PART TWO: INTO THE DARKNESS

Chapter 9: The Forest Path

Frisk wasn't sure what should have made them feel more cold- the second encounter with Flowey, or the fact that they found themselves standing in what appeared to be snow coming up to their ankles. With the entrance to the Ruins sealing itself behind them, they were facing a long, shadowed path flanked on both sides by countless tall trees. Directly to their left was a large bush covered in snow, inconspicuous save for a strange black object nestled somewhere in the branches. Frisk felt more uneasy upon discovering that it was some kind of security camera.

"Nowhere else to go but forward…"

As they started walking down the path through the forest, they noticed two things: first that the environment itself seemed magical judging by how the trees grew without sunlight (it was even darker than the Ruins) and the snow wasn't actually that cold, and second that there was absolutely no sound other than their own crunching footsteps. It felt like they were lost in a void, and the inviting warmth of Toriel's house grew further away with each step.

Frisk almost stumbled on a large fallen branch sitting directly in front of them on the path. They considered replacing the stick they had with this much more durable-looking tool, but it was far too heavy to lift. Sighing, they stepped over it and continued on their way. A loud snapping sound from behind them caught their attention. Frisk turned around to see that the branch had been reduced to little more than splinters. By what, they didn't know. Staying there to find out didn't seem like a smart idea, so they picked up their speed down the path.

Their breath was becoming uneven in fright, which definitely wasn't helped by the strange, monotonous humming sound emanating from the forest. They found the silence from before to be preferable, to say the least. Frisk stole a glance over their shoulder and noticed a second trail of footprints beside theirs a ways back, with a shadowy figure they couldn't quite make out darting into the trees to hide.

Now feeling utterly terrified, they broke out into a run down the path. The sound of crunching snow right on their heels indicated that whatever was following them hadn't gone away. They came to a stop upon reaching a deep hole across the trail, a narrow wooden bridge extending over it. What looked like a large gate was erected on the side of the hole closest to them, its bars far apart enough to allow them to pass.

"Human."

The voice was soft, almost like a mumble, yet rang clearly in Frisk's ears. It rumbled in a deep baritone sound, sending a shiver down their spine. Someone- or something- was standing less than a yard behind them.

"Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand…"

Frisk slowly turned on the spot to face the speaker. Their eyes were practically squeezed shut in terror, so they didn't get a very good look. Whoever it was held out a hand for them. Trembling hard, Frisk reached out and grabbed it-

-only to hear a very loud, wet "flurp" that quickly transitioned into a high-pitched wheeze. They were touching something soft and rubbery that squished inwards with force. Frisk opened their eyes all the way in confusion.

"hehehe, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's ALWAYS funny."

The monster was just a little taller than them, but somewhat wide. A blue jacket covered his arms and most of his body, unzipped in the front to reveal a simple white shirt underneath. He was wearing black shorts with two white stripes traveling down each leg, and his feet were nestled in pink, fuzzy slippers. His hands were deep in his jacket pockets, but a pair of teal gloves poked out enough for them to see. The whole outfit was somewhat mismatched, not that he seemed to care.

With so much clothing, it took Frisk a moment to realize that this monster was a skeleton. His skull was, when viewed from the front, shaped like two ovals overlapping one another, giving him a rather portly appearance. Even stranger was his face. While it was otherwise normal for a skeleton, with dark sockets where a living human's eyes and nose would be, something was almost cartoonish about him. His mouth seemed permanently stuck in a wide smile, so that when he spoke the words hummed from between his teeth. Meanwhile, his eyes- despite being little more than holes in his skull- were able to shrink and reshape themselves as if he had eyelids. A pair of small white lights, apparently his pupils, shone out from somewhere in the darkness of his skull. The skeleton laughed again and nodded at Frisk, speaking in a voice that was indeed deep but now sounded more laid-back and casual.

"anyways, you're a human, right? that's hilarious. i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

"Uh-"

"i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but… y'know… i don't really care about capturing anybody."

Capture? Monsters had a job to capture humans? Toriel had warned them to be cautious, but they didn't imagine they'd meet resistance right outside the Ruins…

"now my brother, papyrus… he's a human-hunting FANATIC."

Frisk swallowed nervously. Sans could easily have been lying about not caring. Was he waiting for "Papyrus" to arrive and help? The skeleton looked past them across the bridge.

"hey, actually, i think that's him over there. you'd better hide. i have an idea… follow me through this gate thingy. yeah, go right on through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anybody."

Before they could say anything, Sans had grabbed them by the wrist and was gently pulling them along with him.

Author's Note: And here's the beginning of Part Two! Thanks for your patience for a few days; expect frequent updates again!