," I replied, feeling more alive than I ever felt. As the button was clicked, I felt exactly what they had explained to me. It felt weird, but I would do anything for this project of mine. They told me to introduce my magic bit by bit to make sure that the machine doesn't get too overwhelmed with my magical signature and have a better time at familiarising with it. Everything was going great. The machine wasn't combusting, none of the components was overheating, and my magical scent was not an overwhelming factor with any of the other magical signatures in the machine. The only thing that I did not like was how long it was taking. It's been a solid twenty minutes since I started doing this. I was getting impatient. I was about to shout my disdain in how long it was taking until my prayers had been answered.

"It's done. The machine should be able to recognise you by your scent. Now, all you have to do is think of the universe or the inhabitants you want to track, and you should get a full description or a precise image. Just remember to spark you're magic when you're doing it." The gaster explained.

I've been waiting four years to do this, and I can't believe it's happening. Without any hesitation, I did exactly what they said. Oh, I'm coming for you, resistance. Just. You. Wai-

BOOOM-

Life is never on my side. Only two thoughts came up into my head before I lost consciousness;

You know what, I think Dusty is right; he's never been in this wing before.

and

The scientists are all going to be DEAD.

Chapter Text

“F-E-A-R: Has Two Meanings: Forget Everything and Run, or Face Everything and Rise. The Choice is yours.” - Zig Ziglar

I screamed. 

It felt as if my body were weightless, like I was free-falling for what seemed like an eternity. For a moment, nothing felt real until everything came back, and my body hit something hard. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was suffocating, as if someone were choking me. In a way, I was being choked. I remember that dark blob getting closer and closer until it eventually tackled me to the ground. The shape shifted into something more recognisable, something that looked a lot like me, a lot like Sans. But their intentions were nothing like Sans's. It was as if Sans had done a complete one-eighty and snapped.

He wrapped his much larger hands around me and screamed about things I didn't understand. His machine, his plans, and how all of this was my fault, how it could have been avoided if I had just listened. Nothing made sense to me. All I could feel in that moment was... fear. I didn’t even have a chance to react before I heard a sickening crack, a sound that resembled a neck snapping. It sounded a lot like… my neck snapping.

That brought me back to the present as I started screaming again, remembering that awful memory, dream, whatever that was. Screaming felt oddly comforting after experiencing a whole lot of discomfort and, well, confusion. 

Something started to grab me, and I froze. Panic started to set in. My eyes were already starting to fill up with tears, making everything look blurry. I started to thrash, not wanting whatever was in front of me to come any closer. I didn't even realise I had moved until my back hit something. I was trapped, and all I could see was an outline of a skeleton. Big. Scary.

The only thing on my mind was that the other me was surely back to finish the job. Even though that didn't make any sense since my neck was perfectly fine. Still, I wanted out. I needed out. To escape, to leave, to feel safe. Save with the monster family, save with the other me. 

I shut my eyes, not wanting to see anything and curled up in a ball. He is going to hurt me. He is going to hurt me. He is going to hurt me. HeisgoingtohurtmeHeisgoingtohurtmeHeisgoingtohurtme. H E I S G O I N G T O H U R T-

"Geez. Heh, the second I leave you, you decide to wake up, huh? What is this timing? You trying to prank me, Chip?"

My thoughts were interrupted by the voice, not just any voice. No, Sans. Sans's voice. My head shot up so quickly, I thought I saw stars and was greeted by Sans.

"Hey Chip. There you are. It's okay. I'm here. Sorry that big, angry skeleton spooked you. He can be bone-chilling at times. Come on, let's get you up on the bed. Sci, my doc pal would not like his patients on the floor like- Whoa?!"

I didn't let him finish his sentence as I tackled him for a hug. His hands wrapped around me. I continued to cry. 

"S-Sans is he-re. S-Sans i-is here. S-Sans is h-here. Sa-ns w-w-won't let a-anyone hu-rt m-me. S-Sans w-won't. I-I am s-safe. I-I am sa-fe. I a-am safe." I repeated in my head.

"Shuu. It's ok, Chip. You are safe. I'm here. Let it out. I won't let anyone hurt you." Surprisingly, Sans replied.

I didn't even realise I said that out loud, but I didn't care. Sans is here.

"How about I carry you onto the bed, huh? Sitting here is probably not doing you any favours."

Sans was moving. No, I shook my head repeatedly. I didn’t want Sans to leave, so I clung to him even tighter. For a moment, Sans didn’t move. Then, I heard him sigh.

“Hey, Chip. What about we go to bed together? That way, I’ll still be with you. The ground isn’t that comfortable for both of us.” Sans said with a calming voice. 

I sniffled. Still trying to get back to my senses. All I could comprehend was that he was not going to leave me and that…That was good. I just nodded, not having any more energy to do anything else. I felt him lifting me and placing me on the bed. His hands left me, and for a split second, I thought he was going to leave me, but then I felt the bed dip and the softest material being draped over me.

"Better?" He asked, his voice a low rumble.

I wrapped my hands around him again and tried to reply, but all I managed was a small mumble. He chuckled.

"You should sleep. You look exhausted, and that's coming from a certified napper here. Get some rest. Don't worry, I will still be here when you wake up." Sans said, as he wrapped at hand around me.

I didn't want to sleep. I was too scared that the other skeleton would come back again. He was scary. I shook my head.

"Don't wanna sleep, huh... Did you have a bad dream?" Sans asked.

"Y-Yes," I whispered.

I was expecting more questioning, but he just stayed silent.

"... Heh, I get that a lot too, you know Chip. I used to wake up with bone attacks and gaster blasters ready, only to realise that there was no threat, just a concerned brother. Well...Eventually, a concerned human, a concerned lizard, a concerned fish, concerned goats, times two. Eventually, a concerned, angry skeleton. You know, when you screamed, I was really scared. I know I don't know you too much, but when I see you. I see myself. Which is really ironic, cause well... You are me. I don't know how you did it, but you wormed into my soul like no one ever could. So what I'm trying to say is, I'm here for you. I won't let anyone hurt you, and if I can predict the future, I would say there would be a lot more skeletons that would have you're back." Sans smiled and winked as he began to rub my back.

"It's ok. You will be ok." 

My chest felt warm at Sans's words, a sensation I hadn't experienced in what felt like ages. I smiled at him, too tired to do much else. I didn't even give much thought to what he meant by me being him. My eyes began to close on their own as Sans continued to rub my back.

--

I frowned as Chip finally fell into a proper sleep, not the coma-like sleep he had experienced for the past month. I sighed.

"Finally asleep, huh?" I looked up to see Red standing there with his arms crossed.

"Heh. Yeah. He was really scared. Wouldn't go to bed unless I went with him." I said, staring at Chip again.

I heard the chair scrape on the floor quietly. 

"... So, I guess, I'm the 'big, angry skeleton' now," Red said with a bit of amusement in his voice.

I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh in fear of waking up Chip.

"Nah, you're still strawberry in my eyes. We can't have you opting out of the trio." I said somewhat smugly, knowing that it would provoke a reaction from Red, and surprise, surprise, it did.

"Why you little- If you didn't have a sleeping skeleton by your side. You'll be dead where you stand." Red looked at me with his eyeslights blacked out.

I just smiled.

"So now you're trying to be the 'big, angry skeleton'. Huh? Didn't know you had it in you. That's a cute look, strawberry." 

Red started to flush his name's sake, making the whole 'strawberry' allegations even stronger. I just grinned.

"Alright, alright. Enough teasing." I said to break whatever state Red was in.

"You better," Red replied as he looked angry, but to me, he looked cute.

After that, we just sat there, silently, as I continued to rub Chips back. This had never happened before. The more I learn about Chip, the more I realise how strange Chip was. Error couldn't even find any connection to Chip's universe or timeline. Thinking back, I should have known Chip was different. I couldn't check him, and it didn't feel as if someone had refused it or blocked it. No, it simply felt like it didn't exist. And that was not normal at all. Everyone has a stats box. Heck. Even Ink had one, and he doesn't even have a soul. Copy or not, this is a case not to look over. It's just weird. How did a copy get into the original au, and how did Chip not alarm Error? Error did say he had signals that if someone entered the original universe, he would know. Well, nothing we can do. We don’t have information, and the person who has the information can’t remember anything. Can’t fault him on that. That crack was massive, and I could practically smell the intent. That’s no accident. 

I was broken out of my thoughts by Red speaking up again.

“Oh, by the way, Class. Sci almost rushed in. I stopped him before he could. Chip screamed pretty loudly. Wouldn’t be surprised if he woke up everyone on this floor.” Red added.

I sighed for what seemed like the six-hundredth time this month.

“I’m glad you did. I don’t think Chip would have liked another bonehead appearing out of nowhere.” I said, with a bit of amusement in my voice.

Red huffed. 

“Yeah, well, I don’t think that he would have a choice after he's awake. I bet that we are gonna have a meeting tomorrow. Knowing Sci, he probably said it in the chat and knowing Ink, he will probably be excited to see that our buddy is awake.” Red said as he leaned back on the chair.

“Heh, yeah. I can’t wait to get all the text from the group chat.” I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that I was indeed not looking forward to it.

--

Chat for sanses 

Today 12:34 pm

Sunshine-positivity changed the chat to “Multiverse News”

Sunshine-positivity

Killer. Can you please stop changing the name of the chat please?

Itsstabbingtime changed the chat to “why you hate fun.”

Sunshine-positivity

Killer. I can kick you out of the chat again.

Itsstabbingtime changed the chat to “such a shame”

Angryskeleton#2

KILLER! STOP FUCKING CHANGING THE GROUP CHAT NAME!! I'M GONNA MANGLE YOU!

Angryskeleton#2

Wait…

Angryskeleton#2

WHO CHANGED MY FUCKING NAME?!

Angryskeleton#2

KILLER!!!

Angryskeleton#2

WHY YOU INSIGNIFICANT CREATURE!!!!

Itsstabbingtime changed the chat to “why do you think it’s me”

Powder

Because it’s always you

Angryskeleton#2 changed their name to RAZZ

RAZZ

Dream, I would like you to remove Killer from this chat.

RAZZ

He is testing my patience.

Itsstabbingtime changed the chat to “you don’t have any”

Sunshine-positivity has removed Itsstabbingtime from the group chat

Sunshine-positivity changed the chat to “Multiverse News”

Bigknifeguy

How many times are you actually gonna do that until he is permanently removed?

Bigknifeguy

This is like what… The 7th time guys.

Bigknifeguy

Now he is complaining about you guys having no fun.

Bigknifeguy

Help.

Literallydeath started a poll

Remove Killer permanently from the group chat.

Yes - 0

No - 0

Today 3:02 pm

Remove Killer permanently from the group chat.

Yes - 13

No - 2

Bigknifeguy

Ink. Why.

Forgetfulsquid 

Because I find killer funny. 😝

Forgetfulsquid

Hey!!! Why am I getting blamed for?! Classic voted no!

Angryskeleton#1

Cause Classic is just kind.

Angryskeleton#1

…

Angryskeleton#1

Fuckin hell Killer.

Angryskeleton#1 changed their name to Red-dytokicksomeass

Red-dytokicksomeass

Killer should be permanently removed. It’s better this way.

sans(original)

Nah. I like seeing Killer stir up drama in the chat.

Forgetfulsquid

SEE!!!

Forgetfulsquid

CLASSIC IS ON MY SIDE!!! 🤣😆🫡

Forgetfulsquid

THANK YOU!!!

Forgetfulsquid

THANK YOU!!!

Forgetfulsquid

THANK YOU!!!

Forgetfulsquid

THANK YOU!!! 🙏 

Forgetfulsquid

It’s just more fun 🤩 

Forgetfulsquid

This way 😂😂🥳🥳

Glitchy

SHUT THE FUCK UP SQUID! I FUCKING HATE THIS CHAT SO MUCH! IT GOES OFF EVERY FUCKING MINUTE! ISN’T THIS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR MULTIVERSE NEWS OR WHATEVER!!!

Forgetfulsquid

You’re still in capital by the way 😱

Glitchy

The fucking point squid. Also stop fucking changing my name!

Forgetfulsquid

It’s Killer! 😝

Glitchy

I know it’s you Ink…

Sunshine-positivity replied to Glichy “SHUT THE FUCK UP SQUID…”

Sunshine-positivity

Yes Error. It is.

Glitchy

Then everybody shut the fuck up and when there’s actual news, spill it!!!!

Glitchy changed their name to Error

Today 8:42 pm

Sci (aka science boy)

Chip just woke up. He was screaming, like a lot. Red told me not to go in. Probably for the best. If anyone is coming, I suggest that you knock and ask before you come in.

Forgetfulsquid

CHIP IS AWAKE!!! I gotta go meet him!! ☺️

Comet 💫 

Ink is definitely gonna disregard Sci’s warning or just not read it entirely

Thekindofblueone

I second that… Just realised that Killer changed my name as well… You know what… Sure, why not. That’s my new name.

Wonderfullypretty

I third that.

Wings

I fourth that.

—

I heard mumbling. Loud mumbling. What was going on? I felt weird, like I’d been sleeping for a very long time, yet not enough. Why do I always wake up confused? I shifted, only to stop. Something was blocking my way. 

“Now look what you have done. I just put him to sleep. It’s only been thirty minutes.” A voice appeared right next to me.

That. Was that Sans?

“Fuckin’ hell, Ink. Didn’t you read Sci’s message? It said NOT to barge in. You just had to do the opposite, didn't cha?” A gruff voice joined the conversation.

I had no idea who that was. What was even happening? I opened my eyes to be greeted with what I was expecting. Sans.

“Hey, Chip. Sorry you had to wake up like this.” Sans looked apologetic as he looked at me.

I smiled. I was about to say that it was ok, but before I could, the gruff voice spoke again.

“Heh, yeah because a certain someone here, fucking didn’t read.” He sounded pretty angry.

“Awww, come on, guys. I’m sorry. I just got so excited to see the new buddy awake. Sci should have known not to make the message that long.”

I paused, confused about why my body reacted the way that it did. That voice... Why did it sound so familiar? It seems like I have met them, but I clearly haven't. The only people I know are Sans and his family, which means there shouldn't be anyone else. Not wanting to feel confused again, I turned to see why my body had suddenly frozen up like that.

...

...

...

..

..

..

.

.

And well, I stared. Stared and stared and stared and stared and stared. People were talking. They were talking. I could see that. Their mouths were moving, but I couldn't hear anything. It sounded silent. It was silent.

...

...

Then, all of a sudden, things started to click into place. Screaming. Falling out of bed. Big and scary. Sans. Sans staying. The sound of a neck s n a p p i n g. Screaming. Screaming. Screaming... He was here. My head started to hurt. My vision was blurry again. He was real. He was back to finish the job.

It felt quiet. too quiet. 

As if a string had been cut, sound filled my head like a constant ringing, and with it, I could only identify one voice... His voice.

I screamed.