Mechanical whirring filled the underground, the sound barely drowning the moving pencil across various papers. The the small light on the ceiling seemed to be growing dim after the past hour, no doubt will it go out soon. Though Sans, the short skeleton in a blue jacket, was sure he had replaced it not only a few hours ago?
It was frustrating that he had to strain to see his own chicken scratch, but he couldn't stop with it unfinished. He wiped the beads of sweat of his forehead. Maybe it was about time he took a break. The thought caused a nauseating churning within his bones. He was so close, he was sure it was literally a few calculations away for this project to actually be finished.
Though he couldn't think with knots entangling his metaphorical stomach.
Which actually gave him an idea for a good string of puns he could use. His grin stretched a tiny bit wider. Sans turned his body in the rolly chair up and away from his work. He took one last glance at the now fully operating machine, the tiny pricks of light lingered for any possible faults before he finally left in search for rope.
It's been a year since all the monsters stepped foot onto the surface, it took awhile of adjustment and even longer to be accepted by the rest of the humans. But Papyrus was not concerned! Nope, so far, most of the humans if not ALL the humans were very nice to a certain degree. Even the humans who seem to be having trouble accepting the change, Papyrus knows deep within the marrow of his bones that these people can change for the better!
He remembered fondly of the memory of last Christmas when he decided to take it upon himself to knit all of his human and monster friends he has made since coming to surface some scarves. Though it was quite a challenge to knit all two hundred and fifty six scarves in one week.
He was so lucky Sans decided to help him! It was a surprise in itself that Sans would spend his time from being lazy to do some work! Frisk helped some, which he was very grateful for, but they were mostly busy doing whatever little eleven year olds do when they speak for behalf of all monsters. That's why they received their Christmas scarf early to keep them warm during all those speeches.
Speaking of which, he turned his skull over to his new living room where a very nice T.V was placed. He could hear Frisk patiently answering and listening to each question thrown at them. It was dark out but the bright lights the illuminated their iced breath and cherry cheeks, they seemed very tired, luckily the interview was over in the next five minutes. Then the overwhelmed child was embraced by Toriel who was possibly mummering how proud she was of Frisk.
The sight from the screen made Papyrus grin. Everything seemed to be going so great! The humans acceptance of the new monsters has been progressing, and so has his cooking skills. And… and? Well, not all was at its highest peak really. There was something that has been worrying Papyrus.
Today would be the third day that his brother, Sans, had been missing. At first, he had assumed that his lazy bones sibling was lying around on some bench. But now, it has gone to the point to where no one, not even Sans, could sit around and do nothing for that long. Something was definitely out of the ordinary.
Papyrus would've gone searching for the shorter skeleton if he didn't get the occasional text of reassurance from his brother. Sans was insistent that he was just living up to his vacation days. He never specified for how long this vacation was supposed to be though.
He missed seeing his brother, the house has been too empty. And even though he slept over at Undyne's, he couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness. Papyrus never felt this much anxiety before. He kept telling himself that his brother wasn't gone, he just got off the phone with him yesterday;When he tried to convince Sans to come back.
Papyrus could not stand for his brother's foolishness anymore. He stood up, turned off the T.v, ( He'll have plenty of time to catch up with the actual Frisk later) and walked out the door with a container of pasta in hand just in case. He was going to find Sans; a task the great papyrus could achieve easily. Also, he had made too much pasta, he couldn't just eat it by himself.
Sans knew his brother was worrying, and perhaps it was a little cruel to hole himself up in his basement for so long without even popping in to say 'hi'. It was only a walk away. He needed to focus though. It took a lot longer to get the materials he needed, and now everything was all set, it was finally time to see his brother again. He missed Papyrus too.
Walking up the steps, with his hand chillin in his pockets, he made sure everything was set.
Something fell past his hand and he heard something drop to the ground. Oh, it was just his bouncy ball, he watched it silently until it stopped moving and came to a rest in the middle of the ground.
Sans gave it a thoughtful look. Should he pick it up? Or…? Nah, he decided he'll pick it up later, he was too wiped-out to back track.
When he went outside he was greeted with the vivid hues of morning as the sun was just starting to make it's daily climb up the sky. There were a few star specks lingering. The sky was a sight he'd never get tired of. He really hoped he won't wake up one day in his old bed again, holed up, and under a thick layer of ground.
Hope was dangerous, and he came to accept that day may come. Sooner or later. Frisk always managed to tear everything he has worked for at the last moment, right when he'd think 'this is it, we can finally move forward.'. He was bitter, angry, and at a loss with the kid. He never could catch up with them, he never understood the game they played, whether they meant to hurt him or not, or if this pacifist act was fake or true. He remembered when he actually cared for the little bugger. But seeing your brother die by their hands so many times...
He rolled his shoulders forward and back, clearing his mind from those thoughts. That was for another time.
He made contact with the pavement of his front porch which was brightly lit by the light next to the door. He hurried in trying not to get morning dew in his bones. It was just the beginning of spring, yet the cold still lingered.
Inside it was warmer, not that the skeletons really needed it to be warm, it was for any friends that might happen to stop by.
The house was lit, Sans spotted the annoying dog hanging near the T.V. set laying on his sock and happily slobbering on one of Papyrus' special attack bones. But there was no sight of the spritely skeleton. In fact it was disturbingly quiet.
Sans checked all the rooms and still found nothing, even going as so low as asking the dog, whom only yipped happily and uncomprehendingly.
"Yeah, I thought so…" Sans mummered to the dog. He'll just call his brother.
Snapping his phone out, he quickly speed dialled his brothers number.
.
..
…
"SANS!" Came the excited crackling voice.
"heh heh, hey bro," Sans replied giving the dog a passive side long glance, the thing was still going to town on the femur.
"I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!" The sound of something whirring in the background was now more noticeable. Where could his brother be. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST LEFT OUT OF THE BLUE LIKE THAT SANS, I'M WORRIED SICK! WHERE ARE YOU? YOU NEED TO COME HOME NOW PLEASE!"
"oh, sorry Paps," Sans scratched the back of his skull "I'm actually home now though, so you don't have to worry anymore, maybe you should come home too? Where did you say you were?"
"I DIDN'T! I'M AT THE LAST PLACE WHERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE!" He was silent, probably for dramatic effect. It made Sans grin melt into place in a more natural aura.
"THAT… I WILL NOT SAY BECAUSE I'M VERY SURE YOU WOULD NOT BE VERY HAPPY WITH ME!"
Sans knew where he was, he wasn't an idiot. Well, yes he was. He didn't lock the door, and the machine was still on… "Paps, you're in the basement." There was an audible gasp. "How about you get outta there, it's not safe."
Papyrus was hesitant to respond sensing the tense tone. "SANS?" Papyrus seemed very confused and worried "IS THIS WHY YOU WERE GONE, SANS? WHY ARE YOU HIDING THI-"
"Papyrus!" Sans snapped "Get out of there right now, I already told you not to go in there." Sans could almost feel his brother deflate from his confidence. It wasn't often Sans became angry at his brother.
"FINE, SANS! BUT BROTHER YOU MUST EXPLAIN THIS TO ME! I DO NOT LIKE THAT YOU HAVE SECRETS FROM ME! I THOUGHT WE WERE BROTHERS!?" Papyrus really did sound hurt. "AND THIS LOOKS LIKE A REALLY BIG SECRET SANS, WHATEVER IT IS…"
Sans sighed, he couldn't be mad at his bro. "Okay, okay, Paps, but please get outta there? I don't mean to be so sternum, but don't make me come get you buddy…" Sans was mulling over what to tell his brother. Should he lie again? Or was it time for the truth? In a few timelines the truth got out, about the 'SAVES', 'RESETS', and even the backstory of the core and where it came from. Where Sans and Papyrus came from.
In short Papyrus was very accepting, and supportive if not a little upset about having his brother keeping such a big secret from him. Just like now. Sans knew how this was going to go down. And if he finished his project, he knew things will be more than okay for the future of the brothers.
"AUGH SANS, I'M COMING BACK. AND DO- AWAGH!" Sans eyes widened and decided it was high time he actually went to go retrieve his brother. He heard a bunch of crashes and a thud. Everything was silent but a small groan. It sounded distant, as if he dropped his phone.
"Papyrus?" Sans walked out the front door.
"OH NO! SANS! I BELIEVE I AM TRAPPED!" Sans heard a thoughtful hum a moment later when he was about to open the door to the basement.
"Don't touch any of the buttons Paps!" Sans shouted. He guessed his brother trapped himself inside the machine. The door naturally locked from the inside and there was buttons in there activate or deactivate the contraption . Papyrus is really digging himself a rather large hole, but it's okay! Sans can still fix this!
"BUTTONS? WELL OKAY IF YOU SAY SO-" *Click*
"No Papyrus!" Sans took the last step down the stairs into the saw a glimpse of his brother inside the machines door pressing a random button right before there was a rather blinding flash and and ear splitting wail accrued.
The energy it produced knocked Sans back forcefully across the cold floor of the makeshift lab. When the light died everything went back to normal, the machine whirring quietly and innocently.
Sans didn't get up at first. He was afraid and he didn't think he could with the pain jolting through his bones…
Did he? Did he just lose his brother? Finally after a minute he lifted his head to see the compartment in the machine empty. A distant thought whispered the fact that the memories of his brother was still there. Was that a good thing?
Scrambling up he went through his notes and grabbed a bag full of the items he had gathered all he could into a bag in a corner. This was his fault, he had to get him back.
Sans had no idea where his brother was. But this machine was a teleporter of sorts that is supposed reach in between timelines or actually in them.
This machine was supposed to get their father back.
Loathsome tears threatened to drip from his sockets. And now all Sans managed to do was tear what family he had left.
He knew if Papyrus ended up in between timelines he'd only end up like their father and it might be nearly impossible to get both of them back… "whatever…" Sans muttered and pulled the now decently full bag over his shoulder.
"I'm not going to let my brother disappear alone. I'd be a bonehead if I let this happen again..." He stepped into the machine, keeping the coordinates from before up. Four bright sets of numbers shown on the screen in front of him. That's where his brother is. He hovered his thumb over the activate button.
There was no going back.
*Click*