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Chapter Text

You'd have never thought you would have wanted to survive this much after you fell down into this hell hole, this action born from a desire to die. And now, here you were, holding tight on a kind-hearted flower who was supporting you in your struggle to survive. Your body hurt all over as you covered its little trembling head. Both of you were running from a monster twice as big as you. It seemed to be a goat monster of some kind, a female one considering how she expressed herself.

« Come back here ! » She yelled after you, her voice echoing down the halls.

Your clothes were burnt, some parts of your body as well. You were panting from the running, barely hearing your little flower friend screaming under your chin. They were gripping tight on your throat as they shrilly alternated between swears, cries of fear, prayers for help, but most frequently repeating « WE’RE GONNA DIE!! » in a terror filled voice.

« Watch out !! » The flower managed to screech before it hid again in the crook of your neck.

You just had the time to notice the walls of the corridor lighten up in an orange taint when suddenly you felt the fire consuming you from behind. Both of your agonizing screams filled this dark hallway until there was nothing left of your bodies.

You opened wide your eyes, gasping for air as your hands clenched against your chest. You could still feel the fire consuming you, yet you didn't have any trace of the previous attacks from the goat monster over your body. Your friend was in a pot right next to your bed, startled by your muffled cries. They called out your name with worry in their voice, growing louder until you suddenly stopped crying as the burning pain finally disappeared. Your eyes drowned in water turned towards them.

« F... Flowey... » You managed to pronounce in a trembling breath, before you turned your body fully towards your companion and took them in your arms. You whimpered some more against their petals. Slowly, you felt their plant leaves covering your cheeks, wiping your hot tears away.

« We didn't make it... Did we ? » Flowey softly asked.

Your silence made it perfectly clear.

« I'm so sorry... » You whispered, your voice shaking from the urge to cry again as you remembered the violence of your deaths. You still managed to swallow back the sobs and although your smile quivered, you reassured them. « Don't you worry though ! We'll... We'll get out of there, you can be sure of it ! »

Flowey's smile slowly started to form when you both flinched as you heard someone knocking on the door. No doubt, it was the goat monster again.

« My child, are you okay ? I heard you crying... Is everything alright ? »

Yes, she was absolutely sweet for a monster. Her name was Toriel, and she was a lovely mother... Until you'd go and ask her for the exit of the Ruins. She was its caretaker just as much as the guardian of that Gate of some sort. You had to get through her house to get its access, but everytime you would take the staircase to reach it, she would try to stop you... By killing you. So together with Flowey you made a plan to escape. You thought it would be a good idea waiting until she'd fall asleep so you'd be able to sneak away. You loved her, that was for sure. You didn't remember having such sweet attention from anyone in your human life... If you had any memory of that. But on the other hand, you were really scared of her the moment you realized how dangerous she was. You were scared that any little mistake would turn her into this berserk creature you faced multiple times already.

Wiping away the last tracks of tears from your face, you replied with a voice that wanted to be reassuring.

« Y-Yes ! I just- I had a nightmare ! »

This startled her so much she opened the door to peek in. The light of the corridor made its way into the room, allowing her to see what was going on inside before she entered. Her face was marked with worry.

« My poor, sweet child... Do you want to talk about it ? »

You stared at her with your fully opened eyes, sniffing a little. She came to sit on the side on your bed, resting one of her hands on her knee while the other would caress your face, moving away a lock of your hair from your wet cheek. You remained silent for a while, not wanting to encourage her into further conversation or anything as you were patting Flowey's head. Your friend was silent, watching both of you with their worried eyes. Thinking of it, you didn't know Flowey's identity... They told you they were a flower and the rest didn't matter, so you complied... But still worried to make them uncomfortable, you stuck to the neutral terms... 
You shook your head silently to answer to her question.

« Do you want to sleep with me ? » She softly asked again.

You waited for a few seconds, before you shyly asked.

« Can you... Can you sing a lullaby for me, please ? »

At first, she was surprised, but then she smiled. Well, you weren't so young anymore to ask for such a thing or to sleep with your mother when you had a nightmare, but you thought it would be nice and help developing your relationship with her... Maybe this time, this would save you from the future fight you'll have with her. And so, you laid down in your bed, Flowey next to you.

« Oh... It has been so long since I sang something... » She softly giggled, before she thought for a little while, as if she was trying to remember a song.

And then, she started humming a soft melody, as she was tucking you in this bed. Ahh, her voice was really something. You couldn't help but smile as she laid a kiss on your forehead, then she left the room after she whispered a soft « Goodnight, my child. » Then she closed the door, leaving your room plunged into the darkness again. Flowey was silently resting their head against your chest to listen to your heartbeats.

« Tonight... ? » They asked in a whisper.

The flower felt you nodding, before you laid a hand on its soft golden petals in a pet.

« Tonight... » You repeated in a tone as low as your friend.

Chapter Text

You and Flowey waited for the right moment to sneak out of your room, when you were sure that only silence and darkness reigned in the house. You wished you had something to be able to see around such as a torch or a candle, anything that would provide a bit of a light so you would not hit your little toe against a furniture in your escaping process. But then again, the light would also draw attention... Ah, you hated your human nature. It would have been great to have the a cat's eyesight or the sense of smell of a dog for this kind of situation. Flowey left their pot behind, preferring to leave your arms free in case you had to run or else. So they had tangled themselves around your neck and was looking around for any sign of danger. Both of you were silent, trying your best not to wake Toriel up. You weren't ready to be transformed into a human sized merguez sausage another time. You were praying to whatever good kind god existing above not to let the parquet flooring beneath your feet squeak under your weight. Not that you were heavy but... You know... Old houses being old houses. Of course just when you went to take the very last step on the staircase, it made that oh not so wanted squeak. You stopped with a gasp and turned your head towards the bedrooms when you heard Toriel call out to you. Damn she had a good hearing.

« Quick, we've been found out ! » Flowey urged in a strained whisper, trying their best to keep quiet no matter how they wanted to scream right now.

Your heart was pounding heavily as you ran down the stairs. You heard Toriel's footsteps heading first to your bedroom, before she started running after you in the corridor. You had a pretty good starting distance at first, but since your legs were shorter than hers, her pace didn't have much difficulty catching up with you. Fireballs were thrown your way as she screamed after you, her voice rang with panic and desperation. This is when Flowey lost it and started screaming as well out of panic, repeated their litany from the past, familiar cries filled your ears, barely heard over the thundering noises of your heartbeat in your ears.

« Stop right there !! Come back here !! » She yelled her orders in vain as you continued to run for your life.

« Watch out !! » Flowey shrieked before they hid in the crook of your neck.

You've already lived that scene. You jumped to the ground, dodging the attack that would have wiped you out again while you protected your dear friend the best you could. You quickly got back on your feet and you raced towards the end of the Ruins. You took the corner sharply, you panted from the running and as fear coursed through you, you reached for the exit. You grabbed one of the doors barring your path and started pulling on it. God, this thing was heavy ! It just would. Not. BUDGE !! Time was running short and she would arrive in any second now !

« Faster ! Faster !! » Flowey squealed as they helped you by using their roots to pull on the door that separated you from your freedom.

« I'm doing the best I can ! » You yelled back, your voice strained as you pulled with all your might against the weight of the door.

The door had finally started to open when Toriel entered the room and stopped a few steps away. Flowey turned their head towards her before they sent a range of white pellets towards her, hitting the shoulder of the arm she had raised aiming another attack at you.

« WaTcH OuT !! » Their demonic voice bursted out and you managed to dodge the fire ball that landed right where your head was a second ago, despite how Flowey had just startled you with that tone.

As soon as the door was wide enough for you to squeeze through, you let go and went through it just when another fireball attack hit your shoulder, a little too close to Flowey who tightened their grip around your throat in panic. You yelped in pain at the blow but didn't stop moving despite the protests of the person that used to be your mother. You were running away from her. You could hear her still coming after you, sobbing and throwing her attacks until she was exhausted. You heard what seemed to be her falling on her knees out of tiredness and despair.

« I promise I'll take good care of you !! We can... We can have a happy life here ! » She was crying as you ran down the corridor. « Please... !! »

Tears covered your cheeks. Oh, you hated this... You hated hearing your mother cry and beg for you to return... You heart was screaming to go back to Toriel and ask for her forgiveness, but your survival instinct screamed even louder to escape. You whimpered as you pushed strongly the next doors to land in cold, white powder... Snow ? Was it snow... ?

You threw a glance behind you as the doors closed only to see the goat monster reaching out for you desperately with black tears streaming down her face.

« My child... !! »

Then the doors were shut. Your mother's muffled sobs gave you the weird sensation that you were finally safe. You took a look at Flowey. They were shaking strongly against you and sniffing. You carefully got up on your knees and gently took their head between your hands to face them. Their big eyes were filled with water and their mouth quivered. It was obvious Flowey was doing their best to collect themselves again.

« Are you okay... ? » You asked your friend softly while you checked them for injuries.

« Me ? You ! Are YOU okay ? » They quickly asked in return, the tiny flower's voice and body still shaking.

Flowey threw a glance at your shoulder. Yeah, right... It was hurting like hell and the sudden cold weather didn't help soothing the sensation. The flower escaped from your hands and reached out for the snow . It took some in its leaves before it went to apply some of it onto your burns. You bit your tongue for a moment or two.

« That's just what happens when I'm too close to you, sunshine... » You joked a bit, wanting to lift up both of your spirits. It was pretty effective, for you got an immediate response from your friend.

« Oh, shut up. » They chuckled as they continued to tend to your wounds. « There, that should help reduce the damage... Always apply something cold to burns ! »

You were shaking like a dead leaf in the wind, both from the residual fear coursing through your veins and from the cold biting into you tender skin. Once Flowey was done taking care of your wounds, you got up on your feet and brought your hands to your arms. Just... How was it possible for weather to change so suddenly, from a place to another ? Well, a certain flower would call you an idiot and say slightly smugly « it's magic ». As if you haven't seen enough magic from the very first day you fell down this pit hole. You then started to walk ahead, following the path that seemed to be made to lead away from the doors to line of trees  in front of you . It was deathly silent and the surrounding trees consisted of huge oaks. When you were looking above, you couldn't see the end of them. Even as you stared trying to see the tops of the trees the snow continued to fall around you. You had to admit, you were amazed by the possibility to have snow down here.

« Flowey... Have you ever gone this far ? » you asked in a quiet voice, as if you were scared that someone might hear you.

«Yeah... a long time ago. But I found shelter in the Ruins and never left it again. Monsters here, well... » Their voice trailed off, when you turned to look at them Their petals and leaves had drooped down in defeat. When they met your gaze they solemnly continued. « They aren't so nice, you know ? I haven't seen any one showing a bit of mercy here. »

« But, Toriel... »

«Did you see how she treated you ? The others are worse. Way worse than that, I can assure you... »

And now you were heavy-hearted as well. Your eyes were now focusing on your feet as you made your way into this new snowy world. Your jaw was trembling from the cold and your bodies vainly attempted to produce warmth. You rubbed your hands all over your arms to create friction and bring feeling back into them. Flowey hid in your sweater so they would not freeze out here in the new frigid environment you found yourselves in. You walked past a large stick along the path you were following and a few feet away after you crossed it you heard a loud CRACK behind you ! You jumped and whirled around in one move, startled, your sharp breaths hurting from the cold air. Flowey called out to you before they peeked their head out the neck of your sweater.

« What are you doing ? » They hissed, mildly angry and confused about what went through your head to come back over this damn branch.

« The branch... It was smashed as if it was nothing. » Your voice quivered as you stared at the sight of the once solid large branch, now lying there was crushed mass of wood at your feet.

Okay, this didn't mean anything good for you. You quickly turned away to keep on walking with haste as Flowey smoothly suggested, both of you panicking a bit. Then, as you traveled further, you began to hear a few soft footsteps of crunching behind you. Oh god. You were being followed. Who was that ? Toriel ? But wouldn't you have heard her, if it really was her ? Or wouldn't you have seen her in the distance at the very least ? You noticed there was a bridge ahead, with what seemed to be... a... gate ?

Before you could place a foot over the bridge, you froze. The footsteps. They were back. And they were slowly making their way to you. Now, it was just a step away from your position... You were shaking, cold sweat running down your neck and shivers travelling down your spine. You heard a cavernous, slow voice, yet with a kind of friendly tone behind you say :

« Human. Don't you know how to greet a new pal ? »

Your heart was pounding so strongly you thought it would burst out of your chest and run away without you. You didn't notice you were holding your breath.

« Turn around and shake my hand. » The voice continued.

You slowly turned around as it said. All you could make out was a dark shadowy form. The creature was pretty tall, and you could see it was also quite imposing by its shape. The clothes it was wearing were surely the cause of this... You could see one red glowing pupil staring at you from the depth of its shadow like form, and the glint of... A golden pointy tooth ? You slowly raised a shaky hand when you noticed it was extending out its own limb in a greeting invitation. Its hand covered in a dark glove seemed human. Despite Flowey's whispered warnings, your kind and naive heart guided you to grab the hand before you... only for it to stop beating as your whole body was shaken by a powerful, deadly electrocution. Your friend yelped from the sudden shock and fell to the ground roasted, quickly followed by your body landing on its back. You felt terribly cold all of the sudden, and at the same time... Your chest was burning. Your limbs and your eardrums were in a bad shape. Blood was running out of your ears, nose and mouth. The smell of roasted meat invaded your nostrils despite the blood running out of them.

« Didn't anybody ever tell you ? » The husky voice said, this time it wasn't friendly but menacing and, deadly as the shadow came closer to have a better look at you while you were twitching in pain. Everything was so bright, you had trouble to keep your eyes open.

Now, you could see what the creature really was as the shadow vanished. Before you stood a tall, big-boned skeleton wearing a red sweater with a black jacket and pants. As it stood over you it took the glove -that revealed to be the weapon of your murder- off to put it in its pocket. By the body language and voice, you assumed that it was a male. He bent over your face a bit. You could see his huge, dented smile though the blur.

« In this world. It's kill or be killed. »

Then the darkness took over you in his dark chuckle.

Chapter Text

A voice was calling out to you, it sounded blurry and so, so far away. Slowly as you became aware of your surroundings, the voice sounded closer and clearer. Then the sense of feeling returned because you started to notice a small pressure against your cheek, so you slowly opened your eyes to face your little friend Flowey who was freaking out at your unresponsiveness. They stopped pushing themselves over you when they noticed you had awakened and gave you space to look around. You were back at the door, laying in the snow, rocked by your mother's muffled cries. You slowly rolled over your back with an arm draped over your face to hide your eyes. Damn it... What the fuck was that ?

« What happened ? » Flowey asked voice terse, anxious that you were unconscious just a few moments ago.You slowly lifted your arm away from your face.

« We died... Again... » You replied in a livid tone, staring at the dark sky. Of course there wasn't actually any sky, just... Darkness.

This statement left Flowey silent, their petals drooped to the ground in defeat once again. Guilt rose up in your heart at this sight, so you patted their head kindly. There had to be a way to get past this bloodthirsty monster at the bridge. A faint smile came on your lips to reassure your companion.

« Come on... Let's find a way to get out of this hell. » your voice growing stronger with every word.

Hearing you cheering up made Flowey glance at you with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. That was what you needed to see, right now. Hope. They nodded, smiling slightly as their tendrils went to wrap your neck again. Just like you were expecting, your only friend went to hide back in your sweater and you started to walk down that path with the firm intention to get past the monster that killed you a few moments ago. You wouldn't let him trick you again, nuh uh.

The second time he started to speak, you didn't wait for him to finish that you were already facing him. He seemed utterly surprised as he glanced at your suspicious face.

« Strange...  » he muttered before he reached out his hand, back with his grin. « Sorry, you caught me off guard. Anyway, nice to see a new face down here. » he said with his friendly voice.

You stared down at his hand silently. Flowey peeked out, worried by your silence and more importantly worried about this stranger. You could hear their little panicked breath under your ear. You weren't ready to see Flowey die another time, so you just turned away in a silent refusal to shake the skeleton's hand.

You were going to take a step forward when something wrapped you around your arms and another bursted through your chest. You choked on your breath. The pain in your stomach was unbearable. Your flower friend yelled your name as your blood spilled over the snow and changed its pure white color into a deep red one. You directed your eyes just a little lower to notice a skeletal arm poking out of your chest... your heart in its hand. When you tried to breathe out, you choked on your blood that was pooling in your mouth.

« How rude. Who raised you to be this impolite, bud ?  Next time, you better run.»

Once more, your legs went numb and you collapsed into unconsciousness to the sound of your friend's cries.

Welp, back to the door. You jumped up, holding tight on Flowey who didn't know what just happened before. Now you were rushing to the bridge. And already you could feel someone behind you. They weren't running, but you could hear them walking closer to your position. This fact made your heart pound even faster in anxiety.

« What is going on !? » Flowey squealed as they looked up to your panicked face. They ignored what happened just before. They just managed to know whenever you died since they spent their time watching you waking up from a sudden heavy slumber everytime you did. They had a vague idea of what must have happened just not the specifics, and was just as terrified in the not knowing as you were in your knowledge to what was to come.

You could hear an air cutting sound behind you just before you dodged an attack. Bones.... Levitating bones. How great. You ran straight for the bridge without even caring about the wide gate anymore... If that was supposed to be one in the first place. You were hit by a bone in your right side, tearing a cry of pain from you.

« Frisk ! » Flowey yelped, startled by your shout.

You placed a hand against your wound, held on tight and kept dodging your predator's assaults as best as you could during your running. You looked over your shoulder to check how many bones were thrown at you when you noticed that the skeleton monster stopped chasing you... And was now resting his hands in the pockets of his black jacket with a huge grin painted across his face. What was going on ? Why did he stop ? You didn't have the time to look straight when you ran into someone. Startled, you quickly let out a surprised yelp before you looked up and took a step back. Another skeleton was standing in front of you, way more menacing than the first one you met. He was thin, far taller than the other one behind you, but his aura was so murderous that your senses were screaming in your mind to flee. In addition to his fierce face and having a long body reaching 9'2", his attire did nothing to alleviate your fears. He's covered head to toe in black armor, a crimson cape flowing in the wind behind him.
You took two steps back as you tried to find the words to say only to fail greatly.

« I- I... S- Sorry I... » You started while you were slowly bending over Flowey to hide and protect their trembling head. You didn't know where to hide and even if you did, your legs wouldn't move because of the fear that was pinning you there. This stare that this tall creature was giving you... It was freezing the blood in your veins.

His response was as cruel and harsh sound as his appearance alluded. He had a raspy, dark tone that made your blood turn colder :

« Human. »

Abruptly, you felt your soul being ripped out of your chest without you having a word to say on the matter. One second it levitates in front of you... The next, it was split in two by a bone thrown through it.

How many times will I have to die ? You thought as you jerked awake once more at the door that lead to the Ruins. You didn't have time to spare listening to your mother's heartwrenching cries that once again, you rushed down the path leading to the bridge to be attacked by the short skeleton. He was chuckling darkly as he chased you, surely because he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt... Maybe your terror and suffering as well. Why was everyone nuts in this world, besides you and Flowey ? It didn't make any sense. You dodged the attacks but took one pretty bad hit to your leg. You yelped in pain but you kept going, holding onto your friend who was sobbing against your neck. This time at least, you noticed the shape of the other monster in the distance coming in your direction so you'd turn around the corner on your left to quickly hide behind a conveniently shaped lamp that was standing there, right next to a sentry station. It wasn't enough, you knew it. It seemed like the short skeleton already knew where you were going and once he reached the second monster that was coming, you heard him talk quietly enough so you didn't know what he'd say. Yet, it didn't take long for you to understand what he'd be talking about. You could even guess his wor-

The lamp exploded behind you as a bone found its way into your belly. You screamed out of pain in your fall. Cold seeped in the wound in a matter of seconds, burnt the bursted flesh on the way as snow rubbed against the wound. It hurt so bad you were frozen in pain. Both of the monsters walked up to you while you twisted your body to get a look at them once you found the strength for it. Blood was dripping from your mouth and Flowey was shouting orders at you to get up and flee, before they stopped suddenly to stare at the attackers with eyes filled with terror. The monsters were staring down at you, one with a triumphant smile, the other with his deadly glare.

« See ? Just like I told you. » The shorter skeleton said with a shaky voice.

Why was his voice trembling ? You noticed he was sweating and the way he slouched told you that he was really anxious... As if he was afraid of this man who remained silent until then.

« I can see that, brother. » He finally replied.

These guys were actually brothers. Neat. So you guessed that they were working together after all... Maybe you could try and actually talk with them... Maybe... Maybe all of this was a misunderstanding. You were resting on one arm as you lifted your second weak one towards the predators in an attempt to soothe their murderous needs.

« Please... » You croaked with tears slowly welling in your eyes. « I don't want to... »

You stopped right there when you saw femurs forming in the air with sharp edges towards you. Your whole body winced when you realized they wouldn't show any mercy. Balling your fists in the snow and bowing your head in defeat, you left out a sob before you screamed :

« Please, don't !! »

Then the bones cut right through your soul.

Chapter Text

You were sobbing when you woke up at the door again. Slowly sitting up on your knees, thoughts were flooding your tortured mind. You weren't paying attention to your little friend who was calling you anxiously and reaching out to gently caress your cheeks covered with hot streams of tears while they were rapidly asking you questions.

« This is a punishment... Isn't it... ? » You managed to whimper as your eyes were locked on the snow in front of you, blinded by your own tears. Your voice was weak...

Flowey didn't expect this reply, shocked by your quiet statement so much their voice became stuck in their throat. Your companion didn't know what to say so they just went silent as they carefully listened to your near silent cries, your tears falling on their leaves.

« This is a punishment... For what I attempted to do when I came down here... I deserve this... Don't I ? This is what I get for... Wanting to... » Your voice broke in a sob and you curled up around your friend, crying out loud.

You came here in a desperate attempt to run away from your previous life... You don't remember what happened before, but your fall was the result of your willingness to end your existence... Somehow, you managed to survive and now you were here, fighting just to live. Not only for you, but for Flowey too. Especially for Flowey. You didn't know if you had friends before, or even a family. You were just completely lost and if it wasn't for your flower guardian, you would have given up entirely and let the monsters do anything with your corpse. Yet... Yet...

« Why... Can't I die... ? Why do I always come back... ? Is that a curse... That forbids me to rest in peace... For once... ?» You lamented as you curled up, face against the ground.

You noticed they were crying too when you heard them sniffing against your head. You lifted your eyes to meet theirs. The flower's face was covered in the tiniest droplets of tears. You wouldn't have believed that such a small thing could exist if you weren't witnessing at this very moment.

Oh... You realized you thought out loud.

« Don't say that... » Flowey replied with a shaky voice, their face trying to keep a composure, yet it was about to break at any second now. « If you disappear... What would I do... ?  What would I do without you ?»

Your eyes were wide and new hot tears were shed. Oh, no... Flowey was doing their best not to break down and sob, waiting for you to answer them. You hurt your partner... How dare you do that to your only, precious friend ? You quickly held them close to your face.

« Flowey... I... I'm sorry !! »

This is when their facade broke and they bursted into tears against you. You were caressing their fragile body, whimpering sorries and covering their petals with kisses and salty water.

« I want you to live, Frisk... I want to stay by your side, no matter what so please... Never say that again... ! » The flower whimpered, words broken by their tiny sobs.

« I... I promise, Flowey... We will get out of here, together... » You said between two hiccups.

Both of you needed a few minutes to collect yourselves again, standing there, motionless. Crying was such a tiring thing to do and now, both of you were spent. You didn't know how to get past these two skeletons. You had to find another way... Another path... Something that will prevent you from dying in their hands again.

« Do you know how can we go through this zone without drawing attention... ? Maybe it’d be better to get off the path? » You asked Flowey who was hiding in your sweater to keep warmth.

« No... Not really... If you get into the woods, you might end up getting lost and freeze to death... » They replied with a small, defeated tone.

You sighed. There had to be another way... You knew you couldn't run away in front of those monsters without being hit by a bone or two. So...

You laid your eyes on your friend who was shaking. You were too from the cold, and crying didn't make it easier since now, you were both just train wrecks. But... Thinking about your friend's safety filled you with determination and you got up to face your fate again.

You've attempted many tricks to get through these two bone heads. You've tried to talk with them once and it got you killed. Another time, you tried to run past the tallest skeleton and he got you good. Another one, you were hiding behind a tree but the cold made you sneeze and you were pinned against the oak. This was the same situation with Toriel again. Always having to find the good way to get past through the deathtraps.

When you finally managed to find the trick for your survival, you were hiding in a bush not too far from your enemies. Both of you and Flowey were shaking from the cold meanwhile the snow was burning your hands that became numb from it. Gosh, you hated the winter right now. You tried to tuck your aching hands into your sleeves to keep them from the freezing weather as you were watching the shorter skeleton looking around until the tall one arrived. Startled, the smiling one started to sweat nervously and slouched.

« Oh ! P-Papyrus... S-Sup, boss ? » he asked him.

« What's up ? You're asking me what's up, brother ? » the other one spat, furious. « I still see my brother wandering out of his sentry station looking for flowers, that's what's up ! Why aren't you working this time ?! »

These two surely had a complicated brothership. The other one was about to reply, visibly scared, he was stumbling over words as he tried to find a good answer. However, the second one wasn't patient enough and didn't wait longer to grab his brother's collar and lift him up closer to his face as his other was turning into a fist, threatening to hit him.

« Tell me. » He growled.

« I-I... I thought there was an intruder s-so I went to check at the door ! » He quickly replied as he tried to bury his head into his fluffy jacket.

« An intruder ? Do you mean... A human ? » The tallest monster stopped before he hit him, yet wouldn't let him go.

The frightened skeleton opened his eyes again since he didn't feel his brother's strike of impending doom, before he quickly nodded at his question.

« But... But I don't know where it went, I found its footsteps at the door but it suddenly disappeared, I-I-I couldn't... Find it. »

« Good lord, Sans, you're such a disgrace !! For once there is a human, you're not even capable of catching it ! I have to clean up your mess every. Single. Time ! » He furiously replied after he threw his brother onto the ground violently, knocking him out in the process. « Well... At least, you were still decent enough to warn me about this matter. I can finally go on the hunt ! And if I can't count on you to capture a human, I'll complete this task myself and will deliver it to King Asgore, who will be ever so satisfied with my performance that he will allow me to fight the Humans at his side once we break out of that shithole of a place ! I'll have a residence in his court once he'd have besieged the entire world ! »

The skeleton man looked so pleased at this thought, but then, remembered he had an interlocutor. An interlocutor that was struggling to get support on his own elbows, let alone recovering from the stun. The smaller skeleton just had time to look up at the menacing looking one so meet his despising glance with a face distorted with disgust as he finished.

« And finally, I'll be far away from your useless and pathetic lazy ass. »

… Wow... This was even worse than you thought... Something in the still laying skeleton's eyes told you that his brother's words hit like knives, but he remained silent. As if he was used to these verbal abuses.

« Hurry up, Sans. Don't make me regret not bashing your skull in. »

Then, the tall and menacing monster turned around and left without waiting for his sibling to get up. Eventually, Sans did and followed him in haste while still being so obviously dizzy. You stayed still in the bush until you couldn't hear any living being around. You released the breath you ignored that you've been keeping in your throat when the pressure finally decreased.

« Are they gone ? » Flowey asked softly against your skin before they popped out of your sweater collar to take a look around.

« I think so... We should keep going... »

You've never survived this long in this zone until then, you realized. Hopefully it'd continue this way. You made your way out of the bush and shook your hair to get the broken sticks out of it. Then you did the same with your clothes to get rid of the snow that was sticking to them. Once you were ready, you walked out of that zone to notice a star standing further away. You couldn't help but smile in relief as you went to press your hands around it. You gently held against your heart its shining light until it became dimmer a few seconds later. It didn't heal up your previous wounds from Toriel's fireball and the monsters' attacks. Now that you were thinking of it, there wasn't an ounce of your body that didn't ache from all of the abuse... Your vessel was absurdly frail... You had no idea how you survived the fall with such a tiny, easily breakable body like yours... Surely the flower bed cut it. You couldn't see any other possibility. The tiny light between your arms was so calming and brought such comfort to your poor soul, same as well for Flowey who was amazed every time they had the chance to stare at one of these fallen stars.

« We should be safe from now on... Right ? » The flower asked as it looked up to you.

« I don't know, Flowey... »

You left the star behind when you decided to take the East direction and hoped that you wouldn't meet any more monster on the road. When you did happen across one, you would immediately just flee since you knew you had no chance to gain their sympathy and survive the fight. Yet, as you were running away from one of these confrontations, you noticed two figures in the distance. One was shorter than the other... When you were close enough, you could see their color schemes better an- Oh no, it was the skeleton brothers again ! They were still searching for you. You gasped and jumped behind a tree nearby as soon as you sensed that the one that attacked you earlier -Sans-, was turning around to check whose footsteps he heard behind him belonged to.

« What is it, brother ? » Papyrus asked him with his usual cold, harsh tone.

« N-Nothing... It must be another monster passing by... » Sans quickly replied as he met his brother's eyes, before he glanced away out of fear.

« Let's not lose any more time, shall we ? I've lost enough of it because of you today. »

Sans silently nodded with new sweat beading on his skull. Damn... If you weren't afraid to die, you would have liked to help this guy out. Maybe if he was alone and not under pressure, he would be nicer ? And by nicer, you meant nice enough not to kill you on sight... ?

You cautiously followed these two guys from the treeline until you found them getting across a small field of snow that looked different in color, like old snow that has been recycled and replaced on the same spot to the point of looking battered from overuse. It only needed you to watch them taking different directions just to reach the other side to understand what that meant. You were too far away to see the tracks that one of the guys covered while crossing the field before they moved on. Once they were out of sight, you got out of the treeline to go through it too. Though... You didn't recall exactly where they started, the snow has been reset... Might as well give it a try... ? You were about to take a step when Flowey exclaimed loudly.

« Don't step there, it's trapped ! »

You listened to them and took a step back instead of landing your foot into the snowy field. So you were right with your assumption... You stared at what seemed to be a puzzle. There was no way to get around it. The treelines stopped behind you, revealing the borders of a cliff where the puzzle was settled. It was so large there was no space to walk around the deathtrap, and nothing but precipices were waiting for you if you decided to jump off the border.

« You need to take the same path as them... » Flowey whispered when they read your worried expression. « I'll help you. »

Then together, you managed to take the path the skeletons took, way slower since you weren't sure of where to stop and turn... Flowey was growing tendrils to feel the ground around and warn you whenever you were stepping in the dangerous zone. After a few minutes, you were out of the deathtrap safe and sound.

« Thank you, Flowey ! » You graciously smiled at the small flower. « You did amazing back there. »

« It's... Nothing, really. » Your friend assured as they glanced away, their cheeks blushing from the compliments. « Well... We should keep going... »

« Yeah, right. »

And so, you and your friend hit the long road ahead.

Chapter Text

Through the next hours, you died from other deathtrap puzzles or monsters. It was hard to survive, so much that you had to do the same actions all over again so many times that you memorized the right thing to do like some sick Die and Retry game. That was the only way for you to get out of the dangerous situations to encounter another one further. Also, because of all of those deaths, you were faster and turned the many hours of struggling into just a few, gaining back your precious time. Flowey couldn't get why you were so effective at first, but as you solved the different puzzles and escaped from fights without requiring their assistance, they understood what it meant and couldn't help but feel bad. You gently patted their head when you saw them staring down in guilt.

« It will be okay Flowey. Look, we've been pretty fast back there, haven't we ? » You reassured them with a warm smile, catching back your breath no matter how the cold air was hurting your lungs.

« You need to rest... You look awful. » Your companion replied as they stared at your face.

« I have to admit... I'd like to use a bed right now... » You laughed a little.

« Do you think that the monsters will let you sleep ? » Flowey asked, now even more concerned than before.

« I hope so... We'll freeze to death outside if we don't find some place to crash. » You said honestly. « Let's just... Find a shack or something. »

You travelled across the biome until you stumbled upon a long bridge. It seemed like you caught up on the skelebros since they were standing on the other side of the wooden structure. You didn't have time to walk back on your steps that Sans spotted you and warned his sibling, who turned around, first surprised to get to see a human and still, you knew by his smirk that he was pleased.

« So that's a human, huh... Well done, brother. » He actually complimented his brother, who stiffened out of shock before he glanced at him as if Papyrus just said the nastiest insult ever made. Then, the tall skeleton addressed the following to you. « Human. You are brave, or possibly just stupid enough to show yourself to us. Because you will not pass this bridge. For I, the Terrible Papyrus, will capture you and will deliver you to the Capital. King Asgore will obtain your SOUL and will free us all to take our oh so deserved revenge over your kind. Now. If you still want to confront us, go ahead and walk across this bridge... But I have to warn you that you might not like what will happen next. »

Your body shivered with dread as you remembered the numerous deaths you experienced by their hands. Papyrus was crossing his arms with a challenging smile, while Sans, well... He was still nervous and still shaken by the previous compliment he received to even dare glance at you. You were holding your hands against your chest. Gosh, you were shaking like a leaf. But not from the cold or at least not entirely... Flowey's tendrils caressed your back tenderly in an attempt to soothe you. You took a deep breath that puffed out your chest a little bit.

« Just stay calm... Don't do anything sudden that might trigger them.» The flower advised you as you took one step onto the bridge, before taking another slowly, staring at the dangerous skeletons facing you on the other side.

Your heart was racing inside your chest. You knew they would catch you once you were close enough... But you couldn't go back, not after all the efforts it took you to get here. Your pace was still slow and steady, you risked a look into the gap that the bridge covered safely... Oh lord, you couldn't imagine how many people -monsters- fell down here. You gulped loudly, realizing that you were now midway to the other edge of the bridge. A second later, you stopped at the sight of deathtraps coming from above. Fire, spears, a spiked wrecking ball, a cannon... And a dog... wolf... ? An enraged white canid tied up with a rope. You felt bad for the poor creature hanging there. If you could, you'd call PETA for animal cruelty.

You could hear even in the distance the tall skeleton cackling. He was proud of his creation, it seemed. You didn't know if you had to run now, despite your guts screaming to you to.

« You should hurry up, sweetheart. Or you'll be dead where you stand. » Sans advised with a smile, followed by Papyrus.

« It would be a shame to give up here when you went so far, wouldn't it ? »

You bit your lower lip in frustration... You had to run, but they're in the way... There is no chance that you'd get past them, they would catch you for sure. But you had to... You had to try... They needed you alive, right ? You wouldn't risk anything then, would you ? So you prepared yourself to run in their direction, as the tall guy screamed « Go », triggering all the deathtraps.

The fire was consuming the wood planks as you ran to avoid its flames, while spears were thrown in your way. You jumped onto the bridge to dodge the attacks as you nearly got impaled by the two of them, one of these spears falling into the abyss while the other stabbed the wood planks between your legs. You then took a look at the cannon who was aiming at you before you hurried to get up and jump forward with a yelp in order to avoid the cannonball shot in your previous position. But it didn't stop there. The dog was swinging in the air to bite you, so you paused to stare at it... God, you felt so bad for it. That's when the cannon fires again. You just ducked to avoid the cannonball shot at you and it ripped the rope the dog was attached to instead.

« No !! » You screamed while leaping towards the falling dog, with no regard to the brothers who remained still in shock, too busy trying to process what the fuck was happening in front of them.

You grabbed the extremity of the broken rope to save the animal, while your other hand caught the rail of the bridge that was made in the same fabric.

You were now trapped above the abyss, with either the choice to let go of the animal or save its life. This would have been easier if it wasn't for the cannon that was still there and about to shoot you after securing its aiming. You gave a look to the crying dog, then to your terrorized friend.

« I'm sorry, Flowey. » You said with regret.

The cold was turning your limbs numb. Soon, you won't have any strength to do anything anymore, even to save that dog or hold on to that rail. You gave yourself a burst of mental support as you used all the energy you had left to throw the dog back onto the ground. It landed on Sans before it ran behind Papyrus crying and shaking. The tall skeleton was closer to the edge of the cliff to stare down at you, curious of what you will do now that you were condemned. Fire was spreading and eating a good portion of the bridge. It was giving in just like your arms, you felt it. You held Flowey tight against your heart, shut your eyes and when the last bit of strength left you, you let go of the rail just when the cannon shot at you, dodging the ball in the process... Then you fell into the abyss in a long, loud and high-pitched shout.

That was the end, wasn't it ? You'll have to do everything all over again... You'll make sure not to let that cannon shoot the dog next time... Brighten up, at least, you did something good for once, even if it meant sacrificing you and your precious friend... You knew that you wouldn't have lived with that if you hadn't done so.

Suddenly, you felt tendrils wrapping around your chest, while some others were thrown into the wall of the cliff, digging and rooting into it deeply. The abrupt stop made you yelp, then you looked up, breathing weakly from the dizzyness caused by the fall that had been stealing your oxygen until now. Flowey threw some other roots into the wall for more steadiness before they looked up to you, worried about your heaving.

« Are you alright ? » they yelled peering down at your face, voice slightly strained from their actions.

You couldn't believe it. You couldn't believe Flowey just saved your lives. Your bodies were hanging above the abyss, way too far from the edge of the cliff to get to the surface by the strength of your arms. Panting, you embraced Flowey.

« You... Are you alright ? » You asked in return, concerned as you noticed your friend's current bad shape.

They laughed a bit while sweat ran down their little face.

« I've been better, I have to admit... We don't have much time left... My powers, they're weak and they burn out easily... »

Especially since you were way heavier than your flower companion. They looked up again and you watched their focused eyes estimating how much strength they'd have to use to bring you back up. You felt the tendrils tighten around your middle, tearing a weak moan from you and you curled up around Flowey who started to climb up the walls.

« I’m sorry, Flowey…  » You muttered but they shook their head.
« Don’t sweat it, Frisk… You did good. » They smiled, then they proceeded to climb the walls of the cliff.

Seconds went by and you sensed that your friend was pushing themselves to their limits. They were panting, sweating, and shaking, while their tendrils kept working their way to the surface. Then, a cracking sound dragged your attention and you raised your glance up to the bridge. It broke in two and one half of it was falling right on you both.

« Flowey !! » You shouted.

At your cry, Flowey launched the both of you out of its way before the firey bridge could crash into you. You landed together on the edge of the cliff and rolled over the snow. In the meantime, you kept your arms locked around your friend while curling up to protect their fragile body until the snow did its work and stopped you. Both of you were panting loudly, recovering from the rush of adrenaline laying there in the white powdery snow. You were so glad to be alive. Oh, so glad. You rolled over on your back, arms spread wide starfish style before you took a deep shaky breath then giggled. Your soft giggle shortly turned into a laughter. A happy, genuine laughter. It was so contagious the flower laying on top of your chest started laughing too.

You hugged your savior and covered them with soft kisses all over their little face, barely noticing the shaking in your limbs from the pent up stress.

« You’re amazing, Flowey ! You did it ! Thank you, thank you so much ! » You giggled against their forehead as you closed your eyes, slowly calming down. « I’m glad I have you. »

« It was nothing, really… You always protected me the best you could, I… Needed to do something in return. » Flowey replied as they nuzzled against your face, smiling as well.

Dear lord, this flower was absolutely adorable. The best friend you could ever have. Once you collected yourselves and regained your composure, you got up on your feet and shook the snow off your clothes and hair while Flowey was returning to their rightful place. You almost forgot that Sans and Papyrus were standing there a few moments ago so in a gasp, you glanced around to find no one. Just footsteps that were following the road in snow.

« Come on, Frisk. » Flowey called. « Don't follow these tracks, okay ? They... You know... Might lead you somewhere dangerous... I have the feeling they might have tried to search for your corpse in the pit. »

« You're right. » you mustered with a hint of sadness while you stared thoughtfully at the path they might have taken a couple more seconds.

So you just followed the snowy road. The footsteps disappeared in the treeline of the oak woods in a perfect bee line towards the depths of the cliff like you expected. Hopefully their fruitless search will buy you some time, so you didn't waste it to move on and quickly enough, you noticed lights in the distance. You gasped in realization. A town ! There was a town ! You smiled in relief and jogged towards it, forgetting what was your place in this world... Until you noticed the sign on your left on which it was written “Welcome to Hell”.

Chapter Text

The word “Hell” was tagged in red over another word which you guessed it was Snowdin. Neat. Someone was kind enough to let you know what was going to happen in the upcoming area at least. You noticed another of these stars standing in front of a shop. You took a look around and saw there were monsters nearby. All they did was throw you a cold glare when you passed by them. Maybe they weren't supposed to fight in towns...? You were glad if that was the case. You made your way to the SAVE star and did the same thing as before; you held it against your heart for a while until the shining light became dimmer. You still felt absolutely terrible, cold as ice and weak after all these events... You barely could feel your own limbs at this point. Seeing your exhausted and pained expression, Flowey took a look at your wounds with concern.

« I don't understand... » Flowey murmured, thoughtful while their eyes were studying each one of your bruises, cuts and burns. « Usually, humans can recover from magical attacks through SAVES, rest and items but you... You don't. Why is that ? »

You thought for a little while.

« I don't know, Flowey... I don't know. I thought it was normal because I was a human... » You whispered in return. « We don't have magic, do we ? » You asked, staring down at the shining star between your arms calmly.

« Humans have magic as well, from what I saw in my lifetime... But it's very weak. You just have a stronger body compared to us. » Flowey said before they paused for a little bit, their gaze also on the shining star now, still lost in their thoughts before they turned their attention over you again. The flower spoke softly with a supportive smile. « Well... I just hope that you will recover very soon, Frisk. »

You muttered a little “Thank you” with a gentle pat on their head, then you started to wander around in hope to find your bearings for the night. You tried to talk to a few citizens, but they either didn't respond, or they threatened you despite your friendly approaches. Well... It had to be expected. You stared at the shop for a while, then you checked your purse. You smiled in relief when you noticed that you had a few golds left. But... You saw that there was an inn as well. You feared you might not have enough to buy items and rest. Your legs were sore from all the walking and running. Just to get more information, you went to check what was suggested in the shop. You managed to exchange a few words with the seller who was kind enough to inform you about the surroundings -after you gave her a gold or two that was. Also, you learnt the inn belonged to her sister. Sweet !

« Is there anyway I can get out of here ? » You kindly asked the bunny lady as you were secretly hoping not to pay more for such precious informations.

She had a wicked half-smile as her eyes scanned you from head to toes.

« There is a way... But you won't enjoy it, that's for sure. » She said. « Have you heard about King Asgore ? » You nodded silently. « Well. You know he needs seven SOULS to break the barrier, right ? » You shook your head. « Oh. You didn't know. Well. He currently has six of them, and you're the seventh human that was stupid enough to fall down here. And we can't wait for you to meet him so he can release us all and destroy your oh so precious Humanity. Until then, we'll just keep going on with our crappy lives your kind imposed to us. Anything else ? »

You waited for a while to say something. You just stared into her eyes and opened your mouth when she was about to tell you to leave.

« I'm sorry for what you all have gone through. » You finally added.

That left her speechless and it's standing on her spot like this that she watched you leave her shop.

You took a sharp turn on the left to reach the second door with the sign above it saying “Inn”. You hoped it would not be that expensive. You may have enough for the night at least, right ? Yeah, you surely had enoug-

« It will be 80G. »

« For... One night ? » You asked in return, distraught and a knot tying in your stomach at the speed of light. You hoped it was a joke.

« Uh huh. »

Cold sweat ran down your temple with a distasteful pressure taking over your forehead and neck while trying to dismiss the palpitations. You took a look inside your purse... You just had around 50G... You had to take deep breaths not to break down crying.

« What is it ? » The bunny lady asked, arching an eyebrow.

« I... I don't have enough... » You admitted quietly, still staring down at your shaking hands.

« Then I can do nothing for you. »

You knew it. It still took a few more seconds to untie the knot in your throat and to breathe.

« I understand... Goodbye then. » You politely said, still with a quiet tone before you walked towards the exit.

The cold caught you off guard again and a shiver ran down your spine. How could an inn be so expensive ? It's not like there were a lot of tourists down here. The fact that you didn't have enough money made you feel mad at yourself. Maybe if you tried harder to befriend monsters during fights instead of escaping, you could have gotten more golds and so you could have paid for that one night, with a warm shower, a comfy bed, dry clothes... You didn't know how long your legs could take before giving in...

Wait ! You remembered the shopkeeper saying that there was a snack bar. You could use some food and a seat ! It's better than nothing. Now that you were heading towards the remote area of the town, you kept an eye out to make sure nobody was following you. You needed to scan the area first in case you found useful items scattered around before you ran out of strength so for the next couple of hours, you found houses, met people and discovered stuff. When you couldn't bear nor the pain of hunger, nor tiredness or the cold anymore, you came back and saw Grillby's snack bar so you rushed to it.

« Please let me have some food... » You begged to yourself before you opened the door and entered the building.

The warmth of that cozy place engulfed you like water, so thick and comforting it made you shiver in delight. The smell of greasy food made your mouth water and you struggled with the need to rip someone off their plate. Good lord, you didn't realize how bad you were starving until now. You tried and redirected your attention over your surroundings instead of your stomach cramps and recognized a few of the monsters you encountered. Especially the royal guard dogs. Some killed you because of your ignorance, others learnt to appreciate your pets when you got to know them better. You wished you could pet them some more but you had to put yourself first this time, so you walked over to the bar at the opposite side of the pub, walking past the booths from where monsters were throwing curious or cold glares at you. Behind that bar, a man dressed in a classy suit was casually wiping a glass. What amazed you was the fact that he was made out of fire... A fire that was unique with its purple/blue colors.

« Hello, » You saluted politely as you sat down the stool, catching his interest. « Can I get anything to eat, please ? »

The man pushed his glasses back up on his -non-existent- nose so he could see you better... And his detached expression remained unbothered at the sight of a human. His expression may be indifferent, yet you still noticed how your politeness made his flames grow a little bit on the top of his head. You watched him disappear through the back door which you guessed was the kitchen and now alone, you watched your back. Even though monsters seem to refrain from fighting, you couldn't help but be paranoid with how many of them stared at you with ill intent.

Minutes went by and before you realized it, the pub's comforting warmth knocked you out, collapsed on the counter using your folded arms as cushions.

Flowey was slapping your cheek with their leaf, quietly hissing at you to wake up. You moaned a bit, rubbed your sleepy face before you sat up again to face Grillby. Ah ! How long has he been there waiting for you to wake up ? You winced and apologized, but he didn't seem to mind. He placed a tray composed with a Burger and fries. Smelling the warm, delicious food in front of you made your mouth water. Oh, you were so hungry. You gave him the amount of gold you owed him with a “thank you”, that made him burn brighter as he returned to his previous task. What a nice man in this cruel, deadly world. You exchanged a joyful, relieved glance with your little friend then took the tray and went to settle down at a booth. While you sat down right next to the window, Flowey climbed down on the table and waited, intense eyes watching your every move unwrapping the burger. When you noticed their intense gaze, you smiled down at your companion.

« Hey, why don't you eat some of the fries ? » You suggested with that warm, welcoming smile of yours that used to make everyone melt. At least, it was effective on your friend who couldn't help but blush at it. Their eyes were twinkling with excitement.

« Can I ? » They asked in return, fearing if they misheard.

You nodded, still smiling, before you took one of those and held it out for Flowey to eat it. At first they didn't move, taking a couple seconds to realize that it was for them, then they crawled closer. The flower blew on the offering a little bit before eating it fully to your surprise. You couldn't contain the giggle that escaped your throat.

« What is it ? » Flowey asked, confused, then they pouted when they realized that you were laughing at their actions. « Stop laughing, it's not funny ! » They muttered while they were folding their leaves as if they were arms. Gosh, this thing was too adorable for their own sake.

« Oh I'm so sorry, » You apologized between two giggles, busy wiping a tear in the corner of your eye. « It's so adorable, the way you eat. »

You took a deep breath to calm down and looked at them. They were blushing terribly. Were they ashamed, or flustered ? Although it was satisfying torturing them this way, you still felt a bit of guilt. Okay, you'll try and help them moving on to another topic. You grabbed a ketchup and mustard bottle and held each of them in your hands.

« Ketchup or mustard ? » Then, a thought quickly crossed your mind. « Wait... Isn't eating ketchup kind of cannibalism for you ? »

This made Flowey choke on their saliva. They started coughing cutely as you apologized and hastily asked if they were okay.

« Where did that come from ? » They asked with a sore throat once they were able to breathe again. Their little white face was red from the coughing. You took a glass of water and rotated it so your friend could drink its content.

« I'm so sorry... I'm still trying to understand the way you function. » You replied, concerned. Your guardian sighed from relief once they found their soft voice back.

« Well, Frisk, I can eat anything I want, just like you. And for your previous question, I demand the sacrifice of ketchup. Yes, I drink the blood of my own. » They said giving you a sly look waiting for your reaction.

They weren’t disappointed to see that their last sentence tore a laughter from you. You were doing your best to keep it down, which was painful and Flowey was enjoying every second of your agony. Sweet, sweet revenge. After a while, you caught your breath and you decided to pour a little of the demanded sauce on the wrapping paper as a sign of surrender.

« The Vegetal Gods have been satisfied with the Mortals' offering. » Flowey decreted, tearing another giggle from you. They broke out of character and laughed adorably. « Thank you, Frisk ! » they then chirped happily before they started to feast on tomato bloodied fries.

You were enjoying the food together when the door of the snack bar opened. Too preoccupied with your meal with your bestfriend, you didn't pay attention at first, until the new customers passed next to you as they walked to the bar. You raised your gaze to check who were the newcomers and your whole body tensed up when you recognized their shapes : Sans and Papyrus.

Chapter Text

You wanted to blend into the booth that you were sitting on. Thankfully they couldn't see you from this angle since you were hidden by the large seat and to be honest, you were glad that you didn't pick the seat in front of you. Flowey almost chocked on their burger piece when they noticed the skeleton brothers as well. They went to sit at the bar, both looking exhausted from their search. You bent a tad to get a better look at the guys. Papyrus was leaning with one arm laid on the bar, while his other hand rested on his hip. The smaller one was slouching over the bar and resting his head on it. You guessed that he was sleeping only thanks to slow raising of his chest that you managed to observe. The menacing brother exchanged a few words with the bartender, before said bartender disappeared through the door next to him. Ah, it looked like they were here to grab a snack as well. Damn it. You just couldn't stay here any longer with them around. Livid, you regained your seat and stared down at Flowey.

« Did they see you ? » They quietly asked, nervous. You shook your head in response. « Shouldn't we go ? »

You took a few seconds to estimate how weakened your body was, thinking about your legs first. You weren't ready to walk again any soon, which might cause you problems later. You bent close to your friend and muttered.

« They would not pick up a fight in a private place, would they ? » You asked.

« No but they can track you down and get you outside later... » They whispered back.

« Alright... Let's just finish our food and we'll go. »

And that’s exactly what you did . Flowey was already full so you just took what was left before you shared together another glass of water. When you felt ready, you took Flowey in your arms and they crawled back into their favorite hiding spot. Once settled, you crawled to the extremity of your seat and bent to see if they were looking in your direction. Oh crap, you almost got caught by Papyrus - who was indeed checking his surroundings- if it wasn't for Grillby who returned right on time with their order. The comforting smell of food woke Sans up, you couldn't see but he was grinning happily when his eyes laid on the tray placed before him. Each brother took his favorite sauce, the tall one ketchup and the short one mustard.

You took the opportunity that Grillby had unintentionally given you to get out of the booth while they were busy eating. You were so intent on leaving as quietly as possible you didn’t notice that the short one had turned around as you passed through the front door and grin at you.

« That was close ! » Flowey commented when you were outside and shaken by the sudden cold hitting your forms. You were rubbing your hands on your arms to keep warmth already as you looked around, while the darkness was growing bigger. « Oh. It's night time. »

You were shocked. It has been a whole day since you left Toriel already ? You didn't even pay attention to the time because of all your struggles... Not that you had any watch to check the time on. You took a look at your handful of money from your shorts pocket, saddened that you hadn't more gold to pay a room for the night... The cold was becoming so sharp it felt like needles going through your soft skin. You sneezed.

« Are you okay ? » Flowey asked, shaking against you. It seemed like they knew what sneezing meant. You rubbed your nose with the back of your hand, moaning a bit.
« Let's just... Find a shelter or something before it gets too dark... » You suggested as you walked away from the snack bar's lights.

While you were walking around looking for a safe place to rest, the last scene that you witnessed back at Grillby's kept replaying in the back of your mind. As odd as it was and despite how scared you were back there, now that you were away from the danger, it was fun learning their tastes. It gave you a comforting sense of normality on their part and you relished in that feeling, although it made you a bit bitter. They were people, not just bloodthirsty monsters... If only you could find a way to make them understand that you didn't mean harm to them...

Maybe you could go back there and talk to them ? After all, it seemed that fights were prohibited intown...

« What is it ? » Flowey asked, now concerned about your silence. You've been standing in the middle of nowhere while you've been thinking and you didn't even realize it.

« Should I go back and talk to them...? » You muttered under your breath. Flowey stared at you mouth agape.

« Are you kidding me ? After what I told you earlier ? » They scowled with a baffled tone. « There's no way you can make friends with them. They killed me numerous times before you arrived, and I tried everything to make them understand, and I'm a monster myself ! They're beasts and they want your human SOUL, don't you forget it ! » You remained silent while they were scowling you like a child. In the end, you closed your eyes and sighed in defeat.

« … I know, I'm sorry... I'm just tired of all this running... »

Silence fell upon you both again just like the snow around. Only the soft crunching sound of snow landing on snow with the ominous atmosphere that always accompanied winter during the night were all you could hear. It took a few long seconds before Flowey lowered their gaze and spoke with a much quieter tone.

« I understand... »

You were just passing by the houses of this town, guided by the lights that were emanating from their windows. You noticed on your way to the East path a much bigger house exiled from the previous ones that you saw earlier. It was so big it even was equipped with two mailboxes, so maybe an apartment complex ? One of them was empty and the other so filled it was spilling back out excess mail. A faint smile appeared on your lips at that sight. It seemed like someone was really loved, weren't they ? You just kept walking into the darkness, before you decided that crossing the treeline getting lost into the woods would be a better idea than staying out in the open.

There was a little clearing cut out among the pines not so far from the river. Like a private, unknown place someone made for when they needed peace. You could see the snow reflecting just enough to spot the boundaries of the cleared area. Other than that, you couldn't even see the river or what was around because of the dark tone of the trees. As you walked around, you stumbled upon a big snowpoff that revealed to be a rabbit hole once you pulled your leg out, and after a couple of seconds of thinking, you sat down in the middle of the area and started digging in the lower part to free the entrance. This will definitively do.

« Will we sleep here ? » Flowey asked as they popped out of their hiding spot to check where you were crawling into. It was just big enough for your small body to fit.

« We don't have much choice, I'm sorry... It's a shame that I can't even make a firecamp. Everything is just... wet and cold... » You replied as you sat and glanced around to take a look at a few black spots that must be little branches sticking out of the snow outside, then down at your feet as your knees were brought back against your chest. « I just... Hope we can make it through the night. » You muttered. Even if you needed to speak out your mind, you still felt ashamed for being honest with yourself...

Maybe you should shut up...

« Yes, you should » a whisper spoke.

Whispers slowly woke to fuel your insecurities. You pressed your lips together in anguish, trying not to bite yourself. It suddenly felt colder here...

« We will, Frisk. You have enough determination for that. » Your flower friend rose its gentle voice to comfort you. You could hear the smile in their voice and imagining it chased the relentless, venomous whispers in the back of your head.

You brought a hand to gently pet their petals as you smiled back, unable to contain your gratitude. You loved them so much... A true angel able to chase away your demons so fast like that... They came from Heaven, a true blessing. You were so glad to have met them and be graced by their presence each minute passing by. They hummed in appreciation before you giggled together in delight. It was amazing having such a symbiotic relationship with someone like that, to be so comfortable with each other... It was an amazing feeling. You didn't deserve someone so good like Flowey... They did so much for you through the timelines, you owed them everything. At this moment, you told yourself to be a better friend for Flowey. They deserved someone who they could turn to for comfort and protection like they were for you. You needed to show them that you could be just as strong as them.

« I love you, Flowey. » You told them softly. The flower gasped just as softly, and there was a moment of silence.

« So you're into plants ? »

… You didn't think of it that way.

Another long silence before Flowey bursted in laughter.

« Damn son, you're a mood breaker. » You deadpanned.

« I'm sorry-y-y- » They giggled, then chirped. « I love you too, Frisk ! »

You smiled back at them, pleased with the response and their adorableness.

Both of you wished the other a “good night” before Flowey went to curl up against you while you curled up into a tiny ball to keep your little companion warm. You were so tired that the cold wasn't bothering you as much anymore. You passed out in a matter of seconds.

When you woke up, you were surprised to notice that it wasn't that cold in the rabbit hole. It was like a chamber that you heated up while you were asleep, and it was just enough to keep you and your friend warm throughout the night. Flowey was right, you made it. Your limbs were sore and numb from all the efforts you did the past days, now that your muscles had rested, it was a pain to stretch. At least you slept good, certainly because you were so exhausted for the same reason why your body ached. You thanked whatever made the shelter you slept in, may it be an animal, a monster or even a divine intervention. You crawled out of the makeshift shelter carefully to avoid triggering any more pain in your sore vessel, only to be hit with the change of temperature. You shivered and couldn't repress the weird spasms your body went through in the sudden cold, so you sat there on your heels waiting for your vessel to accomodate. Oh, what you would give just to have a coat...

Something brushed against your reddening cheek, you looked down at Flowey who was asking for your attention and smiled.

« Hey there. How are you ? » You gently asked.

« You kept me warm last night so I slept good. » They smiled back, well rested, before their expression changed to concern as they tilted their head. « And you ? How are you feeling ? »

« Sore and cold... I don't even know if I can walk yet. » You laughed a bit before you yawned. « At least I haven't caught a cold, which was what I was the most afraid of if I'm being honest... » You paused a few seconds, hesitant to ask. « Can we... Wait a little before we hit the road ? I'm not ready to be chased down all day long again... » You were looking away as you scratched the back of your head, a bit self-conscious.

« I don't mind it... It's just... It's you I'm concerned for. You might get sick if you stay out in the open like that. »

Flowey gently rubbed their leaves against your skin, trying their best to produce heat in vain. You couldn't help but smile at their good intentions.

« Thank you very much for caring, Flowey. You're just like a guardian angel. » You complimented your friend as you rested a hand over one of their leaves, causing them to blush suddenly and take them away from you to fold them and look away.

« Stop it. » They just responded, with a voice that wanted to sound like pouting, but it just showed how flustered they were.

You wrapped them with careful hands as you brought them against your heart for a hug. Their fragile body tense up for a moment under your fingers... Then relax completely. You gently caressed their delicate petals while you were looking up. In the darkness, you could see what seemed to be stars. It was strange, considering it was day time. This underworld was intriguing in every kind of way. If it wasn't such a wicked place, you would have loved staying here and discovering all of its mysteries.

You sighed, relaxed. Watching these fake stars was soothing your tortured being. The little puffs of air that you breathed out appeared like clouds in this beautiful scenery. A nostalgic feeling caught you suddenly... You missed the sky, despite the fact that you couldn't picture a memory of it at all. It just felt like home again for a brief moment. All of this because of these elements surrounding you which reminded crappy situations you went through since you fell down here, and yet... Here was this lingering feeling of familiarity. You wondered how was life above, if humans were any different from monsters.

Maybe was it because of them that you wanted to disappear ?

Why would you fall down here if someone out there loved you ?

That thought tore something in your chest, and your heart felt heavy all of the sudden. So heavy you wanted to cry out of pain. Control it, fight it. And with stinging eyes, you fought fiercely not to get back to that dark place, not to want to go and drown in the cold river running on the opposite side of you. To think that nobody was there when you needed help, that nobody stopped you from trying and committing suicide... It was incredibly painful, cold and lonely... Did you deserve that ending ?

Yes, you did, another whisper spoke in your ear.

Your clenched your jaws not to scream as the voices start speaking again and spewing out their venom. An urge rose from deep within. You closed your eyes and took a long breath through your slightly parted lips. Then, while Flowey was staring at those tiny lights without noticing your struggle, a soft and emotional melody escaped your mouth.

« Let's set fire to the rain

For all the crying souls

Dead inside, broken to the core.

Let's set fire to the rain

For all the forgotten

That were left behind

Let's set fire to the rain

Let's set fire to the rain

Let's set fire to the rain... »

Then, silence. The lyrics had come out naturally as if you used to sing them... The verses worried the little flower who looked up, carelessly showing its concern about you but you didn't look down to meet their gaze just yet. You waited for the overbearing sensation of your chest ripping to fade, and it did after a while, leaving behind a hollowness that you knew of too well and loathed. Finally calmed down, you glanced down and noticed your worried friend. You offered them a reassuring smile the best you could.

« I'm okay. I just... Those fake stars reminded me of something. » You had the time to say before you both winced when a twig snapped under footsteps behind you. You turned around, holding back your breath. They had found you.

(A music plays in the distance)

« And here I was wondering who had such a lovely singing voice. » The shorter skeleton commented, grinning next to his brother who was pushing away a branch too close to his head. « Sad to see that it belongs to a human. »

You quickly got back on your feet after you let go of your companion. You stumbled a bit because of your miserably sore legs, but you held on. They were staring at you, one with the same triumphant smile you saw before, the other scowling.

« You were right... It's not dead after all. » Papyrus replied in a low tone, his glare piercing through you as ever.

It ? Oh. You must be considered an animal to them. You gently lifted your hands up in front of you, making up and down motions as if you faced feral animals.

« Please, I don't want to fight anyone... I... I just want to leave this place with my friend. » You softly spoke up, yet you couldn't control the waver of fear in your voice no matter how hard you were trying. « I... I'll even go to see King Asgore for that and m- »

« And do you honestly think we're going to believe your lies and let you do that ? Who knows what your true intentions are ? » The tallest one retorted, staring down at you with a scornful look and smile. « Who knows if you're not one human aberration aspiring to destroy our kind, starting with killing our King ? We won't let such a thing happen for he has big plans concerning our release and revenge on Humanity ! »

On these words, Papyrus walked closer to you. In fear, you stepped back and brought back your arms against your chest like it would prevent your SOUL from being summoned.

« No, please, I... »

You didn't know what to say to defend yourself. You couldn't remember how humans were. You just felt miserable whenever you thought of them. But surely there had to be good humans out there, you couldn't be the only one to be merciful ! Bones were forming from thin air which made you gasp in terror. You had to say something quick.

« I won't hurt anyone, I promise...!! »

You froze when the tall skeleton turned one hand into a fist while his other one was holding the bone. Then, he gave a pulling gesture and your soul was ripped out of you, forcing a yelp from you with that particular stinging feeling. When you took a look at it, its red color was weak, crackled with a fragile looking shape. Both of the skeletons remained silent while they stared at it for a couple of seconds. Flowey was watching the scene clueless about what to do.

« Frisk ! » They called out to you with a disarming voice.

« It will be okay...! They... They need me alive, right...? …. Right ? » You repeated as Papyrus raised his arm that was holding the femur. Then he threw it right into the side of your soul. That reflected the damage on your body, as if your were impaled with the bone.

That tore a scream out of you. You fell on your knees and barely found enough strength to take support on your hands on the snowy ground. You could even spot drops of blood stain the pure white color of it. You couldn't get used to the pain... No, it was always too intense for that... Your vision was blurring, you could hear your heartbeat in your ears. Flowey screamed after you and quickly disappeared into the ground to bloom again in front of your frame while the skeleton prepared another attack that would wipe your existence this time. They were in the way. Without waiting, your protector formed a circle of pellets and threw them towards the skeletons. Papyrus just protected himself with a shield in the shape of a ribcage. Sans dodged the attack simply, yet the threat was enough to piss him off because he raised his arm towards the flower that wasn't done throwing its pellets on them and a red magic coated its flower body before it was lifted up in the air.

« F... Flowey ! » You shouted as you raised a weak hand towards your friend.

« Frisk- Frisk, run ! » They yelled back before they were thrown in a tree by Sans.

The sound of their pain rang in the air each time their small body crashed against a tree or the ground. Seeing the horrible scene stole your voice at first, then you started yelling after Sans as you tried to get up on your feet to jump on him, just to fail and fall heavily onto the ground because of the unbearable pain in your stomach. This only made the short skeleton chuckle.

« STOP ! PLEASE STOP, DON'T- DON'T HURT THEM !! NO !! »

You were powerless, laying there with an open wound in your side and losing blood. Tears blinded your vision. Sans finally stopped when he couldn't hear any more cries from Flowey to just drop their form a few feet away from you. Shaking and in shock, you crawled to your friend.

« Flowey...? » You called out softly. No response... You pulled yourself onto your knees and used your hands to carefully take their bruised and torn body. You could only see their lifeless face when you turned it towards you. « No... No.... No...! Flowey, no...! No ! NO !! » You burst into tears and held them against your heart, no matter if your soul was still out. You kept screaming after your friend, despite the shakes your sobs that were holding you. « Come back ! Please, come back !! I beg you !! »

But they wouldn't.

They were dead.

Gone.

It was a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. It couldn't be true, no, it couldn't...

Pain shot through your whole body. You first thought that it was the skeleton attacking you but when you looked up because of the pain, they were just staring at you, surprised to find you devastated by the creature's disappearance. Your heart shaped soul was ready to split, your HP reduced to two.

What was happening ? What was happening ? Your mind kept wondering.

A few moments ago, you were enjoying a peaceful time with your best friend and now, they were gone... forever...

And this because of you. The pain was unbearable, you curled up around the lifeless flower that was now just a simple and torn buttercup. You couldn't... No... You couldn't bear it. You had to find your friend again. You couldn't let them go. You couldn't live without Flowey. They were your guardian, your guide, your confident, your caretaker... Your bestfriend.

You turned towards your assailants.

« Please, kill me ! I... I need Flowey ! I need them ! Please finish me...!! » You begged them through your sobs as they stared at each other in silence, as if they were wondering what to do. They didn't need to exchange a word to understand what they were both thinking and it didn't last long until they stared back down at you.

« Why would we do that ? » Sans replied as he shrugged. « After all, you're all what we need. And this twig was in the way. »

Your soul kept breaking down, which startled them. You fell on your side. You were dying already because of the wound and that other attack you received from... From who ? You lowered your glance onto your almost shattered soul... A pellet. It was Flowey's pellet that pierced through you and damaged you. You couldn't help but smile in relief. In the end, even in death, your friend would always help you. Thanks to them, you were 1HP away from the rewind.

You'll find your best friend soon...

« Quick, the human is dying ! » The tallest one exclaimed as he hurried towards you.

You didn't want to let go of Flowey's empty shell and so you started screaming again when Papyrus grabbed your hair and pulled on it to drag you away from your friend while you feistily fought back.

« LET ME DIE !! LET ME- LET ME DIE, PLEASE ! » You kept screaming while holding onto your assaulter's forearm in hope to reduce the pain, while they were both having a grip on you to drag you away. « FLOWEY !! FLOWEYYYY !! »

You didn't stop screaming and crying through despair and misery, only to be ignored by the brothers who were exchanging orders. You thrashed ferociously, trying to hit them desperately to break free from their grip... But it was pointless. It only made your case worse because soon, your strength was gone, cold was taking over your body and chasing your consciousness away. You were about to die. When he noticed your sudden silence, Sans told his brother something you weren't sure you heard, for the sound just like your vision blurred out.

« Bring it to the SAVE star before it dies ! »

Then you slipped into darkness for good.

Chapter Text

When you opened your eyes, you weren't in the street, back at the SAVE star as you thought you'd be. In fact, you were in a dark room, over what seemed to be a dog bed, too small for you to fully lay in there... So you were just put on it like the old blood bag that you were. Without caring to move because of your aching body and your non-existent strength, you looked around. It was a creepy place... With no light, also the walls were crackled and you didn't know if there were any windows ar- ah, here they were. But they were barricaded, to the point that it was barely letting a thin ray of light coming from the outside. You moaned when the pain progressively awakened in your side. Oh, no...

« Flowey...? » You called weakly. « Flowey... Where... are you ? »

No... It was a nightmare... You had to wake up. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening, right ? You rewound, right ? You friend was alive, weren't they ? But only silence responded to you. If you had rewound, why would you still be so deeply hurt ? Why Flowey wouldn't reply to your calls ?

No...

What did they do to you ?

This is when you realized that the worst had happened. You couldn't help but think about your guardian in your current state. You couldn't believe this happened... And how did you manage to survive after all this ? You were about to die just earlier and now, here you were, alive but broken. When you tried to move, a scream died in your throat while your vision was blinded with stars. Colors died for a moment as you lied there panting.

Tears began to run down each side of your face when the pain finally became slightly bearable again. This was the worst day you ever had in your life... You lost your best friend, you were lethally wounded and trapped in here. You just fucking hit the jackpot. Yeah, definitely. You tried to occupy your poor, tortured grieving mind by scanning the area, to find a small window that barely provided -if at all- light through its barricades. How long have you been here ? The familiar crippling sensation of hunger held you tight and thirst didn't help with the lightheadness... Someone would come to check up on you really soon, right ?

The horrifying situation was too much to deal with when you had not an ounce of strength left to, that's why it was so tempting to give in to slumber. There wasn't anything else you could do in your current state... You didn't even know how you could still breathe, it was surprising to find out that you still did... Because you couldn't feel anymore, you were an empty shell at this point. Determination left you behind a while ago, leaving in its wake a train wreck.

Your eyes closed.

You wished your were dead.

And you didn't wait long to fade away.

A sound tore you away from your sleep. You recognized the sound, too particular not to know that it was a door shutting a bit too harshly. You slowly looked down to notice the bars of your prison. They seemed large enough for you to get through if you tried to squeeze your body a bit, but you couldn't move. You then scanned the surroundings to check if you were alone. You recognized a dog bowl on your right... Did they really think humans were some walked on all four ?

The footsteps stopped next to the prison bars and you heard a switch. Light turned on and blinded your eyes that were accustomed to the dark, it took a solid moment for them to adjust. You squinted your eyes and after a moment, you could see a bit more clearly : it was Sans who came to see you. You blinked and here he was now standing inside of the prison with you. You stared at him silently. Your heart was racing in your chest. He was just standing there silently with his hands in his jacket pockets and staring down at you with a malicious grin.

« How are you doing, sweetheart ? » He asked you. « Feeling good chilling here, huh ? »

Something was off. Why would he be so nice all of the sudden ? You knew how he worked, since he tricked you the first few times you met him. You whimpered, powerless when you realized you still couldn't move. And you felt the terrible need to use the toilet. Your bladder felt like it was threatening to explode.

« I need... To go to the toilet... Please... » You managed to articulate as you were repressing the tears of your despair. Sans seemed surprised by the request and he tilted his head.

« What's a toilet ? » He asked in return. Oh, really. Didn't he know what it was ? It had to be a joke. You remained silent as you kept staring at him, still trying to keep your cries inside. You were hoping he would burst into laughter and say he was joking... But... « What is it ? Come on, cold froze your tongue, snowflake ? » He walked closer. You saw right through him : the sweet purr of his deep voice became slowly rough and menacing. « That's not nice giving me a cold shoulder in your current situation. How un-frost-unate for you. » He finished as he stopped right next to you, and looming a bit over you to see your terrorized face better. « So here's a better question : Do you wanna have a good time ? »

His flaming eye was even brighter than usual and his grin large and wicked. You opened your mouth to reply when he kicked right into your stomach. Your breath cut short as you curled up from the pain. You gasped for air in vain, crippled and desperate to breathe, you ignored that the monster wasn't done yet. He hit you again, and again, tearing muffled sounds from you until he couldn't reach the zone that you feverishly protected with your arms, so he directed his kicks towards your exposed lower belly and pelvis. You didn't register that you peed yourself with every hit he took, all you did was bracing yourself for more violence hoping for an ending very soon. Until this moment where you lifted your head and screamed bloody murder when you first felt your pelvis break under the great strength of the monster with disturbing noises, then with the next hit, bones ripped through your abused areas.

It burnt.

He stopped when he noticed that you went limp and silent, then took a few steps back to admire the aftermath; your arms locked around your abused stomach, your body was twitching and your eyes drenched in tears vacant. It didn't take long before twitches became convulsions and a handful of seconds later, your body laid lifeless on the cold concrete, your eyes locked onto Sans' surprised face.

You were back in this prison when you woke up. You didn't notice there was a SAVE star in a corner until you rewound and appeared next to it. There was no use to try and sit up with the state you were in. You just stared at the soft light of the twinkling star. It reminded you of your best friend, how they were amazed every time they saw one of those shiny things... You raised a feverish hand and brushed it with the tip of your fingers. It gleamed brighter at your touch. What a comforting sight... And yet, hollowness remained.

So... these skeletons captured you and managed to bring one of these SAVES inside the jail... or maybe it has always been there...? You didn't know for sure, but what you knew is that all of this meant... You couldn't die without coming back here. You cursed under your breath. Now, guilt was weighing you down. You will never recover, right ? You just had to wait for your demise from now on, was that it ? You sniffed a little. What a weak, worthless creature you were. Couldn't even save yourself, nor your friends... All your efforts were in vain, just like Flowey's...

« I'm sorry... Flowey... I couldn't save you... » You muttered in defeat. « I couldn't even die for you... I'm... A terrible friend, ain't I...? »

Aah, you were going down this path again. And this time, no one was here to stop you. Whispers and horrific thoughts were drowning your mind, leaving you lifeless on the ground, blankly staring at the ceiling. Hatred, fear, sorrow... They were back to haunt you. These feelings, your soul knew them by heart, you realized. Suddenly, you had flashes of memories coming back to you.

Someone... No... A crowd of people circled you. They were just shapes, tall shadows with huge smiles. Pointing their fingers at you and laughing at your misery. You remembered begging for mercy. You remembered calling for help. But no one came. You remembered fear, injustice, humiliation... Their manic laughter ringing inside your brain. All was a blur, you couldn't see what happened next but you just felt it all over again. The sensation of someone ripping you apart, tearing your soul and crushing it in their palm, used your fragility, consumed your beauty and puked it rotten on the ground. Someone broke you so deeply in every aspect possible. Someone you trusted. And no one came to protect you. You heard them again, between laughs.

« You deserve it »

« They're strange, aren't they ? »

« They're just bat shit crazy »

« You were asking for it »

« You're making it up. »

« You're nuts. »

« Look at you, you're pathetic »

« It's your fault this happened to you »

« Why won't you just die ? »

You hid your face behind your hands and started screaming. You screamed and screamed until your voice cracked and you curled up on your side, coughing up blood and sobbing.

You wished you were dead.

You didn't know how much time passed, everything seemed so far away, so unreal behind the screen of your eyes. Couldn't even feel the freezing cold ground under your laying form, your gaze wouldn't register the ceiling enlighted by the slim rays of light passing through the cracks of the barricaded window. It's like all your senses vanished, your mind wandering in an out of body experience. Were you still there ? Did you exist ? Was it all real ? Were you in hell ?

You snapped back to reality at the sound of the door opening. You bet it was Sans. He noticed that you didn't move from the star's light. Your eyes looking straight at the wall you were facing, you didn't give a damn about him. Too numb to fear or to care. You knew you were going to have a bad time again.

As if you had a good one already.

Because you laid there motionless, he had to enter the cell to make sure that you were still alive, now bending over you enough so he'd see your face since you were turned away from him. Your vacant eyes remained on the wall. If your chest wasn't moving, he would have thought that you were actually dead.

« How are you doing, sweetheart ? » he asked you. « Feeling good chilling here, huh ? »

You knew that he spoke, but you couldn't make up the words that he said. Though if you tried to re-focus, the tone was similar to the one he had last time. Friendly and almost purry. You knew it was all fake, that you were gonna to get beaten up to death. You were still. It wasn't like you could reply with your broken vocal cords anyway.

The short skeleton kneeled down next to you and loomed over you with the help of his hands at each side of your head, his big form covering yours.

« Come on. Cold froze your tongue, snowflake ? » His patience was running low and you could hear it in his tone. You could see his eyes burning brighter in the corner of yours. He lowered his upper body closer, his face almost against your ear. His breath was warm and intoxicating with the scent of mustard. He growled softly. « Do you wanna have a good time ? »

You barely processed the meaning of his words that he grabbed your hands tthat were resting in front of you and forced you against the SAVE star. You gasped and unfortunately, you choked on bloody saliva. Trapped beneath him, you couldn't turn away to cough up the remains of your damaged throat. You didn't notice that some of the blood landed on Sans' cheek until silence fell suddenly. It gave you time to recover, and with teary eyes from the burning sensation renewed in your throat, you looked up and saw his burning, pulsating gaze staring down at you as he stood there on his all four. He was shivering at the metallic smell, even his breath wavered before he turned away from your face...

To lift up your sweater above your wound in your side and sink his teeth around it.

You arched your back, unable to make a sound. And here you thought that you wouldn't care. Now your senses were riled up, sending you signals that you were in danger, hitting you with waves of gut-wrenching pain. Yet, you couldn't move. Too intense, too fast, your brain couldn't start and process what was happening. It's only then that you realized that something pressed hard against the wound. It was wet and slick... In the middle of the panic, a quick thought crossed your mind in a sparkle of consciousness... Was that a tongue ?

You fought against the paralyzing pain to look at him, unable to move your limbs with how your nerves were on fire with the overflow of informations. What the FUCK was he doing !? He opened one of his eye sockets to glare at you when you began to fight back -more like miserably trying to push him away- and grabbed the arm that dared to push his head off your side. He twisted it with a sick sound, and you saw stars for a moment. You couldn't see, nor hear Sans' growl as you fought against the urge to pass out. It was a matter of life and death, your instinct screamed at you. When the worst passed, you realized that the skeleton was drawing blood from your injury. You felt his teeth still embedded in your skin and his boney lips pressed to prevent the blood from overflowing. The sound of him drinking your vital source was overbearing in that silent cell. Your vision started to blur again. In a matter of seconds, you couldn't feel anything anymore. It was as if you were observing the scene from afar as a spectator. Time ran so slow that you wondered how long you've been enduring the torture. Your eyes struggled to stay open until his tongue forced its way into your insides. Your lips parted in a vain attempt to yelp and scream. You couldn't hear anything but your own heartbeats and weak pants.

It was a nightmare. He was a skeleton, how's that possible for him to do such... such... things...? But then again, he was a monster... How silly you were...

You were shaking uncontrollably, then convulsing so he had to pin you down with both of his hands. You were cold. So cold. Your heartbeats were slowing down dangerously, you could hear it. You felt sleepy again... It was harder and harder to try and fight the need to close your eyes until it got the best of you.

You lost. Again.

You woke up under Sans. He was looking down at you with a grin.

« How rude leavin' me out in the cold like this, sweetheart. The least you could do was sayin' no. If you wanted to leave this bad, ya could escape through these bars. Dyin' out there is still better than dyin' here, y'know ? »

What ? Where was his usual speech ? You checked your wounded side. Not a bite. Even your torn clothes were still covering it. Well now, the only unbearable thing is having your best friend's murderer above you. Your vocal cords were still broken so you couldn't say a word. Your arm wasn't damaged like earlier so you dared push him away with the bit of strength you had, wiggling weakly underneath Sans with a new born rage.

« What ? » he bluntly said. « You want me to get off you ? » you kept nudging him in response. He sighed. «  'lright. » and so he released you before he sat up.

You couldn't stay near him any more second. Thanks to that rage, you forced yourself to sit up as well but winced from the pain. You rested against the wall when cold sweat broke out, the pain so intense that you saw white.

You heard a bump, but you couldn't see at all. You couldn't even say that you saw anything. It was the void.

Echoes and flashes of memories rose, snippets of past and present. Everything was mashed up. You saw Toriel and her pies, lived Flowey's death and heard their cries of agony, Sans' upclose smile as he stood on top of you and the echoes of his laughter.

You snapped your eyes open. It took a couple of seconds for you to start processing where the fuck you were, why you were sprawled on the ground and recognize the room's pattern. For a moment you didn't feel the pain in your side and for a moment, you didn't remember why you were here, and even thought of Flowey and wondered where they were, so you moved to sit up and that's when the pain awakened so violently that you winced and screamed soundlessly.

And then it hit you. All of the sudden, the memories of these last days rained over you. You remembered everything again, reliving it at godspeed, until the very last seconds where you... You blacked out. You actually fainted from the pain, and... you were alone. Flowey was gone.

Flowey was gone...

The memory of their lifeless body buried in the snow haunted you.

Everything was real. You started shaking violently, taken by a panic attack. You were all alone in this mess, helpless and wounded. The fact that you struggled to breathe made the agonizing ache in your side feel worse with every gasp, renewing the cycle of pain in the process. You held your wound as you could trying to eleviate the suffering in vain, until someone chuckled right next to you.

You then remembered who was there and looked at your predator to see an amused grin plastered across his disgusting face as he laughed. He loved your pathetic display. Your breath hitched and somehow, in your panic and renewed rage, you found the strength to sit yourself up with the help of your hands while he spoke.

« Look at you, honey. Oh, so weak, so frail... Easy to break. It's like you were made to be my play doll. Heh. Glad that you didn't care about covering your footsteps in the snow. It was easy for me to track you down from Grillby's. »

It downed on you. The footsteps.

How could you forget to cover up your tracks ?

He leaned closer to your ear. « Admit it. You wanted us to find you. » then he chuckled again.

Enough was enough. You pushed him away by shoving your hand in his face and almost regretted it because of the renewed pain that took over you as you did so. Thankfully, rage and adrenaline helped to reduce the sensations and that's how you found strength to stand up. Your legs were shaking vividly, yet you held on. There was NO WAY you'd stay close to this fucker if you couldn't fight him, no matter how much you wanted to rip his face apart, if that was possible with a skull. You had to get away. You stepped away from the wall you were taking support on to stagger across the room in the direction of the bars. Stars were quick to blind you and your hearing blurred out, but you didn't care anymore at this point. You had. To keep. Going.

Sans didn't move from his spot and just watched you doing so. You still could hear him laughing lowly when you reached for the bars. Ah, your blood pressure was dropping and your movements were clumsy in consequence. You were squeezing through the bars when spikes bursted out of them, impaling you through and through.

When you woke up next to the star, Sans rolled of you dying of laughter, holding his ribs as he did so.

« Holy fuck, that was somethin'. » he commented before he took a deep breath to calm down, then stared at you again still with a grin plastered on his face.

Your whole body was shaking in tetany as it still felt the spikes impaling it, your brain unable to process that what happened wasn't real... Though it was, it totally was real and you brain knew, it just couldn't stop focusing on the phantom pain and recent trauma it went through, replaying the previous deaths over and over again sending you in new spirals of agony. You were staring at him, terrified to understand what was going on... His grin grew wider when he noticed your horrified gaze.

« Ah. I was starting to think you couldn't remember your resets. »

Wait... So HE could remember them too ? The dreadful expression that marked so strongly your features seemed to please him.

« Now that's a face I love to stare at. » he commented with a soft tone while he rested his jaw on his hand used as support, a lovely smile appearing on his lips.

Those lips that he used to kill you.

That thought made you sick.

You tried to speak up, but only broken air came out of that mouth of yours. He tilted his head but seemed to understand perfectly what you meant to ask.

« Yeah. I remember our first encounter. You were so naive back then. » he snickered. « Man, it was so much fun playin' with ya. Did you know that your cries were a wonderful melody for my non-existent ears ? Hehe... But I have to admit... You did good on the last run. Heh, 'couldn't even find you even to save my life. » he looked away, resting against the wall, one knee lifted up to let his wrist rest on it. « But now that your twig is gone, you can't run away anymore. No more guide, no more reason for you to fight. »

You heart sunk at these words. Flowey... Wasn't a bloody twig. They had a heart, unlike this barbaric sack of shit. Sans noticed that your hands balled into fists.

« Did I strike a nerve by any chance ? C'me on. We know ya humans don't care about us monsters. You're just another bastard trying to gain our sympathy and trust until the day you can backstab us once we look away. »

You were looking down, tears brimming in your eyes. You had to breathe deeply to try and keep your anger under control. You shook vivaciously your head. You wished you could talk right now so you could spit your truth in his face. Then you noticed his hand coming in your peripheral view. He grabbed your chin to turn your head towards him.

« Anyway, this won't be a problem anymore. You're on the edge of death and thus, can barely move. It won't be an issue bringing you to our King. Good thing your little friend betrayed you, even dead. »

No, he was wrong. Flowey didn't want to hurt you... It wasn't what they intended to do when they died. A tear of rage rolled down your cheek as you both stared into each others' eyes with pure hatred. Sans was still wearing this hateful smile of his. God you wished you could rip his jaw off and see what kind of smile he could make then.

« You can't trust anyone down here, remember ? It's kill or be killed. »

Then he pushed your face away strongly enough to make you fall on your side. When you looked up again, he was already on the other side of the jail, staring straight at you with his hands in his pockets.

« Well, t'was a nice chat. Remember to SAVE often, okay ? I'd hate to live the same day all over again everytime you snap your own neck. »

Then he turned off the light and left you alone in the dark to wonder why you didn't cover up your tracks.

Chapter Text

You don't know how long you've been there. The whole cell seemed unreal, hazy... As if the room filled with black fog. Your eyes could see the ceiling but your brain didn't seem to register. You've been wandering off your mind again. It was impossible not to. Memories of Sans torturing you, murdering your bestfriend plagued your mind for hours on repeat, there was no way out of this mental prison. Living those traumatic times weren't enough for your brain, it had to send you back there. You had no control over your body, you had no acknowledge of your surroundings, of the cold ground, of the wetness of your tears on your face... All you felt was the snow under your body, between your fingers, your warm blood gushing on the ground, the echoes of your friend's screams and the vibrations of your own throat as you begged for mercy. The sharp pain that erupted anytime a bone stabbed you, the sensation of dying, life running through your fingers... Blinding lights and oppressing darkness... Your heartbeats pounding in your ears and feeling like your head might explode from the pressure.

The hollowness in your chest that always grew bigger and swallowed you whole, leaving you to drown in the darkness with his words echoing in the back of your mind. Your mind that spinned with the same question.

Why didn't you cover up your tracks ?

You didn't even register in your self-inflicted torture that you ended up peeing yourself and it's only when cold was so overbearing that you managed to snap back to reality. You panted heavily from the anxiety and fever, and only now you realized that your bottom clothes were damped and smelled horrible. How disgusting. You wished they'd have thought about letting you go outside for a few minutes to let you do your daily things but it seemed that it went over their bone heads. Even if they couldn't poop, why didn't they think about the other living creatures, huh ? Like... Don't dogs need to poop from time to time in the underground too ?? You wondered now if it was because they were magical beings, or if it was because of your jailers' nature if they didn't need toilets. Then again... They could eat food. You started wondering if it was useful to them since they were basically bones. This is until you realized you were deadly cold now because of your soaked clothes. Your lower jaw couldn't stop shaking but also, you were feeling terribly hot. You realized that you've you had difficulties breathing for a while now. Sweat covered your body and your wounded side was hurting and throbbing. You whimpered silently. Oh, you hated the world and life right now...

Someone came in quickly to check on you.

« Dear Lord, what's that smell ? » A low, raspy voice asked.

Ah. Papyrus. You wished you could reply “well your brother left me to pee on myself because YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT MY COMFORT IN MY DOG JAIL.” but you couldn't. Thank your broken vocal cords for that. The tall skeleton stared at you for a moment from behind the bars. At least he understood it was coming from you, so he sighed and commented a quick “Just great.” before he left you alone again.

You waited for a while before he came back with his brother that he was grabbing by the back of his collar despite his.

« Look. » He commanded Sans, who obeyed and glanced at you.

« Heh. It stinks indeed. I think this is why it wanted to go to the toilet. I heard that humans digest food differently and have to dispose of the wastes... I guess that's what it is. » He quickly explained as he waved his hand in the air like it was useless info.

« Well now we need it cleaned up. I won't let it meet our King in its current state, it's way below my standards ! And since you let this animal in this condition, YOU'll be the one cleaning up the mess ! »

« What ? But... Papyrus- »

« There is no “But” ! » He snarled. « This is YOUR fault, and you're going to pay for it. I'll take care of the human while you do so. »

Oh you enjoyed it so much. You don't know what was the most satisfying; to see how Papyrus reprimanded his brother, or to hear that Sans will have to clean up your mess. Imagine having to clean your enemy's crap as an order from your own brother. This is your Karma, Sans. Ahhh, you wish you had the strength to laugh even if he'd snap your neck once or twice for it.

Meanwhile, Papyrus typed a code on what sounded to be a lock numeric keypad hidden behind the wall. A high pitched sound announced that the deadly trap from the prison bars were deactivated and from there, he entered the cell through a door. You thanked what was above for bringing Papyrus to take care of you. He may have killed you a good number of times, but he always made it quick and compared to his brother, that was a plus on his book...? He also never tortured you for fun like him...?

He grabbed your arm and began to pull you up back on your feet, but your whole body went tense with the pain in your side that went from unbearable to agonizing level and you tried to scream in vain, only letting out a choked breath instead. Papyrus stopped his action before he bent over you, concerned by the reason why your voice was broken. He thought for a second or two before he threw a glare at his brother who quickly agitated his hands.

« N-Not me ! I-It was already like that when I came to check on it. » He quickly defended himself, sweat covered his skull more than usual. Papyrus looked down at you again to, study your expression.

« Is that right, human ? » He asked you. You looked at Sans for a while. You wished you could see that cunt get his ass handed to himself by his brother but you weren't a liar. You had the higher ground here and you knew it, and you'd make sure to prove him. You weakly shook your head as you looked at the one crouching next to you again. « Alright... »

And then, his gaze stopped on your side that he impaled days ago. A smell emanated from it. The skeleton monster roughly grabbed your cloth and lifted it up enough to see your wound. You noticed his frowning face changed into a deeper scowl. You glanced down to notice your wound had its fresh red color replaced by a deep black one with spots of creamy yellow and was terribly swollen. And... The smell... Oh, the terrible rotting smell... You had an infection, and a bad one.

« There is a nasty smell coming from here. » Papyrus told loud enough for his brother to hear.

« What ? » The short skeleton said and the second after that, he was right next to you bending to see your wound better. Papyrus dared to touch around the swollen area, which caused you to squeal silently as you twisted your body to get his hand off you in deep panting breaths. Sans looked up your face. « It's as white as our bones and sweatin'. I wonder... » He then rested a hand onto your forehead. His fingers that you remembered be warm were now so cold against your skin...

He stayed silent for a while, staring down at your form relaxing once his brother finished probbing your wounded side.

« It's sick. It won't survive. » Sans stated as he took his hand off you. You sensed magic in the air, so you opened your tired eyes and saw that his hand was circled with a shiny red coat, and only then you noticed an arch of bones forming in the air. Papyrus was watching him doing so, shocked.

« What are you doing ?! » He yelled at him.

« Restarting the day. » The other replied before he impaled your chest under his brother's protests.

When you woke up, you were glad finding yourself in a better shape. Although your wound was hurting terribly, it was still better than what you experienced a moment ago. You just had time to look around when Sans appeared in front of you with his hands inside his pockets. You jumped out of surprise and you didn't have the time to recompose yourself that the skeleton already grabbed your sweater and lifted it up to check your wound, no matter your protests.

« It's already gettin' infected... » He whispered to himself before he looked up to you, unbothered that all along you've been trying to push him away. « Sorry, sweetheart, but you're gonna need to take a walk. »

You then disappeared from your jail with him. You reappeared outside, behind the shed that you realized was your cell. You looked towards Sans and noticed you that he was leading you past the treeline of the woods. You stumbled in the snow, levels of pain incrasing with each taken step so you held yourself onto him for support. Once he deemed a bush adequate for the task, he pushed you behind a bush before he turned away.

« C'mon, be quick. And don't try to escape or I'll fucking tear your throat with my teeth. »

Oh wow. You could almost tell that he was actually being nice. Or maybe he didn't want to clean up your jail if you had to relieve yourself again. You just did your duty in silence, yet you were terribly ashamed having to be watched over by someone like Sans. It was fine when it was Flowey since you trusted them -and they never cared to see your private parts at all-, but now, you were with your friend's murderer and you knew how cruel he was... You felt insecure.

You looked off into the distance, far into those woods that didn't allow light to pass through the branches.

If only you could escape...

Unfortunately, you knew the kind of consequences would follow if you made any attempt, if your legs let that happen that is.

You were trully on your own. At monsters' mercy.

The realization downed on you, for yet another time. How could you keep forgetting ??

Why didn't you cover up your tracks ?

You lowered your gaze and bit down your bottom lip, your arms tensing up at the rise of misery and hopelessness. Your breath wavered and you realized you were on the verge of a breakdown, or a panic attack, you couldn't tell, they were all the same. God, you were out of it...

You hiccuped and rubbed your face with the back of your wrist, and you immediately regretted your actions ; your side complained with an intense ache that tore a hiss from you.

« Are you done yet ? » His gruff voice rang from behind the tree next to the bush you were hiding behind. You jumped a bit and hurried to set your bottom clothing back on before he got the idea of checking in, still with that pain in your guts that made you want to puke anytime you moved.

You looked towards the tree from where you last heard Sans speak to spot him next to it, his eyes locked on you for what felt like a while. You guessed that he made sure you weren't trying to escape... ? You didn't want to think of anything else. He was a skeleton anyway. His shiny eyes followed you while you walked around the bushes to join him, but you wouldn't see the glance that he threw over you since you were looking down in defeat and shame. You didn't even notice he has been blushing...? Or maybe it was the red lights coming from his eyes reflecting over his cheekbones. Standing next to him, you noticed that his slouching was worse than usual, and that's where you checked his face to see the red dusting his cheeks and nose. You couldn't think of anything else but the fact that his red lights only reflected on his bones because you were in a dark place. He was avoiding your gaze though, and for a second the thought that he may be uncomfortable crossed your mind.

A sharp pain shot in your wound, enough to make your head spin. The cold weather soothed the burning ache in your insides, but it didn't cover everything. If only the cold numbed your wound out... The efforts you made for the past minutes were taking a toll on you, you who struggled to move already, you really needed rest...

Stars blinded your vision again. You bent and focused on the snow at your feet.

Stay awake. Stay awake.

Sans might have noticed your struggle, either by your heavy panting or your paleness, because he regained his composure and he approached to grab your arm with an audible sight, right before you landed onto your knees. You held your side and whimpered silently, and all of the sudden you were shivering from the cold sweat. You didn't notice Sans' comments at your display of weakness so hard you were struggling with the ringing in your ears that you had to close your eyes. For a second, the sound completely died out. You only heard your own heartbeats and heavy breathing. When you opened your eyes, you were in a living room. You wondered if you lost consciousness for a minute, but it didn't seem like it since you were literally in the same position as before. This guy... He was teleporting. It all made sense.

You dared look up at him. He was busy scanning the area as if looking for someone, you guessed his brother. You noticed sweat beading on the top of his nervous face.

« Boss ? » He called out with such a softness in his voice that it threw you off. That was the tone of a vulnerable person, right there.

You barely had time to think about it that the a door opened upstairs. The silence in the house was heavy and anxiety thick around you and Sans. Very soon you saw the tall skeleton walk down the stairs while finishing settling his cape on his armor. He looked about to go out with that attire.

« What is it, Sans ? You never wake up this early... » He said before he froze at your sight, then he scowled. « What are you doing with the human ? »

« Boss, its wound... It's getting infected. » He quickly explained in the most comfortable and chill tone he could come up with. His grip on your arm tightened so much that you could feel his digits digging into your tender skin. You knew you were going to have bruises from that, if not cuts. « It will die if we do nothing. »

You could barely stay awake because of all of these efforts you've made today. You were terribly sleepy, cold and drenched to the bone, and in overbearing pain. The lack of food and the wound really had effects on your vessel right now. That's what you get for being brave. You couldn't catch up with what they were saying, you just... needed to lay down. Your head weighed a ton, like an army's feet pounding on it. Sans felt the shift of weight in his hand and looked down at you ; your body was asking to blend with the ground, so he let go of you. Seeing you collapsing pushed Papyrus to react and he rushed to you.

« Come on Sans, don't you see that we need a first aid kit !? Do you think we're going to heal it with kisses or what ?! » He shouted at Sans, who rushed to the bathroom to search for the medikit.

It was hard to keep your eyes open. No, it was impossible. The ringing in your ear overtaking your hearing, drowning out the rest of the sound only letting you hear your own loud pants and silent whimpers, desperate to stay focused. The desire to puke and pass out was intense, still you refused to succumb to it. It felt like you would die if you did, and you didn't want to relieve all that again. Sans has been merciful this time, you refused to push your luck. You were going to get help, that was something to hold onto...

You noticed the touch of hands on your body. You opened your eyes again and recognized Papyrus' silhouette kneeled close to you, hovering a bit over your body maintaining it laid on your right side with his palms placed on your hip and the other on the side of your head. His hold firm and secure. His energy screamed “strong and collected”, unlike his brother that signaled “impulsive and chaotic”.

Was it wrong that you found comfort in his touch...?

Without thinking about it twice, your hand crawled to rest on his. The gesture startled him so much that he took his own hand away from you as if you just burned him. You were staring at him, begging him for mercy with your miserable expression. He remained silent at first with spiteful eyes staring right back at you, then growled.

« Don't you dare touch me, you nasty creature. » Wow, rude. Then he looked up to the bathroom to yell. « What are you waiting for ? Halloween ?! »

« Found it ! » Sans shouted back with a trembling voice before he reappeared next to you with the first aid kit. He kneeled down and watched his brother handling the little red chest.

« Immobilize it while I'll be proceeding to the health care. »

You could smell the terrible disinfectant odor from a mile. Sans pinned you onto the ground, looming over you when you started panicking.

« Hold on, little bird. We're going to take a good care of you. » He maliciously smiled down at you while his brother was busy taking the components to patch you up.

The next minutes were terrible. They did their best to take care of this wound while you were twisting your body, screaming soundlessly and arching your back because of the excruciating pain until it was too vivid that you passed out.

When you woke up, you were back at the prison, next to the SAVE star. Wait... Did you die ? You took a quick look at your belly. There was a bandage around it and a strong smell of a disinfectant emanating from it. You could even feel the warmth of alcohol slipping into your skin. At least it meant that your state was more stable than the previous rewind. You noticed next to you a glass full of water and a tiny plate with a couple of pills and a note. You tried to do as less movement as possible when you stretched to reach the piece of paper. It was written in an oddly familiar font.

“Take the treatment if you want to live.”

What's the point ??? You were gonna die anyway. You looked at the pills with scepticism. You didn't know what was the pill, but by the looks, it might be an antibiotic... Sorta...? You only guessed. Considering your situation, you prefered to recover from the infection for a few reasons; other than just wanting to be less miserable, you might be able to escape at some point. You still had a promise to keep. Flowey sacrified their life for you, you had to honor them by surviving. It will be the only thing that'd keep you going forward.

It was hard to swallow, but lord, you've never been so relieved to drink water. You downed the large glass in one go and let out a trembling sigh once full. Was it Papyrus who gave you the medication ? You hoped... Maybe you can find a friend in him...? Thanks to him, you'll have to go through another day...

You turned towards the fragile light of the star and proceeded to crawl towards it to save your progress in this hell. Once close enough to kneel, you raised a weak hand to touch the warm twinkling star and as it shone brighter against your trembling fingers, the memory of Flowey's soft and warm smile sparked in your eyes. At this moment, comfort found home inside your chest.

You missed them so much...

« I'll live... For you, Flowey... » Your lips motioned.

Something in the back of your head chanted DETERMINATION.

Chapter Text

You managed to get through the days, no matter how many times you had to rewind when Sans felt the need to beat the crap out of you. How many times he bit you to empty your shell of your precious vital fluid. The fact that you were still voiceless drove him insane. He wanted, no, needed to hear your cries so bad. Anytime he'd give you his Bad Time treatment and you wouldn't make a sound, the torture would only worsen, which was surprising considering how horrible it was already. But even after he was done, you'd still defy him with an intense gaze when you returned from the dead. Every cell of your body screamed hate towards him, you had fantaisies where you'd fight back and destroy him, make him pay for what he has done... and yet, you'd fight back these wishes. Flowey wouldn't want you to lose yourself in that hell. If Hate won... There would be no going back. You'll join the ones that destroyed your existence, another lost, forsaken soul wandering in the pitch-black ocean of a cursed storm... And you weren't ready for that. Flowey's memory was what kept you at bay and you held onto it dearly to honor their wish.

And still, you couldn't help the horrible desires...

One day, you were laying on the floor of your cell. Your strength was completely gone. Your stomach has been roaring and your sore throat hurting for a while, you didn't know how long because the agony felt like forever and you've been in and out of sleep because of the exhaustion it'd cause. You were desperate just for water, and the fact that you had water in the dog bowl which was unsafe to drink made the agony ten times worse. You couldn't recover right from your lethal wound, all of this because you couldn't eat nor quench your thirst. You were going insane. You would eat anything, even the thing you disliked the most so you'd finally have a bit of peace ! It was the most cruel thing to do to a living creature; leaving it to starve. You didn't even have the strength to cry and holy shit, how much you wanted to !

You heard someone enter the cell. Your tired eyes slowly turned to see who was there. Sans. He was standing a few feet away from you, holding a... A plate.

« Papyrus thought you might need something to eat. » He said with a smile. « And he sent me to give it to you. »

You could sense the delicious smell of the food from here. Oh, you were so glad being able to eat right now ! A genuine smile of gratitude was growing on your lips... Then it shattered when you saw Sans pour the content of the plate directly onto the ground next to him, following with a “oops”. The plate was composed of spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs... All of this... Wasted on the dirty ground. You choked back a sob before you raised your horrified eyes to his face. He was smiling down at you, yet his staring eyes were full of hatred.

« Why should I let you be THE ONE to eat his food when he never wanted to do anything for his own brother ? »

After that, he shattered the plate on the ground, its loud clash and flying bits of porcelain made you jump with shock. Then, he kicked the dog bowl spilling its content against the wall. Your whole body was trembling. No... That was horrible... How could someone be this cruel ? You stayed there staring at the food spilled on the ground with a shaky breath. The skeleton turned away, heaving with anger.

« I'll fucking give you reasons to cry. » He growled before he disappeared, leaving you frozen in shock.

Sans closed the door a bit too violently, which warned Papyrus of his return. He appeared on the doorway of the kitchen soon enough to witness his heavily slouching brother getting rid of his baskets then hop into his slippers before he walked towards the staircase. Sans didn't spare a glance at the taller skeleton in case he'd notice the guilt and anxiety in his eyes.

« How did it react to my food ? » Papyrus asked his brother, curious to know how it went.

« It said it was shit and threw the plate away. » He lied as he went to lock himself into his bedroom, enjoying in silence the sweet revenge by hurting his brother's feelings.

The next morning, you were dead from thirst.

This time, you managed to survive the morning and it was a nice change to see Papyrus come and meet you with his plate. He calmly went inside your jail, yet his movements were so brusque you feared that you were gonna get the plate shoved into your face. The tall skeleton looked around, judging your place's lack of comfort before he squatted next to you.

« Sit up, human. » He bid you in his natural low tone with his usual frown.

You didn't think that you'd have the strength to, and yet you managed to obey with attentive eyes like a puppy waiting to be fed. The power of hunger ? Probably.

He rested a hand against your back to help you sit steadily, then he handed the plate to you. You stared at his cooking, then at him with your eyes filled with tears. He stiffened.

« What is it, human ? »

You just shook your head to let him know that “it's nothing” before you started feasting. At first, you were eating impressively fast, so fast that you choked on a bite and had a coughing fit. The skeleton cursed before he handed you a glass of fresh water while he called you a “stupid human”.

« Here. I know my cooking skills reach the top of highest standards called as perfection, but there is no need to die for it. »

You gulped half of the glass' content then sighed in relief once you could breathe again. Your jailer watched you feed slower now that your aching stomach was finally catching up until you finished your plate. You were leaning against the wall, a hand over your stomach, relieved and satisfied. You never thought that stuffing your face up to the point of explosion would be bliss, but god, how comforting it felt being full and warm. In a matter of a minute, you even started feeling sleepy like a baby that was fed and you might have dozed off if it wasn't for Papyrus who drew your attention over the empty plate and the glass that he was gathering. It seemed like he was proud, either of you or himself to see that you devoured his dish. If only you knew how relieved he was that you didn't reject his dish a second time. He placed the plate away and bent over you a bit.

« Let me check on your wounds, human. »

It seemed like last time's incident scared him. Whenever he came to see you, he would silently check how your wounds were progressing, which... were really slow at healing because of the poor treatment they gave you. At least, they were healing...

Papyrus never laid a hand on you since you were being obedient and never objected anything from him. You just knew you couldn't mess with that guy. Other than that, he was an okay “bad guy” to deal with. You jolted in pain when he examined quickly your hurt side and didn't even receive any apology from him. Once he made sure you didn't have any infection, he placed the bandages back before he took the plate, got up, then went to check what was in the dog bowl.

« Good Lord, I can't believe this lazybones even left you to die of dehydration. I'll show him how to treat prisoners. »

He grabbed the dog bowl and looked at you.

« I could have let you starve to death for your offense. » Your offense ? What have you ever done that could have harmed him ?? « But it is my duty to keep you alive for the King. At least, today you decided to cooperate and it's with pride that I saw that you even appreciate my dish, human. I, the Terrible Papyrus, have a better appreciation of you. Now, you should rest since night is coming. »

You still didn't know what the fuck you could have done to hurt his feelings... You didn't think he had any that you could even try and hurt in the first place. Anyway, it appeared that the problem was fixed at least. He was passing by until he was forced to stop in his tracks not to break his spine when something grabbed his cape. Startled, he looked over his shoulder at what held him back and saw you holding on the other end of his cape. Silence filled the dark room again as he shut his jaw. Maybe you just awakened the beast inside of him judging by how his gaze pierced through your entire being.

Despite his frightening glare, you intensively stared back at him before you breathed out softly...

« Thank you, Papyrus. »

These words caught him off guard. His jaw dropped in shock when you showed your most honest smile. Then, he shook his head quickly to regain his composure and looked away before he motioned so you'd let go of his torn cape.

« Don't touch me, filthy human. » He replied, but... As much as he wanted to look menacing, his voice got softer in the end.

Then he left.

You weren't ready to lose your progress, so you crawled towards the SAVE star. You weren't confident enough about the strength of your legs after so many days laying on the cold floor, food deprived and wounded. You gently embraced it once you were close enough, accepting its comforting warmth as it registered your progress before you returned to lay on the dog bed and curled up to fit in it.

That night, you slept full, warm, and light-hearted. You didn't even catch someone softly calling out to you.

In your slumber, you sensed the approach of a pair of arms slowly reaching to embrace you. Yet, before they could lock around you, you were torn away from your silent, dreamless sleep. Sans was there, standing above you. You looked at him before you rolled over your back, blinking the tiredness away in vain. Your eyes hurt from the lack of rest. He seemed upset, staring down at you. He was trembling and sweating. You could even hear his shaky breath. Was... Was he crying ? You opened your mouth a bit to call him, and it was a mistake. He took it as a signal and that's when he grabbed your hands and dragged you to the SAVE star. Startled, you thrashed around trying to get back on your feet while the star's light grew bigger at your contact. Your breath mirrored your messed up state, hyperventilating hurt your lungs and throat but that was nothing compared to what was in store for you ; you knew you were gonna get wrecked. Once the star's light grew dimmer, Sans threw you into the wall on the other side of the cell. You yelped in pain at the impact. Sans twitched at the sound of your weak voice echoing in the room while you fell back heavily on the ground. Your aching body was trembling in agony and fright when you heard your assaulter walking up to you. Your poor heart missed beats due to all the sudden stress you were put through. You didn't dare move as Sans just stopped in front of your face, you just looked up whimpering.

« I'm sick of this shit... » You heard him mumbling in a growling voice just before red magic encircled your body and lifted it up in the air. « I have enough of your orders ! » He then threw you around, just like he did with your bestfriend. Everytime you were hitting either a wall, the ceiling or the ground, he shouted. « Sick of your hits... Sick of your venom. Sick of your glares ! Sick of your threats !! »

When you were dying, you'd reappear and he'd be there, beating you up while he shouted his anger out. « Sick of you hating on me for no fuckin' reason !! You never show you care, you never show support !! We're fucking brothers ! How can you keep threatening me !? HOW ?! Fucking TELL ME !! »

You couldn't say anything through the beating since you were dying and dying again. He was just growing more brutal and deadly by the deaths, screaming from pure rage and pain.

« I'm doing the best I can !! I'm trying ! And it's never enough for you ! Never enough !! You're just a prick, Papyrus !! You're just a fucking asshole !! »

His powerful voice was now growing weaker and words would get stuck in his tightening throat. Even his breath was ragged despite the loud panting. When he was done destroying your body, you reappeared and waited in torpor for him to go for another round. You couldn't muster the courage to look up so afraid you were of fueling his fury. Both of you were a trembling mess as he stood there in front of you with his eyes fixated on the ground. It was like all will to kill just vanished all of the sudden, leaving in its wake a defeated monster.

« Do you... Hate me that much...? » he said, his voice barely a whisper.

At this moment, you threw a worried glance at him, concerned with the sudden change in his demeanor. His face...

He looked so young, like a child...

At this moment, you realized that your statement about Sans was wrong. He wasn't an impulsive and chaotic character.

He was, in fact, a broken and desperate man...

It all made sense now...

He was lost in the cursed storm... How couldn't you see that before ? … Well... Of course you couldn't with all what he put you through... No one would be able to take steps back to look at the bigger picture when they're in the middle of such traumatic events... But now, that's only what you saw. You were looking at a broken child standing there, just as helpless as you.

He sensed your stare and looked back at you... Were those... Tears ? He quickly blinked them away and turned away, ashamed that you saw him crying. The monster strained to calm down, his breathing deep and hoarse from the cries. It took him a little while and once he regained his composure, he moved to leave. That's when you spoke.

« You won't... You won't feel better this way... » You managed to say, despite how badly using your voice hurt. It was nothing compared to what you just experienced. Tears were still wetting your face out of fear, but you decided to be brave. Hearing you finally talk made him stop and glare at you. « Violence... Doesn't solve anything... »

« How do you know ? » He retorted after he snorted.

You took time to respond. It was asking you effort for you to speak up.

« Do you feel better after you beat me up ? » You replied with a question. He glanced away, as if he looked back into his memories.

« Just a tad. » He laughed weakly before he stared back at you.

« ... Haven't you thought that... what you were doing to me... Was what you lived with... your brother ? » This question seemed to have struck a nerve, as his gaze just widened. He looked down at the realization. « You can... You can fight this suffering... Not by making the others suffer as well... You can... t-talk... »

You took a pause to catch your breath while Sans stared at you silently.

« Talking about... Your problems helps... And I'm a good listener... »

You coughed a bit. Your voice was going to break again if you kept going, but you felt that Sans' shield was fragilized so you could reach his broken heart. This may be your only chance.

« Talk to me anytime you... Feel the need to... You don't know how much... that helps getting through hard times... Having a confidant. »

« You ? A confidant ? Like a friend ? » He was drinking up your words at first. You were nodding in silence. You could see his real face : a hoping man in pain, but then his mask was coming back with his grin as well just as his hateful gaze. « Heh. That's for pussies. »

You shook your head.

« Remember... How much you'd like... being able to talk with your brother again... A brother is a friend... Right ? »

« But you're not a brother of mine, sweetheart. » He replied almost softly, tilting his head with what seemed to be a tender smile.

« I can... be your friend... » You replied before you closed your eyes, fighting back the tears as needles of pain were piercing through your throat. « So please... Come and talk to me... Anytime you need it. »

Then you coughed a few times in front of the silent monster. You could sense his agitated aura. He remained still, considering his options. Then, after what seemed to be an eternity, he turned his back on you and left in a sigh. You curled up against the wall to hide your face in your folded arms on top of your knees. Your whole body was shaking. Now that you weren't in danger anymore, fear and adrenaline gave their turn to sorrow and hatred. You were gripping your sleeves in your delicate hands, your breath hitching and trembling. You felt so cold all of the sudden.

You wished that Flowey was here.

Chapter Text

It has been a while since Papyrus came to check up on you. You didn't know how long you have been locked up. Was it day, was it night ? You didn't know... It was terrifying easy to lose track of time. You just knew it had been days, maybe a week, judging by your personal hygiene. You felt terribly gross. You were curled up in the dog basket, trembling because of the cold. Your legs ached, your feet even more. Loneliness was your only companion and it reminded you of every moment you lived by Flowey's side. You would have given anything to talk to them again, to hold them again, to hear their soft voice and laughter, and see their comforting smile... A sob tore out of you just before you heard someone open the door. Papyrus. He finally came back. The lanky skeleton was silent when he took a look at you, before he deactivated the deadly trap to open the door, then he walked to your trembling frame.

« Get up, human. »

You feared it was time for you to meet the King. With time and care, you started to recover from all your wounds just enough for your health to be stable. And that meant being brought to the King... Feeling that he was on edge, you obeyed and he grabbed your arm -too roughly for your taste- to bring you out of the prison.

« I... I don't need to go in the woods... » You protested softly in a whisper, too afraid of making him mad. He ignored your complaint and kept walking. Your voice was far from healed so better let it rest most of the time.

For the past days, he sometimes had been screaming at you whenever you showed resistance, but he always kept himself from hitting you. Instead, his gestures were rough and he would go and calm his nerves on his sibling instead. Everytime that it happened, you felt horrible and guilty for Sans' suffering.

The cold and the crunching sound of the snow managed to tear you away from your thoughts and you looked up. Wait... You recognized this house ! You looked at the mailboxes... Two very familiar mailboxes. One empty, the other filled so much it was spewing the mails back unto the ground. No way ! That was their house ? Papyrus opened the door without giving a damn about you stumbling over the little stairs at the entrance before he dragged you inside. You looked around and recognized the coziness of the place. Fancy furniture, a very big TV, a warm temperature... You didn't have time nor the energy to observe the tidiness of the place the first time, so it was like discovering it all over again. God, you were so weak last time that Sans brought you here. Finally you could admire the central room until your gaze landed on the tall skeleton's who had never stopped observing you. He noticed your questioning eyes.

« Why did I bring you inside my home, you wonder ? Well, I thought that a low creature such as you having such high standards for my cooking should take a shower from time to time. But don't think of it as an act of kindness. I'm just sick of smelling you everytime I enter the prison. » He explained with his usual, low and raspy voice. You could even notice his expression distorted with disgust and you couldn't help but hug your torso tightly in shame as if it would prevent the smell from emanating from you. You knew you stunk, damn it, no need to put salt on the wound.

You heard Sans coming to check what was going on downstairs while his sibling lead you in his direction. He helped you walk up the stairs and you crossed paths with Sans who waited there, looking down at you in silence. He was surprised to see you in his comfort zone, and you were embarrassed if not ashamed. After you passed the first door on the left, Papyrus stopped at the second one then turned towards you.

« I read some books and got to learn that humans were filthy creatures and needed a bathroom for their daily needs. So I made sure you can have access to one until you're given to King Asgore. You wouldn't like to be gross when you'll meet him, would you ? » He asked with a spiteful glance over you, yet, you were looking up to him with big, thankful eyes. At this point you didn't care about the Asgore situation, you were eager to get yourself clean. He opened the door and pushed you inside. « Get in there. Don't force me to come in with you. »

You looked towards him, catching his glance before the door was shut. You waited for a while. You didn't hear a single footstep from the other side. He wasn't moving. Sans neither. They'll watch the door, won't they ? You sighed before you took a look at the bathroom. Hey at least, it was cozy and smelled fresh in here. The colors were rich and inviting, that was a comforting touch. You then looked in front of you to realize you were facing the bathroom sink and there was a mirror standing against the wall right above it. Golly, you looked awful ! Covered in dried sweat, dirt, blood... Your hair tattered on some spots and greasy. You started brushing your hair with your fingers trying to untungle most of it, sometimes tearing through it... Man, you'll need something to beat that beast. Looking more intently into the mirror, you rubbed your face and it made a clean spot on this area. Damn. It was even worse than you thought. At least you were going to take care of yourself now. You looked down for a little while. You couldn't wait to get rid of the torn and dirty clothes anymore so you just took off your sweater then the tank top covering your torso. Bandages were still covering your whole chest. Well, you needed new ones, it seemed. You took your time to undo it, starting from the bottom and soon enough you were able to see your wound. It seemed to be healing slowly but nicely... You touched around it a bit. Good. It looked fine and was only slightly tender as long as you were delicate.

You then took off your clothes that covered your bottom half. When your black thights were gone, you jolted in stupefaction as you spotted black stains on your skin. Did the cloth dye your legs ? Impossible ! You were rubbing them to make them go away, but they would not and would sting like bruises. Were those... Frosbites then ? That was possible, since you've been exposed to snow, humidity, and cold for days... They might be also bruises because of how bad you've been abused. It didn't hurt when you weren't touching the marks until now, though. It was insane, you thought... Maybe if you were going to take a shower, it would ease the effects depending on the issue...?

You stood straight again and took a quick look at the mirror. You froze at the glance of yourself naked, then looked right away. You didn't know what was that feeling taking over you. Was it shyness, or shame ? Anytime you tried to turn your eyes on the mirror, your head would just turn again, like a second thought or some instinct pressing you not to... Was it dysphoria that you were feeling rising...? Or something even worse ande your body tried to keep the memory buried for you...?

It's with that strange, foreign sensation that your brain could grasp that you reached for the drawers under the sink, curious to find something for your hair and... Interestingly enough, you found a comb laying across MTT brand products and perfumes. Maybe it belonged to a friend because there was no way these guys found a use to this.

The thought of them trying to comb their hairless heads was hilarious.

Anyway, time to actually profit from it. For several minutes, you worked to comb your hair and get rid of the knots. Once you deemed it was good enough, you washed the tool and put it to dry out, then you turned to enter the bathtub. Still, the unnerving feeling of this body stuck with you, and how you reacted as soon as you'd lay eyes on it... You couldn't even try to look down at your privates. It was such a strange behavior, even you could tell it.

It was like this body didn't belong to you.

You shook your head as an attempt to discard that weird sensation you were experiencing. After all, it may just be the aftermath of all the traumatic events that occurred... Fuck it. You didn't take a shower in what felt like an eternity. Might as well enjoy it and forget about the world for a moment.

Okay. It took longer than expected. You spent a good while rubbing your legs to get these strange stains away, or if they were frostbites, to try and help blood circulating but it wouldn't do anything else but hurt. Finally defeated as realization that all your actions were fruitless hit, you let the marks be, thinking they'll heal on their own in a few days. From now on you were chilling under the water until it got suddenly icey cold and you squealed. Oh no, did you empty their fuel tank or something ? Then, the water quickly heated up and this time, you shouted from the boiling shower. It kept changing until you managed to turn the water off, and now in a dead silent bathroom where only your pants of panic echoed, you heard Papyrus shouting from the kitchen.

« SANS ! What the fuck are you doing !? » The skeleton snarled.

« I wanted to hear what kind of sounds the human could make. » The other simply replied.

That sneaky jerk. You were so mad.

« ... Mmmh. I had to admit, its sounds were rather delightful. » Papyrus replied when they were coming back to your door.

A bunch of assholes in their natural habitat. You felt anger boiling up inside of you... but it wouldn't be a good idea acting on it. You knew how dangerous these guys were, how weak and badly shaped you were in comparison so you better keep it cool. You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to get rid of these emotions. It will be okay, you thought to yourself. You just needed to dry before they'd throw you back into your cage. You took a look at your clothes... They were terribly dirty and smelly, you couldn't put them back on ! You just had a towel around your head to dry your hair when a rough knock at the door startled you.

« Human, are you finished with your duties yet ? »

Dang it. You were going to put your filthy clothes back on, weren't you. You quickly grabbed them and put them on just in time before Papyrus bursted inside the room, which made you yelp and cower. He looked down at you. Did he think you tried to escape ?

« I see you took your time, human. Well anyway, you're going back to your cell. » He said while he grabbed roughly your wrist.

« W-Wait ! I need to get patched ! » You quickly protested with a weak, fragile voice as he forced you out with no effort. He stopped in his track and turned to face you.

He took less than two seconds to reflect on what to do before he grabbed your sweater and lifted it up to take a quick look on your wound. Sans was there and enjoying the view while you just froze, not knowing how to react between those two boneheads. You even heard Sans whistle at you. That prick. He enjoyed seeing bits of skin and flesh or what. After Papyrus finished gauging the damage, he lowered the material of your sweater while he glanced at Sans who couldn't take his intense gaze off you.

« Sans ! What are you waiting for ? Go and search for bandages already ! » He scowled his sibling who stiffened and started to sweat nervously.

« On it ! » Sans replied as he quickly went in the room you were in a moment ago, leaving the both of you alone for a little while.

You were still upset that Sans eyed you with such envy... It's not like he hasn't seen your bare skin anytime he bit you to drink your blood already. Your glance lowered to the ground when you sensed Papyrus turned his attention on you again.

« You better comply. We'll break each part of this pitiful body of yours and make sure you won't move ever again if you dare try anything. Understood ? » He threatened you, and you nodded silently.

Your wrist was hurting and going numb from how strongly he was gripping it. He pulled on it as he went downstairs to make sure you'd follow before he pushed your arm away once you were all in the living room. You rubbed your aching wrist, throwing a bad look at the skeleton who didn't catch it since he turned his back on you. Sans followed soon, and you realized too late that he was staring at you. The way that his expression changed when he caught sight of your glare was enough to make you look away in fear. He didn't enjoy the way you looked at his brother, you saw it in his eyes. What worried you the most was that he remained silent. Man, you knew that sooner or later, you're gonna pay for this.

« Human. » Papyrus called you and you stiffened at his voice. « Take place onto the ground. I wouldn't want you to stain our couch with your dirty clothes. And get rid of that disgusting top. »

And so, you proceeded to do as he commanded... Undressing...? More reluctanctly especially when both of them were watching you. You didn't want to undress around them... You bowed your head in shame and realized then how fast your heart was beating. You felt tension growing in the room, so you ended up taking off your filthy sweater and kept the tank top.

They were still waiting.

…

… Neat.

You wanted to puke. The colors of your face, although you didn't have much to begin with, just washed out. You just couldn't go further. Your eyes were directed at the rug and there was no way you'd look up at them again. You were frozen.

It felt like an eternity, and eventually, they started moving silently around you. Papyrus walked away, while Sans sat behind you and began to fetch tools from the health kit. It seemed like they got the message and respected it...?

This time, it was Sans giving you medical attention. He didn't force you to get rid of your tank top, still you felt him touch the lesions roughly on purpose to make you hiss in pain. Here was his punishment. And as if having his hands run across your body wasn't stressful enough... It felt uncomfortable. He either tried to hurt you by handling you roughly, or to try and intimidate you with soft, feather-light and lightly scratchy touches. Anytime you'd look up to his face, you'd see his hatred eyes and sadistic smile... He really meant to humiliate you, didn't he...

You were paralyzed with cold hands that wouldn't stop shaking in anger and fear. Why did it have to be him ? God, you wished it was Papyrus taking care of you. He was an asshole but at least, he would do the job quickly and not stare at you with hungry eyes. Good fucking lord.

Speaking of the devil, he had settled on the couch, both of his arms laying on the back of it and his legs crossed as he was watching the TV. There was some kind of show going on, and you could hear a male voice presenting it as the MTT-show. Screams came from it, and Papyrus was laughing wholeheartedly and it was terrifying how his usual quiet voice boomed and echoed in the room, so deep, raspy and powerful. You really didn't want to look what was on the screen at this point, so you just stared at the carpet and remained silent... Until you felt Sans's breath too close to your ear. In a heartbeat, you shoved your hand in his face and pushed him away. The monster fell back on his ass and barely managed to stop himself from toppling over while you crawled away from him with a bouncing heart. You were both staring at one another just as shocked as the other. Even Papyrus reacted at the sudden altercation, standing up halfway from the couch. Sans, that was distraught by the way you snapped at first, straightened with a very pissed off demeanor.

« 'the fuck is wrong with you !? » He barked and you cowered in cue.

Fuuuuuck, you regretted your life decisions... Or death decisions ?

You tried to speak up, but your voice strained and you choked on your saliva instead. You wanted to call him out for his bullshit... Guess that it was better this way. Your coughing fit managed to calm down both of the skeletons that were almost ready to jump on you, as if they remembered you were too weak to try and have an actual fight.

In the end, Papyrus joined in and helped his brother finish, spitting a bitter “of course I have to do the fucking job, why did I think my brother could be any use for once ?”

Sans looked down in anxiety and you noticed sweat breaking out on his skull suddenly.

Once you were patched up, the lanky skeleton returned to his couch, leaving the two of you together.

« That's settled. Now bring the human back to its jail, will you ? » Papyrus asked, still angry.

Sans suppressed a sigh and you barely finished putting your clothing back that he grabbed your arm to force you getting up. A second after that, you were back at the jail and he threw you onto the dog bed and you shouted in return with the flaring pain in your side that he just provoked. You needed a little while to comprehend what just happened, as you were desoriented because of the teleportation and the rough treatment. Sans slapped your injured area while you were recollecting your bearings, tearing a high pitched squeal from you as you felt that piercing sting course your entire body. You threw him a glare with tears springing in your eyes. Here was your second punishment.

« Don't forget to SAVE, sweetheart. I did quite enjoy handling your body but this should not become a habit, m'kay ? » He smirked, before he turned away. « Well, see ya. »

When you looked up, he wasn't there anymore. Ahh.. You started shaking from the cold all of the sudden again. You forgot that this place wasn't heated up like their house. Such a shame, you thought with regret. And as he said, you got up to go to the SAVE star and hold it against your heart. You let out a sigh of relief. At least, this was never getting old touching this. A nostalgic feeling flew over you again as your friend's smiling face appeared in a flash. That was the only comfort you could have from now on... Despite the shower. It was a nice touch too. These monsters were mean but at least they were now attentive to your vital needs. They needed you alive, after all... You took a look at the dog bed and brought it closer to the star. This shining thing was delivering a bit of heat, which was important in this weather. You settled down, and stopped moving so you could watch the tiny twinkling thing in silence. Peacefully, quietly, sleep was kicking in, and you let it drive you away from the real world.

(Oh hey, hello, here's a lovely music playing in the distance)

« Frisk... Frisk... » A voice called you softly.

You couldn't recognize it. And yet... it was still comforting listening to it. Your eyes remained shut while you floated peacefully in the middle of the void.

« Who's... There ? » You replied just as softly, almost in a whisper.

The echoes of the voice grew clearer as it approached. It was hard knowing where it was coming from, echos went back and forth in the giant abyss.

Then you felt a presence right in front of you, their voice crystal clear as they closed in to surround you with their arms for an embrace.

« Wake up ! » Another voice erupted.

Your eyes flew open to look at the intruding presence in the room. Sans. His eyes were fixated on your laying form and his entire frame trembled madly. He was agitated again. Oh no, what happened ? Was he going to beat you up ? You sat up in a heartbeat and hugged the wall in a desperate attempt to blend with it, hoping to avoid Sans' wrath.

But he didn't move. You could hear him breathing deeply with anger, his eyes were burning with bright red as he kept staring down at you. After what seemed to be an eternity, you... Heard something familiar. A hiccup ? His breathing hitched and sometimes he would gulp loudly. No matter how scared you were of him going berserk from a moment to another, you couldn't help but stare at him with concern... Why... Why wasn't he grabbing you and forcing you to SAVE so could ravage you as he pleased ?

That's when you spotted the fresh cracks on the right side of his face running across his eye. Blood covered the side of his face. Damn, it sure looked painful... And he... He was a shaking mess, he was still in shock. For a long moment, you wondered if he was going to explode with rage and take it all out on you. You saw that happening too many times already... The memories were still freshly burnt in your mind, too fucking vivid to your liking, so vivid you'd feel the pain of the violence he inflicted you in previous timelines all over again.

But...

He still didn't move, just as scared as you. He didn't seem to know what to expect either. With the heart beating strongly in your tight chest, you swallowed a bit of your saliva before you managed to find anything to say.

« What happened...? » You asked with a soft tone. You waited for a while. It seemed that he was doing his best to keep his composure as well.

« When you told me you would be my confidant... Was it true...? » He finally asked in return with a chocked up voice. You were lost for words at first, but then you nodded.

« Of course... I want to help... » You gently replied.

The skeleton looked beside you, checking if there was enough room to stand there. You did the same. Wait, was he considering... sitting next to you ?

Would you let him sit next to you after everything he's done ?

...

Yes.

If that would help the both of you progress, then yes.

You pushed yourself to the dog bed's extremity, inviting him to take a seat next to you. He walked and sat down close to you before he rested his back against the wall with a lifted leg to let his arm lay on it. It was embarrassing at first to be this close to him... Since your shoulders were touching. You looked away and just patiently waited for him to speak up. After a while, he broke his silence.

« He hit me... » He spoke weakly. « And he just... Told me I was worthless, just as usual... » This made you look at him again when you heard him sniffing. Now up close, you could see the wound was fresh, some of the blood has been smudged across the cheek when more would run and drip down. His clothes were stained with the fluids. The injury was deep, you couldn't start and imagine what it felt having your head cracked open like that... How was he still conscious ??? Maybe it was because he was a monster so his body worked differently...?

« What happened ? » You dared ask again, still with the gentle tone more out of kindness than fear this time.

By the time Sans managed to reduce the blood loss, he explained the most of what he has been through with his brother. How he was living under pressure, being depressed and stressed out. He's been so frightened by his own brother that he spent his nights contemplating the darkness and would collapse asleep only when Papyrus went to work. That game has been going on for years. And for years Papyrus has been violent and cruel towards him, his various abuses, both physical and emotional, worn him out. He told you how tough he was trying to look just to survive... Through the minutes, you sensed a burden get off Sans' shoulders through his entire demeanor, even his voice softened to the level of a whisper so weak it grew. He was on the verge to cry, you knew it. And still he'd keep himself from doing so.

Delicately, you rested your hand on the one he had laid next to you, startling the skeleton monster in the process. It took you a lot of self-control not to flip at his flinch, even though you heart skipped a beat at what might sign your death warrant. Still, you remained determined in keeping eye contact with him.

« You're free to cry... There's no shame in doing that. » You said with the softest tone no one ever used around Sans. He remained silent for a good while. You felt his bones rattling under your palm.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the monster let himself go and he sobbed silently. He was looking away in shame.

Could you test your chance even more than you already did ? You hated seeing people in pain and him included, as crazy as it was... You gathered courage and slowly brought your arm around his head and offered him to rest on your shoulder. Blood was still leaking from his wound, and you didn't care, your top was already pretty much ruined. He stopped weeping for a brief moment as he was expecting any kind of attack from you but then realized how good it felt receiving affection, and he slowly turned towards you to hide his face in the crook of your neck. You felt his arms making their way around your waist which covered a good part of your body with them. Kindly, you returned the gesture and wrapped his shoulders with your own arms before you smoothed his back with one hand. You felt the bumps of his vertebrae through the fabrics under your palm. For a moment your mind wandered on that new wonder that were monsters and the current specimen didn't seem to be bothered about it... Maybe he even liked it...?

Through the minutes, you felt his body relax as he shed tears in silence. You could feel your skin wet and warm from them but you didn't mind. You just... Felt good being able to do something nice for someone, no matter how many times they crushed your soul before. Because now, you understood why Sans behaved this way around you for the past days. Because he didn't know anything else than abuse. And you wanted to help him realize that there was much more than violence that existed.

When Sans finally calmed down, he was peacefully resting against you, tired by the cries he let out. You could feel his soothing breath against your small frame. You were almost losing the battle you were having inside to let yourself rest your head on top of his when he let go of you, but reluctantly almost as if... He didn't want but felt forced to. Still ravaged by shame, he sniffed as he looked away. His voice was hoarse from his previous cries.

« How... Can you be like this...? » He whispered. « I... Hurt you so much and yet... How can you be so... Nice to me like this...? I... Don't understand... »

« I don't know... I just felt the need to help. » You replied honestly as you were staring at him.

« Are all the humans like you...? For all I know, the ones that came before you were nuts. » He chuckled a bit after he wiped away a tear with his jacket's sleeve. You looked down at this question.

« I... Cannot tell. I have no memory of... » Then you remembered the memories you had in flashes days ago. You looked away when you realized you were trembling. Sans sensed your distress.

« ... Sweetheart ? » He called you. Hearing such a calm, collected and soft voice from him was really something unusual and quite shocking, in a good way. You looked at him again and smiled weakly, sweating a bit.

« I'm fine... It's just... I'm not sure of how they are... I don't have any memory of my previous life. »
« Heh... How is that ? Because of the fall ? » He smirked. You nodded in silence. « Did you think you'd find Alice's Wonderland by comin' here or what ? » He snickered. You shook your head, avoiding his glance more than ever. He stopped the questioning and only got up after he sighed. « Well then. 't was a nice chat, sweetheart. » He announced while he was rubbing his neck in his stretching gestures. « 'have to admit... I feel pretty much better now. Just completely drained out, heh. »

He turned just a bit to look at you, as you were doing the same. You couldn't see it, but he was blushing. He took some time to collect his courage and say.

« Thanks... I guess... »

And he left you behind with a shocked face when you heard those words you thought you'd never hear again.

Chapter Text

Two days have passed since that first dialogue. From now on, Sans would come and talk to you whenever he felt the need to. That sort of new habit lead him to treat you better than he used to. He was still messing with you and sometimes wouldn't help but bite your hand to lap a bit of your crimson juice, yet he would not lay a hand on you like before again. It was... Better in a way...? He was even... Coming to see you more often, just to check on you before leaving silently... It seemed like he started to actually trust and care for you, seeing how you were so kind, no matter how much you were suffering because of him or his brother... To the point that he actually handed you a clean sweater when you took your next shower so he could wash your filthy top. And then, sometimes, he would come only to have a small chat with you. Trying to understand who you were, but you didn't know yourself. You were just a big mystery for the both of you.

« Should I talk to your brother ? » You asked.

You were eating together that day. He brought a couple of hot dogs since it was his speciality. Last time he chatted with you, he told you that one of his jobs was selling these and he thought of bringing some back to share with you today. His was covered in mustard, while yours had just a trail of ketchup over it. When your question blurted out in the empty and silent prison, he almost choked on his bite.

« Wow ! Are you insane, sweetheart ? » He asked with a quivering, slight confused grin on his lips while sweat was breaking out from his skull. « How d'ya think he'll react if you come up and say “hey, I know it's not my job to say that but you sure have some anger issues going on and should go and see someone” ? He'll rip your head off. » he concluded with a quiet scoff.

« How do you know ? » You tilted your head, curious. « Did you... Try to talk about it with him already ? »

« Hum... Well... » He scratched his cheekbone nervously, looking away. Now that you were watching him, your eyes wandered on his fresh scar that ran across his right eyesocket. « Once... I told him that I didn't like the way that he treated me, and he retorted that it was because I was a pussy. Heh, I then just... Tried to suck it up. » He shrugged then slouched again in defeat. « 'cause... that's what we're supposed to do. »

« But... You know it's not normal... Right ? » You asked, worried.

He remained silent for a while, closed his eyesockets and sighed sadly. You couldn't believe he got so soft around you. Even his sighing was... Calm and sincere. How could someone like him turn into this absolute monster that you met a few days ago...?

« It's the way it is down here... We're all losing our mind... Papyrus too... He's tough, that's for sure, but huh... being trapped here with all of these other distressed monsters is one of the reasons why he became cruel over time. He had to learn how to survive ever since he was a kid after all... » A sad smile appeared when he opened up his eyelids just enough to stare at the ground, a melancholy perceptible. « Heck, I don't even know if he ever learnt happiness... »

« Why ? »

« Remember ? Down here, it's kill or be killed... You have to learn the rules of this world quickly not to die. The more you'll have scars over your body, the more respected you'll be. The bigger are your scars, the more you'll be feared and admired by the others. » His tone was bitter but then he laughed darkly. « Kindness... It's a weakness down here. »

The last sentence made your hands ball up in fists... So... You were perceived as a weakness, down here ? You shook your head and looked at your companion again.

« But your brother doesn't need to be cruel towards you. » You objected. « You're brothers, not... enemies. I'll have a talk with Papyrus. »

« It won't do any goo- » He started but you cut him off.

« No. I feel like I can do it. » You were staring at your feet, still holding carefully your meal.

« I just feel it. »

The next day Sans came to see you, you were laying directly on the ground. He understood something was off and he came inside your jail by taking a shortcut.

« Sweetheart ? »

He could hear you heaving even from the distance. He squatted next to you and took support on his femurs while he'd look down at you.

« Sweetheart ? Quit the shit now, I don't find it funny. » He just said sharply, before he grabbed your shoulder and made you roll over your back.

He stiffened as he saw your pale, sweaty face with big black spots under your eyes. Despite the paleness, your cheeks and nose were red and your breath sounded rough. He took his hand away from you, distraught to see you in such bad shape.

« What's going on ? » He asked.

You could barely register that someone was here at first. You felt so cold yet burning hot at the same time. Your head throbbed as if it'd explode at any moment. You had difficulties breathing since your lungs were weak and clogged, your nose stuffed, your throat sore because of the infection and to top it all, the overheating. Your whole body was shivering, all its strength used to fight the infection so you were left laying there like a sad piece of shit. Each time the figure looming over you spoke, you whimpered because its deep voice echoed inside your head already threatening to give in. The fever made you delirious, either making you see dark silhouettes dancing in the shadowed corners of your cell and hear whispers talking in your ears. You took extra effort to be able to blink your eyes open. Your vessel ached. Last time Sans saw you like this, he didn't hesitate to kill you... You felt two boney hands gripping you around your shoulders. You hardly recognized his face because of your dizziness and your blurred vision.

« Sans...? » You croaked out. Hearing your hoarse voice scared the crap out of him.

« What's happening ? » He asked, worry evident in his voice. You blinked a few times to see his concerned face. He was sweating as well but unlike you, it was out of distress. « Sweetheart, is that your wound ? Is it infected again ? »

Ah... If you could speak more... You just grabbed his forearm weakly and swallowed multiple times. Unfortunately, your mouth remained dry. So you shook your head instead.

« How long have you been like this ? » He asked you again, upset evident in his voice.

« Yesterday... » You swallowed again before speaking up. « ...started feeling bad yesterday... after you left... »

He remained there silent, not knowing what to do anymore. You gripped his forearm tighter with both of your hands as a lifeline. You coughed loudly and curled up from the effort before you went limp again on the freezing floor. You started to hear his own breathing speed up in anxiety.

« Please... Sans... You know what to do... Right ? » You asked him weakly as you shut your eyes. It was too tiring to keep them open.

« ... What ? »

« ... You have to kill me... Both of us know... I won't make it through the night... »

« Sweetheart, no way- » He faintly smiled as he started.

« Please...! » You cut him off.

It took him some time as he thought of the options. When he came to the conclusion that he didn't have much choices, he let go of you and stood up, a shadow casting over his frowning face. The warmth of his hands leaving you made you open your eyes to stare at him. It seemed like he was accepting your request, yet not without a reluctant grimace. You opened your arms and couldn't help but smile in relief. He lifted his skeletal hand when one of his empty eyesockets burned brighter in a red taint and his hand was covered with a red coat. A femur was forming from thin air when both of you were cut in your actions by a voice you recognized : Papyrus. He was on the other side of the jail. You looked at him while Sans stood frozen posed over your body, staring down at you and sweating more than ever while his grimace grew deeper. He was visibly trembling, either because of his brother or because of his intention of killing you.

« Sans ! What are you doing !? » The tall skeleton shouted, first frozen in shock because of the scene he was witnessing.

« They're sick... » Sans started with a short and trembling breathing. « The human... Won't survive longer.... I'm just... »

« Don't you dare do that, Sans ! » His sibling yelled. He was afraid any movement might trigger Sans to plunge his jagged bone into your fragile form. Sans was staring down at your impassible form, and you back at him with pleading eyes.

« Please... Sans... Do it... » You begged him.

« Don't !! » Papyrus forbid. « Don't let it take control of you, Sans ! We need its SOUL, remember ? We can't harvest it ourselves or we'll consume it ! Or worse, we could lose it and we don't know whenever another human will show up ! We need it, Sans ! » Their pleas were putting Sans in a difficult position.

« I have... I have to do it... » Sans replied weakly, almost in trance. He didn't seem to hear his brother's pleas.

He slowly raised his hand up high. The red coat of his magic covering it shined brighter. Nor Sans nor you would take their eyes of each other while Papyrus kept protesting in the distance. Quickly, the spiky skeleton reached out to the code pad to deactivate the trapped bars and when he turned to check what was going on, Sans was ready to throw his bone into your chest. He shouted “NOOOO !”, watching Sans' hand balling into a fist in the air while you closed your eyes and braced yourself for the hit, but then...

Nothing.

You waited for a while before you peeked to see Sans remained still, shaking. After multiple seconds that felt like eternity, with all of your three panting breaths combined to fill the silent room, the monster looked down, defeated.

« I can't... » He finally admitted before his hand fell to his side and his magic fainted.

You noticed he looked up to you with an apologetic look. Right then you heard Papyrus opening the door of your jail and rushing in to quickly squat next to you and pick you up. While he did so, Sans looked away in shame because he knew Papyrus would be glaring at him. This is what he did, before he commented.

« I can't believe you were going to do that... » Papyrus growled, deeply disappointed in his brother. « Good thing that you're a coward... I would have killed you myself if you dared destroy our only chance of escaping... »

He finished on these harsh words before he took you away from the shorter skeleton who just... Stayed in the center of the room. It looked like he wanted to disappear into this black jacket of his as guilt gnawed at him.

When you managed to open your eyes again, you were in a whole different place. It seemed that you lost consciousness for a few minutes until Papyrus laid you down directly onto the bathroom's ground. You were too wasted to catch what he was saying, but by the tone of his unintelligible membling, you could tell he was very upset. You felt him starting to tug at your shorts. You moaned in disapproval but this made him even angrier.

« Don't you dare try to keep these gross clothes in my house, human. » He warned you, before he pulled on your clothes. That's when you heard Sans coming upstairs. The skeleton who seemed to be on the edge to commiting suicide at first was shell shocked the next second from what he was witnessing.

« B-Boss !? » He called his brother with fear evident in his voice. He was afraid to understand what was going on. The other guy shiftly turned his attention from stripping you of your clothes to him.

« Ah ! You're here, finally ! I was just going to call for your help. The human needs clean clothes, would you be useful for once and grab some for it to get dressed ? »

« O-On it. » Sans replied as he rushed to his bedroom while Papyrus focused on you again.

« But you'll need a little clean up first. » He smirked before he grabbed the long sweater and pulled it away from you.

Oh fuck, the ground was cold. While you were accommodating to the temperature of the tiles, the tall skeleton searched for a basin to pour warm water in it, then grabbed a clean washcloth and a soap. You watched him taking off his metallic combat gloves, showing slender skeletal hands before he put them on the border of the bathroom sink. The end of his fingers were sharp just as his brother's. You swallowed nervously when he started cleaning you up, starting by your face, then going for the neck to clean the shoulder next before he lifted your arm to have full access of it. Oh Lord, you never thought someone would do this to you. It was terribly intimidating, yet you couldn't complain, these guys could still go nuts and make you regret it... You just closed your eyes and whimpered silently as he went for your other side before his hands reached for your chest... He didn't take the bandages off, he just cleaned the skin he could reach. You were shaking because of the fresh air caressing the wet spots of your body, or maybe also because this monster was touching you... You didn't know but Papyrus noticed your reaction because he grabbed a towel nearby to rub it on you a bit too roughly to your taste.

While he was busy taking care of you, you looked up to see his face and noticed the scar he had over his skull, right across his left eyesocket. At the sight of it, you remembered what Sans said about this world...

Down here, it's kill or be killed.

Flowey used to say that too... And it made your heart heavy in your tightened chest. Exhausted and still delirious from the fever, you didn't think twice before opening your mouth to talk to Papyrus when Sans arrived just in time with a piece of clothing to stop you from doing so. Both of Papyrus and you turned your attention over him to discover him frozen on the doorway, mouth agape to your display. If he wasn't already sweating this much, you would have sworn that it was affecting him.

« What are you waiting for ? Come in ! » Papyrus snarled, tearing his brother out of his state of shock and Sans approached to kneel down at your free side. « It took you some time to find something, I see. »

« I-I... I was searching for something t-that could fit them... » Sans stuttered as he tried to explain. His cheeks were red... Wait, was he blushing ?

« Oh. It's a “them” now ? » He retorted at the pronoun Sans used for you. « We'll talk about this later, right now I need to clean the human's lower parts ! »

On these words, he grabbed your black thights and you stiffened, eyes wide open on Papyrus who quickly brought them down... Stopped at your intimacy's level to quickly pull them up again. You shut your eyes strongly through it all until you felt the clothing covering you again so you peeked through tight lids to discover that both of the brothers were flushed red with embarrassment. And incredibly quiet, for once. Papyrus lifted a hand to his brother, and Sans gave him the clothing that appeared to be a flannel. The tall monster dressed you up with it. All of this... Remarkably calmly and carefully. Damn, this was too funny watching their flustered expression, and that's when you started to laugh- actually laugh your ass off to tears. The same skeleton who was handling you grumbled and stuttered.

« Shut the fuck up, human ! What's so funny !? » The dangerous man snarled.

And you kept laughing out loud until your injured side hurt. You rolled over your front so you would not have to see their confused face anymore. It was too hilarious at this state. Ahh, the fever. It was making everything worse and better at the same time.

« Did we break the human ? » The tall guy finally asked his brother, still deeply confused.

« I dunno... » Sans only replied by raising his hands mid-air and shrugged, confused just like him.

Papyrus then left out a growling sigh and picked you up. That's where it went downhill for you and you felt your sickness kicking in stronger than before. The efforts of laughing so much left you dizzy and you nearly gagged. Sans followed behind.

« W-What are you going to do, boss ? » He asked, concerned about what will happen next. Papyrus stopped, sighed and glared at him.

« What does it look like ? I'm going to let it rest in my bedroom. I don't want to let the human near the idiot who tried to kill it. » He then turned away to open the door of his said room when he stopped midway. « Oh and yes, also because your room must be so clean like I'm used to see every time I have to get in to wake your pile of lazybones up, I'd be afraid to mess it up. »

And then, he disappeared inside the dark room and shut the door on his brother.

Chapter Text

The next days were terrible. Not only emotionally but also physically. Papyrus kept you in his bedroom and he was moving heaven and hell to find anything to help you recover from your sickness. Often, he would check up on you. Surely he was afraid you'd die in your sleep or that you'd need something in his absence. Sans didn't have the right to come in his brother's privacy, so whenever the door was open, he would just peek in to see how you were progressing. You were resting in Papyrus' large bed most of the time, besides being forced-fed or the times when you had to go to the bathroom. You couldn't see much of the room however, since it was always plunged into the darkness whenever you woke up. The fever was gradually dropping thanks to Papyrus' care and the multiple different products he would make you take. Not only that, but whatever he gave you healed your wound in the process. While you still coughed and sneezed your lungs and brains out all day long, that your fever left you weak and exhausted and the clogged nose would still give you the worst headache you've ever had in your existence, at least you weren't on Death's doorstep anymore.

One night, you woke up to the sound of a quarrel down the living room.

« You've been avoiding me for three days now, Sans ! Stop being a coward for once and tell me what's going on with this human ! » the menacing skeleton yelled.

« B-Boss, there is nothing, I-I promise ! They've just been friendly and huh... » Sans tried his best to keep his brother cool, but it didn't seem to work at all.

« “They” ? “Friendly” ? What, did you get attached to this animal ? Do you even hear what you're saying ? These creatures are wicked, Sans, even worse than us ! If it's as “friendly” as you claim, it's only because it's hurt that it tries to act coy and play nice ! You know how cunning humans are ! They're the reason why our kind is trapped underground ! Did you forget about that !? »

« N-No, I would never forget about- about that ! But boss, please, listen, this one... They're different ! Y-You just... You haven't gotten the chance to talk with them yet and I-I-I'm sure you'll actually be surprised- »

« Ah ! You consider this trash at our level, don't you ! Well, I guess that's normal, considering how you are trash YOURSELF ! » Papyrus' venom filled words struck Sans' raw nerve in the process, whose tone completely changed then.

« ...Ok. Well, yeah ! And you know what ?! » Sans was actually standing up against his brother now. « They're still better than YOU ! This human is by far the strongest creature I have got to meet and talk to through all of these miserable years down here ! And I swear to whatever rules this fucked up universe that if I had the choice, I would have loved to get them way before shit hit the fan here, if nothing else so I would have a reason to get away from your psychotic ass ! »

Right after that, something shattered. You jumped yet remained still in fear. There were shouts and insults, you could hear them fight and hunt each other... After long minutes of struggling, you could hear the both of them panting in the living room. Then, a sinister laughter echoed in the staircase. It was Papyrus' chuckle.

« I told you... You're useless, Sans. Not even able to beat your own broth- »

Someone ran towards the stairs. A hit, then a fall. You stiffened, your hands gripped the blanket tightly as the tension peaked inside of you. You were worried about what just happened to one of the skeleton brothers.

« Ah, yeah ? Well, how does my fist taste then ? » Sans growled. He seemed to be close too now. A long silence settled down before a laugh started off weak then progressively grew in power, so loud you were sure people could hear it from miles.

« Finally ! You finally did it, Sans ! » Papyrus exclaimed between two fits of laughter. « You finally showed yourself ! Ahh, for so long I thought you were a lost cause, but here I find my brother again ! It was a good one, good job, brother ! »

Sans didn't say a thing, probably just as dumbfounded as you were. Then you heard Papyrus get up on his feet and about to climb up the stairs when he stopped mid-way. He seemed to have recollected himself.

« But you better not stand up for that bloody human ever again. Showing you're tough is one thing, showing support for a human is another. » then he turned his back to his brother and began climbing again. « With that said, I'm going to sleep. Hope you'll get the same strength to get up tomorrow. »

You tensed up when the door clicked and you rolled on your right side trying to hide under the blankets that you unconsciously brought up to your eye level while the tall skeleton came in. He didn't even spare a glance at you as he walked through the room... Wait, was he coming for you ? Oh god yes, he was walking in your direction ! You began to shake until you heard a click that turned on a soft, blood orange light in the room. It casted a dim light that allowed eyes to see yet rest, a perfect night lamp of some sort. Once that was done, he turned away and reached for another door in the opposite wall, next to shelves full of books before you heard the rustling of clothing. You were turned towards the wall on your right and you didn't want to turn and check what was going on because you knew he was undressing. You could hear from time to time his bones rattle as he moved to get his armor and his boots off, before he grabbed something else to put on.

Then, silence. You were doing your best to repress a coughing fit for a good while until it wasn't bearable anymore, and you coughed a dozen times violently. Like you expected, it caught Papyrus' attention and he came towards you. Oh crap, you thought. He was coming here for sure now. You did what you thought was the best at the time : play dead. You felt the monster climb on the bed on his hands and knees and crawl until he was looming over you. He was deadly silent, so silent you'd bet he could hear your heart beating out of your chest from here. You could even feel his cool breath caress your cheek and neck and this made you shiver. Then, you felt a cold, boney hand rest on your forehead for a few seconds. For once, his gestures weren't brusque as usual... Not that he was gentle, but... He clearly was more careful than before. When the monster finished checking your fever, he exhaled sharply through his nasal bone then sat up on his knees before you felt the weight shift on the bed. You understood that he was reaching for an object that he grabbed from the nightstand and settled down while he opened it next to you. You didn't have time to wonder what was happening that he pressed his hand against your shoulder to make you roll over your back. Through all this, you didn't open your eyes and just kept acting, terrified he might react badly if he noticed that you were awake. You then felt him unbutton the top of your flannel until he reached the middle of your chest.

Then, he stopped. Oh crap. You knew he'd end up realizing that you were awake. He clearly knew something was going on because he put his hand in the middle of your thorax, where your heart was. You could feel it pound fast against his palm. He stayed like this for a moment, his breath light and short. Either he was fascinated by your organ, or he was worried that something was wrong with you. You couldn't hold it back anymore, you turned your head on a side to cough another dozen times, your whole body tensing from the effort against his touch before you dropped dead again when it was over. This caught him off guard and he resumed moving. He reached out for the object that was resting next to both of you and a few seconds later, you felt his bones sliding over your thorax with a viscous coat and you couldn't repress a moan. Ugh, it felt and smelled terrible. Like... Some strong vegetal scent. The touch was freezing at first, then burning. You heard him chuckle silently, amused with your reaction.

« This will help you, human. » he whispered so low you almost didn't catch it at first, since your attention was on his hand applying the disgusting product over your skin. « You need to survive for us. »

When it was done, he buttoned your flannel up and left you be, so you rolled over your side again to face the wall. He put the product away on the nightstand again before he laid down next to you. Wait. Was he going to sleep with you ?? You trembled in realization. Could a skeleton monster sexually abuse someone ? They were only bones, right ? Long minutes were passing by and you couldn't move, paralyzed in terror. Thanks survival instinct. After what seemed to be an eternity, you finally heard his breathing low and peaceful as he fell asleep. You waited a long minute again before you started to bring your right hand close to you so you would sit up... But you realized that your wrist was attached. Golly, how did you not realize you were attached until now !? You pulled over your arm once, twice... When you tried a third time, you felt something snake around your waist. You winced suddenly as you were pulled towards Papyrus' body and you felt his front squeeze against your back while his arms embraced your body. You repressed a cough and you threw a worried glance over your shoulder to look at him... He was lost deep in his slumber. His frame curled up to conform to your body, making it impossible for you to move without waking him up. Despair rose in your core.

Then, when you thought that nothing could save you anymore, you heard someone walk in the corridor and approach the door to your room. You didn't notice it wasn't closed right and was cracked open until now. A shadow appeared in the little space and you recognized Sans' eye. He was peeking to check up on you. Unable to move, you whispered.

« H... Help... »

You spotted right after that his concerned expression left its place to a shit-eating grin instead. He winked at you before he left. That jerk !! Papyrus tightened his grip around you as he moved and hummed, his face hiding in the back of your head. Well... Guess you'll pull an all-nighter tonight.

It was in the morning that you felt like you could finally close your eyes, exhausted due to anxiety, if it wasn't for your captor who had started to move again. A sharp inhale announced his wake as he jolted before he stared down at what was trapped between his arms. Too tired to remember to play dead, you looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. He froze for a moment in realization then pushed you away, so brusque you almost bumped into the wall in the process.

« I didn't give you the permission to touch me, miserable wretch. » he spat with his painfully unused voice as he sat up with a scowl printed over his tired face.

You wish you could talk right now just to tell him off.

Now, you could see he was dressed with only boxers and a black tank top. From what you could see, these monsters were really made of bones. But how could they look so... Alive ? Their existence defied all logic. Then, you realized the left side of his head had a different color shade. You remembered about bone bruises but you'd never got to actually see one. Even if he killed you multiple times before, he didn't scare you as much as Sans... Papyrus did it because it was his duty, not out of spite... Believe it or not, but you trusted him more than the guy you dared call “friend”.

It really looked like it hurt... You lifted your free hand towards his face and taken completely off guard, he stiffened at first, then immediately tried to avoid your touch by bending backwards until he had to use support of his hands so he wouldn't topple over the bed.

« W... What are you doing !? » he snarled, looking side to side to see what he could use to stop you from your approach, destabilized. His scowl deepened as anger and confusion built up inside of him. « Stop right there, human, or I'll- »

Your palm rested against his bruised cheekbone, so gently he had a moment to realize that you were actually touching him. He remained still and speechless, looking at you again with that shocked gaze.

« Was that Sans...? » you asked.

His cheekbones gradually flushed red and sweat broke out of his skull, not as much as his brother used to but just enough for you to notice. He even started shaking in your hand, his breath short through his gaping mouth. Then he relaxed and leaned in your touch ever so lightly, allowing your palm to press gently against his bone while he silently looked away to avoid your gaze.

« Does it hurt ? » you asked again. He placed his slender hand over your wrist, enjoying the soft contact at first, before he brushed your hand away.

It took a while for him to recollect himself before he could manage to look at you again.

« It doesn't matter. What matters is knowing that he can defend himself without my help. » he said with his usual, sinister tone.

You wished that it could be the moment for you to talk about him and his brother, but you were not only tired, but also attached to his bed and it'd certainly be a bad idea to piss him off now. The skeleton man turned away and got up from the bed. When you noticed he was heading to his closet, you looked away and coughed. Like it or not, the product made you feel better through the night. You could breathe easier than the previous day. Yet this wasn't enough for Papyrus who looked at you while he was attaching the red belt with silver studs around his hips. He quickly finished putting on his armor then he walked towards you while he threw his torn cape in place. He sat next to you and like last night, he made your roll over your back and rested his bare hand against your forehead.

« Finally. I was starting to think your fever would never drop. »

He then started to unbutton your top. You quickly responded by holding his hand, stopping him in his actions. He looked up to your eyes, once again surprised but not as much as before. Then, a sadistic smirk appeared on his mouth.

« What is it ? Do you seriously think that I'd jump your bones ? Fret not, human, we might be monsters but not of that kind. » He said with disgust in his eyes. « Plus, we're not interested in trivial things such as sex and even if we were, we wouldn't touch a disgusting creature like you. »

Your mouth parted in shock. What a way to make you feel safe ! But also, did you hear right ? They could be sexual ? Well, thank fuck you were a disgusting creature, then. You loosened your grip on his palm and he proceeded to the same treatment as yesterday. The only difference is that his touch wasn't as light as last time. You whimpered again because of the gross texture spread across the top of your chest, which made him cackle darkly. Obviously, he enjoyed making you uncomfortable. You looked down as his hand was travelling over your thorax and noticed the luminous product on your skin. You looked up to Papyrus with questioning eyes, whose smile couldn't stop widening.

« Oh, what is this, you ask ? This is a healing product made with different ingredients coming from Waterfall. » He saw your confused face. « Ah, right, you still haven't seen that place. »

Then he took a pleasure to display his knowledge of Waterfall and the different elements used to make this product that he was finishing coating your skin with. You couldn't help but like how much he could talk when it was about teaching others. He was such a passionate soul and you liked that.

« Also, this is where Undyne works most of the time. And I have to tell you, human, that if you're afraid of my brother and I, what you'll see about this fish lady is far worse than what you'd expect from us. »

You looked down as you tried to picture what he just said. Meanwhile, he got off the bed and placed the healing product on the table. You were sitting up again and trying to button your flannel up with only one hand, which was incredibly difficult to do. While you did so, Papyrus walked away to grab his gauntlets.

« Well now, human, I'll ask my brother to watch over you while I'm at work, since this lazybones is so entitled not to do his own job. » his tone was spiteful in the end, while he was putting on his combat gloves. « Don't try to flee during my absence, otherwise, pray that I won't find you. Understood ? »

You nodded silently. It wasn't as if you could run away in your current state anyway.

« Good. »

Then, he left you behind. You could feel your chest burning due to the product, yet you could breathe better thanks to its strong scent. You laid down on your back, sighed in relief then you closed your tired eyes and content, you fell asleep.

Chapter Text

You jolted awake when a hand touched you and it took you a moment to recognize Sans. Your head was spinning with the sudden fear and your rigged breathing combined with your illness. Even if things got better between you two, there are things that you couldn't control, and one of them was trauma. The remnants of his assaults were way too fresh for you to act like nothing was wrong with the situation. He flinched at your violent reaction and backed off, first distraught, then looked into your scared eyes and lowered his hands slowly. Sans seemed to understand. After all, he suffered from abuse too and surely had the same reactions with his brother. You managed to relax, too exhausted to stay alert and allowed yourself some minutes to recover from the panic.

The skeleton monster was sitting on the bed next to you, making sure his slippers would not touch the mattress while he freed you from the chains that bound you in place. You understood by the silence of the house that his brother was out... You didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

« How was your night, sleeping beauty ? » he taunted you with a smile.

You hit his shoulder, making him flinch with a “ouch !” before he bursted into laughter.

« You hit like a pussy. » he mocked you.

Once you were released, you sat up slowly and rubbed your numb arm and wrist. You looked around for a while until your gaze stopped on Sans. He was watching you carefully, nervously expecting you to snap and flee since you were in a better shape than these two last weeks. The skeleton's smile slowly stretched when you didn't show any intent of escaping and instead, waited for a reaction from him.

« Hungry, honey ? » he asked. You nodded at his question, which made his smile bigger. «  'lright then, I should make something for you to eat. Will you follow me around ? Wait... Can you follow me around ? »

He was now concerned as if he just remembered you were still sick. You looked at your legs, then the ground before you started crawling out of the bed under Sans' watch. You stood up weakly and hummed in appreciation when you could stand on your own. You were feeling a little dizzy still but it was bearable now. You turned towards Sans. He seemed amazed to see you standing alone just as you were.

« Damn, babe, I can't believe it's been so long since you could stand up. » he chuckled happily and then stopped all of the sudden. He looked away, a shadow casted on his face. You could sense his sins crawling on his back. « I know... It was my fault. »

« Why didn't you kill me ? » You asked him, now feeling anger tingling you. « We would have avoided these days of struggle to keep me alive, so why ? » He was looking down in shame and it needed a while for him to speak up, clenching his fists.

« I couldn't... I don't know why, sweetheart. I just couldn't... » he laughed humorlessly and when he looked at you again, it was with a saddened expression, and a small, sad, smile. « I guess that... I just cannot bear spilling your blood anymore. »

Frowning, you looked down. You had so many things to say, a lot of anger to let out... But you were also scared it would backfire, no matter if he was willing to listen now. The heavy atmosphere was making him nervous, so much he started sweating again, yet not as strongly as he's used to around Papyrus. He reached for your hand gently and held it in his like the most delicate thing in the world. He was staring at you and searching for your lost glance.

« Let's blow this hotdog stand, shall we ? » he asked once more with his little uncertain grin.

You nodded at his suggestion and he helped you walk out of the room.

It was strange being with him in his house. You shifted in place because your legs were oddly hurting... Maybe was it because you didn't get to use them for a long while and they needed exercise again...? You were both in the living room, sitting on the couch you were never allowed to before, eating the aforementioned hotdog. The skeleton next to you ate it in three or four bites, then he just took a mustard bottle out of his pocket and bit the tip of the opening off with his sharp fangs before he started drinking from it. You were quite shocked to say the least witnessing yet again the power of his jaws, yet he managed to misinterpret that silly expression you were making for something else as he asked after swallowing his mouthful of condiment.

« Want some ? » You shook your head at his suggestion. He shrugged and replied. « Heh. More for me then. »

You finished your food not long after and softly sighed in relief having something in your stomach now.

(Hello there, how about a theme song to get in the mood ?)

« Did ya hear us, yesterday ? » Sans' sudden question caught you off guard. You looked at him. He wasn't doing the same because his eyes were already looking up where the bedrooms were. You followed his glance before you looked down at your hands laying on your lap.

« Yes... I heard you. You had a fight, right ? »

« Heh, that's right. » he took another drink from his bottle when you retorted.

« You shouldn't have come to my defense. » This almost made him spit the drink he just had and he looked at you with a confused look.

« Why ? »

You looked away, saddened.

« I didn't want any of you get hurt because of me. »

« Hey, what's up with this bullshit ? » the sudden rudeness startled you and you looked at him again quickly. Now he was staring straight at your indignant face. « I'm not ashamed being your friend, okay ? And if I had to, I'll do it again. »

« Fighting is- »

« Pointless, yeah I know, no need to remind me that. » he looked annoyed now. You looked down again in shame.

You didn't know what to say anymore, afraid to piss off Sans if you talked more... So you just embraced your legs against your chest and waited in silence. You haven't noticed Sans finished his drink until he sneaked close enough to reach for your face, grab your chin gently to lift your head up towards him.

« Sweetheart. » he smiled at you with his hand resting on your shoulder now. « Going out of here... Is that what you want ? »

You were staring deeply into his eyesockets as he waited for an answer. Why would he ask that ? Then... You thought of Flowey at this moment and the promise you made to them.

“We will get out... Together”...

But now, Flowey was long gone and remembering that made your heart scream. You freed yourself from Sans' hand and looked away when the feeling of anger and grieving for your loss rose. You couldn't do anything for your best friend when they needed you the most, you were powerless... They who have always been there to support you, you still couldn't believe they died and you did nothing to stop it...

You had to live with that and it's just impossible.

« It doesn't matter anymore... I have no more reason to fight. » you sighed, resigned. « I just can't wait to find Flowey once it will all be over... I'll give my soul to your King so... No one will have to suffer down here anymore. Then you'll all be free and I, I... will be with Flowey again. » you said with a shaky breath. You couldn't believe these thoughts you were speaking out loud yourself and yet here they were breaking free.

Seeing how upset you were, Sans slouched in his seat.

« You huh... Really liked that guy, didn't you ? » he asked, as if it wasn't obvious. You nodded.

« You didn't need to kill my friend... You... You would have liked them too... Flowey was so kind... So kind... » You hid your face when your voice broke at the same time your eyes stung with the need to cry, biting down on your lip to prevent yourself from breaking down again.

Guilty of your misery, Sans left some room for you so you could hide away and cry. The house was deathly silent all of the sudden caused, air thick from the heavy feelings that were crushing you both, soon accentuated by the echoes of your silent sobs. Guilt crept on Sans who was staring blankly at the ground with hollow eyes. You didn't know how bad he felt about his actions. Of all his lifetime, it might be one of the first times that he felt so disgusting for hurting someone. You had no idea how terrible he felt for destroying your hopes and dreams. Yet, he couldn't say anything, words remained stuck in his throat. He was unworthy of even making eye contact with you, much less trying to talk to you about your sorrow, and the part he played in causing it. He had no idea that you were reliving the trauma over and over again, even now. The blood, the cold snow, your bestfriend's limp form in your arms...

You remembered the overbearing pain, or life fleeing through your fingers, the cries as you fought them when they took you away... Flowey... Flowey's tiny corpse buried in the snow, all alone in the cold... Left like this with no proper burial... How horrible...

Your brain felt like it was going to explode. The echoes of your own screams snapped you back to reality, and you realized you were having a meltdown. Sans stared at you petrified, hands mid-air with no clue about what to do as you sat there hyperventilating. You threw a glance at him and felt sick to your stomach, so you jumped on your feet and almost collapsed in the process for your legs were sore and weak.

« Where are you going, sweetheart ? » he asked, suddenly panicked that you might try to escape after that terribly triggering conversation, until he noticed that you were staggering upstairs.

« I'm going to take a shower. » you replied dryly at first. When you realized you were harsh, you added softly. « I need to be alone for a while, please... »

He didn't say anything else. He understood your need to be on your own. You stopped at the first step of the stairs, looking at him as you took support on the wall on your left.

« Thank you. »

That caught him off guard, so much his jaw dropped. How strange it was for these guys to react so vividly for two simple words. Yet, that's what brought this shining red eye again, flaring with passion as you disappeared from his eyesight.

You finally made it to the bathroom. You don't know how long you've been there crying your eyes out, overwhelmed with all the emotions that just erupted inside of you. By the end of it, you were exhausted and your face hurt, threatening to explode from the pressure of a stuffed nose. You were sitting there at the door, experiencing one of these out of body moments, being barely there at all. Your mind wandered again, and you began to question if anything around you was real. Were you going insane...?

After a while, you remembered where you were so you emerged again. And boy did you need that shower. It was incredibly hard to move after your mental breakdown, your body was unbearably heavy all of the sudden and it was a pain to support your own weight no matter how small you were. Good lord, you were such a weak individual.

After a minute of getting rid of your tops, you were naked and as you took off your black thighs and tossed them in the washing machine, you glanced down to notice the black stains kept growing on your legs. How ? You sat down on the border of the bathtub to take a look at them. It was pitch-black and painful to the touch. So that's what was aching earlier. You hissed in pain when you laid your fingers on them so you just... Stared at this, wondering what was going on with you. You were healing, and recovering from your sickness, so why...? Why would you still have these ? What it was, you didn't know, however you were hoping no one else would notice. You had enough issues already than having to deal with concerned people. And what could they do about it anyway ?

You finished undressing then went inside the bathtub and started your cleaning process... Not without enjoying a little bathing for a while. You deserved a treat for once- and needed an excuse to be away from Sans as for now. He was a friend yes, but he still triggered you in many ways and with good reasons, and you really needed space.

Once you were done, all clean and fresh, you opened the door to call Sans but stopped in the process because he was just behind the door. His grin appeared on his face while he tilted his head to get a look inside. You were hiding with the door, how unfortunate for him.

« I... Need clean clothes... Can I borrow some from you ? » you asked him nicely yet with a hint of discomfort. This made him smile even more.

« Sure thing, sweetheart. » he said before he walked away.

You closed the door and sat down against it, waiting patiently as you were staring at your black-stained legs. How would he react to that if he noticed ? Would he know what was causing this effect or would he think that it's a human thing ? You frowned, lost in thoughts until you heard something scratching lightly the door behind you. He was already back. You stood up again and opened it, just enough to stick an arm in the space. You felt something grab your wrist to steady it, then fabric brushed against your fingers. You grabbed the items and gently pulled so Sans let you go again.

« Thank you. » you said, which pushed him to throw an arm in the space a second time when you tried to close the door and gripped your wrist again. This startled you, so you looked up and hid your front with the clothes he just gave you when you noticed that he was peeking inside the room to stare at you with his flaring eyes. It was just as intense as earlier. « ... W... What is it ? » Okay, now, you were scared. You babbled. « Did... I say something bad ? »

He closed his eyes for a while, breathing in slowly to calm down, then he opened them up again to stare at you with much less passion.

« I... am not used to those words... Well huh... I'll let you get dressed. » he awkwardly said as he let go of you and you pushed the door to close it. You heard a little bump against the wood then, and you assumed it was him, resting his forehead against it. You took a look at the new clothes and put the boxer shorts on, then the black and yellow striped pants until he started talking right behind the door in a low, raspy, broken tone. « I'm not worthy of them, sweetheart... »

You froze at those words for a couple seconds, before you resumed and put on the large, black shirt so you could go and open the door. Sans wasn't there anymore. The house was empty. You called out to him softly at first while searching for him around the skeleton's home. Did he really leave you on your own ?

« Sans ? » You kept calling.

You knocked at his room's door but no reply. Concerned, you decided to head to the living room and kept searching for him until you reached the kitchen. Not a soul. So you went to the front door to check if you could go out. Ah, well, of course they wouldn't trust you enough not to let the door unlocked. So you just walked to a window not far and watched what was happening outside, or if you could see Sans anywhere. Just a few monsters passing by from time to time, nothing more. You sighed. There was no point trying to escape. Like it or not, you were safer here, plus, you wouldn't survive outside with that weather. Thinking about it, you remembered the salve treatment that the tall skeleton gave you for the past days. You turned away from the window and headed to Papyrus' room to apply it onto your chest by yourself, before you laid down in his bed. You've been feeling better today, yet you still needed rest because you were far from being healthy.

Now that you were laying on this king sized bed, you realized how comfortable it was and how the furnitures in Papyrus' room screamed wealth. Baroque style, you thought...? Not sure but it really looked familiar. You hugged a pillow while you appreciated the fancy look of his room and mindlessly, you slowly buried your face in it as you relaxed. The scent of the lanky and cold monster which you grew familiar emanated from the fabric ; a fair mix of flower, raspberry and winter's odd but comforting smell. You didn't wait long for the dreamworld to overtake you.

Once again, you were floating in the vast emptiness of your consciousness. It was peaceful in here. And silent... Until once again, the voice that you already heard before echoed all around you. It was gently calling you, its sound soft and young, much like a child's. At first it sounded faded, then it grew clearer, more defined as it came closer and closer. Your lips remained shut and yet...

« Who's there...? » your voice echoed in return.

You then sensed someone reaching for you. Their arms slowly snaked around your waist and you let them.

« Don't you remember ? » the voice was now right against your ear, since the presence was resting their head on your shoulder.

« I'm trying to... But... I can't... »

Suddenly, the weightlessness dissipated to let you stand up in the void. At first your eyes barely opened, then you blinked them open in realization of what stood in front of you ; a mirror. But what was facing you wasn't your reflection. Instead, you were facing a young monster in the shape of a white goat who strangely reminded you of Toriel. His red eyes pierced through your soul... That gaze... You'd recognize that gaze in a crowd; sad eyes that the goat boy's little smile couldn't repress even when he tried harder. He tilted his head lightly.

« It's me, your best friend. »

Chapter Text

You gasped as you jolted awake. You only had time to realize that it was a dream when you felt a weight around your waist. You looked down to notice a boney arm covered with a red sweater sleeve on it. And another one underneath you, resting there for comfort. That's when you felt a warm breath in the back of your neck, and a body against your back. Oh... This couldn't be Papyrus, could it ? His was usually cooler. You glanced over your shoulder to recognize Sans who was peacefully spooning you. His breath was low and soothing. His arms were loose enough for you to be able to move, yet you didn’t. You remained still, lost and confused, your sleepy brain struggling to analyze what was going on. You noticed too late the footsteps in the corridor before someone erupted in the room.

« Sans ! » Papyrus shouted when he laid eyes on his sleeping brother, which almost gave a soul attack to the slumbering skeleton that jumped awake.

« What ! What is it ? » Sans babbled as he looked around until his frightened glance stopped on his brother who was folding his arms.

« What the FUCK were you doing in MY bed ? Didn't I clearly specify that you stay out of my comfort zone ? » Papyrus pestered with disgust and anger.

« S-Sorry B-boss... » Sans pressed, covered in sweat already.

Unlike Sans who was already sat up, you needed more time to do the same until you noticed something white passing behind the tall and scowling skeleton. That white fur… Oh !! The dog ! It was the dog ! You followed it with your eyes when you understood it was coming around the bed. You were so happy to see it was okay ! Your smile was wide and bright when you crawled to the side of the bed, but Sans stopped you with an arm across your chest. You flinched at his touch first, expecting him to hit you but feeling his stillness, you looked at him. His attention remained focused on the animal and seemed worried that it would attack you. The dog stood on its hind legs to rest its front paws on the border of the mattress, panting heavily with a huge smile, tongue sticking out to one side of its mouth to its owners’ most honest surprise.

« What the fuck ? » Sans cursed and you took this as an opportunity to slide against his arm and reach for the dog. You sat at the edge of the bed and opened your arms towards the white canine who reached for you, whimpering happily as you were petting it affectionately.

« I was so worried about you, puppy ! » you said with a tender, energetic voice and laughing. « Yes, that’s a good dog ! »

Then, you froze at a horrible realization. You turned your attention over Papyrus who turned to stone, arms still folded but frozen in dismay at the display of sorcery that you were using against his pet.

« Did you keep it after I saved it ? Or… Wait... Was it already your dog when you tied it up ? » you asked him. He turned his head away and up and closed his eyes in pride. He gave off a haughty vibe acting like this. Wow. Bull’s eye.

« Yes, I am the one who tied it up. But what happened was an accident, I had no intention to get rid of this bone eating creature since I've trained it to hunt humans down. » Then he opened one eye to take a look at it. « Well… Guess that my years of training to kill didn’t pay off, in the end. »

You were still petting it. It sure didn't since you were still alive and the dog was staring at you with loving eyes. You were silently judging him for his actions, abusing a poor animal this way and threatening its life... Your stare sharp as daggers kept piercing his very core and Papyrus grew slightly uncomfortable, enough to break down his smug stand.

« It just knows when to be grateful. » You replied, before you looked down at it again to meet his bright, red eyes. « What’s its name ? »

« We call it Aggressive Dog, or AD most of the time. » Sans replied. You couldn’t help but giggle when you received a lick from the pet and you hugged its head under your chin in return.

« More like “Adorable Dog” for me ! » you said, before you let it go to return to its owner Papyrus and sit down at his side. Papyrus was scowling at it, deeply disappointed in his hound before he let it go in a sigh then looked at his brother.

« So. May I know why were you sleeping in MY bed ? » he asked Sans. The short skeleton looked at you trying to find an answer, before he glanced at Papyrus again.

« The human was still sleeping, and you told me to- »

« Well I told you to watch them, not sleep with them ! Unbelievable. Not even able to follow one simple order. » Papyrus grumbled while his sibling was standing up before he walked out of the room, followed by the dog. The tall skeleton stared at you. « It’s time to eat. I hope you’re hungry, human. »

You sat awkwardly on the couch next to Papyrus, who as usual watched the TV after work. Again with this MTT show going on. Out of curiosity, you spared a glance at the screen and immediately had regrets; your stomach turned more than once the moment you witnessed acts of torture on multiple monsters supposed to be the guests of the show. Wide-eyed, you turned your pale face towards Papyrus who was amused by what he was watching, considering the smile he had. He sensed your gaze and immediately stopped grinning as he looked at you.

« What is it, human ? Not enjoying what you see ? »

You would have thrown up by now if you had anything in your stomach, lucky you it wasn't the case so you just gulped loudly at this instead. This made him cackle darkly before he directed his attention back on the screen while nonchalantly stretching his arms on the back of the couch. With his length, his forearm was just behind your head and you couldn't help but stiffen at this. Meanwhile, Sans was in the kitchen. You figured out that he was the one hat cooked in the family… Or at least most of the time. You wondered what he could prepare considering how long it was taking him. You didn’t know where to look at, either at Papyrus’ boots, or the dog sleeping to his side next to the couch, or the kitchen doorway… Anything but the TV. Papyrus was sometimes throwing glances in the corner of his sockets to study you, but you were too busy playing with your hands nervously on your knees to notice it. You were coughing from time to time, but you were doing your best not to make too much noise so your host wouldn't be bothered. Speaking of him… You were so small in comparison to him… His brother was already tall compared to you, but Papyrus… He could really be called a monster just by his height. You guessed that Sans was somewhere around 5’11”-6'1” when he wasn’t slouching, but Papyrus ? He was easily reaching over 9’… Easily, yeah. So, with your small, frail body, you felt vulnerable sitting next to him.

Stress was taking over, you looked around in hope to find something to help you out until your eyes stopped on AD. You beckoned the dog to come over and when it did, you started to pet it under Papyrus’ silent watch. Thank Lord this dog didn’t want to kill you. It was a big white dog, maybe even a wolf so big and powerful it was. And yet, here it was, panting heavily and enjoying your petting until it laid its head on your lap and relaxed. That gave Papyrus the nerves, he who still was disappointed in his not so Aggressive Dog in the end, enough for him to exhale sharply through his nasal bone in annoyance. That was a reaction he had whenever something bothered him. You stayed quiet for a while, your eyes focused on the animal while your hand brushed its pure white fur.

« Papyrus… »

« What is it, human ? »

Crap, you didn’t realize you called his name out loud until he replied, so you froze in your seat. Then, as if he insulted your mother, your head whipped towards him with your mouth agape. The skeleton monster was calmly and attentively staring at you in contrast. You babbled for a few seconds, thinking about what Sans said a few days ago when it came to talking to his brother. Best not to bring the topic up right now. You’d prefer Sans to be away if you had to get this conversation with his brother. Cold sweat was running down your forehead when you smiled awkwardly and asked.

« You huh… Really like this show, don’t you ? »

« Indeed. I always have the pleasure to see new inventions from this presenter. He has the talent to refresh his channel with every show. »

« Is there anything you like… except… except this ? » you threw a little glance over the screen and widened your eyes at the vision of a monster being torn apart through some traps, so you stared into Papyrus’ eyes again. Oh, you could even feel the colors fade away from your face right now.

« I have a passion for hunting humans and making puzzles and traps to destroy them. Also, I enjoy torturing a lot... But I have to say, seeing a human that got through them without having more scratches than they should is quite impressive, for the traps were highly deadly and required a sharp mind to defeat them. Still, in the end, I didn't need them to catch you. » He smirked, proud of him. « How about you. Are you feeling better ? You’re not coughing that much anymore. »

You remained silent. It seemed friendly at first glance, but to you, it sounded like an underlying threat. You weren’t a guest, or a friend. You were a prisoner. You couldn’t allow yourself forget that. You were there sitting on this couch only because you were sick and needed to recover so Papyrus could deliver you to the King safely. You were really, really hoping he wasn’t implying that. You cleared your throat while looking down when Sans popped his head in the doorway and announced.

« Food’s ready. »

That caught Papyrus’ attention. He stood up from the couch and grabbed your arm roughly in the same breath, tearing a little yelp of surprise from you as you were forced to get up and lead away from the TV towards the table that you helped Sans setting up earlier, so he'd have less things on his plate while Papyrus was relaxing and watching in the distance. This way, they'd think that you could be useful somehow ? And that they could keep you for a little while ? Long enough for you to find a plan and escape or something ?

You knew it was a desperate attempt to hold onto dear life 'cause in the end, you'd still be brought to Asgore.

You were really surprised to find out that Sans could prepare an actual meal. He even prepared a salty cake made with bits of ham, dried tomatoes and feta cheese. You had to admit, you were amazed to see that Sans was able to cook something too. And the smell, gosh, the smell !! It made your mouth water and your stomach growl. The skelebros exchanged a confused glance, wondering where the sound came from before they laid their eyes on you in unison. You were blushing deeply with embarrassment.

« Hehe, did you eat a monster on the way, sugar ? » Sans chuckled, yet his eyes still unsure about what was happening. Yeah, right. They didn't have organs, they couldn't know. Before anyone could table flip, you agitated your hands and shook your head quickly.

« N-No it's... A normal thing for me when I'm hungry ! My stomach grumbles when it's empty... Sorry. »

« Hmmm... Interesting. » Papyrus commented, eyeing your belly with a thoughtful expression. You could almost see what he was imagining through his eyesockets with what you remembered he said earlier, and you just... Placed your arms around your chest, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. « I see that we may have some things in common, in the end. » That perked your curiosity.

 « What do you mean ? » As far as you were aware, they didn't have a stomach. You didn't even know how these guys could eat in the first place if they didn't have one. Papyrus looked away after a long silent while staring at your puzzled expression. Guess that it's something they won't tell you... Sad.

Sans cut the salty cake and served his brother a few slices, then he did the same for you. Unlike Papyrus, you thanked him once you found your plate back in front of you... Well, not still put down the table because Sans and his brother froze at these words. Ah yeah, you forgot. They weren't used to politeness. Then they started to move again and you noticed a slight flustered smile on Sans' boney lips, while Papyrus... Would scowl more than ever. Maybe was he jealous of his sibling ? What was going on with him, you wondered.
Once everyone was served, you ate the food in silence. It was relieving finally having a good meal instead of a few hotdogs, for once. In silence you studied your guardians, trying to pierce the mystery of feeding while being skeletons. You couldn't help but wonder where the food was going since they were just bones themselves. You noticed as you observed them that Papyrus did the same with you, a focused expression on his face as if he was solving a puzzle that you were. Guess that it was easier for him to study your human nature now that you were in their house and calmly having dinner with them. It couldn't get any more awkward... if Sans didn't touch your leg with his foot, teasing you as the old lil' Sans he was. You stiffened and choked on your last bite, and it made him burst in laughter while you coughed and hit your thorax to try and get the piece unstuck. Papyrus couldn't help but laugh darkly at the view too. Gosh, your throat was burning now, you could barely breathe and they were having a blast.

« Are you okay ? » Sans finally asked when he managed to calm down, a tear in the corner of his eye that he urged to wipe away. You were turning blue, so in a desperate gesture you drank water... And it managed to save your skin for once. You were now panting as colors reappeared on your face.

« Yeah... But not thanks to you, you fucking moron. » you retorted with a hoarse voice. This made Papyrus cackle, catching both of your attention over him.

« It was really touching having this dinner with you but I must retire. Sans, I trust you to take care of our prisoner until it has to go and sleep. » the slender skeleton got up on these words, exchanging a cold glance with you, a malicious smile on his mouth. « Don't break it too much. »

« Sure, I'll be careful. » Sans replied before looking at you with a grin.

« Good. »

With that said, Papyrus left the two of you alone. Thank goodness, you were safe with Sans around now that you conquered his heart. At least... You thought so ? Sans was in the kitchen busy washing the dishes that you brought to him from clearing the table. You didn't notice that his expression darkened as he stared blankly into the sink, spaced out of his current task. He seemed thoughtful but also angry, so angry in fact that he was tense to the point that his jaw clenched. You were walking away to finish your job when you heard his low, blunt voice break the silence that settled down ever since Papyrus went to bed.

« Hey... » You stopped, your heart skipping a beat as you recognized this tone. You slowly turned towards him. He didn't move from his spot, his gaze was still glued on the sink. « I've been thinking... »

He then slowly faced you. It felt like his empty eyesockets were sucking you into them. You froze in your spot and gulped. The colors around you grew dimmer and dark as he slowly made his way to you. You were trembling all of the sudden. What was going on ? What did you do wrong this time ?

« After all I did to you... How come you can be so kind with us ? How can you even want to help me ? No one would ever react the way you do if they found themselves in your shoes, sweetheart. »

You didn't realize you were backing up while he approached to meet you, bringing your hands in front of your heart as if you wanted to prevent a sudden battle, until you felt something hard press against your back. The wall, it was the wall. You couldn't move anymore and here he was, standing just in front of you, so close you would have to squeeze to get out of this trap. You raised your terrified eyes to his and gasped at their emptiness once again, a strong shadow casting over Sans' skull.

« So tell me... » You sensed his hands were coated in red magic.« All of this kindness after I killed you so many times, what is that all about? Ya just wanted to pacify me so you could guilt-trip me about killing your friend afterwards ? So that you can tame me like a bloody animal !? »

What was going on ? Why did he snap ? You scanned through your memories to try and understand why he became so aggressive all of the sudden, maybe find what triggered him... Nothing...

Maybe... You only were the reason.

« No, I... I just want to help y- » you gasped, wide-eyed when Sans punched the wall just next to your head, panting loudly from anger.

« I don't need your goddamn kindness BULLSHIT ! » His right eye flared with the brightest red you had ever seen. « That's what you planned, right ? Like it's some kind of twisted shit you want me to get into and make me think I owe you something ? That you can control me because of your oh so-called “good intentions” ? » His arms were in the way and he was towering you with his height. You were a shaky mess, your chest constricted in anxiety and still you felt anger boiling up inside of you. How could he... How could he think that ? « Spit it out. You want your revenge once you have the opportunity. »

That was it. Anger took control of your body and the next second, you were pushing Sans so strongly he had to catch himself from falling backwards. He didn't expect that one. Tears were brimming in your eyes and your hands were balled up into fists. You were trembling uncontrollably from the fury that clouded your mind.

« You know what ? Yes ! Of course, I'm fucking mad at you !! You took my friend away and they'll never come back ! Never, you hear me !? You took my reason to live away and you tortured me so many times I can't even count them !! But don't you dare and tell me I'm a sick, twisted creature like you and that I play the innocent for some evil scheme ! »

You were fighting back the sobs to be able to speak, your hatred too strong to contain it. You were staring at his shocked face and couldn't stop yelling at him, the words wouldn't stop spilling even if you wanted to keep them inside. But as you went on, your voice grew weaker.

« I thought... I thought you understood that when you came to talk about your problems to me !! I thought you understood that I meant no harm to you, to your brother, anyone ! I'm better than that...! I just... I just want to... I just want to... Keep going for Flowey and... Shine like before... »

You were now looking down, clenching your shirt in your hands. Salty water was running through your reddened cheeks. Anger was still present, but it left the place to sorrow, and here you were, sobbing in front of a broken down Sans. His anger left when it collided with yours. You brought a hand to cover your face with shame.

« But... But I... Don't know what it's like to shine anymore... »

You kept weeping in this now silent room. You thought you had gained his trust, that he genuinely liked you. You were wrong... How could you be so stupid ? They're all enemies. Flowey was right, you couldn't trust anyone here... You'll end up alone and die like the piece of shit you were. Your cries kept growing in power as the voices emerged from the darkness to speak again in your ears, singing their hainous words and reminding you of your deepest insecurities. You didn't want to give in, no, you didn't... You were doing so good ! You did your best, didn't you ?

Why

why

why

wasn't it enough ?

You wanted to destroy everything in the room, scream until your fragile cords broke again, you wanted to rip the skin off your arms and drown in your own fucking blood.

You'll never be good enough. You were and you always will be trash. There was no point pretending or even trying to be something else. You deserved what was coming for you.

Yeah, you deserve-

Sans' sweet, calm voice tore you away from the thick clouds of your mind.

« Finally... You're capable of anger too... »

… What ?

His hand gently pried yours from your face and sniffing, you looked up to him. He was close, you noticed, with a relieved smile on his face.

« I was really starting to think something was wrong with you... » he said so softly it was almost a whisper.

You looked down again in shame. You broke down in front of him and you said horrible things... But here he was standing so close, his shadow casting over your small and trembling frame but this time you didn't budge. His aura wasn't predatory like earlier. It was even... Peaceful... How didn't he get any more mad ?? Why was he glad that you snapped back ?

Gently, he grabbed your chin between his boney fingers to make you look up at him. He wiped away the hot stream on your cheek with his thumb.

« Sweetheart... Showing anger doesn't make you a bad person. Especially not you. You need to let it out so you don't explode, you know that ? »

You remained silent and stared at him with glistening eyes, your lips quivering. So that was it...? He was just worried...? God, don't break down again. Breathe... Your hands were cold from the sudden stress you went through and he noticed it. He took off his red turtleneck and dressed you up with it while he wouldn't have anything else but a black shirt underneath to keep himself warm.

« There you go. » he muttered once you were settled.

Both of you stayed still, facing each other in a heavy silence, Sans staring at you and you, at the tiled ground again.Your urge to self-harm still lingered in your blood, but it was easier to repress it now that you calmed down and felt his warm sweater hugging your little form.

« Hey... » He called and you gave him your attention again, still sniffing a bit. He took time to find the words, then once he found them, his tone was quiet. « Do you think... that even the worst person can change ? » His glance lowered, avoiding your gaze now. « That everyone can be a good person, if they just try ? »

You remained silent for a moment, while the monster was now piercing your eyes with his, a glimmer of hope and slight fear within them. For him, waiting for your answer was torture. Finally, you inhaled through your slightly open mouth and replied.

« I don't know... »

« I'm trying myself. »

Chapter Text

« It is me. Your best friend. » the young goat creature said with a sad smile across his face.

You took a step towards the mirror, where the reflection was standing. You couldn't believe it. You had butterflies in your chest, hoping it was them.

« Flowey ? » you asked shakily. The boy nodded, his eyes shut, before his smile widened. « B... But... How ? This is... This is just a dream... I'm dreaming, ain't I ? » you said with a broken tone, afraid that you were delusional again. He opened his eyes again to look at you, still with this soft expression of his.

« Indeed... You're sleeping, but this... Isn't a dream. »

The boy that called himself Flowey held out his hand for you to approach. You obliged and now you were standing in front of this transparent obstacle. You couldn't help but whimper. Was it really Flowey ? That soft face, that gaze, that smile... It reminded you of the sweet flower. The boy closed his eyes for a brief moment.

« You're right doubting about me. I was expecting this... »

« How can I tell you're Flowey ? » you asked him. He looked at you again before his gaze lowered as he was looking through his memories.

« We were always together. I was watching over you through your struggle to get away from... Toriel, then Sans and Papyrus before... You got wounded. I tried to shield you but as I was just a flower, the short skeleton monster had no trouble finishing me off. I just... I just remember your cries and after that... I was here. » While he explained, his hands held out to you. You were crying silently.

« You... Really are Flowey... » You reached out and when your hand was close enough to the glass, Flowey's went through it to grab it gently, before his whole body followed. A second after, here he was, standing in front of you. His smile weakened.

« But I have to say, Frisk... My name isn't Flowey... My real name is Asriel. Asriel Dreemurr. »

« Asriel ? » The teenager nodded.

« Somehow, I managed to find shelter inside your body... Yet, I don't know why... »

You both stared at each other in hope to find in the other's eyes answers. Then, suddenly, you remembered.

« The... The pellet. » both your gaze were wide at the realization. « I received a pellet into my SOUL when I embraced your corpse, that day... I nearly died from it. »

These news were a shock for him.

« Oh Frisk, I'm sorry ! I... I should have been more careful ! » he exclaimed while gripping tight on your arms, guilt heavy in his heart.

« No ! »

At this moment, you were also gripping his forearms, your breath trembling. He froze at your shout and looked down at you. You lifted up your gaze to meet his, tears threatening to fall. « I... I'm the one who failed you ! I should have protected you... It's my fault if they found us, I was carefree and you paid the price... You don't know how sorry I am... » You repressed sobs. Asriel rested a hand against your cheek once your hold grew weaker and broke. You raised yours to put it on top without breaking eye contact and staring deep in his eyes, you breathed. « I missed you... »

Tears made their way down his soft face. He took a step closer to embrace you, an embrace that you accepted gladly. You both stayed there against each other, weeping softly on the other's shoulder. Too busy crying and enjoying the warmth of his hold, you barely grasped a whisper in your ear that said :

« I'll never let you go ever again. »

You woke up in Papyrus' arms yet another time. You were also embracing him in your sleep and only noticed now that you've been weeping. Wait... Why were you crying ?

Two days have passed and you could say you fully recovered from your sickness. Fun thing was... The skeleton brothers didn't even care about tying you up anymore. Instead, Papyrus would just lock the front door and his own to prevent you from running away during the night. You wiggled in a sad attempt at breaking away from his grip, only making him embrace you tighter, tearing from you a little strangled sound in the process. Oh boy, what have you done. And let's not talk about how his hipbones were digging painfully in your flesh. Guess that he really didn't need the shackles. He was the shackles.

« Pap... Papyrus, please... » you whispered against his torso. You patted his back.

No reaction. Agh. He sure had a heavy sl-

You suddenly felt the pressure decrease, allowing you to crawl away. The skeleton monster was now awake and staring at you.

« Still trying to jump my bones, human ? » he asked with a low, menacing tone.

Strange... His voice wasn't sleepy as you were used to hear anytime he'd wake up. You quickly shook this thought away, flustered as you hurried yourself to reply.

« No I swear, I... I just woke up and huh... Huh... » Damn, how were you going to explain to him that he was the one hugging you like a body pillow in his sleep ?

« I don't need your poor and pathetic excuses. » he retorted before he sat up and rubbed his arms at the dreadful thought that someone like you could touch him in his slumber. « Keep going this way, human, and I'll make sure you find your rightful place back at the shed. Understood ? » …. There was no point trying to defend, wasn't it. So for a while you remained quiet, then you looked up to his face and asked.

« Why didn't you put me back in my jail ? » you could hear him exhale sharply through his nasal bone and smile.

« Why ? Believe me when I say you don't want to know what's currently going on inside the shed. » He tilted a bit his head. Even thought it was dark, you could feel his glance travelling along your body. « Also... I recognize that you're useful to us and it gives me more time to stay at work without having to worry about my lazybones of a brother. What is worrying me now is having you trying to flee in my absence. » You looked away. « But you won't do it, will you ? Unless you're stupid enough to not realize that you're safer with us here. » you shook your head.

« No, I know that. »

The skeleton monster turned away from you and he couldn't help but stretch. You heard a few of his joints pop in the process, the painful sounds made you flinch in horror. Shortly after, you heard a muffled voice from the next room cry :

« Papyrus, stop !! »

Both of your reactions made Papyrus chuckle openly with twisted amusement before he got up, turned his lamp's light on and went to his closet to change. Meanwhile, you were heading to the door and unlocking it now that you knew that Sans was awake.

« Hold on a second. » Papyrus' voice caught you off guard and you obeyed.

You dared look at him, forgetting for a brief moment he was dressing up a few moments ago. He wasn't done dressing, yet you didn't recognize the outfit he usually wore since he had just a black pants with decorative belts on his thighs, a black polo-neck jumper and his arms were stuffed in another cloth when he stopped moving, slightly turned towards you to be able to watch your movements. You took a step away from the door.

« I'm almost done. I forgot to tell you that I had a day off, so today I'll be able to watch over you while my brother is at the sentry station. » he explained before he plunged his head into the new red fabric then pulled on it downwards, finishing putting his sweater on. The collar and the extremity of the sleeves were black with a few attaches which gave him quite a fancy look even in a simple civil outfit. He stared at you for a while, judging silently your poor dressing, before fetched something in his closet and threw it in your face. « There. Get prepared, human. »

You were struggling just to free yourself from the limpy burden that was thrown on your frame, and once done, you realized it was clothes. A red and black turtleneck sweater, black shorts and black wool thighs for you to stay warm in this weather... And underwear. Nice touch. You were speechless until you noticed Papyrus opening the door and pushing you outside the room in a silent pressure to be quick. You couldn't help but be flustered at the new items, and when you looked up to him, you realized that you weren't the only one when both of your shy gazes met after you spotted the underwear. Hey, that guy, Papyrus. Despite all the mean words he told you, he seemed to care about you enough to find a whole new outfit to replace the old clothes which were... Pretty much ruined last time you checked. It's with a smile that you entered the bathroom.

When you returned, you were all fresh and clean, and finally dressed up with an actual and perfectly fitting outfit in this universe. Papyrus was in the living room with Sans. As usual, the lanky brother was commanding the shorter one to hurry the hell up and leave. Sans was reluctant, but he did so with the hidden fear of receiving a hit if he rebelled. The sight was painful. How could brothers have such a bad relationship ? Sans eventually left the both of you alone. Silence filled the main room and you regretted for a while the smiling monster' departure, especially now that a heavily scowling Papyrus' attention was all over you. You also noted his glance checking you up with your new clothes and you couldn't help but freeze on your spot in awkwardness.

Okay well... Now what ? You've had never been trully alone with this tall and menacing skeleton in this house until now. You both just stood there, staring at each other quietly before the monster sighed, went to lock the front door before placing the key inside his pocket so you would not try to run away whenever he looked away.

Papyrus then went in the kitchen for a handful of minutes to prepare something while you took advantage of his absence to take place on the couch and greet your furry friend as you waited for your guardian's return. When he did, he noticed that you settled on his favorite spot. You witnessed his facial expression change to annoyance and here went the sharp nasal exhale again when he approached to put the teapot he had in his hand down the coffee table. With a cup in his other hand, he stood in front of you.

« Move. » he demanded curtly.

Ohh... Realization hit and you quickly got off the furniture to let him settle down. For a little while, you stood there clueless about what to do so you just watched him serving himself some of this hot drink... That looked absolutely delicious. Even in the distance, the subtle aroma of this tea invaded your nostrils. Papyrus couldn't care less, he in fact chose a notebook that was resting on the coffee table as a mean to pass the time. His scowl grew softer, so much that even his face features looked peaceful as he focused on the pages. Sometimes, he'd frown in thought before taking a pen that was in pair with the notebook and write. What was he even scribbling ? Oh ! You thought you could figure it out, maybe even make it as a topic of conversation ! You eyed with a deep craving the tea that the skeleton was sipping anytime he took a pause to think. You finally decided to go and disappear in the kitchen with a light foot.

When you came back in the room, Papyrus was still sitting on the couch, but bending as if he readied himself to jump off it, his eyes locked on you and an arm raised that summoned an arc of levitating bones above him. In a gasp, You nearly dropped the item you acquired from the next room; a teacup. Your chest was heaving fast from the sudden panic, suddenly you had this oppressive feeling in your ribcage that made you gasp for air. So you remained still on your spot, waiting for his move...

… That never came. Your hostage holder's magical attack disappeared in a fog of glittering dust as soon as he noticed the item sitting in your delicate but clasped hold. Did he think... Did he think that you wanted to attack him ? You took a quick look at the kitchen. Oh, yeah. There were plenty of dangerous tools in there... When your eyes laid on the monster back, he wasn't so agitated anymore. Instead, a hint of embarrassment lingered on his face as he glanced down. He cleared his proverbial throat while he leaned back in the couch. You realized now that your legs were jello from the burst of anxiety, so much you were afraid to lose foot. You reached for the opposite end of the sofa before you'd collapse and sat there whle you were taking deep breaths to try and regain composure. Papyrus didn't bother glancing at you nor even emit a sound. It was so silent in here and no matter how hard you tried, your hands wouldn't stop shaking. There was no way to get tea right now if it was to spill it. God, the memories of those times where he stabbed you with those bones... Those horrific bones... How could you forget about it ?

Meanwhile, the man took back the notebook he left aside earlier when he was about to attack you and returned to his activity. It looked like he was doing his best to act like nothing happened, but maybe were you looking into it way too much...

It took some time for you to calm down, but your hands would remain icey cold because of the anxiety attack... So taking your courage with them, you bent to grab the teapot and serve yourself a cup of its content before you settled down again and studied Papyrus in the distance.

To think that he was the one who killed you multiple times already, weeks ago... Oh... Weeks ago, already ? It still felt like yesterday. It was insane that you'd stay around him after what he did to you in the previous timelines... But... that was the other timelines... He did his best to help you and treated you so much better than he should have, you couldn't take that from him, even if his harsh ways still made you cower. Now, look at him in his casual clothing and sipping tea and writing... Well, writing didn't seem to be the correct word since his hand was dancing so fast on the page in his scribbling. Still... He looked... Almost like a normal monster living a normal life in his normal home.

Curiosity gnawed at you hard, you couldn't help but lean forward just to try and see what he was doing... But it was no use ; you were too far to make it out... Would he let you approach after the incident ? You kept watching from your spot, breathing ever so slowly to remain calm.

The passion of a monster for writing filled you with DETERMINATION.

Finally, you found the courage to sneak closer, but stopped your progress anytime his attention turned on you, to resume until you were next to him once he gave up on keeping you in check. He took a deep breath and exhaled through his nasal hole longly as a silent sigh, yet he didn't object your proximity. At least, he didn't reject you, and that was enough to give your heart a happy flutter. You tilted your head to see what he was doing. Oh. Puzzles. He was sketching puzzle ideas on this notebook. Neat ! He'd sketch a few of them, write some details in a corner, all this in a hurry as if he was afraid of forgetting the next second he thought of them. You silently read the whole concept while sipping your hot drink from time to time. Somehow, this situation made you forget what happened earlier and you felt safe and... Good, actually. A semblance of normality of some sort...

This is when you noticed Papyrus tapping on the paper frantically. Ah, it looked like he couldn't find a solution for his own puzzle. You glanced overall the ideas, searched for a while, before you gasped and looked up at him with a smile.

« What if you put another way here » you placed your finger on the spot, showing a forgotten path on his labyrinth-like puzzle. « and to get past it, you have to first encounter these... » you selected one or two the written ideas which consisted to face ever a monster or deactivate a dangerous, deadly trap. « Either way, without a chance to back up, the person will have to defeat the monster to make the door open since its magical presence feeds the captors, unless the enemy wants to spare them so they have to solve the puzzle in order to get through, then they'll have to get here to encounter another problem... How about that ? » You showed another idea written in the corner.

The skeleton stared at you mouth agape, surprised that you'd speak up this easily and with such a bright smile on your face after what happened earlier. He noticed something twinkling in your eyes, your enthusiasm perceptible with your suggestion. He couldn't help but smile in return, in his own way ; a mischievous smile.

« I have to confess that you impress me, human. That can be a good idea... » he admitted when he drew a door on the spot you showed just earlier, and placing a number to match with the written ideas. This led him to another couple of ideas for whatever could be done next. « Really good, brilliant... » he commented in a low tone, almost voicelessly.

You watched him scribble and leave quick notes. He'd let you give out ideas or share your point of view on his works, sometimes you even gave hints to keep the puzzle interesting or with greater challenges, although you showed how amazed you were by his own concepts and would praise him most of the time. Once in a while, he'd crack a satisfied smile or even a laugh. Seeing how much of a good mood he was in couldn't make you even happier right now. Then, to your surprise, he spoke up again but to you this time.

« This puzzle is completed and it's thanks to you, human. Good thing I actually found someone as much into puzzles as I am. » You tilted your head a bit in response and asked in a curious tone.

« Doesn't your brother like puzzles ? »

« Sans ? Pfft ! He's just a lazy, useless wretch. He spends his days sleeping at the sentry station or going at Grillby's. How could he be interested in such things ? »

You hesitated for a while as your eyes found interest in your now empty cup in thought.

« Papyrus... I was wondering... Please, don't take offense for what I'll be asking... » you looked at him again. He was doing the same with questioning eyes, and a frown marked his face as if he was prepping himself to flip you. « You seem always unhappy, I mean... You're angry most of the time and... You always fight with your brother. Did something happen in the past for you two to be like this nowadays ? » The skeleton monster stayed silent for a while. He seemed to be taking some time to register what you were implying. You even dared lifting a hand up and he backed away a bit, startled. You stopped in the process and apologized for your rudeness, yet you really wanted to touch this crack on his eyesocket area. « Is this scar... Related to how you live now ? » He turned his head away to feel for the crack, before he lowered his hand and looked at you again in the corner of his eyesockets.

« ... Hm... It's related somehow, but this was the time when Sans wouldn't hesitate to fight. That's when we were babybones, we were close... Until someday, my brother... He just lost something. I don't know why, or when exactly. He just wasn't the same anymore. »

You grabbed the teapot and made a gesture to suggest some which he accepted, letting you serve him the hot flavored water. You served yourself one drink as well before you put the teapot back onto the coffee table. Then you curled up next to the skeleton man who was holding the tiny cup between his slender, skeletal hands, plunging his gaze into the deep, honey color of the tea.

« Is this why you're angry as an adult ? Do you want your Sans back ? » you asked him softly. He remembered the bruise he got from the recent fight he had with his brother, and he nodded. « And you think that... Violence would bring him back ? » Now that you were thinking of it... His acting, his scars, his reaction when Sans hit him... This was all for Sans, because he was worried about him. He nodded again, before he looked at you and asked in a snap.

« How else can I do that ? »

« By talking. Like we're doing right now. Have you ever tried to actually talk to him, Papyrus ? »

Papyus' leg jiggled slightly in anxiety while he was looking down at his feet, gripping the cup tighter in his hands.

« We... We monsters don't talk. We fight. We kill. We take things when we have to and that's it. » he glared at you with that spiteful expression of his. « Down here, it's kill or be killed. Everyone knows that rule. We always lived that way, why should it be different now ? »

« Did all that make you happy ? » You hand rested on his forearm so gently he almost didn't feel it. It was when you added pressure that his arm reacted, twitching from the sudden feeling of your touch over him, but still managed to control himself and he kept it there. « Papyrus. Tell me. This violence. Does that make you happy now ? Is this what you wanted for a life ? »

He took a while to respond but when he did, it was with a shake of his head, staring intently at the ground and frowning deeper as his lifetime memories that he buried surfaced again.

« Violence doesn't solve anything, Papyrus... I'm sure you know that, deep down. If you have problems, talk about them with someone. Someone you trust. » Even though Papyrus was still frowning gravely, he calmly stared at your face now. « Being abusive with your brother won't make him come back... He needs to see you care, because you do, that's for sure. » you smiled tenderly at him. « He needs you to be a brother, to talk with him peacefully like we're doing right now. He needs it just as much as you. You will feel better yourself... »

« How do you know this would bring me peace ? »

« I can tell this is bringing you peace right now. » you squeezed his arm affectionately to emphase what you just said. You were right at this point ; the skeleton relaxed as you kept your hand on him as a support, even his leg stopped bouncing. He may not want to confess it was true, in the end it was doing him good.

After that conversation, the rest of the day went surprisingly well. Papyrus was softer with you and would even smile more often as you shared ideas about puzzles together, or when he'd tell you many of his stories behind the scars that his body proudly bore. This moment of such proximity made you forget your place in this world and yet, little did you know that this moment of piece wouldn't last long.

Chapter Text

The day was far from being over. It was actually around noon so you assisted Papyrus with setting the table while he was busy cooking. You could sense the comforting smell of pasta emanating from the kitchen. You then had a passing thought of Sans, so you went to check on his sibling.

« Papyrus ? »

« What is it, human ? »

You couldn't help but giggle internally when you saw that lanky, scary skeleton wearing a cooking apron with “I ♥ being edgy” written on it. You realized you had him waiting for your reply when you noticed that your “host” turned towards you and folded his arms, and even started tapping his foot in impatience.

« Come on, human. Do I have to remind you I'm busy ? »

« Oh, sorry ! I... Hm... Will Sans be there ? » you asked him with a visible embarrassment. You were holding your own arm awkwardly and shifting from a leg to another.

« No, unless he thought otherwise. »

« I see... » You looked away. What was with the sudden feeling that was rising up in your chest ? A mixed feeling of disappointment and relief and you couldn't shake it off.

« Why is that ? Did you want him to be with us ? » Papyrus smirked. You stiffened. Did you ? At the lack of answer, he looked away. « Hmpf. »

And so, you left the chef alone to finish his business.

You've had the most awkward lunch with this monster, in the heaviest silence you would ever bear. You did your best avoiding Papyrus' glance whenever he took a look at you. Sometimes throwing a glance at him to check if he was still studying you, you could tell by his attentiveness that he was interested in knowing your opinion about his dish and to tell the truth, your meal was delish ! It may look simple, but the plate of spaghetti, tomato sauce and meatballs that he prepared was perfectly cooked and the tastes balanced. He added some cheese to it that complimented heavenly the dish. It was worthy of the finest italian restaurant.

« It's beyond delicious ! » You pipped.

Although he didn't show any emotion other than this usual scowl, you could tell by the aura that was emanating from his frame that he was glad you were digging his cooking. Even his body language let you know how he appreciated your compliment by the way he returned his attention on his plate and resumed eating more relaxed. All he gave you in return was a pleasant silence and that's in a better mood that you went on with your food.

After the meal, you helped again with clearing and cleaning the table while Papyrus would take care of washing the dishes. Sharing some house duties with him gave a feeling of familiarity again, no matter how wrong it was, it still felt as if you always were a member of this family. Maybe it was fucked up, it didn't really matter at this point... What mattered now was your accepted presence and it filled you with Determination ! Maybe you could find a friend in Papyrus ? Though you had to admit, you were scared to be the only one hoping for such a thing... He surely didn't give a crap about you. You were a nobody. Or maybe you were too pessimist...? Look on the bright side, at least Papyrus was relaxed around you today. And even his scowl was almost gone, and you could almost dare think he was a harmless guy...

You recalled what happened a few hours ago.

… Yeah. Almost.

You were chilling on the sofa, back to petting the dog-wolf when Papyrus came back in his usual outfit. Surprised not to see him in his previous clothes, you dared ask him :

« Wasn't it your day off, today ? » He spared a cold glance at you before a smirk rose up on his dented mouth.

« It is. But you see, human, I'm still a busy man and I have a few things to be done with. » Immediately, your blood turned cold and your face went pale.

« Wait... What do you mean...? » you asked with a flat voice. He chuckled darkly at your fear.

« Fret not, human. I won't work on my day off for you. » he assured you before he went to the front door to unlock it while you'd be thinking of the different possibilities. Then, he opened the door. He was about to leave when you got up and started following him.

« Papyrus, where are you going ? » he was about to close the door behind him when he saw you just standing a few feet away.

« That's none of your business, human. » he coldly retorted with that scornful glance again. Since he wouldn't even give you a hint, you had to think by yourself and eventually, you remembered what he said this morning. Your mouth parted in shock.

« Wait... Wait, are you going to the shed ? » you asked. Bull's eye. He reacted to it by only grinning mischievously and it made your stomach turn. « What's in the shed ? »

He tried to close the door but you forced it open and jumped on him when you got the chance, tearing a surprised yelp from the spiky skeleton as your bodies fell heavily in the cold snow.

« Don't do this, Papyrus ! » you yelled when he fought you back, only to bury the both of you in the white snowery powder.

« Ah, I knew that you weren't spineless ! » the monster replied with that evil grin again. « Go on, try and attack me ! But you have to acknowledge, human, that I'm the most powerful of Royal Guards aside Undyne ! And it's more likely impossible and only painful for you to try and defeat me ! »

On these words, he embraced your body with his slender arms before he made you both roll on his right, ending on top of you as you were tangled up together in the snow. You couldn't repress the squeal when the cold humidity slipped through your clothes, but still resisted him. Seeing you trying to grab onto him made him laugh openly as he just gripped your neck to pin you unto the ground while he'd get up on his knees and loom over you.

« I have to admit, human, that I like your bravery. Daring to stand up against me like that, with such a frail, weak, powerless body of yours... I could even dare to say I find it adorable... Such a shame you have to die really soon. » he said in a low tone with an oddly flirtatious expression before he cackled. « If it can be of any comfort, I'll remember you, even after your death. »

He tightened his grip on your throat to cut your air way. You were now gasping and holding his wrist with both of your hands like a lifeline while you'd try and helplessly fight back with your legs in vain. He wouldn't budge. His other hand, which was first used for taking support, came to gently caress your face with the back of it. His gaze softened despite that slight smirk that he wore.

« I'll remember those eyes, this face, this voice of yours... And your sacrifice. »

The Royal Guard let go of you and you wheezed in relief the second you could breathe. He cackled at your misery again, then got up and walked to the shed not so far from your position while you were busy whimpering from the dizziness he inflicted you. He opened the door, just before he was tackled and buried into the snow a few feet away. Despite how your feet were bare, cold and wet from the snow, you charged at him and were now on top of him, panting heavily from the adrenaline. He was shocked to get downed this easily and he glared at you, while you were doing your best to put weight on his torso, holding him down by his shoulders.

« Please, Papyrus, listen to me ! You don't need to do this, you don't have to hurt whoever is in that jail ! » You were crying above his face. It has been so long since he saw you shed tears that his mouth parted and he laid there, voiceless under you. You were shaking against him. « There is always a way that doesn't involve violence ! You know it, don't you ? » At this moment, you were too stressed out to know what to say to change his mind. He was staring at your face in silence before he huffed.

« You live in a dream, human. Violence is only what exists here. » he pushed you away so strongly you flew feet away and crashed in the snow, tearing a yelp from you at the impact. The spiky monster got up with a grin. « Tell me three good reasons for me not to go in this shed. You have ten seconds. »

Ten seconds ? You barely managed to get up on your feet, which was an extremely painful task to do because snow felt like needles stabbing through your feet, that you noticed that Papyrus raised one hand with his five fingers extended and that's when he already started the countdown by closing one by one his fingers that you realized he was actually giving you a chance.

« One... »

Oh god, what could you say ? Of all the worlds existing, why couldn't you think of anything now ? You stumbled over words before you finally found the ones you were searching for when he reached the fourth number.

« I don't want you to go and torture them because there's so much more than violence ! »

« Five... »

You took a step towards him. He started extending his fingers again in the next half of his countdown.

« I don't want any more blood on your hands, Papyrus ! You've done enough ! There is... There is another way, you don't have to live like this ! »

Imagining what he must have gone through in his life to end up this way tore your heart. You kept walking towards him. The adrenaline numbed most of the pain even though you could still feel some strain in your legs from time to time. These words caught him off guard for a split second before he resumed.

« Nine... »

« I don't know what you had to live down here but I do know you're suffering, and yet... Yet... I admire your strength, your numerous talents and your passionate soul ! I... I really look up to you, Papyrus ! And I care about you, just as much as I care about Sans ! »

He stopped counting. The last words were still echoing within him. Despite the cold striking your fragilized body, the desire to tell him what was on your chest burned in your veins. You clenched your fists and you yelled.

« You all deserve to know freedom and happiness ! That's why I'll go and see Asgore, I'll give him my SOUL myself if it's what you want !! »

You didn't know but these words you said, they meant something for him just as much as they did for you. It needed a while for him to get his breath steady again when you stopped a few feet away from him, panting in your efforts, both emotional and physical. Your teeth chattered so cold you were... Even your fingers had an ice touch in your clenched fists.

« Alright then, human. I recognize honesty when I see it and I must say your words were pleasing to my ears ; even though I don't have any. So I'll suggest a deal. »

« A... Deal ? » you panted. He nodded with a newborn smirk.

« Let's have a duel. You and me. If I win, I'll give you to my King, a- »
« Dea- »

« Let me finish first, human. » he cut you off as well, way more harshly. « I'll give you to my King but not before I tortured you myself. After all... He said alive, but didn't say a word about the state of your vessel. So I figured it would be fine for me to have a little fun with you first. » You gulped loudly and he heard it because he chuckled right after that. « IF you win... I'll stop torture activities for good. Deal ? »

« Deal. »

He raised his armored hand towards your chest before he closed it into a fist, then in a swift and graceful turn of his head, he shut his eyesockets and he pulled your SOUL out. When he opened his eyes again to look at you, shock struck him, but you only noticed his expression a little too late because you were too busy catching back your breath from that sensation that you never could get used to. It was your turn to lower your glance on your SOUL and you gasped.

It was red as usual, but the pellet you received a few weeks before made such a big damage over it plus the new injuries you got from the current fight you picked up with your opponent, covering your hurt area in a dark red, almost black color. It still had cracks in it but was mostly scared all over it. Some scars were closed, some were still fresh and deep. Heck, this heart thing wasn't pretty to see at all... Papyrus was speechless staring at it. It was the second time he was acting this way whenever he had to see your soul. He shook his head and set his fight stance.

« En garde ! » he said, before he smirked. « And losers first. »

You chose to ACT and tell him you really meant the words you said. He brushed it off with the back of his hand.

« Alright, then... Don't tell me I didn't give you a chance. » he said lowly before a set of femurs appeared out of the fog. One after another, he sent you the attacks that you'd dodge as best as you could manage with your injured leg and frozen feet. You winced in pain when you almost got hit by the last one before you stood up, sweating and panting. « Hm, not bad. » he commented.

It was your turn. He was crossing his arms as he waited impatiently for you to do anything. Fight ? Act ? You didn't want to even lay a hand on him, far from it really, so you chose to say :

« What I said about your talents, it still stands up. I find them all outstanding ! Especially cooking, why don't you spend more time into this ? It's way healthier than torture ! » You learned that praising was something that always managed to soften him. But unexpectedly, he laughed at this.

« Pardon me, human, but torture is tastier for me ! »

Another range of bones were thrown at you but much faster with a different pattern. Some of the femurs were red, so you stopped moving at this moment. Through your way here, you were taught that this trick would cause damage only if you moved when it passed through you. But this time, you took two hits. One from a normal attack then by a red one that followed just behind. Your arm was hurt, so you held it against your chest while you stood up to face a grinning Papyrus.

« Let's cook something together later ! » you suggested him with a smile. He tilted his head. He seemed to consider it.

« We'll see about that. Until then, watch out for my special attack. »

A special attack ? Then he sent a few femurs towards you, which you managed to dodge easily enough. Well, it was quite an easy turn ! Until your whole body was circled with a red glow and felt like it was made of lead now. Then a bone knocked you hard, tearing a pained yelp from you. What was that !?

« That's my special attack ! » he laughed at your incredulous face. Holy cow it hurt your back so bad... At least, you kept standing up. Hardly but, still.

« I don't want to fight you, Papyrus ! » you tried to reason with him fruitlessly because you received another attack and you yelled in response.

You had to jump to avoid the bones thrown in your way or limp around when it was possible. You could hear the skeleton man cackling at your struggles.

« You're too slow, human. »

Through next minutes, you were still trying to talk to him until at some point, he would not even listen to your pleas anymore. The vicious man just kept attacking you mercilessly. So whenever it was your turn, you fought back with peace and stood strong with a smile. It'd send him over the edge of anger and the violence of his attacks would only multiply depending on the scale of his wrath. You'd be hit multiple times and yet you'd hold on just right and keep going your way. After a while, his voice boomed.

« WHY. DON'T YOU. FUCKING. FIGHT, HUMAN !? QUIT THE ACT AND FIGHT ME FOR ONCE !! » his voice was so powerful you almost fell on your bottom out of surprise ! Usually, his tone is so quiet and collected everyone needed to stop just to hear him speak. You didn't expect him to have a thunder-like voice when mad !

But you stared at him in the eye and only shook your head when you stood straight again. This made him roar of rage and he threw another range of red bones towards you. You weren't budging as some of the bones passed through or close to you, then one which was material passed and cut your soft skin. To bear the pain you clutched your fists, no matter how much you wanted to vocalize it. He was losing his temper while you kept yours in check, although you were the one suffering the damages right now. You had to keep going. You had to keep sparing him.

Determination was chanting in the back your head like that one cheerleader with a losing team. Now, Papyrus wouldn't stop throwing his attacks while screaming pure rage. You dodged some of the attacks but one hit your already hurt leg and you squealed in your suffering, almost falling as you lost your balance. You kneeled down, panting loudly just as Papyrus who stood there, wondering if you were finally beaten. But you stood up again. Come on buddy, you had to stay determined. The skeleton man was sweating and panting, shaking with exhaustion in front of you.

A few attacks later, here he was falling on his knees in defeat.

« I don't understand... Why... Why won't you fight back...? » he panted as you stumbled closer, his defeated and exhausted gaze lost at the ground. « I've lost... to a human... How...? How can... The Great and Terrible Papyrus... Possibly lose to a simple, miserable human...? I don't understand... »

You lifted your arms to his head. He stiffened when he felt your touch before his face was brought against your chest.

The monster stopped his motions and even got his breath stuck in his throat to the sound of your vivid heartbeats. Something that he found fascinating back when he treated your sickness. After a few seconds of holding him against you, you could feel his shoulders relax once he finally gave in your touch with a sigh of relief.

He's sparing you.

You spared him.

His arms slowly covered the back of your body as they snaked around you. The skeleton was holding you so gently now, afraid that any more pressure on your badly damaged body will finish you off. Now that the battle was over, your SOUL returned in its rightful place under Papyrus' calm, tired watch. It was then when you felt all the pain you couldn't feel much before pouring all over you like heavy rains. It was suddenly too much to take that your vessel dropped against your ex-opponent as it shut down on its own. The slender man was holding you tighter against him while you started howling in pain. You weren't able to move at all so you just buried your face against his scarf and cried your suffering out. You forgot the effects of having your SOUL cut out of your body in a fight... You would not feel the pain as strongly as you're supposed to, as if you were disembodied, until the culmination of your being would return into its rightful place... Then... You would feel it all of the sudden. All the damage, all the hurt... It was there now and somewhere in the back of your head, you regretted your life decisions for a quick second. The skeleton kept embracing you and trying to soothe you with quiet “shhh”.

« Fear not, human. I'm a man of words, so your suffering isn't in vain. I, the Terrible Papyrus, will quit on torturing monsters... And humans. » At least the pain was worth it, you thought. Your hands still gripped him vice-like, your whole body trembling through the cold and the trauma.

« Thank you, Papyrus... » You said with a muffled voice by the leather of his shoulder guard that your face was buried into.

« Don't thank me. It's not by kindness I'm doing this. A deal is a deal. » he growled. Silence settled between you both for a while, until you spoke again, calmed down but still sore and frozen.

« Papyrus...? » you called out softly. It caught his attention.

« What is it, human ? »

« Are you... Are we friends now ? »

« Friends ? What even is a friend ? » he asked, frowning.

« Someone you can trust. » A moment passed by when Papyrus reflected upon this.

« Can I trust you ? » he asked again. You nodded silently, your arms tightened around him to put emphasis on your quiet answer as you nuzzled back into the armor to avoid getting hit in the face by the cold breeze. He remained silent and because you were held against his frame, you couldn't see his blush.

« Papyrus... » you called out again. He just waited for you to continue. « ... Are you happy now ? »

Silence.

You looked up to see him looking back at you with a soft smile on his dented mouth.

« I am. »

Chapter Text

You refused the lanky skeleton' offer to carry you back to his house. Instead, you stood back up and went limping to the shack while he followed you close and let you open the door before the two of you disappeared inside the shed. He didn't bother repressing a growling sigh at your stubborness, and you didn't care. You needed to know.

Now you regretted it. Your stomach almost spilled its content in horror when you saw what was going on in this jail. A cat monster, seemingly a young male, dressed in work clothes, was tied up to a chair and covered in blood. At first glance, you couldn't tell if he was alive or dead, so you threw a panicked glance at your new friend, who wasn't ashamed at all... In fact it was... the total opposite. Tears welled up in your eyes and the worried glance you had turned into a glare.

« Stop with that accusing face, can't you see he's still alive ? » he glared back before a scornful smile appeared on his face. « Seems like you still don't know how things work down here. » No and you didn't want to.

« Open the door. » you ordered him dryly. On top of the cold, you were trembling just as much as your breath in anxiety and anger because of the current state of Papyrus' victim.

You were now staring at the electronic lock on the wall in front of you decisively. You wouldn't change your mind, you were too determined for that and he knew it. That made him sigh in exasperation and he executed your demand. You were congratulating yourself internally to make this menacing, dangerous monster obey to an order, he who always been the one giving them. Yet, you didn't forget to thank him as you opened the door once the trap was deactivated and you rushed inside towards the tortured soul. As soon as you could, you cupped their head with your hands to make them look at you.

« Hey... Hey, are you there ? » you asked the monster.

When you spoke up and touched him, he frowned and made visible efforts to blink his eyes open. He groaned from the pain that was awakening with him and his vacant glance finally found its light back when it landed on your face. In sudden fear for his safety, he swiftly freed his head from your hands with an audible gasp and a hissy spit. He started hyperventilating in panic, wide terrified eyes locked on you.

« No, no, it's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. » you assured him with a steady, soft voice with one of your hands resting on his shoulders. You moved aside, your other hand laid on his lap when you needed support to squat next to him, and you noticed right then that he didn't pay you attention. His eyes shifted on Papyrus as soon as he entered the jail. « Oh... Yeah... Don't worry dear, he won't lay a single finger on you ever again, I made sure of that. We're here to release you instead. » you smiled at the prisoner while you crouched to free his ankles from the attaches. The Royal Guard stayed distant and watched you silently. You didn't notice that the cat monster had a predatory eye on you while you were still focused on his feet, before you heard Papyrus snap.

« Cat. » His sudden call out made the two of you stop in your actions to look at him. If a look could kill, Papyrus' would have done it by now. « Stop staring at the human that way or it's not a simple punishment for drug and stealing matters you'll get. »

The concerned one just shook in fear in response. If he didn't have any red fur, you'd see the colors of his face fading too, instead you just felt his aura agitating underneath his skin and saw his hair standing up on his bared forearms and tail. You couldn't help but pet his head once you stood up again and went to untie his wrists. You could see the multiple injuries he had on his body, all the blood pooling on the floor... You felt lucky Papyrus never did such a thing to you. You noticed that you were shaking too when you caught yourself thinking about it and because of that, you were clumsier than you used to be. When you finally freed the poor tortured monster, he took a moment to stand up. The look of wary marked his face, a solid evidence that he still wondered if his release was real, a test or a nasty prank.

« Go on, “Burgerpants”. » Papyrus warned with a fierce glance. « You can leave... Unless you were enjoying our little play times. Just a friendly reminder that if you dare steal gold from work for your dirty drug deals again, this time won't be nice little cuts you'll leave with... If you leave, that is. » he smirked, which made the so called Burgerpants hiss in fright.

Then he stood up, lost his balance for a portion of his tail was missing before he threw a hesitant look at you in a deafening silence, then he stumbled until he reached the cracked open door and disappeared through it. Seeing how badly hurt he was awoke your need to follow and help him, but knowing your own current state, you wouldn't be of any use. Your shaky hands were stained with blood, you realized. You turned to look at Papyrus with a heavy heart. He was just grinning, probably because he enjoyed how bad the other monster suffered before he noticed your glance and stopped doing so. It would be bold and unfair of you to scowl him over this when he already promised not to torture anyone anymore... Of course his demeanor wouldn't magically change in one day. Sighing, you then turned towards the shining sta.... The shining star wasn't here anymore. You looked around.

« Where is it ? » you asked, already feeling the tension rise inside.

« What ? » Papyrus who was still folding his arms arched a browbone.

« The SAVE star... » your voice couldn't help but shake.

Oh, that was bad. Your whole body felt heavy all of the sudden, even your breathing heaved. It showed signs of exhaustion and afraid, you got a quick grip on the chair that was one or two steps from you. Damn anxiety and today's big ass dose of effort, because you had no energy left. He didn't seem to notice your panting and trembling as he replied.

« Oh, this... Sans brought it back to its rightful place- » Your falling frame is what cut him in his reply so he unfolded his arms, startled. He walked closer to your collapsed form while he sighed, annoyed. « Lord, you're so weak ! I can't believe I got defeated by such a pathetic creature like you. » You managed to muster the rest of your strength to get on your knees by the time he reached your slouching and panting form. You had no more ability to move so sore and exhausted your body was. You laughed softly.

« I know... I'm sorry, Papyrus. » he kneeled down next to you before you felt his slender, boney arms wrap your back and under your knees to lift you up, cradling you like a baby against him.

« Stupid human, making me do such embarrassing things... » he grumbled. « Can't believe we were taught you creatures were supposed to be strong and vile... And not... This. » his voice was flat in the end, as he tried to come up with another word to describe you in vain.

Your heart fluttered at this moment with the need of giggling hitting hard. Maybe it was because you'd have never thought that the Terrible Papyrus would ever hold you this way except for when he slept, or maybe just because embarrassment oozed from his entire being... Yet you managed to contain the outburst to just a hardly restrained amused smile. You didn't want him to misinterpret your reaction after all !

You felt comfortable in his hold, so much that you'd fall asleep right then. You turned your head to hide your face against his chest. A sharp exhale escaped from his nasal hole drew your attention back on him. He was looking away with a bright blush dusting his cheekbones. Oh. Okay. This guy was easily flustered, wasn't he. You buried your head again before he could realize you were watching. He decided to walk at some point, you didn't know when for sure cause all the previous adrenaline was kicked out of your system by exhaustion, and you faded away in a matter of seconds.

If you opened your eyes now, it was only because someone was frantically flipping shit around in search for something in your surroundings. You were back at the skelebros' house and currently laying down on the couch. Someone could hear that noisy bastard turning this house upside down from miles. Speaking of the bastard, it was Papyrus searching for something in the kitchen and grumbling loudly when his researches appeared fruitless while his dog AD sat next to you. Its whimpers made you turn your head towards the animal and smile at it.

« I'm okay, baby dog, I'm okay... » you whispered with that baby voice you always took when speaking to the white beast.

And a sloppy tongue came across you face before Papyrus' snarl interrupts you both in your cuddle session. The skeleton monster rushed back to the living room visibly upset and started to move heaven and hell to find something he might have lost around. Which was pretty unlikely of him, you thought...

« What is it ? Did you lose something ? » you risked to ask then winced from a stinging sensation as you tried to sit up.

Still on his nerves, he glared at you before looking away and sighed. For a moment he closed his eyelids and with two fingers, he rubbed the tense nasal bridge. Something you observed a lot the times when he had to recollect himself.

« It appears that we have ran out of healing items on you... I need to go and buy some. »

He didn't let you reply that on these words, he disappeared in his bedroom for a short while. The living room only started to fill with a heavy silence that was immediately chased away by the sounds of Papyrus' return with a purse in his hand. When he passed close enough, you grabbed his forearm under AD's startled watch. Papyrus naturally stiffened at your sudden approach before his guard went slightly down as his eyes laid on your cut-covered face.

« Can I go with you ? » you asked so gently that it made him flinch. He visibly was still not used of this kind little creature you were. He tried to back away but it only made your grip tighten around his combat glove so the skeleton stops to think for a moment, looking at the house, the dog, you and your abused feet, the house again... Before his glance met your pleading eyes again. « I need to SAVE... »

A couple of seconds passed as you both had a stare contest before the Royal Guard sighed. You won the game.

« Fine, do as you please. Though you'd better not slow me down, human. » he warned you uselessly because your face lit up the second he accepted, and so you got up from the couch and quickly went to put another pair of black thights and your shoes.

You were doing your best not to show pain as you walked down the stairs, so much that your hurt leg remained by far the only proof of your struggles. Papyrus opened the door to step outside and you followed him accompanied by the dog. You hadn't noticed it behind you until you felt its head spread your legs and the next second, you were straddling the animal's back to your great surprise. AD threw a smug glance at you while you rested your still able hand on its collar under Papyrus' watch. He still couldn't believe the dog was showing so much affection towards you and you only. Maybe was he jealous finding it so obedient and caring with you ?? With relief, you bent down and patted the pet's head while it began carrying you around next to Papyrus. You were so small compared to these creatures, you couldn't possibly have caught up with their pace in your current state. Even your feet were still aching from the snow.

The speed at which they travelled across the snowy stretches of land to the lights of the town would have made an arduous journey for you if you'd have been on your own but for these monsters ? It was nothing at all. You swayed on the back of the hound that graciously carried you to the front of the Shop in the heart of the town.

« How are you still alive ? » the shop owner asked when she recognized your face.

You were standing close to Papyrus, and thanks to his incredible height, it was convenient to hide behind his figure. He drew a protective arm just above your head to shield you.

« This human, lady, is my entire responsibility. See ? I captured this vile creature and I'm going to deliver it to the King shortly. »

« Oh, congratulations, Great and Terrible Papyrus. » she said with a noticeable sarcastic tone. « I wonder how it managed to survive so long until then. » while she observed you and took note of your health. You were still in one piece but enough beaten up to believe his words. Papyrus was looking over you before he replied.

« Me too. I wouldn't be surprised if it stole from someone. You know how humans are cunning. »

« Yeah. So you better be careful around it. It would be tragic to lose our most talented Captain because of this thing. » she spat while glaring at you.

How dared she say that you could murder your newest friend, after your last talk with her ? She surely didn't expect you to glare back at her because her expression melted. Then her stupefied eyes shot up to Papyrus as if she was about to speak about your silent threat. The big boy wasn't pleased either by the way he was scowling at her. Seems like you were both on the same page. GG, team work.

« Are you telling me that I could possibly be wiped by this small, weak breathing thing, lady ? Are you doubting my capacities ? » he growled as he stared daggers at the rabbit monster. She hurt his ego. She flinched and hurried to agitate both her hands in panic

« N-No of course not, I would never imply that ! E-Ever! » he grinned at this response. A terrifying aura emanated from him, so strongly that you didn't even need to see his face to know how scary he looked right now. Only looking at the bunny monster's terrified expression was enough to tell.

« Good. Now, let's talk business. » he replied as he took support on the counter with his arm and a leg crossed with the other. Funny to see him taking a seductive pose when his face didn't match in the slightest.

« Yes... » she murmured in a breath.

You took your distance to look through the window in the corner of the hallway. It looked peaceful outside. Not a lot of monsters were out and if they were, they wouldn't stick around each other long let alone. Everyone acted suspicious or menacing and it wouldn't be surprising to see two or three fuckers fight at some point...

« I can't believe it became like this... » a voice tore you from your reverie.

You whiped your head around, you expecting to see someone standing right behind you, only to find Papyrus and the seller talking business in the distance. You were on your own. You turned your eyes towards the window again. That was... Weird... Maybe was it someone outside and you were too focused to notice them ?

« Silly, I really doubt that you'd hear them that clearly if it was the case. » A shiver of horror ran up your spine. It was coming from the back of your head. How ?? Were you officially losing your mind ? « No you're not. » the voice sighed in disappointment. « I guess that you really can't remember me outside your dreams... »

« F... Flowey ? » you thought.

« Asriel. »

« Agh, sorry. » you ducked your head out of embarrassment only to wince because of your sore muscles in your shoulders. Dear lord you're stupid.

« It's okay, I would be confused too if I was in your shoes... Which I am currently but... » Asriel laughed at the sudden realization. You couldn't help but smile at how innocent he sounded. Oh, this laugh, you could recognize it even in the middle of a crowd ! An urge to cry overwhelmed you. He was really there, you thought. He wasn't gone. « Hey, it's okay, of course I'm here ! Please don't cry, or I'll feel like a douche... » You shook your head.

« No it's... You don't know how relieved I am to be able to talk to you again... » you sniffed a little and wiped the tears that clouded your eyes with your sleeve. « I can hardly believe it's true... »

Your friend stayed silent for a while. You were waiting for a response. Was he already gone ? The thought of his possible departure made your anxiety peak for a second. You called out to him. Still no response. You could feel your body slouch on its own in disappointment until you heard him again.

« It was... It was a really nice battle. » he said with a soft, hesitant voice. « back to the shack... » Your soul swoon at this compliment.

« Than- Oh... You saw that ? » you asked him.

« Er... Yes ? I mean, I.... I see and feel everything now... »

The joy that was swelling your soul suddenly left place to a suffocating, icey hold of it. You glanced down, gripping your sweater in your hands.

« I experienced your deaths... » he kept going. « How... How could you hold on through this hell ? » his voice on the edge of breaking as if he was about to cry. You could even see him in your thoughts, his expression full of pain.

« You... It was for you... »

Your reply took him by surprise because he gasped. The weird part was that your body reacted as well as if it was your own reaction. Still staring at the ground, you raised a hand to grip at your arm but you winced when the pain shot through it. You hissed and looked at yourself. Wait. Something was off.

« What is it ? » Asriel asked, now concerned.

You noticed the rips in your sweater. Good lord, they were new clothes ! You sighed in annoyance before you noticed that your shorts were also ruined... You looked closer and almost fell on your bottom at the horrifying discovery. At first glance, your black tights didn't look ripped until you focused and finally noticed that the holes were showing pitch-black skin. What the fuck ?! Your legs were fully black ? Oh no... It couldn't be real. Anxiety rose up so fast you had trouble to breathe. This wasn't happening, no... This couldn't be happening ! It was a nightmare, what if someone noticed ??

Keep calm, you told yourself.

Yet you could still feel your heart rate increasing as you stood motionless and stared blankly outside of the window, struggling with your own breath to even think rationally. Your knees weakened so much your legs wobbled. Voices quickly overtook your mind. Chest was tight and your vision started to shrink. The urge to scream at the voices to shut up kept growing. No, no, no... You knew that Papyrus was going to look at you if you didn't control yourself, and yet, and yet...!

« Breathe in slowly » Your best friend whispered over the voices, so close to your ears so you could focuse on him and him only. You followed his instructions the best you could, shuddering in the process. « Hold. »

You did so and the waiting part was certainly the worst. For the passing seconds, you wondered what was that going to do. Your heart was pounding heavily in your ears and you could even feel your chest shake under the strong beats. The whispering voices still talked but you held on.

« Good. Now, breathe out. Slooooowly... » you obeyed again and you started to feel the effect right away. Your air way was relaxing just enough for you to breathe slightly better. « Do it again. »

After a few times, you felt your heartbeat finally slowed down to an acceptable pace and slowly, the voices faded into faint murmurs.

« There you go, friend. »

« Do you know what that is ? » you asked him once you were calm enough despite the lingering anxiety. You could sense him shake his head.

« I'm afraid I don't... It started a while ago though, I noticed that time in the bathro- » he shut up at this moment and you felt your face flushing a bright red. The memory of you standing in front of the mirror flashed in front of your eyes. Oh. That's right.

« ... It was you who were flustered, wasn't it ? » you asked him with a slight, hesitant smirk printed on your face. He replied with only an embarrassed laugh. « I should have known that thinking “Golly” wasn't from me. You lil' sneaky sneak snuck- »

Asriel was about to reply when you heard Papyrus' voice raise a little announcing that his business with the seller was ending.

« Goodbye, my lady. »

« Thank you for your purchases, goodbye. » she replied with a strained smile.

You couldn't sense your friend anymore, maybe he went back into a corner of your mind ? You turned to look at your skeleton companion who was walking towards you before he grabbed a fistful of your arm roughly. You yelped in pain and he didn't care to spare a glance at you while he dragged you outside in a heavy silence. Your feet were sliding on the melted snow turned into ice as you tried to keep up with his pace.

« P-Papyrus, you're hurting me... » you told him with a weak voice.

You kept trying to pry his hand off you but his grip was strong, and strong enough to dig his digits in your soft skin. Once Papyrus judged that your group was far away enough from the shop, he released your limb so abruptely you tumbled. AD, who was sitting at the shop's door like the good guard dog it was, returned at your side to check up on you with a little tilt to its head.

« Remember that others need to see you as my prisoner or else, they'll attack you. Understood ? » Papyrus whispered to you, bending over you to be able to see your eyes since he was so tall in comparison. You nodded silently. The Royal Guard brought a hand between your shoulder blades as an encouragement to walk. « Let's go. »

« Wait... » You turned your head around.

From what you could remember last time you came across the town, the SAVE star was somewhere near the shop. You noticed it floating back on its previous spot. You escaped your caretakers' vigilance for a second to reach it, soon followed by Papyrus' protests. He approached with his companion while grumbling about “how fucking stubborn you little shit were” and how “you were going to get killed”, but you didn't pay any mind. You knew he would protect you.

Snowflakes peacefully fell down in the growing darkness of nightfall. That SAVE point was like a tiny sun in the middle of this place, twinkling gently as it stood there a foot from you. Its peaceful call was impossible to resist to, you raised your hands around it then brought it against your heart, admiring this gift through lidded eyes. It was so calming, so comforting... The light shone brighter at your contact and you closed your eyes.

✧✦✧

Papyrus was standing next to you, voiceless as he watched the scene. It was his first time witnessing such a thing... What was he thinking at this moment, eyeing you with this surprised, fascinated face ? Hasn't he ever seen something like this in his lifetime ? To be honest, he never did. And seeing your small, fragile figure rest against this tiny shining star, so weak and yet so... Peaceful... Something danced inside his ribcage, like a bird desperate to break free. He couldn't understand this sensation, but he knew. He knew this was the most beautiful thing he ever saw in his entire existence. Something new, something pure... Something that wasn't tainted by this corrupted world. How did this creature survive this long, he thought. Did they even survive this long ? They fell down into this forgotten universe like a gift from above and showed mercy, kindness, concern for all he saw. Each time they could have taken the opportunity to hurt or kill, they simply acted otherwise and offered a smile, an embrace, a caress... Just like his brother assured.

This couldn't be possible. Were the books about humans wrong ? Were the stories pure lies ? Were all the humans like you ? Were you only human ? These were the questions he was dying to ask. Something was coming to life inside his chest, something he thought he would never feel. The need to protect them. The need to keep them from all harm. If he ever said that out loud, his brother would be ashamed of him. The other monsters would laugh at his face.... Undyne... Undyne would dismiss him... Even worse, King Asgore would execute him for high treason. But he was going to bring the human to him... Wasn't he ? But... They were going to die if he did so... And yet... But yet...

« I have to keep going... »

What ? This soft-spoken voice, yet vacant, shook him out of his inner fight. The human was looking up, staring off blankly in the distance with the shining star still held against their chest.

« I need to keep going... I need to... »

The whole scene was odd. Papyrus took a step closer.

« Human. What are you do- »

« I'm running... Out of... »

Their irises were glistening in this off-putting, unexpressive gaze when the star's light kept growing stronger until it was even blinding. They kept saying the same words over and over again, while their hair started floating as if in a breeze. Was that magic ? How could a human do that ? Nothing in his books mentioned that humans could use magic on their own outside of a fight against a monster, which was kind of freaking the edgy skeleton out now. He only realized he rushed to them when he grabbed their shoulder.

« Hey ! » he shouted loud enough for the little one to notice his presence. They were now looking at him, their livid eyes slowly coming back to life as they snapped back to reality. Right then, the star burst into glimmering dust. All seemed to have returned to normal after that incident, only he was left with an anxious human now.

« Papyrus... We need... We need to see the King really soon. » they whispered with a shaky, weak voice. He noticed that they were taking his big hand between their small, delicate ones before he looked up to their face again. « Please... » This expression of theirs... They were afraid. Here was that unholy feeling emerging again. Papyrus clenched his fist in Frisk's and frowned as he tried to kill that unwanted desire inside of his chest. He could sense their fear, so thick around their soul... He ignored what the star did to them, but if it scared them enough to think he could help them... He preferred not to know.

« We will, eventually. Tomorrow. It's night time at the moment and I sense you won't be able to walk much longer. Am I wrong ? » he replied with his best scowl and scornful voice. They just nodded and smiled in relief, visibly unfazed by his attempt.

« Thank you... »

Dear Lord, why must you make things so difficult !? He wanted to scream, but right when he was about to snap, a familiar voice coming from their right disrupted them.

« Yo. » Sans greeted them with a relaxed grin for once. It seemed like he just had a nap by his sleepy demeanor, which made the tall skeleton exhale sharply through his nasal bone. This guy will never change, will he ?

« You're appearing just in time. We were going home to prepare dinner. »

Papyrus smirked before he laid his eyes back on the human again who got startled by the dog that, like earlier, came between their legs to carry them on its back. Only then Sans saw their health state and the pathetic tired state he displayed left place to an alarmed stance. He had to breathe deeply twice to bury his fright, but failed in calming another emotion rising. Sharp, red eyes flickered towards his brother.

« Boss. What happened to them ? » he asked with a strange tone. A tone that the human knew oh too well... He was mad, they could see by how tense his body was, proof of his efforts to keep his anger bottled up. « I left them alone with you only for a day, and that's what you decide to do ? Hurt them, that's it ? Tell me all about it, I'm listening. » He grinned, though his smile was tense and bitter and his fists were trembling.

Damn it. How could he explain that ? Papyrus quickly scanned their surroundings. There were still one or two monsters around that may be susceptible of hearing the conversation.

« Sans... How about we talk at home ? » he suggested lowly with tight jaws. Immediately, Sans laughed humorlessly in response.

« Yeah, sure boss, like we talked two days ago ? Is this what you did with the human ? You “talked” ? I can see that it turned out great. » he commented in a spiteful tone, quickly glancing at the human to emphasize his point. They didn't know how or when they could step in, their eyes kept frantically going from one to another in worry. Maybe now was a good time...?

« Actually... » Frisk tried and fairly enough, the brothers were ready to listen. Yet the human couldn't help but cower a bit, intimided by their sharp eyes bearing into their already small form. « I... I was careless and I... I fell in the staircase when I was holding a glass of water... Papyrus didn't have anything to patch me up so he brought me here... Please, don't be mad at him. It was my fault. »

Holy cow that bastard was a good liar. Both of the brothers were mouth agape, one because he wouldn't believe the human was taking his defense, the other because he was wondering how the fuck could they fall in the stairs with a goddamn glass of water. Guess that Frisk was clumsy after all, so in the end it was plausible to Sans that it really happened.

« Is that... Is that true, boss ? » Sans asked, now glancing at his brother still clenching his fists.

« You heard the human. They were careless. » The human nodded at the response silently. « Now, let's hurry and get back home. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. »

Sans couldn't help but still be suspicious of his brother until he realized that dwelling on the subject wouldn't change the facts so he decided to shrug it off. What mattered now was going home, back to warmth and safety.

« 'lright. »

… But he still had trouble trusting his brother around the human. The day before, he still hated the little one's guts and wanted them dead, and now implied that they were safe around him ? He called bullshit. So when everyone started moving, he walked between Frisk and his brother in a disguided way to shield the human. His friend watched him do so quietly until the shorter skeleton glanced at them and winked with a reassuring smile on his features. Things will be alright.

Snow kept falling as peacefully as ever while the little gang walked back to the base.

✧✦✧

That evening, Sans was gone and locked up in his bedroom when you found Papyrus in the kitchen. He was preparing the tools for tonight's dish. Shyly, you stepped on the doorway and called him. He looked at you. You were in a better shape, thanks to many of the items he bought for you. You were rubbing your own arm in discomfort.

« About... About earlier. Does it still stand ? » you asked him.

You really hoped that he didn't forget with all the things that happened this afternoon. He studied you for a while, thoughtful, before he stepped aside and directed his attention over the wooden cutting board.

« Come here. »

You couldn't help but smile widely and you walked up to him then waited at his side for his instructions. He hesitated with what to give you to do, then eventually, he handed you a kitchen knife. A true sign of his trust in you.

« I let you cut the tomatoes while I'll prepare the meatballs. » he said and you nodded. « Good. And don't even think about trying to stab me, understood ? » You took a look at the tool that was resting in your hand, then at him and nodded. There was no way you would do such a thing. « Excellent. Now, let's get started. »

For the next few minutes, both of you worked hard in this cooking session. Your sleeves up your elbow level, clean hands, you were focused on your task though you could still sense a relaxed Papyrus next to you. You could even hear his magic humming peacefully so close to you and it made your soul swell with joy and tranquillity. You put the pieces of cut tomatoes in an old blender to prepare the future sauce under the slender man's silent watch. You were pretty effective, to say the least.

You waited for the water in the pot to boil enough to throw the pasta in. Eyes glued on the water, you reached for the spaghetti box blindly only to feel Papyrus' cool fingertips brush against your knuckles. Startled, you quickly looked at his face to find him startled as well. None of you expected the other to do the exact same thing. You quickly withdrew your hand clutching the box to your heart, shying away as you murmured a quick sorry. He didn't say anything, still frozen in place, so you met his gaze again to see a heavy blush dusting his cheekbones.

You caught yourself thinking that he was cute looking flustered like that...

You preferred not to point that out in case it would make him more embarrassed, so you proceeded to put the raw spaghetti noodles in the cooking pot before you grabbed the frying pan nearby so Papyrus could place the meat in. He did so still without saying a word, then you put it down the gas cooker and turned it on. You could feel his insisting eyes on you during the whole process. You felt a bit self-conscious... Okay, maybe more than just a bit... Maybe he judged you for touching his hand, or maybe was he still blacking out...? You didn't want to check in case that it was the latter, worried that he'd realize his fluster and in queue, your awareness of it. You figured that for them, being flustered was equal to showing weakness... so you'd rather focuse on your current activity instead. And you managed to let go of that incident in a matter of a minute or two.

You were still busy putting some condiment such as salt, sugar and some dried herbs in your tomato preparation when his voice rang bluntly.

« Human. What are those marks on your wrists ? »

Your heart fell in the pit of your stomach and you froze with that unbearable feeling of fear. Slowly, you raised your horrified eyes to his face. He was facing down at you, a frightening scowl printed on his features. His posture, his glance, the twist on his mouth of bitter anger... He was terrifying. You then looked down at your wrists. Pale marks decorated the soft flesh, some were bigger than others yet each one was proof of something evil that plagued your precious life, still present and cruelly reminding. You went to cover the abused area with the sleeves when he suddenly grabbed your forearm to turn it upwards, showing off these scars to yourself as if you never noticed them.

« Who did this to you ? Tell me. »

His voice. It was so deep as he growled like a beast, even more than ever. You don't recall ever hearing him like that, even back when you were enemies and that he'd kill you on the spot. You were a trembling mess in a matter of seconds and your breathing shallow.

« N... Nobody... » you cowered with a shaky voice.

« Who hurt you ? » his raised in queue, more demanding as he towered you and held your arm in a steel grip. All your efforts tugging your arm free were vain, but you still seeked for a release. « Human. Who. Hurt. You !? » He was shouting now.

« I don't know ! » you shouted back with a whimper. « I don't know, please, let me go ! »

« Answer me, human ! » his voice was raspy, so low from all the growling and yelling. It was freaking you out, a knot of anxiety tightened around your ribs, stealing air that you desperately needed right now. You kept pulling on your arm while heaving in panic.

« It doesn't matter anymore !! T-They're gone now ! Please, Papyrus, stop !! » You cried out and it only made his grip tighter around your abused wrist.

« I won't let go of you until you say a name, human !! » he bent over you, his enraged eyes plunging into your watering ones.

« GET OFF ME !! »

You didn't realize that you were already lying on the tiled floor when you bursted into tears, struggling to breathe in the middle of a breakdown. You were curling up, tucking your hurting arm against your aching chest. Papyrus was standing in front of you frozen on the spot, a hand covering his own abused cheekbone. Your other hand was hurting deeply to the bone and in a short moment of lucidity, you wondered if you just hit him. Yet... you didn't even remember fighting him in your panic. The panic attack you currently had left you miserable and at a monster's mercy who had all the reasons to rip you into tiny pieces and make a human pie out of you.

You couldn't remember what made you self-harm this way, but you knew it was because of the flashing memories that flooded your mind a few weeks ago. You knew they were playing a big part on this matter. You knew it was because of the pain that was eating you up from the inside that you did it. Because you wanted to ease the suffering, you longed for something that would have ended it in a way, or another. But how could you explain that to this monster ? He who used to redirect his pain onto others ? Why would he care so much about whoever in this entire universe made you feel so terrible and worthless ? You couldn't start to comprehend why... Why would he care ? Why so soon ?

Someone rushed to the kitchen. You could recognize who it was by the heavy footsteps yet you were too shaken to be aware of the current situation. Sans stood as if petrified on the doorway, a face struck with shock, then he slid on his knees to reach for you and grab your small trembling form. You remained curled up and kept weeping while he shielded you with his own body by looming over your frame. Even with your mind still struggling to focus, you sensed his body shifting slightly as he looked up to his brother who didn't move from his spot, still with that expression of utter shock and hurt on his face.

« What did you do to them !? » Sans barked, furious.

Papyrus couldn't gather himself in time to respond that his sibling picked you up. Still stupefied, he opened his mouth to speak but no sound escaped his jaws. So his brother turned his back on him and said with threat evident in his tone :

« Don't even try to approach them for the night or i assure you, you won't like what happens next. »

On these words, Sans carried you to his bedroom, leaving in his wake just a heavy, pressuring silence in the house that weighed down on his younger brother standing still in the middle of the kitchen. The monster's face distorted with remorses as he contemplated powerless the aftermath of his actions.

Chapter Text

You were in Sans' room. Your panic attack eased down a few moments ago but the shock left you terribly cold and numb. The monster had covered your small frame with a good amount of blankets, as if the number of them would ease the despair your soul was currently drowned in. You looked like a burrito from his point of view. A sad burrito. A sad burrito on his bed. Unlike his brother, his furniture looked bland looking so cheap it was. It seemed like being the leader of the royal guard could offer the lanky skeleton luxury goods.

A soft light illuminated the room you were in and for a lazy bonepile that Sans was depicted as by his brother, honestly, his place was pretty clean. Guess that he spent some spare time to clean that up ? Did he consider inviting you in his privacy before the incident ? Maybe not in such scenario 'cause right now, he was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He seemed to be thinking about what to do with you. He felt uneasy, and you could sense it through his agitated magic if the expression on his face didn't show his discomfort clearly already. He used to be violent and distant whenever he was upset, so he thought you'd be the same and need some space as well. That's the reason why he didn't expect you to look at him with a forced smile and speak.

« You can come here if you want, I don't mind it at all... » your voice was hoarse from crying but also very soft, almost on the edge to break.

Sans hummed in hesitation, considering the offer for a moment. And with every second passing by, sweat beads broke out on his skull. The poor guy was completely lost, especially because of having someone and of all people, you in his bedroom. Eventually he took a deep breath and came to sit down on the bed right next to you. His shoulder brushed against the fabrics that were keeping you warm so you barely felt the light pressure on your side. You brought a hand out of your cocoon and rested it on his hand, his knuckles warm to your icey touch. You were trembling, but only because you were still in shock from the previous altercation. Your sleeve covered a good part of your hand like it usually did, but you felt your friend's turn upwards to hold yours before his second hand covered it.

« Sweetheart... What happened ? » he asked you softly.

You saw the concern in his eyes and turned your head away, glancing down in silent shame. Your fingers tensed up in his hands, and in return you felt his digits pressing into your soft flesh in a comforting way.

« You don't need to be scared. I just want to understand. »

Then, you felt the hand that was resting on top of yours sliding on it, brushing softly your skin as he dragged the fabric of your flannel up your forearm. You stiffened at his action only to relax when he beckoned you to before he processed in turning your arm upwards so he could see the marks.

« I saw them too, while I was bringing you upstairs. I didn't understand why Papyrus would scream at you like this until I realized those were scars. And we both know that if my brother was screaming at you about it, it's because he cares for you, which is... Surprising. » he laughed humorlessly, his gaze lost on the ground. At this moment, you were staring at him silently. He surely felt it because he drew his eyes on you another time with a smile on his face, yet he seemed in pain. « He does the same when I'm hurt. So I know you managed to make him like you. »

His thumb traced the pale marks on your skin gently. Sans was waiting for an answer patiently but you couldn't find any. What could you say to this ?

« Sweetheart. » His voice was now deep, the deepest you have heard of him as he raised serious eyes to meet yours... Yet... His tone didn't sound threatening like you've been used to hear back when you met him... Or maybe you've got used to it...? His glance was piercing through you. « What happened to you ? »

He was staring at your face, his concern even more perceptible at this moment. You were looking at his hand caressing you in a soothing manner. It felt good receiving some affection. Shivers of pleasure and comfort ran up your arms.

« I don't know, Sans... » you told him. « I don't remember anything of the world above... I just know that I didn't like it up here... »

« So... Humans hurt themselves when they're feeling bad ? »

« I guess that some, yeah... » you replied before you shuddered. « You know... You and I are no different. You and your brother are the kind of people who redirect their pain onto others in a desperate way to call for help... For some others, they do the total opposite... They hurt themselves hoping someone will notice... In the end, none of them know how to do otherwise, or because they're scared, or... Ashamed... or hopeless... » Your voice started to crack up once more but before it could happen, you closed your eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again to face Sans with a quivering smile. « I don't know what happened to me on the surface, but what I know for sure is... That it's over, Sans... They're gone, for I am here with you and Papyrus now... »

Your breath was cut out by the skeleton monster bumping into your small frame. Your blankets were knocked off and replaced with strong arms that embraced you firmly. Your chin was resting against his shoulder, so was his on yours. You were frozen in place, your brain trying to analyze what was going on.

He was offering you a hug. A strong, breathtaking hug. Maybe even a little too strong for your lungs.

« I'm sorry... » he whispered, his voice struggling to come out from his tightened throat. Hearing him say these words shook you. What hit him ? « I wish I knew that you've also been suffering sooner, sweetheart... I would have... Things would have been different, then... God I'm so stupid... » his embrace tightened on these words. « I can't help but still wonder how you survived after all this, why are you even here... For someone this kind-hearted, ending up in this twisted world... Why... Why must you be so kind to even fall down here... » He was trembling against you, so you raised your arms around him to hold him close. « I would... I should have known... I should have known when I saw your soul... »

You knew he was honest at this moment, but you also knew that in reality, he would have been merciless either way. The only reason why he regretted his actions today was because he grew to like you... But you wouldn't say that to him for the risk to kill him on the spot, he who was already so fragile so... You just let him talk while you would hug him back.

« It's okay, Sans... We're friends now, that's all that matters to me. » you comforted him, patting gently his back as you did so. You felt his chin dig deeper in your shoulder when he nodded.

« Friends... Yeah, right... » he withdrew his face from you to be able to stare at yours. His expression was still heavy with sadness and regret yet he smiled and asked. « You huh... Wanna go downstairs ? We're going to dinner soon... »

You shook your head. You were filled with remorse when you remembered the look on Papyrus' face as you came back to your senses, lying there on the ground in panic. You didn't remember hitting him and yet you're still the one who did it. You didn't even remember falling. You just... Blacked out. All that you could recall was your distress, then suddenly, anger. Was your dissociation getting worse...? You shivered at the thought, a reaction that Sans misinterpreted.

« You're scared... Okay, I won't force you to face him... I'll just bring you a plate when I'm done, okay ? » You nodded silently. Somewhere you were glad he took the wrong hint because you weren't ready to face the brother yet. He gently pressed a hand against your shoulder as a suggestion to lay down. « Now rest, sweetheart. »
« Okay... Thank you, Sans... » you whispered. He smiled in return and huffed. At least, he wasn't shocked whenever you were saying that anymore.

« Don't sweat it. Well, see ya. »

The skeleton monster got up on these words and left the room. You were alone now, laying in his bed, covered with the multiple blankets he handed you. You kept replaying the incident in your head, guilt gnawing at you with every minute passing by. Finally, you felt a presence with you.

« Asriel... » you whispered. A painful, long, deafening silence was settling down as he searched for something to respond with.

« Are... You okay...? » he asked you shyly. This time, it was you who took time to reply.

« No. » You stared at your aching wrist and hand, even flexed it to feel the sting revive. You even noticed bruises forming. « I... I hurt Papyrus... But I don't remember doing it... It was as if... As if I blacked out for a second, but I still managed to hit him... »

« Well huh... » you caught his unsure tone. « Because... It wasn't... Really you ? » he finished with a small voice.

« What ? » You frowned and narrowed your eyes in confusion. « What do you mean ? »

« I... Huh... I was the one who hit him in the face...? »

You could swear he was making himself so small in your mind, like a child who knew that they messed up. And here you thought that you dissociated again... At least, it explained why you didn't remember it. As realization struck you, anger rose up in your chest.

How dared he.

You were sharing your body with someone, okay, but you didn't want to lose control over it, even less if it was to use violence without your own approbation against someone or a friend... No, it couldn't be right. Also it wouldn't help your case if the skelebros came to think that you were a dangerous person that needed to be stopped.

« How ? How could you do that !? » You were taking deep breaths not so say it out loud. « How can you take my own body from me to hit him in his freaking face !? »

« He was hurting you, Frisk ! »

« I don't care, you shouldn't have done that ! It's wrong ! »

« So what, did you prefer I'd stay out of it and just watch !? » he was now yelling. « You were crying and begging him to stop ! See what it brought you !? Oh, or maybe did you prefer getting your wrist broken !? Because that's what was going to happen ! »

You could clearly see his frowning face when he was shouting at you and feeling his own anger overtake you. You started panting and shaking from the overflow of emotions. How could he react so violently, he who used to be so kind-hearted, he who used to cry or fear easily ? You couldn't understand the change... You couldn't...

« He was worried, Asriel !! »

« Yeah, and he's dangerous too ! » he was pacing furiously in your head with his hands on his skull. « And I'm also worried, it doesn't mean I have to beat the crap out of you in order to help ! If you forgot, I can see, can hear, can feel anything as much as you ! » He then stopped and turned, throwing his arms on the side to face you, fists clenched and a piercing glare. « So like it or not, but we're stuck in the same body and I won't let us get hurt anymore ! »

« No !! » You buried your face in the pillow and clutched the fabrics tightly. Hearing you cry out cut him right off and he immediately checked up on you, still heaving from the anger that slowly drained away from his essence. « You don't understand...!! »

He was right... You both were on the same boat. He was witnessing and experiencing everything, every pain, every distress the others would inflict you. It was the first time you were arguing with your best friend, and it was enough to know that you hated putting you both on edge like that. But it wasn't right, you thought. It couldn't be right... It could be dangerous for the both of you to take control over your body and act as he pleased. Because the others couldn't know, nor understand what was going on with you... They'd think you were a dangerous creature like they were always told. Or what if they happened to know the truth and they found a way to tear Asriel away from you ? It was a gift to have him still living inside of you and you had to protect him at all cost. You wouldn't do the same mistake again.

« Asriel, no... » you wept against the cushion. You felt your friend's worry as he sensed your distress. « You don't understand... I need to protect you... And for that, you just... Can't. Do that. You can't take my body suddenly and hurt people, even if it's for my sake ! » you were embracing the pillow against your face as you curled up around it. « I can't let you go anymore ! I won't survive it if they take you away from me again ! I need you, I really do so please, you have to stay brave ! We've been through worse than just a mere broken wrist, you know it ! » Now, he was feeling remorseful. Looking away from you in shame. « So please, my dear friend... Stay strong, okay ? We'll... We'll finally be together forevermore really soon... »

You felt his arms wrap around your shoulders before his forehead rested in the back of your neck. He wasn't there in the room and yet you could still feel his touch as if he actually was. You didn't bother to wonder, you were just glad to have him around and be able to interact with him, no matter if it's happening inside your head.

« I promised it... Remember ? »

He nodded against you.

« I'll do my best... » he replied softly.

Your best friend stayed as long as you were hoping for. You were so weakened by your cries that you ended up falling asleep in the goat child's arms, who was humming a soft melody you recognized while you were dozing off. It was the lullaby Toriel sang for you to sleep, the night when you managed to flee. It was easy to know they were linked, by their species and the pain she radiated. The distress in her eyes whenever you asked to leave the Ruins. The cries while she'd chase you down and kill you in her desperate attempts to keep you. You understood that she had lost someone, and it must be Asriel. That'd explain a lot actually...

You were woken up by Sans who came back with a plate, flatware and a glass of water. Even though you were dead tired, you didn't want his efforts to be in vain, same for the tall skeleton who finished to prepare the dinner alone. You took one bite and lowered your glance on the plate. He kept the sauce you prepared. Oh, your heart. It was hurting. You finished the dish before Sans took the empty plate back with the flatware and put them aside on the nightstand next to his bed.

« You can stay here for the night. » Sans said for reassurance. « You'll be safe with me, I swear. »

You could spot a faint blush on his face at this moment while he looked away timidly. You had to admit it was really cute. You nodded and you laid back down, followed by the monster who was now next to you. He wouldn't bother and take a blanket for himself, and since you were cooking from the warmth of that phenomenal amount of blankets you had, you decided to fight them so a couple would fall on him. He stared at you doing your weird shenanigans and couldn't repress a chuckle, amused.

« Goodnight... » you mumbled tiredly once you were done kicking and punching your lumpy enemies and satisfied with the amount of them remaining. The skeleton was gently playing with a lock of your hair as he waited for sleep to kick in. You couldn't help but smile at how good the innocent action felt. His hand was just a bit cool for you to appreciate it, and you were too exhausted to feel ashamed to enjoy his loving attention after all the horrible things that same hand has done. You fell back in slumber in a matter of seconds.

« Goodnight. » Sans whispered as he watched your peaceful, sleeping form.

You woke up again in the night. You'd have known it was around 2am if you had any hint of the time. And once again, you were in a prison of bones because a skeleton found in you the perfect body pillow to hug while sleeping.

...What's up with them using you as a body pillow ?

Anyway. You crawled away from his loosened arms. If you couldn't sleep with him, it was only because guilt was creeping up on you so bad it was haunting your dreams. You'd try to screw your eyes shut but they'll open wide on their own again not long after to stare blankly at a wall, and any time you'd be actually dozing off, Papyrus' horrified face would appear in a flash in your mind and you'd jolt awake with anxiety. It was useless to try and ignore this any longer. You needed to see Papyrus. You had to apologize. So you walked out of Sans' room on your tiptoes and after a quick visit to the bathroom to wash your face and brush your teeth, you silently reached for his brother's. Was the door open, at least ? You verified. Oh, thank lord, it wasn't locked. Still without a sound, even holding your breath, you entered the room plunged into darkness. Although you did your best to be discreet, Papyrus sensed your agitated soul and woke up or... More likely jolted awake, gasping in surprise, red lights appearing in the dark to pierce through you with sharp sounds of moving sheets as he lifted his body in his wake. You were making your way around with a raised hand searching for obstacles, only to find the baroque styled four poster bed to hold onto and find your bearings back about his room, your eyes focused on his black-pitch mass as he turned on the lamp posted on the nightstand next to him. The lanky skeleton took support on his elbows to stare at you with a slight nervous frown.

« What are you doing here, human ? Go back to sleep. » he told you with a painfully unused voice. You shook your head silently before you spoke up.

« I can't... » you whispered softly. He tilted his head, confused. You could still see the bruise on his cheekbone, and the terrible feeling of guilt haunted you again. Why did he still have the injury ? Didn't he eat ? It looked painful... « Can I... Sleep with you ? » you asked shyly with your head buried in your shoulders in shame.

He considered it for a few seconds, before he sighed silently and nodded. Relief animated you and you bent until you could reach and embrace him around the neck, your head resting next to his. He twitched in shock, his own arms lifted in a reflex of defense but stopped midway.

« Human ? » his raspy voice called you with a point of concern. He was completely lost. His chest was rising and falling a bit faster in apprehension against yours. The hum of his magic sang higher in your ears.

« I'm sorry, Papyrus... I shouldn't have hurt you... » you whispered. At this moment, his breathing slowed down, and so the magical hum lowered. « This isn't what I wanted, I swear... I never wanted to hurt you. But... But I understand if you don't want to forgive me, I just... Wanted to let you know that I regret what I've done. »

Since your face was buried, you couldn't see his softened expression when you apologized. He wasn't looking at you, his glance lost on the ceiling when his arms slowly snaked around your waist and he pulled you on the bed in a careful manner, making you both roll so you were laying on the usual spot you used to sleep on, right next to the wall. You were laid on your back with your legs dangling off his hipbone and Papyrus, on his right side to face you. He rested his head against your shoulder while he was slowly curling up around your small frame. It was his silent way of forgiving you. You couldn't help but whimper silently at the realization and you hugged him tight, which he didn't object, doing the same but not without holding back on his part.

You both laid there together in an almost religious silence. It took a couple minutes for your emotional turmoil to ease and soon, you found yourself relaxing at his touch. With your gaze on the ceiling of his room, you let your mind wander for a while until you noticed your own senses as if they just awakened. For a split second, you wondered if you've been dissociating, so familiar you were with numbing out your senses and the fact that anytime you were grounded again within your own body always made you alienated. Always experienced it as snapping out of a dream you weren't aware of having... But right here, that feeling of alienation never came. Because of how slowly you took notice of your surroundings, your senses gently awoke to Papyrus' contact. Firstly, you grew aware of his ribcage's raise and fall against your side as he breathed peacefully, of how pleasantly his head resting on your chest weighed. You basked in the quiet hum of his magic, took in the scent of pine, snow and golden flowers that accompanied the discreet smell of bones. A smell you grew well acquainted with. Your right hand that landed on his arm when he laid you down earlier had been travelling along his humerus ever since, its texture felt smooth under your fingertips and you'd notice in their journey light gaps whenever they came across scars that had long healed. Your hand would linger there to run your fingers along the marks to feel the difference of texture, then go back to the gentle strokes you gave his arm. He has been nothing but appreciative of your attention, quietly laying on your side to listen to your calming heartbeats with arms holding your warm frame close.

You don't know how long you've been enjoying each other's presence until he sucked in a breath, his head still under your chin.

« I should be the one apologizing, human. » he talked quietly, almost in a whisper. You looked down in concern for a quick second. He sounded choked up like he had been struggling to speak up all this time. « I just wanted to know... »

« I know... » You were now the one peacefully staring at the ceiling of the bedroom.

« Harming you wasn't my intention. »

« I know. »

« I was blinded by my own anger. »

« I know. »
« ... » His embrace tightened. « Your kindness will get you killed... »

« ... » You closed your eyes, smiling. « I know... »

And this was his way to apologize. A short silence settled down while he lost himself in wonder, asking himself if he should talk more. At least, it was working : he was talking. It was a really good start. He who used to mute his feelings to replace them with violence and harsh words. You didn't realize you were caressing the back of his skull to relax him but he didn't seem to mind, too busy thinking.

« Will you tell me what happened to you ? » he finally asked after some hesitation.

This question made you stop petting his head and you lowered your glance to meet his. His expression... It was impossible to read it. You raised your forearm to be able to look at your marks and right when he felt the weight shift, he grabbed it to be able to see them closely as well. You stiffened for half a second when you felt his sharp thumb run over one of the light scars. You were both focused on that when you answered.

« I told you... I don't know, Papyrus. » he was now looking at you with a puzzled expression.

« Did you lose your memory ? » he asked again. You nodded slightly.

« I suppose ? I don't remember my life before I arrived here and... I don't think I'd like to remember it actually. I'm just glad being here with you. » You replied softly.

A faint smile crept up on your face. It took a moment for him to tear his glance away from it and stare at your past wounds that he has been touching with a hardly restrained fascination instead. As he kept caressing the marks, he asked.

« Does it hurt ? »

He was using the same words and the same manners you showed him that day, when you discovered his fresh bruise. He seemed to learn from you. Thinking of it made your heart swell with happiness and pride. He looked at you again, only waiting for you to reply.

« It doesn't matter. »

For once, when you woke up, you weren't stuck in the sleeping skeleton's arms because he only draped them over your waist, so you could go and use the bathroom. You didn't know what time it was again, all you knew was that it was still dark outside. You opened the door to reach for the restroom but not without having to hold on the wall to be guided through the dark.

Once you were done with your deed and your hands washed, you were ready to go back to sleep. You opened the bathroom door to a house still fully plunged in the dark, meaning that you'll have to feel for your surrroundings again. With your palm against the wall to search for Papyrus' door, you walked slowly. You found the doorway and soon after the door handle but before you could lay a hand on it, one clasped against your mouth, forcing you to bend backwards under the pressure before you felt a second hand grip you around the waist right after. Who was it imprisoning you against their tall frame and ripping you away from the door when you started to fight back, throwing your legs around and holding tight on this hand that was shutting your lips, preventing you to scream for help !? You were doing your best to move your head away but it only made their grip around your jaw tighter, almost threatening to hurt you in the process yet you continued squealing the louder you could, hoping someone could hear you, hoping this was just a joke, and a really bad one played by Sans, and yet...

Their hand had fur and felt more like a paw. Your whimpers were muffled as the intruder dragged you down the stairs. Your thoughts were racing in your head, imagining all kind of horrible plans they had in store for you.

Then, despite having a furry hand covering your nose and mouth, you still could smell a strange yet strong scent... Something aggressive that burnt your nasal walls with every breath taken while your abductor walked you out the front door. Didn't Papyrus lock it before going to bed ? Impossible, he couldn't forget, could he ? You kept kicking until the cold hit your poorly covered body and you winced. You noticed black figures standing just in front of the door and waiting patiently for your kidnapper to exit with you. What the hell was happening ? Was it a dream ? Or more likely a horrible, real looking nightmare ?

Snow felt like icey needles in the sole of your feet, you had trouble to find your footing while you were dragged away. You looked up to notice that they've been splashing a liquid on every wall and foundation of the house. Your heart skipped a beat. What were they doing ? You only realized what was going on when a fire monster threw a fireball in the living room to drown the whole ground floor in flames in a blink of an eye. Oh no... The liquid.

It was gasoline.

Other monsters grabbed you when you fought back ferociously and spun to face the cat monster, Burgerpants. It was him who caught you. He dared to turn on you, you who saved him from the dangerous skeleton yesterday. You knew he was the one who organized this. With an anger outburst, you were pulling your arms free from two other creatures that grabbed them to bring you to a halt. After a few seconds of vivid resistance, you heard your friends' screams inside the house in fire. You bit the cat's hand which released you in a reflex, kicked another monster in the leg and broke free from their gasp as they lost balance. Immediately, you rushed towards the house screaming after the ones that you grew to care about, so desperate to rescue them that you couldn't even feel the horrific sensation of needles in your dead cold feet.

Their screams were bestial, haunting and blood-curdling. Why couldn't your legs carry you faster ?! You cried hysterically.

« SAAANS !! PAPYRUS ! A.D !! »

To hell with the flames, you needed to go and save them !! You ran close just enough to feel the change in temperature when you were tackled and buried into the snow front first, so violently it stole the air from your lungs. The one that Papyrus called Burgerpants was on his all four on your body, pushing down to prevent you from getting up while you struggled to breathe again. Everything tuned out, and you barely had the presence to notice his tail whipping the back of your legs while he sat there on top of you. You couldn't move your way out, your body was too busy trying to find air again and the way it was pinned down on the ground was asking double of efforts to try and move. No... You were so close...!

You only realized that the pack of monsters has been dragging you away from the house by your ankles when you returned to your senses and noticed, among their evil laughter at your miserable display, your friends' agonizing cries that never stopped.

Your fingers were numb from the cold and still you clawed at the ground to hold onto something, anything to stop them.

« Please !! Let me go , let me GO, THEY'RE DYING !! SAAANS !! PAPYRUUUS !! »

You were in tears and helpless.

You were screaming and begging, you kept calling to your friends in total despair as they dragged you away until you noticed a silhouette running out of the burning house. A screeching torch came out to stagger in the snow. You recognized Papyrus who fell on his knees, screamed out one last time before his body finally collapsed lifeless. You remained silent, wide-eyed, streams of hot water covering your pale face throughout the horrendous scene in front of you. He was the last one who lived this long. After that, a deathly silence fell, with only the crackling sound of the fire eating the house away filling the atmosphere.

You watched the tiny heart float above the pile of ashes that his body turned into, now scattering in the thin, cold air. You were voiceless as you watched Papyrus' soul split and explode into tiny pieces that evaporated in the fog.

He was dead. Papyrus was dead.

They were all dead.

It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare. I'm going to wake up.

You didn't realize you were screaming again. You couldn't hear anything nor even yourself. You didn't know if that feeling of freezing needles in your chest was caused by the snow or not but... All you could do was stare at Papyrus' ashes scattering around in horror. You don't know how long you've laid there witnessing the monstrosity. It's like the world stopped turning until someone grabbed and rolled you on your back to face you. They were all around you, the demons. They were looming over you with a sickening fascination for your pain, huge and distorded shadows dominating your miserable form.

“Why would you cry for a monster anyway ? They weren't of your species”, their features seemed to ask in a heavy silence.

You recognized the face above yours and couldn't help but feel what remained of your heart shatter. It was the bunny lady who owned the shop standing over you. She had a sadistic smile on her lips as she stared down at you like she figured something out.

« I knew it. I knew you were a monster fucker. Those assholes didn't capture you. » she then chuckled. « Burgerpants was right ; you fucking seduced them. »

Salty water was running on the sides of your head as you laid lifeless under them. It was all over. This pain in your chest was too much to take, so much that the agony that'd follow next wouldn't compete. There is no way you could go through all that shit again. Not alone. Not anymore.

It was your fault, wasn't it ?

You deserved what was coming to you.

Your gaze lost on the ceiling of the Underground, you were gone far, way too to realize that they started ripping your body apart. You didn't even have the senses to feel your limbs being torn off one after another, nor even to hear the sickening noises that you body produced. Only then you had a sliver of awareness that your vessel reacted on its own each time flesh, nerves and bones tore and broke. You observed yourself open your mouth to scream for pain that you couldn't even process. Your body was on auto-pilot and your mind blissfully drowning in a deep sea of grief. Your hazy gaze registered their laughing faces rejoicing each time splashes of blood tainted their bodies and clothes. Your hot blood gushed on the snow around you. Out of your body again, you observed the scene from afar, floating above them all and watching fascinated how the blood running from what was left of your body tainted the white cold powder like crimson butterfly wings.

You wondered if Angels could see you from above.

When they were done tearing your one arm left, your mind was already static. You cried out your misery until there was no air left for you to keep going, no more vocal cords to give you the right to express your torments now. You were blinded by the weak light of your trembling, little soul standing above your chest before you noticed dozens of clawed hands lunge at it in a heartbeat, only for it to explode into small pieces.

The darkness embraced you.

And you embraced it back.

Chapter Text

You woke up to your own screams only to find yourself in Papyrus' hands who had startledly gripped on your arms with heavy concern on his skeletal face. He pulled you up when your legs gave in while you cried hysterically. You were so overwhelmed by your fight or flight response that you didn't realize that you fighting back Papyrus in a desperate attempt at escaping his vice-like grasp drew attention on you. Your heart was in your throat. Ringing in your ears drowned out all the other sounds enough for you to only hear faintly the man's blurred out voice drilling you with questions, asking what was wrong when you turned away the best you could, still in his hands, and threw up all over the battered snow.

You were outside, back at the SAVE star that was long gone. Flashes of memory about the shop owner, the freezing cold piercing through your torn flesh, of the fire were driving you insane. You couldn't keep yourself from having a panic attack, crying out one last time before you finally collapsed against his frame. Your heart felt heavy, just as your breath, just as your whole body. Vision was blurring and your hearing drowning out completely and still, you could hear this infinite ringing over the overbearing sound of your own heartbeat. You were barely aware of Papyrus lifting you up so you could stand straight in vain.

« Human !? Human, what's wrong !? Wake up ! » he yelled at you.

With a slipping mind, you merely spotted the hint of fear in his voice and on his frowning face despite how hard he tried to hide it. Was it because he was afraid of being discovered by others ? It was the only decent thought that made through your head because everything was too much, the pain in your entire being was just... too much. Your body fell limp. Your eyelids were heavy and refused to stay open. The last thing you managed to hear was Sans' voice in the distance, shaky and weak.

They both called out to you before darkness, once again, took over you.

A voice. A well known, friendly voice was calling out to you.

« You can't give up just yet. Frisk ! Stay determined... »

Your eyes flew wide open in a gasp.

You realized you were back at home once your racing brain could process and analyze what was surrounding you. Your whole body was sore, your chest tight in anxiety and your soul hurting deeply. Your panic attack was so bad it even felt like your insides were all tied up in knots and your lungs burning like you ran a marathon in winter... Papyrus and Sans were sitting on the carpet before the couch you were laid on, both of them watching you with food and healing items scattered around them. You caught their glance and noticed that one truly showed his relief while the other, more secretive, just exhaled through his nasal bone. You remained silent for a while, shifting your eyes from one to another while you used your hands for support to sit up. They were both here in front of you in one piece. All of the sudden, that ball that coiled inside your chest bursted the floodgates open to your tears. You didn't care about how much pain you were in, you just bent over the empty space to reach for their neck with an arm for each and pulled them into a tight hug. You were crying out loud uncontrollably against their shoulders. You were... so... glad to see them alive. You heard a faint sob on your right when Sans returned the embrace with one arm while he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

Papyrus was the only one who didn't understand what was going on. When you released them, you were struggling to breathe again and worried that he might be the cause to this, Sans got off you and stared at you with concern before his brother grabbed in turn both your shoulders.

« W-We have to go, please, please, we have to go ! » you sobbed, reaching out to grab onto something like a lifeline and that meant him, his armor, his arms, anything. Papyrus' grip tightened around your small shoulders.

« Human, explain ! » he demanded. You couldn't notice through the amount of tears blurring your sight but he was sweating from the pressure you were putting him through. « What happened !? Did the star hurt you ? » You tried to reply “no” but he couldn't stop harassing you with questions. « You were acting strange back there, what did you see ? Tell me ! What did you see ? »

« You died ! » you shouted as you hit the ground with both of your fists in an anger outburst, shutting up Papyrus who released you from his grip, mouth agape just like his brother was.

You were doing your best to catch your breath through your hiccups and cries when you were harassed with horrible images, sounds, and smells. It took you multiple breaths to try and calm down the chaotic sobbing.

« You all... died... » Your voice broke in a whisper. Your throat was so tight that you were gasping for air. You bent forward, almost pressing your face against the carpet, curled up on your trembling frame and arms embracing your head in a protective manner. « They're coming tonight to kill us all... They're coming, they're coming... to burn your house down...  » then you raised your head towards Sans, hot streams covering your cheeks. « Sans, tell him ! You know it too, don't you ? »

He looked away. He wouldn't say anything, to the point that after what felt an eternity of waiting, the thought that you were on your own having to handle this mess crossed your mind and a rain of despair poured on you. Both your and Papyrus' gazes bored into the introverted skeleton's evasive glance, looking for closure felt like torture with any second passing by hearing your own hiccups haunting the overly silent house. It added pressure on the back of your head enough to grow paranoid that someone was pushing their hand against it.

Please, don't let me down, you thought.

Whispers began to rise then, and you didn't know how you'd be able to handle that. You didn't even notice that Papyrus threw a couple glances at you in concern when you hiccuped harder with new born anxiety. Asriel, who's been witnessing everything going down, approached from behind to lock his arms around your shoulders for support to try and hush the intrusive thoughts, which you wholeheartedly appreciated because his embrace helped keeping the voices under control.

Sans clenched his fists that were resting on top of his knees and finally nodded.

« They're right. » Sans murmured and immediately, the voices died down. His response drew his brother's complete attention on him now. « I heard a couple of monsters on my way home talking about the human and how they wanted their soul. » he said.

You didn't know if it was truth or a lie, because if he was indeed lying, he was a master in that domain. Finally, he turned his eyes on you again with an apologetic look. You understood that he didn't want to tell the whole truth to his brother, how he could remember the resets and how heavy this burden felt on his shoulders. But you... You could be honest with the tall skeleton who didn't wait to shout at his brother.

« Could you not tell me sooner, you wretch !? I would have taken care of them and made sure they'd never return from dust ! »

« Papyrus ! » you drew his attention with a firm call. Your face that tensed up in authority relaxed into a pleading expression. « They're too many... They'd outnumber you in any case and... I have to explain something to you but please, we have to get out of here first ! » New salty water spilled from your eyes as you plunged them into Papyrus'. « I beg of you... I don't want you... to die again ... »

His silent frown grew deeper by the seconds he's been staring at your face while bending backwards like you just offered him a kiss. He was sweating just as much as his brother, thinking whether going or staying. Yet, feeling your deep wounded soul resonating next to his, he knew he hadn't much choice left. His usual confident scowl settled on his sharp features once he recomposed himself.

« Understood. We're leaving. » he concluded firmly in the act of standing up and while he climbed the stairs to his bedroom, he addressed to his brother. « Sans, collect anything that will be useful. We're going to have a long trip. »

Sans, who was still settled next to you, grabbed multiple healing items nearby to shove them inside his pockets, before he grabbed one that was a cinnamon bun and slipped it into yours.

« You should take something too. » he whispered to you with that soft, thankful gaze before he got up to search for anything useful around the house.

You knew that items wouldn't do much for your condition, but... If it could please them or be of any use for them later on, you wouldn't complain... Your hands that were clutching the fabric of the carpet were strongly trembling, now that you were on your own, you were taking note of your current state : you felt horribly cold out of fear yet incredibly hot at the same time, sweat breaking out of every corner of your vessel in places you wouldn't even expect like you've been dropped into a lake, and that pain in your stomach, that twisting feeling in your guts weren't helping you easing all the stress and agony you went through. Even your jaws were chattering, your body shaken with twitches from constricted nerves... God, you're a mess...

The memories wouldn't stop haunting you. The screams in the back of your head, your own feral ones as you were trying to save them, the blood, the horrible feeling of ligaments breaking, bones popping and flesh tearing as they dismembered you, their insane laughter, the Hatred glistening in their eyes. You could feel the colors or your face wash away, and your mind started to drift away again when A.D approached you and whimpered in worry.

You didn't realize you passed out for a few seconds until you actually woke up to the poor dog's whines and licks across your face. It took awhile for you to get rid of that heavy feeling of slumber, but with your current guardian's encouragement, you found the strength to sit up on your own while it pushed with the tip of its nose a bandage on the ground.

« Thank you, lil' pup. » you muttered weakly with a pat on its head, following by a hug around its collar.

You took the offered item and placed it inside your shorts pocket. You had a weird sense of alienation in your whole body because of the reminiscence of the previous trauma. You had struggle to keep in touch with your vessel still completely numb and yet painful. Moving hurt although they did their best to heal internal wounds and patch your leg up with bandages so they'd maintain it straight and tight. You noticed only now that your hurt arm from the fight fully healed, you didn't know how they managed to do it but you were frankly thankful for it. You embraced the huge, white dog when you remembered it also was in the house when it burned down, and the thought of it tore another whimper from you. It was okay... It was okay... A.D was there now, alive, safe and sound, it was there in your arms. You couldn't repress the small chuckles of relief as you kept reminding yourself that until Papyrus returned with something that he held out to you. A dagger made out of bone. You looked up to him mindlessly showing your utter surprise.

« Take this offer, human. It seems like you're going to need it to defend yourself. »

There was no way you were taking this thing. You shook your head vigorously.

« I'll be fine. We'll only have to run and hide, nothing else. » you affirmed as you looked straight in his eyes. You came across the Underground without using violence, so there was no way you were going to hurt anyone now. You knew you had another way to go with if anyone died.

« Ugh. You and your mercy nonsense... » he was grumbling as he tossed the weapon on the table nearby before he returned to search for a few other things. Sans was back in front of you. The monster grabbed you under your armpits and lifted you up so you could stand on your feet. Your legs were still like noodles.

« Can you walk ? » he asked.

You took a step back to stand up on your own while his hands were still holding your forearms and yours were resting on his wrists. Other than the noodle sensation, your injured leg was only but slightly hurting, so you looked up at him and nodded. Papyrus was already at the front door when he asked for your attention.

« Sans, put your jacket on. We're going. »

You didn't realize Waterfall wasn't that far from their house until you hit the road for it. Walking fast was hard with a sore vessel, let alone the skeleton brothers' monstrous height. Keeping up with their pace was sure a damn hard challenge right there.

Yet you had to admit... That place was something special.

The more you walked inside the cave, the darker it got. A few glistening colored crystals that poked out of the ground and walls provided some light to guide your vanishing silhouettes inside the eerie zone. In awe, you contemplated the new biome that had all those rushing waters falling from levels above or next to you. It was completely different from the Ruins and Snowdin. The brothers who were walking at your sides watched every one of your reactions, one with a faint scowl while the other had a sly grin printed on his face. Their dog was walking behind you in case you were too weakened to walk any more so it would take it from there. Guarded this way, the monsters in the distance could only glare at you. They knew they couldn't stand a chance in front of such Boss Monsters that the skeleton brothers were.

Then, you noticed a cyan glowing flower not far from your positions, propped right next to the sentry station and a SAVE star that stood right in between. Curiosity was such that you didn't give much thought to the monster nearby and approached to take a look at the magical blossom, while the siblings watched you from a distance. You couldn't help but enjoy the bright light of this flower. It was so big it was even surpassing your height and you needed to get on your tiptoes to get at the same level with it.

« What's this flower ? » you asked in a soft breath, still amazed by its beauty and ethereal scent. You couldn't even begin to try and describe it, because where was no way for your human brain to process it.
« An Echo Flower. » replied the familiar voice of Sans next to you. « They're all over the marsh. Say something to them, and they'll repeat it over and over... » You raised your eyes on him. His hands were in the pockets of his pants while he was slouching and looking down at you to study your expression.

« Really ? » you replied, surprised. You thought that it was marvellous and unique, so you turned towards the flower and touched it. You wanted to give a try.

“Really ?” the flower repeated, mimicking your gentle and amazed voice to the perfection. You couldn't help but smile at the discovery. This place's magic was growing on you and you wished to know more about this world. Although you wanted it, the sad reminder that it was impossible for you to stay any longer nagged at you. You were all in danger simply because of your existence. You just couldn't allow yourself to let them go through all of that horror again. Sans caught that look on your face at these thoughts. You couldn't see since your eyes were lost on the flower, but he was lowering his glance on his feet. He remembered it. He remembered the screaming, the pain, the fire, loss and death. Before your hands could tighten on the Echo Flower's petals and hurt it, you withdrew them, then turned your attention towards the SAVE star. You didn't wait to embrace it any longer and feel its light growing brighter against your chest. A familiar, relieving feeling of warmth washed over you and you started to relax until a feeling of urge replaced the first peaceful one.

You already experienced that before. Yet this time... It was overwhelming. Was it going to be like this from now on ? That everytime you would SAVE, you would feel fear instead of peace ? You decided to hold onto your determination to keep your cool. The dimming light was the signal that your progress was SAVED, so you could let it go before you turned towards the brothers who were both watching you in silence. They glanced away in unison as soon as your gazes met. Oh boy. They were standing awkwardly, doing their best to suppress the odd expression on their face. Were they curious about the SAVE star system ? Or curious about you ? Or...?

Ah, yes. These guys were so easily flustered. How could you forget that.

For a split second, pain shot up your leg and you tried your best not to wince as you walked back to them. Come on, you couldn't allow yourself to suffer already. You stopped in front of them to meet their eyes and say with a firm expression.

« Let's keep going. »

You didn't notice that a young monster, a dinosaur creature wearing a black and red striped sweater, was running in the distance.

The road was long and tiring. Even the skeleton brothers found a hard time keeping a slow pace for your small and sore form. Man, if only you had longer legs, you wouldn't have to put so much effort just to keep up with each other...

You were passing through tall grass when something caught your attention. Someone walking right above you. Startled, Papyrus immediately shoved you down on the ground to hide you.

Then, the sound of a ringing phone ripped through the silence of the place. It came from your group. You all tensed up when Papyrus pulled out his phone to look at the name showing on the screen and cursed under his breath. He didn't have time to answer that a voice called him out from above the elevated ground. You were hiding behind the brothers' figures, crouching down when you heard the person talk.

« Ah, Papyrus ! Just in time. » The female voice boomed. It was feminine, yet gruff and powerful sounding.

« O- Hello, Undyne. » Papyrus replied as he stayed perfectly calm, just like his brother who did his best not to show his nervousness. « I'm here with my daily report. »

« Anything new ? » she asked.

« Nothing. » the tall skeleton monster simply replied with assurance. « As quiet and lacking in human presence as usual. »

She remained silent, as if she was contemplating something in the high grass. Everyone stayed still for a while, tension building up in the air until she finally looked back down at Papyrus.

« Okay then. See you next shift. » she concluded.

« Goodbye, Undyne. »

« See ya. » Sans simply said while he waved goodbye to her, then she vanished.

You looked up to notice the brothers were staring at the spot where she was standing just earlier for a few more moments, before they looked back down at you silently. They were waiting until the footsteps were far gone to speak or move again.

« We should hurry, » Papyrus said as Sans helped you up with the dog's assistance. « She doesn't seem to know about you yet so let's just keep going, this way we won't give her the opportunity to catch up on us once she hears the news. »

His brother and yourself nodded and you all started to walk again away from the terrific Undyne. You stumbled upon more puzzles to solve and everyone was helping so together, you'd bide time as much as possible.

As you were all passing over blossomed Bridge Seeds, Papyrus turned slightly towards you.

(Oh hey there, how about some music ??)

« Now that we're away from home... » You raised your gaze on his silently, waiting for him to finish although you already knew what this talk was going to be about. « How did you know about the attack ? » his tone was low, a little bit raspier than usual as he kept it down.

He seemed curious about that matter but also hesitant to bring it up. You glanced at the flowers to watch your step until you reached the solid ground.

You weren't ready to have this talk now. It was too early... The memories you were trying so hard to suppress from your brain were still so fresh that they kept coming back and forth whenever you let your guard down, enough to feel anxiety crawling under your skin and make your chest tight with no room to breathe... Then again, it was for the best if it had to happen now. This way, he would remember, just like Flowey- No, Asriel, used to back at the beginning. You were resting a hand on the dog's collar as it came for support, enjoying its fluffy white fur under your touch. A good way to cope and stay grounded when dissociation was hovering.

« I saw it. » you started.

You had his full attention because he stopped for a brief moment so you'd be at his level before resuming. His arm next to you lifted, offering a hand for you to lean against, which you accepted before the dog made its way between your legs and you were settled down on its back. You thanked them in a whisper and released your grasp from the Royal Guard. As you laid your hands on the collar of his pet, you continued.

« I have the ability to rewind whenever I die. » you explained calmly, while your eyes were lost in the distance. Sans was slowing down like Papyrus did previously to walk by your side.

« How is that possible ? » they both asked together before they exchanged a glance.

« I don't know. I wish I did... But it just happens and the stars we find on the road keep track of my progress in the Underground. » you said before glaring at Sans. « But I'm pretty sure you already know that. » He avoided your glance at this moment. « Because of that, I can come back and overwrite my actions so I can survive longer until I reach the next save. » you finished with your eyes locked on the dog's collar that you've been petting unconsciously to soothe your nerves.

« So.. We... Really died ? » Papyrus couldn't hide his shock. It seemed he had a hard time believing this reality in which someone could make him fall, which was understandable, for he was one of the Heads of the Royal Guard and also a powerful and feared Boss Monster.

« All of us. » you confirmed. Tears have been rolling down your face, and still your voice didn't waver once, and your face was emotionless. You weren't with them at this moment, but back in that horrific timeline. « They all waited for us to sleep and... They caught me. It was my fault if you died. »

Right then, your soul ached deeply, enough to feel your face scrunch up. Flashes of memories kept daunting you, and among them, you remembered the lovely expression of serenity that Sans wore while he waited for you to fall asleep, his hand playing with a lock of your hair. He was finally happy, then... Then...

« If I wasn't human, if I didn't fall down here... You wouldn't have to go through this ! »

You turned your head towards Sans, back into reality. You knew he remembered the agony of dying, and you were sorry for that. You caught the pain in his red slit pupils that were now dilating as he saw the genuine compassion on your features. You then bowed your head in shame.

« I'm so, so sorry. » You muttered.

You felt two hands resting on your shoulders to get your attention. Instinctively, you glanced at Sans and Papyrus who were both staring at you, one with compassion, the other with a solemn expression of gratitude on his face.

« That is... Nice of you to come back and warn us, human. » Papyrus said with a collected yet hesitant, and for once, soft tone.

It was his way of thanking you. You glanced at Sans who nodded silently, a faint yet genuine smile on his mouth.

Oh... Oh wow... Your soul ached from the sweetness this time and you couldn't help a timid smile to form.

Your new friends' display of gratitude filled you with DETERMINATION.

You all arrived in a corridor. Every once in a while, you spotted Echo Flowers surrounding the place. You touched the first one on your left to listen what it had to say.

« A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling... »

At these words, you glanced up to try and understand what it was talking about. A gasp of awe made its way past your lips when you saw the twinkling stones on the ceiling as it illuminated the path in front of you. As much as it was beautiful to look at, you couldn't help but feel a tug at your heart. Your body remembered the beauty of the sky above, so much that nostalgia was hitting your face once again without a warning. You also were sorry for these monsters who used to have the real stars once upon a time. Humanity took their dreams from them... And you couldn't help but feel horribly guilty for their suffering, you who were part of Humankind.

“Wishing Room” was written on the wall. So, this was the place where we could express our most wanted things, right ? You were going to listen what one of these Echo Flowers had to say if it wasn't for Papyrus who caught your arm before you could touch it. Startled, you looked up at his face.

« Don't. They are death wishes. » He was scowling as he warned you.

When he felt your limb relax in his hand, he released you and kept walking forward with his brother, while you stayed behind. You were staring at this flower you wanted to hear from, but it was best to follow Papyrus' advice so you followed your friends... If it wasn't for that one flower on your left, next to another, that caught your attention. You patted A.D's collar to make it stop in front of it so you could climb down. You didn't know why this Echo Flower was drawing your attention so strongly. It just did like a call to your inner being and you couldn't help your instinct to respond to it. Your hand raised to rest against a petal and immediately, you heard a soft sound coming out of it. The one you picked was weeping. You glanced at the flower, mouth agape. This voice...

It sounded like a child.

Quickly, you looked at the brothers who were walking up ahead checking for any monster to come. Here was your chance. You turned towards the flower next to it, placed your hands on the sides of your mouth to hide it and whispered.

« Don't cry, little one. We're going to make it out. »

At this moment, you caught Sans' glance in your direction, his expression curious about what you could say to the flower. After settling on A.D's back again, you patted its shoulder and it resumed walking towards your guides.

« What wish did you make, sweetheart ? » Sans asked with a smile printed on his mouth.

« It won't come true if I tell you. » you replied with a smile, which caused his to grow bigger, and he chuckled.

« Heh. Right. »

Your group kept travelling until it came across a wooden bridge. Water sausages owned the right side of the lake you were passing through, while on your left side, rock pillars were casting shadows on the solid ground. Everything was terribly quiet. You patted the dog's collar and it stopped to let you get off its back. Everyone in the group had the feeling that something was off. Sans turned towards you and opened his mouth to say something.

But his voice was cut off by a yellow spear that landed just in front of your feet.

Chapter Text

Startled by the sudden attack, everyone froze on their spot. Your heads whipped to the left in the direction where the magical spear came from. The skeleton brothers recognized the shape of the attacker, which could only be...

« Undyne ! » Papyrus gasped, distraught to see her here.

« I should have known better... » the other Head of the Royal Guard growled in her helmet. « You fucking lied to my face, Papyrus !! »

« H-How did you...? » he stammered.

At this moment, a little form appeared from behind the pillar next to Undyne. It was a child that had been hiding there, a kind of dinosaur wearing a black and red striped sweater. It was the child from earlier that you totally forgot about that ran away ! They were staring at you with a mischievous smile before they returned their attention on the knight with such pride in their eyes for what they just proved to the Head of the Royal Guard.

« Oh you little... » Sans growled when he saw the kid with eyesockets devoid of light.

« Oh yeah, about Monster Kid ? » Undyne cut him off with a fake amused tone to her voice before it changed to an enraged one. « It's thanks to them that I know there is a BLOODY HUMAN wandering in the Underground and to top it all, under YOUR watch, Papyrus !! We’re supposed to be siblings, and bestfriends for Asgore's sake !! » she shouted furiously at the concerned one. He raised his hands in surrender.

« Look, Undyne, I may have lied but we were actually heading t- »

« I don't want to hear any more of your lies, fucker ! » she spat while her stance changed, ready to bounce, her right hand lifting to summon her yellow magic and grasp a spear once it appeared from thin air. « If you lied about their existence, what else have you been plotting ? What tells me you haven't been hypnotized by this evil thing ? So be nice and give me the human, Papyrus, unless you want to lose your head to Asgore once he learns about your treason ! »

« No. » her coworker replied firmly, which made her raise her head in disbelief.

« No !? » she repeated in a screech, a look of absolute betrayal twisting her features. Well shit. More deadly monsters with serious anger issues. « No !? That's how it is !? You're... You... NGAAAH ! »

(woaaah another OST for this scene)

She gestured to throw a series of spears at you. Frozen in place, you watched the first magical weapon going straight for your head when a sudden skeletal arm swung above with a large, solid femur in its hand to hit the spear, causing its shatter in an explosion of light. You looked up to see the limb belonged to Papyrus, who just happened to save your life.

« RUN ! » Papyrus' tone boomed when he had just enough time to look at you before he turned his gaze on Undyne to summon and throw another range of bones at her.

So you all started running, Sans at your side, his left hand resting on your back to help you move with your hurt leg. Thankfully your survival instinct helped with numbing the pain with adrenaline while you were going down the bridge. A.D was running ahead, totally panicked and lost at what it should do. On the other hand, Sans mindlessly showed his worry when he ran alongside with you as you all avoided the spears thrown in your way the best you could. Sometimes they tore a terrified yelp from you when one struck right next to your foot or when it almost hit a limb, the chest or even your head.

You noticed Papyrus's running footsteps catching up with you in a matter of seconds. All the while he blocked the magical attacks with his own before throwing more femurs at his presumed ex-coworker in response to her assaults. Every once in a while, you had to make a weird detour for the bridge took weird turns. Why did that bridge need to get turnings when it could be straight !? You wondered with frustrated confusion when you were doing your best to dodge the spears. You were irritated by the lack of logic in this world. Just slightly.

No matter how many times the spiky skeleton protected you, he couldn't stop every spear thrown your way and one managed to hit you, calling immediately your SOUL out for battle but before it could receive an attack, Sans shoved it back inside you. You gasped at the feeling of being sheltered inside of your body again, the second of sensation loss made you trip as soon as you gained it back. Sans' hand was pressing against your spine, looking down at you, sweat breaking on the top of his skull.

« Keep running as if there's no to-marrow, hun ! »

Did he just make a pun ? Either way, you complied. With the protection of the two brothers, you all managed to get out of the bridge zone and in a quick leap, you all threw yourself into the vast high grass area that took over the road. You were trembling and inhaling audibly through your nose as you laid down. Your lungs and your throat were burning sore from sprinting so much and demanded peace !

You were tired of running, tired of being afraid 24/7, just... Tired to see that shitty Murphy's law hitting your jaw at any given moment. Can't you all be in peace ? You were doing so good with the skelebros, being able to befriend them and know more about them, start to build something... Just to run away from the only safe place you knew, causing them so much trouble and torment only because of your existence... Yesterday you were doing so much progress and now, it felt like you had to do it all over again. The fact that the brothers lost all what they knew just for you made your stomach turn. You were sick from rage and guilt.

It was your fault. It was all your fault.

The voices whispered in your ears with such vitriol.

Look what you've done.

                                                      Frisk...

They're in danger because of you.

Frisk-

Whatever you try, it'll always be a failure. You have no power here.

Don't listen to them.

Don't - Give up.

Tears of exhaustion, anger and self-loathing slowly welled up in your eyes and your pants started to hitch into a sob when a hand covered your lips before it dragged you against a solid, but comfy frame. It was Sans tugging you to his shoulder. The brothers were laying next to you and now, almost Sans' entire body was covering your small form. You could feel his heavy breathing against your back with his chest expanding, yet not a sound was coming either from Papyrus nor him. They were staring at each other, silent like the dead. Survival instinct, you assumed.

Footsteps. Brushing grass.

Your heart was in your throat when the footsteps, heavy with metal boots, just stopped at your feet. You were mentally saying your prayers.

That's it. You were all dead.

First, you heard a soft scrapping sound of metal... Then another sound much more violent erupted when she grabbed something through the high grass. Sans' hand muffled your cry when Undyne lifted something... Or more likely, someone.

« Kid... » She growled. How could this jerk be here at this moment ?

« Y-Yo, Undyne ! » The little traitor giggled before she gripped harder their face, making them flinch. « Ouch, you're hurting me ! »

« Oh, I'm making sure I do give you a small taste of what your parents will do to you ! » she turned around, the kid still in her hand yelling and crying in protest while she started to walk away from your position.

Deathly silence fell over you once Undyne's presence dissipated. You only realized that the ridiculously comic scene helped muting the whispers again and relax. Finally, you freed yourself from Sans' grasp to look at him, and all what came to mind was...

« Keep running as if there's no to-marrow ? » Papyrus and yourself were giving him the “really ?” look. Sans first didn't catch what you meant by that, then his mouth parted in realization to finally start laughing.

« Dude, I didn't even realize ! » he chuckled before he received a slap behind his skull from his brother, making him flinch with the small pain before he laughed harder.

You couldn't help but chuckle too. Man. His laugh really was contagious. Even Papyrus who was giving a disapproving look to his brother cracked a smile. It was funny how Sans could throw a pun when panicking. Smiling at him, you said.

« That's a really cute habit you've got there, Sans. »

You swore you saw his face immediately match the color of his turtleneck sweater and be covered in sweat at the same time his laughter died in his throat. He stared at you like a dead fish for a few second, to finally jump up on his feet and babble “lets get the hell outta here”, leaving you behind with Papyrus and A.D who was hidden further away. The scene made you giggle even more. It almost made you forget about the shitshow that just happened a minute ago, actually. Once you calmed down, your attention returned on Papyrus who was still laying on his front, watching you with red dusting his cheeks too. Not him too, Asriel thought. What was that now ? The compliment you gave to his brother ? Your laugh ? Oh, please don't tell me your pants ripped from the jump you took and that he noticed it. You quickly checked for that in all self-consciousness to conclude that no, everything was fine for that matter. So you met Papyrus' gaze again and were about to ask what was going on when he cleared his throat and asked.

« How is your leg ? »

Oh, you forgot about that. You sat up to take a look at it. As you turned and flexed your leg, you could feel the ache awakening now that adrenaline was drained out of your system.

« It's going to hurt again, I'm afraid. » You replied while you were rubbing the sore areas of your limb, only to wince and hiss. Why would you do that, you silly goose.
« Do you need the bone eater to carry you ? » He asked in concern while he sat up too.

You shook your head in response and were about to reply that you'd be fine when he searched for something in his pocket, unwrapped it and cut it in half. A bisicle. Your heart fluttered out of pleased surprise. That was so sweet of him. Ahem. It's only when you accepted his offer that you noticed the fresh wounds on his arms and spine. The skeleton got hurt in order to protect you. You gasped in horror and guilt didn't wait long to creep up your neck.

« You're hurt... » you breathed out. He took a look at the injuries as if he didn't notice them before.

« I've had worse. » he huffed before he laid his eyes on you again. « This is the price you pay to be a Royal Guard... Or used to. »

He seemed lost in thought on these words. Of course, he just put the whole Underground, even his co-worker against him. You could only understand how he felt at this moment, the way he looked down thinking about all the problems that helping you will occur... You were afraid that it might cost his life if Undyne really decided to tell Asgore what happened.

But you were going to change that, right ? You were willing to give your soul to the King and the brothers were leading you to him.

« Cheers. » he smiled.

He was inviting you to share the sweet bisicle with him. And... Papyrus fucking smiled. A faint, but real smile and not the mischievous one that you're used to see.

Witnessing Papyrus' efforts filled you with DETERMINATION.

You returned the friendly smile and lifted your unisicle to repeat after him.

« Cheers. » then you began feasting on the offered food.

You could watch Papyrus' wounds heal up as he ate the iced meal, only leaving behind light scars on his bones when he was finished. Your own, well... They weren't healing so good. At least, you felt your leg get rid of the pain successfully so it was still a win ! Relieved, you sighed before you noticed the extended hand in front of you. It was Papyrus offering his help to get up since unlike you, he was already on his feet. You nodded and gave your hand and within a second, he pulled you with a swift motion towards him but made sure his second hand would prevent you from bumping into him once you were up. You caught yourself in his arms and thanked him with another smile that made him look away and exhale sharply through his nasal bone. Sans wasn't far, he was in fact standing on the little dock nearby. You were way too small for him to spot you among the tall grass unlike his brother whose upper body was sticking out. The skeleton guided you out of the blind zone and you had to admit, you were relieved just to feel a dull ache in the inner part of your leg as you walked. Taking note you were in better shape, Sans couldn't help but sigh slightly with a faint smile on his features.

The next scenery took your breath away. The surroundings were plunged in darkness and what was allowing you to see where to step was only the cyan glowing river that illuminated the wooden bridges and the solid grounds. Sometimes, even a bit of grass was shimmering the same colour as you walked around and sometimes noticing Echo Flowers standing alone. That was a really nice trip in a scenery worth of a fairytale for your human eyes.

« This is amazing... » you let a comment slip pastyour lips.

Noticing your awe for this place they grew used to, the brothers started to look at the surroundings. You could see them trying to understand why it was so breathtaking for you and after a while looking with much more intent, they got it. They used to be amazed by the decor back when they were kids visiting Waterfall. They let this feeling of nostalgia linger for a while as they followed you around enjoying the view, touching the grass, admiring water sausages sticking out the river and the lily pads floating...

Finally, you ended up in a dead end surrounded by glowing mushrooms and a patch of tall grass standing in the middle of this remote place. You noticed the monsters stop by and look around just to make sure nobody followed your pack.

« We'll rest for now » Papyrus said before he laid his eyes on you again. « It may not be safe, but there's little to no risk for anyone to come and check this area. Does it sound good for you, human ? »

You nodded in silence. You've been so busy walking and discovering this new zone that you didn't notice you were exhausted until they brought up the idea. It was evening when you left Snowdin and it's been a few hours since you've been there getting through some hard times. You definitely couldn't refuse that. Now that you thought about it, you could really use a rest. You took a sit on the dark grass, enjoying its texture and freshness under your fingertips. You let out a content sigh as the unfamiliar yet pleasing scent that it emanated. Sans was already laid on his back with arms folded as cushions behind his head when you glanced at him. Then you looked at Papyrus who was taking off his gloves, then his cape. When he felt the weight of your eyes on him, he stopped to meet your gaze.

« ... Something's wrong, human ? » he asked with a confused expression. You lowered your eyes on his clothes in silence. He followed your glance just a while before looking at you again. « Hm... Yes. I was going to bathe in the river. I understand your desire to bask in my glory and admire my handsome features but would you be so kind and look the other way ? »

Your cheeks started burning when you realized that he was going to bathe naked. Naked ?? Like, really naked ? Next to you ? Awake ??? You swirled on your seat trying to get the fluster off your face and were now looking at Sans busy napping next to you peacefully when Papyrus called out to him.

« Brother ? You should do the same. » you heard Papyrus' voice as he walked away. His brother peeked through a half-lidded eyesocket.

« Really ? Can't we just do that in the morning ? » he asked with a monotone, sleepy voice.

« Don't question me, brother ! » Papyrus barked from afar as he struggled against his chest armor.

« Okay, okay, no need to fucking shout at me ! » Sans growled while he stood quickly back on his feet then proceeded to take off his jacket but stopped midway when he noticed that you were still there, as if he forgot for a second your existence. He blushed heavily and looked away in shame. « Huh, sweetheart... » he whispered with a raspy voice.

You gasped for a second time before you quickly got up. If one wasn't disturbed to dress up or take his clothes off, you realized the other was totally different. Sans was like that. Enjoying his little space and privacy. You muttered a sorry before you went to hide behind the patch of high grass as a makeshift curtain so he could undress in peace. It was embarrassing. Your poor heart was pounding in your ears, your cheeks were beet red and you couldn't even see that. All you did was squirm on your spot completely flustered. If awkwardness had a smell, the whole atmosphere would reek of it because you wouldn't stop hearing his clothes shuffling and his bones rattling for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he walked away to join Papyrus in the river.

You sat there for a few more minutes. Shouldn't you do the same ?

But then...

Wouldn't they see the marks on your legs ? Then again, what if you didn't have time if someone attacks you in the morning ? You've been running all day, and there was no way you'd run another day without feeling fresh and clean. You peeked from your hiding spot to take a quick look at the skeleton brothers who were already bathing together in one of the rivers. They exchanged a few words before Sans looked in your direction and said with a raised tone for you to hear.

« Wanna join us, sweetheart ? »

Oh crap.

« I'll... Er yeah, but do you mind if I go on my side ? »

« Wow huh... » Sans babbled. It seemed that he didn't expect you to accept his request. Your face was still burning as you hid behind the high grass. « Sure why not. »

Alright then. You got up and approached the other river which wasn't borrowed by the brothers to settle down on the border. The skeletons quickly turned away to give you privacy as soon as you threw them a glance, you proceeded to take off your clothes, starting by your shoes, then your shorts and the rest to put them on the pile of clothing that was growing bigger next to you with every layer added. This way, they'd be easy to reach in case you needed to dress quickly. As you sat on the border, you were looking down at your pitch black thighs now that your legs were fully naked. You realized how the constant pain eased as soon as you uncovered them, oh god. It was getting worse, wasn't it ? You risked to trail a finger on them and immediately hissed in pain. Yeah. It was getting worse. You hoped this wouldn't spread any further.

But it won't stop, will it.

After a defeated sigh, you plunged those black legs into the water. The cold magical water immediately replaced the stinging sensation to a pleasing tingle. To avoid a thermal shock, you proceeded to splash water on your arms and neck and already felt the goosebumps take over your whole frame, so you took in a shuddering breath in attempt to gather courage to go down. Come on, don't chicken out.

The soothing sensation of the beautiful glowy water on your legs as you splashed around filled you with DETERMINATION.

You took support on your hands to lower your body in the river, which you found wasn't too deep because the water only submerged your body up to your chest. It was so cold that your teeth already started chattering. You sighed in contentment when your body finally grew accustomed to the temperature and even found yourself relieved of the pain through your legs, like it just vanished in the blink of an eye, so much you couldn't repress the hum of contentment. Finally, you let your body sink into the glowing element.

It was peaceful. Only silence reigned underwater. You wished you could stay there longer to appreciate the feeling of weightlessness in this soundless heaven to forget all the struggles that you and your friends went through recently but after almost a minute, you lacked oxygen so you let yourself float back up to the surface to breathe air. Your soaked hair was sticking to your face until you ran a hand through it to push them backwards before you stood up again. A.D has been sitting on the dark grass nearby, watching you with those curious and loving eyes. The brothers threw quick looks at you from time to time, until they noticed you've been resting your chin on top of your folded arms on the edge of the solid ground next to their pet. The brothers decided to imitate you.

« Feeling good, sweetheart ? » Sans asked with a relaxed smile.

« Yeah, it feels really nice. » you replied as you watched the droplets of the glowing water run along your limbs and die on the grass. Only then you noticed that all your open wounds were gone thanks to the magical river. So that's why you didn't feel pain at all anymore. You sighed in relief and looked at your friend. « And you ? »

Papyrus was grinning just like his brother. They looked pretty chill at the moment.

« It has been quite long since we last bathed in Waterfall's rivers. » the tallest monster replied while he looked around. « We were what... Kids ? »

« You were a kid. » Sans corrected with an held out finger, comfortable enough to tease his sibling like that. « But yeah, it has been an eternity. We should hang out like that sometime again, in better circumstances. »

But would they ever get that chance again ? You felt guilt creep up again at this thought. Yeah... They could have had more times like these if you didn't drag them into your problems. They lost everything, they might even have the whole Underground against them and... And here they were, laughing and talking about projects like it wasn't a big deal. How could they act unbothered ? You looked down at the grass in front of you.

« I'm sorry you have to go through so much because of me. »

« Human, stop apologizing or we might consider holding a grudge against you. » Papyrus scowled. He didn't seem happy with how you kept on beating yourself up. You repressed another sorry to only sigh in response.

« What will you guys do, once you're freed ? » you decided to ask instead. The brothers glanced at each other, not sure what to reply.

« I guess we'll go on a hunt for human souls. » Sans shrugged. You bit your lower lip. Were they really going to do that ?

« You guess ? » Papyrus spat. « We will go on a hunt for human souls for sure ! »

Habits die hard, don't they ? You couldn't believe you thought that they'd have changed their mind after you became their friend, but in the end, their plan remained the same. You let them argue like the two boneheads they were while you pet the dog laying next to you. Was there a way to prevent all this ? You knew they wouldn't stand a chance against the humans outside of this hell hole. They were strong monsters, but they were only two strong monsters and humans... Humans were too many. Too many with weapons that could take down any powerful creature in a heartbeat.

And you wanted to protect your friends. You wanted them to be safe and finally live a happy life. To discover that there was something else waiting for them than death and misery in this world.

You were torn away from your thoughts when you noticed that the white dog slipped from your hand and ran to jump in the water with its owners, splashing water around and earning different screeches from a really pissed off Papyrus, and laughs from an amused older brother.

Yeah. You really wanted them to find happiness.

(yo pal, what about another ost ?)

After half an hour, you decided to get out of the cold water because sleep became way too tempting that you couldn't battle it anymore and drowning didn't sound very appetizing. You weren't ready to get sick again either so sat down on the transluscent grass, you waited to dry with your back turned on the tall grass where the brothers have been hiding behind to give you privacy after they finished their bath. You appreciated that they respected your integrity.

The dog was all dry and pretty and was nuzzling against you to keep you warm, you who still were bare and wet. Your back was resting against its side while your arms were locked around your legs. The pain was finally gone so you could indulge yourself with that. Bless Waterfall and its magical rivers.

Once you were dry, you put your clothes back on and joined the brothers. They were both sitting next to each other and chatting silently until they noticed you come and sit between them. Even if you were dry and dressed up, you were chilled to the bone because of your still humid hair. They stared at your still shaking frame until something heavy fell on your shoulders. It was Sans' fluffy jacket. You looked at him.

« But you're going to get cold. »

« It's not that cold for us here. » he replied with a faint smile on his face. « After all, we grew up in Snowdin, it's no big deal, really. »

« Ah, you're right... »

And once you finished putting on the coat, you felt something rest on your legs. This time, you glanced at Papyrus who gave up his cape to you.

« Exactly. Don't worry about us, human. You should spend your time resting instead, like the rest of us. We might have to depart early. »

You nodded in unison with Sans and while you were busy unfolding the cape to use it as a makeshift blanket, the brothers turned towards the glowing mushrooms to tap them off like some kind of sensory lamp. You couldn't help but giggle at the squeaky sound and you all laid down together, followed by the dog who wanted to serve you as a pillow. You were all staring at the glistening stones on the ceiling while the comforting sound of running water lulled you to sleep like a lullaby. You've been so exhausted that it took little time for your eyes to close on their own now that you werecomfortable and warm with your friends' clothes and proximity. No more pain except for your marked legs that for now, barely hurt thanks to Waterfall's blessed waters. Relaxed and content, you took a deep breath.

« Sans, Papyrus... » You called.

« Hm ? »

« Yes ? »

You waited for a bit before you resumed.

« Once you'll reach the surface... Could you please do something for me ? »

« Anything you want, sweetheart. » Sans replied immediately.

« Spare everyone. » You opened just enough your eyes to notice the brothers about to deny your request so you added quickly while you closed them again. « If I have to die... I want it to be the price to pay so our races live peacefully together. So please... Avoid fights for me. Have a nice little house away from the others, in nature, anywhere you want but please... »

« Show Mercy. »

Chapter Text

You've been standing in front of an Echo Flower when Sans approached you. The night has been quite short and you didn't know how but Papyrus was already set on leaving when you woke up. It surprised you seeing him already up and well rested considering the relentless course of events from yesterday. To add some confusion to your surprise, he also refused when you wanted to give him your cinnamon bun for breakfast. Maybe he already ate, maybe not, nothing could tell since he was a secretive and very proud man. He preferred you to feed on it instead while he'd look around for any danger to come. Now you were there with a still sleepy Sans when you walked to find his brother on the look out ahead, and made an attempt to share your breakfast with him because you were already full with the half of it. He refused with a smile and a shake of his head, saying that he was fine and that you were more likely to need it later. While you all reunited, ready to depart, you noticed that Sans wasn't so afraid of his sibling anymore, if being a bit nervous whenever he met his eyes was the only sign of it. You concluded these two made some progress, although it wasn't enough to your taste; you needed them to feel safe around each other equally. Funny enough, they gave you the impression that they grow softer because of your peaceful presence so better stay around if that really was the case and see the outcome.

Sometimes you encountered monsters who thought they were strong enough to face you. The brothers and the dog wanted to shield you each time someone came for a fight, yet you refused and stood your ground alone in front of the assaulters. It was difficult not to get hurt. It was hard going through the pain of the attacks and still, you kept on offering mercy to each one of the hostile creatures. In the end, they either stopped because they had no energy left to burn or they were softened by your kindness enough to spare them and befriend them like you did with the skelebros.

That was until you entered a vast room with only one road surrounded by water. It was quiet here. Maybe too quiet. You were covered in new cuts and bruises because of your previous battles and you used your bandage, leaving nothing to patch yourself up in the end. It was okay, you thought. The pain was worth the friendship and money you earned. The four of you walked in silence. There was no monster to be seen. It seemed that you were safe here. Sans turned to take a look at you.

« Hey, sweetheart, why won't you climb on A.D's back ? You had a rough time back there. »

« It's okay, I can wal- »

You didn't finish your sentence when you felt something around your ankle. You stopped to take a look at it, before the brothers did the same. A white, similar to a tendril thing had caught your limb. It was wet with a squishy texture, like a...

A tentacle.

You only had the time to gasp when it threw you in the air as you screamed from the top of your lungs right before the skeletons' shocked eyes. Then they snapped. They shouted after you before the tallest one summoned bones to throw at the tentacle used to make you fly, while his sibling had his hand coated with red magic to still your body so the monster would stop whipping it around. You were head-lighted by the lack of air caused by your screams and the thrashing, your body was limp as you tried to catch your breath, thanking internally Sans for his help and soon, Papyrus succeeded into hurting the tendril that was holding you but not enough to cut through it for a release. It agitated again violently to tear new yelps from you. Soon after, the brothers got also caught by two other tentacles and they started flying around too, their yells merging with yours. If it was supposed to be some pendulum ride, that wasn't funny. A.D. was alone on the solid ground, barking as it watched its owners be swallowed by the waters.

Air.

You needed air. You were dragged into the depths with Papyrus and Sans who were struggling for a release just as much as you but your movements were slowed down by the overtaking element.

Both of your legs were now trapped in the rings of the tentacle so not only you were slowed down but your mobility was also restrained, leaving you to try and swim back to the surface only with the help of your arms.

It was no use.

Your remaining oxygen was growing low.

You looked up to notice Papyrus blasting a circle of bones to free himself from the torn tendril before he dived into the depths to reach for you. When he was close enough, he grabbed your arms that you've been outstretching towards him desperately for rescue but as soon as he pulled on you to set you free, the tentacle spun to get a hold of you both in its rings. Now, not only you were kicking to try and loosen the grip, but Papyrus was also squirming as he tried to squeeze his way out of it too.

Until shadows engulfed Papyrus' features. You looked up too late to see a monster similar to a squid open its mouth and swallow almost the whole of your bodies. You bent backwards in horror when pain shot through your now paralyzed vessel, losing the spare air you kept in your mouth to be replaced with the metallic taste of your own blood. Then, all the vivid strength that kept you going forward quickly drained as red water drowned you. You only saw Papyrus disappear in the monster's mouth, and all was left was his arm before it turned into nothingness. Your blurring, weakening sight raised on Sans who was also screaming, still held in the vice like grip of your enemy.

His yell of rage, pain and misery drowned by water was the only sound to mingle with your slowing heartbeats, all of them muted by darkness winning over you.

A deep voice rocked you gently so peaceful it sounded in the distance, soft and muffled. Like a lullaby. You happened to recognize the familiar tone, though your mind that was wandering off didn't connect the dots whatsoever until the voice came closer, clearer to your ears. As it did, it grew rough and animalistic. Cries, screams... The peaceful feeling that was holding you quickly left place to fear and immediately, you found a way out of this oppressing darkness you were trapped in.

The first thing you saw was the ceiling of the cave. The shouts were still echoing against the walls when you jolted awake, they were in fact even stronger since their source was a few feet away from your position. With them, you recognized Papyrus' startled tone, shouting over the cries in hope to make his brother snap out from his panic attack.

Sans was curled up, face against the ground. His whole frame was shaking uncontrollably.

« Sans, what's wrong !? Quit that shit ! Stop bawling like a fucking baby bones ! » Papyrus barked on his brother with mild fury and worry printed on his face.

« Sans... Papyrus ! »

You quickly got up to join them. Sans whipped his head towards you at your approach. His face was covered in tears. The sight of him in such a miserable state tore your heart apart. Oh, you hated that. You hated seeing him like that. You rushed to kneel down next to him and wrap your arms around his head so he could rest against your racing heart. He first tensed up at your sudden touch, then melted and cry some more, yet softly this time. It was confusing to feel all your limbs again. The sensations were still static a few seconds ago, if not slightly painful. Now you could feel the warmth of Sans' body and tears. His arms snaked around your bust and waist to crush you against his shaking frame.

« Sans, I'm so sorry... » you whimpered against his skull before glancing at Papyrus who was completely at loss, judging by his features, until realization hit him.

« Did you... » He started.

« Die ? Yeah, we all did. » Sans cut him off. His tone was thick and bitter. « I got to see my own brother die ! » he spat when he could look in the eye of the concerned one. Papyrus was at first speechless at his brother's sudden anger, before he turned his glance on you.

« What happened ? »

« A monster attacked me- a water monster and... You and Sans did your best to save me, but it... » You looked away in shame. « Wasn't enough... »

There was no way you could tell the way he died, it was too horrible even to just remember, enough to make you repress a gag.

« I couldn't do anything for you... » it slipped out in a breath.

« In any case, why would Sans act like a bloody crybaby if it happened in the other timeline ? » Papyrus asked, even more confused than he would like to admit.

« Crybaby ? » Sans repeated, pausing in his whimpers, before he threw a cold stare at the one who insulted him. « The crybaby like you said fucking saw you get mauled by a giant squid ! »

« How can you be so sure about that !? »

« Ohhh I don't know, maybe because it is POSSIBLE for me to remember it !? »

« What ? »

« Oh, your lack of ears is making you deaf maybe ? I'm going to repeat then. » Sans' voice grew deeper and animalistic through the seconds. « The fact that you, BOSS, are the only one not rememberin' a single damn thing doesn't mean that it's the case for your useless brother but hey, maybe your stupid brother keeps hallucinating, right ?! » Sans spat.

It seemed like the floodgates broke open for Sans' rage... Hallucinating ? You never heard Papyrus say such a thing for all the time you were living with them...

Did Sans ever try to talk to his brother about his ability ?

« What do you mean, I'm the only one not to remember a single thing ?! Since when you can remember anything like that, Sans !? » The other skeleton barked at his brother who stood his ground no matter how small he was in comparison. « Are you going nuts ? Did I hit you too hard last time ? »

Magic was in the air. You couldn't let each other get into a fight, not as long as you'll be here in the open... So you stood up and walked between them when their fists were raised.

« Guys, it's useless to fight ! » you tried to talk over their shouts only to realize that your voice was way too soft for this kind of crap. They kept barking no matter what. The situation was going downhill and you were determined not letting that happen on your watch. You inhaled deeply and clutched your hands, finally took your courage with both of them and pushed each one away from the other, making them take note of your presence. « Stop !! »

And they obeyed. Papyrus' glance was growing less aggressive as he lowered it on you while his brother was panting heavily from the boiling anger within his bones. His features were contorted with fury. You all stood like this for a while. Pressure was coiling in the pit of your stomach and your ears. Please calm down, please calm down, you kept praying while keeping your attention on the shorter and silent skeleton.

« Sans, here is your chance to talk to your brother. » you pleaded calmly. Sans looked away, now not only angry but also anxious. « But first, we need to be safe, okay ? I'm not ready to go through all that again. »

« A water monster attacked you, am I right ? » Papyrus asked when he finally returned to his senses. You replied with a quick yes before he started to look around for any enemy to come. His eyes finally stopped on his silent brother whose gaze was lost on the ground, his entire demeanor absent with only sweat beads running down his skull as proof of his initial turmoil. It reminded you of your own dissociative episodes, so you couldn't help but sneak a hand in his for support and the fact that he was unresponsive comforted you in the idea that the whole ordeal was too much for him to take that he ended up spacing out. Papyrus noticed your action and didn't oppose to it. Maybe that's what he wanted too ? Unaffected, he replied. « If that's the case, make haste. »

The squid monster was hard to pass by. Indeed, because you were soaked to the bone (no pun intended) after it had the fantastic idea of sending a wave of water to wipe you all like trash into its trap. Thankfully, since your group managed to run to the other side of the room with the waves on your tail, Sans and A.D were pretty much at the exit when the floods striked them, only pushing them towards it while being the smallest, you weren't there quite yet and the waters pushed you aside. Papyrus, who has already reached the other side before the rest of you because of his long strides, had been covering your asses while you booked for it and was there to pull you out of the water thanks to his long limbs which he used to catch you before you reached the pond and now, all of you were wet, cold but far from reach for the hostile creature.

« Well huh, I guess we're pretty chilled to the bone now. » Sans casually said while he looked at his own current state.

His clothes were sticking to his skeletal form unlike his coat that was falling heavily on his shoulders. It was an odd way to be reminded that they didn't have flesh, especially with Sans because of his chubby face and his big-boned body. Amused by his pun, you wished to reply with another, you really did but you didn't have the guts for it with Papyrus nearby. After all, you could see on his face that he was already imagining himself reducing his brother into tiny bone shards because of that joke, though he didn't expect that what Sans was about to say would kill his murderous tendencies.

« About earlier... » he started with an hesitant tone. He was playing with the tip of his shoe around the ground to scatter some pebbles. « I dunno exactly when I started rememberin' everythin'. »

His eyes hesitantly raised on his brother. He searched for any sign of mockery from him but only found a listening man instead. So he looked away again and kept going.

« It feels like years already. I have spent a lot of these resets searchin' for the reason why it was happening, but the theories were fruitless since I couldn't prove or experiment anything, either because time reversed or nothing could answer my questions... So... I tried many times to tell you what was happening but you either laughed at me, or called me crazy, or just didn't believe me. And no matter if I could convince you otherwise... In the end, the next day, you would have forgotten everything again. So I... Gave up. Gave up to care.»

You were both standing next to him. His emotionless orbits were filled with magic water again. Tears were calmly running down his cheeks, almost peacefully. His brother remained silent in front of this scene. If you didn't understand Papyrus so well, you wouldn't have perceived his sharp stare slightly softened, a discreet sign that he was concerned. Even his hands were tensing on his folded arms.

« Then... The day we met sweetheart... » He threw a quick glance at you. His face that was at first inexpressive morphed into a quivering smile. « I was so.. So mad. Because I realized it was because of them I was stuck in this timeloop. That somehow, every time they died, no matter how, no matter when, it would start again. I was furious at them, at... At their power of going back in time and SAVING. I held a grudge against the human, judging them for the agony they put me through for so long but then... »

He took a deep breath. Then another before he glanced down in shame.

« They always accepted us no matter what we did to them. They never looked for fights, heck, they were anything but violent or hateful and in the end, it was us making their life hell as we killed them... tortured them... Stole their reason to live. »

Your heart sank at these words. The haunting memories of Flowey- no, Asriel's death hit you in the face, and flashes of his corpse in your hands appeared in your eyes, and the echoes of your cries from that tragic day replayed in your ears. The way he disappeared still hurt... The hatred and cruelty, you still weren't over them. Flow- Asriel's murder was and will never be forgiven just like about the rest, and nothing will ever excuse such crimes. You just... You just managed to understand where all this violence came from. Even if Sans held himself accountable for every fucked up shit he did, it didn't stop the traumas and right there, they were back haunting you. Your hand raised to grab at your sweater in front of your clenching heart. You prayed that it wouldn't splat on the ground so heavy it felt.

« So I... Yeah, I remember everything. And I had nobody to talk to because I was the only one to remember once the world would reset again. I gave up trying when I understood that... it was pointless. »

Only the sound of a waterfall nearby filled the cavern you were in now. Papyrus was staring at his brother in silence for a while, until he spoke quietly as he was used to when calm and collected.

« How long ? » he asked him.

« I don't know, Pap. Weeks, months maybe ? It fucked up my sense of time with all of these resets, ya know...? »

Oh, here he was anxious again. Avoiding eye contact with his brother, trembling tone, breaking sweat and frozen posture.

Clicking sounds. Papyrus was now walking towards his brother in a heavy silence. Sans got startled by his brother's sudden approach to the point his whole body went even more tense that it could be. He was waiting for anything. A strike, for sure. But a few seconds after he screwed shut his eyelids, he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch and stand still on the spot in complete fright. When he realized that nothing else happened, curiosity forced Sans to peek through tight lids before he stared at his brother with wide eyes. Papyrus was staring down at him with a softened scowl on his face. It looked like he was searching for words to say, struggling even... They stayed like this for a little while before Papyrus managed to open his jaws and say.

« I'm sorry. »

The words struck Sans' soul so vividly he parted his lips in shock and new hot tears poured from his wide eyesockets. He remained there speechless for long seconds staring straight back at Papyrus, as if processing the words he may have misheard.

Then he embraced his brother.

Your heart swole with a bliss when you saw Papyrus silently lay his hands on his whimpering sibling's head in a comforting manner. It was a beautiful picture to see ; they finally made peace, the brothers who spent their lifetime being enemies... You wished at this moment that time stopped so it could last longer, if not for eternity. Everything felt right for once, the scene you were witnessing was... perfect... You hoped this moment will allow them to get closer from now on.

Half an hour passed by. The brothers excused themselves and sat together further away to talk in private. By their body language, one could tell that both of them were discussing peacefully until finally, Papyrus got up to come and meet you. The look in his eyes could tell he was serene, something so rare to witness.

« How is he feeling ? » you quietly asked him.

« Better, I can feel it in his magic. » Papyrus who had his eyes laid on his sibling turned to look at you. « My brother finally opened up and I am certain that he would have never done it if it wasn't for you being here. »

Oh. He was thanking you. A smile crept up on your face. Everything seemed to go for the best ! You were all here, alive, and growing closer together with each day passing by.

Your friends' growth filled you with DETERMINATION.

It was with this feeling that your group walked down the corridor leading to the East. You were admiring the scene, water dripping with the environmental reverb and echo sounding like an eerie music until you stopped in front of a statue. It was sitting there under rain that seeped from the surface through a hole that allowed the sunlight to cast over the effigy. Nothing else but that statue stood along the wall off the path. It looked lonely sitting there endlessly waiting for someone to pay it a visit. Your heart felt heavy all of the sudden again at this view : if its posture could be interpreted as peaceful and wise, for you the form appeared so... lonesome and miserable.

Forgotten.

And now you could feel your heart grow heavier at the moment you sensed Asriel's approach. He was obviously in pain too.

« I don't know why... But seeing this is... » He whispered in your mind.

« Heartbreaking. » You finished. You sensed him nodding sadly in the back of your head. « I know. »

The brothers were silent as well. When it was finally possible to tear your eyes from the lonely statue, you looked around to see in the distance a set of umbrellas in a bin. The skeleton monsters watched you go and take one before returning... To put it atop the stone figure. A music box inside of it began to play then like some sort of reward. You stayed here for a while to listen to the soft melody. The music had such softness and melancholy, like roses, their thorns would slice you up then apply balm over it to soothe the wounds, tearing and mending your soul in a perfect harmony. It was a masterpiece.

Finally when the emotions eased, it was time to go. While you walked across an area where rain poured down peacefully, you mentally patted Asriel's back hoping it'd comfort him. It didn't seem effective, though you sensed that he appreciated your attempt. He then took distance in search for space to handle his struggles on his own. For a moment, you thought that this statue could be related with him, though considering his mental state, you preferred not to pry. You'll have to bear that burden for a while instead, you guessed. You could do that for him.

Oh, here were the bridges again. After new hours spent into those caves through Waterfall, you could sniff the threat in the air. Below the platform made of wood your group stood on was a second bridge. Something was fishy here. Aware of the shady atmosphere, you walked down the wood planks until you spotted a light from between them in front of you. It had a yellowish hue. Oh, you remembered this magic.

It was Undyne's.

Another light spot appeared on Sans' right, right next to his foot. He tensed up at the sight before he turned around to notice a third one appear right on Papyrus' position.

« Watch out ! » he shouted just in time for his brother to take notice and jump forward before a spear could pierce his body from the bottom. You yelped at the sight of the other ones shoot up from the light in a row.

The attacker was on the bridge below the one you were occupying. Other light spots were summoned when Sans took hold of your hand to pull you against his frame. You had just time to throw a glance back to witness a spear pierce through the wood right where you've been standing. With a short breath, you said to your savior.

« Thank you ! »

« Don't sweat it, darling. » he replied before exchanging a glance with his sibling.

And so started the hunt where you had to run away from the pissed off lady monster. The thing was... Now, as if fate decided to take a massive shit on you all, the road divided into multiple different paths just like a maze for you to lose your way. So now, not only you had to find the right path, but you also had to dance towards safety thanks to all these attacks thrown at you. If you had time to think about it, you'd agree that it really felt like dancing. Either when you were too slow to avoid a spear, one of the skeleton brothers would catch your hand and pull you to get you out of imminent danger, sometimes making you turn around and fall into their arms until you bounced again and resumed running.

Yet, one of the attacks managed to hit you and instantly call out your SOUL. You were about to dodge all of the magic arrows until one cut through your left arm and thigh. Your pained shout rang in the air right right before Papyrus caught you and carried you like a child on his hip while running aside his dog. His exhausted brother was losing distance with the rest of the group, so he took a shortcut to reappear further ahead. Papyrus called out to Sans as soon as he spotted him. You didn't have time to proceed what was going on when he dropped you in his brother's arms. And after many paths taken that ended being dead ends or traps, he brought you into one remaining way while Papyrus deemed good staying behind to try and defend his family.

But it was another dead end. Sans put you back down on your feet while you were giving a look over the bottomless pit. Oh no, it was certainly too deep, you couldn't see in this pitch blackness ! Papyrus arrived just behind to also take a quick look down. You all came to an agreement that you needed to go back so you turned around to proceed when you spotted the knight standing further away. You froze on the wood plank you were standing. This couldn't be good. The Head of the Royal Guard was approaching dangerously and was only a few feet away from you now. In defense, Papyrus was about to prepare an attack when a range of spears came from above to impale you, and it would have if it wasn't for Sans that pulled you back before it could. Because of his intervention, the attack ended up hitting the bridge.

Silence.

Then all of the sudden, it shook.

Heartbeat.

Your mind was racing. Oh no, it meant... It meant you were about to fall in this bottomless pit. Terrorized, you just had time to look up and meet your assaulter's gaze before the wood planks gave in. You noticed a malicious glint in her eyes. You could swear the knight was grinning.

Oxygen was too low at the speed you were falling completely in panic. In your ears were only screeches and wind. Your eyelids screwed shut as you braced yourself for the impact.

And then.

Let go.

Chapter Text

It sounds like it came from over here...

Oh ! You've fallen down, haven't you...

Are you okay ?

Here, get up...

Frisk, huh ? That's a nice name.

My name is-

Your eyes fluttered open when you finally came back to your senses. You were way too tired to comprehend why everything around you was shaking. Looking up would be enough to understand why though ; Papyrus ran around while carrying you bridal style. He and his brother were shouting things you couldn't process yet. It seemed you were late to the party.

« -be they have a concussion ! » One sharp tone was shouting.
« What about their safety ? If they've got damage on their spine, moving them can be fatal, you know that ? » Another deeper snapped.
« Of course I know that ! But do you have any better idea, Sans ? We're alone in this world, nobody would come unless if it's to finish the human off ! »

You could tell Papyrus was horribly worried judging by his twisted expression of frustrated panic while he carried your limp body around. In the meanwhile, you did your best to chase the tiredness away from your system, your eyes still lazily blinking in a haze, watching without focusing the sceneries pass by. Though your senses gradually returned screaming that your whole body was sore and sensitive to vibrations and touch, so much that you were afraid there was a broken bone or two.

« P-Pap...yrus... » you breathed out so he would turn his attention over you instead of running. Surprised and relieved, Papyrus immediately stopped his course.

« Human ! » he called you in return. « Are you alright ? »

« Put me down, please. » you pleaded in a whisper. He obeyed and carefully settled you down on the ground. « Thank you. »

You were sitting there in a tunnel in front of two insanely worried skeleton monsters and a dog, all staring at each other nervously. What looked like fireflies were floating around, and you noticed there were a bunch of Echo Flowers standing further away. At this moment, Sans squatted in front of you. He laid his hand over the top of your head before he slid it until he could cup your cheek in his palm.

« Oh, dollface, you scared us back there. » he smiled softly. You muttered a sorry, but he shook his head, his eyesockets shut. « Well, I don't want you to apologize for this. »

You felt some comfort in his gesture and reassurance, enough to feel a little bubble of happiness raise in your chest at first. At first... Because his soft, collected tone changed into a colder, darker one that you knew oh too well that sent shivers of horror run up your spine and your heart race when he opened his eyes again. You stared into the abyss they became.

« Unless you were talking about this. »

You didn't have time to do more than just open your mouth to talk when he pulled your sweater up. Sans attacking you in the shed, of his teeth burying into your flesh and the agony that followed flashed before your eyes, the rapid memories of iron in your mouth and nose, the cold...

« ...man... »

He's going to kill you again...

Don't let that happen, please, don't let that happen...

« ...ke up... »

Screams echoed from afar.

You snapped your eyes open, to notice that the screams you heard were coming from your own throat, bestial and gut-wrenching, your hands around your head, curled up on yourself. Only then you realized Papyrus and Sans were both holding onto you to try and keep you put while you had a mental breakdown. Sans bled from the corner of his mouth and his cheek was bruised. Both of the brothers looked mortified, begging you to wake up and to stop. Your whole body was shaking, and only then you noticed a sting in your knuckles.

« I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please come back...! » Sans pleaded.

It took long seconds for you to stop screaming hysterically, the panic leaving you cold and shaky. Your face ached from the intense crying, your cheeks covered in tears and your nose clogged up. Papyrus' long legs were propped up each side of you as he sat there holding you from behind against his frame with the intent to help you ground yourself. Meanwhile Sans repeated words, saying that you were safe, that you were okay, telling you to stay with them, his voice following the motions as you relaxed.

The corridor fell silent, with only your mixed battered breathing filling up the space.

It took a while for you to emerge. Finally once they deemed you stable enough, they let go of you and gave you space. You gathered energy to look up to them, and even though your brain was k.o from the amount of effort it went through, you understood that you snapped. Just by the look of Sans' face and your hands, you could imagine what went on. He was trembling too, and still slightly panting.

« I... I...  » You tried. Water built up in your aching eyes again as guilt crept in. The monster approached.
« No, it's my fault. My fault only. I'm sorry, sweetheart... » He whispered while he wrapped you with his arms and proceeded to cradle you.

Papyrus watched you silently, completely at lost. Long seconds passed while you cried softly against Sans' shoulder, while his hand ran gently along your back to soothe you, just like you did when you comforted him for the first time. All the while, he's been whispering sorries and regrets in your ear, and telling you you were okay while you'd whimper apologies back.

« Something happened between the two of you, am I wrong ? » Papyrus finally dared ask the forbidden question. You and Sans looked up at him then lowered your gaze in unison again in shared shame.

« Sorry boss... There are things best left unknown... » He waited for a bit before he broke the embrace with you. You noticed the lingering anger in his eyes when you looked at him. « It doesn't include you, babe. »

His hand had been holding your piece of clothing up to display your body. You were too exhausted to react quickly enough, but once you did, it was with a yelp that you pushed his hand away in an attempt to hide your odd symptoms, without caring for the Papyrus' shocked face or pure anger on Sans' features. His magic hummed threateningly louder in your ears.

Your body was covered with pure blackness to your belly level. Whenever your knees were hitting against each other, you would wince as pain shot through your legs. Papyrus squatted next to his brother in order to study this anomaly.

« How is that even possible ? I don't remember spotting these stains back when you were ill... » he murmured while his eyes were traveling on your exposed abdomen in thought. Sans bent so he could be at your eye level.

« When did it start ? » he asked. His slit pupils were back and staring straight at you. Yours were going back and forth between the two brothers. How could you answer that ? You didn't have any idea yourself !
« It was already there the time when I took a shower, back when I was sick. » you replied. « But it was only at the knee level, I swear ! »

« Is that a human thing ? » Papyrus asked. He was visibly confused about this. Of course he was going to be confused.

« I... No, I don't think so ? »

« What happens if I do that ? » Sans pressed his palm against the exposed stains, only for you to shout in pain as a reply. He took his hand away as if he just got burnt. « Sorry ! Sorry... » he urged to say when he noticed new tears pricking your eyes.

Now, you all remained silent in this cold, dark place. Oh, how you regretted not waking up earlier, when you fell down the bridge ! You could have kept up appearances. You weren't ready to have this talk with them. Worrying them was the last thing on the to do list, especially now that you were out in the open for anyone to ambush you then again, you fucked up. How life was easier the time when you only had to run away from everybody with only a flower as a guide. You felt you had lost so much time already and here you were, wasting more of it only when you understood you didn't have this luxury anymore.

« Are you sick ? » Papyrus' question brought you back to reality.

You turned your attention on him. The twisted grimace on his mouth was an evidence of his worry although he was doing his best not to show it. You could notice easily how his jaw was tense, how his eyes held a little sparkle of fear whenever they'd travel on the black spots.

« It's your fault. » you caught yourself thinking. Why were you feeling anger now ? He was just worried about you, plus, he couldn't remember all the deaths you went through because of them thanks to this wonderful power of resetting ! You couldn't blame them or at least, you couldn't blame him for that... You felt terrible accusing him of your infortune and yet, there was still that thought that nagged. Your own voice, deeper in anger and hatred, and Asriel's...

Ah. Asriel.

He certainly had his share of anger too.

You noticed the brothers were staring at you with an odd look. Surely because your face was contorted, you realized. Having them going nuts for your pretty eyes wasn't on the menu so best calm your angry friend down first. You really hoped that he wasn't the one who attacked Sans this time... Asriel's presence was heavy next to you, his beautiful ruby eyes were piercing through the two other monsters with god knows what kind of thing he wanted to do to them for putting your life at risk and also for being the ones that condemned you both. You figured quickly that he was slowly trying to take control of you by pushing his thoughts into your mind, wishing your new guides away if not dead, how horrible they were for hurting his best friend, and how needy he felt to shield you from them.

With steady breaths, you forced a smile for your living companions.

« I think I am, yes. » you calmly replied.

« What's this sickness about ? » Sans asked right after you replied.

His pulsing eyes were shooting back and forth to yours while he resumed touching around your black stained areas. You winced in pain again and stopped a responsive kick at Sans' face halfway through the action. The skeleton also dodged it at the same time by standing straight with his hands raised in surrender. You caught your breath in your throat in horror at the realization you almost lost control again.

« Damn babe, if I hurt you, say it, no need to use my head as a punching ball again ! »

« I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ! » you urged to apologize, but before you could say more, he shook his head with a smile and lowered his skeletal hands.

« Easy there, honey. I know you didn't. A sweetheart like you wouldn't dare to even hurt a fly, would you ? »

« I already hurt one. » you replied bitterly looking away. « And more. »

In the corner of the eye, you noticed that Sans frowned when he understood you were referring to the altercation you had with his brother in another timeline, and maybe the one you both just had. Out of shame, you turned your head away to look at something else than your friends and you found a new particular interest into these Echo Flowers all of the sudden. Try thinking of something else than violence. Than your past fights and abuse. And yet, it wouldn't work... Asriel's presence kept growing overwhelming no matter how you tried blocking out everything else, cutting yourself from feeling until you sensed someone putting their palm over your hand that was laying on the glistening grass.

« Well, it wasn't on purpose. But sweetheart... I still have so many questions. Do you mind me asking them ? »

You quietly shook your head in response to watch Sans' face relax in relief. He took a breath as he searched for the first question to ask.

« Do you know what causes these marks ? » he asked in a low, collected tone. « If these stains make you suffer... How long can you endure it ? How fast do they grow ? »

« It's pretty fast, as you can see... » you replied in all honesty.

But about the question on this plague's origin, you couldn't tell. What if it was related to Asriel ? You couldn't put him at risk. He was your friend and on top of that, nothing could indicate if he was the cause of this. If only you checked your health state sooner, you would have noticed these spots and maybe found a solution or even an answer to your own questions. You felt kinda stupid for keeping it a secret this long now... You raised your gaze from your stained legs to Sans and Papyrus' curious eyes.

« Still, I don't know what causes this. I just... I just feel there isn't much time to lose anymore... »

« Sweetheart... » Sans breathed out.

« I need to keep going, I just... I feel it. » How could you put words on what you were feeling deep inside ? It was hard to describe why and where it came from because you had no fucking clue. « Something's wrong with me, I know it... I know it but what I don't know is what happens when it'll get worse. »

« Alright then... We're still hours away from Asgore. Will you hold on until we're there ? » You took a moment to consider these questions, still aware of Asriel's silence and piercing eyes cutting through you.

« I'll try. »

With this answer, you were helped getting up, but at the shocking pain shooting through your left leg and arm because of Undyne's attack, you saw stars and almost fainted again when your friends caught you just in time and helped you to sit down again. The brothers decided to check on that for you and see the burns and cuts her spear caused at the impact. That's when you decided to eat the second half of your breakfast to try and lessen the effects but it barely worked. So they used their own collected items to patch you up, which you were thankful for. Papyrus used his Waterfall product to apply on your wounds, then called for a spell to boost the effects to your amazement. You didn't know he was capable of healing magic like Toriel ! With sparkly eyes, you looked up at him in awe, and he exhaled through his nose with a smug grin. He seemed to like your reaction. You wondered if Sans was able to summon such magic as well, but unlike his brother, he looked ashamed and gave you a sorry look.

« Heh... My brother is so much better in every aspect. » He said, trying to shrug it off with a smile while he ate an item to heal. You didn't add anything to that.

« Thank you for you help. » You said instead. « My wounds are not hurting that much anymore. »

« Anytime, human. Shall we go now ? » Papyrus asked in return. You nodded and this time, standing up was much easier, though you still needed their assistance.

They were right... It was going to be a long way to hell at this point. Oh, you hoped you'd be only able to reach the Barrier.

Sans laid a hand against your back to give you support as you slowly made your way down the tunnel. Passing by Echo Flowers, appreciating their beautiful and calming appearance. Your fingers caressed their petals and you heard a passing conversation while you were walking by.

« ... hmm... If I say my wish... You promise you won't laugh at me ? »

You touched the next one.

« Of course I won't laugh ! »

You didn't notice the heavy expression on the brothers' face when you reached for the one after. There was that need to learn about those people's stories that you just couldn't stop looking for their next reply.

« Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world burn all around... That's my wish. »

Your fingers brushed the petals of one of these flowers standing in the water. You heard a laughter sing from it.

« ... Hey, you said you wouldn't laugh at it ! »

You raised your hand to touch the last one remaining, which Papyrus tried to stop too late. You heard a passing conversation while you were looking up to him, then Sans.

« Sorry, it's just funny. That's my wish, too. »

They were now avoiding your gaze. There was a palpable sense of shame hanging in the air. You weren't sure if they had any connection with those voices because they sounded like children. Were they the children that said that by any chance ? After all this time, it couldn't be, could it ?

Whoever that was, it still made your desire of freeing them all stronger, just so you'd make sure to see them make so many friends they'd never have dreamt of. You'll make sure they'll be loved so much that they will forget their hate for humanity. So much they'll even forget how to hate. You didn't mind the brothers at all once you noticed this sign on the wall on your way, that's why you stopped in front of it to read what was written.

“However... There is a prophecy. The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return. And the underground will go empty.”

You felt agitated all of the sudden. Was it about you ? Yet you didn't look like an Angel at all ! Was that a way to call a human, down here ? You were pretty sure it wasn't, they never called you an Angel from what you could recall in your encounters. Only then you realized that Asriel's presence in the back of your head was growing stronger, his fear and sorrow coursing in your veins. You bit your lower lip. Did he know something about it ? You weren't sure if that was your fear of asking him about it because of how it would hurt him further if you brought up the topic, or if it was about finding something out about your bestfriend's past. A dreadful apprehension nagged at you, and for a moment, you wondered if Asriel was scared as well. But yet... You couldn't avoid this talk. You two were sharing the same body, it was just a matter of time until you put the topic on the table. Maybe it was better to do it the sooner to get it over with.

« Do you know something about this, Asriel ? » you asked him while you lead the way to the bridge on your right.

« Maybe... » he replied softly, his tone unsure. Maybe wasn't he ready for this talk...?

« Oh, I'm sorry. Is it too soon ? » You could see him nodding, an expression of misery and shame covering his fluffy face. You returned an apologetic smile as you walked through the long bridge ahead. « It's okay, I understand. Talk to me whenever you feel like it. »

He responded with another nod while he vanished into the depths of your mind. You were almost at the end of the bridge when you heard someone running behind you. You turned around to meet a little yellow monster child wearing a striped sweater's gaze. They wore that mischievous smile on their mouth again.

Oh stars, not them again.

They were on the other side of the bridge. The armless creature was alone, which was strange actually. Was it an ambush ? You quickly looked around in case it was, yet no angry fish monster to be seen. You then noticed in the corner of your eye the monster kid walking towards you. Were they insane ? Papyrus, Sans, hell, even A.D were here at your side ! You were more afraid for this child to be hurt or worse than being attacked by them, that's why you started shouting in their direction.

« Stay away ! You're not supposed to be here, go home ! »

You heard them laughing in the distance. The shape of a femur appeared in your peripheral vision. Papyrus was ready to attack, so were Sans and their dog pet.

« Stop, it's just a child ! » you exclaimed, outraged.

« Yeah, and ? » Sans replied.

« They sold us out. » Papyrus continued.

« Still, they can't hurt us ! I can't believe you're ready to attack a kid ! »

Another giggle from the child. You glanced over your shoulder to watch the kid still wearing that evil smile of theirs.

« You know you're doomed, right ? » The child finally spoke, amused by your reactions. « Undyne will beat the crap out of you all ! And she'll take the human's soul. And you know what ? It will be thanks to me ! I'll be the hero of the Underground, hehehe ! »

They raised their chin in pride.

« She'll make me her second for sure after that ! When I'll be old enough, I mean ! »

You would have been moved by their naïve nature in other circumstances but here, it only made you sad. That's when you heard the clicking of Undyne's metal armor further away. The monster kid heard it too because they turned around with a huge, excited smile on their face when she came to the party.

« Ah ! Undyne ! Just in time ! » they peeped as they ran towards her.

But then...

They tripped and since they didn't possess arms to catch themselves back, they fell down the bridge, just where a rock pillar was supporting the middle of it. You gasped in horror as you watched them catching themselves just with the help of their mouth and feet. Their eyes were filled with pure fear. You heard them whimpering a “help, I tripped !” to their role model's attention. Undyne didn't even bother to care as she took a few steps ahead. She didn't even spare a glance at them, so well you noticed tears pricking the eyes of the distressed little one that just realized their life didn't matter to their idol.

« Let's g- » Papyrus started just when you ran the fastest you could with your hurt limbs in the direction of the danger, which made him jump in surprise. « Human !? »

« Frisk !? » Asriel yelled in disbelief in your head. « What if it's a trap !? »

You were sure it wasn't. A kid couldn't be this vicious and careless, right ? They were in terrible danger, how could they have put themselves in such a situation just to trick you ? It couldn't be acting. But then again, people down here were batshit insane... Stop thinking, Frisk, there's a child's life at risk here ! Speaking of the child, the little one was slowly losing their grip, slipping ever so slowly towards the darkness waiting below them. At the realization, they squealed in panic between their clenched teeth.

Undyne was a few feet away when you reached out and grip the collar of the small monster's sweater. The little guy yelped in fear at your action. Oh, your arms were hurting because of the soreness and the deep wounds you had earned on your way here ! By the look in their eyes, you were sure they imagined you ending their life right there, so it's with big surprise that they heard you yelling “Get up !” to their attention and helped them getting back to safety. Even Undyne, who was on her way to kill you, had to stop and watch the scene that was unfolding before her eyes. The child was panting heavily due to their efforts while you gently patted their back in sympathic attempt to comfort them.

« Shh, it's over... It's over, you're safe now. » you whispered softly.

The little being (who was just a head shorter than you) looked at you with big, teary eyes before their gaze turned on Undyne who was still frozen in place in utter shock. Once they recovered from the frightening near death experience, the monster kid collected enough courage to stand up against the Head of the Royal Guard.

« Y... Y... Yo... Dude... » You turned your attention over them. They looked over their shoulder to smile at you. « How about you run, while I keep her busy ? »

Their whole demeanor changed, even their gaze and smile. They seemed... grateful towards you for saving them. You spared a glance at the tall monster lady. You had a bad feeling about this. The kid may have felt your hesitation because they took a confident stance.

« Don't worry about me, I'm a tough cookie ! » That affirmation made a smile rise on your lips. At least they seemed to know what they was doing. Undyne knew the child and they couldn't possibly do much harm especially to her, so you assumed they'd be fine.

« Thank you. » you said before you ran away - as much as you could - with your companions, leaving the kid and the knight behind.

You really hoped that the child was okay.

Undyne was standing on top of a hill when you noticed her. As you expected, she wasn't up for a conversation. All she radiated was hate, disgust and determination to kill.

Papyrus wanted to fight, but you refused. No risk getting anyone hurt, either your friends or this woman, could be taken. So you ran for another time, hoping for the best to come when you tried hard to dodge the attacks of the mad living sushi.

But your best wasn't enough.

It felt like lightning shot in your side when a spear pierced right through the scar that Papyrus' ancient attack left behind, the sensation so sudden and intense that your mobile functions vanished. Blood trickled down the magical weapon to pool at the ground it struck. Panting heavily in a desperate attempt to avoid fainting from the unsufferable pain, you saw with your blurring vision your guides turning around and shouting after you in horror. Your hearing was off too. You could only guess that Sans' figure was reaching out for you when you did the same and just when you felt his bones holding the tip of your fingers, you were back at the hill again. You didn't feel Papyrus' arm catching you by the waist when you lost balance. Your body acted on its own to grip his wrist like a lifeline, so tensed up you were trembling and panting, hoping for the pain in your side to dissipate from your system quick.

Sans was mad. Deep hollow sockets as he stared at Undyne. You swore you heard him mutter a “fuckin' bitch” before he raised his hand coated in red magic. Immediately, memories of him using this kind of attack came back in flashes in your mind and before he could do anything with it, you yanked his hand towards the ground.

« No ! » you yelled while you freed yourself from Papyrus' hands. The brothers looked at you wide eyed in confusion.

« What, “no” ? » Sans asked with a mild angry tone.

« We don't hurt anyone, her included ! » You pointed at the angry fish lady who was preparing an attack. « We just go ! »

Sans growled in frustration.

« You won't go far with these wounds, babe. » he warned you. Undyne's attack was at full charge.

« I'll do my best. » you replied.

Undyne sent her attack, which Papyrus intercepted with a summoned huge rib cage above your heads. Sans took you in his arms to use his body as a monster shield and you ducked your head in a reflex. You didn't have time to understand what was going on when the shorter skeleton put you on A.D's back in one swift move.

« But ! But Papyrus ? » you protested when he started to run with his dog to escape the fish monster's assaults.

Her spears didn't stop to hit the ground or the walls as you fled. You glanced over your shoulder to see Papyrus' silhouette shielding himself with huge bones, then sending a range of femurs back to get Undyne's full attention. You could hear Papyrus snapping insults while he expertedly jumped around to avoid the magical attacks of his ex-coworker. You didn't want to leave him behind, you couldn't just do that ! Filled with dread, you turned your eyes on Sans who was panting due to the running. In other circumstances, you would have found this funny to see him doing such an amount of effort to sweat bullets. Oh, you wished everything was different.

« Don't worry about it, honey, Pap's gotcha.» he reassured you with a smile.

That's when A.D let out a high-pitch yelp and collapsed. You fell and rolled a little further away, scratching your knees and hands as you tried to break the fall. Sans froze in place, shocked when he spot a spear piercing the dog's hindquarters. His pet was whining and twisting to try and get up. You looked back at them to cry “A.D” when a spear impaled your leg another time. Your breath got stuck in your throat. You barely had the strength to let out a squeal from the violence of the impact, pinned to the ground while you tried to move and hold your wound. Sans didn't move, his face livid as he watched your blood forming a pool beneath your limb. You froze, eyes wide opened when you finally realized the dog stopped crying, so you turned towards it again only to see it taking its last breath.

Sans' was hitching in shock. Sweat running along his skull. A.D was gone within seconds. Its limp body changed into glistening dust between the both of your still forms. Its little soul was grey, trembling, shaking in weakness when it shattered like glass.

From whimpering, you went to screaming and crying.

Where was Papyrus ? Where was he ?

Sans slowly raised his empty gaze filled with tears to meet with yours. You were hyperventilating until you saw blood pouring from your friend's mouth. You froze in the middle of your panic attack.

What ?

The monster fell on his knees. Only then you noticed the spear that impaled him from behind. When was he shot ? Your mind was blurring in fear while you shouted his name and reached out for him. The skeleton was taking support on his hands to prevent himself from collapsing when he looked at you, then a weak smile drowned in crimson fluid rose on his lips. He bent towards you, raised his hand to catch yours. Your fingers were close enough to touch.

Yours only caught dust.

You stayed still for a few seconds. At this moment, what remained was his clothes and ashes with a little trembling soul floating above it.

Sans.

When you realized it, you threw yourself forward to try and catch it, only to have it exploding into tiny pieces before your fingers could close on it.

No... It couldn't be... It couldn't be...

You kept on calling his name, as you began to dig into the pile of shimmering dust in a desperate hope to find something, anything. In a desperate hope to find him again somewhere underneath. But only tracks of your fingers fishing into it were found.

They were all gone... Right ? Papyrus, A.D... And Sans... You were pretty sure the monster kid didn't make it either... And it was your fault.

New hot tears poured as you held yourself from falling. You couldn't take your eyes off them.

It was horrible... Why did it hurt everytime ? Why was it hurting so much ?

Was there a point to resist ?

You barely breathed with a constricted chest, your gaze lost as salty pearls crashed on the ground below. You didn't realize you started laughing. A lifeless laughter slipping through your widening smile.

They died three times already. How many times will they have to die again ? Four, five times ? More ? Just three was already too much for you to take.

Asriel's voice inside your head was faded, drowned out by the intrusive thoughts and voices taking over you. He did his best to get your attention by trying to speak over the overtaking crazy laughter. He sounded desperate. Why was that ? After all, it's not like he cared for his murderers, and you couldn't blame him. You thought it was your fault, always your fault, you were late, always late, always, always. You'll keep seeing them dying over and over like some busted record...

You stopped for a second. Why did he sound terrified ?

You barely sensed a presence looming over you when a spear stabbed through your neck.

Chapter Text

(Yoooo, how about some music to go with the reading, hmmmm ??)

You were screaming bloody murder when you returned. It's only when you felt sudden pressure around you that you opened your eyes on Sans, who caught your body before it hit the ground. You lost balance another time. You didn't move from Sans' arms, instead you were panting heavily with tears streaming down your livid face like waterfalls. You had great trouble to breathe that you were afraid of fainting in the middle of a dangerous situation where Death stood above you and your friends, speaking of which, she still looked furious and determined to complete her mission. Asriel was also there behind you, silent with a boiling rage in his (your ?) guts. His hands slowly took a hold of your soul and right then, you really expected to pass out. Hearing blurred out, heart threatening to explode, the burning sensation in your lungs and limbs, the pressure in your guts... While numbness spread from the back of your neck and reached your shoulders and down... The twisted feelings were overwhelming. Darkness invaded your vision as your friend's palms coming from behind covered your eyes. It was something else than a panic attack. He was gaining control.

Asriel... No... Don't do that...

But you were too weakened, shaken to fight back. The last thing you saw was the ribcage Papyrus summoned to protect you from Undyne's assault, then, nothing.

Shouts were echoing in the deep blackness of your consciousness. Not only that, but also, your heard echoes of magical outbursts and metallic ringing in the distance. You peeked through your eyelids when you finally found strength to flutter them open and what you saw snapped you wide awake : you were watching yourself through a window, jumping and running around with the dagger that Papyrus offered you the other day to cut the living sushi monster with, dodging the attacks she threw at you and stabbing through the uncovered parts of her body while screaming hysterically. Behind, you could hear Papyrus and Sans shouting at you to stop while on the other hand, Undyne seemed to appreciate your rebellion.

You gasped.

When did you take the weapon ?

Oh, don't tell me Asriel took it while you weren't paying attention... You've been dissociating really bad lately, it was a nightmare. You had to take back control and quick before true harm was done...! And so, you tried to move on your own only to find yourself plunged into black matter. Sticky, heavy and intoxicating like petrol.

You started to panic now. Why were you here ? Why could you only see what was going on from afar, like you were watching through a screen while feeling wide awake ? You needed a few moments, between wiggling and panting from anxiety, to spot Asriel before you on the other side of your mind. His back was turned on you while his hands were up in front of him. You could hear him also out of breath from the boiling rage taking his guts, his efforts to concentrate and control your body in the real world.

« Asriel ? » you called with an unsure tone. He didn't turn around nor spare a glance to you. « Asriel, what's going on ? What did you do ? » you tried again, your voice higher in tones with anxiety growing in the pit of your stomach.

« Be quiet, Frisk, I'm busy here ! » he finally shouted at your attention.

Somehow he seemed to be taller and his voice that used to sound clear, high and soft like a lullaby, has gained depth. Maybe was it because of his unleashed rage...? His madness was overwhelmingly intense, overbearing your senses to the point that you feared that he could redirect it towards you so blinded he was. You whimpered in fear until you found a new interest into that window to the real world ; Undyne just missed to stab your controlled vessel with a spear to receive a hit from you as a payback. Seeing her in pain brought back the will to fight. Asriel had to stop before he could cause any more damage ! You couldn't see Papyrus nor Sans around, although you could still hear their voices shouting at you, asking if you went insane, begging for you to let them handle it. You sensed their fear, but you didn't know if it was for your sake, or their own.

You called for help...

But nobody could hear you.

You began to scream after your bestfriend. All of these mixed up feelings were overwhelming, fear, misery, frustration, they grew in power while you suffocated in this corrupted goo. Everytime you were pulling a limb, that black matter would tighten up until you'd let go to return to its original, sticky state. Struggling in your efforts, you could only observe this terrible glue slowly crawling along your arms and legs to the knee and elbow levels. Your breath hitched in panic.

« ASRIEL !! » you screeched in your despair. « LET GO OF ME !! »

« She'll hurt you if I do that ! » he yelled in return. « I'll let you go once I'll be sure she won't ever lay a hand on you again... » he growled more to himself as his attention returned on Undyne.

She had a wide cut in her side, so much he could hear the loud, deafening humming of her magic and the light of her power, tainted with red blood, was shining bright with rage through her sliced skin. You could even smell the scent of her from her lacerated flesh. It smelled like sushi.

Shaken, you watched speechless the fish monster put a hand against the wound he just made and stumble a bit backward. She repressed a hiss of pain before she checked up on it. Dust mixed with blood laid on her gloved hand.

That couldn't be good.

✧✦✧

His magic was rattling his bones.

His breath heaved with terror while his slit pupils went back and forth between the Head of the Royal Guard and the Human.

What was happening to them ?

Papyrus did just like him, covered in cuts and bruises after he tried to stop the human, he stood back to watch the fight happen. Even his brother was wrecked with shock. Sans could hear his own magic humming loudly in his chest, screaming to be set free, to be unleashed to either stop the enraged human or to protect himself. He was fragile, way too fragile to put his life at risk and oh, how he wanted to ! But the fact of having 1 HP couldn't be neglected. He wasn't a fighter. He never was one.

« Sweetheart ! » he shouted to their attention while they were jumping on their enemy to inflict another injury to her thigh.

They didn't respond. They snapped for good, didn't they ? After all they've been through, after all the deaths, the heartbreaks, the suffering, the injustice... It was a matter of time until their sanity vanished too, wasn't it. They were screaming like a beast all the while they've been agitating that dagger around in hope to reach the fish lady, before they were hit in return. They yelped upon impact with the ground, but quickly rolled to stand back up on their feet on guard. Something about them told him that it wasn't his sweetheart in control. Their body language was particularly different. Maybe it was because of their current mental state that everything about them felt so off... After all, he never saw the human like this before. And he wished he never had to see this. As he was afraid of...

His nightmare came true.

Blood and dust spilled with every hit exchanged at the same time shouts rang in the air. Sans understood his darling's anger, more than anyone else. He used to feel this way before too... Until he let them, his darling, enter the hell of his prison and let the consuming rage that his tiny heart has been burning to set free... His anger was still ablaze but at least, he had people to help put the fire out today. Though he never thought that he'd have to feel scared around this little human ever again and yet, here we were. With his skull covered in sweat, he looked at his brother who was still frozen in place.

« Pap ! Do something ! »

« And what, risk anyone of us getting killed when they're like this ? » Papyrus snapped at his sibling, just before his eyes returned on the Human who just stabbed his ex-coworker. He seemed terrified as well. « No way ! »

Within minutes, Undyne was on the edge of death. Her eye was black and her slit pupil still red like blood. Maybe Papyrus was right but...

What if they completely lost their mind ?

✧✦✧

Undyne's current health state was a disaster. You could see her HP degrading so well that her skin started melting in random parts of her exposed face, just like a snowman standing too long under the sun.

« What is happening to her ?! » you asked.

« She's dying. » Asriel replied.

You heard a giggle coming from him. A bloodcurdling giggle. Its echoes around you sent shivers down your spine. You couldn't take your terrified eyes off him. Even from behind, you could perfectly imagine the huge grin on his face tainted with madness. The tone of his voice was proof of what was taking over him.

Your vessel jumped on the left to avoid a range of spears empaling the way. Then it rushed to Undyne's position and cut her across her right arm to force her to drop the spear she was holding, which she did in a roar of pain. The fish woman held her hurt arm while she threw insults at you and stared at you with eyes filled with pure hatred and desire to kill. You were crying. You never wanted this. No, you never wanted this...!! Asriel took advantage of her moment of weakness and stabbed right through her uncovered stomach, which caused her to spit some magical fluid. You didn't know if it was her breakfast or her blood at this point, you just knew it didn't mean anything good. And as if it wasn't enough, your goat friend pushed the weapon deeper into her flesh until the blade was poking out of the other side with the intention to make her spill more of this strange vomit.

« ASRIEL ! STOP ! STOP STOP STOP PLEASE STOP !! DON'T KILL HER ! » You screamed through the tears, in the middle of your struggles to free yourself from the black matter blocking your movements. It didn't seem to soften the monster living inside you, for he replied.

« Don't worry, Frisk. You'll be safe from now on. » His voice was disturbingly soft.

Another laugh, deeper, caught you both offguard. Undyne was laughing weakly. Her legs were shaking in effort to carry her body covered in injuries.

Some melted parts of her dripped onto the ground. It was like a gruesome trainwreck that you couldn't help but watch even if you winced at the morbid sight. The woman who used to be amazingly strong and puff up her chest in pride... Now, all she managed to do was keeping her chin high in a last challenging gesture, her pained and exhausted smile quivering through her efforts.

« Ah ah... I have to say... I underestimated your strength, little punk... » She snickered again while she stopped herself from losing balance, instead she struck a combat stance with renewed willpower. She had such Determination right then, that her body even changed shape, more threatening now that her eyepatch was gone, revealing a scarred side of her face and an eye that was long gone. A sickening fluid started to spill from the wide hole in her face. Her right hand outstretched on the side shone yellow to summon a spear. A wicked smile grew on Undyne's mouth within a moment.

« But if I must die, it will be by my King's hand ! »

She screamed a battle cry while she brandished the magical weapon and threw it in your direction. Asriel commanded your body to run around and dodge the new ranges of spears, along your fight to release yourself furiously. Your friend stopped in time for an attack to pass real close to the point your left sleeve was torn midway on your forearm. Immediately, you hissed in pain. Blood was running along your limb and dripping. Asriel grunted in return. Oh, yeah, that's right... He also could suffer. He had to endure all of the pain, struggles and deaths just like you... How unsurprising was it for someone to snap like this. And yet... He only snapped for your sake, not his own. Poor teenager who couldn't handle such powerful emotions without breaking down. Unfortunately, he was on his way to kill someone in order to protect you without thinking about the consequences it would lead to.

What if...

What if killing Undyne wasn't enough ? What if he turned berserk after he was done with her and decided to take revenge on the ones who made your lives miserable in the past ? You could feel your heartbeats increase in speed. You had to stop him. You had to !

While you were yelling after Asriel to catch his attention, you were pulling with all your might on the mysterious tar. It took all the determination inside you to free only one single arm from this sickening burden. After you fred one hand, you proceeded to pry the goo off your other arm or pulling on it, sometimes both until the sticky kind of tar was ripped and released the upper part of your spiritual body. From time to time, through your struggles, you'd spare a glance or two over the screen until you noticed that he was rushing in her direction, weapon ready to dig into her skin.

« STOP !! »

You suddenly could see all the colors again, as you took over your friend's influence and regained control on your body. You stumbled against something that stopped you from falling forward, realizing at this moment that you were back to the commands. You were about to exhale in relief when you saw your reflection in Undyne's chest armor. Your face was covered in cuts and sweat. Also, you noticed you were breathing heavily through your open mouth, so loudly you could almost not hear the strong heartbeats in your ears. Your stomach was in your throat after all the running and now, it was about to get thrown up once realization hit you a second time. A fluid was dripping on your fingers. You lowered your gaze to discover they firmly held the dagger buried in your rival's stomach, slightly turned upward to reach her heart – if she had any- under the chest armor. In a gasp, your panicked eyes shot up to see Undyne's face frozen in surprise. You lost your breath at this very moment. The colors that could have remained on your exhausted visage were now completely drained.

No...

No...

You came back too late...

Shaky breath. Your vision was blurred. You couldn't hear anything outside the loud and insanely low pounds of your heart over the slowly fading humming of her magic.

She stood there rigid until you decided, in a state of shock, to take the blade out of her just before you let it drop on the ground. At this point, you expected her to bleed out yet nothing but just dust ran through the lethal wound. The fish knight staggered backwards. She was stunned after that final blow. She gathered what was left of her energy to stay up or even to feverishly place her trembling hands against the injury to try and stop her life from running through her fingers. After a couple of seconds, she stared at what her hand caught : dust and melting flesh. The monster then looked at you. The light in her eye was so dim you almost didn't see it.

« You fool... You know that... you have no power against King Asgore... Right ? »

Then, she grinned through the melted parts of her face. Her whole body found the same fate of losing its composure, to the point that her legs dissolved into this horrific poodle her body was turning into.

« He will take your soul... And with him as a God, we'll destroy everything you... Cared so much about... We will destroy Humanity ! »

Half of her body was gone now. She lifted her head up in pride, looking at the ceiling with a triumphant smile.

« It's just a matter of time... »

Her head began to melt into the rest of her body in the puddle. You couldn't stop watching in horror. It was impossible to breathe. In her last moment, a saddened expression appeared on her remaining features as she closed her eyes.

« Alphys... I'm sorry... I won't be able... to come over tonight... »

Her soul was standing above the puddle that was drying into ashes. Her fragile soul, trembling in grey, shattered before your wide opened eyes without you being able to move a muscle. Then she was gone. The tone she had in her final moment... It was filled with regret. Within her last words, you also found tenderness.

The wind was howling. As if it mourned in someone's name. As if it testified someone's pain from afar. This knight had someone she cared about, hadn't she ? And this person was waiting for her return.

Thinking of this person who would realize their dearest one will never come home shattered your heart. It was horrible, no... You knew that pain so much, why did you have to do this ? If only you returned sooner, if only, she'd still be there ! As you looked down on your hands, now with a hitching breath, you realized they were covered in dust and dried blood. You did this... You killed her... A shiver ran up your spine in dread and all of the sudden, you felt your stomach twisting. No... tearing... You covered your face with your dust stained palms and screamed. You screamed for the crime you committed. A part of you was missing.

A part of your being died with Undyne that day.

« Sweetheart...? »

Hearing this nickname stopped you from crying out loud. Slowly, you lowered your hands. You unconsciously blocked out the sound at this moment. The tips of your fingers were turning black. You let them fall lamely along your legs as you faced down. Your friends were okay, thank goodness... However it didn't necessarily mean that it made your soul feel lighter in your chest... Or feel at all.

It was impossible for you to bear this burden. Although Undyne wanted your death, you didn't want hers... You didn't want to be her demise. You never wanted this... Her death would be on Asriel as well, no... No. You had to mend what was broken. No one had to lose someone today...

A light caught your eye. It was Undyne's spear, the one she wanted to take your life with. At the same time, you sensed Asriel waking up in your mind.

« Frisk ? What's going on ? » He asked softly.

No response from you because thoughts were rushing through your mind. The pounding of your heart was low and steady.

Badum.

Badum.

Asriel turned his attention over what was left of Undyne and gasped.

« W-What happened !? » he babbled in shock.

Asriel didn't remember ? Strangely, he was completely different from what you witnessed earlier. You recognized the bestfriend you always knew. He was back. You didn't have time to think about a lie to offer him as a response he read through your memories to scream bloody murder and cry. He fell unto his knees and hid his face in shame to whimper.

« It's my fault !? I killed her, Oh my god, I killed her !? »

He sobbed violently, so much his body was shaking more than he wished to. He cried sorries and it's my faults in his breakdown.

He'll remember this... This couldn't be real...

It was a nightmare.

In a slow motion, you took possession of Undyne's spear. It was roasting your hand. Tears, either yours or Asriel's, were streaming down your cut cheeks, burning the wounds with the salt of this fluid merging with your blood.

« Woah, woah, easy there ! » Sans was behind, a few feet away from you. « What are you doing, sweetheart ? It's... It's burning your hands, let go of it... » His voice was low and quivering, an alarming sign of his blatant fear. When he didn't get any response from you, his voice gained higher tones. « ... Sweetheart ? »

« Asriel... »

You were holding the spear tightly with both of your hands. The goat teenager was still crying, until you whispered his name. His eyes lifted up to look at you.

« I'm going to make things right, okay ? Everything will be fine... »

In the background, your friends' voices raised again. The world stopped spinning. The point of the magical weapon was directed towards your chest, where your heart was imprisonned. And to prevent Asriel from seeing what you could do, you closed your eyes and started humming a lullaby, the one you sang the day Flowey- No... Asriel died. You knew your singing had the power to ease your friend's sorrow and as you were expecting, yeah it did. The monster gradually relaxed, you could sense it. On the other hand, your behavior was doing the exact opposite for Sans, Papyrus and A.D. They were begging you.

« Human, s-stop this nonsense right now ! » Papyrus stuttered out of panic. « You don't need to hurt anyone else ! »

« Sweetheart, are you there ? Honey, please, say something ! »

Asriel was asleep now. You opened your eyes.

« I have to do it. I have to mend what is done... »

Your hands were shaking and your throat tightening. Do it, Frisk. Do it. Make things right.

« I'm... So... Sorry... »

They jumped in your direction when the hit fell. You didn't have the strength to scream when the spear's large point was halfway through your ribcage. Fortunately, the wound was lethal. In consequence, you spat blood while your energy was draining along with your vital fluid. Between the loss of strength and the excrutiating pain, your body couldn't handle it, nor even stand on its own anymore. It collapsed backwards to be caught by two skeletal arms ; your friends' ones.

« No, no, sweetheart, no... » Sans whimpered under his breath, his face twisted in sorrowful anger. He quickly turned towards his brother and yelled at his attention. « Quick, heal them !! »

« No... » The brothers looked at you with wide eyesockets. You had to swallow or cough your own blood in order to breathe. It was so thick and the iron taste awful, it was hard to do so. A broken laughter escaped your mouth. « I... didn't want... Any of this... » You quickly turned on the side to puke the metallic tasting fluid before your body went limp. You were in such a daze that your eyes had trouble to stay open. You were fighting the need to sleep. Your blurring vision was centered on Sans as you smiled softly at him. « I hope... you can forgive... »

Your last heartbeat echoed.

« ...me. »

The last thing your lifeless eyes could register was the shorter skeleton shaking your corpse, his features distorted with despair.

You were alive.

Sans was livid.

You didn't wait for the pain to disappear when you caught the brothers' hand and ran down the tunnel to avoid the spear that Undyne threw at you. She then proceeded to chase you down, now that you were in Papyrus' arms because of your short legs which were hurting from the previous injury and the marks that have been screaming for some relief. You just had the time to turn your head around to see a giant beast skull floating above the shorter skeleton. You remembered you heard that wet tearing sound that it made when charging a blast in its mouth and shot it right on the fish lady's position, who barely managed to avoid the attack.

Then Sans teleported next to you with a face still marked with fury while he ran as fast as he could. This time, a range of spears shot up like a magical wall from the ground to prevent you from going any further. Undyne was sprinting behind and golly, you happened to wonder how she could move so fast with such a heavy armor like the one she had on her back. You looked in her direction just in time to watch her lift up a goddamn boulder just because she could. Oh. Okay. You squeaked when you saw her gaining momentum to launch the giant piece of rock at the running gang. Alerted by your squeal, the slender skeleton turned around and he saw, to his surprise, the beast skull summoned for a second time blast a ray of light before he could even do anything with his own magic. The shot reduced the boulder to nothingness and since she was in the way, the living sushi monster yelled in pain on the other side despite the fact that she called for a giant shield to appear and protect her from the laser beam.

« No ! Don't hurt her ! » you shouted just before Sans turned and threw at you a death stare. A shiver ran down your spine. His eyes told you to shut the hell up and you obeyed.

Papyrus' hand passed before your face to turn it away against his chest. After that, he held your head in a protective manner.

« Cover your ears, human. » he calmly commanded you, which you complied eagerly. Something told you that you had to obey.

And you did good obeying him because even though you pressed your palms against your ears, the booming sound that came from within Papyrus' chest still made your skeleton jump out of your body and you yelled in fear. You expected to be crushed by the owerpowering pressure you were subjected to, the sound so loud that you squeezed your eyelids tight and braced yourself until it died down. It stopped as fast as it began, so when you didn't feel the overwhelming pressure, you lifted your head to look at the surroundings and spot a huge trail of devastated ground yet no spear in sight.

Was that Papyrus' speciality ?

He didn't let you wonder about it more that he already resumed running with his pet dog. Behind was following Undyne's furious roar. At least, she was still alive... You peeked above your black knight's shoulder to watch her getting back on her feet with the aid of her her magical weapon like a cane. Her eye was black, a sign she was badly hurt. She proceeded to run after you while she was yelling profanities at your attention. Here are some examples of said obscenities.

« YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD !! YOU BLOODY PIECES OF SHIT, COME BACK HERE ! SLUTS, COCK SUCKING WIMPS !! I FUCK YOUR MOMS !! »

Enough of dirty words, I have a bad language quota not to excess. Either way, they were too dirty for your chaste minds not to feel outraged by them, so you shouted to her attention.

« We said “not the moms” ! That's not nice things to say ! »

« Ah yeah ? Say it again to my face, bitch ! » The furious beast snapped back.

Oof, rude. Sans, who was now riding A.D's back, out of breath, turned around. He was visibly mad yet on his face was plastered a shit-eating grin.

« It takes a bitch to know another. »

« WHAT ? » she screeched.

« Ooooooooooooooh » you chanted in unison with Papyrus at the burn.

Papyrus couldn't help but howl in laughter, so hard he needed to slow down his pace so he wouldn't trip until he received a well placed spear of revenge in his butt. Out of surprise, he yelped and resumed running at full speed to avoid another attack. Sans held on tight on the dog's back, japping “wait for me” and “oh shit” as they ran away from Undyne's wrath. You held on Papyrus tightly. You wished you could partake in the funny occurrence and laugh with your friends, but your heart wasn't there after all those fucked up timelines. You spotted, as the group ran by, something written on an electric panel against the wall but your black knight was too fast for you to read it in time. Instead, you felt the heat strike you, suffocating, heavy that quickly turned you into a sweating and panting mess. Oh, you didn't like such a rude change of weather which could make you feel dizzy and make your blood pressure weaker at godspeed. Still Undyne didn't let go of you, she was surprisingly still on your heels while shouting threats. A spear was thrown at Sans' head and as soon you shouted his name, he caught his sibling's arm and then... Nothingness. You'd have thought you fell unconscious because of the heat if it wasn't for Papyrus' fresh armor against your uncovered skin.

Your breath was stolen from your lungs, and the second after, you jumped into reality through a portal. Your mind was suddenly blurry and you had nausea.

« What the fuck, Sans !? » Papyrus barked at his brother as he stopped his course with the rest of the gang. « Warn me whenever you do that shit !! »

« 'didn't have time for that. » Sans excused himself with a shrug.

So that's what teleporting felt like. Bet you had to get used to it if you didn't want to feel sick everytime it'd happen, huh.

Undyne's booming voice came from afar, still shouting insults and threats to your names. You all watched her approaching while preparing to flee again until you noticed that something was off.

« Hm... Guys ? » you grimaced in confusion. « Does a fish monster enjoy heat and fire ? »

« Of course not. She's not supposed to watch that zone because of her Monster type. » Papyrus replied while he watched his ex-coworker struggling just to get through the bridge that was separating your team from her.

And as if it had to be proven, Undyne stomped the solid ground once she reached the other side, heavily panting and sweating from her efforts to keep going through this hell.

« I'm... going to... snap every one of... your fucking necks... »

Then, she collapsed front first. You all stood still for a while, all waiting for her to do something, anything, but after a moment of a heavy silence hanging in the air and no move from the collapsed guard, you decided to climb down the slender skeleton's arms and almost lost your step once your toes touched the solid ground. Oof, your legs.

« What do we do ? » you asked.

« Let this slut roast. » Papyrus replied sharply.

Sans didn't seem to want to talk to you because he kept his hard stare over the fainted knight. You shook it off. There was a bigger deal at the moment. You quickly looked at your surroundings... Beside a couple of monsters watching from a distance, there was - oh how convenient – a water dispenser ! You gasped and cursed in relief as you limped towards it for a cup of fresh water, blessing whoever decided to put it here. Your hands were shaking when you passed between your confused friends.

« Human ? There is no time to lose. » The tall guy reminded you.

« Just a minute. »

You didn't stop your course until you were by the distressed monster's side to kneel down. Papyrus walked around, hands on his shull in the act of “we're so fucking doomed”, while you pushed Undyne on her back, burning your skin against the burning metal armor in the process. She was groaning anytime you moved her, proof that she was still somewhat conscious and it reassured you for what you were about to do. Now that she was on her back, you lifted her head and rested it on your thighs, and with one hand, you maintained her head while you'd pour the water between her lips with the other. You kept whispering pleas for her to drink until she started swallowing the offering as soon as she grew aware of her lips dipped in the cool water. Once that it was all drank, you put the cup aside and waited for a reaction, anything, from the person as you gently caressed her scarred cheek. Her left eye was covered with an eyepatch. You guessed she lost it in a fight because of that one scar that ran along that side of her face. That woman sure fought a lot, didn't she. After a few seconds that felt like eternity, her lips pressed together and her eyelids squeezed before she fluttered them open. Right then, she looked so peaceful in her wake. You smiled in relief.

« Thank god you're alive... » you breathed out.

« You... »

She took a long breath to try and turn out the raging fire that set her ablaze. Heh, got it ? … Okay.

« You came to finish me off, didn't you. » Then, she closed her eye and lifted her chin to offer her throat to you. « Finally. I thought you were gonna be a coward until the end. Now, go ahead. Strangle me, snap my neck... Either way, be quick. It'll be your only chance. »

« I'm not going to hurt you, Undyne. » This response immediately got a reaction from her. She gave you the terrible glare of “how dare you”.

« Spare me with your psychological torture kink, little punk. » She spat. You shook your head at her response.

« I won't hurt you. » you repeated with a smile. You tenderly took that one lock of hair hiding the side of her face and placed it behind her fin acting as her ear, which it made her breath hitch in apprehension. « Go home and rest. You have a date tonight, haven't you ? »

She immediately blushed, startled, before she glared at you.

« You don't know jack shit about me. » She growled in an attempt to intimidate you, but considering the circumstances, you weren't phased by it one bit. You even found her reaction endearing. In the end, she shook her head then looked at you again with confused anger. « More importantly... Why are you sparing my life ? I tried to kill you, for fuck's sake ! »

« Because I have hope. Hope you'll all be free and happy. » You replied softly.

« And also... » You bent over her side fin to whisper. « I'm sure you know, deep down, that real heroes don't have to fight. »

She was staring with shock at your sweet, smiling face while you carefully let her head rest onto the ground so you could get up and walk -limp more likely- towards your friends.

« Sometimes, showing mercy is the only way to teach someone the meaning of it.»

Undyne stood up with more or less difficulties with a smirk stretching her lips.

« Ha ! Don't tell me it's your pathetic excuse for the running. »

« It is. » you turned around so you could make eye contact with her. « Stepping away is an act of mercy, not cowardice. » you held your hands behind your back, and tilted your head a little bit. On your lips was resting a gentle smile. « Go home, now. Someone's waiting for you tonight. »

She exchanged quick glances with your friends. It seemed that she considered something for a few seconds before she decided against it, turned away and left in silence.

You realized only now that your heart had been pounding vividly in your chest and holding your breath until you let it go in a sigh of relief.

« I did it... » you muttered. You turned towards your friends, still in shock about what you just went through. « I did- »

A loud sound echoed through the cave. Your cheek stung.

What happened ?

You slowly turned your eyes in Sans' direction. His hand was still up even after the blow and his eyes devoid of light. His breathing was heavy and his body shaking.

(another OST to get into the mood)

« How fuckin' dare you... » he growled.

« Sans- » Papyrus immediately tried to intervene, yet Sans' voice doubled in volume while he tapped the center of your chest accusingly.

« HOW. FUCKIN'. DARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME !? Do you think it's a GODDAMN GAME !? » His eyes were so thin, and yet blazing with a vivid red while his eyesockets were wet with tears of pure anger. He was towering you with all his height. « 'you think you can die whenever you feel like it, as if it didn't mean shit !? »

« Sans, I- »

« S h u t t h e f u c k u p. » his threatening tone froze you mid-sentence.

« Sans, what the hell happened. » Papyrus asked in a growl. His brother's anger seemed to call his own, yet Sans didn't bother to took his eyes off you as he replied in the same tone.

« Our little friend here commited suicide. » And without letting Papyrus react to this new information, he talked to you again. « Do you think about the consequences ? Do I have to remind you that I. Remember. Every. Fucking. Reset ? »

His hands were shaking uncontrollably. You knew he had to do something with them. You just hoped not to be the one who he'll snap the neck at this point. Since talking was compromised, you nodded so he knew you were still listening. Still, the answer didn't please him. He directed a hand away furiously and within a second, a giant animal skull appeared to shoot into the wall a blasting light to leave in its wake a crater. Colors drained from your face. He was really mad, wasn't he ? Oh, Frisk, why do you have to mess everything up ?

« SO WHY DID YOU DO IT !? » he screamed like a beast at your face.

You almost succeeded into wetting your pants. The fear and remorse were too much after all the turns of events, you couldn't help but burst into tears. For a second you believed he was going to beat you up because his hands raised towards you.

« I'm sorry ! » you whimpered. « I... I regretted it ! » His hands stopped midway and he threw them aside in a gesture of revolt.

« Speaking of regret... What the fuck happened this time ? You butchered her ! »

« I didn't want this ! I... I lost my mind ! I'm sick of watching you getting hurt or killed because of me !! You know what it feels like, right !? »

You were desperately searching for an answer in Sans' eyes. His deadly glare changed a little bit. He understood your feeling. He was ready to listen. Although your throat was tightened, you forced yourself to talk through your distress. Your whole body was shaking, almost convulsing because of the anxiety attack. Call it shame, but you had to lower your gaze because while you had the strength to speak out, you didn't have courage enough to say it while holding his gaze.

« I... have been brave until now. I went through what I think is a reasonable pile of shits since I've been here and no, I'm not... tough like you guys... I'm just... A weak human being trying its best to survive... » Your hand raised to hide a side of your face. Water was rushing through your damaged cheeks. « So... If I have the power to reset whenever someone gets hurt because of me... Why shouldn't I use it as an advantage !? »

You were sobbing now. Your legs were at their limit carrying you. Breathing was hard. Hot gasps of air were burning your lungs. That biome didn't help with your current state, you were suffocating and soon, your head began to spin. Air. You needed fresh air. In the end, you started staggering before your legs finally went out. You would have collapsed if Papyrus didn't use his arm to catch you. Through your panting, you whimpered.

« I'm sorry if I disappointed you... But I've reached my limit... »

It was impossible to look him in the eye. Only your sniffles were filling the silence hanging above you. Papyrus' hand gently pressed against your waist in support.

« I just... wouldn't have never forgiven myself if I moved past Undyne's death. It was my punishment. So please, Sans, quit blaming me. I know I'm at fault... Please... »

Sans once again was quiet, just like back at home when you had your first fight. The monster seemed to have calmed down as you gave your reasons and now, he was close to you. His brother helped you standing up and kept his hand on your shoulder as a supporting gesture until you let yourself go between the shorter skeleton's arms, he let his fingers slide off you. Sans imprisoned you in a strong embrace. He sighed heavily.

« I'm so stupid. » he muttered above your ear level. « I know you wanted to mend what was done... And yet... I can't help... but be mad at the thought of you doing such a horrible thing... »

His chin was resting on the top of your head and the touch of his limbs around you helped soothing your nerves. You were glad to know that he was no longer mad at you. You hated the thought of someone being upset with you, no matter the reason why.

« Sweetheart... » he called. He waited a few seconds until he got your attention before he resumed. « Take care of yourself... 'cause someone really cares about you. »

His boney lips brushed against your forehead. You could feel the wetness of a tear on your skin, refreshing and somehow, ticklish with magic. The words he spoked so softly were enough to move you and bring new tears. You needed this. Silently, you nodded and even though how hot it was here, you engulfed your face against his chest. You were ready to suffer through the heat just for the sake of receiving comfort, you needed it the most after today. It's incredible how starved you were of affection, it was never enough. His hand was petting the back of your head, another gesture you were enjoying to the fullest.

« Where are we ? » you finally spoke with a broken voice once you calmed down.

After a couple of seconds, you pushed your head backwards to see the brothers' stare at your exhausted face before they looked up. Wondering what they were observing, you followed their gaze. The scenery in front of you was the definition of Hell.

« Welcome to Hotland. »

Chapter Text

« Is it hot in here or is it just me ? »

« Oh shut up, you wretch. »

A giggle.

« Human, don't encourage this sack of bones, for Asgore's sake ! »

Sans turned slightly to wink at you.

« Glad to see someone with a funny bone around here, at least. »

Papyrus growled in protest. How terrible this must be for a guy who doesn't enjoy jokes having a punny brother like Sans. Hopefully, one day... He might crack a laugh for him.

You were following the main road through Hotland that you liked to call Hell until you stumbled upon two guards who were blocking a path on your left. Those were gigantic, they could probably crush you with a punch... You preferred to play it safe and stay away from them so you'd stay unnoticed.

« Where does that lead to ? » You asked your guides. They gave a quick look over the guards before they returned their attention on you again.

« To the elevators. » One replied.

« They've been out of service anyway. » The other shrugged.

And something told you to let the brothers drag you away if you didn't want the guards to tear you a new one with their powerful arms. That was until you found yourself in front of a metal door with a sign pinned above where “Lab” was engraved on. It looked like it was built for a movie scene by its futuristic and still sophisticated appearance. You gave a nervous glance to the brothers who suddenly didn't look so relaxed either.

« Is there... something to worry about that laboratory ? »

« Oh, hum... » Sans hummed with a slight, nervous smile. « That, honey, is the the royal scientist's laboratory. We have to go through it if you don't want the two Royal Guards over there to tear you apart. »

« Oh... » You almost whispered while looking down.

« Don't worry, human. We're watching over you. » Papyrus pointed that out. « Now, let's get this over with. »

(yooooo here, have some music )

The place was plunged into darkness. Out of worry about losing them in the dark, you held onto your companions' hands instinctively. None of you dared break the silence that claimed the lab home. Was that supposed to be so dark ? You wanted to ask but what if it wasn't an usual thing to see the lights being turned off ? In the distance, a bluish light enlightened the surroundings so you could recognize what looked like a workplace. The light came from a giant console filming...

Yourself ?

Confused, you looked at the brothers. Why were you on the screen ? Papyrus kept on walking and dragging you away so you would stop staring at the screen, followed by a silent, unamused Sans. The room was suspiciously clean yet since it was dark, you couldn't make out the furniture near the walls. A few more steps, then the sound of a door opening almost made your skeleton jump out of your body. Thank Papyrus who pulled you against his side and laid a hand against your mouth to prevent you from making noise. A shadow walked in front of you in silence. An unbearable silence, so heavy you were sure everyone could hear your pounding heart from miles around. The shadowy figure reached for the wall to turn the light on and jumped in surprise when she saw the four of you standing still in the middle of the room like a deer in headlights. The shadow turned out to be a yellow scaled lizard dressed in a black dress and a scientist coat with glasses perched on her muzzle. Her hand was on her chest as if she was trying to keep her shivering soul from fleeing while she sympathetically smiled.

« Oh my, you scared the hell out of me. Thank Asgore it was only you ! »

« You were waiting for us, huh ? » Sans guessed, his hands now in his pockets, his gaze on the screen that was still broadcasting your form.

The lady, whose voice was so sweet it would give you a toothache, smiled brighter, though... Her eyes remained dull.

Was she the royal scientist, by any chance ?

« Of course I was ! » The reptile turned to make eye contact with you, now that your guardian let go of you. « Hiya there ! I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm Asgore's royal scientist. »

Alright then. Well, at least she seemed friendly. You didn't know if you could relax in her presence, though. If she wasn't dangerous, wouldn't your friends feel safe around her ? Because it didn't look like it. Your eyes shot back and forth between the skelebros and none of them was tearing their gaze off of the new person. You noticed on their skull sweat beading.

Oh.

That's how it was, then.

« And I've been observing you since the day you stepped out of the Ruins through my console. Your fights, your friendships... Everything ! »

« Didn't you tell anything to the King yet ? » Papyrus calmly asked. It was obvious he was doing his best to keep his cool.

« Well... You seemed to want to deliver that delicious- » she tapped your nose affectionately. « - little piece of cotton candy to Asgore, and honestly... » Now her fist rested on her hip. Hm. Feminine. « Telling him you were coming would have thrown my plans of studying the human out of the window. You know this one is the last we need, right ? And... They're pretty unique, I can tell it with certainty ! »

Oh, wait a second. You opened your mouth to speak when Sans, suddenly feeling more concerned than ever, stepped in and cut you off.

« Do you know about the black marks ? » He asked her. She turned her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her glasses. Alphys took a thinking pose, a hand supported an elbow while the other held her chin.

« I never saw anything like that, I have to confess... » After few short seconds, her eyes stopped to meet yours, then a huge smile made its way on her mouth. She spread her arms and asked. « Do you want me to check that out for you ? »

She was excited at the thought of studying your case but you didn't trust the malice in her dead gaze. If she inspired you of anything, it was fear. Her white coat was way too white for your taste. It was so immaculate it looked almost unreal. Everything was too clean in here. Too perfect. Also, nobody in this world would do anything without second thoughts, let alone for free. It was how it worked. Plus, down here the head of your species was worth a big price, considering how bad everyone tried to get their hands on you. Stiffened in anxiety with your head buried in your shoulders, you were considering the options. On one hand, you were curious to know what was up with you, and on the other hand, the previous statement stopped you from accepting right away. Plus... Time was a luxury for you. Letting her have her way with you would slow you down in your mission.

Sans took another step to grab your arm. Your friends were holding you close, if not hiding you behind their tall figures.

« We're afraid we're running out of time. » Papyrus refused politely.

Oh thank god, they were declining the offer. Alphys remained silent, pale and livid to the thought they could take you away from her, you, her newest obsession. Her eye shot at your hands.

« I can see that. » She stated with another, faltered smile. She stepped closer. « Does it hurt ? »

You nodded silently. Her smile widened, yet it became only more sinister.

« Do you think you can keep going at this rate ? If I was you... » She was close enough to grab the chair at her desk and hand it over to you. « I would take this chair, a rope... » Her face cracked into a psychopathic grin.

« And I'd hang myself. »

Wow. What the fuck. Noticing your shock by the faded colors of your skin and your widened eyes, she let the furniture drop to hide the wicked smile with her hand. « But who am I to give advice, after all ? »

You don't know what was said afterwards. Something about “sparing yourself the wasted time fighting against the inevitable”. You weren't sure, for you just... simply disconnected, bathed in the heavy sensation in your chest and tension in your insides and back of your head. Your ears have been nice blocking out most of the sound. What she said... Those cruel words she said awakened something you didn't want to see and now, the terrible feeling of deja-vu was kicking in. The feeling was getting unbearable by the second. Asriel called out to you in worry. Frisk, don't show you're hurt, don't show your vulnerability, don't... Oh crap.

Alphys noticed your livid face and laughed.

« Oh, sweetie ! I didn't mean to hurt your little feelings ! Oh silly me, I forgot you were that weak. »

« Alphys, enough. » Papyrus warned in a low, raspy tone.

« I saw their soul. » Alphys reminded him. « Do you seriously think their soul is strong enough ? They're more likely to shatter as soon as they'll die. »

« Shut the fuck up, fuck face. » Sans growled. « Or else Asgore will have to find another royal scientist very soon. » He was towering her at this point, so much he needed to bend to reach her ear level, eyesockets empty of light. « And there is one here ready to take the job. » The dinosaur monster met his deadly gaze, a restrained smile on her tense features.

« Is that a threat ? » Sans smiled at the question.

« A statement. » He shrugged once he was standing straight at your side. « Welp, that chat was fun. Ya heard the boss, right ? There's no time to lose. We gotta go now. »

« Indeed, you should leave. »

As soon as she spoke those words, the wall on your left exploded. You probably wouldn't have jumped at the outburst if the brothers hadn't done the same. A humanoid robot as tall as Papyrus stood there among the debris between you and the mad scientist.

« See this ? It's Mettaton, my anti-human robot, all updated and thirsty for blood ! But Monster blood can do too, you know ? » She looked at you with that creepy expression of hers. « We should hang out sometime ! Until then, have fun with him ! »

She signaled to Mettaton with a quick glance, but his arm that appeared to be some sort of cannon was grabbed by Sans as soon as he raised in your direction with the intent to shoot, to then be sent away that through a portal the second after. The blasting of the gun fire echoed on the other side before the strange shortcut completely shut down. That was it. Sans freaking teleported the robot away.

You all looked at a now dumbfounded Alphys. Bet she didn't expect such a quick turn. Oh silly her.

« Yeah. That was fun. See ya. » Sans smirked at her.

(and again, here is the salty music (it's the second version))

The gang walked past Alphys that didn't dare peep a sound. She never turned around to watch you leave through the opposite door of the laboratory.

Thanks to his teleporting ability, Sans bought you all some time so now you were walking through Hotland, you resting on A.D's back because of your current state. Papyrus, an expert in puzzles and traps, did everything to help you get faster out of this agonizing maze of a zone. Your gaze was lost on your hands barely gripping the dog's hair as your thoughts were consuming you, you just weren't here with them anymore... or just barely there, enough to know your eyes were burning from the heat of this hellish place and your throat and mouth aching from dryness. The static that crept in the rest in your body only helped with dissociating further, helping the thoughts and voices to consume you entirely and trigger some memories to surface, so close to grasp but also so far, slipping in your consciousness already threatening to shatter for real...

« Human ? » Papyrus called in a low, almost whispery tone. You snapped back to reality just enough to hear him. « You haven't said a word for quite a while. Are you still hurt ? »

« I'm sorry... » You muttered. « I think I already heard this before... What she said... »

Your heart was sinking. Blurred visions occupied your mind now with the doctor's hateful words on repeat like a broken record. You could see disembodied figures with distorted smiles and hear nothing else but laughter and shouts echoing behind your ear.

Black spots were still slowly gaining ground on your hands to the level of your knuckles. To see the loss of your beautiful skin color reminded you that Life was running through your fingers, literally. Darkness was eating away your existence and nothing could stop that from happening.

Maybe yeah... It was just a lost cause to try and hold on. It would be for the best to just give up, wouldn't it ?

“Why won't you just die ?”

Yes, why ? After all, why did you fight this long ? All of this pain and misery, the hatred and self-loathing, all for what ? No second chances, no forgiving. In the end, you were just going to disappear. Taken away without given a chance at life that already set your destiny in stone.

“How pathetic.”

Another voice echoed with a mocking tone. Heh, you're right... Your life will have been pathetic until the very end...

Yeah...

You...

Were...

A veil of darkness clouded your vision, gradually eating the colors away the deeper you were falling into the hell of your mind until you were completely blind. All was left was the gruesome desire of ripping your own throat rose within you. In the end...

Why even try ?

A metallic hand brushed the back of your head to tear you away from your suicidal thoughts. Instinctively, you blinked back to reality and raised your gaze on the owner of the hand combing your hair. That was Papyrus staring back at you.

« Human, whoever said that doesn't deserve your tears. They don't even deserve your attention. Just let them rot in the corner like the garbage they are. »

The venom he spewed at those who dared make you feel so worthless was overflowed with the soothing tone he used. Even his eyes bore something new; instead of his usual scowl, his gaze was soft and sympathetic. You also caught another thing spark in his shiny eyes yet failed to put a word on what was laying there deep down. Another hand landed gently on your shoulder. You turned your attention over Sans. He was smiling fondly at you.

« Pap's right. » He added while giving his brother an approbative glance, showing his stance on Papyrus' opinion. « Life will take care of them. You just wait. »

Your allies' support made you crack a smile. A single tear ran down your cheek the moment you closed your eyes, embracing the blissful feeling of peace that emerged from the darkness of your tortured soul.

« Thank you. »

You reached the third floor of Hotland. Monsters were watching from afar, their eyes like blades cutting through your entire being. Oh, how you hated the attention. If only you could grow as small as a mouse and fit someone's pocket.

Your feet were numb for walking through three different zones. It's been so long that you had lost track of time. Last morning in Waterfall felt an eternity ago.

Your pace slowed down until you couldn't take one more step, then slumped unto your knees.

It has been a day since you woke up at least, hasn't it ?

At the sight of you falling to your knees, Sans called you in concern then he approached and crouched to be at your level using his elbows for props on his femurs.

« Honey, ya alright there ? »

The ache in your legs and feet was unbearable at this point, so much you ignored how the need of a goddamn break didn't drive you insane yet. You also were irritable due to exhaustion that you wanted gone and the heat of this hellish place wasn't helping you feel better, to the contrary actually. The dryness of your mouth and throat prevented you from talking. So basically, you tried whimpering your suffering away but instead, you just chocked up and coughed. Sans slid his hand along your back in a comforting manner. Other than the sweat beads on his forehead, he didn't seem to be affected by the heat as much as you were. Maybe he was used to the different weathers... Maybe because he was just a skeleton monster after all. You wished you were like them, at this moment. Not being a skeleton but... A creature who wouldn't suffer such hard and cruel weathers.

The ground seemed welcoming all of the sudden despite its metallic and cooking hot touch against your palms. Hell, even a booby trap was welcoming at this point. And as much as you wanted to stay tough, there was nothing to get from the aching mess that your body turned into. Not only that, as if it wasn't enough, the same sensation that you had in your legs started to creep into your fingers and irradiate in your palms as if you developped a tendinitis. Using your hands started to become a chore, and you realized it when stings like electricity shot through different parts. You finally laid down despite Sans' protests.

« No no no no sweetheart, don't lay down here ! »

You couldn't care less about his opinion. You'd have liked to tell him to fuck off because there was no way you'd make a single move but instead of thar, you just let out a weak moan of disagreement as a response. Damn those who would attempt to your well deserved rest ! Papyrus followed Sans and squatted next to you as well.

« It's been a long day, indeed. Yet I'm afraid to tell you, human, that this is no place to rest. You're currently dehydrated. You might die here if we don't keep walking. »

No response. You has quickly entered the dangerous health state because dizziness was already taking over you. Sans slid two of his boney fingers on your palm and even though the slightest pressure on this spotted part of your skin was synonym of pain, you closed yours around his digits to let him know you were still conscious. The skeleton looked up to talk with the ex-Royal Guard.

« Do you have any bisicle left ? »

« It was the last one I had. »

« Damn it... »

A bark caught their attention. The monsters followed the sound of their pet calling them to find it waiting next to a stand where a monster lady was sitting. On the table were presented croissants and donuts with dark color schemes. Something that you couldn't see from your stand point since you were laying on your front, face against the hot ground while Sans remained by your side. Papyrus decided to stand up and go to check what the bakery seller had to offer. There was a moment of silence until you heard the slender skeleton exclaim loudly.

« What !? 9999G ? What's in this donut to deserve 9999G !? Ancient Crystals ? A human SOUL ? »

« Ahuhuhuhu » the seller laughed. « Isn't the price to your taste, honey ? You're right, I'm underselling my products and have been considering raising their cost lately. After all, it's not like you had to save that cutie over there~ »

You were way too far gone to protest or even be angry at this point. Instead, it was just Asriel, standing next to you, who was having a furious fist fight with the air protesting out loud what all this bullshit for a bloody croissant was about. And gosh, the naughty words. He who used to scold you for cussing, he was spewing them like a river, even made up a couple that you'd find amusing if you had the strength to process them. But you agreed. It was just a bakery, for the love of God ! The skeleton friend at your side could feel your fingers put pressure on his bones. He loomed over you a little bit and petted your head.

« I'm here, sweetheart, don't sweat it. »

Oh, silly Sans with his puntastic jokes. You wished you could smile at his show of support but all you managed to do was exhale through your nose. He seemed to have understood anyway because he gently chuckled before he returned his attention over his angry brother. Though... You didn't know if it was your eyes failing you, but you swore you saw the dark circles under Sans' eyes darker than usual ... He looked like death and still... He was there reassuring you, watching over you... Your little heart couldn't help but swell in gratitude at his efforts despite the hint of guilt gnawing at the back of your head. Meanwhile, the furious skeleton monster was checking his savings inside the purse.

« I'm afraid I don't have enough. »

« What a shame, there's nothing I can do for you then. »

« Do you just have water by any chance ? »

Papyrus was looming over the tiny seller who had to break her neck just to look at him in the eye since he started using the side of the stand for support. Poor him, he was way too tall to reach short things without having to bend over it or even kneel down. The other person sounded confused.

« Well, I do have some tea... »

« So you don't mind if I borrowed a cup of it, do you ? »

She barely had time to open her mouth that he turned his heel and walked away with the holy tea in his hold like the bold bastard that he was. He stopped at your collapsed form.

« Sans, help the human to sit up. »

Upon this command, your bodyguard assisted you sitting up and maintained the upper part of your body against his torso to make sure you wouldn't fall. Papyrus kneeled down to take your chin between his thumb and index and lifted your face in his direction.

« Human, this will help you. Open your mouth. »

The sweet scent of tea invading your nostrils helped you emerge just so you could receive the gift from the Gods themselves. Oh wait, was Papyrus a God ? It sure looked like it with that halo of light in your vision- oh wait, it was just you fainting. Your savior of the day poured the liquid into your mouth gradually so you could drink at your pace. Hm, the taste was really strange. It tasted like spiders and roses. It was sweet like honey with a variety of flavors coming one after another, leaving in their wake a strange tingling sensation that lingered on your tongue even after you swallowed. As soon as you drank the product you were given, you immediately felt the effects of rehydrating. It was a blessing. The soreness in your throat and the bad dizziness faded away in a matter of minutes.

You sighed in relief. It seemed you never felt this good before. Your hands raised to grab Papyrus' wrist feverishly just so he wouldn't take the cup away until you drank the last drop of its content.

Once it was empty, you let go of Papyrus' hand to look at him with eyes filled with absolute admiration ever since he came to your rescue. He didn't expect such a reaction from you, and the puppy love gaze that you were giving him was enough to get that raging red blush glowing on his flustered face.

« Thank you. » You whispered to him without breaking eye contact.

Even with the furious blush, in return he silently scooted closer in order to grab your wrist until he remembered your current situation. His hand slid to your forearm so he could pull you into his arms and carry your little body bridal style just like that day when you befriended him. You couldn't resist the need to smile in gratitude. It was really like him. Papyrus stood up and turned around sparing a glance at Sans who was imitating him and without a word, they started moving, indifferent to the speechless spider lady's confusion and outrage at the Captain's blatant theft of her special tea.

« Dog, let's go. » Papyrus called.

A.D obeyed and followed its owners in a rush, leaving behind nothing but an empty teacup on the ground of Hotland.

Chapter Text

Fifteen minutes later, you reached another zone. The purple color reminded you of the Ruins, yet it had nothing to do with them. The smell of cobwebs filled the air... It filled you with Determination. You couldn't describe the smell of it, you couldn't even start to explain it... All you could grasp was that it was faint sweetness.

It also meant another zone to go through, didn't it ? You were finally reaching the end.

Sans exclaimed out of the blue and laughed, pleasantly surprised. You turned your head in his direction, curious to know what made him so happy at this moment. He was next to A.D, his hands on his femurs for support while he was talking to his pet.

« What's that ? Show me, bud ! »

The dog handed a big sized croissant over to the shorter skeleton. Speaking of which, he now had a broad smile on his face. Where did the item come from ?

« Goddamn, A.D, you've got some balls ! » He chuckled some more while he affectionately patted the dog's collar. « That's a good doggie, yes you are ! »

« Wait. » Papyrus put you down before he stood up again and folded his arms. « Don't tell me this bone eater stole that from the spider lady ! »

« It did ! » Sans replied cheerfully. The younger brother was thrilled. Papyrus cackled like a proud villain while his brother turned in your direction with still that joyful smile on his face. It felt as if his exhaustion faded away so much he was beaming right now. « Hungry, honey ? »

Now, it was the smell of the delicious bakery that was invading your nose. You quickly swallowed the sudden pool in your mouth and nodded. Oh yes, you were so hungry you'd even eat a horse, hooves and all !
For the next minutes, you and your friends sat down in a circle. Even though the brothers assured you that they weren't much hungry, it was inconceivable for you that it could be true. None of you ate a proper thing for the whole day, you all spent your time running and... you weren't even sure if the brothers restored themselves at all with food this morning. That's why you decided to share that poor single croissant with the brothers and the dog.

Thankfully, the baked good was big enough for everyone to have a small bite of it, despite how small the dinner was. A sense of guilt tugged at your soul... If only you had taken more items before running away from home, back at Snowdin... The house was certainly burnt down by now. Still, the little bit of food you ate managed to soothe your aching stomach, you could feel its magic seeping in your skin and flesh and trying to regenerate the wounds only to close a few light cuts. It also calmed down the raging pain in the blackened parts of your body and that's only when you realized how much pain you were in before and how tired it made you. You sighed in relief. A.D was a present from the Deities themselves. You thought about it before, now it was a certainty ! So you urged to get a cuddle session with the animal with lots of praises, which it returned with an excitedly wavy tail and lots of happy squeals. Oh you loved that beast !

Good news was that you noticed a star nearby earlier, which meant that it will save your progress ! You braced yourself for the pain in your legs to return full force as soon as you'd get up. Your four-legged friend assisted you getting on your feet to try and keep the ache at bay under the brothers' silent watch. They observed you limping towards that twinkling light and although they grew used to your weird shenanigans with stars, anytime you'd embrace one, they couldn't look away. It was an unshakable amazement to bear witness of that magic that only you, a human, were able to use. It was amusing, sort of... Those eyes that used to fill with profound hatred and bloodthirst when they laid on you...

Dear how they had changed.

Did it mean everyone could change ? If they just tried ?

You wanted to believe that.

… But you... Did you change, in the end ?

It looked pretty sure like it, but maybe not like you wanted. Anger, self-doubt and self-loathing, despair... They kept overflowing and driving away the Determination that kept you going all along.

You wondered how much more you could take. How much more you could endure until you'd reach the end. No matter how your friends supported and reminded you of why you were fighting, those questions rised again. Why. Why bother ? After all... You were slowly fading. Dying. So why ? Why all the efforts ? Was it just to make some good out of your misery ?

Oh, that's right.

You promised them your life. To be the Monsterkind's startover. Running away and hiding were off the deal. It's not as if you could anyway... So that was your only chance to redeem yourself and find a purpose to your existence... right ?

Though... You wished you had more time... More time to spend with the skeleton brothers, to learn how to live happily together, grow as people and not... just run or fight... The days where you were still considered lesser than your once upon a time enemies seemed to be much more peaceful than the situation you found yourself in today. Those days seemed so far behind, leaving you with nothing but a wall against your back at a border of a pit. How many days were left until you slipped and fell to your death. Two ? One ? …

None ?

Your arms were pressing the little star against your chest stronger. Your eyes were burning, stinging with the familiar need for tears, yet empty of any. You couldn't repress a long, melancholic sigh from escaping instead.

Ah, you're such a crybaby...

Couldn't help with these intrusive thoughts that kept slapping you across the face at any given occasion, reminding you that no matter how much you tried, you're still condemned... You were just so tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of running. Tired of being miserable. Tired of everything.

The things you aspired to be, the things you started to believe in, the dreams you began having again, they all vanished as soon as you reached for them... Because they weren't meant for you. It hurt too much to see your friends smile and talk about their projects on the Surface, wishing to be by their side and watch them succeed to then remember that it'll never happen. You were a condemned person watching the others keep on living. A soul here at the moment but gone in the other, stuck between two worlds which one was out of reach ; their own. An existence that was threatened to end by its own timer that ticked way too fast, with no hope to slow down the process nor prevent the inevitable.

In their world...

They were already dead.

Asriel stood beside you, surely because he sensed your sorrow. He was taller than what you could recall from last time. Horns have been growing on his head, a kind sign assuring you that you weren't imagining things. On his face, strange black markings were climbing up his cheeks to stop midway under his eyes. Even his face features were sharper. How old was he now ? 16 ? 17 ?

You weren't done saving as his arms slowly locked on you, his chin rested on the top of your head now that he was taller than you. The contact hurt. The light was burning brighter now, yet your health wouldn't restore.

« Asriel... » you whispered his name in your thoughts. « I'm so exhausted... I don't know how to keep going... »

« I know. » his voice that grew deeper echoed in your ears. « But you need to no matter what. Do it for us. »

« I want to rest... »

« You do ? Hand the commands over me, then. » he whispered. It sounded tempting, but the memories of him committing a murder was still on your mind. The tug in your heart kept growing insistent.

« No... Asriel, we're not doing this. » The tug was painful now, so much you thought your soul was pulled out of your body or just getting a heart attack.

« Remember that your body is also mine. » his whisper was taking over your thoughts and ears. It was as if you could see and feel his voice, vibrating and holding you. His eyes, sharp, taking up your vision so close your faces were. His glance had nothing of a soft child anymore. He was a young adult. « I wasn't able to protect you before, Frisk. Now, look at me. I've grown stronger and this is thanks to you. Imagine if you gave me control... I could use that power. » Your breath was stuck in your throat as you processed the meaning of his suggestion.

« It just... feels wrong. Asriel, I can't... » you whispered weakly. « Please... »

He remained silent at this response, his eyes still pierced through your soul. You clenched your jaws through the hurting as it became overwhelming, you almost couldn't breathe. And then... It stopped, as if shadowy claws just let go of your tormented soul.

« Fine. But remember... Until the moment you cannot take it anymore... » His arms finally retreated from the embrace, and you could see him driven away into the depths of your mind. His shape disappeared in the darkness as you heard his last sentence echoing back. « I'll be here, waiting. »

At this moment, the star bursted into glistening dust.

The next second, you were in Sans' arms. Papyrus was next to him the second after. Both of them looked worried all of the sudden. Your eyelids were heavy. Golly, were you that exhausted ? You blinked a few times already yet no matter how hard you tried, that didn't help you waking up one bit. You realized only now that you were laying on the floor. Shit- When did you lay down, exactly ? Sans was kneeling behind you using his shoulder for support.

« Human, are you alright ? » Papyrus asked you in that low yet soft tone whenever he was concerned ; about you specifically.

« My apologies.. » you whispered. « But I can't move any more for now. »

« Sweetheart, honey... » Sans called. You raised your irritated eyes on him. His boney fingers were caressing your cheek. « You can rest later. We're in the open here, it's too dangerous... » Your face expression changed in agony and frustration. « I know, I know... I'm tired too. But yourself said that we didn't have time to lose... » You forced a smile at this reminder.

« I'm slowing you down, ain't I ? »

« The release can wait tomorrow. » Papyrus spoke this time.

He collected your small frame with his long slender arms and held you close after he settled on the ground. Sans disagreed with his brother's decision.

« But, bos- »

« No, Sans. » He interrupted him. « We can rest for an hour. It won't harm anybody. »

Papyrus made sure you were laying comfortably with the cape that he took off and folded into a makeshift cushion under Sans's incredulous watch. His eyes kept going back and forth between you and the tempting ground until finally, noticing his own exhaustion, he made up his mind and followed. Their pet was already sleeping next to him when he used its belly as a pillow. The monster placed his arms around him as to embrace himself while he curled up and waited for sleep to kick in... Which was two minutes or less judging by how slow and steady his breathing became. Your gaze turned over Papyrus who was checking on his brother and the dog monster already lost in Dreamland.

« Aren't you going to sleep too ? » you asked him softly.

He was brushing your hair softly while you've been busy studying his brother's shenanigans, and once he was satisfied with it, his fingers laid on the side of your head.

« Someone ought to watch over those shitheads, don't they ? » A slight smirk made its way on his dented mouth. The scowling face almost faded at this moment when his eyes expressed a sparkle of sympathy. « Now, rest, human. Every minute counts. »

You laid a hand on his cheekbone and pulled his head to yours just to plant a kiss under his eye. Red glow immediately covered his utterly surprised face at your contact. It was a priceless gift to witness Papyrus so flustered.

« Red suits you. » you laughed gently with a warm smile. You didn't need to flirt to make him flustered and yet, it was always funny and mood lifting seeing him react this way, you couldn't help it. « See you later, Papyrus. »

His hand held yours so gently like he was afraid of hurting you, you who were so fragile.You didn't catch the look in his eye since you already closed yours.

« See you later... » he repeated under his breath.

(yo pal, what about some music here ?)

Alone.

You were alone.

… Not exactly.

Shadow figures stood in a circle with you on your knees in the center. Their stare pierced through your soul and anytime you'd look away, you'd find your reflection in another shadow's eyes.

Their sinister and emotionless laughter was taking over your senses. Devoid of compassion... Lifeless even. The only semblance of emotion in their voices was nothing else but despise.

« Disgusting. » one spat.

Were you ? Your breath got funny for a moment. The tears that were menacing to fall were burning your skin and eyes just like poured lemon on fresh wounds. You put your trembling hands against your ears to block out all the noise. Yet...

You could still hear them as if they were already inside your head.

« If I were you. I'd kill myself right away. »

« Did you hear about what they all say ? » another asked. « Is that true ? »

« What a freak. » one chuckled.

Their mocking laughter, first malicious, grew insane by seconds. They clearly enjoyed that.... Your misery.

You opened these eyes that you tried so hard to screw shut to look at them. They were so many. They were so tall and you...

You've never felt this alone and insignificant.

And here began the cries. Yet... Not a sound came out ; it was a silent cry. No voice to defend yourself, no voice to prove you were human.

To prove you were alive.

Their hands were crawling on your small form. Grabbed each one of your limbs and pulled them apart to force you into your most vulnerable position. They were starting to pull stronger in hope to rip off your arms and legs.You were defenseless.

« Pathetic. »

Spineless.

« Crybaby. »

Helpless.

If that was what being human was like...

« Why won't you just die already ? »

You'd rather not be human anymore.

A pair of arms pulled you from below, tearing you away from your persecutors' dirty grip. It was like falling down in the depths of a sea. There was no more ground and you were falling, falling, falling deep and deeper down into the void. There was no sound to pester you anymore. Not a single wicked soul around to torture you anymore. That was what you were always searching for. Peace. Yes... And it was bliss. You hoped to merge with the darkness, become one with it, see your existence vanish from the surface of the world and everyone to forget you've ever existed... Lord, it was tempting.

(annnnd... Another one. A special one for someone special.)

You closed your eyes for an instant, just to enjoy that feeling of weightlessness fully, to appreciate the merciful silence taking over you, secretly wishing for it to never end... So much that for a moment, you even forgot about those arms that came to your aid, still snaked around your chest, until they finally realeased you for an instant to turn you around and face an entity... Whose identity was hidden behind a delicately decorated black veil. You could only see the lower part of their pale face wearing a smile. You could already tell they were human... But you didn't know who they were.

« Tick tock, little one. »

On these words, the shape of the creature kept changing with every second passing by, its form taking the appearance of your loved ones one after the other. Asriel, Papyrus, Toriel, Sans... Yet their voice remained the same. Nor female, nor male... It was androgynous and though you had no record of hearing it, you thought you recognized that voice. Were they someone you knew in your previous life...?

« The clock's ticking. And if by chance the time was up... »

Were those the sounds of flapping wings that you heard ? The broken version of yourself was fading in the darkness of your mind with this smirk of theirs. On their back, you caught the sight of giant, damaged wings.

« I'm afraid the outcome will be much worse than what you feared. »

…

…

« Sweetheart ? »

« Sweetheart... »

« Sweetheart ! »

Yours eyes shot open. Panting in panic, you scanned your surroundings frantically. Where- Where were you now ? It took a moment for the fog of confusion to dissipate from your mind, but when it did, you found your bearings again. You remembered the past events and recognized the place you stopped by. Only then you were aware that shadows were looming you, and looking up, you realized that it was your monster friends observing you with anxious faces. An expression you loathed to see beyond belief.

« You alright ? » Sans asked.

Your heart was pounding in tremor and cold sweat was running down your face. And the worse is that... you didn't know why ? Was it another anxiety attack ?? All you knew so far was that headache following this lingering feeling of emptiness in your chest despite all your senses going wild like something was cut out in there... Enough to leave you lost, confused and overwhelmed altogether. Your body was numb with static and yet still feeling some good ass bone-hurting level of pain deep within your limbs. The worse was that you had no way to express those sensations, it was too much information to take for your poor small busted brain. Witnessing your moment of torment, Sans bent at your eye level in search of a reaction, like being looked at for example... Which he actually got since your unfocused glance slowly raised to his tired but worried one.

« Honey... Are you okay ? Are you hurt ? » he asked quietly.

Hurt ? Oh heck yeah, sure you were inside and out. Thinking about that... How were the marks ? You lowered your attention over your pitch-black hands. Worry coiling in your guts, you lifted a sleeve up to the wrist level. Black. The forearm. Black too... Elbow... It was on its way turning black. Your face turned white at this sight.

« How long did we sleep ? » You asked, your tone devoid of life.

Your slight pants accompanied the silence hovering you. Sans and the wolf turned their attention over Papyrus. The monster, feelin gthe quiet pressure from his peers, gulped before he managed to say the following words.

« Two hours. »

That much ? You were all staring at him, even noticed the dark bags under his eyesockets now that you were focusing on his gaze. You were all getting exhausted by this... Even him. Within seconds, the skeleton started feeling uncomfortable to the point he blushed vivid red and broke sweat. He looked away furiously.

« I ended up falling asleep, yes ! Now, don't you try and guilt-trip me about it ! » the lanky monster snapped.

« We're not judging you, Pap. » The nickname made him look at you distraught, as he expected to receive a lecture. You wiped his temple from the sweat with your sleeve. « You needed to rest too. »

His scowl returned, harder than before when his gaze lowered in shame.

« It's my fault if you're getting worse. » You shook your head at this statement.

« It's nobody's fault. »

The monster exhaled sharply- yet sadly- through his nasal bone. What could he say to this ? His hands were gripping your sweater strongly. He didn't want to let go...

But he'll have to.

His jaw was clenching. His body trembling. You never saw him like this. Oh, Papyrus, what have you become ? The back of your hand traveled along his jawline. The warm touch of your fingers against his fresh bone caught him off guard, his mouth parted slightly to gasp. You were staring right into his eyes with a new found determination.

« We will sort this out. » You said softly with a smile. « Maybe will we find something. An arrangement. »

You thought you spotted his eyesockets glistening. His face distorted as he tried so hard to keep his composure.

He knew you were wrong. And you knew it too. But at this moment, you all laid in this blissful lie. That was the only way for all of you to cope with the plan that you had to follow. He placed his hand behind your head to pull you into an embrace, while his forehead would press against yours. He took a moment to appreciate your scent and warmth, his eyes closed in the most peaceful silence you could ever hear. Feeling him so close to you, hearing the humming of his magic against your own heart put you at ease, to the point that you finally let yourself relax in his touch and closed your eyes as well.

The gang eventually returned on the road. It seemed that sleeping didn't provide any help for your condition. If only you could have rested more, though... Everyone even the dog had been showing signs of struggle, though Papyrus and A.D were the best at handling them... And you couldn't help but feel guilty about it. It was because of you that their health was deteriorating. You secretly wished they left you behind to your own fate just so they'd be spared of your bullshit.

Hunger and thirst weren't helping you with your sore state of mind, and you were pretty sure your friends have been suffering the same ordeal... You admired them for being so brave.

Though now that you thought about it, it was certainly because they've been in a living hell... They had to put up with the horrors of their world, present invincible or just die...

You scratched that previous thought and returned on your original statement; they were incredibly strong and resilient, and you admired them. If you weren't proud of them already.

Yet, no matter how hard you wanted to present determined and strong, all you thought about was another place to stop by, like an inn for example because you weren't even capable of moving without looking like a fucking walking corpse and it was miserable enough like that. You knew that you didn't have much time, but you didn't know how to make the needles in your legs and feet go away.

You were so disconnected with reality that when you managed to return to your senses, you registered the cobweb covered path at your feet. A quick glance around helped you realize that you entered a silky territory. A giggle echoed through the dark room.

« Did you hear what they just said ? » A voice whispered on your left as you walked down the path.

« They said a human wearing a striped shirt will come through. » Another voice rang on your right. A few more steps, and another spoke.

« I heard that they hate spiders. »

Nervousness twisted your insides. Where did that voice come from ? You asked yourself. Sans threw a little “Keep going” at you, as if he knew what was on your mind, and you proceeded. You didn't want to wait for whoever was in the shadows but you realized too late that every step became harder to take because your feet slowly dug into the silky strings as you walked. You tried to tear yourself from them, even by twisting your legs only in vain, it only made it worse because the sticky yet strong webs worked up your legs to a halt. The monsters who were further ahead because of their significant height found themselves with the same issue a few seconds later. They were struggling through the sticky strings as well and gradually growing tired from the waste of effort.

« I heard that they like to tear their legs off. »

What ? You never did such a thing ! All your approaches down here had always been pacific, you'd never abuse anyone especially if they didn't have the same abilities to defend themselves as you did ! So spiders ? No, they were as just peaceful as you, why would you hate them ? All they ever asked was to live and you let them ! Who would spread such lies about you ?

Then again, you were in a fucked up world. Lying was the same as breathing for them monsters down here.

Crap, there was no way to escape the webs no matter how hard you tried. Even your hands stuck to the webs, preventing any further movement... Maybe it was because of your stubborn attempts that you made it worse and so did your companions who've been trying to break free from the trap, only to meet the same fate. Sans even tried to teleport, alas in vain because the strings kept him in place, spoiling his energy over nothing in the end. Damn those out of service elevators ! A.D, the only one who refused to go further unlike its masters, was growling and barking in anger at the dark on your left.

« I heard... » A whisper caressed your ear, which was the reason why you stopped struggling to look at that direction and notice the monster lady standing there, on a rather big spider web. She had a spider appearance and was dressed up in gothic lolita clothes. She was wrapped in such beauty she could be easily mistaken as a doll. Yep, that's right. She could totally be a cute version of a Monster High doll.

… It wasn't an insult, was it ??

« ... That they're awfully stingy with their money. »

You noticed spiders coming all around you. You secretly hoped not to end up eaten. The lady giggled again. Your feelings were a mix of fear and fascination whenever your eyes laid on her. One of her six hands raised to be used as a prop for her cheek, a malicious smile printed on her lips she happened to lick from time to time while she kept her hungry gaze locked on you.

« You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, dearie ? » She giggled again. You had no time to protest she added. « I disagree with that notion. I think your taste is exactly what this next batch needs ! »

And here were your hopes going to the bin. You even heard Sans protesting with a “Aaah fuck me !”

« Who is that ? » You asked to anyone who'd be kind enough to answer.

« Muffet. » The brothers replied reluctantly, both sounding and looking annoyed as hell.

Well, it seemed like Muffet trapped you, then. Her five eyes were blinking from to time to time as she observed you trying to get rid of the strings that kept you in place, giggling every now and then, amused with your useless efforts. Fear crept up from the pit of your insides, you didn't know what to expect from her and the sickly sweet tingle of her voice had nothing reassuring on top of that. She kept approaching and your breathing increased in anxiety. Why did you have to get tangled in webs !? Why were you so stupid !?

You heard A.D's recognizable growl ; it was a warning, just like the one the animal gave back at Snowdin when it was attached to the rope. You just had time to look at the beast that it rushed at Muffet bared teeth, ready to take a bite off her. She didn't move an inch, unimpressed, as a couple of spider swung in the way and struck the dog from the side with such force that in a yelp, the animal was thrown off the platform you were all standing. Gasps echoed behind you in unison with yours.

« A.D !! » You screamed as your friend fell into the abyss with a cry.

You had the instinct to jump in its direction to save it again like the first time when you met your furry friend, but you remained stuck in place. The echo of its cry returned to you, long, haunting and gut-wrenching... You could feel the colors drain off your face. Your quivering lips were open and yet, your voice refused to cooperate.

You heard another echo ; a sudden, high-pitched yelp after a deep feral breath, so profound it could never fit a small creature. A horrifying image of your loyal friend being mauled by a monster made your skin crawl. You could barely breathe out of horror, or the trap you were in may have been growing tighter, you didn't know anymore.

« Don't look so blue, dear. » Her voice broke the heavy silence that settled down.

Your wide eyes turned towards the monster whose arms were embracing your frame. She might be smaller than the skeleton brothers, she was still taller than you and impressive. And her face shaped like a pretty doll, her inky eyes... Despite your fear, your mind couldn't help but bask in her beauty for a moment. Almost like a siren, luring you into her trap with her alluring gaze and voice... Her pitch-black eyes so deep you felt sucked in, and all you could see in her gaze was the reflection of the past events... Or was it your broken mind ? In them, A.D's last moments kept replaying like a broken record, Muffet's form turning towards the animal with such despise in her eyes as she watched it run towards her then smile as it fell down the pit... How could such a pretty creature be so horribly disgusting on the inside ?

You realized that there was a hand of her that landed on your left shoulder for support while the opposite one grabbed the side of your head. She pushed it on the side to reveal your neck while enjoying your frightened shudder, still in shock and tucked away from reality after you lost one of your most precious companions.

The next moment, a sharp pain in this area tore you a scream. The second after, the sound of tearing flesh echoed in the room along with breaking bones.

What's that ? You couldn't feel anything anymore.

Anything beside your head.

Oh.

That's right.

« I think red is a better look on you. »

Papyrus' horrified screech tore the atmosphere. Your body was laying on the ground, splashing blood all over the floor with every of your remaining heartbeats while the spiders would bathe in the forming pool and eating your still warm flesh. Your head, in the mean time... It was still in Muffet's hands. The last bit of your consciousness started to slip away.

What you last heard with your numbing senses among the cries, was the echo of the spider queen's crazy laughter.

Chapter Text

Another time, another death. You jolted awake clawing at your throat, struggling, gasping for air as you still felt the flashing pain there, your body remembering how it's been previously decapitated. You only realized someone else was having a break down when the deafening sound finally drowned in your ears ; it was Sans' bestial roar tearing the air.

Curled up like a little hedgehog, his face was between his trembling hands. His voice had nothing soothing anymore.

Now it was a beast's voice, and a really mad one. Still frozen in place, you watched him stand up and spin on his heels in a . You knew what he would do if he managed to get in there. You bounced on your heels to grab his arm.

« Sans ! » You exclaimed to catch his attention.

And you barely succeeded gripping him because of the needles in your feet that made you lose your balance right after your bolt. Dang, you managed to forget your condition for a couple of seconds...! Even your fingers were hurting from digging so much just to prevent him from freeing himself and thankfully, it worked. He stopped to give you what you wanted ; his attention. Pinpricks almost nonexistent, thin and yet, pulsing ever so strongly with the intent to kill. His jaws were so clenched you feared he might break another tooth. Although it hurt, you held his boney limb stronger, biting down your tongue to help yourself get through the stinging pain. Your heart was pounding with adrenaline and your eyes locked on his.

« Sans, please... Don't let them turn you into what you're not. Not again. » you begged in a whisper. « You did so good until now... »

It took long seconds before his arm slightly lost tension, a sign that he gave up on his initial intent. You decided to let go of him only to take his face between your hands and bring it to yours instead. His breath was heavy and shaky in his feverish attempt to control himself, so much you could even sense the struggles of his agitated magic in your proximity. You needed to stop him from feeling such strong and destructive emotions so gently, you used your thumbs to caress his cheekbones while your forehead pressed against his nasal bone.

« I'm here, Sans. I'm here. I won't die from this. We will make it through... like we always have. » You attempted to comfort him.

Within long seconds, the mad skeleton calmed down. His breath became quiet and slower, even though it was still faster or maybe deeper than when he's truly calm. Until finally, he closed his eyes and exhaled a long sigh. That was it. He was back. Right then, you allowed yourself to take a step back so you could plunge your gaze into his exhausted eyes.

« Do you trust me ? » You asked him quietly. He nodded in response, and you returned a pleased smile. « Good. »

You were back stuck in the cobwebs. The lady was just in front of you. This time, nobody else was sunk in these tight and sticky strings beside you. The brothers talked about how they could use gravity to their advantage, yet you refused. You wanted to give a chance to Muffet, try and talk to her, maybe even befriend her like you did with multiple monsters on your way here, Undyne included ! … At least, you thought ? Okay, you weren't sure about her, and for Alphys's case... If she wasn't so unpredictable and if you had time to spare for her, you would have been destined to seduce her. She was interested in you after all, wasn't she ?

« Don't look so blue, dear. » Muffet said another time after she giggled at the brothers who were about to intervene with the solid decision to fight. You giggled in return.

« I know right ? I heard that Red suited me better, I should definitely wear more sometime. Yet I must say that purple looks ravishing on you ! With that color, you have the stance of a queen ! »

She was rather surprised by your response, you could tell by the way her eyes blinked in unison before another smile crept up on her lips.

« Exactly ! » She exclaimed. « Such a connoisseur of tastes should enter the tea party. »

On these words, she raised her pair of hands that held teapots to pour a red liquid all over your body. Thank god it wasn't burning, if not just a little too hot but nothing worth harming at least. Beside that, it left behind some sort of an oily layer on you and when you thought it was over, a few spiders swung in, ripped you out of the webs so easily that you were caught offguard and yelped. They threw you in the air while you flailed, desperate for something to hold onto in your panic, only to find yourself landing in a cobweb which you instinctively held onto. Funny thing was that if you wanted to move, you had free movement without the risk of staying stuck to the cobweb... You noticed how easy it was to take your hand off the sticky strings, and rubbing your fingers together, you noticed the weird coat that covered them. It was making your skin soft and somewhat humid instead of gross and sticky as you'd expect it after being splashed with that strange tea. So was the red beverage giving you the ability to climb these nests with ease ? Amazing !! You were about to laugh in delight when you heard someone giggling.

« I can see you're proud~ »

That was partially true, you had to admit... But you didn't have time to reply that spiders were already coming your way at a frightening pace. You had to use your limbs to either jump up or climb down the few strings at your disposal. Strangely, the way they came and how you had to move was rhythmic.

It pretty much felt like a spider dance.

« Proud that you're going to make a delicious cake ! »

Her laughter echoed along your panting caused by your efforts moving around to avoid her minions.

Oh, now you finally got to hear the music in the background, produced by the spiders clapping their hands in rhythm. Once the little break came, you looked down at their Queen to yell.

« I'm sure I'm not that good, » You said. « because I might be awfully sick and I wouldn't want to contaminate you. So can you please let us go ? We're not even here to fight ! » She giggled in return.

« Let you go ? Don't be silly~ »

Aah and back to square one you went. You'd spare a look at her from time to time until you noticed her swaying on a thread with such grace before she landed on a cobweb platform elevated by a few spiders, probably the same one she appeared with earlier. She was dancing among her minions, clapping along the music with them. She looked so pleased with herself, enjoying the melody so much that if you weren't in a fight, you'd have spent some time watching her having her fun. You had to say, her whole demeanor was graceful, the way she moved, her stance, her expression... Gosh, she was beautiful.

You slipped but managed to catch yourself back on one of those strings, then worked your way up to lock another behind your knees for safety. Your arms were literal noodles from the panic and the hot static sensation, so once you knew that it was safe to let go, you hung like a trapeze artist just so you could catch your breath while the burning sensation in your limbs would ease. Down below, Sans, Papyrus and A.D were observing your progress and couldn't help but support you from afar.

« Watch out ! » Papyrus' voice boomed.

So you looked down to find Muffet a few inches away from your face. She smelled of freshly bakered cobwebs and roses. You found yourself lost into her pitch black eyes again.

« Your soul is going to make every spider very happy. »

Then she laughed as you twisted your body to move away from her and return to their “dance” where Spider monsters ran along the webs towards you. Oh god, how were you going to find a solution to this ? As you asked yourself, you were bitten by a spider because you were too slow to avoid it. Damn, that hurt !

« How rude of me ! I almost forgot to introduce you to my pet ! It's breakfast time, isn't it ? Have fun, you two ! » She winked with a sweet smile.

Oh, that couldn't be good. Holding the web threads as strong as your hands allowed to and leaning against them, you looked down and your eyes widened in horror when you spotted something moving in the pit down below. A low, purring growl echoed from the depths before a giant spider monster in the shape of a cupcake emerged from the darkness, its open mouth like a pit itself full of sharp fangs. It tried to climb up in vain because of its horrific size and weight so instead, it spit cobwebs to reach the ones you were holding onto like a lifeline to pull them into its mouth using its legs for aid. The creature was also pushing against the fragile walls, using them for leverage, but its weight made them shake at every impact. You were frightened and you wished you were within your friends' reach so they'd assist you with their gravity based magic.

« Jump ! Jump ! » Your friends chanted.

And as if climbing wasn't hard enough already, the strings decided to bend to the side as they broke, making your escape even more difficult than before. The spiders chasing you off the webs were the worst, so not only you had to jump but you also had to make your way through them ! Your limbs were screaming for mercy through hot pain and you couldn't let that happen ! It couldn't get more difficult than that ! Thankfully, your companions were guiding you to find a spot every now and then.

« The person who warned us about you... »

A spider fell on your face and out of reflex, you let go of the string you were holding on to wipe the little beast off you. You'd have fallen into the pit that was the cupcake spider monster's mouth below if it wasn't for you catching yourself back in extremis on the last remaining cobweb. The sudden weight put onto your single arm felt like lightning hit through it and tore from you a heartful scream, almost making you let go in the process before you strengthened your hold with your other hand in a glimpse of awareness. You were sobbing from the pain while you struggled to return to a safer stand. Your limb kept twitching as if your nerves had been damaged and was just dead weight from now on, a burning static sensation coursing through it that made it unbearable just to have it attached to your body. In your torment, you didn't catch your supporters gasp in unison at the sight and A.D was barking, whining and pacing in total panic while Muffet kept talking as if nothing was wrong.

« ...Offered us a LOT of money for your SOUL. They had such a sweet smile and... ahuhu~ »

You were shaking and out of breath, and yet you couldn't stop climbing. Spiders around you were throwing.... Donuts (???) at you, while some others were running to get the chance to have a taste of you. You didn't know if it was you who were too slow or the opponents accelerating the pace, but within minutes, it became incredibly difficult to dodge the attacks, to the point you still received some damage from the enemy. But you had to keep holding onto dear life. You've made too much progress to lose here !

« Papyrus, Sans ! » you yelled once there was a short break. The eight-legged creatures were catching their breath, that was your chance to rest for a bit and actually try something ! The brothers were listening. « How much money do you have ? »

« 83 G ! » Sans shouted so you could hear him well.

« 568 G ! » Papyrus then exclaimed.

And you, how much you had ? You quickly checked your purse. It wasn't much, but having 49G was still better than nothing.

« With that money they promised us, our clans will be reunited. »

« We also have money to offer ! » You suggested between two jumps when the attacks resumed. « It's not much but you still can use it ! »

She looked quite surprised about your offer, something you would have never expected considering the laughable amount you proposed ! Within a second, her hands were all over you to keep you in place now that the fight was on halt. One hand was holding the bottom part of your face to prevent you from looking away. You had caught her interest. With a piercing gaze, she asked in a low voice.

« How much ? »

« 627 G. » You replied in a heartbeat while you held her beautiful gaze. God her inky eyes were mesmerizing.

« I'm afraid it's not enough with the croissant you people stole from me. » She announced. She then grinned in the way that would make your skin crawl. Her face closed in on yours. « How about I take a taste of you first to see what you're worth ? »

She licked her lips before she opened her mouth, ready to bite your head off when a spider appeared in the corner of your eyes with a telegram. First annoyed to be interrupted, she backed off you to look at her little fellow. She hissed.

« What now ? » Then she recognized the paper that it held up. « Is that from the Ruins ? »

She took the telegram from her minon to quickly scan it. You remained still in her grip, counting the seconds before your impending doom. God, you weren't ready to suffer through another attempt to befriend her... Against all odds, her angry look changed into an expression of dismay.

« What ? They're saying that they saw you and... You helped donate to their cause ! » You hesitantly nodded. She hid her mouth with a hand. « Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding~! I thought you were someone that hated spiders~ The person who asked for that SOUL... They must have lied... »

The back of her second right hand caressed your cut cheek, which made you repress a hiss of pain.

« Oh dearie, what should I do with you now ? I still can't let you go that easily... »

« Well hum... » You forced yourself to smile. « We could make another donation if you want. I'm sure it still can help you, no matter how small it is... But about the croissant, we can't refund you or at least not right now. The skeleton brothers are delivering me to the King, and with the money they'll get, they can repay you what you were asking for... Does that sound alright ? » The lady first remained silent, throwing a suspicious glare at the brothers, before she giggled at your suggestion while she tidied up the web around you.

« I can sense you're honest, love. They better do that once you're dead, so let's say it's settled. Also, I want 600G, then I'll let you go. »

« Deal. » You replied with a smile.

Muffet's pet roared in protest when it noticed its owner was lowering your body safely towards the solid ground instead of feeding it. All she did was chanting one word and it shut up immediately, which was surprising considering how small that monster was – if you could call her small. You still didn't reach the floor yet that Sans caught you, his arms secured around you into a hug.

« Oh sweet baby, you're okay... » Sans exhaled with relief. He couldn't show his affection in the other monsters' presence, so he just whispered those words while Papyrus approached to cut the web that imprisoned your body with his boney sword.

When it was Papyrus' turn to carry you, you looked at your companions.

« Can we donate, please ? » They looked at each other, then sighed.

« It isn't like we had a choice, is it ? » Papyrus bitterly replied. He looked at you to notice your persistent stare as an answer. Muffet was now next to you wearing the same look while she licked her lips creepily. Papyrus felt shivers running up his spine at that horrific sight so disturbed, he looked away and called his brother. « Take my purse and make the count. »

« Sure boss. »

The spider lady had an outstretched hand waiting for the Gold, her other ones propped up on her hips and waist while the brothers were busy making the count.

Once 600G were gone in Muffet's donation box, she looked at you with a huge, sweet smile on her violet dollface.

« You can come anytime you want, darling. For no charge at all ! »

You weren't so sure about that. The lady jumped onto her spider web and turned towards you. She was visibly pleased investing her time with your gang.

« Well, that was fun ! See you next time~ »

You quietly nodded as she disappeared into the dark with her minions, just like she first appeared. On their way out, they made sure to splash some of their special tea on your legs to remain free from the cobwebs on the path. You appreciated the warmth of the drink as well as the smell of baked roses and webs, being wet less, although it was already fading just to leave that protective coat behind.

You turned to look at each one of your friends making sure they were all safe and sound. Then, it hit you. Holy crap. You did it ? You really did it ? You started to giggle, then you laughed, no matter if your insides were sore from the hardcore sport you just had.

« I did it ! »

Your happy mood was contagious. Although you were hurting, you couldn't help but just be glad about what you managed to do ; everyone got out safely, friends and foes. The brothers ended up cracking a smile.

« You did good. » Papyrus congratulated you. Sans chuckled in return.

« Yeah. Good job, honey. »

Your joyful laughter accompanied the gang as you left the room...

And died when you entered one of the most unexpected rooms.

It looked like a theater scene and you were on stage. There was a castle shaped decoration in front of you and a gentle music already started to play in the background. That's when you spotted the robot that Alphys created, dressed up in a blue princess dress (which suited him perfectly by the way), who peaked and said :

« OH ? THAT HUMAN... COULD IT BE... MY ONE TRUE LOVE ? »

Mildly confused and disturbed, you all stopped to watch him walking down his makeshift castle's stairs pompously. What the heck was that guy doing ? Music was playing in the background and here he started gesturing dramatically in his princess costume acting as if it's been a lifetime that he waited to shine.

« OH MY LOVE

PLEASE RUN AWAY

           MONSTER KING

                        FORBIDS YOUR STAY

HUMANS MUST

LIVE FAR APART

           EVEN IF

                        IT BREAKS MY HEART »

Taking small steps here, a few dramatic poses there... Petals falling from the ceiling were landing on the top of your heads like flower beds... Although the lyrics were the most touching thing you could hear from the human hunter, none of you would buy it not even for one penny. His singing was so devoid of life and passion that it sounded like a complete mockery. If it wasn't already hilarious, the best part was yet to come.

« THEY'LL PUT YOU

IN THE DUNGEON

           IT WILL SUCK

                      AND THEN YOU'LL DIE A LOT

REALLY SAD

YOU'RE GONNA DIE

           CRY CRY CRY

                     OH SO SAD IT'S HAPPE-»

And the robotic man wasn't even finished when Sans sent him back where he first teleported him. That's right, back in Snowdin. Both Papyrus and you looked at the other skeleton in disbelief and he did the same but with a contented smile, hands in pockets when he shrugged.

« What ? 'Wasn't going to let him steal the spotlight any longer. »

That douche was actually proud of himself. And you couldn't help but feel the same way, even if it was a dick move cutting Mettaton off right before the end of the song. You started giggling again because the comical scene kept replaying inside your head, and Asriel didn't help because he was repeating Mettaton's last lyrics followed by an impro on how Mettaton just experienced Sans' second massive cockblock in your ear, and that sent you. The giggle went to a full blown laughter that contaminated your friends, filling the room with the echoes of your hilarity.

This blessed moment gifted from above came just in time and you wished you could thank the poor killing machine for making all of you crack up like this. You really needed a comic relief after the hassle that was Hotland.

« Speaking of spotlight... Will you guys enlighten my day by taking a seat ? » Sans asked with a sheepish smile.

« Oh no, dear Asgore, here come the dreaded puns.... Are we really going to do this ? » Papyrus asked in return, baffled, though still with the remnants of a smirk. You adjusted your position in his arms to drape his shoulder with yours, your head leveled next to him.

« Papyrus, please, look at him ! Look at his eyesockets, glistening with hope ! You know that it's his time to shine. »

« UGH, not you too ! » He exclaimed, but looking at both of you with such pleading eyes like innocent children, he couldn't dare ruin this. Sans deserved a reward for saving your asses from Mettaton twice. So, with eyesockets closed, he breathed in, sighed, then walked down the stage while saying. «  I guess that I can suffer through torture for a little longer.... »

His answer satisfied you and it's with a smile you let Papyrus settle you down onto the comfy seat next to him. He then took place and made himself comfortable by extending his long legs on the seat in front of him. A.D was sitting at your feet, its big fluffy head on your lap to receive your gentle pets. It was painful having weight on your thighs, but it was a pain you were willing to suffer through to enjoy your wolf friend's presence.

Once he deemed you ready to listen, Sans began his sketch, a total improvisation to top it all. He was really good at it, because he didn't only make puns, he also referenced recent events and encounters, which made his jokes hit so close to home you couldn't repress the instant laughter. Papyrus couldn't help but smirk, no matter how hard he would cross his arms trying to cut himself off, it just got to him, sometimes so unexpectantly that it made him huff, or even snicker, or cry out in agony because of the puns. His brother loved to see him crack a laugh, and you could see the way his eye lights rounded with pure joy. That look on Sans' face really made him look so innocent, and right here and then, he looked like a child.

He recomposed himself quickly, and it's with a new found energy that he moved on to another skit, involving his public this time. You played the game and replied when he asked you something, until his attention turned to Papyrus, who was still watching and huffing but not without that smile that couldn't disappear from his features.

« Hey, brother, c'me here. » Sans called Papyrus all of the sudden.

« What ? »

« On the stage, come. »

« Why ? No- » The skeleton brother tried to decline.

« Do it, won't you. I dare you. » Sans cut him off with an accusatory finger pointed at him. Bold move.

« I refuse- »

« Where's your backbone, huh ? Are you a spineless skeleton now ? » Sans challenged him with a sly grin. He knew how to get to him, and you saw the glint in Papyrus' eyesockets. Ooooooohhh he got him. « Come on. »

Papyrus stood up from his seat.

« No need to throw me a bone, » he said. « for I was busy keeping my ribs from cracking at your jaw-dropping performance. »

If Sans was happy before, now he was ecstatic at not only seeing his brother walking up on stage to join him, but also responding to his jokes so smoothly and with such wittiness. He used finger guns on him.

« Damn, that was savage. And here I thought you'd be the skeleton at the feast ! »

« Who would have thought, I may be sternum, I still have a funny bone left. »

Holy shit. You should have expected it ; they're brothers after all. And Papyrus is incredibly good at puns for someone who despised them.

And they had a whole skit together, throwing puns around and taunting each other, though while Papyrus managed to keep his composure through it all, his brother found himself laughing to tears multiple times, while you were searching for your breath so hard you've been enjoying their jokes. Your contagious laughter amused them and only encouraged them to pursue, as if their plan was to kill you with their humor. They were incredibly creative and after this day, you had learnt a ton of those... Or should I say, a skele-ton ! Ahem.

After a day like this one, you were glad to be alive.

Chapter Text

Your panting was deafening with that piece of clothing on your face. You didn't know how long you've been waiting here, suffocating in a cloth sack put on your head so you wouldn't see where you were or what was happening. What you last recalled was you eating some dish the cat monster that you rescued a few days ago prepared for you at the MTT Resort. Papyrus didn't need to pressure Burgerpants to execute his demand because his presence only reminded the employee of his recent visit to the shack... And that was it. No matter how hard you tried, your foggy mind couldn't recover the missing pieces. You were glad that unlike you, Asriel remembered what happened, so he kindly shared his memories with you : after everyone ate a plate of food for free (thanks Burgerpants !), Papyrus managed to bargain for a room that he entered alone with his dog, and once the door was closed, he allowed both you and his brother to sneak in through the window. What was strange was how fast everyone collapsed, starting by Sans, who practically fainted on the bed, soon followed by the rest of his family. You were the last one to resist whatever was taking you, and in your haze, you noticed the door opening on its own and a shadow peek inside. And then, darkness. Now you were here, blind and bound.

You caught a passing thought. The food...

Have you been... drugged...?

What did you expect from Burgerpants. He helped burning the skeleton brothers' house in Snowdin after all... Why were you so trusting ? Will you ever learn ? Screw this, screw your naïve nature, it always bites you in the ass !

And the silence, oh the horrific silence. Its weight crushed your skull ever so slowly, the pressure in your ears so intense you wondered if it popped your eardrums yet. It deserved a sharing spot on the podium of the Most Cruel Torture with thirst and hunger. You didn't know if the brothers were with you, if they were still passed out, or worse... So you spent hours calling their names, crying for a response until your voice was hoarse.

You were alone on this one.

You couldn't help but weep every now and then. The chains binding your limbs together were too strong for you to break them and too tight to squeeze your hands through the metal rings. That's why you waited in the dark, with your thoughts consumed by pure paranoia. Were you in a dungeon ? Did a royal guard catch you and bring you to Asgore ? Your mind couldn't think of any other possibility.

Fuck...

Was it how it would end ?

Alone in a jail of a dungeon, waiting to be executed like a filthy criminal just as the killing machine said ?

You thought you could have a chance for once, just for once, to find a way to make everyone happy like you did before... To have the choice to be the one to offer your own soul and not just... Being captured and stripped of what was left of your dignity, and left with no way to assure your friends were safe or... Or worse...

Was this how they were repaying your mercy ? Locking you away like an enraged animal ?

You let out a strangled cry.

Didn't you deserve better ?

Didn't you deserve better ?

You called for help.

But nobody came.

Your cries became sobs.

You called for help.

But nobody came.

As you whimpered, you pronounced names.

« Sans... Papyrus... ! »

And again, no one responded. You curled up in your misery to cry your despair out.

« Asriel... »

You felt him by your side within a second. The goat monster was an adult by now. Way taller than you, maybe Sans' height... His horns were fully grown and you could only picture the slit red pupils of his eyes shining in the dark.

« I'm here. » He talked softly, close to you.

His eyes weren't expressing anything beside a controlled anger until he rested them on you, where they softened in empathy. His arm snaked around your shoulders in emotional support.

« Can you tell me what's going on ? » You asked him once you recollected yourself.

« I can't. » He apologetically looked down, yet still with this slight scowl over his young features. « I can't see on my own. »

« Oh Asriel, I'm so sorry. This wasn't how it was supposed to end... I'm sorry... »

But he shushed you with a tender kiss on your temple. At this moment, his touch released the delicious smell of the cinnamon-butterscotch pie Toriel used to bake for you back at the Ruins. And... Something like flowers too ? You remembered the bed of buttercups, where everything started, where you first met him.

The emotion of peace washed over you thanks to the sweet scent, now feeling safer with your best friend by your side.

« Golly, it's like staring at myself in a mirror... » he laughed gently. « What a crybaby I was... But you don't have to be scared anymore, Frisk. I'll always be here to watch over you. And about that... Why not give me the commands ? » You were about to refuse when his gaze told you to wait, which you did. « Asgore is my father. If he sees me inside of you, if I can talk to him... Then maybe it's our chance to gain some time. He wouldn't kill his own son, would he ? »

He was right. If he loved his child, he wouldn't hurt him, right ? But then, it still could be dangerous...

« What if it doesn't work ? » you asked in return. « What if he thinks I'm just messing with him to try and hurt him further ? »

« We'll try as many times we'll need, like you always do. » He assured you with a comforting smile.

A sob made Asriel hold you closer as he shushed you kindly again, as if it could ease your overflowing emotions.

« But I don't even know if we'll still have time until then... »

Your friend remained silent. You were right... You could feel it, the both of you. The magic of life escaping from your slowly consumed body. You didn't know where the marks were at now, you just felt aches in your chest and shoulders. You guessed these were the level they were at after all this time waiting here in the dark.

But you didn't have time to complain anymore. Someone was coming judging by the clicks of high heels resonating next to the room you were in. Instinctively, you turned your head in the direction of the noises and you waited with your breath held back.

Your heart was pounding strongly against your ribcage, so strong you were afraid it might break out from its bone prison and take a run. Asriel was still with you. He was determined to stay.

« I'm here, » he tried to reassure you. « I'm not leaving you. »

A door opened. As if it was a signal, you breathed again, or more likely hyperventilate. The footsteps stopped next to you before a hand took hold of your arm. Pain jolted through all your body, so suddenly you couldn't hold back the screech that tore your throat. The one who caught you released you for a mere second, surely because they weren't expecting such a vivid reaction from their prisoner, then they pulled on your hurting limb again and forced you to get up, which you did in a series of squeals.

« Come on, darling, showtime is around the corner. We have to prepare you for the audience~ ! » A robotic, male voice talked. It was silky and pleasing to the ear if you cared to focus on that detail.

Did he say « showtime » ? « audience » ?

« Wait, where are we? »

He pushed you with a hand against your back to guide you through what you assumed was a corridor. Among your feelings of fear were Asriel's who was not only anxious, but angry overall. You preferred focusing on the smell of the place you were walking through, of the sound of the steps you were taking. It smelled of detergent like you were in a freshly cleaned up laboratory, just like at Alphys'.

Suddenly you were held by both your arms and that alone made you cry out in pain again. The stranger relished in your suffering if his delighted giggle was of any indication. You just caught the familiar sound of a shimmering star soon followed by its comforting warmth against your form as your abductor pushed you forward.

You understood too late that you were forced to SAVE, and you fought against his grip as the light blinded you from under your bag. How did he know ? How did he know what represented the star SAVE to you !?

The thought of cameras settled all over the Underground crossed your mind...

Alphys.

« Stop !! No ! » You protested in vain.

The damage was done, leaving you panting and exhausted in the hold of the man. He was still chuckling, happy with himself. And you... You were left with no words to describe the shock. It was what happened when Flowey died, it was what happened when Sans had rage outbursts... You didn't want to remember all of these past events and yet they were hitting you square like a whip in your face. You could barely breathe out of shock.

Another feeling arose. Fear. Fear because you didn't know what will follow now, nor if your friends were safe. Resignation, because you were so... exhausted of fighting uselessly. Pain, for the burning sensation leaving static sensations everywhere the monster held and the soreness of your throat and lungs. And most of all, anger. You were sick of being messed with, of being used and abused. Angry at yourself for not being stronger, for not being able to stand for yourself and just be... So. Weak. You were sick of it. You were sick of it all.

You didn't realize it but your hands were trembling as you stood there livid. The coil in your stomach was strong enough to make you want to puke when the mysterious man chuckled again, admiring your vulnerability.

Still holding your arm in his strong grip, he opened a door before he indicated you to walk again.

« Oh darling, don't be upset. I have an amazing surprise for you to make up for it.~ »

It took just a few steps before you hear another door opening. Both your bestfriend and you felt even more suspicious and paranoid than before with every path taken.

« Wait. »

« What is it, my dear ? »

Hearing petnames from this person had the power to give you goosebumps... Especially since you couldn't see a damn thing. You suspected him to plan to do more than just forcing you to SAVE... Shit kept happening all over again... ! Your past experiences with Sans taught you to be wary but here, it was actually worse ! You were weakened from your condition, tied up and blind so you couldn't even try to defend again.. It would be way too easy for that stranger to have his way with you... And the fact that Asriel was thinking about it too didn't help dissipating the overbearing fear tearing your guts apart and fogging your mind.

« Please, quit playing with me. » You pleaded through your tightened throat and gritted teeth.

You were still shaking in his hold. The other person snickered.

« Oh darling. I like to play with hearts, it's one of my favorite hobbies, trust me. » His tone gained in depth as he whispered to your ear level, making your heart almost jump out of your chest. « But what I enjoy the most is playing with bodies. »

A cold shiver ran up your spine and like a signal, you took multiple steps back in an attempt to distance yourself. Your head started to spin from hyperventilating. He was chuckling at your pitiful reaction.

No...

No.

You didn't want to go through this !

He yanked the chains at your wrists to bring you back close to him and in your increasing panic, you begged him to let you go.

« No, no, please, just kill me right away ! » you cried.

« It'd go against my plans, sweetie. » He almost had a sweet, even apologetic tone at first. It was only a facade because in a split second, he went from fake pity to hostility. « Now, get into that bloody room ! »

« No !! »

You turned around to escape, but you forgot that your ankles were also chained so immediately when you tried to break into a run, you tripped. Your sad attempt gave him time to catch you around the waist before you fell to the ground. You bent under the sudden pressure to your stomach, awakening with the same motion the burning sensation in your front so violently it cut your breath short. The cloth sack on your head fell when you bent and despite the debilitating pain, you managed to notice your surroundings. It was a futuristic corridor, basically made out of metal, tiles and lights. It wasn't Asgore's castle, was it ?

Out of rage after the vivid pain he inflicted on you, you quickly turned to hit the monster that still had you in his hands, only for electricity to run along your limb when your nerves in your elbow made impact with the solid surface of your attacker. You bit your tongue not to scream at the burning sensation of static coursing every inch of your arm... That's what you get for trying to fight back a guy in armor, dummy !

You realized now that you laid your eyes on the monster... That he wasn't in an armor but just made out of metal.

Mettaton !!

Now you understood what he was meant by ''playing with bodies''. The few images you dared to watch from his tv show were still fresh in your mind and as if colors hadn't faded from your face already, nausea took hold of you again. A voice in the back of your head was screaming at you to get away, to escape !!

With that fight or flight signal, you fought ferociously the guy, screamed at him to let you go and yet he just wiped this with chuckles while he'd put you on his shoulder like a filthy potato sack to enter the room plunged into the darkness.

You called for help.

But nobody came.

✧✦✧

The sound of his own heaving filled the room. What were these fucking chains made of ? His hands were fastened behind his back, yet the fact of being a skeleton was convenient for what he had been trained to do. Although he was 9'1” tall, he could roll up perfectly, twist his arms and legs like no other animal monsters could do. So Papyrus brought his arms down so he could put his lower body part in the circle they were forming until he could bring his limbs in front of him. Thanks to his cleverness.

Now, he could take off this fucking potato sack from his head and breathe fresh air. The slender man looked around. It was dark as heck here, he could see his hands only thanks to the handcuffs. He shook them. Ah, nothing told him these were magical. These handcuffs were impossible to break, especially with magic. They were made specifically to reduce someone's magic potential to the strict minimum only to maintain them alive and conscious. Thankfully, since he was too tall to put chains at his ankles without making it impossible for him to walk, he was spared of those. Long legs save lives, apparently. The Head of the Royal Guard could see on his right a ray of light coming from under what he assumed was a door. From time to time, a shadow or two passed by and even though he wanted to call for help, he knew the safest place right now was this damn room. He was a fighter but in this situation, he was vulnerable.

So he started thinking about the options given to him. First off, the probabilities to die as soon as someone decides to take a look inside were 90% high. And the remaining 10%, well, they were in case he could flee, or having the chance to see his brother or the human being the one to enter the room. But he knew the last supposition chances were very slim. it would be a goddamn miracle if it happened among all the rooms that could exist here, right ?

Minutes passed by. He heard shouts. Laughter. Cries.

Oh, now he knew where he was.

But he never thought he would ever participate to one of his favorite shows. And the truth was... He didn't really want to take part of it.

In the distance, he could hear the beats of Mettaton's catchy music he used to play whenever the show went on. What if his brother was a guest too ?

Quick, he had to find something !

He quickly got up to reach for the door and kick it down. Usually, he was strong enough to even burst the doorway along, back when he had to call out people at home for various reasons... But their door was usually made out of wood, not fucking reinforced metal. He cursed under his breath. The skeleton monster then inhaled deeply and as he did, he took a few steps back. He positioned himself in the door's line, then opened his jaws to use his special attack, but...

As soon as the sound came out of his mouth, it died instantly and the lanky monster fell on his knees, suddenly out of energy. He panted heavily and even shuddered. That was a risk to take at least once... Now he knew that he couldn't do this twice. He'll have to wait from now on.

Please... Human... Sans... A.D...

Keep holding on.

✧✦✧

He could feel sweat beading on his skull and dripping from his jaw line. It was awfully hot under this sack over his head. A.D was whimpering next to him. The skeleton's head raised as he slowly came back to his senses only to realize he couldn't see anything the moment his eyes opened to blackness. He also felt his heaving breath coming back to caress his bones. The first reaction he had was to bring his hands to take off that piece of cloth from his head, to come to the unpleasant realization that his arms were hitting bars, and his fists trapped in what felt like handcuffs. He kept yanking his chains against the metal prison trying to free himself from what was holding him back, knowing that he couldn't take a shortcut to safety when blind and tied up. That's how Sans finally gave in to panic, bringing his face closer to his hands so he could grab the potato sack and tear it off his head, then looked around.

The room was plunged into darkness with only a few neon red lights here and there to see and the only sounds he could hear was his pet's whines of fear. Beside that, he couldn't guess the room he was in. He just sensed a presence, no, many of them actually around him. He could feel their magic. From time to time, he could hear footsteps, whispers, snickers... All of these reminded him of MTT shows. Even without being a fan, he happened to zap on his channel sometimes and watch a show or two before going to bed or to work. And now that he thought of it, he recognized the patterns of the red neons around. And if he was right...

He wasn't going to have a good time.

After long minutes of wondering what was in store for him, Sans heard shouts echoing above all the rest that even stopped A.D from crying. This voice, he knew it oh too well.

« Sweetheart ? » he gasped as he lifted his head in the direction of the opening door.

He could see their silhouette wriggling on another way bigger than them. They were screaming for help and actually trying their best to fight back whoever caught them. The skeleton heard the clicking of high heels on the hard ground.

« Now darling, you'll be a real treasure if you quitted agitating this way and- » Honey squealed. « … just sat down ! »

A heavy bump tore a scream from his poor and sweet angel. He didn't know what was going on. But they were whimpering now for all he knew while chains were placed on them.

« Sweetheart ! » The sobs were suspended in a gasp.

« Sans ? » Their hoarse voice called him in return. Instinctively, he pressed his body against the bars to gain more space when stretching his arms in his precious little one's direction.

« Sweetheart, I'm here, don't you worry, I've got you ! » He urged to reassure them.

« Sans... » They started weeping again but way softer. « I'm scared... »

Hearing such a honest statement made his soul ache. Oh, how he wished to break these fucking bars and tear the human away from those vultures !! Although they couldn't see in the dark, Sans let a weak smile creep up on his boney lips.

« Oh, honey, I know... We'll get through this, just hang on... »

They seemed so close and yet so far. They were out of reach.

« Aww, this is way too cute. » A robotic voice rang, causing the terrified human to gasp. Mettaton turned his attention over them. « You know, at first I thought that killing you right away would be good... But after what the mutt here has done, sending me back in Snowdin twice in a row... On my way home, I thought of a way to take my revenge. I realized it'd be a shame not to share this glorious moment with my fanbase... » Then his tone became bitter and without taking his eyes off the human, he addressed to the concerned one. « … which I'm sure isn't quite fond of you, dirty sack of bones. »

It was alright, he heard worse from his brother. The sound of clapping hands echoed and light turned on.

« And after what I saw, and what I heard about you guys and our precious little thing here... »

The robot bent to reach for Frisk's face covered in tears so he could lift their head with a finger under their chin. Sweetheart was panicking when they got to see this anti-human creation with arms of cannons and chainsaws, and another pair which came from behind his back which were... Basically cyborg hands, close to them, his face just a few inches away from a kiss.

« I got a few ideas. »

What the heck could he say to gain time ? His darling won't make it... Him neither, to tell the truth...

It was his fault. He should have never suggested his family to stop by MTT-hotel to rest... They were so tired, and Frisk in too much bad shape. They deserved better than bloody misery ! They deserved better than being dragged in mud until their last breath ! But... His action led them here...

Sans looked around for a sign of his sibling.

Where was Papyrus ?

Mettaton laughed and turned around to face the audience, spread his arms and smiled with delight.

« Beauties and gentlebeauties ! Welcome to MTT show ! »

Chapter Text

Monsters applauded excitedly. Because its jaws were held shut tightly by a muzzle, all what Aggressive Dog could do was growl. Sans sensed how scared the animal was so there was no wonder why it'd show aggressiveness. He wished he could help his furry fellow, take off this instrument of torture but his hands were fastened too. His jaws clenched. He stared at these people that couldn't wait for what would happen next. He would stab with his look if only his eyes were knives. Meanwhile, Mettaton posed dramatically in front of the crowd, oblivious to the hatred stare the skeleton was throwing at him. Fucking pile of rusty cans.

« Are you ready for the next game, my beauties ? » Monsters were chanting “yes”, which made the robot chuckle in delight. « Last time, unfortunately we lost our last guest in Deadly Wheel. But fret not, for we have three brand new people here ! Though I wonder where is the fourth one ? »

A wide screen came down to show Sans' sibling trapped in a darkened room, waiting in silence.

« Oh, there he is ! You must wonder what we prepared for tonight's show ! You'll discover with our special guest ; Papyrus ! »

The robot smirked. Papyrus couldn't see, but there was a speaker in the upper corner of the chamber he was held hostage in. The monster jumped when he heard Mettaton's cyborg voice talking through it.

« Hello gentleman ! » He saluted him with his professional presenter tone. « I have the pleasure to announce that you have been chosen to participate to MTT's show tonight ! Isn't that wonderful ? »

The monsters in stands applauded. You watched Papyrus looking in the direction of the speaker, where the camera must be too because it looked like he was staring at you, his eyesockets wide and filled with confusion and anger. You could see his form thanks to the night vision of the camera, but his eyes were brighter than ever, so bright you could see his thin pinpricks pulsing in rage and stress.

You saw him open his mouth. He was talking- more likely shouting, yet you couldn't hear anything.

« There's no use talking, handsome. » Mettaton cooed him. « You just need to listen. See this door over there ? »

On the camera, you could see a door open, its canal lightened by red neons along the walls. You wondered if Papyrus would fit in there... He was so tall and the trap here so narrow. He wouldn't be able to get through with his fancy and spiky armor. His hands were also cuffed. You looked at Mettaton.

« It's unfair, he can't go through this ! »

You didn't notice Papyrus' expression when he heard your panicked voice through the speaker. The robot quickly threw a glance at you, then at the skeleton.

« That's the point of drama, darling. » He giggled before he returned his attention onyour imprisoned friend. « As you can see, you have to find a way to go through the air conditioner. The longer you take to do it, the more you'll be inhaling toxic gas. »

On his words, smoke began filling up the room the warrior was in. The monster looked around while the gas was slowly taking over the closed space. Furious, he threw another glance at the speaker.

« Time's ticking, beauty. » Mettaton smirked. « This trap is the key to safety. »

And so, Mettaton turned around to make eye contact with his audience.

« Will he survive the Devil's Breath ? Will he find his way out ? The answer lies within this screen, my beauties, watch ! »

Papyrus first touched the edge of the trap door to get a hint of its width. You couldn't hear him cough, but the shakings he had while doing so were strong enough to be seen on camera. Your breath was erratic, barely existing in fact. But don't you worry more, because the Royal Guard was smart and it only took a second for him to know what to do ; he detached the shoulder protections, before he quickly entered into that small space as smoke was now taking over the room to the point we couldn't see anything else on the screen.

« Oh, did he make it ? » The presenter asked with enthusiasm. The screen switched to another camera which was inside the conditioner. Papyrus was crawling with more or less difficulties because of his long limbs. He was still holding the shoulder pads in a hand. « There he is ! Magnificient, splendid ! »

The audience nodded in agreement. Sans smiled in relief for a brief moment. Once Papyrus was out, he found himself in a room filled with lava for a few meters long. You gasped. How was he supposed to go through this when he didn't have room to gain momentum and jump ? And even if he could jump, no matter if he had long legs, he wouldn't be able to go this far in one piece, could he ?

« And now, handsome, welcome to the Mini Hotland ! » Mettaton snickered. « How will this gentleman go through the pit of lava, I wonder ? »

The skeleton monster looked around with sudden suspicion. There were trap doors on the walls, but were those platforms or something malicious ? Your heart was pounding with apprehension. There was no need to panic though, because Papyrus materialized a bone to throw it through the room... And the trap doors opened to reveal sentries that immediately emptied their ammo on it. Your mouth parted in shock. How was he supposed to survive this !?

« Papyrus !! » You yelled in fear.

The monster looked back at the speaker, startled again by your shaken voice.

« Shut up ! » The robot snapped in return, forcing a small whine of dread out of you. You weren't expecting his violent outburst, it was so effective that you didn't peep anymore. He turned to look at his audience again with a sweet smile like nothing happened. « Wow, look at that ! It seems to get warmer in there ! And by warmer, I meant... More lava ! »

And on these words, the said lava started filling up the giant pool. There was no way he could pass this if the magma overflowed its tank.

Panic and rage coiled in your guts, your heart hammering so strongly in your ribs you had trouble breathing with burning water welling in your eyes blurring your vision.

« Stop it !! » You started to shout after the presenter of this horrific show. « Stop that shit right now, for fuck's sake ! What's up with you, you fucking sicko !? If you enjoy danger so much, why don't you try it all by yourself and see how it looks like up close !? »

You finally snapped to the audience's surprise. The hit you didn't expect from the robot almost detached your head from your neck. As it bounced back in place, you could only see stars while static sounds were taking over your ears, the pain echoed in every corner of your head like a bouncing ball thrown in a closed space. But it didn't stop the rage that was taking hold of you, the pain made it even stronger. You sat there livid from the shock, processing the pain and all the nasty thoughts raising from the back of your mind. Now, you wanted to hurt him too.

« Sweetheart ! » Sans called after you with great concern in his voice, scared for your safety. He was holding onto the bars tightly, powerless as he witnessed your shut down. His pinpricks pierced through the giant can box in a glare. « You son of a bitch... »

« Don't get impatient, my darlings. Your turn will come soon... If he loses that is. »

As you fought the need to faint from the overbearing ache, you could feel Asriel's tight grip on your shoulders. He was behind you, glaring at the one who dared to lay a hand on you.

« Hand the commands over me, Frisk... » He murmured in your ear, words that you almost didn't catch because of the ringing.

Oh, for a second, you were about to comply and get lost in his embrace, let him make the world burn just like the fire inside your chest. Let it out. His whispers kept merging with your mind as if you were one body, mind and soul. Your desire to protect your friends from this sick fuck was so strong, to make him pay for all the misery you've been through lately, you were on your way to let him possess you.

But no.

You chose to spare everyone. You won't go back on this decision. None of their dust will be on your hands. They don't deserve this... Or maybe some of them do. But you don't deserve to have their death on you, despite how horrible they are. As much as you wanted to set this rage eating you up free, you just couldn't inflict the agonizing pain of death to others. You knew what dying felt like. It has been your everyday life for quite a while now. And you were better than a murderer.

« No, Asriel. » You responded in a thought as you breathed out to calm your nerves. « Please, don't pick up a fight. I still remember what we did to Undyne. I don't want any more bloodshed... Or more likely oil, for this one. »

« So what ? » His digits were painfully digging in your skin. « So we just let him do these sickening actions ? »

« I'll find a way to get through this. Give me some time. »

You finally decided to look up at Mettaton, your eyes expressing nothing but your friend's lust for revenge in the robot's gaze. He might have sensed Asriel's murderous aura because he looked slightly shaken by your silent threat, then he tenderly smiled.

« Aww, so cute. Keep holding onto your Determination, sweetheart. You'll need it for our little game. »

Asriel would have spit the blood in your mouth on him if you let him, yet you preferred to remain still. Only what Mettaton said bugged you. What little game ? What did he have in store for you ? Guess that you'll find out later. Watching how Papyrus managed was more important at the moment, that's why you checked to find him staring angrily at the lava. He certainly heard Mettaton hitting you. In his fury, he summoned ribcages in front of the sentries and a bone sword in his hand. You noticed that while you weren't looking, he put his shoulder protections back in place so he'd be ready for a big jump.

Immediately when his feet left the ground, a red aura covered Papyrus' body, a sign that he used his magical abilities to levitate. As soon as he got detected by the sensors, the door traps on both sides of the room reopened so the heavy artilleries could shoot at their target. You gasped loudly. The monster protected himself with the help of his bone sword whenever a ribcage was too damaged to stop the bullets. He was moving with such ease even with the extra efforts ! You didn't realize you were mouth agape out of horrified amazement. Just when you thought he was handling this like a boss, he received a couple of bullets. You couldn't hear him cry out in pain. Despite the hits he got at the spine and ribs, he managed to reach the other side when lava started to spill over. Papyrus stumbled quickly towards the door, busting it open in haste and entering a separate room where he'd be safe.

« Well well well, you sure are a fighter, Papyrus ! » Mettaton clapped.

He heaved and hissed in pain with each step taken, pain radiating from the cracks where blood leaked from. He was holding his side in hope to numb the burning and pounding sensation in his wounds. The big screen hovering over the crowd broadcasted a dumbfounded Papyrus when he realized he won the game. You were waiting for him to walk into the next room and oh, you hoped it was the main room where everyone was, that it'd lead him where you were, you who couldn't move !

With a short breath, you watched the tall skeleton enter the room with an uncertain pace, warily looking around to see how many people were attending to the event. The pressure was so strong you thought you'd succumb to it. Mettaton turned towards him, all smiles as he announced in delight.

« Here you are ! Just in time for the third game : The crimson pool ! »

✧✦✧

His breath cut short. Crimson pool ? Papyrus was afraid to know what it meant. His eyes filled with disbelief shot at his brother to discover that he and his pet dog were locked up in a cage, both staring back at him. They were visibly relieved to see him -almost- safe and sound but at the same time, apprehending the upcoming game. The human, though... Their lip was cut and their cheek bruised. They looked beaten up.

His mind quickly tied the knots. His eyes turned on Mettaton who was smiling brightly.

« You proved us you were a fighter just a few moments ago, and what a great fighter you were ! Though I heard you had a special talent in executing people. After all the praise I heard about you, shall you show us how worthy you are of them ? » Papyrus didn't budge, instead he stared straight at the one he used to admire without replying. Mettation smirked at him. « Darling, you know who I am, right ? »

Suddenly, Papyrus went from shaken up to spazzing and shouting in pain before he fell to his knees, clawing at the collar that emanated a strong buzz. You realized only now that he had something around his neck, and it was electrocuting him ! You cried after him. The skeleton monster that was imprisoned shouted after his brother, before he started screaming too, and collapsed against the bars unconscious. You were frantically shaking your restraints, screaming your friend's name. Was Sans alive !? You feared that he'd turn to dust any moment now.

Papyrus had to take support on one hand, the other still clamped at his neck until the agony stopped. He was sweating, shaking and panting heavily, the burning tingles still lingering in his entire body. He shuddered and gagged. It was horrible seeing him like this... The memory of your first meeting with Sans flashed in your eyes... God, you recalled the sensations as if it just happened...!

Mettaton giggled, enjoying the show. Papyrus wiped his mandible and slowly got up on his wibbly legs without caring about the shiny, magical residue of his slim diner left on the floor. He looked at his passed out brother that his dog was trying to nudge awake, then at you who were staring back with tearful eyes. He took a few deep breaths despite the agonizing pain taking his ribs and plunged his angry eyes into the robot's.

« Yes, I used to watch your show on evenings. » Papyrus replied with a much, deeper, frightening tone. There was no single audible waver. He wished he could add a spicy “but I'm not sure if I'll be doing that in the future”, but he chose to be smarter than these disgusting monsters. Best keep his closed ones safe as much as possible.

« Ohh, a fan of mine ? » Mettaton realized. He leaned on the human's chair on which they were tied up to. « Well then, it changes a lot of things ! »

« I also was the one you asked to “remind your disobedient staff their rightful place” before. You should know that I'm the Head of Royal Guards. You don't have any right to attack my person nor my family. »

« Oh but honey, you're just fine ! » He mused. « And who said I wanted to hurt you or your family ? Unless, this cutiepie here... » He caressed the terrified human's hurting cheek, tearing a painful and angry hiss in return. « ...is a part of your family ? »

Papyrus was about to reply, but he closed his mouth as soon as he opened it. This human wasn't his family. They were his only friend, but also the future and last soul to be sacrificed. His eyes darted the ground furiously.

« They aren't. » He replied bitterly.

« So you don't mind me doing this show at all, do you ? » The robot winked at the skeleton. That nasty wink made the monster's stomach turn, if he had any. He grimaced in disgust.

The human's chest heaved quickly when they saw the star walking away to face the audience chanting “bloodshed”. In fear or anger, it was difficult to tell.

« I don't hear you ! » The killing machine mused.

In cue, the spectators chanted louder, stomping in rhythm among the seats. The ruckus stirred Sans awake. He shuddered and stumbled against the bars as he looked around, confused and hurt. Blood covered his chin. Oh dear Asgore.... Mettaton didn't seem to care, enough for Papyrus to wonder if he heard Sans. The robot chuckled.

« How long will the human last, you ask ! » Then, he stared at the camera next to him with a devilish smirk. « We're gonna check that out... In the Crimson pool ! »

The audience clapped cheerfully while the robotic presenter pointed at the floor not far from the camera. From the ground came out a metallic shelf with set of different objects, all designed for a specific use : murder and torture.

« No, sweetheart... » Words slipped out from between Sans' boney lips when realization struck as he saw Mettaton pick a butterfly knife to play with.

The poor creature attached to the chair choked on their breath and started to wiggle in the chains that were holding them back. He walked closer, each step slow in hope to see despair in his victim's eyes build up. And that was what he had. The human kept agitating and sweating in anxiety while they were trying to knock some sense into the presenter.

« You don't need to do this ! You- You can find much better things to do, I'm sure people would enjoy your shows much- much more ! » They were trying their best to convince Mettaton who was now just in front of them, towering the little one with all his height.

« I doubt about that. » He replied with a smile. « All they want is drama, surprise effects and... » He loomed over the future object of torture to whisper. « Bloodshed. »

The poor one's lips quivered. They looked upset and frustrated at the same time. Their teary eyes of anger and fear were now going back and forth between the knife and the persecutor's eyes. Sans was throwing insults in hope to catch Mettaton's attention, in order to gain some time. The audience was still chanting.

He was going to kill the human. They had no chance in this position. The point of the weapon was against their belly, lingered there for way too long...

And then, he stood up and held the weapon out to Papyrus.

« Do it. »

Papyrus stared at the presenter with a horrified expression. Two assistants walked up on stage like shadows.

« … What ? » He blurted out. In the meantime, Mettaton fiddled the little device before Papyrus' handcuffs opened, freeing his hands while his collar remained tight on his cervicals.

« Ha ! You're a fan but you didn't expect a plot twist ? That's honestly disappointing, dear. » Mettaton smirked at him while his assistants retrieved the device before disappearing in the shadows again as silently as they came. « Well... As you said, I heard of you and I know your hobbies. That's the reason why I asked you to correct Burgerpants after all, mh ? »

« ... R-Right... » Sweat dripped from the spikey skeleton's brow. Mettaton's sadistic smile was for once offputting. With his hand still holding out the knife, he urged.

« Go on. Show what you've got. »

But Papyrus didn't move. His eyes kept darting back and forth between the human and the killer robot. Silence hovered over the stars of the day. He didn't want to do that. He was ready to put himself in danger, do anything if it meant not laying a hand over his friend. That friend that was staring at him, pale and out of breath in fear.

Alphy's creation lost patience, his smile turning into a frown and the next second, he pointed at the collar, triggering the electrocution again. Papyrus choked on his breath and spazzed violently again. He fell to the ground as he lost control over his body. The human and Sans shouted in unison, and the next moment, the second skeleton joined his brother.

« STOP !! STOP IT !! » The human cried hysterically. « YOU'RE GOING TO KILL THEM !! »

Sans was out again, and the human swore they saw some dust flying around. They bursted into tears after they checked on the monster to see that he was still alive, but so damaged this time that they didn't know if he'd take it any longer. Finally, the buzzing stopped and Papyrus' tensed body relaxed altogether. He too was barely breathing. He had struggle to open his eyes, blood ran out of his holes and dripped on the ground he was laying on. His blurred vision could barely register his little protected one's crying face. His hearing was out for a while, until the ringing in his ears subdued. The human's voice was hoarse from screaming so much.

« -SE PLEASE PLEASE DO IT, PAPYRUS, DO IT I BEG YOU...!! »

They didn't cry so much since the day they lost their flower friend. They were frantic on their chair, just like when they were fighting back in his hold even on the edge of death... A memory that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

His arms moved clumsily to give him support. That effort made him vomit blood, tearing another scream from the human.

Come on, Boss. Get up. Show that you're strong. It took probably a pregnant minute for Papyrus to stand up properly and stay on his legs. He was in a bad shape... But he had seen worse. He could feel his eyes burning stronger and brighter than usual. He couldn't see it but the light it provided darkened his already dark and scary features. Even the room felt suddenly colder around him.

« Ready to show us your talents now ? » Mettaton smiled again, offering the weapon again.

« Fuck you. » Papyrus spat blood in his face.

Silence fell all of the sudden again. The robot fluttered his blood spotted eyes open, looked at Papyrus' furious face then chuckled darkly.

« With you, gladly... » He turned his bust just so to invite the edgy monster to look at his brother that was lifeless against the bars. « Though, I wouldn't try and be cocky if I were you. »

Papyrus gasped. He didn't see the blood that Sans spit in his torture session, and now that he looked more intently, he recognized the shining dust, the familiar dust that a monster left behind in their demise. Papyrus' soul twisted in his chest. He knew how fragile his brother was. Another round and he will be dusted for good.

And that's what Mettaton was going for. The same alerted expression showed on the little one and the beaten up monster's face. Even the audience gasped.

« No no no nO NO- » The human started again.

« I'll do it !! »

Mettaton stopped in his motion before turning towards Papyrus with a huge smile, satisfied.

The Head of the Royal Guard took the butterfly knife from Mettaton's hand, his gaze piercing through him in a silent invitation to back the fuck off. The audience remained silent due to the palpable pressure at first. So silent that they were out of breath. The human was shaking, their bruised face covered in tears and blood while they were looking at their friend, standing there with that torture tool in front of them. He looked back at them. A deep feeling of dread crawled up his spine with a different tug at his soul. Its call to him kept growing, a call he was way too familiar with... and he hated the desires it had. He hated the pulsions that Mettaton triggered. He was going to hurt his precious friend... He who longed for doing such a thing once, back when he thought this creature was his enemy... It was inconceivable doing it today. And yet... Here he was...

The human gulped, then smiled as tears were threatening to fall. They were holding on. They were determined looking strong, no matter how terrifying Papyrus looked at this moment, towering them with that gaze on his face.

« Please... » Their lips pronounced with a pleading smile. God he hated that smile.

They knew it was the only way. They all knew it was the only way. Papyrus' breath was short, trembling with the most dreadful feeling taking over him. His parted jaws clenched tight. His magic was burning in his bones and his soul, heavy with remorse.

Human...

I'm sorry...

Their voice echoed through the entire room. He never thought he'd have to hear such tearing screams, especially from such a small body, from this tiny human who managed to bring out the most beautiful parts of him... Disgust and hatred were now coiling in the guts he didn't have, and even with the lack of organs, he could feel his stomach twisting. He could feel his eyes burning with their pulsing magic, his SOUL coiling, hungry for violence when he felt so disgusted with himself. His fingers twitched uncontrollably against the weapon he gripped strongly. His Corruption... it was calling out to him again, whispering temptations from deep within him.

But that horrific expression they wore on this precious, delicate face...

It was unbearable.

He hated what he was doing, he hated that he was cutting their meat, ever so carefully to make sure they'd survive the torture, but... From what he could see through the cuts in their clothes, the black spots progressed much more and he could even observe the occurence by himself... The red of their blood turning darker as the sickness progressed... Shivers ran up his spine in horror. Oh, dear Asgore... What was he doing ? His face twisted in pain.

Seeing his human suffering was as if he was inflicting these cuts to himself... To the good part of himself that he thought, for so long... That he had lost. And here he was, murdering the last bit of Hope he had, for the sake of everyone.

They didn't deserve his human's pain. None of them deserved to spill their blood, not even touching them...

Were they really going to save Monsterkind after all what his species put them through ? He found himself hoping not.

He felt his eyesockets burn with a strange need. A need that he killed over and over to protect himself.

A strangled cry.

He knew the poor little soul was hanging on only thanks to the endorphin their own body produced now. That's what he remembered from the books he found about humans and at this moment, he could see it with his very own eyes. He could experience it. The small creature covered in injuries and blood, was barely responding throughout the torture after a while. They couldn't even hold their head anymore, nor keep their eyes open. Even their breathing was low, weak...

It was as if they were sleeping, but still lucid. What were they thinking right now ? Did they think that it was a dream, just like him ?

Everything seemed so far away. Were these his hands moving ? Or was it someone else's inflicting the most vicious things on a defenseless person ? It was as if the world moved in slow motion, as if... He wasn't there but just watching from a screen. He was barely conscious, just to watch the human's features move either so slightly with each cut given. He couldn't feel anything, but the weight of the earth on his shoulders.

Sans managed to wake up thanks to all the screams, and too weak, couldn't watch any more. He had already seen too much. He kept his head low with sweat covering his entire skull. A.D was whining like a mad dog.

Yes, I know... It's horrible.

What I'm doing is horrible...

The human's weak whimper brought him back to reality. He almost didn't hear it for they were so frail, on the edge to faint... He squatted to be at their ear level.

« Hold on, human... It's almost over... Stay determined. »

They let out a sound almost imperceptible to let him know they heard him. He wanted to caress their face covered in multiple kind of fluids - sweat, tears, blood ; but it was risky with the audience and the presenter watching. They were applauding, whistling, nodding or even chanting and shouting whenever they heard the human screaming out loud. They were always asking for more. More cuts, more blood, more cries...

Minutes passed so slowly and his armor was so stained. The robot's commentary wasn't helping with the pressure and the guilt weighing on him. He enjoyed what he was witnessing, though he might think Papyrus could do better soon. And to be honest, the Royal Guard was dreading that idea. He was doing his best to still his shaky hands.

He felt that the human was going to die if he gave another cut. They could barely open their eyes. Could barely breathe.

Maybe... maybe the best was putting them out of misery... After all... They could come back, right ? They said they could... This way... This way... He could do things differently.

You're so stupid, Papyrus.

You can't remember the previous run, so why bother ? You'd hurt them twice as much.

His hand was up when he heard the end of the show ringing. Everyone let out a whine of protest, Mettaton included for they were so hyped to see Papyrus finish that miserable creature off. He came back in the center of the stage as he cheerfully announced.

« Well well, my lovelies ! I'm as sad as you to say that tonight's show is over ! But don't you be, because tomorrow same hour, we'll return to our Star guest Papyrus, Head of the Royal Guard ! Will he prove his loyalty by killing the human ? You'll get the answer tomorrow ! Stay deadly ! »

The audience applauded. The knife fell from Papyrus' hand in a clatter. He squatted in haste to take the human's face between his armored hands and lift it in his direction. Were they still alive, though ?

« Human... »

« Are you there ? »

Chapter Text

« Human ? »

You didn't have the strength even to just open your eyes. The claps of hands were overtaking your hearing already drowned in the ringing sound that settled in the moment your mind slipped away. Someone was holding your face gently, their fingers trembling madly against your skin.

As you emerged, the next thing you noticed was the pain in your lower parts and limbs awakening and intensifying with every passing second. You believed you had gone through worst pains until tonight. It was something to write down on the Book of Records. Or even organize a celebration at that point, like, it's not like you suffered a lot lately, right ??

…

Man, you wished you could sleep. A voice in your head kept chanting Determination while you were butchered, like one VIP supporter in the depths of your mind.

Speaking of butchering, you couldn't feel the blade of his knife anymore. Did your body officially lose all its senses ? Wow, it would be a news flash. And something really worth celebrating now.

« Human, respond... Human... » The voice, low and hoarse, resonated again.

Papyrus ?

✧✦✧

« Hey. » Sans blurted out at Mettaton's attention. The called out man turned his head in the monster's direction.

« Not now, my darling, show is over for tonight. »

« Yeah, about that... » The skeleton looked up to get the robot in his line of sight. His features were marked with all the struggles they went through. Tired and hurt, almost lifeless, but only holding on thanks to anger. « You like bets, don't ya. » Mettaton fully faced him this time, interest showing. The camera was still recording so everyone could watch the scene. Sans' eyesockets were only deep wells, as a blood curdling smile crept up on his tensed face. His hands were holding the bars so strong the bones rattled. « Heh, predictable. So let's bet something, pal. You patch up the human so they survive for tomorrow's show, and this time, you let them fight you. No chains, no trap, just the two of you. My brother and I will be among the audience. If you win, you can have our heads on a plate. »

« That's quite risky for you, sweetheart. I'd say even suicidal. » Mettaton mused. Sans' grin widened.

« If you lose, you let us go safe and sound. Simple as that, isn't it ? »

Mettaton crossed his pair of arms that weren't massive weapons. He didn't take much time to consider the suggestion. Cameras turned off to give them privacy when Mettaton made a quick motion at their attention.

« That's some challenge for your champion, don't you think ? »

« I know. » Sans shrugged nonchalantly. « That's why they need some serious help here. It wouldn't be fun for you to compete against someone who's not at their full capacities, would it ? »

The killing machine took a moment to spare a glance over the badly damaged human. They were fighting so hard just to stay awake with Papyrus' supportive talk.

« Hm, you're right. I shall take them to Alphys, then. »

« Anything to help them survive is welcomed. » Papyrus immediately joined the conversation. He had been listening all along while he took care of his tortured friend. His fingers moved a sticky lock of hair away from the human's sweaty face. « Now, it'd be appreciated to let my brother and dog go. We're no longer your guests. Just spectators. »

« No... »

Everyone looked at the human. They had trouble staying alert, but at least they were conscious.

« I won't go to that... insane scientist... » Their tone meant to sound bitter, in vain. They sounded like someone that didn't sleep for a week instead. « You know... This lizard will do more than just giving me.. medical attention... » Papyrus held their head that was dangerously dropping backwards. « Please... Take me to a save star... I need to... save... »

The skeleton brothers exchanged a look. The human was right. It was dangerous letting their friend alone with that crazy bitch. But healing them so they wouldn't die during the day was as important as their safety. Mettaton tilted his head in confusion.

« Save Star ? » He frowned a little bit, then his face brightened at realization. « Ah yes ! The star outside that room ? »

« There is one ? » Papyrus asked.

« Yes. Do what you have to do, I'll take the human to my designer's afterwards. »

« No. » Sans coldly responded. « We don't leave them behind. We'll stay by their side in case that your slut wants to be a little bit too friendly. »

A long moment went by while they exchanged cold glances. Papyrus finally got to take off the chains from the poor tortured soul. He did his best not to make them suffer furthermore as he'd take them in his arms only to fail considerably for the human was whining, whimpering, almost fainting from the ache every movement he made would cause. His brother didn't seem to bear what he was witnessing. Shaky breath, trembling hands and jaws... Sweat was even running down his skull, washing away some blood spots on his chin. He never thought he would ever see his sibling, who used to be so delighted just by watching or hearing someone suffer, being so upset about it now.

« Release my brother, will you ? » Papyrus spat at Mettaton.

The trash can sighed, and approached to get rid of the attaches off Sans' bruised wrists. The skeleton almost came just by the sweet release. He hurried to rub the abused areas to try and erase the last remains of soreness. The poor bastard had to hold himself against the cage because his legs were so weak after the attacks he was victim of. A.D whined next to the guy asking for help too, and Sans complied by taking off that bloody muzzle off its head.

« There you go, buddy. » He added with a smile.

Sans had to let his brother rush outside with his darling for the star while he'd be waiting for Mettaton to put away the prison he was stuck in. The big tin can followed Papyrus after that, just to make sure that he wouldn't try and run away with his promised one in his back... And he got to see the human, still laying in the lanky skeleton's arms, holding that twinkling little thing against their heart. They seemed so peaceful at this moment with their closed eyelids and their lips parted in a relaxed, almost relieved expression.

Despite this, their wounds remained and blood was dripping on the ground of the Core. That's when the human's body went limp, arms falling at the same moment the save star burst into shining dust. Sans, that just got out of the room because of his current state, was supporting himself with the wall. He noticed his brother's horrified face as he realized that they were losing their friend. He faced the robot quickly, his features twisted in rage when he yelled.

« Call Alphys, now ! »

✧✦✧

The pain.

You were so used to it and not at the same time. Everytime you thought you got through worse, karma would always find a way to color you surprised. Your consciousness resurfaced with every second passing by, and with that the hurting began. On the pain scale from 0 to 10, you rated 12 directly.

You felt someone touching you. Arms, head, legs, belly, chest... The terrible, familiar sensation that lingered once in your side took over all your lower half. God, it was the worst and you couldn't move, too weakened to react while somebody messed with your vessel. It was hard opening your eyes when you were losing the battle against endorphins. Pain was too much to bear.

Maybe you should rest a little more...

Someone held your hand. Who was it ? Sans ? Papyrus ? Asriel ? In this moment of semi-consciousness, you couldn't make the difference. At least, you knew someone was here with you. Watching over you while another person was taking care of your wounds. The thought of Alphys crossed your mind. At least, she seemed to be willing to help. You were safe as long as your friends were here.

Yeah... You could use some rest now...

The soft voice of Sans spoke close to your ear, and even though you were too far gone to pay attention...

It still filled you with Determination.

Your soul hurt deeply when you awoke. The dream you had was bittersweet, you remembered how it comforted you and still tugged at the strings... Maybe it was a memory you had, or maybe a oh-so-pretty dream you thought it'd be true. Hell, how you wanted to talk about it, how beautiful it was but...

How could you talk about it when you didn't remember a thing ?

It was hard to open your tired eyes. You noticed that a tear rolled down the side of your face gently as you fluttered your eyes open. The soft lights of the machine screens against the walls lit the dark room. They were around the bed on which you were laid on, notifying your stable health state.

You realized that your belly barely hurt right now. With exhausted, sloppy gestures, you lifted the thin fabric of the blanket to check your wounded areas, only to discover bandages holding your entire chest. A few stains of blood spotted your covered belly... They did all they could to save you, didn't they ?

That's when you wanted to touch the fabric holding your skin that you noticed your left hand was stuck. You looked down to spot a wild Sans asleep, his upper body part collapsed on the mattress as he held gently but firmly your hand in his... You figured he had been sitting there, next to you waiting for your awakening. And... Oh, you just remembered you were naked... And your limbs were pitch black.

Wait.

Where was your natural skin color ?! Your arms were pitch black, they disappeared in the darkness. You only found the limit of the curse at the top of your sternum, around the level of your heart.

It was even worse than before. Oh god... The fact that Sans was resting next to you forced you to stay quiet, you didn't want to wake him up when he could finally rest, especially after all what he went through earlier... But the anxiety that built up didn't help at all to breathe. Oh god, you were suffocating in these tight bandages...!

Where were you ? Did you pass Mettaton ? Were you back at Alphys' ? Were you still in the Core or what ?

The sound of a footstep caught the attention of your spiraling mind. You quickly looked in the direction of the noise. It was Papyrus. Aggressive Dog slept peacefully next to the wall, on the spot where its owner had been standing. The monster silently walked towards you. His face looked sharper, more menacing than ever with these jaws tightly clenched because of the darkness and the soft lights from the screens. His piercing eyes were locked with yours... Silence reigned with all its might in the room. The strong light that you saw earlier in his eyes was gone as well as the dark aura you sensed around him.

You thought he looked horrific from afar... Now that he was standing next to you, you honestly thought you were back at Snowdin when you were enemies. Bits of memory clouded your mind, the multiple deaths you experienced by his hand, the acts of torture he inflicted you... They looked so far from you but at the same time... You were trapped in the memories and there was no way out.

« Human. »

He just whispered and it was enough to erase the haunting visions like they were nothing. Even his face bursted out of the fog, so suddenly it took you by surprise and you twitched. A large portion of silence fell upon you all, so heavy and defeaning... That you had trouble to realize how loud your breathing was.

You were terrified and confused. Your reaction forced the monster to look down.

« ... I was expecting this. » He said with the same volume, his expression looked somewhat... Sad ? Oh wait. He realized that you were scared of him... You opened your mouth to speak but not a sound came out, just a broken breath. Ah, yeah, you screamed too much in his hands and now, your throat was too sore and dry for anything. He noticed it, so he stared at you and said. « Don't force yourself. You need to recover... So rest. I'll be watching over you through the night. »

But didn't he need to rest too ? He went through a lot of crap, he went through a shitload of suffering too, he even had dark spots under his eyesockets so little he slept lately, if at all !! Also, wasn't he still hurt ? You looked down to spot the wounds freshly healed on his spine and his uncovered rib that left only scars behind... You didn't know how he could have endured this, and what about his throat ? You wanted to ask him, so much he must have read your mind because he said shortly after he saw your worried expression.

« I'll be fine, don't you dare worry about me. »

He did as best as he could, and still he felt horrible... You knew why his entire being screamed guilt and it was unbearable. He didn't have a choice...

Your free hand raised in his direction. He was confused at first, his slit eyes darted back and forth between your hand and your begging gaze.

You needed him to know it wasn't his fault. And that you weren't scared of him.

You moved your lips to say.

« Can you please hold my hand too ? »

The monster looked surprised at your request. He didn't expect it, did he ? Of course he didn't.

He took a moment to kneel down so he could prop his elbows on the mattress. His hands carefully enveloped yours so small in comparison, trying to avoid putting pressure on your painful marks. Despite his efforts at being gentle, the ache still existed. It didn't stop you from smiling anyway.

« Can you please stay like this until I fall asleep ? »

Without taking his gaze off you, the monster nodded quietly despite the obvious confusion marking his features. He couldn't help but wonder... how could you stare at him with such loving eyes, and warm smile ? How could you let him touch you with these hands covered in your own blood ? Looking at your face, he thought that he said it out loud... But you just read it in his eyes. You wish you could help him, tell him that everything was okay, to hold him in these arms that ached so much to prove that you weren't afraid of him... So you did what you knew best. Your smile widened and you closed your eyes.

« Thank you. »

Everything will be fine, you'll see, Papyrus. With that, the tension that came with the silence earlier lifted, leaving behind a peaceful atmosphere in the bedroom. It took just a few seconds to slip back into Dreamland.

Everything will be okay.

Time's dead and gone.

Show must go on.

You were back from the dead standing in front of Mettaton. Papyrus and Sans were watching with major anxiety among the audience. It had only been an hour since you were awake, but to you, it seemed like an eternity already... Maybe because your insides felt like noodles on the run. Though it was amazing how good Alphys had taken care of you, thank god she was around when you needed help... Though she wasn't there by pure chance ; actually, the nursery was rather close from the show room so you were handled quickly.

They may have fixed you, still your guts would play jump rope if it wasn't for the bandages holding your insides in place. Lord bless Alphys for giving medical attention. You wondered how it was possible to patch you up so well you didn't feel like dying every two seconds... Maybe she used magic, the same kind of magic you found in food that helped healing faster ? Most of your injuries were scars now, still sensitive and tender, but healed. It still hurt more around the places where the black marks and the bandages reached...

But that's an issue you couldn't afford to care for at the moment. You remembered yesterday's deal. The skeleton brothers took care of you, risked their life for you. It was your duty to do the same for them now. You'd fight Mettaton for their sake.

You lost your balance for a very short moment. The audience gasped softly. You quickly glanced over your companions among the other spectators and looking at their concerned faces, you hoped not to die too many times...

Because you didn't know how many chances were left.

Mettaton looked ever so glamourous when he announced the start of the show. You had to admit he was talented. He nailed everything. He was a good singer, from what you saw on TV back in Snowdin. He also was a pretty good actor and had a special talent to entertain people as well, no matter how bloody his games could get ! He really nailed it all. As he talked about last night's game, he looked at you with a huge smile on his androgynous face.

« Also, many of you witnessed the deal our very “loved” Sans and your favorite presenter in all Underground had together ! The human that you see here has to defeat me. If they do, they'll leave the stage alive. But if they don't, I'm sure you all sweeties know what that means ! »

« BLOODSHED ! » The monsters exclaimed in one clear voice.

« I can't hear you~ LOUDER ! » And they did.

« BLOODSHED ! »

Mettaton cackled. He was clearly enjoying this. You knew oh too well that it wouldn't be the case for you.

What he didn't know was that you had the power to reload. You started all over whenever you died, with the usual second effects of course. At least, that helped you learn his techniques. Know his weaknesses. But... Destroying him wasn't your intention... Even with the resentment you had for what he had done to your friends, you still wanted to make things right. Maybe try and talk with him would help ? He wasn't just a robot, he had his own personality ; he was a living being. You realized that the reversed heart trapped in the glass prison of his chest was an actual soul. He had a soul !

The guy faced you with a smile.

« Now, darling. Shall we begin ? » He asked, bringing your attention back on his head.

« Am I going to fight you with bare hands ? » You took the risk to ask.

« Oh, how adorable. » he commented with a smile. « You have a set of weapons behind you. »

He gestured in your direction with his blaster, so it's not with a peak of anxiety that you turned around and noticed the furniture behind you. It seemed that it was the same set of weapons than yesterday. Now that you were free to move and stand you had a better view on what was presented on the small table. Knifes, saws, daggers, even guns and a chainsaw. Oh, god, you were so lucky Papyrus was on your side !

You knew that the fireguns and the chainsaw would help a lot... But far was the intention to kill.

« Asriel. » You called out in your thoughts. « What should we pick ? »

« The chainsaw. » He immediately replied. You sighed. This wouldn't help. You were surely too weak and novice to handle this object.

« Nothing better ? » You asked.

« Well... The fireguns would be easier to hold... But I was told we needed to learn how to use them first. I never got that chance though. »

« Too risky. I might miss and hurt an innocent bystander. »

« No one is innocent here. » Your friend replied in a bitter tone.

…

Fair point.

Your eyes kept going back and forth between the weapon until you finally decided in a sigh.

You turned to face Mettaton unarmed. He was genuinely surprised at the choice, yet his smile couldn't be wider.

« Well well well, seems like our champion made their choice. »

You swallowed hard.

You collected all the determination inside you. You were going to need it.

You chose Mercy as a weapon. You were smiling as you complimented the robot, who couldn't get his head any more swollen. It didn't stop him from shooting a blasting ray of light at you right after the compliment. You just barely dodged the attack that it burnt a part of your clothes. You quickly dropped on the floor to extinguish the fire. Fuck, that was close ! You felt the heat really close to your skin this time ! Your reaction made the presenter laugh, you just had time to look up and see him sending missiles that came out of his back like the good human killing machine he was. You gasped and jumped on your feet to dodge the attack. It was way too close to your taste... ! You ran around with lots of struggle hopelessly trying to get out of that mess safe and sound. Every time the audience joined your reactions but with much more delight.

What a sick world.

You managed to jump in time before one missile could touch your feet... To fall on another. Your scream echoed in the blasts. You landed front first on the metallic ground. The loud explosions damaged your hearing so bad, you couldn't make out any sound any more. You had trouble to breathe because of the clouds of dust. Pain was a euphemism when it came to the sensation you had in your legs... It was indescribable.

You took support on your elbows to try and get up... But you couldn't feel your feet anymore.

The smell of roasted meat reminded you of Toriel.

Then the last missiles bursted as well.

Chapter Text

The spectators were applauding but not for your sake. They were congratulating Mettaton whenever he struck you. There had been a few times you died, and this time was one of them. You were on your knees. One of your arms was gone. You knew you weren't going to make it once again. The robot didn't seem to have any weaknesses as far as you managed to study him. Even Asriel, who tried multiples times to take control of your vessel, hadn't done better. Mettaton was a perfect killing machine.

« Will you still spare him ? » He asked with anger evident in his voice.

You were clutching the rest of your left arm in pain. Mettaton raised the canon in your direction while you were busy catching your breath.

« I... Have hope, yeah... » You replied, just before you were wiped by the blast of the robot's massive gun.

You were back the next minute with all your limbs and head, in a much better shape than you were the previous timeline. Your friend repressed a grunt of pain in the back of your mind.

« I'm sorry, Asriel... » You whispered to him.

« Why the fuck do you still spare that monster after what he's done to you and your friends !? For fuck's sake, give me the commands already ! I'll rip this asshole's head ! »

« Asriel, stop. » He stared at you with eyes filled with rage. How did he change so much ? Where was your soft-hearted friend ? It felt like the sickness draining your vital force and hope had affected him too. It was taking away everything that made Asriel who he was. At this thought, your heart sank in sorrow.

Oh... My dearest friend... What have I done ?

You breathed slowly to regain control over the feelings of dread, anger and sadness threatening to make you snap.

« I know all that, he deserves to pay for his actions, you're right... But I cannot kill him... or anyone... » Silence. « Please... Let me do this. » The way you begged him calmed his wrath down a bit, enough to finally sigh in defeat.

« It's going to start any second now. Prepare yourself. »

A quick glance over your friends among the spectators told you that if Papyrus was still nervous, Sans was a mess. Other than the fact that he had to recover from the abuse he got through yesterday, the spark of his magic in his eyes was nowhere to be seen. How lucky Papyrus was for not remembering anything... Other than the torture he inflicted you... With the damage that appeared on his whole figure, you were certain that ignorance was better. He had enough nightmare fuel for a few days at least... Your heart couldn't help but break already at the sight of your shattered friends. No need to have them both more broken than they already were.

You had to hold on for Sans and Papyrus' sake. No matter how difficult it will be.

You didn't know how you'll be able to do that. You just got stitches and even if their healing magic did the most of the work, you still had some wounds that needed aftercare. This area was still painful and it was one of the reasons why you died multiple times already.

« I'll take care of that. » Asriel said. You sensed his energy enveloping your abdomen and soon enough, that area became numb. You heard him hiss in pain. So he's possessing a part of your body now ?? Without taking control over you ?

« Are you alright ? » You asked him through your thoughts.

« Yeah... Nothing that we cannot manage, right ? » He replied with an amused tone and you could see in the back of your mind his face strained but still smiling. That's the Asriel you knew. You smiled in return.

« Right. Thank you, Asriel. »

Mettaton didn't seem to like that smile judging by the disgusted look he gave you. As expected, Mettaton shot his first blast at you and like you did before, you bent to avoid it.

Then the missiles came in. You learnt pretending to go on a side to jump to the opposite. You figured that this tactic would take the robot by surprise and make him waste a bit of his ammo. He'd shoot at you again until you were too close for him to use this massive weapon, so he'd attack with his chainsaw instead. He didn't expect you to glide between his legs to bounce back on your feet in his back. Here, the killing machine would swing his chainsaw arm in hope to cut you in half as he turned, but you already knew it and stepped aside to stay in his back. You've never went so far until now, that was a first !! Think fast, Frisk. You cannot let your guard down.

You quickly found an opening and went for it ; his cannon arm. The pressure of your hold hurt your hands, it felt like needles but you kept pulling on the weapon with all your might anyway. You pulled on it as hard as you could without thinking of the pain pressing your hands. He tried to free himself by swinging around his chainsaw in hope to get you. You moved away instinctively and exposed his metallic arm in your move, protecting yourself as he rushed for it. He didn't know what was going on at first since he was inhabiting a robot, and he registered when he heard the familiar sound. Damage was already done when a warning popped up in his robotic vision, the arm was resting lifeless in yours. You let go of that thing that used to be his limb, because not only because you felt disgusted with yourself, but also because it revealed to be heavy and it made you trip already ! At least, you've managed to do something right ! You didn't believe you could do it, but you actually did !

There was nothing to be happy about though. You had no idea what was going to happen now and he really, really looked pissed. He was on his way to butcher you with what was left of his chainsaw, that was so damaged the chain was gone. You gasped and rolled out of his reach. Once again you'll have to forget about the aches taking hold of you; your life was depending on your actions. Thank your adrenaline for numbing the senses, even though that stuff was shit since it would make you clumsy as fuck, you still needed it... You just wished it wouldn't make you go noodles, like falling or missing a step because you were too focused on the source of danger. Hopefully you'd feed on Asriel's anger and your death counts to think faster like that.

« You little cunt ! » The robot pestered between his teeth, before he threw a bunch of missiles in your direction.

You couldn't take him by surprise like the first time, so you decided to run around -as you could- to avoid the target missiles. In a desperate attempt to survive, you jumped behind the stand where the torture tools used to be displayed now flopped over after a missile exploded it. You braced yourself, praying it'd be enough of a shield. Thank god a good part of it was made off titanium so it resisted the initial blast. You were gasping for air. Your sides were hurting from all these efforts, like your mouth and throat were dry after all the running.

Crap... How could you get rid of those missiles without having to destroy his entire body ?

« Met-Mettaton ! » You called. « I'm very sorry about your arm, really ! Can we please talk ? I'm sure we can sort this out peacefully ! » He snickered.

« Maybe when you'll be dead, meatball ! »

Wow, where did the petnames go ? He must be really mad...

You peeked through your hiding spot to check where he was, to discover he was just above you. You cried out of stupefaction right before you rolled on the side, just in time to dodge the chainsaw that he smashed right in your previous spot. When he lifted his metallic limb, his weapon that was already in bad shape was... Well... In a pitiful state now. He realized he completely put his second weapon to rest. The robot glared at you with such hatred eyes.

« YOU ! »

Oops. Thank yourself for being on the other side of the ring.

« Mettaton, please, we can stop here ! » You cried out. « We've had enough ! You got me good yesterday, I got you good today ! Can't we call that an even ? Can't we just stop here before it escalates ? »

« After what you've done !? You ruined me ! On MY show ! That wasn't supposed to happen. But yes, you're right, darling. You're going down. » He growled with such a the maniacal smile that accentuated his crazy looking eye. It terrified you.

Your eyes darted on the cannon laying on the ground. The killing machine followed your gaze before his mouth parted in realization. The next second, another set of missiles was launched at you. You jumped to dodge the attack and landed on the weapon. Fuck, the shock of the fall tore a cry from you because of the marks and your belly that still remembers yesterday's ordeal. Asriel couldn't do much about it because he was already rolling and screaming in pain. He was the one taking hits for the team here. Sorry, Asriel.....

The smoke and dust were thick enough to let you recompose yourself as they hid you away from your enemy. You looked around trying to spot him through the big cloud where you last saw him. When the smoke dissipated, he was frustrated to see you still in one piece. Break was over, you had to get quickly back up and that's when you realize your feet hurt as much as your hands, no, worse actually. God you were done with that fucking pain ! It's with screams of labor you stood on them, holding in your limbs the heavy cannon that awakened the pain in your fingers against your chest. Meanwhile, Mettaton was taking out his second set of arms from his back to pick up weapons lying on the ground.

Oh fuck, you forgot about those ! You decided to stay away while he was aiming. You needed distance and speed and fuck, those were hard to get in your condition. Even with your friend's help, your abdomen begged for rest, you didn't know how the stitches were doing there but you wouldn't be surprised to see some open at this point. You'd be surprised if none broke.

A missile exploded when it hit the ground just behind your heel, making the others burst as well in the process. You jumped forward in a reflex and you shouted out at the forced effort. It was way too close !! And you were too tired and in pain for this !! You didn't want to go through all the struggle again, not after all what you've done ! Your eyes burned with the need to cry as that violent sting coursed your entire body. Please, no more, no more...!

You turned in Mettaton's direction. He was laughing maniacally. You quickly looked over the dead arm in yours and although it was modified with wires to give Mettaton full control, there was still the original trigger on the gun to use. You hoped it was still functional. Feverishly, shaking and out of breath, you did your best handling it when you aimed the cannon at your opponent.

You really didn't want to do this... You still stood by what you said before; you didn't want anyone's death on you. But... you didn't have a choice... You were exhausted and desperate for a way out... Maybe... Maybe there was nothing else to do...

Yeah... That's right.

You shot first but since you didn't know how to actually use the weapon, you not only missed the target, but also got hit right in the face with the recoil. Your vision and hearing blurred out as it knocked you out. The audience laughed at your pitiful fail. Among the laughter, you clearly heard Sans screaming out like a mad man.

« Get up, sweetheart ! GET UP ! »

Get up ? What ? Oh, yes, you forgot about the other guy for a mere second. As you returned to your senses, you noticed he was laughing his ass off in the background.

« That was adorable. » He commented while he wiped a tear he couldn't shed.

Yeah, you had to admit it would have been very cool if you knew how to use guns. You were almost cracking a smile or even risking a timid chuckle at how ridiculous you must have looked when a violent sting erupted from your leg. The surprise tore a scream and your body bent in pain. Oh yeah, of course, he wasn't going to keep that blade in his hand forever, dummy ! Oh fuck, oh fuck, your leg... Whimpering, you crawled away from the killing machine, who was calmly following the trail of blood you were leaving behind. The audience was shouting “bloodshed” again. The number of people watching tonight's show wouldn't stop raising. You could even see a poll asking who was going to win. Roughly 90% were on the Star's side. The 10% left were for you.

It was a lost cause, huh ? You'll stay here forever...

Your fingers hit something. Your eyes shot down before a soft gasp escaped your lips. It was a remote... Was it what Mettaton used for Papyrus and Sans' torture ? Though the buttons that you saw there wouldn't make any sense...

Best was to try anyway, right ? Your friends were safe now that they were free from chains and torture collars. You still wondered how it didn't turn to ashes with all the explosions around... Okay, it wasn't in good shape, but overall it looked functional. With a sparkle of hope for a miracle, anything, you looked up and around to try and find something susceptible to be connected to that remote. Nothing but the broken furniture from earlier came to mind. Fuck, let's hope it wasn't for that...

The memory of Sans' cage crossed your mind. You quickly searched for it around but it was nowhere to be seen...

« Frisk, look up ! » Asriel exclaimed in your ear.

There was a blurred memory coming back in flashes, where Sans' cage was lifting to free him back when Papyrus took you to the Save Star. Maybe that was it ?? Its previous position was close around here, you looked over your shoulder to check on it only to find it gone, so you looked up to spot the trap door where the cage was supposed to fall from. You noticed a number written on it so it would match with one of the multiple buttons on that remote had ! It was just above you. Here was your chance ! Bless that remote !

You watched Mettaton approaching while you kept backing up until you were out of the dangerous zone. The robot kept snickering at the sight of your struggling. He didn't seem to notice what was in your possession.

« Now comes the final blow. » He announced as he pointed the automatic rifle at you. « Any last words for your fans ? »

« Knock knock. » The robot wasn't expecting for your last words to be a joke, so much he stopped walking right on the spot you desired. At least he was nice enough to allow this last wish.

« Who's there ? » He asked with a confused tone.

« Luke. »

« Luke who ? » You smirked.

« Luke up you dummy. »

He complied only to see a cage falling right on the spot where he was standing. He didn't have time to get out of the way, so he used his two remaining arms to stand in the way of bars in order to prevent the trap from reaching the ground... Only to fail miserably as the weight of the cage, too great for his limbs, cut right through them.

Spectators gasped. Sans jumped on his feet, his hands lifted up in victory when he yelled.

« GeeeeeeeeeEEET DUNKED ON !! »

His brother was applauding next to him with a huge, proud smile on his dented mouth as he laughed openly. You couldn't help but respond to their joy with a huge, bright smile as well just before a sharp, violent pain in your abdomen awakened. You couldn't sense Asriel anymore... He couldn't take the pain any longer, could he ? Oh... Yep, there went the stitches. Sorry, dear friend... The stabbing pain was so strong, you saw dots and ended up collapsing on the ground. He had been struggling with this while you were fighting ? Honestly, that boy was a champion and he deserved some good ass recognition once he wakes up. No matter how agonizing it was, that was still a pain you could handle and even if you didn't feel like moving at all, you still lifted up your arms above your head when you whispered a breathless, relieved “Yesssss”. Who cared if you were suffering. You did it !!! You survived and spared another monster !!! Speaking of the devil, you wondered how he was doing. You looked up and saw how mad he was, so mad that his androgynous face was unrecognizable, his eyes wide open with the need to rip your throat for humiliating him like you did. So how was it testing your own medicine, big guy ?

He changed position while the little traps in his back opened to launch missiles.... But he didn't have any left. So in silence, he closed the traps in his back, his face heavy with resign. He had lost and he knew it, but man how difficult it must be to admit such a thing. His expression back to normal, he opened his eyes, a slight smirk on his lips.

« Well well, it appears that the human put the glamourous Mettaton in check & mate. A first in all MTT-show history ! » Then, he raised his eyes on the ratings that were showing on the screen. « Wow, look at those ratings ! This is the most viewers I've ever had ! » He winked at you. « We've reached the viewer call-in milestone ! One lucky viewer will have the chance to talk to me... Before I leave the Underground forever to conquer the Surface ! Let's see who calls in first. »

It didn't take long for a first call to ring. Mettaton took a confident posture before he started.

« Hi, you're on TV ! What do you have to say on our last show ? »

A giggle made him lose a bit of his dazzling smile.

« Hi, Mettaton. » The voice said with a malicious tone.

You recognized it. This voice belonged to a ghost named Napstablook. You met them in the Ruins. They pretended to be asleep just to make you fall in their trap. No need to say that they were a vicious person. A kind of vengeful spirit taking pleasure to weaponize their tears with the sole intent to hurt you. You wondered what they'd have to say to the beaten up presenter.

« All these years I've been wondering when your shitty show would end. It was so boring ! You know how boring it was ? So boring it made me cry in agony ! And for ONCE that there was a human to spice that shit up, you fucked up ! 'can't even kill a human, and you call yourself a Human killing machine !? And you think you're ever gonna be successful on the Surface ??? Don't make me laugh ! Thank FUCK it's the last episode, good riddance ! »

Mettaton's face froze in shock. Okay, that was more than a payback. Just straight up bullying. When the caller hung up, the robot exclaimed but too late.

« N-No, wait ! Bl- … They already hung up... » He forced a smile for the rest of the spectators watching, that have been remaining silent through the whole ordeal. « I-I'll take another caller ! »

And here another voice started to speak.

« You're such a disgrace ! Losing against an unarmed human ! I can't believe the shit I just saw ! You're shaming us all ! » Another one followed.

« You're such a disappointment ! »

« Go back to the garbage, right where you belong ! »

Wow. You never expected his fanbase to be a pile of dog shit and towards him especially of all people. Shaken by all this hatred, you kept listening. The words they spat were like punches across your face and blades in your soul, and the worst is that they weren't even directed at you ! A flash of your past triggers passed in your eyes.

Yes, that's right...

You went through verbal abuse too. You were reacting to those hainous words because you once stood where Mettaton was standing tonight... You couldn't help but feel sorry for him when you saw the robot's agonizing expression. Even without tears to shed, his suffering was palpable. The audience joined the calls and began throwing insults as well, all of them indignant about the results of the fight, and probably pissed that they lost their bet over you also.

« Stop ! » He begged the bullies. You both were growing overwhelmed by the amount of aggro in the room.

You were now holding your head. All this hate was getting to you. It felt like somebody was crushing your lungs from inside your chest so quick your anxiety rose. Even if Mettaton has been more than a monster to you and your friends, you couldn't be mad at him. They've been stuck here for so long that they all became insane, like Sans told you before. But... It didn't have to be this way. They didn't have to turn against each other when they're all in the same boat ! And you couldn't accept someone being bullied in your presence. Even with your damaged state, you collected your remaining strength to stand up. You balled up your fists in sheer revolt until your nails dug in your skin. Deep breaths weren't enough to calm your anger.

« SILENCE ! » You cried out with ferocity. You spooked yourself with how feral you sounded. Surprisingly, it was enough for the monsters to comply. Bet they were as shook as you. « Isn't that enough !? Do you seriously need to put more on his plate when he's already hurting ? Why do you all have to be so fucking disgusting to one another ? You're monsters, a race which has been living tragedies and great injustices for centuries ! You should stick together, not tear each other apart, damn it !! »

Mettaton looked at you with an expression of utter stupefaction. On your face were streaming rivers of tears but not from anger only though. The situation gave you a whole arsenal of conflicted emotions. Your throat was tightening, you struggled to breathe with the fury coiling in the pit of your stomach that was already going through a lot. However, here was your chance to help someone, like you wished to be helped in your previous life.

« For God's sake, show a little Mercy ! Life isn't about tearing each other down ! Don't you see that Hatred only leads to self-destruct !? Is Hatred really worth a lonely and insecure life, and for what ?! » You looked at the monsters remaining still in the seats. Your insides were screaming in agony, enough for you to stumble a moment and hold your abused area for support. « Haven't you realized it !? Nobody survives by fighting, nor anyone can survive without Love ! »

You took a breath in hope to cool out the burning animosity holding you. It took many more deep breaths to find your bearings, and once you spoke again, it was with a much more collected and gentle tone.

« Being merciful may be harder than fighting, I can guarantee that... I know that loving is harder than hating, just like getting revenge is more tempting than understanding... But the satisfaction you get from kindness is so much more worth it ! I can assure you. »

Here it was, the peace in your heart. With a bright smile, you spread your arms.

« Give mercy, and you'll find forgiveness ! »

Catching the sight of your friends filled your heart with nothing but warmth. You were so happy to see them safe, and to see on their face relieved joy.

« You can become better people. You can find peace. And for that, there's only one thing to do. »

They got up and joined you on stage. You looked up at Sans to find him smiling back at you. You perceived the same warm glint in his brother's eyes. A.D passed its head under your hand in an affectionate way to support you. The atmosphere around you lifted as soon as they reunited with you, as if they chased away the darkness threatening to swallow you whole... A weight has lifted off your chest to the point you thought you'd actually start to float so lighthearted you felt... It seemed that you finally let go of something heavy that you've been carrying for way too long. Maybe that's what you've been longing to do ; speak your mind when facing injustice. You found that voice you lost against those who ripped your life apart... You had a chance and you took it. You were that person that you used to wish so hard to meet in your darkest times. Even if it was just for a little while, this thought was enough to feel at peace with yourself...

And for a short moment, you knew where you belonged.

« Love. »

And on these words, your group left by the back door. You caught the sound of someone weeping before the door closed behind you.

Be brave, Mettaton. In the end, everything will be just fine.

You're not on your own, for I'm with you.

Chapter Text

« Hey, look over here. »

You raised your exhausted eyes on Sans. The guy helped you, healing the wounds where the stitches broke with some healing products that he stole from Alphys' on top of those she gave his brother because she knew you wouldn't come out of the fight intact, back when you were knocked out on the hospital bed. Thank god he did that, otherwise you were pretty sure you'd have never gotten back up. The area was tender and rather safe from breaking skin again now..

But...

You had been having trouble breathing for the past few hours. You tended to tire out way faster than usual and your friends noticed it. They were also exhausted, you realized. They looked paler, and they were skeletons ! How is that possible ? They're pale by definition ! They had dark red circles marking their eyesockets, a sign that they were worn out. Sans stopped next to a door, his hands in his pockets as he tried to come up with a relaxed stance... Poor boy tried to act like nothing was wrong. His brother and their pet dog followed the flow and stopped next to you. You wondered why he told you to check until you noticed the building from afar and all of the sudden, your heart sank in complete nostalgia. Asriel, who was still around you, wept at the sight of this place. It was bound for you to do the same in consequence.

It looked just like mom Toriel's house. Sans bent a bit to look at you in dismay.

(A delicate melody plays in the distance)

« Hey, you alright here, darling ? » You were already wiping away your tears with your sleeves when he asked this.

« Yeah, I just... Miss mom sometimes, that is all. » You admitted with a smile. It was true. You spent the majority of your time with her in the Ruins, she kept you safe until you wanted to leave the place... Even if that hurt and scared you shitless seeing her under a new light, you understood her fear and despair... You hoped that you'll be able to forgive her actions someday...

« Your mom ? » Papyrus repeated, confused. You nodded.

« Toriel. She was like a mom to- »

A sound similar to tiny bells caught your attention.

« A mom to you, that's what you meant ? » Papyrus asked,while you were looking up, searching for the source of the sound that only you seemed to hear. You raised a hand as a sign to say “quiet” while you were waiting. So everyone went silent, suddenly on their guard as they looked around.

Another tiny bell rang and this time, you knew where it came from. You looked up to see something falling ever so slowly, peacefully, shining bright yet soft. Your companions turned their attention over you when you reached out for that approaching object to discover it was a buttercup that you were gently catching by its stem.

The way the petals were glowing ever so kindly was soothing everyone's nerves. The monsters by your side were amazed at its sight. It felt so magical being able to witness this gift coming out of nowhere.

Your eyes were focused on the flower that wouldn't stop shimmering... Until you heard those tiny bells again.

It was a message. And it was for you.

« Time's almost up. »

That's what the flower whispered in your ear before it vanished in glistening dust, leaving in its wake a weight on your chest. Your expression darkened in a matter of seconds. You were filled with resignation while the brothers were amazed and surprised at the sudden yet magical disappearance of the golden flower.

« What was that all about ? » Sans asked, confused.

« Nothing, really. » You decided to reply with a smile, though you wouldn't look at them. Your ruby eyes were focused on the ground to avoid their gaze. They didn't say anything in response, silently inviting you to continue... Their tactic worked because you added. « Let's just hurry. »

On those words, you all reached for the house. You pushed the door which was slightly open for some reason. The inside of the house was identical to mom's, the only difference was the gloomy, dark atmosphere that reigned here. As much as you wanted it, you just couldn't feel at home. Your friends were patiently waiting for you to decide what to do, while they were looking around for any danger to come. You noticed despite the place's darkness the chains at the staircase, so you walked over to it and started to read what was written on a piece of paper lodged in the lock hole. The hastened handwriting gave off anger.

« I'm in the garden. The reason of your disturbance must be important. »

Then you read where the keys were, so you turned in the left direction to find them.

« There's a key in the kitchen. » You told the brothers.

« I'll take it. » Papyrus volunteered to search for the holy key without the rest of you, and so he went hastily with A.D.

« There's another one in the hallway. » You finally said to your remaining friend.

« Do you want me to go for it or... »

« No, I can do it. » You smiled.

« Are you sure ? You're out of brea- »

« I can do it. » You repeated, still with a smile. « Thank you for the thought though, I appreciate it. »

And on these words, you started to walk through the house. Every step was like stepping on needles. God... Maybe you should have let Sans do it in the end. Asriel's agitated presence tore your attention from the ache though. Concerned, you hurried to ask him.

« What's going on ? Does this house give you the creeps too ? »

Wait... It wasn't fear that you were sensing...

You heard him weeping. The feeling of sorrow and shame hung over you. Those were his feelings. Deeper with nostalgia that took hold of you the previous minutes since you got in, accompanied with sadness to see where he had lived before had become such a dark, cold and devastated place.

« Do you remember when you asked if I wanted to talk about what was bothering me, back in Waterfall ? » His whisper was soft, yet a little bit hoarse, which made him seem so small, so fragile like the child that he used to be. « Well... I have a story to tell you. »

Your pace slowed down. You realized you were losing control of your body as the pain in your limbs reduced drastically. Asriel was possessing your body to be able to move by himself but still left you the controlling seat if needed. Maybe he needed to occupy himself while he collected his thoughts to find where to start. Some random words were echoing in the back of your head as he thought until he had his beginning.

« A long time ago, a human fell into the Ruins... injured by their fall, they called out for help. » He took a brief pause before he resumed talking. « I, the Royal son, heard the human's call... And brought them back home. »

Right then, you were in a child room where two beds were propped on the opposite sides. They looked quite comfy aside from the dust that took over the place. Strings tug at your heart the second you stepped in. This was your bestfriend's room, wasn't it ? You watched your friend lead you to a box and open it with your hands from which Asriel took a heart-shaped golden locket out and spent long seconds admiring it in silence. On it was written “Best Friends Forever”. So... That human lived with him, was that it ? He nodded at your thought then resumed opening the second box which contained a worn dagger. He stared at it for a while between your hands, then decided to equip it as well for the locket which was now resting against your heart. After that, you let him stand up and walk to the dresser where a family photograph was standing on. He caressed the picture with the tip of your finger, touching the parents' face, and the human's one which was hidden behind their hair and a bouquet of flowers. You were taken aback by the resemblance, enough to ask yourself if it was you on the photo. You and that human looked strangely the same.

« And so I took care of them, I was no longer lonely then. We were always together, they were my sibling... My parents treated them like their own child, they loved them so much... The Underground was full of Hope. » He explained while he exited the room.

You took the key in the hallway, but because and just because curiosity was gnawing at you, you let your goat friend bring you to a second room ; his parents'. He quickly traveled his eyes around, read a bit of Asgore's journal crippled in random writings. His handwriting reflected his mental health by how messy it looked. You managed to catch a few sentences among all the ones that were written over and over on the same page. “JUST A DREAM... ALWAYS A DREAM.” That gave you an insight on how the King must have been feeling all this time... They were all very different back then, considering the photo you stared at earlier... With a heavy soul, you both agreed on getting out and you found Sans on your left, staring at you with pulsing eyes and skull sweating. Standing face to face like that made you realize yet again how bad he looked. So pale with those dark spots under his eyesockets even darker than it used to be. It was your fault if they were all so exhausted... Guilt bit you in the ass. You looked away in shame as Asriel carried on, ignoring completely that he was hiding a mirror from you with his body. You retraced your steps to find Papyrus opening the first padlock.

(Another music plays in the room)

« If everyone was happy with this, what changed, then ? » You asked Asriel. He looked down while you'd unlock the second and last padlock blocking the staircase.

« One day... The human became really ill. » He replied. His answer made you freeze for an instant. Chills were still running up your spine as you walked through the corridor for in the back of your head, you caught the echo of a thought he tried to hide saying “They committed suicide.” and a flash of a memory. Lord... What have they done ? « They had only one request before they passed away : to see the flowers from their village. They went on and on about how they were pretty, especially in the sunlight, that they were like stars shining ever so beautifully... But it was impossible to do that... » His breath got funny at this moment.

« And the next day... »

You felt your stomach twist.

« They died. »

Tears pricked into your eyes. Your heart was in your throat. That's what happened, then... Oh, how horrible it was, losing someone you loved so much... Maybe you were gathering enough information on why this world became so twisted now.

« I couldn't let them go, I just couldn't... So I... I absorbed their soul. Our combined souls gave us incredible powers, but let's be honest here... Since it was our body, both of us had a split control over it, just like the both of us right now... They were the one to pick up their corpse. I went to find their village. » A turn on the right. « We found it and managed to reach the center, where we found a bed of golden flowers, like they wanted... »

You exited the corridor to discover the city on your left. The one that you saw from the balcony, back in the Ruins. It was even more impressive from where you were standing. Papyrus, Sans and A.D were around you like bodyguards walking you to the castle.

(you caught the echo of a melody)

« But then... We got caught. Humans passing by saw us and started screaming when they noticed one of their own in our arms... They must have thought that I killed my friend... »

Your smile quivered in a threat of falling apart. Streams of salty water ran down your cheeks. Although your friends could sense your distress, they didn't dare to talk. Surely because they thought you were afraid to die really soon. Which was partially true and yet at this moment, you were focused on something else.

« You know... If my friend did it, it was to set us all free. It just... didn't cross my mind, back then. You know how many souls we need to destroy the Barrier, right ? Their plan was to kill enough humans for that and they had some on their mind... But I couldn't. Although we were attacked and lethally wounded, I just couldn't find the will to do it... It just... wasn't my philosophy... Taking a life changes you forever... So I... managed to make us return home and find our parents... And died. »

This was too much to bear. Asriel 's bits of memories flashing in your eyes were overwhelming. Your friend couldn't take much anymore and lost control of your body, and you collapsed on your knees when the pain struck you back. The skeleton brothers called after you then squatted to hold you in their hands. They were trying to help you stand again, yet their touch was still so painful it forced a cry out of you. The black marks must have spread again and grew deeper within you... But you didn't want them to back off yet, so you caught your friends strongly to hold them in place, while you were sobbing. Although they didn't know what was going on inside your head, they were trying to comfort you no matter what and you were sorry for that, but still... Glad. Asriel appreciated their attempts as well. He needed that too.

« The humans took everything from us again... The Kingdom fell into Despair that day. That's why... The King, my father, declared that every human falling down here must die, so he could shatter the barrier forever and take revenge upon Humanity... »

You held onto your companions and hid your face against their clothing to cry.

« I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... » You hiccuped, which it made your friends hold you even closer.

Even Asriel's arms snaked gently around you while he buried his face in your hair. He was also weeping. He knew you didn't have to feel so miserable and sorry for him... On the other hand, he was glad to have someone like you as a friend and you could feel it inside of your own heart.

« I wish I had a friend like you sooner. My life- no, our lives... would have been... So different... » He whispered in your ear. « But... Better late than never, right ? »

Monsters around were watching. Nothing but a mixture of disgust and sadism reflected in their eyes. They knew who you were. The rumor of a human being delivered to the King ran through the Underground, which was proven true a few hours ago with Mettaton's show. It had spread so fast. It was certain that Alphys warned the King as well. Despite your eyes irritated from crying so much, you looked around. There were indeed monsters still looking hostile while in some others, you spotted relief and... Maybe... Admiration ? It looked like it.

You realized you stopped crying when the brothers broke the embrace but kept their hands on you. Their support was welcome. No matter how much it would hurt, you just accepted with open arms to receive some help with getting up since your legs were now noodles more than anything. You were afraid you wouldn't be able to use your legs soon. You had to bite down you lip to prevent a whine from coming out.

« It's okay, sweetheart... Take all the time you need. We're here. »

You nodded. The brothers' face were marked with worry as they stared at you. You breathed out a thank you while your hands held theirs like a lifeline. You didn't want to let go.

The monsters formed a path for you to follow, straight to the castle. In each one of them you could see their excitement. Eventually when the group passed by, a few of them talked at once.

« It's not long now. King Asgore will give us Hope. »

« King Asgore will let us go. » Another talked.

« King Asgore will save us all. »

Everybody was smiling in contrast of your little gang. You kept marching on. Another monster said.

« You should be smiling, too. »

« Aren't you excited ? » The little volcano monster next to them asked. You looked at your friends. One was looking straight forward with tensed features, maybe that he was furious even. The other had his gaze lost on the ground in anger and shame.

« Aren't you happy ? »

Nobody responded. A Final Froggit, which was the last monster to walk by, stared into your eyes and said.

« You're going to be free. »

They were right.

You were all going to be free.

Chapter Text

Footsteps echoed in this hall bathing in twilight as the group walked in. However, midway through the vast room, Sans held Papyrus' cape to prevent him from going further. Since you were in the lanky skeleton's arms for your legs were hurting too much and your current struggle to breathe, your companion turned around so you'd both look at him. Sans' eyes were lost on the ground. You could see how torn apart he was seeing you so close to your fate.

« Hey... » He started with a sad smile. « You know, I have multiple jobs. And here is one of mine : Judging souls. »

Confused, you didn't say a thing. You knew he had multiple jobs since he explained a couple of them, but you weren't expecting that at all. He gave his brother a look that invited him to put you back on the ground carefully. You were sitting down to let your sore legs rest. When it was done, Sans continued his explanation.

« And now, it's your turn to be judged. You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you've gained. What's EXP ? It's an acronym. It stands for Execution Points. A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. »

Your heart was pounding in your chest. Did Undyne's death count as EXP, then ? Were you going to be punished for your crime ?

« When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for Level Of Violence. »

You nodded quietly so he'd know you were still following. Papyrus was looking away with folded arms. While Sans was talking, he distanced himself to let his brother work and waited nearby a pillar with his pet dog. Sometimes he'd exchange a few words with it while looking through the window. His whispers were echoing in the Judgement Hall along with his brother's deep voice. When Sans was finished explaining, his pupils disappeared to let only one round with slit pupil and blazing red flame burn in his left eyesocket. His intense gaze made you feel incredibly naked and vulnerable all of the sudden as he stared into your SOUL yet you kept your head high. Anything that had to happen will happen. You wouldn't look away from your actions and responsibilities.

After a while, he closed his eyes, smiled and let out a sigh before he opened them again. Both of his red slit eyes returned to glance at you with sympathy.

(A soft melody plays in the distance)

« But you... You never gained any LOVE. 'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naïve. Just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. » He said as he squatted in front of you, so he'd be at your eye level.

His fingers brushed yours, you shot a quick glance over them to watch his hands take yours in this delicate way that you've grown used to and hold them close.

« No matter the struggles or hardships you faced... You strived to do the right thing. »

You couldn't repress the need to smile. Even a broken giggle made its way out. Your heartbeats were fast, you felt like butterflies in your stomach. That's right. You felt relieved, and happy. You were also a little bit flustered and embarrassed to hear such nice things about you.

« I just... Thought you all deserved a chance. » You said.

It was true, you never did all this for karma points, or to prove anything, even less to be rewarded for your actions. You were just being yourself here. Sans' thumb was caressing the back of your hand gently.

« You refused to hurt anyone... » then whispered. « Well, there was a fuck up or two, but you know what I mean. »

You nodded. He was right. You did your best to spare everyone even when nobody would have been mad at you for snapping, and still, a few still suffered when you did. Since he didn't know about what was going on with you, you were ready to take the blame. Still, he smiled as if it was no big deal or it was forgiven. It happened in another timeline, not this one. Everyone was safe and sound, so maybe that's what was the most important. He tilted his head a bit.

« Even when you were hurt, you never acted out of malice. You forgave... » He closed his eyes, breathed in, and when he opened his eyelids to stare down at you, his entire demeanor changed ; he wasn't afraid to show his vulnerability. Even the overbearing remorse he repressed for so long was showing on his features. « You taught me Mercy. »

He kneeled down, another sign that he was opening up to you. His breath was shaky, and his gestures slow as if time stopped. You were staring at him with surprise.

« And I... Still wonder how you could forgive me... Forgive us... For all that we did to you... For all what you went through... For all the agony, the losses... Darling, I'm... So... Sorry. »

He was pouring his heart out for you. All of things that you could forgive, Flowey's murder wasn't one. You just found a way to understand his actions, no matter how painful or horrible they were. You knew the weight of his guilt since the beginning and that will be his eternal punishment, his burden to bear. You appreciated seeing his personal growth and see the change through your journey together. Now, you were the one smiling. This reassured him so in a blink of an eye, he had a slight grin on his face.

« You never gained LOVE, but you gained love. » He chuckled. « Does that make sense ? » You laughed softly in return. « Maybe not. » Another chuckle.

When it passed, the monster's serious expression returned while he maintained his hold on your hands. « Now. You're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. Your actions here... Will determine the fate of the entire world. » His face darkened throughout the explanation. « If you refuse to fight... Asgore will take your soul and destroy Humanity. But if you kill Asgore and go home... Monsters will remain trapped underground. »

After that, he fell silent. He couldn't take his eyes off you. You witnessed water pooling on the border of his eyesockets before running down his face as he progressively lost his composure.

« Please, sweetheart, don't go in there. »

He scooted a tiny bit closer in his plea, barely managing to keep the last bit of composure he had left. Papyrus didn't look. In fact, he made sure to turn his back on the scene so you wouldn't see him... But you swore you heard a sniffle coming from where he stood. You turned your attention on Sans again. Oh, the guilt... That familiar ache in your insides... You couldn't take their pain.

« You're going to die... Please, don't go... You... You can stay with us. You'll be safe with us... We can be happy here... Please, please... It's not too late... We can- We can run away, hide, and build together a new home. A new life. Stay with us... I beg you... »

You were smiling at him tenderly. He looked like a child, wearing a face like this one... Your eyes were stinging with the need to cry, unfortunately, you had no more tears to shed. You freed one hand to rest it on his cheek, which stopped him in his impending breakdown. Now, he was silent, eyes wide and focused. Still wearing this sweet smile of yours, you approached to whisper.

« We all know it's impossible, Sans. There is no other choice... Look at me... I'm slowly dying... » This statement tore a broken sob from him. He raised his hand to cover yours, so fragile in comparison. Yes... You knew... It was the only possible outcome for you. « I have to do it, Sans. For everyone. »

His tears were wetting your black-stained hand. You brushed your thumb along his cheekbone to wipe them away.

« It's my purpose. I know you know it too. »

He sobbed and curled up. He was losing it, wasn't he ?

Why...? Why did you have to do this, Sans ?

I never thought you'd ever change your mind...

Your arms wrapped around his head to bring it against your heart. Now, among Sans' cries, you could clearly hear Papyrus' silent sobs. A.D was sitting next to its owner, its back turned on you as well, its head bowing in silent sorrow. Nobody was happy... Nobody was smiling. Nobody was excited.

You were going to be free.

You wished, oh so much, to hold them all close, yet you couldn't move. You had to save your strength to face Asgore, although you knew it was an already lost battle. When Sans could collect himself, he sat as straight as he could before he spoke again despite his broken voice.

« Well... You didn't get this far by giving up, did you ? Heh... That's right. You have something called “determination”. So as long as you hold on, as long as you do what's in your heart... I believe... You can do the right thing. » His eyes were now back looking at you. « You gave us Hope. »

That's when Papyrus decided to return with his companion. He was done crying and made sure to erase any evidence of his break down, he even was scowling to assure you that he was tough, that he could handle it. He watched you both for a while, before he finally turned his attention on his sibling.

« Can I speak with them for a minute ? » He asked him.

It was asked so nicely his brother couldn't refuse, even though he didn't want to let go of your hand. That's why he nodded, stood up and went on the lookout for monsters nearby. Better keep their guard up when they were in such a vulnerable state.

Papyrus sat down next to you so he could watch his brother wandering around. The monster oozed anxiety... and also remorse. He struggled just to look at you ever since he hurt you. It took some time for him to find a way to start the conversation.

(Another gentle music starts to play)

« Human... » He breathed out. His voice was lower than usual, huskier too. « Now that we're almost there, I... Is it alright for us to talk ? »

« Of course, Papyrus. » You replied softly. « I love talking with you. » The monster looked down in shame.

« I... Needed to get a few things off my chest. » He took a long, deep breath. « First... I wanted to thank you for all the things you've done for us.... Also, those black marks... » He nodded in the direction of your hand. « It's not a human thing... It's the result of what we have done to you, isn't that right ? »

You couldn't be sure of it. He had a slight smirk as he looked away.

« It feels like... You've absorbed our hate. Our anger. I... Don't know if that's the reason why, but... I started viewing things differently since we became friends. Started learning how not to... Curse everything. Learn how to see things the way you do. »

Papyrus' gaze traveled your body covered in injuries, on these clothes he offered you that revealed through rips and tears scars from your journey in the Underground. But he couldn't notice them for they were invisible to the eye due to your condition that turned your skin and flesh pure black... unless he was staring at your face. Here, your face still had that natural color and your flesh and blood were still red, though you looked terribly sick so pale you were... His features twisted all of the sudden.

« Human... Whenever I close my eyes... I see you tied up on that chair... I still see my hands... »

Was it the first time you saw him this expressive ? His soul, wracked with remorse and self-loathing, resonated so close to yours. His hand raised in his desire to touch your cheek only to stop midway; he realized he couldn't do such a thing after the atrocities he committed with it, so he began to withdraw his hand until you caught it.

« Papyrus... » You called softly, but he was too far gone in his turmoil.

« I will never be able to sleep anymore... The screams won't stop... Human, how... How can I fix this ? It's impossible, I know it. I just deserve to die... »

« Papyrus, no ! » Your outburst brought him back. The fog in his eyesockets lifted as he blinked when he realized you were holding his hand with both of yours. You were panting against it. « Don't say such horrible things... You were trying to help... »

« But I hurt you. » He replied, so weakly you thought he was going to burst into tears. « Almost killed you. I deserve to be punished for this... » You shook your head.

« Papyrus... Sometimes, there is no right path, only bad ones. Sometimes, you need to do wrong to make it right. Plus... you were forced to do it. You weren't the persecutor. You were the victim. We were all victims. Besides... I was okay with it. I trusted you and I survived. You did your best... »

You were now holding his cheeks so he would stop avoiding your gaze. At this moment, he had no other choice but to lose himself in your gaze of ruby.

« And I'm proud of you. »

You just had time to see the genuine surprise appear on your companion's features before it melted into an expression of utter misery. Then, he caught you firmly in his arms. You could hear his soul wailing as he held you against him strongly. His hand was cupping the back of your head so gently like you were the most fragile thing in the world... which you might be at this very moment.

« I'm sorry... I'm sorry... »

« What are you apologizing for ? » You asked in a soft laughter. « I'm lucky having such a caretaker like you. A loyal friend. For so long I thought I was alone... But on my way down here, you found me. » You smiled weakly. « Oh, if only Flowey was here... You would have loved him too... »

« Flowey ? »

« My bestfriend. The flower. He was the sweetest person I ever knew. »

« Well... If there is... Something after life... » Papyrus rested his head on your small shoulder. « I hope you'll meet each other again. »

You nodded. Yes... You hoped Asriel will stay with you forever.

« But the truth is... »

This made you focus on your friend again. A glance on your right allowed you to see his jaw trembling. He was doing his best not to cry. It took all his strength to let his deepest, innermost thoughts escape his dented mouth. It took courage not to break down... And still, the fresh buzzing tears were already blurring his vision. He took a short shaky breath before he spoke.

« I don't want to deliver you to the King anymore. »

A sob escaped from his clenching jaw. He did it. He said it. Tears rolled down his cheekbones as he wept silently. His long arms were rattling so much he was shaking... The view of him so upset, of your friends so devastated by the end of your journey tore your heart apart. But you had to hold on. You had to appear strong for them. That's why you took his face in between your palms again to move his head away from you so you could make eye contact with the poor soul.

« Papyrus... What I told about no right paths, only bad ones... That's another one of those. I'm sorry, Pap... I have to do it. I don't have much longer, you know...? » That tore another sob from him when he saw you were still smiling ever so gently. « That's why, my precious friend, you have to be strong. You'll be the Hero of Monsterkind. Of your brother. You'll be mine too. »

Another one. But he kept listening, while his hands would grip onto your sweater feverishly.

« And please, Papyrus... If we're friends, you won't hurt anyone out there, alright ? Instead, you'll make friends. Watch over your family. Be a restaurant owner with such great dishes every master chef will want to work with you ! »

He nodded at everything you said. His palms now rested on yours.

« But you are my family, human. » He murmured when he could control the trembles in his breath.

« I know. You are mine too. This is why I have to go... so you can be happy. » You bent to be closer to his face. « Remember to live. Okay ? »

« I'll try... »

In response, you kissed his forehead, which took him by surprise because right then, a rush of relief hit him as if your lips chased his misery away. You then turned to meet A.D's expecting gaze.

« Come here, A.D ! » You cooed with a smile.

It immediately came running for an embrace. While you'd affectionately scratch its collar, pet its head and ruffled its back, you said.

« You'll take good care of your owners, alright ? You'll be the most adorable dog you've ever been ! » The dog whined in response while it gave you a sloppy kiss across the cheek. You couldn't repress your giggle as you turned your head away trying to avoid getting your face covered in canine saliva because it wouldn't stop going for more kisses. « Yes, I love you too ! »

Sans came back to witness the scene, hands in pockets. He looked at one after another.

« Everything good over there ? » Then asked Papyrus. « Wow, what's that ? Are those tears ? »

His sibling quickly looked away to wipe said tears. Sans didn't laugh at his vulnerability, contrarily to what the lanky skeleton expected. He in fact... Smiled in relief as if he's been waiting for this all his life. The big brother didn't add anything, instead he turned in your direction.

« Are you ready, honey ? »

You decided to consult Asriel before answering. Despite his twisted emotions, he gave a little nod. You quietly did the same for Sans' concern. Papyrus was about to collect your body in his arms when his brother spoke up.

« Wait. »

You both stopped in your actions and instead of having a tall, spiky skeleton carrying you, it was Sans who decided to give you a ride on his back. It was the first time he ever offered that and also certainly the last. Your hold tightened gently around his collar. You decided to appreciate every moment given until time was up.

In a few minutes, you will be delivered to the King.

Chapter Text

(A little OST to get in the mood ?)

From now on, there was no escape.

Before you met the King, you found in the basement seven coffins on which were engraved names with a representation of their soul color. Every one of them was closed except for yours, on which was painted a red colored heart. Below among the scratched out words, you read “The [unreadable] last child”. Even with that lump in your stomach and throat, you couldn't help but appreciate their thought of giving a tomb for all the humans that were killed down here. And you appreciated having one of your own as well. Finally, some decency.

After a moment of remembrance for the deceased children, you walked to the Throne Room to find a vast place covered with golden flowers rained in twilight. It smelled sweet in here... And it was so peaceful. You could hear the birds from above singing, something you thought you'd never hear again. You were so careful walking around the beautiful buttercups bathing in the warm sunshine that passed through the cracks of the castle's roof.

Not a soul to see. No one was waiting for you here. You glanced at your friends.

« He must be waiting for you at the Barrier. » Papyrus guessed.

And now, you were here. Facing a monster almost twice as tall as Papyrus, and Pap was already a very imposing monster. This one... It was a giant. When he heard you enter the room, the King turned to look at you. Black eyes, red slit pupils, just like his ex-wife and his son living inside you. A thick aura of hatred, distrust emanated from him and yet, an expression of shock appeared on his face when he rested his despising gaze on you. It was as if he saw a ghost. You noticed his lips moving but no sound came out. Then, he regained his composure and faced the group.

Your hearing blurred out all of the sudden, your mind disconnected from reality as your eyes stayed glued on Asgore. Mixed up feelings slowly coiled in your guts. You could barely find air to breathe.

« Father... » Asriel whispered.

There was such a loving tone in his voice yet tainted with deep sorrow. Unlike your friend, you were shaken with dread seeing that gigantic figure that stood in front of the barrier. It sounded like a never ending wind was passing through its thick facade, so deep and haunting it was making the hair on your forearms stand. A strange light shone through that magical wall and filled the room.

It seemed that your journey was finally over.

You're filled with RESIGNATION.

« So, you finally came to deliver that human. » He addressed to Papyrus. The skeleton was standing straight after he bowed to his King.

« That is right, your Highness. » At the sound of Papyrus' voice, you snapped out of your dread to listen to what they were discussing about.

« May I ask what took you so long to bring them to the castle, my son ? » He asked with a slight concerned expression. That is when he was about to reply that you took a step forward and answered the question yourself.

« I was terribly ill, Your Highness. » Your sudden response caught his attention. Once again, surprise sparkled in his dark eyes for a brief moment. So you continued. « Papyrus made sure that I'd survive the sickness so he'd be able to deliver me once I recovered... which he did. »

Silence fell again. The King of Monsters was staring straight into your eyes to try and see any ounce of deception in them, and you stared back with your bright red gaze without faltering, only giving him the vibe that you were being honest. He seemed to be at lost for a while looking at you so intently but at some point, he snapped out of it. The King finally looked at Papyrus and said.

« I see. You did a good job, Papyrus. That's what I was expecting from my foster son. »

The goat monster approached. He had the solid intention to finish you off now. His trident was already in his furry hand. You spotted in his wake seven strange jars behind him that were hidden by his cape until now. You noticed that all of them containing a soul except for one ; yours.

« Any last wish, human ? » He asked when he realized that you wouldn't move.

You just noticed that Papyrus, Sans and A.D left the room, leaving you alone with their King. Of course they would do that... It was the best decision to take in this situation. You understood that they didn't want to see what was about to happen, and still... The poor creature that you were was shaking, speechless and tetanized in front of the inevitable and terrible fate that was reserved for you.

What now ?

Why were you so afraid ? Would it even work ? Will you finally be free ? The truth was... Now that you were here, despite that long dreamed wish that you held onto...

You were afraid to die.

« Won't you fight back ? » He asked. You gulped and slightly shook your head as a reply. « They all fought back. » The monster stated. You understood that he was mentioning the other humans that came down here. « A few of them that managed to reach here were all sick in the head... How cruel it is to finally see a friendly face. If only there were more like you, maybe I... »

He stopped mid sentence as if snapping out of his thoughts again. His voice so deep, cavernous even, gave you the creeps... But what he said was what really made that knot in your stomach tighter. What... The previous humans were insane too ?

Oh god, how could you forget about that detail !?

« It was nice to meet you. »

What if you were delivering them to Death ?

His trident was lifted above you and you watched, frozen in place. Your legs were threatening to give in.

« Goodbye. »

What if you couldn't return, this time ? Who will save them from the humans ? Were they all like that...? Mad ? Were they... All like the ones haunting your past ?

You gasped.

You quickly raised your hands as a stop sign as you managed to cry.

« Wait ! »

To almost get empaled with his massive weapon if you hadn't moved aside. You gasped for air at this effort. Your limbs wobbled in struggle trying to support your weight again. A whine or two would make their way passed your lips in your attempts to get up. Breath hitching, you spotted Asgore back with his trident to his side, studying your behavior with slight confusion in his eyes.

And you... And you...

You were at loss. To be honest, you didn't know what to do with all these questions drowning your mind, spilling over with no answer. You couldn't let Asgore get a hold of your soul to break the Barrier. It was a chance that he didn't manage to get it in one shot, after that one revelation...

You would have never forgiven yourself for causing Monsterkind's demise.

All you needed to do was talk about it with the King, but will he listen to your plea ? Oh, what were you supposed to do ? He wouldn't listen to a human, one of these creatures that took his children away, would he ? You were done for, the whole world was gonna burn and be covered in blood and dust... That wasn't what you wanted...! No, that wasn't what you wanted at all !!

In the end, what was the purpose of your existence ? You couldn't let him take you. You felt that you had to, your soul was begging in your ribcage to be torn out by his hand...

But you couldn't risk it...

What if you were one of the few humans on Earth to be merciful ? Was that the reason why you were here ? You couldn't handle the cruel world above ? You struggled to hold back the feelings of frustration and despair winning over you.

Maybe... Maybe you could use his offer.

« Alright... Your Highness... I have a last wish indeed. Before we end this, please... Hear my plea. »

The monster kept his distance with his trident still held in both of his strong hands. They trembled a bit.

« What is it ? »

« What about Peace..? » You paused. « Aren't you afraid monsters will be hunted down ? Humans outnumber you by billions, if you declare war, your species might be lost forever this time ! Did you think about that ? »

His breath got funny for a moment. A sinister chuckle rang in the room, echoing so deeply that it made the hair on your arms stand for a second time in a row. His laugh was getting to your head, so vicious and ill-intended...

« Peace ? Oh, how foolish can you be, human ? Your kind deserves no peace ! They don't know Mercy, they don't know Love ! » He paused too and allowed a smirk. « And now they never will. »

Oh no... You gasped in horror, while a crazy grin spread on his mouth with a strange glint in his dark eyes. The sparkle of madness. The goat monster looked demonic. Shivers ran up your spine.

What you feared the most was happening...

« Don't be afraid, human child. I'll kill you and with your SOUL, I'll become a God. I'll destroy the Barrier, and Humanity as well if that's what worried you. » He tried to comfort you as he stood ready to attack.

« No, Your Highness, please, listen to me ! » You begged him with raised hands as surrender. « There is another way, I'm sure of it ! I know you had great losses because of Mankind, you need Justice, you really do ! B-But you can't condemn the whole Humanity for the crimes of a few ! What if there were still good people out there ? If you show them mercy, I'm sure they'll reciprocate ! W-What happened before was a long time ago, maybe they changed through eras, you don't know ! »

But you didn't know either. You were just buying time at this point, saying whatever could save your life. Anything that could be the best outcome for Monsterkind and... Maybe Humanity...?

Why did you care for them anyway ? Humans destroyed you. They didn't deserve Mercy. Asgore was right. They didn't deserve forgiveness because they never gave Mercy.

No... If you are a human... A merciful human... There might be others like you lost in the world. And they didn't deserve such fate...

Asgore remained silent, still armed but his guard slowly faltering. You caught your breath that was already burning your lungs. You kept your eyes on his.

« Please, my King... If you have to take my soul... I want it to be used for peace... »

He stared down at you quietly for a while. The look in his gaze told you he was thinking for a moment, as if he was considering the tough decisions before him. Meanwhile, you were thinking too... About your ability to give your soul away. Was it even possible ? The others didn't manage to get it before you reloaded. Weren't you going to come back once he killed you ? The King of Monsterkind lowered his weapon as he faced down. His inky hair was hiding his dead eyes.

« It's getting ridiculous. » He muttered.

You wouldn't have gotten what he said if you didn't see him looking up to you with rage. The glint in his eyes made your senses go wild.

« All this kindness you show me... Are you trying to make me feel guilty ? »

His menacing tone raised. If your limbs weren't shaking enough, now they were spasming in distress. You opened your mouth to talk, only for a broken breath to come out.

« All this Kindness, the Hope you possess, your Dreams... Are you willing to let them go ? For Monsters ? Lies ! You all humans are the same ! » At this shout, the horned monster positioned himself for combat. « Selfish and Cruel ! Envious and Greedy ! I'll take back what was ours. I'll take back our stolen pride. Now, stand up, human. Show no mercy, or you'll die ! »

On these words, the giant monster impaled the ground on the spot you were standing half a second earlier. You couldn't repress the cry you let out due to the effort you made to move your exhausted body. Your head was spinning.

You were going to lose the battle.

And you had to admit...

You weren't ready to say goodbye.

Curse your survival instinct.

« No, no, don't ! »

« You know you have to kill someone to pass through the barrier. But it won't be me ! »

A circle of flames appeared around you and immediately closed in. Desperate, you turned around to find a way out. There wasn't any... That's why you decided to try and jump through the wall of flames. It didn't matter if you caught fire because you let yourself fall on the ground to prevent it from progressing. Fortunately, you were lucky on this one and got out of the first round with just slight, dismissible burns.

« Are you okay ? » Asriel asked.

« I think I am. Why don't I have more damage than that ? »

« I had the same powers than my parents. » He said. « Maybe does my presence inside you reduce the fire damages ? »

Your head was pounding with how you struggled to breathe, but still you looked up just to see Asgore holding his strident high. You squeaked and the next second, Asriel took control of your body to force you to roll away before his father could hit you with it. You were now on your knees trying to find your lost breath. Your vision was wavy and your head swimming from lacking oxygen.

« Frisk, you can't do this alone. Let me help. » Your friend said. « Use my powers. It's not a miserable dagger that will save our skin. »

He was right. You couldn't do this alone. But... you couldn't ask for help, no... Papyrus and Sans already put their life at risk to protect you throughout your way here. They took care of you, hurt others in order to keep you safe... You couldn't afford to ask for more. You had to do this alone. Knock some sense into that big mad fluffball.

As you've been thinking, Asriel limped around with your vessel to avoid his father's attacks, sometimes losing his footing because of your precarious condition.

« I don't want to fight you ! » You cried to the King.

« You'll have to, human ! » He roared.

He looked more like a lion than a goddamn goat at this moment. You would have jumped off your skin to fly away if that was possible. Your friend barely avoided the bunch of flames thrown at you only because he lost control of your legs and your body fell down right in time. Maybe you couldn't burn at their touch like you did with Toriel, still, getting burnt sucked balls so you better avoid warm and cozy with those.

« Frisk ! Make up your mind already ! » Asriel shouted in the back of your head while you took support on your elbows to try and get up. You looked at Asgore.

« Stop fighting ! I don't want to hurt you ! » You pleaded.

This made the mad man go berserk, he hit the ground with his weapon so hard that the pavement cracked and shook under his strength. Taken by surprise, you lost your balance. You found out it was better to remain on your knees to stay the closest to earth so you wouldn't fall and break a bone, considering the amazing luck you had.

« He's going to kill us if you refuse to defend ! »

« He's your father !! »

You heard Asriel barely containing the screech of frustration and misery when you replied that.

« I know !! »

At this moment, one of the trident's point pierced your shoulder. You didn't notice that the King closed in while you were focused on your friend. You both looked at Asgore with utter stupefaction. Then the pain came in. You cried out while he pushed the point of his weapon deeper to pin you to the ground. When you managed to open your eyes through the burn, both Asriel and you watched Asgore raise a foot with the firm intention of stomping your head.

« DAD, NO ! » The words slipped out.

Asriel held his mouth shut. Oh no... You quickly turned your attention over his (and your ??) father.

« Frisk...? » Asriel's tone pitch rose in fear. « Frisk ?? »

His voice was urging you to react as you laid there, paralized with terror. Asgore was staring down at you with such pain and hatred. You hurt him. You both hurt his already broken soul and you knew it. You were going to pay for this offense. He pushed harder against the ground to tear a scream out of you, yet the pain was so unbearable that you were left voiceless.

« Frisk ! »

Your hand shot on the ground to grab anything, a rock with a size of your hand to throw at the attacker's direction. When you opened your eyes again, your good hand was raised in the air. Asgore was a few feet away, disoriented by the sudden attack.

What ?

Asgore was holding his face and roaring with rage. It looked like he got hit in his eyes because he was hiding them and grimacing in pain. He let his guard down at the worst moment.

« Asriel ? What did you do ? » You thought as you saw blood dripping on the ground.

« Bought us some time. » He replied.

It didn't take long for his father to shake his head and blink his watering eyes open. The side of his face was covered in red. That startled you and here you began and tried to take the trident off of you. Your efforts were similar to a valiant combat of a fly trapped in a spider web.

Yeah, exactly. Useless.

Asgore was standing up now. You saw him turning his pain filled gaze on your form. He got an injured left eyebrow that leaked a good amount of blood; that explained why the whole side of his face was covered in red. He kept that eye closed while the other pierced through you with fury. You doubled your efforts but not without adding cries of despair to them. Oh, it hurt and you couldn't do anything else than biting your tongue through it. Think of your survival instinct, Frisk. It might be rusty, but still strong. How would have you been able to get through all this shit otherwise ?

All your will to push the weapon away was fruitless. Hope was leaving your soul in seconds.

You cried for help.

Chapter Text

You cried for help.

But the one coming had another intent.

You thought it was a lost cause until Asgore received a femur on the side of his head, strong enough to make it turn away with a splash of blood around. Taken by surprise, he froze in his course for a brief moment, then shot a glare at the one who dared interrupt the battle... Or more like an execution.

That was Papyrus, here to save the day. He was staring back at his King with the firm intention to fight as he stood there between you both in a defying stance, head high and a puffed up chest full of bravery and pride.

(Yo, how about we listen to some good ass OST right now ?)

« Papyrus ! » You panted with the most relieved looking smile you could ever have. Someone came to your rescue.

And he wasn't alone.

Sans appeared to take the trident off you, forcing you to cry out at the burning friction of the metal in your flesh. You were shocked to catch the sight of your blood on the red weapon black, looking just like rotten and putrid fluid. Even Sans noticed it. He didn't wait to throw it away before he held out his hand for you.

« Need a hand, honey ? » He asked with a smile. You lifted your good hand in return and he helped you up in a swift motion.

« You came back... » You almost whispered in disbelief, out of breath. You still felt dizzy from the injury, blood loss and lack of air but glad nonetheless.

« 'told ya we'd be there to help. » He shrugged still with that smirk on his face, before he turned his attention on Asgore whose focus was on his knight. Infuriated, he growled.

« Are you betraying me ? »

« It appears like it. » Papyrus replied. « Someone once told me that we could become better people, all we need is Mercy. And I want to believe that. »

« It's a human ! The enemy of our species ! » The giant furry monster roared. « You're bringing shame on Monsterkind ! I won't let that happen. I won't let this human tempt you with lies. »

« You know, Fluffybuns... » Sans spoke in turn.

His hands were in his pockets when he walked closer to his brother, who had two large bone swords in his hands.

« This human never promised anything and yet, they already did so much on their own while you... What did you do for our kind ? Being a tyrannic sack of shit ? Threatening to erase anyone that doesn't share your views ? Killing our Hopes and Dreams ? Sorry pal, but for someone who wants to protect us from lies, you did a terrible job so far. I'm done with your bullshit. I'm rootin' for the human now. »

Rage emanated from the royal monster's soul. Everyone around could sense it, if not bathe in it.

Sans' blatant betrayal pushed Asgore to his limits. He hit the ground another time and roared out of pure madness.

« Then you'll die with them ! »

Right then, he threw ranges of fireballs at the skeleton monsters. Sans disappeared in a flash while Papyrus either dodged the attacks or cut through the elemental magic with his swords. The King didn't forget about the shorter skeleton while he kept attacking his ex-warrior 'cause when a shower of bones poured on him, Asgore wiped them away with a shield of fire. Sans appeared in the air behind him and kicked him across the head... But that wasn't enough to stun the beast. The skeleton monster dodged the retaliating opponent's uppercut just in time by teleporting away to reappear next to you. You remained shellshocked as you watched all of them fight while you struggled catching your breath.

It was your battle... Why did you ask for help ? You didn't want them to betray the King...

Oh no... What have you done ?

Asgore sent a range of fire in your direction and before you could even react, your skeleton friend took you in his arms bridal style to get out of the way and put you to safety. Meanwhile, Papyrus sent bone attacks at the King over and over again, who in order to protect himself, the goat monster used his trident to neutralize the femurs before he hit your friend with it once he closed in. But the lanky skeleton avoided him like the plague, he must have known that he wouldn't stand a chance in a melee fight with his Lord. Then his brother returned for support by messing with space and time to confuse the King while he sent multiple different attacks. You never saw him so focused and confident until today. And you still felt like he was holding back. Maybe because his brother was here. Asgore's soul appeared during an attack that you knew oh too well, the one that made the monster's gravity weight down on him. The sight of his soul tore a broken gasp from you. A red color so dark it was almost black, and a sickening aura that emanated from it. But what struck you the most was his soul in a horrific shape.

He was in pain, wasn't he ?

The cuts on his soul were so deep that some red fluid, dark, intoxicating was dripping out of them like poison.

« Dad... » Asriel whispered.

Your heart clenched in guilt. You understood his horrible actions... Asgore needed help... He was driven into madness because of this.

But... Someone had to die... Right ?

Your eyes stung with the need to cry though you were out of tears due to exhaustion. Instead, you bit down your lip so hard it'd draw blood. How cruel. Why did it have to turn out this way ?

Asgore was thrown into walls. You could see his health degrading each hit he'd take. Sans crashed him into a wall where bones bursted out and empaled the giant monster. Papyrus took the chance to jump in and pierce the King's soul with his sword but as he rushed in, the injured beast's instinct kicked in and he struck the ex-captain of the Royal Guard in a swift motion using his trident that sent him to greet another facade. A few rocks fell and dust spread at the impact.

« Papyrus ! » both Sans and you yelled after him.

The skeleton emerged from the smoke holding his left arm. He looked infuriated but also hurt. A red light was emanating from the area he was holding, and a deep red liquid ran between his fingers and dripped onto the ground. Oh no...

« 'you alright there, bro ? » Sans asked him.

« He broke my arm... » Papyrus replied as he grimaced.

(another one)

Sans turned towards Asgore. You were so busy worrying about your injured friend that you didn't notice the Royal monster was heading straight towards you with a fierce intention of destroying you. All you noticed was a change in the brothers' expression when they looked at you, then Sans teleported next to you and pushed you out of the way before you took the blow. Unfortunately, the skeleton wasn't fast enough using another shortcut that just like Papyrus, Asgore sent him crashing into the ground using his weapon while you were busy trying to get on your knees. Breath got stuck in your throat when you recognized his lifeless frame on the floor. This time, it was Papyrus' turn to yell after his sibling. He ran to protect Sans from the final blow that would end his existence and arrived just in time to tank the attack that sent him kiss a pillar. The monster fell to the ground afterwards, paralyzed from the shock. His broken arm made it worse and not only the scars on his skull cracked open again, but they also spread on the left side of his head. Now that Asgore didn't have his weapon raised on Sans, you could see him laying there unconscious. Blood was leaking from the new cracks that his skull wore. Oh no...

It was all your fault.

Asgore raised his hands in the remaining skeleton's direction. A wall of flames appeared around him as he staggered closer still intending to fight... Then, the circle closed in, menacing to turn the monster into a living torch.

Your breathing ran low. Your heartbeat slow but strong in your tightening chest and ears. You didn't realize in your tremor that you equipped your worn dagger. You needed to stop him. For your loved ones' sake.

The sudden amount of adrenaline and rage that consumed you helped you forget about the pain in your legs and shoulder as you rushed towards the powerful creature and stabbed in his right leg while he was still focused on the other opponent. The painful surprise distracted him from Papyrus, and while his magical attack stopped closing on him, it didn't falter so the lanky skeleton remained trapped in the circle of fire. Oh, why did Asgore have to be so huge ? You couldn't reach his abdomen even to save someone's life, which meant... You'll have to damage his legs first.

And that's what you did. Cut behind his knees and ankles in hope to make him collapse, though with pauses because of Asgore's retaliations. You managed to stay behind him most of the time by dashing between his legs or walking around to assault him again while avoiding his attacks to the best of your ability. That didn't mean that you wouldn't receive a hit or two in the process, and that boosted your fury.

And little by little, you were losing sight of yourself.

Guided by your anger, your limbs grew numb despite how brutal your hits were getting. You couldn't see what you were doing nor hear anything. You were so blinded by rage that you were dissociating from the situation, you had no idea what was happening. It was like a black veil covered your vision, dense enough for you to barely see what your hands would do as if they had their own will. All you knew at this moment was rage, and only rage.

You had to destroy, destroy, destroy.

You never thought you'd do such things. With your last sliver of awareness, you wondered whose madness was it. Asriel's ? Yours? You didn't know. You lost all control on your vessel and mind at this point. Who was it in there dancing with your corpse and swinging the blade ? The whole universe was foreign. Sensations escaped between your fingers like the Sands of Time. Couldn't feel anything. Couldn't see anything. Couldn't hear anything. Were you still alive at this point ? Or was it all just a dream ?

What if it was Asriel's rage finally breaking out ? After all, through the days your bestfriend had been gaining in power as he fed on you, on your hatred and suffering. Was it possible since he inhabitated a body and was constantly in contact with a soul ; yours ? And now that he was much stronger than you could ever be, he could do anything he wanted while you... You were losing that sparkle that made you the person you were.

Your Determination must have been pretty weak to begin with, then.

At this thought, you snapped out of your episode and froze in shock. The weight of the world fell upon you, and so the senses. You saw dots in your vision and your head was still swimming with a major headache. You only realized now that you returned from the void of your mind that your lungs burnt deeply, you couldn't help but heave and wheeze in cue. Your legs gave in at the lack of air and strain, you bent, holding your chest while you had a coughing fit. That brief moment of peace gave Asgore time to respond to your previous attacks with fire. Damn you, fire controlling monster King ! Asriel sensed it so he took control of your body and pushed it aside. The numbness took hold of your body so you finally breathed again.

« Keep attacking him ! » He shouted while you did your best to process what just happened. « He needs to lose control over the situation ! »

« But...! »

The concerned one swung his trident around so you'd stay at a safe distance. He knew you had to come closer to hit him.

« Isn't there something else that I can do ? » You asked Asriel as you stopped at a safe distance from the enemy to catch your breath.

« Not really, no... If we had more souls, I'd have greater powers... But this is all I can do with this body... I'm sorry. »

« Don't worry about it. I just need to find an idea. »

You blessed Asriel for taking over your nervous system, otherwise you would have never been able to run around to avoid the circles of fire threatening to trap you. As you did so, you thought of advantages you could get from Asriel's power. You needed something to destabilize his father to buy time and finish him off. Your friend exclaimed.

« Wait ! We can try that. »

Your body stopped running and turned in the goat monster's direction when Asriel took control over it. The King took your stillness as an opportunity to charge a fireball on your spot. In the meantime, you sensed strange sensations coursing through your arms. Asgore didn't expect that you'd raise your hands, stop his fireball just in front of your palms then send it back into his face, forcing him to turn his head away in a reflex. You batted your eyes in awe at that miracle. Was it what you thought it was ? Did it really happen ??

The giant furry creature covered the exposed areas that the attack bursted at in order to put a possible fire out. At this moment, Asriel gave you the opportunity to stab the monster's legs enough to make him collapse on his knees.

Your eyes stung and your stomach twisted. You raised your dagger to cut through his skin again only to be pushed back with a hit. The landing was so brutal it tore a cry of pain out of you.

But that didn't stop you from coming back.

Now that you were fully aware of your actions, the sounds of the worn weapon cutting through skin made you sick. Shivers ran up your arms and spine at the King's repressed cries. It was horrible... It was horrible and the worst was that it was your doing. The salty water that poured on your cheeks stung your injuries.

You could feel your determination slipping away from your grasp.

Soon, your tearing cries echoed against the walls of this room. Cries of Anger, Frustration, Remorse, Sorrow...

And the strongest of all...

Despair.

Asgore pushed you again with effort to make your small frame fly a few meters away. This time, the landing cut your breath short. Your body twisted in a desperate need to find air again. Your moment of agony lasted long enough for your opponent to try and stand up multiple times. Even if you were still fighting to breathe, you did your best to do the same. You had to keep him down. You couldn't afford losing time. Forget about the pain, Frisk. Forget about it and kill him. Put him out of his misery. The color of his light showed through the cuts, just like the time with Undyne and her injuries. Your cloudy mind shut down in guilt.

« Keep going ! » Asriel shouted in a strangled voice.

Although you found your oxygen again, it didn't reduce the dizziness nor the pounding headache that took over when you were missing it yet. It took some time for you to stagger towards Asgore but once you reached him, you proceeded to stab him through and through while he was still busy supporting his own weight on his hands. You could see the damage deals you were inflicting worsen as he grew weaker and tired of the fight. His wounds were so bad they could turn lethal from now on... You realized that if you kept going... You were going to end his life.

Wait... That wasn't what you wished for.

Did you really have to do it ?

He collapsed. Your last blow almost wiped his existence from the Underground. Now, the King was at your mercy. His right hand was against his soul, struggling to breathe. One last strike and he would be gone. How did it get so far ? You couldn't even remember what led you here anymore.

Your hands let go of the dagger. Blood was on them.

Your vision was blurring.

What have I done ?

« I'm sorry... » You managed to articulate in your repressed sobs.

« Then... What are you waiting for to kill me ? » He panted. « My soul is already broken. »

That monster who was imposing, powerful and confident... He seemed now so fragile and miserable. The sparkle of his tortured soul was reflecting in his dark and tired eyes. The torment that morphed him into who he was to this day was now coming to the surface with the hope to be freed from it. The King was bowing his head in humble silence, almost serene at the thought of death. This wasn't the Asgore you've been battling against...

So... So....

« I can't... I can't do that... » You whimpered.

This horrific sight destroyed what was left of your Hope. You couldn't put an end to an existence, no... You couldn't...

Sans' voice resonated in the back of your mind. It was so far away.

What were you going to do ?

Oh God...

You couldn't...

You slowly brought your hands to hide your eyes. You never wanted this, you never wanted this, why did it have to happen ?

Papyrus and Sans were calling after you and you didn't notice it, their deep voices, so foreign, were toned down by the screams. You didn't even realize that those screams were coming from you. You didn't even hear Asriel trying to shake you awake.

What will they think about you ? Despite all your efforts, you've proven Humans were no better. Your kind was destined to kill them all... Your friends will never trust you ever again... They'll reject you like the filthy piece of shit you were.

« Sweetheart ! » A shout snapped you back to reality.

The voice was close and clear now. Sans. You slowly let your hands fall to your sides, then you turned around to face your friends. Papyrus and his brother were a few feet away from you, both of them badly hurt, holding the broken parts of their body with twisted expressions. A.D was anxiously waiting at the huge door. The look on their face when you made eye contact with them... If they had skin, their colors would have faded in a matter of seconds. You were sure it was because of the dirt that you were covered with.

« Human... » Papyrus breathed out, shaken with horror.

« I'm so... sorry... » You hiccuped. « I can't let him... I can't... I'm so sorry everyone...! »

You were wracked with shock and guilt. Giving hope to finally take it back from your loved ones... How horrible you felt.

Unless...

Unless you could give it to someone else. Someone who won't try to cause Humanity or Monsterkind's demise. But... You couldn't ask your friends to kill you.... They would not bear it, would they ?

« Say... » You whispered. « Do you think I can absorb the souls ? »

The skeleton monsters looked at you with confusion evident in their eyes.

« Humans can't absorb other human souls. » Sans explained. « They only can absorb a Monster soul, or the other way around... »

Papyrus was busy releasing the six souls from their glassy prison while his sibling was explaining. You couldn't help but feel even more devastated than before.

It wouldn't work, then ? Would they really have to absorb you ? But what about Asriel living inside of you ?

« If the human was really a human... » Papyrus spoke. Souls were coming to form a circle around you. « How could they use fire ? »

Oh... Yes, he saw that. Sans recalled what happened earlier and looked at you with a confused face, completely at loss now. They watched the souls starting to spin around you while you searched for words to explain, but you couldn't find a start to begin with. A lot of things, rather not rational, have been happening... So maybe... Were you...

Still in shock and awe at the sight in front of him, Sans lifted his hand and in return, you raised yours so he could take it. The Souls were closing in. It was working. They were going to be free.

« Sweetheart... »

Your fingers brushed his. A ripping sound tore through the air and everyone froze. Your friends' amazed expressions change to horror as their gaze lowered to your chest. You followed it to see a red spike that pierced through it from behind.

Asgore's trident.

On the weapon was impaled a soul consumed in a sickening pitch black color. The last bit of red, your Determination's color, was eaten by the darkness inside you.

Your companions shouted after you and yet, all you could hear beside the static was Asgore's panting. The fallen King had taken his opportunity to stab you with his weapon while your guard was down. His sinister chuckle, almost maniacal, echoed in the back of your mind.

« Of all humans that fell down here... »

The monster narrowed his spiteful eyes and growled.

« You were the stupidest. »

Chapter Text

Time has begun distorting

Inside of this madness barrier

I promise I'll always be with you

Forever

My deity.

✦