Chapter 7: Meeting the Twins
Ruby walked along the path in front of her, looking around cautiously. After finding that camera in that bush behind her, Ruby realized that she had to be more conscious to her surroundings. Who knows who was behind those cameras?
Ruby kept on walking along the path, and then jumped over a thick log. She kept on walking, when she heard a loud crack. She quickly turned around, and saw that the big, thick log had been broken like it was nothing. Ruby's eyes darted around the trees. They were so thick, she couldn't see a thing between them. Getting more nervous, Ruby continued.
"Somebody's following me…but who?"
She kept on walking, until she came to a strange structure. It appeared to be some kind of entrance…..looked like it belonged to a shrine's. She was about to step through it, when a voice behind her said, " H-u-m-a-n."
Ruby quickly spun around and did a spin kick in panic. The figure got kicked right in the face, and spun wildly in his spot. Then they fell down. Ruby looked at the figure she had just roundhouse kicked. It was a short person with a completely white face, wearing a blue-color hoodie with black pants. For some reason, they didn't have a nose, just an empty socket. The figure was rubbing their cheek. When they put their hand down, Ruby saw that there was a huge crack on their cheek. In fact, the figure was a skeleton. For some reason, though, their face was stuck on a huge, rather unsettling, smile that showed all their teeth.
"Gee, can't you take a practical joke?" They said in a low, rather hoarse, whisper.
"Sorry! Freaked out…." Ruby said, and helped said skeleton to its feet.
"Guess I got you good, huh? I'm Sans, by the way. Sans the Skeleton."
"Well, I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."
Sans scanned Ruby, bottom to top, and said, "Well, you're too strangely dressed to pass up for a rose." I can easily tell you're a human."
Ruby laughed, saying, "No, my last name is Rose. Like your last name is Skeleton."
"Oh. Well, it's nice meeting ya. But you gotta listen. Considering the racket we just made, I'm sure my brother heard it."
"Your brother?"
"Papyrus. He's my twin. But he's not really like me. He's a human-hunting FANATIC."
"Human….hunting?"
"Yeah….see, he really wants to be become a part of the Royal Guards. So their leader, Undyne, put me and him as sentries outside the Ruins, so that if any human comes along, we should catch them."
Ruby took a few steps behind.
"Him and you? Catch…"
"I would've caught you right now…." Sans said, his eye socket's suddenly glowing blue, and then the light dying out, "But it's too much work. I exploit my time and energy into other stuff, see."
"Like scaring people?" Ruby said, folding her arms.
"Yep. And in better stuff, like trolling others. Here, shake my hand."
Ruby stuck her arm out, and shook his hand. A fart sound was heard.
"Whoops! Left my air cushion attached to my hand." He took it off. "It's waaaaaaaaay more fun than catching humans. I mean, first off, you actually have to spend energy and exert. You know how much you have to move? A lot."
Ruby wondered if he really had any energy in him, being a skeleton and all….
"Uh oh, Papyrus is coming! I know, stand over there and pretend you're a rose flower."
"But…"
"Don't worry, he won't realize you're a human."
Ruby was about to say something, when she heard a loud, high-pitched shriek of "SAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!" She had no choice but to simply stand where Sans had pointed and stand rigid.
And then she saw Sans 'twin.' A tall, thin skeleton, with teeth that were shaped in a smile, and beady eyes sockets, came jogging along. He wore a strange, body armor like chest-plating, and some blue underwear like thing, with a small cape attached to the chest plating's shoulders. However, Ruby could sense he was angry. Papyrus then shouted, "SANS, YOU LAZY BONES! YOU HAVE ONCE AGAIN FORGOTTON TO RECALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES AND YOU LEFT YOUR STATION ABANDONED! YOU ARE TRULY A WASTE OF POTENTIAL!"
Ruby noticed that as compared to Sans, who whispered everything, Papyrus was literally shouting everything he said. And while Sans had a hoarse voice, Papyrus's sounded much more higher-pitched.
"Ah, chill out bro," Papyrus's 'twin' said, "I'll get to it eventually."
"WHICH IS A COMPLETE WEEK FROM NOW! REALLY, SANS! UNDYNE EXPECTS SO MUCH FROM US! THAT'S WHY SHE PUT SUCH A HUGE DUTY UPON US! I MUST CATCH A HUMAN! I MUST! I WILL BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARDS!" (Mr. Papyrus was now stomping the ground) "I WILL! AND WHEN I DO, (Suddenly, a wind came out of nowhere and blew his cape dramatically, causing him to take a pose) I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL FINALLY RECEIVE WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED! FRIENDS! FRIENDS EVERYWHERE! I SHALL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING! AND THEN…I SHALL ASTOUND THE WORLD WITH MY SPAGHETTI COOKING! AND THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF YOU WOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR WORK! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING OUTSIDE OF YOUR STATION?!"
"Looking at that pretty rose," and Sans pointed at Ruby. Papyrus turned and looked at Ruby.
Ruby thought angrily, 'Sans, you sorry son of a-'
But Papyrus cut off her swearing, "SANS, YOU LAZY BONES! YOU THINK THAT WITH THAT STUPID STRATEGY, SOME HUMAN WILL STROLL ALONG AND JOIN YOU IN WATCHING, AND THEN YOU'LL CATCH 'EM?! THAT STRATEGY IS FLAWED IN EVERY WAY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, TELLS YOU, GET BACK TO YOUR WORK STATION!"
"Can't do, bro." Sans said, "I've got a ton of work to do…..a skele-ton."
(Dum dum ching!)
"BAAAAAAH! NOW YOU'RE DISTRACTING ME FROM MY WORK! BUT I'LL SHOW YOU…..WHEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CATCH A HUMAN, I SHALL SHW YOU, THAT I TRULY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE A ROYAL GUARD, BROTHER! FOR I HAVE THE BACK-BONE!"
(Dum dum ching!)
"NYEH HEH HEH HEHE HEH HEH HEH HEHE HEH HEH HEH HEEH HEHE HEHE HEH!" And the Great Papyrus ran out of Ruby's view. Then he popped back into her view, and said, "HEH!" And disappeared. And then he appeared again, and said, "THAT'S A REALLY PRETTY ROSE…,GAH YOU DISTRACTED ME AGAIN SANS!"
Sans took a look, and said, "OK, he's gone."
Ruby walked up to the small skeleton, and said, "Um….that was your twin? He's…." Ruby couldn't find the right words, "….a little slow."
"That's why I told you to pretend you're a rose. You don't need to worry about Papyrus at all. He may talk a lot, but his bite won't do a thing. He couldn't hurt a fly, even if he wanted to."
"Wow….and he wants so much…..I feel kinda bad for him…."
"Don't worry, everything'll be fine. Oh…um….just one thing."
"Sure."
"See, Papyrus has been kinda down lately…..being a sentry is a lot less exciting than you think."
"I can tell…"
"But…if he sees you, and this time, you should pretend you're a human, then he might just cheer up. Could you do this favor for me?"
Ruby thought it out. Papyrus wanted to catch her, but the meeting she had just seen proved to her that Papyrus really wasn't as bad as he seemed. Considering he hadn't realized she was a human even when he looked right at her….
"All right, I'll do it! He doesn't seem so bad…"
"Oh, my brother is really cool. I troll around with him all the time. He falls for all of my pranks brilliantly." Sans pulled out a pocket watch, "If you'll excuse me, I have to get to Grillby's. Their offering fries at 70% off. With the ketchup." And Sans disappeared in a blue flash in front of Ruby's eyes.
A cold gust of wind blew in Ruby's face. She donned her hood on, and walked along the trail, leaving rose petals behind. The voice in her head again said, Let's keep looking cool for a few seconds….
TO BE CONTINUED!
