Conviction
An Undertale Story
FemaleFrisk/Sans, post True Pacifist ending
Chapter One
Metropia was, and remained to be, the largest city Frisk had ever been in. It dwarfed New Home, making the Underground city appear to be a collaboration of children's blocks and poor design. Surrounded in strangely green forest, Metropia was a towering collection of metal skyscrapers and flying billboards. If you were to view it from Mount Tobee at night, the magic keeping the advertisements afloat made them appear like nightbugs flittering about, streaking purple against the yellow windows of the never-sleeping city.
Frisk was currently standing at one of these windows, looking out to the forest beyond. Squinting, she saw what she was looking for, only seeing it because she was looking. It was nearly invisible to the eye, the assortment of lights and neon buzzing about the skyscraper she stood in.
Newest Home's lights were hidden within the forest, the city remaining short, but wide. With Frisk's position in the sky, however, she could see the barest tips of houses and businesses in the distance. If she believed hard enough, she could even see the movement of it's monster citizens.
She wondered how they were. It had been nearly two months since she had visited, and while Newest Home was only a thirty minute drive over, she had been so occupied with the Embassy and the political turmoil within that she hadn't even the time to plan a trip.
I hope father is okay, Frisk thought to herself, placing an olive-skinned hand against the perfectly polished glass. If she cared to notice, the magic of the window resisted her smudges and fingerprints. I know mother has been too busy with school to babysit him like I know he wants. Maybe the town is keeping him busy enough to stay out of trouble.
She considered her friends. While Alphys and Undyne usually traveled back and forth between the two towns, be it for work or leisure, she hadn't seen them in a few weeks. Frisks's mouth twisted into a frown as she recalled the last time Alphys was in town.
General Deighton has the charm of a glass of spoiled milk.
Still frowning, Frisk pulled away from the window and returned to her desk to collect her things. She was off the clock and didn't desire to continue her thoughts regarding the ever-growing tensions between monsters, humans, and the persistent gouging for more magic.
Father wishes to have that information sealed away. Yet time and time again, the General continues to find excuses to summon Alphys back. Frisk paused in her thoughts, and snickered to herself, recalling Undyne's method to end the last meeting. I don't think they ever figured out a proper spell to put that conference table back together.
Having collected her handbag, personal objects, and cell phone, she took one last look in her office mirror to flatten down her tightly pulled bun. Brown eyes, usually warm and mischievous, were dim and tired, the day long past due for ending. Frisk regarded herself blankly from under her bangs, not having a thought one way or another about how she appeared, as she considered herself rather ordinary, albeit exhausted.
"Am I odd for a teenager?" she said aloud, not really asking. From her perspective, she was shaped like one; small and on the shorter side with a oval face, snub nose, pout lips and very, very tired almond eyes. All of this was stuffed into a pinstriped suit with a tight collar and finely tailored patch portraying the Delta Rune. To be blunt, she looked like a kid who got into their parents closet and decided to play pretend.
It's no wonder I struggle to get anything to be taken seriously. But, despite that...
She had obligations, and promise she had to fulfill. This task was given to her by her father, Asgore, himself. She wouldn't let him down.
And, she thought to herself with a smile as she heard the ding of an approaching elevator, it's not as if I am alone in all of this.
"Human Frisk!" An excited pair of eyeless sockets appeared around the edge of her office door. "We have come to escort you to your home!"
"Papyrus, it's practically our home now," said Frisk, turning away from the mirror, disrupting her revere. "You sleep in it almost as much as I do. Though, it's not much of a home for me, either. It's what the ambassador has been assigned to live in here. I'd much rather be at Newest Home."
Papyrus had emerged fully at this point, but he was pressing his hands to his face, swaying bashfully. "I hadn't considered that you may feel that way! I, the great Papyrus and Assistant Ambassador, am honored!"
Papyrus hadn't changed much. The tall skeleton had improved his battle armor, having removed the pieces he collected from the underground garbage for newer, less trash-like parts. He also had a delta symbol on his chest much like hers. His role as Assistant Ambassador usually included eating lunch with her in her office, interjecting hard to follow ideas in meetings, and fighting with Toby when he decided to make an appearance.
Frisk's nose crinkled as she grinned. She loved Papyrus very much. "Speaking of home, will you be staying there tonight?" She couldn't help her eyes drifting past the tall skeleton's shoulder.
"Yes!" A pause. "I think I should ask Sans. He gets cranky if I don't ask him about these kinds of things." His eyes narrowed discreetly. "If you ask me, I think it's because he needs more iron in his diet. SANS! Will you be accompanying us to the human home?"
"Up to you, bro."
Her eyes caught hold of what she was searching for, and her smile relaxed. Sans came into the study yawning, waving his bony hand in lazy greeting. He had grown a little taller in his age, just a little more than her petite height. He also seemed a little more tired than the used to, his eyes always looking as if he had missed an hour of sleep or so. His ever present grin was still the same however. He was wearing, what he called, his 'Sity Slitters,' emphasis on the 'S.' To Frisk's eye, they looked the same.
Sans had been critical to her role as ambassador, and to be frank, she would not be where she was today without his influence. While Papyrus was the one who fed her, babysat her, and took her to her meetings at the mere age of eight, Sans had been the real effort behind her success. He was the one who replaced Papyrus's horrid spaghetti with something edible and nutritious, he was the one who kept an eye on her when Papyrus became caught up in his books regarding babysitting, and he was also the one who dropped hints about where and when his brother was supposed to have her at a meeting. All of these things he injected with his now-cherished brand of humor.
Sans was also the one to scare off would-be attackers intent on making the monster ambassador disappear. Her life had been at risk since she fell down Mount Ebott, and it continued to be at risk when she emerged through the other end on Mount Tobee and accepted the role of ambassador. Asriel had been right when he said there were a lot of Floweys out there. The response was hostile the monsters emerged, and their start was incredibly rocky to begin with. To top it all off, they had appointed her, a kid at the time, to broker healthy relationships. It was no wonder she remained to be in danger, still to this day.
Yet, here she remained, still Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr. It seemed that Sans's mere presence solidified her spot amongst the adults, though she knew he had been up to more than what he let on. She never asked him about it, having seen a certain part of him once long ago over dinner in the underground... She knew it was for the best not to ask, and she also knew he would prefer that she not thank him for it either. Maybe she'd get him a new pair of socks instead.
Sans stopped next to Papyrus, hands now in his coat. White pupils drifted up to meet hers. He smiled at her. She waved at him simply. "How'd it go today bud? You look... bone-tired."
Frisk let out a sigh. She doubled checked her belongings, then began to head out. "There have been worse days... Though I feel like I have to fight off General Deighton and his crew every day now. It's an uphill battle with those people... For instance, did you know they wanted to increase the toll to cross the border between Newest Town and Metropia? The amount of taxation going on is already absurd, and the work that monsters get isn't exactly protected. Needless to say, I am ready to leave." She she stopped at the door, sliding her hand down the wall. The lights dimmed into darkness, disappearing with a flicker of magical sparks. "No matter what I seem to say or do, I'm afraid that we're eventually going to have to at least let some humans into the Underground. They're only interested in one thing."
"Well," said Sans, watching his brother run up to the elevator and press the down button before whipping around to attention, "they haven't killed us yet from coming to the surface. Didn't your mom ever teach you to share?"
Frisk stuck her tongue out at him. "They barely did not kill us Sans, if you recall. And Mother did teach me manners, but she also agrees that they don't belong down there." More seriously, she said, "Humans are full of greed, Sans. They're a whole other creature, and nothing like monsters. Who knows what trouble they'd get into."
"I can think of a few things." One finger. "Lock us underground." Another. "Poison the King." He looked slyly up at her, holding up another finger. "Drive innocent dogs to the brink of insanity, bore a dummy to tears, eat entire bowls of candy-"
"It's not like anyone else was going to eat it!"
"The sign was pretty clear to me."
Frisk simmered and turned on him, grabbing onto where his cheeks would be. She pinched- hard- and his eyes began to swirl. "Don't make me eat you..."
The elevator dinged, and Papyrus jumped to attention once again, having become distracted by a floating advert. It was for buy one, get one free calzones. It had a stereotypical Italian man made of neon and magic blurting, 'It'sa Delicious!'
They all piled in, and with a sigh Frisk pressed the '1' button which unfortunately sat at the very bottom of hundreds of other buttons. It was incredibly ironic that the Underground Embassy happened to be located at the tallest skyscraper in Metropia. The trip down at least was pretty.
The glass elevator descended smoothly and Frisk looked out once again, watching the lights and windows zoom by. This city never slept, and since it was Friday night, it was even more busy than usual. The ground seemed to move like waves of colored sand until they drew further down, revealing individual human features. Occasionally, a monster here and there, but they often moved alone, markedly being avoided by any other humans.
It's a slow process, thought Frisk with a sigh. But we'll get there.
The elevator dinged again, and they stepped out into a mostly empty lobby lined with elevators on each side and a huge front desk. She noticed Papyrus was on alert again, and rolled her eyes with a smile. The best of bodyguards, she was sure.
"You will be so excited to see the car," said Papyrus, swinging his arms as he marched. "I took it to the car shop and got it equipped with the newest upgrades!"
"Ah." Frisk hesitated. "What.. kind of upgrades, Papyrus?"
"Aaaaah!" He swiveled his head behind him. His body continued forward in it's determined pace. "The scoundrel tried to hide it from me, but he covered the vehicle in a magical wax that will make us faster, and!" He held up a hand. "Immune to volcanoes! You never know when we'll make a trip to Hotland. Sans does not have many good recommendations, but this one, I had to admit, was brilliant!"
Frisk stumbled and Sans snickered. Papyrus did not notice, lost in his recollection. He rubbed where his chin should have been, nodding smugly. "He thought I couldn't afford it, but I, the Great Papyrus and Assistant Ambassador to the monsters scoffs at money! He didn't believe me... so I offered double!"
She noticed Sans's chuckling growing next to her. "That's... fantastic, Papyrus!" She forced a grin. Pleased with her approval, his head swiveled back just in time to avoid charging into a planter.
Once Papyrus turned back around, she whipped to face Sans and brought her fist down on the back of his skull. He dodged, which made her even angrier. "What are you doing?!" she hissed. "You are supposed to be keeping an eye on him!"
He shrugged with a grin, shaking his head. "Woah, someone's getting a little... hot-headed! Who was I to know if it was magic or not? Besides, volcanoes are unpredictable. You never know when they'll strike."
"You know very well that-!" Frisk reigned it in. The receptionist was still there, and she already found her to be very queer. She also knew she was fond of the General. Straightening her back, she brought her hand up for a polite cough and followed after Papyrus, short heels clacking against the dark polished stone floor. Her eyes flashed up at Sans.
This isn't over.
His pale orbs gazed down, his smile unfaltering. Later, then.
The skyscraper was empty now, except for Jerry the janitor. They waved to the monster as he cleaned quietly. Frisk wondered if he was the only one that cleaned, since she never saw anyone else. It seemed that almost all of the hard labor jobs, or the jobs less savory were being delegated to monsters.
At least, thought Frisk as she watched Jerry push his broom away, he gets to work in such a beautiful place.
Magus Seven Tower was indeed very beautiful, in it's own monochromatic way. The center of the city, it was a beacon of technology and magic, designed by the former High Magus. Everything was composed of metal and stone, shaped in too perfect a way. Obsidian veined with gold, with titanium walls reflecting fuzzy images. Occasionally you'd see a splash of color and a ripple of magic, but it was hardly ever more than another advertisement or the occasional Casual Friday tie.
The one place that did seem to have some life to it, the coffee stand near the garage, was closed. A chalkboard sign was flipped around with a pink flower drawn on it. It said "Closed - Come again!" M.K. must had gone home hours ago. Frisk had stayed far beyond the end of the work day.
She let out a long groan, slumping backwards. "I'm so ti-ired!"
"Do ambassadors act like that?"
"Yes, Sans," she sneered with contempt, "especially this one. I shouldn't be allowed to ambassador anything past five."
"Our noble job never rests, Frisk!" Papyrus opened the door to the parking garage. "Though," he added slyly, "I wouldn't mind a vacation every now and then..."
"Didn't you just go out of town to that toy convention with Alphys and Undyne?"
"Yes but I was all alone most of the time!" He crossed his arms in a pout. "And they made me sleep in the bathroom in the hotel room!"
"That's because you didn't make your own reservations," pointed out Sans. Their voices echoed as they entered the garage.
"I thought they'd let me at least have the couch... Ah! My beauty!" Papyrus ran up to his red corvette and pet it happily. "How do you feel? Is the wax making you extra happy? I hope so!"
Frisk and Sans were already headed into the car, waiting for Papyrus to get in. Eventually the older skeleton noticed and jumped in, checking all mirrors. With a gasp, he slapped his hands to his face in horrified shock. He pointed with a shaking hand at their seatbelts. "You must buckle up! It is the most important part about travel!"
Frisk and Sans shared a look, and slowly, put their seatbelts. "Alright, Papyrus. We're ready." Frisk smiled. "Let's go home."
"Nyeh heh heh!" Papyrus turned the key and the machine roared to life, headlights blaring bright. He revved the engine, growling with each press of the pedal. The radio was turned to the latest hits, a female pop star's voice belting a catchy tune. "Time to put this new coat to the test! Are you prepared for the fastest travel in your life?!"
Frisk saluted him. "Full speed, captain!"
"Hooray," droned Sans.
With another cackle, Papyrus slammed the pedal to the floor. The tires burned on the ground, smoke flaring. With the swivel of it's end, the car jolted out of the garage, taking air as it hit a speed bump.
The security guard at the check station, another monster, was watching an old-fashioned television and eating a sandwich. Without even looking, he pressed the button to lift the gate blocking the exit. The roar of the car came first, followed by Papyrus's maniacal cackle, then the red corvette appeared around the corner, screeching as it turned then blazed forward. The security guard and Frisk managed a split second wave of farewell before they blasted out of the tower, barreling straight into traffic.
"NYEH HEH HEH HEEEEEH!" He turned the wheel hard, tires screaming. Cars around them honked and cursed as Papyrus cut across four lanes of traffic. The city loomed high over head, the tops of buildings disappearing into the pitch dark sky. Frisk preemptively braced herself as she checked her phone for any new messages on the UnderNet. Sans was scratching at his nose socket, trying to hold back a sneeze.
The car righted itself, allowing only a few moments for Metropia's noise to settle in; the horns from angry drivers, the echoes of advertisements playing on large floating screens, the ever present thrum of magic in the air. Then, the car screamed again as the pedal hit the floor. Papyrus hunched over his steering wheel, eyes ablaze. They jolted forward, skipping again over the busy arterial, blazing straight for a beautifully designed estate. Fenced with green trees and bushes, with a perfectly manicured lawn, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Additionally, it was absolutely dwarfed in size as it snuggled right between Magus Seven and it's neighboring skyscraper.
"Prepare... MY ULTIMATE PARKING ATTACK!" The gate to the estate was already open, the helpers hired there having heard Papyrus's approach. The red demon vehicle flashed through the gates.
"Make sure you take it in easy," reminded Frisk, looking over her phone.
Papyrus slammed his foot down on the break, pulling back on the steering wheel. The car groaned and let out a high pitched screech as it swiveled and slowed towards the garage. Slowly, very slowly, it approached the back wall until very, very gently, it crawed to a stop just a hair's width away from touching paint.
Delicately, Papyrus put the car into park and shut off the engine. The lights went out around them as black smoke from burnt rubber filled the garage.
"You know," mused Frisk with a finger to her chin, "I do think we did get here a little faster than normal. Though I think next time, you should invest in volcano-resistent tires."
"Meh," shrugged Sans, "could have been faster."
Papyrus looked at him with outrage. "SANS-!"
The doors to the car opened up. "Welcome home, miss!" The voices harmonized. "We missed you!"
"Thank you Rosie, Posie." She smiled at the polite maid whose head was a beautiful blooming yellow rose. Her sister, Posie, had an equally charming head of pink posies.
Posie offered out her hand, also flowers. "Your bag, miss?"
"Yes, thank you. Any guests tonight?" They walked into the house, Papyrus lagging behind as he said goodnight to the corvette.
"None tonight, miss. Though, there is a letter that arrived for you with the King's seal. It appears to be an invitation to the anniversary party they put together."
"Oh, right, the anniversary!" Frisk's eyes lit up when she recognized the lavendar envelope she knew her mother picked out. The tenth anniversary of the barrier coming down was fast approaching, and a proper celebration was being put together this year. She had originally been on the planning committee, but her obligations to her job had forced her to back out of her position. The last she heard, her mother had taken up the work she couldn't do.
Frisk flipped the invitation around. The seal of the royal family was stamped on the front in silver. She was still involved however, though in a way she preferred she wasn't. She thought of the latest draft for the trade agreement they had proposed, and the human businesses they wanted to put into Newest Home. No doubt that the General would want to discuss the potential schedule they could start breaking ground, which meant she'd be right next to him to address any of his... inquiries.
"I'll look at this later, I'm too tired to write back right now." She placed the envelope back on the platter it had been presented on. It disappeared in a flare of magic.
"Of course. We will leave the invitation for you upstairs later to view."
The lights in the estate were all still on, floating globes of warm golden light. The cherry wood floors were polished to a shine, so much so that Frisk became suddenly conscious of her skirt and stepped onto the lush creamy rug in the center of the room instead. The main hall had a grand staircase leading up to the different bedrooms and studies upstairs, while the entryway was furnished exquisitely. Merely waiting for an audience was a more lavish affair than going to a five star establishment.
All of it, and Frisk could care less. Even still, these were all just leftovers from the previous tennet. It has used to be the residence for the High Magus when she was visiting, but an even grander establishment had been built outside the town on a private section of the coast. She ended up with the remains.
They even took quite a bit of the furniture, and still we have all of this. Frisk shook her head. And the monsters get all of their new things from the garbage...
"What do you want to eat for dinner tonight, miss?"
Frisk considered for a moment, then sighed. "Honestly I think I would just like to lay down for now."
Rosie's petals rustled. "But you must eat, I bet you haven't even had lunch!" She added quickly, "Miss."
"I'll be fine, thank you." She turned to Papyrus and Sans who were waiting behind her patiently. "I'll see you guys in the morning, Rosie and Posie can help you if there's anything wrong with your rooms." With another short wave, she excused herself and headed up the stairs and to the master bedroom located in the back of the estate.
Papyrus and Sans watched her go. "Mmmmm..." Worried eye sockets looked down to Sans. "Frisk hasn't been feeling very well lately... She never wants to go out with me and she hasn't even tried any of my new spaghetti recipes!" He frowned. "She also doesn't let me into the meetings anymore. She says it's because they're too boring to listen to, but I think it's because of that General."
Sans was quiet, small white orbs watching Frisk disappear through a hallway. "Hey." He looked over to the flower monsters. "You got any fries?"
Frisk placed her hand on the wall, and slowly moved it up. The yellow lights in the master bedroom came on. Eyes wincing, she rotated her palm counter-clockwise. Yellow turned to twilight blue, rippling softly with purple and green. She moved to turn away, then stopped, considering. Going back to the wall, she tapped on it a few times. The glowing stones of Waterfall appeared on her ceiling. She felt her body relax as they slowly brightened into existence one by one. Smiling, she turned to a large television on her wall. She snapped her fingers casually and it flared to life, already turned to the news channel. She began to undress, letting out a very unlady like groan when she unfastened her pants.
"...traffic has returned to normal in the Magus Seven district." The anchorwoman turned to face another camera. "In other news, King Asgore of the monster kingdom known as Newest Home extended an invitation to Metropia citizens inviting them to the Tenth Anniversary of their arrival."
Our arrival? Frisk unfastened her jacket and hung it over the edge of her bed. You make it sound like we crashed landed on your planet.
"We spoke to General Hirum Deighton, figurehead of monster relations, about this event."
What?
An older man who had retained his handsome looks from his youth spoke into one of the dozens of microphones pointed in his face. Frisk could tell from the background that they were standing in Magus Seven's elevator lobby. His steel grey eyes seemed unfazed by the amount of attention focused on him. Frisk's jaw hardened as she stared at him; he made her feel like a rabbit, never knowing when the wolf was going to descend upon her.
"It is always interesting to discover how many traditions we share with monster-kind," spoke Hirum. Frisk's eyebrows shot up and she snorted loudly. He was droning out her politically correct statements she repeated like scripture. She crossed her arms, intrigued. "Ten years ago, monsters arrived without no more warning than an observed burst of magic." His face changed, and she knew he was reeling in his anger. "Said burst of magic resulted in an energy crisis lasting two years." He stopped, face unchanging. "I, along with an envoy from the High Magus, will be accompanying Ambassador Dreemurr to this event. We hope to see our citizens there to celebrate ongoing peace."
Frisk looked at the television cynically as he continued to speak about the event. She doubted his intentions and could come up with dozens of other, more likely, reasons why he was going to put himself so deep into monster territory. She would, however, be keeping a close eye on him. It was the only reason why she had agreed for him to accompany her to the party in the first place.
Still, she had to give it to him; what he said instilled a certain amount of hope in her, even if realistically it was to quiet down the ever growing number of activists crying for monster rights.
Speaking of activists, a freeze-frame of a group of angry petitioners appeared next to the anchorwoman's head as she moved to the next segment. Frisk felt herself drain as she read in large letters: 'Monsters: The Moral Dillema.'
"Another petition to overturn the Human Purity Act has failed today. The protests from last weekend regarding the law between human and monster relationships garderned public attention, but was unfortunately not enough to get the signatures required for review. Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr released a statement regarding the petition today."
Video of Frisk from earlier this morning filled up her screen. She was sitting at her desk, hands folded in front of her. The woman on the screen appeared more confident and strong-willed than the girl standing half-dressed in her room. Frisk's shirt remained partly unbuttoned as she watched, unblinking.
"We hear and understand the frustrations of the citizens, monster and human alike, who wish for our worlds to be equal. Particularly, the screening process in the hospitals. This 'screening' is both inhumane and shameful. While we recognize the dangers of human and monster offspring, we also acknowledge that both species deserve a right to love who they want to love. We hope to address this further in the near future as we work with both the political and medical community for a solution. We will have our voices heard."
Frisk watched her own face freeze-frame as it shrunk down to a small box hovering next to the anchorwoman's head. "The Human Purity Act was famously created due to reports of rapidly rising infant mortality rates in the city, linked with relationships between those of monsters and humans. The screening process of the act includes testing of new mothers for cross-contamination. Female humans and monsters found to have half-breed children undergo forced termination of the fetus and are arrested after recovery."
The woman turned to another camera, smiling inappropriately. "Miss Metropia was crowned today, but the ceremony went awry when Mettaton, emcee of the event, went against the judges wishes and crowned himself-"
Frisk snapped her fingers again, and the room plunged back into twilight. She let her hand fall back beside her. Her head was bent forward, her hair shielding her eyes. She stood in silence in the middle of the room, only the faintest tinkle of the crystal lights audible.
'...celebrate ongoing peace.'
She took in a sharp breath, clenching her fists. Spinning on the ball of her foot, she walked into her bathroom and slammed her hands on her counter, leaning over her sink. She breathed through clenched teeth, her white blouse pooled around her arms. She closed her eyes tight.
She felt a hand rest on her back, and her fingers clenched again.
"Sans... I don't think I can keep doing this."
"Don't be stupid, of course you can. You're Frisk the Human, you saved all of Underground. This ain't nothin'."
"Children are dying and people are disappearing because of me, because I can't get anyone to listen to a word of what I have to say. You're the only one that-"
"I brought you fries-"
"I don't want your fries, Sans!" Frisk lashed out, knocking the bowl of french fries off of the counter. Sans caught them with his free hand and set them gently down out of her reach. "You want to know what happened today, Sans? Hmm? Because it was more than that!" She gestured towards her television. "They say that if we don't let them into the Underground, they're going to force them back down. Everyone."
"Eh, that doesn't sound like something they'd do. I always thought humans were all pretty brave, but turns out there aren't too many of 'em out there like you, kid. Anyways, High Magus is on good terms with us. She even asked Toriel for her pie receipie."
"But who has the most influence? Me, a nineteen year old girl with a spaghetti-loving skeleton as a bodyguard, or General Hirum Deighton, hero of Napja and peacekeeper of Metropia? For godsakes Sans, that man has more metal on his chest than Mettaton's closet!"
"Speaking of Mettaton, did you know he's the new Miss Metropia?"
"SANS!" She spun towards him, his hand pulling back quickly. "Everything in this city- the cars, the buildings, televisions, your toaster- it all runs on magic. Everything. It doesn't come from thin air, it comes from complex systems that draw it from the world. And it's not an endless reservoir, it runs out. The High Magus is the High Magus because she can divert magical flows away from other sources to here, but there are only so many rivers. They've been doing this since long before the monsters ever went underground." She felt the inside of herself begin to well up. She swallowed hard. "They'll take it all, Sans... They'll use every drop underground for themselves. You know it, I know it. And then... what then?" Her voice cracked. "I mean, monsters- you- you're all made of magic. What if... what if...?"
Sans was looking away, rubbing the back of his head. Frisk was taking in short breaths, shaking. She was trying so very hard not to cry. It was making him feel awkward, something that he unfortunately noticed happened a lot when it came to being around Frisk as of late.
"You know, kid..." He paused for a second, searching for words. "I think, maybe... you shouldn't overthink these kinds of things. Humans, they're unpredictable. You never know what they're gonna do. Heck, even I couldn't figure out what little Frisk was going to do next as she made her way through the Underground." His eyes darted towards hers briefly. "Not saying I think what you're saying is baloney, because I know jerks, and that Hirum is that and a half. But..." He shrugged. "Like you said. You're a kid. You're also just the ambassador. Your job isn't to stop anyone, it's to make peace. There's gonna be some give and take, ya know? Besides, the King isn't just playing in his garden all day, he is the King for a reason. There's a reason why they haven't gotten into the Underground yet."
Frisk was staring down at her bare feet. The tiles in the bathroom were cold. "Yeah... I know... I just... I want to make sure everyone is safe. I don't..." She looked up at him. Her eyes flickered with fear. " I don't want to lose everyone again."
Sans sighed again. Groaning, he rubbed his forehead. "Don't do that kid, you're gonna kill me with a look like that. C'mon, let's watch a movie." He grabbed onto the bowl. "Let's eat these too, before they get cold. "
"But Sans-!"
He was already walking back into the bedroom. He snapped his fingers and jumped into the bed, disappearing from sight. Frisk stood alone in the bathroom, feeling drained. She turned to the sink, staring at her reflection. Her eyes were puffy from unshed tears, and her bun was coming apart, stray hairs poking about. Her clothes were half-shed, her blouse hanging about her, her plain underclothes peeking out slightly.
She recalled the feeling of Sans's hand on her back. She reached behind her and removed the sign he had tapped there. She looked at it.
'Bean-Eating Champion.'
She smiled softly to herself. Folding it neatly, she placed it into a drawer of accessories and other pranks. She undid her bun, shaking out her thick hair. Removing the rest of her clothes and turning on the sink, she leaned over and splashed water in her face. She looked back at herself.
"You are the Ambassador of the monsters, you are the savior of the Underground. You can do this. This was tasked to you by your father, King of the Monsters. You will find peace. You will find love."
Her face dripped, the small drop drop echoing in the bathroom. The words, she found, were getting harder to believe.
Sans wasn't sure what was playing on the television now. Some historical western he guessed. The hero of the movie stood over his foe, and his face twisted into his trademark grimace. The skeleton noticed he did that a lot.
The bowl of french fries was empty, minus a pool of ketchup at the bottom with a few remaining fries floating in it. Sans was eating it occasionally with his free hand with a spoon, munching quiet so he didn't wake up the human tucked in tight against him.
The cowboy on the screen put his gun away and the beautiful blonde damsel in the movie rushed towards him, throwing his arms around him. Sans rolled his eyes and took another bite. If these TV's had remotes he would have changed the channel awhile ago, but everything in this city seemed to depend on touching and snapping at everything.
"Come home with me," the woman pleaded. The cowboy brought his hand up to brush his thumb against her cheek.
"I could, darling, I could... We could even build that cottage in that valley you wanted, have a son. I could teach him to shoot just as good as his daddy..." He wiped the tear that fell away from her cheek. "But I have to go."
"Please," she whispered, Sans mouthing along with her, "don't leave."
"I don't belong in your world, darling. You're made from money and happiness, I was made from blood, hardship, and loss. I don't know your world, and I don't know how to live in it. Sure, I might be able to pretend for awhile, but that wouldn't be who I am. I wouldn't know how to make you really happy." He brushed her cheek again. "How you deserve to be happy."
The woman's tears were flowing freely now, but the hero had pulled his hand away. He began to walk back to his horse. "I won't stop loving you!" She shouted, her hand clutching her chest. "I'll keep waiting for you to come back, until I die!"
The man swung up onto his horse, his figure dark, outlined by the setting sun. "If you knew better, darling," he said as he kicked his horse into moving, "you'd forget I ever existed."
The music in the movie began to swell as the hero road away into the sunset. The spoon in Sans's hand was very still. He was staring at the woman who watched her love disappear into the distance. Her dark hair shone like fire in the setting sun. Sans shook his head and blinked. The woman reverted back.
He stared down flabbergasted at the bowl of food in front of him. "That's what I get for eatin' so late at night." He grabbed it and placed it on the antique nightstand next to him.
Frisk groaned and rolled away from him, grabbing at a pillow and holding it close to her. Sans paused for a moment, considering the consequences. Then, out of what was mostly curiosity, he slowly settled down next to her, the only contact being her laying on his arm. He stared at the back of her head.
Toriel, Asgore, Papyrus, and Sans, had all played a roll in raising Frisk. Despite all the hardships Frisk had overcome to leave the Underground alive, she still chose to remain with Toriel in the end. He had only asked her once what had happened to her human family, but it was a short story, resulting in him finding out she had been orphaned at a very young age. The journey up Mount Ebott had been a story shared amonst the children in the orphanage, hence her fall into the Underground.
She spend her earliest years with primarily Toriel. The Queen taught her the basic education that she needed. He and Papyrus would then shuttle the little ambassador back and forth between the two cities. That lasted for a few years until the requirements needed from Frisk forced her to take up residence at the manor next to the embassy. It was here that Sans found himself more and more involved with human affairs, something he wasn't too keen on.
He remained here however, one reason being his brother. Papyrus had fully embraced the human world, whether the human world liked it or not. In fact, he was almost positive his brother was ordering late night calzone delivery at this very moment and posting embarrassingly bad memes on the human internet.
The other reason was, of course, Frisk. After having nearly losing Frisk in the early part of her new career, Sans had taken it upon himself to continue his promise made to Toriel to protect the child. It had become more than that, however. The human, through all of adventures and battles in the Underground, had become his friend. It was more than just a promise, it was a pure desire for her well-being.
He subconsciously was playing with a bit of her hair, rolling it back and forth slowly between his fingers. What she had been speaking about earlier that evening set inside him a murmuring disquiet. Unfortunately, Frisk was very good at being an Ambassador and could see bullshit from the humans miles away. More unfortunate still, this was the human world; Sans's ability to protect Frisk was handicapped to a point that he was beginning to run out of ways to shield her from the worst of it
He began to think of those he had scared off and their intentions. Some wanted to merely push her out of powers, others however, had darker plans.
Sans's hand twitched. He reached for her.
A too-familiar jovial tune piped out of the television. Sans's hand froze.
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Little Jimmy?" said a robust man's voice.
"I want to be a Dad!"
"And what about you, Little Jenny?"
"I want to be a Mommy!"
"And do you know how to do that?" asked the robust voice.
"We marry humans!" replied the children in happy unison! The happy song bumped along. "Hand in hand, we love each other, human and human stay together! We'll raise healthy children, we'll grow big and strong! And we'll keep the monsters, away from our home!"
"Respect our history," said the robust voice, "keep our mothers healthy. Do it for the children."
"Do it for us!" shouted a chorus.
Snap!
The television turned off. Frisk jolted up, hands out in front of her in a fighting gesture. "Wha-?"
"What a boring movie." Sans stretched his arms above his head, yawning. "This human television is a snoozefest." He scratched at his jaw. "That's it for me kid, I'm headed to bed."
Bleary-eyed and hair like a bird's nest, Frisk stared at him for a moment, then closed her eyes. "Okay." She fell over on her side. "G'night Sans. Thanks for the fries," she added with a yawn, pulling the covers back over her.
"Yeah, no problem, kid." Sans was walking over to the door. He turned to look at her one last time. She was already back asleep, her form rising and falling steadily. He stared down at his fingers, rubbing them together. He felt a sense of loss.
Frowning slightly, he teleported away.